Конец рабства
I
Notaveryenterprisinglifeforamanwhohadservedfamousfirms,whohadsailedfamousships(morethanoneortwoofthemhisown);whohadmadefamouspassages,hadbeenthepioneerofnewroutesandnewtrades;whohadsteeredacrosstheunsurveyedtractsoftheSouthSeas,andhadseenthesunriseonunchartedislands.Fiftyyearsatsea,andfortyoutintheEast(“aprettythoroughapprenticeship,”heusedtoremarksmilingly),hadmadehimhonorablyknowntoagenerationofshipownersandmerchantsinalltheportsfromBombayclearovertowheretheEastmergesintotheWestuponthecoastofthetwoAmericas.Hisfameremainedwrit,notverylargebutplainenough,ontheAdmiraltycharts.WastherenotsomewherebetweenAustraliaandChinaaWhalleyIslandandaCondorReef?Onthatdangerouscoralformationthecelebratedclipperhadhungstrandedforthreedays,hercaptainandcrewthrowinghercargooverboardwithonehandandwiththeother,asitwere,keepingoffheraflotillaofsavagewar-canoes.Atthattimeneithertheislandnorthereefhadanyofficialexistence.LatertheofficersofherMajesty’ssteamvesselFusilier,dispatchedtomakeasurveyoftheroute,recognizedintheadoptionofthesetwonamestheenterpriseofthemanandthesolidityoftheship.Besides,asanyonewhocaresmaysee,the“GeneralDirectory,”vol.ii.p.410,beginsthedescriptionofthe“MalotuorWhalleyPassage”withthewords:“Thisadvantageousroute,firstdiscoveredin1850byCaptainWhalleyintheshipCondor,”&c
