Next day the wind moderated;but at 12we found that we were eighty miles north of the peninsula and some 3degrees east of it.So we set a little sail,and commenced forereaching slowly on our course.Little and little the wind died,and it soon fell dead calm.That evening (Wednesday),some twenty albatrosses being congregated like a flock of geese round the ship's stern,we succeeded in catching some of them,the first we had caught on the voyage.We would have let them go again,but the sailors think them good eating,and begged them of us,at the same time prophesying two days'foul wind for every albatross taken.It was then dead calm,but a light wind sprang up in the night,and on Thursday we sighted Banks Peninsula.Again the wind fell tantalisingly light,but we kept drawing slowly toward land.In the beautiful sunset sky,crimson and gold,blue,silver,and purple,exquisite and tranquillising,lay ridge behind ridge,outline behind outline,sunlight behind shadow,shadow behind sunlight,gully and serrated ravine.Hot puffs of wind kept coming from the land,and there were several fires burning.I got my arm-chair on deck,and smoked a quiet pipe with the intensest satisfaction.Little by little the night drew down,and then we rounded the headlands.Strangely did the waves sound breaking against the rocks of the harbour;strangely,too,looked the outlines of the mountains through the night.Presently we saw a light ahead from a ship:we drew slowly near,and as we passed you might have heard a pin drop."What ship's that?"said a strange voice.--The Roman Emperor,said the captain."Are you all well?"--"All well."Then the captain asked,"Has the Robert Small arrived?"--"No,"was the answer,"nor yet the Burmah."{2}You may imagine what I felt.Then a rocket was sent up,and the pilot came on board.He gave us a roaring republican speech on the subject of India,China,etc.I rather admired him,especially as he faithfully promised to send us some fresh beefsteaks and potatoes for breakfast.A north-wester sprung up as soon as we had dropped anchor:had it commenced a little sooner we should have had to put out again to sea.That night I packed a knapsack to go on shore,but the wind blew so hard that no boat could put off till one o'clock in the day,at which hour I and one or two others landed,and,proceeding to the post office,were told there were no letters for us.I afterwards found mine had gone hundreds of miles away to a namesake--a cruel disappointment.
第10章 CHAPTER II(3)（1 / 3）