Pal Naomi posted this to me on facebook and it’s WAY too good to let it slip away. Thanks!
Jack was copying his rough notes into the log book, and when he came to this triumphant entry he smiled. He was tempted to embellish it with an epithet or two – to add something about the feeble screech by way of a cheer when the gain of the first clear foot was reported – to describe the extraordinary change of spirit, the flood of new strength that sent the winches flying round, so that from having to encourage, threaten, beat or even cajole the exhausted hands, their officers had to restrain their zeal, for fear that the pump-chains would break or choke once again – to speak of the Christmas dinner (fresh pork and double plum-duff) eaten with such merriment in relays. But he knew that even if he could find words to describe this change, a log-book was not the place for them, and he contented himself with drawing a small pointing hand in the margin. –Desolation Island, Patrick O’Brian
