the mirror of the sea- 第15部分

sallow　man　without　a　cap　and　with　a　very　still　face。　　Captain　Jones



…　let　us　call　him　Jones　…　had　been　caught　unawares。　　Two　orders　he



had　given　at　the　first　sign　of　an　utterly　unforeseen　onset；　after



that　the　magnitude　of　his　mistake　seemed　to　have　overwhelmed　him。



We　were　doing　what　was　needed　and　feasible。　　The　ship　behaved　well。



Of　course；　it　was　some　time　before　we　could　pause　in　our　fierce　and



laborious　exertions；　but　all　through　the　work；　the　excitement；　the



uproar；　and　some　dismay；　we　were　aware　of　this　silent　little　man　at



the　break　of　the　poop；　perfectly　motionless；　soundless；　and　often



hidden　from　us　by　the　drift　of　sprays。







When　we　officers　clambered　at　last　upon　the　poop；　he　seemed　to　come



out　of　that　numbed　composure；　and　shouted　to　us　down　wind：　　〃Try



the　pumps。〃　　Afterwards　he　disappeared。　　As　to　the　ship；　I　need　not



say　that；　although　she　was　presently　swallowed　up　in　one　of　the



blackest　nights　I　can　remember；　she　did　not　disappear。　　In　truth；　I



don't　fancy　that　there　had　ever　been　much　danger　of　that；　but



certainly　the　experience　was　noisy　and　particularly　distracting　…



and　yet　it　is　the　memory　of　a　very　quiet　silence　that　survives。















XXIV。















For；　after　all；　a　gale　of　wind；　the　thing　of　mighty　sound；　is



inarticulate。　　It　is　man　who；　in　a　chance　phrase；　interprets　the



elemental　passion　of　his　enemy。　　Thus　there　is　another　gale　in　my



memory；　a　thing　of　endless；　deep；　humming　roar；　moonlight；　and　a



spoken　sentence。







It　was　off　that　other　cape　which　is　always　deprived　of　its　title　as



the　Cape　of　Good　Hope　is　robbed　of　its　name。　　It　was　off　the　Horn。



For　a　true　expression　of　dishevelled　wildness　there　is　nothing　like



a　gale　in　the　bright　moonlight　of　a　high　latitude。







The　ship；　brought…to　and　bowing　to　enormous　flashing　seas；



glistened　wet　from　deck　to　trucks；　her　one　set　sail　stood　out　a



coal…black　shape　upon　the　gloomy　blueness　of　the　air。　　I　was　a



youngster　then；　and　suffering　from　weariness；　cold；　and　imperfect



oilskins　which　let　water　in　at　every　seam。　　I　craved　human



companionship；　and；　coming　off　the　poop；　took　my　place　by　the　side



of　the　boatswain　（a　man　whom　I　did　not　like）　in　a　comparatively　dry



spot　where　at　worst　we　had　water　only　up　to　our　knees。　　Above　our



heads　the　explosive　booming　gusts　of　wind　passed　continuously；



justifying　the　sailor's　saying　〃It　blows　great　guns。〃　　And　just



from　that　need　of　human　companionship；　being　very　close　to　the　man；



I　said；　or　rather　shouted：







〃Blows　very　hard；　boatswain。〃







His　answer　was：







〃Ay；　and　if　it　blows　only　a　little　harder　things　will　begin　to　go。



I　don't　mind　as　long　as　everything　holds；　but　when　things　begin　to



go　it's　bad。〃







The　note　of　dread　in　the　shouting　voice；　the　practical　truth　of



these　words；　heard　years　ago　from　a　man　I　did　not　like；　have



stamped　its　peculiar　character　on　that　gale。







A　look　in　the　eyes　of　a　shipmate；　a　low　murmur　in　the　most



sheltered　spot　where　the　watch　on　duty　are　huddled　together；　a



meaning　moan　from　one　to　the　other　with　a　glance　at　the　windward



sky；　a　sigh　of　weariness；　a　gesture　of　disgust　passing　into　the



keeping　of　the　great　wind；　become　part　and　parcel　of　the　gale。　　The



olive　hue　of　hurricane　clouds　presents　an　aspect　peculiarly



appalling。　　The　inky　ragged　wrack；　flying　before　a　nor'…west　wind；



makes　you　dizzy　with　its　headlong　speed　that　depicts　the　rush　of



the　invisible　air。　　A　hard　sou'…wester　startles　you　with　its　close



horizon　and　its　low　gray　sky；　as　if　the　world　were　a　dungeon



wherein　there　is　no　rest　for　body　or　soul。　　And　there　are　black



squalls；　white　squalls；　thunder　squalls；　and　unexpected　gusts　that



come　without　a　single　sign　in　the　sky；　and　of　each　kind　no　one　of



them　resembles　another。







There　is　infinite　variety　in　the　gales　of　wind　at　sea；　and　except



for　the　peculiar；　terrible；　and　mysterious　moaning　that　may　be



heard　sometimes　passing　through　the　roar　of　a　hurricane　…　except



for　that　unforgettable　sound；　as　if　the　soul　of　the　universe　had



been　goaded　into　a　mournful　groan　…　it　is；　after　all；　the　human



voice　that　stamps　the　mark　of　human　consciousness　upon　the



character　of　a　gale。















XXV。















There　is　no　part　of　the　world　of　coasts；　continents；　oceans；　seas；



straits；　capes；　and　islands　which　is　not　under　the　sway　of　a



reigning　wind；　the　sovereign　of　its　typical　weather。　　The　wind



rules　the　aspects　of　the　sky　and　the　action　of　the　sea。　　But　no



wind　rules　unchallenged　his　realm　of　land　and　water。　　As　with　the



kingdoms　of　the　earth；　there　are　regions　more　turbulent　than



others。　　In　the　middle　belt　of　the　earth　the　Trade　Winds　reign



supreme；　undisputed；　like　monarchs　of　long…settled　kingdoms；　whose



traditional　power；　checking　all　undue　ambitions；　is　not　so　much　an



exercise　of　personal　might　as　the　working　of　long…established



institutions。　　The　intertropical　kingdoms　of　the　Trade　Winds　are



favourable　to　the　ordinary　life　of　a　merchantman。　　The　trumpet…call



of　strife　is　seldom　borne　on　their　wings　to　the　watchful　ears　of



men　on　the　decks　of　ships。　　The　regions　ruled　by　the　north…east　and



south…east　Trade　Winds　are　serene。　　In　a　southern…going　ship；　bound



out　for　a　long　voyage；　the　passage　through　their　dominions　is



characterized　by　a　relaxation　of　strain　and　vigilance　on　the　part



of　the　seamen。　　Those　citizens　of　the　ocean　feel　sheltered　under



the　aegis　of　an　uncontested　law；　of　an　undisputed　dynasty。　　There；



indeed；　if　anywhere　on　earth；　the　weather　may　be　trusted。







Yet　not　too　implicitly。　　Even　in　the　constitutional　realm　of　Trade



Winds；　north　and　south　of　the　equator；　ships　are　overtaken　by



strange　disturbances。　　Still；　the　easterly　winds；　and；　generally



speaking；　the　easterly　weather　all　the　world　over；　is　characterized



by　regularity　and　persistence。







As　a　ruler；　the　East　Wind　has　a　remarkable　stability；　as　an　invader



of　the　high　latitudes　lying　under　the　tumultuous　sway　of　his　great



brother；　the　Wind　of　the　West；　he　is　extremely　difficult　to



dislodge；　by　the　reason　of　his　cold　craftiness　and　profound



duplicity。







The　narrow　seas　around　these　isles；　where　British　admirals　keep



watch　and　ward　upon　the　marches　of　the　Atlantic　Ocean；　are　subject



to　the　turbulent　sway　of　the　West　Wind。　　Call　it　north…west　or



south…west；　it　is　all　one　…　a　different　phase　of　the　same



character；　a　changed　expression　on　the　same　face。　　In　the



orientation　of　the　winds　that　rule　the　seas；　the　north　and　south



directions　are　of　no　importance。　　There　are　no　North　and　South



Winds　of　any　account　upon　this　earth。　　The　North　and　South　Winds



are　but　small　princes　in　the　dynasties　that　make　peace　and　war　upon



the　sea。　　They　never　assert　themselves　upon　a　vast　stage。　　They



depend　upon　local　causes　…　the　configuration　of　coasts；　the　shapes



of　straits；　the　accidents　of　bold　promontories　round　which　they



play　their　little　part。　　In　the　polity　of　winds；　as　amongst　the



tribes　of　the　earth；　the　real　struggle　lies　between　East　and　West。















XXVI。















The　West　Wind　reigns　over　the　seas　surrounding　the　coasts　of　these



kingdoms；　and　from　the　gateways　of　the　channels；　from　promontories



as　if　from　watch…towers；　from　estuaries　of　rivers　as　if　from



postern　gates；　from　passage…ways；　inlets；　straits；　firths；　the



garrison　of　the　Isle　and　the　crews　of　the　ships　going　and　returning



look　to　the　westward　to　judge　by　the　varied　splendours　of　his



sunset　mantle　the　mood　of　that　arbitrary　ruler。　　The　end　of　the　day



is　the　time　to　gaze　at　the　kingly　face　of　the　Westerly　Weather；　who



is　the　arbiter　of　ships'　destinies。　　Benignant　and　splendid；　or



splendid　and　sinister；　the　western　sky　reflects　the　hidden　purposes



of　the　royal　mind。　　Clothed　in　a　mantle　of　dazzling　gold　or　draped



in　rags　of　black　clouds　like　a　beggar；　the　might　of　the　Westerly



Wind　sits　enthroned　upon　the　western　horizon　with　the　whole　North



Atlantic　as　a　footstool　for　his　feet　and　the　first　twinkling　stars



making　a　diadem　for　his　brow。　　Then　the　seamen；　attentive　courtiers



of　the　weather；　think　of　regulating　the　conduct　of　their　ships　by



the　mood　of　the　master。　　The　West　Wind　is　too　great　a　king　to　be　a



dissembler：　　he　is　no　calculator　plotting　deep　schemes　in　a　sombre



heart；　he　is　too　strong　for　small　artifices；　there　is　passion　in



all　his　moods；　even　in　the　soft　mood　of　his　serene　days；　in　the



grace　of　his　blue　sky　whose　immense　and　unfathomable　tenderness



reflected　in　the　mirror　of　the　sea　embraces；　possesses；　lulls　to



sleep　the　ships　with　white　sails。　　He　is　all　things　to　all　oceans；



he　is　like　a　poet　seated　upon　a　throne　…　magnificent；　simple；



barbarous；　pensive；　generous；　impulsive；　changeable；　unfathomable　…



but　when　you　understand　him；　always　the　same。　　Some　of　his　sunsets



are　like　pageants　devised　for　the　delight　of　the　multitude；　when



all　the　gems　of　the　royal　treasure…house　are　displayed　above　the



sea。　　Others　are　like　the　opening　of　his　royal　confidence；　tinged



with　thoughts　of　sadness　and　compassion　in　a　melancholy　splendour



meditating　upon　the　short…lived　peace　of　the　waters。　　And　I　have



seen　him　put　the　pent…up　anger　of　his　heart　into　the　aspect　of　the



inaccessible　sun；　and　cause　it　to　glare　fiercely　like　the　eye　of　an



implacable　autocrat　out　of　a　pale　and　frightened　sky。







He　is　the　war…lord　who　sends　his　battalions　of　Atlantic　rollers　to



the　assault　of　our　seaboard。　　The　compelling　voice　of　the　West　Wind



musters　up　to　his　service　all　the　might　of　the　ocean。　　At　the



bidding　of　the　West　Wind　there　arises　a　great　commotion　in　the　sky



above　these　Islands；　and　a　great　rush　of　waters　falls　upon　our



sho