We have frequently appreciated list-descriptions on this blog. Here are some more. On Steamship Dock in Nantucket, there are:
dickering factors and dealers;
yelling storekeepers;
chanting sailors;
blanket-wearing Indians;
kilted Proto-Celtic warriors;
priestesses in ponchos;
an Olmec noble cloaked in turquoise, scarlet and purple hummingbird feathers;
a herd of smaller moas.
Odors:
moa guano;
drying fish;
boiling whale blubber;
raw leather;
horses and their dung;
sweat;
woodsmoke;
tarred rope;
wooden hulls;
the fresh sea breeze.
Cargoes:
salt from the Bahamas;
coffee;
raw asphalt;
sulfur;
quetzal feathers;
jaguar pelts;
chocolate beans;
raw cotton;
mahogany;
dyewoods.
It sounds romantic although we are told that the reality is hot, sweaty and dangerous.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
I have noticed these description lists which Stirling uses in his books. A very Andersonian touch--and one I think was deliberately inspired by Anderson's example.
Sean
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