We will abandon for awhile Maison-Forte of the Baron1 des Anbiez, and the little city of La Ciotat, in order to conduct the reader on board the galley2 of the commander Pierre des Anbiez.
The tempest had forced this vessel3 to take refuge in the little port of Tolari, situated4 on the east of Cape5 Corsica, a northerly point of the island of the same name.
The bell of the galley had just sounded six o’clock in the morning.
The weather was gloomy and the sky veiled with black and threatening clouds; frequent and violent squalls of wind were raising a strong swell6 within the port.
On whichever side one might turn, nothing could be seen but the barren, solemn mountains of Cape Corsica, at the feet of which the steep road wound its way.
The sea was heavy in the interior of the basin, but it seemed almost calm when compared to the surging waves which beat upon a girdle of rocks at the narrow entrance of the port.
These rocks, almost entirely7 submerged, were covered with a dazzling foam8, which, whipped by the wind, vented9 itself in a soft white mist.
The sharp cries of sea-gulls and sea-mews scarcely rose above the thundering noise of the sea in its fury, as it rushed into the channel which it was necessary to cross in order to enter the road of Tolari.
A few wretched-looking fishermen’s huts, built on the beach where their dried boats were moored10, completed the wild and solitary11 scene. Tossed by this heavy swell, Our Lady of Seven Sorrows, sometimes rising on the waves, would strain her cables almost to breaking, and sometimes seemed to sink into a bed between two billows.
Nothing could be severer or more funereal12 than the aspect of this galley painted like a cenotaph.
A hundred and sixty-six feet long, eighteen feet wide, narrow, slender, and scarcely rising above the level of the sea, she resembled an immense black serpent, sleeping in the midst of the waves. In front of the parallelogram which constituted the body of the galley, was scarfed a sharp and projecting beak-head, six feet in length.
At the rear of the same parallelogram was a rounded stern, the roof of which inclined toward the prow13.
Under this shelter, called the stem carriage, lodged14 the commander, the patron, the prior, and the king of the chevaliers of Malta.
The masts of the galley, hauled down at its entrance into harbour, had been placed in the waist, a narrow passage which ran through the entire length of the galley.
On each side of this passage were ranged the benches of the galley-slaves. Below the stem carriage, attached to a black staff, floated the standard of religion, red, quartered with white, and below the standard a bronze beacon15 designated the grade of the commander.
It would be difficult, in our day, to comprehend how these slaves, composing the crew of a galley, could live, chained night and day to their benches,—at sea, lying on deck without shelter; at anchor, lying under a tent of coarse, woollen stuff, which scarcely protected them from the rain and the frost.
Let one picture to himself about one hundred and thirty Moorish17, Turk, or Christian18 galley-slaves, dressed in red jackets and brown woollen hooded19 mantles20, on this black galley, in cold, gloomy weather.
These miserable21 creatures shivered under the icy blast of the tempest and under the rain, which deluged22 them notwithstanding the awning23.
To warm themselves a little they would press close to each other on the narrow benches, to which they were chained, five and five.
All of them preserved a morose24 silence, and often threw an uneasy and furtive25 glance on the convict-keepers and the overseers.
These contemptible26 officers, clothed in black, and armed with a cowhide, would go through the waist of the galley, on each side of which were the benches of the crew.
There were thirteen benches on the right, and twelve on the left.
The galley-slaves, constituting the palamente, or the armament of rowers, belonging to Our Lady of Seven Sorrows, had been, as was the custom, recruited from Christians27, Turks, and Moors28.
Each one of these types of slaves had his peculiar29 physiognomy.
The Turks, sluggish30, dejected, and indolent, seemed to be a prey31 to a morbid32 and contemplative apathy33.
The Moors, always excited, uneasy, and of ungovernable temper, appeared to be continually on the alert to break their chains and massacre34 their keepers.
The Christians, whether condemned35 or enrolled36 of their own will, were, in their way, more indifferent, and some of them were occupied in weaving straw, by which they hoped to reap a profit.
Finally, the negroes, captured from Barbary pirate vessels37 where they rowed as slaves, remained in a sort of torpor38, a stupid immobility, with their elbows on their knees and their heads in their hands.
The greater part of these blacks died of grief, while the Mussulman and Christians grew accustomed to their fate.
Among these last, some were horribly mutilated, as they belonged to the class recaptured in their efforts to escape.
In order to punish them for attempting to escape, according to the law, their noses and ears had been cut off, and even more than this, their beards, heads, and eyebrows39 were completely shaven; nothing could be more hideous40 than the faces so disfigured.
In the fore41 part of the galley, and confined in a sort of covered guard-house, called rambade, could be seen a battery,—the five pieces of artillery42 belonging to the vessel.
This place was occupied by the soldiers and gunners.
These never formed a part of the crew, but composed, if such a thing may be said, the cargo43 of the vessel impelled44 by the oars16 of the galley-slaves.
About twenty sailors, free also, were charged with the management of the sails, with the anchorage, and other nautical45 manoeuvres.
The soldiers and gunners, considered as lay brothers and servants, wore coats of buff-skin, hoods46, and black breeches.
Sheltered by the roof of the rambade, some, seated on their cannon47, busied themselves in cleaning their arms; others, wrapped in their hoods, lay on the deck asleep, while others still—a rare thing even among the soldiers of religion—were occupied in pious48 reading, or in telling their rosaries.
With the exception of the galley-slaves, the men on board this galley, carefully chosen by the commander, had a grave and thoughtful countenance49.
Almost all the soldiers and sailors were of mature age; some were approaching old age. By the numerous scars with which the greater number were marked, it was evident that they had served a long time.
More than two hundred men were assembled on this galley, and yet the silence of the cloister50 reigned51 through it.
If the crew remained silent through terror of the whip of the keepers and overseers, the soldiers and sailors obeyed the pious customs maintained by the commander Pierre des Anbiez.
For more than thirty years that he had commanded this galley of religion, he had tried always to preserve the same equipment, replacing only the men that he had lost.
The severity of discipline established on board Our Lady of Seven Sorrows was well known at Malta. The commander was perhaps the only one of the officers of the religion who exacted a strict observance of the rules of the order. His galley, on board of which he received only men who had been proven, became a sort of nomadic52 convent,—a voluntary rendezvous53 for all sailors who wished to assure their salvation54 by binding55 themselves scrupulously56 to the rigorous requirements of this hospitable57 and military confraternity.
It was the same with the officers and young caravan-iflits.
Those who preferred to lead a joyous58 and daring life—which was the immense majority—found the greater part of the captains of the religion disposed to welcome them, and to forget everything in their union against the infidels, as their mission of monk-soldiers was at the same time that of saint and warrior59.
On the contrary, the very small number of young chevaliers who loved, for its own sake, this pious and austere60 life in the midst of great perils61, sought with eagerness the opportunity to embark62 on the galley of the commander Pierre des Anbiez.
There nothing offended, nothing prevented their religious customs. There they could give themselves up to their holy exercises without fear of being ridiculed63, or of becoming perhaps weak enough to blush for their own zeal64.
The master gunner, or captain of the mast of the galley, an old sunburnt soldier, wearing a black felt jacket with a white cross, was seated in the guard-house of the prow, or rambade, of which we have spoken.
He was talking with the captain of the sailors of Our Lady of Seven Sorrows, whose name was Simon. The first speaker was Captain Hugues, who, with his companion, had always sailed with the Commander des Anbiez.
Captain Hugues was polishing with care a collar of steel net. Captain Simon from time to time was looking through the opening of the rambade, examining the sky and the sea, so as to prognosticate the end or the increase of the storm.
“Brother,” said Hugues to Simon, “the north wind blows strong; it will be several days before we arrive at La Ciotat. Christmas will be past, and our brother commander will be grieved.”
Captain Simon, before replying to his comrade, consulted the horizon again, and said, with a serious air:
“Although it is not proper for man to seek to divine the will of the Lord, I think we may hope to see the end of this tempest soon: the clouds seem not so low or so heavy. Perhaps to-morrow our ancient companion, the old watchman on Cape l’Aigle, will signal our arrival in the Gulf65 of La Ciotat.”
“And that will be a day of joy in Maison-Forte, and to Raimond V.,” said Captain Hugues.
“And also on board Our Lady of Seven Sorrows,” said Captain Simon, “although joy appears here as rarely as the sun during a westerly wind.”
“Look at this furbished collar,” said the gunner, regarding his work with an air of satisfaction. “It is strange, Brother Simon, how blood will stick to steel. I have rubbed in vain: you can always distinguish these blackish marks on the mesh66!”
“Which proves that steel loves blood as the earth loves dew,” said the sailor, smiling sadly at his pleasantry.
“But do you know,” said Hugues, “that it will soon be ten years since the commander received this wound in his combat with Mourad-Reis, the corsair of Algiers?” “I remember it as well, brother, as that with one blow of the battle-axe I struck down the miscreant67 who had almost broken his kangiar on the breast of the commander, who was fortunately defended by that coat of mail. But for that, Pierre des Anbiez would be dead.”
“So he still keeps this collar, and I am going to carry it to him now.”
“Stop,” said the sailor, seizing the gunner by the arm, “you have chosen an unfortunate time,—the brother commander is in one of his bad days.”
“How?”
“The head cook told me this morning that Father Elzear wished to enter the commander’s chamber68, but there was crape on the door.”
“I understand, I understand; that sign suffices to prevent the entrance of any person in the commander’s chamber before he gives the order to do so.”
“Yet to-day is neither Saturday nor the seventeenth day of the month,” said Captain Hugues with a thoughtful air.
“That is true, for it is only upon the return of these days that his fits of despondency seem to overwhelm him the most,” said Captain Simon.
Just at this moment a deep, hollow murmur69 was heard outside among the crew.
There was nothing ominous70 of evil in this noise; on the contrary, it was only an expression of satisfaction.
“What is that?” asked the gunner.
“Doubtless Reverend Father Elzear has just appeared on deck. At the very sight of him the slaves think their lot less miserable.”
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1
baron
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| n.男爵；(商业界等)巨头，大王 | |
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galley
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| n.（飞机或船上的）厨房单层甲板大帆船；军舰舰长用的大划艇； | |
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3
vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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4
situated
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| adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的 | |
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5
cape
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| n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风 | |
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6
swell
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| vi.膨胀，肿胀；增长，增强 | |
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7
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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8
foam
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| v./n.泡沫，起泡沫 | |
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9
vented
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| 表达，发泄（感情，尤指愤怒）( vent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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10
moored
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| adj. 系泊的 动词moor的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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solitary
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| adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士 | |
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12
funereal
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| adj.悲哀的；送葬的 | |
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13
prow
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| n.(飞机)机头，船头 | |
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14
lodged
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| v.存放( lodge的过去式和过去分词 )；暂住；埋入；（权利、权威等）归属 | |
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15
beacon
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| n.烽火，（警告用的）闪火灯，灯塔 | |
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16
oars
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| n.桨，橹( oar的名词复数 )；划手v.划（行）( oar的第三人称单数 ) | |
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17
moorish
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| adj.沼地的，荒野的，生[住]在沼地的 | |
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18
Christian
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| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
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19
hooded
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| adj.戴头巾的；有罩盖的；颈部因肋骨运动而膨胀的 | |
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20
mantles
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| vt.&vi.覆盖（mantle的第三人称单数形式） | |
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21
miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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22
deluged
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| v.使淹没( deluge的过去式和过去分词 )；淹没；被洪水般涌来的事物所淹没；穷于应付 | |
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23
awning
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| n.遮阳篷；雨篷 | |
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24
morose
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| adj.脾气坏的，不高兴的 | |
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25
furtive
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| adj.鬼鬼崇崇的，偷偷摸摸的 | |
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26
contemptible
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| adj.可鄙的，可轻视的，卑劣的 | |
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27
Christians
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| n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 ) | |
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28
moors
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| v.停泊，系泊（船只）( moor的第三人称单数 ) | |
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peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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30
sluggish
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| adj.懒惰的，迟钝的，无精打采的 | |
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31
prey
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| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
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32
morbid
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| adj.病的；致病的；病态的；可怕的 | |
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33
apathy
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| n.漠不关心，无动于衷；冷淡 | |
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34
massacre
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| n.残杀，大屠杀；v.残杀，集体屠杀 | |
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35
condemned
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| adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词 | |
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36
enrolled
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| adj.入学登记了的v.[亦作enrol]( enroll的过去式和过去分词 )；登记，招收，使入伍（或入会、入学等），参加，成为成员；记入名册；卷起，包起 | |
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37
vessels
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| n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人 | |
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38
torpor
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| n.迟钝；麻木；（动物的）冬眠 | |
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39
eyebrows
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| 眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 ) | |
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40
hideous
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| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
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41
fore
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| adv.在前面；adj.先前的；在前部的；n.前部 | |
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42
artillery
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| n.(军)火炮，大炮；炮兵(部队) | |
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43
cargo
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| n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物 | |
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44
impelled
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| v.推动、推进或敦促某人做某事( impel的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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45
nautical
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| adj.海上的，航海的，船员的 | |
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46
hoods
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| n.兜帽( hood的名词复数 )；头巾；（汽车、童车等的）折合式车篷；汽车发动机罩v.兜帽( hood的第三人称单数 )；头巾；（汽车、童车等的）折合式车篷；汽车发动机罩 | |
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47
cannon
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| n.大炮，火炮；飞机上的机关炮 | |
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48
pious
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| adj.虔诚的；道貌岸然的 | |
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49
countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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50
cloister
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| n.修道院；v.隐退，使与世隔绝 | |
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51
reigned
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| vi.当政，统治（reign的过去式形式） | |
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52
nomadic
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| adj.流浪的；游牧的 | |
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53
rendezvous
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| n.约会，约会地点，汇合点；vi.汇合，集合；vt.使汇合，使在汇合地点相遇 | |
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54
salvation
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| n.（尤指基督）救世，超度，拯救，解困 | |
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55
binding
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| 有约束力的，有效的，应遵守的 | |
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56
scrupulously
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| adv.一丝不苟地；小心翼翼地，多顾虑地 | |
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57
hospitable
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| adj.好客的；宽容的；有利的，适宜的 | |
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58
joyous
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| adj.充满快乐的；令人高兴的 | |
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59
warrior
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| n.勇士，武士，斗士 | |
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60
austere
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| adj.艰苦的；朴素的，朴实无华的；严峻的 | |
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61
perils
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| 极大危险( peril的名词复数 )； 危险的事（或环境） | |
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62
embark
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| vi.乘船，着手，从事，上飞机 | |
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63
ridiculed
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| v.嘲笑，嘲弄，奚落( ridicule的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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zeal
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| n.热心，热情，热忱 | |
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65
gulf
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| n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂 | |
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66
mesh
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| n.网孔，网丝，陷阱；vt.以网捕捉，啮合，匹配；vi.适合； [计算机]网络 | |
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67
miscreant
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| n.恶棍 | |
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68
chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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69
murmur
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| n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言 | |
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70
ominous
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| adj.不祥的，不吉的，预兆的，预示的 | |
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