the mirror of the sea- 第23部分

mass　of　dead　and　stripped　trees　had　come　out　of　the　flanks　of　a



slender；　innocent…looking　little　barque　with；　as　likely　as　not；　a



homely　woman's　name　…　Ellen　this　or　Annie　that　…　upon　her　fine



bows。　　But　this　is　generally　the　case　with　a　discharged　cargo。



Once　spread　at　large　over　the　quay；　it　looks　the　most　impossible



bulk　to　have　all　come　there　out　of　that　ship　along…side。







They　were　quiet；　serene　nooks　in　the　busy　world　of　docks；　these



basins　where　it　has　never　been　my　good　luck　to　get　a　berth　after



some　more　or　less　arduous　passage。　　But　one　could　see　at　a　glance



that　men　and　ships　were　never　hustled　there。　　They　were　so　quiet



that；　remembering　them　well；　one　comes　to　doubt　that　they　ever



existed　…　places　of　repose　for　tired　ships　to　dream　in；　places　of



meditation　rather　than　work；　where　wicked　ships　…　the　cranky；　the



lazy；　the　wet；　the　bad　sea　boats；　the　wild　steerers；　the



capricious；　the　pig…headed；　the　generally　ungovernable　…　would　have



full　leisure　to　take　count　and　repent　of　their　sins；　sorrowful　and



naked；　with　their　rent　garments　of　sailcloth　stripped　off　them；　and



with　the　dust　and　ashes　of　the　London　atmosphere　upon　their



mastheads。　　For　that　the　worst　of　ships　would　repent　if　she　were



ever　given　time　I　make　no　doubt。　　I　have　known　too　many　of　them。



No　ship　is　wholly　bad；　and　now　that　their　bodies　that　had　braved　so



many　tempests　have　been　blown　off　the　face　of　the　sea　by　a　puff　of



steam；　the　evil　and　the　good　together　into　the　limbo　of　things　that



have　served　their　time；　there　can　be　no　harm　in　affirming　that　in



these　vanished　generations　of　willing　servants　there　never　has　been



one　utterly　unredeemable　soul。







In　the　New　South　Dock　there　was　certainly　no　time　for　remorse；



introspection；　repentance；　or　any　phenomena　of　inner　life　either



for　the　captive　ships　or　for　their　officers。　　From　six　in　the



morning　till　six　at　night　the　hard　labour　of　the　prison…house；



which　rewards　the　valiance　of　ships　that　win　the　harbour　went　on



steadily；　great　slings　of　general　cargo　swinging　over　the　rail；　to



drop　plumb　into　the　hatchways　at　the　sign　of　the　gangway…tender's



hand。　　The　New　South　Dock　was　especially　a　loading　dock　for　the



Colonies　in　those　great　（and　last）　days　of　smart　wool…clippers；



good　to　look　at　and　…　well　…　exciting　to　handle。　　Some　of　them　were



more　fair　to　see　than　the　others；　many　were　（to　put　it　mildly）



somewhat　over…masted；　all　were　expected　to　make　good　passages；　and



of　all　that　line　of　ships；　whose　rigging　made　a　thick；　enormous



network　against　the　sky；　whose　brasses　flashed　almost　as　far　as　the



eye　of　the　policeman　at　the　gates　could　reach；　there　was　hardly　one



that　knew　of　any　other　port　amongst　all　the　ports　on　the　wide　earth



but　London　and　Sydney；　or　London　and　Melbourne；　or　London　and



Adelaide；　perhaps　with　Hobart　Town　added　for　those　of　smaller



tonnage。　　One　could　almost　have　believed；　as　her　gray…whiskered



second　mate　used　to　say　of　the　old　Duke　of　S…；　that　they　knew　the



road　to　the　Antipodes　better　than　their　own　skippers；　who；　year　in；



year　out；　took　them　from　London　…　the　place　of　captivity　…　to　some



Australian　port　where；　twenty…five　years　ago；　though　moored　well



and　tight　enough　to　the　wooden　wharves；　they　felt　themselves　no



captives；　but　honoured　guests。















XXXIV。















These　towns　of　the　Antipodes；　not　so　great　then　as　they　are　now；



took　an　interest　in　the　shipping；　the　running　links　with　〃home；〃



whose　numbers　confirmed　the　sense　of　their　growing　importance。



They　made　it　part　and　parcel　of　their　daily　interests。　　This　was



especially　the　case　in　Sydney；　where；　from　the　heart　of　the　fair



city；　down　the　vista　of　important　streets；　could　be　seen　the　wool…



clippers　lying　at　the　Circular　Quay　…　no　walled　prison…house　of　a



dock　that；　but　the　integral　part　of　one　of　the　finest；　most



beautiful；　vast；　and　safe　bays　the　sun　ever　shone　upon。　　Now　great



steam…liners　lie　at　these　berths；　always　reserved　for　the　sea



aristocracy　…　grand　and　imposing　enough　ships；　but　here　to…day　and



gone　next　week；　whereas　the　general　cargo；　emigrant；　and　passenger



clippers　of　my　time；　rigged　with　heavy　spars；　and　built　on　fine



lines；　used　to　remain　for　months　together　waiting　for　their　load　of



wool。　　Their　names　attained　the　dignity　of　household　words。　　On



Sundays　and　holidays　the　citizens　trooped　down；　on　visiting　bent；



and　the　lonely　officer　on　duty　solaced　himself　by　playing　the



cicerone　…　especially　to　the　citizenesses　with　engaging　manners　and



a　well…developed　sense　of　the　fun　that　may　be　got　out　of　the



inspection　of　a　ship's　cabins　and　state…rooms。　　The　tinkle　of　more



or　less　untuned　cottage　pianos　floated　out　of　open　stern…ports　till



the　gas…lamps　began　to　twinkle　in　the　streets；　and　the　ship's



night…watchman；　coming　sleepily　on　duty　after　his　unsatisfactory



day　slumbers；　hauled　down　the　flags　and　fastened　a　lighted　lantern



at　the　break　of　the　gangway。　　The　night　closed　rapidly　upon　the



silent　ships　with　their　crews　on　shore。　　Up　a　short；　steep　ascent



by　the　King's　Head　pub。；　patronized　by　the　cooks　and　stewards　of



the　fleet；　the　voice　of　a　man　crying　〃Hot　saveloys！〃　at　the　end　of



George　Street；　where　the　cheap　eating…houses　（sixpence　a　meal）　were



kept　by　Chinamen　（Sun…kum…on's　was　not　bad）；　is　heard　at　regular



intervals。　　I　have　listened　for　hours　to　this　most　pertinacious



pedlar　（I　wonder　whether　he　is　dead　or　has　made　a　fortune）；　while



sitting　on　the　rail　of　the　old　Duke　of　S…　（she's　dead；　poor　thing！



a　violent　death　on　the　coast　of　New　Zealand）；　fascinated　by　the



monotony；　the　regularity；　the　abruptness　of　the　recurring　cry；　and



so　exasperated　at　the　absurd　spell；　that　I　wished　the　fellow　would



choke　himself　to　death　with　a　mouthful　of　his　own　infamous　wares。







A　stupid　job；　and　fit　only　for　an　old　man；　my　comrades　used　to　tell



me；　to　be　the　night…watchman　of　a　captive　（though　honoured）　ship。



And　generally　the　oldest　of　the　able　seamen　in　a　ship's　crew　does



get　it。　　But　sometimes　neither　the　oldest　nor　any　other　fairly



steady　seaman　is　forthcoming。　　Ships'　crews　had　the　trick　of



melting　away　swiftly　in　those　days。　　So；　probably　on　account　of　my



youth；　innocence；　and　pensive　habits　（which　made　me　sometimes



dilatory　in　my　work　about　the　rigging）；　I　was　suddenly　nominated；



in　our　chief　mate　Mr。　B…'s　most　sardonic　tones；　to　that　enviable



situation。　　I　do　not　regret　the　experience。　　The　night　humours　of



the　town　descended　from　the　street　to　the　waterside　in　the　still



watches　of　the　night：　　larrikins　rushing　down　in　bands　to　settle



some　quarrel　by　a　stand…up　fight；　away　from　the　police；　in　an



indistinct　ring　half　hidden　by　piles　of　cargo；　with　the　sounds　of



blows；　a　groan　now　and　then；　the　stamping　of　feet；　and　the　cry　of



〃Time！〃　rising　suddenly　above　the　sinister　and　excited　murmurs；



night…prowlers；　pursued　or　pursuing；　with　a　stifled　shriek　followed



by　a　profound　silence；　or　slinking　stealthily　along…side　like



ghosts；　and　addressing　me　from　the　quay　below　in　mysterious　tones



with　incomprehensible　propositions。　　The　cabmen；　too；　who　twice　a



week；　on　the　night　when　the　A。S。N。　Company's　passenger…boat　was　due



to　arrive；　used　to　range　a　battalion　of　blazing　lamps　opposite　the



ship；　were　very　amusing　in　their　way。　　They　got　down　from　their



perches　and　told　each　other　impolite　stories　in　racy　language；



every　word　of　which　reached　me　distinctly　over　the　bulwarks　as　I



sat　smoking　on　the　main…hatch。　　On　one　occasion　I　had　an　hour　or　so



of　a　most　intellectual　conversation　with　a　person　whom　I　could　not



see　distinctly；　a　gentleman　from　England；　he　said；　with　a



cultivated　voice；　I　on　deck　and　he　on　the　quay　sitting　on　the　case



of　a　piano　（landed　out　of　our　hold　that　very　afternoon）；　and



smoking　a　cigar　which　smelt　very　good。　　We　touched；　in　our



discourse；　upon　science；　politics；　natural　history；　and　operatic



singers。　　Then；　after　remarking　abruptly；　〃You　seem　to　be　rather



intelligent；　my　man；〃　he　informed　me　pointedly　that　his　name　was



Mr。　Senior；　and　walked　off　…　to　his　hotel；　I　suppose。　　Shadows！



Shadows！　　I　think　I　saw　a　white　whisker　as　he　turned　under　the



lamp…post。　　It　is　a　shock　to　think　that　in　the　natural　course　of



nature　he　must　be　dead　by　now。　　There　was　nothing　to　object　to　in



his　intelligence　but　a　little　dogmatism　maybe。　　And　his　name　was



Senior！　　Mr。　Senior！







The　position　had　its　drawbacks；　however。　　One　wintry；　blustering；



dark　night　in　July；　as　I　stood　sleepily　out　of　the　rain　under　the



break　of　the　poop　something　resembling　an　ostrich　dashed　up　the



gangway。　　I　say　ostrich　because　the　creature；　though　it　ran　on　two



legs；　appeared　to　help　its　progress　by　working　a　pair　of　short



wings；　it　was　a　man；　however；　only　his　coat；　ripped　up　the　back　and



flapping　in　two　halves　above　his　shoulders；　gave　him　that　weird　and



fowl…like　appearance。　　At　least；　I　suppose　it　was　his　coat；　for　it



was　impossible　to　make　him　out　distinctly。　　How　he　managed　to　come



so　straight　upon　me；　at　speed　and　without　a　stumble　over　a　strange



deck；　I　cannot　imagine。　　He　must　have　been　able　to　see　in　the　dark



better　than　any　cat。　　He　overwhelmed　me　with　panting　entreaties　to



let　him　take　shelter　till　morning　in　our　forecastle。　　Following　my



strict　orders；　I　refused　his　request；　mildly　at　first；　in　a　sterner



tone　as　he　insisted　with　growing　impudence。







〃For　God's　sake　let　me；　matey！　　Some　of　'em　are　after　me　…　and　I've



got　hold　of　a　ticker　here。〃







〃You　clear　out　of　this！〃　I　said。







〃Don't　be　hard　on　a　chap；　old　man！〃　he　whined　pitifully。







〃Now　then；　get　ashore　at　once。　　Do　you　hear？〃







Silence。　　He　appeared　to　cringe；　mute；　as　if　words　had　failed　him



through