16 The Wine-Dark Sea - Libro della tutto

Patrick O'Brian The Wine-Dark Sea
spray no longer flew – there was no white water,
no breaking between the ships nor away
to leeward.
'Should you like to go, Doctor?' asked Jack,
turning kindly. 'I believe you have always
wanted to look into a whaler.' Stephen bowed,
and quickly tied a length of bandage over his
hat and wig, tying it under his chin. Jack directed
his voice towards the half-swamped
whale-boats astern: 'You fellows had better go
aboard, before you are drowned.'
It took some little time to get the Doctor
safely down into the blue cutter; it took longer
to get him up the oily side of the whaler,
where the master stretched down an officious
hand and Bonden thrust him from below. But
he was scarcely on the filthy deck before the
whale-boat crews came swarming aboard with
their gear, the headsmen carrying their lances,
the boat-steerers their shining harpoons. They