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 swung about to stare over the sea. “Land?” he said, as if doubting the evidence of his own senses. “Where?”

“Dead ahead, sir. Can’t you see the great valley yonder, and the high ridge above? It looks an island as rich as Otaheite!”

Bligh gave me a quick glance. “Go forward, Mr. Elphinstone,” he ordered. “Lie down at once and get some sleep.”

To my surprise, the master’s mate said no more about the land, but gave the tiller to Bligh and made his way forward amongst the sleeping men. His face wore the mild, vacant expression of a man walking in his sleep.

“Mr. Peckover!” called Bligh harshly.

The gunner started a little and straightened his back slowly. “Aye, aye, sir!” he said.

“Don’t let me catch you sleeping on watch again! You and those with you might have been the ruin of us all!” The other members of the watch were stirring, and the captain went on: “I’m going to wear. To the halyards! Get her on the starboard tack!”

When the halyards had been slacked away and the yards of our lugsails passed around to the larboard sides of the masts, Bligh bore up to the west, and the men trimmed the sails to the northeast wind.