Vietnam or Thailand ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Updated: June 26, 2025
I must say that for him, he did think of his men. "We don't want anything in the nature of an orgie, Mr. Goyles," I suggested. "Orgie!" replied Mr. Goyles; "why they'll take that little drop in their tea." He explained to me that his motto was, Get good men and treat them well. "They work better for you," said Mr. Goyles; "and they come again."
We came to the question of victualling, and he grew more enthusiastic. The amount of food suggested by Mr. Goyles, I confess, surprised me. Had we been living in the days of Drake and the Spanish Main, I should have feared he was arranging for something illegal. However, he laughed in his fatherly way, and assured me we were not overdoing it.
"They must have gone to sleep," said Ethelbertha, later on. "It will be tea-time soon." They were certainly very quiet. I went for'ard, and hailed Captain Goyles down the ladder. I hailed him three times; then he came up slowly. He appeared to be a heavier and older man than when I had seen him last. He had a cold cigar in his mouth. "When you are ready, Captain Goyles," I said, "we'll start."
I left Captain Goyles with the assurance that he would watch the weather as a mother would her sleeping babe; it was his own simile, and it struck me as rather touching. I saw him again at twelve o'clock; he was watching it from the window of the "Chain and Anchor."
"You get the right wind behind the Rogue " I said: "What is the right wind?" Captain Goyles looked puzzled. "In the course of this week," I went on, "we have had wind from the north, from the south, from the east, from the west with variations. If you can think of any other point of the compass from which it can blow, tell me, and I will wait for it.
"But do we want it to change?" I asked. "It seems to me to be just where it should be, dead behind us." "Aye, aye," said Captain Goyles, "dead's the right word to use, for dead we'd all be, bar Providence, if we was to put out in this. You see, sir," he explained, in answer to my look of surprise, "this is what we call a 'land wind, that is, it's a-blowing, as one might say, direct off the land."
At five o'clock that evening a stroke of luck occurred; in the middle of the High Street I met a couple of yachting friends, who had had to put in by reason of a strained rudder. I told them my story, and they appeared less surprised than amused. Captain Goyles and the two men were still watching the weather. I ran into the "King's Head," and prepared Ethelbertha.
The next morning the wind was in the south, which made Captain Goyles rather anxious, it appearing that it was equally unsafe to move or to stop where we were; our only hope was it would change before anything happened.
In the morning the wind veered round to the north; I was up early, and observed this to Captain Goyles. "Aye, aye, sir," he remarked; "it's unfortunate, but it can't be helped." "You don't think it possible for us to start to-day?" I hazarded. He did not get angry with me, he only laughed.
He said: "It's a yawl." "What I mean is," I said, "can it be moved at all, or is it a fixture here? If it is a fixture," I continued, "tell me so frankly, then we will get some ivy in boxes and train over the port-holes, stick some flowers and an awning on deck, and make the thing look pretty. If, on the other hand, it can be moved " "Moved!" interrupted Captain Goyles.
Word Of The Day
Others Looking