16 The Wine-Dark Sea - Libro della tutto

Patrick O'Brian The Wine-Dark Sea
be served out in honour of the birthday of
Lord Melville, the brother of Captain Aubrey's
particular friend Heneage Dundas and First
Lord of the Admiralty at the time of Jack's reinstatement.
The roaring was so usual that Jack barely noticed
it, but the ensuing quietness did strike his
mind. The Surprise was not one of those discontented
spit-and-polish ships in which men
were not allowed to speak on duty, for not
only would this have been abhorrent to Jack
Aubrey's feelings and dead contrary to his idea
of command ('a happy ship is your only right
hard-fighting ship') but with such a ship's company
it would not have answered for a moment,
and except at times of strong activity
there was always a steady low hum of talk on
deck. At present the temporary silence made
the almost deserted deck seem still more
empty; and Jack, addressing Adams, his clerk