When the storm began to brew3 that night, George Welton, the mate of the floating light, walked the deck of his boiled-lobster-like vessel4, and examined the sky and sea with that critical expression peculiar5 to seafaring men, which conveys to landsmen the reassuring6 impression that they know exactly what is coming, precisely7 what ought to be done, and certainly what will be the result of whatever happens!
After some minutes spent in profound meditation8, during which Mr Welton frowned inquiringly at the dark driving clouds above him, he said, “It’ll be pretty stiff.”
This remark was made to himself, or to the clouds, but, happening to be overheard by Jerry MacGowl, who was at his elbow, it was answered by that excellent man.
“True for ye; it’ll blow great guns before midnight. The sands is showin’ their teeth already.”
The latter part of this remark had reference to brilliant white lines and dots on the seaward horizon, which indicated breakers on the Goodwin sands.
“Luk at that now,” said Jerry, pointing to one of those huge clumsy vessels10 that are so frequently met with at sea, even in the present day, as to lead one to imagine that some of the shipbuilders in the time of Noah must have come alive again and gone to work at their old trade on the old plans and drawings. “Luk at that, now. Did iver ye see sitch a tub—straight up and down the side, and as big at the bow as the stern.”
“She’s not clipper built,” answered the mate; “they make that sort o’ ship by the mile and sell her by the fathom,—cuttin’ off from the piece just what is required. It don’t take long to plaster up the ends and stick a mast or two into ’em.”
“It’s in luck she is to git into the Downs before the gale11 breaks, and it’s to be hoped she has good ground-tackle,” said Jerry.
The mate hoped so too in a careless way, and, remarking that he would go and see that all was made snug12, went forward.
At that moment there came up the fore9-hatch a yell, as if from the throat of a North American savage13. It terminated in the couplet, tunefully sung—
“Oh my! oh my!
O mammy, don’t you let the baby cry!”
“Have ’ee got that work-box done?” asked Jerry as his mate joined him.
“Not quite done yet, boy, but I’ll get it finished after the lights are up. Duty first, pleasure afterwards, you know.”
“Come now, Jack, confess that you’re makin’ it for a pretty girl.”
“Well, so I am, but it ain’t for my own pretty girl. It’s for that sweet little Nora Jones, who came lately to live in Ramsgate. You see I know she’s goin’ to be spliced17 to Jim Welton, and as Jim is a good sort of fellow, I want to make this little gift to his future bride.”
The gift referred to was a well-made work-box, such as the men of the floating light were at that time, and doubtless still are, in the habit of constructing in leisure hours. It was beautifully inlaid with wood of various kinds and colours, and possessed18 a mark peculiarly characteristic of floating-light boxes and desks, namely, two flags inlaid on the lid—one of these being the union Jack. Most of the men on board displayed much skill and taste in the making of those boxes and desks, although they were all self-taught, and wrought19 with very simple tools in a not very commodious20 workshop.
“A great change from yesterday in the look o’ things, Jerry,” observed Shales, surveying the Downs, where, despite the stiff and ever increasing breeze amounting almost to a gale, numerous little pilot-boats were seen dancing on the waves, showing a mere21 shred22 of canvas, and looking out for a job. “Yesterday was all sunshine and calm, with pleasure-boats round us, and visitors heaving noospapers aboard. To-day it’s all gloom, with gales23 brewin’ and pilots bobbin’ about like Mother Cary’s chickens.”
With lots a’ salt-wather an’ sorrow.
Blue little waves on the say,
An’ sunny contintment to-morrow.’
“That’s how it is, Jack, me boy, all the world over—even in owld Ireland hersilf; an’ sure if there’s pace to be found on earth it’s there it’s to be diskivered.”
“Right, Jerry, peace is to be discovered there, but I’m afraid it’s in a very distant future as yet,” said Jack with a laugh.
“All in good time,” retorted Jerry.
“Up lights!” called the mate down the hatchway.
“Ay, ay, sir,” came in chorus from below.
Desks and boxes were thrust aside, the winch was manned, and the weighty lantern mounted slowly to its nocturnal watch-tower.
Its red eye flashed upon a dark scene. The gloom of approaching night was deepened by the inky clouds that obscured the sky. Thick fog banks came sweeping27 past at intervals28; a cold north-easterly gale conveyed a wintry feeling to the air. Small thick rain fell in abundance, and everything attested29 the appropriateness of Jerry MacGowl’s observation, that it was “dirty weather intirely.”
The floating light was made snug—in other words, prepared for action—by having a good many more fathoms30 of her chain veered31 out, in order that she might strain less and swing more freely. Loose articles were secured or stowed away. Hatches were battened down, and many other little nautical32 arrangements made which it would require a seaman33 to understand as well as to describe in detail.
As the evening advanced the gale increased in violence tenfold, and darkness settled down like an impenetrable pall34 over land and sea. The roar of breakers on the Goodwin Sands became so loud that it was sometimes heard on board the Gull-light above the howling of the tempest. The sea rose so much and ran so violently among the conflicting currents caused by wind, tide, and sand-banks, that the Gull plunged35, swooped36, and tore at her cable so that the holding of it might have appeared to a landsman little short of miraculous37. Hissing38 and seething39 at the opposition40 she offered, the larger waves burst over her bows, and swept the deck from stem to stern; but her ample scuppers discharged it quickly, and up she rose again, dripping from the flood, to face and fight and foil each succeeding billow.
High on the mast, swaying wildly to and fro, yet always hanging perpendicular41 by reason of a simple mechanism42, the lantern threw out its bright beams, involving the vessel and the foam-clad boiling sea in a circle of light which ended in darkness profound, forming, as it were, a bright but ghostly chamber43 shut in with walls of ebony, and revealing, in all its appalling44 reality, the fury of the sea. What horrors lay concealed45 in the darkness beyond no one could certainly know; but the watch on board the Gull could form from past experience a pretty good conception of them, as they cowered46 under the lee of the bulwarks47 and looked anxiously out to windward.
Anxiously! Ay, there was cause for anxiety that night. The risk of parting from their cable was something, though not very great; but the risk of being run down by passing or driving ships during intervals of fog was much greater, and the necessity of looking out for signals of distress49 was urgent.
It was a night of warfare50, and the battle had begun early. Mr Welton’s record of the earlier part of that day in the log ran thus:—
“At 4 a.m. calm, with misty51 rain; at 8, wind south-east, light breeze. At noon, west-south-west, fresh breeze and rain. At 4 p.m., wind south-west, fresh gale and heavy rain. A large fleet anchored in the Downs. A schooner52 was seen to anchor in a bad place about this time. At 7, wind still increasing. The watch observed several vessels part from their 7 anchors and proceed to Margate Roads. At 7:30 the wind flew into the nor’-nor’-west, and blew a hurricane.”
These were the first mutterings of the fight that had begun.
It was now about a quarter to eight p.m. Jerry and his friend Shales were cowering53 behind the bulwark48 on the starboard bow, gazing to windward, but scarce able to keep their eyes open owing to wind and spray. Suddenly a large object was seen looming54 into the circle of light.
“Stand by!” roared Jerry and Jack, with startling vigour55, as the one leaped towards the tiller, the other to the companion-hatch; “a vessel bearing down on our hawse!”
The mate and men rushed on deck in time to see a large ship pass close to the bow of the Gull. Jack had cast loose the tiller, because, although in ordinary circumstances the helm of a light-vessel is of no use, this was one of the few occasions in which it could be of service. The rush of the tide past a ship at anchor confers upon it at all times, except during “slack water” (i.e., when the tide is on the turn), the power of steering56, so that she can be made to sheer swiftly to port or starboard, as may be required. But for this power, floating lights would undoubtedly57 be run into more frequently than they are.
The danger being over, the helm was again made fast amidships, but as several vessels were soon after seen sweeping past—two or three of them burning tar-barrels and “flare58-lights” for assistance, it became evident that there would be little or no rest for any one on board that night. The mate put on his oiled coat, trousers, boots, and sou’wester, and remained on deck.
Between eight and nine o’clock a schooner was seen approaching. She came out of surrounding darkness like a dim phantom59, and was apparently60 making the attempt to go to windward of the floating light. She failed, and in a moment was bearing down with terrible speed right upon them.
“Starboard your helm!” shouted the mate, at the same moment springing to the tiller of his own vessel.
The steersman of the driving vessel fortunately heard and obeyed the order, and she passed—but shaved the bow of the Gull so closely that one of the men declared he could easily have jumped aboard of her.
Again, at nine o’clock, there was a stir on board the floating light, for another vessel was seen driving towards her. This one was a brig. The foremast was gone, and the remains61 of a tar-barrel were still burning on her deck, but as none of the crew could be seen, it was conjectured62 that some other ship must have run foul63 of her, and they had escaped on board of it. All hands were again called, the tiller was cast loose, a wide sheer given to the Gull, and the brig went past them at about the distance of a ship-length. She went slowly by, owing, it was afterwards ascertained64, to the fact that she had ninety fathoms of cable trailing from her bows. She was laden65 with coal, and when the Deal boatmen picked her up next day, they found the leg of a man on her deck, terribly mutilated, as if it had got jambed somehow, and been wrenched66 off! But no one ever appeared to tell the fate of that vessel’s crew.
Shortly before ten, two tar-barrels were observed burning in a north-easterly direction. These proved to be the signals of distress from a ship and a barque, which were dragging their anchors. They gradually drove down on the north part of the sands; the barque struck on a part named the Goodwin Knoll68, the ship went on the North sandhead.
Now the time for action had come. The Goodwin light-vessel, being nearest to the wrecks69, fired a signal-gun and sent up a rocket.
“There goes the Goodwin!” cried the mate; “load the starboard gun, Jack.”
He ran down himself for a rocket as he spoke70, and Jerry ran to the cabin for the red-hot poker71, which had been heating for some time past in readiness for such an event.
“A gun and a flare to the south-east’ard, sir, close to us,” shouted Shales, who had just finished loading, as the mate returned with the rocket and fixed72 it in position.
“Where away, Jack?” asked the mate hastily, for it now became his duty to send the rocket in the direction of the new signals, so as to point out the position of the wreck to the lifeboat-men on shore.
“Due south-east, sir; there they go again,” said Jack, “not so close as I thought. South sandhead vessel signalling now, sir.”
There was no further need for questions. The flash of the gun was distinctly seen, though the sound was not heard, owing to the howling of the hurricane, and the bright flare of a second tar-barrel told its own tale, while a gun and rocket from the floating light at the South sandhead showed that the vessel in distress had been observed by her.
“Fire!” cried the mate.
Jerry applied73 the poker to the gun, and the scene which we have described in a former chapter was re-enacted;—the blinding flash, the roar, and the curved line of light across the black sky; but there was no occasion that night to repeat the signals. Everywhere along the coast the salvors of life and property were on the alert—many of them already in action, out battling in midnight darkness with the raging sea. The signal was at once replied to from Ramsgate.
Truly it was a dreadful night; one of those tremendous hurricanes which visit our shores three or four times it may be in a century, seeming to shake the world to its foundations, and to proclaim with unwonted significance the dread74 power of Him who created and curbs75 the forces of nature.
But the human beings who were involved in the perils76 of that night had scant77 leisure, and little inclination78, perchance, to contemplate79 its sublimity80. The crew of the Gull light were surrounded by signals of disaster and distress. In whichever direction they turned their eyes burning tar-barrels and other flaring81 lights were seen, telling their dismal82 tale of human beings in urgent need of assistance or in dire67 extremity83.
Little more than an hour before midnight another craft was observed driving down on the hawse of the Gull. There was greater danger now, because it happened to be near the turn of the tide, or “slack water,” so that the rudder could not be used to advantage. All hands were once more turned out, and as the vessel drew near Mr Welton hailed her, but got no reply.
“Let go the rudder-pendants!” cried the mate as he shipped the tiller.
The order was promptly84 obeyed, and the helm shoved hard a-port, but there was no responsive sheer. The sea was at the time currentless. Another moment and the vessel, which was a large deserted85 brig, struck the floating light on the port-bow, and her fore shrouds86 caught the fluke of the spare anchor which projected from the side.
Jerry required no spur; he bounded forward, caught up an axe, and leaped with it into the chains of the vessel, which had already smashed part of the Gull’s bulwarks and wrenched the iron band off the cat-head.
“Cut away everything,” cried the mate, who observed that the decks of the brig were full of water, and feared that she might be in a sinking condition.
The other men of the Gull were busy with boat-hooks, oars88, and fenders, straining every nerve to get clear of this unwelcome visitor, while Jerry dealt the shrouds a few telling blows which quickly cut them through, but, in sweeping past, the main-topsail yard-arm of the brig went crashing into the lantern. Instantly the lamps were extinguished, and the bright beams of the floating light were gone! The brig then dropt astern and was soon lost to view.
This was a disaster of the most serious nature—involving as it did the absence of a light, on the faithful glow of which the fate of hundreds of vessels might depend. Fortunately, however, the extreme fury of the gale had begun to abate89; it was therefore probable that all the vessels which had not already been wrecked90 had found ports of shelter, or would now be able to hold on to their anchors and weather the storm.
But floating-lights are not left without resource in a catastrophe91 such as this. In the book of Regulations for the Service it is ordered that, in circumstances of this kind, two red lights are to be shown, one at the end of the davit forward, the other on a stanchion beside the ensign staff aft, and likewise a red flare light is to be shown every quarter of an hour. Accordingly, while some of the men lit and fixed up the red lanterns, Jerry MacGowl was told off to the duty of showing the red flares92, or, as he himself expressed it, “settin’ off a succession o’ fireworks, which wos mightily93 purty, no doubt, an’ would have bin24 highly entertainin’ if it had been foin weather, and a time of rejoycin’!”
Meanwhile the lantern was lowered, and it was found that the only damage done had been the shattering of one of its large panes95 of glass. The lamps, although blown out, had not been injured. The men therefore set vigorously to work to put in a spare pane94, and get the light once more into working order.
Leaving them, then, at this important piece of work, let us turn aside awhile and follow the fortunes of the good ship Wellington on that terrible night of storm and disaster.
When the storm was brewing96 she was not far from the Downs, but the baffling winds retarded97 her progress, and it was pitch dark when she reached the neighbourhood of the Goodwin sands. Nevertheless those on board of her did not feel much uneasiness, because a good pilot had been secured in the channel.
The Wellington came bowling98 along under close-reefed topsails. Stanley Hall and Jim Welton stood leaning over the taffrail, looking down into the black foam-streaked water. Both were silent, save that now and then Jim put down his hand to pat a black muzzle99 that was raised lovingly to meet it, and whispered, “We shall be home to-morrow, Neptune,—cheer up, old boy!”
But Jim’s words did not express all his thoughts. If he had revealed them fully14 he would have described a bright fireside in a small and humble100 but very comfortable room, with a smiling face that rendered sunshine unnecessary, and a pair of eyes that made gaslight a paltry101 flame as well as an absolute extravagance. That the name of this cheap, yet dear, luminary102 began with an N and ended with an a, is a piece of information with which we think it unnecessary to trouble the reader.
Stanley Hall’s thoughts were somewhat on the same line of rail, if we may be allowed the expression; the chief difference being that his luminary beamed in a drawing-room, and sang and played and painted beautifully—which accomplishments103, however, Stanley thought, would have been sorry trifles in themselves had they not been coupled with a taste for housekeeping and domestic economy, and relieving as well as visiting the poor, and Sabbath-school teaching; in short, every sort of “good work,” besides an unaccountable as well as admirable penchant104 for pitching into the Board of Trade, and for keeping sundry105 account-books in such a neat and methodical way that there remains a lasting106 blot107 on that Board in the fact of their not having been bound in cloth of gold!
Ever since his first visit to Yarmouth, Stanley had felt an increasing admiration108 for Katie Durant’s sprightly109 character and sterling110 qualities, and also increasing pity for poor Bob Queeker, who, he thought, without being guilty of very egregious111 vanity, had no chance whatever of winning such a prize. The reader now knows that the pity thus bestowed112 upon that pitiful fox-hunting turncoat was utterly113 thrown away.
“I don’t like these fogs in such dangerous neighbourhood,” observed Jim Welton, as a fresh squall burst upon the ship and laid it over so much that many of the passengers thought she was going to capsize. “We should be getting near the floating lights of the Goodwin sands by this time.”
“Don’t these lights sometimes break adrift?” asked Stanley, “and thus become the cause of ships going headlong to destruction?”
“Not often,” replied Jim. “Considering the constancy of their exposure to all sorts of weather, and the number of light-vessels afloat, it is amazin’ how few accidents take place. There has been nothing of the kind as long as I can remember anything about the service, but my father has told me of a case where one of the light-vessels that marked a channel at the mouth of the Thames once broke adrift in a heavy gale. She managed to bring up again with her spare anchor, but did not dare to show her light, being out of her proper place, and therefore, a false guide. The consequence was that eight vessels, which were making for the channel, and counted on seeing her, went on the sands and were lost with nearly all hands.”
“If that be so it were better to have lighthouses, I think, than lightships,” said Stanley.
“No doubt it would, where it is possible to build ’em,” replied Jim, “but in some places it is supposed to be impossible to place a lighthouse, so we must be content with a vessel. But even lighthouses are are not perfectly114 secure. I know of one, built on piles on a sand-bank, that was run into by a schooner and carried bodily away. Accidents will happen, you know, in the best regulated families; but it seems to me that we don’t hear of a floating-light breakin’ adrift once in half a century—while, on the other hand, the good that is done by them is beyond all calculation.”
The young men relapsed into silence, for at that moment another fierce gust115 of wind threw the ship over almost on her beam-ends. Several of the male passengers came rushing on deck in alarm, but the captain quieted them, and induced them to return to the cabin to reassure116 the ladies, who, with the children, were up and dressed, being too anxious to think of seeking repose117.
It takes courts of inquiry,—formed of competent men, who examine competent witnesses and have the counsel of competent seamen,—many days of anxious investigation118 to arrive at the precise knowledge of the when, how, and wherefore of a wreck. We do not, therefore, pretend to be able to say whether it was the fault of the captain, the pilot, the man at the lead, the steersman, the look-out, or the weather, that the good ship Wellington met her doom119. All that we know for certain is, that she sighted the southern light-vessel some time before midnight during the great gale, that she steered120 what was supposed to be her true course, and that, shortly after, she struck on the tail of the sands.
Instantly the foremast went by the board, and the furious sea swept over the hull121 in blinding cataracts122, creating terrible dismay and confusion amongst nearly all on board.
The captain and first mate, however, retained their coolness and self-possession. Stanley and Jim also, with several of the officers on board, were cool and self-possessed, and able to render good service. While Stanley loaded a small carronade, young Welton got up blue lights and an empty tar-barrel. These were quickly fired. The South sandhead vessels immediately replied, the Gull, as we have seen, was not slow to answer, and thus the alarm was transmitted to the shore while the breakers that rushed over the Goodwins like great walls of snow, lifted the huge vessel like a cork123 and sent it crashing down, again and again, upon the fatal sands.
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1
wreck
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| n.失事，遇难；沉船；vt.(船等)失事，遇难 | |
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gull
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| n.鸥；受骗的人；v.欺诈 | |
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brew
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| v.酿造，调制 | |
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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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peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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reassuring
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| a.使人消除恐惧和疑虑的，使人放心的 | |
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precisely
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| adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地 | |
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meditation
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| n.熟虑，（尤指宗教的）默想，沉思，（pl.）冥想录 | |
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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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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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gale
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| n.大风，强风，一阵闹声（尤指笑声等） | |
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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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savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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jack
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| n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克 | |
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shales
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| n.页岩( shale的名词复数 ) | |
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spliced
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| adj.（针织品）加固的n.叠接v.绞接( splice的过去式和过去分词 )；捻接（两段绳子）；胶接；粘接（胶片、磁带等） | |
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possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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wrought
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| v.引起；以…原料制作；运转；adj.制造的 | |
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commodious
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| adj.宽敞的；使用方便的 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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shred
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| v.撕成碎片，变成碎片；n.碎布条，细片，些少 | |
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gales
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| 龙猫 | |
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bin
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| n.箱柜；vt.放入箱内；[计算机] DOS文件名:二进制目标文件 | |
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poetic
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| adj.富有诗意的，有诗人气质的，善于抒情的 | |
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turmoil
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| n.骚乱，混乱，动乱 | |
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sweeping
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| adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的 | |
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intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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attested
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| adj.经检验证明无病的，经检验证明无菌的v.证明( attest的过去式和过去分词 )；证实；声称…属实；使宣誓 | |
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fathoms
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| 英寻( fathom的名词复数 ) | |
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veered
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| v.（尤指交通工具）改变方向或路线( veer的过去式和过去分词 )；（指谈话内容、人的行为或观点）突然改变；（指风） （在北半球按顺时针方向、在南半球按逆时针方向）逐渐转向；风向顺时针转 | |
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nautical
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| adj.海上的，航海的，船员的 | |
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seaman
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| n.海员，水手，水兵 | |
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pall
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| v.覆盖，使平淡无味；n.柩衣，棺罩；棺材；帷幕 | |
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plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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swooped
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| 俯冲，猛冲( swoop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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miraculous
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| adj.像奇迹一样的，不可思议的 | |
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38
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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39
seething
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| 沸腾的，火热的 | |
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40
opposition
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| n.反对，敌对 | |
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41
perpendicular
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| adj.垂直的，直立的；n.垂直线，垂直的位置 | |
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42
mechanism
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| n.机械装置；机构，结构 | |
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43
chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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44
appalling
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| adj.骇人听闻的，令人震惊的，可怕的 | |
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45
concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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46
cowered
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| v.畏缩，抖缩( cower的过去式 ) | |
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47
bulwarks
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| n.堡垒( bulwark的名词复数 )；保障；支柱；舷墙 | |
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48
bulwark
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| n.堡垒，保障，防御 | |
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49
distress
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| n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛 | |
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50
warfare
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| n.战争(状态)；斗争；冲突 | |
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51
misty
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| adj.雾蒙蒙的，有雾的 | |
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52
schooner
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| n.纵帆船 | |
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53
cowering
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| v.畏缩，抖缩( cower的现在分词 ) | |
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54
looming
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| n.上现蜃景（光通过低层大气发生异常折射形成的一种海市蜃楼）v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的现在分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近 | |
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55
vigour
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| （=vigor）n.智力，体力，精力 | |
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56
steering
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| n.操舵装置 | |
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57
undoubtedly
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| adv.确实地，无疑地 | |
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58
flare
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| v.闪耀，闪烁；n.潮红；突发 | |
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59
phantom
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| n.幻影，虚位，幽灵；adj.错觉的，幻影的，幽灵的 | |
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60
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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61
remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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62
conjectured
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| 推测，猜测，猜想( conjecture的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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63
foul
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| adj.污秽的；邪恶的；v.弄脏；妨害；犯规；n.犯规 | |
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64
ascertained
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| v.弄清，确定，查明( ascertain的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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65
laden
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| adj.装满了的；充满了的；负了重担的；苦恼的 | |
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66
wrenched
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| v.（猛力地）扭( wrench的过去式和过去分词 )；扭伤；使感到痛苦；使悲痛 | |
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67
dire
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| adj.可怕的，悲惨的，阴惨的，极端的 | |
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68
knoll
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| n.小山，小丘 | |
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69
wrecks
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| n.沉船( wreck的名词复数 )；（事故中）遭严重毁坏的汽车（或飞机等）；（身体或精神上）受到严重损伤的人；状况非常糟糕的车辆（或建筑物等）v.毁坏[毁灭]某物( wreck的第三人称单数 )；使（船舶）失事，使遇难，使下沉 | |
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70
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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71
poker
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| n.扑克；vt.烙制 | |
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72
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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73
applied
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| adj.应用的；v.应用，适用 | |
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74
dread
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| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
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75
curbs
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| v.限制，克制，抑制( curb的第三人称单数 ) | |
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76
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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77
scant
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| adj.不充分的，不足的；v.减缩，限制，忽略 | |
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78
inclination
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| n.倾斜；点头；弯腰；斜坡；倾度；倾向；爱好 | |
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79
contemplate
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| vt.盘算，计议；周密考虑；注视，凝视 | |
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80
sublimity
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| 崇高，庄严，气质高尚 | |
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81
flaring
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| a.火焰摇曳的，过份艳丽的 | |
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82
dismal
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| adj.阴沉的，凄凉的，令人忧郁的，差劲的 | |
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83
extremity
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| n.末端，尽头；尽力；终极；极度 | |
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84
promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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85
deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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86
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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87
axe
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| n.斧子；v.用斧头砍，削减 | |
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88
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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89
abate
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| vi.(风势，疼痛等)减弱，减轻，减退 | |
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90
wrecked
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| adj.失事的，遇难的 | |
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91
catastrophe
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| n.大灾难，大祸 | |
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92
flares
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| n.喇叭裤v.（使）闪耀( flare的第三人称单数 )；（使）（船舷）外倾；（使）鼻孔张大；（使）（衣裙、酒杯等）呈喇叭形展开 | |
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93
mightily
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| ad.强烈地；非常地 | |
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94
pane
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| n.窗格玻璃，长方块 | |
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95
panes
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| 窗玻璃( pane的名词复数 ) | |
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96
brewing
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| n. 酿造, 一次酿造的量 动词brew的现在分词形式 | |
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97
retarded
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| a.智力迟钝的，智力发育迟缓的 | |
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98
bowling
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| n.保龄球运动 | |
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99
muzzle
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| n.鼻口部；口套；枪(炮)口；vt.使缄默 | |
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100
humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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101
paltry
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| adj.无价值的，微不足道的 | |
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102
luminary
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| n.名人，天体 | |
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103
accomplishments
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| n.造诣；完成( accomplishment的名词复数 )；技能；成绩；成就 | |
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104
penchant
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| n.爱好，嗜好；（强烈的）倾向 | |
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105
sundry
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| adj.各式各样的，种种的 | |
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106
lasting
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| adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持 | |
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107
blot
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| vt.弄脏（用吸墨纸）吸干；n.污点，污渍 | |
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108
admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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109
sprightly
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| adj.愉快的，活泼的 | |
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110
sterling
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| adj.英币的(纯粹的，货真价实的)；n.英国货币(英镑) | |
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111
egregious
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| adj.非常的，过分的 | |
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112
bestowed
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| 赠给，授予( bestow的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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113
utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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114
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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115
gust
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| n.阵风，突然一阵（雨、烟等），（感情的）迸发 | |
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116
reassure
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| v.使放心，使消除疑虑 | |
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117
repose
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| v.(使)休息；n.安息 | |
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118
investigation
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| n.调查，调查研究 | |
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119
doom
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| n.厄运，劫数；v.注定，命定 | |
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120
steered
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| v.驾驶( steer的过去式和过去分词 )；操纵；控制；引导 | |
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121
hull
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| n.船身；(果、实等的)外壳；vt.去(谷物等)壳 | |
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122
cataracts
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| n.大瀑布( cataract的名词复数 )；白内障 | |
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123
cork
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| n.软木，软木塞 | |
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