16 The Wine-Dark Sea - Libro della tutto

Patrick O'Brian The Wine-Dark Sea
weather, swabbing and sweeping it, or hauling
on a rope under strict supervision: abruptly
Jack found that he did not know their names –
could not tell one from another – and was unable
to exchange the usual word. They were
beautifully clean, shining clean, and perfectly
dressed in their new duck frocks and trousers,
and they had been taught to stand up and pull
off their hats, but they looked nervous, far
from happy: their eyes rolled with apprehension.
The next group had two more as well as
some remaining Franklins, and although Jack
knew the white men tolerably well he was surprised
to see them in this division. But the
people under his command had necessarily
been given such different duties and moved to
and fro between such different ships that even
a captain who had not been knocked on the
head and obliged to keep his cabin for some
time might have been confused. It was better