Air-conditioning Necessity
We had throughout air-conditioning, but let me add that it was not entirely a luxury. Diesels build up a great deal of heat, especially in tropical waters.
Our Bounty was 118 feet on deck, about 30 feet longer than the original. Bligh's ship could not have held all our machinery and electrical equipment. With sails alone we footed along at 9V2 knots.
Bligh averaged 4V2 knots for the whole voyage of nearly eleven months from England to Tahiti—not at all a bad record, when one remembers his thirty days' beating about off Cape Horn and the frequent calm's found in the horse latitudes.
SOS Sent and Cancelled
So, now we sailed along with the fair winds. Bounty sailed straight down her faint yellow track of light on the sea.
We stood along the rail and talked of sea superstitions. The surgeon said: “Of course, as a man of science, I have no superstitions, but never mention in my hearing aboard ship a certain four-footed animal that grunts and makes bacon”
One afternoon the pleasant routine of fair wind sailing was broken. For what happened, 1 turned to the journal I kept on shipboard:
21st November. Course SW Ѕ, wind SSE, force 3. Slight sea. Fine and clear. Noon position: 00°40/S. lat., 104°24/. long.
Just before half-past six I was sitting in Jim Haven's cabin with Captain and Jim when an alarm bell went off and we heard the cry: "Fire in the engine room!" We dashed into the passage, which was rapidly filling with smoke. I was ordered on deck by First, where I found most of crew in life-jackets mustering forward and taking covers off boats. Smoke pouring out of after ventilators. Jim Havens, the Mate and engineers in engine room trying to extinguish fire with 502 system.
At 6:37 SOS sent by Sparks.
Second engineer was on watch when a fuel line parted and sprayed fuel over him and hot engine block. Blindly he reached for electrical switches when a sheet of flame flashed at him and threw him off deck. Within twenty minutes the CO2 system got fire under control, but not before engineers had come on deck, and Jim Havens had badly burned his left forearm.
At 6.53 main power came back on in wireless room and Sparks signalled: "QTA (cancel) SOS fire under control. . /f
Tahiti Appears as Venus Sets
When the great cabin filled with smoke I automatically dashed down and brought the breadfruit on deck. The plant drooped so much with its smoke treatment and lack of sunlight that for a while I had little hope for its survival.
The last entry in my sea journal reads:
3rd December 1960. Noon position: 15°43.5'S. lot., l49044/W. long. Altered course to S. by E.
Breadfruit must sense its nearness to its native land. It looks much better and I think it will survive.
Just before 9 I watched Venus and Jupiter sink into the scud. Suddenly Venus winked out, then reappeared 5 seconds later, curiously yellow7 and steady.
All at once I came to my senses. I was looking at another planet—the lighthouse at the entrance to Matavai Bay.
Tahiti!
And so a Bounty came once more to Tahiti, the green island of dreams. None of the crew left ship, although one did take home a black-haired Tahitian bride.
I signed off the ship's articles and stayed ashore.
Ex I. Answer the following questions:
1. Whom is the story written by?
2. What is the name of the ship the author wanted to sail on?
3. What did the author do on board ship?
4. Where did he sail on the modern Bounty?
5. What was the difference between the two ships of the same name?
6. When did the modern Bounty leave Nova Scotia?
7. What way did she take to the Pacific Ocean?
8. Did the Panama Canal exist in the time of Bligh?
9. What was the speed of the two Bounties?
10. How long does it take at present to get from the Panama Canal to Tahiti?
Ex. II. Translate the following sentences into English:
1. В 1787 году капитан Блай отправился из Англии в Таити на судне «Баунти».
2. Это было небольшое парусное судно.
3. Цель рейса заключалась в том, чтобы привезти хлебное дерево из Полинезии в английские колонии в Западной Индии.
4. Блай хотел обогнуть мыс Горн, но ему не удалось сделать это из-за сильных ветров.
5. Капитану Блай пришлось вести судно к мысу Доброй Надежды.
6. На обратном пути из Таити часть команды подняла мятеж.
7. Капитан Блай и 18 членов его команды были помещены в лодку и пущены по воле волн (set adrift).
8. Они прошли более 4000 миль, прежде чем добрались до Англии через Батавию.
9. В 1957 году автор данной статьи, Льюис Марден, нашел останки старого «Баунти».
10. На новом «Баунти» Льюис Марден совершил рейс в Таити в качестве 3-го помощника капитана.
Вариант
Test paper
I. Give the equivalents of the following expressions:
Выполнять обязанности; быть готовым заменить капитана; предстоит
доставить груз; овладеть иностранным языком; современные
грузообрабатывающие механизмы; укладывать груз.
II. Translate the following sentences into English:
1. Кого вы ожидаете? – Мы ждём нашего старпома.
2. Когда вы прибыли в порт погрузки? – Вчера.
3. Почему вы изменили курс судна? – Нам было приказано.
4. Я ещё не спал вчера, когда мне позвонили.
5. Судно покинет порт, как только прибудет лоцман.
6. Одесский порт посещается многими иностранными судами.
7. Матрос доложил, что старший механик находится в машинном
отделении.
8. Если бы мы начали предсказывать проблемы окружающей среды
раньше, вся планета была бы в значительно лучшей форме.
III. Read the text and translate it in writing:
In February 1806, the Nadezhda and the Neva left Canton homeward bound.
The two ships sailed together up to the coast of Africa, but on passing the Cape of Good Hope they lost each other in a dense fog.
In August 1806, the Nadezhda anchored in Kronstadt. The first Russian cruise round the world, which had lasted three years and twelve days, had ended. The first man to welcome the seamen of the Nadezhda was Lisyanski, who had brought the Neva to Kronstadt two weeks earlier.
The expedition was of great significance for Russia. Important scientific data were obtained and a regular sea route between Kronstadt and Russian America was established.
In honour of the first Russian voyage round the world a medal was issued bearing the inscription: “For participation in the voyage round the world. 1803-1806.”
IV. Answer the following questions in details:
1.What was the route of the Nadezhda and the Neva?
2.How much time did the cruise last?
3.Why was the expedition so significant for Russia?