16 The Wine-Dark Sea - Libro della tutto

Patrick O'Brian The Wine-Dark Sea
enough, in war-time, on the part of a foreigner.
No: it was the colony that pleased
them so, with its peace and equality and a decent
life without working yourself to the bone
and an old age that don't bear thinking on.'
'Peace and equality, with all my heart,' said
Stephen.
'But you shake your head, sir, and I dare say
you are thinking about that war. It was sadly
misrepresented, but Mr Dutourd has made
everything quite clear. The sides had been
spoiling for a fight time out of mind, and once
Kalahua had hired those riffraff Frenchmen
from the Sandwich Islands with muskets there
was no holding him. They had nothing to do
with Mr Dutourd's settlers. No. What Mr D
meant to do was to sail in with a show of force
and set himself between them, then establish
his own colony and win both sides over by example
and persuasion. And as for persua-