16 The Wine-Dark Sea - Libro della tutto

Patrick O'Brian The Wine-Dark Sea
out; her boarders had their weapons at hand;
but their earlier apprehensions had died away
entirely. The chase had suffered much more
than they had; she was much less well
equipped with stores and seamen; and she
made no attempt to escape. It had to be admitted
that with scarcely three foot of her main
and mizen masts showing above deck and the
foremast gone at the partners her condition
was almost desperate; but she could surely
have done something with the wreckage over
the side, still hanging by the shrouds and
stays, something with the spars still to be seen
in her waist, something with her undamaged
bowsprit? The Surprises looked at her with a
certain tolerant contempt. With the monstrous
seas fast declining the galley fires had been lit
quite early, and this being Thursday they had
all eaten a pound of reasonably fresh pork,
half a pint of dried peas, some of the remain-