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Famous Islands and Memorable Voyages By: Anonymous |
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FAMOUS ISLANDS
and
MEMORABLE VOYAGES. Boston:
Published by D. Lothrop & Co.
Dover, N.H.: G. T. Day & Co. CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. A VENETIAN CRUISER. 9 II. A WINTER IN THE NORTHERN SEAS;
OR, CAPTAIN JAMES'S JOURNAL. 30 III. THE DISCOVERERS OF MADEIRA. 52 IV. ST. HELENA. 68 V. THE PITCAIRN ISLANDERS. 87 VI. NORFOLK ISLAND. 118 VII. THE SOLITARY ISLANDER. 165 VIII. CAPTAIN COOK'S LAST VOYAGE. 188
A VENETIAN CRUISER.
It was late in the year 1431. The port of Venice was filled with ships
from all parts of the world, bringing to her their choicest stores, and
their most costly merchandise, and receiving from her and from her
Grecian possessions rich shiploads of wine and spices, and bales of
finest cotton. It would have been a sight never to have been forgotten could we have
gazed then on that city of the sea, have watched the cumbrous barks, so
unlike our light winged merchant ships, or our swift steamers, which
sailed heavily up and down the blue Adriatic, till they came in sight of
the famous city, the resort of all nations, in whose canals, and among
whose marts and palaces, might be seen the strange dress, and heard the
mingled speech of men from all parts of the civilized world. One ship was just leaving the port. The vessel, rather a large one for
those days, seems but poorly manned, and rocks so greatly among the
short white waves, that it is plainly to be seen that she is short of
ballast and lading. She is a Venetian trading vessel, bound first to the
Isle of Candia, where she will complete her cargo and add to the number
of her crew. This Candia or Crete (the very Crete by which St. Paul
passed on his voyage to Italy) was at that time under the hard rule of
Venice, and its poor inhabitants did her service upon land and sea. The
ship stayed at Candia only so long as enabled her to complete her stores
of cotton and spice and wine, which were destined for some northern or
western market, some French or British port. She was deep enough in the
water now, and on her deck lay many an unstowed bale, many a cask of
wine, for which the sad looking Cretan sailors, in their tunics and
short cloaks, had not yet been able to find room. Sixty eight men were
now on board, including the patron or owner, Master Piero Quirini, and
Christoforo Fioravanti, the sailing master. Quirini, in his quaint
Italian dress, looking strangely unlike a modern sailor, stood amid the
piles of merchandise, giving quick orders for its stowage, while the
sailing master made all ready for the long voyage which was just
beginning. For in those days a voyage into the western sea was counted, specially
while boisterous autumn gales made sailing difficult, as a long and
hazardous undertaking. They all knew it must be many months ere they
could hope to see home again; but little did any of them guess the
strange sad fortunes which should befall them. The Cretan sailors looked
back wistfully at the groups of their friends, their wives and mothers
and children, whom they had left weeping on the shore, but they did not
think how many there were among them who would never return to tell the
story of their long voyage. But some at least among them knew and felt
that they were in the hands of God for life or for death, and that
nothing could really hurt them if they were "followers of that which is
good." The ship at first sailed on prosperously enough. The sea was calm, and
the sky clear above them. The sailors sang their sweet Italian or
Grecian songs, as they hurried to and fro, or leant over the bulwarks,
watching the blue water... Continue reading book >>
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