16 The Wine-Dark Sea - Libro della tutto

Patrick O'Brian The Wine-Dark Sea
'Oh, indeed,' said Stephen, looking rather
blank.
'Yes. I have told the ship's company of this,
and I have told them that unless or until we
can fashion and ship a rudder...'
'If you spend another two minutes up to your
neck in water at this temperature, striving to
do so, I will not answer for your life,' said
Stephen. 'Last time it was nip and tuck, with
hot blanket, fomentations, and half a pint of
my best brandy.'
'... unless we can ship a rudder that will enable
us to haul up for St Helena, I intend to
bear away for the Cape, edging north all the
time with our steering oar, or perhaps some
better gear. It is about three thousand five
hundred miles, and although we have logged
over a hundred for each of these last three
days with this comic rig, as you so rightly call