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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..40a47f3 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #68958 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/68958) diff --git a/old/68958-0.txt b/old/68958-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 8739c85..0000000 --- a/old/68958-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,10835 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of Four years aboard the whaleship, by -William Whitecar - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world 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. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: Four years aboard the whaleship - Embracing cruises in the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, and Antarctic - oceans, in the years 1855, '6, '7, '8, '9 - -Author: William Whitecar - -Release Date: September 10, 2022 [eBook #68958] - -Language: English - -Produced by: MWS and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at - https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images - generously made available by The Internet Archive/American - Libraries.) - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FOUR YEARS ABOARD THE -WHALESHIP *** - - - - - - FOUR YEARS - - ABOARD THE - - WHALESHIP. - - EMBRACING - - CRUISES IN THE PACIFIC, ATLANTIC, INDIAN, - AND ANTARCTIC OCEANS, - - IN THE YEARS - - 1855,’6,’7,’8,’9. - - BY - - WILLIAM B. WHITECAR, JR. - - - PHILADELPHIA: - - J. B. LIPPINCOTT & CO. - - LONDON: TRÜBNER & CO. - - 1860. - - - - - Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1859, by - - J. B. LIPPINCOTT & CO., - - in the Clerk’s Office of the District Court of the United States for the Eastern District - of Pennsylvania. - - - - - TO - - MY FATHER, - - WHO HAS EVER ENCOURAGED MY LITERARY EFFORTS, - - AND - - THE FIRST TO DIRECT THEM IN A PROPER CHANNEL, - - THIS VOLUME - - Is Respectfully Dedicated by - - THE AUTHOR. - - - - -PREFACE. - - -Having been one of the crew of an American whaleship, I cruised on the -ocean for the four years of my life that have just elapsed. During -this long period it frequently occurred to me, and excited my wonder, -how little knowledge of the whaling-service in its practical features -was possessed by the people ashore, excepting a small portion of -those residing in cities whose maritime trade is represented almost -exclusively by whaleships. - -My convictions as to the utility of an exposition of one’s daily -experience in this service--of the good, bad, and indifferent fortune, -as well as the perils of a pursuit which engages so many of our -American youth--were so forcible, that I was led, at the moment of -embarking on my voyage, to keep a log-book or journal, in which, at -the expiration of each nautical day, I noted the different employments -of the crew, manner of sailing the vessel, incidents arising in the -capturing of whales, general personal treatment, amount and quality of -provisions, and the phases of the weather in different latitudes. - -Thus a description of life at sea alone came within my original -intention; but as I progressed, and became more interested in my -self-imposed task, (which, by the way, enabled me to occupy pleasantly -what would otherwise have been weary and unprofitable hours,) it seemed -to me, that my journal would not be complete, unless I should also -describe the seaman’s bearing when ashore, at liberty, and unrestrained -by discipline; and, as such a description involved adventures in -various localities of the globe, I at first was unconsciously betrayed -into a still farther enlargement of my task: namely, to incorporate -the most striking (or, rather, those in which I was most interested) -features and characteristics of the countries and people we visited. - -My object, however, was merely to complete a narrative which might -be read to my relatives and friends, in the family circle, by the -homestead fireside: fancying, indeed, that it would really interest and -amuse those, whose knowledge of such incidents in a whaleman’s cruise, -both on the sea and land, was limited. - -Publishing a book was not, therefore, within the object aimed at; but -through the advice of many kind (possibly, too partial) friends, I have -been induced to submit the manuscript to my generous and enterprising -publishers, who, despite its imperfections, have determined to present -it to the public. - -Such being the ground upon which I have now come forward as an author, -I trust that due allowance will be made for the literary imperfections -of my book, when I further state, that the entire matter comprised in -my journal was written at sea, on a sailor’s chest, amongst seamen, by -night and by day, amid storm and calm, in localities situate between -the latitudes 41° 30´ north and 45° south, and longitudes 71° west and -170° east--embracing a wide field for observation: and comprehends -bird’s eye views in Australia, New Zealand, and other British -possessions in the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian oceans, also in the -Malay, Mascarenha, Azore, and Abrolhas’ islands. - -Throughout the recital, I have confined myself entirely to facts, -without drawing on my imagination for coloring; but I have been forced, -from a fear of being too voluminous in this, my first effort, to omit -much that came under my observation during the voyage, which at some -future period I may find time to lay before the public. - -Before taking leave of the subject, I would, if it were in my power, -press upon the notice of the Federal government the necessity of -cherishing and encouraging this important branch of our commerce. - -If good seamen are to be formed anywhere, it is in the whaling-service -of this country. Here it is, on a three or four years’ voyage, that a -man becomes acquainted with the minutiæ of a seaman’s duty; and from -the great proportion of the time spent at sea in vessels cruising for -whales, the crew become perfectly familiar with, and wholly at home -upon, the sea. - -The class of men, too, who sail from home in our whaling-vessels, being -generally well-informed men, and having home-connections, understand -and appreciate our free institutions; but it is too often the case -that, in the absence of any special inducement to remain true to -their engagement, a large proportion of the original crew desert from -the vessel. To obviate this, the government should attach a bounty -to the earnings of every sailor who remains in this service, in the -same vessel, for three years or more; and by this means foster a -class of citizens accustomed to danger and emergencies, not only in -their everyday occupation of battling with the elements, but by their -familiarization with peril in their conflicts with the Leviathan of -the deep--citizens, who would at all times be prepared to take charge -of our Navy, and defend the nation’s honor and privileges against the -world! - -With these brief prefatory observations, I respectfully throw myself -upon the generosity of the reading community, and plead my novitiate in -the world of letters to secure me from too rigid a criticism. - - WILLIAM B. WHITECAR, JR. - - PHILADELPHIA, July 26th, 1859. - - - - -FOUR YEARS - -ABOARD THE - -WHALESHIP. - - - - -CHAPTER I. - - -In June, 1855, having decided upon embarking on a whaling voyage, I -took the steamboat from Philadelphia to Tacony, thence by railway to -New York, where, after a delay of a few hours, I boarded the steamer -Metropolis, and after a fine run of twelve hours, landed in Fall River; -there I entered the cars, and at five o’clock of the morning of June -20, I took up my quarters in the city of New Bedford. - -I immediately instituted inquiries as to the preliminaries attendant on -the preparation for such a voyage. I soon acquired this information, -and was consigned to the tender mercies of one of that class known by -seafaring men as Land-sharks, a description of whom I shall attempt -hereafter. - -This person treated me with much urbanity, desiring me to leave my -hotel to reside at a hoarding-house of his selection, stating to me at -the same time that numbers of whalemen, outward and homeward bound, -were located there. My suspicions were slightly aroused regarding the -accommodations of this boarding-house, by the earnestness with which -he urged my locating in it; but no other inducement was requisite -for me to coincide with his wishes than the one he last named; I -being desirous, before going afloat, to mingle and converse with the -initiated, to learn, if possible, something concerning the profession -in which I was about to embark. So, without more ado, I proceeded to -this domicile, which was located on South Water Street. It was kept -by a widow lady, who, for the moderate sum of four dollars per week, -for each, furnished just such edibles as you do not get at the Girard, -in Philadelphia, or the Metropolitan, in New York. The meat was, in -nine cases out of ten, salted; she wishing, in the abundance of her -forethought, to render the salt junk, which she knew would form the -principal article of our diet when at sea, agreeable to our palates; -or, on the other hand, desiring to give us a predisposition to scurvy -ere yet we were aboard ship. These motives were variously assigned by -we tyros as the cause for the over-proportion of the saline in our -food; as for those who had been at sea before, they appeared to relish -the old lady’s corned pork and beef, and if we made any remark to them -in reference to its profusion, they would answer us pertinently, “You -will eat worse grub than that, old fellow, before you have done with -whaling;” and these prophetic words ofttimes recurred to my memory -months, ay, years, afterward. Do not think, kind reader, that I was -rendered fastidious by former indulgence; far from it. I had made up -my mind to a change of diet, but not to so great a one; for in the -four weeks that I remained in this house, we never had but one meal -of fresh meat--it was fried beefsteak; and even that the cook and a -supernumerary, who had been engaged to assist him, with the aid of a -jug of New England rum, managed to burn to a cinder, so that we were -compelled to resort to our old provender. - -As soon as my companion and myself had become members of this -household, we, with our assiduous friend the Shark, proceeded to the -agent’s, with whom he wished us to engage, and after being approved -by the Captain, and having made inquiries as to the character of the -vessel and her commander, we enrolled our names upon the articles of -the Barque Pacific, of New Bedford, Captain John W. Sherman, bound to -the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans, to cruise for sperm and right -whales. The vessel was of three hundred and eighty tons burthen, -capable of carrying three thousand barrels of oil, and fitted out for -forty months; she was then undergoing thorough repairs, having but two -months previously returned from a voyage of thirty months’ duration, -in which she had been very successful; and this, with several previous -very remunerative voyages, had given her the name of a lucky ship, -which insured her a good crew; seamen, as a class, being superstitious, -are always eager to sail in a ship with which some favorable omen is, -or has been, connected, auguring from such data her subsequent success. - -As she would not be ready for sea for about three weeks after I -had joined her, I had plenty of leisure time to look around me. -The principal objects in my eyes were, of course, the wharves and -shipping; and, indeed, the scene there presented was one of interest -to any observer; bustle and activity was everywhere apparent; ships -loading, discharging, repairing, &c., in every direction. Here one -might be seen hove on her beam-ends, receiving a new copper jacket; -another totally dismantled, preparatory to receiving new spars; on -another the riggers were aloft at work, with their merry song; below, -still another might be seen weather-beaten and shabby, her copper -covered with moss and barnacles, she having returned but a few hours -before from a long voyage, and the casks being hoisted from her hold -contain part of her cargo of oil, gleaned, during her four years of -cruising, from the monsters of the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Arctic, -and Antarctic Oceans. Alongside this weatherworn ship, and in strong -contrast with her whole appearance, lies a smart, trim-looking vessel, -such a one as makes Jack Tar’s heart bound to look at; her hull is -perfect in model, her spars all rake jauntily aft, her yards are -squared by the lifts and braces, whilst the fresh appearance of her -paint gives her a coquettish look and bespeaks her ready for sea. -They are now putting aboard of her the remnant of her provisions not -yet stowed; and as we pass up the gangway we come in contact with a -sailor’s chest being conveyed aboard under the Argus eyes of its hardy -owner, who forms one of her crew. - -On the wharves hundreds of coopers are employed coopering oil casks. -Their continual strokes of hammer upon driver, united with the heavy -rolling of the oil trucks, creating a Babel-like confusion from which a -stranger is glad to escape. - -Whichever way we cast an eye we see oil casks or whalebone, harpoons -or lances, or some one or other of the various et ceteras belonging to -the whaleman’s pursuit; in fact, the yield of the whale supports New -Bedford, and is the nucleus around which clusters all the manufactures -of the city; and its vitality as a community must ever depend upon the -number of vessels it sends out in pursuit of the whale. After gazing -again and again at these objects, to me so interesting, I diverted -myself by walking through the town, with no other object but to kill -time--hours seeming days, and days months, that intervened between -this time and the day fixed for our departure; in fact, I had become -so infatuated with the idea of going to sea, that I viewed everything -through a glass whose tint was blue--blue water always dancing and -rippling before my mind’s eye. In my perambulations through this -city of whalemen I found that it was laid out with something like -care--the streets, like those of Philadelphia, at right angles; many -of the houses neat and well built, and, with the exception of a part -of one street near the river, wear a quiet and respectable aspect. -One street is an exception to the rule, it being occupied by houses -of ill-fame, where many a dollar, earned by exposure to the storm on -a long voyage, has been filched from the hardy mariner by the harpies -who occupy its tenements; and after what I had always read and heard of -the puritanical exactness of our New England brethren, I confess that -I was astonished that such a sink was permitted by the citizens of the -Bay State to remain in existence for the unsophisticated seaman to be -entrapped by. A liquor law had been passed by the legislature of the -State of Massachusetts, and whilst I was in New Bedford was professedly -in operation--but only professedly, as numbers of houses existed -wherein liquor was sold, which, from their public location, must have -been known to the authorities. - -At my boarding-house, arrivals were continually occurring of young -men, from various parts of the Union, to embark on board whale-ships. -I viewed with regret the extreme youth of many of them. There is a -systematized mode of procedure carried on in our larger Atlantic and -Lake cities, for the purpose of recruiting this service. Shipping -agents engage young men, taking advantage of their inexperience or -necessities, paint whaling and its appurtenances in vivid colors, -induce them to sign their names, and then convey them to New Bedford; -and when they come to review their outfit bills, they will find a -charge of from ten to fourteen dollars for the agent’s services. Among -the arrivals at our house was one from Western Pennsylvania, who talked -sailor, walked sailor, and dressed sailor, rolling when he walked so as -almost to take in a pocketful of sand on each side, and wore an immense -kedge anchor on his neckerchief; he was looked at by the inexperienced -as a prodigy, but by old sailors with a contemptuous expression, always -accompanied by the remark, “Too much salt water there.” This individual -was afterward the most miserable poltroon in our ship, and despite his -vauntings of personal qualifications as a seaman, lashed himself with -a yard arm gasket to the main topgallant rigging whilst engaged in -furling the main topgallant sail. Such is generally the case--men who -talk loudly of their ability ashore are apt to be inefficient at sea. - -And now, after remaining until wearied out, our ship is ready to sail -to-morrow. As is customary on the day before sailing, each man proceeds -to his outfitter and procures his clothing; the owners usually allow -to the foremast hands an advance of seventy-five dollars, for which -the foremast hand gives the outfitter an order, and receives his -clothing. The Shark, or outfitter, charges double the price of good, -for worthless articles, which must be taken at his prices, as there is -no redress. By the time the foremast hands’ board-bill and pocket-money -are deducted from his advance, the wardrobe he is able to procure is -slender and insufficient, so that in the course of a few months he will -be compelled to resort to the slop-chest, where, if the ship has been -successful, he will be eagerly welcomed--the more so, as the Captain is -often interested in the profits of the slop-chest; if unsuccessful, and -he has a liberal Captain, his necessities will be supplied; if, on the -other hand, he should be parsimonious, scowling looks will be all the -relief he gets, and he will be forced to beg from his shipmates, who -will not allow him to suffer, although the prudent are cautious, as in -a three years’ voyage every man must be careful of his effects, as they -constitute his capital. - -Having procured our outfits about three o’clock in the afternoon of -Monday, July 23d, we went aboard, desiring to pass one night on the -vessel before she sailed. Soon after we hauled out into the stream, -and were towed by a steamboat down to Clarke’s Point, where we let go -our larboard anchor. During the afternoon others of the crew arrived, -amongst them a fine-looking old tar who knew the ropes, and had a -three gallon jug of New England rum stowed away in his chest, which, -as soon as carried into the forecastle, he produced and passed around -time after time, until all those who would imbibe were more than half -seas over, making night hideous with their discordant clang. At noon -the next day the Captain and others came aboard in the pilot boat. The -sails were loosed, windlass manned, anchor hove up to the inspiriting -chant. We are bound to the Western Ocean, and soon the old Pacific was -aweigh and off to sea again, leaving the land of her flag far in the -distance. - -All was bustle and confusion aboard the ship, we having no less than -fourteen green hands, and the few foremast hands who had before -followed the sea were so overcome by the ardent that they were useless; -so that the officers were obliged in almost every case to execute their -own orders. We were blessed with a head wind, and were obliged to beat -out of the bay, and, with the consequent hurry and excitement attendant -on tacking ship, little leisure was left to us for reflection; but -as the sun sank low in the horizon, and the blue hills of the land -of my birth, and love, and veneration--the home of me and mine--were -gradually becoming more and more indistinct--as I looked around me on -the expanse of water, extending on every side, I felt alone; and then, -and not till then, did I feel the momentous character of what I had -undertaken; then I bethought me of the thousand little comforts of -home, the many kindnesses I had received from relatives and friends, -and I leaned my head on the bulwarks, and felt as if I knew what -desolation and heart-sickness were for the first time. This state of -affairs could not last long, so I rallied and attempted to look brave -and careless; but the effort was vain, for if any person had taken the -trouble to look at my lugubrious countenance, they could have seen, -that under an attempted careless exterior I carried an aching breast; -but all hands were too fully occupied by their personal feelings to -notice me, and so it passed unremarked. - -Towards evening, that most annoying and distressing of all petty -maladies--viz., sea-sickness, made its appearance amongst our green -hands; having experienced it before, I escaped with but little -annoyance; not so with some other poor fellows, and amongst those I -noticed the person I mentioned before, who claimed so intimate an -acquaintance with the sea, utterly prostrated; a few hours previous he -was the blithest of the party, and was singing with great zest-- - - “A life on the ocean wave, - And a home on the rolling deep.” - -but now, alas! he was tuneless, and almost breathless; but I imagined -that had he been able to sing, the burden of his lay would have been-- - - “The sea, the sea, the horrid sea.” - -This individual, from a circumstance which I have before alluded to, -had received the appellation of Kedge Anchor, or Cage Anchor, or it was -sometimes abbreviated to Cage; and as he will figure repeatedly as I -proceed, I may as well at the outset give him the cognomen by which he -was known during his stay aboard with us. His sickness, and ludicrous -exclamations of “I wish I was on the steam-wagon again” (he had -formerly been brakeman on the New York and Erie Railroad), and pathetic -entreaties to be allowed to die in peace, when desired to do anything, -excited the mirth of all, no sympathy being tendered to him except in -one instance, when one of the seamen offered him a pint of salt water, -assuring him it was a cordial; a mouthful was sufficient to undeceive -him, he spat out the nauseating draught, and the queer expression he -wore on his phiz, and no less queer entreaty to take the darned thing -away, were so humorous as to shock his auditors into merriment, and -secured him against farther molestation. - -The reason that so many green hands are shipped in vessels engaged in -this trade, is, that they are to be engaged for a trifling proportion -of the vessel’s earnings, and the great difficulty of procuring those -who have before been to sea, to go before the mast a second time; no -man whomsoever, if he can make any pretensions to mediocrity, being -obliged a second time to go before the mast; he is always qualified for -the post of boat-steerer, and can attain it without any trouble; and -those who are not disgusted with their first voyage and have a particle -of energy or ambition in their composition, invariably do so; and from -boatsteerer gradually ascend to be captains. Whaling is, in fact, a -progressive service, and although the probation comprises the best -part of a man’s life, yet the pinnacle of their fame is an honorable -one; and as the boys who are educated in New Bedford are brought up -with the idea that to be a whaling skipper is the _ne plus ultra_ of -all stations in life, so they consider it as the acme of all their -ambitious hopes. - -At dusk the captain called the ship’s company aft, and addressed them -to the effect, that we were all together bound on a long voyage, in -all probability to last for years, and he considered it as necessary -that we should at the outset fully understand each other. He then -went on to say that all hands should receive a sufficient supply of -such provision as was in the ship, so long as it was not wasted. He -stated that none of the crew forward should be misused or imposed -upon by the officers. He then told us, that if there were any rascals -in the crew he should detect them; and concluded by stating that as -long as we used him well, he should return the compliment, and vice -versa. This was plane sailing, and all understood him. Immediately -afterward the watches, chosen from the boatsteerers and crew by the -chief mate and second mate, were set; the chief mate had the first -choice; the second mate, who heads the captain’s watch, succeeded him: -at the same time the boats’ crews were chosen by the officers, as -before, the chief mate having the first choice, and so in succession -according to rank, until the fourth mate had chosen. In many ships -that carry four boats the captain heads his own; but most, like us, -have a fourth mate, who supplies his place. But to return to setting -the watches, which took place at seven o’clock, P.M.; the starboard, -or captain’s watch, headed by the second, assisted by the fourth -mate, comprising half the foremast hands and two boatsteerers, had the -first turn in. On being ushered into the steerage or forecastle, those -who had been in the habit of having soft beds and comfortable bedding -provided for them by the hands of affectionate mothers, although -somewhat prepared for a difference, were surprised at their sleeping -accommodations--rude boxes, or rather berths, built to the sides of the -ship, about five feet long, and two and a half in width, furnished with -a pair of blankets, a quilt, and a bed, which, according to the amount -of attention paid to the outfit of the occupant, varied from a hair -mattress in one case, to the common corn husk or straw tick. However, -this was no time to soliloquize over past comforts, so all bundled in -without ceremony; and in a short time, from the unusual exercise of -the day, to judge from the nasal organism floating through the air, -profound slumber reigned throughout the between-decks of the ship. And -now, that one half the ship’s company are enclosed in the embraces -of Morpheus, we will glance round and take a peep at our vessel and -crew. The vessel, as I before mentioned, is an old fashioned barque, -built to ply as a packet between New York and Liverpool, which duty -she performed with faithfulness and satisfaction to her owners; and in -her palmiest days bore the reputation of being the fastest ship out -of New York; but the improvements in ship-building necessitated her -owners to dispose of an old and faithful servant, and replace her with -a modern modelled craft--safer could not be. She was bought by a New -Bedford merchant, who, after altering her for the purpose, put her into -the whaling trade, where for years she maintained her reputation as -a swift sailer, until clippers were introduced to compete with her, -when, of course, she was obliged to succumb. From this port she made -many successful voyages, enriching her owners and increasing her good -name, until 1855, at which time she was fifty-three years old, and -with the exception of being new topped and coppered, the latter at the -completion of each voyage, she had undergone no repairs. Her great age -attests to her staunchness and seaworthiness, and by all who had sailed -in her the greatest confidence was ever expressed. - -On board of her was every article for the maintenance of men whose -principal resources for forty months lay in her cargo. There was, in -the iron implement line, everything that is used at sea, from a needle -to an anchor; clothing of all kinds and sizes; provisions, muskets, -ammunition; tawdry articles to trade with the semi-civilized natives of -the East India and Madagascar Isles; tin ware, soap, shoes, tobacco, -and saddles for the inhabitants of Australia; also sails, rigging, -spare boats, and all other necessaries to equip and enable her to -sustain herself for three years. Whalers, unless some serious accident -befalls, do not usually enter ports where their necessities can be -supplied at other than exorbitant prices, except the last one, where -they always calculate to dispose of surplus provisions, boats, and -rigging: being in a hurry to get home, they make some port of note so -as to be detained as short a time as possible in getting rid of them. -The reason for touching at obscure places, is the great danger of -losing men by desertion, which always occurs in commercial ports. - -Besides all these she carried outboard four boats pendant from davits, -resting on cranes; one on the starboard quarter, which gives it its -name; one on the port quarter, called the larboard boat, is the chief -mate’s; directly forward of it, on the larboard side, are the waist -and bow boats--the former headed by the second, the latter by the -third mate; the starboard boat is headed by the Captain or fourth -mate, as the case may be. Each boat has a crew of four men, beside -the boatsteerer and officer, and carries two tubs of line, harpoons, -lances, boat spade, hatchet, knives, keg with water, keg containing -lantern, matches, candles, tobacco, pipes, bread, and a drug. Having -now pretty closely analyzed our vessel and her cargo, we will glance -over the inmates. The Captain, a large, powerful man, with a face -apparently expressive of frankness and good nature. The chief mate, -J. B. H., a young man of twenty-six, rather below the medium height, -with an eye like a hawk, quick to think and quick to act--a first-rate -officer. D. E., the second mate, a corpulent man, below the average -height, with an excellent mind and noble heart. The third mate, J. -D., formerly boatsteerer in this ship on her preceding voyage, and -the fourth mate, C. A., both powerful, hearty fellows, energetic and -pushing, putting their shoulders to the wheel on all occasions where -strong hands and brave hearts are wanted; these, with the steward, -inhabited the cabin or after part of the between decks of the ship. All -were Massachusetts men; none of them had ever learned trades, or been -employed in business ashore, but had pursued their perilous profession -from boyhood up, in every ocean and in every clime, from the frozen -north to the frozen south, and, hitherto, had always been successful. - -The boatsteerers were four in number, two of whom had before steered -boats and made voyages in that position; the remaining two had each -sailed one voyage before the mast--one of them in this same good old -barque, to the frozen realms of the Ice king, in the Arctic Ocean, -whence the vessel returned, in the course of thirty months, with four -thousand five hundred barrels of oil; these four, with the cooper, -occupied the steerage, an apartment directly forward of the cabin. - -The foremast hands, eighteen in number, of whom but four had ever -been to sea before, were a youthful, reckless, merry set, from all -over the Union. We had but two foreigners, Germans, in the ship--the -cook, and one of the crew. Many of the youngsters were New Bedford -boys, performing this voyage as apprentices. With the exception of -the Captain and old Jack Miller, as hardy an old tar as ever stepped -a ratline, and who could spin a yarn to order that would put Baron -Munchausen to the blush, there was not a married man, or one who was -over twenty-six years of age aboard the ship. To attempt, with the -exception of the Massachusetts men, to assign a reason for any of our -shipmates’ choosing whaling as a profession, would be mere conjecture. -Any one could see at a glance they were neither poverty-stricken -nor indolent; but on examining their features, a roving unsettled -expression might be detected by a close observer, on the lineaments of -each--a certain love of change, so all-absorbing with most young men; -nor were they on the whole ignorant, as I found by conversation--all -being thoroughly conversant with the leading topics of the day, and -each, like every true American, had his individual opinion of the -merits of newspaper notorieties, politics, and other matters that -engross the American mind; but we left them fast asleep, and as I, in -the interim, have spun a long yarn, it is time to conclude, as the -helmsman sings out “Eight bells.” A hoarse call is now heard at the -forecastle of “Starbowlines, ahoy!” and as the breeze has freshened -and the vessel is gently pitching, we will step into the forecastle -and criticise the appearance of our green hands. Part of them are -out of their bunks indulging in the most lachrymose expressions, -scarce able to dress, for fear the vessel’s motion will destroy their -equilibrium--and “I wish I was at home,” is the general cry; some -cannot muster resolution enough to get out of their berths, others have -thus far succeeded, but only to resume a recumbent position on their -chests, whilst a few with set teeth and praiseworthy resolution, manage -to get upon deck, and grasp the rigging on the fife rail enclosing -the foremast; there they stand, incapable of altering their position, -hanging on with a pertinacity worthy of a better cause, staring in -stupid vacancy at all around them, and when receiving an officer’s -order, acknowledging it by a sickly, unmeaning grin, to express their -willingness, but inability to perform. Officers are required to -exercise the utmost patience and forbearance in the management of such -a crew; instead of an active, able ship’s company, such as they have -been accustomed to sail with, here they have an assortment of men, -ignorant of a single rope in the ship, who are just as much acquainted -with the rigging as with Greek and Hebrew, knowing as much about the -cook’s leg as the cook’s nose, and more about the boy than the buoy, -and as like as not when ordered to heave the buoy overboard to heave -the boy. I have seen many laughable mistakes occur amongst our boys -when first out; do not think I take a sailor’s privilege and draw a -long bow, as I am at the same time included with these worthies--I -being, at the time of leaving home, as verdant as any of the rest. I -have seen them when ordered to haul down the flying jib, grasp the -spanker halyards, and spend any quantity of pulling and hauling upon -it, wondering at the same time why the darned thing did not come down; -their only mistake in this case was hoisting the aftermost sail in the -ship instead of lowering the foremost. With our officers, as a general -thing, these errors passed off good humoredly; but, as I said before, -they were required to use all their forbearance to repress their anger -at our lubberly mistakes; nor would it have been surprising, all things -taken into consideration, had they let out at us occasionally, and -I doubt much if Job, who, by the Book of books, is spoken of as the -most patient man of antiquity, were he afloat with a green crew, who -misunderstood all he said to them, and who in the multiplicity of their -ideas would attempt to haul up the mainsail with the spanker vang, or -clew down a topsail with the slab line--I say, I doubt whether even -he, the said Job, would not find his stock of patience, noted as he -was for that virtue, oozing out at his fingers ends, and be tempted to -anathematize their lubberly eyes in a heartfelt and seamanlike manner. -In a short time, however, things began to wear a totally different -aspect; improvement was the order of the day--each tried to excel the -other. This spirit of emulation was productive of the most beneficial -results to everybody, and in a short time we had an efficient crew, -perfectly competent to battle with the combined forces of Boreas and -Neptune. - -When three days out, we spoke the ship Monmouth, of Bath; she was a -fine-looking ship, running free, with the wind on her quarter, and -everything alow and aloft drawing, presenting a beautiful sight. - -On the fourth day out, whilst crossing the Gulf Stream, we were struck -by a squall, prevalent in that latitude. All hands were called, and -as this was our first trip aloft, we ascended the rigging with fear -and trembling--holding on to the shrouds as if it was our intention to -squeeze all the tar out of the rigging. When on the yards we were of -little use, carrying out the landlubbers’ motto to the letter, of both -hands for yourself and the rest for the owners. We all hung on like -good fellows, and if it had depended upon us to reef the sail it would -not have been done till now. - -The first Sunday intervening after our departure from home, proved -a bright, beautiful day, the sun rising in gorgeous splendor. After -breakfast the chief mate went throughout the crew, and gave to all -who were not already provided, a Bible or Testament, also tracts and -religious papers. These books, I believe, were supplied by a Tract -Society, in New Bedford, who customarily place the word of God aboard -every ship that leaves the harbor. The books were all received with -thankfulness; and I will here take occasion to state that I never -heard a sailor speak irreverently of the Bible. Men aboard ship I have -heard do so, but only in three instances, and in those cases they -were neither sailors nor landsmen--incapable of filling a respectable -position on either element; therefore their opinions were of little -weight. - -Directly after we got outside, the peculiarity of the great Yankee -nation began to manifest itself, and divers trades and speculations -were set afloat; the ship’s company having been transformed into an -Israelite assemblage worthy of South Street, Philadelphia, or Chatham -Street, New York, bartering for and exchanging old and new clothes. -Money is not a medium aboard a whale-ship, and the possessor of it -usually stows it away in the corner of his chest as so much dross, -of no value to him. Tobacco takes its place and is the currency; an -article being valued, not at so many dollars, but at so many pounds -and plugs of tobacco--thus substituting a vegetable for a metallic -currency; and as most men coming to sea, whether they use the weed or -not, provide themselves with a considerable quantity of it, some of the -old hands accumulated quite a stock; several of them numbering their -acquisitions by the hundred pounds. As they did not assign a motive -for hoarding it, I wondered at the propensity, but was not enlightened -until we made an Australian port, where, on account of the inferior -article imported, and the high duty, making the price per pound treble -of the best tobacco in the States, theirs, by smuggling it ashore, was -readily disposable at a good return. - -Gambling, too, soon developed itself, and after a hard day’s work, or -when the gale was piping through the ringing, and the waves surging and -hissing in ocean’s cauldron, rendering the vessel’s motion unsteady, so -that the participators in the game could scarce retain their seats, I -have seen a half-dozen seated around a chest (or, in sailor’s parlance, -donkey), a pile of tobacco in the centre, shuffling a pack of dirty, -greasy cards, playing bluff or all-fours, and watching the game as if -their very existence depended on the winning or losing a few pounds -of tobacco. By this operation the green hands were the losers, of -course; those who had been to sea before working together, and always -making the game profitable to themselves; therefore, those who had not -strength of mind to refrain, were soon stripped of all their tobacco; -and I remember, one evening, seeing a man, after losing all his stock, -pull his shirt off his back and sell it for tobacco to continue the -game. This being speedily dissipated, his under-shirt was disposed -of in the same way. We, who did not take part in the game, stood it -as long as we could, as the usual attendants to a game of chance, -high words and quarrelling were rife; we finally began to complain, -when the captain, to avoid disturbance, offered a pound of tobacco -for every pack of cards that should be brought to him. This had the -desired effect, and we had the satisfaction of seeing the cards hove -overboard and lightly floating astern. We congratulated ourselves on -this amelioration of discomfort; but an inventive genius from New -Jersey, becoming, as he said, oppressed with ennui, manufactured a set -of dominoes from a sperm whale’s jaw; another contrived dice; whilst -a third made a checker-board; a fourth originated a sweat-table; and -thus we were attended by this evil throughout the voyage--the only -intermission being Sundays and the time occupied in capturing and -taking care of whales. - -When a week out from home a false alarm was raised of “There she -blows! There she blows!” continued for some twenty or thirty times in -succession, at intervals of about thirty seconds. The boatsteerer on -the maintopgallant crosstrees, on being asked “Where away,” by the -captain, answered, “Two points on the lee bow, about two miles off.” -All hands were called, the lines put into the boats; they were then -hoisted, swung and lowered, the crew following the boats down the -sides of the ship, and leaping in the moment they touched the water; -then shoving off and pulling in the direction of the fish. Soon the -boatsteerer was ordered to stand up, then to give it to him, then to -give him the other iron; and then we found that there had been no -whales seen, but that the whole affair was arranged to familiarize -us with boat duty, so that we might be acquainted with the rigmarole -when occasion required. At first but little order or regulation was -observed, each one pulling on his own hook; but after some little -instruction we managed to make the boat go ahead without describing -half a dozen circles before starting. As we became warm with the -exercise, the old hands grew excited, and gave their short, quick -orders of “Give it to him! Stern, stern all--hard! Stern, men, for your -lives!” with as much enthusiasm as if a sperm whale was in reality -spouting under the head of the boat. The day being fine all hands were -delighted with the sport, particularly so our New Bedford boys; and -after coming aboard and hoisting our boats to a merry song, no doubt -more than one aspirant to the heading of a boat, went to his pillow to -dream of future successes, and turn up whales in imagination by scores. -Their ambition is pardonable, too, as, in the section of country in -which they reside, a successful whaling skipper is looked upon as a -much more important personage in the community than is a member of -Congress; and I do not doubt that if the choice of the appellations -Honorable and Captain were tendered to the youths of New Bedford and -its vicinity, nine-tenths of them would prefer the latter; nor does he, -in thus devoting himself to whaling as a profession, embrace an easy -mode of gaining a livelihood. He must be no mere carpet knight, but -must stand prepared to give and receive hard knocks; and combat, not -only with the winds and waves (the task of ordinary sailors), but with -the monarch of the seas--the great sperm whale; nor must he betray, no -matter how perilous his position may hap to be during an encounter with -leviathan, the slightest evidence of fear, as such a symptom would make -him a butt for rude personal jokes, which would drive him, by their -pointedness and sarcasm, out of the service; but he must view every -position into which he is thrown, and every peril to which he may be -subjected, with as much indifference as if it were of no importance to -him, and he will acquire a reputation for fearlessness and coolness, -which invariably, no matter what his faults may be, will gain him -respect both from officers and crew; sailors, as a class, admiring -reckless courage, and although they will always follow where an officer -in whom they have confidence leads, the slightest suspicion of their -leader’s capability or courage is sufficient to damp their ardor, -and cause them to act with lukewarm efforts. I do not mean to cast a -stigma on the well-won reputation of seamen for courage, but from the -discipline of a well-regulated ship, the seaman is taught to look up to -his officers, who, in his eyes, bear all the responsibility, and thus -in a measure he regulates all his motions by that of his superior, and -if anything goes wrong, imputes the error to its proper source. They -possess an old and familiar proverb--viz., “Obey orders if you break -owners,” and nine-tenths of seafaring men adopt it to the letter, and -thus avoid blame. - -Two weeks after leaving home we were startled at about six o’clock -A. M., by the look-outs at the fore and maintopgallant cross-trees -singing out, “There blows! there blows! there blows!” continuously, at -intervals of about thirty seconds. After about ten minutes of vocal -execution, they cried out, “There goes flukes,” emphasizing with great -force the second word in the sentence. This was confirmatory of the -presence of sperm whales, and as their yield is by far greater in value -than that obtained from any other fish, we of course were anxious to -capture one or more of them. After considerable manœuvring on our part, -attended by excitement and bustle, three boats were lowered away. -Several hours were fruitlessly spent in pulling and sailing, when the -chase was given up as hopeless, the whales going faster to windward -than we could pursue them. The weather was threatening, the sea -boisterous, and therefore our seats in the boat were neither pleasant -nor dry; consequently, at the expiration of three and a half hours, -we returned to the ship. As I stepped aboard of her I felt that I had -reached home, and ever after that, as long as I belonged to her, home -and the old barkey were to me synonymous terms. - -Whilst in the boats I saw a whale breach or leap bodily into the air, -his vast bulk appearing in bas relief, suspended for a moment in mid -air--the sky above, the sea beneath--and although it was not so perfect -a display of the creature’s immensity and power as I often afterwards -witnessed, still I was struck with the greatness of the Creator’s works -in this, to us, almost unknown element. - -Soon after our incursion on the sperm whale territory we lowered for -blackfish, but were unsuccessful. This is not our legitimate pursuit, -but is always done in good weather when a ship has a green crew; and in -many instances the captain makes it a point to lower for and capture -them whenever the opportunity presents itself. This is a beautiful -fish, from twelve to twenty-five feet in length; always seen in immense -numbers herding together, as if for mutual protection; they have a jet -black, smooth, and shining skin, unmarred by a wrinkle, which in the -sun presents a beautiful appearance, and from it they derive their -name. The shape of their head reminds me of a pug-nosed dog. Unlike -the sperm whale they have both jaws furnished with teeth. A full grown -fish yields from two to five barrels of oil. Their meat is palatable -to my taste, although I could not recommend it to an epicure ashore; -nor would I, I think, partake of it anywhere but on board ship, when -long deprivation from fresh food makes anything, not saturated by salt, -a luxury. It is in appearance somewhat like beef, but coarser; it is -minced with pork and fried in balls about the size of the sausage -exposed for sale in our markets, and in this state its advent is hailed -by all aboard with great gusto. - -Their oil is very little inferior to that of the sperm whale; indeed, -although I have never analyzed it, and speak merely from observation, -I think if the same care and attention were paid to trying out the -blackfish oil as is accorded to the preparation of sperm oil, it would -be found that the oil of the former possesses all the good qualities of -the latter. At least the experiment is worthy a trial. - -On the 12th of August, 1855, we novices saw for the first time a -foreign shore. Its appearance was detected by an experienced hand -long before our eyes could discern it, and when, finally, they were -pointed out to us, it was with no little difficulty that we could -be led to believe the two islands other than clouds. They proved to -be Corvo and Flores, of the Azore group, or as they are familiarly -known, the Western Islands. They belong to Portugal, which rules them -with an iron hand, carrying away the flower of the youth born here to -support the throne in Europe. The next day we made land, and signaled -the barque Henry Taber, that left New Bedford on the same day as -ourselves. We passed her and stood close in to the Island of Flores. -When within about ten miles of the land, a boat containing a dozen -swarthy, grinning, chattering Portuguese, boarded us, who, immediately -on touching deck, made for the forecastle, and dove into the bread -barge, devouring all it contained and greedily inquiring for more. This -modest demand not being complied with, they offered for sale fruits, -comprising apples, oranges, lemons, limes, figs, melons, grapes and -tomatoes; also straw hats, milk, and aguardiente. They brought us, -amongst other edibles, an anomaly known to sailors as jackass cheese; -it is in round cakes, about three inches in diameter, and of the color -of cheese made from cow’s milk, although totally dissimilar in taste to -any other cheese I have eaten. As regards its origin, whether produced -from John Horse, goat, or cow’s milk, I cannot aver, neither do I care; -but its general good taste and appetizing qualities I can vouch for -from having partaken of it. After a short time another boat appeared, -bringing us eggs and fowls (and knowing a sailor’s preference for -potables), aguardiente and sour wine. These additions to our usual sea -fare, made us an excellent meal. For all these dainties these people -were willing to receive tobacco, which, on account of the monopoly of -the trade in that article by the government, commands a high price. -They are obliged to smuggle it ashore, but from the careless manner in -which they stowed it away I should think that little surveillance is -exercised towards the inhabitants by the excise officers; whilst an -American or European is pretty thoroughly searched on landing, to see -that he does not carry the contraband article. - -At about ten A. M. the captain went ashore with a boat’s crew, for -the purpose of purchasing stores for the ship, excellent potatoes and -onions being produced in this genial climate, and from the little -intercourse these people hold with the rest of mankind, can be obtained -at a mere nominal price. On nearing the shore we found the coast rocky -and precipitous, covered with herbage of the richest green; a heavy -surf was beating on the rocks, but we landed by the assistance of the -Portuguese, who fearlessly plunged into the water and hauled our boat -ashore. We found on the beach a concourse of dark and light, young and -old, male and female, assembled to meet us; all shoeless, and many of -them hatless; all making a noise and bounding from cliff to cliff with -little less agility than the goats, of which great numbers are kept -for the sake of their milk and skins. On proceeding to the town, the -name of which I never could discover, not having seen an American who -knew, or a Portuguese who could tell me what it was, although I have -asked the question frequently, always with the same result, we found -that it was built without regard to order or regularity--the buildings -of stone. Many plats of ground were surrounded by immense stone walls; -some of these plats are not more than sixteen feet square, but are -enclosed by walls two feet thick, reminding one of the masonry in the -German castles of romance. At the town we saw little to attract except -the merry appearance of the female, and scowling expression of the male -inhabitants; the men looking upon us, it seemed, as intruders, and -desiring but little intercourse with us; the women, although barefooted -and with hair unkempt, their negligent dress exposing rather more of -their persons than accordant with modesty, were more than affable; -every article of our apparel that was exposed to their view being made -by them a price for which they were willing to prostitute themselves; -and so pertinacious were they, that it was with difficulty a sheath -knife was wrested from one of them by a blushing boy of our party to -whom their immodest offers (having but three weeks previously left -the bosom of a virtuous family of mother and sisters), sounded like -sacrilege, and, as he afterwards expressed himself, absolutely appalled -him. We saw little evidence of cultivation in the town; but upon -inquiry were informed, as well as their broken English could enlighten -us, that the produce grew higher up--in the mountains. To scale these -we were not adventurous enough; so we sat down, and, after some -bargaining, procured boiled eggs, fruit, bread, and sour wine, on which -we made a hearty repast. I observed about the town cows, pigs, and -dogs, but neither jackass nor donkey; so I do not think the aforesaid -long-eared gentleman possesses the right or title to claim the -paternity of the world-renowned jackass cheese; although seamen, in a -spirit of vagary, have given to it the appellation of that intellectual -animal. - -In the afternoon we went off to the ship, got our onions and potatoes -aboard, and carried with us two Portuguese boys, about seventeen years -of age--one of whom goes into the forecastle to do duty as a foremast -hand, the other, into the steerage as steerage boy. Great numbers of -young men are carried off from these islands annually, by American -whaleships, the government demanding of each young man, born in the -islands, a certain amount of military duty in Europe. To emancipate -themselves from this irksome service they join whalers, as after an -absence on the part of one, during which he has acquired the English -language, he is exempted from military duty. Whether the government -does this to encourage the development of knowledge, or that, after a -tarry on his part amongst the republican Americans, they think him too -liberal in sentiment to mingle with other servants of their despotic -rule, I cannot say. When these people first come aboard the ship they -are indifferently dressed, and invariably barefooted; when those we -shipped were supplied with an outfit of sea clothes, they were greatly -astonished and delighted. They are a very economical people, and by -dint of washing for others, patching, at which in a short time they -become adepts, and other little jobs, they soon become possessed of -a large amount of clothing, which they hoard up and gloat over as a -miser would his gold. They are shipped for little or nothing as regards -remuneration, scarcely anything being said about a lay on either -side; but the captain, if generous, will always make them a liberal -allowance on the ship’s arriving at New Bedford. They are generally -strong and able-bodied, and make good working-hands to pull and haul, -but, except in rare instances, do not rise in position above steering -a boat; although there are several ships at present sailing out of New -Bedford whose masters are Portuguese by birth, yet in each instance, -I am informed by good authority, they were taken from the islands at -a very early age, and sent to school in America between voyages. When -they first come aboard they look thin and cadaverous, probably from -their almost entire diet being vegetable; but in a short time, from -prodigious indulgence of their appetites for flesh, they become round -and sleek. Their attenuated appearance has led to the standing joke -amongst sailors, that if you want a Portuguese crew, all you have to do -is to run close in to one of the Western Islands, heave a hook and line -overboard baited with fat pork, and in a few minutes you will catch as -many as you want. To tell the Portuguese this is considered by them as -a bitter affront, they always magnifying their position ashore, I do -not know how many times, making everything _grand_, as they express -it. To illustrate their passion for meat, I shall not go into figures -as regards the consumption, as few, if any, would credit my bare -assertion; but I will state that one of the boys gained sixty pounds in -weight during the first five months he was with us. - -If there be only one or two of this race aboard, and they are separated -in different parts of the ship, and not allowed too frequently to -converse with each other, they soon acquire English and become useful; -but if there are half a dozen together in the forecastle, they jabber -and chatter their unmusical jargon from morning until night, and will -go a three years’ voyage, knowing at the end of it little more English -than is embraced in the technical terms of the service, which, being -impressed on their memory with a kick or blow by way of injunction, -they are apt to retain. - -These people are, or profess to be, devoted to their padres or fathers -in the church, and from my light observation of them and their -peculiarities, I should be inclined to give it as my opinion that they -are totally under the sway of their Jesuitical advisers; but I must -about ship and resume the thread of my narrative. - -Whilst lying here off and on shore we gammoned the ship E. L. -Jones, of New Bedford; the barque Sea Flower, of same port, -and schooner Antarctic, of Provincetown. This is an excellent -whaling-ground--numbers of large and small craft are continually -cruising here, and in the course of a voyage generally do well. -Gammoning at sea is the term for an interchange of civilities between -two or more ships, and is much in vogue amongst whalemen, who have so -much time that hangs heavy on their hands, and are glad to vary the -monotony by the sight of a stranger, or, if a later arrival, receiving -intelligence from home. When a ship wishes to gammon another, or, as it -is pronounced at sea, gam’, the second syllable being dispensed with, -the _lee_ ship hauls aback her mainyard, or sets a signal signifying -her wish, the _weather_ craft squares her yards, puts her helm up, -runs across the other’s stern and speaks her. Then the captain of one -lowers away and boards the other, the mate returns in the boat with a -fresh crew, the officers resort to the cabin, the boatsteerers to the -steerage, and the crew to the forecastle. As soon as breathing time is -allowed to the visitors they are beset by a dozen querists, who, all at -once, want to know how long they are from home, what success they have -had, and the birth-place, or place of residence of each. For instance, -here one steps up and inquires, “Any New Yorkers here,” or “Any -Philadelphia, New Bedford, or Boston chaps,” whichever place to him is -best known; and if, perchance, he finds a townsman, in a few minutes -they are as thick as lovers, and as far advanced in friendship as an -acquaintance of twenty years ashore would warrant; and ere they part -chests are thrown open, with the injunction to help yourself added, -and do not be backward about it either. Soon after some one calls for -a song, and in a short time, after some pressing and coaxing, which is -as necessary here as in more select circles, the time-worn, but sweet -melodies of the sea are sung, if not with artistic correctness, with -spirit--all hands joining in the chorus, till the old ship rings again. -Meantime, the officers in the cabin are rehearsing old memories of -whaling, telling of the largest, wickedest and quietest whales which -they have borne a hand at taking; dire and wonderful are the _fish_ -stories that in this manner receive birth. These relations, assisted -by the genial influence of the bottle and the pipe, soon while away -the time, and ere one would have thought it, the signal is up for -returning. The boatsteerers are killing time in much the same manner, -lacking only the ardent; whilst the crew, if a merry set of fellows, -have, ere this, got the fiddle or accordeon player, if one is aboard, -on deck (providing that it is good weather, and the ship on an even -keel), and are breaking down in the waist at a rate that would set -a French dancing-master crazy; but it is all the same to them--they -enjoy, and are bound to make sport of it. The signal for returning -being set, books are exchanged, tobacco, pipes, and in cases of need, -articles of clothing are freely presented, and the visitors go over the -rail into their boats, with “God bless you. _Greasy_ luck to you. Take -care of yourself, my hearties,” or some other equally expressive and -kindly wish following them; and the two ships resume their courses in -different directions to different quarters of the globe. - - - - -CHAPTER II. - - -The next day after leaving Flores we passed within sight of Fayal. -This island presented a gorgeous appearance; the many vineyards on -the sloping side of the mountains, looking to us like so many squares -in a quilt of the most luxurious green, forming a patchwork of Dame -Nature’s handiwork, in inimitable colors. An hour after, we saw the -Peak of Pico, rearing its cone-shaped pinnacle high in the clouds. At -its extreme summit, I noticed an appearance resembling a chimney, into -which, I was informed, steps were hewn for the convenience of those -whom curiosity led to ascend or descend the acclivity. - -About this time, I recollect, we had our first experience of bending -on to a sleeper. It is customary in good weather (particularly whilst -running down the trades, when, from the regularity of the winds, there -is scarce any working ship to be done) for the members of the watch, -with the exception of the man at the wheel and another on the look-out, -to come on deck, provided with two or three coats, for the purpose of -indulging in a caulk or sleep on deck. As soon as the watch is all -out, and the officer has had a look to assure himself of the fact, -a soft plank in the deck is selected on which one spreads himself, -covering up snug with the coats; an example religiously followed by -the others. Soon they are as soundly asleep as if in a comfortable -bed at home, unmindful of the noise made by the creaking of the yards -and rigging, or the hissing of the sea. This practice is winked at -by the officer of the deck, so long as all are at hand on a call; -but on the night to which I now have reference, all the comfortable -places under the lee of the weather rail being occupied, the unlucky -wight whose dilatoriness in turning out when the watch was called, -had excluded him from forming one of the caulkers, attracted by the -inviting appearance of the forecastle, and thinking himself unnoticed, -slipped down, deposited himself on the chests, and was soon fast -asleep. The man on the look-out having seen him descend the ladder, -waited in vain for his exit, and after allowing him sufficient time -to get into a deep slumber, went down, assured himself of the fact, -and then woke up two or three of the sleepers who were noted for their -indulgence in practical jokes, and who at any time would forego a good -nap to enjoy a hearty laugh. Having informed them of his intentions, -the mischievous trio lashed a tail-block to a barricade of spars over -the forecastle, rove a spare piece of rope through it, and attached -one end to the sleeper’s leg. When all was in readiness they awoke the -remainder of the watch, and having manned the fall strong, with a long -pull, a strong pull, and a pull altogether, the poor fellow was jerked -half way up the companion-way before he was fully awake. Discovering -his position, he grasped the ladder to retard his ascent, and, like the -Knight of Snowdon, bade them-- - - “Come one, come all, this rock shall fly - From its firm base as soon as I.” - -For a minute the jokers were non-plussed; their victim having the laugh -on his side; but this was soon remedied by the fastenings of the ladder -giving away, and the pendant caulker was whipped up on deck amid the -jeers of his companions. This remedy is generally effectual; but I have -seen a case of persistency in this, to a seaman, odious habit, which -after everything else had failed, was eradicated by tying the caulker’s -leg fast to a large pig, which, upon being roused up by the tormentors, -travelled fore and aft the deck with Kedge Anchor in tow. Previous to -this he had been repeatedly soused with water, bent on to, made fast -to the bell, getting a reprimand for the _peal_ he unwittingly rang, -and lashed to the studding-sails on the forecastle, where, at times, -he would remain the greater part of the night; but all to no purpose, -until a humorous genius one night, when nothing else was on the carpet, -proposed uniting Kedge to the porker, and, as I before stated, the -remedy was effectual. - -Our cook, a German, who had been to sea before, having an eye to -creature comforts, purchased, whilst at Flores, a number of jackass -cheeses. These he had carefully saved, intending to make them last as -long as he possibly could, and for this purpose he locked them up in -his chest; but, unfortunately, during the night some person or persons -went clandestinely to his chest and feloniously appropriated the -cheeses therein to his or their benefit. The cook, on the whole, was a -good-natured fellow, but losing his cheeses soured his disposition, and -he swore vengeance. His Dutch oaths soon attracted attention, and old -Jack, as the oldest man in the forecastle, was appointed inquisitor, -to find out the perpetrator or perpetrators of the heinous crime; -sailors viewing theft from a shipmate, even of the slightest article, -as an offence second in enormity only to murder; and woe betide the -poor wretch who is detected in the act, as he can never recover an -intimate footing with his shipmates. - -I said that old Jack was appointed inquisitor. He went about his task -very methodically. Taking a number of matches, he handed one to each -of the denizens of the forecastle, stating that he would call on them -to return them in half an hour, and that the one who should then have -possession of the longest one would be considered the culprit. On -calling the matches in, one was found to have been broken off by its -recipient, and information was immediately given to the captain by old -Jack, who had satisfied himself regarding the guilty party. The boy was -questioned, but denied the point so strenuously that we did not know -whether to think him guilty or not. The captain let it pass without -further remark, and some twelve months afterwards we discovered the -offender; then the boy who had previously been suspected, acknowledged -that he had broken off his match so that there should be no question -about his having the longest one; and in his endeavors to ward off -suspicion, took the readiest means of arousing it--old Jack saying that -his conscious guilt caused him to break his match. - -When our North latitude had been almost run out we were struck by -a very heavy squall. By working smart we managed to get all snug -without being damaged. On the succeeding morning we saw three -merchant vessels, one of whom had lost her maintopmast; a second, her -foretopgallant mast; and the third a whole suite of sails. A fourth -vessel, that we saw to windward in distress, with several vessels -around her, appeared from her heavy rolling to be water-logged. During -the night she fired rockets and blue-lights. All these vessels, -as we ascertained, had met these casualties in the squall that we -experienced. It is customary with merchant vessels to hang on to -their canvass until the very last minute, and, as in nine cases out -of ten these ships go short-handed, the consequence is, that when -a heavy squall breaks upon them, something must go before they get -their sails stowed. If asked their reason for crowding sail in such a -manner, they will answer you with a shrug of the shoulders, that “Time -is money;” but it is not so with a whaleship, except when homeward -bound--then everything that a ship will drag or carry is packed on to -her to make her keep pace with the impatient spirits aboard. When on -the whaling-ground, however, the ship is allowed to glide along under -easy sail, royal yards, studding-sail booms, and, if in boisterous -latitudes, the foretopgallant mast is sent down, and the flying -jib-boom is sent in, so that if bad weather comes on suddenly, the -little canvass spread makes her easy to handle. Another advantage the -whaler possesses, she has thirty-four or five men to handle a vessel -of three or four hundred tons, whereas a merchant ship of the same -size would not have more than a dozen; hence the great proportionate -disparity between the accidents to whalemen and merchantmen. The whaler -is better manned, and is not drove under by a press of sail, whilst -the latter is groaning under her burden from the time she leaves dock -until the time she returns to it; providing there is breeze enough to -keep her going. - -From this time until we reached the Cape of Good Hope, little of -interest transpired. Occasionally we were called to look over the rail -and see the fin-back whale sending his spout in a spiral column towards -the clouds; or the blackfish, grampus, or porpoise, gambolling amongst -the great waves. At times the scene was diversified by the appearance -of the shark, dolphin, benita, and flying-fish, each preying on the -other. The last three mentioned are easily caught, and are eagerly -angled for by seamen. The manner of catching the dolphin and skip-jack -is to bait the hook with a piece of white rag, and allow it to sway -with the vessel’s motion. The fish thinks it a flying-fish taking its -flight, rushes towards it and gulps it down. I had often heard stories -of the dolphin’s extraordinary change of color when dying, but must -confess myself so unromantic as to say, I think there is so little -change in his colors that none but the most acute observer could detect -it. His beauty is confined to the period when sporting in his native -element; then his motions are full of grace and vigor; but caught and -landed on deck, he is a flat fish with a round head, and great, goggle, -staring eyes. His flesh, however, is indifferent eating, as is that of -the benita. The latter, when caught, goes into spasms, shaking like a -man with an ague fit, sometimes disjointing the vertebra in its throes. -They are at times so violent, that if the fish is large a man cannot -hold one. - -The flying-fish, the last that I mentioned, has been so often -described, that I shall not attempt it. It is preyed upon both by -larger fish and by the birds. I have seen the tropic birds and dolphin -acting so nearly in concert, as almost to convince one that they -understood each other’s mode of operation. The dolphin would chase the -little creatures until they would take to their wings, when the tropic -bird, or garnet (which is a beautiful white bird, about the size of -our common pigeon, with red legs and bill, and a tail resembling a -marling-spike, by which name they usually go amongst sailors), would -pounce upon them; and, tired with their serial flight, they would again -resort to the water, only to become a prey to their finny enemy. - -With the usual variations of weather we wended our course through the -South Atlantic--at one time becalmed, at another struggling with a -heavy gale, until we arrived in the vicinity of the Islands of Tristan -D’Acunha, when one morning we were startled by our mastheadsman -shouting, “There blows! and a forked spout, _sir_.” This informed us of -the presence of right whales; their spout, unlike that of other whales, -being forked. Our boats were lowered; but we had no sooner got in their -neighborhood than they peaked their flukes and went to windward, eyes -out--which means as fast as the wind. It was useless to follow them, -and we returned aboard with fishermen’s luck--a wet skin, and hungry -stomach. - -When down in the boats at this time I had a _near_ view of a whale. We -were not more than a boat’s length from a large one, when he sounded, -and, as he threw his tail in the air, I had an excellent sight of -his small and flukes. What I felt I cannot describe; but the shining -skin covering all, and the manifestation of power and bulk, in every -movement, made me think of some vast piece of iron machinery; and I -cannot imagine a more effective battering ram than a whale’s flukes -employed by himself. - -In these latitudes we saw numbers of varied specimens of the -ornithological family. The albatross, monimoke, old horse, noddy, cape -pigeon, garnet, mutton bird, and Mother Carey’s chicken or petrel, -all existing here in great numbers. The albatross I have seen measure -fifteen feet from the extremity of one wing to the tip of the other. -It is a beautiful bird, and comes around a ship in great numbers when -a whale is alongside. They are ever on the alert for something to eat, -appear at all times hungry, and their voraciousness makes them an -easy prey. They are often caught. Their quills are not fit for pens, -but are used by sailors to splice their pipes; their feathers are -used in making beds and pillows; their feet are skinned and made into -tobacco-pouches; whilst the head and bill are cleaned and taken home -as a curiosity. As a general thing they are not eaten; but our cook -at one time agreed to cook them, if we would catch and dress them. -They were soon ready for him; and after being cooked they were very -palatable, although they had an oily flavor, somewhat resembling that -of the canvas-back duck. The mess having succeeded so well, it became a -favorite, but was indulged in so often that it soon fell into distaste, -and the practice was not again revived; the more so, as the captain -had a peculiar regard for the birds, and professed to place implicit -confidence in the assertion, that if they were misused by a ship’s -crew, those who maltreated them would assuredly meet with some evil -fortune. - -The Cape pigeon is a beautiful bird, about the same size as our -domestic bird of the same name. They are uniform in color, alternate -stripes of black and white coursing their plumage. - -The monimoke, and old horse, resemble in appearance the albatross, but -are not more than half its size. At times, from the similarity of their -appearance, I have been led to suppose them their young; and as regards -the monimoke, I am still at a loss to determine as to whether the goney -has a claim to its paternity or not: but the old horse or stinker, by -both of which names it is indiscriminately known, is a totally distinct -species; and when handled, it emits a most offensive odor, which clings -with tenacity to its feathers long after being separated from the bird. - -The diver is about the size of the pigeon, and is only remarkable for -the great depth to which it descends in search of food. The spectator -may be watching the bird gracefully sailing on the surface of the -water, when suddenly it disappears from view, and if the water be -clear, he may be seen, with his pinions spread, pursuing his course -through it with as much facility as if he were in the air, for fathoms -below the surface. After a short time he gradually ascends, until, -emerging from the water, he takes wing and skims through the air, -unwearied by his immersion. - -The petrel, or Mother Carey’s chicken, is a pretty bird, smaller than -the swallow, and quick as lightning in its movements; although so -small, it is found in company with the larger birds unmolested. - -At sea not only do we see marine birds, but often, when near any point -or headland, we are visited by land birds, who, blown off from the -land, pursue their bewildered flight until exhausted, or, meeting a -vessel, they alight upon it to refresh their wearied forms. At first -they fly around and around the ship, as if fearful of molestation, -when, overcome by fatigue, they forget their natural dread of mankind, -and alight in the boats, or on deck, unable to move farther. Their -wants are supplied by the sailors, and fresh water, of which they -appear most in need, given them. After a stoppage of twelve or -twenty-four hours they renew their flight, always in the direction of -land. - -After doubling the Cape of Good Hope, which we effected without -experiencing extraordinarily heavy weather, we spent several weeks in -beating up towards Port Dauphin, in the Island of Madagascar, off which -is a noted locality for the sperm whale fishery. Finding that we made -but little headway, we kept away for the off-shore, St. Paul’s ground, -and after a fine run found ourselves among the right whales. Here we -saw several vessels--the Pioneer and Catharine, of New Bedford, and -the Monmouth, of Cold Springs. These vessels had been absent from the -United States twelve months each, and had aboard from one hundred to -five hundred barrels of oil. The Monmouth reported having lost a boat -and a boat’s crew, a few weeks previous, at the Island of St. Paul’s. -The boat was headed by her second mate, who had remained fast to a -whale until drawn into the breakers, which left not a vestige of the -boat or crew in their pitiless destruction. - -On this ground, after numerous lowerings away and coming aboard--after -seeing whales almost daily, although we found it impossible to get -within gun-shot of them, they appearing shy and not at home--one Sunday -afternoon the mate and fourth mate lowered away, the other boats being -retained aboard the ship. No sooner were we down than, encouraged by -the regular movements of the fish, we were convinced we should make -a capture, and therefore the chase was conducted with an eagerness -not displayed in our former lowerings away. No sooner had we touched -the water in the larboard boat, than the mate, after glancing at the -spout, gave us orders to shove the boat clear of the ship; then “Out -with your oars, my hearties;” and to make us the more eager, he offered -us a dollar apiece should we make a capture. As we neared the whale, -sinking his voice to a whisper, he urged us to greater exertions, by -continually speaking of the whale. “There she lays, my boys; an old -soaker, with a back as broad as the deck of our ship. Pull, lads, pull -with a will! Give way! every man, fore and aft. Do pull! The boat -scarcely moves. Now one more try. She is only two seas off. What do -you say now. Put the boat right on top of her. Pull hard, do pull!” -Now we draw nearer and nearer, and his enthusiasm is at a boiling heat -for fear that we will yet lose the whale; and determined to give vent -to his excitement, he offers all his clothes, all his tobacco, and all -his money, if we will only get the boat alongside the fish, which by -this time is done. Just as the mate heaves his hat over in despair, -the boat glides against the monster’s unwieldy carcass at a portion of -his body which secures us from the sweep of his immense flukes, and -the boatsteerer springs to his feet, and, with nervous arm, drives his -harpoon to the socket in the yielding blubber. The mate now loses his -excited manner, and, throwing the boat from the whale to escape the -mighty effort he makes for our destruction, again becomes the cool and -steady whaleman; but our work is not yet done. No sooner is the fish -struck, than off he goes, like a charger with the bit in his teeth, -perfectly unmanageable, and for an hour we dash through the water at -locomotive speed, until the whale exhausts himself with the violence of -the effort. Now comes the order to haul line, and the boat is gradually -drawn into the whale’s neighborhood, when a bomb lance is discharged, -and, fortunately, is lodged on the line of the vertebra, disabling his -whaleship from farther flight. They were cognizant of our operations -aboard the ship, where the mastheadsman sung out, “There he gives it -to him,” the moment we fastened; and immediately after, “The larboard -boat’s fast.” The two boats on the cranes were lowered away, manned, -and pulled for the scene of action. They arrived in about fifteen -minutes after the whale was struck. The waist boat was the second -fast. The fish was bleeding at every pore, hand-lances having been -darted into him. He attempted to descend, but his debility from loss -of blood prevented him going but a few feet below the surface; he lay -and rolled, opening wide his huge jaws, displaying his flabby tongue, -lashing the water with his gigantic flukes, and bellowing like a whole -bevy of mad bulls, from the intense pain he suffered in dying. The -other boats, on coming up, fastened, and soon the bloody discharge from -his spout holes became thicker, until it had obtained the consistency -of tar, when the suffering brute, moderating its bellowing to gasps and -sobs, slowly described a circle, throwing its head toward the sun, and -after a brief but terrific struggle, rolled fin out, without life or -motion. We then cut a hole through the flukes and towed him in triumph -to the ship. - -I will now, before going farther, describe the demeanor of a boat’s -crew when fast to a whale. In the first place the officer goes close -enough to the whale to give the boatsteerer a good opportunity to -strike him. As soon as the irons leave his hand the head of the boat -is thrown from the whale, to avoid the sweep of his tremendous tail, -which he invariably exercises the moment he is struck. The officer -and boatsteerer now exchange positions, the boatsteerer assuming the -management of the boat, whilst the officer takes his position in the -bows, and, by the assistance of the bow oarsman, clears away a lance, -preparatory to striking the fatal blow. The whale, on being struck, -either sounds, or rushes with great rapidity over the surface of the -water. In either case the line runs out with marvellous rapidity, and -water is continually poured upon it to prevent the wood from igniting -by friction. Shortly afterwards, if the whale has moderated his speed, -the line is manned by all the crew of the boat, with the exception of -the boatsteerer and after-oarsman, who are busily occupied coiling it -away in the stern sheets of the boat, so as to prevent its entangling, -if again run out by the whale, and the boat is hauled close to him, -so as to give the officer an opportunity to lance and despatch him. -If he shows a good chance, this is the work of but a few minutes, -and the monster is turned up with little or no trouble; but it often -happens that hours intervene, before you have an opportunity to kill -the whale, and oftentimes are obliged to cut, from the near approach of -nightfall. But to return to our whale. We got him alongside, and made -him fast by a strong chain, encircling his flukes, passed through the -hawse-hole, and secured to the bitts on the forecastle; then a hole -was cut close to the whale’s eye, the tackles attached, the cutting -fall taken to the windlass, and with a merry song we bowsed his jacket -in, stripping the blubber from the carcass, and allowing the latter, -with the flukes, to go adrift. Next the head was hove in and lashed -on the quarter-deck, then several men with axes split the bone from -the jaw, to which it was attached by an adhesive substance known as -the gum; it was then scraped, in preparation for the home market, -and, after scraping, stowed away in the hold, where no moisture could -reach it. The appearance of this bone in the jaw, before separation, -is beautiful; its regular arrangement, and long, fringe-like edging, -giving it the appearance of an artificial grotto. After disposing of -the head and heaving in all the blubber, this, as fast as stripped, is -deposited between decks in the main hold--which apartment is designated -as the “blubber-room.” The try works being started, two men go into the -blubber-room, and, with sharp spades and knives, cut off the lean from -the blubber, and divide the fat into pieces about six inches wide by -eighteen in length, suitable for the mincing-machine. They then, with -pikes, pitch it into a tub placed on deck for its reception, whence it -is carried to the machine, where it is minced into pieces half an inch -in thickness, and consigned to the pot. After all the oil is separated -from it, the scraps are taken from the pot and the oil poured into -a copper cooler, whence it runs into a cool try pot, and thence is -bailed into casks, which are rolled on to the quarter-deck, where it -is allowed to cool preparatory to stowing below in the hold. Meantime -the pots are again filled up, and the scraps from the preceding pot -are used in heating the works--these scraps forming an excellent and -remarkably economical fuel; for if the whale did not furnish material -for rendering its own oil, the fuel which would have to be substituted -would be a costly item. From the embers, united with fresh water, -an excellent lye is made, which is useful in extracting grease from -clothes, washing the paint work and so forth. The oil is usually -allowed to stand for twenty-four hours before stowing below, and when -ready a trap is removed, which is cut through the deck, a tub lashed -under it between decks, and a hose with a cock attached; a cask is now -rolled on to this trap, the bung extracted, a vent pipe introduced, and -soon the whole produce of the fish is in the hold, never to be removed, -except in case of leakage, during the remainder of the voyage. This -whale made us ninety barrels of oil. After capturing him, we remained -on this ground for several weeks, without farther success in increasing -our cargo; in two instances the boatsteerer missing whales, and in a -third striking one with the irons, causing him to spout blood; but most -of the chief mate’s line being run out, he bent to his that belonging -to the bow boat. On its passage from the tub, it brought with it a -formidable array of harpoons and lances, with which it had become -entangled. “Foul line,” was sung out, the line severed, and the whale -allowed to go adrift. We saw him for some time afterward, and bending -to our oars, we pulled to windward with a will, in pursuit of him, but -to no purpose. Whilst chasing him to windward, the bomb-lance gun, in -the mate’s boat, went off without leave, and pierced a hole through the -head of the boat, so disabling her, that she had to return aboard; as -we all did at noon. Afterward the whale came close to the ship, and, -peaking his flukes, gave us a view of our line, wound in a thousand -contortions around his small and tail. We again lowered for him, but -without success. - -On the 12th of November, a merchant barque ran across our stern, -which, on speaking, we discovered to be the Eliza Carrew, of Boston. -So far, all was very well; but on crossing our stern, she luffed up -under our lee, and, our sails taking the wind from hers, she became -unmanageable. The next moment she was aboard of us, crushing the lee -boats to pieces, carrying away cranes and davits, snapping off the -spanker-boom, and carrying away the entire larboard mizzen rigging. -After a short interval she got clear from us, when we found that she -had not escaped scot free. We saw that her maintopsail yard was snapped -off outside the head ear-ring, her foreyard carried away in the slings, -and about twenty feet of her bow rail, on the starboard side, stoven -to atoms. After the two vessels had swung clear from each other, the -third mate and his boatsteerer jumped into the bow boat, which had -broken down and lay floating alongside, for the purpose of saving -the craft. Almost as soon as they got into her, she became detached -from the ship, drifted astern, and capsized; so that we were obliged -to lower away our only whole boat, that on the starboard quarter, to -rescue the two adventurers, who were taking it very coolly, seated on -the bottom of the wreck. In a short time we had them aboard the ship; -but in the operation, the bow of the starboard boat came in contact -with the stoven one, and had a hole knocked into it. So here we were on -a whaling-ground, in the height of the season, with plenty of whales -around us, without a single whole boat on the cranes; and were it not -that we had spare boats, the damage would have been irreparable; as on -this side the Good Hope, whale-boats cannot be procured at any port -nearer than Hobartown, and this, involving a long run, loss of time, -and port expenses, to compass it, would have caused a total forfeiture -of the whole season’s work. The broken boat was hoisted aboard, and -then the Carrew ran close to and spoke us, asking if all was right with -our vessel and men. Our captain answered quickly and curtly, and in an -undertone desired him to take his departure, for, should he repeat his -manœuver, he would give him occasion to regret it. During the whole of -this time, and for weeks subsequent to the accident, we were under the -impression, as she had shown no colors, that she was a Johnny Crapeau, -and sailed under the tri-color; but we learned afterward that she was -a Boston ship. Different reasons were assigned by different individuals -as to the cause of the unseamanlike conduct in managing the Carrew; -some stating that they distinctly heard her captain ask ours for a -porpoise iron, and supposed that he came close to us in order to have -it handed aboard without the bother of lowering a boat; whilst others, -less charitable, stated that she was loaded with liquor from the -Mauritius: that the captain had broken bulk, and imbibed so much that -it had set his wits wool-gathering. As to the first reason assigned, -having heard nothing regarding the iron, I can give no opinion; as to -the second, not having data sufficient to draw so sweeping a charge -from, I will not advance so gross an accusation, but allow the matter -to rest: the public, of course, having heard from the master of the -Carrew his version of the matter, as we saw by the papers that he had -reported the collision on his arriving at port. On the whole, both -vessels were extremely fortunate in escaping with so little injury; as -two vessels seldom come into contact, even in port, where they are in -smooth water, without the result being much more disastrous than in our -case. - -It is said that misfortunes seldom come singly; and, indeed, in the -experience of a lifetime, circumstances seem to justify the correctness -of the adage. So it was in our case. A short time previous to our -last misfortune, the larboard watch was sent aloft to double reef -the foretopsail. It was about half an hour after eight bells, in -the first watch at night--the watch below had turned in, but were -not as yet sleeping--when, directly after the watch had manned the -foretopsail yard, the men in the forecastle were startled by the fall -of a heavy body on deck, directly over their heads. A rush was made -for the ladder, and on getting on deck, a youngster, who belonged to -New Bedford, was found prostrate, without sense or motion. By the -orders of the first officer, who thought him dead, he was immediately -carried into the cabin. The watch on the yard were instructed to lay -down from aloft. On carrying the sufferer into the cabin, it was found -that his heart beat; he was bled, and in the course of a few hours -he regained consciousness, and continued gradually to mend, until, -after the lapse of a few weeks, he was perfectly recovered, without, -apparently, any serious effect from his fall, except the increase of -an already craving appetite, and corresponding augmentation in length -and breadth of person. His fall may be attributed to a superabundance -of heavy clothing, beside a coarse, heavy pair of boots, united making -him clumsy and unwieldy aloft. Although, from his account, it would -appear that, at the time of the accident, he was very nearly, or quite, -asleep, as he retained no remembrance of their having occasion to reef -the topsail, and no recollection of having been on the yard, or any -other circumstance connected with his fall, the only reason that we -can assign for the slight injuries he sustained, is the supposition -that in his descent his fall was broken by his striking against the -foretop, the mainstay, and a barricade of spars that were lashed -forward. I think you will agree with me that he required some easing -down, when I state that he fell from the weather yard-arm, close by the -bunt, at least forty-five feet from deck. A few weeks after this we -had another specimen of lofty tumbling whilst we were gammoning with -the barque Pioneer, of New Bedford. The watch had gone aloft to furl -the foretopsail, and had so far progressed as to be ready to pass the -yard-arm gaskets. Jose, a Portuguese, was at the end of the starboard -yard-arm coiling the outside gasket, preparatory to encircling the -sail with it, when his feet slipped from the horse; keeping firm hold -of the gasket, which reached about half way to the water, he slid to -its extreme end. The weather was light, and the ship pretty steady. He -remained suspended for a moment, when, watching for the weather roll, -he let go, descended into the water, rose, and struck out like a good -fellow. The second mate ran on to the house, caught up a boat’s fall, -made a bowling in the end of it, and hove it to him; he slipped it over -his head and under his arms, and was soon hauled aboard, without other -damage than a good wetting, of which he made very little account. - -Having recorded several instances of a serious character, I shall take -occasion to speak of the numerous practical jokes that are enacted -aboard ship. The monotony of the life at sea renders a hearty laugh -somewhat of a relief, and assists in passing away the time; and this -end is desirable on the whaling-ground on account of the many hours of -inactivity. At night, in the vicinity of a place of known resort for -the fish, sail is shortened, and all hands, except one boat’s crew and -its boatsteerer, go below; the officers remaining all day on deck, and -standing no watch at night. In a four-boat ship, the night is divided -into four watches. The night watch, therefore, is so short as to be -anything but onerous; hence the early part of the night is devoted to -singing, yarning, &c. But I set out with the intention of telling a -joke, and as I have digressed a little I hope the reader will pardon -me. One fine Sunday morning Kedge Anchor expressed a desire to have his -hair cut. Here was an opening--and a conspiracy was immediately formed -against his cranial adornment. One went to work and cut his hair. When -finished, a dozen voices exclaimed against the barbarian who had put -so _outre_ a cut on his poor head; others recommended a little more -off behind. The victim acquiesced, and submitted to the operation. A -second, third, fourth, and fifth, lent their aid in denuding his skull, -and by the time the last had finished he was a picture for a painter. -The poor fellow had not a hair on his head more than a quarter of an -inch in length, and, as his forehead was receding, his appearance can -be better imagined than described. Suffice it to say, that for weeks -after the shearing his appearance was greeted with hearty laughter; -and, as with him laughter was contagious, he always joined in the -shout. For a long time he did not discover that he was the butt, but -when he did discover his loss he was rather pleased than otherwise at -the singularity of his appearance. This is but one of the many tricks -of this kind that I have witnessed. I remember seeing a green hand -sent to tell the steward to overhaul the captain’s chronometer box for -a swab to clean up the forecastle. Another sent to the masthead to -ask the man stationed there the time of day, or to see if the sun had -risen. Another to the officer of the deck to advise him to secure the -barometer, or to tell him that the masts were working. And I remember -one poor fellow, who prided himself much on his agility, giving us -a specimen of the movements of the kangaroo, sweating and exerting -himself for a whole afternoon, delighting us, as he supposed, with his -farcical antics, until he discovered on his back a large paper figure -in imitation of himself. He said not a word at the time, and sat down -totally abashed; but ere long a paper Punch figured on the back of the -supposed instigator. - - - - -CHAPTER III. - - -Finding but little could be done amongst the whales on this ground, -early in December we resumed sea watches, and steered a course for the -coast of New Holland, intending to cruise off its southwesternmost -point for sperm whales. On the fifth of the same month, whilst pursuing -our course to the eastward, we sighted the Island of Amsterdam, in 40° -South latitude, 77° East longitude. At daylight the ensuing morning, -we lowered away three boats, each member of their respective crews -provided with fishing-tackle, for the capture of much smaller members -of the finny tribe than our usual game. Before arriving at the island, -we saw, and gave chase to an otter, but he eluded our pursuit. This was -the first animal of the kind I had ever seen; it absorbed my attention, -whilst in sight, to the exclusion of all other novelties. His face, in -expression, reminded me of that of a pug dog, in which opinion all my -companions united. I also saw here the first of those peculiarities, -viz. penguins, or waugans, as they are called by seamen--their hoarse -cry and long immersion in water excited my wonder and attention. Here -also were the osprey, sea hen, albatross, monimoke, right and sperm -whale birds, and numerous minor specimens of the family, flying in and -out of their eyries in the cliff, carrying food to their young, and -occasionally disputing for the possession of the finny prey, which -they capture with much dexterity. Sometimes they wheeled in circles -around our boat, apparently viewing us as intruders on their domain. - -On approaching the island, we found it a rock-bound precipice, almost -inaccessible, with a scanty vegetation dispersed over its summit. It -has a desolate appearance, is uninhabited, and only visited by whalemen -and those unfortunates whom Neptune, in his furious mood, casts upon -its desolate shore. On the cliffs a few goats were to be seen, set -ashore some time since by the humane captain of a whaler, who opined -that they would increase, and afford sustenance to any shipwrecked -mariners who might be cast away here. - -We went close to the rocks, over which huge breakers gambolled, and -made our boats fast to the kelp. Then out lines, and on the instant -were busily engaged in hauling in noble fish, varying in weight from -five to twenty pounds, of all varieties and colors: cod, trumpeter, and -many species unknown to us, white, black, blue, yellow, and red. In the -course of a few hours we had secured as many as we wanted; the other -boats experiencing like success, the fish biting with the greatest -avidity; it only being necessary to bait, heave the line overboard, -and haul up, and, ten chances to one, before it reached the surface, a -fish was attached to it. On an eminence on the island, a royal mast is -erected, it having been the signal pole of the crew of the whale-ship -Tuscany, of Sag Harbor, which went ashore on this island. - -It appears that the English ship Meridian, returning from Australia, -was cast away here. The principal part of the passengers and crew -reached the island, and scaled the cliff; here they remained for -several days, existing on a wild cabbage that is indigenous to the -island. They were much depressed, until one morning they descried a -ship beating up for the island. She proved to be the whaling barque -Monmouth, of Cold Springs; her captain, all honor to him, and no less -to his faithful messenger, sent one of his crew across the island to -communicate with the distressed ones. He directed them to cross the -island, as at the side they then were it would be impossible to land -a boat. This, although comparatively a short distance, they were all -one day and part of the next accomplishing--the rugged, steep way, -their enfeebled condition, and the presence of ladies and children, -delaying them. The Monmouth’s boats, as soon as possible, conveyed -them aboard their vessel, where they received every attention their -condition required, and were conveyed to the Mauritius, where they -were disembarked. Now for the romantic part of the story. It appears -that in the general confusion, several bags of English sovereigns, -that were carried from the wrecked ship ashore, were deposited, as -it was supposed, in a secure place, and left on the island. This was -communicated to the captain of the Tuscany, and, as the report goes, -he had run close in with his ship, landed, and found the money; but at -the moment of his grasping it, he discovered his ship in a perilous -position. The second officer, who was left in charge, from incapacity -or ignorance, had run her ashore. Circumstances occurred, during his -stay on the island, that rendered it impossible to bring away the gold, -the existence of which, whether chimerical or otherwise, is still a -favorite theme amongst the whalemen who frequent this latitude; and in -January, 1856, a whale-ship that then lay at the Vasse, had engaged one -of the Tuscany’s former crew, and anticipated having a search for it. - -Our second mate went ashore, near the spot where the Tuscany was -stranded, captured a right whale bird, and procured a number of eggs. -On examining the bird, we found that the substance composing its jaws -exactly resembled right whalebone, and its tongue was precisely similar -in shape to that of the right whale. These peculiarities I had often -heard attributed to the bird, but considered them fabulous, as did -most of our ship’s company; although many of them had been engaged in -whaling for years, but never previously had an opportunity of making an -examination. Having procured as many fish as we could take care of for -the nonce, at eleven o’clock we returned to the barque and commenced -cleaning and salting them. In the afternoon we sent another boat in, -and when all were taken care of we found that we had seven barrels, and -visions of good fare rose before us; but alas, for the uncertainty of -human expectations--three months afterward the whole of them spoiled, -and we were forced to consign them to Davy Jones’ locker. - -The next morning after our fishing excursion we saw right whales and -the Island of St. Paul’s. The whales we lowered away for and chased, -without success. The Island of St. Paul’s lies in the same longitude as -Amsterdam, but is a degree farther north. Like Amsterdam, it is barren, -but is occupied by a French company, whose agents reside here for -the purpose of fishing. They cure their catchings, and at periodical -seasons a vessel visits them, bringing them supplies and carrying away -their accumulations of fish. From the quantity and quality of their -prey in the vicinity, I should think the business must be lucrative, -and, indeed, it ought to be, to compensate for the isolation men must -feel in this out of the way spot. This island being only sixty miles -distant from Amsterdam, is easily distinguished on a clear day. - -Nothing occurred from this time until Christmas day, when, of course, -we who were brought up to the southward of the New England States, -expected some observance of the time-honored customs of the day; but -what was our surprise to see the work going on as usual; no difference -being made, except breaking out a cheese, and distributing it amongst -the crew, fore and aft. This humble fare, being so long deprived of, -we hailed with acclamation, and partook of with avidity. This method -of observing Christmas was persisted in during the voyage; on one, -however, nothing either in the fare, or relaxation of discipline, -served to mark the anniversary; on another we were agreeably surprised -by the steward’s making mince pies for the whole ship’s company. New -England men pay very little heed to the coming of Christmas day, -they having been accustomed from childhood to regard Thanksgiving as -a much more important holiday; and as they cannot tell at sea when -Thanksgiving day comes, the only holiday left is the Fourth of July; -and two out of the three recurrences of this glorious day, whilst I -was aboard the ship, were unmarked by a single circumstance to note -it; I well remember the mate’s answer to one of the crew, who in reply -to his order to get up the spun yarn machine, laughingly said that it -was Fourth of July. The curt answer was, “Yes! it is Fourth of July -at home, but not here.” In the evening, after the quarter watch was -set, the accordeon, drum, fife, tamborine, fiddle, and triangle, were -pressed into service, and all the national airs performed thereon with -great glee. - -The New Year found us on the coast of New Holland in sight of Cape -Leuwin. This portion of Australia presents rather an indifferent -appearance, viewed from the ocean; it being barren, apparently, over -a great part of its extent, and where vegetation does appear, it is -low and scanty. Off this cape is a great resort for sperm whales, and -at almost all seasons of the year American whalers are to be seen, -standing off and on, patiently awaiting the appearance of the cachalot. -At the time that we reached this ground, the ships were just resorting -here from the coast of Africa and Island of Madagascar, we spoke and -gammoned a number, varying from eight to thirty months from home, and -having from one hundred to two thousand barrels of oil aboard. On the -fifth, a gale of wind having but just abated, leaving a heavy swell on -the surface of the ocean, we saw sperm whales. We lowered for them at -7¹⁄₂ o’clock A. M.; at 8 the starboard boat fastened to a large one, -and a moment afterward we followed with the waist boat. The larboard -boat, in trying to imitate us, was struck by the whale’s flukes and -stove. She filled, and her crew were obliged to swim for their lives -to the bow boat, in which they were conveyed to the ship. They had -managed to get one iron into the whale before being stoven; but the -boatsteerer, undaunted, when up to his waist in water, darted his -second iron at the animated target, striking his mark, but not with -sufficient force to fasten solid. Their line entwining around ours, -prevented us hauling on to and despatching him; and whilst we were -dallying, away he went to windward, towing us faster than a steamboat, -the water breaking completely over us. Our boat was one-third full all -the time, and it was only by unremitting bailing, by two of our number, -that we kept her afloat. This continued for hours, until the ship was -only seen as a speck in the horizon. The whales were darting here, -there, and everywhere--ahead, astern, and under us--and the officer -only prevented their getting afoul of us by repeated lancings; whilst -our boats were tossed to and fro. The boatsteerer of the starboard -boat was pitched out, but he caught the gunwale and soon recovered his -position. Immediately after the line ran foul, our boat capsized and -was taken down. I jumped, as soon as I found that she was going over, -kicked off my shoes, and swam for the other boat, the line of which -had been cut as soon as they discovered our mishap. On getting into -the boat, I found that three others were all right, and directly our -second mate made his appearance and was assisted in. He stated that -the line had become twisted around his ankle, but, fortunately, he had -the sheath-knife in his hand when he went down, and cut himself loose. -The tub oarsman got in with his hand seriously cut, evidently by a -lance which he must have come in contact with under water. As soon as -we counted those in the boat, the amidship oarsman was found to be -missing, and as we knew that he could not swim, we were apprehensive -that he was drowned; but on the instant his head made its appearance, -and I shoved him an oar, with which he supported himself until picked -up. After finding all safe, we laughed at the accident, and looking -around for the whale, discovered him apparently taking a view of -us--his profuse bleeding rendering it impossible for him to sound. -On our approach he gradually receded from us stern foremost. We were -twelve in a boat, almost out of sight of the ship, and had anything -happened to our boat at this stage of the operation, some, if not -all of us, would have lost the numbers of our mess; but Providence -protected us, and we came off harmless. On going on to the whale to -lance him, the monster would roll on his side, display his enormous -jaw, and attempt to seize the boat with it. This was repeated a number -of times, when those in the ship, which had been gradually nearing us, -discovering only one boat, and that full of men, they lowered away two -boats. One went in pursuit of the capsized boat, while the other came -to our assistance, and fastened to the whale, discharging three-bomb -lances into him. These caused him to roll and groan, but not producing -a fatal effect, our boat returned to the ship for more, which were -likewise deposited in his carcass; but it was not until sundown that -he rolled fin out, and was brought alongside. We secured him for the -night, and the next morning proceeded to cut him in. This is a very -different operation from cutting-in a right whale; the two species -being totally dissimilar. The first move with the sperm whale is to -separate the head from the body, and when the jaw is loose, heave it -in. Cutting off the head consumes, if a large whale is the subject, -from two to four hours, according to the dexterity of the manipulator; -if a proficient handles the spade, it is a work of but little trouble, -but if a bungler, he wearies everybody’s patience out beside his own. -The head, when completely clear, is made fast to the ship’s quarter -by a strong chain, and the body then hove in. When the small is -cleared away, the head is hooked on to and hove out of the water, then -separated into two portions, known as the case and junk, and separately -hove in. If the whale is very large the case is bailed overboard, so -as not to endanger the ship’s spars by so heavy a heave--in this case -we hove it in. Whilst heaving in our last body piece, to which the -flukes were attached, they swung around and knocked the second mate and -a boatsteerer overboard, with spades in their hands. They soon were -recovered and on deck safe again. - -We now had him all aboard. The jaw was dragged forward and secured, -and several employed in cutting the blubber from the pans; it measured -twenty feet in length and had in it forty-eight ivory teeth, many -of them weighing a pound or more. The case was then opened, and a -boatsteerer jumped into and prepared to dip out the unctuous matter, -which in this part of the head is fluid; for what purpose designed I -know not, but no doubt it is a provision of Providence that has its -uses, although we cannot discern them. From this vast receptacle for -oil we bailed some twelve barrels of the pure spermaceti. The junk -was then cut into horse pieces, and these, with the other blubber -from around the head and jaw, were rendered out and stowed in casks -marked “head;” it being by far the most valuable portion of the whale, -and commanding a better price. The head of the sperm whale generally -yields about two-fifths of the oil procured from the entire fish. After -finishing with the head matter, we proceeded with the residue the -same as with the right whale formerly mentioned. On boiling the body -blubber, we found it exceedingly poor, and were not at all surprised at -the whole yield being only seventy-two barrels--his size auguring at -least a hundred. He was seventy-five feet long. - -In appearance, this whale does not bear the slightest resemblance to -the right whale--its massive head differing from the latter; neither -has it the bonnet, as the right whale, infested by barnacles and -vermin; its body is not so thick; it is longer, and on the back, near -the small, a ridge rises which is known as the bump; the flukes, too, -are smaller; and the skin, instead of being black as ebony, is of a -slate color, frequently mottled with white--around the head presenting -an appearance like marbling; beneath the skin, on the head, is found -short, stiff, hair, and between the hair and skin an alkaline substance -which is a solvent for oil--it is used for washing clothing and the -paint work. - -After our whale was stowed below and finished with, we remained off -the Leuwin for a few weeks, seeing whales but once, and then just at -nightfall. So the captain said, one fine morning, that he thought he -had waited long enough for the whales, and that now they might wait -for him. He ordered the helm hard up, and we went bowling away before -a ten knot breeze toward Vasse--a settlement situated in Geographe -Bay, a short distance to the northward of Cape Leuwin. Soon we could -see the breakers dashing and surging over the inhospitable coast, and -at 7 o’clock P. M. let go our port anchor in three and a half fathoms -of water, about three miles distant from the shore. We found several -other whalers at anchor, and two more came in the same evening. From -the ship the country looked low, sandy, and bushy. The next day we went -ashore for the purpose of procuring fresh water, and found that we had -an onerous task; as the casks were towed ashore and rolled about a -quarter of a mile to the wells, over a sandy, uneven road, into which -the pedestrian sank knee deep at every step. On arriving at the wells, -the water had to be dipped up by bucketsful from a depth of twelve -feet; nor was the water very good, it being produced from the sea by -filtration through the sand, which deprived it of its saline matter. -On filling our casks, finding it impossible to roll them through the -sand, we took our raft rope and laid it in a continuous line, rolled -a cask upon it, brought the end of the rope over it, and thus, all -hands taking hold, we succeeded in parbuckling them, one by one, to the -beach. I had often heard it sung that Jordan was a hard road to travel, -and whilst engaged in this occupation, beneath a burning sun and over -the scorching sand, I thought that it would not have been inappropriate -to substitute Geographe for Jordan; as a harder road to travel I defy -any one to point out. Thus we toiled, day after day, until we had four -hundred barrels of water in our ship’s hold, when liberty commenced. -This is always a season of rejoicing amongst sailors, but it would be -impossible to give a perfect description of the manner in which they -enjoy themselves, and the mad pranks they cut whilst their liberty -lasts. Imagine, if you can, a school of the most mischievous urchins -let loose, with perfect freedom to enact all the mischief they are -capable of, and you can form a faint idea of Jack ashore in a foreign -port. Some have hired horses and are riding double, one facing forward, -the other in the opposite direction, kicking, spurring, and urging the -nag onward, occasionally getting a fall which is productive of nothing -but a hearty laugh, the loose sand protecting the dismounted cavalier -from injury; and ten chances to one, after recovering his feet, the -unseated one would grasp the animal’s tail to mount again. I remember -a case of one of our crew, who, burning to distinguish himself, went -ashore, hired a horse, and rode off into the bush at full speed. The -beast, being better accustomed to bush ranging than his rider, in the -course of an hour made his appearance alone; and, on search being -instituted, the gay horseman was discovered hanging in the forked -branch of a tree, in such a position that he could not extricate -himself without assistance, and even then his garments were rather the -worse for wear. - -The oldsters, when ashore, of course, resorted to the grog shop and -got merry; the younger ones, burning to emulate them, were soon half -seas over, and rolling around in too heavy a style even for a sailor. -The first day, however, settled the affair, as on the following one -the youngsters discovered that the way of the transgressor is hard; -for they had to pay the penalty of a disordered stomach and severe -headache. On the next liberty-day Bacchus had but few votaries. - -I will now endeavor to give a slight description of the town of -Vasse. The town and bay take their name from a French vessel and her -master--the town from the captain, and the bay from the vessel. She -was cast away here years ago, and remnants of her timbers are still -to be seen. After half a mile’s wading through the sand, we came -to the outskirts of the town; the first house was a grog-shop, the -second a smithery, the third a grog-shop, and, half a mile farther on, -another groggery; so that it was easily to be seen that the Maine Law -had not yet gone into operation in this vicinity. Three grogshops, -in a village of about one hundred inhabitants, are rather more than -one would suppose were needed; but all seemed to be doing a thriving -business, everybody, men, women, and children, indiscriminately -going to the bars and drinking miserable spirits, for which they pay -six-pence sterling, equivalent to twelve cents of our money, per glass. -Then again, within a compass of a few miles, numerous sawyers are -employed, who, after laboring hard for two, three, or six months, and -accumulating a sum of money, resort to the village, and, to use their -own expression, proceed to knock their earnings down. This they soon -effect, and return to their old employment, when forced to, for want -of funds to continue their carousal. The ticket of leave men, too, who -are mostly employed in this section by the government, in repairing -roads and public works at certain seasons of the year, are allowed a -short time for recreation; and recreation to this people is only known -in intoxication, and hence they too are amongst the publican’s best -customers. - -The aborigines are a slender made people, with faces and bodies as -dark as a negro’s, but with straight hair. Their features, to me, are -unpleasing, and they heighten the disgusting expression by besmearing -the cheeks, forehead, and the fore part of the hair with a reddish -clay, resembling Spanish brown, mixed with oil. They are very filthy, -being alive with vermin. Their only clothing consists of a kangaroo -skin, with the hairy side turned in, thrown over the shoulder; this -they call a bouka. The paint they put on their faces they call -willagee. Their weapons consist of a hard piece of wood, shaped like -a half moon, called a boomerang, which they send whizzing through the -air, striking any object they aim at with the most unerring precision. -The spear, too, they dart with exceeding accuracy from a diamond-shaped -piece of wood which they call a womara; they also dart it from the -hand. One morning I had half a dozen children darting for small pieces -of tobacco, which they invariably struck. They have a passion, like all -uncivilized nations, for rum and tobacco. The former they are debarred -from using, from the fact that the government inflicts heavy penalties -on any person who supplies them with the smallest quantity of alcoholic -stimulant. Our fellows, in several cases, got a bottle and carried it -into the bush, and gave them small quantities for the fun of seeing -and hearing them dance and sing; and, indeed, a very small portion of -spirits causes them to act more like demons than members of the human -family. - -One afternoon I witnessed a sham battle between about a score of them, -equally divided. Twigs were substituted for their spears; the latter -being pointed, and armed with glass attached by means of a red gum, -are rather dangerous weapons to play with. They charged each other, -rallying and retreating, and, when opportunities presented, darting -their weapons, all the time making a hoarse guttural sound, and -becoming much excited. The sport continued for some time, and, after -they had finished, tobacco was given to them. One of them demurring -at the quantity in rather an outrageous style, was cooly knocked head -over heels, and this arousing a combatant spirit amongst our crew, the -whole of the natives, in a few moments, were flying as if for dear life -from the vicinity. From observation on different occasions, I should -say that the men are possessed of no courage; the women fight brutal -battles with each other, armed with sticks, and never succumb until -powerless from exertion or injury. But few, if any, of the females whom -I have seen, were not covered with welts, thicker than one’s finger, on -the back and breast, the result, no doubt, in many instances, of these -encounters: but they have a custom, I am told, of abrading their flesh -on the death of a relative, and to this cause is assigned most of the -scars they are covered with. They, like the men, are dressed with the -bouka or kangaroo skin, and are squalid, dirty, lewd, and ignorant. -Anything, a chew of tobacco, or a mouthful of biscuit, will cause -these libels on the name of women to forget the allegiance due to their -lords. - -In the summer these people sleep in the open air, making, towards -sundown, a fire in the bush, and sleeping with their feet to the fire. -In winter they build rude huts of twigs and reeds, about four feet -high, and large enough for two or three individuals, and here they, -having in their hunting season collected provisions enough to subsist -on, huddle together and sleep away the rainy season, which usually -lasts about five months. Their food comprises almost everything that -is endowed with life--kangaroos, snakes, iguanas, and grubs being -their dainties; and if in the neighborhood where a bullock is killed, -they greedily flock to the spot, secure the entrails, and devour them -without cleansing. They are also very fond of the flesh of the whale; -and if by accident one comes ashore on the coast, or they take one at -either of the fisheries in the bay, they resort to the spot in great -numbers and devour the meat, fresh or putrid, without cooking. The -women back all the burdens, beside carrying the children; the child, -perfectly naked, sits astride on the mother’s shoulder, with the hands -firmly clasped in her hair, and in this manner they travel miles with -them. Some of the children carried in this way are of so light a -complexion, as to excite strong suspicion of amalgamation with some -of the whites in the neighborhood. The women, beside the child, carry -a bag, into which all the surplus provision is stored. Impelled by -curiosity, I one day bargained for a sight into one of these mysterious -receptacles, and for a plug of tobacco had revealed to my sight half a -dozen grubs, several snails, part of a toad, a snake, roots and herbs. -The snakes they will not eat without they have been present at the -time they were killed, being fearful that the snake, on being wounded, -should have bitten himself. These people are remarkable for accuracy -of vision and keen scent. For the former quality they are occasionally -carried out by whaleships, for the purpose of looking out from the -masthead; and I have been told by those who were shipmates with them, -that they could discern a spout or sail at as great a distance with the -naked eye, as a practised hand could with the glass. The last mentioned -quality causes them to be employed by the government in tracking -convicts who have taken to the bush, by captains of whaleships to -recover deserters, and by the settlers to track up their stray cattle. -In all these pursuits they are said to be infallible; although when -they arrive at the runaway, if he present a bold face to them, they -will not molest him; and unless they have a white man with them to urge -them on, they will retreat empty-handed. They have a wholesome dread of -fire-arms, and some of their race having seen a revolving pistol, has -impressed on most of them the supernatural character of the weapon; and -the “little fellow,” as they call it, is to them a great bug-a-boo. - -On the strictest inquiry I could not discover that they had any -religion. The only inkling that I received of their ideas of hereafter, -was the fear they expressed of jing-ge, a word synonymous to the -English word devil; whether they have gleaned this idea from their -intercourse with the whites, or that it is traditionary with them, I -have no means of ascertaining. - -These people are in the extremest degree indolent, and are only induced -to do even the slightest job or errand, by promising them a meal upon -its performance. If the employer good naturedly bestows the recompense -when they are partly through, or the black fellow has had anything to -eat previously, all efforts to induce him to return to the work are -futile--words and blows being equally useless. On the appearance of -whaleships in the bay, they resort to the town, and every member of -said ships on going ashore is importuned for hard bread and tobacco, or -an old jack-knife; and if the donor gives to all who ask him, he soon -finds his stock of edibles and patience entirely exhausted. - -There are no musical instruments among them; their vocal music is -monotonous, and sounds harshly to the ear. At certain seasons of the -year they meet for the purpose of having a “corroborie” as they call -it, to which every member wears his best bouka; and when assembled they -vie with each other in grotesque grimaces and contortions, both of form -and feature. - -These people are protected by the laws equally with the whites in -this section. Some few hundred miles to the northward, at a locality -known as Port Gregory, it is but a word and a blow; the blow, which is -generally fatal, coming first. In the latter neighborhood, depredations -committed on the settlers are the causes of their harsh treatment. -Some few of them, when young, have been taken, educated and clothed -in the European fashion, but in vain; they always prefer life in the -bush, with their own people, to all the advantages of civilization, and -only return to their benefactors when forced by hunger to do so. This -often happens, as they are exceedingly improvident. Their mode is, on -obtaining food, to gorge themselves to repletion, and then to sleep -or hulk about until Providence sends them another supply, or hunger -compels them to seek it. - -These Australians contrast very unfavorably with our aborigines (the -North American Indians), being possessed of all their bad qualities, -without a single one of their redeeming traits; the same love of rum -and tobacco, and a mean habit of pilfering, without their perseverance -in the chase and bravery in conflict. I shall now, for the present, -bid them farewell, though, as my narrative proceeds, I will again have -occasion to revert to them. - -As this settlement is part of a penal colony to which Great Britain -consigns her malefactors, for from five years to the duration of their -lives, to atone for offences against the laws of their country, the -society is not, consequently, what we at home would call select; but, -such as it is, it has its aristocracy. Although the majority of the -inhabitants are convicts, some of whom have served out their term of -punishment, the word convict amongst themselves is never used--it being -apparently banished, by common consent, from their conversation. The -convicts here form three grades--the members of the first, comprising -those whose sentences have not been ameliorated, are under the strict -surveillance of the government, and employed on government work. The -second class are known as “ticket of relief holders;” these, for -uniform good conduct, receive this ticket, which entitles them to -choose their own employers and place of residence; but at the same -time they are expected to give information as to where they reside to -the police, and to be within doors at 8 o’clock in the evening. If -these ticket holders continue to conduct themselves in a praiseworthy -manner, they then receive a conditional pardon, which entitles them -to leave the country, but at the same time debars them from returning -to Great Britain or Ireland; or, if condemned in the colonies, from -returning to the place of conviction; permission is, however, accorded -to them to take up their residence in any other part of this colony, -or in any colony under the control of the English government--England, -by this precaution, guarding against the return of her prison -population to her own shore. Hence these men, knowing that the stigma -of conviction will cling to their skirts as long as they remain in -this country, anxiously desire to embark in whalers--the United States -being, in their eyes, the land of promise--and in this way numbers -of emigrants of very doubtful character land on our shores. It is -customary for whale-ships to engage some of these men; occasionally -discharging their entire original crew, and shipping these in their -places. We had a number of them during the voyage, and in this port we -shipped two. I cannot but deprecate the practice of introducing men -of such vicious antecedents, into a forecastle in which are American -youths, who, by intercourse with such people, begin quickly to have -very crude ideas of morality; and, unless there is some strong-minded -person, with a clear, cool head, to rebut their specious arguments, -they exercise an injurious influence on the minds of the young. - -During the remainder of our stay in this port, we were engaged in -giving liberty, boating ashore goods that had been sold or exchanged -for potatoes--other vegetables not being procurable. Beef was furnished -sparingly, it being alleged that a sufficient supply of it could not -be procured; but as I then was, and since have been informed, that -thousands of cattle were within a short distance of the town, the story -requires confirmation to make it credible. - -The articles chiefly disposed of here were Yankee notions--fancy shoes, -soap, calicos, saddles, and other such stores. Formerly the whalers -that resorted to these ports for provisions found a market for all -their surplus articles; but, at the present time, over-importation has -caused a total stoppage of their trade, except at ruinous prices. Every -whale-ship that comes into this vicinity brings tons of tobacco in her -outfit, and very little, if any, duty is paid upon it--it being mostly -smuggled ashore. On the starting of a ship for port, the foremast hands -always resort to the slop-chest for tobacco, which they carry ashore -and dispose of at three times its original price; thus eking out their -liberty-money to a respectable sum, and, much or little, expending it -quickly. - -The excise is guarded by the police, who, as a matter of form, look -into every boat that comes in; but I have never seen any difficulty in -carrying ashore, anywhere in the colony, twenty or thirty pounds of the -weed about the person; and, once ashore, purchasers are readily found. - -A few Americans are to be found here, in every case deserters from -whaleships; who invariably, if at all attentive to business, in the -course of a few years, accumulate an independence; but, unfortunately, -they are too apt to imbibe a taste for that curse of this country, rum, -and live from hand to mouth, until, becoming unsettled and weary, they -embark aboard another whaler, and in time get home, having little or -nothing due them, after a voluntary exile of eight or ten years from -home and friends. - -On the second liberty-day, given to the larboard watch, Kedge Anchor -took French leave and fled to the bush for concealment. For some -days we saw nothing of him; but, after a week’s absence, he was at -the beach, very anxious to get aboard on any conditions. He returned -miserably filthy and covered with vermin; his clothing almost gone, and -what he had left was all of one color, from wallowing in his various -sleeping places. Whilst ashore, he was under the guidance of a fellow, -who, by flaming accounts of the condition of the country, induced him -to desert, intending to apply to our captain for his berth. On Kedge’s -return, he was greeted with laughter, in which he heartily joined; and, -as it was impossible to get angry at him, he escaped with a reprimand; -the captain at the same time assuring him, that if, at any future time, -he repeated the attempt, he would not allow him to return aboard. What -effect this had we shall discover as we proceed. - -At 10¹⁄₂ A. M. on the morning of February 12th, the ship James Allen, -and barque Henry M. Crapo, hove up their ground tackle and stood out -to sea. The captain of the James Allen had been vaunting of the speed -of his ship, and confidently asserting that she would outsail any -ship or barque in the harbor, he issued a challenge. We hove up at 11 -o’clock, half an hour later than he, and in the course of two hours -had both the Crapo and James Allen on our lee quarter. As we passed the -latter, our captain facetiously desired them to let go that _hawser_. -They were too badly beaten to answer without displaying their chagrin; -they therefore were discreet, and said not a word. As this ship was our -consort from this time until July, 1857, I shall describe her and her -appointments. Like us, she was built from an old fashioned model, but -was a much younger ship. Her captain was of a diminutive person, and -strove to atone for his small size by blustering; his first officer, -who, from all accounts, governed the ship, delighted in a display -of pugilistic powers, and kicked, cuffed, and boxed the men on the -slightest provocation. She was two months longer from home than we, and -up to this time had taken no oil. One circumstance that I omitted, in -my remarks on Vasse, was the fact of a collation and a ball, held on -board this ship whilst we lay there. Invitations were issued, and the -elite of the vicinity, for miles around, accepted them, and at about -3 o’clock P. M. were conveyed aboard the Allen by the boats of the -vessels in the harbor. All the vessels had their colors hoisted; the -captains and chief mates were the only guests from the vessels. When -the boats with their freight arrived alongside, a chair that had a whip -attached to it was lowered, the ladies, singly, placed in it, and, -reposing on the American flag, hoisted aboard. Here a canvass screen -was extended across the quarter-deck, just abaft the mainmast, and, -after a hearty repast, a negro fiddler, who is an American by birth, -and the principal headsman at the bay whale-fishery, was called into -requisition, and, with the assistance of a triangle player, discoursed -music for the dancers. Soon the whole assembly were tripping the light -fantastic toe, on the well-worn decks that had faced many a gale. The -scene was pleasing. The coils of rigging, the shrouds, and lower masts -dimly lit up by the globe lanterns, reflecting a striking picture, -and reminding one of the smugglers’ jubilees, after a successful run; -hardy, weather-beaten men, leading in the dance; fair maidens, I was -about to say--but the scathing sun of Australia allows very few females -to boast a fair complexion, although their nut-brown cheeks glow with -health. The respectability of these people I know nothing about, except -from hearsay; but that they were a motley collection I was assured of -the following day, by hearing an old resident, a female, describe their -efforts, or rather the efforts of some of the party, to appear covered -with finery--devoting days to scouring the country and collecting -it. My fair countrywomen must not think me embittered against their -sex, or that I am anxious to do them injustice--God forbid; as a man -and a sailor, I would scorn to do so; but as an American, I feel the -superiority of my countrywomen over all of the sex in other countries -that it has been my privilege to see; and to favorably compare these -females with those of my native country, would, in my eyes, be an -insult to the latter. - -I must advert to another circumstance before taking final leave of the -Vasse for “fifty-six”--that is the existence of the whale-fisheries in -this bay; there being one here, and one thirty miles to the north-east, -at a town known as Bunbry. At certain seasons the right and humpback -whales resort to the various bays on this coast for the purpose of -producing their young. A look-out is stationed on an eminence ashore, -and several boat’s crews being near at hand, at the appearance of a -whale the alarm is given, and they start in pursuit. At times their -work is very easy, but if the whale should run out to sea, after being -struck, they are obliged to tow him to the shears, and frequently a -day and night are consumed in this arduous employment. If the whale is -attended by a calf, they always fasten to the latter first, knowing -that the mother, in her solicitude for her offspring, is very careful -not to use her tremendous flukes; or if a humpback, her sweeping fins: -but woe betide the boat, unless an experienced boat-header directs it, -that is in the vicinity when she discovers that her calf is dead. She -then remains close to the lifeless body, striking right and left with -flukes and fins, to avenge her loss; and as the slightest tap from -these formidable weapons would cause destruction, it requires all the -boat-header’s adroitness to avoid them. The officers, boatsteerers, -and, if they can by any means be procured, two-thirds of the crews are -Americans: we having a world-wide reputation for skill in this pursuit. - - - - -CHAPTER IV. - - -And now we will return to our old barque, that we left beating out of -Geographe bay, having distanced both her competitors, and established -her reputation as a fast ship. At night we shortened sail and stood -quarter watches, and from this time until the middle of the succeeding -month, little occurred to vary the sameness of our life. We were -aroused from inaction by the appearance of sperm whales. The boats were -lowered, and the waist boat fastening, both irons drew. A few minutes -after, the starboard boat fastened to another. These irons holding, -after a two hours’ conflict we had a fine sperm whale alongside the -ship without accident, except the voluntary discharge of the bomb-lance -gun, which, fortunately, was productive of no injury. We had good -weather, and soon he was disposed of in our lower hold. The following -morning after his capture, we saw three other New Bedford ships -employed in cutting in whales, making four of us successful in the -war of extermination against the old squareheaders. The sperm whale, -swimming in immense schools, and always pursuing a direct route, all -ships that lay in their course have a chance at them. I have heard it -asserted that at night these whales heave to, resuming their course -at daybreak; but, although my informants were men who had been in the -service for years, I consider this a mistaken opinion, as during the -whole of our voyage I saw nothing to corroborate it. I have seen sperm -whales at dusk, and in the night, and they were always on the move, and -could not be discerned the following morning from the masthead. - -During this month we gammoned the barque Lexington, of New Bedford. -This vessel was in a wretched state, and apprehensions were expressed -by her crew that some misfortune would befall her: she leaked -immoderately, was strained and very weak, and her rigging was so -shattered that they were unable to carry sail, except in moderate -weather. Whilst in company with us she could not hold her position, and -drifted broadside off to leeward. Subsequently her captain carried her -into Mauritius, where she was condemned, and sold, only to be refitted -as a colonial whaler. - -One day, while most of the crew were listlessly reclining on the decks, -the extreme heat rendering exertion fatiguing, we were startled by old -Jack singing out from aloft, “The sea-serpent, the sea-serpent!” On -leaping into the rigging, we saw close to us a long, slender object, -in form resembling a snake. It was of a bright scarlet color, and, -although it moved, I think its motion was produced by the undulation -of the waves, and although Jack assured us that he had often seen them -much larger, and was willing to take his Bible oath that this was -the identical sea-serpent about which so many newspaper articles are -written, I am still inclined to think that it was some marine vegetable -production. It was about twenty feet long, and as thick as a man’s -arm; and as the season advanced we saw many of them. - -At another time we were startled from inactivity to see a strange -monster, which the boatsteerer on the main topgallant cross-trees, -on being questioned, could give no explanation of; and it certainly -did present an appearance different from anything I had previously -seen. I was prepared to log the advent of a hitherto undescribed, and, -at present, indescribable inhabitant of the deep, when my romance -was knocked in the head by the captain, who, at the height of the -excitement, stepped to the rail, saw it, and immediately decided that -it was a young fin-back whale scooping up its food, which it did by -swimming along with extended jaws. - -We had now gradually worked up to the northward, until we had arrived -on our cruising ground for the season. This ground is off Shark’s bay, -and extends between twenty and twenty-three degrees of South latitude, -and from one hundred and seven to one hundred and ten degrees of East -longitude. It bears the reputation of a profitable locality for whalers -to cruise in. The bay derives its name from the presence of myriads of -enormous sharks, and all over the ground, when a whale is alongside, -thousands may be seen surrounding the ship, tearing off pieces of -blubber from the whale, and revelling in his blood. They will bite -at anything. I have seen them pursue our wooden buoy, which is used -for attaching the hawser to the whale’s flukes, as it gradually arose -to the surface of the water, and attempt to crush it between their -hideous jaws; and after finding they could make no impression upon -it, following it up, occasionally nipping at it as if they did not -understand the consistency of an object that resisted their incisors. - -On Sunday, April 27th, we lowered away for, and captured a fine -sperm whale. The James Allen’s boats lowered at the same time with -ours; they arrived first to the whale, ran on, and darted; but their -boatsteerer missed, and our waist boat, seizing the opportunity, ran on -and fastened. On the following Sunday we again saw sperm whales, and -captured another; on the succeeding day the weather was boisterous, -but we proceeded, in the face of numerous difficulties, to cut him in: -just as we had got him in a good position for hooking on, the fluke -chain parted, and away he went. We lowered away, and a second time -secured him. In attempting to veer, the whale got under the ship, and -it was only by strenuous tugging and hauling that we raised him. At -length we began to cut, and towards noon had the head severed from -the body; but, after various attempts, we gave up all hopes of saving -it; it was then allowed to tow from the quarter; we then went to work -at the body, and at 5 o’clock in the afternoon had it all aboard. The -weather having moderated, we renewed our efforts to save the head, and -succeeded so far as to get it in tow forward, when the hawser parted; -we next attached a studdingsail tack to it; but, although the rope was -large and new, it parted like packthread. A tub of line was then bent -on, and the head allowed to float astern; but in a short time the strap -attached to the head chain parted, and away it went, a total loss, -leaving us with nothing to console us, except the reflection that we -had done all that men could do, to save it. I noticed throughout this -arduous day’s work, the general alacrity of the crew in striving to do -their utmost, and could not but comment on the advantages of giving -each man a proportion of the vessel’s earnings, instead of monthly -wages; in our case all felt themselves personally interested, and -conducted themselves accordingly. - -It will be noticed that three-fifths of our whaling up to this time, -has been on Sunday, and, subsequently, this day of days proved equally -fortunate for us. I do not wish to defend the practice of Sunday -whaling, and think that if a man makes it an invariable rule to -whale only on week days, that Providence would so dispose it that he -should not be a loser. We saw several of these Sunday ships, as they -are called, and in each instance they had quite as much oil as their -neighbors; at the same time, it takes a strong religious bias to induce -a man who depends upon the capture of whales for an early return to -home and friends, after being separated from all that he holds dear, -perhaps for years, to forego attempting their capture on a Sunday. In -fact, the temptation is strong; and, strange to say, most whalers see -greater numbers of whales on the Sabbath than on any other day. - -Soon afterwards we met the James Allen. Since we last saw her she -had captured a whale, her first--whose lower jaw was snapped short -off--probably in conflict with another of his species. These creatures -are often terribly scarred, and their teeth indented and broken, as if -another whale had locked jaws with them; in which case something must -start. - -In the month of May we gammoned the barque Massasoit, of Mattapoisett, -and from her got several terrapins which she procured in Madagascar. -These creatures had lived in her lower hold for twelve months, we kept -them three more; still, when we killed them we found them quite fat, -and had a delicious meal off them. From this ship we also received a -quantity of Madagascar beans, which were most excellent--surpassing, in -richness and flavor, the best of our beans at home. They are about the -size of the Lima bean, the skin being covered with black spots. - -On the 23d of May we spoke the barque Ann, of Sag Harbor, and from her -received papers five and a half months old; they were treasures to us, -and were read with intense interest, advertisements and all coming -in for a share of attention; these papers were full of anticipated -troubles with England, and, of course, this prospect of a war was the -favorite topic. Like all Americans, we felt the superiority of the -universal Yankee nation, and had no fears as to the result in case of -a war with John Bull; and, from the general tenor of the conversation, -I should infer that, in case of emergency, the whalemen would be found -amongst the most strenuous supporters of both army and navy. Another -light also was cast on the subject by some one hoping that we should be -ordered home; and as a war would raise the price of oil, and induce an -earlier return home, both topics of intense interest to us, it cannot -be wondered that we were so much engrossed by them. - -As I before said, we shipped two new men in the Vasse; one of these -was, according to his own account, a renowned pugilist, and had fought -and conquered in a dozen fights in the English ring. He was allowed -to vapor for a long time, but one pleasant evening, he went so far as -to offer to fight any man in the forecastle for an English sovereign. -His offer was instantly accepted, and a mere boy was chosen as his -antagonist. In less time than is occupied in the narration, the bully -was describing some queer figures on the forecastle deck--tumbling in -and out of bunks, over chests and kegs, all the time begging piteously -to be let go. After a few minutes of this violent exercise, he was -allowed to get up, thoroughly convinced that a Yankee hug was at any -time a puzzle for an English pugilist. The following morning he went -to the captain to complain of his ill usage, but the “old skipper” -had already been informed of the merits and demerits of the case, and -received the complainant with an order to clear out and not bother -him; but he was too anxious to make himself heard, and, persisting -in his cock and bull story until the captain was out of patience, he -was rewarded for his pains by an application of the old man’s heavy -boot to his posterior, and a box alongside the ear from his powerful -hand, that sent him forward lamenting, with more alacrity than he had -before displayed aboard the ship. Previous to this occurrence he had -quarrelled with almost every man in the ship, had refused to obey the -mate and was mastheaded for it, and evidently appeared to think that, -because he was an English subject, he was not bound to conform to the -rules of our vessel. - -On the 8th of June, we took our departure from this ground, intending -to touch at the town of Balli, on the island of Lombock, an island a -few degrees to the eastward from Java, about a thousand miles from -our present locality--a long journey in the eyes of a landsman, but to -us, who for months had been tossed and banged about at the caprice of -the wind and wave, it was but a part of our customary life; the trip -presenting no more perils than our ordinary daily occupation. And then -again, the sea watches, which are always stood when sail is carried, -afford a pleasant variation, the long-continued quarter watches having -become extremely tiresome. Many slung their hammocks on deck, the -excessive heat of the weather and the bed-bugs combined--the latter -being always in great numbers in old ships--driving them from their -usual sleeping apartments. I remember seeing our Portuguese appear -on deck one night nearly nude, rubbing himself most vigorously, and -swearing volubly in his own language. On my inquiring of him as to what -was the matter, he answered, that “The darned bread boxes would not let -him sleep.” A dozen remedies were proposed with the utmost apparent -seriousness. One advising him to catch them and drown them; another to -pull their teeth out; whilst a third advised him to smear his bed and -bed-clothes with tar, for then they would stick fast and be unable to -get at him. Jeering and pestering the poor fellow until glad to be rid -of his tormentors on deck, he returned to his uncomfortable couch, and -resigned himself to the tender mercies of his tormentors below. - -On our passage up to Balli, which climate has the reputation of -being very unhealthy, the captain advised a thorough cleansing and -whitewashing of the forecastle. No sooner said than done. The try -works were pressed into the service, a fire made, the pots filled with -salt water, and, whilst it was heating, the chests, berth furniture, -bed-clothes, and every other movable article, were removed on deck, and -buckets of boiling hot water dashed all over it. Then the whitewash was -mixed, and with a piece of canvass, the ship not being able to boast -the possession of a whitewash brush, a thorough coat was daubed over -everything, and things made to wear a clean and cheerful appearance. - -The old duds assembled on deck formed a curious collection, and as I -noticed them I fancied that I could read the character of the owner by -the appearance of each, and the circumstances under which he left home. -The neatly painted chest, comfortable mattrass and quilt, prepared by -the careful hands of some fond mother or sister, fully proved that -their owner was a New Bedford boy, whose friends knew precisely what -would conduce to his comfort when separated from them by thousands -of miles of ocean waste; whilst the common straw bed, rude pine -box, outfit quilt, with the padding run into one corner, and coarse -blankets, testified that their owner was a reckless, careless fellow, -who, at the time he shipped, cared little for outfit or anything else, -except getting to sea, and, having fallen into the hands of the sharks, -had been shoved aboard and sent afloat with the merest necessaries. - -In the pile, too, may be noticed an assemblage of hats and caps that -would make a hatter stare. During the first six months, all the hats -and caps brought from home, without, perhaps one may have been saved -to wear ashore, were blown overboard, for when a man goes up to reef -topsails in a gale, he has as much as he can do to attend to himself -without taking notice of his hat, and, unless it fit him perfectly -tight, he is sure to lose it. Hence, in this collection may be seen -head coverings of kangaroo skin, canvass, dungaree, cloth, and other -materials, in every conceivable shape and make; also straw hats, -made by the native of the Spice Islands, the Arab of the coast of -Africa, the Madagascar negro, the swarthy Portuguese, and the Malay; -all fabricated of different materials, and in different styles; all -answering, equally well, the purpose for which they are designed--that -of protecting the wearer from the seething sun, which has such power in -the native countries of their fabricators. - -After beating about two weeks--the variability of the winds delaying -our passage thus long, while, with a favorable wind and plenty of -it, we would have accomplished it in ninety-six hours--we hove in -sight of the island of Sumbawa--the James Allen accompanying us. -After running for some distance along its coast, delighted with the -scenery--every rock and crevice being covered with vegetation of the -richest green, clusters of cocoa-nut trees rising in every direction, -and all the beauties of tropical verdure opening to our delighted -visions--a mountain, said to be volcanic, came in for a due share of -our attention. Soon we entered the Straits of Allas, and saw Balli -Peak, a mountain of considerable altitude, covered with vegetation. -Whilst at the mouth of the straits, we were greeted with a sight of a -water-spout--a phenomena so often described that for me to attempt it -would be superfluous. I will only state that sailors have a belief -that the water of which they are composed, although coming from the -ocean, undergoes, through the sun’s rays, a distillation that deprives -it of its salt. After we entered the straits, we alternately had a -succession of calms and light breezes which detained us for some time; -but, finally, we came to anchor about a mile from the town, in ten -fathoms of water--the James Allen being within a stone’s throw of us. -Near us was a coral reef, which prevents craft, except of light draught -of water, from approaching closer to the town. A number of the native -vessels lay inside of us loading with rice. These vessels are known -as proas--some of them are good sized; they are flat-bottomed, draw -but very little water, and are painted in rude, barbaric style. All -that I saw of any size were rigged as barques, their sails being mats, -manufactured from leaves neatly connected so as to present the surface -to the wind. - - - - -CHAPTER V. - - -Soon after our sails were stowed, a canoe from the town came alongside. -In it were two Malays, who had a cargo of green and ripe cocoa-nuts, -bananas, sugar-cane, tamarinds, pine apples, chickens, and cockatoos. -They were desirous of bartering these articles, not for money, but -sperm whale’s teeth, which they term “gee gees,” and use for handles -to their creeses, after having neatly carved and ornamented them. They -have a perfect passion for these teeth, and having at one time exposed -to their view a very handsome one, I was beset and pestered by these -people, ashore and aboard, to sell it. Having no desire to dispose of -it, I at first only laughed at their offers, but when one plucked me -by the sleeve and offered me a dozen chickens for it, and another his -whole stock in trade to become its possessor, I wavered and let it go. - -The cocks, of which half a dozen were purchased, displaying -considerable game, two were pitted against each other, and, as quickly -as one was beaten, another was backed against the victor, until they -were tired of fighting, when their heads were cut off, and we supped -upon the belligerents. - -The captain went ashore and found that no American or European ship had -been here for several years. - -In the evening great numbers of the natives came down and waded -into the water; at first I thought they were bathing, but afterward -discovered that they were engaged in fishing for a diminutive fish, -which I think, from their appearance, must have been sardines. On -the ensuing morning, the captain having learned that we lay in a -bad position, we hove up our anchor and ran a short distance to the -northward, and again came to in the same depth of water. During this -day we were occupied in getting off water, and reeving new lanyards -to our lower rigging; and this laborious work in latitude 8°, was -rather warm. We were visited by many boats from the shore, and at -noon had a comfortable dinner of sweet potatoes, rice, chickens, &c. -On the succeeding day the starboard watch went ashore on liberty, -each member of it provided with half a dozen yards of gaudy-colored, -large-figured calico. We walked about half a mile from the landing, -and came to anchor at the market, where we found a concourse of -men, women, and children, with their wares exposed to view, busily -soliciting purchasers. This market was situated in the open air, near -by a cocoa-nut grove. They had for sale monkeys, parrots, cockatoos, -cooked and uncooked rice, poultry, limes, lemons, oranges, and figs, -besides the fruits before mentioned. These last were to be bought -for a song, and as we had been so long without these luxuries, -they were freely indulged in; but what suited my palate best was -the banana fried in cocoa-nut oil, which an old woman was busily -engaged preparing--plucking the fruit from the tree and cooking it. -Our appearance set these merchants agog, but they were not at all -obtrusive, and waited until we directed our attention to them before -they approached us; then they surrounded us, a dozen at a time asking, -how much this was, all their English; but we were not anxious to part -with our goods before discovering the state of the market. Soon a -man joined us whose complexion presented a queer appearance, being -formed of half a dozen different shades, arranged in spots, differing -in size as in color, from the size of a five cent piece to that of -a silver dollar, and in shade from a light yellow to a deep copper -tint; he was well made, and had the appearance and manners of one -of the better class; he conversed in intelligible sailor English, -mixed with French and Spanish, and evidently considered himself a -great linguist. From his account of himself I suppose that he was the -rajah’s clerk. He seemed anxious for me to describe, on the sand, some -English speaking, as he termed it; and after I had complied with his -request, he, in return, took the stick and drew several characters to -me unintelligible. He stated that his name was Woreka, and, as this was -difficult of remembrance, he was, by common consent, christened John, -and seemed quite proud of his title. He assumed the office of chaperone -to us, and through his instrumentality quite a number disposed of their -calico. I was importuned for some time, by a native, for mine, and -finally agreed to let him have it for four hundred pice. After some -demurrage, he agreed to purchase it, but did not possess sufficient -current funds about him. He desired me, by signs, to accompany him to -his house, where, he said, he had plenty; and on my reiterating the -price, he repeated, “I sabe, I sabe,” with much emphasis. On arriving -at his house he handed the calico to his wife, who was as much pleased -with it as an American child would be with a toy. Her spouse proceeded -up stairs to procure the money, and whilst he was gone I had leisure to -observe the inmates of the room. The wife, a young woman, apparently -about twenty years of age, had the most perfect set of features I ever -beheld, and hair, which, if loosed, would flow almost to the ground, -of the glossiest black; her complexion was about as dark as that of -our Indian squaws; her eyes, black and piercing--lips red as a cherry; -her form full of grace, and straight as an arrow. She reminded me of -the pictures I had seen of oriental princesses; and, certainly, a more -graceful or prettier queen never wielded sceptre. The other occupants -were an old woman and several children. By the time I had finished -my scrutiny mine host returned, and presented me with a quantity of -Chinese coin, which I found fell one hundred pice short of the price -agreed upon. I informed him of his mistake, but as all I received for -answer was “I sabe,” I demanded the restitution of the calico. For -this purpose he advanced to his wife to obtain it, and when she, who -had been watching us closely, discovered my intention of depriving her -of her prize, her pretty features contracted into a malignant frown, -her eyes shone like diamonds, so fierce were their expression, whilst -she stamped her little bare foot indignantly at the affront she deemed -imposed upon her. In consideration of the lady’s disappointment, and -from the fact of my being separated some half a mile from my comrades, -in the midst of a village containing hundreds of Malays, I was on the -point of yielding; but the lady’s rage found vent in words, which, -although I did not understand, from her glances and gestures I knew -were directed at me; and I have no doubt that, if I were able to -translate it, it would rival the Billingsgate vocabulary. I in turn -became warm at finding myself the object of vituperation, even from -such rosy lips; and then reflecting how my story would sound when told -to my shipmates--betraying how I, one of the oldest amongst them, was -overreached by a Malay, I remained firm; and getting possession of my -calico, left the house and the dusky lady--the latter to continue her -vituperations to her heart’s content, now that I was out of ear-shot. -Some who read this may think me foolish in allowing it to nettle me; -but I know of nothing more vexing, even to a patient man, than to be -made the subject of abuse, when he cannot understand his villifier’s -language, and is compelled to submit without being able to say a word -in justification of himself. I walked off with my goods, and, to -avoid a recurrence of such a scene disposed of it to the first who -offered, receiving in exchange four strings of pice, small Chinese -coin, composed of a mixture of brass and copper, impressed with Chinese -characters, each having a square hole in the centre. I met several -others of my shipmates furnished in the same way. They being too bulky -to carry in our pockets we were forced to carry them in our hands; one -of our number had his strung on a stick and slung over his shoulder; -the Malays carry them at their girdles. After having expended a few of -them for fruit, and one hundred and fifty each for our dinners, the -balance were thrown by handsful amongst the children, for the fun of -seeing the naked little urchins scrambling for them. Our dinner we -procured from our friend John, who furnished us with a very palatable -repast of bread fruit, cocoa-nuts, yams, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, -chickens, eggs, and rice. The chickens were stewed and seasoned to a -high degree with Cayenne pepper, of which condiment these people are -excessively fond, and, of course, think strangers are, or should be. -After dinner a drum and a couple of gongs were produced, and several -natives beat them for some time, making nothing like music to my ears. -When their performance had ceased, one of our fellows seized the drum, -and another, having his accordeon ashore, they began to play Yankee -Doodle; this was home music to us, and was received with a burst of -enthusiasm. One of our number, who had served in the Mexican war, -formed the men in line, with bamboo poles in the stead of muskets, -with which as many manœuvres were performed as would have excited the -awkward squad to emulation. The natives looked on with great glee. Our -friend John had purchased, from one of the party, a blue coat with -brass buttons, and a double-barreled pistol without a lock; the coat -he wore, whilst the pistol was displayed in a prominent position; and -with these additions to his usual accoutrements he strutted around, the -beheld of all beholders. Feeling his dignity much increased by them, a -razor was shown him, to which he took a great fancy, and insisted on -being shaved with it, after which he purchased it. Edge tools, such -as sheath and jack knives, scissors, &c., are eagerly sought for by -these people; even a piece of iron hoop is of value, and a foot of -it will procure for the possessor a day’s regalement. Their creeses, -one of which each male carries, are short swords, from eighteen inches -to two feet in length, irregularly shaped, and made of an unpolished -soft metal; they are carried in neat wooden sheaths; the handles are -of ivory, beautifully carved and ornamented. This is not the work of -the Malay, but of the Chinese; and the fact explains the eagerness with -which they purchase whale’s teeth--their hardness, and the superior -whiteness of the ivory, rendering them peculiarly applicable for this -purpose. These weapons are used by them in their encounters with wild -beasts, more particularly the tiger, which infests these islands. -Usually, when the tiger seizes his prey, they told us, he catches his -victim by the calico which encircles the waist, thus leaving his arms -free; then the Malay, feeling for the shoulder-blade, inserts his -creese, and, piercing the beast’s heart, relieves himself from his -cruel enemy. Their descriptions of their encounters with the tiger I am -inclined to think are, to a great extent, bombast; as from observation, -I have little faith in their confidence in themselves or weapons--one -of the boatsteerers belonging to the James Allen, when under the -influence of their abominable toddy, driving a score of them before -him with a good sized cudgel. Beside their creeses, each carries in -his girdle a box containing the beetle-nut, of which he takes a large -piece enveloped in a green leaf, belonging to I know not what plant, -and swallows it with great gusto. This practice, which is to them as -much of a necessity as tobacco is to a sailor, blackens their teeth -to an ebon tinge, and, I should judge, ruined them; as few, even of -the youngest of those who have arrived at maturity, have anything but -stumps of teeth. They also use the tobacco which grows on the island, -known to seamen as “shag tobacco.” It has little taste, and when -smoked, exhales an unpleasant odor; grows in threads and looks like -saffron. - -Here, as in all barbaric countries, the women are obliged to do the -principal part of the work, and they may be seen walking in Indian file -from the rice fields to the granary, each carrying on her head a large -basket; the whole being under the guidance of a strapping Malay, who, -from appearance, is anything but an easy taskmaster. We saw but very -little of the unmarried females, except at a distance; they were, for -the most part, engaged in weaving a cloth of alternate gaudy colors. -On our approach the weavers would drop their work and run like deer. -We examined their looms, and one who, at home, had been a weaver, said -that they were on the same principle as our hand-looms. The reason -ascribed for the timidity of the females was, that some years ago -a Spanish vessel of war visited the town, and the crew, on getting -ashore, indulging in anise until drunk, indiscriminately violated -and otherwise maltreated the women. We could occasionally detect -them peeping out, to have a look at us, from some secure retreat. No -liberties could be taken, for the first two days, with any of them, -when an acute fellow, moved by a spirit, not unlike Yankee speculation, -procured prostitutes from an adjacent town; but he overshot his mark, -as the liberty was then stopped, and those ashore on duty were not -provided with available funds. There is a system of slavery here; and -John showed me a woman, whom he said would die--indeed, she appeared -in the last stages of disease--informing me at the same time that she -had cost him eight dollars, but that he would sell her to me for three. -Having no desire to be possessed of a human chattel in this part of -the world, I declined his accommodating offer. I could not detect any -difference in the races; both master and slave were, apparently, of one -family. - -There are two Chinese merchants located here, who appear to monopolize -the whole trade of the town; they had a mart filled with china ware, -vermilion, cards, and various articles of Chinese manufacture; amongst -which they displayed, as very desirable articles, some disgusting -licentious paintings on glass--the workmanship and coloring displaying -no mean artistic skill. They were eager to display their possessions, -and showed us a large camphor-wood chest, filled with pice; but, -although the natives were continually passing in and out, the merchants -manifested no apprehension of theft; they seemed systematic in their -business, and, like all Celestials, considered themselves the only -civilized nation on the face of the globe. - -The houses the Malays inhabit are built of bamboo; the first floor is -raised some six or eight feet from the ground, and the second about ten -feet above the first; the floors are of split bamboo. These houses are -airy and commodious; in the rainy season the inmates thatch the roof -and cover the sides with mats, to protect themselves from the weather. - -The canoes, generally, are built of tamarind-wood, having outriggers -on each side to prevent capsizing; they are propelled by a paddle in -the bow, and one on the quarter, and when the occupants are hurried -they skim along with great velocity. One man will go out in his -canoe, drop anchor, and smoke and fish all day long. Seeming to think -the straits belong to them, they will neither move nor turn out for -anybody. One day when we were towing a raft of water aboard, one of -these canoes lay directly in our course. Finding gestures and the -king’s English ineffectual in clearing the way, we merely sheered our -boats so as to pass; but the raft continuing its course, caught in the -outrigger of the canoe, and, despite the exertions of its owner, it -was dragged for some distance before he was able to extricate it. All -the time he was spluttering away in Malay, until, finally, he mustered -enough English to sing out, “Let go;” but, as the current was strong, -we had as much as we could do to hold our own, without helping him. - -Their cattle, which they call buffalo, do not, either in size, shape, -or appearance, resemble the rovers on our Western prairies; they are -small, formed like our ox, with slender legs, and hair the color of -that of the deer. I at once pronounced them a variety of the musk ox, -and when, a few days after, I partook of the flesh, my opinion was -strengthened. The flesh was white and tender, but had so strong an odor -and taste as to be unpalatable to us. I do not know whether the Malays -eat them or not. The cows give a rich milk, which, like the flesh, -tastes strong. - -Their horses are undersized, but appear active, hardy, and intelligent. - -Every family has numbers of poultry, and it is a favorite amusement to -pit them against each other--houses for the purpose existing in several -parts of the town. - -The ducks are the most peculiar that I ever saw; they stand erect, -with their heads high in air, and are facetiously nicknamed “Balli -soldiers:” they are excellent eating. - -The principal provisions we obtained here were sweet potatoes and -pumpkins; the former were smaller and not near so good as ours at home, -but formed a pleasant variety. We soon disposed of them; sixty bushels -lasting only six weeks. The pumpkins, in shape and taste, resemble our -squashes. We also managed to get a few yucas, which is an esculent -resembling the potato, and, I think, a small variety of the yam. - -Beside these, we carried out large quantities of cocoa-nuts, bananas, -and tamarinds--the bananas, being brought aboard in an unripe state, -after a few days were fit to eat; our cook attempted to boil some, but -the attempt proved a failure--we preferring them raw. The tamarinds -were preserved in molasses and stowed away; they are valuable for their -anti-scorbutic properties, and were kept aboard for years after leaving -Balli. - -One day, whilst lying here, after I had pretty well satiated my -curiosity in the town, I strolled into the country, and came across -a cemetery filled with hecatombs--a slab being placed at the head, -another at the foot of the grave, and the space between filled with -stones. Near this cemetery was a spot enclosed by a high, solid, stone -wall, but I could not ascertain for what purpose it was designed. -Pursuing my way, I found a number of trees covered with the names of -ships that had visited Balli, with date and country attached: amongst -them I noticed that of the Spanish ship before mentioned, and those of -several whalers, with the quantity of oil they had aboard specified. I -found some one had been here before me and carved our old barque’s name -in large characters. Beyond this spot I discovered that a very populous -country existed; but why we had not been told of it at the lower town, -I cannot divine. The natives clustered around us in great numbers, and -the women, after the first sight, were not afraid to approach us. In -the centre of the town was a cockpit, where fowls, with steel gaffs, -were plunging at each other, whilst their owners and backers were -freely betting as to the result, so intensely bent on the contest, -that they had neither eyes nor ears for us. Some of the men here were -rather officious, and we scarcely knew what their intentions might be; -probably it was only curiosity; but it induced us to beat as speedy a -retreat as we could, without exciting notice. - -These people are very temperate, and I did not see them indulge in any -of their intoxicating liquors, which consist of two varieties; one, -a scarlet-colored spirit, which they call “toddie,” is made from the -fermented juice of the unripe cocoa-nut. At first taste it does not -appear strong, but over-indulgence in it produces either stupefaction -or a species of insanity, resembling no effect I have ever seen from -any other spirit. In the first case the subject is reduced to perfect -helplessness and insensibility, which does not leave him altogether -for several days; if the latter effect is produced, all the symptoms -of violent insanity appear, and the madman does not rest until he has -had a quarrel. Hence it was called “fighting toddie;” and one who has -once indulged in it shuns it afterwards, on the principle that a burned -child dreads the fire. - -The Anise is a colorless liquid, with a smoky, fiery taste, and has the -same effect as other spirituous drinks. Neither of these liquors could -be procured in the town when we first came ashore, whereupon some of -us congratulated ourselves on the prospect of a temperate and sociable -day; but part of our crew, determined to have a spree, by the offer of -half a dozen whale’s teeth, induced a native to cross the country in -quest of it. The hesitation of the people in furnishing it, evidently -proceeded from a perfect knowledge of its effect upon seamen when -ashore, and indulging in it _ad libitum_. - -The rajah of the town and his clerk visited the ship one morning. -The rajah’s dress and air were anything but kingly. He was a man of -advanced age, and at home would have passed muster as a respectable -looking mulatto; but he had little to say, not understanding our -language--his clerk, Tonga, interpreting for our captain and he. The -harbor duties were paid in powder, with the addition of an old musket, -and the provisions in whale’s teeth. - -The coast is considered unhealthy by the natives themselves; the -rajah’s clerk expressing himself anxious to get away into the interior, -saying that he was fearful of being sick. The utmost care was taken -by us to prevent sickness. None of our crew were necessitated to -drink the water--a cask of beer being continually on draught on the -quarter-deck. No sleeping on deck was allowed, and no staying ashore -at night. Even with all these precautions, our second and third mates -were very ill--the latter severely so--and also one of the crew, with -a debilitating fever peculiar to the climate. Several belonging to the -James Allen also had reason to remember Balli for a long time after -they left it--a distressing dysentery continuing to affect them for -months. At Angiers, in Java, in nearly the same latitude as Balli, -scarce an American whaler goes out, after a short stay, without leaving -one or more of her crew to repose in death on its lovely shores: and -we cannot but feel thankful for the protecting care of Providence, -in guarding us from such a misfortune. This is the only objection to -these East Indian ports, as I know of none where a crew of young men, -if so disposed, can pass a few days more rationally and pleasantly, -gleaning at the same time useful information. The climate appears to -agree with the natives, as I saw numbers of the most attenuated human -beings, who had attained a great age, so reduced that the student -might, by procuring one of them, readily study anatomy from a living -subject. I was at a loss for a long time to divine the occupation of -these emaciated creatures, but soon found that they were mendicants. -They never solicited alms, but seemed to make a good thing of it--the -countrymen and women bestowing pice freely amongst them. Although so -old and reduced, their vanity still remained, as was shown by their -eagerness to purchase our gaudy calico. - -These people profess the religion of Mahomet, and their creed seems to -enjoin cleanliness upon them, as they are neat and cleanly to an almost -painful degree--performing their ablutions frequently and thoroughly, -like all others of the same faith. Pork is their abomination, as much -as it is to the children of Judea. - -Parrots and cockatoos exist here in great numbers, and may be seen in -the lofty cocoa-nut trees. The cockatoo is a beautiful bird, about the -size of our pigeon; it is perfectly white in its body plumage; on the -head is a crest consisting of three or four feathers of a beautiful -yellow, which it elevates at pleasure; it has a formidable beak, is -easily tamed, and can be taught to articulate. Ashore I saw several -domesticated, that jabbered Malay with great fluency, and traversed the -house on a perfect equality with the cats and children. Monkeys also, -may be seen in these groves; they are small, but active, mischievous, -and intelligent. Cockatoos and monkeys had attracted the attention of -more than one of us; and half a dozen of the former, and two of the -latter, were transferred to our ship, where they soon made themselves -at home. The birds lived for some time, but were finally lost -overboard. The monkeys not agreeing well together, one was given away, -and the other committed suicide by eating putty. - -On the last liberty day Kedge Anchor, from our vessel, and no less -than seven from the James Allen, deserted; but their departure was -soon reported, and natives despatched in search of them on the same -day. After a tiresome walk of ten miles, during which they represented -themselves as having been treated by the natives with the utmost -hospitality, they found themselves surrounded by a score of the -rajah’s body guard, armed with drawn creeses; and, with some demurrage, -the deserters, having no arms, were compelled to submit. No indignities -were offered to them. Horses were provided for each, and thus mounted -they were conducted back to the coast--their attendants easily keeping -pace with them on foot. They arrived at night, and were comfortably -provided with lodgings and an excellent supper, and next morning were -delivered over to their respective captains, on the payment of a piece -of blue cotton cloth, as a ransom for each. There was very little said -to our shipmate, but aboard the Allen her deserters were handcuffed and -put between decks; though after a short time they were liberated. This -freak hastened our departure from the port, and on Sunday morning, at 3 -o’clock, all hands were called to “Up anchor, ahoy!” With a merry song -the windlass was manned, and soon the old barque was on her way out. We -had several hundred chickens aboard, one hundred ducks, six cockatoos, -two monkeys, and a Malay puppy. These creatures, all excited by the -unusual position they found themselves in, were respectively venting -their dissatisfaction in the most vociferous manner. The cackling -of the chickens, quacking of the ducks, chattering of cockatoos and -monkeys, the yelping of the puppy, and the merry “Yeo, heave, ho!” -of the sailors, blended, formed a chaos of noises, indescribable and -deafening. Our bananas were hung under the tops, over the stern, and on -the stays and rigging--giving our floating home a lively appearance. - -On the last day of our stay in port, the Englishman who had made -himself so disagreeable to all hands, on expressing a wish to be left -ashore, was discharged by our captain. He had seven or eight pounds -sterling; the captain gave him several more, as also a piece of cotton -stuff for which he could readily procure sale, and then provided him -a guide across the country. A large, powerful man, belonging to Troy, -New York, having effected his escape from the Allen, on the last day, -eluding the natives sent in pursuit of him, was supposed to have -accompanied him, and both took their way to Anfernande, a seaport some -thirty miles distant. - -In the evening of the day that we took our departure from this pleasant -spot, we were favored with a strong breeze, and the crew became -themselves again in the execution of their multifarious duties about -the ship; lying in port always giving to Jack Tar a sluggish carriage; -but the moment the sea breeze strikes the vessel, he livens up and -feels himself called upon for exertion. - -In the course of the ensuing week, the cocoa-nuts, tamarinds, and -bananas were proportionately distributed amongst the crew, fore and -aft, and these, with fowl additions to our usual sea fare, enabled -us to live high for some time; and our monkeys affording a source of -amusement, time passed speedily and pleasantly. These little creatures -soon became expert in running about the rigging; a suit of sailor’s -clothes was made for them, and their antics in this attire were most -ludicrous. They became much attached to one of the boatsteerers, and -followed him, in fine weather, to the masthead. One day he observed -them run in company to the extreme end of the maintopgallant yard-arm, -when one, with a mischievous grin, pushed the other off; but though the -poor fellow fell on deck, he escaped with slight injury. - -With a fine breeze, we steered a southerly course, along the West -coast of New Holland, until we arrived on our old cruising-ground. -The weather here, although a few weeks previously we had found it -uncomfortably warm, after our visit to so much lower latitudes, felt -quite chilly, and woolen shirts, stockings, and underclothes--articles -of apparel to which we had long been strangers--were hunted up from out -of the way nooks and corners of chests, and donned. We here saw the -ship Stephania, of New Bedford, making a passage for Angiers, whence -her course went homeward. She was leaking badly, and her crew grumbled -at the oppressive labor of pumping in the existing hot weather. She -had considerable right whale oil, taken off the Island of Desolation, -which island was described by her crew as a miserable place for -cruising--cold weather, with heavy gales, prevailing there almost all -the time. A few days previous to our meeting her, they had been fast to -a large sperm whale, which crushed a boat in its huge jaws, seriously -injuring the captain’s hand at the time. - - - - -CHAPTER VI. - - -Finding, after a short stay, that the ground was deserted both by -ships and whales, we pursued our course to the southward, intending to -double Cape Leuwin, thence to the eastward, and cruise in the Great -Australian Bight. Anticipating heavy weather in those latitudes, our -foretopgallant mast was sent down, and the mizzen topmast housed; and -no sooner were we thus far prepared than we caught a heavy gale that -exceeded in violence anything of the kind we had experienced during -the preceding part of the voyage. It lasted eight or nine days, and -as there was an ugly sea running, the ship was almost continually -drenched the whole extent of her decks. One night whilst lying-to in -the gale, when its violence was at its height, a heavy sea broke over -the vessel, carrying away part of the starboard bulwarks, and filling -the bow boat on the larboard side. The davits of the boat were crushed -by the weight of the water, and the boat broke down amidships. The -decks were deluged, and it was necessary to knock out a part of the lee -bulwarks to allow the water to escape. The third officer, who headed -the watch, called the first mate, who, on coming on deck, hurriedly -ran over the members of the watch, when missing one, whose look-out he -heard it was, and supposing him to have been on the forecastle at the -time the sea was shipped, he gave him up for lost. To ascertain, he -cried aloud his name at the top of his voice, but the gale prevented it -from being heard a short distance from the speaker. He then despatched -a person into each top, who sang out for him without result. After -all had decided that he was overboard, without hope of relief, he was -found snugly ensconced in the starboard boat, totally unaware of the -apprehensions entertained for his safety. - -On the 6th and 7th of August we fell in with the barques Aladdin -and Lady Emma, and the brig Jane, all of Hobartown, carrying the -English flag. These were the first whalers we had seen carrying other -than our own glorious banner. We gammoned them, and found them but -indifferent craft--their rigging poor, and scarce any discipline -existing aboard of them; their slouching arrangements contrasting -unfavorably with our own neat and tidy appearance. Their crews are -composed principally of convicts who have served out their terms of -sentence, and ticket-of-relief men: with such material it is scarcely -possible to form a good crew. Their officers and captains were, in many -cases, from the same class of society; and on board one of the barques -the master was so ignorant as to be compelled to carry a navigator, -who directed all the movements of the ship, except when they were -whaling. A few Yankees were amongst them--in every case deserters from -American whalers. The residue of their crews contained representatives -from all parts of the world--black, yellow and brown; Portuguese, New -Zealanders, Kanackas from all of the South Sea Islands, and Negroes. -Aboard some of these ships the forecastle is partitioned into two -apartments, in one of which the blacks, and in the other the whites -reside--neither party encroaching on the other. These ships usually -fit out for fifteen months, but generally return within the year; -their forecastles look desolate, from the fact that none of the crew -bring chests to sea with them; their stock of clothes consisting, in -many instances, only of the suit they wear upon their backs. Their -bedding, too, from lack of attention to their outfit, is very scant, -and is therefore insufficient in such cool weather as prevails in -the Bight at this season of the year. They were disposed to grumble, -and exceeded the usual modicum of growling accorded to the sailor. -They envied us our positions, and were very desirous of effecting an -exchange; some went so far as to ask to be concealed when their boat -left our ship. They represented that their ships were leaky, and the -officers ignorant; and inveighed in unmeasured terms against their -rations, describing them as scant and unwholesome. These must not be -considered as fair specimens of the Hobartown shipping, as afterward -we saw vessels in which, although their management could not compare -with ours, their crews were at least contented, and their vessels and -rigging presented a much better appearance to a seaman’s eye. - -On board these ships grog is allowed; by some, daily; others, semi-and -tri-weekly; and when we informed them that we sailed on the total -abstinence principle, they expressed much astonishment at the fact, and -wondered how we got along without liquor. - -Several New Zealanders in the respective crews of these vessels -attracted my attention, from the tattooing on their bodies. The figures -on the face and breast were not near so disgusting, as from previous -description I had imagined them to be. - -Quite a pleasant incident occurred on board our vessel, during this -evening. One of the crew of the brig Jane came into our forecastle, -and inquired whether there were any natives of Patterson, New Jersey, -present. Two of our crew, belonging to that city, presented themselves; -and, after some inquiries, one of them proved to be the play- and -school-mate of the stranger. They had not met since their childhood, -and their meeting now caused much feeling on each side. Both had -followed the sea for years, and been self-exiled as it were from their -native land. When a stripling, the one aboard of us had joined the -volunteers in General Scott’s army, then in Mexico. After participating -in the struggle until peace was declared, he returned to the United -States, spent his pay, and then shipped aboard a whaler bound to the -Arctic ocean. Having been forty months at sea, he came back, and again -spent his earnings just as foolishly as he had done before; and, being -compelled by necessity to return to the ocean for support, he shipped -aboard a merchant vessel bound for Liverpool. He next made various -voyages to different parts of Europe and the West Indies, experiencing -perilous vicissitudes; when, finally, he embarked on board our old -craft. His schoolmate had joined a New Bedford whaler; which, after -being a year from home, touched at a port on the eastern coast of -New Zealand, where he deserted, and engaged for a time in the lumber -trade; in which, he told me, he would have done well, if he had left -liquor alone. From this he proceeded to trade with the natives, and -was finally adopted by them; but their mode of life being distasteful -to him, he engaged in the coasting-trade, was cast away, and carried -into Hobartown, where he at length joined the brig Jane. Both these men -possessed talents above mediocrity. They were good seamen, and their -qualifications would have rendered them good citizens also, had not a -roving, restless spirit of adventure led them to throw away their time -rambling over the world. - -These ships pursue the blackfish with almost as much eagerness as they -do the whale, and their manœuverings for this small game often deceived -us. The crews receive a large proportion of the vessels’ earnings; -but they get only forty pounds sterling per ton for their oil, no -matter what price it brings in the market; so that, although the lays -are shorter, the actual remuneration is about equal to ours. The only -advantage they possess over us is in the shortness of the voyage: -during the whole continuance of it, however, they allow no liberty, and -only touch at insignificant ports for vegetables. - -On the 22d we sighted sperm whales. Lowering away the waist boat, we -went on to the fish--the boatsteerer darted; but the irons struck the -head, and did not penetrate. The whales started to the windward, and we -saw no more of them--getting nothing but fisherman’s luck for our pains. - -On the 25th we were informed of the probable loss of the ship Twilight, -of New Bedford: it being supposed that she had foundered at sea. The -report was originated by the captain of the barque Draco. It appears -that the two vessels sailed from King George’s Sound in company; and, -experiencing an exceedingly heavy gale, they agreed to lie by each -other during the night, either party, if desirous of running before -the gale, agreeing to fire a rocket or show a light. No such signal -was seen from the Draco; and next morning, on the Twilight’s not being -discernible, the conclusion was arrived at that she was lost. We were -agreeably surprised, a few weeks after, by a sight of the missing ship. -Her captain had before been informed of the report; and, on our running -across his stern, to our captain’s hail he replied, that his ship was -the Nonsuch of New Bedford. - -About this time, I was much amused by an original method, which our -captain instituted, to stop pugilistic encounters between the boys. -On the evening previous, a Portuguese boy and a New Bedford youngster -engaged in a game of fisticuffs, resulting in black eyes and skinned -noses to both the participants. The captain, on making inquiry the -next morning, discovered enough to justify him in punishing them. For -this purpose he tied their left hands firmly together, and placed -reef-points in their right hands. (These points are manilla ropes, -three feet long, whipped at both ends, and about three-fourths of an -inch in diameter--a formidable weapon in a strong hand.) Then, after -getting them in position, he instructed them to lay their points on -each other’s backs. The Bedford boy refusing to do this, the captain -took the point in his own hand, and gave him a cut, which operated -like fire amidst dry wood. At it they went; and, both being game, they -continued the infliction of the points for half an hour, when they were -stopped by the old man. One of them was then sent to sit astride the -extreme end of the flying jib-boom, and the other to occupy a similar -position on the spanker-boom. The other ships’ officers said, merrily, -that old Sherman was trimming ship to beat them. - -On the same day, by the ship Alexander, belonging to the same owners -as our own barque, I received letters from home; and although nine -months old, they were heartily welcome. None but the wanderer from -home and friends knows, or can imagine, the joy and comfort imparted -by good news from home. Such events are the oases in our desert. -Newspapers were also sent to me; and I read them completely through, -advertisements and all, with a degree of attention I had never before -bestowed on a printed sheet. Others were not so fortunate as myself, -and gave vent to their disappointment in bitter terms. - -The Alexander had been whaling in higher latitudes than we were--she -having visited Desolation and New Zealand. Her present captain came -out as first officer; for, the original captain being taken sick, had -returned to the United States from one of the Cape De Verde Islands, -and his mate succeeded him in command. Her crew described their first -captain as having been a trump; relating, with great glee, that on the -cook’s serving them up beans badly cooked, they complained to him; and, -discovering their complaint to be well founded, he forced the cook -to eat the whole mess--giving him nothing else to eat until he had -completed the task. Ever afterwards, they said, their victuals were -nicely prepared. Off the western coast of New Zealand they had seen -sperm whales more than sixty times; but, for some reason or other, they -had not been very successful in capturing them--having taken but five -hundred barrels of oil from the time they left home. This ship then -purposed returning, and was anxious for us to accompany her. - -Whilst we were in the Bight, the barque Australasian Packet captured -a sperm whale. The weather was boisterous, and they did not succeed -in getting him alongside until after dark. The boat that was running -the line to the ship was struck by the vessel, and stoven: two of her -crew clung to the boat, and escaped; the others were drowned. The whale -was allowed to go adrift, and was picked up on the following day by -the ship Hunter, of New Bedford. By this sad disaster the crew of the -Packet were intimidated, and refused to do any more whaling; therefore -the captain was forced to return with her to Hobartown. - -On the 10th of October we gammoned the barque Rodman, of New Bedford, -twelve months out, with twelve hundred barrels of oil. She was by far -the most successful ship we encountered. Much of her oil was taken off -Desolation; and her crew, like that of the Stephania, represented that -whaling-ground as a perfect purgatory. They said that the weather was -so intensely cold, that it was necessary to envelop the person in three -or four thicknesses of warm woolen clothing when going in the boats. -This practice cost one of their crew his life; for the boat in which he -was being stoven, from the heaviness of his clothing when saturated he -was unable to swim, though he knew how, and he perished--his boatmates -having as much as they could do to save themselves. They had also been -into Shark’s Bay, in pursuit of humpbacks, and lost an anchor there; -the captain had also there rigged a bomb-gun, so as to discharge a -harpoon, but on putting it into operation shattered his hand. - -Doing nothing in the Bight, and being assured of the scarcity of sperm -whales on its grounds, we took our departure for the westward. We had -counted largely on this season’s operations--forgetting the old maxim -of not reckoning chickens before they are hatched. We saw sperm whales -but once during the season, and then failed to make a capture. We were, -without palliation, skunked: our whole additions being a porpoise and -cowfish. The latter fish is of the same species as the porpoise, only -differing from it in size, it being considerably larger; its flesh is -coarser and not so good eating. - -During our cruise we were continually in sight of some one or more -islands of the Récherché Archipelago. These islands are uninhabited and -almost barren--the only green appearance being a stunted brushwood. -Around these islands the seal is found in great numbers, and small -craft resort to them for the purpose of capturing these sea-dogs. -Several of the ships lowered their boats, which went in, and stated -that they caught numbers of fine fish. - -Steering to the westward we sighted Bald Island and Baldhead, and -cruised in their neighborhood for several weeks, seeing sperm whales -once, but, after a hard day’s chase, giving up the pursuit as futile. -One Sunday, at daybreak, the order was passed forward to loose the -flying-jib. One of the hands laying out on the boom for the purpose, -the foot rope parted, and he was precipitated into the sea. We had had -blustering weather for a few days previous, and a heavy swell was on -at the time of the catastrophe. No one saw him fall; but one of the -crew, imagining, as he thought, that he heard a gurgling sound in the -water, looked over the bow, and saw at a glance what had happened. The -alarm being instantly given, the cry of “Man overboard,” resounded -throughout the ship; and, without waiting to dress, the whole crew, -fore and aft, made their appearance on deck. In a moment the wheel -was put hard down, and the mainyard hauled aback. The first officer -sprang into the larboard boat, in his nightdress, and cut the gripes; -the tackles were let go by the run, and the moment she touched the -water she was manned by a crew, who, with strong arms and brave hearts, -lustily pulled for their hapless companion. Fortunately, he was a -strong swimmer, and, although the weather was cold and he enveloped -in the heaviest of sea clothing, with his coat on, also, he found but -little difficulty in keeping afloat. In a short time the fourth mate, -who was in the head of the boat, grasped him and hauled him aboard. The -word was instantly given that he was saved. No cheers followed this -agreeable announcement; but a deep-drawn sigh of satisfaction expressed -the relief such intelligence afforded. In eight minutes from the time -the order was given to loose the sail, we had him safe and snug aboard -the ship. He was so weak as to be unable to clamber from the boat up -the side. On stepping from the rail to the deck, he was welcomed as -one restored from the dead, and, after many assurances that he was all -right, except a slight weakness, the excitement began to subside. None -but those who have experienced it, can imagine the effect produced by -the cry of “Man overboard,” on every hearer; and to us, who had lived -for more than a year together, seeing and conversing with each other -every hour in the day, all depending on the same fabric for shelter -against the storm and wave, it came with a ten-fold force--as none knew -whose turn it next might be. Nothing serious resulted from the ducking; -a slight cold, that soon yielded to simple treatment, being the only -affection. - -On the 20th we stood in with a fair wind, passed Baldhead, entered -Frenchman’s Bay, and came to anchor at 7 o’clock in the evening; having -taken a pilot when opposite to Baldhead. A few hours after the James -Allen made her appearance. We found at anchor the barque Wavelett, of -New Bedford. The ensuing morning all three ships weighed their anchors -and passed through a narrow passage which connects the bay with the -sound. The Wavelett and our barque came to anchor in good shape, but -the James Allen, in trying to imitate us, ran aground. After a few -hours she floated clear. At anchor in King George’s Sound, we found -an old hulk, with only her lower masts standing, was moored stem and -stern, and used for the reception of coals for the steamships that -every month touch there. This harbor is beautiful and safe, it being -protected from almost all winds. About a mile from where we lay is -the town of Albany, a settlement containing about one hundred houses, -and five hundred inhabitants. The tenements are principally of frame, -with thatched roofs. Their occupants are of the same class as those of -Vasse. At times, it is said, this place presents quite a business-like -appearance; but when we visited it, everything like trade seemed -stagnant. This was represented to be caused by the non-arrival of the -steamers; the government having withdrawn them to use as transports for -troops to the Crimea. - -For the first three or four days we were visited by heavy rain squalls, -which preventing much work being executed, we whiled away the time, -between squalls, in angling--the water being alive with fish--salmon, -herring, mackarel, and whitings, rewarding the fisherman’s toil. - -We had little trouble here to procure water--a large tank being walled -in, from which we procured an abundant supply. The only difficulty we -experienced was from the extreme coldness of the water while rafting it. - -On the 27th our liberty commenced. On going ashore and walking up the -beach, we found, on passing the custom-house, a notice, signed by the -captains of the different ships in the harbor, notifying all persons, -that in the event of trusting any of their men, it would be on their -own responsibility, as no debts of our contracting would be paid by -the said captains. This was unusual to us, as we had never before been -posted in port; but it may have been necessary, as the sailor, when -ashore, thinks of nothing but present enjoyment. When he is half seas -over, he will borrow money, or buy anything on credit from persons -foolish or roguish enough to trust him, and when he gets at sea, will -tell with great satisfaction how nicely he bilked the landlubbers; but -in ninety-nine cases out of the hundred the landsman has the best of -the bargain, seldom letting Jack Tar weather him. - -The first move of our fellows was to take possession of an English -bar-room, strike up Yankee Doodle, and break down in a genuine -fore-and-after. There are five of these public houses in this -settlement; one, however, was chiefly patronized by the ships’ crews, -from the fact of a pretty bar-maid presiding over the spirits; and, -as she was the only creditable-looking specimen of marriageable -femininity in the place, she was surrounded by admirers. She met all -with a cheerful smile, and was ever pleasant to both officers and -sailors, always granting them a kiss of her fair cheek, when ready to -sail; while her character, from a certain dignity about the girl, was -unimpeachable. - -Of course, the facilities for obtaining liquor being so abundant, -there was the usual quantity of drinking; but, without prejudice, I -feel justified in saying, that, of the three crews, ours conducted -themselves best, and at sun-down returned in a creditable manner. Old -Jack, however, got astray, and was not to be found at night when the -boat came off. The next day one of the crew found him, with a bottle of -grog, close by a small dam on the outskirts of the town. After being -thoroughly awakened by a hearty shaking he took up his line of march, -which, by the way, was a very crooked one, for the beach, singing, with -great energy-- - - “The sailor loves his bottle, O!” - -One morning, on going ashore, we found that the Wavelett’s crew were -not on liberty. News soon transpired that there had been trouble -aboard of her, and that part of her crew were in irons. Their captain -left the town and went aboard, and found that they refused to do duty -unless liberty was allowed to them. After some quibbling he consented, -and they came ashore. Five of her men deserted, three of them getting -clear; but the other two were traced by the natives, and apprehended by -the police. One also was caught who bolted from the Allen. - -Whilst in this port we had very little, in fact, scarce any, fresh -meat. The reason assigned was its scarcity; but the Wavelett’s crew -were all the time well supplied, and I cannot reconcile the two -circumstances. _We_ certainly needed it, having been from home fifteen -months, and having had it in but one port. Few potatoes either were to -be had here, and in lieu of them we carried to sea ruta baga turnips, -which were mostly eaten by the pigs. To make amends for the absence of -fresh meat, a supply of fish was contracted for with an American--a -deserter from a whaler, years since, who has married and squatted down -here, where he sustains himself by fishing and boating. These fish, -in appearance and taste were very much like those known as porgies at -home; they were well enough occasionally, but a continual fish diet, -than which I know of nothing more tiresome, soon clogged our appetites, -and the supply, in consequence, far exceeded the demand. I well -remember our second mate’s remark on this occasion--that it would take -two men and a boy to haul off his shirt, as he had eaten so many fish -that the bones stuck through his skin. - -From this time up to November the 5th, we were windbound in this dull -place--the entrance being so narrow that it is impossible to gain -egress without a fair wind. On the 3d, the hermaphrodite brig Louisa -came in from Adelaide. During these days of inaction, to kill time, -some would fish; others go ashore in search of clams, or raking for -oysters; some gunning, some sailing, and others in search of shells; -the latter generally returning wearied, and with but few of the -bivalves. - -On the morning of November the 5th, Norman Kinwood, a native of -Manchester, New Hampshire, was discharged at his own request, from -inability to do duty; he having been sick and off duty almost the whole -time since we left home, with chronic rheumatism--at times confined -to his berth for weeks together. All were sorry to part with him, but -thought it better for him to be ashore when unwell, than to be confined -to the narrow limits of a forecastle. For a few days he was much -missed, although a very reserved man; still, it was one familiar face -gone, and we felt that our little circle had been broken in upon. We -afterwards learned that he remained at Albany several months, and then -took passage in a schooner for Melbourne, since which nothing has been -heard from him. We shipped a new man in his place, and at 9¹⁄₂ o’clock -on November the 5th, took the pilot aboard, hove up our anchors, and in -a heavy squall stood out of the sound, coming to anchor in Frenchman’s -Bay. The Allen and Wavelett soon after followed. At 5 o’clock we hove -up, a second time were under weigh, and with a stiff breeze stood out -to sea, steering to the southward until we were in latitude 40°, where -we expected to see plenty of right whales: and we did see them, too, -and that was all the good they done us, as we would sight them from the -ship, but the moment a boat was lowered they absquatulated in as secret -and effectual a manner as a defaulting bank clerk. Finding we could -do nothing with these shy gentlemen, we steered north-west for Cape -Leuwin, hoping to see sperm whales, to recompense us for six months’ -time thrown away. On the passage we gammoned with the barque Lady -Macintosh, of London. She last sailed from Adelaide, having carried -railroad iron to that port for the purpose of constructing a railway -to Melbourne, which, when finished, will be the first work of the kind -on the island. She was then bound to the East Indies for a cargo of -teak-wood. It is not usual for merchant ships to lose time in visiting; -but in this case both ships were becalmed within a few miles of each -other, and she setting her signal our captain went aboard. - -From the date of leaving King George’s Sound, until the 11th of -January, 1857, little transpired worthy of record, except the capture -of half-a-dozen blackfish, and the usual amount of gammoning with -other whaleships--some of which had done better, others worse, than -ourselves. During the whole of this time we could not catch a glimpse -of a sperm whale; and whilst ships in our immediate neighborhood could -see and capture them, we were doing nothing. We double-manned our -mastheads, made more sail, and passed over a greater space every day -than heretofore, but all to no purpose; the whales were still beyond -our vision. Meantime our crew began to get discouraged, almost a year -having elapsed since we had taken any oil, and, consequently, since a -single penny had been earned by any of us. Some took it very easily, -but they were those to whom whaling was distasteful; others chafed with -impatience; but, finally, all of us settled down into the belief that -we had about all the oil we should get this voyage. The captain kept -his spirits up, and was continually foretelling better luck. Our time, -during this interval, was got rid of in various ways. In warm weather, -the watches on deck, as well as those below, were for the most part -slept away; in cold weather, walking fore and aft the deck, with hands -thrust deep into breeches pockets, seemed the only occupation any of -us had. There was no work to be done, in fact, but to break out our -provender from the ship’s hold and consume it. - -On the 11th, at 4 o’clock in the afternoon, we squared our yards and -steered for the land. At 9¹⁄₂ the following morning we let go our -anchor in Bunbury Bay, opposite to, and about a mile distant from, the -town of Bunbury. This little town is the neatest that I have seen on -the coast; and, although the class of population, to a great extent, -is similar to that in Vasse and the Sound, still there are many reside -in it who are worthy, respected, hospitable, and intelligent. Ours was -the first ship that had been in the harbor for years, and our captain -received the title of “the opener of the port.” At one time it was a -place of great resort for American whale-ships, but several having, -by some means, been driven ashore and lost, it became unpopular, and -was superseded by Vasse. The high price of provisions and generally -disobliging character of the inhabitants in the latter place, induced -our captain to visit Bunbury as an experiment, which proved successful -in the highest degree. We were eagerly welcomed on going ashore, and -cordially invited into the settlers’ houses. The schools were allowed -a holiday, that the children might visit the ship. These youngsters, -on seeing us, from the shore, engaged aloft (all the ship’s crew being -at work in the rigging), tarring down, &c., deemed us monkeys, and -could not be convinced to the contrary until they came aboard and -had a survey of us. This was rather disparaging to some thirty young -men, belonging to the smartest nation in the world, to be compared to -brutes; but our occupation originated the impression, and one of the -little fellows observed, on coming aboard, “If they aint monkeys, they -climb about just like them;” and being convinced that he had gained a -point, strutted off in triumph. - -The country, hereabouts, presents a fertile appearance, contrasting -favorably with the sandy soil in other portions of the colony that -we have visited. Provisions were very plentiful here, too, and we -were enabled to procure a sufficiency of excellent onions, potatoes, -cabbages, and turnips. Part of the onions and cabbages were pickled -and stowed away until our fresh supply should be exhausted. Excellent -fruit was to be had ashore, comprising apples, peaches, melons, and -pears; some of the peaches were delicious, and could be purchased at a -moderate price. - -Many of the natives here presented a better appearance than any I had -before seen, being clothed with European garments, and clean, they lost -half of their hideousness, and appeared immeasurably superior to their -brethren of the bush, with whom, however, they seemed to be on terms -of the utmost equality. I was informed by a resident, that several of -the females had been transformed into excellent house-servants; but -that they could not depend on retaining them, from their unconquerable -predilection for a bush life. - -On the outskirts of the town is the barrack, where a company of -infantry is stationed, to whom, in a measure, the general good order -prevailing is due--their presence intimidating peace-breakers. These -red-coat gentry, stationed in a town in time of peace, and enforcing -the strictest discipline, appear rather strange to an American; but the -state of society renders them a necessary evil, and companies of them -are distributed throughout these colonies. - -Within a circuit of a few miles there are a number of excellent farms, -on which neat buildings are erected for dwellings and dairy purposes. -The principal products of these farms are potatoes, onions, cabbages, -and the various garden vegetables, wheat, rye, and oats. Their wheat is -good and sweet, but dark. Their oats, as they acknowledge themselves, -scarcely deserve the name. They informed me that they raised three -crops of potatoes during the year. Indian corn, too, is cultivated, but -not to any extent. These farms are surrounded by the ordinary post and -rail fence, made of the native mahogany--as it never requires renewing -on account of decay. The raspberry-jam, a wood resembling in smell the -berry of that name, and susceptible of a beautiful polish, is found -abundantly in the neighborhood: this is a handsome wood, and when -recently fractured or sawn, the odor is delightful. Vessels arrive -and depart from here at stated intervals, carrying lumber to Adelaide; -they only take the mahogany, which is used for sleepers to the railway -in process of construction there. These crafts carry passengers, -whom, for the passage of about fifteen hundred miles, they charge the -extortionate price of ten pounds a head; but there is no competition, -and, therefore, they have it all their own way. The crafts are small, -mostly rigged as brigs of about one hundred and twenty-five tons -measurement. - -As in all other settlements on this coast, the rum-sellers drive a -thriving trade, although here there are not so many of them, there -being but two depots for the sale of spirits in the town. One of them -holds forth in a neat brick building, which, they told me, cost two -thousand pounds sterling to erect. At home the same description of -building would have cost about one hundred pounds, or five hundred -dollars. As everybody here drinks, they think it hospitable to greet -the stranger with “What will you take?” and consequently our fellows, -many of whom never rejected such offers, were alive for fun--and I will -guarantee that the denizens of Bunbury will, for many a day, remember -the skylarking of the Pacific’s crew. One, after getting pretty well -elevated, took our two Portuguese up to the school, and insisted on the -preceptor’s entering their names on his list of pupils. - -During my visit ashore I went through the town from beginning to end, -and by invitation entered most of the houses. In the garden of one I -was shown a young kangaroo, leaping and gambolling about in the most -graceful and easy manner. I also saw several collections of birds: the -cockatoo and whistling twenty-eight being the most noteworthy. The -cockatoo varies from the East India variety in the color of its crest, -which is white; and, after some tuition, they talk very fluently, as -I was assured by one who, with great facility asked what my name was. -Not seeing the bird at the time, I turned round to my companion to -answer his inquiry, as I thought, when a repetition of the question -from a different direction soon satisfied me as to its author. On my -hesitating to answer, the bird curtly informed me that he would tell -his mistress. As I did not wish to incur my fair hostess’ displeasure, -she having furnished me with a most excellent repast, I hastened to -satisfy him. - -The twenty-eight is a beautiful bird, resembling the parrot. What it -derives its name from I cannot imagine, as there is, whether in a wild -or domestic state, nothing in its note that to my ear resembles the -sound of the words “twenty-eight.” The prevailing color of its plumage -is green, elegantly variegated about the head and tail with yellow, -red, and black feathers. These birds are easily taught to whistle a -tune. Their natural note is pleasing, and somewhat resembling that -of the cuckoo. They can be taught also to talk, and several in our -possession far exceeded in this respect any parrot I ever saw. When -taught they are highly valued by the settlers, and almost every family -has one or more of them. They exist in great numbers in the bush of the -vicinity, and are preferable to the cockatoo, because they are free -from his tricks--he being as mischievous as a monkey, when allowed to -traverse the house. - -A river runs from the town up into the interior. On following its -windings, I found it too shallow for craft of the lightest draught. -Thousands of fowls skim over its surface: the shag, the swan, gulls, -and the monster pelican--all gathering their living from its waters. In -the rainy season it becomes a formidable stream, rushing violently over -its bed, and carrying away all loose objects that lie along its course. -In this river, too, I saw the natives spearing fish, an art in which -they displayed considerable skill. Wading in the water, and patiently -watching until the prey swam near them, they would expertly strike -in their spears and transfix it. I saw one of them thus encounter -a shark, piercing him through and through, until he despatched the -monster. During the whole conflict he displayed extreme adroitness and -activity in keeping out of the way of the infuriated creature, when -with gnashing jaws it turned upon its antagonist. Whenever they capture -a shark they eat it. - -Small cutters are continually arriving and departing from and for -Freemantle, Vasse, King George’s Sound, and Adelaide. These cutters -are sloop-rigged, and vary in size from ten to twenty-five tons. They -are built of mahogany wood in the colony, and are represented as safe -and convenient crafts; but only the largest of them venture to cross -the Bight to Adelaide, and that, too at the favorable season of the -year. Their freight consists of produce and goods for the various -storekeepers in the settlements. - -The people of these colonies generally profess the faith of the Church -of England; and in Vasse, the Sound, and Bunbury, Episcopalian chapels -are erected; but in none of these places do the inhabitants display a -church-going spirit. During the hours of divine service the publicans -close their dens, but always manage to supply their customers with -the ardent on the sly. They consider the closing of their houses very -unjust; and one of them, in inveighing against the tyranny of the -laws, gave this as an instance: He mentioned that the government had -prohibited card-playing, or any other game of chance or pleasure--even -going so far as to forbid bowling-saloons; and that they were led to -pass the act by a quarrel arising from a game of cards played for -pastime at a public house in Vasse, in which one of the players was -killed. Speaking of bowling-saloons, or skittles, as they are called -here, reminds me that we heard, previous to our visit to Vasse, that -there was a fine bowling-alley there. Congratulating ourselves on -this fact, we counted on a game at tenpins as not the least of our -anticipated pleasures; but, lo, and behold! when we visited it, we -found a floor of mahogany boards, some two feet wide and twelve long. -The pins were of the most outlandish shape, and could scarcely be made -to retain an upright position, even when held. The balls were nearer -oval than round, and as rough on their surface as a cocoa-nut with the -hull on. There were only two of these; and when you had discharged -them, you were constrained to walk to the farther end of the alley, and -carry them back for another trial. After vainly endeavoring for a few -minutes to make the balls roll in a straight line, we gave the attempt -up as hopeless, and left the skittle-ground, thoroughly convinced of -its demerits. - -The first time we visited Bunbury there were no wells whence ships -could procure water; so we held Geographe Bay in abeyance, knowing that -we would have a hundred barrels to drag through its sandy road. After -a week’s stay we hove short, set our ensign, and were boarded by the -police, who here act as custom-house officials. They searched the ship -fore and aft, above and below, as they thought--although we might have -had a score of the prisoners stowed away, if we had been so disposed: -as it was, we had one forward, stowed in the forepeak, of whom they saw -no trace. We carried him to Vasse, and set him ashore. Their mode of -search was to get into the hatchway, and insert the native spears in -the interstices between the casks. They reviewed the ship’s company, -in order to satisfy themselves no interlopers were there, and then -delivered up the ship’s papers and departed. We then set sail, and, -after twelve hours’ beating against a light headwind, we let go our -anchor off the town of Vasse, where we procured water. Here we had -several quarters of fresh beef--in Bunbury we had one whole sheep. - -On the 20th, the ship Twilight came in and informed us that the barque -Mars, with numerous letters for us, was on the eve of making this port. -The next morning she made her appearance, and her stock of letters -had not been over-stated, the majority of our crew, myself amongst -the number, receiving letters that had been written only six months -previous; and, as all of us had good news, and plenty of newspapers, -we were more pleasantly employed than we should have been had we just -captured a large whale. - -On the same day our second officer, Mr. E----, left us, and went -ashore; the reason he assigned being his unwillingness to encounter -the cold weather on the coast of New Zealand, whither we were bound. -He was a man of a most amiable disposition, had a superior intellect, -and was thoroughly acquainted with his profession--both as sailor and -whaleman. He had gained the respect and confidence of every man aboard, -and never had had occasion all the time we were together to chide any -of the crew, and as his chest went over the side into the boat, all -felt that we had lost a friend. This was the second withdrawal of -members of our original crew from the ship. Mr. E.’s intention was to -remain ashore until some whaler should arrive in need of an officer; -in which case his well-known ability would easily procure him a berth. -When ready to sail, the captain brought an American aboard who had -been in these colonies for some years, and was slightly related to the -captain’s lady. He was taken into the cabin as fourth mate; the former -fourth officer receiving the position of third mate, and the former -third the second mate’s berth. All being in readiness, we hove up our -ground-tackle, and with a fresh breeze on our quarter we bade adieu to -Vasse. - - - - -CHAPTER VII. - - -Early on the morning of January 26th, we spoke and gammoned the barque -La Belle Anna, from Melbourne to Mauritius. Through the kindness of -her captain, who accommodatingly delayed until we had prepared them, -we sent letters home _via_ the Mauritius, which were duly received. -On the same day we captured a shark twelve feet long. The capture -of this fish is effected more in a spirit of mischief than from any -good resulting from it; the sailor deeming him his natural enemy, and -delighting in putting him to the severest torture. Their tenacity of -life is remarkable. I have seen a red-hot iron run directly through the -heart of one of the species, and still he turned and bit at the iron, -grasping its seething surface between his huge jaws and craunching it, -and, vexed at its non-impressibility, lashing his tail with rage. I -have also seen them flayed, and still practising as many contortions -as an eel; if you cut their heads half off, they swim away; and if you -should open the body and allow the entrails to drop out, the creature -seizes them in his jaws and tears them in his agony. The skin is -used as sandpaper, it being covered with prickles. The backbone is -articulated in very small divisions, which enables it to turn with so -much celerity through the water. These joints, which are about an inch -in diameter, and half an inch thick, are collected and strung on an -iron rod, and, when finished, make an odd, though not ill-looking, -cane. Few seamen eat shark; but some months after the capture of the -above-mentioned one, I saw a person who considered their flesh a -dainty. He was captain of a Colonial whaler, and took every possible -means of gratifying this strange appetite. I never saw its flesh cook, -but from those that have, I learn that no amount of cooking changes its -appearance; as, after a day’s boiling, it appears as raw as ever. - -On the 28th we sent up studding-sails and began a passage for New -Zealand. The next morning, at daybreak, whilst carrying all sail, we -sighted sperm whales. After a short delay, we lowered for them. The -second mate fastened to a large one, fired a bomb-lance into him, and -had his boat capsized. The crew were picked up and brought to the ship, -also the boat, which was found uninjured. The first and third mates -continued in pursuit of the whales, and, after a short interval, the -latter fastened to the same whale. The fourth mate approached the fish, -and in giving him a lance, got his boat on to the whale’s flukes, and -stove. The boat was towed to the ship; whilst hoisting her aboard, she -broke in two amidships, was condemned as useless, and broken up for -firewood. In the evening we had the whale alongside. The following -morning we began to cut, being surrounded by thousands of sharks. The -boatsteerer, who went down on to the whale to hook on, was seized by a -shark, who caught him by the back of the heel. Fortunately, the man who -attended the monkey-rope attached to the boatsteerer, saw the movement -of the shark and dragged him on deck. The wound inflicted was severe -but not dangerous. Sharks around a whale, generally, are contented -with what they pick up from his carcass, and to the plenitude of this -kind of food for their ravenous appetites, the boatsteerer owes his -safety. In this case the sufferer was barefooted, and his flesh being -covered with spermaceti, probably the shark thought it a dainty piece -of blubber. - -The barque Columbus also captured a large whale on this same day. In -1855, this barque visited Vasse and carried away a prisoner, agreeing -to place him aboard some merchant ship, on the first opportunity. This -was accordingly done, for which the captain received, it was said, a -large sum of money--the criminal being well-provided with funds. Whilst -we lay in Vasse, it leaked out, somehow or other, that the government -intended seizing the vessel on her next entry into a colonial port. -When we saw her we gave her the news, and it was timely, too, as they -were just going in to discharge men, whom they had engaged in Vasse the -preceding year. - -The ground that we were now on is off Cape Chatham. There we remained -until the middle of February, when, with as much sail set as the old -ship would stagger under, and a westerly gale on the quarter, we -resumed our passage for New Zealand, which had been interrupted by the -appearance of sperm whales. The passage had but little to mark it, -except that we went in the course of it through the northern borders -of the Antarctic Ocean. On the 22d (Washington’s birthday) we entered -the South Pacific, and after a spanking run of fourteen days, we -sighted land and a sail at one and the same time. The sail we knew -to be a whaler, from her boats and davits, and a successful one, too, -by the smoke arising from her try-works--she being evidently engaged -in trying-out blubber. On running across her stern and speaking each -other, both captains answered to the question of “What ship is that?” -“The Pacific.” One, however, belonged to New Bedford, the other to -Hobartown. The preceding week she captured two whales. She reported -that she had been cruising to the southward on the Sullender ground, -in company with the ships James Allen and Alexander, and the barque -Wavelett--that all three of these vessels had been extremely successful -in capturing whales, but that the Wavelett, when last seen, was on a -lee shore, with a large whale in tow, which eventually she cast adrift. -Her position was such that the captain and officers of the Pacific -unite in thinking it impossible for her to have escaped from the peril, -and should she have gone ashore, the rugged and precipitous coast -in the vicinity of Mason’s Bay, where she was last seen, augurs the -destruction of vessel and crew. We made up our minds from this report -that the Wavelett and her crew, who but a short time before had been -enjoying themselves with us in King George’s Sound, had gone to Davy -Jones’s locker; but five months afterward we were agreeably surprised -on picking up a paper published in the Bay of Islands, to find her -reported as lying in port there with considerable increase in her stock -of oil. - -One of those continued and heavy squalls common to the coast set -in on the next day. They are foretold by the rapid falling of the -mercury, and by the wind at first blowing from the south-west with -the greatest intensity from eight to twelve hours, and then, shifting -to the opposite point of the compass, we would have a second edition -of about the same duration; the north-easterly gusts being always -accompanied with torrents of rain, unequalled in violence by any I ever -saw elsewhere. This weather would sometimes last for weeks without an -interval of a pleasant day, and then be followed by a thick mist, which -enveloped everything for five or six days more; thus precluding the -possibility of whaling or the performance of other duties. Some idea -of this miserable weather may be formed, when I state that during the -four months we continued on the coast we were hove-to for fifty-eight -days, and at least half as many more we were prevented from whaling by -the density of the fog. Whenever our barometer foretold such weather, -we shortened sail, until we had nothing spread but a close-reefed main -topsail, main spencer, and foretopmast staysail: with this canvass -we generally managed to sweat it out; although on two occasions we -found even this sail too much, and were compelled to clew up the main -topsail, and heave the ship to under the main spencer. On another -occasion we heard a clap, like the discharge of a gun, and, hurrying -forward, we found our foretopmast staysail blown into shreds. - -Of course, little was to be done whilst Boreas was giving vent to his -wrath in this turbulent manner. During the watches on deck it was -really as much as one could do to look out for himself. Then there was -the rigging to keep in repair, preventer-topsail braces to shift and -reeve, besides taking in and putting out the boats: with these, in -themselves trifling jobs, the watch on deck generally became thoroughly -soaked before it was their turn to go below; and then an anxious period -was spent in awaiting a gleam of sunshine to dry their clothes. The -weather being cold, to use their own expression, “water was wet”; -and being in the line of a sea coming aboard was neither safe nor -comfortable. We passed the time away, however, sleeping day after day -about sixteen hours out of twenty-four. - -On the commencement of the gale above referred to, we saw a colonial -schooner, belonging to Jacob’s River, New Zealand, square her yards -and run for Mary’s Bay: her captain, on the approach of a gale, -usually running into one of the many safe and pleasant harbors on the -coast, remaining until its violence has ceased, and then popping out -and cruising during the continuance of good weather. This schooner, -Eliza, is manned by New Zealanders--her captain and mate are of the -half-caste. They are a manly people, without much intelligence, but -make excellent sailors and whalemen. The Otago, another schooner, whose -mode of conduct corresponds with that of the Eliza, and also belongs to -the same place, has a Maurii crew, with an English captain and mate. -Some months after this I had considerable intercourse with these very -pleasant people, and shall speak of them more fully as I progress with -my journal. - -Some days subsequently we ran in towards the land, and found that -the same storm which had so liberally besprinkled us with rain had -whitened the mountain caps with snow. We ran close in: there being bold -water to the very base of the rocks, capable of floating the largest -line-of-battle ship. The coast is irregular and rocky, possessing no -beach, and only in the bays, which are numerous and safe, affording -facilities for boat landing. The whole face of the mountains, which in -some cases exceed a mile in height, is covered with tall trees. One -of these eminences, when seen from the sea, presents an appearance -precisely like a saddle, and hence was named Saddle Mount; and this was -our landmark for four months: cruising towards and from it--at times -going within a few miles, and seldom in clear weather being out of -sight of it. It can be seen from the masthead a distance of one hundred -and twenty miles, as we proved by experience. - -On this ground, in company with us, there were about a dozen English -ships from Sydney and Hobartown. After the lapse of a few weeks, the -ships Alexander and James Allen made their appearance. Both these ships -had run into Stewart’s Island for vegetables, and whilst there they -had lost several men by desertion. From their description, there is -little or no settlement on the island, the country being covered with -the ordinary brush, and therefore presenting scarcely any invitation -to a sojourner. The men who left the ships were put to a hard shift to -sustain themselves. Several of them managed to reach Otago, a town in -the vicinity, where they obtained employment; several left in small -crafts for other ports on the coast; and one, (from whom I obtained -the knowledge of their adventures,) after in vain trying to get along -ashore, shipped in the colonial whaling schooner Otago, where I saw -him. He gave a ludicrous description of their ups and downs. In the -first place, he and another took to the bush for concealment; and, not -venturing to show themselves, they remained concealed till night. It -was intensely cold, and they were obliged to lie on each other to keep -warm. The under place being preferable, and each wanting to secure -it, almost a quarrel was occasioned thereby between them. As soon -as their ship had departed, they came out from their hiding place, -but could find no one to relieve their necessities, nor could they -get employment. They finally joined the natives, who fed and clothed -them. Becoming tired of this kind of life, they eagerly caught at the -offer of a berth aboard a whaler. This poor fellow, my informant, -was almost destitute, and had sent to us for clothing, of which a -bundle was collected for him. He was a German, with a very thick head, -and although the captain of the schooner was disposed to push him -forward, he found little ground for cultivation. He made him steward -of the craft; but he soon destroyed all the crockery ware, and was -so negligent that the captain and mate were compelled to carry their -knives and forks to bed with them, in order to find them when wanted. - -One of the men belonging to the James Allen adopted a novel plan to get -away from the ship. He was a middle-aged man, who had participated in -numerous whaling-voyages. On the Allen he held a boatsteerer’s berth, -but from dislike on the part of his captain, he was broken, and sent -into the forecastle. In his many voyages, he had mastered the language -of the Sandwich Islanders, which is intelligible to the native New -Zealander, and _vice versa_. On the night that he determined to desert, -he procured the paunch of a blackfish, which is readily found on board -a whaler--it being well adapted for making drugs; in it he stowed his -clothes, and firmly securing the aperture, he had an air-tight bag, -with which he succeeded in reaching the shore in safety. Having a good -deal of Yankee shrewdness, and being able to tinker a little, as well -as to converse intelligibly, he managed to get into employment, and was -doing quite well when last heard from. - -On the last day of March our mastheadsman sung out, that there were -boats whaling ahead. We stood towards them, and, in the course of an -hour, found that the James Allen’s boats were fast to a large sperm -whale. We kept on running, and sighted more whales. We lowered away -our boats at about 3 o’clock in the afternoon; but at 4¹⁄₂ o’clock -we called them aboard, and stood out to sea. The boats were again -lowered at 5 o’clock; and the third mate, after half an hour’s chase, -struck a noble whale, his boatsteerer giving him both irons clear to -the socket. Scarcely, however, had the second harpoon left his hand -when the boat was struck twice in succession by the whale’s flukes. -The blows were struck between the bow and amidship thwarts, knocking a -large hole completely through her. She soon filled, and capsized. The -crew swam to her, and got upon her bottom; but, there being a heavy -swell on, she continued to roll over and over, the crew following her -as best they could. Several times they regained their position on her; -but just as the other boats approached the scene of disaster, to give -them aid, they discovered that one of their number was missing. At -the same instant the third mate cried out, that some one had hold of -his legs, and urged haste on the part of the approaching boat. Being -a strong swimmer, he managed to keep himself afloat, notwithstanding -the drowning man’s clutch, until they had caught hold of him from -the boat; but then he instantly exclaimed, “He has let go!” The -boatsteerer of the larboard boat dove in, but could see nothing of -him; and his boatmates were forced to return aboard, leaving him at -rest in the sea, over which he had voyaged for years. Upon the boat’s -arriving at the ship, the captain hailed it; and, fearing the worst, -asked if any one was lost. On being answered that John was drowned, -he appeared much affected, and wept like a child. The lost man was a -German, named John Walter, belonging to Hamburg. He was of an amiable -disposition, and had endeared himself by his good qualities to all on -board. He was every inch a sailor, having spent a number of years in -the American merchant-service, wherein, strange to say, he had several -times narrowly escaped drowning. On our first visit to Vasse, he was -also barely saved from a similar fate. It is customary, just previous -to leaving port, to roll the boats over and over in the water, for the -purpose of cleansing them from the sand that is collected in them by -beaching; which is usually done, amid much merriment, by several men -stripping and going into the water for the purpose of conducting the -operation. On the day to which I have reference, John Walter was seated -in a boat, when orders were given to roll her. He remained in her; and -the officer, supposing that he could swim, but did not care to take off -his clothes, ordered the boat-plugs to be drawn out; whereupon she -filled, and rolled over. From his frantic struggles, we then discovered -his inability to support himself. The alarm was instantly given; and a -boat alongside, belonging to the barque Monmouth, of Cold Spring, was -cast loose, and soon had him aboard, totally exhausted. Now, however, -after these hairbreadth escapes, as if fate had such a death in store -for him, he met a watery grave in the broad South Pacific Ocean. Well -may his life be said to have been one of fearful vicissitudes. But he -had not always been alone in his imminent perils; for in one case, -whilst pursuing the hazardous duties of his arduous profession, he -found himself in the middle of the Atlantic, aboard a ship fearfully -leaking. The cargo, which was salt, having got into the pump-wells, -prevented their being used; and it was only by the most strenuous -exertions, that they were enabled to retrace their course, and run -their ship ashore in the harbor of Cadiz. - -And now our little circle was broken into by the King of Terrors! -Sailing under the same flag--every day in contact with each -other--depending on the same planks for protection from the wind and -wave,--in the course of the two years that we had been upon the ocean, -warm friendships had sprung up, and “shipmate” was only another name -for “brother.” This accident--one to which we all felt ourselves -liable--excited expressions of feeling, that one would scarcely believe -could emanate from the speakers: men in our line of life seldom making -an undue display of emotion. Every good quality and trait inherent to -the deceased was rehearsed; and in conclusion, all hoped that poor John -was in a better home above; and, if any one on board our ship had a -prospect of a bright hereafter, surely he, the least offender of us all -against the Divine law, would be the one. - -On the following morning we ran down and spoke the Allen. They were -cutting in their whale; and the cheerful note of their merry chaunt, -as they worked the windlass, contrasted strongly with our own bitter -feelings and heavy hearts. - -The captain gave directions to have all the lost man’s property -gathered together, which was done; and, a few days after, the whole -ship’s company was mustered aft, on the quarter-deck, and all his -effects were disposed of by auction, the captain acting as auctioneer. -Every one bought something--each wishing to secure a memento of the -deceased; and as the bidding was spirited, much more than the intrinsic -value was realized for each article. This is a rule of the sea, but -whether a maritime law or not, I do not know: the money produced by -such sale being handed over to the friends of the deceased, if they can -be found; but if unable to do so, it is usually given to the Seamen’s -Friend Society. - -After this event, we remained in the locality several weeks. Sometimes -a boat was lowered, and sent into one of the bays a fishing, which -always returned with a number of the finny tribe of different -varieties--cod, trumpeter, blue, white, and red fish. The last fish, -of a red color and covered with fins, was known to the whalemen on the -coast as the devil-fish, and another variety is known as the groper. -It often equals the porpoise in size. All these fish are excellent -eating, and are eagerly welcomed by a person who for months has had -no fresh provision. I one day caught a fish of a bright-red color. On -hauling him up, he extended three feelers from each side of the jaw, -and two beautiful wings from his sides; these wings were bordered with -alternate stripes of red and blue, that rivalled in color the tints of -the rainbow. They were said to be called the garnet by the natives. -The wings I preserved. They are unlike those of the flying-fish, being -circular, and much thicker and stronger. The fish was about five inches -long. - -There are plenty of cray or craw fish, and several varieties of eels, -in these bays. The latter are the most disgusting creatures that I -ever saw. On being caught, they expel from their loathsome bodies a -substance resembling milk. The Mauriis eat them; and when we were in -Milford Haven Bay the schooner Eliza’s crew, who were then trying out a -sperm whale, considered them as a delicacy, with no other preparation -than immersing them in the boiling-hot oil. The crayfish belongs to -the lobster family--its claws are somewhat similar, only lacking -the pincer-like appendage. It is of a bright-red color, and is most -luxurious eating. It is plentiful, and easily caught with a net, or -hook and line. - -Whilst in these bays fishing, the fresh green look of the vegetation, -and sweet singing of the birds, made us long for a return to a life -ashore. The sailor, if compelled to remain at sea, in all cases -prefers to be far from land, with nothing to meet his gaze but sky and -ocean--land in sight continually recalling home memories, long dwelling -upon which is painful. Another reason, too, why Jack hates land, when -he cannot enjoy a ramble upon it is, that he attributes to it, and -not without reason, either, a miasmatic influence; and, whilst in its -vicinity, every ache or pain is attributed to its vicinage, and he -consoles himself by saying, “I will soon be all right, when we leave -this infernal land and get outside.” - -I cannot refrain from remarking on the character of the shipping on -this ground. At this time there were some fifteen vessels cruising -within an area of a hundred miles--three of us Yankees, nine from -Hobartown, two from Yew Zealand, and a brig from Sydney. At daylight -all might be seen busily engaged in hoisting their topsails and -spreading their canvass; during the day using their best endeavors to -get over as much ground as possible. At sundown, sail was shortened -aboard of each. The schooner Otago, at the sunset hour, in fair -weather, presented a strange appearance; always at such times and -in such cases, taking in every rag and laying under bare poles--the -captain assigning as a reason that it saved his sails. This craft -originally came out from New London, Connecticut, as a tender to a -whaler; here she was sold, and during six months of the year was -employed conveying cattle and wool to Sydney, and the balance in -whaling. The Eliza was a craft of much more aristocratic pretensions; -she was a neat and tidy little schooner, and had been originally -constructed as a yacht for Sir John Franklin, when he was governor -of Van Diemen’s Land. After the daring explorer of the frozen North -had removed from the Australian colonies, the Government employed her -as a revenue cutter; but now she had fallen from her high estate -and was employed as a blubber-hunter. But with far greater claims to -pretension, although possessing a much more homely exterior, the old -Prince Regent pursued her course in the same humble pursuit; she had -been built as a yacht for George IV., the profligate, who for years was -prince regent of the British empire. Unlike her royal master, she still -survives with sound timbers, and is a staunch sea-worthy ship, though -of a rather _outre_ model. Two of the Hobartown whalers were clippers, -built in Baltimore; on one of them, the Isabel, I saw the American -coat of arms in full emblazon. These clippers, if they were only built -stronger, would be excellent sperm whalers--being small, light, good -sailers, and easy to work. - -Several of the barques on the ground were built in Hobartown, from the -Hobartown model; they had long heads on them, but their sterns, and run -aft, were of a fashion of fifty years since, and, although so recently -built, our old barkey would sail away from them as fast as they could -come on. - -From this time, until the middle of May, we remained in the same -locality, experiencing a succession of tremendous gales, from the -north-east and south-west, attended by heavy squalls that made the old -ship ring again. In the interval between their recurrence, we saw sperm -whales two or three times; on one occasion getting to them just in time -to see the barque Runimede’s boats lying by the side of a dead whale. -On another, we lowered away and arrived at the scene of operation in -season to see the Sapphire’s boats capture four. Our mate fastened to -a whale some distance from any of her boats, but it proved to be one -that was already wounded by them; so nothing was left for us but to -cut our line. The irons that our boatsteerer hove into the whale were -recovered when they cut him in. With these irons they fastened to, and -saved, no less than four large whales--a fifth they struck, but he -sounded and carried off all their line. The irons were of the variety -known as the “toggel,” and are an American improvement: the captain -of the Sapphire was so thoroughly impressed with their value that he -repeatedly solicited our captain for more of them. Another improvement -that the American whaleman possesses, is the iron rowlock, in which the -oar works with little or no difficulty. Other nations use the primitive -thole-pin, consisting of pins of hard wood inserted in holes bored in -the boat’s gunwale--the least crabbing of the oar being destruction to -them. - -These colonial gentlemen are fair whalemen, but do not possess the -energetic, go-ahead spirit of their American cotemporaries. They work -very carefully, and seldom expose their boats or themselves to much -danger; for instance, they never sail on to whales, always taking the -mast down when arriving in their vicinity. I remember hearing the -captain of the ship Pacific remark that he had been whaling, man and -boy, for thirty-five years, during which time he had never sailed on to -a whale, and never had the boat stove in which he was. On the contrary, -the Yankee whaleman, with or without sail, danger or no danger, is -bound to strike the whale, if possible, and for this reason they are -preferred, even in Hobartown, “because,” to use their own expression, -“they will risk more to capture whales.” Several of the captains and -officers of these ships were Americans; and great inducements are held -out by Hobartown owners in the whaling trade, to induce Americans to -embark in their employ. - -On the 17th of May, the weather appearing threatening, we signalized -the schooner Eliza, and under the pilotage of her captain, who came -aboard of us, we kept off for Milford Haven Bay, intending to lay there -during the continuance of the gale, and in the meantime to supply -ourselves with wood and water, quantities of which can be had _ad -libitum_ in its vicinity. After beating about with light winds, and -considerable towing with the boats, we contrived to drop our anchor at -8 o’clock in the evening, in sixteen fathoms of water, about a ship’s -length from the shore. Lines were then run from the stern and secured -to the rocks, so that we soon had her snugly moored stem and stern. -The schooner Eliza was, latterly, very successful; having captured two -whales, one of which she lost through stress of weather--the other, -when tried out, furnished sufficient oil to till about sixty barrels, -and her captain informed me would reimburse the owners for all outlay -on the vessel--provisions being very cheap in this part of the world. -Never did I see better meat, or sweeter flour, than the specimens of -each this schooner had aboard; both were the produce of New Zealand, -and the meat, having been but a short time salted, was much better -than ours. As in port anybody is at liberty to board a whaler and get -his dinner, we often availed ourselves of the privilege, as did they -in boarding us; the molasses aboard of our ship being the center of -attraction to them; also the biscuit, which to them is a rarity--they -only using their flour baked into soft bread. All lived alike, fore -and aft. Little discipline prevailed; the captain was called Tom, and -the mate Bill. The shipkeeper and steward were men interested in the -vessel, both old English men-of-war’s men, who had early settled on -the island, and reared families--having married native women. From -these men I learned that a marriage between two of the half-caste was -always barren, never begetting offspring; but a half-caste man or -woman intermarrying with the whites or native New Zealanders, were -remarkable for their number of children. I was much pleased with these -Mauriis; they were intelligent, courageous, and sprightly. Their songs, -delivered with all the gusto of a half-civilized nature, possessed -great interest. In their war songs they become imbued with the spirit -of their music, and perform most curious antics, attended by horrid -contortions of features. Their love songs, too, were accompanied by -numerous gestures, one of them taking the lead, and the others joining -in the chorus. These love songs were said, by those acquainted with -their language, to consist of all that was licentious and disgusting; -but to us who did not understand a word of them, it made very -little difference. They also performed a pantomime, which, from its -ridiculousness, excited our risibilities to prolonged laughter, to -their great satisfaction. - -The half-caste consider themselves a peg above the native, and take -good care to let strangers know the distinction. They are a large, -well-built race, and make excellent oarsmen; they are much addicted to -the use of spirits; they lament much their inability to read and write, -stating, in palliation of their ignorance, that when they were children -there were no schools where they could receive an education, but that -the rising generation, by the exertions of the missionaries, enjoyed -the privilege of attending schools. - -From us these people obtained tobacco, and captain, mate, and crew -engaged in a game at all-fours for it. They played good humoredly, but -appeared to be wholly wrapt up in the game. I asked the captain how he -managed to preserve subordination where he allowed so much familiarity. -He was a powerful, brawny figure, and a smile passed over his features -at my question; extending his hared arm, corrugated with sinews, he -said, “I play this fellow right and left amongst them, whenever they -make too much noise.” The English part of the vessel’s crew professed -great contempt for these savages, as they called them; but a good -understanding appeared to exist between the parties. - -On the morning subsequent to mooring our ship, all hands were called -at daylight, and we had an opportunity to discern the features and -characteristics of the harbor. It proved to be a snug, but not a large -bay, encased by mountains, whose caps were white with snow. The sides -of these cliffs were covered with noble trees of various descriptions; -principal among which is the famed iron-wood, remarkable for its weight -and durability. Several species of pine are also to be found. Scarce -any beach exists, the shores being covered with huge boulders of many -tons weight, evidently displaced by some great revulsion of nature. Few -shells of any beauty are found on the shore--the mutton fish, warrener, -and limpet, being the only conchological varieties that I saw. - -Whilst here, half-a-dozen of our men were in the forest cutting -fire-wood, while others were engaged in procuring water. Nothing was -required in the latter case but to scoop a hole in the pebbles on the -beach, and allow the snow-water, as it descended from the mountains, -to run into it; then bail out with buckets and fill casks. Neither was -there any trouble in rafting or towing it; our contiguity to the shore -being such that it was only necessary to run a small tow-line from the -ship, attach it to the raft, and haul it alongside, hand over hand. We -also broke out our meat and coopered it, and then our hard work was -finished. - -We experienced several continuous and heavy rain storms, accompanied -by violent squalls; as these would pass over, the rainbow, by which -they were always followed, reflecting on and illuminating the green -sides and white caps of the hills, presented to our admiring eyes, a -grand, imposing and beautiful sight. I know of nothing that I ever saw -that more fully impressed my mind with the omnipotence of the Creator -than did this splendid work; and I have found myself again and again -aroused from my admiration to answer the self-imposed question, “Could -any man, after gazing upon such an appearance, candidly feel himself -an atheist;” and, after arguing the matter pro and con, could find no -excuse for such unbelief. - -It is usual in port, during the night, to stand what is called the -“anchor watch,” consisting of two men; the members of the crew, fore -and aft, participating in it. In this port, which was considered so -out of the way as to present no inducements for desertion, to allow -the officers the whole of the night undisturbed, the watches were all -imposed upon the boat-steerers and foremast hands. On the night of the -22d, the watches were set as usual. Everything was quiet until morning, -when the whole of us were aroused by the first officer awaking, and -finding nobody on deck, and the starboard boat gone, which had been -allowed to remain alongside. On mustering all hands, five of the -foremast men were discovered to be amongst the missing. Their names -were Joseph Riley, of Patterson, New Jersey; Charles W. Baylis, of -Rochester, New York; Harvey W. Miller, of Weymark, Weymouth County, -Pennsylvania; John Roberts, an Englishman, and David Jones, a Welshman. -The three former had sailed from the United States with us; the two -latter were British convicts--Roberts, whom we shipped in Vasse, and -Jones, who had joined the ship at King George’s Sound. They had taken -the boat, furnished with oars and sails, and all the other furniture -belonging to her; also a tub of tow-line and the ship’s spyglass; and -from the appearance of our bread and harness casks, had liberally -supplied themselves with provisions. The absence of any officer on deck -afforded them time to safely convey their clothes and bedding off; -and so equipped, they left us, in an obscure bay, hundreds of miles -from any settlement, on a stormy coast, in an open whale-boat. No one -ever expected to hear aught of them afterwards; but as my narrative -progresses, a recountal of their adventures will be elicited: for the -present we will leave them and return to our barque. On discovering -the loss of his men the captain stormed; but finding that the whole -procedure had been carried on with the utmost secresy, and that few, -if any, of those remaining, were cognizant of more than the mere -desertion of the men, he allowed it to drop, and little was said about -them thereafter, until circumstances obtruded them on his notice. It -will be observed that Kedge Anchor has at length managed to get away, -on this, his third attempt, having endeavored to get clear from us in -Vasse, and Balli, and now, in the most unpromising place of all, has -succeeded. He was the possessor of two or three English sovereigns; -and this circumstance must have caused the others to enlist him in the -enterprize, as they knew his uselessness too well to count on his being -of service to them. - -On the afternoon of the 23d, the barques Isabella and Lady Emma -anchored in the bay, and, soon after, the schooner Otago--making, in -all, five of us moored in this shelter. The Otago reported having -spoken the James Allen. She had taken three hundred barrels of oil, -including the whale we saw her capture, during the present month. The -captain of the Otago also reported having fallen in with the lower -mast of a vessel of about three hundred tons, evidently carried away -in a gale from some ship. They managed to get it in tow, but the line -parting, they took no further trouble with it. This circumstance -elicited our fears of a terrible misfortune to one of the whalers on -the ground, and whether American or English we were unable to surmise. -We have never to this time been able to discover to whom it belonged, -though it certainly had not belonged to any one of the whale-ships we -had been in company with, as we saw them all afterward. - -The Lady Emma, a few days since, put into Open Bay, where three of -her men deserted. In the vicinity of this bay there is a settlement -containing eight Mauriis. This is the only settlement on the coast, -from Jacob’s River to Cook’s Straits--Milford Haven being no exception -to the rule, as no white or civilized natives exist in its whereabouts. -Some of the wild natives have been seen here. During a former voyage, -part of the crew of the barque Runimede, whilst cutting wood, were -driven to the beach by these savages. - -The next day, being Sunday and so stormy that we could not enjoy -ourselves ashore, a number of us spent it aboard the Eliza. We were -the more easily induced to do this from the fact of her having a -French cook, who left the Alexander at Stewart’s Island and joined the -Eliza. He was discharged from the Alexander, and the oil belonging to -him was rolled ashore. Here he professed to be very happy; and, as he -was thoroughly master of his business, he was much esteemed by those -whom he catered for. I was much surprised at the palatable, and even -luxurious, taste of the salt-beef, after having been manipulated by -him, compared to that which had undergone the same operation by the -hands of our own cook. Although I may have been prejudiced, or the -superiority of the viands had rendered my appetite fastidious on that -particular day, yet certainly, the fare was such as not to have been -laughed at, even at the table of a first-class hotel. There were wild -ducks, wild pigeons, wood-hens, noble fish from the bay, excellent -corned-beef, and, to crown all, a noble plum-duff; and we did good -justice to the repast. At supper we drank, as a beverage, a decoction -of a New Zealand plant, which is used throughout the island instead -of tea. It possesses an aromatic taste, and the little I partook of -enlisted me in its favor; but how a continued use of it would answer, I -am at a loss to say. The Frenchman said that he had used it for several -months, and preferred it, for his own consumption, to tea produced in -China. As he was a Parisian, and a restaurateur into the bargain, I do -not see that I could quote better individual authority. - -On the 25th we lowered away two boats, and manned them with the -starboard watch, bound up the river, or sound, as the Mauriis call -it--bent on a day’s recreation. Guns, ammunition, and fishing-tackle, -were provided--also a good stock of eatables. After ten miles’ pulling, -we arrived at the head of the river, where we landed, and built a -fire. Previous to our trip to this locality, our curiosity had been -excited by the description of a falls, which, according to the account, -rivalled Niagara in magnitude. The Mauriis stated, that it fell from -a height of nine hundred feet, in an immense volume; and I fancied, -previous to having seen it, that I should have to chronicle in my -log-book the existence of the greatest falls in the world in this -out-of-the-way corner. I went, and saw it. Its height was about three -hundred feet--it first falling from the summit of a high mount into a -basin about a hundred feet below, and then descending into the river. -Its appearance was handsome; but, having been prepared from hearsay -to see something momentous, I must confess that I was disappointed, -and under the influence of chagrin did not appreciate it as fully as -it deserved. On our way up the river we saw numerous minor falls, -descending hundreds of feet from the summits of the cliffs. The river -was alive with porpoises and cowfish; whilst ducks, gulls, and pigeons, -skimmed over its surface. Those of the party who were provided with -fire-arms penetrated into the bush. Soon the crack of their pieces -announced their success in finding game. As the sun indicated the -hour of noon, one by one they straggled in to the fire, more or less -successful, according to their expertness in handling their guns. Their -game comprised ducks, pigeons, and woodhens, besides several varieties -we knew no name for. The ducks were about of the same size and -appearance as the wild ducks of the Northern States. The pigeons were -like our wild pigeons. The woodhens resemble in appearance a pullet -of the common barnyard breed. They do not fly, but run with excessive -swiftness, dodging here, there, and everywhere, in a manner to puzzle -any one. They are attracted by fire, and a number of them came around -ours. If not startled, they displayed little fear, approaching within a -short distance of us with the utmost indifference. These birds can be -easily domesticated; and aboard the schooner they had several running -about in their hold, in company with other fowls. All the birds -mentioned, when dressed and cooked, were palatable and appetizing. - -Whilst on this island myself and another were left ashore, the rest -having gone to the main with the boats. Through an oversight, they -took the water-keg along with them, leaving us unprovided with water. -We immediately searched for a spring, or some other depository of the -priceless liquid, but it was in vain. As we had but a short time before -been freely eating of salt junk, our thirst became intolerable, so that -we even went so far as to drink of the water of the river, which was -salt and brackish. After we had thus suffered for several hours, one -of the boats returned, and supplied our want. Never before in my life -did I taste so grateful and sweet a draught as I imbibed at that time -from the most ordinary of boat-piggins. This was the nearest approach -to deprivation of water for any length of time that I ever experienced. -If any person should wish to be pestered with a gnawing, unquenched -thirst, let him follow our example by eating about a pound of salt -meat, and then sitting for hours on an island where no water is to be -found, except such as will have a tendency to aggravate his thirst. - -After the arrival of the English ships, our nights were passed in -an excess of mirth. The rainy weather preventing any amount of work -being performed during daytime, their listlessly lolling about the -ship made the men feel prime for sport at night; and as none of our -ship’s company, since the desertion of our men, were allowed to leave -her after twilight, by common consent our barque became the rendezvous -for all; so that, about half an hour after supper, whole boats’ crews -would come aboard. One night I counted seventy men in our forecastle. -Each vessel contributed its singers, and the choral performances were -really a diverting medley. The cook of the schooner, being French, sang -the Marseillaise for us; a German sang the Fatherland; a Portuguese, -I know not what, but, like all the others, he was loudly applauded -for his performance; the Mauriis, Sandwich and Navigators’ Islanders, -all sang their respective songs; whilst English, Irish, Scotch, and -Americans, also gave vent to their national melodies--Rule Britannia, -Erin go Bragh, Scots wha hae wi’ Wallace bled, and the Star-spangled -Banner, or Hail Columbia, followed each other--one song being as good -as another, so that it had a tune to it. Amongst the Lady Emma’s crew -were four excellent singers, who had practised together, and performed -very creditably; so that we were not without good singers. Instead -of spirituous drink, we indulged in a beverage, known as switchell, -concocted of molasses, vinegar, and water, with the addition of a -little ground ginger. At a late hour we separated, without being -muddled, as is usual in many, in fact most, assemblages of the like -character amongst people who profess more morality than the sailor. On -these occasions all was mirth and jollification: discipline, for the -time-being, was set aside, and the utmost good-feeling pervaded the -company. - -On the last Sunday we lay in the haven, all hands from each ship went -ashore, numbering about one hundred and thirty souls. We provided -ourselves from our ship with potatoes, biscuit, a piece of salt pork, -and a saucepan filled with molasses. We soon had a rousing fire -going; and the Mauriis were immediately on the _qui vive_ for the -collecting of mutton-fish, warreners, and limpets, which they quickly -detected, although to our unpractised eyes there was no appearance -of shellfish. These creatures they detached from the rocks, not -without exerting considerable force, as they adhere with tenacity. The -mutton-fish is quite large, weighing from four to eight ounces. The -warrener is smaller, and inhabits a cone-shaped shell. The shell of the -mutton-fish, which is similar in shape to that of the clam, is single, -having a number of holes in the anterior part, through which the -animal breathes; the lower part of its body presenting the appearance -of a large leathern sucker. The limpet has a three-sided shell, and -is much smaller than either of the others. All these shells are of an -inferior pearl; useless, on account of its frangible construction, for -manfacturing any of the various articles for which the true pearl shell -is used. These shellfish, after being captured, are torn by the natives -from their habitations, and eaten, alive and kicking, with apparent -epicurean relish. This practise of devouring the struggling animal, at -first, seemed revolting to me; but upon reflection I remembered the -cool indifference with which we dispose of the bivalves, which possess -feeling equally with the mutton-fish, but have not the same energetic -way of displaying it. - -One of our party volunteering to act as cook, after sufficient of -these fish were procured and deprived of their shells, contrived to -make us an excellent dinner--we doing justice to a chowder prepared -from these creatures, beside having them raw, roasted, and in the -shell. The molasses was converted into candy and handed over to the -Mauriis, who, until they had disposed of it within their capacious -maws, had neither eyes nor ears for anything else. Our dinner ended, -we wended our way up the bay. This was a task of no little difficulty, -the beach being covered with huge masses of granite, worn smooth by -the percolation of water; these were to be ascended, descended, and -occasionally circumnavigated, so that several hours were devoted to -perambulating but a short distance. Our object was to collect specimens -of the green stone, which is washed down from the mountains, and, by -the continual friction of the water, assumes a circular and polished -shape. This stone is used for ornamental purposes, in the decoration of -their persons, by the Chinese and Mauriis--they using it for ear-rings, -necklaces, and nose pendants. Half way up to the summit of the mountain -that frowns above our barque, as she lies at anchor, there is a quarry -of this substance, which I should venture to call serpentine, but for -its extreme obtusity. I said that there was a quarry, but I have only -the authority of the Mauriis for my assertion; I went to the spot, and, -from observation, decided that if it had been worked, it must have -been at some time beyond the recollection of any of my informants. -This bay, twenty years ago, was the rendezvous of a sealing party, -who successfully operated in their business, living ashore until the -rainy season approached, when they boarded their crafts and sailed for -home. A whaling company, also, had a try-works ashore, where many a -fine jacket of blubber has been converted into oil; as these men might -have, occasionally, found time hanging heavy on their hands, to them -may be attributed the working of the mountain, carrying such specimens -as they pleased to their homes, for gifts or sale to the various -tribes along the coast. The seals becoming scarcer every year, and the -increase of whale-ships rendering the capture of the fish less a matter -of certainty than formerly, the bay fisheries were deserted, and ever -since it has been resigned to its original inhabitants, except when -some old and barnacled whale-ship touches at it, or the schooners of -the Maurii run in for protection from the weather. Nothing illustrated -to me the slight influence exerted by man here, more strongly, than the -fact of the smaller birds (those, from their size, too insignificant -for the attention of the gunner), viewing man without the slightest -fear, flying around and around one, and alighting on the person, as if -desirous of forming an acquaintance; having had no experience of the -refinement of cruelty inherent to man, they do not fear him. I do not -wonder at the sealers and whalemen deserting this vicinity when they -found that their game had left, as there is nothing either inviting or -enticing to induce a stay on these shores. The ground can never be made -serviceable for cultivation, as it is broken and uneven to an extreme -degree; scarcely a foot square can be found without a variation in the -grade of its surface. - -We remained in this bay seventeen days, every succeeding twenty-four -hours seeing some new creature, or meeting with some novel adventure. -One day a gust of wind would come rushing down the mountains, and carry -away our stern moorings, from the intense strain thrown upon them by -the ship’s swinging. Another day all were interested by the capture -of a female shark, from whose body were taken seventeen small sharks. -These creatures were put in the deck tub, where they swam around with -surprising celerity. They were each about six inches long, without -teeth, but betraying their origin by snapping at anything they could -reach with their toothless gums. - -I cannot take leave of Milford Haven Bay without stating my conviction -of its superiority to any port that I had previously visited, with the -exception of Balli. This was the opinion of all, and often afterwards, -when we were on the eve of making an insignificant port on the -Australian coast, have I heard it said, “I wish we were going ashore in -Milford Haven; because there you can see something.” You can procure no -liquor there, whilst here nothing new is to be seen, and rum stares you -in the face at every footstep. - -On the 2d of June the Isabella hove up her anchor and stood out of the -bay. She soon lost the breeze, and was endangered by her proximity -to some reefs at the mouth; but a few hours subsequently she was -enabled to resume her course. We, and the rest of the shipping, taking -advantage of the same breeze, squared our yards, and were soon merrily -bowling out to sea, far from the abode of sand flies, and mosquitoes, -which had no mercy on us whilst in the bay. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII. - - -On the 7th, after having, during the preceding week, seen and lowered -for whales several times, our masthead’sman sung out that the James -Allen’s boats were whaling. She was some distance from us; but we -lowered away, and arrived in time to find they had turned up a large -whale. This was the fifth she had taken within the past eight weeks, -making her three hundred and seventy-five barrels of oil. Our boats -returned to the ship empty handed; and, as is usual when another -ship has been successful, we all indulged in a regular growl at the -hardness of our luck, complaining that we could capture nothing, -whilst others were filling their ships. But, to view the matter -impartially, we were having returned to us a Roland for the Oliver we -presented to them whilst on the Shark’s Bay Ground; in that vicinity -the success being all on our side. The next day, as if our bearishness -had been productive of good effect, at daylight we sighted sperm -whales. We lowered away three boats; the desertion of our men in the -bay, rendering it impossible for us to lower four boats and leave a -sufficient number aboard to work the ship in case of need. Directly -after lowering, the first and third mates struck large whales; after -remaining fast for a short time, the irons belonging to the larboard -boat drew--the boatsteerer had had a long dart, and struck the fish -in his small, where there was not sufficient blubber for the iron -to take firm hold. The other fish, to which the starboard boat was -attached, was going at the rate of I do not know how many knots an -hour, breaching, curvetting--now with his head out of water, and, -again, with his flukes reared high in the air, presenting all sorts of -resistance that characterize the right or sperm whale--snapping his -huge jaws together, and lashing the water, left and right, with his -flukes. For a time he kept running along at a rate that deterred the -other boats from approaching him; but, finally, the chief mate managed -to get a line from the bow boat, which was taken in tow. The whale -continued running for some time after; when he halted for a moment, the -mate, watching his opportunity, hauled his boat on to him, and, with a -well-aimed lance, stopped his running forever. We soon afterwards got -him alongside. He was a noble specimen of the cachalot, exceeding in -size any one we had previously taken. On account of the heavy weather -incident to this coast, we took time by the forelock, and cut him in -that same night. It was calm and the moon was at its full, whilst -scarcely a ripple disturbed the surface of the ocean, so that we had -an excellent time. At midnight nearly all was on deck. The following -morning we hove in the junk, and bailed the case--the immense weight of -the latter preventing us from hoisting it aboard. This whale yielded us -one hundred and ten barrels of oil. - -It will be seen that whales are plenty off the coast of New Zealand, -and the query may be raised, why are not more captured? But seeing -whales is not taking them, and killing them is not securing them; as -may be exemplified by the case of the Prince Regent: whilst near us, -she captured two large whales, but lost them both from the severity -of the weather. The Flying Childers, too, lost the greater part of -another. The James Allen, however, was more fortunate. One day, after -having by the most strenuous exertions succeeded in getting in a -whale which they had taken the previous day, sperm whales came up -close to the ship. The mate wanted to lower; but the captain, deeming -the weather so boisterous as to make such a proceeding injudicious, -refused his consent. The mate then went below, charged his gun, and -fired a bomb-lance into the whale with such effect, that on rising -again he discharged blood from his spout-holes, appeared bewildered, -and attempted to grasp the sides of the ship with his jaws. By this -time all hands were thoroughly excited; and on the spur of the moment, -although the experiment was a hazardous one, a boat was lowered away, -which, though stoven by coming into contact with the fish, yet managed -to save him. - -I will here take occasion to relate another fish-story, which emanated -from the James Allen. Her boats had been down for several hours, and -when lying still, awaiting the re-appearance of a school of sperm -whales that had sounded, a strange fish, in size between the grampus -and whale, rushed by them with open jaws. He kept on for a short -distance, then about-ship, and returned. Both jaws were furnished with -sharp, wicked-looking grinders. Deeming discretion the better part of -valor, they gave his fishship a wide berth. He did not, they said, -appear to be in pursuit of them, but kept on his way, unmolesting, and -unmolested. - -On the 25th we lowered for blackfish, and captured six, which yielded -us ten barrels of oil. These fish, like the whales on this coast, -are fatter than they are elsewhere, and average larger. Two days -afterwards we gammoned with the barque Emily Downing, of Hobartown. -She reported, that on the day we were blackfishing she had sighted two -schools of sperm whales. Swinging only three boats, the captain and -second mate went in pursuit of one school, and the mate of the other. -The last seen of the mate’s boat he was close to the whales, and his -boatsteerer standing up, preparatory to darting, when a thick fog -enveloped everything. The two boats in company proceeded to regain the -ship, which they did with much difficulty; and had not those on board -kept up a continual ringing of their ship’s bell to guide them, the -probabilities are, that they would have fared no better than the mate -and his crew, who had neither been seen nor heard of since. Conjectures -were rife as to their probable fate: some surmising that the boat had -been stoven, and all hands lost; others thought that, as the mate -was a prudent man, of much experience, and well knew the locality of -the land, he would most likely direct his boat straightway to it, -and lose no time in searching for their ship. The latter were right, -as was proved on the 30th, when the Downing and we were in company, -lying under short sail,--a fresh breeze blowing, with a heavy sea in -attendance--our mastheadsman apprised us, that there were several -sails off our weather-beam, squared in, and standing directly for -us--coming down before the half gale like racehorses. We at first -thought that they were whaling; but as they neared us, and we saw that -they all had their colors flying, we at once suspected the true reason -for their manœuvring. In a short time, the barque Isabella ran across -our stern, spoke us, and informed us of the safety of the missing ones; -and that all, though weak and exhausted, were as well as circumstances -would permit. This was glorious news, and was received with hearty -cheers. Later in the afternoon we learned that the poor fellows had -been five days in their boat, with nothing to eat, except half-a-dozen -biscuits, an albatross that they had killed by darting a lance into -it, and a piece of squid that they managed to pick up. The latter, -they said, was not very recent; but, in their necessity, it was to -them tall eating, and they were disposed to grumble at the quantity, -rather than the quality of their food. They said that they had made -for the land immediately on finding that they had lost their ship, but -had not succeeded in reaching it until Sunday. As they approached it, -they fortunately discovered the ship James Allen close-to. They made -for her--told their story--were taken on board, and everything that -could be afforded for their comfort was plentifully supplied to them. -They were much emaciated by their long fast and exposure; but under the -genial influence of good victuals and their present position, they were -gradually recovering their wonted hardy condition. The James Allen, -being in the course of a few days bound off the ground to Hobartown, -handed over the missing ones to the barque Isabella, who placed them -aboard their own vessel. Their shipmates--as did all the members of -the fleet--expressed the greatest joy and satisfaction at the recovery -of these poor fellows; for we could all sympathize with them in their -forlorn situation, inasmuch as we were at any time liable to meet with -a like accident whilst engaged in our present pursuit. - -Among the vessels that ran down to us was the ship Gœthe, of Bremen, -Captain Austin. This was the first German whaler that we had seen -during our voyage. She had been cruising for right whales off the -islands of St. Paul and Desolation, and had taken nine hundred -barrels of oil--two hundred of which she disposed of in Hobartown. -In that port, which she had recently left, she lost a number of her -men by desertion. Her captain, officers, and three-fourths of her -boatsteerers, were Americans; and, although most of her foremastmen -were Germans, all duty was carried on in English. She is a Bremen-built -ship, of about six hundred tons, and well-looking--originally a packet -between Bremen and New York, from which line of trade she was not -removed any too soon, for she is the dullest sailer I ever saw. She -carried (independent of her whaling-tackle, which was American,) an -assorted cargo of German fancy-goods--accordeons, flutinas, drums, -violins, flutes, &c.--also tobacco and schnapps; which she disposed of, -either in the various ports she touched at, or to the ships she met -with in want of such articles; and as there is no duty on the high seas -upon these goods, I have no doubt that a considerable amount will be -realized by her owners. - -From this date until the 11th of July we experienced a succession -of heavy gales, with a very slight proportion of moderate weather; -and we observed that the squid was floating on the surface in great -quantities. The entire absence of whales and blackfish caused us to -conclude that some disease had affected the squid, causing it to die -and appear on the surface, and also rendering it unpalatable to the -fish. Deeming it of little use to remain longer, we bade adieu to New -Zealand; and, with square yards and a fair, though light wind, we stood -away from it. Its high cliffs were discernable the next day, when by -computation we were one hundred and twenty miles distant. And now, that -we had left its snow-capped mountains, its heavy gales, dense fogs, -and cold, inhospitable climate, behind us, we rejoiced in the prospect -of warmer and pleasanter cruising-grounds; leaving no regrets, but all -glad to get away: the four months we had passed off its shores being a -series of unpleasant days, that would have dissatisfied less mercurial -persons than sailors. - -On account of the prevalent westerly winds, we were forced to run -several degrees to the northward. On our passage to Hobartown we -crossed the middle ground (which is midway between New Zealand and New -Holland). This is a famous ground for sperm whales, and did not, in -this case, belie its reputation--we seeing a school, whilst crossing -it. We lowered for, but scared them, much to our discontent. We made -no stay here, but steered directly for Van Dieman’s Land; and on the -21st were becalmed in sight of it. The next evening we took a pilot -aboard, and the following morning passed the Iron Pot light, and -entered the Derwent river. This is a noble stream, two and a half -miles wide, and navigable for one hundred. The country on both sides -of the river appeared fertile, and it being the proper season of the -year, in this latitude, for the husbandman to break the ground and -plant his seeds, the agriculturists of the section were to be seen -intent on such employment. Some of our crew, whilst closely watching -these busy laborers, thought of their earlier youth, when, like them, -they followed a kind father or elder brother in their occupations -around their farms at home, and on contrasting their present rough -and boisterous calling with the more peaceful and quiet one they were -formerly engaged in, they were rather disposed to think the farmer -had the best of it; and several expressed a willingness to exchange -conditions with them. They may have been sincere, but I doubt it; as -those who have been employed in agricultural pursuits, after once -becoming identified with whaling by the performance of a voyage, -although they may inveigh against its hardships and discomforts, rarely -fail to go again. Why this is, is easily deduced. In the first place, -in their old calling, there is too much work for them after leading -the lazy, rollicking sailor’s life aboard a whaleship, where the -regulations of the service allow him four or five hours sleep (without -whales are in sight) in the daytime. A man has little inclination to -labor from sun to sun. Again, in rural localities, there is a degree -of wonder and interest attaching to a sailor, that makes him feel -flattered by the special attention displayed towards him; and, after -spinning all his marvellous yarns to an admiring audience, he feels it -incumbent upon him to keep up the character by again embarking, with -the prospect of returning in the possession of new stories and songs. - -Going up the Derwent we saw many fine farms, with neat and commodious -tenements upon them. The river itself was studded by small craft, -engaged in carrying produce to the city of Hobartown. A part of them -possess the curious cognomen of “she oakers;” these are a distinctive -class from the others, and are employed in the conveyance of the she -oak, prepared for fuel, to market. On nearing the town, we discovered -the James Allen at anchor, and found, beside her, twenty or thirty -vessels--all sailing under the English flag, except a Dutch brig, and -we two Yankees. At 8 o’clock P. M. we came to anchor within a short -distance of the town, or rather the city. - -No sooner was our ground-tackle down than boats were alongside -containing prostitutes, who here, as elsewhere, claim Jack Tar as -their especial property. They boarded us, extended invitations to -all, when they came ashore, to call upon them; and with the most -unblushing assurance, indulged in libidinous promises of the advantages -possessed by their establishments over all others, and vaunting their -superiority over anything of the kind in the city. Some of these frail -ones delighted in most euphonious names, one was Double-Jointed Polly, -another, Slippery Liz, another, Polly, the Jumper, and other equally -select and high-sounding appellations, which they seemed proud enough -of. - -Directly we were secure, the mate of the James Allen boarded us, -and informed us of the total loss of the barque Henry H. Crapo, of -Dartmouth, Massachusetts, with the destruction of all the crew, fore -and aft, excepting the captain and a Sandwich Islander, who were picked -up by an English steamship, after thirty-six hours immersion in the -ocean. It appears that whilst off the Cape of Good Hope, she was struck -aback by a heavy squall that tripped her up. The two persons saved -sprang to cut away the rigging, to save her and give her opportunity -to right again, when they were washed overboard. Coming in contact -with part of a whale-boat, and a cutting-stage with lanyards attached, -they constructed a raft, on which they were saved. At the time of -the accident one watch was aloft furling the foretopsail. This craft -previously bore the reputation of being tricky, having, according to -the account of those who had been in her, several times before been on -her beam ends. All her crew were known to us, and we had seen them, but -a few months previous, rejoicing in the prospect of a speedy arrival at -home. - -On the 23d and 24th we were busily occupied in breaking out and getting -ashore our right whale oil. After getting it all in casks, we launched -it overboard, and, with four boats fully manned, the crews of all -joining in a rattling, heaving song, we towed the casks along before -the city front, attracting hundreds of the citizens to the wharves to -witness the method of the Yankees at work. They seemed to be satisfied -by their scrutiny, that we were the smartest nation in all creation. I -heard one of them say, “They are a bloody smart set of young fellows, -and no bloody mistake;” and, indeed, to judge from the appearance -of the specimens of the two races here exhibited, the denizens of -the city presented a worn, dissipated aspect, whilst our boys, fresh -from the sea, with cheerful countenances and sprightly motion, looked -capable of any amount of exertion. Directly opposite where we lay was -the Government barracks, and the presence of the red-coated sentries, -with their periodical cry of “All’s well” resounding through the -air, strangely jarred on an American ear. Speaking in terms easily -understood of monarchical governments and their hirelings, this town is -indeed little else but a collection of people under martial subjection; -the character of the inhabitants, and their antecedents, rendering them -subjects of peculiar care to the British government; and to ensure -their good behavior, a regiment of these scarlet-coated gentry, who -have seen actual service, are permanently stationed here. By their -presence, rather than any work they are called upon to perform, these -people are intimidated into decorum. Sentries are stationed before the -governor’s house and the various public buildings, and a nightly patrol -is placed near the water. They are continually to be seen walking about -the streets accompanied by the handsomest females in the place. This -seems a peculiar privilege of the soldier--no matter where you go, you -will always see him with a pretty girl; his continual presence on one -station giving him an immense advantage over the sailor; and then, -too, the color of his coat is so much more gay than the modest blue, -that, in the eyes of the lass that loves display, Jack stands no chance -against his hereditary rival. - -Just above the town there is an eminence, mounted with heavy artillery, -which commands the harbor. It is laid out with taste; but, being little -versed in military science, I can neither vouch for, nor detract from -its effectiveness. It is a favorite resort for the citizens, and is -often the theatre of prize-fights, which take place, not only between -the male, but also the female part of creation. During our stay, -two courtezans fought for a pound a side, and battled away for some -fifteen or twenty rounds, when the police arrived at the scene of -combat, and conveyed the participators and a number of the spectators -to the lock-up. The police force is well organized and effective, and -patrol the streets night and day. In conjunction with the soldiers, -they are the guardians of the public peace; and one would think that, -being coadjutors, friendly relations existed between them; but, on -the contrary, many and bloody battles occur. The soldier hates the -policeman, and the policeman fears the soldier. If the policeman -detects the soldier in any little peccadillo, he without more ado -arrests him, if he be alone, and there is no prospect of falling in -with any of his captive’s comrades; but, woe betide him! if in an -unguarded moment he has counted without his host--they flock around him -with wondrous alacrity, take off their belts, and with these effective -weapons soon beat off the police with their staves, and decamp in -triumph. - -During the three days we lay here, before going ashore on liberty, -numbers of young women visited both ships, professedly for the purpose -of obtaining washing; but, no matter how respectable or tidy they -looked, their vulgar breeding would display itself before they left. -Two of them got into a fracas on board the James Allen; and, after -indulging in every expletive in and out of the Billingsgate vocabulary, -were about settling their difficulty pugilistically, but were -restrained by the mate’s peremptorily ordering them into their boat. -On their showing some reluctance at starting, he threatened them that -they should never again come aboard, unless they obeyed. This had the -desired effect, and they went away, to settle the matter ashore. - -A short time previous to our arrival, the water-police for the -suppression of smuggling had been abolished; and, scarcely was our -anchor down, when the watermen came aboard, to bargain for tobacco and -other contraband articles. - -Hobartown, from the water, does not present a striking appearance. -Apart from the military and the public buildings, there are but few -objects of interest to the beholder, excepting several churches, -and a huge windmill, perched on a tower, where corn is ground. The -town is scattered, or rather the buildings are--which amounts to the -same thing,--over a considerable area. Its population is variously -estimated, from fifteen to sixty thousand; I having been assured by -at least a dozen respectable, intelligent citizens, that both these -numbers were correct. In the absence of a certified copy of the census, -I will establish a mean between the two, and estimate it at less -than forty thousand. Its streets are laid out at right-angles with -each other: the foot-path is paved with flags, and the carriage-way -macadamized. The city is lighted with gas, the works for which were -imported from England. Several of the streets present a business-like -and animated appearance; particularly Murray and Liverpool streets, -which contain the business-marts--the latter, like Chatham street, New -York, or South street, Philadelphia, (both of which thoroughfares I -have mentioned before,) being the place of business for pawnbrokers, -Jews, old-clothes-dealers, haberdashers, &c. At almost every step a -groggery stares you in the face, and a glance within will assure you -that they do not lack patronage. It is not unusual to see a husband -and his wife, whose dress and appearance betoken an acquaintance with -better circles, standing at the bar, and partaking from the hands of -the rumseller of the beverage that intoxicates. I know of nothing that -more disgusted me, during my whole absence from home, than witnessing -two females, each with an infant in her arms, settling some domestic -concerns, and ratifying the settlement with a nobbler. - -But here I have been describing Hobartown, when as yet I have not been -ashore. The last date I gave was I believe the 25th, and the 26th -being Sunday, on the day succeeding it, which was liberty day, all -were busily employed in washing, barbarizing, and attempting to change -our semi-barbaric appearance into a more civilized one; so as to be -enabled to make some pretension to being ladies’ men, and enter the -lists for feminine favor with the landlubbers ashore. After beautifying -our persons as much as our means would permit, long togs and other -clothing, that had been stowed away in the corners of donkeys for many -months, were ferreted out; and, when we had donned them, we presented -a pretty creditable appearance. Thus unusually attired, and feeling -something like fish out of water, we jumped into the boat, and started -for the shore. - -On once more arriving among houses, streets, and marts for business, -after a two-years’ exile from them, thoughts of my own happy home -rushed up in my memory, and bitterly did I deplore my foolishness -in having left it; but soon, in the contemplation of new objects, -I cheered up, and began my peregrinations through the city, with a -determination to criticize everything impartially, whether English or -colonial. - -The most prominent objects, were the very conspicuous signs of the -different groggeries, among which I noticed one, on the corner of two -streets, with large letters, to the effect that it was the General -Washington House; and a few steps further on was the Virginia House: -fully attesting that some wandering Yankee, who still retained his -American bias, (and where is there a son of our native land--no -matter how long he has been absent--that does not retain it?) had -squatted here, and christened these two sinks. Amongst other names, I -also noticed, the Marquis of Waterford, the Garrick’s Head, Handsome -Bar-Maid, White Swan, Inkermann Arms, &c. Many of these were houses of -ill-fame or assignation. - -Before going ashore, our captain, in a short, but pithy address, -strongly recommended to us the necessity of avoiding the allurements of -the various shipping-agents located here. Seamen were scarce, and these -harpies, ever on the look-out for American seamen--more particularly -whalemen, to whom, in order to secure them, they will at any time -give the post of boatsteerer--made many offers to induce our men to -desert. The captain mentioned the fact, that no American whaler had -ever made this port without losing a part of her crew, and urged us -to be an exception to the rule. He then stated, that there was not a -man or boy in his ship, whom he wanted to part with; and wound up his -address by warning us particularly against a worthy, whose sobriquet -was Peg-legged Johnson. What his real name was, I do not know. He -had a wooden leg, and a brilliant reputation, all over the Indian -and South Pacific oceans, for stowing away seamen who deserted from -their vessels; and then, on the offer of a reward by their captains, -returning them. The captain’s advice was well timed, and had a good -effect. It was otherwise with the James Allen’s crew, as will be -disclosed as I proceed. - -Some six months previous a number of our ship’s company had instituted -a temperance pledge, which had ten signers, none of whom deviated from -it, and, indeed, I did not see a single case of inebriety amongst our -crew during our stay in Hobartown. I mention this as a sort of salvo to -the general intemperate reputation of seafaring men. - -Going through the streets, I was much surprised at the number and -variety of the occupations of the hawkers crying their wares. Here one -was calling at the top of his voice “Long, strong, and three yards -long, all for a two-pence;” he had shoe-strings for sale. Another was -vending hot sevilloys, a compound resembling a sausage; whilst another, -with a bell in hand, was lauding the superiority of his establishment -for the purchase and sale of second-hand clothing; and a multitude -of others were striving to vociferate louder than their competitors -their claims to the attention of purchasers of oysters, oranges, nuts, -&c. Besides these notorieties, in every street there was an unusual -number of blind beggars. I for a time kept handing a small sum to each -of these mendicants; but soon gave up charity, as I found that it was -deleterious to the state of my exchequer; money being worth twenty-five -cents advance on the dollar here, and therefore a commodity not very -liberally forked over by our captain. On stating my suspicions that -some of these people were impostors, I was assured to the contrary; -my informant saying that the climate was hurtful to the eyes--a -film, somewhat resembling the cataract, covering and destroying the -sight--a disease easily remedied by the knife of a skilful optician. -The government supplies an asylum for these unfortunates, but many of -them prefer strolling about the streets, to confinement in such an -institution. Many of them are attended by dogs, who lead them about -with precision. - -Soon after I went ashore I came in contact with a young American, who -had been located in the city for several years. Of course, our being -from the same State, betrayed us in a review of the place of our -birth, into a friendly intimacy. I asked him his opinion of Hobartown, -and shall never forget his answer; it was, that “lewdness filled the -streets, licentiousness the houses, and profanity the air.” Although -not prepared to endorse his sentiments in toto, I must confess that he -was not very wide of the mark; and, whilst I have him in remembrance, I -may as well review the opportunities offered by this part of Australia -to induce young men to emigrate to its shores. The state of society, -makes those engaged in business here, whenever they find a young -man coming to their neighborhood with the character of an honest -man, anxious to secure his services, and offer him a good recompense -for them. During my stay on the coast, I, in several cases, had such -offers tendered me; and, although in a pecuniary point of view they -were advantageous, I have never once regretted not accepting. In nine -cases out of ten, where young Americans have taken up their residence -here, they have, however repugnant the habit may have at first appeared -to them, contracted a taste for alcohol, and not having, like these -people, been accustomed to imbibe it from childhood, soon became sots. -Hence the reluctance of captains of whaleships to discharge on the -coast any of their crew in whom they take an interest; well knowing -that among such companions moral or intellectual improvement is out of -the question. - -As the lower class of the population, more particularly the female -portion, consider the sailor fair game, our ship was continually the -scene of their visits. Although we were at first quite pleased, and -felt enlivened by the presence of the fairer part of creation aboard -our floating home, we shortly discovered that we were only favored with -their company from interested motives; and, therefore, after several -visits had passed, but little more attention was paid to them, except -by the idlers, who were glad to have any object to assist them in -whiling away their time. - -Great attention was paid by these dames to the younger members of our -crew, whom they hoped, on account of their inexperience, easily to -dupe; but it was only on one occasion, (the eve of our sailing,) that -any encouragement was extended to induce them to prolong their visit -aboard our ship. On that evening--fancying that we had some stray -shillings in the corners of our pockets, and wishing to relieve us of -an article that would be of no use to us when at sea--they came off to -the number of a score; and as their blandishments could produce no ill -effect, (for none of us wanted to go ashore again at Hobartown,) our -accordeon-player was pressed into service, the quarter-deck cleared -away, and all hands indulged in dancing--officers, men, and visitors -taking a part. The presence of the officers, and respect for the old -ship, restrained those whose buoyancy of spirit would otherwise have -led them to run riot. - -After being tired out with dancing, singing was substituted; and, -take it all in all, it was about as merry an evening as could well be -passed. All parties, before entering into these gayeties, had been -pledged to decorum; and, as there were no intoxicating liquors, by an -indulgence in which any one might be led to forget his or her sense of -propriety, nothing was said or done that could have called a blush to -the most modest cheek: a circumstance, the more remarkable, when the -motley character of the assemblage is remembered. - -There are several establishments in the city, professedly theaters, but -really houses of questionable character, where dancing, in which all -the audience indulge, is by far the greatest part of the performance. - -One of these houses my curiosity led me to enter. Having paid over my -shilling to the door-tender, I was ushered into a small amphitheater. -On its stage sat five performers, whose faces were blackened with -burned cork. They were attempting to give delineations of Ethiopian -characteristics; but, although the audience seemed delighted with the -performance, their brogue smacked more of the Paddy or Sandy than of -that of the Virginia Darkie. - -It is to be deplored that such establishments so often entrap the -unwary sailor; who, on his liberty-day, bent upon amusement, his mind -unoccupied, and in possession of funds sufficient to make him an -object of attraction to the harpies who conduct them, is led to enter, -and, ere he is aware, (unless he has a spirit that is proof against -temptation,) they lead him from one folly to another, until he becomes -helplessly intoxicated, and then he is an easy prey to whoever wishes -to plunder him. Strange it is, that, with the victims of such sharks -continually before his eyes in every seaport he visits, he should still -persist in entering such places. He certainly does not do it blindly, -but with a culpable recklessness, that is almost inexcusable. He will -not stop to consider what may be the consequences of the first steps he -takes in the path of sin. He is never deterred from his evil course by -viewing the wreck of his fortune; for, when utterly impoverished by his -heedless career on land, he again returns to his favorite element, upon -whose broad expanse, or in whose mighty deeps, he sanguinely expects -to regain all his treasure. He scorns to reflect upon the vile arts by -which he has been debarred from the field of fair sailing ashore, nor -regards the foul atmosphere of the brothel as more to be shunned than -the spray. So, at sea, he thinks not of danger, when the storm king -in his wrath is sweeping over the surface of the ocean, but goes aloft -unfaltering, although surrounded by the elemental war. - -The Hobartown market is abundantly furnished with most excellent -meat--the beef I never saw surpassed, and the mutton is excellent. -The principal part of the beeves consumed here are brought from Port -Phillip in small craft known as “bullockers,” and, despite their -uncomfortable passage across the straits, land in excellent condition. -We had plenty of such provender whilst we lay here--the cook, or -steward, having orders to get abundant supplies each morning, except -Sundays--and we did it justice. Although a seaman sighs for fresh -meat, after a long cruise, when he has enjoyed it for several days -his appetite becomes surfeited, and he gladly hunts up salt junk, -and partakes of it with a relish. The consumption for the first and -second days is treble that of the succeeding three. A vessel, several -years ago, touched at a port on the western coast of South America, -for a reason not assigned. There was no fresh meat furnished to the -crew, in lieu of it poultry was substituted, which, for a short time, -was partaken of with relish; but one day the captain was surprised at -seeing his men come aft and complain of their chicken diet, asserting -that they had had too much of it, and could not work upon it. Salt -junk was served out in its place, and the difficulty settled. This -is not an isolated case of the kind; I have read elsewhere, I think -in one of J. Fennimore Cooper’s works, that the Scotch garrisons -originally stationed on the various outposts of Great Britain, on the -lakes, were accustomed to complain when an over supply of venison or -salmon was meted out to them; these articles, to us luxuries, being so -plentiful near their abode, and so often partaken of as to lose their -novelty. At the present writing I have been but a few months without -fresh provisions, and so long a dissertation on the coveted food, -has conjured up to my imagination, visions of fresh and juicy meat, -vegetables in profusion, and amongst other delicacies, last, though -not least, a buckwheat or Johnny cake; neither would a piece of bread -and cheese he out of the way, or any other of the little et ceteras -grateful to the appetite, that the poorest person ashore can command at -will, but which the wanderer on the sea must deny himself when engaged -in a long voyage; the owners generally considering salt junk and hard -bread as the staffs of life at sea. - -Daily, whilst here, some one or more of the crew of the James Allen -would cut stick, and defy the most strenuous efforts of the authorities -to recapture them. Finally the crew was reduced to but a moiety of -her usual number. They were restricted to the day ashore, at night -being required to return aboard their ship; those who violated this -restriction were confined altogether to the vessel, and those allowed -to go ashore were put by their captain under the surveillance of the -police, and if found ashore at nightfall, were placed in the lock-up. -Our captain, to secure us from molestation, furnished us with passes to -the effect that, by his permission our liberty extended for twenty-four -hours; but as our men behaved themselves in the most decorous manner, -they were never interfered with; and I do not remember having heard of -a single instance where they were required to show their passes. - -This passport system was a feature worthy of the worst despotism of -the Old World. Here were we, a body of Americans, visiting an English -harbor, after a long confinement aboard ship at sea, debarred from -enjoying our rambles on shore with perfect freedom, and feeling -ourselves liable at any moment to be stopped by the police, and have -our passports demanded. And why? Forsooth, was this done, because -several of the James Allen’s crew--disgusted either with whaling, the -sea, or the harshness of the discipline aboard that ship--chose to -remain ashore? To be sure, they had all signed the ship’s articles, -and agreed to remain as part of her crew during the continuance of -her voyage, and by leaving her here they violated the letter of their -agreement; but when it is remembered, that the greater proportion of -those now deserting, at the time of joining the vessel and registering -their names, were minors--totally ignorant of what their duties and -hardships might be--their offence appears to be merely venial. And, -again, the captain is also bound by these articles and by the maritime -laws of the United States; and, if he has observed those laws in letter -and spirit, he will be entitled to sympathy, should his men desert him. -But, unfortunately, as soon as a ship is outside of land, and away from -the jurisdiction of our courts, the captain is too apt to consider -himself as the law and all its officers. He is, emphatically, when on -the high seas, himself the judge and jury; from his decision there is -no appeal, and to his fiat the seamen under his command must submit. -Now, should he be guilty of gross personal abuse, or otherwise injure -any of his men, or by a system of petty annoyances, render a situation -under him unpleasant and uncomfortable, who will say that the party -so injured or offended may not withdraw from the ship? The captain, -however, will not let him go. What, then, shall he do? Life is a burden -to him whilst under the espionage of his tormentor. His remedy, the -superficial observer at once would say, would be to throw himself and -his complaints on the consideration of the American consul, and demand -justice. I will merely relate a case that happened at the American -Consular Agent’s Office in Hobartown, (the agent, by the way, was not -an American,) to wit: - -At Flores we received aboard a Portuguese, without an agreement. He -remained with us, as one of the crew, up to the time of our arrival at -Hobartown, and had become a pretty good seaman. One liberty-day, as -he was going ashore, the captain said to him he wished that he would -accompany him to the consul’s office, and have his name put upon the -ship’s articles. The Portuguese assented; but, previous to this, the -shipping agents of the town had conferred with him, and, discovering -that he was not bound to the ship, had offered him a seaman’s wages -to sail in their employ; consequently, he imbibed a notion of the -real value of his services, and when taken to the consul’s office -and offered a landsman’s lay by the captain, he demanded a greater -proportion of the vessel’s earnings--one commensurate with his -services. His remonstrance was answered by a box on the ear; and he was -taken to the wharf, put in a boatman’s charge, and conveyed to our -vessel; from which time he was not allowed to go ashore again whilst we -remained in the harbor. - -It may be seen, from the result in this instance, that men have -but little encouragement to apply to the consul. What, then, shall -they do? The English courts will not receive an American seaman’s -complaints--stating that they have no jurisdiction in such a case; but, -at the same time, they will grant to the captain of a vessel warrants -for the arrest and detention of any of his crew who may desert. - -Thus, both these avenues to justice and right are in a measure closed -against the sailor; but, even were they open, I doubt whether Jack -would resort to them. Taught by experience, as well as from the -prejudice of ignorance, he cherishes a strong antipathy toward both the -law and its executors; for which reason, he does not care to prefer a -complaint in a court of justice, but would rather forswear its promised -shelter, and take the seemingly shorter and easier method offered by -desertion, to gain a release from tyranny or exemption from unbearable -wrongs. In adopting the latter course, however, it not unfrequently -happens, that, instead of having improved his condition, he finds, to -use a homely adage, that he has jumped out of the frying-pan into the -fire. - -But I must resume my narrative, and speak of the colonists, among whom -there is a generation now rising who have been born on the island. -They are known as Van Diemanians or Tasmanians. The males are large, -fine-looking fellows, and the females generally possess some beauty and -intelligence. - -This city having considerable whaling trade, there is a corresponding -interest taken in everything pertaining to that pursuit. For instance, -all the boats that ply about the city front, large or small, are in -the form of a whale-boat. Regattas are held, under the patronage of -the colonial government, at which various prizes are distributed to -the victorious crews of the successful boats: and now for a word about -these boats. During the voyage we had two of them, one of which was -purchased from the Flying Childers, when we were off the coast of New -Zealand, in exchange for tobacco--the other we procured in Hobartown. -The former had taken a prize at the regatta; and, therefore, I think we -maybe said to have had fair specimens of the manufacture. These boats -are longer, sharper, higher, and heavier than ours; they are built -of hard wood--there being no wood in this country comparable to our -cedar for the construction of whale-boats. Being heavier, they are of -course more difficult to pull, and, although higher and sharper, some -peculiarity in the model renders them so wet and uncomfortable, that, -to use the words of those who had often got wet jackets whilst in them, -“They do not ride a sea, but pass right through it.” One advantage they -possess in the polished smoothness of their surface, which enables them -to glide through the water with scarcely any perceptible noise, and -approach the whale before he has an inkling of its whereabouts. Many -of these Hobartown vessels totally discard boats manufactured by the -artizans of that town, whilst others vastly prefer them to the American -boat. From experience, I should say that the latter craft, viewed in -every light, is superior; and, again, it has the advantage of being -two-thirds cheaper--the Hobartown boat costing from thirty to fifty -pounds, and the American fifteen or twenty at the most. - -We had but little trouble in procuring water, for, if so disposed, a -ship can have it brought alongside; but if not, all that is necessary -is, as we did, to tow a raft of casks to the dock, fill them from -a hose, and then convey them back to the ship. The water is of an -excellent quality, and keeps sweet a long time. - -As liberty was given every day, and the watches were ashore -alternately, the privilege of remaining ashore during the night was -extended to each individual. For the convenience of those who were -disposed to return aboard, a boat was sent in at sundown; but it -seldom brought off any of the liberty-men. It was manned by the watch -on duty; so that three-fourths of the ship’s company might be ashore -every night. The boat generally returned before midnight; and it was -customary for the crew that manned it to sing a jolly heaving-song at -the top of their voices--all joining in the chorus; and the nights -being still and serene, the effect produced was rather startling -through the silent harbor. - -On the 5th of August all hands were aboard--liberty having been -discontinued--all preparations made for sailing, and no intercourse -allowed with the shore. Many of our crew wished to provide themselves -with little articles for sea-use; but the captain, having all on board, -determined to keep them there, and took the execution of all their -little commissions upon himself. There was, however, no need of this -precaution, in order to confine us on board our ship; for, throughout -the entire day, we did not fail to have many opportunities to desert, -if any of us had felt so disposed, and had availed ourselves of the -watermen’s boats, which were continually arriving at, and departing -from the ship. - -In referring to the account of what transpired aboard the ship on the -last night of our stay in the harbor of Hobartown, it may, perhaps, be -said by the strict moralist, that too much latitude of correct moral -principle was allowed by admitting female visitors, whose reputation, -at least, if not their real character, was that of the lowest grade; -inasmuch as by their participation in the gay hilarities of that -evening encouragement was given to the idea, that their guilty course -of life was no hindrance to the realization of lawful and innocent -pleasure. Now, considering the fact that so many youngsters were -comprised in our crew--“young bloods,” of keen susceptibilities for -sport, whom the license of an hour might probably transform into -“fast young men,”--we must acknowledge the apparent justness of this -objection. But, on the other hand, let us consider the relation in -which the captain of a ship stands to his men: it is not one which -authorizes or requires him to assume the care and rod of a parent, -or teacher of morals; but is one which demands a discipline that can -secure their willing, hearty, and effective service. Moreover, it is -impossible fully to control the inclinations of a boy, who likely has -always had his own way at home, and has been sent to sea on account -of a too free indulgence of self-will. I say that it is absolutely -impossible to govern such a stripling, (after his parents have failed, -while he was surrounded by the influences of home,) when separated -fifteen thousand miles from his native country, and after two years -of forecastle life, during which, being continually in the society of -sailors, boys grow to be men in opinion and ideas, and expect to be -treated as such when ashore. As to the expediency of somewhat relaxing -the rigid rules of moral discipline, we may be satisfied by a mere -contrast of the position of our own with the crew of the James Allen -at the same moment. On board the latter, the men had been hectored and -thwarted, and consequently more than one-half had deserted--leaving the -void to be filled up with green hands,--and those who remained were -sullen, dissatisfied, and discontented; whilst our own crew were all -aboard their ship, both cheery and ready to go to sea. The fact of all -the hands that were brought into this port again going out in the ship, -of their own accord, is unprecedented in the annals of the arrival and -departure of American whalers; for, commonly, such vessels lose a half -or two-thirds of their crews. A few months ago, the ship Hunter, of New -Bedford, touched here, and lost a number of her men--several of whom -are now acting as policemen. Our non-success in capturing whales gave -good cause for apprehending that we should meet with a like loss, and -our not doing so may be attributed to the general good treatment which -characterized our ship throughout her voyage. Although not a paradise, -still she was as good as the best of whalers. No overt act of cruelty -or brutality had been exercised on any one of our crew; and therefore -they were now all satisfied again to go afloat in her. - -In the morning three new men came aboard: two of them were ordinary -seamen, or as such they represented themselves--one having steered a -boat, and the other having been a year before the mast in a colonial -vessel. If these were fair specimens of colonial seamen, the poorest -must indeed be very low; for none of them knew the compass, or the -rigging, or how to furl a square sail. The whole three were Irishmen, -of the class that are banished from their country for their country’s -good. - - - - -CHAPTER IX. - - -At 8 o’clock on the morning of the 6th we hove up our anchor, got under -weigh, and, with a fair wind, stood down the river--leaving Hobartown -in the distance--bound on another long cruise to the westward. - -But before I take leave of Hobartown, I must acknowledge the general -welcome and hospitality with which we were greeted and treated by -its inhabitants, who seemed very desirous to add their contributions -to make our time whilst in their harbor pass pleasantly. The mere -fact of our being Americans was a passport to their good opinion. -Although, when we are absent, they jeer at our national peculiarities, -and lay great stress upon “guess” and “calculate,” yet they are all -suavity when in our company. Away from home the whole of our people -are known as Yankees, whether hailing from the northern, southern, -eastern, or western section of our Union. Being an American, as far -as my experience goes, is indeed a passport to civility amongst the -inhabitants of all these penal colonies. Though the greater part of -these people have been banished from Europe for their violation of -the laws of their native country, nevertheless, they still consider -themselves to be the injured party, and view England as a great -oppressor, by whose peculiar societary organization her subjects are -urged on to evil; and therefore they say, as such, they have neither -regard nor respect for her. I noticed that the military band were -continually playing, God save the Queen; but I saw nothing of that -affection for the sovereign, which the English papers are forever -rehearsing, as being an inherent principle in the British composition. -Respect for her virtues, as a woman, they readily yield; but these -people have a vague idea of republicanism, that will eventually cost -Great Britain her Australian colonies; although self-government among -such a people will undoubtedly be productive of little else than -anarchy and disorder. The discordant elements composing the population -need a thorough alternative, ere they can hope to form a government in -any way resembling our Union of the West; and from my own impressions, -drawn from an observation of both the higher and lower classes of -society, I should say that it would require all the abattoirs of -Paris,--which extend, I forget how many miles, and render it the most -thoroughly drained city in the world,--as an outlet for the moral -corruption of this country. - -And now I must touch briefly on Van Dieman’s Land business-operations. -Yankee cuteness in bargaining has became a proverb, but I doubt whether -the sharpest of the speculators from the land of wooden nutmegs could -outdo the sharpers found here. Long before we passed the Iron Pot -light, a boat, containing a couple of speculators, came alongside, and -her passengers jumped aboard of us. (One of their names, by the way, -was Smart, and he sustained the aptitude of his cognomen to the best -of his ability.) We purchased a boat of them, which, after we were -outside, was found to be much worn, and the crevices filled with putty -and neatly painted, so as to defy detection. The potatoes, bought for -first-rate, were very ordinary; and the salt-meat, ten tierces of which -had been bought for corned beef--being represented as having been but -a short time out of pickle--was fairly white with an encrustation of -salt, which no amount of soaking would remove: being ten times more -saline than that which we had brought from home twenty-four months -previously. This meat, when opened, was not, like ours, of a rich red -and yellow hue, but of a sickly pink and white, which may have been -owing to the absence of saltpetre in the pickle. It was quite fat; but -the fat was like suet, and eatable only whilst warm; wanting the rich, -pleasant taste of the fat on our own meat. The epicure may laugh at my -expression of “rich taste,” applied to a piece of salt-junk; but let -him do, as I have done, after hours of fatiguing night-duty--when his -system is almost prostrated from exposure to wind and weather--go down -to his messpan, get a piece of fat beef, a cake of hard bread, and a -raw onion, (if he is fortunate enough to possess the latter,) and then -go on deck, and munch it, then, I think, he will find the taste of it -rich, grateful and pleasant. - -Before I go farther, I must relate a New Zealand adventure, which -escaped my notice whilst writing of that delectable coast, and as it is -one of the few incidents of my voyage with which a woman is connected, -it would not be just for me to omit it: it was as follows. One night -whilst we lay in Milford Haven Bay, one of the owners of the schooner -Eliza approached me very mysteriously, and asked the privilege of a few -minutes conversation with me. Of course I acquiesced, wondering at the -motive for his request. I was soon enlightened. He stated that in the -settlement where he lived, at Jacob’s River Bluff, at the extremity -of the middle island, their former physician, who for many years -had practised in the vicinity, had died, and they, therefore, were -without medical attention. Having heard my shipmates call me Doctor, -and discovering, upon inquiry, that I had dabbled somewhat in physic -at home, he made up his mind that I was an expert practitioner, and -the idea entered his head to secure me as a resident at the Bluff. He -stated the matter to me, assuring me of a remunerative practice, and, -as a further inducement offered me one of his daughters as a wife. -He represented her as a beautiful half-caste girl--and I found, upon -inquiry, that he did her but justice. I was both amused and surprised -at the ardor with which he urged the matter, and did not give him a -final answer, wishing to draw him out. The old fellow thought that he -had me safe, when I deemed it time to put a stop to it, and informed -him that my engagements to the owners of our ship were of so urgent a -nature that I could not leave without the captain’s full consent. He -assured me that there would be no difficulty about that, if I would but -give _my_ consent to the matter; he would stow me away so that no one -would be able to find me, and at the end of their cruise carry me to -the Bluff. Of course I could not consent to this, although every time -he renewed his solicitations, he enjoined on me to remember the gal. -I certainly should have liked to have formed an acquaintance with her, -but I had too many ties at home to forget and forsake my country. This -old fellow was an English man-of-war’s man who had deserted from his -ship in the early days of the settlement of the island, and marrying a -native woman, had reared a family of handsome and interesting children. -His code of morals was not of the highest standard, neither was his -sense of duty as a parent, or he would not have wished to dispose of -his daughter so summarily without her consent; but then he may have -been fully acquainted with her wishes, and I was assured that these -girls consider it as a great honor to secure an American husband. In -proof of this I will relate the adventures of a townsman of mine. He -sailed from New Bedford in a whaler, deserted at Bravo, one of the -Cape De Verde Islands, contracted some sort of a marriage with one of -the Portuguese girls there, became tired of her, and shipped aboard -a second New Bedford ship bound to the South Seas. She cruised off -New Zealand, and then proceeded to the Australian Bight. Whilst in -these latitudes, this young man fell from the maintop into the waist -boat, and displaced his ribs. A few days after the accident we fell in -with her, and I went aboard and set them. We saw no more of the ship -or him for a long time, when one day, whilst we were gammoning with -the Colonial ship Pacific, I was surprised at seeing the self-same -individual step aboard from her boat, well and hearty, having perfectly -recovered from his injury. He told me that being weak for some time -after he was hurt, his captain had left him ashore at Stewart’s -Island, with sufficient for all his wants, promising to call at a -certain time. The ship not making her appearance at the stated period, -and being perfectly recovered, he became weary of inactivity, and on -the Pacific’s touching at the island, he joined her, throwing away -several hundred dollars which were his proportion of his former ships -(the Alexander) earnings. The Alexander touched at the island a few -weeks after, but found the bird flown, to the captain’s regret, as -the missing individual was one of his most useful men. He continued -in the Pacific for five or six months, and on her touching a second -time at the island, deserted from her and married the girl whom the -cooper was desirous that I should mate with. Thus this youngster, -scarce arrived at manhood, had, in the course of two years, left his -home, and been a member of three ships, married twice, and at the last -account of him was snugly anchored in an out of the way nook in the -South Pacific, thousands of miles from his kindred, who know nothing -of his whereabouts, neither are they likely to, without, amongst his -other freaks, he should attempt that of returning home. Thus it is, -a free life on the salt water certainly engenders this unsettled, -roving tendency. A sailor considering himself at home in every clime; -well-knowing that however little employment there may be for other -professions, the ways of commerce will always supply him with a berth -sufficient to provide for all his wants. The better the seaman, -generally, the more wild and reckless are his frolics; never learning -wisdom, or staying his rollicking career, until the blue waves of old -ocean close over his sinking form, or he is hove down in some foreign -hospital, a prey to disease brought on by his own imprudence. His life -ebbs out, amongst strangers, when, if at home, his sick couch would be -surrounded by kind friends, or, perhaps, a fond mother or sister, who, -at the dictates of affection, would minister to his dying wants, and -smooth his dreary passage with all the comforts procurable by affection. - -But I must resume the legitimate course of my log, which was -interrupted, I believe, as we were making our way down the Derwent. By -night we were outside and beating up for the Southwest Cape. There, -on Sunday the 9th, we sighted sperm whales. We lowered away, and in -about an hour had one snugly moored alongside. The following day we -cut him in despite a gale of wind; fortunately, saving the whale. On -the following Wednesday we saw another school of whales, but, after -chasing all day, gave up the pursuit as hopeless. As soon as we were -done boiling, the James Allen hove in sight, having left Hobartown -several days after we sailed. They informed us that after we left, her -cooper, and one of her boatsteerers deserted, having been enticed away -by the smiles of some of Hobartown’s syrens. They also stated that the -Prince Regent had arrived, and brought news of our missing boat’s crew. -That, a few days after our leaving the coast of New Zealand, they came -alongside the Prince Regent and begged for provisions and some water, -saying that they had been lying in a bay a short distance South of -Milford Haven, waiting for our departure from the coast. Those who saw -them said that they were emaciated and woe-begone to a painful degree. -The captain of the Prince Regent, who, both with his own countrymen -and strangers, bears the unenviable notoriety of being a niggard, -refused to give them a single thing. They left him and went alongside -a Maurii schooner, where their wants were supplied--the semi-civilized -man, who is sneered at by his more polished cotemporary, displaying -the most humanity. Afterward they were seen to go into Open Bay, take -aboard several men who had deserted from the Lady Emma, and direct -their boat to the northward, where we will leave them, until, in the -due course of the narrative, their further exploits are developed. - -On the 15th the sun arose amid a pretty fresh gale of wind. Directly -after breakfast we sighted sperm whales. The weather looked rather -dubious; but we wanted oil very bad--so down went our boats and after -them. They were slightly to windward of us, and it was impossible to -force our boats to the weather, in the teeth of both sea and wind, so, -at 10 o’clock, the boats returned aboard. At 11 we tried it again; at -12 again returned, ate dinner, and, not at all discouraged by the two -preceding failures, at two o’clock dropped our boats a third time, -after having beat up with the ship to windward of the school. The -third attempt proved successful, and, fortunately, the fish struck ran -but very little, and was easily disposed of. Some idea may be formed -of the hardships of the whaleman’s life, from a recountal of this -day’s work. During the whole time that the boats were down, the rain -descended in torrents, and the sea was so rugged that it was only by -incessant bailing that the boats were kept from swamping. Added to -this, the weather was quite cool, and the wind was at such a height -that double-reefed topsails were all the ship would hear; yet, despite -all this, the brave fellows, when they came aboard, although chilled -through and wet to the skin, made light of the difficulties, and stated -their willingness and even eagerness to encounter the same hardships -again for another whale. The wind continuing, we had a troublesome -job the next day in getting him aboard. The following Wednesday, as -if fortune was determined to make us some reparation for the former -sparsity of her favors, we again saw whales, captured one and got him -all aboard the same day--making over two hundred barrels of sperm -oil taken by us in ten days. The James Allen was in sight of us when -we captured the last two, and had the same chance; her miscarrying, -therefore, can be attributed only to the fact of her boats’ crews being -unaccustomed to boat duty, and unable to compete with ours--her old -crew being pretty nearly all gone, and her boats now manned by men who -never saw a whale before. I think that this should be a sufficient -inducement for whaling captains to treat their crews well, so as to -retain them, when, at the end of two years, they make a good port, they -may not have an inefficient, almost helpless crew, instead of able -hands to do their behests. - -The next Sunday, unlike the two preceding ones, was a day of rest--on -one of the former being engaged in whaling, and on the next in -cutting-in. Being a line day we gammoned with the James Allen; whilst -so employed, we noticed a brig to leeward with her colors set at the -mizzen-peak. At first, little attention was paid to her; but the -colors continuing set, we squared our yards and ran off to her. She -proved to be the brig Julia, of Hobartown, five months out, with -twenty-eight tons of sperm oil. Her reason for showing her colors -was, that she had on board a boat’s crew, who, with two other boats’ -crews, now ashore in the vicinity, belonging to the brig Maid of Erin, -of Hobartown, separated from their vessel, having lowered for whales -just at nightfall, and lost sight of the brig in their eagerness to -capture whales. There was no one aboard the Maid of Erin, except a few -inexperienced hands, and the boat’s crew expressed their apprehensions -of some casualty to her, should it come on to blow. What the result was -I never learned, as a short time afterward we left the cape, proceeding -northward to Kangaroo Island. Seeing no whales, we changed our course -to the westward, passing the Recherche Islands, and having a fine view -of Pollock’s Reef--a dangerous line of rocks, a long distance from the -main land, extending for several miles, over which the sea roars and -tumbles in huge broken masses, impressing the beholder with a sense -of danger as he gazes upon it. Just before reaching this locality we -saw right whales, but could get nowhere near them. Soon afterward -we gammoned the ship Lapwing, of New Bedford; she brought letters -from home for us, but gave them to the Alexander, supposing that we -still remained off New Zealand. Whilst gammoning with her, a line of -dangerous reefs was sighted close to us, and, during the night and -following day, we carried sail to get a wide berth from it, and ran the -old ship into a school of sperm whales. We lowered away our boats. The -second mate fastened, and the whale sounded, taking out most of his -line; the third mate ran down and attached his line to it, just in the -nick of time, and saved the whale. The whales in this vicinity plunge -and sound deeply, when first struck. Half an hour previous to the -second mate’s fastening, the first mate struck a fellow that carried -off all his line. - -About this time a curious malady affected a number of our crew, the -seeds of which were sown by exposure to the rains and damp air of -the South Pacific. It resembled inflammatory rheumatism, causing -excruciating pains in the joints, and resisting all application of -medicine. I experienced the affection myself. Having heard of the -marvellous efficacy of the oil extracted from the liver of the sun -fish, I urged the necessity of procuring some of the article; the -captain, coinciding with me, lowered away a boat and captured a sun -fish. It was a most curious creature, almost without shape; in weight, -I think it would exceed five hundred pounds; it had no scales and no -flukes; the after portion of the body appearing as if unfinished; on -each side was a long narrow fin. The skin was of a brown color, and as -rough as sandpaper. The eye was most beautiful, and the largest and -clearest of any creature’s that I ever saw. The bones were soft, and on -being exposed to the sun gradually melted away. The flesh is prepared -with vinegar and makes excellent eating. The oil, extracted from the -liver by expression in the sun, is of a reddish color, and fœtid smell. -It proved of great service to me--an application to a stiff joint at -night rendering it pliant and free from pain in the morning. Long -yarns are spun by seafaring men of the wonderful properties of this -oil; they assuring me that a too free use of it was always attended -by salivation, and enjoining an application of but a small quantity. I -used it pretty freely, but experienced no bad effect from it. - -On the 5th of October we picked up a spruce plank, about twelve feet in -length and three in breadth; it was copper-fastened, and was adjudged -to be part of the keel of a large ship. - -On the 17th we ran in and anchored in Frenchman’s Bay, intending -to procure a supply of water. This bay is the introduction to King -George’s Sound, and is a safe and pleasant harbor. We lay within a mile -of the shore, and from a spring close to the beach, procured three -hundred barrels of most excellent water. There were no vessels in -the bay, but in the sound there was an English barque, the Prince of -Wales. She brought out to the sound materials for the erection of two -light-houses--one on Point Possession, at the entrance of the sound; -the other on Breaksea, at the mouth of Frenchman’s Bay. These have -long been needed on the coast, and their advent will be a matter of -congratulation to the navigator in these seas. The crew of this vessel -refused to proceed in her, alleging as a reason her immoderate leakage, -asserting that she was unsafe and unseaworthy. The crew, including the -second mate, on the complaint of the captain, were arrested by the -authorities, and kept in durance vile until such time as the vessel -should leave the port. This probation had now continued for months, -and as the crew were determined not to embark in her, a new crew was -shipped, and, on the arrival of orders from England, she sailed for -some port in the West Indies. At her departure her former hands were -released. - -The next day after anchoring was Sunday, and all hands were bound -for a run ashore. The bay presented little attraction, but the green -appearance of the vegetation was enough to induce us to have a nearer -look at it. On landing we found the country covered with the prevailing -bush, and as it was in many places dry and inflammable as tinder, we -ignited it, and had a rousing fire coursing up the hills like a demon -in pursuit of prey. Having tired ourselves with this amusement, we ran -along the beach with the intention of shaking the scurvy out of our -bones; and as we progressed, saw numbers of mutton-fish, crabs, and -limpets. We gathered a sufficient quantity of these shell-fish, roasted -them, and had a fresh mess. Proceeding along the beach, over an uneven -ridge of boulders, after a walk of about eight miles, we came to the -whale fishery. Here we found about a dozen men, who were engaged in a -warfare against the humpback and right whales that resort to the bay. -They had taken, during the season, two of the former and one of the -latter species, yielding them one hundred and seventy barrels of oil; -they desired us to set no more bush afire, stating that the smoke or -glare of the flames intimidated the whales from entering the bay. From -these people we learned that the ships Alexander and James Allen had -touched here but a short time previous, and that whilst here both ships -had lost men by desertion, and that these men were now knocking about -the town, unable to procure employment. The James Allen also lost an -anchor here, in about the same spot in which she broke her windlass -whilst getting under weigh last year. From all accounts her Hobartown -crew had been anything but orderly and obedient, so that the captain -was glad to be rid of them. Amongst the men at the fishery there were -several Americans who had been in this section of the world for years; -they did not like the country, and, if we had wanted men, would gladly -have engaged and gone home with us. - -It is the law of the English government, that no fishing shall be -carried on within three miles of the coast of colonies. This law is a -dead letter in the Indian Ocean, excepting where their fisheries exist; -and I am sure that, had whales made their appearance in this bay whilst -we were present, our boats would have been down amongst them. The men -at the fishery strongly urged their exclusive right to this privilege; -but, at the same time, they informed us that, a few weeks previous, -the ship Congress, of New Bedford, had taken a humpback whilst lying -where we now were; for, having no casks at the fishery, they were -necessitated to buy some from the ship, and because of this favor, they -had agreed not to interfere with their prize. - -Returning from the fishery, we took a short cut through the bush, which -is lower here than any I have seen elsewhere in Australia--no tree or -shrub appearing that was over eight feet in height. Amidst the general -desolation, beautiful flowers of various descriptions and colors sprung -up; forming a strange contrast, and appearing as if Nature, to make -amends for the general loneliness and negligence displayed, had caused -these gay flowers to flourish here, and truly, as the poet says, - - “To waste their sweetness on the desert air.” - -On our way down, we continually passed little mounds, shaped like -beehives, and constructed of dried grass and sand, arranged to a -nicety. At first I was at a loss to tell the true character of these -nests; but, on knocking the top off of one of them with my stick, I -saw myriads of ants--it being a granary for these insects. On being -disturbed, they rushed hither and thither in search of the violator of -their domicile, and on discovering him, they ran up his clothing, and -bestowed no very gentle bites upon his legs and body. They are much -larger than our ants; and, unlike ours, instead of excavating a place -of retreat, they build it upon the surface of the earth. - -We also saw and destroyed (without knowing what we were killing) -several iguanas--little creatures of the lizard species, that abound -here in great numbers. They are said to be a fierce enemy of the -serpent tribe, and to engage in long and severe contests with his -snakeship, and always gain the victory--running, when bitten by him, -to a certain herb that acts as a specific. When we were at Hobartown, -I was told of a man, named Underwood, who possessed a sure and speedy -antidote for the bite of any snake. The government had offered him -a large price for his secret, but he refused to divulge it on any -terms. He was a convict of the lowest grade, and represented that he -first discovered the antidote by observing the iguana running to, and -eating it, after having been bitten by his foe. This remedy, which is -vegetable, he states to be very common. Its infallibility is implicitly -believed in by the residents; and, from their account, even a stranger -cannot refuse credence to its worth, after listening to a recital of -the many satisfactory tests it has been subjected to by the faculty. - -Whilst we were engaged ashore, those who chose to remain on board the -ship passed the time in angling. Amongst other specimens of what had -been caught, was one known as the snapper, each weighing from twenty -to thirty-five pounds. They had scales, and were of a reddish color. -Another, known as the groper, from its swimming close to the bottom, -weighs from fifty to one hundred and fifty pounds. It has scales on -its body, and is black in color. Both these fish have ivory teeth, -from a quarter to three-quarters of an inch in length, and of the -same shape as those of the sperm whale. Both are good eating, salted -or fresh. They require a strong line and stout arm to secure them. -Beside these members of the finny tribe, there are also to be found -here others of less note: the mackerel, herring, benita, salmon, and -whitings--existing in great numbers. We caught and salted a barrel of -them; but, from an excess of salt, they were unpalatable, and we were -forced to heave them overboard when we got outside. - -On returning to the beach to go aboard, we discovered that one of our -party was missing. It proved to be a New Bedford boy, who, although -his name was John, had been ’yclept Barney, from the first day of our -sailing. He was a good-natured fellow, who did not care what name -he answered to, and became more accustomed to his alias than to his -true cognomen. A call for John would pass unnoticed, when one for -Barney would secure his attention in double-quick time. Having no -taste for whaling, and being desirous of getting home speedily, he -had donned several suits of clothes, and determined to run for it. He -separated himself from the rest of the party soon after going ashore, -and started directly for the town of Albany, where he arrived at -midnight; but finding those who had left the ships before mentioned in -a sad predicament--destitute and wretched--he changed his mind, and -gave himself up to the captain, who was about instituting a search, -and offering a reward for his apprehension. Two days afterward he was -aboard the ship again. - -On the 21st we had all our work done, but were unable to get to -sea, being wind-bound by a heavy easterly gale. The mouth of the -bay being narrow, precluded the possibility of our beating out. The -gale gradually increased; but our ground-tackle was good, and, with -both anchors down, we rode it out. On the afternoon of this day -the steamship Simla made her appearance. She is a noble vessel, of -twenty-five hundred tons burden--three hundred and sixty-five feet in -length. Just before approaching the sound she took the pilot aboard, -and under his guidance proceeded in. Here she came to anchor alongside -the Larkin, in order to receive her coal--this being, after leaving -Melbourne, the first station for fuel for the line of steamships to -which she belongs. They remain here for twenty-four hours, and bring -hither and convey hence the mail to and from the Swan River colony. -On the morning after the Simla’s arrival her mails were opened, and -hardly an idea can be formed of our surprise on seeing the following -announcement in a copy of the Melbourne Weekly Herald:-- - - - “Supposed Loss of the Whaling Barque Pacific, of New Bedford, U. S. - - “The following letter appeared in the Nelson Examiner of the 16th ult.: - - “‘_To the Editor of the Nelson Examiner._ - - “‘SIR:--I regret to inform you, that there is too much reason to - believe that the whaling barque Pacific, of New Bedford, U. S., - foundered on the western coast of this Island, on the night of the - 21st of May last. As the readiest means of communicating the news to - those who are interested in the fate of the vessel and crew, I send - you a copy of the deposition of one of the known survivors, which is - fully corroborated by the statements of the rest. I have ascertained - that the Pacific belonged to the firm of Swift & Perry, of New - Bedford; that she had on board three hundred and fifty barrels of oil - when she was supposed to have foundered. The names of her officers - were: John W. Sherman, master; John Hood, chief mate; John Dexter, - second mate; Clarke Allen, third mate. The names of the men who landed - on the western coast were: Theodore Jerome, David Jones, William - Charles Baylis, Joseph Riley, William Anderson, William Owen, Harvey - William Miller, David Ling. - - “‘Yours, etc. - - “‘H. G. GOULAND, _Resident Magistrate_. - “‘COLLINGWOOD, September 10th, 1857. - - “‘(_Deposition above referred to._) - - “‘Theodore Jerome, being sworn, said: I am a seaman, and belonged to - barque Pacific, of New Bedford; Sherman, master. The barque Pacific - belonged to Swift & Perry, of New Bedford. She was a whaler, of three - hundred and fifty tons burden. She left New Bedford last June was a - twelvemonth. The last port we left was Bunbury, in New Holland. We put - in there for supplies, and left in January last. The vessel leaked - considerably when we left New Bedford, but in Bunbury she was caulked. - - “‘We made the coast of New Zealand early in February last. We were - whaling off the coast. Shortly after making the coast of New Zealand - we experienced several gales of wind, which, according to the - captain’s opinion, increased the leakage considerably. - - “‘On the night of the 21st of May the leakage increased considerably, - and the pumps were kept constantly going till near midnight. The - carpenter reported the condition of the vessel to be dangerous, and - the captain thought it advisable to abandon her. He called all hands - aft, and stated the condition of the vessel to them, and advised - them to be orderly, and to get in their respective boats without - confusion. He turned to Mr. Hood, the chief officer, and told him - to put the vessel before the wind, to make it easier for the boats - to get away from the ship’s side. The captain ordered Mr. Allen to - clear away the bow-boat, and lower her; at the same time a heavy sea - pooped the ship, and swept her fore and aft. The vessel was by this - time settling by the stern. There was then an immediate rush for the - boats--each man getting in the first that he could. I and others got - into the bow-boat. I saw Mr. Allen, the third mate, standing on the - rail, giving directions for the lowering of the boat. I never saw him - afterwards. The boat that I was in escaped from the ship’s side, and - we put her before the wind. It was about 11¹⁄₂ o’clock when we were - called aft by the captain. It might have been half an hour between - that and the time we got clear of the ship’s side. At the time we got - into the boat there was another boat in the act of lowering--there may - have been more, but that is all that I can say positively. We stood - in towards the shore; and made the shore, as nearly as I could judge, - about 3¹⁄₂ o’clock in the morning. The boat was stoven in landing. We - landed between Milford Haven and Open Bay, on the Milford Haven side - of Cascade Point. We had been cruising off and on the shore, and had - seen land the previous day. We had been into Milford Haven about a - fortnight before this, to get water. From cruising off and on, and - repeatedly seeing the land, I was sufficiently acquainted with the - coast to know where we landed. At break of day we ascended a hill - to look for the ship, but saw nothing of her or of the boats. The - weather was very hazy, and it rained heavily then and for several days - afterwards; and we saw no wreck, either of vessel or boats. My opinion - is, that the currents run outward from the shore, and would carry any - wreck out to sea. It was blowing a double-reefed topsail breeze when - we left the vessel. The vessel appeared to be water-logged, and was - settling by the stern. I think that in all probability the vessel - foundered. We remained where we were for one day, and then endeavored - to go to the southward; but the bush was so thick, and obstacles so - great, that we could not get on in that direction. We then shaped - our course in the other direction, towards Open Bay; that is, to - the northward of where we landed. We found natives at Open Bay, and - remained with them about a fortnight. A native sealing-boat came into - Open Bay while we were there, and from one of the crew, that could - speak a little English, we got directions that enabled us to make our - way along the coast. We left Open Bay, and made the best of our way - along the coast to this place, where we arrived yesterday evening. The - names of the persons who landed with me were, William Harvey Miller, - David Ling, Joseph Riley, W. C. Baylis, William or John Owen, William - Anderson, and David Jones. Miller and Ling have not yet arrived. We - left Ling, who is a boy about eighteen years old, with the native - sealers at Open Bay. The natives told us that the roads were so bad, - that he would not be able to travel. Miller’s feet were too sore to - walk, and he remained behind. We found the road very difficult. We - crossed several rivers; among others, the Mewera and Kawatiri--the - names we got from the natives. Whenever we met with any natives, they - proved very kind to us: they fed us, and gave us food to take on with - us--this, with fern, shellfish, and whatever we could get, enabled us - to live on the journey. I cannot remember the names of all the persons - aboard: but I can of a good many of them; and of the officers, the - captain’s name was Sherman--I don’t know his Christian name; the - chief mate’s name was Hood; the second mate’s, Dexter; and the third - mate’s, Allen. There was also an acting fourth mate and boatsteerer, - whose name I do not remember. The number of officers and crew was - thirty-two. I am inclined to think, that if any of the other boats - escaped, and had any of the officers aboard, they would shape their - course to the nearest port--that is, Jacob’s River. - - “‘(Signed) - “‘THEODORE JEROME. - - “‘Sworn before me, at Collingwood, the tenth day of September, - eighteen hundred and fifty-seven. - - “‘(Signed) - “‘H. G. GOULAND, - “‘_Resident Magistrate_.’” - -It is almost needless to append, in explanation, that the above is -a tissue of falsehoods, fabricated by the deserters from our ship, -whilst in the South Pacific. Their story is plausible; and, were a -person not aware to the contrary, it would obtain implicit credence. -It was concocted by the one named Joseph Riley. He is a native of New -Jersey--of Irish extraction. He has been for years in the merchant -service; and this, united with a previous voyage whaling, rendered -him well acquainted with maritime affairs: hence, he found little -difficulty in weaving a yarn that sounded plausible enough, although -there is not a particle of truth in the whole account--our old ship -never having leaked, during the continuance of the voyage thus far, -more than enough to keep her sweet; only requiring to be pumped once -a week, and then but for a few minutes. The carpenter is an imaginary -personage--we never having possessed one: one was shipped in New -Bedford, but ran away before we sailed. The person, who, under the -name of Theodore Jerome, made the deposition before the magistrate at -Collingwood, is supposed to have been in reality John Roberts, a London -cockney, who had been transported to Australia. He had been in the -Henry H. Crapo for twelve months, but left her in Vasse, and engaged -with us; thus escaping the fate of the crew of that vessel, to live -and play a rascal’s part in another clime. The true Theodore Jerome -is still on board our ship, and justly indignant at the liberties -taken with his name. The fact of their assuming it is attributable to -their having in their possession an American protection, bearing the -name of Theodore Jerome. Roberts is the only one of the party whose -description corresponds with that contained in it; and hence we suppose -him to be the person who made the affidavit. He is weak-minded, with -little intelligence, and totally incapable of giving such an account; -except at the instigation of a person like Riley, and afterwards being -well drilled, until he was perfected in his part. The other names were -real; or, rather, a part were those of our crew, whilst the rest, Owen, -Anderson, and Ling, were the names of the deserters from the barque -Lady Emma, of Hobartown, whom our fellows took aboard their boat at -Open Bay. From their own account, they had pretty rough travelling; but -the descriptive part, like the substance of their narrative, may be -more romance than reality. But, apart from this, let us candidly judge -their culpability. In the first place, no doubt, they were driven to -an extremity by hunger and suffering; and, knowing that, as deserters, -they would meet with no sympathy, in such emergency they concocted this -method to obtain relief for their necessities: but why did they not, -if such was their intention, substitute a fictitious name for that -of our ship, and avoid particularizing as they did? Secondly, should -any amount of personal suffering induce men to embitter for months -the whole tenor of the existence of many happy circles, who, on the -reception of such fatal news through relatives and friends, without -any rebutting information on the subject, would at once set us down as -irrecoverably lost? - -Here was a pretty kettle of fish--some thirty-two of us consigned to -the tender mercies of David Jones, Esq., the hereditary enemy of our -profession, with as little remorse as if we were so many kittens; but, -fortunately, the same mail that conveyed the papers containing the -baleful news, gave us opportunity to send our own missives explanatory -of the proceedings; but then our letters from Hobartown, in July, were -sufficient evidence of our safety; so that, although it might create -some uneasiness, it would be but evanescent. - -Some months before we touched at Frenchman’s Bay, one of our -boatsteerers received a letter from his family, in which was contained -the report of a vessel having been seen by a merchantman in the South -Atlantic, bottom up. She was evidently a whaler, a barque, and bore on -her stern the name of Pacific, New Bedford. This was thought to be us, -and thus our old ship was given up to the mercies of that ocean over -which she had so gallantly rode for more than half a century, and, as -far as I am able to judge, still rides as proudly as in her palmiest -days--carrying her spars as jauntily as any of the constructions of -shipwrights of the present day. - -At 10 o’clock on the morning of the 26th, the gale having moderated -and the wind shifted to a favorable quarter, we took our departure -from Frenchman’s Bay. When directly opposite Baldhead we saw right -and humpback whales, bound up the bay. We lowered away, but could get -nowhere near them. They saw them from the fishery but met with like -success in their attempt to capture one. - - - - -CHAPTER X. - - -We now directed our ship’s head to the westward, and fell in with the -barques Cherokee and Pamelia. The former had sailed from home some -two years previous; but, mutiny breaking out amongst her crew, she -was run into Mauritius, and all the foremast hands discharged. The -captain shipped a new crew, and was scarce a whit more fortunate in his -selection; as a number of rough alleys, hearing of his reputation as -a harsh man, determined to ship with him, in order, as they said, to -work him up. At the time they shipped they were informed that they were -engaged, not as sailors, but as whalemen. Soon after they got outside, -an order was passed from the quarter-deck to make spun yarn, which they -refused to do, repeating the terms of their engagement. The captain was -forced to succumb, and, consequently, captain and crew were at variance -during the remainder of their stay together. A boat’s crew from her -came aboard our vessel. They were powerful, manly fellows--every one a -thorough seaman, competent to perform his duty anywhere. Some months -after we gammoned her she touched at Vasse, and set several of the -ringleaders ashore. - -Aboard the Pamelia we found Mr. Edwards, our former second officer, -acting in the same capacity there. Her mate having left at Vasse, and -gone home in the Dolphin, her former second mate took his berth, and -Mr. Edwards the one left vacant by his promotion. Her crew seemed to -us like old friends, and were greeted as such. They had been cruising -on this coast ever since our departure, had been very successful, and -anticipated a speedy return home. Their third mate had been taken very -ill aboard the ship, and they had but a short time previously touched -at Vasse for the purpose of leaving him, supposing that he could -receive better attention ashore. Soon after they spoke the ship Canton, -and were informed of his death. How the report originated I know not; -for, in the following January, when we touched at that port, he was -alive and well, and had been amusing himself kangaroo hunting. - -The Pamelia brought us letters that had been received by mail at Vasse. -As I was one of the fortunate ones, I was much gratified at receiving -good news from home, and had my mind set at rest regarding the welfare -of all my friends for another year. - -On the 3d of November we lowered away for blackfish, of which the -waist-boat captured one. A breeze springing up, the boats set their -sails. The starboard-boat, by the carelessness of her manager, was -capsized whilst merrily gliding along in pursuit of the fish, and -her occupants, of whom I was one, got a ducking. When the boat went -over, I was caught by the backstay that secured the mast, and had some -difficulty in disentangling myself under water. The waist boat ran -down, picked us up, and put us aboard the ship, where the whole affair -was made a subject of laughter: this view always being taken of an -accident to a boat where no person is seriously injured. - -On Sunday, November the 8th, we sighted sperm whales, and though the -weather was foggy and disagreeable, the boats were lowered; but, after -being down all the forenoon, we returned at 1 o’clock, and ate dinner. -At half past one we dropped boats again, when the waist-boat fastened -to an immense whale, which ran very rapidly; but he soon began to spout -thick blood, and we counted him as ours. On the appearance of blood, -the bow-boat cut her line, and came aboard. The captain, observing that -the whale continued on in his course, lowered away, and lanced him -also; but still he would not turn up, although incessantly discharging -blood from his spout-holes and the various lance-wounds in his body. -Night approached, and still the whale kept going ahead. The rain was -descending in torrents, whilst not the slightest vestige of a breeze -rippled the surface of the water; so the boats, together with their -locomotive attachment, were gradually widening their distance from the -ship. Directly after nightfall, the captain returned with his boat, -leaving directions for the others to keep up good lights in their -boat-lanterns; so that we might very easily know their whereabouts. -On arriving aboard, the bow-boat was dispatched with refreshments and -a couple of bottles of New England rum, to revive those who had been -sitting in their boats drenched to the skin; and, surely, if there ever -was a moment when men needed an alcoholic stimulus to enable them to -withstand exposure, it was on this occasion. Just after the bow-boat -left, we lost sight of the light of the boat-lantern in the distance, -and did not recover it again until midnight, when we discovered -the boats coming toward us, with the dead body of the whale, as we -believed, in tow; but were chagrined to find that they had cut from -him, which, unavoidable as it was, was far from being pleasant, after -the trouble and pains-taking he had caused us. They stated, that they -were out of sight of the ship’s light; that the whale showed no more -signs of exhaustion than at sunset; and, as the weather looked very -threatening, there appeared to be no other recourse left them but to -return: so, after a consultation, in which all hands were included, the -line, not however without many regrets, was severed, and the monster -allowed to go on his way, and die alone--his surviving more than a few -hours being out of the question. - -The bow-boat, after leaving the ship’s side, pulled in the direction -where the boat-lights had last appeared; but it was not until after -they had cut from the fish, that they found the other boats, whose men, -from their fatiguing duty and benumbed members, were not just then -particularly delighted at the idea of pulling ten or twelve miles back -without refreshment: they therefore hailed the arrival of the bow-boat -with acclamation. They hove up; and, after having satisfied their -appetites, the bottle was passed around, and each indulged in a hearty -swig: then, with renewed vigor, they bent to their oars, and regained -the vessel. - -This unfortunate result would not have occurred had we had the least -breeze, to keep anywhere in the neighborhood of the boats; nor, had -there been land anywhere within a reasonable distance, the mate, -who in no wise lacks energy, would not have cut; but, under the -circumstances, he acted with discrimination in withdrawing the boats -whilst there was a chance of their doing so with safety. No doubt, had -he remained attached to the whale, it would have been as difficult for -us to find our boats the succeeding day as it was to find the carcass -of the fish, which, despite our utmost endeavors--thoroughly going over -the ground--we never afterwards saw. - -How it was that this whale sustained life so long, whilst the vital -current was swiftly escaping from his system, it is difficult to -account for. He was lanced in the same place as other whales we had -taken, and which expired in the course of several hours. It was done, -too, by men who were no novices, either in handling the lance, or -in combating the whale. Not a few shook their heads, mysteriously; -and one, in a spirit of confidence, broadly stated to me, that the -creature was not a whale, but Lucifer himself, who had assumed this -form to puzzle mankind; and hence he accounted for the tenacity of life -displayed. This opinion, of course, I could not subscribe to; but I -found it futile to attempt to satisfy my superstitious shipmate that -all might be produced by natural causes. My opinion being, that the -whale was of such a prodigious size, (every man who was in the boats -stating him to have been the largest of the cachelot species they -had ever seen,) and his vitals were covered with so thick a coat of -blubber, that the lances were of insufficient length to deal a mortal -wound. This view of the matter, after many arguments, _pro_ and _con_, -was finally adopted, as being the most probable of any advanced. - -After remaining on this ground a sufficient length of time to assure -ourselves of the improbability of picking up the wounded whale, we -proceeded to the northward, hoping to be more successful off the capes -Chatham and Leuwin. Our passage up was unmarked with incident, except -the capture of a large shark, and the picking up of a dead grampus of -the variety known as the bottle-nose. The shark’s capture is worthy of -mention merely for the method we adopted to kill him. He was struck and -hauled in, and beat over the head with a heavy handspike. The forge -being up, and a good fire burning in it, a bar of iron was heated, and -run directly through his heart, with but little apparent effect; for he -still continued to lash his flukes, and set his jaws upon a piece of -pine board, to which he held fast. His head was then cut off, and his -skin removed; yet every member of his body still retained the power of -motion. - -The grampus is a most beautiful fish--the handsomest in form of the -many inhabitants of the deep that it has been my fortune to see. On -account of their shyness, there is great difficulty in approaching -these fish when alive, and consequently very few are taken: even in the -whaling career, seldom does a seaman have an opportunity of examining -one on deck. The one in our possession was about twenty-five feet -long, and as much around the bilge. His skin was smooth, of a shining -black color. His head gradually sloped, until it ended in a long -pointed jaw, resembling that of the porpoise, but which, unlike that -of most other fish in these waters, was not furnished with teeth. No -mark, accounting for his death, was found upon the body: doubtless, -he died from some disease peculiar to the species. The blubber was -several inches thick, which on being tried out yielded three barrels of -colorless, inodorous oil. - -We remained off Cape Leuwin but a short time. Seeing a large lone sperm -whale, we lowered away for him, in company with the boats of the barque -Pamelia; but we did not succeed in capturing him. We then, accompanied -by said barque, again steered for our old ground to the southward. - -On Sunday, December 6th, just as we had arrived in our latitude -for cruising, we sighted a large lone sperm whale, at 9¹⁄₂ o’clock -in the morning; and by ten--the hour when well-behaved folks in -civilized countries are wending their way to church--we were deep in -the encounter. He occasioned us but little trouble: the first mate -fastening to, and killing him before the other boats could reach the -scene of action, though all pulled with a will. At the moment of -darting the harpoon, the whale struck the boat with his head, knocking -a small hole through her bows, and pitching the boatsteerer, who was -standing up, over the prow of his boat upon the top of the whale’s -elevated huge head; but the imperilled man, with a nimble spring, -quickly regained his legitimate position in the boat, where he very -probably felt much more comfortable than mounted on such a Pegasus. -This was a noble fish, and yielded us over one hundred barrels of sperm -oil, valued, at the time we left home, at about sixty dollars a barrel; -making, in the aggregate, the snug sum of six thousand dollars. A very -creditable day’s work: but, then, it has to be divided into so many -shares, that those who undergo the peril and discomforts of making the -capture come in for the smallest portion of the gain. The shipowners, -sitting at ease in New Bedford, grasp thousands, whilst Jack and his -coadjutors can reckon their proportion without very largely intruding -on the scores. Thus it is throughout the world: he who does least, is -paid best. Intellect overbalances mere physical exertion; and thus it -ever will, and ever should do in the promotion of great enterprises. - -On the 14th we again met whales, which were not seen until within the -ship’s length of us. Our boats were lowered away in haste. A moment -afterwards, those of the Pamelia, who was not more than a mile distant -from us, were also in the water. Our bow-boat fastened ten minutes -after striking the water, and in an incredibly short time the whale was -dead, and ours. The remaining boats continued in pursuit of the school, -and got near enough to enable the boatsteerers to dart, though at long -distances, and without producing any other effect than a pricking of -the prey, at which they raised up their huge bodies, and with their -flukes thrashed the sea all around them into a boisterous foam. Finding -it useless to continue the pursuit, the boats came aboard, and the -ship’s head was put in the direction of the whales. We then proceeded -to cut in. The Pamelia, meantime, ran down to us; when, with a -disinterestedness uncommon to rival whalemen, our captain informed hers -of the direction in which the whales had gone. Not being encumbered, as -we were, with a whale in tow, she soon passed us. An hour afterwards we -saw her lower away and capture a whale, which, as ours done for us, -yielded in the neighborhood of one hundred barrels of oil: the whales -of this ground all averaging about the same quantity. They are larger, -in general, than I have seen them in lower latitudes, besides being -always in better condition than when found in a warmer climate, and -their blubber on the application of heat almost wholly dissolving into -oil. - -On the 19th we again saw the same school. At 5 o’clock in the afternoon -the waist-boat fastened, was stoven by the whale’s flukes, and her -crew obliged to swim for their lives, when they were picked up by the -starboard-boat, and carried to the ship. The other boat then went on -to the whale, and her boatsteerer darted at him half-a-dozen times in -succession, but without effect. Night approaching, we were compelled -to desist. Early the next morning we saw a large whale alone--lowered, -and the waist-boat fastened. She continued attached for some time, -when, her line being nearly run out, the larboard boat’s was bent on to -it. By mistake, a line that had been exposed to the weather, had been -put into the waist-boat, in lieu of her line that was carried off the -day before. The mate, finding that his own line was fast running out, -attached a drug to it--hoping that by its resistance in the water the -whale would be to some extent forced to moderate his soundings. The old -line, unable to endure the strain caused by the drug, parted; and away -the whale went to windward eyes out, with a speed that, to the chagrin -of all, defied pursuit. So, here was the third whale, this season, -lost by the one boat. Oil reviewing this journal, it will be seen in -the preceding pages, that a singular fatality has attended all the -operations of this boat since we left home. When under the management -of Mr. Edwards, (our former second officer, and as good a whaleman as -ever stepped into the head of a whaleboat,) she was capsized. Under her -present manager, she had her line taken by a whale, off Cape Chatham, -where she was also capsized. In the Bight, the whale was only saved -by the timely arrival of the bow-boat with its line. The large whale -that went off spouting blood, was fastened to from her; the whale of -yesterday, that capsized her; and that of to-day, that parted her -line--go to make up a catalogue of misfortunes that the annals of -whaling-voyages can scarcely equal. And all her disasters--capsizing, -losing her whale, losing her line, and being stoven--arose, not from -incapacity on the part of her officers, but from a combination of -unforeseen circumstances, which it would have been in vain for the most -experienced whaleman to guard against. - -On the last day of December we experienced the initiation of a gale, -which lasted, in incessant violence, until the 6th of January, ’58, but -doing no injury to us, further than shipping a heavy sea that cleared -away our gangway, and deluged our decks, fore and aft, without so much -as saying, “By your leave.” We kept on one tack, heading constantly to -the north and westward. - -On the 10th we sighted Baldhead but a short distance off. We stood in -for it; and in the evening the captain lowered away, and proceeded, -through Frenchman’s Bay and the Sound, to the town of Albany: the ship -standing off and on, with the cable bent on to the larboard anchor, so -us to be ready to let go in case of emergency. In the bay we found at -anchor the barque Margaret, of Liverpool, from Adelaide for Mauritius. -She had sprung her mizzenmast in the recent severe westerly gale, and, -the wind being directly in her teeth, she put in here for shelter. -On getting into the sound they found that the Prince of Wales had -sailed for Callao, and therefore her crew were at liberty. Most of the -hangers-on that had composed part of the population, when we last were -here, had departed in the American ship Kensington. This ship had as -passengers three hundred Chinamen, who intended landing at some port in -these colonies; but, on account of a legislative enactment forbidding -the ingress of these people into the country, she had already met with -great difficulty in getting rid of them. - -A day or two before our arrival, the natives came into the town, with -portions of cotton canvass, and numbers of spermaceti candles. They -reported that fragments of casks and barrels were strewed around the -beach in every direction. The fact of her carrying cotton canvass -augurs that the wreck must have been an American vessel, as those -of other nations carry hemp almost exclusively. These evidences of -shipwreck were found on a part of the coast contiguous to the White Top -Rocks, which is justly accounted a most dangerous locality, and has in -more than one instance been the theater of similar disasters. - -And now I shall touch on another subject, which reflects but little -credit on the parties concerned, either as Americans, or as honest men. -It is simply this:--At the sound our captain found a letter from the -consular agent at Freemantle, directed to the captain of any American -whaler who might first touch at the port. The purport of the missive -formed a caution to the barque Pamelia’s master not to enter any port -in the Australian colonies, as her smuggling tobacco on her last visit -to Vasse had been divulged, and vessel and cargo thereby forfeited to -the crown. The other party concerned, to whom the tobacco had been -delivered, and placed aboard the brig Champion, had had his brig -seized, and was heavily mulcted beside, for his part in the nefarious -transaction. He is a man well to do, and at the time of the smuggling -was fulfilling heavy contracts with the English government; supplying -them with timber for the construction of the railroad from Adelaide to -Melbourne. - -This is no unusual method of turning a penny, amongst those who -visit this coast; and I have seen more than one instance of it. In -some cases, the authorities wink at the fraud committed against the -government; and, as the party who is fortunate enough to escape -conviction trebles or quadruples the amount of his outlay, the -temptation is strong to engage in the illicit traffic. - -Beside this budget of shipping news, it was said by the inhabitants of -Albany, that gold in considerable quantities had been discovered by -shepherds, about one hundred and fifty miles distant in the interior, -and that a party was preparing to visit this El Dorado. - -At 2 o’clock in the afternoon of the 11th the boat returned; and, -bracing forward, we stood to the westward, in hopes of seeing the -Pamelia before she went into port; for we knew that it was the -intention of her captain to touch at Vasse about the middle of the -present month. On our passage we fell in with the barque Eagle, of New -Bedford. She was employed in cutting a whale she had taken the day -previous, and, as the weather was anything but good, she was having a -dirty time. We afterwards learned that she had lost the greater part -of the head in the operation. After a short time spent in company with -her, and learning that the Pamelia had been seen a few days before, we -resumed our course, and the day succeeding spoke her, and communicated -the intelligence we had received at Albany. It was timely, too, as -they were now bound in, and twenty-four hours’ delay might have been -productive of serious consequences. On the 18th, her captain, knowing -full well that to enter a port in the vicinity would be madness, made -himself dependent upon the various ships on the ground to contribute -a quota in the supply of water, &c., to enable him to take a short -cruise, and reach the Mauritius. In pursuance of this idea, on the same -day a raft of casks, in tow of one of the Pamelia’s boats, was brought -alongside of our vessel, and made fast; then, according to orders, -they were hoisted in. Our crew had an inkling of the affair, but said -nothing, until they were ordered by the first officer to fill these -casks, belonging to another ship, with the water from our own casks, -which it had caused us so much labor and trouble to procure, and which -would have to be replaced from one of the wells on the coast, under a -burning sun, and through scorching sand. Under these circumstances, a -flat refusal was accorded to the order; because we did not deem that -our engagement obliged us to supply another ship with water, unless she -was in absolute distress. All hands aboard, except the first and second -officers, united in this view of the case. The mate expostulated, but -found it useless. A messenger or spokesman was then dispatched to the -captain, who acted with moderation; and the whole matter was amicably -adjusted by the captain of the Pamelia complying with our terms; which -were, that we should be paid for the trouble we would have in replacing -the water. As soon as this was understood, all hands turned to. The -casks were filled, rafted, and towed aboard the Pamelia in double-quick -time; and our boat returned with money and several boxes of soap as a -compensation. - -It may seem, to a disinterested reader, that our thus refusing to -supply the wants of a countryman, in this far off sea, was niggardly in -the extreme. But the master of the Pamelia was unpopular over the whole -ocean, and our men were affected with the general opinion respecting -him. They alleged that he had came aboard our ship some months before, -and remonstrated with our captain against the quantity of provisions -he allowed to his crew; stating, at the same time, that he (meaning -himself) did not give his men all they wanted: which assertion one -would indeed find no difficulty to believe on hearing his crew talk, -who represented their fare to be extremely meagre. - -This was the nearest approach to insubordination that had thus far -occurred amongst us; and which, if our captain and officers had been -bullying, threatening men, might have been lashed into a mutiny, that -in the eyes of justice they would have been held responsible for: -because it was certainly due to every man aboard, that the captain -should have stated his intention of furnishing another ship with water, -and his reasons for so doing--appealing at the same time to what would -be the sense of our own necessities, if placed in such a situation; and -then not a man aboard would have raised a dissenting voice, or spoken -of remuneration. It is, however, a mistake too often committed by -shipowners, shipmasters, and ship’s officers, to think that the sailor -has neither part nor parcel in the concerns of the ship or voyage, and -that the disposal of his time is altogether at the pleasure of his -superiors; and thus they conduct themselves toward him, treating him -with no more deference than they would accord to a dog aboard the ship; -and in this way are sown the first seeds of mutiny, which spring up, -bear fruit that come to maturity, and destroy the original causes of -their production. - -On the 19th we gammoned with a barque belonging to Fairhaven. This -circumstance is only worthy of notice from its being the first -opportunity we had, since leaving home, of seeing that peculiar -creature known amongst seafaring men as the spread eagle; which -consists in a human being lashed to the rigging by his wrists, when, -as the case may be, he is punished with the lash, made to stand for -an immoderate length of time on one leg, or his arms seized at such -a height that he can but just rest on the tips of his toes. In the -present case the culprit was forced to stand on one leg, shifting at -periodical times; and was thus punished for thirty-six hours. He -was quite a lad, and his offence was said to be the participating in -a fracas in the forecastle. Whether just or unjust, the application -of this harsh and cruel punishment recoiled upon the captain, as a -few weeks afterward, when several of her crew deserted from her in -Bunbury, he could not replace them: notice of this circumstance having -got ashore--whether from our crew or hers, I cannot say; but it was -all-sufficient to deter any of the men ashore from engaging with her -captain, as they answered his proposals to them for that purpose with -scorn and insult. - -On the 22d we saw sperm whales going off to windward at a tangent. We -lowered, but found it useless. Two days afterward we squared away for -Bunbury. In the afternoon we doubled Cape Naturaliste at a slashing -pace, knocking twelve knots an hour out of the old ship. That night -we came to, with our head-yards aback; and the following morning cast -anchor off the town. Our first job, after anchoring, was to heave our -maintopmast up, and substitute a new fid for the old one. This was but -little trouble. On extracting the old fid, we were at a loss to account -for the mast having so long remained upright, with such a miserable -support: the weight of the topmast having crushed the stout oak fid -almost completely through--but a few inches of solid wood remaining to -sustain it. - -Almost as soon as the boat could convey them to us, fresh beef and -vegetables were brought aboard; proving that, when inclined to purchase -it, meat was no article of scarcity in this market. - -After adjusting our topmast, we went ashore to fill our casks with -fresh water. A well had been constructed since we were here a year ago; -the captains of the different whaleships touching at the port having -subscribed to a fund for its erection. It was larger and much more -convenient than those at Vasse; and, as the distance to the beach was -not so great as at that place, we had little fault to find with it, and -soon conveyed on board over three hundred barrels of water. - -On the 28th the brig Lochinvar arrived from Freemantle, in ballast, for -the purpose of loading lumber, and conveying passengers to Adelaide. -The lumber consisted altogether of the native mahogany, and was -intended for sleepers to the railway there. The passengers were charged -ten pounds sterling per head for their passage--a distance of fifteen -hundred miles. Rather a contrast to our own cheap steam-conveyances, -where comfort to the traveller can be procured at so moderate a rate. - -On boarding the Lochinvar we found a former foremast hand, belonging -to the Pamelia, acting as her second mate. Her crew consisted of -several hands on wages of six pounds sterling per month; the balance -was composed of sailors and landsmen, the former of whom were on mere -nominal pay--their compensation being but one shilling per month--while -the latter were obliged to pay down seven pounds, and agree to assist -in loading the brig. These men were actuated in thus shipping, at such -a trifling rate, by a desire to get away from this section of the -country: they viewing Adelaide and its vicinity as a land of promise. - -Soon after the Lochinvar came to anchor a derrick was rigged, a cart -conveyed ashore, and they at once proceeded to get off timber--engaging -all the unemployed ones in the place (and they were not a few) to -assist in the operation. Their plan was, to take one of their boats, -which was broad in the beam, and furnished with lockers, containing -air-tight cylinders; then they would lash around it, and over it, -as much mahogany as she would be buoyant under; and as this wood is -extremely heavy, and sinks like a stone, their load was not a large -one. Then they would pull off to the brig, where it was soon hove in -by the aid of the derricks. One stick escaped from its lashing when -alongside the brig, and a boy, who belonged ashore, dove down, and -attached a rope to it in four and a half fathoms of water, which is -equal to twenty-seven feet; hence this was somewhat of an exploit. - -One day when the workmen employed on the beach had lashed the timber -to the boat, and had pushed her off--several of them wading a short -distance to give her an impetus--two of the men were observed -struggling, as if to keep themselves afloat. Both disappeared; but one -rose again in an instant, and grasped the boat. The other was not seen -for some minutes. On searching, his lifeless body was discovered. He -was a good swimmer, and a few strokes would have saved his life; but -he had been drinking to excess a short time before the accident, and -to this was attributed his inability to help himself. His body was -conveyed to the jail, cast into a rude mahogany box, and buried within -a few hours afterwards: the climate here forbidding the keeping of a -corpse more than twenty-four hours. - -Two days’ liberty was allowed to each watch, and as, after we left the -year previous, two whale-ships, on the recommendation of our captain, -had visited the port, our advent created no surprise. Ships and sailors -had become familiar sights, and the inhabitants were not as ready to -spend their money, or listen to our yarns, as they were on our former -visit. In the town things had changed but little--no improvements, -no marriages, and no deaths during our absence. Therefore, as there -was little either to interest or divert us, a number of our crew who, -during the previous visit were enjoying themselves with rational -pleasures, in the absence of former novelties, flocked to the -groggeries and passed their time there. Apart from the general jokes -and antics of seamen, one circumstance only, worthy of note, occurred; -that was the mulcting of one of the publicans for allowing two of our -men to play cards in his house; their laws prohibiting card playing -even for amusement. - -On the 1st of February the barque Iowa came in and gave liberty, so -that there was quite a number of us ashore for several days; but after -that we became tired of listlessly walking through the sand, and -preferred remaining aboard the ship. - -On the 5th our men proceeded some ten miles up the river to the -village of Australind. On our way up we passed several grazing farms -stocked with noble cattle. Along the river thousands of birds were to -be seen, amongst which our pilot pointed out, as peculiarly worthy -of notice, the black and white swan. Arriving at Australind we found -ourselves in a beautiful country, excellently cultivated, appearing -as an oasis in the sandy district that surrounded it. We had received, -or understood that we had received (and certainly such was the gist -of the message conveyed to us), an invitation from the proprietor of -a handsome garden in the vicinity to visit him, and help him to eat -some of his abundant fruit, partake of dinner with him, and generally -enjoy ourselves at his expense; he wishing no other return than the -pleasure of playing the host to an assemblage of Neptune’s sons. This, -even to our unsophisticated ears, sounded almost too disinterested for -the inhabitants of Australia. Nevertheless, having little else to do, -we determined to face the music, providing ourselves with plenty of -biscuit in case of disappointment. We landed and went up to milord’s -house, which proved to be a neat and substantial brick edifice, and, -with the assurance of invited guests who had come ten miles to please -their host, we approached the door. We found that the individual who -was so liberal in his promises was absent, and in his stead his home -was garrisoned by a party of women, the young and pretty of whom were -kept in the background by the high shoulders and higher cap of an -old dame, whom I afterwards understood was a genuine specimen of the -English titled lady; but I doubt it--as I have always understood that -the matrons of England were distinguished for their hospitality, and -this lady certainly possessed no such quality; as, with a vinegar -aspect, she informed us of the absence of her spouse, looking at us -meanwhile as if she thought us a party of marauders come to storm -her vineyard. She indulged in remarks which, without misconstruing, -easily made known to us her desire for us to begone; but we were of -too turgid a composition to comply with her wishes. We had come for -a day’s pleasure, and we were bound to have it whether my lady was -desirous or not; and we did have it too, for the butler, and several -others, finding that we were in no hurry to decamp, to relieve the old -lady from the infliction of looking on such barbarians as we, made -a virtue of necessity and asked us down into the vineyard. Here the -gardener, as if to make amends for the churlishness of the others, -took considerable pains to show us over the grounds, and gave us full -permission to regale ourselves with as much fruit as we could eat. We -took him at his word, and soon were deep in the discussion of splendid -grapes, water and musk-melons, mulberries, bananas, and peaches. There -were acres of grape vines--the proprietor cultivating them for the -manufacture of wines. They were splendid specimens; and as they were a -novel dish to us, we were not the most moderate consumers of them, as -the skins that strewed our paths testified. The mulberries were larger, -but much tarter than ours at home. The bananas were not of so good -a flavor or such a size as those we had seen at Balli. The gardener -informed me that the banana plant bore the whole year round. The fruit -is preceded by a splendid flower resembling the dahlia in color, but -treble its size. Besides these fruits the usual garden vegetables were -growing, amongst which I noticed the tomato, and, strange to say, the -taste of its raw fruit was pleasanter and more refreshing than that of -the more valued kinds I had been eating. Deeming this a freak of my -palate, I mentioned it to my companions as singular: several of them -said that such was precisely the case with them, and they preferred it -to the other fruit. After several hours spent in rambling, we returned -to the house for the purpose of procuring a draught of water, which -was drawn from a well by means of a hydraulic pump, and which, by the -way, was the only spot where I procured a good, cool drink of water -in New Holland. We were again attacked by the old lady, who, to some -extent, apologizing for her brusqueness in the morning, very plainly -intimated that, for a suitable return, she could supply us with a -repast. Like most sailors, having receptacles capable of and requiring -more substantial food than fruit after our exercise, we closed with -her very liberal offer, and were soon seated at a table furnished with -excellent edibles, bread and butter, milk, jam, and other articles, -making together a first rate supper. On our taking leave we gave to -each of the underlings who had been attentive to us some tobacco. They -informed us that their master had been unavoidably called away from -home on business, and stated that had he been present we should have -passed a very pleasant day. Giving the gentleman the benefit of this -assertion, we took leave of his estate, embarked in our boat, and -directed her head towards Bunbury. We reached the ship at nightfall and -were pretty well wearied with our jaunt. Those of our shipmates who had -remained aboard, had prophesied in the morning the miscarriage of our -proposed pleasure; but as we kept our own counsel, they were none the -wiser of our experience of old English hospitality, and they expressed -some chagrin that they had not formed part of our expedition. - -On the following day and night a collation was spread aboard the Iowa, -and to it flocked all the wit and beauty of the neighborhood. After -they had satisfied their appetites they resorted to our ship. Music -was in demand, and the quarter-deck was made a stage on which New -Holland’s damsels and Yankee whaling officers were vieing in displaying -their individual grace and activity as disciples of Terpsichore. The -ladies looked very well, and talked equally so, with the exception of -a remark one let slip; but then some allowance must be made, as she -did not know that any one was listening. Indeed, I hardly know whether -I am justified in betraying the failings of the fair sex. However, I -was never celebrated either for wisdom or prudence, and I shall not -in this case exercise a virtue to which I have no claim; so here it -is, and if any attach blame to the lady for it, I can only answer him -or her with the motto of the knights of the garter, “_Honi soit qui -mal y pense_,” or “Evil be to him who evil thinks.” But here is a -long dissertation without the conversation, which if any lady reads, -I know that her patience will be exhausted, so I needs must proceed -with my disclosure. Two ladies who had just sat down to rest themselves -after the dance, engaged in conversation, and, in the course of it, -one stated that she felt sea-sick. “I feel a little qualmish, too,” -returned the other, “and I have heard that brandy was good for it. I -wish that I had brought a bottle in my pocket. Indeed, I intended to, -but forgot it.” Remark is needless, and superfluous. The refreshments -at this entertainment were coffee and cake; unlike that at Vasse, where -spirituous liquors flowed as freely down male and female throats, as -whiskey down an Irishman’s gullet at a wake. - -On the Thursday following was the anniversary of their annual races, -at which prizes are offered by the government to the victor. These -prizes are given for the purpose of inducing the settlers to pay -attention to the improvement of their stock. To avoid the confusion and -irregularity which generally prevailed among the inhabitants on these -occasions, and in which our men would be too apt readily to join, we -hastened our departure; and, accordingly, on Tuesday, after having had -our vessel searched by the government officials, we got under weigh, -and stood down the bay towards Vasse. Soon after the Iowa followed our -example; and, with a head wind, which forced both of us to beat, we -pursued the same direction. We soon weathered our companion, and left -her far in the distance. The following morning, at 11 o’clock, we let -go our anchor off the town of Vasse, where we found three barques and -two ships: all whalers--all carrying the star-spangled banner--all -belonging to New Bedford, and all, except one, clippers. Every year the -number of old-fashioned ships is decreasing, and wedge-shaped craft -taking their place: the whaling-service (a branch of commerce the last -to countenance innovation) fast yielding to the march of improvement, -and adopting the modern model--a long head, a clean run, and a round -stern. - -The next day liberty was allowed; and, as there was a report of a -prize-fight to come off during the day, almost everybody that had -liberty went ashore. There were seven ships in the harbor, (the Iowa -having arrived the preceding evening), and therefore the number going -ashore formed quite an army--no less than one hundred and thirty. The -prize-fight, however, took place at so early an hour, and at such -a distance from the town, that our countrymen were prevented from -witnessing it. But the day passed off pleasantly, and with moderation, -as far as regarded the imbibition of spirits: no one of the whole -motley assemblage, comprising natives of almost every clime, having -gone beyond the proper bounds. - -During the next week I saw one of the participators in the brutal -contest above alluded to. He presented appearances of severe -punishment. On stating my surprise that he was at large, when the fact -of the fight was so well known to the authorities, I was informed that -the law had no power over the combatant, unless he were caught in the -act. - -Amongst the celebrities in this village are the post-master and -school-mistress. The former is as deaf as a post, and it is only by -raising the voice to a high pitch that the least intelligence can -be communicated to him. My patience was well-nigh exhausted in an -attempt to inform him of the miscarriage of several of my letters from -home; but he either could not, or would not, be made to understand my -complaint, and consequently I received no satisfaction. - -The school-mistress, from her position, was of course a wonder of -learning and profundity. Being desirous of a conversation with her, -(the more so, because, apart from her implied erudition, she was a -pleasant-looking and blooming damsel,) an officer of one of the ships -scraped an acquaintance with her. She was in nowise loath to enter -into conversation, and in a few minutes both were deep in argument. -During the colloquy, the mate had occasion to mention Samson’s feat of -destroying the harvest of the Philistines by attaching firebrands to -the tails of foxes. This, to his surprise, was received as something -novel; and the fair questioner expressed a desire to know who Samson -was: wishing to be informed whether the scene of his exploits was the -United States, and whether he was a native of our country. I need not -say that D---- was taken all aback. At first he thought that the lady -was making game of him; but the look of childish wonder and simplicity -that she wore on her countenance forbade such a conclusion. He was so -surprised at her ignorance of Holy Writ, that he did not endeavor to -enlighten her, but allowed her fancy to roam free over the subject, -and, as soon as he could with credit, took his departure: fully -convinced that, whatever were the acquirements of the preceptors of -youth, who teach the young idea how to shoot, and wield the scholastic -birch in New Holland, they at least had not advanced so far as to make -the Bible one of their school-books. - -I noticed this strange unacquaintance with Holy Writ in more than one -individual in the colony. I have no doubt they can manage to live -without it--as far as their idea of life comprehends “living”; but how -they can manage to die happily without it, I cannot conceive. - -Another fact I must notice; that is, the great number of males and -females living together in couples as man and wife, but whose union -has not been sanctioned by a performance of the sacred marriage rite. -The men who come out here usually bring their wives along, if they -are voluntary emigrants; and if convicts their helpmates occasionally -follow them--preferring to share the exile of their husbands rather -than spend a lone life in their native home. In the latter case they -are allowed to consort together, provided the prisoner by a course -of good conduct has merited and received a “ticket of relief.” Not -unusually when any of these females are removed by death, they are -replaced by mistresses, who assume all the privileges of the departed, -as well as the maternal government of the children, if there should be -any; in which latter relation they in most cases act prudently: for -children are here an element of wealth as soon as they arrive at an -age at which they are qualified to help themselves--there being plenty -for them to do, if only these nominal mothers and their husbands are -disposed to teach them to labor. - -This state of affairs does not appear to be looked upon by the -inhabitants as criminal, neither is it made a matter of scandal--both -parties being allowed to enter society without reserve. These are harsh -assertions, I am aware; but, ere they were written, their asperity -was well digested, both by myself and scores of others, who, not from -hearsay, but from observation and unrestricted intercourse among these -people, are confident they do not do them injustice. The climate is -blamed by them for their predisposition to sensuality; and the law is -anything but lenient to the offender in such cases: the violator of a -female, when brought before a court of justice, being always punished -by death. - - - - -CHAPTER XI. - - -On the 16th of February, after having added three new men to our crew, -(two of them Englishmen, the third a Swede,) we hove short, and at -3 P.M. stood out of the bay. On arriving off Cape Naturaliste, some -twenty miles from our place of anchorage, we sighted a sail that proved -to be the barque Pamelia, which was hovering off this locality, to -intercept the barque Eagle, which was to bring her third mate out, and -also provisions for her consumption. Esculents she needed very much, as -several of her people, the captain amongst the number, were affected -by scurvy. We supplied them temporarily, and thus kept off that -disease, which occasions so much terror to the seaman. She contemplated -returning home in a short time, and several of her crew, whose motives -I cannot fathom, not contented with a three-years’ sojourn in these -waters, exchanged into the ship Lapwing, that had some twenty months -more to remain. They must either have had an overweening desire to -acquire money, or else there were but few attractions at home to induce -them to return. - -After leaving the bay, we steered to the southeast, in hopes of picking -up a whale or two; but we met only with strong gales of wind, which -put whaling out of the question. We then returned to the northward, -and had the like success: nothing occurring to vary the sameness, day -after day, but a series of heavy tempests, attended by terrific thunder -and lightning. One night (the 12th of March) the scene was absolutely -appalling--presenting a perfect war of the elements. In the words of an -old song (than which I know of no better description): - - “Now the dreadful thunder roaring, - Peal on peal contending clash; - On our heads fierce rain falls pouring, - In our eyes blue lightnings flash. - One wide water all around us, - All above us one dark sky; - Different deaths at once surround us-- - Hark! what means that dreadful cry.” - -What the words “that dreadful cry” referred to in the song, the reader -must imagine; in our case it was that of a shark. A monster of that -species, attracted probably by his instinct, which led him to expect -prey on such a night as this, swam around and around the ship; the -intense darkness of the night and phosphorescent gleam of the ocean -made his huge bulk show out in relief, and appear treble his real size. -With a swab trailed astern, we soon got him within darting distance, -and hove an iron into his carcass, which stopped his marauding forever. -He was an enormous sized one, and required the united strength of half -a dozen of us, after he was mortally wounded, to drag him part way from -the water. - -The storm did us no damage--the lightning ran over our yards and the -various ironwork of the ship in a manner to terrify the boldest. The -reason assigned for so few cases of injury to ships by lightning, is -the number of points presented in her structure for the dispersion of -the electricity. One precaution is invariably taken, that is, to remove -the pump-spears, and fill their place with swabs, to prevent the iron -rods acting as conductors for the electric fluid into the hold of the -ship. - -There is something terrifying in such a scene, that carries with it a -sense of danger to the sturdiest: no matter how many such outbreaks -have before been viewed by the beholder, still an indefinable fear will -pervade his system. The gale is a feature to which, in his routine -of life upon the ocean, the seaman becomes accustomed, and only asks -for a short warning to battle with it; but there is something in the -lightning that makes one feel completely at its mercy, though we know -that in this as in all other perilous situations, we are under the -protection of the same wise Creator. - -On these grounds we were continually meeting merchantmen bound to and -from the various Australian and East Indian ports, and it was a matter -of congratulation to us to see that all the swiftest and best of these -ships carried our own starry flag, maintaining the pre-eminence of our -ship-builders in this far-off sea. - -We were now thirty months from home, and as our ship was fitted at -the outset to remain from home but forty, this was to be our last -cruise; and home was the all-engrossing topic on every tongue, from -the captain’s to the steerage boys’, all uniting in a sincere wish to -return, oil or no oil. Our return, which but a short time previous had -been commented upon as a vague and distant termination of a protracted -voyage, was now viewed as feasible and not very remote; and we felt -ourselves considerably elevated by the mere thought, when we gammoned -with ships but a short time from home, of the probation they, poor -fellows, would have to go through ere they arrived at the degree of -experience we had acquired on this coast. The wildest of those of our -crew, who had left home on the impulse of the moment, were the most -anxious to return, feeling that they had paid dear enough for their -whistles. - -We were now the longest out of any ship on the coast. It is an old -adage, amongst whalemen, that when a year from home, on gammoning with -any ship that has sailed subsequent to your own departure, you have the -privilege of begging; when two years out, of stealing; and when three -years, of stealing and begging too; so that we now had the right of -exercising this privilege, in which there is more reality than romance. -Fresh provisions are seized upon by the old residenters without ruth, -as if they had the best right to them. This is seldom disputed by the -owners, who, in the abundance of their sympathy, do not wait to be -asked for such things, but press them for acceptance without thought of -remuneration; doing as they would be done by, and setting an example -worthy of imitation by more polished ones. - -During the latter part of February and the month of March, we were -occupied in beating around the south-west coast of New Holland, -occasionally seeing land or sighting a ship to vary the monotony. Early -in April we steered to the northward, the strong south-east trades -being greatly in our favor. These winds prevail throughout the year in -this vicinity, only interrupted by fierce gales from the north-west, -which, though severe throughout their duration, seldom last more -than from twelve to sixteen hours. During our passage, as we emerged -into the warmer latitudes, shoals of flying-fish, bonita, albacore, -and dolphin were continually in sight, skipping hither and thither. -The bonita and albacore remaining in attendance upon our journey for -months, we occasionally caught them. Their prey being flying-fish, they -are easily hooked by cutting from solder or tin a shape resembling -the little creature, attaching a hook to the lower part of the solder -image, and a line to the upper; the angler then perches himself upon -the end of the flying jib-boom, and dangles his tackle to and fro, -imitating as nearly as possible the aerial flight of the tiny creature -it is intended to represent. The voracious skip-jack, or albacore, as -the case may be, ever on the alert for its prey, rushes to the bait, -seizes it, and is hooked for his pains. It is a pleasant sight to watch -these fish whilst about the ship; their agile movements in pursuit of -the flying-fish; their instinct teaching them that these are to be -found in the greatest number about the vessel’s prow, which, in her -onward course, disturbs them in their retreats, and forces them to -seek safety in the air, on their descent from which an ever watchful -enemy is prepared to meet and devour some of their number. At all times -these creatures, apparently with the utmost ease, keep in advance of -the ship, leaping from the water and varying their course with the -direction of the vessel. As I before said, they are often caught, but -are only serviceable for food when cooked with other articles, their -flesh being extremely dry and insipid. I have been assured by those -who have had experience of it, that long indulgence in eating them, -produces scurvy of the most violent type--more than one instance of -such a fact being on record. - -At noon of April 20th we saw the Abrolhas’ Islands, and a reef in -their vicinity known as the Turtle Dove, which, from observation, we -found considerably out of the position laid down on the chart for it. -Immediately on closing with the land we lowered away two boats--one of -which went fishing, the other prospecting; at dark both returned, the -fishing boat with several barrels of snappers, jew-fish, and gropers; -the prospecting party landed on Long Island, and found it a long, -narrow strip of coral reef covered with broken shells and fragments -of coral cast up by the surf. A few mangroves and stunted bushes -comprised the vegetation. Large numbers of birds were present, and on -some portions of the island were extensive deposits of guano, though so -mixed with coral and fractured portions of shells as to be unfit for -the purposes of the agriculturist. - -On the following day we again went in, and, carrying the boat across -a narrow part of the island, we launched her again in the so-called -bay, and proceeded to make soundings, by which we ascertained the -feasibility of anchoring here. We also visited Middle Island, where -a small mound and a head-board gave notice of the interment of a -poor remnant of mortality. The board bore the inscription, “Thomas -Williams, deceased April, 1851;” purporting to have been placed there -by the captain of a schooner. From a person who knew something of -the history of the vicinity, I learned that the deceased had been an -American seaman, a colored man, who had left an American whale-ship in -Freemantle, years previous; there he had married, joined the schooner -and set out as one of a whaling party to the Abrolhas’; but before he -had reached the scene of operations, he had fought his last battle, and -been conquered by death. - -On Middle Island there is a rough house erected, which has remained for -many years; as also the ruins of a try works--memorials of a whaling -party. The tenement is built of stone, the roof of mahogany, and, no -doubt, was formerly quite a substantial building; but the north-westers -that howl through the islands have made sad havoc with its fair -proportions, and it is no longer tenantable. - -At night we braced forward and stood out to the open ocean. On the 29th -we gammoned the clipper barque Sunlight, of New Bedford, a beautiful -craft, twenty-one months from home, with eight hundred and fifty -barrels of oil. Her captain, a namesake of the iron-handed protector of -England, was described by his crew as being a fiend incarnate--cursing, -beating, and abusing every one under his command; giving them scarcely -enough to eat. Poor fellows, they were glad to get hard bread, which -we, touched by their relation, gave to them: this they secreted on -their persons to carry aboard and make a meal of. The account of their -sufferings from this monster almost exceeded belief; but as it was the -same story from all grades of the members of the ship’s company, and -was afterwards corroborated by the crew of another vessel, we were -forced to yield credence to the tale. - -On May 1st, a few minutes prior to sunset, we saw boats and a ship -whaling. On nearing the scene of operations we found it to be the -ship Abigail, of New Bedford, which proved to be unsuccessful. The -succeeding day we again saw her boats whaling. We lowered away our own, -but to no purpose. They, however, made an acquisition in the shape of -an eighty barrel whale. - -On the 6th we gammoned the ship Congress; she brought from home a -budget of letters for us, but had delivered them over to the James -Allen, in October last, supposing that the latter would see us -first--they are now lost to us entirely. The Congress, it will be -remembered, returned to the States since we have been on this coast, -full of oil; and in the sixteen months, during which she has been from -home this voyage, she has taken sixteen hundred barrels of oil, or -nearly double what we have taken in three years. She is commanded by -the person who acted as her mate during the last voyage. - -On the 9th we saw a barque to leeward, manœuvring for whales, and -evidently desirous, from her signals, of attracting our observation. -On running down to her we found that she had a whale alongside, and -that she was the John A. Robb, of Fair Haven, captain Baker, the -same who was cast away in the barque Henry H. Crapo; her whale was a -sulphur-bottom, and, as these are seldom captured, much curiosity was -manifested to get a sight at him. The head was shaped like an inverted -scoop; the fins and flukes resembled much those of the right whale. It -has on its ridge a very small fin or hump, which serves to distinguish -it from the fin-back; its jaws are furnished with black bone, but so -short as to render it of little value as an article of commerce. In -color its body is of a light grey, and is much longer, in proportion -to its bulk, than any other fish I have seen. The blubber was about -four inches thick, corrugated and arranged on the belly in great folds -or rolls; it was literally covered by wounds made by the remora or -sucking-fish. The whole length was eighty feet, and its yield fifty -barrels--the oil commanding the same price as that of the right whale. - -It is seldom this variety of the whale is disturbed by the whaleman, -its extreme shyness rendering it almost an impossibility to strike it. -In this instance it was shot from the ship by a bomb-lance, which, by a -great chance, caused a fatal wound, disabling the fish so that he was -an easy capture. - -The high price of whalebone at home renders the ships on this ground, -which have a large supply of it, anxious to get theirs to market ere -there is a depression in price, and we being the only ship anticipating -a speedy return, we are continually having it offered to us as freight. -Amongst these ships is the Richard Mitchell, which narrowly escaped -being driven ashore at Bunbury a few weeks ago. She had landed her -captain to bargain for provisions, whilst the vessel was standing off -and on, when a heavy southerly gale sprang up and stripped her of every -inch of canvas. By great exertions they bent new sails, but it was not -until after seventy-two hours beating that she was enabled to get an -offing that secured her safety. - -From this time up to July 4th we saw little and done less, with the -single exception of lowering away for a sperm whale on June the 6th, -but seeing nothing of him after we had dropped our boats. On the 4th, -whilst in company with the Europa, making for the Abrolhas’ Islands, -we sighted sperm whales, lowered, struck, and killed one. Previous to -striking we had hoisted our ensign, which was imitated by the Europa. -This signal was a bond of copartnership between the two ships during -the day’s operations, each being entitled to half the proceeds of the -day’s capture. The Europa did not fasten, but chased the whales to -windward, in which pursuit we lost sight of her; meantime we tried out -our whale and stowed it between decks, so that we would have but little -trouble in giving her her half of it when we met. After some days we -fell in with her, when her captain, with a generosity unusual with his -profession, declined taking any part of it, assigning as a reason our -long-continued bad luck; saying, that after having taken but one whale -in six months, it would be too bad to deprive us of half of that. - -The Europa had experienced a hard time of it since we had last seen -her, meeting with several of those accidents which the vicissitudes -of a seaman’s life render him ever liable to--having, in the first -place, shipped a sea that went completely over her, and stove the three -larboard boats almost beyond repair; then, again, having run close in -towards the land in hopes of seeing us, she had been jammed between the -Turtle Dove, Abrolhas’ and main land, in a gale of wind, when crowding -sail to madness was their only hope; but, fortunately, a timely shift -of wind enabled them to clear the main land by a hair’s breadth, and -dispelled all their gloomy fears. - -On the 16th both vessels stood in for the Abrolhas’ Islands, and at 9 -o’clock were snugly anchored amid the cluster, of which, by ascending -our tops, twenty-five different islands could be counted. As soon as -our ground-tackle was secured, we struck the topsail and topgallant -yards and the topgallantmasts, housed our mizzen topmast, and then -unbent all the sails, except the spensers: our object being to present -as little surface as possible to the action of the wind; thereby -rendering our anchorage more secure. The anchorage showed coarse white -sand, combined with pulverized coral and shell, which constitutes -excellent holding-ground. - -Not expecting the humpbacks in before the first of August, we passed -the time in making excursions to the various islands of the group. We -soon found a novel and exciting sport in the destruction of seals, -which exist here in great numbers. These creatures bring forth their -young on the land; and, this being the season in which they breed, they -could at all times he seen basking in the sun, fast asleep, and quietly -enjoying themselves to the full. Our method of attack was to approach -as slyly as possible, and deal heavy blows on the tip of the nose, -which is the most sensitive portion of their organism. If well aimed, -the first blow despatches them; but, on the contrary, if you should -deliver it on the shoulders, back, or quarters, it seems to produce no -deleterious effect on the animal, which instantly rears upon his hind -flippers, and, with a sharp, querulous yelp, displays a set of ivories -little inferior to those of the lion; however, it requires hardly any -address on the part of the pursuer to avoid him. When the animal once -gets into water, no matter how shallow, farther chase becomes hopeless, -as it can then propel itself at a powerful rate; but while on land, -though its movements are by no means slow, it is no match for a good -runner. - -A young seal, by the knowing ones said to be about six weeks old, was -captured alive, passed into the boat, and carried aboard the ship. -It seemed in no wise disconcerted, except at night when a light was -placed near its eyes, whereat it became much alarmed. It showed but -little timidity when caressed, and evidently considered our dog as one -of its own species, so solicitous was it to form an intimacy with him; -but puppy fought shy, and avoided companionship with the amphibious -creature. From its docility, we anticipated keeping it for a long -time; yet during the several days that it was retained, although -offered both small and large fish, it would partake of no sustenance, -but wandered fore and aft the decks, crying for its dam in a note not -unlike that the cow-calf uses on similar occasions. We were at last -reluctantly compelled to kill it--stuffing the skin for a memorial. The -skins of these, known as the hair-seal variety, are of little value -intrinsically; but, being easily tanned, they were very useful to us as -chafing-gear for the rigging. - -Some of our savants, having either themselves eaten, or having heard -of other persons eating, the liver of the seal, assiduously extracted, -cleaned, and cooked one. It being a young seal, the dish proved very -palatable, in taste much resembling hog’s liver. All now became alert -to procure a fresh supply of them; but, as it happened, the next -seal pitched upon was a patriarch of the gang, whose destroyers were -overjoyed indeed at the quantity yielded by their prize, and brought it -aboard the ship with the air of conquerors. The cook dressed it; but, -lo, and behold! the following day, most of those who had partaken of it -were affected by nausea at the stomach and distressing headache--half -of the number being unable to leave their berths: consequences, I -opine, arising from the indigestibility of the liver, rendered tough by -the animal’s great age. Since then I have been assured that this is by -no means an isolated case of indisposition from the same cause. - -In rambling, we found Long Island the most inviting of the group. It -was scantily furnished with several varieties of low shrubs; amongst -which were the native Australian gooseberry and a species of wild -oats. There are also on the island several thickets of the mangrove, -which, from the peculiar growth of the trees, though of only a moderate -height, are almost impenetrable. This tree affords excellent fuel, -and we took advantage of this by cutting and carrying away some eight -or ten cords of it for firewood. Its fracture is of a light yellowish -color, and the heart of it is decayed, but I cannot say whether this is -owing to the bad quality of the soil, or is a natural characteristic -of the wood. It is very heavy. The leaf is small, and eagerly sought -for by the rabbits, which abound on the island. Several pairs of these -little creatures were placed here years ago, and they have increased -until their number is legion. Had they a supply of fresh water, they -would in a short time become so much more numerous as to consume all -the herbage within their reach. We seldom visited the island without -bringing away half-a-dozen of them. Occasionally, in running our arms -into the burrows for rabbits, we would take hold of a disgusting -iguana, or get a handful of small eggs, deposited by a very diminutive -variety of gull, that burrows in the ground, and there hatches its -young. The whole island is excavated by these little diggers. Their -eggs, almost double the size of a pigeon-egg, have a white shell, and -are very excellent eating. The larger gulls lay an egg superior in -size to those of our domestic hens, which are mottled, and food fit -for an epicure. The shag, another variety, lays a pink egg, of goodly -size, which is also equally palatable. These birds would lay on the -bare ground; and, on our robbing their depositories, they would move -to another island, and repeat the process. This they did four or five -times, and at last either gave up in despair, or lit upon some place -secure from our depredations; for we were unable to procure a further -supply. - -On Long Island we saw several osprey-nests, in one of which were eggs; -in another, the half-fledged young of the species. The eggs were about -the size of a goose-egg; but, as we had reason to think they were -addled, we had no opportunity of testing their fitness for the table. - -During the whole of one day we observed immense flocks of birds flying -in the direction of this island, and on visiting it found the clumps -of mangroves literally swarming with small birds about the size of -a blackbird, busily engaged in building nests from the kelp which is -thrown up by the surf. They seemed to take but little notice of us. -We held a consultation, and finally decided that they were fit to be -eaten, and, in pursuance of this resolution, began bagging them. This -we found but little trouble; all that was necessary being to ascend one -of the mangrove trees, and, as the birds wheeled around in circles to -more nearly examine our, to them, strange appearance, knock them down -left and right. In this way but very few minutes elapsed before we -had sufficient for our purposes--two hundred and fifty of the little -feathered bipeds being a mess for the ship’s company; and all united -in deciding that they made an exceedingly savory stew. We repeated the -operation often after having been initiated into their good qualities. -Some idea may be formed of the number consumed, when I state that the -feathers, which were saved by old Jack, weighed twenty pounds; the old -salt in his green old age being determined to have a soft bed to repose -his weatherworn limbs upon. To this end he had been collecting feathers -during the greater part of the voyage--albatrosses, monimokes, ducks, -pigeons, hawks, and whale birds, contributing each their quota to his -store. - -I cannot take leave of this subject without attempting to give some -idea of the immense numbers of the birds. I had read of the innumerable -flocks of wild pigeons which frequent our Western States, and I -had seen at sea immense flocks of various birds migrating to other -countries, but I had never formed an estimate that came within many -removes of the actual number I here saw. I can indeed liken them to -nothing else, as regards number, than a swarm of bees; their bodies -obscuring the sun’s light when they passed overhead, and a stone thrown -at random never failing to meet a mark. - -The conchological specimens found on these islands are varied but -inelegant; they comprise both descriptions of the nautilus--the true -and paper varieties being found in abundance. These shells externally -possess but little beauty, but on being sawn apart in a lateral -direction, they present a handsome pearly arrangement contained in an -air-tight apartment in the base of the shell. A small variety of the -cowrie, too, is abundant. There are also periwinkles, scollops, and -oysters, all three of which are excellent eating, and, therefore, were -in great request with us. - -Crabs are also found in great numbers, and can be had for the trouble -of picking up; so that we made shift to fare pretty well during our -stay here. - -One of the islands to which we made several excursions, was known as -Dead Man’s Island, from the fact that an encounter between the members -of the crew of a Spanish ship, which was wrecked on the reef in the -seventeenth century, resulted in the death of several of their number. -The circumstances are these: the crew, after their vessel was stranded, -made for this island, having saved provisions and other articles, -amongst which was a chest of treasure. A dispute arising regarding -the ownership of this treasure, from words they proceeded to blows -and bloodshed, and some of them were sacrificed to their avaricious -spirit. After the battle the defeated party were banished to another -island, and the cause of strife was deposited for greater security on -Square Island, where, tradition says, it still remains; and many have -been induced by the rumor, incited by love of gain or adventure, to -toil in hopes of its _éclaircissement_. To this day human bones are -to be seen on the surface, and had there been as good evidence of the -treasure as of the struggle, no doubt our Yankee inquisitiveness and -acquisitiveness would have induced some of us to have made search for -it. - -I can imagine no more inhospitable locality for a ship’s company to be -cast away than amongst these islands. They would be unable to find any -material to erect a covering for protection from the weather, unless -some portions of their vessel were cast ashore--the islands themselves -supplying nothing of the kind. To be sure they might manage to eke out -a subsistence from the birds and fish which are so abundant at certain -periods of the year; but they would be unable to exist without water -in the summer season, when, for months, no rain falls. The only place -where we found any fresh water was on Middle Island; and it was a mere -deposit of rain, in a well dug by the whaling party who formerly made -it the scene of their fishing operations. - -On the 27th of July we sent off two boats from each ship to erect a -look-out on an island several miles to seaward of the ship. Whilst the -boats were thus engaged the crews saw humpback whales, but forebore to -meddle with them, supposing them to be the pioneers of the school said -to frequent these islands, and wishing to do nothing at this early date -to scare them from the haunts. On their return to the ship with this -cheering intelligence, all was bustle and activity. The blubber-room -was cleared out, useless casks were sent ashore, and every preparation -was made to carry on whaling with the utmost spirit; but alas! for -the vanity and frailty of human expectations, these were the sole and -only representatives of their species that we had a sight at during -our five weeks’ sojourn amongst the Abrolhas’. Things thus remained in -_statu quo_ until the 14th, when, as we began to send up spars and make -preparations for our departure, the luminous idea struck somebody of -sending one or more boats over to Champion Bay, to ascertain whether -whales had been seen on the coast, and whether the Port Gregory -whaling company had accomplished anything during the present season. -In pursuance of this resolution a boat from each ship, provisioned for -a week, was despatched to the main, under the conduct of the mates of -the respective vessels. We started at 1 o’clock P.M. with a fair wind, -and at nine the same evening made the main land, in the vicinity of -a headland known as the Wizard’s Peak. In the opinion of our fourth -mate, who had been here previously, we were too far to the northward, -and, as the line of breakers presented no point where we could land, -in pursuance of his suggestion we kept off to the southward, and -continued running until midnight, when we anchored in fifteen fathoms -of water, and endeavored to get some sleep; one of our number standing -watch all through the night. At daybreak we resumed our course to -the southward until about 3 o’clock in the afternoon, when we became -convinced of the incapacity of our pilot, and thought it advisable to -retrace our course to the northward; the wind being ahead, we had to -pull in the teeth of wind and sea. At dark we again came to anchor in -fourteen fathoms of water, and passed the night in the same manner as -the preceding one. At daylight, seeing nothing of the entrance, the -feasibility of a return to the ship was mooted, but as our supply of -water had dwindled to a gallon in both boats, we were loath to adopt -this measure, except as a dernier resort; but the wind, fortunately for -us, having hauled during the night, we set sail, and at nine o’clock -in the morning discovered the wished for haven within a few miles of -the peak we had sighted the first night--a very fortunate conclusion -to our misadventure. On reflection, we could now see the dangers of -our late situation. Had a gale come on from the westward we could not -possibly have escaped being driven on shore; and if it had come from -the eastward, even provided our boats had not been swamped, we were -without a supply of water, and must have perished from thirst before we -could have reached the ship. - -On our landing at Champion Bay we were met upon the beach by the -three magistrates of the settlement, and a large proportion of the -inhabitants, who anxiously inquired if we had been wrecked. On our -answering in the negative, they inquired where we were from. On our -again answering, the barques Pacific and Europa, at the Abrolhas’ -Islands, they evidently regarded us with suspicion--thinking that we -were either mutineers or deserters, who had fabricated this story for -our own purposes; and I believe that, had they dared, or even had -they thought themselves the strongest party, they would have clapped -us all in limbo, until assured of the truth of the story we told. We -heard whisperings as to our physical ability. The boats’ crews being -picked men, they said, were a very rugged-looking set of fellows; and -the fact of each man being provided with his belt and sheath-knife -seemed a recommendation to their respect. Then, again, had there been -any difficulty, the penal population, who are largely in the majority, -would have readily joined the strangers, in hopes of being delivered by -them from their penal servitude. - -Our first queries were, as to whether whales had been seen in any -numbers on the coast the present season. They stated, that, from some -unknown cause, the whales’ food was not so plenty as it is during most -years at this period. The meducæ, which exist in great quantities, or -rather numbers, generally by their volume gave to the water a yellowish -hue, but at present scarcely any indication of their existence was -perceptible; therefore, although the whales had appeared as usual, they -made but a short stay. The Port Gregory fishery had been fortunate -enough, during their brief visit, to capture five of them--making quite -a profitable season’s business. They took their last whale some weeks -since--about the same time that we saw whales at the Abrolhas’; and I -am persuaded that we were too late for the season. - -On our informing them that there were no whales at the Abrolhas’ -Islands, they professed much surprise, and would scarcely give credence -to our intelligence; stating that, for years, every vessel which had -passed these islands had borne testimony to the immense number of -whales that frequented the waters around them. - -Having now progressed up towards the settlement, we found it neatly -situated, although the buildings, which number about sixty, were much -scattered. The herbage appears luxuriant, and the soil fertile. Many -of the settlers own immense flocks of sheep and herds of bullocks; but -they deprecate the system of raising stock with a view to a pecuniary -return: for in the immediate vicinity of the settlement there grew, I -was assured, no less than sixteen varieties of vegetable poisons, which -the cattle browse, and are soon afterwards affected by spasms that -result in death. - -A short distance from the settlement there is an extensive copper-mine, -which is the means of affording employment to most of the inhabitants. -The ore is said to be very rich, and is exported to England, whence -several vessels were daily expected for freights of it. This article -affords their only means of commerce with foreign countries: their -supplies and wool coming through, and being shipped from, Freemantle, -to and from which city cutters continually ply. - -The wind being unfavorable for us to return to the ship, we made up our -minds to enjoy life ashore, for a day or two, as well as circumstances -would allow. So, in accordance with the decree of the clerk of the -weather, we took up our quarters at the only public house in the place, -and were soon deep in the discussion of a dinner, consisting for the -most part of fresh mutton. We had brought with us several hams, which -the habitues of the house preferred to the fresh meat. We therefore -had them boiled, to their as well as our own satisfaction; for while -they were engaged with the bacon, we were enabled to appropriate to -our ourselves the lion’s share of the other edibles, which--as our -appetites had been sharpened by between sixty and seventy hours’ -exposure to the bracing sea-breeze, with a spice of hard pulling--we -were fully competent to dispose of. - -Not feeling in the mood to cruise around much during the afternoon, -the greater part of us remained about the house, wondering, from the -sparsity of the landlord’s visitors, how he managed to eke out a -living; but, as soon as night approached, we were convinced that he -lacked not for customers, who now one after another dropped in to have -a look at us, and imbibe the potations he had to dispense. - -One thing is greatly in favor of this colony; that is, the government -has as yet refused to grant a license for the sale of spirits in less -quantities than a gallon; and, as a gallon costs two pounds sterling, -(equivalent to nine dollars and eighty-eight cents of our money,) -the ardent is not within the reach of everybody. During the time -we remained in the place, I did not see a glass of spirits drank. -Malt-liquors, comprising porter, ale, and beer, were however swallowed -without regard to quality or quantity. - -Here, as well as everywhere else that I have visited in these colonies, -the males and females alike frequent the tap-room. They were all very -hospitable, and it may be imagined how it sounded to our ears, for -a matronly-looking woman, with a child held by the hand, to address -us with, “What will you have to drink, Jack?” while everybody about -seemed to regard it as a matter of propriety. - -At night, as there were not beds sufficient for our accommodation, we -took a shake down in the dining-room, using kangaroo-skins as blankets. -We had scarcely got settled, before we were rolling, pitching, and -tossing, by way of a forced accompaniment to the flea-bites that were -being inflicted upon us: the numbers of these pests being myriads. -Although they are little heeded by those who are acclimated here and -inured to their tortures, yet to us thinner-skinned gentry these fleas -now proved objects of real terror. For hours, sleep was out of the -question. All of us had been accustomed to considerable blood-letting -aboard from the bed-bugs that always infest old ships in warm weather; -but we were by no means prepared for a wholesale depletion by these -vampires. At length, towards morning, we managed to gain some -intermission from their attacks, and the sun had made a great portion -of his daily journey ere we broke our slumbers. - -After breakfast was over, we took a tramp, and found that we were not -deceived in our estimate of the country. Instead of the sandy surface -we had been accustomed to see in the southern sections of the colony, -there was here an excellent soil, and the appearance of the crops -promised an abundant harvest; while the live stock we saw were in a -good condition. - -The trees here embrace all the varieties of the she-oak, bankshire, -mahogany, peppermint, blackberry and raspberry jam, and some little way -in the interior the precious sandal-wood is found. - -The houses are of stone, and neatly fashioned: mahogany being applied -to all the various purposes of the architect--its great plentifulness -and durability rendering it preferable to any other wood they possess. - -The following day, the wind still being unfavorable and precluding -our departure, the officers in charge of the expedition began to feel -alarmed as to the insufficiency of their funds--the whole amount of -money brought being ten pounds, or fifty dollars; this amount would -not go very far towards the support of thirteen men, for any length -of time, in a place where all the necessaries of life were held at an -exorbitant price. Now that their suspicions had worn off as to our true -character, I do not think that they would have allowed us to want; -still, we did not feel inclined to depend on their charity, so we asked -them if there was any work that we could perform. The only branches -of business open were wood-chopping and supplying the community with -fresh fish; they possessing no boats, and the snapper banks being -some distance from the settlement, it is only by chance that they are -enabled to indulge their appetites for them. We, on this information, -held a consultation, and one party, including the two officers, -shouldered axes and went into the woods, where they gave the colonials -a specimen of Yankee wood-chopping; the rest of us took the boats, and, -having been supplied with tackle, made their hearts glad by a display -of fish superior to any they had seen for a long time. - -This was a pretty specimen of occupation for gentlemen’s sons to -engage in; but it only verifies our national peculiarities: and the -originator of the remark that a Yankee, with or without his jack-knife, -could make a living anywhere, was not far from the truth. - -The natives here, as elsewhere, are the same miserable, debased race; -but are ruled by an iron hand--the early experience of the colonists -forcing them to adopt severe measures to secure them against the -depredations of these nomadic tribes. I was informed that little -account was taken of the death of one of them, by a white man’s agency, -if detected in any little peccadillo; but a few years since the whites -were still more severe, shooting the natives down like dogs whenever -they approached their habitations. - -At nine o’clock on the morning of the 19th we bade farewell to Champion -Bay, under strict surveillance of the authorities--they being fearful -that we would convey away some of the prisoners. We were favored with -a fair wind, and at 4 o’clock the same afternoon boarded the ship, -perfectly satisfied with our jaunt. We found that during our absence -changes had taken place--a Portuguese boy, whom we shipped at Flores, -having exchanged, and gone aboard the Europa as steward; her former -steward, a native of New York city, having received his discharge -on account of inability, from sickness, to perform his duty. He is -suffering from spasmodic stricture of the urethra, and goes with us to -Mauritius in order to procure efficient medical aid. He lives in the -forecastle, and, as well as his health permits, agrees to perform duty -as a foremast hand; on arriving at Mauritius, it is optional with him -either to remain ashore or go with us to the United States. - -During the whole time that we lay at anchor here, the most intimate -relations existed between all grades of the two ships’ companies; every -day and every night we held re-unions, in which, by merriment, we -strove to dispel the recollection of being so far separated from home. -A boat seldom left either ship on an excursion for pleasure, without -calling on the other party to see if any wished to go; and if either -ship was to be kedged ahead, or her anchorage shifted, the other crew -were ever ready to volunteer their assistance. - -One favorite trip was to go with the boat to within a short distance of -the heavy surf that broke on the reef at low water, where live shells -were to be collected. These were then buried in sand, or immersed in -fresh water, until the death of the animal rendered dislodging him -from his shell an easy task. In this manner we cleaned them, without -impairing the enamel, which so greatly enhances their beauty. - -One of our last moves previous to sailing, was to stow some two hundred -barrels of salt water in our after-hold, the ship being so light as -to render more weight in her hold necessary to make her sea-worthy; -we having put into her nothing like her carrying capacity of oil, and -having eaten the principal part of the provisions, there remained but -little in her to act as ballast. - -Having now been from home almost our allotted period, we have exhausted -almost all the original supplies. Our meat is reduced to some forty -barrels, flour to ten or twelve, sugar none, molasses none, (the latter -we procured a supply of from the Europa,) and our tea is so near its -ultimatum that it is reserved for special occasions, and coffee takes -its place as a beverage for supper. Our boats are nearly all worthless, -and now only comprise the four on the cranes--two having been disposed -of to Captain Phinney, of the Europa; who likewise got all of the -spare oars. We have but one respectable set of topsails and courses -that can be depended upon in heavy weather, and are ill provided for a -much longer stay from home. Should we take another cruise or two, the -expenses of refitting would be great; and, should we then do nothing, -instead of a source of profit to the owners, we would prove a burden, -independent of the loss of time to ourselves. At the same time we feel -loath to return with so sorry a cargo; and there are a number amongst -us who are anxious and willing to risk the prospect of another six -months’ or a year’s work, so as to have something due them on their -return; forgetting that, although they were to land penniless, the -six or twelve months thus spent at sea, if steadily devoted to some -occupation ashore, would return a much larger sum. - -At 11 o’clock on the morning of the 20th, we weighed our anchors with -the intention of going out; but no sooner were they tripped, than the -current set us down upon the Europa, which lay a cable’s length astern. -All hands jumped on the taffrail and quarters, and shoving with might -and main, prevented a collision. We then kedged her ahead, and, finding -it impossible for us to leave until the Europa sailed, we lowered our -boats and towed her into the channel. Then kedging ahead to clear the -shoal, after narrowly escaping planting her stern on it, off she went -in gallant style. - -The Europa went out rigged as a barque. Her mizzenmast being -defective, carrying sail on it would be rather hazardous; so her -crossjack, mizzen topsail, and topgallant yards, were sent down, and -the leg-of-mutton-shaped gaff-topsail substituted in the stead of the -canvas pertaining to them. - -These whaleships often undergo striking changes between the date -of their leaving home and the period of their return: the captain -possessing a discretionary power to pull down and build up any of his -ship’s arrangements. But, woe betide him! if he does anything that -results disastrously, unless he makes a good voyage (which last is -the New-Bedford apology for a multitude of sins). Some old-fashioned -skippers are content with leaving things as they find them; whilst -those of the more modern school want their quarter-deck made clear, so -that when in port a fore-and-after can be indulged in by the select -assemblages who then ordinarily rendezvous aboard whalers. - -By the way, I recently heard a story about a party of such visitants, -who boarded the ship Twilight in King George’s Sound. Amongst them -were the daughters of one of the most aristocratic families in the -town. The steward of the vessel, supposing of course that they were -ladies, had gone to considerable pains in preparing a collation, which -the guests seemed much to enjoy. After concluding their repast, they -stuffed their pockets with the cakes they were unable to eat; indeed, -one went so far as to make her bosom a storehouse for provender. They -then adjourned to the quarter-deck for a dance; and, as they displayed -much activity during its progress, the hidden dainties were dropped: -an eclaircissement which much surprised the neophytes of the ship, who -were unaccustomed to such practices. The possessors were by no means -disconcerted; but, re-collecting their prizes, continued the dance. - -This relation of New Holland manners may by some be deemed overwrought -and extravagant; but, as I have the story from most reliable authority, -I can vouch for its correctness. I have seen the participants, and -although, as I before said, they belonged to the first circles and -affected to be aristocratic, were they arrayed in jacket and trowsers, -they would make first-rate man-of-war’s men. - -And now that the Abrolhas’ are dropping astern, we will contrast the -present state of our feelings with what they were when we entered -this channel, five weeks since. Then we were pregnant with hope: -no doubt existing in our minds as to the preconceived certainty -of taking several hundred barrels of oil--the only damper to our -ardent expectation being the forethought of our toil in towing. The -possibility of there being no whales never struck us; for we had from -various testimonies of their presence put this point so far beyond all -question, that if any one had started the least misgivings he would -have been treated with derision. At that time, too, we firmly expected -to leave directly for home on quitting the islands; having only to -make a short stoppage at the Island of St. Helena for water. But now -we had before us the unpleasant prospect of another cruise; and this -still more darkened with the thought of our putting into ports, where -the little we had due to us would most likely be foolishly spent. -Instead of the hundreds of barrels of oil that we had anticipated to -have stowed below, we had two hundred barrels of salt-water; and to -counterbalance our other disappointments we had--just nothing at all. -Yet, had we not made the attempt, none of us would have been satisfied; -and I think the captain perfectly justified, although the result was so -disastrous. - -But there is no use in repining: for this was only one of the series of -maladventures we experienced throughout our voyage. The season in the -Bight and that on New Zealand (on both of which we had counted largely) -returned us almost nothing. We had, however, solaced ourselves with the -reflection that the Abrolhas’ season was yet to come; and, although we -preferred the sperm oil, still we had made up our minds to be satisfied -with a cargo of that of the humpback, which we were assured we could -get without trouble, except hard work. And now, when this too had -failed, our sheet-anchor was gone: for, if there were any who still had -an idea of making a good voyage, they were hoping against hope. For us, -certainly, the day had gone by; unless, indeed, when we returned, the -market for oil should by some strange revulsion have become so much -exhausted as to cause it to bring an almost fabulous price. Then, and -then only, would any of us make pin-money enough to repay us for more -than three years of a hard, wearisome life. However, as I said before, -there is no use in repining. We must grin and bear it, and at the same -time admit ourselves convinced of the aptness of that axiom which reads -“Blessed are they who expect nothing; for they are sure not to be -disappointed.” - -And now, the general feeling that pervaded the ship’s company was a -wish for a speedy return home: all being convinced of the inutility of -a longer absence. But whether the captain would act in accordance with -it remained to be seen. His mind fluctuated, with the tide of time, -between these two points: to go, or not to go. This was the question -which he appeared to be continually debating in his own mind. One -moment, “going home” was in the ascendant; the next, all his sympathies -were enlisted in favor of staying out for another cruise: points which -were perhaps ultimately decided to our disadvantage. - - - - -CHAPTER XII. - - -After leaving the Abrolhas’, we had a strong westerly breeze, which -required us to carry sail pretty stiffly, to avoid the shore; in the -course of which process we sighted the Wollaby group and Wizzard’s Peak -on the main. - -Our intention was to cruise here for four or six weeks; but having, -after the lapse of eight or nine days, seen sperm whales which were -going eyes out to the westward, (we lowered for them, but did not get -within miles of them,) on the morning of September 1st, we spoke the -Europa, sold to her captain another boat, and, with strong southeast -trades, took up our line of departure for the westward. Our ship’s -bottom, from long exposure, was very foul, and we tried to make amends -for her dullness by packing her spars full of canvass: main royal, -topmast, lower and topgallant studding sails, all assisting us on our -westerly course; and, although we were not bound directly home, we -were all well aware that space now crossed brought us thitherward, and -would not need to be retraced by us. Hence we entered into the spirit -of the passage with more alacrity than usual. There was, besides, this -other consideration, that we were bound to a port within the precincts -of civilization; which is always a matter of gratification to sailors, -after either a short or long cruise. - -At the last farewell visit from the Europa’s crew, we were commissioned -to deliver many a message, both verbal and written, to near and dear -friends of theirs in the States; and they, poor fellows, doomed as they -are, for a year or eighteen months more, cruising off New Holland’s -coast, could not avoid announcing their wishes to be aboard with us. -They, however, bade us “God speed;” and we bade adieu to New Holland -and them both at the same time, hoping to meet the latter again in the -land of Washington, amid pleasanter scenes and under happier auspices -than can be found within the confines of an Indian Ocean whaler’s -timbers. - -After bidding adieu to the Europa, we occupied ourselves in sending -aloft studding sails on the fore and main, from the topgallant yards to -the deck; the main royal was bent, a mizzen staysail manufactured and -bent, and under a cloud of canvass, impelled by the gentle trade-wind, -we kept her west-north-west, fully anticipating making Mauritius within -a fortnight; but, like most of our bright anticipations, this was -doomed to be dashed--the trade-winds, most unusually at this season -of the year, persisting in being light, so that it was not until the -21st that we saw the Isle of France. Previous to this, on the 19th, we -sighted and passed close by the Island of Rodrique. This small island -is seldom visited by whalers for supplies, as there is no accredited -American agent resident on it. It however is made famous amongst the -whaling fleet, from the fact of a captain of a New Bedford vessel -having selected a lady of the island, of French parentage, as his -lady love, marrying, and taking her with him to the United States, -to the dismay of the fair sex in his native neighborhood, who had -set their caps for him. This fact is so well known and widely spread, -that I never, whilst in the Indian Ocean, heard the name of the island -mentioned, without being compelled, from politeness, to listen to a -repetition of the love passage. - -The following day, at five o’clock in the afternoon, we sighted a -school of sperm whales, consisting of cows and calves. After several -hours chasing, we were obliged to relinquish the pursuit as futile. - -On the afternoon of the 23d we stood close in to the land composing the -Isle of France; it is rugged and mountainous, covered by immense fields -of nature’s own green, which we judged to be the different plantations -of coffee and sugar-cane, for which the island is celebrated. At -night we beat to windward, having to direct us the beacons of two -light-houses, which designate the entrance to the harbor. Next morning -we stood into the roadstead, which is easy of access, but only presents -a secure anchorage at certain seasons of the year, being entirely -unprotected from the winds. At 10¹⁄₂ A. M. on the 23d we let go our -anchor, amid some twenty vessels, most of which fly either the French -or English flag--these two nations carrying on the principal trade to -and from the port. These vessels were of the most ancient models, not a -clipper to be seen amongst them; all betrayed too plainly that Yankee -ingenuity had nothing to do with their construction, but that their -models, rig, and lumbering appearance were all owing to some clumsy -English shipwright, or French bungler in the same line. - -The town, or rather that part of it which can be seen from the -roadstead, presents anything but a creditable appearance; only -the outskirts can be seen, built on the base of the far-famed and -world-renowned Peter Boite mountain, which rears its cone-shaped -summit aloft in the regions of upper air. Midway up the ascent is a -signal station, which informs those initiated into the mysteries of -the system of signals, of the appearance in the offing of inward bound -vessels; and when these are near enough, by the arrangement of Captain -Marryatt’s signals, consisting of four small flags, or rather three -flags and a whip, they ascertain the name of the vessel, whence from, -her cargo, and to whom consigned. - -The entrance to the harbor, which, by the way, appears from the -roadstead tolerably full of shipping, is guarded by two elevated -fortifications and a mole; so that, from the number of fortifications, -I should judge that the harbor was pretty secure in case of assault. - -It is very easy to remark the difference between the English and -American method of transacting harbor business. If we had anchored near -an American city, within the jurisdiction of the quarantine physician, -our anchor would have scarcely left the cat-head, ere he would have -boarded us and been satisfied as to our general healthiness; but here, -from half-past 10 until 3 o’clock, we were left in a blessed state -of uncertainty as to whether we should communicate with the shore or -remain stationary; when the dilatory physician boarded us, and, after -marshalling the crew aft and satisfying himself as to our general -sanitary condition, gave us a red flag to fly at our fore royal truck, -which was our certificate of health, and guaranteed to us permission -to transact business with the city. Those vessels that are condemned -by the port physician as unfit to enter into communication with the -inhabitants of the island, are removed to the quarantine ground, about -a mile below our anchorage, where, at present, some dozen vessels lie, -guarded by the police boat, that prevents any interchange of goods that -may lead to the introduction of infection into the port. - -The port officer, who accompanied the physician, left with us a small -book containing the harbor laws and regulations, for the government of -vessels of all nations which anchor within its precincts. These laws -are printed both in French and English, and purport to emanate from -Sir John Higginson, lieutenant-governor; they are comprised mostly -of stringent quarantine restrictions, which led me to suppose that -at some earlier period they had suffered severely by the importation -of dreadful contagious diseases, which I can easily imagine would -find abundant food amid the miscellaneous population, assisted as it -naturally would be by the extreme heat of the climate. - -Beside these, there are a series of signals for the preservation of -vessels in the roadstead during the months which are most liable to -typhoons or hurricanes. This period extends from the 1st of December to -the 1st of April; at the first signal the captains of all vessels lying -in the roadstead are compelled by law to resort to their respective -ships; other signals are for the increase of ground-tackle, shifting -of anchorage, and, finally, getting under weigh, when a longer stay in -the roadstead would prove dangerous. - -At 8 o’clock in the evening we heard the report of the evening gun -which enjoins all keepers of public houses, and other places of -business, to close their doors; a heavy penalty being imposed upon -any person transacting business of whatever kind after gun fire. At 5 -o’clock A. M. the morning gun is fired, when all are at liberty to open -their doors, and resume their respective avocations. - -On the 25th we thoroughly washed our ship, sending ashore several -times during the day. When the first boat came off with provisions, -comprising meat and vegetables, a boy, who constituted one of the -crew, was exploding with suppressed laughter, which occasionally would -escape him notwithstanding his utmost efforts. On being questioned as -to the cause of his mirth, he proceeded in a very naive and humorous -vein to describe his trip to the market for meat. After selecting what -was wanted for the ship’s consumption, a Lascar backed it, which was -all very well; but no sooner had he started, than another of the same -race jumped up from his squatting posture, and, by a series of thumps -and rib ticklings, forced the one who acted as pack-horse into quite -a nimble pace for an indolent Asiatic. The thumps and rib ticklings, -which seemed a grave matter of business between the contracting -parties, excited the fancy of our Yankee boy, who had never seen or -heard of such a man-persuading operation; hence his violent merriment. - -The meat which we procured is known by two sobriquets, being called -indifferently, “buffalo” and “cape beef.” The animals are procured -either from the Cape Colony, or the Island of Madagascar. I saw a -number of them yoked together, performing the heavy draughting to and -from the plantations and warehouses. With the exception of the hump, I -could perceive no difference in form between them and our own cattle. -This hump is situated on the spine directly over the fore shoulders; -in shape it resembles a mound, being conical as it approaches its -summit, and in a full grown animal attains a height of from eight to -twelve inches. The flesh of the hump is said to be esteemed a great -dainty, and I have no doubt of it from the fact that whilst lying here -not a particle of that portion of the animal came aboard our ship, it -commanding a higher price than the other portions, and, therefore, was -too expensive provender for sailors. - -I have heard this meat reviled over and over again, as being tough and -anything but nutritious; but I disagree with its detractors, as I found -it sweet, tender and palatable, although it is very far from being fat. - -Besides fresh meat we were enabled to obtain sweet potatoes--the -murphies not being raised here--and so we were fain to put up with -their yellow prototypes; they were much the same esculent as we -formerly procured in the Island of Lombock. Carrots, and the various -garden vegetables, too, were procurable, and the most original -turnips that it ever fell to my lot to behold. In form they resembled -a pine-apple, and were of a deep purple color. Attracted by their -savory look, I essayed to peel one with my pocket knife, but found -such a proceeding not to be accomplished with ordinary tools; with -the assistance of a sharp hatchet, I managed to remove the jacket, -and was rewarded for my pains by a mouthful of the hardest chewing -commodity that ever was put between my masticators; it reminded me of -the occasion, when a boy, I attempted to crack a hickory nut between my -teeth. - -On Monday morning we arose with the intention of doing a great deal -of work--thinking to get off all our water in the course of the day. -In pursuance of this resolution two boats were manned, and we went -ashore with a raft of casks in tow, passing up the inner harbor. (But -as we were to go ashore in a few hours on liberty, and would then -have more leisure for inspection, we omit further description until -then.) There were several hundred ships lying here, independent of -the coasting-craft, and therefore on arriving at the watering-place, -which consisted of an aqueduct with a single nozzle, we found it -surrounded by seamen of every nation, hose in hand, patiently waiting -their turns, while being scorched by the burning rays of a tropical -sun. Finding that in all probability the greater part of the day would -be consumed ere we should have an opportunity to fill our casks, the -starboard-watch returned to the ship, in order to make preparations to -go ashore on liberty; which being soon completed, a boat was manned, -and away we went for a day’s enjoyment after eight months of sea-life. - -On our way in we passed a series of parti-colored buoys, placed so as -clearly to define the entrance to the harbor. About two miles from the -landing there is a curious contrivance of wicker-work, with a bell in -it, familiarly known as the Bell Buoy; and a little further in, the -Powder Boat, into which all vessels entering the harbor are compelled -to deposit their powder. The entrance to the harbor is moderately wide, -but still no vessels enter without the aid of the steam tow-boat, which -they may however dispense with on leaving. Every vessel in the harbor -is compelled to anchor with two stream and two bower anchors. - -And now we were amongst the shipping: for the most part, great, -lumbering, unsightly sugar-boxes. There, the aristocratic title, the -Earl of Derby, proclaimed the Briton; the Napoleon was undoubtedly -Monsieur’s craft; the Esperanza, the Don’s; and Peter of Hamburg, -Mynheer’s. But amid them all rose the lofty tapering spars of the -brigantine Penney, of New York; and, on a nearer approach, we could -examine the beautiful lines of her symmetrical hull, giving evidence -of the handicraft of a Baltimore shipbuilder--and such was her class: -a Baltimore clipper of the handsomest model. To-day she flew our -glorious ensign (the stars and stripes) for the last time; having been -sold to the British government, to be used as a revenue-cruiser. Her -purchasers, a few days before her delivery to them, having assiduously -substituted, for the Eagle on her stern, the British Lion, desired -to fly that ensign at her mizzen peak; but the crew in charge of her -(two full-blooded Americans) would not allow them to do so whilst they -remained on board, and persisted in flying the star-spangled banner -until the last day, when they left the vessel just before it was hauled -down. - -Near the brigantine lay a three-masted schooner, also a creditable -specimen of American naval architecture, and which was likewise sold -during our stay in the port. Several other Americans came in: one, -the Spitfire, of Boston, last from Calcutta--in distress, leaking -badly--a noble clipper-ship, of two thousand tons; and the barque -Agnes, of and from New York, whence she had been seventy-six days on -her passage--also a handsome clipper. Besides these, several clippers -came in under the French flag, which, on inquiry, we were informed had -also been built in the United States of America. It was a matter of -congratulation to us, so far from home, to know and feel our national -superiority in the construction of that noblest of structures, viz., a -clipper-ship, and at the same time to feel the proud consciousness that -all the world admitted it. - -Just above the harbor there is a dry dock, on which quite a number of -vessels were hauled up for repairs. - -Our boat now glided up to the steps of the landing, which we mounted, -and once more trod upon terra firma. From the different languages that -fell on our ears we were at a loss to tell what countrymen we were -among. First, from the number of turbans and white robes, with the -faultlessly regular oriental features, we were induced to think that we -had landed amid an Arabian population; then, the vast number of gaudy -caps, surmounting shaven crowns, caused us to change our opinion, and -imagine the greater portion of the mass before us derived from farther -down the Malabar coast; but, again, we saw the barbaric ornaments, -dusky features, and scanty clothing of the Madagascar native, followed -by the various Hindoo tribes, representatives of the other East India -colonies belonging to Great Britain; and next the Chinese, the Malay, -the Creole (a production of the amalgamation of some one of these races -with the European); then, lastly, there were the French and English, -intermingled with people from every civilized country of the globe: -and hence it may well be imagined, from these incongruous features of -the populace, that the commingling of all their different languages -must produce a most Babel-like confusion. Then the donkeys, too, which -at all times of day are about the docks in great numbers, added their -harmonious voices to the confused din. At the moment of landing, I -was struck with the sparsity of the white population. It was only at -rare intervals, as I penetrated into the city, that an European face -could be seen; and I have walked for hours in utter ignorance of my -whereabouts; for, although I frequently inquired of whomsoever I met, I -was unable to find one who could speak English enough to direct me. - -After a short walk through the macadamized streets, feeling that I was -utterly out of my element, (all sailors, who have been a long cruise at -sea, are poor walkers,) and inquiring for some time as to the direction -of Paul and Virginia’s grave, (the hero and heroine of the beautiful -French novel, which designates this island as Cypress,) we succeeded in -finding an English chaise-driver, who soon had us stowed away in his -vehicle, and bowling along over a good road into the country. Our ride -extended for seven miles, through a populous and fertile country: the -inhabitants being of the same class as in the city. - -On arriving at our destination, we were sadly disappointed; as we had -formed the idea, that we should see a stately mausoleum erected over -the remains of two such renowned characters. A dilapidated sandstone -monument, enclosed by an iron railing, was, however, the only memorial -by which to distinguish their last resting-place. On this monument -there had once been a tablet, which either the ruthless hand of time, -or the eagerness and avidity of curiosity-hunters, had rendered -illegible. The latter class of persons, we were assured, had carried -the greater part of it away piecemeal, notwithstanding the notice, -printed in French and English, which forbids trespass. - -Inquiring from our chaperon for the other “lions” of the port, we were -shown the Peter Boite Mountain, and were assured that a view from its -lofty summit was well worth the trouble of ascending; but, unaccustomed -as we were to the seething heat of the sun ashore, we were not at all -anxious to attempt such a task. - -Close by the tomb there are beautiful botanical gardens, a visit to -which disclosed to us the beauties of tropical vegetation. Here the -pine-apple, bananas, clove, nutmeg, allspice, coffee, and other plants, -bloomed in luxurious profusion. There were, too, many of the products -of the temperate climes: presenting to an American’s eyes the aspect -of a great hot-house. The walks and drives through these splendidly -arranged grounds are of the most beautiful description. - -Having satiated our appetites for seeing and tasting, we retraced our -way to the city; and I sat down in the coziest corner I could find, to -make some observations on the general aspect of the city, and character -of the inhabitants. - -The part of the city adjoining the wharves is laid out with little -attention to regularity--the streets describing most tortuous courses. -At the outskirts the avenues are at right angles, and that part of the -city presents a better appearance. All the streets are macadamized; but -few of them are named, or rather they have no names at the corners to -direct the stranger. I remember seeing but a single signboard, and that -was in French, having on it Rue de Rivoli. On the other avenues the -signboards only displayed the number and the first and last letters of -the name. - -The tenements and business-places are generally two stories in height, -and built of stone, bricks, or wood. On the wharves are iron-framed -warehouses, built in the most substantial manner, so as to withstand -the violence of the typhoon. They are not enclosed, but resemble our -market-sheds. The market-house, situated in the centre of the town, is -built in the same manner, and divided into four departments, one of -which is the meat-market, where I saw nothing but beef and fish exposed -for sale; the latter not of the description admitted to our tables, -as on the shambles of one victualler I saw two monstrous sharks, from -twelve to sixteen feet in length, which he was cutting up, and selling -to the dusky portion of the inhabitants. Another department is devoted -to the coffee venders, where any person can get a cup of excellent hot -coffee for a penny; and to judge from the number of their customers, -these petty merchants are driving a lucrative business. The third -department is occupied by the sellers of vegetables, birds, &c. The -fourth, known as the bazaar, is apportioned into stalls, each under the -supervision of a brown clerk, who uses his utmost endeavors to attract -customers. These stalls are furnished with fancy articles, perfumery, -cutlery, hosiery, cambrics, and a variety of Eastern articles quite -unknown on our shores. Each of the merchants is adorned by a streak -of India ink, running from the center of the scalp-lock to the bridge -of the nose, which is said to be a mark of distinguished caste--the -wearers of it being known as Parsees. They display considerable acumen -in conducting business, and offer inducements to purchasers scarcely -inferior to those presented by salesmen in our clothing establishments -on Market street. One miserable practice prevails, which is general -amongst all classes of merchants throughout the city; that is, the -abominable custom of asking three prices for an article, with the -expectation of being beat down to a reasonable one: doctors, lawyers, -merchants (wholesale and retail), druggists, and other dealers, all -persisting in it. I had occasion to go to a first-class drug-store -to purchase some articles for the ship’s medicine-chest. Here I -confidently expected to see a rational method of doing business; but, -to my utter surprise, I was asked twenty-one dollars for a package -that I could purchase at home for five. After considerable chaffering, -I succeeded in obtaining it for twelve dollars. Under this phase of -bargaining, it was a matter of time to make the most trifling purchase; -and, whenever at a loss for occupation, it was customary with us to -resort to the bazaar, and inquire for an article which they, from -their inadequate knowledge of English, could not comprehend, and then -watch their anxiety in displaying every article they had for sale, in -hopes of hitting upon the right one. No sooner had you been given up -in despair by the occupant of one stall than you were seized on by -his neighbor; and if, attracted by the quaintness of any particular -article, you should make a purchase, however small, your former -attendant would show his chagrin in a garrulous and amusing manner. - -One day whilst thus perambulating in Yankee fashion, with our hands -deep in our pockets, as a protection from the wonderful sleight-of-hand -possessed by this people, one of these merchants, attracted by a -whalebone stick our steward carried, offered a pound sterling for it. -The steward agreed to take it, but then the native would not purchase, -without a bill and receipt. Being penman and amanuensis for all hands, -I was desired to make out the necessary document. After writing it, I -was requested by the steward to sign his name; but it was no go. The -native, albeit he could not read a single word of English, knew that -this was not the proper mode of doing business, and obliged the steward -to sign his name himself; when, after calling an English policeman, and -submitting it to his inspection, he was satisfied of its validity, and -paid down the dust. - -The Governor’s House has no pretensions to beauty. It looks like an -old-fashioned farmer’s homestead, and no one would think it had a -claim to aristocracy, were it not for the presence of the red-coated -sentry, who continually paces in front of it. The only building which -I saw that presented any real pretension to beauty was a mosque, built -in the Egyptian style, with mimic towers. Strangers were not admitted -within it on the days when I was ashore; so I had to be satisfied with -a glance, that revealed to me the handsome decorations of a very small -part of it, and a massive chandelier, pendant from the dome which -formed the roof. - -The Hospital is a large, commodious, well-ventilated building, -surrounded by verandas, healthily situated, and close by the water’s -side. It comprises three separate departments. One building is devoted -to the military, and is known as the Military Hospital. A second -building is known as the Civil Hospital, where the citizens are -admitted at a charge of a shilling, and seamen of other nations at two -shillings, per diem. The ground-floor of this building is set apart for -the use of the black Asiatic population--French, English, and American -negroes being admitted to the same apartment as the whites. At the time -we were there the dysentery was so prevalent amongst the Asiatics, that -it was found necessary to extend their apartments, and for this purpose -a part of the upper portion of the building was devoted to their use. - -Having sent two of our men to this hospital for treatment for -stricture of the urethra, I visited it, and found it clean, orderly, -and well conducted. The resident and visiting physicians are all -Englishmen, and, from their mode of operation, I should judge them to -be scientific and skilful surgeons. The Malabars are attended to by -creole physicians, who have received thorough medical educations; -two-thirds of the patients were under treatment for dysentery, which, -from the symptoms and treatment, I am certain is nothing more nor less -than Asiatic cholera; the remaining varieties are mostly venereal -affections, which, in this hot climate, assume their most violent and -disgusting forms. - -There are a number of Americans here; some resident ashore, and others -from the American vessels in the harbor; those from the vessels being -discharged sick on the consul’s hands, who provides for them at the -hospital until recovered; he then finds them ships and sends them to -the United States. - -Neither of the men who were sent from our ship to the hospital -recovered so as to be able to go out with us. One of them, a New -Yorker, the former steward of the Europa, anticipates remaining on -the island some time; the other, John Cunningham, of New Bedford, one -of our original crew, is left in charge of the consul, to be sent -home as soon as the state of his health will permit. Our captain was -very desirous to take this young man home with him for the sake of -his widowed mother; but as the invalid objected to going before he -was perfectly recovered, and the doctor’s authority was paramount to -the captain’s, we were forced to leave him in a foreign land, in a -foreign hospital, amongst strangers, to look out for himself, with -the assistance of the consul: a fearful responsibility for a boy of -eighteen, unacquainted with the world. - -There is also another institution for the reception and relief of -destitute seamen, known as the Sailor’s Home: its accommodations -are said to be excellent. At this house were part of the crew of -the whaleship Nauticon, of Nantucket, which ship was lost a few -months previous at, or near, the Seychelle Islands. All seamen’s -boarding-houses in Port Louis are bound by law to afford a seaman two -weeks’ board, at the expiration of which time they can expel him from -the house, if they feel so inclined; but it generally happens that they -ship before the fortnight expires, and pay their board with part of the -advance money they receive from their new employers. The usual charge -for board is a guinea a week. - -Connected with the Home is a floating bethel, moored close by the -landing stair. - -Another feature of the city is the park. Some of our boys from the -rural districts having visited it, and found several fountains on -its grounds, gave so animated a description of its beauties as made -me eager to visit it. I went, saw, and was neither overwhelmed by -astonishment nor pleasure; the walks were well enough, so were the -fountains, but the trees appeared uncared for; and the grass, what -little there was, was parched by the heat of the sun to a straw color. -This park was about two hundred feet in width, and several hundred -yards in length. The peculiar attraction of this place is that it is -the resort of the children of the European residents, and from their -presence one argues the existence of white women in the neighborhood; -but where they seclude themselves I cannot perceive, for if the very -small number of white ladies whom I saw in Mauritius were the maternal -relatives of all the children I saw in the park, verily the climate of -Port Louis must conduce greatly to the fecundity of our race. - -Occasionally, in the park, may be seen a Miss who has discarded -pantalettes, and, when seen, her rosy cheeks and white transparent -skin contrast so favorably with the universal yellow and brown hues -of the East Indian dames, that one could almost and without any great -expansion of the imagination, think her an angel from the ethereal -regions sent to illuminate the dusky scene. - -A few miles from the landing is a cemetery, which I visited. The road -to it embraces a beautiful walk or drive through a long shaded avenue -formed by rows of cypress trees; the cemetery is laid out in the -form of a square, and is well filled with monuments, the styles and -workmanship of which would do no discredit to Laurel Hill or Greenwood. -Most of them bore inscriptions in French, several were devoted to the -last remains of English naval commanders who had died whilst on this -station. Over the remains of one of these, a comparatively young man, -was erected the base of a column, a few feet above which the column -was fractured, signifying that the deceased was cut down by the fell -destroyer in the spring tide of life, and ere he had arrived at the -goal to which his talents would have conducted him. - -One beautiful tribute to the memory of the departed prevails--on each -tomb is a vase containing flowers, which, from their fragrance and -freshness, were apparently renewed by no niggard hand. This beautiful -custom reminded me of the oft-repeated wish of the old man in the best -of Dickens’ Christmas Stories, “Lord, keep my memory green.” On my way -back from the cemetery, I came in contact with a crowd of Malabars, -whom an old woman was haranguing from a rostrum consisting of a large -stone, in the most approved manner of stump speaking. She was in a -state of semi-intoxication, yet her auditory yielded her implicit -attention. Not understanding a single word that she uttered, and being -unable to obtain an explanation of the scene, I was on the point of -withdrawing, when her change of manner, from a state of ecstacy to -that of frantic despair, led me to approach the house to which she -was continually pointing during her oratorical effort. In the house I -saw a rude pine coffin, around which the relatives and friends were -collected, all half-drunk and pugilistically inclined, arguing some -point with much vehemence. Disgusted with the affair I withdrew, -thinking I had witnessed as serio-comic a scene as the wake of Teddy -the Tiler. - -In my walk up to the residence of the American consul, I saw the -barracks of the soldiery, and heard the performance of their excellent -brass band. The consul’s residence is about a mile and a half from the -landing. It, with the other buildings in its neighborhood, are built in -cottage style, and present the best appearance of any in the port. The -consul is a New Yorker named Fairfield. - -The few white inhabitants engaged in business are mostly in the -wholesale branches of trade; the other positions which the whites -fill are the police bodies, and the plying of boats to and from the -wharves and shipping. This police body is the richest farce, in regard -to the preservation of law and order, that ever was endorsed by the -city fathers of any municipality under the sun. The force consists -of two bodies--the Government and municipal police--the former body, -or at least that part of it on duty in Port Louis, contains three -hundred men, two-thirds of them being whites; this proportion is made -up entirely of seamen, French, English, American, and German--the -Government, eager to have a white police force, accepts all who offer -to enlist for a term of from one to three years, providing they possess -a certified discharge from the vessels in which they have last served. - -It may be better imagined than described how a body of men, composed -of such reckless material, would conduct themselves; they create more -disturbance by far than those under their surveillance; and it is not -unusual for them, at the close of the month, to be mulcted in the -greater part of their wages--retained by the authorities as fines for -disorderly conduct. - -They receive four pounds sterling per month, and live in barracks -resembling those of the soldiery; those who are married are allowed -to live where they please. Their uniform is duck trowsers, a jacket -of blue cloth reaching to the hips, and closing tightly with brass -buttons, each displaying the crown, and a blue cap, the top of which -is of white glazed oil skin--this cap is also surmounted with a crown; -in the hand, day and night, is carried a baton, beautifully ornamented -with Chinese characters. - -We were much surprised to find in the police force a number of -Americans who had deserted from whalers, and whom we had seen before in -the eastern ports of the Indian Ocean; amongst these were several of -the Elisha Dunbar’s crew. One of them, a Bostonian, had been promoted -to be sergeant, and was living with a great, greasy, disgusting-looking -squaw, as black as the ace of spades, thereby carrying out the doctrine -of amalgamation to its fullest extent. - -None of the members of either of these bodies are allowed to go beyond -the precincts of the city without a pass--the authorities being -extremely fearful of desertion; and with reason, too, as, although -these men are induced to enter by the prospect of easy times, (and they -are easy, indeed, duty only being required of them for four hours out -of the twenty-four, after which time they are at liberty to dress and -act as citizens, only they are not permitted to engage in any other -business,) yet their very inactivity disgusts them with their billets. -Men, like sailors, who have been accustomed to a stirring, active -life, ever on the alert to anticipate the storm king’s movements, -cannot at once divest themselves of their sea-going habits; hence their -uneasiness and determination to desert. When we left Mauritius, two of -them, who had been part of the force for several months, were snugly -stowed away aboard our ship, preferring life in a whaler’s forecastle, -to ease and comfort ashore. - -The boatmen comprise two distinct classes: the white and the native. -The whites are generally seamen, and in this avocation I saw manual -labor performed by them only. The principal and most business-like of -these aquatic carriers was a man who had fled the city of New Bedford -for no less a crime than manslaughter, and thereby escaped punishment -by the laws of his country; but being now doomed to perpetual exile -from home and kindred, he could feelingly say, “Verily, the way of the -transgressor is hard!” - -And now that we have pretty thoroughly analyzed the city and its -suburbs, it is quite time that we should speak of the tawny inhabitants -of Port Louis. Having mentioned the whites, we will first glance at -those who most nearly resemble them in color and form: the Arabs--a -fine-looking, large and symmetrically built race of men, who wear -the turban, a white robe, and sandals, of the same form as did their -ancestors in time immemorial. They are a very intelligent-looking -people, with perfectly regular features, grave in deportment, -respected, and reputed wealthy. Most of them are merchants. - -The next class we will notice is, the Chinese. These, without being in -great numbers, wield considerable influence. Their strict attention -to business, and speedy method of amassing money, by sobriety and -regularity in living, soon render them independent through their -own exertions. They are mostly engaged in the grocery and dry-goods -businesses. They adhere to their native costume, sporting their -pigtails, wide trowsers, conical hats, and satin slippers, alongside -the turban and sandals of the Arab. - -Next comes the Malay, with his dusky features. They are few in number, -and partake in some degree of the peculiarities of both the former -nations. Like the Arabs, they are strict Mahometans, turning their -faces towards Mecca whilst at their devotions. These people are -employed both in humble avocations and in the higher walks of life. - -Next, we notice the people known as Malabars. Under this patronymic, -not only the natives of the Malabar coast, but those from the shores of -the Bay of Bengal, are known; and consequently, coming from so extended -a line of country, there is a vast difference in their appearance: -those from one part of the country being small in person, with scarcely -any muscular strength; whilst those from the Ghaut mountains are a -tall, muscular race, capable, for Asiatics, of great bodily exertion. -All are subdued, and appeared to me as the most abject of any servile -people. They are, emphatically, “hewers of wood and drawers of -water.” Few of them are employed in trade, except as segar makers and -sellers. All the manual labor peculiar to shipping is performed by -them--caulking, loading, and discharging; and the way they work is a -source of pain to an enterprising spirit. For instance, four or six of -them will arrange themselves around a bag of guano, or other package of -merchandise, and at a signal from their overseer (who wields a bamboo, -with which he very often administers hearty thwacks on the heads of -his employees; and, as they are closely shaven, their crowns possess -no protection from the blows), commence a monotonous melody, which -they continue for several minutes, before touching the bag; then, as -many seizing it as can get hold, they swing it on the cart or scales -arranged for its reception: during which operation they consume more -time in handling one bag than one-third their number of our men would -do in disposing of a dozen bags on the wharves at home. - -Besides this, they are the barbers, coopers, and stone-cutters of -the port. I saw boys, of ten years and upwards, and possessing the -most effeminate bodies, with mallet and chisel, working away at the -last-named business like good fellows. - -In coopering they pursue a novel mode of operation: one getting on top -of the cask and holding the driver on the hoops, whilst the other uses -the hammer. This is done, of course, after the head has been adjusted; -previously to which the helper stands in the center, and arranges the -staves. - -Barberizing, from the universal practice of shaving the head, seems -to be a thriving trade. The person undergoing the operation squats -cross-legged, whilst the barber works around him, removing his hair in -a very short time. I think this a most excellent custom in this hot -climate, so conducive to the fostering and increase of vermin. - -From this class servants are selected, who perform all the various -functions of waiters, footmen, runners, &c. There are few women and -children imported, in comparison with the number of adult males: -possibly, owing to the greater usefulness of the latter. Their costume -varies--some wearing the turban; but generally a plush cap is worn, -ornamented with gilded or silvered braid, arranged in fanciful forms. -All wear the breech-cloth--the upper and lower portions of the body -remaining bare. They live any and every where--the ground-floors of -the dwellings throughout the city being crowded with them; and ten or -a dozen will occupy one apartment, with scarcely moving or breathing -room--sleeping on the bosom of mother earth, and covered only with -their breech-cloth, which is of the lightest texture. They receive -very trifling wages; but as they live principally upon rice and curry, -which cost scarcely anything, they are able in the course of their -apprenticeship to save what is, to them, a considerable sum of money. - -These people are anything but temperate as regards the consumption -of ardent spirits; but I never saw one of them display the slightest -approach to intoxication. Their favorite beverage is the fiery arrack, -(distilled from rice,) which they buy for a trifle, and consume in -large quantities. - -And now we come to the most influential, wealthy, and thrifty people -in the port. I refer to the Creoles, the issue of a union of some one -of the white races with the East Indian. They are mostly French, and -nine-tenths of the mercantile business is conducted by them. Their -distinguishing traits are--industry, neatness, and exact business -qualifications. They are also enterprising, and possess all the -politeness and suavity of Monsieur himself. It is not at all unusual, -on going into their business-places, to be waited upon by a bevy of -saffron-colored clerks, whilst at one side sits the maternal relative, -dressed in the handsomest manner, but with a skin as black as ebony. -The Creoles treat these relatives, notwithstanding the difference of -color, with a degree of filial affection pleasing to witness. - -These Creoles, on account of their wealth, and character as substantial -men and good citizens, are much respected, even more so than the -white residents, and are freely admitted to all the privileges and -immunities possessed by the latter. - -In speaking of the Malabars, I omitted to describe a funeral procession -in which they were the participants. The corpse was borne in a coffin, -on a hurdle, supported on the shoulders of six men. Preceding the -coffin was a musician with a horn in the shape of the letter S, from -which the operator produced more noise than music; next came two -drummers with their instruments, and then two tambourine players--all -uniting in making as much din as possible. Those in the procession -not engaged in discoursing the melody, were dancing and shouting. -This manner of testifying grief seemed rather odd, and diametrically -opposite to all my preconceived notions of these people, as I had -judged them to be incapable of any joyous demonstration; but it seems -they can act a farce, although they choose a rather sombre occasion to -indulge it. I have not, however, done with the funeral, not having as -yet mentioned its most peculiar feature. Over the coffin was erected a -bower of twigs and green plants, intended to represent, as nearly as -possible, a temple. I followed the procession to the cemetery, which -is an unenclosed piece of ground, situated just outside the European -cemetery, and unmarked by a single headstone. Just previous to arriving -at the cemetery, the policemen, who accompany all such funerals, -obliged them to desist from their merry-making. At the grave, which was -not more than four feet in depth, the bower was opened, and a young -chicken taken from it, which a near relative placed in his bosom very -carefully. This form, I suppose, has something to do with the doctrine -of the transmigration of souls--these foolish people imagining that -the spirit of the deceased is obliged, after death, to take refuge in -the body of some animal; and the chicken is carried thus, so that the -spirit of the defunct may easily find a tenement. All this seems to us -supremely ridiculous; but, on the other hand, these people are just as -much amused at our forms of worship as we are at the unreasonableness -of theirs--education and the early instillation of traditionary or -other precepts, making a believer of any race in the doctrine of their -forefathers. - -And now the question arises, how these Malabar and Madagascar natives -came here in such numbers. Fortunately, it is very easily solved. Their -presence is the natural fruit of the French and English apprentice -system--a mode of procedure as much blacker and more disgraceful to -the nation engaged in it, than the slavery of our Southern States, -inherited from these same nations, as the pirate’s bloody pursuit is -to that of the legitimate merchantman. I will merely state the manner -in which these people are _purchased_. An English, or French vessel, -runs into some out of the way port in Madagascar, lets go her anchor, -invites the king aboard, makes him presents of articles trifling in -value to us, but in the eyes of the savage of intrinsic worth. After -flattering his vanity and cupidity they broach their object in visiting -the coast. The king, nothing loath, invites the supercargo ashore, -and shows him the flesh and blood he has for sale. The merchant in -human slavery carries ashore old condemned muskets, kegs of powder, -jack-knives, hoop iron, trinkets, beads, and calico (these being the -articles most sought after by them). He then selects the most fitting -objects for his purposes, and, after considerable chaffering on both -sides, the purchases are taken aboard ship to be conveyed to a foreign -country, ostensibly for a term of years, but really for as long as -their owners choose to detain them. At the same time the purchasers do -not know whether they are prisoners of war or the king’s own flesh and -blood; neither do they care, their object being to gain money by making -merchandize of a free people. The governor of Mauritius receiving so -much per head, as a perquisite, for each one that is imported into the -colony, holds out every inducement for their introduction into the -island; and I should judge, from the crowded state of the ships that -arrived with them as cargoes, that the trade was most thriving. In -fact, at the time we lay here, this was the only freight procurable, -shipmasters complaining that they could not find employment for their -vessels; some of them having laid here for months without being able to -engage a freight. I should think that at least two thousand of these -pseudo apprentices arrived whilst we were here; they embraced for -the most part the natives of the Malabar coast, and of the Island of -Madagascar. I omitted, in my description of the latter, to remark upon -their fondness for ornament; scarce one of them can be seen, male or -female, young or old, whose arms or ankles are not covered with silver -wristlets and anklets; those whose finances will not admit of their -wearing: the precious metals for ornamental purposes, use those made -of clay, neatly ornamented and gilded. Many of the women wear jewels, -which, by some contraction of the skin of the forehead are so arranged -as to always remain there. They are worn in its center, directly over -the bridge of the noise; they are diamond- or lozenge-shaped, and, for -the most part, of an emerald green. - -One day, whilst strolling up an avenue contiguous to the wharf, I -was attracted by a crowd assembled around a walled enclosure; taking -the privilege of my nation (curiosity), I elbowed my way through the -mixed assemblage, and saw (“tell it not in Askalon, publish it not in -Gath,”) two English auctioneers, in a country under England’s control, -and governed by England’s laws, mounted on their rostrums, selling -what they call in the British Isles, their fellow-men, co-equal in all -respects to themselves. To say that I was surprised would convey but -a faint idea of my feelings--I was really astounded. After recovering -somewhat from my astonishment, I was so thoroughly convinced of the -ridiculousness of England’s so often vaunted philanthropy, that, had -I been in a proper place, I could have indulged in a hearty burst -of laughter. As it was, I could not, without an effort, control my -risibilities. This feeling soon gave way to that of indignation at the -recreant sons and daughters of our own soil, who disgrace our country, -after having been nursed and rocked in the cradle of liberty--as soon -as they are out of their swaddling clothes, turning upon and stinging -their nurse, and for the sake of political or monetary personal -aggrandizement, publishing wishy-washy novels containing such perverted -descriptions of our Southern slavery system, as to induce foreigners to -think our boast of liberty and a free government is but a farce. Such -persons do not merit being dignified by the notice of honest men, which -they court; and, whether it be in the form of a favorable mention or -a criticism, is all one to them, so long as it gives them publicity. -As they cater for the morbid literary appetites of the sycophantic -courtiers of the Old World, who are only too eager to pick holes in our -beautiful and, to them, unattainable system of government, a notice, to -these horror fabricators, answers all the purposes of an advertisement; -so I shall bid them farewell, only exhorting Americans to cry shame on -such scorpions. - -To return to the slave-mart. As I before said, there were two rostrums -erected, on each of which an auctioneer was busily employed crying the -merits of the merchandise, and eagerly soliciting a bid; both were -crying the same article--the second repeating, word for word, all that -his superior said in regard to the price and quality of the article put -up. - -The slaves were gathered and arranged in groups close by the rostrums. -Neither sex had any other covering than the breech-cloth, so as to -display the muscular system to the utmost advantage. The purchasers, -who for the most part are French planters, walk in amongst them, -examine their muscles, teeth, and joints, make them leap to show their -activity, and in every way that their experience suggests satisfy -themselves with respect to the availability of the slave. Their almost -nude condition displays to advantage their erect and symmetrical forms, -and in the women particularly, those points for which the females of -the East are so justly celebrated. - -The only saving clause in the whole transaction was, that, in case any -of the slaves had a family, the purchaser was compelled to buy them all -together, or not at all. - -Instead of having the gloomy faces and downcast mien that one would -naturally expect to see in rational beings under such somber auspices, -these people, with the thoughtlessness, or recklessness, of their race, -were laughing and joking apparently with heartfelt glee. The younger -portion engaged meanwhile in little love-passages; and I was struck by -the coquettish archness with which the young women naively avoided the -too pressing advances of their admirers, by gracefully shaking their -beautifully-formed heads, adorned with the glossiest of ebon hair, and -at the same time accompanying it with the most roguish expression from -their deep black eyes, while merrily laughing and displaying their -pearly teeth. At such times, and on such occasions, the beholder, -albeit he may belong to a superior race, is apt to forget his -prejudices, and think that the poor slave before him is susceptible of -truly loving, and of being loved, as well as the fair representatives -of his own race. - -After purchasing as many as he wants, the planter arranges his slaves -in Indian file, proceeds to the warehouses where he purchases his -supplies, and each member of the file poises some article or other on -his or her head; and thus they march to the plantation, where they are -to remain until the expiration of their servitude--never coming to the -town, unless accompanying their owner. - -These people are very expert in carrying burdens on their heads, and -in this way we may account for their erect carriage. At any minute in -the day women and children may be seen carrying earthen jars containing -molasses or oil, threading the crowded thoroughfares, and bringing -their loads safe to their destination--a feat not to be accomplished by -those unaccustomed to the practice. - -On the principle that sparing the rod spoils the child, (for these -people are viewed only as children,) their owners are not at all -reserved in the use of this instrument of chastisement; and along -with the gangs at labor may the overseer be seen applying it without -remorse. As the blow generally falls on the skull, I can see little -reason for a preference of this to the method of punishment by lashes -on the back in vogue in our Southern States. This, however, is not -their only way of punishment. I saw several instances of gross personal -abuse. In one case I saw the slave thrown down, and dragged by the -waistband over the sharp points of the macadamized street, with nothing -to protect his buttocks from laceration except several thicknesses of -calico. The poor fellow, apparently aware of its uselessness, made no -complaint. This occurred, not in an obscure place--not in the purlieus -of the town, but in a public street, where people were constantly -passing, and who, if any feeling at all were expressed by them, only -laughed at the ludicrousness of the scene. A police-officer stood -looking on apathetically, as though the whole affair were a matter of -course. - -Impelled with a desire to know what Englishmen thought of the -apprentice-system, I put the question to every intelligent one that -I could get at. In nine cases out of ten my auditor would waive the -question by starting some other subject of conversation; but by the -employment of a little finesse I generally managed to corner him, -when, upon argument and hearing explanations of our system, he would -confess that there was but a shade of difference between the two. -One candid specimen of the John Bull character, whom I accidentally -formed an acquaintance with, (and one, too, who had made the tour -of our Southern States from Delaware to Texas--a man of strong mind -and superior intelligence, and from the knowledge he possessed of -the subject, also a man of observation,) stated that our slaves were -better housed than the apprentices under the control of magnanimous and -philanthropic Britain! Verily, England should look at home; and, if she -can, apologize, and legislate for her factory-system, which heretofore -has been the set-off advanced by Americans to her abuse of our -slavery-system. Here is the same system, with such a close affinity to -ours, that she cannot apologize for or mitigate it, without rendering -us justice, and thereby exposing her previous hypocrisy and selfishness. - -Strange--strange, very strange--it is, that the philanthropists of -the United Kingdom have never taken cognizance of these facts. What a -splendid theater Mauritius presents for the Address drawn up by the -Ladies of Great Britain and sent to the Ladies of the United States, -(which, however, to the honor of our countrywomen be it said, was -contemptuously rejected,) and signed by I do not remember how many -thousands of the mothers, daughters, and wives of Merry England and -her dependencies; which ladies, in a body, had the most disinterested -wish for the amelioration of the condition of the black races held in -thraldom by their white cotempories, (or, to use the words of Lucy -Stone, they had “a fellow-feeling in their bosoms for the oppressed of -all nations,” though whether the “fellow” ever found these martyrs I -do not know). Here, I repeat, is an excellent field for their Address; -though, as to whether it will meet with the same contumelious reception -as it did in the “land of the free,” or meet with a reception adequate -to its fitness for the city of Port Louis, a trial only can determine. -Perhaps the editor of the Thunderer could bring the feasibility of such -a proceeding to the notice of those fair reformers through the columns -of his widely-circulated journal. - -In writing the above description of the apprentice-system, I have not -only embodied my own, but the collective convictions of the whole crew -of the vessel; and, as two-thirds of them were from Massachusetts, -their opinions, if not my own, are worthy of belief: beside, there -was no Southerner aboard, to convert us to Southern opinions--not one -of us having been reared to the southward of Mason and Dixon’s line; -so that no personal interest or feeling sways our description of this -evil. Hence I think that our observations are entitled to the regard of -those who laud the freedom, philanthropy, and disinterestedness of the -government of the British Islands at the expense of our own; and if I -can enable but one of them to see and confess the error of his or her -ways, I shall consider my labor well repaid. And here I now leave this -subject. - -I cannot imagine why whalers visit this port in preference to others -where they could be much better supplied. To be sure the American -consul is resident, and through him they can draw money to the -extent of their necessities; but, on the other hand, provisions are -excessively dear, and so are all other supplies needful for shipping. -Two articles are cheap--liquors and segars; the latter being made from -tobacco grown on the island. Instead of being filled, as with us, and -enclosed in a wrapper, the natives make them entirely of wrappers. They -are very mild, and can be purchased for a song; everybody smokes them -and the consumption must be immense. The plug tobacco is of American -manufacture, and, from the duty imposed upon it by the government, -commands a high price. - -Notwithstanding the cheapness of liquors, there is but very little -intoxication to be seen amongst the community, although all seem to -indulge, more or less, in its use. The favorite drinks are the lighter -wines, such as the claret and Vermouth; these are pleasant, but are -detrimental to a healthy condition of the bowels, and, therefore, -excessive indulgence in them in this climate is purchased at a dear -rate. - -There is no scarcity of money, most of the exchanges being made in -the metallic currency of Great Britain, and as our Scrimshawing, or -to use a less outlandish term, our different manufactures from the -bone and ivory procured from the whale, were to these people great -curiosities, they commanded good prices. It was not unusual to get from -twenty to thirty shillings for a bone cane; and jagged knives, used -by the pastry cook for filagreeing the edges of his pies and tarts, -were eagerly bought up at a pound the pair. Consequently, all our -boys who possessed numbers of these articles were well supplied with -the rhino. The reason these articles are so eagerly sought for in this -port, is that no whalers are fitted out or belong here; neither is -there any market for the sale of whale oil--the inhabitants universally -burning the oil expressed from the cocoa-nut; and as the cocoa tree is -indigenous to the island, and grows in great profusion, it is readily -obtainable at a low rate. The captain of the Nauticon, who lost his -ship among the Seychelle Islands, is here, and has been importuned over -and over again by the merchants of the port, to return to the United -States, build and fit a vessel with all necessary accouterments, and -bring her here to sail as a colonial whaler belonging to Port Louis. -The future must decide as to whether he coincides with them so far as -to act out their wishes; but it is easily seen that such a proceeding -must necessarily be remunerative, as no sooner has a whaler left the -port than she is on the very best sperm whaling-ground in the Indian -Ocean, and the prevalence of the trade-winds and general good weather -for nine months of the year, render it an eligible cruising ground. - -There is an excessive jealousy existing between the French and English -residents--the French considering themselves as the rightful owners of -the soil, lords to the manor born; whilst the English plume themselves -upon the conquest of the island, and consider possession nine points -of the law. Little intercourse, apart from their business relations, -exists between the two nations, and the same feeling prevails, not -only among the residents, but among the sailors of ships belonging to -the two countries. Sunday night, generally, is the occasion of broils -between them, and these, the police informed me, were the most serious -disturbances they had to contend with. - -The German sailors were the merriest of any nation whom I saw on -liberty--gathering in little knots, and singing the songs of their -fatherland with the utmost good-fellowship, and not without melody. -They were very exclusive in their associations, and mixed with none but -their own circle of shipmates. - -The markets of Mauritius were filled with fruit of the various kinds -to be found in tropical climates--the pine-apple, cocoa-nut, banana, -oranges, lemons, and limes, all being found here in abundance. The -favorite condiment of the blacks is the sugar-cane, which they suck -in pieces as long as themselves; and two youngsters may be seen, -each supporting and sucking away at either end of a piece of green -sugar-cane a fathom in length. - -This city differs very much from Hobartown in two of its striking -features. In the latter city, at every corner is to be seen a -mendicant; in Port Louis I did not see a single person soliciting -charity. The other feature that I refer to is the absence of all -itinerant hawkers, except the cake venders, who are the only class of -petty tradesmen who make a depot of the streets for the sale of their -goods; whilst in the capital of Van Diemen’s Land, as I have remarked -elsewhere in my notice on it, at every step one is beset by these -pertinacious leeches, anxious to make a sale. - -But in another point there is a perfect resemblance between both -cities--that is the presence of a regiment of British infantry; a -provision that Great Britain never neglects in any of her colonies, -governing her subjects by appealing to their fears of the bayonet, -wielded by a hireling and remorseless soldiery. This regiment is about -leaving its station here for the seat of war in India. I conversed -freely with several of its members, and although they displayed no -symptoms of fear at the prospect of being engaged with an enemy, still -there was a total lack of enthusiasm or patriotism. From the atrocities -so glaringly held before the public by the English journals, as -committed by the Sikhs on British residents in India, I had expected to -find an eagerness on the part of the gentlemen with the red coats, to -avenge their countrymen and countrywomen so barbarously maltreated; but -so wags the world, one half caring not or feeling not for the miseries -or misfortunes of the other half. - -How I shall change the subject from a consideration of the biped -portion of the population to an analysis of the condition and quality -of the quadrupeds. On account of the trouble and expense attending -the procreation of the horse, he is here quite a dignified animal, -and is only used by the aristocratic portion of the population for -the lightest draughting. His high price, too, ensures his careful -treatment; and all who can afford to keep a carriage, whose business -requires its use all day, change the animal and put a fresh one in the -traces at noon. The reason why the horse commands so high a price here -is, that the Government interdicts the introduction of mares into the -island; whether the climate is prejudicial to the breed of the animal, -or Great Britain, in her forethought, vetoes their importation, for the -purpose of securing a market for the surplus stock of her Australian -colonies, is a point which, in the absence of any authority, I am -unable to decide. - -The vehicles are of English construction, and are moderately light; -the rattan body, which is so conducive to ventilation and comfort in -warm weather, being in general use. Their harness, too, is of European -manufacture--made light, to conform with the oppressiveness of the -climate. - -And now that we have pretty thoroughly reviewed the town and its -purlieus, we will return to our proper element, and give an account of -what transpired in the harbor during our stay. First we will notice -the whaling barque, Belle of Warren, which came in to post letters; -of the boat’s crew who went ashore for this purpose, one did not -return, having taken leg bail for security. I saw him ashore several -times afterward, and he was wandering about without a discharge and -without a home, looking destitute and woebegone. The Belle remained -but a few days; meantime the whaleship Martha made her appearance, for -the purpose of landing her third mate, who goes to the hospital to be -treated for a pulmonary affection. The Martha reports that the portion -of the whaling fleet which went to the northward humpbacking, were as -unsuccessful as ourselves; seeing nothing, and, consequently, doing -nothing. This goes to strengthen our theory of the absence of whale -feed on the coast during the preceding season. The Martha made as short -a stay as the Belle--both vessels having, like us, seen sperm whales -near the Island of Rodrique, and both intending to return there. Hence -their haste to leave port. - -The next whaler that made her appearance was the barque Columbus, -of New Bedford: she, like the Martha, had accomplished nothing -humpbacking, but on her passage from New Holland to this port, -had captured three hundred and fifty barrels of sperm oil, in the -vicinity of the Island of Rodrique. Like us, the Columbus came in for -provisions, and to give her crew liberty. Her crew comprised, for the -most part, men who had been shipped in Hobartown; and they had scarcely -set foot ashore when they were squabbling. - -Soon after the Columbus’s arrival, the barque Mechanic, of Newport, -came in. She was seventeen days from Angiers, and, although there was -no sickness on board, was compelled, by a law of the port, to go into -quarantine until the expiration of twenty-one days from the time of her -leaving Angiers, that being the time set by the law. After performing -the quarantine she was hauled into the inner harbor to undergo repairs. - -And now, for the time being, we have done with American whalers, and -come to one sailing under the flag of England--the brig Elizabeth -and Jane, of Hobartown. She was fitted out as a tender for some -larger vessel, and sent to Desolation for the capture of whales, -sea-elephants, and seals, indiscriminately; she had a Yankee mate, and -was intended by the Hobartown merchants to be the pioneer of a fleet to -compete with the Yankees in the procuring of oil, which trade has, for -many years, been a prolific source of wealth to those engaged in it; -the bleak shores of Kerguleus land being a favorite resort for those -creatures so eagerly sought for by the whaleman. Scarcely had the brig -arrived at the scene of her anticipated operations before she commenced -leaking so badly, that the crew were kept continually pumping, day and -night; necessitating her being carried into port, and either being -thoroughly repaired or condemned as unseaworthy. On bringing her into -Mauritius, the captain preferred a complaint to the authorities against -his men, charging them with mutiny and threatening his life. Before -the authorities had time to act upon his information, about one half -of the crew took one of the boats, went ashore, and got drunk. A fight -followed as a matter of course, and in this condition they were easily -captured by the police. Those who were left aboard were brought ashore -in irons; but they did not seem to mind the manacles, all of them being -convicts, who, no doubt, had been accustomed to such bracelets before. -After landing, they were conveyed to the jail, where their companions -were already lodged. The following morning they were brought before -the magistrate, who, after hearing both sides of the case, dismissed -the charge as unfounded and frivolous, at the same time adding some -wholesome advice to the master of the vessel for the future government -of those under his command. A few days after the brig was condemned as -unseaworthy. - -We will now return to our own vessel and crew. As I stated in the -former part of my journal, we shipped Irishmen in Hobartown, and -Englishmen in Vasse. During the time they have been aboard we have -been thoroughly convinced of their utter uselessness--their indolence -preventing their acquiring sufficient insight into a seaman’s duties -to render them a useful part of the ship’s company; and our captain -was anxious to get rid of them. On the first liberty-day, two, whom we -shipped at Vasse, overstaid their liberty, and were informed by the -captain that he would not receive them aboard again. On the same day, -one, whom we shipped in Hobartown, was discharged for inability to do -duty. W. B. Wood, whom we brought from New Bedford, was also discharged -sick. Joseph A. Lewis and John Cunningham, discharged sick, and sent to -the hospital. Wood and Cunningham were both of our original crew; the -remaining one, whom we shipped at Vasse, deserted. A seaman, shipped in -Hobartown, was discharged with the consent of the contracting parties; -one, shipped in Vasse, in January, 1857, and who, during the time he -has been aboard, has been acting as fourth mate, was discharged with -his own consent; and one, whom we got in Hobartown, is in jail--so that -we are ten less in number than when we dropped anchor on the day of our -entering the harbor. In their places we have shipped five men, all of -whom are Americans, and have been whaling before. I said that we had -shipped five, but two of the five came aboard without any agreement -with the captain. These two were policemen, who had become disgusted -with wearing her majesty’s button, and on their hinting their wish to -get afloat again, our boys readily offered to assist them. Besides -these, we shipped a lad of fifteen as steerage-boy. - -Although we had thus replaced the ten with but five men, we found, as -soon as we got into blue water, that we had a much more effective crew -than we had had at any time during the preceding sixteen months. The -ten discharged and deserted comprised all the useless material in the -ship--the foreign portion of them, in fact, being worse than useless; -for, together with their incapacity, they had a propensity to growl, -and made both themselves and those with whom they were associated -uncomfortable. Their thievishness, too, had still adhered to them, -notwithstanding their penal servitude. One of them, we discovered after -leaving port, had on his dismissal carried away with him a considerable -portion of the cooper’s tools. This was Leonard, professedly a cooper -by trade. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII. - - -At two o’clock in the afternoon of October 11th we weighed our anchor, -and, with a fair wind, stood out to sea. Twenty-four hours afterwards -we sighted a school of sperm whales, consisting of cows and calves. -After some little manœuvering, we lowered away all four boats; but the -whales going to windward, the captain and mate, after an hour’s chase, -deemed farther pursuit useless, and returned aboard. The other boats, -however, continued the chase; and at about 5 P. M. the third mate’s -boatsteerer fastened, killing the whale with his irons. Whilst hauling -up to him, the line became entangled in the jaws of another whale, -and was severed. The third mate then lanced and killed three more; -but night coming on, and the weather becoming rugged, he was unable -to save any of them, and obliged to return to the ship empty-handed. -The mate, in the interim, had fastened to a cow, and killed her and -her calf, both of which were saved; but it was midnight before we had -them secured alongside. These two were the most diminutive whales it -has been our fortune to capture. The cow, which was the first female -of the species we have had alongside, was about thirty-five feet in -length, and of much inferior bulk to the male. Her skin was smoother, -glossier, and of a deeper color; and, taken altogether, she was a much -handsomer fish than the bull sperm-whale. The calf was about fifteen -feet long--lacking none of the peculiarities of the older fish, except -the teeth, which as yet were not cut; but on getting the jaw on deck we -penetrated the gum, and found perfectly-shaped teeth, about an inch and -a half in length. The following day we cut them in, and tried them out. -They yielded, altogether, a trifle over twenty barrels of oil. - -After taking these whales, we ran several degrees to the eastward, and -spent a week in cruising, during which we saw whales three times--in -each case going to windward eyes out, without giving us the shadow of -a chance to lower for them. We retraced our course, and on the 23d -passed Mauritius. The following day we coasted along the Isle Reunion, -or Bourbon--an island under the dominion of France, and so beautifully -fertile as to be called the Garden of the Indian Ocean. From hence the -Mauritians obtain most of their agricultural supplies, and quite a -fleet of coasting vessels is employed in the carrying trade between the -two islands. Some idea may be formed of the amount of this trade when I -quote the remark of one of the citizens of Port Louis, that, “were it -not for the productions of Bourbon, all the inhabitants of Port Louis -would starve to death.” All the tillage and other laborious work on -this island is performed by the natives of Madagascar, introduced here -by the French, under the same apprentice-system as that practised by -Great Britain. - -The island, like Mauritius, is composed principally of very high land, -some points being elevated many thousand feet above the level of the -sea. A volcano, for the name of which I am at a loss, towers far above -all. It being a moonlight night when we passed, we saw but little of -its eruption, which is continual--lighting up the surface of the ocean -for miles. This island has since been made the French Naval Depot for -the Indian Ocean. - -There is no good harbor on this island, which, together with the fact -of there being no resident American consul, is the reason for the -rarity of whaleships visiting it. - -The three islands, Bourbon, Mauritius, and Rodrique, were first taken -possession of by the French, and for many years were known as the -French East India Islands. During the wars between France and Great -Britain, Mauritius was the naval depot for the former power, from -which her cruisers were fitted out for the annoyance of the East -India commerce of the enemy; but during the time of Napoleon, (when -England’s operations were restricted to the ocean,) as an offset to the -conqueror’s successes on land, the wooden walls of Old England were -busily employed in making captures of the various colonial possessions -of France, both in the East and West Indies. Many of these, subsequent -to the negotiations for peace, were restored. But Mauritius was too -important a place to let slip, after being once occupied; wherefore a -British regiment became part of its population, and the meteor-flag -of England waved over its battlements. This group is often called the -Mascarenha Isles. - -On Sunday (October the 31st) we spoke the ship Brewster, of -Mattapoissett. A few days before, she had a man killed by a sperm -whale: the officer in command of the boat having been foolhardy enough -to run on the fish whilst in his flurry, his amidship oar’s man was -instantly swept from time into eternity by a stroke of its flukes; but, -fortunately, no others of the crew were injured. - -October the 25th we sighted the southern part of the Island of -Madagascar, which was to be our cruising-ground for the next two -months. It is anything but a comfortable latitude to make a prolonged -stay in; for, on an average, once every twenty-four hours, violent -rain-storms of from one to four hours’ duration thoroughly drench -the crew and vessel. These squalls are attended with any quantity of -thunder and lightning, which adds very much to the disagreeableness of -their visitations. - -This ground is the point to which we endeavored to beat up three years -ago, with the intention of whaling, before visiting New Holland. It -bears a good reputation as to the presence of whales; but the fish are -noted for their fighting on being struck, so that it is no easy matter -to make a capture, after once striking. Whether we should have been any -the more successful had we visited and cruised on this ground in the -earlier portion of our voyage, deponent, from his ignorance, saith not. - -I omitted to mention that on account of the extension of the term of -our voyage, meat had been purchased in Mauritius; also, ten barrels -and a half of colonial beef (of a very inferior quality) packed in -Melbourne, and thirteen barrels of American pork purchased from the -ship Robert Patton, of Boston: which, together with what we already had -aboard, was deemed amply sufficient for our consumption on the short -cruise off Madagascar, and during our passage home. - -The time of our leaving for home was now set to be New Year’s Day, -1859. This period, so long and devoutly prayed for, we were assured -would not under any circumstances be again postponed, and we hoped that -it would not; for we had been out very long, and all were thoroughly -convinced that longer cruising for whales would be entirely useless. -To be plain; all wanted to get home. The whole ship’s company, too, -felt and expressed the opinion, that the voyage was unlucky, and they -wished to begin a new one, under better auspices. Our continual ill -fortune in not seeing whales, and having our boats stoven, had so -deeply engendered this feeling that a general lukewarmness prevailed, -which could only be dissipated by a notice from the masthead that sperm -whales were about, when indeed all would again become as eager as we -were at the commencement of the voyage. - -There were now, of the thirty who sailed from home in the vessel, but -twenty-one remaining; yet even this is a much larger proportion of -the original crew than is usually carried home from a voyage of such -length as ours. The cabin had lost one of its members; the steerage was -intact--the same boatsteerers remaining as when we first set sail; and -of the foremast hands ten, besides the cook, remained: making twenty -one in all. We had now been so long together, that the withdrawal of -one of our number would produce a feeling like that caused by the -separation from a member of one’s own family; and it was not without -much regret that we thought on having parted with the two of our -original crew in Port Louis. - -We continued off the Island of Madagascar up to November 27th, without -aught to mar, or rather improve, the general and almost uninterrupted -bad weather--thunder and lightning storms following each other with -scarce any intermission. During this time we occasionally saw a -whale-ship, and, if the weather permitted, failed not to while away a -part of this dreary period in gammoning. One day, whilst so engaged, -we learned that the chief mate of the ship Martha, of Fairhaven, had -lost his life in much the same manner as did the seaman belonging to -the Brewster. The mate was not seen to leave the boat, neither was any -other of the boat’s crew injured; but it appears that the boat had -been rashly carried into a perilous and unwarrantable situation by -the mate, and, in the bustle attendant to extricating the boat under -such circumstances, it is supposed that whilst the others were busy in -trimming boat and attending to the line, the whale, by a sweep of the -flukes, struck the officer so suddenly and so severely as to put it -out of his power to give an alarm, whereby to attract their attention. -Undoubtedly his death was instantaneous; but little exertion on the -part of the whale would be required to supply a sufficiency of force to -crush vitality from the frame of the strongest or proudest of the human -race. - -This accident is attributed to carelessness, and, from my own -observation, I should say that at least two-thirds of the fatal -accidents that occur to whalemen, in pursuit of their prey, result from -gross carelessness or recklessness on the part of the boat-header. -Some years ago it was unusual to hear of a fatal accident to those -engaged in the pursuit of the whale. At that time the fish were plenty, -and boatheaders, as a class, were cool, sagacious, and experienced men, -who had been accustomed to and occupied in the whaling business for -years. These men would not risk their boat and crew to almost certain -destruction to strike a whale, or to be the first boat fast, or to -get a fatal lance before another boat arrived; but, working carefully -and securely, they bided the time until a fit opportunity presented -itself, and then, guided by their long experience, applied the lance -expeditiously and fatally. This race of whalemen has, however, been -supplanted by another of younger men, who were brought into the field -by the prolific grounds of the Arctic Ocean and Ochotsk Sea, inhabited -as they were by myriads of bowhead whales that had never been chased -or interfered with by whalemen; consequently, they had not learned -from the past to use all the expedients furnished them by nature to -avoid and combat against the wiles and stratagems of men. Hence, -little else was necessary to capture the bowhead but to have a boat -and crew, pull alongside the fish, dart the irons into him, and, ere -the bewildered creature had recovered from his astonishment, drive in -the lance and kill him; but now that the bowhead has grown more wary, -and to take him is a work of difficulty and danger, ships do not make -such remunerative voyages in their pursuit as formerly; therefore their -owners, instead of directing their vessels only to the Arctic and -Ochotsk, began again to turn their attention to the, for a few years, -comparatively neglected grounds of the Indian Ocean; but they do not -venture without many misgivings as to the probable success of their -vessels. A few ships are fitted out, they sail, and in the course of -a few years return with excellent cargoes--the whales, having enjoyed -somewhat of a respite, again resorted to their former haunts. All -is now hurry and bustle in New Bedford and the other whaling ports. -These voyages act as an incentive to further operations--mechanics are -incited, by liberal offers, to extreme exertion; and in a short time -the vessels are ready for sea. The north-west whalemen have also heard -of these voyages; they apply for berths, and the owner, or agent, in -making inquiry as to their qualifications, learns that he or they got -so many whales during the last voyage. In the absence of information, -the shipper, supposing that if the applicant can strike and kill one -description of whale, he will have no trouble in capturing the others, -engages him at a good price, which he commands on the strength of -his reputation. The ship sails; but when the north-wester gets into -the Indian Ocean, he finds many ships, but few whales, and those few -requiring different manipulation on his part, if he wishes to capture -them, than those with which he is better acquainted. He strives to -become familiar with their habits, but, unfortunately, the whales being -chased daily, and almost hourly, by some one or another of the various -vessels that occupy every nook and corner of the ocean where there is -any likelihood of seeing fish, afford him but few opportunities of -adding to his stock of experience; so that it is not until near the -close of the voyage that he becomes _au fait_ in the discharge of his -duties. By this time the golden opportunity has passed, and, but a few -months remaining, he strives to make up by rashness what he lacks in -skill, exposing himself and crew in situations against which his better -judgment, in cooler moments, would revolt; but this is a losing game, -as his crew, who, with equal opportunities and equal intelligence, well -know when a whale is approached in the proper manner, and, following -the precept that self-preservation is the first law of nature, hesitate -to pull anywhere and everywhere, without satisfying themselves that -they are right, which they would not if they had full confidence in -their officer. Hence, the want of a perfect understanding between the -boatheader and crew is another prolific source of accidents. To sum -up, every day increases the difficulties and dangers presented to -those whose calling is the pursuit of the whale: the fish are either -becoming much less numerous, or else they are retreating to the frozen -North or South, where the climate forbids man’s encroaching. They are -also becoming more wary, and it is only by the most careful management -that a boat can approach so as to strike them; they taking the alarm -at the least variation in the motions of the waves, and the slightest -noise being sufficient to alarm them. Formerly, if we are to believe -tradition, such was not the case; and certainly the following anecdote, -which, I engage, will be told for many years to come by men who will -attest to its perfect reliability, will, to some minds--though I must -confess they will be of small caliber if they give credence to it--go -to substantiate such a premise, to wit: - -It formerly was the practice to provide each boat from a whale-ship -with a number of bricks. On lowering for, and approaching within a -respectable distance of the whale, the boatsteerer was directed to -heave one of these bricks at him. If he took no notice of the insult, -he was pronounced perfectly safe and tractable, the boat was then laid -on and the irons darted; but if, on the contrary, he used his flukes -or fins, and made the white water fly, the boat was pointed for the -ship; the fishermen being perfectly satisfied with the display of his -belligerent powers without a nearer approach, and very well contented -to await a more safe and favorable opportunity of increasing their -store of oil. - -On the 27th of November we gammoned the ship Plover, of New Bedford; -her mate and his boat’s crew being on board our ship, and our captain -and a boat’s crew aboard of her. At 3 o’clock in the afternoon, our -masthead’s man sung out for sperm whales. After a short observation our -mate lowered away, and in less than ten minutes fastened. Immediately -the Plover’s mate and our second mate dropped their boats, and several -boats from the Plover pulled for the scene of operations. After some -little difficulty, a second boat fastened. Our mate, going on to lance -the whale, had his boat crushed to pieces, the whale having turned -towards him suddenly and grasped the boat in his jaw, making it a wreck -in a moment; the crew were pitched head over heels into the water, -whilst the boat, being so much damaged, as to be useless, floated away -without being taken notice of. The crew were soon picked up, and in -other boats were trying to revenge their sense of injury on the whale. -The third mate of the Plover now essayed to lance the whale, but with -no better success, his boat being stove in the same manner. Our second -mate next tried and succeeded; the other boats, having encircled the -whale, diverted his attention, and we turned him up. The whales on the -Madagascar ground are notorious for their belligerent propensities, -and I have been assured by old habitues of the vicinity, that if a -boat-header escapes once in three times from having his boat stove, -more or less, he is either an admirable manager, or a wonderfully lucky -fellow. - -The Plover is but five months from home, and her crew had previously -done no whaling--she having taken no oil; therefore it was amusing to -watch the woebegone and rueful countenances with which the boats’ crews -obeyed the order of their officers to pull up to the whale, whilst, on -the contrary, when ordered to pull in the opposite direction, their -faces would brighten up with an expression of heartfelt relief; and -then to look at our own fellows, inured to all the vicissitudes of -this adventurous pursuit, taking everything as coolly as if engaged in -the most ordinary occupation; making sport of hardships and a jest of -danger; eager as the most insatiate sportsman to be in at the death; -assisting their boat-sheader to the utmost, anticipating his orders, -and acting out all his requirements; so that boat, officer, and crew, -seemed to be a nicely constructed machine, working by a secret spring -actuating the muscles of each of its occupants with the self-same -power. Even when their boat was stoven they had a jest to crack at -the greenhorns. Poor fellows, they were much more entitled to our -commiseration than derision; we have been through the mill, and have -seen and suffered, whilst they, unless circumstances should very much -favor them, are doomed to a three years’ stay in the Indian Ocean, -where, if “forthcoming events cast their shadows before,” they are -fated to discover that their one stoven boat is but a foretaste of what -they will experience in that line before their time is up. - -Before we saw the whale we observed a ship some five miles to windward, -with her boats down, and another about the same distance to windward of -her, manœuvering as if for whales. We subsequently ascertained that, -between noon and the time we struck, five vessels had attempted to -capture this whale. All these vessels being in a direct line with our -own ship, the whale following a straight course and going to windward, -they gave up the chase as useless. We only succeeded by dropping our -boat when he was a short distance to leeward, and at a time when the -sun’s rays favored a near approach to him. He was a noble fellow, and -well worthy the trouble we had with him. - -After turning the whale up, we took him alongside our ship. When ships’ -boats in company take a whale, it is customary, either to give one -party the head and the body to the other, or else to release the ship -whose boat fastened first from all further trouble with the prize: -her companion taking the whale alongside, cutting him in, trying him -out, and then either stowing down, or rafting half the oil to her -companion. In case she stows it down, one-half of the barrels are -branded with the other vessel’s name, and credited to her account. -In the present case, Captain Perkins of the Plover wishing to make -through us a consignment to the owners, we took the whale, and a -boat’s crew of his assisted us to cut in. After trying out, one-half -the oil, amounting to forty-six barrels, was stowed between decks -in casks brought from his ship for the purpose and duly branded. We -engaged to carry it home as freight, charging six cents per gallon for -the carriage. We had also twelve hundred pounds of right whalebone on -freight, from the ship Martha, of Fairhaven. This freight-business pays -no one but the owners, and perhaps the captain: the proportion of it -that any one else gets being so small as to make it a trifling object. - -On the same day that we stowed, we gammoned the barque Iowa, of -Fairhaven. She had been very successful, having filled up with -humpbacked oil at the Rosemary Islands. She was but a short time -from Mauritius, and brought us the sad news of the demise of John -Cunningham, of New Bedford, whom we had left at the hospital in -Mauritius. The cause of his death was to some degree enveloped in -mystery. It appears that on the day previous to his decease he applied -to the resident physician of the hospital for a discharge, stating as -his reason for it the many deaths that were daily occurring in the -same ward in which he was (the dysentery having assumed a fatal type -just after our leaving the port). The physician told him that he was -loath to discharge him as yet, for his stricture was not entirely -removed; but, after some urging on Cunningham’s part, the doctor -directed him to apply on the following day, and he would make out his -discharge. The morning following his attendants found him dead in -his bed, without an external sign to show why the spirit had fled. -The physicians, at a loss to account for so sudden and unexpected a -termination, held a post-mortem examination upon his body, and finding -all the organs free from disease, they gave in as their opinion that -he had died from fright. Poor fellow!--his health aboard ship had been -almost uninterruptedly good, and he bade fair to live as long as any -of us. But Providence, for His own wise purposes, saw fit to call him -away from life to (I trust) a better and happier sphere; and although -in this world he will no more hear the storm whistling through the -rigging, or the sudden boom of the tempest-tossed ocean, yet I hope -that he - - “Shall find pleasant weather, - When He who all commands - Shall give, to call Life’s crew together, - The word to pipe all hands.” - -This young man was the eldest son of a widow in New Bedford. His father -was for years engaged in whaling, and some eight years since, whilst -master of the ship Florida, was drowned in the surf, off the Island of -Rorotongu, in the Pacific Ocean; and now his poor relict is called upon -to weep over the untimely end of her eldest boy, in a foreign hospital, -unattended by a single friend to soothe his dying-pillow. He whom she -looked upon as the stay of her declining years, like her husband, -engaged in the same perilous pursuit, and died thousands of miles from -home, under painfully afflicting circumstances. - -He was the third who has been called away out of our bonnie crew, who -in July, 1855, sailed from New Bedford full of life and hope: all at -that date feeling assured of returning with a well laden ship and -full crew--with stores of curiosities, gleaned from foreign ports, as -keepsakes for the loved ones at home: all were sanguine, and certainly -expected to make a good voyage and return by July, 1858. - -But “man purposes--God disposes;” as a proof of which, let us review -our relative positions now, and then. One of our men was discharged, -sick, in King George’s Sound; from thence he went to Melbourne, since -which we have heard of his death. Our second mate was discharged at -Vasse, went home as mate of the barque Pamelia, and is now, I hope, in -the full enjoyment of every blessing, surrounded by an affectionate -family. Three of our original number deserted, and through the example -and influence of evil-minded associates, allowed themselves to be made -parties to the origination of a false report, according to which our -vessel had foundered on a tempestuous night, and the greater number of -the crew set afloat in open boats off the inhospitable coast of New -Zealand. Poor John Walters has gone to his long home! the blue waves of -the South Pacific having closed over him whilst in the discharge of his -duty. We learn from the Iowa’s report, that another one of our original -crew, whom we discharged at Port Louis, has shipped aboard the barque -Agnes, of New York, bound to Batavia for a cargo, thence homeward. -And, lastly, Cunningham too is gone! Whilst we, who are left, have -been forty months from home, and are still battling with the ocean’s -elements--alas! in pocket, poor indeed, and hopefully longing for home. - -We also learned from the Iowa, that the New Yorker, whom we left at -Port Louis, had been discharged from the Hospital, perfectly recovered; -and that he, together with an Irishman, also discharged there by us, -had solicited and obtained employment in the police-force of that port. - -The rest of those whom we left at Port Louis, never having done -anything to entitle them to remembrance, we neither know nor care what -has become of them, with the exception of our late fourth mate, who -deserves mention singly on account of his utter uselessness. From the -same source, we learn that he shipped, and left Mauritius in the barque -Eagle, as boatsteerer. In this new position he will, no doubt, act with -about as much credit to himself, and receive as unenviable a name and -reputation, as he did among us. - -A few days subsequent to the above date we saw and gammoned the -barque Coimbra. She had sailed from Mauritius a few days after our -leaving; but, owing to the sickness of her captain, was forced to -return, and remain ten additional days. The captain of this vessel, -quite an original, hailed from New Brunswick, and was a veritable Blue -Nose--long, lank, and parsimonious. He has had during the voyage three -different crews, who for some reason or other left him after a cruise -or two. Early in the voyage a veto was put by the authorities of Vasse -upon his entering any port on the coast of New Holland, owing to his -having carried a prisoner away in his vessel. This prisoner, who was -a thief, doing a good business at Freemantle, report says, paid one -thousand dollars for the accommodation. The captain of the Columbus had -little or no trouble with him--merely carrying him outside, and then -transferring him to a merchant-ship. Being debarred from entering these -ports, where the cost of recruiting ships is comparatively trifling, -and having kept his crew out of port as long as a wholesome dread of -the scurvy would allow, he, with an eye to economy, made the following -address to his men, to wit: “Boys, I would like to go into a good port, -where we could all enjoy ourselves. Such a port is Hobartown; but the -limits set to my expenses by my owners will not allow of my indulging -in such an outlay as lying with the ship in that harbor would occasion; -but, if you by subscription pay a certain sum apiece out of your -earnings, I will go there.” Several of the ship’s company assenting, a -document was drawn up, and most of them attached their names: agreeing -to contribute towards the port-expenses sums varying in amount from -two to twenty dollars. One of the foremast hands demurring to this -arrangement, the old fellow told him that he would get it out of him -some way or other; and so he did, by persisting in tormenting him until -his victim was glad to pay the two dollars, and thereby gain somewhat -of an exemption from further bad treatment. - -This is not a solitary case of such sharp business-operations. A -certain captain once boasted aboard our barque, that by his finesse -in settling with those whom he discharged in Hobartown he had made the -clear sum of two thousand dollars for his owners; in other words, that -by misrepresenting the quantity of oil taken, he had cheated his crew -out of so much money. A most creditable boast! Of a piece with such -conduct was also his mode of serving out meat. A barrel was broken out, -brought on deck, and divided into so many portions as were equivalent -to his idea of a day’s allowance (which was about one-third of that -prescribed by law). It was then tied together, and strung up on deck; -whence if a remnant of it disappeared, it was charged to the steward -and cook. - -We saw the vessel under the last-mentioned individual’s command on the -first day of December. She was then bound home, and had but ten barrels -of meat aboard for the consumption of the crew during the passage, -which, as she had been out about four years, will consume at least -ninety days. This quantity of meat would last us with the same number -in the ship’s company as she has, but thirty days. For such conduct -this man could not plead non-success, as he had on board one of the -best cargoes on the ocean--his quantity of oil being no less than two -thousand barrels, of which sixteen hundred contained sperm oil. - -On learning that the Coimbra was bound direct for home, several of us -put letters aboard of her, and as she kept off and receded from our -sight we naturally wished that we were pursuing a course in the same -direction, and were agreeably astonished the next morning (December -5th) to find our captain keep off to the southward, and learned that -we were bound round the Cape. In the afternoon we saw the Coimbra, -overhauled and passed her; our studding-sails giving us a great -advantage over her when the wind is free. The following day, in order -to compete with us, she made and bent studding-sails; but this was as -far as she could go, and we were still to windward of her, as we had -made and bent mizzen, maintopmast, and maintopgallant staysails, which -gave us a slight advantage. - -On account of the length of time, and the chafing of whales alongside -and under the ship, the copper was in a desperate condition. Looking -at her bottom, when the sea was calm and clear, nothing could be seen -but an irregular bunch of vegetable matter; looking, from her waterways -to the kelson, as much like a collection of old rags, as anything else -that I could compare it to, whilst in many places whole sheets of -copper were gone, and in others it was rolled up in scrolls. I hooked -up a piece, and, on examination, found it of an almost transparent -thinness. All these inequalities in the surface of the bottom naturally -tended to retard the speed; and, consequently, when whalers start for -home, they strive to make amends for all deficiencies by a greater -spread of canvass, and venture to carry it longer than any other class -of vessels afloat, relying on the number and skill of their men to -prevent disaster in time of emergency. - -We kept on with a light fair wind to the southward and eastward for -some days, and, from the agreeableness of the weather, augured a -pleasant passage around; but when opposite Cape l’Agulhas the wind -hauled ahead, and we had it first light and clear, then strong and -cloudy, with showers of rain and thick fog. For the benefit of those -who imagine that sailors have but little to do when afloat, I will -copy from my log-book the proceedings of several days (whilst in this -baffling weather), _verbatim et literatum_. - -_December 16th._--This day opens with a strong breeze from the -eastward, cloudy. At midnight running before it, with maintopgallant -sail, fore, and foretopmast studding sails set. At 1 o’clock A. M. -the breeze increasing to a gale, we took in the studding-sails and -topgallantsail; at three, double-reefed the topsails; at 6 A. M. the -wind hauling forward, loosed and set the mainsail; at 8, were obliged -to furl it; at 9, shook a reef out of each topsail, and set jib, -spanker, and mainsail; at 11, the wind hauled to the S. S. W., clewed -down the topsails and close-reefed them--thus remained for the balance -of the day. - -_December 17th._--At 1 A. M. shook a reef out of each topsail; at 4¹⁄₂, -struck by a squall that hove her down rail to, hauled up the courses, -kept the ship off to haul down the jib, which was done, and furled the -sail; then furled the spanker, luffed to, close-reefed the topsails -and furled the mainsail amid torrents of rain; at 3 P. M. furled the -foretopsail; at 6 P. M., after having shipped a sea that filled it -full, took in the bowboat; at 6¹⁄₂, furled the foresail; at 7, clewed -down the maintopsail, shook out the reefs and reefed it over; at 7¹⁄₂, -loosed the foretopsail, shook out the reefs, reefed it over, sheeted it -home and set it. - -_December 18th._--At 1¹⁄₂ A. M., furled foretopsail; at 4, set -close-reefed foretopsail and foresail; at 7, made all sail; at 3 P. M., -furled the light sails, and double-reefed the foretopsail; at 7 P. M., -shook the reefs out, and set the flying-jib and maintopgallantsail; at -10, furled the light sails and double-reefed the fore topsail, and at -midnight double-reefed the maintopsail. - -Here was work enough for three days, and hard work, as any one may -discover, who doubts the fact, by, like me, participating in it; but -handling, reefing, and steering, are by no means all the employments -of the seamen when afloat. Everything being kept taut, the strain on -the rigging, in heavy weather, is tremendous, so that some little thing -or other always needs repair; and in fine weather the sailor is sent -with his marlinespike, slush, and tar-bucket, into the rigging, where -he not unusually stays a whole watch, busily employed in putting a -seizing here, or seizing on a ratline there, repairing the service, or -other chafing gear. These, with other duties of a like description, -keep a merchantman’s crew continually on the move; but where there are -so many, as with us, the labors are performed without making the task -irksome to any. - -Wishing, in doubling the Cape, to near the land, so as to take -advantage of the westerly current (which here is said to run with a -speed of four knots hourly), we done all we could to hang on; but the -wind forbade us arriving at this desired position; and as we drifted -considerably to the southward, we were two degrees from Table Mountain -on the 21st, when, with a fair wind and plenty of it, a clear sky and -smooth sea, without let or hindrance, we passed into the blue waters -of the Atlantic Ocean; just three years, two months, and eleven days -from the time we passed from it into the Indian Ocean, with a prospect -of three years whaling before us; all buoyant with hope, and not a -doubt entering the thoughts of any that, by the time we were thus far -on our return passage, we should be full of oil. But it is needless to -say that such is far from being the case. - -It cannot be supposed that we left the Indian Ocean, whose broad bosom -was our home for so many months, with any regret. Indeed, there was -little to endear it to the remembrance of any one who ever experienced -its changeable and heavy weather, and who has been obliged to visit its -miserable ports. We have had a pretty thorough acquaintance with it, -having navigated its entire length, and cruised, day after day, in its -waters, from latitude 8° to 42° south. - -After entering the Atlantic Ocean we steered to the northward and -westward, until we arrived in latitude 32° south, longitude 7° east. -This locality is known as the Carroll ground, and is a favorite resort -of the South Atlantic whalemen. Here, as we had good weather, but -saw no whales, all hands were occupied in repairing and renewing the -rigging, to get the ship in order for a return home. It is a great -point of honor among seamen to return their rigging in as good, if not -better order than when they received it, with a view to commendation -from their owners; consequently the lower rigging was turned in anew, -particular care being taken to have everything as nice as possible: -blocks must be new-strapped, and neatly covered with canvas; all -service that looked in the least chafed, or white, must be removed; -the yards stripped and rigging-fitted; the ratlines taken off the -mizzen topmast and foretopgallant rigging; the rigging fore and aft, -alow and aloft, must be rattled down, and a coat of tar then applied to -all the hemp material; the paint-work, inside and out, from the copper -to the trucks must be renewed, and the spars scraped: then we will -be ready for home. All this must be done before the 27th of January, -at which time we are to leave the whaling-ground; so that we will -have nothing to occupy us after that date, except to make as speedy a -passage as possible to New Bedford. - -On the Carroll ground we entered upon the New Year. On the 4th of -January we gammoned the ship Messenger, of New Bedford. She left the -Madagascar ground four days after us, and had been boxing off the -Cape for twenty-one days; so that we esteemed ourselves fortunate in -having escaped such miserable weather with no further detention than -we experienced. Her crew were affected by a peculiar malady, which -somewhat resembled moon-blindness: more or less of them had been -affected with it during the whole voyage; and at the present time there -were eight men in her forecastle who could not see each other after -dark, but whose vision during the day was perfectly good and clear. -One of them whilst aboard of our vessel complained of pain across the -temples in the daytime. He was the only one of those afflicted who -expressed a sense of pain or inconvenience, apart from loss of sight. -I have seen individual cases before, but never in such numbers aboard -a single ship. Their captain attributed it to moon-blindness; but -these men positively assured me that they had not slept with their -faces exposed to the moon’s rays. Again, it disappeared on their near -approach to land; and at one time they were completely relieved of it -by the use of Irish potatoes. The men themselves attributed the malady -either to the tarræ root, of which they had consumed a large quantity -on the voyage, or else to their water, which, as they stated, had been -for a long time brackish and unwholesome. I am inclined to think that -it originated from the bilge-water; for a similar case from this cause -came under my notice some years since. - -Whilst amongst the Abrolhas’, I was called upon by the captain of -the Europa to administer to a Portuguese, whose eyes were affected -by sleeping in the moon’s rays. I bled him, and applied blisters to -the temples. This treatment produced almost instantaneous relief. I -informed the Messenger’s people of this; but their captain was one of -the old school, who believing that all the ailments mankind are heir to -can be cured by salts, would employ no other remedy; and, whether the -disease was a cold, a fever from a broken or dislocated member, or what -not, his prescription was a full dose of it, whereof he constantly kept -a large quantity on hand, of the denomination known as Glauber salts, -used ashore for horses. - -On the 16th we gammoned with the ship Mary, of New Bedford. Her -captain requested me to go aboard of her, and administer to her -cooper, who had for a long time been very sick. In compliance with his -request I did so. In her steerage I found the wreck of an unusually -symmetrically-formed man, suffering from an affection of the liver. -I did what I could for him; but then, as the boat would not return -to our ship for several hours, I began to fear that the time would -pass tediously. My apprehension, however, was speedily banished by -the attention I found myself compelled to give to the yarns of my -patient, who, like all old seamen, was garrulous; and, as I was a -good listener, (of which I pride myself,) he was soon rehearsing his -manifold adventures from his youth upwards, embracing forty-five years -of sea life. He told me, that during this time he had served in every -situation aboard a whaler, from cabin-boy to master; and he mentioned -some half-a-dozen well-known whaling captains who had served their -novitiate in his boat. He stated, that during the South American -revolutions he had been privateering, and was for many years in both -the naval and merchant service. He had visited almost every country -of the globe to which commerce directs her conveyances: at times (to -use his own expression) flush, with plenty of money; at others, alone, -without a change of clothing, amongst semi-civilized nations. He was -a grandfather; and stated, that his first wife, with whom he had -lived for many years, had taken umbrage at his assuming the sailor’s -privilege of having a wife in every port, and left him. After the -legal forms had been gone through with, she consoled herself by taking -another spouse. - -Her husband, not to be a whit behind her, took his ship home again, -sailed to the island of New Zealand, and in Mungunui married an -English girl, twenty years his junior. He then engaged in the English -whaling-service, wherein he accumulated considerable money, and after -the lapse of a few years returned to the States, taking his wife -and their two children with him. At home, he for some years rested; -but the continual yearning for the sea experienced by all who have -once been afloat, and not been disgusted with life thereon, induced -him, in his old age, to ship as cooper of the Mary. No sooner was he -afloat, however, than on exerting himself he found that his was not -now a system such as that which had carried him through so many years -of hardship and exposure. Fast living and imprudence had done their -work, and his constitution was gone. The bracing sea-air, instead of -invigorating, depressed and weakened him. Dispirited, he was at last -laid up, like a worn-out hulk, without power or will to be engaged in -aught but the most puerile employments. During his stay aboard the Mary -(rather over two years) he had not heard from home; and, being very -ingenious, he had, to occupy his mind and drive away heart-sickness, -employed himself by scrimschawing, and had completed a store of unique -and carefully-fabricated articles of various descriptions, from woods -he procured in the different ports he had visited, or from ivory and -bone. - -The boat being now ready to return, I left the narrator, and went -aboard our own ship. I informed the captain that he must send him -into the nearest port, (St. Helena,) where he might procure rest and -good medical treatment. This he thought inexpedient; but, by dint of -pressing, I convinced him of the absolute necessity of such a course. -After carrying my point, I had the curiosity to ask him about the -cooper’s antecedents; because I had not given full credence to all -his story, inasmuch as old sailors are so famous for drawing a long -bow. The captain gave me a rehearsal of his past life, which fully -substantiated all that he had said of himself; and, after he had -finished it, I left him, with the conviction that I had seen the most -practical illustration possible of a career at sea, where Christianity -or morality had not held the helm. Here was a man, who had made -much more than a competency during life, and who had walked his own -quarter-deck, after having gained his position by his own unaided -personal exertion, reduced at the end of a life-time of battling -with the elements to a subordinate station--sick, debilitated, and -uncared-for--aged, weak, and careworn--far away from home, without -the fostering attentions of a wife or children to render the couch of -sickness other than a bed of thorns; and this lamentable situation -brought on, not by the villany or mismanagement of others, but, -according to his own confession, by his individual imprudence. - -The Mary, like the Messenger, had on board some half-a-dozen persons -whose eyes were affected mysteriously. She was down by the head, and -had (as was also the case with the Messenger) been so trimmed on -the whole voyage, which trim facilitates the collection of putrid -water in the forward part of the ship’s hold; hence, by taking into -consideration these singular coincidents of the vessels, together -with the fact that no one who lived abaft the mainmast had been so -affected in either, the disease may, I think, be safely attributed to -bilge-water. - -After gammoning with the Mary, we ran close in to the African -coast, and fell in with several Atlantic whaling-vessels. These -crafts are usually small, and carry but two or three boats. By the -class who go farther from home, they are facetiously denominated -Plumpuddingers. The length of the voyage ranges from six to thirty -months. From the specimens of these cruisers, I should say, that there -is little difference in their arrangements and those of the whalemen -of the Indian and Pacific oceans. One characteristic was, however, -distinctive; that is, the greater proportion of foreigners before -the mast. In one vessel (the Cornelia of Edgartown) there was not a -single individual of American birth in her forecastle; and on board the -Keoka, of Westport, there was a large proportion of dark skins from -the islands of the North Pacific. Their voyages are shorter, their -crews generally fare better than those of the larger ships, and, as was -my impression up to the time we fell in with them, they made better -ports--but this, upon inquiry, I found to be a mistaken idea; for those -on board the Keoka stated that they had not been into a port where -English was spoken during the whole time (some eighteen months) they -were from home; and, furthermore, that they had only visited Walfisch -Bay, a Portuguese settlement on the coast. - -These vessels averaged about the same amount of oil, considering their -time out, as other ships of their profession in the Indian Ocean. -Their crews were, also, just as much discontented with whaling, and as -anxious to get home, as we were. In unqualified terms they expressed -their envy of us lucky fellows, as they termed us, who they supposed -would in a few months be in New Bedford. Our diminutive cargo did not -seem to act as a damper upon their wishes. They said that they did -not care, when it came to the question of getting home, whether they -had anything coming to them, or not. Neither did the prospect of cold -weather appal them; for one enthusiastic fellow assured me, that he was -willing to be landed on a snow-bank, in a costume but little preferable -to a straw-hat without trimming, for the sake of being delivered from -the monotonous life he was now leading. - -After leaving these vessels, we squared our yards, and rolled before -the delightful southeast trades (the elysium of the seafaring-man) -towards St. Helena, taking it very easy--only sending aloft the -studding-sails on the foremast and foretopmasts, and at night jogging -along under easy sail in that direction: it being our intention to make -a short stay at that rock-bound isle for letters, and then to crack on -everything for home. - -On arriving within a few degrees of the world-renowned prison-rock -of the great Conqueror, sail was reduced, and the ship luffed to the -wind. The moon being on the change, our captain, anxious to get one -more sperm whale, determined to let no means within his power remain -unemployed for that purpose. - -This halt in our homeward course was not received with a very good -grace. Except the captain, everybody else aboard our vessel had -calculated upon a direct passage homeward. But this was in perfect -keeping with his conduct throughout the voyage: at one time assuring -us that we would be bound homeward on a certain date, and inducing us -to write to that effect by his representations, in which at the time -of making them he was perhaps sincere. But he suffered his opinions -to be changed by the slightest cause. If he gammoned with a ship, he -found in her skipper an adviser, who recommended to him a prolific -whaling-ground--one on which, he was told, he could not fail to take -five hundred barrels of oil, probably, even altogether fill up. These -golden visions he received and credited, (although I cannot but -think that it was against his better judgment--for, certainly, if a -vacillating, he was not a stupid man,) and away he would go to the -promised El Dorado. Thus he exhausted his own as well as the patience -of every one else by a fruitless search for sperm whales that had been -long ago captured! - -Where we were now stopping was the ground on which the barque Monmouth, -two years since, captured two hundred barrels of oil; and hence our -captain imagined that we would be likely to do the same; but in this -there was about as much probability of any success and remuneration at -all commensurate to the time and trouble expended, as the Kidd treasure -seekers have received for their laborious and chimerical search. - -Under such phases of affairs, I have written some half-dozen different -times, stating to those whom I addressed that I would certainly be home -at the periods that had been severally and distinctly determined on. -Some of these letters bore the date of August, 1858; and I do not know -but that those who received them may have set down such disparities -to wilful misrepresentations, or a sickening anxiety on my part to -get home, leading me to believe in an early return, because it was -so much the more desirable, and in accordance with my hourly wishes. -But such, I can safely say, was not the case; for even now, at the -present writing, (January 31st, 1859,) I cannot, neither can any -other in the ship except the captain--all assurances to the contrary -notwithstanding--set a time, which they can firmly believe themselves -will be that at which we shall really start for home. So, I must be -absolved from the charge of writing at random; and the blame must rest, -where it should: upon the captain’s wavering, and his being so easily -influenced by others. - - - - -CHAPTER XIV. - - -At daylight, February 1st, we hove in sight of the Isle of St. Helena, -the world-renowned prison-rock of Napoleon Bonaparte, the conqueror of -Europe. At a distance, this isle looked not unlike other isles, despite -its notoriety. As we approached nearer, we found it distinctive in -all its features: high, frowning, and almost barren. A strange thing, -this, for so low a latitude, within the tropics, where Nature dons her -greenest garment, and smiles her sunniest smile: spreading rich and -plentiful productions over the earth’s surface. On approaching still -nearer, we found fortifications erected, which, as far as I am able to -judge, make the island impregnable; though what enemy would care to -take the trouble and expense of an expedition against so worthless an -object, I cannot imagine. After passing this chain of fortifications, -Rupert’s Valley gradually developed itself to our sight, and ensconced -on its narrow bosom we saw the city of Jamestown. From the water this -town presents quite a creditable appearance. The buildings being of -stone, and many of them of goodly size, give an air of solidity and -respectability to it, which I for one did not expect to find. On the -right of the town, viewed from the sea, is the far-famed Jacob’s -Ladder, consisting of I do not know how many steps, hewn out of the -solid rock, which affords the only means of ingress and egress to -the garrison occupying a fort at the summit of the elevation. There -is only a single narrow street laid out in the town--the narrowness -of the valley not admitting of any farther expansion. On the sides of -the acclivities are stone-walls, built for the purposes of travel. -They are wide, and admit of the passage of a vehicle upon them; but -a misstep will entail upon the unfortunate wight who should make it -certain death, as it would precipitate him into an abyss hundreds of -feet in depth. Shortly before our arrival an English seaman on liberty, -who had been carousing, was suddenly seized with the whim of drinking -his brandy on one of these airy places. In pursuance of this phantasy, -he procured a bottle of spirits, and, seating himself on the ledge of -the wall, with his feet suspended over the chasm, he was enjoying his -brandy and his position to his entire satisfaction. He could not be -removed by force, as such a proceeding would be productive of imminent -danger to him and his rescuers, and as he was proof against persuasion, -his shipmates were constrained to allow him to remain in his perilous -position, trusting for his preservation in Providence, who assists the -seaman out of so many difficulties and dangers. For a time he did very -well, and maintained an upright, and consequently a safe position; but, -as the spirits he had imbibed began to operate, his body swayed to and -fro, and finally, whilst about to take another drink from his bottle, -he lost his balance, and was precipitated down, far down, upon the -jagged rocks; from whence his body was taken, mangled almost out of the -semblance of humanity. - -There is no harbor here--ships anchoring in an open seaway unprotected -from the winds; but as, during the greater part of the year, this -latitude is only visited by the south-east trade wind, a ship may -lay in this exposed position with impunity. Some twenty vessels lay -at anchor, three of which flew the stars and stripes; one of these -was the Messenger, whose crew was ashore on liberty; another was the -ship Thomas Glover, of Boston, bound home in a few days. The third, -a barque, whose name I did not learn, was in an extremely leaky -condition, and her captain, not wishing to have her condemned here, was -offering one hundred dollars bounty, and twenty-five dollars per month -for each man who would ship aboard to work her home; but if anything -else offers Jack Tar is shy about engaging himself aboard a leaky -ship, where the pumps are to be kept constantly going, day and night, -and, as her semi-water-logged condition renders her unsafe to carry a -press of canvass on, the probability is that a passage in her will be -an extended one. Then by the time she would get on our coast, heavy -weather might be looked for, and it, united with her leaky condition, -would render her anything but a comfortable craft. - -The other vessels were English, French, Swedish, and Dutch. Inside of -all lay a number of condemned vessels, amongst them was the barque Ann, -of Sag Harbor, the same vessel we were in company with whilst engaged -in whaling on the coast of New Holland. After we left her she proceeded -to Desolation, where, from heavy weather, she received severe damages, -and, on arriving at St. Helena, a survey was had upon her and she was -condemned. The other condemned vessels lying here are, for the most -part, slavers, captured on the coast of Africa by the British squadron. - -It not being our intention to make any stay here, without there was -sufficient freight for home to make it an inducement for us so to do, -we did not anchor, but stood off and on shore on alternate tacks. The -captain lowered away, taking with him the men who came aboard without -an agreement at Port Louis, for the purpose of shipping them before the -American consul. His principal object, however, was to get letters, -which we had directed to be sent here in numberless missives written -many miles to the westward, and on this account St. Helena has been, -for months, the wished-for port. Everybody expecting consecutive -letters filling up the void of the last eighteen months, since which -time none of us have received news of our families and friends, and, -from the many dolorous accounts we have heard of the financial affairs -of the country, everyone is interested to know what bearing such a -crisis had had upon his connections; hence our anxiety. After many -injunctions to send the boat off that night, the captain departed. We -patiently waited until sundown, when, no boat approaching, we began -to be uneasy. An hour later, we were chafing, almost the whole crew -were walking decks in an excited, uneasy manner; and, although they -did not curse the old man, they invoked anything but blessings upon -his head, innocent though he was. Next morning, when the boat arrived, -we found that from some misconception of orders, we should have stood -in, when we stood off, shore; and, consequently, the third mate was -kept chasing us in his boat from nightfall until three o’clock in the -morning, when, giving up the pursuit as hopeless, he went aboard the -Messenger, and, with his wearied crew, turned in. - -On the letters being brought forth, I found that I had four; one of -August, 1855, left here by a ship that had carried it about the ocean -for years--the other three were of May, July, and November, 1858; -this last was inexpressibly welcome to me, as it brought everything -down to a comparatively late date, assuring me of a warm welcome home -whenever I did arrive. Of this, however unworthy, I had never doubted; -but it is a weakness of our nature to take delight in the rehearsal of -pleasant facts. The chief topic of interest, after being assured of -the welfare of my connections, and one that astonished and, to some -extent, perplexed me, was the birth of a niece, a child of my younger -brother. This was the first intelligence I had of his marriage, which, -however, was not unexpected; I had looked forward to it as a matter -of course; but that he should be blessed with issue ere I returned, -never once crossed my mind--though why, I know not. At first, I could -scarce believe it; but there it was, in black and white, the plainness -of the chirography forbidding a doubt of its authenticity; so there -was nothing left for me to do but to sit down and acknowledge myself -taken all aback by the intelligence. After a few minutes reflection, I -could not but laugh at my stupidity, or inadvertency, in never having -made a provision in my mind for such a contingency; however, so wags -the world; improbable events are fostered by the imagination, whilst -probable ones are allowed, through inattention, to escape notice. - -After having thoroughly read over my letters, I had leisure to think -of my companions. Some, I could see by the expression of the eyes, and -nervous exhilarated step, had received good news from home; others, by -their troubled air, displayed their reception of unwelcome tidings; -whilst those who had received none, either walked alone with compressed -lip and lowering brow, refusing all sympathy, or strove by an affected -gayety to laugh off the carelessness of their people in not writing. - -As the reception of a letter from home, by the seaman, after a long -cruise, exhilarates, and encourages him, developing all the best -principles of his nature, so, on the other hand, the least inattention -or slight on the part of his friends, depresses him; and, on arriving -in port where he has long expected intelligence; on being disappointed -he goes ashore and is ready to engage in any dissipation, apologizing -to himself for his departure from virtue, by the reflection that -nobody cares for him, or else they would take the trouble to write -to him. Mark a case in point. One of our crew, a Massachusetts boy -nearly approaching to manhood, had, for months, talked and thought of -nothing but his news and letters from home at St. Helena. He had, to my -knowledge, written some twenty-five letters; heretofore he had received -no letters from home, but thought, of course, they had written, and -their missives were aboard ships we had not seen. Meantime, he had -been at work for months, manufacturing trinkets and other articles -from ivory, for the purpose of presenting them to his friends and -relatives. On arriving at St. Helena, there was not a word or line from -home for him. I never saw a person so depressed; his trinkets were -given away or sold, and he asserted it as his firm determination, when -he did land in the United States, not to go home. - -Mothers who wish to keep their sons in the path of virtue, and sisters -who cherish a brother’s memory, when far away upon the sea, would -do well to bear this fact in mind, and be careful to write, so that -at every civilized port the object of their solicitude may receive -intelligence from home; this, by a little inquiry at the outset of the -voyage, can be easily arranged. It does not make so much difference -about the reception of letters at sea, for there but few temptations -to the grosser paths of sin are experienced; but when, after a long -and arduous cruise, his ship enters port, he feels need of relaxation, -and, unless reminded of home and kindred, he easily falls a prey to the -wiles of the courtezan and the publican, who are ever on the alert to -entrap the unwary and inexperienced. - -But it is time that I should return to my original topic--the -consideration of the Island of St. Helena and its residents. Not having -had opportunity to go ashore myself, I must see it through the eyes of -others and describe it from their lips. Here comes the boat’s crew; it -consists of six, who, although dressed alike and of the same country, -vastly differ in sentiment. First, we will ask the less refined of -the lot--those two whose reckless, careless air, bespeak them jovial, -hearty fellows, ever ready for a lark without thinking of or caring for -consequences--their answer to my inquiry as to what kind of place it -was, being characteristic of their class (which is largely represented -in the whaling fleet), “That Jamestown is a sailor’s paradise.” “Why -so, my hearty?” “Because there is neither lack of women nor wine.” - -We will now turn to the next comer; he is a Western man, from -Milwaukie, Wisconsin, of Scotch parentage, has been with us all the -voyage, and is one of the best and most reliable men in the ship; to -a naturally strong mind, he unites an acute perception of men and -manners, and, withal, a high moral tone pervades all he says and does. - -His statement was, that on going ashore he found a stepping-stone, some -twenty feet in width, in front of the town, for the convenience of -boats landing; they pulled to it and landed, but the swell continually -heaving in, rendered it impossible to moor the boat without certainly -calculating on her being stoven; so a couple of the boys, of whom -numbers were swarming along ashore, were entrusted with her, and our -fellows went on a cruise about the town. He described the town as not -unlike other colonial cities, with the usual number of government -buildings, and red-coated soldiery standing guard, as if to keep these -massive stone heaps from escaping. The inhabitants were of all colors, -from black to white, each moving in its particular sphere. The blacks -are slaves, captured by British cruisers, and sent here to labor and -pay the expenses of their capture. Some months since, a cargo of six -hundred of these Africans was landed in Rupert’s Valley; they were -awarded by the Government a twelvemonths’ stay at St. Helena; at the -expiration of the year they were to be sent to the British West Indian -possessions to be disposed of as apprentices. The other inhabitants of -St. Helena are bitterly opposed to the introduction of these creatures -into their quiet island, stating that they are indolent and insolent -to an extreme degree, and are firmly persuaded that the island is a -part of Africa and belongs to them. The inhabitants have petitioned -the queen for their removal, but she has declined complying with their -request. - -D.’s principal object in going ashore was to deliver several letters, -which had been handed to him by natives of St. Helena, on board ships -in the Indian Ocean. One of the parties he found, and made a mother’s -heart glad by tidings of the good health of her son; after perusing -it, she loaded the bearer of the missive with thanks. Another party, -for whom he had a letter, was dead; this was from a son who had not -seen home or parents for six years. I heard him speak of his home -and his anticipated return; but, alas! he will find a cheerless -hearthstone--his parents dead, and none but strangers to yield him -sympathy. - -These people, or rather those who are natives, are brunettes. A number -of the children, who were on our vessel, seemed to be perfectly at -home upon the water. Their voices are peculiarly sweet, and we were -enlivened by these youngsters singing a number of whaling and naval -songs; and the spirit with which they entered into the performance, -rendered a prophecy of their future callings in life a matter of -certainty and easy augury. - -I have before me the St. Helena Almanac for 1858, which contains much -information regarding the island--its trade, and inhabitants. From it I -learn that the population numbers five thousand four hundred and ninety -souls, and to attend to the health of this population, there is but one -doctor of medicine; so here is a fair held for any Yankee disciple of -Esculapius who wishes for employment, and does not object to leaving -home to find it. - -The amount of importation for the year 1856, reached the sum of one -hundred and one thousand five hundred and sixty-two pounds, of which -one-fourth was through American whaleships engaged in the South Sea -fishery; the balance was from all parts of the world. The exports -for the same time amounted to twenty-four thousand nine hundred and -twenty-five pounds, twenty-two thousand five hundred and eighty-five -pounds of which was to the United States. These facts show the -importance of the whaling trade to the revenue of the island. - -This book also contains information relative to the -government-officers, the various churches, the telegraph department, -&c., of the island; yet, as we are in a hurry to get homeward, we will -not tarry for the consideration of further statistics, but return to -our ship. - -On the afternoon of the 2d inst., having ran close in to land, we -were becalmed and in imminent risk of going ashore; but by lowering -the boats and strenuously pulling we managed to get the ship’s head -pointed seaward. A light breeze springing up, we were soon relieved -from our apprehensions. At 6¹⁄₂ o’clock P. M. the captain came off, and -immediately the order was given to square away for home. Every one -at once turned-to with a will: the yards were manned in a twinkling; -studdingsail booms and studdingsail rigging were rigged and rove aloft -and alow, until the masts wore, as it were, an entire sheet of canvass -from the royal yards to the deck, extending twice or thrice our beam, -and assisting to the utmost our expeditious return. But the wind was -aft and light, and our ship by no means kept pace with our impatient -desires. Yet directly onward she made her way, unmarked by incident, -until within a few degrees of the Equator. Here the doldorums (those -pests of the homeward-bound!) occasioned a delay which well nigh again -exhausted our patience. These doldorums are neither one thing nor -the other: they are not positive calms, neither are they gales. For -instance, one may wake at sunrise, find a pleasant breeze blowing, the -wind fair, sky clear, and not a sign in the horizon on which to base -a supposition of change: under this impression he will lounge around, -congratulate himself on the ship’s progress, and occupy his mind with -thoughts of home; but, pausing, he glances to the sails, and finds -them flapping from the scarcity of wind; and awakened from his reverie -by the cheerless booming of the canvass, he directs his attention to -the horizon, and finds haze or clouds in every quarter, portending -squalls, either of rain or wind. A minute later, the flapping sail -is hard aback, with a contrary wind; torrents of rain are falling; -squall follows squall, in rapid succession, each from a different -point--and thus they continue, until, having boxed the compass in -the course of an hour, the ship returns to her former position, and -lazily drags herself along for awhile, when the same scenes re-occur, -and so alternate day after day. For ten days were we in irons, (as -seamen term our situation,) during the whole of which time we made no -more than ten degrees--an average of two and a half miles per hour: a -pace that was far too slow to be easily endured by men who had been -for forty-four months past looking forward to this passage with such -intense interest. No idea of the uneasiness (I can use no better word) -of the crew can be formed by a person who has never witnessed a ship’s -company situated precisely as we were. Every mile--every degree of -the course was accurately measured and counted. All who were capable -might have been seen, with quadrant in hand, taking the sun’s altitude, -working up the ship’s time, comparing one day’s run with another, and -guessing what the performance of the next twenty-four hours would be; -whilst those not possessed of a quadrant watched with peering eyes for -the moment that would reveal the result of the operator’s calculations. -On turning out, before donning their apparel, the first questions of -the watch below, were--how is the wind? how many knots is she going? -what is the latitude? what the longitude?--all delivered in a breath. -If the answer was, “She is going along some eight or nine knots an -hour,” the interrogator took a long inspiration, thus evincing his -relief and inward satisfaction, and would then say, “Pull, girls, -pull!” But if the ship was plunging, and the spars and rigging creaking -from the pressure of their snow-white pinions, he would be delighted; -and, jumping on deck to assure himself that everything was drawing, he -would chuckle forth, in the height of his glee, “Give it to her, old -boy! She is all oak. She knows where she is bound to; so, pack on your -tappa--she will hear it!” If some one remarked that she was heeled down -very much, and sail was being dragged instead of carried, he was hooted -at for a soldier, and sent to the cook to learn seamanship. If the -officer of the deck started away or took in any sail, he was maligned -for a milksop, and fated to hear lots of grumbling, together with the -advice, given to him in an undertone, that he should stay at home, when -he got there, and send his big sister to sea to carry sail for him. - -To obviate this uneasiness, many plans were resorted to, and the true -one was at length hit upon: the infallible one of labor. All hands -seemed suddenly transformed into a colony of curiosity-hunters. One -would be seen with a box of shells, cleaning them; another with a -Madagascar spear, polishing it, so as to be presentable; whilst others -had articles of ivory, bone, and wood, and were busily employed in -improving their appearance, so as to render them more creditable to -the donor. Every man in the ship had more or less of this description -of articles; the greater part of which had been constructed aboard -from the jaws and teeth of the sperm whales. Our occupation with -these things continued not only for hours, but for days, and in some -instances whole weeks. - -Thus the time glided on, until we found ourselves hurried along by the -northeast trades. These delightful winds we encountered when but two -degrees to the northward of the line; and during their continuance we -had nothing to grumble at, as we had a fair wind and plenty of it. -From the testimony of former voyagers, who had run up and down these -trades, we expected that we would be favored with their continuance -until we should arrive in latitude 23 or 24° north; but in this, like -in most of our other pleasant anticipations, we were disappointed. When -we reached the fourteenth parallel of north latitude, they had almost -ceased; and then, forgetful of their benefits, we grumbled at their -scarce more than ephemeral existence. I well remember the expression -of one of our crew, delivered with approved bitterness of spirit. The -occasion of this was a mid watch at night, when all of the starboard -watch were grouped together by the windlass, discussing our experience -of the variability of the winds, while destined to some port or other -in the course of the voyage. The speaker, having heard the opinions -of several others, stepped into the center of the little knot, and, -with an emphatic gesture of the hand, said: “Shipmates! it is no use -talking: we are fated to meet with nothing but foul winds and head-beat -seas until we get home, and then the bad luck that has kept us company -for the past forty-four months may leave us. But there is, and has -been, a Jonah in the ship the whole voyage, from the time we left New -Bedford. The first we saw of it was in the Eliza Carrew’s coming in -contact with us; next, sperm whaling off New Holland. When bound to -Balli we had a head wind; bound to the Australian Bight we had one of -the dirtiest of dirty passages. To New Zealand we made a first-rate -passage; but, when there, what was our fortune? To get scarce any oil, -and lose one of our best men! Then, bound from there to Hobartown, we -had the wind smack in our teeth for two weeks, when, with a favorable -breeze, we should have performed the run in three or four days. Our -ill-success in whaling to the southward, and on our visit to the -Abrolhas’, is too glaring to need particularization. Our passage to -Mauritius was but a drawl, from the lightness of the winds. In doubling -the Cape we were Jacksoned a week--at the line the same ill-fortune -attended us. Now we have lost the northeast trades a week before we -ought to. Add to these our other malexperiences, such as men falling -from aloft, boats capsized and stoven, a sperm whale’s head lost. And, -to crown all, here we are, bound on to the North American coast in the -worst month of the year, with an unremunerative voyage. Now, in the -name of reason! how any one can expect good luck in the face of this -category I cannot understand: as for myself, I cannot.” And, with a -gloomy shake of the head, the speaker concluded, folded his arms across -his breast, and seemed resigned to the hard fate he had depicted for -himself. His manner, however, was such as to convince the most casual -observer that his was a spirit to combat manfully whatever further -misfortunes might befall us, through accident or any other cause. The -whole bearing of the man, in fact, showed a perfect confidence in the -ability of himself and his shipmates to resist every tide of evil -the great Neptune might send. His enumeration of our ill-successes -heretofore made his argument almost unanswerable; but still I essayed -to administer some consolation by quoting the old adage, “it is always -darkest before day,” and adding that from the fact of our former -misadventures we might reasonably look forward for corresponding good -ones in the future. Yet I awakened no sympathetic chord in the bosoms -of my auditors. My predecessor had something tangible to base his -prediction upon: a something, which, through its familiarity to the -minds of all, appealed directly to their hearts; and, although I took -the other side, I must confess that I myself was almost convinced there -was more probability in his than in my theory. I felt, indeed, that our -past crosses were sure prestiges of still more to come. - -It may be supposed by some that such a conversation and prediction -would have a gloomy effect on the minds of persons with such vivid -imaginations as seamen; but, fortunately, (or unfortunately, whichever -it may be,) in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred neither good nor evil -makes any more lasting impression on their minds than water does upon -a duck’s back. For the moment, they become absorbed in the topic of -that moment; but look at them an instant later, you will see the same -careless bearing, and hear the merry jest passed around as gleefully as -ever. Verily, there is need of a “sweet little cherub to sit up aloft, -and keep up a watch over the life of Jack Tar”; for he will not look -out for himself. This very thoughtlessness, however, renders him all -the more useful aboard ship. Many times, if he should pause to think -of the danger to himself in the performance of a particular duty, his -hesitation would bring destruction upon the ship and its inmates. For -instance, it is blowing heavily: a topsail is clewed up--the ship will -not bear it, and the sail is flapping in a manner which will destroy -it in a few minutes, for it is sweeping abaft the yard. (Now this is -the only topsail that can be depended upon in case the ship on arriving -at the coast should be jammed on a lee-shore: for then nothing could be -saved except by its proper management and use.) Jack knows that under -precisely these circumstances hundreds of seamen have been torn from -the foot-rope while in the line of their duty, and hurled into the sea, -when the fury of the elements precluded the possibility of an attempt -to save them. Perchance in his last ship such an accident occurred: -mayhap his messmate was swept from the same yardarm he himself was on. -But he does not stop to think of all this: he springs into the rigging, -climbs to the yard, gets a foothold, and (at every step forced to throw -the sail over his head) arrives at the earing, when his task becomes -comparatively easy. Little by little he gathers up, passing his gasket, -and securing the sail, until all is snugly lashed along the yard in -such a manner that the wind has no effect upon it. His task now done, -he descends to the deck, as if nothing more than the most ordinary -occupation had been his; and he is ready and willing to go aloft again, -if necessity demands it. - -It is ever thus at sea. The seaman’s life, day by day, hour by hour, -is exposed to peril, now in one form, now in another: from the heavy -sea sweeping the ship, the unruly canvas, the defective spar. The wheel -may throw and maim him, a stranded rope precipitate him to the deck; -or, in laying out of a tempestuous night upon the jib or flying-jib -boom he may miss his footing: he falls into the sea, the ship passes -over him!--Jack has furled his last sail, and dies far from home and -friends, without a tombstone to mark his resting-place: his body at -the mercy of the wave, whilst his spirit, we hope, ascends to a better -and happier state of existence, where he anchors in a bright haven of -peace, in vivid contrast with his life on earth, or rather on the sea. - -God help the sailor! is the prayer of all who wish him well. And God -does help him, or else his would indeed be a comfortless existence. -The Creator gives him a merry heart, and a brave one too. The former -enables him to meet cheerfully the many discomforts incident to his -profession, whilst the latter prevents him from perceiving danger and -destruction in every blast that sweeps the ocean: together, they incite -him to hope almost against hope, and continue his exertions in the -storm, until absolute destruction overwhelms him. Who ever heard of a -seaman’s giving up in despair, even when the merest thread of hope only -remained? None. No, they are manly to the last; and they always have -at least the proud satisfaction of having performed their duty, even -though their exertions were all in vain. The pleasant poetess, Miss -Eliza Cook, has done them but justice, when she says, - - “The dark-blue jacket that enfolds the sailor’s manly breast - Bears more of real honor than the star and ermine vest. - The tithe of folly in his head may wake the landsman’s mirth - But Nature proudly owns him as her child of sterling worth.” - -Some persons ashore may think that I have allowed my feelings to -carry me away, and that in writing of a class of men, endeared to -me by association and a participation in the vicissitudes of their -everyday life, I have fallen into a rhapsody, or employed rodomontade; -whilst not a few readers will think that I have merely blown my own -horn. Yet I will appeal for corroboration of all I have written to -those who have seen Jack Tar on his proper element: whether, on the -sea, he does not display some of the noblest traits of humanity--not -merely physical excellencies, but high moral qualities? Whether he is -not there the most patient and courageous of human beings? Whether he -does not sing the same in storm or calm, and unflinchingly meet all -hardships with a cheerful spirit? I feel assured that all who have -thus seen him will attest to his good qualities. Ashore he is not the -same creature. The only apology I can offer for his excesses here is, -that such are naturally prompted by the liberation of his buoyant -spirit,--with a hardy frame and hot blood--from a long confinement and -abstinence aboard ship. It is from sheer wantonness that he exults in -the commission of his thousand-and-one frivolities; but which seldom -leads him into the perpetration of any criminal act. - -But, let us take a sober second view of this matter, and see whether -Jack’s follies--crimes, too, if you please--are altogether of his own -immoral brewing. Of course there can be no question of this, if we use -the cold-blooded formal argument of the self-sufficient man, which is, -that inasmuch as he, like all the rest of mankind, is a free agent, his -shortcomings and misdeeds must necessarily be voluntary, and therefore -he alone should be held responsible for them. But, I would ask, does -not society in a measure assist in his demoralization? Are not its -respectable avenues closed to the foremast hand? Fathers and mothers -of families, do you, in your philanthropic moods, extend to the seaman -the same warm welcome into your families as you do to the landsman? -Does he, landing in a strange port, find those who take him into the -society of the virtuous, and thus place before him the opportunity of -passing his hours rationally, and so endeavor to prevent his becoming -the victim of irksome idleness, in whose train there usually is such -an execrable brood of ills? No!--I can answer from experience--you do -not. In your stead, out of consideration for his hard earnings, the -harlot and the publican meet him at every landing, and with Judas-like -greetings prevail on him to his destruction. - -“Nobody cares for me!” one will hear from at least one-half the inmates -of every forecastle, and in the greater proportion of such cases it is -really too true. If the seaman has no immediate relatives, he finds -those whom he meets ashore solicitous to make his acquaintance only for -the sake of their own profit. To be sure, Seamen’s Homes, Bethels, and -Aid Societies, have done much, very much. God forbid! that I should -say a word that could be construed into a disparagement of the efforts -of these noble and benevolent institutions. But there is something -more than these needed to reclaim the outcast seaman for society, and -teach him truly that he has a character to maintain, as well as an -abiding interest in the commonwealth. In fact, to effect a permanent -amelioration of his condition, he must in his youth be educated and -disciplined with a view to his profession, become accustomed to revere -the ties and restraints of home and society, and be fully imbued with -the principles of national citizenship. - -In this humane work, the influence of the gentler sex is vitally -essential. The time has long gone by when the seaman (the American -seaman in particular) was a rude, uncouth being--half fish, half man: -apparelled in a blue jacket and tarpaulin hat; his cheek pouched out -with a great chew of tobacco; his walk a swagger, and his language -redolent of oaths and tar. Such is a picture of Jack that has -been drawn (from time immemorial) by too many authors, whose very -particularizing, however, discloses to the initiated their ignorance -of the subject. Your true sailor, from the general stigma that -attaches to his class ashore, rather inclines to conceal, than make an -unnecessary display of his calling. I have now been afloat almost four -years; in one place or another, met with at least ten thousand seamen, -principally belonging to our mercantile and whaling marine; and, -although closely observing their habits, manners, and peculiarities, I -never saw the original of the false picture above presented--a familiar -one, it is true, to the readers of the yellow-covered nautical romances -of the day. So, ladies, you need not fear, that, in urging you to -extend a cordial greeting to Jack, I desire to favor the introduction -of a boorish clown into your refined circles. But I will leave that to -your own fair judgments. Compare him with the landsman: ten to one, you -will place them on an equality; and, if you have a sparkling of romance -in your character, you will give the Tar the preference. - -To your parents, dear ladies, I would particularly address myself, -and say to them: it is your duty (I speak plainly) to hasten this -important matter, by which a noble class of your fellow-men may be -so greatly benefitted, both here and hereafter. Do not fear, that by -the introduction of the sailor into your families, you would nurse an -adder, who would take advantage of your courtesy, and either corrupt -your daughters, or entice your sons from home into his own perilous -pursuit. His high appreciation and admiration of virtue will secure for -the female portion of your family a degree of respect and attention -from him, that would be looked upon by the young bucks of the present -day with wonder and contempt; whilst his plain matter-of-fact and -common-sense descriptions of the sea and its perils, hardships and -pleasures, would divest the subject of the glowing imagery with which -it is clothed by the fertile fancy of your youthful son, and thus -enable him to see it in its true light. If the latter should then, -however, still be anxious to barter the comforts and luxuries of home -for the discomforts and privations of the sea, let him go! He was cut -out for a sailor, and will sooner or later arrive at eminence in the -profession of his well-advised choice. - -But how, (methinks I hear you ask,) and by what means, is this good -work to be accomplished? It is quite easy, says another I imagine, to -see and describe the need of such a proceeding; but how is it to be -done? My answer is: I have accomplished what I originally intended, -namely, to indicate the great good to be done by such a movement. -It would be presumption, on the part of so young a man as myself, -to point out the means by which it may be effected. Older and wiser -heads are now engaged in this good work: men of much experience and -pure, active Christianity. But, if these should fail, or wish my -views, I will not hesitate to furnish my opinions and plans at some -future day, and with great pleasure respectfully submit them to their -consideration. - - - - -CHAPTER XV. - - -But I have digressed long enough. I now return to the old Pacific and -her inmates, as she was when we crossed the line, or a few degrees -to the southward of it; at which time we lost sight of the Magellan -clouds. Shortly after this the glorious Southern Cross disappeared from -our view. These two constellations had been for years our landmarks in -the heavens, (pardon the incompatibility of the expression,) and had -become so familiar that at night the horizon seemed to us incomplete -without them; but still we hailed their retirement from our view with -delight, for it was an earnest of home. For several nights afterward we -strained our eyes and patience in unavailing search for the North Star. -At last it was sighted by a close observer. It was hailed by a general -shout, that made the welkin ring; and hearts warmed as day after day in -our passage north we opened still farther the glories of the northern -sky; our own, with its fleecy scud and resplendent tints, shedding -refulgence on our free and happy land. - -And now, as we progressed day by day, it may be wondered, what were -the plans of our crew for the future: all having gained little else -than experience, and that not being a disposable commodity at our place -of destination. But, kind people! do not think that any one of us -felt poverty-stricken, or dependent on other than his own exertions -for support. A more self-reliable set of men never drew breath than -those who were now around me. One and all felt perfectly able to -maintain themselves respectably, if health were vouchsafed to them by -the Creator; and all had their plans. The first we will consider is -that of the Massachusetts men--they forming by far the largest class. -Although they mooted a hundred different channels in which they would -direct their energies, there was a strong under-current pervading the -whole, which bespoke whaling as their chief point, though many declared -this their dernier resort, only to be engaged in by them from extreme -necessity. Some of them thought that the whaling business was becoming -too poor to follow, and declared their intention of emigrating to -Oregon or Kansas, in quest of gold, should the accounts from those -regions continue to hold out the same favorable inducements they had -already done. - -The second class whom we shall consider is, that formed of prodigal -sons--a proportionably numerous one. Most of this class had left home -with a desire to see the world, and a hope of returning with both -pockets full of money, to astonish the “old folks at home,” and, if -necessary, to be expended for their comfort. Their bright anticipations -not having been fulfilled, they were ashamed to go home; and, although -we may doubt the wisdom of such a course, there is an honorable pride -attaching to it, that cannot fail to command respect. Most of them -had companions to whom they were attached during the voyage, and they -determined that they would embark together to some foreign port or -other (those of the Mediterranean were the most popular) for four or -six months, when they would be sure of their monthly wages; and should -they carry out their resolves, they might then return to their homes. -This plan sounds foolish, and was foolish. No doubt they would be -welcome to their relatives, with or without money; but I must confess -that in the face of the warmest letters, and in the full assurance and -conviction of the heartiest welcome, I myself felt a reluctance in -returning, without something of moment to show, as a remuneration for -almost four years of exile. - -The last class (very few in number) is, those who had no -homes--children of the sea. These did not take the same warm interest -in a return to the States as we did; or, rather, it is a different -interest--a mere sensual feeling: a desire to have a good spree, and be -off again. They had no settled plan, but were ready, as soon as their -money or credit became exhausted, to go here or there, as the caprice -of the moment or the prospect of gain might lead them. Poor fellows! -theirs was a hard prospective, and they felt it; for, when those, who -were so blessed, gathered around each other, and talked of a reunion -with parents, brothers, and sisters, they would walk moodily and alone, -or strive by a reckless air to show their contempt for the comforts -of home--but it was in vain. These now expected to follow the sea for -their bread, just as the farmer does his plough. In the absence of good -examples ashore, they had nothing to give them a strong bias to remain -there; they considered the ocean as the granary from which their daily -provision must be procured. God direct them wherever they may go, and -in whatever they may do!--that they may avoid the snares spread for -them by the designing at every step of the paths they must follow. - -On the evening of March 17th we entered and crossed the Gulf Stream. -Our near approach to it had been indicated days before by the -appearance of the Gulf weed. This weed is inhabited by multifarious -marine animals. On being scooped up and placed in a bucket of water, -its tiny residents were to be seen swimming and plying about with the -intensest activity: crabs, lobsters, various kinds of fish, and the -meduca, together with many others that are nondescripts. - -On arriving at the Stream we dipped up a bucketful of its water -from alongside, and found it quite warm. A short time afterwards we -repeated the experiment, and found a variation in the temperature. -Thus, at intervals of fifteen minutes throughout our passage across -it, we tested the water to the best of our ability; and although our -thermometer could not be fully depended upon, yet the result was still -decided enough to make me a convert to Professor Bache’s theory: that, -the Gulf Stream is a series of belts of water, varying in temperature, -instead of a body of water of uninterrupted equivalent warmth. - -On the following day we experienced one of those southeast gales, -attended by fog, which are so common to the American coast in the month -of March. As long as we felt satisfied that we had an offing, things -went pretty well, and we rejoiced at the way the ship was making before -the gale; although, in the absence of sun, moon, and stars, we had -nothing by which to ascertain our whereabouts. At noon we spoke the -brig Pilotfish, of Boston, and found that by her reckoning we were -fifty miles farther to the westward than what our chronometer gave it; -however, we felt pretty well satisfied as to our own correctness until -night, when we shortened sail, (which throughout the day we had carried -to the extent of the vessel’s ability,) and luffed to the wind, hove -the lead, and sounded with the deep-sea line. At the same time the gale -increased to a hurricane, and, as we could not see a ship’s length -ahead, we were compelled, sorely against our inclinations, to heave the -ship to for the night. - -At 3 o’clock A. M. the next morning we all at once felt a change in -the atmosphere, and, on inquiring the cause, found that the wind had -hauled to the westward. A few minutes afterward the fleecy scud drove -rapidly to the leeward, and the wind from the southwest bore down on -us with extreme violence. But not too violent for us. Oh, no! It was -hailed with delight. It was fair and strong; and, although we could -show only close-reefed topsails and foresail to it, we bowled away, -with it on our quarter, at the rate of twelve knots an hour. As we -gradually neared the land we saw a number of small coasting-crafts -laying-to, with the water sweeping over them--they not venturing to run -in such weather. Of these we spoke several, and ascertained from them -the bearings of Montauk Point. We found now that our chronometer was -indeed wrong, and that had we depended upon it we would most likely -have been by this time high and dry on some part of our own coast. -This variation of the chronometer was very strange to us. During the -whole voyage we had found it perfectly trustworthy; and, of course, -after so long an acquaintance with its exactness, we had learned to -place implicit confidence in it. At St. Helena it was correct, and -so also off Cape St. Roque only three weeks before. But the present -was precisely the case with it on the last voyage, when Captain James -Allen commanded the ship. Then, likewise, there had not been a mile’s -variation in it until he had crossed the Gulf Stream, homeward-bound, -when an error of fifty miles was discovered--a pilot-boat giving him -his true whereabouts. Now, the question is, what was the cause of this -singular variation? Was it the Gulf Stream, or what was it? Here is a -question for the savans, and should they solve it, I will be happy to -hear of their explanation. - - - - -CHAPTER XVI. - - -After speaking these coasting crafts, our course was still onward and -homeward. At noon we saw land; it was greeted with three as hearty -cheers as ever swelled American throats. All was bustle and excitement, -and naught but the discipline of a well-regulated ship kept our -enthusiasm within bounds. The watch below, wearied with exertion, -caught the gladsome cry, and, leaping from their berths, hurried on -deck as they were, and, without hesitating at the coldness of the -weather, sprang, half nude, into the rigging, to catch a sight of their -native land. One, more enthusiastic than the rest, made the foretop a -rostrum, and, hatless and shoeless, with his shirt flying in the wind, -he repeated in a loud voice, intelligible above the shrieking of the -gale, the beautiful lines of Sir Walter Scott: - - “Lives there a man with soul so dead, - Who never to himself hath said-- - This is my own, my native land; - Whose heart has ne’er within him burn’d, - As home his footsteps he has turn’d - From wandering on a foreign strand. - If such there be, go mark him well, - For him no minstrels’ raptures swell; - Proud though his title, high his name, - Boundless his wealth as wish could claim, - Despite his power and his pelf, - This wretch, concentered all in self, - Living, shall forfeit fair renown, - And doubly dying shall go down - To the vile dust from whence he sprung-- - Unwept, unhonored, and unsung.” - -Reader, have you ever read these lines before? Of course you have; so -had I before I went to sea; and then with me, as it must have been -with you, they had made my heart beat quicker, and my eye flash with -indignation at the recreant who could unmoved return to his native -shore. But it is impossible to describe our appreciation of the -beautiful text at such a moment as it was now presented to us; and in -the exuberance of our spirits we could have hugged the author to our -breasts and pronounced him sailor in feeling if not in practice. A -change, however, soon came over the spirit of our dreams; the yards -were squared, and, consequently, as we brought the wind aft, we were -enabled to show more canvas to the favoring gale, and in this outlet -we found a vent for our highly wrought feelings: reefs were shaken -out, gaskets cast off in a twinkling, and the yards and sails were -mastheaded, as if by magic, to the music of the merriest homeward bound -song in our category, although our fingers and other extremities were -benumbed with the cold. We were in hopes of getting in this night, -but still we had our misgivings; as, even should we come into close -proximity with Montauk Point, the weather was so boisterous that we -had little hopes a pilot would venture out upon such a night. So, -feeling that should we be necessitated to remain out another night, we -would need rest, our watch went below to seek consolation in Nature’s -great restorer--sleep; but in vain, slumber came not to our anxious -eyes, although wooed by every means in our power. We rolled our eyes, -we counted indefinite units, but all to no purpose; the one idea -preoccupied all our thoughts and forbade the intrusion of Morpheus on -its domain. At 2 o’clock a light-house was seen, which, at first, was -called Montauk light, but the land around it not agreeing with that in -the vicinity of Montauk, after some deliberation, it was pronounced -Fire Island light. This was a damper on all our spirits and dissipated -our air castles, which had been built with the provision of going -ashore within twenty-four hours; and long faces and dolorous sighs -were the attendants upon this decision. After a few minutes of painful -uncertainty, some one, whose memory was more retentive, called to mind -the fact of having seen in a newspaper a notice of the erection of -a new light between Fire Island and Montauk light. This view of the -subject was immediately endorsed by all hands, and a corresponding -buoyancy pervaded all; but as landmark after landmark was passed, -and still Montauk was not to be seen, we gave up all hopes of seeing -New Bedford that night, and were fearful that that much wished for -occasion might not occur for a fortnight or more; as these southerly -winds are not persistent, and no one knows how soon they may leave him -and be followed by a north-easter, which, at this season of the year, -lasts for weeks, and forbids all entrance into our destined harbor. -But just at nightfall, one, who had voluntarily perched himself on the -loftiest look-out on the fore royal mast, sung out, “Light ho!” and we -soon found that at last we had sighted the veritable Montauk Point -and light-house. This was cheering; but no pilot was to be seen, and -our only resort was to shorten sail, heave the ship to, and hang on -as closely as possible to the windward, so as to have no difficulty -in beating up at the approach of daylight. To this end we clewed up -and furled our light sails, reefed and furled the courses, clewed -down and close-reefed the topsails--and bitter work we had of it. The -weather, although not intensely cold to one accustomed to it, to our -tropical sensibilities was frigid; and as, during the day, we had been -enveloped by fog, our canvas was damp and heavy, and not to be handled -in a moment; so that it was a task of time, patience, exposure, and -danger, to reduce the old ship’s canvas to a spread commensurate to the -violence of the gale which now blew from west-north-west. In reviewing -my whole stock of sea experience, comprising over three years of actual -life upon the broad bosoms of four out of the five oceans of the globe, -I can call to memory no time at which I felt more depressed than during -the continuance of this night; not so much from the heaviness of the -gale, for I had weathered scores that were much heavier; not from the -short, breaking, combing sea, which, from being on soundings and in -shallow water, made it but a plaything in the heavy gust, and rendered -it trebly unpleasant, breaking upon and against the ship, keeping her -continually wet and uncomfortable; but this too was a matter of course -to me--I had had my jacket wet a hundred, ay, a thousand times, with -the salted spray of old ocean; nor was it from a sense of danger from -any or all of these combinations; but the wind gradually, yet steadily, -hauling to the northward, occasioned a dead weight; its remaining in -its present quarter, west-north-west, being our only hope of getting -in; and to be lying here within a few miles, almost in sight, of home, -without power to pursue our voyage thither, was a probation by no -means gratifying. I strove to shake off the feeling, calling to my aid -all the resources of manhood; but in vain. I then attempted to gain -some consolation from the old gray-headed seaman, who had for years -followed the coast in all its windings from Newfoundland to Florida; -but he, like me, was under the thrall of the same vague and undefinable -depression, and instead of administering consolation, went off into a -narration of how, time after time, he had made the same light with a -southerly wind, hove the ship to through the night, anticipating a run -in during the next morning, but at dawn the wind came out at north-east -with hail and snow, and for weeks nothing could be done but to lay to -and sweat it out. This was adding gall to wormwood, and the old fellow, -perceiving my lugubriousness, slapped me on the back, and said, “Cheer -up, my hearty! we have weathered many a gale together, and, please God, -we will make port to-morrow, when we can laugh at our forebodings of -to-night.” In this state of mental inquietude, at 11 o’clock at night -I went below, and with a prayer that the wind should favor us at dawn, -I threw myself in my berth, hoping to rid myself of the solicitude in -sleep, but fruitlessly; it was a mere repetition of the afternoon’s -performance. I rolled, tumbled, and almost worried myself into a fever; -several times I caught a moment’s nap, only to be visited by visions -in which the voices of home were calling me, and the outstretched -arms of loved ones, prompted by affection, were extended towards me to -welcome the wanderer home. But in vain did I struggle to reach them, -some invisible agency held me back despite my frantic efforts, and with -the sweat profusely dropping from my reeking brow, parched tongue and -straining eyeballs, I would awake to find it but a dream. - -Thus passed the weary hours until 3 o’clock, when on the calling of the -watch I turned out, and took the helm. My attention, of course, was -directed first to the wind. My forebodings were too truly realized. -There it was, from the northwest; and, with gloomy resolution, I -resigned myself to the decree. Our officer of the deck, scarcely a whit -behind me, came to the binnacle for the same purpose. From his anxious -and careworn face I could see that he had experienced no refreshment in -sleep. Sympathizing with him, I forebore remark; but, after satisfying -himself, he turned to me, with a countenance on every line of which -was written mental torture, and in a tone that expressed his feelings, -he said, “There depart all our bright anticipations--God help me to -bear the disappointment!”--and then proceeded moodily to walk the -quarter-deck. Again he came, and related to me that on two former -occasions, in this same delectable month of March, he had been served -in precisely the same way, and wound up by saying, “I shall worry no -more! I am now satisfied that we will not get in before the first of -April; and so we may as well grin and bear it” - -Unable to control my own thoughts, I perforce allowed them to run fancy -free, and whilst so engaged paid but little attention to the compass: -intuitively easing the helm when the vessel pitched from the surging of -the waves so as to endanger the spars, and occasionally when warned by -the flapping of the sails raising the wheel to keep her off from the -wind a trifle; until at length an unusually heavy sea, breaking over -the ship and drenching the decks, awoke me from my reverie. - -Day had now began to dawn, and casually I glanced at the compass. -Could I be assured that the direction in which the magnetic needle -pointed was correct, or was it a mere phantasy of my overwrought brain! -I rubbed my eyes, and looked again. Could it be possible, or was I -in a lethargy, deceiving myself into a belief in the reality of a -wished-for fact! I shook myself, and stamped my feet, now grown cold -from inaction. Satisfied at length that I was in the perfect possession -of all my faculties, I ventured to glance again at the needle, and then -I received the fullest evidence that I was not deceived. I called the -second mate to me. He at first could scarce credit it--but, there it -was! The wind had hauled two points, and now was west-north-west, and -we had a prospect of delivery from all our somber soliloquies. Hurrah! -The captain was now called (he having gone below for sleep--the two -preceding nights he had been upon deck until utterly worn out). He -came up skeptical, but was soon a convert. “We cannot show much sail,” -said he, “but we will venture a little more. Shake a reef out of each -topsail. Loose the foresail.” (I had now been relieved from the wheel.) -Still she did not go fast enough. “Loosen the jib and spanker.” No -sooner said, than done. I sprang upon the bowsprit and out upon the -jib-boom, skinning my hands fearfully, and receiving a severe blow upon -the head from the jibsheet-block; both, at any other time, sufficient -to make me groan with pain; but now they passed almost unnoticed. -Without faltering, I cast the gasket off. The jib was foul. I had to -lay out, and to overhaul the hoops. It was done. The jib gradually rose -to its proper position. The sheet was then hauled aft by the strength -of the entire crew; but still it was not sufficient. A powerful tackle -was now attached to it, and with the aid of numerous arms (the captain, -cook, and every one else assisting) it was brought flat enough, and -thus secured. Arriving on deck, the clotted blood called my attention -to my lacerated hands; but it was no time to complain. Half-a-dozen -were so wounded. Our skins being dry, parched, and benumbed, the least -contact with any hard material produced an abrasion; which, however, no -one noticed: for the spanker was to be set, more reefs shaken out, and -the staysails loosened. - -And, hurrah again! there came the pilot-boat. Now was the time: we -could not lose a minute. “Loosen topgallant-sails and royals!” (We -dared not set them; but should the wind have moderated, we would have -lost no time in casting off gaskets.) A few minutes more, and the -pilot-boat was alongside. “Is there New-Bedford pilot in the boat?” was -our hail. “Aye, aye!” came booming across the water. “Send down a boat, -with a barrel of pork and a tub of tow-line, and he will board you.” -This was soon effected. The pilot entered the boat, now half full of -water; but her crew knew bow to manage her. He was soon aboard the -ship, and without further delay took the command of her. - -Captain Sherman’s vocation has gone--his responsibility is over: the -ship is now in American waters, with an American pilot aboard, who -gives his orders to the ever-willing crew. He is obeyed with alacrity, -as long as he makes sail; but no one wants to take any in--neither does -he. He is a perfectly competent man, and fortunately a driver. “Where -are your studding-sails? Pack them on whilst we have a chance. Never -mind a few yards of canvass, or a whole sail. Give them to her. Let her -have all she can spread: the wind may not hold half an hour.” - -There she goes!--now she is moving! Block Island is passed. There, off -the beam, frowns Point Judith. Now for Cuttyhunk light. “Go along, old -ship!--cleave the waters, as never you did before. Soon you, as well as -we, will be at rest.” - -Nobly did the old barque answer our appeal. She appeared endowed with -life--and, on she goes! The Cuttyhunk light is passed; Clarke’s Point -opens to our view, and some of the crew, who reside in the rural -districts, see familiar landmarks. “There I live,” you hear from one. -“There is the church-steeple--there, the sawmill--there, the almshouse.” - -“Hurrah!”--now we near the city. There are new buildings, erected since -we left here. There is a new lighthouse. There is Fair Haven. There -is the shipping at the docks. And now we are closing-in with Clarke’s -Point. The wind is hauling--well, who cares--who cares now? We are -perfectly independent of the clerk of the weather. But we can go only -a few ship’s lengths farther: that is near enough--we are only three -miles from New Bedford. - -“Now, then, round in on your weather-braces. Start away tacks and -sheets. Clew up everything. Haul down your jibs and staysails. Start -away your halyards, and let your yards come down by the run. Let the -spanker remain till she comes to the wind. Hard down the helm. Square -the main yard. Brail up the spanker--one minute more. Let go the -anchor.” The heavy cable runs out unimpeded, and once more we have a -firm hold on American bottom! - -Our next duty is to furl the sails, and then our engagement is ended: -then we are free to do as we please; then we are released from all -discipline, except that enjoined by self-respect; then we once more -become members of society; then we will discard the blue shirt of -the sailor, and in the midst of long anticipated comforts forget our -manifold hardships and dangers; then we will take the preliminary steps -toward meeting friends and relatives, and in the joy of the moment we -are repaid for much that we have undergone of toil and exposure. - -Our job aloft was an arduous one, having carried such a press of sail -up the bay and river, and then when a ship is at anchor she always -swings head to wind--consequently her sails are pressed aft by the -breeze, and it is only by considerable tugging and straining that they -are drawn up to the yard. However, this, like many other unpleasant -duties, could not last for ever. By dint of hauling and tugging, we -accomplished it, and descended to the deck, with the gratifying -consciousness that we should have no more of it to do for this voyage -at least, whatever the future may have in store for us. - -Whilst aloft on the maintopsail yard, from which I had a good view -of the bay and the ocean beyond, I asked myself whether I should be -content ashore, or whether it was decreed that I should form one of -that great body of uneasy spirits who gain their livelihood by toil -upon the ocean. All my chequered life for the previous four years -passed in array before me, with its ills and its pleasantries; and, -although the former overbalanced the latter, I could not, without a -sigh of regret, bid farewell to old ocean. - -On getting on deck, all hands were busily employed packing and securing -chests, donning their best suits, and making all necessary preparations -for leaving the ship. This leaving the ship was by no means a pleasant -operation. Her sturdy sides had so long afforded us protection from -the storm and wave, that she was endeared to us by a thousand ties. -Every spar and rope in her were as familiar to us as household words, -and each object begat some pleasant reminiscence; but we were too busy -reflecting on dearer objects to allow the old barque’s memory to make -us sad--so we continued our preparations in silence, scarce a word -being spoken, each heart being too full for utterance. - -Fifteen minutes after a boat came alongside, which is technically known -as the shark’s boat. In it were the proprietors and agents of all the -outfitting firms of the city, black and white, Portuguese, Germans, -Irish, French, &c., each intent on getting a customer from amongst -our vessel’s crew. They jumped aboard, and endeavored by passing the -bottle around (with which they always go provided, knowing that the -sailor is much more easily gulled when half seas over), to get as -many to go with them to their places of business as possible; at the -same time they readily give their aid in packing and lashing their -customer’s chests, assiduously waiting upon him, and not allowing -him to get out of their sight for a moment--fearful of losing him. -After some little chaffering our chests and selves were all aboard -the boat and were rapidly approaching the city. A large concourse of -spectators had assembled on the wharves, comprising the runners of all -the most miserable and nefarious houses of the town. The captain of -the boat, anxious to disappoint them, ran to another wharf, to which -these harpies speedily conveyed themselves. As soon as we had landed, -each man went with his outfitter, or rather infitter, in order to be -thoroughly renovated in appearance and pocket. Although we landed on -Sunday, we had no difficulty in obtaining clothing, these outfitters -being provided for all such contingencies. After enjoying a thorough -wash, and getting into an entire suit of long togs, or landsmen’s -wearing garments, but little was left of the semblance of sailors to -us, except the rolling gait and embrowned countenances. Our next trip -was to the barber’s, where all superfluous hair was removed from heads -and faces, and a thorough scrubbing operation gone through with; which, -on viewing ourselves in the glass, gave us a pretty good opinion of -our personal qualifications, and we started for a walk. The first -things, of course, that attracted our attention, were the hoops in -female dresses; we had heard marvellous stories of the rotundity of a -fashionably dressed lady, but had never seen one. One of my informants -having told me six months before, whilst we were cruising off the -Island of Madagascar, that it was not unusual for a lady to wear hoops -thirty feet in circumference. In the occupation of mind attendant upon -getting ashore, I had totally forgotten the existence of hoops, but -was astonished at the corpulence of every woman I met, and I thought, -no, I won’t tell you what I thought; but you must imagine yourself in -the same position, and then what would you think? As yet I had not -passed close to a lady with hoops, but in turning the corner of a -street I came in contact with one, and in my endeavors to escape from -my embarrassing position, I made no allowance for the rolling motion -acquired aboard ship, and only made matters worse. In a few minutes, -however, I managed to get clear, though not without getting into the -lady’s arms, or she in mine, I do not now remember which; during said -contact I was convinced that the large size of the ladies was a work -of art and not of nature. This called my wandering memory back to the -descriptions of hoops that I had heard, and henceforth the solution of -the mystery was easy. - -Having made such a poor attempt on my first promenade, I returned to -the house, situated on Union Street (I preferred a private house to a -hotel), where also were several other of my shipmates; and in talking -of old times we whiled away the hours, nor thought them irksome. When -evening came and we sat down to supper at the well-spread board, -enlivened by the genial and handsome face of our worthy landlady, we -began to realize what comforts and pleasures we had been deprived of -by our three years’ jaunt; instead of sitting down on a rude chest, -with tin pan and pot before one, and a sheath-knife to carve out the -salt junk that formed the greater part of our repast, here were the -various viands arranged in a clean and neat manner, inviting the -hungry and the gourmand to partake of them. After supper we smoked our -cigars, and, tired with the exercise of the day, retired early, and -enjoyed a night of refreshing slumber, uninterrupted by the hoarse -cry of “Starbowlines, ahoy!” “Eight Bells!” or the still less welcome -one of “All hands turn out and take in sail.” Then, again, each was -comfortably ensconced between clean sheets, on feather beds, totally -distinctive in all their relations from our own straw mattresses, -packed down by three years use, and well-worn, dusky-looking blankets. -All was comfort, and we appreciated it as only men can who for years -have been deprived of the many little et ceteras that make life -bearable. - -The succeeding morning I proceeded to the telegraph office and -telegraphed home, receiving an answer that satisfied my fullest -longings. All my immediate family were alive and well; but such was not -the case with some of my less fortunate shipmates--several had lost -fathers, one a mother, others a sister or brother; in fact, there were -few but had to weep for a near and dear one gone, whom in the fullness -of their wishes they had hoped would have been the first to welcome -them home. - -My shipmates, I said before, looked different from what they did -aboard ship; but some of them were exceptions to this rule. Several -had nothing coming to them, and could get neither clothing nor money; -pretty hard, was it not, after over three years hard work at sea for -one employer, to land without the wherewithal to purchase a meal’s -victuals. - -There is a dark side to the whaling service, and I shall endeavor to -place it before the community in its true character, and I hope that -it may discourage those young men from embarking in it who think that -money can be saved on a whaling voyage, because there is so little -opportunity to spend it. - -In the first place, when a green hand engages to perform a voyage, -he knows nothing at all about what clothing he requires. The shark, -perhaps, tells him that the ship, being bound to the Indian Ocean, -there is no necessity for him providing woolen clothing, and palms -off upon him an assortment of blue dungaree raiment, precisely like -the summer suits of the population our city supports at the Blockley -almshouse. One of these suits will last him about a week; but as he -gets into high southern latitudes he finds that he requires woolen -clothing, and goes to the slop-chest, imagining that he can get what he -wants at a reasonable price. If he inquires how much such an article -is valued at, the captain will tell him that he does not know; but, -nevertheless, he must have the clothes, and therefore takes them, and -thus his account goes on increasing during the voyage. Just before -the ship returns home, his bill is handed to him by the captain, and -what is his dismay to discover that he is indebted to the owners -of the slop-chest, one hundred dollars, or more, independent of the -outfitter’s bill. He finds a woolen shirt is charged to him at the -extortionate price of three dollars and a half; pumps, worth fifty -cents a pair, at a dollar and a half; the commonest kind of rawhide -boots, five dollars a pair; a frieze jacket, seven dollars; thread, six -cents a skein; and suspenders, such as could be bought anywhere else -for five cents a pair, aboard ship are sold for half a dollar. These -prices are not exaggerated, I copy them from my ship’s bill. - -Beside these extortions an additional twenty-five per cent. is charged -on all money advanced in foreign ports by the captain to the crew; six -per cent. interest per annum is our legal rate, and I for one should -not grumble at paying for cash advanced at that rate; but some of our -money we only received seven months previous to our arrival home, and -I cannot but think that a charge of twenty-five per cent. for the use -of money a trifle over six months, is exorbitant and dishonest. Still -there are Shylocks in the world who would absorb the last dollar of -earnings from the sailor, after years of exposure to wind and weather -have rightfully earned for him his scanty wages. - -I have not yet finished with the specifications of these overcharges. -The ship is not at home yet, and we only know what the bill aboard -ship amounts to; the recipient of it, although he is astounded at its -amount, adds it and the amount of his outfitter’s bill together, and -consoles himself with the thought that he has forty or fifty dollars -still due him; and thus persuaded, on the arrival of the ship he goes -ashore, confident of being able to pay his board for a week or two, -and have enough remaining to secure him a passage home, he goes up -to the owners and asks for a small sum of money for present wants. -They refuse him, saying that nothing is coming to him. He demands -a settlement. On obtaining it, in the first place he finds that -twenty-five per cent. interest has been charged on his outfitting bill, -next he finds a charge varying from ten to fifteen dollars for loading -and discharging the ship. In many cases, three per cent. for insurance -is packed on, and with these additional items the poor fellow is -brought in debt and knows not what to do. Then the agent claps him on -the shoulder and tells him to cheer up, as another ship will be ready -to sail in a few days, and, if he will sign his name upon her articles, -money and clothing will be advanced to him. Destitute and hopeless, -down goes his name, and a few weeks afterward he is at sea again, bound -on another three or four years’ voyage. - -The average number of barrels of oil taken by sperm whalers, during a -four years’ voyage, is twelve hundred; if the ship carries four boats, -a green hand’s lay is the two hundredth part; this will give him six -barrels of oil, worth about forty-five dollars a barrel, amounting to -two hundred and seventy dollars. The ship’s and outfitter’s bills will -amount to at least two hundred and twenty dollars, leaving a residue -of fifty dollars or about a dollar a month over and above personal -expenses. - -Even if the ship should get full of oil and return home in two years, -which, by the way, would be a miracle now-a-days, one of her crew -cannot, at the most, make more than half as much as the day-laborer -ashore. - -These are facts, and are palpable enough to deter any and all who wish -to go whaling for the purpose of making or saving money; but there is -another class who think whaling must be the most delightful of all -pursuits from its pleasant adventures, its perils, and the facilities -offered by it for seeing foreign lands. This is all extremely -visionary, as any one who has ever made such a voyage will tell you. -All its adventures, and all its perils are matter of fact, stern -realities; for instance, you lower away in the boat, get alongside of -a whale, the boat is stoven and you are obliged to remain in the water -for an hour or two, until you are almost frozen; or if you are in warm -latitudes, with the pleasant reflection that at any minute a shark may -come along and snap off one of your limbs, how much pleasure would such -an adventure yield you? It would do to tell after you got home, to be -sure; and whilst you are telling it, ten chances to one, you will be -more fully reminded of it by a twinge of rheumatism, the sowing of the -seeds of which dates back to the very day of your adventure. No; there -is no fun in going on a whaling voyage; nobody goes a second time but -those who are compelled to; they see no adventure in it--it is the mere -perilling of life and limb to fill ship owners’ coffers. - -Then, again, if you go for adventure’s sake, it does not exempt you -from other and more disagreeable duties that your sense of manliness -will revolt at. Go and look at the scavengers at work in the streets of -your native city, and ask yourself how you would like to participate -in their employment. But there is no such work aboard ship, some one -says. I know better; and so does any other sailor who ever was in a -ship where pigs were kept, or where the captain had a dog. Yes! he -knows it, for he has had a thorough acquaintance with such duty; and so -will any one else who is foolish enough to go to sea before the mast, -as a green hand. - -Now I think I have presented the subject in its true light, and I will -conclude by advising all young men who can gain a livelihood ashore, to -stay at home. I have been through the mill, and am satisfied to remain; -and in reviewing my whole stock of sea adventures and incidents, I must -say the most pleasant of all is getting home safe, with a chest full -of curiosities, displaying them to appreciating friends, and spinning -yarns descriptive of them. Trusting that all my readers may arrive -as safe at their journey’s end, whether in a voyage to sea or in the -voyage of life, I will bid them adieu; also hoping that, in the perusal -of this book, they have whiled away their hours pleasantly, and gleaned -some little information concerning the whale and his pursuers. - - -THE END. - - - - -Transcriber’s Notes - -Errors and omissions in punctuation have been fixed. - -Page xi: “Leviathen of the deep” changed to “Leviathan of the deep” - -Page 204: “demands a disciplne” changed to “demands a discipline” - -Page 208: “a thorough alterative,” changed to “a thorough alternative,” - -Page 236: “discrimation in withdrawing” changed to “discrimination in -withdrawing” - -Page 258: “are diposed to” changed to “are disposed to” - -Page 281: “our own satifaction” changed to “our own satisfaction” - -Page 321: “mucular system” changed to “muscular system” - -Page 353: “for all deficiences” changed to “for all deficiencies” - -Page 408: “straw mattrasses” changed to “straw mattresses” - -*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FOUR YEARS ABOARD THE -WHALESHIP *** - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the -United States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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Thus, we do not -necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper -edition. - -Most people start at our website which has the main PG search -facility: www.gutenberg.org - -This website includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. diff --git a/old/68958-0.zip b/old/68958-0.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 5cb96db..0000000 --- a/old/68958-0.zip +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/68958-h.zip b/old/68958-h.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 9ce2e71..0000000 --- a/old/68958-h.zip +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/68958-h/68958-h.htm b/old/68958-h/68958-h.htm deleted file mode 100644 index 9c1af60..0000000 --- a/old/68958-h/68958-h.htm +++ /dev/null @@ -1,11165 +0,0 @@ -<!DOCTYPE html> -<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> -<head> - <meta charset="UTF-8" /> - <title> - Four Years Aboard the Whaleship, by William B. Whitecar, Jr.—A Project Gutenberg eBook - </title> - <link rel="icon" href="images/cover.jpg" type="image/x-cover" /> - <style> /* <![CDATA[ */ - -body { - margin-left: 10%; - margin-right: 10%; -} - - h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6 { - text-align: center; /* all headings centered */ - clear: both; -} - -p { - margin-top: .51em; - text-align: justify; - margin-bottom: .49em; - text-indent: 1em; -} - -.mr {margin-right: 10em;} - -.p2 {margin-top: 2em;} -.p4 {margin-top: 4em;} - -hr { - width: 33%; - margin-top: 2em; - margin-bottom: 2em; - margin-left: 33.5%; - margin-right: 33.5%; - clear: both; -} - -hr.chap {width: 65%; margin-left: 17.5%; margin-right: 17.5%;} -@media print { hr.chap {display: none; visibility: hidden;} } - -hr.r5 {width: 5%; margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 47.5%; margin-right: 47.5%;} - -div.chapter {page-break-before: always;} -h2.nobreak {page-break-before: avoid;} - -.pagenum { /* uncomment the next line for invisible page numbers */ - /* visibility: hidden; */ - position: absolute; - left: 92%; - font-size: smaller; - text-align: right; - font-style: normal; - font-weight: normal; - font-variant: normal; - text-indent: 0; -} - -.blockquot { - margin-left: 5%; - margin-right: 5%; -} - -.bb {border-bottom: 2px solid; width: 40%; margin-left: 30%;} - -.bt {border-top: 2px solid; width: 40%; margin-left: 30%;} - -.center {text-align: center; text-indent: 0em;} - -.right {text-align: right; text-indent: 0em;} - -.smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} - -/* Poetry */ -.poetry {text-align: left; margin-left: 5%; margin-right: 5%; text-indent: 0em;} -/* uncomment the next line for centered poetry in browsers */ -/* .poetry {display: inline-block;} */ -/* large inline blocks don't split well on paged devices */ -@media print { .poetry {display: block;} } -.x-ebookmaker .poetry {display: block;} - -/* Transcriber's notes */ -.transnote {background-color: #E6E6FA; - color: black; - font-size:smaller; - padding:0.5em; - margin-bottom:5em; - font-family:sans-serif, serif; } - -.xbig {font-size: 2em;} -.big {font-size: 1.2em;} -.small {font-size: 0.8em;} - -abbr[title] { - text-decoration: none; -} - - /* ]]> */ </style> -</head> -<body> -<p style='text-align:center; font-size:1.2em; font-weight:bold'>The Project Gutenberg eBook of Four years aboard the whaleship, by William Whitecar</p> -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world 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 <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. If you -are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the -country where you are located before using this eBook. -</div> - -<p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Title: Four years aboard the whaleship</p> -<p style='display:block; margin-left:2em; text-indent:0; margin-top:0; margin-bottom:1em;'>Embracing cruises in the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, and Antarctic oceans, in the years 1855, '6, '7, '8, '9</p> -<p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Author: William Whitecar</p> -<p style='display:block; text-indent:0; margin:1em 0'>Release Date: September 10, 2022 [eBook #68958]</p> -<p style='display:block; text-indent:0; margin:1em 0'>Language: English</p> - <p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em; text-align:left'>Produced by: MWS and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.)</p> -<div style='margin-top:2em; margin-bottom:4em'>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FOUR YEARS ABOARD THE WHALESHIP ***</div> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_1">[Pg 1]</span></p> - - - -<h1>FOUR YEARS<br /><br /><span class="small">ABOARD THE</span><br /><br /><span class="xbig">WHALESHIP.</span></h1> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_3">[Pg 3]</span></p> - - - - -<p class="center"> -<br /> -<span class="small">EMBRACING</span><br /> -<br /><span class="center"> -CRUISES IN THE PACIFIC, ATLANTIC, INDIAN, -AND ANTARCTIC OCEANS,</span><br /> -<br /><span class="small"> -IN THE YEARS</span><br /> -<br /><span class="big"> -1855,’6,’7,’8,’9.</span><br /> -</p><p class="center p2"><span class="small"> -BY</span><br /> -<br /> -<span class="big">WILLIAM B. WHITECAR, <span class="smcap">Jr.</span></span><br /> -</p><hr class="r5" /> -<p class="center"> -PHILADELPHIA:<br /> - -J. B. LIPPINCOTT & CO.<br /> - -LONDON: TRÜBNER & CO.<br /> -<br /> -1860.<br /> -</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_4">[Pg 4]</span></p> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> - - -<p class="center bt bb p2"> -Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1859, by<br /> -<br /> -J. B. LIPPINCOTT & CO.,<br /> -<br /> -in the Clerk’s Office of the District Court of the United States for the Eastern District -of Pennsylvania.<br /> -</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_v">[Pg v]</span></p> - -</div> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p class="center p2"> -TO<br /> -<br /> -<span class="big">MY FATHER,</span><br /> -<br /> -WHO HAS EVER ENCOURAGED MY LITERARY EFFORTS,<br /> -<br /> -AND<br /> -<br /> -THE FIRST TO DIRECT THEM IN A PROPER CHANNEL,<br /> -<br /> -THIS VOLUME<br /> -<br /> -Is Respectfully Dedicated by<br /> -</p> -<p class="right"> -THE AUTHOR.<br /> -</p> -</div> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_vii">[Pg vii]</span></p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_vi">[Pg vi]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="PREFACE">PREFACE.</h2> -</div> -<hr class="r5" /> - - -<p>Having been one of the crew of an American whaleship, I cruised on the -ocean for the four years of my life that have just elapsed. During -this long period it frequently occurred to me, and excited my wonder, -how little knowledge of the whaling-service in its practical features -was possessed by the people ashore, excepting a small portion of -those residing in cities whose maritime trade is represented almost -exclusively by whaleships.</p> - -<p>My convictions as to the utility of an exposition of one’s daily -experience in this service—of the good, bad, and indifferent fortune, -as well as the perils of a pursuit which engages so many of our -American youth—were so forcible, that<span class="pagenum" id="Page_viii">[Pg viii]</span> I was led, at the moment of -embarking on my voyage, to keep a log-book or journal, in which, at -the expiration of each nautical day, I noted the different employments -of the crew, manner of sailing the vessel, incidents arising in the -capturing of whales, general personal treatment, amount and quality of -provisions, and the phases of the weather in different latitudes.</p> - -<p>Thus a description of life at sea alone came within my original -intention; but as I progressed, and became more interested in my -self-imposed task, (which, by the way, enabled me to occupy pleasantly -what would otherwise have been weary and unprofitable hours,) it seemed -to me, that my journal would not be complete, unless I should also -describe the seaman’s bearing when ashore, at liberty, and unrestrained -by discipline; and, as such a description involved adventures in -various localities of the globe, I at first was unconsciously betrayed -into a still farther enlargement of my task: namely, to incorporate -the most striking (or, rather, those in which I was most interested) -features and characteristics of the countries and people we visited.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_ix">[Pg ix]</span></p> - -<p>My object, however, was merely to complete a narrative which might -be read to my relatives and friends, in the family circle, by the -homestead fireside: fancying, indeed, that it would really interest and -amuse those, whose knowledge of such incidents in a whaleman’s cruise, -both on the sea and land, was limited.</p> - -<p>Publishing a book was not, therefore, within the object aimed at; but -through the advice of many kind (possibly, too partial) friends, I have -been induced to submit the manuscript to my generous and enterprising -publishers, who, despite its imperfections, have determined to present -it to the public.</p> - -<p>Such being the ground upon which I have now come forward as an author, -I trust that due allowance will be made for the literary imperfections -of my book, when I further state, that the entire matter comprised in -my journal was written at sea, on a sailor’s chest, amongst seamen, by -night and by day, amid storm and calm, in localities situate between -the latitudes 41° 30´ north and 45° south, and longitudes 71° west and<span class="pagenum" id="Page_x">[Pg x]</span> -170° east—embracing a wide field for observation: and comprehends -bird’s eye views in Australia, New Zealand, and other British -possessions in the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian oceans, also in the -Malay, Mascarenha, Azore, and Abrolhas’ islands.</p> - -<p>Throughout the recital, I have confined myself entirely to facts, -without drawing on my imagination for coloring; but I have been forced, -from a fear of being too voluminous in this, my first effort, to omit -much that came under my observation during the voyage, which at some -future period I may find time to lay before the public.</p> - -<p>Before taking leave of the subject, I would, if it were in my power, -press upon the notice of the Federal government the necessity of -cherishing and encouraging this important branch of our commerce.</p> - -<p>If good seamen are to be formed anywhere, it is in the whaling-service -of this country. Here it is, on a three or four years’ voyage, that a<span class="pagenum" id="Page_xi">[Pg xi]</span> -man becomes acquainted with the minutiæ of a seaman’s duty; and from -the great proportion of the time spent at sea in vessels cruising for -whales, the crew become perfectly familiar with, and wholly at home -upon, the sea.</p> - -<p>The class of men, too, who sail from home in our whaling-vessels, being -generally well-informed men, and having home-connections, understand -and appreciate our free institutions; but it is too often the case -that, in the absence of any special inducement to remain true to -their engagement, a large proportion of the original crew desert from -the vessel. To obviate this, the government should attach a bounty -to the earnings of every sailor who remains in this service, in the -same vessel, for three years or more; and by this means foster a -class of citizens accustomed to danger and emergencies, not only in -their everyday occupation of battling with the elements, but by their -familiarization with peril in their conflicts with the Leviathan of -the deep—citizens, who would at all times be prepared to take charge -of our Navy, and defend the nation’s honor and privileges against the -world!</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_xii">[Pg xii]</span></p> - -<p>With these brief prefatory observations, I respectfully throw myself -upon the generosity of the reading community, and plead my novitiate in -the world of letters to secure me from too rigid a criticism.</p> - -<p class="right"> -WILLIAM B. WHITECAR, <span class="smcap">Jr.</span><br /> -</p><p> -<span class="smcap">Philadelphia</span>, July 26th, 1859.<br /> -</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_13">[Pg 13]</span></p> - -<p class="center big">FOUR YEARS<br /><br /> - -<span class="small">ABOARD THE</span><br /><br /> - -<span class="big">WHALESHIP.</span></p> - -<hr class="r5" /> -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_I">CHAPTER I.</h2> -</div> - - -<p>In June, 1855, having decided upon embarking on a whaling voyage, I -took the steamboat from Philadelphia to Tacony, thence by railway to -New York, where, after a delay of a few hours, I boarded the steamer -Metropolis, and after a fine run of twelve hours, landed in Fall River; -there I entered the cars, and at five o’clock of the morning of June -20, I took up my quarters in the city of New Bedford.</p> - -<p>I immediately instituted inquiries as to the preliminaries attendant on -the preparation for such a voyage. I soon acquired this information, -and was consigned to the tender mercies of one of that class known by -seafaring men as Land-sharks, a description of whom I shall attempt -hereafter.</p> - -<p>This person treated me with much urbanity, desiring me to leave my -hotel to reside at a hoarding-house of his selection, stating to me at -the same time that numbers of whalemen, outward and homeward bound, -were located there. My suspicions were slightly<span class="pagenum" id="Page_14">[Pg 14]</span> aroused regarding the -accommodations of this boarding-house, by the earnestness with which -he urged my locating in it; but no other inducement was requisite -for me to coincide with his wishes than the one he last named; I -being desirous, before going afloat, to mingle and converse with the -initiated, to learn, if possible, something concerning the profession -in which I was about to embark. So, without more ado, I proceeded to -this domicile, which was located on South Water Street. It was kept -by a widow lady, who, for the moderate sum of four dollars per week, -for each, furnished just such edibles as you do not get at the Girard, -in Philadelphia, or the Metropolitan, in New York. The meat was, in -nine cases out of ten, salted; she wishing, in the abundance of her -forethought, to render the salt junk, which she knew would form the -principal article of our diet when at sea, agreeable to our palates; -or, on the other hand, desiring to give us a predisposition to scurvy -ere yet we were aboard ship. These motives were variously assigned by -we tyros as the cause for the over-proportion of the saline in our -food; as for those who had been at sea before, they appeared to relish -the old lady’s corned pork and beef, and if we made any remark to them -in reference to its profusion, they would answer us pertinently, “You -will eat worse grub than that, old fellow, before you have done with -whaling;” and these prophetic words ofttimes recurred to my memory -months, ay, years, afterward. Do not think, kind reader, that I was -rendered fastidious by former indulgence; far from it. I had made up -my mind to a change of diet, but not to so great a one; for in the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_15">[Pg 15]</span> -four weeks that I remained in this house, we never had but one meal -of fresh meat—it was fried beefsteak; and even that the cook and a -supernumerary, who had been engaged to assist him, with the aid of a -jug of New England rum, managed to burn to a cinder, so that we were -compelled to resort to our old provender.</p> - -<p>As soon as my companion and myself had become members of this -household, we, with our assiduous friend the Shark, proceeded to the -agent’s, with whom he wished us to engage, and after being approved -by the Captain, and having made inquiries as to the character of the -vessel and her commander, we enrolled our names upon the articles of -the Barque Pacific, of New Bedford, Captain John W. Sherman, bound to -the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans, to cruise for sperm and right -whales. The vessel was of three hundred and eighty tons burthen, -capable of carrying three thousand barrels of oil, and fitted out for -forty months; she was then undergoing thorough repairs, having but two -months previously returned from a voyage of thirty months’ duration, -in which she had been very successful; and this, with several previous -very remunerative voyages, had given her the name of a lucky ship, -which insured her a good crew; seamen, as a class, being superstitious, -are always eager to sail in a ship with which some favorable omen is, -or has been, connected, auguring from such data her subsequent success.</p> - -<p>As she would not be ready for sea for about three weeks after I -had joined her, I had plenty of leisure time to look around me. -The principal objects in my eyes were, of course, the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_16">[Pg 16]</span> wharves and -shipping; and, indeed, the scene there presented was one of interest -to any observer; bustle and activity was everywhere apparent; ships -loading, discharging, repairing, &c., in every direction. Here one -might be seen hove on her beam-ends, receiving a new copper jacket; -another totally dismantled, preparatory to receiving new spars; on -another the riggers were aloft at work, with their merry song; below, -still another might be seen weather-beaten and shabby, her copper -covered with moss and barnacles, she having returned but a few hours -before from a long voyage, and the casks being hoisted from her hold -contain part of her cargo of oil, gleaned, during her four years of -cruising, from the monsters of the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Arctic, -and Antarctic Oceans. Alongside this weatherworn ship, and in strong -contrast with her whole appearance, lies a smart, trim-looking vessel, -such a one as makes Jack Tar’s heart bound to look at; her hull is -perfect in model, her spars all rake jauntily aft, her yards are -squared by the lifts and braces, whilst the fresh appearance of her -paint gives her a coquettish look and bespeaks her ready for sea. -They are now putting aboard of her the remnant of her provisions not -yet stowed; and as we pass up the gangway we come in contact with a -sailor’s chest being conveyed aboard under the Argus eyes of its hardy -owner, who forms one of her crew.</p> - -<p>On the wharves hundreds of coopers are employed coopering oil casks. -Their continual strokes of hammer upon driver, united with the heavy -rolling of the oil trucks, creating a Babel-like confusion from which a -stranger is glad to escape.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_17">[Pg 17]</span></p> - -<p>Whichever way we cast an eye we see oil casks or whalebone, harpoons -or lances, or some one or other of the various et ceteras belonging to -the whaleman’s pursuit; in fact, the yield of the whale supports New -Bedford, and is the nucleus around which clusters all the manufactures -of the city; and its vitality as a community must ever depend upon the -number of vessels it sends out in pursuit of the whale. After gazing -again and again at these objects, to me so interesting, I diverted -myself by walking through the town, with no other object but to kill -time—hours seeming days, and days months, that intervened between -this time and the day fixed for our departure; in fact, I had become -so infatuated with the idea of going to sea, that I viewed everything -through a glass whose tint was blue—blue water always dancing and -rippling before my mind’s eye. In my perambulations through this -city of whalemen I found that it was laid out with something like -care—the streets, like those of Philadelphia, at right angles; many -of the houses neat and well built, and, with the exception of a part -of one street near the river, wear a quiet and respectable aspect. -One street is an exception to the rule, it being occupied by houses -of ill-fame, where many a dollar, earned by exposure to the storm on -a long voyage, has been filched from the hardy mariner by the harpies -who occupy its tenements; and after what I had always read and heard of -the puritanical exactness of our New England brethren, I confess that -I was astonished that such a sink was permitted by the citizens of the -Bay State to remain in existence for the unsophisticated seaman to be -entrapped by. A liquor law had been<span class="pagenum" id="Page_18">[Pg 18]</span> passed by the legislature of the -State of Massachusetts, and whilst I was in New Bedford was professedly -in operation—but only professedly, as numbers of houses existed -wherein liquor was sold, which, from their public location, must have -been known to the authorities.</p> - -<p>At my boarding-house, arrivals were continually occurring of young -men, from various parts of the Union, to embark on board whale-ships. -I viewed with regret the extreme youth of many of them. There is a -systematized mode of procedure carried on in our larger Atlantic and -Lake cities, for the purpose of recruiting this service. Shipping -agents engage young men, taking advantage of their inexperience or -necessities, paint whaling and its appurtenances in vivid colors, -induce them to sign their names, and then convey them to New Bedford; -and when they come to review their outfit bills, they will find a -charge of from ten to fourteen dollars for the agent’s services. Among -the arrivals at our house was one from Western Pennsylvania, who talked -sailor, walked sailor, and dressed sailor, rolling when he walked so as -almost to take in a pocketful of sand on each side, and wore an immense -kedge anchor on his neckerchief; he was looked at by the inexperienced -as a prodigy, but by old sailors with a contemptuous expression, always -accompanied by the remark, “Too much salt water there.” This individual -was afterward the most miserable poltroon in our ship, and despite his -vauntings of personal qualifications as a seaman, lashed himself with -a yard arm gasket to the main topgallant rigging whilst engaged in -furling the main topgallant sail. Such<span class="pagenum" id="Page_19">[Pg 19]</span> is generally the case—men who -talk loudly of their ability ashore are apt to be inefficient at sea.</p> - -<p>And now, after remaining until wearied out, our ship is ready to sail -to-morrow. As is customary on the day before sailing, each man proceeds -to his outfitter and procures his clothing; the owners usually allow -to the foremast hands an advance of seventy-five dollars, for which -the foremast hand gives the outfitter an order, and receives his -clothing. The Shark, or outfitter, charges double the price of good, -for worthless articles, which must be taken at his prices, as there is -no redress. By the time the foremast hands’ board-bill and pocket-money -are deducted from his advance, the wardrobe he is able to procure is -slender and insufficient, so that in the course of a few months he will -be compelled to resort to the slop-chest, where, if the ship has been -successful, he will be eagerly welcomed—the more so, as the Captain is -often interested in the profits of the slop-chest; if unsuccessful, and -he has a liberal Captain, his necessities will be supplied; if, on the -other hand, he should be parsimonious, scowling looks will be all the -relief he gets, and he will be forced to beg from his shipmates, who -will not allow him to suffer, although the prudent are cautious, as in -a three years’ voyage every man must be careful of his effects, as they -constitute his capital.</p> - -<p>Having procured our outfits about three o’clock in the afternoon of -Monday, July 23d, we went aboard, desiring to pass one night on the -vessel before she sailed. Soon after we hauled out into the stream, -and were towed by a steamboat down to Clarke’s Point, where we let go -our larboard anchor. During<span class="pagenum" id="Page_20">[Pg 20]</span> the afternoon others of the crew arrived, -amongst them a fine-looking old tar who knew the ropes, and had a -three gallon jug of New England rum stowed away in his chest, which, -as soon as carried into the forecastle, he produced and passed around -time after time, until all those who would imbibe were more than half -seas over, making night hideous with their discordant clang. At noon -the next day the Captain and others came aboard in the pilot boat. The -sails were loosed, windlass manned, anchor hove up to the inspiriting -chant. We are bound to the Western Ocean, and soon the old Pacific was -aweigh and off to sea again, leaving the land of her flag far in the -distance.</p> - -<p>All was bustle and confusion aboard the ship, we having no less than -fourteen green hands, and the few foremast hands who had before -followed the sea were so overcome by the ardent that they were useless; -so that the officers were obliged in almost every case to execute their -own orders. We were blessed with a head wind, and were obliged to beat -out of the bay, and, with the consequent hurry and excitement attendant -on tacking ship, little leisure was left to us for reflection; but -as the sun sank low in the horizon, and the blue hills of the land -of my birth, and love, and veneration—the home of me and mine—were -gradually becoming more and more indistinct—as I looked around me on -the expanse of water, extending on every side, I felt alone; and then, -and not till then, did I feel the momentous character of what I had -undertaken; then I bethought me of the thousand little comforts of -home, the many kindnesses I had received from relatives and<span class="pagenum" id="Page_21">[Pg 21]</span> friends, -and I leaned my head on the bulwarks, and felt as if I knew what -desolation and heart-sickness were for the first time. This state of -affairs could not last long, so I rallied and attempted to look brave -and careless; but the effort was vain, for if any person had taken the -trouble to look at my lugubrious countenance, they could have seen, -that under an attempted careless exterior I carried an aching breast; -but all hands were too fully occupied by their personal feelings to -notice me, and so it passed unremarked.</p> - -<p>Towards evening, that most annoying and distressing of all petty -maladies—viz., sea-sickness, made its appearance amongst our green -hands; having experienced it before, I escaped with but little -annoyance; not so with some other poor fellows, and amongst those I -noticed the person I mentioned before, who claimed so intimate an -acquaintance with the sea, utterly prostrated; a few hours previous he -was the blithest of the party, and was singing with great zest—</p> - -<p class="poetry"> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">“A life on the ocean wave,</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">And a home on the rolling deep.”</span><br /> -</p> - -<p>but now, alas! he was tuneless, and almost breathless; but I imagined -that had he been able to sing, the burden of his lay would have been—</p> - -<p class="poetry"> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">“The sea, the sea, the horrid sea.”</span><br /> -</p> - -<p>This individual, from a circumstance which I have before alluded to, -had received the appellation of Kedge Anchor, or Cage Anchor, or it was -sometimes abbreviated to Cage; and as he will figure repeatedly<span class="pagenum" id="Page_22">[Pg 22]</span> as I -proceed, I may as well at the outset give him the cognomen by which he -was known during his stay aboard with us. His sickness, and ludicrous -exclamations of “I wish I was on the steam-wagon again” (he had -formerly been brakeman on the New York and Erie Railroad), and pathetic -entreaties to be allowed to die in peace, when desired to do anything, -excited the mirth of all, no sympathy being tendered to him except in -one instance, when one of the seamen offered him a pint of salt water, -assuring him it was a cordial; a mouthful was sufficient to undeceive -him, he spat out the nauseating draught, and the queer expression he -wore on his phiz, and no less queer entreaty to take the darned thing -away, were so humorous as to shock his auditors into merriment, and -secured him against farther molestation.</p> - -<p>The reason that so many green hands are shipped in vessels engaged in -this trade, is, that they are to be engaged for a trifling proportion -of the vessel’s earnings, and the great difficulty of procuring those -who have before been to sea, to go before the mast a second time; no -man whomsoever, if he can make any pretensions to mediocrity, being -obliged a second time to go before the mast; he is always qualified for -the post of boat-steerer, and can attain it without any trouble; and -those who are not disgusted with their first voyage and have a particle -of energy or ambition in their composition, invariably do so; and from -boatsteerer gradually ascend to be captains. Whaling is, in fact, a -progressive service, and although the probation comprises the best -part of a man’s life, yet the pinnacle of their fame is an<span class="pagenum" id="Page_23">[Pg 23]</span> honorable -one; and as the boys who are educated in New Bedford are brought up -with the idea that to be a whaling skipper is the <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">ne plus ultra</i> -of all stations in life, so they consider it as the acme of all their -ambitious hopes.</p> - -<p>At dusk the captain called the ship’s company aft, and addressed them -to the effect, that we were all together bound on a long voyage, in -all probability to last for years, and he considered it as necessary -that we should at the outset fully understand each other. He then -went on to say that all hands should receive a sufficient supply of -such provision as was in the ship, so long as it was not wasted. He -stated that none of the crew forward should be misused or imposed -upon by the officers. He then told us, that if there were any rascals -in the crew he should detect them; and concluded by stating that as -long as we used him well, he should return the compliment, and vice -versa. This was plane sailing, and all understood him. Immediately -afterward the watches, chosen from the boatsteerers and crew by the -chief mate and second mate, were set; the chief mate had the first -choice; the second mate, who heads the captain’s watch, succeeded him: -at the same time the boats’ crews were chosen by the officers, as -before, the chief mate having the first choice, and so in succession -according to rank, until the fourth mate had chosen. In many ships -that carry four boats the captain heads his own; but most, like us, -have a fourth mate, who supplies his place. But to return to setting -the watches, which took place at seven o’clock, P.M.; the starboard, -or captain’s watch, headed by the second, assisted by<span class="pagenum" id="Page_24">[Pg 24]</span> the fourth -mate, comprising half the foremast hands and two boatsteerers, had the -first turn in. On being ushered into the steerage or forecastle, those -who had been in the habit of having soft beds and comfortable bedding -provided for them by the hands of affectionate mothers, although -somewhat prepared for a difference, were surprised at their sleeping -accommodations—rude boxes, or rather berths, built to the sides of the -ship, about five feet long, and two and a half in width, furnished with -a pair of blankets, a quilt, and a bed, which, according to the amount -of attention paid to the outfit of the occupant, varied from a hair -mattress in one case, to the common corn husk or straw tick. However, -this was no time to soliloquize over past comforts, so all bundled in -without ceremony; and in a short time, from the unusual exercise of -the day, to judge from the nasal organism floating through the air, -profound slumber reigned throughout the between-decks of the ship. And -now, that one half the ship’s company are enclosed in the embraces -of Morpheus, we will glance round and take a peep at our vessel and -crew. The vessel, as I before mentioned, is an old fashioned barque, -built to ply as a packet between New York and Liverpool, which duty -she performed with faithfulness and satisfaction to her owners; and in -her palmiest days bore the reputation of being the fastest ship out -of New York; but the improvements in ship-building necessitated her -owners to dispose of an old and faithful servant, and replace her with -a modern modelled craft—safer could not be. She was bought by a New -Bedford merchant, who, after altering her for the purpose, put her into -the whaling trade, where<span class="pagenum" id="Page_25">[Pg 25]</span> for years she maintained her reputation as -a swift sailer, until clippers were introduced to compete with her, -when, of course, she was obliged to succumb. From this port she made -many successful voyages, enriching her owners and increasing her good -name, until 1855, at which time she was fifty-three years old, and -with the exception of being new topped and coppered, the latter at the -completion of each voyage, she had undergone no repairs. Her great age -attests to her staunchness and seaworthiness, and by all who had sailed -in her the greatest confidence was ever expressed.</p> - -<p>On board of her was every article for the maintenance of men whose -principal resources for forty months lay in her cargo. There was, in -the iron implement line, everything that is used at sea, from a needle -to an anchor; clothing of all kinds and sizes; provisions, muskets, -ammunition; tawdry articles to trade with the semi-civilized natives of -the East India and Madagascar Isles; tin ware, soap, shoes, tobacco, -and saddles for the inhabitants of Australia; also sails, rigging, -spare boats, and all other necessaries to equip and enable her to -sustain herself for three years. Whalers, unless some serious accident -befalls, do not usually enter ports where their necessities can be -supplied at other than exorbitant prices, except the last one, where -they always calculate to dispose of surplus provisions, boats, and -rigging: being in a hurry to get home, they make some port of note so -as to be detained as short a time as possible in getting rid of them. -The reason for touching at obscure places, is the great danger of -losing men by desertion, which always occurs in commercial ports.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_26">[Pg 26]</span></p> - -<p>Besides all these she carried outboard four boats pendant from davits, -resting on cranes; one on the starboard quarter, which gives it its -name; one on the port quarter, called the larboard boat, is the chief -mate’s; directly forward of it, on the larboard side, are the waist -and bow boats—the former headed by the second, the latter by the -third mate; the starboard boat is headed by the Captain or fourth -mate, as the case may be. Each boat has a crew of four men, beside -the boatsteerer and officer, and carries two tubs of line, harpoons, -lances, boat spade, hatchet, knives, keg with water, keg containing -lantern, matches, candles, tobacco, pipes, bread, and a drug. Having -now pretty closely analyzed our vessel and her cargo, we will glance -over the inmates. The Captain, a large, powerful man, with a face -apparently expressive of frankness and good nature. The chief mate, -J. B. H., a young man of twenty-six, rather below the medium height, -with an eye like a hawk, quick to think and quick to act—a first-rate -officer. D. E., the second mate, a corpulent man, below the average -height, with an excellent mind and noble heart. The third mate, J. -D., formerly boatsteerer in this ship on her preceding voyage, and -the fourth mate, C. A., both powerful, hearty fellows, energetic and -pushing, putting their shoulders to the wheel on all occasions where -strong hands and brave hearts are wanted; these, with the steward, -inhabited the cabin or after part of the between decks of the ship. All -were Massachusetts men; none of them had ever learned trades, or been -employed in business ashore, but had pursued their perilous profession -from boyhood up, in every ocean<span class="pagenum" id="Page_27">[Pg 27]</span> and in every clime, from the frozen -north to the frozen south, and, hitherto, had always been successful.</p> - -<p>The boatsteerers were four in number, two of whom had before steered -boats and made voyages in that position; the remaining two had each -sailed one voyage before the mast—one of them in this same good old -barque, to the frozen realms of the Ice king, in the Arctic Ocean, -whence the vessel returned, in the course of thirty months, with four -thousand five hundred barrels of oil; these four, with the cooper, -occupied the steerage, an apartment directly forward of the cabin.</p> - -<p>The foremast hands, eighteen in number, of whom but four had ever -been to sea before, were a youthful, reckless, merry set, from all -over the Union. We had but two foreigners, Germans, in the ship—the -cook, and one of the crew. Many of the youngsters were New Bedford -boys, performing this voyage as apprentices. With the exception of -the Captain and old Jack Miller, as hardy an old tar as ever stepped -a ratline, and who could spin a yarn to order that would put Baron -Munchausen to the blush, there was not a married man, or one who was -over twenty-six years of age aboard the ship. To attempt, with the -exception of the Massachusetts men, to assign a reason for any of our -shipmates’ choosing whaling as a profession, would be mere conjecture. -Any one could see at a glance they were neither poverty-stricken -nor indolent; but on examining their features, a roving unsettled -expression might be detected by a close observer, on the lineaments of -each—a certain love of change, so all-absorbing with most young<span class="pagenum" id="Page_28">[Pg 28]</span> men; -nor were they on the whole ignorant, as I found by conversation—all -being thoroughly conversant with the leading topics of the day, and -each, like every true American, had his individual opinion of the -merits of newspaper notorieties, politics, and other matters that -engross the American mind; but we left them fast asleep, and as I, in -the interim, have spun a long yarn, it is time to conclude, as the -helmsman sings out “Eight bells.” A hoarse call is now heard at the -forecastle of “Starbowlines, ahoy!” and as the breeze has freshened -and the vessel is gently pitching, we will step into the forecastle -and criticise the appearance of our green hands. Part of them are -out of their bunks indulging in the most lachrymose expressions, -scarce able to dress, for fear the vessel’s motion will destroy their -equilibrium—and “I wish I was at home,” is the general cry; some -cannot muster resolution enough to get out of their berths, others have -thus far succeeded, but only to resume a recumbent position on their -chests, whilst a few with set teeth and praiseworthy resolution, manage -to get upon deck, and grasp the rigging on the fife rail enclosing -the foremast; there they stand, incapable of altering their position, -hanging on with a pertinacity worthy of a better cause, staring in -stupid vacancy at all around them, and when receiving an officer’s -order, acknowledging it by a sickly, unmeaning grin, to express their -willingness, but inability to perform. Officers are required to -exercise the utmost patience and forbearance in the management of such -a crew; instead of an active, able ship’s company, such as they have -been accustomed to sail with, here they have an assortment of<span class="pagenum" id="Page_29">[Pg 29]</span> men, -ignorant of a single rope in the ship, who are just as much acquainted -with the rigging as with Greek and Hebrew, knowing as much about the -cook’s leg as the cook’s nose, and more about the boy than the buoy, -and as like as not when ordered to heave the buoy overboard to heave -the boy. I have seen many laughable mistakes occur amongst our boys -when first out; do not think I take a sailor’s privilege and draw a -long bow, as I am at the same time included with these worthies—I -being, at the time of leaving home, as verdant as any of the rest. I -have seen them when ordered to haul down the flying jib, grasp the -spanker halyards, and spend any quantity of pulling and hauling upon -it, wondering at the same time why the darned thing did not come down; -their only mistake in this case was hoisting the aftermost sail in the -ship instead of lowering the foremost. With our officers, as a general -thing, these errors passed off good humoredly; but, as I said before, -they were required to use all their forbearance to repress their anger -at our lubberly mistakes; nor would it have been surprising, all things -taken into consideration, had they let out at us occasionally, and -I doubt much if Job, who, by the Book of books, is spoken of as the -most patient man of antiquity, were he afloat with a green crew, who -misunderstood all he said to them, and who in the multiplicity of their -ideas would attempt to haul up the mainsail with the spanker vang, or -clew down a topsail with the slab line—I say, I doubt whether even -he, the said Job, would not find his stock of patience, noted as he -was for that virtue, oozing out at his fingers ends, and be tempted to -anathematize<span class="pagenum" id="Page_30">[Pg 30]</span> their lubberly eyes in a heartfelt and seamanlike manner. -In a short time, however, things began to wear a totally different -aspect; improvement was the order of the day—each tried to excel the -other. This spirit of emulation was productive of the most beneficial -results to everybody, and in a short time we had an efficient crew, -perfectly competent to battle with the combined forces of Boreas and -Neptune.</p> - -<p>When three days out, we spoke the ship Monmouth, of Bath; she was a -fine-looking ship, running free, with the wind on her quarter, and -everything alow and aloft drawing, presenting a beautiful sight.</p> - -<p>On the fourth day out, whilst crossing the Gulf Stream, we were struck -by a squall, prevalent in that latitude. All hands were called, and -as this was our first trip aloft, we ascended the rigging with fear -and trembling—holding on to the shrouds as if it was our intention to -squeeze all the tar out of the rigging. When on the yards we were of -little use, carrying out the landlubbers’ motto to the letter, of both -hands for yourself and the rest for the owners. We all hung on like -good fellows, and if it had depended upon us to reef the sail it would -not have been done till now.</p> - -<p>The first Sunday intervening after our departure from home, proved -a bright, beautiful day, the sun rising in gorgeous splendor. After -breakfast the chief mate went throughout the crew, and gave to all -who were not already provided, a Bible or Testament, also tracts and -religious papers. These books, I believe, were supplied by a Tract -Society, in New Bedford, who customarily place the word of God aboard -every ship that leaves the harbor. The books<span class="pagenum" id="Page_31">[Pg 31]</span> were all received with -thankfulness; and I will here take occasion to state that I never -heard a sailor speak irreverently of the Bible. Men aboard ship I have -heard do so, but only in three instances, and in those cases they -were neither sailors nor landsmen—incapable of filling a respectable -position on either element; therefore their opinions were of little -weight.</p> - -<p>Directly after we got outside, the peculiarity of the great Yankee -nation began to manifest itself, and divers trades and speculations -were set afloat; the ship’s company having been transformed into an -Israelite assemblage worthy of South Street, Philadelphia, or Chatham -Street, New York, bartering for and exchanging old and new clothes. -Money is not a medium aboard a whale-ship, and the possessor of it -usually stows it away in the corner of his chest as so much dross, -of no value to him. Tobacco takes its place and is the currency; an -article being valued, not at so many dollars, but at so many pounds -and plugs of tobacco—thus substituting a vegetable for a metallic -currency; and as most men coming to sea, whether they use the weed or -not, provide themselves with a considerable quantity of it, some of the -old hands accumulated quite a stock; several of them numbering their -acquisitions by the hundred pounds. As they did not assign a motive -for hoarding it, I wondered at the propensity, but was not enlightened -until we made an Australian port, where, on account of the inferior -article imported, and the high duty, making the price per pound treble -of the best tobacco in the States, theirs,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_32">[Pg 32]</span> by smuggling it ashore, was -readily disposable at a good return.</p> - -<p>Gambling, too, soon developed itself, and after a hard day’s work, or -when the gale was piping through the ringing, and the waves surging and -hissing in ocean’s cauldron, rendering the vessel’s motion unsteady, so -that the participators in the game could scarce retain their seats, I -have seen a half-dozen seated around a chest (or, in sailor’s parlance, -donkey), a pile of tobacco in the centre, shuffling a pack of dirty, -greasy cards, playing bluff or all-fours, and watching the game as if -their very existence depended on the winning or losing a few pounds -of tobacco. By this operation the green hands were the losers, of -course; those who had been to sea before working together, and always -making the game profitable to themselves; therefore, those who had not -strength of mind to refrain, were soon stripped of all their tobacco; -and I remember, one evening, seeing a man, after losing all his stock, -pull his shirt off his back and sell it for tobacco to continue the -game. This being speedily dissipated, his under-shirt was disposed -of in the same way. We, who did not take part in the game, stood it -as long as we could, as the usual attendants to a game of chance, -high words and quarrelling were rife; we finally began to complain, -when the captain, to avoid disturbance, offered a pound of tobacco -for every pack of cards that should be brought to him. This had the -desired effect, and we had the satisfaction of seeing the cards hove -overboard and lightly floating astern. We congratulated ourselves on -this amelioration of discomfort; but an inventive genius from New -Jersey, becoming,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_33">[Pg 33]</span> as he said, oppressed with ennui, manufactured a set -of dominoes from a sperm whale’s jaw; another contrived dice; whilst -a third made a checker-board; a fourth originated a sweat-table; and -thus we were attended by this evil throughout the voyage—the only -intermission being Sundays and the time occupied in capturing and -taking care of whales.</p> - -<p>When a week out from home a false alarm was raised of “There she -blows! There she blows!” continued for some twenty or thirty times in -succession, at intervals of about thirty seconds. The boatsteerer on -the maintopgallant crosstrees, on being asked “Where away,” by the -captain, answered, “Two points on the lee bow, about two miles off.” -All hands were called, the lines put into the boats; they were then -hoisted, swung and lowered, the crew following the boats down the -sides of the ship, and leaping in the moment they touched the water; -then shoving off and pulling in the direction of the fish. Soon the -boatsteerer was ordered to stand up, then to give it to him, then to -give him the other iron; and then we found that there had been no -whales seen, but that the whole affair was arranged to familiarize -us with boat duty, so that we might be acquainted with the rigmarole -when occasion required. At first but little order or regulation was -observed, each one pulling on his own hook; but after some little -instruction we managed to make the boat go ahead without describing -half a dozen circles before starting. As we became warm with the -exercise, the old hands grew excited, and gave their short, quick -orders of “Give it to him! Stern, stern all—hard! Stern, men, for your -lives!” with as much enthusiasm<span class="pagenum" id="Page_34">[Pg 34]</span> as if a sperm whale was in reality -spouting under the head of the boat. The day being fine all hands were -delighted with the sport, particularly so our New Bedford boys; and -after coming aboard and hoisting our boats to a merry song, no doubt -more than one aspirant to the heading of a boat, went to his pillow to -dream of future successes, and turn up whales in imagination by scores. -Their ambition is pardonable, too, as, in the section of country in -which they reside, a successful whaling skipper is looked upon as a -much more important personage in the community than is a member of -Congress; and I do not doubt that if the choice of the appellations -Honorable and Captain were tendered to the youths of New Bedford and -its vicinity, nine-tenths of them would prefer the latter; nor does he, -in thus devoting himself to whaling as a profession, embrace an easy -mode of gaining a livelihood. He must be no mere carpet knight, but -must stand prepared to give and receive hard knocks; and combat, not -only with the winds and waves (the task of ordinary sailors), but with -the monarch of the seas—the great sperm whale; nor must he betray, no -matter how perilous his position may hap to be during an encounter with -leviathan, the slightest evidence of fear, as such a symptom would make -him a butt for rude personal jokes, which would drive him, by their -pointedness and sarcasm, out of the service; but he must view every -position into which he is thrown, and every peril to which he may be -subjected, with as much indifference as if it were of no importance to -him, and he will acquire a reputation for fearlessness and coolness, -which invariably, no matter what his<span class="pagenum" id="Page_35">[Pg 35]</span> faults may be, will gain him -respect both from officers and crew; sailors, as a class, admiring -reckless courage, and although they will always follow where an officer -in whom they have confidence leads, the slightest suspicion of their -leader’s capability or courage is sufficient to damp their ardor, -and cause them to act with lukewarm efforts. I do not mean to cast a -stigma on the well-won reputation of seamen for courage, but from the -discipline of a well-regulated ship, the seaman is taught to look up to -his officers, who, in his eyes, bear all the responsibility, and thus -in a measure he regulates all his motions by that of his superior, and -if anything goes wrong, imputes the error to its proper source. They -possess an old and familiar proverb—viz., “Obey orders if you break -owners,” and nine-tenths of seafaring men adopt it to the letter, and -thus avoid blame.</p> - -<p>Two weeks after leaving home we were startled at about six o’clock -A. M., by the look-outs at the fore and maintopgallant cross-trees -singing out, “There blows! there blows! there blows!” continuously, at -intervals of about thirty seconds. After about ten minutes of vocal -execution, they cried out, “There goes flukes,” emphasizing with great -force the second word in the sentence. This was confirmatory of the -presence of sperm whales, and as their yield is by far greater in value -than that obtained from any other fish, we of course were anxious to -capture one or more of them. After considerable manœuvring on our part, -attended by excitement and bustle, three boats were lowered away. -Several hours were fruitlessly spent in pulling and sailing, when the -chase was given up as hopeless, the whales going faster<span class="pagenum" id="Page_36">[Pg 36]</span> to windward -than we could pursue them. The weather was threatening, the sea -boisterous, and therefore our seats in the boat were neither pleasant -nor dry; consequently, at the expiration of three and a half hours, -we returned to the ship. As I stepped aboard of her I felt that I had -reached home, and ever after that, as long as I belonged to her, home -and the old barkey were to me synonymous terms.</p> - -<p>Whilst in the boats I saw a whale breach or leap bodily into the air, -his vast bulk appearing in bas relief, suspended for a moment in mid -air—the sky above, the sea beneath—and although it was not so perfect -a display of the creature’s immensity and power as I often afterwards -witnessed, still I was struck with the greatness of the Creator’s works -in this, to us, almost unknown element.</p> - -<p>Soon after our incursion on the sperm whale territory we lowered for -blackfish, but were unsuccessful. This is not our legitimate pursuit, -but is always done in good weather when a ship has a green crew; and in -many instances the captain makes it a point to lower for and capture -them whenever the opportunity presents itself. This is a beautiful -fish, from twelve to twenty-five feet in length; always seen in immense -numbers herding together, as if for mutual protection; they have a jet -black, smooth, and shining skin, unmarred by a wrinkle, which in the -sun presents a beautiful appearance, and from it they derive their -name. The shape of their head reminds me of a pug-nosed dog. Unlike -the sperm whale they have both jaws furnished with teeth. A full grown -fish yields from two to five barrels of oil. Their meat is palatable -to my taste, although I could not recommend it to an<span class="pagenum" id="Page_37">[Pg 37]</span> epicure ashore; -nor would I, I think, partake of it anywhere but on board ship, when -long deprivation from fresh food makes anything, not saturated by salt, -a luxury. It is in appearance somewhat like beef, but coarser; it is -minced with pork and fried in balls about the size of the sausage -exposed for sale in our markets, and in this state its advent is hailed -by all aboard with great gusto.</p> - -<p>Their oil is very little inferior to that of the sperm whale; indeed, -although I have never analyzed it, and speak merely from observation, -I think if the same care and attention were paid to trying out the -blackfish oil as is accorded to the preparation of sperm oil, it would -be found that the oil of the former possesses all the good qualities of -the latter. At least the experiment is worthy a trial.</p> - -<p>On the 12th of August, 1855, we novices saw for the first time a -foreign shore. Its appearance was detected by an experienced hand -long before our eyes could discern it, and when, finally, they were -pointed out to us, it was with no little difficulty that we could -be led to believe the two islands other than clouds. They proved to -be Corvo and Flores, of the Azore group, or as they are familiarly -known, the Western Islands. They belong to Portugal, which rules them -with an iron hand, carrying away the flower of the youth born here to -support the throne in Europe. The next day we made land, and signaled -the barque Henry Taber, that left New Bedford on the same day as -ourselves. We passed her and stood close in to the Island of Flores. -When within about ten miles of the land, a boat containing a dozen -swarthy, grinning, chattering Portuguese, boarded us, who,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_38">[Pg 38]</span> immediately -on touching deck, made for the forecastle, and dove into the bread -barge, devouring all it contained and greedily inquiring for more. This -modest demand not being complied with, they offered for sale fruits, -comprising apples, oranges, lemons, limes, figs, melons, grapes and -tomatoes; also straw hats, milk, and aguardiente. They brought us, -amongst other edibles, an anomaly known to sailors as jackass cheese; -it is in round cakes, about three inches in diameter, and of the color -of cheese made from cow’s milk, although totally dissimilar in taste to -any other cheese I have eaten. As regards its origin, whether produced -from John Horse, goat, or cow’s milk, I cannot aver, neither do I care; -but its general good taste and appetizing qualities I can vouch for -from having partaken of it. After a short time another boat appeared, -bringing us eggs and fowls (and knowing a sailor’s preference for -potables), aguardiente and sour wine. These additions to our usual sea -fare, made us an excellent meal. For all these dainties these people -were willing to receive tobacco, which, on account of the monopoly of -the trade in that article by the government, commands a high price. -They are obliged to smuggle it ashore, but from the careless manner in -which they stowed it away I should think that little surveillance is -exercised towards the inhabitants by the excise officers; whilst an -American or European is pretty thoroughly searched on landing, to see -that he does not carry the contraband article.</p> - -<p>At about ten A. M. the captain went ashore with a boat’s crew, for -the purpose of purchasing stores for the ship, excellent potatoes and -onions being<span class="pagenum" id="Page_39">[Pg 39]</span> produced in this genial climate, and from the little -intercourse these people hold with the rest of mankind, can be obtained -at a mere nominal price. On nearing the shore we found the coast rocky -and precipitous, covered with herbage of the richest green; a heavy -surf was beating on the rocks, but we landed by the assistance of the -Portuguese, who fearlessly plunged into the water and hauled our boat -ashore. We found on the beach a concourse of dark and light, young and -old, male and female, assembled to meet us; all shoeless, and many of -them hatless; all making a noise and bounding from cliff to cliff with -little less agility than the goats, of which great numbers are kept -for the sake of their milk and skins. On proceeding to the town, the -name of which I never could discover, not having seen an American who -knew, or a Portuguese who could tell me what it was, although I have -asked the question frequently, always with the same result, we found -that it was built without regard to order or regularity—the buildings -of stone. Many plats of ground were surrounded by immense stone walls; -some of these plats are not more than sixteen feet square, but are -enclosed by walls two feet thick, reminding one of the masonry in the -German castles of romance. At the town we saw little to attract except -the merry appearance of the female, and scowling expression of the male -inhabitants; the men looking upon us, it seemed, as intruders, and -desiring but little intercourse with us; the women, although barefooted -and with hair unkempt, their negligent dress exposing rather more of -their persons than accordant with modesty, were more than affable; -every article of our<span class="pagenum" id="Page_40">[Pg 40]</span> apparel that was exposed to their view being made -by them a price for which they were willing to prostitute themselves; -and so pertinacious were they, that it was with difficulty a sheath -knife was wrested from one of them by a blushing boy of our party to -whom their immodest offers (having but three weeks previously left -the bosom of a virtuous family of mother and sisters), sounded like -sacrilege, and, as he afterwards expressed himself, absolutely appalled -him. We saw little evidence of cultivation in the town; but upon -inquiry were informed, as well as their broken English could enlighten -us, that the produce grew higher up—in the mountains. To scale these -we were not adventurous enough; so we sat down, and, after some -bargaining, procured boiled eggs, fruit, bread, and sour wine, on which -we made a hearty repast. I observed about the town cows, pigs, and -dogs, but neither jackass nor donkey; so I do not think the aforesaid -long-eared gentleman possesses the right or title to claim the -paternity of the world-renowned jackass cheese; although seamen, in a -spirit of vagary, have given to it the appellation of that intellectual -animal.</p> - -<p>In the afternoon we went off to the ship, got our onions and potatoes -aboard, and carried with us two Portuguese boys, about seventeen years -of age—one of whom goes into the forecastle to do duty as a foremast -hand, the other, into the steerage as steerage boy. Great numbers of -young men are carried off from these islands annually, by American -whaleships, the government demanding of each young man, born in the -islands, a certain amount of military duty in Europe. To emancipate -themselves from this<span class="pagenum" id="Page_41">[Pg 41]</span> irksome service they join whalers, as after an -absence on the part of one, during which he has acquired the English -language, he is exempted from military duty. Whether the government -does this to encourage the development of knowledge, or that, after a -tarry on his part amongst the republican Americans, they think him too -liberal in sentiment to mingle with other servants of their despotic -rule, I cannot say. When these people first come aboard the ship they -are indifferently dressed, and invariably barefooted; when those we -shipped were supplied with an outfit of sea clothes, they were greatly -astonished and delighted. They are a very economical people, and by -dint of washing for others, patching, at which in a short time they -become adepts, and other little jobs, they soon become possessed of -a large amount of clothing, which they hoard up and gloat over as a -miser would his gold. They are shipped for little or nothing as regards -remuneration, scarcely anything being said about a lay on either -side; but the captain, if generous, will always make them a liberal -allowance on the ship’s arriving at New Bedford. They are generally -strong and able-bodied, and make good working-hands to pull and haul, -but, except in rare instances, do not rise in position above steering -a boat; although there are several ships at present sailing out of New -Bedford whose masters are Portuguese by birth, yet in each instance, -I am informed by good authority, they were taken from the islands at -a very early age, and sent to school in America between voyages. When -they first come aboard they look thin and cadaverous, probably from -their almost entire diet being vegetable; but in a short time,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_42">[Pg 42]</span> from -prodigious indulgence of their appetites for flesh, they become round -and sleek. Their attenuated appearance has led to the standing joke -amongst sailors, that if you want a Portuguese crew, all you have to do -is to run close in to one of the Western Islands, heave a hook and line -overboard baited with fat pork, and in a few minutes you will catch as -many as you want. To tell the Portuguese this is considered by them -as a bitter affront, they always magnifying their position ashore, I -do not know how many times, making everything <em>grand</em>, as they -express it. To illustrate their passion for meat, I shall not go into -figures as regards the consumption, as few, if any, would credit my -bare assertion; but I will state that one of the boys gained sixty -pounds in weight during the first five months he was with us.</p> - -<p>If there be only one or two of this race aboard, and they are separated -in different parts of the ship, and not allowed too frequently to -converse with each other, they soon acquire English and become useful; -but if there are half a dozen together in the forecastle, they jabber -and chatter their unmusical jargon from morning until night, and will -go a three years’ voyage, knowing at the end of it little more English -than is embraced in the technical terms of the service, which, being -impressed on their memory with a kick or blow by way of injunction, -they are apt to retain.</p> - -<p>These people are, or profess to be, devoted to their padres or fathers -in the church, and from my light observation of them and their -peculiarities, I should be inclined to give it as my opinion that they -are totally under the sway of their Jesuitical advisers; but I must -about ship and resume the thread of my narrative.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_43">[Pg 43]</span></p> - -<p>Whilst lying here off and on shore we gammoned the ship E. L. -Jones, of New Bedford; the barque Sea Flower, of same port, -and schooner Antarctic, of Provincetown. This is an excellent -whaling-ground—numbers of large and small craft are continually -cruising here, and in the course of a voyage generally do well. -Gammoning at sea is the term for an interchange of civilities between -two or more ships, and is much in vogue amongst whalemen, who have so -much time that hangs heavy on their hands, and are glad to vary the -monotony by the sight of a stranger, or, if a later arrival, receiving -intelligence from home. When a ship wishes to gammon another, or, as -it is pronounced at sea, gam’, the second syllable being dispensed -with, the <i>lee</i> ship hauls aback her mainyard, or sets a signal -signifying her wish, the <em>weather</em> craft squares her yards, puts -her helm up, runs across the other’s stern and speaks her. Then the -captain of one lowers away and boards the other, the mate returns in -the boat with a fresh crew, the officers resort to the cabin, the -boatsteerers to the steerage, and the crew to the forecastle. As soon -as breathing time is allowed to the visitors they are beset by a dozen -querists, who, all at once, want to know how long they are from home, -what success they have had, and the birth-place, or place of residence -of each. For instance, here one steps up and inquires, “Any New Yorkers -here,” or “Any Philadelphia, New Bedford, or Boston chaps,” whichever -place to him is best known; and if, perchance, he finds a townsman, -in a few minutes they are as thick as lovers, and as far advanced in -friendship as an acquaintance of twenty years ashore would warrant; -and ere they part chests are thrown open, with the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_44">[Pg 44]</span> injunction to help -yourself added, and do not be backward about it either. Soon after -some one calls for a song, and in a short time, after some pressing -and coaxing, which is as necessary here as in more select circles, the -time-worn, but sweet melodies of the sea are sung, if not with artistic -correctness, with spirit—all hands joining in the chorus, till the old -ship rings again. Meantime, the officers in the cabin are rehearsing -old memories of whaling, telling of the largest, wickedest and quietest -whales which they have borne a hand at taking; dire and wonderful -are the <em>fish</em> stories that in this manner receive birth. These -relations, assisted by the genial influence of the bottle and the pipe, -soon while away the time, and ere one would have thought it, the signal -is up for returning. The boatsteerers are killing time in much the -same manner, lacking only the ardent; whilst the crew, if a merry set -of fellows, have, ere this, got the fiddle or accordeon player, if one -is aboard, on deck (providing that it is good weather, and the ship on -an even keel), and are breaking down in the waist at a rate that would -set a French dancing-master crazy; but it is all the same to them—they -enjoy, and are bound to make sport of it. The signal for returning -being set, books are exchanged, tobacco, pipes, and in cases of need, -articles of clothing are freely presented, and the visitors go over the -rail into their boats, with “God bless you. <em>Greasy</em> luck to you. -Take care of yourself, my hearties,” or some other equally expressive -and kindly wish following them; and the two ships resume their courses -in different directions to different quarters of the globe.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_45">[Pg 45]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_II">CHAPTER II.</h2> -</div> - - -<p>The next day after leaving Flores we passed within sight of Fayal. -This island presented a gorgeous appearance; the many vineyards on -the sloping side of the mountains, looking to us like so many squares -in a quilt of the most luxurious green, forming a patchwork of Dame -Nature’s handiwork, in inimitable colors. An hour after, we saw the -Peak of Pico, rearing its cone-shaped pinnacle high in the clouds. At -its extreme summit, I noticed an appearance resembling a chimney, into -which, I was informed, steps were hewn for the convenience of those -whom curiosity led to ascend or descend the acclivity.</p> - -<p>About this time, I recollect, we had our first experience of bending -on to a sleeper. It is customary in good weather (particularly whilst -running down the trades, when, from the regularity of the winds, there -is scarce any working ship to be done) for the members of the watch, -with the exception of the man at the wheel and another on the look-out, -to come on deck, provided with two or three coats, for the purpose of -indulging in a caulk or sleep on deck. As soon as the watch is all -out, and the officer has had a look to assure himself of the fact, -a soft plank in the deck is selected on which one spreads himself, -covering up snug with the coats; an example religiously followed by -the others. Soon they are as<span class="pagenum" id="Page_46">[Pg 46]</span> soundly asleep as if in a comfortable -bed at home, unmindful of the noise made by the creaking of the yards -and rigging, or the hissing of the sea. This practice is winked at -by the officer of the deck, so long as all are at hand on a call; -but on the night to which I now have reference, all the comfortable -places under the lee of the weather rail being occupied, the unlucky -wight whose dilatoriness in turning out when the watch was called, -had excluded him from forming one of the caulkers, attracted by the -inviting appearance of the forecastle, and thinking himself unnoticed, -slipped down, deposited himself on the chests, and was soon fast -asleep. The man on the look-out having seen him descend the ladder, -waited in vain for his exit, and after allowing him sufficient time -to get into a deep slumber, went down, assured himself of the fact, -and then woke up two or three of the sleepers who were noted for their -indulgence in practical jokes, and who at any time would forego a good -nap to enjoy a hearty laugh. Having informed them of his intentions, -the mischievous trio lashed a tail-block to a barricade of spars over -the forecastle, rove a spare piece of rope through it, and attached -one end to the sleeper’s leg. When all was in readiness they awoke the -remainder of the watch, and having manned the fall strong, with a long -pull, a strong pull, and a pull altogether, the poor fellow was jerked -half way up the companion-way before he was fully awake. Discovering -his position, he grasped the ladder to retard his ascent, and, like the -Knight of Snowdon, bade them—</p> - -<p class="poetry"> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">“Come one, come all, this rock shall fly</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">From its firm base as soon as I.”</span><br /> -</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_47">[Pg 47]</span></p> - -<p>For a minute the jokers were non-plussed; their victim having the laugh -on his side; but this was soon remedied by the fastenings of the ladder -giving away, and the pendant caulker was whipped up on deck amid the -jeers of his companions. This remedy is generally effectual; but I have -seen a case of persistency in this, to a seaman, odious habit, which -after everything else had failed, was eradicated by tying the caulker’s -leg fast to a large pig, which, upon being roused up by the tormentors, -travelled fore and aft the deck with Kedge Anchor in tow. Previous to -this he had been repeatedly soused with water, bent on to, made fast to -the bell, getting a reprimand for the <em>peal</em> he unwittingly rang, -and lashed to the studding-sails on the forecastle, where, at times, -he would remain the greater part of the night; but all to no purpose, -until a humorous genius one night, when nothing else was on the carpet, -proposed uniting Kedge to the porker, and, as I before stated, the -remedy was effectual.</p> - -<p>Our cook, a German, who had been to sea before, having an eye to -creature comforts, purchased, whilst at Flores, a number of jackass -cheeses. These he had carefully saved, intending to make them last as -long as he possibly could, and for this purpose he locked them up in -his chest; but, unfortunately, during the night some person or persons -went clandestinely to his chest and feloniously appropriated the -cheeses therein to his or their benefit. The cook, on the whole, was a -good-natured fellow, but losing his cheeses soured his disposition, and -he swore vengeance. His Dutch oaths soon attracted attention, and old -Jack, as the oldest man in the forecastle,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_48">[Pg 48]</span> was appointed inquisitor, -to find out the perpetrator or perpetrators of the heinous crime; -sailors viewing theft from a shipmate, even of the slightest article, -as an offence second in enormity only to murder; and woe betide the -poor wretch who is detected in the act, as he can never recover an -intimate footing with his shipmates.</p> - -<p>I said that old Jack was appointed inquisitor. He went about his task -very methodically. Taking a number of matches, he handed one to each -of the denizens of the forecastle, stating that he would call on them -to return them in half an hour, and that the one who should then have -possession of the longest one would be considered the culprit. On -calling the matches in, one was found to have been broken off by its -recipient, and information was immediately given to the captain by old -Jack, who had satisfied himself regarding the guilty party. The boy was -questioned, but denied the point so strenuously that we did not know -whether to think him guilty or not. The captain let it pass without -further remark, and some twelve months afterwards we discovered the -offender; then the boy who had previously been suspected, acknowledged -that he had broken off his match so that there should be no question -about his having the longest one; and in his endeavors to ward off -suspicion, took the readiest means of arousing it—old Jack saying that -his conscious guilt caused him to break his match.</p> - -<p>When our North latitude had been almost run out we were struck by -a very heavy squall. By working smart we managed to get all snug -without being damaged. On the succeeding morning we saw three<span class="pagenum" id="Page_49">[Pg 49]</span> -merchant vessels, one of whom had lost her maintopmast; a second, her -foretopgallant mast; and the third a whole suite of sails. A fourth -vessel, that we saw to windward in distress, with several vessels -around her, appeared from her heavy rolling to be water-logged. During -the night she fired rockets and blue-lights. All these vessels, -as we ascertained, had met these casualties in the squall that we -experienced. It is customary with merchant vessels to hang on to -their canvass until the very last minute, and, as in nine cases out -of ten these ships go short-handed, the consequence is, that when -a heavy squall breaks upon them, something must go before they get -their sails stowed. If asked their reason for crowding sail in such a -manner, they will answer you with a shrug of the shoulders, that “Time -is money;” but it is not so with a whaleship, except when homeward -bound—then everything that a ship will drag or carry is packed on to -her to make her keep pace with the impatient spirits aboard. When on -the whaling-ground, however, the ship is allowed to glide along under -easy sail, royal yards, studding-sail booms, and, if in boisterous -latitudes, the foretopgallant mast is sent down, and the flying -jib-boom is sent in, so that if bad weather comes on suddenly, the -little canvass spread makes her easy to handle. Another advantage the -whaler possesses, she has thirty-four or five men to handle a vessel -of three or four hundred tons, whereas a merchant ship of the same -size would not have more than a dozen; hence the great proportionate -disparity between the accidents to whalemen and merchantmen. The whaler -is better manned, and is not drove under by a press of sail, whilst -the latter is<span class="pagenum" id="Page_50">[Pg 50]</span> groaning under her burden from the time she leaves dock -until the time she returns to it; providing there is breeze enough to -keep her going.</p> - -<p>From this time until we reached the Cape of Good Hope, little of -interest transpired. Occasionally we were called to look over the rail -and see the fin-back whale sending his spout in a spiral column towards -the clouds; or the blackfish, grampus, or porpoise, gambolling amongst -the great waves. At times the scene was diversified by the appearance -of the shark, dolphin, benita, and flying-fish, each preying on the -other. The last three mentioned are easily caught, and are eagerly -angled for by seamen. The manner of catching the dolphin and skip-jack -is to bait the hook with a piece of white rag, and allow it to sway -with the vessel’s motion. The fish thinks it a flying-fish taking its -flight, rushes towards it and gulps it down. I had often heard stories -of the dolphin’s extraordinary change of color when dying, but must -confess myself so unromantic as to say, I think there is so little -change in his colors that none but the most acute observer could detect -it. His beauty is confined to the period when sporting in his native -element; then his motions are full of grace and vigor; but caught and -landed on deck, he is a flat fish with a round head, and great, goggle, -staring eyes. His flesh, however, is indifferent eating, as is that of -the benita. The latter, when caught, goes into spasms, shaking like a -man with an ague fit, sometimes disjointing the vertebra in its throes. -They are at times so violent, that if the fish is large a man cannot -hold one.</p> - -<p>The flying-fish, the last that I mentioned, has been<span class="pagenum" id="Page_51">[Pg 51]</span> so often -described, that I shall not attempt it. It is preyed upon both by -larger fish and by the birds. I have seen the tropic birds and dolphin -acting so nearly in concert, as almost to convince one that they -understood each other’s mode of operation. The dolphin would chase the -little creatures until they would take to their wings, when the tropic -bird, or garnet (which is a beautiful white bird, about the size of -our common pigeon, with red legs and bill, and a tail resembling a -marling-spike, by which name they usually go amongst sailors), would -pounce upon them; and, tired with their serial flight, they would again -resort to the water, only to become a prey to their finny enemy.</p> - -<p>With the usual variations of weather we wended our course through the -South Atlantic—at one time becalmed, at another struggling with a -heavy gale, until we arrived in the vicinity of the Islands of Tristan -D’Acunha, when one morning we were startled by our mastheadsman -shouting, “There blows! and a forked spout, <em>sir</em>.” This informed -us of the presence of right whales; their spout, unlike that of other -whales, being forked. Our boats were lowered; but we had no sooner -got in their neighborhood than they peaked their flukes and went to -windward, eyes out—which means as fast as the wind. It was useless to -follow them, and we returned aboard with fishermen’s luck—a wet skin, -and hungry stomach.</p> - -<p>When down in the boats at this time I had a <em>near</em> view of a -whale. We were not more than a boat’s length from a large one, when -he sounded, and, as he threw his tail in the air, I had an<span class="pagenum" id="Page_52">[Pg 52]</span> excellent -sight of his small and flukes. What I felt I cannot describe; but the -shining skin covering all, and the manifestation of power and bulk, in -every movement, made me think of some vast piece of iron machinery; and -I cannot imagine a more effective battering ram than a whale’s flukes -employed by himself.</p> - -<p>In these latitudes we saw numbers of varied specimens of the -ornithological family. The albatross, monimoke, old horse, noddy, cape -pigeon, garnet, mutton bird, and Mother Carey’s chicken or petrel, -all existing here in great numbers. The albatross I have seen measure -fifteen feet from the extremity of one wing to the tip of the other. -It is a beautiful bird, and comes around a ship in great numbers when -a whale is alongside. They are ever on the alert for something to eat, -appear at all times hungry, and their voraciousness makes them an -easy prey. They are often caught. Their quills are not fit for pens, -but are used by sailors to splice their pipes; their feathers are -used in making beds and pillows; their feet are skinned and made into -tobacco-pouches; whilst the head and bill are cleaned and taken home -as a curiosity. As a general thing they are not eaten; but our cook -at one time agreed to cook them, if we would catch and dress them. -They were soon ready for him; and after being cooked they were very -palatable, although they had an oily flavor, somewhat resembling that -of the canvas-back duck. The mess having succeeded so well, it became a -favorite, but was indulged in so often that it soon fell into distaste, -and the practice was not again revived; the more so, as the captain -had a peculiar regard for the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_53">[Pg 53]</span> birds, and professed to place implicit -confidence in the assertion, that if they were misused by a ship’s -crew, those who maltreated them would assuredly meet with some evil -fortune.</p> - -<p>The Cape pigeon is a beautiful bird, about the same size as our -domestic bird of the same name. They are uniform in color, alternate -stripes of black and white coursing their plumage.</p> - -<p>The monimoke, and old horse, resemble in appearance the albatross, but -are not more than half its size. At times, from the similarity of their -appearance, I have been led to suppose them their young; and as regards -the monimoke, I am still at a loss to determine as to whether the goney -has a claim to its paternity or not: but the old horse or stinker, by -both of which names it is indiscriminately known, is a totally distinct -species; and when handled, it emits a most offensive odor, which clings -with tenacity to its feathers long after being separated from the bird.</p> - -<p>The diver is about the size of the pigeon, and is only remarkable for -the great depth to which it descends in search of food. The spectator -may be watching the bird gracefully sailing on the surface of the -water, when suddenly it disappears from view, and if the water be -clear, he may be seen, with his pinions spread, pursuing his course -through it with as much facility as if he were in the air, for fathoms -below the surface. After a short time he gradually ascends, until, -emerging from the water, he takes wing and skims through the air, -unwearied by his immersion.</p> - -<p>The petrel, or Mother Carey’s chicken, is a pretty<span class="pagenum" id="Page_54">[Pg 54]</span> bird, smaller than -the swallow, and quick as lightning in its movements; although so -small, it is found in company with the larger birds unmolested.</p> - -<p>At sea not only do we see marine birds, but often, when near any point -or headland, we are visited by land birds, who, blown off from the -land, pursue their bewildered flight until exhausted, or, meeting a -vessel, they alight upon it to refresh their wearied forms. At first -they fly around and around the ship, as if fearful of molestation, -when, overcome by fatigue, they forget their natural dread of mankind, -and alight in the boats, or on deck, unable to move farther. Their -wants are supplied by the sailors, and fresh water, of which they -appear most in need, given them. After a stoppage of twelve or -twenty-four hours they renew their flight, always in the direction of -land.</p> - -<p>After doubling the Cape of Good Hope, which we effected without -experiencing extraordinarily heavy weather, we spent several weeks in -beating up towards Port Dauphin, in the Island of Madagascar, off which -is a noted locality for the sperm whale fishery. Finding that we made -but little headway, we kept away for the off-shore, <abbr title="saint">St.</abbr> Paul’s ground, -and after a fine run found ourselves among the right whales. Here we -saw several vessels—the Pioneer and Catharine, of New Bedford, and -the Monmouth, of Cold Springs. These vessels had been absent from the -United States twelve months each, and had aboard from one hundred to -five hundred barrels of oil. The Monmouth reported having lost a boat -and a boat’s crew, a few weeks previous, at the Island of <abbr title="saint">St.</abbr> Paul’s. -The boat was headed by her second<span class="pagenum" id="Page_55">[Pg 55]</span> mate, who had remained fast to a -whale until drawn into the breakers, which left not a vestige of the -boat or crew in their pitiless destruction.</p> - -<p>On this ground, after numerous lowerings away and coming aboard—after -seeing whales almost daily, although we found it impossible to get -within gun-shot of them, they appearing shy and not at home—one Sunday -afternoon the mate and fourth mate lowered away, the other boats being -retained aboard the ship. No sooner were we down than, encouraged by -the regular movements of the fish, we were convinced we should make -a capture, and therefore the chase was conducted with an eagerness -not displayed in our former lowerings away. No sooner had we touched -the water in the larboard boat, than the mate, after glancing at the -spout, gave us orders to shove the boat clear of the ship; then “Out -with your oars, my hearties;” and to make us the more eager, he offered -us a dollar apiece should we make a capture. As we neared the whale, -sinking his voice to a whisper, he urged us to greater exertions, by -continually speaking of the whale. “There she lays, my boys; an old -soaker, with a back as broad as the deck of our ship. Pull, lads, pull -with a will! Give way! every man, fore and aft. Do pull! The boat -scarcely moves. Now one more try. She is only two seas off. What do -you say now. Put the boat right on top of her. Pull hard, do pull!” -Now we draw nearer and nearer, and his enthusiasm is at a boiling heat -for fear that we will yet lose the whale; and determined to give vent -to his excitement, he offers all his clothes, all his tobacco, and all -his money, if we will only get<span class="pagenum" id="Page_56">[Pg 56]</span> the boat alongside the fish, which by -this time is done. Just as the mate heaves his hat over in despair, -the boat glides against the monster’s unwieldy carcass at a portion of -his body which secures us from the sweep of his immense flukes, and -the boatsteerer springs to his feet, and, with nervous arm, drives his -harpoon to the socket in the yielding blubber. The mate now loses his -excited manner, and, throwing the boat from the whale to escape the -mighty effort he makes for our destruction, again becomes the cool and -steady whaleman; but our work is not yet done. No sooner is the fish -struck, than off he goes, like a charger with the bit in his teeth, -perfectly unmanageable, and for an hour we dash through the water at -locomotive speed, until the whale exhausts himself with the violence of -the effort. Now comes the order to haul line, and the boat is gradually -drawn into the whale’s neighborhood, when a bomb lance is discharged, -and, fortunately, is lodged on the line of the vertebra, disabling his -whaleship from farther flight. They were cognizant of our operations -aboard the ship, where the mastheadsman sung out, “There he gives it -to him,” the moment we fastened; and immediately after, “The larboard -boat’s fast.” The two boats on the cranes were lowered away, manned, -and pulled for the scene of action. They arrived in about fifteen -minutes after the whale was struck. The waist boat was the second -fast. The fish was bleeding at every pore, hand-lances having been -darted into him. He attempted to descend, but his debility from loss -of blood prevented him going but a few feet below the surface; he lay -and rolled, opening wide his huge jaws, displaying<span class="pagenum" id="Page_57">[Pg 57]</span> his flabby tongue, -lashing the water with his gigantic flukes, and bellowing like a whole -bevy of mad bulls, from the intense pain he suffered in dying. The -other boats, on coming up, fastened, and soon the bloody discharge from -his spout holes became thicker, until it had obtained the consistency -of tar, when the suffering brute, moderating its bellowing to gasps and -sobs, slowly described a circle, throwing its head toward the sun, and -after a brief but terrific struggle, rolled fin out, without life or -motion. We then cut a hole through the flukes and towed him in triumph -to the ship.</p> - -<p>I will now, before going farther, describe the demeanor of a boat’s -crew when fast to a whale. In the first place the officer goes close -enough to the whale to give the boatsteerer a good opportunity to -strike him. As soon as the irons leave his hand the head of the boat -is thrown from the whale, to avoid the sweep of his tremendous tail, -which he invariably exercises the moment he is struck. The officer -and boatsteerer now exchange positions, the boatsteerer assuming the -management of the boat, whilst the officer takes his position in the -bows, and, by the assistance of the bow oarsman, clears away a lance, -preparatory to striking the fatal blow. The whale, on being struck, -either sounds, or rushes with great rapidity over the surface of the -water. In either case the line runs out with marvellous rapidity, and -water is continually poured upon it to prevent the wood from igniting -by friction. Shortly afterwards, if the whale has moderated his speed, -the line is manned by all the crew of the boat, with the exception of -the boatsteerer and after-oarsman, who are busily occupied coiling<span class="pagenum" id="Page_58">[Pg 58]</span> it -away in the stern sheets of the boat, so as to prevent its entangling, -if again run out by the whale, and the boat is hauled close to him, -so as to give the officer an opportunity to lance and despatch him. -If he shows a good chance, this is the work of but a few minutes, -and the monster is turned up with little or no trouble; but it often -happens that hours intervene, before you have an opportunity to kill -the whale, and oftentimes are obliged to cut, from the near approach of -nightfall. But to return to our whale. We got him alongside, and made -him fast by a strong chain, encircling his flukes, passed through the -hawse-hole, and secured to the bitts on the forecastle; then a hole -was cut close to the whale’s eye, the tackles attached, the cutting -fall taken to the windlass, and with a merry song we bowsed his jacket -in, stripping the blubber from the carcass, and allowing the latter, -with the flukes, to go adrift. Next the head was hove in and lashed -on the quarter-deck, then several men with axes split the bone from -the jaw, to which it was attached by an adhesive substance known as -the gum; it was then scraped, in preparation for the home market, -and, after scraping, stowed away in the hold, where no moisture could -reach it. The appearance of this bone in the jaw, before separation, -is beautiful; its regular arrangement, and long, fringe-like edging, -giving it the appearance of an artificial grotto. After disposing of -the head and heaving in all the blubber, this, as fast as stripped, is -deposited between decks in the main hold—which apartment is designated -as the “blubber-room.” The try works being started, two men go into the -blubber-room, and, with sharp spades and knives, cut off the lean from<span class="pagenum" id="Page_59">[Pg 59]</span> -the blubber, and divide the fat into pieces about six inches wide by -eighteen in length, suitable for the mincing-machine. They then, with -pikes, pitch it into a tub placed on deck for its reception, whence it -is carried to the machine, where it is minced into pieces half an inch -in thickness, and consigned to the pot. After all the oil is separated -from it, the scraps are taken from the pot and the oil poured into -a copper cooler, whence it runs into a cool try pot, and thence is -bailed into casks, which are rolled on to the quarter-deck, where it -is allowed to cool preparatory to stowing below in the hold. Meantime -the pots are again filled up, and the scraps from the preceding pot -are used in heating the works—these scraps forming an excellent and -remarkably economical fuel; for if the whale did not furnish material -for rendering its own oil, the fuel which would have to be substituted -would be a costly item. From the embers, united with fresh water, -an excellent lye is made, which is useful in extracting grease from -clothes, washing the paint work and so forth. The oil is usually -allowed to stand for twenty-four hours before stowing below, and when -ready a trap is removed, which is cut through the deck, a tub lashed -under it between decks, and a hose with a cock attached; a cask is now -rolled on to this trap, the bung extracted, a vent pipe introduced, and -soon the whole produce of the fish is in the hold, never to be removed, -except in case of leakage, during the remainder of the voyage. This -whale made us ninety barrels of oil. After capturing him, we remained -on this ground for several weeks, without farther success in increasing -our cargo; in two instances<span class="pagenum" id="Page_60">[Pg 60]</span> the boatsteerer missing whales, and in a -third striking one with the irons, causing him to spout blood; but most -of the chief mate’s line being run out, he bent to his that belonging -to the bow boat. On its passage from the tub, it brought with it a -formidable array of harpoons and lances, with which it had become -entangled. “Foul line,” was sung out, the line severed, and the whale -allowed to go adrift. We saw him for some time afterward, and bending -to our oars, we pulled to windward with a will, in pursuit of him, but -to no purpose. Whilst chasing him to windward, the bomb-lance gun, in -the mate’s boat, went off without leave, and pierced a hole through the -head of the boat, so disabling her, that she had to return aboard; as -we all did at noon. Afterward the whale came close to the ship, and, -peaking his flukes, gave us a view of our line, wound in a thousand -contortions around his small and tail. We again lowered for him, but -without success.</p> - -<p>On the 12th of November, a merchant barque ran across our stern, -which, on speaking, we discovered to be the Eliza Carrew, of Boston. -So far, all was very well; but on crossing our stern, she luffed up -under our lee, and, our sails taking the wind from hers, she became -unmanageable. The next moment she was aboard of us, crushing the lee -boats to pieces, carrying away cranes and davits, snapping off the -spanker-boom, and carrying away the entire larboard mizzen rigging. -After a short interval she got clear from us, when we found that she -had not escaped scot free. We saw that her maintopsail yard was snapped -off outside the head ear-ring, her foreyard carried away in the slings, -and about twenty<span class="pagenum" id="Page_61">[Pg 61]</span> feet of her bow rail, on the starboard side, stoven -to atoms. After the two vessels had swung clear from each other, the -third mate and his boatsteerer jumped into the bow boat, which had -broken down and lay floating alongside, for the purpose of saving -the craft. Almost as soon as they got into her, she became detached -from the ship, drifted astern, and capsized; so that we were obliged -to lower away our only whole boat, that on the starboard quarter, to -rescue the two adventurers, who were taking it very coolly, seated on -the bottom of the wreck. In a short time we had them aboard the ship; -but in the operation, the bow of the starboard boat came in contact -with the stoven one, and had a hole knocked into it. So here we were on -a whaling-ground, in the height of the season, with plenty of whales -around us, without a single whole boat on the cranes; and were it not -that we had spare boats, the damage would have been irreparable; as on -this side the Good Hope, whale-boats cannot be procured at any port -nearer than Hobartown, and this, involving a long run, loss of time, -and port expenses, to compass it, would have caused a total forfeiture -of the whole season’s work. The broken boat was hoisted aboard, and -then the Carrew ran close to and spoke us, asking if all was right with -our vessel and men. Our captain answered quickly and curtly, and in an -undertone desired him to take his departure, for, should he repeat his -manœuver, he would give him occasion to regret it. During the whole of -this time, and for weeks subsequent to the accident, we were under the -impression, as she had shown no colors, that she was a Johnny Crapeau, -and sailed<span class="pagenum" id="Page_62">[Pg 62]</span> under the tri-color; but we learned afterward that she was -a Boston ship. Different reasons were assigned by different individuals -as to the cause of the unseamanlike conduct in managing the Carrew; -some stating that they distinctly heard her captain ask ours for a -porpoise iron, and supposed that he came close to us in order to have -it handed aboard without the bother of lowering a boat; whilst others, -less charitable, stated that she was loaded with liquor from the -Mauritius: that the captain had broken bulk, and imbibed so much that -it had set his wits wool-gathering. As to the first reason assigned, -having heard nothing regarding the iron, I can give no opinion; as to -the second, not having data sufficient to draw so sweeping a charge -from, I will not advance so gross an accusation, but allow the matter -to rest: the public, of course, having heard from the master of the -Carrew his version of the matter, as we saw by the papers that he had -reported the collision on his arriving at port. On the whole, both -vessels were extremely fortunate in escaping with so little injury; as -two vessels seldom come into contact, even in port, where they are in -smooth water, without the result being much more disastrous than in our -case.</p> - -<p>It is said that misfortunes seldom come singly; and, indeed, in the -experience of a lifetime, circumstances seem to justify the correctness -of the adage. So it was in our case. A short time previous to our -last misfortune, the larboard watch was sent aloft to double reef -the foretopsail. It was about half an hour after eight bells, in -the first watch at night—the watch below had turned in, but were -not as yet sleeping—when, directly after the watch had manned the -foretopsail<span class="pagenum" id="Page_63">[Pg 63]</span> yard, the men in the forecastle were startled by the fall -of a heavy body on deck, directly over their heads. A rush was made -for the ladder, and on getting on deck, a youngster, who belonged to -New Bedford, was found prostrate, without sense or motion. By the -orders of the first officer, who thought him dead, he was immediately -carried into the cabin. The watch on the yard were instructed to lay -down from aloft. On carrying the sufferer into the cabin, it was found -that his heart beat; he was bled, and in the course of a few hours -he regained consciousness, and continued gradually to mend, until, -after the lapse of a few weeks, he was perfectly recovered, without, -apparently, any serious effect from his fall, except the increase of -an already craving appetite, and corresponding augmentation in length -and breadth of person. His fall may be attributed to a superabundance -of heavy clothing, beside a coarse, heavy pair of boots, united making -him clumsy and unwieldy aloft. Although, from his account, it would -appear that, at the time of the accident, he was very nearly, or quite, -asleep, as he retained no remembrance of their having occasion to reef -the topsail, and no recollection of having been on the yard, or any -other circumstance connected with his fall, the only reason that we -can assign for the slight injuries he sustained, is the supposition -that in his descent his fall was broken by his striking against the -foretop, the mainstay, and a barricade of spars that were lashed -forward. I think you will agree with me that he required some easing -down, when I state that he fell from the weather yard-arm, close by the -bunt, at least forty-five<span class="pagenum" id="Page_64">[Pg 64]</span> feet from deck. A few weeks after this we -had another specimen of lofty tumbling whilst we were gammoning with -the barque Pioneer, of New Bedford. The watch had gone aloft to furl -the foretopsail, and had so far progressed as to be ready to pass the -yard-arm gaskets. Jose, a Portuguese, was at the end of the starboard -yard-arm coiling the outside gasket, preparatory to encircling the -sail with it, when his feet slipped from the horse; keeping firm hold -of the gasket, which reached about half way to the water, he slid to -its extreme end. The weather was light, and the ship pretty steady. He -remained suspended for a moment, when, watching for the weather roll, -he let go, descended into the water, rose, and struck out like a good -fellow. The second mate ran on to the house, caught up a boat’s fall, -made a bowling in the end of it, and hove it to him; he slipped it over -his head and under his arms, and was soon hauled aboard, without other -damage than a good wetting, of which he made very little account.</p> - -<p>Having recorded several instances of a serious character, I shall take -occasion to speak of the numerous practical jokes that are enacted -aboard ship. The monotony of the life at sea renders a hearty laugh -somewhat of a relief, and assists in passing away the time; and this -end is desirable on the whaling-ground on account of the many hours of -inactivity. At night, in the vicinity of a place of known resort for -the fish, sail is shortened, and all hands, except one boat’s crew and -its boatsteerer, go below; the officers remaining all day on deck, and -standing no watch at night. In a four-boat ship, the night is divided -into four watches. The night watch,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_65">[Pg 65]</span> therefore, is so short as to be -anything but onerous; hence the early part of the night is devoted to -singing, yarning, &c. But I set out with the intention of telling a -joke, and as I have digressed a little I hope the reader will pardon -me. One fine Sunday morning Kedge Anchor expressed a desire to have his -hair cut. Here was an opening—and a conspiracy was immediately formed -against his cranial adornment. One went to work and cut his hair. When -finished, a dozen voices exclaimed against the barbarian who had put so -<i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">outre</i> a cut on his poor head; others recommended a little more -off behind. The victim acquiesced, and submitted to the operation. A -second, third, fourth, and fifth, lent their aid in denuding his skull, -and by the time the last had finished he was a picture for a painter. -The poor fellow had not a hair on his head more than a quarter of an -inch in length, and, as his forehead was receding, his appearance can -be better imagined than described. Suffice it to say, that for weeks -after the shearing his appearance was greeted with hearty laughter; -and, as with him laughter was contagious, he always joined in the -shout. For a long time he did not discover that he was the butt, but -when he did discover his loss he was rather pleased than otherwise at -the singularity of his appearance. This is but one of the many tricks -of this kind that I have witnessed. I remember seeing a green hand -sent to tell the steward to overhaul the captain’s chronometer box for -a swab to clean up the forecastle. Another sent to the masthead to -ask the man stationed there the time of day, or to see if the sun had -risen. Another to the officer of the deck to advise him to secure the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_66">[Pg 66]</span> -barometer, or to tell him that the masts were working. And I remember -one poor fellow, who prided himself much on his agility, giving us -a specimen of the movements of the kangaroo, sweating and exerting -himself for a whole afternoon, delighting us, as he supposed, with his -farcical antics, until he discovered on his back a large paper figure -in imitation of himself. He said not a word at the time, and sat down -totally abashed; but ere long a paper Punch figured on the back of the -supposed instigator.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_67">[Pg 67]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_III">CHAPTER III.</h2> -</div> - - -<p>Finding but little could be done amongst the whales on this ground, -early in December we resumed sea watches, and steered a course for the -coast of New Holland, intending to cruise off its southwesternmost -point for sperm whales. On the fifth of the same month, whilst pursuing -our course to the eastward, we sighted the Island of Amsterdam, in 40° -South latitude, 77° East longitude. At daylight the ensuing morning, -we lowered away three boats, each member of their respective crews -provided with fishing-tackle, for the capture of much smaller members -of the finny tribe than our usual game. Before arriving at the island, -we saw, and gave chase to an otter, but he eluded our pursuit. This was -the first animal of the kind I had ever seen; it absorbed my attention, -whilst in sight, to the exclusion of all other novelties. His face, in -expression, reminded me of that of a pug dog, in which opinion all my -companions united. I also saw here the first of those peculiarities, -viz. penguins, or waugans, as they are called by seamen—their hoarse -cry and long immersion in water excited my wonder and attention. Here -also were the osprey, sea hen, albatross, monimoke, right and sperm -whale birds, and numerous minor specimens of the family, flying in and -out of their eyries in the cliff, carrying food to their young, and -occasionally disputing for the possession of the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_68">[Pg 68]</span> finny prey, which -they capture with much dexterity. Sometimes they wheeled in circles -around our boat, apparently viewing us as intruders on their domain.</p> - -<p>On approaching the island, we found it a rock-bound precipice, almost -inaccessible, with a scanty vegetation dispersed over its summit. It -has a desolate appearance, is uninhabited, and only visited by whalemen -and those unfortunates whom Neptune, in his furious mood, casts upon -its desolate shore. On the cliffs a few goats were to be seen, set -ashore some time since by the humane captain of a whaler, who opined -that they would increase, and afford sustenance to any shipwrecked -mariners who might be cast away here.</p> - -<p>We went close to the rocks, over which huge breakers gambolled, and -made our boats fast to the kelp. Then out lines, and on the instant -were busily engaged in hauling in noble fish, varying in weight from -five to twenty pounds, of all varieties and colors: cod, trumpeter, and -many species unknown to us, white, black, blue, yellow, and red. In the -course of a few hours we had secured as many as we wanted; the other -boats experiencing like success, the fish biting with the greatest -avidity; it only being necessary to bait, heave the line overboard, -and haul up, and, ten chances to one, before it reached the surface, a -fish was attached to it. On an eminence on the island, a royal mast is -erected, it having been the signal pole of the crew of the whale-ship -Tuscany, of Sag Harbor, which went ashore on this island.</p> - -<p>It appears that the English ship Meridian, returning from Australia, -was cast away here. The principal<span class="pagenum" id="Page_69">[Pg 69]</span> part of the passengers and crew -reached the island, and scaled the cliff; here they remained for -several days, existing on a wild cabbage that is indigenous to the -island. They were much depressed, until one morning they descried a -ship beating up for the island. She proved to be the whaling barque -Monmouth, of Cold Springs; her captain, all honor to him, and no less -to his faithful messenger, sent one of his crew across the island to -communicate with the distressed ones. He directed them to cross the -island, as at the side they then were it would be impossible to land -a boat. This, although comparatively a short distance, they were all -one day and part of the next accomplishing—the rugged, steep way, -their enfeebled condition, and the presence of ladies and children, -delaying them. The Monmouth’s boats, as soon as possible, conveyed -them aboard their vessel, where they received every attention their -condition required, and were conveyed to the Mauritius, where they -were disembarked. Now for the romantic part of the story. It appears -that in the general confusion, several bags of English sovereigns, -that were carried from the wrecked ship ashore, were deposited, as -it was supposed, in a secure place, and left on the island. This was -communicated to the captain of the Tuscany, and, as the report goes, -he had run close in with his ship, landed, and found the money; but at -the moment of his grasping it, he discovered his ship in a perilous -position. The second officer, who was left in charge, from incapacity -or ignorance, had run her ashore. Circumstances occurred, during his -stay on the island, that rendered it impossible to bring away the gold, -the existence of which, whether<span class="pagenum" id="Page_70">[Pg 70]</span> chimerical or otherwise, is still a -favorite theme amongst the whalemen who frequent this latitude; and in -January, 1856, a whale-ship that then lay at the Vasse, had engaged one -of the Tuscany’s former crew, and anticipated having a search for it.</p> - -<p>Our second mate went ashore, near the spot where the Tuscany was -stranded, captured a right whale bird, and procured a number of eggs. -On examining the bird, we found that the substance composing its jaws -exactly resembled right whalebone, and its tongue was precisely similar -in shape to that of the right whale. These peculiarities I had often -heard attributed to the bird, but considered them fabulous, as did -most of our ship’s company; although many of them had been engaged in -whaling for years, but never previously had an opportunity of making an -examination. Having procured as many fish as we could take care of for -the nonce, at eleven o’clock we returned to the barque and commenced -cleaning and salting them. In the afternoon we sent another boat in, -and when all were taken care of we found that we had seven barrels, and -visions of good fare rose before us; but alas, for the uncertainty of -human expectations—three months afterward the whole of them spoiled, -and we were forced to consign them to Davy Jones’ locker.</p> - -<p>The next morning after our fishing excursion we saw right whales and -the Island of <abbr title="saint">St.</abbr> Paul’s. The whales we lowered away for and chased, -without success. The Island of <abbr title="saint">St.</abbr> Paul’s lies in the same longitude as -Amsterdam, but is a degree farther north. Like Amsterdam, it is barren, -but is occupied by a French company, whose agents reside here<span class="pagenum" id="Page_71">[Pg 71]</span> for -the purpose of fishing. They cure their catchings, and at periodical -seasons a vessel visits them, bringing them supplies and carrying away -their accumulations of fish. From the quantity and quality of their -prey in the vicinity, I should think the business must be lucrative, -and, indeed, it ought to be, to compensate for the isolation men must -feel in this out of the way spot. This island being only sixty miles -distant from Amsterdam, is easily distinguished on a clear day.</p> - -<p>Nothing occurred from this time until Christmas day, when, of course, -we who were brought up to the southward of the New England States, -expected some observance of the time-honored customs of the day; but -what was our surprise to see the work going on as usual; no difference -being made, except breaking out a cheese, and distributing it amongst -the crew, fore and aft. This humble fare, being so long deprived of, -we hailed with acclamation, and partook of with avidity. This method -of observing Christmas was persisted in during the voyage; on one, -however, nothing either in the fare, or relaxation of discipline, -served to mark the anniversary; on another we were agreeably surprised -by the steward’s making mince pies for the whole ship’s company. New -England men pay very little heed to the coming of Christmas day, -they having been accustomed from childhood to regard Thanksgiving as -a much more important holiday; and as they cannot tell at sea when -Thanksgiving day comes, the only holiday left is the Fourth of July; -and two out of the three recurrences of this glorious day, whilst I -was aboard the ship, were unmarked by<span class="pagenum" id="Page_72">[Pg 72]</span> a single circumstance to note -it; I well remember the mate’s answer to one of the crew, who in reply -to his order to get up the spun yarn machine, laughingly said that it -was Fourth of July. The curt answer was, “Yes! it is Fourth of July -at home, but not here.” In the evening, after the quarter watch was -set, the accordeon, drum, fife, tamborine, fiddle, and triangle, were -pressed into service, and all the national airs performed thereon with -great glee.</p> - -<p>The New Year found us on the coast of New Holland in sight of Cape -Leuwin. This portion of Australia presents rather an indifferent -appearance, viewed from the ocean; it being barren, apparently, over -a great part of its extent, and where vegetation does appear, it is -low and scanty. Off this cape is a great resort for sperm whales, and -at almost all seasons of the year American whalers are to be seen, -standing off and on, patiently awaiting the appearance of the cachalot. -At the time that we reached this ground, the ships were just resorting -here from the coast of Africa and Island of Madagascar, we spoke and -gammoned a number, varying from eight to thirty months from home, and -having from one hundred to two thousand barrels of oil aboard. On the -fifth, a gale of wind having but just abated, leaving a heavy swell on -the surface of the ocean, we saw sperm whales. We lowered for them at -7¹⁄₂ o’clock A. M.; at 8 the starboard boat fastened to a large one, -and a moment afterward we followed with the waist boat. The larboard -boat, in trying to imitate us, was struck by the whale’s flukes and -stove. She filled, and her crew were obliged to swim for their lives -to the bow boat, in which they were conveyed<span class="pagenum" id="Page_73">[Pg 73]</span> to the ship. They had -managed to get one iron into the whale before being stoven; but the -boatsteerer, undaunted, when up to his waist in water, darted his -second iron at the animated target, striking his mark, but not with -sufficient force to fasten solid. Their line entwining around ours, -prevented us hauling on to and despatching him; and whilst we were -dallying, away he went to windward, towing us faster than a steamboat, -the water breaking completely over us. Our boat was one-third full all -the time, and it was only by unremitting bailing, by two of our number, -that we kept her afloat. This continued for hours, until the ship was -only seen as a speck in the horizon. The whales were darting here, -there, and everywhere—ahead, astern, and under us—and the officer -only prevented their getting afoul of us by repeated lancings; whilst -our boats were tossed to and fro. The boatsteerer of the starboard -boat was pitched out, but he caught the gunwale and soon recovered his -position. Immediately after the line ran foul, our boat capsized and -was taken down. I jumped, as soon as I found that she was going over, -kicked off my shoes, and swam for the other boat, the line of which -had been cut as soon as they discovered our mishap. On getting into -the boat, I found that three others were all right, and directly our -second mate made his appearance and was assisted in. He stated that -the line had become twisted around his ankle, but, fortunately, he had -the sheath-knife in his hand when he went down, and cut himself loose. -The tub oarsman got in with his hand seriously cut, evidently by a -lance which he must have come in contact with under water. As soon as -we counted those in the boat, the amidship<span class="pagenum" id="Page_74">[Pg 74]</span> oarsman was found to be -missing, and as we knew that he could not swim, we were apprehensive -that he was drowned; but on the instant his head made its appearance, -and I shoved him an oar, with which he supported himself until picked -up. After finding all safe, we laughed at the accident, and looking -around for the whale, discovered him apparently taking a view of -us—his profuse bleeding rendering it impossible for him to sound. -On our approach he gradually receded from us stern foremost. We were -twelve in a boat, almost out of sight of the ship, and had anything -happened to our boat at this stage of the operation, some, if not -all of us, would have lost the numbers of our mess; but Providence -protected us, and we came off harmless. On going on to the whale to -lance him, the monster would roll on his side, display his enormous -jaw, and attempt to seize the boat with it. This was repeated a number -of times, when those in the ship, which had been gradually nearing us, -discovering only one boat, and that full of men, they lowered away two -boats. One went in pursuit of the capsized boat, while the other came -to our assistance, and fastened to the whale, discharging three-bomb -lances into him. These caused him to roll and groan, but not producing -a fatal effect, our boat returned to the ship for more, which were -likewise deposited in his carcass; but it was not until sundown that -he rolled fin out, and was brought alongside. We secured him for the -night, and the next morning proceeded to cut him in. This is a very -different operation from cutting-in a right whale; the two species -being totally dissimilar. The first move with the sperm whale is<span class="pagenum" id="Page_75">[Pg 75]</span> to -separate the head from the body, and when the jaw is loose, heave it -in. Cutting off the head consumes, if a large whale is the subject, -from two to four hours, according to the dexterity of the manipulator; -if a proficient handles the spade, it is a work of but little trouble, -but if a bungler, he wearies everybody’s patience out beside his own. -The head, when completely clear, is made fast to the ship’s quarter -by a strong chain, and the body then hove in. When the small is -cleared away, the head is hooked on to and hove out of the water, then -separated into two portions, known as the case and junk, and separately -hove in. If the whale is very large the case is bailed overboard, so -as not to endanger the ship’s spars by so heavy a heave—in this case -we hove it in. Whilst heaving in our last body piece, to which the -flukes were attached, they swung around and knocked the second mate and -a boatsteerer overboard, with spades in their hands. They soon were -recovered and on deck safe again.</p> - -<p>We now had him all aboard. The jaw was dragged forward and secured, -and several employed in cutting the blubber from the pans; it measured -twenty feet in length and had in it forty-eight ivory teeth, many -of them weighing a pound or more. The case was then opened, and a -boatsteerer jumped into and prepared to dip out the unctuous matter, -which in this part of the head is fluid; for what purpose designed I -know not, but no doubt it is a provision of Providence that has its -uses, although we cannot discern them. From this vast receptacle for -oil we bailed some twelve barrels of the pure spermaceti. The junk -was then cut into horse pieces, and these, with<span class="pagenum" id="Page_76">[Pg 76]</span> the other blubber -from around the head and jaw, were rendered out and stowed in casks -marked “head;” it being by far the most valuable portion of the whale, -and commanding a better price. The head of the sperm whale generally -yields about two-fifths of the oil procured from the entire fish. After -finishing with the head matter, we proceeded with the residue the -same as with the right whale formerly mentioned. On boiling the body -blubber, we found it exceedingly poor, and were not at all surprised at -the whole yield being only seventy-two barrels—his size auguring at -least a hundred. He was seventy-five feet long.</p> - -<p>In appearance, this whale does not bear the slightest resemblance to -the right whale—its massive head differing from the latter; neither -has it the bonnet, as the right whale, infested by barnacles and -vermin; its body is not so thick; it is longer, and on the back, near -the small, a ridge rises which is known as the bump; the flukes, too, -are smaller; and the skin, instead of being black as ebony, is of a -slate color, frequently mottled with white—around the head presenting -an appearance like marbling; beneath the skin, on the head, is found -short, stiff, hair, and between the hair and skin an alkaline substance -which is a solvent for oil—it is used for washing clothing and the -paint work.</p> - -<p>After our whale was stowed below and finished with, we remained off -the Leuwin for a few weeks, seeing whales but once, and then just at -nightfall. So the captain said, one fine morning, that he thought he -had waited long enough for the whales, and that now they might wait -for him. He ordered the helm<span class="pagenum" id="Page_77">[Pg 77]</span> hard up, and we went bowling away before -a ten knot breeze toward Vasse—a settlement situated in Geographe -Bay, a short distance to the northward of Cape Leuwin. Soon we could -see the breakers dashing and surging over the inhospitable coast, and -at 7 o’clock P. M. let go our port anchor in three and a half fathoms -of water, about three miles distant from the shore. We found several -other whalers at anchor, and two more came in the same evening. From -the ship the country looked low, sandy, and bushy. The next day we went -ashore for the purpose of procuring fresh water, and found that we had -an onerous task; as the casks were towed ashore and rolled about a -quarter of a mile to the wells, over a sandy, uneven road, into which -the pedestrian sank knee deep at every step. On arriving at the wells, -the water had to be dipped up by bucketsful from a depth of twelve -feet; nor was the water very good, it being produced from the sea by -filtration through the sand, which deprived it of its saline matter. -On filling our casks, finding it impossible to roll them through the -sand, we took our raft rope and laid it in a continuous line, rolled -a cask upon it, brought the end of the rope over it, and thus, all -hands taking hold, we succeeded in parbuckling them, one by one, to the -beach. I had often heard it sung that Jordan was a hard road to travel, -and whilst engaged in this occupation, beneath a burning sun and over -the scorching sand, I thought that it would not have been inappropriate -to substitute Geographe for Jordan; as a harder road to travel I defy -any one to point out. Thus we toiled, day after day, until we had four -hundred barrels of water<span class="pagenum" id="Page_78">[Pg 78]</span> in our ship’s hold, when liberty commenced. -This is always a season of rejoicing amongst sailors, but it would be -impossible to give a perfect description of the manner in which they -enjoy themselves, and the mad pranks they cut whilst their liberty -lasts. Imagine, if you can, a school of the most mischievous urchins -let loose, with perfect freedom to enact all the mischief they are -capable of, and you can form a faint idea of Jack ashore in a foreign -port. Some have hired horses and are riding double, one facing forward, -the other in the opposite direction, kicking, spurring, and urging the -nag onward, occasionally getting a fall which is productive of nothing -but a hearty laugh, the loose sand protecting the dismounted cavalier -from injury; and ten chances to one, after recovering his feet, the -unseated one would grasp the animal’s tail to mount again. I remember -a case of one of our crew, who, burning to distinguish himself, went -ashore, hired a horse, and rode off into the bush at full speed. The -beast, being better accustomed to bush ranging than his rider, in the -course of an hour made his appearance alone; and, on search being -instituted, the gay horseman was discovered hanging in the forked -branch of a tree, in such a position that he could not extricate -himself without assistance, and even then his garments were rather the -worse for wear.</p> - -<p>The oldsters, when ashore, of course, resorted to the grog shop and -got merry; the younger ones, burning to emulate them, were soon half -seas over, and rolling around in too heavy a style even for a sailor. -The first day, however, settled the affair, as on the following one -the youngsters discovered that the way of the transgressor is hard; -for they had to<span class="pagenum" id="Page_79">[Pg 79]</span> pay the penalty of a disordered stomach and severe -headache. On the next liberty-day Bacchus had but few votaries.</p> - -<p>I will now endeavor to give a slight description of the town of -Vasse. The town and bay take their name from a French vessel and her -master—the town from the captain, and the bay from the vessel. She -was cast away here years ago, and remnants of her timbers are still -to be seen. After half a mile’s wading through the sand, we came -to the outskirts of the town; the first house was a grog-shop, the -second a smithery, the third a grog-shop, and, half a mile farther on, -another groggery; so that it was easily to be seen that the Maine Law -had not yet gone into operation in this vicinity. Three grogshops, -in a village of about one hundred inhabitants, are rather more than -one would suppose were needed; but all seemed to be doing a thriving -business, everybody, men, women, and children, indiscriminately -going to the bars and drinking miserable spirits, for which they pay -six-pence sterling, equivalent to twelve cents of our money, per glass. -Then again, within a compass of a few miles, numerous sawyers are -employed, who, after laboring hard for two, three, or six months, and -accumulating a sum of money, resort to the village, and, to use their -own expression, proceed to knock their earnings down. This they soon -effect, and return to their old employment, when forced to, for want -of funds to continue their carousal. The ticket of leave men, too, who -are mostly employed in this section by the government, in repairing -roads and public works at certain seasons of the year, are allowed a -short time for<span class="pagenum" id="Page_80">[Pg 80]</span> recreation; and recreation to this people is only known -in intoxication, and hence they too are amongst the publican’s best -customers.</p> - -<p>The aborigines are a slender made people, with faces and bodies as -dark as a negro’s, but with straight hair. Their features, to me, are -unpleasing, and they heighten the disgusting expression by besmearing -the cheeks, forehead, and the fore part of the hair with a reddish -clay, resembling Spanish brown, mixed with oil. They are very filthy, -being alive with vermin. Their only clothing consists of a kangaroo -skin, with the hairy side turned in, thrown over the shoulder; this -they call a bouka. The paint they put on their faces they call -willagee. Their weapons consist of a hard piece of wood, shaped like -a half moon, called a boomerang, which they send whizzing through the -air, striking any object they aim at with the most unerring precision. -The spear, too, they dart with exceeding accuracy from a diamond-shaped -piece of wood which they call a womara; they also dart it from the -hand. One morning I had half a dozen children darting for small pieces -of tobacco, which they invariably struck. They have a passion, like all -uncivilized nations, for rum and tobacco. The former they are debarred -from using, from the fact that the government inflicts heavy penalties -on any person who supplies them with the smallest quantity of alcoholic -stimulant. Our fellows, in several cases, got a bottle and carried it -into the bush, and gave them small quantities for the fun of seeing -and hearing them dance and sing; and, indeed, a very small portion of -spirits causes<span class="pagenum" id="Page_81">[Pg 81]</span> them to act more like demons than members of the human -family.</p> - -<p>One afternoon I witnessed a sham battle between about a score of them, -equally divided. Twigs were substituted for their spears; the latter -being pointed, and armed with glass attached by means of a red gum, -are rather dangerous weapons to play with. They charged each other, -rallying and retreating, and, when opportunities presented, darting -their weapons, all the time making a hoarse guttural sound, and -becoming much excited. The sport continued for some time, and, after -they had finished, tobacco was given to them. One of them demurring -at the quantity in rather an outrageous style, was cooly knocked head -over heels, and this arousing a combatant spirit amongst our crew, the -whole of the natives, in a few moments, were flying as if for dear life -from the vicinity. From observation on different occasions, I should -say that the men are possessed of no courage; the women fight brutal -battles with each other, armed with sticks, and never succumb until -powerless from exertion or injury. But few, if any, of the females whom -I have seen, were not covered with welts, thicker than one’s finger, on -the back and breast, the result, no doubt, in many instances, of these -encounters: but they have a custom, I am told, of abrading their flesh -on the death of a relative, and to this cause is assigned most of the -scars they are covered with. They, like the men, are dressed with the -bouka or kangaroo skin, and are squalid, dirty, lewd, and ignorant. -Anything, a chew of tobacco, or a mouthful of biscuit, will cause<span class="pagenum" id="Page_82">[Pg 82]</span> -these libels on the name of women to forget the allegiance due to their -lords.</p> - -<p>In the summer these people sleep in the open air, making, towards -sundown, a fire in the bush, and sleeping with their feet to the fire. -In winter they build rude huts of twigs and reeds, about four feet -high, and large enough for two or three individuals, and here they, -having in their hunting season collected provisions enough to subsist -on, huddle together and sleep away the rainy season, which usually -lasts about five months. Their food comprises almost everything that -is endowed with life—kangaroos, snakes, iguanas, and grubs being -their dainties; and if in the neighborhood where a bullock is killed, -they greedily flock to the spot, secure the entrails, and devour them -without cleansing. They are also very fond of the flesh of the whale; -and if by accident one comes ashore on the coast, or they take one at -either of the fisheries in the bay, they resort to the spot in great -numbers and devour the meat, fresh or putrid, without cooking. The -women back all the burdens, beside carrying the children; the child, -perfectly naked, sits astride on the mother’s shoulder, with the hands -firmly clasped in her hair, and in this manner they travel miles with -them. Some of the children carried in this way are of so light a -complexion, as to excite strong suspicion of amalgamation with some -of the whites in the neighborhood. The women, beside the child, carry -a bag, into which all the surplus provision is stored. Impelled by -curiosity, I one day bargained for a sight into one of these mysterious -receptacles, and for a plug of tobacco had revealed to my sight half a -dozen grubs, several<span class="pagenum" id="Page_83">[Pg 83]</span> snails, part of a toad, a snake, roots and herbs. -The snakes they will not eat without they have been present at the -time they were killed, being fearful that the snake, on being wounded, -should have bitten himself. These people are remarkable for accuracy -of vision and keen scent. For the former quality they are occasionally -carried out by whaleships, for the purpose of looking out from the -masthead; and I have been told by those who were shipmates with them, -that they could discern a spout or sail at as great a distance with the -naked eye, as a practised hand could with the glass. The last mentioned -quality causes them to be employed by the government in tracking -convicts who have taken to the bush, by captains of whaleships to -recover deserters, and by the settlers to track up their stray cattle. -In all these pursuits they are said to be infallible; although when -they arrive at the runaway, if he present a bold face to them, they -will not molest him; and unless they have a white man with them to urge -them on, they will retreat empty-handed. They have a wholesome dread of -fire-arms, and some of their race having seen a revolving pistol, has -impressed on most of them the supernatural character of the weapon; and -the “little fellow,” as they call it, is to them a great bug-a-boo.</p> - -<p>On the strictest inquiry I could not discover that they had any -religion. The only inkling that I received of their ideas of hereafter, -was the fear they expressed of jing-ge, a word synonymous to the -English word devil; whether they have gleaned this idea from their -intercourse with the whites, or that it is traditionary with them, I -have no means of ascertaining.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_84">[Pg 84]</span></p> - -<p>These people are in the extremest degree indolent, and are only induced -to do even the slightest job or errand, by promising them a meal upon -its performance. If the employer good naturedly bestows the recompense -when they are partly through, or the black fellow has had anything to -eat previously, all efforts to induce him to return to the work are -futile—words and blows being equally useless. On the appearance of -whaleships in the bay, they resort to the town, and every member of -said ships on going ashore is importuned for hard bread and tobacco, or -an old jack-knife; and if the donor gives to all who ask him, he soon -finds his stock of edibles and patience entirely exhausted.</p> - -<p>There are no musical instruments among them; their vocal music is -monotonous, and sounds harshly to the ear. At certain seasons of the -year they meet for the purpose of having a “corroborie” as they call -it, to which every member wears his best bouka; and when assembled they -vie with each other in grotesque grimaces and contortions, both of form -and feature.</p> - -<p>These people are protected by the laws equally with the whites in -this section. Some few hundred miles to the northward, at a locality -known as Port Gregory, it is but a word and a blow; the blow, which is -generally fatal, coming first. In the latter neighborhood, depredations -committed on the settlers are the causes of their harsh treatment. -Some few of them, when young, have been taken, educated and clothed -in the European fashion, but in vain; they always prefer life in the -bush, with their own people, to all the advantages of civilization, and -only return to<span class="pagenum" id="Page_85">[Pg 85]</span> their benefactors when forced by hunger to do so. This -often happens, as they are exceedingly improvident. Their mode is, on -obtaining food, to gorge themselves to repletion, and then to sleep -or hulk about until Providence sends them another supply, or hunger -compels them to seek it.</p> - -<p>These Australians contrast very unfavorably with our aborigines (the -North American Indians), being possessed of all their bad qualities, -without a single one of their redeeming traits; the same love of rum -and tobacco, and a mean habit of pilfering, without their perseverance -in the chase and bravery in conflict. I shall now, for the present, -bid them farewell, though, as my narrative proceeds, I will again have -occasion to revert to them.</p> - -<p>As this settlement is part of a penal colony to which Great Britain -consigns her malefactors, for from five years to the duration of their -lives, to atone for offences against the laws of their country, the -society is not, consequently, what we at home would call select; but, -such as it is, it has its aristocracy. Although the majority of the -inhabitants are convicts, some of whom have served out their term of -punishment, the word convict amongst themselves is never used—it being -apparently banished, by common consent, from their conversation. The -convicts here form three grades—the members of the first, comprising -those whose sentences have not been ameliorated, are under the strict -surveillance of the government, and employed on government work. The -second class are known as “ticket of relief holders;” these, for -uniform good conduct, receive this ticket, which entitles them to -choose their own employers and place<span class="pagenum" id="Page_86">[Pg 86]</span> of residence; but at the same -time they are expected to give information as to where they reside to -the police, and to be within doors at 8 o’clock in the evening. If -these ticket holders continue to conduct themselves in a praiseworthy -manner, they then receive a conditional pardon, which entitles them -to leave the country, but at the same time debars them from returning -to Great Britain or Ireland; or, if condemned in the colonies, from -returning to the place of conviction; permission is, however, accorded -to them to take up their residence in any other part of this colony, -or in any colony under the control of the English government—England, -by this precaution, guarding against the return of her prison -population to her own shore. Hence these men, knowing that the stigma -of conviction will cling to their skirts as long as they remain in -this country, anxiously desire to embark in whalers—the United States -being, in their eyes, the land of promise—and in this way numbers -of emigrants of very doubtful character land on our shores. It is -customary for whale-ships to engage some of these men; occasionally -discharging their entire original crew, and shipping these in their -places. We had a number of them during the voyage, and in this port we -shipped two. I cannot but deprecate the practice of introducing men -of such vicious antecedents, into a forecastle in which are American -youths, who, by intercourse with such people, begin quickly to have -very crude ideas of morality; and, unless there is some strong-minded -person, with a clear, cool head, to rebut their specious arguments, -they exercise an injurious influence on the minds of the young.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_87">[Pg 87]</span></p> - -<p>During the remainder of our stay in this port, we were engaged in -giving liberty, boating ashore goods that had been sold or exchanged -for potatoes—other vegetables not being procurable. Beef was furnished -sparingly, it being alleged that a sufficient supply of it could not -be procured; but as I then was, and since have been informed, that -thousands of cattle were within a short distance of the town, the story -requires confirmation to make it credible.</p> - -<p>The articles chiefly disposed of here were Yankee notions—fancy shoes, -soap, calicos, saddles, and other such stores. Formerly the whalers -that resorted to these ports for provisions found a market for all -their surplus articles; but, at the present time, over-importation has -caused a total stoppage of their trade, except at ruinous prices. Every -whale-ship that comes into this vicinity brings tons of tobacco in her -outfit, and very little, if any, duty is paid upon it—it being mostly -smuggled ashore. On the starting of a ship for port, the foremast hands -always resort to the slop-chest for tobacco, which they carry ashore -and dispose of at three times its original price; thus eking out their -liberty-money to a respectable sum, and, much or little, expending it -quickly.</p> - -<p>The excise is guarded by the police, who, as a matter of form, look -into every boat that comes in; but I have never seen any difficulty in -carrying ashore, anywhere in the colony, twenty or thirty pounds of the -weed about the person; and, once ashore, purchasers are readily found.</p> - -<p>A few Americans are to be found here, in every case deserters from -whaleships; who invariably, if at all attentive to business, in the -course of a few years,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_88">[Pg 88]</span> accumulate an independence; but, unfortunately, -they are too apt to imbibe a taste for that curse of this country, rum, -and live from hand to mouth, until, becoming unsettled and weary, they -embark aboard another whaler, and in time get home, having little or -nothing due them, after a voluntary exile of eight or ten years from -home and friends.</p> - -<p>On the second liberty-day, given to the larboard watch, Kedge Anchor -took French leave and fled to the bush for concealment. For some -days we saw nothing of him; but, after a week’s absence, he was at -the beach, very anxious to get aboard on any conditions. He returned -miserably filthy and covered with vermin; his clothing almost gone, and -what he had left was all of one color, from wallowing in his various -sleeping places. Whilst ashore, he was under the guidance of a fellow, -who, by flaming accounts of the condition of the country, induced him -to desert, intending to apply to our captain for his berth. On Kedge’s -return, he was greeted with laughter, in which he heartily joined; and, -as it was impossible to get angry at him, he escaped with a reprimand; -the captain at the same time assuring him, that if, at any future time, -he repeated the attempt, he would not allow him to return aboard. What -effect this had we shall discover as we proceed.</p> - -<p>At 10¹⁄₂ A. M. on the morning of February 12th, the ship James Allen, -and barque Henry M. Crapo, hove up their ground tackle and stood out to -sea. The captain of the James Allen had been vaunting of the speed of -his ship, and confidently asserting that she would outsail any ship or -barque in the harbor, he issued a challenge. We hove up at 11 o’clock,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_89">[Pg 89]</span> -half an hour later than he, and in the course of two hours had both the -Crapo and James Allen on our lee quarter. As we passed the latter, our -captain facetiously desired them to let go that <em>hawser</em>. They -were too badly beaten to answer without displaying their chagrin; they -therefore were discreet, and said not a word. As this ship was our -consort from this time until July, 1857, I shall describe her and her -appointments. Like us, she was built from an old fashioned model, but -was a much younger ship. Her captain was of a diminutive person, and -strove to atone for his small size by blustering; his first officer, -who, from all accounts, governed the ship, delighted in a display -of pugilistic powers, and kicked, cuffed, and boxed the men on the -slightest provocation. She was two months longer from home than we, and -up to this time had taken no oil. One circumstance that I omitted, in -my remarks on Vasse, was the fact of a collation and a ball, held on -board this ship whilst we lay there. Invitations were issued, and the -elite of the vicinity, for miles around, accepted them, and at about -3 o’clock P. M. were conveyed aboard the Allen by the boats of the -vessels in the harbor. All the vessels had their colors hoisted; the -captains and chief mates were the only guests from the vessels. When -the boats with their freight arrived alongside, a chair that had a whip -attached to it was lowered, the ladies, singly, placed in it, and, -reposing on the American flag, hoisted aboard. Here a canvass screen -was extended across the quarter-deck, just abaft the mainmast, and, -after a hearty repast, a negro fiddler, who is an American by birth, -and the principal headsman at the bay whale-fishery, was<span class="pagenum" id="Page_90">[Pg 90]</span> called into -requisition, and, with the assistance of a triangle player, discoursed -music for the dancers. Soon the whole assembly were tripping the light -fantastic toe, on the well-worn decks that had faced many a gale. The -scene was pleasing. The coils of rigging, the shrouds, and lower masts -dimly lit up by the globe lanterns, reflecting a striking picture, -and reminding one of the smugglers’ jubilees, after a successful run; -hardy, weather-beaten men, leading in the dance; fair maidens, I was -about to say—but the scathing sun of Australia allows very few females -to boast a fair complexion, although their nut-brown cheeks glow with -health. The respectability of these people I know nothing about, except -from hearsay; but that they were a motley collection I was assured of -the following day, by hearing an old resident, a female, describe their -efforts, or rather the efforts of some of the party, to appear covered -with finery—devoting days to scouring the country and collecting -it. My fair countrywomen must not think me embittered against their -sex, or that I am anxious to do them injustice—God forbid; as a man -and a sailor, I would scorn to do so; but as an American, I feel the -superiority of my countrywomen over all of the sex in other countries -that it has been my privilege to see; and to favorably compare these -females with those of my native country, would, in my eyes, be an -insult to the latter.</p> - -<p>I must advert to another circumstance before taking final leave of the -Vasse for “fifty-six”—that is the existence of the whale-fisheries in -this bay; there being one here, and one thirty miles to the north-east, -at a town known as Bunbry. At certain seasons<span class="pagenum" id="Page_91">[Pg 91]</span> the right and humpback -whales resort to the various bays on this coast for the purpose of -producing their young. A look-out is stationed on an eminence ashore, -and several boat’s crews being near at hand, at the appearance of a -whale the alarm is given, and they start in pursuit. At times their -work is very easy, but if the whale should run out to sea, after being -struck, they are obliged to tow him to the shears, and frequently a -day and night are consumed in this arduous employment. If the whale is -attended by a calf, they always fasten to the latter first, knowing -that the mother, in her solicitude for her offspring, is very careful -not to use her tremendous flukes; or if a humpback, her sweeping fins: -but woe betide the boat, unless an experienced boat-header directs it, -that is in the vicinity when she discovers that her calf is dead. She -then remains close to the lifeless body, striking right and left with -flukes and fins, to avenge her loss; and as the slightest tap from -these formidable weapons would cause destruction, it requires all the -boat-header’s adroitness to avoid them. The officers, boatsteerers, -and, if they can by any means be procured, two-thirds of the crews are -Americans: we having a world-wide reputation for skill in this pursuit.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_92">[Pg 92]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_IV">CHAPTER IV.</h2> -</div> - - -<p>And now we will return to our old barque, that we left beating out of -Geographe bay, having distanced both her competitors, and established -her reputation as a fast ship. At night we shortened sail and stood -quarter watches, and from this time until the middle of the succeeding -month, little occurred to vary the sameness of our life. We were -aroused from inaction by the appearance of sperm whales. The boats were -lowered, and the waist boat fastening, both irons drew. A few minutes -after, the starboard boat fastened to another. These irons holding, -after a two hours’ conflict we had a fine sperm whale alongside the -ship without accident, except the voluntary discharge of the bomb-lance -gun, which, fortunately, was productive of no injury. We had good -weather, and soon he was disposed of in our lower hold. The following -morning after his capture, we saw three other New Bedford ships -employed in cutting in whales, making four of us successful in the -war of extermination against the old squareheaders. The sperm whale, -swimming in immense schools, and always pursuing a direct route, all -ships that lay in their course have a chance at them. I have heard it -asserted that at night these whales heave to, resuming their course -at daybreak; but, although my informants were men who had been in the -service for years,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_93">[Pg 93]</span> I consider this a mistaken opinion, as during the -whole of our voyage I saw nothing to corroborate it. I have seen sperm -whales at dusk, and in the night, and they were always on the move, and -could not be discerned the following morning from the masthead.</p> - -<p>During this month we gammoned the barque Lexington, of New Bedford. -This vessel was in a wretched state, and apprehensions were expressed -by her crew that some misfortune would befall her: she leaked -immoderately, was strained and very weak, and her rigging was so -shattered that they were unable to carry sail, except in moderate -weather. Whilst in company with us she could not hold her position, and -drifted broadside off to leeward. Subsequently her captain carried her -into Mauritius, where she was condemned, and sold, only to be refitted -as a colonial whaler.</p> - -<p>One day, while most of the crew were listlessly reclining on the decks, -the extreme heat rendering exertion fatiguing, we were startled by old -Jack singing out from aloft, “The sea-serpent, the sea-serpent!” On -leaping into the rigging, we saw close to us a long, slender object, -in form resembling a snake. It was of a bright scarlet color, and, -although it moved, I think its motion was produced by the undulation -of the waves, and although Jack assured us that he had often seen them -much larger, and was willing to take his Bible oath that this was -the identical sea-serpent about which so many newspaper articles are -written, I am still inclined to think that it was some marine vegetable -production. It was<span class="pagenum" id="Page_94">[Pg 94]</span> about twenty feet long, and as thick as a man’s -arm; and as the season advanced we saw many of them.</p> - -<p>At another time we were startled from inactivity to see a strange -monster, which the boatsteerer on the main topgallant cross-trees, -on being questioned, could give no explanation of; and it certainly -did present an appearance different from anything I had previously -seen. I was prepared to log the advent of a hitherto undescribed, and, -at present, indescribable inhabitant of the deep, when my romance -was knocked in the head by the captain, who, at the height of the -excitement, stepped to the rail, saw it, and immediately decided that -it was a young fin-back whale scooping up its food, which it did by -swimming along with extended jaws.</p> - -<p>We had now gradually worked up to the northward, until we had arrived -on our cruising ground for the season. This ground is off Shark’s bay, -and extends between twenty and twenty-three degrees of South latitude, -and from one hundred and seven to one hundred and ten degrees of East -longitude. It bears the reputation of a profitable locality for whalers -to cruise in. The bay derives its name from the presence of myriads of -enormous sharks, and all over the ground, when a whale is alongside, -thousands may be seen surrounding the ship, tearing off pieces of -blubber from the whale, and revelling in his blood. They will bite -at anything. I have seen them pursue our wooden buoy, which is used -for attaching the hawser to the whale’s flukes, as it gradually arose -to the surface of the water, and attempt to crush it between their -hideous jaws; and after finding they could make no impression upon -it,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_95">[Pg 95]</span> following it up, occasionally nipping at it as if they did not -understand the consistency of an object that resisted their incisors.</p> - -<p>On Sunday, April 27th, we lowered away for, and captured a fine -sperm whale. The James Allen’s boats lowered at the same time with -ours; they arrived first to the whale, ran on, and darted; but their -boatsteerer missed, and our waist boat, seizing the opportunity, ran on -and fastened. On the following Sunday we again saw sperm whales, and -captured another; on the succeeding day the weather was boisterous, -but we proceeded, in the face of numerous difficulties, to cut him in: -just as we had got him in a good position for hooking on, the fluke -chain parted, and away he went. We lowered away, and a second time -secured him. In attempting to veer, the whale got under the ship, and -it was only by strenuous tugging and hauling that we raised him. At -length we began to cut, and towards noon had the head severed from -the body; but, after various attempts, we gave up all hopes of saving -it; it was then allowed to tow from the quarter; we then went to work -at the body, and at 5 o’clock in the afternoon had it all aboard. The -weather having moderated, we renewed our efforts to save the head, and -succeeded so far as to get it in tow forward, when the hawser parted; -we next attached a studdingsail tack to it; but, although the rope was -large and new, it parted like packthread. A tub of line was then bent -on, and the head allowed to float astern; but in a short time the strap -attached to the head chain parted, and away it went, a total loss, -leaving us with nothing to console us, except the reflection that we -had done all that men could<span class="pagenum" id="Page_96">[Pg 96]</span> do, to save it. I noticed throughout this -arduous day’s work, the general alacrity of the crew in striving to do -their utmost, and could not but comment on the advantages of giving -each man a proportion of the vessel’s earnings, instead of monthly -wages; in our case all felt themselves personally interested, and -conducted themselves accordingly.</p> - -<p>It will be noticed that three-fifths of our whaling up to this time, -has been on Sunday, and, subsequently, this day of days proved equally -fortunate for us. I do not wish to defend the practice of Sunday -whaling, and think that if a man makes it an invariable rule to -whale only on week days, that Providence would so dispose it that he -should not be a loser. We saw several of these Sunday ships, as they -are called, and in each instance they had quite as much oil as their -neighbors; at the same time, it takes a strong religious bias to induce -a man who depends upon the capture of whales for an early return to -home and friends, after being separated from all that he holds dear, -perhaps for years, to forego attempting their capture on a Sunday. In -fact, the temptation is strong; and, strange to say, most whalers see -greater numbers of whales on the Sabbath than on any other day.</p> - -<p>Soon afterwards we met the James Allen. Since we last saw her she -had captured a whale, her first—whose lower jaw was snapped short -off—probably in conflict with another of his species. These creatures -are often terribly scarred, and their teeth indented and broken, as if -another whale had locked jaws with them; in which case something must -start.</p> - -<p>In the month of May we gammoned the barque<span class="pagenum" id="Page_97">[Pg 97]</span> Massasoit, of Mattapoisett, -and from her got several terrapins which she procured in Madagascar. -These creatures had lived in her lower hold for twelve months, we kept -them three more; still, when we killed them we found them quite fat, -and had a delicious meal off them. From this ship we also received a -quantity of Madagascar beans, which were most excellent—surpassing, in -richness and flavor, the best of our beans at home. They are about the -size of the Lima bean, the skin being covered with black spots.</p> - -<p>On the 23d of May we spoke the barque Ann, of Sag Harbor, and from her -received papers five and a half months old; they were treasures to us, -and were read with intense interest, advertisements and all coming -in for a share of attention; these papers were full of anticipated -troubles with England, and, of course, this prospect of a war was the -favorite topic. Like all Americans, we felt the superiority of the -universal Yankee nation, and had no fears as to the result in case of -a war with John Bull; and, from the general tenor of the conversation, -I should infer that, in case of emergency, the whalemen would be found -amongst the most strenuous supporters of both army and navy. Another -light also was cast on the subject by some one hoping that we should be -ordered home; and as a war would raise the price of oil, and induce an -earlier return home, both topics of intense interest to us, it cannot -be wondered that we were so much engrossed by them.</p> - -<p>As I before said, we shipped two new men in the Vasse; one of these -was, according to his own account, a renowned pugilist, and had fought -and<span class="pagenum" id="Page_98">[Pg 98]</span> conquered in a dozen fights in the English ring. He was allowed -to vapor for a long time, but one pleasant evening, he went so far as -to offer to fight any man in the forecastle for an English sovereign. -His offer was instantly accepted, and a mere boy was chosen as his -antagonist. In less time than is occupied in the narration, the bully -was describing some queer figures on the forecastle deck—tumbling in -and out of bunks, over chests and kegs, all the time begging piteously -to be let go. After a few minutes of this violent exercise, he was -allowed to get up, thoroughly convinced that a Yankee hug was at any -time a puzzle for an English pugilist. The following morning he went -to the captain to complain of his ill usage, but the “old skipper” -had already been informed of the merits and demerits of the case, and -received the complainant with an order to clear out and not bother -him; but he was too anxious to make himself heard, and, persisting -in his cock and bull story until the captain was out of patience, he -was rewarded for his pains by an application of the old man’s heavy -boot to his posterior, and a box alongside the ear from his powerful -hand, that sent him forward lamenting, with more alacrity than he had -before displayed aboard the ship. Previous to this occurrence he had -quarrelled with almost every man in the ship, had refused to obey the -mate and was mastheaded for it, and evidently appeared to think that, -because he was an English subject, he was not bound to conform to the -rules of our vessel.</p> - -<p>On the 8th of June, we took our departure from this ground, intending -to touch at the town of Balli, on the island of Lombock, an island a -few degrees<span class="pagenum" id="Page_99">[Pg 99]</span> to the eastward from Java, about a thousand miles from -our present locality—a long journey in the eyes of a landsman, but to -us, who for months had been tossed and banged about at the caprice of -the wind and wave, it was but a part of our customary life; the trip -presenting no more perils than our ordinary daily occupation. And then -again, the sea watches, which are always stood when sail is carried, -afford a pleasant variation, the long-continued quarter watches having -become extremely tiresome. Many slung their hammocks on deck, the -excessive heat of the weather and the bed-bugs combined—the latter -being always in great numbers in old ships—driving them from their -usual sleeping apartments. I remember seeing our Portuguese appear -on deck one night nearly nude, rubbing himself most vigorously, and -swearing volubly in his own language. On my inquiring of him as to what -was the matter, he answered, that “The darned bread boxes would not let -him sleep.” A dozen remedies were proposed with the utmost apparent -seriousness. One advising him to catch them and drown them; another to -pull their teeth out; whilst a third advised him to smear his bed and -bed-clothes with tar, for then they would stick fast and be unable to -get at him. Jeering and pestering the poor fellow until glad to be rid -of his tormentors on deck, he returned to his uncomfortable couch, and -resigned himself to the tender mercies of his tormentors below.</p> - -<p>On our passage up to Balli, which climate has the reputation of -being very unhealthy, the captain advised a thorough cleansing and -whitewashing of the forecastle. No sooner said than done. The try -works<span class="pagenum" id="Page_100">[Pg 100]</span> were pressed into the service, a fire made, the pots filled with -salt water, and, whilst it was heating, the chests, berth furniture, -bed-clothes, and every other movable article, were removed on deck, and -buckets of boiling hot water dashed all over it. Then the whitewash was -mixed, and with a piece of canvass, the ship not being able to boast -the possession of a whitewash brush, a thorough coat was daubed over -everything, and things made to wear a clean and cheerful appearance.</p> - -<p>The old duds assembled on deck formed a curious collection, and as I -noticed them I fancied that I could read the character of the owner by -the appearance of each, and the circumstances under which he left home. -The neatly painted chest, comfortable mattrass and quilt, prepared by -the careful hands of some fond mother or sister, fully proved that -their owner was a New Bedford boy, whose friends knew precisely what -would conduce to his comfort when separated from them by thousands -of miles of ocean waste; whilst the common straw bed, rude pine -box, outfit quilt, with the padding run into one corner, and coarse -blankets, testified that their owner was a reckless, careless fellow, -who, at the time he shipped, cared little for outfit or anything else, -except getting to sea, and, having fallen into the hands of the sharks, -had been shoved aboard and sent afloat with the merest necessaries.</p> - -<p>In the pile, too, may be noticed an assemblage of hats and caps that -would make a hatter stare. During the first six months, all the hats -and caps brought from home, without, perhaps one may have been saved -to wear ashore, were blown overboard, for<span class="pagenum" id="Page_101">[Pg 101]</span> when a man goes up to reef -topsails in a gale, he has as much as he can do to attend to himself -without taking notice of his hat, and, unless it fit him perfectly -tight, he is sure to lose it. Hence, in this collection may be seen -head coverings of kangaroo skin, canvass, dungaree, cloth, and other -materials, in every conceivable shape and make; also straw hats, -made by the native of the Spice Islands, the Arab of the coast of -Africa, the Madagascar negro, the swarthy Portuguese, and the Malay; -all fabricated of different materials, and in different styles; all -answering, equally well, the purpose for which they are designed—that -of protecting the wearer from the seething sun, which has such power in -the native countries of their fabricators.</p> - -<p>After beating about two weeks—the variability of the winds delaying -our passage thus long, while, with a favorable wind and plenty of -it, we would have accomplished it in ninety-six hours—we hove in -sight of the island of Sumbawa—the James Allen accompanying us. -After running for some distance along its coast, delighted with the -scenery—every rock and crevice being covered with vegetation of the -richest green, clusters of cocoa-nut trees rising in every direction, -and all the beauties of tropical verdure opening to our delighted -visions—a mountain, said to be volcanic, came in for a due share of -our attention. Soon we entered the Straits of Allas, and saw Balli -Peak, a mountain of considerable altitude, covered with vegetation. -Whilst at the mouth of the straits, we were greeted with a sight of a -water-spout—a phenomena so often described that for me to attempt it -would be superfluous. I<span class="pagenum" id="Page_102">[Pg 102]</span> will only state that sailors have a belief -that the water of which they are composed, although coming from the -ocean, undergoes, through the sun’s rays, a distillation that deprives -it of its salt. After we entered the straits, we alternately had a -succession of calms and light breezes which detained us for some time; -but, finally, we came to anchor about a mile from the town, in ten -fathoms of water—the James Allen being within a stone’s throw of us. -Near us was a coral reef, which prevents craft, except of light draught -of water, from approaching closer to the town. A number of the native -vessels lay inside of us loading with rice. These vessels are known -as proas—some of them are good sized; they are flat-bottomed, draw -but very little water, and are painted in rude, barbaric style. All -that I saw of any size were rigged as barques, their sails being mats, -manufactured from leaves neatly connected so as to present the surface -to the wind.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_103">[Pg 103]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_V">CHAPTER V.</h2> -</div> - - -<p>Soon after our sails were stowed, a canoe from the town came alongside. -In it were two Malays, who had a cargo of green and ripe cocoa-nuts, -bananas, sugar-cane, tamarinds, pine apples, chickens, and cockatoos. -They were desirous of bartering these articles, not for money, but -sperm whale’s teeth, which they term “gee gees,” and use for handles -to their creeses, after having neatly carved and ornamented them. They -have a perfect passion for these teeth, and having at one time exposed -to their view a very handsome one, I was beset and pestered by these -people, ashore and aboard, to sell it. Having no desire to dispose of -it, I at first only laughed at their offers, but when one plucked me -by the sleeve and offered me a dozen chickens for it, and another his -whole stock in trade to become its possessor, I wavered and let it go.</p> - -<p>The cocks, of which half a dozen were purchased, displaying -considerable game, two were pitted against each other, and, as quickly -as one was beaten, another was backed against the victor, until they -were tired of fighting, when their heads were cut off, and we supped -upon the belligerents.</p> - -<p>The captain went ashore and found that no American or European ship had -been here for several years.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_104">[Pg 104]</span></p> - -<p>In the evening great numbers of the natives came down and waded -into the water; at first I thought they were bathing, but afterward -discovered that they were engaged in fishing for a diminutive fish, -which I think, from their appearance, must have been sardines. On -the ensuing morning, the captain having learned that we lay in a -bad position, we hove up our anchor and ran a short distance to the -northward, and again came to in the same depth of water. During this -day we were occupied in getting off water, and reeving new lanyards -to our lower rigging; and this laborious work in latitude 8°, was -rather warm. We were visited by many boats from the shore, and at -noon had a comfortable dinner of sweet potatoes, rice, chickens, &c. -On the succeeding day the starboard watch went ashore on liberty, -each member of it provided with half a dozen yards of gaudy-colored, -large-figured calico. We walked about half a mile from the landing, -and came to anchor at the market, where we found a concourse of -men, women, and children, with their wares exposed to view, busily -soliciting purchasers. This market was situated in the open air, near -by a cocoa-nut grove. They had for sale monkeys, parrots, cockatoos, -cooked and uncooked rice, poultry, limes, lemons, oranges, and figs, -besides the fruits before mentioned. These last were to be bought -for a song, and as we had been so long without these luxuries, -they were freely indulged in; but what suited my palate best was -the banana fried in cocoa-nut oil, which an old woman was busily -engaged preparing—plucking the fruit from the tree and cooking it. -Our appearance set these merchants agog, but they were<span class="pagenum" id="Page_105">[Pg 105]</span> not at all -obtrusive, and waited until we directed our attention to them before -they approached us; then they surrounded us, a dozen at a time asking, -how much this was, all their English; but we were not anxious to part -with our goods before discovering the state of the market. Soon a -man joined us whose complexion presented a queer appearance, being -formed of half a dozen different shades, arranged in spots, differing -in size as in color, from the size of a five cent piece to that of -a silver dollar, and in shade from a light yellow to a deep copper -tint; he was well made, and had the appearance and manners of one -of the better class; he conversed in intelligible sailor English, -mixed with French and Spanish, and evidently considered himself a -great linguist. From his account of himself I suppose that he was the -rajah’s clerk. He seemed anxious for me to describe, on the sand, some -English speaking, as he termed it; and after I had complied with his -request, he, in return, took the stick and drew several characters to -me unintelligible. He stated that his name was Woreka, and, as this was -difficult of remembrance, he was, by common consent, christened John, -and seemed quite proud of his title. He assumed the office of chaperone -to us, and through his instrumentality quite a number disposed of their -calico. I was importuned for some time, by a native, for mine, and -finally agreed to let him have it for four hundred pice. After some -demurrage, he agreed to purchase it, but did not possess sufficient -current funds about him. He desired me, by signs, to accompany him to -his house, where, he said, he had plenty; and on my reiterating the -price, he repeated, “I sabe,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_106">[Pg 106]</span> I sabe,” with much emphasis. On arriving -at his house he handed the calico to his wife, who was as much pleased -with it as an American child would be with a toy. Her spouse proceeded -up stairs to procure the money, and whilst he was gone I had leisure to -observe the inmates of the room. The wife, a young woman, apparently -about twenty years of age, had the most perfect set of features I ever -beheld, and hair, which, if loosed, would flow almost to the ground, -of the glossiest black; her complexion was about as dark as that of -our Indian squaws; her eyes, black and piercing—lips red as a cherry; -her form full of grace, and straight as an arrow. She reminded me of -the pictures I had seen of oriental princesses; and, certainly, a more -graceful or prettier queen never wielded sceptre. The other occupants -were an old woman and several children. By the time I had finished -my scrutiny mine host returned, and presented me with a quantity of -Chinese coin, which I found fell one hundred pice short of the price -agreed upon. I informed him of his mistake, but as all I received for -answer was “I sabe,” I demanded the restitution of the calico. For -this purpose he advanced to his wife to obtain it, and when she, who -had been watching us closely, discovered my intention of depriving her -of her prize, her pretty features contracted into a malignant frown, -her eyes shone like diamonds, so fierce were their expression, whilst -she stamped her little bare foot indignantly at the affront she deemed -imposed upon her. In consideration of the lady’s disappointment, and -from the fact of my being separated some half a mile from my comrades, -in the midst of a village containing hundreds<span class="pagenum" id="Page_107">[Pg 107]</span> of Malays, I was on the -point of yielding; but the lady’s rage found vent in words, which, -although I did not understand, from her glances and gestures I knew -were directed at me; and I have no doubt that, if I were able to -translate it, it would rival the Billingsgate vocabulary. I in turn -became warm at finding myself the object of vituperation, even from -such rosy lips; and then reflecting how my story would sound when told -to my shipmates—betraying how I, one of the oldest amongst them, was -overreached by a Malay, I remained firm; and getting possession of my -calico, left the house and the dusky lady—the latter to continue her -vituperations to her heart’s content, now that I was out of ear-shot. -Some who read this may think me foolish in allowing it to nettle me; -but I know of nothing more vexing, even to a patient man, than to be -made the subject of abuse, when he cannot understand his villifier’s -language, and is compelled to submit without being able to say a word -in justification of himself. I walked off with my goods, and, to -avoid a recurrence of such a scene disposed of it to the first who -offered, receiving in exchange four strings of pice, small Chinese -coin, composed of a mixture of brass and copper, impressed with Chinese -characters, each having a square hole in the centre. I met several -others of my shipmates furnished in the same way. They being too bulky -to carry in our pockets we were forced to carry them in our hands; one -of our number had his strung on a stick and slung over his shoulder; -the Malays carry them at their girdles. After having expended a few of -them for fruit, and one hundred and fifty each for our dinners, the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_108">[Pg 108]</span> -balance were thrown by handsful amongst the children, for the fun of -seeing the naked little urchins scrambling for them. Our dinner we -procured from our friend John, who furnished us with a very palatable -repast of bread fruit, cocoa-nuts, yams, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, -chickens, eggs, and rice. The chickens were stewed and seasoned to a -high degree with Cayenne pepper, of which condiment these people are -excessively fond, and, of course, think strangers are, or should be. -After dinner a drum and a couple of gongs were produced, and several -natives beat them for some time, making nothing like music to my ears. -When their performance had ceased, one of our fellows seized the drum, -and another, having his accordeon ashore, they began to play Yankee -Doodle; this was home music to us, and was received with a burst of -enthusiasm. One of our number, who had served in the Mexican war, -formed the men in line, with bamboo poles in the stead of muskets, -with which as many manœuvres were performed as would have excited the -awkward squad to emulation. The natives looked on with great glee. Our -friend John had purchased, from one of the party, a blue coat with -brass buttons, and a double-barreled pistol without a lock; the coat -he wore, whilst the pistol was displayed in a prominent position; and -with these additions to his usual accoutrements he strutted around, the -beheld of all beholders. Feeling his dignity much increased by them, a -razor was shown him, to which he took a great fancy, and insisted on -being shaved with it, after which he purchased it. Edge tools, such -as sheath and jack knives, scissors, &c., are eagerly sought for by -these people; even a<span class="pagenum" id="Page_109">[Pg 109]</span> piece of iron hoop is of value, and a foot of -it will procure for the possessor a day’s regalement. Their creeses, -one of which each male carries, are short swords, from eighteen inches -to two feet in length, irregularly shaped, and made of an unpolished -soft metal; they are carried in neat wooden sheaths; the handles are -of ivory, beautifully carved and ornamented. This is not the work of -the Malay, but of the Chinese; and the fact explains the eagerness with -which they purchase whale’s teeth—their hardness, and the superior -whiteness of the ivory, rendering them peculiarly applicable for this -purpose. These weapons are used by them in their encounters with wild -beasts, more particularly the tiger, which infests these islands. -Usually, when the tiger seizes his prey, they told us, he catches his -victim by the calico which encircles the waist, thus leaving his arms -free; then the Malay, feeling for the shoulder-blade, inserts his -creese, and, piercing the beast’s heart, relieves himself from his -cruel enemy. Their descriptions of their encounters with the tiger I am -inclined to think are, to a great extent, bombast; as from observation, -I have little faith in their confidence in themselves or weapons—one -of the boatsteerers belonging to the James Allen, when under the -influence of their abominable toddy, driving a score of them before -him with a good sized cudgel. Beside their creeses, each carries in -his girdle a box containing the beetle-nut, of which he takes a large -piece enveloped in a green leaf, belonging to I know not what plant, -and swallows it with great gusto. This practice, which is to them as -much of a necessity as tobacco is to a sailor, blackens their teeth -to<span class="pagenum" id="Page_110">[Pg 110]</span> an ebon tinge, and, I should judge, ruined them; as few, even of -the youngest of those who have arrived at maturity, have anything but -stumps of teeth. They also use the tobacco which grows on the island, -known to seamen as “shag tobacco.” It has little taste, and when -smoked, exhales an unpleasant odor; grows in threads and looks like -saffron.</p> - -<p>Here, as in all barbaric countries, the women are obliged to do the -principal part of the work, and they may be seen walking in Indian file -from the rice fields to the granary, each carrying on her head a large -basket; the whole being under the guidance of a strapping Malay, who, -from appearance, is anything but an easy taskmaster. We saw but very -little of the unmarried females, except at a distance; they were, for -the most part, engaged in weaving a cloth of alternate gaudy colors. -On our approach the weavers would drop their work and run like deer. -We examined their looms, and one who, at home, had been a weaver, said -that they were on the same principle as our hand-looms. The reason -ascribed for the timidity of the females was, that some years ago -a Spanish vessel of war visited the town, and the crew, on getting -ashore, indulging in anise until drunk, indiscriminately violated -and otherwise maltreated the women. We could occasionally detect -them peeping out, to have a look at us, from some secure retreat. No -liberties could be taken, for the first two days, with any of them, -when an acute fellow, moved by a spirit, not unlike Yankee speculation, -procured prostitutes from an adjacent town; but he overshot his mark, -as the liberty was then stopped, and those ashore on duty were not -provided<span class="pagenum" id="Page_111">[Pg 111]</span> with available funds. There is a system of slavery here; and -John showed me a woman, whom he said would die—indeed, she appeared -in the last stages of disease—informing me at the same time that she -had cost him eight dollars, but that he would sell her to me for three. -Having no desire to be possessed of a human chattel in this part of -the world, I declined his accommodating offer. I could not detect any -difference in the races; both master and slave were, apparently, of one -family.</p> - -<p>There are two Chinese merchants located here, who appear to monopolize -the whole trade of the town; they had a mart filled with china ware, -vermilion, cards, and various articles of Chinese manufacture; amongst -which they displayed, as very desirable articles, some disgusting -licentious paintings on glass—the workmanship and coloring displaying -no mean artistic skill. They were eager to display their possessions, -and showed us a large camphor-wood chest, filled with pice; but, -although the natives were continually passing in and out, the merchants -manifested no apprehension of theft; they seemed systematic in their -business, and, like all Celestials, considered themselves the only -civilized nation on the face of the globe.</p> - -<p>The houses the Malays inhabit are built of bamboo; the first floor is -raised some six or eight feet from the ground, and the second about ten -feet above the first; the floors are of split bamboo. These houses are -airy and commodious; in the rainy season the inmates thatch the roof -and cover the sides with mats, to protect themselves from the weather.</p> - -<p>The canoes, generally, are built of tamarind-wood,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_112">[Pg 112]</span> having outriggers -on each side to prevent capsizing; they are propelled by a paddle in -the bow, and one on the quarter, and when the occupants are hurried -they skim along with great velocity. One man will go out in his -canoe, drop anchor, and smoke and fish all day long. Seeming to think -the straits belong to them, they will neither move nor turn out for -anybody. One day when we were towing a raft of water aboard, one of -these canoes lay directly in our course. Finding gestures and the -king’s English ineffectual in clearing the way, we merely sheered our -boats so as to pass; but the raft continuing its course, caught in the -outrigger of the canoe, and, despite the exertions of its owner, it -was dragged for some distance before he was able to extricate it. All -the time he was spluttering away in Malay, until, finally, he mustered -enough English to sing out, “Let go;” but, as the current was strong, -we had as much as we could do to hold our own, without helping him.</p> - -<p>Their cattle, which they call buffalo, do not, either in size, shape, -or appearance, resemble the rovers on our Western prairies; they are -small, formed like our ox, with slender legs, and hair the color of -that of the deer. I at once pronounced them a variety of the musk ox, -and when, a few days after, I partook of the flesh, my opinion was -strengthened. The flesh was white and tender, but had so strong an odor -and taste as to be unpalatable to us. I do not know whether the Malays -eat them or not. The cows give a rich milk, which, like the flesh, -tastes strong.</p> - -<p>Their horses are undersized, but appear active, hardy, and intelligent.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_113">[Pg 113]</span></p> - -<p>Every family has numbers of poultry, and it is a favorite amusement to -pit them against each other—houses for the purpose existing in several -parts of the town.</p> - -<p>The ducks are the most peculiar that I ever saw; they stand erect, -with their heads high in air, and are facetiously nicknamed “Balli -soldiers:” they are excellent eating.</p> - -<p>The principal provisions we obtained here were sweet potatoes and -pumpkins; the former were smaller and not near so good as ours at home, -but formed a pleasant variety. We soon disposed of them; sixty bushels -lasting only six weeks. The pumpkins, in shape and taste, resemble our -squashes. We also managed to get a few yucas, which is an esculent -resembling the potato, and, I think, a small variety of the yam.</p> - -<p>Beside these, we carried out large quantities of cocoa-nuts, bananas, -and tamarinds—the bananas, being brought aboard in an unripe state, -after a few days were fit to eat; our cook attempted to boil some, but -the attempt proved a failure—we preferring them raw. The tamarinds -were preserved in molasses and stowed away; they are valuable for their -anti-scorbutic properties, and were kept aboard for years after leaving -Balli.</p> - -<p>One day, whilst lying here, after I had pretty well satiated my -curiosity in the town, I strolled into the country, and came across -a cemetery filled with hecatombs—a slab being placed at the head, -another at the foot of the grave, and the space between filled with -stones. Near this cemetery was a spot enclosed by a high, solid, stone -wall, but I could not ascertain<span class="pagenum" id="Page_114">[Pg 114]</span> for what purpose it was designed. -Pursuing my way, I found a number of trees covered with the names of -ships that had visited Balli, with date and country attached: amongst -them I noticed that of the Spanish ship before mentioned, and those of -several whalers, with the quantity of oil they had aboard specified. I -found some one had been here before me and carved our old barque’s name -in large characters. Beyond this spot I discovered that a very populous -country existed; but why we had not been told of it at the lower town, -I cannot divine. The natives clustered around us in great numbers, and -the women, after the first sight, were not afraid to approach us. In -the centre of the town was a cockpit, where fowls, with steel gaffs, -were plunging at each other, whilst their owners and backers were -freely betting as to the result, so intensely bent on the contest, -that they had neither eyes nor ears for us. Some of the men here were -rather officious, and we scarcely knew what their intentions might be; -probably it was only curiosity; but it induced us to beat as speedy a -retreat as we could, without exciting notice.</p> - -<p>These people are very temperate, and I did not see them indulge in any -of their intoxicating liquors, which consist of two varieties; one, -a scarlet-colored spirit, which they call “toddie,” is made from the -fermented juice of the unripe cocoa-nut. At first taste it does not -appear strong, but over-indulgence in it produces either stupefaction -or a species of insanity, resembling no effect I have ever seen from -any other spirit. In the first case the subject is reduced to perfect -helplessness and insensibility,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_115">[Pg 115]</span> which does not leave him altogether -for several days; if the latter effect is produced, all the symptoms -of violent insanity appear, and the madman does not rest until he has -had a quarrel. Hence it was called “fighting toddie;” and one who has -once indulged in it shuns it afterwards, on the principle that a burned -child dreads the fire.</p> - -<p>The Anise is a colorless liquid, with a smoky, fiery taste, and has the -same effect as other spirituous drinks. Neither of these liquors could -be procured in the town when we first came ashore, whereupon some of -us congratulated ourselves on the prospect of a temperate and sociable -day; but part of our crew, determined to have a spree, by the offer of -half a dozen whale’s teeth, induced a native to cross the country in -quest of it. The hesitation of the people in furnishing it, evidently -proceeded from a perfect knowledge of its effect upon seamen when -ashore, and indulging in it <i lang="la" xml:lang="la">ad libitum</i>.</p> - -<p>The rajah of the town and his clerk visited the ship one morning. -The rajah’s dress and air were anything but kingly. He was a man of -advanced age, and at home would have passed muster as a respectable -looking mulatto; but he had little to say, not understanding our -language—his clerk, Tonga, interpreting for our captain and he. The -harbor duties were paid in powder, with the addition of an old musket, -and the provisions in whale’s teeth.</p> - -<p>The coast is considered unhealthy by the natives themselves; the -rajah’s clerk expressing himself anxious to get away into the interior, -saying that he was fearful of being sick. The utmost care was taken -by us to prevent sickness. None of our crew were<span class="pagenum" id="Page_116">[Pg 116]</span> necessitated to -drink the water—a cask of beer being continually on draught on the -quarter-deck. No sleeping on deck was allowed, and no staying ashore -at night. Even with all these precautions, our second and third mates -were very ill—the latter severely so—and also one of the crew, with -a debilitating fever peculiar to the climate. Several belonging to the -James Allen also had reason to remember Balli for a long time after -they left it—a distressing dysentery continuing to affect them for -months. At Angiers, in Java, in nearly the same latitude as Balli, -scarce an American whaler goes out, after a short stay, without leaving -one or more of her crew to repose in death on its lovely shores: and -we cannot but feel thankful for the protecting care of Providence, -in guarding us from such a misfortune. This is the only objection to -these East Indian ports, as I know of none where a crew of young men, -if so disposed, can pass a few days more rationally and pleasantly, -gleaning at the same time useful information. The climate appears to -agree with the natives, as I saw numbers of the most attenuated human -beings, who had attained a great age, so reduced that the student -might, by procuring one of them, readily study anatomy from a living -subject. I was at a loss for a long time to divine the occupation of -these emaciated creatures, but soon found that they were mendicants. -They never solicited alms, but seemed to make a good thing of it—the -countrymen and women bestowing pice freely amongst them. Although so -old and reduced, their vanity still remained, as was shown by their -eagerness to purchase our gaudy calico.</p> - -<p>These people profess the religion of Mahomet, and<span class="pagenum" id="Page_117">[Pg 117]</span> their creed seems to -enjoin cleanliness upon them, as they are neat and cleanly to an almost -painful degree—performing their ablutions frequently and thoroughly, -like all others of the same faith. Pork is their abomination, as much -as it is to the children of Judea.</p> - -<p>Parrots and cockatoos exist here in great numbers, and may be seen in -the lofty cocoa-nut trees. The cockatoo is a beautiful bird, about the -size of our pigeon; it is perfectly white in its body plumage; on the -head is a crest consisting of three or four feathers of a beautiful -yellow, which it elevates at pleasure; it has a formidable beak, is -easily tamed, and can be taught to articulate. Ashore I saw several -domesticated, that jabbered Malay with great fluency, and traversed the -house on a perfect equality with the cats and children. Monkeys also, -may be seen in these groves; they are small, but active, mischievous, -and intelligent. Cockatoos and monkeys had attracted the attention of -more than one of us; and half a dozen of the former, and two of the -latter, were transferred to our ship, where they soon made themselves -at home. The birds lived for some time, but were finally lost -overboard. The monkeys not agreeing well together, one was given away, -and the other committed suicide by eating putty.</p> - -<p>On the last liberty day Kedge Anchor, from our vessel, and no less -than seven from the James Allen, deserted; but their departure was -soon reported, and natives despatched in search of them on the same -day. After a tiresome walk of ten miles, during which they represented -themselves as having been treated by the natives with the utmost -hospitality,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_118">[Pg 118]</span> they found themselves surrounded by a score of the -rajah’s body guard, armed with drawn creeses; and, with some demurrage, -the deserters, having no arms, were compelled to submit. No indignities -were offered to them. Horses were provided for each, and thus mounted -they were conducted back to the coast—their attendants easily keeping -pace with them on foot. They arrived at night, and were comfortably -provided with lodgings and an excellent supper, and next morning were -delivered over to their respective captains, on the payment of a piece -of blue cotton cloth, as a ransom for each. There was very little said -to our shipmate, but aboard the Allen her deserters were handcuffed and -put between decks; though after a short time they were liberated. This -freak hastened our departure from the port, and on Sunday morning, at 3 -o’clock, all hands were called to “Up anchor, ahoy!” With a merry song -the windlass was manned, and soon the old barque was on her way out. We -had several hundred chickens aboard, one hundred ducks, six cockatoos, -two monkeys, and a Malay puppy. These creatures, all excited by the -unusual position they found themselves in, were respectively venting -their dissatisfaction in the most vociferous manner. The cackling -of the chickens, quacking of the ducks, chattering of cockatoos and -monkeys, the yelping of the puppy, and the merry “Yeo, heave, ho!” -of the sailors, blended, formed a chaos of noises, indescribable and -deafening. Our bananas were hung under the tops, over the stern, and on -the stays and rigging—giving our floating home a lively appearance.</p> - -<p>On the last day of our stay in port, the Englishman<span class="pagenum" id="Page_119">[Pg 119]</span> who had made -himself so disagreeable to all hands, on expressing a wish to be left -ashore, was discharged by our captain. He had seven or eight pounds -sterling; the captain gave him several more, as also a piece of cotton -stuff for which he could readily procure sale, and then provided him -a guide across the country. A large, powerful man, belonging to Troy, -New York, having effected his escape from the Allen, on the last day, -eluding the natives sent in pursuit of him, was supposed to have -accompanied him, and both took their way to Anfernande, a seaport some -thirty miles distant.</p> - -<p>In the evening of the day that we took our departure from this pleasant -spot, we were favored with a strong breeze, and the crew became -themselves again in the execution of their multifarious duties about -the ship; lying in port always giving to Jack Tar a sluggish carriage; -but the moment the sea breeze strikes the vessel, he livens up and -feels himself called upon for exertion.</p> - -<p>In the course of the ensuing week, the cocoa-nuts, tamarinds, and -bananas were proportionately distributed amongst the crew, fore and -aft, and these, with fowl additions to our usual sea fare, enabled -us to live high for some time; and our monkeys affording a source of -amusement, time passed speedily and pleasantly. These little creatures -soon became expert in running about the rigging; a suit of sailor’s -clothes was made for them, and their antics in this attire were most -ludicrous. They became much attached to one of the boatsteerers, and -followed him, in fine weather, to the masthead. One day he observed -them run in company to the extreme end of<span class="pagenum" id="Page_120">[Pg 120]</span> the maintopgallant yard-arm, -when one, with a mischievous grin, pushed the other off; but though the -poor fellow fell on deck, he escaped with slight injury.</p> - -<p>With a fine breeze, we steered a southerly course, along the West -coast of New Holland, until we arrived on our old cruising-ground. -The weather here, although a few weeks previously we had found it -uncomfortably warm, after our visit to so much lower latitudes, felt -quite chilly, and woolen shirts, stockings, and underclothes—articles -of apparel to which we had long been strangers—were hunted up from out -of the way nooks and corners of chests, and donned. We here saw the -ship Stephania, of New Bedford, making a passage for Angiers, whence -her course went homeward. She was leaking badly, and her crew grumbled -at the oppressive labor of pumping in the existing hot weather. She -had considerable right whale oil, taken off the Island of Desolation, -which island was described by her crew as a miserable place for -cruising—cold weather, with heavy gales, prevailing there almost all -the time. A few days previous to our meeting her, they had been fast to -a large sperm whale, which crushed a boat in its huge jaws, seriously -injuring the captain’s hand at the time.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_121">[Pg 121]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_VI">CHAPTER VI.</h2> -</div> - - -<p>Finding, after a short stay, that the ground was deserted both by -ships and whales, we pursued our course to the southward, intending to -double Cape Leuwin, thence to the eastward, and cruise in the Great -Australian Bight. Anticipating heavy weather in those latitudes, our -foretopgallant mast was sent down, and the mizzen topmast housed; and -no sooner were we thus far prepared than we caught a heavy gale that -exceeded in violence anything of the kind we had experienced during -the preceding part of the voyage. It lasted eight or nine days, and -as there was an ugly sea running, the ship was almost continually -drenched the whole extent of her decks. One night whilst lying-to in -the gale, when its violence was at its height, a heavy sea broke over -the vessel, carrying away part of the starboard bulwarks, and filling -the bow boat on the larboard side. The davits of the boat were crushed -by the weight of the water, and the boat broke down amidships. The -decks were deluged, and it was necessary to knock out a part of the lee -bulwarks to allow the water to escape. The third officer, who headed -the watch, called the first mate, who, on coming on deck, hurriedly -ran over the members of the watch, when missing one, whose look-out he -heard it was, and supposing him to have been on the forecastle at the -time the sea was<span class="pagenum" id="Page_122">[Pg 122]</span> shipped, he gave him up for lost. To ascertain, he -cried aloud his name at the top of his voice, but the gale prevented it -from being heard a short distance from the speaker. He then despatched -a person into each top, who sang out for him without result. After -all had decided that he was overboard, without hope of relief, he was -found snugly ensconced in the starboard boat, totally unaware of the -apprehensions entertained for his safety.</p> - -<p>On the 6th and 7th of August we fell in with the barques Aladdin -and Lady Emma, and the brig Jane, all of Hobartown, carrying the -English flag. These were the first whalers we had seen carrying other -than our own glorious banner. We gammoned them, and found them but -indifferent craft—their rigging poor, and scarce any discipline -existing aboard of them; their slouching arrangements contrasting -unfavorably with our own neat and tidy appearance. Their crews are -composed principally of convicts who have served out their terms of -sentence, and ticket-of-relief men: with such material it is scarcely -possible to form a good crew. Their officers and captains were, in many -cases, from the same class of society; and on board one of the barques -the master was so ignorant as to be compelled to carry a navigator, -who directed all the movements of the ship, except when they were -whaling. A few Yankees were amongst them—in every case deserters from -American whalers. The residue of their crews contained representatives -from all parts of the world—black, yellow and brown; Portuguese, New -Zealanders, Kanackas from all of the South Sea Islands, and Negroes. -Aboard some of these ships the forecastle is partitioned into two<span class="pagenum" id="Page_123">[Pg 123]</span> -apartments, in one of which the blacks, and in the other the whites -reside—neither party encroaching on the other. These ships usually -fit out for fifteen months, but generally return within the year; -their forecastles look desolate, from the fact that none of the crew -bring chests to sea with them; their stock of clothes consisting, in -many instances, only of the suit they wear upon their backs. Their -bedding, too, from lack of attention to their outfit, is very scant, -and is therefore insufficient in such cool weather as prevails in -the Bight at this season of the year. They were disposed to grumble, -and exceeded the usual modicum of growling accorded to the sailor. -They envied us our positions, and were very desirous of effecting an -exchange; some went so far as to ask to be concealed when their boat -left our ship. They represented that their ships were leaky, and the -officers ignorant; and inveighed in unmeasured terms against their -rations, describing them as scant and unwholesome. These must not be -considered as fair specimens of the Hobartown shipping, as afterward -we saw vessels in which, although their management could not compare -with ours, their crews were at least contented, and their vessels and -rigging presented a much better appearance to a seaman’s eye.</p> - -<p>On board these ships grog is allowed; by some, daily; others, semi-and -tri-weekly; and when we informed them that we sailed on the total -abstinence principle, they expressed much astonishment at the fact, and -wondered how we got along without liquor.</p> - -<p>Several New Zealanders in the respective crews of these vessels -attracted my attention, from the tattooing on their bodies. The figures -on the face and<span class="pagenum" id="Page_124">[Pg 124]</span> breast were not near so disgusting, as from previous -description I had imagined them to be.</p> - -<p>Quite a pleasant incident occurred on board our vessel, during this -evening. One of the crew of the brig Jane came into our forecastle, -and inquired whether there were any natives of Patterson, New Jersey, -present. Two of our crew, belonging to that city, presented themselves; -and, after some inquiries, one of them proved to be the play- and -school-mate of the stranger. They had not met since their childhood, -and their meeting now caused much feeling on each side. Both had -followed the sea for years, and been self-exiled as it were from their -native land. When a stripling, the one aboard of us had joined the -volunteers in General Scott’s army, then in Mexico. After participating -in the struggle until peace was declared, he returned to the United -States, spent his pay, and then shipped aboard a whaler bound to the -Arctic ocean. Having been forty months at sea, he came back, and again -spent his earnings just as foolishly as he had done before; and, being -compelled by necessity to return to the ocean for support, he shipped -aboard a merchant vessel bound for Liverpool. He next made various -voyages to different parts of Europe and the West Indies, experiencing -perilous vicissitudes; when, finally, he embarked on board our old -craft. His schoolmate had joined a New Bedford whaler; which, after -being a year from home, touched at a port on the eastern coast of -New Zealand, where he deserted, and engaged for a time in the lumber -trade; in which, he told me, he would have done well, if he had left -liquor alone. From this he proceeded to trade with the natives, and -was<span class="pagenum" id="Page_125">[Pg 125]</span> finally adopted by them; but their mode of life being distasteful -to him, he engaged in the coasting-trade, was cast away, and carried -into Hobartown, where he at length joined the brig Jane. Both these men -possessed talents above mediocrity. They were good seamen, and their -qualifications would have rendered them good citizens also, had not a -roving, restless spirit of adventure led them to throw away their time -rambling over the world.</p> - -<p>These ships pursue the blackfish with almost as much eagerness as they -do the whale, and their manœuverings for this small game often deceived -us. The crews receive a large proportion of the vessels’ earnings; -but they get only forty pounds sterling per ton for their oil, no -matter what price it brings in the market; so that, although the lays -are shorter, the actual remuneration is about equal to ours. The only -advantage they possess over us is in the shortness of the voyage: -during the whole continuance of it, however, they allow no liberty, and -only touch at insignificant ports for vegetables.</p> - -<p>On the 22d we sighted sperm whales. Lowering away the waist boat, we -went on to the fish—the boatsteerer darted; but the irons struck the -head, and did not penetrate. The whales started to the windward, and we -saw no more of them—getting nothing but fisherman’s luck for our pains.</p> - -<p>On the 25th we were informed of the probable loss of the ship Twilight, -of New Bedford: it being supposed that she had foundered at sea. The -report was originated by the captain of the barque Draco. It appears -that the two vessels sailed from King George’s Sound in company; and, -experiencing an exceedingly<span class="pagenum" id="Page_126">[Pg 126]</span> heavy gale, they agreed to lie by each -other during the night, either party, if desirous of running before -the gale, agreeing to fire a rocket or show a light. No such signal -was seen from the Draco; and next morning, on the Twilight’s not being -discernible, the conclusion was arrived at that she was lost. We were -agreeably surprised, a few weeks after, by a sight of the missing ship. -Her captain had before been informed of the report; and, on our running -across his stern, to our captain’s hail he replied, that his ship was -the Nonsuch of New Bedford.</p> - -<p>About this time, I was much amused by an original method, which our -captain instituted, to stop pugilistic encounters between the boys. -On the evening previous, a Portuguese boy and a New Bedford youngster -engaged in a game of fisticuffs, resulting in black eyes and skinned -noses to both the participants. The captain, on making inquiry the -next morning, discovered enough to justify him in punishing them. For -this purpose he tied their left hands firmly together, and placed -reef-points in their right hands. (These points are manilla ropes, -three feet long, whipped at both ends, and about three-fourths of an -inch in diameter—a formidable weapon in a strong hand.) Then, after -getting them in position, he instructed them to lay their points on -each other’s backs. The Bedford boy refusing to do this, the captain -took the point in his own hand, and gave him a cut, which operated -like fire amidst dry wood. At it they went; and, both being game, they -continued the infliction of the points for half an hour, when they were -stopped by the old man. One of them was then sent to sit astride the -extreme end<span class="pagenum" id="Page_127">[Pg 127]</span> of the flying jib-boom, and the other to occupy a similar -position on the spanker-boom. The other ships’ officers said, merrily, -that old Sherman was trimming ship to beat them.</p> - -<p>On the same day, by the ship Alexander, belonging to the same owners -as our own barque, I received letters from home; and although nine -months old, they were heartily welcome. None but the wanderer from -home and friends knows, or can imagine, the joy and comfort imparted -by good news from home. Such events are the oases in our desert. -Newspapers were also sent to me; and I read them completely through, -advertisements and all, with a degree of attention I had never before -bestowed on a printed sheet. Others were not so fortunate as myself, -and gave vent to their disappointment in bitter terms.</p> - -<p>The Alexander had been whaling in higher latitudes than we were—she -having visited Desolation and New Zealand. Her present captain came -out as first officer; for, the original captain being taken sick, had -returned to the United States from one of the Cape De Verde Islands, -and his mate succeeded him in command. Her crew described their first -captain as having been a trump; relating, with great glee, that on the -cook’s serving them up beans badly cooked, they complained to him; and, -discovering their complaint to be well founded, he forced the cook -to eat the whole mess—giving him nothing else to eat until he had -completed the task. Ever afterwards, they said, their victuals were -nicely prepared. Off the western coast of New Zealand they had seen -sperm whales more than sixty times; but, for some reason or other, they -had not been very successful<span class="pagenum" id="Page_128">[Pg 128]</span> in capturing them—having taken but five -hundred barrels of oil from the time they left home. This ship then -purposed returning, and was anxious for us to accompany her.</p> - -<p>Whilst we were in the Bight, the barque Australasian Packet captured -a sperm whale. The weather was boisterous, and they did not succeed -in getting him alongside until after dark. The boat that was running -the line to the ship was struck by the vessel, and stoven: two of her -crew clung to the boat, and escaped; the others were drowned. The whale -was allowed to go adrift, and was picked up on the following day by -the ship Hunter, of New Bedford. By this sad disaster the crew of the -Packet were intimidated, and refused to do any more whaling; therefore -the captain was forced to return with her to Hobartown.</p> - -<p>On the 10th of October we gammoned the barque Rodman, of New Bedford, -twelve months out, with twelve hundred barrels of oil. She was by far -the most successful ship we encountered. Much of her oil was taken off -Desolation; and her crew, like that of the Stephania, represented that -whaling-ground as a perfect purgatory. They said that the weather was -so intensely cold, that it was necessary to envelop the person in three -or four thicknesses of warm woolen clothing when going in the boats. -This practice cost one of their crew his life; for the boat in which he -was being stoven, from the heaviness of his clothing when saturated he -was unable to swim, though he knew how, and he perished—his boatmates -having as much as they could do to save themselves. They had also been -into Shark’s Bay,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_129">[Pg 129]</span> in pursuit of humpbacks, and lost an anchor there; -the captain had also there rigged a bomb-gun, so as to discharge a -harpoon, but on putting it into operation shattered his hand.</p> - -<p>Doing nothing in the Bight, and being assured of the scarcity of sperm -whales on its grounds, we took our departure for the westward. We had -counted largely on this season’s operations—forgetting the old maxim -of not reckoning chickens before they are hatched. We saw sperm whales -but once during the season, and then failed to make a capture. We were, -without palliation, skunked: our whole additions being a porpoise and -cowfish. The latter fish is of the same species as the porpoise, only -differing from it in size, it being considerably larger; its flesh is -coarser and not so good eating.</p> - -<p>During our cruise we were continually in sight of some one or more -islands of the Récherché Archipelago. These islands are uninhabited and -almost barren—the only green appearance being a stunted brushwood. -Around these islands the seal is found in great numbers, and small -craft resort to them for the purpose of capturing these sea-dogs. -Several of the ships lowered their boats, which went in, and stated -that they caught numbers of fine fish.</p> - -<p>Steering to the westward we sighted Bald Island and Baldhead, and -cruised in their neighborhood for several weeks, seeing sperm whales -once, but, after a hard day’s chase, giving up the pursuit as futile. -One Sunday, at daybreak, the order was passed forward to loose the -flying-jib. One of the hands laying out on the boom for the purpose, -the foot rope parted, and he was precipitated into the sea. We had had<span class="pagenum" id="Page_130">[Pg 130]</span> -blustering weather for a few days previous, and a heavy swell was on -at the time of the catastrophe. No one saw him fall; but one of the -crew, imagining, as he thought, that he heard a gurgling sound in the -water, looked over the bow, and saw at a glance what had happened. The -alarm being instantly given, the cry of “Man overboard,” resounded -throughout the ship; and, without waiting to dress, the whole crew, -fore and aft, made their appearance on deck. In a moment the wheel -was put hard down, and the mainyard hauled aback. The first officer -sprang into the larboard boat, in his nightdress, and cut the gripes; -the tackles were let go by the run, and the moment she touched the -water she was manned by a crew, who, with strong arms and brave hearts, -lustily pulled for their hapless companion. Fortunately, he was a -strong swimmer, and, although the weather was cold and he enveloped -in the heaviest of sea clothing, with his coat on, also, he found but -little difficulty in keeping afloat. In a short time the fourth mate, -who was in the head of the boat, grasped him and hauled him aboard. The -word was instantly given that he was saved. No cheers followed this -agreeable announcement; but a deep-drawn sigh of satisfaction expressed -the relief such intelligence afforded. In eight minutes from the time -the order was given to loose the sail, we had him safe and snug aboard -the ship. He was so weak as to be unable to clamber from the boat up -the side. On stepping from the rail to the deck, he was welcomed as -one restored from the dead, and, after many assurances that he was all -right, except a slight weakness, the excitement began to subside. None -but those who<span class="pagenum" id="Page_131">[Pg 131]</span> have experienced it, can imagine the effect produced by -the cry of “Man overboard,” on every hearer; and to us, who had lived -for more than a year together, seeing and conversing with each other -every hour in the day, all depending on the same fabric for shelter -against the storm and wave, it came with a ten-fold force—as none knew -whose turn it next might be. Nothing serious resulted from the ducking; -a slight cold, that soon yielded to simple treatment, being the only -affection.</p> - -<p>On the 20th we stood in with a fair wind, passed Baldhead, entered -Frenchman’s Bay, and came to anchor at 7 o’clock in the evening; having -taken a pilot when opposite to Baldhead. A few hours after the James -Allen made her appearance. We found at anchor the barque Wavelett, of -New Bedford. The ensuing morning all three ships weighed their anchors -and passed through a narrow passage which connects the bay with the -sound. The Wavelett and our barque came to anchor in good shape, but -the James Allen, in trying to imitate us, ran aground. After a few -hours she floated clear. At anchor in King George’s Sound, we found -an old hulk, with only her lower masts standing, was moored stem and -stern, and used for the reception of coals for the steamships that -every month touch there. This harbor is beautiful and safe, it being -protected from almost all winds. About a mile from where we lay is -the town of Albany, a settlement containing about one hundred houses, -and five hundred inhabitants. The tenements are principally of frame, -with thatched roofs. Their occupants are of the same class as those of -Vasse. At times, it is said, this place presents quite a business-like<span class="pagenum" id="Page_132">[Pg 132]</span> -appearance; but when we visited it, everything like trade seemed -stagnant. This was represented to be caused by the non-arrival of the -steamers; the government having withdrawn them to use as transports for -troops to the Crimea.</p> - -<p>For the first three or four days we were visited by heavy rain squalls, -which preventing much work being executed, we whiled away the time, -between squalls, in angling—the water being alive with fish—salmon, -herring, mackarel, and whitings, rewarding the fisherman’s toil.</p> - -<p>We had little trouble here to procure water—a large tank being walled -in, from which we procured an abundant supply. The only difficulty we -experienced was from the extreme coldness of the water while rafting it.</p> - -<p>On the 27th our liberty commenced. On going ashore and walking up the -beach, we found, on passing the custom-house, a notice, signed by the -captains of the different ships in the harbor, notifying all persons, -that in the event of trusting any of their men, it would be on their -own responsibility, as no debts of our contracting would be paid by -the said captains. This was unusual to us, as we had never before been -posted in port; but it may have been necessary, as the sailor, when -ashore, thinks of nothing but present enjoyment. When he is half seas -over, he will borrow money, or buy anything on credit from persons -foolish or roguish enough to trust him, and when he gets at sea, will -tell with great satisfaction how nicely he bilked the landlubbers; but -in ninety-nine cases out of the hundred the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_133">[Pg 133]</span> landsman has the best of -the bargain, seldom letting Jack Tar weather him.</p> - -<p>The first move of our fellows was to take possession of an English -bar-room, strike up Yankee Doodle, and break down in a genuine -fore-and-after. There are five of these public houses in this -settlement; one, however, was chiefly patronized by the ships’ crews, -from the fact of a pretty bar-maid presiding over the spirits; and, -as she was the only creditable-looking specimen of marriageable -femininity in the place, she was surrounded by admirers. She met all -with a cheerful smile, and was ever pleasant to both officers and -sailors, always granting them a kiss of her fair cheek, when ready to -sail; while her character, from a certain dignity about the girl, was -unimpeachable.</p> - -<p>Of course, the facilities for obtaining liquor being so abundant, -there was the usual quantity of drinking; but, without prejudice, I -feel justified in saying, that, of the three crews, ours conducted -themselves best, and at sun-down returned in a creditable manner. Old -Jack, however, got astray, and was not to be found at night when the -boat came off. The next day one of the crew found him, with a bottle of -grog, close by a small dam on the outskirts of the town. After being -thoroughly awakened by a hearty shaking he took up his line of march, -which, by the way, was a very crooked one, for the beach, singing, with -great energy—</p> - -<p class="poetry"> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">“The sailor loves his bottle, O!”</span><br /> -</p> - -<p>One morning, on going ashore, we found that the Wavelett’s crew were -not on liberty. News soon<span class="pagenum" id="Page_134">[Pg 134]</span> transpired that there had been trouble -aboard of her, and that part of her crew were in irons. Their captain -left the town and went aboard, and found that they refused to do duty -unless liberty was allowed to them. After some quibbling he consented, -and they came ashore. Five of her men deserted, three of them getting -clear; but the other two were traced by the natives, and apprehended by -the police. One also was caught who bolted from the Allen.</p> - -<p>Whilst in this port we had very little, in fact, scarce any, fresh -meat. The reason assigned was its scarcity; but the Wavelett’s crew -were all the time well supplied, and I cannot reconcile the two -circumstances. <em>We</em> certainly needed it, having been from home -fifteen months, and having had it in but one port. Few potatoes either -were to be had here, and in lieu of them we carried to sea ruta baga -turnips, which were mostly eaten by the pigs. To make amends for the -absence of fresh meat, a supply of fish was contracted for with an -American—a deserter from a whaler, years since, who has married and -squatted down here, where he sustains himself by fishing and boating. -These fish, in appearance and taste were very much like those known as -porgies at home; they were well enough occasionally, but a continual -fish diet, than which I know of nothing more tiresome, soon clogged our -appetites, and the supply, in consequence, far exceeded the demand. I -well remember our second mate’s remark on this occasion—that it would -take two men and a boy to haul off his shirt, as he had eaten so many -fish that the bones stuck through his skin.</p> - -<p>From this time up to November the 5th, we were<span class="pagenum" id="Page_135">[Pg 135]</span> windbound in this dull -place—the entrance being so narrow that it is impossible to gain -egress without a fair wind. On the 3d, the hermaphrodite brig Louisa -came in from Adelaide. During these days of inaction, to kill time, -some would fish; others go ashore in search of clams, or raking for -oysters; some gunning, some sailing, and others in search of shells; -the latter generally returning wearied, and with but few of the -bivalves.</p> - -<p>On the morning of November the 5th, Norman Kinwood, a native of -Manchester, New Hampshire, was discharged at his own request, from -inability to do duty; he having been sick and off duty almost the whole -time since we left home, with chronic rheumatism—at times confined -to his berth for weeks together. All were sorry to part with him, but -thought it better for him to be ashore when unwell, than to be confined -to the narrow limits of a forecastle. For a few days he was much -missed, although a very reserved man; still, it was one familiar face -gone, and we felt that our little circle had been broken in upon. We -afterwards learned that he remained at Albany several months, and then -took passage in a schooner for Melbourne, since which nothing has been -heard from him. We shipped a new man in his place, and at 9¹⁄₂ o’clock -on November the 5th, took the pilot aboard, hove up our anchors, and in -a heavy squall stood out of the sound, coming to anchor in Frenchman’s -Bay. The Allen and Wavelett soon after followed. At 5 o’clock we hove -up, a second time were under weigh, and with a stiff breeze stood out -to sea, steering to the southward until we were in latitude 40°, where -we<span class="pagenum" id="Page_136">[Pg 136]</span> expected to see plenty of right whales: and we did see them, too, -and that was all the good they done us, as we would sight them from the -ship, but the moment a boat was lowered they absquatulated in as secret -and effectual a manner as a defaulting bank clerk. Finding we could -do nothing with these shy gentlemen, we steered north-west for Cape -Leuwin, hoping to see sperm whales, to recompense us for six months’ -time thrown away. On the passage we gammoned with the barque Lady -Macintosh, of London. She last sailed from Adelaide, having carried -railroad iron to that port for the purpose of constructing a railway -to Melbourne, which, when finished, will be the first work of the kind -on the island. She was then bound to the East Indies for a cargo of -teak-wood. It is not usual for merchant ships to lose time in visiting; -but in this case both ships were becalmed within a few miles of each -other, and she setting her signal our captain went aboard.</p> - -<p>From the date of leaving King George’s Sound, until the 11th of -January, 1857, little transpired worthy of record, except the capture -of half-a-dozen blackfish, and the usual amount of gammoning with -other whaleships—some of which had done better, others worse, than -ourselves. During the whole of this time we could not catch a glimpse -of a sperm whale; and whilst ships in our immediate neighborhood could -see and capture them, we were doing nothing. We double-manned our -mastheads, made more sail, and passed over a greater space every day -than heretofore, but all to no purpose; the whales were still beyond -our vision. Meantime our crew began to get discouraged, almost a year -having elapsed<span class="pagenum" id="Page_137">[Pg 137]</span> since we had taken any oil, and, consequently, since a -single penny had been earned by any of us. Some took it very easily, -but they were those to whom whaling was distasteful; others chafed with -impatience; but, finally, all of us settled down into the belief that -we had about all the oil we should get this voyage. The captain kept -his spirits up, and was continually foretelling better luck. Our time, -during this interval, was got rid of in various ways. In warm weather, -the watches on deck, as well as those below, were for the most part -slept away; in cold weather, walking fore and aft the deck, with hands -thrust deep into breeches pockets, seemed the only occupation any of -us had. There was no work to be done, in fact, but to break out our -provender from the ship’s hold and consume it.</p> - -<p>On the 11th, at 4 o’clock in the afternoon, we squared our yards and -steered for the land. At 9¹⁄₂ the following morning we let go our -anchor in Bunbury Bay, opposite to, and about a mile distant from, the -town of Bunbury. This little town is the neatest that I have seen on -the coast; and, although the class of population, to a great extent, -is similar to that in Vasse and the Sound, still there are many reside -in it who are worthy, respected, hospitable, and intelligent. Ours was -the first ship that had been in the harbor for years, and our captain -received the title of “the opener of the port.” At one time it was a -place of great resort for American whale-ships, but several having, -by some means, been driven ashore and lost, it became unpopular, and -was superseded by Vasse. The high price of provisions and generally -disobliging character of the inhabitants in the latter<span class="pagenum" id="Page_138">[Pg 138]</span> place, induced -our captain to visit Bunbury as an experiment, which proved successful -in the highest degree. We were eagerly welcomed on going ashore, and -cordially invited into the settlers’ houses. The schools were allowed -a holiday, that the children might visit the ship. These youngsters, -on seeing us, from the shore, engaged aloft (all the ship’s crew being -at work in the rigging), tarring down, &c., deemed us monkeys, and -could not be convinced to the contrary until they came aboard and -had a survey of us. This was rather disparaging to some thirty young -men, belonging to the smartest nation in the world, to be compared to -brutes; but our occupation originated the impression, and one of the -little fellows observed, on coming aboard, “If they aint monkeys, they -climb about just like them;” and being convinced that he had gained a -point, strutted off in triumph.</p> - -<p>The country, hereabouts, presents a fertile appearance, contrasting -favorably with the sandy soil in other portions of the colony that -we have visited. Provisions were very plentiful here, too, and we -were enabled to procure a sufficiency of excellent onions, potatoes, -cabbages, and turnips. Part of the onions and cabbages were pickled -and stowed away until our fresh supply should be exhausted. Excellent -fruit was to be had ashore, comprising apples, peaches, melons, and -pears; some of the peaches were delicious, and could be purchased at a -moderate price.</p> - -<p>Many of the natives here presented a better appearance than any I had -before seen, being clothed with European garments, and clean, they lost -half of their hideousness, and appeared immeasurably<span class="pagenum" id="Page_139">[Pg 139]</span> superior to their -brethren of the bush, with whom, however, they seemed to be on terms -of the utmost equality. I was informed by a resident, that several of -the females had been transformed into excellent house-servants; but -that they could not depend on retaining them, from their unconquerable -predilection for a bush life.</p> - -<p>On the outskirts of the town is the barrack, where a company of -infantry is stationed, to whom, in a measure, the general good order -prevailing is due—their presence intimidating peace-breakers. These -red-coat gentry, stationed in a town in time of peace, and enforcing -the strictest discipline, appear rather strange to an American; but the -state of society renders them a necessary evil, and companies of them -are distributed throughout these colonies.</p> - -<p>Within a circuit of a few miles there are a number of excellent farms, -on which neat buildings are erected for dwellings and dairy purposes. -The principal products of these farms are potatoes, onions, cabbages, -and the various garden vegetables, wheat, rye, and oats. Their wheat is -good and sweet, but dark. Their oats, as they acknowledge themselves, -scarcely deserve the name. They informed me that they raised three -crops of potatoes during the year. Indian corn, too, is cultivated, but -not to any extent. These farms are surrounded by the ordinary post and -rail fence, made of the native mahogany—as it never requires renewing -on account of decay. The raspberry-jam, a wood resembling in smell the -berry of that name, and susceptible of a beautiful polish, is found -abundantly in the neighborhood: this is a handsome wood, and when -recently fractured or<span class="pagenum" id="Page_140">[Pg 140]</span> sawn, the odor is delightful. Vessels arrive -and depart from here at stated intervals, carrying lumber to Adelaide; -they only take the mahogany, which is used for sleepers to the railway -in process of construction there. These crafts carry passengers, -whom, for the passage of about fifteen hundred miles, they charge the -extortionate price of ten pounds a head; but there is no competition, -and, therefore, they have it all their own way. The crafts are small, -mostly rigged as brigs of about one hundred and twenty-five tons -measurement.</p> - -<p>As in all other settlements on this coast, the rum-sellers drive a -thriving trade, although here there are not so many of them, there -being but two depots for the sale of spirits in the town. One of them -holds forth in a neat brick building, which, they told me, cost two -thousand pounds sterling to erect. At home the same description of -building would have cost about one hundred pounds, or five hundred -dollars. As everybody here drinks, they think it hospitable to greet -the stranger with “What will you take?” and consequently our fellows, -many of whom never rejected such offers, were alive for fun—and I will -guarantee that the denizens of Bunbury will, for many a day, remember -the skylarking of the Pacific’s crew. One, after getting pretty well -elevated, took our two Portuguese up to the school, and insisted on the -preceptor’s entering their names on his list of pupils.</p> - -<p>During my visit ashore I went through the town from beginning to end, -and by invitation entered most of the houses. In the garden of one I -was shown a young kangaroo, leaping and gambolling about in<span class="pagenum" id="Page_141">[Pg 141]</span> the most -graceful and easy manner. I also saw several collections of birds: the -cockatoo and whistling twenty-eight being the most noteworthy. The -cockatoo varies from the East India variety in the color of its crest, -which is white; and, after some tuition, they talk very fluently, as -I was assured by one who, with great facility asked what my name was. -Not seeing the bird at the time, I turned round to my companion to -answer his inquiry, as I thought, when a repetition of the question -from a different direction soon satisfied me as to its author. On my -hesitating to answer, the bird curtly informed me that he would tell -his mistress. As I did not wish to incur my fair hostess’ displeasure, -she having furnished me with a most excellent repast, I hastened to -satisfy him.</p> - -<p>The twenty-eight is a beautiful bird, resembling the parrot. What it -derives its name from I cannot imagine, as there is, whether in a wild -or domestic state, nothing in its note that to my ear resembles the -sound of the words “twenty-eight.” The prevailing color of its plumage -is green, elegantly variegated about the head and tail with yellow, -red, and black feathers. These birds are easily taught to whistle a -tune. Their natural note is pleasing, and somewhat resembling that -of the cuckoo. They can be taught also to talk, and several in our -possession far exceeded in this respect any parrot I ever saw. When -taught they are highly valued by the settlers, and almost every family -has one or more of them. They exist in great numbers in the bush of the -vicinity, and are preferable to the cockatoo, because they are free -from his tricks—he being as mischievous as a monkey, when allowed to -traverse the house.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_142">[Pg 142]</span></p> - -<p>A river runs from the town up into the interior. On following its -windings, I found it too shallow for craft of the lightest draught. -Thousands of fowls skim over its surface: the shag, the swan, gulls, -and the monster pelican—all gathering their living from its waters. In -the rainy season it becomes a formidable stream, rushing violently over -its bed, and carrying away all loose objects that lie along its course. -In this river, too, I saw the natives spearing fish, an art in which -they displayed considerable skill. Wading in the water, and patiently -watching until the prey swam near them, they would expertly strike -in their spears and transfix it. I saw one of them thus encounter -a shark, piercing him through and through, until he despatched the -monster. During the whole conflict he displayed extreme adroitness and -activity in keeping out of the way of the infuriated creature, when -with gnashing jaws it turned upon its antagonist. Whenever they capture -a shark they eat it.</p> - -<p>Small cutters are continually arriving and departing from and for -Freemantle, Vasse, King George’s Sound, and Adelaide. These cutters -are sloop-rigged, and vary in size from ten to twenty-five tons. They -are built of mahogany wood in the colony, and are represented as safe -and convenient crafts; but only the largest of them venture to cross -the Bight to Adelaide, and that, too at the favorable season of the -year. Their freight consists of produce and goods for the various -storekeepers in the settlements.</p> - -<p>The people of these colonies generally profess the faith of the Church -of England; and in Vasse, the Sound, and Bunbury, Episcopalian chapels -are erected;<span class="pagenum" id="Page_143">[Pg 143]</span> but in none of these places do the inhabitants display a -church-going spirit. During the hours of divine service the publicans -close their dens, but always manage to supply their customers with -the ardent on the sly. They consider the closing of their houses very -unjust; and one of them, in inveighing against the tyranny of the -laws, gave this as an instance: He mentioned that the government had -prohibited card-playing, or any other game of chance or pleasure—even -going so far as to forbid bowling-saloons; and that they were led to -pass the act by a quarrel arising from a game of cards played for -pastime at a public house in Vasse, in which one of the players was -killed. Speaking of bowling-saloons, or skittles, as they are called -here, reminds me that we heard, previous to our visit to Vasse, that -there was a fine bowling-alley there. Congratulating ourselves on -this fact, we counted on a game at tenpins as not the least of our -anticipated pleasures; but, lo, and behold! when we visited it, we -found a floor of mahogany boards, some two feet wide and twelve long. -The pins were of the most outlandish shape, and could scarcely be made -to retain an upright position, even when held. The balls were nearer -oval than round, and as rough on their surface as a cocoa-nut with the -hull on. There were only two of these; and when you had discharged -them, you were constrained to walk to the farther end of the alley, and -carry them back for another trial. After vainly endeavoring for a few -minutes to make the balls roll in a straight line, we gave the attempt -up as hopeless, and left the skittle-ground, thoroughly convinced of -its demerits.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_144">[Pg 144]</span></p> - -<p>The first time we visited Bunbury there were no wells whence ships -could procure water; so we held Geographe Bay in abeyance, knowing that -we would have a hundred barrels to drag through its sandy road. After -a week’s stay we hove short, set our ensign, and were boarded by the -police, who here act as custom-house officials. They searched the ship -fore and aft, above and below, as they thought—although we might have -had a score of the prisoners stowed away, if we had been so disposed: -as it was, we had one forward, stowed in the forepeak, of whom they saw -no trace. We carried him to Vasse, and set him ashore. Their mode of -search was to get into the hatchway, and insert the native spears in -the interstices between the casks. They reviewed the ship’s company, -in order to satisfy themselves no interlopers were there, and then -delivered up the ship’s papers and departed. We then set sail, and, -after twelve hours’ beating against a light headwind, we let go our -anchor off the town of Vasse, where we procured water. Here we had -several quarters of fresh beef—in Bunbury we had one whole sheep.</p> - -<p>On the 20th, the ship Twilight came in and informed us that the barque -Mars, with numerous letters for us, was on the eve of making this port. -The next morning she made her appearance, and her stock of letters -had not been over-stated, the majority of our crew, myself amongst -the number, receiving letters that had been written only six months -previous; and, as all of us had good news, and plenty of newspapers, -we were more pleasantly employed than<span class="pagenum" id="Page_145">[Pg 145]</span> we should have been had we just -captured a large whale.</p> - -<p>On the same day our second officer, <abbr title="mister">Mr.</abbr> E——, left us, and went -ashore; the reason he assigned being his unwillingness to encounter -the cold weather on the coast of New Zealand, whither we were bound. -He was a man of a most amiable disposition, had a superior intellect, -and was thoroughly acquainted with his profession—both as sailor and -whaleman. He had gained the respect and confidence of every man aboard, -and never had had occasion all the time we were together to chide any -of the crew, and as his chest went over the side into the boat, all -felt that we had lost a friend. This was the second withdrawal of -members of our original crew from the ship. <abbr title="mister">Mr.</abbr> E.’s intention was to -remain ashore until some whaler should arrive in need of an officer; -in which case his well-known ability would easily procure him a berth. -When ready to sail, the captain brought an American aboard who had -been in these colonies for some years, and was slightly related to the -captain’s lady. He was taken into the cabin as fourth mate; the former -fourth officer receiving the position of third mate, and the former -third the second mate’s berth. All being in readiness, we hove up our -ground-tackle, and with a fresh breeze on our quarter we bade adieu to -Vasse.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_146">[Pg 146]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_VII">CHAPTER VII.</h2> -</div> - - -<p>Early on the morning of January 26th, we spoke and gammoned the barque -La Belle Anna, from Melbourne to Mauritius. Through the kindness -of her captain, who accommodatingly delayed until we had prepared -them, we sent letters home <i>via</i> the Mauritius, which were duly -received. On the same day we captured a shark twelve feet long. The -capture of this fish is effected more in a spirit of mischief than -from any good resulting from it; the sailor deeming him his natural -enemy, and delighting in putting him to the severest torture. Their -tenacity of life is remarkable. I have seen a red-hot iron run directly -through the heart of one of the species, and still he turned and bit -at the iron, grasping its seething surface between his huge jaws and -craunching it, and, vexed at its non-impressibility, lashing his tail -with rage. I have also seen them flayed, and still practising as many -contortions as an eel; if you cut their heads half off, they swim away; -and if you should open the body and allow the entrails to drop out, -the creature seizes them in his jaws and tears them in his agony. The -skin is used as sandpaper, it being covered with prickles. The backbone -is articulated in very small divisions, which enables it to turn with -so much celerity through the water. These joints, which are about an -inch in diameter, and<span class="pagenum" id="Page_147">[Pg 147]</span> half an inch thick, are collected and strung on -an iron rod, and, when finished, make an odd, though not ill-looking, -cane. Few seamen eat shark; but some months after the capture of the -above-mentioned one, I saw a person who considered their flesh a -dainty. He was captain of a Colonial whaler, and took every possible -means of gratifying this strange appetite. I never saw its flesh cook, -but from those that have, I learn that no amount of cooking changes its -appearance; as, after a day’s boiling, it appears as raw as ever.</p> - -<p>On the 28th we sent up studding-sails and began a passage for New -Zealand. The next morning, at daybreak, whilst carrying all sail, we -sighted sperm whales. After a short delay, we lowered for them. The -second mate fastened to a large one, fired a bomb-lance into him, and -had his boat capsized. The crew were picked up and brought to the ship, -also the boat, which was found uninjured. The first and third mates -continued in pursuit of the whales, and, after a short interval, the -latter fastened to the same whale. The fourth mate approached the fish, -and in giving him a lance, got his boat on to the whale’s flukes, and -stove. The boat was towed to the ship; whilst hoisting her aboard, she -broke in two amidships, was condemned as useless, and broken up for -firewood. In the evening we had the whale alongside. The following -morning we began to cut, being surrounded by thousands of sharks. The -boatsteerer, who went down on to the whale to hook on, was seized by a -shark, who caught him by the back of the heel. Fortunately, the man who -attended the monkey-rope attached to the boatsteerer, saw the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_148">[Pg 148]</span> movement -of the shark and dragged him on deck. The wound inflicted was severe -but not dangerous. Sharks around a whale, generally, are contented -with what they pick up from his carcass, and to the plenitude of this -kind of food for their ravenous appetites, the boatsteerer owes his -safety. In this case the sufferer was barefooted, and his flesh being -covered with spermaceti, probably the shark thought it a dainty piece -of blubber.</p> - -<p>The barque Columbus also captured a large whale on this same day. In -1855, this barque visited Vasse and carried away a prisoner, agreeing -to place him aboard some merchant ship, on the first opportunity. This -was accordingly done, for which the captain received, it was said, a -large sum of money—the criminal being well-provided with funds. Whilst -we lay in Vasse, it leaked out, somehow or other, that the government -intended seizing the vessel on her next entry into a colonial port. -When we saw her we gave her the news, and it was timely, too, as they -were just going in to discharge men, whom they had engaged in Vasse the -preceding year.</p> - -<p>The ground that we were now on is off Cape Chatham. There we remained -until the middle of February, when, with as much sail set as the old -ship would stagger under, and a westerly gale on the quarter, we -resumed our passage for New Zealand, which had been interrupted by the -appearance of sperm whales. The passage had but little to mark it, -except that we went in the course of it through the northern borders -of the Antarctic Ocean. On the 22d (Washington’s birthday) we entered -the South Pacific, and after a spanking run of fourteen days, we -sighted land and a<span class="pagenum" id="Page_149">[Pg 149]</span> sail at one and the same time. The sail we knew -to be a whaler, from her boats and davits, and a successful one, too, -by the smoke arising from her try-works—she being evidently engaged -in trying-out blubber. On running across her stern and speaking each -other, both captains answered to the question of “What ship is that?” -“The Pacific.” One, however, belonged to New Bedford, the other to -Hobartown. The preceding week she captured two whales. She reported -that she had been cruising to the southward on the Sullender ground, -in company with the ships James Allen and Alexander, and the barque -Wavelett—that all three of these vessels had been extremely successful -in capturing whales, but that the Wavelett, when last seen, was on a -lee shore, with a large whale in tow, which eventually she cast adrift. -Her position was such that the captain and officers of the Pacific -unite in thinking it impossible for her to have escaped from the peril, -and should she have gone ashore, the rugged and precipitous coast -in the vicinity of Mason’s Bay, where she was last seen, augurs the -destruction of vessel and crew. We made up our minds from this report -that the Wavelett and her crew, who but a short time before had been -enjoying themselves with us in King George’s Sound, had gone to Davy -Jones’s locker; but five months afterward we were agreeably surprised -on picking up a paper published in the Bay of Islands, to find her -reported as lying in port there with considerable increase in her stock -of oil.</p> - -<p>One of those continued and heavy squalls common to the coast set -in on the next day. They are foretold by the rapid falling of the -mercury, and<span class="pagenum" id="Page_150">[Pg 150]</span> by the wind at first blowing from the south-west with -the greatest intensity from eight to twelve hours, and then, shifting -to the opposite point of the compass, we would have a second edition -of about the same duration; the north-easterly gusts being always -accompanied with torrents of rain, unequalled in violence by any I ever -saw elsewhere. This weather would sometimes last for weeks without an -interval of a pleasant day, and then be followed by a thick mist, which -enveloped everything for five or six days more; thus precluding the -possibility of whaling or the performance of other duties. Some idea -of this miserable weather may be formed, when I state that during the -four months we continued on the coast we were hove-to for fifty-eight -days, and at least half as many more we were prevented from whaling by -the density of the fog. Whenever our barometer foretold such weather, -we shortened sail, until we had nothing spread but a close-reefed main -topsail, main spencer, and foretopmast staysail: with this canvass -we generally managed to sweat it out; although on two occasions we -found even this sail too much, and were compelled to clew up the main -topsail, and heave the ship to under the main spencer. On another -occasion we heard a clap, like the discharge of a gun, and, hurrying -forward, we found our foretopmast staysail blown into shreds.</p> - -<p>Of course, little was to be done whilst Boreas was giving vent to his -wrath in this turbulent manner. During the watches on deck it was -really as much as one could do to look out for himself. Then there was -the rigging to keep in repair, preventer-topsail braces to shift and -reeve, besides taking in and putting<span class="pagenum" id="Page_151">[Pg 151]</span> out the boats: with these, in -themselves trifling jobs, the watch on deck generally became thoroughly -soaked before it was their turn to go below; and then an anxious period -was spent in awaiting a gleam of sunshine to dry their clothes. The -weather being cold, to use their own expression, “water was wet”; -and being in the line of a sea coming aboard was neither safe nor -comfortable. We passed the time away, however, sleeping day after day -about sixteen hours out of twenty-four.</p> - -<p>On the commencement of the gale above referred to, we saw a colonial -schooner, belonging to Jacob’s River, New Zealand, square her yards -and run for Mary’s Bay: her captain, on the approach of a gale, -usually running into one of the many safe and pleasant harbors on the -coast, remaining until its violence has ceased, and then popping out -and cruising during the continuance of good weather. This schooner, -Eliza, is manned by New Zealanders—her captain and mate are of the -half-caste. They are a manly people, without much intelligence, but -make excellent sailors and whalemen. The Otago, another schooner, whose -mode of conduct corresponds with that of the Eliza, and also belongs to -the same place, has a Maurii crew, with an English captain and mate. -Some months after this I had considerable intercourse with these very -pleasant people, and shall speak of them more fully as I progress with -my journal.</p> - -<p>Some days subsequently we ran in towards the land, and found that -the same storm which had so liberally besprinkled us with rain had -whitened the mountain caps with snow. We ran close in: there being bold -water to the very base of the rocks,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_152">[Pg 152]</span> capable of floating the largest -line-of-battle ship. The coast is irregular and rocky, possessing no -beach, and only in the bays, which are numerous and safe, affording -facilities for boat landing. The whole face of the mountains, which in -some cases exceed a mile in height, is covered with tall trees. One -of these eminences, when seen from the sea, presents an appearance -precisely like a saddle, and hence was named Saddle Mount; and this was -our landmark for four months: cruising towards and from it—at times -going within a few miles, and seldom in clear weather being out of -sight of it. It can be seen from the masthead a distance of one hundred -and twenty miles, as we proved by experience.</p> - -<p>On this ground, in company with us, there were about a dozen English -ships from Sydney and Hobartown. After the lapse of a few weeks, the -ships Alexander and James Allen made their appearance. Both these ships -had run into Stewart’s Island for vegetables, and whilst there they -had lost several men by desertion. From their description, there is -little or no settlement on the island, the country being covered with -the ordinary brush, and therefore presenting scarcely any invitation -to a sojourner. The men who left the ships were put to a hard shift to -sustain themselves. Several of them managed to reach Otago, a town in -the vicinity, where they obtained employment; several left in small -crafts for other ports on the coast; and one, (from whom I obtained -the knowledge of their adventures,) after in vain trying to get along -ashore, shipped in the colonial whaling schooner Otago, where I saw -him. He gave a ludicrous description of their ups and downs. In the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_153">[Pg 153]</span> -first place, he and another took to the bush for concealment; and, not -venturing to show themselves, they remained concealed till night. It -was intensely cold, and they were obliged to lie on each other to keep -warm. The under place being preferable, and each wanting to secure -it, almost a quarrel was occasioned thereby between them. As soon -as their ship had departed, they came out from their hiding place, -but could find no one to relieve their necessities, nor could they -get employment. They finally joined the natives, who fed and clothed -them. Becoming tired of this kind of life, they eagerly caught at the -offer of a berth aboard a whaler. This poor fellow, my informant, -was almost destitute, and had sent to us for clothing, of which a -bundle was collected for him. He was a German, with a very thick head, -and although the captain of the schooner was disposed to push him -forward, he found little ground for cultivation. He made him steward -of the craft; but he soon destroyed all the crockery ware, and was -so negligent that the captain and mate were compelled to carry their -knives and forks to bed with them, in order to find them when wanted.</p> - -<p>One of the men belonging to the James Allen adopted a novel plan to get -away from the ship. He was a middle-aged man, who had participated in -numerous whaling-voyages. On the Allen he held a boatsteerer’s berth, -but from dislike on the part of his captain, he was broken, and sent -into the forecastle. In his many voyages, he had mastered the language -of the Sandwich Islanders, which is intelligible to the native New -Zealander, and <i>vice versa</i>. On the night that he determined -to desert, he procured<span class="pagenum" id="Page_154">[Pg 154]</span> the paunch of a blackfish, which is readily -found on board a whaler—it being well adapted for making drugs; in -it he stowed his clothes, and firmly securing the aperture, he had an -air-tight bag, with which he succeeded in reaching the shore in safety. -Having a good deal of Yankee shrewdness, and being able to tinker a -little, as well as to converse intelligibly, he managed to get into -employment, and was doing quite well when last heard from.</p> - -<p>On the last day of March our mastheadsman sung out, that there were -boats whaling ahead. We stood towards them, and, in the course of an -hour, found that the James Allen’s boats were fast to a large sperm -whale. We kept on running, and sighted more whales. We lowered away -our boats at about 3 o’clock in the afternoon; but at 4¹⁄₂ o’clock -we called them aboard, and stood out to sea. The boats were again -lowered at 5 o’clock; and the third mate, after half an hour’s chase, -struck a noble whale, his boatsteerer giving him both irons clear to -the socket. Scarcely, however, had the second harpoon left his hand -when the boat was struck twice in succession by the whale’s flukes. -The blows were struck between the bow and amidship thwarts, knocking a -large hole completely through her. She soon filled, and capsized. The -crew swam to her, and got upon her bottom; but, there being a heavy -swell on, she continued to roll over and over, the crew following her -as best they could. Several times they regained their position on her; -but just as the other boats approached the scene of disaster, to give -them aid, they discovered that one of their number was missing. At -the same instant<span class="pagenum" id="Page_155">[Pg 155]</span> the third mate cried out, that some one had hold of -his legs, and urged haste on the part of the approaching boat. Being -a strong swimmer, he managed to keep himself afloat, notwithstanding -the drowning man’s clutch, until they had caught hold of him from -the boat; but then he instantly exclaimed, “He has let go!” The -boatsteerer of the larboard boat dove in, but could see nothing of -him; and his boatmates were forced to return aboard, leaving him at -rest in the sea, over which he had voyaged for years. Upon the boat’s -arriving at the ship, the captain hailed it; and, fearing the worst, -asked if any one was lost. On being answered that John was drowned, -he appeared much affected, and wept like a child. The lost man was a -German, named John Walter, belonging to Hamburg. He was of an amiable -disposition, and had endeared himself by his good qualities to all on -board. He was every inch a sailor, having spent a number of years in -the American merchant-service, wherein, strange to say, he had several -times narrowly escaped drowning. On our first visit to Vasse, he was -also barely saved from a similar fate. It is customary, just previous -to leaving port, to roll the boats over and over in the water, for the -purpose of cleansing them from the sand that is collected in them by -beaching; which is usually done, amid much merriment, by several men -stripping and going into the water for the purpose of conducting the -operation. On the day to which I have reference, John Walter was seated -in a boat, when orders were given to roll her. He remained in her; and -the officer, supposing that he could swim, but did not care to take off -his clothes, ordered the boat-plugs to<span class="pagenum" id="Page_156">[Pg 156]</span> be drawn out; whereupon she -filled, and rolled over. From his frantic struggles, we then discovered -his inability to support himself. The alarm was instantly given; and a -boat alongside, belonging to the barque Monmouth, of Cold Spring, was -cast loose, and soon had him aboard, totally exhausted. Now, however, -after these hairbreadth escapes, as if fate had such a death in store -for him, he met a watery grave in the broad South Pacific Ocean. Well -may his life be said to have been one of fearful vicissitudes. But he -had not always been alone in his imminent perils; for in one case, -whilst pursuing the hazardous duties of his arduous profession, he -found himself in the middle of the Atlantic, aboard a ship fearfully -leaking. The cargo, which was salt, having got into the pump-wells, -prevented their being used; and it was only by the most strenuous -exertions, that they were enabled to retrace their course, and run -their ship ashore in the harbor of Cadiz.</p> - -<p>And now our little circle was broken into by the King of Terrors! -Sailing under the same flag—every day in contact with each -other—depending on the same planks for protection from the wind and -wave,—in the course of the two years that we had been upon the ocean, -warm friendships had sprung up, and “shipmate” was only another name -for “brother.” This accident—one to which we all felt ourselves -liable—excited expressions of feeling, that one would scarcely believe -could emanate from the speakers: men in our line of life seldom making -an undue display of emotion. Every good quality and trait inherent to -the deceased was rehearsed; and in conclusion, all hoped that poor John -was in a<span class="pagenum" id="Page_157">[Pg 157]</span> better home above; and, if any one on board our ship had a -prospect of a bright hereafter, surely he, the least offender of us all -against the Divine law, would be the one.</p> - -<p>On the following morning we ran down and spoke the Allen. They were -cutting in their whale; and the cheerful note of their merry chaunt, -as they worked the windlass, contrasted strongly with our own bitter -feelings and heavy hearts.</p> - -<p>The captain gave directions to have all the lost man’s property -gathered together, which was done; and, a few days after, the whole -ship’s company was mustered aft, on the quarter-deck, and all his -effects were disposed of by auction, the captain acting as auctioneer. -Every one bought something—each wishing to secure a memento of the -deceased; and as the bidding was spirited, much more than the intrinsic -value was realized for each article. This is a rule of the sea, but -whether a maritime law or not, I do not know: the money produced by -such sale being handed over to the friends of the deceased, if they can -be found; but if unable to do so, it is usually given to the Seamen’s -Friend Society.</p> - -<p>After this event, we remained in the locality several weeks. Sometimes -a boat was lowered, and sent into one of the bays a fishing, which -always returned with a number of the finny tribe of different -varieties—cod, trumpeter, blue, white, and red fish. The last fish, -of a red color and covered with fins, was known to the whalemen on the -coast as the devil-fish, and another variety is known as the groper. -It often equals the porpoise in size. All these fish are excellent -eating, and are eagerly welcomed by a<span class="pagenum" id="Page_158">[Pg 158]</span> person who for months has had -no fresh provision. I one day caught a fish of a bright-red color. On -hauling him up, he extended three feelers from each side of the jaw, -and two beautiful wings from his sides; these wings were bordered with -alternate stripes of red and blue, that rivalled in color the tints of -the rainbow. They were said to be called the garnet by the natives. -The wings I preserved. They are unlike those of the flying-fish, being -circular, and much thicker and stronger. The fish was about five inches -long.</p> - -<p>There are plenty of cray or craw fish, and several varieties of eels, -in these bays. The latter are the most disgusting creatures that I -ever saw. On being caught, they expel from their loathsome bodies a -substance resembling milk. The Mauriis eat them; and when we were in -Milford Haven Bay the schooner Eliza’s crew, who were then trying out a -sperm whale, considered them as a delicacy, with no other preparation -than immersing them in the boiling-hot oil. The crayfish belongs to -the lobster family—its claws are somewhat similar, only lacking -the pincer-like appendage. It is of a bright-red color, and is most -luxurious eating. It is plentiful, and easily caught with a net, or -hook and line.</p> - -<p>Whilst in these bays fishing, the fresh green look of the vegetation, -and sweet singing of the birds, made us long for a return to a life -ashore. The sailor, if compelled to remain at sea, in all cases -prefers to be far from land, with nothing to meet his gaze but sky and -ocean—land in sight continually recalling home memories, long dwelling -upon which is painful. Another reason, too, why Jack hates<span class="pagenum" id="Page_159">[Pg 159]</span> land, when -he cannot enjoy a ramble upon it is, that he attributes to it, and -not without reason, either, a miasmatic influence; and, whilst in its -vicinity, every ache or pain is attributed to its vicinage, and he -consoles himself by saying, “I will soon be all right, when we leave -this infernal land and get outside.”</p> - -<p>I cannot refrain from remarking on the character of the shipping on -this ground. At this time there were some fifteen vessels cruising -within an area of a hundred miles—three of us Yankees, nine from -Hobartown, two from Yew Zealand, and a brig from Sydney. At daylight -all might be seen busily engaged in hoisting their topsails and -spreading their canvass; during the day using their best endeavors to -get over as much ground as possible. At sundown, sail was shortened -aboard of each. The schooner Otago, at the sunset hour, in fair -weather, presented a strange appearance; always at such times and -in such cases, taking in every rag and laying under bare poles—the -captain assigning as a reason that it saved his sails. This craft -originally came out from New London, Connecticut, as a tender to a -whaler; here she was sold, and during six months of the year was -employed conveying cattle and wool to Sydney, and the balance in -whaling. The Eliza was a craft of much more aristocratic pretensions; -she was a neat and tidy little schooner, and had been originally -constructed as a yacht for Sir John Franklin, when he was governor -of Van Diemen’s Land. After the daring explorer of the frozen North -had removed from the Australian colonies, the Government employed her -as a revenue cutter; but now she<span class="pagenum" id="Page_160">[Pg 160]</span> had fallen from her high estate -and was employed as a blubber-hunter. But with far greater claims to -pretension, although possessing a much more homely exterior, the old -Prince Regent pursued her course in the same humble pursuit; she had -been built as a yacht for George IV., the profligate, who for years was -prince regent of the British empire. Unlike her royal master, she still -survives with sound timbers, and is a staunch sea-worthy ship, though -of a rather <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">outre</i> model. Two of the Hobartown whalers were -clippers, built in Baltimore; on one of them, the Isabel, I saw the -American coat of arms in full emblazon. These clippers, if they were -only built stronger, would be excellent sperm whalers—being small, -light, good sailers, and easy to work.</p> - -<p>Several of the barques on the ground were built in Hobartown, from the -Hobartown model; they had long heads on them, but their sterns, and run -aft, were of a fashion of fifty years since, and, although so recently -built, our old barkey would sail away from them as fast as they could -come on.</p> - -<p>From this time, until the middle of May, we remained in the same -locality, experiencing a succession of tremendous gales, from the -north-east and south-west, attended by heavy squalls that made the old -ship ring again. In the interval between their recurrence, we saw sperm -whales two or three times; on one occasion getting to them just in time -to see the barque Runimede’s boats lying by the side of a dead whale. -On another, we lowered away and arrived at the scene of operation in -season to see the Sapphire’s boats capture four. Our mate fastened to -a whale some distance from any of her boats, but it<span class="pagenum" id="Page_161">[Pg 161]</span> proved to be one -that was already wounded by them; so nothing was left for us but to -cut our line. The irons that our boatsteerer hove into the whale were -recovered when they cut him in. With these irons they fastened to, and -saved, no less than four large whales—a fifth they struck, but he -sounded and carried off all their line. The irons were of the variety -known as the “toggel,” and are an American improvement: the captain -of the Sapphire was so thoroughly impressed with their value that he -repeatedly solicited our captain for more of them. Another improvement -that the American whaleman possesses, is the iron rowlock, in which the -oar works with little or no difficulty. Other nations use the primitive -thole-pin, consisting of pins of hard wood inserted in holes bored in -the boat’s gunwale—the least crabbing of the oar being destruction to -them.</p> - -<p>These colonial gentlemen are fair whalemen, but do not possess the -energetic, go-ahead spirit of their American cotemporaries. They work -very carefully, and seldom expose their boats or themselves to much -danger; for instance, they never sail on to whales, always taking the -mast down when arriving in their vicinity. I remember hearing the -captain of the ship Pacific remark that he had been whaling, man and -boy, for thirty-five years, during which time he had never sailed on to -a whale, and never had the boat stove in which he was. On the contrary, -the Yankee whaleman, with or without sail, danger or no danger, is -bound to strike the whale, if possible, and for this reason they are -preferred, even in Hobartown, “because,” to use their own expression, -“they will risk more to capture whales.” Several<span class="pagenum" id="Page_162">[Pg 162]</span> of the captains and -officers of these ships were Americans; and great inducements are held -out by Hobartown owners in the whaling trade, to induce Americans to -embark in their employ.</p> - -<p>On the 17th of May, the weather appearing threatening, we signalized -the schooner Eliza, and under the pilotage of her captain, who came -aboard of us, we kept off for Milford Haven Bay, intending to lay there -during the continuance of the gale, and in the meantime to supply -ourselves with wood and water, quantities of which can be had <i lang="la" xml:lang="la">ad -libitum</i> in its vicinity. After beating about with light winds, and -considerable towing with the boats, we contrived to drop our anchor at -8 o’clock in the evening, in sixteen fathoms of water, about a ship’s -length from the shore. Lines were then run from the stern and secured -to the rocks, so that we soon had her snugly moored stem and stern. -The schooner Eliza was, latterly, very successful; having captured two -whales, one of which she lost through stress of weather—the other, -when tried out, furnished sufficient oil to till about sixty barrels, -and her captain informed me would reimburse the owners for all outlay -on the vessel—provisions being very cheap in this part of the world. -Never did I see better meat, or sweeter flour, than the specimens of -each this schooner had aboard; both were the produce of New Zealand, -and the meat, having been but a short time salted, was much better -than ours. As in port anybody is at liberty to board a whaler and get -his dinner, we often availed ourselves of the privilege, as did they -in boarding us; the molasses aboard of our ship being the center of -attraction to them; also the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_163">[Pg 163]</span> biscuit, which to them is a rarity—they -only using their flour baked into soft bread. All lived alike, fore -and aft. Little discipline prevailed; the captain was called Tom, and -the mate Bill. The shipkeeper and steward were men interested in the -vessel, both old English men-of-war’s men, who had early settled on -the island, and reared families—having married native women. From -these men I learned that a marriage between two of the half-caste was -always barren, never begetting offspring; but a half-caste man or -woman intermarrying with the whites or native New Zealanders, were -remarkable for their number of children. I was much pleased with these -Mauriis; they were intelligent, courageous, and sprightly. Their songs, -delivered with all the gusto of a half-civilized nature, possessed -great interest. In their war songs they become imbued with the spirit -of their music, and perform most curious antics, attended by horrid -contortions of features. Their love songs, too, were accompanied by -numerous gestures, one of them taking the lead, and the others joining -in the chorus. These love songs were said, by those acquainted with -their language, to consist of all that was licentious and disgusting; -but to us who did not understand a word of them, it made very -little difference. They also performed a pantomime, which, from its -ridiculousness, excited our risibilities to prolonged laughter, to -their great satisfaction.</p> - -<p>The half-caste consider themselves a peg above the native, and take -good care to let strangers know the distinction. They are a large, -well-built race, and<span class="pagenum" id="Page_164">[Pg 164]</span> make excellent oarsmen; they are much addicted to -the use of spirits; they lament much their inability to read and write, -stating, in palliation of their ignorance, that when they were children -there were no schools where they could receive an education, but that -the rising generation, by the exertions of the missionaries, enjoyed -the privilege of attending schools.</p> - -<p>From us these people obtained tobacco, and captain, mate, and crew -engaged in a game at all-fours for it. They played good humoredly, but -appeared to be wholly wrapt up in the game. I asked the captain how he -managed to preserve subordination where he allowed so much familiarity. -He was a powerful, brawny figure, and a smile passed over his features -at my question; extending his hared arm, corrugated with sinews, he -said, “I play this fellow right and left amongst them, whenever they -make too much noise.” The English part of the vessel’s crew professed -great contempt for these savages, as they called them; but a good -understanding appeared to exist between the parties.</p> - -<p>On the morning subsequent to mooring our ship, all hands were called -at daylight, and we had an opportunity to discern the features and -characteristics of the harbor. It proved to be a snug, but not a large -bay, encased by mountains, whose caps were white with snow. The sides -of these cliffs were covered with noble trees of various descriptions; -principal among which is the famed iron-wood, remarkable for its weight -and durability. Several species of pine are also to be found. Scarce -any beach exists, the shores being covered with huge<span class="pagenum" id="Page_165">[Pg 165]</span> boulders of many -tons weight, evidently displaced by some great revulsion of nature. Few -shells of any beauty are found on the shore—the mutton fish, warrener, -and limpet, being the only conchological varieties that I saw.</p> - -<p>Whilst here, half-a-dozen of our men were in the forest cutting -fire-wood, while others were engaged in procuring water. Nothing was -required in the latter case but to scoop a hole in the pebbles on the -beach, and allow the snow-water, as it descended from the mountains, -to run into it; then bail out with buckets and fill casks. Neither was -there any trouble in rafting or towing it; our contiguity to the shore -being such that it was only necessary to run a small tow-line from the -ship, attach it to the raft, and haul it alongside, hand over hand. We -also broke out our meat and coopered it, and then our hard work was -finished.</p> - -<p>We experienced several continuous and heavy rain storms, accompanied -by violent squalls; as these would pass over, the rainbow, by which -they were always followed, reflecting on and illuminating the green -sides and white caps of the hills, presented to our admiring eyes, a -grand, imposing and beautiful sight. I know of nothing that I ever saw -that more fully impressed my mind with the omnipotence of the Creator -than did this splendid work; and I have found myself again and again -aroused from my admiration to answer the self-imposed question, “Could -any man, after gazing upon such an appearance, candidly feel himself -an atheist;” and, after arguing the matter pro and con, could find no -excuse for such unbelief.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_166">[Pg 166]</span></p> - -<p>It is usual in port, during the night, to stand what is called the -“anchor watch,” consisting of two men; the members of the crew, fore -and aft, participating in it. In this port, which was considered so -out of the way as to present no inducements for desertion, to allow -the officers the whole of the night undisturbed, the watches were all -imposed upon the boat-steerers and foremast hands. On the night of the -22d, the watches were set as usual. Everything was quiet until morning, -when the whole of us were aroused by the first officer awaking, and -finding nobody on deck, and the starboard boat gone, which had been -allowed to remain alongside. On mustering all hands, five of the -foremast men were discovered to be amongst the missing. Their names -were Joseph Riley, of Patterson, New Jersey; Charles W. Baylis, of -Rochester, New York; Harvey W. Miller, of Weymark, Weymouth County, -Pennsylvania; John Roberts, an Englishman, and David Jones, a Welshman. -The three former had sailed from the United States with us; the two -latter were British convicts—Roberts, whom we shipped in Vasse, and -Jones, who had joined the ship at King George’s Sound. They had taken -the boat, furnished with oars and sails, and all the other furniture -belonging to her; also a tub of tow-line and the ship’s spyglass; and -from the appearance of our bread and harness casks, had liberally -supplied themselves with provisions. The absence of any officer on deck -afforded them time to safely convey their clothes and bedding off; -and so equipped, they left us, in an obscure bay, hundreds of miles -from any settlement, on a stormy coast, in an open whale-boat. No one -ever expected<span class="pagenum" id="Page_167">[Pg 167]</span> to hear aught of them afterwards; but as my narrative -progresses, a recountal of their adventures will be elicited: for the -present we will leave them and return to our barque. On discovering -the loss of his men the captain stormed; but finding that the whole -procedure had been carried on with the utmost secresy, and that few, -if any, of those remaining, were cognizant of more than the mere -desertion of the men, he allowed it to drop, and little was said about -them thereafter, until circumstances obtruded them on his notice. It -will be observed that Kedge Anchor has at length managed to get away, -on this, his third attempt, having endeavored to get clear from us in -Vasse, and Balli, and now, in the most unpromising place of all, has -succeeded. He was the possessor of two or three English sovereigns; -and this circumstance must have caused the others to enlist him in the -enterprize, as they knew his uselessness too well to count on his being -of service to them.</p> - -<p>On the afternoon of the 23d, the barques Isabella and Lady Emma -anchored in the bay, and, soon after, the schooner Otago—making, in -all, five of us moored in this shelter. The Otago reported having -spoken the James Allen. She had taken three hundred barrels of oil, -including the whale we saw her capture, during the present month. The -captain of the Otago also reported having fallen in with the lower -mast of a vessel of about three hundred tons, evidently carried away -in a gale from some ship. They managed to get it in tow, but the line -parting, they took no further trouble with it. This circumstance -elicited our fears of a terrible misfortune<span class="pagenum" id="Page_168">[Pg 168]</span> to one of the whalers on -the ground, and whether American or English we were unable to surmise. -We have never to this time been able to discover to whom it belonged, -though it certainly had not belonged to any one of the whale-ships we -had been in company with, as we saw them all afterward.</p> - -<p>The Lady Emma, a few days since, put into Open Bay, where three of -her men deserted. In the vicinity of this bay there is a settlement -containing eight Mauriis. This is the only settlement on the coast, -from Jacob’s River to Cook’s Straits—Milford Haven being no exception -to the rule, as no white or civilized natives exist in its whereabouts. -Some of the wild natives have been seen here. During a former voyage, -part of the crew of the barque Runimede, whilst cutting wood, were -driven to the beach by these savages.</p> - -<p>The next day, being Sunday and so stormy that we could not enjoy -ourselves ashore, a number of us spent it aboard the Eliza. We were -the more easily induced to do this from the fact of her having a -French cook, who left the Alexander at Stewart’s Island and joined the -Eliza. He was discharged from the Alexander, and the oil belonging to -him was rolled ashore. Here he professed to be very happy; and, as he -was thoroughly master of his business, he was much esteemed by those -whom he catered for. I was much surprised at the palatable, and even -luxurious, taste of the salt-beef, after having been manipulated by -him, compared to that which had undergone the same operation by the -hands of our own cook. Although I may have been prejudiced, or the -superiority of the viands had rendered my appetite<span class="pagenum" id="Page_169">[Pg 169]</span> fastidious on that -particular day, yet certainly, the fare was such as not to have been -laughed at, even at the table of a first-class hotel. There were wild -ducks, wild pigeons, wood-hens, noble fish from the bay, excellent -corned-beef, and, to crown all, a noble plum-duff; and we did good -justice to the repast. At supper we drank, as a beverage, a decoction -of a New Zealand plant, which is used throughout the island instead -of tea. It possesses an aromatic taste, and the little I partook of -enlisted me in its favor; but how a continued use of it would answer, I -am at a loss to say. The Frenchman said that he had used it for several -months, and preferred it, for his own consumption, to tea produced in -China. As he was a Parisian, and a restaurateur into the bargain, I do -not see that I could quote better individual authority.</p> - -<p>On the 25th we lowered away two boats, and manned them with the -starboard watch, bound up the river, or sound, as the Mauriis call -it—bent on a day’s recreation. Guns, ammunition, and fishing-tackle, -were provided—also a good stock of eatables. After ten miles’ pulling, -we arrived at the head of the river, where we landed, and built a -fire. Previous to our trip to this locality, our curiosity had been -excited by the description of a falls, which, according to the account, -rivalled Niagara in magnitude. The Mauriis stated, that it fell from -a height of nine hundred feet, in an immense volume; and I fancied, -previous to having seen it, that I should have to chronicle in my -log-book the existence of the greatest falls in the world in this -out-of-the-way corner. I went, and saw it. Its height was about<span class="pagenum" id="Page_170">[Pg 170]</span> three -hundred feet—it first falling from the summit of a high mount into a -basin about a hundred feet below, and then descending into the river. -Its appearance was handsome; but, having been prepared from hearsay -to see something momentous, I must confess that I was disappointed, -and under the influence of chagrin did not appreciate it as fully as -it deserved. On our way up the river we saw numerous minor falls, -descending hundreds of feet from the summits of the cliffs. The river -was alive with porpoises and cowfish; whilst ducks, gulls, and pigeons, -skimmed over its surface. Those of the party who were provided with -fire-arms penetrated into the bush. Soon the crack of their pieces -announced their success in finding game. As the sun indicated the -hour of noon, one by one they straggled in to the fire, more or less -successful, according to their expertness in handling their guns. Their -game comprised ducks, pigeons, and woodhens, besides several varieties -we knew no name for. The ducks were about of the same size and -appearance as the wild ducks of the Northern States. The pigeons were -like our wild pigeons. The woodhens resemble in appearance a pullet -of the common barnyard breed. They do not fly, but run with excessive -swiftness, dodging here, there, and everywhere, in a manner to puzzle -any one. They are attracted by fire, and a number of them came around -ours. If not startled, they displayed little fear, approaching within a -short distance of us with the utmost indifference. These birds can be -easily domesticated; and aboard the schooner they had several running -about in their hold, in company with other fowls. All the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_171">[Pg 171]</span> birds -mentioned, when dressed and cooked, were palatable and appetizing.</p> - -<p>Whilst on this island myself and another were left ashore, the rest -having gone to the main with the boats. Through an oversight, they -took the water-keg along with them, leaving us unprovided with water. -We immediately searched for a spring, or some other depository of the -priceless liquid, but it was in vain. As we had but a short time before -been freely eating of salt junk, our thirst became intolerable, so that -we even went so far as to drink of the water of the river, which was -salt and brackish. After we had thus suffered for several hours, one -of the boats returned, and supplied our want. Never before in my life -did I taste so grateful and sweet a draught as I imbibed at that time -from the most ordinary of boat-piggins. This was the nearest approach -to deprivation of water for any length of time that I ever experienced. -If any person should wish to be pestered with a gnawing, unquenched -thirst, let him follow our example by eating about a pound of salt -meat, and then sitting for hours on an island where no water is to be -found, except such as will have a tendency to aggravate his thirst.</p> - -<p>After the arrival of the English ships, our nights were passed in -an excess of mirth. The rainy weather preventing any amount of work -being performed during daytime, their listlessly lolling about the -ship made the men feel prime for sport at night; and as none of our -ship’s company, since the desertion of our men, were allowed to leave -her after twilight, by common consent our barque became the rendezvous -for all; so that, about half an hour after supper, whole boats’<span class="pagenum" id="Page_172">[Pg 172]</span> crews -would come aboard. One night I counted seventy men in our forecastle. -Each vessel contributed its singers, and the choral performances were -really a diverting medley. The cook of the schooner, being French, sang -the Marseillaise for us; a German sang the Fatherland; a Portuguese, -I know not what, but, like all the others, he was loudly applauded -for his performance; the Mauriis, Sandwich and Navigators’ Islanders, -all sang their respective songs; whilst English, Irish, Scotch, and -Americans, also gave vent to their national melodies—Rule Britannia, -Erin go Bragh, Scots wha hae wi’ Wallace bled, and the Star-spangled -Banner, or Hail Columbia, followed each other—one song being as good -as another, so that it had a tune to it. Amongst the Lady Emma’s crew -were four excellent singers, who had practised together, and performed -very creditably; so that we were not without good singers. Instead -of spirituous drink, we indulged in a beverage, known as switchell, -concocted of molasses, vinegar, and water, with the addition of a -little ground ginger. At a late hour we separated, without being -muddled, as is usual in many, in fact most, assemblages of the like -character amongst people who profess more morality than the sailor. On -these occasions all was mirth and jollification: discipline, for the -time-being, was set aside, and the utmost good-feeling pervaded the -company.</p> - -<p>On the last Sunday we lay in the haven, all hands from each ship went -ashore, numbering about one hundred and thirty souls. We provided -ourselves from our ship with potatoes, biscuit, a piece of salt pork, -and a saucepan filled with molasses. We soon<span class="pagenum" id="Page_173">[Pg 173]</span> had a rousing fire -going; and the Mauriis were immediately on the <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">qui vive</i> for the -collecting of mutton-fish, warreners, and limpets, which they quickly -detected, although to our unpractised eyes there was no appearance -of shellfish. These creatures they detached from the rocks, not -without exerting considerable force, as they adhere with tenacity. The -mutton-fish is quite large, weighing from four to eight ounces. The -warrener is smaller, and inhabits a cone-shaped shell. The shell of the -mutton-fish, which is similar in shape to that of the clam, is single, -having a number of holes in the anterior part, through which the -animal breathes; the lower part of its body presenting the appearance -of a large leathern sucker. The limpet has a three-sided shell, and -is much smaller than either of the others. All these shells are of an -inferior pearl; useless, on account of its frangible construction, for -manfacturing any of the various articles for which the true pearl shell -is used. These shellfish, after being captured, are torn by the natives -from their habitations, and eaten, alive and kicking, with apparent -epicurean relish. This practise of devouring the struggling animal, at -first, seemed revolting to me; but upon reflection I remembered the -cool indifference with which we dispose of the bivalves, which possess -feeling equally with the mutton-fish, but have not the same energetic -way of displaying it.</p> - -<p>One of our party volunteering to act as cook, after sufficient of -these fish were procured and deprived of their shells, contrived to -make us an excellent dinner—we doing justice to a chowder prepared -from these creatures, beside having them raw, roasted,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_174">[Pg 174]</span> and in the -shell. The molasses was converted into candy and handed over to the -Mauriis, who, until they had disposed of it within their capacious -maws, had neither eyes nor ears for anything else. Our dinner ended, -we wended our way up the bay. This was a task of no little difficulty, -the beach being covered with huge masses of granite, worn smooth by -the percolation of water; these were to be ascended, descended, and -occasionally circumnavigated, so that several hours were devoted to -perambulating but a short distance. Our object was to collect specimens -of the green stone, which is washed down from the mountains, and, by -the continual friction of the water, assumes a circular and polished -shape. This stone is used for ornamental purposes, in the decoration of -their persons, by the Chinese and Mauriis—they using it for ear-rings, -necklaces, and nose pendants. Half way up to the summit of the mountain -that frowns above our barque, as she lies at anchor, there is a quarry -of this substance, which I should venture to call serpentine, but for -its extreme obtusity. I said that there was a quarry, but I have only -the authority of the Mauriis for my assertion; I went to the spot, and, -from observation, decided that if it had been worked, it must have -been at some time beyond the recollection of any of my informants. -This bay, twenty years ago, was the rendezvous of a sealing party, -who successfully operated in their business, living ashore until the -rainy season approached, when they boarded their crafts and sailed for -home. A whaling company, also, had a try-works ashore, where many a -fine jacket of blubber has been converted into oil; as these men might<span class="pagenum" id="Page_175">[Pg 175]</span> -have, occasionally, found time hanging heavy on their hands, to them -may be attributed the working of the mountain, carrying such specimens -as they pleased to their homes, for gifts or sale to the various -tribes along the coast. The seals becoming scarcer every year, and the -increase of whale-ships rendering the capture of the fish less a matter -of certainty than formerly, the bay fisheries were deserted, and ever -since it has been resigned to its original inhabitants, except when -some old and barnacled whale-ship touches at it, or the schooners of -the Maurii run in for protection from the weather. Nothing illustrated -to me the slight influence exerted by man here, more strongly, than the -fact of the smaller birds (those, from their size, too insignificant -for the attention of the gunner), viewing man without the slightest -fear, flying around and around one, and alighting on the person, as if -desirous of forming an acquaintance; having had no experience of the -refinement of cruelty inherent to man, they do not fear him. I do not -wonder at the sealers and whalemen deserting this vicinity when they -found that their game had left, as there is nothing either inviting or -enticing to induce a stay on these shores. The ground can never be made -serviceable for cultivation, as it is broken and uneven to an extreme -degree; scarcely a foot square can be found without a variation in the -grade of its surface.</p> - -<p>We remained in this bay seventeen days, every succeeding twenty-four -hours seeing some new creature, or meeting with some novel adventure. -One day a gust of wind would come rushing down the mountains, and carry -away our stern moorings, from<span class="pagenum" id="Page_176">[Pg 176]</span> the intense strain thrown upon them by -the ship’s swinging. Another day all were interested by the capture -of a female shark, from whose body were taken seventeen small sharks. -These creatures were put in the deck tub, where they swam around with -surprising celerity. They were each about six inches long, without -teeth, but betraying their origin by snapping at anything they could -reach with their toothless gums.</p> - -<p>I cannot take leave of Milford Haven Bay without stating my conviction -of its superiority to any port that I had previously visited, with the -exception of Balli. This was the opinion of all, and often afterwards, -when we were on the eve of making an insignificant port on the -Australian coast, have I heard it said, “I wish we were going ashore in -Milford Haven; because there you can see something.” You can procure no -liquor there, whilst here nothing new is to be seen, and rum stares you -in the face at every footstep.</p> - -<p>On the 2d of June the Isabella hove up her anchor and stood out of the -bay. She soon lost the breeze, and was endangered by her proximity -to some reefs at the mouth; but a few hours subsequently she was -enabled to resume her course. We, and the rest of the shipping, taking -advantage of the same breeze, squared our yards, and were soon merrily -bowling out to sea, far from the abode of sand flies, and mosquitoes, -which had no mercy on us whilst in the bay.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_177">[Pg 177]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_VIII">CHAPTER VIII.</h2> -</div> - - -<p>On the 7th, after having, during the preceding week, seen and lowered -for whales several times, our masthead’sman sung out that the James -Allen’s boats were whaling. She was some distance from us; but we -lowered away, and arrived in time to find they had turned up a large -whale. This was the fifth she had taken within the past eight weeks, -making her three hundred and seventy-five barrels of oil. Our boats -returned to the ship empty handed; and, as is usual when another -ship has been successful, we all indulged in a regular growl at the -hardness of our luck, complaining that we could capture nothing, -whilst others were filling their ships. But, to view the matter -impartially, we were having returned to us a Roland for the Oliver we -presented to them whilst on the Shark’s Bay Ground; in that vicinity -the success being all on our side. The next day, as if our bearishness -had been productive of good effect, at daylight we sighted sperm -whales. We lowered away three boats; the desertion of our men in the -bay, rendering it impossible for us to lower four boats and leave a -sufficient number aboard to work the ship in case of need. Directly -after lowering, the first and third mates struck large whales; after -remaining fast for a short time, the irons belonging to the larboard -boat drew—the boatsteerer<span class="pagenum" id="Page_178">[Pg 178]</span> had had a long dart, and struck the fish -in his small, where there was not sufficient blubber for the iron -to take firm hold. The other fish, to which the starboard boat was -attached, was going at the rate of I do not know how many knots an -hour, breaching, curvetting—now with his head out of water, and, -again, with his flukes reared high in the air, presenting all sorts of -resistance that characterize the right or sperm whale—snapping his -huge jaws together, and lashing the water, left and right, with his -flukes. For a time he kept running along at a rate that deterred the -other boats from approaching him; but, finally, the chief mate managed -to get a line from the bow boat, which was taken in tow. The whale -continued running for some time after; when he halted for a moment, the -mate, watching his opportunity, hauled his boat on to him, and, with a -well-aimed lance, stopped his running forever. We soon afterwards got -him alongside. He was a noble specimen of the cachalot, exceeding in -size any one we had previously taken. On account of the heavy weather -incident to this coast, we took time by the forelock, and cut him in -that same night. It was calm and the moon was at its full, whilst -scarcely a ripple disturbed the surface of the ocean, so that we had -an excellent time. At midnight nearly all was on deck. The following -morning we hove in the junk, and bailed the case—the immense weight of -the latter preventing us from hoisting it aboard. This whale yielded us -one hundred and ten barrels of oil.</p> - -<p>It will be seen that whales are plenty off the coast of New Zealand, -and the query may be raised, why<span class="pagenum" id="Page_179">[Pg 179]</span> are not more captured? But seeing -whales is not taking them, and killing them is not securing them; as -may be exemplified by the case of the Prince Regent: whilst near us, -she captured two large whales, but lost them both from the severity -of the weather. The Flying Childers, too, lost the greater part of -another. The James Allen, however, was more fortunate. One day, after -having by the most strenuous exertions succeeded in getting in a -whale which they had taken the previous day, sperm whales came up -close to the ship. The mate wanted to lower; but the captain, deeming -the weather so boisterous as to make such a proceeding injudicious, -refused his consent. The mate then went below, charged his gun, and -fired a bomb-lance into the whale with such effect, that on rising -again he discharged blood from his spout-holes, appeared bewildered, -and attempted to grasp the sides of the ship with his jaws. By this -time all hands were thoroughly excited; and on the spur of the moment, -although the experiment was a hazardous one, a boat was lowered away, -which, though stoven by coming into contact with the fish, yet managed -to save him.</p> - -<p>I will here take occasion to relate another fish-story, which emanated -from the James Allen. Her boats had been down for several hours, and -when lying still, awaiting the re-appearance of a school of sperm -whales that had sounded, a strange fish, in size between the grampus -and whale, rushed by them with open jaws. He kept on for a short -distance, then about-ship, and returned. Both jaws were furnished with -sharp, wicked-looking grinders. Deeming discretion the better part of -valor, they<span class="pagenum" id="Page_180">[Pg 180]</span> gave his fishship a wide berth. He did not, they said, -appear to be in pursuit of them, but kept on his way, unmolesting, and -unmolested.</p> - -<p>On the 25th we lowered for blackfish, and captured six, which yielded -us ten barrels of oil. These fish, like the whales on this coast, -are fatter than they are elsewhere, and average larger. Two days -afterwards we gammoned with the barque Emily Downing, of Hobartown. -She reported, that on the day we were blackfishing she had sighted two -schools of sperm whales. Swinging only three boats, the captain and -second mate went in pursuit of one school, and the mate of the other. -The last seen of the mate’s boat he was close to the whales, and his -boatsteerer standing up, preparatory to darting, when a thick fog -enveloped everything. The two boats in company proceeded to regain the -ship, which they did with much difficulty; and had not those on board -kept up a continual ringing of their ship’s bell to guide them, the -probabilities are, that they would have fared no better than the mate -and his crew, who had neither been seen nor heard of since. Conjectures -were rife as to their probable fate: some surmising that the boat had -been stoven, and all hands lost; others thought that, as the mate -was a prudent man, of much experience, and well knew the locality of -the land, he would most likely direct his boat straightway to it, -and lose no time in searching for their ship. The latter were right, -as was proved on the 30th, when the Downing and we were in company, -lying under short sail,—a fresh breeze blowing, with a heavy sea in -attendance—our mastheadsman apprised us, that there were several -sails<span class="pagenum" id="Page_181">[Pg 181]</span> off our weather-beam, squared in, and standing directly for -us—coming down before the half gale like racehorses. We at first -thought that they were whaling; but as they neared us, and we saw that -they all had their colors flying, we at once suspected the true reason -for their manœuvring. In a short time, the barque Isabella ran across -our stern, spoke us, and informed us of the safety of the missing ones; -and that all, though weak and exhausted, were as well as circumstances -would permit. This was glorious news, and was received with hearty -cheers. Later in the afternoon we learned that the poor fellows had -been five days in their boat, with nothing to eat, except half-a-dozen -biscuits, an albatross that they had killed by darting a lance into -it, and a piece of squid that they managed to pick up. The latter, -they said, was not very recent; but, in their necessity, it was to -them tall eating, and they were disposed to grumble at the quantity, -rather than the quality of their food. They said that they had made -for the land immediately on finding that they had lost their ship, but -had not succeeded in reaching it until Sunday. As they approached it, -they fortunately discovered the ship James Allen close-to. They made -for her—told their story—were taken on board, and everything that -could be afforded for their comfort was plentifully supplied to them. -They were much emaciated by their long fast and exposure; but under the -genial influence of good victuals and their present position, they were -gradually recovering their wonted hardy condition. The James Allen, -being in the course of a few days bound off the ground to Hobartown, -handed over the missing ones to the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_182">[Pg 182]</span> barque Isabella, who placed them -aboard their own vessel. Their shipmates—as did all the members of -the fleet—expressed the greatest joy and satisfaction at the recovery -of these poor fellows; for we could all sympathize with them in their -forlorn situation, inasmuch as we were at any time liable to meet with -a like accident whilst engaged in our present pursuit.</p> - -<p>Among the vessels that ran down to us was the ship Gœthe, of Bremen, -Captain Austin. This was the first German whaler that we had seen -during our voyage. She had been cruising for right whales off the -islands of <abbr title="saint">St.</abbr> Paul and Desolation, and had taken nine hundred -barrels of oil—two hundred of which she disposed of in Hobartown. -In that port, which she had recently left, she lost a number of her -men by desertion. Her captain, officers, and three-fourths of her -boatsteerers, were Americans; and, although most of her foremastmen -were Germans, all duty was carried on in English. She is a Bremen-built -ship, of about six hundred tons, and well-looking—originally a packet -between Bremen and New York, from which line of trade she was not -removed any too soon, for she is the dullest sailer I ever saw. She -carried (independent of her whaling-tackle, which was American,) an -assorted cargo of German fancy-goods—accordeons, flutinas, drums, -violins, flutes, &c.—also tobacco and schnapps; which she disposed of, -either in the various ports she touched at, or to the ships she met -with in want of such articles; and as there is no duty on the high seas -upon these goods, I have no doubt that a considerable amount will be -realized by her owners.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_183">[Pg 183]</span></p> - -<p>From this date until the 11th of July we experienced a succession -of heavy gales, with a very slight proportion of moderate weather; -and we observed that the squid was floating on the surface in great -quantities. The entire absence of whales and blackfish caused us to -conclude that some disease had affected the squid, causing it to die -and appear on the surface, and also rendering it unpalatable to the -fish. Deeming it of little use to remain longer, we bade adieu to New -Zealand; and, with square yards and a fair, though light wind, we stood -away from it. Its high cliffs were discernable the next day, when by -computation we were one hundred and twenty miles distant. And now, that -we had left its snow-capped mountains, its heavy gales, dense fogs, -and cold, inhospitable climate, behind us, we rejoiced in the prospect -of warmer and pleasanter cruising-grounds; leaving no regrets, but all -glad to get away: the four months we had passed off its shores being a -series of unpleasant days, that would have dissatisfied less mercurial -persons than sailors.</p> - -<p>On account of the prevalent westerly winds, we were forced to run -several degrees to the northward. On our passage to Hobartown we -crossed the middle ground (which is midway between New Zealand and New -Holland). This is a famous ground for sperm whales, and did not, in -this case, belie its reputation—we seeing a school, whilst crossing -it. We lowered for, but scared them, much to our discontent. We made -no stay here, but steered directly for Van Dieman’s Land; and on the -21st were becalmed in sight of it. The next evening we took a pilot -aboard, and the following morning passed the Iron<span class="pagenum" id="Page_184">[Pg 184]</span> Pot light, and -entered the Derwent river. This is a noble stream, two and a half -miles wide, and navigable for one hundred. The country on both sides -of the river appeared fertile, and it being the proper season of the -year, in this latitude, for the husbandman to break the ground and -plant his seeds, the agriculturists of the section were to be seen -intent on such employment. Some of our crew, whilst closely watching -these busy laborers, thought of their earlier youth, when, like them, -they followed a kind father or elder brother in their occupations -around their farms at home, and on contrasting their present rough -and boisterous calling with the more peaceful and quiet one they were -formerly engaged in, they were rather disposed to think the farmer -had the best of it; and several expressed a willingness to exchange -conditions with them. They may have been sincere, but I doubt it; as -those who have been employed in agricultural pursuits, after once -becoming identified with whaling by the performance of a voyage, -although they may inveigh against its hardships and discomforts, rarely -fail to go again. Why this is, is easily deduced. In the first place, -in their old calling, there is too much work for them after leading -the lazy, rollicking sailor’s life aboard a whaleship, where the -regulations of the service allow him four or five hours sleep (without -whales are in sight) in the daytime. A man has little inclination to -labor from sun to sun. Again, in rural localities, there is a degree -of wonder and interest attaching to a sailor, that makes him feel -flattered by the special attention displayed towards him; and, after -spinning all his marvellous yarns to an admiring<span class="pagenum" id="Page_185">[Pg 185]</span> audience, he feels it -incumbent upon him to keep up the character by again embarking, with -the prospect of returning in the possession of new stories and songs.</p> - -<p>Going up the Derwent we saw many fine farms, with neat and commodious -tenements upon them. The river itself was studded by small craft, -engaged in carrying produce to the city of Hobartown. A part of them -possess the curious cognomen of “she oakers;” these are a distinctive -class from the others, and are employed in the conveyance of the she -oak, prepared for fuel, to market. On nearing the town, we discovered -the James Allen at anchor, and found, beside her, twenty or thirty -vessels—all sailing under the English flag, except a Dutch brig, and -we two Yankees. At 8 o’clock P. M. we came to anchor within a short -distance of the town, or rather the city.</p> - -<p>No sooner was our ground-tackle down than boats were alongside -containing prostitutes, who here, as elsewhere, claim Jack Tar as -their especial property. They boarded us, extended invitations to -all, when they came ashore, to call upon them; and with the most -unblushing assurance, indulged in libidinous promises of the advantages -possessed by their establishments over all others, and vaunting their -superiority over anything of the kind in the city. Some of these frail -ones delighted in most euphonious names, one was Double-Jointed Polly, -another, Slippery Liz, another, Polly, the Jumper, and other equally -select and high-sounding appellations, which they seemed proud enough -of.</p> - -<p>Directly we were secure, the mate of the James<span class="pagenum" id="Page_186">[Pg 186]</span> Allen boarded us, -and informed us of the total loss of the barque Henry H. Crapo, of -Dartmouth, Massachusetts, with the destruction of all the crew, fore -and aft, excepting the captain and a Sandwich Islander, who were picked -up by an English steamship, after thirty-six hours immersion in the -ocean. It appears that whilst off the Cape of Good Hope, she was struck -aback by a heavy squall that tripped her up. The two persons saved -sprang to cut away the rigging, to save her and give her opportunity -to right again, when they were washed overboard. Coming in contact -with part of a whale-boat, and a cutting-stage with lanyards attached, -they constructed a raft, on which they were saved. At the time of -the accident one watch was aloft furling the foretopsail. This craft -previously bore the reputation of being tricky, having, according to -the account of those who had been in her, several times before been on -her beam ends. All her crew were known to us, and we had seen them, but -a few months previous, rejoicing in the prospect of a speedy arrival at -home.</p> - -<p>On the 23d and 24th we were busily occupied in breaking out and getting -ashore our right whale oil. After getting it all in casks, we launched -it overboard, and, with four boats fully manned, the crews of all -joining in a rattling, heaving song, we towed the casks along before -the city front, attracting hundreds of the citizens to the wharves to -witness the method of the Yankees at work. They seemed to be satisfied -by their scrutiny, that we were the smartest nation in all creation. I -heard one of them say, “They are a bloody smart set of young fellows, -and no bloody mistake;” and, indeed, to judge from the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_187">[Pg 187]</span> appearance -of the specimens of the two races here exhibited, the denizens of -the city presented a worn, dissipated aspect, whilst our boys, fresh -from the sea, with cheerful countenances and sprightly motion, looked -capable of any amount of exertion. Directly opposite where we lay was -the Government barracks, and the presence of the red-coated sentries, -with their periodical cry of “All’s well” resounding through the -air, strangely jarred on an American ear. Speaking in terms easily -understood of monarchical governments and their hirelings, this town is -indeed little else but a collection of people under martial subjection; -the character of the inhabitants, and their antecedents, rendering them -subjects of peculiar care to the British government; and to ensure -their good behavior, a regiment of these scarlet-coated gentry, who -have seen actual service, are permanently stationed here. By their -presence, rather than any work they are called upon to perform, these -people are intimidated into decorum. Sentries are stationed before the -governor’s house and the various public buildings, and a nightly patrol -is placed near the water. They are continually to be seen walking about -the streets accompanied by the handsomest females in the place. This -seems a peculiar privilege of the soldier—no matter where you go, you -will always see him with a pretty girl; his continual presence on one -station giving him an immense advantage over the sailor; and then, -too, the color of his coat is so much more gay than the modest blue, -that, in the eyes of the lass that loves display, Jack stands no chance -against his hereditary rival.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_188">[Pg 188]</span></p> - -<p>Just above the town there is an eminence, mounted with heavy artillery, -which commands the harbor. It is laid out with taste; but, being little -versed in military science, I can neither vouch for, nor detract from -its effectiveness. It is a favorite resort for the citizens, and is -often the theatre of prize-fights, which take place, not only between -the male, but also the female part of creation. During our stay, -two courtezans fought for a pound a side, and battled away for some -fifteen or twenty rounds, when the police arrived at the scene of -combat, and conveyed the participators and a number of the spectators -to the lock-up. The police force is well organized and effective, and -patrol the streets night and day. In conjunction with the soldiers, -they are the guardians of the public peace; and one would think that, -being coadjutors, friendly relations existed between them; but, on -the contrary, many and bloody battles occur. The soldier hates the -policeman, and the policeman fears the soldier. If the policeman -detects the soldier in any little peccadillo, he without more ado -arrests him, if he be alone, and there is no prospect of falling in -with any of his captive’s comrades; but, woe betide him! if in an -unguarded moment he has counted without his host—they flock around him -with wondrous alacrity, take off their belts, and with these effective -weapons soon beat off the police with their staves, and decamp in -triumph.</p> - -<p>During the three days we lay here, before going ashore on liberty, -numbers of young women visited both ships, professedly for the purpose -of obtaining washing; but, no matter how respectable or tidy they -looked, their vulgar breeding would display itself<span class="pagenum" id="Page_189">[Pg 189]</span> before they left. -Two of them got into a fracas on board the James Allen; and, after -indulging in every expletive in and out of the Billingsgate vocabulary, -were about settling their difficulty pugilistically, but were -restrained by the mate’s peremptorily ordering them into their boat. -On their showing some reluctance at starting, he threatened them that -they should never again come aboard, unless they obeyed. This had the -desired effect, and they went away, to settle the matter ashore.</p> - -<p>A short time previous to our arrival, the water-police for the -suppression of smuggling had been abolished; and, scarcely was our -anchor down, when the watermen came aboard, to bargain for tobacco and -other contraband articles.</p> - -<p>Hobartown, from the water, does not present a striking appearance. -Apart from the military and the public buildings, there are but few -objects of interest to the beholder, excepting several churches, -and a huge windmill, perched on a tower, where corn is ground. The -town is scattered, or rather the buildings are—which amounts to the -same thing,—over a considerable area. Its population is variously -estimated, from fifteen to sixty thousand; I having been assured by -at least a dozen respectable, intelligent citizens, that both these -numbers were correct. In the absence of a certified copy of the census, -I will establish a mean between the two, and estimate it at less -than forty thousand. Its streets are laid out at right-angles with -each other: the foot-path is paved with flags, and the carriage-way -macadamized. The city is lighted with gas, the works for which were -imported from England. Several of the streets present<span class="pagenum" id="Page_190">[Pg 190]</span> a business-like -and animated appearance; particularly Murray and Liverpool streets, -which contain the business-marts—the latter, like Chatham street, New -York, or South street, Philadelphia, (both of which thoroughfares I -have mentioned before,) being the place of business for pawnbrokers, -Jews, old-clothes-dealers, haberdashers, &c. At almost every step a -groggery stares you in the face, and a glance within will assure you -that they do not lack patronage. It is not unusual to see a husband -and his wife, whose dress and appearance betoken an acquaintance with -better circles, standing at the bar, and partaking from the hands of -the rumseller of the beverage that intoxicates. I know of nothing that -more disgusted me, during my whole absence from home, than witnessing -two females, each with an infant in her arms, settling some domestic -concerns, and ratifying the settlement with a nobbler.</p> - -<p>But here I have been describing Hobartown, when as yet I have not been -ashore. The last date I gave was I believe the 25th, and the 26th -being Sunday, on the day succeeding it, which was liberty day, all -were busily employed in washing, barbarizing, and attempting to change -our semi-barbaric appearance into a more civilized one; so as to be -enabled to make some pretension to being ladies’ men, and enter the -lists for feminine favor with the landlubbers ashore. After beautifying -our persons as much as our means would permit, long togs and other -clothing, that had been stowed away in the corners of donkeys for many -months, were ferreted out; and, when we had donned them, we presented -a pretty creditable appearance. Thus unusually attired, and<span class="pagenum" id="Page_191">[Pg 191]</span> feeling -something like fish out of water, we jumped into the boat, and started -for the shore.</p> - -<p>On once more arriving among houses, streets, and marts for business, -after a two-years’ exile from them, thoughts of my own happy home -rushed up in my memory, and bitterly did I deplore my foolishness -in having left it; but soon, in the contemplation of new objects, -I cheered up, and began my peregrinations through the city, with a -determination to criticize everything impartially, whether English or -colonial.</p> - -<p>The most prominent objects, were the very conspicuous signs of the -different groggeries, among which I noticed one, on the corner of two -streets, with large letters, to the effect that it was the General -Washington House; and a few steps further on was the Virginia House: -fully attesting that some wandering Yankee, who still retained his -American bias, (and where is there a son of our native land—no -matter how long he has been absent—that does not retain it?) had -squatted here, and christened these two sinks. Amongst other names, I -also noticed, the Marquis of Waterford, the Garrick’s Head, Handsome -Bar-Maid, White Swan, Inkermann Arms, &c. Many of these were houses of -ill-fame or assignation.</p> - -<p>Before going ashore, our captain, in a short, but pithy address, -strongly recommended to us the necessity of avoiding the allurements of -the various shipping-agents located here. Seamen were scarce, and these -harpies, ever on the look-out for American seamen—more particularly -whalemen, to whom, in order to secure them, they will at any time -give the post of boatsteerer—made many offers to induce our men to -desert. The captain mentioned the fact, that<span class="pagenum" id="Page_192">[Pg 192]</span> no American whaler had -ever made this port without losing a part of her crew, and urged us -to be an exception to the rule. He then stated, that there was not a -man or boy in his ship, whom he wanted to part with; and wound up his -address by warning us particularly against a worthy, whose sobriquet -was Peg-legged Johnson. What his real name was, I do not know. He -had a wooden leg, and a brilliant reputation, all over the Indian -and South Pacific oceans, for stowing away seamen who deserted from -their vessels; and then, on the offer of a reward by their captains, -returning them. The captain’s advice was well timed, and had a good -effect. It was otherwise with the James Allen’s crew, as will be -disclosed as I proceed.</p> - -<p>Some six months previous a number of our ship’s company had instituted -a temperance pledge, which had ten signers, none of whom deviated from -it, and, indeed, I did not see a single case of inebriety amongst our -crew during our stay in Hobartown. I mention this as a sort of salvo to -the general intemperate reputation of seafaring men.</p> - -<p>Going through the streets, I was much surprised at the number and -variety of the occupations of the hawkers crying their wares. Here one -was calling at the top of his voice “Long, strong, and three yards -long, all for a two-pence;” he had shoe-strings for sale. Another was -vending hot sevilloys, a compound resembling a sausage; whilst another, -with a bell in hand, was lauding the superiority of his establishment -for the purchase and sale of second-hand clothing; and a multitude -of others were striving to vociferate louder than their competitors -their<span class="pagenum" id="Page_193">[Pg 193]</span> claims to the attention of purchasers of oysters, oranges, nuts, -&c. Besides these notorieties, in every street there was an unusual -number of blind beggars. I for a time kept handing a small sum to each -of these mendicants; but soon gave up charity, as I found that it was -deleterious to the state of my exchequer; money being worth twenty-five -cents advance on the dollar here, and therefore a commodity not very -liberally forked over by our captain. On stating my suspicions that -some of these people were impostors, I was assured to the contrary; -my informant saying that the climate was hurtful to the eyes—a -film, somewhat resembling the cataract, covering and destroying the -sight—a disease easily remedied by the knife of a skilful optician. -The government supplies an asylum for these unfortunates, but many of -them prefer strolling about the streets, to confinement in such an -institution. Many of them are attended by dogs, who lead them about -with precision.</p> - -<p>Soon after I went ashore I came in contact with a young American, who -had been located in the city for several years. Of course, our being -from the same State, betrayed us in a review of the place of our -birth, into a friendly intimacy. I asked him his opinion of Hobartown, -and shall never forget his answer; it was, that “lewdness filled the -streets, licentiousness the houses, and profanity the air.” Although -not prepared to endorse his sentiments in toto, I must confess that he -was not very wide of the mark; and, whilst I have him in remembrance, I -may as well review the opportunities offered by this part of Australia -to induce young men to emigrate to its shores. The state of society, -makes those engaged<span class="pagenum" id="Page_194">[Pg 194]</span> in business here, whenever they find a young -man coming to their neighborhood with the character of an honest -man, anxious to secure his services, and offer him a good recompense -for them. During my stay on the coast, I, in several cases, had such -offers tendered me; and, although in a pecuniary point of view they -were advantageous, I have never once regretted not accepting. In nine -cases out of ten, where young Americans have taken up their residence -here, they have, however repugnant the habit may have at first appeared -to them, contracted a taste for alcohol, and not having, like these -people, been accustomed to imbibe it from childhood, soon became sots. -Hence the reluctance of captains of whaleships to discharge on the -coast any of their crew in whom they take an interest; well knowing -that among such companions moral or intellectual improvement is out of -the question.</p> - -<p>As the lower class of the population, more particularly the female -portion, consider the sailor fair game, our ship was continually the -scene of their visits. Although we were at first quite pleased, and -felt enlivened by the presence of the fairer part of creation aboard -our floating home, we shortly discovered that we were only favored with -their company from interested motives; and, therefore, after several -visits had passed, but little more attention was paid to them, except -by the idlers, who were glad to have any object to assist them in -whiling away their time.</p> - -<p>Great attention was paid by these dames to the younger members of our -crew, whom they hoped, on account of their inexperience, easily to -dupe; but<span class="pagenum" id="Page_195">[Pg 195]</span> it was only on one occasion, (the eve of our sailing,) that -any encouragement was extended to induce them to prolong their visit -aboard our ship. On that evening—fancying that we had some stray -shillings in the corners of our pockets, and wishing to relieve us of -an article that would be of no use to us when at sea—they came off to -the number of a score; and as their blandishments could produce no ill -effect, (for none of us wanted to go ashore again at Hobartown,) our -accordeon-player was pressed into service, the quarter-deck cleared -away, and all hands indulged in dancing—officers, men, and visitors -taking a part. The presence of the officers, and respect for the old -ship, restrained those whose buoyancy of spirit would otherwise have -led them to run riot.</p> - -<p>After being tired out with dancing, singing was substituted; and, -take it all in all, it was about as merry an evening as could well be -passed. All parties, before entering into these gayeties, had been -pledged to decorum; and, as there were no intoxicating liquors, by an -indulgence in which any one might be led to forget his or her sense of -propriety, nothing was said or done that could have called a blush to -the most modest cheek: a circumstance, the more remarkable, when the -motley character of the assemblage is remembered.</p> - -<p>There are several establishments in the city, professedly theaters, but -really houses of questionable character, where dancing, in which all -the audience indulge, is by far the greatest part of the performance.</p> - -<p>One of these houses my curiosity led me to enter. Having paid over my -shilling to the door-tender, I<span class="pagenum" id="Page_196">[Pg 196]</span> was ushered into a small amphitheater. -On its stage sat five performers, whose faces were blackened with -burned cork. They were attempting to give delineations of Ethiopian -characteristics; but, although the audience seemed delighted with the -performance, their brogue smacked more of the Paddy or Sandy than of -that of the Virginia Darkie.</p> - -<p>It is to be deplored that such establishments so often entrap the -unwary sailor; who, on his liberty-day, bent upon amusement, his mind -unoccupied, and in possession of funds sufficient to make him an -object of attraction to the harpies who conduct them, is led to enter, -and, ere he is aware, (unless he has a spirit that is proof against -temptation,) they lead him from one folly to another, until he becomes -helplessly intoxicated, and then he is an easy prey to whoever wishes -to plunder him. Strange it is, that, with the victims of such sharks -continually before his eyes in every seaport he visits, he should still -persist in entering such places. He certainly does not do it blindly, -but with a culpable recklessness, that is almost inexcusable. He will -not stop to consider what may be the consequences of the first steps he -takes in the path of sin. He is never deterred from his evil course by -viewing the wreck of his fortune; for, when utterly impoverished by his -heedless career on land, he again returns to his favorite element, upon -whose broad expanse, or in whose mighty deeps, he sanguinely expects -to regain all his treasure. He scorns to reflect upon the vile arts by -which he has been debarred from the field of fair sailing ashore, nor -regards the foul atmosphere of the brothel as more to be shunned than -the spray. So, at sea, he thinks not<span class="pagenum" id="Page_197">[Pg 197]</span> of danger, when the storm king -in his wrath is sweeping over the surface of the ocean, but goes aloft -unfaltering, although surrounded by the elemental war.</p> - -<p>The Hobartown market is abundantly furnished with most excellent -meat—the beef I never saw surpassed, and the mutton is excellent. -The principal part of the beeves consumed here are brought from Port -Phillip in small craft known as “bullockers,” and, despite their -uncomfortable passage across the straits, land in excellent condition. -We had plenty of such provender whilst we lay here—the cook, or -steward, having orders to get abundant supplies each morning, except -Sundays—and we did it justice. Although a seaman sighs for fresh -meat, after a long cruise, when he has enjoyed it for several days -his appetite becomes surfeited, and he gladly hunts up salt junk, -and partakes of it with a relish. The consumption for the first and -second days is treble that of the succeeding three. A vessel, several -years ago, touched at a port on the western coast of South America, -for a reason not assigned. There was no fresh meat furnished to the -crew, in lieu of it poultry was substituted, which, for a short time, -was partaken of with relish; but one day the captain was surprised at -seeing his men come aft and complain of their chicken diet, asserting -that they had had too much of it, and could not work upon it. Salt -junk was served out in its place, and the difficulty settled. This -is not an isolated case of the kind; I have read elsewhere, I think -in one of J. Fennimore Cooper’s works, that the Scotch garrisons -originally stationed on the various outposts of Great Britain, on the -lakes,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_198">[Pg 198]</span> were accustomed to complain when an over supply of venison or -salmon was meted out to them; these articles, to us luxuries, being so -plentiful near their abode, and so often partaken of as to lose their -novelty. At the present writing I have been but a few months without -fresh provisions, and so long a dissertation on the coveted food, -has conjured up to my imagination, visions of fresh and juicy meat, -vegetables in profusion, and amongst other delicacies, last, though -not least, a buckwheat or Johnny cake; neither would a piece of bread -and cheese he out of the way, or any other of the little et ceteras -grateful to the appetite, that the poorest person ashore can command at -will, but which the wanderer on the sea must deny himself when engaged -in a long voyage; the owners generally considering salt junk and hard -bread as the staffs of life at sea.</p> - -<p>Daily, whilst here, some one or more of the crew of the James Allen -would cut stick, and defy the most strenuous efforts of the authorities -to recapture them. Finally the crew was reduced to but a moiety of -her usual number. They were restricted to the day ashore, at night -being required to return aboard their ship; those who violated this -restriction were confined altogether to the vessel, and those allowed -to go ashore were put by their captain under the surveillance of the -police, and if found ashore at nightfall, were placed in the lock-up. -Our captain, to secure us from molestation, furnished us with passes to -the effect that, by his permission our liberty extended for twenty-four -hours; but as our men behaved themselves in the most decorous manner, -they were never interfered with; and I do not remember<span class="pagenum" id="Page_199">[Pg 199]</span> having heard of -a single instance where they were required to show their passes.</p> - -<p>This passport system was a feature worthy of the worst despotism of -the Old World. Here were we, a body of Americans, visiting an English -harbor, after a long confinement aboard ship at sea, debarred from -enjoying our rambles on shore with perfect freedom, and feeling -ourselves liable at any moment to be stopped by the police, and have -our passports demanded. And why? Forsooth, was this done, because -several of the James Allen’s crew—disgusted either with whaling, the -sea, or the harshness of the discipline aboard that ship—chose to -remain ashore? To be sure, they had all signed the ship’s articles, -and agreed to remain as part of her crew during the continuance of -her voyage, and by leaving her here they violated the letter of their -agreement; but when it is remembered, that the greater proportion of -those now deserting, at the time of joining the vessel and registering -their names, were minors—totally ignorant of what their duties and -hardships might be—their offence appears to be merely venial. And, -again, the captain is also bound by these articles and by the maritime -laws of the United States; and, if he has observed those laws in letter -and spirit, he will be entitled to sympathy, should his men desert him. -But, unfortunately, as soon as a ship is outside of land, and away from -the jurisdiction of our courts, the captain is too apt to consider -himself as the law and all its officers. He is, emphatically, when on -the high seas, himself the judge and jury; from his decision there is -no appeal, and to his fiat the seamen under his command must submit. -Now,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_200">[Pg 200]</span> should he be guilty of gross personal abuse, or otherwise injure -any of his men, or by a system of petty annoyances, render a situation -under him unpleasant and uncomfortable, who will say that the party -so injured or offended may not withdraw from the ship? The captain, -however, will not let him go. What, then, shall he do? Life is a burden -to him whilst under the espionage of his tormentor. His remedy, the -superficial observer at once would say, would be to throw himself and -his complaints on the consideration of the American consul, and demand -justice. I will merely relate a case that happened at the American -Consular Agent’s Office in Hobartown, (the agent, by the way, was not -an American,) to wit:</p> - -<p>At Flores we received aboard a Portuguese, without an agreement. He -remained with us, as one of the crew, up to the time of our arrival at -Hobartown, and had become a pretty good seaman. One liberty-day, as -he was going ashore, the captain said to him he wished that he would -accompany him to the consul’s office, and have his name put upon the -ship’s articles. The Portuguese assented; but, previous to this, the -shipping agents of the town had conferred with him, and, discovering -that he was not bound to the ship, had offered him a seaman’s wages -to sail in their employ; consequently, he imbibed a notion of the -real value of his services, and when taken to the consul’s office -and offered a landsman’s lay by the captain, he demanded a greater -proportion of the vessel’s earnings—one commensurate with his -services. His remonstrance was answered by a box on the ear; and he was -taken to the wharf, put in a<span class="pagenum" id="Page_201">[Pg 201]</span> boatman’s charge, and conveyed to our -vessel; from which time he was not allowed to go ashore again whilst we -remained in the harbor.</p> - -<p>It may be seen, from the result in this instance, that men have -but little encouragement to apply to the consul. What, then, shall -they do? The English courts will not receive an American seaman’s -complaints—stating that they have no jurisdiction in such a case; but, -at the same time, they will grant to the captain of a vessel warrants -for the arrest and detention of any of his crew who may desert.</p> - -<p>Thus, both these avenues to justice and right are in a measure closed -against the sailor; but, even were they open, I doubt whether Jack -would resort to them. Taught by experience, as well as from the -prejudice of ignorance, he cherishes a strong antipathy toward both the -law and its executors; for which reason, he does not care to prefer a -complaint in a court of justice, but would rather forswear its promised -shelter, and take the seemingly shorter and easier method offered by -desertion, to gain a release from tyranny or exemption from unbearable -wrongs. In adopting the latter course, however, it not unfrequently -happens, that, instead of having improved his condition, he finds, to -use a homely adage, that he has jumped out of the frying-pan into the -fire.</p> - -<p>But I must resume my narrative, and speak of the colonists, among whom -there is a generation now rising who have been born on the island. -They are known as Van Diemanians or Tasmanians. The males are large, -fine-looking fellows, and the females generally possess some beauty and -intelligence.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_202">[Pg 202]</span></p> - -<p>This city having considerable whaling trade, there is a corresponding -interest taken in everything pertaining to that pursuit. For instance, -all the boats that ply about the city front, large or small, are in -the form of a whale-boat. Regattas are held, under the patronage of -the colonial government, at which various prizes are distributed to -the victorious crews of the successful boats: and now for a word about -these boats. During the voyage we had two of them, one of which was -purchased from the Flying Childers, when we were off the coast of New -Zealand, in exchange for tobacco—the other we procured in Hobartown. -The former had taken a prize at the regatta; and, therefore, I think we -maybe said to have had fair specimens of the manufacture. These boats -are longer, sharper, higher, and heavier than ours; they are built -of hard wood—there being no wood in this country comparable to our -cedar for the construction of whale-boats. Being heavier, they are of -course more difficult to pull, and, although higher and sharper, some -peculiarity in the model renders them so wet and uncomfortable, that, -to use the words of those who had often got wet jackets whilst in them, -“They do not ride a sea, but pass right through it.” One advantage they -possess in the polished smoothness of their surface, which enables them -to glide through the water with scarcely any perceptible noise, and -approach the whale before he has an inkling of its whereabouts. Many -of these Hobartown vessels totally discard boats manufactured by the -artizans of that town, whilst others vastly prefer them to the American -boat. From experience, I should say that the latter craft, viewed in -every light,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_203">[Pg 203]</span> is superior; and, again, it has the advantage of being -two-thirds cheaper—the Hobartown boat costing from thirty to fifty -pounds, and the American fifteen or twenty at the most.</p> - -<p>We had but little trouble in procuring water, for, if so disposed, a -ship can have it brought alongside; but if not, all that is necessary -is, as we did, to tow a raft of casks to the dock, fill them from -a hose, and then convey them back to the ship. The water is of an -excellent quality, and keeps sweet a long time.</p> - -<p>As liberty was given every day, and the watches were ashore -alternately, the privilege of remaining ashore during the night was -extended to each individual. For the convenience of those who were -disposed to return aboard, a boat was sent in at sundown; but it -seldom brought off any of the liberty-men. It was manned by the watch -on duty; so that three-fourths of the ship’s company might be ashore -every night. The boat generally returned before midnight; and it was -customary for the crew that manned it to sing a jolly heaving-song at -the top of their voices—all joining in the chorus; and the nights -being still and serene, the effect produced was rather startling -through the silent harbor.</p> - -<p>On the 5th of August all hands were aboard—liberty having been -discontinued—all preparations made for sailing, and no intercourse -allowed with the shore. Many of our crew wished to provide themselves -with little articles for sea-use; but the captain, having all on board, -determined to keep them there, and took the execution of all their -little commissions upon himself. There was, however, no<span class="pagenum" id="Page_204">[Pg 204]</span> need of this -precaution, in order to confine us on board our ship; for, throughout -the entire day, we did not fail to have many opportunities to desert, -if any of us had felt so disposed, and had availed ourselves of the -watermen’s boats, which were continually arriving at, and departing -from the ship.</p> - -<p>In referring to the account of what transpired aboard the ship on the -last night of our stay in the harbor of Hobartown, it may, perhaps, be -said by the strict moralist, that too much latitude of correct moral -principle was allowed by admitting female visitors, whose reputation, -at least, if not their real character, was that of the lowest grade; -inasmuch as by their participation in the gay hilarities of that -evening encouragement was given to the idea, that their guilty course -of life was no hindrance to the realization of lawful and innocent -pleasure. Now, considering the fact that so many youngsters were -comprised in our crew—“young bloods,” of keen susceptibilities for -sport, whom the license of an hour might probably transform into -“fast young men,”—we must acknowledge the apparent justness of this -objection. But, on the other hand, let us consider the relation in -which the captain of a ship stands to his men: it is not one which -authorizes or requires him to assume the care and rod of a parent, -or teacher of morals; but is one which demands a discipline that can -secure their willing, hearty, and effective service. Moreover, it is -impossible fully to control the inclinations of a boy, who likely has -always had his own way at home, and has been sent to sea on account -of a too free indulgence of self-will. I say that it is absolutely -impossible to govern such a stripling, (after<span class="pagenum" id="Page_205">[Pg 205]</span> his parents have failed, -while he was surrounded by the influences of home,) when separated -fifteen thousand miles from his native country, and after two years -of forecastle life, during which, being continually in the society of -sailors, boys grow to be men in opinion and ideas, and expect to be -treated as such when ashore. As to the expediency of somewhat relaxing -the rigid rules of moral discipline, we may be satisfied by a mere -contrast of the position of our own with the crew of the James Allen -at the same moment. On board the latter, the men had been hectored and -thwarted, and consequently more than one-half had deserted—leaving the -void to be filled up with green hands,—and those who remained were -sullen, dissatisfied, and discontented; whilst our own crew were all -aboard their ship, both cheery and ready to go to sea. The fact of all -the hands that were brought into this port again going out in the ship, -of their own accord, is unprecedented in the annals of the arrival and -departure of American whalers; for, commonly, such vessels lose a half -or two-thirds of their crews. A few months ago, the ship Hunter, of New -Bedford, touched here, and lost a number of her men—several of whom -are now acting as policemen. Our non-success in capturing whales gave -good cause for apprehending that we should meet with a like loss, and -our not doing so may be attributed to the general good treatment which -characterized our ship throughout her voyage. Although not a paradise, -still she was as good as the best of whalers. No overt act of cruelty -or brutality had been exercised on any one of our<span class="pagenum" id="Page_206">[Pg 206]</span> crew; and therefore -they were now all satisfied again to go afloat in her.</p> - -<p>In the morning three new men came aboard: two of them were ordinary -seamen, or as such they represented themselves—one having steered a -boat, and the other having been a year before the mast in a colonial -vessel. If these were fair specimens of colonial seamen, the poorest -must indeed be very low; for none of them knew the compass, or the -rigging, or how to furl a square sail. The whole three were Irishmen, -of the class that are banished from their country for their country’s -good.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_207">[Pg 207]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_IX">CHAPTER IX.</h2> -</div> - - -<p>At 8 o’clock on the morning of the 6th we hove up our anchor, got under -weigh, and, with a fair wind, stood down the river—leaving Hobartown -in the distance—bound on another long cruise to the westward.</p> - -<p>But before I take leave of Hobartown, I must acknowledge the general -welcome and hospitality with which we were greeted and treated by -its inhabitants, who seemed very desirous to add their contributions -to make our time whilst in their harbor pass pleasantly. The mere -fact of our being Americans was a passport to their good opinion. -Although, when we are absent, they jeer at our national peculiarities, -and lay great stress upon “guess” and “calculate,” yet they are all -suavity when in our company. Away from home the whole of our people -are known as Yankees, whether hailing from the northern, southern, -eastern, or western section of our Union. Being an American, as far -as my experience goes, is indeed a passport to civility amongst the -inhabitants of all these penal colonies. Though the greater part of -these people have been banished from Europe for their violation of -the laws of their native country, nevertheless, they still consider -themselves to be the injured party, and view England as a great -oppressor, by whose peculiar<span class="pagenum" id="Page_208">[Pg 208]</span> societary organization her subjects are -urged on to evil; and therefore they say, as such, they have neither -regard nor respect for her. I noticed that the military band were -continually playing, God save the Queen; but I saw nothing of that -affection for the sovereign, which the English papers are forever -rehearsing, as being an inherent principle in the British composition. -Respect for her virtues, as a woman, they readily yield; but these -people have a vague idea of republicanism, that will eventually cost -Great Britain her Australian colonies; although self-government among -such a people will undoubtedly be productive of little else than -anarchy and disorder. The discordant elements composing the population -need a thorough alternative, ere they can hope to form a government in -any way resembling our Union of the West; and from my own impressions, -drawn from an observation of both the higher and lower classes of -society, I should say that it would require all the abattoirs of -Paris,—which extend, I forget how many miles, and render it the most -thoroughly drained city in the world,—as an outlet for the moral -corruption of this country.</p> - -<p>And now I must touch briefly on Van Dieman’s Land business-operations. -Yankee cuteness in bargaining has became a proverb, but I doubt whether -the sharpest of the speculators from the land of wooden nutmegs could -outdo the sharpers found here. Long before we passed the Iron Pot -light, a boat, containing a couple of speculators, came alongside, and -her passengers jumped aboard of us. (One of their names, by the way, -was Smart, and he sustained the aptitude of his cognomen to the best<span class="pagenum" id="Page_209">[Pg 209]</span> -of his ability.) We purchased a boat of them, which, after we were -outside, was found to be much worn, and the crevices filled with putty -and neatly painted, so as to defy detection. The potatoes, bought for -first-rate, were very ordinary; and the salt-meat, ten tierces of which -had been bought for corned beef—being represented as having been but -a short time out of pickle—was fairly white with an encrustation of -salt, which no amount of soaking would remove: being ten times more -saline than that which we had brought from home twenty-four months -previously. This meat, when opened, was not, like ours, of a rich red -and yellow hue, but of a sickly pink and white, which may have been -owing to the absence of saltpetre in the pickle. It was quite fat; but -the fat was like suet, and eatable only whilst warm; wanting the rich, -pleasant taste of the fat on our own meat. The epicure may laugh at my -expression of “rich taste,” applied to a piece of salt-junk; but let -him do, as I have done, after hours of fatiguing night-duty—when his -system is almost prostrated from exposure to wind and weather—go down -to his messpan, get a piece of fat beef, a cake of hard bread, and a -raw onion, (if he is fortunate enough to possess the latter,) and then -go on deck, and munch it, then, I think, he will find the taste of it -rich, grateful and pleasant.</p> - -<p>Before I go farther, I must relate a New Zealand adventure, which -escaped my notice whilst writing of that delectable coast, and as it is -one of the few incidents of my voyage with which a woman is connected, -it would not be just for me to omit it: it was as follows. One night -whilst we lay in Milford<span class="pagenum" id="Page_210">[Pg 210]</span> Haven Bay, one of the owners of the schooner -Eliza approached me very mysteriously, and asked the privilege of a few -minutes conversation with me. Of course I acquiesced, wondering at the -motive for his request. I was soon enlightened. He stated that in the -settlement where he lived, at Jacob’s River Bluff, at the extremity -of the middle island, their former physician, who for many years -had practised in the vicinity, had died, and they, therefore, were -without medical attention. Having heard my shipmates call me Doctor, -and discovering, upon inquiry, that I had dabbled somewhat in physic -at home, he made up his mind that I was an expert practitioner, and -the idea entered his head to secure me as a resident at the Bluff. He -stated the matter to me, assuring me of a remunerative practice, and, -as a further inducement offered me one of his daughters as a wife. -He represented her as a beautiful half-caste girl—and I found, upon -inquiry, that he did her but justice. I was both amused and surprised -at the ardor with which he urged the matter, and did not give him a -final answer, wishing to draw him out. The old fellow thought that he -had me safe, when I deemed it time to put a stop to it, and informed -him that my engagements to the owners of our ship were of so urgent -a nature that I could not leave without the captain’s full consent. -He assured me that there would be no difficulty about that, if I -would but give <em>my</em> consent to the matter; he would stow me away -so that no one would be able to find me, and at the end of their -cruise carry me to the Bluff. Of course I could not consent to this, -although every time he renewed his solicitations, he enjoined<span class="pagenum" id="Page_211">[Pg 211]</span> on me -to remember the gal. I certainly should have liked to have formed an -acquaintance with her, but I had too many ties at home to forget and -forsake my country. This old fellow was an English man-of-war’s man -who had deserted from his ship in the early days of the settlement -of the island, and marrying a native woman, had reared a family of -handsome and interesting children. His code of morals was not of the -highest standard, neither was his sense of duty as a parent, or he -would not have wished to dispose of his daughter so summarily without -her consent; but then he may have been fully acquainted with her -wishes, and I was assured that these girls consider it as a great -honor to secure an American husband. In proof of this I will relate -the adventures of a townsman of mine. He sailed from New Bedford in a -whaler, deserted at Bravo, one of the Cape De Verde Islands, contracted -some sort of a marriage with one of the Portuguese girls there, became -tired of her, and shipped aboard a second New Bedford ship bound to -the South Seas. She cruised off New Zealand, and then proceeded to -the Australian Bight. Whilst in these latitudes, this young man fell -from the maintop into the waist boat, and displaced his ribs. A few -days after the accident we fell in with her, and I went aboard and -set them. We saw no more of the ship or him for a long time, when one -day, whilst we were gammoning with the Colonial ship Pacific, I was -surprised at seeing the self-same individual step aboard from her boat, -well and hearty, having perfectly recovered from his injury. He told me -that being weak for some time after he was hurt, his captain had left -him ashore at Stewart’s<span class="pagenum" id="Page_212">[Pg 212]</span> Island, with sufficient for all his wants, -promising to call at a certain time. The ship not making her appearance -at the stated period, and being perfectly recovered, he became weary -of inactivity, and on the Pacific’s touching at the island, he joined -her, throwing away several hundred dollars which were his proportion -of his former ships (the Alexander) earnings. The Alexander touched -at the island a few weeks after, but found the bird flown, to the -captain’s regret, as the missing individual was one of his most useful -men. He continued in the Pacific for five or six months, and on her -touching a second time at the island, deserted from her and married the -girl whom the cooper was desirous that I should mate with. Thus this -youngster, scarce arrived at manhood, had, in the course of two years, -left his home, and been a member of three ships, married twice, and -at the last account of him was snugly anchored in an out of the way -nook in the South Pacific, thousands of miles from his kindred, who -know nothing of his whereabouts, neither are they likely to, without, -amongst his other freaks, he should attempt that of returning home. -Thus it is, a free life on the salt water certainly engenders this -unsettled, roving tendency. A sailor considering himself at home in -every clime; well-knowing that however little employment there may be -for other professions, the ways of commerce will always supply him with -a berth sufficient to provide for all his wants. The better the seaman, -generally, the more wild and reckless are his frolics; never learning -wisdom, or staying his rollicking career, until the blue waves of old -ocean close over his sinking form,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_213">[Pg 213]</span> or he is hove down in some foreign -hospital, a prey to disease brought on by his own imprudence. His life -ebbs out, amongst strangers, when, if at home, his sick couch would be -surrounded by kind friends, or, perhaps, a fond mother or sister, who, -at the dictates of affection, would minister to his dying wants, and -smooth his dreary passage with all the comforts procurable by affection.</p> - -<p>But I must resume the legitimate course of my log, which was -interrupted, I believe, as we were making our way down the Derwent. By -night we were outside and beating up for the Southwest Cape. There, -on Sunday the 9th, we sighted sperm whales. We lowered away, and in -about an hour had one snugly moored alongside. The following day we -cut him in despite a gale of wind; fortunately, saving the whale. On -the following Wednesday we saw another school of whales, but, after -chasing all day, gave up the pursuit as hopeless. As soon as we were -done boiling, the James Allen hove in sight, having left Hobartown -several days after we sailed. They informed us that after we left, her -cooper, and one of her boatsteerers deserted, having been enticed away -by the smiles of some of Hobartown’s syrens. They also stated that the -Prince Regent had arrived, and brought news of our missing boat’s crew. -That, a few days after our leaving the coast of New Zealand, they came -alongside the Prince Regent and begged for provisions and some water, -saying that they had been lying in a bay a short distance South of -Milford Haven, waiting for our departure from the coast. Those who saw -them said that they were emaciated and woe-begone to a painful degree. -The<span class="pagenum" id="Page_214">[Pg 214]</span> captain of the Prince Regent, who, both with his own countrymen -and strangers, bears the unenviable notoriety of being a niggard, -refused to give them a single thing. They left him and went alongside -a Maurii schooner, where their wants were supplied—the semi-civilized -man, who is sneered at by his more polished cotemporary, displaying -the most humanity. Afterward they were seen to go into Open Bay, take -aboard several men who had deserted from the Lady Emma, and direct -their boat to the northward, where we will leave them, until, in the -due course of the narrative, their further exploits are developed.</p> - -<p>On the 15th the sun arose amid a pretty fresh gale of wind. Directly -after breakfast we sighted sperm whales. The weather looked rather -dubious; but we wanted oil very bad—so down went our boats and after -them. They were slightly to windward of us, and it was impossible to -force our boats to the weather, in the teeth of both sea and wind, so, -at 10 o’clock, the boats returned aboard. At 11 we tried it again; at -12 again returned, ate dinner, and, not at all discouraged by the two -preceding failures, at two o’clock dropped our boats a third time, -after having beat up with the ship to windward of the school. The -third attempt proved successful, and, fortunately, the fish struck ran -but very little, and was easily disposed of. Some idea may be formed -of the hardships of the whaleman’s life, from a recountal of this -day’s work. During the whole time that the boats were down, the rain -descended in torrents, and the sea was so rugged that it was only by -incessant bailing that the boats were kept from swamping. Added to -this, the weather was quite cool, and the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_215">[Pg 215]</span> wind was at such a height -that double-reefed topsails were all the ship would hear; yet, despite -all this, the brave fellows, when they came aboard, although chilled -through and wet to the skin, made light of the difficulties, and stated -their willingness and even eagerness to encounter the same hardships -again for another whale. The wind continuing, we had a troublesome -job the next day in getting him aboard. The following Wednesday, as -if fortune was determined to make us some reparation for the former -sparsity of her favors, we again saw whales, captured one and got him -all aboard the same day—making over two hundred barrels of sperm -oil taken by us in ten days. The James Allen was in sight of us when -we captured the last two, and had the same chance; her miscarrying, -therefore, can be attributed only to the fact of her boats’ crews being -unaccustomed to boat duty, and unable to compete with ours—her old -crew being pretty nearly all gone, and her boats now manned by men who -never saw a whale before. I think that this should be a sufficient -inducement for whaling captains to treat their crews well, so as to -retain them, when, at the end of two years, they make a good port, they -may not have an inefficient, almost helpless crew, instead of able -hands to do their behests.</p> - -<p>The next Sunday, unlike the two preceding ones, was a day of rest—on -one of the former being engaged in whaling, and on the next in -cutting-in. Being a line day we gammoned with the James Allen; whilst -so employed, we noticed a brig to leeward with her colors set at the -mizzen-peak. At first, little attention was paid to her; but the -colors<span class="pagenum" id="Page_216">[Pg 216]</span> continuing set, we squared our yards and ran off to her. She -proved to be the brig Julia, of Hobartown, five months out, with -twenty-eight tons of sperm oil. Her reason for showing her colors -was, that she had on board a boat’s crew, who, with two other boats’ -crews, now ashore in the vicinity, belonging to the brig Maid of Erin, -of Hobartown, separated from their vessel, having lowered for whales -just at nightfall, and lost sight of the brig in their eagerness to -capture whales. There was no one aboard the Maid of Erin, except a few -inexperienced hands, and the boat’s crew expressed their apprehensions -of some casualty to her, should it come on to blow. What the result was -I never learned, as a short time afterward we left the cape, proceeding -northward to Kangaroo Island. Seeing no whales, we changed our course -to the westward, passing the Recherche Islands, and having a fine view -of Pollock’s Reef—a dangerous line of rocks, a long distance from the -main land, extending for several miles, over which the sea roars and -tumbles in huge broken masses, impressing the beholder with a sense -of danger as he gazes upon it. Just before reaching this locality we -saw right whales, but could get nowhere near them. Soon afterward -we gammoned the ship Lapwing, of New Bedford; she brought letters -from home for us, but gave them to the Alexander, supposing that we -still remained off New Zealand. Whilst gammoning with her, a line of -dangerous reefs was sighted close to us, and, during the night and -following day, we carried sail to get a wide berth from it, and ran the -old ship into a school of sperm whales. We lowered away our boats. The -second mate fastened, and the whale sounded, taking<span class="pagenum" id="Page_217">[Pg 217]</span> out most of his -line; the third mate ran down and attached his line to it, just in the -nick of time, and saved the whale. The whales in this vicinity plunge -and sound deeply, when first struck. Half an hour previous to the -second mate’s fastening, the first mate struck a fellow that carried -off all his line.</p> - -<p>About this time a curious malady affected a number of our crew, the -seeds of which were sown by exposure to the rains and damp air of -the South Pacific. It resembled inflammatory rheumatism, causing -excruciating pains in the joints, and resisting all application of -medicine. I experienced the affection myself. Having heard of the -marvellous efficacy of the oil extracted from the liver of the sun -fish, I urged the necessity of procuring some of the article; the -captain, coinciding with me, lowered away a boat and captured a sun -fish. It was a most curious creature, almost without shape; in weight, -I think it would exceed five hundred pounds; it had no scales and no -flukes; the after portion of the body appearing as if unfinished; on -each side was a long narrow fin. The skin was of a brown color, and as -rough as sandpaper. The eye was most beautiful, and the largest and -clearest of any creature’s that I ever saw. The bones were soft, and on -being exposed to the sun gradually melted away. The flesh is prepared -with vinegar and makes excellent eating. The oil, extracted from the -liver by expression in the sun, is of a reddish color, and fœtid smell. -It proved of great service to me—an application to a stiff joint at -night rendering it pliant and free from pain in the morning. Long -yarns are spun by seafaring men of the wonderful properties of this -oil; they assuring me that<span class="pagenum" id="Page_218">[Pg 218]</span> a too free use of it was always attended -by salivation, and enjoining an application of but a small quantity. I -used it pretty freely, but experienced no bad effect from it.</p> - -<p>On the 5th of October we picked up a spruce plank, about twelve feet in -length and three in breadth; it was copper-fastened, and was adjudged -to be part of the keel of a large ship.</p> - -<p>On the 17th we ran in and anchored in Frenchman’s Bay, intending -to procure a supply of water. This bay is the introduction to King -George’s Sound, and is a safe and pleasant harbor. We lay within a mile -of the shore, and from a spring close to the beach, procured three -hundred barrels of most excellent water. There were no vessels in -the bay, but in the sound there was an English barque, the Prince of -Wales. She brought out to the sound materials for the erection of two -light-houses—one on Point Possession, at the entrance of the sound; -the other on Breaksea, at the mouth of Frenchman’s Bay. These have -long been needed on the coast, and their advent will be a matter of -congratulation to the navigator in these seas. The crew of this vessel -refused to proceed in her, alleging as a reason her immoderate leakage, -asserting that she was unsafe and unseaworthy. The crew, including the -second mate, on the complaint of the captain, were arrested by the -authorities, and kept in durance vile until such time as the vessel -should leave the port. This probation had now continued for months, -and as the crew were determined not to embark in her, a new crew was -shipped, and, on the arrival of orders from England, she sailed for -some port in the West<span class="pagenum" id="Page_219">[Pg 219]</span> Indies. At her departure her former hands were -released.</p> - -<p>The next day after anchoring was Sunday, and all hands were bound -for a run ashore. The bay presented little attraction, but the green -appearance of the vegetation was enough to induce us to have a nearer -look at it. On landing we found the country covered with the prevailing -bush, and as it was in many places dry and inflammable as tinder, we -ignited it, and had a rousing fire coursing up the hills like a demon -in pursuit of prey. Having tired ourselves with this amusement, we ran -along the beach with the intention of shaking the scurvy out of our -bones; and as we progressed, saw numbers of mutton-fish, crabs, and -limpets. We gathered a sufficient quantity of these shell-fish, roasted -them, and had a fresh mess. Proceeding along the beach, over an uneven -ridge of boulders, after a walk of about eight miles, we came to the -whale fishery. Here we found about a dozen men, who were engaged in a -warfare against the humpback and right whales that resort to the bay. -They had taken, during the season, two of the former and one of the -latter species, yielding them one hundred and seventy barrels of oil; -they desired us to set no more bush afire, stating that the smoke or -glare of the flames intimidated the whales from entering the bay. From -these people we learned that the ships Alexander and James Allen had -touched here but a short time previous, and that whilst here both ships -had lost men by desertion, and that these men were now knocking about -the town, unable to procure employment. The James Allen also lost an -anchor here, in about the same spot in<span class="pagenum" id="Page_220">[Pg 220]</span> which she broke her windlass -whilst getting under weigh last year. From all accounts her Hobartown -crew had been anything but orderly and obedient, so that the captain -was glad to be rid of them. Amongst the men at the fishery there were -several Americans who had been in this section of the world for years; -they did not like the country, and, if we had wanted men, would gladly -have engaged and gone home with us.</p> - -<p>It is the law of the English government, that no fishing shall be -carried on within three miles of the coast of colonies. This law is a -dead letter in the Indian Ocean, excepting where their fisheries exist; -and I am sure that, had whales made their appearance in this bay whilst -we were present, our boats would have been down amongst them. The men -at the fishery strongly urged their exclusive right to this privilege; -but, at the same time, they informed us that, a few weeks previous, -the ship Congress, of New Bedford, had taken a humpback whilst lying -where we now were; for, having no casks at the fishery, they were -necessitated to buy some from the ship, and because of this favor, they -had agreed not to interfere with their prize.</p> - -<p>Returning from the fishery, we took a short cut through the bush, which -is lower here than any I have seen elsewhere in Australia—no tree or -shrub appearing that was over eight feet in height. Amidst the general -desolation, beautiful flowers of various descriptions and colors sprung -up; forming a strange contrast, and appearing as if Nature, to make -amends for the general loneliness and negligence displayed,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_221">[Pg 221]</span> had caused -these gay flowers to flourish here, and truly, as the poet says,</p> - -<p class="poetry"> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">“To waste their sweetness on the desert air.”</span><br /> -</p> - -<p>On our way down, we continually passed little mounds, shaped like -beehives, and constructed of dried grass and sand, arranged to a -nicety. At first I was at a loss to tell the true character of these -nests; but, on knocking the top off of one of them with my stick, I -saw myriads of ants—it being a granary for these insects. On being -disturbed, they rushed hither and thither in search of the violator of -their domicile, and on discovering him, they ran up his clothing, and -bestowed no very gentle bites upon his legs and body. They are much -larger than our ants; and, unlike ours, instead of excavating a place -of retreat, they build it upon the surface of the earth.</p> - -<p>We also saw and destroyed (without knowing what we were killing) -several iguanas—little creatures of the lizard species, that abound -here in great numbers. They are said to be a fierce enemy of the -serpent tribe, and to engage in long and severe contests with his -snakeship, and always gain the victory—running, when bitten by him, -to a certain herb that acts as a specific. When we were at Hobartown, -I was told of a man, named Underwood, who possessed a sure and speedy -antidote for the bite of any snake. The government had offered him -a large price for his secret, but he refused to divulge it on any -terms. He was a convict of the lowest grade, and represented that he -first discovered the antidote by observing the iguana running to, and -eating it, after<span class="pagenum" id="Page_222">[Pg 222]</span> having been bitten by his foe. This remedy, which is -vegetable, he states to be very common. Its infallibility is implicitly -believed in by the residents; and, from their account, even a stranger -cannot refuse credence to its worth, after listening to a recital of -the many satisfactory tests it has been subjected to by the faculty.</p> - -<p>Whilst we were engaged ashore, those who chose to remain on board the -ship passed the time in angling. Amongst other specimens of what had -been caught, was one known as the snapper, each weighing from twenty -to thirty-five pounds. They had scales, and were of a reddish color. -Another, known as the groper, from its swimming close to the bottom, -weighs from fifty to one hundred and fifty pounds. It has scales on -its body, and is black in color. Both these fish have ivory teeth, -from a quarter to three-quarters of an inch in length, and of the -same shape as those of the sperm whale. Both are good eating, salted -or fresh. They require a strong line and stout arm to secure them. -Beside these members of the finny tribe, there are also to be found -here others of less note: the mackerel, herring, benita, salmon, and -whitings—existing in great numbers. We caught and salted a barrel of -them; but, from an excess of salt, they were unpalatable, and we were -forced to heave them overboard when we got outside.</p> - -<p>On returning to the beach to go aboard, we discovered that one of our -party was missing. It proved to be a New Bedford boy, who, although -his name was John, had been ’yclept Barney, from the first day of our -sailing. He was a good-natured fellow,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_223">[Pg 223]</span> who did not care what name -he answered to, and became more accustomed to his alias than to his -true cognomen. A call for John would pass unnoticed, when one for -Barney would secure his attention in double-quick time. Having no -taste for whaling, and being desirous of getting home speedily, he -had donned several suits of clothes, and determined to run for it. He -separated himself from the rest of the party soon after going ashore, -and started directly for the town of Albany, where he arrived at -midnight; but finding those who had left the ships before mentioned in -a sad predicament—destitute and wretched—he changed his mind, and -gave himself up to the captain, who was about instituting a search, -and offering a reward for his apprehension. Two days afterward he was -aboard the ship again.</p> - -<p>On the 21st we had all our work done, but were unable to get to -sea, being wind-bound by a heavy easterly gale. The mouth of the -bay being narrow, precluded the possibility of our beating out. The -gale gradually increased; but our ground-tackle was good, and, with -both anchors down, we rode it out. On the afternoon of this day -the steamship Simla made her appearance. She is a noble vessel, of -twenty-five hundred tons burden—three hundred and sixty-five feet in -length. Just before approaching the sound she took the pilot aboard, -and under his guidance proceeded in. Here she came to anchor alongside -the Larkin, in order to receive her coal—this being, after leaving -Melbourne, the first station for fuel for the line of steamships to -which she belongs. They remain here for twenty-four hours, and bring -hither and convey hence the mail to and from<span class="pagenum" id="Page_224">[Pg 224]</span> the Swan River colony. -On the morning after the Simla’s arrival her mails were opened, and -hardly an idea can be formed of our surprise on seeing the following -announcement in a copy of the Melbourne Weekly Herald:—</p> - - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p class="center">“Supposed Loss of the Whaling Barque Pacific, of New Bedford, U. S.</p> - -<p>“The following letter appeared in the Nelson Examiner of the 16th ult.:</p> - -<p> -“‘<i>To the Editor of the Nelson Examiner.</i><br /> -</p> - -<p>“‘<span class="smcap">Sir</span>:—I regret to inform you, that there is too much reason -to believe that the whaling barque Pacific, of New Bedford, U. S., -foundered on the western coast of this Island, on the night of the -21st of May last. As the readiest means of communicating the news to -those who are interested in the fate of the vessel and crew, I send -you a copy of the deposition of one of the known survivors, which is -fully corroborated by the statements of the rest. I have ascertained -that the Pacific belonged to the firm of Swift & Perry, of New -Bedford; that she had on board three hundred and fifty barrels of oil -when she was supposed to have foundered. The names of her officers -were: John W. Sherman, master; John Hood, chief mate; John Dexter, -second mate; Clarke Allen, third mate. The names of the men who landed -on the western coast were: Theodore Jerome, David Jones, William -Charles Baylis, Joseph Riley, William Anderson, William Owen, Harvey -William Miller, David Ling.</p> - -<p> -“‘Yours, etc.<br /> -</p><p class="right"> -“‘H. G. GOULAND, <i>Resident Magistrate</i>.</p><p> -“‘<span class="smcap">Collingwood</span>, September 10th, 1857.<br /> -</p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_225">[Pg 225]</span> - -<p class="center p2">“‘(<i>Deposition above referred to.</i>)</p> - -<p>“‘Theodore Jerome, being sworn, said: I am a seaman, and belonged to -barque Pacific, of New Bedford; Sherman, master. The barque Pacific -belonged to Swift & Perry, of New Bedford. She was a whaler, of three -hundred and fifty tons burden. She left New Bedford last June was a -twelvemonth. The last port we left was Bunbury, in New Holland. We put -in there for supplies, and left in January last. The vessel leaked -considerably when we left New Bedford, but in Bunbury she was caulked.</p> - -<p>“‘We made the coast of New Zealand early in February last. We were -whaling off the coast. Shortly after making the coast of New Zealand -we experienced several gales of wind, which, according to the -captain’s opinion, increased the leakage considerably.</p> - -<p>“‘On the night of the 21st of May the leakage increased considerably, -and the pumps were kept constantly going till near midnight. The -carpenter reported the condition of the vessel to be dangerous, and -the captain thought it advisable to abandon her. He called all hands -aft, and stated the condition of the vessel to them, and advised -them to be orderly, and to get in their respective boats without -confusion. He turned to <abbr title="mister">Mr.</abbr> Hood, the chief officer, and told him -to put the vessel before the wind, to make it easier for the boats -to get away from the ship’s side. The captain ordered <abbr title="mister">Mr.</abbr> Allen to -clear away the bow-boat, and lower her; at the same time a heavy sea -pooped the ship, and swept her fore and aft. The vessel was by this -time settling by the stern.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_226">[Pg 226]</span> There was then an immediate rush for the -boats—each man getting in the first that he could. I and others got -into the bow-boat. I saw <abbr title="mister">Mr.</abbr> Allen, the third mate, standing on the -rail, giving directions for the lowering of the boat. I never saw him -afterwards. The boat that I was in escaped from the ship’s side, and -we put her before the wind. It was about 11¹⁄₂ o’clock when we were -called aft by the captain. It might have been half an hour between -that and the time we got clear of the ship’s side. At the time we got -into the boat there was another boat in the act of lowering—there may -have been more, but that is all that I can say positively. We stood -in towards the shore; and made the shore, as nearly as I could judge, -about 3¹⁄₂ o’clock in the morning. The boat was stoven in landing. We -landed between Milford Haven and Open Bay, on the Milford Haven side -of Cascade Point. We had been cruising off and on the shore, and had -seen land the previous day. We had been into Milford Haven about a -fortnight before this, to get water. From cruising off and on, and -repeatedly seeing the land, I was sufficiently acquainted with the -coast to know where we landed. At break of day we ascended a hill -to look for the ship, but saw nothing of her or of the boats. The -weather was very hazy, and it rained heavily then and for several days -afterwards; and we saw no wreck, either of vessel or boats. My opinion -is, that the currents run outward from the shore, and would carry any -wreck out to sea. It was blowing a double-reefed topsail breeze when -we left the vessel. The vessel appeared to be water-logged, and was -settling by the stern. I think that in all<span class="pagenum" id="Page_227">[Pg 227]</span> probability the vessel -foundered. We remained where we were for one day, and then endeavored -to go to the southward; but the bush was so thick, and obstacles so -great, that we could not get on in that direction. We then shaped -our course in the other direction, towards Open Bay; that is, to -the northward of where we landed. We found natives at Open Bay, and -remained with them about a fortnight. A native sealing-boat came into -Open Bay while we were there, and from one of the crew, that could -speak a little English, we got directions that enabled us to make our -way along the coast. We left Open Bay, and made the best of our way -along the coast to this place, where we arrived yesterday evening. The -names of the persons who landed with me were, William Harvey Miller, -David Ling, Joseph Riley, W. C. Baylis, William or John Owen, William -Anderson, and David Jones. Miller and Ling have not yet arrived. We -left Ling, who is a boy about eighteen years old, with the native -sealers at Open Bay. The natives told us that the roads were so bad, -that he would not be able to travel. Miller’s feet were too sore to -walk, and he remained behind. We found the road very difficult. We -crossed several rivers; among others, the Mewera and Kawatiri—the -names we got from the natives. Whenever we met with any natives, they -proved very kind to us: they fed us, and gave us food to take on with -us—this, with fern, shellfish, and whatever we could get, enabled us -to live on the journey. I cannot remember the names of all the persons -aboard: but I can of a good many of them; and of the officers, the -captain’s name was Sherman—I don’t know his<span class="pagenum" id="Page_228">[Pg 228]</span> Christian name; the -chief mate’s name was Hood; the second mate’s, Dexter; and the third -mate’s, Allen. There was also an acting fourth mate and boatsteerer, -whose name I do not remember. The number of officers and crew was -thirty-two. I am inclined to think, that if any of the other boats -escaped, and had any of the officers aboard, they would shape their -course to the nearest port—that is, Jacob’s River.</p> - -<p class="right"> -<span class="mr">“‘(Signed)</span><br /> -“‘THEODORE JEROME.<br /> -</p> - -<p>“‘Sworn before me, at Collingwood, the tenth day of September, -eighteen hundred and fifty-seven.</p> - -<p class="right"> -<span class="mr">“‘(Signed)</span><br /> -“‘H. G. GOULAND,<br /> -“‘<i>Resident Magistrate</i>.’”<br /> -</p> -</div> - -<p>It is almost needless to append, in explanation, that the above is -a tissue of falsehoods, fabricated by the deserters from our ship, -whilst in the South Pacific. Their story is plausible; and, were a -person not aware to the contrary, it would obtain implicit credence. -It was concocted by the one named Joseph Riley. He is a native of New -Jersey—of Irish extraction. He has been for years in the merchant -service; and this, united with a previous voyage whaling, rendered -him well acquainted with maritime affairs: hence, he found little -difficulty in weaving a yarn that sounded plausible enough, although -there is not a particle of truth in the whole account—our old ship -never having leaked, during the continuance of the voyage thus far, -more than enough to keep her sweet; only requiring to be<span class="pagenum" id="Page_229">[Pg 229]</span> pumped once -a week, and then but for a few minutes. The carpenter is an imaginary -personage—we never having possessed one: one was shipped in New -Bedford, but ran away before we sailed. The person, who, under the -name of Theodore Jerome, made the deposition before the magistrate at -Collingwood, is supposed to have been in reality John Roberts, a London -cockney, who had been transported to Australia. He had been in the -Henry H. Crapo for twelve months, but left her in Vasse, and engaged -with us; thus escaping the fate of the crew of that vessel, to live -and play a rascal’s part in another clime. The true Theodore Jerome -is still on board our ship, and justly indignant at the liberties -taken with his name. The fact of their assuming it is attributable to -their having in their possession an American protection, bearing the -name of Theodore Jerome. Roberts is the only one of the party whose -description corresponds with that contained in it; and hence we suppose -him to be the person who made the affidavit. He is weak-minded, with -little intelligence, and totally incapable of giving such an account; -except at the instigation of a person like Riley, and afterwards being -well drilled, until he was perfected in his part. The other names were -real; or, rather, a part were those of our crew, whilst the rest, Owen, -Anderson, and Ling, were the names of the deserters from the barque -Lady Emma, of Hobartown, whom our fellows took aboard their boat at -Open Bay. From their own account, they had pretty rough travelling; but -the descriptive part, like the substance of their narrative, may be -more romance than reality. But, apart from this, let us<span class="pagenum" id="Page_230">[Pg 230]</span> candidly judge -their culpability. In the first place, no doubt, they were driven to -an extremity by hunger and suffering; and, knowing that, as deserters, -they would meet with no sympathy, in such emergency they concocted this -method to obtain relief for their necessities: but why did they not, -if such was their intention, substitute a fictitious name for that -of our ship, and avoid particularizing as they did? Secondly, should -any amount of personal suffering induce men to embitter for months -the whole tenor of the existence of many happy circles, who, on the -reception of such fatal news through relatives and friends, without -any rebutting information on the subject, would at once set us down as -irrecoverably lost?</p> - -<p>Here was a pretty kettle of fish—some thirty-two of us consigned to -the tender mercies of David Jones, Esq., the hereditary enemy of our -profession, with as little remorse as if we were so many kittens; but, -fortunately, the same mail that conveyed the papers containing the -baleful news, gave us opportunity to send our own missives explanatory -of the proceedings; but then our letters from Hobartown, in July, were -sufficient evidence of our safety; so that, although it might create -some uneasiness, it would be but evanescent.</p> - -<p>Some months before we touched at Frenchman’s Bay, one of our -boatsteerers received a letter from his family, in which was contained -the report of a vessel having been seen by a merchantman in the South -Atlantic, bottom up. She was evidently a whaler, a barque, and bore on -her stern the name of Pacific, New Bedford. This was thought to be us,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_231">[Pg 231]</span> -and thus our old ship was given up to the mercies of that ocean over -which she had so gallantly rode for more than half a century, and, as -far as I am able to judge, still rides as proudly as in her palmiest -days—carrying her spars as jauntily as any of the constructions of -shipwrights of the present day.</p> - -<p>At 10 o’clock on the morning of the 26th, the gale having moderated -and the wind shifted to a favorable quarter, we took our departure -from Frenchman’s Bay. When directly opposite Baldhead we saw right -and humpback whales, bound up the bay. We lowered away, but could get -nowhere near them. They saw them from the fishery but met with like -success in their attempt to capture one.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_232">[Pg 232]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_X">CHAPTER X.</h2> -</div> - - -<p>We now directed our ship’s head to the westward, and fell in with the -barques Cherokee and Pamelia. The former had sailed from home some -two years previous; but, mutiny breaking out amongst her crew, she -was run into Mauritius, and all the foremast hands discharged. The -captain shipped a new crew, and was scarce a whit more fortunate in his -selection; as a number of rough alleys, hearing of his reputation as -a harsh man, determined to ship with him, in order, as they said, to -work him up. At the time they shipped they were informed that they were -engaged, not as sailors, but as whalemen. Soon after they got outside, -an order was passed from the quarter-deck to make spun yarn, which they -refused to do, repeating the terms of their engagement. The captain was -forced to succumb, and, consequently, captain and crew were at variance -during the remainder of their stay together. A boat’s crew from her -came aboard our vessel. They were powerful, manly fellows—every one a -thorough seaman, competent to perform his duty anywhere. Some months -after we gammoned her she touched at Vasse, and set several of the -ringleaders ashore.</p> - -<p>Aboard the Pamelia we found <abbr title="mister">Mr.</abbr> Edwards, our former second officer, -acting in the same capacity there. Her mate having left at Vasse, and -gone<span class="pagenum" id="Page_233">[Pg 233]</span> home in the Dolphin, her former second mate took his berth, and -<abbr title="mister">Mr.</abbr> Edwards the one left vacant by his promotion. Her crew seemed to -us like old friends, and were greeted as such. They had been cruising -on this coast ever since our departure, had been very successful, and -anticipated a speedy return home. Their third mate had been taken very -ill aboard the ship, and they had but a short time previously touched -at Vasse for the purpose of leaving him, supposing that he could -receive better attention ashore. Soon after they spoke the ship Canton, -and were informed of his death. How the report originated I know not; -for, in the following January, when we touched at that port, he was -alive and well, and had been amusing himself kangaroo hunting.</p> - -<p>The Pamelia brought us letters that had been received by mail at Vasse. -As I was one of the fortunate ones, I was much gratified at receiving -good news from home, and had my mind set at rest regarding the welfare -of all my friends for another year.</p> - -<p>On the 3d of November we lowered away for blackfish, of which the -waist-boat captured one. A breeze springing up, the boats set their -sails. The starboard-boat, by the carelessness of her manager, was -capsized whilst merrily gliding along in pursuit of the fish, and -her occupants, of whom I was one, got a ducking. When the boat went -over, I was caught by the backstay that secured the mast, and had some -difficulty in disentangling myself under water. The waist boat ran -down, picked us up, and put us aboard the ship, where the whole affair -was made a subject of laughter: this view<span class="pagenum" id="Page_234">[Pg 234]</span> always being taken of an -accident to a boat where no person is seriously injured.</p> - -<p>On Sunday, November the 8th, we sighted sperm whales, and though the -weather was foggy and disagreeable, the boats were lowered; but, after -being down all the forenoon, we returned at 1 o’clock, and ate dinner. -At half past one we dropped boats again, when the waist-boat fastened -to an immense whale, which ran very rapidly; but he soon began to spout -thick blood, and we counted him as ours. On the appearance of blood, -the bow-boat cut her line, and came aboard. The captain, observing that -the whale continued on in his course, lowered away, and lanced him -also; but still he would not turn up, although incessantly discharging -blood from his spout-holes and the various lance-wounds in his body. -Night approached, and still the whale kept going ahead. The rain was -descending in torrents, whilst not the slightest vestige of a breeze -rippled the surface of the water; so the boats, together with their -locomotive attachment, were gradually widening their distance from the -ship. Directly after nightfall, the captain returned with his boat, -leaving directions for the others to keep up good lights in their -boat-lanterns; so that we might very easily know their whereabouts. -On arriving aboard, the bow-boat was dispatched with refreshments and -a couple of bottles of New England rum, to revive those who had been -sitting in their boats drenched to the skin; and, surely, if there ever -was a moment when men needed an alcoholic stimulus to enable them to -withstand exposure, it was on this occasion. Just after the bow-boat -left, we lost sight of the light of the boat-lantern<span class="pagenum" id="Page_235">[Pg 235]</span> in the distance, -and did not recover it again until midnight, when we discovered -the boats coming toward us, with the dead body of the whale, as we -believed, in tow; but were chagrined to find that they had cut from -him, which, unavoidable as it was, was far from being pleasant, after -the trouble and pains-taking he had caused us. They stated, that they -were out of sight of the ship’s light; that the whale showed no more -signs of exhaustion than at sunset; and, as the weather looked very -threatening, there appeared to be no other recourse left them but to -return: so, after a consultation, in which all hands were included, the -line, not however without many regrets, was severed, and the monster -allowed to go on his way, and die alone—his surviving more than a few -hours being out of the question.</p> - -<p>The bow-boat, after leaving the ship’s side, pulled in the direction -where the boat-lights had last appeared; but it was not until after -they had cut from the fish, that they found the other boats, whose men, -from their fatiguing duty and benumbed members, were not just then -particularly delighted at the idea of pulling ten or twelve miles back -without refreshment: they therefore hailed the arrival of the bow-boat -with acclamation. They hove up; and, after having satisfied their -appetites, the bottle was passed around, and each indulged in a hearty -swig: then, with renewed vigor, they bent to their oars, and regained -the vessel.</p> - -<p>This unfortunate result would not have occurred had we had the least -breeze, to keep anywhere in the neighborhood of the boats; nor, had -there been land anywhere within a reasonable distance, the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_236">[Pg 236]</span> mate, -who in no wise lacks energy, would not have cut; but, under the -circumstances, he acted with discrimination in withdrawing the boats -whilst there was a chance of their doing so with safety. No doubt, had -he remained attached to the whale, it would have been as difficult for -us to find our boats the succeeding day as it was to find the carcass -of the fish, which, despite our utmost endeavors—thoroughly going over -the ground—we never afterwards saw.</p> - -<p>How it was that this whale sustained life so long, whilst the vital -current was swiftly escaping from his system, it is difficult to -account for. He was lanced in the same place as other whales we had -taken, and which expired in the course of several hours. It was done, -too, by men who were no novices, either in handling the lance, or -in combating the whale. Not a few shook their heads, mysteriously; -and one, in a spirit of confidence, broadly stated to me, that the -creature was not a whale, but Lucifer himself, who had assumed this -form to puzzle mankind; and hence he accounted for the tenacity of life -displayed. This opinion, of course, I could not subscribe to; but I -found it futile to attempt to satisfy my superstitious shipmate that -all might be produced by natural causes. My opinion being, that the -whale was of such a prodigious size, (every man who was in the boats -stating him to have been the largest of the cachelot species they -had ever seen,) and his vitals were covered with so thick a coat of -blubber, that the lances were of insufficient length to deal a mortal -wound. This view of the matter, after many arguments, <em>pro</em> and -<em>con</em>, was finally<span class="pagenum" id="Page_237">[Pg 237]</span> adopted, as being the most probable of any -advanced.</p> - -<p>After remaining on this ground a sufficient length of time to assure -ourselves of the improbability of picking up the wounded whale, we -proceeded to the northward, hoping to be more successful off the capes -Chatham and Leuwin. Our passage up was unmarked with incident, except -the capture of a large shark, and the picking up of a dead grampus of -the variety known as the bottle-nose. The shark’s capture is worthy of -mention merely for the method we adopted to kill him. He was struck and -hauled in, and beat over the head with a heavy handspike. The forge -being up, and a good fire burning in it, a bar of iron was heated, and -run directly through his heart, with but little apparent effect; for he -still continued to lash his flukes, and set his jaws upon a piece of -pine board, to which he held fast. His head was then cut off, and his -skin removed; yet every member of his body still retained the power of -motion.</p> - -<p>The grampus is a most beautiful fish—the handsomest in form of the -many inhabitants of the deep that it has been my fortune to see. On -account of their shyness, there is great difficulty in approaching -these fish when alive, and consequently very few are taken: even in the -whaling career, seldom does a seaman have an opportunity of examining -one on deck. The one in our possession was about twenty-five feet -long, and as much around the bilge. His skin was smooth, of a shining -black color. His head gradually sloped, until it ended in a long -pointed jaw, resembling that of the porpoise, but which, unlike that -of most other fish in these waters, was not<span class="pagenum" id="Page_238">[Pg 238]</span> furnished with teeth. No -mark, accounting for his death, was found upon the body: doubtless, -he died from some disease peculiar to the species. The blubber was -several inches thick, which on being tried out yielded three barrels of -colorless, inodorous oil.</p> - -<p>We remained off Cape Leuwin but a short time. Seeing a large lone sperm -whale, we lowered away for him, in company with the boats of the barque -Pamelia; but we did not succeed in capturing him. We then, accompanied -by said barque, again steered for our old ground to the southward.</p> - -<p>On Sunday, December 6th, just as we had arrived in our latitude -for cruising, we sighted a large lone sperm whale, at 9¹⁄₂ o’clock -in the morning; and by ten—the hour when well-behaved folks in -civilized countries are wending their way to church—we were deep in -the encounter. He occasioned us but little trouble: the first mate -fastening to, and killing him before the other boats could reach the -scene of action, though all pulled with a will. At the moment of -darting the harpoon, the whale struck the boat with his head, knocking -a small hole through her bows, and pitching the boatsteerer, who was -standing up, over the prow of his boat upon the top of the whale’s -elevated huge head; but the imperilled man, with a nimble spring, -quickly regained his legitimate position in the boat, where he very -probably felt much more comfortable than mounted on such a Pegasus. -This was a noble fish, and yielded us over one hundred barrels of sperm -oil, valued, at the time we left home, at about sixty dollars a barrel; -making, in the aggregate, the snug sum of six thousand dollars. A very -creditable day’s work: but, then, it has to be<span class="pagenum" id="Page_239">[Pg 239]</span> divided into so many -shares, that those who undergo the peril and discomforts of making the -capture come in for the smallest portion of the gain. The shipowners, -sitting at ease in New Bedford, grasp thousands, whilst Jack and his -coadjutors can reckon their proportion without very largely intruding -on the scores. Thus it is throughout the world: he who does least, is -paid best. Intellect overbalances mere physical exertion; and thus it -ever will, and ever should do in the promotion of great enterprises.</p> - -<p>On the 14th we again met whales, which were not seen until within the -ship’s length of us. Our boats were lowered away in haste. A moment -afterwards, those of the Pamelia, who was not more than a mile distant -from us, were also in the water. Our bow-boat fastened ten minutes -after striking the water, and in an incredibly short time the whale was -dead, and ours. The remaining boats continued in pursuit of the school, -and got near enough to enable the boatsteerers to dart, though at long -distances, and without producing any other effect than a pricking of -the prey, at which they raised up their huge bodies, and with their -flukes thrashed the sea all around them into a boisterous foam. Finding -it useless to continue the pursuit, the boats came aboard, and the -ship’s head was put in the direction of the whales. We then proceeded -to cut in. The Pamelia, meantime, ran down to us; when, with a -disinterestedness uncommon to rival whalemen, our captain informed hers -of the direction in which the whales had gone. Not being encumbered, as -we were, with a whale in tow, she soon passed us. An hour afterwards we -saw her lower away and capture a whale, which, as<span class="pagenum" id="Page_240">[Pg 240]</span> ours done for us, -yielded in the neighborhood of one hundred barrels of oil: the whales -of this ground all averaging about the same quantity. They are larger, -in general, than I have seen them in lower latitudes, besides being -always in better condition than when found in a warmer climate, and -their blubber on the application of heat almost wholly dissolving into -oil.</p> - -<p>On the 19th we again saw the same school. At 5 o’clock in the afternoon -the waist-boat fastened, was stoven by the whale’s flukes, and her -crew obliged to swim for their lives, when they were picked up by the -starboard-boat, and carried to the ship. The other boat then went on -to the whale, and her boatsteerer darted at him half-a-dozen times in -succession, but without effect. Night approaching, we were compelled -to desist. Early the next morning we saw a large whale alone—lowered, -and the waist-boat fastened. She continued attached for some time, -when, her line being nearly run out, the larboard boat’s was bent on to -it. By mistake, a line that had been exposed to the weather, had been -put into the waist-boat, in lieu of her line that was carried off the -day before. The mate, finding that his own line was fast running out, -attached a drug to it—hoping that by its resistance in the water the -whale would be to some extent forced to moderate his soundings. The old -line, unable to endure the strain caused by the drug, parted; and away -the whale went to windward eyes out, with a speed that, to the chagrin -of all, defied pursuit. So, here was the third whale, this season, -lost by the one boat. Oil reviewing this journal, it will be seen in -the preceding<span class="pagenum" id="Page_241">[Pg 241]</span> pages, that a singular fatality has attended all the -operations of this boat since we left home. When under the management -of <abbr title="mister">Mr.</abbr> Edwards, (our former second officer, and as good a whaleman as -ever stepped into the head of a whaleboat,) she was capsized. Under her -present manager, she had her line taken by a whale, off Cape Chatham, -where she was also capsized. In the Bight, the whale was only saved -by the timely arrival of the bow-boat with its line. The large whale -that went off spouting blood, was fastened to from her; the whale of -yesterday, that capsized her; and that of to-day, that parted her -line—go to make up a catalogue of misfortunes that the annals of -whaling-voyages can scarcely equal. And all her disasters—capsizing, -losing her whale, losing her line, and being stoven—arose, not from -incapacity on the part of her officers, but from a combination of -unforeseen circumstances, which it would have been in vain for the most -experienced whaleman to guard against.</p> - -<p>On the last day of December we experienced the initiation of a gale, -which lasted, in incessant violence, until the 6th of January, ’58, but -doing no injury to us, further than shipping a heavy sea that cleared -away our gangway, and deluged our decks, fore and aft, without so much -as saying, “By your leave.” We kept on one tack, heading constantly to -the north and westward.</p> - -<p>On the 10th we sighted Baldhead but a short distance off. We stood in -for it; and in the evening the captain lowered away, and proceeded, -through Frenchman’s Bay and the Sound, to the town of Albany: the ship -standing off and on, with the cable<span class="pagenum" id="Page_242">[Pg 242]</span> bent on to the larboard anchor, so -us to be ready to let go in case of emergency. In the bay we found at -anchor the barque Margaret, of Liverpool, from Adelaide for Mauritius. -She had sprung her mizzenmast in the recent severe westerly gale, and, -the wind being directly in her teeth, she put in here for shelter. -On getting into the sound they found that the Prince of Wales had -sailed for Callao, and therefore her crew were at liberty. Most of the -hangers-on that had composed part of the population, when we last were -here, had departed in the American ship Kensington. This ship had as -passengers three hundred Chinamen, who intended landing at some port in -these colonies; but, on account of a legislative enactment forbidding -the ingress of these people into the country, she had already met with -great difficulty in getting rid of them.</p> - -<p>A day or two before our arrival, the natives came into the town, with -portions of cotton canvass, and numbers of spermaceti candles. They -reported that fragments of casks and barrels were strewed around the -beach in every direction. The fact of her carrying cotton canvass -augurs that the wreck must have been an American vessel, as those -of other nations carry hemp almost exclusively. These evidences of -shipwreck were found on a part of the coast contiguous to the White Top -Rocks, which is justly accounted a most dangerous locality, and has in -more than one instance been the theater of similar disasters.</p> - -<p>And now I shall touch on another subject, which reflects but little -credit on the parties concerned, either as Americans, or as honest men. -It is simply<span class="pagenum" id="Page_243">[Pg 243]</span> this:—At the sound our captain found a letter from the -consular agent at Freemantle, directed to the captain of any American -whaler who might first touch at the port. The purport of the missive -formed a caution to the barque Pamelia’s master not to enter any port -in the Australian colonies, as her smuggling tobacco on her last visit -to Vasse had been divulged, and vessel and cargo thereby forfeited to -the crown. The other party concerned, to whom the tobacco had been -delivered, and placed aboard the brig Champion, had had his brig -seized, and was heavily mulcted beside, for his part in the nefarious -transaction. He is a man well to do, and at the time of the smuggling -was fulfilling heavy contracts with the English government; supplying -them with timber for the construction of the railroad from Adelaide to -Melbourne.</p> - -<p>This is no unusual method of turning a penny, amongst those who -visit this coast; and I have seen more than one instance of it. In -some cases, the authorities wink at the fraud committed against the -government; and, as the party who is fortunate enough to escape -conviction trebles or quadruples the amount of his outlay, the -temptation is strong to engage in the illicit traffic.</p> - -<p>Beside this budget of shipping news, it was said by the inhabitants of -Albany, that gold in considerable quantities had been discovered by -shepherds, about one hundred and fifty miles distant in the interior, -and that a party was preparing to visit this El Dorado.</p> - -<p>At 2 o’clock in the afternoon of the 11th the boat returned; and, -bracing forward, we stood to the westward, in hopes of seeing the -Pamelia before she<span class="pagenum" id="Page_244">[Pg 244]</span> went into port; for we knew that it was the -intention of her captain to touch at Vasse about the middle of the -present month. On our passage we fell in with the barque Eagle, of New -Bedford. She was employed in cutting a whale she had taken the day -previous, and, as the weather was anything but good, she was having a -dirty time. We afterwards learned that she had lost the greater part -of the head in the operation. After a short time spent in company with -her, and learning that the Pamelia had been seen a few days before, we -resumed our course, and the day succeeding spoke her, and communicated -the intelligence we had received at Albany. It was timely, too, as -they were now bound in, and twenty-four hours’ delay might have been -productive of serious consequences. On the 18th, her captain, knowing -full well that to enter a port in the vicinity would be madness, made -himself dependent upon the various ships on the ground to contribute -a quota in the supply of water, &c., to enable him to take a short -cruise, and reach the Mauritius. In pursuance of this idea, on the same -day a raft of casks, in tow of one of the Pamelia’s boats, was brought -alongside of our vessel, and made fast; then, according to orders, -they were hoisted in. Our crew had an inkling of the affair, but said -nothing, until they were ordered by the first officer to fill these -casks, belonging to another ship, with the water from our own casks, -which it had caused us so much labor and trouble to procure, and which -would have to be replaced from one of the wells on the coast, under a -burning sun, and through scorching sand. Under these circumstances, a -flat refusal was accorded to<span class="pagenum" id="Page_245">[Pg 245]</span> the order; because we did not deem that -our engagement obliged us to supply another ship with water, unless she -was in absolute distress. All hands aboard, except the first and second -officers, united in this view of the case. The mate expostulated, but -found it useless. A messenger or spokesman was then dispatched to the -captain, who acted with moderation; and the whole matter was amicably -adjusted by the captain of the Pamelia complying with our terms; which -were, that we should be paid for the trouble we would have in replacing -the water. As soon as this was understood, all hands turned to. The -casks were filled, rafted, and towed aboard the Pamelia in double-quick -time; and our boat returned with money and several boxes of soap as a -compensation.</p> - -<p>It may seem, to a disinterested reader, that our thus refusing to -supply the wants of a countryman, in this far off sea, was niggardly in -the extreme. But the master of the Pamelia was unpopular over the whole -ocean, and our men were affected with the general opinion respecting -him. They alleged that he had came aboard our ship some months before, -and remonstrated with our captain against the quantity of provisions -he allowed to his crew; stating, at the same time, that he (meaning -himself) did not give his men all they wanted: which assertion one -would indeed find no difficulty to believe on hearing his crew talk, -who represented their fare to be extremely meagre.</p> - -<p>This was the nearest approach to insubordination that had thus far -occurred amongst us; and which, if our captain and officers had been -bullying, threatening<span class="pagenum" id="Page_246">[Pg 246]</span> men, might have been lashed into a mutiny, that -in the eyes of justice they would have been held responsible for: -because it was certainly due to every man aboard, that the captain -should have stated his intention of furnishing another ship with water, -and his reasons for so doing—appealing at the same time to what would -be the sense of our own necessities, if placed in such a situation; and -then not a man aboard would have raised a dissenting voice, or spoken -of remuneration. It is, however, a mistake too often committed by -shipowners, shipmasters, and ship’s officers, to think that the sailor -has neither part nor parcel in the concerns of the ship or voyage, and -that the disposal of his time is altogether at the pleasure of his -superiors; and thus they conduct themselves toward him, treating him -with no more deference than they would accord to a dog aboard the ship; -and in this way are sown the first seeds of mutiny, which spring up, -bear fruit that come to maturity, and destroy the original causes of -their production.</p> - -<p>On the 19th we gammoned with a barque belonging to Fairhaven. This -circumstance is only worthy of notice from its being the first -opportunity we had, since leaving home, of seeing that peculiar -creature known amongst seafaring men as the spread eagle; which -consists in a human being lashed to the rigging by his wrists, when, -as the case may be, he is punished with the lash, made to stand for -an immoderate length of time on one leg, or his arms seized at such -a height that he can but just rest on the tips of his toes. In the -present case the culprit was forced to stand on one leg, shifting at -periodical<span class="pagenum" id="Page_247">[Pg 247]</span> times; and was thus punished for thirty-six hours. He -was quite a lad, and his offence was said to be the participating in -a fracas in the forecastle. Whether just or unjust, the application -of this harsh and cruel punishment recoiled upon the captain, as a -few weeks afterward, when several of her crew deserted from her in -Bunbury, he could not replace them: notice of this circumstance having -got ashore—whether from our crew or hers, I cannot say; but it was -all-sufficient to deter any of the men ashore from engaging with her -captain, as they answered his proposals to them for that purpose with -scorn and insult.</p> - -<p>On the 22d we saw sperm whales going off to windward at a tangent. We -lowered, but found it useless. Two days afterward we squared away for -Bunbury. In the afternoon we doubled Cape Naturaliste at a slashing -pace, knocking twelve knots an hour out of the old ship. That night -we came to, with our head-yards aback; and the following morning cast -anchor off the town. Our first job, after anchoring, was to heave our -maintopmast up, and substitute a new fid for the old one. This was but -little trouble. On extracting the old fid, we were at a loss to account -for the mast having so long remained upright, with such a miserable -support: the weight of the topmast having crushed the stout oak fid -almost completely through—but a few inches of solid wood remaining to -sustain it.</p> - -<p>Almost as soon as the boat could convey them to us, fresh beef and -vegetables were brought aboard; proving that, when inclined to purchase -it, meat was no article of scarcity in this market.</p> - -<p>After adjusting our topmast, we went ashore<span class="pagenum" id="Page_248">[Pg 248]</span> to fill our casks with -fresh water. A well had been constructed since we were here a year ago; -the captains of the different whaleships touching at the port having -subscribed to a fund for its erection. It was larger and much more -convenient than those at Vasse; and, as the distance to the beach was -not so great as at that place, we had little fault to find with it, and -soon conveyed on board over three hundred barrels of water.</p> - -<p>On the 28th the brig Lochinvar arrived from Freemantle, in ballast, for -the purpose of loading lumber, and conveying passengers to Adelaide. -The lumber consisted altogether of the native mahogany, and was -intended for sleepers to the railway there. The passengers were charged -ten pounds sterling per head for their passage—a distance of fifteen -hundred miles. Rather a contrast to our own cheap steam-conveyances, -where comfort to the traveller can be procured at so moderate a rate.</p> - -<p>On boarding the Lochinvar we found a former foremast hand, belonging -to the Pamelia, acting as her second mate. Her crew consisted of -several hands on wages of six pounds sterling per month; the balance -was composed of sailors and landsmen, the former of whom were on mere -nominal pay—their compensation being but one shilling per month—while -the latter were obliged to pay down seven pounds, and agree to assist -in loading the brig. These men were actuated in thus shipping, at such -a trifling rate, by a desire to get away from this section of the -country: they viewing Adelaide and its vicinity as a land of promise.</p> - -<p>Soon after the Lochinvar came to anchor a derrick<span class="pagenum" id="Page_249">[Pg 249]</span> was rigged, a cart -conveyed ashore, and they at once proceeded to get off timber—engaging -all the unemployed ones in the place (and they were not a few) to -assist in the operation. Their plan was, to take one of their boats, -which was broad in the beam, and furnished with lockers, containing -air-tight cylinders; then they would lash around it, and over it, -as much mahogany as she would be buoyant under; and as this wood is -extremely heavy, and sinks like a stone, their load was not a large -one. Then they would pull off to the brig, where it was soon hove in -by the aid of the derricks. One stick escaped from its lashing when -alongside the brig, and a boy, who belonged ashore, dove down, and -attached a rope to it in four and a half fathoms of water, which is -equal to twenty-seven feet; hence this was somewhat of an exploit.</p> - -<p>One day when the workmen employed on the beach had lashed the timber -to the boat, and had pushed her off—several of them wading a short -distance to give her an impetus—two of the men were observed -struggling, as if to keep themselves afloat. Both disappeared; but one -rose again in an instant, and grasped the boat. The other was not seen -for some minutes. On searching, his lifeless body was discovered. He -was a good swimmer, and a few strokes would have saved his life; but -he had been drinking to excess a short time before the accident, and -to this was attributed his inability to help himself. His body was -conveyed to the jail, cast into a rude mahogany box, and buried within -a few hours afterwards: the climate here forbidding the keeping of a -corpse more than twenty-four hours.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_250">[Pg 250]</span></p> - -<p>Two days’ liberty was allowed to each watch, and as, after we left the -year previous, two whale-ships, on the recommendation of our captain, -had visited the port, our advent created no surprise. Ships and sailors -had become familiar sights, and the inhabitants were not as ready to -spend their money, or listen to our yarns, as they were on our former -visit. In the town things had changed but little—no improvements, -no marriages, and no deaths during our absence. Therefore, as there -was little either to interest or divert us, a number of our crew who, -during the previous visit were enjoying themselves with rational -pleasures, in the absence of former novelties, flocked to the -groggeries and passed their time there. Apart from the general jokes -and antics of seamen, one circumstance only, worthy of note, occurred; -that was the mulcting of one of the publicans for allowing two of our -men to play cards in his house; their laws prohibiting card playing -even for amusement.</p> - -<p>On the 1st of February the barque Iowa came in and gave liberty, so -that there was quite a number of us ashore for several days; but after -that we became tired of listlessly walking through the sand, and -preferred remaining aboard the ship.</p> - -<p>On the 5th our men proceeded some ten miles up the river to the -village of Australind. On our way up we passed several grazing farms -stocked with noble cattle. Along the river thousands of birds were to -be seen, amongst which our pilot pointed out, as peculiarly worthy -of notice, the black and white swan. Arriving at Australind we found -ourselves in a beautiful<span class="pagenum" id="Page_251">[Pg 251]</span> country, excellently cultivated, appearing -as an oasis in the sandy district that surrounded it. We had received, -or understood that we had received (and certainly such was the gist -of the message conveyed to us), an invitation from the proprietor of -a handsome garden in the vicinity to visit him, and help him to eat -some of his abundant fruit, partake of dinner with him, and generally -enjoy ourselves at his expense; he wishing no other return than the -pleasure of playing the host to an assemblage of Neptune’s sons. This, -even to our unsophisticated ears, sounded almost too disinterested for -the inhabitants of Australia. Nevertheless, having little else to do, -we determined to face the music, providing ourselves with plenty of -biscuit in case of disappointment. We landed and went up to milord’s -house, which proved to be a neat and substantial brick edifice, and, -with the assurance of invited guests who had come ten miles to please -their host, we approached the door. We found that the individual who -was so liberal in his promises was absent, and in his stead his home -was garrisoned by a party of women, the young and pretty of whom were -kept in the background by the high shoulders and higher cap of an -old dame, whom I afterwards understood was a genuine specimen of the -English titled lady; but I doubt it—as I have always understood that -the matrons of England were distinguished for their hospitality, and -this lady certainly possessed no such quality; as, with a vinegar -aspect, she informed us of the absence of her spouse, looking at us -meanwhile as if she thought us a party of marauders come to storm -her vineyard. She indulged in remarks which,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_252">[Pg 252]</span> without misconstruing, -easily made known to us her desire for us to begone; but we were of -too turgid a composition to comply with her wishes. We had come for -a day’s pleasure, and we were bound to have it whether my lady was -desirous or not; and we did have it too, for the butler, and several -others, finding that we were in no hurry to decamp, to relieve the old -lady from the infliction of looking on such barbarians as we, made -a virtue of necessity and asked us down into the vineyard. Here the -gardener, as if to make amends for the churlishness of the others, -took considerable pains to show us over the grounds, and gave us full -permission to regale ourselves with as much fruit as we could eat. We -took him at his word, and soon were deep in the discussion of splendid -grapes, water and musk-melons, mulberries, bananas, and peaches. There -were acres of grape vines—the proprietor cultivating them for the -manufacture of wines. They were splendid specimens; and as they were a -novel dish to us, we were not the most moderate consumers of them, as -the skins that strewed our paths testified. The mulberries were larger, -but much tarter than ours at home. The bananas were not of so good -a flavor or such a size as those we had seen at Balli. The gardener -informed me that the banana plant bore the whole year round. The fruit -is preceded by a splendid flower resembling the dahlia in color, but -treble its size. Besides these fruits the usual garden vegetables were -growing, amongst which I noticed the tomato, and, strange to say, the -taste of its raw fruit was pleasanter and more refreshing than that of -the more valued kinds I had been eating. Deeming<span class="pagenum" id="Page_253">[Pg 253]</span> this a freak of my -palate, I mentioned it to my companions as singular: several of them -said that such was precisely the case with them, and they preferred it -to the other fruit. After several hours spent in rambling, we returned -to the house for the purpose of procuring a draught of water, which -was drawn from a well by means of a hydraulic pump, and which, by the -way, was the only spot where I procured a good, cool drink of water -in New Holland. We were again attacked by the old lady, who, to some -extent, apologizing for her brusqueness in the morning, very plainly -intimated that, for a suitable return, she could supply us with a -repast. Like most sailors, having receptacles capable of and requiring -more substantial food than fruit after our exercise, we closed with -her very liberal offer, and were soon seated at a table furnished with -excellent edibles, bread and butter, milk, jam, and other articles, -making together a first rate supper. On our taking leave we gave to -each of the underlings who had been attentive to us some tobacco. They -informed us that their master had been unavoidably called away from -home on business, and stated that had he been present we should have -passed a very pleasant day. Giving the gentleman the benefit of this -assertion, we took leave of his estate, embarked in our boat, and -directed her head towards Bunbury. We reached the ship at nightfall and -were pretty well wearied with our jaunt. Those of our shipmates who had -remained aboard, had prophesied in the morning the miscarriage of our -proposed pleasure; but as we kept our own counsel, they were none the -wiser of our experience of old English hospitality, and they expressed<span class="pagenum" id="Page_254">[Pg 254]</span> -some chagrin that they had not formed part of our expedition.</p> - -<p>On the following day and night a collation was spread aboard the Iowa, -and to it flocked all the wit and beauty of the neighborhood. After -they had satisfied their appetites they resorted to our ship. Music -was in demand, and the quarter-deck was made a stage on which New -Holland’s damsels and Yankee whaling officers were vieing in displaying -their individual grace and activity as disciples of Terpsichore. The -ladies looked very well, and talked equally so, with the exception of -a remark one let slip; but then some allowance must be made, as she -did not know that any one was listening. Indeed, I hardly know whether -I am justified in betraying the failings of the fair sex. However, I -was never celebrated either for wisdom or prudence, and I shall not -in this case exercise a virtue to which I have no claim; so here it -is, and if any attach blame to the lady for it, I can only answer him -or her with the motto of the knights of the garter, “<i lang="la" xml:lang="la">Honi soit qui -mal y pense</i>,” or “Evil be to him who evil thinks.” But here is a -long dissertation without the conversation, which if any lady reads, -I know that her patience will be exhausted, so I needs must proceed -with my disclosure. Two ladies who had just sat down to rest themselves -after the dance, engaged in conversation, and, in the course of it, -one stated that she felt sea-sick. “I feel a little qualmish, too,” -returned the other, “and I have heard that brandy was good for it. I -wish that I had brought a bottle in my pocket. Indeed, I intended to, -but forgot it.” Remark is needless, and superfluous.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_255">[Pg 255]</span> The refreshments -at this entertainment were coffee and cake; unlike that at Vasse, where -spirituous liquors flowed as freely down male and female throats, as -whiskey down an Irishman’s gullet at a wake.</p> - -<p>On the Thursday following was the anniversary of their annual races, -at which prizes are offered by the government to the victor. These -prizes are given for the purpose of inducing the settlers to pay -attention to the improvement of their stock. To avoid the confusion and -irregularity which generally prevailed among the inhabitants on these -occasions, and in which our men would be too apt readily to join, we -hastened our departure; and, accordingly, on Tuesday, after having had -our vessel searched by the government officials, we got under weigh, -and stood down the bay towards Vasse. Soon after the Iowa followed our -example; and, with a head wind, which forced both of us to beat, we -pursued the same direction. We soon weathered our companion, and left -her far in the distance. The following morning, at 11 o’clock, we let -go our anchor off the town of Vasse, where we found three barques and -two ships: all whalers—all carrying the star-spangled banner—all -belonging to New Bedford, and all, except one, clippers. Every year the -number of old-fashioned ships is decreasing, and wedge-shaped craft -taking their place: the whaling-service (a branch of commerce the last -to countenance innovation) fast yielding to the march of improvement, -and adopting the modern model—a long head, a clean run, and a round -stern.</p> - -<p>The next day liberty was allowed; and, as there<span class="pagenum" id="Page_256">[Pg 256]</span> was a report of a -prize-fight to come off during the day, almost everybody that had -liberty went ashore. There were seven ships in the harbor, (the Iowa -having arrived the preceding evening), and therefore the number going -ashore formed quite an army—no less than one hundred and thirty. The -prize-fight, however, took place at so early an hour, and at such -a distance from the town, that our countrymen were prevented from -witnessing it. But the day passed off pleasantly, and with moderation, -as far as regarded the imbibition of spirits: no one of the whole -motley assemblage, comprising natives of almost every clime, having -gone beyond the proper bounds.</p> - -<p>During the next week I saw one of the participators in the brutal -contest above alluded to. He presented appearances of severe -punishment. On stating my surprise that he was at large, when the fact -of the fight was so well known to the authorities, I was informed that -the law had no power over the combatant, unless he were caught in the -act.</p> - -<p>Amongst the celebrities in this village are the post-master and -school-mistress. The former is as deaf as a post, and it is only by -raising the voice to a high pitch that the least intelligence can -be communicated to him. My patience was well-nigh exhausted in an -attempt to inform him of the miscarriage of several of my letters from -home; but he either could not, or would not, be made to understand my -complaint, and consequently I received no satisfaction.</p> - -<p>The school-mistress, from her position, was of<span class="pagenum" id="Page_257">[Pg 257]</span> course a wonder of -learning and profundity. Being desirous of a conversation with her, -(the more so, because, apart from her implied erudition, she was a -pleasant-looking and blooming damsel,) an officer of one of the ships -scraped an acquaintance with her. She was in nowise loath to enter -into conversation, and in a few minutes both were deep in argument. -During the colloquy, the mate had occasion to mention Samson’s feat of -destroying the harvest of the Philistines by attaching firebrands to -the tails of foxes. This, to his surprise, was received as something -novel; and the fair questioner expressed a desire to know who Samson -was: wishing to be informed whether the scene of his exploits was the -United States, and whether he was a native of our country. I need not -say that D—— was taken all aback. At first he thought that the lady -was making game of him; but the look of childish wonder and simplicity -that she wore on her countenance forbade such a conclusion. He was so -surprised at her ignorance of Holy Writ, that he did not endeavor to -enlighten her, but allowed her fancy to roam free over the subject, -and, as soon as he could with credit, took his departure: fully -convinced that, whatever were the acquirements of the preceptors of -youth, who teach the young idea how to shoot, and wield the scholastic -birch in New Holland, they at least had not advanced so far as to make -the Bible one of their school-books.</p> - -<p>I noticed this strange unacquaintance with Holy Writ in more than one -individual in the colony. I have no doubt they can manage to live -without it—as<span class="pagenum" id="Page_258">[Pg 258]</span> far as their idea of life comprehends “living”; but how -they can manage to die happily without it, I cannot conceive.</p> - -<p>Another fact I must notice; that is, the great number of males and -females living together in couples as man and wife, but whose union -has not been sanctioned by a performance of the sacred marriage rite. -The men who come out here usually bring their wives along, if they -are voluntary emigrants; and if convicts their helpmates occasionally -follow them—preferring to share the exile of their husbands rather -than spend a lone life in their native home. In the latter case they -are allowed to consort together, provided the prisoner by a course -of good conduct has merited and received a “ticket of relief.” Not -unusually when any of these females are removed by death, they are -replaced by mistresses, who assume all the privileges of the departed, -as well as the maternal government of the children, if there should be -any; in which latter relation they in most cases act prudently: for -children are here an element of wealth as soon as they arrive at an -age at which they are qualified to help themselves—there being plenty -for them to do, if only these nominal mothers and their husbands are -disposed to teach them to labor.</p> - -<p>This state of affairs does not appear to be looked upon by the -inhabitants as criminal, neither is it made a matter of scandal—both -parties being allowed to enter society without reserve. These are harsh -assertions, I am aware; but, ere they were written, their asperity -was well digested, both by myself and scores of others, who, not from -hearsay, but from observation<span class="pagenum" id="Page_259">[Pg 259]</span> and unrestricted intercourse among these -people, are confident they do not do them injustice. The climate is -blamed by them for their predisposition to sensuality; and the law is -anything but lenient to the offender in such cases: the violator of a -female, when brought before a court of justice, being always punished -by death.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_260">[Pg 260]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XI">CHAPTER XI.</h2> -</div> - - -<p>On the 16th of February, after having added three new men to our crew, -(two of them Englishmen, the third a Swede,) we hove short, and at -3 P.M. stood out of the bay. On arriving off Cape Naturaliste, some -twenty miles from our place of anchorage, we sighted a sail that proved -to be the barque Pamelia, which was hovering off this locality, to -intercept the barque Eagle, which was to bring her third mate out, and -also provisions for her consumption. Esculents she needed very much, as -several of her people, the captain amongst the number, were affected -by scurvy. We supplied them temporarily, and thus kept off that -disease, which occasions so much terror to the seaman. She contemplated -returning home in a short time, and several of her crew, whose motives -I cannot fathom, not contented with a three-years’ sojourn in these -waters, exchanged into the ship Lapwing, that had some twenty months -more to remain. They must either have had an overweening desire to -acquire money, or else there were but few attractions at home to induce -them to return.</p> - -<p>After leaving the bay, we steered to the southeast, in hopes of picking -up a whale or two; but we met only with strong gales of wind, which -put whaling out of the question. We then returned to the northward, -and had the like success: nothing occurring<span class="pagenum" id="Page_261">[Pg 261]</span> to vary the sameness, day -after day, but a series of heavy tempests, attended by terrific thunder -and lightning. One night (the 12th of March) the scene was absolutely -appalling—presenting a perfect war of the elements. In the words of an -old song (than which I know of no better description):</p> - -<p class="poetry"> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">“Now the dreadful thunder roaring,</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Peal on peal contending clash;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">On our heads fierce rain falls pouring,</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">In our eyes blue lightnings flash.</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">One wide water all around us,</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">All above us one dark sky;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Different deaths at once surround us—</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Hark! what means that dreadful cry.”</span><br /> -</p> - -<p>What the words “that dreadful cry” referred to in the song, the reader -must imagine; in our case it was that of a shark. A monster of that -species, attracted probably by his instinct, which led him to expect -prey on such a night as this, swam around and around the ship; the -intense darkness of the night and phosphorescent gleam of the ocean -made his huge bulk show out in relief, and appear treble his real size. -With a swab trailed astern, we soon got him within darting distance, -and hove an iron into his carcass, which stopped his marauding forever. -He was an enormous sized one, and required the united strength of half -a dozen of us, after he was mortally wounded, to drag him part way from -the water.</p> - -<p>The storm did us no damage—the lightning ran over our yards and the -various ironwork of the ship in a manner to terrify the boldest. The -reason assigned for so few cases of injury to ships by lightning,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_262">[Pg 262]</span> is -the number of points presented in her structure for the dispersion of -the electricity. One precaution is invariably taken, that is, to remove -the pump-spears, and fill their place with swabs, to prevent the iron -rods acting as conductors for the electric fluid into the hold of the -ship.</p> - -<p>There is something terrifying in such a scene, that carries with it a -sense of danger to the sturdiest: no matter how many such outbreaks -have before been viewed by the beholder, still an indefinable fear will -pervade his system. The gale is a feature to which, in his routine -of life upon the ocean, the seaman becomes accustomed, and only asks -for a short warning to battle with it; but there is something in the -lightning that makes one feel completely at its mercy, though we know -that in this as in all other perilous situations, we are under the -protection of the same wise Creator.</p> - -<p>On these grounds we were continually meeting merchantmen bound to and -from the various Australian and East Indian ports, and it was a matter -of congratulation to us to see that all the swiftest and best of these -ships carried our own starry flag, maintaining the pre-eminence of our -ship-builders in this far-off sea.</p> - -<p>We were now thirty months from home, and as our ship was fitted at -the outset to remain from home but forty, this was to be our last -cruise; and home was the all-engrossing topic on every tongue, from -the captain’s to the steerage boys’, all uniting in a sincere wish to -return, oil or no oil. Our return, which but a short time previous had -been commented upon as a vague and distant termination of a protracted -voyage, was now viewed as feasible<span class="pagenum" id="Page_263">[Pg 263]</span> and not very remote; and we felt -ourselves considerably elevated by the mere thought, when we gammoned -with ships but a short time from home, of the probation they, poor -fellows, would have to go through ere they arrived at the degree of -experience we had acquired on this coast. The wildest of those of our -crew, who had left home on the impulse of the moment, were the most -anxious to return, feeling that they had paid dear enough for their -whistles.</p> - -<p>We were now the longest out of any ship on the coast. It is an old -adage, amongst whalemen, that when a year from home, on gammoning with -any ship that has sailed subsequent to your own departure, you have the -privilege of begging; when two years out, of stealing; and when three -years, of stealing and begging too; so that we now had the right of -exercising this privilege, in which there is more reality than romance. -Fresh provisions are seized upon by the old residenters without ruth, -as if they had the best right to them. This is seldom disputed by the -owners, who, in the abundance of their sympathy, do not wait to be -asked for such things, but press them for acceptance without thought of -remuneration; doing as they would be done by, and setting an example -worthy of imitation by more polished ones.</p> - -<p>During the latter part of February and the month of March, we were -occupied in beating around the south-west coast of New Holland, -occasionally seeing land or sighting a ship to vary the monotony. Early -in April we steered to the northward, the strong south-east trades -being greatly in our favor. These<span class="pagenum" id="Page_264">[Pg 264]</span> winds prevail throughout the year in -this vicinity, only interrupted by fierce gales from the north-west, -which, though severe throughout their duration, seldom last more -than from twelve to sixteen hours. During our passage, as we emerged -into the warmer latitudes, shoals of flying-fish, bonita, albacore, -and dolphin were continually in sight, skipping hither and thither. -The bonita and albacore remaining in attendance upon our journey for -months, we occasionally caught them. Their prey being flying-fish, they -are easily hooked by cutting from solder or tin a shape resembling -the little creature, attaching a hook to the lower part of the solder -image, and a line to the upper; the angler then perches himself upon -the end of the flying jib-boom, and dangles his tackle to and fro, -imitating as nearly as possible the aerial flight of the tiny creature -it is intended to represent. The voracious skip-jack, or albacore, as -the case may be, ever on the alert for its prey, rushes to the bait, -seizes it, and is hooked for his pains. It is a pleasant sight to watch -these fish whilst about the ship; their agile movements in pursuit of -the flying-fish; their instinct teaching them that these are to be -found in the greatest number about the vessel’s prow, which, in her -onward course, disturbs them in their retreats, and forces them to -seek safety in the air, on their descent from which an ever watchful -enemy is prepared to meet and devour some of their number. At all times -these creatures, apparently with the utmost ease, keep in advance of -the ship, leaping from the water and varying their course with the -direction of the vessel. As I before said, they are often caught, but -are only serviceable for food when<span class="pagenum" id="Page_265">[Pg 265]</span> cooked with other articles, their -flesh being extremely dry and insipid. I have been assured by those -who have had experience of it, that long indulgence in eating them, -produces scurvy of the most violent type—more than one instance of -such a fact being on record.</p> - -<p>At noon of April 20th we saw the Abrolhas’ Islands, and a reef in -their vicinity known as the Turtle Dove, which, from observation, we -found considerably out of the position laid down on the chart for it. -Immediately on closing with the land we lowered away two boats—one of -which went fishing, the other prospecting; at dark both returned, the -fishing boat with several barrels of snappers, jew-fish, and gropers; -the prospecting party landed on Long Island, and found it a long, -narrow strip of coral reef covered with broken shells and fragments -of coral cast up by the surf. A few mangroves and stunted bushes -comprised the vegetation. Large numbers of birds were present, and on -some portions of the island were extensive deposits of guano, though so -mixed with coral and fractured portions of shells as to be unfit for -the purposes of the agriculturist.</p> - -<p>On the following day we again went in, and, carrying the boat across -a narrow part of the island, we launched her again in the so-called -bay, and proceeded to make soundings, by which we ascertained the -feasibility of anchoring here. We also visited Middle Island, where -a small mound and a head-board gave notice of the interment of a -poor remnant of mortality. The board bore the inscription, “Thomas -Williams, deceased April, 1851;” purporting<span class="pagenum" id="Page_266">[Pg 266]</span> to have been placed there -by the captain of a schooner. From a person who knew something of -the history of the vicinity, I learned that the deceased had been an -American seaman, a colored man, who had left an American whale-ship in -Freemantle, years previous; there he had married, joined the schooner -and set out as one of a whaling party to the Abrolhas’; but before he -had reached the scene of operations, he had fought his last battle, and -been conquered by death.</p> - -<p>On Middle Island there is a rough house erected, which has remained for -many years; as also the ruins of a try works—memorials of a whaling -party. The tenement is built of stone, the roof of mahogany, and, no -doubt, was formerly quite a substantial building; but the north-westers -that howl through the islands have made sad havoc with its fair -proportions, and it is no longer tenantable.</p> - -<p>At night we braced forward and stood out to the open ocean. On the 29th -we gammoned the clipper barque Sunlight, of New Bedford, a beautiful -craft, twenty-one months from home, with eight hundred and fifty -barrels of oil. Her captain, a namesake of the iron-handed protector of -England, was described by his crew as being a fiend incarnate—cursing, -beating, and abusing every one under his command; giving them scarcely -enough to eat. Poor fellows, they were glad to get hard bread, which -we, touched by their relation, gave to them: this they secreted on -their persons to carry aboard and make a meal of. The account of their -sufferings from this monster almost exceeded belief; but as it was the -same story from all grades of the members of the ship’s company,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_267">[Pg 267]</span> and -was afterwards corroborated by the crew of another vessel, we were -forced to yield credence to the tale.</p> - -<p>On May 1st, a few minutes prior to sunset, we saw boats and a ship -whaling. On nearing the scene of operations we found it to be the -ship Abigail, of New Bedford, which proved to be unsuccessful. The -succeeding day we again saw her boats whaling. We lowered away our own, -but to no purpose. They, however, made an acquisition in the shape of -an eighty barrel whale.</p> - -<p>On the 6th we gammoned the ship Congress; she brought from home a -budget of letters for us, but had delivered them over to the James -Allen, in October last, supposing that the latter would see us -first—they are now lost to us entirely. The Congress, it will be -remembered, returned to the States since we have been on this coast, -full of oil; and in the sixteen months, during which she has been from -home this voyage, she has taken sixteen hundred barrels of oil, or -nearly double what we have taken in three years. She is commanded by -the person who acted as her mate during the last voyage.</p> - -<p>On the 9th we saw a barque to leeward, manœuvring for whales, and -evidently desirous, from her signals, of attracting our observation. -On running down to her we found that she had a whale alongside, and -that she was the John A. Robb, of Fair Haven, captain Baker, the -same who was cast away in the barque Henry H. Crapo; her whale was a -sulphur-bottom, and, as these are seldom captured, much curiosity was -manifested to get a sight at him. The head was shaped like an inverted -scoop; the fins and<span class="pagenum" id="Page_268">[Pg 268]</span> flukes resembled much those of the right whale. It -has on its ridge a very small fin or hump, which serves to distinguish -it from the fin-back; its jaws are furnished with black bone, but so -short as to render it of little value as an article of commerce. In -color its body is of a light grey, and is much longer, in proportion -to its bulk, than any other fish I have seen. The blubber was about -four inches thick, corrugated and arranged on the belly in great folds -or rolls; it was literally covered by wounds made by the remora or -sucking-fish. The whole length was eighty feet, and its yield fifty -barrels—the oil commanding the same price as that of the right whale.</p> - -<p>It is seldom this variety of the whale is disturbed by the whaleman, -its extreme shyness rendering it almost an impossibility to strike it. -In this instance it was shot from the ship by a bomb-lance, which, by a -great chance, caused a fatal wound, disabling the fish so that he was -an easy capture.</p> - -<p>The high price of whalebone at home renders the ships on this ground, -which have a large supply of it, anxious to get theirs to market ere -there is a depression in price, and we being the only ship anticipating -a speedy return, we are continually having it offered to us as freight. -Amongst these ships is the Richard Mitchell, which narrowly escaped -being driven ashore at Bunbury a few weeks ago. She had landed her -captain to bargain for provisions, whilst the vessel was standing off -and on, when a heavy southerly gale sprang up and stripped her of every -inch of canvas. By great exertions they bent new sails, but it was not -until after seventy-two hours beating that<span class="pagenum" id="Page_269">[Pg 269]</span> she was enabled to get an -offing that secured her safety.</p> - -<p>From this time up to July 4th we saw little and done less, with the -single exception of lowering away for a sperm whale on June the 6th, -but seeing nothing of him after we had dropped our boats. On the 4th, -whilst in company with the Europa, making for the Abrolhas’ Islands, -we sighted sperm whales, lowered, struck, and killed one. Previous to -striking we had hoisted our ensign, which was imitated by the Europa. -This signal was a bond of copartnership between the two ships during -the day’s operations, each being entitled to half the proceeds of the -day’s capture. The Europa did not fasten, but chased the whales to -windward, in which pursuit we lost sight of her; meantime we tried out -our whale and stowed it between decks, so that we would have but little -trouble in giving her her half of it when we met. After some days we -fell in with her, when her captain, with a generosity unusual with his -profession, declined taking any part of it, assigning as a reason our -long-continued bad luck; saying, that after having taken but one whale -in six months, it would be too bad to deprive us of half of that.</p> - -<p>The Europa had experienced a hard time of it since we had last seen -her, meeting with several of those accidents which the vicissitudes -of a seaman’s life render him ever liable to—having, in the first -place, shipped a sea that went completely over her, and stove the three -larboard boats almost beyond repair; then, again, having run close in -towards the land in hopes of seeing us, she had been jammed between the -Turtle Dove, Abrolhas’ and main land,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_270">[Pg 270]</span> in a gale of wind, when crowding -sail to madness was their only hope; but, fortunately, a timely shift -of wind enabled them to clear the main land by a hair’s breadth, and -dispelled all their gloomy fears.</p> - -<p>On the 16th both vessels stood in for the Abrolhas’ Islands, and at 9 -o’clock were snugly anchored amid the cluster, of which, by ascending -our tops, twenty-five different islands could be counted. As soon as -our ground-tackle was secured, we struck the topsail and topgallant -yards and the topgallantmasts, housed our mizzen topmast, and then -unbent all the sails, except the spensers: our object being to present -as little surface as possible to the action of the wind; thereby -rendering our anchorage more secure. The anchorage showed coarse white -sand, combined with pulverized coral and shell, which constitutes -excellent holding-ground.</p> - -<p>Not expecting the humpbacks in before the first of August, we passed -the time in making excursions to the various islands of the group. We -soon found a novel and exciting sport in the destruction of seals, -which exist here in great numbers. These creatures bring forth their -young on the land; and, this being the season in which they breed, they -could at all times he seen basking in the sun, fast asleep, and quietly -enjoying themselves to the full. Our method of attack was to approach -as slyly as possible, and deal heavy blows on the tip of the nose, -which is the most sensitive portion of their organism. If well aimed, -the first blow despatches them; but, on the contrary, if you should -deliver it on the shoulders, back, or quarters, it seems to produce no -deleterious effect on the animal, which instantly rears<span class="pagenum" id="Page_271">[Pg 271]</span> upon his hind -flippers, and, with a sharp, querulous yelp, displays a set of ivories -little inferior to those of the lion; however, it requires hardly any -address on the part of the pursuer to avoid him. When the animal once -gets into water, no matter how shallow, farther chase becomes hopeless, -as it can then propel itself at a powerful rate; but while on land, -though its movements are by no means slow, it is no match for a good -runner.</p> - -<p>A young seal, by the knowing ones said to be about six weeks old, was -captured alive, passed into the boat, and carried aboard the ship. -It seemed in no wise disconcerted, except at night when a light was -placed near its eyes, whereat it became much alarmed. It showed but -little timidity when caressed, and evidently considered our dog as one -of its own species, so solicitous was it to form an intimacy with him; -but puppy fought shy, and avoided companionship with the amphibious -creature. From its docility, we anticipated keeping it for a long -time; yet during the several days that it was retained, although -offered both small and large fish, it would partake of no sustenance, -but wandered fore and aft the decks, crying for its dam in a note not -unlike that the cow-calf uses on similar occasions. We were at last -reluctantly compelled to kill it—stuffing the skin for a memorial. The -skins of these, known as the hair-seal variety, are of little value -intrinsically; but, being easily tanned, they were very useful to us as -chafing-gear for the rigging.</p> - -<p>Some of our savants, having either themselves eaten, or having heard -of other persons eating, the liver of the seal, assiduously extracted, -cleaned, and<span class="pagenum" id="Page_272">[Pg 272]</span> cooked one. It being a young seal, the dish proved very -palatable, in taste much resembling hog’s liver. All now became alert -to procure a fresh supply of them; but, as it happened, the next -seal pitched upon was a patriarch of the gang, whose destroyers were -overjoyed indeed at the quantity yielded by their prize, and brought it -aboard the ship with the air of conquerors. The cook dressed it; but, -lo, and behold! the following day, most of those who had partaken of it -were affected by nausea at the stomach and distressing headache—half -of the number being unable to leave their berths: consequences, I -opine, arising from the indigestibility of the liver, rendered tough by -the animal’s great age. Since then I have been assured that this is by -no means an isolated case of indisposition from the same cause.</p> - -<p>In rambling, we found Long Island the most inviting of the group. It -was scantily furnished with several varieties of low shrubs; amongst -which were the native Australian gooseberry and a species of wild -oats. There are also on the island several thickets of the mangrove, -which, from the peculiar growth of the trees, though of only a moderate -height, are almost impenetrable. This tree affords excellent fuel, -and we took advantage of this by cutting and carrying away some eight -or ten cords of it for firewood. Its fracture is of a light yellowish -color, and the heart of it is decayed, but I cannot say whether this is -owing to the bad quality of the soil, or is a natural characteristic -of the wood. It is very heavy. The leaf is small, and eagerly sought -for by the rabbits, which abound on the island. Several pairs of these -little creatures were placed here years ago, and they<span class="pagenum" id="Page_273">[Pg 273]</span> have increased -until their number is legion. Had they a supply of fresh water, they -would in a short time become so much more numerous as to consume all -the herbage within their reach. We seldom visited the island without -bringing away half-a-dozen of them. Occasionally, in running our arms -into the burrows for rabbits, we would take hold of a disgusting -iguana, or get a handful of small eggs, deposited by a very diminutive -variety of gull, that burrows in the ground, and there hatches its -young. The whole island is excavated by these little diggers. Their -eggs, almost double the size of a pigeon-egg, have a white shell, and -are very excellent eating. The larger gulls lay an egg superior in -size to those of our domestic hens, which are mottled, and food fit -for an epicure. The shag, another variety, lays a pink egg, of goodly -size, which is also equally palatable. These birds would lay on the -bare ground; and, on our robbing their depositories, they would move -to another island, and repeat the process. This they did four or five -times, and at last either gave up in despair, or lit upon some place -secure from our depredations; for we were unable to procure a further -supply.</p> - -<p>On Long Island we saw several osprey-nests, in one of which were eggs; -in another, the half-fledged young of the species. The eggs were about -the size of a goose-egg; but, as we had reason to think they were -addled, we had no opportunity of testing their fitness for the table.</p> - -<p>During the whole of one day we observed immense flocks of birds flying -in the direction of this island, and on visiting it found the clumps -of mangroves<span class="pagenum" id="Page_274">[Pg 274]</span> literally swarming with small birds about the size of -a blackbird, busily engaged in building nests from the kelp which is -thrown up by the surf. They seemed to take but little notice of us. -We held a consultation, and finally decided that they were fit to be -eaten, and, in pursuance of this resolution, began bagging them. This -we found but little trouble; all that was necessary being to ascend one -of the mangrove trees, and, as the birds wheeled around in circles to -more nearly examine our, to them, strange appearance, knock them down -left and right. In this way but very few minutes elapsed before we -had sufficient for our purposes—two hundred and fifty of the little -feathered bipeds being a mess for the ship’s company; and all united -in deciding that they made an exceedingly savory stew. We repeated the -operation often after having been initiated into their good qualities. -Some idea may be formed of the number consumed, when I state that the -feathers, which were saved by old Jack, weighed twenty pounds; the old -salt in his green old age being determined to have a soft bed to repose -his weatherworn limbs upon. To this end he had been collecting feathers -during the greater part of the voyage—albatrosses, monimokes, ducks, -pigeons, hawks, and whale birds, contributing each their quota to his -store.</p> - -<p>I cannot take leave of this subject without attempting to give some -idea of the immense numbers of the birds. I had read of the innumerable -flocks of wild pigeons which frequent our Western States, and I -had seen at sea immense flocks of various birds migrating to other -countries, but I had never formed<span class="pagenum" id="Page_275">[Pg 275]</span> an estimate that came within many -removes of the actual number I here saw. I can indeed liken them to -nothing else, as regards number, than a swarm of bees; their bodies -obscuring the sun’s light when they passed overhead, and a stone thrown -at random never failing to meet a mark.</p> - -<p>The conchological specimens found on these islands are varied but -inelegant; they comprise both descriptions of the nautilus—the true -and paper varieties being found in abundance. These shells externally -possess but little beauty, but on being sawn apart in a lateral -direction, they present a handsome pearly arrangement contained in an -air-tight apartment in the base of the shell. A small variety of the -cowrie, too, is abundant. There are also periwinkles, scollops, and -oysters, all three of which are excellent eating, and, therefore, were -in great request with us.</p> - -<p>Crabs are also found in great numbers, and can be had for the trouble -of picking up; so that we made shift to fare pretty well during our -stay here.</p> - -<p>One of the islands to which we made several excursions, was known as -Dead Man’s Island, from the fact that an encounter between the members -of the crew of a Spanish ship, which was wrecked on the reef in the -seventeenth century, resulted in the death of several of their number. -The circumstances are these: the crew, after their vessel was stranded, -made for this island, having saved provisions and other articles, -amongst which was a chest of treasure. A dispute arising regarding the -ownership of this treasure, from words they proceeded to blows and -bloodshed, and some of them were sacrificed to their avaricious spirit. -After the battle the defeated party<span class="pagenum" id="Page_276">[Pg 276]</span> were banished to another island, -and the cause of strife was deposited for greater security on Square -Island, where, tradition says, it still remains; and many have been -induced by the rumor, incited by love of gain or adventure, to toil -in hopes of its <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">éclaircissement</i>. To this day human bones are -to be seen on the surface, and had there been as good evidence of the -treasure as of the struggle, no doubt our Yankee inquisitiveness and -acquisitiveness would have induced some of us to have made search for -it.</p> - -<p>I can imagine no more inhospitable locality for a ship’s company to be -cast away than amongst these islands. They would be unable to find any -material to erect a covering for protection from the weather, unless -some portions of their vessel were cast ashore—the islands themselves -supplying nothing of the kind. To be sure they might manage to eke out -a subsistence from the birds and fish which are so abundant at certain -periods of the year; but they would be unable to exist without water -in the summer season, when, for months, no rain falls. The only place -where we found any fresh water was on Middle Island; and it was a mere -deposit of rain, in a well dug by the whaling party who formerly made -it the scene of their fishing operations.</p> - -<p>On the 27th of July we sent off two boats from each ship to erect a -look-out on an island several miles to seaward of the ship. Whilst the -boats were thus engaged the crews saw humpback whales, but forebore to -meddle with them, supposing them to be the pioneers of the school said -to frequent these islands, and wishing to do nothing at this early date -to scare them from the haunts. On their return to<span class="pagenum" id="Page_277">[Pg 277]</span> the ship with this -cheering intelligence, all was bustle and activity. The blubber-room -was cleared out, useless casks were sent ashore, and every preparation -was made to carry on whaling with the utmost spirit; but alas! for the -vanity and frailty of human expectations, these were the sole and only -representatives of their species that we had a sight at during our five -weeks’ sojourn amongst the Abrolhas’. Things thus remained in <i lang="la" xml:lang="la">statu -quo</i> until the 14th, when, as we began to send up spars and make -preparations for our departure, the luminous idea struck somebody of -sending one or more boats over to Champion Bay, to ascertain whether -whales had been seen on the coast, and whether the Port Gregory -whaling company had accomplished anything during the present season. -In pursuance of this resolution a boat from each ship, provisioned for -a week, was despatched to the main, under the conduct of the mates of -the respective vessels. We started at 1 o’clock P.M. with a fair wind, -and at nine the same evening made the main land, in the vicinity of -a headland known as the Wizard’s Peak. In the opinion of our fourth -mate, who had been here previously, we were too far to the northward, -and, as the line of breakers presented no point where we could land, -in pursuance of his suggestion we kept off to the southward, and -continued running until midnight, when we anchored in fifteen fathoms -of water, and endeavored to get some sleep; one of our number standing -watch all through the night. At daybreak we resumed our course to -the southward until about 3 o’clock in the afternoon, when we became -convinced of the incapacity of our pilot, and thought it advisable to -retrace<span class="pagenum" id="Page_278">[Pg 278]</span> our course to the northward; the wind being ahead, we had to -pull in the teeth of wind and sea. At dark we again came to anchor in -fourteen fathoms of water, and passed the night in the same manner as -the preceding one. At daylight, seeing nothing of the entrance, the -feasibility of a return to the ship was mooted, but as our supply of -water had dwindled to a gallon in both boats, we were loath to adopt -this measure, except as a dernier resort; but the wind, fortunately for -us, having hauled during the night, we set sail, and at nine o’clock -in the morning discovered the wished for haven within a few miles of -the peak we had sighted the first night—a very fortunate conclusion -to our misadventure. On reflection, we could now see the dangers of -our late situation. Had a gale come on from the westward we could not -possibly have escaped being driven on shore; and if it had come from -the eastward, even provided our boats had not been swamped, we were -without a supply of water, and must have perished from thirst before we -could have reached the ship.</p> - -<p>On our landing at Champion Bay we were met upon the beach by the -three magistrates of the settlement, and a large proportion of the -inhabitants, who anxiously inquired if we had been wrecked. On our -answering in the negative, they inquired where we were from. On our -again answering, the barques Pacific and Europa, at the Abrolhas’ -Islands, they evidently regarded us with suspicion—thinking that we -were either mutineers or deserters, who had fabricated this story for -our own purposes; and I believe that, had they dared, or even had -they thought themselves the strongest party, they would have<span class="pagenum" id="Page_279">[Pg 279]</span> clapped -us all in limbo, until assured of the truth of the story we told. We -heard whisperings as to our physical ability. The boats’ crews being -picked men, they said, were a very rugged-looking set of fellows; and -the fact of each man being provided with his belt and sheath-knife -seemed a recommendation to their respect. Then, again, had there been -any difficulty, the penal population, who are largely in the majority, -would have readily joined the strangers, in hopes of being delivered by -them from their penal servitude.</p> - -<p>Our first queries were, as to whether whales had been seen in any -numbers on the coast the present season. They stated, that, from some -unknown cause, the whales’ food was not so plenty as it is during most -years at this period. The meducæ, which exist in great quantities, or -rather numbers, generally by their volume gave to the water a yellowish -hue, but at present scarcely any indication of their existence was -perceptible; therefore, although the whales had appeared as usual, they -made but a short stay. The Port Gregory fishery had been fortunate -enough, during their brief visit, to capture five of them—making quite -a profitable season’s business. They took their last whale some weeks -since—about the same time that we saw whales at the Abrolhas’; and I -am persuaded that we were too late for the season.</p> - -<p>On our informing them that there were no whales at the Abrolhas’ -Islands, they professed much surprise, and would scarcely give credence -to our intelligence; stating that, for years, every vessel which had -passed these islands had borne testimony to the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_280">[Pg 280]</span> immense number of -whales that frequented the waters around them.</p> - -<p>Having now progressed up towards the settlement, we found it neatly -situated, although the buildings, which number about sixty, were much -scattered. The herbage appears luxuriant, and the soil fertile. Many -of the settlers own immense flocks of sheep and herds of bullocks; but -they deprecate the system of raising stock with a view to a pecuniary -return: for in the immediate vicinity of the settlement there grew, I -was assured, no less than sixteen varieties of vegetable poisons, which -the cattle browse, and are soon afterwards affected by spasms that -result in death.</p> - -<p>A short distance from the settlement there is an extensive copper-mine, -which is the means of affording employment to most of the inhabitants. -The ore is said to be very rich, and is exported to England, whence -several vessels were daily expected for freights of it. This article -affords their only means of commerce with foreign countries: their -supplies and wool coming through, and being shipped from, Freemantle, -to and from which city cutters continually ply.</p> - -<p>The wind being unfavorable for us to return to the ship, we made up our -minds to enjoy life ashore, for a day or two, as well as circumstances -would allow. So, in accordance with the decree of the clerk of the -weather, we took up our quarters at the only public house in the place, -and were soon deep in the discussion of a dinner, consisting for the -most part of fresh mutton. We had brought with us several hams, which -the habitues of the house preferred to the fresh meat. We therefore -had them<span class="pagenum" id="Page_281">[Pg 281]</span> boiled, to their as well as our own satisfaction; for while -they were engaged with the bacon, we were enabled to appropriate to -our ourselves the lion’s share of the other edibles, which—as our -appetites had been sharpened by between sixty and seventy hours’ -exposure to the bracing sea-breeze, with a spice of hard pulling—we -were fully competent to dispose of.</p> - -<p>Not feeling in the mood to cruise around much during the afternoon, -the greater part of us remained about the house, wondering, from the -sparsity of the landlord’s visitors, how he managed to eke out a -living; but, as soon as night approached, we were convinced that he -lacked not for customers, who now one after another dropped in to have -a look at us, and imbibe the potations he had to dispense.</p> - -<p>One thing is greatly in favor of this colony; that is, the government -has as yet refused to grant a license for the sale of spirits in less -quantities than a gallon; and, as a gallon costs two pounds sterling, -(equivalent to nine dollars and eighty-eight cents of our money,) -the ardent is not within the reach of everybody. During the time -we remained in the place, I did not see a glass of spirits drank. -Malt-liquors, comprising porter, ale, and beer, were however swallowed -without regard to quality or quantity.</p> - -<p>Here, as well as everywhere else that I have visited in these colonies, -the males and females alike frequent the tap-room. They were all very -hospitable, and it may be imagined how it sounded to our ears, for -a matronly-looking woman, with a child held by the hand, to address -us with, “What will you have<span class="pagenum" id="Page_282">[Pg 282]</span> to drink, Jack?” while everybody about -seemed to regard it as a matter of propriety.</p> - -<p>At night, as there were not beds sufficient for our accommodation, we -took a shake down in the dining-room, using kangaroo-skins as blankets. -We had scarcely got settled, before we were rolling, pitching, and -tossing, by way of a forced accompaniment to the flea-bites that were -being inflicted upon us: the numbers of these pests being myriads. -Although they are little heeded by those who are acclimated here and -inured to their tortures, yet to us thinner-skinned gentry these fleas -now proved objects of real terror. For hours, sleep was out of the -question. All of us had been accustomed to considerable blood-letting -aboard from the bed-bugs that always infest old ships in warm weather; -but we were by no means prepared for a wholesale depletion by these -vampires. At length, towards morning, we managed to gain some -intermission from their attacks, and the sun had made a great portion -of his daily journey ere we broke our slumbers.</p> - -<p>After breakfast was over, we took a tramp, and found that we were not -deceived in our estimate of the country. Instead of the sandy surface -we had been accustomed to see in the southern sections of the colony, -there was here an excellent soil, and the appearance of the crops -promised an abundant harvest; while the live stock we saw were in a -good condition.</p> - -<p>The trees here embrace all the varieties of the she-oak, bankshire, -mahogany, peppermint, blackberry and raspberry jam, and some little way -in the interior the precious sandal-wood is found.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_283">[Pg 283]</span></p> - -<p>The houses are of stone, and neatly fashioned: mahogany being applied -to all the various purposes of the architect—its great plentifulness -and durability rendering it preferable to any other wood they possess.</p> - -<p>The following day, the wind still being unfavorable and precluding -our departure, the officers in charge of the expedition began to feel -alarmed as to the insufficiency of their funds—the whole amount of -money brought being ten pounds, or fifty dollars; this amount would -not go very far towards the support of thirteen men, for any length -of time, in a place where all the necessaries of life were held at an -exorbitant price. Now that their suspicions had worn off as to our true -character, I do not think that they would have allowed us to want; -still, we did not feel inclined to depend on their charity, so we asked -them if there was any work that we could perform. The only branches -of business open were wood-chopping and supplying the community with -fresh fish; they possessing no boats, and the snapper banks being -some distance from the settlement, it is only by chance that they are -enabled to indulge their appetites for them. We, on this information, -held a consultation, and one party, including the two officers, -shouldered axes and went into the woods, where they gave the colonials -a specimen of Yankee wood-chopping; the rest of us took the boats, and, -having been supplied with tackle, made their hearts glad by a display -of fish superior to any they had seen for a long time.</p> - -<p>This was a pretty specimen of occupation for gentlemen’s sons to -engage in; but it only verifies our<span class="pagenum" id="Page_284">[Pg 284]</span> national peculiarities: and the -originator of the remark that a Yankee, with or without his jack-knife, -could make a living anywhere, was not far from the truth.</p> - -<p>The natives here, as elsewhere, are the same miserable, debased race; -but are ruled by an iron hand—the early experience of the colonists -forcing them to adopt severe measures to secure them against the -depredations of these nomadic tribes. I was informed that little -account was taken of the death of one of them, by a white man’s agency, -if detected in any little peccadillo; but a few years since the whites -were still more severe, shooting the natives down like dogs whenever -they approached their habitations.</p> - -<p>At nine o’clock on the morning of the 19th we bade farewell to Champion -Bay, under strict surveillance of the authorities—they being fearful -that we would convey away some of the prisoners. We were favored with -a fair wind, and at 4 o’clock the same afternoon boarded the ship, -perfectly satisfied with our jaunt. We found that during our absence -changes had taken place—a Portuguese boy, whom we shipped at Flores, -having exchanged, and gone aboard the Europa as steward; her former -steward, a native of New York city, having received his discharge -on account of inability, from sickness, to perform his duty. He is -suffering from spasmodic stricture of the urethra, and goes with us to -Mauritius in order to procure efficient medical aid. He lives in the -forecastle, and, as well as his health permits, agrees to perform duty -as a foremast hand; on arriving at Mauritius, it is optional with him -either to remain ashore or go with us to the United States.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_285">[Pg 285]</span></p> - -<p>During the whole time that we lay at anchor here, the most intimate -relations existed between all grades of the two ships’ companies; every -day and every night we held re-unions, in which, by merriment, we -strove to dispel the recollection of being so far separated from home. -A boat seldom left either ship on an excursion for pleasure, without -calling on the other party to see if any wished to go; and if either -ship was to be kedged ahead, or her anchorage shifted, the other crew -were ever ready to volunteer their assistance.</p> - -<p>One favorite trip was to go with the boat to within a short distance of -the heavy surf that broke on the reef at low water, where live shells -were to be collected. These were then buried in sand, or immersed in -fresh water, until the death of the animal rendered dislodging him -from his shell an easy task. In this manner we cleaned them, without -impairing the enamel, which so greatly enhances their beauty.</p> - -<p>One of our last moves previous to sailing, was to stow some two hundred -barrels of salt water in our after-hold, the ship being so light as -to render more weight in her hold necessary to make her sea-worthy; -we having put into her nothing like her carrying capacity of oil, and -having eaten the principal part of the provisions, there remained but -little in her to act as ballast.</p> - -<p>Having now been from home almost our allotted period, we have exhausted -almost all the original supplies. Our meat is reduced to some forty -barrels, flour to ten or twelve, sugar none, molasses none, (the latter -we procured a supply of from the Europa,) and our tea is so near its -ultimatum that it is reserved<span class="pagenum" id="Page_286">[Pg 286]</span> for special occasions, and coffee takes -its place as a beverage for supper. Our boats are nearly all worthless, -and now only comprise the four on the cranes—two having been disposed -of to Captain Phinney, of the Europa; who likewise got all of the -spare oars. We have but one respectable set of topsails and courses -that can be depended upon in heavy weather, and are ill provided for a -much longer stay from home. Should we take another cruise or two, the -expenses of refitting would be great; and, should we then do nothing, -instead of a source of profit to the owners, we would prove a burden, -independent of the loss of time to ourselves. At the same time we feel -loath to return with so sorry a cargo; and there are a number amongst -us who are anxious and willing to risk the prospect of another six -months’ or a year’s work, so as to have something due them on their -return; forgetting that, although they were to land penniless, the -six or twelve months thus spent at sea, if steadily devoted to some -occupation ashore, would return a much larger sum.</p> - -<p>At 11 o’clock on the morning of the 20th, we weighed our anchors with -the intention of going out; but no sooner were they tripped, than the -current set us down upon the Europa, which lay a cable’s length astern. -All hands jumped on the taffrail and quarters, and shoving with might -and main, prevented a collision. We then kedged her ahead, and, finding -it impossible for us to leave until the Europa sailed, we lowered our -boats and towed her into the channel. Then kedging ahead to clear the -shoal, after narrowly escaping planting her stern on it, off she went -in gallant style.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_287">[Pg 287]</span></p> - -<p>The Europa went out rigged as a barque. Her mizzenmast being -defective, carrying sail on it would be rather hazardous; so her -crossjack, mizzen topsail, and topgallant yards, were sent down, and -the leg-of-mutton-shaped gaff-topsail substituted in the stead of the -canvas pertaining to them.</p> - -<p>These whaleships often undergo striking changes between the date -of their leaving home and the period of their return: the captain -possessing a discretionary power to pull down and build up any of his -ship’s arrangements. But, woe betide him! if he does anything that -results disastrously, unless he makes a good voyage (which last is -the New-Bedford apology for a multitude of sins). Some old-fashioned -skippers are content with leaving things as they find them; whilst -those of the more modern school want their quarter-deck made clear, so -that when in port a fore-and-after can be indulged in by the select -assemblages who then ordinarily rendezvous aboard whalers.</p> - -<p>By the way, I recently heard a story about a party of such visitants, -who boarded the ship Twilight in King George’s Sound. Amongst them -were the daughters of one of the most aristocratic families in the -town. The steward of the vessel, supposing of course that they were -ladies, had gone to considerable pains in preparing a collation, which -the guests seemed much to enjoy. After concluding their repast, they -stuffed their pockets with the cakes they were unable to eat; indeed, -one went so far as to make her bosom a storehouse for provender. They -then adjourned to the quarter-deck for a dance; and, as they displayed -much activity during its progress,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_288">[Pg 288]</span> the hidden dainties were dropped: -an eclaircissement which much surprised the neophytes of the ship, who -were unaccustomed to such practices. The possessors were by no means -disconcerted; but, re-collecting their prizes, continued the dance.</p> - -<p>This relation of New Holland manners may by some be deemed overwrought -and extravagant; but, as I have the story from most reliable authority, -I can vouch for its correctness. I have seen the participants, and -although, as I before said, they belonged to the first circles and -affected to be aristocratic, were they arrayed in jacket and trowsers, -they would make first-rate man-of-war’s men.</p> - -<p>And now that the Abrolhas’ are dropping astern, we will contrast the -present state of our feelings with what they were when we entered -this channel, five weeks since. Then we were pregnant with hope: -no doubt existing in our minds as to the preconceived certainty -of taking several hundred barrels of oil—the only damper to our -ardent expectation being the forethought of our toil in towing. The -possibility of there being no whales never struck us; for we had from -various testimonies of their presence put this point so far beyond all -question, that if any one had started the least misgivings he would -have been treated with derision. At that time, too, we firmly expected -to leave directly for home on quitting the islands; having only to -make a short stoppage at the Island of <abbr title="saint">St.</abbr> Helena for water. But now -we had before us the unpleasant prospect of another cruise; and this -still more darkened with the thought of our putting into ports, where -the little we had due to us would most likely be foolishly spent. -Instead of the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_289">[Pg 289]</span> hundreds of barrels of oil that we had anticipated to -have stowed below, we had two hundred barrels of salt-water; and to -counterbalance our other disappointments we had—just nothing at all. -Yet, had we not made the attempt, none of us would have been satisfied; -and I think the captain perfectly justified, although the result was so -disastrous.</p> - -<p>But there is no use in repining: for this was only one of the series of -maladventures we experienced throughout our voyage. The season in the -Bight and that on New Zealand (on both of which we had counted largely) -returned us almost nothing. We had, however, solaced ourselves with the -reflection that the Abrolhas’ season was yet to come; and, although we -preferred the sperm oil, still we had made up our minds to be satisfied -with a cargo of that of the humpback, which we were assured we could -get without trouble, except hard work. And now, when this too had -failed, our sheet-anchor was gone: for, if there were any who still had -an idea of making a good voyage, they were hoping against hope. For us, -certainly, the day had gone by; unless, indeed, when we returned, the -market for oil should by some strange revulsion have become so much -exhausted as to cause it to bring an almost fabulous price. Then, and -then only, would any of us make pin-money enough to repay us for more -than three years of a hard, wearisome life. However, as I said before, -there is no use in repining. We must grin and bear it, and at the same -time admit ourselves convinced of the aptness of that axiom which reads -“Blessed are they who expect nothing; for they are sure not to be -disappointed.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_290">[Pg 290]</span></p> - -<p>And now, the general feeling that pervaded the ship’s company was a -wish for a speedy return home: all being convinced of the inutility of -a longer absence. But whether the captain would act in accordance with -it remained to be seen. His mind fluctuated, with the tide of time, -between these two points: to go, or not to go. This was the question -which he appeared to be continually debating in his own mind. One -moment, “going home” was in the ascendant; the next, all his sympathies -were enlisted in favor of staying out for another cruise: points which -were perhaps ultimately decided to our disadvantage.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_291">[Pg 291]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XII">CHAPTER XII.</h2> -</div> - - -<p>After leaving the Abrolhas’, we had a strong westerly breeze, which -required us to carry sail pretty stiffly, to avoid the shore; in the -course of which process we sighted the Wollaby group and Wizzard’s Peak -on the main.</p> - -<p>Our intention was to cruise here for four or six weeks; but having, -after the lapse of eight or nine days, seen sperm whales which were -going eyes out to the westward, (we lowered for them, but did not get -within miles of them,) on the morning of September 1st, we spoke the -Europa, sold to her captain another boat, and, with strong southeast -trades, took up our line of departure for the westward. Our ship’s -bottom, from long exposure, was very foul, and we tried to make amends -for her dullness by packing her spars full of canvass: main royal, -topmast, lower and topgallant studding sails, all assisting us on our -westerly course; and, although we were not bound directly home, we -were all well aware that space now crossed brought us thitherward, and -would not need to be retraced by us. Hence we entered into the spirit -of the passage with more alacrity than usual. There was, besides, this -other consideration, that we were bound to a port within the precincts -of civilization; which is always a matter of gratification to sailors, -after either a short or long cruise.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_292">[Pg 292]</span></p> - -<p>At the last farewell visit from the Europa’s crew, we were commissioned -to deliver many a message, both verbal and written, to near and dear -friends of theirs in the States; and they, poor fellows, doomed as they -are, for a year or eighteen months more, cruising off New Holland’s -coast, could not avoid announcing their wishes to be aboard with us. -They, however, bade us “God speed;” and we bade adieu to New Holland -and them both at the same time, hoping to meet the latter again in the -land of Washington, amid pleasanter scenes and under happier auspices -than can be found within the confines of an Indian Ocean whaler’s -timbers.</p> - -<p>After bidding adieu to the Europa, we occupied ourselves in sending -aloft studding sails on the fore and main, from the topgallant yards to -the deck; the main royal was bent, a mizzen staysail manufactured and -bent, and under a cloud of canvass, impelled by the gentle trade-wind, -we kept her west-north-west, fully anticipating making Mauritius within -a fortnight; but, like most of our bright anticipations, this was -doomed to be dashed—the trade-winds, most unusually at this season -of the year, persisting in being light, so that it was not until the -21st that we saw the Isle of France. Previous to this, on the 19th, we -sighted and passed close by the Island of Rodrique. This small island -is seldom visited by whalers for supplies, as there is no accredited -American agent resident on it. It however is made famous amongst the -whaling fleet, from the fact of a captain of a New Bedford vessel -having selected a lady of the island, of French parentage, as his -lady love, marrying, and taking her with him to the United States, -to the dismay<span class="pagenum" id="Page_293">[Pg 293]</span> of the fair sex in his native neighborhood, who had -set their caps for him. This fact is so well known and widely spread, -that I never, whilst in the Indian Ocean, heard the name of the island -mentioned, without being compelled, from politeness, to listen to a -repetition of the love passage.</p> - -<p>The following day, at five o’clock in the afternoon, we sighted a -school of sperm whales, consisting of cows and calves. After several -hours chasing, we were obliged to relinquish the pursuit as futile.</p> - -<p>On the afternoon of the 23d we stood close in to the land composing the -Isle of France; it is rugged and mountainous, covered by immense fields -of nature’s own green, which we judged to be the different plantations -of coffee and sugar-cane, for which the island is celebrated. At -night we beat to windward, having to direct us the beacons of two -light-houses, which designate the entrance to the harbor. Next morning -we stood into the roadstead, which is easy of access, but only presents -a secure anchorage at certain seasons of the year, being entirely -unprotected from the winds. At 10¹⁄₂ A. M. on the 23d we let go our -anchor, amid some twenty vessels, most of which fly either the French -or English flag—these two nations carrying on the principal trade to -and from the port. These vessels were of the most ancient models, not a -clipper to be seen amongst them; all betrayed too plainly that Yankee -ingenuity had nothing to do with their construction, but that their -models, rig, and lumbering appearance were all owing to some clumsy -English shipwright, or French bungler in the same line.</p> - -<p>The town, or rather that part of it which can be<span class="pagenum" id="Page_294">[Pg 294]</span> seen from the -roadstead, presents anything but a creditable appearance; only -the outskirts can be seen, built on the base of the far-famed and -world-renowned Peter Boite mountain, which rears its cone-shaped -summit aloft in the regions of upper air. Midway up the ascent is a -signal station, which informs those initiated into the mysteries of -the system of signals, of the appearance in the offing of inward bound -vessels; and when these are near enough, by the arrangement of Captain -Marryatt’s signals, consisting of four small flags, or rather three -flags and a whip, they ascertain the name of the vessel, whence from, -her cargo, and to whom consigned.</p> - -<p>The entrance to the harbor, which, by the way, appears from the -roadstead tolerably full of shipping, is guarded by two elevated -fortifications and a mole; so that, from the number of fortifications, -I should judge that the harbor was pretty secure in case of assault.</p> - -<p>It is very easy to remark the difference between the English and -American method of transacting harbor business. If we had anchored near -an American city, within the jurisdiction of the quarantine physician, -our anchor would have scarcely left the cat-head, ere he would have -boarded us and been satisfied as to our general healthiness; but here, -from half-past 10 until 3 o’clock, we were left in a blessed state -of uncertainty as to whether we should communicate with the shore or -remain stationary; when the dilatory physician boarded us, and, after -marshalling the crew aft and satisfying himself as to our general -sanitary condition, gave us a red flag to fly<span class="pagenum" id="Page_295">[Pg 295]</span> at our fore royal truck, -which was our certificate of health, and guaranteed to us permission -to transact business with the city. Those vessels that are condemned -by the port physician as unfit to enter into communication with the -inhabitants of the island, are removed to the quarantine ground, about -a mile below our anchorage, where, at present, some dozen vessels lie, -guarded by the police boat, that prevents any interchange of goods that -may lead to the introduction of infection into the port.</p> - -<p>The port officer, who accompanied the physician, left with us a small -book containing the harbor laws and regulations, for the government of -vessels of all nations which anchor within its precincts. These laws -are printed both in French and English, and purport to emanate from -Sir John Higginson, lieutenant-governor; they are comprised mostly -of stringent quarantine restrictions, which led me to suppose that -at some earlier period they had suffered severely by the importation -of dreadful contagious diseases, which I can easily imagine would -find abundant food amid the miscellaneous population, assisted as it -naturally would be by the extreme heat of the climate.</p> - -<p>Beside these, there are a series of signals for the preservation of -vessels in the roadstead during the months which are most liable to -typhoons or hurricanes. This period extends from the 1st of December to -the 1st of April; at the first signal the captains of all vessels lying -in the roadstead are compelled by law to resort to their respective -ships; other signals are for the increase of ground-tackle, shifting -of<span class="pagenum" id="Page_296">[Pg 296]</span> anchorage, and, finally, getting under weigh, when a longer stay in -the roadstead would prove dangerous.</p> - -<p>At 8 o’clock in the evening we heard the report of the evening gun -which enjoins all keepers of public houses, and other places of -business, to close their doors; a heavy penalty being imposed upon -any person transacting business of whatever kind after gun fire. At 5 -o’clock A. M. the morning gun is fired, when all are at liberty to open -their doors, and resume their respective avocations.</p> - -<p>On the 25th we thoroughly washed our ship, sending ashore several -times during the day. When the first boat came off with provisions, -comprising meat and vegetables, a boy, who constituted one of the -crew, was exploding with suppressed laughter, which occasionally would -escape him notwithstanding his utmost efforts. On being questioned as -to the cause of his mirth, he proceeded in a very naive and humorous -vein to describe his trip to the market for meat. After selecting what -was wanted for the ship’s consumption, a Lascar backed it, which was -all very well; but no sooner had he started, than another of the same -race jumped up from his squatting posture, and, by a series of thumps -and rib ticklings, forced the one who acted as pack-horse into quite -a nimble pace for an indolent Asiatic. The thumps and rib ticklings, -which seemed a grave matter of business between the contracting -parties, excited the fancy of our Yankee boy, who had never seen or -heard of such a man-persuading operation; hence his violent merriment.</p> - -<p>The meat which we procured is known by two sobriquets, being called -indifferently, “buffalo” and<span class="pagenum" id="Page_297">[Pg 297]</span> “cape beef.” The animals are procured -either from the Cape Colony, or the Island of Madagascar. I saw a -number of them yoked together, performing the heavy draughting to and -from the plantations and warehouses. With the exception of the hump, I -could perceive no difference in form between them and our own cattle. -This hump is situated on the spine directly over the fore shoulders; -in shape it resembles a mound, being conical as it approaches its -summit, and in a full grown animal attains a height of from eight to -twelve inches. The flesh of the hump is said to be esteemed a great -dainty, and I have no doubt of it from the fact that whilst lying here -not a particle of that portion of the animal came aboard our ship, it -commanding a higher price than the other portions, and, therefore, was -too expensive provender for sailors.</p> - -<p>I have heard this meat reviled over and over again, as being tough and -anything but nutritious; but I disagree with its detractors, as I found -it sweet, tender and palatable, although it is very far from being fat.</p> - -<p>Besides fresh meat we were enabled to obtain sweet potatoes—the -murphies not being raised here—and so we were fain to put up with -their yellow prototypes; they were much the same esculent as we -formerly procured in the Island of Lombock. Carrots, and the various -garden vegetables, too, were procurable, and the most original -turnips that it ever fell to my lot to behold. In form they resembled -a pine-apple, and were of a deep purple color. Attracted by their -savory look, I essayed to peel one with my pocket knife, but found -such a proceeding<span class="pagenum" id="Page_298">[Pg 298]</span> not to be accomplished with ordinary tools; with -the assistance of a sharp hatchet, I managed to remove the jacket, -and was rewarded for my pains by a mouthful of the hardest chewing -commodity that ever was put between my masticators; it reminded me of -the occasion, when a boy, I attempted to crack a hickory nut between my -teeth.</p> - -<p>On Monday morning we arose with the intention of doing a great deal -of work—thinking to get off all our water in the course of the day. -In pursuance of this resolution two boats were manned, and we went -ashore with a raft of casks in tow, passing up the inner harbor. (But -as we were to go ashore in a few hours on liberty, and would then -have more leisure for inspection, we omit further description until -then.) There were several hundred ships lying here, independent of -the coasting-craft, and therefore on arriving at the watering-place, -which consisted of an aqueduct with a single nozzle, we found it -surrounded by seamen of every nation, hose in hand, patiently waiting -their turns, while being scorched by the burning rays of a tropical -sun. Finding that in all probability the greater part of the day would -be consumed ere we should have an opportunity to fill our casks, the -starboard-watch returned to the ship, in order to make preparations to -go ashore on liberty; which being soon completed, a boat was manned, -and away we went for a day’s enjoyment after eight months of sea-life.</p> - -<p>On our way in we passed a series of parti-colored buoys, placed so as -clearly to define the entrance to the harbor. About two miles from the -landing there is a curious contrivance of wicker-work, with a<span class="pagenum" id="Page_299">[Pg 299]</span> bell in -it, familiarly known as the Bell Buoy; and a little further in, the -Powder Boat, into which all vessels entering the harbor are compelled -to deposit their powder. The entrance to the harbor is moderately wide, -but still no vessels enter without the aid of the steam tow-boat, which -they may however dispense with on leaving. Every vessel in the harbor -is compelled to anchor with two stream and two bower anchors.</p> - -<p>And now we were amongst the shipping: for the most part, great, -lumbering, unsightly sugar-boxes. There, the aristocratic title, the -Earl of Derby, proclaimed the Briton; the Napoleon was undoubtedly -Monsieur’s craft; the Esperanza, the Don’s; and Peter of Hamburg, -Mynheer’s. But amid them all rose the lofty tapering spars of the -brigantine Penney, of New York; and, on a nearer approach, we could -examine the beautiful lines of her symmetrical hull, giving evidence -of the handicraft of a Baltimore shipbuilder—and such was her class: -a Baltimore clipper of the handsomest model. To-day she flew our -glorious ensign (the stars and stripes) for the last time; having been -sold to the British government, to be used as a revenue-cruiser. Her -purchasers, a few days before her delivery to them, having assiduously -substituted, for the Eagle on her stern, the British Lion, desired -to fly that ensign at her mizzen peak; but the crew in charge of her -(two full-blooded Americans) would not allow them to do so whilst they -remained on board, and persisted in flying the star-spangled banner -until the last day, when they left the vessel just before it was hauled -down.</p> - -<p>Near the brigantine lay a three-masted schooner,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_300">[Pg 300]</span> also a creditable -specimen of American naval architecture, and which was likewise sold -during our stay in the port. Several other Americans came in: one, -the Spitfire, of Boston, last from Calcutta—in distress, leaking -badly—a noble clipper-ship, of two thousand tons; and the barque -Agnes, of and from New York, whence she had been seventy-six days on -her passage—also a handsome clipper. Besides these, several clippers -came in under the French flag, which, on inquiry, we were informed had -also been built in the United States of America. It was a matter of -congratulation to us, so far from home, to know and feel our national -superiority in the construction of that noblest of structures, viz., a -clipper-ship, and at the same time to feel the proud consciousness that -all the world admitted it.</p> - -<p>Just above the harbor there is a dry dock, on which quite a number of -vessels were hauled up for repairs.</p> - -<p>Our boat now glided up to the steps of the landing, which we mounted, -and once more trod upon terra firma. From the different languages that -fell on our ears we were at a loss to tell what countrymen we were -among. First, from the number of turbans and white robes, with the -faultlessly regular oriental features, we were induced to think that we -had landed amid an Arabian population; then, the vast number of gaudy -caps, surmounting shaven crowns, caused us to change our opinion, and -imagine the greater portion of the mass before us derived from farther -down the Malabar coast; but, again, we saw the barbaric ornaments, -dusky features, and scanty clothing of the Madagascar native, followed<span class="pagenum" id="Page_301">[Pg 301]</span> -by the various Hindoo tribes, representatives of the other East India -colonies belonging to Great Britain; and next the Chinese, the Malay, -the Creole (a production of the amalgamation of some one of these races -with the European); then, lastly, there were the French and English, -intermingled with people from every civilized country of the globe: -and hence it may well be imagined, from these incongruous features of -the populace, that the commingling of all their different languages -must produce a most Babel-like confusion. Then the donkeys, too, which -at all times of day are about the docks in great numbers, added their -harmonious voices to the confused din. At the moment of landing, I -was struck with the sparsity of the white population. It was only at -rare intervals, as I penetrated into the city, that an European face -could be seen; and I have walked for hours in utter ignorance of my -whereabouts; for, although I frequently inquired of whomsoever I met, I -was unable to find one who could speak English enough to direct me.</p> - -<p>After a short walk through the macadamized streets, feeling that I was -utterly out of my element, (all sailors, who have been a long cruise at -sea, are poor walkers,) and inquiring for some time as to the direction -of Paul and Virginia’s grave, (the hero and heroine of the beautiful -French novel, which designates this island as Cypress,) we succeeded in -finding an English chaise-driver, who soon had us stowed away in his -vehicle, and bowling along over a good road into the country. Our ride -extended for seven miles, through a populous and fertile country: the -inhabitants being of the same class as in the city.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_302">[Pg 302]</span></p> - -<p>On arriving at our destination, we were sadly disappointed; as we had -formed the idea, that we should see a stately mausoleum erected over -the remains of two such renowned characters. A dilapidated sandstone -monument, enclosed by an iron railing, was, however, the only memorial -by which to distinguish their last resting-place. On this monument -there had once been a tablet, which either the ruthless hand of time, -or the eagerness and avidity of curiosity-hunters, had rendered -illegible. The latter class of persons, we were assured, had carried -the greater part of it away piecemeal, notwithstanding the notice, -printed in French and English, which forbids trespass.</p> - -<p>Inquiring from our chaperon for the other “lions” of the port, we were -shown the Peter Boite Mountain, and were assured that a view from its -lofty summit was well worth the trouble of ascending; but, unaccustomed -as we were to the seething heat of the sun ashore, we were not at all -anxious to attempt such a task.</p> - -<p>Close by the tomb there are beautiful botanical gardens, a visit to -which disclosed to us the beauties of tropical vegetation. Here the -pine-apple, bananas, clove, nutmeg, allspice, coffee, and other plants, -bloomed in luxurious profusion. There were, too, many of the products -of the temperate climes: presenting to an American’s eyes the aspect -of a great hot-house. The walks and drives through these splendidly -arranged grounds are of the most beautiful description.</p> - -<p>Having satiated our appetites for seeing and tasting, we retraced our -way to the city; and I sat down<span class="pagenum" id="Page_303">[Pg 303]</span> in the coziest corner I could find, to -make some observations on the general aspect of the city, and character -of the inhabitants.</p> - -<p>The part of the city adjoining the wharves is laid out with little -attention to regularity—the streets describing most tortuous courses. -At the outskirts the avenues are at right angles, and that part of the -city presents a better appearance. All the streets are macadamized; but -few of them are named, or rather they have no names at the corners to -direct the stranger. I remember seeing but a single signboard, and that -was in French, having on it Rue de Rivoli. On the other avenues the -signboards only displayed the number and the first and last letters of -the name.</p> - -<p>The tenements and business-places are generally two stories in height, -and built of stone, bricks, or wood. On the wharves are iron-framed -warehouses, built in the most substantial manner, so as to withstand -the violence of the typhoon. They are not enclosed, but resemble our -market-sheds. The market-house, situated in the centre of the town, is -built in the same manner, and divided into four departments, one of -which is the meat-market, where I saw nothing but beef and fish exposed -for sale; the latter not of the description admitted to our tables, -as on the shambles of one victualler I saw two monstrous sharks, from -twelve to sixteen feet in length, which he was cutting up, and selling -to the dusky portion of the inhabitants. Another department is devoted -to the coffee venders, where any person can get a cup of excellent hot -coffee for a penny; and to judge from the number of their customers, -these petty merchants<span class="pagenum" id="Page_304">[Pg 304]</span> are driving a lucrative business. The third -department is occupied by the sellers of vegetables, birds, &c. The -fourth, known as the bazaar, is apportioned into stalls, each under the -supervision of a brown clerk, who uses his utmost endeavors to attract -customers. These stalls are furnished with fancy articles, perfumery, -cutlery, hosiery, cambrics, and a variety of Eastern articles quite -unknown on our shores. Each of the merchants is adorned by a streak -of India ink, running from the center of the scalp-lock to the bridge -of the nose, which is said to be a mark of distinguished caste—the -wearers of it being known as Parsees. They display considerable acumen -in conducting business, and offer inducements to purchasers scarcely -inferior to those presented by salesmen in our clothing establishments -on Market street. One miserable practice prevails, which is general -amongst all classes of merchants throughout the city; that is, the -abominable custom of asking three prices for an article, with the -expectation of being beat down to a reasonable one: doctors, lawyers, -merchants (wholesale and retail), druggists, and other dealers, all -persisting in it. I had occasion to go to a first-class drug-store -to purchase some articles for the ship’s medicine-chest. Here I -confidently expected to see a rational method of doing business; but, -to my utter surprise, I was asked twenty-one dollars for a package -that I could purchase at home for five. After considerable chaffering, -I succeeded in obtaining it for twelve dollars. Under this phase of -bargaining, it was a matter of time to make the most trifling purchase; -and, whenever at a loss for occupation, it was customary with<span class="pagenum" id="Page_305">[Pg 305]</span> us to -resort to the bazaar, and inquire for an article which they, from -their inadequate knowledge of English, could not comprehend, and then -watch their anxiety in displaying every article they had for sale, in -hopes of hitting upon the right one. No sooner had you been given up -in despair by the occupant of one stall than you were seized on by -his neighbor; and if, attracted by the quaintness of any particular -article, you should make a purchase, however small, your former -attendant would show his chagrin in a garrulous and amusing manner.</p> - -<p>One day whilst thus perambulating in Yankee fashion, with our hands -deep in our pockets, as a protection from the wonderful sleight-of-hand -possessed by this people, one of these merchants, attracted by a -whalebone stick our steward carried, offered a pound sterling for it. -The steward agreed to take it, but then the native would not purchase, -without a bill and receipt. Being penman and amanuensis for all hands, -I was desired to make out the necessary document. After writing it, I -was requested by the steward to sign his name; but it was no go. The -native, albeit he could not read a single word of English, knew that -this was not the proper mode of doing business, and obliged the steward -to sign his name himself; when, after calling an English policeman, and -submitting it to his inspection, he was satisfied of its validity, and -paid down the dust.</p> - -<p>The Governor’s House has no pretensions to beauty. It looks like an -old-fashioned farmer’s homestead, and no one would think it had a -claim to aristocracy, were it not for the presence of the red-coated<span class="pagenum" id="Page_306">[Pg 306]</span> -sentry, who continually paces in front of it. The only building which -I saw that presented any real pretension to beauty was a mosque, built -in the Egyptian style, with mimic towers. Strangers were not admitted -within it on the days when I was ashore; so I had to be satisfied with -a glance, that revealed to me the handsome decorations of a very small -part of it, and a massive chandelier, pendant from the dome which -formed the roof.</p> - -<p>The Hospital is a large, commodious, well-ventilated building, -surrounded by verandas, healthily situated, and close by the water’s -side. It comprises three separate departments. One building is devoted -to the military, and is known as the Military Hospital. A second -building is known as the Civil Hospital, where the citizens are -admitted at a charge of a shilling, and seamen of other nations at two -shillings, per diem. The ground-floor of this building is set apart for -the use of the black Asiatic population—French, English, and American -negroes being admitted to the same apartment as the whites. At the time -we were there the dysentery was so prevalent amongst the Asiatics, that -it was found necessary to extend their apartments, and for this purpose -a part of the upper portion of the building was devoted to their use.</p> - -<p>Having sent two of our men to this hospital for treatment for -stricture of the urethra, I visited it, and found it clean, orderly, -and well conducted. The resident and visiting physicians are all -Englishmen, and, from their mode of operation, I should judge them to -be scientific and skilful surgeons. The Malabars are attended to by -creole physicians, who<span class="pagenum" id="Page_307">[Pg 307]</span> have received thorough medical educations; -two-thirds of the patients were under treatment for dysentery, which, -from the symptoms and treatment, I am certain is nothing more nor less -than Asiatic cholera; the remaining varieties are mostly venereal -affections, which, in this hot climate, assume their most violent and -disgusting forms.</p> - -<p>There are a number of Americans here; some resident ashore, and others -from the American vessels in the harbor; those from the vessels being -discharged sick on the consul’s hands, who provides for them at the -hospital until recovered; he then finds them ships and sends them to -the United States.</p> - -<p>Neither of the men who were sent from our ship to the hospital -recovered so as to be able to go out with us. One of them, a New -Yorker, the former steward of the Europa, anticipates remaining on -the island some time; the other, John Cunningham, of New Bedford, one -of our original crew, is left in charge of the consul, to be sent -home as soon as the state of his health will permit. Our captain was -very desirous to take this young man home with him for the sake of -his widowed mother; but as the invalid objected to going before he -was perfectly recovered, and the doctor’s authority was paramount to -the captain’s, we were forced to leave him in a foreign land, in a -foreign hospital, amongst strangers, to look out for himself, with -the assistance of the consul: a fearful responsibility for a boy of -eighteen, unacquainted with the world.</p> - -<p>There is also another institution for the reception and relief of -destitute seamen, known as the Sailor’s Home: its accommodations -are said to be excellent.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_308">[Pg 308]</span> At this house were part of the crew of -the whaleship Nauticon, of Nantucket, which ship was lost a few -months previous at, or near, the Seychelle Islands. All seamen’s -boarding-houses in Port Louis are bound by law to afford a seaman two -weeks’ board, at the expiration of which time they can expel him from -the house, if they feel so inclined; but it generally happens that they -ship before the fortnight expires, and pay their board with part of the -advance money they receive from their new employers. The usual charge -for board is a guinea a week.</p> - -<p>Connected with the Home is a floating bethel, moored close by the -landing stair.</p> - -<p>Another feature of the city is the park. Some of our boys from the -rural districts having visited it, and found several fountains on -its grounds, gave so animated a description of its beauties as made -me eager to visit it. I went, saw, and was neither overwhelmed by -astonishment nor pleasure; the walks were well enough, so were the -fountains, but the trees appeared uncared for; and the grass, what -little there was, was parched by the heat of the sun to a straw color. -This park was about two hundred feet in width, and several hundred -yards in length. The peculiar attraction of this place is that it is -the resort of the children of the European residents, and from their -presence one argues the existence of white women in the neighborhood; -but where they seclude themselves I cannot perceive, for if the very -small number of white ladies whom I saw in Mauritius were the maternal -relatives of all the children I saw in the park, verily the climate of -Port Louis must conduce greatly to the fecundity of our race.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_309">[Pg 309]</span></p> - -<p>Occasionally, in the park, may be seen a Miss who has discarded -pantalettes, and, when seen, her rosy cheeks and white transparent -skin contrast so favorably with the universal yellow and brown hues -of the East Indian dames, that one could almost and without any great -expansion of the imagination, think her an angel from the ethereal -regions sent to illuminate the dusky scene.</p> - -<p>A few miles from the landing is a cemetery, which I visited. The road -to it embraces a beautiful walk or drive through a long shaded avenue -formed by rows of cypress trees; the cemetery is laid out in the -form of a square, and is well filled with monuments, the styles and -workmanship of which would do no discredit to Laurel Hill or Greenwood. -Most of them bore inscriptions in French, several were devoted to the -last remains of English naval commanders who had died whilst on this -station. Over the remains of one of these, a comparatively young man, -was erected the base of a column, a few feet above which the column -was fractured, signifying that the deceased was cut down by the fell -destroyer in the spring tide of life, and ere he had arrived at the -goal to which his talents would have conducted him.</p> - -<p>One beautiful tribute to the memory of the departed prevails—on each -tomb is a vase containing flowers, which, from their fragrance and -freshness, were apparently renewed by no niggard hand. This beautiful -custom reminded me of the oft-repeated wish of the old man in the best -of Dickens’ Christmas Stories, “Lord, keep my memory green.” On my way -back from the cemetery, I came in contact with a crowd<span class="pagenum" id="Page_310">[Pg 310]</span> of Malabars, -whom an old woman was haranguing from a rostrum consisting of a large -stone, in the most approved manner of stump speaking. She was in a -state of semi-intoxication, yet her auditory yielded her implicit -attention. Not understanding a single word that she uttered, and being -unable to obtain an explanation of the scene, I was on the point of -withdrawing, when her change of manner, from a state of ecstacy to -that of frantic despair, led me to approach the house to which she -was continually pointing during her oratorical effort. In the house I -saw a rude pine coffin, around which the relatives and friends were -collected, all half-drunk and pugilistically inclined, arguing some -point with much vehemence. Disgusted with the affair I withdrew, -thinking I had witnessed as serio-comic a scene as the wake of Teddy -the Tiler.</p> - -<p>In my walk up to the residence of the American consul, I saw the -barracks of the soldiery, and heard the performance of their excellent -brass band. The consul’s residence is about a mile and a half from the -landing. It, with the other buildings in its neighborhood, are built in -cottage style, and present the best appearance of any in the port. The -consul is a New Yorker named Fairfield.</p> - -<p>The few white inhabitants engaged in business are mostly in the -wholesale branches of trade; the other positions which the whites -fill are the police bodies, and the plying of boats to and from the -wharves and shipping. This police body is the richest farce, in regard -to the preservation of law and order, that ever was endorsed by the -city fathers of any municipality<span class="pagenum" id="Page_311">[Pg 311]</span> under the sun. The force consists -of two bodies—the Government and municipal police—the former body, -or at least that part of it on duty in Port Louis, contains three -hundred men, two-thirds of them being whites; this proportion is made -up entirely of seamen, French, English, American, and German—the -Government, eager to have a white police force, accepts all who offer -to enlist for a term of from one to three years, providing they possess -a certified discharge from the vessels in which they have last served.</p> - -<p>It may be better imagined than described how a body of men, composed -of such reckless material, would conduct themselves; they create more -disturbance by far than those under their surveillance; and it is not -unusual for them, at the close of the month, to be mulcted in the -greater part of their wages—retained by the authorities as fines for -disorderly conduct.</p> - -<p>They receive four pounds sterling per month, and live in barracks -resembling those of the soldiery; those who are married are allowed -to live where they please. Their uniform is duck trowsers, a jacket -of blue cloth reaching to the hips, and closing tightly with brass -buttons, each displaying the crown, and a blue cap, the top of which -is of white glazed oil skin—this cap is also surmounted with a crown; -in the hand, day and night, is carried a baton, beautifully ornamented -with Chinese characters.</p> - -<p>We were much surprised to find in the police force a number of -Americans who had deserted from whalers, and whom we had seen before in -the eastern ports of the Indian Ocean; amongst these were<span class="pagenum" id="Page_312">[Pg 312]</span> several of -the Elisha Dunbar’s crew. One of them, a Bostonian, had been promoted -to be sergeant, and was living with a great, greasy, disgusting-looking -squaw, as black as the ace of spades, thereby carrying out the doctrine -of amalgamation to its fullest extent.</p> - -<p>None of the members of either of these bodies are allowed to go beyond -the precincts of the city without a pass—the authorities being -extremely fearful of desertion; and with reason, too, as, although -these men are induced to enter by the prospect of easy times, (and they -are easy, indeed, duty only being required of them for four hours out -of the twenty-four, after which time they are at liberty to dress and -act as citizens, only they are not permitted to engage in any other -business,) yet their very inactivity disgusts them with their billets. -Men, like sailors, who have been accustomed to a stirring, active -life, ever on the alert to anticipate the storm king’s movements, -cannot at once divest themselves of their sea-going habits; hence their -uneasiness and determination to desert. When we left Mauritius, two of -them, who had been part of the force for several months, were snugly -stowed away aboard our ship, preferring life in a whaler’s forecastle, -to ease and comfort ashore.</p> - -<p>The boatmen comprise two distinct classes: the white and the native. -The whites are generally seamen, and in this avocation I saw manual -labor performed by them only. The principal and most business-like of -these aquatic carriers was a man who had fled the city of New Bedford -for no less a crime than manslaughter, and thereby escaped punishment -by<span class="pagenum" id="Page_313">[Pg 313]</span> the laws of his country; but being now doomed to perpetual exile -from home and kindred, he could feelingly say, “Verily, the way of the -transgressor is hard!”</p> - -<p>And now that we have pretty thoroughly analyzed the city and its -suburbs, it is quite time that we should speak of the tawny inhabitants -of Port Louis. Having mentioned the whites, we will first glance at -those who most nearly resemble them in color and form: the Arabs—a -fine-looking, large and symmetrically built race of men, who wear -the turban, a white robe, and sandals, of the same form as did their -ancestors in time immemorial. They are a very intelligent-looking -people, with perfectly regular features, grave in deportment, -respected, and reputed wealthy. Most of them are merchants.</p> - -<p>The next class we will notice is, the Chinese. These, without being in -great numbers, wield considerable influence. Their strict attention -to business, and speedy method of amassing money, by sobriety and -regularity in living, soon render them independent through their -own exertions. They are mostly engaged in the grocery and dry-goods -businesses. They adhere to their native costume, sporting their -pigtails, wide trowsers, conical hats, and satin slippers, alongside -the turban and sandals of the Arab.</p> - -<p>Next comes the Malay, with his dusky features. They are few in number, -and partake in some degree of the peculiarities of both the former -nations. Like the Arabs, they are strict Mahometans, turning their -faces towards Mecca whilst at their devotions. These<span class="pagenum" id="Page_314">[Pg 314]</span> people are -employed both in humble avocations and in the higher walks of life.</p> - -<p>Next, we notice the people known as Malabars. Under this patronymic, -not only the natives of the Malabar coast, but those from the shores of -the Bay of Bengal, are known; and consequently, coming from so extended -a line of country, there is a vast difference in their appearance: -those from one part of the country being small in person, with scarcely -any muscular strength; whilst those from the Ghaut mountains are a -tall, muscular race, capable, for Asiatics, of great bodily exertion. -All are subdued, and appeared to me as the most abject of any servile -people. They are, emphatically, “hewers of wood and drawers of -water.” Few of them are employed in trade, except as segar makers and -sellers. All the manual labor peculiar to shipping is performed by -them—caulking, loading, and discharging; and the way they work is a -source of pain to an enterprising spirit. For instance, four or six of -them will arrange themselves around a bag of guano, or other package of -merchandise, and at a signal from their overseer (who wields a bamboo, -with which he very often administers hearty thwacks on the heads of -his employees; and, as they are closely shaven, their crowns possess -no protection from the blows), commence a monotonous melody, which -they continue for several minutes, before touching the bag; then, as -many seizing it as can get hold, they swing it on the cart or scales -arranged for its reception: during which operation they consume more -time in handling one bag than one-third their number of<span class="pagenum" id="Page_315">[Pg 315]</span> our men would -do in disposing of a dozen bags on the wharves at home.</p> - -<p>Besides this, they are the barbers, coopers, and stone-cutters of -the port. I saw boys, of ten years and upwards, and possessing the -most effeminate bodies, with mallet and chisel, working away at the -last-named business like good fellows.</p> - -<p>In coopering they pursue a novel mode of operation: one getting on top -of the cask and holding the driver on the hoops, whilst the other uses -the hammer. This is done, of course, after the head has been adjusted; -previously to which the helper stands in the center, and arranges the -staves.</p> - -<p>Barberizing, from the universal practice of shaving the head, seems -to be a thriving trade. The person undergoing the operation squats -cross-legged, whilst the barber works around him, removing his hair in -a very short time. I think this a most excellent custom in this hot -climate, so conducive to the fostering and increase of vermin.</p> - -<p>From this class servants are selected, who perform all the various -functions of waiters, footmen, runners, &c. There are few women and -children imported, in comparison with the number of adult males: -possibly, owing to the greater usefulness of the latter. Their costume -varies—some wearing the turban; but generally a plush cap is worn, -ornamented with gilded or silvered braid, arranged in fanciful forms. -All wear the breech-cloth—the upper and lower portions of the body -remaining bare. They live any and every where—the ground-floors of -the dwellings throughout the city being crowded with them; and ten or -a dozen will occupy one<span class="pagenum" id="Page_316">[Pg 316]</span> apartment, with scarcely moving or breathing -room—sleeping on the bosom of mother earth, and covered only with -their breech-cloth, which is of the lightest texture. They receive -very trifling wages; but as they live principally upon rice and curry, -which cost scarcely anything, they are able in the course of their -apprenticeship to save what is, to them, a considerable sum of money.</p> - -<p>These people are anything but temperate as regards the consumption -of ardent spirits; but I never saw one of them display the slightest -approach to intoxication. Their favorite beverage is the fiery arrack, -(distilled from rice,) which they buy for a trifle, and consume in -large quantities.</p> - -<p>And now we come to the most influential, wealthy, and thrifty people -in the port. I refer to the Creoles, the issue of a union of some one -of the white races with the East Indian. They are mostly French, and -nine-tenths of the mercantile business is conducted by them. Their -distinguishing traits are—industry, neatness, and exact business -qualifications. They are also enterprising, and possess all the -politeness and suavity of Monsieur himself. It is not at all unusual, -on going into their business-places, to be waited upon by a bevy of -saffron-colored clerks, whilst at one side sits the maternal relative, -dressed in the handsomest manner, but with a skin as black as ebony. -The Creoles treat these relatives, notwithstanding the difference of -color, with a degree of filial affection pleasing to witness.</p> - -<p>These Creoles, on account of their wealth, and character as substantial -men and good citizens, are much respected, even more so than the -white residents,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_317">[Pg 317]</span> and are freely admitted to all the privileges and -immunities possessed by the latter.</p> - -<p>In speaking of the Malabars, I omitted to describe a funeral procession -in which they were the participants. The corpse was borne in a coffin, -on a hurdle, supported on the shoulders of six men. Preceding the -coffin was a musician with a horn in the shape of the letter S, from -which the operator produced more noise than music; next came two -drummers with their instruments, and then two tambourine players—all -uniting in making as much din as possible. Those in the procession -not engaged in discoursing the melody, were dancing and shouting. -This manner of testifying grief seemed rather odd, and diametrically -opposite to all my preconceived notions of these people, as I had -judged them to be incapable of any joyous demonstration; but it seems -they can act a farce, although they choose a rather sombre occasion to -indulge it. I have not, however, done with the funeral, not having as -yet mentioned its most peculiar feature. Over the coffin was erected a -bower of twigs and green plants, intended to represent, as nearly as -possible, a temple. I followed the procession to the cemetery, which -is an unenclosed piece of ground, situated just outside the European -cemetery, and unmarked by a single headstone. Just previous to arriving -at the cemetery, the policemen, who accompany all such funerals, -obliged them to desist from their merry-making. At the grave, which was -not more than four feet in depth, the bower was opened, and a young -chicken taken from it, which a near relative placed in his bosom very -carefully. This form, I suppose, has something to do<span class="pagenum" id="Page_318">[Pg 318]</span> with the doctrine -of the transmigration of souls—these foolish people imagining that -the spirit of the deceased is obliged, after death, to take refuge in -the body of some animal; and the chicken is carried thus, so that the -spirit of the defunct may easily find a tenement. All this seems to us -supremely ridiculous; but, on the other hand, these people are just as -much amused at our forms of worship as we are at the unreasonableness -of theirs—education and the early instillation of traditionary or -other precepts, making a believer of any race in the doctrine of their -forefathers.</p> - -<p>And now the question arises, how these Malabar and Madagascar natives -came here in such numbers. Fortunately, it is very easily solved. Their -presence is the natural fruit of the French and English apprentice -system—a mode of procedure as much blacker and more disgraceful to -the nation engaged in it, than the slavery of our Southern States, -inherited from these same nations, as the pirate’s bloody pursuit is to -that of the legitimate merchantman. I will merely state the manner in -which these people are <em>purchased</em>. An English, or French vessel, -runs into some out of the way port in Madagascar, lets go her anchor, -invites the king aboard, makes him presents of articles trifling in -value to us, but in the eyes of the savage of intrinsic worth. After -flattering his vanity and cupidity they broach their object in visiting -the coast. The king, nothing loath, invites the supercargo ashore, -and shows him the flesh and blood he has for sale. The merchant in -human slavery carries ashore old condemned muskets, kegs of powder, -jack-knives, hoop iron, trinkets,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_319">[Pg 319]</span> beads, and calico (these being the -articles most sought after by them). He then selects the most fitting -objects for his purposes, and, after considerable chaffering on both -sides, the purchases are taken aboard ship to be conveyed to a foreign -country, ostensibly for a term of years, but really for as long as -their owners choose to detain them. At the same time the purchasers do -not know whether they are prisoners of war or the king’s own flesh and -blood; neither do they care, their object being to gain money by making -merchandize of a free people. The governor of Mauritius receiving so -much per head, as a perquisite, for each one that is imported into the -colony, holds out every inducement for their introduction into the -island; and I should judge, from the crowded state of the ships that -arrived with them as cargoes, that the trade was most thriving. In -fact, at the time we lay here, this was the only freight procurable, -shipmasters complaining that they could not find employment for their -vessels; some of them having laid here for months without being able to -engage a freight. I should think that at least two thousand of these -pseudo apprentices arrived whilst we were here; they embraced for -the most part the natives of the Malabar coast, and of the Island of -Madagascar. I omitted, in my description of the latter, to remark upon -their fondness for ornament; scarce one of them can be seen, male or -female, young or old, whose arms or ankles are not covered with silver -wristlets and anklets; those whose finances will not admit of their -wearing: the precious metals for ornamental purposes, use those made -of clay, neatly ornamented and gilded. Many<span class="pagenum" id="Page_320">[Pg 320]</span> of the women wear jewels, -which, by some contraction of the skin of the forehead are so arranged -as to always remain there. They are worn in its center, directly over -the bridge of the noise; they are diamond- or lozenge-shaped, and, for -the most part, of an emerald green.</p> - -<p>One day, whilst strolling up an avenue contiguous to the wharf, I -was attracted by a crowd assembled around a walled enclosure; taking -the privilege of my nation (curiosity), I elbowed my way through the -mixed assemblage, and saw (“tell it not in Askalon, publish it not in -Gath,”) two English auctioneers, in a country under England’s control, -and governed by England’s laws, mounted on their rostrums, selling -what they call in the British Isles, their fellow-men, co-equal in all -respects to themselves. To say that I was surprised would convey but -a faint idea of my feelings—I was really astounded. After recovering -somewhat from my astonishment, I was so thoroughly convinced of the -ridiculousness of England’s so often vaunted philanthropy, that, had -I been in a proper place, I could have indulged in a hearty burst -of laughter. As it was, I could not, without an effort, control my -risibilities. This feeling soon gave way to that of indignation at the -recreant sons and daughters of our own soil, who disgrace our country, -after having been nursed and rocked in the cradle of liberty—as soon -as they are out of their swaddling clothes, turning upon and stinging -their nurse, and for the sake of political or monetary personal -aggrandizement, publishing wishy-washy novels containing such perverted -descriptions of our Southern slavery system, as to induce foreigners to -think our<span class="pagenum" id="Page_321">[Pg 321]</span> boast of liberty and a free government is but a farce. Such -persons do not merit being dignified by the notice of honest men, which -they court; and, whether it be in the form of a favorable mention or -a criticism, is all one to them, so long as it gives them publicity. -As they cater for the morbid literary appetites of the sycophantic -courtiers of the Old World, who are only too eager to pick holes in our -beautiful and, to them, unattainable system of government, a notice, to -these horror fabricators, answers all the purposes of an advertisement; -so I shall bid them farewell, only exhorting Americans to cry shame on -such scorpions.</p> - -<p>To return to the slave-mart. As I before said, there were two rostrums -erected, on each of which an auctioneer was busily employed crying the -merits of the merchandise, and eagerly soliciting a bid; both were -crying the same article—the second repeating, word for word, all that -his superior said in regard to the price and quality of the article put -up.</p> - -<p>The slaves were gathered and arranged in groups close by the rostrums. -Neither sex had any other covering than the breech-cloth, so as to -display the muscular system to the utmost advantage. The purchasers, -who for the most part are French planters, walk in amongst them, -examine their muscles, teeth, and joints, make them leap to show their -activity, and in every way that their experience suggests satisfy -themselves with respect to the availability of the slave. Their almost -nude condition displays to advantage their erect and symmetrical forms, -and in the women particularly, those points for which the females of -the East are so justly celebrated.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_322">[Pg 322]</span></p> - -<p>The only saving clause in the whole transaction was, that, in case any -of the slaves had a family, the purchaser was compelled to buy them all -together, or not at all.</p> - -<p>Instead of having the gloomy faces and downcast mien that one would -naturally expect to see in rational beings under such somber auspices, -these people, with the thoughtlessness, or recklessness, of their race, -were laughing and joking apparently with heartfelt glee. The younger -portion engaged meanwhile in little love-passages; and I was struck by -the coquettish archness with which the young women naively avoided the -too pressing advances of their admirers, by gracefully shaking their -beautifully-formed heads, adorned with the glossiest of ebon hair, and -at the same time accompanying it with the most roguish expression from -their deep black eyes, while merrily laughing and displaying their -pearly teeth. At such times, and on such occasions, the beholder, -albeit he may belong to a superior race, is apt to forget his -prejudices, and think that the poor slave before him is susceptible of -truly loving, and of being loved, as well as the fair representatives -of his own race.</p> - -<p>After purchasing as many as he wants, the planter arranges his slaves -in Indian file, proceeds to the warehouses where he purchases his -supplies, and each member of the file poises some article or other on -his or her head; and thus they march to the plantation, where they are -to remain until the expiration of their servitude—never coming to the -town, unless accompanying their owner.</p> - -<p>These people are very expert in carrying burdens<span class="pagenum" id="Page_323">[Pg 323]</span> on their heads, and -in this way we may account for their erect carriage. At any minute in -the day women and children may be seen carrying earthen jars containing -molasses or oil, threading the crowded thoroughfares, and bringing -their loads safe to their destination—a feat not to be accomplished by -those unaccustomed to the practice.</p> - -<p>On the principle that sparing the rod spoils the child, (for these -people are viewed only as children,) their owners are not at all -reserved in the use of this instrument of chastisement; and along -with the gangs at labor may the overseer be seen applying it without -remorse. As the blow generally falls on the skull, I can see little -reason for a preference of this to the method of punishment by lashes -on the back in vogue in our Southern States. This, however, is not -their only way of punishment. I saw several instances of gross personal -abuse. In one case I saw the slave thrown down, and dragged by the -waistband over the sharp points of the macadamized street, with nothing -to protect his buttocks from laceration except several thicknesses of -calico. The poor fellow, apparently aware of its uselessness, made no -complaint. This occurred, not in an obscure place—not in the purlieus -of the town, but in a public street, where people were constantly -passing, and who, if any feeling at all were expressed by them, only -laughed at the ludicrousness of the scene. A police-officer stood -looking on apathetically, as though the whole affair were a matter of -course.</p> - -<p>Impelled with a desire to know what Englishmen thought of the -apprentice-system, I put the question to every intelligent one that -I could get at. In nine<span class="pagenum" id="Page_324">[Pg 324]</span> cases out of ten my auditor would waive the -question by starting some other subject of conversation; but by the -employment of a little finesse I generally managed to corner him, -when, upon argument and hearing explanations of our system, he would -confess that there was but a shade of difference between the two. -One candid specimen of the John Bull character, whom I accidentally -formed an acquaintance with, (and one, too, who had made the tour -of our Southern States from Delaware to Texas—a man of strong mind -and superior intelligence, and from the knowledge he possessed of -the subject, also a man of observation,) stated that our slaves were -better housed than the apprentices under the control of magnanimous and -philanthropic Britain! Verily, England should look at home; and, if she -can, apologize, and legislate for her factory-system, which heretofore -has been the set-off advanced by Americans to her abuse of our -slavery-system. Here is the same system, with such a close affinity to -ours, that she cannot apologize for or mitigate it, without rendering -us justice, and thereby exposing her previous hypocrisy and selfishness.</p> - -<p>Strange—strange, very strange—it is, that the philanthropists of -the United Kingdom have never taken cognizance of these facts. What a -splendid theater Mauritius presents for the Address drawn up by the -Ladies of Great Britain and sent to the Ladies of the United States, -(which, however, to the honor of our countrywomen be it said, was -contemptuously rejected,) and signed by I do not remember how many -thousands of the mothers, daughters, and wives of Merry England and -her dependencies; which ladies,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_325">[Pg 325]</span> in a body, had the most disinterested -wish for the amelioration of the condition of the black races held in -thraldom by their white cotempories, (or, to use the words of Lucy -Stone, they had “a fellow-feeling in their bosoms for the oppressed of -all nations,” though whether the “fellow” ever found these martyrs I -do not know). Here, I repeat, is an excellent field for their Address; -though, as to whether it will meet with the same contumelious reception -as it did in the “land of the free,” or meet with a reception adequate -to its fitness for the city of Port Louis, a trial only can determine. -Perhaps the editor of the Thunderer could bring the feasibility of such -a proceeding to the notice of those fair reformers through the columns -of his widely-circulated journal.</p> - -<p>In writing the above description of the apprentice-system, I have not -only embodied my own, but the collective convictions of the whole crew -of the vessel; and, as two-thirds of them were from Massachusetts, -their opinions, if not my own, are worthy of belief: beside, there -was no Southerner aboard, to convert us to Southern opinions—not one -of us having been reared to the southward of Mason and Dixon’s line; -so that no personal interest or feeling sways our description of this -evil. Hence I think that our observations are entitled to the regard of -those who laud the freedom, philanthropy, and disinterestedness of the -government of the British Islands at the expense of our own; and if I -can enable but one of them to see and confess the error of his or her -ways, I shall consider my labor well repaid. And here I now leave this -subject.</p> - -<p>I cannot imagine why whalers visit this port in<span class="pagenum" id="Page_326">[Pg 326]</span> preference to others -where they could be much better supplied. To be sure the American -consul is resident, and through him they can draw money to the -extent of their necessities; but, on the other hand, provisions are -excessively dear, and so are all other supplies needful for shipping. -Two articles are cheap—liquors and segars; the latter being made from -tobacco grown on the island. Instead of being filled, as with us, and -enclosed in a wrapper, the natives make them entirely of wrappers. They -are very mild, and can be purchased for a song; everybody smokes them -and the consumption must be immense. The plug tobacco is of American -manufacture, and, from the duty imposed upon it by the government, -commands a high price.</p> - -<p>Notwithstanding the cheapness of liquors, there is but very little -intoxication to be seen amongst the community, although all seem to -indulge, more or less, in its use. The favorite drinks are the lighter -wines, such as the claret and Vermouth; these are pleasant, but are -detrimental to a healthy condition of the bowels, and, therefore, -excessive indulgence in them in this climate is purchased at a dear -rate.</p> - -<p>There is no scarcity of money, most of the exchanges being made in -the metallic currency of Great Britain, and as our Scrimshawing, or -to use a less outlandish term, our different manufactures from the -bone and ivory procured from the whale, were to these people great -curiosities, they commanded good prices. It was not unusual to get from -twenty to thirty shillings for a bone cane; and jagged knives, used -by the pastry cook for filagreeing the edges of his pies and tarts, -were eagerly bought up at a pound<span class="pagenum" id="Page_327">[Pg 327]</span> the pair. Consequently, all our -boys who possessed numbers of these articles were well supplied with -the rhino. The reason these articles are so eagerly sought for in this -port, is that no whalers are fitted out or belong here; neither is -there any market for the sale of whale oil—the inhabitants universally -burning the oil expressed from the cocoa-nut; and as the cocoa tree is -indigenous to the island, and grows in great profusion, it is readily -obtainable at a low rate. The captain of the Nauticon, who lost his -ship among the Seychelle Islands, is here, and has been importuned over -and over again by the merchants of the port, to return to the United -States, build and fit a vessel with all necessary accouterments, and -bring her here to sail as a colonial whaler belonging to Port Louis. -The future must decide as to whether he coincides with them so far as -to act out their wishes; but it is easily seen that such a proceeding -must necessarily be remunerative, as no sooner has a whaler left the -port than she is on the very best sperm whaling-ground in the Indian -Ocean, and the prevalence of the trade-winds and general good weather -for nine months of the year, render it an eligible cruising ground.</p> - -<p>There is an excessive jealousy existing between the French and English -residents—the French considering themselves as the rightful owners of -the soil, lords to the manor born; whilst the English plume themselves -upon the conquest of the island, and consider possession nine points -of the law. Little intercourse, apart from their business relations, -exists between the two nations, and the same feeling prevails, not -only among the residents, but among<span class="pagenum" id="Page_328">[Pg 328]</span> the sailors of ships belonging to -the two countries. Sunday night, generally, is the occasion of broils -between them, and these, the police informed me, were the most serious -disturbances they had to contend with.</p> - -<p>The German sailors were the merriest of any nation whom I saw on -liberty—gathering in little knots, and singing the songs of their -fatherland with the utmost good-fellowship, and not without melody. -They were very exclusive in their associations, and mixed with none but -their own circle of shipmates.</p> - -<p>The markets of Mauritius were filled with fruit of the various kinds -to be found in tropical climates—the pine-apple, cocoa-nut, banana, -oranges, lemons, and limes, all being found here in abundance. The -favorite condiment of the blacks is the sugar-cane, which they suck -in pieces as long as themselves; and two youngsters may be seen, -each supporting and sucking away at either end of a piece of green -sugar-cane a fathom in length.</p> - -<p>This city differs very much from Hobartown in two of its striking -features. In the latter city, at every corner is to be seen a -mendicant; in Port Louis I did not see a single person soliciting -charity. The other feature that I refer to is the absence of all -itinerant hawkers, except the cake venders, who are the only class of -petty tradesmen who make a depot of the streets for the sale of their -goods; whilst in the capital of Van Diemen’s Land, as I have remarked -elsewhere in my notice on it, at every step one is beset by these -pertinacious leeches, anxious to make a sale.</p> - -<p>But in another point there is a perfect resemblance<span class="pagenum" id="Page_329">[Pg 329]</span> between both -cities—that is the presence of a regiment of British infantry; a -provision that Great Britain never neglects in any of her colonies, -governing her subjects by appealing to their fears of the bayonet, -wielded by a hireling and remorseless soldiery. This regiment is about -leaving its station here for the seat of war in India. I conversed -freely with several of its members, and although they displayed no -symptoms of fear at the prospect of being engaged with an enemy, still -there was a total lack of enthusiasm or patriotism. From the atrocities -so glaringly held before the public by the English journals, as -committed by the Sikhs on British residents in India, I had expected to -find an eagerness on the part of the gentlemen with the red coats, to -avenge their countrymen and countrywomen so barbarously maltreated; but -so wags the world, one half caring not or feeling not for the miseries -or misfortunes of the other half.</p> - -<p>How I shall change the subject from a consideration of the biped -portion of the population to an analysis of the condition and quality -of the quadrupeds. On account of the trouble and expense attending -the procreation of the horse, he is here quite a dignified animal, -and is only used by the aristocratic portion of the population for -the lightest draughting. His high price, too, ensures his careful -treatment; and all who can afford to keep a carriage, whose business -requires its use all day, change the animal and put a fresh one in the -traces at noon. The reason why the horse commands so high a price here -is, that the Government interdicts the introduction of mares into the -island; whether the climate is<span class="pagenum" id="Page_330">[Pg 330]</span> prejudicial to the breed of the animal, -or Great Britain, in her forethought, vetoes their importation, for the -purpose of securing a market for the surplus stock of her Australian -colonies, is a point which, in the absence of any authority, I am -unable to decide.</p> - -<p>The vehicles are of English construction, and are moderately light; -the rattan body, which is so conducive to ventilation and comfort in -warm weather, being in general use. Their harness, too, is of European -manufacture—made light, to conform with the oppressiveness of the -climate.</p> - -<p>And now that we have pretty thoroughly reviewed the town and its -purlieus, we will return to our proper element, and give an account of -what transpired in the harbor during our stay. First we will notice -the whaling barque, Belle of Warren, which came in to post letters; -of the boat’s crew who went ashore for this purpose, one did not -return, having taken leg bail for security. I saw him ashore several -times afterward, and he was wandering about without a discharge and -without a home, looking destitute and woebegone. The Belle remained -but a few days; meantime the whaleship Martha made her appearance, for -the purpose of landing her third mate, who goes to the hospital to be -treated for a pulmonary affection. The Martha reports that the portion -of the whaling fleet which went to the northward humpbacking, were as -unsuccessful as ourselves; seeing nothing, and, consequently, doing -nothing. This goes to strengthen our theory of the absence of whale -feed on the coast during the preceding season. The Martha made as short -a stay as the Belle—both vessels having, like us, seen sperm whales -near the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_331">[Pg 331]</span> Island of Rodrique, and both intending to return there. Hence -their haste to leave port.</p> - -<p>The next whaler that made her appearance was the barque Columbus, -of New Bedford: she, like the Martha, had accomplished nothing -humpbacking, but on her passage from New Holland to this port, -had captured three hundred and fifty barrels of sperm oil, in the -vicinity of the Island of Rodrique. Like us, the Columbus came in for -provisions, and to give her crew liberty. Her crew comprised, for the -most part, men who had been shipped in Hobartown; and they had scarcely -set foot ashore when they were squabbling.</p> - -<p>Soon after the Columbus’s arrival, the barque Mechanic, of Newport, -came in. She was seventeen days from Angiers, and, although there was -no sickness on board, was compelled, by a law of the port, to go into -quarantine until the expiration of twenty-one days from the time of her -leaving Angiers, that being the time set by the law. After performing -the quarantine she was hauled into the inner harbor to undergo repairs.</p> - -<p>And now, for the time being, we have done with American whalers, and -come to one sailing under the flag of England—the brig Elizabeth -and Jane, of Hobartown. She was fitted out as a tender for some -larger vessel, and sent to Desolation for the capture of whales, -sea-elephants, and seals, indiscriminately; she had a Yankee mate, and -was intended by the Hobartown merchants to be the pioneer of a fleet to -compete with the Yankees in the procuring of oil, which trade has, for -many years, been a prolific source of wealth to those engaged in it; -the bleak shores of Kerguleus<span class="pagenum" id="Page_332">[Pg 332]</span> land being a favorite resort for those -creatures so eagerly sought for by the whaleman. Scarcely had the brig -arrived at the scene of her anticipated operations before she commenced -leaking so badly, that the crew were kept continually pumping, day and -night; necessitating her being carried into port, and either being -thoroughly repaired or condemned as unseaworthy. On bringing her into -Mauritius, the captain preferred a complaint to the authorities against -his men, charging them with mutiny and threatening his life. Before -the authorities had time to act upon his information, about one half -of the crew took one of the boats, went ashore, and got drunk. A fight -followed as a matter of course, and in this condition they were easily -captured by the police. Those who were left aboard were brought ashore -in irons; but they did not seem to mind the manacles, all of them being -convicts, who, no doubt, had been accustomed to such bracelets before. -After landing, they were conveyed to the jail, where their companions -were already lodged. The following morning they were brought before -the magistrate, who, after hearing both sides of the case, dismissed -the charge as unfounded and frivolous, at the same time adding some -wholesome advice to the master of the vessel for the future government -of those under his command. A few days after the brig was condemned as -unseaworthy.</p> - -<p>We will now return to our own vessel and crew. As I stated in the -former part of my journal, we shipped Irishmen in Hobartown, and -Englishmen in Vasse. During the time they have been aboard we have -been thoroughly convinced of their utter uselessness—their<span class="pagenum" id="Page_333">[Pg 333]</span> indolence -preventing their acquiring sufficient insight into a seaman’s duties -to render them a useful part of the ship’s company; and our captain -was anxious to get rid of them. On the first liberty-day, two, whom we -shipped at Vasse, overstaid their liberty, and were informed by the -captain that he would not receive them aboard again. On the same day, -one, whom we shipped in Hobartown, was discharged for inability to do -duty. W. B. Wood, whom we brought from New Bedford, was also discharged -sick. Joseph A. Lewis and John Cunningham, discharged sick, and sent to -the hospital. Wood and Cunningham were both of our original crew; the -remaining one, whom we shipped at Vasse, deserted. A seaman, shipped in -Hobartown, was discharged with the consent of the contracting parties; -one, shipped in Vasse, in January, 1857, and who, during the time he -has been aboard, has been acting as fourth mate, was discharged with -his own consent; and one, whom we got in Hobartown, is in jail—so that -we are ten less in number than when we dropped anchor on the day of our -entering the harbor. In their places we have shipped five men, all of -whom are Americans, and have been whaling before. I said that we had -shipped five, but two of the five came aboard without any agreement -with the captain. These two were policemen, who had become disgusted -with wearing her majesty’s button, and on their hinting their wish to -get afloat again, our boys readily offered to assist them. Besides -these, we shipped a lad of fifteen as steerage-boy.</p> - -<p>Although we had thus replaced the ten with but five men, we found, as -soon as we got into blue<span class="pagenum" id="Page_334">[Pg 334]</span> water, that we had a much more effective crew -than we had had at any time during the preceding sixteen months. The -ten discharged and deserted comprised all the useless material in the -ship—the foreign portion of them, in fact, being worse than useless; -for, together with their incapacity, they had a propensity to growl, -and made both themselves and those with whom they were associated -uncomfortable. Their thievishness, too, had still adhered to them, -notwithstanding their penal servitude. One of them, we discovered after -leaving port, had on his dismissal carried away with him a considerable -portion of the cooper’s tools. This was Leonard, professedly a cooper -by trade.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_335">[Pg 335]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XIII">CHAPTER XIII.</h2> -</div> - - -<p>At two o’clock in the afternoon of October 11th we weighed our anchor, -and, with a fair wind, stood out to sea. Twenty-four hours afterwards -we sighted a school of sperm whales, consisting of cows and calves. -After some little manœuvering, we lowered away all four boats; but the -whales going to windward, the captain and mate, after an hour’s chase, -deemed farther pursuit useless, and returned aboard. The other boats, -however, continued the chase; and at about 5 P. M. the third mate’s -boatsteerer fastened, killing the whale with his irons. Whilst hauling -up to him, the line became entangled in the jaws of another whale, -and was severed. The third mate then lanced and killed three more; -but night coming on, and the weather becoming rugged, he was unable -to save any of them, and obliged to return to the ship empty-handed. -The mate, in the interim, had fastened to a cow, and killed her and -her calf, both of which were saved; but it was midnight before we had -them secured alongside. These two were the most diminutive whales it -has been our fortune to capture. The cow, which was the first female -of the species we have had alongside, was about thirty-five feet in -length, and of much inferior bulk to the male. Her skin was smoother, -glossier, and of a deeper color; and, taken altogether, she was a much<span class="pagenum" id="Page_336">[Pg 336]</span> -handsomer fish than the bull sperm-whale. The calf was about fifteen -feet long—lacking none of the peculiarities of the older fish, except -the teeth, which as yet were not cut; but on getting the jaw on deck we -penetrated the gum, and found perfectly-shaped teeth, about an inch and -a half in length. The following day we cut them in, and tried them out. -They yielded, altogether, a trifle over twenty barrels of oil.</p> - -<p>After taking these whales, we ran several degrees to the eastward, and -spent a week in cruising, during which we saw whales three times—in -each case going to windward eyes out, without giving us the shadow of -a chance to lower for them. We retraced our course, and on the 23d -passed Mauritius. The following day we coasted along the Isle Reunion, -or Bourbon—an island under the dominion of France, and so beautifully -fertile as to be called the Garden of the Indian Ocean. From hence the -Mauritians obtain most of their agricultural supplies, and quite a -fleet of coasting vessels is employed in the carrying trade between the -two islands. Some idea may be formed of the amount of this trade when I -quote the remark of one of the citizens of Port Louis, that, “were it -not for the productions of Bourbon, all the inhabitants of Port Louis -would starve to death.” All the tillage and other laborious work on -this island is performed by the natives of Madagascar, introduced here -by the French, under the same apprentice-system as that practised by -Great Britain.</p> - -<p>The island, like Mauritius, is composed principally of very high land, -some points being elevated many<span class="pagenum" id="Page_337">[Pg 337]</span> thousand feet above the level of the -sea. A volcano, for the name of which I am at a loss, towers far above -all. It being a moonlight night when we passed, we saw but little of -its eruption, which is continual—lighting up the surface of the ocean -for miles. This island has since been made the French Naval Depot for -the Indian Ocean.</p> - -<p>There is no good harbor on this island, which, together with the fact -of there being no resident American consul, is the reason for the -rarity of whaleships visiting it.</p> - -<p>The three islands, Bourbon, Mauritius, and Rodrique, were first taken -possession of by the French, and for many years were known as the -French East India Islands. During the wars between France and Great -Britain, Mauritius was the naval depot for the former power, from -which her cruisers were fitted out for the annoyance of the East -India commerce of the enemy; but during the time of Napoleon, (when -England’s operations were restricted to the ocean,) as an offset to the -conqueror’s successes on land, the wooden walls of Old England were -busily employed in making captures of the various colonial possessions -of France, both in the East and West Indies. Many of these, subsequent -to the negotiations for peace, were restored. But Mauritius was too -important a place to let slip, after being once occupied; wherefore a -British regiment became part of its population, and the meteor-flag -of England waved over its battlements. This group is often called the -Mascarenha Isles.</p> - -<p>On Sunday (October the 31st) we spoke the ship Brewster, of -Mattapoissett. A few days before, she<span class="pagenum" id="Page_338">[Pg 338]</span> had a man killed by a sperm -whale: the officer in command of the boat having been foolhardy enough -to run on the fish whilst in his flurry, his amidship oar’s man was -instantly swept from time into eternity by a stroke of its flukes; but, -fortunately, no others of the crew were injured.</p> - -<p>October the 25th we sighted the southern part of the Island of -Madagascar, which was to be our cruising-ground for the next two -months. It is anything but a comfortable latitude to make a prolonged -stay in; for, on an average, once every twenty-four hours, violent -rain-storms of from one to four hours’ duration thoroughly drench -the crew and vessel. These squalls are attended with any quantity of -thunder and lightning, which adds very much to the disagreeableness of -their visitations.</p> - -<p>This ground is the point to which we endeavored to beat up three years -ago, with the intention of whaling, before visiting New Holland. It -bears a good reputation as to the presence of whales; but the fish are -noted for their fighting on being struck, so that it is no easy matter -to make a capture, after once striking. Whether we should have been any -the more successful had we visited and cruised on this ground in the -earlier portion of our voyage, deponent, from his ignorance, saith not.</p> - -<p>I omitted to mention that on account of the extension of the term of -our voyage, meat had been purchased in Mauritius; also, ten barrels -and a half of colonial beef (of a very inferior quality) packed in -Melbourne, and thirteen barrels of American pork purchased from the -ship Robert Patton, of Boston: which, together with what we already had -aboard,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_339">[Pg 339]</span> was deemed amply sufficient for our consumption on the short -cruise off Madagascar, and during our passage home.</p> - -<p>The time of our leaving for home was now set to be New Year’s Day, -1859. This period, so long and devoutly prayed for, we were assured -would not under any circumstances be again postponed, and we hoped that -it would not; for we had been out very long, and all were thoroughly -convinced that longer cruising for whales would be entirely useless. -To be plain; all wanted to get home. The whole ship’s company, too, -felt and expressed the opinion, that the voyage was unlucky, and they -wished to begin a new one, under better auspices. Our continual ill -fortune in not seeing whales, and having our boats stoven, had so -deeply engendered this feeling that a general lukewarmness prevailed, -which could only be dissipated by a notice from the masthead that sperm -whales were about, when indeed all would again become as eager as we -were at the commencement of the voyage.</p> - -<p>There were now, of the thirty who sailed from home in the vessel, but -twenty-one remaining; yet even this is a much larger proportion of -the original crew than is usually carried home from a voyage of such -length as ours. The cabin had lost one of its members; the steerage was -intact—the same boatsteerers remaining as when we first set sail; and -of the foremast hands ten, besides the cook, remained: making twenty -one in all. We had now been so long together, that the withdrawal of -one of our number would produce a feeling like that caused by the -separation from a member of one’s own family;<span class="pagenum" id="Page_340">[Pg 340]</span> and it was not without -much regret that we thought on having parted with the two of our -original crew in Port Louis.</p> - -<p>We continued off the Island of Madagascar up to November 27th, without -aught to mar, or rather improve, the general and almost uninterrupted -bad weather—thunder and lightning storms following each other with -scarce any intermission. During this time we occasionally saw a -whale-ship, and, if the weather permitted, failed not to while away a -part of this dreary period in gammoning. One day, whilst so engaged, -we learned that the chief mate of the ship Martha, of Fairhaven, had -lost his life in much the same manner as did the seaman belonging to -the Brewster. The mate was not seen to leave the boat, neither was any -other of the boat’s crew injured; but it appears that the boat had -been rashly carried into a perilous and unwarrantable situation by -the mate, and, in the bustle attendant to extricating the boat under -such circumstances, it is supposed that whilst the others were busy in -trimming boat and attending to the line, the whale, by a sweep of the -flukes, struck the officer so suddenly and so severely as to put it -out of his power to give an alarm, whereby to attract their attention. -Undoubtedly his death was instantaneous; but little exertion on the -part of the whale would be required to supply a sufficiency of force to -crush vitality from the frame of the strongest or proudest of the human -race.</p> - -<p>This accident is attributed to carelessness, and, from my own -observation, I should say that at least two-thirds of the fatal -accidents that occur to whalemen, in pursuit of their prey, result from -gross carelessness<span class="pagenum" id="Page_341">[Pg 341]</span> or recklessness on the part of the boat-header. -Some years ago it was unusual to hear of a fatal accident to those -engaged in the pursuit of the whale. At that time the fish were plenty, -and boatheaders, as a class, were cool, sagacious, and experienced men, -who had been accustomed to and occupied in the whaling business for -years. These men would not risk their boat and crew to almost certain -destruction to strike a whale, or to be the first boat fast, or to -get a fatal lance before another boat arrived; but, working carefully -and securely, they bided the time until a fit opportunity presented -itself, and then, guided by their long experience, applied the lance -expeditiously and fatally. This race of whalemen has, however, been -supplanted by another of younger men, who were brought into the field -by the prolific grounds of the Arctic Ocean and Ochotsk Sea, inhabited -as they were by myriads of bowhead whales that had never been chased or -interfered with by whalemen; consequently, they had not learned from -the past to use all the expedients furnished them by nature to avoid -and combat against the wiles and stratagems of men. Hence, little else -was necessary to capture the bowhead but to have a boat and crew, pull -alongside the fish, dart the irons into him, and, ere the bewildered -creature had recovered from his astonishment, drive in the lance and -kill him; but now that the bowhead has grown more wary, and to take him -is a work of difficulty and danger, ships do not make such remunerative -voyages in their pursuit as formerly; therefore their owners, instead -of directing their vessels only to the Arctic and Ochotsk, began -again to turn<span class="pagenum" id="Page_342">[Pg 342]</span> their attention to the, for a few years, comparatively -neglected grounds of the Indian Ocean; but they do not venture without -many misgivings as to the probable success of their vessels. A few -ships are fitted out, they sail, and in the course of a few years -return with excellent cargoes—the whales, having enjoyed somewhat of -a respite, again resorted to their former haunts. All is now hurry and -bustle in New Bedford and the other whaling ports. These voyages act as -an incentive to further operations—mechanics are incited, by liberal -offers, to extreme exertion; and in a short time the vessels are ready -for sea. The north-west whalemen have also heard of these voyages; -they apply for berths, and the owner, or agent, in making inquiry as -to their qualifications, learns that he or they got so many whales -during the last voyage. In the absence of information, the shipper, -supposing that if the applicant can strike and kill one description of -whale, he will have no trouble in capturing the others, engages him -at a good price, which he commands on the strength of his reputation. -The ship sails; but when the north-wester gets into the Indian Ocean, -he finds many ships, but few whales, and those few requiring different -manipulation on his part, if he wishes to capture them, than those with -which he is better acquainted. He strives to become familiar with their -habits, but, unfortunately, the whales being chased daily, and almost -hourly, by some one or another of the various vessels that occupy -every nook and corner of the ocean where there is any likelihood of -seeing fish, afford him but few opportunities of adding to his stock of -experience; so that it is not until near the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_343">[Pg 343]</span> close of the voyage that -he becomes <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">au fait</i> in the discharge of his duties. By this time -the golden opportunity has passed, and, but a few months remaining, he -strives to make up by rashness what he lacks in skill, exposing himself -and crew in situations against which his better judgment, in cooler -moments, would revolt; but this is a losing game, as his crew, who, -with equal opportunities and equal intelligence, well know when a whale -is approached in the proper manner, and, following the precept that -self-preservation is the first law of nature, hesitate to pull anywhere -and everywhere, without satisfying themselves that they are right, -which they would not if they had full confidence in their officer. -Hence, the want of a perfect understanding between the boatheader and -crew is another prolific source of accidents. To sum up, every day -increases the difficulties and dangers presented to those whose calling -is the pursuit of the whale: the fish are either becoming much less -numerous, or else they are retreating to the frozen North or South, -where the climate forbids man’s encroaching. They are also becoming -more wary, and it is only by the most careful management that a boat -can approach so as to strike them; they taking the alarm at the least -variation in the motions of the waves, and the slightest noise being -sufficient to alarm them. Formerly, if we are to believe tradition, -such was not the case; and certainly the following anecdote, which, I -engage, will be told for many years to come by men who will attest to -its perfect reliability, will, to some minds—though I must confess -they will be of small caliber<span class="pagenum" id="Page_344">[Pg 344]</span> if they give credence to it—go to -substantiate such a premise, to wit:</p> - -<p>It formerly was the practice to provide each boat from a whale-ship -with a number of bricks. On lowering for, and approaching within a -respectable distance of the whale, the boatsteerer was directed to -heave one of these bricks at him. If he took no notice of the insult, -he was pronounced perfectly safe and tractable, the boat was then laid -on and the irons darted; but if, on the contrary, he used his flukes -or fins, and made the white water fly, the boat was pointed for the -ship; the fishermen being perfectly satisfied with the display of his -belligerent powers without a nearer approach, and very well contented -to await a more safe and favorable opportunity of increasing their -store of oil.</p> - -<p>On the 27th of November we gammoned the ship Plover, of New Bedford; -her mate and his boat’s crew being on board our ship, and our captain -and a boat’s crew aboard of her. At 3 o’clock in the afternoon, our -masthead’s man sung out for sperm whales. After a short observation our -mate lowered away, and in less than ten minutes fastened. Immediately -the Plover’s mate and our second mate dropped their boats, and several -boats from the Plover pulled for the scene of operations. After some -little difficulty, a second boat fastened. Our mate, going on to lance -the whale, had his boat crushed to pieces, the whale having turned -towards him suddenly and grasped the boat in his jaw, making it a wreck -in a moment; the crew were pitched head over heels into the water, -whilst the boat, being so much damaged, as to be useless, floated away -without<span class="pagenum" id="Page_345">[Pg 345]</span> being taken notice of. The crew were soon picked up, and in -other boats were trying to revenge their sense of injury on the whale. -The third mate of the Plover now essayed to lance the whale, but with -no better success, his boat being stove in the same manner. Our second -mate next tried and succeeded; the other boats, having encircled the -whale, diverted his attention, and we turned him up. The whales on the -Madagascar ground are notorious for their belligerent propensities, -and I have been assured by old habitues of the vicinity, that if a -boat-header escapes once in three times from having his boat stove, -more or less, he is either an admirable manager, or a wonderfully lucky -fellow.</p> - -<p>The Plover is but five months from home, and her crew had previously -done no whaling—she having taken no oil; therefore it was amusing to -watch the woebegone and rueful countenances with which the boats’ crews -obeyed the order of their officers to pull up to the whale, whilst, on -the contrary, when ordered to pull in the opposite direction, their -faces would brighten up with an expression of heartfelt relief; and -then to look at our own fellows, inured to all the vicissitudes of -this adventurous pursuit, taking everything as coolly as if engaged in -the most ordinary occupation; making sport of hardships and a jest of -danger; eager as the most insatiate sportsman to be in at the death; -assisting their boat-sheader to the utmost, anticipating his orders, -and acting out all his requirements; so that boat, officer, and crew, -seemed to be a nicely constructed machine, working by a secret spring -actuating the muscles of each of its occupants with the self-same -power. Even<span class="pagenum" id="Page_346">[Pg 346]</span> when their boat was stoven they had a jest to crack at -the greenhorns. Poor fellows, they were much more entitled to our -commiseration than derision; we have been through the mill, and have -seen and suffered, whilst they, unless circumstances should very much -favor them, are doomed to a three years’ stay in the Indian Ocean, -where, if “forthcoming events cast their shadows before,” they are -fated to discover that their one stoven boat is but a foretaste of what -they will experience in that line before their time is up.</p> - -<p>Before we saw the whale we observed a ship some five miles to windward, -with her boats down, and another about the same distance to windward of -her, manœuvering as if for whales. We subsequently ascertained that, -between noon and the time we struck, five vessels had attempted to -capture this whale. All these vessels being in a direct line with our -own ship, the whale following a straight course and going to windward, -they gave up the chase as useless. We only succeeded by dropping our -boat when he was a short distance to leeward, and at a time when the -sun’s rays favored a near approach to him. He was a noble fellow, and -well worthy the trouble we had with him.</p> - -<p>After turning the whale up, we took him alongside our ship. When ships’ -boats in company take a whale, it is customary, either to give one -party the head and the body to the other, or else to release the ship -whose boat fastened first from all further trouble with the prize: -her companion taking the whale alongside, cutting him in, trying him -out, and then either stowing down, or rafting half the oil to<span class="pagenum" id="Page_347">[Pg 347]</span> her -companion. In case she stows it down, one-half of the barrels are -branded with the other vessel’s name, and credited to her account. -In the present case, Captain Perkins of the Plover wishing to make -through us a consignment to the owners, we took the whale, and a -boat’s crew of his assisted us to cut in. After trying out, one-half -the oil, amounting to forty-six barrels, was stowed between decks -in casks brought from his ship for the purpose and duly branded. We -engaged to carry it home as freight, charging six cents per gallon for -the carriage. We had also twelve hundred pounds of right whalebone on -freight, from the ship Martha, of Fairhaven. This freight-business pays -no one but the owners, and perhaps the captain: the proportion of it -that any one else gets being so small as to make it a trifling object.</p> - -<p>On the same day that we stowed, we gammoned the barque Iowa, of -Fairhaven. She had been very successful, having filled up with -humpbacked oil at the Rosemary Islands. She was but a short time -from Mauritius, and brought us the sad news of the demise of John -Cunningham, of New Bedford, whom we had left at the hospital in -Mauritius. The cause of his death was to some degree enveloped in -mystery. It appears that on the day previous to his decease he applied -to the resident physician of the hospital for a discharge, stating as -his reason for it the many deaths that were daily occurring in the -same ward in which he was (the dysentery having assumed a fatal type -just after our leaving the port). The physician told him that he was -loath to discharge him as yet, for his stricture was not entirely<span class="pagenum" id="Page_348">[Pg 348]</span> -removed; but, after some urging on Cunningham’s part, the doctor -directed him to apply on the following day, and he would make out his -discharge. The morning following his attendants found him dead in -his bed, without an external sign to show why the spirit had fled. -The physicians, at a loss to account for so sudden and unexpected a -termination, held a post-mortem examination upon his body, and finding -all the organs free from disease, they gave in as their opinion that -he had died from fright. Poor fellow!—his health aboard ship had been -almost uninterruptedly good, and he bade fair to live as long as any -of us. But Providence, for His own wise purposes, saw fit to call him -away from life to (I trust) a better and happier sphere; and although -in this world he will no more hear the storm whistling through the -rigging, or the sudden boom of the tempest-tossed ocean, yet I hope -that he</p> - -<p class="poetry"> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">“Shall find pleasant weather,</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">When He who all commands</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Shall give, to call Life’s crew together,</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">The word to pipe all hands.”</span><br /> -</p> - -<p>This young man was the eldest son of a widow in New Bedford. His father -was for years engaged in whaling, and some eight years since, whilst -master of the ship Florida, was drowned in the surf, off the Island of -Rorotongu, in the Pacific Ocean; and now his poor relict is called upon -to weep over the untimely end of her eldest boy, in a foreign hospital, -unattended by a single friend to soothe his dying-pillow. He whom she -looked upon as the stay of her declining years, like her husband, -engaged<span class="pagenum" id="Page_349">[Pg 349]</span> in the same perilous pursuit, and died thousands of miles from -home, under painfully afflicting circumstances.</p> - -<p>He was the third who has been called away out of our bonnie crew, who -in July, 1855, sailed from New Bedford full of life and hope: all at -that date feeling assured of returning with a well laden ship and -full crew—with stores of curiosities, gleaned from foreign ports, as -keepsakes for the loved ones at home: all were sanguine, and certainly -expected to make a good voyage and return by July, 1858.</p> - -<p>But “man purposes—God disposes;” as a proof of which, let us review -our relative positions now, and then. One of our men was discharged, -sick, in King George’s Sound; from thence he went to Melbourne, since -which we have heard of his death. Our second mate was discharged at -Vasse, went home as mate of the barque Pamelia, and is now, I hope, in -the full enjoyment of every blessing, surrounded by an affectionate -family. Three of our original number deserted, and through the example -and influence of evil-minded associates, allowed themselves to be made -parties to the origination of a false report, according to which our -vessel had foundered on a tempestuous night, and the greater number of -the crew set afloat in open boats off the inhospitable coast of New -Zealand. Poor John Walters has gone to his long home! the blue waves of -the South Pacific having closed over him whilst in the discharge of his -duty. We learn from the Iowa’s report, that another one of our original -crew, whom we discharged at Port Louis, has shipped aboard the barque -Agnes, of New York, bound to Batavia for a cargo,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_350">[Pg 350]</span> thence homeward. -And, lastly, Cunningham too is gone! Whilst we, who are left, have -been forty months from home, and are still battling with the ocean’s -elements—alas! in pocket, poor indeed, and hopefully longing for home.</p> - -<p>We also learned from the Iowa, that the New Yorker, whom we left at -Port Louis, had been discharged from the Hospital, perfectly recovered; -and that he, together with an Irishman, also discharged there by us, -had solicited and obtained employment in the police-force of that port.</p> - -<p>The rest of those whom we left at Port Louis, never having done -anything to entitle them to remembrance, we neither know nor care what -has become of them, with the exception of our late fourth mate, who -deserves mention singly on account of his utter uselessness. From the -same source, we learn that he shipped, and left Mauritius in the barque -Eagle, as boatsteerer. In this new position he will, no doubt, act with -about as much credit to himself, and receive as unenviable a name and -reputation, as he did among us.</p> - -<p>A few days subsequent to the above date we saw and gammoned the -barque Coimbra. She had sailed from Mauritius a few days after our -leaving; but, owing to the sickness of her captain, was forced to -return, and remain ten additional days. The captain of this vessel, -quite an original, hailed from New Brunswick, and was a veritable Blue -Nose—long, lank, and parsimonious. He has had during the voyage three -different crews, who for some reason or other left him after a cruise -or two. Early in the voyage a veto was put by the authorities of Vasse<span class="pagenum" id="Page_351">[Pg 351]</span> -upon his entering any port on the coast of New Holland, owing to his -having carried a prisoner away in his vessel. This prisoner, who was -a thief, doing a good business at Freemantle, report says, paid one -thousand dollars for the accommodation. The captain of the Columbus had -little or no trouble with him—merely carrying him outside, and then -transferring him to a merchant-ship. Being debarred from entering these -ports, where the cost of recruiting ships is comparatively trifling, -and having kept his crew out of port as long as a wholesome dread of -the scurvy would allow, he, with an eye to economy, made the following -address to his men, to wit: “Boys, I would like to go into a good port, -where we could all enjoy ourselves. Such a port is Hobartown; but the -limits set to my expenses by my owners will not allow of my indulging -in such an outlay as lying with the ship in that harbor would occasion; -but, if you by subscription pay a certain sum apiece out of your -earnings, I will go there.” Several of the ship’s company assenting, a -document was drawn up, and most of them attached their names: agreeing -to contribute towards the port-expenses sums varying in amount from -two to twenty dollars. One of the foremast hands demurring to this -arrangement, the old fellow told him that he would get it out of him -some way or other; and so he did, by persisting in tormenting him until -his victim was glad to pay the two dollars, and thereby gain somewhat -of an exemption from further bad treatment.</p> - -<p>This is not a solitary case of such sharp business-operations. A -certain captain once boasted aboard<span class="pagenum" id="Page_352">[Pg 352]</span> our barque, that by his finesse -in settling with those whom he discharged in Hobartown he had made the -clear sum of two thousand dollars for his owners; in other words, that -by misrepresenting the quantity of oil taken, he had cheated his crew -out of so much money. A most creditable boast! Of a piece with such -conduct was also his mode of serving out meat. A barrel was broken out, -brought on deck, and divided into so many portions as were equivalent -to his idea of a day’s allowance (which was about one-third of that -prescribed by law). It was then tied together, and strung up on deck; -whence if a remnant of it disappeared, it was charged to the steward -and cook.</p> - -<p>We saw the vessel under the last-mentioned individual’s command on the -first day of December. She was then bound home, and had but ten barrels -of meat aboard for the consumption of the crew during the passage, -which, as she had been out about four years, will consume at least -ninety days. This quantity of meat would last us with the same number -in the ship’s company as she has, but thirty days. For such conduct -this man could not plead non-success, as he had on board one of the -best cargoes on the ocean—his quantity of oil being no less than two -thousand barrels, of which sixteen hundred contained sperm oil.</p> - -<p>On learning that the Coimbra was bound direct for home, several of us -put letters aboard of her, and as she kept off and receded from our -sight we naturally wished that we were pursuing a course in the same -direction, and were agreeably astonished the next morning (December -5th) to find our captain<span class="pagenum" id="Page_353">[Pg 353]</span> keep off to the southward, and learned that -we were bound round the Cape. In the afternoon we saw the Coimbra, -overhauled and passed her; our studding-sails giving us a great -advantage over her when the wind is free. The following day, in order -to compete with us, she made and bent studding-sails; but this was as -far as she could go, and we were still to windward of her, as we had -made and bent mizzen, maintopmast, and maintopgallant staysails, which -gave us a slight advantage.</p> - -<p>On account of the length of time, and the chafing of whales alongside -and under the ship, the copper was in a desperate condition. Looking -at her bottom, when the sea was calm and clear, nothing could be seen -but an irregular bunch of vegetable matter; looking, from her waterways -to the kelson, as much like a collection of old rags, as anything else -that I could compare it to, whilst in many places whole sheets of -copper were gone, and in others it was rolled up in scrolls. I hooked -up a piece, and, on examination, found it of an almost transparent -thinness. All these inequalities in the surface of the bottom naturally -tended to retard the speed; and, consequently, when whalers start for -home, they strive to make amends for all deficiencies by a greater -spread of canvass, and venture to carry it longer than any other class -of vessels afloat, relying on the number and skill of their men to -prevent disaster in time of emergency.</p> - -<p>We kept on with a light fair wind to the southward and eastward for -some days, and, from the agreeableness of the weather, augured a -pleasant passage around; but when opposite Cape l’Agulhas<span class="pagenum" id="Page_354">[Pg 354]</span> the wind -hauled ahead, and we had it first light and clear, then strong and -cloudy, with showers of rain and thick fog. For the benefit of those -who imagine that sailors have but little to do when afloat, I will -copy from my log-book the proceedings of several days (whilst in this -baffling weather), <i lang="la" xml:lang="la">verbatim et literatum</i>.</p> - -<p><i>December 16th.</i>—This day opens with a strong breeze from the -eastward, cloudy. At midnight running before it, with maintopgallant -sail, fore, and foretopmast studding sails set. At 1 o’clock A. M. -the breeze increasing to a gale, we took in the studding-sails and -topgallantsail; at three, double-reefed the topsails; at 6 A. M. the -wind hauling forward, loosed and set the mainsail; at 8, were obliged -to furl it; at 9, shook a reef out of each topsail, and set jib, -spanker, and mainsail; at 11, the wind hauled to the S. S. W., clewed -down the topsails and close-reefed them—thus remained for the balance -of the day.</p> - -<p><i>December 17th.</i>—At 1 A. M. shook a reef out of each topsail; -at 4¹⁄₂, struck by a squall that hove her down rail to, hauled up the -courses, kept the ship off to haul down the jib, which was done, and -furled the sail; then furled the spanker, luffed to, close-reefed the -topsails and furled the mainsail amid torrents of rain; at 3 P. M. -furled the foretopsail; at 6 P. M., after having shipped a sea that -filled it full, took in the bowboat; at 6¹⁄₂, furled the foresail; at -7, clewed down the maintopsail, shook out the reefs and reefed it over; -at 7¹⁄₂, loosed the foretopsail, shook out the reefs, reefed it over, -sheeted it home and set it.</p> - -<p><i>December 18th.</i>—At 1¹⁄₂ A. M., furled foretopsail;<span class="pagenum" id="Page_355">[Pg 355]</span> at 4, set -close-reefed foretopsail and foresail; at 7, made all sail; at 3 P. M., -furled the light sails, and double-reefed the foretopsail; at 7 P. M., -shook the reefs out, and set the flying-jib and maintopgallantsail; at -10, furled the light sails and double-reefed the fore topsail, and at -midnight double-reefed the maintopsail.</p> - -<p>Here was work enough for three days, and hard work, as any one may -discover, who doubts the fact, by, like me, participating in it; but -handling, reefing, and steering, are by no means all the employments -of the seamen when afloat. Everything being kept taut, the strain on -the rigging, in heavy weather, is tremendous, so that some little thing -or other always needs repair; and in fine weather the sailor is sent -with his marlinespike, slush, and tar-bucket, into the rigging, where -he not unusually stays a whole watch, busily employed in putting a -seizing here, or seizing on a ratline there, repairing the service, or -other chafing gear. These, with other duties of a like description, -keep a merchantman’s crew continually on the move; but where there are -so many, as with us, the labors are performed without making the task -irksome to any.</p> - -<p>Wishing, in doubling the Cape, to near the land, so as to take -advantage of the westerly current (which here is said to run with a -speed of four knots hourly), we done all we could to hang on; but the -wind forbade us arriving at this desired position; and as we drifted -considerably to the southward, we were two degrees from Table Mountain -on the 21st, when, with a fair wind and plenty of it, a clear sky and -smooth sea, without let or hindrance, we passed into<span class="pagenum" id="Page_356">[Pg 356]</span> the blue waters -of the Atlantic Ocean; just three years, two months, and eleven days -from the time we passed from it into the Indian Ocean, with a prospect -of three years whaling before us; all buoyant with hope, and not a -doubt entering the thoughts of any that, by the time we were thus far -on our return passage, we should be full of oil. But it is needless to -say that such is far from being the case.</p> - -<p>It cannot be supposed that we left the Indian Ocean, whose broad bosom -was our home for so many months, with any regret. Indeed, there was -little to endear it to the remembrance of any one who ever experienced -its changeable and heavy weather, and who has been obliged to visit its -miserable ports. We have had a pretty thorough acquaintance with it, -having navigated its entire length, and cruised, day after day, in its -waters, from latitude 8° to 42° south.</p> - -<p>After entering the Atlantic Ocean we steered to the northward and -westward, until we arrived in latitude 32° south, longitude 7° east. -This locality is known as the Carroll ground, and is a favorite resort -of the South Atlantic whalemen. Here, as we had good weather, but -saw no whales, all hands were occupied in repairing and renewing the -rigging, to get the ship in order for a return home. It is a great -point of honor among seamen to return their rigging in as good, if not -better order than when they received it, with a view to commendation -from their owners; consequently the lower rigging was turned in anew, -particular care being taken to have everything as nice as possible: -blocks must be new-strapped, and neatly covered with canvas; all -service<span class="pagenum" id="Page_357">[Pg 357]</span> that looked in the least chafed, or white, must be removed; -the yards stripped and rigging-fitted; the ratlines taken off the -mizzen topmast and foretopgallant rigging; the rigging fore and aft, -alow and aloft, must be rattled down, and a coat of tar then applied to -all the hemp material; the paint-work, inside and out, from the copper -to the trucks must be renewed, and the spars scraped: then we will -be ready for home. All this must be done before the 27th of January, -at which time we are to leave the whaling-ground; so that we will -have nothing to occupy us after that date, except to make as speedy a -passage as possible to New Bedford.</p> - -<p>On the Carroll ground we entered upon the New Year. On the 4th of -January we gammoned the ship Messenger, of New Bedford. She left the -Madagascar ground four days after us, and had been boxing off the -Cape for twenty-one days; so that we esteemed ourselves fortunate in -having escaped such miserable weather with no further detention than -we experienced. Her crew were affected by a peculiar malady, which -somewhat resembled moon-blindness: more or less of them had been -affected with it during the whole voyage; and at the present time there -were eight men in her forecastle who could not see each other after -dark, but whose vision during the day was perfectly good and clear. -One of them whilst aboard of our vessel complained of pain across the -temples in the daytime. He was the only one of those afflicted who -expressed a sense of pain or inconvenience, apart from loss of sight. -I have seen individual cases before, but never in such numbers aboard -a single ship. Their captain attributed it to<span class="pagenum" id="Page_358">[Pg 358]</span> moon-blindness; but -these men positively assured me that they had not slept with their -faces exposed to the moon’s rays. Again, it disappeared on their near -approach to land; and at one time they were completely relieved of it -by the use of Irish potatoes. The men themselves attributed the malady -either to the tarræ root, of which they had consumed a large quantity -on the voyage, or else to their water, which, as they stated, had been -for a long time brackish and unwholesome. I am inclined to think that -it originated from the bilge-water; for a similar case from this cause -came under my notice some years since.</p> - -<p>Whilst amongst the Abrolhas’, I was called upon by the captain of -the Europa to administer to a Portuguese, whose eyes were affected -by sleeping in the moon’s rays. I bled him, and applied blisters to -the temples. This treatment produced almost instantaneous relief. I -informed the Messenger’s people of this; but their captain was one of -the old school, who believing that all the ailments mankind are heir to -can be cured by salts, would employ no other remedy; and, whether the -disease was a cold, a fever from a broken or dislocated member, or what -not, his prescription was a full dose of it, whereof he constantly kept -a large quantity on hand, of the denomination known as Glauber salts, -used ashore for horses.</p> - -<p>On the 16th we gammoned with the ship Mary, of New Bedford. Her -captain requested me to go aboard of her, and administer to her -cooper, who had for a long time been very sick. In compliance with his -request I did so. In her steerage I found the wreck of an unusually -symmetrically-formed man,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_359">[Pg 359]</span> suffering from an affection of the liver. -I did what I could for him; but then, as the boat would not return -to our ship for several hours, I began to fear that the time would -pass tediously. My apprehension, however, was speedily banished by -the attention I found myself compelled to give to the yarns of my -patient, who, like all old seamen, was garrulous; and, as I was a -good listener, (of which I pride myself,) he was soon rehearsing his -manifold adventures from his youth upwards, embracing forty-five years -of sea life. He told me, that during this time he had served in every -situation aboard a whaler, from cabin-boy to master; and he mentioned -some half-a-dozen well-known whaling captains who had served their -novitiate in his boat. He stated, that during the South American -revolutions he had been privateering, and was for many years in both -the naval and merchant service. He had visited almost every country -of the globe to which commerce directs her conveyances: at times (to -use his own expression) flush, with plenty of money; at others, alone, -without a change of clothing, amongst semi-civilized nations. He was -a grandfather; and stated, that his first wife, with whom he had -lived for many years, had taken umbrage at his assuming the sailor’s -privilege of having a wife in every port, and left him. After the -legal forms had been gone through with, she consoled herself by taking -another spouse.</p> - -<p>Her husband, not to be a whit behind her, took his ship home again, -sailed to the island of New Zealand, and in Mungunui married an -English girl, twenty years his junior. He then engaged in the English -whaling-service, wherein he accumulated<span class="pagenum" id="Page_360">[Pg 360]</span> considerable money, and after -the lapse of a few years returned to the States, taking his wife -and their two children with him. At home, he for some years rested; -but the continual yearning for the sea experienced by all who have -once been afloat, and not been disgusted with life thereon, induced -him, in his old age, to ship as cooper of the Mary. No sooner was he -afloat, however, than on exerting himself he found that his was not -now a system such as that which had carried him through so many years -of hardship and exposure. Fast living and imprudence had done their -work, and his constitution was gone. The bracing sea-air, instead of -invigorating, depressed and weakened him. Dispirited, he was at last -laid up, like a worn-out hulk, without power or will to be engaged in -aught but the most puerile employments. During his stay aboard the Mary -(rather over two years) he had not heard from home; and, being very -ingenious, he had, to occupy his mind and drive away heart-sickness, -employed himself by scrimschawing, and had completed a store of unique -and carefully-fabricated articles of various descriptions, from woods -he procured in the different ports he had visited, or from ivory and -bone.</p> - -<p>The boat being now ready to return, I left the narrator, and went -aboard our own ship. I informed the captain that he must send him -into the nearest port, (<abbr title="saint">St.</abbr> Helena,) where he might procure rest and -good medical treatment. This he thought inexpedient; but, by dint of -pressing, I convinced him of the absolute necessity of such a course. -After carrying my point, I had the curiosity to ask him about the -cooper’s antecedents; because I had not given<span class="pagenum" id="Page_361">[Pg 361]</span> full credence to all -his story, inasmuch as old sailors are so famous for drawing a long -bow. The captain gave me a rehearsal of his past life, which fully -substantiated all that he had said of himself; and, after he had -finished it, I left him, with the conviction that I had seen the most -practical illustration possible of a career at sea, where Christianity -or morality had not held the helm. Here was a man, who had made -much more than a competency during life, and who had walked his own -quarter-deck, after having gained his position by his own unaided -personal exertion, reduced at the end of a life-time of battling -with the elements to a subordinate station—sick, debilitated, and -uncared-for—aged, weak, and careworn—far away from home, without -the fostering attentions of a wife or children to render the couch of -sickness other than a bed of thorns; and this lamentable situation -brought on, not by the villany or mismanagement of others, but, -according to his own confession, by his individual imprudence.</p> - -<p>The Mary, like the Messenger, had on board some half-a-dozen persons -whose eyes were affected mysteriously. She was down by the head, and -had (as was also the case with the Messenger) been so trimmed on -the whole voyage, which trim facilitates the collection of putrid -water in the forward part of the ship’s hold; hence, by taking into -consideration these singular coincidents of the vessels, together -with the fact that no one who lived abaft the mainmast had been so -affected in either, the disease may, I think, be safely attributed to -bilge-water.</p> - -<p>After gammoning with the Mary, we ran close in to the African -coast, and fell in with several Atlantic<span class="pagenum" id="Page_362">[Pg 362]</span> whaling-vessels. These -crafts are usually small, and carry but two or three boats. By the -class who go farther from home, they are facetiously denominated -Plumpuddingers. The length of the voyage ranges from six to thirty -months. From the specimens of these cruisers, I should say, that there -is little difference in their arrangements and those of the whalemen -of the Indian and Pacific oceans. One characteristic was, however, -distinctive; that is, the greater proportion of foreigners before -the mast. In one vessel (the Cornelia of Edgartown) there was not a -single individual of American birth in her forecastle; and on board the -Keoka, of Westport, there was a large proportion of dark skins from -the islands of the North Pacific. Their voyages are shorter, their -crews generally fare better than those of the larger ships, and, as was -my impression up to the time we fell in with them, they made better -ports—but this, upon inquiry, I found to be a mistaken idea; for those -on board the Keoka stated that they had not been into a port where -English was spoken during the whole time (some eighteen months) they -were from home; and, furthermore, that they had only visited Walfisch -Bay, a Portuguese settlement on the coast.</p> - -<p>These vessels averaged about the same amount of oil, considering their -time out, as other ships of their profession in the Indian Ocean. -Their crews were, also, just as much discontented with whaling, and as -anxious to get home, as we were. In unqualified terms they expressed -their envy of us lucky fellows, as they termed us, who they supposed -would in a few months be in New Bedford. Our diminutive cargo did not -seem to act as a damper upon their<span class="pagenum" id="Page_363">[Pg 363]</span> wishes. They said that they did -not care, when it came to the question of getting home, whether they -had anything coming to them, or not. Neither did the prospect of cold -weather appal them; for one enthusiastic fellow assured me, that he was -willing to be landed on a snow-bank, in a costume but little preferable -to a straw-hat without trimming, for the sake of being delivered from -the monotonous life he was now leading.</p> - -<p>After leaving these vessels, we squared our yards, and rolled before -the delightful southeast trades (the elysium of the seafaring-man) -towards <abbr title="saint">St.</abbr> Helena, taking it very easy—only sending aloft the -studding-sails on the foremast and foretopmasts, and at night jogging -along under easy sail in that direction: it being our intention to make -a short stay at that rock-bound isle for letters, and then to crack on -everything for home.</p> - -<p>On arriving within a few degrees of the world-renowned prison-rock -of the great Conqueror, sail was reduced, and the ship luffed to the -wind. The moon being on the change, our captain, anxious to get one -more sperm whale, determined to let no means within his power remain -unemployed for that purpose.</p> - -<p>This halt in our homeward course was not received with a very good -grace. Except the captain, everybody else aboard our vessel had -calculated upon a direct passage homeward. But this was in perfect -keeping with his conduct throughout the voyage: at one time assuring -us that we would be bound homeward on a certain date, and inducing us -to write to that effect by his representations, in which<span class="pagenum" id="Page_364">[Pg 364]</span> at the time -of making them he was perhaps sincere. But he suffered his opinions -to be changed by the slightest cause. If he gammoned with a ship, he -found in her skipper an adviser, who recommended to him a prolific -whaling-ground—one on which, he was told, he could not fail to take -five hundred barrels of oil, probably, even altogether fill up. These -golden visions he received and credited, (although I cannot but -think that it was against his better judgment—for, certainly, if a -vacillating, he was not a stupid man,) and away he would go to the -promised El Dorado. Thus he exhausted his own as well as the patience -of every one else by a fruitless search for sperm whales that had been -long ago captured!</p> - -<p>Where we were now stopping was the ground on which the barque Monmouth, -two years since, captured two hundred barrels of oil; and hence our -captain imagined that we would be likely to do the same; but in this -there was about as much probability of any success and remuneration at -all commensurate to the time and trouble expended, as the Kidd treasure -seekers have received for their laborious and chimerical search.</p> - -<p>Under such phases of affairs, I have written some half-dozen different -times, stating to those whom I addressed that I would certainly be home -at the periods that had been severally and distinctly determined on. -Some of these letters bore the date of August, 1858; and I do not know -but that those who received them may have set down such disparities -to wilful misrepresentations, or a sickening anxiety on my part to -get home, leading me to believe in<span class="pagenum" id="Page_365">[Pg 365]</span> an early return, because it was -so much the more desirable, and in accordance with my hourly wishes. -But such, I can safely say, was not the case; for even now, at the -present writing, (January 31st, 1859,) I cannot, neither can any -other in the ship except the captain—all assurances to the contrary -notwithstanding—set a time, which they can firmly believe themselves -will be that at which we shall really start for home. So, I must be -absolved from the charge of writing at random; and the blame must rest, -where it should: upon the captain’s wavering, and his being so easily -influenced by others.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_366">[Pg 366]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XIV">CHAPTER XIV.</h2> -</div> - - -<p>At daylight, February 1st, we hove in sight of the Isle of <abbr title="saint">St.</abbr> Helena, -the world-renowned prison-rock of Napoleon Bonaparte, the conqueror of -Europe. At a distance, this isle looked not unlike other isles, despite -its notoriety. As we approached nearer, we found it distinctive in -all its features: high, frowning, and almost barren. A strange thing, -this, for so low a latitude, within the tropics, where Nature dons her -greenest garment, and smiles her sunniest smile: spreading rich and -plentiful productions over the earth’s surface. On approaching still -nearer, we found fortifications erected, which, as far as I am able to -judge, make the island impregnable; though what enemy would care to -take the trouble and expense of an expedition against so worthless an -object, I cannot imagine. After passing this chain of fortifications, -Rupert’s Valley gradually developed itself to our sight, and ensconced -on its narrow bosom we saw the city of Jamestown. From the water this -town presents quite a creditable appearance. The buildings being of -stone, and many of them of goodly size, give an air of solidity and -respectability to it, which I for one did not expect to find. On the -right of the town, viewed from the sea, is the far-famed Jacob’s -Ladder, consisting of I do not know how many steps, hewn out of the -solid rock, which affords<span class="pagenum" id="Page_367">[Pg 367]</span> the only means of ingress and egress to -the garrison occupying a fort at the summit of the elevation. There -is only a single narrow street laid out in the town—the narrowness -of the valley not admitting of any farther expansion. On the sides of -the acclivities are stone-walls, built for the purposes of travel. -They are wide, and admit of the passage of a vehicle upon them; but -a misstep will entail upon the unfortunate wight who should make it -certain death, as it would precipitate him into an abyss hundreds of -feet in depth. Shortly before our arrival an English seaman on liberty, -who had been carousing, was suddenly seized with the whim of drinking -his brandy on one of these airy places. In pursuance of this phantasy, -he procured a bottle of spirits, and, seating himself on the ledge of -the wall, with his feet suspended over the chasm, he was enjoying his -brandy and his position to his entire satisfaction. He could not be -removed by force, as such a proceeding would be productive of imminent -danger to him and his rescuers, and as he was proof against persuasion, -his shipmates were constrained to allow him to remain in his perilous -position, trusting for his preservation in Providence, who assists the -seaman out of so many difficulties and dangers. For a time he did very -well, and maintained an upright, and consequently a safe position; but, -as the spirits he had imbibed began to operate, his body swayed to and -fro, and finally, whilst about to take another drink from his bottle, -he lost his balance, and was precipitated down, far down, upon the -jagged rocks; from whence his body was taken, mangled almost out of the -semblance of humanity.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_368">[Pg 368]</span></p> - -<p>There is no harbor here—ships anchoring in an open seaway unprotected -from the winds; but as, during the greater part of the year, this -latitude is only visited by the south-east trade wind, a ship may -lay in this exposed position with impunity. Some twenty vessels lay -at anchor, three of which flew the stars and stripes; one of these -was the Messenger, whose crew was ashore on liberty; another was the -ship Thomas Glover, of Boston, bound home in a few days. The third, -a barque, whose name I did not learn, was in an extremely leaky -condition, and her captain, not wishing to have her condemned here, was -offering one hundred dollars bounty, and twenty-five dollars per month -for each man who would ship aboard to work her home; but if anything -else offers Jack Tar is shy about engaging himself aboard a leaky -ship, where the pumps are to be kept constantly going, day and night, -and, as her semi-water-logged condition renders her unsafe to carry a -press of canvass on, the probability is that a passage in her will be -an extended one. Then by the time she would get on our coast, heavy -weather might be looked for, and it, united with her leaky condition, -would render her anything but a comfortable craft.</p> - -<p>The other vessels were English, French, Swedish, and Dutch. Inside of -all lay a number of condemned vessels, amongst them was the barque Ann, -of Sag Harbor, the same vessel we were in company with whilst engaged -in whaling on the coast of New Holland. After we left her she proceeded -to Desolation, where, from heavy weather, she received severe damages, -and, on arriving at <abbr title="saint">St.</abbr> Helena, a survey was had upon her and she was -condemned. The<span class="pagenum" id="Page_369">[Pg 369]</span> other condemned vessels lying here are, for the most -part, slavers, captured on the coast of Africa by the British squadron.</p> - -<p>It not being our intention to make any stay here, without there was -sufficient freight for home to make it an inducement for us so to do, -we did not anchor, but stood off and on shore on alternate tacks. The -captain lowered away, taking with him the men who came aboard without -an agreement at Port Louis, for the purpose of shipping them before the -American consul. His principal object, however, was to get letters, -which we had directed to be sent here in numberless missives written -many miles to the westward, and on this account <abbr title="saint">St.</abbr> Helena has been, -for months, the wished-for port. Everybody expecting consecutive -letters filling up the void of the last eighteen months, since which -time none of us have received news of our families and friends, and, -from the many dolorous accounts we have heard of the financial affairs -of the country, everyone is interested to know what bearing such a -crisis had had upon his connections; hence our anxiety. After many -injunctions to send the boat off that night, the captain departed. We -patiently waited until sundown, when, no boat approaching, we began -to be uneasy. An hour later, we were chafing, almost the whole crew -were walking decks in an excited, uneasy manner; and, although they -did not curse the old man, they invoked anything but blessings upon -his head, innocent though he was. Next morning, when the boat arrived, -we found that from some misconception of orders, we should have stood -in, when we stood off, shore; and, consequently, the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_370">[Pg 370]</span> third mate was -kept chasing us in his boat from nightfall until three o’clock in the -morning, when, giving up the pursuit as hopeless, he went aboard the -Messenger, and, with his wearied crew, turned in.</p> - -<p>On the letters being brought forth, I found that I had four; one of -August, 1855, left here by a ship that had carried it about the ocean -for years—the other three were of May, July, and November, 1858; -this last was inexpressibly welcome to me, as it brought everything -down to a comparatively late date, assuring me of a warm welcome home -whenever I did arrive. Of this, however unworthy, I had never doubted; -but it is a weakness of our nature to take delight in the rehearsal of -pleasant facts. The chief topic of interest, after being assured of -the welfare of my connections, and one that astonished and, to some -extent, perplexed me, was the birth of a niece, a child of my younger -brother. This was the first intelligence I had of his marriage, which, -however, was not unexpected; I had looked forward to it as a matter -of course; but that he should be blessed with issue ere I returned, -never once crossed my mind—though why, I know not. At first, I could -scarce believe it; but there it was, in black and white, the plainness -of the chirography forbidding a doubt of its authenticity; so there -was nothing left for me to do but to sit down and acknowledge myself -taken all aback by the intelligence. After a few minutes reflection, I -could not but laugh at my stupidity, or inadvertency, in never having -made a provision in my mind for such a contingency; however, so wags -the world; improbable events are<span class="pagenum" id="Page_371">[Pg 371]</span> fostered by the imagination, whilst -probable ones are allowed, through inattention, to escape notice.</p> - -<p>After having thoroughly read over my letters, I had leisure to think -of my companions. Some, I could see by the expression of the eyes, and -nervous exhilarated step, had received good news from home; others, by -their troubled air, displayed their reception of unwelcome tidings; -whilst those who had received none, either walked alone with compressed -lip and lowering brow, refusing all sympathy, or strove by an affected -gayety to laugh off the carelessness of their people in not writing.</p> - -<p>As the reception of a letter from home, by the seaman, after a long -cruise, exhilarates, and encourages him, developing all the best -principles of his nature, so, on the other hand, the least inattention -or slight on the part of his friends, depresses him; and, on arriving -in port where he has long expected intelligence; on being disappointed -he goes ashore and is ready to engage in any dissipation, apologizing -to himself for his departure from virtue, by the reflection that -nobody cares for him, or else they would take the trouble to write -to him. Mark a case in point. One of our crew, a Massachusetts boy -nearly approaching to manhood, had, for months, talked and thought of -nothing but his news and letters from home at <abbr title="saint">St.</abbr> Helena. He had, to my -knowledge, written some twenty-five letters; heretofore he had received -no letters from home, but thought, of course, they had written, and -their missives were aboard ships we had not seen. Meantime, he had -been at work for months, manufacturing trinkets and other articles -from ivory, for the purpose of presenting<span class="pagenum" id="Page_372">[Pg 372]</span> them to his friends and -relatives. On arriving at <abbr title="saint">St.</abbr> Helena, there was not a word or line from -home for him. I never saw a person so depressed; his trinkets were -given away or sold, and he asserted it as his firm determination, when -he did land in the United States, not to go home.</p> - -<p>Mothers who wish to keep their sons in the path of virtue, and sisters -who cherish a brother’s memory, when far away upon the sea, would -do well to bear this fact in mind, and be careful to write, so that -at every civilized port the object of their solicitude may receive -intelligence from home; this, by a little inquiry at the outset of the -voyage, can be easily arranged. It does not make so much difference -about the reception of letters at sea, for there but few temptations -to the grosser paths of sin are experienced; but when, after a long -and arduous cruise, his ship enters port, he feels need of relaxation, -and, unless reminded of home and kindred, he easily falls a prey to the -wiles of the courtezan and the publican, who are ever on the alert to -entrap the unwary and inexperienced.</p> - -<p>But it is time that I should return to my original topic—the -consideration of the Island of <abbr title="saint">St.</abbr> Helena and its residents. Not having -had opportunity to go ashore myself, I must see it through the eyes of -others and describe it from their lips. Here comes the boat’s crew; it -consists of six, who, although dressed alike and of the same country, -vastly differ in sentiment. First, we will ask the less refined of -the lot—those two whose reckless, careless air, bespeak them jovial, -hearty fellows, ever ready for a lark without thinking of or caring for -consequences—their<span class="pagenum" id="Page_373">[Pg 373]</span> answer to my inquiry as to what kind of place it -was, being characteristic of their class (which is largely represented -in the whaling fleet), “That Jamestown is a sailor’s paradise.” “Why -so, my hearty?” “Because there is neither lack of women nor wine.”</p> - -<p>We will now turn to the next comer; he is a Western man, from -Milwaukie, Wisconsin, of Scotch parentage, has been with us all the -voyage, and is one of the best and most reliable men in the ship; to -a naturally strong mind, he unites an acute perception of men and -manners, and, withal, a high moral tone pervades all he says and does.</p> - -<p>His statement was, that on going ashore he found a stepping-stone, some -twenty feet in width, in front of the town, for the convenience of -boats landing; they pulled to it and landed, but the swell continually -heaving in, rendered it impossible to moor the boat without certainly -calculating on her being stoven; so a couple of the boys, of whom -numbers were swarming along ashore, were entrusted with her, and our -fellows went on a cruise about the town. He described the town as not -unlike other colonial cities, with the usual number of government -buildings, and red-coated soldiery standing guard, as if to keep these -massive stone heaps from escaping. The inhabitants were of all colors, -from black to white, each moving in its particular sphere. The blacks -are slaves, captured by British cruisers, and sent here to labor and -pay the expenses of their capture. Some months since, a cargo of six -hundred of these Africans was landed in Rupert’s Valley; they were -awarded by the Government a twelvemonths’ stay at <abbr title="saint">St.</abbr> Helena; at<span class="pagenum" id="Page_374">[Pg 374]</span> the -expiration of the year they were to be sent to the British West Indian -possessions to be disposed of as apprentices. The other inhabitants of -<abbr title="saint">St.</abbr> Helena are bitterly opposed to the introduction of these creatures -into their quiet island, stating that they are indolent and insolent -to an extreme degree, and are firmly persuaded that the island is a -part of Africa and belongs to them. The inhabitants have petitioned -the queen for their removal, but she has declined complying with their -request.</p> - -<p>D.’s principal object in going ashore was to deliver several letters, -which had been handed to him by natives of <abbr title="saint">St.</abbr> Helena, on board ships -in the Indian Ocean. One of the parties he found, and made a mother’s -heart glad by tidings of the good health of her son; after perusing -it, she loaded the bearer of the missive with thanks. Another party, -for whom he had a letter, was dead; this was from a son who had not -seen home or parents for six years. I heard him speak of his home -and his anticipated return; but, alas! he will find a cheerless -hearthstone—his parents dead, and none but strangers to yield him -sympathy.</p> - -<p>These people, or rather those who are natives, are brunettes. A number -of the children, who were on our vessel, seemed to be perfectly at -home upon the water. Their voices are peculiarly sweet, and we were -enlivened by these youngsters singing a number of whaling and naval -songs; and the spirit with which they entered into the performance, -rendered a prophecy of their future callings in life a matter of -certainty and easy augury.</p> - -<p>I have before me the <abbr title="saint">St.</abbr> Helena Almanac for 1858,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_375">[Pg 375]</span> which contains much -information regarding the island—its trade, and inhabitants. From it I -learn that the population numbers five thousand four hundred and ninety -souls, and to attend to the health of this population, there is but one -doctor of medicine; so here is a fair held for any Yankee disciple of -Esculapius who wishes for employment, and does not object to leaving -home to find it.</p> - -<p>The amount of importation for the year 1856, reached the sum of one -hundred and one thousand five hundred and sixty-two pounds, of which -one-fourth was through American whaleships engaged in the South Sea -fishery; the balance was from all parts of the world. The exports -for the same time amounted to twenty-four thousand nine hundred and -twenty-five pounds, twenty-two thousand five hundred and eighty-five -pounds of which was to the United States. These facts show the -importance of the whaling trade to the revenue of the island.</p> - -<p>This book also contains information relative to the -government-officers, the various churches, the telegraph department, -&c., of the island; yet, as we are in a hurry to get homeward, we will -not tarry for the consideration of further statistics, but return to -our ship.</p> - -<p>On the afternoon of the 2d inst., having ran close in to land, we -were becalmed and in imminent risk of going ashore; but by lowering -the boats and strenuously pulling we managed to get the ship’s head -pointed seaward. A light breeze springing up, we were soon relieved -from our apprehensions. At 6¹⁄₂ o’clock P. M. the captain came off, and -immediately the order was given to square away for<span class="pagenum" id="Page_376">[Pg 376]</span> home. Every one -at once turned-to with a will: the yards were manned in a twinkling; -studdingsail booms and studdingsail rigging were rigged and rove aloft -and alow, until the masts wore, as it were, an entire sheet of canvass -from the royal yards to the deck, extending twice or thrice our beam, -and assisting to the utmost our expeditious return. But the wind was -aft and light, and our ship by no means kept pace with our impatient -desires. Yet directly onward she made her way, unmarked by incident, -until within a few degrees of the Equator. Here the doldorums (those -pests of the homeward-bound!) occasioned a delay which well nigh again -exhausted our patience. These doldorums are neither one thing nor -the other: they are not positive calms, neither are they gales. For -instance, one may wake at sunrise, find a pleasant breeze blowing, the -wind fair, sky clear, and not a sign in the horizon on which to base -a supposition of change: under this impression he will lounge around, -congratulate himself on the ship’s progress, and occupy his mind with -thoughts of home; but, pausing, he glances to the sails, and finds -them flapping from the scarcity of wind; and awakened from his reverie -by the cheerless booming of the canvass, he directs his attention to -the horizon, and finds haze or clouds in every quarter, portending -squalls, either of rain or wind. A minute later, the flapping sail -is hard aback, with a contrary wind; torrents of rain are falling; -squall follows squall, in rapid succession, each from a different -point—and thus they continue, until, having boxed the compass in -the course of an hour, the ship returns to her former position, and -lazily drags herself along for<span class="pagenum" id="Page_377">[Pg 377]</span> awhile, when the same scenes re-occur, -and so alternate day after day. For ten days were we in irons, (as -seamen term our situation,) during the whole of which time we made no -more than ten degrees—an average of two and a half miles per hour: a -pace that was far too slow to be easily endured by men who had been -for forty-four months past looking forward to this passage with such -intense interest. No idea of the uneasiness (I can use no better word) -of the crew can be formed by a person who has never witnessed a ship’s -company situated precisely as we were. Every mile—every degree of -the course was accurately measured and counted. All who were capable -might have been seen, with quadrant in hand, taking the sun’s altitude, -working up the ship’s time, comparing one day’s run with another, and -guessing what the performance of the next twenty-four hours would be; -whilst those not possessed of a quadrant watched with peering eyes for -the moment that would reveal the result of the operator’s calculations. -On turning out, before donning their apparel, the first questions of -the watch below, were—how is the wind? how many knots is she going? -what is the latitude? what the longitude?—all delivered in a breath. -If the answer was, “She is going along some eight or nine knots an -hour,” the interrogator took a long inspiration, thus evincing his -relief and inward satisfaction, and would then say, “Pull, girls, -pull!” But if the ship was plunging, and the spars and rigging creaking -from the pressure of their snow-white pinions, he would be delighted; -and, jumping on deck to assure himself that everything was drawing, he -would chuckle forth, in the height of his glee,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_378">[Pg 378]</span> “Give it to her, old -boy! She is all oak. She knows where she is bound to; so, pack on your -tappa—she will hear it!” If some one remarked that she was heeled down -very much, and sail was being dragged instead of carried, he was hooted -at for a soldier, and sent to the cook to learn seamanship. If the -officer of the deck started away or took in any sail, he was maligned -for a milksop, and fated to hear lots of grumbling, together with the -advice, given to him in an undertone, that he should stay at home, when -he got there, and send his big sister to sea to carry sail for him.</p> - -<p>To obviate this uneasiness, many plans were resorted to, and the true -one was at length hit upon: the infallible one of labor. All hands -seemed suddenly transformed into a colony of curiosity-hunters. One -would be seen with a box of shells, cleaning them; another with a -Madagascar spear, polishing it, so as to be presentable; whilst others -had articles of ivory, bone, and wood, and were busily employed in -improving their appearance, so as to render them more creditable to -the donor. Every man in the ship had more or less of this description -of articles; the greater part of which had been constructed aboard -from the jaws and teeth of the sperm whales. Our occupation with -these things continued not only for hours, but for days, and in some -instances whole weeks.</p> - -<p>Thus the time glided on, until we found ourselves hurried along by the -northeast trades. These delightful winds we encountered when but two -degrees to the northward of the line; and during their continuance we -had nothing to grumble at, as we had a<span class="pagenum" id="Page_379">[Pg 379]</span> fair wind and plenty of it. -From the testimony of former voyagers, who had run up and down these -trades, we expected that we would be favored with their continuance -until we should arrive in latitude 23 or 24° north; but in this, like -in most of our other pleasant anticipations, we were disappointed. When -we reached the fourteenth parallel of north latitude, they had almost -ceased; and then, forgetful of their benefits, we grumbled at their -scarce more than ephemeral existence. I well remember the expression -of one of our crew, delivered with approved bitterness of spirit. The -occasion of this was a mid watch at night, when all of the starboard -watch were grouped together by the windlass, discussing our experience -of the variability of the winds, while destined to some port or other -in the course of the voyage. The speaker, having heard the opinions -of several others, stepped into the center of the little knot, and, -with an emphatic gesture of the hand, said: “Shipmates! it is no use -talking: we are fated to meet with nothing but foul winds and head-beat -seas until we get home, and then the bad luck that has kept us company -for the past forty-four months may leave us. But there is, and has -been, a Jonah in the ship the whole voyage, from the time we left New -Bedford. The first we saw of it was in the Eliza Carrew’s coming in -contact with us; next, sperm whaling off New Holland. When bound to -Balli we had a head wind; bound to the Australian Bight we had one of -the dirtiest of dirty passages. To New Zealand we made a first-rate -passage; but, when there, what was our fortune? To get scarce any oil, -and lose one of our<span class="pagenum" id="Page_380">[Pg 380]</span> best men! Then, bound from there to Hobartown, we -had the wind smack in our teeth for two weeks, when, with a favorable -breeze, we should have performed the run in three or four days. Our -ill-success in whaling to the southward, and on our visit to the -Abrolhas’, is too glaring to need particularization. Our passage to -Mauritius was but a drawl, from the lightness of the winds. In doubling -the Cape we were Jacksoned a week—at the line the same ill-fortune -attended us. Now we have lost the northeast trades a week before we -ought to. Add to these our other malexperiences, such as men falling -from aloft, boats capsized and stoven, a sperm whale’s head lost. And, -to crown all, here we are, bound on to the North American coast in the -worst month of the year, with an unremunerative voyage. Now, in the -name of reason! how any one can expect good luck in the face of this -category I cannot understand: as for myself, I cannot.” And, with a -gloomy shake of the head, the speaker concluded, folded his arms across -his breast, and seemed resigned to the hard fate he had depicted for -himself. His manner, however, was such as to convince the most casual -observer that his was a spirit to combat manfully whatever further -misfortunes might befall us, through accident or any other cause. The -whole bearing of the man, in fact, showed a perfect confidence in the -ability of himself and his shipmates to resist every tide of evil -the great Neptune might send. His enumeration of our ill-successes -heretofore made his argument almost unanswerable; but still I essayed -to administer some consolation by quoting the old adage, “it is always -darkest before day,” and adding<span class="pagenum" id="Page_381">[Pg 381]</span> that from the fact of our former -misadventures we might reasonably look forward for corresponding good -ones in the future. Yet I awakened no sympathetic chord in the bosoms -of my auditors. My predecessor had something tangible to base his -prediction upon: a something, which, through its familiarity to the -minds of all, appealed directly to their hearts; and, although I took -the other side, I must confess that I myself was almost convinced there -was more probability in his than in my theory. I felt, indeed, that our -past crosses were sure prestiges of still more to come.</p> - -<p>It may be supposed by some that such a conversation and prediction -would have a gloomy effect on the minds of persons with such vivid -imaginations as seamen; but, fortunately, (or unfortunately, whichever -it may be,) in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred neither good nor evil -makes any more lasting impression on their minds than water does upon -a duck’s back. For the moment, they become absorbed in the topic of -that moment; but look at them an instant later, you will see the same -careless bearing, and hear the merry jest passed around as gleefully as -ever. Verily, there is need of a “sweet little cherub to sit up aloft, -and keep up a watch over the life of Jack Tar”; for he will not look -out for himself. This very thoughtlessness, however, renders him all -the more useful aboard ship. Many times, if he should pause to think -of the danger to himself in the performance of a particular duty, his -hesitation would bring destruction upon the ship and its inmates. For -instance, it is blowing heavily: a topsail is clewed up—the ship will -not bear it, and<span class="pagenum" id="Page_382">[Pg 382]</span> the sail is flapping in a manner which will destroy -it in a few minutes, for it is sweeping abaft the yard. (Now this is -the only topsail that can be depended upon in case the ship on arriving -at the coast should be jammed on a lee-shore: for then nothing could be -saved except by its proper management and use.) Jack knows that under -precisely these circumstances hundreds of seamen have been torn from -the foot-rope while in the line of their duty, and hurled into the sea, -when the fury of the elements precluded the possibility of an attempt -to save them. Perchance in his last ship such an accident occurred: -mayhap his messmate was swept from the same yardarm he himself was on. -But he does not stop to think of all this: he springs into the rigging, -climbs to the yard, gets a foothold, and (at every step forced to throw -the sail over his head) arrives at the earing, when his task becomes -comparatively easy. Little by little he gathers up, passing his gasket, -and securing the sail, until all is snugly lashed along the yard in -such a manner that the wind has no effect upon it. His task now done, -he descends to the deck, as if nothing more than the most ordinary -occupation had been his; and he is ready and willing to go aloft again, -if necessity demands it.</p> - -<p>It is ever thus at sea. The seaman’s life, day by day, hour by hour, -is exposed to peril, now in one form, now in another: from the heavy -sea sweeping the ship, the unruly canvas, the defective spar. The wheel -may throw and maim him, a stranded rope precipitate him to the deck; -or, in laying out of a tempestuous night upon the jib or flying-jib -boom he may miss his footing: he falls into the sea, the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_383">[Pg 383]</span> ship passes -over him!—Jack has furled his last sail, and dies far from home and -friends, without a tombstone to mark his resting-place: his body at -the mercy of the wave, whilst his spirit, we hope, ascends to a better -and happier state of existence, where he anchors in a bright haven of -peace, in vivid contrast with his life on earth, or rather on the sea.</p> - -<p>God help the sailor! is the prayer of all who wish him well. And God -does help him, or else his would indeed be a comfortless existence. -The Creator gives him a merry heart, and a brave one too. The former -enables him to meet cheerfully the many discomforts incident to his -profession, whilst the latter prevents him from perceiving danger and -destruction in every blast that sweeps the ocean: together, they incite -him to hope almost against hope, and continue his exertions in the -storm, until absolute destruction overwhelms him. Who ever heard of a -seaman’s giving up in despair, even when the merest thread of hope only -remained? None. No, they are manly to the last; and they always have -at least the proud satisfaction of having performed their duty, even -though their exertions were all in vain. The pleasant poetess, Miss -Eliza Cook, has done them but justice, when she says,</p> - -<p class="poetry"> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">“The dark-blue jacket that enfolds the sailor’s manly breast</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Bears more of real honor than the star and ermine vest.</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">The tithe of folly in his head may wake the landsman’s mirth</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">But Nature proudly owns him as her child of sterling worth.”</span><br /> -</p> - -<p>Some persons ashore may think that I have allowed my feelings to -carry me away, and that in writing of a class of men, endeared to -me by association and a participation<span class="pagenum" id="Page_384">[Pg 384]</span> in the vicissitudes of their -everyday life, I have fallen into a rhapsody, or employed rodomontade; -whilst not a few readers will think that I have merely blown my own -horn. Yet I will appeal for corroboration of all I have written to -those who have seen Jack Tar on his proper element: whether, on the -sea, he does not display some of the noblest traits of humanity—not -merely physical excellencies, but high moral qualities? Whether he is -not there the most patient and courageous of human beings? Whether he -does not sing the same in storm or calm, and unflinchingly meet all -hardships with a cheerful spirit? I feel assured that all who have -thus seen him will attest to his good qualities. Ashore he is not the -same creature. The only apology I can offer for his excesses here is, -that such are naturally prompted by the liberation of his buoyant -spirit,—with a hardy frame and hot blood—from a long confinement and -abstinence aboard ship. It is from sheer wantonness that he exults in -the commission of his thousand-and-one frivolities; but which seldom -leads him into the perpetration of any criminal act.</p> - -<p>But, let us take a sober second view of this matter, and see whether -Jack’s follies—crimes, too, if you please—are altogether of his own -immoral brewing. Of course there can be no question of this, if we use -the cold-blooded formal argument of the self-sufficient man, which is, -that inasmuch as he, like all the rest of mankind, is a free agent, his -shortcomings and misdeeds must necessarily be voluntary, and therefore -he alone should be held responsible for them. But, I would ask, does -not society in a measure<span class="pagenum" id="Page_385">[Pg 385]</span> assist in his demoralization? Are not its -respectable avenues closed to the foremast hand? Fathers and mothers -of families, do you, in your philanthropic moods, extend to the seaman -the same warm welcome into your families as you do to the landsman? -Does he, landing in a strange port, find those who take him into the -society of the virtuous, and thus place before him the opportunity of -passing his hours rationally, and so endeavor to prevent his becoming -the victim of irksome idleness, in whose train there usually is such -an execrable brood of ills? No!—I can answer from experience—you do -not. In your stead, out of consideration for his hard earnings, the -harlot and the publican meet him at every landing, and with Judas-like -greetings prevail on him to his destruction.</p> - -<p>“Nobody cares for me!” one will hear from at least one-half the inmates -of every forecastle, and in the greater proportion of such cases it is -really too true. If the seaman has no immediate relatives, he finds -those whom he meets ashore solicitous to make his acquaintance only for -the sake of their own profit. To be sure, Seamen’s Homes, Bethels, and -Aid Societies, have done much, very much. God forbid! that I should -say a word that could be construed into a disparagement of the efforts -of these noble and benevolent institutions. But there is something -more than these needed to reclaim the outcast seaman for society, and -teach him truly that he has a character to maintain, as well as an -abiding interest in the commonwealth. In fact, to effect a permanent -amelioration of his condition, he must in his youth be educated and -disciplined with a view<span class="pagenum" id="Page_386">[Pg 386]</span> to his profession, become accustomed to revere -the ties and restraints of home and society, and be fully imbued with -the principles of national citizenship.</p> - -<p>In this humane work, the influence of the gentler sex is vitally -essential. The time has long gone by when the seaman (the American -seaman in particular) was a rude, uncouth being—half fish, half man: -apparelled in a blue jacket and tarpaulin hat; his cheek pouched out -with a great chew of tobacco; his walk a swagger, and his language -redolent of oaths and tar. Such is a picture of Jack that has -been drawn (from time immemorial) by too many authors, whose very -particularizing, however, discloses to the initiated their ignorance -of the subject. Your true sailor, from the general stigma that -attaches to his class ashore, rather inclines to conceal, than make an -unnecessary display of his calling. I have now been afloat almost four -years; in one place or another, met with at least ten thousand seamen, -principally belonging to our mercantile and whaling marine; and, -although closely observing their habits, manners, and peculiarities, I -never saw the original of the false picture above presented—a familiar -one, it is true, to the readers of the yellow-covered nautical romances -of the day. So, ladies, you need not fear, that, in urging you to -extend a cordial greeting to Jack, I desire to favor the introduction -of a boorish clown into your refined circles. But I will leave that to -your own fair judgments. Compare him with the landsman: ten to one, you -will place them on an equality; and, if you have a sparkling of romance -in your character, you will give the Tar the preference.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_387">[Pg 387]</span></p> - -<p>To your parents, dear ladies, I would particularly address myself, -and say to them: it is your duty (I speak plainly) to hasten this -important matter, by which a noble class of your fellow-men may be -so greatly benefitted, both here and hereafter. Do not fear, that by -the introduction of the sailor into your families, you would nurse an -adder, who would take advantage of your courtesy, and either corrupt -your daughters, or entice your sons from home into his own perilous -pursuit. His high appreciation and admiration of virtue will secure for -the female portion of your family a degree of respect and attention -from him, that would be looked upon by the young bucks of the present -day with wonder and contempt; whilst his plain matter-of-fact and -common-sense descriptions of the sea and its perils, hardships and -pleasures, would divest the subject of the glowing imagery with which -it is clothed by the fertile fancy of your youthful son, and thus -enable him to see it in its true light. If the latter should then, -however, still be anxious to barter the comforts and luxuries of home -for the discomforts and privations of the sea, let him go! He was cut -out for a sailor, and will sooner or later arrive at eminence in the -profession of his well-advised choice.</p> - -<p>But how, (methinks I hear you ask,) and by what means, is this good -work to be accomplished? It is quite easy, says another I imagine, to -see and describe the need of such a proceeding; but how is it to be -done? My answer is: I have accomplished what I originally intended, -namely, to indicate the great good to be done by such a movement. -It would be presumption, on the part of so young a<span class="pagenum" id="Page_388">[Pg 388]</span> man as myself, -to point out the means by which it may be effected. Older and wiser -heads are now engaged in this good work: men of much experience and -pure, active Christianity. But, if these should fail, or wish my -views, I will not hesitate to furnish my opinions and plans at some -future day, and with great pleasure respectfully submit them to their -consideration.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_389">[Pg 389]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XV">CHAPTER XV.</h2> -</div> - - -<p>But I have digressed long enough. I now return to the old Pacific and -her inmates, as she was when we crossed the line, or a few degrees -to the southward of it; at which time we lost sight of the Magellan -clouds. Shortly after this the glorious Southern Cross disappeared from -our view. These two constellations had been for years our landmarks in -the heavens, (pardon the incompatibility of the expression,) and had -become so familiar that at night the horizon seemed to us incomplete -without them; but still we hailed their retirement from our view with -delight, for it was an earnest of home. For several nights afterward we -strained our eyes and patience in unavailing search for the North Star. -At last it was sighted by a close observer. It was hailed by a general -shout, that made the welkin ring; and hearts warmed as day after day in -our passage north we opened still farther the glories of the northern -sky; our own, with its fleecy scud and resplendent tints, shedding -refulgence on our free and happy land.</p> - -<p>And now, as we progressed day by day, it may be wondered, what were -the plans of our crew for the future: all having gained little else -than experience, and that not being a disposable commodity at our place -of destination. But, kind people! do not think that any one of us -felt poverty-stricken, or dependent<span class="pagenum" id="Page_390">[Pg 390]</span> on other than his own exertions -for support. A more self-reliable set of men never drew breath than -those who were now around me. One and all felt perfectly able to -maintain themselves respectably, if health were vouchsafed to them by -the Creator; and all had their plans. The first we will consider is -that of the Massachusetts men—they forming by far the largest class. -Although they mooted a hundred different channels in which they would -direct their energies, there was a strong under-current pervading the -whole, which bespoke whaling as their chief point, though many declared -this their dernier resort, only to be engaged in by them from extreme -necessity. Some of them thought that the whaling business was becoming -too poor to follow, and declared their intention of emigrating to -Oregon or Kansas, in quest of gold, should the accounts from those -regions continue to hold out the same favorable inducements they had -already done.</p> - -<p>The second class whom we shall consider is, that formed of prodigal -sons—a proportionably numerous one. Most of this class had left home -with a desire to see the world, and a hope of returning with both -pockets full of money, to astonish the “old folks at home,” and, if -necessary, to be expended for their comfort. Their bright anticipations -not having been fulfilled, they were ashamed to go home; and, although -we may doubt the wisdom of such a course, there is an honorable pride -attaching to it, that cannot fail to command respect. Most of them -had companions to whom they were attached during the voyage, and they -determined that they would embark together to some foreign port or -other<span class="pagenum" id="Page_391">[Pg 391]</span> (those of the Mediterranean were the most popular) for four or -six months, when they would be sure of their monthly wages; and should -they carry out their resolves, they might then return to their homes. -This plan sounds foolish, and was foolish. No doubt they would be -welcome to their relatives, with or without money; but I must confess -that in the face of the warmest letters, and in the full assurance and -conviction of the heartiest welcome, I myself felt a reluctance in -returning, without something of moment to show, as a remuneration for -almost four years of exile.</p> - -<p>The last class (very few in number) is, those who had no -homes—children of the sea. These did not take the same warm interest -in a return to the States as we did; or, rather, it is a different -interest—a mere sensual feeling: a desire to have a good spree, and be -off again. They had no settled plan, but were ready, as soon as their -money or credit became exhausted, to go here or there, as the caprice -of the moment or the prospect of gain might lead them. Poor fellows! -theirs was a hard prospective, and they felt it; for, when those, who -were so blessed, gathered around each other, and talked of a reunion -with parents, brothers, and sisters, they would walk moodily and alone, -or strive by a reckless air to show their contempt for the comforts -of home—but it was in vain. These now expected to follow the sea for -their bread, just as the farmer does his plough. In the absence of good -examples ashore, they had nothing to give them a strong bias to remain -there; they considered the ocean as the granary from which their daily -provision must be procured. God direct<span class="pagenum" id="Page_392">[Pg 392]</span> them wherever they may go, and -in whatever they may do!—that they may avoid the snares spread for -them by the designing at every step of the paths they must follow.</p> - -<p>On the evening of March 17th we entered and crossed the Gulf Stream. -Our near approach to it had been indicated days before by the -appearance of the Gulf weed. This weed is inhabited by multifarious -marine animals. On being scooped up and placed in a bucket of water, -its tiny residents were to be seen swimming and plying about with the -intensest activity: crabs, lobsters, various kinds of fish, and the -meduca, together with many others that are nondescripts.</p> - -<p>On arriving at the Stream we dipped up a bucketful of its water -from alongside, and found it quite warm. A short time afterwards we -repeated the experiment, and found a variation in the temperature. -Thus, at intervals of fifteen minutes throughout our passage across -it, we tested the water to the best of our ability; and although our -thermometer could not be fully depended upon, yet the result was still -decided enough to make me a convert to Professor Bache’s theory: that, -the Gulf Stream is a series of belts of water, varying in temperature, -instead of a body of water of uninterrupted equivalent warmth.</p> - -<p>On the following day we experienced one of those southeast gales, -attended by fog, which are so common to the American coast in the month -of March. As long as we felt satisfied that we had an offing, things -went pretty well, and we rejoiced at the way the ship was making before -the gale; although, in<span class="pagenum" id="Page_393">[Pg 393]</span> the absence of sun, moon, and stars, we had -nothing by which to ascertain our whereabouts. At noon we spoke the -brig Pilotfish, of Boston, and found that by her reckoning we were -fifty miles farther to the westward than what our chronometer gave it; -however, we felt pretty well satisfied as to our own correctness until -night, when we shortened sail, (which throughout the day we had carried -to the extent of the vessel’s ability,) and luffed to the wind, hove -the lead, and sounded with the deep-sea line. At the same time the gale -increased to a hurricane, and, as we could not see a ship’s length -ahead, we were compelled, sorely against our inclinations, to heave the -ship to for the night.</p> - -<p>At 3 o’clock A. M. the next morning we all at once felt a change in -the atmosphere, and, on inquiring the cause, found that the wind had -hauled to the westward. A few minutes afterward the fleecy scud drove -rapidly to the leeward, and the wind from the southwest bore down on -us with extreme violence. But not too violent for us. Oh, no! It was -hailed with delight. It was fair and strong; and, although we could -show only close-reefed topsails and foresail to it, we bowled away, -with it on our quarter, at the rate of twelve knots an hour. As we -gradually neared the land we saw a number of small coasting-crafts -laying-to, with the water sweeping over them—they not venturing to run -in such weather. Of these we spoke several, and ascertained from them -the bearings of Montauk Point. We found now that our chronometer was -indeed wrong, and that had we depended upon it we would most likely -have been by this time high and dry on<span class="pagenum" id="Page_394">[Pg 394]</span> some part of our own coast. -This variation of the chronometer was very strange to us. During the -whole voyage we had found it perfectly trustworthy; and, of course, -after so long an acquaintance with its exactness, we had learned to -place implicit confidence in it. At <abbr title="saint">St.</abbr> Helena it was correct, and -so also off Cape <abbr title="saint">St.</abbr> Roque only three weeks before. But the present -was precisely the case with it on the last voyage, when Captain James -Allen commanded the ship. Then, likewise, there had not been a mile’s -variation in it until he had crossed the Gulf Stream, homeward-bound, -when an error of fifty miles was discovered—a pilot-boat giving him -his true whereabouts. Now, the question is, what was the cause of this -singular variation? Was it the Gulf Stream, or what was it? Here is a -question for the savans, and should they solve it, I will be happy to -hear of their explanation.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_395">[Pg 395]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XVI">CHAPTER XVI.</h2> -</div> - - -<p>After speaking these coasting crafts, our course was still onward and -homeward. At noon we saw land; it was greeted with three as hearty -cheers as ever swelled American throats. All was bustle and excitement, -and naught but the discipline of a well-regulated ship kept our -enthusiasm within bounds. The watch below, wearied with exertion, -caught the gladsome cry, and, leaping from their berths, hurried on -deck as they were, and, without hesitating at the coldness of the -weather, sprang, half nude, into the rigging, to catch a sight of their -native land. One, more enthusiastic than the rest, made the foretop a -rostrum, and, hatless and shoeless, with his shirt flying in the wind, -he repeated in a loud voice, intelligible above the shrieking of the -gale, the beautiful lines of Sir Walter Scott:</p> - -<p class="poetry"> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">“Lives there a man with soul so dead,</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Who never to himself hath said—</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">This is my own, my native land;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Whose heart has ne’er within him burn’d,</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">As home his footsteps he has turn’d</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">From wandering on a foreign strand.</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">If such there be, go mark him well,</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">For him no minstrels’ raptures swell;</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Proud though his title, high his name,</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Boundless his wealth as wish could claim,</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Despite his power and his pelf,</span><br /> -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_396">[Pg 396]</span><span style="margin-left: 1em;">This wretch, concentered all in self,</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Living, shall forfeit fair renown,</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">And doubly dying shall go down</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">To the vile dust from whence he sprung—</span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Unwept, unhonored, and unsung.”</span><br /> -</p> - -<p>Reader, have you ever read these lines before? Of course you have; so -had I before I went to sea; and then with me, as it must have been -with you, they had made my heart beat quicker, and my eye flash with -indignation at the recreant who could unmoved return to his native -shore. But it is impossible to describe our appreciation of the -beautiful text at such a moment as it was now presented to us; and in -the exuberance of our spirits we could have hugged the author to our -breasts and pronounced him sailor in feeling if not in practice. A -change, however, soon came over the spirit of our dreams; the yards -were squared, and, consequently, as we brought the wind aft, we were -enabled to show more canvas to the favoring gale, and in this outlet -we found a vent for our highly wrought feelings: reefs were shaken -out, gaskets cast off in a twinkling, and the yards and sails were -mastheaded, as if by magic, to the music of the merriest homeward bound -song in our category, although our fingers and other extremities were -benumbed with the cold. We were in hopes of getting in this night, -but still we had our misgivings; as, even should we come into close -proximity with Montauk Point, the weather was so boisterous that we -had little hopes a pilot would venture out upon such a night. So, -feeling that should we be necessitated to remain out another night, we -would need rest, our watch went below to seek consolation in Nature’s -great restorer—sleep; but in vain,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_397">[Pg 397]</span> slumber came not to our anxious -eyes, although wooed by every means in our power. We rolled our eyes, -we counted indefinite units, but all to no purpose; the one idea -preoccupied all our thoughts and forbade the intrusion of Morpheus on -its domain. At 2 o’clock a light-house was seen, which, at first, was -called Montauk light, but the land around it not agreeing with that in -the vicinity of Montauk, after some deliberation, it was pronounced -Fire Island light. This was a damper on all our spirits and dissipated -our air castles, which had been built with the provision of going -ashore within twenty-four hours; and long faces and dolorous sighs -were the attendants upon this decision. After a few minutes of painful -uncertainty, some one, whose memory was more retentive, called to mind -the fact of having seen in a newspaper a notice of the erection of -a new light between Fire Island and Montauk light. This view of the -subject was immediately endorsed by all hands, and a corresponding -buoyancy pervaded all; but as landmark after landmark was passed, -and still Montauk was not to be seen, we gave up all hopes of seeing -New Bedford that night, and were fearful that that much wished for -occasion might not occur for a fortnight or more; as these southerly -winds are not persistent, and no one knows how soon they may leave him -and be followed by a north-easter, which, at this season of the year, -lasts for weeks, and forbids all entrance into our destined harbor. -But just at nightfall, one, who had voluntarily perched himself on the -loftiest look-out on the fore royal mast, sung out, “Light ho!” and we -soon found that at last we had sighted<span class="pagenum" id="Page_398">[Pg 398]</span> the veritable Montauk Point -and light-house. This was cheering; but no pilot was to be seen, and -our only resort was to shorten sail, heave the ship to, and hang on -as closely as possible to the windward, so as to have no difficulty -in beating up at the approach of daylight. To this end we clewed up -and furled our light sails, reefed and furled the courses, clewed -down and close-reefed the topsails—and bitter work we had of it. The -weather, although not intensely cold to one accustomed to it, to our -tropical sensibilities was frigid; and as, during the day, we had been -enveloped by fog, our canvas was damp and heavy, and not to be handled -in a moment; so that it was a task of time, patience, exposure, and -danger, to reduce the old ship’s canvas to a spread commensurate to the -violence of the gale which now blew from west-north-west. In reviewing -my whole stock of sea experience, comprising over three years of actual -life upon the broad bosoms of four out of the five oceans of the globe, -I can call to memory no time at which I felt more depressed than during -the continuance of this night; not so much from the heaviness of the -gale, for I had weathered scores that were much heavier; not from the -short, breaking, combing sea, which, from being on soundings and in -shallow water, made it but a plaything in the heavy gust, and rendered -it trebly unpleasant, breaking upon and against the ship, keeping her -continually wet and uncomfortable; but this too was a matter of course -to me—I had had my jacket wet a hundred, ay, a thousand times, with -the salted spray of old ocean; nor was it from a sense of danger from -any or all of these combinations; but the wind gradually, yet steadily, -hauling to the northward, occasioned a<span class="pagenum" id="Page_399">[Pg 399]</span> dead weight; its remaining in -its present quarter, west-north-west, being our only hope of getting -in; and to be lying here within a few miles, almost in sight, of home, -without power to pursue our voyage thither, was a probation by no -means gratifying. I strove to shake off the feeling, calling to my aid -all the resources of manhood; but in vain. I then attempted to gain -some consolation from the old gray-headed seaman, who had for years -followed the coast in all its windings from Newfoundland to Florida; -but he, like me, was under the thrall of the same vague and undefinable -depression, and instead of administering consolation, went off into a -narration of how, time after time, he had made the same light with a -southerly wind, hove the ship to through the night, anticipating a run -in during the next morning, but at dawn the wind came out at north-east -with hail and snow, and for weeks nothing could be done but to lay to -and sweat it out. This was adding gall to wormwood, and the old fellow, -perceiving my lugubriousness, slapped me on the back, and said, “Cheer -up, my hearty! we have weathered many a gale together, and, please God, -we will make port to-morrow, when we can laugh at our forebodings of -to-night.” In this state of mental inquietude, at 11 o’clock at night -I went below, and with a prayer that the wind should favor us at dawn, -I threw myself in my berth, hoping to rid myself of the solicitude in -sleep, but fruitlessly; it was a mere repetition of the afternoon’s -performance. I rolled, tumbled, and almost worried myself into a fever; -several times I caught a moment’s nap, only to be visited by visions -in which the voices of home were<span class="pagenum" id="Page_400">[Pg 400]</span> calling me, and the outstretched -arms of loved ones, prompted by affection, were extended towards me to -welcome the wanderer home. But in vain did I struggle to reach them, -some invisible agency held me back despite my frantic efforts, and with -the sweat profusely dropping from my reeking brow, parched tongue and -straining eyeballs, I would awake to find it but a dream.</p> - -<p>Thus passed the weary hours until 3 o’clock, when on the calling of the -watch I turned out, and took the helm. My attention, of course, was -directed first to the wind. My forebodings were too truly realized. -There it was, from the northwest; and, with gloomy resolution, I -resigned myself to the decree. Our officer of the deck, scarcely a whit -behind me, came to the binnacle for the same purpose. From his anxious -and careworn face I could see that he had experienced no refreshment in -sleep. Sympathizing with him, I forebore remark; but, after satisfying -himself, he turned to me, with a countenance on every line of which -was written mental torture, and in a tone that expressed his feelings, -he said, “There depart all our bright anticipations—God help me to -bear the disappointment!”—and then proceeded moodily to walk the -quarter-deck. Again he came, and related to me that on two former -occasions, in this same delectable month of March, he had been served -in precisely the same way, and wound up by saying, “I shall worry no -more! I am now satisfied that we will not get in before the first of -April; and so we may as well grin and bear it”</p> - -<p>Unable to control my own thoughts, I perforce allowed them to run fancy -free, and whilst so engaged<span class="pagenum" id="Page_401">[Pg 401]</span> paid but little attention to the compass: -intuitively easing the helm when the vessel pitched from the surging of -the waves so as to endanger the spars, and occasionally when warned by -the flapping of the sails raising the wheel to keep her off from the -wind a trifle; until at length an unusually heavy sea, breaking over -the ship and drenching the decks, awoke me from my reverie.</p> - -<p>Day had now began to dawn, and casually I glanced at the compass. -Could I be assured that the direction in which the magnetic needle -pointed was correct, or was it a mere phantasy of my overwrought brain! -I rubbed my eyes, and looked again. Could it be possible, or was I -in a lethargy, deceiving myself into a belief in the reality of a -wished-for fact! I shook myself, and stamped my feet, now grown cold -from inaction. Satisfied at length that I was in the perfect possession -of all my faculties, I ventured to glance again at the needle, and then -I received the fullest evidence that I was not deceived. I called the -second mate to me. He at first could scarce credit it—but, there it -was! The wind had hauled two points, and now was west-north-west, and -we had a prospect of delivery from all our somber soliloquies. Hurrah! -The captain was now called (he having gone below for sleep—the two -preceding nights he had been upon deck until utterly worn out). He -came up skeptical, but was soon a convert. “We cannot show much sail,” -said he, “but we will venture a little more. Shake a reef out of each -topsail. Loose the foresail.” (I had now been relieved from the wheel.) -Still she did not go fast enough. “Loosen the jib and<span class="pagenum" id="Page_402">[Pg 402]</span> spanker.” No -sooner said, than done. I sprang upon the bowsprit and out upon the -jib-boom, skinning my hands fearfully, and receiving a severe blow upon -the head from the jibsheet-block; both, at any other time, sufficient -to make me groan with pain; but now they passed almost unnoticed. -Without faltering, I cast the gasket off. The jib was foul. I had to -lay out, and to overhaul the hoops. It was done. The jib gradually rose -to its proper position. The sheet was then hauled aft by the strength -of the entire crew; but still it was not sufficient. A powerful tackle -was now attached to it, and with the aid of numerous arms (the captain, -cook, and every one else assisting) it was brought flat enough, and -thus secured. Arriving on deck, the clotted blood called my attention -to my lacerated hands; but it was no time to complain. Half-a-dozen -were so wounded. Our skins being dry, parched, and benumbed, the least -contact with any hard material produced an abrasion; which, however, no -one noticed: for the spanker was to be set, more reefs shaken out, and -the staysails loosened.</p> - -<p>And, hurrah again! there came the pilot-boat. Now was the time: we -could not lose a minute. “Loosen topgallant-sails and royals!” (We -dared not set them; but should the wind have moderated, we would have -lost no time in casting off gaskets.) A few minutes more, and the -pilot-boat was alongside. “Is there New-Bedford pilot in the boat?” was -our hail. “Aye, aye!” came booming across the water. “Send down a boat, -with a barrel of pork and a tub of tow-line, and he will board you.” -This was soon effected. The pilot entered the boat, now half full<span class="pagenum" id="Page_403">[Pg 403]</span> of -water; but her crew knew bow to manage her. He was soon aboard the -ship, and without further delay took the command of her.</p> - -<p>Captain Sherman’s vocation has gone—his responsibility is over: the -ship is now in American waters, with an American pilot aboard, who -gives his orders to the ever-willing crew. He is obeyed with alacrity, -as long as he makes sail; but no one wants to take any in—neither does -he. He is a perfectly competent man, and fortunately a driver. “Where -are your studding-sails? Pack them on whilst we have a chance. Never -mind a few yards of canvass, or a whole sail. Give them to her. Let her -have all she can spread: the wind may not hold half an hour.”</p> - -<p>There she goes!—now she is moving! Block Island is passed. There, off -the beam, frowns Point Judith. Now for Cuttyhunk light. “Go along, old -ship!—cleave the waters, as never you did before. Soon you, as well as -we, will be at rest.”</p> - -<p>Nobly did the old barque answer our appeal. She appeared endowed with -life—and, on she goes! The Cuttyhunk light is passed; Clarke’s Point -opens to our view, and some of the crew, who reside in the rural -districts, see familiar landmarks. “There I live,” you hear from one. -“There is the church-steeple—there, the sawmill—there, the almshouse.”</p> - -<p>“Hurrah!”—now we near the city. There are new buildings, erected since -we left here. There is a new lighthouse. There is Fair Haven. There -is the shipping at the docks. And now we are closing-in with Clarke’s -Point. The wind is hauling—well, who cares—who cares now? We are -perfectly independent<span class="pagenum" id="Page_404">[Pg 404]</span> of the clerk of the weather. But we can go only -a few ship’s lengths farther: that is near enough—we are only three -miles from New Bedford.</p> - -<p>“Now, then, round in on your weather-braces. Start away tacks and -sheets. Clew up everything. Haul down your jibs and staysails. Start -away your halyards, and let your yards come down by the run. Let the -spanker remain till she comes to the wind. Hard down the helm. Square -the main yard. Brail up the spanker—one minute more. Let go the -anchor.” The heavy cable runs out unimpeded, and once more we have a -firm hold on American bottom!</p> - -<p>Our next duty is to furl the sails, and then our engagement is ended: -then we are free to do as we please; then we are released from all -discipline, except that enjoined by self-respect; then we once more -become members of society; then we will discard the blue shirt of -the sailor, and in the midst of long anticipated comforts forget our -manifold hardships and dangers; then we will take the preliminary steps -toward meeting friends and relatives, and in the joy of the moment we -are repaid for much that we have undergone of toil and exposure.</p> - -<p>Our job aloft was an arduous one, having carried such a press of sail -up the bay and river, and then when a ship is at anchor she always -swings head to wind—consequently her sails are pressed aft by the -breeze, and it is only by considerable tugging and straining that they -are drawn up to the yard. However, this, like many other unpleasant -duties, could not last for ever. By dint of hauling and tugging, we -accomplished it, and descended to the deck, with<span class="pagenum" id="Page_405">[Pg 405]</span> the gratifying -consciousness that we should have no more of it to do for this voyage -at least, whatever the future may have in store for us.</p> - -<p>Whilst aloft on the maintopsail yard, from which I had a good view -of the bay and the ocean beyond, I asked myself whether I should be -content ashore, or whether it was decreed that I should form one of -that great body of uneasy spirits who gain their livelihood by toil -upon the ocean. All my chequered life for the previous four years -passed in array before me, with its ills and its pleasantries; and, -although the former overbalanced the latter, I could not, without a -sigh of regret, bid farewell to old ocean.</p> - -<p>On getting on deck, all hands were busily employed packing and securing -chests, donning their best suits, and making all necessary preparations -for leaving the ship. This leaving the ship was by no means a pleasant -operation. Her sturdy sides had so long afforded us protection from -the storm and wave, that she was endeared to us by a thousand ties. -Every spar and rope in her were as familiar to us as household words, -and each object begat some pleasant reminiscence; but we were too busy -reflecting on dearer objects to allow the old barque’s memory to make -us sad—so we continued our preparations in silence, scarce a word -being spoken, each heart being too full for utterance.</p> - -<p>Fifteen minutes after a boat came alongside, which is technically known -as the shark’s boat. In it were the proprietors and agents of all the -outfitting firms of the city, black and white, Portuguese, Germans, -Irish, French, &c., each intent on getting a customer<span class="pagenum" id="Page_406">[Pg 406]</span> from amongst -our vessel’s crew. They jumped aboard, and endeavored by passing the -bottle around (with which they always go provided, knowing that the -sailor is much more easily gulled when half seas over), to get as -many to go with them to their places of business as possible; at the -same time they readily give their aid in packing and lashing their -customer’s chests, assiduously waiting upon him, and not allowing -him to get out of their sight for a moment—fearful of losing him. -After some little chaffering our chests and selves were all aboard -the boat and were rapidly approaching the city. A large concourse of -spectators had assembled on the wharves, comprising the runners of all -the most miserable and nefarious houses of the town. The captain of -the boat, anxious to disappoint them, ran to another wharf, to which -these harpies speedily conveyed themselves. As soon as we had landed, -each man went with his outfitter, or rather infitter, in order to be -thoroughly renovated in appearance and pocket. Although we landed on -Sunday, we had no difficulty in obtaining clothing, these outfitters -being provided for all such contingencies. After enjoying a thorough -wash, and getting into an entire suit of long togs, or landsmen’s -wearing garments, but little was left of the semblance of sailors to -us, except the rolling gait and embrowned countenances. Our next trip -was to the barber’s, where all superfluous hair was removed from heads -and faces, and a thorough scrubbing operation gone through with; which, -on viewing ourselves in the glass, gave us a pretty good opinion of -our personal qualifications, and we started for a<span class="pagenum" id="Page_407">[Pg 407]</span> walk. The first -things, of course, that attracted our attention, were the hoops in -female dresses; we had heard marvellous stories of the rotundity of a -fashionably dressed lady, but had never seen one. One of my informants -having told me six months before, whilst we were cruising off the -Island of Madagascar, that it was not unusual for a lady to wear hoops -thirty feet in circumference. In the occupation of mind attendant upon -getting ashore, I had totally forgotten the existence of hoops, but -was astonished at the corpulence of every woman I met, and I thought, -no, I won’t tell you what I thought; but you must imagine yourself in -the same position, and then what would you think? As yet I had not -passed close to a lady with hoops, but in turning the corner of a -street I came in contact with one, and in my endeavors to escape from -my embarrassing position, I made no allowance for the rolling motion -acquired aboard ship, and only made matters worse. In a few minutes, -however, I managed to get clear, though not without getting into the -lady’s arms, or she in mine, I do not now remember which; during said -contact I was convinced that the large size of the ladies was a work -of art and not of nature. This called my wandering memory back to the -descriptions of hoops that I had heard, and henceforth the solution of -the mystery was easy.</p> - -<p>Having made such a poor attempt on my first promenade, I returned to -the house, situated on Union Street (I preferred a private house to a -hotel), where also were several other of my shipmates; and in talking -of old times we whiled away the hours, nor thought them irksome. When -evening came and<span class="pagenum" id="Page_408">[Pg 408]</span> we sat down to supper at the well-spread board, -enlivened by the genial and handsome face of our worthy landlady, we -began to realize what comforts and pleasures we had been deprived of -by our three years’ jaunt; instead of sitting down on a rude chest, -with tin pan and pot before one, and a sheath-knife to carve out the -salt junk that formed the greater part of our repast, here were the -various viands arranged in a clean and neat manner, inviting the -hungry and the gourmand to partake of them. After supper we smoked our -cigars, and, tired with the exercise of the day, retired early, and -enjoyed a night of refreshing slumber, uninterrupted by the hoarse -cry of “Starbowlines, ahoy!” “Eight Bells!” or the still less welcome -one of “All hands turn out and take in sail.” Then, again, each was -comfortably ensconced between clean sheets, on feather beds, totally -distinctive in all their relations from our own straw mattresses, -packed down by three years use, and well-worn, dusky-looking blankets. -All was comfort, and we appreciated it as only men can who for years -have been deprived of the many little et ceteras that make life -bearable.</p> - -<p>The succeeding morning I proceeded to the telegraph office and -telegraphed home, receiving an answer that satisfied my fullest -longings. All my immediate family were alive and well; but such was not -the case with some of my less fortunate shipmates—several had lost -fathers, one a mother, others a sister or brother; in fact, there were -few but had to weep for a near and dear one gone, whom in the fullness -of their wishes they had hoped would have been the first to welcome -them home.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_409">[Pg 409]</span></p> - -<p>My shipmates, I said before, looked different from what they did -aboard ship; but some of them were exceptions to this rule. Several -had nothing coming to them, and could get neither clothing nor money; -pretty hard, was it not, after over three years hard work at sea for -one employer, to land without the wherewithal to purchase a meal’s -victuals.</p> - -<p>There is a dark side to the whaling service, and I shall endeavor to -place it before the community in its true character, and I hope that -it may discourage those young men from embarking in it who think that -money can be saved on a whaling voyage, because there is so little -opportunity to spend it.</p> - -<p>In the first place, when a green hand engages to perform a voyage, -he knows nothing at all about what clothing he requires. The shark, -perhaps, tells him that the ship, being bound to the Indian Ocean, -there is no necessity for him providing woolen clothing, and palms -off upon him an assortment of blue dungaree raiment, precisely like -the summer suits of the population our city supports at the Blockley -almshouse. One of these suits will last him about a week; but as he -gets into high southern latitudes he finds that he requires woolen -clothing, and goes to the slop-chest, imagining that he can get what he -wants at a reasonable price. If he inquires how much such an article -is valued at, the captain will tell him that he does not know; but, -nevertheless, he must have the clothes, and therefore takes them, and -thus his account goes on increasing during the voyage. Just before -the ship returns home, his bill is handed to him by the captain, and -what is his dismay to discover that he is indebted to the owners<span class="pagenum" id="Page_410">[Pg 410]</span> -of the slop-chest, one hundred dollars, or more, independent of the -outfitter’s bill. He finds a woolen shirt is charged to him at the -extortionate price of three dollars and a half; pumps, worth fifty -cents a pair, at a dollar and a half; the commonest kind of rawhide -boots, five dollars a pair; a frieze jacket, seven dollars; thread, six -cents a skein; and suspenders, such as could be bought anywhere else -for five cents a pair, aboard ship are sold for half a dollar. These -prices are not exaggerated, I copy them from my ship’s bill.</p> - -<p>Beside these extortions an additional twenty-five per cent. is charged -on all money advanced in foreign ports by the captain to the crew; six -per cent. interest per annum is our legal rate, and I for one should -not grumble at paying for cash advanced at that rate; but some of our -money we only received seven months previous to our arrival home, and -I cannot but think that a charge of twenty-five per cent. for the use -of money a trifle over six months, is exorbitant and dishonest. Still -there are Shylocks in the world who would absorb the last dollar of -earnings from the sailor, after years of exposure to wind and weather -have rightfully earned for him his scanty wages.</p> - -<p>I have not yet finished with the specifications of these overcharges. -The ship is not at home yet, and we only know what the bill aboard -ship amounts to; the recipient of it, although he is astounded at its -amount, adds it and the amount of his outfitter’s bill together, and -consoles himself with the thought that he has forty or fifty dollars -still due him; and thus persuaded, on the arrival of the ship he goes -ashore,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_411">[Pg 411]</span> confident of being able to pay his board for a week or two, -and have enough remaining to secure him a passage home, he goes up -to the owners and asks for a small sum of money for present wants. -They refuse him, saying that nothing is coming to him. He demands -a settlement. On obtaining it, in the first place he finds that -twenty-five per cent. interest has been charged on his outfitting bill, -next he finds a charge varying from ten to fifteen dollars for loading -and discharging the ship. In many cases, three per cent. for insurance -is packed on, and with these additional items the poor fellow is -brought in debt and knows not what to do. Then the agent claps him on -the shoulder and tells him to cheer up, as another ship will be ready -to sail in a few days, and, if he will sign his name upon her articles, -money and clothing will be advanced to him. Destitute and hopeless, -down goes his name, and a few weeks afterward he is at sea again, bound -on another three or four years’ voyage.</p> - -<p>The average number of barrels of oil taken by sperm whalers, during a -four years’ voyage, is twelve hundred; if the ship carries four boats, -a green hand’s lay is the two hundredth part; this will give him six -barrels of oil, worth about forty-five dollars a barrel, amounting to -two hundred and seventy dollars. The ship’s and outfitter’s bills will -amount to at least two hundred and twenty dollars, leaving a residue -of fifty dollars or about a dollar a month over and above personal -expenses.</p> - -<p>Even if the ship should get full of oil and return home in two years, -which, by the way, would be a miracle now-a-days, one of her crew -cannot, at the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_412">[Pg 412]</span> most, make more than half as much as the day-laborer -ashore.</p> - -<p>These are facts, and are palpable enough to deter any and all who wish -to go whaling for the purpose of making or saving money; but there is -another class who think whaling must be the most delightful of all -pursuits from its pleasant adventures, its perils, and the facilities -offered by it for seeing foreign lands. This is all extremely -visionary, as any one who has ever made such a voyage will tell you. -All its adventures, and all its perils are matter of fact, stern -realities; for instance, you lower away in the boat, get alongside of -a whale, the boat is stoven and you are obliged to remain in the water -for an hour or two, until you are almost frozen; or if you are in warm -latitudes, with the pleasant reflection that at any minute a shark may -come along and snap off one of your limbs, how much pleasure would such -an adventure yield you? It would do to tell after you got home, to be -sure; and whilst you are telling it, ten chances to one, you will be -more fully reminded of it by a twinge of rheumatism, the sowing of the -seeds of which dates back to the very day of your adventure. No; there -is no fun in going on a whaling voyage; nobody goes a second time but -those who are compelled to; they see no adventure in it—it is the mere -perilling of life and limb to fill ship owners’ coffers.</p> - -<p>Then, again, if you go for adventure’s sake, it does not exempt you -from other and more disagreeable duties that your sense of manliness -will revolt at. Go and look at the scavengers at work in the streets of -your native city, and ask yourself how you would<span class="pagenum" id="Page_413">[Pg 413]</span> like to participate -in their employment. But there is no such work aboard ship, some one -says. I know better; and so does any other sailor who ever was in a -ship where pigs were kept, or where the captain had a dog. Yes! he -knows it, for he has had a thorough acquaintance with such duty; and so -will any one else who is foolish enough to go to sea before the mast, -as a green hand.</p> - -<p>Now I think I have presented the subject in its true light, and I will -conclude by advising all young men who can gain a livelihood ashore, to -stay at home. I have been through the mill, and am satisfied to remain; -and in reviewing my whole stock of sea adventures and incidents, I must -say the most pleasant of all is getting home safe, with a chest full -of curiosities, displaying them to appreciating friends, and spinning -yarns descriptive of them. Trusting that all my readers may arrive -as safe at their journey’s end, whether in a voyage to sea or in the -voyage of life, I will bid them adieu; also hoping that, in the perusal -of this book, they have whiled away their hours pleasantly, and gleaned -some little information concerning the whale and his pursuers.</p> - - -<p class="center p4">THE END.</p> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter transnote"> -<h2 class="nobreak" id="Transcribers_Notes">Transcriber’s Notes</h2> -<p>The cover image was created by the transcriber from the original and is placed in the public domain.</p> - -<p>Errors and omissions in punctuation have been fixed.</p> - -<p><a href="#Page_xi">Page xi</a>: “Leviathen of the deep” changed to “Leviathan of the deep”</p> - -<p><a href="#Page_204">Page 204</a>: “demands a disciplne” changed to “demands a discipline”</p> - -<p><a href="#Page_208">Page 208</a>: “a thorough alterative,” changed to “a thorough alternative,”</p> - -<p><a href="#Page_236">Page 236</a>: “discrimation in withdrawing” changed to “discrimination in -withdrawing”</p> - -<p><a href="#Page_258">Page 258</a>: “are diposed to” changed to “are disposed to”</p> - -<p><a href="#Page_281">Page 281</a>: “our own satifaction” changed to “our own satisfaction”</p> - -<p><a href="#Page_321">Page 321</a>: “mucular system” changed to “muscular system”</p> - -<p><a href="#Page_353">Page 353</a>: “for all deficiences” changed to “for all deficiencies”</p> - -<p><a href="#Page_408">Page 408</a>: “straw mattrasses” changed to “straw mattresses”</p> -</div> -<div style='display:block; margin-top:4em'>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FOUR YEARS ABOARD THE WHALESHIP ***</div> -<div style='text-align:left'> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will -be renamed. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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