16 The Wine-Dark Sea - Libro della tutto

Patrick O'Brian The Wine-Dark Sea
walk. And bring me back a pair of girt-lines
and two long-tackle blocks. And the coil of
one-and-a-half-inch manila abaft the fore
hatchway.'
Jack returned to the cabin with the liveliest
satisfaction: in spite of the absence of Mr
Bulkeley and many very able seamen the Surprise
had made an extraordinary recovery. It
was true that she had at least half a dozen
forecastlemen who, apart from the paperwork,
could have served with credit as bosun
in a man-of-war, and it was true that as Jack
was wealthy she was uncommonly well supplied
with stores; yet even so the change from
the chaos of first light to the present approach
to trim efficiency was very striking. At this rate
the frigate, with four new pairs of preventerstays
set up in the morning, would be able to
carry on under topsails and courses tomorrow;
for the trades were already steadying over a