The two engineers from the wreck4 of the Travancore had been as carefully looked after as the strangers in the main cabin. They had been supplied with clothing, and they had breakfasted in the mess-room on the best the larder5 afforded. The third person brought in by the second cutter was the Hindu cook of the wrecked6 steamer; but he spoke7 English very well, and had been otherwise Europeanized. He had been turned over to Baldy Bickling, the second cook of the ship, who had clothed and fed him, and seemed to be unable to do enough for him.
The three gentlemen in the cabin were as sociable8 as could be desired; and though it was Sunday morning, the scene at the tables had been very animated9.
When the meal was finished, the guests at their own request were shown over the ship; and they were not at all reserved in the expression of their admiration10 at the elegance11 with which she had been fitted up, and not less at the convenience of all the arrangements.
Lord Tremlyn was particularly interested in the educational feature of the Guardian-Mother, as Captain Ringgold explained his pet scheme in the library, or study, abaft12 the state-cabin, as it was called on the plan of the vessel13 prepared by the gentleman for whom she had been built. The guests looked at the titles of the books, considerable additions to which had been made at Cairo, Alexandria, and elsewhere.
"This is not a library of romances," said his lordship with a smile, as he took in the encyclopædias, books of travel, scientific treatises14, and geographical15 works.
"No, sir; they cover a broad range of useful information," replied the commander. "Those of our company who are disposed to read novels supply themselves with that kind of literature. Quite a number of them are lecturers"--
"Lecturers!" exclaimed the distinguished16 guest. "Then a large number of your passengers must be scientific people."
"Not at all, sir; the large majority of them are men and women of good education, and Professor Giroud is a learned Frenchman who has been a lecturer at various colleges and schools. Dr. Hawkes is a leading member of his profession, and is sometimes a lecturer in various medical and surgical17 institutions in New York. Both of these gentlemen are making this voyage to regain18 their health, injured by over-work."
"You are fortunate in having such men on board," added his lordship.
"But most of our lecturers are persons of fair education, and only three of them have been graduated from the university. We assign subjects to them some time in advance, and they prepare themselves for the occasion. This gives the unprofessional people an interest in the exercises they would not otherwise have. For example, Mr. Woolridge"--
"I beg pardon, but he is the father of the beautiful young lady who was seated at the table next to Mr. Belgrave, is he not?" interposed Lord Tremlyn.
"The same, sir. At first he considered the lectures a bore; and doubtless they were such to him, for he had been a sporting-man and a yachtsman, though he has since abandoned the races. But I gave him as a subject the horses and other animals of Egypt. He did very well with it in his peculiar19 way; and since that he is one of the most interested in the lectures,--or perhaps I had better call them simply talks," added the commander.
"Then this voyage will create a new taste for him."
"I have no doubt of it. He is a Fifth Avenue millionaire, and he is able to cultivate any taste he may acquire. Mr. Belgrave is one of our most useful speakers, for he studies his subjects very faithfully. He is a devoted20 student, speaks French fluently, and gets along very well with Spanish. This voyage is a college course for him."
"Do your ladies take an interest in these lectures, Captain Ringgold?"
"All of them, though I have assigned a subject to only one of them. They all manifest their interest by asking questions. Like myself, Mrs. Belgrave and Mrs. Blossom are Methodists, while the Woolridge family are Episcopalians, though none of us are bigoted21. The sisters of my church are very favorable to religious topics, such as were suggested on the Nile; and when we were near the land of Goshen and the Sinai peninsula Mrs. Belgrave spoke to us in this connection. Mrs. Blossom is one of the "salt of the earth," a very good woman, very religious, and her studies have been confined to the Bible and her denominational newspapers. Her education was neglected, and she is rather tonguey, so that she asks curious questions; but we all esteem22 her very highly, though her American peculiarities23 may seem very odd to you."
"I have known similar people in England, and your description of her leads me to respect the lady," replied the titled gentleman, who appeared to be very democratic so far as homely24 merit was concerned.
Dr. Hawkes had taken his professional brother in charge, and Louis, Sir Modava, as the commander had Lord Tremlyn, and they were showing them over the ship. We need not follow them or repeat their explanations; but they finally reached the promenade25 deck, where all the officers were presented to the guests of the steamer. At Conference Hall the three couples met, and the lectures were again commented upon; for this subject was uppermost in the mind of the commander.
"Do you have a lecture to-day, Captain Ringgold?" asked his lordship.
"No, sir; this is Sunday, and we keep the Sabbath in a reasonable manner, and the conference is usually omitted on this day, though when the subject is appropriate for the day the lecture is given. The professor is a Roman Catholic; but we have not had the slightest friction26 in regard to any man's creed27. The owner and voyager in our consort28, the white ship abreast29 of us, whose boat picked up five men of your ship's company, is a Mohammedan, though the captain and his wife are Congregationalists. We have a religious service on board at eleven o'clock, to which your party are invited, though no umbrage30 will be taken if you prefer to absent yourselves."
"I shall certainly attend," replied his lordship; and his companions said the same. "Have you a chaplain?"
"We have not, and I am obliged to act in that capacity for the want of a better," replied the captain. "We Methodists are all trained to 'speak in meeting,' whether we have the gift or not."
At the appointed time the gong was sounded for divine service, and four whistles were given, that all on board might hear the call. Chairs had been provided for the guests, and all the party were seated when six bells struck. The two engineers of the Travancore were seated on the platform with, the cook, and all the officers and seamen31 who could be spared stood within hearing.
Most of the party were provided with tune-books, and the captain gave out "The Life-Boat." Books were passed to the strangers, and the commander led off in the singing. Lord Tremlyn and Dr. Ferrolan joined in with vigorous bass33 voices. Captain Ringgold then followed with an extemporaneous34 prayer, in which he poured forth35 his thanks to the God who rules the sea and the land for the mercy that had spared their brothers from other lands from the mighty36 power of the raging billows. Instead of reading a printed sermon as usual, he gave an impromptu37 address relating to the event of the early morning. Its bearing was very religious, and it was as eloquent38 as it was homely compared with studied discourses39.
After the singing of "Nearer, my God, to thee," the service closed; but the people were invited to keep their seats. Without any explanation of what was to follow, the captain introduced Lord Tremlyn.
"Mr. Commander, and ladies and gentlemen, I am utterly40 unable to express my high appreciation41 of the religious service in which we have all assisted. It went to my heart, and I am sure we who have been saved from perishing in the stormy billows joined heartily42 with him who officiated in giving thanks to God for our preservation," his lordship began.
"We are all profoundly impressed by the kindness, the unbounded hospitality, which have been extended to us in our unfortunate, I may say our forlorn, condition; and I am sure that not one of us, from the amateur captain of the Travancore, to the coolies who were saved by the Blanche, will ever cease to bless the commander, the officers, the crew, and the passengers of the Guardian-Mother for the overwhelming kindness and care they have all bestowed43 upon us. Though we are not at the festive44 board, I venture to propose to you the health of Captain Ringgold, as the representative of all to whom we are so gratefully indebted."
"For he's a jolly good fellow!
For he's a jolly good fellow!
For he's a jolly good fellow!
So say we all of us!"
To the astonishment45, and perhaps to the disgust, of the two Methodist ladies, Dr. Ferrolan struck up this refrain, singing with a vigor32 which proved his earnestness. Sir Modava, the engineers, and the cook immediately joined in with him. Dr. Hawkes, Uncle Moses, Mr. Woolridge, and others, because they approved the sentiment of the words, struck in at the second line, and it became a full chorus before the last line was reached.
It is an English custom to follow a toast to a distinguished personage with this refrain, as expressive47 of the sentiments of the company; and though it was not adapted to Sunday use, it was sincere and heartfelt on the part of all who sang it. Captain Ringgold rose and bowed his thanks, and Lord Tremlyn spoke again:--
"It is very natural that you should desire to know something about the guests who have been so fortuitously cast into your kindly48 embrace, and especially in regard to the calamity49 which has made us the recipients50 of your generous hospitality; and Captain Ringgold gives us this opportunity to gratify your reasonable curiosity. I am no orator51, like my brother, the commander of the Guardian-Mother, and I shall call upon my friend and secretary, who has been travelling with me in India for his health, to give you the desired information." Though it was Sunday, even the commander joined in the applause that greeted the doctor when he mounted the rostrum.
"Mr. Commander, and ladies and gentlemen, I beg to inform you that my Lord Tremlyn is quite as capable of speaking for himself as I am for him; but as I am called upon to make this explanation, I shall do so with pleasure. I have the honor to be the secretary of the Right Honorable Viscount Tremlyn, the son of the noble earl who is Secretary of State for India. He has been on a mission in the interests of his father to obtain certain information, though he holds no official position.
"Sir Modava Rao has held several official positions in India, and is perhaps more familiar with the country and its British and native governments than any other man. He has been travelling with Lord Tremlyn, to assist him in obtaining the information connected with his unofficial mission. My lord has completed the work assigned to him; but the viceroy wished him to visit the Imam of Muscat unofficially for a certain purpose I am not at liberty to state.
"In a small steam-yacht owned by Sir Modava, the most devoted friend of his lordship, in which he had been all around the peninsula, and up several of its rivers, we embarked52 for Muscat, and safely reached that country. Then the viscount decided53 to proceed to Aden, where he had important business; for he intended to return to England by the Euphrates route, in order to inform himself in regard to the navigation of the river. We sailed for Aden, believing we should have the calm and pleasant weather of the north-east monsoon.
"Yesterday we encountered the gale from the south-west, which was very unusual. But the Travancore was an able seaboat, and we went along very well until we were run into by a steamer in the darkness and mist early this morning. The side of the little steamer was stove in, and she began to fill. We put on our life-preservers, and prepared for the worst. We stretched a life-line fore46 and aft, and listened to the gurgling waters below deck. Suddenly, when she was partly filled with water, she capsized. We clung to the life-line, which unhitched forward.
"Of course we expected she would go down; but she did not for several hours. We had our life-preservers on, and we made fast the lines forward, which saved us from being washed off the bottom of the vessel. I had a revolver in my pocket, and when I saw the port light of your steamer, I fired it, and we all shouted at the top of our lungs.
"We could hear the air and the water bubbling and hissing54 under us at times, and it was understood that the confined air above the water in the hull55 had kept her afloat. But this air had all escaped as the Guardian-mother approached us, and with no warning she went to the bottom. We were floated by our life-preservers till your boats picked us up, though we were fearfully shaken and tossed about by the waves. Our gallant56 saviours57 know how we were rescued--all honor and glory to them!"
The doctor finished his explanation and took his seat.
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1
gale
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| n.大风，强风，一阵闹声（尤指笑声等） | |
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monsoon
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| n.季雨，季风，大雨 | |
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soothing
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| adj.慰藉的；使人宽心的；镇静的 | |
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wreck
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| n.失事，遇难；沉船；vt.(船等)失事，遇难 | |
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larder
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| n.食物贮藏室，食品橱 | |
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wrecked
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| adj.失事的，遇难的 | |
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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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sociable
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| adj.好交际的，友好的，合群的 | |
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animated
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| adj.生气勃勃的，活跃的，愉快的 | |
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admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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elegance
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| n.优雅；优美，雅致；精致，巧妙 | |
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abaft
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| prep.在…之后；adv.在船尾，向船尾 | |
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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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treatises
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| n.专题著作，专题论文，专著( treatise的名词复数 ) | |
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geographical
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| adj.地理的；地区(性)的 | |
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distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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surgical
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| adj.外科的，外科医生的，手术上的 | |
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regain
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| vt.重新获得，收复，恢复 | |
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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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devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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bigoted
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| adj.固执己见的，心胸狭窄的 | |
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esteem
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| n.尊敬，尊重；vt.尊重，敬重；把…看作 | |
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peculiarities
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| n. 特质, 特性, 怪癖, 古怪 | |
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homely
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| adj.家常的，简朴的；不漂亮的 | |
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promenade
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| n./v.散步 | |
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friction
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| n.摩擦，摩擦力 | |
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creed
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| n.信条；信念，纲领 | |
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consort
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| v.相伴；结交 | |
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abreast
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| adv.并排地；跟上(时代)的步伐，与…并进地 | |
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umbrage
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| n.不快；树荫 | |
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seamen
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| n.海员 | |
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vigor
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| n.活力，精力，元气 | |
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bass
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| n.男低音(歌手)；低音乐器；低音大提琴 | |
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extemporaneous
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| adj.即席的，一时的 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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impromptu
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| adj.即席的，即兴的；adv.即兴的(地)，无准备的(地) | |
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eloquent
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| adj.雄辩的，口才流利的；明白显示出的 | |
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discourses
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| 论文( discourse的名词复数 )； 演说； 讲道； 话语 | |
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utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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appreciation
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| n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨 | |
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heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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bestowed
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| 赠给，授予( bestow的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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festive
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| adj.欢宴的，节日的 | |
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astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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fore
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| adv.在前面；adj.先前的；在前部的；n.前部 | |
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expressive
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| adj.表现的，表达…的，富于表情的 | |
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48
kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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49
calamity
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| n.灾害，祸患，不幸事件 | |
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50
recipients
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| adj.接受的；受领的；容纳的；愿意接受的n.收件人；接受者；受领者；接受器 | |
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51
orator
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| n.演说者，演讲者，雄辩家 | |
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52
embarked
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| 乘船( embark的过去式和过去分词 )； 装载； 从事 | |
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53
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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54
hissing
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| n. 发嘶嘶声, 蔑视 动词hiss的现在分词形式 | |
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55
hull
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| n.船身；(果、实等的)外壳；vt.去(谷物等)壳 | |
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56
gallant
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| adj.英勇的，豪侠的；(向女人)献殷勤的 | |
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57
saviours
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| n.救助者( saviour的名词复数 )；救星；救世主；耶稣基督 | |
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