"Nordhoff, Charles & Hall, James Norman - Bounty 02 - Men Against the Sea 1.0" - читать интересную книгу автора (Hall James)

This time the blood was shared amongst Nelson, Lamb, and Simp-son, who received a full wineglass each; and when the carcass -- legs, head, bones, entrails, and flesh -- was apportioned by the method of "Who shall have this?" our shares were of a size to make us feel that we were sitting down to a feast. Three flying fish, each about seven inches long, were found in the bird's stomach; they were fresh, and I was overjoyed when one fell to me. I had eaten the raw fish prepared by the Indians of Otaheite, and found it palatable when dipped in a sauce of sea water. I now opened my knife and scaled the flying fish gloatingly, before cutting it into morsels which I dropped into the salt water in my coconut shell. Nothing was wasted; I even ate the entrails, and quaffed off the bloody salt water in which the fish had soaked.

Though we sailed well, the weather remained serene that day and during the two days following. On Tuesday we passed fresh coconut husks and driftwood which appeared to have been in the water no more than a week. We had the good fortune to catch three boobies on this day; without their blood and raw flesh I am convinced that two or three of us must have succumbed. The sun was so hot at midday that I felt faint and sick. On Wednesday it was apparent to all that the land was close ahead. The clouds to the west were fixed, and there were innumerable birds about, though we could catch none. The heat of the sun again caused much suffering.

"Soak what rags you can spare in the sea, and make turbans of them!" said the captain, when he heard some of the people complaining of the heat. He laughed. "English seamen are hard to please! I'd rather be hot than cold any day, and dry than wet, for that matter! Wring out your turbans frequently. The cool water'll soon make you feel like fighting cocks. We should sight the reefs to-morrow, with this breeze."

The boatswain smacked his lips. "There'll be fine pickings, sir, once we find a passage. Cockles, and clams, and who knows what!"

"We'll find a way in, never fear. From our latitude, we should sight the land close to Providential Channel, through which Captain Cook sailed the Endeavour."

Nelson lay on the floor boards, listening to the talk as coolly as if dining with the captain aboard the Bounty.

"From what I have heard Captain Cook say," he remarked, "there must be many passages leading in to the sheltered water. No doubt we shall have several to choose from."

"So I believe," said Bligh.

At about nine o'clock that night, the captain lay down beside me to sleep.

"Keep a sharp lookout, Mr. Cole," he said; "we may be closer to the reefs than we suppose."

A swell from the east had set in, but the oreeze was steady and light, and there were no whitecaps to wet us with spray. I lay half in a doze, half in a stupor, for several hours, listening to Bligh's quiet breathing. At last I fell asleep.

It must have been a little past midnight when I was awakened by the boatswain's voice: --

"Mr. Bligh! Breakers, sir!"

In an instant the captain was on his feet and wide awake. I heard a distant, long-drawn roar; and Bligh's abrupt command: "Hard alee!"

Three or four others were up by this time, ready for duty.

"Close-haul her!"

The moon was down, but the breakers were visible in the starlight as we clawed off.

"She lays well clear," remarked the captain. "By God! What a surf! Let it break! We'll find a way through when daylight comes!"

Many of us in the bottom of the boat were too weak or too indifferent even to raise our heads. Bligh noticed that I stirred.

'The reefs of New Holland, Mr. Ledward! We'll be sailing calm water soon, and stretching our legs ashore! You'll be feasting on shellfish to-morrow, my word on it!"

I managed to turn on my side, and fell asleep once more, lulled by a new sound: the crisp slap of wavelets under the launch's bow as she stood off the land, close-hauled on the starboard tack.

At dawn, though the night had been warm and calm, most of the people were dreadfully weak. The birds we had eaten had merely prolonged our lives, without imparting any real strength. At the first signs of daylight, Mr. Bligh gave word to slack away to the west, but it was mid-morning before we again sighted the breakers. The wind had shifted to S.E. during the night.

Two teaspoons of rum were issued before we drank our water and ate our scant mouthful of bread. Heartened by the spirit and the prospect of smooth water and food, I struggled to a sitting position. Nelson was unable to sit up. Mr. Bligh had poured a few drops of rum between his lips, but he had shaken his head weakly when offered bread. I could see that the botanist, for all his courage, was at the end of his tether; unless we could secure fresh food for him, another day or two would see him dead. Lamb and Simpson were in a piteous state, and several others were nearly as bad.

Toward nine o'clock a line of tossing white stretched away as far as we could see to the north and south. The vast roll of the Pacific, broken by the coral barrier, thundered and spouted furiously.

Not more than a hundred yards beyond the first break of the seas, Bligh steered to the north, ordering Tinkler and Cole to trim the sheets.