16 The Wine-Dark Sea - Libro della tutto

Patrick O'Brian The Wine-Dark Sea
light pervades the whole, like a Claude
Lorraine run mad.'
'We had no noon observation, of course,'
said Jack. 'There was no horizon and there
was no sun to bring down to it either. But what
really puzzles me is that every now and then,
quite independent of the swell, the sea
twitches: a quick pucker like a horse's skin
when there are flies about. There. Did you
see? A little quick triple wave on the rising
swell.'
'I did, too. It is extremely curious,' said
Stephen. 'Can you assign any cause?'
'No,' said Jack. 'I have never heard of such a
thing.' He reflected for some minutes, and at
each lift of the frigate's bows the spray came
sweeping aft. 'But quite apart from all this,' he
went on, 'I finished the draft of my official letter
this morning, before we came within gun-