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diff --git a/23049.txt b/23049.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..ef70782 --- /dev/null +++ b/23049.txt @@ -0,0 +1,14839 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Old Jack, by W.H.G. Kingston + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Old Jack + +Author: W.H.G. Kingston + +Release Date: October 17, 2007 [EBook #23049] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK OLD JACK *** + + + + +Produced by Nick Hodson of London, England + + + + +Old Jack, by W.H.G. Kingston. + +________________________________________________________________________ + +This novel is written as a biography of a seaman, whose life at sea +starts as an illiterate boy-seaman, and whose career spans the last +twenty years of the eighteenth century and the first third of the +nineteenth. We learn much of how ships were managed in those days, the +press-gangs, the training, and the life of the common sailor in the +fo'cstle. We experience the life aboard a man-of-war, a merchantman, a +whaler, and even spend a few years ashore among the cannibals of the +Feejee islands. There is a lot of meat in this book (not intended as a +pun), and the reader will finish it with his or her eyes filled with +wonderment. We now give the preface which Kingston himself wrote for +the book. + +Preface, by W.H.G. Kingston. + +I had more than once, in my rambles in the neighbourhood of Blackheath, +Greenwich and Woolwich, met an old man walking briskly along, whose +appearance struck me as unusual; but we never even exchanged +salutations. One day, however, when I was in company with my friend +Captain N--- of the Navy, seeing the stranger, he stopped and addressed +a few words to him, from which I gleaned that he had been a sailor. My +friend told me, as we moved on, that he often had conversations on +religious subjects with the old man, who had for long been in a South +Sea whaler, and had seen many parts of the world. My interest was much +excited. I took an early opportunity of making the acquaintance of Old +Jack--for such, he told me, was the name by which he was best known; and +without reluctance he gave me his history. This I now present to the +public with certain emendations, with which I do not think my younger +readers will find fault. W.H.G.K. + +________________________________________________________________________ + +OLD JACK, BY W.H.G. KINGSTON. + + + +CHAPTER ONE. + +DONNYBROOK FAIR. + +Jack began his story thus: + +Of course you've heard of Donnybrook Fair, close to the city of Dublin. +What a strange scene it was, to be sure, of uproar and wild confusion-- +of quarrelling and fighting from beginning to end--of broken heads, of +black eyes, and bruised shins--of shouting, of shrieking and swearing-- +of blasphemy and drunkenness in all its forms of brutality. Ay, and as +I've heard say, of many a deed of darkness, not omitting murder, and +other crimes not less foul and hateful to Him who made this beautiful +world, and gave to man a religion of love and purity. There the +rollicking, roaring, bullying, fighting, harum-scarum Irishman of olden +days had full swing for all the propensities and vile passions which +have ruined him at home, and gained him a name and a fame not to be +envied throughout the world. Often have I wondered whether, had a North +American Indian, or a South-Sea Islander, visited the place, he could +have been persuaded that he had come to a land of Christian men. +Certainly an angel from heaven would have looked upon the assemblage as +a multitude of Satan's imps let loose upon the world. They tell me that +the fair and its bedevilments have pretty well been knocked on the head. +I am glad of it, though I have never again been to the spot from the +day of which I am about to speak. + +I remember very little of my childish life. Indeed, my memory is nearly +a blank up to the time to which I allude. That time was one of the +first days of that same Donnybrook Fair; but I remember _that_ and good +reason I have so to do. I was, however, but a small chap then, young in +years, and little as to size. + +My father's name was Amos Williams. He came from England and settled in +Dublin, where he married my mother, who was an Irishwoman. Her name I +never heard. If she had relations, they did not, at all events, own +her. I suspect, from some remarks she once let drop which I did not +then understand, that they had discarded her because she had become a +Protestant when she married my father. She was gentle and pious, and +did her utmost, during the short time she remained on earth, to teach me +the truths of that glorious gospel to which, in many a trial, she held +fast, as a ship to the sheet-anchor with a gale blowing on a lee-shore. +She died young, carried off by a malignant fever. Her last prayers were +for my welfare here and hereafter. Had I always remembered her precepts +I should, I believe, have been in a very different position to what I +now am in my old age. My poor father took her death very much to heart. +For days after her funeral he sat on his chair in our little cottage +with his hands before him, scarcely lifting up his head from his breast, +forgetting entirely that he ought to go out and seek for work, as +without it he had no means of finding food for himself and me. I should +have starved had not a kind woman, a neighbour, brought me in some +potatoes and buttermilk. Little enough I suspect she had to spare after +feeding her own children. + +At length my father roused himself to action. Early one morning, +seizing his hat and bidding me stay quiet till his return, he rushed out +of the house. He was a stonemason. He got work, I believe, but the +tempter came in his way. A fellow-workman induced him to enter a whisky +shop. Spirits had, in his early days, been his bane. My mother's +influence had kept him sober. He now tried to forget his sorrow in +liquor. "Surely I have a right to cure my grief as best I can," said +he. Unhappily he did not wait for a reply from conscience. Little food +could he buy from the remnant of his day's wages. Thus he went on from +day to day, working hard when sober, drinking while he had money to pay +for liquor. + +Still his affection for me did not diminish. While in his right mind he +could not bear to have me out of his sight. Every morning we might have +been seen leaving our cottage, I holding his hand as he went to his +work; yet nearly as certainly as the evening came round I had to creep +supperless to bed. All day he would keep me playing about in his sight, +except when any of his fellow-workmen, or people living near where we +happened to be, wanted a lad to run on an errand. Then I was always +glad of the job. Whenever, by happy chance, he came home sober in an +evening, he would take me between his knees, and, parting my hair, look +into my face and weep till his heart seemed ready to burst. But these +occasions grew less and less frequent. What I have said will show that +I have reason to love the memory of both my parents, in spite of the +faults my unhappy father undoubtedly possessed. + +Several months had thus passed away after my mother's death, when one +afternoon my father entered our cottage where he had left me since the +morning. + +"Jack, my boy," said he, taking my hand, "come along, and I will show +you what _life is_." Oh, had he said, "what _death is_," he would have +spoken the truth. + +I accompanied him willingly, though I saw at a glance that he had +already been drinking. Crowds of people were going in the direction we +took. For some days past I had heard the neighbours talking of the +fair. I now knew that we were bound there. My mother had never allowed +me to go to the place, so I had no notion what it was like. I expected +to see something very grand and very beautiful--I could not tell what. +I pushed on into the crowd with my father as eagerly as any one, +thinking that we should arrive at the fair at last. I did not know that +we were already in the middle of it. I remember, however, having a +confused sight of booths, and canvas theatres, and actors in fine +clothes strutting about and spouting and trumpeting and drumming; of +rope-dancers and tumblers with painted faces; and doctors in gilded +chariots selling all sorts of wonderful remedies for every possible +complaint; and the horsemanship, with men leaping through hoops and +striding over six steeds or more at full gallop; and the gingerbread +stalls, and toy shops, and similar wonders; but what was bought and sold +at the fair of use to any one I never heard. + +My father had taken me round to several of the shows I have spoken of: +when he entered a drinking-booth, and set himself down with me on his +knee, among a number of men who seemed to be drinking hard. Their +example stimulated him to drink harder than ever, and in a short time +his senses completely left him. As, however, even though the worse +liquor, he was peaceable in his disposition, instead of sallying forth +as many did in search of adventures, he laid himself down on the ground +with his head against the canvas of the tent, and told me to call him +when it was morning. Some one at the same time handed me a piece of +gingerbread, so I set myself down by his side to do as he bid me. + +Those were the days of faction fights; and if people happened to have no +cause for a quarrel, they very soon found one. The tent we were in was +patronised by Orangemen, and of course was a mark for the attacks of the +opposite party. My poor father had slept an hour or so, with three or +four men near him in a similar condition, when a half-drunken body of +men came by, shillelah in hand, looking out for a row. Unhappily the +shapes of the heads of most of the sleepers were clearly developed +through the canvas. The temptation was not to be resisted--whack-- +whack--whack! Down came the heavy stick of a sturdy Irishman upon that +of my father. "Get up out of that, and defend yourselves!" sung out +their assailants. Most of his companions rushed out to avenge the +insult offered them, but my father made no answer. Numbers joined from +all directions--shillelahs were flourished rapidly, and the scrimmage +became general. I ran to the front of the tent and clapped my hands, +and shouted with sympathy. Now the mass of fighting, shrieking men +swayed to one side, now to the other; now they advanced, now they +retreated, till by degrees the fight had reached a considerable distance +from the tent. + +I then went back to my place by my father's side, wondering that he did +not get up to join the fray. I listened, he breathed, but he did not +speak. Still I thought he must be awake. "Father, father," said I, +"get up, do. It's time to go home, sure now." I shook him gently, but +he made no reply. At length I could hear no sound proceeding from his +lips. I cried out in alarm. The keeper of the booth saw that something +was wrong, and came and looked curiously into his face. He lifted up my +father's hand. It fell like lead by his side. + +"Why won't father speak to me?" I asked, dreading the answer. + +"He'll never speak again! Your father's dead, lad," answered the man in +a tone of commiseration. + +With what oppressive heaviness did those words strike on my young heart, +though at that time I did not fully comprehend the extent of my loss,-- +that I should never again hear the tone of his voice--that we were for +ever parted in this world--that I was an orphan, without a human being +to care for me. But though bewildered and confused at that awful +moment, the words he had uttered as we left home rung strangely in my +ears--"Lad, I'll show you what life is." Too truly did he show me what +death was. Often and often have I since seen the same promise fulfilled +in a similar fearful way. What men call _life_ is a certain road to +_death_; death of the body, death of the soul. Of course I did not +understand this truth in those days; not indeed till long, long +afterwards, when I had gone through much pain and suffering, and had +been well-nigh worn-out. I was then very ignorant and very simple, and +I should probably have been vicious also had not my mother watchfully +kept me out of the way of bad example; and even after she was taken from +me, I was prevented from associating with bad companions. + +When I found that my poor father was really dead, I stood wringing my +hands and crying bitterly. The sounds of my grief attracted many of the +passers-by; some stopped to inquire its cause, and when they had +satisfied their curiosity they went their way. At last several seamen, +with an independent air, came rolling up near the tent. The leader of +the party was one of the tallest men I ever saw. Though he stooped +slightly as he walked, his head towered above all the rest of the crowd. + +"What's the matter with the young squeaker there, mate?" he asked in a +bantering tone, thinking probably that I had broken a toy, or lost a +lump of gingerbread from my pocket. + +"His daddy's dead, and he's no one to look after him!" shouted an urchin +from the crowd of bystanders. + +"He's in a bad case then," replied the seaman, coming up to me. "What, +lad! is it true that you have no friends?" he asked, stooping down and +taking me by the hand. + +"No one but father, and he lies there!" I answered, giving way to a +fresh burst of grief as I pointed to my parent's corpse. + +"He speaks the truth," observed the man of the booth; "he has no mother, +nor kith nor kin that I know of, and must starve if no one takes charge +of him, I suspect." + +The tall sailor looked at me with an expression of countenance which at +once gained my confidence. "What say you, lad, will you come with us?" +he asked, pointing to his companions; "we'll take you to sea, and make a +man of you!" + +"We may get him entered aboard the _Rainbow_, I think, mates," he added, +addressing them. "He'll do as well as the monkey we lost overboard +during the last gale; and though he may be as mischievous now, he will +learn better manners, which Jocko hadn't the sense to do." + +"Oh ay! Bear him along with us," replied the other sea men; "he'll be +better afloat, whichever way the wind blows, than starving on shore." + +"Come along, youngster, then," said the tall seaman; and, without +waiting for my reply, he seized me by the arm, and began to move off +with me through the crowd. + +"But what will be done with poor father? Sure I cannot leave him now!" +I exclaimed, looking back with anguish at my father's corpse. + +"Oh, we'll see all about that," answered my new friend; "he shall be +waked in proper style, and have a decent funeral; so you may leave home +with a clear conscience. Never fear!" + +I need not dwell longer on the events of that sad day. Aided by some of +the men who knew my father, and who returned to the tent after the fray +was over, the kind-hearted seamen bore the corpse to our cottage. The +promise of a supply of whisky easily induced some of the neighbours to +come and howl during the livelong night. This they did with right good +will, although my father was a Protestant and a foreigner; and I cried +and howled in sympathy. I would fain, however, have forgotten my grief +in sleep. The seamen had taken their departure, promising to return to +look after me. + +As there was no chance of a man with a fractured skull coming to life +again, the funeral speedily took place. The small quantity of furniture +remaining in the cottage was sold; but the proceeds were barely +sufficient to pay the expenses. + +Thus I was left, with the exception of a suit of somewhat ragged clothes +on my back, as naked and poor as when I came into the world about twelve +years before, with a much more expensive appetite than I then had to +supply. Some boys at that age are well able to take care of themselves, +but, as I have said, I was small for my years, and I had been kept by my +poor mother so much by myself, that I knew nothing of the world and its +ways. + +Alter the funeral a compassionate neighbour, with a dozen or more +children of her own to feed, took me to her house till it was settled +what was to become of me. She and her husband laughed at the idea of +the tall sailor coming to take me away. + +"I know what sailors are," said the husband; "they'll just chuck a +handful of silver to the first beggar who asks them for it, and then +they'll go away and forget all about it! Maybe your friend was only +after joking with you, and is off to sea long ago!" + +"Oh no! he meant what he said," I replied; "I know that by the look of +his face. He's a kind man, I'm certain!" + +"It may be better for us all if he comes, but it's not very likely," was +the answer. Still I trusted that my new friend would not deceive me. + +I was standing in front of the cottage which was next to that my father +and I had inhabited, when my heart beat quick at seeing a tall figure +turn a corner at the other end of the street. I was certain it was my +sailor friend. "It's him! It's him! I knew he'd come!" I shouted, +and ran forward to meet him. + +He smiled as he saw my eagerness. "You've not forgotten me, I see, +lad," said he; "well, come along. It's all arranged; and if you're in +the same mind, you've only to say so, and we'll enter you aboard the +_Rainbow_!" + +I told the tall sailor that I was ready to go wherever he liked to take +me. This seemed to please him. After I had wished the neighbours, who +had been so kind to me, good-bye, he took me by the hand, and led me +rapidly along in the direction of the docks. Before reaching them, we +entered a house where some old gentlemen were sitting at a table. One +of them asked me if I wished to go to sea and become an admiral. I +replied, "Yes, surely," though I did not know what being an admiral +meant; and on this the other old gentlemen laughed, and the first wrote +something on a paper, which he handed across the table. + +On this a sunburnt fine-looking man stepped forward and wrote on the +paper, and I was then told that I was bound apprentice to Captain +Helfrich, of the _Rainbow_ brig. The fine-looking man was, I found, +Captain Helfrich. "Well, that matter is squared now!" exclaimed the +tall sailor; "so, youngster, we'll aboard at once, before either you or +I get into mischief." + +On our way to the brig, we stopped at a slop clothes-shop. "Here, Mr +Levi! I want an outfit for this youngster," said my friend, taking me +in. "Let his duds be big enough, that he may have room to grow in them. +Good food and sea air will soon make him sprout like a young cabbage." + +The order was literally fulfilled, and I speedily found myself the +possessor of a new suit of sailors' clothes, of two spare shirts, and +sundry other articles of dress. My friend made me put them on at once. + +"Now, do the old ones up in that handkerchief," said he; "we'll find a +use for them before long." + +The spare new things he did up into a bundle, and carried it himself. + +"I did not want the Jew to get your old clothes, for which he would have +allowed nothing," said he, as we left the shop. "We shall soon fall in +with a little ragged fellow, to whom they'll be a rich prize." + +As we went along, two or three boys begged of us, and pointed to their +rags as a plea for their begging. "They'll not do," said he; "the +better clothes would ruin them." + +At last, passing along the quays, we saw a little fellow sitting on the +stock of an anchor, and looking very miserable. He had no shoes on his +feet; his trousers were almost legless, and fastened up over one +shoulder by a piece of string, while his arms were thrust into the +sleeves of an old coat, much too large for him, and patched and torn +again in all directions. He did not beg, but just looked up into my +tall friend's face, as if he saw something pleasing there. + +"What do you want?" said the sailor. + +"Nothing," answered the boy, not understanding him. + +"You're well off then, lad," said the tall sailor, smiling at him. "But +I think that you would be the better for some few things in this world-- +for a suit of clothes, for instance." + +"The very things I do want!" exclaimed the lad. "You've hit it, your +honour. I'd a dacent suit as ever you'd wish to see, and they were run +away with, just as I'd got the office of an errand-boy with a gentleman, +and was in a fair way to make my fortune." + +"Well, then, here's a suit for you, my lad," said the sailor; "just get +your mother to give them a darning up, and they'll serve your purpose, I +daresay. Give him your bundle." + +"Sure your honour isn't joking with me!" exclaimed the lad, his +countenance beaming with pleasure as he undid the bundle of clothes, +which were certainly very far better than those he had on. "I'm a made +man--that I am! Blessings on your honour, and the young master there!" + +"You're welcome, lad, with all my heart," answered my friend. + +"Oh, it's Terence McSwiney will have to thank you to the end of his +days, and ever after!" exclaimed the boy, as we were walking on. + +"Well, Terence, I hope you'll get the post, and do your duty in it," +said the tall sailor, moving off to avoid listening to the expressions +of gratitude which the lad poured forth. + +The incident made a deep impression on me. I learned by it that others +might be worse off than I was, and also that a gift at the right time +might be of the greatest service. Of this I had the proof many years +afterwards. If the rich and the well-to-do did but know of what use +their own or their children's cast-off clothes would be to many not only +among the labouring classes, but to people of education and refinement, +struggling with poverty, they would not carelessly throw them away, or +let them get into the hands of Jews, sold by their servants for a sixth +of their value. I must observe that, in the course of my narrative I +shall often make remarks on various ideas which, at the time I speak of, +could not possibly have occurred to me. + +The tall sailor and I walked along the quay. All of a sudden it +occurred to me that I did not know his name. I looked up in his face +and asked him. + +"I'm called Peter Poplar," he answered, with one of his kind smiles. +"The name suits me, and I suit the name; so I do not quarrel with it. +You'll have to learn the names, pretty quickly too, of all the people on +board. There are a good many of us, and each and every one of them will +consider himself your master, and you'll have to look out to please them +all." + +"I'll do my best to please them, Mr Poplar," said I. + +"That's right! But I say, lad, don't address me so. Call me plain +Peter, or Peter Poplar; we don't deal in misters aboard the _Rainbow_. +It is all very well for shore-going people to call each other mister; or +when you speak to an officer, just to show that he is an officer; but +sharp's the word with us forward--we haven't time for compliments." + +"But I thought you were an officer, Peter," said I. "You look like +one." + +"Do I?" he answered, with his pleasant smile. "Well, Jack, perhaps I +ought to have been one, and it's my own fault that I am not. But the +truth is, I haven't got the learning necessary for it. I never have +learned to read, and so I haven't been able to master navigation. +Without it, you know, a man cannot be an officer, however good a seaman +he may be; and in that point I'll yield to no man." + +Peter, as he spoke, drew himself up to his full height, and I thought he +looked fit to be a very great officer indeed; even to be an admiral, +such as the old gentleman in the office had spoken of. + +"I am very bad at my books too," said I. "I can just read a little +though, and if I can get the chance of falling in with a book, I'll like +to read to you, Peter." + +My friend thanked me, but said books were not often seen aboard the +_Rainbow_; nor were they found in many other merchant-craft, for that +matter, in those days. + +We found the brig just ready to haul out into the outer basin, +preparatory to putting to sea. She was a fine large craft, and had been +built for a privateer in the war-time. Her heavy guns had been landed, +but she still carried some eight six-pounders; and as she had a strong +crew of fully twenty men, she was well able to defend herself from any +piratical craft, or other gentry of that description. + +When Peter first took me on board, some of the seamen would scarcely +believe I was the same little boy they had seen at the fair, I looked so +much stouter and stronger in my seaman's dress. I did not much like the +look of the forepeak, into which Peter introduced me, telling me that it +was to be my house and home for the next few years of my life. I had +been accustomed to the dingy obscurity of an Irish cabin, but never had +I been, I thought, in a more dark and gloomy habitation than this. + +"Never fear, Jack, you'll soon find yourself at home here," said Peter, +divining my thoughts. While he was speaking, a seaman lighted a lantern +which hung from a beam, and its glare showed me that the place was more +roomy than I had supposed, and that every part of it was perfectly +clean. I found, indeed, afterwards, that it was very superior to the +places merchant-seamen are compelled often to live in. Some of the crew +slept in standing bed-places ranged round the sides of the vessel, or +rather inside her bows, while for others hammocks were slung from the +beams which supported the deck. The chests were arranged to serve as +seats, while there was a rack for the plates and mugs belonging to their +mess. + +The greater part of the crew was still on shore. "Now, Jack, that you +know the sort of place we have to live in, I'll show you the +accommodation prepared for the captain and his passengers. It must not +make you envious any more than it does me, for I think that those who +have learning and education should enjoy advantages in proportion. I +feel that it is my own fault that I do not live in as fine a cabin as +the captain does." + +Even though Peter had thus prepared me to see something very fine, the +richness of the cabin fittings and furniture surpassed anything I had in +my simplicity imagined to exist. Perhaps those accustomed to such +things might not have thought it so very great. I know that there were +damask curtains, and coverings to the sofas, and mirrors, and pictures +in gold frames, and mahogany tables and chairs, and cut-glass decanters, +and china in racks, and a number of pistols and muskets and cutlasses, +all burnished and shining, fixed against a bulkhead. + +"Why, this is a place fit for a king," I exclaimed; "sure he can't have +anything grander." + +Peter laughed. "The captain prides himself on being very natty, and +having everything in good order," said he; "but kings, I fancy, live in +finer places than this. However, my reason for bringing you here was to +show you the place, that you may know how to behave yourself should you +be sent for to attend on the captain. You must obey him quickly, try +and understand his wishes, and keep things clean and in their places. +If you do this, you are certain to please him." + +Thus it was that my friend kindly tried to prepare me for my new career. +"Now, Jack," said he at last, "I've done my best to set you on your +legs. You must try to walk alone. I don't want to make a nursing baby +of you, remember." From that day forward Peter left me very much to +take care of myself. Still I felt that his eye was watching over me, +and this feeling gave me a considerable amount of confidence which I +should not otherwise have possessed. + +By the next day at noon, the rest of the crew had assembled; the captain +and several passengers, mostly merchants and planters, came on board. +There was a fair wind blowing down the Liffey. "Open the dock-gates, +Mr Thompson, and let her go. She'll find her own way to Jamaica and +back again by herself, without a hand at the helm, she knows it so +well," the captain, as he stood on the poop, sung out to the +dock-master. I found that this was a standing joke of his. + +The _Rainbow_ was a regular West India trader, and had had many +successful voyages there. Captain Helfrich was chief owner as well as +master, and was a great favourite with the merchants and planters at the +different islands at which he was in the habit of touching, and +consequently had always plenty of passengers, and never had to wait long +for freight. He was very proud of his brig, and of everything connected +with her. He himself also was a person not a little worthy of note. He +was, as I have said, a tall, fine man, robust and upright in figure, +with large, handsome features, and teeth of pearly whiteness. He was +probably at this time rather more than forty years old, but not a +particle of his crisp, curly, brown hair had a silvery tint. He had a +fine beaming smile, though he was very firm and determined, and could +look very fierce when angry. I had an unbounded respect for him. Thus +commanded, and with as good a crew as ever manned a ship, the _Rainbow_ +dropped down the Liffey, and made sail to the southward; and under these +propitious circumstances I found myself fairly launched in my career as +a sailor. + + + +CHAPTER TWO. + +THE BITTERS AND SWEETS OF A SEA-LIFE. + +"And so, Jack, you like a sea-life, do you?" said Peter Poplar to me one +day after we had been about two weeks from port. We had had very fine +weather all the time, with a north or easterly wind, and I expected to +find the ocean always as smooth and pleasant as it then was. One good +result was, that I had been able to pick up a good many of the details +of my duty, which I should not have done had I been sea-sick, and +knocked about in a gale. + +"Yes, thanks to you, Peter, I like it much better than running errands +on shore," I answered. "I don't wish for a pleasanter life." + +Peter laughed. "You've had only the sweets as yet, boy; the bitters are +to come," he observed. "Still, if you get a fair share of the first, +you'll have no reason to complain." + +I did not quite understand him. I then only thought of the sweets, as +he called them. The truth was, I had generally been very kindly treated +on board. To be sure, I got a kick, or the taste of a rope's end, now +and then, from some of the men if they happened to be out of humour; but +those were trifles, as I never was much hurt, and Peter told me I was +fortunate to get nothing worse. There was one ill-conditioned fellow, +Barney Bogle by name, who lost no opportunity of giving me a cuff for +the merest trifle, if he could do so without being seen by Peter, of +whom he was mortally afraid. In his presence, the bully always kept his +hands off me. Of course it would not have been wise in me to complain +of Barney to Peter, as it might have caused a quarrel; so I contented +myself with doing my best to keep out of my enemy's way, just as a cat +does out of the way of a dog which has taken a fancy to worry her. +Captain Helfrich had hitherto taken no notice whatever of me, and he +seemed to me so awful a person, that I never expected to be spoken to by +him. Now and then the mates ordered me to do some little job or other, +to fetch a swab or a marlinespike, or to hold a paint-pot, but they in +no other way noticed me. + +I remember how blue the sky was, and how sparkling the sea, and how hot +the sun at noon shone down on our heads, and how brightly the moon +floated above us at night, and formed a long, long stream of silvery +light across the waters; and I used to fancy, as I stood looking at it, +that I could hear voices calling to me from far, far-off, and telling me +of my sweet, calm-eyed mother, still remembered fondly, and of my poor +father, snatched from me so suddenly. I won't talk much about that sort +of thing. It seems now like a long-forgotten dream--I believe that, +even then, I was dreaming. + +Well, as I said, the fine weather continued for a long time, till I was +awoken one morning by a loud, roaring, dashing, creaking sound, or +rather, I might say, of a mixture of such sounds; and as I began to rub +my eyes, I thought that I should have been hove out of the narrow crib +in which I was stowed away in the very bows of the vessel. Sometimes I +felt the head of the brig lifted up, and then down it came like a +sledge-hammer into the water; now I felt myself rolled on one side, now +on the other. I fully thought that the vessel must be on the rocks. +Not a gleam of light reached me, nor could I hear the sound of a human +voice. I wanted to be out of the place; but when I tried to get up, I +felt so sick and wretched, that I lay down again with an idea that it +would be more comfortable to die where I was. At last, however, Barney +Bogle came below and discovered me. + +"Turn out, you young skulker; turn out!" he exclaimed, belabouring me +with a rope's end. "Didn't you hear all hands called to shorten sail an +hour ago?" + +I had no help for it, so on deck I crawled, where the grey light of +morning was streaming from beneath a dark mass of clouds which hung +overhead, and a gale was blowing which sent the foam flying from the +tops of the seas, deluging us fore and aft. Now the brig was lifted up +to the summit of a wave, and now down she sank into the trough of the +sea, with a liquid wall on one side which, as it came curling on, looked +as if it must inevitably overwhelm her. She was under close-reefed +topsails and storm-jib, and two of the best hands were at the helm. +Peter was one of them. I managed to climb up to windward, and to hold +on by the weather-fore-rigging, where the rest of the crew were +collected. + +I shall never forget the dark, dreary, and terrific scene which the +ocean presented to my unaccustomed sight. At first, too, I felt very +sick and miserable, and I thought that I would far rather have been +starving on shore than going to be drowned, as I fancied, and being +tossed about by the rough ocean. Barney, who was on deck before me, +abused me as I crawled up near him, and contrived to give me a kick, +which, had I let go my hold, as it was calculated to make me do, would +probably have been the cause of my immediate destruction. At that +moment a huge sea came rolling up towards the brig, topping high above +our deck. I saw Peter Poplar and the other man at the helm looking out +anxiously at it. They grasped tighter hold of the spokes of the wheel, +and planted their feet firmer on the deck. Captain Helfrich and his +mates were standing by the main-rigging. + +"Hold on, hold on for your lives, my men!" he sung out. The crew did +not neglect to obey him, and I clung to a rope like a monkey. Most of +the passengers were below, sick in their berths. Down came the huge sea +upon us like the wall of a city overwhelming its inhabitants. Over our +deck it rushed with terrific force. I thought to a certainty that we +were sinking. What a horrible noise there was!--wrenching and tearing, +and the roar and dashing sound of the waves, and the howling of the +wind! All contributed to confuse my senses, so that I forgot altogether +where I was. I had an idea, I believe, that the end of the world was +come. Still my shipmates did not shriek out, and I was very much +surprised to find the brig rise again out of the water, and to see them +standing where they were before, employed in shaking the wet off their +jackets. The deck of the brig, however, presented a scene of no little +confusion and havoc. Part of her weather-bulwarks forward had been +stove in, the long-boat on the booms had been almost knocked to pieces, +and a considerable portion of the after-part of the lee-bulwarks had +been washed away, showing the course the sea had taken over us. + +"We must not allow that trick to be played us again," said the captain +to the mates. I had crept as far aft as I dared go, for I did not like +the look of the sea through the broken bulwark, so I could hear him. +"Stand by to heave the ship to!" he shouted, and his voice was easily +heard above the sounds of the tempest. "Down with the helm!--In with +the jib!--Hand the maintopsail!" The officers and men, who were at +their stations, flew to obey their orders. I trembled as I saw the +third mate, with several other men, taking in the jib. Having let go +the halliards, and eased off the sheets, hauling away on the +down-hauler; and having got it down on the bowsprit-cap, though nearly +blown out of the bolt-ropes, stowing it away in the foretopmast +staysail-netting. As the bows of the brig now rose and now plunged into +the trough of the sea, I thought they must have been, to a certainty, +washed away. The maintopsail was, in the meantime, taken in, and I felt +that I was very glad I was not obliged to lay-out on the yard with the +other men. It seemed a wonder how they were not shaken off into the +sea, or carried away by the bulging sail. The great thing in taking in +a sail in a gale, as I now learned from Peter, is not to allow the sail +to shake, or it is very likely to split to pieces. Keep it steadily +full, and it will bear a great strain. Accordingly, the clew-lines, +down-haul-tackle, and weather-brace being manned, the halliards were let +go, the weather-brace hauled in, the weather-sheet started and clewed +up; then the bowline and lee-sheets being let go, the sail caught aback, +and the men springing on the yard, grasped it in their arms as they hung +over it. Folding it in inch by inch, they at length mastered the +seeming resistless monster, and passing the gaskets round it, secured it +to the yard. Those who for the first time see a topsail furled in a +heavy gale may well deem it a terrific operation, and perilous in the +extreme to those employed in it. I know that I breathed more freely +when all the men came down safely from the yard, Barney Bogle among the +number; and the helm being lashed a-lee, the brig rode like a duck over +the seas. + +There was no time, however, to be idle, and all hands set to work to +repair damages. I now saw that the captain, who appeared so fine a +gentleman in harbour, or when there was nothing to do, could work as +well, if not rather better, than any one. With his coat off, and saw, +axe, or hammer in hand, he worked away with the carpenter in fitting a +new rail, and planking up the bulwarks; and the steward had twice to +call him to breakfast before he obeyed the summons. His example +inspired the rest; and in a very short time the bulwarks were made +sufficiently secure to serve till the return of fine weather. + +"I told you, Jack, that you would have a taste of the bitters of a +sea-life before long," said Peter, as soon as he had time to have a word +with me. "Let me tell you, however, that this is just nothing, and that +we shall be very fortunate if we do not fall in with something much +worse before long." + +I knew that Peter would not unnecessarily alarm me, and so I looked up +at the dark clouds driving across the sky, and saw the hissing, foaming +waves dancing up wildly around us, looking as if every moment they were +ready to swallow up the brig, I asked myself what worse could occur, +without our going to the bottom. I had never then been in a regular +hurricane or a typhoon, or on a lee-shore on a dark night, surrounded by +rocks, or among rapid currents, hurrying the ship within their power to +destruction; nor had I been on board a craft when all hands at the pumps +could scarcely keep her afloat; nor had I seen a fire raging. Indeed, I +happily knew nothing of the numberless dangers and hardships to which a +seaman in his career is exposed. I must not say that I was in any way +frightened. I resolved to keep a bold heart in my body. "Never mind," +I answered to Peter's remark; "while I've got you and the captain on +board, I don't fear anything." + +Peter laughed. "We may be very well in our way," said he; "but, Jack, +my advice is: Trust in God, and hold on by the weather-rigging. Should +the ship go down, look out for spar or a plank if there's no boat +afloat; and if you can find nothing, swim as long as you can; but +whatever you do, trust in God." + +I have never forgotten Peter's advice. Never have I found that trust +deceive me; and often and often have I been mercifully preserved when I +had every reason to believe that my last hour had come. I should remark +also that, badly off as I have often fancied myself, I have soon had +reason to be thankful that I was not in the condition of others around +me. + +While Peter was speaking, one of the crew sung out, "a sail on the +weather-bow!" Sure enough, as we rose on the summit of a sea, a ship +could be seen with all her topsails set running before the wind. Peter +remarked that she was standing directly for us. "She is a large ship, +by the squareness of her yards; probably either from the West Indies or +South America, or maybe China, or from some port in the Pacific, and she +has come round the Horn." + +We watched her for some time. "She has a signal of distress flying, +sir," said the first mate, who had been looking at her through a glass. + +"She is in a bad way, then," remarked the captain. "I fear that unless +the sea goes down, and she in the meantime can heave-to near us, we can +render her no assistance." + +On came the ship right for us. I thought that she would run us down; +so, indeed, I found did others on board. The mates, indeed, went to the +wheel to put the helm up to let the brig fall off, that we might get out +of her way; but as she approached, she altered her course a little, so +that she might pass clear under our stem. Never shall I forget the look +of that strange ship; for, as she came near us, rolling in the trough of +the sea, we could see clearly everything going forward on her decks. + +She was a Spaniard, so Peter told me, as he knew from the ensign which +flew out, hoisted half-way to her peak. She was a high-pooped ship, +with a deep waist and a lofty forecastle, her upper works narrowing as +they rose, with large lanterns, and much rich carved work all gilt and +painted. Such a craft is never seen now-a-days. + +She was crowded with people. Some were soldiers, worn-out men, with +their wives and families returning home from the colonies; others were +cabin passengers. There were rich Hidalgos, attended on by their +slaves--old men, who had spent their lives abroad in the pursuit of +wealth; and there were fair girls, too, probably their daughters, some +young and lovely; and there were young men, with life before them, and +thinking that life was to be very sweet; and there were children, and +infants in arms, and their fond mothers or nurses anxious to shelter +them from harm. Then there were the officers of the ship and the crew; +fierce, dark-bearded men--a mongrel set of various ranks and many +nations. She was evidently a rich galleon, returning to old Spain from +one of her ill-governed dependencies in South America. But it was the +way in which all these people were employed that made so deep an +impression on me. Then the scene looked only like a strange picture. +It was not till long afterwards, when I reasoned on what I had observed, +that I understood what I now describe. + +The greater number of the men were at the pumps, labouring in a way +which showed that they fancied their lives depended on their exertions; +but the clear streams of water which came out of the scuppers, and the +heavy way in which the ship plunged into the trough of the sea, showed +that their labour would too probably be in vain. Others seemed +paralysed or pitied, and sat down with their heads on their breasts +waiting their fate. Many, as they passed us, came to the side of their +ship, and held out their hands imploringly towards us, as if we could +help them. But what seemed most dreadful--some of the sailors and +soldiers had got hold of a quantity of wine and spirits, and were +reeling about the decks, offering liquor to every one they encountered, +and holding out bottles and cans of wine mockingly at us, or as if +inviting us to join them. Several, although they must have given up all +hope of assistance from man, might have looked for it from Heaven, for +they were on their knees imploring help--was it from Him who alone can +give it, or was it from their various saints? I don't know. + +Two groups of figures on the poop especially struck me. In the centre +of one stood a tall man in rich vestments of gold, and white, and +purple. He had a shorn crown. He was a priest. He was holding aloft a +golden crucifix, which I thought the wind would have blown out of his +hand, but he must have been a powerful man, and he grasped it fast. +Assisting to support him and it were two monks in dark dresses, kneeling +on the deck on either side of him. Around them knelt and clung, holding +on to each other, a number of men and women, and among them were some +little children, holding up their tiny hands in supplication towards the +crucifix. Of course, no sound could reach us, but there seemed to be +much wailing, and crying, and groaning. Some were stretching out their +arms, others were beating their breasts and tearing their hair. The +priest stood unmoved, with head erect, uttering prayers, or pronouncing +absolution. At some distance from them were a couple, not to be +overlooked either. One was a fine handsome young man, in the uniform of +a military officer; the other a young and beautiful girl, who lay nearly +fainting in his arms. He looked towards us eagerly, hopefully, as if he +fancied that he would plunge with his precious charge into the water. I +thought that at that moment he was going to make the daring leap. Some +of the officers of the ship were gathered round the wheel. Just then +the helm was put down, and we saw some of them with blows and threats +urging the drunken crew to take in the headsails, leaving the +maintopsail only to steady the ship. In the operation, however, +carelessly performed, the sails were blown to ribbons, and the ship +drifted away to leeward of us. She had before this evidently suffered +severely. Her boats were gone; her bulwarks in many places stove in; +and her bowsprit and foretopmast had been carried away, while, of +course, still more serious damage had been sustained in her hull. + +"Shall we be able to do anything for all those poor people?" I asked of +Peter, who stood near me. + +"No, Jack, we shall not," he answered; "man can't help them. This ship, +by the look of her, will not keep above water another half-hour; and +then Heaven have mercy on their souls! I doubt if the captain will +venture to lower a boat in this sea to attempt to save them, or if a +boat could lift if he did." + +"It's very dreadful," said I. + +"Yes, Jack; but it's the lot all sailors must be prepared for," answered +Peter. "Remember, it may be my fate or yours one of these days. We +should not be afraid; but I repeat it, Jack, we should be prepared." I +did not quite understand Peter then. + +"Then, Peter, you would not go in the boat if one was lowered?" I +observed. + +"Wait till the captain says what he wants done," he answered calmly. +"If he thinks a boat can live, and wants volunteers, it's my duty to go, +you know. Remember, Jack, obey first, and calculate risk afterwards." + +Peter's predictions as to the fate of the Spanish ship were fulfilled +sooner even than he had expected. That moment, while we were looking at +her, she settled lower and lower in the water; she rolled still more +heavily; her bow looked as if about to rise, but instead her stem lifted +high--up it went. There seemed a chasm yawning for her. Into it she +plunged, and down, down she went--the waves wildly rushing over her +decks, and scattering the shrieking multitude assembled on them far and +wide over the foaming ocean; mothers, children, husbands, wives, lovers, +and friends, the priests and their disciples, were rudely torn asunder, +and sent hither and thither. Numbers went down in the vortex of the +huge ship--the men at the pumps, the drunken seamen, some who had clung +madly to the rigging. Others supported themselves on anything which +could float; and brave swimmers struck out for dear life. + +"I can't stand this," cried our captain, unconscious that he was +speaking aloud; "we must try at all risks to save the poor wretches." + +"I'll go," cried the second mate, Harry Gale, a fine, quiet, +gentleman-reared young man as ever I met. + +"I'm one with you, Mr Gale," cried Peter Poplar, springing aft to the +falls of the lee-quarter-boat, the only one which could be lowered. +"Bear a hand here, mates; there'll no time to be lost!" + +"Hold fast!" shouted the captain. "No hurry, my men; those who go clear +the boat. The mates will stand by the falls with Jackson and Farr. All +ready now!--Lower away!" + +The captain gave the word, so that the boat touched the water just at +the best time. Peter Poplar stood in the bows, boat-hook in hand, and +moved off; Mr Gale steered; the three other men were the strongest of +the ship's company; and truly it required all the care and seamanship +mortal man could possess to keep a boat alive in such a boiling caldron +as the wide Atlantic then was. I was very anxious for Peter's safety, +for he was indeed my friend. I feared also for the rest. I was fully +alive to the danger of the expedition they were on. + +The boat, keeping under the lee of the brig, dropped down towards the +scene of the catastrophe. So fiercely boiling, however, were the waves, +that with awful rapidity the greater number of those who had lately +peopled the deck of that big ship were now engulfed beneath them. Some, +however, still struggled for existence. + +Had the sea been less violent many might have been saved; for as we +stood on the deck we could see the poor wretches struggling among the +foam, but by the time the boat reached the spot they had sunk for ever. + +The captain had gone into the main-rigging, and with his outstretched +arm was indicating to the second mate the direction in which to steer; +but of course she could venture to go very little out of one particular +direction without a certainty of being swamped. It was very dreadful to +watch one human being after another engulfed in the hungry ocean. We +have just to picture to ourselves how we should be feeling if we were in +their places, to make us eager to save those under like circumstances. + +The most conspicuous object was the tall priest, and towards him the +boat was accordingly making her way. Two other figures were at the same +time seen. One floated only a short distance to leeward of the brig; it +was that, I felt certain, of the beautiful girl I had seen supported by +the young officer. She was unconscious of all around, and I believe +that even then life had left her frame. She was supported by a piece of +plank, to which probably she had been secured with the last fond effort +of affection by him who had thus been unable to provide any means of +escape for himself. He, however, must have struggled bravely for +existence, for I made him out at a short distance beyond, now rising on +the crest of a wave, now sinking into the trough of the sea, but still +swimming on with his eye gazing steadily in the direction of that +floating form. + +Meantime the boat was making towards the priest. "Give way, lads!" +shouted several of our people in their eagerness, forgetting that they +could not possibly be heard. No time was to be lost, for already the +priest's rich dress was saturated with water, and he was sinking lower +and lower, and what at first had supported him was now dragging him +down. Still he did not give in, but, cross in hand, waved the boat on. +The distance he was from the boat must have been greater than we +supposed. Suddenly he threw up his arms, and a white-crested top of a +sea breaking over him, he disappeared for ever amidst a mass of foam. + +Mr Gale saw what had occurred, and instantly turned the boat's head +towards the young officer, who was still swimming on with wonderful +strength. In this instance the men were more successful; the boat's +head dropped down close to him, and Peter, stretching out his arm, +grasped the young man by the shoulder, and hauled him in over the bows, +and passed him on into the stern-sheets. Though faint at first, the +Spaniard instantly recovered himself, and stood upright in the boat, +gazing eagerly around. As the boat rose on a sea, he caught sight of +the object of his search. He pointed towards the floating form of the +young lady. Even when first seen, the line by which she had been +hurriedly and imperfectly secured to the plank I observed was loosened. +The wash of the sea now parted her from it entirely. The young man saw +what had occurred. With a cry of anguish, before our people could seize +him, he sprang from the gunwale towards the object of his love, as her +dress carried her down beneath the foaming waters. I think he reached +her. They disappeared at the same moment, and never rose again! + +Still a few people kept above water, holding on to planks, or swimming, +chiefly seamen or soldiers; but most of them had been carried to too +great a distance from the brig for a boat to save them. It was only by +keeping under our lee, our hull preventing the sea from breaking so +much, that the boat avoided being swamped. Thus we could expect that +only a very few of those who floated to the last could be saved. No one +could have ventured further than did our brave mate and his crew;--they +would in all probability have thrown away their own lives had not +Captain Helfrich recalled them. He signalled with his hand, but Mr +Gale did not observe him. "Fire a gun there," he shouted; "quick, for +your lives!" A gun had been ready loaded for the purpose. Its report +served as the funeral knell of many a despairing wretch. + +The boat put about. The returning alongside was as perilous an +operation almost as the lowering the boat had been. All hands not +required at the falls stood ready with ropes to heave to our shipmates +should she be swamped alongside; but the oars being thrown in, Mr Gale +and Peter seizing the fall-tackles at the right moment, hooked on, and +the rest of the people handing themselves up by the ropes hanging ready +for them, the boat was hoisted up before the sea again rose under her +bottom. It was sad to think: that all their gallant efforts had been +unavailing. In two or three minutes more not a human being of all the +Spaniard's crew was to be seen alive; and except a few planks and spars, +and here and there a bale or a chest, mere dots in the ocean, we might +have fancied, as we looked out on those foaming waters, that all that +had passed was some hideous dream. Often, indeed, have I since had the +same dreadful drama acted over before my eyes while I slept; so deep was +the impression made on me by the reality. Very many things which long +after that time occurred have entirely faded from my memory. + +Had it been possible, (as Peter told me he thought it would have been, +had all the crew done their duty), to keep the galleon afloat a few +hours longer, in all probability we should have been the means of saving +the people. In the course of the day the wind fell, and the sea went +down sufficiently to have allowed our boats to have passed between the +two vessels without any great risk. Captain Helfrich was certainly not +a man to have deserted her while a chance remained of saving a human +being. While she floated he would have stuck to her. "Remember, Jack," +said Peter, "the first duty of a ship's company is to stick by each +other--to keep sober, and to obey their officers. Without a head, men +can do nothing. They are like a flock of sheep running here and there, +and never getting on. What is a man's duty is best; and you see here, +for instance, that the lives of all depend on their doing their duty." + +Sail was again made on the brig, and she was able to lay her course. At +night, however, it came on to blow again, and by next morning we were +once more hove-to with more sea, and the wind chopping about and making +it break in a far more dangerous way than it had done on the previous +day. I found, when I came on deck after my watch below, all hands +looking out at an object which had just been discovered a little abaft +the lee-bow. Some said it was a dead whale; one or two declared that it +was a rock; but the officers, after examining it with their glasses, +pronounced it to be a vessel bottom uppermost! The question was, +whether the wreck was deserted, or whether any people still clung to it. +Hove-to as we were, we made of course considerable lee-way; and keeping +in the direction we were then driving, we should before long get near +enough to examine her condition. Had not the brig already received some +damage, Captain Helfrich would, I believe, have run down at once to the +wreck; but this, a right care for the safety of his own vessel would not +allow him to do. Every instant, too, the gale was increasing, till it +blew a perfect hurricane; and not for a moment could a boat have lived +had one been lowered. The wreck drove before the wind, but of course we +moved much faster; it was some hours, however, before we got near enough +to the wreck to discover if anyone was upon it. + +"There are three or four people at least upon it," exclaimed Mr Gale. +"Poor fellows! can we do nothing for them, sir?" + +"I cannot allow you to throw away your life, as you would if you had +your own way," answered the captain, to whom he spoke. "All we can do +is to hope that the wind will go down before we drift out of sight of +each other." + +Unhappily our course took us some way from the wreck, though near enough +to see clearly the poor fellows on it. How intense must have been their +feelings of anxiety as they saw us approaching them! and how bitter +their disappointment when they discovered how impossible it was for us +to render them any assistance till the weather moderated! + +The wreck appeared to be that of a schooner, or brig of a hundred and +fifty tons or so. The people were holding on to her keel. There were +three white men and two blacks. They waved their handkerchiefs and +caps, and held out their hands imploringly towards us. Some were +sitting astride on the keel; one was lying down, held on by his +shipmates; and another lay right over it looking almost dead. We made +out this through the glasses. Peter got me a look through a telescope +which one of the men had. It brought the countenances of the poor +fellows fearfully near--their expressions of horror and despair could be +seen. We longed more than ever for the gale to abate that we might help +them. Still it blew on as fiercely as ever all day. The wreck remained +during this time in sight, but of course we were increasing our distance +from her. + +"What would have happened," said I to Peter, "if it had been night +instead of day; and if, instead of passing by the wreck, we had struck +against her?" + +"Why, we should have given her a finishing-stroke, and very likely have +stove in our bottom and followed her," he answered. "I like to hear you +ask such questions; they show that you think. The event you have spoken +of occurs very frequently, I suspect. Numbers of vessels leave port, +and are never again heard of. They are either run down, or they run +their bows against a wreck, or the butt-end of a tree or log of timber; +some are burned; some run against icebergs, or fields of ice; and some +are ill put together, or rotten, and spring leaks, and so go down: but +to my mind the greater number are lost from the first cause I have +spoken of. You'll find out in time, Jack, all the perils to which a +seaman is exposed, as well as the hardships I once before spoke to you +about." I did not think at the time how true Peter's words would come. + +We were nearly a mile from the wreck, I suppose, when night came on; but +the captain took her bearings by the compass, that he might know in what +direction to look for her should he be able to make sail before the +morning. I had got pretty well accustomed to the tumbling about by this +time, but I could scarcely sleep for thinking of the poor fellows on the +wreck. The night passed away without any change in the weather. When +morning came all hands were looking out for the wreck; but we all looked +in vain. There was the leaden sky, the dark-green foaming sea, but not +a spot on it to be observed far as the eye could reach. Before noon the +wind once more moderated, and making all sail we stood over the place +where, by our captain's calculations, the wreck would be found. Not a +sign of her was to be seen. It was too certain that she must have gone +down during the night. + +Every day seemed to have its event. We were again on our proper course, +though the sea was still running high, when towards evening an object +was seen floating ahead of us, just on the lee-bow. We were at no great +distance, little more than half a mile or so, when first seen, so that +we were not left long in doubt as to what it was. "A raft!" said one; +"A piece of a wreck," said another; "Some casks," said a third. + +"Whatever it is, there is a man upon it," exclaimed Peter; "and, +messmates, he's alive! Steady you," he added, looking at the man at the +wheel. "Keep her away a little," he said, addressing Mr Gale, who had +charge of the deck. + +The news of what was seen at once spread below, and all hands were soon +on deck on the look-out. The man was alive, and saw us coming, for he +waved a handkerchief to attract our notice, lest he might not have been +observed. We waved to him in return, to keep up his spirits. As we +approached, we saw that the man was dressed as a sailor. He was seated +on a grating, made more buoyant by several pieces of spars and planks. +He was leaning against another plank, which he had secured in an upright +position by means of stays on the grating. Had not the sea been still +very high, we could have run alongside his raft and picked him off +without difficulty; but as it was impossible to steer with the necessary +nicety, there was a risk of running him down by so doing. We therefore +hove-to to windward of him; and Mr Gale, with the boat's crew who had +before volunteered, being lowered, they pulled carefully towards him. +The man stood up as he saw them approach; and scarcely had the bow of +the boat touched the grating, than he sprung on board, and without help +stepped over the shoulders of the men into the stern-sheets. When +there, however, his strength seemed to give way, and he sank down into +the bottom of the boat in what appeared to be a fainting fit. A few +drops from a flask, which Mr Gale had thoughtfully carried in his +pocket, partially revived the man, though he was unable to help himself +up the side. He was therefore slung on deck, and the boat being hoisted +in without damage, we again made sail. + +The man, who was placed on deck with his back against the +companion-hatch, remained some time in an almost unconscious state; but +at length, after much care had been bestowed on him, he recovered +sufficiently to speak. He was a fine, good-looking young man; and his +well-browned countenance and hands showed that he had been long in a +tropical climate. A little food, taken slowly, still further revived +him; and he was soon able to lift himself up and look about him. + +"How was it you came to be where we found you?" asked Captain Helfrich, +who was seated near him on the companion-hatch, while I was employed in +polishing up the brass rail of the companion-ladder. + +"Why, I belonged to a ship, the _Oak Tree_, bound from Honduras to +Bristol with mahogany and logwood," answered the stranger. "We had made +a fair run of it, three days ago, when we were caught in a heavy squall, +which carried away our maintop-mast, and did us much damage. +Fortunately, I was at supper when all hands were called to shorten sail; +and not thinking what I was about, I clapped a whole handful of biscuit +and junk into my pocket before I sprang on deck. A few hours after +dark, a heavy sea struck the ship, and carried away our boats and +bulwarks, washing me with one or two other poor fellows overboard. I +was without my shoes, and had only a thin cotton jacket on; so, being a +good swimmer, I was able to regain the surface, and to look about me. +Away flew the ship before the wind, without a prospect of my being able +to regain her; so I did not trouble myself upon that point. The other +men who had been washed overboard with me had sunk: I could do them no +good. I therefore had only to look after myself. I first cast my eyes +about me, to see what I could get hold of to keep me afloat. The wreck +of the bulwarks and boats, with the spars which had been washed +overboard, had sent me some materials; and I got a couple of pieces +under my arms to support me while I looked for more. In the heavy sea +that was running, I could not have made much of a raft, when fortunately +my eye caught a grating; which I managed, after much exertion, to reach. +By degrees I fished up other pieces of plank and broken spars, till I +had formed the raft you found me on. Fortunately, I had started on my +cruise just after supper, so that I was able to hold out for some time +without eating. But when morning came, and there was not a sail in +sight, I began to feel somewhat down-hearted. However, I soon plucked +up again. Said I to myself, `Though the ocean is wide, there are a good +many craft afloat, and it will be hard if someone doesn't make me out +before very long.' I tried to think of all the wonderful escapes people +had made who had been in a similar condition; and I prayed that God +would deliver me in the same way. One thing weighed on my mind, and +still weighs there: I left a wife and a small child at home, near +Bristol; and when the ship arrives there, the poor girl will hear that I +was was washed overboard, and will believe me dead. When you got near +me, I saw that you were outward-bound; and the thought that she might +have to go many a month and not hear of me, served more than anything +else to upset me. My strength gave way, and I went off in a faint, as +you saw, in the bottom of the boat." He then told the captain that his +name was Walter Stenning. The captain, who was a kind-hearted man, did +his best to raise his spirits; and promised him that if we fell in with +a homeward-bound ship he would endeavour to put him on board. + +As it happened, we did not speak any vessel till we reached the West +Indies; so we had to carry Walter Stenning with us. + + + +CHAPTER THREE. + +THE WEST INDIES. + +"Land! land on the starboard-bow!" was shouted from the foretopmast +cross-trees, where several of our men had been, in spite of a pretty hot +scorching sun, since dawn, on the look-out for it. + +"Who saw it first?" asked the captain, who was always more anxious when +nearing the coast than at any other time. + +"Tom Tillson," was the answer from aloft. + +"A glass of grog for you, Tom, if it proves to be the land, and you have +kept your eyes open to good purpose!" said the captain, preparing +himself to go to the mast-head, where the mates followed him. + +They were satisfied that Tom had fairly won his glass of grog, I +suppose; for, after some time, when I went aloft, I saw a high +blue-pointed mountain rising out of the sparkling sea with ranges of +lower hills beneath it. + +As we drew in with the shore, we could distinguish the fields of +sugar-cane surrounded by lime-trees, and the white houses of the +planters, and the huts of the negroes; and I thought that I should very +much like to take a run among the lofty palmetto and the wild +cotton-trees and the fig-trees, and to chase the frolicsome monkeys I +had heard spoken of among their branches. A light silvery mist hung +over the whole scene, and made it look doubly beautiful. I asked Peter +what land it was, for I thought that we had arrived at America itself. +He laughed, and said that it was only a little island called Saint +Christopher's; and that he'd heard say that it was first discovered by +the great admiral who had found out America, and that he had called it +after his own name. Peter, though he could not read, had a great store +of information, which he had picked up from various people. He was not +always quite correct; and that was from not being able to read, as he +was less able to judge of the truth of what people told him; but +altogether, I learned a great deal from his conversation. + +We came to an anchor before the town of Basseterre, the capital of the +island. It was a clean handsome-looking place, and a number of ships +lay before it; while behind it, rising from the wide valley, richly +cultivated and beautiful in the extreme, rose the lofty and precipitous +crags of Mount Misery, 3700 feet high. It may well be so-called, for it +would be pain and misery to have to climb up it, and still greater not +to be able to come down again! + +After the events I have before described, we had come south till we fell +in with the trade-winds, which had brought us on a due westerly course +to this place. I did not go on shore; but I heard the captain say that +the merchants and planters were very civil and polite to him. They had, +however, suffered very much in the late war with France. It was in the +year 1782 that a French general, the Marquis de Bouille, having eight +thousand men with him, besides a fleet of twenty-nine sail of the line, +commanded by the Admiral Count de Grasse, captured the island from the +English. It was, however, restored to Great Britain when the war ended +the following year. + +We had a quantity of fruit brought off to us, which did most of us a +great deal of good, after living so long on salt provisions. I remember +how delicious I thought the shaddock--which is a fruit something like a +very large orange. Its outer coat is pale, like a lemon, but very +thick. It is divided into quarters by a thin skin, like an orange; and +the taste--which is very refreshing--is between a sweet and an acid. +The colour of the inside of some is a pale red--these are the best; +others are white inside. Peter told me that he had heard that the tree +was brought from the coast of Guinea by a Captain Shaddock, and that the +fruit has ever since borne his name. + +We spent three or four days at anchor before this beautiful place; and +then, having landed two or three of our passengers, and put Walter +Stenning on board a vessel returning to England, once more made sail for +our destination. The trade-wind still favoured us, though it was much +lighter than it had been before we entered the Caribbean Sea. + +"Jack," said Peter to me the afternoon we left Basseterre, "I've good +news for you. The captain wants a lad in the place of Sam Dermot, whom +he has left on board a homeward-bound ship, for he found that he was not +fit for a sea-life, and Mr Gale has been speaking a word in your +favour. I don't say it's likely to prove as pleasant a life as you lead +forward, but if you do your duty and please him, the captain has the +power to advance your interests--and I think he is the man to do it." + +This was good news, I thought; and soon afterwards Mr Gale told me to +go into the cabin. The captain, who was looking over some papers, +scarcely raised his head as I entered. "Oh, Jack Williams--is that your +name, boy?" said he. "You are to help Roach, the steward. Go to him; +he'll show you what you are to do." The steward soon gave me plenty of +work cleaning up things; for the captain was a very particular man, and +would always have everything in the best possible order. + +The next morning at daybreak, Mr Gale--whose watch it was at the time-- +roused me up, and sent me to tell the captain that there was a strange +sail on the starboard-bow, which seemed inclined to cross our fore-foot. +The captain was soon on deck and examining the stranger with his glass. + +"Well, what do you make of her, Mr Gale?" he asked. She was a low, +little vessel, with considerable beam, and a large lateen mainsail, and +a jib on a little cock-up bowsprit--something like a 'Mudian rig. + +"She's a suspicious-looking craft; and if it were not that we are +well-armed, and could sink her with a broadside, I should not much like +her neighbourhood, sir," answered the second mate. As he spoke, a gun +was fired by the stranger, but not at us. + +"He wants to speak us, at all events," observed Captain Helfrich. "If +he had intended us mischief he would have fired at us, I should think." + +"Not quite so certain of that, sir," answered Mr Jones, the first mate. +"Those pirating fellows are up to all sorts of tricks; and if he's +honest he belies himself, for a more roguish craft I never saw. He +doesn't show any colours, at all events." + +"We'll not be taken by surprise, then," answered the captain. "Arm the +people, and see the guns all ready to run out. Boy, get my pistols and +cutlass from the steward. Tell him to show himself on deck; and let the +gentlemen in the cabin know that if they get up, they may find something +to amuse them." + +I dived speedily below to deliver my message. While the steward was +getting ready the captain's arms, I ran round to the berths of the +passengers. One had heard me ask for the pistols; thus the report at +once went round among them that there was fighting in prospect. In a +few minutes, therefore, several gentlemen in straw-hats, with yellow +nankeen trousers and gay dressing-gowns, appeared on deck. + +"What!--is that little hooker the craft we are going to fight, captain?" +exclaimed one of them. "We shouldn't have much difficulty in trouncing +her, I should think." + +"Not the slightest, sir, if we have the chance," he answered. "But her +crew would have no difficulty either in cutting all our throats, if we +once let them get on board! The chances are that she has a hundred +desperadoes or more under hatches, and as she can sail round us like a +witch, they may choose their own time for coming alongside. I tell you, +gentlemen, I would rather she were a hundred miles away than where she +is!" + +These remarks of the captain very much altered the manner of some of the +gentlemen. They were all ready enough to fight, but they put on much +more serious countenances than they had at first worn, and kept eyeing +the stranger curiously through their telescopes. Still the stranger +kept bowling away before us on our starboard-bow, yawing about so as not +greatly to increase his distance from us. If he could thus outsail us +before the wind, he would be very certain to beat us hollow on a wind. +We had, therefore, not the slightest prospect of being able to get away +from him so long as he chose to keep us company. Suddenly he luffed up +with his head to the northward. + +"He thinks that he had better not play us any tricks; he has found out +that we are too strong for him," observed Mr Jones. Scarcely had the +mate spoken, when a dozen men or so appeared on the deck of the felucca, +and launched a boat from it into the water. As soon as she was afloat, +two people stepped into her. One seized the oars, and the other seated +himself in the stern-sheets. + +"Well, that is a rum-looking little figure!" I heard one of our +passengers exclaim, bursting into a fit of laughter. "I wonder if he is +skipper of that craft?" + +"She's not a craft that will stand much joking," observed the first +mate. "See, sir; she has begun to show that she is not lightly armed." + +He pointed to the deck of the felucca, on which there now appeared at +least full thirty men. They looked like a fierce set of desperadoes. +They were of all colours, from the fair skin of the Saxon to the ebony +hue of some of the people of Africa. The captain saw, I suppose, that +there was no use in trying to prevent the boat from coming alongside; +for had he done so, the felucca would very quickly have been after us +again, and might not another time have treated us so civilly. He +therefore, as soon as the boat shoved off from the side of the felucca, +ordered the sails to be clewed up, to allow her more easily to approach. + +As she pulled towards us, we were able to examine the people in her. He +who sat in the stern-sheets was a little old man, with a little +three-cornered hat on his head, and a blue long-skirted coat and +waistcoat, richly laced. He had on also, I afterwards saw, +knee-breeches, and huge silver buckles to his shoes. His countenance +seemed wizened and dried up like a piece of parchment. Some of the +younger passengers especially seemed to think him, by their remarks, a +fair subject for their ridicule. The person who pulled was a huge +negro. He must have been as tall as Peter Poplar, but considerably +stouter and stronger of limb. He was clothed in a striped cotton dress +and straw-hat. It would have been difficult to find two people +associated together more unlike each other. The old man took the helm, +and by the way he managed the boat it was clear that he was no novice in +nautical affairs. "What can he want with us!" exclaimed the captain. +"We'll treat him with politeness, at all events!" Side-ropes and a +ladder were therefore prepared; but scarcely had the bowman's boat-hook +struck the side, than the old gentleman had handed himself up by the +main-chains on deck with the agility of a monkey, followed by the big +negro. I then saw that he had a brace of silver-mounted pistols stuck +in his belt, and that he wore a short sword by his side; but the latter +was apparently more for ornament than use. The negro also had a large +brace of pistols and a cutlass. In the boat were two iron-clamped +chests, one of them being very large, the other small. + +The old gentleman singled out the captain as soon as he reached the +deck, and walked up to him. "Ah, Captain Helfrich, I am glad to have +fallen in with you!" he exclaimed, in a singularly firm and full voice, +with nothing of the tremulousness of age in it. "I've come to ask you +for a passage to Jamaica, as I prefer entering Port-Royal harbour in a +respectable steady-going craft like yours, rather than in such a small +cockle-shell as is my little pet there!" As he spoke he pointed with a +smile--and such a smile! how wrinkled and crinkled did his face become-- +to the wicked-looking little felucca. + +"Impossible, sir," answered the captain; "my cabins are already so +crowded that I could not accommodate another person!" + +"Oh! how are the places of Mr Wilmot and Mr Noel occupied then?" asked +the stranger with a peculiar look. They were the gentlemen who landed +at Saint Kitt's! + +The captain started, and looked at his visitor with a scrutinising +glance; but he remained unabashed. + +"How did you learn that?" asked the captain quickly. + +"Oh, there are very few things which happen in these parts the which I +don't know," answered the stranger quietly. "However, captain, even if +all your cabins are full, that excuse will not serve you. I can stow +myself away anywhere. I've been accustomed to rough it, and Cudjoe here +won't object to prick for a soft plank!" The black, hearing his name +pronounced, grinned from ear to ear, though he said nothing. + +Still the captain, who evidently could not make out who his visitor was, +and much mistrusted him, was about to refuse the request, when the old +gentleman took him by the button of his coat, as a man does a familiar +friend, and led him aside. What was said I do not know, nor could I +judge from his countenance how the captain took the communication made +to him--I saw him start, and examine the old man attentively from head +to foot. The result, I know, was that the boat and the chests were +hoisted on board--the sails were let fall and sheeted home. The +stranger went to the taffrail and waved his hat. On his doing this, the +felucca hauled her wind and stood to the northward. + +Just under the companion-stair was a small cabin, which had been filled +with stores. This was cleared out, and our strange passenger took +possession of it with his chests, while Cudjoe slept at the door. He at +once made himself at home, and entered into conversation with every one. +No one seemed, however, inclined to quiz him. When he was on deck, I +heard the gentlemen in the cabin wondering who he was, for none of them +had the slightest notion about the matter; and if the captain knew, he +certainly would not tell them. The negro never spoke to any of the +passengers or crew. Some said he was dumb; but I knew that was not the +case, for I often heard him and the old gentleman talking, but in a +language I could not understand. His only care appeared to be to watch +over the old gentleman's chests, which had been placed in his cabin, and +to keep an eye on the little skiff which had brought them on board. + +Those of the passengers who had lived in the West Indies could do +nothing for themselves, and were constantly wanting me to perform some +little job or other for them. I was thus oftener in the cabin than out +of it. While I was attending on them, my great amusement was listening +to the yarns which the old gentleman used to spin. They took in all he +said for fact; but there used to be often a twinkle in his eye which +made me doubt the truth of all he said. + +"A man who can look back the larger part of a century, as I have done, +must have heard a number of strange things, and seen a number of strange +people and strange sights, unless he has gone through the world with his +eyes and ears closed, which I have not," he remarked one day when +several of the passengers were collected in the cabin. "Gentlemen, I +have served both on shore and afloat, and have seen as many shots fired +as most people. I cannot quite recollect Admiral Benbow's action in +these seas, but I was afloat when that pretty man Edward Teach was the +terror of all quiet-going merchantmen. His parents lived at Spanish +Town, Jamaica, and were very respectable people. Some of his brothers +turned out very well; and one of them was in the king's service, in +command of a company of artillery. He, however, at an early age showed +himself to be of a somewhat wildish disposition, and rather than submit +to control, ran away to sea. For many years he knocked about, among not +the best of characters perhaps, in different parts of the world, till he +became as daring a fellow as ever stepped a plank. In a short time, +while still very young, he got together a band of youths much of his own +way of thinking; and they commenced, after the old fashion, the life of +gentlemen rovers. Their mode of proceeding was to run alongside any +merchantman they fell in with, which they thought would prove a prize +worth having. Having taken possession of everything they wanted, they +then made every landsman walk the plank, as they did likewise every +seaman who would not join them. Those only who would take their oaths, +and sign their articles, were allowed to live. Mr Teach used to dress +himself out in a wild fashion, and as he wore a great black beard, he +certainly did look very ferocious. From this circumstance he got the +name of Blackbeard. I don't fancy that he committed all the acts +imputed to him, but he did enough to gain himself a very bad name. The +governors of the West India Islands, in those days, and the American +settlements, were rather fonder of their ease than anything else, so +they allowed him to range those seas with impunity. At last, however, a +naval officer, feeling indignant that one man should hold a whole +community in awe, undertook to destroy the pirate. He got a ship fitted +out, well-armed and well-manned, and larger than any Teach was likely to +have with him. After a long search, he fell in with the pirate. Teach +had never given quarter, and it was not expected that he would take it. +More than half drunk, the pirates went to their quarters, and fought +more like demons than men. The crew of the king's ship had to fight +desperately also. For a long time it was doubtful which would come off +the conqueror. At length, however, a large number of the pirates being +killed or wounded. Teach was about to blow up his ship. Before, +however, he could get below, his ship was boarded by his enemies, and he +had to defend himself from the attack of the gallant English officer. +For a long time he fought most desperately, but at last he was brought +on his knees; and as he would not surrender, he was cut down, and died +on the spot. Scarcely a third of his men were taken alive, and they +were mostly wounded. His head was cut off and carried to Virginia, +where it was stuck on a pole; and where the greater number of the +pirates taken were hung in chains, to show to others what very likely +would be their fate if they should design to follow the same course." + +"Why, you seem to know so much about the matter, I suppose you were +there, sir," said one of the passengers, intending his remark to be +jocose. + +"That is possible, young 'un," answered the old gentleman, fixing his +eyes on the speaker. "Perhaps I formed part of the pirate crew; but you +don't fancy I was hung, do you?" + +The young man did not venture a reply. + +"I'll tell you where I saw some service," continued the old gentleman. +"The Spaniards had for a long time ruled it insultingly over the English +in these seas, fancying that, because we didn't bark, we could not bite. +At last a fleet was fitted out in England, and despatched to the West +Indies, under the command of Admiral Vernon, in 1739. He first touched +at Jamaica, where he refreshed his men, and took on board a body of +troops and some pilots, as well as provisions; and, on the 5th of +November, sailed for the Spanish town of Porto Bello, which lies on the +north side of the Isthmus of Darien. Its harbour and strong forts +afforded protection to the Guarda Costas, or Spanish cruisers, which +attempted to put a stop to the commerce of other nations in these seas; +and it was, likewise, the great rendezvous of the Spanish merchants from +various quarters. The town consisted of five or six hundred houses, and +some public buildings. The inhabitants depended almost entirely on the +fair, which was held there every two or three years, and which lasted +about six weeks. The fair took place according to the time when the +galleons arrived from Carthagena, where they first touched to dispose of +part of their goods. At Porto Bello they were met by the merchants from +Lima and Panama, who came, with millions of dollars, to purchase their +merchandise. So crowded was the place during the fair, that there was +scarcely room to stow the chests of money! The entrance of the harbour +is narrow, but widens within; and at the bottom lies the town, in the +form of a half moon. At the east end of the town is a huge stable for +the mules employed in the traffic between it and Panama. It is very +unhealthy, as on the east side there is a swamp; and in the harbour, at +low tide, a wide extent of black slimy mud is exposed, exhaling noisome +vapours. The town was defended by three forts. The Iron Fort was on +the north side of the harbour's mouth, and had a hundred guns. The +Gloria Castle was a mile from the first, on the south side of the +harbour, and had a hundred and twenty guns. And lastly, there was the +fort called Hieronymo, with twenty guns. The Spaniards having been +warned of the approach of the English squadron by a fast-sailing vessel +which escaped from them, were prepared to receive them, and hoped to +send them to the bottom at once. The fleet consisted only of the +_Burford_, commanded by the Admiral; the _Hampton Court_, Commodore +Brown; the _Norwich_, Captain Herbert; the _Worcester_, Captain Main; +the _Princess Louisa_, Captain Waterhouse; and the _Stafford_, Captain +Trevor. On the 21st they came up with the harbour. The _Hampton Court_ +first entered, and came to action not a cable's length from the Iron +Fort; and in twenty-five minutes' time fired away about four hundred +shot; so that nothing was to be seen but fire and smoke. The _Norwich_ +came next, the _Worcester_ next, and then the Admiral, who anchored +within half a cable's length of the castle: and though he was warmly +received, the Spaniards were soon driven from their guns. Then, +although no breach was made, the troops were landed, and the boats' +crews, climbing up through the embrasures, struck the Spanish flag and +hoisted the English colours! The other two forts capitulated next day, +and all three were completely demolished; the Spanish troops being +allowed to march out with their arms. The work was done by four ships, +for the other two had not come up; and its history serves to show what +men can do, if they are not afraid of the consequences. The same +spirit, in a juster cause, animated Vernon which had animated Morgan and +the Buccaneers of old, and enabled them to succeed in their desperate +enterprises. If a thing must be done, or should be done, never +calculate consequences. If a thing is not urgent, then balance the +probable consequences against the value of the desired result. That has +been my way through life, gentlemen. I have never undertaken anything +unless I wished to succeed and had secured the necessary means; and then +I have guarded as best I could against unforeseen circumstances." + +This was the sort of way the old gentleman talked. He told the +gentlemen one day that he was not born when the earthquake occurred +during which Port-Royal was swallowed up; but that he had often heard +people speak of it who had witnessed it. It began about noon on the 7th +of June 1692. Nine-tenths of the city and all the wharves sunk at once; +and in two minutes from the commencement of the earthquake several +fathoms of water lay over the spot where the streets had just stood. +Two thousand persons perished. Some, it was said, who were swallowed up +in one place, rose again in another still alive; but that I do not think +possible. Very likely they were washed from one place to another, +clinging to beams or rafters; and not knowing, in their horror and +confusion, where they had been, were picked up and saved. A mountain +toppled over into a river, and, by blocking up the course, a vast number +of fish were taken, which afforded food to many of the nearly starving +inhabitants. Nearly all the vessels in the harbour were lost; but one +ship of war, the _Swan_ frigate, was driven over the tops of the houses +without capsizing. She received but slight damage, and was the means of +saving many lives. Scarcely had the earthquake ceased than a fever +broke out, which carried off numbers of people. What with hurricanes, +plagues, insurrections of the blacks, and attacks from foreign foes, +Jamaica had an uneasy time of it; and it proves her unbounded resources +that, in spite of all drawbacks, she has continued wealthy and +flourishing. + +The old gentleman said a great deal more about Jamaica, but this was the +substance, I know, of his remarks. That there was something mysterious +about the old man was very evident. The captain, I thought, stood +somewhat in awe of him, and in his absence never even alluded to him. +The rest of the passengers, however, indulged in all sorts of suspicions +about him, though they never expressed them, except among themselves. +They spoke freely enough before me, for they fancied, I believe, that I +did not understand them. I was one day beginning to tell Peter what I +had been hearing. "Jack," said he, "I have a piece of advice to give +you, which you'll find useful through life. Never go and repeat what +you hear about anybody. It's done by people through idleness sometimes, +and often through ill-nature, or with a downright evil intention; but +whatever is the cause, it's a contemptible propensity, and is certain to +lead to harm." I promised that I would follow this advice, and I did +so. + +Though we had light winds, the strong current which set in from east to +west across the Caribbean Sea helped us along, and enabled us to reach +Jamaica about seven days after we left Saint Kitt's. After coasting +along some way, we cast anchor in Port-Royal Harbour, about five miles +from Kingston. There were from two to three hundred sail of craft of +all sizes brought up in the harbour. + +Scarcely had we dropped our anchor, when the wind, which had before been +very light, fell completely. I saw the old gentleman come on deck, and +look round earnestly on every side, and then up at the sky. He then +went to the captain, and took him aside. + +"I tell you it will be down upon us before very long," I heard him say. +"House your topmasts, and range your cables, and have every anchor +you've got ready for letting go." + +The captain seemed to expostulate: "Not another craft seems to be +expecting danger." + +"Never mind what other crafts are doing," was the answer. "Take the +warning of a man who has known these seas from his earliest days, and do +you be prepared. If they are lost, it is no reason that you should be +lost with them." + +The captain at last yielded to the advice of the old gentleman. The +topmasts were struck and every particle of top hamper was got down on +deck. The cables were all ranged, and two other anchors were carried +out ahead, while full scope was given to the best bower which we had +down. The old gentleman went about the deck seeing that everything was +done properly. Had we not, indeed, been well-manned the work could not +have been accomplished at all. Oh, how hot and sultry it was! I had +never before felt anything like it. The pitch bubbled and boiled out of +the seams on the deck, and the very birds sought shelter far away in +some secluded spot. + +"Why has the ship been gut into this condition?" I asked of Peter. + +"Because they think a hurricane is coming, Jack. If there is, we have +just got into harbour in time. I don't see any signs of it myself, +except the wind dropping so suddenly; but I suppose the officers know +best." + +I told him that the old gentleman had persuaded the captain to prepare +for whatever was coming. + +"Ah! he knows, depend on't, Jack," said Peter. "I can't tell what it +is, but there is something curious about that old man. He knows a great +deal about these parts." Such was the opinion all forward had formed of +the stranger. + +When the wind fell the sea became like a sheet of glass. A feather +could not have moved over it. It became hotter and closer than ever, +and we were glad to get anywhere out of the sun, stifling even as the +heat was below. Even the old hands, who were inclined to laugh at the +newcomers' complaints of the heat, confessed that they would rather have +it cooler. The rest of the vessels in the harbour, with few exceptions, +had not hitherto been prepared to meet any unusual tempest but lay as if +their crews were totally regardless of any signs of a change. A few, +however, had followed our example by striking their topmasts and getting +out fresh anchors. + +Some of the passengers, meantime, were very anxious to go on shore; but +the stranger urged them to remain on board, and assured them that before +they could be half-way there the hurricane would be upon them. Two of +them, however, were incredulous. The boat of a merchantman lying not +far from us, was just then passing with her master in her. + +"Ah! I know Captain Williams well. If he is bound for Kingston, he +will give us a passage!" exclaimed one of the gentlemen; and he hailed +the boat. She came alongside, and refusing all warning, they, taking +their portmanteaus, got into her. + +"We'll take any message for anyone," they sung out jokingly as they +shoved off. "The storm you are afraid of will blow over, depend on it." + +"Fools are wise in their own conceit," muttered the old gentleman, as he +turned on his heel. I remember, even now, the sound of their laughter +as they pulled away up the harbour. + +The heat continued to increase, though a thick reddish haze overspread +the sky; but as yet not a vapour floated in it. Suddenly, as if by +magic, from all quarters came hurrying up dark lowering clouds, covering +the whole concave of heaven, a lurid light only gleaming out from near +the horizon. Then, amidst the most terrific roars of thunder, the +brightest flashes of lightning, and the rushing, rattling, crashing +sound of the tempest, there burst upon us a wind, which made the ship +reel like a drunken man, and sent the white foam, torn off the surface +of the harbour, flying over the deck in sheets, which drenched us +through and through. In an instant, the surrounding waters were lashed +into the wildest foaming billows. The vessels pitched fearfully into +the seas, and began, one after the other, to drag their anchors. Some +broke adrift altogether, and were hurled along till they were cast +helplessly on the shore; and fortunate were any of the crew who could +scramble clear of the hungry waves which rolled after them up the beach. +Some of the smaller craft pitched heavily a few times, and then +apparently the sea rushed over them, and down they went to rise no more. +I was holding on all the time to the fore-rigging with hands and feet, +fearing lest I should be blown away, and expecting every moment to see +our turn come next to be driven on shore. We were, however, exposed to +a danger on which I had not calculated: the vessels breaking adrift, or +dragging their anchors, might be driven against us, when we and they +would probably have been cast on shore or sunk together. On land, +wherever we could see, a terrific scene of confusion and destruction was +taking place; tall trees bent and broke like willow wands, some were +torn up by their roots, and huge boughs were lifted high in the air and +carried along like autumn leaves; houses as well as huts were cast down, +and their roofs were carried bodily off through the air. I doubted +whether I would rather be afloat or on shore, unless I could have got +into a deep cave, out of the way of the falling walls, and trees, and +roofs. All this time every one was on deck,--the officers and crew at +their stations, ready to try and avert any danger which might threaten +us. With a steady gale we might have cut or slipped and run out to sea; +but in a hurricane the wind might have shifted round before we were +clear of the land, and sent the ship bodily on shore. + +While all hands were thus on the look-out, a boat, bottom uppermost, was +seen drifting down near us amidst the foaming waters. One man was +clinging to the keel. He looked imploringly towards us, and seemed to +be shrieking for aid. No assistance could we give him. I could +distinguish his countenance: it was that of one of the passengers who +had just before persisted in leaving the ship! His companion, and the +master and crew, where were they? He, poor wretch, was borne by us, and +must have perished among the breakers at the mouth of the harbour. We +had not much time to think of him, for we soon had to look to our own +safety. A large ship, some way inside of us, was seen to break adrift, +and soon after came driving down towards us. Being twice our size, she +might speedily have sunk us. Mr Gale and Peter were at the helm to try +and sheer the brig clear of her as she approached us. This, however, +was not easily effected when there was but a slight current. Down came +the ship! "Stand by with your axes, my lads, to cut her clear if she +touches us!" shouted the captain. The ship was still some way off, and +before she reached us, a schooner broke from her anchorage just ahead of +us and drove towards us. + +The poor fellows on board stood ready to leap on our deck had she +touched us; but she just grazed by, her main-rigging for an instant +catching in ours. A few strokes of an axe cut her clear, and before any +of her crew could reach us she was driven onward. In another instant +the wind catching her side, she turned completely over. There was a +wild shriek of despair from her hapless crew. For a few moments they +struggled desperately for life; but the wind and the waves quickly drove +those off who had clung to the driving hulk, and soon not a trace of +them or her could we perceive. + +While this was occurring the old man stood unmoved near the helm, +watching the approaching ship. "Arm your people with axes, Captain +Helfrich, you'll want them," said he quietly. His advice was followed. +The ship came driving down on us on the starboard bow. It appeared that +if she struck us she must sink us at the moment. Our helm was put to +starboard, and by sheering a little to the other side, we escaped the +dreaded blow. At that instant she turned round, and her main-yard got +foul of our after-rigging. This brought our sides together, and she +hung dragging on us. Instantly all hands flew to cut her adrift, for +already we had begun to drag our anchors. If we escaped sinking at +once, there was certain prospect of both of us being cast on shore. +Some of her crew endeavoured to get on board the _Rainbow_; but at the +moment they were making the attempt, down came our mainmast, crushing +several of our people beneath it. I saw the captain fall, and I thought +he was killed. The first mate was much hurt. Still the ship hung to +us, grinding away at our side and quarter, and destroying our bulwark +and boats. The foremast, it was evident, would soon follow the +mainmast, when the stranger wielding a glittering axe, sprung, with the +agility of a young man, towards the stays and other ropes which held +them, and one after the other severed them. His example was followed by +Mr Gale and the crew, and in a shorter time than it has taken to +describe the scene, we were freed from our huge destroyer. She went +away to leeward, and very soon met her fate. + +Still the hurricane raged on. We were not safe, for other vessels might +drive against us. However, our next work was to clear the wreck. No +one was more active in this than the stranger. At first we thought that +the captain was dead; but the news spread that, though much injured, he +was still alive. Almost blinded by the spray and rain and vivid +lightning, the crew worked on. At length the storm ceased almost as +suddenly as it had begun; but words cannot describe the scenes of +destruction which were presented to our eyes on every side, wrecks +strewed the shore, and the plantations inland seemed but masses of ruin. +Night at last came, and the ship was made snug. When I went on deck +early in the morning, I looked about for the stranger. Neither he nor +his black attendant, nor his chests and boat were to be found. Yet it +was declared that no one had seen them leave the ship! This +unaccountable disappearance made all hands wonder still more who the +mysterious stranger could be. Such was my first introduction to the +West Indies. + + + +CHAPTER FOUR. + +THE RETURN HOME. + +"Hurrah! hurrah! Erin-go-bragh!" Such were the cries which the Irish +part of our crew uttered, and in which I through sympathy joined, as +once more the capstan was manned, and the anchor being hove up, and the +topsails sheeted home, we made sail for Dublin. We had been longer than +usual at Kingston; for the damage the brig had received in the +hurricane, and the illness of the captain, which impeded the collection +of freight, had much delayed us. In reality our return home brought +very little satisfaction to me. I had no friends to see, no one to care +for me. I therefore remained on board to assist the ship-keeper; and +the whole time we were in the Dublin dock I scarcely ever set my foot on +shore. + +The same thing occurred after my second voyage. I did not attempt to +form a friendship with anyone. Not that I was of a sulky disposition; +but I was not inclined to make advances, and no one offered me his +friendship. The ship-keeper, old Pat Hagan, had seen a great deal of +the world, and picked up a good deal of information in his time, and I +was never tired of listening to his yarns; and thus, though I had no +books, I learned more of things in general than if I had bad; for I was +but a bad reader at any time. Pat trusted to a good memory, for he had +never looked into a book in his life. Thus, with a pretty fair +second-hand knowledge of the world, I sailed on my third voyage to the +West Indies in the _Rainbow_. We had the same officers, and several of +the crew had rejoined her, who were in her when I first went to sea. I +had now become strong and active, and though still little and +young-looking, I had all my wits wide-awake, and knew well what I was +about. The captain had taken another boy in the cabin instead of me, +and I was sent forward to learn seamanship; which was, in reality, an +advantage to me, though I had thus a rougher life of it than aft. Still +I believe that I never lost the captain's good-will, though he was not a +man to talk to me about it. + +Once more, then, the stout old brig was following her accustomed track +across the Atlantic. Peter Poplar was also on board. We had been about +a fortnight at sea, when, the ship lying almost becalmed with a blue sky +overhead, a large white cloud was seen slowly approaching us. The lower +part hung down and grew darker and darker, till it formed almost a +point. Below the point was a wild bubbling and boiling of the water, +although the surrounding sea was as smooth as glass. + +"What can that be?" said I to Peter. "Are there any fish there?" + +"No--fish! certainly not; but you'll soon see," he answered. "I wish it +were further off; I don't like it so near." + +"Why, what harm can it do?" I asked. + +"Send as stout a ship as we are to the bottom with scant warning!" he +answered. "That's a water-spout. I've seen one rise directly ahead of +a ship, and before there was time to attempt to escape it, down it came +bodily on her deck like a heavy sea falling over a vessel. She never +rose again, but went down like a shot." + +"I hope that won't be our fate," said I. + +At that moment the captain came on deck. "Get ready a gun there, +forward!" he sung out. "Quick now!" While I had been talking to Peter, +a pillar of water had risen out of the sea, so it seemed; and, having +joined the point hanging from the cloud, came whirling towards us. Had +there been sufficient wind to send the ship through the water, we might +have avoided it; but there was scarcely steerage-way on her. I thought +of what Peter had just told me, and I thought if it does break over us, +it will certainly send us to the bottom. The captain ordered the slow +match to be brought to him, and went forward to the gun, which had been +loaded and run out. On came the water-spout. I could not conceive what +he was going to do. He stooped down, and, running his eye along the +gun, fired a shot right through the watery pillar. Down came the liquid +mass with a thundering sound into the sea, but clear of the ship, though +even our deck got a little sprinkling; and when I looked up at the sky, +not a sign of a cloud was there. Peter told me that we ought to be +thankful that we had escaped the danger so well, for that he had never +been in greater risk from a water-spout in his life. + +We used frequently to catch dolphins during the passage, by striking +them with a small harpoon as they played under the bow of the brig. +They are not at all like the creatures I remember carved in stone at the +entrance of some gentleman's park near Dublin. They measure about four +feet in length; are thick in the middle, with a green back and a yellow +belly, and have a sinking between the tip of the snout and the top of +the head; indeed, they are something like a large salmon. We used to +eat them, and they were considered like a fat turbot. + +Frequently flying-fish fell on our deck in attempting to escape from +their two enemies--the dolphin and the bonito: but they fell, if not +from the frying-pan into the fire, from the water into the frying-pan; +for we used to eat them also. Indeed nothing comes amiss to a sailor's +mess. The flying-fish, which is about the size of a herring, has two +long fins which serve it as wings; but it can only keep in the air so +long as its fins remain wet. These fish, like herrings, also swim +together in large shoals, which, as their pursuers come among them, +scatter themselves far and wide. Nothing very particular occurred on +the passage, till once more we made the land. + +I went aloft when I heard the ever-welcome cry from the +foretopmast-head: "Land! land on the starboard bow!" Then I saw it +rising in a succession of faint blue hills out of the sparkling sea. +Peter told me that it was the large island of Hispaniola, or Saint +Domingo, and that it belonged partly to Spain and partly to France; but +that there were a great number of blacks and coloured people there, many +of whom were free and possessed considerable wealth. Not long after +this, in the year 1791, these coloured people rose on the whites, who +had long tyrannised over them, and having murdered vast numbers, +declared their island an independent kingdom. + +We were entering, I found, the Caribbean Sea by the Porto Rico passage; +and were to coast along the southern shore on our course to Jamaica. +Now and then we were sufficiently close in with the land to make out +objects distinctly; but, in general, we kept well out at sea, as it is +not a coast seamen are fond of hugging. The silvery mist of the early +morning still lay over the land, when, right ahead of us, the white +canvas of a vessel appeared shining brightly in the rays of the rising +sun. The officer of the watch called the attention of the captain to +her. Peter and I were also looking out forward. "Why, Jack!" he +exclaimed, "she's the very craft which put that old gentleman aboard the +time we came away from Saint Kitt's, you remember?" + +"Of course I do," said I. "She is like her, at all events; and as for +that old gentleman, I shall not forget him and his ways in a hurry." + +"He was a strange man, certainly," observed Peter. "The captain seems +to have a suspicion about the craft out there. See, he and the mates +are talking together. They don't like her looks." + +Still we stood on with all sails set. Much the same scene occurred +which had happened before, when we saw the felucca off Saint Kitt's. +Ammunition was got up--the guns were all ready to run out--the +small-arms were served out--and the passengers brought out their pistols +and fowling-pieces. Everybody, indeed, became very warlike and heroic. +Still the little craft which called forth these demonstrations, as she +lay dipping her bows into the swell, with her canvas of whiteness so +snowy, the emblem of purity, looked so innocent and pretty, that a +landsman would scarcely have expected any harm to come out of her. Yet +those accustomed to the West Indies had cause to dread that style of +craft, capable of carrying a numerous crew, of pulling a large number of +oars, and of running up a narrow river, or shallow lagoon, to escape +pursuit. + +At last we came up with the felucca. She lay hove-to with her head +towards us. There was, certainly, a very suspicious look about her, +from the very apathy with which the few people on deck regarded us. +However, as we looked down on her deck, we saw six guns lashed along her +bulwarks, and amidship there was something covered with a tarpaulin, +which might be a heavier gun than the rest. We stood on till her +broadside was brought to bear on our counter. At that moment, up sprung +from each hatchway some sixty as ugly-looking cut-throats as I ever wish +to see; and they were busily engaged in rapidly casting loose their +guns; and we were on the point of firing, when, who should we see on +their deck, but the old man who had been our passenger! He instantly +recognised Captain Helfrich, who was standing near the taffrail, and +making a sign to the crew of the felucca, they dived below as quickly as +they had appeared. He took off his three-cornered hat and waved it to +our captain, who waved his in return; and then he made a sign that he +would come on board us. + +Instantly the captain ordered the sails to be clewed up. Had the old +gentleman been an admiral, he could not have been obeyed more promptly. +A boat shoved off from the felucca with four hands in her, and he came +on board us. The big negro was not with him, nor did I see him on the +deck of the felucca. The captain and the stranger were closeted +together for a quarter of an hour or more; and the latter then coming on +deck, bowed, with somewhat mock politeness to the passengers, who were +assembled staring at him, and stepped into his boat. + +No sooner had he gone, than we again made sail. The felucca lay hove-to +some little time. She then wore round, and stood after us. So rapidly +did she come up with us, that it was very clear we had not the slightest +chance of getting away from her, however much we might wish to do so. +She kept us company all the day, and at night, in the first watch, I +could see her shadowy form gliding over the sea astern of us. + +Peter and I talked the matter over together in a whisper. "I'll tell +you what I think is something like the truth," said he. "To my mind +it's this:--When the captain was a young man out in these parts, he fell +in with that old gentleman,--who isn't so old though as he pretends to +be. Well, the captain went and did something to put himself in his +power; and that's the reason the captain is so afraid of him. And then, +from what I see, I suspect that the captain saved him from drowning, or +maybe from hanging; or in some way or other preserved his life; and that +makes him grateful, and ready to do the captain a good turn; or, at all +events, prevents him from doing him a bad one. If it was not for that, +we should have had all our throats cut by those gentry, if we hadn't +managed to beat them off; and that would have been no easy job. I may +be wrong altogether, but this is what I think," continued Peter. +"There's one thing, particularly, I want to say to you, Jack: never go +and do anything wrong, and fancy that it will end with the thing done. +There's many a man who has done a wrong thing in his youth, and has gone +through life as if he had a rope round his neck, and he has found it +turning up here and there, and staring him in the face when he has least +expected it. When once a bad thing is done, you can't get rid of it-- +you can't undo it--you can't get away from it, any more than you can +call the dead to life. You may try to forget it; but something or other +will always remind you of it, as long as you live. Then, remember there +is another life we've got to look to, when every single thing we've done +on earth must be remembered--must be acknowledged--must be made known. +You and I, and every sailor, should know that any moment we may be sent +into another world to begin that new life, and to stand before God's +judgment-seat. I think of this myself sometimes; but I wish that I +could think of it always; and that I ever had remembered it. Had I +always thought of that awful truth, there are many things I could not +possibly have ventured to do which I have done; and many things which I +have left undone, which I should have done. Jack, my boy, I say I have +done you some little good, but there's no good I could ever possibly do +you greater than teaching you to remember that truth always. But I must +not knock off this matter without warning you, that I may be thinking +unjustly of the captain: and I certainly would not speak to anyone else +aboard as I have done to you." + +I thanked Peter for the advice he had given me, and promised that I +would not repeat what he had said. + +"Can you see the felucca, Tillson?" I heard Mr Gale say to Tom, who +was reputed to have the sharpest eyes aboard. + +"No, sir; she's nowhere where she was," he answered, after peering for +some time into the darkness astern. + +We all kept looking out for some time, but she did not reappear. The +mate seemed to breathe more freely, and I must say that I was glad to be +rid of the near neighbourhood of the mysterious stranger. When morning +broke, she was nowhere to be seen. Whenever, during that and the +following days, a sail appeared anywhere abaft the beam, till her rig +was ascertained, it was instantly surmised that she was the felucca +coming back to overhaul us. Even the mates did not seem quite +comfortable about the matter; and the captain was a changed man. His +usual buoyant spirits had deserted him, and he was silent and +thoughtful. I could not help thinking that Peter's surmises were +correct. + +At last we brought up once more in Port-Royal Harbour. Having landed +our passengers, and discharged our cargo, we sailed again for Morant +Bay, Saint Thomas's, and other places along the coast, to take in a +freight of sugar, which was sent down in hogsheads from the plantations +in the neighbourhood. + +We were rather earlier than usual, and we had some time to wait till the +casks were ready for us. On one of these occasions the captain was +invited by a planter, Mr Johnstone by name, to pay him a visit at his +farm, which was some way up the country. In that climate every +gentleman has a servant to attend on him; and all the planters, and +others who live there, always have negroes to help them to wash and +dress in the morning, to put on their stockings, and all that sort of +thing. As the captain had no black fellow to wait on him, he told me +that he should want me to accompany him, and I was too glad to have a +chance of seeing something of the country. Meantime, to collect our +freight faster, he had chartered a schooner which was lying idle in the +harbour, and sent her round to the various smaller ports to pick it up, +and to bring it to the brig. He had put her under charge of Mr Gale, +who had with him Peter Poplar and several other of our men, and also a +few blacks, who were hired as seamen. + +I thought it very good fun when I found myself once more on a horse; I +had not got on the back of one since I was a little boy in Dublin, and +then, of course, there was no saddle nor stirrups, and only an old rope +for a bridle. They are generally razor-backed beasts, with one or two +raws, and blind, at least, of one eye. The captain was mounted on a +strong Spanish horse well able to bear him, and I followed on a frisky +little animal with his valise and carpet-bags. + +I wish that I could describe the wonderful trees we passed. I remember +the wild plantains, with huge leaves split into slips, and their red +seed-pods hanging down at the end of twisted ropes; the tall palms, with +their feathery tops; the monster aloes, with their long flashy thorny +leaves; and the ferns as large as trees, and yet as beautifully cut as +those in our own country, which clothed every hillside where a fountain +flowed forth; and then the countless variety of creepers, whose +beautiful tracery crowned every rock, and hung down in graceful festoons +from the lofty trees. Now and then, as passing through a valley and +mounting a hill, we stopped and looked back, we caught sight of the blue +sparkling sea, with the brig and other vessels in the harbour; a few +white sails glancing in the sun, between it and the horizon; and nearer +to us, valleys with rich fields and streams of water, and orchards of +oranges, limes, and shaddocks; and planters' houses with gardens full of +beautiful flowers, and negro huts under the shade of the plantain-trees. +Then there were those forest-giants, the silk-cotton-trees, and various +kinds of fig-trees and pines, such as in the old world are never seen. +But the creepers I have spoken of make the woods still more curious, and +unlike anything at home. First, a creeper drops down from a branch 150 +feet high, and then another falls close to it, and the wind blows and +twists them together; others grow round it till it takes root, and form +a lofty pillar which supports the immense mass of twisting and twining +stems above. As we rode along, I saw from many a lofty branch the +net-like nests of the corn-bird hanging at the end of long creepers. +Those mischievous rascals, the monkeys, are fond of eggs, and will take +great pains to get them; so the corn-bird, to outwit them, thus secures +her nest. It has an entrance at the bottom, and is shaped like a +net-bag full of balls. There the wise bird sits free from danger, +swinging backwards and forwards in the breeze. + +We slept that night at the house of a friend of the captain's, who had +come out with him in the brig. It was a low building of one storey, +with steps leading up to it, and built chiefly of wood. A veranda ran +all the way round it. The rooms were very large, but not so handsomely +furnished, I thought, as the captain's cabin. People do eat curious +food in the West Indies. Among other things, there was a monkey on the +table; but if it had not been for the name of the thing, I cannot say +there was any harm in it. I got a bit of it after it was taken from the +table, and it was very like chicken. There were lizards and snakes, +which were very delicate. There was a cabbage cut from the very top of +a lofty tree, the palmetto; but that tree is too valuable to be cut down +often for the purpose. Then there were all sorts of sweetmeats and +dishes made with them. I recollect a mass of guava-jelly swimming in a +bowl full of cream, and wine, and sugar, and citron. There were plenty +of substantials also; and wines and liquids of all sorts. I know that I +thought I should very much like to live on shore, and turn planter. I +had reason afterwards to think that they had bitters as well as sweets +to taste, so I remained contented, as I have ever been, with my lot. + +At night, the captain had a sofa given him to sleep on in the +dining-room, and I had a rug in another corner. It was many a long +night since I had slept on shore, and I was constantly startled by the +strange noises I heard. Often it was only the wind rustling in the +palm-trees; but when I opened my eyes, I saw one whole side of the room +sparkling with flashes of light; then it would burst forth on the other +side; and then here and there single bright stars would gleam and +vanish; and lastly, the entire roof would be lighted up. I dared not +wake the captain to ask what was the matter, and it was not till +afterwards that I discovered that the light was produced by fireflies, +which are far more brilliant than the glow-worms of more northern +climes. I had gone to sleep, when, just before daybreak, I was again +awoke by a most terrific yelling, and screeching, and laughing, and +roaring. I thought that the savages were down upon us, or that all the +wild beasts in the country were coming to devour us. I could stand it +no longer, but shrieked out, "O captain, captain! what's going to happen +us?" The captain started up, and listened, and then burst into a fit of +laughter. "Why, you young jackanapes, they are only some of your +brothers, the monkeys, holding a morning concert," said he. "Go to +sleep again; don't rouse me up for such nonsense as that." + +I found afterwards that the noise did proceed only from monkeys, though +I did not suppose that such small animals could have made such hideous +sounds. To go to sleep again, however, I found was impossible, as I had +already enjoyed much more than I usually got on a stretch. The captain, +on the contrary, went off again directly; but his sleep was much +disturbed, for he tumbled about and spoke so loudly, that at times I +thought he was awake and calling me. "You'll make me, will you?" I +heard him say. "I don't fear you, Captain Ralph. I--a pirate--so I +might have been called--I was but a lad--I consented to no deed of +blood--It cannot be brought against me--Well, I know--I know--I +acknowledge my debt to you.--You exact it to the uttermost--I'll obey +you--The merchants deem me an honest trader--What would they say if they +heard me called pirate?--Ha, ha, ha?" He laughed long and bitterly. + +I was very glad that no one else was in the room to hear what the +captain was saying. A stranger would certainly have thought much worse +of him than he deserved. I had now been so long with him that I was +confident, whatever he might have done in his youth, that he was now an +honest and well-intentioned man. At the same time I could no longer +have any doubts that Peter's surmises about him were correct, "That old +gentleman aboard the felucca is Captain Ralph, then," I thought to +myself, "If I ever fall in with him, I shall know how to address him, at +all events." At length the captain awoke; and after an early breakfast, +the owner took him round the plantation, and I was allowed to follow +them. + +The sugar-cane grows about six feet high, and has several stalks on one +root. It is full of joints, three or four inches apart. The leaves are +light green; the stalk yellow when ripe. The mode of cultivation is +interesting. A trench is dug from one end of the field to the other, +and in it longways are laid two rows of cane. From each joint of these +canes spring a root and several sprouts. They come up soon after they +are planted, and in twelve weeks are two feet high. If they come up +irregularly, the field is set on fire from the outside, which drives the +rats, the great destroyers of the cane, to the centre, where they are +killed. The ashes of the stalks and weeds serve to manure the field, +which often produces a better crop than before. The canes are cut with +a billhook, one at a time; and being fastened together in faggots, are +sent off to the crushing-mill on mules' backs or in carts. Windmills +are much in use. The canes are crushed by rollers and as the juice is +pressed out, it runs into a cistern near the boiling-house. There it +remains a day, and is then drawn off into a succession of boilers, where +all the refuse is skimmed off. To turn it into grains, lime-water is +poured into it; and when this makes it ferment, a small piece of tallow, +the size of a nut, is thrown in. It is next drawn into pots to cool, +with holes in the bottom through which the molasses drain off. Rum is +made from the molasses, which being mixed with about five times as much +water, is put into a still. + +There are three sorts of _cotton-trees_. One creeps on the earth like a +vine; another is a bushy dwarf tree; and the third is as high as an oak. +The second-named, after it has produced very beautiful flowers about +the size of a rose, is loaded with a fruit as large as a walnut, the +outward coat of which is black. This fruit, when it is fully ripe, +opens, and a down is discovered of extreme whiteness, which is the +cotton. The seeds are separated from it by a mill. + +The stem of the cacao-tree is about four inches in diameter. In height +it is about twelve feet from the ground. The cacao grows in pods shaped +like cucumbers. Each pod contains from three to five nuts, the size of +small chestnuts, which are separated from each other by a white +substance like the pulp of a roasted apple. The pods are found only on +the larger boughs, and at the same time the tree bears blossoms and +young fruit. The pods are cut down when ripe, and allowed to remain +three or four days in a heap to ferment. The nuts are then cut out, and +put into a trough covered with plantain-leaves, where they remain nearly +twenty days; and, lastly, dried three or four weeks in: the sun. Indigo +is made from an herb not unlike hemp. This is cut, and put into pits +with water; and being continually stirred up, forms a sort of mud, +which, when dry, is broken into bits for exportation. + +I will mention one plant more of general use--coffee. It is a shrub, +with leaves of a dark-green colour. The berries grow in large clusters. +The bean is enclosed in a scarlet pulp, often eaten, but very luscious. +One bush produces several pounds. When the fruit is ripe, it turns +black, and is then gathered; and the berries, being separated from the +husk, are exposed to the sun till quite dry, when they are fit for the +market. + +However, I might go on all day describing the curious plants, and trees, +and animals, and birds I saw. I must speak of the ginger. The blade is +not unlike that of wheat. The roots, which are used, are dug up and +scraped free from the outward skin by the negroes. This is the best way +of preparing it, and it is then soft and white; but often, from want of +hands, it is boiled, when the root becomes hard and tough, and is of +much less value. + +I shall never forget the beautiful humming-birds, with magnificent +plumage gleaming in the sun, and tongues fine as needles, yet hollow, +with which they suck the juices from flowers. + +We did not, on account of the heat, recommence our journey till the +afternoon. The planter accompanied us. I heard him and the captain +talking about the outbreaks of the fugitive negroes in former days. +"They are a little inclined to be saucy just now," I heard him remark. +"But we taught them a lesson which they will not easily forget. Those +we caught we punished in every way we could think of. Hanging was too +mild for them. Some we burned before slow fires; others were tied up by +the heels; and others were lashed to stakes, their bodies covered over +with molasses to attract the flies, and then allowed to starve to death. +Oh, we know how to punish rebels in this country." + +I listened to what the planter was saying. I could scarcely believe the +testimony of my ears. Was it really a man professing to be a Christian +thus talking, thus boasting of the most horrible cruelties which even +the fiercest savages could not surpass? + +The captain replied, that he supposed they deserved what they got, +though, for his part, he thought if a man was deserving of death, he +should be hung or shot outright, but that he did not approve of killing +people by inches. + +From what I heard I was not surprised to find that there were large +numbers of these revolted negroes, under the name of Maroons, living +among the mountain-fastnesses in the interior of the island, where they +could not be reached; that their numbers were continually augmented by +runaway slaves; and that they declined to submit to the clemency of the +whites. It was quite dark before we reached the house of the planter, +where the captain proposed to spend a few days. It stood on the side of +a hill covered with trees, and had a considerable slope below it. It +was a rough wooden edifice, of one storey, though of considerable size, +and had a veranda running round it. Besides the owner, there were the +overseer, and two or three white assistants; and an attorney, a +gentleman who manages the law business of an estate; and two English +friends. Altogether, there was a large party in the house. During +dinner the company began to talk about pirates, and I saw the captain's +colour change. The attorney said that several piracies had been +committed lately in the very neighbourhood of Jamaica; and that unarmed +vessels, in different parts of the West Indies, were constantly attacked +and plundered. They remarked that it was difficult to find out these +piratical craft. Sometimes the pirates appeared in one guise and +sometimes in another; at one time in a schooner, at others in a felucca, +or in a brig; and often even in open boats. "Yes," observed the +attorney, "they seem to have excellent information of all that goes on +in Kingston. I suspect that they have confederates on shore, who tell +them all they want to know." I thought the captain would have fallen +off his chair, but he quickly recovered himself, and no one appeared to +have remarked his agitation. They did carry on, to be sure! What +quantities of wine and rum-punch they drank! How their heads could +stand it I don't know. Two or three of them did roll under the table, +when their black slaves came and dragged them off to bed; which must +have raised them in the negroes' opinion. Even the captain, who was +generally a very sober man, got up and sang songs and made speeches for +half an hour when no one was listening. At last the slaves cleared the +dining-room, and beds were made up there for several of the party. I +was afraid that the captain might begin to talk again in his sleep of +his early days, and accuse himself of being a pirate; and I was anxious +to warn him, lest anyone might be listening; but then, I thought to +myself, they are all so drunk no one will understand him, and he won't +like to be reminded by me of such things as that. + +The night seemed to be passing quietly away. As I lay on a rug in the +corner of the room, I could hear the sound of some night-birds, or +frogs, or crickets, and the rustling of the wind among the +plantain-leaves, till I fell asleep. Before long, however, I started +up, and thought that the monkeys had begun their concert at an earlier +hour than usual. There were the most unearthly cries and shrieks +imaginable, which seemed to come from all sides of the house, both from +a distance and close at hand. For a moment all was silent, and then +they were repeated louder than before. Had not the company been heavy +with drink, they must have been awoke at once. As it was, the second +discharge of shrieks and cries roused them up, and in another minute +people came rushing into the dining-hall from different parts of the +house, their pale countenances showing the terror they felt. "What's +the matter? what's all this?" they exclaimed. + +"That the negroes have come down from the hills, and that we shall all +be murdered!" exclaimed the master of the house, who had just hurried in +with a rifle in his hand. "Gentlemen, we may defend ourselves, and sell +our lives dearly, but that is all I can hope for." + +"Let us see what can be done," said Captain Helfrich coolly. "This +house may not stand a long siege, perhaps, though we'll do our best to +prepare it. We'll block up the windows and all outlets as fast as we +can. See, get all the rice and coffee bags to be found, and fill them +with earth; we may soon build up a tolerably strong fortification." + +The captain's confidence and coolness encouraged others, and every one +set to work with a will to make the proposed preparations. All the +household slaves, and several blacks residing in the neighbouring huts +had come into the house to share their master's fortunes but the greater +number had run away and hid themselves. There was no lack of muskets +and ammunition; indeed, there were among us weapons sufficient to arm +twice as many men as were assembled. The white gentlemen were generally +full of fight, and began to talk hopefully of quickly driving back the +Maroons: but the blacks were in a great state of excitement, and ran +about the house chattering like so many monkeys, tumbling over each +other, and rather impeding than forwarding the work to be done. + +Though matters were serious enough, I, with a youngster's +thoughtlessness, enjoyed a fit of laughter while we were in the middle +and hottest hurry of our preparations. It happened that two stout +blackies rushed into the hall from different quarters, one bearing on +his back a sack of earth, the other a bundle of canes or battens. Tilt +they went with heads stooping down right against each other. Their +skulls met with a clap like thunder, and both went sprawling over on +their backs, with their legs up in the air. The sack burst, and out +tumbled the earth; and the bundle of canes separating, lay in a confused +heap. + +"For what you do dat, Jupiter?" exclaimed he of the canes, as he jumped +up ready to make another butt at his opponent. + +"Oh, ki! you stupid Caesar, you 'spose I got eyes all round," replied +Jupiter, leaping on his legs with the empty sack hanging round his nook, +and stooping down his head ready to receive the expected assault. + +The black knights were on the point of meeting, and would probably each +have had another fall, when one of the overseers passing bestowed a few +kicks upon Caesar. Off ran the hero, and Jupiter expecting the same +treatment, took himself off to bring in a fresh bag of earth. + +Ten minutes or a quarter of an hour passed away, but still the rebels +did not commence their attack. The overseer said that they had uttered +the shrieks to frighten us, and also to get the slaves to desert us, +that they might murder us alone. I should have supposed that, like +other savages, they would have crept silently on us, so as to have taken +us unawares; but negroes, I have remarked, seldom act like other races +of people. + +During the short time which had passed since the alarm was given, we had +made very tolerable preparations to receive the rebels. I had been +running about, trying to make myself as useful as I could, when the +captain called me up to him. + +"I'm glad to see you wide-awake, Jack," said he. "Remember, when the +fight begins, as it will before long, stick close to me. I may want to +send you here and there for something or other; and if the worst comes, +and we are overpowered, we must try to cut our way out through the +rascals. Now set to work, and load those muskets; you know how, I +think. Ay, that will do; keep loading them as fast as I discharge them. +We may teach the Niggers a lesson they don't expect." + +I was very proud of being thus spoken to by the captain, for it was the +first time that he had ever condescended to address me in so familiar a +way. It was generally--"Boy, bring me my shoes;" "Jump forward there, +and call the carpenter." I resolved to do my best not to disappoint +him. + +I placed the powder-flask and bullets on one side of me, and the muskets +on the other, so that I could load one after the other without altering +my position. It never occurred to me all the time that there was the +slightest degree of danger. I thought that we had only to blaze away at +the Niggers, and that they would run off as fast as their legs could +carry them. + +Never was I more mistaken. Soon after the captain had spoken to me we +were startled by another thunder-clap of shouts, and shrieks, and +unearthly cries, followed by several shot, the ringing taps which +succeeded each showing that the bullets had struck the house. Presently +a negro, who had been sent to keep a look-out on the roof, came tumbling +through a skylight, exclaiming, "Dey is coming, dey is coming, oh ki!" +Directly after this announcement, the shrieks and cries were heard like +a chorus of demons, and it was evident that our enemies were closely +surrounding us. Whichever way we turned, looking up the hill or down +the valley, the terrific noises seemed to come loudest and most +continuous from that quarter. + +Captain Helfrich, as if by the direct appointment of all, took the +command. "Now, my lads, be steady," he exclaimed; "don't throw your +shots away. You'll want all you've got, and a bullet is worth the life +of a foe." + +Each man on this grasped his musket; but the negroes held theirs as if +they were very much more afraid of the weapons doing them harm than of +hurting their enemies. The greater number of the lights in the house +had been put out, a few lanterns only remaining here and there, +carefully shaded, to show us our way about. Not a word or a sound was +uttered by any of us, and thus in darkness and silence we awaited the +onslaught of our enemies. + + + +CHAPTER FIVE. + +THE PLANTER'S HOUSE BESIEGED. + +The Maroons did not leave us long in suspense. Once more uttering the +most fearful and bewildering shrieks, they advanced from every quarter, +completely surrounding, as we judged, the house. For a minute they +halted, and must have fired every musket they had among them. Loopholes +had been left in all the windows, and every now and then I peeped +through one of them, to try and discover what was taking place. There +was just sufficient light to enable me to see the dusky forms of the +rebels breaking through the fences and shrubberies which surrounded the +house. As they arrived, they formed in front, dancing, and shrieking, +and firing off their muskets and blunderbusses in the most irregular +fashion, expending a great deal of gunpowder, but doing us no harm. + +Captain Helfrich was watching them. When some hundreds had been thus +collected, he suddenly exclaimed, "Now, my lads, give it them! Don't +throw your shots away on the bushes!" + +Obedient to the order, every man in the house fired, and continued +firing as fast as he could load his musket. I dropped on my knee +alongside the arms the captain had appropriated, and as I handed a +loaded musket to him he gave me back the one he had fired, which I +reloaded as rapidly as I could. + +This continued for some minutes, the constant shrieks and groans of our +black assailants showing us that the shot frequently took effect. I +believe, indeed, that very few of the captain's missed. Though he fired +rapidly, it was always with coolness and steadiness, and it appeared to +me that he had singled out his victim before he turned round to take the +musket from me. + +As yet none of our people had been killed, though some of the enemy's +shot had found their way through the loopholes in the windows and doors. +Growing, however, more desperate at the loss of their companions, and +burning for revenge, they rushed up closer to the house, pouring in +their fire, which searched out every hole and cranny. Some of the +slaves who incautiously exposed themselves were the first to suffer. A +poor fellow was standing at the window next to me. A bullet struck him +on the breast. It was fired from a tree, I suspect. Down he fell, +crying out piteously, and writhing in his agony. It was very dreadful. +Then the blood rushed out of his mouth in torrents, and he was quiet. I +sprang forward, intending to help him. The pale light of the lantern +fell on his countenance. He looked perfectly calm. I thought he was +resting, and would get up soon and fire away again. My glance was but +momentary, for the captain called me back to my post. + +The fire on this became hotter and hotter. Two more negroes were +struck. They did not fall, but cried out most piteously. One of the +English gentlemen was next shot. He fell without a groan. The captain +told me to run and see where he was hurt. I tried to lift him up, but +his limbs fell down motionless. There was a deep hole in his forehead, +through which blood was bubbling. I suspected the truth that he was +dead. I told the captain that he was hit on the head. "Leave him, +then, Jack," said he; "you can do him no good." + +On my return, I looked at the negro who had been first hit. He, too, +was motionless. I tried to place him in a sitting posture, but he fell +back again. + +"Let him alone, Jack," cried the captain; "his work is done; he's no +longer a slave." + +I thus found that the negro also was dead. It seemed very dreadful to +me; I burst into tears. + +I cried heartily as I knelt loading the muskets, forgetting that in a +short time the captain, and I, and every one in the house, might be in +the same state. Had not the whites shown great determination, all must +before this have fallen victims to the rage of the Maroons. Numbers of +our enemies were shot, but still they rushed on, resolved to destroy the +house and all in it. + +While the uproar they made was at its height, a loud battering was heard +at one of the doors. The enemy had cut down the trunk of a young tree, +and were endeavouring to break in the door with it. The captain and the +other gentlemen shot down several who were thus engaged, but still they +persevered; and, as some fell, fresh assailants rushing up, seized the +battering-ram, and continued the work. The door was stout, but we saw +that it was giving way. It began to crack in every direction. Pieces +of furniture and sand-bags were piled up against it, but with little +avail. Each blow shattered a part of it, and soon, with a loud crash, +it was driven in, and the fierce, excited faces of our dark foes were +seen above the barricade formed by the bags, and furniture, and broken +door. Several who attempted to pass over it were shot down, but our +people being now much more than ever exposed to the fire of the enemy, +proportionably suffered. The shot came in thick among us, and one after +the other was wounded. + +While the captain and others were defending the breach, the +battering-ram was withdrawn; why, we were not long left in doubt. To +our great horror, the battering, cracking sound was heard in the rear of +the house. Still we were not at once to be defeated, and some of our +party hurried to defend the spot. The attack on the front-door had cost +the negroes so many lives that they were more cautious in approaching +the second; and, when our party began to fire, they retreated under +shelter, leaving the trunk of the tree on the ground. At the same time, +they began apparently to weary of their ill success in front of the +house; for of course they could not be aware that they had killed any of +its defenders. We were thus hoping that they would at length withdraw, +when the whole country in front of us seemed to burst into flame. + +"They have set the fields on fire!" exclaimed the planter. + +"No, no," said Captain Helfrich; "worse than that--see there? Our watch +is out, depend on that. Not one of us will see another sun arise. So, +my men, let us sally out, and sell our lives dearly." + +I looked through one of the loopholes to see what he meant. Emerging +from among the trees came hundreds of dusky forms, each man bearing in +his hand a torch which he flourished wildly above his head, dancing and +shrieking furiously. + +I thought the captain's advice would be followed, but it was not. The +rest of the party were either too badly wounded or wanted nerve for the +exploit, and the slaves could not be depended on. All we did was to +guard the battered-in door, and to fire away as before. + +On came the Maroons with their frantic gestures, and, to our horror, as +soon as they reached the door, they began to throw their torches in +among us. At first we tried to trample out the fire under foot, but +they soon outmastered our powers, and the furniture which composed our +barricade ignited, so did the walls of the house, and the negroes +shrieking and cheering, encouraged each other in throwing in fresh +torches to overwhelm us. Still, induced to fight on by my gallant +captain, we continued our exertions, when the attack on the back-door +was renewed. It gave way! Loud shouts burst from the Maroons. Their +revenge was about to be satiated. + +"Now, my lads, follow me," shouted the captain; "we'll cut our way +through them. Stick to me, Jack, whatever you do!" + +As he said this, he seized a cutlass which lay on the ground, and, +before the negroes had time to bring the torches round to that side, he +rushed through the back-door which they had just battered down. I clung +to his skirts as he told me, springing along so as not to impede him; +and so heartily did he lay about him with his weapon, cutting off by a +blow a head of one and an arm of another, that he speedily cleared +himself a wide passage. Several of our party endeavoured to follow him +with such weapons as they could seize, but, unable to make the progress +he did, they were either knocked down and captured or killed on the +spot. On we went towards the wood behind the house, but we had still +numberless enemies on every side of us,--enemies who seemed resolved not +to allow any of their intended victims to escape them. I did not think +it possible that any man could keep so many foes at bay as did the +captain. Just as I thought we should escape, his foot caught in a +snake-like creeping root which ran along the ground. Over he went +almost flat on his face; but he did not lose a grasp of his sword. He +tried to rise, and I endeavoured to pull him up. He was almost once +more on his feet, when another creeper caught his foot. Again he fell, +and this time our enemies were too quick for him. Rushing on him by +hundreds, they threw themselves on his body, almost suffocating him as +they held him down by main force. I was treated much in the same way, +when a huge negro caught me up by the back of the neck, and made as if +he was about to cut off my head. He did not do so, but held me tightly +by the collar while the rest secured the captain. + +Flames were now bursting forth from every part of the planter's house, +and lighted up the surrounding landscape,--the tall plantains and cotton +and fig-trees, the tangled mass of creepers and their delicate tracery +as they hung from their lofty boughs, the fields of sugar-cane, the +cactus-bushes, and numberless other shrubs, and the grey sombre +mountain-tops beyond. From the way the blacks were running here and +there in dense masses, and the excited shouts I heard, I discovered that +they were in pursuit of some of the late defenders of the house, who, +when too late, were endeavouring to make their escape. Had they closely +followed the captain, they might all, perhaps, have cut their way +through the enemy. + +The blacks seemed to consider the captain a perfect Samson, for they +lashed his arms and legs in every way they could think of; and then +making a sort of litter, they put him on it, and carried him along +towards the mountains. They treated me with less ceremony. My first +captors handed me over to four of them, who contented themselves with +merely binding my arms, and driving me before them at the points of +their weapons. Now and then one of them, more vicious than the rest, +would dig the point of his spear into me, to expedite my movement. I +could not help turning round each time with a face expressive, I +daresay, of no little anger or pain, at which his companions all +laughed, as if it were a very good joke. They seemed to do this to +recompense themselves for the loss of the booty they might have supposed +the rest were collecting from the burning house. + +We had not proceeded far before we were joined by a large band, carrying +along, bound hand and foot, the survivors among the defenders of the +house. The planter himself, and four or five of his guests, were there, +and seven or eight slaves. From the disappearance of the rest of the +Maroons, I concluded that they had gone off to attack some other +residences. + +On we went hour after hour, and when the sun rose, exposed to its +broiling heat, without stopping. The negroes ate as they went along, +but gave us nothing. It would have been a painful journey, at all +events; but when we expected to be tortured and put to death at the end +of it, I found it doubly grievous to be endured. I longed for a dagger, +and that I might find my arms free, to fight my way out from among them. +At last I thought that it would be the best way to appear totally +unconcerned when they hurt me, so that I became no longer a subject for +their merriment. + +At length, about noon, we stopped to rest; and most of our guards, after +eating their meal of plantains, went to sleep. I thought that it would +be a good opportunity to try and get near the captain, to learn if he +thought that there was any chance of our escaping. Some few of the +Maroons, with arms in their hands, sat up watching us narrowly; I +therefore put on as unconcerned a manner as possible, and lay down on +the ground, pretending to go to sleep likewise. I in return watched our +guards, and one by one I saw sleep exerting its influence over them. +Their eyes rolled round in their heads like those of owls; their heads +nodded; then they looked up, trying to appear prodigiously wise; but it +would not do, and at length the whole camp was asleep. I considered +that now or never was my time for communicating with the captain. +Though I saw that no one near was likely to observe me, I thought that +some one at a distance might, and therefore that it would be necessary +to be cautious. Instead of getting up and walking, I rolled myself +gently over and over till I got close up to him. + +"Captain," said I, very softly--"Captain Helfrich, sir. I am here. +What can I do?" + +He was drowsy, and at first did not hear me; but soon rousing himself, +he turned his eyes towards me, for he could not move his head. "Ah, +Jack! is that you?" said he; "we are in a bad plight, lad." + +"Do you think the savages are going to kill us, sir?" said I. + +"No doubt about it, Jack, if we are not rescued, or don't manage to +escape," he answered. "I see little prospect of either event." + +"But what can I do, sir?" I asked. + +"Little enough, I am afraid, lad," he replied, in a subdued, calm tone. +"But stay, if you can manage to get your hands near my teeth, I will try +and bite the bands off them, and then you can loosen the lashings round +my limbs. We must wait for the night before we try to escape. We +should now be seen, and pursued immediately." + +I did as he bid me, and by means of his strong teeth he was soon able to +free my hands from the ropes which had confined them. I also at length, +with much more difficulty, so far slackened all his bands and the +lashings which secured him to the litter, that he might with ease slip +his limbs completely out of them. Having accomplished this important +undertaking, I crawled back to the spot I had before occupied. Scarcely +had I got there, when a black lifted up his head and looked around. I +thought he had fixed his malignant eyes on me, and had probably been a +witness of what I had done. I lay trembling, expecting every moment to +have the wretch pounce upon me and bind my hands tighter than before. +However, after a little, he lay down again, and grunted away as before. + +Soon after this another Maroon sat up and looked round, and then +another, and another; so that I was very glad I had not lost the +opportunity of which I had taken advantage. In another quarter of an +hour, the whole force was on the move. I looked anxiously to ascertain +whether they had discovered that the captain's bands had been loosened; +but without examining him, they lifted up the litter, and bore him on as +before. In consequence of this I walked on much more cheerily than I +had previously done, though I still got an occasional prick to hasten my +steps. + +As we advanced, we got into still more hilly and wild country. All +signs of cultivation had ceased, and vegetation revelled in the most +extravagant profusion. Our chief difficulty was to avoid the prickly +pears, and the cacti, and the noose-forming creepers, which extended +across our path. We were in the advance party; the rest of the white +men followed at a distance from us, so that we had no prospect of +communicating with them. + +The encouragement the captain had given me helped to raise my spirits, +and I endeavoured further to keep them up by whistling and singing +occasionally, but it was with a heavy heart that I did so. My great +consolation was all the time that my friend Peter Poplar was not in the +same predicament. He would have felt it more than any of us. He had +long been prepared for any misfortune which could happen to him at sea, +but he had not made up his mind to undergo hardships on shore as well. + +At last I began to grow very weary of walking so far over such rough and +uneven ground, and I was glad to find that the blacks were approaching +their encampment or village. It consisted of a number of rude huts, +built on the summit of a high rock, with steep precipices on every side. +A narrow causeway led to it from another rock, which jutted out from +the side of the hill. It was a very strong place, for it extended too +far into the valley to be reached by musketry from the hill; and the +hill itself was too rugged to allow cannon to be dragged up it. The +rock appeared to have rude palisades and embankments, to serve as +fortifications, over a large portion of its upper surface. As I +examined it, I saw that our chance of escape from such a place, by any +method I could imagine, was small indeed. I do not know what the +captain thought about the matter, but he was not a man to be defeated by +difficulties, or to abandon hope while a spark of life remained. + +As we went along the causeway, a number of women, and children, and dogs +came out to meet us, our welcome consisting in a most horrible +screaming, and crying, and barking, which, I suspect, as far as the +prisoners were concerned, was far from complimentary. Among them were +some dreadful old crones, who came stretching out their withered, black, +parchment arms, shrieking terrifically, and abusing the white men as the +cause of all the misery and hardships it had been their lot to endure. +Their accusations were, I believe, in most respects, too just. +Certainly white men had torn them or their ancestors from their native +land--white men had brought them across the sea in the crowded +slave-ship--white men had made them slaves, treated them with severity +and cruelty, and driven them to seek for freedom from tyranny among the +wild rocks and fastnesses where they were now collected. The other +prisoners seemed to feel, by their downcast, miserable looks, that they +were in the power of enemies whom they had justly made relentless, and +that they had no hope of escape. The old crones went up to them, +pointed their long bony fingers in their eyes, and hissed and shrieked +in their ears. What was said I could not understand, but they were +evidently using every insulting epithet they could imagine to exasperate +or terrify their victims. + +I have often thought of that dreadful scene since. How must the acts of +those white men have risen up before them in their true colours--the +wrong they had inflicted on young and innocent girls--the lashes +bestowed on men of free and independent natures--the abuse showered on +their heads--the total neglect of the cultivation of all their moral +attributes! Oh, you Christian gentlemen, did it ever occur to you that +those slaves of yours were men of like passions as yourselves; that they +had minds capable of cultivation in a high degree, if not as high as +your own; that they had souls like your souls to be saved--souls which +must be summoned before the judgment-seat of Heaven, to be judged with +yours; and that you and they must there stand together before an +all-righteous and pure and just God, to receive the reward of the things +you have done in this life? Did it occur to you that, had you made +those people true Christians; that, had you taught them the holy +religion you profess--a religion of love and forgiveness--that they +would not now be taking pleasure in tormenting you, in exhibiting the +bitter vengeance which rankled in their souls! + +I could not help thinking that some such accusing thoughts as these rose +to the consciences of the planter and his companions. I know that I +would not for worlds have changed places with him, though he was the +owner of rich fields and wealth long hoarded up, which he was on the +point of returning to England to enjoy. + +Either on account of my youth, or because, as they saw, I was a sailor, +the rebels must have known that I could not have treated them cruelly, +and I was allowed to remain quiet. After the whole population had given +vent to their feelings by abusing the prisoners in every possible way, +they were thrust into a hut together, and a guard placed over them. The +captain and I were then put into another hut, and ordered not to stir on +pain of being shot. + +"Not bery good chance of dat!" observed one of our captors, a +grey-headed old negro with a facetious countenance, looking at the +numerous lashings which confined our limbs. + +"Better chance than you suppose, old fellow!" thought I to myself; but I +kept as melancholy and unconcerned a look as I could assume. + +I concluded, that as the other prisoners were guarded so were we, and +that we should have very little chance of effecting our escape, unless +our guards fell asleep. The difficulties were, at all events, very +great. We should, in the first place, have either to scramble down the +sides of the rock, or to cross the narrow causeway, where one man as a +guard could instantly stop us. There was every probability that the +Maroons would place one there. + +For some hours there was a great deal of noise in the village. The +blacks were rejoicing over their victory, and there was no chance of our +guards outside the hut being asleep. I waited, therefore, without +moving, till the sounds of revelry subsided, the tom-toms were no longer +beaten, the trumpets ceased braying, and the cymbals clashing. Then I +could hear the guards talking to each other outside. The few words I +could comprehend out of this jargon were not very consolatory. I made +out clearly that they proposed to shoot all their prisoners the next +day, and that, besides those already in camp, they expected a number +more from other estates which were to be attacked. There appeared only +a possibility that our lives might be prolonged another day, till all +their forces out on various expeditions were assembled. Little did +those at home, looking at the map of Jamaica, fancy that, in the very +centre of that beautiful island, there existed so numerous a band of +savages in open revolt against the authority of the king. + +At first our guards were animated enough in their conversation; then +their voices grew thicker and thicker, and their tones more drowsy and +droning, till they could scarcely have understood what each other said. +At last one began to snore, then another, and the last speaker found +himself without auditors. I longed for him to hold his tongue, and to +go to sleep, but talk on he would, though he had no listeners. This, I +thought, was a good opportunity to allow me to speak to the captain, so +I crawled up to him. He was awake, waiting for me. + +"What's to be done now, captain?" said I. + +"We must wait the course of events, Jack," he answered. "I have been +turning over every plan in my mind which affords a chance of escape. If +we were to start off now, we should certainly be caught by some of these +black gentlemen; and if brought back, we should be put under stricter +watch and ward than hitherto. Something may occur during the night, or +perhaps to-morrow. At all events, I do not intend to die without a +fight for it. Try and go to sleep now, and get some rest; you'll want +it for what you may have to go through. Go, lie down, lad; my advice is +good. Don't fear." + +I followed the captain's advice, though it was difficult to go to sleep, +and still more so not to fear. I did go to sleep, however, and never +slept more soundly in my life. I was awoke by feeling a hand placed on +my shoulder. It was that of the captain. + +"Jack," he whispered, "be prepared to follow me if I summon you, but not +otherwise. If we can manage to get down the rock, or to cross the +causeway without being seen, we will go; but if not, we must wait +another opportunity. I do not feel as if either of us had come to the +end of the cable yet, but how we are to get free I don't know." + +Saying this the captain gently lifted up some of the leaves which formed +the side of the hut, and crept out. His words and tone gave me great +encouragement. I wished that I could have gone with him, but I knew +that I must obey him. + +O how anxiously I waited his return! Minute after minute passed away, +and still he did not come back. I began to fear that some harm had +happened to him--that he might have fallen over the precipice in the +dark, or have been captured. It never for a moment occurred to me that +he would desert me. An hour or more must have passed. Still he did not +appear. I began to consider whether I could not creep out to search for +him. I could have loosened from off me the ropes which bound my arms in +an instant; but I did not want to do so unless I was prepared to run +away altogether. I have heard of people's hair turning grey in a night; +mine would, I think, have done so with anxiety had I been older. + +At last the side of the hut was lifted up, and the captain crawled in, +and placed himself on the litter on which he had been brought to the +place. "Quick, Jack," he whispered, "put the ropes round me as they +were before! Those blacks are more wide-awake rascals than I fancied. +I have been most of the time lying down not twenty yards from the hut, +afraid to move. I was creeping along when I saw a black fellow, with +musket on shoulder, emerge from behind a hut. He stood for some time +looking directly at me, as if he had seen me. He had not though; but +directly afterwards he began pacing up and down with the steadiness of +an old soldier. I crept on when his back was turned, but never could +move far enough before he was about again, and scrutinising all the +ground before him. The only direction in which I could move without the +certainty of being seen was towards this spot, so back again I have +come, with the hope still strong that we might find some other way of +escaping. Once or twice I thought of springing up and killing the man; +but in so doing I should very likely have roused others, and we should +have lost any future chance of escaping." + +This result of the captain's expedition put me into low spirits again, +for I fully expected that the blacks would kill us all in the morning, +and my only surprise was that they had not so done already. I did not +say so to the captain, but he, having with his teeth secured the bands +round my arms again, I went and sat down where the blacks had first +placed me. I did not sleep soundly again, nor did he. I sat silent, +anxiously waiting for the morning. + +I think I must have gone off into a doze, when, before daybreak, I was +roused up by a chorus of loud cries and shouts, which was soon answered +by every man, woman, and child in the village, who came rushing out of +their huts. It was to welcome, I found, a party of their comrades from +an attack on one of the neighbouring estates, in which they had come off +the victors, with numerous prisoners and much spoil. There began, as +before, a horrible din of tom-toms and other musical instruments, mixed +with the very far from musical voices of the old women who had been +tormenting us. This continued till the sun rose, and then there was a +comparative silence for an hour or so. I suppose the savages were +breakfasting. An this time we were left in suspense as to what was to +be our fate. We did not talk much, and, of course, did not allude to +any plan for escaping, lest we should be overheard. + +At last several stout negroes entered the hut, and while some of them +lifted up the captain and carried him out, two seized me by the collar, +and dragged me after him. I thought that they were about to throw us +over the cliffs, or to hang us or shoot us forthwith. I could only +think of one way by which we had the slightest prospect of escaping. It +was that the government authorities might have heard of the outbreak, +and sent troops to attack the rebels. I did not know in those days that +those sort of gentlemen considered the art of tying up packages neatly +with red tape to be the most important of their official duties, and +that they were not apt to do anything in a hurry of so trifling +importance as attempting to save the lives of a few people! + +We very soon reached a large concourse of people in an open space. On +one side of the ground there was a steep bank, on the top of which a +chair or throne was placed, whereon sat a tall fine-looking negro, +dressed somewhat in military style, while a number of other men sat +round him. On the level ground, on one side, was a group of some twenty +white men, among whom I recognised our companions in the defence of the +house. They had their hands bound, and were strongly guarded by armed +negroes. We were carried up and placed among them. Two or three other +prisoners arrived after us, and served to increase our unhappy group. + +A sort of trial was then commenced, and several Maroons stepped forward, +accusing the whites of unheard-of cruelties, and especially of being +taken with arms in our hands against the authority of the true and +proper chief of the island. It is impossible to describe the absurd +language used, and the ceremonies gone through. It would have been a +complete burlesque had not the matter been somewhat too serious. As it +was, when one of the counsellors kicked another for interrupting him, +and the judge threw a calabash at their heads to call them to order, I +could not help bursting into a fit of laughter, which was soon quelled +when one of my guards gave me a progue with the tip of his spear, to +remind me where I was. I very nearly broke out again when the one who +was hit looked up and exclaimed, "What dat for, Pompey, you scoundrel +you?--What you tink me made of, hey?" + +The judge took no notice of this address, but coolly went on summing up +the evidence placed before him. It was, I must own, clearly +condemnatory of most of the prisoners. On the oaths of the negro +witnesses, they were proved to have committed the most atrocious acts. +Some had hung blacks for no sufficient cause, or had shot them, or had +beaten them to death, or even burned them, or had tortured them with +every refinement of cruelty. Scarcely one present who had not given way +to passion, and barbarously ill-treated their slaves, or caused them to +submit to the greatest indignity. At length the judge rose from his +seat. He was a remarkably fine, tall man, and as he stretched out one +arm towards the prisoners, I could not help acknowledging that there was +much grace and dignity in his whole air and manner. To what had been +adduced by others, he added the weight of his own testimony. + +"Me prince not long ago in me own country,--me would be king now,--me +carried off--beaten--kicked--wife torn away--me piccaninnis killed--me +made to work with whip--beat, beat, beat on shoulders--me run away-- +nearly starve and die. Dose men do all dat, and much worse! Day +deserve to die! Shoot dem all--quick! De earth hate dem--no stay on it +longer!" I cannot pretend to say that these were the exact words used +by the chief, but they had a similar signification. + +Immediately we were all seized, each prisoner being held by four blacks, +and marched along to an open space near the edge of the precipice. A +firing-party of twenty blacks, which had been told off, followed us, +their horrible grins showing the intense satisfaction they felt at being +our executioners. The judge or chief and all the rest of the people +accompanied us as spectators. The captain was carried along on his +litter, for the negroes had conceived a very just idea of his prowess, +and kept him, as they fancied, more strongly secured than was necessary +with regard to the rest. I stood near him waiting the result. + +Things were now, indeed, looking very serious, and I could not see by +what possible means we should escape. Still, there was so much buoyancy +in my disposition, that, even then, I did not give up all hope. I am +afraid that I cannot say I was sustained by any higher principle. The +thought of what death was, did, however, come over me; and I tried to +pray, to prepare myself for the world into which I saw every probability +that I was about to enter. Still, though I wanted to pray, and wished +to go to heaven, I made but a very feeble attempt to do so. I had been +so long unaccustomed to pray, that I could not now find the thoughts or +the words required. My heart was not in a praying state. I had not +sought reconciliation with God. I did not know in what to trust, +through whom I could alone go into the presence of my Maker cleansed +from my sins, relieved from the weight of the sinful nature in which I +was born. Of all this I remained perfectly ignorant. I felt very +wretched, like a drowning wretch without a spar or a plank of which I +might catch hold. + +I learned, however, an important lesson. Oh! do you, who read this +notice of my life, learn it from me. Do not suppose that the time is +_coming_ when you may begin to prepare for another world. The time is +_come now_ with all of you. From the period you entered this world, +from the moment the power of thought and speech was given you, the time +had arrived for you prepare for the world to come--that eternal world of +glory and joy unspeakable, or of misery, regret, and anguish. Remember +this--note it well--don't ever let it be out of your thoughts. You were +sent into this transient, fleeting world, for one sole object--that you +might prepare yourselves in it for the everlasting future. Not that you +might amuse yourselves--not that you might gain wealth, and honours, and +reputation--not that you might study hard, and obtain prizes at school +or college--that you might be the leader in all manly--exercises--that +you might speak well, or sing well, or draw well, or attain excellence +in science--or that you might become rich merchants, or judges, or +generals, or admirals, or ambassadors, or, indeed, attain the head of +any professions you may choose. These things are all lawful; it may be +your duty thus to rise, but it should not be your aim, it should not +alone be in your thoughts; you should have a far higher motive for +labouring hard, for employing your talents: that motive should be to +please God, to obey the laws and precepts of our Lord and Master. All +should be done from love to him. If you have not got that love for him, +pray for it, strive for it, look for guidance from above that you may +obtain it. + +But, as I was saying, in those days I could not have comprehended what I +have now been speaking about. Finding my efforts to pray almost +unavailing, I did pray for deliverance, though I waited my fate in +sullen indifference, or rather, indeed, somewhat as if I was an +unconcerned spectator of what was taking place. + +The chief lifted his arm on high as a sign that the execution was to +commence. The first person led forward was the planter whose house we +had attempted to defend. Oh! what scorn, and loathing, and defiance +there was depicted in his countenance! What triumph and hatred in that +of his executioners! Should such feelings find room in the bosom of a +dying Christian? I wot not. Again the fatal sign was given. The +firing-party discharged their muskets, and the planter fell a lifeless +corpse. I tried to turn my eyes away from the scene, but they were +rivetted on the spot. + + + +CHAPTER SIX. + +A TERRIBLE EXECUTION, AND A NARROW ESCAPE. + +One after the other my white companions were led out for execution. +Every moment I expected that my turn would come. Very few showed any +great signs of fear, with the exception of the overseers, who had been +often and often the actual instruments of cruelty towards those who now +had them in their power. I am surprised that the ignorant savage blacks +did not torture them as they had themselves been tortured, before +putting an end to their existence. Perhaps they wished to set an +example of leniency to the civilised whites. They went about the +execution, however, with deliberation, sufficient to make it a very +terrible affair. + +They shot the planter dressed as he was taken. When he had fallen, +numbers of the blacks rushed up, and having stripped him, they threw his +body, after inflicting numberless wounds on it, over the precipice. As +his clothes had been injured by the bullets, they proceeded to strip the +next person of his garments, with the exception of his trousers and +shoes, which they allowed him to retain--the latter, at all events, +being of very little use to them. He was one of the overseers, a +fierce, dark, stern man. He looked as if he was incapable of +experiencing any of the softer sympathies of our nature. He was +standing close to me while the planter was being shot, and not one of us +knew who would next be selected for execution. When the men who had +taken out the overseer seized hold of him, he turned deadly pale, and +shrieked out for mercy. + +"Don't kill me! don't kill me!" he exclaimed. "I am not fit to die. I +cannot go as I am into another world. Oh, let me live! let me live! I +will toil for you; I will build your cottages; I will till your fields. +Kind Africans! hear me: if I have injured anyone, I will repay him an +hundred-fold. I'll do anything you require of me; but don't, oh, don't +kill me!" + +The negro chief smiled at him scornfully, and the others who surrounded +him grinned horribly in his face. "Hi! hi! you mark my back with hot +iron," said one, gripping him by the shoulder; "you take out de mark?" + +"You kill my piccaninni!" cried another in a hissing tone in his ear. +"You gib him back, eh? You make him smile in me face 'gain, eh?" + +"You take away me young wife!" exclaimed another, in a hoarse voice, +looking him in the face. "Where she gone to now, eh? You give her back +good and fond as she once was--no! You repay a hundred-fold!--you undo +the harm you have done!" + +"Wretched man! go meet the Judge whose laws you have outraged; go +encounter the reproachful spirits of those who, in life, you have +irretrievably injured! You are a blot on the world; you must be put out +of it. You must stand before your Almighty Judge, your God. He is a +God of mercy to those who have shown mercy. But have you shown it? No! +Still you must die!" + +The latter expressions were, of course, not uttered by the negroes, but +something very similar was said; and amid the shouts and execrations of +the multitude, the wretched man was dragged out, and being shot down, a +hundred weapons were plunged in his yet warm and writhing body ere he +was thrown over the cliff to be food for the fowls of the air, which, in +spite of the firing, had already settled on the body of the planter, +once his superior, now his wretched equal. + +The same scene was enacted with several others. In vain they pleaded +for life, in vain they offered rewards--large bribes, freedom to some, +the means of returning to Africa to others who had been brought over. +The negroes laughed all offers to scorn. No promises were believed: too +often had they been made and broken; too exquisitely cruel and barbarous +had been the punishments inflicted on prisoners taken in former +outbreaks, to allow them to lose the gratification of their present +revenge. + +Often, as this scene has occurred to my mind, have I thought of what +would be the fate of the planters, and overseers, and other white +residents in the Slave States of the American Union, should the negroes +ever find an opportunity of revolting. What sanguinary massacres would +take place! what havoc and destruction would be the result! Few men +have a better right to speak on the subject than I have. I was born +before that great country called the United States was a nation. When I +could walk, they were part and parcel of England. I have talked with +men who were engaged in active life before the great Washington saw the +light; who fought against the French on the heights of Abraham, under +the hero Wolfe, and aided to win one of the brightest of her jewels for +the British crown. I, therefore, cannot help looking on the Americans +in the light of children--dear relatives; and when I address them, I +speak to them with love and affection. I say to them, take warning from +the scene I have been describing; do not submit to the incubus of +slavery a moment longer than you can avoid it. No sensible man expects +you to throw it off at once; but every right-feeling, right-thinking +man, does expect you to take every means and make every preparation for +its abolition, as soon as that important work can be accomplished. The +only means you have of effecting this object with safety to yourselves, +and with justice to those beings with immortal souls now intrusted by an +inscrutable decree of Providence to your care, is by educating them, by +making them Christians, by preparing them for liberty, by setting them +an example which they may hereafter follow. Teach them to depend on +their own exertions for support--to govern themselves--raise them in the +scale of humanity: treat them as men should men, and not as Christians +so-called treat the hapless sons of Africa. Remember that the British +West India Islands were brought to the verge of ruin, and numberless +families depending on them were ruined, not because the slaves were made +free, but because they were not properly prepared for freedom. Whose +fault was that? Not that of the British Government, not that of the +nation; but of the planters themselves, of the white inhabitants of the +island. They refused to the last to take any steps to Christianise, to +educate, to raise the moral character of the negroes; and of course the +negroes, when no longer under restraint, revelled in the barbarism in +which they had been allowed to remain, with all the vices consequent on +slavery superadded. + +Should these remarks be read by any citizens of the American Slave +States, I trust that they will remember what Old Jack says to them. He +has reason to wish them well, to love them, for he has received much +kindness at the hands of many of their fellow-countrymen; and he repeats +that they have the power in their own hands to remove for ever from off +them the stigma which now attaches to their name. He does not urge them +to do it in consequence of any pressure from without--not at the beck +and call of foreigners, but from their own sense of justice; because +they are convinced that they are doing their duty to God and man; and +lastly, that they will be much better served by educated, responsible +freemen, than by slaves groaning in bondage, and working only from +compulsion. [See Note.] + +But avast! I cry. I have been driving a long way from the scene I was +describing. The negroes I have been mentioning were men who had been +slaves, and had made themselves free, and we see the way they treated +the whites whom they had got into their power. They were, it must be +granted, savages, barbarians, heathens. Their people, who had been +captured as rebels, had been treated by their white Christian conquerors +with every refinement of cruelty which the malice of man could invent: +they had been slain with the most agonising tortures; and yet these +savages, disdaining such an example, merely shot their prisoners, +killing them without inflicting an unnecessary pang. I cannot say that +at the time, however, I thought that they were otherwise than a most +barbarous set. + +One after the other my companions were led out and shot, and treated as +their predecessors. One, a sturdy Englishman, who had not been long in +the country, it seemed, broke loose, and knocked down several of his +guards. He fought long and bravely with them. Had he been able to get +hold of a weapon, he would, I believe, have cut his way out from among +them. As it was, his fists served him in good stead; and he had already +very nearly cleared himself a path, when a shot from pistol struck him +on the knee, and brought him to the ground. Still he struggled bravely; +but the negroes, throwing themselves on him, completely overpowered him, +and he was at once dragged up to the place of execution. Before he had +time to look around, or to offer up a prayer to Heaven, a dozen bullets +had pierced his body, and he who was but lately so full of life and +strength was a pallid corpse! I scarcely like to describe the dreadful +scene. Even now I often shudder as I think of it. I have seen men shot +down in battle--I have beheld numbers struggling in the raging sea, +which was about to prove their grave; but I never saw men in full health +and strength waiting for their coming death without the means of +struggling for life--I have never seen men deprived of life in so cool +and deliberate a way--I have never so surely expected to be deprived +myself of life. + +Our numbers had now been dreadfully thinned; the captain, and I, and +three others only remained alive. One of those had become a raving +maniac, his mind had given way under the horror of death; but now he +feared nothing; he laughed the murderers to scorn; with shouts of +derision on his lips he was shot down. The next man was seized: calmly +he walked to the spot, and he likewise fell. Will it be the captain +next, or I, or the only other remaining prisoner? The latter was +seized: he looked up to the bright blue sky; to the green woods, waving +with rich tropical luxuriance of foliage; to the dark faces of the +surrounding multitude; and then at us two, his companions in misfortune; +and I shall never forget the look of anguish and terror I saw there +depicted. He saw no help, no chance of escape; in another instant he +also was numbered with the dead. Then, indeed, my heart sank within me, +for I expected to be like those who were to mortal eyes mere clods of +earth. But instead of seizing me, they approached the captain. Before, +however, they could lay their hands on him, his bonds seemed as if by +superhuman strength to be torn asunder, and up he sprung to do battle +for life! The negroes literally sprung back as they saw him with +amazement, and on he bounded towards their chief. No one tried to stop +him, and in another instant he had thrown his powerful well-knit limbs +so completely around him, that the negro, tall and strong as he was, was +entirely unable to help himself. + +While this scene was enacting I remember seeing another tall negro with +a few followers coming along the causeway. When I saw what the captain +had done, remembering also that my bonds could be easily slackened, I +cast them off, and sprang after him; and so sudden were my movements, +that before any of the astonished blacks could stop me, I had clung to +the legs of the black chief as tightly as I ever clung to a +top-gallant-yard in a gale of wind. The chief and his followers were so +much taken by surprise, that no one knew what to say or how to act. The +awe with which the captain had inspired them, and the supernatural mode, +as it seemed, by which he had freed himself from his bonds, and freed me +also, made them afraid of approaching lest he should destroy them or the +chief. + +The captain saw his advantage, and was not a man to lose it. His life +depended on his resolution. The horror he must have felt at the scene +just enacted made him resolve not to throw a chance away. As he held +the chief in his vice-like grasp, with his arms pinioned down, he looked +him fully in the face and laughed long and loudly. + +"You thought to kill me, did you?" he exclaimed--"you thought that you +could deprive me of life as easily as you did those miserable men you +have just destroyed--me, a man who never injured you or yours; who has +never wronged one of the sons of Africa. Ay, I can say that with a +clear conscience. Often have I benefited them, often have I saved them +from injury; and perhaps even here there are some who know me, and know +that I speak the truth." + +"One is here who can prove all he says to be true," exclaimed a tall +negro, stepping forward from among the crowd. He was the very man I had +remarked approaching the spot along the causeway. + +"My friends, hear me," he exclaimed. "We have already satisfied our +just vengeance, and do not let us destroy the innocent with the guilty. +Some years ago a ship from Africa, laden with the children of her +fruitful soil torn cruelly from their homes, struck on a coral-reef. A +heavy sea dashed over the devoted vessel. Land was in sight, but yet +far-off, blue and indistinct. The white crew had many boats. They +launched them and pulled away with heartless indifference, leaving three +hundred human beings, men, women, and helpless children, to almost +certain destruction. Night came on. Oh, what a night of horrors! Many +died, some from terror; many were drowned, manacled as they lay in the +noisome hold. When the morning broke a sail appeared in sight. She +approached the spot. Some of the negroes who had broken loose made +signs to notify that human beings were still alive on board. The storm +had much abated; a boat was lowered and came close to the wreck. When +they saw that no white men were on board, did they pull away and leave +us to our fate? No; they hailed us as fellow-creatures, and told us to +calm our alarms, and that they would do their best to save us. I was +there--a slave--I who had been a chief in my own country! I asked how +many the boat would hold, and as many, about a dozen, I allowed to enter +her at a time. Another boat from the ship soon came to our assistance, +and one remained uninjured on board the wreck. We launched her, and +many of the Africans being able to paddle, helped to carry her people to +the ship. Thus all who remained alive on board the wreck were saved. +The ship sailed from the spot and approached the land. I asked the +brave captain how he would dispose of us. Some of the people believed +that he would carry us into a port, and there sell us as slaves. He +looked at me hard. `I am no slave-dealer,' he exclaimed. `Men have +called me what they deem worse, but that matters not. I should obtain a +large price for you all, and steep my soul in as black a sin as ever +stained our human nature. No; I will land you on yonder coast, far from +the habitations of men. There fruit, and roots, and numberless +productions of kind Nature will amply supply you with food. There you +may be free. I cannot take you back to your own country. I have no +other means of helping you.' The generous captain was as good as his +word--we were landed in safety ere the sun set; and more than that, he +supplied us with such food as he could spare to strengthen us for our +journey inland to the spot he advised us to seek, where we might remain +in safety. Yes, my friends; there is the man who did this noble deed-- +there is the man whom you were, in your blindness, about so cruelly to +slay!" + +While the stranger was speaking, I recognised in him the tall negro who +had come on board the brig, on my first voyage, with the mysterious old +man, whom I supposed to be Captain Ralph. As soon as he stepped forward +I felt almost certain that our lives would be spared; but still I did +not let go the chief's legs. He did not often get them so thoroughly +pinched, I suspect. + +"I have yet more to tell you," continued the tall negro. "The noble +deed which that brave man had done was discovered by some of his white +countrymen, and he was persecuted by them, and compelled to fly for his +life, and for long to become a wanderer over the face of the ocean. +They drove him to take to a course of life which they themselves +condemned; and had they captured him, they would have made it plea for +his destruction." + +The harangue which the negro made was even longer than I have given, and +the language was perhaps somewhat more suited to the comprehension of +his hearers. The effect, at all events, was most satisfactory. +Enthusiastic shouts of applause burst from every side; and the chief, in +words and by looks not to be mistaken, assured the captain that both his +and my life would be preserved, and only begged that he would have the +goodness not to squeeze him so tightly. + +On this the captain released him, and the negroes rushing forward, +lifted him up on their shoulders, and bore him in triumph round their +village. The boys, not to be outdone by their elders, got hold of me as +soon as I had let go the chief's legs, and lifting me up in the same +way, followed the captain. Tom-toms were beat, and horns sounded, and +cymbals were clashed, and men, and women, and children shrieked and +shouted at the top of their voices, and never was heard a wilder outcry +and hubbub than that with which we were welcomed as we passed through +the rebel village. It was far pleasanter than being shot, I thought. +The truth is, that so great and sudden was the change in our position, +that I could scarcely collect my ideas and convince myself of its +reality. Everything seemed like a dream, both past and present. Still +I felt that my life was spared. I tried to be serious, and to be +thankful for the mercy shown me; but I am conscious that I succeeded +very ill, and allowed my mind to be entirely occupied with the scene +going forward before my eyes. + +While we were being thus paraded about the village, the women were +engaged in preparing a feast, of which we were invited to partake; and I +know that, however excited had been my feelings, I had not lost my +appetite. + +"Captain," said I, holding the leg of a roasted monkey in my fist, while +he was munching away at a stewed snake, or lizard, or some creeping +thing or other, "this is pleasanter than feeding the crows down below +there. I want, sir, to beg the chief's pardon for pinching his legs so +tight. I hope that he was not offended." I spoke in a very different +tone to that in which I had ever before addressed my captain. The truth +was, I felt and acted almost as if I were tipsy. + +The captain looked at me somewhat sternly. "Be more serious, Jack," he +answered; "we should be thankful to Heaven that we are not as those +unhappy men are. We have both been mercifully preserved. Restrain your +feelings, lad; you'll have much to go through before you are out of the +fire." + +I do not remember much more about the feast. The negroes ate, and +drank, and laughed, and then got up and danced and sang as merrily as if +they had not just been the principal actors in a terrific tragedy. +Before the feast was over, our old acquaintance the tall negro came up +to the captain, and sat himself down by his side. + +"Prepare to leave this at a moment's notice," said he in a low tone of +voice. "These people's tempers may change again as rapidly against you +as they have lately turned in your favour. They believed what I told +them of your generosity; but as there is no one here to corroborate the +account, they might as easily be taught to discredit it." + +"Thanks, my friend," answered the captain, grasping the negro's hand. +"Thanks, Michael; you have indeed repaid any debt you might have thought +you owed me. I'll follow your advice, and shall be ready to start +whenever you give the sign." + +"Directly it is dark, then, we must away, you and your young follower +there," answered the tall negro, whom the captain addressed as Michael. +"I have another reason for wishing to be off. This work they have been +about will certainly bring the military up here; and though they might +hold the place against an army if they knew how, none of them can be +depended on. Now, if you remain here, our friends would expect you to +fight for them; and if you were captured by the white men, you would to +a certainty be treated as a rebel." + +"Your arguments are quite strong enough, Michael, to make me wish to be +off," answered the captain, laughing. I did not hear the remainder of +the conversation. + +The young negroes who had carried me about on their shoulders continued +to treat me very kindly, and brought me all sorts of things to eat, till +really I could not stuff in a mouthful more. They were much amused by +examining my hands, and face, and clothes, for many of them till that +day had never seen a white boy. They had been born up in the +mountainous district, where we then were, and where no white person had +ever ventured to come. + +At last the negro Michael called the captain and me, and in the hearing +of the people, pointing to a hut, told us that it was to be our home. +The whole population having had plenty of work for the last few days, +retired to their huts, and left us in quiet. As may be supposed, +neither the captain nor I ventured to sleep, though, for my part, I +would very gladly have done so. We waited for some time with no little +anxiety. It was at last relieved by the appearance of Michael. + +"Come," he whispered, "follow me. I could only ask seamen to take the +path by which I must lead you." He glided out, and we stepped after +him. + +There was no moon, but the stars shone forth brightly, and gave us +sufficient light to see what was near at hand. Michael led the way +close to the spot where our companions had been murdered in the morning. +On a sudden he disappeared, and I thought that he had fallen over the +precipice. A pang shot through me. But no, he had merely begun to +descend by a narrow path cut in the rock. It was indeed both narrow and +steep. Sometimes we had to drop down several feet to a ledge below. +There were probably holes in the rock by which people might ascend, but +it was too dark to see them. Often we had to press along with our +breasts to the precipice, holding on to its rugged sides, and with our +backs over a yawning gulf. I would rather, however, have been on the +topsail-yard-arm in the heaviest gale that ever blew: with a good honest +rope in my hand, than where I then was. But darkness prevented our +seeing half its terrors. More than once I thought that I should have +gone over; but the captain, whose steps I closely followed, supported me +with his powerful arm, and brought me along in safety. He did not utter +a word, and his breath often came fast, as if he was undergoing great +physical exertion, and was well aware of our perilous position. I know +that my knees trembled beneath me when Michael told us that we had +reached the bottom. + +"We have gained some miles by this path towards the sea," said he, "and +escaped the risk of being observed. Few even of the people up there +know the path, and fewer still would venture to descend by it. Now, let +us on; we have many miles to go before morning." + +I need not describe our night's journey. For several hours we walked, +and often ran on, without stopping even a moment to rest. It is +extraordinary what people can do when they are pressed by circumstances. + +We had not accomplished many miles when the moon arose, and shed her +light over the strangely wild and beautiful scene, her beams glancing +through the tall trees and the numberless creepers which decked their +branches. Suddenly Michael stopped, and then pressing us back without +speaking, conducted us into a thicket composed of prickly pear, cacti, +and other strangely-shaped shrubs. Scarcely had he done so when the +tramp of men and the sound of horses' feet were heard coming through a +rocky defile ahead of us, and soon afterwards a body of cavalry passed +along, their helmets and shining arms playing in the moonbeams. They +were immediately followed by a regiment of infantry, less showy but more +useful in the style of warfare in which they were likely to engage. It +would scarcely be believed, at the present day, that several troops of +dragoons were stationed at that time at Kingston, to do what it would be +difficult to say, as they were totally unfit for mountain warfare, and +would scarcely have been of much use to repel invasion. We remained +silent and concealed as they passed. I concluded that Michael or the +captain had good reasons not to wish to encounter them. They were +going, of course, to attack the rebels; but I understood afterwards that +they obtained but a very slight success, and had to return without in +any way contributing to put a stop to the outbreak. That was not done +till some time afterwards, when, by a general amnesty, and a guarantee +being given for their safety, the Maroons were induced to break up their +confederacy, and return within the pale of civilisation. + +When daylight came we concealed ourselves in a thick wood, where I could +not help feeling terribly alarmed lest some snake or other noxious +reptile should injure us while we slept; but Michael assured me that I +need not fear, and that he would watch that no harm should happen to us. +Thus for three nights and a portion of one day we travelled on, till +once more the bright blue waters of the ocean gladdened our sight. From +a hill we climbed we looked down into a sheltered bay, and there lay +calmly at anchor a schooner, which we recognised as the one which had +been sent away from the brig under command of Mr Gale. + +We were not long in descending the hill, and hailing her from the shore. +Here Michael parted from us, under the plea that he had business which +would detain him longer in that part of the island. The schooner's boat +took us off, and we were soon on board. Mr Gale had heard rumours of +the attack on the planter's house, and that every one had been murdered, +and he was truly glad to see his captain safe; while my kind friend +Peter assured me that he was not a little pleased to find that I had not +lost the number of my mess. + +------------------------------------------------------------------------ + +Note. The above was written before the late American Civil War, which +emancipated the slaves of the Southern States. + + + +CHAPTER SEVEN. + +A PIRATE STRONGHOLD. + +The little schooner very soon got her cargo on board, and we then put to +sea, to return to the brig. We had to make a long reach off-shore to +weather a headland, which ran out towards the north, and we were just +about to tack when the wind, which had been very light, failed us +altogether. There we lay, with our sides lazily lapping up the +burnished water, and throwing it off again in showers of sparkling +drops, as we rolled away helplessly in the swell. At the same time a +strong current was running, which was setting us imperceptibly +off-shore. However, after having been exposed to it for three or four +hours, I found, on looking up, that we had very much increased our +distance from the land. The day passed away and the night came, and +there we lay like a log in the water, drifting further and further from +the land. + +It was truly a solemn night. Every star which floated in the vast +expanse above us was reflected on the surface of the deep; and as I +looked over the side, I fancied that I could see numberless bright orbs +floating far, far down in the limpid water. Strange sounds reached my +ears. Suppressed shrieks, and groans, and cries--loud hisses, and +murmuring voices, and strange monsters came up from their rocky +weed-covered homes, their fins sparkling, and their eyes flashing as +they clove through the sea. Some would now and again spring into the +air and fall back with a loud splash. Others, of huge bulk, I thought, +would come and float silently, looking at the little schooner, an +intruder on their domain, seemingly devising means how they might drive +her from it. I ought to have been below resting, as the captain had +ordered me, but I was hot and feverish, and could not remain in the +close atmosphere of the forepeak. As I stood gazing at the sea, I +thought I saw the forms of all the unhappy men murdered by the Maroons +pass before me. Each countenance bore the agonised look which I had +beheld before the fatal signal was given to the firing-party to perform +the work of death. They stretched out their hands to me to help them, +and moaned piteously, as I stood spell-bound, unable to move. One after +the other they came gliding by, and then sank down into the water ahead +of the schooner. I could stand the dreadful sight no longer, and +shrieked out in an attempt to go and help them. + +"What's the matter, lad?" said the voice of Peter Poplar close to my +ear. "You are overtired--no wonder. Here--I have put a mattress and a +blanket for you under shelter. Lie down and take a little rest. You'll +want to use your strength perhaps before long. A sailor should always +eat when he can, and take his sleep when he can. He is never certain +when he may have to go without either food or rest." + +I took Peter's advice, and very soon the feelings which oppressed me +wore off, and I fell soundly asleep. + +I did not awake till the bright sun was just rising out of the +mirror-like sea. The calm was as perfect as before; and when I looked +for the land, I could only just make out its blue and hazy mountains +rising out of the ocean. Hot enough the weather was; but as the sun +glided upwards in the sky, a thick mist was drawn over the whole face of +nature. The captain and Mr Gale were on deck, and I saw them scanning +the horizon anxiously on every side. They seemed far from satisfied +with the look of the weather. Still for some time they could not make +up their minds how to act. + +"What's going to happen now?" said I to Peter some time after this. + +"Do you remember the breeze we had in Kingston Harbour on your first +voyage?" he asked. + +"What? the hurricane do you mean? Indeed I do," I replied. "I hope we +are not going to have such another in this little craft out here." + +"I'm not so sure of that, Jack," he replied. "The captain begins to +think so likewise. He'll be for making everything snug, if I mistake +not." + +Peter was right. The order was soon given to strike topmasts, to furl +sails, to set up the rigging, to fasten down the hatches, to secure +everything below, and to lash the boats and all spare spars on deck. +Everything that could be accomplished was done to prepare the little +craft for the expected tempest. + +Still everything around us was so calm and quiet that it required no +little faith in the judgment of our officers to believe that all this +preparation was necessary. Much in the same way do men feel it +difficult to believe in the importance of preparing for another world, +when the tide of prosperity carries them along, without care or anxiety, +over the sea of life. I have often thought that a gale of wind, a +lee-shore on a dark night, and the risk of shipwreck, are of use to +seamen, to make them prepare for the dangers which sooner or later must +come upon them. So are all misfortunes--pain, sorrow, loss of friends, +deprivation of worldly honours or position--sent to remind people that +this world is not their abiding-place; that they are sent into it only +that they may have the opportunity of preparing in it for another and a +better world, which will last for eternity. + +Hour after hour passed away. Still the calm continued. I suspect the +officers themselves began to doubt whether the looked-for hurricane +would ever come. I asked Peter what he thought about it. + +"Come! ay, that it will," he replied. "More reason that it will come +with all its strength and fury because it is delayed. Look out there! +do you see that?" + +He pointed towards the now distant land. A dark cloud seemed to be +rushing out from that direction, and extending rapidly on either side, +while below the cloud a long line of white foam came hissing and rolling +on towards us. As it reached the spot where we lay, the little vessel +heeled over till I thought she would never rise again, and then she was +turned round and round as if she had been a piece of straw. Loudly +roared and howled the fierce blast, and on she drove helplessly before +it. Every instant the sea rose higher and higher, and the schooner +began to pitch, and toss, and tumble about, till I thought she would +have been shaken to pieces. + +"Peter," said I, "we are in a bad way, I am afraid." + +"We should have been in a very much worse way had the wind come from +another quarter, and driven us towards the land," he replied, gravely. +"Some of the people had begun to grumble because we had been drifted so +far off-shore. We may now be thankful that we were not caught nearer to +it, and have already made so much offing. We shall very likely have it +round again, and then we shall require all the distance we have come to +drive in, and none to spare." + +"I was thinking of the chance we have of going to the bottom," said I, +looking at the huge seas which kept tumbling tumultuously around us. + +"Not much fear of that," he answered. "We are in a strongly-built and +tight little craft; and as long as she keeps off-shore, she'll swim, I +hope." + +Peter's prognostications as to a shift of the wind were speedily +fulfilled, and we found the vessel driving as rapidly towards the +dreaded shore as she had before been carried from it. To struggle +against it was hopeless; our only prospect of safety, should she be +blown on it, was to find some creek or river into which we might run; +but the probabilities of our finding such a shelter were so very remote, +that all we could do was to pray that we might once more be driven away +from the treacherous land. Happily such was our fate. Another eddy, as +it were, of the whirlwind caught us, and once more we went flying away +towards the coast of Cuba. That was, however, so far distant that there +was but little fear but that the tempest would have spent its fury long +before we could reach it. No sail could be set; but the vessel being in +good trim, answered her helm, and kept before the wind. + +Away! away we flew! surrounded with sheets of hissing foam, the wild +waters dancing up madly on every side, threatening, should we stop but +for a moment in our course, to sweep over our decks! Even careless as I +then was, I could not help feeling grateful that we were not driving on +towards a shore which must speedily stop us in our career; and I thought +of the many poor fellows who would that day meet a watery grave, their +vessels cast helplessly on the sea-beat rocks. As the wind took us +along with it, we got more than our fair share of the hurricane; and the +night came on while we were still scudding on, exposed to its fury. + +If the scene was wild in the day-time, much more so was it when we were +surrounded by darkness, and a thousand unseen horrors presented +themselves to our imagination. Though I was not very easily overcome, I +had suffered so much lately that I felt that I could not endure much +longer the continuance of this sort of work. At last I fell into a sort +of stupor, and I believe that I should have been washed overboard had +not Peter secured me to the rigging, close to himself. I knew nothing +more till I awoke and found myself lying on the deck, with the sun +glancing brightly over the sparkling waters; the schooner, with all sail +set, close-hauled, and a gentle breeze blowing. On one side was seen a +range of blue hills rising out of the ocean. Peter was kneeling by my +side. + +"Get up, Jack," said he; "you've had a long snooze, but you wanted it, +lad, I'm sure. There's some breakfast for you; it will do you good +after all you have gone through." + +I thanked my kind friend, and swallowed the cocoa and biscuit which he +brought me with no little relish. + +"What! have we so soon got back to Jamaica?" said I, looking over the +side, and seeing the blue ranges of hills I have spoken of. + +"Jamaica! no, lad--I wish it was," he replied. "That's the island of +Cuba; and from what I know of it, I wish that we were further off than +we are. Some ugly customers inhabit it! There has been a +suspicious-looking craft for the last hour or so standing out from the +land towards us, and as she has long sweeps, she is making good way. I +suspect the captain don't admire her looks, for I have never seen him in +such a way before from the moment he came on deck and caught sight of +her. If we were in the brig we need not have been afraid of her, but in +this little cockle-shell we cannot do much to help ourselves." + +"We can fight, surely!" said I. "We have arms, have we not?" + +"What can eight or ten men do against forty or fifty cut-throats, which +probably that craft out there has on board?" answered Peter. "We'll do +our best, however." + +The approaching vessel was lateen-rigged, with two masts, and of great +beam; and though low in the water, and at a distance looking small, +capable of carrying a considerable number of men. Certainly she had a +very dishonest appearance. I saw the captain often anxiously looking +out on the weather-side, as if for a sign of more wind; but the gentle +breeze just filled our sails, and gave the craft little more than +steerage-way. All hands kept whistling away most energetically for a +stronger wind, but it would not come. The felucca, however, sailed very +fast. As we could not get out of her way, the captain hailed, and very +politely asked her to get out of ours, or rather to steer clear of us. +Instead of replying, or acting according to his request, some forty ugly +fellows or more, of every hue, from jet-black to white, and in every +style of costume, sprung up on her decks from below, and directly +afterwards she ranged up alongside of us. The captain, on this, ordered +her to sheer off; but instead of so doing, grappling-irons were thrown +aboard us, and her fierce-looking crew made a rush to leap on our deck. +They were met, however, by our captain, Mr Gale, Peter, and the rest of +our people, who, with pistol and cutlass in hand, were prepared to +dispute their passage. + +The pirates, for such there could be no doubt our visitors were, had +four or more guns mounted on their deck; but they seemed resolved to +depend rather on their overwhelming numbers than on them for victory. +They had not calculated, apparently, what a few determined men could do. +"Stand back, ye scoundrels!" shouted our brave captain, in a voice +which made the ruffians look up with amazement, though I do not think +they understood his words. He gave them further force by a sweep of his +cutlass, with which he cut off the head of the nearest of his +assailants. Peter, whose arm was almost as powerful, treated another in +the same way; and Mr Gale knocked a third over with his pistol before +any of them had time to get hold of our rigging. This determined +resistance caused them to draw back for an instant, which enabled Peter, +with one of the other men, to cast loose the grappling-irons forward. +At the same time two of the pirates, who were attempting to leap on +board, were dealt such heavy blows on the head that they were knocked +overboard before any of their companions could help them. "Well done, +my lads!" cried the captain. "Keep up the game in this way, and we may +yet beat off the villains!" Saying this he sprang aft to drive back a +gang of the pirates, who were attempting to board on our quarter. Two +of the first paid dearly for their temerity, and were cut down by either +the captain or Mr Gale. I got a long pike, and kept poking away over +the bulwarks at every fellow I could reach. Several pistols were fired +at me, but missed their aim; but at last the pike was dragged out of my +hands, and thrown overboard. Unfortunately there was so little wind +that the pirates, by getting out a sweep on the opposite side of their +vessel, brought her head aboard, and at the same time made a rush to get +on our deck. Peter, with two of our men, hurried to repel them; but a +bullet at that moment struck one of them on the breast, and knocked him +over. Poor fellow! I tried to save him as he fell; but the heavy way +in which he came to the deck showed me that his fighting days were over. +I ran to help Peter and my other shipmates, but the pirates pressed us +so hard that we had little hope of keeping them out. In the meantime +also a stout active little Spaniard, followed by two or three blacks and +another white man, made a spring at our bulwarks about midships; and +though one of our men, Tom Hardy, most bravely threw himself before +them, they gained the deck, and cut him down before any further +opposition could be offered. Others followed them, and gaining the +whole centre part of the vessel, our crew were completely divided. We +had lost two men. Thus the captain, Mr Gale, and one man held the deck +aft; while Peter, another man, and I still stood at our post forward. +But what could we hope to do against the crowd of ruffians who swarmed +on board? At the same moment they pressed towards us and the captain, +and would have carried us overboard had we not sung out, and asked for +quarter. The bravery which the captain and the rest had displayed +seemed to have won their admiration and respect; for instead of cutting +us down and throwing us into the sea, they instantly granted us the +quarter we asked. Our arms were taken from us, and we were ordered to +go on board the felucca, while the pirates proceeded to rifle the +schooner. Except the hogsheads of sugar, which would not have been of +much use to them, they found very little, I suspect, to repay them for +the heavy cost of our capture. The vessel, however, would probably have +been of some value to them, as she was a fine little craft. + +The schooner having a crew put on board her, the two vessels stood away +to the westward. Peter told me that he suspected we were bound to one +of the numerous small islands--keys they are called--which are found in +great numbers off the south coast of Cuba. We were allowed to walk +about the deck without molestation; but our position was far from a +pleasant one, for any moment our captors might take it into their heads +to make us walk the plank, or to get rid of us by some other means. I +had never seen a person made to walk the plank, but I had heard it +described as a favourite method employed by pirates to get rid of their +prisoners. A long plank is run out over the side, and the victim, +blindfolded, is made to walk along it. When he gets to the outer end, +the inner part is tilted up, and he is slid into the sea. I earnestly +prayed that such might not be our fate, and yet I could not see what +better we could expect. We had evidently fallen into the hands of +desperate outlaws, not likely to be influenced by any of the dictates of +humanity. At all events, we were likely to be kept prisoners, and +probably made to work as slaves for these villains, without a chance of +escaping. The captain seemed most cast down. He would, of course, most +certainly be thought to be lost. His vessel would sail without him, and +report his death at home. As he was a married man, with several +children, the trial was indeed great to him. + +I tried to make out who was the captain of the pirates, but they +appeared at first to me to be all equal. A fat, sturdy mulatto, was, I +after a time suspected, the chief mate, or one of the principal +officers; and the Spaniard, who had first succeeded in boarding us, was +another. Not one of them spoke a word of English, though from the first +I suspected that two or more of the white men understood it, if they +were not Englishmen or people from the American colonies. At all +events, I followed Peter's advice--not to say anything about which it +might be well not to have heard. I have often seen people get into +great scrapes, and bring most disagreeable consequences on themselves, +from disregarding that rule. Never say anything among foreigners, in +your own or any other language, which you do not wish them to +understand; or even give expression to your feelings in looks, which +even savages, you should remember, can frequently comprehend. + +Our two poor shipmates who had been wounded died, I hope, before we left +the schooner. At all events, the pirates threw them overboard. +Including Peter and me, there were thus only three foremast-men, besides +the blacks, and a mulatto who had been shipped as pilot for the trip +round the coast. We all kept together sitting on and about one of the +guns; but very little conversation passed between us. The captain and +Mr Gale walked the deck near us, but they said very little to each +other. A negro brought us, towards the evening, a large dish of farina, +with some sort of meat stewed in it. Though not over pleasant to the +look, it was acceptable enough to hungry men, for we had had nothing to +eat since the morning. A more palatable-looking dish was placed before +the captain and Mr Gale. This care of us showed that they did not, at +all events, intend to starve us to death, as they would scarcely have +fed people whom they intended to kill. + +I observed the Spaniard and the mulatto mate occasionally going down an +after-hatchway, which I supposed led into the chief cabin, but for what +reason they went I could not tell; and I observed that whenever the +captain and Mr Gale approached the spot, a guard stationed there turned +them back. When night came on, a sail was handed to us, which we spread +over the gun, and crept under it; and I observed that a couple of +mattresses were sent on deck, and that a sail was secured over the +bulwarks, to make a somewhat better tent for our officers. + +We passed the whole of the next day much as we had done the first. The +black, and white, and coloured crew did not regard us with very friendly +looks; but they did not molest us. A dark-skinned lad would, however, +occasionally come up to me when neither of the mates were looking, and +touching a formidable-looking knife he wore in his sheath, signify that +he should enjoy running the point into me. Some relation of his had +been among the men killed, and this made him feel bitter towards us. +Peter, who saw the action, advised me to remain quiet, and to take no +notice of it. "He only wants an excuse for a quarrel, and therefore, +unless you wish to please him, do not give it," observed my friend. I +followed his advice, not only at the present, but on many future +occasions, and thus avoided many of the quarrels and disputes into which +I saw others plunged. The men who brought us our food growled a little +at us, as if they would much rather have been making us food for the +fish; but as we made them no answer, they went away and left us to +ourselves. As the wind was generally light, we did not make much +progress. Thus another night passed away. + +When the morning of the next day broke, I saw that we were running in +among reefs, which I could tell by the ripple of the otherwise calm +water breaking over them. Ahead was a low sandy shore, mangrove-bushes +lining some portion of it, with palms and plantains, and a few other +tropical trees, rising beyond them. As we sailed on, threading the +glass-like channels, the sun rose higher and higher, and shone down with +intense heat on our heads, drawing forth, at the same time, a thin +gauze-like mist over the whole scene. "This is a regular trap," +observed Peter. "If a man once gets in here, I defy him to find his way +out again, unless he was born and bred on the spot." The captain and +Mr Gale were watching the progress of the vessel, and tried to look as +unconcerned as possible; but they were evidently considering if it were +possible to take a vessel out by the way they had come in. + +At length we entered the mouth of a narrow creek, lined with the +mangrove-bushes I have spoken of on either side; some growing in the +bright pure water, others with their branches just dipping into the +clear liquid, and so distinctly reflected that I could not tell where +the real bough ended and its phantom-likeness began. After running on +for half a mile, and making frequent turns, we found ourselves in a wide +lagoon, several other craft of different sizes and rigs being at anchor +in it. On shore, there was a collection of large wooden sheds looking +like stores, and some huts, and a few buildings of more pretensions, +apparently dwelling-houses. There was nothing like order or regularity +in the arrangement of the village; but each store or cottage seemed to +have been placed as suited the fancy of the owner, the whole wearing a +very nautical, shipwreck appearance. Many of the roofs were formed of +the bottoms of boats; sails, with a coating of paint or tar, were nailed +over others; and the planks and ribs of vessels had entered largely into +the construction of all the edifices. I made these observations as we +were shortening sail and coming to an anchor. It was very clearly a +pirate stronghold, and had been probably so for some years. The pirates +had allowed us to remain on deck and see the approach to it, evidently +trusting to the difficulties of the navigation to prevent any of us +finding our way out of it, or in again, should we obtain our liberty. +Though art had done nothing, nature had done everything to make the +place impregnable, unless a pilot could be found to show an enemy the +way. Against such a result they had several safeguards: each man of +this fraternity had bound himself by an oath not to betray any of their +secrets. The Spanish authorities took very little cognisance of them, +as their own vessels were not attacked; while at that time the governors +of the West India Islands did not trouble themselves much about rooting +out piracy; and it was only when some act of especial atrocity had been +committed, that, if a man-of-war was in the way, she was sent in chase +of the pirate. + +As soon as we had dropped our anchor, several boats came off from the +shore with people eager to learn the news we brought. They looked +suspiciously at us, and seemed not very well satisfied at the result of +their inquiries. It was far from pleasant to see a number of +cut-throat-looking fellows parading up and down before us with their +hands on the hilts of their long knives, with which they kept playing as +if anxious to try their temper in our bodies. Captain Helfrich stood +all the time with folded arms leaning against the bulwarks, and all we +could do was to imitate his example. I was not sorry, however, when the +mulatto mate intimated to us that we were to get into the boat and go on +shore, as I thought that we should then probably be more out of the way +of our irascible-looking friends. We were ordered into one boat with +Mr Gale, while the captain was carried away in another. This seriously +excited our apprehension, as we could not tell what evil might be +intended him. He, however, though very grave, seemed to be under no +apprehension, but stepped into the boat as if he was going on shore on +his own business. + +As soon as we landed, we were marched up to one of the store-like +buildings; and a ladder being shown us, up which we went through a trap +which closed behind us, we found ourselves in a large airy loft. The +furniture consisted of some heaps of the straw or leaves of Indian corn. +It looked clean, and was, therefore, more suited to our wants than +would have been any number of pieces of the handsomest furniture--such +as marble tables, mahogany sideboards, satin-wood wardrobes, or gold and +china vases. As Peter observed, when he threw himself on one of the +heaps: "Never mind, my lads, we're rich if we've got what we want. If +our friends below would send us up a dish of turtle and rice, or some of +their ollas, we, at any rate, shall have no reason to complain of our +lot. We shall get out of this one of these days; so, in the meantime, +let us make ourselves comfortable." Peter's good temper kept up the +spirits of the rest of our party. I have often found the advantage of +having a person like Peter among a number of people placed in +circumstances like ours, either in prison, or cast away, or detained in +some disagreeable place; and I have, therefore, always endeavoured to +imitate him in that respect, as well as in others, by keeping up my own +spirits, and by cheering my companions in misfortune. Mr Gale, under +most circumstances, would have contributed to support us; but on the +present occasion he was evidently too much weighed down with grave +apprehensions as to what was likely to befall us all, to act as he would +otherwise have done. Not having anything else to do, and being very +tired, we all went to sleep. + +After some hours, for the sun was low by that time, we were awoke. +Hearing a bolt being withdrawn, and looking up, I saw the trap lifted, +and a negro appeared. On his head he carried a large bowl, with some +wooden spoons in it. He placed the bowl before us, and signified that +we might eat its contents. Curiously enough, it contained the very +thing Peter had been wishing for--a stew of turtle and rice, a thing not +to be despised by hungry men. It was very good, I know. After eating +it, we went to sleep again, and for my own part I did not awake till +daylight. After some time, a bowl of a sort of porridge was brought us, +and some plantains, which, with pork, forms the common food of the +people of Cuba. Twice in the day food was brought us. It was both +abundant and good, so that we had no reason to complain of the way the +pirates treated us. The great puzzle was to discover why it was that +they were so civil. Had they kept us on bread and water, and spared our +lives, we should have had reason to be grateful; as the usual mode of +proceeding of such gentry, we understood, always was to shoot all who +would not take the oaths and join them. + +We were not allowed to go out of the place, or to hold intercourse with +anybody. The only light which was let into the place came from a hole +in the roof above our heads. It was so placed that we could not manage +to climb up to it. I managed, however, to find a chink in the floor, +near the trap; and whenever I looked through it, I saw a man with a +musket standing there as a guard. + +Three or four days thus passed away. We could hear nothing of the +captain, for the only person we saw was the negro, and when we asked +him, he only shook his head, and intimated that he did not understand +what we said. Mr Gale, after a time, aroused himself, and gave us +instructions in various matters; and Peter and one of the other men told +some capital stories, and we all took it by turns to sing songs. I was +not a bad hand at that, by-the-by; I had learned several as a child, and +had picked up others since then, and as my voice was a good one, my +songs were generally favourites. + +The time, however, began to hang rather heavily on our hands, when one +evening a stranger made his appearance, and looking at me, said in +English, "Youngster, you are wanted." I was startled at hearing the +sound of an English voice; but I, of course, thought the captain wanted +me, so I went, very willing to accompany him. The trap was bolted +behind me. He took me to one of the largest cottages I had observed, +and entering it, pointed to a door, and told me to go in. I did so, and +there I saw seated at a table the identical old gentleman whom I +believed to be called Captain Ralph. He did not look a day older than +when he came on board the _Rainbow_ off Saint Kitt's, and he wore the +same old-fashioned three-cornered hat and laced-coat. + +"You have seen me before, lad," said he, eyeing me closely. + +"Yes, sir," said I, resolving to be frank with him; "on board the +_Rainbow_." + +"You are attached to your captain, and would wish to do him a service?" +he added. + +"Yes, sir," said I. "What do you want me to do?" + +"Tell him that all his people have taken the oaths and joined the +confederacy," he answered, looking at me hard. + +"I don't know what oaths, or what else you mean, sir," I answered. "I +cannot tell him anything that is not true." + +"What? a ship-boy with a conscience?" he exclaimed, bursting into a fit +of laughter. "I tell you, lad, you must do as you are bid." + +"Yes, sir, I'll do what my captain tells me," I replied, simply. "But +for the matter of saying anything to deceive him, I won't do it. I'll +tell him the truth, and then he'll know how to act." + +He looked at me very hard for a moment or so, and then rang a bell by +his side. From what he had said, I hoped that the captain was safe and +well. The same man who had brought me in appeared. + +"Send Diego here to take care of this youngster, and bring in one of the +other men, the tall one--I will try what I can make of him," he said; +and the white man disappeared. + +Directly afterwards, a sturdy black man came in. Captain Ralph pointed +to me. He seized me by the collar, and held me a prisoner on one side +of the room. In a short time Peter was brought in. + +"You find life and liberty sweet, my man?" said the old gentleman, +addressing him. + +"I've no objection to either," answered Peter sturdily. + +"You've been well-treated since you've been here?" said Captain Ralph. + +"I've no reason to complain," was Peter's laconic reply. + +"Very well; you may judge that I do not wish you ill," observed Captain +Ralph. "Now, I won't conceal it from you, we have a body of people on +this island who don't own any laws except those of our own making. A +large number of them are Spaniards, and I want a few honest Englishmen, +who will stick by one another, to join us. What do you say? Are you +inclined to join us? Your captain will, I have no doubt, and so will +this lad and the rest of your shipmates." + +I shook my head. Captain Ralph did not see me, but the negro did, and +gave me a cuff on the head in consequence. I had not fancied that the +negro understood English, but from this circumstance I have no doubt he +did. + +Peter gave a hitch to his trousers when the question was put to him, and +then vehemently scratched his head. "Look ye here, sir," he answered in +a firm voice, which showed that he had made up his mind how to act, "I +am much obliged for the treatment I and my shipmates have received since +we came to this place, barring the being kept inside a sort of prison, +so to speak; but you must just understand, sir, that I've been brought +up to be an honest man, and an honest man I hope to remain to the end of +my days; and so, as to taking any oath to turn pirate, or in any way to +associate with those who do, I'll not do it. So now you've my answer." + +The pirate chief--for so I may as well at once call him--seemed to be +somewhat taken aback at this answer; but he laughed as I had before +heard him. "You _Rainbow_ lads have odd notions of your own about +honesty! We'll see what the rest of you have to say on the subject." + +Mr Gale was next sent for. He, as may be supposed, at once refused to +join the pirates. The other men, fancying that we had joined them, +promised to do so; but it struck me that Captain Ralph did not look +particularly well satisfied at hearing their reply. + +What his intentions were we could not tell, for he ordered us all at +once to be taken back to our place of confinement, under a guard of five +or six men, who stood outside ready for that purpose. What had become +of the captain puzzled us most to discover. We said nothing, however, +as we went along, for we were pretty certain that the people who had +charge of us perfectly understood English, if they were not mostly +Englishmen. + +We remained two or three days longer shut up, in a state of great doubt +and uncertainty. Sometimes we fancied that we should be taken out and +shot; at others, that we might be set at liberty. However, I could not +help hoping that Captain Ralph was well-disposed towards us. What the +pirates were about all this time we could not tell; but we supposed that +they could scarcely remain idle, and if we were to make our escape at +all, we looked forward to the time when the greater portion were gone +away on some expedition. + +We very soon got tired of not being able to see what was going forward +in the outer world. We accordingly hunted about the roof, to find a +spot where we could remove the shingles, or split planks of wood which +formed it, without leaving any marks which might be observed. This, +after a little time, we succeeded in doing with our knives; and thus we +formed a look-out hole on each side of the building. On one side, we +could see all over the harbour; on another, we looked down towards the +mouth; a third looked over a very uninviting country inland, with the +mountains of Cuba seen in the far distance, blue and indistinct; while, +by looking through the fourth, we discovered that we were separated from +the open sea by a piece of land little more than a mile in width. We +could not, of course, see what was going forward close under the +buildings, but we could observe the movements of people on shore at a +little distance off. Our ears, however, helped us when our eyesight +failed. One of us was always on the look-out at each hole, while the +fifth kept watch at the chink, to give timely notice of anybody's +approach to the ladder. + +For some days we had observed the people busily employed in fitting, +rigging, and in shaping and altering spars. At length there was an +unusual bustle, and boats were continually going backwards and forwards +between the vessels, carrying stores of various sorts. It was clear +that there was at length an expedition on foot. We naturally fancied +that it would produce some change in our position, but whether for +better or worse remained to be seen. + +The next morning the harbour was covered with boats carrying people on +board the vessels; and directly afterwards six of them got under way, +and stood out towards the sea. Whether or not Captain Ralph went with +them we could not discover. We could not perceive our own schooner in +the harbour, but there was a vessel which we thought might be her lying +out towards the mouth of the creek. There were still, we remarked, a +good number of people left on the island. We saw them moving about in +all directions for some hours after the fleet had sailed, and then they +retired into the huts and sheds which served as their homes. Such was +the state of things when we lay down to rest that night. + +About midnight, we were startled by hearing the trap-door lifted. At +the same time a man appeared with a lantern in his hand. I recognised +him as the person who had conducted me to the presence of Captain Ralph. + +"I have come here as a friend, my men," he said in a low voice, putting +down the lantern. "You have shown that you can be faithful to your own +captain, and mine, therefore, believes that he can trust you to do him a +service. Is he right?" + +"Yes," answered Mr Gale, speaking for the rest of us; "anything which, +as honest men, we can do to help him we will gladly undertake." + +"That's right," said the stranger. "You must know, then, that we have +here men of various nations. Many of them are Spaniards. They and +other foreigners have lately been growing more and more jealous of our +captain. He has done two or three things lately to offend their +prejudices, certainly. The consequence is, that they have hatched a +conspiracy, which has just been discovered, to murder him and all the +English in the place; you all will be among the first victims. In +asking you to fight for us, I invite you to fight for your own lives. +To show that I trust you, I have brought you some pistols and +ammunition, and a bundle of swords done up in this sail. The villains +have fixed on an hour before daybreak to begin the attack on us. Arm +yourselves, and be ready to sally forth at a moment's notice. They will +sound a trumpet as a signal to their party to begin the work of +slaughter. I will try to be here before then. If I am not, make your +way to Captain Ralph's quarters. He will have, before that, released +your captain, who will put himself at your head. You will also be +joined by four or five men, who, like me, will be glad to get away from +this den, and regain our liberty at any cost. I must stay no longer, or +I may be missed. Be prompt and firm, and we may come off conquerors. +Remember, however, it is victory or death for all of us!" + +These words came like a thunder-clap among us. We could scarcely +believe our ears. Mr Gale, however, at once replied, that we would +undertake exactly to follow the stranger's directions, as we clearly +understood the dangerous predicament in which we all stood. The instant +he received our reply, he hurried from the loft, and we could see his +figure from our loophole proceeding to the upper part of the settlement. + +Our first care was to examine the package, which we found contained the +arms he had promised. We immediately loaded the pistols, and buckled on +the cutlasses, and then stood ready to descend at the expected signal. +To men long shut up as we had been, any excitement is acceptable; so +that, far from feeling any alarm at what we had heard, scarcely anything +could have contributed so much to raise our spirits. I truly believe +that we valued the prospect of obtaining our liberty much more from the +chance of having to fight for it. We were only eager for the fray to +begin. We could not tell exactly how we were to find out our enemies; +but Mr Gale charged us not to attack anyone till we were attacked, +unless we received directions from Captain Helfrich, or the stranger who +had just visited us. + +The state of things which existed, it appeared, among this community of +sea-robbers, showed me a truth which I have since found frequently +confirmed, that oaths are of little or no value among men who are +continually breaking God's laws. They are kept as a rule only as long +as it is convenient or necessary to each individual to keep them; but +the moment he thinks it to his advantage to break them, he does so +without the slightest compunction. The terrific oaths which were +supposed to bind together the ruffians of the Blackbeard school, were +over and over again broken, and would never have been kept unless +interest, or the lowest superstition, had held the ruffians faithful to +them. The value of an oath, as a pledge taken in the sight of the +Almighty God, they could not comprehend. Much the same was evidently +the case in the present instance; and here there was every prospect of a +long existing community of outlaws breaking up from internal +dissensions. We could only earnestly hope that such might be their +fate. "Depend on it, Jack, my boy," said Peter to me, when talking on +the subject, "there's only one thing can bind men truly together, and +that is honesty of purpose. Real friendship cannot exist among knaves." +In my long life I have invariably found his remarks verified. + +Hour after hour passed away while we waited for the signal. Of course +we were very anxious, but our spirits rather rose than fell as we talked +over the various plans which it might be necessary for us to adopt to +effect our escape. We had an advantage the pirate who visited us did +not suspect: we had surveyed the ground from our look-out, and knew that +our own schooner, or one like her, was at the mouth of the harbour. We +agreed, as soon as we had driven back the Spaniards and their party, to +set fire to their stores; and while they were endeavouring to put them +out, to make a rush for the boats, and thus to effect our escape down +the lagoon. + +The night had become very silent--not a sound was heard, either on shore +or on the water. There was a gentle land-breeze blowing, which would be +all in our favour if once we could get to the vessel. Suddenly the +shrill blast of a trumpet was heard. Peter gave one glance through the +loophole, and said he saw torches flaming in the upper part of the +village; and presently loud shouts and cries burst forth from the same +direction. We slid down the ladder as fast as one could follow the +other, Mr Gale leading. If a guard had been there, he had run off at +the first sound of the trumpet. We hurried on in the direction we had +been desired to take. We had not gone far when we were met by the +stranger. "No time to lose; on, my lads!" he exclaimed, leading the +way. Before us torches were waving, and there were the flashes of +fire-arms. Their reports were heard, as was the clash of steel. We +advanced together rapidly. Suddenly flames burst out of one of the +large stores. The building itself and its contents, probably being of +inflammable materials, blazed up fiercely, and its light fell on the +figures of a number of men fighting desperately. One person was +conspicuous above those of all the others. It was that of our own +captain. As we saw him we raised a cheer, which must have reached his +ears. He answered it with a shout such as few but he could give. Again +we cheered, and dashed on with redoubled speed. We were but just in +time to help him. He stood with his back against a wall, almost +surrounded with enemies, bestriding the body of Captain Ralph; while his +right hand wielded a huge sword, such as few but he could use to +advantage. "On, my lads! Charge the villains!" he shouted. We needed +not the command, but rushed against the mass of Spaniards, mulattoes, +and blacks, who were besetting him, with such hearty good-will, and our +attack being, at the same time, so unexpected, that we drove them back, +helter-skelter, some hundred yards, killing and wounding a number of +them in the way. We should have gone further, but we were recalled by +the captain's voice. We found him lifting Captain Ralph's body in his +arms. "To the boats! to the boats!" shouted some of the Englishmen, +each of whom bore, I perceived, a considerable bundle on his shoulders. +We, supporting our captain, followed the way they led. Five or six +boats, with their oars and sails in them, were in the water at a rough +wooden quay. We jumped into them, and shoved off. + +Several English had been killed, and some had been wounded, whom their +comrades had assisted to the water-side. The scene was lighted up by +the blaze of several wooden stores and other buildings. Among them was +Captain Ralph's cottage. The lights from the flaming mass fell on a +large body of Spaniards, who had rallied, and were advancing rapidly +towards us. "It matters not," shouted some of our new companions, with +a laugh of derision; "they'll find no boats to pursue us; and when they +get back to their homes, they'll discover that not a few of their gold +ingots are gone. Hurrah! hurrah! Give way, my lads, though! They'll +bring their guns to bear upon us if we do not make good way down the +creek." We had all jumped into the nearest boats at hand, without any +respect to order, and the stoutest hands had seized the oars. I found +myself in the boat with my captain and Captain Ralph. The old man lay +in the stern-sheets supported in my captain's arms. He still lived, but +he appeared to be badly wounded. Neither spoke for some time. The +captain told me to take the yoke-lines, and to steer according to his +directions. Peter pulled one of the oars, and our boat took the lead; +but, to my surprise, my captain seemed to know all the turnings of the +creek as well as any of the pirates. + +We had got but a short distance when our opponents reached the side of +the water, when, finding no boats, they began rapidly firing away at us. +Though the light from the blazing buildings fell on us, it did not +enable them to judge accurately of the distance we were from them, and +most of their shot went over our heads. Though we had plenty of arms in +the boat, we did not attempt to return their fire; but some of our +lawless companions gave vent to their anger in shouts and execrations. + +Wild as the scene had hitherto been, it was yet further heightened by a +loud explosion, which sent fragments of burning embers falling even +around the boats. At the sound, Captain Ralph raised his head and +looked towards the village. "They have lost their expected prize, and +many of them have received what they little expected!" he exclaimed, +with that peculiar low laugh in which I had before heard him indulge. +He had for the moment forgotten his condition. He was, I saw clearly, +desperately wounded. The exertion of moving and speaking was greater +than he could bear, and he sunk back into the captain's arms. + +The bullets were all this time flying thickly about the boats, though we +were rapidly increasing our distance from the shore. Several of them +had whistled by my ear. Then I heard one strike close to me with a +peculiar dead sound. At the same moment a sharp, unearthly cry rung in +my ear. It was uttered by Captain Ralph. "Helfrich!" he exclaimed, +"they have done for me. I thought that I had secured all I required, +and might live henceforth in peace. I die with unnumbered sins on my +conscience, without one good act performed, with every advantage +neglected, with a thousand opportunities of reformation thrown away. I +have lived a life of imposture, outraging all laws, human and divine, +and I die miserably without hope--without hope--without hope! Oh, save +me! save me! save me!" The last words the miserable man gasped out with +difficulty. Scarcely had he spoken them, when his head fell down over +his breast, a convulsive shudder passed through his frame, and the once +dreaded pirate was dead! + + + +CHAPTER EIGHT. + +PIRATES IN BOTH HEMISPHERES. + +The balls from the pirates' muskets not a little increased the rapidity +of our movements. Two or three men in the other boats were hit, and one +was killed. When Captain Helfrich discovered what had occurred, he +carefully closed the old pirate's eyes, and placed the body on the seat +by his side. His men, however, evinced very little sorrow at his death. +Who he was, and what he had done during his life, I was never able +clearly to learn. He was a man of education, and a first-rate seaman, +as I had had an opportunity of observing; and I should think that he +would have succeeded in any line of life he might have chosen to adopt. +He selected, unhappily, a very bad one, for I believe that his whole +career had been lawless; but that, rather from the peculiarity of his +temper than from any fear of committing evil, he had usually abstained, +when he had the power in his own hands, from shedding blood. + +The grey dawn broke as we were pulling down the creek, and just as the +headmost boat touched the side of a schooner which lay at its mouth, the +sun rose in a blaze of glory out of the smooth dark blue ocean. Peter, +looking over his shoulder, recognised her as our little sugar vessel. +We were soon alongside. Friends to our lawless companions were on +board. The cable was hove short, the mainsail was set, and all was +ready to weigh in a moment. As many boats as the schooner could stow on +deck: were hoisted on board; the rest went ahead to tow her out. The +plan of escape had been well arranged by Captain Ralph and his +followers. When they found that their long-trusted leader was dead, +their dismay was great. No time, however, was to be lost. A man who +had gone to the mast-head, whence he could look over the mangrove-bushes +into the lagoon, reported that some of the vessels there were making +sail in pursuit. We, however, had a good start of them. Still, without +a leader, there was some confusion, and the energies of the people were +not applied to their full advantage. + +Suddenly there arose a cry among them that a captain must be chosen. +"The English captain! the English captain!--Captain Helfrich is our +man!" was shouted by all the pirates; and it was very evident that, +whether he would or not, they would compel him to take the post. + +"My men, I am obliged to you for your good opinion of me," said Captain +Helfrich, standing up among them; "still I cannot be your captain. I +will be your pilot to take you out of this harbour, and to enable you to +gain a place of safety, on one condition, that you disperse at the time +I point out to you. I make this agreement for your own advantage. If +you keep together, you are certain before long to get into trouble. +Will you trust me?" + +"We agree! we agree!" was replied on all sides. "We trust you, sir, for +we know you mean us well." + +"Then heave up the anchor, sheet home the headsails, up with the helm, +and let her cast to starboard," cried the captain, almost in the same +breath. + +A man was stationed at the bowsprit-end, and another at the mast-head, +to give notice of any rocks beneath the water which might lie in our +course; but Captain Helfrich seemed scarcely to require such +information. The little schooner threaded the narrow and intricate +passage with unerring accuracy, every instant the rapidity of her +progress being increased by the freshening wind. It was well, indeed, +for our safety that we had a steady breeze, for while we were still +within the labyrinth of reefs, several vessels were seen emerging from +among the mangrove-bushes. As they advanced, they fired their guns at +us; but we were still far beyond their range. Had it not been, indeed, +for the many turns in the passage, we should have been so far away that +they could not have hoped to reach us. We had only our heels to depend +on, for, with so overpowering a force, the Spaniards must easily have +overcome us. Our great danger consisted in the possibility of striking +on a rock before we could get clear of the reefs. On this probability +our enemies calculated when they came in pursuit. + +We had several reaches to pass through, which in no way increased our +distance from them through the air, and at last several of their shot +came whistling over our mast-heads. One went through our mainsail. We +could only stand still and look at our enemies, while our little vessel +made the best of her way from them. + +"Hurrah, my lads! we are in the last reach," shouted our captain; "in +five minutes we shall be in clear water!" + +The men shouted in return. Stronger blew the breeze, making the blue +sea sparkle and leap outside. On either hand it broke in masses of +foam, which leaped high into the air. On we flew! A narrow channel of +smooth water was before us. We glided through it. "Hurrah--hurrah! we +are free--we are free!" + +I remember how fresh and pure I thought the sea air smelt. With what +freedom I breathed, after being shut up so long in a hot loft! The +breeze was easterly--a wind which would carry us on a bowline to +Jamaica. Every sail the little schooner could carry was set on her. +Our pursuers were not, however, yet willing to give up the chase. Once +clear, with the open sea before us, we distanced them fast, and the +sailing qualities of the little schooner being very fair, we had little +fear of being overtaken. + +From what I saw of our present companions, I certainly should not have +liked to have associated much with them. While danger threatened, they +were quiet enough; but as the prospect of being overtaken decreased, +they grew more reckless and overbearing in their manner, and showed with +how little provocation they would be ready to break into a quarrel with +us, or among themselves. Thanks to Mr Gale's and Peter's example, we +were not likely to give them cause for that. As they had been prepared +for flight, they had not only put on a considerable quantity of +additional clothing, but each man carried round his waist a belt filled +with gold and silver coins, while his pockets were filled with jewels +and such silver ornaments and other articles of value which he could +manage to stow away in them. This much impeded their activity, though, +of course, it was but natural that they should wish to carry away with +them as much as they could of those spoils, to gain which they had +hazarded the loss both of life and soul! + +"It will be as well, for their own sakes, that none of those fellows +fall overboard," observed Peter to me when none of them were near to +listen; "they'll go down like a shot, and then what will be the use to +them of all the dollars and the gold they have collected? What's the +use of it to them now? just to spend in the grossest folly and +debauchery; and for the sake of collecting it, they have been living a +life of murder and rapine! All I can say is that I don't want to change +places with them, though their pockets are full and mine are empty!" I +agreed with Peter that neither would I, and we had good reason before +long to think the same. + +We were still not clear of danger from our pursuers. The breeze +freshened so much that it was with difficulty we could stagger along +under the press of canvas we carried; and as the Spaniards' vessels were +much larger, had we been compelled to shorten sail, they might easily +have come up with us. If they did, we well knew that we could expect no +mercy from them. Still the chase was very exciting. However, I would +rather be the pursuer than the pursued; and I suppose that a hare, or a +fox, or a stag would, if it could express its opinion, agree with me in +the latter remark. Fortunately for us the breeze kept very steady; and +as, after a time, the Spaniards found that they lost ground rather than +gained on us, they tacked and stood back towards the Cuban coast. This +event was noticed with loud cheers by all our people, nor was I slack in +joining them. + +Our passage, till we sighted the coast of Jamaica, was very rapid. +Captain Helfrich had made some arrangement with the pirates as to their +future course. I do not know what it was. Some were to go away in +their boats in different directions; some wished to land, and others to +be put on board homeward-bound vessels. They wanted to take the +schooner, but, of course, he could not willingly let them have her, as +she was not his property. I suspect that they had formed a plan to take +her; but their designs, if such existed, were defeated. + +Among the cargo were some small casks of rum. A knowledge of this fact +the captain wished to keep concealed from everybody on board. +Unhappily, however, the pirates discovered them, and, in spite of +Captain Helfrich's remonstrances and warnings, they very soon had them +up and broached on deck. Every minute they became more and more riotous +and inclined to quarrel among themselves. Again the captain warned them +that they would betray themselves; but laughingly they answered that +they knew him well, and that he would take care that they got into no +mischief. + +The wind heading us, we had to stand in-shore, so as to beat up towards +Kingston. There was a little sea on, but not enough to prevent our +observing objects some way below the surface. Peter and I were looking +over the side--one of the other men being at the helm--when we noticed a +dark pointed object floating alongside; another came up near it. +Looking down, we with a shudder discovered the long tapering bodies of +two sharks swimming just on our quarter. Nothing is so hateful to a +sailor, even when he has a sound plank under his feet, as a sight of +those tigers of the deep. Happening shortly after to go over to the +other side, and glancing my eye over the bulwarks, with almost a thrill +of horror I saw two others precisely in the same relative position. At +first I thought they must be the same, but going back to the other side, +there were those first seen just as they had been before. + +"I don't like the look of those brutes," said Peter. "I am not +superstitious, but I never have seen sharks swimming along as those are +but what some mischief or other has happened--a man has fallen +overboard, or something of that sort!" + +I, as may be supposed, shared fully in Peter's feelings, and set to work +wondering what the harm would be. + +I had not long to wait. The schooner had tacked, and was laying pretty +well along-shore, with her head off it, and about a mile distant. One +of the pirates, with drunken gravity, had insisted that he was not going +to be idle, and that he would tend the fore-sheet. The state of things +on board had made the captain doubly anxious to get in before night, and +we were, therefore, carrying on perhaps even more sail than the little +craft could well bear. We were taking the water in well over our bows; +but that seemed in no way to inconvenience the hardy pirates, as they +sat on the deck at their levels. I will not attempt to paint the +picture presented by the pirates. The horrid oaths and blasphemy, the +obscene songs, the shouts of maniac laughter, may be better imagined +than described. + +Peter and I and the other men had gone aft, where was also the captain, +while Mr Gale stood at the helm. The sun was perhaps an hour above the +horizon. Frequently the captain had turned his eyes in the direction of +Kingston Harbour. A sail was seen standing out of the harbour, steering +towards us, for the purpose, evidently, of getting a good offing before +nightfall. As her topsails appeared above the horizon, we could make +out very clearly that she was a brig. + +"Hand me up my glass, Jack," said the captain with animation. He took a +long, steady look at her, and then handed the glass to Mr Gale, whose +place Peter took at the helm. + +While they were all looking eagerly at the approaching brig, I felt the +schooner heel over even more than she had been doing. The captain +likewise became sensible of the movement. He looked round-- + +"Let go the fore-sheet!" he shouted loudly. Mr Gale at the same moment +sprang forward to execute the order; but the pirate who was tending it +held it on tight with drunken stupidity. Mr Gale tried to drag him +away from it; but the man, instead of letting go, gave a turn, and +jammed the sheet. Down came the squall on us with redoubled strength. +The little vessel heeled over till her gunwale was buried in the sea. +The water rose higher and higher up her deck. It was too late to cut +the sheet. No skill could save her. + +Down, down went the vessel! Shrieks and cries arose, but they were no +longer the sounds of revelry. They were those of horror and hopeless +dismay, uttered by the pirates as they found the vessel sinking under +their feet and they were thrown struggling into the water. So suddenly +did she go over, and so rapidly did she fill, that even the most sober +had no time to consider how they could save themselves, much less had +those wretched drunken men. Overloaded as they were with clothes and +booty, they could neither swim nor struggle towards the spars, and +planks, and oars, and boats, which were floating about on every side. + +When Mr Gale found that it was too late to save the schooner, he sprung +back towards one of the boats which had been stowed right aft on the +weather-side; the captain, Peter, and I, with our men, had been cutting +the lashings which had secured it with our knives; and giving it a shove +as the deck of the vessel touched the water, we were able to get clear +just as she went down. The mate had not quite reached the boat, but +Peter, leaning forward, hauled him in before he was drawn into the +vortex made by the schooner as she sunk. To clear her, we had of +necessity to shove astern, and this drove us still further from the spot +where the rest of the people were still struggling in the waves. Some +of the soberest had managed to disencumber themselves of their clothing, +and to clutch hold of spars to support themselves; but they had another +danger, from the seaman's remorseless enemy, to contend with. We now +guessed why the sharks had been accompanying us; or could they have +scented the dead body of the pirate chief, which we had still on board? +Why the captain had not buried him I do not know. + +Scarcely had we leaped into the boat, when the terrific shrieks of the +struggling pirates reminded us of what we had seen. In an instant the +monsters were at them, and one after the other, with fearful rapidity, +they were dragged from the supports to which they clung, their bodies +mangled, and limbs torn asunder. We got out our oars as quickly as +possible, and pulled back, endeavouring to save some; but before we +could reach the nearest man a shark had seized him, and we could see his +arms helplessly stretched out, as he was dragged down through the clear +waters. On we pulled towards another, but he likewise was carried off +after he had already seized the boatswain's oar, and thought himself +safe. A third cried out to us piteously to come and save him. We +pulled towards him with all our might; but fast as we flew through the +water, two huge sharks went faster, and before we could reach him he was +their prey, literally torn in sunder between them. He was the last who +yet floated; the others had gone down at once, or had been torn to +pieces with all their wealth about them. While we were looking round, +an object rose to the surface. + +"What means that?" exclaimed our captain with an expression of horror +and alarm such as I did not believe his countenance capable of wearing. + +It was the body of the old pirate: his face was turned towards us, and +one of his arms moved as if beckoning us to follow him! + +"No, no--you do not want me! I have visited you once at your summons! +I'll no longer obey you!" shouted our captain with a hoarse voice, +staring wildly; then he sank down into the stern-sheets overcome with +his emotions. + +For a minute, fancying that the old pirate was alive, we pulled towards +him; then we remembered that he had been placed in a rough coffin of +thick light wood, the lid of which had not been secured. Some nails, +probably, had caught the clothes and kept the body in. When the vessel +sunk the coffin had floated through the hatchway, the lid being knocked +off; and thus the old man was once more presented to our view. + +The monsters who had so speedily disposed of his wretched followers now +darted forward to attack the coffin. Round and round they turned it; +one arm was seized, then another, and we saw the body dragged down with +a dozen sharks surrounding it, tearing it limb from limb! + +Our captain very quickly recovered himself, and passing his hand over +his brow, as if to shut out some dreadful vision, ordered us in a calm +tone to pull towards the approaching brig. As we pulled from the spot, +the water appeared here and there tinged with a crimson tint; but +scarcely a vestige of the unfortunate little schooner remained. The +brig approached. + +"She is the _Rainbow_, sir; there can be no doubt of it!" exclaimed +Peter, who had been eyeing her narrowly over his right shoulder. + +He was right. On her people seeing a boat she was hove-to, and we were +very quickly on board. I need not describe the surprise of Mr Jones, +the first mate, who had now command of her as captain, or of the officer +who had been shipped instead of Mr Gale. Of course, we had all long +been given over as lost. + +Mr Jones very willingly gave up his command to Captain Helfrich, and +re-occupied his post as first mate; but the new officer who had been +shipped, in a most foolish way nourished a peculiar dislike not only for +Mr Gale for superseding him, but towards all of us, and took every +opportunity of showing it. The vessel had got a full cargo in, and was +on her way back to Dublin. At first, however, he pretended that he +wished to be very kind to me, in consequence of the hardships I had gone +through, and the narrow escape I had of death from the Maroons. Of +course, there was no reason for keeping that part of our adventures +secret, so I gave him a full account of all that had occurred; but then +he led me on to describe the hurricane, and our capture by the pirates; +and from the interest he took in the questions he asked me, I felt that +he had some sinister motive for his inquiries. This made me hold my +tongue for the time; and when I told Peter all the mate had asked me, he +told me that I was perfectly right not to give him any further +information, as he was sure that he would make a bad use of it. We +neither of us liked the expression of the man's countenance, or his +manner to his superiors, or us his inferiors. Time was to show us that +we were right in our conjectures. + +When the extra mate found that he could get nothing out of Peter or me +he attacked the other men; and from what they confessed to us they had +told him, we feared that he had obtained from them all the information +he required. He left the brig directly we entered port, and immediately +returned to Jamaica. + +Captain Helfrich was received in Dublin as one who had returned from the +dead; for the account of his supposed death had preceded us, and his +wife had actually assumed widow's mourning for him. His sudden +appearance very nearly cost her her life. + +We took the usual time to refit the brig, and then sailed once more for +the same destination. We had the usual number of passengers, and all +went well till we reached Kingston. + +After we had lain a little time there, we saw from the captain's manner +that all was not going well with him; and Peter told me that from what +he heard on shore, that he was accused of having been leagued with +pirates; and that all sorts of things were said about him. This, to a +man of the captain's temperament, was very trying. Those who knew him +best, must have been perfectly convinced that, for many years past, he +could not possibly have been guilty of any act of piracy; although I +could have little doubt that, in his early days, he must, in some way or +other, have been connected with the person whom I knew alone by the name +of Captain Ralph. It was a practical evidence of the truth of that +saying of Holy Writ, that the sins of his youth rise up in judgment +against a man in his old age. + +We had little difficulty in tracing the reports to the malignity of the +man who had acted as mate during the last passage home. In consequence +of these reports, Captain Helfrich had considerable difficulty in +obtaining a cargo for the brig; and so disgusted was he with all the +annoyance he had received, that he resolved not to return again to the +West Indies. + +At last, however, we were ready to sail. The evening before we were to +go to sea, a boat came alongside, pulled by black men, with one man only +in the stern-sheets. He asked to see Captain Helfrich. I looked over +the side, and recognised him as Michael, the tall negro who had been the +means of rescuing us from the Maroons. Mr Gale sent me to let the +captain know that a person wanted to see him, and of course I told him +who he was. The captain accordingly directed me to invite him below at +once. I did so, and remained in the cabin. + +"I've come, captain," said he, "to ask a favour of you." + +"Anything you ask I am bound to grant," answered the captain. + +"All I have to beg is a passage to England," replied the negro. "I go +to seek in your country that liberty which I can find nowhere else. For +years have I been striving to instil into my unhappy countrymen a +knowledge of their true position; but they are too ignorant, too +gross-minded to understand me. I have had no wish to set them against +their masters. In most instances, both parties have been born to the +position they occupy, and cannot help themselves. All I want is, that +the masters should do them justice, and should treat them as men--as +human beings with souls, with like passions, with like thoughts as +themselves--that they should do their best to improve their minds, to +educate them, to prepare them for that liberty they must sooner or later +obtain. The question is, how will it be obtained? By fair and gentle +means, granted--not taken by force as a right, or by violence and +bloodshed. I have tried all means. I have leagued with all classes of +men to commence, in some way or other, the work. Thus, for a time, I +associated with Captain Ralph; but he grossly deceived me, as he did +everybody else. I joined the Maroon bands, in the idea that force might +avail; but in that respect I found that I was totally wrong in my +calculations. I have tried to influence the planters, to show them +their true interests: that with a well-instructed peasantry they would +get far more work done, and at a smaller cost, than they do now with +their gangs of ignorant slaves; but they laugh my notions to scorn. +They fancy, because they find the negro ignorant, brutal, and stupid, +that he can never be anything else. They forget that they made him so +when they made him or his ancestors slaves; and that it must take more +than one generation of gentle, watchful, judicious education to raise +him out of the wretched state in which he now grovels. No +philanthropist would wish them to emancipate their slaves now without +long previous training, to fit them for liberty. If they ever free them +without that training, they will ruin their properties. I find fault +with them for not commencing that training at once, for not teaching +them the religion they themselves profess, for not in any way attempting +to enlighten their ignorance. Perhaps I may induce people in England to +advocate the negro's cause; but yet if Christian men here, on the scene +of their sufferings, do not care for them, how can I expect people at a +distance to listen to their cries, to labour that they may obtain +justice?" + +Michael said much more on the same subject. Our captain listened, but +did not clearly understand him; nor did I at the time. He, however, +willingly granted him a passage, and treated him with the attention he +deserved at our hands during it. + +Michael was a man far beyond his time. Not many blacks are like him; +but I have met some with comprehensive minds equal to those of any white +men. The vicious system to which the generality are subject, stunts or +destroys all mental development; but had they the advantages of the +whites, I believe as many buds in the one case as in the other would +bear rich fruit. Michael left us in Dublin, and it was not till long +afterwards that I heard his subsequent fate. + +We had a prosperous passage to Dublin, and nothing occurred during it +worthy of being mentioned. The captain very slowly recovered his usual +spirits, but was completely himself again before we reached home. + +The _Rainbow_ remained longer in dock than usual, and during the time I +had charge of her, Peter took the opportunity of visiting his friends, +who lived some miles from Liverpool. + +My life was almost like that of a hermit's though surrounded by +multitudes. I scarcely spoke to anyone. I amused myself, however, in +my own way. I cut out all sorts of things in wood and bone, and +practised every variety of knot-and-splice. At last it occurred to me +that I would try to make a model of the brig. I bought at a timber-yard +a soft piece of white American pine, without a knot in it; and as I had +charge of the carpenter's tools, I got some of the chisels and gouges +sharpened up, and set to work. With rule and compass I drew two lines +for her keel on one side, and then pencilled out the shape of her deck +on the other. I first, by-the-by, made a scale of so many parts of an +inch to a foot, and measured every part of the brig I could reach. +Having got the shape of her deck exact, and her depth, I used to go +ahead and astern and look at her shape, and then come aboard again, and +chisel away at my model. I shaved off very little of the wood at a +time, and my eye being correct, I made one side exactly equal to the +other. Then fixing the wood in a vice, I scooped out the whole of the +interior with an even thickness on every side. At length the hull was +completed very much to my satisfaction. Then I got a piece of thin +plank for her deck, and built on her bulwarks, with the windlass, the +binnacle, caboose, and combings of her hatchway complete. Next I +commenced rigging her. I formed all the blocks, and expended many a +penny in purchasing whipcord and twine of different thickness, as well +as linen for her sails. Having often carefully watched the sailmakers +at work, and helped them when they would allow me, I was able not only +to cut out the sails properly, but to fasten on the bolt-ropes, and to +mark exactly the divisions of the cloths. I had also to bring the +painter's art into play; and to fashion with a file various stancheons, +and belaying-pins, and such like things, out of bits of iron and copper; +indeed, I am vain to say that I made a very complete model. When she +was perfectly completed, I walked round and round her with no little +satisfaction, surveying her from every quarter, and placing her in every +possible position--indeed, I was never tired of trimming sails. I had +had a purpose in building her, for I wanted to present her to my kind +captain for one of his little boys, whom I had seen occasionally on +board. + +Old Pat Hagan, though too advanced in years to be intrusted entirely +with the charge of the ship, occasionally came down to enable me to take +a run on shore. The first day, therefore, that he made his appearance, +I started with my model on my head to the captain's residence. + +"Who has sent you here, Jack, with that pretty little craft?" asked +Captain Helfrich, as I was shown into his parlour, where he with his +wife and children were sitting. + +"Why, sir, as I hoped that you would not think me taking too much on +myself in offering it to Master James, I made bold to bring it myself," +I replied, looking down and feeling somewhat bashful at the praise my +model was receiving. + +"I cannot refuse your pretty gift, Jack, which, I am sure is given with +a good heart. But where did you pick her up my man?" answered the +captain. "But just let me look at her nearer. Why, she is the very +model of the _Rainbow_!" + +When I told him that I had built her myself, he still further praised +me, as did his lady; and Master James was delighted with his present, +and jumped about round her, and thanked me over and over again. + +"I am very much pleased, my lad, with this little craft, and from the +way you have built her, and, still more, from your general conduct, I +tell you that you would be fitted to become an officer if you had but +the necessary education. You must try and obtain that, and I will have +my eye on you. The next time you come home, you shall go to school; and +see if you cannot pick up some knowledge of reading during the voyage." + +I constantly think of the saying, "Man proposes, but Heaven disposes." +So I found it in this instance. My kind captain would have done all he +intended, but his plans for my benefit were frustrated by circumstances +then unforeseen by either of us. + +A few days after this, we sailed for the Mediterranean. We had shipped +a couple more guns, and four additional hands. In those days it was +necessary for merchantmen frequenting that sea to be strongly armed, for +it was sadly infested by pirates. There were Moorish pirates, Salee +rovers, and others, who went to sea in large vessels as well as in +boats, and robbed indiscriminately all vessels they could overpower; +then there were Algerine pirates, who had still larger vessels, and were +superior to them in numbers; and, lastly, there were Greek pirates, +every island and rock in the Aegean Sea harbouring some of them. Long +years of Turkish misrule and tyranny had thoroughly enslaved and debased +the great mass of the people; and the more daring and adventurous +spirits, finding all lawful exercise of their energies denied them on +shore, sought instead for such excitement and profit as piracy could +afford them afloat. Some of them darted out in small boats from the +sheltered coves and bays when any unarmed merchantman was becalmed near +them; while others, in well-formed and well-manned vessels of large +size, cruised about in all directions in search of prizes. Sometimes +their strongholds, when discovered by the Turks, were attacked and +destroyed, but generally they carried on their system of rapine with +perfect impunity; and though the people of other governments complained, +they had no legal power to punish the subjects of a friendly nation. So +the Greeks, rejoicing in impunity, grew more and more audacious, till +they levied contributions on all the civilised nations of Europe whose +traders ventured into the Levant. Such was the state of things when the +_Rainbow_ sailed on her first voyage to Smyrna. Captain Helfrich had +been there before, and he knew the character of the people he had to +deal with. + +We met with bad weather soon after leaving the Channel, and had already +been driven some way to the westward, when, as we were in about the +latitude of Lisbon, it came on to blow harder than ever from the +eastward. Had we been close in with the land, this would not have +signified; but before we could beat up again, a continuance of northerly +and easterly gales drove us to the southward of the Gut of Gibraltar. +When there, they left us in a dead calm, with our sails idly flapping +against the masts, and rolling bulwarks under in the heavy swell they +had caused on Old Ocean's bosom. + +The sun arose over the distant Morocco coast--not then in sight, +however--and sent his rays down on our decks with an ardour which made +the pitch bubble and hiss up out of the seams. Not a ripple disturbed +the rounded smoothness of the heaving swells, while even the bubbles +thrown off from our sides refused to float to any distance from us. We +were not the only occupants of our own horizon. Some eight miles off, +or so, there was another brig rolling away much in the same fashion that +we were. All hands were anxious for a breeze, as we in no way liked the +heat after the cold of a northern clime, though it mattered nothing to +us whether we made a quick or a slow passage. We whistled, as sailors +always whistle when they want a breeze; but the breeze did not come the +faster for all our whistling. I never knew it do so, with all my +experience. What folly, indeed, in man to suppose that He who rules the +winds and waves should alter his laws in consequence of their puny +efforts to make a wind with their mouths! In those days, of course, I +did not think about the matter. I whistled because others whistled; but +if any of us had been asked on what ground we founded our hope that the +wind would come in consequence, I suspect that we should have been very +much puzzled to return a satisfactory answer. + +"What countryman do you make that craft out there to be, Mr Gale?" said +the captain, handing the mate the glass through which he had been +looking. + +"Not an Englishman, certainly," was the reply, after the usual steady +glance. "I should say, from the whiteness of her canvas, and her light +upper-rigging, that she belongs to some of those turban-wearing people +along the African coast in there, or up the Straits. They are seldom +pleasant customers for an unarmed craft to come across." + +"I had formed the same idea of her," observed Captain Helfrich. "We +know pretty well, however, how to deal with such gentry: and if she come +across us, she'll find that she has caught a Tartar." + +I told Peter what I had heard; and he, I found, after looking through +the telescope, formed much the same opinion of the stranger. + +The day wore on, and still the calm continued, so that we in no way +decreased our distance from her. Night also overtook us, while we lay +rolling away helplessly as before. The swell, however, was going down +gradually; as it did so, the brig became more steady in the water. + +It was about the first hour of the morning-watch, which Peter and I were +keeping, when he asked me suddenly if I did not hear oars. I listened: +there could be no doubt about it. There was more than one boat, and the +oars were pulled pretty rapidly too. The night was not dark, though +there was no moon; but a mist floated on the surface of the water, and +served to veil it from our sight, though right overhead the stars could +still be seen glimmering faintly in the sky. + +Peter instantly went and reported what he had heard to Mr Gale, who was +officer of the watch. After listening for some time he could hear no +sound, and seemed to doubt the correctness of our assertion. The boats +had probably ceased pulling, for a purpose at which we could only then +conjecture. At last the sound of the oars reached Mr Gale's ears also. + +"There's something in this," he exclaimed. "Jack, go and call the +captain." + +Captain Helfrich was on deck in an instant. + +"The crew of some vessel which has foundered, and taken to their boats," +suggested the mate. + +"From what quarter does the sound come?" asked the captain, listening +attentively. "Visitors from the brig we saw last night," he cried out. +"Depend on it, they come to us with no good intention." + +His experience in the West Indies and elsewhere had taught him to be +prepared for any such emergency as the present. He was not above being +prepared, and he knew that the greatest folly is to despise an enemy. + +"Turn the hands up, Mr Gale. Get the arm-chest open, and the guns +loaded and run out. We must be ready. No noise, though: if anyone +intends to surprise us, it is as well that we should surprise them +instead." + +The watch below were instantly on deck, and in a few minutes every +preparation was made for the reception of an enemy. Still we could not +see any boats, but the louder sound of oars in the rowlocks convinced us +that they were approaching. Again the sound ceased. + +"They are not quite certain of our position," observed Mr Gale. "If +they were people escaping from a wreck, and not aware that a vessel is +near, they would have pulled steadily on." + +"You are right," said the captain. "Have a torch ready to heave in +among them, that I may make certain who they are before I give the word +to fire. It won't do to run the risk of hurting friends; but when once +you hear the word, my men, blaze away with all your might. If they are +enemies, they will not be such as will give us quarter, however loudly +we may cry for it." + +A murmur ran round among the people, to signify that we would obey the +captain's orders. The atrocities committed of late years by the +Algerines, and the subjects of the Emperor of Morocco, had made those +people the dread of all sea-going people, and gained them a +proportionate amount of hatred. + +Once more the sound of oars was heard, and in a short time even their +splash in the water could be distinguished. There are few things more +trying to a man's nerves than to know that an enemy is approaching, and +not to be able to discover his strength or form, or the quarter from +whence he is coming. Our cutlasses were buckled on, our muskets were +ready to be seized, and the slow matches were in our hands, but +concealed, so that the enemy might not perceive them. Mr Gale stood +with a torch ready to light at a moment's notice. Slowly the boats +approached. Apparently they seemed to think some caution necessary, or +perhaps they could not see how we lay, and wished to attack us according +to some preconcerted plan. There was a pause. I know that my heart +beat pretty quick to learn what would follow. Then there was a dash +towards us, and we could hear the sound even from the rowers' chests as +they strained at their oars. Dark forms were seen gliding out of the +darkness. Suddenly the bright light of a torch burst forth on our deck. +Mr Gale waved it above his head, and threw it towards the boats, its +glare showing us swarthy features, and turbaned heads, and coloured +vests, and jewelled arms. There could be no doubt as to the character +of our midnight visitors. + +"Fire!" shouted the captain; "fire! and aim low." + +Our guns, loaded with langrage, sent forth a deadly shower among the +pirate crew. Shrieks and groans arose in return. We followed it up +with a discharge of musketry. The enemy were completely taken by +surprise. Many, abandoning their oars, ceased pulling towards us. This +gave us time to reload our guns and small-arms. Their leaders, it +seemed, were attempting to rally them. Once more we could distinguish +their dark forms amid the gloom of night. + +"Fire!" again shouted our captain. + +The shrieks and groans were redoubled, and the boats again disappeared +in the darkness. We remained at our quarters expecting their return. +They did not come. A light breeze from the southward and westward at +length sprung up, and we were able to shape our course towards the Rock +of Gibraltar, and when the morning broke no sail was in sight. + + + +CHAPTER NINE. + +A SHIP WITHOUT A CREW. + +We touched at Gibraltar, that the captain might obtain information as to +the ports he was to call at. Smyrna, we found, was to be our ultimate +destination. He gave notice of the attack made on us by the pirate, and +a brig of war was sent to look out for her. I shall have a good deal +more to say about our turbaned friends by-and-by. Gibraltar I thought a +wonderful place, with the face of its high rock, which stands out into +the sea, cut full of galleries, and ports with heavy guns grinning from +them in every direction. Of course, the seamen very often do not know +at what port the ship is to touch, or whereabouts they are. Such was my +case: I had never seen a chart of the Mediterranean. The first definite +notion I got of it was from Peter, who afterwards drew one for me with a +piece of chalk on the lid of his chest. I only knew that we were +steering towards the east, and that we were likely to see several +strange places and many strange people. + +Some time after leaving Gibraltar, I had just come on deck one night to +keep my watch, when out of the dark ocean, as it seemed, I saw a bright +light burst forth and blaze up into the sky. I thought some ship must +have blown up; but the light continued, and grew stronger and stronger, +and reached higher and higher. The fire seemed to spout out, and then +to fall in a shower on every side, something like the branches of a +weeping ash, or some wide-spreading tree. The ship was standing towards +it, and I thought we should certainly be burned. + +"Oh, Peter, Peter," I exclaimed, "what is the matter? Surely the world +has caught fire, and we shall all be destroyed!" + +"No fear of that just yet, lad," he answered, laughing. "That's only a +burning island, which is called Stromboli. There are some mountains in +these parts, as I have heard say, which send out such a quantity of hot +stones, and ashes, and boiling earth, that whole towns, and villages, +and fields are overwhelmed and buried. In those countries you may buy +for a penny as much fruit as you can carry, and get as much wine as you +can drink for twopence, while all sorts of other good things are very +cheap; and the weather is almost always like summer. But, for my part, +I would rather live in Old England, with the foul weather and the fair +we get there, and a piece of beef, often somewhat hard to come at, than +in a country where your house may any moment be knocked down by an +earthquake or covered up with hot ashes. To my mind, all countries have +their advantages and their drawbacks; and the great thing is, to be +grateful for the one, and to learn how to guard against the other." + +We touched at several places on our passage. Malta was one of them. +The English had not at that time taken possession of it. + +At length we reached Smyrna, which is partly situated on level ground, +the harbour backed by a lofty hill. There is more trade here than in +any other place in the East. The climate, though hot, is very fine; but +the place is often shaken by earthquakes, which have at times caused +great destruction to lives and property. That dreadful scourge, also, +the plague, is a frequent visitor. The former may truly be said to be +beyond man's control; but the latter is, I am certain, brought about +very much by the dirty habits of the people, and their ill-ventilated +and ill-drained habitations. + +In the neighbourhood of Smyrna grow great quantities of figs, which are +dried and packed in boxes and baskets. They formed part of our cargo +home. We had likewise raisins and other dried fruits, and preserves, +and rich silks and embroideries. None of the seamen were allowed to go +on shore, for Christians were very likely to get insulted, if not +ill-treated, by the Turks. In those days they used to look upon all +Christians as dogs, and to behave towards them as such. Besides Turks, +there were a great number of Jews and Greeks, and people from every part +of the East, living at Smyrna; but all had to submit to the caprices and +ignorance of the first. + +I was not sorry when we once more made sail, with the ship's head to the +westward. We had a somewhat tedious passage down the Mediterranean, +having frequent baffling or light winds. At times of the year gales, +however, blow with great fury in that sea, though they seldom last long. +Most to be dreaded are the sudden gales which, under the name of "white +squalls," have sent many a vessel, caught unprepared, to the bottom. + +At last we reached Gibraltar again. The Captain inquired if anything +had been seen of the pirate which had attempted to surprise us with her +boats; but the brig of war had returned without hearing anything of her. +We remained but a day at the Rock. We took on board there the crew of +a ship which had foundered at sea, and had been brought in by a Greek +brig which had picked them up, and, for a wonder, had not murdered them. +However, as they were nearly naked, and had promised the Greeks a +reward if they arrived in safety, more was to be got by keeping them +alive than by killing them. We were thus very strongly manned. + +Foul winds and a heavy gale made us stand a good way to the westward on +our passage home, after getting clear of the Gut. Soon after sunrise +one morning a sail was reported away to windward, running down towards +us, the wind being about on her quarter. As she approached with all +sail set, she appeared to be sailing very wildly; that is to say, +instead of keeping a steady, straight course, her head went now on one +side, now on the other, as if a drunken man was at the helm. The +captain and mates were looking at her through their glasses. + +"She looks like an English craft, by the cut of her canvas," observed +Mr Gale. + +"I can make out the ensign at her peak, and there's no doubt she is +English," answered the captain. "There is something wrong aboard her, +however, depend on that. I suspect that they have had a fever among +them, or the plague, and that all her people are sick, and they have not +strength to shorten sail." + +"Perhaps there is a mutiny aboard, or the people are all quarrelling +among each other," observed Mr Gale. "I have known of such things: +when the master and officers have ill-treated the men, the crew have +risen against them, and either hove them overboard or confined them +below, and carried the ship into an enemy's port." + +I was surprised at the expression of the captain's countenance while the +mate was speaking. The words seemed to remind him, I thought, of some +occurrence of his youth. + +"Depend on it, Gale, no good ever came of such a deed," he remarked. +"Either the actors in such work have gone on all their lives afraid of +detection, or have very speedily paid the penalty of it. Unless a man +has become a hardened wretch, the recollection of such an act will throw +a gloom over the whole of his after-life, and blight all his earthly +prospects." + +"Not if he feels that he is forgiven, surely, sir," said the mate, +looking at him steadfastly. "Sincere repentance and firm trust in the +merits of One who died for us will gain us that boon, I am certain. I +am not learned in divinity, but this much I know and feel; and I believe +that it is the sum and substance of what a Christian should know and +feel." + +I had never heard Mr Gale speak in that way before. I did not know +even that he was what is called a religious man. I certainly never +heard him swear or abuse any of the men, or accuse them wrongfully, as +too many officers do; but I just thought him a quiet, brave, amiable +young man, who was content to do his duty and let other people follow +their own ways. I afterwards had reason to know that he was even more +than that. He was eminently judicious, and he now felt that the time +had arrived when he might speak a word in season to good effect. The +captain listened, and after some time I saw him put out his hand and +grasp that of Mr Gale; but he said nothing in reply. Meantime the brig +was drawing near to us. + +"Have a boat ready to board her," cried the captain, after he had again +examined her through his glasses. "It is strange, indeed; I can see no +one on her deck." + +The _Rainbow_ was now hove-to, and a boat was lowered. I went in her; +so did Peter. Mr Gale had charge of her. We all were, by the +captain's orders, strongly armed, and he directed the mate to approach +cautiously, so as not to be taken by surprise. I never met a braver man +than the captain, or one who, at the same time, was more cautious and +careful of the lives of his people. During my apprenticeship with him, +on several occasions, had it not been for this constant caution and care +not to be taken by surprise, both he and all his people would have been +destroyed. + +While the boat pulled towards the stranger, the brig, with her guns run +out, and the people at their quarters ready to fire, stood so as to +cross her bows, and to punish her should any treachery be intended. We +had to be careful in going alongside, lest she should run us down; for +as her head now went in one direction, now in another, it was difficult +to determine on which side she would come. She was a fine large brig, +fully as large as the _Rainbow_, and it did look strange to see her +sailing along over the wide Atlantic without apparently a human being to +guide her course. Still, from what I had heard the captain say, I could +not help fancying that there was some trick, and fully expected to see a +number of men start up the moment we touched her side, and either send +our boat to the bottom with a cold shot, or seize us and carry us as +prisoners below. It was a satisfaction, however, to feel that, with the +shipwrecked crew, we had plenty of men on board to carry the ship home, +and to punish those who might injure us. + +I must say that I felt rather curious as, giving way, we dashed +alongside the stranger, and Peter with his boat-hook catching hold of +the fore-chains, we, with our cutlasses in our mouths, scrambled on +board. No one appeared. A perfect silence reigned over the deck. Our +first business was to shorten sail, and round-to the ship. Mr Gale +flew to the helm, and put it down, while we flattened in the +topsail-braces, and clewed up top-gallant-sails, and brailed up the +courses, throwing the foretop-sail aback. As this work occupied all our +attention, we had no time to make any remarks as to the state of affairs +on deck. As I was running forward, my foot slipped in a wet mass and I +came to the deck. Jumping up again, I seized the rope at which I had +been ordered to haul. When the work was done, and the ship hove-to, I +looked at my hands. A cold shudder came over me: they were covered with +_blood_! + +I gave a cry of horror and disgust. It attracted the attention of my +shipmates. We now looked along the deck. In several places were other +dark clotted marks scarcely yet dry. Other signs there were which +showed that plunder had been the object of the deadly attack, which, it +was evident, had been made on the crew of the brig. Articles of dress +were strewed about, and cases of provisions, nautical instruments, books +and charts, and opened bales of merchandise; but there were no signs of +a struggle--nothing to show that the hapless crew had even been enabled +to fight for their lives. + +"What has been the matter aboard?" shouted Captain Helfrich, as the +_Rainbow_ passed close to us. + +"Murder, sir! foul murder!--there can be no doubt of it," answered Mr +Gale, who was about to descend the companion-hatch. I with others +followed him. + +What a scene of havoc, confusion, and wanton destruction the cabin +presented, as seen in the dim light which came down the companion-hatch, +for the covering of the skylight was on. There had evidently been a +fierce strife there. A mirror over the stove was broken to atoms--the +chairs were overturned--china-plates and cut-glasses lay scattered about +in fragments amid clothing, and books, and boxes; the cabin lamp and a +cabin compass, and stores of every sort, of which the lockers had been +rifled--chests and trunks lay open, despoiled of their contents, but no +human form, either alive or dead, was to be seen. + +Mr Gale ordered the hands on deck to lift off the skylight. As the +bright sunshine came down into the cabin, the full horror of the scene +was exhibited. Among a mass of articles, such as I have enumerated, +which lay on the cabin table, were six human heads with ghastly grins, +holding pieces of meat in their mouths! They were placed at each side +of the table, and knives, and forks, and plates with food, were placed +before them! They had evidently thus been arranged in savage mockery by +their ruthless murderers, as they were about to leave the scene of their +atrocity. We searched about: no bodies were found. On one side of the +cabin there was a complete pool of blood, though part of it had been +lapped up by the bedclothes, which had been dragged from one of the +berths. The beds in the other state-rooms had been undisturbed. + +Everything in the cabin showed us that the vessel was English; and this +was confirmed by opening the books, which were all in English. So, as +far as we could judge, were the countenances of the murdered people--I +will not say men; for on examining one of the heads, our horror was +increased by discovering that one of them was that of a woman--young and +beautiful she had been. Oh, what a scene of horror must her eyes last +have beheld; with what anguish must her heart last have beat! Even in +death the features of the murdered men wore various expressions. Horror +on one was clearly portrayed--desperate determination on that of +another--fierce rage showed itself on the face of another. So I +fancied; but, at all events, had I known any of the people, I think that +I should have recognised them. There were the same Anglo-Saxon features +common to all. The complexions of some were fair, and of others +sunburnt. There was one with a weather-beaten countenance, and large +bushy whiskers, whom we took to be one of the officers of the ship, +while most of the others had the smooth complexions of shore-going +people, and were probably those of passengers. + +What we had already discovered plainly told the story of the +catastrophe. The brig had been surprised in the evening by some +piratical miscreants, while the captain and passengers, and some of the +officers probably, were below at supper. The watch on deck must have +instantly been overpowered before those below had time to come to their +assistance. Some, probably hearing a scuffle, and coming on deck, were +instantly slaughtered, or, it might have been, secured and carried off +all prisoners. The people in the cabin could not even have been aware +of what was going forward, and the first announcement of the misfortune +which had befallen them, was the appearance of the pirates rushing into +the cabin. Rising from the table, they had seized whatever weapons came +nearest to hand to defend themselves. Desperately they might have +fought, but all in vain. One clearly had been dragged from bed, holding +fast to the clothes. Most likely the unfortunate lady had been so +treated, and deprived of life on the body of her husband. + +Mr Gale's opinion was, that the captain's head was not among those in +the cabin; but that, on first hearing the scuffle, he had sprung on +deck, as being nearest the door, to ascertain its cause. This opinion +was afterwards confirmed by the discoveries we made. As soon as they +had been overpowered, their heads must have been cut off, perhaps to +make the rest show where any valuables they might possess were +concealed. However performed, at all events the butchery was complete. +Never, indeed, have my eyes beheld a scene of greater horror. Death +alone, we know, may bring peace and joy; but death under such outrageous +aspects as those I have described, affrights the soul. + +While some of the men went forward to ascertain the state of matters in +the forepeak, Mr Gale kept Peter and me to look after the ship's +papers. We hunted about in a number of places for some time without +avail. At last I went into what I concluded to be the master's cabin, +and in a tin case, under his pillow, I found them. I took them to Mr +Gale, who glanced over them. + +"The _Dolphin_, the vessel is called," he observed. "Ah, and here's a +name I think I remember,--Walter Stenning, master. Why, Poplar, is not +that the name of the young man we picked up at sea a few voyages back to +the West Indies?" + +"Yes, sir; the very same," answered Peter. "I've had notice of him +since then, and I heard say that he had become master and owner of a +fine craft, and gone with his wife and family to live out in one of the +colonies; I don't know which." + +"Halifax, Nova Scotia, the brig hails from, I see. She was bound from +Bristol to Demerara," continued Mr Gale, reading on from the papers. +"I suppose, though, we shall have to send her to Halifax, where, as far +as I can make out, her owners reside, as well as the merchants who have +shipped most of her freight." + +While the mate was still looking over the papers, Captain Helfrich, who +had come on board in another boat, entered the cabin. He was more +affected than any of us by the horrid sight which met his eyes. + +"Who can have done this?" he exclaimed, casting his eyes round in every +direction. "Ah, what is that I see in the corner there?" He pointed to +what proved to be a Moorish turban; while near it lay a piece of a +sabre, which, from its curved form, evidently belonged to the same +people. + +"This work was done, I doubt not, by the very villains who attempted to +surprise us," he observed, as I handed him the articles to examine. "We +may truly be thankful that they did not find us unprepared, as they did +the unfortunate people of this vessel, or their lot might have been +ours." + +"Indeed we have cause of gratitude to God, who, in His mercy, preserved +us," responded Mr Gale. "I wish that we could find the people who did +this work, to stop their committing further mischief." + +"The miscreants cannot be far-off," exclaimed the captain. "If we could +fall in with them, we might punish them in a way they little expect." + +"I suspect, sir, when the Moors let the brig go free, they must have +hauled their wind, and kept away to the eastward," observed Mr Gale. +"They are not fond, in general, of keeping so far away from their own +shores." + +"You are right, Gale," said the captain. "However, though I think we +might find them, I should not be justified in going out of our course to +look for them. We must, therefore, consider how we are to dispose of +the brig. As far as I can judge, without thinking more of the matter, I +am bound to send her to Halifax at once to her owners, from whom we +shall obtain the proper salvage. Now, as I shall be glad to do what I +think will be of service to you, I will give you the command of her, +with a few hands whom I can spare; while with the seamen whom we have as +passengers on board, the _Rainbow_ will still be sufficiently manned to +reach home in safety." + +Mr Gale did not refuse the captain's offer, and I was far from sorry +when I found that he had selected Peter Poplar and me among the people +who were to accompany him. Besides us, as the shipwrecked seamen were +all anxious to reach England, and would not volunteer, we had only three +other men; so that, considering the size of the _Dolphin_, we were +somewhat short-handed. + +Before committing the heads to the deep, we examined their features, and +it was the opinion of all on board, who had known Walter Stenning, that +none of them bore any resemblance to him; so that if the young man, who +had for so long been on board the _Rainbow_, was the same person who +lately commanded this unfortunate vessel, his fate was still uncertain. +Too probably, however, he had been murdered by the miscreants on deck. +Scarcely less melancholy would be his lot if he still survived, for he +would have been carried away to Morocco, and there sold as a slave, to +labour in the fields or gardens. + +One or two other bits of arms and ornaments were found about the deck; +and the captain, on examining them, gave it as his opinion that the +pirate was one of those craft which had long been known under the name +of Salee Rovers. At one time the greater number of vessels fitted out +by the Moors to plunder on the high seas hailed from that port. Before +the captain left the vessel, every part of her was examined, but not a +trace of a living being could be found. Still, too clearly to be +mistaken did she tell her own dreadful tale. The log-book showed that, +three days before, she had been in a dead calm since sunrise, and that a +strange sail was in sight. Little did her crew dream of the woe that +stranger was to work them! + +We were allowed to go on board the _Rainbow_ to get our chests, and to +wish our shipmates good-bye; and then I bade farewell to my old captain, +and the craft I had learned to love as a seaman only can,--the vessel +within whose wide timbers I had spent many a happy day, and which had +carried me in safety across many a wide sea. + +We found nearly everything we required on board the _Dolphin_. It took +some time, however, to get her to rights, to wash out the stains of +blood, and to put the cabin in order, and to remove all remnants of the +horrid deed which had been enacted there. It was some time, however, +before Mr Gale could prevail on himself to take possession of the +cabin. At last all the necessary arrangements on board the _Dolphin_ +were made, and Captain Helfrich ordering Mr Gale to proceed on his +voyage, bore away to the north-east, while we kept to the westward of +north. I felt very strange as I found myself on board a new vessel, and +saw the old one, in which I had served for so many years, sailing away +from us. I should have felt very forlorn and melancholy if Peter had +not been with me. I was also very much attached to Mr Gale, and was +very glad that he was now my captain. + +The Irish, I have observed, generally possess a considerable amount of +imagination, and I conclude that I inherited no small share of that +quality from my poor mother. I remember that the first night I passed +on board the _Dolphin_, I fancied in my sleep that I saw again the whole +of the scene of horror which had so short a time before been enacted +there. Several times I jumped up, thinking that the rovers were coming +on board, and that I had to fight for my life. Then I fancied that I +heard the cries and the groans of the poor fellows who had slept where I +was sleeping, and had met their death close to where I lay; and I looked +out and saw them writhing and struggling in the hands of their barbarous +murderers. + +Peter, instead of laughing at me when I told him of my dreams, answered +me that the surest way to banish all such thoughts, was to say my +prayers earnestly at night whenever I turned in, and to pray that I +might be preserved from all dangers, and especially from the fate which +had overtaken these poor men. I was very fortunate in falling in, at +this time of my life, with two such men as Mr Gale and Peter Poplar. +The latter was uneducated, certainly, but had learned his religion from +the Bible, and therefore he possessed the true principles, the +essentials of a saving faith; and he was the instrument of gradually +opening my mind and heart to them. + +Captain Gale, for so I shall now call him, had a very sharp look-out +kept lest we should again fall in with the Salee Rover, or any of his +consorts, which, it was very probable, might still be hovering about in +that part of the ocean. The first day after parting company with the +_Rainbow_ passed by without a single sail heaving in sight. The breeze +had got round to the southward, so that we had a fair wind; and as it +was light, we were able to carry all the canvas we could set. At night, +however, as we were somewhat short-handed, the captain ordered us to +furl top-gallant-sails, and to take a reef in the topsails, that we +might be better prepared should it come on to blow. The second night, +however, passed away, and the same fine weather continued. + +The next morning, soon after daybreak, Captain Gale came on deck, and +ordered us to loose top-gallant-sails. On going aloft to obey the +order, as I cast my eyes round the horizon, I saw, right away on our +weather-beam, just rising out of the water, the top-gallant-sails of a +brig, close-hauled, standing, I judged, across our course. I hailed the +deck to say what I had observed; and after the reefs were shaken out of +the topsails, the captain told me to keep aloft to watch the movements +of the stranger. She stood steadily on till she rose her topsails out +of the water, and then, as I judged, on seeing us, kept more away, so as +to cut us off. On hearing this, the captain himself went aloft to have +a look at the stranger. He remained some time, examining her narrowly +through his glass. The breeze had freshened up a good deal, and it was +not a time, I should have supposed, to have made more sail; but the +moment he came down, he ordered us to set studden-sails and royals. + +"We must make the craft put her best leg foremost," said he to Peter. +"I do not altogether like the look of that ship out there. She is +certainly not English; and by her movements she seems very much inclined +to overhaul us. Just tell us what you think about the matter." + +Peter took the glass, and went aloft. He also was some time there. +When he came down, he handed the glass to the captain without speaking. + +"Well, Peter, what do you think of her?" asked the latter. Peter took +off his hat, and passed his hand over his brow. "Why, to say the truth, +Captain Gale, I don't like her looks at all. If ever one craft was like +another, she's like that strange brig which lay becalmed near us the +time when we were attacked before going up the Mediterranean. It's +difficult to tell one vessel from another, but I very much suspect that +she's the very same piratical rascal we before fell in with, and that +this brig is no stranger to her either." + +The captain replied, that he was afraid his apprehensions were too +well-founded. + +The next question was, how we were to escape from the corsair, should +the stranger really be her. A couple of hours passed away, and although +we were going at a good rate through the water, there could be no doubt +that she was coming up with us. It was now blowing a stiffish breeze, +and I saw the captain and Peter often casting an anxious glance aloft, +to see whether the masts and spars would bear the heavy strain put on +them. Happily there was not much sea; and though the studden-sail-booms +bent and cracked again, they held on bravely. Our great hope was, that +we might be able to keep well ahead of the stranger till night came on; +and then that, by hauling our wind, he might pass us in the dark. We +had already got as much wind as the brig could stagger under, and thus +one of the greatest dangers we had to apprehend was from carrying away +any of our spars. Over and over again the captain looked up at the +mast-head, and exclaimed, "Hold on, good sticks, hold on, and serve us a +good turn!" + +A stern chase is a long chase; and though this was not quite a stern +chase, by-the-by, it was nearly one, and we hoped it might prove so long +as to have no end. Still our pursuer kept after us. As he drew nearer, +we had less and less doubt that he was the very Salee Rover we had +before so much to do with. At the same time, our hopes of escaping him +decreased. Peter had set himself down on the heel of the bowsprit to +rest. I brought him his dinner there, for he had not left the deck for +a moment since the morning. He did not look up for some time till I +begged him to eat. Still he did not answer. At last I asked him what +he was thinking about. + +"Why, Jack, how we may manage to escape from the pirate," he answered +after some time. "A very curious idea has struck me, and if the captain +will listen to me, we'll put it into execution. It can do no harm, and +if our pursuer comes up with us, I think it will make him haul his wind +in a pretty considerable hurry." + +I asked Peter to tell me his plan, wondering what it could possibly be. + +"I take it, you see, that the brig out there is the very same which +attacked this vessel, and her crew, of course, know that there was not a +living soul left on board, but that there were six heads in the cabin," +he answered, speaking very slow. "Now, in my wild young days, I was +once for some time behind the scenes of a theatre, and if I had been a +scholar I might have become a play-actor. When there, I saw what +wonders a little paint, and canvas, and pasteboard could work. As there +are six of us, I propose to put a false neck over each of our heads, and +I'll manage to paint in a quarter less than no time, six as ugly faces +as you ever saw, on as many balls of canvas, which I'll stuff with +oakum. So each of us will have a head to hold in his hand. Unless some +accident happens, we certainly can manage to keep ahead of the rover +till nightfall. Then we'll just mix up a number of lumps of gunpowder +and sulphur, and place them about the deck before each of us. As soon +as the rover ranges up alongside, we'll fire them all at the same +moment, and I shall be very much mistaken if the cut-throats don't think +that there's a company on board they would rather not have anything to +do with." + +I could not help laughing at Peter's quaint notion--still, however +little effect it might have on civilised people, I thought it was very +likely to scare away the sort of men who composed the Moorish crew, and +I advised him instantly to propose it to the captain. Peter, +accordingly, bolting his dinner with a haste which showed that he was +thinking more about his idea than it, went aft, and opened up the case. +Captain Gale listened more attentively than I expected, and, after a +little consideration, said that he thought it was very likely to +succeed. The plan once adopted, all hands set energetically to work to +make the required preparations. + +There was, fortunately, an abundance of materials. I got out the +paint-pots, and mixed the colours according to Peter's directions. He +himself, with canvas and palm needles, fitted the necks, cutting holes +for us to see through them; the other men were employed in making six +prodigious round balls for heads, and covering one part with shakings, +to serve as hair. He undertook to stand at the helm, and to have his +head at the end of the boat-hook by his side, that he might lift it up +at the proper moment. All the frying-pans and shallow pots which could +be found were collected, and the captain made with damp gunpowder a +number of what schoolboys call "Vesuviuses." These, however, were very +much larger than the contents of a schoolboy's purse would allow him to +make. He tried one of them, and found it sent forth a lurid glare, +which even in the day-time showed what effect it would produce at night. + +Before sunset all our preparations were completed; and when dressed up, +a very curious and horrid crew we most certainly did look. Had there +been more of us, the effect might perhaps have been increased. We now +waited almost with boyish impatience for the coming up of the rover to +put our trick into execution. Captain Gale was, however, too wise to +trust to it till all other means of escape had failed. The wind had +rather fallen than increased, and this was an advantage to us in two +ways: it enabled us to shorten sail with less difficulty than we should +otherwise have done; and we found that, with less wind, we went faster +in proportion through the water than did our pursuer. + +It was with feelings such as I had very seldom before experienced, that +I saw the sun sinking towards the ocean, surrounded with a blaze of +glory; its bright rays falling on the loftier sails of the rover, while +they still reached our courses. Down it went beneath its watery home, +and I questioned very much with myself whether I should ever again see +it rise. I had no great confidence in Peter's trick, nor do I suppose +that he had much himself, when he came seriously to think about the +matter; but still, if overtaken, we had no other means of escaping--we +could not fight, and still less could we have any hope from the mercy of +our foes. I did not, however, mention my doubts to Peter, and far less +would I have done so to any of the other men. Young as I was, I had +seen enough of the world to have learned the value of discretion. + +As the daylight disappeared, a grey canopy of clouds was spread over the +sky, sufficiently thick to obscure the stars. Thus the night was more +than usually dark. Still, as the atmosphere was free from mist, +seamen's eyes could distinguish objects at a considerable distance off. +With much anxiety we watched the rover, in the hope that the growing +darkness would hide her from our view; but still we could see her +following closely in our wake, and thus, of course, there was every +probability that she could see us. We could not expect that the +darkness would increase; consequently there would have been no use in +altering our course, as it would have been perceived on board; so all we +could do was to stand boldly on as before. At the rate she was +overhauling us, as the captain calculated, she would be up with us by +midnight. I should have liked to have shortened sail, and brought the +matter to an issue, but Captain Gale was not a man to act thus unwisely. +He knew that we might fall in with some friendly vessel, or that the +pirate might give up the chase, or that some sudden change in the +weather might enable us to escape at the last moment. Everything, +however, was prepared; and thus standing at our posts, we waited the +result. + +Nearer and nearer drew the pirate. We were within range of her guns, +still she did not fire. On she came. She was close upon our quarter. + +"Wait till I give the word," said the captain, in a low voice. She was +ranging up on our beam. + +"Ready!" exclaimed the captain. "Now!" + +In a moment a terrifically lurid glare was cast over our decks. Up went +the helmsman's gory head at the end of a boarding-pike, though he +steered as steadily as before, while we all shook ours in our hands, and +at the same moment gave vent to the most unearthly shrieks, and groans, +and cries, our headless helmsman shrieking and shouting louder than any +of us. At this we all again shook our ghastly heads. Peter had given +the necks the appearance of dropping blood, and again we shrieked and +groaned louder than ever. + +The effect on board the rover was instantaneous. The crew must have +fully thought that they had got hold of some demon-craft as a punishment +for their crimes. Down went their helm; the tacks and sheets seemed all +to be flying away together; and the topsails came down on their caps. +Ropes were let go, but no one thought of hauling on others, or belaying +them; no one seemed to know what they were about; and many even shrieked +and cried out with terror and dismay. Nothing could have been more +complete than the success of our trick. + +We were all eagerly watching its effect, when, just as the vessels were +parting, a figure was seen to spring into the main-rigging of the rover. +We all saw him, and all recognised the person as no other than Walter +Stenning, the late master of the _Dolphin_. On we sailed. The dark +outline of the rover grew less and less distinct, till it was totally +lost in the gloom of night. + + + +CHAPTER TEN. + +THE WATER-LOGGED SHIP. + +For the remainder of the night we kept anxiously looking over the +taffrail, lest our enemy should have again made sail in chase. More +than once I thought I saw the rover's shadowy form stealing up towards +us through the darkness; but just as I expected to make it out clearly, +to my great relief it dissipated into mist. Voices, also, I thought, +seemed to be shouting after us from out of the gloom; but neither did +they ever assume any distinctness, and fancy, I found, had caused the +creation of them both. Slowly the night passed away, and as soon as the +first bright streaks of dawn appeared in the grey sky, the captain went +himself aloft to take a survey of the horizon. + +"There is not a sail in sight in any quarter," he exclaimed to Peter, as +he returned on deck. "To your clever suggestion we owe our own lives +and the safety of the ship; but clever as it was, I would not advise +others to try a similar one. They might not meet with enemies so easily +deceived." + +"No, sir," answered Peter, "certainly not; and, for my part, I would +much rather have beat off the scoundrels in a fair stand-up fight than +with such a play-acting trick as that; but then, you see, air, it was +Hobson's choice--neck or nothing with us!" + +Peter's curious contrivances were kept, that they might be shown as an +evidence of the way in which we had escaped from the rover. The +appearance of Walter Stenning on board the rover was a subject of +constant conversation among us. There could be no doubt, then, that he +had been carried on board the rover, and that his life had been +preserved. This would be a satisfaction to his friends, though a +melancholy one, as his ultimate fate must still be uncertain. + +We had still a long passage before us to Halifax, and might meet with +many adventures. At all events, we could scarcely expect to escape some +bad weather, though it was not likely we should encounter the rover, or +any of her consorts, as gentry of that class were not fond of venturing +into northern latitudes. For more than a couple of weeks the fine +weather continued, and we met with no event worthy of note. We had, +however, to learn somewhat more of the sufferings which people meet with +on the wide ocean. + +One morning the sky became overcast; the water was of that dull leaden +hue, striped with white foam, which gives so gloomy an aspect to the +ocean; and heavy squalls compelled us to shorten sail as fast as all +hands could get through the task. For the greater part of the day the +squalls continued; but in the afternoon, though it was hazy, the weather +again improved. + +I was looking out, when I saw through the mist what I took to be a sail. +There was something strange about her rig--I could not make it out. +Accordingly, I reported it to the captain, who came on deck. He called +Peter to him. + +"She looks to me like a vessel in distress, with most of her spars and +upper-rigging carried away," he observed. She was about six miles off, +on the lee-bow. Accordingly, the brig was kept away towards her. + +Heavy squalls of rain occasionally blew over us, and for a time +completely hid the wreck from view. When it cleared for an instant, we +made out that she had an English ensign reversed secured to the +main-rigging. Her mainmast alone was standing entire, her foremast had +gone by the board, her mizzen-mast was carried away at the top, and part +only of her bowsprit remained. Her maintop-mast-yard was still crossed; +but the sail, torn to ribbons, now fluttered in the wind, and not +another inch of canvas had she set. + +"She looks dreadfully knocked about," observed the captain. "And from +the way she rolls in the trough of the sea, there can be no doubt that +she is water-logged. If it were not for the signal flying, I should +scarcely expect to find anyone on board." + +We had as much sail set as we could venture to carry, so that we could +not make greater speed towards her; but the squalls increased in number, +and night was coming on, so that we began to fear that we should be +unable to get up to her before darkness hid her from our sight. Even +when we had got up to her, unless she had her own boats, short-handed as +we were, with a heavy sea running, we could scarcely hope to render her +much assistance. Still Captain Gale was not the man to neglect making +the attempt. Some, I am sorry to say, would have sailed on their way, +and allowed any poor wretches who might have been on the wreck to perish +miserably. As we approached the wreck, we could just distinguish +through the driving mists and thickening gloom of night, several human +beings leaning against the stumps of her masts, or sitting on her deck +eagerly waving to us. The captain on seeing them exclaimed-- + +"Peter, we must do something to save those poor fellows." + +"I should think: so, sir," was the answer. "If you let me have a boat, +with Jack there, and one hand besides, I'll undertake to get on board +and bring them off. I know that it would leave you terribly +short-handed if we were lost; but I don't think that there's any chance +of that, and I'm sure that we shall be protected in doing what's right." + +"You shall have your way, Peter; I cannot refuse you," exclaimed the +captain, warmly. "We'll heave the brig to to leeward of the wreck, so +that if you can manage to get the poor fellows into the boat, you can +with less difficulty drop aboard of us again." + +According to this plan, we ran under the stern of the ship and rounded +to. I never saw a more complete wreck yet floating on the surface. Her +entire bulwarks, her boats, caboose, booms--indeed everything on deck-- +had been completely carried away, and the sea even now occasionally +washed entirely over her. It was not an easy matter to lower our boat, +but it was done without an accident; and Peter, Andrew Blair, a fine +young fellow, and I, pulled away in her for the wreck. The unfortunate +wretches on board waved us on. Several more made their appearance, as +we approached, from behind a sail which had been triced up round the +mainmast, which appeared to be the only shelter they had from the +inclemency of the weather. They were all holding on to ropes secured to +the masts or rigging, for without them they would certainly at once have +been washed off the deck into the sea. + +On getting nearer, we saw one or two heads looking at us from above the +companion-hatch, which had escaped, and seemed to have afforded some +shelter to others. We pulled as close to her as we could venture to go. + +"Remember if we come alongside only four of you at a time must get into +the boat, or we shall all lose our lives together!" shouted Peter. "Do +you hear me there?" + +They signified that they did hear; but Peter's caution was very +unnecessary, for few of them could do more than crawl, and none of them, +without assistance, could have got into the boat. + +"I see what must be done," said Peter to us. "You two remain in the +boat. There's a rope towing overboard from the main-rigging; I'll get +hold of it, and haul myself on her deck, and then, as best I can, I'll +drop the poor fellows into the boat!" + +To propose was with him to act. As the boat with the send of the sea +approached the wreck, while we fended her off he seized the rope, which +he found secure, and though the water, as it came pouring down to +leeward, washed over him, he hauled himself up in a moment on her deck, +and stood among the miserable wretches who peopled it. They crawled +round him, and grasped his legs, to show their gratitude to him as their +deliverer. I saw by his action that he was telling them that there was +not a moment to be lost. Beckoning to us to approach, he seized one of +them up in his arms as if he had been an infant, and grasping the rope +with one hand, swung himself off from the side of the ship, and +deposited his burden in the boat, or rather in our arms, as we stood +ready to receive him. In a moment he was on the deck, and lifting up +another human being, sprung as before into the boat. + +"How many of you are there?" he asked of one who seemed to be the +strongest of the crew, and looked by his dress like an officer. Once he +had evidently been a stout, broad-shouldered, muscular young man, now he +was a mere skeleton like the rest. + +"Twelve or fourteen there were this morning, but I know not how many may +since have died," was the answer, given in a hollow tone scarcely +audible. + +"Then we'll take four at a time to the brig, and we shall have to make +three trips," answered Peter. "We must not venture with more, though as +to weight the boat would carry the whole of you. Now, my lad," he +continued, addressing the mate, for so the man who had spoken proved to +be, "just do you come with us this trip. I'll lend you a hand into the +boat." + +"No, no!" answered the fine fellow; "take some of the others who are +worse off than I am. There were a couple of women. They will be found +aft under the companion-hatch." + +As no persuasion would make the mate alter his determination, Peter +hurried aft, and diving under the hatch, returned with what looked like +a long bundle of clothes in his arms. "Gently, now," he sung out; "she +has life in her, but very little of it." + +The clothes enveloped a female form, but so emaciated that she seemed to +be of no weight whatever. Before placing her in the boat, Peter poured +a few drops of liquid down her throat from a flask the captain had given +him. + +"There's no use to bring the other poor thing; her sufferings are over," +he observed, as he lifted in another man. "And now, my lads, we'll put +these on board." + +We soon dropped down to the brig, and with less difficulty got the poor +wretches up the side. The captain proposed sending the two other hands +instead of Blair and me, but we begged that we might be allowed to +return to the wreck. + +Once more we pulled away from the brig, the boat, it must be remembered, +tumbling and tossing about, now sunk in the trough of the sea, now +rising to the top of a foam-crested wave; the sky overhead threatening +and cloudy; a dense mist driving in our faces; and darkness rapidly +coming on. We had the lives of fellow-creatures to save, and we +persevered. Again the undaunted Peter sprung on board the wreck. + +"Take care of that man!" exclaimed the mate, as an extraordinary-looking +figure, in a long dressing-gown, with strips of canvas fastened about +his head, ran up from behind the woman; "he is not altogether right in +his mind, I fear." + +"Avaunt, ye pirates! ye plunderers! ye marauders!" shrieked out the +person spoken of. "How dare ye venture on board my noble ship? Away +with ye! away! away!" and flourishing a piece of timber which he had +wrenched, it seemed, from the side of the ship, he advanced towards +Peter. + +My shipmate would have been struck down by the maniac's blow, had he not +sprung nimbly aside, and then, rushing in, he closed with the wretched +being, and wrenched the weapon out of his grasp. The madman's strength +was exhausted. + +"I yield! I yield me!" he cried; and though he was a tall man, Peter +lifted him up as he had done the others, and handed him to us. He lay +quiet enough in the bottom of the boat, regarding the wreck he was +leaving with a stare of wonder. + +Three other men were lifted in, but still the mate refused to leave +while any remained alive on board. As we were leaving the wreck a +second time, a man lifted himself up from the deck, and stood for a +moment gazing at us. + +"What! again deserted!" he exclaimed, shrieking frantically. "Oh, take +me! take me!" and staggering forward, before the mate could prevent him +he cast himself headlong into the sea. We endeavoured to put back, but +he floated scarcely a moment, and then the foaming waters closed over +his head. It was another of the numberless instances I have witnessed +of the crime and folly of not waiting with calmness and resignation for +what the Almighty has in his providence prepared for us. I trust that +the poor man's mind had given way in this instance; but even that result +is often produced by a want of reliance on God's mercy. + +We put our hapless freight on board the brig, and a third time returned +to the wreck. Besides the brave mate, Peter found only two more people +alive on board. Several were dead. At the earnest solicitation of the +mate, Peter helped him to commit them to the deep. It was a melancholy +and loathsome task, for some had been long dead. + +The delay also was of serious consequence. More than once I summoned +Peter, for another thick squall of rain had come on, and when I glanced +round for an instant to look for the brig, she was nowhere to be seen! +A pang of dread ran through my heart, and all sorts of horrid ideas +rushed into my head. I thought that the squall might have struck her, +and that she might have capsized, or that she might have drifted so far +to leeward that we might not be able to find her. I said nothing, +however, but helped Peter to take the mate and the other two survivors +off the wreck. Then, indeed, the question pressed on us, What has +become of the brig? + +"Cheer up, my lads!" cried Peter; "hold on yet a while; we'll see her +presently." + +We waited with intense anxiety, and the darkness seemed every instant +increasing. It was, however, only the result of the tail of the squall +passing by. Suddenly a bright light burst forth, which we knew must +proceed from the deck of the brig. + +"The captain has not forgotten the trick we played the pirates!" +exclaimed Peter. "Shove off, my lads!" + +With lightened hearts we pulled away to leeward, and were soon once more +on the deck of the brig, with our boat hoisted up and secured. Every +care and attention which we could possibly bestow was paid to the poor +starving wretches. Captain Gale was enlightened as well as brave and +generous, so that he knew well how to treat them. First he gave them +only a little liquid--tea and cocoa; and then after a time a little +simple arrowroot; afterwards he gave them some with broth; and, lastly, +he mixed a few drops of wine with the arrowroot. + +Scarcely, however, had we got them down below, than the gale which had +been threatening came on; and while the captain went to the helm, all +hands had to spring aloft to shorten sail. Happily the gale was in our +favour, so that we were able to run before it, and keep our course. +There can be little doubt that had we not providentially appeared that +very night, everybody on board the wreck would have perished. We had +hard work enough to do the duty of the ship and to attend to our +passengers, who could for some days do nothing to help themselves. They +were all too weak to speak without fatigue, so we forbore to question +them as to the particulars of the events which had brought them into the +condition in which we had found them. + +For some days all we knew was, that the ship was the _Eagle_, from +Quebec, laden with timber, and that she had been six weeks very nearly +in the condition we found her--water-logged, with spars and sails +carried away. The captain had died, and the lady we had rescued was his +wife. Poor thing! at first she was almost insensible to everything; but +when she recovered her health and strength, it was pitiable to see her +grief. + +The tall, gaunt man, whom we found deranged, had been a merchant's +clerk, and had gone out to Canada in the vain hope of finding +employment. Disappointed in his expectations, he was returning home. +At first he appeared to recover strength, but a relapse took place, and +he rapidly seemed to grow weaker and weaker. I was sent to watch him. +Suddenly he sat up in his berth, and glared wildly around. + +"Where am I?--where am I going?--what has occurred?" he exclaimed. +"Tell me, young man. I have had a horrid dream. For worlds I would not +dream it again!" Then his voice lowered, and, rubbing his hand across +his brow, he added, in a low, calm tone-- + +"I know all about it. I am going to a land where I have only one +account to render; but my Judge will be great and just; and there is One +in whom I trust who has taken all my sins on Himself. Young man, thank +all those who have been kind to me. I am grateful. Good-night!" He +fell back on his pillow, and was dead. + +Among those saved was one other passenger. The rest consisted of the +first mate, and the crew of the ship. With one of the crew, a young +Canadian, who was making his second trip to sea, I formed a strong +friendship; Adam De Lisle was his name. From him I learned the +particulars of the disaster. + +"You must know," he observed, "that the timber which is sent from Canada +to England is cut down from forests many hundreds of miles up the +country. Numerous large and rapid rivers run into the great river Saint +Lawrence. At the fall of the year gangs of woodcutters, under regular +leaders, proceed up these rivers in canoes, with a supply of food, and +every requisite, to enable them to spend the winter far from the haunts, +of civilisation. Arrived at the forest they have selected for their +operations, they build their habitations, and then set to work to cut +down the trees they require. These, when shaped into square logs, as +soon as snow has fallen, and ice covers the water, are dragged to the +nearest stream. When spring returns, they are bound together in small +rafts, and floated down towards the main river. Sometimes, when rapids +occur, they are separated, and a few trees are allowed to glide down +together. Slides have, of late years, been formed by the sides of the +rapids, through which the timber descends without injury. At the foot +of the rapids the rafts are re-formed, and ultimately, when they reach +the Saint Lawrence, they are made so large that huts are built on them, +in which their conductors live till they reach Quebec. This they +frequently do not do till the end of the summer, when all the ships have +sailed. The timber, therefore, remains in shallow docks at the mouth of +the Charles River, which runs into the Saint Lawrence on one side of +Quebec, till the following spring. The timber is often shipped through +a large port in the bow of a ship, but a quantity is also piled upon +deck, and lashed there to ring-bolts, making a ship with so great a +weight above board very uneasy in a sea. Thus, I think, more accidents +happen to the spars and rigging of timber-ships than to any other, +though they have an advantage in floating longer than other craft. + +"The _Eagle_ was one of the first ships which left Quebec this year, +with a crew of eighteen, all told fore-and-aft, with the captain's wife +and several passengers. Scarcely had we got clear of the Gulf when we +fell in with bad weather; and about ten days afterwards, a heavy gale +sprung up from the westward. It was night. The sea soon ran very high, +and the ship being deep, and steering ill, before she could be got +before the wind, it made a clear breach over her. There she lay +helplessly in the trough of the sea, most of her bulwarks carried away, +and the water pouring down her companion-hatch, and deluging the cabin. +It soon found its way forward, and every instant we thought she would +capsize. The captain ordered the main and mizzen topsail-sheets to be +cut away, for there was no time to let them go, or clew-up the sails; +but still the ship lay helpless and unable to answer her helm. Two men +went to the helm, while others rigged relieving-tackles, and at length +all the after-sail being taken off her, the headsail filled, and once +more she ran before the wind. This was a great relief, but still the +water was gaining on us. The seas continued rolling up after us high +above the poop, and at length one broke on board, carrying the taffrail +clean away, and sweeping the after-part of the deck. Had we not had +safety-lines passed across the deck, the greater number of us would at +once have been washed overboard. Our sufferings had now become intense, +both from cold and hunger. All the provisions we could get at were +spoiled with salt water, and the few clothes we had on were drenched +also with water, and the wind pierced through them to our very bones. +We still managed to keep a close-reefed foretop-sail on the ship, with a +mainstay-sail and trysail, or we could not have avoided being constantly +pooped. The gale, in a short time, increased in fury as the sea did in +height. Again it made a clean breach over the ship. All the bulwarks +were carried away; and the ring-bolts being torn from the decks, the +deck timber, which consisted of large logs, was washed overboard, as +were all our boats. At the same moment the foresail blew clean out of +the bolt-ropes; and all those we could muster fit for duty had not +strength sufficient to go aloft to set another. We knew well that our +safety much depended on our being able to keep sail on the ship; but +each man felt that his death would be the consequence if he attempted to +go aloft, with that raging sea tumbling the ship about in every +direction, the wind howling round him, and the torn sail flapping +fiercely in his face. Still we managed to keep the ship before the +wind, and thus, by easing the strain on her, she was prevented from +going to pieces, which she would otherwise inevitably have done. + +"Our first mate, James Carr, was a fine fellow. To look at him, you +would not have supposed that he had so much endurance in his body. His +spirit kept him up. When very few besides he and I could bear up, he +went about the decks as if nothing unusual had occurred. He was a +slight, fair man, and far from strongly-built; but he was a thoughtful, +reading, and more than that, a religious man. Those who had led the +wildest and most careless lives, and had no faith or hope to sustain +them, were the first to succumb. I held out--first, because I believed +that God would sustain me; and because I had a good constitution, which +I had never injured by vice and debauchery, as too many of the rest had +done. The captain was a good, kind man, and he did his best for us as +long as his strength lasted. The little food we could get at was +carefully husbanded, and all hands were put on short allowance. Many +days thus passed away, the ship running before the wind, and still +keeping together. At length the wind lulled, and we began to look +forward with hope to the future. The caboose had hitherto stood, and +the cook managed to light a fire in it, and to dress several meals, +which we ate with comparative comfort. As long as there was a moderate +breeze the ship ran steadily before it, but what many people would have +thought an advantage, proved our greatest bane. Too much wind had +injured us--too little almost destroyed us. It fell a dead calm; and +this, far from bettering our condition, made the ship roll still more +than ever, and soon reduced us to the condition in which you found us. +The greater part of the bowsprit had already gone, the foremast was next +rolled out of her, and then the mizzen-mast went--the mainmast must have +been an unusually good stick, or that would have gone likewise. We had +scarcely strength left to cut away the wreck. Hitherto, though all +hands were growing daily weaker, no deaths had occurred, nor had anyone +any particular sickness. However, anxiety of mind now helped to make +our poor captain ill, and he took to his cot. The daily provision for +each of us consisted also of but three ounces of bread, and half a pint +of water. We agreed to this, because we felt that it was enough to +sustain life for some time, and that it was better to have a little each +day than have to go many days without any food at all. The officers +proposed, however, before long, to diminish even this small allowance-- +though, by mixing a little spirits with the water, our food sustained us +more than it would otherwise have done. Starvation, after a time, began +to tell sadly on our tempers; and we, who had generally lived in +good-fellowship with each other, spent the day in wrangling and +peevishness. A breeze, however, had again sprung up, which seemed to +steady the ship, though we could not keep her on her proper course. +Such was the state of things, when one morning Mr Carr going on deck, +as was his custom, to take a look-out, and to hoist our signal of +distress, he shouted out, `Sail, ho!' + +"How did our hearts leap with joy as we heard those words! We all +crawled up as best we could to take a look at the stranger, which we +hoped would save us. She saw us, and drew nearer. The captain got the +mate and me to help him up on deck, and then, as he saw the approaching +vessel, his heart bursting forth with gratitude, he called on us all to +return thanks to God for the deliverance he hoped was at hand. His poor +wife, who had held out bravely, and scarcely ever left his side, wept +with joy at the thought that his life might yet be spared. + +"`Now, my lads, let's see if we cannot get the ship somewhat clear of +water,' exclaimed Mr Carr, going to the pumps; `It will never do to +have it said that we did nothing to help ourselves.' + +"I believe he did this to employ the men's minds till assistance could +reach us. He set the example, which we all followed; and, weak as we +were, we pumped away with such good-will that she rose perceptibly in +the water, showing us that there was no leak to injure her. + +"At last the stranger, a large brig, reached us, and heaving-to just to +leeward, Mr Carr gave him an account of all that had happened to us. + +"The master of the brig said that he was himself somewhat short of +provisions, but would send us what he could venture to give in his own +boat. We thanked him with grateful hearts. Still the boat did not +come. There was some consultation on board; we could not tell what. A +breeze from the westward again sprung up. It was a fair wind for the +stranger. + +"`What's he about now?' exclaimed several voices, trembling with +agitation. + +"He put up his helm and filled his headsails. + +"`He'll go about directly, and heave-to on the other tack,' said Mr +Carr. + +"Still the stranger stood on. + +"`Where can he be going to?' again exclaimed several of us. + +"On, on he stood, steadily, with all sail set! Oh, how bitter were the +words which followed him! Could that heartless stranger have heard +them, would he have ventured to brave the fate to which he had left so +many of his fellow-creatures? How completely had he forgotten that +golden rule, `Do unto others as you would wish others to do unto you!' +What will be his thoughts some day when he is suffering from all the +miseries to which we were exposed, when he remembers the wreck he +deserted on the wild ocean! Hour after hour we watched him anxiously, +scarcely believing, till his topsails dipped beneath the horizon, that +so heartless a wretch existed in the creation." + +"Ay, it's another proof of the depth of man's vileness, and wickedness, +and contempt of the laws of a God of mercy," observed Peter Poplar. "I +have known many such instances almost as bad; so I am not surprised." + +"When we found that we really were deserted, the spirits of all of us +and the minds of some gave way. Several of the crew broke into the +spirit-room, which they could now reach, and, broaching a cask of +liquor, endeavoured to forget their miseries by getting drunk. The mate +and I, and most of the passengers, abstained from the temptation. Those +who indulged in it were the first to pay the penalty by a miserable +death. + +"Still discipline had been maintained. Mr Carr called on me to +accompany him round the ship in search of anything which might serve as +food to stay the cravings of hunger. We discovered a few pounds of +candles, some bits of old leather, leather shoes, a rug, a couple of +hides; but our greatest prize was about a gallon of lamp-oil, and some +oil intended to mix with paint. These we brought into the cabin, to be +kept in safety. While we were there, Mr Carr's eyes fell on old +Trojan, the captain's favourite Newfoundland dog, as he lay almost dying +under his master's cot. The captain very naturally had not brought +himself to order its death. + +"`I am sorry, sir,' said Mr Carr, `to propose what I do; but that dog +may be the means of preserving the lives of all of us. We must kill +him.' + +"`You'll be proposing to kill and eat each other before long,' exclaimed +the poor master, in a querulous tone. + +"`Heaven forbid!' answered the mate. `But to take the life of a brute +beast is a different matter. I don't see how we can spare him. Even if +we do, he will not live long, and now his blood alone will be of great +importance.' + +"At last the captain consented to the death of his favourite, and poor +Trojan was led up on deck to be put to death. Before he was killed, we +all of us took an anxious look round the horizon, to ascertain that no +sail was near. We would gladly, even then, have saved the poor dog's +life. The cravings of hunger soon, however, drove all feelings of +remorse from our bosoms. The faithful brute looked up into our faces, +and his eyes said as clearly as if he had spoken the words, `I know that +it is necessary--be quick about it.' How carefully we husbanded every +drop of the blood! The mate got a teaspoon, and served it out with that +measure full to each of us at a time, while the flesh was reserved for +another day. + +"I cannot describe how those wretched days passed away. Except the mate +and three others of us, no one could even stand. The captain lay in his +cot growing worse and worse. I was on deck one afternoon with Mr Carr, +steering and keeping the ship's head to the eastward, when we were +startled by a faint shriek from the cabin. Presently afterwards the +captain rushed on deck. + +"`Mutiny! mutiny!' he exclaimed, frantically flourishing his arms about. +`But I'll take care that no one takes the ship from me. I'll shoot the +first man who approaches me, be he whom he may. See here here!' + +"He drew a brace of pistols from his bosom, and presented them at us. +Happily, one missed fire; the ball from the other passed close to Mr +Carr's head. + +"`That's right, sir,' said Mr Carr, quite coolly. `Now you've quelled +the mutiny, let's go below.' + +"He signed to one of the other men, who crawled aft to help me to steer, +while he took the captain below. This outbreak was the last flaring up +of the poor man's almost exhausted strength. His wife watched him as +the flame of life sank lower and lower in the socket; and two days after +that, when I went into the cabin, I found her fainting beside him, and +he was dead. She entreated that the body might be allowed to remain in +the cabin another day; but the next she allowed the mate and me to +remove it, and to commit it to the sea. + +"Oh, how sad and melancholy were those long, dreary nights, as we stood +at the helm, the gale howling over our heads, the ship groaning and +creaking, and the seas roaring up astern and threatening every moment to +wash us from our uncertain support--darkness above us, darkness on every +side! + +"At last not a particle of food remained. Mr Carr made another search +into every cranny of the ship. Some grease was found; it served to keep +life in us another day. Then the dreadful information spread among us +that there was nothing else. Relief must come, or we must die. + +"`Others have lived under like circumstances,' said one, looking up +under his scowling brow. + +"`Ay, if it's necessary, it must be done,' hissed another. + +"`There is no need why we should all die,' growled a third. + +"They clearly understood what each other meant. I was listening, but +could: not believe the horrid truth. Those who were but able to move +crawled aft to Mr Carr, to tell him of their determination. For long +he would not listen to them, but drove them forward, calling them +cannibals, and telling them to wait God's providence. For my own part, +I felt that I would rather have died than have agreed to their +proposals. What they wanted was that lots should be drawn, and that he +who drew the shortest should be put to death, and the one next should be +the executioner. The captain's wife was to be free. At last their +importunity became so great that Mr Carr agreed that, should no sail +appear at the end of another twenty-four hours, he would no longer +oppose their wishes. Before that time, two of those who were most eager +for the dreadful mode of sustaining life, or most fearful of death, were +summoned away. The crime was prevented; no one had to become a +murderer. I will not describe how my wretched shipmates sustained life. +Mr Carr abstained from the dreadful repast. So did I and one or two +others; and though we lost in strength, our sufferings were much less +acute, and our minds more tranquil, and our judgment far clearer than +was the case with those who thus indulged their appetites. What we +might have done I know not, had not God in his mercy sent your brig to +our aid, with men on board with hearts to feel for us, and courage, in +spite of all dangers, to rescue us. Some time before this the ship had +become completely water-logged; and we, being driven from all shelter +below, were reduced to the state in which you found us." + +The account De Lisle gave of Mr Carr raised him very much in my +opinion, and I thought at the time that he was just the man I should +like to sail with. We more than once spoke on the subject of the +condition to which the crew of the _Eagle_ had been reduced. + +"To my mind," observed De Lisle, "I cannot believe that people are +justified in taking away the life of a fellow-creature even to preserve +their own. I thought so at the time, and I think so now, that our duty +is to resign ourselves implicitly to God's will--to do our very utmost +to preserve our lives, and to leave the rest in his hands." + +Peter agreed with him. He told him that he wondered Mr Carr did not +mix up the grease on which they had fed with very fine saw-dust, as it +would have made it go much further. De Lisle replied, that had they +even supposed such a thing would have been beneficial, they had no means +of making fine saw-dust, as they could get at no saw, and every particle +of wood, as well as everything else, was soaked with wet. + +After all the dangers and adventures we had gone through, it was with no +little satisfaction that, as I was stationed on the look-out aloft, I +espied land on the starboard-bow, which Captain Gale pronounced to be +that of Nova Scotia, a little to the westward of Cape Spry. We were in +sight of Sambro Head just at nightfall, but had to lay off till the +morning before we could run in among the numerous islets which exist +between that point and Devil's Island. + +Thus another night had to be passed on board by our weary shipwrecked +visitors. Dark and dreary it proved. The wind came off cold and +cheerless, in fitful gusts, from the shore, and moaned and howled +through the rigging; the rain beat on our decks; and broken cross-seas +tumbled and danced round us like imps of evil, eager to prevent our +escaping from their malign influence. Thus wore on the night. + + + +CHAPTER ELEVEN. + +ADVENTURES IN MOROCCO--SEARCH FOR THE LOST CAPTAIN. + +As the morning sun arose, lighting up Sambro Head in the distance, the +clouds of night dispersed from off the sky, and with a fair breeze we +ran in under the forts which guard McNab's Island, at the entrance of +the fine harbour of Halifax. The capital of Nova Scotia stands on the +side of a hill facing the east, which rises gradually from the water's +edge. Its streets are wide, well laid out, and handsome, mostly +crossing each other at right angles, and extending along the shores of +the harbour for a distance of two miles, and running inland about half a +mile. Fine wharfs, at which ships of any burden can discharge their +cargoes, extend along the water's edge; above them are the warehouses +and merchants' stores; and then come the public buildings; and, lastly, +the houses of the more wealthy inhabitants. The harbour is very fine, +and would hold as large a fleet as ever put to sea. The naval dockyard +is also a handsome establishment, and it is the chief naval station in +British North America. As it is completely open to the influence of the +sea air, its anchorage is very seldom blocked up by ice. It is +altogether an important place, and would become still more important in +war-time. + +As soon as we had dropped our anchor, Captain Gale, taking me with him +to carry his papers and other articles, went on shore to find out the +owners of the _Dolphin_. Davidson and Stenning were their names, the +latter being the brother of the master, who was also part owner. He was +dreadfully overcome when Captain Gale announced his errand. + +"What do you mean, sir? My brave brother Walter dead! murdered by +rascally pirates!" he exclaimed. "Oh, impossible!--it's too horrid! +What will his poor wife do?" + +"I have my hopes that he may still be numbered among the living," +replied Captain Gale. And he then recounted all that had occurred +connected with the Salee rover. + +Both the gentlemen complimented the captain on the way he had behaved, +and then begged him to wait to see Mrs Walter Stenning, who was +residing there. After some time, during which her brother-in-law was +preparing her for the captain's communication, we were called in to see +the lady. She begged that I might come too, that she might question me +about having seen her husband in the rigging of the rover. She was not +very young, but she was handsome, and very modest-looking; and as she +was dressed in mourning, she appeared very interesting, and I for one +thought that I should be ready to do anything to please her. She +listened attentively to all the captain had to say; and after talking to +him some time, cross-questioned me very narrowly as to how I knew that +he was the man I had seen on board the rover. + +"It was him--it was him, I am certain!" she exclaimed. "My good and +noble husband cannot be killed. His life has been spared. I feel it--I +know it. I'll go and find him out. I'll search for him everywhere. +I'll rescue him even if he is in the very heart of Morocco." + +"I fear, madam, that's more than you or any other woman can accomplish," +answered Captain Gale. "But if any human being is able to rescue your +husband, even though the risk may be very great, I for one shall be more +than glad to engage in the work. If he's above the water and above the +earth, we'll find him." + +There spoke the warm-hearted impetuous sailor. He did not stop to +consider difficulties, but at once undertook to do what his heart +prompted. It was not quite at the spur of the moment either, because he +had, from the moment he thought Stenning dead, been feeling a sentiment +of pity for his widow; and now he saw her sweet, amiable face, he was +still more anxious to relieve her grief. + +Mrs Stenning, as may be supposed, could scarcely find words to thank +Captain Gale for his offer; and when he repeated it the following day, +the owners replied that they would most thankfully accept it, and would +put him in charge of the _Dolphin_, that he might go out in her to +commence his search. + +In the meantime, the people we had picked up at sea were landed, and +taken care of by the inhabitants of the place. Mrs Stenning insisted +on taking charge of poor Mrs Ellis, the widow of the captain of the +_Eagle_; and Mr Carr volunteered to join the _Dolphin_, to go in search +of Walter Stenning, with whom, curiously enough, he was well acquainted. +Captain Gale at once offered to take me instead of sending me home, as +had been arranged he should do; and, of course, I was delighted to join +him. Peter Poplar at once volunteered to accompany him; as indeed did +all the crew of the brig, and some of the seamen we saved from the +wreck: the greater number were, however, too ill to serve again at sea. + +The articles, as it happened, which composed the cargo, being much in +demand at the time, sold well; and the owners were the better able, +therefore, to fit out the brig in as liberal a way as could be desired. +She was, accordingly, strongly armed, and well able to contend with any +rover or other vessel we might meet on the African coast. After the +lessons we had received, also, we were not likely to be taken by +surprise,--the mode in which the pirates of those days usually attempted +to capture their prey. + +Mrs Stenning used frequently to come on board, to superintend the +outfit of the ship, and to hasten the workmen; and thus everybody +working with a will, and with an important object in view, she was soon +ready for sea. Often and often, on the contrary, have I seen work which +might and should have been rapidly performed, most vexatiously delayed +through the laziness, or ignorance, or carelessness of those employed on +it. One man has not taken a correct measure; another has forgotten to +give a simple order; a third has put off a small piece of work to do +something else which was not so much required; a fourth has ill-fitted a +portion of the machine, or has broken what he calls some trifle which he +has not replaced; and so forth. How much better would it be if they, +and all whose eyes read my story, would but remember that saying of Holy +Writ--"Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might." + +Yes, in that Book, if men would but search earnestly, they would find +with an overflowing abundance all that they can require to guide them +aright, both in everything in regard to this life, as well as to make +them wise unto salvation. But, then, they must not hope to be guided +partly by the rules and maxims of the world, and partly by those of the +Bible. They must study the Bible by the light which the Bible affords-- +not by man's light or man's wisdom. They must not suppose that a mere +cursory or occasional reading will suffice. They must read it +diligently with all their heart, with an earnest prayer for +enlightenment, and with an honest wish to comprehend it fully, and a +resolution to be guided by its precepts. Let the worldly-minded +understand that those who do so succeed best, and are at the same time +the happiest men in the world in the long-run. However, Old Jack does +not want to preach just now. If his readers will not believe him, +deeply does he mourn the inevitable consequences to them. + +The brig, as I said, was soon ready for sea. It might have appeared +that the shortest way to proceed about our expedition would have been to +sail at once for Morocco; but as the productions of Nova Scotia are +chiefly food and timber, and such articles were in no request in that +part of Africa, it was necessary to go first to England with a cargo, +and then to take in what was required, such as cotton and woollen +manufactures, hardware, arms, and ammunition. Accordingly, we took on +board some quintals of dry fish, and barrels of flour, and beef, and +pork, and pickled fish, and staves, and shingles, and lath-wood, and +hoops, and such like productions of the forest. At that time, however, +the country did not produce any large quantity of those articles for +exportation. + +The owners directed us first to proceed to Bristol, where we were to +discharge our cargo, and to take on board another suited to the Morocco +markets. Our departure excited great interest in Halifax, where Walter +Stenning and his family were well-known; and his poor wife was one of +the last people to leave the brig before she sailed. + +Once more, then, we were at sea. Several occurrences took place during +the voyage which would be worth narrating, had not I other subjects of +more interest to describe. People talk a great deal of the monotony of +this or that existence, and especially of a long sea voyage. For my +part, I have learned to believe that no day is altogether barren of +incident, if people would but learn to look inwardly as well as +outwardly. Something of interest is always taking place in nature, but +men must keep their senses awake to observe it; so some process is +always going forward in a man's moral being, but his conscience must be +alive to take note of it. + +We reached Bristol in six weeks--not a bad passage in those days, when +navigation had not made the strides it since has. We brought the first +account of all the events I have described, and as the passengers and +most of the crew of the _Dolphin_ had belonged to Bristol, several +families of the place were plunged in deep grief, and a universal desire +prevailed to recover any of those who might have been carried into +captivity, and to ascertain further particulars of the tragedy. No +time, therefore, was lost in shipping a fresh cargo, and in furnishing +us with such supplies as might be required. + +Our directions were to proceed first to the port of Alarache, where +resided a merchant who corresponded occasionally with our Bristol +consignees. From him we were to obtain an interpreter, and to proceed +to such other ports as might be judged advantageous according to the +information he might furnish. We had a fair run to Cape Spartel, the +north-western point of Africa. It then fell calm for a day or so. +After this we had very light and baffling winds, and we sighted more +than one suspicious-looking craft; but they did not, apparently, like +our appearance, and made sail away from us. At length we came off +Alarache. A bar runs across the mouth of the harbour, which even at +spring-tides prevents large ships from entering, though there were +sufficient water on it to allow us to get over. No pilot came out, so +Captain Gale resolved to make a bold stroke, and to carry the brig in by +himself. + +It was nearly high-water, and the breeze was favourable as we stood +towards the land. The sky and sea were blue and bright, with a line of +foam where the water ran over the shallower part of the bar. Dark rocks +and yellow sands were before us, with white-washed, flat-roofed houses, +and here and there a minaret or cupola of a mosque, and tall, slender, +wide-spreading topped date-trees scattered over the landscape; while +lower down, protecting the town, was a frowning castle or fort, with a +few vessels at anchor before it. A boat-load of officials, with very +brown faces, white dresses, and red caps, came off to inquire our +business, and get bucksheesh, as the Turks call such gratuities as they +can collect from travellers and voyagers. The captain could only reply +by showing a document in Moorish with which he had been furnished, and +repeating the name of Mynheer Von Donk, the Dutch merchant at the place, +to whom we were consigned. This, in the course of a couple of hours, +produced Mynheer Von Donk himself, to ascertain what was required of +him. I cannot pretend to say that all Dutch merchants are like him, for +if so, they must be a very funny set of people. He was very short and +very fat, with queer little sparkling eyes, and a biggish snub-nose, and +thick lips, and hair so long and stiff that his three-cornered hat could +scarcely keep it from starting out all round his bullet-shaped head. He +had on very very wide brown breeches; and very very large silver buckles +to his shoes; and a waistcoat of yellow silk, embroidered all over with +strange designs, and so ample that it almost superseded the necessity of +breeches; and his brown coat looked as if made with a due preparation +for the still further enlargement of its respectable owner. Mynheer +informed the captain that he could speak every language under the sun +like a native; but, as Peter remarked, then it must have been like a +native who had lived away from home all his life, and forgotten his +mother-tongue. We, however, made out that it was very necessary to be +cautious in our dealings with the Moors, as they were the greatest +thieves and rogues in the world, and that they would only desire an +opportunity of seizing the brig, and making slaves of us all; but that +while we remained in Alarache, we should be safe under his protection. + +When Captain Gale explained to him the real object of the voyage, he +brightened up considerably, as he saw that he might have an opportunity +of making even more out of the ship than he at first expected. I do not +say that Mynheer Von Donk was destitute of human sympathies; but he had +gone out to that far from agreeable place to make money, and money he +was resolved to make by every means in his power. He was ready enough +even to promise to assist in finding poor Captain Stenning, provided he +could be paid for it--he preferred labouring in a laudable object with +pay, to labouring in an object which was not laudable, if no more money +was to be made in one way than in another; but he had no desire to +labour in anything without pay. + +We saw very little of the shore in this place, for he asked that we +should not be allowed to land, except in company with one of our +officers and his interpreter. We had, however, a pretty brisk traffic +for the goods we had brought, we taking chiefly hard dollars in return; +however, the captain did not refuse some articles, such as bees-wax, +hides, copper; dates, and almonds, and other fruits not likely to spoil +by keeping. It was, at the same time, important that we should not fill +up entirely with merchandise, that we might have an excuse for visiting +other ports. As far as we could judge, the dangers we had heard of had +been very much exaggerated, and arose chiefly from the careless and +often violent conduct of those who visited the country. Captain Gale, +aided by Mr Carr, kept the strictest discipline on board; and we must +have gained the character of being very quiet well-disposed traders, +without a thought beyond disposing of our merchandise. Our guns merely +showed that we were able to defend what had been placed under our care. + +Meantime Mynheer Von Donk was making every inquiry in his power for +Captain Stenning, or any of the survivors from the massacre on board the +_Dolphin_. He ascertained that no such vessel as we described had come +into Alarache, but that one exactly answering her description belonged +to the port of Salee, some leagues to the southward, and that she had +been on a long cruise, and had returned about the time the captain +calculated she might, with some booty and some captives on board. What +had become of them he could not learn, but concluded that, as they had +not been sent to the northward, they were still in the neighbourhood. + +One day, the interpreter having come on board, we got under way, and +without let or hindrance stood over the bar. We lay up well +along-shore, which is in some places very mountainous and rocky, and the +following day we were off Salee. This is also a bar harbour, but, +waiting for high-tide, we ran over it, and came to an anchor opposite +the town, and near an old fort, the guns of which did not look very +formidable. As we ran up the harbour we looked anxiously around to +ascertain if our friend the rover was there; but no vessel exactly like +her could we see, though there were several suspicious-looking craft, +which, no doubt, were engaged in the same calling. Salee itself is +composed chiefly of mean houses, with very narrow dirty steep streets; +but some of the dwellings in the higher part of the town are of greater +pretensions as to size and architectural beauty. + +Our consignee in this place was an Armenian merchant, who presented a +great contrast in outward appearance to Mynheer Von Donk. Keon y Kyat +was tall, and thin, and sallow and grave, dressed in long dark robes, +and a high-pointed cap of Astrakan fur,--he looked more like a learned +monk than a merchant; but in one point he was exactly like his respected +correspondent,--he came to the country to make money, and money he was +resolved to make, at all events! This circumstance, however, was an +advantage to our enterprise, as he was willing for money to afford us +that assistance which he would, probably, otherwise have refused. + +Our interpreter, Sidy Yeusiff, was a character in his way, though +certainly not one to be imitated. His mother was a Christian slave, an +Irish Roman Catholic, married to a Mohammedan Moor. She had brought him +up in her own faith, in which he continued till her death, when, to +obtain his liberty, he professed that of his stepfather. He had all the +vices consequent on slavery. He was cringing, cowardly, false, and +utterly destitute of all principle; but, at the same time, so plausible, +that it was difficult not to believe that he was speaking the truth. He +was a young, pleasant-looking man; and as he used to come forward and +talk freely with the seamen, he became a favourite on board. Poor +fellow! had he been brought up under more favourable circumstances, how +different might have been his character! His professed object was, of +course, to interpret for the captain in all matters connected with the +sale of the cargo; but he used to take every opportunity of going on +shore to try and gain information about Captain Stenning or any of his +companions. + +I had few opportunities of making remarks about the people of this +place, but Sidy corrected some of the notions I had first formed. The +boys all go bare-headed; the men wear red caps. They have their hair +shaved off their heads, with the exception of a tuft on the top, by +which they expect Mohammed will draw them up to paradise. I have seen +it remarked that Mohammed, who had very erroneous notions on scientific +subjects, fixed the articles for the religious belief of his followers +according to them, thereby entirely disproving their divine origin; +whereas the writers of the Bible, guided by inspiration, made numerous +statements which, with the knowledge then possessed by mankind, would +have been impossible for them to understand clearly unless explained to +them by the Holy Spirit, but which subsequent discoveries in science +have shown to be beautifully and exactly correct. + +Mohammed thought that the world was flat, and so placed his paradise in +an atmosphere above it. + +To return to the dress of the Moors. They wear long beards and large +whiskers, but shave their upper lip and directly under the chin. A +gentleman of the upper class wears a long shirt without a collar, and +over it a sort of spencer or waistcoat, joined before and behind. +Again, over this he puts a very large coat, ornamented with numberless +buttons, and with sleeves reaching only to his elbows. His coat, which +he folds round him, is secured by a thick coloured sash or girdle, into +which he sticks a very long knife or dagger, and where he carries his +money, supposing he has any. He wears only a pair of linen drawers +reaching to the ankle. His shoes are of goat-skin, very well-dressed, +the sole being but of one thickness. He wears over his dress a fine +white blanket, with which he can completely shroud himself, leaving only +his right arm exposed. It is called a haik. Some of these haiks are +very fine and transparent, while others are thicker and more fit for +general use. In cold weather he puts on a bournous or capote, with a +hood such as the Greek fishermen and sailors wear. A labouring man does +not wear a shirt, and his drawers come only as far as his knee, leaving +the rest of his leg exposed. + +The women's clothes are cut something like those of the men. Round the +head they wear a coloured sash, which hangs down to the waist; their +hair is plaited; and they have the usual gold and silver ornaments in +their ears and on their fingers, and red shoes. The poorer classes wear +necklaces, and silver or copper rings on their fingers and thumbs. +Their shirts are beautifully ornamented in front, to look like lace. +When they leave the house they put on drawers of great length, which +they turn up into numerous folds over their legs, giving them a very +awkward appearance. Besides the haik, which is like that of a man's, a +lady wears a linen cloth over her face, to conceal it from the profane +vulgar when abroad. Such were the people we saw moving about on shore. + +Day after day passed by, and no account could we gain of poor Captain +Stenning. It was very clear, also, that if we did, we should not be +able to obtain his liberation by force. At last one day the captain +sent for me. + +"Williams," said he, "I have had news of one of the _Dolphin's_ people, +if not of Captain Stenning himself. I must myself go and see him, and I +want a companion in whom I have perfect confidence. As you are a +steady, sensible man, with good nerve, I shall be glad to take you with +me, if you are willing to accompany me. I should probably have taken +Poplar, but his figure is so conspicuous that he would have been +remarked." + +I was much pleased with the way in which he spoke of me, and I told him +that I was ready to follow wherever he chose to lead the way. + +"That is the spirit I expected to find in you," he replied. + +"It is, however, right that you should understand that there is +considerable danger in the expedition; for if our errand was to be +discovered, we should certainly be sacrificed to the fury of the Moors." + +"I've no fear about that, sir," said I. "A man cannot expect to be +always able to do what is right without running some risk and taking +some trouble." + +Sidy that evening brought us off some Moorish clothes, in which the +captain and I rigged ourselves out. We certainly did look two funny +figures, I thought, as we turned ourselves round and round in them. +Sidy had not forgotten a couple of long knives, to which the captain +added a brace of pistols a piece. I was very glad it was dusk when we +left the ship, for I should not have liked my shipmates to have seen me +with my bare legs and slippers, and a dirty blanket over my head just +like an old Irishwoman. + +A shore-boat was alongside--a sort of canoe turned up at both ends, and +flat-bottomed. An old Moor sat in her. Sidy had bribed him to put us +on shore, and to ask no questions. He told him that we were Moors, who +had had business on board the brig, and that we desired to land without +notice. He accordingly pulled to an unfrequented part of the harbour, +and we stepped on shore, as we believed, unnoticed. The captain and +Sidy led the way, I following in the character of a servant. Of course, +if spoken to, I was to be dumb. We passed along a narrow sandy road, +with low stone walls on either side skirting the town, till we arrived +at the entrance of a house of somewhat larger dimensions than those of +the neighbouring edifices. This, I found, was the residence of a German +renegade and a merchant, who had, by Sidy's means, been bribed to assist +us. + +We were ushered into his presence as Moorish guests come to visit him. +He was seated cross-legged on a cushion at one end of a room, with a +large pipe by his side. The apartment was not very finely furnished, +seeing that it had little else in it besides a few other cushions like +the one he sat on. Certainly he looked exactly like an old Moor, and I +could not persuade myself that he was not one. He invited us to sit +down; which the captain and Sidy did near him, while I tucked my legs +under me at a distance. After he had bowed and talked a little through +the interpreter, he clapped his hands, and some slaves brought each of +us a pipe--not an unpleasant thing just then to my taste. Again he +clapped his hands, and the slaves brought in some low, odd, little +tables, one of which was placed before each of us. There was a bowl of +porridge, and some plates with little lumps of fried meat, and rice, and +dates, but not a drop of grog or liquor of any sort. Afterwards, +however, coffee was brought to us in cups scarcely bigger than thimbles; +but it did little more than just warm up my tongue. As soon as the +slaves had withdrawn, I was not a little surprised to hear the seeming +Moor address the captain in tolerable English. + +"So you want to find one of your captured countrymen?" said he. "Well, +to-morrow morning I start on a journey to visit a friend who has one as +a slave. His description answers that of him whom you seek. I will +obtain for you a short conversation with him. You must contrive the +means of rescuing him. I can do no more." + +After some further talk on the subject our host got up, and, having +carefully examined all the outlets to the room to ascertain that no one +was looking in, produced a stout black bottle from a chest, and some +glasses. I found that the bottle contained most veritable Schiedam. + +"Now, as I don't think this good stuff was known to Master Mohammed when +he played his pranks on earth, he cannot object to any of his faithful +followers tasting a drop of it now and then." + +Thereon he poured out a glass for each of us, and winked at Sidy, as +much as to say, "We understand each other--we are both of us rogues." +The captain took but little; so did I: but Muly Hassan the merchant, and +the interpreter, did not stop their potations till they had finished the +bottle, and both were very drunk. The merchant had sense enough left to +hide his bottle, and then his slaves came and made him up a couch in one +corner of the room. They also prepared beds for us in the other +corners. + +The next morning we were up before break of day, and mounted on some +small horses, almost hid by their gaily-coloured saddle-cloths and +trappings. And such saddles! Rising up in peaks ahead and astern, a +drunken tailor could not have tumbled off one of them had he tried. I +do not remember much about the appearance of the country. A large +portion was lying waste; but there were fields of various sorts of corn, +and even vineyards, though the grapes produced from them were not, I +suppose, used for the manufacture of wine: indeed, I know that they are +eaten both fresh and dried. Date-trees were, however, in great +abundance, the fruit being one of the principal articles of food among +the people. The roads were very bad; and altogether there was an air of +misery and neglect which will always be seen where the ruler is a tyrant +and the people are slaves. We rested in some sheds put up for the +accommodation of passengers during the heat of the day, and in the +afternoon proceeded on to our destination. + +"Now, my friends, look out for your countryman," said the renegade. +"You will probably see him tending cattle or labouring in the fields +among other slaves. He is probably in his own dress, and you will +easily recognise him." + +Curiously enough, we had not ridden on for ten minutes further, when, +not far from the road, we saw a man seated on a bank a short distance +from the road, and looking very sorrowful and dispirited. His dress was +that of a seaman. I looked round, and seeing no one near except our own +party, I slipped off my horse, and ran up to him. Of course, he thought +I was a Moor, and he looked as if he would have fainted with surprise +when he heard me hail him in English. + +"Who are you? What do you come here for?" he exclaimed, panting for +breath. + +"I belong to the _Dolphin_ brig, and I came here to try and find Captain +Stenning and any of his companions." + +"Heaven be praised, then?" he exclaimed, bursting into tears. "He and I +are the only survivors of that demon-possessed craft which he commanded. +But how came your vessel to be called by the name of one which proved +so unfortunate?" + +"I cannot tell you all about that just now," I answered, seeing that +much time would be lost if I entered into particulars. I therefore +merely explained the steps we had taken to discover them, and asked him +what had become of Captain Stenning. + +"The captain! He has been in this very place till within the last three +or four weeks, when the Moors carried him away to serve on board one of +their ships--the very ship which captured us. They found out that he +was the captain and understood navigation, so they took him to navigate +one of their piratical craft. I was sick and unfit for work, or they +would have taken me likewise; but they saw that I was only a man before +the mast, and guessed that I did not understand navigation. What has +since become of the captain I don't know. There is no one here I can +talk to. They set me to work by signs, which, if I do not understand, +they sharpen my wits with a lash; and they take care that I shall not +run away, by securing me at night with a chain round my leg. There are +several other slaves employed by the same master, but not one of them +understands a word of English." + +The young man's name was Jacob Lyal, he told me; and he said that he was +just out of his apprenticeship when he joined the _Dolphin_. + +"I have a father and mother, and brothers and sisters, at home, in +Somersetshire, and it would make their hearts sorrowful if they heard +that I was left a slave in this barbarous country; so you'll do all you +can to help me," he exclaimed, as I was about to leave him, for I was +afraid of remaining longer lest we should be observed. + +Just as I was going, however, I told him to try and arrange some plan by +which we might have a talk with him, and let him know how things stood +before we left the place, should we be unable to take him with us. He +also described very accurately the sort of place in which he was locked +up at night; and I promised, if I could, to go and have some more +conversation with him. As we did not lose time in talking of anything +except the matter in hand, I was speedily able to rejoin the captain and +his companions. The captain approved of the arrangements I had made, +though he was very sorry that there was no immediate prospect of meeting +with Captain Stenning. + +We were received with all the usual marks of respect by the old Moor who +owned the property. He had been a pirate in his youth, and cut-throats +and robbed without compunction; but he was now a dignified old +gentleman, who looked as if he had been engaged in rural affairs all his +life. I came in for almost as much of the attention and good fare as +the captain; for in that country a beggar may eat off the same table, or +rather the same floor, and sit under the same roof as a prince. The +excuse for the visit was to sell to the old Moor some of the goods +aboard the _Dolphin_, specimens of which the captain had brought with +him. + +As soon after our arrival as we had shaken the dust out of our clothes, +and washed our faces and our hands and feet, we were ushered by slaves +into a hall, at one end of which sat the old Moor, and the captain and +the renegade and the interpreter were placed on each side of him, and I +sat a little further off, tucking up my legs as I had done before; and +then some black slaves in white dresses brought in a little table for +each of us, with all sorts of curious things to eat, which I need not +describe, for in that country one feast is very much like another. The +renegade had also brought a case; but that it contained something +besides merchandise he proved by producing, one after the other, several +of his favourite bottles of Schiedam, which apparently were no less +acceptable to the old Moor than to him. I am not, however, fond of +describing such scenes, or of picturing such gross hypocrites as the +renegade and the old Moor. + +I gained an advantage, however, from their drunken habits; for as soon +as it was dark I stole out of the house, and tried to find my way to the +shed where Lyal told me he was chained at night. I had taken good note +of the bearings of the place as we rode along. I knew that if I was +found prying about, I should run a great chance of being killed; but +still I was resolved to run every risk to try and rescue the poor fellow +from captivity. Of course, as the captain afterwards told me, we might +have gone home to England, and laid the state of the case before the +Government; and after a year or so spent in diplomatising, the poor +fellow, if he was still alive, might have been released, or the Emperor +of Morocco might have declared that he could not find him, or that he +was dead; and thus he would have remained on, like many others, in +captivity. + +There was a little light from the moon, which enabled me to mark the +outlines of the house I was leaving, as well as to find my way. Two +servants were stationed in the entrance passage, but they had wrapped +themselves up in their haiks and gone soundly to sleep, so I stepped +over their bodies without waking them. Every person about the house, +indeed, seemed to have gone to sleep, but the dogs were more faithful +than the human beings, and some of them barked furiously as I walked +along. They were either chained or locked up, and finding my footsteps +going from them, they were soon silent. At length I reached the shed I +was in search of. It was near a cottage, with several other similar +sheds in the neighbourhood. As I came to the entrance, a voice said-- + +"Come in; but speak low." + +At first I could see no one, but on going further in, I discovered the +object of my search sitting in a corner on a heap of straw. He was +chained there, and could not move. + +"It gives me new life to see a countryman here, and one who wants to +help me," said the poor fellow. "I thought all the world had deserted +me, and that I should be left to die in this strange land, among worse +than heathens, who treat me as a dog; or that I should be tempted to +give up my faith and turn Mohammedan, as others have done." + +I cannot repeat all our conversation. At last an idea struck me. + +"I'll tell you what," said I; "just do you pretend to be mad, and play +all sorts of strange pranks, and do all the mischief you can; and then +the captain will propose to buy you, and perhaps the old Moor will sell +you a bargain, and be glad to be rid of you." + +"A very good idea," he answered. "But here am I chained up like a dog, +and how am I to get free?" + +"No fear," said I, producing a knife which Peter had given me, +containing all sorts of implements, and among them a file. "You shall +soon be at liberty, at all events." + +Accordingly I set to work, and in less than an hour I had filed the +chain from off his legs. While we were filing away, we arranged what he +was to do. He was to make a huge cap, with a high peak of straw, and he +was to cut his jacket into shreds, and a red handkerchief I had into +strips, and to fasten them about him in long streamers, and he was to +take a thick pole in his hand, covered much in the same way, and then he +was to rush into the house, shrieking and crying out as if a pack of +hounds were after him. + +"They will not wonder at seeing me mad, for I have done already many +strange things, and very little work, since I came here," he remarked. +"But what it to become of the chain?" + +"You had better carry that with you, and clank it in their faces," said +I. "Make as if you had bitten it through. That will astonish them, and +they will, at all events, be afraid to come near your teeth." + +To make a long story short, we worked away with a will, and in half an +hour or so he was rigged out in a sufficiently strange fashion. I have +no doubt, had Peter been with us, he would have improved on our +arrangement. I then, advising Lyal to follow me in a short time, stole +back, and took my place unobserved in the old Moor's dining-hall. The +captain guessed what I had been doing, but the rest of the party had +been too much engaged in their potations to miss me. After a little +time I stole over to the captain and told him the arrangements I had +made, that he might be ready to act accordingly. + +In a short time the silence which had hitherto prevailed was broken by a +terrible uproar of dogs barking, and men hallooing and crying out at the +top of their voices; while, above all, arose as unearthly shrieks as I +had ever heard. Presently in rushed a crowd of black and brown +servants, followed by a figure which I recognised as that of Lyal, +though he had much improved his appearance by fastening a haik over his +shoulders and another round his waist, while he waved above his head a +torch, at the risk of setting his high straw-cap on fire. The people +all separated before him, as he dashed on, right up to the old Moor, +who, with a drunken gaze of terror and astonishment, stared at him +without speaking. + +"Ho! ho!" shouted the sailor, seizing him by the nose; "old fellow, I +have you now!" + +Thereon he kicked over the jar of Schiedam, the contents of which he set +on fire with his torch; and keeping fast hold of the old Moor's nose, +who in his fright knew not how to resist, dragged him round and round +the room, shouting and shrieking all the time like a very demoniac. + +The place would have been meantime set on fire had not the captain and I +quenched the flames, while the renegade and the interpreter, in their +drunken humours, could only lean back on their cushions, and laugh as if +they would split their sides at the extraordinary predicament of our +host. + +"I say, countrymen, if you had but your horses ready, we might gallop +away before all these people knew where they are," shouted Lyal. +"Who'll just take a spell at the old fellow's nose, for I am tired of +holding on?" + +On this Captain Gale thought that it was time to interfere, and he and I +going up to the old Moor, pretended to use great exertion in dragging +away the sailor from him. The captain then led him back to his seat, +while I held Lyal. + +"Here, Sidy," said the captain to the interpreter; "tell the old man +that if he will give me fifty dollars, I will take that madman off his +hands." + +When the old Moor had somewhat recovered his composure, Sidy explained +the offer. "He says that he can kill him, and so get him out of his +way!" was the answer. "He dare not do that," put in the renegade; "all +the people here will own him as inspired. Abate your price, and stick +to it." + +Finally, the captain consented to carry away the madman on having twenty +dollars added to the price he was to receive for his goods. + +"Take him! take him!" exclaimed the old Moor. "The man who can eat +through iron, drive all my slaves before him, set fire to my house, and +pull me by the nose, is better away from me than near! Take care, +though, that he does not come back again!" + +The captain promised that he would take very good care of that; and the +next day, with joyful hearts at our unexpected success, we set forward +on our return-journey to Salee. As the renegade and Sidy were both to +be rewarded according to our success, they were well content; and by +their aid, the same night we got on board the brig with our recovered +countryman without being observed. We had now to turn the whole of our +attention to the recovery of Captain Stenning; and every excuse which +Captain Gale could think of was made for our stay in the harbour. +Still, we had very little of our cargo left, and every day saw it +decrease. The spring-tides were also coming on, when there was the +greatest depth of water on the bar, and we could the most easily make +our escape without a pilot. + + + +CHAPTER TWELVE. + +THE SALEE ROVER AND THE BRITISH CORVETTE. + +As we lay at our anchors off Salee, we had a view from the mast-head of +the open sea, over a point of land which ran out below the town. Snug +as we were, it was one day blowing a heavy gale outside from the +northward. Dark clouds chased each other across the sky, and the +ocean--black and gloomy--was sprinkled over with white-topped seas. I +was engaged aloft about the rigging, when I observed a sail to the +north-west staggering along with as much canvas as she could carry. So +rapidly did she make her way through the water, that I soon perceived +that she was a brig, and that she was standing towards the harbour. The +reason of her carrying so much sail, with so heavy a gale blowing, was +soon explained. Two or three miles astern of her came a large ship, +with all her topsails set, evidently in chase. The latter, better able +from her size to bear a heavy press of sail, was coming up with her +rapidly. On seeing this I hailed the deck, and the captain, and Mr +Carr, and Peter, and others, soon came aloft to watch the progress of +the chase. + +"I make it all out clearly," exclaimed the captain, after watching the +state of affairs through his glass. "That craft is the very rover which +plundered this vessel, or exactly like her; and the ship is a British +man-of-war corvette, which is in chase of her. I can make out the +English ensign clearly. The rover hopes to get into port before the +guns of the corvette can be brought to bear on her; and that's just what +I hope the rascal won't be able to do." + +"But that's the very craft Stenning is said to be on board," observed +Mr Carr. "Poor fellow, it will go hard with him when the corvette's +guns begin to play on the brig." + +"I wish that we could run out and bring her to action, so as to give the +corvette time to come up and take possession," said I to Peter, who was +near me. + +"If the weather were moderate we might do it; but, with this gale +blowing, I doubt if even our captain would run the risk," he answered. +"Besides you see, Jack, all the people we have had anything to do with +here would get into a great scrape if we played such a trick to one of +their vessels. Yet I tell you, lad, I would like the fun amazingly. +The villains don't deserve any mercy at our hands." + +While Peter and I were discussing the subject, so were the captain and +Mr Carr. They gave up the idea of running out to meet the rover, as +thereby they would have but little chance of saving the life of Walter +Stenning, if he was still on board. By this time, both the brig and +ship had drawn close in-shore, and every movement could clearly be +observed with the naked eye. Poor Jacob Lyal had come aloft; and as +soon as he recognised the brig, he was nearly falling on deck, +overpowered with all the dreadful recollections her appearance conjured +up. + +No vessel, unless one well acquainted with the coast, could have +ventured to stand in as close as the brig had done. She was now about a +mile from the entrance of the harbour; and the corvette, outside of her, +had just begun to fire a bow-gun now and then, to try its range. At +last a shot went through one of the brig's topsails. She, in return, +fired, endeavouring to cripple her pursuer, thus to have time to run +under the shelter which was so near. Never have I witnessed a more +exciting scene. Our mast-heads were soon crowded with spectators. Even +the sluggish Moors rushed out of their houses, and went to the +neighbouring heights to watch what was going forward. Their interest +was, however, on the other side of the question. Many of them must have +had relatives and friends on board the rover, and they were as anxious +for her escape as we were to see her captured. The action now became +warm--both corvette and brig were firing away as fast as they could +load. + +"Hurrah! the pirate seems to be getting the worst of it," said I to +Peter. "The rovers will meet with their deserts before long, I hope." + +"So do I," he answered. "But do you know, Jack, I'm more anxious about +the corvette. If she were to receive any damage, and not be able to +haul off-shore, she is, do you see, on an enemy's coast, and all her +people would be made prisoners, if not murdered; while the brig has a +port under her lee, and can run in even if she gets a good deal of +knocking about." + +While we were thus talking, the corvette had drawn still nearer to the +brig, and her shot began to tell with considerable effect. Down came +the brig's maintop-gallant-mast, the spars hanging by the rigging. We +next saw several hands going aloft to clear it away, when another shot +struck the maintop-mast. The Moors attempted in haste to slide down the +stays and shrouds, but scarcely had they begun their descent when the +mast bent over to leeward, and down it came with a crash, jerking off +many of them into the sea. There in vain they struggled for life; the +combatants flew on, leaving them to their fate. Still the brig had her +mainsail set, and with the gale there was blowing, that was sufficient +after-canvas for her to carry with advantage. She ceased firing. +"Hurrah! she is going to strike," we exclaimed; but the wreck of the +maintop-mast was quickly cleared away, and she commenced again with +greater briskness than ever. In return, the corvette plied her fast and +furiously with shot, which must have told pretty severely among her +people on deck, though, of course, we could not see the damage which was +done. The brig was within a quarter of a mile of the mouth of the +harbour. It was high-tide, but we well knew that there was not water +sufficient on the bar to allow the corvette to enter. Still, on she +boldly came in hot chase. + +"She cannot surely fancy that she can venture in," exclaimed Captain +Gale. "She'll be lost to a certainty if she does. Poor fellows! not +one will escape with their lives should she strike. Carr, we must run +out, and try and pick some of them up, at all hazards. The wind is +sufficiently to the northward to carry us clear, and the people on shore +are so engaged in watching the chase, that they will not observe us +getting under way till we are clear from the guns of the castle." + +"Ay, ay, sir, with all my heart," answered the mate. "I'm not quite +certain that the brig will get scot-free either." + +As he spoke, I saw a thick smoke ascending from the deck of the rover. + +"She's on fire! she's on fire!" shouted several of us. But then we +thought of poor Stenning, and what would become of him. + +"All hands make sail," cried the captain, descending on deck. "We must +slip, Mr Carr. There's no time for heaving up the anchor." + +The crew could scarcely refrain from giving vent to their feelings of +excitement in a shout. + +"Silence, my lads; we must not let the Moors know what we are about." + +Never did a crew let fall the topsails with greater good-will than we +did. We had kept two reefs in them for an emergency. I now saw the +wisdom of the captain's forethought when he gave the order, as some time +before we had loosed sails. + +We were riding with the ship's head towards the mouth of the river, the +tide still running in. Thus, being strongly manned with willing hearts, +we were soon under way. No one from the shore observed us, or, at all +events, came off to stop us. Sidy, the interpreter, was fortunately on +shore, so that we had no trouble about him, and the captain knew that he +could easily pay him through the consignee of the ship. Captain Gale's +intention was, I learned, to run down to the mouth of the harbour, and +to anchor if necessary. We got a cable ranged accordingly, with an +anchor ready to let go. The brig quickly felt the force of the wind, +and, happily canting the right way, and her sails filling, away she +flew, heeling over to the gale towards the open sea. The captain, or +one of the mates, or Peter, had been constantly sailing about the +harbour, as if to amuse themselves, or to catch fish, but in reality to +sound the depth of the water, and to make themselves thoroughly +acquainted with the harbour. We thus required no pilot to carry us out. + +As we rounded the point I have described, the mouth of the river lay +before us--a long line of surf, with heavy breakers rolling and roaring +in from the sea, apparently barring our exit. Outside of it was the +corvette, close-hauled with three reefs in her topsail, standing +off-shore, and, as far as we could see, uninjured. But the pirate brig, +where was she? + +A dark mass of rocks lay at the northern part of the entrance to the +harbour. Over them the sea broke furiously; and amid the masses of foam +which flew high into the air was the black hull of a vessel, with +shattered masts and spars heaving up amid the breakers; while from the +centre of it, as if striving with the waves which should most speedily +destroy it, bright flames were bursting forth and raging furiously. As +we gazed with horror at the dreadful spectacle, feeling our compassion +excited rather for our hapless countryman, whom we believed to be on +board, than for the ruthless wretches who formed her crew, there was a +loud explosion, and fragments of wreck, and what had once been human +beings, were thrown up into the air; and by the time they had again +fallen into the foaming water, no portion of the rover remained to show +where she just had been. + +We were now about a quarter of a mile from the bar, and not a moment was +to be lost in deciding what was to be done, whether we were to bring-up +or to attempt to cross. In the line of breakers which rolled over the +bar, a spot was observed where the water was smoother, and which the +captain knew to be the deepest channel. + +"We may run out there without fear, light as we are; and if we remain, +these Mohammedan fanatics will certainly revenge themselves on us for +the destruction of their friends," he observed to Mr Carr, who agreed +with him that the attempt should be made, though far from free of risk. +And most people, indeed, would have agreed that the passage was +hazardous in the extreme, but yet no one on board doubted that it was +the right thing to do. + +The second mate, who was at the helm with another steady hand, was +ordered to steer towards the opening. The tide was still running in +strong, which gave us greater command over the vessel than would have +otherwise been the case. All hands were at their stations, and every +one of us knew the position we were in. A shift of wind, the least +carelessness, the carrying away a spar or rope, might bring upon us the +same fate which had destroyed the rover. Scarcely had the determination +I have mentioned been arrived at, when, as I was looking out ahead, I +saw on the starboard-bow a spar floating in the water. I looked again; +a man was holding on to it, and drifting up towards us. I was certain I +saw him lift up his hand and wave it. I immediately reported the +circumstance to the captain. + +"Although he is probably one of those wretched Moors, he is a +fellow-creature, and it is our duty to try and save him," he observed. +"About-ship! helm a-lee!" he sung out. + +The brig, under her topsails, worked like a top, and we had ample room +to put her about and heave her to. Just as we had done so, the spar +came drifting up close to us. Again the man clinging to it waved his +hand. His unshorn head of light curling hair showed that he was no +Moor. + +"Here, mates, just pay out this line as I want it!" sung out Peter, +passing the bight of a rope under his arms and leaping overboard. "I'll +tackle him to, I warrant." + +In an instant he was in the water, and a few strokes bringing him up to +the spar as it floated by, he grasped hold of the person hanging to it, +and then sung out, "Haul away, my lads; it's all right!" + +The whole incident took place, it seemed, in a few seconds. Once more +he was on the deck, and there could be no doubt of it, with no other +than Walter Stenning in his arms! The poor fellow breathed, but the +dangers he had gone through, and the sudden restoration to safety, had +overcome him, and he lay almost unconscious on the deck. + +"Now, sir, the sooner we fill and stand out of this the better," said +Peter, turning to the captain, after he had placed Stenning on the deck. +"I did not speak of it before, but just now I saw another of those +piratical fellows getting under way just from opposite where we lay, +doubtless to be after us." + +Peter's remark was found to be true; and up the harbour another brig was +seen making sail, of course with the hope of overtaking us. I, with +another man, received orders to carry Captain Stenning below, which we +did, placing him on a mattress on the floor of the cabin, and then +hurried up again to attend to our duty. + +Once more the brig was put about, and head up towards the passage. On +we rushed, the foam flying over us as we approached the spot. She +lifted to the first rolling sea, and then down she came, as if she must +strike the sand below; but another roller came tumbling in, and mounting +like a sea-bird on its summit, she descended on the other side amid +clouds of spray, again to mount another huge wave, and then to rush on +with impetuous force as she felt the blast which laid her over almost on +her beam-ends towards the open ocean. Still, on either hand, wild +foaming water broke in mountain masses around us; but on we sped. "Hold +on! hold on for your lives!" shouted the captain, as yet another +mountain sea came thundering on towards us, close upon a previous one +over which we had ridden in safety. The brig seemed to spring at it, as +if able to dash it aside; but vain indeed was the attempt. High above +us it rose. Right into it we went, and for a moment I thought all was +over. Along our decks it found its way, and fell in torrents below, +sweeping everything before it; but still buoyantly our brave vessel flew +on, and wave after wave being surmounted, a loud shout burst from all +hands as once more we found ourselves in the open sea, following in the +wake of the British corvette. + +As soon as we were in safety, the captain called me below to attend to +Captain Stenning. We found him sitting up on the mattress, and, as he +held on by the leg of the table, looking somewhat wildly around him. + +"Where am I? what is all this that has happened?" he exclaimed, as we +appeared. + +"That you are safe aboard the _Dolphin_, my friend, and that you have +escaped from the wreck of a Moorish pirate," answered the captain. "But +before I answer more questions, we'll just get off your wet clothes, and +clap you into bed with a glass of hot grog." + +This we accordingly did, and the result was that the poor fellow very +soon fell fast asleep--the best thing he could do under the +circumstances. + +When I went on deck, I found that the Moorish brig which had pursued us, +seeing the fate which had befallen her companion, and that we had got +safe over the bar, had put about, and stood back again to her anchorage. + +"I should have begrudged the rascals our anchor and cable," said Peter. +"But as we have got Mr Stenning back safe, they are welcome to them, +though I would rather see the honest hemp used to hang some of the +knaves." + +The gale, which truly seemed to have effected its purpose in the +destruction of the miscreant rovers, now began to abate its fury, and +before dark we came up with the corvette, which had hove-to in order to +speak us. We found that she was His Britannic Majesty's sloop-of-war +_Syren_, of eighteen guns; and the captain directed us to lay by him +till the morning, when he would send on board to hear all the +particulars of what had occurred. + +Meantime I had been sent to sit by Captain Stenning, to be ready to +attend to him when he awoke. When he did so, I called Captain Gale to +him. The account I then heard of his adventures was very short. We +had, indeed, guessed very nearly the truth. The _Dolphin_ had been +surprised by the pirates, and while he, with some of his crew, were in +vain attempting to defend her deck, he had been struck down. When he +returned to consciousness, he found himself on board the pirate, with +two or three others, of whom Lyal alone survived. The pirates had been +driven from their prey by the appearance of a large ship, which they +took to be a man-of-war; and in revenge, he concluded, they murdered all +who then remained on board. He and Lyal would have been killed also; +but their lives were saved by a Moor, whom he once saved at Gibraltar +from ill-treatment by some English seamen, with whom he had quarrelled. +Though the Moor had saved his life, he had not interest to do more for +him at that time. + +When the pirates again fell in with the _Dolphin_, and were frightened +from attacking her by the trick Peter invented, thinking some evil +spirits possessed the vessel, they made all sail to return to port. He +confessed that he was himself very much astonished, and could in no way +account for what he had witnessed. Had he not received the explanation +we gave him, he should all his life have believed that the appearance he +had beheld was produced by supernatural agency. + +When carried into port, he, with Lyal, was sold to the old Moor, as we +knew; but his friend had not forgotten him. The rover much wanted a +skilful navigator, and thinking that he would prefer a life of +comparative freedom at sea to slavery on shore, he repurchased him, and +carried him on board the brig. He was rather disappointed, however, to +find that, without a quadrant or nautical almanac, the captain could be +of very little use to them in that way. He told us, indeed, that the +pirates were very nearly killing him for his supposed obstinacy, because +he could not tell them one day whereabouts they were, when they put +their own rough instruments into his hands. He had great difficulty in +explaining that, without his own books and charts, he could be of little +help to them. However, they promised to attack an English vessel before +long, that they might supply him. + +With this object in view, they made sail towards the corvette, which +they took for a merchantman, and thus very nearly caught a Tartar. They +discovered their mistake only when within six miles or so of her; and by +then suddenly altering their course, and standing away from her under +all sail, her suspicions were excited, and she made chase after them. +In such terror were the pirates, when they found themselves so hard +pressed, that they seemed to forget him, or his life would probably have +been sacrificed; but as he was left himself, he was allowed to consider +the best means of preserving it. When, therefore, he saw that the brig +must inevitably strike the rocks, he seized a loose spar on the deck and +sprang overboard, trusting that the current would carry him through the +breakers into smooth water. He had seen us coming out, and guessing +that the brig was an English trader, hoped to be picked up by her. His +surprise and pleasure at meeting with Lyal was very great. + +"It would have been a great to damper my own satisfaction, if I thought +that you had still been left in slavery," he remarked, as he wrung the +seaman's hand. + +"Well, sir, I can only say that I would go back and be chained up like a +dog, as I was before, for the sake of seeing you free, and sent safe +home to your wife and family," returned the honest fellow, passing the +cuff of his jacket across his eyes, to brush away a tear which his +feelings had brought them. + +Yes; the rough sailor has got just the same sort of feelings inside his +bosom which dwells within the silken vest of any young lady or gentleman +who can weep over a novel, or better, sometimes, a deed of heroism; and +right honest, genuine feelings, they are too--which is more than can be +said for those hackneyed sentiments possessed by people who have lived +all their lives in what they choose to call the great world. + +Altogether, never was an enterprise more successful than ours had +hitherto been. We had not only succeeded in recovering both the +survivors of the _Dolphin's_ crew at small cost, but, from the high +prices we had obtained for our merchandise, we had paid all the probable +expenses of the voyage, and left a handsome profit for our owners. + +The next morning we were close up with the corvette, when a lieutenant +from her boarded us to learn all the particulars we had to describe. +The two masters, with Lyal and I, were then requested by the lieutenant +to accompany him aboard the ship-of-war, to give a further account to +the captain himself of what had occurred. Captain Hudson received us +very kindly; and while our two captains sat down, we stood with our hats +in our hands behind their chairs. I remember that he laughed very +heartily at my idea of rigging up Lyal as a madman, and at the way he +put my advice in practice, by pulling the old Moor's nose. + +"Well, gentlemen," said Captain Hudson, "from the account you have given +me, I think we have ample grounds to enable the British Government to +make a demand on that of Morocco for compensation; so that if you will +accompany me to England, I hope to obtain ample satisfaction for you." + +Neither Lyal nor I exactly understood what all this meant; but Captain +Gale had an inkling that very little satisfaction would result either to +him or Captain Stenning. + +"Thank you, sir," he answered; "but I can't accept your offer, for my +brother-master wants to return to his wife and family, and my owners +directed me to make the best of my way back to Halifax." + +"Of course these are strong arguments against the execution of my +wishes," returned Captain Hudson. "You will, I conclude, therefore +proceed on your voyage, and give your evidence when you return to +England. But I find, Captain Gale, that you are more strongly manned +than is necessary for a merchantman. These two young men will remain on +board the _Syren_, and one of my lieutenants will accompany you to your +brig, and select a few more. However, we will not leave you +short-handed; but His Majesty's ships must be manned, do you see?" + +"It is very hard, sir. All my people are volunteers on what appeared a +somewhat hazardous expedition, and are anxious to return to their +families," replied Captain Gale. "You will allow me, without offence, +to observe, that one of these young men has only just been released from +slavery, and that the other is an apprentice." + +"The first does not belong to your crew, so it is my duty to take care +of him; and if the other is still an apprentice, I cannot keep him, but +I shall like to see his papers. Mistakes in these matters sometimes +occur. We do everything according to law, do you see, Mr Gale." +Captain Hudson spoke very mildly and blandly, but there was something in +his eye which showed that he was not to be trifled with. + +"You will understand, sir," he continued, turning to Captain Stenning, +"I have the power to press you. Under the circumstances of the case, I +will not, unless I am forced to do it; but your friend will throw no +impediment in the way of my getting any of the hands I may require. I +will not detain you, gentlemen, and I wish you a prosperous voyage and a +happy termination to your enterprise." + +This, then, was the object for which the naval captain wished to +communicate with the _Dolphin_. It was not with the best possible grace +that the two masters got up to take their leave; and yet Captain +Stenning well knew that he was completely in the power of the commander +of the sloop-of-war, and that there was no law to prevent him from being +sent to do duty before the mast on board of her. + +They both shook hands warmly and kindly with Lyal, and promised to send +him a spare chest, with such things as could be collected; for of course +he had but a scanty outfit. As they were going, I put out my hand also. + +"You'll let me shake hands, sir, won't you?" said I. "There's many a +kind act you've done me, Captain Gale, from the time I was a little +helpless lad till now; and I thank you from the bottom of my heart, and +may Heaven bless you, sir." + +"Why, what's all this about?" exclaimed my kind captain, "You have your +papers, Jack, and you cannot, as an apprentice, be touched." + +"But the papers won't protect me, sir; I am no longer an apprentice," I +answered. "Not long ago, I got a mate to look over them for me, and I +was, I find, out of my apprenticeship a month ago." + +"There is no use giving in without an attempt to escape; I'll see what +can be done," he answered. "May I not take this man with me, sir?" he +asked, turning to Captain Hudson, who stood on the quarter-deck, and of +course had not heard this part of our conversation. + +"Send his papers and his chest likewise," was the only answer the +captain of the _Syren_ deigned to give. + +Before the brig's boat shoved off, I went over the side, and sent many a +message to Peter Poplar and the rest of my shipmates. I regretted +leaving the brig, but I was more sorry at the thought of parting from +Peter than for any other reason. + +As I looked at the _Dolphin_ with the eye of that affection which a +seaman soon gains for a vessel in which he is tolerably happy, I +observed that the man-of-war's boat was already alongside. In a short +time she shoved off, and pulled back to the corvette. There were +several chests, and five people besides her crew in her. I rubbed my +eyes. Could I believe them? Among the people sat Peter Poplar! He +sprung up the side, and was soon engaged in shaking hands with several +of the _Syren's_ crew. + +"What! are you pressed, Peter?" said I to him; and in my heart I could +not be very sorry to have him with me. + +"Not exactly that either," he answered. "You see, Jack, I found that +you were pressed, or would be to a certainty, and I did not like to have +one whom I had nursed up almost from a baby on the salt waters, so to +speak, altogether out of my sight, though you are big enough now to take +care of yourself; so, says I to myself, Well, if they take me, I'll go +with a free will--I don't mind. However, when the lieutenant picked out +the men he would like to have, and who have no protection, he passed me +over, thinking that, on account of my age, he could not touch me. But +among the men he chose was poor Bill Jackson, who has a wife and small +family at Halifax, and who only came the voyage from his love for +Captain Stenning, and was going to give up the sea and live on shore +with his wife's relations up the country. I never saw a poor fellow so +cut up and broken-hearted when he saw all his hopes blown to the winds, +and knew that, for many a long year, he might not see his wife or little +ones. He knows well the ups and downs of a sailor's life, and that very +likely he might never see them again. I know that I could not stand his +grief. Captain Gale did all he could to get the lieutenant to let him +off, but nothing would do. The only answer was, `His Majesty wants +seamen, and seamen he must have.' + +"`So he shall!' said I, walking up to the officer. `Now, sir, if you +will let that man go, you may have me in his stead; and I'll make bold +to say, that there isn't a man aboard this brig but will acknowledge +that, blow high or blow low, I'm his equal, either aloft or at the helm, +or in handling the lead. What say you, mates? Who'll speak for me? It +isn't because I want to boast, you know; but I do want to save poor Bill +Jackson from being pressed aboard a man-of-war!' + +"`He speaks the truth, that he does!' exclaimed all the crew, who were +mustered on deck. `There are few of us can come up to him.' + +"`I tell you, sir,' said Captain Gale, `I should be very sorry to lose +either Jackson or Poplar; but if you ask me which is the best seaman of +the two, I am bound to say that Poplar is; and besides, in him you get a +willing hand, who loves the sea, which I am sure poor Jackson does not.' + +"`Then Poplar let us have, by all means,' answered the lieutenant, +telling Jackson that he was free, and ordering us all to be smart in +getting our traps ready to take with us. + +"The captain, meantime, told me to bring him your papers, which I did, +though I well knew that they were no protection to you, and so he +discovered, and so I got your chest ready with the rest: and so you see, +Jack, you and I are man-of-war's men, and so, lad, let's do our duty +like men, and stand up boldly for our king and country." + +Peter's hearty way of talking gave me spirits which I should not +otherwise have felt. I never had before stood on the deck of a +man-of-war, but I had heard a good deal about the cruelty and injustice +practised on board them, from some of my shipmates; and I had, with the +great mass of merchant-seamen in those days, and for many years +afterwards, formed a strong prejudice against them. From the system +which was practised in some ships, I naturally, with others, formed an +opinion of the whole navy; and when I first found myself a pressed-man +on board the _Syren_, I looked forward to a life of ill-treatment and +wretchedness till I could again obtain my freedom. I truly believe, +indeed, that had I not had Peter again as my counsellor, I should have +yielded to the force of my impression, and have been guilty of the very +conduct which would have brought me into trouble. I found a number of +pressed-men and discontented men, and not a few bad characters in the +ship, who were always ready to grumble at what was done, and whose great +aim seemed to be how they could oftenest shirk duty, most speedily get +drunk, and most readily break the rules and regulations of the service. +At first I was inclined to think them somewhat fine fellows, lads of +spirit, whose example was worthy of imitation; but Peter observing my +tendency, very soon put their conduct in its true light. + +"You see, Jack," said he, "those fellows are, in the first place, acting +a sneaking, unfair part, to their shipmates. The duty has to be got +through, and so the willing, good men, have to do the work which those +knaves neglect. Then they benefit by the laws of the country; and the +country would go to ruin if it was without a navy, and the navy could +not be kept up without the rules and regulations which they are always +trying to break through. As to their drunkenness, it unfits them for +duty. No man knows what he may do when he is drunk; and besides making +him ill at the time, he who drinks to excess is guilty of suicide, as so +doing will most certainly shorten his life. Just think what excuse will +a man have to offer when he has thus hurried himself into the presence +of his Maker! How awful will be the doom he cannot fail to receive! +Then, again, those idle fellows who try to avoid work, are always +getting into trouble, for no officer will find any excuse for them, or +attempt to shield them; and they thus spend a much longer time than they +idle away in the black list, or with the tingling of the cat on their +backs. But, Jack, I don't want any of these to be your motives for +acting rightly. One motive should be sufficient for us all--and that +is, the wish to do our duty to our God." + +I repeat here my kind friend's advice, but it was long, very long, +before it seemed to sink into the sandy soil of my heart, and to bring +forth fruit. I am very glad that the press-gang system no longer +exists. No man can any longer be forced to serve on board a man-of-war. +The case, such as I have described, may appear hard when the master of +a merchantman was deprived of a considerable portion of his crew--hard +to him, and hard to the pressed-men, and harder in a pecuniary point of +view to the underwriters, the property they had insured being thereby +made much more liable to shipwreck; but still it was not one-tenth part +as hard as numberless cases which I have known during my career afloat. + +Little did I think when, from the mast-head of the _Dolphin_, I first +saw the _Syren_ heave in sight, that before that time on the following +day I should form one of her crew. Such is the ever-changing scene of a +sailor's life! + + + +CHAPTER THIRTEEN. + +JACK A MAN-OF-WAR'S-MAN. + +There is a time of life when a person feels that he has left for ever +his boyish days and stepped into manhood. I felt that I had passed that +boundary when I found myself rated as an able seaman on board the +_Syren_ sloop of war. I was now under a far stricter system of +discipline than I had been accustomed to. At first I felt it somewhat +galling; but I soon saw that without the greatest regularity it would be +impossible to keep order among the crew of a ship even of the size of +the _Syren_. + +My early days I had spent on board a merchantman, and had met with many +adventures somewhat strange and exciting. I did not expect to meet with +fewer in my new career, though they would probably be of a different +character. The result of my last, in which I had aided in rescuing two +of my countrymen from captivity, had proved most satisfactory. Jacob +Lyal, one of them, was now with me, and I knew he would speak well of me +among my new shipmates. The other, Captain Stenning, late master of the +_Dolphin_, was on board that vessel, and, I hoped, would soon be enabled +to rejoin his wife and family in Halifax. Captain Gale, her present +master, would also, I knew, speak favourably of me to my first commander +in the _Rainbow_, Captain Helfrich, whenever he should fall in with him. +I pity the man who does not desire to be thought well of by those who +know him, and who does not feel that he deserves their good wishes. I +certainly had not made many friends, but those I had found were true and +fast ones; and a great source of satisfaction to me was the having with +me Peter Poplar, my first and best friend--that true-hearted seaman who +had saved me from starvation--who had tended me as a father in my +boyhood and youth--who had given me a profession which would enable me +to support myself while health and strength remained--and who had ever +endeavoured to instil into me those true principles which would enable +me to steer clear of the rocks and quicksands to be found in my course +through life. + +The wind had fallen and become fair; the helm of the corvette was put +down, the sails were trimmed, and, under a crowd of canvas such as few +merchantmen can attempt to set, we quickly ran the coast of Africa out +of sight--the last we saw of its sandy shores being over our starboard +quarter. The commander of the _Syren_, Captain Hudson, was, I found, +very much liked by the crew, as, although he was a strict officer, he +was a just one, and known to be a thorough seaman. He was a gentleman +also in all respects, a brave man, and kind-hearted; and these are the +qualities which sailors with good reason respect. Without possessing +them, no man is fit to be placed in command over his fellow-men. My old +ship, the _Dolphin_, continued in our company for several days, during +which we made the best of our way to the northward, the wind, though +scant, enabling us, close-hauled, to keep a course in that direction. +When somewhere about the latitude of Lisbon, a ship hove in eight, +standing towards us under all sail. As her courses rose above the +water, she was pronounced to be a frigate; and as her hull appeared, +such was found to be the case. Then commenced such a hauling up and +down of flags as I had never before seen. What it all meant I could not +tell, but it seemed to produce a great commotion among the officers; and +soon the news ran along the deck that war was declared--war with France. +It was the beginning of a long and bloody struggle. + +Meantime, we hove-to, as the frigate had done, and Captain Hudson went +on board her. When he returned, we found that we were ordered into the +British Channel. The frigate, a new ship, just fitted out, with her +officers in glittering uniforms, and her white wide-spread of canvas, +and her fresh paint, and her brightly burnished sides looked, I thought, +the very picture of a gay and gallant craft, as, passing close to us, +she glided by through the sparkling sea. I could not help comparing her +with the weather-beaten, wall-sided, ill-formed, slow-sailing +merchantmen I had been accustomed to see, and I began to feel a pride in +belonging to a man-of-war which I had not hitherto experienced. + +Before proceeding on our course, Captain Hudson signalled the _Dolphin_, +which had been hove-to, and informed Captain Gale that war had broken +out, advising him to make the best of his way to Halifax. It was not +till some years afterwards that I heard she reached that place in +safety, and that Captain Stenning had had the happiness of being +re-united to his wife and family. + +No sooner was the news of war received on board the _Syren_, than +everybody seemed to wake up into activity. No one had time for a moment +to be idle fore or aft. The armourer's crew were employed in polishing +up muskets, and pistols, and sharpening cutlasses. For hours together +we were practised at the small-arms and great-guns, which had never +before been thought of. The gunners were busy making cartridges; the +carpenters, plugs for shot-holes; indeed, we all felt that people should +always feel that there was work to do. We had good reason to rejoice +before the cruise was up that we had not been idle. + +We reached Plymouth without meeting with an enemy or taking a prize. +What a state of bustle and excitement the place was in! +Carriages-and-four dashing through the streets at all hours of the day; +troops marching here and there, with drums and fifes playing--some +coming in, others embarking for foreign lands; artisans of all sorts +hurrying in, certain to get work at high wages; men-of-war, and +merchantmen, and store-ships, and troop-ships sailing in and out every +day; boats laden with men and chests pulling across the harbour; seamen +crowding every quay; pressgangs at work catching men to fight England's +battles; and then such hurrying to and fro, and shrieking of women, and +shouting of men, and crying of children, and revelling, and laughter, +and scenes of extravagance, and debauchery, and vice I had never before +beheld, and did not think could exist in a civilised part of the globe. + +Having refitted with as little delay as possible, and again put to sea, +we found ourselves off the north coast of Spain, far into the Bay of +Biscay. For some time we were employed in looking along the coast of +France, and picking up all the small coasters we could lay eyes on. We +did a great deal of damage to a number of poor people, and taught them +that war was a very disagreeable thing, so that they must heartily have +wished it over, or rather, that it never had begun; but I doubt if we +did ourselves any good in the way of collecting prize-money; at all +events, I know that I never got any. At length, one morning, when we +could just make out the French coast like a thin wavy blue line on the +horizon, beyond which a rich yellow glow was bursting forth, the +forerunner of the glorious sun, a sail was seen, hull down, to the +northward, and apparently standing in on a bowline for the land. The +ship, as was usual when cruising, had been quietly jogging on under her +topsails during the night. "All hands, make sail in chase!" was the +cheerful sound which made us spring on deck to our stations; and in a +few minutes the corvette, with royals and studding-sails alow and aloft, +was kept away after the stranger. The latter, which was pronounced to +be a large topsail schooner, was soon seen to bear up, and to set all +the canvas she could carry, in an endeavour to escape. The chase was a +large and fast vessel of her class, for it was not till some time after +breakfast that we could see half-way down her mainsail from the deck. +Still, we were gaining on her. She, meantime, was edging away in for +the land, so that there was little doubt that she was an enemy's +vessel--probably, from the way she made sail, a privateer with a number +of hands on board, if not a man-of-war. Hour after hour we continued +the chase, till the French coast rose clear and distinct on our +starboard-bow. + +Jacob Lyal and I were at this time stationed in the foretop, of which +Peter Poplar was captain, though he was shortly afterwards made a +quarter-master. We thus saw every movement of the chase. She, by +degrees, edged away again more to the northward, as if wishing to avoid +the coast thereabout. We had begun the chase soon after daylight, and +the evening was now drawing on, when, close in with the land, we made +out a large ship standing along-shore, the rays of the sinking sun +shining brilliantly on her snowy canvas. The schooner hauled up towards +her, and then kept away again, as if she did not like her appearance. + +"What do you make her out to be?" said I to Peter, pointing to the ship. + +"Why, Jack, from the squareness of her yards and the whiteness of her +canvas, I should say she is a man-of-war--probably a frigate, and a +thundering big frigate, too, if I am not much mistaken." + +"I suppose, from the French schooner keeping away from her, she is an +English frigate," said I. + +"Not so sure of that either, Jack," he answered. "We don't know that +the schooner is French, in the first place; and even if she is, she may +be mistaken as to the character of the frigate, or she may have altered +her course just to deceive us, so as to let the frigate come up with us +without our taking alarm about her. Never fancy that you have made a +right guess and neglect to take precautions, in case you should be +wrong." + +"Why, if she is an enemy's frigate, she'll sink us," said Lyal. "We +shall have to up stick and run for it!" + +"Never do you fear that, lad," answered Peter, somewhat sternly, I +thought. "Run?--no! If that is a French frigate it will just give us +an opportunity of showing what British pluck can do. Our lads know how +to handle their guns and small-arms--thanks to the practice some of the +grumblers complained of--and if we don't give a good account of that +ship out there, my name is not Peter Poplar." + +The spirit with which Peter spoke soon animated both Lyal and me, and +when we were relieved from our watch, and repeated his words, they were +responded to by all the crew, and their great wish was that the frigate +in sight should prove an enemy, that they might show how they would +treat her. + +What the officers thought about the matter we could not tell, but as it +grew dark the chase of the schooner was abandoned, studding-sails were +taken in, and the ship was hauled on a wind and stood off-shore. As may +be supposed, no one turned in that night; the hammocks remained in the +nettings, and the ship was got ready for action. + +From the way the frigate was steering at nightfall, there could be +little doubt that she was following in our track. Anxiously we looked +out for her lights astern. Hour after hour passed away, and no sign of +her appeared, and we began to fear that she had missed us altogether. + +At last a small glimmer was soon twinkling away in the darkness, and by +degrees it grew larger and larger; and then out of the dense obscurity-- +for no moon nor stars were visible--there glided a dark towering mass, +like some phantom giant talking over the deep. The drum beat to +quarters, and the crew sprung eagerly to their guns. Every man was +stripped to the waist, round which he had fastened a handkerchief, with +another round his head, and had his cutlass ready to board or to repel +boarders. + +In spite of the wish for battle we had all expressed, I could not help +feeling a sensation of awe, if not of dread, creep over me, as we +stood--thus in silence and darkness at our guns, expecting the attack of +an enemy of vastly superior force. The muscular forms of our sturdy +crew could just be distinguished grouped round their guns, the pale +light of the ship's lanterns falling here and there upon them in fitful +flashes, as the officers went their rounds to see that every one was at +his station, or as the boys handed up shot and powder from below. We +were prepared, I say, but still, I believe, the general impression aft +was, that the stranger would prove a friend. + +As she drew nearer, the order was given to make the private +night-signal. Up went the lanterns to the mast-head. It was a moment +of breathless suspense. No answering signal of friendship was made in +return. In another instant, however, that unmistakable one of hatred +and defiance--a shot--came whistling over our heads. It was replied to +by one of our stern-chasers; and we then went about, that we might keep +the weather-gauge--a most important point under present circumstances. + +The enemy, to avoid being raked, had to do the same. "Give it them now, +my lads!" shouted the captain. "Let every shot tell, and show the big +one what a little craft can do when her crew have the will to make her +speak!" Loud cheers were the reply to the address, and instantly every +gun sent forth its flame of fire; and I believe that not a shot failed +to take some effect on the hull or rigging of our opponent. Now hotly +broadside to broadside, at the distance of half-gun-shot from each +other, we stood in towards the land. As fast as they could be run in +loaded, our guns discharged their deadly showers. All the time we were +edging closer towards each other, and as we got within hail we could see +that considerable damage had already been suffered by the frigate. This +gave fresh encouragement to us, and we blazed away with more hearty +good-will than before. The enemy's shot had, however, been telling not +a little on us. Several of our men had lost the number of their mess, +and more had been wounded; but no damage of consequence had been +received aloft, and any the hull had received had been quickly repaired +by our carpenter and his active crew. + +Amid the roar of the guns a loud shout burst from our people. I looked +up. The frigate's mizzen-topmast had been shot away, and came tumbling +down on deck. Our fore-topgallant-topmast, however, soon followed, cut +through by a round-shot; but that was of little consequence, as our +topsail-yard was uninjured, and the topsail still stood. We were not +long in clearing the wreck, but for a moment there was a cessation of +firing. Just then a hail came across the dark waters from the +Frenchman's deck. + +"Do you strike, Sare? Do you strike?" was asked through a +speaking-trumpet. Our captain seized his trumpet in return. + +"Certainly, monsieur, certainly. We have been and intend to go on +striking, just in the way Englishmen have the fashion of doing." + +A loud laugh burst from our crew at this answer. It just suited our +tastes, and then such a hearty cheer was uttered as could not have +failed to convince the Frenchman that our captain was likely to be +backed by his people to the utmost. Our guns were not long silent, and +once more the darkness of night was illuminated by the bright sheets of +flame which burst forth in almost a continuous stream from their mouths. + +What a contrast to the previous awful silence was there in the report of +the guns, the rattle of musketry, the shouts of the officers, the cheers +of the men, the crashing of spars and timber as the shot struck home, +and the shrieks, and cries, and groans of the wounded! To these +expressions of pain even the bravest cannot help giving way, when +wounded where the nerves are most sensitive. + +Several times the enemy attempted to close, when her greatly +prepondering force of men would have told with fearful effect on our +decks; but each time the attempt was made it was dexterously avoided by +our captain. We had, however, begun to suffer considerably in spars and +rigging, and the number of our killed and wounded was increasing. Our +second lieutenant had been severely injured by the fall of the +foretop-gallant-mast. A midshipman, a young lad who had just come to +sea, was struck down close to me. I lifted him up in my arms for a +moment, to get him carried below out of harm's way; but the terrible +injury he had received convinced me that no help could avail him. I put +my hand on his heart: it had ceased to beat. Yet what voice sounded +more full of life and spirit than his as we cheered at the captain's +answer to the Frenchman's hail? On the other side of me a fine young +fellow fell mortally wounded. He was just my own age, but not, like me, +left alone in the world--he had many dear ones in his humble home. He +felt that he had not many moments to live, though his mind was as active +as ever. + +"Williams!" he faintly cried. "Stoop down, lad! Don't let them take me +below: I want to die here! And I say--you know my poor mother, and +Sally, and George: just tell them that you saw the last of me; that I +thought of them, and prayed for them, and that I hope we may meet in +that far, far-off port to which we are all bound! I haven't forgot the +prayers mother taught me, tell her. It will comfort her to know that! +Good-bye, Jack!" + +He pressed my hand as he uttered these words, but instantly afterwards +his fingers relaxed. His spirit had fled, and I returned to my duty at +my gun! + +There were not many seamen, unhappily, in those days, like poor James +Martin. Another shipmate was killed not far from me, and he died +uttering fearful curses on our enemies, utterly ignorant of the future +world into which he was entering. + +Thus we fought on. Although we were severely punishing our big +opponent, we could not feel that we were getting the best of the fight. + +"Do you think we shall take her?" said I to Peter, during another short +cessation of firing. + +"I scarcely expect that," he answered. "But I am pretty certain that he +won't take us. See, hurrah! He's been hit again pretty hard!" + +As he spoke, the frigate's mizzen-mast, which must have been before +badly wounded, went by the board, and at the same time her main-yard +came down by the run on deck, no doubt doing further damage by the fall. + +To show the enemy that our spirits were as high as ever, we cheered +again; but, as if in retaliation, several shots, in quick succession, +struck our foretopmast, and it, and the yard, and all our headsail, came +thundering down on deck, in a confused mass of wreck, disabling several +of our people, and rendering our foremost gun useless for a time. I was +thankful that I had been stationed at a gun instead of being aloft. +Some of the officers hurried forward to get the wreck cleared away, +while others encouraged the men to persevere in the strife--not that any +encouragement was necessary, for we were all eager to continue it, still +hoping to make prize of our antagonist. + +What had become of the schooner meantime we could not tell. We could +only suppose that she was an unarmed vessel. Had she been armed, she +might have proved a very disagreeable addition to the force with which +we had to contend. + +While we were clearing the wreck of the foretopmast, another broadside +was poured into us, which we returned with our after-guns. It appeared +to me, as I looked up again at her after loading, that the frigate was +increasing her distance from us. There could be no mistake about it. +Her helm had been put up, and she was running off before the wind. +Didn't we cheer heartily! but then we remembered that, deprived of our +headsail, we could not follow--so we cheered again, and sent a few shots +flying after her, like a dog's farewell bark, just to show her that we +claimed the victory, and would be ready for her if she chose to come +back; and then we set to work with a will to repair damages. + +Our couple of hours' night work had produced not a few, and sadly +changed the appearance of our trim little sloop. Still, as our foremast +was standing, we were able to make headsail on the ship, and we hoped by +the following morning to get matters sufficiently to rights to be able +to renew the engagement should our opponent again venture to attack us. +I, in common with many of the younger men, was very much disappointed at +not having captured the frigate; but Peter and others who had fought in +the last war, told us that we were very fortunate in not having +ourselves been obliged to strike, as our opponent could not have mounted +less than six-and-thirty, if not forty guns--more than twice as many as +we carried. Notwithstanding this, we only hoped to see her again in the +morning; and as soon as daylight appeared several eager pairs of eyes +were aloft looking out for her. There, hull down to the northward, +appeared a sail, which was most probably our opponent; but she was +running directly before the wind. + +At first we supposed that our captain would follow her; but though as +brave a man as need be, as he had proved himself, he saw that the +probability of capturing the frigate was too small to justify him in +making the attempt--in doing which he was much more likely to lose his +own ship. Shattered, indeed, did we look when the sun shone down on our +blood-stained decks; and still more sad were the scenes which the +wounded and dying presented below. I will not, however, now dwell on +them. Several shot had gone through the ship's sides, some between wind +and water; but the holes had been quickly plugged by the carpenter's +crew. Altogether, so shattered was the sloop, that, unwilling as our +captain was to give up the cruise, he had no resource but to make the +best of his way to Plymouth. We arrived there ten days after the +engagement; but the pumps had to be kept going all the time, and the +ship was ordered into dock to undergo a thorough repair. + +It is impossible for me to describe all the scenes of which I was +witness during that interesting period of England's naval history; but +there was one I must not omit, as it shows what presence of mind and +courage can do, in rescuing people even from the greatest difficulties. + +At that time the French revolutionary party, so well named Red +Republicans, were inflicting, with unsparing barbarity, the most +dreadful atrocities on any of their unhappy countrymen who were even +suspected of entertaining monarchical principles. The inhabitants of +Toulon, as well as of several other places, were known to be favourable +to the cause of their sovereign; and to afford them support, Lord Hood-- +then commander-in-chief in the Mediterranean--landed a body of English +and Spanish troops, and took possession of the town and forts while his +own fleet, with one sent by Spain to join him, entered the harbour. + +At this time a number of supernumeraries, of whom I was one, sailed from +Plymouth to join various ships in the Mediterranean, and, in course of +time, I found myself on board the _Juno_, a fine 32-gun frigate, +commanded by Captain Samuel Hood. We sailed from Malta early in the +year 1794, with some officers and a few troops, to reinforce the scanty +garrison at Toulon, then besieged, as was reported, by a formidable army +of the Republicans, amounting to thirty-three thousand men, under +Generals Kellerman and Carteaux. + +The _Juno_ was just the sort of dashing frigate a young fellow of spirit +would wish to belong to, and her Captain was just the man he would wish +to serve under. Strict discipline was kept up on board, and all hands +were made to know their duty, and to do it. Her officers, too, were as +smart a set as ever stepped. I was very fortunate in this, because for +the first time since I came to sea I was among strangers, with the +exception of Jacob Lyal, who had joined her with me. Peter Poplar was +far away in another ship, and I own I missed him sorely. Still. I had +learned my duty, and I hoped to continue to do it. + +We had a quick passage from Malta, and made the French coast just before +nightfall. We had carried on all sail, in the hope of getting in while +daylight lasted, as the captain was anxious to deliver his despatches +and land his passengers, and be out again in search of any stray +cruisers of the enemy. The wind, however, fell so light that we were +unable to do as he hoped. But he was not a man to be turned from his +purpose. Accordingly, rather than lose a day, he stood boldly in for +the harbour-mouth, which is not a difficult one to make. We expected +that a pilot would have come out to us, but none appeared; and as no +signal was made for one, it was then known that the captain intended to +find his way in in the dark. + +Trusty men were placed in the chains with the lead; all hands were at +their stations; those with the sharpest eyes were placed as look-outs; +the captain stood, trumpet in hand, on the quarter-deck, ready to issue +his orders. Not a word was spoken fore or aft. The wind was light, and +nearly abeam. Thus, with a dead silence reigning on board, the gallant +frigate entered the harbour of Toulon. The officers, with their +night-glasses in hand, were anxiously looking out for the British fleet, +that they might ascertain where the frigate was to bring-up. In vain +they swept them round in every direction; no fleet was to be seen. The +circumstance was reported to the captain. + +"The easterly winds we have had have sent a heavy sea rolling in here. +They must have run into the inner harbour to avoid it. We must follow +them there," was his answer. "Shorten sail! Let the ship stand in +under her topsails." + +The courses were accordingly brailed up, and the top-gallant-sails +furled, and under easy sail we stood up the inner harbour. Still +nothing could we see of the fleet--not a light did any of the ships +show. + +On we glided through the calm water. "A brig ahead, sir!" shouted the +third lieutenant from forward. + +"Shall we weather her?" asked the captain. + +The answer was in the negative. "Set the foresail and spanker! Ready, +about-ship!" + +Scarcely had the boatswain's shrill pipe uttered the appropriate call, +than the sails were let fall and sheeted home; and as soon as the +frigate felt the effect they produced, the helm was put a-lee, and she +went about close under the stern of the brig, which lay in her course. +A loud hail came from the brig, but I for one could not make out what +was said. + +"That's not an English brig," observed one of the officers near me. She +lay off what is called the Grand Tour Point. + +"He is inquiring our name," said another officer. + +"His Britannic Majesty's frigate _Juno_," shouted the first lieutenant. + +"Wah--wah--wah!" or sounds something like that, came from the brig. +Some one also shouted, "Viva!" + +"Whereabouts is the English fleet?" asked the captain. "Have they +sailed? Is the admiral still here?" + +"Wah--wah--wah!" was the only answer we got. The questions were +repeated in French. + +"Yes--yes; oui--oui; wah--wah--wah!" was again the reply. + +"That's a French merchant-brig. They cannot make out what we say. The +fleet must have gone over to the other side of the harbour." + +Directly afterwards, the words, "Luff--luff!" reached our ears. + +"They are afraid we shall be ashore, sir," said the first lieutenant. + +"Then down with the helm!" shouted the captain. The order was promptly +obeyed, and the frigate came up almost head to wind; but scarcely a +minute had passed when we felt that she had run stem on to the ground; +but so light was the wind, and so slight was the way on her, that no +damage of any sort was done. + +Of course the order was immediately given to clew-up and hand the sails; +and in another minute or so the _Juno_ lay with all sails furled right +up in the centre of the harbour of Toulon, with a line of heavy +batteries between her and the sea. While we were handing sails, a boat +was seen to put off from the brig; but instead of coming aboard us, she +pulled away rapidly in the direction of the town. + +Before, however, we were even off the yards, a flaw of wind took the +ship's head, and happily drove it off the bank, when the anchor was let +go, and she lay with her head up the harbour. Still, however, she hung +on the bank by the stern, while her rudder remained immovable and +useless. Seeing this, the captain ordered a kedge to be carried out to +warp her off; which, as she hung very lightly, could easily be done. To +perform this operation the launch was lowered; but being a heavy boat, +it took some time to get her into the water. Warps and the kedge-anchor +were then placed in her, and her crew pulled away with the kedge in the +proper direction to haul her off. While we were thus engaged, a boat +was seen coming down the harbour. + +"What boat's that?" hailed the sentry from forward. + +"Ay, ay," was the answer. + +"Officers coming alongside!" cried the sentry--such being the answer +given by naval officers when hailed by a ship-of-war. A captain repeats +the name of his ship. + +The gangway was manned to receive the visitors. Every one was puzzled +to know the meaning of a visit at so unusual an hour, and anxious to +know what it meant. A well-manned boat came alongside, and two French +officers, with several other people, scrambled up on deck. + +"Be smart, then, my lads, with the kedge," sung out Mr Webley, third +lieutenant, from forward. "We must get the ship afloat before the wind +drives her further on." + +The French officers looked about the decks for an instant, and then, +followed by their people, went aft to the captain, who was standing on +the quarter-deck ready to receive them. + +"Monsieur le Capitaine," said one of them, taking off his hat and bowing +politely, "I am sent by the chief of the port to compliment you on the +way you have brought your ship into this loyal port, but to express +regret that the regulations he has been compelled to issue make it +necessary for you to go over to the southern side of the harbour, there +to perform a quarantine for a short ten days or so, as you come from +Alexandria, an infected place." + +"But we don't come from Alexandria; we come from Malta, which is not an +infected place," answered the captain. + +"Then, monsieur, Malta is an infected place," returned the officer, +quickly. + +"I cannot understand that," answered Captain Hood. "I have to deliver +my despatches, and some supernumeraries for the army here, and then to +be away again as fast as possible. I beg, gentlemen, you will inform me +where the _Victory_, Lord Hood's ship, is. I must be guided by his +orders." + +"Certainly, monsieur, certainly," said the Frenchman, bowing with a +bland smile. "We will pilot you to him." + +I remember thinking, as the Frenchmen walked along the deck, that there +was a good deal of swagger in their manner, but I only set it down to +Gallic impudence. While this conversation was going on, one of our +midshipmen, a smart youngster--Mowbray, I think, was his name--had been +inquisitively examining the Frenchmen, and he now hurried up to the +captain, and drew him aside. + +"Just look, sir--those are Republican cockades!" he whispered. "As the +light of a lantern fell on their hats, I observed it. There's some +trick put upon us." + +"In truth you are right, my lad, I greatly fear," answered the captain, +in an agitated voice. "Where do you say Lord Hood is?" he asked, +turning abruptly to the Frenchman. + +"My Lord Hood! He is not here. He has long ago departed. We have no +lords here," answered the French officer in a sneering tone. "You have +made a great mistake, and are like a rat in a hole. The truth is, +Monsieur le Capitaine, you and your ship's company are prisoners! But +make yourself easy--the English are good people--we will treat them +kindly." + +"Prisoners!" exclaimed Captain Hood and the officers standing near, in +tones of dismay. "Prisoners! impossible!" But the assertion was too +true. + +Lord Hood had been compelled to evacuate Toulon some time before, with +all the forces under his command, after blowing up, by the aid of Sir +Sidney Smith, several of the forts, and destroying or carrying away +every ship in the harbour; while the unfortunate inhabitants were +exposed to all the cruelties which their sanguinary opponents could +inflict on them. + +As may be supposed, the Republican Frenchmen exulted in the idea of +having so easily captured an English frigate, and a large number of +Englishmen on whom they might retaliate for some of the losses their +party had sustained. As ill news travels quickly, so in an instant the +words in everybody's mouth were, "We are prisoners! we are prisoners!" +Some would scarcely believe it, and the officers and many of the men +hurried aft in a body to ascertain the fact. Mr Webley had remained +forward, and before we had been able to haul on the warp she had laid +out, he promptly recalled the launch, and ordered the people out of her +up the side. The boatswain was standing near him. + +"See," he exclaimed, "there's a flaw of wind just come down the harbour. +If it holds, the Frenchmen, even should this report be true, need not +be quite so sure as they think that they have caught us." + +Saying this, he hurried aft to the captain, while the boatswain, not to +lose time, made all the necessary preparations for making sail and +cutting the cable. + +"I believe, sir, that we shall be able to fetch out, if we can get her +under sail," said the lieutenant in the captain's ear. The words made +him start, and restored vigour to his heart. + +"Thank you, Webley, thank you," exclaimed the captain, when the third +lieutenant told him that the wind had come ahead. "We'll make the +attempt, and may Heaven prosper it!" + +Without a moment's delay, the first lieutenant issued the order to make +sail, while Mr Webley hurried forward to see the cable cut, as she +tended the right way. Like larks we sprang aloft to loose the topsails, +and all was done so silently and so rapidly, that the Frenchmen could +not make out what was occurring. + +"Gentlemen," said the captain, politely addressing the officers, "I must +trouble you to step below. We have duty in this ship to carry on which +will not require your presence." + +"But," exclaimed the Frenchmen, uttering all the oaths in their ample +vocabulary, "you are our prisoners. We do not choose to obey your +orders." + +"You mistake; you are ours! Englishmen do not yield unless to greatly +superior force," exclaimed our captain. "Gentlemen, you must go below." + +The Frenchmen laughed scornfully. "Treason! mutiny!" they exclaimed, +drawing their sabres, and attempting to make a rush to the gangway; but +as they turned, they found themselves confronted by a file of marines, +with fixed bayonets presented at them! + +Rage, and fury, and disappointed revenge were in the tones of their +voices, as they gave vent to their feelings in oaths and execrations +while they were being handed below. Not a man of their boat's crew +escaped, for all had come on board to witness the capture, as they +supposed, of a British frigate. + +During this time the topsails had been let fall, and in less than three +minutes were sheeted home. The headsails filled. At the very moment +they did so, a stronger puff of wind came right down the harbour. "Cut, +cut!" was the word. Round swung her head towards the open sea. Almost +with a bound it seemed her stern lifted off the ground. "Hurrah! +hurrah! We are free! we are free!" was the joyful cry. Now, come shot +or shell, or whatever our foemen choose to send. We have our brave ship +under command, and if our stout sticks do but stand, we may yet escape +the trap into which we have so unwarily fallen. + +Such were the sentiments which were felt, if not expressed, by all on +board the frigate. Plenty of sharp eyes were on shore, watching through +the gloom of night, as far as they were able, the movements of the +English frigate, expecting to see her every moment glide up the harbour, +where, of course, troops had been rapidly collected to take possession +of the prize, and conduct us within the precincts of a French prison. + +The Republicans must soon have discovered that their plan to capture us +had not been altogether successful. As we sailed down the harbour, +instead of up, as they had expected, lights began to gleam from the +various strong forts which lined each side of the harbour below us, and +also from the deck of our friend the brig, off Great Tower Point. Then, +as we glided on, every moment gathering fresh way, from all directions a +hot fire was opened on us. As with the light wind there was blowing it +was necessary to be rid of every obstruction, both our barge and the +Frenchmen's boat were cut adrift, though we would gladly have prevented +even them from falling into their hands. + +There was now no longer any necessity for concealment. The drums beat +to quarters, the guns were cast loose, and as we passed down the harbour +we began to return the compliments our enemies were so liberally +bestowing on us. We had our guns ready in time to give our friend the +brig a good dose, but what mischief we inflicted we could not tell; and, +to do her justice, she was not slack in her attempts to cripple us. +Thus in an instant the harbour, so lately sleeping in silence, and, as +it were, shrouded in the solemn gloom of night, was rudely awaked and +lighted up with the roar and bright flashes of a hundred guns, which, +fast as they could be discharged, sent forth a continuous fire at our +seemingly devoted ship. Thus far all had proceeded well; but we were +far from free of danger. Shot after shot struck us, several times we +were hulled, but not a man had yet been hit, when, to our dismay, the +wind grew very scant, and seemed about to head us. + +"If it shifts a couple of points more to the southward, we shall have to +beat out of this place!" exclaimed the captain of the gun at which I was +stationed. "Never mind, lads; we'll teach these Frenchmen what a +British frigate can do in spite of all that." + +Still the _Juno_ steadily held on her course. The wind backed once more +and came down the harbour, and on she glided. The enemy's guns were, +however, telling on us with fearful effect--our topsails were riddled +with shot, and our rigging much cut up; but as the damage occurred, our +active crew flew here and there to repair it, as well as time and the +darkness would allow. Now the harbour opened out broadly before us, and +the line of open sea could be perceived ahead. Our masts and spars +stood unharmed, the firing from the forts grew fainter and fainter. +Scarcely a shot reached us. On we stood. The shot began to drop +astern. For several minutes not one had struck us. The Frenchmen tried +in their rage, but all in vain. + +"We are free! we are free indeed! Hurrah! hurrah! hurrah!" burst with +one voice from all our crew, and the gallant _Juno_ bounded forward on +the wide ocean, to show what British daring, judgment, and promptitude +will effect, even although the most fearful odds are ranged against +success. + +I trust that some on board that ship felt also that a merciful +Providence had preserved us from a galling and painful lot, which would +have endured for many a long year, to do our duty to Heaven and our +country. I trust that the example set by the crew of the _Juno_ will +serve as an example to all British seamen--never to yield while there is +a possibility of escape. + +Well, it was amusing to see how the Frenchmen did stamp and rage when +they found that, instead of capturing us, they had been taken prisoners; +but we treated them very civilly, and after a few shrugs and grimaces, +like people having to take physic, we soon had the men singing and +jigging away as merry as crickets. + +I remained for some time on board the _Juno_, and left her on a very +short notice, and very much also against my own will. + +One dark night, as, with a convoy of merchantmen under our charge, we +were standing for Gibraltar, the watch below were roused up with the cry +of, "All hands shorten sail!" I and others, tossing on our clothes, +sprang aloft through the darkness, with a fierce wind blowing in our +faces, to reef topsails. Scarcely had I reached the lee foretop-sail +yard-arm, and had, as I believed, the earing in my hand, when, how I +cannot tell, I found myself jerked off the yard; and ere I could secure +a firm grasp of the rope I held, I found myself hurled through the +midnight air, clutching emptiness, till I reached the foam-covered +water, through which the ship was hurriedly ploughing her way. I heard +the cry, "A man overboard! a man overboard!" but the ship had been +carrying too much sail, and without shortening it, it was impossible to +round-to in order to pick me up. From the frigate, therefore, I knew +that I could expect no help. I do not believe that for a moment after I +fell I lost my consciousness, though I suspect that before I fell I was +more asleep than awake. I had on only my shirt and light duck-trousers, +so I threw myself on my back, to consider what was best to be done. +There were plenty of vessels, I knew, astern of the frigate, but there +was little chance of being seen by any of them, or of their being able +to pick me up if they did see me. + +How long I could have remained floating on my back I don't know--some +hours, I suppose, in smooth water; but as it was, the squall had blown +up a sea, and the spray kept dashing over my head and half drowned me. +On a sudden I found my head strike against something with so much force +as almost to stun me, and, turning round, I found myself in contact with +a large object. I caught hold of it. Ropes were hanging down from it +into the water; I climbed up by them, and found that it was the top and +parts of the topmast of a ship of large size. I felt thankful that I +was not likely to die for some time, unless the weather grew worse; and +I did not allow myself to reflect that even a worse death might be in +store for me--that of starvation. I had my knife secured by a lanyard +round my neck, so I began to haul up the ropes, and endeavoured to form +as secure a resting-place for myself as circumstances would allow. When +I had done all I could, I looked round through the darkness for the +chance of discovering a sail; but none could I see, so I sat down, and, +strange to say, fell asleep. + + + +CHAPTER FOURTEEN. + +TYRANNY--WAR AND MUTINY, WITH A GLIMPSE OF HOME COMFORTS BETWEEN. + +As I said, I went to sleep hanging on to a piece of wreck in the middle +of the Mediterranean. It was not an agreeable position to be in, +certainly, but it might have been worse. I might have been in the +middle of the Atlantic, or the Bay of Biscay, or near a country +inhabited by cannibals, or with nothing to float on, as was the case +till I got hold of the shattered mast. I did not feel it a very serious +matter, I suppose, for I slept soundly. I knew that the sea at that +time was swarming with vessels--men-of-war, transports, store-ships, and +merchantmen, sailing in every direction, and I hoped one or the other +would pick me up. + +At last the sun shining in my eyes awoke me, and looking around, I saw, +about two miles or so to the eastward, a brig with her foretopmast gone +and maintopsail-yard carried away. The damage had been done, I had no +doubt, by the squall which had sent me out of my warm hammock into the +cold water. The squall had passed over, and the sea was almost as +smooth as glass. I had a handkerchief round my waist. I took it off, +and, standing as high as I could on the wreck, I waved it above my head. +I waited anxiously to see if my signal had produced any effect; but the +brig's crew were all so busily engaged in repairing the damage she had +received, that they did not see me. So I sat down again, hoping that +by-and-by they might knock off work, and find a moment to look about +them. One comfort was, that while the calm lasted the brig was not +likely to go far away from me. + +The time seemed very long, and I was beginning to get hungry too as the +hour of breakfast drew on. So I got up again and waved my handkerchief, +and could not help shouting, though I well knew that no one at such a +distance could hear me. I waved till my arm ached, and still I was +unobserved; so I sat down a second time, and began to consider what +means existed of attracting the attention of the people aboard the brig. +I thought of swimming to her; but I reflected that it would be better +to let well alone, and that, as there was a long distance to traverse +before I could reach her, I might lose my strength, and sink without +being observed. The sun, however, rose higher and higher in the sky, +and I grew still more hungry; so for a third time I stood up and waved, +and shouted, and played all sorts of curious antics, in my eagerness to +attract notice. At length there was a stir aboard, and I thought I saw +some one waving in return. I was right. A quarter-boat was lowered, +and a fast galley pulled towards me. I was not a little pleased when I +saw them coming. They were soon up to me, and though I had not been +long floating on the broken mast, I can only say that I left it with +very considerable satisfaction. The brig, I found, belonged, as I had +suspected, to the _Juno's_ convoy. As we approached her, I looked with +a scrutinising eye at her hull. I thought I knew her build. + +"What brig's that?" I asked, with no little interest. + +"Why, the old _Rainbow_, lad," answered one of the boat's crew. "A good +craft she is still, though she's seen plenty of work in her day." + +So I was indebted for my preservation to my old ship--my sea-cradle, I +might call her. I hauled myself up her side, and there on her +quarter-deck stood Captain Gale, working away as usual with his people, +encouraging them by word and action. He seemed very glad to see me, as +I am sure I was to see him. + +"I see, sir," said I, after having had a little talk with him, "you have +plenty of work to do aboard, so, if I may just have some food to put +life into me, I'll turn to and lend a hand." + +"Ready as ever for work, Jack, I see!" said he, smiling. "I am glad the +men-of-war haven't knocked that out of you." + +Fortunately the fine weather continued, and by nightfall we were able to +rig a jury-mast and make sail on the brig. By the time we reached +Gibraltar the _Juno_ had sailed, and, as may be supposed, I being a +pressed-man, did not feel myself bound to follow her. I was very well +satisfied with the treatment I had received in the navy, and do not +think that I should have quitted it for any other vessel but my own +brig; but as Captain Gale was willing to take me, I could not resist the +temptation of remaining with him. After nearly foundering in a heavy +gale, being more than once chased by an enemy's cruiser, and narrowly +escaping being run down by one of our own line-of-battle-ships, we +reached Bristol, to which we were then bound, in safety. + +I had not forgotten my promise to poor James Martin, my shipmate in the +_Syren_, who was killed in our action with the French frigate; and +knowing that his family lived at a village within forty or fifty miles +of Bristol, I set off to visit them. Except a small amount of pay due +to me for the voyage home, I had little enough money in my pocket, so I +was obliged to go on foot. I had never seen anything of the interior of +England before, and knew nothing of its varied beauties, especially of +its rural districts--the rich meadows, the waving corn-fields, the thick +woods, and, more than all, the shady lanes and green hedges, full of +roses and honeysuckles, with numberless beautiful flowers growing on the +mossy bank beneath them. But still deeper impression did the +sequestered village make on me, with its open green and neat cottages, +surrounded by pretty gardens; and its clear pond, with gravelly bed; and +its neighbouring coppice; and its quiet church, with graceful spire; and +the neat and unpretending parsonage; and the old minister, with thin +cheeks and long white hair, and grave, yet kind loving countenance, to +whom all smiled and courtesied or doffed their hats as he passed; and +the long low school-house, with rosy, noisy children rushing out of it, +and scattering here and there instantly to begin their play; and the +buxom mothers and old dames coming out from their doors to watch them, +or to chat with each other in the intervals of work; and the sheep on +the sunny downs above; and the sparkling stream which came murmuring by, +half overgrown with bushes, so that its pleasant sound alone showed its +locality; and its deep pool, where the trout loved to lie; and the +cattle in the green meadow, seeking for shade under the tall elms, or +with lazy strokes of their tails whisking off the flies; and the boys +whistling in the fields; and the men, with long white smocks and gay +handkerchiefs worked in front, tending the plough or harrow, or driving +the lightly-laden waggon or cart with sturdy well-fed horses. And then +the air of tranquillity and repose which pervaded the spot, the +contentment visible everywhere, made an impression on me which time has +never been able to obliterate, and which, in far, far-off regions, has +come back on me with greater force than ever, and prevented me from +remaining, as many of my companions did, among their half-savage +inhabitants, to enjoy the supposed delights of idleness, and has renewed +in me the desire to end my days in my fatherland. + +In such a scene as I have described I found the family of my poor +shipmate. I easily made myself known. They had no doubt of the truth +of my story, and gave me a kind though tearful welcome. The old mother +seized my arm and pushed me into a seat, which she mechanically wiped +with her blue apron; the tall sunburned father, with grizzled locks, and +dressed in long smock and yellow gaiters, grasped my hand. + +"And you were with our James when he was struck down in battle, and he +thought of us all here! Bless him!" + +The old man could say no more. I told him how he not only thought of +them, but prayed for them, and spoke of the great comfort which the +prayers his mother had taught him had been to him, especially in his +last mortal agony. + +The old woman alone wept, but not vehemently. They had long before this +heard of his death. My message rather brought comfort than sorrow. + +After a time George came in--a sturdy young man, with well-knit limbs, +and round, good-humoured countenance, with the universal smock, and +shoes few legs but such as his could lift. When I spoke of James, his +countenance grew sad, and, rising from his three-legged stool, he left +the cottage, and did not return for nearly half an hour. + +One daughter came in from milking the cows at a neighbouring farm. She +reminded me of James. How neat and clean she looked, even coming from +work! and how modest and retiring in her manner! She might have been +pretty--I don't remember: she was far better than pretty, I judged from +all she said. Her sisters were away at service, I found. She asked +many questions about James; and though her voice was more than ever +subdued when she mentioned his name, my replies seemed to give her +satisfaction. But I had the sense gradually to leave off talking of my +dead shipmate, and began to tell them of the adventures I had gone +through, and of the strange scenes I had witnessed. + +There was an old black oak desk, or sloping board, near the small +latticed window in the thick wall. On the desk was a large well-worn +Bible open, with a green spectacle-case to keep down the page. After +supper the old man approached it, as was evidently his custom; and, +while all sat round in reverential silence, he began to read slowly and +distinctly, though not without difficulty, from the Word of God. One +thing struck me--that he read not for form's sake, but that he and his +hearers might reap instruction for faith and practice from what he read. +He was evidently aware of the truth, that those sacred pages before him +were written for our instruction, to be a guide unto our feet, and a +light unto our path. Then he prayed--his words came from his heart--for +all present, and for guidance and protection for those absent. He did +not forget our king and country, and pleaded that God would prosper +England's arms by sea and land in a righteous struggle. Surely those +prayers, rising from many a humble hearth, were not unheeded by the King +of kings. Then, I say to those who themselves believe, teach, oh, teach +the poor to pray! for their own sakes, for your sake, for England's +sake. Such prayers alone can maintain her as she is--great, glorious, +and free. + +The Martins would not let me go to the village inn, as I proposed, but +insisted on my taking a shake-down in the common room with George. The +rest slept in a room above. The moonlight came through the lattice +window. I saw George sitting up in his bed. + +"Are you asleep, Williams!" he asked, gently. + +"No," I replied. + +"Then tell me now about poor James," he answered. + +I was not slack in obeying his wishes, and for many an hour I went on +telling him all the anecdotes I could think of connected with James +Martin, from the moment I first knew him till I saw him committed to his +watery grave. + +"Thank you, master," he said quietly when I ceased; and as I lay down I +heard many a sob bursting from his sturdy bosom. "That lad may be a +Chaw-bacon," I thought to myself; "but he has got a heart for all the +world just like a sailor's." + +By daybreak next morning the family were astir, and went cheerfully +about their daily labours. George had some two or three miles to go to +the farm on which he found employment; the old man and Susan had work +near at hand. + +I spent a whole day in that quiet village, wandering about among the +fields and lanes, and over the downs, till the family assembled again in +the evening when their work was done. The next morning I took my +departure. I had learned from a shipmate what would certainly be +acceptable in a country district, and had brought with me a package of +tea and sugar, which I left as a parting gift for poor James's mother. +I remember that I put it down somewhat abruptly on the table after I had +shaken hands, exclaiming, "That's for you, mother!" and with my small +bundle at the end of my stick, I rushed out of the cottage, and took the +way back to Bristol. + +That was the only glimpse of English country-life I ever got, till--an +old, broken-down man--my career at sea was ended. I was on shore often +enough, but what scenes did I witness among docks, and narrow streets, +and in the precincts of great commercial towns? What can the sailor who +never strays beyond these know of all the civilising influences of a +well-ordered country home? As I say, I never forgot that quiet scene, +short as was the glimpse I obtained; and it had an influence on me for +all my after-life, which, at the time, I could not have suspected. Even +at first when I got back to Bristol, and breathed the moral atmosphere +with which I was surrounded, I longed to be once more away on the free +ocean. + +The old brig was soon ready again for sea; but as he was about to sail, +Captain Gale was taken so ill that he could not proceed, and another +master was sent in his stead. I ought to have mentioned that Captain +Helfrich had sold her to some Bristol merchants, and had got a large +ship instead, which traded round Cape Horn. Captain Grindall was a very +plausible man on shore, so he easily deceived the owners; but directly +he got into blue water he took to his spirit bottle, and then cursed and +swore, and brutally tyrannised over everybody under his orders. I had +seen a good deal of cruelty, and injustice, and suffering in the navy, +and had heard of more, but nothing could surpass what that man made his +crew feel while he was out of sight of land. The first mate, Mr +Crosby, who, with Captain Gale, had appeared a quiet sort of man, though +rather sulky and ill-tempered at times, imitated the master's example. + +We were bound for Barbadoes, in the West Indies. We had not got +half-way there, when one of the crew fell sick. Poor fellow! he had not +strength to work, but the master and Mr Crosby said that he had, and +that they would make him; so they came down into the forepeak and hauled +him out of his berth, and drove him with a rope's end on deck. He tried +to work, but fell down; so they lashed him to the main-rigging in the +hot sun, and there left him, daring any of us to release him, or to take +him even a drop of water. I wonder that treatment did not kill him. + +Two days after that, when there was some sea on, and the brig was +pitching heavily, he fell down again, and Mr Crosby caught sight of +him, and kicked him in the rib; and when the second mate, who was a +quiet young man, and generally frightened at the other two, tried to +interfere, he threatened to knock him down with a handspike. Then, +because poor Taylor called them by some name they deserved, they dragged +him aft by his hair, and then triced him up to the main-rigging by the +heels. I was in the watch below; of the rest of the crew, one was at +the helm, another forward, and the others aloft; so that there was no +one to interfere. At last, the man forward looked down the fore-scuttle +and told us what had happened. We sprung on deck. Taylor was getting +black in the face. It was more than we could stand, and in a body we +rushed aft, and before the mate could interfere, for the captain was +below, we cut him down, and carried him forward. The mate sung out, +"Mutiny!" and the captain came on deck with his pistols. But we told +him he might shoot one and all of us, but we would not see a messmate +murdered before our eyes. Our determined manner somewhat awed the +captain, and swearing that he would be even with us before long, he let +us have our way. Poor Taylor did not die at once, as we expected he +would; but that night he was in a high fever, and raved and shrieked +till he made us all tremble with terror. + +At noon next day the captain observed that Taylor was not on deck. He +asked why he did not come. No one answered. "Then I'll soon learn the +cause," he exclaimed, leaping down forward. In another moment he sprung +up again, followed by Taylor. The hair of the latter was all standing +on end; his eyeballs were starting from their sockets; he had only his +shirt on, with the sleeves rolled up, showing his thin bony arms and +legs. He was shrieking terrifically. The captain attempted to kick him +back as he appeared above the hatchway; but he evaded the blow, and +stood on deck confronting his persecutor. The strength of madness was +upon him. He made a spring at the captain, and would have hurled him, I +verily believe, overboard; but at that moment the first mate rushing +forward, struck the poor fellow a blow on the back of the head with a +handspike. He gave one glance at his murderer as he fell, and in a few +minutes his limbs stiffened, and he was dead. The captain and mate went +aft as he fell, leaving him on the deck, and talked together. + +After some time the mate sung out, "Rouse that fellow up, some of you +there! Ill or not ill, he must do his duty." None of us spoke or +stirred, and at last he came forward and kicked the corpse, as if to +make the man get up. We guessed all the time that he knew perfectly +well that Taylor was dead. There he lay where he fell, till the second +mate, who had been below, came on deck, and, going up to the body, +discovered the truth. He, of course, reported the man's death to the +captain. + +"Heave the carcass overboard, Mr Sims," was the answer. "Let's hear no +more about the rascal." + +Sailors have a dislike to have a dead body in the ship; so, before night +set in, we lashed it up in a piece of canvas, and with a shot at the +feet, committed it to the sea. Strange as it may appear, when the mate +found that we had taken the canvas for this purpose, he made it an +excuse for further abuse and ill-treatment. Not a day passed but one or +other of us got a kick or a blow from him or the captain. They made one +young lad very nearly leap overboard, where he would have been drowned. +I hauled him back, and calming him down, showed him the enormity of the +sin he was going to commit, and urged him to bear his trials, as they +must shortly be over. + +At last we reached Carlisle Bay, where we brought up off Bridge Town, +the capital of the fertile island Barbadoes. The town lies round the +bay, and contains some handsome houses and broad streets. This island +is more level than most of the West India isles, with the exception of +the north-eastern quarter, called Scotland, when there is an elevation +of a thousand feet above the sea. It is rather less in size than the +Isle of Wight. What a wretched voyage had we had! How miserable and +crushed in spirit did I feel! The scene struck me, therefore, as +peculiarly beautiful, as, gliding up the bay, we saw spread out before +us the blue waters, fringed by the tall, graceful palms; the shining +white houses, circling round the shore; the trim, gallant men-of-war; +the merchantmen with their many-coloured flags; the numerous boats +pulling here and there, manned by shouting, grinning, laughing +negroes;--and then the planters' houses, and woods, and fields of +sugar-cane, and farms in the distance, made me feel that such scenes as +we had gone through could no longer be enacted with impunity. + +The moment we dropped our anchor, the captain went on shore; and I found +that, to be beforehand with any of us who might inform against him, he +had given his own version of Taylor's death; which, of course, his mate +was ready to corroborate. When he returned on board, he gave a +triumphant glance forward, as much as to say, I have you still in my +power. So he had, as we found when once more we were at sea. I was +glad that the young lad Thompson, whom he had so ill-treated, deserted +the day before we sailed, and, I believe, entered aboard a man-of-war, +where he was safe. + +While in harbour we had been quiet enough, but we had not been two days +at sea before the captain and mate commenced their old system of +tyranny. Everybody was ill-treated, and this time I was the chief +victim. Kicked and struck on the slightest pretext, and compelled to +perform the most disgusting offices, I soon felt myself a degraded being +both in body and mind; and when I thought of what I had been on board +the _Juno_, and what I now was, I shrunk from making the comparison. +But I was to obtain relief in a way I little expected. + +I was in the second mate's watch. Early one morning, about four bells +in the middle watch--that is to say, about two o'clock--I had just been +relieved from my trick at the helm. The weather was thick and squally, +and the night very dark. The look-out was careless, or had bad +eyesight; and the mate, knowing this, was constantly going forward +himself. I was leisurely going along the deck, when I heard him sing +out,--"A sail on the starboard-bow! Luff!--luff all you can!" I sprang +forward. The ship was nearer to us than he supposed. Right stem on she +came, towering like a huge mountain above us. In an instant the brig's +bows were cut down to the water's edge. I sung out to those on deck to +follow me, and clung on to whatever I could first get hold of. It +proved to be the ship's bobstay. I climbed up it on to the bowsprit, +and, as I looked down, I saw her going right over the vessel I had just +left--her decks sinking from sight beneath the dark waters. The tall +masts, and spars, and sails followed: down, down they went, drawn by an +irresistible force! It seemed like some dreadful dream. Before I could +secure myself on the bowsprit, they had disappeared in the unfathomable +abyss. Not a cry or a groan reached my ears from my drowning +shipmates--unwarned, unprepared they died. Such has been many a hapless +seaman's fate. One only escaped. He had hold of the dolphin-striker. +I could just distinguish his form through the darkness as he followed +me. I slid down to help him, and with difficulty hauled him up on the +bowsprit. He seemed horror-struck at what had occurred; and so, indeed, +we might both well be, and thankful that we had been preserved. Such +was the end of the old _Rainbow_. + +I now first sung out, and gave notice of our escape to those on board +the ship. Several of the crew had rushed forward, and now helped poor +Mr Sims and me off the bowsprit. We heard, meantime, the officers of +the ship ordering the boats to be lowered; and she being hove up into +the wind, one from each quarter was soon manned and in the water. While +the two mates of the ship, anxious to save the lives of their +fellow-creatures, pulled about in every direction near where the brig +was supposed to have gone down, I was looking over the bows, hoping that +some of my poor shipmates might yet survive; but no answering cry was +made to the repeated shouts of the boats' crews. At last the boats +returned on board, and I found that the mate and I were the only +survivors of the _Rainbow_. Had she not been an old vessel, I do not +think that she would so easily have foundered from the blow she +received. + +I found that the ship I was on board of was the _Rebecca_, a large West +Indiaman, trading between London and Barbadoes, to which place she was +then bound, so that I should have to return there instead of going home. +The captain sent for the mate and me into the cuddy-cabin, to inquire +about the vessel to which we had belonged. He was a quiet, +kind-mannered man, and seemed very much cut up at the loss of the brig, +though he said that he could not blame his people for what had occurred. +When we had given him all the information he required, he directed that +we should have berths and food supplied us. I turned in gladly, though +it was some time before I went to sleep, and even then I could not get +rid of the recollection of the sinking brig, which had borne me in +safety for so many a long year over the wide ocean. + +The next morning I was told that the mate was very ill. The doctor of +the ship had been attending him, but said that his case was hopeless. I +sat by him all day. Sometimes he would be perfectly quiet and do +nothing but moan; and then he would start up, and shriek out,--"Luff!-- +luff!--or she'll be into us!" and then sink down again, overcome with +horror at the recollection of the event. Towards night he grew worse, +and, after several fearful shrieks, he sunk back and expired. + +Thus twice in less than two years was I mercifully preserved from +destruction. There were a number of passengers on board, who were very +kind to me, and took pleasure in asking me questions about my life at +sea, and in listening to the accounts of my adventures. Among them was +a young gentleman, who, when he heard the name of the _Rainbow_ brig, +and that she sailed out of Dublin, made many inquiries about her. He +told me that he knew Dublin well, and had often heard of the former +owners of the _Rainbow_. He was, I found, going out to Bridge Town, to +take the management of a large mercantile house there. + +"You must come and see me when we get there," said he one day. "I am +not certain, but I think we have met before." + +"Where could that have been? I don't remember you, sir," I said. + +"Hadn't you a very tall seaman aboard the brig when you first went to +sea in her?" he asked abruptly. + +"Yes, of course, sir!" I exclaimed. "Peter Poplar, my best of friends; +I owe everything to him." + +"So do I, then, I suspect," said he warmly. "Do you remember a little +lad sitting crying on the quays at Dublin, to whom he gave a bundle of +old clothes? Yours, I believe, they were." + +"Yes," said I; "I remember, too, how grateful he seemed for them, and +how Peter walked away with me that he might not listen to his thanks." + +"He had reason to be thankful," said the gentleman. "That suit of +clothes enabled him to obtain a situation, where, by honesty and +perseverance, and an earnest wish to promote his kind master's +interests, he rose by degrees to hold the most responsible situation in +his establishment. Do you remember the boy's name?" + +"No, sir," I replied. "I am not quite certain." + +"Was it Terence, do you think?" he asked. + +"Yes, sir!" I exclaimed. "Terence it was--Terence McSwiney--that was +his name. I remember it now, for he repeated it several times." + +"That is my name," said the gentleman; "and I, Jack, am the very little +lad to whom your kind friend gave your old clothes. I would much like +to meet him again, to thank him, as I do you, for your share of the +favour conferred on me. Of one thing you may be certain--I have not +been idle. When not engaged in my master's business, I was employed in +study and in improving my own mind. I never lost an opportunity of +gaining knowledge, and never willingly wasted a moment." + +Mr McSwiney told me a good deal more about himself, and I felt how very +different a life I had led, and how little I had ever done to improve my +mind or to gain knowledge. I even then thought that it was too late to +begin, and so I went on in my idleness. + +The day before we reached Carlisle Bay the captain sent for me, and told +me that the passengers had been interested in my history, and that, as I +had lost all my kit in the brig, they had made a collection to enable me +to purchase a new one. This he presented to me in the shape of thirty +dollars. I expressed myself, as I felt, very grateful for the kindness +I had received. + +Although Mr McSwiney had once been in the same rank of life to which I +belonged, and in one respect even worse off, because I had a suit of +clothes on my back when he had none, I did not, in consequence, address +him as an equal. He seemed to appreciate my feeling, and I believe that +I thereby secured his esteem. He would have taken me to the lodging he +had engaged at Bridge Town, but I said, "No, sir, thank you; I will +remain on board the ship till I get a berth in some other craft. I have +no fancy for living ashore." I went up to see him several times, and we +parted, I believe, with mutual feelings of regard. He had more than +repaid me for the benefit I had been formerly the means of doing him, +and he as well as I soon found that our habits of thought were so +different that we could not associate on really equal terms, however +much we might wish the attempt to succeed. + +Finding a brig, the _Jane and Mary_, short of hands, sailing for the +port of Hull, I shipped on board her. I was not much better off in her +though, than I had been in the _Rainbow_ with Captain Grindall. The +captain and mates did not proceed to such extremities as he and Mr +Crosby did, but they were rough, ignorant, ill-tempered men, and treated +the crew as brutes, looking upon them as mere machines, out of whom they +were to get as much work as their strength would allow. When we reached +Hull I was glad to leave the _Jane and Mary_; and without even going on +shore for a day's spree--as most of the other hands did, and accordingly +fell in with press-gangs--I transferred myself to a barque trading to +Archangel, on the north coast of Russia. + +By the time I got back, I had had enough of a northern voyage, so for +the first time went on shore at Hull. Sailors' lodging-houses are +generally dirty, foul traps, kept by wretches whose great aim is to +fleece the guests of everything they may possess at least cost to +themselves. I got into one of this class, for, of course, I did not +know where to go. A shipmate had invited me to accompany him, saying he +had been very well-treated--though I found afterwards he had been +supplied with as much food and liquor as he wanted, and indulged in +every vice, and then, when he hadn't a farthing in his pocket, put on +board a trader half drunk, and sent to sea. I found myself undergoing +very shortly the same sort of treatment he had received; and when I +refused to drink more, or yield to other temptations, such fierce, angry +scowls were cast on me, that I was anxious to get away. They began, +indeed, to quarrel with me; but seeing that had not much effect, they +became very civil and polite. In a short time the man of the house--a +sturdy ruffian, with a Jewish cast of countenance--went to the cupboard, +and I saw him pouring out several tumblers of grog. I pretended not to +be watching him, but went on talking to my companions as before. +Directly afterwards his wife got up and placed a tumbler by the side of +each of us, taking one-- + +"There are your Saturday's night-caps, my lads," said she, sitting down +opposite to us. "Let us drink to sweethearts and wives, and lovers and +friends; a bloody war, and plenty of prize-money!" And with a leer out +of her evil eye, she gulped down half the contents of the tumbler +between her thick lips. + +Now I had seen old Growler fumbling with several bottles at the dresser, +and as I passed my nose over the tumbler which his wife placed near me, +a certain rank odour arose from it which I did not like. How to avoid +drinking it I was puzzled, as I did not wish to show the suspicion I +felt that it was drugged. Luckily the tumbler stood on a little round +table by itself; so I jumped up on a sudden, as if something had stung +me, and upset the table with the tumbler and its contents! Old Growler +pretended to be very sorry for the accident, and insisted on mixing +another. "No, thank you, master," I answered; "I've been very clumsy, +and must pay the penalty by the loss of the grog." The couple looked at +each other and then at me with such an evil glance, that I believe had +it not been for my companions they would at that moment have turned me +out into the street. + +There were six seamen in the room, lately discharged from different +merchantmen. The house was at the end of a dirty, narrow court, all the +inhabitants of which were of the lowest description. As we were sitting +smoking, a tap was heard at the door. Old Growler went to it. Several +questions were asked by a person outside. He came back in a hurry, and +beckoned to his wife to come and answer them. "There are some +man-of-war's men outside," said he. "They say that they are come to +look for a deserter. They'll soon make my missus open the door, so +you've no time to lose, my lads. Be quick, then; through the door, and +stowaway in the coal-shed." The house had a back-door, or it would not +have been fit for old Growler's purposes; and the door opened into what +they called a garden, but it was a bit of dirty barren ground, strewn +with broken bricks and crockery, and bits of rotten wood, with some +tumble-down sheds on either side of it. In one of these he proposed we +should hide. As we opened the door, however, to rush out, we found +ourselves confronted by a dozen stout seamen; and before we could make +the slightest resistance, we were all of us bound hand and foot. The +front-door being opened, an officer and several men entered through it, +and a large party of us assembled in Mrs Growler's kitchen. The +lieutenant and midshipman who commanded the press-gang took very coolly +the abuse which our worthy host and hostess so liberally bestowed on +them. We were allowed to go, two and two at a time, under escort, to +collect our traps, and then marched down to a couple of boats waiting +for us at the quay. In a short time we were put on board a cutter, with +a number of other men who had been picked up in a similar way. There +was a good deal of grumbling, and some of the men seemed to have been +very hardly dealt with; but I cannot say that my change of lot made me +particularly unhappy. + +Another night's foray on shore considerably increased our numbers; +besides which several volunteers, mostly landsmen, were obtained, and +the cutter then sailed to discharge her passengers into the ships most +requiring men. I and several others found ourselves going up the side +of His Majesty's ship _Glutton_, of 50 guns, commanded by Captain Henry +Trollope. As I stood on the deck looking about me, previous to being +summoned aft, I saw on the other side the tall figure of a man whose +back was turned towards me. My heart beat with surprise and joy, for I +felt almost sure he must be Peter Poplar. He shortly turned his head. +I was right. He was no other than my old friend. I sprung over to him, +and warmly grasped his hand. He started when he saw me, stared at me +with astonishment, and for a minute could not speak. + +"Is it really you, Jack?" he at length exclaimed. "Why, lad, I thought +you were dead. I was told that you had been lost overboard from the +_Juno_." + +"So I was," said I; "but I was found by an old friend, who in the end +played me a somewhat scurvy trick." And I told him in a few words all +that had occurred to me since we had been paid off from the _Syren_. + +"Well, I am right glad to see you, lad--that I am," he exclaimed, again +wringing my hand. + +My yarn was scarcely out when I was summoned to have my name entered on +the ship's books, and to hear my rating, which was that of "able +seaman." The _Glutton_ had been an Indiaman, measuring 1400 tons, and +had been purchased into the service. She was now armed with the then +newly-invented carronades, 68-pounders on the lower, and 32-pounders on +the upper deck. This was a weight of metal no ship had, I believe, +previously carried; and Captain Trollope was very anxious to try its +effect on the ships of the enemy, rightly believing that it would not a +little astonish them. + +Our first cruise was off the coast of Flanders. We had not long to wait +before an enemy was seen. On the 15th of July, when the days were +longest and the weather fine, early in the afternoon six ships were seen +from the mast-head running before the wind; and soon afterwards, further +to leeward, appeared a brig and a cutter, which they were apparently +bearing down to join. I was at the helm when the captain made out what +they were. + +"Four French frigates and two corvettes. They will just suit us!" said +he, shutting up his glass with a smile of satisfaction. + +"A heavy squadron for one ship to attack," observed one of the +lieutenants. + +"One!--every man on board will be sorry they ever met _us_!" said the +captain. He knew that the officer who spoke was not one likely to +flinch from the work to be done. + +We were standing directly for the enemy, whose ships were pretty close +in with the land. Notwithstanding the apparently overwhelming numbers +of the foe, the ship, with the greatest alacrity, was cleared for +action. + +"Shall we really fight them?" asked a youngster of Peter, who was a +great favourite with all the midshipmen. + +"Ay--that we shall, sir," he answered. "The captain only wishes that +there were twice as many ships to fight." + +"That's all right!" exclaimed the young midshipman. "I was afraid that +some trick was intended, and that we should soon have to up stick, and +run for it." + +"No, no; no fear of that! I don't think our captain is the man to run +from anything." + +It was now about eight o'clock in the evening, and the French ships, +having formed in line, seemed to have no intention of avoiding us. A +feeling of pride and confidence animated the bosoms of all our crew as +we stood round the short heavy guns with which our ship was armed, while +advancing towards an enemy of a force apparently so overwhelming. One +French frigate, the _Brutus_, was a razeed 64-gun ship, and now carried +46 guns. Then there were the _Incorruptible_, of 32 guns; the +_Magicienne_, of 36; the _Republicain_, of 28; and the two corvettes, of +22 guns each. + +On we stood. Whatever the enemy did, we were not to fire till we got +close up to them. There were to be no long shots with us. It had +become almost dark before we arrived abreast of the three sternmost +ships. "Take care that not a gun is fired till I give the order," cried +the captain. "Steer for that big fellow there." This was the _Brutus_, +the second from the van. We were within thirty yards of this ship. +"Strike to His Britannic Majesty's ship _Glutton_!" cried the captain, +waving to the Frenchman. This order the Frenchmen were not likely to +obey. Up went the French colours at the peaks of all the ships, and +immediately they began firing as they could bring their guns to bear. +We glided on a few yards nearer the opponent our captain had singled +out. "Now, give it them, my lads!" he shouted; and immediately we +poured our whole broadside into the hull of our enemy. The effects were +as terrific as unexpected--she seemed literally to reel with the force +of the concussion. Meantime, the leading ship stood past us to +windward, with the intention of cutting us up with her shot; but she got +more than she bargained for, in the shape of our larboard-broadside. +The heavy shot, nearly every one of which told, shattered her hull, tore +open her decks, and damaged her spars. Meantime we were standing on the +larboard-tack, with the French commodore to leeward of us, with whom we +were exchanging a hot fire--rather hotter than he liked, indeed. + +The pilot had been anxiously watching the coast--not indeed relishing, +probably, the sort of work going on. He now hurried up to the captain: +"We shall be on shore to a certainty, sir, if we stand on in this +course." + +"Never fear," answered Captain Trollope. "When the Frenchman takes the +ground, do you go about." + +All this time the enemy's shot were flying about us terribly, cutting up +our spars and rigging; but, strange to say, as I looked around, I did +not see one wounded! It was light enough all the time to enable us to +see all the enemy's ships, and yet sufficiently dark to allow the flash +of the guns to have its full effect, as we and our many opponents +rapidly discharged them at each other. Still the French commodore stood +on. Perhaps he hoped to drive us on shore. At last he was compelled to +tack. Captain Trollope had been waiting the opportunity. The instant +he hove in stays, we, who had been reserving our fire, poured in our +broadside, raking him fore and aft with murderous effect. + +"All hands about-ship!" was now the cry. So cut up was our rigging, +however, that we had no little difficulty in getting her about. Our +masts also were badly wounded. It was a question whether they would +carry our canvas. + +"Hands aloft!--reef topsails!" was the next order given. Up we sprung, +most unwillingly leaving our gnus, while the French ships, one after the +other, stood away from us, glad to get out of reach of our fire though +they did not fail to give us a parting salute. + +We were as smart as we could in reefing topsails, but as much of our +running-gear was cut up, we were longer than usual; and the Frenchmen, +finding that we had ceased firing, took it into their heads. I suppose, +that we were going to strike, for they all tacked and once more stood +back towards us. + +"To your guns, my lads! to your guns!" was the cry, as we swung down off +the yards; and then didn't we open fire again upon them in fine style! +In a few minutes they had had enough of it, and hauled off as fast as +their legs could carry them. If they hadn't so cruelly wounded our +masts and spars we should have caught some of them. We made all the +sail we could venture to carry; but they had faster keels than we could +boast of, so we had no hope of success. + +They stood away for Flushing, and I afterwards heard that one of them +sunk as soon as she got there, and that all had their decks completely +ripped up, besides losing a great number of men, and suffering terribly +in other ways. Strange as it may seem, we had not a single man killed, +but one captain of marines and one marine only were wounded. We had to +go into harbour to repair damages; and when the news of the action +reached London, the merchants were so pleased with it, that, in +commemoration of it, they presented Captain Trollope with a handsome +piece of plate. He deserved it, for a braver or more dashing officer +did not exist, as I had many opportunities of proving. + +Some time after this, occurred those events in the navy which might have +proved the destruction of the British Empire. I speak of the mutinies +which broke out at the Nore, at Spithead, and elsewhere. The +particulars are generally so well-known, that I will not attempt to +describe them; but the circumstance I am about to mention is known, I +fancy, to very few. It is an example of what courage and determination +may effect. + +On board the _Glutton_, as in most large ships, we had a number of bad +characters--runaway apprentices, lawyers' clerks, broken-down tradesmen, +footmen dismissed for knavery, play-actors, tinkers, gipsies, +pickpockets, thieves of all sorts; indeed, the magistrates on shore +seemed to think nothing was too bad to send on board a man-of-war. +These men were, of course, always ready for mischief of any sort. There +is no denying it, the seamen also were often cruelly ill-treated, +fleeced on all sides, cheated out of pay, supplied with bad provisions, +and barbarously tyrannised over by their officers. Now, on the +contrary, a man-of-war's man is better fed, better lodged, better and +more cheaply clothed, and in sickness better taken care of, than any +class of labouring-men. When he has completed twenty-one years' +service, he may retire with a pension for life of from tenpence to +fourteen-pence a day; and when worn-out by age or infirmity, he may bear +up for that magnificent institution, Greenwich Hospital, there among old +comrades to end his days in peace. + +The mutiny I was speaking of had been going on for some time. The just +demands of the seamen had been listened to, and their grievances +remedied, when the mutiny broke out afresh, and, instigated by +evil-disposed persons, the crews either landed their officers or put +them under confinement, and made fresh demands, many of which it was +impossible to grant. Our ship, with others of Lord Duncan's squadron, +was brought up in Yarmouth Roads. The delegates had been tampering with +us. Messages had at different times been sent on board, and I knew that +something wrong was going forward; but what it was I could not tell. I +was known to be a friend of Peter Poplar's, and no one doubted his +remaining stanch to his captain and officers, so I am proud to say that +they would not trust me. + +One day I found Peter sitting down between decks, looking very grave. I +asked him if something was not the matter with him. + +"A great deal, Jack," he answered; "I don't like the look of things. +You must know, Jack, that the ships at the Nore have again hoisted the +red flag, and the mutineers swear that they'll make every ship of the +fleet join them. What they now want, I don't know. They have got all +the chief grievances redressed, and everything which reasonable men +could expect granted. They'll not be content till all the delegates are +made admirals, I suppose." + +"Still, I hope that we shall not be following their example," said I. +"We have a good number of black sheep on board, but still, I think, +there are enough honest men to keep them in check." + +"That's the very thing I doubt, Jack," he whispered. "I don't like the +thoughts of peaching on a shipmate, but when villains are plotting +treachery, as some on board here are doing, we have but one duty to +perform. I must carry the information to the captain. In case they +find me out, and heave me overboard, or trice me up at the yard-arm--as +they are likely enough to do--if you live take care that my memory is +treated with justice. Now, Jack, there is no time to lose; I'll tell +the captain that he may trust to you and a few others, but the greater +number of the ship's company have been won over by the promises of that +artful fellow Parker and his mates." Saying this, Peter walked boldly +aft, and, unsuspected, entered the captain's cabin. + +He told me afterwards that Captain Trollope received the information +very calmly, nor did he seem at all to doubt its correctness. The plan +was to wait till the ship was under way to proceed on a cruise in the +North Sea, and then to seize the captain and all the officers, and to +carry the ship instead to the Nore. Several other ships had already +weighed without orders, and had joined the mutineers at the Nore. No +preparation, however, was made that I saw for the expected event. + +The next day Peter and I were sent for into the cabin. "Take up these +things, and accompany me," said the captain to us. There was a compass +and a basket of provisions; and I saw that the captain had a pistol-case +under his arm. Leaving the cabin, he led the way below to the door of +the magazine. If any of the mutineers observed him, I don't suppose +they guessed what he was about. + +The powder-magazine of a man-of-war has a clear space round it--a sort +of ante-room, which is kept clear of everything, so as to decrease the +risk of fire reaching it. This ante-room has a grated door before it. +The captain produced a key, and opening the grated door, went in, taking +from us the articles we carried. He then locked himself in from the +inside. This done, he opened the inner door of the magazine, exposing a +number of powder-flasks to view. Having arranged his table and chairs, +with the compass and his pistols, and some books he had brought, he said +quietly, as if to himself, "I'm ready for them!" + +"Williams," he continued, "go and request the first lieutenant to come +here. Poplar, do you go among the people, and say I directed you to +call some of them to see me." + +I quickly performed my part of the duty; but Poplar was longer in +collecting any of the people. He, however, at last returned with about +twenty of them. + +The first lieutenant seemed very much astonished at the summons, and +could not make out what it meant. I fancy, indeed, when he got down +there, and saw the captain quietly sitting in the powder-magazine, as if +he was going to take up his berth there for the future, for an instant +he thought him out of his senses. He did not long continue in that idea +when the captain began to address him and the people who were assembled +outside the grating. + +"Turn the hands up, and get the ship under way!" he sung out in a loud +voice. "The pilot will carry her through the passage, and then steer an +easterly course till you receive further orders." + +"Now, men, you've heard the orders I have given to the first lieutenant. +I intend to have them obeyed. Other ships' companies have refused to +obey orders, and have joined the mutineers at the Nore. This example +shall not be followed on board this ship. I'd sooner die than see such +disgrace brought on the ship I command. You all know me. The instant I +find the course I have given altered--you see the magazine and this +pistol--we all go up together!" + +Some of the mutineers--for Peter had taken care to summon those he most +suspected--lingered below; but the boatswain's whistle sounded shrilly +along the decks, and one more glance at the determined eye of the +captain sent them flying up to obey its summons. I shall never forget +the appearance of that dauntless man as he sat still and alone in that +dark place, prepared by a dire necessity to hurl himself and all with +him to a terrible destruction. It was a subject truly worthy of the +painter's highest art. We all, indeed, did know him, and knew that, +whatever the cost, he was a man to do what he had threatened. The ship +was quickly got under way, and while the larger number of the ships of +the squadron ran for the Nore against the wishes of their officers, we, +to the surprise of all, who little knew what extraordinary influence +guided our course, stood out to sea in search of the enemies of our +country. + + + +CHAPTER FIFTEEN. + +JACK A PRISONER--A PRIVATEER AND A SLAVER. + +On leaving the _Glutton_, I was struck down by sickness, and lay for +many long months in the hospital at Portsmouth, scarcely expecting to +recover. Oh, how hideous did Death, which I had braved a hundred times +in open fight, appear as silently he stalked along the wards of the +hospital! I trembled as I thought of the past;--how small was the hope +I had in the future! There was no one to bring me comfort--no one to +afford counsel--no one to point out the right, the only way by which a +sinner can be justified in the sight of a pure, just, holy God. Many +good resolutions I made--as many were soon afterwards broken. I +recovered; health returned to my veins--vigour to my arm. Once more I +was afloat in a dashing frigate. + +We were off the Frenchman's coast. In a deep bay lay a number of the +enemy's vessels. It was necessary to ascertain their character. They +were supposed to be gun-boats. Our second lieutenant, Mr Ronald--a +noble specimen of a naval officer, and as active as a cat, though he had +but one leg--was directed to take the gig, a fast-pulling boat, and to +gain all the information he could. I was with him; so was Peter. The +frigate had made sail, as if about to leave the coast; but as soon as it +was dark, she stood back again. The gig was lowered, and we shoved off. + +In dead silence, with muffled oars, we pulled in towards the shore. We +knew that the enemy mustered strong in the neighbourhood. Thus it was +necessary to be cautious. Not a word was spoken. The phosphorescent +light sparkled from the blades of our oars, appearing brighter from the +darkness which prevailed, but that could not be seen at any distance. +The time for our expedition had been well selected. We had pitchy +darkness to favour our advance; but we knew that the moon would soon +rise, and enable us to make the necessary observations. We pulled +slowly in, for the tide was with us, and Mr Ronald told us to reserve +our strength till it would be most required. As we got close in with +the shore, we could make out the masts of a number of vessels, in a +confused mass; but what they were without more light, it was impossible +to say without going close up to them. Mr Ronald was not a man to +leave his work half done through fear of consequences, so we pulled on +till our oars almost touched some of the outer vessels. Our officer +made his remarks as we continued our course round the bay. + +Not a sound had broken the stillness of the night except the almost +inaudible dip of our oars in the water. The clouds, which had hitherto +obscured the sky, floated gradually away; the stars shone forth bright +and clear, their sparkling orbs reflected in the smooth water; and then, +rising from behind the land, the moon shed her calm silvery gleam across +the sheltered bay. We were at the time under the shadow of some high +land. "Give way, my lads; it is time we should be out of this!" +whispered the lieutenant. It was time indeed! Peter's quick eye, +looking seaward, observed several dark objects floating in the distance. +"Boats in!" he said, pointing in that direction. The lieutenant looked +there also. There could be no doubt about it. There were four large +boats. He ordered us to lay on our oars, to watch in what direction +they would pull. We hoped that they had not as yet observed us. The +people in the boats seemed to be holding a conference. At last they +parted. One pulled across the mouth of the bay in one direction; one in +the other; but two advanced up the bay. There seemed no possibility of +our escaping without being seen. Still it was far from Mr Ronald's +intention of giving in till he was actually laid hold of. Hitherto the +shade of the cliff prevented our being seen. The gap between the boats +through which we could hope to escape widened more and more. Meantime, +our thoughts were occupied in the contemplation of the pleasures of a +French prison, of which we had too often heard to have any wish to enjoy +them. Mr Ronald watched our opportunity. "Now, my lads," he +whispered, "give way with a will!" We needed no encouragement. As a +rat darts out of the corner in which it has taken shelter when the dogs +stand ready on either side hoping to catch it, so we darted out from our +sheltered nook towards the open sea. + +The movement drew the attention of the French boats towards us, and in +another minute all four were steering courses which would give them +every prospect of cutting us off. We were all armed, but it would have +been madness to attempt to beat off so overwhelming a force. We had to +trust alone to the fleetness of our heels. We might have a prospect of +distancing the two boats which had gone up the bay, and which were on +our larboard-hand, but we must inevitably run the gauntlet between the +other two. The question was, whether we could pass through them before +they closed in on us. We made the strong ash sticks bend again as we +sent the boat flying through the bubbling water. We sung out in our +eagerness, encouraging each other. Every moment the space between the +two boats was narrowing. We did not give in though. The Frenchmen now +saw that there was a chance of our escaping, and began firing. The +bullets flew thickly about our heads. Several hit the gunwale of the +boat, but none of us were hurt. Their firing rather encouraged us to +persevere, in the hope of escaping. + +At last I felt a severe blow on my arm, and involuntarily dropped my +oar. A bullet had struck it. Still, I was sure it was not broken; so I +took my handkerchief off my neck, and bound it up. I seized my oar, and +pulled on. "Oh, the blackguards! sure if they'd give us a fair start, +and not be sending their dirty bullets at us, we'd be after bating them +entirely, now!" sung out an Irishman, who pulled the bow-oar. Many +people would, under the circumstances we were placed in, have given up +before this; but Mr Ronald still hoped that we might dodge our enemies, +and escape. The boats were not a hundred yards on either side of us. +They gave way with a will. So did we. Still we might slip between +them. If we did, we should have a good start; and pulling fast, as we +could do, we might escape, should they not continue firing at us; but +how could we expect them to be so lenient? On they came; narrow, +indeed, grew the space between them. We dashed on. With a cry of +dismay, we saw that our efforts were of no avail! With such force did +they come on, that they literally almost cut our boat in two; and as she +sunk between them, we had to jump out--some into one boat, some into the +other--to save ourselves from drowning, and to find ourselves prisoners. + +How the Frenchmen did jabber away, and ask us all sorts of questions, +none of which we could answer, from not being able to muster a word of +French amongst us. The other boats came up, and then there was still +more jabbering; and then the Frenchmen made us all get into one boat, +and pulled with us towards a point of land on the east side of the bay. +The boat soon reached a small, rough pier, and then two of the men, +jumping on shore, ran off towards the town, which stood a little way off +from us. We sat, meantime, wondering what was to be our fate. + +Shortly afterwards the tramp of feet was heard, and six or eight +soldiers, or militiamen, or gendarmes, appeared, and halted near us. +The officer of the boat then had a talk with them, and committed us to +their charge. I have no doubt he told them to take good care that we +did not run away. The boat, we concluded, had to row watch, and could +not remain long absent from her post. The soldiers, before receiving +us, grounded arms; shoved their ramrods down their muskets, to show us +that they were loaded; examined the primings in the pans, and then, +presenting their bayonets at our backs, in most unpleasant proximity, +ordered us to advance. Our cutlasses had been taken away, and, of +course, the muskets had gone down with the gig; but both Mr Ronald and +Peter had their pistols stuck in their belts, inside their great-coats, +so the Frenchmen did not discover them. We did not wish our first +captors good-bye, nor exchange a word with each other, but, seeing there +was no help for it, slowly stumbled on over the uneven ground ahead of +our guards. I hoped that they would keep their footing better than we +did; for, if not, some of us would stand a great chance of being run +through with their bayonets. Had we not been unarmed, and aware that +the boat was within hail, I don't think we should have allowed ourselves +to have been carried along as prisoners. + +However, our walk was soon at an end, and we reached the tower, which +stood a short distance along-shore from where we landed, and not three +hundred yards from the beach. It appeared to be in a very tumble-down +ruinous condition, as we inspected it from the outside. We concluded +that we should have to wait here till the following morning, before +being marched off to prison. Whether the tower had been built for a +fort, or only a mill, or a look-out place, it was difficult to discover +in the scant light we had. There was a small arched door before us, +with some stone winding-steps leading up from it. The sergeant in +command of the party pointed to it, and some of the men gave us a gentle +prick with the end of their bayonets, singing out, at the same time, +some words which we guessed to be a command to go up there. + +"Let me go first, sir," exclaimed Peter Poplar, springing through the +door. "There may be some trap in the way, and it's hard that you should +have to fall down that, at all events." + +When we were all in, the soldiers followed, making us go winding-up till +we reached a chamber at the top of the building. The French soldiers +saw us all in, and then shoving to the door, they shut it with a loud +bang; but as there was no sound of bolts or bars, we guessed that there +were none to the door. + +The light of the moon shone directly in through a loop-holed slip of a +window, and we saw some billets of wood, and a small cask or two, and a +few three-legged stools, with a broken table, and the remains of a +bedstead, showing that the place had once been inhabited. Mr Ronald +took a seat, and told us to follow his example; so we all sat down, +feeling certainly very melancholy at first. We had much reason to be +melancholy, for by this time we had heard a good deal about French +prisons, and the treatment English prisoners received in them; and we +could scarcely fancy a worse fate than to have to spend our future days +in one. The lieutenant, however, was not the man to allow himself or +others long to indulge in such thoughts. He got up. + +"We are in a bad plight, certainly, my lads," said he; "but we'll see if +we cannot mend it. I have been in a worse plight myself--and so, I +daresay, have you--and managed to escape without damage. Perhaps we may +do so in this case." + +"Yes, sir," said Peter; "indeed I have." And he described how we had +escaped from the pirates' den in Cuba. + +I told my companions how I had been preserved from being murdered by the +Maroons; and altogether we soon got each other's spirits up. My wounded +arm hurt me not a little, but Peter took off my jacket, and bound it up +carefully; and though I cannot say that the pain was much decreased, I +resolved to bear it without complaining. + +Meantime, Mr Ronald made a minute examination of the place of our +confinement; and by stepping on the table he discovered a hole in the +roof, which he found that he could, without difficulty, make as large as +he might wish. He at once set to work to do so, we all talking and +walking about the room, to conceal any noise he might make. When he had +got the hole large enough to admit his body, Peter, putting his shoulder +under him, gave him a hoist through it, and with his hands and elbows he +quickly scrambled up on the roof. As it sloped very much he could not +walk about, so he sat himself down to make his observations. Having +done so, and stayed some time to consider matters and form his plans, he +came back into the room. + +"My lads," said he, calling us round him, "you must clearly understand +the position we are in. We are prisoners to our greatest enemies. They +may choose to consider us as spies, and may cut our throats, or shoot us +as such; and, at all events, they will send us to prison, and there keep +us, as they have done many of our countrymen, till the war is over. +Now, while I was on the roof I saw, not far from the beach, a small boat +moored; and a mile or so away, I made out what I take to be a fleet of +fishing-boats. What I propose is, to knock over the sentry at the door, +and, if we can, we'll surprise the rest of the soldiers, and gag and +bind them. If they show fight, it can't be helped: we must kill them. +At all events, we must prevent them from raising an alarm, or following +us. We will then make the best of our way to the beach, and I will +undertake to swim off, and bring in the small boat I saw there. When we +get her, it will be very hard if we cannot cut out some fishing-smack or +other, in which we can cross over to England. If we don't succeed, we +shall probably get killed ourselves; but if we do, we shall obtain our +liberty, and that is worth a struggle." + +This speech inspirited us all, and we could scarcely refrain from +shouting, as we promised to follow his directions, and to stick by him +through thick and thin. + +The Frenchmen seeing that he had a wooden leg, and hearing him stump up +and down, of course fancied that he would never attempt to run away; or +that if he did make the attempt, he would not go without them finding it +out. This, perhaps, made them more careless in the way they watched us. +At all events, they had not even then found out what stuff English +sailors are made of; and I don't think they ever will. + +"Then, my lads, there's no time to be lost," said the lieutenant. "Are +you all ready?" + +"Yes, sir," said Peter, speaking for the rest; "but I beg pardon, sir, +won't your leg be heard as we go down, and it may give notice to the +Frenchmen?" + +"I have thought of that," said Mr Ronald, fastening a handkerchief +round the end of the stump. "Now, I shall tread as softly as a cat." + +We had all taken off our shoes, and armed ourselves with the legs of the +table and the legs of the stools we had found in the room. My heart +beat quick. Never had I been engaged in so daring a work. We dared not +try the door till the moment we were to rush out. Mr Ronald gave the +signal, and he leading the way, we threw open the door, and, before the +sentry could turn his head, or even cry out, we had our hands on his +mouth, and throwing him down backwards among us, we squeezed every +breath out of his body. Whether he lived or died, I cannot say. We +seized his musket and bayonet and sword, and without a moment's delay, +which would have been fatal, we rushed on, and sprung like wild beasts +into the room where our guards were sitting. Some were sleeping; others +were playing at cards; two were talking with their heads bent together. +They had not time to look up even before we were upon them. Mr Ronald +ran one of the card-players through with the sword we had taken from the +guard; Peter killed another with the bayonet. I shall not forget his +look of astonishment and dismay when he saw us standing before him. One +of the other men knocked over a third with the leg of the table. Before +the others could seize their arms, we had got hold of them. Mr Ronald +was obliged to kill another man, who fought so desperately that we could +not otherwise master him; and throwing ourselves on the remaining three, +we bound and gagged them, and lashed them to the benches on which they +had been sitting. The whole affair did not take us a minute. It was +very bloody work, but it could not be helped. We then hurried to the +bottom of the tower, and broke open the door. We had been prisoners a +very short time, and could scarcely believe ourselves to be free. + +Hastening down to the beach, Mr Ronald stripped off his clothes, and +plunging into the water, with his knife in his mouth, swam off towards +the little boat he had before observed. Had it not been for my wound, I +would gladly have gone instead of him. In spite of his wooden leg, he +swam fast and strongly, and soon reached the boat. Getting into her, he +cut her from her moorings, and then quickly paddled her to the more. +More than once we had turned a glance inland, lest we mould have been +observed; but, without interruption, Mr Ronald dressed, and then all of +us getting into the boat, we pulled out seaward. She was too small to +allow us, with any prospect of safety, to cross the Channel in her, so +that we could not yet consider our enterprise accomplished. + +We had armed ourselves with the soldiers' weapons, so that, had there +been a strong breeze off-shore, we should not have been afraid to have +attacked and attempted to cut out any merchant vessel or other +well-armed craft. As it was, Mr Ronald judged that it would be wiser +to endeavour to capture one of the fishing-boats he had seen. Muffling +our oars, therefore, in dead silence we pulled out towards the largest +of the fleet, and which lay the outermost of them all. Gliding +alongside, we stepped softly on board. Her crew were, as we expected, +asleep, and before they had opened their eyes we had our hands on their +throats and our knees on their bosoms. As there were only three men and +a boy, we easily mastered them; and, having bound and gagged them, we +put them into the forepeak, while we proceeded to haul up the anchor and +get the vessel under way. + +As soon as we could attend to our prisoners, we made signs to them that +we would not hurt them; and I fancied that they considered themselves +very fortunate in not having their throats cut, or being thrown +overboard, by those terrible monsters, "_les betes Anglais_." There was +a light air off the shore, and, with very great satisfaction, we stood +away from it. Anxiously we looked towards the coast we were leaving, +but, as far as our eyes could pierce the gloom, we could not discover +any vessel in pursuit of us. Still we were not free from danger, as we +were likely enough to fall in with a French vessel, and again find +ourselves prisoners. Mr Ronald, who was as kind and thoughtful as he +was brave, told me to go to sleep; but my arm gave me too much pain to +allow me to do so. + +The hours of night passed by, and day dawned; the bright sun arose on a +cloudless sky. The coast of France rose in blue ridges astern of us, +but not a sail was in sight all round the horizon. As our prospect of +escaping recapture improved, our appetites, which we had not thought +about, reminded us that we had gone a long time without eating; but when +we came to examine the fishermen's lockers, we found only a little black +bread aboard, and a most scanty supply of water. They made us +understand that their boat had gone on shore with some of their comrades +to bring off water and provisions. Mr Ronald insisted on preserving +most of the water for me, as a fever was already on me, and I was +suffering dreadfully from thirst. + +The wind was very light, and we made but little way. As the sun rose, +however, clouds began to collect to the northward, and the sky overhead +became covered over with those long wavy white lines which go by the +name of "mares' tails," and which always betoken wind. Still we stood +on as before. Every now and then, however, a puff would come which +threw the sails aback; but it quickly passed away, to be succeeded +shortly by a stronger and more continuous one. At last the breeze +headed us altogether, freshening up rapidly, till Mr Ronald called all +hands to reef sails. The wind soon got the sea up, and in a short time +we were pitching away close-hauled, with the boat's head to the +north-west. Changed, indeed, was the weather since the morning: then +all had been bright, and blue, and calm; now, in the afternoon, the sky +hung dark and gloomy, with heavy clouds, and green foam-topped seas +danced wildly around us. I do not know what Mr Ronald thought about +the matter, but as I lay on my back suffering from pain, hunger, and +thirst, I began to question whether the ill-found boat would live +through the sea which was getting up. + +Meantime a sharp look-out was kept for any vessel which might put us on +shore anywhere on the English coast. At length a sail was seen to the +eastward, and after watching her for some time, both Mr Ronald and +Peter were of opinion that she would cross our course. This news +cheered the spirits of all hands, for they had begun to suffer painfully +from hunger and thirst. No one had taken more than a very small piece +of black bread, for we could not deprive the poor French fishermen of +their share of food. We were most anxious, on several accounts, that +the stranger should get up to us before dark--in the first place, that +we might ascertain whether she was friend or foe, and also lest we +should miss her altogether. Should she prove French, we hoped, in spite +of our hunger, still to avoid her. To mislead any enemies, we got out +the Frenchmen's clothes left on board, and rigged ourselves out as +fishermen. + +"I feel pretty sure that vessel is English, sir," said Peter, who had +been watching the stranger. "But still I can't make out what is the +matter with her; she has been handled pretty roughly, I suspect." + +Mr Ronald pronounced her to be a brig-of-war without any after-sail +set; and as she drew near, we saw that there was good reason for this, +as her mainmast had been carried away by the board, while her hull also +had been much knocked about. It was clear that she had been in action. +Mr Ronald waved to her; and, to our no small satisfaction, we saw her +clewing up her sails to speak to us. + +Before going alongside, however, Mr Ronald released the Frenchmen, and, +as he thought, explained to them that we were going on board the brig, +and that they might return to the French coast. The Frenchmen stretched +their limbs, and looked about them while we were going alongside the +brig. This was an operation not altogether easy or free of risk, but we +succeeded in getting hold of her. Mr Ronald went up first, followed by +the other men; and as I was far too weak to help myself up, Peter had +gone up the side, and was singing out for a rope, when the Frenchmen, +instigated by what notion I know not, but fancying, I believe, that they +were to be made prisoners, cut off the tow-rope, and hoisting the +foresail, put down the helm, and stood away from the brig. Active as +monkeys, they soon swayed up the mainsail, and, hauling close on a wind, +they rapidly left the brig astern. I saw Peter eagerly waving to them +to come back, and I have no doubt but that he fancied if they did not +they would murder me. The brig, having no after-sail, could not haul +her wind, so that my shipmates were perfectly unable to recover me. I +certainly could do nothing to help myself, so I lay quiet, and trusted +that the Frenchmen would have pity on me. I still thought they might +murder me; and, at all events, expected that I should be sent to a +French prison. I only hoped that we might not reach the part of the +coast we had come from, for I could scarcely expect to escape being put +to death when it was known that I was one of the party who had killed +the French soldiers placed to guard us. + +I do not think, at the same time, that the Frenchmen had any murderous +intentions. They were so pleased at recovering their boat and their +liberty, that they were inclined to treat me civilly, if not kindly, and +they continued to supply me with bread and water as I required. As we +were half-way across the Channel, and they had lost their reckoning, we +were not likely, I hoped, to make a good landfall in their attempt to +reach their home. + +With anxious eyes I watched the brig on board which my shipmates had +taken refuge, but darkness coming on, we very soon lost sight of her. +My heart sunk within me, and I burst into a fit of tears, the first I +had shed for many a long year. They were as anxious to avoid meeting +any vessel as we had just been to find one. The wind had again chopped +round to the southward, and though not blowing very strong, we made but +little progress. + +All night we stood on under close-reefed canvas, and when the next +morning dawned, I saw land to the southward. Its appearance evidently +puzzled the Frenchmen. I guessed it to be no other than that of the +island of Guernsey; while not a mile off, standing towards us under her +topsails, was a large schooner. Had the Frenchmen altered their course, +and run away from her, it would have excited the suspicions of those on +board, so they kept on as before. This plan, however, did not avail +them. A shot, which before long came whistling across our fore-foot, +showed them that they were wanted alongside the schooner. The schooner +hoisted English colours, and from her general appearance I had no doubt +that she was a privateer. As soon, therefore, as the boat went +alongside, I sung out that I was an Englishman, and a prisoner. + +"Halloa! Who's that?" said a man, looking over the side of the +schooner. "What! Jack Williams, is that you?" The speaker, without +waiting for my reply, let himself down into the boat, and as he grasped +my hand, I recognised him as my old acquaintance Jacob Lyal. + +Pointing to my arm, I told him that I had been wounded, and how ill I +was; and he at once sung out for a sling, and in another minute I was +safely placed on the deck of the vessel. + +The captain of the schooner then ordered the Frenchmen into the boat, +and putting some of his people in her, she was dropped astern. I don't +know what he said to the Frenchmen, but they seemed far from contented +with the change of lot. I learned afterwards that he wanted the boat to +go in and cut out some French merchantmen. + +The schooner had a surgeon on board, and when the captain heard the +account I gave Lyal of my late adventures, he directed that I should be +immediately placed under his charge. I flesh, as soon as the fever +abated, I got rapidly well and fit for duty. + +The schooner was, I found, the _Black Joke_, belonging to the island of +Guernsey. Lyal so worked on my imagination, by the accounts he gave of +the life of a privateer's-man, and the prize-money to be made, that he +soon persuaded me to enter aboard her. There cannot be the shadow of a +doubt that I ought to have gone back, by the first opportunity, to join +my own ship; though, of course, I knew that, under the circumstances of +the case, I ran very little fear of punishment by not doing so, should I +at any time happen to fall in with her. The schooner was a very large +vessel of her class, and mounted sixteen 6-pounders, with a crew of some +eighty men or more. Captain Savage, who commanded her, was a bold +dashing fellow, but he cared nothing for honour, or glory, or +patriotism. He had only one object in view in fighting--it was to make +money. Privateering was the shortest and easiest way he knew of, and as +his professional knowledge and experience fitted him for the life, he +took the command of the _Black Joke_. His first officer, Mr Le +Gosselen, was just the man for the sort of work to be done. He was a +strongly-built, short, bull-necked man, and a first-rate seaman; but +whatever human sympathies he might have had in his youth had all +apparently been washed out of him. + +The schooner had only left Guernsey, after a refit, the day before I was +taken on board her. I had been a fortnight in her before any prize of +consequence was made. A few coasters had been surprised by means of the +fishing-boat, but their cargoes were of very little value, and only two +or three were worth sending into port. Of the rest, some were sunk, and +others allowed to continue on their voyage, after anything worth having +was taken out of them. The time had at last arrived when Captain Savage +hoped to fall in with a convoy of French ships coming home from the West +Indies. For a week or more we cruised about in the latitude they would +probably be found in, but we saw nothing of them. + +At length, at daybreak one morning, several sail were seen hull down to +the northward, and steering east. The wind was about south, so we stood +away close-hauled towards them, in order to reconnoitre them more +perfectly. As the sun rose, and we drew nearer, many more appeared, +their white sails dotting the ocean far and wide. + +"That's what we've been looking for, my lads!" cried the captain, +pointing them out to the crew. "If we get hold of two or three of those +fellows, we shall soon line our pockets with gold." + +A loud cheer fore and aft showed that the speech suited the taste of his +hearers. Great, indeed, was the contrast in the discipline between a +privateer and a man-of-war. There was plenty of flogging, and swearing, +and rope's-ending, which the officers considered necessary to keep up +their authority; but there was also a free-and-easy swagger, and an +independent air about the men, which showed that they considered +themselves on a par with their officers, and that they could quit the +vessel whenever they fancied a change. At first I did not at all like +it, but by degrees I got accustomed to the life, and imitated the +example of all around. + +We stood on cautiously towards the Frenchmen, the officers' glasses +being continually turned towards them, to watch for any suspicious +movement in the fleet. The captain had no doubt what they were, and all +day we continued hovering about them, like a bird of prey ready to +pounce down on its victim. We got near enough to make out a man-of-war +in the van, and another in the centre of the fleet, while a number of +stragglers brought up the rear. Of some of these latter we hoped to +make prizes. Having ascertained this much, we stood off again from +them, that, should our appearance have raised their suspicions, they +might be again set to rest. Marking well the course they were steering, +we knew that we should easily again fall in with them. + +The nights, to favour our enterprise, had been very dark, so that we +might hope to pick out several, provided no noise was made, without +being discovered. We waited anxiously for night to put our enterprise +into execution; and as the sun set, we crowded all sail to come up with +the convoy. Few vessels could surpass the schooner in her sailing +qualities, which made her peculiarly fitted for the sort of work she was +employed in. + +By midnight, we made out on our starboard-bow several sail, which we had +no doubt were some of the sternmost vessels of the French convoy; so we +stood towards them without hesitation. If any of the Frenchmen caught +sight of the privateer, they probably took her for one of their own +fleet. Slowly, their dark, misty-like forms glided by, while we watched +them with eager eyes, wondering which the captain would select as our +first victim. At last came a large brig. She was somewhat high out of +the water, and her main-topgallant-mast had been carried away. + +"That's the craft for us, boys!" cried Captain Savage, pointing her out. +"Her cargo's light, and probably the most valuable; and I doubt not +that she has some wealthy passengers with their jewel-boxes with them. +We will run them aboard, and try if we can't take them without firing a +shot!" + +We had got to windward of the fleet, and the helm being put up, we edged +down towards the brig which it had been determined to take. In dead +silence we approached our victim. As we drew near, the stranger +observed us, and her people must have suspected that all was not right. +He hailed, and inquired what schooner we were. + +"The French schooner _Concorde_," answered our captain, who knew that a +vessel of that name had been out in the West Indies. For a short time +the answer seemed to satisfy the Frenchmen; but seeing us approach still +nearer, they hailed again, and told us to keep off. + +Captain Savage did not deign a reply, but our grappling-irons being +ready, our helm was put hard a starboard, we ran alongside the brig, and +had her fast locked in a deadly embrace. + +Although the Frenchmen's suspicions had been aroused, they had made no +preparations to receive us; yet as we ran her on board, we saw that +there were numbers of people on her deck. "Follow me, my lads!" shouted +Mr Le Gosselen, who saw that to secure an easy victory there was no +time to be lost; and before any of the Frenchmen had time to stand to +their arms, some fifty of us had sprung on their deck and attacked them, +previously driving some overboard, others fore and aft, and the rest +below. The greater number of our opponents seemed to be soldiers, by +their dress and the way they fought. In vain their officers called to +them to stand firm, and tried to rally them to the last; they themselves +were pistolled or cut down, and in less than five minutes we were +masters of the whole deck, with the exception of the after-part of the +poop. Here a band of men stood firm, evidently surrounding a person of +superior rank. He fought like a lion, and was likely to delay our +victory, or to prevent it altogether. Seeing this, Captain Savage, who +was himself the best swordsman I ever met, calling twenty of us to +follow him, sprang on board over the quarter; and thus attacked in front +and on one side, the French officers were driven across the deck. A +blow from Captain Savage's cutlass brought their chief on his knee. At +that moment a piercing shriek arose high above the din of battle. How +mournful! how full of agony it sounded! We had not before perceived a +woman standing alone and unharmed among the wounded, the dead, and the +dying, for not one of those who had opposed us had escaped. + +"Spare my father's life! hurt not more his grey hairs!" she cried out in +French. + +"That depends on circumstances, mademoiselle," answered the captain of +the privateer. "Here, my lads; carry the lady and the old man on board +the schooner out of harm's way; we must secure the brig before we think +of anything else." + +I was one of those to whom the captain spoke. I shall never forget the +grief and agony of the poor young lady as she bent over her father. He +was desperately wounded. I saw that he could not speak; but he still +breathed. We lifted him as gently as we could, and carried him aboard +the schooner, into the captain's cabin; we then assisted the young lady, +who followed eagerly, not knowing where she was going. All her thoughts +and feelings were concentrated on her father. We placed him on the +sofa, and I then went and called the surgeon to attend him. Mr +Blister's knowledge of his profession was very slight, and his practical +experience limited; but still he had some notion of binding up a wound, +and, at all events, he would treat a patient more gently than any of the +rough hands belonging to the schooner. + +While what I have described was going on, the second officer, with a +dozen men under him, had been directed to clew-up the brig's sails, so +as to let her drop as much as possible astern of the rest of the fleet, +no others appearing to be following. This had been done; and we had +hopes that the flash of the pistols had not been seen, or the reports +heard by any of the vessels in advance. + +Having obeyed the orders, I again went on board the brig. The deck was +now entirely in our possession. While some of our people were silencing +several of the French crew, who still madly held out below, I followed +the captain into the cabin. While we had been fighting on deck, others +of our crew had found their way there, and, mad with rage at the +opposition they had encountered, had spared neither age nor sex. I +cannot venture to describe the scene of horror and confusion. There +were several ladies, and their attendants, and children--among them, +infants in arms, or just able to lisp their parents' names. Already +they were in the power of my ruffian companions. Shrieks of despair, +cries for mercy rose from among them. Tables and chairs, and furniture +of all sorts, lay broken on the door. Several dead bodies lay at the +entrance of the cabin--officers, as was shown by their uniform; another +lay leaning against the bulkhead, gasping out his last breath. We had +discovered enough to show us why our capture was so crowded with people. +She was a merchantman, in which the governor of one of the islands, +together with his staff and their families, had taken their passage, +while a body of soldiers had likewise been put on board. + +Captain Savage, to do him justice, when he found that the brig was +completely in his power, did his best to rescue her unfortunate +prisoners from further molestation, though in this he was but ill +seconded by his officers. Rushing in among the men, he ordered them on +deck, and to carry the dead bodies with them. One man refused to obey +him. + +"Mutiny!" he exclaimed. "This is the way I put it down." He levelled +his pistol, and shot the man dead. "Here, take this fellow and heave +him overboard with the rest," he added, as the body fell to the deck. + +I with others obeyed, for all saw the stern justice of the proceeding. +"My men," he continued, "we must make sail away from her as fast as +possible; for after what has occurred we can expect but little mercy +should we fall into the hands of our enemies." + +By this proceeding the cabin was cleared, and the wretched inmates were +left in solitude, to mourn over their cruel fate. The captain placed +Lyal, and one or two of the more steady men, to guard the door. I +accompanied him on deck. Among the crew and passengers in that fierce +though short night-battle, more than half had fallen; and, contrary to +what is usually the case, the greater number had been killed. The rest, +many of whom were wounded, were collected forward, all of them with +their hands lashed behind their backs. They, believing themselves to +have been captured by pirates, fully expected to be put to death. Our +crew, when not actually executing the commands of the officers, were +engaged all the time in plundering. The ladies had been stripped of +their jewels, the officers of their watches and money; and every corner +of the ship was ransacked for plate and other valuables, while clothes +and private property of all sorts were laid hold of and carried off; and +the men, even in the midst of their pillage, amused themselves by +putting on officers' coats, silk waistcoats, and cocked-hats. + +The captain now ordered the vessels to be separated. He, with the +second mate and about forty men, remained in the brig, to commence the +more serious work of examining the cargo; while the rest, greatly to +their discontent, with about two-thirds of the male prisoners, were +ordered aboard the schooner. The two vessels then made sail to the +southward, on a course which would enable us, if we wished, to run down +on the following night and pick out another prize. + +The examination of our capture was proceeded with very rapidly, and +found of great value. The governor was carrying home a large fortune, +much of it in specie; and the brig being an old trader, and considered a +fine vessel, many merchants had shipped money by her. The poor ladies +were left in possession of the cabin, and the captain ordered what food +could be found to be taken down to them, while he directed the second +mate, who was rather kinder-hearted than the first, to take charge of +her, and to carry her into Guernsey. All things being arranged, the +captain, leaving a prize-crew aboard the brig, returned to the schooner, +and I accompanied him. The surgeon met us as we stepped aboard. The +captain asked for the old governor. + +"Why, I suspect he will slip through our fingers. I have no power to +keep him," answered the surgeon. + +"We must do what we can for the old man," observed the captain, with +more feeling than I thought he possessed. "For his daughter's sake, I +hope he won't die. What can she do, left alone in the world? Williams, +you seem to understand the sort of thing, go in and see what you can +do." + +I obeyed the order gladly. I entered the cabin. Already was the poor +girl left alone in the world. Her father's corpse lay on the sofa, and +she had fallen in a swoon across it. + +I did not go and call the surgeon. I knew that he did not feel for her, +and could not help her. So, lifting her gently up, I removed the +corpse, which I covered with a flag, and placed her on the sofa instead. +I then got water and sprinkled it on her face, and bathed her temples. +The captain came in, and found me thus engaged. + +"Where's the old man?" he exclaimed, looking astonished. + +I pointed to the flag. He lifted it up. + +"What! dead!" he said. "Poor, poor thing!" I don't know if at that +moment the thought of the amount of misery of which we had been the +cause flashed across his mind. It did across mine. + +Often have I since thought, what an accursed trade is that of a +privateer's-man. Licensed pirates at best; and often, as they perform +their work, no better than the worst of pirates. + +"What's to be done?" he continued, talking to himself. "I cannot stand +the girl's sorrow. We must get the body out of the way, at all events." + +He stopped, and shaded his eyes with his hand. He had a family at home. +Among them a daughter--tall and graceful, like that poor girl. +"Williams," he said abruptly, "call the surgeon." + +When Blister came, he told him to ascertain if the old man were really +dead. He stooped down, and lifting the flag, examined the body. + +"Yes," he answered, in a perfectly satisfied tone. "I said he would +die. There's no doubt about it." I believe he would have been vexed +had he recovered to contradict him. + +"We must bury him, then," said the captain. "We'll do it decently. He +was a fine old man, and fought like a lion. Send the sailmaker here." +The surgeon did as he was bid. + +"Don't let him touch the poor girl, Jack," he said. "She is better as +she is. She would never let us remove her father's body, if she were +conscious of what was going forward." + +The sailmaker came, and received orders to get a hammock with a shot at +the feet, in which to enclose the old soldier's corpse. Among the +prisoners was a French priest. The captain sent for him; and he and a +few officers who had escaped assembled on deck, the captain having +explained to them that he wished to pay the last respect to a brave +enemy. They, as Frenchmen know how to do, expressed themselves +gratified at the compliment; and all stood around while the body was +brought from below. Having been shown to them, it was secured in the +hammock which had been prepared for the purpose. It was then placed on +a plank at an open port, with the old soldier's hat and sword. The +priest offered up some of the prayers of his Church, and all stood with +hats off in reverential awe. + +The prayers were finished--the captain had lifted his hand, as a signal +to launch the body into the deep, when at that moment the tall, graceful +figure of a lady appeared on deck. She cast one wild, hurried, +inquiring glance around. Her eye fell on the shrouded corpse as it +glided into the deep. With a piercing shriek, which rung far over the +waters, she cried, "Father, I follow you!" and before anyone could +prevent her, she sprung over the schooner's low bulwarks into the blue +sea, within the first circles formed by her parent's form, as it +vanished from our sight. In an instant all present rushed to the side; +the boats were lowered rapidly; but as we looked around, no sign did +there appear of the unhappy young lady. Such was the result of our +night's exploit! "It is better, perhaps, that it was so," said the +captain, dashing a tear from his eye. + +I cannot say that the catastrophe made any lasting impression even on +him. It did not on me. That very night we stood again up to the +convoy, and were successful in picking out another of them without being +discovered. Both vessels reached Guernsey in safety, and turned out +valuable prizes. + +I cannot pretend to give even an outline of all the adventures I met +with while serving on board the privateer. From her fast-sailing +qualities, and the daring and talent of her commander, she was very +successful. We were constantly on the look-out for single merchantmen; +and, unless they were strongly armed, they were nearly certain to become +our prey. We never attacked an armed vessel if we could help it, and +never fought if we could escape an enemy capable of injuring us. Now +and then, when we thought that we were going to make prize of a rich +merchantman, we found that we had caught a Tartar, and had to up stick +and run for it. Twice we were very nearly caught; and should have been, +had not night come to our aid, and enabled us to haul our wind without +being seen, and thus get out of our pursuer's way. + +Once, flight was impossible, and we found ourselves brought to action in +the chops of the Channel by a French sloop-of-war of eighteen guns. +Captain Savage, however, gave evidence of his skill and courage by the +way he handled the schooner against so superior a force. By making +several rapid tacks, we got the weather-gauge of our opponent; and then, +after the exchange of several broadsides, we stood across his bows, when +we delivered so well-directed a raking-fire that we brought his topmast +down by the run. We had not escaped without the loss of several men, +besides getting an ugly wound in our mainmast; so, to avoid any further +disaster, and being perfectly content with the glory of having crippled +an opponent of force so superior, we hauled our wind and stood up +Channel. The Frenchman was afterwards fallen in with, and captured by a +corvette of her own size. + +I have, I think, sufficiently described the occupation of a privateer. +What I might have become, under the instruction of my old friend Peter, +and the strict discipline of a man-of-war, I know not. On board the +privateer, with the constant influence of bad example, I was becoming +worse and worse, and more the slave of all the evil ways of the world. +After serving on board the schooner for more than three years, I was +paid off with my pocket full of prize-money, and, shipping on board a +trader, I found my way to Liverpool. + +That port then, as now, afforded every facility to a seaman to get rid +of his hard-earned gains. In a few weeks I had but a few shillings +left. I had not the satisfaction of feeling that I had done any good +with it. How it all went I don't know. I believe that I was robbed of +a large portion. I was so disgusted with my folly, that I was ready to +engage in any enterprise, of however questionable a character, where I +had the prospect of gaining more, which I resolved I would spend more +discreetly. + +Liverpool at that time fitted out a number of slavers--the slave-trade, +which was afterwards prohibited, being then lawful, and having many +respectable people engaged in it. Hearing from a shipmate that the +_Royal Oak_, a ship of eighteen guns, with a letter-of-marque +commission, was fitting out for the coast of Africa, and was in want of +hands, I went and entered on board her. She carried, all told, eighty +hands. I found two or three old shipmates aboard her, but no one whom I +could call a friend. + +We reached the coast without any adventure, and in those days the slaves +who had come down from the interior being collected in depots, ready for +shipment, we soon got our cargo on board. For several years I remained +in this trade, sometimes carrying our cargo of hapless beings to Rio de +Janeiro or other parts of the Brazils, and sometimes to the West Indies. +It never occurred to me that there was anything wrong in the system. +All the lessons I had received in the West Indies, in my early days, +were thrown away. The pay was good; the work not hard, though pretty +frequently we lost our people by fever; and so I thought no more about +the matter. + +At length I found my way back to Liverpool, just as the battle of +Waterloo and Napoleon's abdication brought the blessings of peace to +Europe. + + + +CHAPTER SIXTEEN. + +WHALING IN THE SOUTH-SEA. + +Every sea-port in England was thronged with seamen whom the cessation of +war had cast on shore without employment, when as I was strolling along +the quays of Liverpool with my hands in my pockets, in rather a +disconsolate mood, wondering in what direction my wayward fate would +carry me, I ran bolt up against a post near which a gentleman was +standing, and somehow or other managed to tumble over him. + +"Beg pardon, sir," said I, looking up in his face; "I did not see you." + +"No harm done, my man; but stop," said he, as I was moving on; "I think +I remember that voice and face. Jack Williams, I am certain?" + +"Yes, that's certain," said I, looking at him hard. "And I may make +bold to guess that you, sir, are Mr Carr." + +"You are right in your guess, Jack;--that is to say, I have been Captain +Carr for some years past. I am glad to have fallen in with you, for I +am fitting out a ship for a long voyage, and I like to have men with me +whom I know and can trust." + +"Glad to have your good opinion, sir, and without another question I'll +ship with you," I answered. "Where are you bound for?" + +"A South-Sea whaling-voyage," he answered. "I have been at it for some +years now, both as mate and master, and I tell you there's nothing like +it for excitement and novelty. There's our craft, Jack; the _Drake_ is +her name. Look at her. Not a finer ship for her size sails out of +Liverpool--measures five hundred tons, and carries forty hands. You'll +like the life, depend on it; and I say, if you fall in with any good +men, let me know. I like to have trustworthy men serving with me." + +I promised to do as he desired, and then went on board to have a look at +the ship. I found her everything I could wish, and felt perfectly +satisfied with the arrangement I had made. Having set my mind at ease +on that point, I began to consider how I should pass my time till the +_Drake_ was ready to receive her crew on board, for she was still in the +hands of the carpenters. I bethought me, then, that I would run across +to Dublin, to try and find out my old captain. I found a large smack--a +regular passage vessel--just sailing, so I went aboard, and in two days +we reached that port. On landing I inquired for Captain Helfrich, for I +had forgotten where he lived. "There he goes along the quays," answered +the person I had addressed; and I saw a gentleman whom, from his figure, +I did not doubt was him. + +"Captain Helfrich, sir, I beg pardon; but I'm glad to see you looking so +well. I'm Jack Williams," I exclaimed, running after him. + +"That's my name; but I do not remember you, my man," he answered. + +"I served my apprenticeship with you, and you were very kind to me, +sir," I replied; but as I spoke I looked more narrowly in his face, and +saw a much younger man than I expected to meet. + +"Ah! you take me for my father, as others have done," he remarked, +laughing. "He has given up the sea long ago, but he will be glad to +meet an old shipmate; and now I think of it, I have to thank you for the +model of his old craft the _Rainbow_. Come along by all means; I'm +going to his house. You'll find him much changed, though." + +So I did, indeed, and it made me reflect how many years of my life had +passed away. I found my old captain seated before the fire in a large +arm-chair, with a book and spectacles on a table by his side, and a +handkerchief over his knees. His hair was long and white as snow, and +his cheeks thin and fallen in about the mouth; but still the hue of +health had not altogether fled. He received me kindly and frankly, and +seemed much pleased at my coming so far to see him. He desired to hear +all about me, and was greatly moved at the account I gave him of the +_Rainbow's_ loss. He was sorry to find that all the time I had been at +sea I had not improved my condition in the world. I confessed that it +was owing to my idleness and unwillingness to learn. + +"Ah, I have learned many a lesson I did not know in my youth, from this +book here, Jack," said he, pointing to the book by his side, which was +the Bible. "I now know in whom to trust; and had I known Him in the +days of my youth, how much grief and shame I might have avoided! +Mercifully, God has by His grace taught me to see my own errors; and I +have endeavoured to remedy them as far as I have been able, in the way I +have brought up my son. I have taught him what I learned from this +book: `Remember thy Creator in the days of thy youth.'" + +I was very much struck by the way my old captain, I may say the once +pirate, spoke; and I afterwards learned that he had not failed to instil +into his son the better principles he had imbibed. Still I am bound to +say that he was an exception to the general rule; for, as far as my +experience goes, men who grow careless of their duty to God and +indifferent to religion, continue through life increasing in hardness of +heart and conscience, without a thought of the past or a fear for the +future--truly, living as if they had no souls to care for, as if there +were no God who rules the world. Dreadful is their end! Therefore I +say to all my readers: Never put off for a single hour--for a single +minute--repentance and a diligent searching for newness of life. You +know not what an hour, what a minute may bring forth. You may be +suddenly summoned to die, and there may be no time for repentance. + +Among other questions, Captain Helfrich kindly inquired for my old +friend Peter Poplar. How ashamed I felt of my own ingratitude, my +heartlessness, when I could not tell him! No one I had met could tell +me whether he still survived, or whether he had fallen among the +thousands of brave men who had died that England might be free. I +promised to make further inquiries before I sailed, and, should I fail +to hear of him, to set out on my return from my proposed voyage with the +express purpose of discovering him. + +That visit to my old captain is one of the few things performed of my +own accord on which I can look back with satisfaction. The next day I +sailed for Liverpool. + +Many strange and curious coincidences have occurred to me during my +life. Two days before the _Drake_ was ready for sea, having failed to +gain any tidings of Peter, I was standing on the quay--work being over-- +in the evening, with my hands in my pockets, just taking a look at my +future home, when I observed a boat-load of men landing from a sloop +which had lately brought up in the river. By their cut I knew that they +were men-of-war's men. Several of them I saw had been wounded, and, +judging by their shattered frames, pretty severely handled. One was a +tall thin man. The sleeve on his right side hung looped up to a button, +and he leaned over on the opposite side, as if to balance himself. I +looked eagerly in his face, for I doubted not I knew his figure. It was +Peter Poplar himself! I sprung eagerly forward. Captain Helfrich's +appearance had made me feel old, but Peter's weather-beaten countenance +and grizzly hair reminded me that my own manhood must be waning. For a +moment I do not think he knew me. He had thought me dead--killed by the +French fishermen, or murdered in prison. At all events he had heard +nothing of me from the moment I was carried off in the fishing-boat. +How kindly and warmly he shook my hand with his remaining one! + +"I've lost a flipper, Jack, you see," said he, sticking out his stump. +"I never mind. It was for the sake of Old England; and I have got a +pension, and there's Greenwich ready for me when I like to bear up for +it. There's still stuff in me, and if I had been wanted, I'd have kept +afloat; but as I'm not wanted, I'm going to have a look at some of my +kith and kin, on whom I haven't set eyes since the war began. Many of +them are gone, I fear. So do you, Jack, come along with me. They will +give you a welcome, I know." + +I told him how sorry I was that I could not go, as I had entered aboard +the whaler; but I spent the evening with him, and all the next day; and +he came and had a look at the _Drake_, and Captain Carr was very glad to +see him, and told him that he wished he had him even now with him. I +cannot say how much this meeting with my old friend again lightened my +heart; still I felt ashamed that I should have been in a trader, and +away from one who had been more to me than a father, while he was nobly +fighting the battles of our country. He had bravely served from ship to +ship through the whole of the war. He, however, did not utter a word of +blame. He only found fault with himself. + +"I told you once, Jack," said he, "that I ought to have been a master, +had it not been for my own ignorance, instead of before the mast; and +having missed that, had I not continued too idle to learn, I might have +got a boatswain's warrant. I tell you this because, though you are no +longer a youngster, you have many years before you, I hope, and may +still get the learning which books alone can give you, and without which +you must ever remain before the mast." + +I need not say that he made me promise to find him out on my return. I +shall never forget the kindly, fatherly glance the old man gave me as he +looked down from the top of the coach which was to take him on his way +to the home he had so long left. + +The _Drake_, ready for sea, had hauled out into the stream. She might +at once have been known as a South-Sea whaler by the height she was out +of the water, and by the boats which hung from their davits around her, +painted white, light though strongly-built, with their stems and sterns +sharp alike, and with a slight curve in their keels--each from about +twenty-six to nearly thirty feet in length. Although she had provisions +enough on board--casks of beef, and pork, and bread, (meaning biscuit), +and flour, and suet, and raisins, and rum, and lime-juice, and other +antiscorbutics--to last us for nearly four years, they were not +sufficient to bring her much down in the water, as she was built to +carry many hundred barrels of oil, which we hoped to collect before our +return. I may as well here describe the fittings of a whale-boat. In +the after-part is an upright rounded post, called the loggerhead, by +which to secure the end of the harpoon-line; and in the bows is a groove +through which it runs out. It is furnished with two lines, each of +which is coiled away in a tub ready for use. It has four harpoons; +three or more lances; several small flags, called "whifts," to stick +into the dead whale, by which it may be recognised at a distance when it +may be necessary to chase another; and two or more "drogues," four-sided +pieces of board to be attached to the end of the whale-line when it is +hove overboard, and which, being dragged with its surface against the +water, impedes the progress of the whale. Besides these things, each +boat is supplied with a case in which are stowed several necessary +articles, the most important being a lantern and tinder-box--the lantern +to be used as a signal when caught out at night--a compass, and perhaps +a small cooking-apparatus. A whale-boat, when going in chase, has a +crew of six men: one is called the headsman, the other the boat-steerer. +The headsman has the command of the boat. He is either the captain, or +one of his mates, or one of the most experienced hands on board. The +_Drake_ was a strongly-built, well-found ship, and as the greater number +of the crew were experienced hands, and we had confidence in our +captain, we had every prospect of a satisfactory voyage. The crew are +not paid wages, but share in proportion to their rank or rating, +according to the undertaking. Provisions are, however, supplied them, +so that although a man may, as sometimes happens, make very little all +the time he is out, he cannot lose. Still, want of success falls very +heavily on the married men who have families to support. + +The evening before we were to sail, one of the crew fell so sick that it +was evident he could not go the voyage; so the captain ordered the +second mate with several hands to take him ashore. Although not shipped +as an able seaman, he was a strong, active young man, and it was +necessary to supply his place. While some of the others carried the +sick man to the hospital, I remained in the boat at the quay. While I +was sitting, just looking up to watch what was taking place on shore, a +young man in a seaman's dress came down the slip and hailed me. By the +way he walked, and the look of his hands, I saw at a glance that he was +not a seaman. + +"I say, mate," said he, in a sort of put-on manner, "I see that you've +just landed one of your people. Does your captain, think you, want +another man in his stead?" + +"I suppose so," I answered, looking at him hard, to make out what he +was, though I didn't succeed. "But the mate will be down presently-- +you'd better ask him. He may meantime have shipped another hand." + +"I'll run the chance," he replied. "I'll go up and fetch my chest from +my lodging. Just tell him, if he comes down in the meantime, that a man +has volunteered to join. You can judge whether I'm likely to be fit for +work." He spoke in an off-hand, easy way, and without waiting for my +reply, he walked rapidly up from the quay. + +The mate, directly after, came down without having found a man to his +taste. I told him that one had offered--a strongly-built, +active-looking, intelligent man, just cut out for a sailor, though, as I +said, I did not think he was one. Mr Marsh, the mate, listened to my +account, and as he stepped into the boat, seemed to be looking for the +stranger. After waiting a few minutes, as the man did not appear, he +gave the order to shove off. + +"There he comes, sir," said I, seeing him walking rapidly along the quay +with a seaman's bag over his shoulder, while a porter accompanied him +carrying a moderate-sized chest. + +"If you want another hand, I'm ready to ship for the voyage," said he, +coming down the slip, and abruptly addressing the mate. + +"Seaman or not, he'll do," said Mr Marsh to himself. "Well, put your +traps into the boat, and come aboard, and we'll see what the captain has +to say to the matter," he answered, aloud. + +The young man dropped a shilling into the hand of the porter, who looked +at the coin and then at his countenance, and touched his hat. The +stranger sat down on his chest in the bow of the boat, and we were soon +on board. The captain then sent for him aft, and held him in +conversation for half an hour or more. What was said I do not know; but +the result was, that the young man came forward and told me that he had +been entered as one of the crew, requesting me to show him where he was +to stow his chest and bag. "In the forepeak," said I; but he evidently +did not know where that was, so without saying a word I helped him down +with it. + +The first night we were at sea I had the middle watch, and scarcely had +I made a dozen turns on deck, when he joined me. "What is your name?" +said he; "I did not catch it." I told him. + +"Well," he continued, "there is no use denying it--I am not a sailor. +The captain knows this; but I have promised soon to become one, and I +want to keep my promise. Will you help me to do so, by teaching me all +I want to know?" + +I told him I would do all I could for him, but that, as this was my +first voyage in a whaler, I could not help him much about whaling +matters. + +"Oh, that will soon come," he answered. "I seldom see a thing done once +that I cannot do afterwards; but I want you to help me in seamanship. I +have been constantly on the water, and know how to handle a boat, but +never before made a voyage." + +I was so pleased with the frank way in which he acknowledged his +ignorance, and the hearty desire he showed to learn, that I resolved to +instruct him in everything I knew. + +I never found anybody pick up information so rapidly as he did. It was +only necessary to show him once how to do a thing, while he kept his +sharp eye fixed on the work, and ever after he did it almost if not +quite as well. He very soon dropped the nautical phraseology he had +assumed when he came on board, and which was clearly not habitual to +him; and though he picked up all our phrases, he made use of them more +in a joking way than as if he spoke them without thought, as we did. + +From the way he spoke, or from his manner when he addressed any of his +messmates or the officers, or from the way he walked the deck, it was +difficult to suppose him anything else than a gentleman-born, or a +gentleman by education, whatever he had now become, and he at once got +the name forward of "Gentleman Ned." I asked him his name the day after +he came on board. + +"Oh, ay. I forgot that," he answered, quickly. "Call me Newman--Ned +Newman. It's not a bad name, is it?" So Ned Newman he was called; but +I felt pretty certain from the first that it was not his real name. + +He was good-looking, with fair hair and complexion, and a determined, +firm expression about the mouth. He seemed to put perfect confidence in +me, and we at once became great friends--not that we had at first many +ideas in common, for I was very ignorant, and he knew more than I +supposed it possible for any man to know. He showed me his chest, which +surprised me not a little. Most of his clothes were contained in his +bag. He had not a large kit, but everything was new and of the best +materials, calculated to outlast three times the quantity of sailors' +common slops. Instead of clothes, his chest contained a spy-glass, a +quadrant, just like those of the officers, and a good stock of books, +which I found were in a variety of languages, and some even, I +afterwards learned, were in Greek. Then he had all sorts of +drawing-materials--papers, and pencils, and sketch-books, and a +colour-box, and mathematical instruments, and even a chronometer. He +had a writing-case, and a tool-box, and a flute and violin, and some +music-books. I asked him if he could use the quadrant. + +"I never took an observation in my life; but I can work a day's work as +well as a lunar, so I think that I may soon learn the practical part of +the business," he answered. + +I pointed to his musical instruments. "Yes; I play occasionally, when I +wish to dispel an evil spirit; but books are my great resource. Jack, +you lose much pleasure from your ignorance of the rudiments of learning. +Take my advice and study. It's not too late to begin. Nonsense! +difficult! everything worth doing is difficult! There's pleasure in +overcoming difficulties. Come, you have begun to teach me seamanship-- +to knot and splice--to reef and steer. I'll teach you to read, and then +the way is open to you to teach yourself whatever you like. Navigation! +certainly. Why, you would have been master of a vessel by this time if +you had known that." In the interval of Newman's remarks I was making +excuses for my ignorance; but he would listen to none of them, and I +promised, old as I was, to put myself under his instruction, and to +endeavour to be as apt a pupil to him as he was to me. + +As I have said, I never saw anyone learn so rapidly as he did everything +which came in his way. Before six weeks had passed, there was very +little remaining for me to teach him. Every knot and splice he mastered +in a week or so, and could make them as neatly as I did. I don't think +he had ever before been up a ship's mast; but from the first day he was +constantly aloft, examining the rigging, and seeing where all the ropes +led to. I had shown him how to reef and furl sails, and the very first +squall we had, he was among the foremost aloft to lay-out on the yard. +His hands went as readily as those of the oldest seaman into the +tar-bucket; and so, though when he came aboard they were fair and soft, +they soon became as brown and hard as any of ours. With the theory of +seamanship he was already well acquainted--such as the way by which the +wind acts on the sails, the resistance offered by the water on the hull, +and so on; so that, when any manoeuvre was performed, he at once knew +the reason of it. It is not too much to say that before we crossed the +line he was as good a seaman, in many respects, as most of the hands on +board; and certainly he would have made a better officer than any of us +forward. + +We were bound round Cape Horn, and Captain Carr intended to try his +fortune on the borders of the Antarctic ice-fields, in the neighbourhood +of New Zealand and the coast of Japan, among the East India Islands; and +those wide-spreading groups, among which are found the Friendly Islands, +the Navigators, the Feejees, the New Hebrides, the Loyalty Islands, and +New Caledonia, and known under the general name of Polynesia. Perhaps +other places might be visited, so that we had a pretty wide range over +which our voyage was likely to extend. People at home are little aware, +in general, of the great number of places a South-Seaman visits in the +course of a three or four years' whaling-voyage; and certainly in no +other trade is a lad of a roving disposition so likely to be able to +gratify his tastes. + +The first place we touched at was Porto Praya, in the island of Saint +Jago, one of the Cape de Verds, our captain being anxious to fill up +with water, and to get for the crew a supply of fruit and vegetables and +poultry, which are here to be procured in abundance. Sailors, however, +are apt to forget that fruit, at all events, is not to be found all the +year round; and I have seen people very indignant because the +fruit-trees were not bearing their ripe produce at the very moment they +were honouring the place by their presence, and heartily abuse previous +visitors for having deceived them. + +I was one of the boat's crew which went on shore to get provisions, and +we were half pulled to pieces, as we entered the town, by men, women, +and boys--brown, yellow, and black--chattering away in a jargon of +half-African half-Portuguese, as they thrust before our eyes a dozen +chickens a few weeks old, all strung together; baskets of eggs, or +tamarinds, or dates, or bananas, and bunches of luscious grapes, and +pointed to piles of cocoa-nuts, oranges, or limes, heaped up on +cocoa-nut leaves close at hand. The place seemed filled with beggars, +pigs, monkeys, slatternly females, small donkeys, and big oxen; dirty +soldiers and idle sailors of all the shades and colours which +distinguish the human race, dressed in handkerchiefs, and shirts, and +jackets, and petticoats of every hue of the rainbow--the only thing they +had in common being their dirt. Indeed, dirt predominates throughout +the streets and dwellings, and in every direction. The houses, though +mean, from being white-washed deceive a stranger at a little distance as +to the cleanliness of the place. From a spirited sketch Newman made of +the scene I have described, I here discovered his talent for drawing. + +We next touched at the Falkland Islands, then uninhabited, except by a +few Gauchos, who had crossed from South America with a herd of cattle, +which have since increased to a prodigious number, as they thrive well +on the tussac grass, the chief natural production of the country. The +fresh beef afforded by a couple of oxen was very acceptable, and +contributed to keep us in health. + +Even before crossing the line, we had been on the look-out for whales, +and all the boats and gear were in readiness to be lowered, and to go in +chase at a moment's notice. Everybody on board a whaler must be +wide-awake, and prepared for all emergencies, or the ship may chance to +return home with an empty hold. In no position in which a seaman can be +placed is it so necessary to belong to the _try_ fraternity. If whales +are not to be found on one fishing-ground, the ship must move to +another; and if not seen there, she must sail on till she chases them +round the globe. So if, when a whale is seen, the harpooner misses his +aim, and the fish dives and swims a mile or more off, he must watch and +watch till she rises, and _try_ again. This try principle should be +followed in all the concerns of life. Whatever ought to be done, _try_ +and do it; never suppose a work cannot be done till it has been tried-- +perseverance in duty is absolutely necessary. Its neglect must bring +ruin. + +We had a look-out at each mast-head, and one of the mates, or the +boatswain, and sometimes the captain, was stationed at the +fore-topgallant yard-arm. Sharp eyes were, therefore, constantly +watching every part of the ocean, as our ship floated over it to the +very verge of the horizon in search of the well-known spout of the +whales. Great improvements have taken place since the time I speak of +in the apparatus employed in the whale-fishery. I am told that guns are +now used with which to send the harpoon into the whale's body, while in +my time it was driven by sheer strength and dexterity of arm, as the +harpooner stood up at his full height in the bow of the tossing +whale-boat, close to the huge monster, one blow of whose tail is +sufficient to dash her into atoms. + +We were, it must be understood, in search of the sperm whale, which is a +very different animal from what is called the black or Greenland whale, +whose chief habitation is towards the North Polar regions, though found +in other parts of the ocean. There are several sorts of whales, but I +will not attempt to give a learned dissertation on them. I should not, +indeed, have thought much about the matter, had not Newman called my +attention to it. I should have hunted them, and killed them, and boiled +down their blubber, with the notion that we had the produce of so many +_fish_ on board. Now naturalists, as he told me, assert that whales +should not be called _fish_. They swim and live in the water, and so do +fish; they have no legs, nor have fish; but their implements of +locomotion are more like arms than fins. But whales do what no fish do: +they bring forth their young alive--they suckle them, and tend them with +the fondest affection in their youth. They have warm blood, and a +double circulation; and they breathe the atmospheric air by true lungs. +The tail of a fish is placed vertically, or up and down; that of a +whale, horizontally--that is to say, its broadest part is parallel with +the surface of the water. The tail of a large whale is upwards of 20 +feet wide, and with a superficies of 100 square feet, and it is moved by +muscles of immense strength. This will give some idea of the terrific +force with which it can strike a boat. I have, indeed, heard of +instances where a whale has stove in a ship's bottom, and caused her to +founder, with little time for the crew to escape. Their progressive +movement is effected entirely by the tail; sometimes, when wishing to +advance leisurely, by an oblique lateral and downward impulse, first on +one side and then on the other, just as a boat is sent through the water +when sculled with an oar; but when rushing through the deep at their +greatest speed, they strike the water, now upwards and now downwards, +with a rapid motion and vast force. As whales breathe the atmospheric +air, they must come to the surface frequently for a fresh supply. They +have then to throw out the water which has got into their mouths when +feeding. This they do by closing a valve leading to the nasal passages, +and forcing it by means of air through the blow-hole placed in the upper +part of the head. It is this necessity of whales for breathing at the +surface which enables man to make them his prey, in spite of their +immense strength, while their spouts point out to him the place where +they are to be found. + +The remarks I have made apply in common to the two chief sorts of +whales, but the Greenland whale is a very different animal from the +sperm whale, of which we were in search. The Greenland whale, (_Balaena +mysticetus_), is also called the common, true, or whale-bone whale. I +remember once, in a man-of-war, falling in with a dead whale in a +perfect calm. We towed it alongside, but so ignorant was everybody on +board of natural history, that no one knew where the whale-bone was to +be found. At the cost of great trouble, with a horrible odour to our +noses, we cut out a jaw-bone; which was perfectly valueless, except to +make the front of a summer-house for our commander; and we then let our +prize go with its rich contents, and glad enough we were to get rid of +it. + +The Greenland whale is less in size than the sperm--its length being +about 60 feet. The head occupies about a third of the entire length. +It is narrow above, and broad, flat, and rounded beneath, so as to allow +it to move rapidly under the water. The body is largest about the +middle, and tapers suddenly towards the tail. The general colour is a +blackish-grey, with part of the lower jaw, and throat, and belly white. +The lips are five or six feet high, the eyes very small, and the +external opening of the ears scarcely perceptible. The pectoral fins or +arms are not long, and are placed about two feet behind the angle of the +lips. The black whale has no teeth; but from the upper palate and jaw +there hang down perpendicularly numerous parallel laminae--the baleen, +or whale-bone, as it is called. [Footnote: The baleen or whale-bone I +have described forms a most valuable portion of the produce afforded by +the black whale, although not so valuable as the oil extracted from the +same animal.] These filaments fill up the whole of the cavity of the +mouth, and form a most complete strainer, so that only the most minute +animals can enter. This is necessary, as the swallow is too small to +admit even the smallest fish. When a black whale feeds, it throws up +millions of small animals at a time with its thick lower lip, into the +straining apparatus I have described; and as they are scarcely +perceptible to the naked eye, when its vast size is considered some +slight notion may be formed of the prodigious number it must consume at +meal. + +There is another whale, found in the northern regions, called the +razor-backed whale, from a prominent ridge on its back. It is found 100 +feet long. As it is constantly moving along at the rate of five miles +an hour, and is very powerful and active, frequently breaking away and +carrying lines and gear with it, only the most daring whalers, in +default of other prey, venture to attack it. There is a third sort of +whale, called the broad-nosed whale, which is in many respects like a +razor-back, but smaller--its length being from 50 to 80 feet. + +The smallest sort is the beaked whale, which is about 25 feet long. +Great numbers of this whale are often caught in the deep bays and firths +of Shetland and Orkney. + +I must now give an account of the spermaceti whale, (the _Physeter +macrocephalus_), to capture which was the object of our voyage. It is +found through every part of the South Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, and +frequently makes its way to far northern latitudes. Still the southern +seas must be considered its chief abode. In appearance and habits it is +very different from the black whale. It is nearly as long as the +razor-back, and exceeds it in bulk. In length it may be said to be from +80 to 85 feet, and from 30 to 35 in circumference. Looking at a sperm +whale, the stem on its nose or snout appears very thick, and perfectly +blunt, like a huge mallet about to strike. The head is a third part of +the length of the body. At its junction with the body a hump rises, +which we whalers call the _bunch of the neck_. Behind this is the +thickest part of the body, which tapers off till there is another rise +which we call the hump, in the shape of a pyramid--then commences the +_small_, as we call it, or tail, with a ridge partly down it. The +"small" gradually tapers till it contracts very much; and at the end the +flukes, or what landsmen would call the tail, is joined on. In the +immense head is contained the case, which is a cavity of almost +triangular shape, and of great size, containing, when the whale is +alive, that oily substance or fluid called spermaceti. I have +frequently seen a ton taken from the case of one whale, which is fully +ten large barrels. The use to the whale of the spermaceti in its head +is, that, being much lighter than water, it can rise with great facility +to the surface, and elevate its blow-hole above it. Its mouth is of +great size, extending all the length of its head, or, as I have said, a +third of its whole length. Its jaws narrow forward to almost a point-- +indeed, the lower one does so; and thus, as it swims along, like the +stem of a ship, it serves to divide the water wedge, parting to make way +for its huge body--the blunt snout being all the time like the lofty +forecastle of an old-fashioned ship, clear of the waves high up above +it. The inside of the monstrous cavity, the mouth, has nothing like the +baleen or whale-bone, such as is found in the Greenland whale; but in +the lower jaw it has a formidable row of large teeth of conical shape, +forty-two in number. It has, however, none in the upper jaw; but +instead, there are holes into which fit the points of those in the +lower. These teeth are blunt, and are not used for biting or +mastication, but merely to keep in the food which has entered its mouth. +This food is chiefly the _Squid_ or _Sepia octopus_, known also by the +name of the cuttle-fish. In the South-Seas they are of enormous size, +and, with their long feelers or arms growing out of their heads, are +sufficiently strong to hold a man under the water and to kill him. + +The sperm whale, however, swallows a variety of other fish. It catches +them, not by swimming after them, but by opening wide its mouth and +letting its prey swim into it! We will suppose ourselves looking down +that vast mouth, as the lower jaw hangs perpendicularly to the belly; +incapable it seems of moving. The interior of the throat is very +large--capable of swallowing a man; the tongue is very small and +delicate, and of a pure white colour; so are the teeth, which glisten +brilliantly; and so is the whole interior. Fish are particularly +attracted by their white appearance. They take it, perhaps, to be some +marble hall erected for their accommodation; so in they swim, big and +little squid equally beguiled! How the whale's mouth must water when he +feels a fine huge juicy octopus playing about his tongue! Up goes the +lower jaw like a trap-door, and cephalapods, small and large, find their +bright marble palace turned into a dark, black prison, from which there +is no return; for, giving a turn with his tongue, he gulps them all down +with a smack which must make old Ocean resound! + +In another respect, the sperm is very different from the Greenland +whale. It seems to know the power of its jaws, and will sometimes turn +on its pursuers and attack them, though generally a timid animal, and +disposed to seek safety by flight. The general opinion is, that sperm +whales often fight with each other, as we have caught them with their +lower jaws twisted in a variety of directions, and otherwise injured. +The sperm whale's eyes are very small, with movable eyelids, and are +placed directly above the angle of the mouth, or a third part of its +whole length distant from the snout. It is very quick-sighted, as it is +also quick of hearing. Its ears--small round holes, which will not +admit a little finger--are placed directly behind the eyes. The fins, +which, as I have said, might be called paws, are close to the angle of +the mouth. I have known a female whale support her young on them; and +they are used to balance the body, to steer by, and, when hard pressed, +to sink with greater rapidity below the surface. The skin of the whale +is perfectly smooth, though old bulls get rough marks about them. As a +rule, though black above and white below, as they advance in years, like +human beings, they get grey on the head. Oftentimes an old grey-headed +bull proves a dangerous enemy. + +I have with greater minuteness than I intended given an account of the +sperm whale. Its habits and mode of capture I will describe in the +course of my narrative. + + + +CHAPTER SEVENTEEN. + +INCIDENTS OF WHALING. + +Away, away the good ship flew to round the far-famed Cape Horn. Stern +and majestic it rose on our starboard-hand; its hoary front, as it +looked down on the meeting of two mighty oceans, bore traces of many a +terrific storm. Now all was calm and bright, though the vast +undulations of the ocean over which the ship rode, as they met the +resistance of the cliffs, were dashed in cataracts of spray high up in +the air, and gave evidence of what would be the effect when a storm was +raging across them. There was something more grand in the contemplation +than in the actual appearance of the scene, when we reflected where we +were--on the confines of those two great seas which encompass the earth, +and which wash the shores of nations so different in character--the one +having attained the height of civilisation, the other being still sunk +in the depths of a barbarism too terrible almost for contemplation, as I +afterwards had good reason to know. Then there was that strange, vast, +dreamy swell--the breathings, as it were, of some giant monster. It +seemed as if some wondrous force were ever acting on that vast body of +water--that it could not for a moment rest quiet in its bed, but must +ever go heaving on, in calm and sunshine as well as in storm and +tempest. There was likewise in sight that wild weather-beaten shore, +inhabited, as report declared, by men of gigantic stature and untameable +fierceness; while to the south lay those mysterious frost-bound regions +untrod by the foot of man--the land of vast glaciers, mighty icebergs, +and wide extended fields of ice. On we sped with a favouring breeze, +till we floated calmly on the smooth surface of the Pacific off the +coast of Chili. + +With regard to Patagonia, old Knowles told me he had been there, but +that, as far as he saw, the people were not much larger than the +inhabitants of many other countries. Some were big men; a few nearly +seven feet high, and proportionably stout. They are capital mimics--the +very parrots or magpies of the genus Man. + +"I say, Jack, bear a hand there now," exclaimed one, repeating the words +after a sailor who had just spoken. + +"What! do you speak English, old fellow? Give us your flipper then," +said Knowles, thinking he had found a civilised man in that distant +region. + +"What! do you speak English, old fellow? Give us your flipper then," +repeated the savage with a grin, putting out his hand. + +"I should think I did! What other lingo am I likely to speak?" answered +Knowles, shaking the Patagonian's huge paw. + +"What other lingo am I likely to speak?" said the savage, with perfect +clearness. + +"Why, I should have thought your own native Patagonian, if you are a +Patagonian," exclaimed Knowles, examining the savage's not over-handsome +physiognomy. + +"If you are a Patagonian!" said the savage, looking in like manner into +Knowles' face. + +"I--I'm an Englishman, I tell you!" cried Tom, somewhat puzzled. + +"I'm an Englishman, I tell you!" cried the Patagonian in the same +indignant tone. + +"That's just what I want to arrive at," said Tom. "So now just tell me +where we can get some good baccy and a glass of honest grog." + +The Patagonian repeated the words. + +"But I ask you!" said Tom. + +"But I ask you!" said the savage. + +"I tell you I'm a stranger here!" exclaimed Tom. + +"I tell you I'm a stranger here!" cried the savage. + +"Where do you come from then?" asked Tom. + +"Where do you come from then?" repeated the savage. + +"I tell you I'm an Englishman," cried Knowles, getting angry. + +"I tell you I'm an Englishman!" exclaimed the Patagonian in the same +indignant tones. + +"That's more than I'll believe; and, to speak my mind plainly, I believe +that you are an arrant, bamboozling hum-bug!" cried Tom. "No offence, +though. You understand me?" + +Whether it was Tom's expression of countenance, or the tone of his +voice, I know not, but as he uttered these words, all the savages burst +into loud fits of merry laughter; and as he thought they were laughing +at him, he said that he should have liked to have gone in among them, +and knocked them down right and left with his fists; but they were such +precious big fellows, that he thought he should have got the worst of it +in the scrimmage. + +He used with infinite gusto frequently to tell the story for our +amusement. + +I am not quite certain, however, whether he was describing the +Patagonians or the inhabitants of Terra del Fuego. The latter are very +great mimics and are much smaller in size, less clothed, and more savage +in appearance than the Patagonians. + +We touched at Valparaiso, in Chili, or, as it may be called, the Vale of +Paradise. It is certainly by nature a very beautiful and healthy spot, +built on a number of high hills with ravines intervening; but man, by +his evil practices and crimes, made it, when I was there, much more like +the Vale of Pandemonium. Drunkenness and all sorts of crimes were +common, and the _cuchillo_--the long knife--was in constant requisition +among the Spaniards, scarcely a night passing without one or more +murders being committed. It was then little more than a village, but +has now become quite a large town, with a number of English and American +merchants settled there. The houses are built with very thick walls, to +withstand the constant attacks of earthquakes which they have to +undergo. Having supplied ourselves with fresh provisions and water, we +sailed, and stretched away into the wide Pacific. + +We had left the coast of Chili about a day's sail astern. A light +easterly breeze was just ruffling the blue sea--the noon-day sun shining +brightly over it--the hands going listlessly about their work, rather +out of spirits at our want of success, not a whale having hitherto been +seen--when the cheery shout of the first mate reached our ears from the +look-out, of "There she spouts! there she spouts, boys!" + +In an instant every one was aroused into the fullest activity--the watch +below sprung on deck--Captain Carr hurried from his cabin, and with his +hand to his mouth, shouted eagerly, "Where away?--where away?" + +"About a mile on the starboard-bow," cried Mr Benson, the first mate, +in return. + +"Lower the boats, my lads!" exclaimed the captain, preparing to go in +the leading one himself; the first and third mate and the boatswain went +in command of the others. Both Newman and I, as new hands, remained on +board, as did the second mate, to take charge of the ship. + +Before the boats were in the water, the whale had ceased spouting; but +just as they were shoving off, the look-out broke forth in a cheerful +chorus, "There again--there again--there again!" the signal that the +whale was once more sending up its spout of spray into the air. The +words were taken up by all on deck, while we pointed with excited looks +at the whale, whose vast head and hump could be clearly distinguished as +he swam, unsuspicious of evil, through the calm waters of the deep. +Away flew the boats, urged on by rapid strokes, in hot pursuit. The +captain took the lead. We who were left behind felt that we were +accompanying them in heart and spirit. The foam bubbled and hissed +round the bows of the boats as they clove their way through the water. +Not a moment was there to lose--the distance was great--the whale had +been for some time breathing, and might go down, and perhaps be lost +altogether, before the boats could get up to her, or they might have to +chase her for many miles before they could again reach her. Meantime, +the wind being fair, the ship was kept almost in the wake of the boats. +Away they flew; each was anxious to strike the first whale, but the +captain's took the lead, and maintained it. As they got nearer the +monster, it was necessary to be careful, lest he should take the alarm, +and, seeing his pursuers, go down to escape them. The men bent to their +oars even more energetically than before; the captain stood up, harpoon +in hand; his weapon was raised on high; we thought that the next instant +it would be buried in the monster, when up went his small--the enormous +flukes rose high in air--"Back of all!--back of all!" we cried; not that +our voices could be heard. If not, that terrific stroke it is giving +will shiver the boat in atoms. The boat glided out of the way, but just +in time, though her crew were drenched with spray. Down went the +whale--far, far into the depths of the ocean. + +Nothing is to be had without trying for it--our captain knew this well. +All eyes were now turned to watch where the whale would next rise, for +rise, we knew, he before long must, and in all probability within sight; +so the boats paddled slowly on, the men reserving their strength for the +moment when it would be required; while we on board shortened sail, that +we might have the ship more under command, to follow wherever they might +lead. Every one was watching with intense eagerness; the four boats +were separated a short distance from each other; now and then the +officers would stand up to see if the monster had risen, and then they +would turn their gaze towards the ship for a signal from the look-out +aboard. Still the time passed away, and no whale appeared. + +An hour had elapsed, when again the inspiriting shout was heard of +"There she spouts! there she spouts!" the look-outs pointing, as before, +over the starboard-bow, where the whale had again risen, not much more +than a mile away from the boats. Again they were in rapid movement. We +doubted not that this time they would reach the monster. Through our +glasses we made him out to be a bull--an old greyhead, and probably a +cunning fellow, one likely to try every dodge which a whale can think of +to escape, and if failing to do that, and hard pressed, one who was +likely to turn on his pursuers, and attack them with his open jaws or +mighty flukes. + +"Well, whatever freak he takes, our captain is the man to meet him," +observed old Tom Knowles--a long-experienced hand in the South-Seas, but +who, having hurt his arm, was unable to go in the boats. "As long as +daylight lasts, he'll not give up the chase." + +I had thought that when a whale was seen, it was merely necessary to +pull after him, dig the harpoons into him, and allow him to drag the +boats along till he died; but I found it was often a far more difficult +task than this to kill a whale. + +"There again--there again!" shouted the look-outs from aloft; and the +cry was repeated by all on deck, while the whale continued spouting. +Fast as at first, if not faster, the boats flew after him--the captain's +again leading. + +"This time we'll have him, surely," exclaimed Newman, who was as eager +as any of us. + +"Not quite so sure of that, Ned," observed old Knowles. "I've seen one +of these old chaps go down half-a-dozen times before a harpoon was +struck in him, and, after all, with three or four in his side, break +away, and carry them off just as the sun was setting, and there was no +chance of getting another sight of him. I say, never be certain that +you've got him, till he's safe in the casks. I've seen one, after he +has been killed, go down like a shot, for no reason that anyone on board +could tell, except to spite us for having caught him." + +While old Tom was speaking, the boats had approached close to the whale. +For my own part, after what I had heard, I fully expected to see him +lift his flukes, and go down as he had done before. The captain's boat +was up to him--the rest hung back, not to run the risk of alarming the +wary monster. The captain stood up in the bows--a fine bold figure he +looked, as he poised his glittering harpoon in his right hand, high +above his head. "There!--peak your oars," cried old Tom, as the crew +raised them with a flourish to a perpendicular position, having given +the boat sufficient impetus to take her alongside the whale. Off flew +the weapon, impelled by the captain's unerring arm, and buried itself up +to the socket in the fat coating with which the leviathan was clothed. + +"It's socket up!" cried old Knowles. "Hurrah, lads--hurrah! our first +whale's struck--good-luck, good-luck--hurrah, hurrah!" The cheer was +taken up by all on board, as well as by those in the boats. They now +gave way with a will after the whale; the harpooner, as another boat got +up, sending his weapon into its side. + +But it is no child's play now. The captain had time to dart a lance +into him, when, "Stern all--stern all!" was now the cry of the headsman; +and the crews, with their utmost strength, backed the boats out of the +way of the infuriated animal, which in his agony began to lash the water +with his huge flukes, and strike out in every direction with a force +which would have shattered to atoms any boat they met. Now his vast +head rose completely out of the water--now his tail, as he writhed with +the pain the weapons had inflicted. The whole surface of the +surrounding ocean was lashed into foam by the reiterated strokes of +those mighty flukes, while the boats were deluged with the spray he +threw aloft--the sound of the blows reverberating far away across the +water. The boat-steerer now stood ready to let the lines run through +the loggerhead over the bows of the boat. Should anyone be seized by +their coils as they are running out, his death would be certain. Soon +finding the hopelessness of contending with his enemies above water, the +whale lifted his flukes and sounded. + +Down, down he went into the depths of the ocean. Away flew the line +over the bows of the boat. Its rapid motion would have set fire to the +wood, had not the headsman kept pouring water over it, as it passed +through its groove. + +An oar was held up from the captain's boat: it was a sign that nearly +the whole of their line, of two hundred fathoms, had run out. With +caution, and yet rapidity, the first mate in the second boat bent on his +line; soon the captain's came to an end, and then that flew out as +rapidly as the first had done. To assist in stopping the whale's +downward course, drogues were now bent on to the line as it ran out; but +they appeared to have little more effect in impeding his progress than a +log-ship has in stopping the way of a vessel; and yet they have, in +reality, much more, as every pound-weight in addition tells on the back +of a racer. + +Again an oar went up, and the third boat bent on, adding more drogues to +stop his way. They at length appeared to have effect. "There; haul in +the slack," cried old Tom. "He's rising, lads; he's rising!" + +The boat-steerer was seen in the last boat busily coiling away the line +in the tub as he hauled it in. When he had got all his line, that +belonging to the next boat was in like manner coiled away; then the +captain's line was hauled in. + +Thick bubbles now rose in rapid succession to the surface, followed by a +commotion of the water, and the huge head of the monster rushed suddenly +upward, sending forth a dense spout on high. The captain's boat was now +hauled gently on, the boat-steerer guiding it close up to the fin of the +wounded whale. Again Captain Carr stood up with his long lance in hand, +and plunged it, as few on board could have done, deep into his side. At +the same moment the rest of the boats pulled up on the opposite side, +the harpooner in the leading one striking his harpoon into him. Again +the cry arose of "Stern all--stern all!" It was time, indeed, to get +out of the way, for the whale seemed to feel that he was engaged in his +last struggles for freedom and for life. He threw himself with all his +monstrous bulk completely out of the water, in a vain attempt to get +loose from his foes. Off from him all the boats backed. + +He now became the assailant. He rushed at them with his head and lower +jaw let drop, seemingly capable of devouring one of them entire. I +almost thought he would; but he was already fatigued with his wounds and +previous exertions. The line, too, of the mate's boat had many times +encircled his body. Suddenly it parts! The boat of the captain, after +he had darted his lance, was backed in time, and got clear from the +whale's attack, but the first mate was not so fortunate. The whale +seemed to have singled him out as the victim of his revenge. Having in +vain lashed at him with his flukes, he turned towards him with his head, +rushing on with terrific force. He caught the boat as she was +retreating, in an instant capsizing her, and sending all her crew +struggling in the waves. I thought he would immediately have destroyed +them; but he swam on, they happily escaping the blows of his flukes, and +went head out across the ocean, followed by the first boat and the two +others. + +Were they going to allow our shipmates to perish unaided? I thought and +fully expected to hear the second mate order another boat to be lowered +to go to their assistance. But they did not require any. Two of the +men could not swim, but the others supported them till they got them up +to the boat, from which they had been a little way separated, and then +by pressing down the gunwale they quickly righted her. They then, +holding on on either side, baled away till they could get into her, and +still have her gunwale above water, when they very quickly freed her +altogether. Everything had been secured in the boat, so that nothing +was lost; and as soon as she was to right, off she started again in the +chase. + +Away flew the captain's boat, dragged on by the line, at the rate, it +seemed, of full ten knots an hour. The other boats followed as fast as +their crews could lay their backs to the oars; but for a long time they +could gain nothing on him, but were fast falling astern. We had again +filled, and were standing on. At last he began to slacken his pace. +The loss of blood from his many wounds, and his evident exertions, were +rapidly weakening him. Still, so far-off had he gone, that the +captain's boat was scarce to be seen, and the others were mere specks on +the ocean. + +Once again, however, we were overtaking them. The captain was once more +hauling in the slack--the other boats were getting up--the headsmen +standing, harpoon in hand, ready to give the whale fresh and still more +deadly wounds. They ranged up alongside, and harpoons and lances flew +from the boats. The monster no longer threw up water alone, but blood +was sent in a thick spout from his blow-hole, sprinkling the men in the +boats, and staining the bright blue sea around. Still, in spite of all +his foes, he struggled on bravely for life. Lashing the water, so as to +drive his relentless assailants to a distance, he once more lifted his +flukes and sounded; but they were prepared to let the lines run. Down +he went again. + +"He'll be lost--he'll be lost!" I exclaimed, as did others not +accustomed to the work. + +"Not a bit of it on that account," said old Knowles. "He can't remain +long under water after what he's gone through. He'll be up again soon; +and then stand by, my hearties, for his flurry!" + +Old Knowles was right. Up came the whale again, at a short distance +only from where he had gone down, having dragged out from each boat not +a hundred fathoms of line. Once more the boats approached, and fresh +lances were darted into him; but they quickly had to retreat, for now +his head went up, now his tail; now he sprung again right out of the +water, twisting and turning in every direction. + +"He has his death-pang on him," cried Old Knowles. "He'll be ours +before long;--but, ah! one of them has caught it!" + +One of the boats had indeed caught it. We could not tell which, for the +others were covered with the foam and ensanguined water cast on every +side by the monster in his wild contortions. The fragments lay +floating, scattered far and wide, and several men were seen striking out +towards the other boats, half-turning their heads, as if in expectation +of being pursued. But, as we counted their number, they did not appear +to be all there. There were but five. One, we feared, was missing. +Anxiously we kept our eyes fixed on the spot, hoping to see our +shipmate, whoever he might be, appear. + +"Hurrah!--he's there--he's there!" we shouted, as we discovered the +sixth man swimming out from among the mass of bloody foam which +surrounded the whale, who for an instant seemed to be resting from his +exertions. While the boats were taking them on board, again the whale +darted rapidly out, but this time it was to perform the segment of a +circle. + +"He's in his flurry, lads--he's in his flurry!" shouted old Knowles. +"He'll be dead in another minute." + +"Last scene of all, which ends this strange, eventful history," said +Newman, who through his glass had been eagerly watching the chase. As +the words went out of his mouth the whale rolled over on his side, a +well-won prize, and loud shouts from the crews of the boats and from all +on deck rent the air. + +The fragments of the shattered boat being collected, and the three +remaining ones made fast to the whale, they began towing it towards the +ship, while we made sail to meet them. + +All hands were employed for an instant in congratulating each other when +we got the whale alongside, and then every means were taken to secure it +for "cutting-in"--so the operation of taking off the blubber is called. +The coopers had meantime been getting ready the large caldrons for +boiling the blubber; which operation is called "trying-out." A rope +passed round the windlass, and rove through a block fast to the head of +the mainmast, was carried over the side, with a large hook at the end of +it. The first thing done was to cut off the head of the whale, which, +with the neck-part up, was strongly secured, and floated astern. + +"That head has got better than a ton of oil in it," observed old +Knowles, who was aiding the work. "It's worth no end of money." + +"Wears yet a precious jewel in his crown," observed Newman, leaning +eagerly over the side. "It's fine work this, though." + +A stage had been let down at the side of the vessel, on which those who +had cut off the head were stationed. One of them now made a hole in the +blubber with the instrument used for cutting-in, called a spade. A rope +was then fastened round the waist of another man, and he descended on +the body of the whale, taking the hook I have spoken of in his hand. +This hook he fastened into the hole he had cut. The operation now +began. + +Some with spades cut the blubber or fat mass which surrounds the body +into a strip between two and three feet wide, in a spiral form, while +others hoisted away on the tackle to which the hook was attached. +Slowly the blanket-piece, thus cut off, ascended over the side, the body +turning round and round as its coat or bandage, for so we may call it, +was unwound. By the side of the pots were _horses_--blocks of wood--on +which the blubber was cut up. As the long strip was drawn up, another +hook was secured lower down, and the upper part of the blanket-piece was +cut off and chopped into thin pieces on the blocks. The pieces were +then thrown into big pots, under which fires were kindled. After the +first caldrons-full had been boiled, the lumps of blubber from which the +oil had been extracted were taken out, and served as fuel to continue +our fires. In reality, the whole operation was performed in a very +cleanly and orderly way; but a stranger at a distance would scarcely +think so. + +Night overtook us while we were engaged in the work, and watch and watch +we continued it, lest a gale might spring up and compel us to abandon +our prize before it was all secured. No scene could be wilder or more +unearthly than that presented during the night by the whaler's decks. +The lurid fires surrounding the seething caldrons cast a red glare on +all around--on the masts and rigging of the ship, enveloped in the dense +wreaths of smoke which ascended from them--on the sturdy forms of the +seamen, with their muscular arms bared to the shoulder. Some were +cutting off huge blanket-pieces; others chopping them small on the +horses; others throwing them into the pots, or with long poles stirring +the boiling fluid, or raking out the scraps, as the refuse is called, to +feed the flames; while others, again, were drawing off the oil into the +casks ready to receive it, and stowing them away in the hold. + +The whole of the following day and the following night found us employed +in a similar manner. At last the whole carcass was stripped to the very +flukes of every particle of blubber, and, to our no little satisfaction, +cast loose to float away, and to become a feast for the fish of the sea +and the birds of the air. The head, full of the valuable spermaceti, +was now floated alongside. A bucket was then forced down through the +neck; by means of a long pole, into the case, till, by repeated dips, it +was entirely emptied of its contents; and, as Knowles predicted, the +case was found to contain even more than a ton of oil. The spermaceti +was carefully boiled by itself--an operation necessary to preserve it. +The blubber surrounding the head was also taken off and boiled down, and +the empty skull was then cast loose, and sunk, by its own weight, with +rapidity to the bottom--there, perhaps, to form the caverned abode of +some marine monster never yet seen by human eye. It took us nearly +three days to cut-in, try-out, and stow away that huge whale, the +produce altogether being no less than eighty-five barrels! We broke +forth into loud shouts when our work was accomplished and our first fish +stowed away. + +I have no great sympathy with those who talk of the cruelty of the work. +A whale feels acutely, no doubt, and so does a mouse or a sparrow, when +wounded; but not having huge bodies to twist and turn about in their +agony, they do not appear to suffer so much as does the mighty monarch +of the deep. I suspect that the amount of pain felt by the small animal +is equally great with that felt by the large one. However, I would make +my argument a plea for merciful treatment of all alike, and urge that +pain should never be unnecessarily inflicted on even the smallest of +created beings in whose nostrils is the breath of life. + +Our success put us all in spirits, and we were ready to do or to dare +anything. Our captain had heard that sperm whales were to be found in +the icy seas towards the Antarctic Pole, and, accordingly, before +keeping across to New Zealand and the isles of the Indian Ocean, he +resolved to take a cruise to the south for a few weeks in order to try +our fortune. Over the seas on which we were sailing it was necessary, +both night and day, to keep a very sharp look-out; not only for whales, +but to avoid the dangers of coral-reefs, and islands of all sizes, which +in many parts sprinkle it so thickly. + +"Land ahead!" was shouted from the foretopmast-head one forenoon, as we +were slowly gliding over the blue surface of the deep. As we got up +with it, we saw that it was a long, low, almost barren island, a few +trees only in the higher parts retrieving it from actual sterility. It +was a wild, desolate, melancholy-looking spot, such as would make a man +shudder at the very thought of being wrecked on it. At one end, inside +a reef over which the surf was breaking violently, lay a dark object. +As the officers were inspecting it through their glasses, they +pronounced it to be a wreck. There could be no doubt about it, and +Captain Carr resolved at once to visit the spot, to discover whether any +of the crew still remained alive. + +As we stood on, a loud sound of roaring and yelping reached our ears, +and we saw on many of the rocks which surrounded the island a vast +number of seals, of the sort called "sea-lions." Newman and several of +us were eager to get in among them, to knock some of them on the head, +that we might make ourselves caps and jackets for our cruise in the icy +seas. The captain was equally anxious to get some seal-skins, and he +told us that, after we had visited the wreck, and explored the island, +we should try and catch some of the animals. + +Seals are curious-looking creatures. The head, with its large mild +eyes, and snout, and whiskers, looks like that of some good-natured, +intelligent dog; and one expects, as they are swimming, to see four legs +and a thin curly tail come out of the water. Instead of that, the body +narrows away till there is seen a tail like that of a fish. The +hind-feet are like those of a duck when in the water, and the front ones +have, beyond the skin, only a flapper or paw with claws, at the end of +it. They are covered with thick, glossy hair, closely set against the +skin. The form of their jaws and teeth proves that they are +carnivorous, and they are known to live on fish, crabs, and sea-birds. +The birds they catch in the water, as they can swim with great rapidity +and ease. They can remain also for a considerable time under the water, +without coming to the surface to breathe. + +The sea-lion, which was the species of seal we were hoping to attack, +grows to the length of ten feet. The colour is of a yellowish-brown, +and the males have a large mane, which covers their neck and shoulders, +so that they have very much the appearance of lions when their upper +part alone is seen above the water. Such were the monsters which seemed +to be guarding the island towards which we were pulling, their roar +vying in loudness with the hoarse sound of the surf as it beat on the +rock-bound shore. + +Newman and I were in the captain's boat. As we pulled in for the land, +we saw that the surf rolled up on every side, and for some time we could +not discover a clear spot through which we might urge the boats. We +continued pulling on for half a mile or more, and caught sight of what +appeared to be a channel between the reefs. The captain ordered us to +give way, and bending to our oars, we pulled on with a will. A sailor +loves a run on shore, even though that shore may be but a barren sand; +but here we had two objects to excite our interest. The deserted wreck +claimed our first attention. It was easy to see how she had got into +her present position. An unusually high-tide and heavy gale must have +lifted her over the reef, and driven her on shore; and the wind falling +before she had time to go to pieces, must have left her comparatively +safe from further injury. The captain stood up in his boat to watch for +an opportunity to enter the passage. + +"Now, again, my lads, give way!" he shouted. The boat lifted on the +summit of a roller, and rushing on with the dark rocks and hissing foam +on either side of us, in another instant we found ourselves calmly +floating in a reef-surrounded lagoon or bay. We had to pull back for +some distance to get to the wreck, and as we advanced, we looked along +the shore to discover, if we could, traces of any of the crew. All, +however, was silent and desolate. + +From the appearance of the island, Newman observed that he thought it +must be the crater of an extinct volcano, and that even the lapse of +ages had allowed scarcely soil enough to collect on it, to permit of +more than the scanty vegetation which was visible. + +As we approached the wreck, we found that she had gone stem on into the +mouth of a little creek, and there had been held fast by two rocks. Her +build at once made us suspect that she was a whaler like ourselves. All +her boats and bulwarks were gone, and her stern was much stove in. Her +main and mizzen-masts had been carried away, so had her foretopmast and +the head of the foremast below the top, the stump only remaining. On +this a yard still hung across, and the tattered fragment of a sail, +showing us that she had run stem on into her present position. As her +stern could be approached by water which was quite smooth, we ran the +boats under it, and climbed on board. The sea had made a clean breach +through the stern, and inundated the cabin, which presented a scene of +ruin and desolation. The bulkheads had been knocked away; the contents +of the sideboard, and sleeping-places, and lockers, all lay scattered +about, shattered into fragments, in the wildest confusion, among sand, +and slimy sea-weed, and shells, which thickly coated the whole of the +lower part of the cabin; while the hold itself, between which and the +cabin all the partitions had been knocked away, was full of water. No +living being remained on board to tell us how the catastrophe had +occurred. On going forward, we found that the rocks between which she +was jammed were separated from the shore, and that without a boat it +would have been difficult to get aboard. After the captain had examined +the wreck, he gave it as his opinion that she had been there three or +four years, if not longer. One thing appeared certain, that she could +not have got where she was without people on board to steer her; and +then the question arose, what had become of them? + +If any of them were still alive on the shore, they must long ago have +seen the ship, and would have been waiting to receive us. The captain +thought that they might have possibly been taken off by another ship +soon after the wreck; still he resolved not to return without having +searched thoroughly for them. We pulled round astern of the wreck, and +there, in a sort of natural dock, found an easy landing-place. + +As we walked across the island, we found that some of the lower spots, +the dells and valleys, produced a greater amount of vegetation than had +appeared at a distance; but could not retrieve the character of +desolation given by the black, barren hills, and dark abrupt cliffs +which arose on every side. We had given up all expectation of finding +anyone alive, or any signs of the spot ever having been inhabited, when +we heard a cry from Newman, who had wandered a little on one side. + +We found him standing on a green hillock, raised a little above the +valley, whence on one side a wide view over the blue sparkling sea could +be obtained, with some shrubs of semi-tropical luxuriance, and the +bright yellow sands forming the foreground, while behind arose the dark +frowning cliffs and hills I have described. On the top of the hillock +were four mounds, side by side, and at one end of each was seen a rough, +flat piece of wood, a rude substitute for a grave-stone. There were +names on them of Englishmen, and dates showing that they had died at +intervals of a month or two from one another. + +Where were the survivors?--who had buried these men? was now the +question. A group of cocoa-nut trees, all that were on the island, +marked the spot. It was one selected with much taste. The discovery +induced us to persevere in our search. We wandered on for another hour, +turning in every direction; for so full of undulations was the island, +that we might easily have passed the very spot we were in search of. At +last we were again called together by a shout from Newman. + +We found him standing before a rude hut erected in front of a cave, +which formed, indeed, a back apartment to it. There was only one rough +bed-place on one side of it, though there were several stools, and a +table in the centre. A seaman's chest stood open, and contained a few +articles of clothing. There were two muskets, and some powder-flasks +hung up against the wall; but there was no food, although an iron pot +and a saucepan, with a place where a fire had been made, showed that +provisions had at one time been cooked there. On a shelf there were +several books, both in English and in foreign languages, and above them +was a flute with a music-book. A few carpenter's tools were arranged on +another shelf. Several things showed that the place had last been +inhabited by a person of superior education. On opening the books, a +name was found in several of them. It was that of William Evans. Two +of them Newman discovered to be on medical subjects, which of course +made us conjecture that they had belonged to the surgeon of the ship. +The decayed state of the books showed that it was long since they had +been opened, and on a further examination of the hut, it also was found +to be in a very dilapidated condition. From the number of things left +in the hut, Captain Carr surmised that the last occupants must have left +the place very suddenly, if, indeed, they had left it at all. One thing +was certain, that we were not likely to find any of them on the island. + +We were, therefore, on our return to the boats, when I saw the figure of +a man sitting, with his back to a rock, on a gentle slope, whence a view +could be obtained of the blue ocean. I had separated a little from my +companions. I called to him, and I thought I heard him answer, "Halloa, +who calls?" His face was turned away from me, and he did not move. I +called again, and at that moment Newman broke through the brushwood, and +joined me. Together we climbed the hill, both equally surprised that +the man we saw did not get up to meet us. In another minute we were by +his side. The straw-hat, stained and in tatters, covered a skull; the +clothes, decayed and discoloured, hung loosely on a fleshless skeleton. +A book was by his side. It was a copy of a Latin poet--Horace, Newman +told me. Before him was another book of manuscript; and, as we looked +about, we picked up the remains of pencil, which had dropped from the +dead man's fingers. Newman opened the manuscript, and though it was +rotten, and the characters much defaced, he could still decipher them. +He glanced his eye rapidly over them. + +"Ah! poor fellow, his appears to have been a sad fate," he remarked, +with a voice full of sadness. "Compelled by a strong necessity to leave +England--to wrench asunder all the ties which held him there, and embark +on board a South-sea-man as surgeon--he seems to have had a hard life of +it with a drunken, brutal captain, and ignorant--not a human being with +whom he could sympathise. Unable to return home, after three years' +service he exchanged into another ship. His master and officers, with +all the boats, were away in chase of whales, which had appeared about +them in great numbers, when a gale arose. The crew, already too much +weakened by that scourge of the ocean, the scurvy, and the loss of +several men, were unable to shorten sail. The boats were far out of +sight, as they believed, to windward. In vain they endeavoured to beat +up to them. The main and mizzen-masts went by the board; and the gale +still further increasing, they were compelled to run before it, without +a prospect of picking up their shipmates in the boats. + +"Away they drove for several days before the wind, till one night all +who were below were thrown out of their berths by a violent concussion. +Again and again the ship struck--the sea beat in her stern. They rushed +on deck. It was to find nearly all those who had been there washed +away. The next instant, the ship again lifting, was carried into smooth +water, and finally jammed fast in the position we had found her. + +"Five only of all the crew then survived, and they were the most sickly. +The writer was himself suffering from illness; happily, however, he +bore up against it. They collected all the provisions, and all articles +likely to be useful, which the sea had not destroyed, and carried them +on shore, which they easily reached by means of a raft. + +"They had food enough to last them for some time; but they had but a +scanty supply of water. In vain they searched through the island--no +springs were to be found. With great labour they got up all the casks +of water still uninjured from the hold, and resolved to husband the +contents. They formed themselves a habitation. They made reservoirs in +which to catch the rain when it fell; but, in those latitudes, for many +weeks together no rain falls. For a time, with their fire-arms, they +killed a few birds; but their ammunition failed them, and they could +kill no more. Their water was at last expended, and for many weeks +together the only moisture they could obtain was by chewing the leaves +of the shrubs and grass they found. They continued, as at first, very +weak. They talked of building a boat from the wreck, but had neither +strength nor knowledge among them sufficient for the undertaking. + +"At last their spirits gave way, and disease made fearful progress with +them all. One by one they died, and the survivors buried them. The +writer of the sad journal was alone left." Alas! not a word did he say +about seeking consolation where alone it can be given--not a thought +about another world and judgment to come. The writer seemed to pride +himself on his heathen stoicism--heathen expressions of resignation were +alone mentioned. His dying eyes had rested on the pages of Horace--his +dying thoughts, were they heavenward? + +"In vain had he crawled to the spot where we found him, day after day, +in the faint hopes of seeing a ship to bear him away. Three long years +had thus passed, and all the food that had been brought on shore had +been consumed; and he had not strength to search for more, so he came up +there and sat himself down, and his spirit passed away." + +Mr Newman had read this rapid sketch of the last events in the life of +this unhappy exile before the captain came up, when he handed him the +journal. The captain desired Newman to keep the "Horace," observing +that he could not himself understand the contents. + +We had found some tools in the hut, with which we dug a shallow grave +close to where we had found these sad remains of mortality, and in it we +placed them. On the rock above we cut the name of William Evans, and +the date of the day on which we found him dead. Loading ourselves with +the articles found in the hut, Newman being allowed to take most of the +books as his share, we returned to the boats. + +Although a longer time had been spent on shore than the captain +intended, he allowed us to endeavour to capture some of the sea-lions. +After pulling, however, some way along the lagoon, we discovered that +they could not be approached from the land-side, as they had taken up +their quarters on some high rocks, almost islands by themselves, in +advance of the reefs. We were, therefore, compelled to pass into the +open sea before attacking them--the passage by which we entered; and, +waiting an opportunity, we dashed through in safety. + +As we approached the largest rock, it was curious to watch the hundreds, +or, I may say, thousands of fierce-looking monsters which covered its +slippery surface. It would have required bold men, not acquainted with +their habits, to attack them, as they looked down upon us from their +seemingly unapproachable fortress. On one side, the surf broke far too +fiercely to allow the boats to venture near; but on the other, although +there was a good deal of surf, Captain Carr told us we might land. The +only way, however, to get on shore was to pull in on the summit of a +breaker; and while those in the bow leaped out on the rock, the rest of +the crew had to pull back the boat again with all their force into +smooth water. We were armed for the attack with two or three harpoons, +a lance, and the boat's stretchers. + +"Stand by, my lads--now's the time!" shouted our captain, as the two +boats rolled in towards the shore. He led the way, lance in hand; +Newman and I and old Knowles following from his boat. Our sudden +appearance on the confines of their fortress evidently not a little +astonished the sea-lions. Opening wide their jaws, and gnashing with +their formidable tusks, they glanced at us from the heights above, and +then, with reiterated and terrific roars, began to descend with +impetuous force, as if with their overwhelming numbers to drive us into +the sea. An old sea-lion led the van--a fierce monster, who looked +capable of competing with all of us together. So he might, if he had +possessed legs instead of fins or flappers, the latter only enabling him +to twist and turn and slide down the inclined plane on which we stood +into the sea. On the beasts came in dense masses, roaring and snarling. +I certainly did look for a moment at the boats, and wish myself safe +back again in them; but it was only for a moment, for our antagonists +demanded all our strength and agility to compete with them. Our captain +advanced boldly towards the old leader, and as he came right at him, +plunged his lance into his side. It had not the effect of stopping the +beast in his career; but, instead, very nearly carried him and the lance +into the water. Old Knowles was, I thought, very inadequately armed +only with a thick stick, which he always carried on shore with him, +curiously cut and carved, and fastened to his wrist by a lanyard. + +"Let me alone," said he; "Old Trusty is better in a scrimmage, whether +with man or beast, than all your fire-arms and steel weapons. He always +goes off, and never gets blunt." + +Newman and I were armed with harpoons. Newman, following the captain's +example, plunged his harpoon into the side of a seal, just as the beast, +with the greatest impetus, was sliding down the rock. In attempting to +stop its way, his foot slipped, and with the line coiled round his arm, +before any of us could go to his assistance, he was dragged off into the +boiling waters. He was a first-rate swimmer, but with so huge a +sea-monster attached to him, how could he hope to escape. The rock +sloped in a different direction to where the boats were, so that they +could render him no assistance. I thought of the scene we had just +witnessed--the unhappy exile dying alone on the desert island--and I +dreaded a similar fate for my friend. With a cry of dismay we looked +towards the drowning man. He disappeared among the foaming breakers. + +Still, but with little hope, we watched the spot. Yes--there was his +head! He was swimming free! Bravely he mounted the crest of a roller; +it rushed in for the rock; but before he could find his footing, or we +could stretch out our arms to help him, he was carried off again among +the foaming waves. Meantime old Knowles had climbed up the rock in the +face of the sea-lions, whom he was knocking on the head right and left +with his club, and signalled the boats to pull round to Newman's +assistance. Still, however, with only a couple of hands in each, it +would take, I saw, a considerable time before they could reach him, and +I resolved to make one attempt to save his life, at the risk, though it +might be, of my own. Sticking my harpoon in a crevice of the rock which +my eye at that instant fell on, I seized the end of the line, and in +spite of the sea-lions, which kept rushing past me, I struck out into +the surf as I saw Newman once more approaching. Happily I grasped him +by the collar as the sea was once more heaving him back, and the captain +and other shipmates coming to our assistance, we were hauled safely up +the rocks. + +There was not now a moment to be lost if we would capture any seals. +Although many had escaped, still a good number remained near; and +following the example set by old Knowles, we began laying about us on +every side most lustily with our weapons, bestowing heavy blows on the +heads of the frightened beasts. One blow was generally sufficient to +stun, if not to kill them outright, and we then quickly despatched them +with our knives. "On, my lads, on!" cried the captain; and up the rocky +steep we went, meeting the maddened inhabitants as they came floundering +down upon us. We had literally often to climb over the fallen bodies of +the slain. Sometimes one of our party would miss his footing, and he +and half-a-dozen seals would go sliding away down the rock, the beasts +biting at him, and he struggling to get free, and in no small terror of +being carried away into the surf. Such would inevitably have been the +lot of more than one of us had not we all kept a watch to help each +other out of such difficulties. + +Our captain's combat with the old lion was the most severe. As the +captain, unwilling to lose his lance or the beast, holding on to the +former, was dragged downwards, they reached a ledge of rock which sloped +in an opposite direction to the surrounding parts, and thus formed a +table on which they could rest. Here the monster, finding that he could +not escape from his opponent, turned bravely to bay, and grinning with +his large, strong teeth, made fiercely at him. The captain held on +pertinaciously to the handle of the spear, springing actively out of the +way of the beast's mouth, as in its contortions and struggles it +approached him too nearly. The lion roared, and snarled, and struggled, +and the captain held on bravely, but I believe would soon have had to +let go had not old Knowles, springing down the rock, given the animal a +blow on the head with his stick, which effectually settled him. + +There were many other single combats, and more of one man against +half-a-dozen beasts; but the result was that we came off victorious +without the loss of anyone, while we could boast of having killed +upwards of sixty seals. Our next work was to flay them. This, in the +hands of experienced operators, was soon performed, and in a short time +we had sufficient skins ready to load our boats, and to make caps and +jackets for all hands, besides what were required for the ship's use. +The boats now came back to the spot where we were to embark, and by +carefully waiting our time, we leaped on board with no other damage than +wet jackets. + +"Williams," said Newman, as we were pulling on shore, "you have nobly +preserved my life at the risk of your own. I trust that I may be +grateful." + + + +CHAPTER EIGHTEEN. + +WHALING AND SEAL-CATCHING IN THE ICY REGIONS. + +Strong breezes, and cold and thick weather, showed us that we were +getting out of the genial latitudes, in which, without much success, we +had been for some time cruising, and were approaching those icy regions +which encircle the Antarctic Pole. Newman had made such progress in his +knowledge of seamanship, that he was not only considered competent to +undertake all the ordinary duties of a seaman, but was more trusted than +many of the older hands. He soon gave evidence that this confidence was +not misplaced. He and I were in the same watch. This was a great +satisfaction to me, as I benefited largely by his conversation, which I +was now beginning fully to appreciate. + +One night we had the middle watch, and were together on the look-out +forward. It was unusually dark; neither moon nor stars were visible, +and the clouds hung down in a thick canopy over us. A strong breeze was +blowing from the southward and eastward, and we were standing to the +south-west with our port-tacks aboard. The sea was not very heavy, but +it struck me at the time that it was somewhat uneven and irregular, and +this made me suspect that we might be in the neighbourhood of land or +fields of ice. Newman was talking of the Aurora Australis, and telling +me how much he longed to see its effect in its fullest brilliancy, when +suddenly he seized my arm with a firm grasp. + +"Williams!" he exclaimed, "do you see that unusual whiteness glimmering +there ahead, and on our starboard bow? I hear the surf beating on it! +I'm sure it's an iceberg! Starboard your helm! Luff all you can! +Starboard for your lives!" he shouted, rushing aft to see this done. I +meantime called on those on deck to get a pull at the head-braces; an +inch might save the ship. + +There was no time for ceremony; no time to announce the fact in set form +to the officer of the watch. This was the second mate. He was, +happily, a sensible man. He at once comprehended the emergency, and +gave the necessary orders to brace up the yards, and bring the ship +close upon a wind. We were not a moment too soon in anything that was +done. The white glimmering appearance grew every instant more distinct, +till it resolved itself into a vast massive iceberg towering high above +the mast-heads, while the roar of the breakers which dashed against its +sides increased in loudness. The ship heeled over to the gale till her +yard-arms seemed almost to touch the floating mountain. Still she stood +up bravely to her canvas, closely hugging the wind. Had a rope been +rotten, had a spar given way, our fate might have been sealed. In one +instant after striking, the ship and everything in her might have been +dashed to atoms. + +The man with firmest nerves among all our crew watched that lofty berg, +as we rushed by it in our midnight course, with feelings of awe and +anxiety, if not of alarm, and drew a breath more freely when he looked +over the quarter and saw the danger past. It was not the only one we +encountered that night. Sail had been shortened; but it was evidently +necessary, after the warning we had received, to keep the ship as much +as possible under command. + +On, on we flew through the murky night, the gale every moment increasing +in force, and the sea rising and breaking in unexpected directions. We +had again kept away on our course. Sail was still further reduced. The +cold had before been considerable; it now much increased, and our decks +were covered with ice. Captain Carr had, the moment we sighted the +iceberg, come on deck; the watch below were called, and every one was at +his post. It was not a time for anyone to be spared. We had evidently +got into the icy regions sooner than had been expected. Intending to +get out of them, the captain gave the order to keep away; but scarcely +had we done so when an ice-field was seen extending away on our lee-bow +and ahead, and we were again obliged to haul up, hoping to get round it. +On, therefore, we sailed; but as we advanced we found the ice-field +extending away on our starboard-beam, the sea breaking over it with a +noise which warned us what would be the consequence if we should strike +it. + +Let our position be pictured for an instant. The fierce waves dashing +wildly and irregularly about us; the storm raging fiercely; the ship +driving onwards through pitchy darkness; wide, massive fields of ice +extending on every side; huge icebergs floating around we knew not +where; no lighthouse, no chart to guide us; our eyes and ears stretched +to the utmost, giving but short warning of approaching danger. Such are +the scenes which wear out a commander's strength, and make his hair turn +quickly grey. We knew full well that dangers still thickly surrounded +us, and heartily did we wish for the return of day to see them. Newman +and I were again forward. I was telling him that I had heard of a ship +striking a berg, and of several of her people being saved on it, while +she went down, when he startled me by singing out with a voice of +thunder, "Ice ahead!" At the same moment old Knowles cried out, "Ice on +the weather-bow!" and immediately I had to echo the shout with "Ice on +the lee-bow!" and another cried, "Ice abeam!" + +To tack would have been instant destruction; to wear, there was no room. +Every moment we expected to feel the awful crash as the stout ship +encountered the hard ice. Captain Carr rushed forward. We must dash +onward. Though no opening could be seen, there might be one! Onward we +careered. Every man held his breath; and pale, I doubt not, turned the +faces of the bravest. Suddenly, high above us, on the weather-side, +appeared another iceberg. The sea became almost calm; but it was a +calmness fraught with danger rather than safety. The sails, caught by +the eddy-wind, were taken aback. In another moment we might have been +driven, without power of saving ourselves, under that frowning cliff of +ice. The storm raged above us--before us--behind us--on every side but +there we lay, as if exhausted. Still the ship had way on her, and we +continued our course. The channel was too narrow to allow the helm to +be put up. + +Just as she was losing her way, and would inevitably, through the force +of the eddy-wind, have got stern-way on her, her headsails again felt +the force of the gale, and, like a hound loosed from the leash, she +started forward on her course. Again we were plunging madly through the +wildly breaking seas; but the wind blew steadily, and the ice-fields +widened away on either side till they were lost to view. Once again we +were saved by a merciful Providence from an almost inevitable +destruction. Still, we had some hours of darkness before us, and an +unknown sea full of ice-islands through which we must pass. Not an eye +was closed that night. Again we were close to one, but we were now +better able to distinguish them than at first. This time we had to keep +away, and run to the northward; but before long, there arose ahead of us +a fourth iceberg. Again we sprung to the braces, the helm was put down, +and, once more close-hauled, we weathered the danger. + +Thus we hurried on--narrowly escaping danger after danger till daylight +approached. Before, however, the sun arose, the gale fell; the clouds +cleared away; and a bright gleam appeared in the eastern sky. Up shot +the glorious sun, and never shall I forget the scene of gorgeous +magnificence his bright rays lighted. Both sky and sea became of a deep +blue--the water calm and clear as crystal--while all around us floated +mountains of brilliant whiteness, like masses of the purest alabaster, +of every varied form and size. Many were 200 feet high, and nearly a +third of a mile in length. Some had perpendicular sides, with level +summits--fit foundations, it might seem, for building cities of marble +palaces, or fortresses for the kings of the East. Some, again, were +broken into every fantastic form conceivable--towers and turrets, spires +and minarets, domes and cupolas; here, the edifices found most commonly +under the symbol of the crescent; there, those of the cross: Norman +castles, Gothic cathedrals, Turkish mosques, Grecian temples, Chinese +pagodas, were all here fully represented, and repeated in a thousand +different ways. Others had been broken or melted into the forms of +jagged cliffs, gigantic arches, lofty caverns, penetrating far away into +the interior. Scarcely a shape which is to be found among the butting +crags, sea-beat headlands, or mountain summits, in every part of the +world, was not there represented in the most brilliant and purest of +materials. Whole cities, too, were there to be seen pictured; squares +and streets, and winding lanes, running up from the water's edge, like a +ruined Genoa, with marble palaces, and churches, and alabaster +fountains, and huge piles of buildings of every possible form standing +proudly up amid the ocean, the whole appearing like some scene of +enchantment rather than a palpable reality. Here was seen a lofty +mountain rent in two by some fierce convulsion of nature; there, a city +overturned: here, rocks upheaved and scattered around in wild confusion; +there, deep gorges, impenetrable ravines, and terrific precipices;-- +indeed, here Nature, in her wildest and most romantic forms, was fully +represented. The beauty of the wondrous spectacle was heightened when +the sun arose, from the varied gorgeous tints which flashed from +mountain-top and beetling cliff, from tower, turret, and pinnacle, where +its bright rays fell on them as they slowly moved round in their +eccentric courses. No words, however, can describe the dazzling +whiteness and brilliancy of the floating masses. From some of the most +lofty, fountains might be seen gushing down, as from a mountain's top +when the fierce rays of the sun melt the long-hardened snow; while in +and out of the deep caverns the sea-birds flew and screamed, peopling +those dreary solitudes with joyous life. + +The sun soon melted the ice from off our decks and rigging, and as we +sailed onward the air became warm and genial. The most insensible of us +could not but admire the scene; but Newman could scarcely repress his +exclamations of delight and surprise. His sketch-book was brought out, +and rapidly he committed to paper some of the most remarkable portions +of the beautiful scene. Still, no pencil, no colours could represent +the glorious, the magnificent tints in which the sea and sky, and the +majestic varied-shaped icebergs, were bathed, as the sun, bursting forth +from his ocean-bed, glided upwards in the eastern heavens. Numbers of +birds came circling round the ship in their rapid flight, or were seen +perched on the pinnacles of the bergs, or flying among their caverned +recesses--albatrosses, snow-white petrels, penguins, and ducks of +various sorts. + +The albatross--Diomedea, as Newman called it--is the most powerful and +largest of all aquatic birds. Its long hard beak is very strong, and of +a pale yellow colour. The feet are webbed. I have seen some, the wings +of which, when extended, measured fifteen feet from tip to tip, while +they weighed upwards of twenty pounds. It feeds while on the wing, and +is very voracious, pouncing down on any object which its piercing eye +can discover in the water; and many a poor fellow, when swimming for his +life, having fallen overboard, has been struck by one, and sunk to rise +no more. + +The snow-white petrel is a beautiful bird, and in its colours offers a +strong contrast to the stormy petrel, (_Thalassidroma_), the chief part +of whose plumage is of a sooty black, and others dark brown. Instead of +being dreaded by seamen, it ought to be looked upon as their friend, for +it seems to know long before they do when a storm is approaching, and by +its piercing cry and mode of flight warns them of the coming danger. +Seamen, however, instead of being grateful, like the world of old, the +world at present, and the world as it ever will be, look upon these +little prophets with dread and hatred, and in their ignorance and +stupidity consider them the cause of the evil portended. + +Penguins are found only in the Antarctic Ocean. They derive their name +from _pinguis_, "fat," they being noted for that quality. Their legs +are placed so far back that, when on shore, they stand almost upright. +Though on land their movements are very awkward, yet when in the water-- +which, more than the air, must be considered their natural element, as +their wings are too small to allow them to fly--they are bold birds, and +will bravely defend themselves or their young when attacked, and will +advance on a retreating enemy. + +We had not been long in these icy regions before we reaped an ample +reward for all the dangers we had encountered. As we looked over the +side, we observed the water full of animalcules, while vast quantities +of shrimps of various sorts were seen in the neighbourhood of the +icebergs; but what still more raised our hopes of finding whales, were +the numbers of large squid, or cuttle-fish, on which, as I have said, +they chiefly feed. We were watching a huge fellow floating near the +ship, with outstretched tentaculae, of arms, extending an immense +distance from his head, and with which he was dragging up into his +voracious mouth thousands of animalculae every moment--and from his size +he seemed capable of encircling the body of any unfortunate person he +might find swimming--when the cry was heard from aloft of "There she, +spouts--there she spouts!" + +In an instant Newman's lecture of natural history, which he was giving +us, was brought to a conclusion. All hands were on deck, and four boats +were manned and lowered, and pulled away after no less than three fine +bull whales, which appeared at the same instant round the ship. There +is a danger in attacking a whale near an iceberg which is avoided in the +open sea. When he is fast, he may sound under it, and come up on the +other side; but instinct warns him not to come up so as to strike his +head against it. + +Newman and I had already gone in the boats, and had proved ourselves no +bad oarsmen on the occasion. He, indeed, had been allowed by the +captain to use the harpoon when one of the officers was ill, and had +succeeded in striking his first fish in a way which gained him much +credit. On this occasion, however, we both remained on board. + +Suddenly, not far from the ship, another whale rose to the surface, and, +in a most extraordinary manner, began to turn, and twist, to throw half +his huge bulk at a time out of the water, and furiously to lash it with +his tail till he was surrounded with a mass of foam. The boats were in +another direction, or we should have thought he had been wounded, and +had a lance or harpoon sticking in him, from which he was endeavouring +to free himself. He swam on, however, and approached the ship, still +continuing his extraordinary contortions. As he drew near, he lifted +his enormous head out of the water, when we saw hanging to his lower jaw +a large fish, twenty feet long or so, from which he was thus in vain +endeavouring to free himself! We had no little cause to be alarmed, as +he drew near, for the safety of the ship herself; for, in the blindness +of his agony, he might unintentionally strike her, or he might rush +against her side to get rid of his pertinacious enemy. More than once +the whale threw himself completely out of the water; but the fish still +hung on to his bleeding jaw. Together they fell again into the sea, +while all around them was stained of a crimson hue from the blood so +copiously flowing from the worried monster. + +"That's a killer!" cried old Tom. "He'll not let go the whale till he +has him in his flurry, and then he and his mates will make a feast of +him. They have great strong teeth, bigger than a shark's, and are the +most voracious fish I ever saw. They bait a whale just as dogs do a +wild beast, or a bull, and seldom fail to kill him if they once get hold +of him." + +This killer had a long dorsal fin, and a brown back and white belly. On +came the whale and the fish, twisting and turning as before. We all +stood ready to try and send them off--though very little use that would +have been, I own. Happily they floundered by just astern of the ship; +but so violent were their movements, and by such a mass of foam and +blood were they surrounded, that it was difficult to observe the +appearance of the killer. Equally impossible would it have been to have +approached the whale to harpoon him without an almost certainty of +losing the boat and the lives of all her crew. We could, therefore, +only hope that the whale might be conquered when still within sight, so +that the boats might carry off the prize from the relentless killer. +Away went the monster and his tormentor. Soon we could no longer +distinguish them from the deck; but on going aloft, we again caught +sight of them, still floundering on as before. + +"That fish gives us a lesson of what pertinacity will accomplish, even +in conquering the greatest of difficulties," observed Newman, laughing. +"I admire the way in which he sticks to his object. He has made up his +mind to kill the whale, and kill the whale he will." + +"Ay, and eat him too, Ned, as he deserves," said old Knowles. "Some of +us might learn a lesson from that fish, I'm thinking." + +"I have been killing whales all my life," Newman remarked to me with a +forced laugh. "But somehow or other, Jack, I never have found out how +to eat them." + +"Overcoming difficulties, but not benefiting by them!" said I. "There +must be a fault somewhere." + +"Ay, Jack, ay--a fault in myself, and a curse well-deserved," he +answered, bitterly, and then was silent. I never before had heard him +speak in that way, and I did not venture to ask for an explanation. + +That saying of Newman became common ever afterwards on board, when we +saw a man determined to do a thing--"Kill the whale he will!" + +I have often thought since, how seldom sailors, especially, learn to eat +whales. What sums of money they make and throw carelessly away!--amply +sufficient to enable them to pass the end of their days in comfort on +shore, or to provide respectably for their families, instead, as is +often the case with the merchant-seaman, ending their days in a +poor-house, or leaving their families to the cold charity of the world. +Brother seamen, learn wisdom! Prepare for the future of this life; and, +more than all, prepare for the life to come. + +Two of the whales chased were captured and brought alongside, when we +set to work to cut-in and try-out with all the rapidity we could exert. +In those high southern latitudes the weather is very variable, and we +knew that a change might come and deprive us of our prey. We were, +however, fortunate in securing both whales, and between them they gave +us one hundred and sixty barrels of fine oil. Before, however, the +boats had returned with their prizes, the whale and the killer had got +far out of sight even from the mast-head. We continued for some time +fishing in those quarters, amply rewarded for the dangers we had +encountered by the success we met with. Sometimes, however, we were +days and days together without even seeing a whale; and several were +lost, after chasing them with much toil and difficulty. + +Newman contributed much all the time to keep the people in good humour, +by always finding them employment; and Captain Carr, unlike some masters +I have met with, afforded him every assistance in his plans. Among +other things, he established regular classes below, and, with the +exception of one or two very idle, stupid fellows, all the crew belonged +to one or other of them. Besides a reading and writing class, he had an +arithmetic and geography class, and a music and a drawing class. His +singing class was the most numerous, and he very soon taught nearly all +hands to sing together in admirable tune and time. I at first +exclusively attended the reading and writing class, devoting every +moment I was off duty to my books; so that, much to my own surprise and +delight, I soon found that I could read with ease and satisfaction. +Writing was a more difficult task: to one whose fingers had never been +accustomed to the cramped position required for holding a pen. Still, +Newman had a way of overcoming that difficulty. Making me throw the +weight of my body on my left side, he left my right hand and fingers +free, and kept me for some time with a dry pen simply moving up and down +across the page. Even when I had begun to form letters, at the +commencement of every lesson he made me follow this plan for a few +minutes, that, as he said, I might get my fingers into training before I +disfigured the paper and became disgusted with my own performance. He +himself seemed never to grow weary of teaching. No ignorance or +stupidity daunted him; and it used to surprise me that a man of such +extensive information and extraordinary talents, should take the trouble +of imparting knowledge to people who were so immeasurably his inferiors. +I used to observe, from the first, that he was never for a moment idle. +"Ned must always be doing something or other," old Tom observed of him. +"It's all the better for him that he is afloat. If he were on shore, +he would be doing mischief." His great object seemed to be to fly from +himself. Sometimes, when I was talking with him, from the strangeness +of his remarks, and from his bursts of feeling, I thought that there +must be a touch of madness about him; but then, again, immediately +afterwards, he would say something so full of thought and sense, that I +banished the idea. + +To me he proved the greatest blessing. I was becoming a new character. +I had discovered powers within me of which I before had no conception. +I had gone on through life, if not rejoicing in my ignorance, at least +indifferent to it. I had picked up a certain amount of knowledge from +the conversation of others, but it was ill-digested, and I was full of +the grossest prejudices. I have scarcely, indeed, given a correct +notion of what I was up to this time. I might describe myself just as I +once heard a shipmate spoken of--as _just an ignorant common sailor_. +Such I had been. I could now read. I could dive into the rich stores +collected by other minds, and make them my own. Without robbing others, +I could appropriate their wealth, and enjoy all the benefits it could +afford. Once having begun to read, the taste grew on me. I read +through and through every book Newman possessed. + +After a time, as his talents came to be known and appreciated by the +captain, and officers, and surgeon, he was able to borrow books from +them, which he allowed me to read. Although not many of them were very +enlightening, they served to show me my own ignorance from the allusions +they made, which I was totally unable to comprehend; and this only made +me desire to gain further information, which it was somewhat difficult +to obtain. As to Newman himself, he literally devoured every book which +came in his way. He soon read through every book to be found on board; +and whenever we fell in with another ship, he used to borrow all he +could, or exchange his own books for others. Unfortunately, the +literature in those days to be found at sea was generally of a very +inferior character, and not at all calculated to improve its readers. +Still, some knowledge was gleaned from all but the worst, and some +errors and prejudices corrected. Newman had, however, certain +favourites among his books, both English and foreign, which he would on +no account have parted with. These he used frequently to read to me in +our spare hours, or when we were engaged in such work as required our +hands alone to be employed. I observed, indeed, after a little time, +that we had far less employment found for us than had been the case in +other ships on board which I had served; and this, I suspect, was +because we found it for ourselves, or rather Newman found it for us. I +never met with men so contented and happy as we all became; and this I +could only account for by supposing that we were interested in our +various occupations. + +Newman was also the great peacemaker on board. Whenever a dispute +arose, he always inquired the point at issue, and, without allowing time +for the temper of either party to become irritated, he generally +contrived to settle the matter. If he could not manage that, he used to +try and raise a laugh by some absurd observation, or would place the +position assumed by one man or the other in so ridiculous a light, that +he seldom failed to show him that he was wrong. + +One thing I remarked about Newman was, that he never alluded to any +religious subject. I never saw him pray. He had no Bible or +Prayer-book with him. I never heard him give utterance to a sentiment +of piety, or of trust in God's mercy or fear of his anger. I did, on +the contrary, frequently hear him praise the Greek and Roman +philosophers of old, and he often spoke of the stoicism and heroism of +the heathens. Still he neither blasphemed, nor cursed, nor swore, nor +did he ever attempt to instil any infidel notions into the minds of any +of us. However, I fear that he was, to all intents and purposes, a +heathen. I doubt, indeed, whether he ever had any religion. I suspect +that he was brought up without any; and that at no time, during the +period he was gaining his education, did he meet with anyone to instruct +him. I could not even then help contrasting the confiding piety and +true religion of my old shipmates, Peter Poplar and Captain Gale, with +the entire want of it which he displayed. + +Indeed, Captain Carr, though a kind and worthy man, and a good sailor, +was sadly unenlightened as to the truth; and all the years I served with +him we neither had prayers nor any religious observance whatever on +board. On a Sunday, if the weather was fine, and no whales were in +sight, we put on clean clothes, mended and washed our old ones, and had +an additional glass of grog served out, with less work than usual given +us to do. On board most South-Seamen every day in the week was much the +same. It was a fact, I fear, and one painful to contemplate, that +Newman, with all his great and varied talents, lived on as if there were +no God in the world. I do not mention this without a purpose. It seems +strange that it was from such a man I received the instruction which +enabled me ultimately to attain to a knowledge of, and active belief in, +the truth. It shows by what varied instruments God works to bring about +his gracious purposes. It convinced me of the power and effect of +grace. Here was I, sunk deep myself in ignorance, and living among +those who were equally unaware of the truth, called out of darkness into +His marvellous light. But I am anticipating events. + +We continued cruising near the Antarctic Circle during the few short +months of summer with unvaried success. We had frequent displays at +night of the Aurora Australis. Sometimes the whole southern hemisphere +would be covered with arches of a beautiful straw-colour, from which +streamers would radiate, both upwards and downwards, of a pure +glittering white. The stars would be glittering brightly overhead; +while, from east-south-east to west-north-west, a number of concentric +arches would appear, forming a complete canopy in the sky; then suddenly +they would vanish, again shortly to appear. Some nights it appeared in +the form of cumuli, tinged with pale yellow; and behind them arose +brilliant red, purple, orange, and yellow tints, streaming upwards in +innumerable radiations, with every combination of shade which these +colours could produce. Another night we saw a bright crescent, and from +it feathery-edged rays, of a pale orange colour, branched off in every +direction, while across it a succession of the prismatic colours +appeared rapidly to flit. Indeed, it is difficult to describe the +various forms which the Aurora assumes. + +One of the most curious sights I ever beheld we witnessed some time +after this. It was the appearance of the sun and moon above the horizon +at the same time: the moon, which was nearly full, throwing her light-- +stolen from the sun, which blazed forth at the same time--on the world +of icebergs. It was as if we had been looking on two distinct scenes. +On one side, the bright rays of the luminary of day were throwing a +golden hue on the vast mountain masses of ice which floated on the blue +waters; on the other, the pale orb of night cast a silvery fringe on the +clouds which surrounded it. There was, indeed, no night; the +binnacle-lamp was not even lighted; and we were able to continue, +without cessation, trying-out a whale, whose carcase floated alongside. +Among other curious things I observed, were large masses of rock-- +boulders they are called--embedded in the base and centre of icebergs. +It shows that they must originally have been formed on shore, and then +floated away by some unusually high-tide or commotion of the sea. It +explains also the appearance of boulders in places where it would be +difficult otherwise to account for their being found. + +I have seen birds in great numbers on rocks in the ocean, in different +parts of the globe, but never have I beheld so many as there were on an +island we one day sighted before steering north. There was but little +wind, and as the captain thought a supply of birds, although of a +somewhat fishy taste, would be an acceptable addition to our daily fare +of salt junk and salt pork, he directed the third mate, with Newman, me, +and four other men, to take a boat and bring off as many as we could +kill. Calm as it was, the surf rolled so heavily in on the rocks that +it was a work of no little difficulty and danger to approach them so as +to gain a footing out of the reach of the waves. The mate ordered an +anchor to be let go, and, veering away on the cable, we dropped +gradually in; and while, boat-hook in hand, one at a time leaped on +shore, the boat-keepers with their oars kept the boat head to sea, and +as soon as we had landed, which we did not succeed in doing without a +thorough ducking, they hauled the boat off beyond the breakers. + +The island on which we stood was a wild, desolate place. Not a tree or +a shrub was to be seen; but the hills, which rose to a considerable +height above the ocean, were covered with a long thick grass, of a +character similar to what grows on the Falkland Islands. Here and there +dark rocks cropped out, and the sides of the island were formed in many +parts of lofty, precipitous cliffs; while in others, such as the place +we had landed on, were rugged rocks sloping gradually down to the sea. +A thick fringe of kelp, a slippery sort of sea-weed, added somewhat to +the difficulties of our landing. As we advanced, we were assailed by +the most frightful gabbling, and screeching, and quacking I ever heard, +from thousands and thousands of wild-fowls, chiefly penguins of various +species. The whole hillside was literally covered with them and their +eggs in dense masses. Nothing daunted at our appearance, when they +found that the hubbub they made could not compel us to retreat, they +commenced a fierce attack on us with their beaks, pulling at our +trousers and pecking at our flesh. In our own defence we were obliged +to lay about us with the boat's stretchers, and to knock them right and +left on the head. Some, however, took warning from the fate of their +companions; but while those at a distance gabbled and screeched louder +than ever, those in the front waddled boldly up to the assault. As far +as we could judge, we must have slaughtered the whole colony, or been +pecked to death by them if we had attempted to sit down to rest. Every +inch of their native soil, like true patriots, they bravely disputed +with us; and when any of us, for fun, retreated, to see what they would +do, they advanced erect and determined, rolling their heads from side to +side in the most comical way, their power of vision residing only in the +lower part of each eye. Then they would throw their heads backwards, +and utter sounds very like the braying of a jackass; from which +circumstance they have been called the Jackass Penguins. All the time, +their little wings were actively employed as legs to expedite their +movements. When in the water, they use their wings as fins to dive. +When they rise again after a dive, they come up with so sudden a dash, +instantly being down again, that it is often difficult to say whether +they are fish or fowl. The most acceptable part of the spoils were +their eggs, which we picked up in great quantities, and stowed away for +safety in our caps and hats. Newman and I being in advance of the +party, came upon a large rock, on and about which were perched a number +of much larger birds than those we had seen below. They sat quietly +looking at us till we approached, and then they commenced scolding us as +the others had done. They appeared to be arranged in the most perfect +order, in ranks like those of an army, each class being by themselves. +In one place were hen-birds sitting on their eggs; in another, the +mother-birds tending their newly-hatched young; while their mates were +away over the ocean fishing for their dinners--a labour in which the +hens very soon assist their partners. The moulting birds sit by +themselves; and the bachelors, I conclude, have also to dwell in +solitude. When we frightened the sitting-hens, we observed that they +had a peculiar way of lifting up their eggs between their legs, and +waddling off with them. These birds which were much larger than those +seen below, are called King Penguins. We each carried off one over our +shoulders as trophies. + +After we left the ship, another boat was lowered to attack some +sea-lions, which had been observed on a rock a little way off. We saw +our shipmates commencing the attack as we went up the hill. Several +were harpooned. One huge monster, notwithstanding a severe wound, +managed to make his escape. As we returned down the hill, we found +ourselves at the edge of a deep gully, into which the sea dashed, +leaping up on either side, but leaving in the centre a space of +comparatively clear water. As we looked down into it, we saw it +curiously disturbed, and soon there rose to the surface two monsters, +which seemed to be attacking each other with the greatest fury. We +could have no doubt that they were sea-lions; and from the blood which +flowed from the neck of one of them, we guessed that he was the one we +had seen wounded. No animals on shore could have fought more +desperately, although their teeth alone could be used as weapons of +assault. They swam at each other, seizing each other's snouts, and +fins, and lips, and struggled, and turned, and floundered about, till a +big sea rushing up, carried both of them out of our sight. + +"Such are human combats," observed Newman, with one of his peculiar +laughs. "The sharks or the birds of prey will alone benefit by their +folly." + +While we were speaking, we saw several huge albatrosses flying, at the +speed almost of lightning, towards the island. Instantly they pounced +down on some of the birds we had killed; but finding that they had not +yet a sufficiently high flavour to suit their palates, they picked up +some of the eggs which we had compelled the jackass penguins to desert, +and flew off with them, it was impossible to say where. We returned to +the ship with a boat-load of birds and eggs, but not without a thorough +ducking. + +While I am on the subject of natural history, I will describe another +species of seal, which we found on some islands on which we landed. We +went on shore, as we had before done, armed with clubs and lances, to +capture some of them. It required a knowledge of their inert and +slothful character to give us courage to attack them with the weapons +which we possessed, for in size and appearance they were most +formidable-looking monsters. They were from twenty-five to thirty feet +long, and some eighteen feet in circumference. Their heads are armed +with large tusks and formidable teeth, and the male has the power of +elongating the upper lip into the form of a proboscis, from which +circumstance they are called sea-elephants. They are only found in +those regions in the summer, as they migrate into warmer latitudes in +the winter. We very quickly dispatched a number of them with blows on +the head, and then towed them off to the ship, where each produced some +eighty gallons of oil. Their skins also, which are of great use for +many purposes, were preserved. + +The nights were again shortening, when, just before dark, it came on to +blow hard. Sail was taken off the ship, and those with the best eyes on +board were stationed on each bow and at the bowsprit-end, to give notice +of any dangers in sight. We were standing to the westward, going free, +our captain intending soon to haul up for the northward. It was the +darkest part of the still short night, when the lookers-out ahead gave +notice that they heard the crashing sound of ice grinding together. +Directly afterwards the words "Ice ahead!" echoed along the deck. +Immediately the starboard tacks were hauled aboard, and the ship was +kept to the northward. + +Again the startling cry was heard, "Ice on the lee-bow!" then "Ice +ahead!" The ship had good way on her. The helm was put down. We flew +to the tacks and sheets, and about she came, her counter actually +grazing a sheet of ice, against which in another moment she would have +struck! We could now only steer to the southward, where we knew more +ice must be found, so that we must speedily be about again. It was +necessary to keep sufficient sail on the ship to enable us to work her +quickly. + +On we stood into the darkness, with a knowledge that danger was ahead of +us. "Ice! ice ahead!" was again the cry. We wore about, but just in +time to escape contact with it. We could not tell all the time whether +the ice-fields might not be closing on us. Every tack we made was +shorter and shorter. Still, our only hope was to beat out of the narrow +passage into which the ship had run. + +Many tacks were made. A huge iceberg, dimly glimmering through the +obscurity, towered up before us; yet, though dim, not the less terrific. +The helm was put down. There might be space between it and the +field-ice to the southward of it. The southern field hove in sight; we +tacked, but just in time. Then on we rushed towards the iceberg, +beating closely into the wind. Again it appeared on our lee-bow; the +ship heeled over to the breeze. On we rushed--a flaw of wind heading us +would send us to destruction. The wind held steady. + +On, on we rushed, the foam flying over our bows and freezing as it fell. +A towering cliff of ice appeared over our mast-heads--still we hurried +on. There was a loud thundering clash. The stoutest held their breath +for fear. Our deck was deluged with spray. Several quickly-following +seas struck our stern, lifting the ship before them. The summit of the +vast iceberg had fallen--perhaps by the concussion of the air as we +moved under it. A moment later, and we should have been crushed to +atoms--driven far, far down into the depths of the ocean! The iceberg +was passed. It seemed to be guarding the portals of that narrow inlet. +As the dawn came on, we could discover the ice trending away to leeward. +All day we stood on, gradually increasing our distance from icebergs +and fields of ice, till we had, to our no little satisfaction, left them +far astern. + + + +CHAPTER NINETEEN. + +A VISIT TO JAVA. + +We had won many a prize from the vasty deep with no little toil, and +visited many strange people living under burning suns, when we found +ourselves at anchor in the Roads of Batavia, the capital of the large +and fertile island of Java. It was taken by the English in the year +1811 from the Dutch, or rather from the French, who had temporary +possession of it. The British fleet employed on the occasion was under +the command of Admiral Sir Robert Stopford, and the army under that of +General Wetherall and Colonel Gillespie. That admirable and talented +man, Sir Stamford Raffles--the greatest benefactor the islands of the +East had ever known, till Sir James Brooke followed in his footsteps, +was then appointed governor, and had his counsels and prayers been +followed, it would still have been a bright jewel in the British crown. +Unhappily neither were heeded. His letters describing the fertility and +unbounded resources, when properly developed, of that immense territory, +remained unread, unopened at the Colonial Office; and at the general +peace Java was cast back as a worthless trifle into the heap to be +enjoyed by others, which England had gained by so much blood and +treasure. The Dutch took possession, and very speedily re-established +the system of close monopoly and grinding tyranny which the enlightened +policy of Sir Stamford Raffles had abolished. + +Newman had now so completely established himself in the good opinion of +the captain, that he was treated more as an officer than a foremast-man, +and whenever duty would allow, he was permitted to go on shore to visit +whatever was worthy of notice. He looked upon me completely in the +light of a pupil, in whose advancement he had the deepest interest. +"Never mind how old you are," he used to say; "you will outlive me yet +by many a year, and will have plenty of use for all the information you +can pick up before you die." I little thought at the time how true his +words would prove. He used in joke to call me hardy Old Jack; and +certainly for many years I never had had an hour's illness. The truth +is, that I was gifted with a sound constitution, and had avoided playing +tricks with it, as a great number of people do, and then complain of the +sicknesses with which they are afflicted, shutting their eyes to the +fact that they have brought them on themselves entirely in consequence +of their own folly. + +While we lay at Batavia, I was constantly on shore with Newman. The +Roads of Batavia are rather more than a quarter of a league from the +city, and are guarded from the prevailing winds by a dozen small islands +outside them. The ground on which the city stands bears evident signs +of having been thrown up by the sea, but rises gradually to the +mountains ten leagues off behind it. The River Jacatra runs through the +city, and it is intersected likewise in all directions by canals. It +has also a moat running round it, as likewise a wall of coral-rock. Its +defences consist of twenty bastions, and a castle near the sea, with a +mud-bank in front of it. It is, indeed, completely a Dutch city. But +besides its numberless canals and ditches, as it is situated in a dead +marshy flat, and is surrounded with dirty fens, bogs, and morasses, over +which a tropical sun sends down its burning rays, drawing up noxious +vapours of every description, it may be considered, taken all in all, as +one of the most unhealthy cities of the civilised world. By care and +proper drainage these defects might be amended, and, as the general +temperature of the atmosphere is not excessive, it might become as +healthy as any other place in those regions. + +Java is about two hundred miles long and forty broad, and has numerous +deep inlets along the northern coast, where ships may anchor during the +good or south-east monsoon. A chain of mountains, from which a number +of rivers descend to the sea, runs down the centre, and divides the +island into two parts. The air is cooled by the sea-breezes, which, as +in the West Indies, set in every day. The soil is particularly rich. +It is cultivated by buffaloes, and in some places one is sufficient to +drag a plough. Java produces rice of a first-rate quality, sugar in +abundance, cotton in considerable quantities, salt, timber, indigo, +coffee, pepper, and various kinds of spices. + +Java is, in reality, governed by the Dutch East India Company; but it is +divided into a number of provinces, ruled over by puppet princes with +the title of Sultan. At the court of each, one of the Company's chief +officers, or head merchants, as they are called, resides. In some of +the provinces these petty emperors have been deposed, and they are +governed by one of the Company's officers, under the title of Resident. +The religion of these princes is Mohammedan, as is that of the natives +generally, though intermixed with many superstitious observances. No +government rules a country with a more despotic system, or is more +jealous of foreign interference with its trade. I suspect, also, that +none has done more injury to the advancement of civilisation in the +East, from their readiness to submit to all the absurd customs and +degrading ceremonies imposed on them by the Chinese and other +semi-barbarous nations, for the purpose of advancing their mercantile +interests. Taught by them, these people look upon all Europeans as +tribes of mean and despicable traders, who have neither the power nor +the spirit to resent any injuries inflicted on them. + +In the environs of Batavia are a number of villages, some inhabited by +Malays, and others by Chinese, who visit the island in great numbers, +and carry on a considerable trade, notwithstanding the persecutions to +which they have at times been subject. In various beautiful spots, both +near the city or the neighbouring hills, and along the sea-shore, are +found the large and handsome country residences of the chief merchants +and other authorities connected with the Company. There are five +principal roads which lead from the city towards the country, and which +are planted with high and shady trees. One of the most beautiful roads +leading to the Port of Jacatra is closely planted with a double row of +mango-trees, and both sides of it are embellished with large and +pleasant gardens, and many fine and elegant buildings. All the roads +are much of the same description, and give a character of finished +cultivation to the neighbourhood of the city. Both sides of the +streets, as well as of the numerous canals, are planted with fine trees, +so that the country all round Batavia may well be characterised as a +tropical Holland. + +The governor-general usually resides at his country-seat, called +Weltevreeden, a superb mansion, about an hour and a quarter's walk from +the city. He there resides in great state, and never goes about without +being attended by a body-guard, dressed in coats of scarlet cloth richly +laced with gold. + +The ordinary habitations of the Europeans are of brick, run up in a +light airy manner, and stuccoed on the outside. They have sash-windows. +The interiors are all on the same plan. The fronts are in general +narrow, and the houses extend back a long way from the street. Fronting +the entrance, a narrow passage, with a parlour on one side, leads to a +large long room, lighted from an inner court, into which it opens. This +apartment is called the "gallery," and here the family live and dine. +The floors are of large, square, dark-red stones. No hangings are to be +seen, but the walls are neatly stuccoed and whitened. The furniture +consists of some arm-chairs and two or three sofas. On the walls are +numerous looking-glasses, and chandeliers or lamps are hung in a row +along the ceiling of the gallery, and are lighted up in the evening. +The stairs leading to the upper rooms are generally at the end of the +gallery. The upper parts of the houses are divided much as below. They +are generally but scantily provided with furniture; indeed, from the +heat of the climate but little is required. Behind the gallery are the +lodgings for the slaves, the kitchen, and the out-houses. Instead of +being glazed, the windows are often closed with a lath-work of rattans. + +Few of those in the city have gardens. In the country, on the contrary, +the greatest attention is paid to them, many of which are very +beautiful, though laid out in the formal Dutch style, as they are full +of the choicest flowers and shrubs. Newman was especially struck with +them. + +"Ah, this would indeed be a beautiful country to live in, if people +could but manage not to die!" he exclaimed. Unhealthy as the country +undoubtedly is, the city itself is far worse, so that, as a place of +residence, it is almost abandoned by the more wealthy merchants, who +only visit it as a place of business--their fine mansions being turned +into stores or counting-houses. + +Europeans at Batavia, of whatever nation, live much in the same way. +They rise at daybreak, and sit for some time cooling themselves in the +thinnest dress in which they have passed the night; then they dress, and +breakfast on coffee or tea, and are at their offices at eight. They +work till nearly noon, when they dine, and take a nap till four, when +they again attend to business till six. Afterwards they drive out, or +mix in social intercourse in an informal way till nine, when they sup, +and retire to bed at eleven. Newman, whose means of observation were +greater than mine, told me that the men had their parties together, and +the ladies theirs, which I should consider a very bad arrangement. The +men of higher rank--the upper merchants--are each attended by a slave, +holding an umbrella behind him; but a junior merchant must carry his +umbrella himself. + +The women marry very young, are very ill-educated, and pass much of +their time lolling on sofas, talking and laughing with their slaves, +whom another moment they will order to be whipped for the slightest +offence. Those born in the country have very supple joints, and can +twist their fingers, hands, and arms in almost every direction. What +can be expected from women who are abandoned, almost as soon as born, to +the care of ignorant slaves--little or no care being taken to inculcate +moral or religious principles into their plastic minds, till they have +fully imbibed all the superstitious notions and prejudices which are +held by their attendants? While saying this, I must urge parents at +home never--if they value the eternal happiness of their children--if +they wish them to imbibe right principles, and to avoid pernicious +ones--to commit them to the charge of persons, however decent in their +behaviour, who are not likely, from their want of education, to be able +to instil them. Parents, children were given you by God; and at your +hands he will require them. On your care, on your exertions, on your +prayers, it depends whether they grow up a blessing to you and to +themselves, or become miserable and lost. Still, children, nothing will +exonerate you, when you become free agents, and understand good from +evil, if you reject the good and choose the evil. You have more need +for prayer, more need for exertion, more need for self-control, to +conquer the vices which have grown up with you; and, believe Old Jack, +however you may be weighed down with them, if you will but _try_, if you +will but cast all your burden on Him who is alone able to bear it, you +will succeed. + +Provisions of all sorts we found abundant and cheap. The fruits are the +cocoa, areca, banana, papaya, white and red shaddock, mangostan, +rambootang, ananas, and betel. Saffron is collected there, and every +description of allspice. The betel is a creeping-plant with an aromatic +leaf. The natives spread over the leaf a little slaked-lime, and place +at one end a small piece of areca-nut and cardamom. They then roll the +leaf up, and masticate it for hours together. It blackens their teeth +and reddens their lips, and gives an effect which the Chinese and Malays +admire considerably. + +Java abounds in serpents--the smallest is the most dangerous. Its bite +is said to cause death. It is scarcely thicker than a candle, and from +two to three feet long. They are of various colours:--some grey, +spotted with white; and others green, with bright red and white streaks. +We heard of one twenty feet long, and of the thickness of a man's arm; +and saw another stuffed, as big round as the body of a man, and about +fifteen feet long. The Javanese are likewise plagued with ants, and all +sorts of creeping things. + +Having given a faint sketch of the mode of life of the rulers of this +wealth-giving island, I must briefly describe the native inhabitants, as +also some of the numerous tribes which flock there from other quarters. + +As I have already observed, the native princes, the nominal governors of +the greater part of the country, are kept in the most perfect subjection +by the Company; and the common Javanese are in the most abject state of +slavery. The labourer is not only obliged, at fixed periods, to deliver +a certain quantity of the fruits of his industry to the regent placed +over him on behalf of the Company, for whatever price the latter chooses +to allow him, and that price, moreover, paid in goods, which are charged +to him at ten times their real value; but he likewise cannot consider +what may remain as his own property, not being permitted to do with it +what he may think fit, nor allowed to sell it to others at a higher or a +lower rate; on the contrary, he is compelled to part with this also, as +well as with what the Company claimed of him, to the same petty tyrant, +at an arbitrary price, very much below its real value. + +The Javanese, like all people living under a torrid zone and a despotic +government, are of an indolent disposition, and, it is said, require +great excitement to make them work; but the real secret of their +idleness is the certainty that they will not be allowed to enjoy the +fruits of their labour. Possessing no certain property, they are +satisfied with little. The food of those who inhabit the level country +is rice and fish; but those who dwell in the mountains use a root called +_tallas_, with salt. This salt they make out of the ashes of wood. +Their dwellings are little huts, constructed of bamboos, plastered with +mud, and thatched with broad leaves. Their furniture consists of a +bedstead made of bamboos, a block on which to pound their rice, two pots +for boiling food, and a few cocoa-nut shells for drinking. They seldom +live much beyond their fiftieth year. They were converted to Islamism +about 1406, when the Arabian Chick-Ibn Molana came over, and, marrying +the daughter of the king of Damak, received as her portion the province +of Cheribon. Their mosques are generally of wood, and perfectly +unadorned; but the tomb and mosque of the said Ibn Molana form a +magnificent edifice. They do not place their dead in coffins, but wrap +them in linen, and place a stone at the head and another at the foot of +the grave, as seats for the two angels who, after their death, examine +into their conduct while in this world. + +The Javanese are, in general, well-shaped; of a light-brown colour; with +black eyes and hair, their eyes being much sunk in the head. They have +flattish noses and large mouths. In figure, they are generally thin, +though muscular; here and there only a corpulent person being seen. The +women, when young, have softer features than the men; but when they grow +old, it is difficult to conceive any human being more hideous than they +become. A man's dress consists of a pair of linen breeches, scarcely +reaching half-way down the thighs, and over this a sort of shirt of blue +or black coarse cotton cloth, which hangs loose below the knee. The +hair of the head is bound up in a handkerchief, in the form of a turban. +A woman's dress consists of a coarse chintz cloth, wrapped twice round +the body, fastened under the bosom, and hanging down to the calf of the +leg; over this is a short jacket, which reaches to the waist. No +covering is worn on the head, but the hair is bound up in a fillet, and +fastened at the back of the head with large pins. Sometimes chaplets of +flowers are worn. Children run about without clothes till they are +eight years old. Of course, I have been speaking only of the lower +classes. The upper generally dress with great magnificence. + +The Javanese are not much employed as domestic servants, but slaves have +been brought from the coast of Bengal, Malabar, Sumatra, and other +parts, as well as from Celebes, and often become very accomplished +servants. They are generally well-treated, and behave well; but their +great vice is gaming, to which they are tempted by the Chinese, who keep +the gaming-houses, and are much too cunning to allow the poor slaves to +regain what they may have lost. This vice, as is the case elsewhere, +tempts them to rob their masters and to commit many other crimes, for +the sake of supplying themselves with money to continue the practice, or +to recover what they have lost. + +There are said to be a hundred thousand Chinese in and about Batavia, +the whole population amounting only to a hundred and sixty thousand, +made up of natives, Armenians, Persians, Arabs, Malays, Negroes, and +Europeans. We were witnesses of a curious spectacle one day, when the +Chinese assembled from far and near to visit the tombs of their +ancestors at Jacatra, near the site of the capital of that ancient +kingdom. The road from Batavia to Jacatra is a very fine one. On +either side it is adorned with magnificent palaces, occupied by the +councillors of the Indies, the principal persons in the Company's +service, and the richest merchants. In front of these palaces, parallel +to the causeway, is a navigable canal crossed by bridges very +ingeniously constructed of bamboo. On the opposite banks are numerous +native villages, which are seen peeping through the cocoa, banana, +papaya, and other bushy shrubs, with which every hut is surrounded. +Near the ancient capital is the fortress to which the unhappy Prince of +Genea withdrew when the Dutch conquered the kingdom, and where he lost +his life fighting desperately. + +In the Chinese burying-place are great numbers of tombs, with +inscriptions specifying the time of the death, age, name, and virtues of +those whose remains are within. The tombs are much ornamented, and +surrounded with cypresses; and on either side are benches on which the +relatives and friends may rest when they come to perform their funeral +duties. On the present occasion the tombs were ornamented with wreaths +of paper or silk of different colours, and three wax tapers were burning +on each. Provisions, also, were either sent or brought, and placed as +offerings on the tombs. The most opulent were distinguished from the +rest by the richness of their viands--fish, fruit, sweetmeats, and +beverages. These provisions, having been left for some hours on the +tombs, were partly consumed by the family of the deceased, some was +offered to the spectators, and the rest carried away. Roasted fowls, +which had been kept whole on purpose, were, however, left behind by +some; for what purpose I could not ascertain. These travelled Chinese +had got over many of their national prejudices, and very politely +offered Newman and me some of the good things; of which we partook with +no little satisfaction, though, as my companion observed, a cemetery was +an odd place to pic-nic in. + +Movable theatres were erected on one side of the cemetery, and temples +had been built on the plain below. These temples are large saloons, +ornamented with grotesque and antique statues, especially those +representing Josi in the midst of his family. Josi, a disciple of +Confucius, and afterwards his most confidential friend, rose from the +dregs of the people, and became the greatest legislator of his nation. +After the death of Confucius, the emperor banished him; so he retired in +the bosom of his family to the low state from which he had sprung, where +he declared that he enjoyed far more true happiness than he had ever +done in his exalted position. To him and his benignant laws the Chinese +are indebted for the preservation of their manners, customs, and dress. +He is always represented in his retirement after his labours for the +public good were concluded. We had here, as Newman observed, an example +of the way in which the ancients deified their great men, and learned to +worship them. + +Opposite each idol were burning red wax tapers, of different sizes, and +matches of incense. An altar or table covered with dainties stood in +the middle of the temple, surrounded by idols; and in a room behind it +was another altar, surmounted with a statue of Josi. An old bonze or +priest of venerable aspect, with a long white beard, stood up, reciting +some prayers in a low voice. He had on his head a white straw-hat, in +the shape of a cone. On the top of it was a little ball of gold, and +behind a small tuft of red silk. He kept continually bowing with great +regularity, and every now and then let fall a piece of wood like a +ruler, which he as often picked up again. He was habited in a tunic of +transparent violet silk, with a girdle of twisted silk ornamented with +gold; and to it were attached the instruments required for the ceremony. +Over this he wore a gold-embroidered robe, with long sleeves turned up +at the wrists. It was of violet colour, and a strong material; and, +being closed all round, must have been put on over the head. On his +breast and back were two plates of rich gold embroidery, representing an +eagle, or a bird like one. In his hand he had a large fan, the case of +which hung at his girdle like a knife-sheath. His slippers were square +at the toes, and embroidered with gold; but his legs were bare. + +Under the vestibule of the temple, a hog and a goat, with the horns on, +were killed as burnt-offerings, and placed on a stand, with their +entrails before them. The interior of the temple was filled with tables +covered with preserved fruits and tea, where the bonzes and rich people +were sitting eating, drinking, and smoking; but none of the multitude +ventured in. Many female bonzes, or bonzesses, were in the vestibule, +dressed in violet silk robes, but without embroidery. Their hair was +twisted and turned up behind, forming a round tuft, fastened with two +diamond-headed pins. These tufts were stuck round with other very rich +pins, forming the beams of a most brilliant sun. They took no part that +we saw in the ceremonies. + +What I have described seemed to be a prelude to the ceremonies. The +bonzes, fifteen in number, left the vestry to the sound of shrill, noisy +music. They took their stations before the altar, where they made many +genuflexions and gestures. They then presented to the high-priest, who +had no distinguishing mark, many meats which were on the altar. On this +he made various signs, pronouncing some words in a whining tone of +lamentation. After having made various libations with several liquors, +which he spread over the offerings, the other bonzes replaced them on +the altar. One of them then took a card, containing characters, from +which he sung. Judging from the loud laughter of part of the auditory, +the words seemed to have little analogy to the ceremony. Every bonze +held in his hand a box filled with incense matches, one of which he +lighted as soon as its predecessor was extinguished. After a repetition +of this ceremony, during which the music was never discontinued, they +entered the side-room to take refreshment. Having drunk their tea, they +went in procession to a second temple, where the same ceremony was gone +through. Thence they repaired to the theatre. When they had reached +the front of it they halted. "Are they going to act?" said I. "I +should not be surprised," observed Newman. "What are they but actors? +The people, you see, have taken no part whatever in the matter." The +chief bonze mounted the theatre alone, and having made many violent +gestures and exclamations, again descended, when the performances began. +During these ceremonies the gates of the temples, and both sides of the +theatres, were filled with common Chinese, a large number of whom were +children, playing different games of chance. I never saw people so fond +of gaming as they are. + +A part of the roasted poultry was left all night on the tombs, the +common people imagining that at that period the dead assemble and eat it +up. People in misfortune strew amulets over the graves of their +ancestors, to obtain their favour. These amulets are bits of silk +paper, on which are spread pieces of leaf silver, which they fancy +passes current as a paper-money among the dead. I could not ascertain +whether the hog and goat were actually offered up with any ceremony, or +simply left to be devoured by the priests. + +"Have you ever seen anything like this before?" asked Newman, as we were +on our way back to the ship. + +"Yes, I think I have," I answered. + +"So have I," he remarked, "in a Roman Catholic church. The priests of +Rome--ancient and modern--and these bonzes are much alike. They have +both copied their ceremonies from the Jews and the heathens of old, +travestying them somewhat, to make them pass for their own. Depend on +it Josi understood human nature, and knew what would suit the taste of +the vulgar." + +So numerous are the Chinese in Java, and so inclined to revolt, that the +Dutch government are always careful to provide them with amusements. In +each place there is a chief, with the title of "captain," who is +answerable for their good conduct. He is obliged to maintain, at his +own cost, a troop of female actors, called Bayadeers. They perform, +without exception, every night, from nine o'clock till daybreak, in a +kind of theatre, in the middle of the street. The play, as far as we +could make out, represents the wars of the Tartars against the Chinese. +Various chiefs, in different costumes, with their faces smeared black or +white, or masked, come to announce a new war, in which they anticipate +great success. They harangue the soldiers with violent gestures. Then +comes a general or emperor, and, making another speech, gets up on a +table with a chair on the top of it, when he takes his seat at the back +of the stage. The combatants then come in with long spears, and, +fighting desperately, one party runs away, while the other has to listen +to a long speech on their bravery. The Tartars are known by their short +coats, large trousers, helmets, sabres, and great shields. The roaring +music of gom-goms never stops during the performance. + +One day we visited the Chinese quarter, where there are an immense +number of gaming and eating tables. The seats, as well as the tables, +are made of bamboo. The Chinese eat with two little sticks, and use a +spoon of china with a short crooked handle. Each article of food is +served on a little dish like a saucer. The jelly, minced meats, and +soup, are generally cold, while their beverages are hot. The chief is +arrack, sugar, and hot water. The favourite dish is part of a dog, of a +species with a smooth skin, which they carefully fatten. It is eaten +with every kind of sauce. No people eat so much pork as the Chinese. +The hundred thousand Chinese in Batavia are said to feed at least four +hundred thousand pigs, which increase not a little the bad odours of the +place. Whether they do it to keep the Jews at a distance, I do not +know, but the two people do not get on well together. + +We used to meet in the Chinese company, or quarter, curious processions +of men, with marked or painted faces, having kettle-drums, gom-goms, and +tambourines. Some, grotesquely dressed, were carried on poles or in +hampers, ornamented with paper, ribbons, and little bells; some were +seated on monsters, like our representations of sea-horses. These +processions are in honour of the spirit of evil. The reason they give +for them is, that as the Divinity is infinitely good, it is not +necessary to implore him; but the devil, on the contrary, must be +feasted and amused, to prevent him from going about and committing +mischief. In every Chinese house, in a sort of shrine, is a picture of +Confucius, represented as a great fat man, with the devil at his side +tempting him. On each side are pots of flowers and tapers of red wax, +gilt, which are lighted on certain days, together with a little lamp in +front, just as is seen in Romish chapels. + +Chinese girls are always shut up, and employed in sewing and embroidery; +and parents arrange marriages without the couple having even seen each +other. The poorer sort, however, are allowed to serve in their shops. +We heard the people generally well spoken of, as being good fathers, +sons, husbands, and friends. They carry on every art and traffic, and +engross nearly all the house and ship building in Batavia, though they +pay enormous annual duties to the Company on their industry and trade. +Among other duties, they pay for being allowed to let their nails grow +long, especially that of the little finger, as it is a proof that they +do not work for their living. The twisted tail, which they wear +extremely long, often down to their knees, pays in proportion to its +length. It is measured every year at a fixed time. To cut off the tail +of a Chinaman, or to pare his nails, is looked upon as a most severe +punishment. Their dress consists of large trousers, and round coats, +which reach to the middle of the thighs. It is either of black or very +bright sky-blue. White is worn for mourning; and when for a very near +relative, the collar has a rent in it. They have a custom of keeping +their dead for some days in the house, which, in such a warm climate, +frequently causes bad fevers. A Chinese house, where a death has +happened, is known by a white cloth hung in lieu of the door. + +This information, through Newman's help, I picked up during our visits +on shore. The ship had been at anchor about a week, when we again went +on shore, and had walked on for an hour or so, when, a little beyond +Fort Ansol, we found ourselves in front of a Chinese temple, standing in +a grove of cocoa-nut trees by the side of a rivulet, among very pretty +scenery. The building was about twenty feet long, and twelve wide. The +entrance was through a railing into a small area, and then into a hall, +at the end of which was the sanctuary. In the middle of the hall, just +within the door, was an altar, on which red wax tapers were burning. +There was also an image of a lion, richly gilt. At the end of the hall +was a picture of an old man and a woman, with crowns on their heads, and +about two feet high. They were, I suppose, Josi and his wife. While we +were there, several people came in, and prostrating themselves before +the picture, knocked their heads continually against the ground. At +last a man came in to consult the idols by divination. He had in his +hand two small longitudinal pieces of wood, flat on one side, and round +on the other. Holding these pieces of wood, with the flat sides toward +each other, he let them fall on the ground. As they fell, with the flat +or round side up, so he augured well or ill of some proposed enterprise +or project. He let the sticks fall upwards of twenty times, but seemed +as ill-contented as at first with the promises they made. Every time +they prognosticated evil, he shook his head with a most disconsolate +look. I could not help saying, "Try it again, Chinaman; don't give in." +Whether he understood me or not I do not know, but down he went on the +ground, and thumped his head very hard and often. Then he jumped up and +threw the sticks, and I suppose the omen proved favourable, for with a +joyful countenance he lighted a thick candle and placed it on the altar. +As soon as he was gone, the cunning old bonze blew it out and sold it +to the next comer. + +We must not be surprised to hear that the Chinese at times revolt +against the authority of the Europeans among whom they live, and commit +murders and other atrocities; and then to hear of a cruel massacre +committed by the Dutch upon them in Batavia. On one occasion, many +thousands had collected; and some of them having been guilty of murders +and robberies, a considerable apprehension was excited against the whole +body. The Council, therefore, determined that every Chinese who could +not prove that he was obtaining an honest livelihood, should be +transported to Ceylon, to be employed as a slave in the service of the +Company. Among others, a number of Chinese of wealth were seized; and a +report getting abroad that all were to be thus treated, they flew to +arms, and quitting the city in great numbers, took up their quarters in +the mountains, and strengthened themselves so much as to render the fate +of Batavia itself precarious. + +In this dilemma the Council offered the rebels an amnesty; but this they +refused, and marching towards the city, ravaged the country on every +side. Here, however, they met with a severe repulse; and when the +infuriated soldiers and sailors returned into the city, supposing that +the Chinese who had remained quiet within their houses were about to +revolt, they attacked them wherever they could be found. All the +Chinese, men, women, and children, without distinction, were put to the +sword; the prisoners in chains were slaughtered; and even some wealthy +people, who had fled to Europeans for safety, were, through the +violation of every principle of humanity and morality, delivered up to +their sanguinary pursuers--the Europeans embezzling the property +confided to them. Thus, all the Chinese, both innocent and guilty, were +exterminated. Notwithstanding this, however, thousands rushed in soon +after to supply their places! It was apprehended that this occurrence +would excite the indignation of the Emperor of China, and, perhaps, +induce him to stop their trade with his country; but when they sent +deputies to apologise, their fears were shown to be groundless by his +truly paternal reply,--to the effect that he was little solicitous for +the fate of unworthy subjects, who, in the pursuit of lucre, had quitted +their country, and abandoned the tombs of their ancestors! + +Notwithstanding the unhealthiness of the climate, and the impediments +thrown in the way of commerce by the unwise restrictions of the Dutch, +the Roads of Batavia are always full of the flags of all nations, +attracted by the profit merchants are still able to make. As Batavia +is, or rather was, before Singapore was established, the sole depot for +the spices of the Moluccas and the productions of the island of Java, +consisting of rice, coffee, sugar, arrack, and pepper, ships were coming +continually from every part of India, Africa, and even Europe; and as +they were not allowed to take away coin, they were compelled to fill up +with some or other of the above-mentioned productions. The trade, +indeed, was one almost exclusively of barter. + +Bengal sent drugs, patnas, blue cloths, different kinds of stuffs, and +opium; which were exchanged for rice, sugar, coffee, tea, spices, +arrack, a small quantity of silks, and china-ware. The kings of Achen +and Natal, in the island of Sumatra, sent camphor--the best which is +known--benzoin, birds'-nests, calin, and elephants' teeth; and in return +took opium, rice, patnas, and frocks, which were made at Java, Macassar, +and the Moluccas. The princes of the Isle of Borneo sent gold dust, +diamonds, and birds'-nests; and took opium, rice, patnas, frocks, +gunpowder, and small guns, as they said, to defend themselves against +pirates, but, in reality, for their own use as pirates. + +The Americans brought kerseymeres, cloths, hats, gold-wire, +silver-galloon, stationery, wine, beer, Seltzer water, provisions, and +piastres; in exchange for spices, sugar, arrack, tea, coffee, rice, +rushes, and Chinese silk and porcelain. The Muscat ships brought +piastres and gum-arabic; those from the Isle of France, wine, olive-oil, +vinegar, hams, cheese, soap, common trinkets, and ebony. + +From the Cape of Good Hope were received kitchen-garden seeds, butter, +Constantia and Madeira wines; while the Chinese brought immense +quantities of porcelain and silks of every kind, taking in return opium, +ebony, sandal-wood, spices, and birds'-nests. These nests are half the +size of a woman's hand. They are made by a very small sea-swallow, +(_Hirundo esculenta_), and consist of a glutinous substance, interwoven +with filaments. They are found in the cavities of steep rocks on the +coast of all the Sunda Islands, on the northern shores of Australia, and +in many other parts of the Indian Seas. The native way of procuring +them is by fixing a stick on the summit of the precipice, with a +rope-ladder secured to it, whence the hunters descend in their search +into the most perilous situations. Although they have neither taste nor +smell, yet, from being supposed to be both tonic and a powerful +stimulant, they are an ingredient in all the ragouts of the most wealthy +people in China. They make an excellent broth. The white nests are +most in request. They are prepared by being first washed in three or +four changes of lukewarm water. When they have been some time in it, +they puff up like large vermicelli. Europeans, indeed, discover nothing +more in this singular dish than an insipid jelly, very much indeed +resembling vermicelli, when simply boiled. + +After Java was restored to the Dutch, England still carried on a +considerable commerce with the island; but it is far smaller than it +would be under a less restricted system. + +The Dutch were for long the only European nation who kept up any +commercial communication with Japan, because no other would submit to +the absurd restrictions and degrading ceremonies imposed by that +barbarian power. Every year, the governor-general sent a ship of +fifteen hundred tons, laden with kerseymeres, fine cloths, clock-work, +and spices. These were chiefly exchanged for bars of copper, which were +made into a very clumsy kind of coin for paying the native and European +troops, as well as the people employed in the counting-houses of Java +and the Moluccas. These ingots are of the finest red copper, and as +thick as the finger. They are cut into two, four, six, and eight +sous-pieces of Holland. The value is inscribed on them. This coin is +termed in the Malay language _baton_, which signifies a stone. The +captain, however, brings back furniture, fans, various articles of +copper, and sabres--the temper of the blades of which equals the best +workmanship of Turkey. The cargo always contains a present to the +emperor; and he, in return, sends one to the Dutch governor-general. + +When the Batavian ship is seen, the emperor's agent hails it, to demand +whether the captain is a Christian. He replies that he is Dutch, when a +signal is made for him to approach. From that moment he is boarded by +innumerable armed boats. He is first boarded to see that he has neither +women nor books; for the law is very severe against the introduction of +either into the island. Were either found on board, the ship would be +sent back without being allowed to anchor. This visit concluded, the +merchandise is landed, the ship is disarmed and unrigged without the aid +of the captain or crew, and the guns and rigging are carried on shore. +The captain transmits the bill of lading to the emperor's agent, with a +note of what he desires in exchange, and waits quietly for the +merchandise he is to have in return. Provisions are amply supplied in +the meantime to the crew. When the return merchandise is ready on the +beach, the emperor having notified what he chooses for the ensuing year, +the Japanese themselves again load the vessel, replace her rigging, and +restore her arms, papers, and effects, of which they took possession on +her arrival. There is no instance of anything having been lost; indeed, +the Dutch speak of the Japanese as a most honest people. They are said +to leave their shops and stores without guards or clerks. If a Japanese +goes to a shop, and finds no one there, he takes the article he wants, +lays down the value marked on it, and goes out. All the streets of the +towns are closed at night by iron gates, and each Japanese is +responsible for his neighbour; so they are all interested that no harm +should happen to one another. When a theft is committed in any quarter, +and the author cannot be discovered, the crier, (who is a kind of police +agent), the judge of the division, and the neighbours are compelled to +make good the loss, and are subject to severe corporal punishment. + +Very little in those days was known of the interior of Japan, as the +Dutch ambassadors were compelled to submit to the most humiliating +conditions to keep up their intercourse with the country. On visiting +the capital, they were conveyed in palanquins, well enclosed with fixed +lattice-work, like prison-vans in England; and the bearers dared not, +for fear of their lives, indulge them with a view of the country through +which they passed. This information about Japan Newman gained from one +of the officers of the ship trading there. To return to Java. + +One day when we were on shore, we saw a great confusion among the crowd, +who were dispersing on every side, as if in mortal dread of something; +and presently we saw a half-naked Malay with a long dagger in his hand, +striking right and left at everybody he met, killing some and wounding +others. As he ran on, crying out in his frenzy, "_Amok--amok--amok_! +kill--kill--kill!" we saw some of the police dashing towards him with +long poles, at the end of which was a fork of wood with iron spikes +inside it. He dodged by several of them, killing one on his way, till +at last a guard met him full in front, and he ran in on the fork, when +he was immediately pinned to the ground; but even then he struck out on +every side with his glittering weapon. + +This is what is called running a _muck_! from the word used _amok_-- +kill! He had, as is the custom, taken a large quantity of opium, and +thus excited himself to fury in consequence of some supposed or real +injury he had received from his master! Most of these mucks are run by +slaves brought from Celebes. Being mortally wounded, he was immediately +broken alive on the wheel, in the presence of two councillors of +justice. + +It is remarkable, that at Batavia, where the assassins, when taken +alive, are broken on the wheel, the mucks are of great frequency; while +at Bencoolen, where they are executed in the most simple and least cruel +way, they seldom occur. Slaves who have murdered their masters, were +executed with the most horrible barbarity by being impaled. An iron was +passed down their backs, so as not to touch any vital part, and by it +they were suspended, one end of the iron rod being fixed in a post ten +feet from the ground. If the weather is dry, they may live on many days +in that horrid position; but if water enters the wound, mortification +ensues, and they quickly die. + +The Javanese emperors used till lately to throw their criminals to wild +beasts, or compelled them to enter into combat with them. I heard a +story of a Javanese who was condemned to be torn in pieces by tigers. +On being thrown down from the top of a large cage, he fell across the +back of the largest and fiercest of them, where he sat astride! So +intimidated was the animal, that he did not attempt to injure him; while +the others, awed by the unusual appearance, endeavoured to avoid him! +The poor wretch, however, having been condemned to death, was shot dead +in the cage. This custom was, however, prohibited by the French. Of +course I have been speaking of a state of things as they existed some +years ago, and I daresay some improvements have taken place; but at the +same time the Dutch are of a very conservative disposition, and I +suspect that most of my descriptions would be found correct even at the +present day. + + + +CHAPTER TWENTY. + +STRANGE ADVENTURES AND NAVAL EXPLOITS. + +Not very long before we sailed, Newman and I had gone on shore, he +taking a large sketch-book under his arm; and striking up into the +country, we reached a beautiful spot, the outlines of which he wished to +commit to paper. We sat ourselves down under the shade of a +wide-spreading palm, not far from the road. While Newman took the +sketch with his pencil, and in a masterly way threw in the colours, I +read to him from a volume, I think, of the "Spectator." During this +time a gentleman, attended by two servants in handsome liveries rode by. +Seeing two common sailors, as our dresses showed we were, employed in a +way so unusual, he dismounted, and, prompted by curiosity, came to see +what the draughtsman had produced. He had been watching us for more +than a minute before Newman observed him. Newman had a quick, prompt +manner in addressing people, which arose somewhat from pride, I suspect, +lest they should look down upon him; and seeing a stranger, he at once +spoke to him in German, remarking on the beauty of the scenery. The +gentleman stared at being thus addressed, but replied in the same +language, asking leave to look at the sketch he had just finished. +Newman frankly showed him that and several others, which the stranger +admired. + +"You are a German, I presume?" said the gentleman. + +Newman replied that he was an Englishman. + +"You speak Dutch also, perhaps?" asked the stranger. + +"Slightly," said Newman; "but I prefer German, though I am more fluent +in French." + +"Ah, that is a tongue I am fond of," remarked the gentleman. "But may I +ask where you picked up your knowledge of languages?" + +"In the world," replied Newman, carelessly. "'Tis a large book, and its +leaves are never closed." + +"I am afraid that you will think me impertinent if I continue to ask +questions," said the stranger; "but I shall be glad to know to what ship +you belong?" + +Newman told him. + +"Ah, I know your captain--an honest man. I am under great obligations +to him. Are many of his crew able to amuse themselves as you two appear +to be doing?" + +"Some have lately taken to drawing and singing, and a few who could not +read when the voyage began are now apt scholars," answered Newman, +carelessly. "We have occasionally a good deal of spare time on board a +whaler, though we often have to work hard enough." + +A little further conversation passed. "I must not longer detain you +from your task," said the gentleman. "I hope that we shall meet again." + +He bowed to Newman, and nodded good-naturedly to me. He saw that I was +but a common sailor, at the same time that he evidently discerned the +educated gentleman in my friend. When I speak of Newman as a gentleman, +it must be understood that he was not particularly polished or refined +in his manners or habits, though more so far than were those with whom +he associated forward. His manners were too blunt and independent to be +called polished, and he could rough it as well as any of us, eating the +same coarse food and wearing the same rough clothes as we did, without +inconvenience. + +When the gentleman had gone, Newman and I discussed who he could be. +"Rather an inquisitive old fellow, I suspect," said Newman. "He is a +Dutchman, I judge, by the way he pronounced both German and French, +though he spoke them well." + +"How are you so well able to distinguish the difference in +pronunciation?" I asked. + +"I was educated in Germany," he answered. "I learned a good many things +there besides what my tutors intended to teach me. You must not suppose +that I could have picked up the various bits of information I possess in +any English place of education. As it is, we beat most other nations in +whatever we set our hands to; but if English lads had the same style of +instruction given in most of the countries in Europe, modified to suit +our characters, we should beat them all hollow, wherever we encountered +them abroad." + +It must be remembered that this conversation took place many years ago, +and that very considerable improvements have since taken place in the +style of education afforded to boys in many of our schools in England. + +We thought very little at the time of our encounter with the Dutch +gentleman, though, as it proved, it had a very great influence on +Newman's fate. + +When we got on board, we found that the ship was likely to remain some +time longer in the Roads, and that we might have a chance of seeing +something more of the country. As Malays, or natives, are employed in +those hot climates to do the hard work on board ship, as Kroomen are on +the coast of Africa--such as wooding and watering--we had more leisure +time than we should otherwise have enjoyed. That evening a number of +us, among whom was Tom Knowles, were sitting on the forecastle spinning +yarns, when he told us what I did not know before--that he had served +aboard a man-of-war at the taking of Java. + +"You must know, mates," he began, taking out his quid and stowing it +away in his waistcoat-pocket, "I belonged to a whaler which was lost out +here, when those of her crew who escaped were picked up by an Indiaman +and carried to Madras. I with others was there pressed on board the +_Caroline_ frigate. I didn't much like it at first; but when I had +shaken myself, and looked about me, and heard that the captain was a +fine sort of a fellow, I thought it was just as well to do my duty like +a man, and to make myself happy. Captain Cole, that was his name, +wasn't a chap to let the grass grow under the ship's bottom. Directly +after I joined, we were ordered off to Amboyna, in company with the +_Piemontaise_, Captain Foote; the 18-gun brig _Barracouta_; and +transport _Mandarin_, with a hundred European soldiers. We heard that +when the captain went to take his leave of the admiral--Drury was his +name--he asked leave just to knock up some of the Dutch settlements on +the way. + +"`Well,' says the admiral, `there's no harm just frightening them a +little, and you may be able to surprise a port or two; but don't go and +get into mischief, now, and hurt yourselves. There are several +impregnable places, such as Banda, for instance, which it would be out +of the question for you to attack. Vast heaps of wealth are stored up +there, so the Dutch will take precious good care that you don't get into +the place.' + +"`We'll see about that,' thought the captain to himself, winking with +the eye which was turned away from the admiral. `Of course, sir, we'll +do nothing rash,' says he. `It isn't the way of English sailors. We +are always steady, sure sort of fellows.' + +"`That's right,' says the admiral; and away went the captain, having +made up his mind to a thing or two. + +"We reached Palo-Penang on the 30th May, in the year 1810. There the +captain persuaded the governor to let him have about twenty +artillery-men and a lot of scaling-ladders; and having learned something +more about the chief place in Banda, called Banda-Neira, he kept to the +resolution he had all along in his mind, to try and get possession of +it. In spite of the south-east monsoon, away we sailed, therefore, for +the Java Sea. As it would not have done to let the Dutchmen in other +places guess what we were about to do, he determined to take the ship +through the passage between the big island of Borneo and Malwalli. It +was a touch-and-go matter to get through, for in every direction there +were coral-reefs, which would pretty soon have brought us up if we had +run on them; but we had look-outs at the jib-boom-end and the +topsail-yard-arms, and as the water was clear, and the weather fine, we +escaped all danger. + +"Early in the morning, on the 8th of July, we made the Banda Islands, +and by night were up with the place called Banda-Neira. As we stood in, +the guns from the fort opened on us; but seeing they did us no harm, +they soon left off throwing away their powder. That very evening there +was a sudden change in the weather, and it came on to blow and rain very +hard. + +"`Too good a chance to be thrown away,' thought the captain. `We shall +never be able to take this place in common ship-shape fashion; but as +the Mynheers won't be expecting us on such a bad night as this, and +what's more, won't hear us coming, I'll just see if we can't get on +shore in the boats and give them a surprise.' + +"Now, anyone looking at Banda-Neira would have thought that it would be +quite impossible to take it with the small force we had got with us; +but, as I said, our captain wasn't a man to trouble his head about +impossibilities. + +"The place was two miles long and half a mile wide, and protected by no +less than ten sea-batteries and two strong forts--one called Belgica, +and the other Nassau. They commanded each other, as they did the ten +sea-batteries. The first alone mounted fifty-two heavy guns; and +altogether there were no less than one hundred and thirty-eight guns in +the place. Having run in within two cables' length of the shore, we +dropped our anchors, and at 11 p.m. the boats under the command of +Captain Cole shoved off with three hundred and ninety men, including +officers. The place we were to pull for was the east point of Banda. +What a night it was--blowing and raining like fury and dark as pitch! +but that, in many respects, was all the better for us. Captains Cole +and Kenah arrived first at the appointed spot in their gigs, and only by +degrees did some of the other boats get up there--it was so difficult to +find our way. The boat I was in, with several others, grounded on a +coral-reef, not a hundred yards from a sea-battery, which we found +mounted no less than ten long 18-pounders; and as they pointed directly +on the reef, they could very soon have knocked us all to pieces. +Fortunately, the garrison slept so soundly, or the rain and wind made +such a clatter, that they did not discover us. Overboard we all jumped, +and soon had the boats afloat, and pulling on, we reached a snug little +sandy cove, surrounded by trees or jungle. Here the captain mustered +us, and found that he had only got about a hundred and forty seamen and +marines, and forty red jackets, with Captain Kenah, five lieutenants, +and some soldier officers. Among the lieutenants was one called +Lieutenant Edmund Lyons, with whom I afterwards was at the taking of +another place, of which I'll tell you presently. Well, as I was saying, +it was pelting and blowing and as black as pitch; and though we had +little more than half our force on shore, our captain did not like to +give up the enterprise, so says he, `My lads, I should just like to take +possession of some of these forts, but we are a small number to do it, I +own; yet, if I thought all would follow, I'd lead the way.' + +"We didn't shout, but we told him that, to a man, we were ready to go +wherever he thought fit to lead us. + +"`Then,' said he, `we'll just walk into the Dutchmen's castles before +they've time to rub their eyes.' + +"Captain Kenah, with a party of us armed with pikes, on this at once +advanced to the rear of the nearest battery. Not a word was spoken, and +the noise of the storm drowned the sound of our footsteps. We got close +up to the fort--a sentry was marching up and down--a pike was into him +before he could discharge his musket--and in an instant we were over the +ramparts. We could see the Dutchmen, match in hand, at their guns on +the sea side, and very much surprised were they to find us in their +rear, knocking them down right and left, before they had time to fire a +shot. They cried for quarter, and we had sixty of them prisoners in a +few minutes. Leaving a few men to take charge of the battery, Captain +Kenah was pushing on to take possession of the next, when Captain Cole +sent to say he had got hold of a guide, and was going to take Fort +Belgica itself. + +"Away we went along a narrow winding path, towards the castle. The +Dutchmen's bugles were sounding in all directions, showing us that they +were awake; but probably they didn't know where their enemies were to be +found. We had got close up to the citadel before we were discovered; +and then, though they began firing away pretty briskly, as they could +not see us, and were, I guess, in a mortal fright, none of us were hit. +Those in front had the scaling-ladders, and, with their help, we managed +to climb up the steep bank on which the castle stood; and in no time, it +seemed, we were in possession of all the lower works. We were not in +though yet; but we soon hauled up the scaling-ladders, and began to +place them against the wall of the citadel, when we found out that they +were too short--more's the shame to the fellows who made them! The +enemy discovering this, began peppering away at us with musketry, and +fired several round-shot into the bargain. Here was a sell! We began +to think that we should have to be about-ship, when what should we see, +but the gates open to let in the governor and some other officers who +had been sleeping outside the walls. The opportunity was not to be +lost. Led by our gallant captain, we made a dash at the gate. The +colonel defended it bravely, but he and several of his men were killed +in a minute, and on we rushed into the very centre of the fort. Never +were fellows in such a mortal fright as were the Dutchmen. Daylight +just then breaking, we saw them scrambling and leaping, like a flock of +sheep, over the walls. However, some of the officers, and forty +artillery-men, gave themselves up as prisoners. + +"We now had the British Jack flying away on the flagstaff above our +heads. Still, we were a very small band to hold the forts we had +conquered, and we looked out with no little anxiety for the arrival of +the rest of our force. What had become of the boats we could not tell; +but as the sun rose, we saw the _Caroline_ and the other ships standing +in towards the town. + +"The Dutchmen did not know our numbers, probably; so the captain, +putting a bold face on the matter, sent a flag of truce to Fort Nassau, +to say that if the troops didn't behave themselves, and cease firing, he +would fire into them with a vengeance, and into the city to boot. Now, +from what we had done, the Dutchmen, having no doubt that he would keep +his word, hauled down their flag; and before many hours were out, +thinking discretion the best part of valour, their whole force, regulars +and militia, to the number of one thousand and five hundred, laid down +their arms on the glacis of Fort Nassau. Thus you see what a few brave +men, when well led, can do. + +"Of our one hundred and eighty men, we lost very few. Our less +fortunate shipmates in the boats, after knocking about all night, got +alongside the transport _Mandarin_. Captain Foote was left as governor +of the island with a garrison, while we went on to Amboyna. Our captain +was a fine fellow. The ship's company afterwards presented him with a +sword worth a hundred guineas, to show their love and estimation of his +bravery. Several cups and swords were presented to him by the officers +and soldiers. I can't tell you what loads of prize-money we got from +that place, but I can tell you that it very soon found its way out of +the pockets of most of us. + +"Well, as I was saying, I afterwards joined the _Minden_ 74, to which +ship Lieutenant Edmund Lyons belonged. We had been cruising with a +squadron off this place, Batavia. Now there was at the north-eastern +end of Java, not far from the Straits of Madura, a very strong fort or +castle on Pauka Point, lately erected, called Fort Marrack. It was a +considerable annoyance to all ships passing that way, and it was +therefore deemed important to destroy it. However, as only between four +and five hundred men could be spared for the enterprise, it was given +up, as that number was looked upon as insufficient for the undertaking. +However, the _Minden_, having on board a number of Dutch prisoners, +Lieutenant Lyons was directed to land them in the launch and cutter at +Batavia. I was in the launch. After we had put the Mynheers on shore, +we stood along the coast to the eastward, for the lieutenant was in no +hurry to get back to the ship. He had got something in his head, do you +see? He remembered what he had helped to do with Captain Cole; so says +he to himself, `I'll just see if we can't play the Dutchmen just such +another trick with regard to this here Fort Marrack.' When he had got a +thing into his head to do, which he thought could be done, it was no +easy matter for anyone else to knock it out again, till he had tried +whether he was right or wrong. + +"Two days after landing the prisoners, we got up to the fort just at +dark. The lieutenant had a look at it, just to arrange his plan; and we +then ran under a point of land, where we lay snug out of sight till the +darkest part of the night. At first the moon was up, and would have +discovered us to the enemy. The fort mounted fifty-four heavy guns, and +had a garrison of one hundred and eighty regulars; but what did we care +for that! We waited eagerly for the moon to go down, and then we both +pulled away with muffled oars for the fort. There was a good deal of +surf on the shore, but we hoped its noise, aided by the darkness, would +prevent our approach being discovered. However, the Dutchmen had +learned to be more awake than when we took Fort Belgica, and as we got +close under the land, the sentinels let off their muskets to give the +alarm. No time was to be lost. Lieutenant Lyons ordered us to run the +boats through the surf right on to the shore, under the very muzzles of +the guns in the lower tier. `On, my lads!--on!' he exclaimed, leading +us, sword in hand, right up over the embankment into the lower battery +before the Dutchmen had time to look round them. We found the gunners +as before, with their matches in their hands, and had to kill three of +them to prevent their firing. Having knocked down every man we found, +we did not stop to look around, but followed our gallant leader into the +upper battery, which, in as little time as I have taken to describe, was +in our possession. It was `Hurrah, my boys!--at them!' and after a +minute's cutting, and slashing, and firing of pistols, and dashing them +at each other's heads, the place was ours. That's the way we used to do +things in the war, when once a plan had been determined on by our +officers! + +"But we had still plenty of work to do, for when we went on and reached +the highest part of the fort, we found a large body of Dutch troops +drawn up to receive us. Nothing daunted by this, our gallant +lieutenant, singing in Dutch, and French, and English, and all sorts of +languages, that he had got four hundred men at his back, and would give +no quarter if any opposition was offered, we fired a volley, and at them +again we went, cutlass, and pike, and bayonet in hand. Whether they had +Dutch courage in them or not, I don't know, but certainly they did not +like our appearance; and as we came up with them they turned tail, and +off they went helter-skelter through a gateway in the rear of the fort. +After them we went, and sent the last man out with a hearty good kick, +and shut the gate after him! + +"No sooner had we got the fort to ourselves than the enemy began +peppering away at us from a fort in the rear, and from a couple of +gun-boats; and considering that we hadn't the four hundred men the +lieutenant talked of, but only just the two boats' crews, we had enough +to do to spike the guns, and to keep up a brisk fire in return. You may +be sure, mates, we were as busy as ants doing all the mischief we could +in a short time. We had a young midshipman with us, Mr Franks, not +fifteen years old; and while the fire was at the hottest, in the middle +of it he hoisted the British ensign on the flagstaff on the top of the +fort. + +"While we were busy spiking the gnus, and firing away right and left, we +made out, through the darkness, what we took to be a large body of Dutch +troops. There were plenty of light carriage guns in the fort; and when +information was brought him, Lieutenant Lyons ordered us to slue round +two of them, and bring them close up to the gate. When we had done so, +he and Mr Langton loaded them up to the muzzles with grape and musket +balls. On came the enemy. He let them get close up to the gate, and +then he and the midshipman fired slap in among them. It was much more +than they expected, and lest they should get another dose, they put +about in a great hurry, and off they went as fast as they could pelt, we +hallooing and hurrahing after them. You may be sure we didn't follow +them, or they would soon have found out the trick we had played them. +All the time no one had been killed, and only Mr Langton and three men +slightly wounded; but from the number of troops brought against him, Mr +Lyons saw that we could not hope to hold the fort; so while the Dutch +troops were scampering off in one direction, we bolted over the ramparts +in the other. When we got down to the beach, we were not a little taken +aback by finding that the surf had driven the barge right up on the +shore and bilged her; but, fortunately, the cutter was still afloat. So +we all got into her as silently as mice, and shoved off, leaving the +fort to take care of itself. We were much amused by seeing the Dutchmen +outside firing away into it as hard as ever. When they discovered their +mistake, I don't know; but whenever they did, they must have found all +the guns spiked, and the British ensign flying triumphantly over their +heads, to show them who had done all the mischief. + +"We got safely back to the _Minden_ next day, none of us much the worse +for the exploit. Soon after that, the whole of Java and its +dependencies capitulated to Sir Robert Stopford and General Wetherall. +This was the only service I saw in the navy--for within a year of that +time I got my discharge, and once more joined a whaler." + +Old Tom's account of these two gallant exploits was received by all +hands with great applause, for that is just the sort of work in which +seamen delight, and I know that all of us wished we had been with him. +I need scarcely say that the Lieutenant Edmund Lyons of those days was +afterwards the well-known Admiral Lord Lyons, who, from that +commencement, won his way up to his well-deserved honours. + +Two days after our encounter with the Dutch gentleman on shore, the +captain sent for Newman into his cabin. He was some time away; and when +he came forward, I saw that his countenance wore an unusually pleased +expression. + +"What has happened?" I asked. + +"Why, the captain tells me that the stranger we met the other day is a +Mr Von Kniper, some great man or other, with whom he has long been +acquainted; and that he has sent to request the captain to bring me to +dine with him. The captain is very good-natured about it, and says that +he shall be very happy to take me. But it will be difficult to find a +dress to go in. It will never do to appear in a round jacket. So, +taking all things into consideration, I think that I shall decline the +honour." + +"That would be a pity," said I. "You don't know to what the visit may +lead." + +"To be stared at and patronised as the common sailor who can draw and +talk German; and then to have the cold shoulder turned towards me the +next day, or to be passed unrecognised!" he answered, with no little +bitterness. "I am more independent, and safer from annoyance, in the +position I have chosen to occupy. I'll not go out of it." + +I tried to reason him out of his resolution. + +"It may be a turning-point in your fortune," I observed. + +"There is a tide in the affairs of men, which, taken at the flood, leads +on to fortune," he repeated. "You don't suppose that the flood will +ever set in for me. The current has been too long running the other way +for me ever to expect it to change. I am content to let it continue its +old course, and swim merrily with it." + +Had Newman been left to himself, I do not know that he would have +altered his opinion; but soon after this the captain again sent to see +him. + +"Well, Jack, I must needs go where the wind drives," he remarked, as he +came forward. "Our skipper is certainly a very good-natured fellow. He +not only insists on my going with him to the house of Mynheer Von +Kniper, but tells me that he has made arrangements for rigging me out in +full fig for the occasion. It will be very good fun, I daresay; and I +only wish that you could be there to enjoy it." + +"If I saw you happy, I should be happy; but I could not enjoy such a +scene as that myself. I should feel so completely like a fish out of +water." + +"Oh, nonsense!" he answered; "a man has only quietly to observe what +others do, and not to attempt to show himself off, or to broach any +subject, and he will generally pass muster as a well-behaved person. +However, as Mr Von Kniper did not ask you to come, of course you cannot +go. Well, I dare say that I shall have enough to make you laugh when I +come back." + +I am not at all certain that Newman was right in his last observation. +Practice and experience are absolutely necessary to fit a person for any +station of life; and no wise man will ever wish to step into one for +which he is not fitted by education or habit, or to associate with those +with whom he has no ideas or associations in common. The great mistake +numbers of well-intentioned people make, is the wish to rise in the +world themselves, or that their children may rise in it to a superior +station to that in which they were themselves born. They forget that +the reason why they were sent into the world was to prepare them for +another and a better existence; that this world is no abiding-place; and +that, therefore, it is worse than folly to take toil and trouble to +climb up a few steps in the ladder which will enable us to look down on +our fellow-worms still crawling below us. There is one most important +thing parents should teach their children--one most important thing +children should desire--"To do their duty in that station of life in +which it has pleased God to call them." Their sole motive should be +love to their Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, who thus commanded them to +act. At the same time, they may be well assured that if they do their +duty with all their heart--if they do diligently whatever their hand +finds to do--they will not fail to be placed in those posts of honour +and responsibility which even worldly men are always anxious to get such +persons to fill. We see how Joseph was raised to honour in Egypt, how +Daniel was respected at the court of Babylon. The Bible is full of such +examples, and those examples were given for our instruction. Those men +rose, not because they wished to rise, but because they strove to do +their duty--to worship the Lord their God with singleness of heart. + +Poor Newman! I saw that under his pretended indifference there was no +little satisfaction at the thought of occupying, even for a day, a +position in which he probably had once been accustomed to shine. My +only fear was, that when he got back to the forepeak, and our rough +manners and rougher conversation, he would remark the contrast, and +become discontented with the lot he had chosen. + +The next day he and the captain went on shore to the dinner-party. As +he stepped into the boat, and took his seat in the stern-sheets, I could +not help remarking how completely the gentleman he looked. I must own +that I waited with no little anxiety for his return, to hear what had +occurred. I never before had been so intimate with any man as with +Newman. I told him without reserve all that was in my heart, and he +spoke freely to me, at the same time that he never once, even in the +most remote manner, alluded to his past history. It was merely +casually, when speaking of Mynheer Von Kniper, that he mentioned having +been educated in Germany, or probably he would never even have told me +that. On religious subjects, also, he never uttered an opinion; but +from his very silence I had reason to believe that he entertained +notions which were very far removed from the truth. Among all his books +he had no Bible, and no works bearing on religion. He appeared to have +studiously kept all such out of his library, as he did religion itself +out of his thoughts. If I ever alluded to it, even in the remotest +degree, he instantly turned the conversation; and whenever it was +mentioned in the berth, which was, indeed, very seldom, his countenance +assumed a look of cold, callous indifference, or a marked expression of +scorn, which indicated too plainly what were his real opinions on the +subject. + +With regard to myself, I had always been a believer, though a sadly cold +and careless one, except when roused by some particular occurrences, as +I have mentioned in the course of my history. I still at this time +continued much in the same dangerous state, but in other respects a +great change had occurred. Deeply, indeed, was I indebted to Newman for +it. He had awakened my mind out of its long sleep, and if I could not +call myself an educated man, I at least had learned to prize the +advantages of education, and was endeavouring to improve myself, and was +greedy to gain knowledge wherever I could obtain it. No person could +have devoted himself more earnestly to my instruction than did my +friend. He seemed never to weary in helping me over difficulties; and +if I took a pleasure in learning, he certainly took a still greater in +teaching me. Without his aid I could not have made a tenth part of the +progress I had done. I now read fluently, and even wrote tolerably. I +had read through and mastered even more than the outlines of ancient and +modern history, and with several periods I was tolerably conversant. I +knew something of the past and present state of every country in the +world, though I could not boast of knowing much about the mere names of +the chief towns and rivers. I had read the lives of several men who had +stood forward prominently in the world, and I had mastered some of the +important facts of natural science. I need not further describe the +amount of my knowledge. I could not have attained half I have mentioned +had I not read on steadily, and carefully eschewed anything like +desultory reading--that is to say, as far as the limited library to +which I had access would allow. I did not always read the books I might +have desired, but I diligently read the best I could obtain. If I, +therefore, did so much in a short time with indifferent means, how much +might be done with all the advantages possessed by those on shore! + +Late in the evening Newman came back. The first thing he did on getting +on board was to go below and shift his clothes. He then sat himself +down on the windlass, with his arms folded across his bosom; and when I +went up to him, he burst into aloud fit of laughter. + +"I thought it would be so!" he exclaimed, when he recovered himself. +"Mynheer Von Kniper was very polite, and so was his wife; and they +introduced me to all their company. I believe the governor-general was +there, or some great person. They paid me much more attention than they +did the captain, who, if he had not been a right honest, good-natured +fellow, might have been not a little jealous. First one person talked +to me in one language, then another would come up with a different +tongue in his mouth, and I had to show off in great style. Then I was +asked to exhibit my drawings, and they were handed about and held up to +the light, and admired by all hands as wonderful productions of art. In +fact, I saw clearly I was the lion of the evening. I thought that sort +of thing was only done in civilised, polite England; but I suppose lion +hunters and lion exhibiters are to be found in all parts of the world. +To do Mynheer Von Kniper justice, I must say that he had no hand in the +work. During dinner nothing could be pleasanter or kinder than his +conversation and manner; and certainly I had reason to believe that he +wished me well. At length people got weary of hearing me roar, and all +had had a look at the wonderful common sailor, and so the skipper seemed +to think that it was time to be off; but our host would not allow us, +and insisted that after the rest of the guests were gone, we should stop +to have some supper. During the meal, Mynheer Von Kniper introduced the +subject of drawing, and telling me that he longed to have all the scenes +of whale catching and killing fully illustrated, asked if I would +undertake to do a set of drawings for him on that subject. I could not +refuse to do as he wished, after all the civilities he had shown me; so +I told him that I should be very happy; but he then gently hinted that +he wished me to undertake the task as a regular commission, and he +begged that I would put what price I thought fit on my productions. I +have made up my mind, at all events, to do them. I think every man has +a perfect right to make a profit of his talents, especially if he +requires money. I do not. I have now got a profession--a right noble +one too! I am now a more independent man than had I been toiling on for +years at a desk, or dancing attendance in some great man's ante-chamber +for some of the patronage he may have to bestow. You think that I have +benefited you by teaching you to read and write. Now, in reality, I +have merely given you the implements of a trade--the means of gaining +knowledge. You have given me knowledge--you have taught me a trade +itself. Therefore, Williams, you see that I am still your debtor." + +For some time he talked on in this strain. I clearly saw that he was +pleased with the attention shown him, in spite of his belief to the +contrary. I would not for one moment exhibit Newman as an example, or +hold him up as a fine character. He had very great faults and many +weaknesses. I do not know that he had strength of character. He had an +independent spirit in some respects, a clear perception, and +considerable talent. His greatly superior education raised him much +above the associates among whom he had thrown himself. + +Soon after this the ship was ready for sea, and as we had not above a +couple of hundred barrels to fill, we hoped soon to be on our homeward +voyage. It was the winter season, and we were bound for the coast of +Japan. We were, however, several months before we got a full ship; and +then, with joyful hearts to most on board, we once more made sail for +Old England. + +During all the time, Newman was busily employed in finishing up the +sketches of whale catching, and very beautiful productions they were. +Nothing could be more correct or truth-like. Very different they were, +indeed, from the drawings I have since often seen, where the whale has +had its flukes put on the wrong way, and boats are represented as being +tossed high up in the air, some thirty feet, at least, and broken in +two, while the crews are seen tumbling down like snowflakes, with arms +and legs sprawling out right over the whale. I have seen many a boat +smashed, but never one sent up in that fashion into the air. Newman was +anxious to send these sketches to Mynheer Von Kniper; but as no +opportunity occurred, he was afraid that he would be compelled to wait +till another voyage to present them himself. Captain Carr promised, as +soon as the ship could be refitted, to return on another voyage to those +seas. + +We had a quick passage home. I remained, as I had often before done, to +look after the ship. Newman, when he had received his share of profits, +which was very considerable, went on shore. What became of him I do not +know. Not seeing anything of him, I was afraid that he was not going to +return. Something there evidently was very mysterious about his +history. I had a great desire to discover it; still, I saw no chance of +doing so. + +Hitherto I had always squandered away my money in the most foolish +manner. I now got Captain Carr to invest some of it for me, and, +retaining a little for pocket-money, with the rest I purchased the best +books I could find, and other articles which I thought likely to be +useful to me in a three years' voyage. At last the ship was ready again +for sea. Tom Knowles and most of the other old hands had joined; for, +being wise men, when they had found a good captain they liked to stick +by him. We hauled out into the stream; but still, greatly to my +disappointment, Newman did not appear. + + + +CHAPTER TWENTY ONE. + +BATAVIA AND THE FEEJEE ISLANDS. + +The pilot was on board, the topsails were loosed, and the order had been +given to heave up the anchor, when a boat was seen coming off from the +southern shore of the Mersey. A seaman sprung up the ship's side, and a +couple of chests were hoisted up after him. I was aloft. I looked down +on deck and saw Newman. I found that he had written to the captain, who +had reserved a berth for him, but it was still before the mast. He had +the promise, he told me, of a mate's berth should a vacancy occur; but +he observed, "I am not ambitious. With what I have I am content." He +asked no questions as to what I had been doing. It was not his way. He +was certainly free from vulgar curiosity; neither did he volunteer to +give me any account of himself. I told him one day what I had done with +the proceeds of the last voyage. + +"Ah, you are wiser than I am, Williams," he answered, with a tone of +bitterness. "I thought so, or I should not have tried to make you my +friend. I have been seeing life, as it is called. I wanted to discover +what changes had taken place in the world during my absence--as if the +world could ever change. I found it deceitful, vain, and frivolous as +before. I have been buying experience. The whole remainder of my +possessions lies stowed away in those two chests. The most valuable +portions are a few new books for you and I to read and discuss; and this +time I have not forgotten a suit of shore going clothes, in case I have +to appear again in the character of a gentleman. And now, farewell--a +long farewell to England's shores! It may be that I shall never tread +them again! Why should I regret it? There are brighter skies and +richer lands in another hemisphere." + +We had a quick run to Cape Horn, which we rounded in safety; and then +standing across the Pacific, we steered for the fishing-ground off the +coast of Japan. We were, as in our former voyage, very successful +indeed. I suspect that success in whaling, as in most other affairs of +life, depends very much on the practical knowledge, the perseverance, +and talent of those engaged in it. The master of a successful whaler +will be found to unite all these qualifications. He meets with whales, +because, exercising his judgment, and making use of the information he +has collected, he goes to the ground where they are likely to be met +with; he catches them, because he sets about it in the best way; and he +brings his ship home in safety, because he never for a moment relaxes +his care and watchfulness to guard against misfortune. For my own part, +I do not believe in luck. I have never yet met with an instance of a +lucky or an unlucky man in which I could not trace the effect to the +cause. + +We were lucky, because Captain Carr was a judicious, persevering, +sensible man; and thus, in our first year's fishing, we got more than a +third full. At the end of that time we found ourselves brought up once +more off Batavia. + +The captain, in the kindest way, invited Newman at once to accompany him +on shore. "Bring your drawings with you for Mynheer Von Kniper," said +he. "I doubt not that he will be glad to see them." + +On receiving the invitation, Newman dived below. When he returned on +deck his appearance was completely changed. Instead of the rough +seaman, he appeared as a well-dressed gentleman, and certainly more +refined in appearance than either the captain or any of the officers. +Captain Carr looked at him with an eye of satisfaction; and it was very +pleasant to observe how perfectly free he was from any petty feeling of +jealousy at seeing himself eclipsed by one of his own men. As the boat +shoved off from the ship's side I thought to myself--"Depend on it, +there is something in store for Newman; he will not come back in the +cynical spirit in which he seemed to be after his first visit." + +I had made excellent use of all my spare time during our passage out, +and had added considerably to my stock of knowledge. Newman's books +were all admirably selected, and were of excellent service to me. The +more I read, the more I wished to read--to gain information on points on +which I found myself ignorant. Happily one of the crew, a fine, steady +young man, had a Bible with him; and he having offered it to me, for the +first time in my life I began to read its sacred pages. As I read on I +was forcibly struck with its simplicity and beauty, its fulness and +minuteness, and yet the immense amount of matter it contained. I began +to compare one part with another--the prophecies with their fulfilment-- +one point of the history with the rest--the great variety of subjects +and style, and yet the beautiful adaptation of the various parts with +the whole; nor did I neglect to compare sacred with profane history, or +to remark how one corroborates the other--just as modern science, the +greater advances it makes, is found to confirm more and more the troth +of the accounts given by the sacred writers. Still all this time my +heart was not turned to the right way. I had discovered a new and +inexhaustible source of interest, but that was all. + +Newman did not return on board till the next day. He was much elated in +spirits when he appeared, though he tried to repress the feeling. + +"Well, Jack, the tide has begun to flow at last," said he: "you shall +hear all about it. Mynheer Von Kniper was excessively pleased with the +drawings I took him, and the more so when I begged he would accept them +from me." + +"`I have often thought about you,' said he; `and, I must confess, little +expected to see you return here. I rejoice to see you back, for you +must know that I have an offer to make you, which I hope you will think +fit to accept. We have been for some time in want of a commander for +one of the Colonial Government schooners, and I have ascertained from +your captain that you are in every respect fitted for the post, and that +he will give you your discharge from his ship. I have therefore great +satisfaction in offering it to you.' + +"I scarcely knew how to express myself in thanking him; so I took his +hand, and shaking it heartily, told him that I was very much obliged to +him, and that I placed myself entirely under his directions. So it was +settled, and that same evening he presented me with my commission +signed, and here I am, a lieutenant commander in the Dutch Colonial +Navy! It is, in truth, a hop, step, and a jump into a post of honour I +little expected, nor can I yet realise the greatness of the change." + +I congratulated Newman most sincerely on the prospects thus opened up to +him, though I regretted being so completely separated from him, as I +must expect to be, for the future. He suggested the possibility of my +following him, but that I at once saw was not likely to occur. In the +first place, Captain Carr was not likely to allow a steady hand to leave +him so early in the voyage; and probably the Dutch authorities would not +be very ready to give a berth to another Englishman on board the same +vessel; added to which, I had some misgivings as to serving under their +flag. + +Newman, of course, saw the first of these objections; and probably, if +the truth were known, though he might not have been ready to confess it +to himself after the intimate terms on which we had been together, he +would have found it inconvenient while he was captain to have had me +before the mast. It must be remembered that, though my mind was +beginning to be cultivated, I was still a rough, hardy sailor in +appearance and manners. I had never in my life dreamed of aspiring to +any command, and I did not feel myself fitted for any post above that +which I then held. + +While I say this I would point out that it is very necessary to be +cautious in judging from appearances. A man may have a very refined +mind under a somewhat rough exterior, and a very coarse, bad one within +a handsome, attractive outside. Generally speaking, with a few minutes' +conversation, the appearance of a person and the expression of his +countenance will show what is likely to be found within; but it is far +wiser not to place more than ordinary confidence in the companions among +whom we are thrown until they have been duly tried and found to walk +rightly in their conduct towards God and man. + +Newman seemed to be in no way elated by his change of fortune, and +showed himself free from a very common littleness of mind, for he spent +the rest of the day among us forward, talking and chatting with all +hands as freely as before; and while he was packing his chests, he +managed to find some little present as a keepsake for each of us. Then +he sat himself down on his chest, and gave us an earnest lecture in his +old style on the advantages of education, and urged us all to continue +our studies as before, and to show by our conduct to each other and to +our officers the superiority of educated, intelligent men over ignorant +and uncultivated ones. + +When he went aft to wish the officers good-bye, he was treated very +kindly and politely by them, all of them congratulating him on his good +fortune; and as he descended the ship's side for the last time, we gave +him three as hearty cheers as ever rose from the deck of a whaler with a +full hold; and little Jim, the smallest boy on board, blubbered as if +his heart would break at the loss of one whom he had learned to look on +as his best friend. + +Before we sailed he had his schooner fitted out and manned with a +strange crew of Malays, Chinese, Dutchmen, Frenchmen, and not a few +representatives of other nations. He sent me a note insisting on my +going to see him on board. His schooner was a fine little vessel, +though built in the colony by Chinese. She measured some hundred and +fifty tons, and, well handled, was fit to go anywhere; but this would be +difficult work, I saw, with his mongrel crew. His cabin was fitted up +in the complete way I should have expected him to have planned. It was, +indeed, a very different sort of place from that in which he had long +been accustomed to live--much more like, in the handsomeness of its +fittings and its accommodation, to the luxurious cabin of the old +Rainbow, which I used to see in my youth. He himself, too, was greatly +changed in his appearance from the rough sailor he had long been. When +dressed in plain clothes, he looked like a gentleman certainly, but not +a polished one; but in a uniform which became him perfectly, he was a +very good-looking officer. He was conscious of the improvement. + +"I begin to think that there are yet higher steps for me to climb, +Williams," he observed, after he had cordially welcomed me and ordered +refreshments to be brought in. "Who knows but that one day I may become +an admiral, or a governor of one of these islands? I am becoming +ambitious, I assure you. I thought it was not in me. I was till lately +perfectly contented with my lot. I proposed spending my youth knocking +about in these seas, and when I found old age creeping on me, settling +down in one of the many thousand beautiful isles of the bright Pacific +to spend the remainder of my days. Now that dream has passed away, and +I feel an anxiety to climb. I am growing more and more ambitious; for I +see that there are plenty of things in this world worth living for-- +plenty of golden fruit to be plucked, if a man has but the daring to +scramble up the tree in spite of the thorns and knots in the way, and +reach out to the branches." + +What did I reply to Newman? Did I offer him good advice? Alas, no! I +thought not to say to him, Do thy duty in that station of life to which +it has pleased God to call thee, regardless of this world's tinsel +prizes. Look steadily forward to another and a better world for thy +reward. This he did not. This world, and this alone, entirely occupied +his attention. He only thought of the gratification of the moment. +Blindly and obstinately he shut out from his contemplations all thoughts +of his eternal interests. + +Newman's man-of-war schooner and the stout old whaler the _Drake_ left +Batavia Roads the same day. We were bound for the ground off +Navigator's and some of the neighbouring groups of islands. We were +fortunate enough to kill a couple of whales on our passage, and within +two years after leaving England had nearly filled up all our casks. I +began to consider whether I should remain in the ship, or, supposing +Captain Carr would be willing to give me my discharge, whether I should +join another ship lately come out, and thus, by saving the long voyage +home and back, more speedily accomplish what was now the aim of my +existence--to make a sum sufficient to enable me to remain at home for +the rest of my days. I was now advancing in life. I had seen a great +deal of hard service, and I began to long for rest. Such is the desire +implanted in the bosom of all men--rest for the mind, rest for the body, +rest for the soul. In youth, when health, and vigour, and animal +spirits are at their highest, it is not developed, but when age comes +on, and the body begins to feel the symptoms of decay, the mind grows +weary and the spirits flag. Then rest is sought for--rest is looked for +as the panacea for all evils. Yet who ever found rest in this world-- +perfect tranquillity and joy? No one. Still that such is the fact I +had yet to learn. Yet, would a beneficent Creator have implanted the +desire in the human heart without affording the means of gratifying it? +Certain I am that He would not; but thus, in his infinite wisdom, he +shows us the vanity of this world, and points to another and a better, +where assuredly it may be found. + +I took an opportunity of mentioning the subject of my thoughts to the +captain, and he promised me that, if no other of the crew left when the +ship was full, should we fall in with another wanting hands, he would +comply with my wish, and, moreover, invest my share of the profits of +the voyage as I might direct. + +We had been for some time on the ground I have spoken of when we found +ourselves in a perfect calm. By slow degrees the usual sea went down, +and even the swell of the mighty ocean subsided. The crew sat lazily +about the deck--some making air-nets for hats, others pointing ropes, +working a mouse, or making a pudding, or a dolphin, or turning in a +gasket; some leaned idly over the rail, and others slept still more idly +below; while a few, not altogether unmindful of our old shipmate's +instructions, were bending over their books or using their pencils. +Some also were carving with their knives strange devices on bones, or +cutting out rings from the shell of the tortoise. + +"Ah, I wish we had Ned Newman aboard here!" exclaimed one. "He would +soon set us all alive." + +"Why can't you set yourselves alive?" said Tom Knowles, looking up from +his work on a rope he had in hand. "Idle chaps are always talking of +getting some one else to do what they ought to do for themselves. Just +try now. Let's try a stave at all events. Come, I'll strike up." + +Old Tom's proposal pleased all hands, and soon a melody, if not very +sweet, at least harmonious, floated over the blue sea. + +Whether the whales came to listen to our music, I cannot say; but while +we were all joining in chorus, the ever-exciting shout of "There she +spouts--there she spouts!" broke in upon it; and, springing to our feet, +the boats were lowered and manned, and in less than three minutes four +of them were gliding away as fast as they could be sent through the +water, after two whales which made their appearance together, not far +apart from each other. + +The captain's boat got hold of the first without much difficulty; but as +he was a strong old bull, he played all sorts of antics, and other two +boats were called to assist in his capture. Meantime the third mate's +boat, in which I was, went after the other whale, which sounded just as +we got up to him. For some reason or other, he very soon appeared again +a mile ahead, and away we went in chase. Again he played us the same +trick, but this time he was longer under water, and must have gone +upwards of two miles away before he once more came up. The more sport +he seemed disposed to give us, the less inclined were we to lose him, so +after him we went as fast as before--not faster, for that would have +been difficult. As we got near, we saw that he was lying very quiet, +and we did not think he saw us, so we had out our paddles, and began +stealing up to him as cautiously as a cat does to a mouse--only in this +case it was rather more like the mouse creeping up to the cat. The +third mate was a well-built, powerful young man. Holding up his hand as +a sign to us to be cautious, he stepped forward, and there he stood, +harpoon in hand, as we glided on towards the monster. Down came the +heavy harpoon, and it was buried, socket up, in the side of the monster! +In an instant the acute pain woke him up. "Stern all!" was now the +cry, and we had to back away from him in a great hurry, as, raising his +mighty flukes, he went head down, sounding till he almost took away the +whole of our line. Fortunately he met with the bottom, perhaps a +coral-reef, and up he came, striking away head out at a great speed in +the direction he had before taken. So intent were we on the chase, that +we had little time to observe what was doing with the other whale, +though, of course, we took the bearings of the ship, as we were rapidly +whirled away till we completely lost sight of her. This was no unusual +occurrence, nor did it in the smallest degree excite our apprehension, +as we had never failed, with more or less trouble, to find our ship in +the course of the day or night. On we went, as I say, making the +smooth, bright sea hiss and bubble as the white foam frothed up over our +bows. + +The instant the whale slackened his speed we hauled in the line, so as +to get up to him to thrust a lance or two into his body; but he was +evidently a knowing old fellow, for by the time we had got half of it +in, he was off again like a shot, spouting away every now and then, as +if to show us in what capital breath he was for a long-run. At last he +stopped, and began to turn slowly round. We thought that we had got +him. "Hurrah, lads!" cried Barney Brian, an old boat-steerer. "Haul in +steadily now--his last swim is over." We hauled away an the line with a +will, and the mate stood, lance in hand, ready to plunge it into his +side, when he shouted, "Stern all--veer away the line, lads!" It was +time--up went the flukes of the monster, and in another instant he was +sounding, drawing the line out of the tub at a terrific rate. We +thought we should have lost him altogether, and we looked anxiously at +the line as coil after coil disappeared, and we remembered that we had +none to bend on to the end of it. It would have been better for us if +he had broken away. Just, however, before the last coil flew out, up he +came again, and seemed inclined to go on as before. Then he stopped, +and we hauled in on the line. We had got within twenty fathoms of him +when all of a sudden an idea seemed to strike him. He slewed completely +round so as to face us. "I'll just give you a taste of my quality, and +see if I can't teach you to let me alone," he seemed to say. At all +events he must have thought it, for with open mouth, showing the +tremendous teeth in his lower jaw, and head half lifted out of the +water, he made directly at us. Never was a boat in a more perilous +position--out of sight of land, and the ship nowhere to be seen, and +thus all by ourselves to engage in single combat with a monster so +enormous! To get out of his way by mere speed was impossible, for he +could swim faster than we could pull; but we did our best to dodge him, +our undaunted mate standing ready to plunge a spear into his side should +we manage for a moment to get behind him. First, we pulled on one side +as he came towards us, and then on the other; but rapidly as we turned, +he slewed himself round, and at last, getting us under his snout, he +made a dash at the boat, and sent her spinning away twenty yards before +him, bottom uppermost, while we all lay scattered round about her, +shouting and calling to each other for help. Had he at once gone off, +and dragged the boat after him, he would have left us to perish +miserably, and this was the fate we dreaded; but instead of that, while +we lay holding onto oars, or striking out to regain the boat, he swam +round us, examining the mischief he had done. More than once I thought +he was going to make another charge at us with his open mouth, when, had +he done so, he would have killed one or more, though he might not have +swallowed any of us. That I never heard of a whale doing. + +We, meantime, made all haste back to the boat, picking up whatever we +could lay hands on in our way. We were not a little hurried in our +movements by seeing two or more sharks, which had been attracted to the +spot by the blood flowing from the monster; and they would just as soon +have taken a meal off us as a nibble at him, which is all they would +have got for some time, probably. + +"Never fear, my lads!" shouted Mr Trevett, the mate. "Strike out with +your feet, and heave over the boat. Quick now!--so!--over she comes! +We'll soon have her baled out." + +Baling with hats and caps, as we hung round the gunwale, and striking +out with a will, to keep the sharks at a distance, we were enabled to +clear the boat sufficiently of water to allow us to get in, just as a +big shark, impatient of delay, made a dart at the mate's leg--for he was +the last in--and very nearly caught his foot. We quickly had the boat +to rights, but we found that we had lost two very valuable articles--our +tinder-box and compass; so that we could neither make a signal to the +ship nor tell in what direction to steer should thick or cloudy weather +come on. We had, however, no time to meditate on our misfortune, for +scarcely were we once more seated on the thwarts, oars in hand, than the +whale, as if waiting the signal, started off again, head out, just as he +had done before. His speed, however, was very much slackened; and +though, after we had hauled in the line a little, he made an attempt to +sound, he quickly returned to the surface, still more exhausted by the +effort. + +At length we managed to get near enough to him to enable Mr Trevett to +give him a thrust with his lance. Deep in it went, the monster almost +leaping out of the water with the agony of the wound. A vital part had +been pierced. "He's in his flurry! Stern all--stern all!" was shouted. +It was time that we were out of his way; for, swimming round and round, +he beat the water with his flukes with terrific force, sufficient to +have dashed us to atoms had he touched us, throwing the life-blood over +us from his spout, and dashing the surrounding ocean, ensanguined with +the ruddy stream, into a mass of foam. This mighty convulsion was his +last effort. Over he rolled, and he was our well-earned prize. + +But now we had killed him, it became a serious question how we were to +get back to the ship. In what direction was she to be found? As we +looked about, we saw that the weather, which had hitherto been so fine, +was evidently about to change. The sky was full of the unmistakable +signs of a heavy gale. Long fleecy clouds with curling ends lay +scattered over it, and darker masses were banking up rapidly in the +southward. We had now ample time to consider our position, as we lay on +to the dead whale. We had neither light nor compass, and all our +provisions were spoiled or lost. One keg of water alone had been +recovered, and we found among us a few quids of tobacco. The nearest +islands to the northward were, we knew, inhabited by the very worst +description of cannibals, and, though white men occasionally traded with +them for provisions, it was necessary to be constantly watchful to +prevent surprise. The crews of several vessels not having taken the +proper precautions, had been cut off and murdered. Night also was +rapidly approaching, and we could not possibly reach the ship, even did +we know where to find her, before dark, probably not for several hours. +However, the mate, feeling that the first object was to try and save our +lives, resolved to pull for the ship, leaving the whale with flags stuck +on its side, in the hope that we might again find it. With much regret, +therefore, we quitted our hard-earned prize, and pulled away, as we +believed, to the northward, in the direction where we had left the ship. + +We had not pulled long, however, when the gloom of night came on, and +the gale which we had seen brewing burst over the ocean, quickly tearing +up its sleeping bosom into foam-crested, tumbling seas, which every +instant rose higher and higher. We soon also discovered that we could +make no head against them, and that, by attempting to do so, we should +only weary ourselves in vain. + +"We must put the boat about, and run before it," said Mr Trevett. +"Hoist the lug--haul aft the sheet!" It was done, and away we flew, +careering over the fast-rising seas through the pitchy darkness of +night! + +"Where are we going to?" was the question. Still no other course +remained for us to follow. To attempt to head the heavy seas now rising +was impossible. No one spoke--a fear of coming evil settled down on our +hearts. Darker and darker grew the night--the clouds seemed to come +down from the sky and settle close over our heads, meeting the troubled +wildly-leaping waves. + +On we flew--the seas, as they curled and hissed up alongside of us, +tumbling over the gunwale, and making it necessary for all hands to +continue baling. Our only hope was that the ship might run before the +gale and overtake us; but then we remembered that she probably had a +whale alongside, and that the captain would not like to desert it as +long as he could hold on. All hope, therefore, of help from man +deserted us. + +On we went--death every instant threatening us--a death amid that dark, +wild, troubled, storm-tossed ocean! At length the fierce roar of the +wind and sea seemed to increase. We looked out before us into the +darkness. "Breakers!--breakers ahead!" we shouted. A thrill of horror +ran through our veins. In another moment we should be dashed to a +thousand fragments among the wild rocks over which they so fiercely +broke. To attempt to haul off in such a sea would have consigned us to +an equally certain fate. The imminence of the danger seemed to sharpen +our vision. A mass of foam, which seemed to leap high up into the dark +sky, lay before us. Not a moment could a boat live attempting to pass +through it. On both sides we turned our anxious gaze, to discover if +any spot existed where the sea broke with less violence. Almost +simultaneously we shouted, "A passage on the starboard-bow!" + +There appeared, if our eyes deceived us not, a dark space where the line +of huge breakers was divided. We were rushing headlong to destruction. +Not an instant was to be lost. The helm was put to port. We rose on +the crest of a vast rolling sea. Down it came, thundering on the rocks +on either side of us, throwing over them heavy showers of spray, +sufficient almost to swamp us. Still we floated unharmed. The sea +rolled on between what, in the darkness, appeared like walls of foam, +and in another instant we found ourselves floating beyond the fierce +turmoil of waters, just tossed gently by the waves, which found their +way over the reef into a large lagoon within it! + +A shore fringed with trees lay before us. In five minutes we were +landed safely on it, and the boat was secured to the stump of a fallen +tree. It was too dark to allow us to attempt to penetrate into the +interior, to ascertain the sort of place on which we had been thrown; +so, returning to the boat and baling her out, we wrung our wet clothes +and lay down to seek that rest we all, after our violent exertions and +anxiety, so much needed. + +It must have been nearly daylight when we went to sleep. I know not how +long we had slept. It would have been better for us had we driven sleep +far from our eyelids, and been ready to pull out and wander over the +inhospitable ocean the moment the gale abated, rather than have remained +where we were. I was the first to open my eyes, and, looking up, I saw +to my horror a nearly naked savage looking down into the boat with +prying eyes from the bank above us. He was almost jet-black, with negro +features and a full beard and moustache. His hair was frizzled out to a +great size and covered by a brownish turban. Round his waist he wore +the usual maro or kilt, with something like a shawl or plaid over his +shoulders; and in his hand he held a long formidable-looking spear. +From the turban on his head, I afterwards discovered that he was a +chief. + +"Eugh! eugh!" he cried, as he saw me opening my eyes to look at him, and +his menacing attitude and ferocious aspect made a most uncomfortable +feeling creep over me. + +"Up, lads, up! and shove off!" I shouted to my companions, jumping +forward myself to cut the painter. They started to their feet at my +summons, looking up with a bewildered stare at the shore; and well they +might so have done, for there stood some twenty or more fierce-looking +savages, whom the exclamation of their chief had called to his side, and +before we could get the oars out, a shower of spears came rattling down +among us. Poor Mr Trevett was pierced through, and fell with a deep +groan to the bottom of the boat; another of my companions sprung up as +he was struck, and went headlong overboard; others were badly wounded; +and one man only besides me was unhurt by the first shower of missiles. +Seeing that we still persevered in trying to get the boat off, the +savages came rushing down the bank; and though I had cut the painter, +before I could give the boat sufficient impetus to get out of their way, +they had seized the gunwale and hauled her up on the beach. + +All hope of escape was now at an end. We were each of us seized by +three or four of the savages, while, by the chief's directions, two +others plunged into the water, and soon returned with the body of the +man who had fallen overboard. To my horror, our poor wounded companions +were instantly stabbed by these wretches, apparently for no other reason +than because they offered some resistance to being dragged roughly +along; and thus Brian and I were the only two who remained alive of +those who had so lately escaped from the stormy ocean. Some of the +savages, I saw, were left to take care of the boat in which the bodies +of those who had been killed were placed. + +As we climbed to the top of a hill, and I looked back over the blue +ocean, now shining brightly in the morning sun, I saw that the storm had +ceased; and--I am certain my eyes did not deceive me--I saw in the +offing the white canvas of a ship, which I felt sure must be the +_Drake_, probably searching for those who were never to be found. + +From the appearance of the people and their cruel proceedings, I had no +doubt but that we had fallen on one of the Feejee islands; and, from +their well-known character, I knew what our fate would probably be. I +myself had little, it might seem, to live for; but still life is _dear_ +to all of us, and I considered what I could do to preserve mine. I knew +that most savages, as well as eastern nations, look upon a person +deprived of his intellect as sacred, so I at once resolved to act the +madman. On this, summoning all my strength, I gave vent to the loudest +roar I could utter, finishing with a burst of laughter; and when my +guards, in their surprise, let me go, I started forward, leaping, and +singing, and dancing, with the greatest extravagance, pointing to the +way I saw the chief was going, and pretending to conduct him with many +bows and flourishes worthy of a French dancing-master. Desperate as the +device was, it appeared to have its effect, for neither the chief nor +any of his companions again attempted to interfere with me, though they +dragged poor Brian on as before. He, of course, could not make out what +had happened to me, and I could not venture to advise him to imitate my +conduct, as I thought, very probably, should I do so, that both of us +would fail in saving our lives by it. He, however, seeing the fate +which had befallen our companions by refusing to walk on willingly, +proceeded wherever his guards chose to lead him. + +After passing through woods and large patches of cultivated ground, we +reached a village of considerable size, and were led to what I supposed +was the house of the principal chief, the father of the young man who +had captured us. It stood on a raised platform of stone, and was built +entirely of wood, with elliptical ends, the beams ornamented with +coloured cocoa-nut plait. The side walls were solid, with windows, the +frames of which were bound together to represent a kind of fluting, and +which had a very ornamented appearance. The interior was divided into +several compartments by screens of native cloth dyed with turmeric; and +as the children and several of the people were painted with the same +pigment, the whole had a very yellow appearance. The front and back of +the edifice were formed of long laths, bent like a bow, and thatched +with cocoa-nut leaves, something like the front of some bathing-machines +in England. Under the roof, supported by beams, was a floor of +lattice-work, which seemed to be the store-room of the house, as bundles +of cloth and articles of various sorts were piled up there; while on the +ground were scattered different utensils for cooking or eating from-- +such as bowls of glazed crockery of native manufacture, and plenty of +well-made mats. On one of the walls were hung up some strings of whale +teeth--articles which pass for money among those people. + +At one end of the chief hall, on a pile of mats, sat a stout old man, +with a huge turban and large beard and moustache, and wrapped in thick +folds of native cloth. Savage as he looked, there was a good deal of +dignity and intelligence about him. Keeping up the character I had +assumed, I instantly began to salaam, as I had seen the Moors do, and to +turn about on one leg, and then to leap and spring up, and clap my +hands, singing out "Whallop-ado-ahoo!--Erin-go-bragh!" at the top of my +voice, in a way to astonish the natives, if it did not gain their +respect. My heart all the time felt as if it would break with shame and +terror--with shame, at having to behave so, and with terror, lest I +should, after all, not succeed. + +The old chief and the young one, with the people who accompanied him, +had a great deal of conversation about us, I found--the old one +remarking that we had both of us "salt water in our eye," and must +submit to the law. Now, by the law, or rather custom, of the Feejees, +every person cast on shore on their coasts is killed and eaten! I had +numberless proofs of the truth of this. + +The result of the conversation about me was, that I was tabooed--to be +held sacred, as it were--and that my life was to be spared. They tried +to make me understand this at the time, and I partly comprehended their +meaning. To prove their sincerity, the old chief had a number of dishes +of various sorts of vegetables and fruit brought in, with a young pig +baked whole, of which he made me partake. This I did very willingly, +for I was very hungry, and the viands looked very tempting. When I had +eaten a good meal, I jumped up and shook the old chief and his son very +heartily by the hand; and then sitting down on a mat, I threw myself +back, and began singing away at the top of my voice, as if I had been +perfectly contented with my lot. When, however, I got up to leave the +house, signs were made to me that I was to stay where I was. This, I +concluded, was that notice might be given to the people that I was +tabooed, and that they were not to interfere with me, or I should in all +probability have been clubbed by the first native I met, who might have +suspected that I had been cast upon their shore by the late gale. + +I felt very anxious to ascertain what had become of Brian. He had not +been allowed to enter the chief's house with me, but, as we approached +the village, had been led off in a different direction. Suspecting the +horrible practice of the savages, and hearing nothing of him as the day +grew on, I became very much alarmed for his safety. + +At night a mat was pointed out to me on which I was to sleep; but it was +long before I could close my eyes, and every instant I expected to find +myself seized and carried off by the savages. I did sleep, however, at +last, and the next morning I found myself at liberty to wander out where +I pleased. Food was first brought to me, and then, having performed +various curious antics to keep up the belief of my insanity, I left the +house and took the way up a neighbouring hill. + +I had not gone far before I came to what was evidently a native temple, +shaded by tall and graceful trees. It was a high-pointed building, +formed of bamboos, and hung with strings of bones and screens of native +cloth. I saw arms of various sorts, and an altar with two human skulls +on it, made into drinking cups. I was considering how I could find my +poor companion, when, near the temple, I entered an open space with +several small erections of stone, which I discovered on examination were +ovens. In the centre of the space was what I took at first to be the +figure of a man cut out of wood, and painted over in a curious way with +many colours. I went up to it. Horror almost overcame me--I recognised +the countenance of my lost companion Brian! while some clothes hung up +on poles hard by, and some human bones scattered under them, showed me +what had been the fate of the rest of our boat's crew. I rushed +shrieking from the spot, and for many a day I had no occasion to feign +madness--I really was, I believe, out of my mind. + + + +CHAPTER TWENTY TWO. + +LIFE AMONG THE SAVAGES--JACK'S ESCAPE AND RETURN HOME. + +Drearily passed the time of my sojourn in that benighted region. Day +after day I sought in vain for the means of escape. Vessels often +touched at the island; but directly they appeared, a strict watch was +kept on me, and if I went towards the shore, I was told to go back and +remain in the chief's house till they had sailed. Under some +circumstances I might have been tolerably happy. The climate was +delightful and healthy; there were provisions in abundance--yams and +bananas and plantains, cocoa-nuts and shaddocks, pumpkins and +pine-apples, guavas and water-melons--indeed, all the tropical fruits +and vegetables, with a good supply of pigs for meat. The chiefs treated +me with kindness and consideration; the people with respect, barbarous +and savage though they were; but the scenes of horror I was constantly +witnessing, and could not prevent, had so powerful an effect on my mind +that time rolled on with me in a dreamy sort of existence. I scarcely +knew how the months passed by--whether, indeed, as it seemed to me, +years had elapsed since I landed on that fatal spot. + +I had not believed beings so bloodthirsty and savage existed on the face +of the earth, possessing, at the same time, so much intelligence and +talent. Their houses and temples are very neatly built; the tapa-cloth, +which they make from the paper-mulberry by beating it out, is of a fine +texture, of great length, and often ingeniously ornamented; they +cultivate a large number of the fruits of the earth with much attention; +the way in which they fortify their villages appears almost scientific. +The town in which I lived was surrounded by several deep moats, or +ditches, one within the other, arranged with so much intricacy, that it +was at first difficult to find my way out of it; then there were several +walls, and in the centre a sort of citadel on a hill surmounted by a +rock. On the summit of the rock stood a flagstaff, on which was +hoisted, in war-time, the flag of defiance. + +I had been many months there in the condition of a prisoner, if not a +slave, before I was allowed to go beyond the fortifications. At last +the young chief invited me to accompany him. He did not explain where +he was going. He and all those with him were painted in their gayest +colours. We reached the sea-shore, and embarked in a large double +canoe, with an out-rigger to prevent her capsizing. Several other +canoes accompanied us. + +We sailed on till we came to an island. At no great distance from the +water rose a high hill with a fort on the top of it. I remained on +board the canoe, while the chief and his followers landed. As soon as +they had done so, they began to shout out and to abuse the people in the +fort, daring them to come down. After a time, about a dozen left the +fort, and descended the hill to meet the invaders. Our chief had +stationed some of his people behind an embankment, and as soon as these +incautious warriors appeared, they drew their bows and shot three of +them. Then the people in the fort rushed down in great numbers to +secure their fallen companions; but in doing so, more were shot, and +others clubbed by our party, who carried off the bodies of the three +first killed, as well as most of the others, and then, with loud shouts +of triumph, retired to their canoes. With these spoils we sailed back. + +We were received in the village with every demonstration of joy. In the +evening of the same day, when I went out, I found that all the slain had +been carried to the grove before the temple, and were placed in rows, +with their bodies covered over with paint. The chiefs and all the +principal men of the tribe were assembling from far and near. The +priest of the town was standing near the temple, and the butcher, as he +was called, a bloodthirsty monster, was ready with the implements of his +horrid trade, while his assistants were employed in heating the ovens. +I rushed from the spot; but, instigated by a curiosity I could not +repress, I again returned, and witnessed a scene of the most disgusting +cannibalism the mind could imagine. The bodies of the slain were baked, +and then cut up by the priest or butcher, and distributed among the +chiefs and principal men, none of the women or lower orders being +allowed to partake of the horrible banquet. What struck me was the +avidity with which the savages seized the fragments and devoured them. +I would have avoided giving the dreadful account, were it not to show +the depth of wickedness into which human nature, when left to itself, +will inevitably sink. Often have I seen parties of men set out for the +express purpose of capturing and murdering their fellow-creatures-- +people of the same colour and race, and chiefly helpless women and +children--to satisfy their disgusting propensities--frequently to +furnish a banquet on the visit of some neighbouring and friendly chiefs. + +Some people have pretended to doubt the existence of cannibalism as a +regular custom, though unable to deny that it has been resorted to under +the pressure of hunger; but the Feejee islands afford numberless +undoubted proofs that hundreds of people were yearly slaughtered to +gratify the unnatural taste of their ferocious chiefs. Wars were +undertaken for the express purpose of obtaining victims; all persons, +friends or strangers, thrown by the stormy ocean on their inhospitable +shores, were destroyed; their own slaves were often killed; and men, +women, and children among the lower orders, even of friendly tribes, +were frequently kidnapped and carried off for the same purpose. + +But, praise be to God! heart-rending as are the scenes I have witnessed +and the accounts I have heard, all-powerful means exist to overcome this +and other horrible, though long established customs. The Christian +faith, when carried to those benighted lands by devoted men, who go +forth in love and obedience to Him who died for them, and in firm +confidence that He is all-powerful to preserve them, and to make His +name known among the heathen, is the sure and effectual means to conquer +the giant evil. Before its bright beams, the dark gloom of savage +barbarism and superstition has been put to flight, by the untiring +efforts of Christian missionaries; and I am told, that among even the +Feejee islands, wherever they have planted the Cross, numbers have +flocked round it, and in many places the whole character of the people +has been changed. I am describing simply barbarism as it existed, and +as it still does exist, in numberless places in those beautiful regions +of the earth's fair surface; and I would point out to those who read my +history, how much it is their duty to inquire into the truth of the +statements I make, and to support by all the means at their disposal +those who are engaged in our Lord's service in overcoming the evil, by +teaching the pure, simple, evangelical faith as it is in Christ Jesus-- +His incarnation--His sufferings--His atonement--His propitiation offered +once--His intercession ever making--the cleansing power of His blood-- +our acceptance by an all-holy God through Him. Let these great truths +be made known to the heathen, and, by the divine blessing, their minds, +dark as they may have been, will accept them with joy and thankfulness. + +But to return to my life on the island. My master, the old chief, was +said to be a very civil and polite man; but I have seen him, when the +inhabitants of the tributary or slave states were bringing him their +quota of provisions, if he did not think that they were approaching his +abode in a sufficiently humble posture by stooping almost to the ground, +deliberately take his bow and shoot one of them through the heart. The +rest, not daring to interfere, or to run away, would continue their +progress as if nothing had happened, while the body of the unfortunate +wretch would be carried off to the bake-house. To approach his house on +one side, a river had to be crossed, swarming with sharks; and often he +would make the slaves swim across, and if one of them were bitten by a +shark, and still managed to get across, he was instantly on landing +killed for the same dreadful purpose. + +Some months after my arrival, the chief's house was burned down--though +the rolls of cloth, and much of his more valuable property, were saved. +He at once issued his commands to the people of all the tributary +villages to bring in materials for the erection of another on a much +larger scale. Meantime we lived in huts, quickly erected on his +property. When the day arrived to commence the building, I saw that +four very deep and large holes had been dug to receive the corner posts. +These posts were brought up with great ceremony to the spot. At the +same time, four slaves, strong, muscular young men, were brought up, and +when the posts were placed upright in the holes, a slave was made to +descend into each of them, and as I looked in, I saw them clinging +tightly round the posts. I concluded that they were to remain there to +hold the posts upright till the earth was shovelled in; but what was my +horror to find that they were to remain for ever in that position! +While they stood in all their health and strength, looking up with +longing eyes into the blue sky, others threw in the earth, and beat it +down with heavy mallets over their heads. I shuddered at the spectacle, +but heart-broken as I was I dared not interfere. + +Our old chief had resolved to build a fleet of large double canoes, with +which to bring the inhabitants of another island under subjection. It +had been his chief care and attention for some years past. At length a +portion was finished and ready for launching. Before this ceremony +could be performed, it was necessary to attack a village at some +distance, to obtain victims to offer in sacrifice to the evil spirits +they worshipped, in order that success might attend their operations. +The young chief and his party set out with his warriors, and attacking a +village in the dead of night, carried off fifty of its unfortunate +inhabitants. + +The next day, the shrieking wretches were brought to the dockyard. That +they might be kept in a proper position to serve as ways or rollers over +which the canoes might pass, each person was securely lashed to two +banana-trees, lengthways--one in front, and the other behind him. Thus +utterly unable to move, with their faces upwards, they were placed in +rows between the canoes and the water. Ropes were then attached to the +canoes, which, it must be understood, are very heavy, and numbers +hauling away on them, they were dragged over the yet breathing, living +mass of human beings, whose shrieks and groans of agony rent the air, +mingled with the wild shouts and songs of their inhuman murderers, till +the former were silenced in death. I need not say what became of the +bodies of the victims thus horribly immolated. The ceremony ended with +a great feast, at which all the chiefs and principal men assembled from +far and near, and which lasted several days. + +With the young chief I was on intimate terms, and I believe that he had +formed an attachment to me, and was anxious to preserve me from injury. +In our excursions about the country, we visited one day a temple at the +end of a small pond, and I saw him throw into it some bread-fruit and +other provisions. Looking into the pond, and wondering what this was +for, I observed a large monster with a body as thick as a man's leg, and +a hideous head, which I took to be a great snake, but which he told me +was an eel of vast age, showing me some eels to explain his meaning, and +also that it was a spirit which he worshipped. This was the only +worship I ever saw him engaged in. + +I had spent upwards of a year on the island, or it may have been two, +when the old chief fell ill. He sat moping by himself in the corner of +his house, and no one could tell what was the matter with him. One day +his son came in, and taking his hand, just as if he had been going to +say something very affectionately to him, told him that the time had +arrived when it would be better for him to die! The old man bowed his +head, and replied that he was of the same opinion! The son mentioned a +day for the burial, to which the old man willingly consented; and till +the time arrived, as if a weight had been taken off his mind, he seemed +very much the better that everything had been so satisfactorily +arranged. I could discover no compunction on the part of the son, nor +regret on that of the father, who was cheerful and contented, and ate +his meals with far more relish than he had before done. As the fatal +day approached I attempted to remonstrate with the young chief on so +unnatural a proceeding; but he sternly rebuked me, and told me not to +interfere with the immemorial customs of the people. His father had +been chief long enough--he was worn-out and weary of life--and he +himself wished to be chief. When he should become old, his son would +probably wish to finish him in the same honourable way, and that he +should be content to submit to the usage of his nation. + +The day arrived, and all the relatives and friends and neighbouring +chiefs assembled. The old chief got up, and was followed by a +procession of all his people, some bearing spades, and others cloths +with which to wrap him up in the grave. The grave was about four feet +deep. A cloth having been spread at the bottom, the old man was +conducted to it. He stepped down with as little unwillingness as if he +had been entering a bath, and having been placed on his back, the cloth +was folded over him. Instantly others began shovelling in the earth, +and then his son and nearest relatives came and stamped it down, +exerting all their force with their feet. Not a sound was uttered by +the old man. Leaves were scattered on the grave, and then all engaged +in the ceremony went and washed at a neighbouring stream. + +This done, they returned to the old chief's house, where a feast was +prepared; and having eaten as much food and drunk as much angona as they +could, they got up and commenced dancing in the most frantic manner, +making a most hideous uproar with their drums, conch-shells, and other +instruments, and shrieking and howling at the top of their voices. +After this, the principal chiefs entered the houses of the late chief's +wives, armed with a sort of bowstring. With these they proceeded +deliberately to kill the unfortunate women, one after the other, till +about twenty were thus executed. The new chief's mother had before +died, or she would have been murdered in the same way. Many of them +seemed perfectly willing to submit to their fate, though several, with +shrieks and cries, endeavoured to escape, but were brought back and +compelled to submit their necks to the executioners. + +The young man at once assumed the functions of chief, and seemed +disposed to be no less cruel and bloodthirsty than his father. Soon +after, the news was brought that a vessel had anchored in a bay a short +distance from the town. She was said to be full of all sorts of +valuable commodities; of fire-arms and weapons of all sorts; of cloths, +and tools, and other articles likely to be attractive to savages. At +once the cupidity of the young chief was excited. If he could get +possession of these things, he might become the most wealthy and +powerful of all the chiefs of his nation, and bring the other tribes +into perfect subjection to him. A council of his most trusty followers +was called, and his plan explained to them. They at once agreed to aid +him in its execution. + +I trembled for the fate of the unfortunate crew of the ship, and +resolved, if possible, to warn them of their danger. How was I to +succeed? I would try, I thought, and swim off to the vessel; I would +risk my own life for the purpose. Pretending not to have understood +what was proposed, I walked about in as unconcerned a manner as +possible. I lay down at night in my usual place in the chief's house, +intending to get up when all were asleep, and run along the shore till I +came abreast of where I supposed the vessel would be. Anxiously I +waited for the time. I got up and reached the door. Just as I stepped +out into the night air I felt a hand placed on my shoulder! I must have +trembled. It was the hand of the chief. + +"Ah, I know what you are about," said he. "You wish to escape to the +white people, to tell them what we are going to do. I suspected you. +That cannot be. You will see that it would be wiser for you not to join +them. Come with me to-morrow, and you will see." + +My first plan was thus defeated. Still I hoped that I might meet some +of the white crew of the vessel and warn them of their danger. I +determined to try. + +The next morning the chief and his warriors collected, and all their +canoes were launched and paddled off to a point which concealed them +from the stranger vessel. The smaller canoes were loaded with fruits +and vegetables of all sorts, and about twenty men and boys without arms +and in the most peaceable garb, paddled off to her. + +On getting up, I found that the chief had appointed two men to attend on +me and watch my movements. Everything conspired, therefore, to defeat +all my hopes of warning the strangers of the fate intended for them. + +I was allowed to proceed to a high hill, whence I could look down on the +vessel, which lay in a bay at my feet. I longed to have the wings of a +bird, to fly down and tell the crew of the intentions of the savages, +whose small canoes now began to flock about her. Several of the chiefs +reached her deck, and began offering presents of fruit and vegetables to +the officers, and pointing to the shore, as if to indicate that if they +would come there they would be received with a hearty welcome. I +guessed, from the build of the vessel, that she was not English. At +last I saw a boat lowered into the water, and a French flag flying over +her stern. Though I had often been engaged in deadly strife with those +fighting under that ensign, I was nevertheless anxious to save the lives +of those I saw. Yet I could not speak a word of French, and probably +they would not have understood my warning even if I could have given +them one. + +Not only one, but two boats were lowered; and, as far as I could see, no +one was armed. What could have thus so speedily enticed them on shore? +Looking along the beach, I saw it lined with a number of people, mostly +women and children. There were young girls with baskets of fruit, and +older women with vegetables, and little boys with sucking pigs and other +dainties, and children running about and playing on the sands. As this +was not the usual custom of the savages, I guessed too well that it was +an artful device of the chief to entrap the unwary strangers. By the +time the boats had reached the shore, the women and children gradually +drew off, and I saw two bodies of savages stealing down through the +woods on either side of them. Oh, how I longed to warn them of their +peril! I would, at every risk, have shouted out, but they would not +have understood me. I remained spell-bound. + +Meantime, three or four of the large canoes stole out from behind the +point, and gradually approached the doomed ship, the chiefs in them, +when they were perceived, waving their hands in token of amity to those +on board. If the party on shore observed them, I do not know; they +appeared to have no fear, no suspicion of treachery. The aim of the +cunning savages was to get them to separate from each other. The +sellers of fruit got in among them, and enticed one on one side, and one +on the other; and when this had been accomplished I saw a warrior, with +his club concealed under his cloak, glide noiselessly in and attach +himself to each of the unsuspecting white men. The large canoes, full +of warriors, had likewise been incautiously allowed to get alongside the +brig, and soon her decks were crowded with savages, making signs, and +laughing, and pretending to traffic with the crew. + +On a sudden, a conch-shell was sounded by the chief. Before its hoarse +braying had died away, the deadly weapons of the savages had descended +with terrific force on the heads of the white men on the shore. Many +fell, killed at once; others attempted to run to the boats, but were +pursued and quickly dispatched. On board, the plot of the chief seemed +to be equally successful. Though some resistance was offered and +several shots were fired, all was unavailing--not a white man ultimately +escaped; and in a few minutes their bodies were brought on shore in one +of the canoes, while the others followed towing the brig, whose cable +the savages had cut, that they might the more easily plunder her. + +As soon as she was brought close to the shore, a scene of havoc and +destruction commenced on board. Some climbed the masts to unrig her, +others rushed into the hold to get out the cargo, and numbers hurried to +the cabin to carry off the lighter articles which it contained. + +The chief, as may be supposed, got the lion's share; and his house was +soon full of fire-arms and other weapons, and clothes, and trinkets, and +crockery, and articles of every description. He himself had come on +shore, but numbers still remained on board, working away in the hold, +and lowering down the rigging from aloft, when there was a loud +explosion, and the deck of the vessel, with all on board, was lifted up +and blown into the air! Not a human being on board escaped. Fragments +of the wreck and mangled bodies came falling thick around, while flames +burst out on every side from the hull, the scene of the late atrocity. + +The chief was very angry at the loss of so much property, but seemed in +no way to regret the lives of so many of his subjects. + +I took occasion to tell him that the catastrophe was a judgment on him +for the number of murders and the robbery he had committed. + +He replied that he did not understand what I meant--that white men had +often come to those islands in their ships, and had kidnapped his +people, or shot them down with their guns, or beaten them, for some +trifling misunderstanding or theft of little importance they might have +committed, and that he was only treating them as other white people had +treated his countrymen. + +No reasoning that I was able to use after this could convince him that +he had acted wrongly. Indeed I knew that there was too much truth in +his assertion; and much have those navigators to answer for who have +acted unfairly towards savages, when those savages, following the law of +their untutored nature, have retaliated on subsequent voyagers with a +tenfold measure of vengeance. + +After this occurrence, I was always seeking an opportunity to escape +from this blood-stained spot of earth. Whichever way I turned had been +a scene of murder, and I loathed the sight of the sanguinary perpetrator +of so many atrocities. + +I might employ many an hour in describing the dreadful customs and +superstitions of these people. Every day my desire to escape from them +increased. Three or four vessels in the course of the next year called +off the island, but the crews seemed to be cautious; and, at all events, +no attempt was made to surprise them. As each appeared, I found myself +narrowly watched, so I had no opportunity of communicating with them. + +I had now for some time been looked upon as a sane man, and had employed +myself in working in various ways for the chief. It at last struck me, +that if I were again to feign madness I might obtain greater liberty. +On putting my idea into execution, I found that it had the desired +effect; and I was allowed from that time forward to go about wherever I +liked, and to pry into people's houses and gardens, and even into the +temples. I soon found my way down to the sea-shore, and used to pretend +to be busy in picking up shells, and in stringing them together into +necklaces and bracelets for my own adornment. Then I made others, which +I presented, with many a strange antic, to anybody I met. Day after day +did I continue this employment, my eye wandering anxiously over the blue +sea in search of the wished-for vessel. + +Drearily passed the time, without a human being with whom I could +exchange an idea we might hold in common. I learned then fully to +appreciate the value of the society and sympathy of my fellow-men. At +length, one day as I sat at my usual occupation on the shore, my eyes +fell on a white speck just rising above the horizon. Anxiously, +intently did I watch it. Slowly it increased. First I made out the +topgallant-sails; then the topsails; and at last the courses of a +square-rigged schooner. She approached the island. Oh, how my heart +beat within me for fear she might not come near the part where I was! + +There was a channel through which vessels had more than once passed. A +point of land ran out into it, covered almost to the end with trees. +Towards this point I ran, concealing myself as much as I could among the +trees from the people on shore. I reached the point unobserved. I had +hoped to find a canoe there, but there was none. I looked about, and at +last discovered a log of banana-wood, which is very light. It had been +cast on shore. With my knife I cut a stick with a broad end, to serve +as a paddle and to defend myself against the sharks which abound on the +coast. I was ready to run all risks. I had become desperate. I felt +sure that if I were observed by the natives I should be brought back and +slaughtered. Still that idea did not daunt me. At every hazard I was +resolved to get on board, or to perish in the attempt. + +Eagerly I kept my eye on the vessel. On she came. She was steering for +the channel. I got my log ready to launch. It was with no small dread +that I looked around to ascertain that I was not observed. I watched +for the moment to commence my perilous voyage, when, by pulling directly +out from the shore, I thought I could fetch her. I had secured two long +outriggers at each end of my log, to prevent it from turning round; the +tendrils of the wild vine served me as rope. The time arrived to launch +forth. With all my strength shoving the log into the water, I took my +seat on it, and with might and main using my paddle, I worked on my +rough canoe towards the schooner. + +Now commenced the most dangerous part of the enterprise, as I drew out +from the point and became exposed to the view of the people on shore. +Every now and then I gave a hasty glance over my shoulder to ascertain +if I were followed. + +For a long time no one observed me. I had nearly gained a position by +which the schooner must pass, when, to my dismay, I saw a large canoe +putting off from the shore. If I could not gain the side of the +schooner before she reached me, I was undone. + +Again I took to my paddle, and urged on the slow-moving machine towards +the approaching vessel; still the canoe was rapidly drawing near. Every +instant I expected to find an arrow sticking in my body. The thought +made me redouble my efforts. + +On came the schooner. I shouted out, "Have mercy on an unfortunate +Englishman!" I saw many swarthy faces on her forecastle. I thought +that I might not be understood. What was my joy then to see her brail +up her sails, for she had a leading wind, and lower her boat! + +The boat approached me. I leaped into her just as a shower of arrows +was sent flying after me. Most of them fell short, but some struck the +boat. Those on board the schooner seeing this, instantly let fly a +volley of musketry at my pursuers, and made them pull back with no +little rapidity towards the shore. The moment my eye had time to look +about the vessel, I thought that I recognised her. I was not mistaken; +she was Newman's schooner, and Newman himself was standing on the +quarter-deck, not as I had for so long known him, but in dress and +appearance like an officer. He, of course, did not know me. How should +he? I was thin and haggard with care and anxiety. Of my seaman's +clothes but a small portion now remained, and the few garments I had +were made of the native cloth, but had been torn in my run among the +trees, and afterwards almost destroyed in the water. Altogether, I was +a miserable figure. + +I resolved not to make myself known to my old friend, but still I was +anxious to guard him against the treachery of the natives. Seeing that +I appeared to wish to speak to him, he sent for me aft to give an +account of myself. I had not talked five minutes when he exclaimed, "I +am quite certain I know that voice and mode of expression. Who are you, +my man?" + +I at once told him. He grasped my hand cordially, and greeted me as he +would have done in the forecastle of the _Drake_. Directly he made me +at home, and told me that I must mess in his cabin. + +"You must be clothed, so I will dress you as an officer. As we have no +boatswain on board, I will at once appoint you to fill the berth. +That's all settled; and after you have had some food, I must hear all +that has happened to you since we parted." He told me that he was well +aware of the treacherous disposition of the natives, and that he was +always on his guard. + +How delightful it was to feel myself out of the power of those +bloodthirsty savages, and to be sitting at dinner with an intelligent +companion! He had been in the schooner ever since we parted; and so +much satisfaction had he given the Dutch authorities, that he had been +promised shortly the command of the largest vessel on the station. He +was in high spirits, and told me that he expected, on his return to +Batavia, to marry a lady of considerable fortune, and that he looked +upon his prosperity as certain. "Pretty well, is it not, I have done, +remembering the point from which I started only a few years ago?" + +I very soon recovered my health and strength on board the schooner. +Newman had been sent to examine these and other neighbouring groups of +islands. We cruised about among them for some months, and then once +more shaped our course for Batavia. + +On getting on board, I had no little difficulty at first in speaking +English, and I found that I had almost entirely forgotten how to read +and write. Newman, however, used to have me every day into his cabin, +and I very soon recovered the knowledge I had lost. Indeed, he took as +much pains to instruct me as he had done on board the whaler, and he +encouraged me with the hope that he might get me appointed as one of his +mates while he remained in the schooner. But alas! I found that in one +point he was still unchanged. Religion was yet a stranger to his soul. + +At length we reached Batavia. He went on shore in high spirits, telling +me that he was going to visit the lady to whom he was engaged; but he +let me know that he must call also on another who had formed an +attachment for him, that he might pacify her respecting his intended +marriage. I feared from what he said that all was not right. I +expected him on board again that night, but he did not return. + +In the morning he did not come, so with some anxiety I went on shore to +inquire for him. For a long time I searched in vain. At last I met a +person whom I guessed to be an Englishman. + +"Your captain do you ask for?" he answered. "Look there!" + +Some police-officers stood at the door of a house. They allowed me to +enter. On the floor of a room at the side lay a body. A cloth covered +the face. I lifted it up. There I beheld all that remained of the +highly endowed Edward Newman, for by no other name did I know him. He +had been poisoned through fiery jealousy. A cup, in pretended +friendship, had been laughingly offered him. Unsuspiciously he had +drunk of it. The Government seized the murderess, who paid the penalty +of her crime with her life. + +Thus died one who was well calculated to shine in the higher walks of +life. Who he was, whence he came, or even the slightest clue to his +previous history, I was never able to ascertain. In a strange land he +died, far away from kindred and friends--if, indeed, he had any--his +fate for ever unknown to them. Let this be a warning to those who hear +the sad conclusion of his history. The highest talents, and the most +undaunted courage and perseverance, will avail a man nothing, unless at +the same time he be under the guidance of principle. + +The death of my friend threw me completely adrift, and I was glad to +find an opportunity of working my passage to England on board a ship +just going to sail for Liverpool. + +Once more I stood on my native shore, a care-worn, weather-beaten man, +well advanced in years. On inquiring for the bank in which I had +invested the savings of my former voyage, I found that it had failed, +and that I was as poor as when I began the world, with this difference, +that I had a profession, and had bought a large amount of experience +with the money I had squandered--which is not always the case with +spend-thrifts. + +I made inquiries for Captain Carr, but could hear nothing of him. As I +concluded that he had invested the money made by my last voyage in the +_Drake_, I supposed that also to have been lost by the bank. I thought +this a very great misfortune, as I wished to have settled on shore in +some business or other. Perhaps I might have chosen that of a publican, +as many sailors do. However, I had now no resource but to go to sea +again. + +While in this humour I fell in with an old shipmate. We had been +together in the _Glutton_, and one or two other ships, so we knew each +other directly. He told me that he belonged to a revenue-cutter then +stationed in the Mersey, and that she was short of hands, especially of +three or four steady men; and when I mentioned to him that I had been +boatswain of a man-of-war schooner, he said that he was certain I would +get a berth on board. I was weary of foreign voyages, so I accompanied +him at once, as he proposed, to the commander, and was entered +immediately. + +Ever since have I had reason to bless that day. The commander was a +pious, excellent man, who, aware of the value of his own soul, was ever +solicitous for the eternal welfare of all those placed under his +authority. He soon found that though I had some knowledge of the Bible, +and much of other things, I was ignorant of the way of salvation. He +called me often into his cabin. Kindly and affectionately he spoke to +me, and set before me the truth of the gospel as it is in Christ Jesus. +As he spoke to me, so did he, from time to time, to all the rest. He, +truly, was not ashamed of the Master he served. At an early age he had +hoisted his flag, and had ever since fought bravely under it, against +the scorn of the world, against evil in all shapes. Even the most +obdurate were softened and influenced by the example he set, though they +might not receive the truth with gladness of heart. We were what all +ships' companies might become--a Christian crew, though not without +faults and shortcomings; but we loved Christ, and worshipped him with +singleness of heart. At the same time I am very certain that no crew +ever more efficiently did their duty to their country than we performed +ours. + +For three years I served on board that vessel, and at the end of that +time was sent round to Woolwich, where she had been fitted out, to be +paid off. + +The last time I landed at Liverpool, I met an old gentleman walking +along the street. I looked in his face. It was Captain Carr! I told +him who I was. Of course he had thought I had been lost, and was very +much surprised to see me. He was shocked to hear of the death of my +companions, and deeply interested in the account I gave him of my +captivity. To my no little satisfaction he told me that he had not +invested the money, which was mine by rights, from the last voyage; and +that he thought he could obtain fifty pounds from the owners as my share +of profits. This sum I afterwards received. It was all that remained +out of the thousands I had made in the course of my life. + +I was now sixty years of age. I had recovered my health on board the +cutter, but though strong and hearty, I felt I was no longer fit for +sea. I found, however, on application, that I could obtain employment +as a rigger in the dockyard; and in that work I spent some years. I +took a little cottage on the hill, which I furnished by means of the +money I received from Captain Carr, and made myself perfectly +comfortable. + +Directly I was settled, I started off next day for Greenwich Hospital, +for I thought that I should very likely fall in with some old shipmates +there. I went into the chapel and sat myself down--no one hindering me. +As the men were coming out when service was over, I saw before me a +tall, thin old pensioner, bending under the weight of years, and resting +on a staff as he walked before me. I came behind as he reached the open +air, and looked up in his face. It wore the same kind, benignant, mild +expression which I remembered so well in the countenance of Peter +Poplar. I waited till he got down the steps. + +"Just lean on me, sir," said I. "You have carried me before now, if I +mistake not." He looked hard at my face. A tear dimmed his eye. + +"Yes, yes--it's the boy himself," he whispered in a tremulous voice. +"But you are `Old Jack' now." I loved the name he gave me, and ever +since to the lads I meet and talk with I have called myself by it. + +A few weeks after that, I sat by the bedside of my kind, noble old +friend--talking of that glorious eternity into which his spirit entered +before I left him. + +After I had been settled for some years, I met an old shipmate, sick, +and I saw plainly dying. He had been a lad when I knew him. He had +with him a little girl, his only child, some ten years old. His wife +was dead. He had no friends. I promised as he lay on his death-bed to +take charge of the lassie. He blessed me, and died. I took her to my +cottage, and she has ever since been a comfort and a solace to me--a +daughter by adoption, if not by blood. + +Not long after this event, I met my former commander in the cutter. He +asked me how I was employed. I told him as a rigger, but that I +sometimes found my strength scarcely equal to the work; but when that +failed, I was sure God would provide for me as He had always done. + +He replied that he had no doubt of it--that even then there was work for +which I was well fitted ready for me--that he belonged to a society +which had been formed to distribute, at a low price, religious and other +publications among those classes who were accustomed to purchase the +most pernicious style of literature, frequently from not having better +offered to them; and that if I would undertake the work, he would get me +appointed to it. I gladly accepted his offer, and have ever since been +a humble, though I feel sure not an inefficient, labourer in making +known the good tidings of great joy among the almost heathen population +of our own land, as a colporteur. + +I have told my tale. I have offered many an example of what religion +can do, and of what the want of it will produce. I have uttered many a +warning. One more I must repeat: Remember that this world affords no +rest to the soul--this world is unstable and fleeting--those who persist +in making the utmost it can offer their aim, are striving to clutch a +passing shadow. Oh! never forget it is but a place of preparation--a +place of trial--for all human beings alike. To commence mother life all +are hastening--all must commence ere long. High and low, rich and poor, +young and old--those in health and those in sickness--the light-hearted +and happy--the miserable and forlorn--all alike are going the same road, +and entering into a condition which, whether wretched or joyous, will +last for eternity. Though the rest of what I have said may be +forgotten, let this great truth be remembered, and you will have gained +a pearl of great price from reading the life of OLD JACK. + +THE END. + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Old Jack, by W.H.G. 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