MD3PAD 160-162

[Toby G Levy]

        Maskelyne tries to tell Mason that enduring the wind brings on
good things, but Mason doesn't buy the argument. Mason suggests that the
influence of the wind was a quality not understood by scientists and
that the understanding of it might be as great a discovery as Bradley's
discovery of the Aberration of Light that proved the copernican theory
to be correct. Maskelyne, who sees himself as a rival of Bradley does
not like Mason bringing up the Aberration of Light.

        Maskelyne changes the subject to tell a story of meeting  German
soldier named Dieter who was so depressed that he was willing to commit
suicide.  He joined the company to see the world and attain wealth, but
was immediate placed on the windy side of St Helena.

vW#47: Nawabheit - "Nawab" is an alternate spelling of "Nabob" (a man of
great wealth); "heit" is a German suffix meaning quality of or a state
of (-ness)

        Maskelyne speculates as to whether he might pay the Company some
money to release the German.  The German recites a couple of lines from
"Wittenbergisch Nachtigall" a poem by Hans Sachs (1494-1576) German
poet, Meistersinger and dramatist:

"Sobald das Geld im Kasten klingt, // Die Seele aus dem Fegefeuer
springt."

this translates as:

"as soon as  the money  in the box sounds, jumps// the soul out of the
purgatory"

        Mason wonders at what point will Maskelyne go to his brother in
law for help in getting him off the island.

Toby