Of course, everyone believed that such a delay to an otherwise splendid run would only be of short duration, and at first no notice was taken of the incident.
'We'll get a fine breeze directly,' Readyman observed. 'Should it not come, I'm afraid our chance of record-breaking is gone. Anyhow, the Chinamen have been very quiet, and that is the chief thing this voyage.'
'We had nearly three weeks of it coming out,' Jack replied. 'I thought I should never get rid of the prickly heat.'
Two weeks of windless inactivity, with the barque sullenly turning her head toward every point of the horizon, were followed by another of similar experience, and limbs ached under the constant bracing of yards to catch the slightest breath of elusive airs. Still there was no relief, nor the least prospect of immediate alteration of the trying weather. As food and water had only been shipped for a stated period, and such delay was not contemplated at that season of the year, some talk of a reduction of rations was mooted fore and aft.
Against such a procedure the hands, of course, made no complaint, but when the matter had been explained to the interpreter, and by him to the Chinamen down below, they expressed strong opposition, and much impatience at the length of the voyage.
Captain Thorne promptly took the matter in hand, collected all his men abaft the stockade, and then directing the interpreter to call some of the emigrants on deck he demanded a full explanation of their grievances.
'You no gib mensh allee same food plomised at Hong Kong,' the burly spokesman replied. 'We no get 'nough rice. You allee same cheatee Chinaman. We no takee less rice, an' wanshee cook it dun b'low.'
'You will be no worse off than my own men,' the skipper said. 'Should this calm run into a month or six weeks, you'll run a fair chance of having nothing at all. I only wish to be on the safe side. Savvee?'
'You cookee no boil rice allee same China. We wanshee do it allee same plopper.'
'There is not room for you in the galley,' the old man explained. 'You cannot cook in the 'tween deck. When a breeze comes, you shall have plenty of rice.'