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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Bligh turned to Nelson. “Calipee!” he said, with a wry smile. “Were you ever in the West Indies, Mr. Nelson?”

“No, sir.”

“I was four years in that trade, in command of Mr. Campbell’s ship Britannia. By God, sir, those planters live like princes! When at anchor I was frequently asked to dine ashore. They used to disgust me with their stuffing and swilling of wine. Sangaree and rum punch and Madeira till one marveled they could hold it all. And the food! Pepper pot, turtle soup, turtle steaks, grilled calipee; on my word, I’ve seen enough, at a dinner for six, to feed us from here to Timor!”

Nelson smiled ruefully. “I could do with one of those dinners to-night,” he said.

“I feel no great hunger,” said Bligh, “though I would gladly have eaten a bit of raw steak.”

A little before sunset the clouds broke, and we discovered land ahead—two high, rocky islands, six or eight leagues distant. The southerly island appeared of considerable extent and very high; though the light was too dazzling to see clearly, I thought it fertile and well wooded. Desiring to pass to windward of the smaller island, we hauled our wind to steer N.W. by N. At ten o’clock we were close in with the land, and could see many fires ashore. It was too dark to see more than that the island was high and rugged, and that it was inhabited; by midnight, much to our relief, we had left it astern.