Chapter III
A Description of Hispaniola.
Also a Relation of the French Buccaneers.
THE large and rich island called Hispaniola is situate from 17 degrees to 19 degrees latitude; the circumference is 300 leagues; the extent from east to west 120; its breadth almost 50, being broader or narrower at certain places. This island was first discovered by Christopher Columbus, a.d. 1492; he being sent for this purpose by Ferdinand, king of Spain; from which time to this present the Spaniards have been continually possessors thereof. There are upon this island very good and strong cities, towns, and hamlets, as well as a great number of pleasant country houses and plantations, the effects of the care and industry of the Spaniards its inhabitants.
The chief city and metropolis hereof is Santo Domingo; being dedicated to St. Dominic, from whom it derives its name. It is situate towards the south, and affords a most excellent prospect; the country round about being embellished with innumerable rich plantations, as also verdant meadows and fruitful gardens; all which produce plenty and variety of excellent pleasant fruits, according to the nature of those countries. The governor of the island resides in this city, which is, as it were, the storehouse of all the cities, towns, and villages, which hence export and provide themselves with all necessaries for human life; and yet hath it this particularity above many other cities, that it entertains no commerce with any nation but its own, the Spaniards. The greatest part of the inhabitants are rich and substantial merchants or shopkeepers.
Another city of this island is San Jago, or St. James, being consecrated to that apostle. This is an open place, without walls or castle, situate in 19 deg. latitude. The inhabitants are generally hunters and planters, the adjacent territory and soil being very proper for the said exercises: the city is surrounded with large and delicious fields, as much pleasing to the view as those of Santo Domingo; and these abound with beasts both wild and tame, yielding vast numbers of skins and hides, very profitable to the owners.
In the south part of this island is another city, called Nuestra Sennora de Alta Gracia. This territory produces great quantities of cacao, whereof the inhabitants make great store of the richest chocolate. Here grows also ginger and tobacco, and much tallow is made of the beasts which are hereabouts hunted.
The inhabitants of this beautiful island of Hispaniola often resort in their canoes to the isle of Savona, not far distant, where is their chief fishery, especially of tortoises. Hither those fish constantly resort in great multitudes, at certain seasons, there to lay their eggs, burying them in the sands of the shoal, where, by the heat of the sun, which in those parts is very ardent, they are hatched. This island of Savona has little or nothing that is worthy consideration, being so very barren by reason of its sandy soil. True it is, that here grows some small quantity of lignum sanctum, or guaiacum, of whose use we say something in another place.
Westward of Santo Domingo is another great village called El Pueblo de Aso, or the town of Aso: the inhabitants thereof drive great traffic with those of another village, in the very middle of the island, and is called San Juan de Goave, or St. John of Goave. This is environed with a magnificent prospect of gardens, woods, and meadows. Its territory extends above twenty leagues in length, and grazes a great number of wild bulls and cows. In this village scarce dwell any others than hunters and butchers, who flay the beasts that are killed. These are for the most part a mongrel sort of people; some of which are born of white European people and negroes, and called mulattoes: others of Indians and white people, and termed mesticos: but others come of negroes and Indians, and are called alcatraces. From the said village are exported yearly vast quantities of tallow and hides, they exercising no other traffic: for as to the lands in this place, they are not cultivated, by reason of the excessive dryness of the soil. These are the chiefest places that the Spaniards possess in this island, from the Cape of Lobos towards St. John de Goave, unto the Cape of Samana nigh the sea, on the north side, and from the eastern part towards the sea, called Punta de Espada. All the rest of the island is possessed by the French, who are also planters and hunters.
This island hath very good ports for ships, from the Cape of Lobos to the Cape of Tiburon, on the west side thereof. In this space there are no less than four ports, exceeding in goodness, largeness, and security, even the very best of England. Besides these, from the Cape of Tiburon to the Cape of Donna Maria, there are two very excellent ports; and from this cape to the Cape of St. Nicholas, there are no less than twelve others. Every one of these ports hath also the confluence of two or three good rivers, in which are great plenty of several sorts of fish very pleasing to the palate. The country hereabouts is well watered with large and deep rivers and brooks, so that this part of the land may easily be cultivated without any great fear of droughts, because of these excellent streams. The sea-coasts and shores are also very pleasant, to which the tortoises resort in large numbers to lay their eggs.
This island was formerly very well peopled, on the north side, with many towns and villages; but these, being ruined by the Hollanders, were at last, for the greatest part, deserted by the Spaniards.
The spacious fields of this island commonly are five or six leagues in length, the beauty whereof is so pleasing to the eye, that, together with the great variety of their natural productions, they captivate the senses of the beholder. For here at once they not only with diversity of objects recreate the sight, but with many of the same do also please the smell, and with most contribute delights to the taste; also they flatter and excite the appetite, especially with the multitudes of oranges and lemons here growing, both sweet and sour, and those that participate of both tastes, and are only pleasantly tartish. Besides here abundantly grow several sorts of fruit, such are citrons, toronjas, and limas; in English not improperly called crab lemons.
Beside the fruit which this island produces, whose plenty, as is said, surpasses all the islands of America; it abounds also with all sorts of quadrupeds, as horses, bulls, cows, wild boars, and others, very useful to mankind, not only for food, but for cultivating the ground, and the management of commerce.
Here are vast numbers of wild dogs: these destroy yearly many cattle; for no sooner hath a cow calved, or a mare foaled, but these wild mastiffs devour the young, if they find not resistance from keepers and domestic dogs. They run up and down the woods and fields, commonly fifty, threescore, or more, together; being withal so fierce, that they will often assault an entire herd of wild boars, not ceasing to worry them till they have fetched down two or three. One day a French buccaneer showed me a strange action of this kind: being in the fields a-hunting together, we heard a great noise of dogs which has surrounded a wild boar: having tame dogs with us, we left them to the custody of our servants, being desirous to see the sport. Hence my companion and I climbed up two several trees, both for security and prospect. The wild boar, all alone, stood against a tree, defending himself with his tusks from a great number of dogs that enclosed him; killed with his teeth, and wounded several of them. This bloody fight continued about an hour; the wild boar, meanwhile, attempting many times to escape. At last flying, one dog, leaping upon his back, fastened on his throat. The rest of the dogs, perceiving the courage of their companion, fastened likewise on the boar, and presently killed him. This done, all of them, the first only excepted, laid themselves down upon the ground about the prey, and there peaceably continued, till he, the first and most courageous of the troop, had ate as much as he could: when this dog had left off, all the rest fell in to take their share, till nothing was left. What ought we to infer from this notable action, performed by wild animals, but this: that even beasts themselves are not destitute of knowledge, and that they give us documents how to honour such as have deserved well; even since these irrational animals did reverence and respect him that exposed his life to the greatest danger against the common enemy?
The governor of Tortuga, Monsieur Ogeron, finding that the wild dogs killed so many of the wild boars, that the hunters of that island had much ado to find any; fearing lest that common substance of the island should fail, sent for a great quantity of poison from France to destroy the wild mastiffs: this was done, a.d. 1668, by commanding horses to be killed, and empoisoned, and laid open at certain places where the wild dogs used to resort. This being continued for six months, there were killed an incredible number; and yet all this could not exterminate and destroy the race, or scarce diminish them; their number appearing almost as large as before. These wild dogs are easily tamed among men, even as tame as ordinary house dogs. The hunters of those parts, whenever they find a wild bitch with whelps, commonly take away the puppies, and bring them home; which being grown up, they hunt much better than other dogs.
But here the curious reader may perhaps inquire how so many wild dogs came here. The occasion was, the Spaniards having possessed these isles, found them peopled with Indians, a barbarous people, sensual and brutish, hating all labour, and only inclined to killing, and making war against their neighbours; not out of ambition, but only because they agreed not with themselves in some common terms of language; and perceiving the dominion of the Spaniards laid great restrictions upon their lazy and brutish customs, they conceived an irreconcilable hatred against them; but especially because they saw them take possession of their kingdoms and dominions. Hereupon, they made against them all the resistance they could, opposing everywhere their designs to the utmost: and the Spaniards finding themselves cruelly hated by the Indians, and nowhere secure from their treacheries, resolved to extirpate and ruin them, since they could neither tame them by civility, nor conquer them with the sword. But the Indians, it being their custom to make the woods their chief places of defence, at present made these their refuge, whenever they fled from the Spaniards. Hereupon, those first conquerors of the New World made use of dogs to range and search the intricatest thickets of woods and forests for those their implacable and unconquerable enemies: thus they forced them to leave their old refuge, and submit to the sword, seeing no milder usage would do it; hereupon they killed some of them, and quartering their bodies, placed them in the highways, that others might take warning from such a punishment; but this severity proved of ill consequence, for instead of fighting them and reducing them to civility, they conceived such horror of the Spaniards, that they resolved to detest and fly their sight for ever; hence the greatest part died in caves and subterraneous places of the woods and mountains, in which places I myself have often seen great numbers of human bones. The Spaniards finding no more Indians to appear about the woods, turned away a great number of dogs they had in their houses, and they finding no masters to keep them, betook themselves to the woods and fields to hunt for food to preserve their lives; thus by degrees they became unacquainted with houses, and grew wild. This is the truest account I can give of the multitudes of wild dogs in these parts.
But besides these wild mastiffs, here are also great numbers of wild horses everywhere all over the island: they are but low of stature, short bodied, with great heads, long necks, and big or thick legs: in a word, they have nothing handsome in their shape. They run up and down commonly in troops of two or three hundred together, one going always before to lead the multitude: when they meet any person travelling through the woods or fields, they stand still, suffering him to approach till he can almost touch them: and then suddenly starting, they betake themselves to flight, running away as fast as they can. The hunters catch them only for their skins, though sometimes they preserve their flesh likewise, which they harden with smoke, using it for provisions when they go to sea.
Here would be also wild bulls and cows in great number, if by continual hunting they were not much diminished; yet considerable profit is made to this day by such as make it their business to kill them. The wild bulls are of a vast bigness of body, and yet they hurt not any one except they be exasperated. Their hides are from eleven to thirteen feet long.
It is now time to speak of the French who inhabit great part of this island. We have already told how they came first into these parts: we shall now only describe their manner of living, customs, and ordinary employments. The callings or professions they follow are generally but three, either to hunt or plant, or else to rove the seas as pirates. It is a constant custom among them all, to seek out a comrade or companion, whom we may call partner in their fortunes, with whom they join the whole stock of what they possess towards a common gain. This is done by articles agreed to, and reciprocally signed. Some constitute their surviving companion absolute heir to what is left by the death of the first: others, if they be married, leave their estates to their wives and children; others, to other relations. This done, every one applies himself to his calling, which is always one of the three afore-mentioned.
The hunters are again subdivided into two sorts; for some of these only hunt wild bulls and cows, others only wild boars. The first of these are called bucaniers, and not long ago were about six hundred on this island, but now they are reckoned about three hundred. The cause has been the great decrease of wild cattle, which has been such, that, far from getting, they now are but poor in their trade. When the bucaniers go into the woods to hunt for wild bulls and cows, they commonly remain there a twelvemonth or two years, without returning home. After the hunt is over, and the spoil divided, they commonly sail to Tortuga, to provide themselves with guns, powder, and shot, and other necessaries for another expedition; the rest of their gains they spend prodigally, giving themselves to all manner of vices and debauchery, particularly to drunkenness, which they practise mostly with brandy: this they drink as liberally as the Spaniards do water. Sometimes they buy together a pipe of wine; this they stave at one end, and never cease drinking till it is out. Thus sottishly they live till they have no money left. The said bucaniers are very cruel and tyrannical to their servants, so that commonly they had rather be galley-slaves, or saw Brazil wood in the rasphouses of Holland, than serve such barbarous masters.
The second sort hunt nothing but wild boars; the flesh of these they salt, and sell it so to the planters. These hunters have the same vicious customs, and are as much addicted to debauchery as the former; but their manner of hunting is different from that in Europe; for these bucaniers have certain places designed for hunting, where they live for three or four months, and sometimes a whole year. Such places are called deza boulan; and in these, with only the company of five or six friends, they continue all the said time in mutual friendship. The first bucaniers many times agree with planters to furnish them with meat all the year at a certain price: the payment hereof is often made with two or three hundredweight of tobacco in the leaf; but the planters commonly into the bargain furnish them with a servant, whom they send to help. To the servant they afford sufficient necessaries for the purpose, especially of powder and shot to hunt withal.
The planters here have but very few slaves; for want of which, themselves and their servants are constrained to do all the drudgery. These servants commonly bind themselves to their masters for three years; but their masters, having no consciences, often traffic with their bodies, as with horses at a fair, selling them to other masters as they sell negroes. Yea, to advance this trade, some persons go purposely into France (and likewise to England, and other countries) to pick up young men or boys, whom they inveigle and transport; and having once got them into these islands, they work them like horses, the toil imposed on them being much harder than what they enjoin the negroes, their slaves; for these they endeavour to preserve, being their perpetual bondmen: but for their white servants, they care not whether they live or die, seeing they are to serve them no longer than three years. These miserable kidnapped people are frequently subject to a disease, which in these parts is called coma, being a total privation of their senses. This distemper is judged to proceed from their hard usage, and the change of their native climate; and there being often among these some of good quality, tender education, and soft constitutions, they are more easily seized with this disease, and others of those countries, than those of harder bodies, and laborious lives. Beside the hard usage in their diet, apparel, and rest, many times they beat them so cruelly, that they fall down dead under the hands of their cruel masters. This I have often seen with great grief. Of the many instances, I shall only give you the following history, it being remarkable in its circumstances.
A certain planter of these countries exercised such cruelty towards one of his servants, as caused him to run away. Having absconded, for some days, in the woods, at last he was taken, and brought back to the wicked Pharaoh. No sooner had he got him, but he commanded him to be tied to a tree; here he gave him so many lashes on his naked back, as made his body run with an entire stream of blood; then, to make the smart of his wounds the greater, he anointed him with lemon-juice, mixed with salt and pepper. In this miserable posture he left him tied to the tree for twenty-four hours, which being past, he began his punishment again, lashing him, as before, so cruelly, that the miserable wretch gave up the ghost, with these dying words: "I beseech the Almighty God, creator of heaven and earth, that he permit the wicked spirit to make thee feel as many torments before thy death, as thou hast caused me to feel before mine." A strange thing, and worthy of astonishment and admiration! Scarce three or four days were past, after this horrible fact, when the Almighty Judge, who had heard the cries of the tormented wretch, suffered the evil one suddenly to possess this barbarous and inhuman homicide, so that those cruel hands which had punished to death his innocent servant, were the tormentors of his own body: for he beat himself and tore his flesh, after a miserable manner, till he lost the very shape of a man; not ceasing to howl and cry, without any rest by day or night. Thus he continued raving mad, till he died. Many other examples of this kind I could rehearse; but these not belonging to our present discourse, I omit them.
The planters of the Caribbee islands are rather worse, and more cruel to their servants, than the former. In the isle of St. Christopher dwells one named Bettesa, well known to the Dutch merchants, who has killed above a hundred of his servants with blows and stripes. The English do the same with their servants; and the mildest cruelty they exercise towards them is, that when they have served six years of their time (they being bound among the English for seven) they use them so cruelly, as to force them to beg of their masters to sell them to others, though it be to begin another servitude of seven years, or at least three or four. And I have known many, who have thus served fifteen or twenty years, before they could obtain their freedom. Another law, very rigorous in that nation, is, if any man owes another above twenty-five shillings English, if he cannot pay it, he is liable to be sold for six or eight months. Not to trouble the reader any longer with relations of this kind, I shall now describe the famous actions and exploits of the greatest pirates of my time, during my residence in those parts: these I shall relate without the least passion or partiality, and assure my reader that I shall give him no stories upon trust, or hearsay, but only those enterprises to which I was myself an eye-witness.
Chapter VII
The voyage of the Beagle. Chapter VII. Buenos Ayres and St. Fe
Excursion to St. Fe Thistle Beds Habits of the Bizcacha Little Owl Saline Streams Level Plain Mastodon St. Fe Change in Landscape Geology Tooth of extinct Horse Relation of the Fossil and recent Quadrupeds of North and South America Effects of a great Drought Parana Habits of the Jaguar Scissor-beak Kingfisher, Parrot, and Scissor-tail Revolution Buenos Ayres State of Government SEPTEMBER 27th.—In the evening I set out on an excursion to St. Fe, which is situated nearly three hundred English miles from Buenos Ayres, on the banks of the Parana. The roads in the neighbourhood of the city after the rainy weather, were extraordinarily bad. I should never have thought it possible for a bullock waggon to have crawled along: as it was, they scarcely went at the rate of a mile an hour, and a man was kept ahead, to survey the best line for making the attempt. The bullocks were terribly jaded: it is a great mistake to suppose that with improved roads, and an accelerated rate of travelling, the sufferings of the animals increase in the same proportion. We passed a train of waggons and a troop of beasts on their road to Mendoza. The distance is about 580 geographical miles, and the journey is generally performed in fifty days. These waggons are very long, narrow, and thatched with reeds; they have only two wheels, the diameter of which in some cases is as much as ten feet.
II. Новая страда
Побег из ГУЛАГа. Часть 1. II. Новая страда
Пришла зима. Голод становился все злее. Недоедание и сама недоступность еды создавали своеобразное сочетание слабости и равнодушия. Трудно было сказать, обедали мы или нет, потому что сыты мы никогда не были. Обед, который приходилось брать из «общественной столовой», состоял из жидкого супа — вода с пшенной крупой, который назывался «пша», и редко куска ржавой селедки или воблы. Если б это было возможно, я, кажется, совсем перестала бы есть, настолько это было отвратительно. Весной у нас в училище не было выпуска: оба старших класса ушли по набору в Красную Армию. Я осталась почти без работы, потому что маленьких учить никогда не умела. С осени же предполагалась такая перестройка школ, с которой трудно было согласиться и которая до сих пор не нашла сколько-нибудь устойчивой формы. В этот момент усталости и огорчений, потому что за девять лет педагогической работы я была искренне ею увлечена, мы переехали на лето в Павловск. Там было отделение Агрономического института, снабжавшего нашего мальчишку молоком, которое и летом надо было отрабатывать. Павловск — это необыкновенное место. Ведь Петербург окружен запущенными, болотистыми, убогими огородами и полосами ярко-желтой сорной сурепки. Как оазисы, разбросаны среди них великолепные, искусственно созданные парки царских резиденций.
Chapter XIX
The voyage of the Beagle. Chapter XIX. Australia
Sydney Excursion to Bathurst Aspect of the Woods Party of Natives Gradual Extinction of the Aborigines Infection generated by associated Men in health Blue Mountains View of the grand gulf-like Valleys Their origin and formation Bathurst, general civility of the Lower Orders State of Society Van Diemen's Land Hobart Town Aborigines all banished Mount Wellington King George's Sound Cheerless Aspect of the Country Bald Head, calcareous casts of branches of Trees Party of Natives Leave Australia JANUARY 12th, 1836.—Early in the morning a light air carried us towards the entrance of Port Jackson. Instead of beholding a verdant country, interspersed with fine houses, a straight line of yellowish cliff brought to our minds the coast of Patagonia. A solitary lighthouse, built of white stone, alone told us that we were near a great and populous city. Having entered the harbour, it appears fine and spacious, with cliff-formed shores of horizontally stratified sandstone. The nearly level country is covered with thin scrubby trees, bespeaking the curse of sterility. Proceeding further inland, the country improves: beautiful villas and nice cottages are here and there scattered along the beach. In the distance stone houses, two and three stories high, and windmills standing on the edge of a bank, pointed out to us the neighbourhood of the capital of Australia. At last we anchored within Sydney Cove. We found the little basin occupied by many large ships, and surrounded by warehouses.
Chapter XIII
The pirates of Panama or The buccaneers of America : Chapter XIII
Captain Morgan goes to Hispaniola to equip a new fleet, with intent to pillage again on the coast of the West Indies. CAPTAIN MORGAN perceived now that Fortune favoured him, by giving success to all his enterprises, which occasioned him, as is usual in human affairs, to aspire to greater things, trusting she would always be constant to him. Such was the burning of Panama, wherein Fortune failed not to assist him, as she had done before, though she had led him thereto through a thousand difficulties. The history hereof I shall now relate, being so remarkable in all its circumstances, as peradventure nothing more deserving memory will be read by future ages. Captain Morgan arriving at Jamaica, found many of his officers and soldiers reduced to their former indigency, by their vices and debaucheries. Hence they perpetually importuned him for new exploits. Captain Morgan, willing to follow Fortune's call, stopped the mouths of many inhabitants of Jamaica, who were creditors to his men for large sums, with the hopes and promises of greater achievements than ever, by a new expedition. This done, he could easily levy men for any enterprise, his name being so famous through all those islands as that alone would readily bring him in more men than he could well employ. He undertook therefore to equip a new fleet, for which he assigned the south side of Tortuga as a place of rendezvous, writing letters to all the expert pirates there inhabiting, as also to the governor, and to the planters and hunters of Hispaniola, informing them of his intentions, and desiring their appearance, if they intended to go with him.
7. Когда же туристы ставили палатку на склоне Холат-Сяхыл?
Перевал Дятлова. Смерть, идущая по следу... 7. Когда же туристы ставили палатку на склоне Холат-Сяхыл?
Какова была официальная (т.е. следствия) точка зрения на события, связанные с гибелью группы Дятлова, к середине марта 1959 г.? На основании изучения следов группы в районе лабаза (обнаруженного, напомним, 2 марта 1959 г.), дневников членов группы, найденных в палатке (Дорошенко, Дятлова, Колмогоровой, Кривонищенко и Тибо-Бриньоля) считалось доказанным, что 31 января 1959 г. группа вышла к подножию Холат-Сяхыл и даже сделала попытку подняться по склону. Сильный ветер заставил туристов вернуться к реке Ауспия и стать на ночлег в лесу перед горой. Ночь на 1 февраля прошла благополучно, группа встала поздно, хорошо отдохнувшей. Некоторое время после подъёма ушло на подготовку и приём пищи, после чего туристы приступили к устройству лабаза. Выдвижение из долины Ауспии вверх по склону Холат-Сяхыл последовало примерно в 15 часов, т.е. довольно поздно, принимая во внимание малую продолжительность светового дня. Заход Солнца 1 февраля д.б. последовать, согласно календарю, в 17:02. В фотоаппаратах членов группы, найденных в палатке, были обнаружены кадры, сделанные в условиях низкой освещённости (сейчас эти фотоснимки широко распространены в Интернете, в частности их можно видеть в весьма информативной подборке фотоматериалов, составленной Коськиным Алексеем Александровичем, исследователем трагедии группы Дятлова). Прокурор-криминалист Иванов, оценив качество изображений и светочувствительность плёнки (равную 65 ед.), определил время фотографирования - около 17 часов.
IV. Люди
Побег из ГУЛАГа. Часть 3. IV. Люди
Ночью идти было спокойнее. День, когда люди бродят даже по таким диким местам, опасен и тревожен. Мы шли быстро, и, чтобы быть меньше заметными, — отец впереди, на некотором расстоянии сын, потом я. Места были прекрасные: в глубине долины протекала полноводная река, то бурливая, то порожистая, как горные речки, то со спокойным широким плесом. По обрывистым берегам стояли высокие сосны. Тишина была полная: птицы уже не пели, зверья никакого не было видно. Вдруг, когда я еще ничего не успела заметить подозрительного, муж нагнулся и словно скатился под обрыв, за ним мальчик, за ним и я. Условленно было делать немедленно то, что делает вожак. Из-за края обрыва я увидела, что в нескольких саженях стояли дома: два или три. На другом берегу тоже был дом. Людей не было видно, но если бы мы увидали кого, и, следовательно, кто-то нас мог заметить, то это было бы печально. В панике мы заметались по округе, с обрыва бросились в лес, пересекли болото, пошли в гору. Я окончательно потеряла направление и ничего не понимала. Вуаль у меня была порвана сучками, на которые я натыкалась, под нее набились комары, поедали мои уши и слепили глаза. Солнце жгло. В лесу недвижно стояло паркое, сырое тепло. Я выбивалась из сил и не могла догнать отца с сыном, которые что-то видели, перебегали, нагнувшись, быстро шли в гору уже без всякой тропы. Наконец, они присели за огромную поваленную ель, собираясь, очевидно, поесть, потому что со вчерашнего дня еще никто не проглотил ни кусочка. Я не могла и думать о еде: сердце у меня билось, в висках стучало, и, дойдя до них, я бросилась ничком на землю, закрыв голову макинтошем, чтобы только передохнуть от комаров.
1648 - 1715
From 1648 to 1715
From the Peace of Westphalia and the end of the Thirty Years' War in 1648 to the death of Louis XIV of France in 1715.
Описание конструкции
«Шнелльботы». Германские торпедные катера Второй мировой войны. Описание конструкции
Корпус Необходимость снизить водоизмещение «шнелльботов» вынудило германских конструкторов всерьез заняться экспериментами с судостроительными материалами. В результате было установлено, что древесина - оптимальный материал для быстроходных катеров водоизмещением до 100 т. В отличие от стального корпуса повреждения деревянного при одинаковом воздействии имели гораздо меньшие размеры и легче устранялись. В то же время нагрузки, неизбежно возникающие в корпусе быстроходного катера водоизмещением более 50 т, требовали металлического набора. Эти обстоятельства и определили конструкцию корпуса. Киль катера изготавливался из толстого дубового бруса с дополнительным усилением на участке с 10-го по 58-й шпангоут. Продольные связи (также деревянные, из так называемой орегонской сосны; сечение бруса 80x45 мм и 120x45 мм) с помощью болтов соединялись со шпангоутами. Последние выполнялись из сплава алюминия с магнием и устанавливались с интервалом в 575 мм. Семь 3-мм стальных переборок делили корпус на отсеки. Передняя (таранная) переборка дополнительно усиливалась оцинкованной жестью. Стальными были и фундаменты дизелей. Рубка - из легкого сплава толщиной 2,5 мм. Начиная с катера S-68 (вступил в строй в июле 1942 года), вместо обычной рубки «шнелльботы» стали получать рубки конической формы с углами наклона боковых листов 30-40°. На S-100 (май 1943 года) рубка и рулевой пост впервые получили защиту из листов 10-12-мм броневой «вотановской» стали. Обшивка катеров была двухслойной: внутренний слой - из 10-мм (позднее 12-мм) древесины белого кедра или лиственницы; внешнийтолщиной 21 мм - из красного дерева.
1. «Добро пожаловать»
Записки «вредителя». Часть III. Концлагерь. 1. «Добро пожаловать»
Попов остров, куда нас наконец привезли, не совсем остров. Отделен он от материка только «обсушкой» — низким местом, затопляемым морем два раза в сутки во время прилива. В отлив он соединяется с сушей труднопроходимым болотом. Когда-то он был покрыт лесом, теперь там торчат только отдельные кривые деревья, стелется полярная березка, и моховые болота чередуются с выходами огромных, выглаженных льдами гранитов. На Поповом острове — огромный лесопильный завод, морская пристань, куда приходят иностранные пароходы за советским лесом, а в двух-трех километрах от нее два распределительных пункта Соловецкого концлагеря — «Мореплав» и «Кок». Нас выгрузили и погнали в «Мореплав». Шли мы по грязной, тяжелой дороге, по болоту, по талому снегу. Мы еще хуже держались на ногах, чем нас гнали из «Крестов», вещи валились из рук, но нас также окружили конвойными, также, нет, хуже — понукали грубыми окриками и бранью. Протащившись километра два, мы увидели деревянные вышки, часовых, заграждение из колючей проволоки и огромные ворота. У ворот «за проволокой» был дощатый барак, где находится канцелярия коменданта и караульное помещение. За этими воротами начиналась каторга. — Посмотрите вверх, — дернул меня за рукав мой сосед. Над воротами была арка, убранная еловыми ветками. Над ней два плаката: «Да здравствует 1 Мая, праздник трудящихся всего мира!» и «Добро пожаловать!» Я не мог удержаться от смеха. Смеялись все, кто поднимал голову и видел плакаты.
VIII. Конец семьи
Побег из ГУЛАГа. Часть 1. VIII. Конец семьи
Катастрофы всегда внезапны, сколько бы их не ждали. Месяц ночных мук, прислушивания к шагам, к словам, к каждому шороху — а случилось это почти днем, когда возвращались со службы. В это время легко не застать дома, но услужливый коммунист-сослуживец справился по телефону: — Дома? Ну, как поживаете? — Вам что-нибудь нужно? — Нет, ничего. Я хотел спросить, не уезжаете ли куда? Через четверть часа агент ГПУ был у нас с ордером на арест... Я задержалась на службе, а когда пришла, все было кончено. Почти ничего не тронуто: обыск производился поверхностный, небрежный, потому что действительное положение вещей их не интересовало. Возможно, что и развязка была уже предрешена... Какой-то безликий молодой человек в штатском с равнодушным видом сидел в кресле и курил. Больше ничего, а дома, семьи уже не было. Все кругом будто оледенело, умерло. Муж переодевался, собирал вещи, быть может, в последнюю дорогу, я ему молча помогала, но все это так машинально, что я не знала, живы ли мы еще или вместо нас двигались наши тени. Все стало каким-то призрачным, ненастоящим... По окончании формальностей с актом об обыске все сели за стол в столовой. Собрала чай, его никто не пил, — нельзя было сделать ни глотка. Машину все не подавали: при таком разгоне у ГПУ не хватало автомобилей. Мы сидели и молча, в последний раз, смотрели друг на друга.
XV. Допрос
Побег из ГУЛАГа. Часть 1. XV. Допрос
На первый допрос я шла спокойно. Мне казалось, что допросы должны носить деловой характер и хоть в какой-то мере служить для выяснения истины. Мой арест был несомненным признаком, что положение мужа ухудшилось, а я все-таки глупо надеялась, что могу быть ему полезна подтверждением его невиновности. Мне в голову не приходило, что я была арестована, чтобы тем самым вынудить его к признанию в несовершенном преступлении, что следователь открыто ставил перед ним дилемму: подписать признание, что он «вредил», или быть виновником моего ареста. Я не могла знать и того, что после моего ареста следователь ставил перед ним вторую дилемму: или подписать признание своей «вины», хотя бы в такой формулировке: «Признаю себя виновным», не говоря, в чем именно, получить десять лет Соловков, но купить этим мое освобождение, или, в случае отказа, самому быть расстрелянным, меня — отправят на десять лет в Соловки, а сына — в колонию для беспризорников. Я знала, что жен часто арестовывают из-за мужей, но что судьбой их спекулируют с такой циничностью, я не могла поверить, пока не испытала на себе. Так, с наивностью вольного человека, я оказалась перед следователем. Это был молодой еще человек, с профессионально застылым, да и вообще не умным лицом. Он молчал, не сказав «здравствуйте», не предложив сесть. Позже я узнала, что в ГПУ принято три главных способа обращения: сухо-формальный, истерически-угрожающий и вежливо-вкрадчивый. Третьего мне не пришлось испытать, но, говорят, это самый противный, особенно для женщин. Соответственно этому, следователи держат себя, как плохие актеры на провинциальной сцене.
Глава 2
Сквозь ад русской революции. Воспоминания гардемарина. 1914–1919. Глава 2
Тревожное ожидание прервалось, как только на стенах домов в городах и поселках расклеили императорский манифест об объявлении войны. Тотчас тревога, дурные предчувствия и споры сменились энтузиазмом и победоносными настроениями. Россия сплотилась в стремлении к общей цели. Улицы Петербурга, на которых еще несколько недель назад происходили беспорядки и антиправительственные демонстрации, заполнились толпами людей, несущих национальные флаги и поющих национальный гимн. Тысячи экзальтированных горожан стояли перед посольствами Франции, Великобритании и Сербии, выкрикивая лозунги солидарности и приветствия. Но наиболее впечатляющие сцены происходили вокруг Зимнего дворца. Огромная площадь перед ним была забита людьми, стекавшимися туда со всех концов города. В этих людских потоках шли плечом к плечу крестьянки, студенты университета, торговцы, школьники, заводские рабочие, лавочники. Они несли иконы и портреты членов императорской семьи. Люди шли с желанием продемонстрировать свою лояльность царю и согласие с политическими шагами власти. Временами на балконе появлялся император и приветствовал публику, и тогда шум и крики стихали, дети опускались на колени. Кто-то из толпы затягивал гимн, и тотчас его подхватывали сотни голосов. В воздухе мощно звучало «Боже, царя храни». Ничто не сотрет из памяти великолепную, внушающую благоговение картину единения царя и русского народа накануне великого испытания. Эти проявления массового энтузиазма носили подлинный и спонтанный характер, поскольку в начале войны лишь немногие политические силы России были способны формировать общественное мнение и еще не научились манипулировать им.