large/3098/sea-witch_0903_librivox_64kb_mp3/sea-witch_06_ballou_64kb_12
large/3098/sea-witch_0903_librivox_64kb_mp3/sea-witch_06_ballou_64kb
English
3098
Half an hour of this strange weather nearly stripped the ship of her standing rigging, leaving her comparatively a helpless wreck upon the waters, a mere log at the mercy of the wind and waves. HALF AN HOUR OF THIS STRANGE WEATHER NEARLY STRIPPED THE SHIP OF HER STANDING RIGGING LEAVING HER COMPARATIVELY A HELPLESS WRECK UPON THE WATERS A MERE LOG AT THE MERCY OF THE WIND AND WAVES
lied, and thus the time was lightened in its progress and also well improved. But the ocean is a treacherous element, and the fair weather which had so long characterized their voyage, was to be varied now by fierce and angry gales. It was the season of the year when they might expect this, and the captain had kept a sharp lookout. It was the middle of a fine afternoon that there was observed a singular phenomenon in the wind which appeared to come from half a dozen points at the same moment. The ship of course lost her steerage way, and the sea began most singularly to get up from all points in heavy cross waves. It was evident that they were either in the course of a whirlwind or close to its track, and every now and then gusts came first larboard then starboard, and again bows on and stern on, with a force that snapped the rigging like pipe stems, and tore the canvass from the bolt ropes, notwithstanding the prompt orders and nimble efforts of the seamen, before it could be secured. EY WERE AMPLY SUPPLIED AND THUS THE TIME WAS LIGHTENED IN ITS PROGRESS AND ALSO WELL IMPROVED BUT THE OCEAN IS A TREACHEROUS ELEMENT AND THE FAIR WEATHER WHICH HAD SO LONG CHARACTERISED THEIR VOYAGE WAS TO BE VARIED NOW BY FIERCE AND ANGRY GALES IT WAS THE SEASON OF THE YEAR WHEN THEY MIGHT EXPECT THIS AND THE CAPTAIN HAD KEPT A SHARP LOOKOUT IT WAS THE MIDDLE OF A FINE AFTERNOON THAT THERE WAS OBSERVED A SINGULAR PHENOMENON IN THE WIND WHICH APPEARED TO COME FROM HALF A DOZEN POINTS AT THE SAME MOMENT THE SHIP OF COURSE LOST HER STEERAGE WAY AND THE SEA BEGAN MOST SINGULARLY TO GET UP FROM ALL POINTS IN HEAVY CROSS WAVES IT WAS EVIDENT THAT THEY WERE EITHER IN THE COURSE OF A WHIRLWIND OR CLOSE TO ITS TRACK AND EVERY NOW AND THEN GUSTS CAME FIRST LARBOARD THEN STARBOARD AND AGAIN BOWS ON AND STERN ON WITH A FORCE THAT SNAPPED THE RIGGING LIKE PIPE STEMS AND TORE THE CANVAS FROM THE BOLT ROPES NOTWITHSTANDING THE PROMPT ORDERS AND NIMBLE EFFORTS OF THE SEAMEN BEFORE IT COULD BE SECURED
large/3098/sea-witch_0903_librivox_64kb_mp3/sea-witch_06_ballou_64kb
file
download/librilight/large/3098/sea-witch_0903_librivox_64kb_mp3/sea-witch_06_ballou_64kb.flac