Кінець рабства
I
TheSofalawouldbeheadedtowardsthesomberstripofthecoast,whichatagivenmoment,astheshipclosedwithitobliquely,wouldshowseveralcleanshiningfractures—thebrimfulestuaryofariver.Thenonthroughabrownliquid,threepartswaterandonepartblackearth,onandonbetweenthelowshores,threepartsblackearthandonepartbrackishwater,theSofalawouldplowherwayup-stream,asshehaddoneonceeverymonthforthesesevenyearsormore,longbeforehewasawareofherexistence,longbeforehehadeverthoughtofhavinganythingtodowithherandherinvariablevoyages.Theoldshipoughttohaveknowntheroadbetterthanhermen,whohadnotbeenkeptsolongatitwithoutachange;betterthanthefaithfulSerang,whomhehadbroughtoverfromhislastshiptokeepthecaptain’swatch;betterthanhehimself,whohadbeenhercaptainforthelastthreeyearsonly.Shecouldalwaysbedependedupontomakehercourses.Hercompasseswereneverout.Shewasnotroubleatalltotakeabout,asifhergreatagehadgivenherknowledge,wisdom,andsteadiness.Shemadeherlandfallstoadegreeofthebearing,andalmosttoaminuteofherallowedtime.Atanymoment,ashesatonthebridgewithoutlookingup,orlaysleeplessinhisbed,simplybyreckoningthedaysandthehourshecouldtellwherehewas—theprecisespotofthebeat.Heknewitwelltoo,thismonotonoushuckster’sround,upanddowntheStraits;heknewitsorderanditssightsanditspeople.
