Потерянный континент: история Атлантиды
3. A Rival Navy
Rowing-slavesfromEuropeforthislongpassageofseaarenottakennow,owingtothedifficultyinprovisioningthem,formodernhumanityforbidsthepracticeoflettingthemeatoneanotheraccordingtothehomecustomoftheircontinent;sailsalonearebutanindifferentstandby;butmodernsciencehasshownhowtoextractforcefromtheSun,whenHeisfreefromcloud,andthis(inamannerkeptsecretbymariners)ismadetodrawsea-waterattheforepartofthevessel,andejectitwithsuchforceatthesternthatsheisappreciablydrivenforward,evenwiththewindadverse.
Inanothermatteralsohasnavigationvastlyimproved.Itisnotnecessarynow,asformerly,totrustwhollytoastarrynight(whenbeyondsightofland)tofinddirection.Alittleimagehasbeenmade,andisstoodbalancedintheforepartofeveryvessel,withanarmoutstretched,pointingconstantlytothedirectionwheretheSouthernCrossliesintheHeavens.So,bysettinganangle,canajustcoursebecorrectlysteered.Otherinstrumentshavetheyalsoforfindingatruepositionontheoceanwastes,forthenewermariner,whenheisatsea,putslittletrustintheGods,andconfidesmightilyinhisownthewsandwits.
Still,itisamusingtoseethesetarryfellows,eveninthismodernday,taketheirlastfarewelloftheharbourtown.Theshipisstowed,andallreadyforsea,andtheywashandputonalltheirbraveryofattire.Ashoretheygo,theirfaceslongwithpiety,andseeksomeobscuretemplewhoseGodhaslittleflavourwithshorefolk,andheretheymakesacrificewithclamourandlavishoutlay.
