CHAPTER XIV.

Hark to the insult loud, the bitter sneer,

The fierce threat answering to the brutal jeer;

Oaths fly like pistol-shots, and vengeful words

Clash with each other like conflicting swords--

The robber's quarrel by such sounds is shown,

And true men have some chance to gain their own.

_Captivity, a Poem._

When Cleveland, borne off in triumph from his assailants in Kirkwall,

found himself once more on board the pirate-vessel, his arrival was

hailed with hearty cheers by a considerable part of the crew, who rushed

to shake hands with him, and offer their congratulations on his return;

for the situation of a Buccanier Captain raised him very little above

the level of the lowest of his crew, who, in all social intercourse,

claimed the privilege of being his equal.

When his faction, for so these clamorous friends might be termed, had

expressed their own greetings, they hurried Cleveland forward to the

stern, where Goffe, their present commander, was seated on a gun,

listening in a sullen and discontented mood to the shout which announced

Cleveland's welcome. He was a man betwixt forty and fifty, rather under

the middle size, but so very strongly made, that his crew used to

compare him to a sixty-four cut down. Black-haired, bull-necked, and

beetle-browed, his clumsy strength and ferocious countenance contrasted

strongly with the manly figure and open countenance of Cleveland, in

which even the practice of his atrocious profession had not been able to

eradicate a natural grace of motion and generosity of expression. The

two piratical Captains looked upon each other for some time in silence,

while the partisans of each gathered around him. The elder part of the

crew were the principal adherents of Goffe, while the young fellows,

among whom Jack Bunce was a principal leader and agitator, were in

general attached to Cleveland.

At length Goffe broke silence.--"You are welcome aboard, Captain

Cleveland.--Smash my taffrail! I suppose you think yourself commodore

yet! but that was over, by G--, when you lost your ship, and be

d----d!"

And here, once for all, we may take notice, that it was the gracious

custom of this commander to mix his words and oaths in nearly equal

proportions, which he was wont to call _shotting_ his discourse. As we

delight not, however, in the discharge of such artillery, we shall only

indicate by a space like this ---- the places in which these expletives

occurred; and thus, if the reader will pardon a very poor pun, we will

reduce Captain Goffe's volley of sharp-shot into an explosion of blank

cartridges. To his insinuations that he was come on board to assume the

chief command, Cleveland replied, that he neither desired, nor would

accept, any such promotion, but would only ask Captain Goffe for a cast

of the boat, to put him ashore in one of the other islands, as he had no

wish either to command Goffe, or to remain in a vessel under his orders.

"And why not under my orders, brother?" demanded Goffe, very austerely;

"-- -- -- are you too good a man, -- -- -- with your cheese-toaster and

your jib there, -- -- to serve under my orders, and be d----d to you,

where there are so many gentlemen that are elder and better seamen than

yourself?"

"I wonder which of these capital seamen it was," said Cleveland, coolly,

"that laid the ship under the fire of yon six-gun battery, that could

blow her out of the water, if they had a mind, before you could either

cut or slip? Elder and better sailors than I may like to serve under

such a lubber, but I beg to be excused for my own share, Captain--that's

all I have got to tell you."

"By G--, I think you are both mad!" said Hawkins the boatswain--"a

meeting with sword and pistol may be devilish good fun in its way, when

no better is to be had; but who the devil that had common sense, amongst

a set of gentlemen in our condition, would fall a quarrelling with each

other, to let these duck-winged, web-footed islanders have a chance of

knocking us all upon the head?"

"Well said, old Hawkins!" observed Derrick the quarter-master, who was

an officer of very considerable importance among these rovers; "I say,

if the two captains won't agree to live together quietly, and club both

heart and head to defend the vessel, why, d----n me, depose them both,

say I, and choose another in their stead!"

"Meaning yourself, I suppose, Master Quarter-Master!" said Jack Bunce;

"but that cock won't fight. He that is to command gentlemen, should be a

gentleman himself, I think; and I give my vote for Captain Cleveland, as

spirited and as gentleman-like a man as ever daffed the world aside, and

bid it pass!"

"What! _you_ call yourself a gentleman, I warrant!" retorted Derrick;

"why, ---- your eyes! a tailor would make a better out of the worst suit

of rags in your strolling wardrobe!--It is a shame for men of spirit to

have such a Jack-a-dandy scarecrow on board!"

Jack Bunce was so incensed at these base comparisons, that without more

ado, he laid his hand on his sword. The carpenter, however, and

boatswain, interfered, the former brandishing his broad axe, and

swearing he would put the skull of the first who should strike a blow

past clouting, and the latter reminding them, that, by their articles,

all quarrelling, striking, or more especially fighting, on board, was

strictly prohibited; and that, if any gentleman had a quarrel to settle,

they were to go ashore, and decide it with cutlass and pistol in

presence of two of their messmates.

"I have no quarrel with any one, -- -- --!" said Goffe, sullenly;

"Captain Cleveland has wandered about among the islands here, amusing

himself, -- -- --! and we have wasted our time and property in waiting

for him, when we might have been adding twenty or thirty thousand

dollars to the stock-purse. However, if it pleases the rest of the

gentlemen-adventurers, -- -- --! why, I shall not grumble about it."

"I propose," said the boatswain, "that there should be a general council

called in the great cabin, according to our articles, that we may

consider what course we are to hold in this matter."

A general assent followed the boatswain's proposal; for every one found

his own account in these general councils, in which each of the rovers

had a free vote. By far the greater part of the crew only valued this

franchise, as it allowed them, upon such solemn occasions, an unlimited

quantity of liquor--a right which they failed not to exercise to the

uttermost, by way of aiding their deliberations. But a few amongst the

adventurers, who united some degree of judgment with the daring and

profligate character of their profession, were wont, at such periods, to

limit themselves within the bounds of comparative sobriety, and by

these, under the apparent form of a vote of the general council, all

things of moment relating to the voyage and undertakings of the pirates

were in fact determined. The rest of the crew, when they recovered from

their intoxication, were easily persuaded that the resolution adopted

had been the legitimate effort of the combined wisdom of the whole

senate.

Upon the present occasion the debauch had proceeded until the greater

part of the crew were, as usual, displaying inebriation in all its most

brutal and disgraceful shapes--swearing empty and unmeaning

oaths--venting the most horrid imprecations in the mere gaiety of their

heart--singing songs, the ribaldry of which was only equalled by their

profaneness; and, from the middle of this earthly hell, the two

captains, together with one or two of their principal adherents, as also

the carpenter and boatswain, who always took a lead on such occasions,

had drawn together into a pandemonium, or privy council of their own, to

consider what was to be done; for, as the boatswain metaphorically

observed, they were in a narrow channel, and behoved to keep sounding

the tide-way.

When they began their consultations, the friends of Goffe remarked, to

their great displeasure, that he had not observed the wholesome rule to

which we have just alluded; but that, in endeavouring to drown his

mortification at the sudden appearance of Cleveland, and the reception

he met with from the crew, the elder Captain had not been able to do so

without overflowing his reason at the same time. His natural sullen

taciturnity had prevented this from being observed until the council

began its deliberations, when it proved impossible to hide it.

The first person who spoke was Cleveland, who said, that, so far from

wishing the command of the vessel, he desired no favour at any one's

hand, except to land him upon some island or holm at a distance from

Kirkwall, and leave him to shift for himself.

The boatswain remonstrated strongly against this resolution. "The lads,"

he said, "all knew Cleveland, and could trust his seamanship, as well as

his courage; besides, he never let the grog get quite uppermost, and was

always in proper trim, either to sail the ship, or to fight the ship,

whereby she was never without some one to keep her course when he was on

board.--And as for the noble Captain Goffe," continued the mediator, "he

is as stout a heart as ever broke biscuit, and that I will uphold him;

but then, when he has his grog aboard--I speak to his face--he is so

d----d funny with his cranks and his jests, that there is no living with

him. You all remember how nigh he had run the ship on that cursed Horse

of Copinsha, as they call it, just by way of frolic; and then you know

how he fired off his pistol under the table, when we were at the great

council, and shot Jack Jenkins in the knee, and cost the poor devil his

leg, with his pleasantry."[35]

"Jack Jenkins was not a chip the worse," said the carpenter; "I took the

leg off with my saw as well as any loblolly-boy in the land could have

done--heated my broad axe, and seared the stump--ay, by ----! and made a

jury-leg that he shambles about with as well as ever he did--for Jack

could never cut a feather."[36]

"You are a clever fellow, carpenter," replied the boatswain, "a d----d

clever fellow! but I had rather you tried your saw and red-hot axe upon

the ship's knee-timbers than on mine, sink me!--But that here is not the

case--The question is, if we shall part with Captain Cleveland here, who

is a man of thought and action, whereby it is my belief it would be

heaving the pilot overboard when the gale is blowing on a lee-shore.

And, I must say, it is not the part of a true heart to leave his mates,

who have been here waiting for him till they have missed stays. Our

water is wellnigh out, and we have junketed till provisions are low with

us. We cannot sail without provisions--we cannot get provisions without

the good-will of the Kirkwall folks. If we remain here longer, the

Halcyon frigate will be down upon us--she was seen off Peterhead two

days since,--and we shall hang up at the yard-arm to be sun-dried. Now,

Captain Cleveland will get us out of the hobble, if any can. He can play

the gentleman with these Kirkwall folks, and knows how to deal with them

on fair terms, and foul, too, if there be occasion for it."

"And so you would turn honest Captain Goffe a-grazing, would ye?" said

an old weatherbeaten pirate, who had but one eye; "what though he has

his humours, and made my eye dowse the glim in his fancies and frolics,

he is as honest a man as ever walked a quarter-deck, for all that; and

d----n me but I stand by him so long as t'other lantern is lit!"

"Why, you would not hear me out," said Hawkins; "a man might as well

talk to so many negers!--I tell you, I propose that Cleveland shall only

be Captain from one, _post meridiem_, to five _a. m._, during which time

Goffe is always drunk."

The Captain of whom he last spoke gave sufficient proof of the truth of

his words, by uttering an inarticulate growl, and attempting to present

a pistol at the mediator Hawkins.

"Why, look ye now!" said Derrick, "there is all the sense he has, to get

drunk on council-day, like one of these poor silly fellows!"

"Ay," said Bunce, "drunk as Davy's sow, in the face of the field, the

fray, and the senate!"

"But, nevertheless," continued Derrick, "it will never do to have two

captains in the same day. I think week about might suit better--and let

Cleveland take the first turn."

"There are as good here as any of them," said Hawkins; "howsomdever, I

object nothing to Captain Cleveland, and I think he may help us into

deep water as well as another."

"Ay," exclaimed Bunce, "and a better figure he will make at bringing

these Kirkwallers to order than his sober predecessor!--So Captain

Cleveland for ever!"

[Illustration]

"Stop, gentlemen," said Cleveland, who had hitherto been silent; "I

hope you will not choose me Captain without my own consent?"

"Ay, by the blue vault of heaven will we," said Bunce, "if it be _pro

bono publico_!"

"But hear me, at least," said Cleveland--"I do consent to take command

of the vessel, since you wish it, and because I see you will ill get out

of the scrape without me."

"Why, then, I say, Cleveland for ever, again!" shouted Bunce.

"Be quiet, prithee, dear Bunce!--honest Altamont!" said Cleveland.--"I

undertake the business on this condition; that, when I have got the ship

cleared for her voyage, with provisions, and so forth, you will be

content to restore Captain Goffe to the command, as I said before, and

put me ashore somewhere, to shift for myself--You will then be sure it

is impossible I can betray you, since I will remain with you to the last

moment."

"Ay, and after the last moment, too, by the blue vault! or I mistake the

matter," muttered Bunce to himself.

The matter was now put to the vote; and so confident were the crew in

Cleveland's superior address and management, that the temporary

deposition of Goffe found little resistance even among his own

partisans, who reasonably enough observed, "he might at least have kept

sober to look after his own business--E'en let him put it to rights

again himself next morning, if he will."

But when the next morning came, the drunken part of the crew, being

informed of the issue of the deliberations of the council, to which they

were virtually held to have assented, showed such a superior sense of

Cleveland's merits, that Goffe, sulky and malecontent as he was, judged

it wisest for the present to suppress his feelings of resentment, until

a safer opportunity for suffering them to explode, and to submit to the

degradation which so frequently took place among a piratical crew.

Cleveland, on his part, resolved to take upon him, with spirit and

without loss of time, the task of extricating his ship's company from

their perilous situation. For this purpose, he ordered the boat, with

the purpose of going ashore in person, carrying with him twelve of the

stoutest and best men of the crew, all very handsomely appointed, (for

the success of their nefarious profession had enabled the pirates to

assume nearly as gay dresses as their officers,) and above all, each man

being sufficiently armed with cutlass and pistols, and several having

pole-axes and poniards.

Cleveland himself was gallantly attired in a blue coat, lined with

crimson silk, and laced with gold very richly, crimson damask waistcoat

and breeches, a velvet cap, richly embroidered, with a white feather,

white silk stockings, and red-heeled shoes, which were the extremity of

finery among the gallants of the day. He had a gold chain several times

folded round his neck, which sustained a whistle of the same metal, the

ensign of his authority. Above all, he wore a decoration peculiar to

those daring depredators, who, besides one, or perhaps two brace of

pistols at their belt, had usually two additional brace, of the finest

mounting and workmanship, suspended over their shoulders in a sort of

sling or scarf of crimson ribbon. The hilt and mounting of the Captain's

sword corresponded in value to the rest of his appointments, and his

natural good mien was so well adapted to the whole equipment, that,

when he appeared on deck, he was received with a general shout by the

crew, who, as in other popular societies, judged a great deal by the

eye.

Cleveland took with him in the boat, amongst others, his predecessor in

office, Goffe, who was also very richly dressed, but who, not having the

advantage of such an exterior as Cleveland's, looked like a boorish

clown in the dress of a courtier, or rather like a vulgar-faced footpad

decked in the spoils of some one whom he has murdered, and whose claim

to the property of his garments is rendered doubtful in the eyes of all

who look upon him, by the mixture of awkwardness, remorse, cruelty, and

insolence, which clouds his countenance. Cleveland probably chose to

take Goffe ashore with him, to prevent his having any opportunity,

during his absence, to debauch the crew from their allegiance. In this

guise they left the ship, and, singing to their oars, while the water

foamed higher at the chorus, soon reached the quay of Kirkwall.

The command of the vessel was in the meantime intrusted to Bunce, upon

whose allegiance Cleveland knew that he might perfectly depend, and, in

a private conversation with him of some length, he gave him directions

how to act in such emergencies as might occur.

These arrangements being made, and Bunce having been repeatedly charged

to stand upon his guard alike against the adherents of Goffe and any

attempt from the shore, the boat put off. As she approached the harbour,

Cleveland displayed a white flag, and could observe that their

appearance seemed to occasion a good deal of bustle and alarm. People

were seen running to and fro, and some of them appeared to be getting

under arms. The battery was manned hastily, and the English colours

displayed. These were alarming symptoms, the rather that Cleveland knew,

that, though there were no artillerymen in Kirkwall, yet there were many

sailors perfectly competent to the management of great guns, and willing

enough to undertake such service in case of need.

Noting these hostile preparations with a heedful eye, but suffering

nothing like doubt or anxiety to appear on his countenance, Cleveland

ran the boat right for the quay, on which several people, armed with

muskets, rifles, and fowlingpieces, and others with half-pikes and

whaling-knives, were now assembled, as if to oppose his landing.

Apparently, however, they had not positively determined what measures

they were to pursue; for, when the boat reached the quay, those

immediately opposite bore back, and suffered Cleveland and his party to

leap ashore without hinderance. They immediately drew up on the quay,

except two, who, as their Captain had commanded, remained in the boat,

which they put off to a little distance; a man[oe]uvre which, while it

placed the boat (the only one belonging to the sloop) out of danger of

being seized, indicated a sort of careless confidence in Cleveland and

his party, which was calculated to intimidate their opponents.

The Kirkwallers, however, showed the old Northern blood, put a manly

face upon the matter, and stood upon the quay, with their arms

shouldered, directly opposite to the rovers, and blocking up against

them the street which leads to the town.

Cleveland was the first who spoke, as the parties stood thus looking

upon each other.--"How is this, gentlemen burghers?" he said; "are you

Orkney folks turned Highlandmen, that you are all under arms so early

this morning; or have you manned the quay to give me the honour of a

salute, upon taking the command of my ship?"

The burghers looked on each other, and one of them replied to

Cleveland--"We do not know who you are; it was that other man," pointing

to Goffe, "who used to come ashore as Captain."

"That other gentleman is my mate, and commands in my absence," said

Cleveland;--"but what is that to the purpose? I wish to speak with your

Lord Mayor, or whatever you call him."

"The Provost is sitting in council with the Magistrates," answered the

spokesman.

"So much the better," replied Cleveland.--"Where do their Worships

meet?"

"In the Council-house," answered the other.

"Then make way for us, gentlemen, if you please, for my people and I are

going there."

There was a whisper among the townspeople; but several were unresolved

upon engaging in a desperate, and perhaps an unnecessary conflict, with

desperate men; and the more determined citizens formed the hasty

reflection that the strangers might be more easily mastered in the

house, or perhaps in the narrow streets which they had to traverse, than

when they stood drawn up and prepared for battle upon the quay. They

suffered them, therefore, to proceed unmolested; and Cleveland, moving

very slowly, keeping his people close together, suffering no one to

press upon the flanks of his little detachment, and making four men, who

constituted his rear-guard, turn round and face to the rear from time to

time, rendered it, by his caution, a very dangerous task to make any

attempt upon them.

In this manner they ascended the narrow street and reached the

Council-house, where the Magistrates were actually sitting, as the

citizen had informed Cleveland. Here the inhabitants began to press

forward, with the purpose of mingling with the pirates, and availing

themselves of the crowd in the narrow entrance, to secure as many as

they could, without allowing them room for the free use of their

weapons. But this also had Cleveland foreseen, and, ere entering the

council-room, he caused the entrance to be cleared and secured,

commanding four of his men to face down the street, and as many to

confront the crowd who were thrusting each other from above. The

burghers recoiled back from the ferocious, swarthy, and sunburnt

countenances, as well as the levelled arms of these desperadoes, and

Cleveland, with the rest of his party, entered the council-room, where

the Magistrates were sitting in council, with very little attendance.

These gentlemen were thus separated effectually from the citizens, who

looked to them for orders, and were perhaps more completely at the mercy

of Cleveland, than he, with his little handful of men, could be said to

be at that of the multitude by whom they were surrounded.

The Magistrates seemed sensible of their danger; for they looked upon

each other in some confusion, when Cleveland thus addressed them:--

"Good morrow, gentlemen,--I hope there is no unkindness betwixt us. I am

come to talk with you about getting supplies for my ship yonder in the

roadstead--we cannot sail without them."

"Your ship, sir?" said the Provost, who was a man of sense and

spirit,--"how do we know that you are her Captain?"

"Look at me," said Cleveland, "and you will, I think, scarce ask the

question again."

The Magistrate looked at Kim, and accordingly did not think proper to

pursue that part of the enquiry, but proceeded to say--"And if you are

her Captain, whence comes she, and where is she bound for? You look too

much like a man-of-war's man to be master of a trader, and we know that

you do not belong to the British navy."

"There are more men-of-war on the sea than sail under the British flag,"

replied Cleveland; "but say that I were commander of a free-trader here,

willing to exchange tobacco, brandy, gin, and such like, for cured fish

and hides, why, I do not think I deserve so very bad usage from the

merchants of Kirkwall as to deny me provisions for my money?"

"Look you, Captain," said the Town-clerk, "it is not that we are so very

strait-laced neither--for, when gentlemen of your cloth come this way,

it is as weel, as I tauld the Provost, just to do as the collier did

when he met the devil,--and that is, to have naething to say to them, if

they have naething to say to us;--and there is the gentleman," pointing

to Goffe, "that was Captain before you, and may be Captain after

you,"--("The cuckold speaks truth in that," muttered Goffe,)--"he knows

well how handsomely we entertained him, till he and his men took upon

them to run through the town like hellicat devils.--I see one of them

there!--that was the very fellow that stopped my servant-wench on the

street, as she carried the lantern home before me, and insulted her

before my face!"

"If it please your noble Mayorship's honour and glory," said Derrick,

the fellow at whom the Town-clerk pointed, "it was not I that brought

to the bit of a tender that carried the lantern in the poop--it was

quite a different sort of a person."

"Who was it, then, sir?" said the Provost.

"Why, please your majesty's worship," said Derrick, making several sea

bows, and describing as nearly as he could, the exterior of the worthy

Magistrate himself, "he was an elderly gentleman,--Dutch-built, round in

the stern, with a white wig and a red nose--very like your majesty, I

think;" then, turning to a comrade, he added, "Jack, don't you think the

fellow that wanted to kiss the pretty girl with the lantern t'other

night, was very like his worship?"

"By G--, Tom Derrick," answered the party appealed to, "I believe it is

the very man!"

"This is insolence which we can make you repent of, gentlemen!" said the

Magistrate, justly irritated at their effrontery; "you have behaved in

this town, as if you were in an Indian village at Madagascar. You

yourself, Captain, if captain you be, were at the head of another riot,

no longer since than yesterday. We will give you no provisions till we

know better whom we are supplying. And do not think to bully us; when I

shake this handkerchief out at the window, which is at my elbow, your

ship goes to the bottom. Remember she lies under the guns of our

battery."

"And how many of these guns are honeycombed, Mr. Mayor?" said Cleveland.

He put the question by chance; but instantly perceived, from a sort of

confusion which the Provost in vain endeavoured to hide, that the

artillery of Kirkwall was not in the best order. "Come, come, Mr.

Mayor," he said, "bullying will go down with us as little as with you.

Your guns yonder will do more harm to the poor old sailors who are to

work them than to our sloop; and if we bring a broadside to bear on the

town, why, your wives' crockery will be in some danger. And then to talk

to us of seamen being a little frolicsome ashore, why, when are they

otherwise? You have the Greenland whalers playing the devil among you

every now and then; and the very Dutchmen cut capers in the streets of

Kirkwall, like porpoises before a gale of wind. I am told you are a man

of sense, and I am sure you and I could settle this matter in the course

of a five-minutes' palaver."

"Well, sir," said the Provost, "I will hear what you have to say, if you

will walk this way."

Cleveland accordingly followed him into a small interior apartment, and,

when there, addressed the Provost thus: "I will lay aside my pistols,

sir, if you are afraid of them."

"D----n your pistols!" answered the Provost, "I have served the King,

and fear the smell of powder as little as you do!"

"So much the better," said Cleveland, "for you will hear me the more

coolly.--Now, sir, let us be what perhaps you suspect us, or let us be

any thing else, what, in the name of Heaven, can you get by keeping us

here, but blows and bloodshed? For which, believe me, we are much better

provided than you can pretend to be. The point is a plain one--you are

desirous to be rid of us--we are desirous to be gone. Let us have the

means of departure, and we leave you instantly."

"Look ye, Captain," said the Provost, "I thirst for no man's blood. You

are a pretty fellow, as there were many among the buccaniers in my

time--but there is no harm in wishing you a better trade. You should

have the stores and welcome, for your money, so you would make these

seas clear of you. But then, here lies the rub. The Halcyon frigate is

expected here in these parts immediately; when she hears of you she will

be at you; for there is nothing the white lapelle loves better than a

rover--you are seldom without a cargo of dollars. Well, he comes down,

gets you under his stern"----

"Blows us into the air, if you please," said Cleveland.

"Nay, that must be as _you_ please, Captain," said the Provost; "but

then, what is to come of the good town of Kirkwall, that has been

packing and peeling with the King's enemies? The burgh will be laid

under a round fine, and it may be that the Provost may not come off so

easily."

"Well, then," said Cleveland, "I see where your pinch lies. Now, suppose

that I run round this island of yours, and get into the roadstead at

Stromness? We could get what we want put on board there, without

Kirkwall or the Provost seeming to have any hand in it; or, if it should

be ever questioned, your want of force, and our superior strength, will

make a sufficient apology."

"That may be," said the Provost; "but if I suffer you to leave your

present station, and go elsewhere, I must have some security that you

will not do harm to the country."

"And we," said Cleveland, "must have some security on our side, that you

will not detain us, by dribbling out our time till the Halcyon is on the

coast. Now, I am myself perfectly willing to continue on shore as a

hostage, on the one side, provided you will give me your word not to

betray me, and send some magistrate, or person of consequence, aboard

the sloop, where his safety will be a guarantee for mine."

The Provost shook his head, and intimated it would be difficult to find

a person willing to place himself as hostage in such a perilous

condition; but said he would propose the arrangement to such of the

council as were fit to be trusted with a matter of such weight.

FOOTNOTES:

[35] This was really an exploit of the celebrated Avery the pirate, who

suddenly, and without provocation, fired his pistols under the table

where he sat drinking with his messmates, wounded one man severely, and

thought the matter a good jest. What is still more extraordinary, his

crew regarded it in the same light.

[36] A ship going fast through the sea is said to cut a feather,

alluding to the ripple which she throws off from her bows.