登陆注册
5590100000040

第40章 THE VOYAGE(28)

Other methods may,we doubt not,he suggested by those who shall attentively consider the evil here hinted at;but we have dwelt too long on it already,and shall conclude with observing that it is difficult to affirm whether the atrocity of the evil itself,the facility of curing it,or the shameful neglect of the cure,be the more scandalous or more astonishing.

After having,however,gloriously regaled myself with this food,I was washing it down with some good claret with my wife and her friend,in the cabin,when the captain's valet-de-chambre,head cook,house and ship steward,footman in livery and out on't,secretary and fore-mast man,all burst into the cabin at once,being,indeed,all but one person,and,without saying,by your leave,began to pack half a hogshead of small beer in bottles,the necessary consequence of which must have been either a total stop to conversation at that cheerful season when it is most agreeable,or the admitting that polyonymous officer aforesaid to the participation of it.I desired him therefore to delay his purpose a little longer,but he refused to grant my request;nor was he prevailed on to quit the room till he was threatened with having one bottle to pack more than his number,which then happened to stand empty within my reach.With these menaces he retired at last,but not without muttering some menaces on his side,and which,to our great terror,he failed not to put into immediate execution.

Our captain was gone to dinner this day with his Swiss brother;and,though he was a very sober man,was a little elevated with some champagne,which,as it cost the Swiss little or nothing,he dispensed at his table more liberally than our hospitable English noblemen put about those bottles,which the ingenious Peter Taylor teaches a led captain to avoid by distinguishing by the name of that generous liquor,which all humble companions are taught to postpone to the flavor of methuen,or honest port.

While our two captains were thus regaling themselves,and celebrating their own heroic exploits with all the inspiration which the liquor,at least,of wit could afford them,the polyonymous officer arrived,and,being saluted by the name of Honest Tom,was ordered to sit down and take his glass before he delivered his message;for every sailor is by turns his captain's mate over a cann,except only that captain bashaw who presides in a man-of-war,and who upon earth has no other mate,unless it be another of the same bashaws.Tom had no sooner swallowed his draught than he hastily began his narrative,and faithfully related what had happened on board our ship;we say faithfully,though from what happened it may be suspected that Tom chose to add perhaps only five or six immaterial circumstances,as is always I believe the case,and may possibly have been done by me in relating this very story,though it happened not many hours ago.

No sooner was the captain informed of the interruption which had been given to his officer,and indeed to his orders,for he thought no time so convenient as that of his absence for causing any confusion in the cabin,than he leaped with such haste from his chair that he had like to have broke his sword,with which he always begirt himself when he walked out of his ship,and sometimes when he walked about in it;at the same time,grasping eagerly that other implement called a cockade,which modern soldiers wear on their helmets with the same view as the ancients did their crests--to terrify the enemy he muttered something,but so inarticulately that the word DAMN was only intelligible;he then hastily took leave of the Swiss captain,who was too well bred to press his stay on such an occasion,and leaped first from the ship to his boat,and then from his boat to his own ship,with as much fierceness in his looks as he had ever expressed on boarding his defenseless prey in the honorable calling of a privateer.Having regained the middle deck,he paused a moment while Tom and others loaded themselves with bottles,and then descending into the cabin exclaimed with a thundering voice,"D--n me,why arn't the bottles stowed in,according to my orders?"I answered him very mildly that I had prevented his man from doing it,as it was at an inconvenient time to me,and as in his absence,at least,I esteemed the cabin to be my own."Your cabin!"repeated he many times;"no,d--n me!'tis my cabin.

Your cabin!d--n me!I have brought my hogs to a fair market.I suppose indeed you think it your cabin,and your ship,by your commanding in it;but I will command in it,d--n me!I will show the world I am the commander,and nobody but I!Did you think I sold you the command of my ship for that pitiful thirty pounds?I wish I had not seen you nor your thirty pounds aboard of her."He then repeated the words thirty pounds often,with great disdain,and with a contempt which I own the sum did not seem to deserve in my eye,either in itself or on the present occasion;being,indeed,paid for the freight of --weight of human flesh,which is above fifty per cent dearer than the freight of any other luggage,whilst in reality it takes up less room;in fact,no room at all.

同类推荐
  • 哭京兆庞尹

    哭京兆庞尹

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 明伦汇编人事典名字部

    明伦汇编人事典名字部

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 先哲医话

    先哲医话

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 佛母大金曜孔雀明王经

    佛母大金曜孔雀明王经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 高上太霄琅书琼文帝章经

    高上太霄琅书琼文帝章经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 三齐略记

    三齐略记

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 繁华的故事

    繁华的故事

    《繁华的故事》这本书主要收集了在我想你的时候,等待,漫漫前路,吉他,金刚腿等几十首诗。
  • 穿越之大唐极品太子

    穿越之大唐极品太子

    有人说皇帝是危险系数最高的职业之一,据不完全统计非正常死亡率高达44%;其实不然,还有个千年魔咒:“王朝嫡出开国太子”一朝拥有,将不得好死!秦之扶苏,自尽死!西汉刘盈,酒喝死!西晋司马衷,被毒死!隋之杨勇,被赐死!唐之李建成,被射死!北宋赵德昭,自刎死!元之孛儿只斤.真金,郁闷死!明之朱标、朱允文,父子双死!清之爱新觉罗.禇英,被处死!一朝穿越成大唐开国太子李建成,掌先机、夺名仕、暗布局……不但破除千年魔咒,还调教得李世民无可奈何地道:“大哥,我这辈子墙都不扶,就服你!”(群号:五九二六二六零七三)
  • 校园青春期

    校园青春期

    大雪纷飞的夜晚,一个穿着很薄很薄的衣服,依偎在一个不知道名字的公园里面。他现在在想我到底回不回去,很多孩子到我这个年纪都出去打黑工了,而我却还在孤儿院....不行,我要出去,我要挣钱..
  • 王者传说之天问

    王者传说之天问

    地球因为未知原因破灭,天问等人最后来不及穿透大气层离开,只能驾驶诺亚方舟从还不成熟的空间隧道离开,他们来到了王者大陆,发现曾经许多历史上的人物都存在着,并且同一些与他们一样却被称为异族的人不断战斗着。天问到来时,大陆上的英雄们已经处于下方几百年了……看天问如何扭转局面,赢得胜利……
  • 书卷之城

    书卷之城

    “上天有好生之德,法师有济世之责。无论何时何地,身为书卷之城的法师都要无愧于心,对得起这肩上的法师荣誉。”
  • 火爆医妃别想逃

    火爆医妃别想逃

    她是21世纪顶级军医,一朝穿越沦为人人踩踏的将军府大小姐!庶妹狠毒陷害,庶母想将她置之死地?翻手覆雨之间,强势归来,那些视她如草芥之人她一个都不会放过!斗渣妹夺权势,只是这身边一直跟着她的无赖是谁?“一日为奴终身为妻!”夜辰戏虐般曲解,什么狗屁道理!所以她有了大胆的计划,逃离这个危险的男人!--情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 般若波罗蜜多理趣经大乐不空三昧真实金刚萨埵菩萨等一十七圣大曼茶罗义述一卷

    般若波罗蜜多理趣经大乐不空三昧真实金刚萨埵菩萨等一十七圣大曼茶罗义述一卷

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 第一宠妻:娇萌王妃,别动怒

    第一宠妻:娇萌王妃,别动怒

    她被亲妹抢走驸马,又被残忍剥下脸皮,最后被彻底顶替。尊贵公主,一夜惨死;一朝重生,她在娇萌良善与残忍嗜血之间穿梭。她不想爆萌可爱,她只想手刃仇敌,然而却被一个牛皮糖傲娇幽王黏住!世家小姐们为了嫁给幽王挤破了头,而幽王却独独抓住她不放手。追起妻来花样百出!宠起妻来无法无天!“爱妃乖乖别动,你只需娇萌可爱就好,坏人本王替你收拾。”
  • 霸龙嗜情:眷养迷糊妻

    霸龙嗜情:眷养迷糊妻

    他是商界闻风丧胆的修罗,却甘愿独宠那迷糊的找不着北的女人。她喜欢吃,没关系,他来养着她。她喜欢闯祸,没关系,他来善后。……她喜欢牵红线,一不小心擦枪走火,朋友被弄大肚子,没关系,他帮她摆平。“什么……”那该死的女人既然要他娶她的朋友,以此来减轻她的罪孽,还绝食来抗议,是可忍孰不可忍……