Chapter1
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Mr。Baker，chiefmateoftheshipNarcissus，steppedinonestrideoutofhislightedcabinintothedarknessofthequarter—deck。
Abovehishead，onthebreakofthepoop，thenight—watchmanrangadoublestroke。Itwasnineo’clock。Mr。Baker，speakinguptothemanabovehim，asked：——‘Areallthehandsaboard，Knowles？’
Themanlimpeddowntheladder，thensaidreflectively：
——
‘Ithinkso，sir。Allouroldchapsarethere，andalotofnewmenhascome……Theymustbeallthere。’
‘Telltheboatswaintosendallhandsaft，’
wentonMr。Baker;‘andtelloneoftheyoungsterstobringagoodlamphere。Iwanttomusterourcrowd。’
Themaindeckwasdarkaft，buthalfwayfromforward，throughtheopendoorsoftheforecastle，twostreaksofbrilliantlightcuttheshadowofthequietnightthatlayupontheship。Ahumofvoiceswasheardthere，whileportandstarboard，intheilluminateddoorways，silhouettesofmovingmenappearedforamoment，veryblack，withoutrelief，likefigurescutoutofsheettin。Theshipwasreadyforsea。Thecarpenterhaddriveninthelastwedgeofthemain—hatchbattens，and，throwingdownhismaul，hadwipedhisfacewithgreatdeliberation，justonthestrokeoffive。
Thedeckshadbeenswept，thewindlassoiledandmadereadytoheaveupPage2
theanchor;thebigtow—ropelayinlongbightsalongonesideofthemaindeck，withoneendcarriedupandhungoverthebows，inreadinessforthetugthatwouldcomepaddlingandhissingnoisily，hotandsmoky，inthelimpid，coolquietnessoftheearlymorning。Thecaptainwasashore，wherehehadbeenengagingsomenewhandstomakeuphisfullcrew;and，theworkofthedayover，theship’sofficershadkeptoutoftheway，gladofalittlebreathing—time。Soonafterdarkthefewliberty—menandthenewhandsbegantoarriveinshore—boatsrowedbywhite—cladAsiatics，whoclamouredfiercelyforpaymentbeforecomingalongsidethegangway—ladder。
ThefeverishandshrillbabbleofEasternlanguagestruggledagainstthemasterfultonesoftipsyseamen，whoarguedagainstbrazenclaimsanddishonesthopesbyprofaneshouts。TheresplendentandbestarredpeaceoftheEastwastornintosqualidtattersbyhowlsofrageandshrieksoflamentraisedoversumsrangingfromfiveannastohalfarupee;andeverysoulafloatinBombayHarbourbecameawarethatthenewhandswerejoiningtheNarcissus。
Graduallythedistractingnoisehadsubsided。Theboatscamenolongerinsplashingclustersofthreeorfourtogether，butdroppedalongsidesingly，inasubduedbuzzofexpostulationcutshortbya‘Notapiecemore！Yougotothedevil！’fromsomemanstaggeringuptheaccommodation—ladder——adarkfigure，withalongbagpoisedontheshoulder。Intheforecastlethenewcomers，uprightandswayingamongstcordedboxesandbundlesofbedding，madefriendswiththeoldhands，whosatoneaboveanotherinthetwotiersofbunks，gazingattheirfutureshipmateswithglancescriticalbutfriendly。Thetwoforecastlelampswereturneduphigh，andshedanintensehardglare;shore—goinghardhatswerepushedfaronthebacksofheads，orrolledaboutonthedeckamongstthechain—cables;whitecollars，undone，stuckoutoneachsideofredfaces;bigarmsinwhitesleevesgesticulated;thegrowlingvoiceshummedsteadyamongstburstsoflaughterandhoarsecalls。‘Here，sonny，takethatbunk！……Don’tyoudoit！……What’syourlastship？……Iknowher……Threeyearsago，inPugetSound……Thishereberthleaks，Itellyou！……Comeon;giveusachancetoswingthatchest！……Didyoubringabottle，anyofPage3
youshoretoffs？……Giveusabitof’baccy……Iknowher;herskipperdrankhimselftodeath……Hewasadandyboy！……Likedhislotioninside，hedid！……No！……Holdyourrow，youchaps！……Itellyou，youcameonboardahooker，wheretheygettheirmoney’sworthoutofpoorJack，by——！……’
Alittlefellow，calledCraikandnicknamedBelfast，abusedtheshipviolently，romancingonprinciple，justtogivethenewhandssomethingtothinkover。Archie，sittingaslantonhissea—chest，kepthiskneesoutoftheway，andpushedtheneedlesteadilythroughawhitepatchinapairofbluetrousers。Meninblackjacketsandstand—upcollars，mixedwithmenbare—footed，bare—armed，withcolouredshirtsopenonhairychests，pushedagainstoneanotherinthemiddleoftheforecastle。Thegroupswayed，reeled，turninguponitselfwiththemotionofascrimmage，inahazeoftobaccosmoke。Allwerespeakingtogether，swearingateverysecondword。ARussianFinn，wearingayellowshirtwithpinkstripes，staredupwards，dreamy—eyed，fromunderamopoftumbledhair。Twoyounggiantswithsmooth，babyfaces——twoScandinavians——helpedeachothertospreadtheirbedding，silent，andsmilingplacidlyatthetempestofgood—humouredandmeaninglesscurses。OldSingleton，theoldestableseamanintheship，satapartonthedeckrightunderthelamps，strippedtothewaist，tattooedlikeacannibalchiefalloverhispowerfulchestandenormousbiceps。Betweentheblueandredpatternshiswhiteskingleamedlikesatin;
hisbarebackwasproppedagainsttheheelofthebowsprit，andheheldabookatarm’slengthbeforehisbig，sunburntface。Withhisspectaclesandavenerablewhitebeard，heresembledalearnedandsavagepatriarch，theincarnationofbarbarianwisdomsereneintheblasphemousturmoiloftheworld。Hewasintenselyabsorbed，and，asheturnedthepagesanexpressionofgravesurprisewouldpassoverhisruggedfeatures。Hewasreading‘Pelham。’
ThepopularityofBulwerLyttonintheforecastlesofSouthern—goingshipsisawonderfulandbizarrephenomenon。Whatideasdohispolishedandsocuriouslyinsinceresentencesawakeninthesimplemindsofthebigchildrenwhopeoplethosedarkandwanderingplacesoftheearth？Whatmeaningcantheirrough，inexperiencedsoulsfindintheelegantverbiageofhispages？
Whatexcitement？——whatforgetfulness？——
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whatappeasement？Mystery！Isitthefascinationoftheincomprehensible？
——isitthecharmoftheimpossible？Orarethosebeingswhoexistbeyondthepaleoflifestirredbyhistalesasbyanenigmaticaldisclosureofaresplendentworldthatexistswithinthefrontierofinfamyandfilth，withinthatborderofdirtandhunger，ofmiseryanddissipation，thatcomesdownonallsidestothewater’sedgeoftheincorruptibleocean，andistheonlythingtheyknowoflife，theonlythingtheyseeofsurroundingland——thoselife—longprisonersofthesea？Mystery？
Singleton，whohadsailedtothesouthwardsincetheageoftwelve，whointhelastforty—fiveyearshadlived（aswehadcalculatedfromhispapers）nomorethanfortymonthsashore——oldSingleton，whoboasted，withthemildcomposureoflongyearswellspent，thatgenerallyfromthedayhewaspaidofffromoneshiptillthedayheshippedinanotherheseldomwasinaconditiontodistinguishdaylight——oldSingletonsatunmovedintheclashofvoicesandcries，spellingthrough‘Pelham’
withslowlabour，andlostinanabsorptionprofoundenoughtoresembleatrance。Hebreathedregularly。Everytimeheturnedthebookinhisenormousandblackenedhandsthemusclesofhisbigwhitearmsrolledslightlyunderthesmoothskin。Hiddenbythewhitemoustache，hislips，stainedwithtobacco—juicethattrickleddownthelongbeard，movedininwardwhisper。
Hisblearedeyesgazedfixedlyfrombehindtheglitterofblack—rimmedglasses。Oppositetohim，andonalevelwithhisface，theship’scatsatonthebarrelofthewindlassintheposeofacrouchingchimera，blinkingitsgreeneyesatitsoldfriend。Itseemedtomeditatealeapontotheoldman’slapoverthebentbackoftheordinaryseamanwhosatatSingleton’sfeet。YoungCharleywasleanandlong—necked。Theridgeofhisbackbonemadeachainofsmallhillsundertheoldshirt。Hisfaceofastreet—boy——afaceprecocious，sagacious，andironic，withdeepdownwardfoldsoneachsideofthethin，widemouth——hunglowoverhisbonyknees。Hewaslearningtomakealanyardknotwithabitofanoldrope。Smalldropsofperspirationstoodoutonhisbulgingforehead;hesniffedstronglyfromtimetotime，glancingoutofthecornersofhisrestlesseyesattheoldseaman，whotooknonoticeofthepuzzledyoungstermutteringathiswork。
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Thenoiseincreased。LittleBelfastseemed，intheheavyheatoftheforecastle，toboilwithfacetiousfury。Hiseyesdanced;inthecrimsonofhisface，comicalasamask，themouthyawnedblack，withstrangegrimaces。Facinghim，ahalf—undressedmanheldhissides，andthrowinghisheadback，laughedwithweteyelashes。Othersstaredwithamazedeyes。Mensittingdoubledupintheupperbunkssmokedshortpipes，swingingbarebrownfeetabovetheheadsofthosewho，sprawlingbelowonsea—chests，listened，smilingstupidlyorscornfully。Overthewhiterimsofberthsstuckoutheadswithblinkingeyes;butthebodieswerelostinthegloomofthoseplaces，thatresemblednarrownichesforcoffinsinawhite—washedandlightedmortuary。Voicesbuzzedlouder。Archie，withcompressedlips，drewhimselfin，seemedtoshrinkintoasmallerspace，andsewedsteadily，industriousanddumb。BelfastshriekedlikeaninspiredDervish：——‘……SoIseeztohim，boys，seezI，\"Beggin’yerpardon，sorr，\"seezItothatsecondmateofthatsteamer——\"beggin’your—r—rpardon，sorr，theBoardofTrademust’avebeendrunkwhentheygrantedyouyourcertificate！\"\"Whatdoyousay，you——！\"seezhe，comin’atmelikeamadbull……allinhiswhiteclothes;andIupwithmytarpotandcapsizesitalloverhisblamedlovelyfaceandhislovelyjacket……
\"Takethat！\"seezI。\"Iamasailor，anyhow，younosing，skipper—licking，useless，sooperfloosbridge—stanchion，you！That’sthekindofmanIam！\"
shoutsI……Youshouldhaveseedhimskip，boys！Drowned，blindwithtar，hewas！So……’
‘Don’t’eebelievehim！Heneverupsetnotar;
Iwasthere！’shoutedsomebody。ThetwoNorwegianssatonachestsidebyside，alikeandplacid，resemblingapairoflove—birdsonaperch，andwithroundeyesstaredinnocently;buttheRussianFinn，intheracketofexplosiveshoutsandrollinglaughter，remainedmotionless，limpanddull，likeadeafmanwithoutabackbone。NearhimArchiesmiledathisneedle。Abroad—chested，slow—eyednewcomerspokedeliberatelytoBelfastduringanexhaustedlullinthenoise：——‘Iwonderanyofthematesherearealiveyetwithsuchachapasyouonboard！Iconcloodetheyain’tthatbadnow，ifyouhadthetamingofthem，sonny。’
‘Notbad！Notbad！’screamedBelfast。
‘Ifitwasn’tforusstickingtogether……Notbad！Theyain’tneverbadwhentheyain’tgotaPage6
chawnce，blasttheirblack’arts……’Hefoamed，whirlinghisarms，thensuddenlygrinnedand，takingatabletofblacktobaccooutofhispocket，bitapieceoffwithafunnyshowofferocity。Anothernewhand——amanwithshiftyeyesandayellowhatchetface，whohadbeenlisteningopen—mouthedintheshadowofthemidshiplocker——observedinasqueakyvoice：——‘Well，it’sa’omewardtrip，anyhow。Badorgood，Icandoithallonmy’ed——s’longasIget’ome。AndIcanlookaftermyrights！Iwillshow’em！’Alltheheadsturnedtowardshim。Onlytheordinaryseamanandthecattooknonotice。Hestoodwitharmsakimbo，alittlefellowwithwhiteeyelashes，Helookedasifhehadknownallthedegradationsandallthefuries。Helookedasifhehadbeencuffed，kicked，rolledinthemud;helookedasifhehadbeenscratched，spatupon，peltedwithunmentionablefilth……andhesmiledwithasenseofsecurityatthefacesaround。Hisearswerebendingdownundertheweightofhisbatteredhardhat。Thetorntailsofhisblackcoatflappedinfringesaboutthecalvesofhislegs。Heunbuttonedtheonlytwobuttonsthatremainedandeveryonesawhehadnoshirtunderit。Itwashisdeservedmisfortunethatthoseragswhichnobodycouldpossiblybesupposedtoownlookedonhimasiftheyhadbeenstolen。Hisneckwaslongandthin;hiseyelidswerered;rarehairshungabouthisjaws;hisshoulderswerepeakedanddroopedlikethebrokenwingsofabird;allhisleftsidewascakedwithmudwhichshowedthathehadlatelysleptinawetditch。HehadsavedhisinefficientcarcassfromviolentdestructionbyrunningawayfromanAmericanshipwhere，inamomentofforgetfulfolly，hehaddaredtoengagehimself;andhehadknockedaboutforafortnightashoreinthenativequarter，cadgingfordrinks，starving，sleepingonrubbish—heaps，wanderinginsunshine：astartlingvisitorfromaworldofnightmares。Hestoodrepulsiveandsmilinginthesuddensilence。Thiscleanwhiteforecastlewashisrefuge;theplacewherehecouldbelazy;
wherehecouldwallow，andlieandeat——andcursethefoodheate;wherehecoulddisplayhistalentsforshirkingwork，forcheating，forcadging;
wherehecouldfindsurelysomeonetowheedleandsomeonetobully——
andwherehewouldbepaidfordoingallthis。Theyallknewhim。Isthereaspotonearthwheresuchamanisunknown，anominoussurvivaltestifyingtotheeternalfitnessofPage7
liesandimpudence？Ataciturnlong—armedshellback，withhookedfingers，whohadbeenlyingonhisbacksmoking，turnedinhisbedtoexaminehimdispassionately，then，overhishead，sentalongjetofclearsalivatowardsthedoor。Theyallknewhim！Hewasthemanthatcannotsteer，thatcannotsplice，thatdodgestheworkondarknights;that，aloft，holdsonfranticallywithbotharmsandlegs，andswearsatthewind，thesleet，thedarkness;
themanwhocursestheseawhileotherswork。Themanwhoisthelastoutandthefirstinwhenallhandsarecalled。Themanwhocan’tdomostthingsandwon’tdotherest。Thepetofphilanthropistsandself—seekinglandlubbers。
Thesympatheticanddeservingcreaturethatknowsallabouthisrights，butknowsnothingofcourage，ofendurance，andoftheunexpressedfaith，oftheunspokenloyaltythatknitstogetheraship’scompany。Theindependentoffspringoftheignoblefreedomoftheslumsfullofdisdainandhatefortheaustereservitudeofthesea。
Someonecriedathim：‘What’syourname？’
——‘Donkin，’hesaid，lookingroundwithcheerfuleffrontery。
——‘Whatareyou？’askedanothervoice。——‘Why，asailorlikeyou，oldman，’hereplied，inatonethatmeanttobeheartybutwasimpudent。——‘Blammeifyoudon’tlookablamedsightworsethanabroken—downfireman，’wasthecommentinaconvincedmutter。Charleyliftedhisheadandpipedinacheekyvoice：
‘Heisamanandasailor’——thenwipinghisnosewiththebackofhishandbentdownindustriouslyoverhisbitofrope。
Afewlaughed。othersstareddoubtfully。Theraggednewcomerwasindignant。
——‘That’safinewaytowelcomeachapintoafo’c’sle，’
hesnarled。‘Areyoumenoralotof’artlesscannybals？’
——‘Don’ttakeyourshirtoffforaword，shipmate，’
calledoutBelfast，jumpingupinfront，fiery，menacing，andfriendlyatthesametime。——‘Isthat’ereblokeblind？’askedtheindomitablescarecrow，lookingrightandleftwithaffectedsurprise。
‘Can’t’eeseeI’aven’tgotnoshirt？’
Heheldbothhisarmsoutcrosswiseandshooktheragsthathungoverhisboneswithdramaticeffect。
‘’Coswhy？’hecontinuedveryloud。
‘ThebloodyYankeesbeentryin’tojumpmygutshout’cosIstoodupformyrightslikeagood’un。IhamaHenglishman，Iham。Theysetuponmean’I’adtorun。That’swhy。A’n’tyerneverseedaman’ardup？Yah！
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Whatkindofblamedshipisthis？I’mdeadbroke。I’aven’tgotnothink。
Nobag，nobed，noblanket，noshirt——notabloomin’ragbutwhatIstandin。ButI’adthe’arttostandhupagin’themYankees。’Asanyofyou’artenoughtospareapairofoldpantsforachum？’
Heknewhowtoconquerthenaiveinstinctsofthatcrowd。
Inamomenttheygavehimtheircompassion，jocularly，contemptuously，orsurlily;andatfirstittooktheshapeofablanketthrownathimashestoodtherewiththewhiteskinofhislimbsshowinghishumankinshipthroughtheblackfantasyofhisrags。Thenapairofoldshoesfellathismuddyfeet。Withacry：——‘Fromunder，’arolled—uppairoftrousers，heavywithtarstains，struckhimontheshoulder。Thegustoftheirbenevolencesentawaveofsentimentalpitythroughtheirdoubtinghearts。Theyweretouchedbytheirownreadinesstoalleviateashipmate’smisery。Voicescried：——‘Wewillfityouout，oldman。’Murmurs：‘Neverseedseechahardcase……Poorbeggar……I’vegotanoldsinglet……Willthatbeofanyusetoyou？……
Takeit，matey……’Thosefriendlymurmursfilledtheforecastle。
Hepawedaroundwithhisnakedfoot，gatheringthethingsinaheapandlookedaboutformore。UnemotionalArchieperfunctorilycontributedtothepileanoldclothcapwiththepeaktornoff。OldSingleton，lostinthesereneregionsoffiction，readonunheeding。Charley，pitilesswiththewisdomofyouth，squeaked：——‘IfyouwantbrassbuttonsforyournewunyformsI’vegottwoforyou。’Thefilthyobjectofuniversalcharityshookhisfistattheyoungster。——‘I’llmakeyoukeepthis’erefo’c’sleclean，youngfeller，’hesnarledviciously。‘Neveryoufear。Iwilllearnyoutobeciviltoanableseaman，youhignoranthass。’Heglaredharmfully，butsawSingletonshuthisbook，andhislittlebeadyeyesbegantoroamfromberthtoberth。——‘Takethatbunkbythedoorthere——it’sprettyfair，’suggestedBelfast。Soadvised，hegatheredthegiftsathisfeet，pressedtheminabundleagainsthisbreast，thenlookedcautiouslyattheRussianFinn，whostoodononesidewithanunconsciousgaze，contemplating，perhaps，oneofthoseweirdvisionsthathauntthemenofhisrace。‘Getoutofmyroad，Dutchy，’saidthevictimofYankeebrutality。
TheFinndidnotmove——didnothear。‘Getout，blastye，’
shoutedtheother，shovinghimasidewithhiselbow。‘Getout，youblankedPage9
deafanddumbfool。Getout。’Themanstaggered，recoveredhimself，andgazedatthespeakerinsilence。——‘Thosedamnedfurrinersshouldbekepthunder，’opinedtheamiableDonkintotheforecastle。‘Ifyoudon’tteach’emtheirplacetheyputonyoulikehanythink。’Heflungallhisworldlypossessionsintotheemptybed—place，gaugedwithanothershrewdlooktherisksoftheproceeding，thenleapeduptotheFinn，whostoodpensiveanddull。
——‘I’llteachyoutoswellaround，’heyelled。‘I’llplugyoureyesforyou，youbloomingsquare—head。’Mostofthemenwerenowintheirbunksandthetwohadtheforecastlecleartothemselves。
ThedevelopmentofthedestituteDonkinarousedinterest。HedancedallintattersbeforetheamazedFinn，squaringfromadistanceattheheavy，unmovedface。Oneortwomencriedencouragingly：‘Goit，Whitechapel！’
settlingthemselvesluxuriouslyintheirbedstosurveythefight。Othersshouted：‘Shutyerrow！……Goan’putyer’edinabag！……’
Thehubbubwasrecommencing。Suddenlymanyheavyblowsstruckwithahandspikeonthedeckaboveboomedlikedischargesofsmallcannonthroughtheforecastle。
Thentheboatswain’svoiceroseoutsidethedoorwithanauthoritativenoteinitsdrawl：——‘D’yehear，belowthere？Layaft！Layafttomusterallhands！’
Therewasamomentofsurprisedstillness。Thentheforecastlefloordisappearedundermenwhosebarefeetfloppedontheplanksastheysprangclearoutoftheirberths。Capswererootedforamongsttumbledblankets。Some，yawning，buttonedwaistbands。Half—smokedpipeswereknockedhurriedlyagainstwoodworkandstuffedunderpillows。Voicesgrowled：——
‘What’sup？……Istherenorestforus？’Donkinyelped：
——‘Ifthat’sthewayofthisship，we’ll’avetochangehallthat……Youleavemealone……Iwillsoon……’Noneofthecrowdnoticedhim。Theywerelurchingintwosandthreesthroughthedoors，afterthemannerofmerchantJackswhocannotgooutofadoorfairly，likemerelandsmen。Thevotaryofchangefollowedthem。Singleton，strugglingintohisjacket，camelast，tallandfatherly，bearinghighhisheadofaweatherbeatensageonthebodyofanoldathlete。OnlyCharleyremainedaloneinthewhiteglareoftheemptyplace，sittingbetweenthetworowsofironlinksthatstretchedintothenarrowgloomforward。HepulledhardatthestrandsinahurriedPage10
endeavourtofinishhisknot。Suddenlyhestartedup，flungtheropeatthecat，andskippedaftertheblacktomthatwentoffleapingsedatelyoverchaincompressors，withthetailcarriedstiffandupright，likeasmallflagpole。
Outsidetheglareofthesteamingforecastletheserenepurityofthenightenvelopedtheseamenwithitssoothingbreath，withitstepidbreathflowingunderthestarsthathungcountlessabovethemastheadsinathincloudofluminousdust。Onthetownsidetheblacknessofthewaterwasstreakedwithtrailsoflightwhichundulatedgentlyonslightripples，similartofilamentsthatfloatrootedtotheshore。Rowsofotherlightsstoodawayinstraightlinesasifdrawnuponparadebetweentoweringbuildings;butontheothersideoftheharboursombrehillsarchedhightheirblackspines，onwhich，hereandthere，thepointofastarresembledasparkfallenfromthesky。Faroff，Bycullaway，theelectriclampsatthedockgatesshoneontheendofloftystandardswithaglowblindingandfrigidlikecaptiveghostsofsomeevilmoons。Scatteredalloverthedarkpolishoftheroadstead，theshipsatanchorfloatedinperfectstillnessunderthefeeblegleamoftheirriding—lights，loomingup，opaqueandbulky，likestrangeandmonumentalstructuresabandonedbymentoaneverlastingrepose。
BeforethecabindoorMr。Bakerwasmusteringthecrew。
Astheystumbledandlurchedalongpastthemainmast，theycouldseeafthisround，broadfacewithawhitepaperbeforeit，andbesidehisshoulderthesleepyhead，withdroppedeyelids，oftheboy，whoheld，suspendedattheendofhisraisedarm，theluminousglobeofalamp。Evenbeforetheshuffleofnakedsoleshadceasedalongthedecks，thematebegantocalloverthenames。Hecalleddistinctlyinaserioustonebefittingthisroll—calltounquietloneliness，toingloriousandobscurestruggle，ortothemoretryingenduranceofsmallprivationsandwearisomeduties。
Asthechiefmatereadoutaname，oneofthemenwouldanswer：‘Yes，sir！’or‘Here！’and，detachinghimselffromtheshadowymobofheadsvisibleabovetheblacknessofstarboardbulwarks，wouldstepbarefootedintothecircleoflight，andintwonoiselessstridespassintotheshadowsontheportsideofthequarter—deck。Theyansweredindiverstones：inthickmutters，inclear，ringingvoices;andsome，asifthewholethinghadbeenanoutrageontheirfeelings，usedPage11
aninjuredintonation：fordisciplineisnotceremoniousinmerchantships，wherethesenseofhierarchyisweak，andwhereallfeelthemselvesequalbeforetheunconcernedimmensityoftheseaandtheexactingappealofthework。
Mr。Bakerreadonsteadily：——‘Hanssen——Campbell——Smith——Wamibo。Now，then，Wamibo。Whydon’tyouanswer？Alwaysgottocallyournametwice。’TheFinnemittedatlastanuncouthgrunt，and，steppingout，passedthroughthepatchoflight，weirdandgaudy，withthefaceofamanmarchingthroughadream。Thematewentonfaster：——‘Craik——Singleton——Donkin……OLord！’
heinvoluntarilyejaculatedastheincrediblydilapidatedfigureappearedinthelight。Itstopped;ituncoveredpalegumsandlong，upperteethinamalevolentgrin。——‘Isthereanythingwrongwithme，MisterMate？’itasked，withaflavourofinsolenceintheforcedsimplicityofitstone。Onbothsidesofthedecksubduedtitterswereheard。——‘That’lldo。Goover，’growledMr。Baker，fixingthenewhandwithsteadyblueeyes。AndDonkinvanishedsuddenlyoutofthelightintothedarkgroupofmusteredmen，tobeslappedonthebackandtohearflatteringwhispers。Roundhimmenmutteredtooneanother：——‘Heain’tafeard，he’llgivesportto’em，seeifhedon’t……Reg’larPunchandJudyshow……Didyeseethematestartathim？……Well！Damme，ifIever！……’
Thelastmanhadgoneover，andtherewasamomentofsilencewhilethematepeeredathislist。——‘’Sixteen，seventeen，’
hemuttered。‘Iamonehandshort，bosun，’hesaidaloud。Thebigwest—countrymanathiselbow，swarthyandbeardedlikeagiganticSpaniard，saidinarumblingbass：——‘There’snooneleftforward，sir。Ihadalookround。Heain’taboard，buthemayturnupbeforedaylight。’——‘Ay。Hemayorhemaynot，’
commentedthemate;‘can’tmakeoutthatlastname。It’sallasmudge……Thatwilldo，men。Gobelow。’
Theindistinctandmotionlessgroupstirred，brokeup，begantomoveforward。
‘Wait！’criedadeep，ringingvoice。
Allstoodstill。Mr。Baker，whohadturnedawayyawning，spunroundopen—mouthed。Atlast，furious，heblurtedout：——‘What’sthis？Whosaid\"Wait\"？What……’
Buthesawatallfigurestandingontherail。ItcamedownandPage12
pushedthroughthecrowd，marchingwithaheavytreadtowardsthelightonthequarter—deck。Thenagainthesonorousvoicesaidwithinsistence：
——‘Wait！’Thelamplightlituptheman’sbody。Hewastall。Hisheadwasawayupintheshadowsoflifeboatsthatstoodonskidsabovethedeck。Thewhitesofhiseyesandhisteethgleameddistinctly，butthefacewasindistinguishable。Hishandswerebigandseemedgloved。
Mr。Bakeradvancedintrepidly。‘Whoareyou？
Howdareyou……’hebegan。
Theboy，amazedliketherest，raisedthelighttotheman’sface。Itwasblack。Asurprisedhum——afainthumthatsoundedlikethesuppressedmutteroftheword‘Nigger’——ranalongthedeckandescapedoutintothenight。Theniggerseemednottohear。
Hebalancedhimselfwherehestoodinaswaggerthatmarkedtime。Afteramomenthesaidcalmly：——‘MynameisWait——JamesWait。’
‘Oh！’saidMr。Baker。Then，afterafewsecondsofsmoulderingsilence，histemperblazedout。‘Ah！
YournameisWait。Whatofthat？Whatdoyouwant？Whatdoyoumean，comingshoutinghere？’
Theniggerwascalm，cool，towering，superb。Themenhadapproachedandstoodbehindhiminabody。Heovertoppedthetallestbyahalfahead。Hesaid：‘Ibelongtotheship。’Heenunciateddistinctly，withsoftprecision。Thedeep，rollingtonesofhisvoicefilledthedeckwithouteffort。Hewasnaturallyscornful，unaffectedlycondescending，asiffromhisheightofsixfootthreehehadsurveyedallthevastnessofhumanfollyandhadmadeuphismindnottobetoohardonit。Hewenton：——Thecaptainshippedmethismorning。Icouldn’tgetaboardsooner。IsawyouallaftandIcameuptheladder，andcouldseedirectlyyouweremusteringthecrew。NaturallyIcalledoutmyname。
Ithoughtyouhaditonyourlist，andwouldunderstand。Youmisapprehended。’
Hestoppedshort。Thefollyaroundhimwasconfounded。Hewasrightasever，andaseverreadytoforgive。Thedisdainfultoneshadceased，andbreathingheavily，hestoodstill，surroundedbyallthesewhitemen。Heheldhisheadupintheglareofthelamp——aheadvigorouslymodelledintodeepshadowsandshininglights——aheadpowerfulandmisshapenwithatormentedandflattenedface——afacepatheticandbrutal：thetragic，themysterious，therepulsivemaskofanigger’ssoul。
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Mr。Baker，recoveringhiscomposure，lookedatthepaperclose。‘Oh，yes;that’sso。Allright，Wait。Takeyourgearforward，’
hesaid。
Suddenlythenigger’seyesrolledwildly，becameallwhites。
Heputhishandtohissideandcoughedtwice，acoughmetallic，hollow，andtremendouslyloud;itresoundedliketwoexplosionsinavault;thedomeoftheskyrangtoit，andtheironplatesoftheship’sbulwarksseemedtovibrateinunison;thenhemarchedoffforwardwiththeothers。
Theofficerslingeringbythecabindoorcouldhearhimsay：‘Won’tsomeofyouchapslendahandwithmydunnage？I’vegotachestandabag。’
Thewords，spokensonorously，withanevenintonation，wereheardallovertheship，andthequestionwasputinamannerthatmaderefusalimpossible。
Theshort，quickshuffleofmencarryingsomethingheavywentawayforward，butthetallfigureoftheniggerlingeredbythemainhatchinaknotofsmallershapes。Againhewasheardasking：‘Isyourcookacolouredgentleman？’Thenadisappointedanddisapproving‘Ah！
h’m！’washiscommentupontheinformationthatthecookhappenedtobeamerewhiteman。Yet，astheywentalltogethertowardstheforecastle，hecondescendedtoputhisheadthroughthegalleydoorandboomoutinsideamagnificent‘Goodevening，doctor！’thatmadeallthesaucepansring。Inthedimlightthecookdozedonthecoallockerinfrontofthecaptain’ssupper。Hejumpedupasifhehadbeencutwithawhip，anddashedwildlyondecktoseethebacksofseveralmengoingawaylaughing。Afterwards，whentalkingaboutthatvoyage，heusedtosay：
——‘Thepoorfellowhadscaredme。IthoughtIhadseenthedevil。’
Thecookhadbeensevenyearsintheshipwiththesamecaptain。Hewasaserious—mindedmanwithawifeandthreechildren，whosesocietyheenjoyedonanaverageonemonthoutoftwelve。WhenonshorehetookhisfamilytochurchtwiceeverySunday。Atseahewenttosleepeveryeveningwithhislampturnedfullup，apipeinhismouth，andanopenBibleinhishand。Someonehadalwaystogoduringthenighttoputoutthelight，takethebookfromhishand，andthepipefrombetweenhisteeth。‘For’
——Belfastusedtosay，irritatedandcomplaining——‘somenight，youstupidcookie，you’llswallowyourouldclay，andwewillhavenocook。
——‘Ah！sonny，IamreadyformyMaker’scall……wishPage14
youallwere。’theotherwouldanswerwithabenignserenitythatwasaltogetherimbecileandtouching。Belfastoutsidethegalleydoordancedwithvexation。‘Youholyfool！Idon’twantyoutodie，’
hehowled，lookingupwithfurious，quiveringfaceandtendereyes。‘What’sthehurry？youblessedwooden—headedouldheretic，thedivvlewillhaveyousoonenough。ThinkofUs……ofUs……ofUs！’Andhewouldgoaway，stamping，spittingaside，disgustedandworried;whiletheother，steppingout，saucepaninhand，hot，begrimed，andplacid，watchedwithasuperior，cock—suresmilethebackofhis‘queerlittleman’
reelinginarage。Theyweregreatfriends。
Mr。Baker，loungingovertheafter—hatch，sniffedthehumidnightinthecompanyofthesecondmate。——‘ThoseWestIndianiggersrunfineandlarge——someofthem……Ough！……Don’tthey？Afine，bigmanthat，Mr。Creighton。Feelhimonarope。Hey？Ough！Iwilltakehimintomywatch，Ithink。’Thesecondmate，afairgentlemanlyyoungfellow，witharesolutefaceandasplendedphysique，observedquietlythatitwasjustaboutwhatheexpected。TherecouldbefeltinhistonesomeslightbitternesswhichMr。Bakerverykindlysethimselftoargueaway。‘Come，come，youngman，’hesaid，gruntingbetweenthewords。‘Come！Don’tbetoogreedy。YouhadthatbigFinninyourwatchallthevoyage。Iwilldowhat’sfair。YoumayhavethosetwoyoungScandinaviansandI……Ough！……Igetthenigger，andwilltakethat……Ough！thatcheekycostermongerchapinablackfrock—coat。I’llmakehim……Ough！……makehimtoethemark，ormy……Ough！……nameisn’tBaker。Ough！Ough！Ough！’
Hegruntedthrice——ferociously。Hehadthattrickofgruntingsobetweenhiswordsandattheendofsentences。Itwasafine，effectivegruntthatwentwellwithhismenacingutterance，withhisheavy，bull—neckedframe，hisjerky，rollinggait;withhisbig，seamedface，hissteadyeyes，andsardonicmouth。Butitseffecthadbeenlongdiscountedbythemen。Theylikedhim;Belfast，whowasafavourite，andknewit——
mimickedhim，notquitebehindhisback。Charley——butwithgreatercaution——imitatedhiswalk。Someofhissayingsbecameestablisheddailyquotationsintheforecastle。Popularitycangonofarther！Besides，allhandswerereadytoadmitthatonafittingoccasionthematecould‘jumpdownafellow’sthroatinareg’larWesternOceanstyle。’
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Nowhewasgivinghislastorders。‘Ough！……
You，Knowles！Callallhandsatfour。Iwant……Ough！……toheaveshortbeforethetugcomes。LookoutfortheCaptain。Iamgoingtolaydowninmyclothes……Ough！……Callmewhenyouseetheboatcoming。Ough！Ough！……
Theoldmanissuretohavesomethingtosaywhenhecomesaboard’
heremarkedtoCreighton。‘Well，good—night……Ough！Alongdaybeforeusto—morrow……Ough！……Betterturninnow。Ough！Ough！’
Uponthedarkdeckabandoflightflashed，thenadoorslammed，andMr。Bakerwasgoneintohisneatcabin。YoungCreightonstoodleaningovertherail，andlookeddreamilyintothenightoftheEast。
Andhesawinitalongcountrylane，alaneofwavingleavesanddancingsunshine。Hesawstirringboughsofoldtreesoutspread，andframingintheirarchthetender，thecaressingbluenessofanEnglishsky。Andthroughthearchagirlinacleardress，smilingunderasunshade，seemedtobesteppingoutofthetendersky。
Attheotherendoftheshiptheforecastle，withonlyonelampburningnow，wasgoingtosleepinadimemptinesstraversedbyloudbreathings，bysuddenshortsighs。Thedoublerowofberthsyawnedblack，likegravestenantedbyuneasycorpses。Hereandthereacurtainofgaudychintz，halfdrawn，markedtheresting—placeofasybarite。A
leghungovertheedgeverywhiteandlifeless。Anarmstuckstraightoutwithadarkpalmturnedup，andthickfingershalfclosed。Twolightsnores，thatdidnotsynchronisequarreledinfunnydialogue。Singletonstrippedagain——theoldmansufferedmuchfrompricklyheat——stoodcoolinghisbackinthedoorway，withhisarmscrossedonhisbareandadornedchest。
Hisheadtouchedthebeamofthedeckabove。Thenigger，halfundressed，wasbusycastingadriftthelashingofhisbox，andspreadinghisbeddinginanupperberth。Hemovedaboutinhissocks，tallandnoiseless，withapairofbracesbeatingabouthisheels。Amongsttheshadowsofstanchionsandbowsprit，Donkinmunchedapieceofhardship’sbread，sittingonthedeckwithupturnedfeetandrestlesseyes;heheldthebiscuitupbeforehismouthinthewholefist，andsnappedhisjawsatitwitharagingface。
Crumbsfellbetweenhisoutspreadlegs。Thenhegotup。
‘Where’sourwater—cask？’heaskedinacontainedvoice。
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Singleton，withoutaword，pointedwithabighandthatheldashortsmoulderingpipe。Donkinbentoverthecask，drankoutofThetin，splashingthewater，turnedroundandnoticedtheniggerlookingathimovertheshoulderwithcalmloftiness。Hemovedupsideways。
‘There’sabloomingsupperforaman，’
hewhisperedbitterly。‘Mydorgat’omewouldn’t’aveit。It’sfitenoufforyouan’me。’Ere’sabigship’sfo’c’sle……Notabloomin’
scrapofmeatinthekidsI’velookedinallthelockers……
Theniggerstaredlikeamanaddressedunexpectedlyinaforeignlanguage。Donkinchangedhistone：——‘Giv’usabitof’baccy，mate’hebreathedoutconfidentially，‘I
’aven’t’adasmokeorchewforthelastmonth。Iamrampin’madforit。
Comeon，oldman’！’
‘Don’tbefamiliar，’saidthenigger。
Donkinstartedandsatdownonachestnearby，outofsheersurprise。
‘Wehaven’tkeptpigstogether。’continuedJamesWaitinadeepundertone。‘Here’syourtobacco。’Then，afterapause，heasked：——‘Whatship？’——‘GoldenState，’mutteredDonkinindistinctly，bitingthetobacco。
Theniggerwhistledlow。——‘Ran？’hesaidcurtly。
Donkinnodded：oneofhischeeksbulgedout。——‘IncourseI
ran，’hemumbled。‘TheybootedthelifehoutofoneDagochaponthepassage’ere，thenstartedonme。Iclearedhout’ere。’
——‘Leftyourdunnagebehind？’——‘Yes，dunnageandmoney，’answeredDonkin，raisinghisvoicealittle;‘I
gotnothink。Noclothes，nobed。Abandy—leggedlittleHirishchap’ere’asgivemeablanket……ThinkI’llgoan’sleepintheforetopmaststaysailto—night。’
Hewentondecktrailingbehindhisbackacorneroftheblanket。Singleton，withoutaglance，movedslightlyasidetolethimpass。
Theniggerputawayhisshoretogsandsatincleanworkingclothesonhisbox，onearmstretchedoverhisknees。AfterstaringatSingletonforsometimeheaskedwithoutemphasis：——‘Whatkindofshipisthis？Prettyfair？Eh？’
Singletondidn’tstir。Alongwhileafterhesaid，withunmovedface：——‘Ship！……Shipsareallright。Itisthemeninthem！’
Hewentonsmokingintheprofoundsilence。Thewisdomofhalfacenturyspentlisteningtothethunderofthewaveshadspokenunconsciouslythroughhisoldlips。Thecatpurredonthewindlass。ThenJamesWaithadafitofroaring，rattlingcough，thatshookPage17
him，tossedhimlikeahurricane，andflunghimpantingwithstaringeyesheadlongonhissea—chest。Severalmenwokeup。Onesaidsleepilyoutofhisbunk：‘Struth！whatablamedrow！’——‘I
haveacoldonmychest，’gaspedWait。——‘Cold！youcallit，’grumbledtheman;‘shouldthink’twassomethingmore……’——‘Oh！youthinkso，’saidtheniggeruprightandloftilyscornfulagain。Heclimbedintohisberthandbegancoughingpersistentlywhileheputhisheadouttoglareallroundtheforecastle。Therewasnofurtherprotest。Hefellbackonthepillow，andcouldbeheardtherewheezingregularlylikeamanoppressedinhissleep。
Singletonstoodatthedoorwithhisfacetothelightandhisbacktothedarkness。Andaloneinthedimemptinessofthesleepingforecastleheappearedbigger，colossal，veryold;oldasFatherTimehimself，whoshouldhavecomethereintothisplaceasquietasasepulchretocontemplatewithpatienteyestheshortvictoryofsleep，theconsoler。Yethewasonlyachildoftime，alonelyrelicofadevouredandforgottengeneration。
Hestood，stillstrong，aseverunthinking;areadymanwithavastemptypastandwithnofuture，withhischildlikeimpulsesandhisman’spassionsalreadydeadwithinhistattooedbreast。Themenwhocouldunderstandhissilenceweregone——thosemenwhoknewhowtoexistbeyondthepaleoflifeandwithinsightofeternity。Theyhadbeenstrong，asthosearestrongwhoknowneitherdoubtsnorhopes。Theyhadbeenimpatientandenduring，turbulentanddevoted，unrulyandfaithful。Well—meaningpeoplehadtriedtorepresentthosemenaswhiningovereverymouthfuloftheirfood;asgoingabouttheirworkinfearoftheirlives。Butintruththeyhadbeenmenwhoknewtoil，privation，violence，debauchery——butknewnotfear，andhadnodesireofspiteintheirhearts。Menhardtomanage，buteasytoinspire;voicelessmen——butmenenoughtoscornintheirheartsthesentimentalvoicesthatbewailedthehardnessoftheirfate。Itwasafateuniqueandtheirown;thecapacitytobearitappearedtothemtheprivilegeofthechosen！Theirgenerationlivedinarticulateandindispensable，withoutknowingthesweetnessofaffectionsortherefugeofahome——anddiedfreefromthedarkmenaceofanarrowgrave。Theyweretheeverlastingchildrenofthemysterioussea。Theirsuccessorsarethegrown—upchildrenofadiscontentedearth。TheyPage18
arelessnaughty，butlessinnocent;lessprofane，butperhapsalsolessbelieving;andiftheyhadlearnedhowtospeaktheyhavealsolearnedhowtowhine。Buttheotherswerestrongandmute，theywereeffaced，bowedandenduring，likestonecaryatidesthatholdupinthenightthelightedhallsofaresplendentandgloriousedifice。Theyaregonenow——anditdoesnotmatter。Theseaandtheearthareunfaithfultotheirchildren：
atruth，afaith，agenerationofmengoes——andisforgotten，anditdoesnotmatter！Except，perhaps，tothefewofthosewhobelievedthetruthconfessedthefaith——orlovedthemen。
Abreezewascoming。Theshipthathadbeenlyingtide—rodeswungtoaheavierpuff;andsuddenlytheslackofthechaincablebetweenthewindlassandthehawse—pipeclinked，slippedforwardaninch，androsegentlyoffthedeckwithastartlingsuggestionasofunsuspectedlifethathadbeenlurkingstealthilyintheiron。Inthehawse—pipeThegrindinglinkssentthroughtheshipasoundlikealowgroanofamansighingunderaburden。Thestraincameonthewindlass，thechaintautenedlikeastring，vibrated——andthehandleofthescrew—brakemovedinslightjerks。Singletonsteppedforward。
Tillthenhehadbeenstandingmeditativeandunthinking，reposefulandhopeless，withafacegrimandblank——asixty—year—oldchildofthemysterioussea。Thethoughtsofallhislifetimecouldhavebeenexpressedinsixwords，butthestirofthosethingsthatwereasmuchapartofhisexistenceashisbeatingheartcalledupagleamofalertunderstandinguponthesternnessofhisagedface。Theflameofthelampswayed，andtheoldman，withknittedandbushyeyebrows，stoodoverthebrake，watchfulandmotionlessinthewildsarabandofdancingshadows。
Thentheship，obedienttothecallofheranchor，forgedaheadslightlyandeasedthestrain。Thecablerelieved，hungdown，andafterswayingimperceptiblytoandfrodroppedwithaloudtaponthehardwoodplanks。
Singletonseizedthehighlever，and，byaviolentthrowforwardofhisbody，wrungoutanotherhalf—turnfromthebrake。Herecoveredhimself，breathedlargely，andremainedforawhileglaringdownatthepowerfulandcompactenginethatsquattedonthedeckathisfeet，likesomequietmonster——acreatureamazingandtame。
‘You……hold！’hegrowledatitmasterfully，intheinculttangleofhiswhitebeard。
chapter02Chapter2
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Nextmorning，atdaylight，theNarcissuswenttosea。
Aslighthazeblurredthehorizon。Outsidetheharbourthemeasurelessexpanseofsmoothwaterlaysparklinglaysparklinglikeafloorofjewels，andasemptyasthesky。Theshortblacktuggaveaplucktowindward，intheusualway，thenletgotherope，andhoveredforamomentonthequarterwithherenginesstopped;whiletheslim，longhulloftheshipmovedaheadslowlyunderlowertop—sails。Thelooseuppercanvasblewoutinthebreezewithsoftroundcontours，resemblingsmallwhitecloudssnaredinthemazeofropes。Thenthesheetswerehauledhome，theyardshoisted，andtheshipbecameahighandlonelypyramid，gliding，allshiningandwhite，throughthesunlitmist。Thetugturnedshortroundandwentawaytowardsland。Twenty—sixpairsofeyeswatchedherlowbroadsterncrawlinglanguidlyoverthebeatingwaterwithfiercehurry。Sheresembledanenormousandaquaticblackbeetle，surprisedbythelight，overwhelmedbythesunshine，tryingtoescapewithineffectualeffortintothedistantgloomoftheland。Sheleftalingeringsmudgeofsmokeonthesky，andtwovanishingtrailsoffoamonthewater。Ontheplacewhereshehadstoppedaroundblackpatchofsootremainedundulatingontheswell——anuncleanmarkofthecreature’srest。
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TheNarcissusleftalone，headingsouth，seemedtostandresplendentandstillupontherestlesssea，underthemovingsun。Flakesoffoamsweptpasthersides;thewaterstruckherwithflashingblows;thelandglidedaway，slowlyfading;afewbirdsscreamedonmotionlesswingsovertheswayingmastheads。Butsoonthelanddisappeared，thebirdswentaway;andtothewestthepointedsailofanArabdhowrunningforBombay，rosetriangularanduprightabovethesharpedgeofthehorizon，lingered，andvanishedlikeanillusion。Thentheship’swake，longandstraight，stretcheditselfoutthroughadayofimmensesolitude。Thesettingsun，burningonthelevelofthewater，flamedcrimsonbelowtheblacknessofheavyrainclouds。Thesunsetsquall，comingupfrombehind，dissolveditselfintotheshortdelugeofahissingshower。Itlefttheshipglisteningfromtruckstowaterline，andwithdarkenedsails。Sheraneasilybeforeafairmonsoon，withherdecksclearedforthenight;and，movingalongwithher，washeardthesustainedandmonotonousswishingofthewaves，mingledwiththelowwhispersofmenmusteredaftforthesettingofwatches;
theshortplaintofsomeblockaloft;or，nowandthen，aloudsighofwind。