In the immutability of their surroundings the foreign shores, the foreign faces, the changing immensity of life, glide past, veiled not by a sense of mystery but by a slightly disdainful ignorance; for there is nothing mysterious to a seaman unless it be the sea itself, which is the mistress of his existence and as inscrutable as Destiny.
Beren inguruaren aldaezintasunean, irristan igarotzen zaizkie kostalde arrotzak, aurpegi arrotzak, bizitzaren mugagabetasun aldakorra, misteriozko sentsazio batek estalirik ez, baina ezjakintasun aski erdeinagarri batez; zeren itsasgizonari deus ez baitzaio misteriotsuagorik itsasoa bera baino: bere izatearen irakasle, eta Patua bezain sumaezina.