From: francis@oas.stanford.edu (Francis Muir)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.books
Subject: Four men in a boat plus one
Date: 18 Dec 1992 16:29:19 GMT
Organization: Stanford Exploration Project
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: oas.stanford.edu

As planned and by some extraordinary miracle FELIX tied up alongside
Charley (sic) Brown's at exactly Seven Bells on the Forenoon Watch.
Able Seaman Emma Pease was there to check out the proceedings and, no
doubt, to lend a hand if anything untoward had occurred which fortunately
did not -- particularly since The Cook was there to keep things straight.
EB Pease and Cap'n Fido were soon joined by William Splurgeforth Smith,
and the three of us sauntered into Charley Brown's. For those who might
wish to visit the Port of Redwood City, Clarke's-by-the-Sea is more
upscale with linen tablecloths and definitely better fodder, but CB's
is right over the water and somewhat more economical. The view of the
Salt Pile is also more impressive. The food, alas, is mediocre. We were
sat at a nice round table for six and it did occur to me that six was
the perfect number for an interactive gathering. I had brought with me
Arthur Ransome's *RACUNDRA'S FIRST CRUISE* and Christina Hardyment's 
*ARTHUR RANSOME & CAPT. FLINT'S TRUNK*. The first is a factual description
of a several month cruise that Ransome made in the Baltic just after WWI
and the Russian Revolution (his mistress, Trotsky's secretary, Evgenia
Shelapina, is "The Cook" in the book). Racundra is two things. A 
fascinating sailor's tale that will make the most landlubberly yearn for
the sea, and a travel book on the coastal and island people and their 
customs of Latvia and Estonia in the early Twenties. Doug Faunt, another
raving Ransome lunatic, now appeared and he had a hardbound copy of
*RACUNDRA* with him that included a bunch of photos that Ransome had taken
on the cruise. Very interesting. I should point out here that it was Doug 
who had kindly offered to sell me one of his two *RACUNDRA*'s which are
otherwise rather difficult to come by. Doug also brought along a burgee
that combined the insignia of both Swallows and Amazons: Blue Swallow on
White Ground and White Skull on Black. I must get it; it'll look great
at the masthead of FELIX; much more elegant than those dreadful Sequoia
Yacht Club burgees that the yotty folk round here fly. John McCarthy
eventually arrived, and now r.a.b came into its own. We dropped books
completely and developed an argument as to whether or not animals had
substantial memory. I can't remember quite what followed, but John
forgot the argument against animal memory and I forgot that he forgot.
Later that evening i got mail from Doug Faunt expressing surprise at
finding out how old I really was. I'm still trying to work that one out.
After lunch we tripped around the corner to OOOH! and AAAH! ove the
motor yacht BAH, HUMBUG! which is tied up 'longside CB's, too large to
enter the Yacht Harbor. Then we traipsed round to FELIX which apparently
so inspired William and John that they went back to collect their soft
soled shoes. So, everyone got aboard and we cast off and motored out
into the Turning basin. Once out, Emma took over the helm and I raised
sail. With the motor now cut, Emma took over the mainsheet and I went
aft to the tiller. A nice little breeze, and Emma was dying to get
FELIX heeled over, but I, cautious old fart that I am, kept FELIX on
an even keel. We looked up at powdered Chevrolet dispenser and then beat
up to the WARDEN JOHNSTONE. After this we tacked round and ran up in the
direction of Howard Hughes' Glomar Whatever and the Salt Pile, headed
up into the wind, started the motor, dropped the sail and motored back
to my berth in the far corner of the Harbor where my Better Half was
waiting to help us tie up.

						RABworm
Xref: sparky rec.arts.books:22727 talk.philosophy.misc:3023