After my heroic feat3 in loosing the main-skysail, the mate entertained good hopes of my becoming a rare mariner4. In the fullness of his heart, he ordered me to turn over the superintendence of the chicken-coop to the Lancashire boy; which I did, very willingly. After that, I took care to show the utmost alacrity5 in running aloft, which by this time became mere6 fun for me; and nothing delighted me more than to sit on one of the topsail-yards, for hours together, helping7 Max or the Green-lander as they worked at the rigging.
At sea, the sailors are continually engaged in "parcelling," "serving," and in a thousand ways ornamenting8 and repairing the numberless shrouds9 and stays; mending sails, or turning one side of the deck into a rope-walk, where they manufacture a clumsy sort of twine10, called spun11-yarn. This is spun with a winch; and many an hour the Lancashire boy had to play the part of an engine, and contribute the motive12 power. For material, they use odds13 and ends of old rigging called "junk," the yarns14 of which are picked to pieces, and then twisted into new combinations, something as most books are manufactured. This "junk" is bought at the junk shops along the wharves15; outlandish looking dens16, generally subterranean17, full of old iron, old shrouds, spars, rusty18 blocks, and superannuated19 tackles; and kept by villainous looking old men, in tarred trowsers, and with yellow beards like oakum. They look like wreckers; and the scattered20 goods they expose for sale, involuntarily remind one of the sea-beach, covered with keels and cordage, swept ashore21 in a gale22.
Yes, I was now as nimble as a monkey in the rigging, and at the cry of "tumble up there, my hearties23, and take in sail," I was among the first ground-and-lofty tumblers, that sprang aloft at the word.
But the first time we reefed top-sails of a dark night, and I found myself hanging over the yard with eleven others, the ship plunging24 and rearing like a mad horse, till I felt like being jerked off the spar; then, indeed, I thought of a feather-bed at home, and hung on with tooth and nail; with no chance for snoring. But a few repetitions, soon made me used to it; and before long, I tied my reef-point as quickly and expertly as the best of them; never making what they call a "granny-knot," and slipt down on deck by the bare stays, instead of the shrouds. It is surprising, how soon a boy overcomes his timidity about going aloft. For my own part, my nerves became as steady as the earth's diameter, and I felt as fearless on the royal yard, as Sam Patch on the cliff of Niagara. To my amazement25, also, I found, that running up the rigging at sea, especially during a squall, was much easier than while lying in port. For as you always go up on the windward side, and the ship leans over, it makes more of a stairs of the rigging; whereas, in harbor, it is almost straight up and down.
Besides, the pitching and rolling only imparts a pleasant sort of vitality26 to the vessel27; so that the difference in being aloft in a ship at sea, and a ship in harbor, is pretty much the same, as riding a real live horse and a wooden one. And even if the live charger should pitch you over his head, that would be much more satisfactory, than an inglorious fall from the other.
I took great delight in furling the top-gallant28 sails and royals in a hard blow; which duty required two hands on the yard.
There was a wild delirium29 about it; a fine rushing of the blood about the heart; and a glad, thrilling, and throbbing30 of the whole system, to find yourself tossed up at every pitch into the clouds of a stormy sky, and hovering31 like a judgment32 angel between heaven and earth; both hands free, with one foot in the rigging, and one somewhere behind you in the air. The sail would fill out like a balloon, with a report like a small cannon33, and then collapse34 and sink away into a handful. And the feeling of mastering the rebellious35 canvas, and tying it down like a slave to the spar, and binding36 it over and over with the gasket, had a touch of pride and power in it, such as young King Richard must have felt, when he trampled37 down the insurgents38 of Wat Tyler.
As for steering40, they never would let me go to the helm, except during a calm, when I and the figure-head on the bow were about equally employed.
By the way, that figure-head was a passenger I forgot to make mention of before.
He was a gallant six-footer of a Highlander "in full fig," with bright tartans, bare knees, barred leggings, and blue bonnet41 and the most vermilion of cheeks. He was game to his wooden marrow42, and stood up to it through thick and thin; one foot a little advanced, and his right arm stretched forward, daring on the waves. In a gale of wind it was glorious to watch him standing43 at his post like a hero, and plunging up and down the watery44 Highlands and Lowlands, as the ship went roaming on her way. He was a veteran with many wounds of many sea-fights; and when he got to Liverpool a figure-head-builder there, amputated his left leg, and gave him another wooden one, which I am sorry to say, did not fit him very well, for ever after he looked as if he limped. Then this figure-head-surgeon gave him another nose, and touched up one eye, and repaired a rent in his tartans. After that the painter came and made his toilet all over again; giving him a new suit throughout, with a plaid of a beautiful pattern.
I do not know what has become of Donald now, but I hope he is safe and snug45 with a handsome pension in the "Sailors'-Snug-Harbor" on Staten Island.
The reason why they gave me such a slender chance of learning to steer39 was this. I was quite young and raw, and steering a ship is a great art, upon which much depends; especially the making a short passage; for if the helmsman be a clumsy, careless fellow, or ignorant of his duty, he keeps the ship going about in a melancholy46 state of indecision as to its precise destination; so that on a voyage to Liverpool, it may be pointing one while for Gibraltar, then for Rotterdam, and now for John o' Groat's; all of which is worse than wasted time. Whereas, a true steersman keeps her to her work night and day; and tries to make a bee-line from port to port.
Then, in a sudden squall, inattention, or want of quickness at the helm, might make the ship "lurch47 to"—or "bring her by the lee." And what those things are, the cabin passengers would never find out, when they found themselves going down, down, down, and bidding good-by forever to the moon and stars.
And they little think, many of them, fine gentlemen and ladies that they are, what an important personage, and how much to be had in reverence48, is the rough fellow in the pea-jacket, whom they see standing at the wheel, now cocking his eye aloft, and then peeping at the compass, or looking out to windward.
Why, that fellow has all your lives and eternities in his hand; and with one small and almost imperceptible motion of a spoke49, in a gale of wind, might give a vast deal of work to surrogates and lawyers, in proving last wills and testaments50.
Ay, you may well stare at him now. He does not look much like a man who might play into the hands of an heir-at-law, does he? Yet such is the case. Watch him close, therefore; take him down into your state-room occasionally after a stormy watch, and make a friend of him. A glass of cordial will do it. And if you or your heirs are interested with the underwriters, then also have an eye on him. And if you remark, that of the crew, all the men who come to the helm are careless, or inefficient51; and if you observe the captain scolding them often, and crying out: "Luff, you rascal52; she's falling off!" or, "Keep her steady, you scoundrel, you're boxing the compass!" then hurry down to your state-room, and if you have not yet made a will, get out your stationery53 and go at it; and when it is done, seal it up in a bottle, like Columbus' log, and it may possibly drift ashore, when you are drowned in the next gale of wind.
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1
highlander
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| n.高地的人，苏格兰高地地区的人 | |
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interval
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| n.间隔，间距；幕间休息，中场休息 | |
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feat
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| n.功绩；武艺，技艺；adj.灵巧的，漂亮的，合适的 | |
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mariner
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| n.水手号不载人航天探测器，海员，航海者 | |
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alacrity
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| n.敏捷，轻快，乐意 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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helping
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| n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的 | |
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ornamenting
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| v.装饰，点缀，美化( ornament的现在分词 ) | |
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shrouds
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| n.裹尸布( shroud的名词复数 )；寿衣；遮蔽物；覆盖物v.隐瞒( shroud的第三人称单数 )；保密 | |
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twine
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| v.搓，织，编饰；（使）缠绕 | |
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spun
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| v.纺，杜撰，急转身 | |
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motive
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| n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的 | |
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odds
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| n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别 | |
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14
yarns
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| n.纱( yarn的名词复数 )；纱线；奇闻漫谈；旅行轶事 | |
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15
wharves
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| n.码头，停泊处( wharf的名词复数 ) | |
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dens
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| n.牙齿，齿状部分；兽窝( den的名词复数 )；窝点；休息室；书斋 | |
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subterranean
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| adj.地下的，地表下的 | |
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rusty
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| adj.生锈的；锈色的；荒废了的 | |
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superannuated
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| adj.老朽的，退休的；v.因落后于时代而废除，勒令退学 | |
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scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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ashore
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| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
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gale
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| n.大风，强风，一阵闹声（尤指笑声等） | |
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hearties
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| 亲切的( hearty的名词复数 )； 热诚的； 健壮的； 精神饱满的 | |
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24
plunging
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| adj.跳进的，突进的v.颠簸( plunge的现在分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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vitality
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| n.活力，生命力，效力 | |
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vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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gallant
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| adj.英勇的，豪侠的；(向女人)献殷勤的 | |
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delirium
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| n. 神智昏迷,说胡话;极度兴奋 | |
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throbbing
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| a. 跳动的,悸动的 | |
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31
hovering
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| 鸟( hover的现在分词 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫 | |
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32
judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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cannon
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| n.大炮，火炮；飞机上的机关炮 | |
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collapse
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| vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷 | |
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rebellious
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| adj.造反的，反抗的，难控制的 | |
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binding
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| 有约束力的，有效的，应遵守的 | |
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trampled
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| 踩( trample的过去式和过去分词 )； 践踏； 无视； 侵犯 | |
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38
insurgents
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| n.起义，暴动，造反( insurgent的名词复数 ) | |
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39
steer
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| vt.驾驶，为…操舵；引导；vi.驾驶 | |
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40
steering
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| n.操舵装置 | |
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41
bonnet
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| n.无边女帽；童帽 | |
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42
marrow
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| n.骨髓；精华；活力 | |
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43
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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44
watery
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| adj.有水的，水汪汪的；湿的，湿润的 | |
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45
snug
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| adj.温暖舒适的，合身的，安全的；v.使整洁干净，舒适地依靠，紧贴；n.（英）酒吧里的私房 | |
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46
melancholy
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| n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的 | |
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47
lurch
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| n.突然向前或旁边倒；v.蹒跚而行 | |
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48
reverence
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| n.敬畏，尊敬，尊严；Reverence:对某些基督教神职人员的尊称；v.尊敬，敬畏，崇敬 | |
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49
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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50
testaments
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| n.遗嘱( testament的名词复数 )；实际的证明 | |
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51
inefficient
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| adj.效率低的，无效的 | |
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52
rascal
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| n.流氓；不诚实的人 | |
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53
stationery
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| n.文具；(配套的)信笺信封 | |
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