The Bird of Dawning [antikvár]

THE BIRD OF DAWNING Nearly seventy years ago, Cruiser Trewsbury, the second mate of the homeward-bound China clipper, Blackgauntlet, was keeping the first watch in a September evening in the extremest Northern verge of the North East Trades. His Christian name was Cyril, but he had been nicknamed "Cruiser" while on the Conway, and the name had followed him about the seas. He was a compact, forceful young man of nearly twenty-two, in his seventh year at sea. He stood about five feet eight and weighed twelve stone seven. He had a frank, friendly, good-humoured face, broad and smiling, with very quick brown eyes. The face was somewhat pale, under its wind-tan, and kept cleanshaven: his hair was brown. He was an excellent sailor and shipmate; he had a fairly good tenor voice; he had made it a rule to learn a new language on each round voyage; and had written but had not published a little manual on Compass Deviation. But his great delight and interest was the painting of sailing ships in all possible positions and situations. His ambition was to "pass for Master" on his return to England, give up the sea, go to an art-school in Paris and become a painter. Though he was the second mate of one of the first flight of the China clippers, a ship of exceeding