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diff --git a/21451.txt b/21451.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..b1f5473 --- /dev/null +++ b/21451.txt @@ -0,0 +1,4788 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Ben Hadden, by W.H.G. Kingston + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Ben Hadden + or, Do Right Whatever Comes Of It + +Author: W.H.G. Kingston + +Release Date: May 15, 2007 [EBook #21451] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BEN HADDEN *** + + + + +Produced by Nick Hodson of London, England + + + + +Ben Hadden; or, Do Right, Whatever Comes Of It, by W.H.G. Kingston. + +________________________________________________________________________ + +This small book, starts Ben off as the son of a fisherman on the east +coast of England. The father is a pious Christian, and brings Ben up to +be one too. Unfortunately various accidents befall the family, and they +fall on hard times. Ben, in rescuing some children from a runaway +horse, is injured, but is befriended by Lieutenant Charlton, who is able +to arrange so that things go better for Ben's mother. + +Ben and Charlton go to sea, where Ben has it in mind to find his +long-lost brother Ned. + +Many accidents befall Ned, culminating in a shipwreck in the Pacific. +Eventually he is rescued, and, not long after, finds his brother Ned. +They come home together, and set up a new life in support of their +mother. + +Throughout, Ben's morale is upheld by his Christian belief. We are told +a great deal about the progress of missionaries among the Pacific +Islands. Rather definitely a Victorian book, but a good read. + +________________________________________________________________________ + +BEN HADDEN, BY W.H.G. KINGSTON. + + + +CHAPTER ONE. + +BEN'S HOME. + +On the east coast of England, there is a small hamlet surrounded by high +sand-hills, with scarcely a blade of grass or even a low shrub to be +seen in its neighbourhood. The only vegetable productions, indeed, +which can flourish in that light soil, are the pale green rushes, whose +roots serve to bind the sand together, and to prevent the high easterly +winds, so constantly blowing on that coast, affecting it as much as they +would otherwise do. Even in spite of the opposition of the rushes, +several deserted huts have been almost entirely covered up by the +drifting sand. See Note 1. + +The population of the village consists of seafaring people and their +families. The men form the crews of the numerous vessels employed in +the herring fisheries which belong to the various fishing-places on the +coast. Nowhere along the shores of England are finer sea-boats or more +hardy crews to be found. + +Most of the herring vessels are luggers, from thirty to forty tons +burden, and entirely decked over. Each carries from eight to ten men. +They are divided below into compartments, or tanks: in one compartment, +salt is stowed; into another, the herrings, as soon as caught, are +thrown; in a third they are salted, and are then packed away in lockers, +on either side of the vessel, till she is full. She is then steered for +the shore to the point nearest to a railway, or where there is a market. +Each vessel has several long nets: the upper part of the net floats +close to the surface of the water, buoyed up by bladders; the lower part +is kept down by small bits of lead, and one end is moored to the bottom +by a heavy weight. The fish, as they swim in large shoals, strike +against the net as against a wall, and are caught in the meshes. +Herring fishing is carried on at night, when the fish cannot see the +nets. When a vessel or boat has cast out her nets, she hangs on to the +lee [See note 2] end of them till the morning. + +Besides these large herring luggers, many open boats are used; and great +numbers of other boats from the coasts of Scotland and the North of +England resort to these seas in the herring season. There is yet +another class of vessels which frequent this coast. They are the +deep-sea fishing smacks--cutters measuring from thirty to fifty tons, +each carrying about ten men. Their nets differ much from those used by +the luggers and boats. They fish with trawls, and so are called +_trawlers_. A trawl is a net with a deep bag fastened to a long beam, +which long beam has a three-cornered iron at each end. This beam is +dragged along at the bottom of the sea, and stirs up the turbot, bream, +plaice, soles, and other flat-fish which lie there; when they swim into +the bag and are caught. These trawlers fish in the North Sea, sometimes +a hundred and a hundred and fifty miles away from England, off the +Texel. Other fishing grounds are from twelve to twenty miles off the +British coast. At times, more than a hundred vessels are together, +forming a large fleet. One of the oldest and wisest of the captains is +chosen as their head man, and is called the admiral of the fleet. + +They have, of course, many rules and laws to govern them. When they +fish far from the land, they remain out six weeks, or more; and do not +once, all that time, go into port. There are, however, steamers +employed, which run to and fro to carry them food and fresh-water, also +to take ice to them. With this ice the fish are packed, as soon as +caught, in large baskets. The steamers then collect the fish from the +different fishing-vessels, and carry it to London, or to the nearest +port where there is a railway station. This account will give an idea +of the many thousand people employed as fishermen on the eastern coasts +of our country. In summer, while the weather is fine, their calling is +pleasant and healthy; but when storms arise the hardships and perils are +very great, and many of the men every year lose their lives, leaving +widows and orphans behind them. + +There was belonging to Sandhills, the little hamlet about which I have +spoken, as fine and bold a set of fishermen as any to be found on the +British coast. There were from fifteen to twenty families. The largest +family was that of old John Hadden. He had eight sons and several +daughters: three of his sons were away at sea--two of these were on +board men-of-war, and the third was on board a trading-vessel; four +followed his calling as fishermen, and formed part of the crew of the +lugger of which he was master; the youngest, the eighth--Little Ben as +he was always called, the son of his old age--was as yet too young to go +regularly to sea. He, however, went with his father and brothers in the +summer season, when fine weather was looked for, and he would not +probably be exposed to hardships too severe for his tender years. + +The fishermen of that coast were long known as rough and careless men, +thinking nothing of religion, and utterly ignorant of religious truth. +It used to be said of them, that as a rule they lived hard and died +hard, caring for nobody, and nobody caring for them. This was too true +of many, but not of all. It was not true of John Hadden. His outside +was rough enough, and very much so in winter, when he had on his high +fishing-boots, broad-flapped sou'-wester, thick woollen comforter, +Guernsey frock, with a red flannel shirt above it, and a pea-coat over +all. But he had an honest, tender, true, God-loving, and God-fearing +heart. As he had been brought up, so he brought up his children in "the +way they should go," trusting "that when they were old they would not +depart from it." + +John Hadden was able to do what many of his friends could not; he could +read, having learned early in life. Not that he read very well, but +well enough to study the Book of books so as to understand what it +teaches. There are many, alas! who _can_ read it far more easily than +could John Hadden, but do _not_. How many have the Bible, but do not +even look into it, treating it as though it were of less value than any +common book! How many would rather read light foolish books than the +"Holy Scriptures," though they "are able to make us wise unto salvation, +through faith which is in Christ Jesus!" + +What does that verse mean? That if we read and study the Scriptures, +with faith in Christ Jesus, they will show us how we may, without fail, +gain more joy, happiness, wealth, and glory than words can tell; not +such as will pass away in a few short years, but such as will last for +ever and ever. + +John Hadden prized the Bible as the only light which could point out to +him the way of eternal life. He read and read, and, more than all, he +prayed as he read, till he understood the Bible well, and was able to +shape his own course by it, and to point out to his sons how they might +shape theirs. When he took up the Bible he humbly prayed, "Lord, teach +me that I may read and understand Thy holy Word aright." These words, +and the spirit of these words, he taught his children. + +John Hadden and his family neglected no means or opportunities of +knowing more about the Bible, or of obtaining instruction. He did not +say, as some do, "I can read, and I can pray; and so why should I go +away from my own home and own fireside to listen to another man?" John +Hadden was a real Christian, and therefore he was a humble Christian. +The place of public worship was far off, and the road was rough; but +John, with his wife and children, never failed when he was on shore, +unless hindered by sickness, to go there on the Sunday to hear the Word +of God read and explained, and to pray with other Christian people. +When John and the boys were at sea, Mrs Hadden and the other children +went, and she used to say she dearly loved to do so, because then she +could pray with others to the good Lord, and say, "That it may please +Thee to preserve all that travel by land or by water." John often also +said that when he was away on the ocean, he always felt happy as the +hour of public service came round, because he knew that his wife and +children, and other Christian friends, would be praying for him and his +companions at sea. + +Among the precepts which John Hadden found in his Bible was this: +"Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath-day. Six days shalt thou +labour, and do all that thou hast to do; but the seventh day is the +Sabbath of the Lord thy God. In it thou shalt do no manner of work." +Now John Hadden was a plain man, and he understood things plainly. +When, early in life, he first understood this commandment, he determined +that he would keep it; and so, while others cast out their nets on +Saturday night, as usual, John always kept his in. If he could, he ran +into harbour, and worshipped God with his fellow-men on shore; if not, +he and his sons and the rest of his crew united in prayer: he also read +to them from the Holy Scriptures, and often besides from some religious +book likely to feed their souls with spiritual food. John Hadden had +acted in this way for years. The masters of other boats had tried in +vain to make him give up this practice. They told him he would be +ruined; that he had a large family to bring up; that it was foolish, and +not required; that such commandments wore for shore-going people, and +not for poor fishermen. But John's answer was always the same: "I'll +tell you what, mates: God says, `Do no work on the Sabbath'--don't fish, +that means; and I'm very certain that what He says is right. So it is +not right to fish more than six days in the week. What I tell you, +mates, and what I tell my boys, is this: `_Do right whatever comes of +it_.'" + +------------------------------------------------------------------------ + +Note 1. This plant is the round-headed rush, or _Juncus conglomeratus_ +of naturalists, and is cultivated with great care, especially on the +banks of the sea, in Holland, to prevent the water from washing away the +earth; for the roots of these rushes strike very deep in the ground, and +mat together near the surface so as to form a hold on the loose soil. +These rushes do not grow so strong in England as in the richer soil of +Holland. + +Note 2. Sailors call the side on which the wind strikes, the weather or +windward side, and the opposite to it the lee side. A net is cast out +to windward, and the vessel drops slowly down from it till it is all +out, when she remains at the lee end. Sometimes the nets are left with +only a buoy to mark their position, and the vessel goes to a distance to +cast out others. + + + +CHAPTER TWO. + +BEN'S FATHER AND HIS MOTTO. + +It would be well if all, of high or low degree, landsmen and sailors, +gentle and simple, kept to old John Hadden's rule. How much misery and +suffering would be saved! how much remorse of conscience! how much grief +and shame! How much better would Satan, that great foe of man, be kept +at a distance! That is just the reason he whispers, whenever he can get +an opening, "Do wrong that good may come of it," or, "Do a little wrong, +just a little, and no harm will come of it;" or again, "Commit a small +sin; God will not see it, or if He does, God will not care for it." +That is just what Satan has been saying over and over again since he +first tempted and deceived Eve in the garden of Paradise. He spoke then +from envy, to drive our first parents out of an earthly paradise; he in +like manner lies now to us, to hinder us from getting into the heavenly +paradise, prepared for those who love and obey God. John Hadden knew +this full well, and so he would allow no departure from that rule; he +would have it stuck to closely. He was for ever saying to his sons, "Do +right at all times, my lads; it is not your business to think of what +will happen afterwards. God will take care of that; He will guide you +better than you can guide yourselves. If you act as I say, no real evil +will befall you. You may fancy that what happens is an evil just for +the time; but, depend on it, what seems an evil will turn out for your +good in the end." + +A stranger, visiting in the neighbourhood, once walked over to +Sandhills. He had a talk with John Hadden, who happened to be on shore. +He soon found that John was a Bible-reading man, and that he obeyed the +law of the gospel. + +"And so you have followed this plan of yours for some time, and have +found it answer?" said the stranger. + +"Yes, sir," said John, "I have followed it since I was a young man, and +now I am an old one. I never have fished on a Sunday, and I hope that I +never shall. Look at me, sir. Am I more feeble, am I thinner, am I +more sickly than my neighbours? am I less able to work?" + +"No, indeed you are not," answered the stranger; "you are the stoutest +and one of the most able-bodied men I have seen in the place." + +"Am I poorer? is my cottage less comfortable? are my children worse +educated? are they inferior in health, strength, or activity to the +children of others in the hamlet?" asked John, warming with the subject. + +"No, my friend," answered the stranger; "your sons are the finest young +fellows in the place, and the best brought up, as I hear from all sides, +while your cottage is the neatest and most comfortable." + +"That it is; that's what I say to my brother fishermen," exclaimed John +Hadden, warmly. "Now, sir, I will tell you more than this. Instead of +being a poorer man for not fishing on a Sunday I know that I am a richer +one, and I can prove it. God knows what is best for us; so in His love +He gave us the Sabbath, that we might rest, and that our souls might +turn to Him and be glad. While others have been toiling all the year +round, day after day, wearing out their bodies, and dulling and +saddening, so to speak, their souls, I have rested one day out of seven, +and on that day my strength and my spirits have been renewed. I have +not grown old so fast as they have. Then again, if I had been toiling +and working for the bread which perisheth, and made my sons toil and +work with me, how could I have fed my soul and their souls with that +bread which will make us live for ever? Instead of being steady, +honest, hard-working, God-fearing young men, a credit to me, and +respected by all who know them, they would have been careless, idle, and +vicious. Neighbours often say to me, `How is it, John Hadden, that your +sons are good steady young men, and do as you tell them?'--then I say, +`It is just this, because I bring them up in the fear and admonition of +the Lord. The Bible tells me how to bring up my children, and I do it. +If you brought up your children as the Bible tells you to do, your +children would make you as happy as mine do me.' + +"But, sir, I was speaking about fishing on a Sunday. Now look here, +sir; there is another reason why I have an advantage over those who fish +every day in the week: my nets will last longer than theirs, and at the +end of a couple of years are worth one-third more. While their nets +have always been wet,--for they have not had time to mend them +properly,--I have had mine brought on shore on Saturday morning, spread +out all day in the sun, mended in the evening, and left to dry all the +next day. The wear and tear of the boats and the boats' gear also have +been saved. So you see that those who break God's commandments for the +sake of gain do not find it all profit. There is an old saying, sir, +that `The devil's wages slip through the fingers.' Whose wages are +those gained by working on the Sabbath but his? A man fancies that he +has got them safe in the palm of his hand, and when he wants to spend +them, they are gone. At the end of the year,--I have said it, and I +know it,--by following God's commandments, simply because He has +commanded, I have been a richer man than those who disobeyed them; and I +know surely that I have been a stronger, a more healthy, a happier, and +a more contented one. + +"Again, sir, look here; many say they can't work on from the beginning +to the end of the fishing season without drink: no more they can, maybe, +but rest is better far than drink; and if they would take the +Sabbath-day's rest they might save the cost of the week's drink, and +that's more by a long way than the Sabbath-day's toil gives them. So, +as I say, when we obey God we do the best thing for ourselves, even in +this life; and that to my mind shows what a merciful and loving God He +is. He does not want to make us suffer pain or grief, He wants to make +us happy; and so all His laws are such that if we would obey them, we +should be happy. It is because men do not obey them that they are +unhappy. There, sir, that's my belief. I'm an old man now; but I +thought so when I was a young one, and every year since I have had good +cause to think the same." + +"You speak nothing but the truth, my friend," observed the gentleman; "I +will tell others what you have said to me, and how you have acted, and I +will try to persuade them to follow your example." + +"My example, sir!" said John Hadden gravely. "Say rather, sir, the same +example I try to follow." + +"You are right, my friend," said the gentleman, wringing the fisherman's +rough hand and walking thoughtfully away. + +Some time after this, John Hadden was sitting with his spy-glass resting +across his knees, at the top of the highest sand-hill near the village. +A strong gale from the north-east, which would not let any of the +fishing-boats put to sea, was blowing. It was at the time of the year +when the larger fishing-vessels are laid up. John had more than once +put his glass to his eye; he now kept it there, and made a crutch of his +left arm to hold it up. While thus employed, he was joined by one of +his sons. + +"If he don't take care he'll be on the bank as sure as my name is John +Hadden," he cried out, pointing to a large ship which had stood in from +the offing (that is, from the sea far off), and was trying to work to +the northward. A slant of wind which would allow the stranger (see note +1) to lay well up along shore, had tempted him to stand in closer than +he should have done. Old Hadden and his son watched the strange vessel +for some time with great interest. Still he stood blindly on. + +"There, I feared that it would be so!" exclaimed John; "and if help +don't go to them before high water, not a soul of all on board will +escape." + +Too true: the fine ship lay fast, her broadside struck again and again +by the heavy seas, which came rolling in from the eastward. + +"Jem, we must go to her!" exclaimed John Hadden suddenly. "Call your +brothers, lad; it won't do to let these poor fellows perish for want of +help." + +Scarcely two minutes passed after this, before John Hadden and his five +sons--for Ben also went--were launching their yawl through the surf +which broke on the sandy beach. A few of the people of the village +nearest the water came running down to see the boat off, but John had +not time to tell his wife and daughters of what he was going to do. He +would fain have given them a parting kiss, but time was precious. He +sent up a lad, though, to his home. "Tell them," he said, "we are doing +our duty; we shall be cared for." Away through the foaming sea the +brave men pulled their stout boat. The spray flew over her, and +speedily wetted them through, but for that they cared nothing. The +seas, however, sometimes broke on board, and little Ben was kept hard at +work, baling out the water. + +"She is well out at the end of the spit, lads," observed old Hadden; "we +may get close enough for them to heave a rope on board us, if she hangs +together, and I don't see that there is much doubt about her doing +that." + +They pulled on for some time, without any one again speaking. "She will +hang very well together," observed John; "but, oh! more's the pity, they +seem to be lowering one of their boats, instead of waiting for our +coming, as if they could reach the shore in her." Such was indeed the +case. A small boat was lowered, and several people were seen to leap +into her. She shoved off, but a current, of which the strangers could +not have known, swept the boat towards the breakers. In another instant +she was rolled right over, and all in her must have perished. Still the +Haddens, thinking that others might be left on board, pulled on lustily +to give them help. + +As they rowed out more to sea, they saw another boat making her way +towards the wreck. She had come from a hamlet a short distance to the +north of Sandhills, from which place the wreck had been seen as well as +from the Haddens' village. Though she had not left the shore till after +the Haddens' boat had put off, she had the wind more in her favour, so +it seemed likely that she would reach the wreck as soon as they could. +When more than one boat is launched to go to a wreck, there is always a +rivalry among the boatmen of the coast to try who will be the first on +board, and if anything had been wanting to make the young Haddens toil +harder than they had been doing, this would have made them. Still, the +gale blew so strong that they could scarcely make any way against the +wind, and all they could do at times was to keep the boat with her head +to the sea to prevent her from being swamped (or filled with water). +Yet on they went. They believed that they might be able to save some of +their fellow-creatures from death, and that thought was enough to make +them run all risks. + +The last squall had been stronger than any others. Soon after it had +passed over, John Hadden took a steady look to windward. "My boys," +said he, "the gale is breaking. By the time we get up to the wreck, it +will be calm enough to allow us to climb on board. It is to be hoped +that her crew will stick by the vessel. No! what folly! they have +launched another boat, and she will meet, I fear, with the fate of the +first." He was silent for some minutes, while he looked now and again +towards the wreck. "I feared so!" he cried at last; "they are lost, +every one of them; no man could swim through that boiling surf." + +Nearly another half-hour passed after this before the two boats got up +to the wreck. The gale had by this time very much abated, and, the tide +having turned, the sea had gone down. The boats pulled under the lee of +the wrecked vessel, which held well together, and had her crew stayed on +board, they might have been saved. Not a person was to be seen on deck. +The fishermen shouted loudly; no one came. It seemed certain that all +must have perished. Without help from the ship it was at first +difficult to get on board, except at great risk. However, after waiting +some time longer, the boats were able to run alongside, and the crews +reached her deck. They searched the ship through; not a human being was +found on board. A fire, however, was burning in the cabin grate, and +before it sat a cat, quietly licking her paws. (A fact.) Instinct had +guided her better than man's sense, of which he is often so proud. + +The Haddens, with the men of the other boat, began, without loss of +time, to search through the ship. She was a foreigner. It was clear +that those who had left her were in great fear, and had thought only of +saving their lives. Many articles of value lay scattered about in the +cabins. John Hadden and his sons were on deck; the rest were below. + +"Hurrah!--a prize! a prize!" cried one of the men of the other boat. "A +box of gold!" + +"Hush!" cried one of his companions. "Don't talk of it, man. If no one +else sees it, we may have it all to ourselves." + +At that moment John Hadden entered the cabin. His eye fell on the box, +as the men were trying to hide it; he looked at what was in it. +"Friends, this property is not ours," he remarked, in a calm, firm +voice; "we shall get a fair reward if we succeed in saving it. I hope, +if we stay by the ship, that we may get her off, at the top of the next +flood, by lightening her a little. What say you? Will you stay by my +lads and me, and do the job?" + +The other men, however, had set their hearts on getting the box of gold. +Have it they would, and they made all sorts of excuses to get away from +the ship, that they might take it with them. John Hadden was a man who +not only would not do wrong himself, but would stop others, if he could, +from doing it. + +"Mates," he said, "I do not want to quarrel with you, or with any other +men; but the goods on board this ship must remain just as we found them. +I am sure that my own lads will bear me out in what I say: none of us +will touch them." + +"Oh, we always have heard that you were a very strict man, Mr Hadden, +and now we find it true enough!" replied one of the men, with a sneer. + +"No," said John Hadden quietly; "I only say, `Do right, whatever comes +of it.' If we take the goods on board this ship, we should be doing +wrong. And others doing so, won't make wrong right. That's all." + +"Well, well; we don't want to quarrel. We wished you to share; but if +you won't, you won't, and neither will get it," answered the other; "so, +Mr Hadden, let's say no more about it." + +John, honest and true himself, did not think that any trick was going to +be played him. The other men joined him and his sons, with seeming +goodwill, in getting out warps, and in heaving overboard some of the +cargo. Thus they worked on till night stopped them. There was a +promise of a fine night; and so, making fast their boats under the lee +of the wreck, they prepared to spend the time on board till the return +of day. Of course, they had to keep a watch on deck. The first watch +was kept by the Haddens; the morning watch by the people of the other +boat. When John Hadden and his sons awoke in the morning, and came on +deck, the other boat was gone, and so was the box of gold, which had +been left in the cabin. + +Daylight returning, a white speck was seen away to the northward. John +Hadden, as he looked through the glass, knew that it was the boat of +those who had been with him. There were some sand-banks, and a narrow +passage through them, by which a long distance might be saved. At +certain tides this passage was dangerous, even in fine weather. + +"The foolish fellows are making for the Gut!" exclaimed John Hadden. "I +would not try to go through it for any sum." Just then some clouds were +seen driven across the sky by a squall; the wind struck the boat. +"She's lost! she's lost!" cried John Hadden, in a tone of pity. Over +went the boat; nor she, nor her crew, nor the box of gold were ever seen +again. + +The ship was soon got afloat, and was brought by John Hadden and his +brave sons into harbour. They gained a large sum for saving the ship. + +"I told you," said John to his sons, "do right, whatever comes of it. +This time, much good has come to us; so it generally will. If it does +not, never mind; we don't see the good--that's all. God knows best what +is best. Still do right." + +------------------------------------------------------------------------ + +Note 1. When the name and character of a vessel met at sea are not +known, it is spoken of by sailors as `a stranger'; of a stranger they +say _he_, but a known vessel is named _she_. + + + +CHAPTER THREE. + +A SHIP IN DISTRESS. + +As yet the sun seemed always to have shone on little Ben. He had a good +fond mother to look after him at home, and a kind father who set him a +good example, taught him well, fed him well, and never took him to sea +in bad weather, or let him suffer any hardships which could be helped. +Seldom could a merrier, happier fellow than Ben then was be found. Dark +days, however, were coming for him, of which he little thought. +Thankful, indeed, should we be that our ever-kind God does not allow us +to know beforehand what we may be called on to suffer. + +The summer passed away, the winter returned, and the large luggers being +once more laid up in harbour, John Hadden and his sons went home to +spend their Christmas. It was a very happy one. Nearly all the family +were together; two sons had returned from sea, a daughter had come home +for a visit from service, and many a pleasant evening they spent as they +sat over the cottage fire, while the sailors recounted the adventures +they had met with in their voyages to distant lands. The fishermen had +also their tales to tell, and many an old story was recalled to mind and +recounted by John and his eldest sons, or a neighbour who had stepped in +to see them. John, too, would read to his family, not only on a Sunday +evening, but on every evening in the week, when he was at home, from the +Book of books. + +"I can't see why people should fancy, as many do, that they need read +the Bible only on one day in the week. It was surely given us to be our +guide not only for Sundays, but for every day. There is no business in +life in which it won't tell us how to act whenever we may have any +doubts about the matter," said John one evening, after he had been +reading the Scriptures; and then he continued, "In every page the Bible +says, `Do right, whatever comes of it,' and that is the very thing we +ought to be reminded of, day after day, for it is the very thing we are +too apt to forget." + +John not only read the Bible, but he profited by what he read, and so +did his children; and that is the reason why they were a happy, united, +and prosperous family. + +Some time after Christmas, John Hadden had gone out by himself on the +sea-shore, with his constant companion, his spy-glass, under his arm. +He walked up and down, and his mind dwelt on many of the scenes and +events of his past life; he thought of the many dangers he had gone +through, and of how often he had been mercifully preserved. "People do +say that the life of a fisherman is a very dangerous one," he thought to +himself. "They are right. How many of those I have known have lost +theirs! Not a year that I can call to mind but some friend or other has +been drowned. Such may be my end. God is merciful; He knows what is +best. He will not call me away, except for some good purpose." + +Continuing his walk, Hadden's mind grew more and more serious, almost +melancholy; yet it must not be said that his mind was one of a gloomy +turn; no man was generally more cheerful. The day, however, had an +effect on his spirits. The clouds gathered thickly in the sky, and hung +low down; the wind moaned as it came across the dull, leaden-looking +ocean, and found its way among the sand-hills, making the tall rushes +bend before it. Sheets of cold mist came rolling in every now and then +towards the land; and, though they swept by, they were quickly succeeded +by others, till they grew denser and denser, and a regular heavy wetting +mist settled down over the face of the land and the water. + +John Hadden was about to turn his steps homeward, when one of his sons +came to remind him that it was time to return home to tea. Just then a +heavy squall burst on the land from the eastward, and the clouds and +mist breaking away left a clear space all the way to the horizon. + +"I'll come, Bill, I'll come, my boy," he answered, lifting, however, his +glass to his eye, to take another last look over the troubled waters +before he went in for the evening. Just then he caught sight of a +stranger in the offing, where, outside the sand-banks, a high sea was +running. He looked earnestly through his glass for half a minute. + +"There is a large ship," he said to his son, "driving on towards the +banks, and totally dismasted. Unless there is a pilot aboard who knows +his way through the passage, he'll be on the bank to a certainty, and +then, with such a night as we shall have presently, Heaven have mercy on +the unfortunate people! Even if the wreck should hang together till the +morning, they will be washed overboard and be lost. Though we missed +saving the people from the wreck last year, through their own folly, we +must not be dispirited. Perhaps we may be able to save these. Bill, go +and find your brothers, and tell them that there's a ship will be on +shore directly, and that we must do something to help. Say nothing, +though, to your mother, boy." Bill hastened away, and old John still +watched the ship. + +As he had foreseen, the stranger very soon drove on to a dangerous part +of the sand-banks, and the sea before long was evidently making a clean +breach over the deck. In a short time all the young Haddens, and +several other men, came down on the beach, bringing old John's +rough-weather coat and boots, which he put on while they were getting +ready to launch the boat. Little Ben came with his brothers. + +Old John put his hand on the boy's shoulder, and looked earnestly into +his face. "No, Ben, I'll not take thee, my child, to-day," said he; +"it's over-rough work we are going on; I couldn't even tell thy mother +of it; so go home, and take care of her." + +Little Ben pleaded hard to be taken, but he pleaded in vain. "No, lad, +no, I cannot take you," repeated the father. "Go home now, go home. It +may be late before we return. Perhaps we shall be out all night, so +mother will want you at home to keep her company. Read to her, lad, out +of the Bible; and, I say, Ben, if thy father never comes back, remember +that his last words to thee were--_Trust to God_. _Do right, whatever +comes of it_." + +Old John Hadden then joined the young men and the rest of the boat's +crew, and their united strength soon launched her, with all her gear on +board, into the water; and as they all leaped in, each man seizing an +oar, they quickly had her through the surf, which had begun to roll in +somewhat heavily. Little Ben stood on the top of a sand-hill, and +watched them as they pulled away out to sea. His eye anxiously followed +the boat as she grew less and less distinct, till she was lost to sight +among the breaking seas, which leaped upwards around the sand-banks. +For a time he could clearly see the wreck towards which they were +directing their course. Then the shades of evening increasing, and a +thick mass of mist gathering round her, she also was lost to sight. + +Ben, as his father had desired him, went home, and having reported that +he had seen the boat get well off, sat himself down by the side of his +mother, who was working with her needle before the fire, and taking the +big Bible on his knees, he began to read to her out of its sacred pages. +His father's mark was at the thirteenth chapter of Saint Luke's Gospel, +and he read: "There were present at that season some that told Him of +the Galileans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. +And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galileans +_were_ sinners above all the Galileans, because they suffered such +things? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise +perish. Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew +them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in +Jerusalem? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all +likewise perish." + +"Father was saying that to me the other day, mother," remarked little +Ben. "He told me that he had known many God-fearing men to lose their +lives, and many bad ones live on and remain still in their wickedness." + +"Yes, my boy; God knows best when a servant of His has lived long +enough. He calls us when He wants us," replied Mrs Hadden; adding, "It +matters little to a Christian when or how he is taken from earth. The +great thing of all is to know that we are Christians, not in name only, +but in truth. And to be a Christian is to believe on and love the dear +Saviour, who has done so much for us; and so to be born again of God's +Holy Spirit, as the Lord Jesus Christ Himself has told us: `For, except +a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.'" + +Ben read on to his mother till she told him that it was time for him to +go to bed. He repeated his prayers, and then he went up and lay down in +the room which he and his brothers usually occupied; but he was the only +one there. Every now and then he awoke, expecting to hear them coming +in; but he only heard the rain dashing against the lattice window, and +the wind howling and whistling dismally. A heavy gale was blowing right +on shore. Every now and then there was a flash of vivid lightning, and +a loud crash of thunder rattling away across the sky. Ben tried again +to go to sleep, but he could not. He was certain that his poor mother +could not be sleeping. He crept down to her room, where a light was +burning. Her head had not pressed her pillow; she was on her knees, +with her face bent down to the bed, and her hands clasped together. + +Noiselessly Ben stole back to his attic. "I can pray too, and join my +prayers to mother's," he said to himself. He prayed for his father and +brothers exposed in their open boat to that fierce storm near those +terrific breakers, which rolled in over the sand-bank where the ship had +struck. He fully understood all the dangers to which they were exposed. +"God knows best what to do--God's will be done," he repeated as he rose +from his knees. + +Daylight came at last. Ben got up, and, slipping on his clothes, he ran +out to the sand-hills, whence he could obtain a clear view over the sea. +He well knew the spot where the ship had struck. She was not there, +nor was there any sign of the boat. He could not bring himself to go +back to his poor mother with this account, so he went down to the beach. +The shore was strewed with bits of the wreck, showing the fearful +character of the gale which had blown all night, and was still blowing. + +Hour after hour passed by; but no boat neared the shore. His mother +came to look for him, and with trembling voice called him in; yet she +lingered, watching anxiously with haggard eyes the foaming ocean. At +length night returned. Neighbours looked in, but they could give her no +comfort. The boat might have run into port, but it was not likely. +Sadly that second night passed away. The morning brought no gleam of +hope. Mrs Hadden's lot has been that of many fishermen's and sailors' +wives. + + + +CHAPTER FOUR. + +A SORROWFUL HOME AND A NEW FRIEND. + +As day after day passed away, Mrs Hadden ceased to hope. Neither John +Hadden nor any of his companions were ever again heard of. There could +be no doubt that they had been lost in their gallant attempt to carry +succour to their fellow-creatures on the wreck. Mrs Hadden was a widow +and little Ben was fatherless. + +"Whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth," repeated the bereaved woman over +and over to herself. "Oh, may He in His mercy give me strength to bear +the lot He has thought fit in His wisdom to prepare for me, and make it +profitable to my soul." + +She had many trials to bear. Her husband and sons, those able to +support her, were gone; and some time passed before she could gather +strength to arouse herself to consider what she could do for the +sustenance of little Ben and herself. He was willing and eager to work, +though he could not hope to gain much as yet. He soon had also another +besides his mother and himself to work for. One of his sisters at +service fell ill, and had to come home and be nursed; and, poor girl, it +made her feel worse to know that she was thus trespassing on her +mother's scanty means; though little Ben did his best to cheer her up, +telling her that it was just a double pleasure to have two to work for +besides himself, instead of only one. + +He did his best certainly, though that was but little. His mother +entreated him not to go out in the fishing-boats, for she dreaded (and +that was but natural) that the same fate which had befallen his father +and brothers might overtake him. He, however, bought, on credit, fish +caught by others, and all the fishermen were ready to trust him. He +carried them for sale to the houses of the neighbouring gentry and +farmers. Sometimes, with his basket at his back, he got a lift in a +cart to the nearest town, where, in the summer season, he was able to +obtain a better price than he usually asked of his regular country +customers. People who had once dealt with him were always ready to deal +again. They found that they could without fail trust him. He could +always tell the day, and almost the very hour, the fish he had to sell +had been caught, and his customers found from experience that he never +deceived them. At the first, when in a frank manner he told them the +exact time the fish had been landed, some were inclined to laugh, and +others to be angry, fancying that he was practising on their credulity; +but the more generous soon saw, from the honest blush which rose on his +cheeks when he assured them that he was simply saying what he knew to be +the case, that he was really speaking the truth. He thus gained many +friends, and even bargain-loving housekeepers ceased to try and beat him +down. His price was always moderate, and the profit he made was, after +all, but a small remuneration for the toil he went through. + +To be up early, to be on his feet all day, and often unable to reach +home till late in the evening, was now little Ben's fate. He did not +complain; far from it. He rejoiced that he was thus able to assist his +widowed mother. + +John Hadden had saved but little money. His boat and his nets composed +the principal part of his worldly wealth, besides the cottage he lived +in. The boat was gone; and the nets, without the hands which used them, +could gain nothing. Mrs Hadden was therefore advised to sell them, +with the portions of the boat-gear which had remained on shore. The +times, however, were bad, she was told, and the things were sold very +much under their real value. She was still thankful for what she +received, and she resolved to live as frugally as possible, that her +humble means might the longer hold out. + +Her daughter was a heavy expense to her. Poor Susan grew worse and +worse; yet she still lingered on, utterly helpless to look at, yet not +helpless in reality, for she was supported by faith in the Lord Jesus +Christ. She was perfectly happy, as far as she herself was concerned; +her only regret being that she deprived her mother of part of the scanty +means she so much required for herself. At length, full of hope and +joy, she died. Little Ben wept bitterly for the loss of his sister: he +had never for one moment thought of the money spent on her. The +bereaved mother mourned more silently. + +Mrs Hadden was yet to be further tried. A letter one day reached her +from a stranger. It told her that her only surviving son, besides Ben, +had been cast away in the far off Pacific Ocean, and, with many others, +murdered or held captive by savages. The writer, Thomas Barlow, said +that he and Ned were great friends, and that they had agreed, should any +misfortune happen to either, the survivor should write home, and give an +account of what had occurred. Barlow wrote, in fulfilment of his +promise, addressing his letter to John Hadden: all the hope he could +give was that Ned might have escaped with his life, as some white men +had been known from time to time to be living among those savages; but +the opinion was that all their shipmates had been murdered. The writer +added that he, with six other men only of all the crew, had made their +escape in the longboat of the wrecked vessel, and, after suffering great +hardships, had been picked up at sea by a ship bound for Sydney, New +South Wales. + +"Poor Ned! poor Ned!" exclaimed little Ben, crying bitterly; "he must +not be lost! I'll go and look for him, mother. If he is alive, I'll +find him, and bring him back to you." + +"Oh no! no, Ben! don't you go away from me," cried the poor widow. "I +should indeed be forlorn if I was to lose you. Yet, Ned! Ned! poor +Ned! where can you be--among savages, or killed? You wouldn't find him, +Ben; they would only treat you in the same way, and I should lose you, +Ben. It cannot be: oh, don't--don't think of it, Ben!" And the poor +widow at length found some relief to her feelings in a flood of tears. +It was seldom that she gave way in this manner; but the announcement of +Ned's too probable fate, and the thought of losing Ben, completely +overcame her. + +The idea, however, that he would go to sea and find his brother had +entered little Ben's head, and, moreover, that they together would bring +back wealth sufficient to support their mother in comfort. That idea +was not very easily driven away. Day after day it occurred to him. His +difficulty was to persuade his mother to let him go. He did not +understand as clearly as an older person might have done, that he could +not go away without making her very unhappy. He argued that he should +be away only a short time, and that then he should come back so rich, +and be able to take such good care of her, that she would gain ample +amends for the pain she might suffer by parting with him for a season. +Poor fellow! he little knew the dangers and hardships he would have to +encounter in a sailor's life. + +Ben's mind was full of his plans, and they served at all events to +beguile many a weary mile, as he trudged on through the country, +contentedly as usual, selling his fish. One day, however, when walking +along the streets of the town, he met with an accident. A horse, +dragging a cart, took fright and was dashing along the road, near the +sea, towards a group of little children whose nursemaids were standing +chatting to each other, not thinking much about their young charges. +The women, startled at hearing the horse coming, were so frightened that +they knew not what to do. They snatched up one child after the other, +running here and there, and leaving several of the little creatures, +unconscious of their danger, in the very way of the maddened animal. +Ben saw the peril in which the children were placed, and, throwing down +his basket of fish, he sprang forward and caught the reins, which were +hanging over the shafts. He had not strength to stop the horse, though +he turned it aside, while he still hung on to the reins; he was at the +same time dragged down, and the wheel passed over his side and one of +his legs. The horse, thus turned from his course, dashed against some +railings, and was stopped. The children were saved. + +A gentleman looking out of a window saw the accident, and the gallant +way in which little Ben had behaved. He rushed out of the house, took +him in, placed him on a sofa, and sent for a surgeon. His leg was not +broken, but some of his ribs were. The gentleman said that Ben should +remain at his house till he was cured. He also at once sent off to Mrs +Hadden to inform her of the accident, and to assure her that her son was +well taken care of. Immediately she received the sad news, she set off +to see Ben. She could not bear the thought of letting him remain with +strangers, however kind they might prove. + +It was almost midnight when she arrived. Ben's friend received her +kindly, and her heart was comforted when she found that her son was +going on so well. The gentleman told her that he was Lieutenant +Charlton, of the navy, and again assured her that he would take good +care of the boy. Satisfied that Ben's new friend would keep his word, +she returned home the next day. + +In less than six weeks Ben was almost himself again. Lieutenant +Charlton nursed the poor boy as if he had been his own son, and showed +how much pleased he was with him. Ben spoke frankly to him, told him of +his past life, hopes, and wishes. + +"Well, my boy, I will take you to sea with me when next I go, and that +will be, I hope, before long," said the lieutenant to him one day. + +"I should like to go, sir, very much indeed, but mother says that she +cannot part with me," answered Ben. + +"I will speak to your mother, and explain to her how seamen in the +British navy are now treated," said the lieutenant. "She, I daresay, +believes that they are no more cared for than they used to be at one +time; whereas, the truth is that they are better looked after than many +people on shore, and certainly much better than the seamen in the +merchant service." + +"It is not ill-treatment either she or I fear, sir," said Ben. "I'd go +anywhere with you, sir; but mother cannot bear the thought of parting +with me--that's the truth of it, sir." + +"I'll speak to her about the matter, and perhaps she may see things in a +different light," said Lieutenant Charlton. "Perhaps I may be able to +find a home for her while you are away, and then she will be content to +let you go, knowing that you are well provided for." + +Ben thanked the lieutenant very much. He made up his mind, however, +that, unless his mother was perfectly ready to let him go to sea, +nothing should persuade him to quit her. He had not forgotten his +father's last words, "Do right, whatever comes of it." + +"The Bible says, `Honour thy father and thy mother,'" said Ben to +himself. "I should not be honouring my mother if I was to disobey her +wishes, even though I was to become an officer, and see all the world, +and come back with my pockets full of gold. No, no! Lieutenant +Charlton is very kind and very good--that I am sure of; but, poor dear +mother, I'll not leave her, unless she bids me, in God's name, go and +prosper." + +Ben was now sufficiently recovered to return home. He went back in a +cart provided for him by the good lieutenant, who had also during his +confinement not been unmindful of his mother. Ben found that some +ladies had called on her, saying that they were the parents of the +children who had been saved by Ben's bravery and presence of mind, and +they insisted, as the least they could do, on supplying all her wants +during his absence. They also promised further aid when they had +learned how they could best bestow it. Indeed, Mrs Hadden had been +much better off of late than she had been for a long time before. + +"I think, mother, that we should say, besides `Do right, whatever comes +of it,' `Whatever happens is for the best,' even though it looks to us +like a great misfortune. I thought that I was very unfortunate when I +got knocked down and had my ribs broken, and yet you see how much good +has come out of it. You have been well looked after, and I have gained +more friends than I might otherwise have found during all my life." + +"Yes, Ben," answered Mrs Hadden, "yes. God orders all for the best, +there's no doubt about that; but His ways are not our ways, and we +cannot always see how that which happens is to work for our good as +clearly as we now see how your broken ribs which you speak of have +brought me many comforts I should not otherwise have enjoyed. Your +father, Ben, would have said what I do; and I often think, now that he +is in heaven enjoying perfect happiness, how he blesses God that he was +born a poor humble fisherman, with the grace and the religious +privileges he enjoyed, instead of some rich man, whose heart might have +remained unchanged, or instead of one who might have put his faith in +the Pope of Rome, or in that wicked impostor we were reading about, +Mahomet. Ah, Ben, we often are not thankful enough for all the +religious advantages we enjoy, and, above all, that we have so fully and +freely the gospel placed before us." + + + +CHAPTER FIVE. + +A TURN IN BEN'S HISTORY. + +Little Ben had now sufficiently recovered to follow his former business, +for though not as strong as before his accident, he calculated on +getting an occasional lift in a cart, so as to make his rounds with less +difficulty. The first day he went down to the beach when the boats came +in, he was welcomed with a friendly smile from all the fishermen. They +had heard how he had saved the little children from being run over by +the horse and cart. First one brought him a couple of fine fish, +saying, "That's for you, Ben. Don't talk of payment this time." Then +another did the same thing, and another, and another, till his basket +was so full that he could scarcely carry it. He thanked the kind +fishermen all very much, and said that he was sure he did not deserve +that from them; but they replied that they were better judges than he +was of that matter, and that they only wished they could afford to fill +his basket in the same manner every morning. This was very pleasant to +Ben's feelings, and he got so good a price for the fish, which were very +fine, that he was ever afterwards able to pay ready money for all he +bought. + +Day after day Ben went his rounds; but, though he generally got a fair +price for the fish he sold, he could scarcely gain sufficient to procure +food and clothing for himself and his mother, and firing and lights, and +to pay the taxes with which even they were charged. Sometimes he did +not sell all the fish he had bought, and, as fish will not keep long, he +and his mother had to eat them themselves, or to sell them to other poor +people at a low rate. Then he wore out a good many pairs of shoes, as +well as other clothes, as he had to be out in all weathers; for those +who wanted a dish of fish for dinner would not have been satisfied had +he waited till the next morning to bring it to them on account of a +storm of rain or snow. Mrs Hadden had thought of taking to sell fish +herself, to relieve Ben somewhat, but he urged her not to make the +attempt. She was not strong, and, although a fisherman's wife, had been +unaccustomed to out-door work. She had been in service during her +younger days as a nurse, where she enjoyed every comfort she could +desire. When she married, though no man's cottage was better kept than +John Hadden's, and no children were better cared for and brought up, she +could not help him in the way the wives of most of the fishermen were +expected to do. "But then," as John remarked, when some of his friends +warned him that he was a lout to marry a fine lady and a useless person, +"she is a God-fearing, pious woman, and she'll do her best in whatever I +wish her to do." So she did, and till the day of his death John never +had reason to regret his choice. + +"God will show us what ought to be done, and give the strength to do it, +if I ought to go out and sell fish to obtain our daily food," said Mrs +Hadden, after she had one day been talking over the subject with Ben. + +"Yes, mother, there is no doubt but that God will show us what ought to +be done," he answered. "But the minister was telling us on Sunday that +God brings about what He wishes to take place through human means, and +does not work what we call miracles; so I think that, if He hasn't given +you the strength of body to carry about a basket of fish through the +country, He does not wish you so to employ yourself." + +The discussion was cut short by the appearance of Lieutenant Charlton, +who had ridden up to the door of the cottage. Ben ran out to welcome +him and to hold his horse, but he said, "No, we must get somebody else +to take care of the animal while you and I have a talk with your mother +over matters." Ben easily found a lad to lead his kind friend's horse +up and down on the sand, and then he accompanied the lieutenant into the +cottage. + +"I have a great deal to say to you, Mrs Hadden, and so I hope that you +will hear me patiently," said the lieutenant, sitting down in the chair +John Hadden used to occupy. "First, I must tell you that I am going +away to sea. I have a mother who is a great invalid, and requires the +constant attendance of a sensible, good-tempered Christian woman who can +read to her, and talk and amuse her. I know no person so well qualified +for the post as you are. My sister, who lives with her, thinks so +likewise, and will be most thankful to have your assistance. In this +way, if you will accept our offer, you yourself will be well provided +for. Now, with regard to little Ben. Selling fish is a very +respectable occupation, but not a very profitable one, I suspect, from +what I can hear, and I think that your son is fitted for something +better. To be sure, he may some day become a full-grown fishmonger, but +that can only be some years hence; and, from what he has told me, I find +that he has a strong wish to go to sea, though, unless you were +comfortably provided for, nothing would tempt him to leave you. Now you +see my plan: you shall take care of my mother, and I will take care of +your son. What do you say to it?" + +"That I am most grateful to you for your kindness, sir," answered the +widow in a trembling voice; "thus much I can say at once; but I am sure +that you will excuse me for not giving a decided answer immediately. I +should wish to lay the matter before God in prayer, and Ben and I will +go over to-morrow morning to give you our reply, if you can kindly wait +so long. I wish to do what is right; but ah, sir, it is a hard thing to +have to part from my only boy, after having lost so many!" + +"Though my time is short before I must join my ship, of which I am first +lieutenant, and I am much hurried, I will gladly wait till to-morrow +morning, that you may decide for the best," answered the lieutenant. "I +shall not be, I hope, less your friend, though you may differ in opinion +with me and decline my offer." The kind officer, however, before he +took his departure, told Mrs Hadden, in case she should give Ben leave +to accompany him, what preparations she should make for him, saying that +all expenses would be borne by the friends who wished to serve her. He +assured her that Ben would be well treated, and would probably find many +good men on board ship, who would support him in doing right, though he +would of course find many who would do their utmost to lead him astray; +that, if he continued as he had begun, he would certainly be made a +petty officer, and very likely, if he wished it, a warrant-officer, when +he would be able to retire on a comfortable pension, and at all events, +in case of being wounded, he would have Greenwich Hospital to fall back +on. + +Mrs Hadden and little Ben thought and talked and prayed over the +subject after the lieutenant was gone, and the result was that his offer +was accepted. Instead of leaping for joy, as Ben thought he should do +if this conclusion were come to, he threw his arms round his mother's +neck, exclaiming, "Oh, mother, mother, how can I be so cruel and +hard-hearted as to think of leaving you! I'll stay with you, and work +for you as before, if you wish it, indeed I will. I would rather stay-- +I shall be very happy at home with you." + +Mrs Hadden knew that these feelings were very natural, and, believing +that it was to Ben's advantage that he should go to sea with so kind an +officer as Lieutenant Charlton, she would not allow her resolution to be +shaken, though her mother's heart was saying all the time, "Let him give +it up, and stay at home with you." Children often but little understand +how much parents give up for what they, at all events, believe will +benefit those children. + +The lieutenant had desired Mrs Hadden to let him know as soon as she +had decided, as, should Ben not go with him, he should take some other +boy in his place. In spite of all she could do, tears blotted the paper +as she wrote her humble thanks accepting his offer. The lieutenant +remarked it, observing, "Poor woman! I suppose it must be a trial to +her to part with her boy--I did not think much of that." + +"Indeed it must be, my son," said Mrs Charlton, his mother, who +overheard him: "I found it very hard to part with you--though I did so +because I thought it was right." + +"You did, mother, I am sure, and providentially I fell into good hands, +and have every reason to be thankful that I went to sea," said the +lieutenant. + +"I trust that Mrs Hadden will hear little Ben say the same when he +comes back from sea," said Mrs Charlton. + +"I pray that I may be able to do my duty towards the boy, and watch +carefully over him," said the lieutenant. + +"Depend on it, God will aid you. He always does those who trust in Him +and desire to serve Him," answered Mrs Charlton. "Tell the boy also, +should he at any time appear anxious about his mother, that I also will +do my best to take care of her." + +Mrs Hadden had indeed reason to say, "Truly God careth for the +fatherless and widows who put their trust in Him." + +Ben's outfitting operations now went on briskly. Some kind ladies sent +a piece of strong calico to make him some shirts, and from morning to +night Mrs Hadden's busy fingers were plying her needle till they were +finished. Other friends supplied his different wants, and he was soon +quite ready to accompany Lieutenant Charlton. The day to leave home +came. The worst part of the business was parting from his mother; yet, +great as was the pain, it was not so great as might have been expected. +People when conscious of doing right are saved much grief and suffering; +especially, if they trust in God, they know that He can and will deliver +them out of all their troubles. + +"I shall come back, mother, to you; I know I shall. God will take care +of me; I will try and do right, and serve Him faithfully; and perhaps, +mother, I may bring back Ned with me," said Ben to his mother, who had +taken up her abode with Mrs Charlton. These were his last words to her +as he again and again embraced her, and then, tearing himself away, he +ran after the lieutenant, who was walking rapidly down the street +towards the inn from which the coach started that was to convey them to +Portsmouth. + +Ben felt as if he had reached a new world even as he travelled along the +road, much more so when he entered London itself, where Mr Charlton +went to the house of a relation. Ben was shown into the kitchen, and +handed over to the care of the page. He found that, at the very outset +of his career, he was to meet with temptation to do wrong. After the +late dinner, the page came down with two rich-looking dishes untouched, +and took them into a little room, where he had invited Ben to meet him. + +"Be quick, let us eat them up," he said, "all but a small part of each; +the housekeeper will never find it out, and I can tell cook how much I +heard people praising them." + +"No; unless the housekeeper or cook gives it to us, I will touch +nothing," answered Ben stoutly. + +"Nonsense! wherever did you learn such stuff?" exclaimed the page in +surprise. "Why, we think nothing of that sort of thing; what harm can +come of it?" + +"I don't see that that has anything to do with the matter," said Ben. +"I've been taught always to do right, whatever comes of it; and 'tis +doing very far from right to take what doesn't belong to one; it is +doing very wrong--it is stealing." + +"I never should have thought that," said the page; "I wouldn't steal +sixpence from no one, that I wouldn't! but just taking something out of +a dish of good things that comes down from the parlour is altogether +different." + +"Now I don't see any difference at all," said Ben, more earnestly than +before; "the long and the short of the matter is, that it's wrong, and +we mustn't do wrong even if we fancy good is to come out of it. Just +the contrary: we must do right, whatever we think may come out of it. +God says, `_Do right_.' He'll take care of the rest." + +The page did not utter another word, and Ben had the satisfaction of +seeing him take the dishes into the housekeeper's room. This was a +great encouragement to him. "If I can persuade one person to do right +in what he thinks a trifle, I may persuade others; and, at all events, I +will go on, with God's help, doing so whenever I have an opportunity," +said Ben to himself. "That is right, I know." + +The page was not at all the less friendly after this, but he treated Ben +with much more respect, and Ben was very sorry to part with him. Nearly +his last words to him were, "Never mind what you have been accustomed to +think or to do, but just remember to do right at all times. Jesus +Christ, who came on earth to save us, and to teach us how to live and +act in the world, has left us an example that we should walk in His +steps. And if we were always to ask ourselves what He would have done +if He had been put in our place, and do accordingly, that will be the +right thing for us." + +Ben spoke so naturally and so earnestly, that the page didn't think it +anything like canting; but he answered, "I'll try and do what you say, +Ben, and when you're away at sea perhaps you'll remember me, and ask God +to show me what's right. He's more likely to listen to you than to me." + +"Oh no, no! don't suppose that for a moment!" exclaimed Ben. "He's +ready to hear all who call upon Him faithfully. He's very kind, and +loving, and gentle. He waits to be gracious. We should never get +better if we waited to get better of ourselves. We must go to Him just +as we are, trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ to wash away our sins; that +will do it--nothing else." + +Little Ben had an advantage over a very large number of people, educated +and rich, as well as poor and humble. He had been all his life +accustomed to read the Bible, and so he knew more about God and His +will, and could talk more rightly about Him, than those who do not read +God's Word can possibly do. He went daily to the fountain, and kept his +pitcher full of the water of life. They who seldom or never go, must +have their pitchers empty. + + + +CHAPTER SIX. + +LIFE ON SHIPBOARD. + +Mr Charlton had been appointed as first lieutenant of the Ajax, a +thirty-six gun frigate, fitting-out for the Pacific station. On his +arrival at Portsmouth, he at once repaired on board, taking Ben with +him. As they pulled up the harbour in a shore boat towards the frigate, +which lay lashed alongside a hulk, Ben was astonished at the number of +ships he saw, and the vast size of many of them. It seemed to him as if +the wind could never affect such monstrous constructions, even to move +them along through the water; and as to the sea tossing them about as it +did the boats to which he was accustomed, that seemed impossible. +Several of them carried a hundred huge iron guns, and others even a +larger number. He saw many more on the stocks in the dockyard, and +others moored up the harbour, and he thought to himself, "Now, if people +of different nations would but live at peace with each other, and try to +do each other all the good in the world they can, instead of as much +harm as possible, and employ their time in building merchant vessels and +other works for the advantage of their fellow-creatures, how very much +better it would be!"--Many wise and good men think as did little Ben, +and yet they have to acknowledge that, while nations continue wickedly +ambitious, and jealous of each other's wealth and power, it is the duty +of governments to be armed and prepared to resist aggression. + +Ben felt very much astonished, and almost frightened, when he found +himself on board the frigate, at the din and bustle which was going +forward, and the seeming confusion--the shrill whistle of the boatswain, +and the hoarse shouting of his mates, as yards were swayed up, and coils +of rope and stores of all sorts were hoisted on board. Ben could not +understand one-half that he heard, so many strange expressions were +used--indeed, there seemed to be a complete Babel of tongues, with, +unhappily, much swearing and abuse. Ben thought that the work would +have gone on much more satisfactorily without it. He observed, after a +time, that which appeared confusion was in reality order. Each gang of +men was working under a petty officer, who received his orders from +superior officers, of whom there were three or four stationed in +different parts of the ship; and they, again, were all under the command +of the officer in charge. Each man attended only to his own business, +and, let all the petty officers bawl as loud as they might, he was deaf +to the voice of every one of them except to that of the officer placed +over him. As Ben was left standing by himself alone, he had an +opportunity of making observations on what was going forward. He would +have naturally formed a very unfavourable opinion of a man-of-war, had +he seen her only thus in all the hurry of fitting-out. He was beginning +to think that he was forgotten, when a boy of about his own age, neatly +dressed in white trousers, and shirt with a broad worked collar, came up +to him, and said-- + +"The first lieutenant wants you: come with me." + +Ben was very glad to move. + +"What's your name?" asked the boy. + +Ben told him. + +"Mine is Tom Martin," said his companion; "I'm the boatswain's son. Mr +Charlton says I'm to look after you, and tell you what you want to know. +But you've been to sea before, haven't you?" + +"Only in fishing-boats," answered Ben; "and I shall be much obliged to +you for telling me what I ought to know." + +"As to that, you'll soon pick it up; for you don't look like one of +those chaps who come aboard with the hay-seed still in their hair," said +Tom. "Here we are at the gun-room door." + +Mr Charlton's voice and eye were as kind as ever, though he spoke in +rather a stiffer manner than was his custom on shore. He told Ben that +he had had his name entered on the ship's books, and that the boatswain +would look after him, and give him instruction with his own son; besides +this, that he was to be one of the boys employed in attending on the +gun-room officers, which was an advantage, as it would give him plenty +to do, and some little pay besides. + +"You may go forward now," said Mr Charlton. "The gun-room steward will +tell you what to do when he comes on board. And remember, Martin, I +shall depend on you to show Hadden everything he ought to know, and all +about the ship." + +"Ay, ay, sir," said Tom, pulling a lock of his hair, as of course he +held his hat in his hand. Then he gave Ben a nudge, to signify that he +was to come away with him. + +"You are a lucky chap to have the first lieutenant for your friend," +observed Tom, as they went forward. + +"Yes, he's a kind, good gentleman as ever lived," answered Ben warmly. + +"That may be; but what I mean is, if you keep wide awake, and try to win +his favour, you'll have a comfortable time of it, and get a good rating +before the ship is paid off," observed Tom. + +Ben, resolved as he was to keep to his principles, and to be ready to +own them on all fit occasions, looked at his companion, and said, "I +know, Martin, there's one thing I have to do, and that is, to do right +whatever comes of it. If I do right, I need have no fear but that, in +the long-run, I shall please the first lieutenant and all the officers; +at any rate, I shall please God, and that's of more consequence than +anything else." + +"Oh, I see what sort of a chap you are!" observed Tom. "Well, don't go +and talk like that to others--they mayn't take it as I do; for my part, +I don't mind it." And Tom put on a very self-pleased, patronising air. + +"I don't see that I have said anything out of the way," remarked Ben. +"It stands to reason that to do right is the only way to please God, and +that to please God is the wisest thing to do, as He gives us everything +we have; and of course He will give more to those who try to please Him +than to those who do not. There are many other reasons, but that is +one, is it not?" + +"Yes, I suppose so; but I haven't thought much about such things," said +Tom. + +"Then do think about them. I know that it is a good thing to do," said +Ben. + +"I'll try," whispered Tom. + +It must not be supposed that Ben and Tom often talked together like this +at first. There was too much bustle going forward for anything of the +sort; they, as well as everybody in the ship, were kept hard at work +from sunrise to sunset, and they were both so sleepy at night, when they +turned into their hammocks, that they instantly fell fast asleep. + +Ben had thus an opportunity of observing the whole process of +fitting-out a ship. First he saw the huge, heavy guns hoisted on board, +by means of tackles, with as much ease as an angler draws a big fish out +of the water; then they were mounted on their carriages, and secured +along the sides. Tackles, he learned, are formed by reeving ropes +several times backwards and forwards through blocks. Then the topmasts +and yards were got on board, swayed up, and crossed. Next, stores of +all sorts were brought alongside--anchors, and chain-cables, and coils +of rope, and round shot, and sails, and canvas, and paint, and tools for +the various departments, and muskets, and cutlasses, and pistols, and +bullets. No powder, however, came; and Ben learned that that would not +be brought on board till the ship was out at Spithead. This rule was +made because of accidents which had occurred formerly, ships having been +blown up in the harbour, and been not only themselves destroyed, but +caused the destruction of others, and the lives of very many people. +Ben, however, saw the place where it was to be kept--a room lined with +iron, with two doors. Between the doors was a sort of anteroom, and the +outer door had an iron grating in it. There were means of flooding the +magazine, in case of the ship catching fire. Last of all, the +provisions and water were got on board--casks of beef and pork, and +flour, and groceries, and spirits; and there were candles, and clothing, +and (more necessary than most other things) water came alongside in +lighters, and was pumped up into large iron tanks at the bottom of the +ship. These tanks were large enough to allow a person to get into them +to clean them out. They were in the inside coated with lime, and Ben +was told that the water was kept in them fresh and pure for years. + +The tools and stores were under the charge of three different +warrant-officers--the gunner, the boatswain, and the carpenter. The +first had everything connected with the guns, the shot, and powder; the +boatswain had charge of all the ropes, sails, anchors, and cables; and +the last of all, the woodwork, and spars, and pumps. + +The provisions and clothing were under charge of the purser, who was an +officer of superior rank, living with the lieutenants and surgeon. +There was another officer, called the master, who also ranked with the +lieutenants. He had charge of the navigation of the ship. + +When the ship was completely fitted out, a body of soldiers called +marines, under the command of a lieutenant, came on board. There was +also one cabin full of young gentlemen, called midshipmen, their ages +varying from thirteen up to five or six-and-twenty; with them, however, +were the captain's and purser's clerks, and master's assistants, and +assistant surgeons. They had two or three boys to attend on them. Ben +was very glad that he was not selected for the duty, as the young +gentlemen were frequently somewhat thoughtless in the way they treated +the boys. + +Above all the rest was the captain, who was answerable to no one on +board; but he was bound by certain laws laid down for his guidance, and, +if he broke any of them, would have to explain the reason to the +Government at home, administered by the Board of Admiralty. + +Ben soon understood that all these people could not live together in +harmony, nor the ship be properly managed, without prompt and exact +obedience to all laws and orders. The captain must obey the laws--the +articles of war, as they are called--and the rules and regulations of +the service, and all the officers and men the orders issued by those +above them. + +One of the last things done was to bend the sails, that is, to stretch +them out on the yards; and the men were then exercised in furling them, +which means, rolling them up; in again loosing them; and in reefing, +that is, reducing their size by rolling up only a portion of each sail. +At length, the ship being ready for sea, she sailed out to Spithead. As +Ben, who was on the forecastle with Tom Martin, saw her gliding through +the water for the first time, like a stately swan, he felt very proud of +belonging to her, though he was nearly the youngest boy on board, and of +the least consequence. "So I am," he said to himself, recollecting +this; "but still, though I am but small, I can do as well as I am able +whatever I am set to do; that, at all events, will be doing right." Ben +thought rightly that no one is too young or too insignificant to do his +best in whatever he is set to do, never mind what that doing may be. + +The powder was received on board, and until it was stowed carefully away +in the magazine, all lights were extinguished. If people were as +careful to avoid sin and its consequences as sailors are to avoid +blowing up their ship, how different would be the world from what it is! +Yet how far more sad are the consequences of sin! + +A few more stores and provisions came off; so did the captain. Blue +Peter was hoisted [see note 1]; all visitors were ordered out of the +ship; despatches and letters for many distant places she was expected to +visit were received; the anchor was hove up to the merry sound of the +fife as the seamen tramped round and round the capstan, and, her canvas +being spread to the wind, she glided majestically onward, her voyage now +fairly commenced. + +The wind was fair, and the frigate quickly ran down Channel, and took +her departure from the Lizard, one of the south-western points of +England. She had a wide extent of ocean before her to traverse, and +many weeks would pass before land would be again sighted. Still, the +master, with the aid of the compass, his sextant, and chronometer, was +able to steer his course with as much certainty as if land had been all +the time in sight. + +Martin told Ben, jokingly, that the object of the sextant was to shoot +the stars and the sun; but Ben found that it was to measure the height +of the sun above the horizon, and the distance of certain stars from +each other. The chronometer, he learned, was a large watch made to keep +exact time, so that the time in London was known wherever the ship went. +Ben saw another instrument, a reel with a long line and a triangular +piece of board at the end of it. The line was divided into twelve or +more parts; the end with the board attached was thrown overboard, and, +as the line ran out, a seaman held up a little sand-glass shaped like an +hour-glass. By it the number of knots or divisions run out were easily +measured, and the number of miles the ship sailed over in one hour was +ascertained, and the distance made good each day calculated. Ben looked +at the compass with the greatest respect, and was much pleased when Mr +Martin, the boatswain, could take him and Tom aft to explain its use to +them, and to show them how the ship was steered. As they were not +officers, they could not go when they liked to that part of the ship, +only when they were sent to perform some piece of duty. + +Ben seldom exchanged a word with Mr Charlton, who, however, never +failed when he passed to give him a kind glance of the eye, to show him +that he was not forgotten. This made him feel happy and contented. +People of all ages feel thus when they know that a kind friend is +looking after them. How much more, then, should Christians feel happy +and contented when they know that their Father in heaven, the kindest of +friends, and at the same time the most powerful, who never slumbers nor +sleeps, is ever watching over them to guard them from all evil; and that +if He allows what the world calls a misfortune to overtake them, it is +for their real good. + +Ben soon learned all about a ship, for, having been from his childhood +on the water, things were not so strange to him as they are to a boy who +had come from some inland place with, as Tom said, the hay-seed in his +hair. He was as active and intelligent and daring as any of the boys in +the ship, not only of his own size, but of those much bigger and older. +Though also he had his duties in the gun-room to attend to, he learned +to go aloft, and to furl and reef sails, and to knot and splice, and to +perform many other tasks required of sailors. He made many friends, +too, among the best men and the petty officers, for he was always +obliging and ready to serve any one he could in a lawful way; but any +one who had asked Ben to do what he knew to be wrong would have found +him very far from obliging. + +Day after day the frigate sailed on over a smooth ocean, it being +scarcely necessary to alter a sail, but the crew were not idle; the ship +had to be got into perfect order below, and there was much painting, and +cleaning, and scrubbing; then the men were exercised in reefing and +furling sails, and going through all the operations necessary to bring +the ship to an anchor. Though no gale threatened, topgallant masts and +their yards were sent down on deck, and everything was made snug, so +that they might quickly make the proper preparations when one should +come on. The men were also daily exercised at the guns. To each gun a +particular crew was attached, who cast it loose, went through all the +movements of loading and firing over and over again, and then once more +secured it. Sometimes powder was fired, and, whenever there was a calm, +an empty cask with a target on it was towed off some way from the ship, +and shot were fired at it. + +On several occasions, in the middle of the night perhaps, that dreadful +sound of the fire-bell was heard, and then the men sprang into their +clothes--each man going to his proper station; the fire-buckets were +filled, the pumps manned, and all stood ready to obey the orders of +their officers to meet the danger. "Very well, my men; you were quickly +at your stations," cried the captain. "Pipe down." The men then +returned to their hammocks. Really there was no fire, but they were +summoned to their posts that, in case a fire should take place, they +might be cool and collected, and know exactly what to do. This was very +different from "calling wolf," because a sailor _must_ obey whatever +signal is made to him or order given by his superior, without stopping +to consider why it is issued. When the drum beats to quarters, he must +fly to his station, though he knows perfectly well that no enemy is +near. + +One day Ben and Tom, with the gunner, the purser's steward, and the +sergeant of marines, were seated in the boatswain's cabin to enjoy what +he called a little social and religious conversation. All the party +were above the average in intelligence. This was shown by their having +risen from their original position. Various subjects had been +discussed. + +"To my mind, as I have often said, a ship is just like a little world," +observed Mr Martin, who had some clear notions on many matters. "Every +man in it has his duty to do, and if he doesn't do it, not only he, but +others, suffer. It is not his business to be saying, Why am I to do +this? Why am I to do that? It's the law in the articles of war, or the +rules and regulations of the service; that's enough. If you join the +service, you must obey those rules. It's your business, though, to +learn what they are. Now, that's just the same when a man becomes a +Christian. He mustn't do what he would like to do according to the +natural man; but he must learn Christ's laws, and try and obey them. +Just see how the men on board a man-of-war are practised and exercised +in all sorts of ways to make them good seamen. Here they are, from +morning till night, exercising at the guns, shortening sail, reefing +topsails, drilling with the small-arms, mustering at divisions, going to +quarters, and fifty other things; and though sometimes they don't like +the work, it's all for their good and the good of the service, and to +enable them to support the honour and glory of our country. Just in the +same way, I've often thought, God manages us human creatures. We are +sent into the world to fit us to become His subjects; we are exercised +and practised in all sorts of ways, and, though we often think the way +very hard, we may be sure that it is for our good, and, what is more, to +fit us to support His honour and glory." + +"I never saw the matter in that light before," observed Mr Thomson, the +gunner. "I've often thought how there came to be so much pain and +sorrow in the world, and how so many things go wrong in it." + +"Why, look ye here, Thomson, just for this cause, because men don't obey +God's laws," exclaimed Mr Martin. "Adam and Eve broke them first, and +their children have been breaking them ever since. Sin did it all. +What would become of us aboard here, if the ship, however well-built she +might be, was badly fitted out at first, and if we all were constantly +neglecting our duty and disobeying orders? Why, we should pretty soon +run her ashore, or founder, or blow her up, or, if we met an enemy, have +to haul down our flag." + +The sergeant and purser's steward, who were both serious-minded men, +though not much enlightened, agreed heartily with Mr Martin; and Ben +learned many an important lesson from listening from time to time to +their conversation. + +Their example had also a very good effect on the ship's company +generally; there was far less swearing and quarrelling and bad +conversation than in many ships; for even the best of men-of-war are +very far from what they should be. In course of time three or four of +the men met together regularly for prayer, reading the Scriptures, and +mutual instruction; and by degrees others joined them. As they were +very anxious to have a place where they could meet free from +interruption, Mr Martin allowed them the use of his storeroom, which, +though the spot was dark and close, they considered a great privilege. +He also occasionally united with them, and came oftener and oftener, +until he always was present unless prevented by his duty. Ben gladly +accompanied him, and he also took Tom with him; who, however, did not +appear to value the advantage, for he was generally found fast asleep in +a corner at the end of the meeting. + +Altogether the Ajax was a happy ship. On one important point the +widow's prayers for her son were heard, and Ben was kept out of the +temptations and the influence of bad example to which poor sailor boys +are so often exposed. + +------------------------------------------------------------------------ + +Note 1. A blue flag so called; it gives notice that the ship is about +to sail. + + + +CHAPTER SEVEN. + +AMONG THE ICEBERGS. + +Ben found the weather growing hotter and hotter as the ship approached +the line, which Mr Martin told him was not really a line, but only a +circle supposed to be drawn round the widest part of the globe, and +where the sun at noon appears directly overhead. Still no one was much +the worse for the heat; and gradually, as the ship sailed farther south, +the weather became cooler and cooler, till it was as cold as it is in +the winter in England; and Ben learned that the frigate was approaching +the southern pole. She was then to sail round--not the pole, but a vast +headland called Cape Horn; and on the other side, that is to say, to the +west of it, to enter the wide Pacific Ocean. Ben had shown so much +intelligence, and had made himself so generally useful, that Mr +Charlton had placed him in a watch, that he might learn to do his duty +by night as well as by day. + +Scarcely had the ship's head been turned to the west than heavy weather +came on. The seas rolled in vast watery heights one after the other in +quick succession, so that no sooner had the frigate risen to the foaming +summit of one high wave, than she sank down into the other, surrounded +by dark, watery precipices, which looked as if they must break on board +and overwhelm her. Ben, as he stood on the deck of the big ship of +which he had become so proud, and watched the succession of the +mountainous seas on every side, felt how insignificant she was, how +helpless were all on board, unless trusting in the protection of God. +Now she would slowly climb up the top of a huge sea; there she would +remain, other seas following and seeming to chase the one on which she +rode; then down again she would glide into the valley, once more to rise +to the crest of another sea. If the spectacle was grand and awful in +the daytime, much more so was it at night, when the ship went rushing on +into darkness, no one knowing what she was to encounter ahead. The +danger was not only imaginary, but real, for she was already in the +latitude of icebergs, which, at that season of the year, float far away +north from their original positions. + +The captain had charged all on deck to keep a very sharp look-out, and +Mr Charlton had said to Ben, "You have as bright a pair of eyes as +anybody on board. Keep them wide open, and if you see anything like a +glimmer of light through the darkness, and feel the cold greater than +before, sing out sharply, there will be an iceberg ahead." + +Ben resolved to do as he was told, but he did not think it likely that a +little fellow like himself could be of much use. He would naturally +have been very much alarmed had he been by himself in such a position, +but he saw every one round him cool and collected, and he therefore felt +free from fear. The four hours of his watch had nearly expired. He had +been all the time peering into the darkness, thinking more than once +that he saw what he had been told to look out for. Mr Martin and three +or four of the best men in the ship were on the forecastle with him, all +likewise looking out. Suddenly he saw what appeared like a huge sheet +shaken before him by invisible hands, and a chill struck his cheek. +This was what he was to look for. He sang out lustily, "An iceberg +ahead--right ahead!" + +"Starboard the helm!" sang out a voice from aft; and at those words the +sheets and traces were flattened aft, while every man on deck flew to +his post. In another instant the stout ship would have been a helpless +wreck, foundering under the base of a huge iceberg. There was no space +to spare. Foaming, roaring seas were seen dashing against its sides as +the toiling frigate ploughed her way past it, near enough, Mr Martin +said, to heave a biscuit on it. Some minutes passed before any one +breathed freely; the danger had been so great and terrible that it was +difficult to believe that it had passed away. + +"You deserve well of us, Ben; and, depend on it, the captain and Mr +Charlton are not likely to overlook what you have done," said Mr +Martin. "Though I had my eyes wide open, I did not see the berg till +some seconds after you had sung out; and in a touch-and-go matter, a few +seconds makes all the difference whether a ship is saved or lost." + +There was great danger as the ship sailed on, with the seas on her side, +of their breaking on board, and she was therefore once more kept away +before the wind. The watch was called, and Ben turned in. All those +now on deck kept their eyes very wide open, watching for another +iceberg, which it was likely they might meet with. Ben in his hammock +slept soundly; he had prayed, and commended himself and all with him to +his heavenly Father's protection. "If the ship should sink, I may awake +and find myself with Him; but why should I fear? He will, I know, +receive me graciously, and I shall meet my dear father and brothers with +Him." And with such thoughts the Christian sailor boy dropped asleep. + +For several days the ship ran on, the captain hauling up gradually to +the north as the weather moderated. Her course was then somewhat +easterly, and after some time a report ran through the ship that land +might any hour be seen on the starboard bow; that is to say, on the +right side. It was said that, on such occasions, the person who first +discovered land often received the reward of a sovereign, or half a +sovereign; and when Ben heard this, he became very anxious to obtain it. +He had been the first to see the iceberg, why should he not be the +first to see land? He was afraid, however, that his chance was small, +as he had his duties in the gun-room to attend to, and he could seldom +get away long enough at a time to go to the masthead. Still he +determined to try. One thing struck him as very wonderful, that, after +sailing on so many weeks, and not having once seen land, the officer +should be able to tell the exact spot at which they should arrive, and +the time within a few hours. + +The place for which the frigate was bound is called Valparaiso, in the +republic of Chili. She was, after leaving it, to go in search of the +admiral on the station, and then to proceed on her voyage across the +Pacific Ocean. Mr Martin told Ben and Tom that the Pacific is full of +groups of islands, some of them of considerable size, with lofty +mountains on them; others composed of coral, many of them measuring not +a mile from one end to the other, and raised but a few feet above the +surface of the ocean. + +"Ah, among so many, what chance shall I have of finding Ned?" sighed +Ben. + +"Why, as to chance, my boy, about as much chance as finding a needle in +a bundle of hay," answered Mr Martin. "But I thought, Ben, you knew +better than to talk of chance. If your brother is alive,--and you +shouldn't count too much upon that,--if it's God's will that you should +find him, you will; but, if not, though we should visit fifty islands,-- +and I daresay we shall see more than that number,--you won't." + +"I know, I know. I don't mean chance. Not a sparrow falls to the +ground but God sees it; but I mean that, among so many islands, it is +less likely that the frigate should visit the one where Ned may be." + +"As I said before, if God means you to find your brother, even though +there were ten times as many islands as there are, and the ship was only +to visit twenty of them, or ten, or five of them, or only one for that +matter, you will find him. All you have to do is to trust in God that +He'll do what is best." + +"Yes, I know that," said Ben. "Father always used to say, `Do right, +whatever comes of it.' God will take care that good will come out of it +in the end." + + + +CHAPTER EIGHT. + +DO RIGHT, WHATEVER COMES OF IT. + +"Land! land!" shouted little Ben, from the foretop-masthead; for he had +been out of his hammock and aloft before break of day, that he might +have the best opportunity of seeing land if it was to be seen. "Yes, +yes, that must be the land; those are tops of mountains covered with +snow, just what Mr Martin told me might be seen before sunrise. Land! +land! away on the starboard bow!" he shouted more loudly. + +The officer of the watch heard him, and was soon, with his telescope +slung over his shoulder, ascending the rigging. Ben pointed out the +direction in which he saw the snow-capped peaks. + +"You have a sharp pair of eyes, boy Hadden," observed the officer, who +was looking through his glass; "those are the Andes or Cordilleras, sure +enough, though seventy miles off at least--it may be many more than +that." + +Ben thought that he must indeed have a sharp pair of eyes, if he could +see an object seventy miles off; yet he found that the officer was +correct. All the men aloft now saw the mountains, and very soon they +could be perceived by those on deck. Shortly after the sun rose, +however, thin and light mists ascended, and veiled them from view. +Still the ship sailed on with a fair breeze, hour after hour, and no +land appeared. Ben began to fancy that he must have been mistaken. He +was somewhat surprised, therefore, when he was sent for into the +captain's cabin. + +"I find that you were the first to see land this morning, boy Hadden," +said the captain in a kind tone. "There is no great merit in that, but +after a long passage it might be of much consequence, and I wish to +reward you. You, however, rendered me a far greater service when you +discovered the iceberg rounding Cape Horn. I shall not forget that. In +the meantime I present you with a sovereign, to show you that I approve +of your conduct on that and other occasions." + +Ben, thanking the captain, left the cabin, highly pleased at the praise +he had received, and very glad also to get the sovereign; not that he +might spend it on himself, but that he might send it home to his mother; +and he had some notion that he could do so by some means or other, but +how, he could not tell. He would consult Mr Martin. + +"Oh, it was to get that gold sovereign which made you so eager about +going aloft of late," observed Tom, who was somewhat jealous of his +companion. + +"Yes. I wanted it to send to my mother," answered Ben quietly. + +"But she can't want it. I never send my mother anything, nor does +father, that I know of," exclaimed Tom. "Much better, Ben, to spend it +like a man ashore. We could have rare fun with it, depend on that." + +"My mother is a widow, and that is one reason why she should want the +money, though yours doesn't," said Ben. "Then, though I came to sea in +the hope of finding Ned, I also came that I might get money to take care +of mother in her old age; so I think it right to send her the first +sovereign I have got, and I hope that it will be followed by many more." + +"You are always talking about doing right in this thing and that; but +how do you know what is right?" exclaimed Tom, vexed at the idea that he +should not benefit, as he thought he ought to do, by the gift his +messmate had received. + +"How can you ask that?" said Ben. "Haven't we got the Bible to show us +in the first place, and if we can't make up our minds clearly on the +matter from it, which, I allow, is possible, then cannot we pray to be +guided aright? and does not God promise that He will hear our prayers, +and send the Holy Spirit to guide us?" + +"Yes, I know all that," answered Tom, turning away. In truth, Tom ought +to have known it as well as Ben, for his father had frequently told him +the same; but, though he had heard, the words had passed from one ear +out at the other: he had not taken them in. + +Early in the day the master had stated the hour at which the coast-line +of South America would be seen; for the mountains Ben had discovered are +several miles inland, and are many thousand feet high--indeed, the range +of the Andes is one of the highest in the world. It now appeared at the +hour the master said it would, standing up rocky and broken, from the +very margin of the ocean. As the frigate drew nearer, the land looked +very dry and barren, and utterly unworthy of the name it bears. + +"If you were to see it in winter, just after the rains are over, you +would speak very differently of it," observed Mr Martin, who had been +there before. "Never judge of things, and, above all, of countries, at +first sight. At the right time this country looks as green and fresh +and beautiful a country as you need ever wish to see." + +In the afternoon the frigate anchored in the bay of Valparaiso, which is +lined by lofty hills, underneath one of which, and climbing up the +sides, the town is built. + +Ben was very anxious to go on shore, that he might inquire among all the +sailors he could meet if any of them had heard anything of his brother +Ned. Mr Charlton knew this, and arranged that he might have the +opportunity of carrying out his plans as far as possible. Whenever a +boat left for the shore, Ben was therefore allowed to go in her. Soon +after their arrival, a boat in which Ben went was sent from the frigate +under command of a midshipman, who had some commission to perform in the +town. On leaving the boat, the midshipman said, "Two of you will remain +as boat-keepers; the rest may step on shore, but are not to stray out of +sight of the boat. Remember, these are the captain's orders." + +"Ay, ay, sir," was the answer; but no sooner had the midshipman +disappeared up the street, than the men all jumped on shore to look out +for a grog-shop. Not one was to be seen, and on that account the place +had been selected by the captain for the landing of the boat's crew. In +vain they searched. + +"Now, Ben Hadden, here's a job for you," said the coxswain of the boat, +when they had come back and sat down in rather a sulky mood. "Just you +scud up the street, and bring us down a couple of bottles of +arguardiente. You are certain to find some place where they sell it, +and there's five shillings for yourself. I know you want money to send +to your mother; Tom told me so. Very right in you. Come, be sharp +about it, there's a good lad." + +"Thank you, Brown," said Ben, not moving from his seat; "but you forget +that Mr Manners said it was the captain's orders no one should go out +of sight of the boat. Even if you were to offer me five pounds for +mother, I couldn't go--" + +"Oh, nonsense, boy!" answered Brown; "it isn't the money you care about, +I know, but do it just to oblige us." + +"No, no, Brown. I have been taught always to do right, whatever comes +of it, and never to do wrong, even if it seems as if no harm would come +of it," said Ben firmly. + +"All right, I daresay, boy; but surely there's no harm in getting some +grog in this hot weather," argued Brown. + +"It's against orders, it's against the regulations, it's disobedience," +returned Ben. "We were ordered not to go out of sight of the boat, and +unless we do the arguardiente cannot be got." + +"Oh, this is all shilly-shallying humbug!" exclaimed Brown angrily. +"Come, a couple of you, with me, and we'll have the liquor, and be back +in a jiffy." + +"Remember, Brown, if you do, and I am asked, I'll speak the truth, I'll +warn you," said Ben undauntedly. + +"And I'll break your head, if you do!" exclaimed Brown, springing out of +the boat, followed by two of the other men, while the rest soon +scattered themselves about the quay, leaving Ben sitting in the boat. +He, at all events, determined not to move, though the proper +boat-keepers deserted their post. He sat on for some time, watching +people passing on shore: blacks, and brown men, the aboriginal natives +of the country, and white people descended from Spaniards, in their +varied and picturesque costumes; and two or three processions passed, of +priests, in white and purple dresses, and some in gold and scarlet, with +banners of the Virgin Mary and saints, and crucifixes, and images, and +bells tinkling, and men and boys chanting and swinging about incense, +just as Ben had read used to be done in heathen days, but quite +different to the custom of Protestant England. Some of the priests were +going to visit the sick and dying, and others were on their way to +attend funerals; indeed, there seemed to be a good deal of commotion on +shore among the ecclesiastics. Ben could not, however, exactly tell +what it all meant. + +A considerable time thus passed, and he wished that his shipmates would +return to the boat, lest Mr Manners should come down before them. The +boat had begun to move about a good deal lately, and Ben, on looking +round, discovered that a heavy sea was rolling into the harbour. +Directly after this she struck with a loud noise against the stone pier. +Ben sprang to his feet, and with the boat-hook did his best to fend off +the boat, shouting at the same time to the crew to come to his +assistance; but they were too much occupied with what was going forward +on shore to listen to him. Still he continued to exert himself to the +uttermost, for he saw that, if he did not do so, the boat would be +dashed to pieces. Again and again he shouted, till he was almost worn +out with his labours. He might at any moment have jumped on shore, and +left the boat to her fate; but he never thought of doing so. While he +was thus engaged, he heard his name called, and, looking up, he saw the +good-natured face of Mr Manners, who was watching him from the quay +above. + +"Why, boy Hadden, how comes it that you are left in the boat alone?" he +asked. "Where are the rest?" + +"There, sir," said Ben, pointing to where a few were to be seen. + +The midshipman ran towards them, shouting out at the same time. They +came, at length, very unwillingly. + +"See, you have allowed the boat to be almost stove in!" exclaimed the +generally quiet young midshipman. "Jump in, now, and keep her off. +Where are the rest?" + +The men, after getting into the boat, were silent for some time. The +midshipman repeated the question. + +"Just round the end of that street," said one of the men. "Shall I go +and call them, sir? What keeps them, I don't know." + +"No," answered the midshipman firmly. "We will pull off a short +distance, and wait for them. If they do not come down immediately, I +will go on board without them." + +The officer was just about to utter the words, "Give way!" when the +missing men were seen hurrying down, with uneven steps, towards the +quay. The boat put in, and took them on board. Their countenances were +flushed, and their manner wild; but they did not venture to speak much. +The midshipman saw that they were endeavouring to conceal something, as +they took their seats. "Heave those bottles overboard!" he exclaimed +suddenly, when they had got a little way from the quay. + +The men hesitated. "Not till they are empty," cried one. "Not till we +have had what is in them," exclaimed another, putting a bottle to his +lips. + +The midshipman, a spirited lad, sprang from his seat, and, passing the +intervening men, with a boat-stretcher which he had seized dashed the +bottle from the man's lips ere a drop could have been drunk. This so +exasperated the already tipsy sailor, that he flung himself on the young +officer, and, seizing him in his arms, threw him overboard. + +Ben, though not in time to prevent this, jumped from the boat, holding +on by one of the tiller-ropes, and grasped his young officer by the +collar. "Haul us in, mates!" he cried. "You won't surely add murder to +what that man has done!" + +Even the worst men were somewhat sobered when they saw what had +happened, and the other man who had the bottle to his lips stopped +drinking; and, fearful of consequences to themselves, they began to haul +the officer and Ben together on board. + +"Quick! quick, mates! or it will be too late!" cried the coxswain, who +had remained on the quay, though he had been guilty of letting the other +men go. + +A dark object was seen in the water. It darted towards them. + +"A shark! a shark!" was the cry. + +Ben quickly sprang into the boat; but barely was Mr Manners hauled on +board than a flash of white appeared, a huge mouth opened and closed +again with a loud snap, and a shark darted away, disappointed of its +prey. Even the most drunken of the men were sobered, and the bottles of +spirit they had procured at so much risk were thrown overboard. The +midshipman quickly recovered. + +"They are all gone, sir," said the coxswain in a humble tone. "The men +hope that you won't say anything about what has happened." + +"I would gladly avoid doing so, so far as I am myself concerned, +although, no thanks to Dick Nolan, I am a living man, instead of a dead +one in the body of a shark; but discipline must be maintained. I should +be neglecting my duty if I did not report those who disobeyed orders. I +shall speak of you in no vindictive spirit, and it will not be my fault +if the man who threw me into the water receives the punishment which is +justly his due: that punishment would be nothing short of death-- +remember that, my men! I have been taught by a Book, which I wish that +you all would read, to forgive my enemies and those who injure me; and +therefore I will, for the sake of our loving Saviour, endeavour to save +Nolan's life." + +The men hung down their heads. This was a very different style of +address from what they were accustomed to. No one expected it; even +Ben, who had frequently been with Mr Manners, did not. The most +hardened felt ashamed of themselves; they were certain that the young +officer would not injure them if he could help it, but they also knew +that he must report them. + +At length the boat reached the ship, and Mr Manners went into the cabin +to give an account of the mission on which he had been sent on shore. +Ben felt very anxious for the boat's crew; and the culprits, especially, +felt very anxious for themselves. Ben forgot all about himself, and he +did not suppose that he was likely to gain credit for the part he had +acted. He was therefore very much surprised when he was sent for into +the cabin. + +"I find, Hadden, that you have behaved admirably on two occasions +to-day, once in staying by the boat when the proper boat-keepers had +left her, and preventing her from being stove in; and secondly, in +jumping into the sea and saving Mr Manners when he fell overboard. I +wish you to know how highly I approve of your conduct, and will consider +how I can best reward you." + +Ben was highly pleased at hearing this. He kept pulling away at the +front lock of his hair, and thanking the captain, till he was told that +he might leave the cabin. + +Seamen generally know what has taken place among each other, even when +the officers do not. Tom soon heard all that had occurred, and told his +father. It was reported the next day that the captain proposed flogging +three of the men who had been on shore with Mr Manners. Then it was +known that several of the boat's crew were down with a severe fever, and +it was reported that the captain knew that there was a fever on shore, +and that therefore he had not given leave to the men to go as they had +been accustomed to do. Nolan, who had thrown Mr Manners overboard, was +the very worst of them. It was said that he was talking very +frantically, and accusing himself of the deed. In this dreadful state +he continued raving for two days, when he was silent from exhaustion, +and died. The captain, hoping to prevent the spread of the fever among +the crew, put to sea. Many more, however, were taken ill, of whom +several died, and were buried at sea. + +One day, Mr Martin called Ben and Tom into his cabin. "Now, boys, I +just want to point out to you what you must remember to the end of your +days; that is, the terrible effects of disobedience. Those poor fellows +whose corpses we have lowered overboard, I daresay, thought that they +were doing no great harm when they ran off to the grog-shop. They knew, +of course, that they were disobeying the orders of Mr Manners, the +midshipman in command of the boat; but they said to themselves, `Oh, he +is only a midshipman, no harm can come of it. We shall be back before +he is, and he need know nothing about the matter.' They forgot that the +midshipman was acting under the orders of the captain, and the captain +under those of the Government of our country, and that Governments and +authorities were instituted by God for the well-being and happiness of +the community. They thought that they were committing a little sin, but +they were in reality guilty of a great crime. See the result. One of +them nearly committed murder, and if he had lived, and the captain had +been informed of what he had done, he would have been hung. I know all +about it, though the crew think I don't. Then they catch the fever, +bring it aboard, some of them lose their own lives, and they risk the +lives of all the ship's company. Just in the same way people go on in +the world. God has given us orders what we are to do, and what we are +not to do. How do we act? We neglect to do what He has commanded us to +do, and do the very things He has told us not to do, saying all the time +to ourselves, `It is only a little sin, it is only a slight +disobedience; so slight, God won't notice it; no harm can come of it.' +That is one of Satan's most cunning and most successful devices for +destroying the souls of men. He tried it with Adam and Eve, and has +tried it on all their descendants ever since, and will try it as long as +he `goes about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.' Oh, +boys, remember that `not a sparrow falls to the ground' but God sees it, +and that He therefore knows all that you do; and that, though a sin may +appear a trifle in your sight, it is not a trifle in God's sight, for He +abhors all sin. `He cannot look on iniquity.'" + +Tom looked very grave when his father spoke, and felt very serious. Ben +clearly understood and remembered the important lesson given him, and +prayed silently that he might always make use of it when, temptation +should come in his way. He was very happy, and he knew it, in being in +a ship with such good men as Mr Charlton and Mr Martin, to whom he now +found that he might add Mr Manners. These men, though only a few among +many, had a great effect on the mass, and helped to leaven in some +degree the whole ship's company. Ben himself produced a good effect not +only on Tom, but among the other boys of the ship, and even with many of +the men, though he was not aware of it, and would not have talked about +it if he had been. + +In consequence of the fever, the frigate did not go back to Valparaiso, +but stood away to the northward, looking in at other ports along the +coast where any British merchantmen were to be found. It is thus +England protects her commerce, by showing the inhabitants of the various +ports in the world to which her merchants trade, that she has the power +to punish those who may venture to ill-treat them; her consuls and any +other authorities are supported; and any seamen or other British +subjects who misbehave themselves on board English ships can be brought +to punishment. If British subjects break the laws of the country in +which they are residing, they are left to be punished according to those +laws. It is, however, the duty of the consul, supported by the +authority of the captain of a man-of-war, to see that they are not +punished except justly, according to those laws. + +Callao, the port of Lima, the capital of Peru, was the last place on the +west of America at which the frigate touched. She anchored in a large +bay, guarded by forts, and opposite the modern town of Callao, which +stands near the beach. Upwards of a hundred years ago a fearful +earthquake occurred, which shook Lima to the ground; and a huge wave +rolling in towards the shore at the same time, overwhelmed the old town +of Callao, and destroyed the greater part, if not the whole, of the +inhabitants. + +Peru was taken by the Spaniards three hundred years ago from the native +Indians, who lived happily under their own princes and chiefs. The +latter were treated with the greatest cruelty and injustice by their +conquerors, and compelled to work in the silver and copper mines which +exist along the whole range of the Andes. The Spaniards were, in their +turn, dispossessed of the government of the country by the descendants +of the early settlers, who were assisted by the natives and the people +descended from natives and Spaniard. Unhappily, the Roman Catholic +religion is established throughout the whole of Chili and Peru, for the +history of the two countries is nearly the same; and the people have the +characteristics which are to be found wherever that religion prevails. +The great mass are ignorant and superstitious; their priests, of whom +there are great numbers, grossly impose on their credulity. + +The mines, as from the first, are worked by the natives, who are, +however, from their delicate constitutions, so unfitted for that sort of +labour that they have rapidly decreased in numbers. The consequence is, +that many of the mines have been closed for want of hands to work them. + +While the Ajax lay at Callao, Captain Bertram heard that, shortly +before, an expedition of a dozen or more vessels had been fitted out to +entrap and carry off the natives of the various islands of the Pacific, +for the purpose of making them work in the mines of Peru. What mattered +it to these wretches whether the islanders they proposed to enslave were +Christians and civilised, or cannibal savages? They would have +preferred the former as more likely to be docile under the treatment to +which they proposed to subject them. At first Captain Bertram would +scarcely believe that people professing to be civilised and Christians +could be guilty of an act of such atrocious barbarity. He remembered, +however, who these Chilians are; that in their dispositions and +education they differ in no way from Spaniards, and that the Spanish +have been to the last the most active agents in the African slave-trade. +Those who know the high state of civilisation of which the natives of +Eastern Polynesia are capable, and the remarkable fitness of their minds +for receiving the truths of the gospel, will naturally feel unmitigated +horror at the thought of their being made the victims of so abominable a +scheme. This was especially the feeling of Mr Charlton when he heard +the account, and he resolved to use every exertion to capture the +slavers, and to bring their crews to justice. + + + +CHAPTER NINE. + +ADVENTURES AMONG THE ISLANDS. + +The Ajax had remained at Callao in order that Captain Bertram might +obtain more information respecting the slaving expedition of which he +had received notice. All he could learn, however, was that a dozen or +more vessels had sailed, fully armed, with stores for a long cruise, and +a larger quantity of rice and other provisions than could be required by +their crews. Where they had gone no one could tell. Probably the +islands they were to attack were left to the choice of their commanders. + +On putting to sea, the Ajax steered to the westward. As the frigate +approached the numerous groups of islands which lay in her course, it +became necessary to keep a very bright look-out, by day as well as by +night. The first group consisted of low coral islands, which rise but a +few feet above the water. + +Ben was anxious to make himself useful as before, and was continually at +the masthead, when his watch was over, looking out for land. One day, +when he was as usual aloft, turning his eyes round in every direction, +he saw right ahead what seemed to be a grove of trees rising directly +out of the water. He reported what he saw. Sail was immediately +shortened, and the lead hove, and, as the ship sailed on, the lead was +again frequently hove. + +"It is the Minerva coral island," Ben heard the captain observe to Mr +Charlton, after he and the master had been looking over the chart. + +As the ship rose and fell with the swell of the ocean, the trees were +now seen and now again lost sight of alternately for some time; this had +a very curious effect. As the frigate drew near, a white sandy beach +was seen, and, higher up, a belt of land of a light clay colour, on +which grew a few shrubs not more than fifteen feet high, above which +towered the pandanus, cocoa-nut, and palms. The whole island was about +ten miles long, and a mile and a half wide, the centre part being +occupied by a lagoon, or lake, of smooth deeply blue water, thus leaving +a belt of land not more than six hundred feet across. This lagoon had +no opening or entrance to it, but Ben heard that the lagoons of most of +the coral islands have a communication with the sea, so that boats and +canoes can enter. Outside the island, at some little distance, rose a +second or outer reef, over which the sea flowed at high water. This +served in heavy gales, when the waves rolled in furious to break their +force, and to protect the shore over which they might otherwise have +swept, carrying away the trees and shrubs which made it a fit habitation +for man. + +Mr Martin gave Ben and Tom an account of the way these coral islands +are formed. "Coral, you will understands is made by very small sea +insects, who form it for their habitation," he observed. "God has given +them the instinct to build in certain ways and places, just, as if they +knew what they were about, and that they were building up an island fit +to be inhabited by human beings. They seem to choose the tops of rocks +from one hundred to two hundred fathoms below the surface, for the +foundation of their structure. They have toiled on for ages, placing +storey upon storey, till the surface has been reached, when they have +been compelled to cease; for out of the water, whence they draw their +materials--their bricks and mortar, so to speak--they can do nothing. +The outer edge breaks the force of the sea, but not altogether. Enough +strength is exerted during storms to tear off the outer edge of the +coral, and to throw it on the top of the wall. Seaweed and driftwood +and dead fish are next thrown up on it, which, when they decay, form +soil. Birds next come and rest on the island, and further enrich the +soil. They bring seeds of grass and small shrubs at first, and +afterwards of larger trees, which take root and spring up, and in their +turn, when they decay, form more earth to nourish a larger species of +trees, such as the tall palms, and cocoa-nut, and pandanus, which we +have seen growing on them. The sandy beach is formed of the broken +coral and shells, ground small by the constant action of the waves. I +have heard that the lagoons are often very deep, so that the island is +exactly like a circular wall built up from the bottom of the sea, or +rather from a rock far down in it." + +Mr Martin promised the boys that he would tell them more about other +islands which they were likely to visit another time. He had also with +him some most interesting accounts of the progress which the +missionaries had made among the heathen in those seas, which he promised +also to give them. + +People were seen on the shore, though no habitations were visible, and +Captain Bertram wished to communicate with them. While the frigate was +hove to, to leeward of the island, two boats were sent on shore under +Mr Charlton's command. Ben went in one of them. A native of Tahiti, +called Tatai, had been shipped at Callao to act as interpreter, as +without one very little intercourse could have been held with the +natives. Ben had told him all about Ned, and how he hoped to find him +on one of the islands they expected to visit Tatai said that he must not +be too sanguine, as it was very like looking for a pearl in a bed of +oysters, though there were great numbers of white men scattered about +among the islands, and even living among the most savage natives. He +promised, however, to make inquiries, and to help on his object as far +as he had the power. + +The boats had to coast along for some time before an entrance through +the reef could be found. The sea dashed against the reef, and, curling +over, fell back in a shower of spray. A boat striking it would have +been instantly overwhelmed or dashed to pieces. The passage between the +two walls of water which thus rose up on either side of the entrance was +very narrow. It seemed indeed that the boats could not pass through +without the oars touching the rocks. Mr Charlton, however, considered +that the passage was practicable, so also did Tatai. Mr Charlton led, +and as his boat was cautiously feeling its way, a smooth roller +majestically approached the shore. "Give way, lads," he cried. The +boat glided on, the water broke with a thundering roar on the reef; but +the boat, like an arrow, had shot through and was floating safely within +the reef. The other boat immediately followed. + +The natives from the shore had been watching these proceedings, and now +gathered in considerable numbers on the beach. They were all armed with +spears, and showed an evident dislike to holding intercourse with the +white people. They nourished their spears, pointed them towards the +boats, and made significant gestures for the intruders to depart. +Still, as it was important to speak to the poor savages, Mr Charlton +pulled towards a ledge of rocks which ran out from the shore, and with a +basket full of presents, landed, accompanied by Tatai. The people ran +towards him, threatening with their spears as before. He advanced as if +to meet them, put down the presents, and then retreated. An old man, +who wore a short petticoat of leaves fastened round his waist, and a +pandanus leaf hung from his neck as a sign that he was a chief, was in +front. He stopped, picked up the handkerchiefs, knives, and trinkets +which formed the offering made to him, and, having handed them to his +followers, rushed on, gesticulating furiously, towards the English +officer. Tatai shouted out that the visitors came as friends, but the +only reply he got was, "Go away, go away! we do not want you," spoken in +the native tongue. + +This was not encouraging. Mr Charlton, however, was not to be +defeated. Pulling off to a little distance from the shore, he consulted +with Tatai. "If we land without arms and offer them food, that will +show that we wish to be friends," he said. Tatai agreed to this, and +offered to accompany the lieutenant, provided the boat kept near enough +to render them assistance if required. + +Again the boat pulled in, and Mr Charlton told Ben that he might land +with him, as the savages would see by a boy being of the party that no +treachery could be intended. Again the boat touched the beach, at a +spot where she could easily be shoved off, and, having deposited his +sword and pistols and rifle in the boat, Mr Charlton with his two +companions proceeded towards a group of natives who had been watching +their proceedings. The natives, instead of coming towards them, seemed +to be holding a consultation together. Mr Charlton and his companions, +seeing this, sat down, and, taking the provisions out of the basket Ben +carried, commenced eating. After a short time, placing the food on a +flat rock, and retiring to a little distance, they made signs to the +natives to come and eat. + +The natives now without hesitation came down, led by their old chief, +who took the lion's share of the food, which he seemed to enjoy very +much. When the old man had finished eating, Tatai addressed him. He no +longer said, "go away," but listened attentively. The interpreter told +him that the English had come to his island as friends; that their only +object was to do him good; that they had heard that certain wicked +people in vessels had visited some of the islands in their seas, and +carried off the natives to make slaves of them; and that, as the English +did not like having people made slaves, they were seeking for those bad +men to punish them. + +The old chief listened attentively to all that was said, and then made a +long speech, which Tatai translated. He remarked that everything he had +heard was very good; that two suspicious-looking vessels had appeared +off the coast not long before; that several boat-loads of armed men had +attempted to land; but that, a gale springing up at that moment, they +could not effect their purpose, and that the vessels were compelled to +bear away. + +Mr Charlton, on this, showed the British flag, and told them that, +while they behaved well, under that flag they would ever find +protection. + +The old chief seemed clearly to comprehend what was said. A new light +had burst on him. "How is it that your friends are so great and +powerful, while I am so poor and miserable?" he asked of Tatai. + +"Because my friends worship the great and powerful God, who has given +them a Book which makes those who study it wise, while you worship your +wretched gods, who are no gods, and cannot help you or make you wise, or +do you any good," answered the interpreter promptly. + +"Then I should like to learn about your God," said the old chief. + +Tatai, in reply, promised that he would try and send some one who would +teach them more about the white man's God, and what He desired them to +do, and teach them how to pray to Him. + +Mr Charlton was much pleased with what Tatai had said, and promised +that he would also try to have either a native or English missionary +sent to them. He then made more presents to the old chief, made further +inquiries about the vessels of the supposed man-stealers, and, after a +friendly farewell to the old chief and his companions, pulled back to +the ship. + +Thus a visit which threatened to prove disastrous, by judicious +management gave promise of being productive of great good to the +islanders. + +After this, the Ajax visited several other islands, searching for the +man-stealers. Some were inhabited, others had the remains of huts, +altars, and temples, and had been deserted; and on others no signs of +human beings could be discovered. + + + +CHAPTER TEN. + +TELLS ABOUT MISSION WORK. + +Mr Martin had, as it may be remembered, promised to give Ben and his +son an account of the introduction of Christianity among the islands of +the Pacific. One day, during a calm, when the ship floated idly on the +ocean, her sails scarcely even flapping against the masts, Tom, on going +below, declared that it was too hot to read or think or sleep, and that +he did not know what he should do with himself. + +"It is not too hot to prevent you from listening though, Master Tom," +said his father, who did not like to see any one idle from any excuse. +"Call Ben Hadden, and I'll tell you and him something which will +interest you, or ought to do so, at all events." + +Ben soon came, and the boatswain told him and Tom to sit down just +outside his cabin, where there was more air than inside. + +"Now listen, youngsters; I'm not going to throw my breath away on +unwilling ears," he began. + +"I am listening, sir," said Ben. + +"So am I, father," said Tom, "but I can't promise to keep awake if the +yarn is a long one." + +"Don't let me catch you with more than one eye shut at a time, or I'll +be down on you," answered the boatswain. "As I was saying, now listen. +You've heard of Captain Cook, the great navigator, who sailed over and +across these seas in every direction, and found out many islands not +before known to civilised men. His business was to try and discover new +lands, and to do any good he could to the inhabitants, by leaving them +seeds and plants and animals; but there was nothing in his directions +that I know of about teaching them religion. There would not have been +time for him to do much, even if he had had any such instructions, +unless he had carried out missionaries with him; but in those days +missionaries to heathen lands were not so much as thought of in England. +You have heard how Cook was killed by the savages of the Sandwich +Islands, who have now become the most civilised of all the people of +these seas. The descriptions he and his companions gave of the +islanders made some Christian people at home think that, if missionaries +were sent to them, they might be persuaded to become Christians. The +London Missionary Society had just been formed--that was as far back as +1797. The first of their many noble enterprises was to send out +twenty-nine missionaries in the ship Duff, commanded by Captain Wilson. +The greater number settled at Tahiti, where they were well received by +the natives; while others went to Tongatabu, and two of them attempted +to commence a mission at Saint Christina, one of the Marquesas. The +latter mission was, however, soon afterwards abandoned, and has never +since been resumed; and unhappily, as the French have taken possession +of the group, there is not much probability of an English Protestant +mission being established there, whatever the French Protestants may do. + +"At Tahiti many years passed before any fruits of the missionaries' +labours were perceived, not indeed till 1813, when some praying natives +were discovered, and a church was formed. From that time, however, +Christianity spread rapidly, and the converted natives were eager to go +forth themselves as missionaries, not only to neighbouring islands, such +as the Paumotre, the Austral, and Hervey groups, but to Raratonga and +Samoa, and, still farther, to the New Hebrides, Loyalty Islands, and New +Caledonia and Penryn Islands. + +"The climate of those islands in the Western Pacific, near the equator, +is nearly as hurtful to the constitutions of the inhabitants of the +eastern part of that ocean as to Europeans, and very many native +missionaries have fallen martyrs in the cause of the gospel. In some +instances the English missionaries were the first to land, and +afterwards to employ native agency; in others, the natives were first +sent to a heathen island, and the more highly-educated white men +followed, to complete the work commenced by their dark-skinned brethren. +In many instances the missionaries had long to wait before they saw the +fruit of their labours; in others, the natives at once gladly accepted +the glorious tidings of salvation. In very few have missions been +ultimately abandoned in consequence of the hostility of the natives in +the Eastern Pacific; the Marquesas is the chief exception. In the +Western Pacific the natives have been much more hostile to the +missionaries. This has arisen in consequence of the treatment they have +often received from the crews of whale-ships, and from sandal-wood +traders. These men have been known to carry off natives from one +island, to make them cut sandal-wood on another inhabited by their +mortal foes, and after their task has been accomplished the traders have +left the poor wretches there to be butchered, and often eaten, by their +enemies, to save themselves the trouble of taking them back and paying +them their stipulated reward. + +"The history of the establishment of Christianity on many of these +islands is very interesting. The way in which it was introduced into +Raratonga, the largest of the Hervey group, is so in particular. Some +natives of that island had been carried away in a whale-ship, and left +at Aitutaki. Among them was the niece of the principal chief of the +island. At Aitutaki, the great missionary Williams saw them, and, +accompanied by them, after a long search, discovered their island. This +was in 1823. The unfriendly reception he met with from the savage +natives, however, made it impossible for him to remain. Had it not +been, indeed, for the exertions of Tapaeru, the niece of the chief, who +had been carried away, the native teachers who went on shore would have +been murdered. They returned on board; but Papehia, one of their +number, as the ship was about to sail away, volunteered to return. +Tying a book containing a part of the Scriptures in a handkerchief on +his head, and clothed in a shirt and trousers only, this true servant of +Christ swam back, full of faith, to the rocks, on which stood several of +the savages, brandishing their spears. His heart did not falter; he +swam on bravely. He had true faith. He followed your rule, Ben; he was +determined to do right, whatever was to come of it. He knew that it was +right to carry the gospel to these poor savages; he would succeed, or +perish in the attempt. Tapaeru from the first protected him, and +obtained for him the support of her relations. This enabled him to +speak openly to the people, who soon became eager to listen to the +wonderful things he had to narrate. Still, he had much opposition to +contend with. Tinomana, a powerful chief, was the first man of +influence to give up his idols. + +"Another native teacher afterwards joined Papehia; and in two years and +a half, under the superintendence of these two native teachers,-- +themselves born heathens, and brought up in the darkness of idolatry, +till called into the marvellous light of the gospel,--the whole of the +population of that large island became professedly Christian. It was +here that, soon after this, Mr Williams built his vessel, the Messenger +of Peace, in which he sailed over so large a part of the Pacific. There +are now numerous churches, schools, and a training college, from which +many native missionaries have gone forth to preach the gospel in far +distant islands. + +"The conversion of the inhabitants of the Sandwich Islands was still +more extraordinary. From the time that Captain Cook was killed on their +shores, they had been looked on as among the most savage of the people +of the Pacific. The Sandwich Islands, the largest of which is Hawaii, +were ruled by a chief of great talent, who had made himself king of the +whole group, and was called Tamehameha the First. He had entreated +Captain Vancouver, who visited his territories in 1793, to send him +Christian missionaries. No attention, however, was paid to this +request. His son Rihoriho, who became king in 1820, seeing the utter +folly of the religion of his ancestors, without being even urged to do +so by foreigners, of his own accord threw off the gods of his people, +burnt the idols and their temples, and upset the priesthood, and the +whole system connected with it. In this extraordinary proceeding he was +supported by the high priest himself, who acknowledged, when appealed +to, that the gods they had hitherto worshipped were of no power, and +that there was but one God in heaven, the same whom the white men +worshipped. + +"It was at this juncture that a band of missionaries arrived from the +United States, sent out by the American Board of Missions. They were +cordially welcomed by the king, most of his chiefs, and the people. +Schools were established, churches built, and in a few years the whole +of the people became nominally Christians, many of them really so; and +civilisation advanced with rapid strides. Among no people, probably, +has it made so much progress in so short a time. Still, I believe that +among the Society Islands, at Raratonga, and other islands of the Hervey +group, true Christianity more extensively prevails. + +"The people of Savage Island, who were said to be among the fiercest and +most barbarous of the natives of Polynesia, were converted much in the +same way as those of Raratonga, and they are now simple-minded +Christians, earnest, quiet, and well-behaved. + +"In the large island of Tongatabu, and its adjacent islands, great +disappointment was encountered by the first missionaries, who were +ultimately driven away. In 1820, the Wesleyan Missionary Society sent +missionaries there, and by their means the king, George, and the whole +population have professed Christianity. The two societies together have +laboured in the beautiful islands of Samoa, to the north; and there also +Christianity has been generally established. + +"Wonderful, also, is the change which has been brought about in a few +years in Fiji, a large and beautiful group of islands lying to the west +of Tonga. The inhabitants are nearly black, and a very fine and +intelligent race of men; but they were even more addicted to cannibalism +than the New Zealanders, and their customs were of the most revolting +and cruel description. Thackombau, the greatest chief among them, was +also a fierce cannibal. Fully aware of the character of the people, a +band of Wesleyan missionaries landed on their shores, and by great +perseverance have succeeded in bringing over a large number of the +population to a knowledge of the truth, including the king himself and +all his family; while the practice of cannibalism is almost, if not +completely, extirpated. + +"The numerous groups of islands to the north of New Zealand are known as +Melanesia. The Presbyterian and London Missionary Societies have for a +considerable time been at work in some of these islands. It was on one +of them (Erromanga) that Williams met his death, and that Mr Murray and +some native missionaries were murdered, while many have died of fever. +They have, however, not laboured in vain, and the inhabitants of more +than one island have abandoned idol-worship. To these groups, also, the +Church of England, established in New Zealand, has turned its attention, +under the direction of the Bishop of New Zealand, who made several +voyages among them. Bishop Pattison, with the title of Bishop of +Melanesia, has been especially appointed to superintend the work of +evangelisation connected with them. A vessel called the Southern Cross +makes a cruise twice a year among them. In the spring, she collects +young men from all the islands and carries them to New Zealand, where +they receive instruction in a college established for that purpose. As +they can no more stand the cold climate of New Zealand in the winter +than Europeans can stand the heat of their summer, in the autumn the +Southern Cross carries them back to their own islands, where they +instruct their countrymen in the religious knowledge and the arts they +have learned during their absence. The French have sent Roman Catholic +missionaries to several of these groups. They have taken possession of +Tahiti; and have established colonies there, on the coast of New Guinea, +and in the Marquesas. At Tahiti, the English Protestant missionaries +were for a time prohibited from preaching, and compelled to leave the +island. The greater number of the people, supported by the queen, +remained firm to their Protestant principles; and at length a French +Evangelical Society sent out Protestant pastors, and the people have now +perfect religious liberty, though they remain subject to France. + +"Notwithstanding the large number of islands in which Christianity has +been firmly established, it is calculated that there are two hundred and +fifty inhabited islands still sunk in the darkness of idolatry and +savageism, so that there remains a very large amount of work to be done. +There, I have given you a short account of missionary work in the +Pacific. Another day I will get a chart, and show you the places I have +spoken about. I will then tell you more respecting them. You will like +especially to hear of Savage Island, or Niue, which I understand we are +to visit, to inquire about some natives who, it is reported, have been +carried away by the Chilian slavers." + +Ben thanked Mr Martin very much for the information he had given him +and Tom, and begged that he would give them a further account of Savage +Island, as he had kindly offered to do. + + + +CHAPTER ELEVEN. + +MORE EXPLORATIONS AND ADVENTURES. + +Shortly after the events mentioned in a former chapter, the Ajax came in +sight of a cluster of mountains, rising, it seemed, directly out of the +sea, to the height of four thousand feet. It was the island of +Raratonga, of which Mr Martin had told Ben. It is surrounded by a +curious barrier-reef of solid block coral, thirty-five miles in +circumference, and from a quarter of a mile to half a mile broad. At +high water it is completely covered to a depth of four or six feet, but +at low water it is almost bare. This vast reef prevents the sea from +breaking against the island. Outside the reef there is no anchorage +ground, as no cable could fathom the depth. Inside, the water is smooth +and beautifully clear, but no ship of any size can pass through the +reef. There are several passages for canoes and boats, and one for a +vessel of forty-five tons. This is, however, a very great advantage to +the inhabitants in a social point of view, as it prevents the +establishment of a seaport town in their island, while, at the same +time, they can enjoy intercourse with the rest of the world. This was +the very island of which Mr Williams had heard, and which he so long +looked for before he found it. Here the missionary Papehia landed +alone, trusting in Jehovah, among its then savage inhabitants. It was +here the great missionary Williams spent many months, and built +single-handed the schooner--the Messenger of Peace mentioned before--in +which he crossed over so many thousand miles of the Pacific Ocean, to +carry the glad tidings of great joy to many of the numerous islands +scattered over it. It was here that a fierce chief, Tinomana, became a +humble, lowly-minded Christian, and died strong in the faith. This is +the island, the inhabitants of which were among the fiercest of all the +isles of the Pacific, and are now among the most consistent and truest +Christians. It has sent out more missionaries than any other to convert +the heathen of the isles of the Pacific. It contains a training college +for missionaries, with numerous churches and schools. The houses of the +inhabitants are well-built, neat, and clean; and it is hardly too much +to say that, in the same space, and among an equal number of people +living together in any part of the world, a larger proportion of true +and consistent Christians will not be found. + +As soon as the frigate hove to, near the land, several canoes came off +to welcome the well-known flag. The natives were decently dressed in +shirts and trousers, with straw hats; and their manner was particularly +quiet and at the same time cheerful. They offered to bring off any +provisions which might be required; but the captain wished himself to go +on shore, and said that he could then purchase what he wanted. Two +whalers were at the time standing off and on the land, while their boats +were on shore. Ben was glad to find that three boats from the frigate +were going on shore, to one of which he belonged. A native pilot in his +boat led the way, the captain's gig following; but, as the wind was +light and the tide high, there was no difficulty in passing through the +barrier, and, once inside, the boats were in smooth water. + +The officer on landing was met by a respectable-looking native, who +announced himself as the salesman of the station, putting out his right +hand, and saying, "_Ria-ora-na_!" (Blessings on you.) The officers +were then conducted to the market-house, where there were stores of +bananas, yams, pumpkins, potatoes, cocoa-nuts, fowls, and various other +articles. The purser of the frigate then stated the quantity of +provisions he required. The salesman informed him of the current price, +a calculation was made, the money was paid, and the salesman undertook +to engage native boats, in which everything was taken off in excellent +condition. + +The captain first visited the mission establishment. It consisted of a +centre building, and a great number of small houses. These were the +residences of the married students; every single student had a room to +himself. Nearly two hundred students have been educated at the college. +A very important part of the establishment is the printing-press, which +supplies with a number of valuable works, not only Raratonga, but +numerous other islands of the Pacific where the dialect of the +inhabitants is understood. The students also consist, not only of +natives of the Hervey Islands, but young men from far distant places. +In each village there are schools and churches and native pastors. +Children also are brought from other islands to the chief school, under +the English missionary, to receive instruction. Thus from this once +savage country the true light now shines forth over a wide circle of the +Pacific--that light brought to those shores by the once heathen Papehia! + +When the boats got back to the frigate, Ben found that the captain of +one of the whalers, the Grand Turk, was on board. Captain Judson--that +was his name--was well-known to Mr Martin, who had once sailed with +him. He was waiting to see Captain Bertram, to prefer some request or +other. He was evidently a rough style of man, and was complaining much +of the way he had been treated the day before, which was Sunday. + +"Two boats were sent on shore, but none of the people were to be seen," +said Captain Judson. "There were a number of neat, whitewashed houses +in rows, some way from the beach, and near them three larger buildings. +One had a tower. After waiting for some time, people came streaming out +of the door of the building with the tower, all neatly dressed in +cottons or native cloths. + +"`Why, they look just as if they were coming out of church,' said one of +my men, who had never been out in these parts before, and thought all +the people were savages and cannibals. After some time, a white +gentleman appeared in a black dress. `And there comes the parson, I do +declare!' he added. + +"The first mate, who had charge of the party, on this went up to the +gentleman, and told him what we had come for. + +"`I am very glad to hear it,' said the gentleman. `I have no doubt that +to-morrow morning the people will bring you all you require.' + +"`To-morrow won't do--we want the things to-day; we must be off again +this evening,' said the mate, in an angry tone, for of course he was +vexed. + +"`I will tell the people what you say; but they have been taught to +remember the Sabbath-day to keep it holy, and I do not think that they +will supply you, unless you are starving, or have scurvy for want of +vegetables, and then I am certain that they will give you all you +require,' answered the missionary, who then spoke to several of the +people; and a young native came forward, and in very good English told +the mate that he was the interpreter, and would be glad to attend him. +The mate thought that he could manage him, and was very much surprised +to find that no trading could be allowed that day. + +"`But our people may go on shore and amuse themselves?' said the mate. + +"`No,' answered the young native. `Too often the crews of whalers have +come on shore, and have set a bad example to our people, who think a +great deal about white men. We allow no strangers to wander about our +island on the Sabbath.' + +"`Then your people will come off to us, as they do at other islands!' +said the mate. + +"`No, no, no,' answered the young native, with a grave look. `Such +things were, but they were very bad; we have learned better now.' + +"On hearing this, the mate came away, abusing the missionaries for +having taught the natives such things. It is fair to say, however, +that, as he was leaving the beach to come on board, a number of natives +appeared with baskets of cooked vegetables and fruits, enough for the +dinner of the whole crew. All the families near had given up some from +their own store. I was in a hurry to be off, and sent on shore in the +evening, offering to pay double for what we wanted; but the people were +still obstinate. + +"`To-morrow morning we will trade gladly,' was the answer. + +"From every cottage came the sound of prayer, or voices singing hymns or +psalms. Certainly these people, little better than savages as they are, +do keep the Sunday very strictly. I never saw it kept like that +elsewhere. Some people who care about those things might say that they +put us to shame. + +"The next morning, when we stood in at daybreak, the vessel was soon +surrounded by canoes, full of all the provisions we wanted; and we were +told that, if we required, men would be ready to help us fill our +water-casks. Still, I don't like to be put out as we have been, and I +shall go when next we want fresh provisions to one of the islands where +things are carried on in the old-fashioned way." + +Captain Judson had come on board to get some lime-juice, the best thing +to prevent scurvy. He said that he had bought a good supply of what was +called lime-juice; but, when the surgeon examined it, which he did when, +in spite of the men using it, the scurvy appeared among them, he found +that it was some common acid, of no use whatever. How horribly wicked +were the manufacturers who could thus, in their greed for grain, +knowingly destroy the health and lives of seamen who depended on their +useless mixtures for preserving them from one of the most terrible +maladies to which those who make long voyages are subject! Whether or +not the owners of the Grand Turk had paid less for this mixture than +they would have done for good lime-juice is difficult to say; but it +might certainly have cost the whole crew their lives, and it certainly +cost them the loss of some hundreds of pounds while the ship was sailing +away to procure vegetables, with a third of her crew on the sick-list, +instead of catching whales. + +Captain Judson obtained the lime-juice for which he had come; indeed, +the Ajax had brought out a quantity on purpose to supply ships which +might require it. He then took his departure, and, whatever he might +have thought, the rest of the crew continued to grumble greatly at not +having been allowed to go on shore and amuse themselves, as they called +it, and expressed a hope that it was the last missionary island they +should touch at in their voyage. + +The captain of the other whaler afterwards came on board. He was a +wiser man than Captain Judson. He said that he made a point of visiting +those islands where missionaries were established, as he was certain +that he could then trust the people, whereas among the heathen islands +he lived always in dread of having his boats' crews cut off, as had +happened to many others to his knowledge. + +On leaving Raratonga, the Ajax bore away for Savage Island, or Niue. +Captain Cook describes the inhabitants as among the most savage of those +he encountered. As his boat drew near to the shore, they rushed down +towards him with the ferocity of wild boars to drive him away. In +consequence of the behaviour of the natives, he gave it the name of +Savage Island. Subsequent visitors, for many years after that, fully +confirmed the account he gave of the people. + +The Ajax came off the island about five days after leaving Raratonga. +The two islands are about of an equal size, but in other respects are +very unlike each other, as the highest part of Savage Island is not more +than a hundred feet above the level of the sea. Instead of the savages +Captain Cook encountered, and those who, as late as 1846, would have +been on the coast, several canoes, with well-dressed, quiet-looking +natives, came off to the ship. They all wore sad countenances, for they +had indeed a tale of woe to tell. Captain Bertram inquired what had +happened to them. + +"Sad, sad," answered the interpreter. "Early one morning a strange ship +appeared off the coast. We thought nothing of that, as many have come +and gone and brought missionaries to us, and others have called for +vegetables and other produce, for which they have paid. This one had no +flag to tell us whence she came, or what was her object in coming. As +soon as we had finished our usual morning prayer, several canoes put off +with fruits and vegetables to take to the strangers, and to learn what +else they required. Among those who went off were some of our leading +men, the lawmakers and law-enforcers of our island. There were thirty +or more church members, a deacon, and many candidates, most of them +among our most promising young men. They were at once welcomed on +board, and treated with great attention. Suddenly the white crew rushed +in among them with clubs, knocked down all on deck, and then they fired +their guns at those attempting to escape in their canoes. Several of +the people in them were shot or drowned when the canoes were destroyed. +The people in most of the canoes were so astonished that they did not +even attempt to escape. Instantly they were ordered on board the +strange ship, which continued firing at the retreating canoes. Three +only of these got away, and one of them conveyed the corpse of Simeon, a +church member, shot through the head. The stranger, finding that no +other canoes would go off from this part of our island, sailed away, +with our fathers and brothers, and our other Christian friends, on +board. Our hearts were bowed down with grief; but we prayed earnestly +that we might forgive our enemies, and that God, in His great mercy, +would change their hearts. (A fact.) We would not curse them, we would +not pray that God would wreak His vengeance on their heads; for are we +not told that, as we forgive our enemies, so alone can we ask God to +forgive us?" + +The slaver, it appeared, had sailed along the coast, the natives being +decoyed on board wherever met with, and then she had gone off to other +islands to pursue the same nefarious system. Captain Bertram went on +shore to make further inquiries. He found that all the inhabitants had +professed Christianity, and that, though not so advanced as the natives +of Raratonga, who have been so much longer tinder instruction, they were +making fair progress in Christian, as well as in secular, knowledge and +civilisation. As no time was to be lost, the Ajax again sailed in +pursuit of the slaver. She first stood across to Samoa, in the +direction of which the slaver had been seen to steer. She looked in at +several of the ports of that fine group of islands, and here also gained +information of the transactions of the slavers, for several had +appeared, and succeeded in kidnapping many natives. It was supposed +that some of these slave-ships had sailed to the north-east, purposing +to visit the groups of islands lying on either side of the equator. +Many islands were touched at, and inquiries made. A sharp look-out too +was kept, for all were eager, from the captain to the youngest boy on +board, to catch the miscreants who were outraging all laws, human and +divine, in thus carrying off the innocent natives into slavery. + + + +CHAPTER TWELVE. + +THE FRIGATE IN DANGER. + +One day, a sail was sighted, becalmed. The frigate carried the breeze +up to her. At first it was hoped that she was a slaver. She proved, +however, to be a whaler, the Grand Turk, whose captain had come on board +the Ajax off Raratonga. As Captain Bertram wished to make inquiries of +Captain Judson respecting the slavers, he invited him on board. The +captain of the whaler seemed very much out of spirits. Before he went +away, Mr Martin had a long talk with him, and inquired what was the +matter. + +"Why, Martin, I am afraid that I have been a very sinful and foolish +man," he answered. "You shall hear what has occurred. You know how I +used to abuse the missionaries, and say that they spoilt all the people +they got among, and that I would never visit another missionary island +if I could help it. Wishing to get more vegetables, we made for an +island known to be heathen. We anchored in a sheltered bay, where I +knew that the people would give us all we wanted for a mere song. We +had soon plenty of natives on board, men and women. They danced and +sang, and drank as much rum as our men would give them. I need not +describe the scenes which took place. I must confess, what I now see to +be the truth, that we have no business to call ourselves Christians, or +civilised people, while we allow such things to occur. Yet they were +not worse than have been carried on at many islands, ever since our +whalers came to these seas. + +"The next day a quantity of provisions were brought down to the beach, +and, thinking the people so inclined to be friendly, I let a number of +our men go on shore. I was in my cabin when I heard a shot. I ran on +deck, and saw our men running towards the boats. Now and then they +stopped and fired at a large band of natives, who were following them +with clubs and spears. Another body of natives were rushing down on one +side to try and cut off our men, and great numbers of others were +launching canoes in all directions. I had very little hope that our men +would escape, but to help them I had an anchor and cable carried out +astern, by hauling on which we brought our broadside to bear on the +boats. Our guns were then fired at the second party of natives of which +I have spoken. This stopped them, or the whole of our men would have +been cut off. We could not go to their assistance, as we had to remain +on board to defend the ship from the canoes, which were now coming +towards her. Two of our men had been killed before our eyes; the +greater number were shoving off the boats. They had just got them +afloat, when the savages, gaining courage, charged them. Two more of +our poor fellows were knocked on the head. The rest jumped into the +boats and pulled off from the beach. They had no time to fire. The +canoes made chase after them. All we could do was to fire at the canoes +with our big guns and muskets as they came on, hotly chasing the boats +till they got alongside. The men climbed up the sides by the ropes we +hove to them. We had barely time to hoist in the boats when the savages +in vast numbers came round us, uttering the most fearful shrieks and +cries. While some of my men kept them off with lances, and by firing +down on them, others hove up the anchor and went aloft to loose sails. +There was fortunately a fresh breeze off shore; our topsails filled, and +we stood out of the bay, while the savages kept close round us, hoping, +no doubt, that we should strike on a reef and become their easy prey. +We had to fly here and there to keep them from gaining the deck, for as +soon as one was driven back another took his place. Not till we were +well outside the reef did they give up the attempt to take the ship. +Not only had we lost the four men killed on the beach, but two others +had been cut off in the boats, and several of those who got on board +were badly wounded. I suspect that the savages had from the first +intended to take the ship, for I could not make out that our men had +given them any special cause of quarrel. I was thankful when we were +well free of them, and I must confess to you, Martin, that you were +right when you advised me to visit a Christian island instead of a +heathen one. I cannot get over the loss of those poor fellows. It has +been a severe lesson to me, and I am, I believe, a wiser man." + +"I am very sorry for the loss of your people, Mr Judson, and yet God +will rule the event for your good if you continue to see it in the light +you now do," observed Mr Martin. "The example which our so-called +Christian seamen have set to the natives of these islands has been +fearful. Their behaviour has created one of the chief difficulties to +the progress of the gospel with which the missionaries have had to +contend. It is, humanly speaking, surprising that they have made any +progress at all. Were it not indeed that God's hand has been in the +work through the agency of the Holy Spirit, it is impossible that they +could have succeeded." + +Captain Judson did not, perhaps, clearly comprehend the meaning of all +Mr Martin said; but he thanked him cordially for his remarks, and +returned on board his ship with several religious and other books for +his crew, and among them a Bible, which he confessed that he had not +before got on board. + +"What!" exclaimed Ben, when he heard this from Mr Martin; "a ship go to +sea without a Bible! How can the people get on? how can they do their +duty? I am afraid they must forget to say their prayers." + +"You are right, Ben," observed Mr Martin; "there are very many ships +that go to sea without Bibles, and the crews very often forget their +duty to God and man. In my younger days, indeed, there were very few +which took Bibles, and the exception was to find one. A praying, +Bible-reading captain and ship's company was a thing almost unknown." + +Ben, who had carefully preserved his Bible, prized it sincerely, and +read it every day, was surprised to hear this. There were a good many +men also on board the Ajax who had Bibles, and read them frequently. +Sometimes some of the other boys had laughed at Ben when they found him +reading his Bible, but he did not mind them, and went on reading +steadily as before. + +The account of the cruel way in which the natives had been kidnapped by +the Peruvian slavers made everybody on board the Ajax eager to catch +some of them. Night and day bright eyes were ever on the watch in +different parts of the ship. This was especially necessary in those +seas, where rocks and reefs abound; and though they are far better known +than in Lord Anson's days, yet there are many parts but imperfectly +explored. + +Wherever the ship touched, Ben made his usual anxious inquiries for Ned. +He, as before, frequently heard of Englishmen living with the savages; +but they did not answer to the description of his brother. Still he had +hopes that he should find him. Ben remembered his father's advice, and +acted up to it: "Do right, whatever comes of it." By so doing he had +gained the favour of his captain and all the officers of the ship. +Everybody said, "Ben Hadden is a trustworthy fellow; whatever he +undertakes to do he does with all his heart, as well as he possibly +can." + +Ben had consequently plenty to do; but then he reaped the reward of his +doing. Sailors are often paid in a glass of grog for any work they do, +and they are satisfied; but it was generally known that Ben had a +widowed mother, to whom he wished to send home money; and therefore Ben +was always paid in coin, and no one grudged it to him, knowing how well +it would be employed. + +A sailor's life is often a very rough one; but when people are thrown +together for a cruise of four years, as were the crew of the Ajax, +provided always they have a good captain and judicious officers, they +wonderfully rub the rough edges off each other, and a kind and brotherly +feeling springs up among them, which often lasts to the end of their +lives. Such was the feeling which existed among the officers and ship's +company of the Ajax. The officers treated the men with kindness and +consideration, and the men obeyed their officers with alacrity. + +Hitherto, the Pacific appeared deserving of the name bestowed on it. +For many months the Ajax had experienced only fine weather. +Undoubtedly, gales had blown, and heavy rains had fallen, during that +period; but the ship had sailed across to the west, while they occurred +on the eastern part; and afterwards, when she went back towards the +American coast, the rains fell and the gales blew on the west. This +was, however, not always to be so. One morning, when Ben went on deck +to keep his watch, he found the sails hanging down against the masts, +and the sea without the slightest ripple to break its mirror-like +surface. Every now and then, however, it seemed slowly to rise like the +bosom of some huge monster breathing in its sleep, and a smooth low wave +heaved up under the ship's keel, and glided slowly away, to be followed +at long intervals by other waves of the same character. As they passed, +the ship rolled from side to side, or pitched gently into the water, and +the sails, hitherto so motionless, flapped loudly against the masts with +a sound like that of musketry. The heat was very great; the seamen, +overcome by it, went about their various duties with much less than +their usual alacrity. The smoke curled slowly up from the +galley-funnel, wreathing itself in festoons about the fore-rigging, +where it hung, unable, it seemed, to rise higher. Eight bells struck in +the forenoon watch, the boatswain's whistle piped to dinner, and the +mess-men were seen lazily moving along the deck, with their kids, to the +galley-fire, to receive their portions of dinner from the black cook, +who, with face shining doubly from the heat which none but a black cook +or a German sugar-baker could have endured, was busily employed in +serving it out to them. The smell of the good boiled beef or pork--very +different from what our sailors once had--seemed to give them appetites, +for they hastened back with the smoking viands to their mess-tables +slung from the deck above. Here the men sat in rows, with their +brightly-polished mess utensils before them, and soon gave proof that +the heat had had no serious effect on their health. + +It is usual to send all the men below at dinner-time, except those +absolutely required to steer and look out, unless the weather is bad, +and it is probable that any sudden change may be required to be made in +the sails. Most of the officers on this occasion were on deck, slowly +walking up and down in the shadow of the sails. Ben and Tom were at +their mess-table, laughing and talking and enjoying themselves as boys +do in an ordinarily happy ship. + +"This is jolly!" observed Tom. "I like a calm, there's so little to do; +and it's fair that the sails should have a holiday now and then. They +must get tired of sending us along, month after month, as they have to +do." + +"I do not think they get much rest, after all, even now," said Ben. +"Listen how they are flapping against the masts! If they had to do much +of that sort of thing, they would soon wear themselves out. What a loud +noise they make!" + +"Oh yes; but that is only now and then, you see, just to show us that +they have not gone to sleep as the wind has done, and are ready for use +when we want them," remarked Tom, who had always a ready answer for any +observation made by Ben; too ready sometimes, for he thus turned aside +many a piece of good advice which his friend gave him. "At all events, +the ship can't be getting into any mischief while she is floating all +alone out here, away from the land," he added. "If I was the captain, I +would turn in and go to sleep till the wind begins to blow again." + +Tom did not know how little sleep the captain of a large ship, with the +lives of some hundred men confided to him, ventures to take. + +Captain Bertram was on deck, walking with Mr Charlton. He stopped, and +earnestly looked towards the north-east His keen eye had detected a +peculiar colour in the water extending across the horizon in that +direction. He pointed it out to Mr Charlton. "What does it seem to +you like!" he asked. + +"A coral reef, sir. If so, we have been drifting towards it; I should +otherwise have seen it in the morning," answered the first lieutenant. +"I will, however, go aloft, and make sure what it is." + +In spite of the intense heat, Mr Charlton climbed up to the masthead. +He carefully scanned the horizon in every direction, and then speedily +returned on deck. + +"We are nearer to the reef than I had supposed, sir," he said. "We may +keep the boats ahead, and somewhat hinder the ship driving so rapidly +towards it; but it is evident that a strong current sets in that +direction. Had it been at night, we should have struck before we could +have seen it." + +"Pipe the hands on deck, then, Mr Charlton," answered the captain +calmly. "If towing is to serve us, there is no time to be lost." + +Mr Martin was sent for, and his shrill whistle soon brought the whole +of the crew tumbling up from below, the landsmen and idlers only +remaining to stow away the mess things. + +The boats were soon lowered and manned, and sent ahead. The hot sun +shone down on the men in the boats as they toiled away to keep the +ship's head off the reef. It seemed, however, that they rowed to little +purpose; for the undulations appeared at shorter intervals, and seemed +to send the frigate towards the threatening rocks, on which a surf, not +at first perceived, now began to break, forming a white streak across +the horizon. + +The sails were brailed up, but not furled, in order that they might +again be at once set, should a breeze spring up to fill them. + +Mr Charlton stood on the forecastle, directing the boats how to pull. +Every now and then he cast an anxious eye astern towards the breakers, +which continued to rise higher and higher. A cast of the deep-sea lead +was taken, but no bottom was found. To anchor was, therefore, +impossible. Everybody on board saw the fearful danger in which the +frigate was placed. One thing only, it seemed, could save her--a breeze +from the direction towards which she was drifting. All eyes, not +otherwise employed, were glancing anxiously round the horizon, looking +out for the wished-for breeze. Ben and Tom were as active as usual. +They remained on board, as only the strongest men were sent into the +boats; it was trying even for men. They continued rowing, and, +encouraged by their officers, as hard as they had ever before rowed. +Suddenly, without a moment's warning, the captain ordered them to return +on board. + +"Hoist in the boats!" he shouted. "Be smart now, my lads!" + +As the boats were being hoisted in, the spoon-drift began to fly across +the surface of the hitherto calm ocean, hissing along like sand on the +desert. The hitherto smooth undulations now quickly broke up into small +waves, increasing rapidly in size and length, with crests of foam +crowning their summits. + +Directly the boats were secured, the captain shouted, "Hands shorten +sail!" The men with alacrity sprang into the rigging and lay out on the +yard. The three topsails were closely reefed; all the other square +sails were furled. There was a gravity in the look of the captain and +officers which, showed that they considered the position in which the +ship was placed very dangerous. + +Dark clouds now came rushing across the sky, increasing in numbers and +density. Even before the men were off the yards, the hurricane struck +the frigate. Over she heeled to it, till it seemed as if she would not +rise again; but the spars were sound, the ropes good. Gradually she +again righted, and, though still heeling over very much, answered her +helm, and tore furiously through the foaming and loudly-roaring seas. +The captain stood at the binnacle, now anxiously casting his eye along +the reef, now at the sails, then at the compass in the binnacle, and +once more giving a glance to windward. The ship's company were at their +stations ready to obey any order that their officers might issue. Four +of the best men were at the wheel, others were on the look-out forward. +Not a word was spoken. The wind increased rather than lessened after it +first broke on the frigate. Had it been a point more from the eastward, +it would have driven her to speedy destruction. As it was, it enabled +her to lie a course parallel to the reef; but, notwithstanding this, the +leeway she made, caused by the heavy sea and the fury of the gale, +continued to drive her towards it, and the most experienced even now +dreaded that she would be unable to weather the reef. + +The hurricane blew fiercer and fiercer. The frigate heeled over till +her lee ports were buried in the foaming, hissing caldron of boiling +waters through which she forced her way. It was with difficulty the +people could keep their feet. The captain climbed up into the weather +mizzen rigging, and there he stood holding on to a shroud, conning the +ship, as calm to all appearance as if he had been beating up Plymouth +Sound. The men at the helm kept their eyes alternately on him and on +the sails, ready to obey the slightest sign he might make. Although the +topsails were close reefed, they seemed to bend the spars and masts as +they tugged and strained to be free; Mr Martin, the boatswain, kept his +eye anxiously on them. Now was the time to prove whether the spars were +sound, and, if they were sound, whether the rigging had been properly +set up, and if that also was sound throughout. A ship, like a human +being, is best tried in adversity; it is not in smooth seas and with +gentle breezes that her qualities can be proved, any more than the +nature of a man can be ascertained if all goes smoothly and easily with +him. Therefore, let no one venture to put confidence in himself, till +he has been tossed about by the storms of life, and by that time he will +have learned that he is weak and frail under all circumstances, unless +sustained by the power of the Holy Spirit, who is alone able to keep him +from falling. Ben and Tom had crept up to near where Mr Martin was +standing. He saw them exchanging looks with each other. + +"There'll be a watery grave for all on board if the spars go," observed +Mr Gimblet. "Still, it's a satisfaction to believe that they are as +sound sticks as ever grew." + +"It's just providential that we set up our rigging only t'other day. If +this gale had caught us with it as it was before that time, we might +have cried good-bye to our spars, sound as they are," said Mr Martin. +"Even now, I wish that the wind would come a point or two more on our +quarter; we make great leeway, there's no doubt about that." + +Ben and Tom overheard these remarks of the two warrant-officers. Ben +fully understood the danger the ship was in, and that before an hour or +so was over he and all on board might be in a watery grave; for he saw +how impossible it would be for the stoutest ship to hold together if she +once struck on the reef to leeward, the fearful character of which had +now become more distinct than ever. The sea broke against it with +terrific force, rising high up in a wall of water, and then fell curling +back on the side from which it came. Not the strongest swimmer could +exist for a minute among those breakers. Far away ahead it seemed to +extend in one long unbroken line. + +The hearts of many on board began to sink; not with unmanly fear, but +life was sweet; they had many loved ones in their far distant homes, and +they could not but see that long before the frigate could reach the +distant point she must drift on the reef. By the loss of one of her +sails she would be sent there within a very few minutes. Ben and Tom, +young as they were, could not fail clearly to comprehend their danger. +Ben did not tremble; he did not give way to tears, or to any weak fears, +but he turned his heart to God. To Him the young lad prayed that He +would protect his mother: he tried to think of what he had done wrong, +that he might earnestly repent; and then he threw himself on the love +and mercy of Jesus. "On Thee, O Lord Jesus, on Thee, in Thee I trust," +he kept saying. All this time, however, his attention was awake; his +eyes were open, and his ears ready to receive any order that might be +given. Such is the state of mind, such the way in which many a +Christian sailor has met death. + +On, on, flew the frigate. It was indeed a time of intense anxiety to +all on board. The officers were collected near the captain. A short +consultation was held. Some of the men thought that they were going to +put the ship about, under the belief that she would lie up taller on the +other tack. Should she miss stays, however, and of that there was the +greatest danger, her almost instant destruction would be the +consequence. No; the captain would not make the attempt. He would +trust to a change of wind. Should it come ahead, then there would be +time enough to go about; if not, it would be best to stand on. They +were in God's hands, not their own. Mr Charlton and the second +lieutenant were seen going aloft, with their telescopes at their backs. +Eagerly they scanned the line of breakers. It seemed sometimes as if no +human being could hold on up there on the mast, with the hurricane +raging so furiously around. The evening was drawing on. Should +darkness be down on them before they were clear of the reef, what hope +of escape could they have? The eyes of the crew were now directed to +their two officers aloft. Their lives seemed to depend on the result of +their investigations. At length they were seen to be descending. All +watched them eagerly as they reached the deck. Their countenances, it +was thought, wore a more cheerful aspect than before. The wind had not +lessened, nor was there the slightest indication of a change. The men, +as has been said, were at their stations, and no one moved. There they +would be found to the last, till the ship should strike. There, too, +should all Christian men be found when the last final shaking of the +world takes place; there should they be when death overtakes them--doing +their duty in that station of life to which God has called them. + +Still the men, as they stood, could hold communication with each other, +and it soon became known that Mr Charlton had seen an opening some way +ahead, through which he believed the ship would pass. To corroborate +the truth of this report, he and the master were seen again ascending +the rigging. The eyes of both the officers were fixed ahead, or rather +over the port-bow. All were now again silent, looking at the captain, +and ready to spring at a moment to obey the orders he might give; the +second lieutenant and Mr Martin were forward. Mr Charlton made a +signal to the captain. + +"Up with the helm!--square away the yards!" he shouted. + +The order was rapidly executed, and the frigate's head turned towards +the dreaded reef; but between the walls of foam an opening of clear +water was seen, amply wide to allow her to pass. Almost in an instant, +it seemed, she was flying by the danger on an even keel, the breakers +sending the spray in heavy showers over her decks. The after-sails were +furled: on she flew steadily before the gale. Night came on. There +might be other reefs ahead; but the captain and his officers and crew +had done all that men could do, and they put their trust in God, who had +already brought them safely through so many dangers, that He would +protect them. + + + +CHAPTER THIRTEEN. + +BEN IS SHIPWRECKED. + +The gale drove the Ajax considerably out of her intended course, and it +was some time before she could again haul up to the eastward. It was +not without a providential purpose that she was driven in that +direction. Three days passed by after the gale had gone down, and just +as she had sighted a small island, said to be uninhabited, the look-out +at the masthead hailed the deck: "A sail on the lee-bow--five miles +away!" he shouted. + +Several of the officers went at once aloft, to have a look at the +stranger. She was not a large vessel, that was certain; she might be +one of the slavers. She must be overhauled at all events; all sail was +accordingly made on the frigate. The stranger seemed not to have much +wind where she lay; the frigate therefore came rapidly up with her. She +was soon seen to be a schooner, and pronounced to have a Spanish look +about her. The frigate brought the breeze along with her, and as soon +as the schooner felt it, she too made all sail, close-hauled, with an +evident intention of escaping. This left little doubt of her character. +She was a fast-looking craft, but the Ajax was also noted for her +speed, and few on board doubted that the schooner would be overtaken. +Everybody was eager to come up with her. What a satisfaction it would +be to release the poor savage islanders, and many others of whom they +had heard! + +The schooner made every effort to escape, and, at last, kept away, +finding how fast her pursuer was on a wind, and endeavoured to run back +towards the island, her crew probably expecting to be able to escape +among the reefs which surrounded it. Fortunately, the island having +been well surveyed, a good chart of it existed on board. Captain +Bertram was able to stand close in after her without fear. The Ajax +came quickly up after the schooner before the wind. + +"Try her with a shot, Mr Charlton," said the captain; "but fire high, +to injure no one on board." + +Mr Sponge, the gunner, with alacrity fired one of the bow chasers. The +shot was admirably aimed, and the schooner's maintopmast fell over her +side. The frigate's crew uttered a shout of satisfaction. + +The slaver, for so she was, did not wait for another, but instantly +hauled down her flag. It was that of Chili. The schooner was forthwith +hove up in the wind. This done, two boats were seen to leave her side. +Captain Bertram, on this, hove the frigate to, and ordered two boats to +be manned and to bring the fugitives back, while two others pulled on +board the schooner. Ben was in one of the latter, with the interpreter. +The crew gave way with a will, for they were eager to get on board. No +one was to be seen on deck as they climbed up the sides, but Tatai's +hail was at once answered by shouts from below. The hatches were +quickly knocked off, and a number of men and women came rushing up, +showing, by evident signs, their joy at being liberated. Their first +impulse, however, was to fall down on their knees on the deck, and +return thanks to Jehovah for having freed them from the barbarians by +whom they had been captured. They knew, from having several times +before seen the British flag, that they would be kindly treated. They +described through Tatai, in pathetic language, the way that they had +been treated after having been captured. They had been ordered not to +pray aloud, or to sing, and, when off the farther end of this island, to +their grief they heard the voices of several of their countrymen, who +had come on board. In vain they shouted to warn them. Some at length +heard them, and endeavoured to escape. Many sprang overboard into the +sea in the hope of swimming on shore, when the inhuman wretches fired on +them and killed several; others were knocked down, and, being +recaptured, were forced below to join their poor countrymen. This +treatment was more than even the patient islanders could stand. By +violent efforts, with the aid of a piece of timber they found below, +they forced off the hatch and rushed on deck. Some of them threw +themselves into the water in the hopes of swimming on shore, though now +far from it. At length, the slaver sailed away from the spot, with her +cargo of victims to be offered up at the shrine of Mammon; or, in other +words, to be destroyed in the silver mines of Peru. Even then, did +these till lately savages curse their oppressors? No; even as they +sailed away, torn from home and country, wives and children, to die in a +foreign land--when they all knelt down at the usual hour to offer up +prayer and praise to the God of love and mercy, who had brought them out +of darkness into His marvellous light, they did not omit to pray for +their cruel oppressors, that their hearts might be converted, and that +they might turn to their Maker and live. + +Meantime, the boats of the frigate which had gone in chase of the +slaver's overtook them, and brought them on board the Ajax. Their guilt +was so evident, that Captain Bertram had no doubt about the propriety of +detaining them as prisoners. It was necessary, therefore, to send a +prize crew to take charge of the schooner. She was called the Andorina +(the Swallow). Mr Owen, the third lieutenant of the frigate, was +directed to take charge of the prize, to land the natives at the islands +from which they had been taken, and then to follow the frigate to +Callao. Mr Manners was to go as his mate. Ben and Tom hoped that they +would be among those chosen to form her crew, as boys would certainly be +required. Ben wished it, because he should thus be able to make more +inquiries for Ned at the places they might touch at, and he made bold to +tell his wish to Mr Martin, who suggested it to Mr Charlton. The two +boys were therefore delighted when their names were called out to go on +board the prize. They quickly mustered with the rest of the prize crew, +with their bags ready. The captain addressed them kindly before they +left the frigate, urged them to maintain discipline, to obey Mr Owen +and Mr Manners, and hoped that he should have a good report of them all +when they rejoined the frigate. All arrangements being made, the +frigate stood to the eastward with the slaver's crew on board, while the +schooner made sail for Samoa, Tonga, and Savage Islands. + +The new crew of the schooner had a long voyage before them, but they +were in good spirits; they had an abundance of provisions, having been +well supplied by the frigate, in addition to what the schooner had +before, and they were engaged in a just and humane cause. + +It was pleasant to observe the gentle, kind manners of the liberated +natives. They were courteous and polite to each other, and they seemed +evidently anxious to conform to all the rules and regulations formed for +their management. One of them, who had lived some time in the house of +a missionary, spoke a little English, and he was thus able to act as +interpreter. + +Although the crew of the slaver had taken away and thrown overboard one +or two Bibles and some other small books, which had been found in the +girdles of the captives, they were very far from being deprived of all +spiritual comfort, for they could nearly all repeat large portions of +the Scripture by heart, many of them entire chapters. They would +happily pass many hours of each day repeating these to each other, +singing hymns, and offering up prayers. Two or three among them, who +were elders of their respective churches, also occasionally addressed +and exhorted the rest; indeed, it was a pity that their language was not +understood by the white men, who might undoubtedly have learned many an +important truth from them. Mr Manners, who was, as has been said, a +very sincere Christian, took great interest in their proceedings, and +got the young native who spoke English, and who was called Marco, to +explain what was said. Ben frequently stood by and listened, and then +began to pick up a knowledge of the language. + +Thus several days passed by very pleasantly on board the schooner. It +has been remarked that this world is a very good and beautiful world, +but it is the people who live in it that are bad. In this case the +schooner was a very ordinary vessel, and had till lately been filled +with very bad people, and a great deal of misery and suffering had +existed on board her. Now she was manned with God-fearing and religious +people, and so her whole character was changed, and prayers and songs of +praise ascended daily from her decks. + +The weather, however, was far from satisfactory. The stormy season had +set in, and rains and gales of wind might be expected. Mr Owen proved +himself a good and careful officer, and, assisted by Mr Manners, was +constantly on the watch for the dangers which might befall them. The +wind had hitherto been light and contrary, and the schooner had made but +little progress. The weather now again became threatening, and caused +considerably anxiety to the young officers. It was evident from the +look of the sky, and the sudden way in which the sea got up, that +another gale was coming on; not so violent, perhaps, as the former, but +still requiring every possible preparation to be made for it. The boats +and spars, and everything on deck, were doubly secured; the hatches and +skylights were fastened down; the topmasts were struck; the lighter +sails furled, and storm sails set; and in a short time the schooner was +in a state to encounter the expected gale. It came on more gradually +than the former one: at first in heavy squalls, and then more and more +violently. The sea got up at the same time, and the vessel heeled over +to the furious blast Mr Owen and Mr Manners consulted together what +course to steer: the schooner could just lie her proper course, and on +that course there were no dangers which could not be seen in time, and +avoided, as far as they knew. On the other hand, should the gale +increase still more, as there was every prospect of its doing, it would +be necessary to put her before the wind, as it would be dangerous, if +not indeed impossible, to keep her close-hauled as she then was. Should +she run for any distance before the gale, she would be carried into a +part of the ocean studded thickly with islets. Once among the +archipelago, it might be impossible to avoid being dashed on the +rock-bound shore of one of them. Here, then, was sufficient cause for +anxiety to the young officers. As long as possible, the schooner was +kept on a wind, plunging through the seas. Their only other resource +was to heave-to; but there was danger in that where neither spars nor +rigging could be trusted. The seas came breaking over her bows, and +sweeping her decks. Another huge billow, larger and more foam-covered +than any of its predecessors, was seen ahead. "Up with the helm, lower +the peak, ease away the main-sheet, square away the maintopsail!" cried +Mr Owen, with rapid utterance. The crew quickly obeyed his orders. +The effect of these orders was to take the pressure off the after-part +of the vessel, and round her head flew from the wind and the coming sea. +It struck her, however, and from the way it swept along her side, +tearing away part of her bulwarks, and doing other damage as it came on +board, it was evident that it would have caused far greater disaster had +her bow encountered its full force. On she now flew before the +hurricane, for such it was rather than a common gale. There was no +choice now as to heaving-to. The officers scanned the chart with +anxious eyes. They saw, with regret they could scarcely conceal, that, +unless the gale should cease, no skill of theirs could save the schooner +from destruction, or unless, guided by an unseen Power, she should +thread her way amid the labyrinth of islets and reefs ahead of her. +Night was coming on. There was no moon. The dark clouds shut out all +light from the stars. + +On flew the schooner. The unfortunate islanders were invited to come on +deck, that, should the vessel strike suddenly, they might have some +chance of escaping by swimming on shore. The danger was explained to +them through Marco. "We are in the hands of Jehovah," was the answer. +"He will do with us what He sees best." + +Through the pitchy darkness the vessel rushed on. More than once the +quick ears of the seamen detected, they thought, the well-known sound of +breakers; but each time the sound died away to leeward: the vessel must +have passed at a distance from them. Hour after hour thus passed by. +How all on board longed for daylight! Yet daylight would only enable +them to see the threatening danger, scarcely to avoid it. + +Once more the sound of breakers was heard. This time it was ahead. In +vain, with straining eyeballs, the seamen looked into the darkness to +discover, if they could, whether the breakers were on the starboard or +port bow. All held their breath. The stoutest hearts might then have +quailed. The foretopsail was alone set; to have lowered that would have +caused the vessel to be pooped, and so more speedily to have sealed her +fate. On she flew to destruction. The dreaded crash came. She +quivered from stem to stern. Both the masts went by the board, carrying +several of the seamen with them, as well as the young commander. +Another sea came hissing on astern, threatening to dash the vessel to +pieces; but no! it lifted her up, and bore her on its summit far along +over the reef. + +Mr Manners found himself at that awful moment in command of the +schooner. He ordered the well to be sounded. It was not necessary; for +the water, it was soon evident, was rushing in through numerous large +rents made by the sharp coral. Still the vessel drove on, now among +rocks, now in clear water. She was, however, rapidly filling. "Out +boats!" was the cry. Fortunately these had escaped injury. Again, +however, the schooner was exposed to the fury of the sea, which came +sweeping round through a passage in the reef. + +At that moment a sudden panic seized the crew. Ben felt himself grasped +by the arm, and dragged into one of the boats which had just been +lowered. Five men only were in her. Either intentionally or by +accident, the painter was let go, and the boat drifted rapidly away from +the sinking vessel. The men searched for the oars, which they supposed +to be in the boat; only one was to be found. To return to the schooner +was therefore impossible. Their only prospect of safety was to get the +boat before the wind with the oar. This was done, and farther and +farther away she drifted from the vessel. + +The men said but little. They regretted being driven away from the +schooner without receiving more on board; and Ben heard, with sorrow, +that there was but little chance of any of their shipmates being saved. +Their own prospects also were gloomy enough. They had no water, no +provisions, on board, and one oar alone to guide the boat. One of the +most dreadful fates which seamen have sometimes to endure seemed in +store for them--to be out on the wide ocean, exposed to the heat of the +sun by day and chills by night, without a drop of water to cool their +burning thirst. The poor fellows knew too well that this might be their +lot; but still they were thankful that they had hitherto escaped the +destruction which had overtaken so many of their shipmates. + +Two or three of the men at a time were employed in baling out the boat, +while one steered as well as he could before the seas. Again the sound +of breakers was heard: it was right ahead. "It is all up with us!" +cried one of the men. "God be merciful to us!" cried another. Scarcely +had they spoken, when the boat was lifted on the foaming summit of a +sea, the crest of which nearly filled her with water, and down she came +with a crash on the rocks, which dashed her to pieces. Ben clung to one +of the fragments. The despairing shrieks of his shipmates sounded in +his ears, and he felt himself borne onward into smoother water. He +clung tightly to the shattered plank, and thought that he saw trees +rising before him. It was not fancy. The dawn had broken, and he was +drifting along the shore. He could swim well, and felt sure that he +could reach it. A few vigorous strokes, and his feet touched the firm +sand. He waded up, and sank exhausted on the dry ground. + +The sun was shining brightly on his head before the shipwrecked lad +awoke. He sat up, and, as he recovered his senses, he looked round, +hoping to see his companions; but no one was visible. He rose to his +feet, and shouted out their names. No reply came to him. He ran along +the beach, calling to them; and then discovered that he was on a small +island. His voice could, he fancied, have reached from one end to the +other. With a sad heart, he found that he was alone--the only human +being, as far as he knew, saved from the wreck. + + + +CHAPTER FOURTEEN. + +ON A DESERT ISLAND. + +Poor Ben was very melancholy at the feeling that he was alone on that +desert island; still, he was thankful that his own life had been +preserved. "God surely would not have taken me out of the sea to let me +die here by inches of hunger and thirst," he said to himself. "I will +trust in God, as I have always done." As he said this, he put his hand +in the bosom of his shirt. There was safe the little Testament which +his mother had given him, and which he had been reading before the gale +sprang up. He spread it out open on the sand, that the leaves might +dry. "He has spared me this; He has other good things in store for me," +he whispered to himself. He also spread out his clothes, which very +quickly dried. + +Ben had lost his cap, so, while his Testament and clothes were drying, +he sat down and began making another out of some broad leaves which grew +close at hand. While thus employed, and thinking over what he should +do, he recollected that he had not prayed, nor thanked God for +preserving him; so, having put on his clothes, he knelt down in the thin +shadow of a tall palm, and prayed as he had never prayed before. After +doing this, he felt greatly supported; yet his condition was indeed a +forlorn one. He rose from his knees, and looked around. He felt +thirsty, but not very hungry--sufficiently so, however, to remind him +that he must look out for food. He was not aware of the difficulties of +procuring it, so that his mind was not troubled on that score. His +first idea was to survey the island, so as to learn to a certainty +whether any of his shipmates might have been cast on it. He found a +piece of timber on the sand, which served him for a walking-stick, and, +supported by it, he set off to walk round the island. + +He first climbed up to the top of a rock near him, from which, between +the trees, he could look across the island, and he thought that it could +be little more than half a mile wide. How long it was he could not so +well judge. He walked on and on, looking about for signs of +fresh-water, for he knew that he must not drink that of the sea. He +could find none. He became more and more thirsty; his tongue was +parched, and his throat dry: still he would not give up. He dragged his +weary feet along, helped by his stick. Some rocky mounds, scarcely to +be called hills, appeared in the distance, and he hoped that water might +be found near them. This gave him fresh strength to drag himself along. +The mounds were not so high even as he had fancied, and were much +nearer. Again he was disappointed. He paced round and round them; all +was stony and dry. + +Ben was very nearly giving way to despair, when he espied, scarcely +fifty yards off, a group of tall trees with large round fruit hanging +from them. At once he knew them to be cocoa-nuts, and he went on, eager +to quench his thirst with the pure milk they contained. Yet, weak as he +was, how could he climb up to the top of those trees? He had often seen +the natives do it with a band round their waists. If he were strong, he +might do it in the same way, could he but find the band; but, in his +weak state, that was impossible. Again he was doomed to disappointment, +he feared, and was about to pursue his exploring tour, when he saw, not +far off, a nut on the ground. He ran eagerly and picked it up. It had +been blown off during the recent gale. After stripping off the husk, he +soon broke in the end; and, though he spilt a little, there was +sufficient milk in it to quench his now burning thirst. He then more +slowly ate pieces of the fruit, which he cut out with his knife. Here +was one means of supporting life, and Ben's elastic spirits again rose. +At his age the thoughts of the future did not press heavily on him. He +had, too, `a conscience void of offence towards God': not that he did +not feel and know himself to be a sinner; but he felt himself to be a +pardoned one, as a sincere believer in Christ. That was the secret of +his light-heartedness. Still he had a longing for pure water. He knew, +too, that he could the better cook any fish he might obtain if he could +find it. How was he to light a fire, however? Just before the gale +came on, the cook had sent him below to get his tin-box of matches, and +after the cook had taken one out, Ben had put it into his pocket. There +it was, and, the lid fitting tightly down, the matches were uninjured. +"I must cherish them carefully, however," he thought; "when they are +gone, I shall be unable to light a fire." He looked about and found +several other cocoa-nuts, which he collected, and piled up where he +could again find them. + +Much refreshed, Ben continued his walk. At last he saw the end of the +island. For a quarter of a mile or more it was low and barren, hard +rock washed apparently by the sea; so he turned round and went back by +the other shore. The island was, altogether, nearly two miles long; but +there were not many cocoa-nut trees on it,--nor much soil indeed, which +was the reason probably that it was not inhabited. He might now +exclaim, though sadly, "I am monarch of all I survey;" but he would +rather have been the meanest subject of a small kingdom, with civilised +companions, than a king and all alone on that nearly barren reef. Still +he had no fear of starving; shell-fish he saw on the rocks in abundance. +During the calm, too, some of the natives had been fishing over the +side of the vessel, and he also had got some hooks and a long line. +These he had put into his pockets. He might, he hoped, find some roots, +and thus be able to vary his diet. As the sun rose, the horizon became +very clear, and he thought that he could distinguish land in one +direction; it was at all events a long way off, and it was so faint that +it might be only a cloud just rising above the horizon. He should be +able to judge better after watching it for a day or two. + +As Ben walked on, his eye was continually roving about for signs of +water. How gladly would he have welcomed the sight of even a little +mossy pool, or some moisture in the crevice of a rock! He did not +despair. He had hitherto only explored the shore; water might rise in +the interior, and be lost in the sand before it reached the beach. "One +thing I ought to have before night," he said,--for he had got into the +way of talking aloud,--"that is, shelter. I must build myself a hut;" +and so he set to work. There were canes, and bushes, and broad leaves +of the pandanus and other trees in abundance. He did not require a very +spacious mansion; still he wanted one high enough to sit in. He worked +on till he was tired and hungry. He had left his cocoa-nuts some way +off, and had to go for them. He brought as many as he could carry back +to his hut. Knocking a hole in the end of one of them, and carefully +scraping out the fruit after he had drunk the milk, he waded into the +water, and cut some mussels off the rocks. His cocoa-nut he filled with +salt-water. Coming back, he lighted a fire in a hole a little way from +his hut. Would he put his cocoa-nut on it? No; he was too wise for +that; but he made some stones red-hot, and kept tumbling them into the +water till the mussels were sufficiently cooked. Others he toasted +before the fire, but he liked the boiled ones best. He thus made a +tolerably substantial meal. To keep in his fire, he built up a wall of +stones round it, and put on a quantity of green sticks, which would burn +slowly, hoping in that way to save the expenditure of another match. + +"I will finish my hut, and then I will go and have another hunt for +water," he said to himself, as he began working again. He had placed +his hut against a tree, with the opening turned away from the wind. +There were plenty of dry leaves about, which he collected for his bed. +He did not require furniture; that he would make by and by. While +hunting in his pockets for the matches, he found a number of thin flat +seeds. He recollected having saved them from a fruit of the gourd +species, which had been used on board the schooner. He carefully dried +them and put them by, remembering that such things grow very rapidly. +"There will be no harm sowing them; if I do not use them, others will. +I am thankful I found them," he thought. Once more he set out to look +for water. The exertion he had gone through, and the heat, made the +milk of the cocoa-nut insufficient for quenching his thirst. The ground +was rough; but he eagerly clambered over it, backwards and forwards, +hoping thus to find a spring if one existed. The sun was sinking low, +when he thought that the trees and shrubs, in a hollow he saw some way +before him, looked greener and more luxuriant than those in other +places. "Water makes leaves and grass green," he said to himself; "I +hope so, for I don't think that I could live many more hours without +water, not through another day in this hot sun. Oh dear! oh dear! how +very, very thirsty I am! What would I give if there should be water +there, even though I should only get one good drink of it! Ay, but I +shall want it another day--for many days, or months, perhaps, as long as +I live on this island. I don't think that God will have put only a +little there. If there is any, there will be a good supply for me, more +than this cocoa-nut full, I am certain." He had brought a cocoa-nut +shell with him to fill with water, that he might take some back to his +hut. + +Ben almost shouted for joy when he found a spring of pure water bubbling +up from under a big rock. It ran a little way between rocks, and then +lost itself in a sandy bed. He scooped a hole in the ground, into which +he put his cocoa-nut shell, which quickly filled with water. How sweet +and pure it tasted! He felt that he could never take enough. At last, +however, his thirst was quenched, so he filled his cocoa-nut shell, and +directed his steps to the sea-shore; but he had not gone far before he +was tempted to put the shell to his lips. He soon drained it, and then +he went back for more. His great fear was that he should not again find +the spring. He marked the spot with the greatest care, and noted each +tree and mound as he took his way towards the beach. Night was coming +on, as it does in those latitudes, very rapidly; and Ben had to hurry on +for fear of not finding his hut, and at the same time to be very +cautious not to spill the water out of his cocoa-nut. Oh that people +would be as eager for the Water of Life, as little Ben was for the +spring in that desert island, and would be tempted to return to it again +and again to drink afresh of its pure source! Ben was thankful when he +saw the glow from his fire, which continued smouldering gently. Without +it he might have passed his hut. He could not manage by its light to +read more than a few verses from his Testament; but even those few gave +him comfort and hope. With a heart truly grateful for the mercies +bestowed on him, he knelt down and offered up his simple prayer to God. +The last thing he did was to make up his fire afresh, and then he crept +into his hut and in a few moments was fast asleep. + +The sun had risen before Ben awoke. He felt that he had a great deal to +do. He could not tell how long he might have to remain on the island. +It might be not only for months, but for years. Much depended on his +own sense and energy whether he would retain his health, or indeed life +itself. He began the day with prayer and reading the Testament. He +knew that that was the best way at all events to save himself from +turning into a savage. He then made his breakfast off cocoa-nut and +shell-fish. "I must catch some fish, however," he said to himself, as +he finished the last clam; "this food will not do to live on always. I +may find some roots and berries, and perhaps turtles' eggs. I heard +some wild-fowl cry last evening; I may find their eggs too, and trap +them or some other birds, or get a turtle itself. The first thing I'll +now do is to carry my hut nearer to the water, instead of having to +bring the water all this way to the hut. That won't take long. I can +carry the whole of it in two journeys, and quickly put it up. I must +take the fire after it. That will keep in for many hours, I see, with +the help of this rotten wood. If I go working on in these clothes, I +shall soon wear them out. I must see what I can do to make others out +of the bark of the paper-mulberry, as the natives do; I thought I saw +some of those trees yesterday. I daresay I shall not succeed at first, +but there is nothing like trying. There is a piece of open ground near +the spring which will just do for the gourd-seeds. I'll sow them +therein forthwith. The fruit is very wholesome, I know; and the dried +gourds will furnish me with basins and pots and pans in abundance." + +Ben put all his plans into execution in a methodical, regular way. He +became, indeed, perfectly happy, and almost contented with his lot, +except when he thought of his mother and Ned--poor Ned, still +undiscovered, living among savages, or on a desert island, like himself. +His own fate made him hope more than ever that Ned had escaped. + +Now and then the course of his plans was interrupted by something else +which occurred to him to do. One idea was to erect a beacon at each end +of the island, to attract the attention of those on board any passing +vessel. He had nothing of which to make a flag, so a flagstaff would +have been of no use. It then struck him that a cross would be more +remarkable than anything else, and he devoted a part of each day to the +work. It was a very heavy task. He chose a tree towards the end of the +island, where he proposed erecting the first cross. He had only a stout +pocket-knife, but he could employ fire, and that only required constant +watching. A large sharp stone helped him. When he had thus felled the +tree, he had to cut off the branches, and to drag it to the end of the +island. With great labour he partly burned, and partly cut, a deep +notch, into which he fixed the cross-beam, securing it with wedges. He +had observed a cleft in the rock: in this he placed the butt-end, and +gradually raised it with far more ease than he could otherwise have +done. Some large stones placed round it kept it secure. The other +cross was erected much in the same manner. + +His fishing was very successful, and he was soon able to catch an ample +supply for his daily food. He found, too, some roots which were +perfectly wholesome. When cultivated by the natives, they formed one of +their chief articles of food. He was not disappointed in finding, after +a time, some turtles' and sea-fowls' eggs; indeed, he had an abundance +of nutritious food, gained, however, by his own exertions and +perseverance. It might have been possible for a person to have died of +starvation on the island, simply on account of not looking for the means +of subsistence which it afforded. Ben not only collected for present +use, but preserved what he could for the future, knowing that at certain +seasons the turtle and wild-fowl would cease to lay eggs, that the fish +might leave the coast, or that stormy weather might prevent his catching +them; that the cocoa-nuts would dry up, as might the roots, and that the +wild-fowl might become more wary. He was thus never idle, from morning +till night; and though, of course, he thought very often of home and +Ned, and of how he should get away, yet he never was unhappy or out of +spirits. He was as fond as ever of saying, "Do right, whatever comes of +it, and trust in God." + + + +CHAPTER FIFTEEN. + +ESCAPE: AND THE END OF BEN'S HISTORY. + +Ben had recollected the day of the week on which, he was cast on the +island. By means of a stick which he notched regularly, a plan he had +often heard of being adopted under similar circumstances, he kept an +exact note of the days as they passed. Sunday he made a day of rest. +It was not, however, a day of weariness. He read much more than usual +of his Testament, and, recollecting the way the natives had repeated +portions of it, he set to work to commit some of its chapters to memory. + +This he found a delightful occupation. When doing so, he spent many +hours walking up and down on the smooth sea sand, with shoeless feet, +looking out every now and then on the blue ocean, and thinking what a +beautiful world it is we inhabit, and how grievous that man should mar +it by his evil temper and wicked deeds. Then he would occasionally sing +all the hymns he knew at the top of his voice, from very joyfulness of +heart. In the week-days, when at work, he would repeat over what he had +learned on the Sundays. Thus five months, by his calculation, passed +away. + +One Monday forenoon, as he was going out to the end of a reef to fish, +on looking in the direction where he had frequently seen what he +supposed to be land, he saw an object moving over the water. It was not +white, like the sail of a vessel. It must, then, be the mat-sail of a +large double canoe. Thinking no more of his fishing, he ran up to the +highest rocky hill in the neighbourhood to watch its progress. It was +drawing nearer the island, and yet apparently not steering directly for +it, rather, as it were, to pass at some distance. + +"I wonder what sort of people are on board," he thought. "Perhaps +savages--cannibals. Then it will be much better if they do not come +here. If they are Christian natives, then I shall be very glad to go +with them, as they of course are on their way to some civilised island +where ships are likely to call." + +The wind was light, the canoe moved slowly, and Ben's anxiety increased. +At last it seemed clear that the canoe would not come nearer to the +island. He heaved a deep sigh, and sat silent and sad for some time. +Then he recollected that he was going to fish. He got up, and again +worked his way towards the end of the reef. He cast in his line, and +had hooked a fish, when, just as he landed it, on looking up for an +instant, he saw the canoe gliding towards the island. It was steering +for the point on which stood the cross, there could be no doubt about +that. He watched it eagerly, anxious to ascertain who was on board. If +they were savages, should he hide himself, and trust to their going away +again? "Yet even if they are savages, they will not hurt me," he said +to himself. "They will see at once that I cannot do them any harm. I +will run and meet them, and welcome them. That will be the best way, I +am sure. I will take a branch in my hand, and wave it as the natives +do, to show that I wish to be friendly with them." + +Saying this, Ben drew up the fish he had hooked,--a fine large one,-- +retreated along the reef over the rocks, cut a branch, and ran along the +beach as fast as his legs could carry him towards Cross Point. He got +there before the canoe, for the wind was light. He could see a number +of people on it as it drew nearer. Were they savages? They were all +clothed. Yes, and some of them were dressed as English sailors. There +was a glitter of gold-lace on the coat of one of them. In the bow stood +a young sailor lad. Gradually the faces began to grow distinct. How +his heart leaped with joy! There were Tom Martin and Mr Manners, and +several of the prize crew he had long thought in their ocean graves, and +there were also a good number of the natives, busy in lowering the huge +mat-sail of the canoe. They were the very men who had been on board the +schooner. + +Ben was at first almost beside himself with delight. He waved his hands +and shouted wildly; then he ran down and showed them the best place for +bringing the canoe to shore. The natives cried out to him, but neither +Tom Martin nor any of the English seamen seemed to know him. "I wonder +what that little savage wants," he heard Tom say to one of the men. "He +looks to me as if he was out of his senses." + +"No, I am not, Tom Martin, I can assure you," cried Ben, running up to +him and putting out his hand; "only very, very glad to see you again, +and to find that you are all alive." + +"Well, indeed, I am also glad to find you were not drowned, Ben," +answered Tom, wringing his shipmate's hand till it seemed as if he would +wring it off. "I felt certain that you were drowned, and was very sorry +for you, that I was!" + +"He speaks truth, Ben," observed Jem Stokes, a seaman who had always +stood Tom's friend. "The lad took so ill when he thought that you were +lost, that we thought he would have slipped his cable altogether; but +Mr Manners spoke to him, as he did to all of us, and told him that if +you had left this world you had gone to a better." + +Jem's remarks were cut short by Mr Manners, who had now come on shore. +Ben was not aware, till he observed the surprised look with which his +officer regarded him, of the odd figure he cut. He then recollected +that he wore a suit of his own home-made clothes: a hat of leaves, in +shape between an extinguisher and an umbrella; a cape of mulberry-tree +cloth, and a kilt of the same, reaching down to his knees. With shoes +he had learned to dispense, that he might have a good pair to go away +in. He had worn them, however, on Sunday mornings, when he had put them +on, with the rest of his best suit. Ben explained to Mr Manners why he +was dressed in that curious fashion, and the young officer highly +approved of his reasons, and complimented him on his ingenuity in their +manufacture. + +The whole party then collected round him while he gave a brief account +of the way he had been preserved, and how he had managed to subsist +during his sojourn on the island. He, in return, was informed how his +friends had escaped. The schooner, from having no cargo in her, did not +sink as soon as was expected, but drove on to another reef, where she +stuck fast. The gale falling soon after, those on board had time to +construct a raft, on which, with the aid of one of the boats, they +reached an island which they had seen five or six miles off. They were +able to save a small quantity of provisions; but the larger portion, +being under water, could not be got at. The island was of considerable +size, and, thanks to the knowledge possessed by the natives, they had +not experienced much difficulty in procuring food. The schooner soon +broke up, so that very little more was got out of her, and only a few +articles of value were washed ashore. Mr Manners at once proposed +building a vessel; but the carpenter's mate, who had come in the +schooner as carpenter, had been lost when the vessel went on the rocks, +and none of the other men knew anything of ship-building. The natives, +on hearing the wish of the English officer, offered to construct a large +double canoe, three or four professional canoe-builders being among +them. They were far more ingenious than the civilised Englishmen. +Their tools they made out of stones, and flints, and shells; the fibre +of trees served them instead of nails; their sails were made out of +dried grass. It was a work, however, of great labour; night and day +they toiled at it. At length, aided by the Englishmen, it was +completed. They had preserved and stored all the food they could +collect and spare for their voyage; but their great difficulty was to +carry enough water. The water on the island was bad, and they had not +sufficient receptacles for it. Still, they hoped to reach some island +where they might replenish their stock; but that was very uncertain. + +"Indeed, the possibility--or, I may say, the probability--of our running +short of water is the greatest cause of anxiety I have for our dangerous +voyage. If that was over, I should have fewer cares on my mind," +observed Mr Manners. + +"Then, sir, I think that I can certainly relieve you of that care," +answered Ben. "There is a spring of excellent water in the middle of +the island, and near it I planted, on the second day of my arrival, some +gourd-seeds. The plants grew up very fast, and the fruit has now become +of great size, and is perfectly ripe. Each of them would, I should +think, when dried, hold a large quantity of water; and I am sure that +the pulp is very good and wholesome, for I have felt much better since I +lived on it. Besides, I have already dried a number of the outsides, so +that we may judge how they hold water." + +"That is indeed providential, Ben," observed Mr Manners. "God, I +believe, never allows anything to be done without an object; and it +seems very clear that you were thrown on this island, not only that your +own life might be saved, but that you might be the means of preserving +all our lives. Had it not been for you, we should not have known that +there exists water on the island; and we certainly should not have had +the means of carrying it away. Let us at once examine the gourds, that +we may see what can be done." + +Mr Manners now called Marco, and begged him to set off at once with +Ben, and examine the gourds, with a few of the other natives, while the +rest dispersed on the island to collect roots, cocoa-nuts, and, indeed, +any other food that they could find. + +Ben could not help feeling proud at the commendation which Mr Manners +bestowed on his hut and its internal arrangements; still more so on his +plantation of gourds. The little seeds which he had brought to shore in +his jacket-pocket had now become large plants, producing gourds twice +the size of a man's head. As he had wisely planted them at a distance +from each other, they had all grown to their full size. Marco selected +thirty, at least, each of which would hold several quarts of water; +while their pulp was a welcome addition to the food of those who had +been for so long living on the produce of the sea, and roots, and +cocoa-nuts. + +Three days were spent in drying the gourds and in filling them, and in +replenishing the other receptacles on board the canoe with the pure +water from Ben's fountain. One or two defects in the canoe were also +made good, and a considerable addition to their supply of provisions was +taken on board. + +Ben took a last look at the hut he had so long inhabited, and the garden +he had cultivated with so much care, with a feeling almost of regret, +knowing that he was to part from them for ever. Before leaving them, +however, he planted a number of ripe seeds, and repaired his hut, in +case any other person might be cast on shore on the island. The crosses +were also repaired. + +"We had not intended landing on the island till we saw them," observed +Mr Manners. "When our eyes caught sight of them, we knew that some +Christian person must be, or must have been, on the island; and, though +eager to proceed on our voyage, we at once resolved to touch at the +place. I pray that, before long, the time may come for the cross to be +erected on every island throughout the wide Pacific, not as the symbol +of nominal Christianity, of a religion of forms and ceremonies, but as +the sign of a true and living faith, of a spiritual worship acceptable +to God." + +The last remarks, though spoken aloud, were made by Mr Manners rather +to himself than to those near him. + +All preparations having been made, the whole party, with Ben Hadden, +embarked on board the canoe. She was paddled out into the open sea, the +wind was fair, the sail was hoisted, and Ben soon saw his island home +sink beneath the horizon. + +The difficulties in the navigation of the voyage just commenced were +very great. Mr Manners had saved only a boat's compass; he had no +quadrant and no chart. He calculated that they were about sixteen +hundred miles at least from Samoa, for which group he shaped his course. +They expected to meet with several islands on the way, but though the +inhabitants of some of them had been converted to Christianity, those of +others were still sunk in heathen darkness and barbarism. It would be +necessary for them, therefore, to be very careful on which they landed. +In the one case, they would be sure of a friendly reception; in the +other they would be attacked, and probably murdered, if not on their +guard. Ben hoped that at all events they might touch at several +islands, that he might have more opportunities of making inquiries about +Ned. He found that strict discipline was maintained on board the canoe. +All on board were divided into watches, taking regularly their turns of +duty. Morning and evening there were prayers, led by Mr Manners in +English and by Marco in his own language. The day was begun by all +joining in a hymn, then the Scriptures were read and commented on by the +respective readers. Ben was very glad to find that Tom took a great +interest in their services, and spoke on religious subjects in a tone +that he had never before done. + +"Why, you see, Ben," said Tom, "on that awful night of the wreck I +thought that we were all going to be drowned, and when, after all, we +got on shore, I felt how merciful and kind God had been to save such a +wicked fellow as I was, instead of you, who was so much more fit to go +to Him. I was still very sorry for you, for your mother's sake, and I +knew father would be very sorry when he heard of it. I do not suppose +that those thoughts would have lasted very long; I am afraid not: but +then, Mr Manners spoke to me so kindly, that I felt what an ungrateful +wretch I should be if I didn't give my heart to so good and merciful a +God; and from that day to this I have been trying to do so. It is not +very easy, even among the few of our poor fellows remaining; but Mr +Manners says that I must pray for grace, and not trust to my own +strength, and that then, if I am sincere and not a hypocrite to myself, +that I should have every confidence of being supported and protected. +It is that thought, Ben, which gives me so much comfort. Otherwise I +should be very unhappy, and not at all sure that I should not be a +castaway after all." + +"That is just the same thought that has made me always happy," remarked +Ben. "I know that God never casts out any who go to Him through Christ, +and trust to Him completely, and not to themselves, while they try to +love and serve Him as much as they can, though that is very little after +all I can't tell you, though, Tom, how glad I am to hear you speak so, +and I am sure that your father will be still more glad, if we ever find +the ship again, which I hope we may do." + +"That's the very thing I am afraid of," said Tom. "I shall be very glad +indeed to see my father again; but when I get back among the other boys, +and into old ways again, I shall be apt to do just as before, and to +talk nonsense and play all my old tricks. I say, Ben, if we ever do get +back, you must help me! Won't you, there's a good fellow?" + +Of course Ben promised Tom that he would help him as much as he could, +though he reminded him also that he must depend on himself in one sense, +though not on his own strength, for that effectual strength he could +alone obtain through the aid of the Holy Spirit. + +The wind was light, and the sea calm, and the canoe glided smoothly over +the water. She was of a curious construction, being in reality two +canoes connected by a very strong platform. The mast was a triangle, +which supported a mat-sail spread on a long yard. The vessel had not to +go about; but, as the stem and stern were alike, she sailed equally well +both ways. At each end there were long oars, which served as rudders; +but in calms she was impelled by paddles, and could thus also be moved +at a considerable rate. Nobody on board was idle. In calm weather +every one was employed in paddling or steering. Mr Manners took his +turn with the rest. If there was a sea,--that is to say, if it was +rough,--Ben and Tom, with the assistance of two or three others, had +enough to do to bale out the water. A constant look-out was also +necessary, to avoid any reefs or low islands in their course. Ben was +very happy. He had been so long without talking, that it was a +satisfaction to him once more to use his tongue, though still greater to +hear other people talk, especially Mr Manners and Tom, when they spoke +on subjects in which he was interested. As for his own tongue, when +once set going, he found no little difficulty in again stopping it. + +The weather continued so calm, that it was impossible to say to what +extent the voyage might be prolonged: it was necessary, therefore, to +use the greatest economy in the consumption of water and their scanty +supply of provisions. A small allowance of food and water was served +out to each person three times a day; but no one grumbled, for all saw +the necessity of the arrangement. + +Six days had passed by since the canoe had left Ben Hadden's island, as +Mr Manners called it, when land was sighted ahead, or rather, the trees +which grew on it, for their tops were first seen. It was an island +extending for three or four miles across the horizon. No one on board +knew anything about the island, but they hoped that they might there +obtain a fresh supply of water and provisions, and, should it be +inhabited by Christians, that they might gain some information as to +their direct course for Samoa. Accordingly they steered for an opening +which appeared in the barrier-reef. On getting through it, other rocks +were seen ahead, and Mr Manners was afraid, should he stand on, of +injuring the canoe. The sail was lowered, and they were about to paddle +off again in order to search for a safe landing-place, when a man was +seen on the shore beckoning them. First he pointed to the right hand, +by which they knew that they were to sail in that direction; then he +beckoned directly to himself, afterwards to the left, and so on. By +following his directions, they reached the beach in safety. He was a +wild-looking person dressed in a leaf hat, something like the one Ben +had made for himself, with a seaman's tattered jacket, and a kilt of +native cloth. His feet and legs were bare, his hair was long, and hung +down over his shoulders, while in his hand he carried a heavy club, +which he grasped tightly, as if he considered it likely to prove a +friend in need. Notwithstanding his wild appearance, it was easy to +perceive by the colour of his skin, sunburnt as it was, that he was not +a native. He seemed very much surprised at seeing white men on board +the canoe, for he did not appear to have discovered that till they were +on the point of landing. He did not, however, address them, but spoke +to the natives in a language which they understood. Marco inquired of +him whether there were other inhabitants on the island, and whether they +were Christians. He said that there were a great many; that they were +not _Lota_, that is Christians, but that they were a very good sort of +people. They had sent him on to the end of the reef to pilot in the +canoe, he said, and they themselves would soon come to welcome the +strangers. He had scarcely spoken before a large number of wild, nearly +naked savages came out from among the trees. They were armed with +spears and clubs, had long matted hair like a black thatch over their +heads, and were altogether a very forbidding, unattractive set of +beings. Still, from what they said to Marco and the other natives, and +by their actions, they appeared to be friendlily disposed towards their +visitors. It was near evening, and they signified that, if the visitors +would remain overnight, they would the next day bring all the provisions +required, and plenty of calabashes of pure water, which they stated was +to be obtained in the middle of the island. Mr Manners thanked them, +and said that he would remain till the next day. The natives then +invited them to come and sleep on shore; but this Mr Manners declined, +as he preferred sleeping on board the canoe. To allow more room on +board, he said that he would not object to some of his people building +huts of boughs for themselves on the beach, but urged them on no account +to go to a distance from it. The natives, however, to show their good +intentions, brought down to the beach a supply of taro and other roots +and fruits, likewise as much fresh-water as their visitors would +require. They seemed, as Mr Manners thought, rather disappointed that +no one would accompany them away from the shore. They stood by while +the provisions were being cooked, rather astonished at the proceeding; +still greater was their surprise when the natives sung a hymn and +offered up a prayer before they began to eat. What it could all mean of +course they could not tell, but they probably had an idea that it was +some sort of incantation, for they were seen to draw back for some +distance, and not till the hymn was finished did they return, when they +stood looking on as before. + +Ben and Tom, with two of the English seamen, were allowed to go on shore +that they might draw the white man, if possible, into conversation, if +he could speak English. He had hitherto kept aloof from the strangers, +and even stood behind his native companions while the hymn was being +sung. When the natives had finished singing, Ben stood up and said the +short grace which his father had been accustomed to repeat before meals. +The white man, who at that time was standing a little way apart from +his companions while Ben was speaking, drew nearer to him, and seemed to +be listening attentively. + +"I say, old fellow, come and have something to eat," said one of the +seamen, holding out a bit of taro at the end of his knife. + +The white man looked wistfully towards the strangers; then he cast a +glance at the scowling, savage-looking natives who were watching him, +and, shaking his head, again drew farther back from them. There he sat +without speaking, and each time either Ben or Tom, or the other two +seamen, addressed him, he shook his head, as if either he did not +understand, or, at all events, did not wish to hold any communication +with them. + +While the party who purposed sleeping on the shore were putting up their +huts, and collecting leaves for their beds, the natives and the white +man, as before, stood watching them, but made no offer of assistance. +The Christian visitors again sang a hymn, as the sun set and darkness +came on. Then commending themselves to the protection of Heaven, they +crept into their huts, and lay down to sleep. Ben and his shipmates, +finding that the natives and their white associate had gone away, soon +after followed their example; one of the seamen promising to sleep with +one eye open, so as to be on the watch, though it was the opinion of all +that the natives were a quiet sort of people, who would do them no harm. +There was no moon; but the sky was clear, and the bright stars which +glittered forth from it in countless numbers, in that pure atmosphere, +afforded sufficient light to enable objects to be visible at a little +distance. + +Ben had slept for some time, he fancied, when he was awakened by feeling +a hand placed on his arm. + +"Hist, youngster! don't lie sleeping there," whispered a voice in his +ear. "Rouse up the other Englishmen. Get on board the canoe, and be +off, or you'll all be murdered. Never mind the natives with you. If +you wake them up, there'll be a noise, and the people of the place will +be down on them. Don't speak above a whisper, whatever you do. The +people are not far off, and I found it a hard job to steal away." + +Ben at once comprehended that some danger was threatened. He sat up, +and saw the stranger white man standing over him. + +"Leave our Christian friends! No, we will never do that," he answered. +"I will go and arouse them, while you can awake my shipmates; and, +whoever you are, you must come with us." + +"Well, well, I'll do as you wish," answered the white man; "only be +sharp, and tell the people to creep along over the ground, so as not to +be seen at a distance. We must climb into the canoe, and shove off +without any noise, or they will be down on us before we can get clear of +the reefs." + +Without wasting more time on words, Ben crept off to where Marco was +sleeping; he had fortunately noted the place. Awaking him, he told him +of the warning he had received, and Marco quickly aroused the rest of +his party. + +It was with difficulty that the seamen could be prevented from speaking +when called; in a couple of minutes, however, the whole party were +creeping down towards the canoe, which lay afloat alongside some rocks +running into the water. They were all quickly on board, followed by the +young Englishman--for such it was supposed the white man was, by his +language. + +"Shove off, sir!" he whispered to Mr Manners, who had only then been +aroused. "No time to lose. I will go to the helm." + +The advice was instantly followed; the warps were cast off, the paddles +got out, and the canoe began slowly to glide out from among the rocks. +Scarcely, however, had she begun to move than loud shouts were heard, +and large numbers of the savage natives were seen rushing down from +among the trees to the beach. When they found that the canoe had moved +from the rocks, they yelled and shouted more fiercely than ever. + +"Give way, lads! give way!" cried the stranger; "there is a narrow place +where they may catch us if we are not smart." + +Neither the English seamen nor the natives required any urging, but +paddled away as hard as they could. They saw the savages indeed, their +figures standing out against the sky, as they hurried along over the +rocks, shouting, and leaping, and brandishing their spears. Before the +canoe had got far, a shower of spears and darts fell among the party on +board; but, thrown from a distance, not much injury was done, and they +were only stimulated to increased exertion. Alone, they could not, in +the dark, have found their way out through the passage in the reefs; the +young man, however, seemed confident that he knew the right course to +steer. Not a word was spoken; each man paddled as hard as he could. +Gradually the rocks were left behind, and the last passage between the +reefs was seen; beyond was the open sea. The shouts and shrieks of the +savages became fainter and fainter. They either had not had time to +launch their canoes, or were afraid to attack the large double canoe in +them. In a short time Mr Manners and his companions were in safety. + +Once more a course was steered for Samoa. All were thankful for their +narrow and providential escape, and did not fail to express their +gratitude to the young Englishman who had been the means of preserving +their lives. He, however, seemed unwilling to talk on the subject. + +"Nothing particular, sir, to thank me for," he answered. "Less said +about it the better, according to my notion." + +It was fortunate that they had economised their small stock of water and +provisions, as they had been unable to replenish them at the island from +which they had just escaped. It was necessary to be even still more +careful than before, because it might be some time before they could +reach any other island where they could obtain what they required. + +Most of the English seamen were loud in their threats of vengeance +against the savages, for their treacherous conduct. + +"If we ever reach the old Ajax, we would like to get her to go back and +blow the fellows to pieces," said one. + +"No, no; that is not the way to treat them," observed Marco, when he +understood what was said. "The way to treat them will be to send a +missionary to teach them better things. With God's aid, that will we do +as soon as we reach our own island, or can let our brethren at Raratonga +know of their condition." + +"Yes, you do speak like a real Christian, Marco," answered the seaman +who had thoughtlessly made the proposal. "That's the right way, to be +sure: I didn't mean that I would really wish to kill the poor savages, +for of course they don't know better." + +The next morning the wind was fair, the sea smooth, and the canoe glided +swiftly over the waters. The work of the day was commenced, as usual, +with a hymn and a prayer, and then the Scriptures were read. The young +stranger stood aloof, disinclined, as it seemed, to join in the service. +At length, Mr Manners invited him to join in the prayer he was about +to offer up with his own men in English. + +"Thank ye, sir," answered the stranger, giving the usual seaman's pull +at his hair, when addressing an officer. "It's so long since I have +prayed, that I have forgotten how." + +"That is a sad thing, my lad," answered Mr Manners, "the sooner, then, +you begin the better. Did you ever learn how to read your Bible?" + +"Once, sir, long ago; but I have forgotten all about that too, I am +afraid," answered the stranger. "For better than three years I haven't +spoken a word of English. I don't think I could read, even if I was to +try ever so much." + +"We will see about that after we have had prayers," said Mr Manners in +a kind tone. "There is a lad here who never, I believe, misses reading +the Bible every day of his life, if he can avoid it. He will help me to +teach you; won't you, Ben?" + +"Yes, sir, very gladly," said Ben Hadden, who was appealed to. + +After prayers, and when Mr Manners had offered up thanks for the +preservation of himself and his companions from the hands of the +treacherous savages, Ben brought out his well-worn Testament, which was +somewhat the worse for the wetting it had got in salt-water, and, at a +sign from Mr Manners, he went up to the stranger, and offered to read +to him. Mr Manners told him to select the parable of the Prodigal Son, +and several other portions of Scripture likely to interest a person +whose mind had long been dormant to spiritual matters. The young man +was evidently very much interested. Suddenly he interrupted Ben by +remarking-- + +"That's just such a book as I once had. I remember it well. My father +gave it to me just before I went to sea. I lost it, though, and have +never looked into another since." + +"My father gave this to me, and I've kept it carefully ever since. I +wouldn't lose it for worlds," said Ben. "Look here: he wrote my name in +it with his own hand. See: `Benjamin Hadden'--though I was always +called in our parts, Little Ben Hadden." + +"You Ben Hadden!" exclaimed the stranger in a husky voice. "Did you +ever hear speak of your brother Ned?" + +"Yes indeed," cried Ben eagerly; "I came out to these parts to look for +him. Can you tell me anything about him?" + +"Well, I should think so," answered the stranger in the same husky voice +as before; "though, to be sure, I cannot tell you much in his favour. +What should you say if I was to tell you that I am Ned Hadden?" + +"You my brother Ned!" exclaimed Ben, in a half-disappointed and doubting +tone of voice. "You wouldn't deceive me, surely. I have long and long +wished to find him. But are you indeed my brother Ned? Oh, tell me! +tell me!" + +"Yes, I am Ned Hadden--or was, there is no doubt about that; but I have +become such a savage sort of chap, that I don't know very well what I am +now." + +Ben seized Ned's hand, and burst into tears. His brother was so +different from what he had expected to find him--so rough and +savage-looking almost, and ignorant; yet he was thankful that he had +found him. Afterwards, when he thought the matter over, he saw that he +had still greater reason to be thankful that he had found him, for Ned's +own sake: the more savage and ignorant he was, the more important that +he should be instructed in the truths of the gospel. From that moment +forward that was Ben's daily, hourly task. He wished the voyage to be +prolonged, that he might have his brother more to himself, to read to +him, and teach him the Truth. Mr Manners took great pleasure in +helping him in his pious task, and it was easy to see that Ned profited +greatly by their instruction. His first inquiries had been for his +family. He was much affected by hearing of the death of his father and +brothers. That very event seemed to soften his heart, and make him +willing to listen attentively to what Mr Manners and Ben said to him. +He confessed that, when the canoe was seen approaching the island, he +had consented to assist the natives in decoying her in, with the +intention of destroying all on board; but that, on hearing the hymn +sung, and, more than all, on listening to Ben's grace, the words of +which sounded familiar to his ears, recollecting his early principles, +he resolved to save the visitors, whom he also knew to be his +countrymen. + +All this came out but slowly, as his mind expanded under the instruction +he was receiving. He had been so long among savages and heathens that +he had imbibed many of their notions and principles; instead of +improving them, he had nearly sunk to their level. Such has unhappily +been the case with numerous European and American sailors, who have +either been wrecked or have deserted their ships, and have lived long +among the once savage inhabitants of the islands of the Pacific. Many +of them have proved, by their evil influence and example, sad hindrances +to the efforts of the missionaries in spreading among the natives the +truths of the gospel. + +For several days the canoe glided slowly on. Though strongly built, her +form was not equal to those constructed by the Tonga islanders, noted +for their speed among the surrounding groups of islands. + +Mr Manners had begun to grow very anxious with regard to their +provisions and water. Before he could hope to reach their final +destination, it would be absolutely necessary to touch at some island +where they might replenish their stock, both of one and the other. The +weather, too, had shown signs of changing; and the sea, hitherto so +calm, began to tumble and toss the canoe about in a way which strained +her greatly, and made it necessary for a number of those on board to be +continually baling. As the sea increased more and more, it was +necessary to do this night and day without ceasing. All on board were +accordingly looking out anxiously for some island where they might find +shelter till the stormy weather was over. + +For two days the wind had been increasing, and when night came on it was +already blowing a heavy gale. The sail was lowered, and the canoe drove +before it, kept by the rudder and paddles from broaching to. The night +became very dark; on drove the canoe; breakers were heard not far off, +and most of those on board believed that their last hour was come. + +Presently the canoe was among the breakers, and the sea swept over her +deck. Her crew with difficulty held on. In another moment she struck, +and it seemed certain that she would be dashed to atoms. Still she +floated, and the water became less broken. She drove on; her bow struck +violently on a sandy beach, and tall trees rose before the eyes of those +on board. They rushed forward, and as the wave receded they scrambled +upwards till they reached the dry sand. How could they tell, though, +that they were not to meet with the fate from which they had a few days +before escaped? The lives of all were mercifully preserved, but it +seemed too likely that their canoe had suffered some material injury +from the blows she had received. A few, not without risk, ventured +again on board, and succeeded in landing most of their scanty supply of +provisions and water. A fire was then, after some time, lighted, round +which they collected to dry their drenched garments. + +They were all too anxious to sleep. Soon after daybreak, some persons +were seen approaching in the distance. "Good news, my friends," +exclaimed Marco, who was watching them; "they wear the dress of +Christians; they are clothed and in their right mind." A party of +natives now came up, and cordially welcomed the shipwrecked strangers. +Some hurried back to bring water and provisions, others examined the +canoe, which it was pretty evident was not in a condition again to go to +sea. Marco found that he could very easily understand them; so could +also Ned Hadden. They said that they had themselves been scarcely a +year before untaught savages, but that a large ship came to their +shores, and that those in her treated them kindly, and that a missionary +was sent who had taught them the new way; that they found it very good, +and that their great wish was to act in accordance with the precepts of +Christianity. The missionary, who had come from Raratonga, was living +not far off, and would soon be with them. Mr Manners, on hearing this +account, and calculating the position of the island, had little doubt +that this was the island visited by the Ajax, the natives of which had +at first given so hostile a reception to those who had landed on their +shores, but had finally been won over by kindness. This opinion was +confirmed when the missionary, a very intelligent Tahitian, arrived. He +said that the people had welcomed him from the first, and that all of +them, young and old, seemed anxious to learn the Truth. + +Mr Manners was satisfied from all he saw and heard that a genuine +change had taken place among the people. He found that, though +tolerably industrious, and improving in that respect also, they did not +produce as yet much more food than they required for their own support. +He was therefore unwilling to remain longer among them than was +necessary. All his efforts, however, to get the canoe repaired were +useless, as some of her principal beams were broken, and it became +necessary to pull her to pieces and to rebuild her. He hoped, however, +that, before that could be done, the island would be visited by the +missionary vessel, which would either carry him and his people off, or +through which he might inform Captain Bertram where he was. In the +meantime, that they might not be a burden to the inhabitants, he advised +Marco to offer the services of his people to assist in cultivating the +ground, while he and his seamen set to work to erect more comfortable +huts than any which he had seen on the island. Marco did not refuse to +labour with his hands, but he was also actively employed in assisting +the missionary in preaching to and teaching the people. In this he was +helped by several of his companions. Schools, both for adults and +children, were also formed, and visible progress was made. + +Three months fled rapidly by, when one day a native came running up to +Mr Manners' hut, to tell him that a vessel was approaching the island. +He at once went, accompanied by most of his men, to the highest spot in +the neighbourhood, whence he could have a good look-out over the sea. +His heart leaped for joy, for the ship, there could be little doubt of +it, was the Ajax herself. The seamen one and all were agreed that she +was their own ship. She hove to, a boat came on shore, and Mr Martin +and his crew were cordially welcomed by their shipmates. The loss of +the schooner, in consequence of her non-arrival, had been supposed +probable, and the Ajax was now on a cruise to ascertain her fate, and to +rescue any of the survivors of those who had been on board. After doing +this, she was to return to Callao, where the admiral in the Pacific then +was. + +It is not necessary to describe the reception Mr Manners and his people +met with on board their ship. Mr Martin was thankful to get back his +son, and more so when he discovered the great change which had taken +place in him. Ned was at once rated on the books of the Ajax as one of +her crew. He had greatly improved since he had been discovered, and, +with Ben constantly at his side, assisted also by Mr Manners, he +continued to progress in Christian knowledge, as well as to improve in +conduct and manners. Captain Bertram offered to receive Marco and his +fellow-islanders on board. Two begged to remain where they were; the +rest accepted his offer, Marco begging that he, with two others who had +volunteered to accompany him, might be landed on the island on which Ned +Hadden had so long resided. This Captain Bertram undertook to do, +hoping that the appearance of a ship-of-war might awe the natives, and +induce them to treat the missionaries with due respect. This plan was +carried out, and Ned, who went on shore first, succeeded in extracting a +promise from their chief that he would protect them. After landing the +natives at their respective islands, the Ajax returned to Callao. There +she remained till her term of service had expired, and she once more +made sail for Old England. Amply was Ben Hadden repaid for all the +dangers he had gone through when he was able to present his long-lost +brother Ned to their widowed mother, not only rescued from the power of +the savages, but from the dominion of sin and Satan. + +And now there is not much more to tell about Ben Hadden. The experience +he had had of a seafaring life confirmed his original desire to be a +sailor; and the favour he had won, by his good conduct, in the regards +of the captain and officers of the Ajax, was of great advantage to him, +and led to his promotion in the service. When last we heard of him, Ben +was what is called a warrant-officer, on board an admiral's ship--that +admiral being his first patron and captain. + +As long as his mother lived, Ben had the happiness of doing very much +for her comfort, and also in assisting his older brother Ned in +obtaining a good situation on shore; for he had had enough of the sea +and savages, he said. So Mrs Hadden, though she remembered with a +feeling of sadness the loss of her husband and other sons, yet felt and +thankfully acknowledged that her God and Saviour had been very good to +her in sparing those two--Ned and Ben; both of whom heartily adopted, +and lived according to, their father's favourite motto: + + "Do Right, whatever comes of it; + And Trust in God." + +THE END. + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Ben Hadden, by W.H.G. 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