Кінець рабства
IX
Theprovokedseaoutlinedexactlyinadesignofangryfoamthewidebaseofthegroup;thesubmergedlevelofbrokenwasteandrefuseleftoverfromthebuildingofthecoastnearby,projectingitsdangerousspurs,allawash,farintothechannel,andbristlingwithwickedlongspitsoftenamilelong:withdeadlyspitsmadeoffrothandstones.
Andevennothingmorethanabriskbreeze—asonthatmorning,thevoyagebefore,whentheSofalaleftPangubayearly,andMr.Sterne’sdiscoverywastoblossomoutlikeaflowerofincredibleandevilaspectfromthetinyseedofinstinctivesuspicion,—evensuchabreezehadenoughstrengthtoteartheplacidmaskfromthefaceofthesea.ToSterne,gazingwithindifference,ithadbeenlikearevelationtobeholdforthefirsttimethedangersmarkedbythehissinglividpatchesonthewaterasdistinctlyasontheengravedpaperofachart.Itcameintohismindthatthiswasthesortofdaymostfavorableforastrangerattemptingthepassage:aclearday,justwindyenoughfortheseatobreakoneveryledge,buoying,asitwere,thechannelplainlytothesight;whereasduringacalmyouhadnothingtodependonbutthecompassandthepracticedjudgmentofyoureye.AndyetthesuccessivecaptainsoftheSofalahadhadtotakeherthroughatnightmorethanonce.Nowadaysyoucouldnotaffordtothrowawaysixorsevenhoursofasteamer’stime.Thatyoucouldn’t.Butthenuseiseverything,andwithpropercare..
