"Children's Books - Defoe, Daniel - Robinson Crusoe" - читать интересную книгу автора (Children's Books)

little time after. And now lest my good resolutions should continue,
my companion, who had indeed enticed me away, comes to me: "Well,
Bob," says he, clapping me on the shoulder, "how do you do after it? I
warrant you were frighted, wa'n't you, last night, when it blew but
a capful of wind?" "A capful, d'you call it?" said I; It was a
terrible storm." "A storm, you fool you," replied he; "do you call
that a storm? Why, it was nothing at all; give us but a good ship
and sea-room, and we think nothing at all; give us but a good ship and
sea-room, and we think nothing of such a squall of wind as that; but
you're but a fresh-water sailor, Bob. Come, let us make a bowl of
punch, and we'll forget all that; d'ye see what charming weather
'tis now?" To make short this sad part of my story, we went the old
way of all sailors; the punch was made, and I was made drunk with
it, and in that one night's wickedness I drowned all my repentance,
all my reflections upon my past conduct, and all my resolutions for my
future. In a word, as the sea was returned to its smoothness of
surface and settled calmness by the abatement of that storm, so the
hurry of my thoughts being over, my fears and apprehensions of being
swallowed up by the sea being forgotten, and the current of my
former desires returned, I entirely forgot the vows and promises
that I made in my distress. I found indeed some intervals of
reflection, and the serious thoughts did, as it were, endeavor to
return again sometime; but I shook them off, and roused myself from
them as it were from a distemper, and applying myself to drink and
company, soon mastered the return of those fits, for so I called them,
and I had in five or six days got as complete a victory over
conscience as any young fellow that resolved not to be troubled with
it could desire. But I was to have another trial for it still; and
Providence, as in such cases generally it does, resolved to leave me
entirely without excuse. For if I would not take this for a
deliverance, the next was to be such a one as the worst and most
hardened wretch among us would confess both the danger and the mercy.
The sixth day of our being at sea we came into Yarmouth roads; the
wind having been contrary and the weather calm, we made but little way
since the storm. Here we were obliged to come to an anchor, and here
we lay, the wind continuing contrary, viz., at southwest, for seven or
eight days, during which time a great many ships from Newcastle came
into the same roads, as the common harbor where the ships might wait
for a wind for the river.
We had not, however, rid here so long, but should have tided it up
the river, but that the wind blew too fresh; and after we had lain
four or five days, blew very hard. However, the roads .being
reckoned as good as a harbor, the anchorage good, and our
ground-tackle very strong, our men were unconcerned, and not in the
least apprehensive of danger, but spent the time in rest and mirth,
after the manner of the sea; but the eighth day in the morning the
wind increased, and we had all hands at work to strike our topmasts,
and make everything snug and close, that the ship might ride as easy
as possible. By noon the sea went very high indeed, and our ship rid
forecastle in, shipped several seas, and we thought once or twice