Читать книгу Men Against the Sea – Book Set. The Greatest Maritime Adventure Novels: The Bounty Trilogy, Lost Island, The Hurricane, Botany Bay, The Far Lands, Tales of the South Seas… онлайн

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This was a welcome assurance indeed. I had looked forward with dread to our long voyage. I now mentioned the captain’s prohibition against our speaking in Tahitian among ourselves. “If this could be removed, sir, I could be given much help by the other prisoners, and perform a service to them at the same time, by giving them something to occupy their minds.”

The surgeon promised to intercede with the captain on this account, and as soon as the Pandora sailed the permission was granted.

All the next day the ship’s boats were kept busy bringing off provisions, and the tents and implements of the carpenters and armourers which had been set up on the beach near our anchorage. Our steward, James Good, told us that the frigate was to sail within twenty-four hours. Edwards had gained no information with respect to Christian and the Bounty, and apparently had come to the conclusion that we had told the truth in saying that we knew nothing of Christian’s possible destination. All that day I gazed my fill at the green land where I had been so happy, and during the night I heard every bell strike, followed by the clear calls of the sentinels in various parts of the ship. Fortunately, no attempt was made to seize the frigate. At dawn we were under way. At ten o’clock, looking from my knot-hole window, I saw nothing but empty sea.