16 The Wine-Dark Sea - Libro della tutto

Patrick O'Brian The Wine-Dark Sea
Pullings; and in the afternoon we will start
work on a jury-mast.'
In his happy ease of heart he now went
straight to sleep in the warm cabin, never
moving until dinner-time, when he woke, fresh
and clear-headed, aware that the ship had
touched no ice for some hours; he took a turn
on deck, observed that although the sky was
murky in the north-east the sea was as open
as the Channel except far, far to the south,
where ice and the reflexion of ice could still be
seen, with great islands cutting the horizon,
and paced the quarterdeck until he heard his
steward's shrewish, barely respectful, complaining
voice: 'Which the cook says ain't he
ever coming, what with everything going cold,
spoilt and ruined?'
After dinner Jack, Pullings and Mr Bentley
conferred about the jury-mizen; and now it
was found just how grievous the loss of spars