But Then There Is A Terrible Stillness In This Breathing
Image; It Seems Like The Stillness Of A Savage That
Sits intent and
brooding, day by day, upon some one fearful scheme of vengeance,
but yet more like it seems
To the stillness of an Immortal, whose
will must be known, and obeyed without sign or speech. Bow down! -
Bow down and adore the young Persephonie, transcendent Queen of
Shades!
CHAPTER VI - GREEK MARINERS
I sailed from Smyrna in the Amphitrite, a Greek brigantine, which
was confidently said to be bound for the coast of Syria; but I knew
that this announcement was not to be relied upon with positive
certainty, for the Greek mariners are practically free from the
stringency of ship's papers, and where they will, there they go.
However, I had the whole of the cabin for myself and my attendant,
Mysseri, subject only to the society of the captain at the hour of
dinner. Being at ease in this respect, being furnished too with
plenty of books, and finding an unfailing source of interest in the
thorough Greekness of my captain and my crew, I felt less anxious
than most people would have been about the probable length of the
cruise. I knew enough of Greek navigation to be sure that our
vessel would cling to earth like a child to its mother's knee, and
that I should touch at many an isle before I set foot upon the
Syrian coast; but I had no invidious preference for Europe, Asia,
or Africa, and I felt that I could defy the winds to blow me upon a
coast that was blank and void of interest. My patience was
extremely useful to me, for the cruise altogether endured some
forty days, and that in the midst of winter.
According to me, the most interesting of all the Greeks (male
Greeks) are the mariners, because their pursuits and their social
condition are so nearly the same as those of their famous
ancestors. You will say, that the occupation of commerce must have
smoothed down the salience of their minds; and this would be so
perhaps if their mercantile affairs were conducted according to the
fixed businesslike routine of Europeans; but the ventures of the
Greeks are surrounded by such a multitude of imagined dangers (and
from the absence of regular marts, in which the true value of
merchandise can be ascertained), are so entirely speculative, and
besides, are conducted in a manner so wholly determined upon by the
wayward fancies and wishes of the crew, that they belong to
enterprise rather than to industry, and are very far indeed from
tending to deaden any freshness of character.
The vessels in which war and piracy were carried on during the
years of the Greek Revolution became merchantmen at the end of the
war; but the tactics of the Greeks, as naval warriors, were so
exceedingly cautious, and their habits as commercial mariners are
so wild, that the change has been more slight than you might
imagine.
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