She was a small barque of a beautiful model, something more than two hundred tons, Yankee-built and very old. Fitted for a privateer out of a New England port during the war of 1812, she had been captured at sea by a British cruiser, and, after seeing all sorts of service, was at last employed as a government packet in the Australian seas. Being condemned1, however, about two years previous, she was purchased at auction2 by a house in Sydney, who, after some slight repairs, dispatched her on the present voyage.
Notwithstanding the repairs, she was still in a miserable4 plight5. The lower masts were said to be unsound; the standing3 rigging was much worn; and, in some places, even the bulwarks6 were quite rotten. Still, she was tolerably tight, and but little more than the ordinary pumping of a morning served to keep her free.
But all this had nothing to do with her sailing; at that, brave Little Jule, plump Little Jule, was a witch. Blow high, or blow low, she was always ready for the breeze; and when she dashed the waves from her prow7, and pranced8, and pawed the sea, you never thought of her patched sails and blistered10 hull11. How the fleet creature would fly before the wind! rolling, now and then, to be sure, but in very playfulness. Sailing to windward, no gale12 could bow her over: with spars erect13, she looked right up into the wind's eye, and so she went.
But after all, Little Jule was not to be confided14 in. Lively enough, and playful she was, but on that very account the more to be distrusted. Who knew, but that like some vivacious15 old mortal all at once sinking into a decline, she might, some dark night, spring a leak and carry us all to the bottom. However, she played us no such ugly trick, and therefore, I wrong Little Jule in supposing it.
She had a free roving commission. According to her papers she might go whither she pleased—whaling, sealing, or anything else. Sperm16 whaling, however, was what she relied upon; though, as yet, only two fish had been brought alongside.
The day they sailed out of Sydney Heads, the ship's company, all told, numbered some thirty-two souls; now, they mustered17 about twenty; the rest had deserted18. Even the three junior mates who had headed the whaleboats were gone: and of the four harpooners, only one was left, a wild New Zealander, or "Mowree" as his countrymen are more commonly called in the Pacific. But this was not all. More than half the seamen19 remaining were more or less unwell from a long sojourn20 in a dissipated port; some of them wholly unfit for duty, one or two dangerously ill, and the rest managing to stand their watch though they could do but little.
The captain was a young cockney, who, a few years before, had emigrated to Australia, and, by some favouritism or other, had procured21 the command of the vessel22, though in no wise competent. He was essentially23 a landsman, and though a man of education, no more meant for the sea than a hairdresser. Hence everybody made fun of him. They called him "The Cabin Boy," "Paper Jack," and half a dozen other undignified names. In truth, the men made no secret of the derision in which they held him; and as for the slender gentleman himself, he knew it all very well, and bore himself with becoming meekness24. Holding as little intercourse25 with them as possible, he left everything to the chief mate, who, as the story went, had been given his captain in charge. Yet, despite his apparent unobtrusiveness, the silent captain had more to do with the men than they thought. In short, although one of your sheepish-looking fellows, he had a sort of still, timid cunning, which no one would have suspected, and which, for that very reason, was all the more active. So the bluff26 mate, who always thought he did what he pleased, was occasionally made a fool of; and some obnoxious27 measures which he carried out, in spite of all growlings, were little thought to originate with the dapper little fellow in nankeen jacket and white canvas pumps. But, to all appearance, at least, the mate had everything his own way; indeed, in most things this was actually the case; and it was quite plain that the captain stood in awe9 of him.
So far as courage, seamanship, and a natural aptitude28 for keeping riotous29 spirits in subjection were concerned, no man was better qualified30 for his vocation31 than John Jermin. He was the very beau-ideal of the efficient race of short, thick-set men. His hair curled in little rings of iron gray all over his round bullet head. As for his countenance32, it was strongly marked, deeply pitted with the small-pox. For the rest, there was a fierce little squint33 out of one eye; the nose had a rakish twist to one side; while his large mouth, and great white teeth, looked absolutely sharkish when he laughed. In a word, no one, after getting a fair look at him, would ever think of improving the shape of his nose, wanting in symmetry as it was. Notwithstanding his pugnacious34 looks, however, Jermin had a heart as big as a bullock's; that you saw at a glance.
Such was our mate; but he had one failing: he abhorred35 all weak infusions36, and cleaved37 manfully to strong drink.. At all times he was more or less under the influence of it. Taken in moderate quantities, I believe, in my soul, it did a man like him good; brightened his eyes, swept the cobwebs out of his brain, and regulated his pulse. But the worst of it was, that sometimes he drank too much, and a more obstreperous38 fellow than Jermin in his cups, you seldom came across. He was always for having a fight; but the very men he flogged loved him as a brother, for he had such an irresistibly39 good-natured way of knocking them down, that no one could find it in his heart to bear malice40 against him. So much for stout41 little Jermin.
All English whalemen are bound by-law to carry a physician, who, of course, is rated a gentleman, and lives in the cabin, with nothing but his professional duties to attend to; but incidentally he drinks "flip42" and plays cards with the captain. There was such a worthy43 aboard of the Julia; but, curious to tell, he lived in the forecastle with the men. And this was the way it happened.
In the early part of the voyage the doctor and the captain lived together as pleasantly as could be. To say nothing of many a can they drank over the cabin transom, both of them had read books, and one of them had travelled; so their stories never flagged. But once on a time they got into a dispute about politics, and the doctor, moreover, getting into a rage, drove home an argument with his fist, and left the captain on the floor literally44 silenced. This was carrying it with a high hand; so he was shut up in his state-room for ten days, and left to meditate45 on bread and water, and the impropriety of flying into a passion. Smarting under his disgrace, he undertook, a short time after his liberation, to leave the vessel clandestinely46 at one of the islands, but was brought back ignominiously47, and again shut up. Being set at large for the second time, he vowed48 he would not live any longer with the captain, and went forward with his chests among the sailors, where he was received with open arms as a good fellow and an injured man.
I must give some further account of him, for he figures largely in the narrative49. His early history, like that of many other heroes, was enveloped50 in the profoundest obscurity; though he threw out hints of a patrimonial51 estate, a nabob uncle, and an unfortunate affair which sent him a-roving. All that was known, however, was this. He had gone out to Sydney as assistant-surgeon of an emigrant52 ship. On his arrival there, he went back into the country, and after a few months' wanderings, returned to Sydney penniless, and entered as doctor aboard of the Julia.
His personal appearance was remarkable53. He was over six feet high—a tower of bones, with a complexion54 absolutely colourless, fair hair, and a light unscrupulous gray eye, twinkling occasionally at the very devil of mischief55. Among the crew, he went by the name of the Long Doctor, or more frequently still, Doctor Long Ghost. And from whatever high estate Doctor Long Ghost might have fallen, he had certainly at some time or other spent money, drunk Burgundy, and associated with gentlemen.
As for his learning, he quoted Virgil, and talked of Hobbs of Malmsbury, beside repeating poetry by the canto56, especially Hudibras. He was, moreover, a man who had seen the world. In the easiest way imaginable, he could refer to an amour he had in Palermo, his lion-hunting before breakfast among the Caffres, and the quality of the coffee to be drunk in Muscat; and about these places, and a hundred others, he had more anecdotes57 than I can tell of. Then such mellow58 old songs as he sang, in a voice so round and racy, the real juice of sound. How such notes came forth59 from his lank60 body was a constant marvel61.
Upon the whole, Long Ghost was as entertaining a companion as one could wish; and to me in the Julia, an absolute godsend.
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1
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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auction
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| n.拍卖；拍卖会；vt.拍卖 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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plight
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| n.困境，境况，誓约，艰难；vt.宣誓，保证，约定 | |
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bulwarks
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| n.堡垒( bulwark的名词复数 )；保障；支柱；舷墙 | |
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7
prow
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| n.(飞机)机头，船头 | |
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pranced
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| v.（马）腾跃( prance的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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awe
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| n.敬畏，惊惧；vt.使敬畏，使惊惧 | |
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blistered
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| adj.水疮状的，泡状的v.（使）起水泡( blister的过去式和过去分词 )；（使表皮等）涨破，爆裂 | |
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11
hull
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| n.船身；(果、实等的)外壳；vt.去(谷物等)壳 | |
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12
gale
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| n.大风，强风，一阵闹声（尤指笑声等） | |
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erect
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| n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的 | |
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14
confided
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| v.吐露（秘密，心事等）( confide的过去式和过去分词 )；（向某人）吐露（隐私、秘密等） | |
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15
vivacious
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| adj.活泼的，快活的 | |
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sperm
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| n.精子，精液 | |
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mustered
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| v.集合，召集，集结（尤指部队）( muster的过去式和过去分词 )；（自他人处）搜集某事物；聚集；激发 | |
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18
deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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19
seamen
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| n.海员 | |
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sojourn
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| v./n.旅居，寄居；逗留 | |
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21
procured
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| v.（努力）取得， （设法）获得( procure的过去式和过去分词 )；拉皮条 | |
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22
vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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23
essentially
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| adv.本质上，实质上，基本上 | |
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24
meekness
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| n.温顺，柔和 | |
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25
intercourse
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| n.性交；交流，交往，交际 | |
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26
bluff
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| v.虚张声势，用假象骗人；n.虚张声势，欺骗 | |
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27
obnoxious
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| adj.极恼人的，讨人厌的，可憎的 | |
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aptitude
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| n.(学习方面的)才能，资质，天资 | |
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29
riotous
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| adj.骚乱的；狂欢的 | |
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qualified
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| adj.合格的，有资格的，胜任的，有限制的 | |
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31
vocation
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| n.职业，行业 | |
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32
countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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33
squint
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| v. 使变斜视眼, 斜视, 眯眼看, 偏移, 窥视; n. 斜视, 斜孔小窗; adj. 斜视的, 斜的 | |
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34
pugnacious
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| adj.好斗的 | |
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35
abhorred
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| v.憎恶( abhor的过去式和过去分词 )；（厌恶地）回避；拒绝；淘汰 | |
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36
infusions
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| n.沏或泡成的浸液（如茶等）( infusion的名词复数 )；注入，注入物 | |
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37
cleaved
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| v.劈开，剁开，割开( cleave的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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38
obstreperous
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| adj.喧闹的，不守秩序的 | |
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39
irresistibly
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| adv.无法抵抗地，不能自持地；极为诱惑人地 | |
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40
malice
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| n.恶意，怨恨，蓄意；[律]预谋 | |
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42
flip
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| vt.快速翻动；轻抛；轻拍；n.轻抛；adj.轻浮的 | |
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43
worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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44
literally
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| adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实 | |
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45
meditate
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| v.想，考虑，（尤指宗教上的）沉思，冥想 | |
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46
clandestinely
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| adv.秘密地，暗中地 | |
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47
ignominiously
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| adv.耻辱地，屈辱地，丢脸地 | |
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48
vowed
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| 起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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49
narrative
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| n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的 | |
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50
enveloped
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| v.包围，笼罩，包住( envelop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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51
patrimonial
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| adj.祖传的 | |
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52
emigrant
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| adj.移居的，移民的；n.移居外国的人，移民 | |
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53
remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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54
complexion
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| n.肤色；情况，局面；气质，性格 | |
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55
mischief
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| n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹 | |
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56
canto
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| n.长篇诗的章 | |
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57
anecdotes
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| n.掌故，趣闻，轶事( anecdote的名词复数 ) | |
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58
mellow
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| adj.柔和的；熟透的；v.变柔和；(使)成熟 | |
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59
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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60
lank
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| adj.瘦削的；稀疏的 | |
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61
marvel
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| vi.(at)惊叹vt.感到惊异；n.令人惊异的事 | |
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