The Cruise of the Snark: Large Print

By: London, Jack

IT began in the swimming pool at Glen Ellen. Between swims it was our wont to come outand lie in the sand and let our skins breathe the warm air and soak in the sunshine. Roscoewas a yachtsman. I had followed the sea a bit. It was inevitable that we should talk aboutboats. We talked about small boats, and the seaworthiness of small boats. We instancedCaptain Slocum and his three years' voyage around the world in the Spray.We asserted that we were not afraid to go around the world in a small boat, say forty feetlong. We asserted furthermore that we would like to do it. We asserted finally that therewas nothing in this world we'd like better than a chance to do it."Let us do it," we said . . . in fun.Then I asked Charmian privily if she'd really care to do it, and she said that it was too goodto be true.The next time we breathed our skins in the sand by the swimming pool I said to Roscoe,"Let us do it."I was in earnest, and so was he, for he said: "When shall we start?"I had a house to build on the ranch, also an orchard, a vineyard, and several hedges to plant, and a number of other things to do. We thought we would start in four or five years. Thenthe lure of the adventure began to grip us. Why not start at once? We'd never be younger, any of us. Let the orchard, vineyard, and hedges be growing up while we were away. Whenwe came back, they would be ready for us, and we could live in the barn while we built thehouse.So the trip was decided upon, and the building of the Snark began. We named her the Snarkbecause we could not think of any other name-this information is given for the benefit ofthose who otherwise might think there is something occult in the name.Our friends cannot understand why we make this voyage. They shudder, and moan, andraise their hands. No amount of explanation can make them comprehend that we aremoving along the line of least resistance; that it is easier for us to go down to the sea in asmall ship than to remain on dry land, just as it is easier for them to remain on dry landthan to go down to the sea in the small ship. This state of mind comes of an undue prominence of the ego. They cannot get away from themselves. They cannot come out ofthemselves long enough to see that their line of least resistance is not necessarilyeverybody else's line of least resistance. They make of their own bundle of desires, likes, and dislikes a yardstick wherewith to measure the desires, likes, and dislikes of allcreatures. This is unfair. I tell them so. But they cannot get away from their own miserableegos long enough to hear me. They think I am crazy. In return, I am sympathetic. It is astate of mind familiar to me. We are all prone to think there is something wrong with themental processes of the man who disagrees with

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B08RR59TGB
• ISBN13: 9798587345430
• Release Date: January 1
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 146 Pages
• Weight: 0.78 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 8.5" x 11.0"