登陆注册
5590100000037

第37章 THE VOYAGE(25)

In vain,at such a season as this,would the vows of a pious heathen have prevailed over Neptune,Aeolus,or any other marine deity.In vain would the prayers of a Christian captain be attended with the like success.The wind may change how it pleases while all hands are on shore;the anchor would remain firm in the ground,and the ship would continue in durance,unless,like other forcible prison-breakers,it forcibly got loose for no good purpose.Now,as the favor of winds and courts,and such like,is always to be laid hold on at the very first motion,for within twenty-four hours all may be changed again;so,in the former case,the loss of a day may be the loss of a voyage:for,though it may appear to persons not well skilled in navigation,who see ships meet and sail by each other,that the wind blows sometimes east and west,north and south,backwards and forwards,at the same instant;yet,certain it is that the land is so contrived,that even the same wind will not,like the same horse,always bring a man to the end of his journey;but,that the gale which the mariner prayed heartily for yesterday,he may as heartily deprecate to-morrow;while all use and benefit which would have arisen to him from the westerly wind of to-morrow may be totally lost and thrown away by neglecting the offer of the easterly blast which blows to-day.

Hence ensues grief and disreputation to the innocent captain,loss and disappointment to the worthy merchant,and not seldom great prejudice to the trade of a nation whose manufactures are thus liable to lie unsold in a foreign warehouse the market being forestalled by some rival whose sailors are under a better discipline.To guard against these inconveniences the prudent captain takes every precaution in his power;he makes the strongest contracts with his crew,and thereby binds them so firmly,that none but the greatest or least of men can break through them with impunity;but for one of these two reasons,which I will not determine,the sailor,like his brother fish the eel,is too slippery to be held,and plunges into his element with perfect impunity.To speak a plain truth,there is no trusting to any contract with one whom the wise citizens of London call a bad man;for,with such a one,though your bond be ever so strong,it will prove in the end good for nothing.

What then is to be done in this case?What,indeed,but to call in the assistance of that tremendous magistrate,the justice of peace,who can,and often doth,lay good and bad men in equal durance;and,though he seldom cares to stretch his bonds to what is great,never finds anything too minute for their detention,but will hold the smallest reptile alive so fast in his noose,that he can never get out till he is let drop through it.Why,therefore,upon the breach of those contracts,should not an immediate application be made to the nearest magistrate of this order,who should be empowered to convey the delinquent either to ship or to prison,at the election of the captain,to be fettered by the leg in either place?But,as the case now stands,the condition of this poor captain without any commission,and of this absolute commander without any power,is much worse than we have hitherto shown it to be;for,notwithstanding all the aforesaid contracts to sail in the good ship the Elizabeth,if the sailor should,for better wages,find it more his interest to go on board the better ship the Mary,either before their setting out or on their speedy meeting in some port,he may prefer the latter without any other danger than that of "doing what he ought not to have done,"contrary to a rule which he is seldom Christian enough to have much at heart,while the captain is generally too good a Christian to punish a man out of revenge only,when he is to be at a considerable expense for so doing.

There are many other deficiencies in our laws relating to maritime affairs,and which would probably have been long since corrected,had we any seamen in the House of Commons.Not that I would insinuate that the legislature wants a supply of many gentlemen in the sea-service;but,as these gentlemen are by their attendance in the house unfortunately prevented from ever going to sea,and there learning what they might communicate to their landed brethren,these latter remain as ignorant in that branch of knowledge as they would be if none but courtiers and fox-hunters had been elected into parliament,without a single fish among them.The following seems to me to be an effect of this kind,and it strikes me the stronger as I remember the case to have happened,and remember it to have been dispunishable.Acaptain of a trading vessel,of which he was part owner,took in a large freight of oats at Liverpool,consigned to the market at Bearkey:this he carried to a port in Hampshire,and there sold it as his own,and,freighting his vessel with wheat for the port of Cadiz,in Spain,dropped it at Oporto in his way;and there,selling it for his own use,took in a lading of wine,with which he sailed again,and,having converted it in the same manner,together with a large sum of money with which he was intrusted,for the benefit of certain merchants,sold the ship and cargo in another port,and then wisely sat down contented with the fortune he had made,and returned to London to enjoy the remainder of his days,with the fruits of his former labors and a good conscience.

The sum he brought home with him consisted of near six thousand pounds,all in specie,and most of it in that coin which Portugal distributes so liberally over Europe.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 清风徐来楠楠语

    清风徐来楠楠语

    多年前,江思楠听闻一场青梅竹马,那个讲故事的人从此成为她的心头念想。后来,她才知,原来那个念想早已来到她身边。三个月前,她无意间救了一个男人,三个月后,这个男人告诉醉酒的她:“我是你老公。”她笑,暗喜自己捡到宝。酒醒之后,面对穷追不舍的男人,她避之不及。恋情被毁,气急败坏的女孩怒吼:“慕先生,井浅河深,齐大非偶。”他笑:“你只能属于我。”后来,慕先生发现强攻不行,改为智取,步步为营,徐徐诱之。她最终溃不成军。浓情蜜意之时,曾经旧爱归来,她主动退场,他说:“故事的结局由我定。”世人说她定是使了阴暗手段才能继续留在他身边,他嗤笑:“我若不让,谁能设计到我,我若想要,谁能拿走,我若不给,谁又能夺走。”【小片段】江思楠目光清冷的望着面色不善的苏溪雪,“苏小姐,他是我的丈夫,作为小三,你很光荣?”苏溪雪冷笑:“你也配?”江思楠淡淡道:“配不配我不知道,至少在法律上我们很相配。”苏溪雪“……”望着她气急败坏离开的身影,江思楠唇角溢出一丝苦笑……【可入坑】
  • 血月之夜上帝之眼

    血月之夜上帝之眼

    黎明前的夜晚最暗,破晓之后就是长久的光明。
  • 人类:解密隐藏的奥秘

    人类:解密隐藏的奥秘

    当人类产生意识的时候,也就开始了对自身由来以及自己祖先的探究。但是,在科学不发达的远古时代,人们只能把人类的产生归结于神的创造。19世纪以后,人类为弄清自身的由来,做了许多艰苦努力。1809年,法国学者拉马克在《动物哲学》一书中首先向“上帝创造人类”的说法提出了挑战,他大胆断定人类起源于类人猿。1871年,达尔文在《人类起源与性的选择》中更进一步论述了人类的起源问题,明确指出人类和现在的类人猿有着共同的祖先,人类是从已经灭绝的古猿进化而来的。
  • 嫡女,谋嫁天下

    嫡女,谋嫁天下

    因为他,她的父亲官职被贬,哥哥被迫娶了不爱的女子为妻,而她千里迢迢背井离乡从一个千金小姐沦为深宫婢女。她牢记此仇,发誓一定要找到他作奸犯科的证据,让他人头落地!当然,若能诛个九族更好。谁知他却说,你吃饭的钱是我贪来的,你裁衣的钱是我贪来的,你头上戴的首饰也是我贪来的,你坐的凳子睡的床,这府邸上上下下统统是我辛辛苦苦拼命贪污攒来的。还有,我一定在诛九族之前把你娶进门。这奸臣!*今上昏庸无能,太皇太后培养她将她送至皇上身边,她励志要唤醒昏君,打倒奸臣。谁曾想,昏君酒后戏言轻松将她送给了她眼中最大的仇人。皇上选秀,表姐荣登桂冠,本以为总算有一个依靠,却不想背后竟暗藏漩涡。一段谜案令她身处险境,命悬一线之际心目中的英雄归来,扬言要娶她为妻。谎言织就一张大网,当真想披露,她才知,不是太坏,只是无奈。不是不爱,而是太爱。*她要把他贪污的钱统统充公,他抓住她恶狠狠说,秦禾晏,放下我的老婆本!“……”这是一个有点二的女汉子斡旋在奸臣与昏君之间的狗血故事。
  • 开发游戏的便宜奶爸

    开发游戏的便宜奶爸

    带着女儿,开发游戏!在这个科技无比发达,游戏娱乐无比落后的世界,从简单的游戏平台开始。单机游戏!网络游戏!虚拟游戏!打造全球玩家的盛世,让WCG成为玩家的信仰!打下一片江山,创造一个游戏帝国!
  • 从写手到巨星

    从写手到巨星

    ---新书《穿越者分享平台》已发,这是一个关于穿越者能与原世界联系且能与其他穿越者联系的故事。---从扑街写手到全能巨星,只需要一组卡牌!故事从云侯得到“手速卡”时速破万日更卅章开始!不平行不穿越不做文抄公,一组卡牌玩转娱乐文!书友群:云侯府255286386天空战队(全订群)523566114新书《巨星制作人》已发,书号1010676907
  • 修二代的美好生活

    修二代的美好生活

    听说修二代的日子快活无比,不缺灵石不缺丹,不愁法宝不愁吃。 可是……这是真的么?
  • 我和神仙的三两事

    我和神仙的三两事

    仙界人口膨胀,以致资源严重不足,咋办?简单,送人间呗!仙界有人素质低下,天赋极差,这咋办?简单,送人间呗!仙界有仙童,品行低劣,不服管教,这又咋办?简单,送人间呗!可是,人间又该咋办?……
  • 快穿:在年代虐渣

    快穿:在年代虐渣

    在哪个年代都有一些人,脑子不好却偏偏有主角命。 而对上的主角的不管权多粗,长多美……最终都会成为炮灰。 君兮兮穿越各个世界,附身炮灰,教各个渣渣做人。 活出自己。 —— 女强爽文,没有霸总,女主就是霸总。虐渣爽文。每个世界谈恋爱看女主心情。六零:偷渡客在香港(已完成)(不小心成为香港大佬) 六五:借腹生子的原配妻 (你用子宫打败她,我用智商碾压你)七零:重男轻女凤凰男(今天对我爱理不理,明天的我高攀不起)八零:退役之后........(退役之后也是大佬) ......待续
  • 告诉你一个弗洛伊德的故事

    告诉你一个弗洛伊德的故事

    精选了弗洛伊德人生中富有代表性的事件和故事,以点带面,从而折射出他充满传奇的人生经历和各具特点的鲜明个性。通过阅读《告诉你一个弗洛伊德的故事》。我们不仅要了解他的生活经历,更要了解他的奋斗历程,以及学习他在面对困难、失败和挫折时所表现出来的杰出品质。