横浜市鶴見区に密着した地域型のスワンアカデミー英会話教室。未就園児から大人まで、3人までのグループレッスン、個人レッスン、セミプライベートレッスン、オンラインレッスン

“Let go larboard anchor!” shouted Mason, which was echoed by MacDonald. The large black anchor splashed into the cold dark waters of Baffin Bay followed by the rattle and clank of the flat black linked chain it was attached to. Dunn and Higgins yelled commands to men aloft and on deck. Sails were loosely furled and lines coiled smartly. Due to the tides on the section of coast they were near, the SHY LADY floated quietly two miles offshore as if waiting for the trading post that was in view to make the next move. “Prepare my boat!” shouted Mason, “Mr. Dunn, you and Keelut will accompany me ashore.” “Yes sir,” replied the mate. Mason saw the ship’s cook come out of the galley. “Ed!” called the Captain, “Could you spare that young helper of yours? We might need ‘im ashore.” The cook smiled, “Oh, I reckon I could be without the lad for awhile Captain.” “Good, hurry him up!” “Aye sir.” The cook rushed back into the galley, “Timmy, grab your jacket and cap. You’re a going ashore with the Captain and Mr. Dunn.” “I am?” said the boy excitedly. The old cook nodded, “Yes, yes, now hurry up and get out there.” The boy didn’t need a second urging and tossing his dish rag over a barrel, ran to get his coat and wool cap and within a minute was back standing in the galley. Ed looked him over quickly and re-buttoned the boy’s coat which in haste he had done in a crooked manner. “Ya listens to what the Captain and Mr. Dunn tells ya, Timmy. And don’t says nothing unless you is asked. You let the Captain do the talking.” “Yes, Ed,” said the boy. “And stay away from that damned Keelut.” “Yes, Ed.” “Now get out of here, they’s waiting for ya!” Timmy didn’t need to be told a second time and rushed to the captain’s boat as it was being lowered. Once it was in the water, the cook boy slid down one of the davit lines into the boat and took his place between two oarsmen. The boat pushed off and on Dunn’s command the oars were placed into the water and the men began their stroke. Timmy watched everything with a kind of awe. The first thing that struck him was the quietness of the place, it seemed that with the exception of the barking dogs on the ship and the splash of the oars, there was no sound. It felt strange. The coastline, what he could see of it, was dark with a white background that seemed to stand out, almost glowing if one might use that descriptive word. Dunn stood at the steering oar, looking ahead. Mason sat in the forward sheets, his eye on the distant shore, upon which the cook boy could see small fires burning and what appeared to be a building of sorts but due to the distance and the darkness, it was difficult to make out. Keelut sitting before Timmy in the boat gave him an evil grin. “My home boy, my home,” he said proudly touching his chest. The cook boy just nodded remembering what Ed had told him as well as his mother. Before long he could hear the sound of waves lapping against the shore and two men forward as well as the Captain jumped out and pulled the whaleboat up on the dark pebble shore. As soon as the boat was secure, Mason and Dunn with Timmy trailing behind, made their way to the trading post where a smiling bald man was waiting for them. “Good evening Gentlemen, but it’s always evening this time of year,” he said trying to make a little joke. “What can I do for you?” he said casually, as if strange ships appeared out of nowhere on a regular basis, which the cook boy thought probably wasn’t too far from the truth in this place. “A tot of rum for my boat crew if ya don’t mind and some information,” said Mason, knowing both requests could be easily handled. “That I can do for you, ahh…” “Mason, Captain Mason of the SHY LADY and this is my Second Mate, Mr. Dunn, and,” he gestured towards Timmy, “this is Tim Reiner, our ship’s boy.” “Well, gentlemen, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Lars Johanson, post trader and I bid you welcome.” Johanson called to one of the Eskimo girls who grabbed a bottle of rum and some tin cups and quickly left the cabin. The trader pulled out a bottle from under the counter and set up three glasses. Mason looked at the bottle with approval, Kentucky bourbon. “And what can I get for the boy?” asked Johanson referring to Timmy. “A small mug of beer will sit fine with him, Mr. Johanson,” said Mason. Timmy thanked the Dane who gave him a mug of beer from a keg resting on the counter where the men were standing, and lifted his glass with the others as they drank a toast. After the three men downed their alcohol, the Dane poured them another. “Now Captain, you asked about information. What kind of information might you need?” “What do you know of conditions north?” The Dane shrugged his shoulders, “Well that would depend Captain, how far north?” “Around Melville Bay, maybe Smith Sound, up around that aways,” said Dunn. Johanson laughed. “Well, Melville Bay might be alright gentlemen, might be. But I can’t speak for Smith Sound and if you’re agoing there, you’re maybe thinking Kane Basin, ja?” “Maybe,” said Mason. “Well, your headin’ up late season, are ya not?” “That’s our business,” said Mason. The trader held up his hands. “That it is Captain and I’ll ask no more about it. As is, I hear that Kane Basin is solid, if a warm spring comes on fast you might have some trouble. Is there anything else I might be able to help you with?” “Dunn?” said Mason turning to his second mate. Dunn looked at the trader, “We’re gonna need some Eskimo help. I saw some outside would they be willing to travel with the ship?” Johanson shrugged his shoulders, “That depends, maybe.” “Who’s their leader?” asked Dunn. The Dane smiled and shook his head, “You’re new here, and we have a certain way of doing business in these parts, you see…” “Who’s their leader?” asked Dunn again. There was something in Dunn’s voice that made the trader nervous and the way this Mason was staring at him, he was beginning to feel uncomfortable. “He’s called Peter he’s got maybe 50 people in his band, some of ‘em went to work with the other whale ships but most stayed with ‘im.” “They got dogs?” asked Dunn “Ja,” said Johanson nodding his head and wondering why the hell whalemen would be so interested in that, “they got dogs.” “Bring him to us,” said Mason, helping himself to another drink. “Oh, of course, in the morning, I’d…” “Now,” said the whaling captain. Dunn smiled. “There ain’t no morning in this place, ya said it yourself, now is as good a time as any. Go get this Peter we want to talk to him.” Johanson knew it was pointless to argue, he was beginning to wonder who he disliked more, the Eskimos or the whalemen. The trader sent another girl to find Peter. As they waited Timmy could feel the tension in the room and he was beginning to understand, really understand, the kind of men Mason, MacDonald, Dunn and Higgins were or had to be to live the type of life they lead. There were preachers and shopkeepers and then there were whalemen. Both the captain and the mate stood by with serious expressions on their faces. The wonders and strangeness of this place, new to the eyes of the cook boy were just passing pictures to the men he was with. To them this was business. It must have been about fifteen minutes later, maybe longer before the door opened and a well built Eskimo entered with a woman whose face was scarred on the left side. Upon entering the building and seeing the whalemen, the girl had a sudden intake of breath and her eyes opened wide as if she recognized them. Mason and Dunn looked at each other, surprised by her reaction but said nothing. The two Inuit spoke quickly to each other in hushed tones with darting glances at the men. There was a certain urgency and…relief, if that word could be used in their speech. The man spoke, “I am Peter and this is my sister, Ahnah. Your ship?” he asked pointing. “Aye, that’s my ship, I’m Mason.” Ahnah spoke to her brother. Dunn listened, a bit perplexed and spoke to Mason. “She says she’s seen us before Captain and our ship.” “I haven’t been up here in years and never with the SHY LADY.” “Nor I Captain,” said Dunn in agreement, “but still she says she saw us before.” Dunn listened as she continued to speak. “Strange Captain, she’s asking about MacDonald.” “Aesop? What the hell for?” asked Mason. “I’m sure I don’t know sir.” Peter turned toward the whalemen, “Is there a black man with you, a night man?” Mason nodded, “Yes, we have a black man on board, the ship’s first mate, MacDonald, why?” This seemed to act as some form of confirmation and the girl nodded her head. “When do we leave Mason?” asked Peter. Dunn was surprised, “Christ, that was easy!” Mason was as perplexed as his second mate. “You don’t even know where we’re going or what we’re going to do.” The two Eskimos just smiled happily as if they had won some sort of prize at the circus and replied in their native tongue which Dunn translated. “To put it simply, it don’t matter Captain. We’re the ones they’ve been waiting for, whatever that means sir.” “Very well Mr. Dunn, we’ll make arrangements in the morning.” Mason turned toward the post trader. “Thank you for your hospitality Mr. Johanson, my men will return tomorrow.” Dunn told Peter they would return the next day, and with that the two whalemen and the cook boy left the cabin, their initial business completed. They arrived on the gravel beach, when Mason suddenly noticed something. “Where’s Keelut?” he asked. “I haven’t seen him since we came ashore, sir,” said Dunn. “Aye sir,” said Richard Walker, the boat steerer. “As soon as the boat was grounded, he took off sir.” “You want me to see if I can find him Captain?” asked Timmy shyly, hoping he could make some contribution. Mason smiled and clapped the boy on the shoulder, “No, I don’t think so Timmy, you wouldn’t be able to find him lessen’ he wanted you too. Thanks for the offer though.” “Well, if ya ask me, I say good riddance to the son of a bitch,” said Walker. “Don’t think we’ll see him again.” Dunn looked about him and shook his head. “I wouldn’t be so sure of that,” he said. “That bastard is one bad penny.” With nothing more to say the men climbed into the boat and returned to the ship. The next “day” was a different picture on the gravel beach and aboard the SHY LADY. Whale boats and umiaks traveled back and forth in the darkness carrying sleds, equipment, people and food. To settle with Johanson, Mason bought 10 gallons of rum and two barrels of beer. It wasn’t much but it shut the Dane up and allowed the whalemen to do their work. There was no sign of Keelut but that wasn’t surprising. A sled and a team of dogs were missing, it wasn’t hard to figure out who might of taken it. A search was made but shifting winds and fresh snow prevented the dogs and sled from being found. Keelut was gone and nobody knew where he might be or what mischief he might be up to. Hollister took notes on everything he saw, the smells the sounds everything associated with the newcomers who now walked upon the decks of the SHY LADY. He was amused by their amazement of simple ordinary things that Hollister and the crew gave little thought of, blocks and tackles, the helm, the canvass sails which pushed the ship through the world’s oceans and the lines associated with them, Ed’s galley and the hold of the ship. And though many of the men had worked on and around whale ships in the past, to the Inuit women and children these were manmade wonders only seen from a distance and they were in awe of what they saw. MacDonald looked at the deck and shook his head. “Christ, what a mess!” he said to himself. They were carrying fifty extra people, men, women and children, sleds, skins, dogs, tents, harpoons and guns. Well, at least he didn’t have to worry about them they were Dunn’s concern for the most part. Still the ship was beginning to look more like a city tenement than a New Bedford whaler. McKee the carpenter was busy building extra pens and cursing up a storm for anyone that cared to listen, damning Dunn, the Eskimos, the dogs or Mason, it didn’t matter. Higgins was busy bringing up the barrels of alcohol on deck and securing them in a safe place as well as airing out the hold so their guests would have some shelter from the elements as the ship made its transit. Much to the relief of the whalemen, the Eskimos weren’t particular about their quarters and found the hold quite to their satisfaction as long as they could go on deck when they wished. Dunn made arrangements for their women to take their turns cooking in the galley. It meant that Ed had only half the cooking space, but it was only for a short time so the old cook accepted it without complaint like he did with most things. After six hours, they pulled the last umiak aboard and amongst the clutter found a place to secure it, to say the SHY LADY was a sight was an understatement that was for sure. “Mr. MacDonald,” said Mason surveying the deck of his beautiful ship with some annoyance. “Let’s get ready to get underway we’ll clean up as we go. Mr. Dunn, please bring Peter and Ahnah to my cabin.” “Aye sir,” replied both men. Mason walked across the deck passing through laughing Eskimos, crying babies, swearing sailors and barking dogs. The SHY LADY was becoming quiet the menagerie of living things and their associated material items. Seeing Timmy, he told him he wanted the ship’s steward Alfred Burger to report to his cabin. Enter his private sanctuary, he took off his peacoat and tossed it on his bunk. His hands in the small of his back, he arched and felt it crack, which made him feel a little better, if the years were catching up with him maybe that was a sign. Who really knows about such things? There was a knock on his cabin door. “Yes?” said Mason. The door opened and Dunn entered, followed by Peter, Ahnah and the steward Alfred Burger. “Please, be seated. Mr. Dunn, I want you to stay. Burger, see if Ed has any tea and biscuits for our guests.” “I think he’s got some coffee, Captain,” said the steward. Dunn cleared his throat and Mason sighed, “I think tea will be fine, Burger.” “Yes sir,” said the steward, who left for the galley. “You’ve come aboard quickly and I’m grateful for that. I don’t think it will take long for your people to settle in. If you have any problems, please see Mr. Dunn or Mr. Higgins,” said Mason, Dunn translated. “Now, as to your payment, you haven’t asked for much to help us, but I want to make sure were square on that account. I also want to make clear what we want you to help us do on this voyage.” Mason pulled out a list and began to read out the items they had agreed on, upon completion of what was required of them. “Six rifles with 50 rounds ammunition, each. 15 knives, 2 bone saws, 2 meat cleavers, 10 pounds of tobacco, 200 matches, 25 wool blankets, 5 mirrors, 3 iron harpoons, 6 iron lances, 30 pounds of coffee, three coffee pots, 8 iron skillets, 1 box of tea, 4 lanterns, 16 green knitted wool caps, 16 pairs of knitted wool mittens, 3 tea kettles, 20 tin plates and 25 tin cups.” Mason finished reading off the list and asked if it met with Peter’s satisfaction. Peter nodded his head and made his mark on the paper, which Mason dully signed in agreement as Dunn witnessed. They had more to trade of course but it would be foolish to agree to give them everything at once. Leaving a little back would give the natives some incentive if things became slack. There was a knock on the door and Burger came in carrying a tray of tea and ship’s biscuit, which the Inuit thought a treat, along with some butter and jam. After pouring the tea, the steward was dismissed and Mason turned to ask Peter and Ahnah some questions. “When we first met, your sister acted as if she’d seen us before, and you said we were the ones you were waiting for. What did you mean?” Dunn translated the question and listened to Peter’s answer. “Ahnah has seen us in dreams, Captain. For many years she knew we were coming.” “How?” asked Mason. “We didn’t even know we were coming until last year.” Dunn shrugged his shoulders, “I don’t know how to rightly explain it Captain. You see, Ahnah is what they call Angakkug, kind of a cross between a witch and a fortune teller, if you will.” “That’s reassuring Isaac,” said Mason. “Two hundred years ago they were burning witches in New England.” Ahnah spoke, pointing to the two men and pointing above. Dunn cocked his head to the side and asked her a few questions before turning back to Mason. “She has dreamed of you, me and Aesop for many years that’s why they asked about Aesop when they first saw you and me Captain, I guess it proved we were the ones they was waitin’ for.” “What did she see in her dreams?” asked Mason, his curiosity pulling him in closer, trying to understand these things that were strange to him. Dunn referred the question to the scarred Inuit girl who had everything stored in her head and quickly answered. “She saw me on a black ship with smoke and it was sinking, I was in the water and people were shooting at me,” said Dunn. “The TECUMSEH?” asked Mason. Dunn nodded his head, “Near as I can figure sir, she also says she saw me and Aesop on a dying ship in the cold that took all except two men. That could only be the SPIDER, Captain.” “Strange,” said Mason. “How the hell could she know these things?” “I don’t know Captain, she just does. She says she saw a young boy on her father’s ship as it was going down, and that boy lived and grew to be a man, to be here now.” “What was the name of her father’s ship?” asked the Master of the SHY LADY. Dunn rattled off the question, which Peter answered. “NORTH STAR.” Mason closed his eyes and nodded his head, “Yes, the NORTH STAR. She went down in the Java Sea, 1863.” Dunn looked at Mason. “You were aboard the NORTH STAR?” Mason nodded. “I thought she was lost with all hands?” said Dunn. “Not all hands,” said Mason. “I survived. What was your father’s name?” “Lambert,” said Peter, “Nathan Lambert.” “Master of the NORTH STAR,” said Mason. “You knew our father?” asked Ahnah, with Dunn interpreting. Mason nodded his head, gave a sad smile and then clarified his meaning. “I can’t really claim to have known him, but I did meet him.” “Was he a good captain?” asked Peter. “Did his men respect him?” “From my short time around him, I believe he was a good captain,” said Mason. “And yes, he was a respected and honorable man.” His comment brought smiles to Peter and Ahnah. They had never met anyone other than their mother who had ever met their father and they were happy for the things he said. “We’ll talk again later. Isaac, please see that Peter and Ahnah as well as their people are taken care of.” “Yes Captain.” There was a knock on the cabin door, “Yes?” called the captain. The door opened and MacDonald entered. “We’re under sail Captain and the first watch is set.” “Thank you, Aesop.” “And Captain,” began the mate. “One of our charts is missing and a long glass.” “And I think I know who took it,” said Dunn. Mason nodded his head. It was the first person to come to mind. “Keelut.” At hearing the Eskimo’s name Ahnah and Peter jerked their heads towards the captain and Ahnah spoke, the meaning of her words quite clear even to those who were unfamiliar with the language. “With Keelut, there is only trouble,” translated Dunn. “Hell, we already know that Isaac,” said MacDonald. With that Mason was left alone in his cabin and his thoughts. Once on deck, Dunn showed the girl to the hold where her mother and some of the other woman and children were waiting, Peter and most of the men were on deck watching the ship’s sailing with extreme interest. The hold wasn’t arranged too badly for their guests, the sailors made it as comfortable as they could, insulating areas with straw and wood planking where they might. “Thank you Dunn,” said Ahnah a bit shyly. She was not used to being around other men, since… “It’s…my pleasure…Ahnah,” said Dunn a bit awkwardly. It was ridiculous he knew but there was something about this girl that made him feel like a tongue tied school boy. “If you need anything, please, ahh…please don’t hesitate to ask.” His words caused the Eskimo girl to smile, and he left somewhat embarrassed for he was sure he had some duty or another to attend to. MacDonald saw Dunn come up from the hold, looking a little flushed. “Hey Isaac, you ok?” “Uhmm, yeah, Aesop…I’m fine.” “They all settled down in the hold?” “Yeah, I think they’re ok down there.” “Why don’t you get some rest Isaac, you got the watch after Danny,” said MacDonald. Dunn nodded his head, “Yeah, I think I’ll do that, thanks Aesop.” And he went to his cabin, a little rest would do him good.