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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Sir Joseph Banks, the most considerate of men, did not come to see me until the second day after we had been condemned, so that when he did come, late in the afternoon, I was prepared to meet him. I was then most eager to see him, and when I opened the door of my cabin to find him standing there, my heart leaped with pleasure.

He gripped my hand in both of his, then turned to take a bulky parcel from the seaman who had brought him to the cabin.

“Sit down, Byam,” he said. He laid the parcel on the small table and proceeded to remove the wrappings.

“I’ve brought you an old companion and friend. Do you recognize it?” he added, as he laid aside the last of the wrappings. It was the manuscript of my Tahitian dictionary and grammar.

“Allow me to say this,” he went on. “I have gone over your manuscripts with great interest, and I know enough of the Tahitian language to appreciate the quality of the work you’ve done. It is excellent, Byam; precisely what is needed. This book, when it is published, will be of great value, not only practically but philosophically. Now tell me this: how much time would you require to put it into final shape, ready for the printers?”