United States or Belgium ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
The boat was what is called a speronaro; an open boat worked with oars, but with a lateen sail at the same time when the breeze served. Lothair admired the trim of the vessel, and got talking with the men as they ate their bread and olives, and a small fish or two. "And your lateen sail ?" continued Lothair.
From the nature of the course, which was not in the direction of the open sea, for they had to double Cape Passaro, the speronaro was out of the sight of the villa in a few minutes. They rowed only till they had doubled the cape, and then set the lateen sail, the breeze being light, but steady and favorable. They were soon in open sea, no land in sight.
They were in one of the harbors of Malta, but not permitted to land at midnight, and, when the morn arrived, the obstacles to the release of Lothair were not easily removed. A speronaro, an open boat from Sicily, of course with no papers to prove their point of departure here were materials for doubt and difficulty, of which the petty officers of the port knew how to avail themselves.
George; and, while on the quay, he and the patron of the speronaro arguing with the officers of the port, a gentleman from the yacht put ashore in a boat, of which the bright equipment immediately attracted attention. The gentleman landed almost close to the point where the controversy was carrying on. The excited manner and voice of the Sicilian mariner could not escape notice.
Word Of The Day