16 The Wine-Dark Sea - Libro della tutto

Patrick O'Brian The Wine-Dark Sea
at Reade, smiled and shook his head: 'No
bottom with this line, sir.'
Reade crossed the quarterdeck, took off his
hat, reported to Captain Aubrey, 'No bottom
with this line, sir'; and seeing that Jack was no
longer vexed with him he went on, 'Oh sir, I
do wish you would look out over the larboard
beam. There is as odd a craft as you can possibly
imagine, a balsa, I think, sailing in the
strangest way. It has been brought by the lee
three times in the last five minutes, and the
poor soul seems to be entangled in his sheet.
He is a brave fellow to come on, but he has
no more notion of handling a boat than the
Doctor.'
Jack glanced at the boat. He covered his
poor eye and stared fixedly with the other before
crying, 'Mr Norton, jump into the top with
this glass. Look at that balsa with the purple
sail and tell me what you see. Mr Wilkins, let