16 The Wine-Dark Sea - Libro della tutto

Patrick O'Brian The Wine-Dark Sea
parent confusion.
Jack gave the course east-north-east a half
east, hoping to weather the nearest iceberg on
his starboard bow, the only way out of this impossible
encounter; and as soon as there were
a few hands free he called, 'Topgallants and
weather studding-sails,' while he and those he
could gather together attended to the
unloaded guns.
Although he was somewhat taken aback by
this shockingly improper going-about, a manoeuvre
that had brought the Surprise so close
to his larboard bow that quite apart from the
terrible effect of her round-shot, fragments of
glowing wad had come aboard, lighting a
spilt cartridge and causing an explosion, the
American captain brought his ship round,
spreading canvas at an extraordinary rate and
steering a parallel course, somewhat to leeward,
close-hauled to the strengthening wind,