Toilers of the Sea · Chapter
II: Much Astonishment on the Western Coast explained
On the night following a tempest, the western coast of Guernsey is filled with astonishment as various observers—a fisherman, a carter, a plasterer, a gatherer of crayfish, a tavern-keeper, lovers, a landowner, a trawler, the keeper of Li-H
What happens
On the night following a tempest, the western coast of Guernsey is filled with astonishment as various observers—a fisherman, a carter, a plasterer, a gatherer of crayfish, a tavern-keeper, lovers, a landowner, a trawler, the keeper of Li-Hou, a serjeant at Castle Rocquaine, and smugglers—all spot a mysterious sailing vessel navigating dangerous waters at unusual hours. The chapter ends with a boy from the new rector, Reverend Ebenezer Caudray, seeking the occupant of the Bû de la Rue, who is not at home.
Themes in this chapter
Superstition vs. Progress
The chapter opens with the superstition that a cock crowing at noonday causes fishing to be suspended, and later the keeper of Li-Hou interprets the mysterious sail as the Black Lady, contrasting rational explanations with supernatural beliefs.
The Sublime and Terrible Ocean
The dangerous navigation of the unknown vessel through treacherous rocks and channels, observed by multiple witnesses, evokes the sublime and perilous nature of the sea.
Characters to notice
- Rev. Mr. Caudray
Mentioned as the new rector who sent a boy to seek the man of the Bû de la Rue.
Key passages
“A cock had been heard to crow at noonday. When the cock is heard to crow at an extraordinary hour, fishing is suspended.”
A rooster crowing at noon was considered a bad omen, so no fishermen went out that night.
Highlights the local superstition that governs the fishermen's behavior.
“The keeper of Li-Hou fancied that he had beheld the Black Lady.”
The lighthouse keeper thought he saw the ghostly Black Lady, a local legend.
Shows the supernatural interpretation of the mysterious sail.
“Where the devil can that boat be sailing? asked the smuggler.”
A smuggler wondered where the strange boat was heading.
Reflects the bewilderment of the observers.