^7^^

A^,

^■

IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-3)

lis

i<^

*>I^
^-*.^>

-*">"

1.0

I.I

li.25

UiM2A 12.5
ui lii 12.2
^ Uft 120

l4Si

Photographic

Sciences

Corporation

^^^

33 WIST MAKi fTMIT

WnSTW.M Y. 145M

(716) tVl-'«»03

CIHM/ICMH

Microfiche

Series.

CIHIVI/iCMH
Collection de
microfiches.

Rdian Institute for Historical Microrsproductions / Institut Canadian de microreproductions historiques

Technical and Bibliographic Notes/Notes techniquas at bibliographiquas

Tha Inatituta haa attamptad to obtain tha baat
original copy availabia for filming. Faaturaa of thia
copy which may ba bibliographically uniqua.
which may altar any of tha imagaa in tha
raproduction, or which may significantly changa
tha usual mathod of filming, ara chackad balow.

□ Colourad covars/
Couvartura da couiaur

r~n Covars damagad/

Couvartura andommagte

Covars rastorad and/or iaminatad/
Couvartura raataurAa at/ou palliculAa

r~| Covar titia miasing/

La titre da couvartura manqua

Colourad maps/

Cartas gtographiquas an couiaur

Coloured ink (i.a. othar than blua or black)/
Encra da couiaur (i.a. autra qua blaua ou noira)

Colourad plataa and/or illuatrations/
Planchas at/ou illuatrationa an couiaur

Bound with othar material/
Rail* avac d'autras documents

□ Tight binding mey cauae shadows or distortion
along interior margin/

La re liure serrAe peut causer de I'ombre ou de le
distortion le long de la marge intirieure

Blank leaves added during restoration may
appear within the text. Whenever possible, these
have been omitted from filming/
II se peut que certaines pagae bli ches ajoutias
lors d'une restauration apparaisser.t dans la texte,
meia. lorsqua cela Atait possible, ces pages n'ont
pas 6t6 filmtes.

L'Institut a microfilm^ le meilleur exemp
qu'il lui e itt possible de se procurer. Le
de cet exemplaire qui sont peut-Atre uni
point de vue bibliographique. qui peuvei
une image reproduite. ou qui peuvent e)
modification dans la m6thode normale d
sont indiquto ci-dessous.

I I Coloured pages/

Pages de couleur

Pages damaged/
Pages endommagies

□ Pages restored and/or laminated/
Pages restaurias et/ou pellicul^es

rrixPagas discoloured, stained or foxed
L_j Pages d^colories, tacheties ou piqi

□ Pages detached/
Pages dAtachies

r~V Showthrough/
LrlJ Transparence

□ Quality of print varies/
Qualiti inAgale de I'impression

□ Includes supplementary material/
Comprend du material supplimentai

S^!

Only edition available/
Seule Mition disponib!e

ages wholly or partially obscured fa
slips, tissues, etc.. have been refilm«
ensure the best possible image/
Les pages totalement ou partielleme
obscurcies par un feuillet d'errata, u
etc., ont it A filmies A nouveau de fe
obtenir la meilleure image possible.

{TTK Additional comments:/

LjLJ Commentairea supplimantairas:

Wrinkled pages may film slightly out of focus.

This item is filmed at the reduction ratio checked below/

Ce document est film* au taux de rMuction indiqui ci-dessous.

10X 14X 18X 22X

26X

30X

12X

16X

20X

24X

28X

Tha copy flliiMid h&n hat bami raproducMl ttmnk*
to the OMHNrotlty of:

Univtriity of British Columbia Library

L'oxomptoiro film4 fut roproduit orloo A la
g4w4ro aH i <la;

Univartity of British Columbia Library

Tha imagaa appaaring hara ara tha baat quality
pooaibia conaMaring tha eondMon and laglblHty
of tha crlglnal copy and in liaaping with tha
fllmlno contract apaclfleationa.

Original copiaa in printad papar covara ara filmad
baginning with tha front cover and anding on
tha iaat paga with a printad or lliuatratad Impraa-
aion. or tha ImcIi cover whan appropriate. Ail
otlMr original copiaa ara filmad baginning on tha
firat paga with a printad or illuttratad impraa-
aion. and anding on tha Iaat paga with a printad
or Hiuatratad impraasion.

Tha iaat racordad frama on aach microf !cha
ahaN contain tha aymboi -^> (moaning "CON-
TINUED"), or tha aymbol ▼ (moaning "END"),
whiciiavar appliaa.

IMapa, plataa, charts, ate., may be filmed et
different reduction retioa. Those too ierge to be
entirely included in one exposure ere filmed
beginning in the upper left hand comer, left to
right and top to bcnom, aa many frames es
required. The following diagrams illustrate the
method:

Lee imagae auiventee ont At* reprodultee evec le
plua grand aoln, compta tenu do la condition at
do le nettet* do i'exemplaira filmA, et en
conformM evec lee conditiona du contrat da
ftimaga.

Lea exempieires originaux dont la couverture en
pepier eet ImprimAo aont filmte en commenpant
par la premier plot et en terminent soit par la
damlAre paga qui comporte une empreinte
d'impreesion ou d'illustretion, soit per le second
plat, salon le cas. Toua lea autres exempieires
originaux aont filmia en commenpent par la
pramiAre pege qui comporte une empreinte
d'impresslon ou d'illustration et en terminent per
le dernlAre page qui comporte une telle
empreinte.

Un das symboles suivants apparaltra sur ia
dernWre imege de cheque microfiche, selon ie
ces: le symboie -^ signifie "A 8UIVRE", le
symbols ▼ signifie "FIN".

Les cartes, pienches. tableaux, etc.. peuvent Atre
filmte i des teux de riduction diff Arents.
Lorsque le document eet trop grend pour Atre
reproduit en un soul clichA, 11 est film* * pertir
de i'angia supArieur gauche, de geuche A droite,
et de haut en bes, en prenent le nombre
d'imeges nAcesselre. Les diegremmes suivants
illustrent le mAthode.

Q
0.

ETCHINGS OP A WHALING CRUISE,

WITH VjTU of a

SOJOURN ON THE ISLAND OF ZANZIBAR;

AND A BRIBP

1=^

HISTORY OF THE WHALE FISHERY,

IN ITS PAST AND PRESENT CONDITION.

J. ROSS BROWNE.

WTTH NUMEROUS ENaRAVINaS AND WOODCUTS.

LONDON:
JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET.

1846.

PREFACE.

Within a few years past, the condition of our merchant
seamen has excited very general interest. It is gratifying
to perceive that the efforts made in their behalf by the hu<
mane and the liberal have been proddctive of the happiest
results. Facilities for their moral and intellectual improve?
ment are now within their reach ; attention is paid to their
comfort ; the difierence between oppression and discipline
is beginning to be observed ; -and cases of insubordination
and mutiny will soon be comparatively of rare occurrence.

While the laudable exertions of philanthropists have ef-
fected so much for the happiness of that useful class of
men, it is not a little singular that the abuses existing in the
whale fishery are scarcely known beyond the limits of our
northeastern coast. The subject is one of great moment,
especially to the people of New England, who are largely
interested in the whaling business, and who have ever
manifested a warm regard for human rights. To them,
the condition of seamen engaged in that service is a matter
of too much importance to remain unheeded, when prop-
erly understood.

In riubmitting the following narrative to the public, I am
actuated mainly by a desire to make my experience as
useful to others as it has been to myself; and, by a faithful
delineation of the service in which I spent so eventful a
period of my life, to show in what manner the degraded
condition of a portion of our fellow-creatures can be ame-
liorated.

I feel confident that there is much in the cruel and op-

PREFACE.

pressive abuses prevalent in the whale fishery to enlist
public sympathy. There are now in active employment
more than seven hundred whaling vessels belonging to the
New England States, manned by nearly twenty thousand
hardy and intrepid men. It is a reproach to the American
people that, in this age of moral reform, the protecting arm
of the law has not reached these daring adventurers. We
are indebted to them for the extension of our commerce in
foreign countries ; for valuable additions to our stock of
knowledge ; for all the benefits resulting from their discov-
enes and researches in remote parts of the >vv>rld ; and
yet they are the most oppressed class of men in existence.
History scarcely furnishes a parallel for the deeds of cru-
elty committed upon them during their long and perilous
voyages.

The startling increase of crime in the whale fishery de-
mands a remedy. Scarcely a vessel arrives in port that
does not bring intelligence of a mutiny. Are the murder-
ous wrongs which compel men to rise up and throw ofifthe
burden of oppression unworthy of notice? Will none
make the attempt to arrest their fearful progress ? Such a
state of things surely calls for investigation. My limited
experience enables me to point out some of the causes of
crime on the high seas. If it be possible to diminish them
by more attention to the welfare and comfort of the crews,
and to the punishment of masters, not only for positive acts
of cruelty, but for morally degrading those under their
command, justice certainly requires that the remedy should
be speedily carried into effect.

So far as relates to myself personally, I take this oppor-
tunity of statmg, that during the unpleasant term of my
servitude before the mast, I was treated as well by the cap-
tain and officers as they were capable of treating any com-
mon sailor. The desire to revenge private wrongs, or

PREFACE.

gratify malice, can not, therefore, be justly attributed to
me. My design is simply to present to the public a faith*
ful delineation of the life of a whaleman. In doing this, I
deem it necessary that I should aim rather at the truth
itself than at mere polish of style. A due regard to fidelity
induces me to present the incidents and facts very nearly
in their original rude garb. I have no faith in softening or
polishing stem realities. Let them go before the world
with all the force of truthfulness ; and if they can effect
nothing, the blame will not rest upon the narrator. I claim
no higher credit than that of being an accurate reporter of
passing events, with the privilege of commending what is
right, and dissenting from what is wrong. I have suffered
too much, not to feel the woes of others. Where reproof
is merited, where injustice has been done, where human
rights have been invaded, I shall ever lift up a deprecating
voice. It is oile of the glorious prerogatives of a freeman
to denounce tyranny and injustice ; and no fear of exciting
enmity shall deter me from exercising it. I have espoused
the cause of seamen ; I have shown the flagrant abuses to
which they are subject; I have exposed the cupidity of
owners and the tyranny of masters ; and I do not expect
to escape censure. No man ever enlisted in a good cause
without making enemies. Truth is always offensive to
those who have cause to fear it If, therefore, there be
any who may feel disposed to abuse me for exposing the
wrongs of seamen, they may rest assured I prefer their
censure to their praise.

Mr. Richard H. Dana nas given, in his " Two Years be-
fore the Mast,"* a faithful and graphic delineation of life
in the merchant service. The thanks of every just man
are due to him for his noble exertions in behalf of the suf-
fering mariner. Previous to the publication of his work,
little was known of the real hardships encountered by sail-

* Harper*! Family Libraiy, No. 106.

PREFACE.

ors ; and to Mr. Dana may be attributed the moral revolu-
tion which has since taken place in the merchant service.
I should be very backward in presenting my narrative to
the public, after the brilliant success of a work written under
nearly the same circumstances, if it were not that each
describes an entirely different service. The duties, treat-
ment, mode of living, and every thing connected with the
voyage of a whaleman, differ widely from those of the
merchant sailor. I believe no one has yet attempted a full
and continuous narrative of forecastle life in the whale fish-
ery from actual experience as a hand before the mast.

Having had no previous acquaintance with the topogra-
phy of the islands visited in the course of our cruise, or the
manners and customs of the inhabitants, and no books to
which I could refer while at sea, I was obliged to rely
chiefly upon my own observation ; so that the little which I
may have added to what is already known*of those islands
must be taken in connection with the circumstances under
which I obtained my information. It should be borne in
mind that this is not designed as a work of reference for
geogr" *-' • and naturalists. I claim no higher rank for it
than th ^ mere chronicle of incidents and adventures.
The ncies of a sojourn On the Island of Zanzibar will, I
trust, derive some interest from the fact that very little is
known of that island and its inhabitants. Since the embas-
sy to the courts of Siam and Muscat in 1832-3, but more
especially since the visit of a vessel belonging to the Imaum
of Muscat to this country a few yeaft since, it has become
customary to laud this Arabian potentate in the most ex-
travagant terms of admiration. I have no disposition to
detract from his high reputation ; but, at the same time, I
must say, no living sovereign has been more universally
misrepresented, both as regards character and power. I
enjoyed, perhaps, a better opportunity of becoming ac-

PREFACE.

. vu

quainted with the true character of the Imaum of Muscat,
the extent of his dominions, and the condition of his sub-
jects, than any of those writers who have described, in
such glowing terms, the splendor of his court, his munifi-
cence toward the American government, and his unlimited
power over the islands near the eastern coast of Africa.

I take pleasure in acknowledging my indebtedness to
Mr. A. A. von Schmidt, the talented artist who has so ad-
mirably executed the drawings. An intimate personal ac-
quaintance with this gentleman for many years past in-
duced me to show him my rough sketches taken during
the voyage ; and, through his skill and kindness, I am now
enabled to present them to the reader in a more perfect
state, but with all the spirit and freshness of sketches from
life. I am happy to perceive that his skillful pencil is not
idle, having been called into requisition by the Honorable
Edmund Burke, commissioner of patents.

Though young in years, it has been my lot to encounter
many of the vicissitudes of a wandering life. May I not
be indulged, then, in the privilege of an adventurer — that
of telling of dangers past in my own way? If I have
dwelt at some length on the dark side of things, it will be
admitted that I show a strong preference for the sunny
side. It is no pleasure to n^ to harp upon the ordinary
frailties of human nature. Indeed, I think I may be al-
lowed to say, that

" I own the good, while smarting with the ill,
And love the world, with all its frailty, still."

With these few remarks in the way of explanation, I
submit my narrative to the indulgence of the public ; and
if it should be the means of directing attention to the un-
happy condition of that class with whom I was for a brief
period of my life associated, I shall consider myself repaid
for the trials and hardships of the past. J. R. B.

WMkington, D. C, J*ly, 1846.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

A few Words of Introduction. — Life in Washington. — Castle-btdld'
ing. — Plan of a grand Tour. — The Dignity of Office. — Departure
from the Capital. — The Dutch Skipper. — Embarrassing Situation.
— A New York whaling Agent. — Consigned to New Bedford.—
Au old Blubber Hunter's Experience . , . . Pago 1

CHAPTER n.

A new Friend. — Examination by the Fitter. — A Sailor's Boarding-
house. — Jolly Set of Whalemen. — Captain Bill Salt. — Our first
Lesson in Lunars. — A Song. — The Fitter's Kindness. — The
Barque Styx aiJii Owners. — Fine Promises. — Weigh Anchor. —
Repentance 14

CHAPTER III ,.,,4/
A Sketch of our Captain. — First Night at Sea.— Remedy for Sea-
sickness. — The Calcutta Hole outdone. — Stormy Weather. — The
Gulf Stream. — Reefing in a Gale. — Vain Regrets. — Rough Fare.
— Voracity of the Portuguese 22

CHAPTER IV.

Trouble on Board. — Choking a Seaman. — AJl Hands called Aft. — A
Scene in the Waist. — Laymg down the Law. — Duplicity of the
Owners. — Choosmg Watches. — Preparations for the Whaling
Ground. — Fatiguing Exercises 31

CHAPTER V.
Distressing lUness of my Friend. — ^His brutal Treatment. — Unfeel-
ing Conduct of the Portuguese. — Their Ignorance. — Setting Boats'
CrewWatches.— AChase after Black-fish. — Evening Pastimes 39

^um

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER VI.
More Trouble on Board.— Cruelty toward a Seaman.— A School of
Whales.— Prize alongside.— Remarks of the Down-Easter.— Cut-
ting In and Trying Out.— Land ho !— Peak of Pico.— Terceira.

Trading. Character of the Islanders. — Scenery. — Adventure

on the Island.— An unpleasant ProdicamenI . . . Page 47

CHAPTER VII.

" A Gam." Departure firom Terceira. — Pico. — Island of Fayal. —

Villa Orta.— Part with my Friend.— Landing the Sick.— Jugglmg
for a Watch. — Departure from Fayal. — Gloomy Prospects 76

CHAPTER VIII.

Quarreling Aft. — ^A Row between the Captain and Mate. — Return
to Fayal. — Annoyances. — ^Murderous Designs of the Cook. — ^Un-
der Weigh for the Indian Ocean. — Monotony of the Passage. —
Pastimes. — Canary Islands. — Horse Latitudes. — Grand Whale
Chase. — Six Whales alongside. — Beautiful Effect of the Moon 104

CHAPTER IX.

Make the Cape de Verdes. — ^Isle of Sal Bonavista. — Isle of May.

— ^Raising Breaches. — Leton's Rock — Humor of the Cook. — Isle
of St. lago. — Porto Praya.— Bill Mann " Throe Sheete in the

Wind."— Bounty.— Its Effects upon Ae Crew A Sail.— British

Convict Vessel 147

CHAPTER X.

Approach the Equator. — Sketch of an old Whaleman. — John Tabor's
Ride.— Sketches of the Crew. — Routine of Duty. — Standing Mast-
heads. — Ship-keeping. — Signals . . . . . . 165

CHAPTER XI.

Cross the Equator. — Martin Vas Rocks. — Isle of Trinidad. — Bill
Mann's Account of Governor Trinidad. — A large Albatross. —
Right Whale Chase. — Christmas Day. — Off the Cape of Good
Hope. — Tremendous Gale. — Condition of the Vessel. — Passage
from the Cape to Madagascar. — Kill a Whale off Fort Dauphin. —
Cape St. Mary. — St. Augustine's Bay. — Cruise in the Mozam-
bique Channel. — A Fight. — ^Two Men Flogged . . . 205

mmmm

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER XII.

Isle of Makumba. — Wood-cutting and Hot Weather. — ^Arrival at
Bembatooka Bay. — Town of Majunga. — ^American Traders. —
Natives. — Liberty Ashore. — Grand Dance. — Dinner at Mohammed

"■ Desharee's. — Quarrel between the Captain and Mate. — Great
Fdte in Honor of tlie Governor. — ^Ambolamboes and Sacklaves. —
Departure from Madagascar Page 234

CHAPTER XIII.

Cruelty to a Portuguese Boy. — Make the Comoro Isles. — Visit
from the Sheik's Secretary. — Johanna. — Bay of Henzooanee. —
Description of the Town. — Hozain and his Certificates. — Jack
America. — ^Adventure with the Sheik. — Description of Syed Mo-
hammed 264

CHAPTER XIV.

Mohammedan at Prayer. — Beautiful Glen. — Upset in a Canoe. —

Bull Fight. — Terrible Combat between the Down-Easter and the

Bull. — Leave Johanna. — Exciting Whale Chase, and Capture of u

Whale. — Trouble and Discontent. — Maiie Zanzibar. — Desertion

• of three Men. — Speech of the Captain. — Condition of the Crew

283

CHAPTER XV.

Effects of ill Treatment. — Scene in the Forecastle. — Combination
to refuse Duty. — A bad Predicament. — Revolt. — Dreadful Con-
dition of Things on Board. — ^Appeal to the Consul. — Interview with
him. — Exertions to find a Substitute. — Disappointment. — Sus-
pense. — Hope. — Another Disappointment. — ^Bargain with a Quad-
roon. — Swapping Places with a Negro. — Procure my Discharge. —
A happy Release. — Good-by to the Styx .... 308

CHAPTER XVI.

Description of Zanzibar. — Imaum's Harem. — Castle Antiquities. —
Inhabitants of N'Googa. — Sowhelian Customs. — Poetry. — Imaum's
Palace. — Commercial Advantages of Zanzibar. — Treaties. — Aham-
et Bin Hamees.- Rajab. — Exaggerations of Travelers. — Despotic
Government. — Possessions of Syed Syed Bin Soultan. — Presents
to his Highness. — Fate of the American Pleasure Boat . 328

xii

CONTENTS.

."««^-

CHAPTER XVII.
Arabian Towns.— Topography of N'GoogB.— Fatal Effects of the Cli-
mate.— Unchristian Treatment of a Scotch Seaman.— Wretched
Condition of the Natives.— Barbarous Treatment of Sailors.— The
Sultan's Generosity toward the American People — Directions for
the Preservation of Health Page 357

CHAPTER XVIII.

Superstitions of the Inhabitants.- Hassan and the Devil. — Jeram Bin
Seva's Horror of Mesmerism.— The big Snake.— Funeral Cere-
monies of the Sowhelians. — A Mohammedan's Aversion to Pork.
— Deatli of a Portuguese Boy. — Character of the Arabs. — A Bri-
dal Ceremony. — Marriage Law. — Sowhelian Dances. — The
Coolies. — Jungle Dogs. — Death of a Shipmate. — Practicing Med-
icine. — Auctions. — Sale of the Brig Bogota .... 384

CHAPTER XIX.

Gambling. — Horse-racing on the Nazee Moya. — ^Warlike Exercises.
— Religious Customs. — Visit to the Interior of the Island. — An
Oriental Scene. — Caravan. — Description of the Shambas. — Grand
Dinner at Hadja Mouchad's. — ^Return to Town. — A Funeral 410

CHAPTER XX.

AiTival of a Brig fi'om the Persian Gulf. — A Whaling Skipper. —
Suspense. — Arrangements for a Passage Home. — Departure from
Zanzibar. — Passage round the Cape of Good Hope . . 444

CHAPTER XXI.

Make St. Helena. — Preparations to go Ashore. — Dinner at the Con-
sul's. — White Ladies. — A Whaling Captain. — Love and Music.
— Visit to Napoleon's Tomb. — Politeness of a Yamstock. — Anec-
dote of a Frenchman. — Departure from St. Helena . . 450

CHAPTER XXH.

Sketch of a good Captain. — Amusements. — Dana's Narrative. — A
pattern Husbond.- BaiTi«.g Winds. — The Gulf Stream. — A Ves-
sel abandoned — Land Ho !— The Captain's Wit.— Make Capo
Cod Light-house.— Hospitality of the Citizens of Salem.— Bud
Nows. — Arrival in Washington.— Visit to the West.— Changes. —
Home and its Pleasures 476

;

CONTENTS.

XUl

CONCLUSION.

Fate of my Comrades. — Nan-ative of the SufferiDgs of my Frieud

W . — Unparalleled Case of Cruelty. — Account of the Yankee

Boy. — The Mockery of the Law. — Injustice toward Seamen. —
Review of the Voyage. — Reflections on the present Condition of
the Whale Fishers. — Flogging, and its evil Effects. — Imperfec-
tions of the United States Consular System. — Life of a Whale-
man.— Tyranny. — The End Page 484

APPENDIX.

Historical Sketch of the Rise and Progress of the European and

American Whale Fisheries Page 511

Statistical Tables, showing the Number, Tonnage, and Value of the
Vessels employed in the Whale Fishery belonging to the United
Stntes ; the Ports from which they sail ; the number of Seamen
engaged in the Service ; Condition of the Whaling Business, includ-
ing Imports and Exports of Oil, from 1838 to 1846 ; Articlss used
in constructing and fitting Vessels ; Duties on same, &c. . 533
Extracts from the Speeches of Messrs. GrinneU, Rockwell, and
Clayton, in reference to the present Condition of the American

Whale Fishery 539

Bounties 540

Effects of a Protective Tariff 543

Honolulu Friend — French, English, and American Whaling Inter-
ests in the Pacific — Rules and Regulations respecting Seamen —

Sandwich Islands 543

Beale*s List of Cruising Grounds, with Observations . . 547
Wilkes's Chapter oa the Whale Fishery . . . .549

Anatomical and Physiological description of the Sperm Whale, its

Habits, &c 564

Right Whale 572

Fin-backed Whale 672

Species of Right Whale 573

Hunter's Renurks on the Whale Tribe 573

Inventions for Killing the Whale 574

Specimens of the Sowhelian Language 575

Numerals 580

1 \

ETCHINGS OF A WHALING CRUISE,

WITH NOTES OF A SOJOURN ON

THE ISLAND OF ZANZIBAR, ETC.

ci ii I ' J Ij I tf /^ i ,' ;-

^';l'

ETCHINGS OF A WHALING CRUISE.

CHAPTER I.

A few Words of Introduction. — Life in Washington. — Castle-biiUd*
ing. — Plan of a grand Tour. — The Dignity of Office. — Departure
from the Capital. — The Dutch Skipper. — Embarrassing Situation.

y — A New York whaling Agent. — Consigned to New Bedford.—
An old Blubber Hunter's Experience.

I DEEM it but fair that the reader should know the
circumstances under which I commenced my career
of adventure. There is nothing uncommon in them
— nothing that I have the slightest reason to con-
ceal ; and it is only because I believe the interest of
a narrative of this kind depends, in a great measure,
upon the ~.8vious pursuits and associations of the
author, that I make any allusion to matters which
would otherwise be of so little moment.

When a man abandons all the enjoyments of civ-
ilized life, signs away his freedom, and voluntarily
brings trouble upon his own head, it may naturally
be presumed that he has wise motives for doing so.
I am not sure that this was precisely my case. If I
had any motives for so unaccountable a course, they
were merged in the vague but absorbing desire in-
herent in me from early boyhood to see the world.

STENOGRAPAICAL AMBITION.

I date the circumstances which led to my cruise
as far back as 1838. In that year I performed a
voyage in a trading-boat from Louisville to New
Orleans. The incidents of a year's life on the Ohio
and Mississippi Rivers gave me a thirst for adventure;
and I resolved to gratify it with as little delay as
possible. My design was somewhat ambitious. 1
was determined to travel as a gentleman of leisure ;
though, to accomplish this object, it was necessary
I should have means. In racking my brain to find
a panacea for empty pockets, I could think of no
profession in which it was likely I should have so
little competition to contend against as that of stenog-
rapher, from the fact that it requires more labor to
become proficient in it than most other professions.
Besides, I had a penchant for scribbling. I set to
work at once, and studied Gurney's, Taylor's, and
Gould's " hieroglyphics" with so much zeal, that at
the expiration of about a year I was a mere hiero-
glyphic myself.

In November, 1841 — then in ray nineteenth year
— ^I left Kentucky for Washington City. The pros-
pect before me was quite inspiring. I was about
to see the great men of the nation assembled in
council ; to hear, for the first time in my life, the
tnrilling eloquence of our great orators ; to be the
humble medium of preserving some of their flights
for future ages to admire ! What a glorious galaxy
of intellectual light was soon to shed its rays upon
my boyish mind!

GRAND TOUR PROJECTED.

On my arrival in Washington, I was fortunate
enough to procure a good situation as reporter in
the Senate. A long session had just opened. Ac-
cording to the nicest calculation, I thought myself
(prospectively) in possession of at least six or eight
hundred dollars ; and I spent my leisure hours lay-
ing out the plan of my grand tour. First, I intend-
ed visiting France. If I should find nothing very
attractive in Havre or Paris, I would immediately
proceed to Italy, see all the curiosities, and, after
touching at various ports in the Mediterranean, cut
across from Constantinople to Alexandria and Cai-
ro, visit the Pyramids, take a flying trip across the
Isthmus of Suez, and return by the Cape of Good
Hope. All this I intended doing in an economical,
though gentlemanly way.

The prospect of being able to accomplish my
wishes in so short a time encouraged me to diligent
application. Not a moment of my time was mis-
spent. I was really a model of industry. When
my work was over, I hurried to the Library of Con-
gress to study the history, geography, and literature
of the places to be visited in my grand tour. In
this way I passed many of my leisure hours with
pleasure and profit.

As the session advanced, much of my youthful en-
thusiasm began to wear away. A nearer acquaint-
ance with the distinguished political leaders by no
means increased my respect for them. At first, I
could not approach a great man without trembling.

DISGUST AT WASHINGTON LIFE.

I never felt my utter insignificance till, with uncov-
ered head and downcast eyes, I stood in the pres-
ence of those renowned statesmen and orators whose
names I had learned to revere. I was not so young,
however, but that I could soon see into the hoUow-
ness of political distinction ; the small trickery prac-
ticed in the struggle for power, the overbearing aris-
tocracy of station, and the heartless and selfish in-
trigues by which public men maintain their influ-
ence. I became thoroughly disgusted with so much
hypocrisy and bombast. It required no sage moni-
tor to convince me that true patriotism does not
prevail to a very astonishing extent in the hearts of
those who make the most noise about it The pro-
fession I had chosen enabled me to see behind the
scenes and study well the great machinery of gov-
ernment, and I can not say that I saw a great deal to
admire.

Such life had no attractions for me. I looked
forward with anxiety to the close of the session.

There was one matter, about which I began to
feel very uneasy — my contemplated visit to Europe.
Where were the funds to come from ? As yet, I
had received from the sources upon which I had
based my calculations barely enough to defray my
expenses. Alas for my grand tour !

" The best-laid plans of mice and men gang nft agley."

Among my acquaintances was a young man from
Ohio, who had temporary employment in the Treas-
ury Department. Gifted with a fine intellect, and

GRAND TOUR TO BE BlADE ON FOOT.

of most accomplished and engaging manners, he was
just such a person as I had often wished to have as
a companion. We first met at a social soir^;
and in a very short time I found that he was a man
after my own heart. A strong friendship sprang up
between us. We vbited together, disclosed our
feelings and plans to each other, spent all our leisure
hours in pleasant conversation, and resolved at length
to travel together, if we could contrive some means

to raise a sufficient sum. W , unfortunately,

was poor like myself. .iiuja >.k) m v^'o'trli j»l'?iH<

The summer was now well advanced, and we
agreed it should not close before our departure, even
if we should be reduced to the necessity of perform-
ing our grand tour on foot. The latter, it is true,
was rather a rash determination, considering we were
not gifted with the power of the Israelites, who
walked across the Red Sea. For the purpose of
enjoying our prospects without interruption, we
spent every fine evening in the Capitol Garden,
where, inspired by the moonlight, flowers, shrubber-
ies, and murmuring fountains, we talked of the vari-
ous surprising things we were going to do ; how we
would fall in with some extraordinary chances during
our travels, make our fortunes, marry a couple of
Arabian princesses, and return home to enjoy our
good luck in peace, and excite the envy and admira-
tion of mankind with accounts of our brilliant ex-
ploits. This was all very fine, and I hope it will
not escape the reader's memory.

ROUTE DETERMINED.

Near the close of the session, finding my expenses
and profits were nearly balanced, I resolved to re-
main no longer in Washington. My enthusiastic
friend was ready to start with me at a moment's no-
tice. Our minds were soon made up as to the route
and means. We were to work our way to Europe,
and, once there, depend upon our own wits for suc-
cess in the pursuit of our object. We were very
enthusiastic in the belief that energy and persever-
ance would overcome all the obstacles that poverty
might throw in our path.

I well remember the night previous to our depart-
ure. It was that of the 4th of July. After the usual
ceremonies of the day, there was a grand exhibition
of fire-works in the President's garden. A large
concourse of citizens, visitors, memb. '^ Congress,
and diplomatic characters, had assemble^. >n the ter-
race of the Capitol to witness the brilliant and im-
posing scene. Some kind friend had circulated a
report that we had received a commission from his
excellency, Mr. Tyler, to arrange a matter of great
national importance with the government of Portu-
gal. The consequence was, that several of our dis-
tant acquaintances, who had formerly recognized us
with a stiff nod, now crowded around us, and bid us
good-by in the kindest manner imaginable, wishing
us a most cordial reception at the court of Donna
Maria. -,

Having procured passports at the State Depart-
ment, we took our departure in the cars early on the

AMOUNT OF FUNDS IN POCKET.

morning of the 5th of July, 1842. As it was not
probable we could find a vessel in Baltimore bound
for Europe immediately, we continued on to Phila-
delphia, where we spent a few days, and obtained
some letters of introduction from a friend in the Cus-
tom-house to distinguished gentlemen in different
parts of Europe. Finding no encouragement in
Philadelphia for tourists with slender means, we pro-
ceeded to New York.

Our joint purse on leaving Washington amounted
to about forty dollars. Of course, we could not deny
ourselves the gratification of visiting the various
places of public amusement ; besides, being gentle-
men up to that time, it was indispensable that we
should patronize the best hotel, ride in an omnibus
or hack whenever we did not feel disposed to walk,
and be liberal with servants and porters. At the ex-
piration of a few days, it alarmed us to find that we
had but eight dollars left.

Upon application for temporary employment, with
a view to replenish our means, we learned that busi-
ness was very dull, and young men were glad to
avail themselves of the privilege of passing their time
usefully in mercantile houses without remuneration ;
a species of amusement not particularly adapted to
our circumstances. With due humiliation, let it be
told, we were soon reduced to the necessity either
of writing to our friends for a remittance, or of being
insulted with an invitation to depend upon the char-
ity of casual acquaintances. The first was out of

DUTCH SKIPPER.

the question ; it would destroy our diplomatic rep-
utation ; the last was too galling to our pride to be
entertained for a moment.

In this dilemma we strolled down to the shipping,
and went on board a vessel bound for Bremen. The
captaiL>, a jolly-looking Dutchman, sat upon the
companion way smoking his pipe, while he kept his
eye upon some of the crew who were at work on
the main deck. He received us very kindly, and
gave us much information on the subject of sea-
faring life. It would be a difficult matter, he said,
for two young men dressed as we were to procure
employment on board a merchantman as light hands ;
but if we put off our " long togs," and w€nt to work
in a corn-field for about three months, to give us a
hardy look, we might succeed. Where there were
npward of four thousand seamen idling about the
wharves, it would be no easy matter for "green
landsmen" tn make a voyage. On the whole, he
gave us rather an uuravorable idea of the life of a
sailor, and advised us to try something else. He
thought it a pity that young gentlemen of education
should waste their time in a pursuit so little adapted
to their physical strength. There were rough fel-
lows enough in the world who could do that sort of
work better than persons who had been delicately
raised.

The words of the kind-hearted old skipper made
a deep impression upon our minds, and, if it were
not for sheer shame, and the pressing nature of our

PURSUIT OF A CHANCE.

circumstances, we would have abandoned our ro-
mantic notions at once. However, we felt that we
were in for it, and it would not do to back out
W , who was a printer by trade, had made sev-
eral applications at the printing-offices for employ-
ment, but without success. Nothing, therefore, re-
mained for us but the prospect of getting something
to do on board a ship. It made no material differ-
ence to us in what capacity we went ; all we de-
sired then was to take leave of New York.

The rest of that day and part of the next we
spent in making inquiries at the ship agencies along
the wharves; but our appearance, combined with
our anxiety tO become sailors, excited suspicion, and
the answers were so unsatisfactory that we began to
despond. I noticed that the old tars, who were
lounging in groups about these offices, smoking their
pipes, and chatting in a nautical style of language
totally incomprehensible to us, eye ' us slyly, a* id
winked at each other as we passed. In the course
of a few months we very well ur'^erstood what they
meant

There was something of novelty in being thrown
upon our own resources in a large city, without a
single friend to whom we could look for aid. Still,
as our money was spun out to a few dollars, it be-
came necessary to leave off romancing, and bring
our ideas down to the level of our circumstances.

As we strolled along one of the wharves, casting
wistful glances at the vessels close by, and now and

WANTED IMMEDIATELY.

then taking a peep into the shipping-offices, our at-
tention was attracted by a sUp of paper over a door
bearing the following important intelligence :

" WANTED IMMEDIATELY ! ! !

"Six able-bodied landsmen, to go on a whaling
voyage from New Bedford. Apply up stairs before 5
o'clock PM."

This was somewhat encouraging. Indeed, we
thought it peculiarly lucky. It suited us exactly.
We stopped and read the words over half a dozen
times, in order to satisfy ourselves that we were not
mistaken as to their import. But here was the dif-
ficulty : the notice said a^/e-bodied landsmen. Were
we of that description ? We consulted the matter
for some time, and at last came to the conclusion
that light-bodied, active men, with a considerable
share of spunk, ought to succeed as well as heavy-
built men. We accordingly entered the office with
a bold, independent air, as much as to say, we knew
what we were about. An excessively polite old gen-
tleman of prepossessing appearance received us with
every manifestation of cordiality. In answer to our
inquiries concerning his notice, he replied :

" Yes, gentlemen, I want a few more men. Do
you think of shipping f '

" Why, yes, we have some notion of it."

" The very best thing you can do ; sorry you are
not a Httle stouter ; but no mattei*, I think you'll an-
swer the purpose. I just received a letter this m^. .j-

ELOQUENT AGENT. BOOKED FOR GOOD. 11

ing from Mr. , the whaling agent in New Bed-
ford, requesting me to send on two hght, handsome
fellows. He don't care so much about their weight,
if they're good-looking ; wants them for a small ves-
sel, you see, and likes to have a nice crew."

"Well, you think we'll do?"

" Oh ! no doubt about it. I'm willing to risk you,
though I may lose something by it. Whaling, gen-
tlemen, is tolerably hard at first, but it's the finest
business in the world for enterprising young men.
If you are determined to take a voyage, I'll put you
in the way of shipping in a most elegant vessel, well
fitted : that's the great thing, well fitted. Vigilance
and activity will insure you rapid promotion. I
haven't the least doubt but you'll come home boat-
steerers. I sent off six college students a few days
ago, and a poor fellow who had been flogged away
from home by a vicious wife. A whaler, gentle-
men," continued the agent, rising in eloquence, " a
whaler is a place of refuge for the distressed and
persecuted, a school for the dissipated, an asylum
for the needy ! There's nothing like it You can
see the world ; you can see something of life !"

The enthusiastic advocate of whalers then hand-
ed us a paper, which we immediately signed with-
out reading, not wishing to give him time even to
reflect upon his bargain. Promising to be at the
office by half past four, we took leave of our worthy
friend, and warmly congratulated each other upon
having accidentally met with this benevolent old

HURRY MYSELF TO NEW BEDFORD.

gentleman, who not only smiled upon the indiscre-
tions of youth, but forwarded all our plans, and seem-
ed ready to oblige us in every way. From a man
whom we had never seen before, all this was cer-
tainly very gratifying. . ^^

At five o'clock on the same evening we took a
passage in the Cleopatra for Providence. In order
that particular attention might be paid to our com-
fort — as we supposed, but in reality to prevent our
escape — we were consigned to an officer on board
the boat The agent, also, to enhance our enjoy-
ment, sent with us a couple of entertaining fellows,
rather rough to be sare, and not very respectable in
their appearance, bound on the same deUghtful mis-
sion. For all this we felt exceedingly grateful to
our benevolent and venerable friend. It is true, we
discovered after we got to sea that he had forwarded
a bill of ten dollars to the New Bedford fitter, to be
placed on our account with the owners. As we had
sold one of our trunks, and some other unnecessary
articles, the proceeds of which enak>^ed us to pay our
own expenses, we could not clearly see what this
was for; but it occurred to us, after a great deal of
deliberation, that it was a kind of bounty allowed
by the city council to the agent for disposing of all
vagrants who came within his reach, and that he had,
through the force of habit, or in the confusion of his
multifarious duties, mistaken us for persons of that
description.

On our passable to Providence, the steam-boat

SALT ADVICE FROM THE LEE SIDE.

touched at Newport, where one of our whalemen,
who had made a raise of three dollars from the New
York agent — in remembrance, he said, of a whaling
voyage on which the old gentlemen had sent him a
few years previously — privately notified us of his in-
tention to " visit some of his friends up town." Not
deeming the matter within our cognizance, we left
him to pursue the bent of his inclination. We after-
ward had occasion to admire the sagacity, though
not the moral obliquity of this fellow. Before part-
ing from him, he gave us his experience as a whale-
man, and advised us not to be gulled by fair prom-
ises. He said he knew a. thing or two about it;
that he would sooner be in the penitentiary any
time ; and, if we had any regard for ourselves, we
ought to turn our backs upon New Bedford, for it
was the sink-hole of iniquity ; that the fitters were
all blood-suckers, the owners cheats, and the cap-
tains tyrants, r'r.: ;: . .:. n'-^:^ Jli^m fQJivr

This was another damper. The warning made a
deep impression upon us, and we often thought of it
when at sea.

We arrived in New Bedford without suffering
more than the Uijual wear and tear to which all arti-
cles of traflfick consigned from one sea-port town to
another are subject

BENEVOLENT FITTER-OUT.

CHAPTER II.

A new Friend. — Examination by the Fitter. — A Sailor's Boarding-
house. — Jolly set of Whalemen.— Captain Bill Salt.— Our first
Lesson in Lunars. — A Song. — The Fitter's Kindness. — The
Barque Styx and Owners. — Fine Promises. — Weigh Anchor. —
Repentance.

I HAVE not the conscience to pass over in silence
the disinterested generosity of the New Bedford fit-
ter. His benevolence surpassed even that of the
amiable old gentlemen jn New York. When we
first presented ourselves for inspection, he was a lit-
tle bluff, to be sure, but that was only one of his
good-natured peculiarities.

" Why," said he, surveying us with professional
deliberation, "you are not the men I wrote for. I
want stout, hard-fisted fellows, who ain't afraid to
work. Such slim chaps as you won't do at all !"

"That's rather hard, sir ; here we are without the
means of getting back; and now, after the New
York agent telling us you would take us, you say we
won't do."

" What do I care about the New York agent !"
replied the fitter. " It's his own look-out, and yours,
if he don't send proper men. I'm not bound to take
you at all ; and I won't take you, if I don't like."

" Well, you'll pay our expenses back, then V

At this the fitter laughed very heartily.

WEIGHED TO ORDER.

" No, no, my good fellows ; can't do that. I see
jou don't understand this business. What do you
weigh V

We gave him our weight, but it did not seem to
satisfy him exactly. He shook his head with a
doubtful look, as much as to say he had no great re-
spect for men who did not weigh considerably over
our standard. He then punched us with his fist,
shook us by the arms, and, after some farther experi-
ments by way of testing our muscular powers, told
us what there was of us was pretty good, " but there
wasn't enough." Directing us next to walk up and
down his long store-room, he planted himself against
a pile of boxes, and watched our gait with the prac-
ticed eye of a jockey about to make a speculation in
horse-flesh. Apparently satisfied, he ventured the
opinion that we might do ; at all events, he would
exert his influence in our behalf with the owners.

A clerk who sat in the counting-room, blowing his
very soul through a cracked fife, was then directed

to show us to old Captain R 's boarding-house.

Here we found a most jovial company ; not very se-
leci, but remarkably free and easy. Among others,
I recollect Red Sandy, Blue John, Long-legged Bill,
Big -foot Jack, Chaw -o'- tobacco Jim, Handsome
Tom, and one of our steam-boat acquaintances, who
had already obtained the soubriquet of Bully Clinch-
er ; besides four lively house-maids, whom the sailors
called Mag, Moll, Bet, and Peg, and with whom
they seemed to be on the most friendly terms.

■I

THE BOARDING-HOUSE.

Our fellow-boarders, when the fact became known
that we were aboat to go to sea, entertained them-
selves with sundry jests at our expense, all of which
we took with the utmost good humor. This com-
pletely disarmed them. We were shrewd enough to
suspect their object, which, as we afterward learn-
ed, was to get us angry, and then, according to cus-
tom, give us a sound drubbing. Sailors have an in-
veterate dislike to young sprigs, who, when placed
upon a level with them, assume airs of superiority.
By guarding against this, we became great favorites.
I must not omit, however, to mention one of the in-
itiatory movements. While standing at the door,
the first evening after our arrival, we overheard the
comments made upon ourselves and our mission.

" I say, Bill," said one, " there's a pair of bloody
tars for you ! They'll be slushin' down the t'gallant
mast before long, or I'm out o' my reckoning."

" Ay, ay," replied Bill ; " better they never was
weaned, than go driftin' round the world in a blubber
hunter."

" Never mind," added another, " they'll wish them-
selves in the watch-house before two months.**

With these and other remarks of the kind they
amused themselves for some time, when one of the
party, a regular old sea-dog, with a tremendous quid
of tobacco in his cheek, waddled up to us, and, star-
ing us in the face, exclaimed,

" Well, cuss me if these ain't the lob-lolly boys wot
sarved in one of my ships. I say, my lads, don't you

JOLLY WHALEMEN.

know your old skipper ? I'm (3aptain Bill Salt, wot
used to larn you Lunars. Don't youiinow me V

" No ; you must be mistaken. We have never
been to sea." . .

" Now I'm shivered if that ar'n't strange !" cried
Captain Bill Salt ; "if you ain't my lob-lolly boys, I
never seed 'em."

" Nevertheless, we are not. B is my name,

and W is my friend's."

" Well, just as good. You was both born to go to
sea. Come, let's splice the main brace. Come
along, shipmates ! I'm agoin' to give these 'ere young
gentlemen the first lesson in Lunars."

Captain Bill Salt's manner was, to say the least
of it, very friendly. We thought it best not to re-
fuse his polite invitation. The sailors followed their
comrade, who led the way to a chop-cellar a short
distance from the boarding-house.

" Come, all hands, what'U you take ? Don't be

shy. What d'ye say, shipmates," addressing W

and myself ; " close-reef or sea-breeze 1"

" Close-reef," said we, at a guess,

" Bravo !" cried Captain Bill, grasping each of us
by the hand; "you'll see the stars yet! If you
ain't sailors, it's the 'fects of eddecation or s'ciety,
wot's all the same. Come, here's a toast :

• Be cheery, my lads ! may your hearts never fail
While the bold harpooneer is striking the whale !' "

The toast was duly honored ; and we discover-
ed, when we emptied our glasses, that " close-reef"

CAPTAIN SALT.

was somethmg very stroDg. Big-foot Jack, Chaw-
o'-tobacco Jim, Handsome Tom, Red Saudy, and the
rest of our jolly friends, then seated themselves and
called for cigars. Captain Bill Salt told us to do
likewise ; and, taking out his pipe, he soon enveloped
himself in a comfortable cloud of smoke. Without
waiting for the ceremony of an invitation, he gave
vent to the following ditty, a copy of which I after-
ward procured from him :

"PARTING MOMENTS.
" Farewell, my love/y Nancy,
Ten thousand times adjeu !
Vm agoing for to cross the ocean

In sarch of something new.
Come, change a ring wid me, my dear,

Come, change a ring wid me ;
And that will be my fond toaken
When I am on the sea — i '

When I am on the sea.
And you don't know where I bo.

Now one fiind kiss, my Nancy dear,

Now one fond kiss for me,
Before I go for to begin

To roam upon the sea.
And hear this secret of my heart :

Wid the best of my good-will.
Be where it may, this poor boe^y,

Is youm, sweet Nancy, still —

Is yourn, sweet Nancy, still,
Wid the best of my good-will."

This song elicited the most rapturous applause.
Captain Bill then spun us some tough yarns, while
the company slipped out one by one. As we were
about to leave, the bar-keeper called us aside, and

PAY THE SHOT.

politely requested my friend and myself to pay the
reckoning, assuring us that it was customary, when
young gentlemen were about to go on a voyage, to
treat all hands. We accordingly gave him our last
cent, and were not a little edified at the cool manner
in which Captain Bill Salt witnessed the operation.
Though our confidence in that eccentric individual
was a little shaken, we took the whole proceeding
as a very good joke, and laughed to think how
cleverly we had been gulled. Thus ended our " first
lesson in Lunars."

Our friend, the fitter, was a most accommodating
man. With a delicate appreciation of our pecuni-
ary embarrassments, he paid our board, fiirnished us
with every little luxury we wanted, lent us his pleas-
ure-boat to sail in, told us he would make our ex-
penses all right with the owners, and gave us a great
deal of fatherly advice about our conduct at sea. In
addition to all this kindness, he considerately pro-
vided us with chests and sea-clothes at a terrible
sacrifice, being at least ten per cent cheaper than
we could get them elsewhere. Besides, the mere
fact of his crediting total strangers seemed so gener-
ous, so confiding, so high-minded !

The only vessel about to sail immediately was the
barque Styx,* of Fair Haven. Through the exer-
tions of our excellent friend, the fitter, the owners,

* Some of the incidents related in this narrative render it advisable
that I should mention no real names, except where the parties can
not take offense.

GREAT THINGS PROMIHED.

apparently with great reluctance, agreed to take us.
They told us the vessel was well fitted ; better, in
fact, than any vessel we could find. One of them,
an old Quaker, assiired us no whaler had ever sail-
ed from New Bedford or Fair Haven as well fitted ;
he had attended to it all himself, and, we might de-
pend upon it, we would live in style. The captain,
we learned from them, was a young man, pretty
strict in his discipline, but a fine, generous fellow.
He would treat us well, and give us plenty to eat ;
and, if we made ourselves useful, he would be very
kind to us. He was a first-rate whaleman, and no
doubt we would make a good voyage, and come
home in a year or a year and a half with lots of
money due to us. The vessel was a hundred and
forty-seven tons burden, and calculated to hold a
thousand barrels of oil. We were to receive the or-
dinary lay of green hands, being, as we were told,
the one hundred and thirtieth part of the oil taken.
There was provision enough on board to last for
twenty-seven months, so that, if not successful, there
was no danger of our starving. We were to have
what clothes we needed out of the slop-chest at the
New Bedford prices. The shipping articles were
then presented to us, and we signed them without
exhibiting any such ungentlemanly want of confi-
dence in the representations of the owners as to
read the contents ; besides, we were afraid, as they
had accepted us so reluctantly, some difficulty might
arise by which we would be deprived of the pleas-

WEIGH ANCHOR.

ure of performing a voyage under such pleasant
auspices. The signing of the articles we regarded
as a sort of security.

With sanguine hopes and enthusiastic dreams of
adventure we bade good-by to our New Bedford
friends, and, on the morning of July •— , embarked.
The Styx lay in the middle of the Acoshnet River,
opposite the town of New Bedford.

At 2 P.M. all hands were called to the windlass,
and we weighed anchor. A light breeze slowly
wafted us out into Buzzard's Bay. The shipping at
the New Bedford wharf became gradually indistinct,
and the houses looked misty in the distance. It was
a beautiful Sabbath afternoon. The church bells
were tolling a melancholy farewell; and I shall never

forget the look W gave me as he pointed to the

receding shores, and observed, in a melancholy tone,
"I have unhappy thoughts. It seems to me those
familiar sounds call us back. But we are too late ;
it is useless to repent now." My feelings were
touched ; the whole past was before me in a moment:
friends, brothers, sisters, all ! I would have given all
I ever hoped to possess to retrace a few hours of my
life.

•• Too late — too late ! how heavily that phrase
Comes, like a kneU, upon the shuddering ear,

Telling of slighted duties, wasted days ;
Of privileges lost, of hopes once dear,

Now quenched in gloom and darkness — "

OUR CAPTAIN.

CHAPTER III.

A Sketch of our Captain.— Finit Night at Soa. — Remedy for Sea-
sickness. — The Calcutta Hole outdone.— Stormy Weather. — The
Gulf Stream. — Reefing in a Gale. — Viin Regrets. — Rough Fare.
—Voracity of the Portuguese.

Toward evening the captain came on board in a
pilot-boat, and took charge of the vessel. I had not
seen him before, and of course felt a curiosity to
know what sort of a looking man he was. The
owners had spoken in such glowing terms of him
that, I must confess, he did not altogether realize my
expectations. His personal appearance was any
thing but prepossessing. Picture to yourself a man
apparently about thirty-five years of age, with a
hooked nose, dark crop hair, large black whiskers,
round shoulders, cold blue eyes, and a shrewd, repul-
sive expression of countenance ; of a lean and nms-
cular figure, rather taller than the ordinary standard,
with ill-made, wiry limbs, and you have a pretty cor-
rect idea of Captain A He wore a broad-
brimmed Panama hat, turned up at the sides, a green
roundabout, a pair of dirty duck pantaloons, very
wide at the bottom, and slip-shod shoes, which had
evidently done service for two or three voyages. He
walked the quarter-deck with his hands in his
pockets, his eyes down, and his lips firmly com-
pressed. /«.]together he had a sneaking, hang-dog

.*■

FIRST NIGHT AT SEA. SICK.

look that was not very encouraging to those destined
to be subject to his will during a year's cruise, or per-
haps longer. When he gave orders, it was in a
sharp, harsh voice, with a vulgar, nasal twang, and
in such a manner as plainly betokened ^hat he con-
sidered us all slaves of the lowest cast, unworthy of
the least respect, and himself our august master.

Night closed upon us with rough and cloudy
weather. By morning we had a heavy, chopping
sea, and began to experience all the horrors of sea-
sickness. The mate, a stout, bluff-looking English-
man, with a bull neck, kept us in continual motion,
and gave us plenty of hard work to do, clearing up
the decks, bracing the yards, stowing down the loose
rubbish, and otherwise making the vessel tidy and
ship-shape. He bellowed forth his orders to the
men in the rigging like a roaring lion, yelled and
swore at the "green hands" in the most alarming
manner, and pulled at the ropes as if determined to
tear the whole vessel to pieces. The loungers or
" sogers" had no chance at all with him ; he actually
made them jump as if suddenly galvanized. For thq
sea-sick he had no sympathy whatever.

" Stir yourselves ; jump about ; pull, haul, work
like vengeance !" he would say, in the bluff, hearty
voice of a man who appeared to think sickness all
folly ; " that's the way to cure it. You'll never get
well if you give up to it. Tumble about there !
Work it off, as /do.'"

To the haggard, woe-begone landsmen, who stag-

STEWED I^ THE FORECASTLE.

gered about groaning under their afflictions, this
sounded very much Ukc mockery. For my part, I
thought the mate a great monster to talk about sick-
ness, with a face as red as a turkey-cock's snout.

After a day of horrors such as I had never spent
before, we were permitted to go below for the night
Our condition was net improved by the change.
The forecastle was black and slimy with filth, very
small, and as hot as an oven. It was filled with a
compound of foul air, smoke, sea-chests, soap-kegs,
greasy pans, tainted meat, Portuguese ruffians, and
sea-sick Americans. The Portuguese were smok-
ing, laughing, chattering, and cursing the green
hands who were sick. With groans on one side,
and yells, oaths, laughter and smoke on the other, it

altogether did not impress W and myself as a

very pleasant home for the next year or two. We
were, indeed, sick and sorry enough, and heartily
v/ished ourselves ashore.

Nothing can be more bewildering to a youth,
whose imagination naturally magnifies all the dan-
gers of the deep, than to be roused up in the dead
of night, when the ocean is lashed into a hry by a'
stiff gale, the vessel pitcliing and laboring, and the
officers yelling at the men as if endeavoring to drown
the roaring of the elements with loud, fierce impre-
cations, while thick darkness enshrouds all — dark-
ness so dense, that, but for momentary flashes of
lightning, one might fancy chaos had come again.
Such was the novel and startling scene that burst

TUMBLE UP IN A STORM.

upon us with all its wildness on the night of the
19th. '

" We were dead of sleep,
And (how we knew not) all clapped under hatches,
Where, with strange and several noises
Of roaring, shrieking, howling, jingling chains.
And more diversity of sounds all horrible, <

We were awaked." ^^^

Sea-sick and harassed after a hard day's work, we
had gladly availed ourselves of a few hours' respite
from duties so laborious. The mate came to the
scuttle, and, with half a dozen tremendous raps,
roared at us to bear a hand. " Tumble up, every
.uother's son of you, and take in sail. Out with you,
green hands and all. We won't have any sick
aboard here. You didn't come to sea to lay up. No
groaning there, or I'll be down after you. D'ye
hear the news down below i Tumble up ! tumble
up, my lively hearties !"

There was no refusing so peremptory a command
as this, little as we liked it. Without exactly tum-
bling up, we contrived, with some difficulty, to gain
the deck, for the vessel pitched so violently that few
of tb • ;i,r:':m hands could keep their feet under them.
I sh . v/er forget the bewilderment with which I
lookeu . a und me. We were in the Gulf Stream,
enshrouded in darkness and spray. The sea broke
over our bows, and swept the decks with a tremen-
dous roar. Moiii<<ntary flashes of lightning added to
the sublimity of the scene. When I looked over
the bulwarks, it seemed to me that the horizon was

WILD NIGHT.

flying up in the clouds and whirling round the ves-
sel by turns, and the clouds, as if astonished at such
wild pranks, appeared to be shaking their dark heads
backward and forward over the horizon. I looked
aloft, and there the sky was sweeping to and fro in
a most unaccountable manner. The vessel went
staggering along, creaking, groaning, and thumping
its way through the heavy seas.

I grasped the first rope I could get hold of, and
held on wi^b the tenacity of a drowning man. For
a few momoi could do nothing but gasp for

breath, and wipe >ie salt water out of my eyes with
one hand while I held on with the other. The con-
fusion of voices and objects around me, the tremen-
dous seas sweeping over the decks, and the flapping
of the sails, impressed me with the belief that we
were all about to be lost. I kept my grasp on the
rope, thinking it must be fast to something, and, if
the ship foundered, I should at least be sure of a

piece of the wreck. As for my comrade W , I

supposed he was still on board, and called for him
with all my might; but the wind drove my voice
back in my throat. While standing in this unpleas-
ant predicamv^t, the mate came rushing by, shout-
ing to the green hands to " tumble up aloft, and lay
out on the yards !" Aloft such a night, and for the
first time! Was the man mad? The very idea
seemed preposterous. Presently he came dashing
back, thundering forth his orders with the ferocity
of a Bengal tiger. "Up with you! Every man

FIRST LESSON AT CLIMBING THE SHROUDS. 27

tumble up! Don't stand gaping like a parcel of
boobies ! Aloft there, before the sails are blown to
Halifax !" K. awing how useless it would be to re-
monstrate, and believing I might as well die one
way as another, I sprang up on the weather bulwark
and commenced the terrible ascent. The darkness
was so dense that I could scarcely see the ratlins,
and it was only by groping my way in the wake of
those before me, that I could at all make out where
I was going. A few accidental kicks in the face
from an awkward fellow who was above me, and a
punch or two from another below me, convinced
me that I was in company, at all events. How I
contrived to drag myself over the foretop, I do not
well remember. By a desperate exertion, however,
I succeeded, and holding on to every rope I could
get hold of with extraordinary tenacity, I at length
found myself on the foot-rope, leaning over the yard,
and cUnging to one of the reef-points, fully deter-
mined not to part company with that in spite of the
captain, mate, or whole ship's company. " Haul out
to leeward !" roared somebody to my right ; " knot
away !" This was all Greek to me. A sailor close
by good-naturedly showed me what I was to do, and
having knotted my reef-point, I looked down to see
what was the prospect of getting on deck again.
The barque was keeled over at an angle of forty-five
degrees, plunging madly through the foam, and I
could form no idea of the bearings of the deck. All
I could see was a long dark object below, half hid-

NICE FARE.

den in the raging brine. My right-hand neighbor
gave me a hint to get in out of the way, which re-
quired no repetition, for I found my situation any
thing but pleasant. By the time I reached the fore-
top my head was pretty well battered, and my hands
were woefully skinned and bruised, the sailors hav-
ing made free use of me to accelerate their down-
ward progress.

I found, on gaining the forecastle, that my friend

W had passed through the ordeal in safety.

We said nothing, but looked our unqualified disap-
probation of such a life. The Portuguese, to make
matters still worse, laughed heartily at the sorry figure
we cut, and told us all this "was nothing to what
we'd see yet."

Next day the green hands, including my friend
and myself, looked haggard enough. We were all
dreadfully sea-sick. Our fare was by no means in-
viting under such circumstances. For breakfast we
had an abominable compound of water, some molas-
ses, and something dignified by the name of coffee,
with hard biscuit and watery potatoes ; for dinner
pork, salt beef, and potatoes ; and for supper, a repe-
tition of the biscuit and potatoes, with boiled weeds
and molasses as a substitute for tea and sugar. It
was perfectly amazing the voracity with which the
Portuguese devoured this fare. Had 'they whetted
their appetites for months on raw corn they could
not have swallowed such food as was now before
them with more relish. I must confess, their digest-

■i

YANKEE MACK.

ive powers excited my envy as well as my astonish-
ment. It made me despair to see them eat. I
would have given all I expected to make during the
voyage to possess their swinish relish for food. How-
ever, before the expiration of two months, I had rea-
son to change my tune. I would have given twice
as much to get rid of my appetite !

We had on board a Yankee boy, who afforded

much amusement to the crew. MacF , or, as he

was called for shortness. Mack, was a down-east
chap from "away up Maine," somewhere in the
neighborhood of sunrise. Had Nature been in her
most whimsical mood, she could not have formed a
greater curiosity than Mack, in every respect. He
was an odd specimen of the " live Yankee." Imagine
a gawky youth of nineteen, with arms reaching down
to his knees, tremendous wrist bones and hands, a
lank visage, shins like drum-sticks, and feet moulded
for a giant, but placed by mistake under the afore-
said shins, and you have a fair representation of his
outward man. Mack, notwithstanding these freaks
of Nature, was a general favorite. Nothing could
ruffle his good humor. His awkwardness and quaint
wit were irresistible. I doubt if Yankee Hill or Dan
Marble ever had a better model.

Mack was woefully sea-sick. The poor fellow's
face was the very picture of sorrow. His skin, nat-
urally dark, had assumed a greenish hue, and his lank
cheeks and protruded ^lips formed a most pathetic
picture of rueful retrospection. Sick as I was my-

30 SALT WATER NO CURE FOR SEA-SICKNESS.

self, I could not repress my risibles, when, leaning
over the monkey-rail, squaring accounts with old
Nep, he paused every moment to exclaim, " There !
durn it all, I know'd I was goin' to be sick. Oh,
gosh ! oh, gosh !"

Poor Mack ! From the bottom of my heart I
sympathized with him as he groaned, " Dod barn the
thing ! I wouldn't grudge twenty dollars if I was at
hum milkin' the keows."

" Why, Mack," I inquired, " you are not tired of
whaling already, are you I"

" Well, I can't say, exacly ; but I guess this child
won't be caught in such a snap agin ; not soon he
won't. Oh, gosh ! gosh ! Dod blame the luck !
'Tain't no use to try ; folks says salt water helps it
some, but, durn the thing, I've swallered a bucket-
ful, an' I feel a devilish sight worse an' ever."

" Maybe you haven't swallowed enough. Mack,"
said the cook; "try another bucketful, and, likely
as not, it'll cure you."

" No, I won't !" retorted Mack ; " cause, durn the
stuff, 'twarn't never made for nothin' in human shape.
I wish I hadn't never seen a drop on't Salt water!
Ugh ! Oh, gosh ! oh, gosh !"

"What induced you to ship on a whaling voy-
age 1" I asked, forgetting my own folly. " Why didn't
you stay at home. Mack, where you were better
offr

" Well, I don't know. I came because I was a
dod-bumed fool ; an' I s'pose you hadn't no better

■^

TROUBLE ON BOARD.

Folks

reason. Nobody hadn't oughter leave hum.
that be hum can't do better than stay thar'."

I made no farther attempts to be witty at Mack's
expense on this occasion.

CHAPTER IV.

Trouble on Board. — Choking a Seaman. — All Hands called Aft. — A
Scene in the Waist. — Laying down the Law.— Duplicity of the
Owners. — Choosing Watches. — Preparations for the Whaling
Ground. — Fatiguing Exercises.

Among the foremast hands was a man from
Charleston, South Carolina, by the name of Smith.
According to his own representation, he had served
as steward in some of the schooners running from
Charleston to New York. He professed to be well
acquainted with ship duties, and his name was down
on the papers as ordinary seaman. A boy from Fall
River, who had shipped as steward, was so sea-sick
as to be unable to do duty. The captain sent the
mate forward to procure a temporary substitute from
among the crew. Smith was selected, and ordered
aft to act as steward until the recovery of the boy.
He resolutely refused to act in that capacity, stating
that he had shipped as an ordinary seaman, and
would remain before the mast. The mate, upon re-
porting his refusal, was sent forward to make him
turn out at all hazards. Smith was very ill at the

CHOKING A CHARLESTON MAN.

time, and the mate, not wishing to be hard with him,
did not resort to force. No threats, however, had
any effect upon him. He steadily refused to act as
steward, and stated, moreover, that he was unable
to do duty of any kind, and would not be forced
on deck until sufficiently recovered from his illness.
The captain then came forward to the scuttle, and
called upon him, in a peremptory voice, to turn out.

" I'm sick ; I'll not go on deck !" said Smith.

" Won't you ? I'll soon make you !" shouted the
captain. " I'll see whether you will or not !" Spring-
ing down the ladder, he then grasped Smith by the
shirt-collar, and dragged him out of his berth. " Up
with you, now, and not another word from you !"

" No, sir, I'll not go on deck," said Smith, making
a show of resistance. " You'd better mind how you
handle me! I'm a Charleston man, myself! Let me
go; let me go, sir!"

"Are you, hey 1" thundered the captain; "a Charles-
ton man 1 I'll let you know what / am; I'll let you
know that I'm captain of this shtp !" With these
words the captain dragged him up the ladder by
main force, and, jerking him through the scuttle, col-
lared him against the foremast. Faint and haggard
with sickness, the offender commenced pleading for
mercy.

" Don't choke me, captain ; don't choke me !"

" Yes, I'll choke the stubbornness out of you ; 1*11
choke obedience into you!" roared the captain,
shaking him by the throat.

ALL HANDS AFT.

" Great God ! you'll kill me," groaned the man,
nearly black in the face.

" Do your duty, then."

" I will, sir, I will. Don't kill me."

" Go aft, then, and act as steward till I think prop-
er to get one in your place ; and remember, if you
show any more of your stubbornness, I'll flog it out
of you with a rope's end."

Smith staggered aft, rubbing his throat, and crying
with pain. From that time forth he was the officers'
dog. He had earned a bad name for himself, and he
kept it during the remainder of his stay on board the
vessel. .

This was the commencement of trouble. It was
deemed an appropriate occasion to "lay down the
law." All hands were called aft.

The captain deliberately stalked the quarter-deck,
exulting in the " pomp and circumstance" of his high
and responsible position. Every step he took be-
spoke the internal workings of a man swelling with
authority. The proud glance of his eye ; the severe
frown of his heavy eyebrows ; the haughty curl of
his lip ; even the peculiar twist of his long, nasal pro-
tuberance seemed to say, " Behold, and wonder ! I
stand before you arrayed in a halo of glory. / am
commander of the great barque Styx ! Authority is
mine ! Look upon me, all ye who have eyes to see,
and tremble, all ye who have ears to hear !" With
his hands stuck in his breeches pockets, he then ap-
proached the break of the quarter-deck, and, strad-

PICTURE OF THE CREW.

dling out his legs to guard against lee-lurches, asked
if all hands were oresent One of the officers re-
pUed in the affirmative.

The scene was at once grotesque and impressive.
Fourteen men, comprising the whole crew, were
huddled together in the waist, at the starboard gang-
way. Of these four were Portuguese, two Irish, and
eight Americans; and certainly ^ more uncouth-
looking set, including my friend and myself, never
met in one group. The Portuguese wore sennet
hats with sugar-loaf crowns, striped bed- tic king pan-
taloons patched with duck, blue shirts, and knives
and belts. They were all barefooted, and their bands
and faces smeared with tar. On their chins they
wore black, matted beards, which had apparently
never been combed. The color of their skin was a
dark, greeni&h-brown, if the reader can imagine such
a color, and was calculated to create the impression
that they never made use of soap and water. The
variety of dress in which the rest of the crew were
habited was fully as striking as that of the Portu-
guese. Some wore Scotch caps, duck trowsers, red
shirts, and big horse-leather boots ; others, tarpauUn
hats, Guernsey frocks, tight-fitting cloth pantaloons,
and red neckerchiefs. Several were bareheaded and
barefooted, having lost their hats and shoes in the
late gale. All the green hands, which included most
of the Americans and the two Irishmen, were still
cadaverous and ghastly after their sea-sickness, and
not more than two had yet entirely " squared ac-

PREPARATION FOR ELOQUENCE.

counts with old Nep." Altogether we were the most
extraordinary looking set of half-sailor nondescripts
possible to conceive. Thus situated, and thus equip-
ped for sea life, we stood gaping at the captain in
silent admiration.

The mates and boat-steerers, consisting of the
chief mate, an Englishman, the second mate, an
American, two Portuguese boat-steerers, and an
American of the same grade, stood near the mainmast,
looking on with the air of men who were used to
such things, and took no particular interest in them.

The captain, after considerable deliberation, and
a great show of contempt toward every body within
range of his visual rays, then addressed us in a sharp
nasal voice, fixing his eyes upon each man alter-
nately. I had listened to many speeches, but never
to one more pointed than this. No doubt he will
be surprised to find it literally reported :

" I suppose you all know what you came a whaling
for ? If you don't. Til tell you. You came to make
a voyage, and I intend you shall make one. You
didn't come to play ; no, you came for oil ; you came
to work." [Here he took a turn on the quarter-deck,
and while concentrating his ideas for another burst
of eloquence, amused himself in an undertone, partly
addressed to himself individually, and partly to the
mate, by letting us know that it should be " a greasy
voyage, and a monstrous greasy one too."]

" You must do as the officers tell you, and work
when there's work to be done. We didn't ship yott

LAYING DOWN THE LAW.

to be idle here. No, no, that ain't what we shipped
vou for, by a grand sight. If you think it is, you'll
find yourselves mistaken. You will that — some^ I
guess." [Here he lost the idea, or, to use a more
expressive phrase, "got stumped."] "I allow no
fighting aboard this ship. Come aft to me when
you have any quarrels, and Til settle 'em. Til do
the quarreling for you — / will." [Another turn on
the quarter-deck.] "If there's any fighting to be
done, I want to have a hand in it. Any of you that
I catch at it, *Ii have to fight me.'" [A frightful
doubling up of the fists, and a most ferocious gnash-
ing of the teeth.] " I'll have no swearing, neither.
I don't want to hear nobody swear. It's a bad
practice — an infernal bad one. It breeds ill will,
and don't do no kind o' good. If I catch any one
at it, damme, I'll flog him, that's all." [A nod of the
head, as much as to say he meant to be as good as
his word.] " When it's your watch below, you can
stay below or for'ed, just as you please. When it's
your watch on deck, you must stay on deck, and
work, if there's work to be done. I won't have no
skulking. If I see sogers here, I'll soger 'em with a
rope's end. Any of you that I catch below, except
in cases of sickness, or when it's your watch below,
shall stay on deck and work till I think proper to
stop you." [A stride or two aft, and a glance to
windward.] " You shall have good grub to eat, and
plenty of it. I'll give you vittles if you work ; if
you don't work, you may starve. Don t grumble

LAYING DOWN THE LAW.

about your grub neither. You'd better not, I reckon."
[A mysterious shake of the head, which implied a
vast deal of terrific meaning.] " If yoii don't get
enough, come aft and apply to me. im the man
to apply to ; Tm the captain." [Here he surveyed
himself with a look of exultation, whic;h seemed to
say that he was not only the captain — the very man
to whom he had special reference, but that it was a
source of infinite satisfaction to him to be the cap-
tain.] *• Now, the sooner you get a cargo of oil, the
sooner you'll get home. You'll find it to your in-
terest to pay attention to what I say. Do your duty,
and act well your part toward me, and I'll treat you
well ; but if you show any obstinacy or cut up any
extras, I'll be d — d if it won't be worse for you !
Look out ! I ain't a man that's going to be trifled
with. No, /ain't — not myself, /ain't ! The officers
will all treat you well, and I intend you shall do as
they order you. If you don't, /'// see about it."
[Three or four strides to and fro on the quarter-deck,
and a portentous silence of five minutes.] " That's
all. Go for'ed, where you belong !"

Had the captain made good all his promises, we
would have had no just cause for complaint ; but we
soon discovered that his speech was merely designed
to intimidate us. From that time forth we had the
poorest fare, and in the scantiest quantities. The
owners had given us positive assurance that therr>
never had sailed from that port a vessiel better fitted
in every respect. For their misrepresentations, we

38 PREPARATION FOR THE WHALING GROUND.

heartily wished them a berth in their own barque,
believing that the severest punishment that could be
inflicted upon them. A month's trial at it would
make them exercise more humanity toward their
fellow-creatures.

,. Next in the routine of business was the choosing
of watches. We were all called to the waist that
evening, and examined like a parcel of bullocks about
to be butchered. The mate and second mate made
the selections. Among others, I was chosen for the
krboard or mate's watch, and my friend for the star-
board or second mate's watch.

The watch on deck was then set to work on the
whaling gear. Our duties from that time till we
arrived on the western whaling ground were, work-
ing ship, grinding harpoons, spades, lances, boarding
knives, &c., making deck brooms, washing decks
every morning, clearing the rubbish away every after-
noon, stowing away loose casks, steering and stand-
ing mast-heads. Whenever the weather was fine
we lowered the boats and practiced at pulling, back-
ing, and all the manceuvers necessary in the capture
of a whale. All this severe labor was very hard upon
those who had not been accustomed to great physi-
cal exertion.

.1. . ■ A,

HY FRIEND ILL.

r^h^'^:

CHAPTER V.

: 1 ' i '

Distressing Illness of my Friend. — His brutal Treatment. — Unfeel-
ing Conduct of the Portuguese. — Their Ignorance. — Setting Boats'-
crew Watches. — A Chase after Black-fish. — Evening Pastimes.

Nothing of interest transpired after the difficulty
with Smith, till

July 27th. — ^I had afternoon watch below, and
had turned in to forget my troubles in sleep. About
two o'clock I was roused by the steward, who in-
formed me that W had suddenly fallen upon

the deck, in a fit of convulsions. I immediately
sprang up the ladder and ran aft. Language can
not depict the shocking spectacle that met my eyes.
There was my bosom friend, sitting up against one
of the scuttle-butts, his shirt open, his hat lying on
the deck, and his eyes ready to start from their sock-
ets. The captain stood by him, holding him by the

hand. I felt sick and giddy, when W stare at

me with the vacant gaze of an idiot. Bursting into
a wild laugh, he attempted to spring up. It was a
fearful laugh — a laugh that rang like a death-knell
in my ears. I grasped him by the hand ; the terri-
ble thought struck me that he had gone mad ! His
voice was wild and unnatural, and his whole appear-
ance awful in the extreme. Gazing vacantly in my
face, he burst into tears, and sobbed as if his heart
would break. I called him by name; I implored

MADNESS FROM A SUN-STROKE.

him to speak to me. Without noticing my appeals,
he tmned to the captain and inquired my name.
Upon receiving an answer, he begged me, in the most
piteous tones, to convey a message home to his
mother, that he never should see her again.

" Before another hour," he said, " I shall be food
for the sharks. O God, must I die so soon 1 Am
I never to see home again 1 I have kind, good pa-
rents ; tell them I died thinking of them. It is hor-
rible — horrible to be thrown overboard in a sack !"

No effort to console him had the sUghtest effect.
The fearful idea that he was about to be devoured
by the sharks seemed to drive him mad. He raved
of strange things which he had seen at the mast-
head ; talked incoherently of birds with beautiful
plumage, curiously-formed fishes, and called upon us
wildly to save him from the sharks. It was a scene
of horror that I shall never forget.

"When he became somewhat composed, one of
the hands, assisted by myself, carried him forward
to the forecastle, and laid him in his berth. Fzt
three hours he lay in a trance, with his eyes wide
open, not moving a muscle. He looked like one
that was dead.

It appeared, from the statements of the watch on
deck, that he had just come down from the mast-
head, where the rays of the sun poured down with
an intense heat. On reaching the deck, he walked
aft toward the captain, who was parading the quar-
ter-deck. After passing the break of the deck he

^^m

BRUTAL TREATMENT.

stood still, and while in the act of addressing the
captain, fell down in convulsions. From all these
circumstances, and from the fact that he was not
subject to fits, it was quite evident that it was a sun-
stroke. He had suffered severely from sea-sickness,
and was greatly debilitated. A burning sun beating
down upon his head for two hours could very easily
have produced the terrible effects described.

I thought it very hard that a man, really suffering
from illness, should be compelled by the captain to
stand two hours a day at the mast-head. It was, in

this case at least, little better than murder. W

never recovered from the effects of this fearful afflic-
tion. Better, far better would it have been for him,
had he fallen from his post and found a watery grave.
There are things connected with this event that
weigh heavily upon my heart ; things not rudely to
be touched — affections tried and hearts broken.

It is needless to dwell upon his sufferings during
the remainder of his stay on board the ship. The
Portuguese were mere brutes, and, with two or three
exceptions, the rest of the crew were little better.
Sympathy for the sick was a weakness unknown to
them. No temptation would induce them to refrain
from smoking, swearing, and blackguarding. I at-
tempted to purchase peace by giving them my
clothes, but my exertions were of no avail. I saw
that it was useless to expostulate, and finding that

the noise increased W 's malady, I appealed to

the captain to exert his influence over them. His

BRUTAL TREATMENT.

reply was characteristic, and just such as I might
have expected had I known him better. " He had
nothing to do with the forecastle. The Portuguese,
as well as the Americans, were at liberty to do as
they pleased in it. He had no control over, them
after they went below. W had no business

coming to sea to get sick, and be a trouble to all on
board. He had seen such fellows before, and would
not put himself out of his way to pamper to their
wants. Now that he was in a scrape, let him make
the best of it, and not trouble folks with his com-
plaints. If he wanted medicine, he might have it,
and that was all that could be done for him."

Where such an example was set by the captain,
I could not expect the crew to do otherwise than

follow it. For FIFTY-TWO days W lay in the

forecastle, suffering such tortures of body and mind
as can not be described. The captain gave him to
understand that he should not leave the vessel the
whole voyage; he might die in the forecastle, for
what he cared. During all this time, my unfortu-
nate comrade had nothing to eat but hard biscuit,
and occasionally a piece of butter about the size of
a dollar ; so reduced was he that nothing else allow-
ed the crew would remain on his stomach. The
hot, close atmosphere of the foiecastle, rendered still
more suffocating by the fumes of old pipes and bad
cigars, was not very well calculated to promote his
recovery.
It would be difficult to give any idea of our fore-

THE PORTUGUESE PARADISE.

castle. In wet weather, when most of the hands
were below, cursing, smoking, singing, and spinning
yarns, it was a perfect Bedlam. Think of three or
four Portuguese, a couple of Irishmen, and five or
six rough Americans, in a hole about sixteen feet
wide, and as many, perhaps, from the bulk-heads to
the fore-peak ; so low that a full-grown person could
not stand upright in it, and so wedged up with rub-
bish as to leave scarcely room for a foothold. It
contained twelve small berths, and with fourteen
chests in the little area around the ladder, seldom
admitted of being cleaned. In warm weather it was
insufferably close. It would seem like exaggeration
to say, that I have seen in Kentucky pig-sties not
half so filthy, and in every respect preferable to this
miserable hole: such, however, is the fact.

In this loathsome den, the Portuguese were in
their element, revelling in filth, beating harsh discord
on an old viola, jabbering in their native language,
smoking, cursing, and blackguarding. Their chief
recreation, however, was quarreling, at which they
were incessantly engaged. Nor was it confined to
week-days, for not the slightest regard was paid to
the Sabbath. The most horrible profanity was in-
dulged in, and to an excess that was truly revolting.
They did not seem aware even ot the existence of
a Supreme Being. And yet these Christians chat-
tered a paternoster over their beads every night!
What mockery !

I asked Enos, the most intelligent of them, if he
had ever read a book called the Bible.

KNOWLEDGE OF SCRIPTURE.

" No," said he, " I don't sabe how to read."

" Did you ever hear of it ?"

" I don't know."

"Do the people on the Western Islands pay any
regard to Sunday !"

" Oh yes. When Sunday come, dey go to chapel.
In de morning dey pray, in the evening dey dance
and play cards; dey have fandango. Old padri
SBy dat bad; we say, here ten cent. Den padri
laugh and say no more 'bout it."

Here the Portuguese all set up a laugh, and com-
menced singing, in whining voices, "Dominus vo-
biseo," &c.

As soon as we arrived on the western whaling
ground, boat watches were set. In a small vessel
like the Styx, with three boats, besides a spare boat
aft, there are usually three watches, consisting of
the larboard, starboard, and waist boat's crew. Each
watch is under the command of a boat-steerer after
sail is shortened, which is generally about sundown.
In our watches there were four men, and the boat-
steerer. The mate and second mate sleep all night,
and remain on duty all day. The alternate hours
of duty and rest with the crew are arranged thus :
Say the larboard and starboard boat's crews go below
after sail is taken in ; the waist boat's crew remains
on deck till ten o'clock, when it is relieved by the
larboard boat's crew, and turns in till the hands are
called in the morning. The watch then on deck
is relieved at one by the starboard boat's crew, which

A CHASE FOR BLACK-FISH.

remains on deck till all below are called in the morn-
ing. The starboard watch then has forenoon watch
below, the larboard the afternoon, and the waist
boat's crew all da}' on deck.

In making a passage, there are but two watches,
the larboard and starboard, which are headed by
the first and second mate, who take the same hours
of rest allowed the crew.

So much of my time was taken up at the helm
and mast-head, that I had but few hours every day
to devote to my unfoitunate friend, who could look
to me alone for aid. Each day he became more
exhausted from want of proper nourishment and care.

August 3d. — We had now prepared all the whal-
ing gear, and were daily on the look-out for whales.

August 5th. — The boats were lowered for black-
iish. I took my place, for the first time, at the aft
oar in the waist boat. After rowing about two
miles, we came up with the school.* It was an un-
usually large one, but the day was so calm that they
were very shy. We made several unsuccessful at-
tempts to get a dart at them, and continued the
chase for six or eight hours under a burning sun.
I was pretty well tired of my oar by the time we
turned toward the vessel. The Portuguese con-
soled me with the remark, that I had not begun to
see " a hard pull yet," and enjoyed my cadaverous
looks with great satisfaction.

* The term generally used by whalemen when speaking of a gang
or company of whales or smaller fish.

DECK AMUSEMENTS.

From seven till nine o'clock we usually spent on
deck, amusing ourselves at the various pastimes com-
mon among sailors. When the weather permitted,
we had dancing, singing, and spinning yarns. The
Portuguese had a guitar, or viola, as they called it,
with wire strings, upon which they produced two or
three melancholy minors, accom^ianying their per-
formance with a harsh, unmusical chant. Four of
tht i formed couples, and while one of the by-stand-
ers played the guitar, those forming the set moved
bnrkward and forward like hyenas in a cage, paw-
ing the deck with their feet, and using their fingers
by way of castanets; all chanting, in a whining
tone, two or three monotonous notes, which they
repeated till it became fairly distracting. While
the Portuguese amused themselves in this way, the
American portion of the crew had songs, yarns, and
dances after their own fashion. As all human en-
joyments are comparative, so many an hour of real
pleasure was thus passed on boarcT the Styx by
myself and others, who had seen worse times since
we had left New Bedford.

■i')

, '.-y

CRUELTY TOWARD A SEAMAN.

CHAPTER VI.

More Trouble on Board. — Cruelty toward a Seaman. — A School of
Whales. — Prize alongside. — Remarks of the Down-Easter. — Cut-
ting In and Trying Out. — Land ho ! — Peak of Pico. — Terceira.
— Trading. — Character of the Islanders. — Scenery. — Adventure
on the Island. — An unpleasant Predicament.

I ALLUDED, in the preceding chapter, to the diffi-
culty with Smith as the beginning of trouble on
board. Soon after that a disease of long standing
attacked him, and confined him to the forecastle for
some time. He was abused by the Portuguese, and
hazed by the officers for not getting well. The
captain, disappointed in procuring oil, became so
morose that, for days in succession, he spoke not a
kind word to any of the crew. He swore, one morn-
ing, that if Smith would not come on deck and go
to work, he'd drag him out of the forecastle. Be-
tween the abuse of the Portuguese on the one hand,
and threats on the other, Smith thought it best to at-
tempt to go on duty; and the same evening he
crawled up the ladder, and staggered aft, so weak
that he could scarcely walk. In all vessels the in-
valids, who are able to do any thing, take the helm,
which was the duty assigned to this man. The
captain was sitting on the gunwale of the larboard
boat, close by. It should be remarked that he had
an inveterate ill will against Smith ever since the

LUFFING.

morning of the difficulty ; and on several occasions
observed, that he " might rot in the forecastle, and be
d — d, before any trouble should be taken about such
a worthless rascal !" I was in the waist at work
grinding irons, when I was attracted by the harsh
voice of the captain ordering him to " luff." Ignorant
of the custom which requires the helmsman to re-
peat the order (for it appeared that he had never
been to sea before), Smith put the wheel to lee-
ward, supposing that to obey was sufficient.

"Luff, I tell you, luff!' roared the captain, in a
savage voice. " Do you hear, there 1"

Weak and nervous from the effects of his disease,
the poor fellow continued to luff, muttering that she
was coming up.

•' Luff! will you lufff ' was the reply.

Without any answer. Smith put the wheel hard
down.

"You scoundrel, luff!" thundered the captain,
frantic with rage. " Do you hear me ? you sheep-
head, do you hear me ]"

" Yes, sir, I hear," said the man, quietly ; and, in-
deed, it would have been difficult to avoid hearing,
for the captain's voice was like the braying of an
ass.

" The devil take you, then, why don't you an-
.iwer !"

"I answered once, sir."

" No, you didn't ; don't tell me that ! don't tell me
that, I say. Now, I tell you to meet her."

THE CAPTAIN S CRUELTY.

Smith obeyed, but made no reply.

" Curse you ! I'll teach you to answer ! I'll flog
the stubbornness out of you ! You hear well enough ;
but it's your stubbornness T

With that the captain sprang down on deck, and,
rushing upon Smith, struck him several times across
the face with his open hand. Haggard and faint,
the poor wretch clung to the wheel to avoid falling.

" I'll whale the stubbornness out of you ! I'll have
you answer me when I speak to you. Now, when
I tell you to do a thing, you'll do it ;" and, with other
polished expressions of the kind, he walked to and fro
on tlie quarter-deck, chafing with rage.

" How does she head V next came, in a gruff
voice.

" East, sir."

"You lie! you lie!"

There was no answering such an accusation as
this ; for, if the captain says black is white, it must
be so,

" How does she head V (louder and fierder.)

"East."

" You lie ! I tell you, you lie ! Don't you lie to
me ! If I catch you lying, Til warm you !"

" She heads so, according to the compass."

" Don't tell me that ; I know better. You'll be
laming me the compass next ! Look sharp, there !
Til warm your back !"

No doubt this treatment was intended to impress
the man at the wheel as well as the spectators with

INJUSTICE TO SAILORS.

a sense of awe toward the captain, and a proper re-
spect for his authority and personal dignity. To me,
however, there was something horribly brutal in it.
I vowed in ray heart he should be sorry for such
cowardly conduct toward one who was unable to
resent it. The time, I hoped, would come when I
would have it in my power to show him that even a
foremast hand may have feeling, and is not to be
abused with impunity.

This was but an every-day incident, after all. It
may be that I hav^j wasted time in describing it I
know there are some whose nicer feeli igs will revolt
at such scenes. It should be borne in mind, how-
ever^ that incidents of this kind fonn a great part of
a sailor's hfe. To some readers, who derive their
ideas of things aboard ship from sea novels, in which
the valor of the heroes consists in a heroic contempt
of all authority, and a superabundance of imperti-
nence, it may seem that to submit tamely to ths over-
bearing bullying of a brute, without retort or resent-
ment, shows a want of manly spirit. I would ask,
what is to be done in such cases 1 A man has no
right to strike his commander, however well justified
he may be in so doiiig, according to our notions of
right and wrong. Nor must he use language that can
be termed insolent or mutinous, l^his might do
ashore, where "^^'.q man c^a meet another upon equal
terms; but it can not be carried out at sea. If the
captai;* can not manpjre Jack, the officers are ready
to lend their aid ; and, to my thinkings it would be

CAPTURING A WHALE.

poor satisfaction to be seized up by main force and
flogged like a negro. Until masters are taught, by
the severest punishment, that their little brief author-
ity does not justify them in acts of tyranny and
crii^lty, poor Jack most quietly submit to all his
woes!

August 16th. — Chased a school of whales all day.
At 6 o'clock P.M. their spouts were seen about two
miles off the lee bow. The larboard and starboard
boats, headed by the captain and the mate, were
lowered. At 10 P.M. the boats came alongside
with a twenty-barrel whale in tow. All hands set
to work rigging up the cutting tackle, and getting the
try- works rea^y.

The appearance of this, our first whale, was hailed
by a general cheer. After the watches were set,
and the decks cleared, I had an opportunity of ex-
amining our prize. It was about thirty-five feet in
length, of a rather light color, and had a strong, disa-
greeable smell of oil. Though considered a veiy
small whale, its proportions seemed gigantic enough
to me. It was surrounded by sharks eagerly await-
ing their prey.

No correct idea can be formed of the process of
capturing v/hales and trying o^it their blubber, with-
out some knowledge of the instruments employed.
I shall take pains to make my information on this
subject as intelligible as possible to the " unlearned"
landsman, taking it for granted he is not versed in
the mysteries of the craft.

62 HARPOONING THE WHALE.

First in importance is the harpoon. This instru-

ment, called, in whaling parlance, an " iron," is gen-
erally between three and four feet long, with a beard-
ed head, and a shaft or handle of hickory, oak, or
dog-wood, about a foot longer than the iron, pointed
at the end so as to fit in the socket of the harpoon.
A strap, or piece of tarred rope, fastened to the pole
and firmly woven over the socket, keeps them to-
gether, and forms a loop to which the tub-line is at-
tached. The harpoon is the first instrument made
use of in the capture of a whale. Instances, how-
ever, have occurred, in which whales have been taken
by the skillful thrusts of a lance. In ordinary cases,
only one harpoon is made use of, but should it "draw,"
or the whale prove difficult to manage, it is not un-
usual to dart three or four. Each boat is provided
with that number. The head of the harpoon, when
not in immediate use, is preserved from rust by a
wooden cover, the inside of which is formed to fit it
closely. It is the province of the boat-steerer to
keep the whaling gear in good order, and he takes
particular pride in the sharpness and poUsh of his
"irons." The name of the vessel or captain is
usually stamped on the thick part of the harpoon,
so that, in case of a dii^pute between two captains
in relation to their right to a whale struf k. by both,
the matter may be determined by reference to the

LANCING THE WHALE.

brand. The first fast harpoon, if still attached to
the line in the boat, forms an indisputable right to
the whole whale ; but if the line be cut or broken,
and the last save the loose whale, then the oil is
equally shared, or the claimant yields his right by
courtesy, or for a suitable consideration.

The lance is somewhat longer than the harpoon.

without beards, and shaped at the head not unlike
a spoon, but convex on both sides, and very sharp
on the edges and at the point. The handle is per-
fectly straight and handsomely rounded, and varies
from five to seven feet in length. A small line, about
the thickness of a ratlin, is attached to it, for the
purpose of drawing it back to the boai after a " dart."
The lance is made use of to dispatch the whale,
after having first secured him with the harpoon.
When the whale becomes sufficiently quiet from ex-
haustion caused by exertion or loss of blood, the boat
from which the harpoon has been darted draws up
by the fine, and the chief officer in command ex-
changes places with the harpooneer, being of a
higher grade, and presumed to be more experienced
in the business, and begins the responsible task of
lancing. This is the most dangerous part of the
contest. It is often difficult to get the boat in a fa-
vorable position, and a sHght error of judgment, or a
want of skill in the officer, may occasion the loss of
the whole boat's crew. Two or three skillful darts

BOARDING KNIFE AND DART.

will bring the life-blood in a few minutes, and I have
known cases in which, by a single well-directed dart,
the whale was almost instantly killed. To strike a
whale in the " life," or vitals, the first dart, is the am-
bition of all good whalemen.

This cut represents the form of the spade. It is

an instrument much used in the process of whaling.
Each boat is provided with a spade, though it does
not immediately come into requisition. It is em-
ployed to cut holes in the blubber after the capture
of the whale, in which to fasten the tow-rope, or to
plant the " whift," or small flag, by which the posi-
tion of the dead whale may be ascertained, in case
the boat puts off after others in the school. When
the lines of two or more boats become entangled out
of the reach of the hatchet, the spade is sometimes
used to cut away. It is also convenient in case the
sharks become troublesome. On board the ship it is
made use of to cut the blubber from the carcass of
the whale ; and, in the hold blubber-room, spades
(having short shafts) are the instruments employed
to cut the large sheets of blubber called "blanket
pieces" into blocks or " horse pieces" for the minc-
ing knife.

The boarding knife requires no explanation. The

above cut gives a correct representation of it. In

MODE OF MINCING HATTERS.

<' cutting in" it is used to make holes in the blanket
pieces for the blubber hook, and to cut them off
when they have been drawn up to the blocks by the
tackle attached to the windlass.

Blubber knives are similar to the common knives

used by butchers. In detaching the meat from the
blubber, or making " Uppers" to clean the decks, they
come in play.

The mincing knife slices the horse pieces for the

try-works. It is thought that the thinner the blub-

ber is sliced the more oil it will yield. Mincers con-
sider themselves perfect in their branch of the busi-

DESCRIPTION OF UTENSILS.

ness when they can make " Bible leaves." In con-
nection "(yith the mincing knife should be mentioned s
the " mincing horse," which is simply a board about
three feet long and ten inches wide, fastened to the
bulwarks, and supported by a leg; upon this " horse"
the blubber is laid for the knife. A large tub in
front of the mincer, and under the horse, receives
the minced blubber. When this tub is full, the
minced pieces are thrown into another tub close by
the try-works, from which they are thrown into the
boilers with a large fork, which is represented in the
following cut.

The fork is also us>;d to stir up the blubber in the

try-pots; and when the pieces become sufficiently
crisp, they are thrown into a large wooden vessel
for fuel, by means of a copper strainer.

The strainer which this cut represents, drains

the oil from the crisped pieces, or "scraps," and

sometimes serves as a cooking utensil for the sailors.

The dipper is used to bail the oil out of the try-

llyl

pots into the copper cooler by the side of the try-
works.

DRAG AND TUB. 57

This cut represents the pike, a sharp, cjarved iron,

to which is attached a long oak or hickory handle,
used to pass the horse piece from the hold, and push
the heavy pieces of " lean" overboard.

The "drag" is a piece of board about fifteen

:: ■-■ I

inches in diameter, of an octagonal form, with a
block of wood passing through the center, to which
a line is attached, and which is prevented from slip-
ping through by shoulders on the ether side. After
the whale has been fastened to by the harpoon, the
drug is thrown overboard, secured to the whale-line,
so as to impede his progress and tire him down.
I give a view of the " tub" merely for the purpose

of showing the careful manner in which it is neces-
sary to coil up the line. The slightest tangle or

OPINION OP WHALES.

knot in a whale-line would endanger the lives of the
whole boat's crew, from the great velocity with which
it runs out. Great care is, therefore, observed in
making each layer perfectly smooth, so that it may
have a free run.

These are the principal implements employed in
the process of capturing, cutting in, and trying out
the sperm whale. It is hardly necessary to go into
dry details at greater length ; for were I to under-
take a description of every thing pertaining to whal-
ing, there is no telling where it would end.

I was much amused at the remarks of the " down-
easter," suggested by the novel appearance of our
first whale. I observed him, as he leaned over the
monkey-rail, gazing steadfastly at the whale, while
he muttered something to himself which I could not
hear.

" Well, Mack," said I, " what's your opinion of
whales ?"

" Why, I was jest a thinkin' it's a considerable
sort of a fish. They ain't got fish like that up the
Kennebeck."

" I guess not. Still it is nothing like so large as
the whale Jonah swallowed.'*

" By gosh !" shouted Mack, laughing, " if his'n
was bigger than that, I'll be durned if the flukes didn't
tickle his throat, if he was as sea-sick as I was a
spell ago."

" Do you think whales are fish V said I, raiher
balked in my attempt to quiz him.

MACK S REPUGNANCE TO WHALES

" Why, some folks says whales isn't fish at all. I
rayther calculate they are, myself. Whales has fins,
so has fish; whales has slick skins, so has fish;
whales has tails, so has fish ; whales ain't got scales
on 'em, neither has catfish, nor eels, nor tadpoles,
nor frogs, nor horse-leeches. I conclude, then,
whales is fish. Every body had onghter call 'em so.
Nine out of ten doos call 'em fish. If whales live on
small fish, they'd drive a smashin' business up the
Kennebeck. I never see none up thar'. If I was a
whale, I'd try them diggins. There ain't better fod-
der for whales no whar'. This may be a good place,
for all I know ; but it looks dreadful blue and lone-
some. I'd want to be in fresh water, if I was a
whale; and then, if I wanted to season the vittles
Natur' gave me, I'd pile the salt on rayther more
moderate. I'd salt 'em to suit me. I don't like to
be forced to eat salt vittles now, and I ain't a whale.
Whales is cannibals. I've a bad opinion of 'em my-
self I don't like the looks of 'em, no how. Gosh !
what a jaw ! I'd rayther let 'em be, and do business
on a smaller scale. Folks that doos business on a
small scale ain't so likely to git bu'st. Fishin's a
fishin'. I like fishin' as well as any body; but
catchin' of whales is a leetle too extensive. It's or-
fully alarmin' work. I don't want to be swallered
jest yet ; not in the whalin' line, I don't !"

At daylight next morning all hands were called,
and set to work upon the whale. A brief descrip-
tion of the process of procuring the oil may not be

MODE OF TRYINO OUT OIL.

uninteresting. The blubber varies from four to ten
inches in thickness. It is cut from the whale in lay-
ers about three feet wide, which run from the head
to the flukes, in a spiral form. After the blubber
and flukes are hoisted on board with a large tackle
attached to a pendant in the main-top, the boat-
steerers cut them in sizes sufficiently small to fit
snugly in the blubber-room, an apartment in the
main hold. The try-works are then cleaned out,
and got in readiness for boiling. Two or three
hands are stationed in the blubber-room with short
spades, whose duty it is to cut up the large pieces
of blubber called blanket pieces into blocks or pieces
about a foot and a half long and six inches wide*
The blubber is then minced into thin slices, and
cast into the boilers; a fire started, and the first
batch of oil obtained: the crisped pit. es of blubber
are used for fuel. The hot oil is strained into a
large copper cooler, where it is permitted to settle
till the boilers are again ready to be emptied. It is
then strained into casks, and kept on deck till quite
cool, when it is stowed down in the casks in the
hold by means of a hose.

A " trying out" scene is the most stirring part of
the whaling business, and certainly the most dis-
agreeable. The try-works are usually situated be-
tween the fore-mast and the main hatch. In small
vessels they contain two or three large pots, imbed-
ded in brick. A few barrels of oil from the whale's
case, or head, are bailed into the pots before com-

THE SHIP AT NIGHT.

mencing apon the blabber. Two men are stauding
by the mincing horse, one slicing up the blubber, and
the other passing horse pieces from a tub, into which
they are thrown by a third hand, wjio receives them
from the hold. One of the boat-steerers stands in
front of the lee pot, pitching the minced blubber into
the pots with a fork. Another is stirring up the oil,
and throwing the scraps into a wooden strainer. We
will now imagine the works in full operation at
night Dense clouds of lurid smoke are curling up
to the tops, shrouding the rigging from the view.
The oil is hissing in the try-pots. Half a dozen of
the crew are sitting on the windlass, their rough,

weather-beaten faces shining in the red glare of the
fires, all clothed in greasy duck, and forming about

CAPTAINS SENTIMENTS.

as savage a looking group as ever was sketched by
the pencil of Salvator Rosa. The cooper and one
of the mates are raking up the fires with long bars
of wood or iron. The decks, bulwarks, railing, try-
works, and windlass are covered with oil and slime
of black-skin, glistering with the red glare from the
try-works. Slowly and doggedly the vessel is pitch-
ing her way through the rough seas, looking as if en-
veloped in flames.

" More horse pieces !" cries the mincer's attend-
ant

" Horse pieces !" echoes the man in the waist

" Scraps !" growls a boat-steerer.

By-and-by the captain comes up from the cabin to
see how things are progressing. He peeps into the
pots, and observes, in a discontented tone, " Why
don't you keep that 'ere oil stirred ? It's all getting
black." Then he takes a look into the mincer's tub:
"That won't do! Make Bible leaves of 'em." Then
he looks at the men on the windlass: "Hey ! all idle?
Give these fellows something to do. We can't have
idlers about now."

Having delivered himself of these sentiments, he
goes back to his snug nest in the cabin. The idlers
resume their places, and entertain themselves spin-
ning yams, singing songs, &c., and calculating the
time by the moon. About the middle of the watch
they get up the bread kid, and, after dipping a few
biscuit in salt water, heave them into a strainer, and
boil them in the oil. It is difficult to form any idea

LUXURY OF A WATCH LUNCH.

of the luxury of this delicious mode of cooking on a
long night-watch. Sometimes, when on friendly
terms with the steward, they make fritters of the
brains of the whale mixed with flour, and cook them
in the oil. These are considered a most sumptuous
delicacy. Certain portions of the whale's flesh are
also eaten with relish, though, to my thinking, not a
very great luxury, being coarse and strong. Mixed
with potatoes, however, like " porpoise balls," they
answer very well for variety. A good appetite
makes almost any kind of food palatable. I have
eaten whale-flesh at sea with as much relish as I
ever ate roast-beef ashore. A trying-out scene has
something peculiarly wild and savage in it ; a kind
of indescribable uncouthness, which renders it diffi-
cult to describe with any thing like accuracy. T here
is a murderous appearance about the blood-stained
decks, and the huge masses of flesh and blubber
lying here and there, and a ferocity in the looks of
the men, heightened by the red, fierce glare of the
fires, which inspire in the mind of the novice feel-
ings of mingled disgust and awe. But one soon be-
comes accustomed to such scenes, and regards them
with the indiiference of a veteran in the field of bat-
tle. I know of nothing to which this part of the
whaling business can be more appropriately com-
pared than to Dante's pictures of the infernal re-
gions. It requires but little stretch of the imagina-
tion to suppose the smoke, the hissing boilers, the
savage-looking crew, and the waves of flame that

"LAND ho!"

burst now and then from the flues of the furnace,
part of the paraphernalia of a scene in the lower re-
gions. Our " down-easter," who always had some-
thing characteristic to say of every thing that fell
under h's observation, very sagely remarked on one
occasion, when nearly suffocated with smoke, that
" if this warn't h — 1 on a small scale, he didn't know
what to call it."

Of the unpleasant effects of the smoke I scarcely
know how any idea can be formed, unless the curi-
ous inquirer choose to hold his nose over the smok-
ing wick of a sperm oil lamp, and fancy the disagree-
able experiment magnified a hundred thousand fold.
Such is the romance of life in the whale fishery. I
have thus endeavored to describe a trying-out scene;
and I hope, with the aid of a drawing taken on- the
spot, my hasty sketch will not be altogether unintel-
ligible.

We saw, during our cruise on the western ground,
great numbers of black-fish, grK.iipus, porpoises, and
jumpers; and caught in abundance dolphins, alba-
core, bonitos, and skip-jacks, which are all dry, and
not lo be compared with bay-fish.

September 5th. — Killed a black-fish, which yielded
three barrels of oil.

September 10th. — At sunrise this morning the man
at the mast-head saluted us with the cry of " Land
ho !" All hands were on deck in an instant. The
land proved to be the Peak of Pico, one of the
Azores, or Western Islands, distant sixtv miles.

FAR OFF BRinHT AZORES.

During the day it became more distinct, and toward
evening could be seen from the deck, bearing west-
northwest. Pico, at this distance, has much the
appearance of Teneriffe. The naked eye could
scarcely distinguish the peak from the clouds on the
horizon at so great a distance ; but I was told that
Pico could be seen, on a clear day, at the distance
of a hundred and twenty miles. It resembles, when
first in sight, a dark blue cloud, the top of which is
distinctly marked, while the base is lost in clouds of
a lighter cast, mingling with the haze on the horizon.
Fayal, another of the Azores, lying to the north-
ward of Pico, within about seven miles, was not visi-
ble at so great a distance. -.

On Sunday, 11th of September, we made the isl-
and of Terceira, the largest of the Azores.

Tlie wind being light, we did not approach near
enough to see the houses and farms until next day,
when we ran under the lee roast to avoid an im-
pending gale.

Terce>a is a remarkably picturesque island, beau-
tifully laid out in farms, which, at this season of the
year, have a rich golden hue that bespeaks abun-
dant crops. The coast is broKen and rugged, and
in many places so steep as to preclude the possibility
of ascent. Part of the island seems to have been
ingulfed by an earthquake, which accounts foi the
rugged appearance of the coast. It is visited at cer*
tain seasons of the year by heavy gales and rains,
especially in October and November, when there is

TRAFFICK1.VG FOR ONIONS.

frequently danger in approaching it. While we lay
off and on, awaiting a suitable opportunity of run-
ning in, we had hard, shifting winds, and it rained
almost incessantly. Mount Brazil, and other eleva-
ted portions of the island, were covered most of the
time with white, misty clouds.

September 13th. — At eight P.M. the waist-boat
was lowered. As I belonged to this boat, I was per-
mitted to go ashore. We had a hard pull of about
six miles before we made the beach. After running
along for a mile or two in search of a good landing,
we entered a small cove, forming a safe harbor for
boats, where we found an excellent landing among
the fish-boats belonging to that portion of the inhab-
itants who follow fishing as well as farming for a
livelihood. In less than an hour, the governor and a
large posse of ragged officers came down, loaded with
baskets of potatoes, onions, and fruit. We had pro-
vided ourselves with a barrel of black-fish oil for pur-
poses of traffic, that being a commodity greatly in
demand on these islands. A circle was immediate-
ly formed around our captain, who, with two Portu-
guese interpreters, dealt out the oil at the rate of a
quart for a bushel of fine potatoes or a large bunch
of onions. It took us at this rate but a very short
time to fill the boat, the inhabitants supplying us
much more rapidly than the oil could be measured
out.

The scene was one of great novelty and interest
to me, I had charge of the boat, so that I could

TEMPTING BARGAINS.

look on at my leisure. A fleet of stonn-beaten fish-
boats, with crews of sunburned fishermen, lay in the
cove at anchor. Other boats were constantly com-
ing in from the offing or going out; and several
crazy vessels of a larger size were drawn up on the
rocks, apparently basking in the sun for want of
something better to do.

The shore at this place is very rugged and rocky,
running up abruptly about a hundred yards, where
it is joined by the base of a large bank of sand and
rock, interspersed with cane and briers. A pathway
leads up through the defiles between the rocks to
the foot of this bank, winding thence circuitously to
the summit, which is half a mile from the water.
Close by the boat-landing there is a large cavern, in
which the fishermen take shelter from the inclement
weather so prevalent on the shores. The inhabi-
tants residing in the neighborhood procure water
from a small spring gushing from the rocks immedi-
ately under the brow of this cave. Altogether it
fo^iiis one of the most useful and romantic features
in the scene.

Before our boat had left the shore, news of its ar-
rival had spread all over the island, and crowds of
the peasantry, of both sexes and of every age, came
flocking down, laden with baskets of fruit, potatoes,
onions, melons, and other refreshments calculated to
tempt the crew of a whaler.

The dress of the females, though of coarse mate-
rial, struck me as being rather picturesque. A white

BEAUTIFUL BRUNETS.

handkerchief tastefully arranged on the head, a loose
spenser of blue cotton extending to the waist, and a
short frock with a Iringe of blue or pink, and a pair
of Ught shoes, form the simple costume of most of
these " ladies." Those between fifteen and eighteen
yeai:s are very pretty and well-formed ; and, indeed,
I saw many whose jet-black hair, bright eyes, and
rich complexion would be regarded as beautiful by
connoisseurs fond of the brunet style. Few of the
older females are even passable. The rarest speci-
mens of hags and leather-skinned witches are to be
found among the ancient dames of the island, who,
with an activity undiminished by age, skip about
from rock to rock shrieking at the juveniles. The
different classes of males can not be distinguished by
any fixed style of dress, most of them wearing such
ragged apparel as can be purchased from the crews of
whalers. In this particular each individual seemed to
consult his own taste, rather than follow any particu-
lar fashion. Round jackets, loose frocks, small cloth
caps, all covered with patches of a hundred difTerent
colors, are the articles in most general use. The men
and boys usually carry long poles or staffs to assist
them in climbing the rocky parts of the shore.

About noon we returned to the vessel for a farther
supply of oil, having bartered all we had carried
ashore for a boat-load of refreshments. On our re-
turn to the island, great numbers of new-comers
stood on the rocks awaiting our approach. Some
of the governor's officers from Angra had also come

.IV

SEARCHING FOR '^TOBAC."

down to prevent the .'mportation of tobacco without
the usual exorbitant duty. Notwithstanding their
vigilance, however, I was beekoned aside by two or
three young islanders, who had baskets of apples and
figs for barter. Their eagerness to be understood,
and my gesticulations to assure them that the vocif-
erous rapidity with which they spoke Portuguese did
not make it a jot more intelligible to me, were very
amusing. After a variety of attempts to make them-
selves intelligible, one of them cried out, pointing to
his basket of figs,

"Present me tobac, I present you fig.- ''^^^ ♦ '»^' ■*■
" I have no tobacco." ' ^^^^"

"Yes, tobac here," feeling my pockets. ■ • ^

"No, there is no tobacco there." •'.. • ■'

"What! you no got tobac chew?" ■ - -" -^^
"No." -■^'. -^ "- ■ i

"No tobac smoke?" - ''^'^ i ••r '^^ - - •
«No." ' '-'■ '-'- '' -■

" Tobac chew, smoke, snuff, no got ?" " ""'
I assured him that I had none of any kind ; but,
still doubtful, he endeavored to insinuate his hand
into my pocket. This liberty I rather unceremoni*
ously repulsed. Not at all displeased, he continued
to petition me for " tobac." Finding me unable or
unwilling to accommodate him, he began to perse-
cute me for a knife. • ' ^ ,.-. .
" Present me knife, signer ?"
"I have n . knife to trade." ' --' •
" Present you fig, present you apple, me."

FONDNESS FOR KNIVES.

"I can't trade to-daj. To-morrow I'll buy your
figs."

" Suppose you show, me knife Y*

" No knife to sell."

"Ah, me feel!" putting his hand on my pocket.
As he still remained unsatisfied, I handed him a
jack-knife to look at.

" Star bon !" said he, eagerly grasping the treasure,
and thrusting it into his pocket ; " bon ! bon ! star
bon knife !"

The knife belonged to one of my shipmates, and
I was unwilling to lose it.

" No bon for you !" said I, catching him by the
collar.

" Oh, yes, bon for me."

" Oh, no bon for you. Hand it out, my friend, or
I'll show you a Kentucky trick. Do you know any
thing about gouging here 1"

" Me like knife much !" shouted the rogue, laugh-
ing. Finding me resolute, however, he very unwill-
ingly complied with my demand. By this time
about fifty ragged urchins, a few superannuated bel-
dames, and a number of shaggy-faced fishermen had
gathered around me, vociferating loudly for " tobac."
They were thrusting toward me all kinds of fruits
produced on the island, eagerly demanding in return
" tobac chew ! tobac smoke ! knife !" which are the
only articles of trade they seem to stand in need of
The boys went so far as to tempt me with large
pieces of greasy and half-nibbled corn bread, shriek-

way |
ston«

of r(|
roadj
T

IMPRESSION OF CHARACTER.

ing, like a gang of young devils, " Tobac smoke ! to-
bac ! tobac !"

Captain A and a Portuguese interpreter, as-
sisted by the second mate, were mean time busily
engaged dealing out black-fish oil to the islanders for
onions and potatoes, under the superintendence of
the governor, who stood by to see fair play on both
sides. The boat, as soon as it was laden, was once
more manned, and, with no very favorable impression
respecting the character of the natives, I left for the
vessel.

Next day the waist-boat was again lowered. This
time I provided myself with knives and tobacco, in
order to secure a supply of fruit and other luxuries
*preparatory to our long cruise. The captain, on
landing, finding that the islanders were not ready
with their recruits, gave us an hour's liberty. This
was the only opportunity I had of seeing the interior
of the island.

After some hard climbing, I ascended the precip-
itous bank of rock and sand to which allusion has
been made. Following close in the wake of two
Portuguese belonging to the barque, I soon found
myself on a road which runs circuitously round the
island. At the junction of the road and the path-
way leading from the boat-landing stands a little
stone chapel, surmounted by a cross. A stair-way
of rough stone leads from the chapel down to the
road, at which point are stationed two sentinels.

The first object of interest that struck my eye on

A RURAL DUCHESS. -'.'Ml

entering the road was a singular vehicle, in which
sat a lady of rank, as I learned from the sailors. It
was a rough cart, with wooden wheels, constructed
of solid block, and was driven by two men, one at
each side of a yoke of oxen. The aristocratic belle
held a blue cotton umbrella over her head, and sat
quite contentedly on a bundle of straw, leaning back
with as much dignity as if she were a duchess in the
most magnificent carriage. A dark little urchin, ten
or twelve years of age, protected her from the flies
with a green branch. Her dress was of blue, fringed
with some sort of red material. On her head she
wore a handkerchief of snowy whiteness, as is cus-
tomary with the females of all ranks on the island
of Terceira. Her long, black hair fell over hef
shoulders with a graceful and coquetish wave. The
drivers stopped, in order to satisfy the curiosity of
their fair charge ; and as the desire to see was mu-
tual, and, on her part, natural, the fair damsel stared
at me and I at her, till, stared out of countenance, ]
pursued my journey up the road, leaving her to
make such comments on my appearance as she
thou|vht proper.

My Portuguese cicerones were some distance
ahead of me. I had a long run before I caught up
with them. Wishing to purchase some apples, I
inquired of Manuel, a cross-grained fellow, the name
of apples in his language. ^'Calabooca loco!" said
he, making use of an exclamation of contempt, which
I mistook for the desired information, but which I

;{

"CALABOOCA LOCO."

afterward learned meant " Hold your tongue, you
fool!" a remark very common among these people.
Ignorant of my mistake, I walked on, repeating the
words over, till I came to a cottage, at the door of
which stood an elderly woman of respectable appear-
ance. Peeping over her shoulders were three or
four girls, endeavoring to get a look at the stranger.

" Com estha, signora," said I, mustering up all my
Portuguese. " Have you any calabooca loco f"

" Qui f" cried the woman, staring at me. ''-inVi

" Calabooca loco .'" shouted I, hoping to make my-
self understood by the loudness of my voice and my
very marked emphasis. Much to my astonishment,
the girls ran back from the door, laughing in the
most unaccountable manner. Presuming tliey had
misunderstood me, from some defect in the pronun-
ciation, I clearly and distinctly repeated the words.
At this there was a renewed burst of laughter from
the girls, and a furious tirade, no doubt made up of
all the slang in the Portuguese vocabulary, from the
worthy mistress of the cotta'ge.

" Confound it !" said I, impatient at not making
my Portuguese intelligible, "you don't understand
your own language. Calabooca loco! Don't you
know what that is, signora ?" pointing to my mouth.

Upon this she stepped back into the cottage, and
presently reappeared with a large slice of bread. I
was glad enough to get a piece of "soft Tommy," so
I did not complain of the mistake. As she was go-
ing away she said something in Portuguese, which,

MOUNT BRAZIL.

of course, I did not understand. However, I me-
chanically repeated the words, " Calabooca loco !*'
hoping she might accidentally guess my meaning.

"Santa Maria!" shrieked the woman, shaking
her doubled fist at me, amid the roars, of laughter
from the group behind her ; " caiso ? caiso ?" and ut-
tering a complicated anathema, she shut the door in
my face.

All this time my comrades were standing up the
road at a short distance, holding their sides with
laughter.

We passed several neat cottages about a mile in-
land, at which point the mountains commence.
There is a gradual slope thence for about two miles
up the sides of the mountains, where the ascent be-
comes abrupt, and the land too barren and rocky for
cultivation. Pursuing our way along the road half
a mile farther, we arrived at the door of a cottage on
the summit of a pleasant hill, affording a beautiful
and extensive prospect. Immediately in the rear is
Mount Brazil, which ascends gradually till the sum-
mit is hidden from the eye in ranges of clouds. On
either side the country is undulating and picturesque.
Cottages peeping out from clusters of grape-vines,
fig-trees, vineyards, corn-fields, and green meadows,
form some of the pleasing features in the scene. A
large ravine, extending to the coast, affords a fine
view of the ocean, which even in calm weather dash-
es in upon the rocks, and shoots up the spray in
misty clouds. The little fish-boats belonging to the

looii

ner.

tief!

Por(

for

new

had.

INVITATION TO DINE.

islanders may be seen constantly dashing about
among the rocks, guided by the daring fishermen.

I was aroused from the reflections inspired by this
romantic scene, before I had entered into the full
enjoyment of its beauties, by the voices of half a
dozen of the cottagers, vociferating " Tobac ! tohac,
signor !'* The patriarch of the flock, a venerable
padre, with long, sleek hair, kindly invited me in, and
offered me a chair at a table upon which was spread
a light repast. As the invitation was made with
eager gesticulations, apparently springing from the
most hospitable motives, I did not decline it. The
sight of vegetables, and fresh bread, however coarse,
was peculiarly tempting to one who had been two
months whetting his appetite on salt junk. The old
lady of the house brought forth sundry additional
rarities from her larder, while a boy was dispatched
for wine. To all of these I need scarcely say I did
ample justice. My hour's liberty was by this time
pretty well extended. I presented each of my en-
tertainers with a plug of " tobac," and left the cot-
tage. Before I had proceeded more than a dozen
yards, the whole family came running after me, hal-
looing and gesticulating in a most unintelligible man-
ner. " More tobac ! more tobac ! no bon ! damn
tief !" were the only words I could understand. The
Portuguese sailors informed me that I had not paid
for my dinner. This, thought I, is hospitality of a
new description ! I gave them all the tobacco I
had, and, satisfied that I had well remunerated them.

^>j

* > V^^

'•-?^,

. b.

IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-3)

(/.

^
^

1.0

I.I

|5o "^~ ^MB

1^ Uii 12.2

1 tiS, 12.0

1.8

L25 yyiu 11.6

Photographic

Sciences

Corporation

'i3 WIST MAIN STRUT

WSBSTIR.N.V J45M

(7U r^a.4503

■ ,, ■ ^ ■.;•■: ,.■-.'" - ■

- , :,'V-- '■:■;■" , -'- ■ ■';:

'* '■ ': *; ■■ . ■' '- . ■ -'■

"MORE TOBAC!"

I hurried on, amid renewed cries of "More tobiic!
no bon ! damn tief !"

Late in the afternoon, having obtained a good
snpply of fruit and vegetables, we started for the
barque, which lay becalmed about three miles off.-

A slow current setting in upon the rocks com-
pelled us, soon after stowing away our load, to take
to the boats and tow. There was net a breath of
air to fill the sails^ By sundown the vessel had
drifted within a few cables' lengths of the rocks, and
would inevitably have struck, in defiance of our ef-
forts, had not a light breeze sprung up, and afforded
us its assistance. In half an hour more we were
bearing away under all sail. i

m rm nu.

.,„.*« t.

CHAPTER VIII.

" A Gam." — Departure fiom Terceira. — Pico. — Island of Fajal. —
Villa Orta. — Part with my Friend. — Landing the Sick. — Juggling
for a Watch. — Departure from Fayal. — Gloomy Prospects. ^

" In a journal of this kind, containing miscellaneous
gatherings of every description, I can not well omit a
sketch of what, in nautical phraseology, is termed
" a gam." "When two whalers meet on any of the
whaling grounds, it is usual to have " a gam," or
mutual visit, for the purpose of interchanging the
latest news, comparing reckoning, discussing the
prospect of whales, and enjoying a general chit-chat.

"CAPTAIN BUNKER.

While our barque lay'oflf Terceira, we one even-
ing spoke a brother whaler. About four o'clock,
when the decks were cleared up, the waist-boat was
lowered, and we went on board with this captain. A
crew from the stranger returned to the barque with
our boat. After supper we had a social smoke. The
musician of the ship was then called upon for a song.
Seating himself comfortably on the fore-hatches, he
cleared his throat, and gave us to understand, by way
of a prelude, that he was a very indifferent singer.
" He used to know some bang-up songs, but, some
how, he had forgotten them all." This, of course,
only served to whet our curiosity, and draw forth
renewed calls for a song. " Tom was a first-rate
singer. Every body knew Tom could sing. It was
no use to deny it ; Tom mitsi sing !" Pressed on all
sides, Tom stuck his pipe in the galley, and scratch-
ed his head to rub up the musical organs. He then
assured us that he once knew a great many songs.

" Come, Tom !" cried a chorus of voices, " give us
* Captain Bunker.* "

" Well, if I must, I must ; here goes for ' Captain
Bunker.' "

Tom then gave us the following whaling ditty.
As it is a good specimen of sea-spun poetry, I give
it without alteration :

" CAPTAIN BUNKER.

I M. If <f-[;

*' Our captain stood upon the deck,
A spyglass in his hand,
A viewing of those gallant whales
That Mowed at every strand.

3 ' J I ;t ■' i

'> '••rr»;

•M)

I..

hu'

W "death on the fiddle.

Get your tubs in your boats, my boys, ,

And by your braces stand,
And we'll have one of those gallant whales.

Hand, boys, over hand !
Chorus. So be cheery, my lals ! let your hearts never fail

WhUe the bold harpooneer is a striking of the whale !

"' Overhaul, overhaul ! j •.,) . ;>.;

Your davit-tackles fall, - , ,_, ,

Till you 2an<2 your boats in the sea

One 8 id all!' n t; !: ,^VVK-'

-■ Our wust-boat got down, v !, ; i;v-;

And of course she got the start : r ■•

* Lay me on, Captain Bunker,
■■■'■■■ Tmh — I for along dart. '* •

,: 1. •' So be cheeiy, &c. '

Jlf';- > • Our first mate he struck, ■<

J,. And the whale he went down ; >

The captain he stood by
All ready for to bend on ;
:>i Which caused the whale to vomic, f

. : , . , ,,., And the blood for to spout : ^

; In less than ten minutes
He rolled both fins out !

So be cheery, &c."

Great applause was award' d Tom for the credit-
able manner in which he had acquitted himself. But
singing was not altogether Toil's forte. According
to the representations of his shipmates, he was "death
on the fiddle !" The unanimous requests of the
party were not to be resisted. The fiddler was com-
pelled to play ; and, while the two high functionaries
aft were discussing matters of grave and momentous
import, we entertained ourselves dancing " shindys"
to the lively notes of Tom's fiddle. Those who
could strike their heeki together in the best time, go

GAME OF THIMBLE.

;■>.»■,

' i

the double-shu£9e with the greatest activity, and tire
down their comrades, were of course the best dan-
cers.

We next had the game of thimble, and enjoyed
some rare sport when it came to the part in which
the pawns were disposed of. A master of the cere-
monies, provided with a piece of ratUn, was station-
ed at the windlass. For every pawn, the unlucky
wight who claimed it was compelled to receive a
sharp cut on that part politely denominated the
"seat of honor." . ;;

These lively amusements lasted till after dark,
when we began to experience a desire for something
more sober. Among the crew of the stranger, I no-
ticed an intelligent-looking, middle-aged man, of
rather a serious cast of countenance. When our
mirth had somewhat subsided, it was suggested that
we should have a " yarn."

All eyes were immediately turned toward the man
whose appearance had attracted my attention. " Now
you're in for it, Ned ;" " That's a fine fellow, Ned ;"
"Nobody can spin a yarn Hke Ned Harrison;"
" Come, shipmate, give us something about ghosts !"
w€ "e the eager remarks on all sides. Ned replied to
the appeal by modestly stating that he had spun all
his yarns but one, and that was a mere matter-of-fact
history of an old shipmate, which he didn't think
would interest any body. " Never mind ; let's have
it," cried all in a breath ; " I'll warrant you it's a
first-rate yarn ; Ned never spun a bad yarn yet."

SPINNING YARNS.

* " Why," said Ned, " as to that, I've always done
my best to amuse you ; and if you feel disposed to
listen to an account of my first voyage to sea, and
the murder of a poor fellow—" ^im'^ ^i.

" Oh, go ahead ! any thing about murder. Let's
have it. Come, Ned, that's a good fellow !" .

"As I was going to say," continued Ned, "I
wouldn't mind boring you for half an hour or so ;
but, for my part, I'd rather hear a good song."

" No, no ! the yarn ! the yam about that murder !
Well, how did it happen 1"

" If I must tell it, I suppose there's no getting out
of it," said Ned, with the air of a martyr ; " but I
want you to understand it's no common ghost story."

" To be sure ; we know that. All right ! Go
ahead !"

Ned then seated himself on the hatch by the
cook's galley, and, surrounded by an attentive au-
dience, gave us

r . "BOB GRIMSLEY'S GHOST. ; ,

"I am about to spin you a tough yarn; rather
hard to believe, but true for all that. The good old
times when ghosts didn't care a sou-markee when
or how they appeared, are gone, and I'm sorry for
it. I have a natural fondness for ghosts ; I was rais-
ed with them, and feel as if they were my best com-
panions. Somehow, whenever a ghost appears now-
adays, there's a reason for it. In old times people
didn't want a reason for their appearance ; it was

THE HATE.

Story,
tl Go

enough that they paid their visits and went away
like regular, well-behaved ghosts as they were.

"My first voyage to sea was in a Cape Horn
whaler. I was then about eighteen years of age, full
of fun and frolic, fond of yarns, and a devout beUev-
er in supernatural appearances.

" There were only three aboard the ship who re-
quire any special notice. The rest were just the
sort of officers and men usually found in whalers.
One of those to whom I allude was Mr. Rockford,
the mate.

" Though severe and exacting in his discipline,
this officer was not disliked by the crew, for he was
attentive to their comfort, and as good a whaleman
as ever walked the planks of a Cape Horner. I can
never forget this man's looks. There was some-
thing peculiar about him, which kept us all at a civil
distance. He wars a tall, spare-made man, about
thirty years of age, and of a sallow complexion.
His features were strongly marked, indicating great
determination of character. There was nothing re-
pulsive in the expression of his countenance, though,
as an index to his character, it bespoke a man of
strong passions. It was his eye, however, that dis-
tinguished him from all men I had ever seen. Of a
piercing gray, stern, calm, melancholy, it penetra-
ted the inmost recesses of one's heart, and whoever
felt its influence once was glad enough to avoid it
forever after.
" Mr. Rockford was a man of few words. He

"yarn** continued.

kept aloof from everj body, so far as his duty per-
mitted him, and was never known to join in a joke,
or exhibit any levity in his intercourse with the other
officers. As a natural consequence, he was left to
the enjoyment of his moody thoughts. No one
spoke to him or associated with him, except on mat-
ters of ship-duty ; not, as I have already stated, from
any disUke to him, but from the coldness of his man-
ners, and his apparent desire to be left alone.

" I come now to my shipmate. Bob Grimsley, quite
a different man from Mr. Rockford. If I mention
him with partiality, it is because he was a brave,
generous, and manly fellow; one who had often
proved himself my best friend, and whose melan-
choly fate revives old feelings. A better sailor never
put his weight on a brace. Active and energetic,
he was esteemed the very best man, in any sudden
emergency, on board the ship. Jovial in his dispo-
sition, free, cheerful, and intelligent, he was the life
and soul of the whole crew. But there was one
man who hated him from the bottom of his heart —
whose enmity toward him seemed insatiable ; that
man was Mr. Rockford. Grimsley was aware of
this ; he well knew the cause. They had lived in
the same town, and were rival suitors for the hand
of a fair girl, to whom both were passionately at-
tached. Accident had thrown them together on
this voyage. Grimsley had no cause to return the
hatred of the mate, for he was the favored lover, and
on the eve of his departure had received assurances

PLOT THICKENS.

y, quite
nention
I brave,
Ld often
1 melan-
or never
inergetic,
sudden

of a reciprocal regard from the object of his attach-
ment.

" The mate treated him with marked fairness,
never taking advantage of his authority to gratify
his animosity. Still it was evident he regarded him
with the most deadly hatred.

" We were cruising off the Fejee Islands. The
weather had been for some days rough and squally.
As was customary in such cases, the mate headed
the larboard watch. We had not been successful
during the whole cruise. At the period I speak of,
Mr. Rockford was more strict and stem than ever.
Something appeared to weigh heavily upon his
mind, the nature of which none of us could fathom.
In our watch, there were, besides Grimsley and my-
self, four green hands, and a Spaniard who had
shipped as an able seaman. We all agreed pretty
well except the Spaniard, who was morose and sul-
len, and seldom spoke to any body. This man
seemed to be the special favorite of the mate. It
wais impossible to conjecture the precise character
of the fellowship which existed between them, for
they never talked to each other within hearing of
others ; but on many occasions we saw them, in the
dead of night, engaged in low and earnest conver-
sation, when they thought the watch asleep. Oth-
erwise they held no communication calculated to
excite suspicion. Their looks — and looks are
enough in such a little world as a ship, where the
least thing that can not be accounted for has a mys-

NEDS DREAM.

tery connected with it — were not such as common-
ly pass between an officer and one of the crew.
What this mystery tended to, or what the nature of
their secret understanding was, puzzled us to divine.

"One night, the darkest and gloomiest we had
had for a week, I lay in my bunk, in an uneasy
sleep. I had worked too hard that day, and rested
badly. Perhaps it was owing to this that I was
troubled with horrible dreams. Gradually they be-
came centered in one, and this had a startling reality
about it that I shall never forget.

" I saw in my dream a crowd. The figures were
dark and shadowy. They proceeded, with a meas-
ured, noiseless tread, toward a church. I followed
the sable procession, and, when we entered the
church, I was shocked to find it hung with mourn-
iripping with blood. Dressed in black, Grims-
.tood at the altar, supporting )iis bride, a young
woman with a pale face and weeping eyes. There
were ghostly figures moving to and fro with haggard
looks. A horrid gloom pervaded the whole scene.
When the ceremony was over, Grimsley turned to-
ward me ; his face was that of a corpse ! With a
cry of horror,*! awoke.

•• Had I been, as I am now, a fatalist, I might have
known how useless it was to speak to Grimsley.
However, I then thought he could be saved, and I
conjured him not to go on deck that night. He
scoffed at my fears, and ridiculed my superstition.
Still I begged, I implored him to send some excuse
to the mate. To that he would not listen.

MAN overboard!

; had
neasy
rested
I was
ey be-
reality

IS were
I meas-
jUowed
red the
mourn-
Grims-

" We had middle watch on deck. Grimsley had
the first trick at the helm. I relieved him in two
hours, and conjured him, as he left me, to be careful,
for my dream boded him no good. He again chided
me for my fears, and went forward, laughing at the
solemnity of my manner.

" I had not been long at the helm, when a heavy
squall came on. The green hands were sent aloft
to take in the light sail, and Grimsley and the Span-
iard went out to furl the jib. Mr. Rockford was on
the forecastle, giving orders. The roaring of the
wind smothered their voices. Whenever it lulled
for a moment, I thought I could hear the mate
shouting to the men out on the jibboom. At length
a wild cry was borne aft on the squall. My blood
ran cold with horror. It was Grimsley's voice. In
doubt as to what had happened, I waited a few mo-
ments in dreadful suspense. The startling words
resounded from the foretop, which one of the green
hands had just reached on his way down, ' A man
overboard!' The mate came running aft, with a
wildness in his looks that thrilled through me.

"'Hard down your wheel!' he roared; 'down!
down with the wheel, quick ! Haul aback the main
yard ! Call all hands !' The crew came rushing
up from the forecastle, half naked and horror-strick-
en. In another moment the captain was on deck,
calling upon the crew to man the boats. He then
addressed a few words to them, desiring them to be
calm and determined. The boats were lowered,

ORIMSLEY LOST.

and manned by the brave and generous shipmates
of the unfortunate Grinisley. After a long and anx-
ious search, in momentary danger of their lives, they
were reluctantly compelled to give up all hope of
finduig the body. We lay aback all night. Next
morning the search was renewed, but finding it use-
less to delay any longer, we again made sail.

" There was a deep ^loom throughout the ship.
Poor Grimsley was gone ! He was no more among
us to cheer us in the hour of trial, and entertain u^
in the hour of enjoyment I need not dwell upon
our grief. It is only at sea that the death of a com-
rade can be felt with all its poignancy ; and that you
must know, even if you have never experienced it ;
for you may readily imagine what it is to lose your
best friend, when his place can not be supplied.

" The Spaniard said that Grimsley had fallen from
the foot-rope while furling the jib. Mr. Rockford cor-
roborated his statement, and nothing farther was said
on the subject. Still I had a suspicion that there
had been foul play. Knowing, if I disclosed it, jus-
tice would in all probability be defeated, I kept it to
myself, resolved to watch both the mate and the
Spaniard. i *' " -

: " In Mr. Rockford I soon observed a change. His
sallow complexion became more ghastly than ever;
his form wasted away from day to day; his step be-
came hasty and uncertain ; his eye restless and hag-
gard. There was a settled gloom upon his features
that increased their sternness. In walking the quar-

-f,

CHANGE IN ROCKFORD.

3 ship,
imong
:am u^
il upon
acom-
[lat you
Lced it ;
se your
Led.

en from
brdcor-
yas said
It there
it,jus-
ept it to
and the

;e. His
an ever;
step be-
and hag-
features
the quar-

ter-deck he frequently stopped, ca«^ his eyes down,
and muttered mcoherent words to himself; then, as
if fearful that he had been observed, he would start
and look anxiously around him. Toward the other
officers he was more reserved than ever. He never
spoke, except in the discharge of his duty, and then
the tones of his voice were deep and stern. It was
observed by the crew that, in the weary night-watch-
es, he would often stand gazing toward the horizon
without moving. From the night of the fatal event
he was never known to smile.

" There was little alteration in the conduct of the
Spaniard. At the best of times he was a dogged,
discontented man; and these disagreeable traits in
his character \vrure now more apparent than ever.
When bslow, at night, he would frequently jump up
before the watch was called, and go on deck, utter-
ing imprecations upon his hard fate. With these
exceptions, scarcely any change had taken place in
his conduct.

" Nearly a month after the loss of Grimsley, I was
sitting between the man-ropes keeping a look-out.
It was a fine moonlight night The starboard watch
was below. All who were on deck, except myself
and Mr. Rockford, were asleep under the bulwarks,
ready for a call. This was not generally allowed;
but the mate, who was pacing the quarter-deck in
moody silence, did not appear to notice it. I was
reflecting upon the fate of poor Grimsley, and think-
ing over the suspicious circumstances connected with

GRIMSLEY S GHOST.

it, when T saw the figure of a man, in a dark wind-
ing-sheet, slowly steal up from the forecastle. His
tread was noiseless and stealthy. A cold tremor ran
through my blood. I could see him stride aft like a
dim shadow toward the weather side of the quarter-
deck, where the mate stood. The dreadful thought
flashed upon me that it was the spirit of my deceased
comrade. Faint with horror, and possessed by an
unaccountable desire to see the face of the ghostly
figure, I followed it aft. When I reached the quar-
ter-deck, a sight more fearful than the dead itself
met my view. The man at the helm was clinging
to the wheel, haggard with fright. Mr. Rockford
stood with his face toward the taffrail, motionless, as
if transfixed to the spot. His eyes were strained till
they seemed bursting from their sockets ; his cheeks
were Hvid and bloodless ; his teeth firmly set. The
cold, pale rays of the moon glanced upon his features,
increasing their ghastliness. It was a spectacle of
appalling wildness. I felt the blood freeze in my
veins as T gazed upon him : so great was my hor-
ror, that I clung to a rope to support myself. Gaunt,
stiff, speechless, he stood before me.

" ' See, see ! it moves !" he suddenly exclaimed.
'There! See it! Oh, my God!' And, with a
deep groan, he staggered back against the bulwarks.

" I immediately ran to his assistance. He was
cold and inanimate. I awoke the men on deck, and
we carried him below. The captain, by chafing his
temples, brought him to his senses. That night he

ALTERCATION ON BOARD.

vind-

His
)rran
like a
arter-
lOUght
jeased
by an
;hostly
! quar-
l itself
linging
(ckford
dess, as
lied till
cheeks
L The
satures,
acle of

in my
iiv hor-

Gaant,

remained in the cabin without uttering a word. No
explanation of what he had seen could be obtained
from him. The man at the wheel stated that a figure
in a loose dark robe had brushed past him, but he
was so frightened he could not recollect its height, or
the direction in which it went.

" In a few days Mr. Rockford was again on duty.
There was a frightful change in his appearance. He
walked the decks a living skeleton. His eyes were
sunken, though they still retained their unearthly,
melancholy expression. More silent, more thought-
ful than ever, he now seemed to care very little about
the affairs of the ship. For hours he would stand
leaning against the bulwarks buried in revery. No
one chose to disturb him ; few even spoke to him.
The care of the ship devolved principally on the
captain, who vainly endeavored to prevail on Mr.
Rockford to go below.

" Nothing occurred to change this state of things
for several days. The mate continued under the same
fearful depression of mind. An unnatural gloom
hung over the whole ship's crew.

" One evening the second mate got into an alter-
cation with a fore-mast hand named Watkins, who
was considered a good boxer. The officer attempt-
ed to rope's-end him. Watkins knocked him down.
This was too heinous an offense to be passed over.
The offender was handcuffed, and confined in the
run.

" In the middle of the night the captain, and all

NOISE IN THE HOLE.

■M

who slept in the cabin, were startled by a loud ham-
mering under the cabin-deck. These noises were
followed by groans, and then the half-smothered voice
of Watkins, who had his mouth to the run-hatch, was
heard crying, * Take me out cf this hole ; for God's
sake, take me out before I'm murdered !'

" The hatch was lifted off, and Watkins, though
no coward, crept out, shaking as if he had an ague.
"'What's the matter?' demanded the captain,
angrily.

" ' Oh, sir, don't put me in the run again. I'll be
murdered if you do. I saw him — saw something
.iS& horrible !'

" ' What did you see V cried the captain, turning
pale.

" ' A dead man !' replied Watkins, and his teeth
chattered with fear.

" ' Fetch a light here,' said the captain, in a voice
of deep solemnity.

" The light was handed to him, and, accompanied
by the steward, he descended into the run. After
a thorough search, without seeing any thing of the
apparition, he came up, cursing the cowardly fears
of Watkins. Mean time, while all this was going
on, Mr. Rockford stood leaning against the ladder,
awaiting the result of the search with haggard looks.
" • Mr. Rockford,' said the captain, ' go down there,
and try if you can see what this fool is raving about.'
" ' I'd rather not, sir,' replied the mate, with a shud-
der.

STRUGGLE BELOW.

" * What ! are you afraid too V

" < No/ replied the mate, gloomily, ' I'm not afraid ;
but I have a horror of that place ;' and his agitation
increased. A cold perspiration stood upon his fore-
head.

" • Mr. Rockford,* said the captain, sternly, * will
you set such an example of cowardice to the crew?'

" The mate made no reply, but seemed buried in
thought. At length he determined to go down into
the run alone. He took the light in his hand, and,
forbidding any one to follow him, descended. Half
an hour elapsed. The captain grew impatient.
Three quarters of an hour passed, and the smothered
sounds of voices and blows, as if two men were en-
gaged in a desperate struggle, issued from the hatch-
way. The light was suddenly blown out, there was
a heavy fall, a groan, and all was silent !

" ' A light ! another light !' cried the captain, trem-
bling with horror ; ' quick ! Good God ! what's the
matter ? Mr. Rockford, speak ! answer !'

" ' He's dead ! he's killed, sir !' exclaimed Watkins,
who had been peering down through the hatch-
way.

"Another light was quickly produced, and the
captain, followed by several of the affrighted men,
who were afraid to remain alone in the cabin, de-
scended into the run. The feeble rays of the lamp
fell upon an object that struck the boldest aghast.

" Mr. Rockford, stretched on his back, his hands
convulsively clinched, his features horribly distorted,

SPANIARD CONFINED.

lay bleeding in the bottom of the run. There was a
fearful gash across his forehead, from which the blood
streamed down, disfiguring his far ^ and dyeing his
clothes. Upon attempting to remove him, he fell
into a phrensy, shrieking,

" * Take him away ! take him away ! He wants
to kill me. Save me ! save me !' > \i

" As soon as this dreadful paroxysm was over he
was carried up and placed in his berth. In the
course of the night he recovered his senses, but
seemed to have lost the faculty of speech.

" For upward of a week he was confined to the
cabin, nor could he be prevailed upon by entreaties
or by threats to utter a single word in relation to
what he had seen, or by whom the wound in his fore-
head had been inflicted.

" I now thought it time to disclose what I knew
of Grimsley's death. The utmost surprise was mani-
fested throughout the ship. So great was the in-
''ignation of the crew, that it required the severest
exercise of the captain's authority to restrain them
from taking summary vengeance on the supposed
murderers of their comrade.

" On the strength of my evidence the Spaniard
was arrested and put in irons. Mr. Rockford was
left at liberty in the cabin, but peremptorily forbidden
to go on deck. Watkins was released, with a severe
reprimand to behave himself better in future.

" We continued our cruise without any thing far-
ther occurring for nearly a month. The events

ROCKFORD MISSING.

which had created such commotion among us had
almost ceased to be topics of conversation, and we
began to look forward to the end of our cruise and
the comforts of home. This state of tranquillity was
suddenly interrupted by the disappearance of the
mate. In a fit of insanity he had noiselessly let him-
self down from one of the cabin ports by a rope.
Several hours elapsed before he was missed. A search
was made, and all tuat was disco' ercd was the rope
as he had left it.

" On the same night the Spaniard, who was con-
fined in the run, awoke the captain and officers by
his groans. He was taken out in a pitiable condi-
tion. Reduced to a skeleton by confinement and an
evil conscience, his face was now blanched with fear,
and his eyes sunken and restless. When asked what
had occurred, he repHed, that, in turning over in his
sleep, he had touched something cold, which he took
to be the head of a corpse, clammy with blood. His
groans brought the officers to his relief.

" It was not long before this new alarm was cir-
culated throughout the ship. Every one believed she
was haunted by the ghost of poor Grimsley. The
crew, driven to madness by the horrible sights which
had been witnessed, assembled in a body, and refused
to do duty until a thorough search shoidd be made.

"All r. next day we were engaged in breaking
out the casks and ship's stores from the fore-peak to
the run. The strictest search was made. In the
run we discovered a few blood stains, and the marks

SPANIARD S CONFESSION.

of a bloody hand all along the lower tier of casks
from the run to the forecastle.

" You may be sure these mysterious marks did not
quiet our fears. Men were afraid to be alone for a
single moment. There was nothing talked of but
the mysterious visits of Grimsley, and the blood
stains, with narrations of deeds committed on the
lonely deep in the dead of night. The darkest
tragedies possessed a peculiar interest now. The
more fearful they were the better they suited the ex-
cited listeners, who in groups around the forecastle
passed away the long night-watches dwelling upon
deeds of blood. By keeping together in this way,
and occupying our minds with marvelous tales of
the tragic and the supernatural, we contrived, in
some measure, to quiet each other's fears.

" While things were in this state the Spaniard was
taken ill of a fever. Apprehensive that he was about
to die, he made a confession of his crimes. His nar-
rative was brief, but thrilling.

" He had commenced his career of villany in a
Portuguese slaver at Mozambique. The vessel and
her living cargo were taken by a man-of-war on the
coast of Brazil, and among others punished for their
part in the illegal traffic, he was sentenced to serve
seven years in one of the government frigates. In
a few months after he made his escape, and joined
a Spanish pirate. For three years he served in her,
among the West India Islands, and joined in the
most atrocious deeds of bloodshed and rapine. He

MYSTERY EXPLAINED.

casks

id not
I for a
of but
blood
)n the
larkest
The
the ex-
ecastle
g upon
is way,
lies of
ved, in

ard was
IS abont
lis nar-

ly in a
ssel and
on the
"or their
to serve
tes. In
cl joined
\ in her,
I in the
be. He

t^'i

eventually robbed the captain, and made his escape,
in an American whaler, to the Spanish Main. Here
he gambled away his ill-gotten gains. Reduced to
the last extremity, he worked his passage to the Uni-
ted States in a merchantman. Still apprehensive of
arrest, he shipped in the whaler in which he now
narrated his crimes.

" Soon after she left port he was sounded by the
mate, Mr. Rockford, who, finding him wilUng to com-
mit any crime, however foul, entered into a compact
with him to murder Grimsley, promising him a suit-
able reward. An opportunity occurred on the night
of the squall. Grimsley was out on the foot-rope
with him, furling the jib. The Spaniard stabbed his
victim in the back, and the subsequent cry of ' a man
overboard' was the result. Had the body of the
murdered man been found, the perpetrator of the
deed could have been discovered at once.

" Fearing, from the change in the conduct of the
mate, that he was about to confess the crime, and
thus expose him, the Spaniard determined to murder
him also. In pursuance of this design, he one night
disguised himself in a Spanish cloak which he had
in his chest, and while he thought the crew all
asleep, walked aft. As he was about to accomplish
his purpose, he became alarmed lest the man at the
helm should recognize him, and rushing past both
the officer and the affi-ighted man, concealed him-
self in the stern-boat. During the confusion that
followed he regained the forecastle unobserved, hid

"yarn" finished.

his cloak, and appeared among the crew. The
subsequent occurrences in the run were occasioned
by a plan which he had devised to frighten the cap-
tain and crew, in the hope of making them abandon
the vessel, or put into port at some neighboring isl-
and. He had effected an entrance through the bulk-
heads separating the forecastle from the main hold,
and, by dint of hard exertion, worked his way be-
tween the tiers of casks to the run. All the myste-
rious appearances that followed were easily account-
ed for. In his struggle with the mate, he inflicted
the gash which had occasioned so much horror and
surmise. The marks of blood on the casks were
made as he crept back to the forecastle.

"On the night of his confession the Spaniard died.
He was buried without the custojiiary ceremonies.

'' Our cruise was soon over. The gloom which
pervaded the ship did not pass away until we were
once more surrounded by the pleasures of home.

" It is now many years since these events trans-
pired ; but the tragical incidents of my first voyage
are still vivid in my memory. I have spun my yarn.
You have seen that the mysterious visitor was no
ghost, after all, and if you do not choose to believe
a matter-of-fact narrative of actual events, you are
welcome to your doubts. So much for 'Bob Grims-
ley's Ghost.' "

During the recital of this tragical story the crew
had huddled up close to the narrator, and it was

ARRIVAL AT PICO.

,s were

rd died,
lonies.
i which

he crew
1 it was

amusing to witness the apprehensive looks with
which they started when the least noise was made
behind them. I can not say that Ned Harrison's
yarn, take it all in all, had a very cheering effect
upon any of us. The fun of the evening was over.
A damper was thrown over the spirits of the com-
pany, and the men talked to each other in low and
earnest voices, as if fearful that Bob Grimsley's ghost
would suddenly make its appearance.

At this moment, when we were all deeply involv-
ed in the blues, our boat arrived from the barque,
and the captain's order to "man the waist-boat" put
an end to the " gam."

A few days after our departure from Terceira we
passed St. George's and Gratiosa, and entered the
channel between Pico and Fayal. The Island of
Pico, on a nearer view, increases in picturesque
beauty. The shores, generally, are barren and
rocky. Higher up are farms and cottages, and the
still more elevated grounds are covered with vine-
yards, forming a pleasing contrast to the wilder por-
tions of the scene. Fayal, the chief commercial isl-
and of the Azores, lies in a northwardly direction
from Pico. The Villa Orta, or principal town, is
situated in a beautiful little harbor, formed by two
points, called Ponta Esplamanca, and Nostra Signora
de Guia, on that side of the island opposite Pico.
It derives quite a respectable appearance, in a com-
mercial point of view, from the number of vessels
lying at anchor at this season of the year. A British

PADDY S DIALOGUE.

Steam-frigate, an American steamer, a Portuguese
man-of-war, several whaling vessels, and merchant-
men were in port when our barque visited this island.
The wharf presents a spectacle rather novel to one
who views such scenes for the first time. Fish-boats,
lighters, and bum-boats may be seen at all times of
the day buffeting the surf; and hundreds of bare-
legged Portuguese rushing into the water to dis-
charge freight, or load them, give animation and
liveliness to the scene.

Our list of sick had by this time extended to four,
three of whom it was found necessary to land.
Among these was an Irishman, who, during our
cruise, had made himself conspicuous for his stupid-
ity and laziness. I was sorry, however, that he was
about to leave us, for his bulls afforded us all great
amusement I recollect a dialogue between him and
the captain, which would have delighted poor Power.

" Paddy," said the captain, " what countryman are
you 1 You are down on the papers as an American;
but you must be an Englishman, I guess."

"Be gor, sir! I'm no Englishman; divil a bit.
I'm an Amirican."

" Whereabouts in America were you born ?"

" Wasn't I born at saa, sir ? To be sure I was ;
and bad 'scess to the dhrop of English blood have I
in me." ,..

" Oh, then, you've been to sea before ? Did you
ever cross the line !" ^

"Cross the line! An* it's myself that did.

CROSSING THE LINE.

Haven't I been two voyages to the Wist Indies from
Philadelphia?"
" What Une did you cross going from Fhiladel-

:« *»»

" The equathur, be gor !" '

" None of your Hes, Paddy ! You've never been
across the equator." /

'■ Be the hoky-poker, I have, sir ! Divil a lie am
Itellin'ye!" .

" Why, how could you cross the equator in a pass-
age from the northward to the West India Islands?"

" Arrah ! how should I know, sir ? barrin' the cap-
tain made a little hit of a misthake !"

Paddy often reminded me of the man who had
seen a horse eighteen feet high; for whatever he
said, no matter how marvelous, he would boldly ad-
here to.

During our stay at the Island of Terceira, Smith,
who had been off duty nearly the whole of our cruise
up to that date, asked permission to go ashore. It
was well understood by the captain and officers that
he intended to desert, for he made no secret of it ;
and even went so far as to tie up a bundle of clothes
in his handkerchief, and carry it aft under his arm.
Thinking this a good opportunity to get rid of him,
without the expense of putting him asliore at the
Villa Orta, which would not be less than forty dol-
lars, the captain wilUngly gave him permission, tell-
ing him, as a matter of form, to be down at the boat-
landing by sundown. Smith bid us all good-by, and

100

CONSULAR ATTENTION.

was taken ashore in the waist-boat. The last I saw
of him at that time, he was slowly dragging his ema-
ciated Hmbs up the rocks. / >•

On our arrival at the Villa Orta a week after, I
was surprised to find Smith down at the landing,
shaking hands with his old shipmates. It appeared
that the vice-consul at Angra, to whom he had ap-
pealed, finding him in a destitute condition, had sent
him over to Fayal in a fishing-smack, where he ar-
rived a few days in advance of the Styx. There he
made his complaint to the consul, who, of course, as
is customary with consuls who have dealings with
the masters of vessels, would have nothing to do
with him. Some of the PortUg, ^ took pity on
him, and gave him lodgings. He vv .s in a wretched
condition when I saw him. The mate, by order of
the captain, told me to advise him to make himself
scarce without delay, or he would be taken on board
again, and punished as a deserter. I did so, behev-
ing his sufferings, under any circumstances, could
not be worse on the island than they would he if he
should again be taken on board the barque. I never
saw him again.

My comrade, W , of whose sufferings during

our cruise I have spoken at some length, being en-
tirely too unwell to resume duty, was one of the
number about to be left ashore. We had commenced
the voyage with visionary dreams of romance and ad-
venture. For many weeks past we had conversed
together over the unfortunate step we had taken, and

CARRIED ASHORE.

101

ter, I
iding,
eared
d ap-
dsent
be ar-
ere he
rse, as
s with
to do
pity on
retched
rder of
himself
In board

believ-
ts, could
be if he

I never

anxiously looked forward for a change; many weary
nights had I watched by the side of my suffering
friend ; and, however poody I had discharged my
duty, I had the pleasure of knowing that every little
attention was most gratefully felt. I was now about
to part with my only friend in a foreign land, and
among strangers, where a friend can best be appre-
ciated. I need not say that the parting was a pain-
ful one. We gazed at each other with full eyes and
throbbing hearts as he was about to be borne to the
boat, but could not utter a word. Poor W— had
not spoken the whole morning. There was a deep,
touching melancholy in his looks, far more eloquent
than words. All his bright hopes of recovery seemed
to vanish at the thought of our separation. That I
might conceal every appearance of a weakness
which is looked upon by sailors as unmanly, I busied
myself about the decks, knowing, too, that it was use-
less to repine.

At ten o'clock the order was given to " Man the
waist-boat!" I was glad enough that the boat to
which I belonged was chosen, as it afforded me an
opportunity of going ashore. The barque lay off and
on, outside the harbor. We had a hard pull against
a head wind before we reached the pier, which is
close by the Portuguese fort. Here we were hailed
by one of the government officers, who inquired the
number of sick on board, and the nature of their
complaints, stating that they would not be allowed
ashore if afflicted with any contagious disease. Af-

102

CONSULAR FEES.

ter waiting about an hour to see the American con-
sul, Mr. Dabney, we returned to the barque, and put
the invaUds in the boat.

On approaching within a few hundred yards of
the pier, we were hailed by a government boat bear-
ing the national flag. It contained two or three of-
ficers, and the health doctor, a pompous and self-
sufBcient quack, who went through a burlesque ex-
amination of the sick men, and then gave a permit,
allowing them to be carried ashore. Here they were
given up to the consul, who provided them with suit-
able accommodations. The charges at Fayal for
landing, &c., if I was correctly informed, are as fol-
lows : Fee to the health doctor, four dollars ; boat
charges, ten dollars; for each sick man, thirty-six
dollars, to be paid to the consul.

I must here mention that it was with the utmost

difficulty W had prevailed upon the captain to

let him go at all. Being part owner in the barque,
he was unwilling to lose any thing in the way of fees
or government charges; and ever, till we arrived in
sight of the Azores, had steadily answered all W— — 's
petitions by the remark, "He might rot in Ihefm-e-
castle .'" I did not know at this period that the cap-
tain had his eye upon a fine gold watch, which

W had treasured for years past as a sacred

token of affection from a dear relative. This watch
had been committed to the captain's keeping soon
after we left New Bedford. Fearing he could not
get off on any other conditions, W offered it to

COSTUMES OF FAYAL.— THE PARTING.

103

bim to let him go ashore. In order to keep up somo
show of honesty, the captain replied " that he would

keep the watch, but W could have it, after the

voyage, hy writing for it, and enclosing payment for
his outfit and passage home .'"

Owing to the ilhiess of my friend, I could devote
but little time to examining the town of Orta. Still,
I had an opportunity of seeing many things that in-
terested me. The costume of the females struck me
, as being very uncouth. The lower classes wear hats
■ made of straw ; and I saw several with coarse over-
coats and round jackets. The ilite, or fashionable
ladies, conceal their faces in bonnets of such ample
dimensions as to cover both head and shoulders.

I spent the chief part of the day in attending upon
the sick. The captain procured them a passage to
the Ignited States in a small American biig bound
for Bangor, Maine. While at Fayal, the captain
shipped three Portuguese and two Ata.jrican seamr n
in place of the sick.

Late in the evening I bade a final good-by to my
friend W , and returned to the barque much de-
pressed in spirits. Before daylight next morning the
light-house had faded from our sight, and, when the
sun rose, it was with difficulty that we could discern
on the horizon the Peak of Pico. I can not describe
the feeUng of utter loneliness that stole over me when
once more on the bosom of the boundless ocean.
Surrounded by a crew of brutal and illiterate Portu-
guese, I felt that I was indeed alone. When I

104

.;'/!• ;

CAPTAIN IN HUMOR.

thought of the many happy hours I had spent in

W 's society; when I looked around me, and

saw objects that reminded me of him, I felt that

" Othello's occupation was gone !" -oiafc

The prospect before me was any thing but cheer-
ing. I dreaded to think of the long voyage; a
voyage which we had scarcely yet commenced, "w^;

' .'n;t

./5|S.U-'U

V*o

:.i. ■';') Uh

'.' i ' 'I'U

UJti^iUjni :.;,*.

CHAPTER IX.

Quarreling Aft. — A Row between the Captain and Mate. — Return
to Fayal. — Annoyances. — Murderous Designs of the Cook. — Un-
der Weigh for the Indian Ocean. — Monotony of the Passage. —

V Pastimes. — Canary Islands. — Horse Latitudes. — Grand Whale
Chase. — Six Whales alongside. — Beautiful Effect of the Moon.

A MAN like our captain, whose whole soul was
wrapped up in dollars and cents, could not bear with
much patience a continued run of bad luck. We
had killed but one whale; that disappointment alone
was sufficient to render him cross-grained and ill-
natured. The expense of landing the sick men was
considerable; and so grievously did it prey upon his
mind, that for weeks after I seldom knew him to
smile. Before we had reached the Azores, he had
quarreled several times with the mate. These quar-
rels now became more frequbnt and violent than ever.
There was a sailor-like boldness about the rutality
of the mate which the captain did not like. With

sovc

HEN OVERBOARD.

105

the one, meanness was the prevailing trait ; witli the
other, a devil-may-care roughness, in which he was
open and above board.

One calm day a hen flew overboard. Enos, a
Portuguese, was on the main-topsail yard splicing an
earing. Being a very expert swimmer, and glad of
the excuse to take a dive, he jumped over after the
unlucky hen. We were fanning along about a knot
and a half an hour. The captain, hearing our shouts
of laughter as we hauled Enos in with a rope, came
rushing up the companion way, roaring at the mate
to " lower away a boat !" We all knew he would
as soon lose his best man as a hen, and we joked
Enos (loud enough to be heard aft) about being
guilty of such 9. fowl piece of folly as to jump over-
board after a hen. There was nothing that the cap-
tain could take hold of in this ; but it irritated him.
It happened that the mate was at work in the waist.
Now, when captain and mate are not on the best
terms, the latter generally has to bear the blame of
every thing that goes wrong, and, of course, is the
legitimate object of all the surplus ill humor of his
sovereign master.

" Mr. D , why didn't you lower a boat after

that hen? I should think you'd have had sense
enough to do that without waiting for me to tell you."

" I received no orders to lower a boat, sir. The
man jumped overboard without asking me, and if
'le's fool enough to risk his life for a hen, / can't
help it. You'd better talk to him about it."

106

QUARREL ABOUT A HEN.

" No, I'll talk to you /" cried the captain, very much
enraged. " It was your duty to lower away a boat.
Any man with an ounce of sense might know enough
for that."

This of course raised the mate's " pluck," and,
turning from his work, he boldly faced the cap-
tain.

" Do you suppose I'd take the responsibility to
lower a boat for a cursed old hen ? No, I'll be hanged
if I would. You'd be the first to flare up at it your-
self. Now, sir, since you've begun ^jaw^ I'll just tell

you how we stand, Captain A . There has been

too much of this fault-finding lately. I've done my
best to suit you ; but, it appears to me, the more a
man does to please you, the more you grumble. I've
stood this long enough ; so I think it's about time
for us to come to an understanding about it. The
amount of it is. Til he d — d if Fll suffer it any
longer!" ■ < ,,

This was pretty determi ed language. It was
such as the captain had not been used to ; for, ac-
cording to his own account, his former mates would
lick the planks he walked on ; and he had never had
one to give him a back answer. He now began to
draw in his horns.

" When did I find fault, Mr. D ? Tell me a

single instance."

"You're always finding fault; that's enough. If
we can't get along easier, the sooner we part the
better. I know my place, sir, and I intend to do my

•t^

NEW HANDS.

107

duty; but I'll show you that I'm not to be brow-
beat and insulted !"

Some more words of a like nature passed between
them, which I did not hear. There was no damage
done, however. Both captain and mate remained
on the worst possible terms from that time forth.
They seldom spoke, except on business matters, or
upon subjects connected with the voyage.

After a short cruise on the eastern ground we re-
turned to Fayal to land another sick man. It was
found necessary, when we formerly touched at the
port of Orta, to ship five new hands, two of whom
were Americans, two Portuguese, and an English-
man. We found them a very quarrelsome and dis-
orderly set ; but the captain had a partiaUty for out-
cast foreigners. We only remained in port a few
hours, and I was not permitted to go ashore. I had
the pleasure, however, of hearing that my friend
W was rapidly improving in health. An addi-
tion to the number in the forecastle was made this
time in the place of the man who was left ashore,
which made the crew consist of eight Portuguese,
an Englishman, and four Americans.

In the early part of our voyage we had for cook a
mulatto man, who had served as a ward-room stew-
ard on board the Peacock during the United States
Exploring Expedition. Whether he had acquired
the habit of grumbling from his man-of-war com-
rades, or whether it was natural to him, I can not
say; but a greater grumbler, or a more disagreeable

108

CULINARY AFFABILITY.

animal, I never had the misfortune to meet. In ad-
dition to this, he had a most villanous and tyranni-
cal temper, which continually developed itself in acts
of injustice toward the crew. I had been too long
living in slave states to bear very quietly the inso-
lence of a negro, and on several occasions we came
to pretty close quarters. I candidly confess, nothing
but fear of the consequences prevented me from
heaving the wretch overboard the first good chance.
It was a source of continual annoyance to be thrown
in this man's way, and particularly galUng to my
feehngs to be compelled to live in the forecastle with
a brutal negro, Who, conscious that he was upon an
equality with the sailors, presumed upon his equality
to a degree that was insufTerable. Finding I would
not succumb to his insolence, as the other hands did,
he took a most inveterate hatred to me, and did
all in his power to render my situation unpleasant,
by instilling into the minds of my comrades that I
was a "broken-down dandy," who would lord it
over them, if they would suffer me. As I had al-
ways made it a point never to evince the least symp-
tom of superiority, or pretend to any thing more than
those around me, he failed to effect his object in this
particular ; for I had the good fortune to be a general
favorite. He next had recourse to another and a
far more effective expedient. Our fare at the best
of times was bad enough, and always scanty. When
I had watch at the mast-head, or when it was my
trick at the helm, he always managed to jilt me out

kiawj

A GOOD APPETITE.

109

of my allowance, or give me the offal of the crew. I
had heard too many complaints made to the cap-
tain to hope for any thing from him in the way of
redress. Many a night, after a hard day's work,
have I turned in hungry enough to eat v/ith rel-
ish, had it been within my reach, the common dog-
meat, upon which the pampered canine gentry of the
cities luxuriate. The life I had led since 1 had ship-
ped produced such a change in me as made me a
mere animal. When I got any thing fit to eat, which
was very rarely, I devoured it with the avidity of a
starving wolf. I seldom dreamed of any thing at
night but good Kentucky roast beef, peaches and
cream, pumpkin pies, and all the luxuries of western
life.

Trifling as such things as these may appear to
those who live ashore, where the poorest can by in-
dustry obtain abundance of the good things of life,
they are not so trifling on board a whaler. I had
seen the time when my fastidious taste revolted at a
piece of good wholesome bread without butter, and
many a time had I lost a meal by discovering a fly
on my plate. I was now glad enough to get a hard
biscuit and a piece of greasy pork; and it did not
at all affect my appetite to see the mangled bodies
of divers well-fed cockroaches in my molasses ; in-
deed, I sometimes thought they gave it a rich flavor.

On leaving Fayal the second time, this villanous
cook, who had made such murderous attempts to
starve me, was promoted steward, and a Portuguese

110

LITERARY AMUSEMENTS.

mulatto, belonging to the Cape de Verdes, was made
cook. I need scarcely say that I heartily rejoiced
in the change ; for I knew, let what would come, it
could not be for the worse.

We were now fairly under weigh for the Indian
Ocean, each day making to the southward as fast as
a clumsy barque, which never sailed more than six
knots an hour, except in a gale, could carry us. The
monotony of a long passage is known to every body
who has ever read of the sea. Seldom is it relieved,
except by a squall, a calm, a sail in sight, or some
trifling adventure. Time hung very heavily on our
hands, though we contrived various means to pass it
away as pleasantly as possible. The chief resources
I had for driving dull care away were reading, draw-
ing, writing in my journal, eating whenever I could
get any thing to eat, and sleeping whenever the Por-
tuguese would give me a chance. As to reading, I
was necessarily compelled to read whatever I could
get. Unfortunately, I had brought neither books nor
papers with me, so that I had to depend entirely
upon the officers, none of whom were troubled with

a literary taste. Mr. D , the first mate, who was

very friendly toward me, had a bundle of old Phila-
delphia weeklies, which I read over a dozen times,
advertisements and all. The cooper, a young man
from New Bedford, was by far the most intelligent
man aft. His stock of hterature consisted of a tem-
perance book, a few Mormon tracts, and Lady
Dacre's Diary of a Chaperon. I read these till I al-

CAPTAIN S PIETY.

Ill

The
ybody
sUeved,
r some
on our
pass it
isources
T, draw-
I could
the Por-
ading, I
• I could
ooks nor
entirely
ed with
who was
d Phila-
3n times,
ung man
tttelligent
of a tem-
nd Lady
e till I al-

most had them by heart. The captain himself was
an iUiterate man, " wise in his own conceit." He
had the reputation at home of being b. pious man;-
and, as some evidence of this, I procured from one
of the officers a work belonging to him of a religious
character. I can not say, however, that his conduct
was in strict conformity with the reputation he had
gained as a man of piety. One of my shipmates had
a Bible ; another, the first volume of Cooper's Pilot;
a third, the Songster's own Book; a fourth, the
Complete Letter Writer ; and a fifth claimed, as his
total literary stock, a copy of the Flash newspaper,
published in New York, in which he cut a conspicu-
ous figure as the " Lady's Fancy Man." I read and
re-read all these. Every week I was obliged to com-
mence on the stale reading, placing the latest read
away till I systematically arrived at them again, when
they were pretty fresh, considering the number of
times they had been overhauled. When I became
thoroughly satiated with the fresh and stale, I had
recourse to drawing, at which I considered myself
somewhat of an amateur. My stock of implements
consisted of a short stump brush, a few ounces of
black-lead, a piece of Indian ink, and a pen. Some
of my shipmates, who had never seen any drawings
in the mezzotinto style, took a great fancy to my
Httle productions, and insisted upon having speci-
mens for their sweethearts. By humoring them to
the best of my ability, I so far gained their good-
will that they reciprocated my attempts by doing all

112

LOVE-SICK MAKES THEM SEA-SICK !

my patching and mending, which was a very accept-
able return, for I was not an expert hand at the
needle. In the evening, after the decks were swept,
I generally sat for an hour or two on the jib-boom
playing the flute, or humming over favorite airs,
many of which conjured up associations which were
" pleasant, yet mournful to the soul." After one of
the watches went below, we usually had a little
gathering on the forecastle, and each of us told some-
thing of his past life. In this way I learned the his-
tory of all in the watch to which I belonged. Rum
and love had done signal service in the way of driv-
ing them to sea.

October 8th. — At 10 P.M. we made Ferro, one
of the Canary Isles, distant thirty miles off the lee
bow. In the evening three of the Canaries were
visible: Falma, Gomerra, and Ferro. Our course
was south-southeast, and lay twenty miles from the
nearest, at which distance it had a blue, indistinct,
and rugged outline.

While in the vicinity of these islands we were
visited by great numbers of birds, resembling in ap-
pearance the American swallow. Several Canary
birds also flew on board, some of which we succeed-
ed in catching. - ' • - - .* .. . -.

October 12th. — Entered the horse latitudes. This
part of the Atlantic, I was told, derived its name from
the fact, that vessels on their passage from Arabia,
with Arabian horses on board, had frequently been
reduced to the necessity of throwing them overboard,

were

owing

contin

Oct

from t

"TJ

"Ra

"Ste

"Ms

"Av

she bio

"Sin

"Ay,

—thar'

"Hoi

"Tw

"Thi

Clew uj

down J

Get joi

yoMt fal(

"All

"Lo^

Dowi

crew sj

larboard!

There

waist-bt

went all

bows.

SIGHT OF WHALES.

115

owing to the scarcity of water, produced by long and
continued calms.

October 13th. — " There she blows !" was sung out
from the mast-head.

" Where away V demanded the captain.

" Three points off the lee bow, sir."

" Raise up your wheel. Steady !"

" Steady, sir."

" Mast-head ahoy ! Do you see that whale now V

" Ay, ay, sir ! A school of sperm whales ! There
she blows ! There she breaches !"

•' Sing out ! Sing out every time !"

" Ay, ay, sir ! There she blows ! There — there
•~-thar' she blows — bowes — bo-o-o-s !"

" How far off!"

'• Two miles and a half !"

" Thunder and lightning ! so near ! Call all hands !
Clew up the fore-t'gallant-sail — there ! belay ! Hard
down your wheel ! Haul aback the main yaid !
Get your tubs in your boats. Bear a hand ! Clear
your falls ! Stand by all to lower ! All ready !"

"All ready, sir!"

" Lower away !"

Down went the boats with a splash. Each boat's
crew sprang over the rail, and in an instant the
larboard, starboard, and waist boats were manned.
There was great rivalry in getting the start. The
waist-boat got off in pretty good time ; and away
went all three, dashing the water high over their
bows. Nothing could be more exciting than the

116

THE CHASE.

chase. The larboard boat, commanded bj^ the mate
and the waist-boat, by the second mate, were heud
and head. ■ l" • J>f v'^^v?

" Give way, my lads, give way !" shouted P ,

cur headsman ; " we gain on them ; give way ! A
long, steady stroke ! That's the way to tell it !"

" Ay, ay !" cried Tabor, our boat-steerer. " What
d'ye say, boys t Shall we lick 'em 1"

" Pull ! pull like vengeance !" echoed the crew ;
and we danced over the waves, scarcely seeming to
touch them.

- The chase was now truly soul-stirring. Some-
times the larboard, then the starboard, then the waist-
boat took the lead. It was a severe trial of skill
and »nuscle. After we had run two miles at this

WHALES AT HAND !

117

rate, the whales turned flukes, going dead to wind-
ward. ' - . ,',<'■ f^U -iw .■{■I ;\ ■ i-.-.w:.

« Now for it, my lads !" cried P . « We'll

have their the next rising. Now pile it on ! a long,
steady pull! That's it! that's the way! Those
whales belong to us. Don't give out! Half an
hour more, and they're our whales !"

The other boats had veered off at either side of
us, and continued the chase with renewed ardor. In
about half an hour we lay on our oars to look round
for the whales.

" There she blows ! right ahead !" shouted Tabor,
fairly dancing with delight.

" There she blows ! There she blows !"

" Oh, Lord, boys, spring !" cried P .

" Spring it is ! What d'ye say, now, chummies ?
Shall we take those whales ]"

To this general appeal every man replied by put-
ting his weight on his oar, and exerting his utmost
strength. The boat flew through the water with in-
credible swiftness, scarcely rising to the waves. A
large bull whale lay about a quarter of a mile ahead
of us, lazily rolling in the trough of the sea. The
larboard and starboard boais were far to leeward of
us, tugging hard to get a chance at the other whales,
which were now blowing in every direction. *

" Give way ! give way, my hearties !" cried P ,

putting his weight against the aft oar. " Do you
love gin 1 A bottle of gin to the best man ! Oh,
pile it on while you have breath ! pile it on !"

118

GETTING SQUALLY.

" On with the beif, chummies ! Smash every oar!
double 'em up, or break 'em !"

" Every devil's ih^p of you, pull ! No talking ; lay
back to it ; now or nover !"

On dashed the boat,, cleaving its way through the
rough sea as if the briny element were blue smoke.
The whale, however, turned flukes before we could
reach him. When he appeared again above the sur-
face of the water, it was evident that he had millied
while down, by which maroeuver he gained on us
nearly a mile. The chase was now almost hopeless,
as he was making to windward rapidly. A heavy,
black cloud was on the horizon, portending an ap-
proaching squall, and the barque was fast fading from
sight. Still we were not to be baffled by discourag-
ing circumstances of tliis kind, and we braced our
sinews for a grand and final effort.

•* Never give up, my lads !" said the headsman, in
a cheeiJng voice. " Mark my words, we'll have that
whale yet. Only think he's ours, and there's no
mistake about it, he will be ours. Now for a hard,
steady pull ! Give way !"

" Give way, sir \ Give way, all !"

" There she blows ! Oh, pull, ni"^ lively lads !
Only a mile off ! There she blows !"

The wind had by this time increased almost to a
gale, and the heavy black clouds were scattering
over us far and wide. Part of the squall had passed
ofT to leeward, and entirely concealed the barque.
Our situation was rather unpleasant : in a rough sea.

the

win

hard

and

«I
Ti
"G

r'A

"Si

An(

flung 1

us witJ

the I'm

he rosi

secont

with h

whale /^
enougl
of himj
was en
reachec
oars a
he had I
taneous

TAKING A WHALE.

121

the other boats out of sight, and each moment the
wind increasing.

We continued to strain every muscle till we were
hard upon the whale. Tabor sprang to the bow,
and stood by with the harpoon.

" Softly, softly, my lads," said the headsman.

"Ay, ay, sir!"

"Hush-h-h! softly. Now's your time. Tabor!"

Tabor let fly the harpoon, and buried the iron.

" Give him another !"
;"Ay, ay! Stern all!" v

" Stern all !" thundered P .

"Stern all!"

And, as we rapidly backed from the whale, he
flung his tremendous flukes high in the air, covering
us with a cloud of spray. He then sounded, making
the line whiz as it passed through the chocks. When
he rose to the surface again, we hauled up, and the
second mate stood ready in the bow to dispatch him
with lances.

''Spouting blood!" said Tabor. ''He's a dead
lohale ! He won't need much lancing." It was true
enough ; for, before the officer could get withiu dart
of him, he commenced his dying struggles. The sea
was crimsoned with his blood. By the time we had
reached him, he was belly up. We lay upon our
oars a moment to witness his last throes, and, when
he had turned his head toward the sun, a loud, simul-
taneous cheer burst from every lip.

J22

PREPARATION FOR A SQUALL.

A low, rumbling sound, like the roar of a distant
waterfall, now reached our ears. Each moment it
grew louder. The whole expansive arch of the
heavens became dark with clouds tossing, flying,
swelling, and whirling over and over, like the surges
of an angry sea. A white cloud, gleaming against
the black mass behind it, came sweeping toward us,
stretching forth its long, white arms, as if to grasp us
in its fatal embrace. Louder and still louder it
growled ; yet the air was still and heavy around us.
Now the white cloud spread, whirled over, and lost
its hoary head; now it wore the mane and fore
feet of a lion ; now the heads of a dragon, with their
tremendous jaws extended. Writhing, hissing, roar-
ing, it swept toward us. The demon of wrath could
not have assumed a more frightful form. The whole

fac
wii
boa
of%
a di
the
gaze
^von
looki
lenin
• the s
ofev<
many
ed ne
chang
erable
tions <
glance
fancie
their I
pearec
unshij
with a|
hodt
ing foi
soon tij
her del
ceive
face ej
foamin]

THE SQUALL.

123

face of the ocean was hidden in utter darkness, save
witiiin a circle of a few hundred yards. Our little
boat floated on a sea almost unruffled by a breath
of wind. The heavy swell rolled lazily past us ; yet
a death-like calmness reigned in the air. Beyond
the circle all was strife; within, all peace. We
gazed anxiously in each other's faces; but not a
word was spoken. Even the veteran harpooneer
looked upon the clouds with a face of unusual so-
lenuiity, as we lay upon our oars, awed to silence by
.the sublimity of the scene. The ominous stillness
of every thing within the circle became painful. For
many long minutes the surface of the water remain-
ed nearly smooth. We dreaded, but longed for a
change. This state of suspense was growing intol-
erable. I could hear the deep, long-drawn respira-
tions of those around me ; I saw the quick, anxious
glances they turned to windward ; and I almost
fancied I could read every thought that passed within
their breasts. Suddenly a white streak of foam ap-
peared within a hundred yards. Scarcely had we
unshipped our oars, when the squall burst upon us
with a stunning violence. The weather side of the
boi!t was raised high out of the water, and the rush-
ing foam dashed over the gunwale in torrents. We
soon trimmed her, however, and, by hard bailing, got
her clear of water. It is utterly impossible to con-
ceive the violence of the wind. Small as the sur-
face exposed to the squall was, we flew through the
foaming seas, dragging the dead body of the whale

124 NEARER THE WHALE THAN THF VESSEL.

after us with incredible velocity. Thus situated, en-
tirely at the mercy of the wind and sea, we con-
tinued every moment to increase our distance from
the barque. When the squall abated, we came to
under the lee of the whale, and looked to leeward
for the barque. Not a speck could be seen on the
horizon ! Night was rapidly approaching, and we
were alone upon the broad, angry ocean!

" Ship your oars," said the headsman ; " we'll not
part company with old Blubber yet. If we can't
make the barque, we can make land somewhere." ,

" Ay, ay," said Tabor, with a sly leer, *♦ and live
on roast-beef and turkey while we're making it."

With heavy hearts and many misgivings we ship-
ped our oars, heartily wishing the whale in the devil's
try-pots ; for we thought it rather hard that our lives
should be risked for a few barrels of oil. For two
hours we pulled a long, lazy, dogged stroke, without
a sign of relief At last Tabor stood up on the bow
to look out, and we lay on our oars. .?''.-t ^i ■

" Well, Tabor, what d'ye see ?" was the general
inquiry. .,,i

" Why," said Tabor, coolly rolling the quid from
his weather to his lee cheek, "I see a cussed old
barque that looks like Granny Rowland's wash-tub,
with a few broom-sticks rigged up in the middle of

it."

" Pull, you devils !" cried P ; " there's duff in

the cook's coppers." , .,.„,,,.-.

arose
wingeJ
pleasuj
beamsj

'' r:

CUT ACCORDING MANY. WHALES, LITTLE OIL. 125

« Yes ! I think I smell it," said Tabor.

It was nearly dark when we arrived alongside of
the barque with our prize; but what was our sur-
prise to find that the starboard and larboard boats
had killed ^ve whales between them ! They were
all of a small size, and did not average more than
fifteen barrels each.

That night not a breath of air rufHed the clear,
broad ocean as it swelled beneath and around us,
forming a multitude of mirrors that reflected all the
beauties of the splendid canopy above. The moon
arose with unusual brilliancy. It was a night for the
winged spirits of the air. I enjoyed a melancholy
pleasure in walking the decks beneath the soft moon-
beams, thinking of past times. Silence reigned over

126

POETICAL PIT.

the deep. The calm, broad ocean presented a beauti-
ful simile of repose, and the light, shadowy clouds
floated motionless in the air, as if in awe of the
mighty wilderness of waters beneath them. A clear,
silvery light beamed over the glassy swell ; and far
away the moon's rays, casting their soft and delicate
glow over the whole scene, gradually vanished in a
dreamy haze upon the horizon. I gazed with pen-
sive feelings upon this scene ; so calm, so heavenly,
so unrivalled in its lovehness; and I thought, with a
sigh, of the coming day : the fiery, tropical sun ; the
loud, harsh voices of the officers giving orders ; the
heat and smoke of the try-works ; and all the reali-
ties of a whaleman's life. I have heard of the soli-
tude of the desert ; but what can compare with that
of the ocean at such a time as this 1

Never had the sea looked more beautiful than it
did that night. It was a source of pleasure to feel
that, notwithstanding the wretched life I led, there
were still left a few of the better feelings of my na-
ture. A passage in the " Vision of Don Roderic"
occurred to me as singularly expressive of the check-
ered fortunes of a sea-faref. Well might I hope the
light cloud which occasionally obscured the moon's
brightness might prove a happy omen of my future
fate •

" Melting, as a wreath of snow it hangs
In folds of wavy silver round, and clothes
The orb in richer beauties than her own ; v*

Then, passing, leaves her in her light serene."

At daylight next morning all hands were called.

" CUTTING IN.

127

and set to work getting up the cutting tackle, and
making other preparations for cutting in. As this
process of " cutting in" seems to be but imperfectly
understood by those who have not been engaged in
the business, it would perhaps be well enough to de-
vote a page or two of description to it in this place.
When the whale has been towed alongside by the
boats, it is firmly secured by a large rope attached to
the "small" by a running noose. There is not a
little ingenuity in the manner in which the fluke
.rope is first passed under the body of the whale. A
small line, to which a lead is fastened, with a block
of wood at the extremity, several fathoms from the
lead, is thrown over between the whale and the
ship's side. From the impetus given to the lead, it
sinks in a diagonal direction, drawing the block
down after it. One end of the lead line is fastened
to the end of the fluke rope on board, and the block
attached to the other rises^ at the off side of the
whale. It is then hauled on board by means of a
wire hook fastened to a long pole, and, in hauling
it in, the fluke rope passes round under the body of
the whale, till the end arrives on board, when it is
passed through the loop in the other extremity, and
thus a running noose is formed, which is easily slip-
ped down to the small. The fluke rope is then
made fast on the forecastle, and the flukes are hauled
up to the bow, or as near as they will reach, leaving
the head pointed aft. Of course, the size of the ves-
sel and the length of the whale make a great differ-

128

"CUTTINa IN.

ence; but in general the head reaches to the quarter.
To prevent cuin^ussion, the whaie is always on the
weather side. The progress of the vessel, which is
usually under easy sail during the time of cutting in,
keeps the whale from drifting out at right angles
from the side ; though, in most cases, the head is
kept in its appropriate position by a small rope made
fast aft. . . r

The cutting tackle is attached to a powerful strap,
or pendant, passing round the mast in the main-top
by two large blocks. There are, in fact, two tackles,
the falls of which pass round the windlass. To each
of these tackles is attached a large blubber hook,
which, upon being made fast to the blubber, are
hauled up by the windlass, one only being in opera-
tion at a time, so that when the first strip of blubber,
or "blanket piece," reaches the stationary block on
the pendant, the other can be made fast by a strap
and bolt of wood to a hole cut below the point at
which that blanket piece is to be cut off. I have
endeavored to give some idea of this part of the
process in the frontispiece accompanying the work.
The blanket pieces are stripped off in a spiral direc-
tion, running down toward the flukes ; the whale
turning, at every heave of the windlass, till the whole
covering of blubber is stripped off to the flukes, which
are hoisted on board, and those parts containing oil
cut away, and the remainder thrown overboard.
The head having, in the first place, been cut off and
secured to the stern, is now hauled up, with the nose

down,
as far
and ti
vessel
saved.
o( gett
the hei
large o:
The
to the J
barrels
piece" 1
hauling
over fre
grees, o\
that of
"aises s
uianket
top, it i{
with a
secured
hauled t
too sud(
in, and,
dropped
it is cut
feet in
These bl|
hard blo(
found n(

" CUTTING IN.

129

down, if too large to be taken on board, and hoisted
as far out of the water as may be found convenient,
and the oil or liquid spermaceti hailed out with a
vessel attached to a long pole, and i us taken in and
saved. As there is no httle risk attending this mode
of getting the spermaceti, and a great deal of waste,
the head is always taken on board, when not too
large or heavy.

The " case," which is the name given by whalers
to the head, sometimes contains from ten to fifteen
barrels of oil and spermaceti A single "blanket
piece** not unfrequently weighs a ton or upward. In
hauling it up by the tackles, it careens the vessel
over frequently to an angle of fifteen or twenty de-
grees, owing to its own great weight, combined with
that of the whale, the upper surface of which it
-aises several feet out of the water. When the
ijianket piece has reached the stationary block in the
top, it is cut off by a boat-steerer, who stands by
with a boarding knife, having first, however, been
secured below by the other blubber hook, which is
hauled taught, to prevent it from breaking away by
too sudden a jerk. The upper piece then swings
in, and, when it ceases its pendulating motion, is
dropped down into the hold or blubber-room, where
it is cut up into blocks of a foot and a half or two
feet in length, and eight or ten inches in width.
These blocks are called " horse pieces." The white,
hard blocks, containing but little oil, and which are
found near the small, and at the flukes, are called

130

NEARLY MADE A MEAL OP.

" white horse." The carcass of the whale, when
stripped of its blubber, is cast loose, and soon sinks
from the want of its buoyant covering. I hr ve seen
it float astern, however, some distance without sink-
ing.

Breakfast over, all hands were called to cut in.
Six or eight men were stationed at the windlass, two
in the blubber-room, and the boat-steerers in the
waist. The first and second mates took their sta-
tion on a couple of stages, or platforms, rigged out at
the gangway, each provided with a spade. One of
the boat-steerers, whose turn it was to fasten the
blubber hook, went down over the side on the whale's
back, and, after several unsuccessful attempts, and
rather an uncomfortable ducking, performed his task.
While yet on the whale's back, a large, hungry-look-
ing shark, which had been eyeing him for some time
very anxiously, was washed up behind him by a
heavy sea, and apparently loath to lose so good an
opportunity of making a meal, began to work his
way along the slimy surface till within a foot or
two of the boat-steerer's heels. The officers hap-
pened at the moment to be looking up at the pend-
ant block, and in all probability the man would have
been seriously injured, if not carried off bodily, but
for the timely alarm of one of the crew. The mate
immediately turned to see what was the matter, and
perceiving the critical position of the boat-steeren
brought his spade to bear upon the shark, and at a
single dart chopped off his tail. Strange to say, the

TURNING IN IMPORT.

131

greedy monster did not anpear to be particularly con-
cerned at this indignity, but, sliding back into his
native element, very leisurely swam ofij to the great
apparent amusement of his comrades, who pursued
him with every variety of gyrations. It s.s -liris^d me
to see with what cool indifference the boat-steerer
witnessed the whole transaction. I do not lemem-
ber that he said a word about it

The various duties being apportioned to the men
without favor or choice, it fell to my lot to sit on the
weather side of the quarter-deck and turn the grind-
stone ; a tiresome and monotonous task. The cooper
attended to the sharpening of the spades, boarding
knives, and other implements used in " cutting in."
I am not sure that I had the hardest of the work to
do, but it certainly was the most unpleasant ; for I
could not prevail upon any of the hands to change
places with me, even for a brief period. My appear-
ance at this time would have been somewhat strik-
ing to some of my friends in Washington. With my
duck f o'k all black with whale-gurry, my trowSers
torn and smeared with rough work, my red Scotch
cap half-way over my eyes, and my face oily and
sunburned, I certainly looked as little like my original
self as one can well imagine. There I turned that
grindstone, and turned on hour after hour, and turned
the palm of my right hand into a great blister, and
turned the palm of my left into another ; turned both
my rams into a personified pain ; turned every rem-
nant of romance out of my head ; turned and turned

132

A "turn" for sport.

till my grand tour seemed to have turned into a
grindstone ; round and round I turned that stone till
I began to think I was a piece of the handle, and
turned with it ; and my head appeared to turn, and
my feet to turn, and the game-legged v ooper to turn,
and the ship to turn, and the sea, and the whale, and
the sharks, and the clouds, and all creation seemed
to be turning with myself and that grindstone !
Having at last contrived to get a sufficient number
of spades sharpened ahead of the mates, I peeped
over the quarter-rail to see how they were getting
on. The sharks had by this time gathered around
the vessel in immense numbers, and eight or ten
were fighting just under the quarter for a piece of the
whale's carcass which had been cut away. Watch-
ing my opportunity, I snatched up a spade, slipped
it over while the captain was forward, and began a
terrible onslaught among the sharks. With five or
six thrusts I killed four of tLo greedy monsters, by
striking them on the back of the head, and cutting
the principal artery. This was quite a refreshing
little episode in my business of turning ; and my suc-
cess in the destruction of sharks induced me to be-
lieve that I had a greater natural turn for spoic than
the monotonous turning of a grindstone. But my
amusement was of short duration. The eagle eye
of the captain espied me before I could get in the
long pole of the spade.

" Ha ! what are you at there t" cried his highness
directly behind me, at the very moment when I sup-

Hel
No]

PRIVILEGED SHARKS. ^APOLLO AT SEA.

133

posed he was on the forecastle giving orders to the
men. " What are you at, hey ?"

" Keeping off the sharks, sir."

" Who told you to keep 'em off?"

"Nobody, sir." ' V

" Haul in that spade directly !"

" Ay, ay, sir !"

" And, look'ee, if I catch you keepin' off any more
sharks, I'll wipe you down with a rope's end !" . ,,

" Ay, ay, sir !"

"Cooper, hain't you got no work for this fel-
low?

" Not just now, sir."

" Go to the windlass, then, and rest yourself on a
handspike !"

"Ay, ay, sir!"

I had reason to consider my shark-killing a poor
speculation. The heaving and surging at the wind-
lass was but a questionable improvement upon my
old business of turning the grindstone. At the word,
" Heave away !" somebody struck up an extempo-
raneous song, which, to the best of my recollecti* .i,
had no particular claims to poetical merit, but ran
somewhat thus: " , / i

/•T

.(.■•-' .' r -:
«♦ Heave him up ! O he yo !

Butter and cheese for breakfast
Raise the dead i O he yo !

The 8tc«<rard he's a makin' swankey.
Heave away ! O he yo !

Duff for dinner ! Duff for dinner !
Now I see it ! O he yo !

' Hurrah for the Cape Cod gals !

134

AT IT again: pleasant.

Now I don't. O he yo ! ' ■.

Round the corner, Sally !
Up she comes ! O he yo !

Slap-jacks for supper !
Re — re — ra — ra — oo — we ye yo ho ! Them's 'um !"

At the conclusion of this medley, the captain,
who had seated himself in the starboard quarter boat
to inspect the cutting, began to criticise the mate's
style of cutting rather severely. Now the mate, be
it known, was really a very skillful whaleman, and
handled the spade with an unerring hand. The
"old man's" comments, thus lowering him in the
eyes of the crew, by no means pleased him.

" I say, Mr. D ," persisted the captain, " that's

not the way to cut in a whale. I don't want no
such work as that about me."

" It's my way, sir," replied the mate, getting very
red in the face.

" Well, i never see a whale cut that way. I ain't
used to it ; I won't have it."

" You haven't seen every thing yet, sir. I've al-
ways cut whales this way, «;,J ulwu^s mean to
do it."

" No you won't ; not here you won't. You can
just cut as I tell you."

"I reckon I know my own business. Captain

A . Now, sir, I'm not a going to be dictated to

in this manner. If you think you can cut a whale
better than I can, you'd better take my place."

After some more angry words, during which both
the captain and mate became much excited, and

threal

and tJ

WHALING TOUR VS. TRAVELING.

135

threatened to whip each other, the quarrel ceased,
and the " old man" went below in high dudgeon.

This was all " nuts" for me. I was rejoiced to
see somebody among the privileged few talk up to
him as he deserved. Indeed, I was itching to ex-
press my own personal opinion on the subject, but
had no particular fancy for the mode of " wiping
down" hinted at a short time previously.

Cutting in, trying out, and clearing up the decks,
occupied us for the next six days. We had an
average of five hours' sleep out of the twenty-four.
Working incessantly in oil, which penetrated to the
skin, and kept us in a most uncomfortable condition,
besides being continually saturated with salt water,
produced a very disagreeable effect upon those who
were not accustomed to such things, by chafing the
skin, and causing painful tumors to break out over
the whole body. Before I had half finished my
share of the labor, I heartily wished myself in the
meanest dog-kennel ashore, or, to borrow an old
idea, I should have considered myself in an enviable
situation had some enemy been kicking me down
Pennsylvania Avenue. Tabor, the oldest whaleman ,
on board, who laughed at hardships, and took all the
disagreeable parts of his duty with the utmost good-
humor, frequently joked me on my " grand tour to
Europe."

" What do you think of whaling now, B ?

Is it equal to traveling in Italy ?"

" I think not. Tabor."

136 SUDDEN LIBERALITY. RANCID BUTTER.

.1 " Tain't writing short-hand neither, is it I I think
you'd as Uef be in Washington, with them thar big
members of Congress, as blubber-hunting. Cutting
figures with the pen ain't cutting blubber, by a con-
siderable sight, is it ?" .1 nTif-ix m. ai. lu

I freely acknowledged that, of the two sorts of
cutting, I preferred cutting figures with the pen; at
which Tabor laughed most heartily, assuring me
that " it was nothing when I'd get used to it. By'm-
by I'd see what whaling was. This wasn't a cir-
cumstance. I'd smell smoke yet. I'd begin to find
out what some folks was at while others was riding
about in chaises."

We had an extra supply of meat on this occasion,
with about a quarter of a pound of rancid butter,
which was to be divided among all hands. This
unusual liberality on the part of the captain aston-
ished us all, and filled our hearts with gratitude. We
took the saucer containing the precious morsel, and,
seating ourselves in a circle round it, enjoyed our
good fortune by various amusing comments upon
the captain's unparalleled liberality. Of all things in
the world, sailors despise most a stingy, thin-skinned
captain. They will excuse cruelty, unnecessary
hardship, or coarse and brutal language, for they be-
come accustomed to it ; but any thing like stinginess
or meanness they heartily detest. Bill Mann growl-
ed Hke a sick bear, protesting, in his own peculiar
style, that it was " the blamdest thing he ever saw
done aboard any ship. He wished his soul might

"Whi
one o' ye
fore, hej
it's goodj
get enoi
Yon doi

SAILOR COMMENTS.

137

everlastin'ly stick fast in purgatory, if he wouldn't
tell the counsel of it." Mack wanted to carry it
back to him with the thanks of the crew, " hopin'
he wouldn't rob himself, for the men was afraid to
eat it, bein' as they had never seen any thing like it
since they'd follered the sea." This proposition
was negatived, and we at last agreed to mix the but-
ter up with a pan of dirty bread and heave it over-
board. The captain, who was sitting in the stern
boat, chanced to spy the bread as it floated toward
him, and seizing a pole with a small net attached to
it, which he always kept in the boat, he hooked up
every morsel of it. Owing to the round-house con-
cealing him firom our view, we knew nothing about
this, till he came forward about fifteen minutes after,
with a plate in his hand, containing what we sup-
posed to be an additional treat for all hands. There
was a fiendish smile of triumph visible about his lips,
however, and a ferocity in his eyes that boded us
no good. Holding the plate out toward us, he point-
ed with his forefinger at the startling apparition of
the resuscitated bread, and demanded, in a deep,
distinct voice, . ^ ' > ■■■: r

" Which on ye did that, hey t Look at it, every
one o' ye ; examine it well. Did ye never see it be-
fore, hey] Taste it; it's got salt water in it, but
it's good, hey \ A nice set of darned rascals ! Don't
get enough to eat, hey X I starve you, do I, hey ?
You don't like butter ; oh no, you can't eat it ! Nice

138

FISHING FOR VICTUALS.

Stomachs, I'll swan ! Whose work is this 1 Don't
all answer at once ! Who did it V

No one answered. We all felt that we were
guilty, and it is not to be wondered at that, taken
aback so suddenly, we could account for the unex-
pected reappearance of the bread and butter, which
we had supposed was food for the sharks, in no other
way than by presuming old Skinflint was in league
with the devil.

" Oh, you didn't do it, none on ye !" shouted the
captain, letting loose his wrath. " It grew in salt
water ! It wasn't hove overboard at all ! Well !
take and eat it now ; and, mark my words, the first
man I catch heavin' good vittals overboard, I'll heave
him overboard !" With that he flung it down before
us and walked aft, grieving over our depravity and
his probable loss. From that time forth he used to
sit in the stem boat for hours every day, dodging his
net in the water at every thing that looked Hke bis-
cuit or meat. Sometimes he would catch up whuc
he didn't bargain for, and his low, half-smothered
comments, audible only to the man at the wheel,
would afibrd us infinite amusement. Patience and
perseverance finally rewarded him with success.
He had been at his post regularly three times every
day for about a month, fishing up whatever attract-
ed his insatiate eye, when one day he made a haul
of a fine fat piece of pork. He jerked it in, chuck-
ling over his good fortune, and muttering, "Aha!
I've caught you at last, you infernal scoundrels ! I'll

WHO TROW DAT BRICK?

139

give you fat pork to throw away in a hurry again !"
Calling to the steward to pass up a fork, he spitted
it handsomely, and carried it forward for our inspec-
tion. Looking each of us bard in the face by turns,
he demanded, in a voice of thunder, "Who hove
the pork overboard V* i,

No answer. ^

"Won't you tell me, you sheepheadst" /

No answer yet.

« You won't, eh It's your work, M'F V

'^No, sir, taint. Pork's scarce about these dig-
gins. I don't throw away a good chunk when I
get hold on't."

*• It's you then, Vernon. I'll skin you for it. I'll
show you how to waste good meat, you worthless
ballet-head. You don't earn your salt."

" Twasn't I, sir. I was down in the forecastle."

" Then you know who did it 1"

"No, sir, I don't."

" What the devil do you know I"

" I know I hadn't enough o' meat for dinner."

" You hadn't, eh I Well, Fll see to it. You're a
parcel of hogs, that's what you are ! Cook, from
this time forth cut these men's meat up in small
pieces, and just give 'em as many pieces as'U go
round."

"Ay, ay, sir."

"Now I'll know when meat's wasted again, and
why." So saying, he walked aft, satisfied at least
that half a pound lost was a barrel gained. Wheth-

140

SAILOR COURTESY.

er the piece which he picked up had been thrown
over purposely, or had fallen from the top of the ca-
boose accidentally, I never could find out ; but this
much I know, our share of meat soon resembled the
Irishman's dinner of "potatoes and point," barrin'
the potatoes.

It is customary, in most vessels, to give the watch-
es their meals alternately, the watch below being
served first. This prevents confusion and quarrel-
ing. The watch on deck, when relieved, can then
enjoy their meals at their leisure. Sailors generally,
though any thing but deficient in appetite, have great
respect for the decencies of civilized life on such oc-
casions as these. I have never 3een selfishness or
greediness on board well-disciplined ships during
meal times. On the contrary, it is surprising to find
a very delicate sense of propriety among men who
have had so few opportunities of cultivating the re-
finements of social intercourse. I have often seen a
well-behaved and orderly crew seated around the
forecastle, eating their meals in peace and good-hu-
mor, and each one neglecting no opportunity of ex-
tending a courtesy to his shipmate. This is almost
invariably the case where they are well treated by
the captain and officers. Like children, they can
be moulded to almost any thing ; and where a bad
example is set aft, the best of them will be sure to
follow it. No one who has never been to sea and
witnessed such scenes, can conceive the importance
of these little forms of politeness, and their happy

1"^

SCRAMBLING FIRE.

141

effects upon the crew. Where there is a kindlj
feeUng on the part of every man toward his neigh-
bors, the worst fare can be eaten with relish.

How different it was with us ! We had been so
accustomed to see quarreling between the captain
and his officers, and so much discontent manifested
by the latter about their meals, that it would have
been a miracle if we had not imbibed the prevailing
spirit. But we had our frailties too, and were not
proof against the example of these high authorities.
There was some excuse for us, however; we really
had something to be discontented about. The cap-
tain had shipped a gang of voracious and filthy Por-
tuguese, whose condition had never been better than
that of swine, and with these uncultivated brutes we
were compelled in self-defense to do the best we
could for ourselves. It was degrading to the pride
of those who were burdened with that inconvenient
commodity to be obliged to rush like hungry wolves
for a mouthful of meat at meal-times ; but there was
no help for it. We either had to join in the strug-
gle, or lose our allowance ; for it was seldom there
was enough before us to satisfy half our number.

Although it was no joke to be starved, I always
found food for merriment when I could get nothing
of a more substantial nature. The cook, in order to
see fair play, generally watched his opportunity, and,
when the hands were scattered around the forecas-
tle, he would pitch the meat kid down on the deck,
and sing out, at the top of his voice, " Meat ! meat j

142

" MEAT OR NO MEAT !"

fall to, all hands!" This startling intelligence never
required repetition. Those who were nearest would
jump up and run toward the smoking morsel as if
simultaneously stung by a score of wasps. Those
who, unfortunately, happened to be at a distance, had
110 resource but to dart after their leaders in the rush,
and, by dint of hard struggling, secure a place by the
meat kid. There was something indescribably lu-
dicrous in the earnestness with which we all entered
into the contest. It was not exactly a struggle in-
volving " life or death," but it was of scarcely less im-
portance ; for " Meat, or no meat V was the grand
question. Nor did we hesitate to resort to the most
cunning expedients to obtain our fair proportion of
the salt junk. When hard pressed, it was not un-
usual to pick up a rival and cari-y him back ten or
twelve paces, and, before he could regain his legs,
take advantage of his absence, and get in six feet
ahead of him. Some had been shouldered away so
often in this manner by those who were larger and
stouter, that hunger taught them a new expedient;
and they secured their share on several occasions by
working in Uke eels under the legs of those who were
ahead of them. Big John, the Portuguese, having
the advantage of us all in size and strength, would
sometimes make a clean sweep with his arms, and
lay half a dozen of us sprawling on the deck ; but,
being less greedy than the rest of the Portuguese, he
never took more than his share, and only exerted his
powers in this way for the sake of amusement. The

a I

■^ f

■ $

i*i

GET WHAT YOU CAN.

145

" down-easter," with characteristic sagacity, always
managed to be in good time ; for, when a Uttle be-
hind, he would grab hold of somebody in advance of
him, and, by hard pulling, keep him back till each
had a fair start. He was not unfrequently served
the same trick himself; and I have seen as many as
three or four in a row endeavoring to drag each
other back. Bill Mann, our chief grumbler, in a fit
of indignation at such swinish proceedings, would
look on, and protest, " If ever he got into port, he'd
let the counsel know how things was carried on.
He didn't care a bloody cent if he never got a bit to
eat." It was a curious fact, however, that Bill never
came to the latter 'Conclusion until the superior activ-
ity of his comrades had deprived him of the It-t
chance. There was some fun, but a great deal more
earnestness than fun, in these scrambles for food. To
the landsman, and, indeed, to every sea-farer who
has not been in a vessel of the same description, all
this must look exaggerated and improbable ; for it is
hard to conceive how men could become so utterly
degraded as to conduct themselves with so little re-
gird to the decencies of life. All I have to say is,
that what I have endeavored to describe was in-
duced by the laws of nature, and the description, if
any thing, falls snort of reality. I have shown that
the captain paid no regard to our appeals. He in-
variably favored the Portuguese, because they cringed
to him ; and our complaints to him of their beastli-
ness produced no effect. We had too often tried the

146

LAW AT SEA.

experiment of " going aft." There was nothing to
be gained by appeals of that kind. It was useless to
remonstrate with the Portuguese ; and, indeed, I can
not say that many of the Americans were superior to
them in point of breeding. Under such circum-
stances, what were those who were inclined to be
civilized to do 1 It would be unreasonable to sup-
pose that they could quietly suffer themselves to be
starved. Hunger does not pay much regard to con-
ventional rules, especially at sea. The worst of it
was, that it was only through cupidity we were de-
nied our just rights. There was no scarcity of pro-
vision of a bad quality on board the vessel ; yet, bad
as it was, we were unable to obtain enough of it.
The law allows a certain proportion of wholesome
food to each man. It must not be supposed, how-
ever, that there is any law at sea but the captain's
word ; for, notwitlistanding cases sometimes occur,
in which seamen bring suit against the masters of
vessels for refusing them their legal allowance, it is
but rarely they can sustain their complaints by ade-
quate proof. There is almost invariably some loop
through which men of influence and wealth can
escape. Besides, even should a suit of this kind be
successful, what is there in a paltry fine to recoiin-
pense a crew for two or three years' starvation ?
The fact is, the law, so far as it regards abuses like
this, is a mere burlesque ; and the only sure way of
obtaining redress is, for the crew to take the matter
into their own hands, and compel the captain to give

them

gethe

after j

sily e

course

will e\

and ex

gin to

Make the
— ^Raisin,
of St. It
Wind."-
Convict

Octobi
Cape del
of very cl
blance tc
the shore
ance, an<
and towi
ing in a
all night,
Bonavista
lean vesst

MAKE THE CAPE DE VERDES.

147

them their proper allowance, or refuse duty alto-
gether. This, unfortunately, is but poor satisfaction,
after all ; for the laws against mutiny are not so ea-
sily evaded. I should be far from advising such a
course ; though I believe it is the only one which
will ever produce any effect. Put men to trouble
and expense — touch their pockets, and they will be-
gin to Usten to reason and justice.

> 1

CHAPTER X.

Make the Cape de Verdes. — Isle of Sol. — Bonavista. — Isle of May.
— Raising Breaches. — Leton's Rock. — Humor of the Cook. — Isle
of St. lago. — Porto Praya. — Bill Mann »' Three Sheets in the
Wind." — ^Bounty. — Its Effects upon the Crew. — A Sail — British
Convict Vessel.

October 2Uh. — Made the Isle of Sal, one of the
Cape de Verdes, distant thirty miles. The peak is
of very considerable height, and bears some resem-
blance to the Peak of Pico. We ran down along
the shore, which has a beautiful and fertile appear-
ance, and had a fine view of the principal harbor
and town. There were several vessels in port, tak-
ing in cargoes of salt for South America. Lay to
all night, and next morning at daylight made sail for
Bonavista. Learning there that there was an Amer-
ican vessel in port at the Isle of May, we hauled off

148

RAISING BREACHES.

and ran down for that island, the captain being de-
sirous to send home the oil we had on board.
. A little incident occurred during the day which
afTorded us all much amusement. D , the coop-
er, was in the habit of " raising whales," when no-
body else on board could see them ; and as there
was a bounty up for the first whale yielding fifty bar-
rels, he was always on .the alert. While we were
standing by the braces, waiting for orders, we heard
him singing out from the mast-head with all his
might,

" Thar' she breaches ! Thar' she breaches !"

" Where away V said the captain.

" A point off the weather bow, sir. Thar' she
breaches 1"

"HowfarofiT

"Ten miles. Thar' she breaches! Thar' she
breaches !"

" Don't she blow at all r

" No, sir ; there's no spout ; nothing but breaches
■ — ^very large breaches. Thar* she breaches !"

" LqiTup to the wind. Do you hear, at the wheel 1
Cooper, are those breaches in sight now V •

" Yes, sir ; I see them all the time. She don't
stop breaching at all — large breaches ! It must be
a very large sperm whale. Thar' she breaches!
Thar' she breaches !" ■ '

" What the dense ! don't the breaches stop at all V

" No, sir. Thar' she breaches ! thar' — "

" Sing out every time. Get your boats ready, and
call all hands."

coope
minut
suddei

"dar' she breach."

349

" Thar' — thar' — thar' she breaches !" shouted the
cooper, from the mast-head. For upward of fifteen
minutes he strained his hings in this way, when he
suddenly became silent.

"Where's the whale now?" said the captain.

"I don't believe it's a Whale, sir," replied the coop-
er, in a tone of disappointment.

" What in the nation do you call it, then ?"

"Why, I don't know exactly. It looked very
much hke a whale at first."

." How now \ Don't you know a whale when
you see one ? What is it ?"

" Well, I don't know, sir. It ain't a whale, that's
certain."

" You don't know, you infernal sheephead ! Stew-
ard, pass up my spyglass !" and, taking a steady look
from the main-top in the direction indicated by the*
cooper, he suddenly exclaimed, " Why, h — 11 and
d — n — n ! that's Leton's Rock .'"

We all enjoyed a hearty laugh at the cooper for
his mistake. The old Portuguese cook, who was
something of a wag, rallied him most unmercifully.
For weeks after, when the hands would gather in
.the waist for a dance, old Slush, grinning from ear
to ear, would gaze toward the horizon with eyes
like saucers. This was a signal for some of the
crew to sing out, " Halloo, Slush, what d'ye see ?"

" Large sperm whale, sare ! Dar' she breach !
Ten miles off, sare ! dar' she breach ! She breach
all de time, sare ! Dar' she breach ! Big whale, sare

150

ISLE ST. lAGO.

— dat big whale! He, he, he! yaw, yaw, yaw!
Dai^ she breach ! Cooper, you sabe big rock !"

In spite of the bursts of laughter which invariably
followed this sally of wit, the cooper maintained the
utmost good-humor, and always joined in the fun.

Arrived at Mayo, the main-yard was hauled aback,
and the larboard boat went ashore with the captain.
There was a vessel there bound to the United States,
from which we procured late American papers. As
the two captains could not agree upon terms for the
freight of the oil home, we made no stay. From
Mayo we continued on to Bonavista, another of the
group, which derives its name from the beautiful and
picturesque appearance which it presents from the
sea. The shores, along which we steered as near
as was considered safe, are interspersed with patch-
es of white sand and meadows of deep green. Pro-
ceeding on, without meeting with any thing to at-
tract particular attention, we arrived, on the even-
ing of

October 28^A, at Porto Praya^ tha chief town and
harbor of the Island of St. lago. The larboard boat
was lowered, and sent ashore for oranges and bana-
nas, which are produced abundantly on this island.
The only vessel in port was a Danish brig. I saw
but little to interest me at Porto Praya. The town
is filthy and dilapidated, and the inhabitants a race
of poor, half-starved, mulatto Portuguese, living un-
* der an oppressive form of government. An Amer-
ican consul is stationed at this place ; and the most

PORTO PRAYA.

161

pleasing sight I saw during our short visit was the
flag of the United States waving gallantly in the
breeze. There are associations of no ordinary in-
terest connected with Porto Praya, as the theater of
a naval engagement celebrated in the annals of our
naval history. I regretted that I had not stored my
mind more fully with the particulars of that affair
previous to visiting the 'land of St lago ; but dur-
ing our subsequent cri» locured a book entitled
" Naval Battles," in whicu lere was an animated
description of it ; and of course it rendered the de-
scription extremely vivid to have visited the spot,
and become familiar with the scene of the engage-
ment.

The boat returned in the evening well laden with
fruit, and all hands " three sheets in the wind." The
most uproarious of the crew was Bully, so called
from his pugnacious propensitifts, who had figured
conspicuously in the New York " Flash" as a " La-
dy's Fancy Man ;" next to him in liveliness was Bill
Mann, a fore-mast hand, who had officiated in his
younger days as a gas-lighter in the Bowery Thea-
ter. Bill, to use his own words, was more than half
"slewed;" and the rest of the crew, three Portu-
guese, were jabbering about the sights they had seen
at a most unintelligible rate.

I must here state that Bill Mann was a very dis-
tinguished character on board the Styx. In person
he was large and unwieldy, and possessed of great
strength. He wore a pair of tremendous black whis-

152

BILL MANN.

kers, which he regarded as the greatest ornament to
the human face divine ; and ahogether had the regu-
lar " damn-my-eyes" look of an old salt. Bill was
unquestionably a hero, if great deeds entitle any man
to that distinction. According to his own account,
he had killed more whales, broken more girls' hearts,
whipped more men, been drunk oftener, and pushed
his way through more perils, frolics, pleasures, pains,
and general vicissitudes of fortune than any man in
the known world. Nevertheless, Bill was a great
grumbler. He had the happy knack of seeing through
every thing at a glance, and making evil omens out
of the smallest trifles. If a cloud appeared on the
horizon, we were going to have " tough weather, and,
like as not, the blamed old spars wouldn't stand it,
and we'd fetch up in Davy Jones's locker." He al-
ways " knew what he was about." If he fell over a
handspike and bruised his sliins, he " knew what he
was about." Nay, for that matter, he could foretell
every accident about to happen ; but, unfortunately,
seldom made particular reference to any special ac-
cident until after it did happen. Whenever any of
the crew broke a looking-glass, he had fifty tragical
stories to relate in proof of his position that it was a
sure omen of bad luck. He was always " growling ;"
from morning till night he had something to growl
at. If he had to do a job on the rigging, he went at
it growling ; he growled his way alofi. twice a day ;
growled at the wheel; growled in the forecastle;
growled in his sleep; and, although he could tell

) '

BILL MANN.

153

some amusing stories, he invariably wound up with
a growl. Bill was every thing under the sun : a
sailor, an actor, a musician, a pugilist ; and, in short,
considered himself an adept in seamanship, literature,
politics, law, and every other pursuit that engages the
attention of man. In all forecastle disputes touching
questions in art, science, or literature. Bill was the
great Sir Oracle, and clinched every argument by the
assertion, that " there was nothing green in the corner
of his eye; he knew what he was about." His
songs — for he could sing too— were never less than
sixteen or eighteen verses. Every thing he did bore
the peculiar stamp of his genius. Nothing pleased
him ; nothing went as he had seen things go. His
last voyage was pleasant and prosperous; the last
ship was a good sailer; the last crew were fine,
clever fellcv»s ; the last forecastle wasn't a hog-pen.
He was continually cursing his "top-lights" if it
wouldn't be a source of infinite satisfaction to him
if this crazy old tub of a barque would sink, spars,
tackling, try- works, and all, and go chock to the bot-
tom. He had seen salt water before ; nobody could
tell him about salt water ; he knew what a sailor's
life was as well as any man ; but he had never seen
such doings aboard any other ship. He'd be blowed
if he wouldn't like to see the studding-sails dragging
overboard, the top-masts swinging by the rigging, the
yards braced to Halifax, and the whole bloody ship's
crew drifting on to a lee shore in the cook's galley.
Divers and sundry afflictions might befall him if he

164

DISGUISED.

wouldn't sooner be rammed and jammed into the fore-
peak of purgatory than in such a dirty, lubberly, tub-
sided blubber hunter as the barque Styx.

This sort of grumbling proceeded, no doubt, more
from habit than real discontent ; nevertheless, such
is the force of example. Bill had scarcely been a
month on board when all hands were grumbling.

But I had almost forgotten the larboard boat and
its crew in my anxiety to give some idea of Bill
Mann. It appeared that in the course of the day,
while the hands wero frolicking about town. Bill con-
trived to sell every thing he had about him for ruin.
Now, I presume, it is pretty generally known that
if a man partakes very freely of any kind of strong
liquor, it sometimes will find its way to his head, and
even has been known to affect tii knees. At all
events, it produced something of this kind on Bill,
who, believing, perhaps, that

" Shallow draughts intoxicate the brain,
But drinking deeply sobers it again,"

was finally reduced to the necessity of borrowing a
pair of drawers from Bully, for the purpose of bar-
tering for a fresh supply. The consequence was,
that they both got down to the landing pretty exten-
sively " disguised."

When the boat came alongside, the cooper and
two or three others attempted to hoist Bill on board,
but, with some show of indignation, he rejected their
assistance.

" Bless my soul ! I know what I'm about. You
must think I'm drunk !"

BORROWED DRAWERS PAID IN BREECHES. 155

" Oh no," replied the cooper ; " we don't think

so."

" Well, then," said Bill, scrambling over the rail,
"what d'ye mean? My name is Bill Mann. I'm
son of old Ed. Mann, sail-maker, New York."

« No doubt of it, Bill."

" You doubt it ? By the bloody wars, sir, do you
doubt my word ? I allow nobody to doubt my word.
Do you doubt it!"

"Not at all."

"Because, if you do, I'll just let you know that
I'm Bill Mann, son of old Ed. Mann, sail-maker. New
York. Boy, get out of my way !"

This last remark was addressed to Bully, who,
while staggering along the deck, chanced to run foul
of " Bill Mann, son of old Ed. Mann, sail-maker,
New York." A quarrel ensued, and the story of
the drawers was brought up; which so offended
Bill's deUcacy of feeling, that he hauled off his inex-
pressibles and flung them at Bully, shouting, " Take
them ! take my blasted breeches ! Don't say I ain't
able to pay you ! Don't tell me about what / bor-
rowed from you! Take them, or, by the bloody
wars, I'll lick you !" Upon this. Bully, in a state of
lively excitement, ran to the deck-pot, and picked
up a billet of wood, with which he attempted to
knock Bill down. The "old salt," however, was
too much for him, and, wresting the stick from Bul-
ly's hands, he chased the " fancy man" around the
decks, seemingly unconscious of his comical appear-

156

UNDER "BARE POLES.

>»

ance,. minus his ducks. The mate, seeing the fight,
ran between the combatants and put a stop to it.

"What disturbance is this V* cried Captain A

from the quarter-deck. " What's all this about I"

" He called me a boy, sir," replied Bully.

" And he is a boy, captain ; I could lick fifty like
him," suggested Bill, who had by this time hauled
up in the waist, under " bare poles," and stood bal-
ancing himself in front of the captain.

" Go forward ! You're both drunk."

"Captain, he hurt my feelin's," blubbered Bully,
wiping the tears from his eyes with the back of his
hand. " He did r'ally hurt my feelin's, captain."

" Go forward, I tell you !"

"Yes, sir, I'll go forward," said Bill; "but, cap-
tain, bless my soul and body, sir, I'm not drunk !"

" You a/c drunk." n ;.:!?;. vr

" No, sir, I'm only a little in liquor. It's all owing
to that blamed rotgut I drank ashore." v,:.; ; ;. ■

" Go forward, I tell you."

" Captain, my name is Bill Mann. I'm son of
old Ed. Mann, sail-maker. New York."

" I want no parley with you. Go forward, and I'll
talk to you about your name when you get sober."

"But, captain, upon my conscience, sir, I'm not
drunk." . - , ; . . , ;^,

" You are drunk."

" Put me in irons — put me in irons, then. I'm
Bill Mann, son of old Ed. Mann, sail-maker, New
York. Put me in irons. Captain A !"

"NOT KNOW MY FATHER?'

167

« I won't put you in irons. I'll put you in the
"gg*"& though, and keep you there till morning, if
you don't behave yourself."

" Captain, I want to be put in irons. Will you
put me in irons ! Will you do me the favor, sir, to
put me in irons V
" I tell you once for all, go forrard !"
" Oh yes, sir ; yes, by all means, captain. I know
what I'm about, sir. Nobody can tell me my duty.
I've smelt salt water afore to-day. But the fact is,
sir, I don't like to be hurried, d'ye see. Old Ed.
Mann used to say to me, ' Billy, my son, don't you
never hurry yourself; the more hurry the worse
speed, Billy.' There's no mistake, captain, but what
he was a rum old codger. It's surprisin' you don't
know him. He used to work down by the South
Wharf, and you couldn't but tell him by his pigtail ;
that 'ere pigtail was half a fathom long. I'm blowed
if I don't believe you know him. Say, captain,
don't you, sir V*

" Silence !" thundered the captain, perfectly aghast
at Bill's audacity. " If you don't mind me when I
speak to you, I'll ^kin your back .'"

"No you won't, sir," growled Bill. "I ain't a
man wot's a goin' to be skinned, no how. I won't
suffer no captain to skin me as long as my name's
Bill Mann, son of old Ed.—"

" Not another word !" roared the captain. ' -

Bill evidently began to get alarmed, and, mutter-
ing something about being " skinned," he staggered

158

THEATRICALS AT SEA.

along to the forecastle, where, with some difficulty,
we lowered him down the ladder. By this time the
rum began to Jo its work in earnest ; he was raving
like a madman. Four or five of the Portuguese had
to hold him down on a chest. His old theatrical
recollections coming upon him, he fancied he was
Julius CsBsar, about to be murdered in the senate.

" I'm a Roman, damn my eyes if I ain't ! Give
me a knife ! I'll cut my throat ! I'll die like a Ro«
man ! Nobody ain't a goin' to skin me. I'm Julius
Caesar ! Bloody my eyes, I'm Julius Caesar !'

" You Bill ! Bill Mann," cried Charlie, " are you
crazy 1 What the devil are you raving about 1"

" JIalloo ! is that you, Metellus 1 You in this
bloody conspiracy too ? Strike, my boy, strike ! I'll
die like a Roman ! I told Califorina so ashore,
and she >:urned black in the face. Strike ! stick
your liuiiC into my windpipe !

" 'Cowards die many times before their deaths;
Tlie waliant never taste Oi" death but once.
Of all the wonders that I yet have hearn tell on,
It seems to me most strange that men should fear ;
Seeing as how death, a necessary end — '

Ugh ! Oh, that Portugee liquor !"

" Come, come, Bill," said one of the Portuguese,
catching him in his arms, and endeavoring to thrust
him into his bunk, " turn in ; you're out of your
senses."

*' Is that you, Cimber? Give me a knife, Brutus !"
roared Bill, in a phrensy. " Let me go, I say !

"DIE LIKE A ROMAN.

169

"'I must prevent thee, Cimber.
These couchings and these lowly courtesies
Might fire the blood of ordinary men — ' [hiccough]

! if you don't come out of the little end

but,

of the horn if you fool with me [hiccough].

•• ' I spurn thee like a fice dog ! get out of my way !
Know Caesar doth not wrong ; nor without cause
Will he be satisfied.'

I'm JuUus CoBsar, son of old Ed. Mann, sail-maker,
New York. I'm a Roman, second lamp-lighter in
the Bowery Theater. Don't you lay a hand on
ine — not one of you. I know what I'm about. Hur-
rah ! I'm Julius Caesar !"

"No, Bill," said one of the Portuguese, "you no
July Sneezer."

" I am ! Don't slack-jaw me, you base-born hind.
Oh, Brutus, Brutus, will you let 'em murder me?
Give me a knife ! I'll die like a Roman,

" ' Of whose true fixed and resting quality
There is no fellow in the firmament!'"

And with this Bill rolled o"er, and lay motionless
on his chest. Several of the stoutest in the forecas-
tle now got hold of him, and attempted to roll him
iato his bunk.

" Avast, there !" grunted Bill ; '• hands off, you
bloody harpies !

" ' Honco ! wilt thou lift up Olympus !'

I'll settle your hash if you don't let me be. Who's
got a knife ? I'll kill you all single-handed ! 1 11 cut
my throat, I will !"
All this time I was an unconcerned spectator of

. '4 *

...1

160

« ET TU BRUTE Y

Bill's little peculiarities ; but, as he began to wax
rather desperate, I advised him to turn in. He
stared at me a moment as if he could not believe his
eyes ; then, bursting into a theatrical fit of despair,
exclaimed,

" Et iu Brute ? Well, I'm blowed if I ever thought
that of you ! Fall, Caesar, fall ! Gentlemen and
ladies, Caesar's dead ! please consider him defunct
from this moment ! I'll cut my throat ! I'm nobody !
No ! I ain't — nobody at all ! I am Julius Caesar — a
regular-built Julius Caesar ! A bloody old Roman,
chock up to the royals, blast my top-lights if 1
ain't!"

It was useless to argue with Bill on the subject
of his illustrious blood; so I turned in., and endeavored
to get asleep. I had scarcely entered the land of
dreams, when I was awakened by a noise like tlie
growling of a bear; and, upon listening attentively,
I heard Bill's voice, half-smothcrcd under the blank-
et, endeavoring to articulate,

" Who says I ain't a Roman ? Who says I ain't
JuUus Ca'sar ? Damme, sir, that's the rub ! Who
Says I ain't Julius Cccsar ?"

" Nobody, Bill ; go to sleep," growled a voice fioni
the opposite side of the forecastle.

" Mo sleep !" retorted Bill, attempting to rise.
" Who says I ain't Julius Ca-sar ? You've waked
up the wrong passenger, old fellow ! I'm a tee-total,
everlasting, bloody Roman myself, 1 am !"

As there was no possible way of convincing Bill

BOUNTY FOR WHALKS.

161

that he was not a Roman, we left him to the enjoy-
ment of his private personal opinion, with the gen-
eral suggestion that, being a Roman, he should mag-
nanimously suffer his fellow-countrymen to sleep.

At 9 P.M. we were steering south-southeast un-
der fore-topmast and lower studding-sails for the In-
dian Ocean.

It is usual in whalers to get up a bounty, by way
of encouragement to the look-outs aloft. This
bounty is sometimes at the expense of the owners,
who offer it with a view to promote vigilance on the
part of the crew, that the voyage may be as short
and profitable as possible. Five or ten dollars re-
ward for a whale to be " raised" by any given time
sharpens the sight of the men at the mast-head
amazingly. Whalemen, however prodigal of their
earnings ashore, are very different at sea. The de-
sire to make a good voyage seems to be the main-
spring of all their actions. With what reckless
liberality the proceeds of their industry are spent
•.hen they arrive in port I need not say, for the
open-hearted character of Jack ashore is known all
over the world. From the close calculations which
they make at sea, one would think they were the
most penurious race of men in existence ; but such
is far from being the case.

In lieu of any bounty from the captain or owners,
the crew frequently get up a system of reward on
their own account. This plan is often followed by
the best results. It inspires a spirit of emulation

III I

ifi 'V %

162

"RAISING OIL.

among them that gives rise to great activity and
vigilance. -

I present as a specimen a copy of a paper signed
by the crew :

" The undersigned, hands before the mast, agree
to pay the sum affixed to our respective names, on
every barrel of oil raised by a subscriber, to said
subscriber ; the oil to be measured as stowed down."

.This may require a few explanatory remarks. In
the first place, to " raise oil" is an expression pecu-
liar to whalemen. The man at the mast-head, who
is the first to discover a whale, " raises oil" provided
the whale be taken. If a subscriber raise a hundred
barrels of oil, according to the agreement (two cents
a barrel being the sum affixed to each signature), he
is entitled to two dollars from each of the other sub-
scribers, which, allowing that there are ten subscrib-
ers besides himself, makes twenty dollars. By this
arrangement he may earn sufficient for spending
money during the voyage. The chances are equal.
The most vigilant subscriber makes the most money,
and the most careless loses most. It is customary
to make the sums affixed to each signature propor-
tionate to the lay of the subscriber : a green hand
paying a cent on every barrel, an ordinary seaman
a cent and a half, and an able seaman two cents, or
whatever rate may be agreed upon. Those who do
not choose to subscribe have, of course, nothing to
do with it ; but it is generally the case that this class
is composed of the most worthless of the crew.

SUNRISE WITHIN THE TROPICS.

163

Consequently, there is a constant competition among
the vigilant portion of the crew ; and if there is little
success, it is not owing to carelessness or neglect of
duty on their part. Those who are desirous of pro-
motion can not better evince their claims than by
activity and vigilance in this branch of the business;
for as it is a primary object in whaling to see whales
when they appear above the surface of the water,
so it is the chief qualification of a good whaleman
to understand thoroughly the different species of
whales, and how to distinguish them.

November 2d. — Since we entered the tropics 1
have frequently enjoyed the beauties of a sunrise at
sea, which I think are more gorgeous in these lati-
tudes than farther north or south. I never saw any
thing to compare with the splendors of the scene
which I witnessed this morning. We appeared to
float in an immense arena, encircled by ranges of
hills of the most magnificent and brilliant colors.
The sea was perfectly calm ; and as the sun burst
through from the east, gilding the edges of this
mighty inclosure with the richest hues, such a com-
bination of lights and shades was visible as to form
a world of visionary splendor rather than any thing
earthly : the clouds ever changing into the most fan-
tastic and beautiful forms ; sometimes assuming the
appearance of a group of fairy islands, resplendent
with cities and palaces of gold, and at others bear-
ing a strong : .semblance to a bold, rugged chain of
mou!?tains capped with snow, glancing brilliantly in

164 CONVICT VESSEL FOR VAN DIEMEn's LAND

the sunbeams. But such sights as this are not to
be described ; they must be seen.

" Sail ho !" was the cheering cry from the man at
the mast-bead. This was the first vessel we had
seen for eight or ten days. She proved to be a large
English barque, and continued to near us, with a
very light breeze, till toward evening, when we low-
ered a boat and boarded her. A band of musicians,
seated on a platform in the waist, welcomed us by
striking up a lively air. The stranger was a con-
vict vessel, bound for Van Diemen's Land, with a
great number of convicts and emigrants on board.
Some of the prisoners were chained on deck, others
standing in platoons under a strong guard. I never
saw such a gang of ill-looking, miserable beings in
my life as these poor fellows. Here and there I
thought I could distinguish a prisoner less hardened
in guilt than bis comrades ; some poor wretch who
had seen better times, but now banished from the
home of his childhood ; an outcast, driven from civ-
ilized society, doomed to atone for his offense by
years of exile and servitude in a land of vagrants
and criminals. What a fate ! It was sickening to
see so many human beings chained together like
dogs, and tchite men too ! What a school of refor-
mation for children of twelve or fourteen years of
age ! I saw boys chained in groups, who really did
not seem old enough to know what they were pun-
ished for ; and yet these children, who, perhaps, had
been driven by the cravings of nature to commit the

acts for wh

atonement.

The sun

lire. I felt,

was not so I

ed upon our

as she was i

men of nava

felt somethin

Approach the Equj
Ride — Sketches
heads — Ship.k(

APPROACH THE EQUATOR.

165

acts for which they were now to make so awful an
atonement, were to be lost forever !
.. The sun was just setting as we took our depart-
ure. I felt, after what I had seen, that my situation
was not so bad as theirs, after all ; and when I look-
ed upon our crazy little barque, rough and unsightly
as she was in comparison with the splendid speci-
men of naval architecture I had just seen, I really
felt something akin to a kindly esteem for her. r.

' CHAPTER XI.

Approach the Equator. — Sketch of an old Whaleman. — John Tabor's
Ride — Sketches of the Crew. — ^Routine of Duty. — Standing Mast-
heads. — Ship-keeping. — Signals.

The reader will now imagine us in the vicinity
of the equator, with little to relieve the monotony of
our voyage. To enter into a detail of every calm,
squall, rain, or sunrise, would be tedious and unin-
teresting. I deem this, therefore, a suitable place to
give a sketch of our crew, and to enter more fully
into our domestic economy on board the Styx.

I have alluded already to Tabor, the harpooneers-
man of the waist boat, as an experienced whaleman ;
but I must now speak of him as a man " whose Uke
I ne'er shall look upon again."

John Tabor, of the old Tabor family, celebrated

166

JOHN TABOR.

for their daring enterprise and success in the whale
fishery, was a hardy, stout-built little fellow, who had
spent twenty years of his life at sea, and had seen a
great deal of the world, and experienced many hard
rubs in the whaling business. There was scarcely
an island in the Pacific Ocean that he had not visit-
ed ; and few there were whose minds were better
stored with plain, matter-of-fact knowledge than
John's. He had sailed with all sorts of captains,
and witnessed many scenes of cruelty and tyranny.
He had endured every species of hardship, and he
bore upon his face and body scars which he had re-
ceived in various encounters. Withal, Tabor was
a very primitive character. He had all the noble
generosity and daring of a real sailor — all those blunt,
manly qualities which characterize the genuine son
of Neptune — with the credulity and simplicity of a
child. His voyages had all been successful enough,
but be had been cheated out of his hard earnings
by crafty and designing owners ; and when he did
chance to receive his earnings after a long voyage,
there were land-sharks enough ready to pounce upon
them. 1 was told of an instance of Tabor's gener-
osity, which T think deserves to be recorded. He had
been on a long and disagreeable voyage, with a cap-
tain who had maltreated and abused the whole crew.
When the vessel arrived at the port from which she
had sailed, he was paid off and discharged. The
total amount of his earnings, after subtraction for his
outfit, was a hundred and fifty dollars. With this

SAILOR GENEROSITY.

167

he set off in search of adventure, on " a cruize up
town." It is not to be wondered at that he soon
came to an anchor in one of those dens of infamy
where sailors generally dispose of their earnings.
Here he met with a young girl who was apparently
a novice in the ways of vice. Upon inquiry into
her history, he learned that she was from a distant
part of the country, where her parents resided, and
that she had been seduced by the base schemes of a
villain in the garb of a gentleman. She told the
tale of her downfall with a simplicity and pathos that
melted the heart of the rough sailor. He inquired
why she did not return to the roof of her parents.
Alas ! she was not able. It was now too late : the
mistress of the house took all she got from her ; and
though she was willing to return, and knew she
would be received with open arms, she could not think
of writing home. They were ignorant there of all
her guilt. Tabor dashed a tear from his eyes, and
hauling out the sum he had so well earned, exclaimed,
•' I'm blowed if you shan't go home ! Go now, and
be a good girl !" and without waiting to hear her
expressions of gratitude, he left the house a pennyless
wanderer. This act of genuine benevolence com-
pelled him to ship immediately on another voyage.
He never heard of the girl after that ; and from that
day to this he bears the reputation, among his circle
of acquaintances at home, of being a worthless spend-
thrift, who could foolishly throw away all his earn-
ings in a few days in a house of ill fame.

lit

168

TABORS FAILING.

Every man has his failing: John Tabor had his.
It assumed the shape of a large bottle of rum the day
he sailed from New Bedford. There was no diffi-
culty in smuggling it aboard ; but how to get at it
when he succeeded in that, was the main question.
It was impossible to " take a swig" in the cabin with-
out attracting the vigilant eyes of the captain and of-
ficers ; so Tabor marked it " camphor," and commit-
ted it to the safe-keeping of a friend in the forecastle.
Tabor's sly visits to the forecastle for several days
after we left port were noticed by the officers, who,
upon making inquiries, were given to understand that
he was afflicted with an "internal commotion" which
required constant doses of "camphor," a medicine
pronounced indispensable by his physician. The
fact was. Tabor had been on a long spree previous
to signing the ship's articles ; and he had provided
himself with the aforesaid bottle of strong medicine
that he might gradually taper off to a perfect state
of sobriety. Unfortunately, he tapered on instead of
off; and for three or four days he could hardly stand
an hour on deck without rolling into the lee scup-
pers. The captain did not suspect the cause ; so
it remained unknown except in the forecastle, where
Tabor was a general favorite. In due course of
time, when his bottle of rum, and another which he
had purchased from one of the crew, gave out, there
was a most extraordinary change in his face. It
became nearly twice its original length, and looked
very " pale about the gills," as some of the crew fa-

cetiously obs(
fiery and con
upon the extr
carbuncles, re
colored flowe;
served that he
formerly; but
whiskers, witl
told a tale of \
had the horroi
black horrors,
of both, whici
alarming speci
he was continu
with a long w
various murdei
first time this il
complish his
cabin. It was
been for some
tion, when I w
mendous pair
panion-way.
state of utter n
Tabor. His
and his mouth
stood gazing v
" What's th
" Matter enc
as if he had j

TABOR S APPARITION.

169

cetiously observed. His nose, however, retained its
fiery and conspicuous appearance, and there grew
upon the extremity of it a great variety of luminous
carbuncles, resembling a choice nosegay of highly
colored flowers. About this period, too, it was ob-
served that he rolled to leeward less frequently than
formerly; but he peeped from behind his extensive
whiskers, with a solemn and cadaverous look that
told a tale of woe. There was no denying that he
had the horrors ! the blue horrors first, and then the
black horrors, and, lastly, the concentrated essence
of both, which is decidedly a very unpleasant and
alarming species of complaint. While in this state,
he was continually beset by the vision of an old man
with a long white beard, who seemed to entertain
various murderous designs upon his person. The
first time this interesting individual attempted to ac-
complish his purpose, Tabor was in his bunk in the
cabin. It was my trick at the wheel; and I had
been for some time enjoying a melancholy medita-
tion, when I was startled by the apparition of a tre-
mendous pair of whiskers, just visible over the com-
panion-way. Then came the body and legs in a
state of utter nudity. I soon discovered that it was
Tabor. His eyes were starting from their sockets
and his mouth wide open. For a few moments he
stood gazing wildly toward the taflfrail.

" What's the matter. Tabor V said I.

" Matter enough," replied Tabor, rubbing his eyes
as if he had just been aroused from a disagreeable

>^?^
"^^

Q "^^..^r.

IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-3)

1.0

1.1

m2.8 12.5

U, Uli

■ 2.2

Www.

IL25 i 1.4

ilMl^

1.6

v^*
•%

Photographic

Sciences

Corporation

33 WIST MAIN STHIT

WIBSTH.N.Y. 14SS0

(716) •73-4503

'-<fc^

170

THE YARN.

sleep ; and seating himself on a coil of rope by the
wheel, he gave me a very amusing narrative of his
acquaintance with the spectral individual who caused
him so much uneasiness.

JOHN TABOR'S RIDE.

" I was cruising some years ago," he began, " on
the southern coast of Africa. The vessel in which
I was at the time had been out for a long time, and
many of the crew were on the sick-list. I had smug-
gled on board a large quantity of liquor, which I had
made use of pretty freely while it lasted. Finding
the crew in so helpless a condition, the captain put
into Algoa Bay, where we had a temporary hospital
erected for the benefit. of the sick. I saw that they
led a very easy life, and soon managed to get on the
sick-list myself. As soon as I got ashore I procured
a fresh supply of liquor from some of the English set-
tler/) there, and in about a week I was laid up with a
fever in consequence of my deep potations. One
night, while I lay in the hospital burning with this
dreadful disease, I felt an unusual sensation steal
over me. My blood danced through my veins. I
sprang up from my catanda as strong as a lion. I
thought I never was better in my life, and I wonder-
ed how it was I had so long been deceived as to my
disease. A thrilling desire to exert myself came over
me. I would have given worlds to contend with
some giant. It seemed to me 1 could tear him to
pieces, as a wolf would tear a lamb. Elated with the

TABOR 8 YARN.

171

idea of my infinite power, I rushed oat and ran to-
ward the beach, hoping to meet a stray elephant or
hippopotamus on thij way, that I might pitch him
into the sea ; but, very fortunately, I saw none. It
was a calm, still night There was scarcely a ripple
on the bay. I put my ear to the sand to listen ; for
I thought I heard the breaches of a whale. I wait-
ed for a repetition of the sounds, scarcely daring to
breathe, lest I should miss them. Not a murmur, ex-
cept the low heaving of the swell upon the beach,
broke the stillness of the night. I was suddenly star-
tled by a voice close behind me, shouting; ' There
she breaches !' and jumping up, I saw, standing
within a few yards of me, such a figure as I shall
never forget, even if not occasionally reminded of
its existence, as I was to-night The first thing I
could discern was a beard, hanging down from the
chin of the owner in strings like rope yarns. It had
probably once been white, but now it was discolored
with whale-gurry and tar. The old fellow was not
more than five feet high. He carried a hump on his
shoulders of prodigious dimensions ; but, notwith-
standing his apparent great age, which must have
been over a hundred years, he seemed as spry and
active as a mokak. His dress consisted of a tremen-
dous sou-wester, a greasy duck jacket, and a pair of
well-tarred trowsers, something the worse for the
wear. In one hand he carried a harpoon ; in the
other a coil of short warp. I felt very odd, I assure
you, at the sudden apparition of such a venerable

.■/

172

TABORS YARN.

whaleman. As I gazed upon him, he raised his fin-
ger in a mysterious and solemn manner, and pointed
toward the offing. I looked, and saw a large whale
sporting on the surface of the water. The boats
were lying upon the beach. He turned his eyes
meaningly toward the nearest. I trembled all over ;
for I never experienced such strange sensations as I
did then.
'^- ^' ' Shall we go V said he. uw. »?-. ^ m , : , -

♦"As you say,' I replied. « • i^n
-h " ' You are a good whaleman, I suppose ? Have
you ever killed your whale at a fifteen-fathom dart?'

" I replied in the affirmative. .-.

** * Very well,* said he, * you'll do.*

" And without more delay, we lanched the boat
and pushed off. It was a wild whale-chase^ that!
We pulled and tugged for upward of an hour. At
last we came upon the whab, just as he rose for the
second time. I sprang to the bow, for I wanted to
have the first iron into him.

" 'Back I'rom that !' said the old whaleman, sternly.

" • It's my chance,* I replied.

" ♦ Back, I tell you! /'// strike that whale !'

" There was something in his voice that inspired
me with awe, and I gave way to him. The whale
was four good darts off; but the old man's strength
was supernatural, and his aim unerring. The har-
poon struck exactly where it was pointed, just back
of the head.

"'Now for a ride!' cried the old man; and his

■■■■MM

mmm

features brighten
'Jump on, John

'•*How do yo
killed whales, ai
that of riding a v
mind.

" ' Jump on, I
peated, sternly.

" * Damme if I
stand on end.

"♦Youmw*^/'

"'But I won't

"•Won't you?
arms, and, makin
whale's back anc
set me down, an<
his ducks, while I^
good grip of the i\
drew from his poc
it into his mouth
old song. Feelin
his back, the wha
ning, whizzing al(
cific were after hi

"'Go it!' said
with a supematu
Tabor ! stick on I

"'What the de
thisT said I, shiv
spray came dashii

■■Mi

TABORS YARN.

175

features brightened up, and his eyes glared strangely.
*Jump on, John Tabor, jump on !' said he.

<' ' How do you mean V said I ; for although I had
killed whales, and eat of them too, such an idea as
that of riding a whale-back never before entered my
mind.

" ' Jump on, I say, jump on, John Tabor !' he re-
peated, sternly.

" ' Damme if I do !' said I, and my hair began to
stand on end.

"♦You must!' shouted the old whaleman.

" ' But I won't !' said I, resolutely.

" • Won't you V and with that he seized me in his
arms, and, making a desperate spring, reached the
whale's back and drove the boat adrift. He then
set me down, and bade me hold on to the seat of
his ducks, while he made sure his own fastening by a
good grip of the iron pole. With the other hand he
drew from his pocket a quid of tobacco and rammed
it into his mouth ; after which he began to hum an
old song. Feeling something rather uncommon on
his back, the whale set off with the speed of light-
ning, whizzing along as if all the whalers in the Pa-
cific were after him.

"'Go it!' said the old man, and his eyes flashed
with a supernatural brilliancy. 'Hold fast, John
Tabor ! stick on like grim Death !'

"'What the devil kind of a wild-goose chase is
this V said I, shivering with fear and cold ; for the
spray came dashing over us in oceans.

176

TABORS YARN.

" ' Patience !' rejoined the old man ; ' you'll see
presently.' Away we went, leaving a wake behind
us for miles. The land became more and more in-
distinct. We lost sight of it entirely. We were on
the broad ocean.

" ' On ! on ! Stick to me, John Tabor !' shouted
the old man, with a grin of infernal ecstasy.

" ' But where are you bound V said I. ' Damme if
this don't beat all tne crafts I ever shipped in !' and
my teeth chattered as if I had an ague.

"* Belay your jaw-tackle, John Tabor! Keep
your main hatch closed, and hold on. Go it ! go it,
old spenh !'

" Away we dashed, bounding from wave to wave
like a streak of pigtail lightning. Whiz! whiz! we
flew through the sea. I never saw the like. At this
rate we traveled till daylight, when the old man sang
out, ' Land ho !'

"* Where away)' said I, for I had no more idea
of our latitude and longitude than if I had been
dropped down out of the clouds. ' Off our weather
eye V

« ' That's the Cape of Good Hope !*

" Ne'er went John Gilpin faster than wo rounded
the cape.

" ' Hard down your flukes !' shouted my compan-
ion, and in five minutes Table Mountain looked blue
in the distance. The sun had just risen above the
horizon, when an island appeared ahead.

" ' Land ho !' cried the old man.

" • Why, yoi

through the cl<

•where are you

" ' That's St.

"•The devil

well out of my

left it galloping

"'Stick on!

greasy-beard; a

of his ducks.

flew onward lik

"•Land ho!'

"•Where's til
might.

" ♦ That's Cap
'• Our speed n
my hat flew ofi;
hair, for it stood
ful was I of losi
steam-boats, stag
er experienced
couldn't contain
to tell the old cl
about it

"•Shiver me .'I

landish, hell-ben(

come to pretty si

"♦Land ho!'

"♦Inthedevil'l

" • Nantucket,!

«w^

^mmmimt

TABORS YARN.

177

" ' Why, you bloody old popinjay/ said I, peering
through the clouds of spray that rose up before us,
* where are you steering V

«« That's St. Helena!'

" * The devil you say !' and before the words were
well out of my mouth we shot past the island and
left it galloping astern.

"'Stick on! stick on, John Tabor!' cried old
greasy-beard ; and I tightened my grasp on the seat
of his ducks. The sea was growing rough. We
flew onward like wildfire.

" ' Land ho !' shouted the old man again.

" < Where's that Y said I, holding on with all my
might.

" • That's Cape Hatteras !'

" Our speed now increased to such a degree that
my hat flew off, and the wind whistled through my
hair, for it stood bolt upright the whole time, so fear-
fal was I of losing my passage. I had traveled in
steam-boats, stages, and locomotives, but I had nev-
er experienced or imagined any thing like this. I
couldn't contain myself any longer ; so I made bold
to tell the old chap with the beard what I thought
about it T /ii V ; I ' '•

" ' Shiver me !' said I, ' if this isn't the most out-
landish, hell-bent voyage I ever went. If you don't
come to pretty soon, you and I'll part company.'

" ' Land ho !' roared the old man.

" 'In the devil's name,' said I, ' what d'ye call that Y

" ' Nantucket,* replied my comrade.

:( iW

178

TABORS YARN.

" We passed it in the winking of an eye,%nd away
we went up Buzzard's Bay. The coast was lined
with old whaling shippers, spying us with glasses ;
for certainly so strange a sight was never seen before
or since.

" ' There she breaches !' cried some.

" ' There she blows !' cried others ; but it was all
one to them. We were out of sight in a jifiy.

*' The coast of Massachusetts was right ahead.
On, on we flew. Taborstown, the general recepta-
cle for Tabors, stood before us. High and dry we
landed on the beach. Still onward went the whale,
blowing, and pitching, and tearing up the sand with
his flukes.

"*My eyes!* said I, scarcely able to see a dart
ahead, 'look out, or you'll be foul of the town pump !'

"'Go it! Never say die! Hold fast, John Tabor !'
shouted the old chap; and helter-skelter we flew
down Main-street, scattering children, and women,
and horses, and all manner of live stock and domes-
tic animals, on each side. The old Cape Horn and
plum-pudding captains rushed to their doors at a
sight so rare.

" ' There she breaches ! There she breaches !' re-
sounded through the town fore and aft ; and with
the ruling passion strong even in old age, they came
hobbling after us, armed with lances, harpoons, and
a variety of old rusty whale-gear, the hindmost sing-
ing out,

" ' Don't you strike that whale, Captain Tabor !*

and the fl

mychanc

the long t

"'Stick

Death, JoJ

"And J

fetched uf

was the si

most over i

of his duck

didn't go qi

held on to

ed up, he pi

citizens of

such an odd

ture lances

manner that

" The wh?

onward we >

at each side.

of his jacket
ed us.

"' You've I
one.

•"The de
cried another.

"'As long
third, 'Inevei

" * As sure
observed a fou

TABORS YARN.

179

and the foremost shouting to those behind, ' This is
my chance, Captain Tabor !' while the old man with
the long beard, just ahead of me, kept roaring,

"* Stick fast, John Tabor! hang on like grim
Death, John Tabor !'

"And I did hang on. As I had predicted, we
fetched up against the town pump; and so great
was the shock, that the old fellow flew head fore-
most over it, leaving in my firm grasp the entire seat
of his ducks. I fell myself; but being farther aft,
didn't go quite so far as my comrade. However, I
held on to the stern-sheets. As the old man right-
ed up, he presented a comical spectacle to the good
citizens of Taborstown. The youngsters, seeing
such an odd fish floundering about, got their minia-
ture lances and harpoons to bear upon him, in a
manner that didn't tickle his fancy much.

" The whale at length got under weigh again, and
onward we went, with about, twenty irons dangling
at each side. I grasped the old man by the collar
of his jacket this time. A shout of laughter follow-
ed us.

"'You've lost your whale. Captain Tabor!' cried
one.

"•The devil's in the whale, Captain Tabor!'
cried another.

"•As long as I've been Captain Tabor,' said a
third, • I never saw such a whale.'

•' * As sure as I'm Captain Tabor, he's bewitched,'
observed a fourth.

180

TABORS YARN.

" • Captain Tabor, Captain Tabor ! I've lost my
iron^ !' shouted a fifth.

*' ' Who's that aboard, Captain Tabor V asked a
sixth.

" • That's John Tabor !' replied a seventh.

" < John Tabrr, John Tabor, hold fast !' roared the
old man, and away we went as if possessed of the
devil, St^re enough. Over hills and dales, and through
towns and villages flew we, till the Alleghanies hove
in sight. We cleared them in 710 time, and came
down with a glorious breach righc into the Alleghany
River. Down the river we dashed through steam-
boats, flat-boats, and all manner of small craft, till we
entered the Ohio. Right ahead went we, upsetting
every thing in our way, and astonishing the natives,
who never saw any thing in such shape go at this
rate before. We entered the Mississippi, dashed
across all the bends through swamp and canebrake,
and at last found ourselves in the Gulf of Mexico,
going like wildfire through a fleet of whalers. Noth-
ing daunted, the whale dashed ahead; the coast
of South America hove in sight. Over the Andes
went we — into the Pacific — past the Sandwich Isl-
ands — on to China — past Borneo— up the Straits of
Malacca — through the Seychelles Islands — down the
Mozambique Channel, and at last we fetched up in
Algon Bay. We ran ashore with such headway
that I was pitched head foremost into the sand, and
there I fastened as firm as the stump of a tree. You
may be sure, out of breath as I was, I soon began to

TABORS YARN.

181

smother. This feel^ig of suffocation became so in-
tolerable, that I struggled with the desperation of a
man determined not to give up the ghost. A con-
fusion of ideas came upon me all at once, and I
found myself sitting upright in my catanda in the
old hospital — "

Here Tabor paused. •' « * <r < .( „

" Then it was all a dream V* said I, somewhat dis-
appointed. He shook his head, and was mysteri-
ously sileut for a while. >:' >

"I could easily have supposed it was all a dream,"
he replied, at length, *' only for what followed. The
old man, with the same supernatural glare in his
eye, the same long beard, stood by me. I tried to per-
suade myself my eyes deceived me. I shut them
and opened them again. Still he was there. I
spoke to him ; but he was silent. I sprang from the
bed, and endeavored to get hold of him. As I ad-
vanced he receded. I followed him out on the
beach. When I ran he ran. He always kept the
same distance from me. I returned to the hospital,
and he followed me. The moment I entered, I shut
the door in his face. It was all in vain. He passed
through it without an effort For more than a week
I was haunted in this manner."

" I suppose it was some illusion produced by the
fever?"

" No ; for long after that, when I was as well as
ever, I saw him again. He always appears to me,
as a kind of punishment for my sins, when I indulge

182

TABORS YARN.

PERSONII

in liquor. He troubles me aff^r every spree. I don't
know what to think of it. To-night, as I was lying
in my berth, I saw him come up out of the run as
plainly as I see you. He stood glaring at me a
while, and then approached me. I shuddered, for I
had the black horrors.

" ' D'ye want to get clear of me Y he hissed.

" ' 'Fore God, I do,' said I.

" ' Swear, then, this night, that you'll never taste
another drop of grog.'

"Would you.believe it! I hadn't the resolution
to take the oath. With a wild laugh he darted out
of the cabin. I followed him. T ho rest you know."

There was a mixture of the comic and the serious
in Tabor's account of his troubles that interested me
exceedingly. He was not a superstitious man, and
he very naturally doubted the reality of the vision,
though the evidence was such as to stagger his reas-
on. That night he made a solemn vow to abstain
from rum. Want of firmness was not one of his
failings, and I have reason to believe that his vow
has never been broken. At all events, he saw no
more of the " old man with the long beard."

In the forecastle we had a great variety of singu-
lar characters, among whom, next to Bill Mann,
"son of old Ed. Mann, sail-maker. New York,"
was a young Englishman, who went by the name
of Jack Smith. This fellow had more of the con-
flicting elements of human nature in his character

PERSONIFICATION OF TRUTH: JACK SMITH. 183

than any one man I ever knew. He was full of the
noblest impulses : free, generous, and fearless to a
fault; but, at the same time, a most unprincipled
scoundrel. Lying had become second nature with
bira. He actually seemed incapable of telling the
truth, so inveterate a liar was he, and so natural did
it come to him to distort facts. When he entered
his name upon the ship's papers at Fayal, it was
Jack Smith. Soon after, he avowed most solemnly
that it was John Post. When he had succeeded in
making every body believe that, he protested on his
sacred word that it was James Provost, and that he
was an illegitimate son of Sir John Provost ; but, in
a week or two after that,^ he offered to kiss the Bi-
ble, and swear that it was neither Smith, nor Post,
nor Provost, but a name which should go to the
grave with him unknown to a human being. This
threw an air of mystery over Jack's personal history
that was very interesting to the crew generally. I
learned from him, confidentially, some of the particu-
lars of his life, which, had they been true, would have
been truly astonishing. According to his own ac-
count, he was nearly as old as Methuselah, though
in appearance not more than twenty-one. Jack as-
sured me, with many oaths, that he commenced the
sea-faring life at the tender age of Jive, at which in-
teresting period he could knot a reef-point equal to
any man on board. He was nine years before the
mast in the merchant service. Tired of sea-faring,
he buund himself apprentice to a baker ; spent six

184

JACK SMITH.

months with his employer; then apprenticed himself
to a sail-maker, with whom he remained two or three
years. He next acted in the capacity of a batcher's
boy for a year or two more ; but not liking the busi-
ness as well as he had expected, he bound himself to
a carpenter. After a year at this trade he went to
shoe-making ; but shoe-making was too sedentary a
trade to suit his wandering disposition, and, after
spending eighteen months at it, he hired himself to a
black-smith, with whom he remained two years.
The business became dull, and having an ardent de-
sire to go to sea again, he shipped in a merchant ves-
sel bound to Antwerp. He was twenty-eight months
in this vessel. When he left her, he entered the
navy of the United States, and went to Florida on
an Indian-hunting expedition. He spent a year in
the swamps chasing the Indians, and another in the
West Indies, where he received a flogging, and de-
serted ; a reward for his toils which he looked upon
as ungrateful, to say the least of it. He there ship-
ped in another man-of-war. When his time was
out he went to New York to ship rgain, but was
taken up as a deserter, and was put in prison for six
months. At the expiration of that period, he ship-
ped at Newport, Rhode Island, in a whaler. He
was flogged for stealing soon after she left port, and
deserted on the first island she touched at. He soon
shipped again, however, and went on a voyage of
three years ; then another of four years. Altogether
he was in the whale fishery about nine years, during

which time h
maimed on va
I will not v<
particularly as
one years of a|
of the dreadful
with the excej
and they wen
fanciful manne
to the numeroi
evident that he
under the sun, %
barque so expe
making, black-
making, or any
ship. He was
worthless one, 1
This fellow
telling the most
every thing he (
nienced his can
of our vinegar a
the thief, he sw(
that it was a d-
ating the prope
and he would i
us, if we said
very next week
knife from me.
that he was th

JACK SMITH.

185

which time he had been frequently wrecked, and
maimed on various occasions by whales. * *

I will not vouch for the truth of Jack's narrative,
particularly as he was not in reality more than twenty-
one years of age, and bore no traces upon his person
of the dreadful catastrophes which had befallen him,
with the exception of the floggings he had received,
and they were manifold, if I might judge by the
fanciful manner in which his back was striped. As
to the numerous trades he had learned, it was very
evident that he had a natural talent for every thing
under the sun, for there was not a man on board the
barque so expert at all sorts of handicraft : shoe-
making, black-smithing, butchering, tailoring, sail-
making, or any thing necessary to be done on board
ship. He was the most active sailor, and the most
worthless one, I ever saw.

This fellow had acquired, not only the habit of
telling the most marvelous lies, but that of pilfering
every thing he could lay his hands upon. He com-
menced his career of petty larceny by robbing us all
of our vinegar and molasses. When we discovered
the thief, he swore he intended to knock off stealing ;
that it was a d — d ungentlemanly way of appropri-
ating the property of another to one's own uses ;
and he would never touch any thing belonging to
us, if we said nothing of his past offenses. The
very next week he stole a pair of shoes and a jack-
knife from me. Unfortunately, though well assured
that he was the thief, I could adduce no positive

186

JACK SMITH.

proof of the fact at that time, and I was obliged to
make the best of my loss. Lying and stealing actu-
ally seemed to be part of his nature, which he eould
no more resist than eating and drmking. When ac-
cused of any misdemeanor of this kind, he would fly
into a furious passion, protesting with the most aw-
ful oaths that he was badly treated and much abused,
and intended to whip all hands the first chance he
got ashore. " He wouldn't be imposed upon because
he was a hloody Englishman." The next moment
he would ask a favor of his most inveterate enemy ;
for there was one good trait about him : he never en-
tertained the least ill-will toward any one, however
much he quarreled or caused enmity to exist against
himself. Jack was generous too ; he would rol) his
best friend, nay, according to his own confession, he
had robbed the dead, and it was a common trick for
him to steal from his parents ; but the first person he
fancied he would bestow all he had upon, even to
the shirt he wore. He was a most awful blasphemer.
I have heard oaths from him that made my blood
curdle. He was second only to Bill Mann in the
art of " growling." Jack had quarrels to settle with
every body ; and, what was most amusing, he would
sit down with his mortal foe and talk over the ap-
proaching fight in the most good-natured and friendly
manner. He was always in trouble with die captain
and officers, and occasioned more care and anxiet))
on their part than all the rest of the hands. So much
for Jack Smith, our bully young Englishman.

MACK.

187

Barzilla MacF , the " down-easter," was an-
other singular character. I have already given some
idea of his dry humor in his remarks upon our first
whale. With rather a muddy intellect, he had natu-
rally an under-current of original humor, which was
a source of great amusement to us all. Mack 'was
very dull at learning any thing connected with sea-
craft, and made rather a clumsy sailor. The captain
disliked him on th's account, and continually hazed
him for his awkw rdness ; but Mack took every hard
rub with the utmost good humor. A more inoffen-
sive, kind-hearted fellow never existed. He was al-
ways generous and attentive to the sick. Whenever
a chance of going ashore occurred, he was ever ready
to yield his place to any one who seemed anxious to
go ; or, if we went on a " gam" he always offered to
take care of the boat alongside. I really felt a strong
attachment to this poor, friendless, uncouth fellow,
maltreated and abused as he was by the captain and
officers. Mack always had something amusing to
say whenever the crew were in an ill humor about
the miserable fare we had. On one occasion, as we
were all sitting around the empty meat kid, growling
at the " old man" for his stinginess, the "down-easter"
commenced as usual :

" I say, folks, what's the use of talkin' about it t
If ye'll jest listen to me, I'll tell you how to fix it.
Our molasses is so tarnation sour, we can sweeten
it with vinegar ; it's so thin, a little water will thick-
en it. The tea is pesky nasty sort o' stuff. Can't

188

MACK.

we improve it by washin' down the hog-pen with it
before it's served out ? It won^t be nastier, and it
won't be nicer. It'll be considerable cleaner, any
how. I don't know how we'll git enough of meat.
Let's turn the kid upside down, and all hands lick
away at the bottom. The bread's monstrous dirty.
Why not scrub it down with one of the deck-
brooms ? You're always a jawin' about the duffs.
Let's save 'em up for six weeks, and then we can
have enough for a meal. While we're waitin', we
caa play marbles with *em. Very well, as we ain't
got our allowance of rice, we can dig away at vine-
gar and vacancy ; and, when the old man sings out
arter us to man the boats, we'll jest turn edgewise,
and say, ' Old Skinflint, you needn't holler ; we ain't
to be found in no particular place.' "

Mack had some lines of his own composition,
which be often repeated for our benefit and edifica-
tion on occasions like this. His mock-tragic man-
ner was always sure to produce a general roar of
laughter. I think, as a literary curiosity, the lines
ought to be preserved :

" Dear youth, let this a solemn warnin' be,
Don't you fool away yourself, and come to sea ;
For if you do, you'll wish you was to hum,
Not on the ocean, whar* the mighty whales do roam.
You'll wish you was in the green fields in spring,
Whar' the crows do croak, and little birds do sing.
While you to hum the best of cabbiges do eat, '

With plenty of potatoes and fresh meat,
We on the deep sea, alas !
Has nothin' but horse-junk and pepper-sass.

CHARLEY CLIFFORD.

Oh ! nobody — nobody knows
What a poor sailor undergoes !"

189

I never saw Mack in an ill humor. Under every
circumstance he was the same singular, awkward,
good-natured oddity. The horrible and brutal man-
ner in which he was treated toward the latter part
of the cruise will form the subject of some future re-
marks, in which I shall give a fair exposition of the
dastardly conduct of a wretch whose name deserves
to be branded with infamy.

Of all the crew my favorite was Charley CliiTord*
a little fellow from Connecticut, belonging to the
waist boat In every respect Charley was the best
specimen of a Yankee tar I ever met with : active,
energetic, and fearless; and possessed of all the
frankness and generosity of a genuine sailor. He
bad received some education, which, combined with
a very strong, keen mind, rendered him a pleasant
companion for a long night-watch. For graphic de-
scriptions of incidents ashore and at sea I never saw
his equal, except Tabor. His fund of wit and anec-
dote was inexhaustible. When I first saw Charley,
I was struck by his personal appearance. In height
he was about five feet five, very compact, and well-
built. He wore his hair in long ringlets, reaching
down over his shoulders, and had his tarpaulin
jauntily cocked on one side, with a fathom of rib-
bon to set it off. His trowsers were wide, white
ducks, cut in the pink of nautical fashion. Altogether
he was the handsomest and most sailor-like little fel-
low on board.

190

TOM VERNON.

The next in the forecastle of any note was Tom
Vernon, a youth from Philadelphia, who had run
away from home to test the charms of a " life on the
ocean wave." There was nothing uncommon in
his history. He had been a clerk in a hardware
store, and had fallen out with his employers, which
was the original cause of his troubles. He was well
educated, and wrote an excellent hand ; but Nature
had never intended him for a sailor. The captain
and mate held a taught rein upon poor Tom, and
treated him with great severity and harshness. The
surest way to render a man worthless and indifferent
to the success of the voyage is to haze him, and find
fault with him when he does his duty to tlie best of
his ability. It never makes a smarter or a better
man of him ; and it often, by degrading him in the
eyes of his comrades, makes him reckless of all his
obUgations. It was so with Tom. At first he used
every exertion in his power to please ; but finding he
was still treated badly, he became sullen and morose,
and did as little as he possibly could. This inflamed
the mate with a deadly animosity against him. The
unfortunate lad led the life of a dog. There are va-
rious ways on board a ship of gratifying malice of
this kind : such as giving a man the most disagi'ec-
able jobs, hazing him about, cursing him at the helm,
and taunting him for his awkwardness. The usual
manner in which Tom was addressed was, " You
d — d soger ! you blasted sheephead ! you infernal
liar !" &c. The melancholy fate of this poor fellow,

at a subseqnei
to the system
which he was
By far the n
Blair, a stone
called Bully,
in that city bee
found a more al
made it a boasi
man in New Yo
rejoiced in the
Man." He wa
of rascality he
pride in the fac
order to escape j
atrocious act of
spectable girl. '
tal want of eve
rendered him dei
The remaindj
guese from the
scribed in a few |
treacherous, beas
ed ; and, with t\
among the most
were all blusterij
George, the onlj
George was a
enough as a saik
John, the largest I

BULLY BLAIR.

191

at a subsequent period, formed atf ragic termination
to the system of heartless and brutal tyranny with
which he was treated on board the Styx.

By far the noisiest man in the forecastle was John
Blair, a stone-cutter, from New York, commonly
called Bully. Had every by-alley and dexi of infamy
in that city been searched, there could not have been
found a more abandoned ruffian than this fellow. He
made it a boast that he was the most conspicuous
man in New York among the sisters o{ the pavS, and
rejoiced in the cognomen of the *' Ladies' Fancy
Man." He was continually boasting of the deeds
of rascality he had committed, and took no small
pride in the fact that he had been driven to sea in
order to escape punishment for a most infamous and
atrocious act of violence upon the person of a re-
spectable girl. There was a low cunning and a to-
tal want of every manly principle about him that
rendered him detestable to evwy one on board.

The remainder of the crew consisted of Portu-
guese from the Western Islands, who may be de-
scribed in a few words. A more ignorant, heartless,
treacherous, beastly set of men, I think, never exist-
ed ; and, with two exceptions, I would rather live
among the most degraded of the savage tribes. They
were all blustering and cowardly, except John and
George, the only decent Portuguese in the vessel.
George was a quiet, harmless nonentity; active
enough as a sailor, but with the intellect of a child.
John, the largest man on board, was a fine specimen

192

PORTUGUESE SHIPMATES.

of corporeal strength and mental imbecility. He
was over six feet in height, of tremendous breadth
across the shoulders, aoti active as a cat. It was al-
most impossible to get him angry ; but, when once
aroused, he was a perfect demon. John was liked
and feared by the whole crew ; for, while he gave
offense to none, he was able, if imposed upon, to flog
any four men in the forecasde.

With these men I had cast my lot ; and, such ?.«»
they were, made up of good and evil, I felt that, for
my own comfort, it was necessary to be on friendly
terms with all, and to associate with them as equals.

Our routine of duty on a passage was as follows :
Each man had his two hours at the mast-head and
two hours at the wheel every day. The watches,
instead of boat's crews, as we had them on the
whaling ground, were divided into two, the larboard
and starboard. The mate had charge of the first,
and the second mate of the last. There were alter-
nate hours of duty, four on deck and four below, ex-
cept during the " dog watches," from four o'clock in
the afternoon to supper time, when all hands were
on deck. This gave us an average of nine hours be-
low out of the twenty-four. All that was required
of us at night in fine weather was to be on deck, and
take turns at keeping a look-out. There were six
men in each watch: one at the helm, one on the
night-heads, and the rest at liberty, unless called upon
to brace the yards, to pass away their watch on deck
as they best could, spinning yarns, or taking a sly

ROUTINE OF DUTY.

193

flap under the weather rail. Being able to get an
average of two hours sleep every night in this way,
and six below, we had about four hours every day
to ourselves, which we usually spent mending our
clothes, talking, smoking, or reading.

I found my two hours a day, and four every alter-
nate day, at the mast-head very tedious at first. It
was not until we left the Western Islands that I could
stand them without experiencing anew all the dis-
agreeable symptoms of sea-sickness; and in this
misfortune I was not alone ; for few of the green
bands could stand at the mast-head in rough weath-
er without becoming sea-sick. Still it was not un-
pleasant to be occasionally removed from the noise
and confusion of the forecastle. The mast-head was
a little world of peace and seclusion, where I could
think over past times without interruption. There
was much around me to inspire vague and visionary
fancies : the ocean, a trackless waste of waters ; the
arched sky spread over it like a variegated curtain ;
the sea-birds wheeling in the air ; and the myriads
of albacore cleaving their way through the clear, blue
waves, were all calculated to create novel emotions
in the mind of a landsman. It was here I could
cast a retrospective glance at my past life. Here it
was I could think of my home in the west, where I
had spent years of unalloyed happiness, with none to
tyrannize over me, but where all was social har-
mony. How bright and beautiful seemed the past !
How I longed once more to see the familiar faces

B B

lui-'

-■■i

194

SEA-MUSINO.

of friends and kindred ! Hour after hour have I
thought of by-gone scenes and happier days ;

' • •' " My very heart athirat i ^.,

To gaze on Nature in her green array."

Whenever I became so Tvrapped up in these vision-
ary dreams as to forget that I was not placed at the
mast-head for that special purpose, the loud, harsh
voice of the captain would arouse me, with a friend-
ly hint to " keep a sharp lookout for whales, or he'd
wake me up with a rope's end." To be suddenly
startled from a delicious revery, abounding in those
ethereal and refined fancies which Rousseau has so
beautifully described as part of the inspiration deriv-
ed from an elevated atmosphere ; to have one's hap-
piest dreams v. ome dissipated by an allusion to
" rope's ends," s. ggesting thoughts of the mode in
which they are usually applied, is not so romantic
as one might suppose.

The only time I experienced any thing akin to
real pleasure was during my night-watches, when the
weather was fine. I could then find a comfortable
seat, and spend a few hours in agreeable conversa-
tion with Tabor and Clifford, the only two on
board who really had any idea of the pleasures of
social intercourse. With a strong passion for all
the romance and superstitions of sea-life, I often list-
ened for hours to their reminiscences of adventure
and legendary lore ; and such was the natural and
graphic force of their descriptions that it was diffi-
cult to separate the real from the fictitious. In their

own homely j
jure up scent
with all the i
uiar— though 1
though he hai
had a thoroug
of the poetry i
poetic mantle
the very simpl
guage. I often
the benefits ol
original vigor ol
the freshness of
cultivated intell
higher in the Ji
those poets " wi
tion."

These night-^
other pleasures,
most trifling eve
age constitutes i
he pardoned for
incidents which
Cape de Verde ;
A quiet, beaut
a week's rough ^
nearly over. Ti
sel was so still, tl
becomes accusto
is diflScult to disj

NIOHT-WATCHES.

195

own homely and energetic language they could con-
jure up scenes of startling reality — scenes invested
with all the charms of romance. Tabor, in partic-
ular — though he never made use. of a poetical word ;
though he had never read a line of real poetry-
had a thorough appreciation, unknown to himself,
of the poetry of incident, and could throw the true
poetic mantle over the most ordinary narrations by
the very simplicity and natural energy of his lan-
guage. I often thought that, could he have received
the benefits of education, without impairing the
original vigor of his mind — could he have preserved
the freshness of his language with the addition of a
cultivated intellect, few men would have ranked
higher in the literary world. Tabor was one of
those poets " who have never penned their inspira-
tion."

These night-watches were not always devoid of
other pleasures. When it is borne in mind that the
most trifling event on a long and monotonous pass-
age constitutes an epoch in sea-life, I think I shall
be pardoned for introducing one of the few little
incidents which occurred soon after we had left the
Cape de Verde Islands.

A quiet, beautiful moonlight night had succeeded
a week's rough weather. My watch on deck was
nearly over. The sky looked so calm, and the ves-
sel was so still, that I could not sleep ; for when one
becomes accustomed to the lullaby of the storm it
is difficult to dispense with it. I stretched myself

fii

Ki ^

i'i

Hhf'

jli'ffil

t' fflwll

.jjjj

■■

196

HACK S NIGHTMARE.

on*thle windlass, and amused myself looking up at
the stars, and wondering whether the inhabitants
carried on the whaling business. If so^ was it not
probable they had their duff-days and their banyan-
days, their tricks at the helm, their mast-heads, their
look-outs, their watches on deck and their watches
below 1 and then, pursuing this train of reflection, 1
naturally bestowed upon my lunar brethren a great
deal of unnecessary sympathy.

While under the influence of these pleasant cogi-
tations, a deep groan, apparently close by, startled
me. There was no illusion about it. I could not
be mistaken. It was a groan — a real groan. I look-
ed around, and saw the watch asleep under the bul-
warks. It evidently proceeded from nobody there.
In a few moments it was repeated, half smothered,
and horribly sepulchral. Supposing some of the
crew were attempting to play a trick upon me, 1
pretended to take no notice of it. Again the awfiii
groan was repeated, with low, smothered exclama-
tions : "Oh, great Jee-hovah ! oh ! um ! ah ! wrugh !
good^ee-meny ! oh ! oh !" muttered the voice. " Oh
cracky ! oh gosh ! I'm catched — catched at last !
I'll give in. Oh !"

It was Mack's voice ; there was no doubt about
that. I, of course, thought he was at some of his
tricks, and quietly awaited the issue. About five
minutes elapsed, when the most awful and heart-
rending groans issued from some place not very dis-
tant from me, accompanied by words pronounced in

a sepulchral i

the sufferer in

'ere fork in me

rinbrilin'! I'm

body! Tom, I

The cries of

asleep under thi

lazily raised up

I immediately ju

commenced a

around in searcl

close by the try.

wood and an old

we found him c

space, covered w

together a most h

Portuguese, caugJ

out with one hand

looked around hil

•was black with d]

and there he stoc

personation of a

" What's the

once.

"Oh gosh! oh I
could make.

"Are you sick ?|
"No, no! Oh,I
gasped Mack.
As soon as he

HACK S NIGHTMARE.

197

a sepulchral voice. " Tabor ! Tabor !" muttered
the sufierer in a beseeching tone, ^-don^t stick that
'ere fork in me !" A pause ; another groan. " Oh,
I'm brilin' ! I'm roastin' ! Pull me out ! help, some-
body! Tom, pull me out !" '

The cries of distress startled the men who were
asleep under the bulwarks. Two or three of them
lazily raised up their heads, and rubbed their eyes.
I immediately jumped up, and, assisted by the watch,
commenced a search. While we were looking
around in search of Mack, the groan was repeated
close by the try-works. Upon removing a pile of
wood and an old tarpaulin cover from the deck-pot,
we found him coiled up in the smallest possible
space, covered with oil and dirt, and presenting al-
together a most hideous appearance. Big John, the
Portuguese, caught him by thf! hair, and lifting him
out with one hand, placed him upon his legs. Mack
looked around him perfectly bewiMered. His face
•was black with dirty oil, his eyes were wide open,
and there he stood, gasping for breath, like the im-
persoriution of a nightmare.

"What's the matter. Mack?" cried every body at
once.

"Oh gosh! oh gosh!" was all the reply Mack
could make.

" Are you sick 1"

" No, no ! Oh, great Jetu-pitter ! oh jee-meny !"
gasped Mack.

As soon as he could speak, he gave us a charac-

'!i'l

..,*»2.

198

THE DOWN-EASTER 8 DREAM.

teristic explanation of the whole affair. It appear-
ed that, in looking around him for a comfortable nest
in which he could pass the night's watch — having
no trick at the helm, or look-out — he was struck
with the inviting appearance of the deck-pot. To
protect himself from the night-dew and provide
against rain, should either feel disposed to attack
him, he left the wood on the tarpaulin cover, and
creeping in under it, coiled himself up. It may very
naturally be presumed that the weight of the wood,
combined with his cramped position, did not pro-
duce the most agreeable soporific effects. He had
dreams — every variety of horrible dreams ; but the
only one he could recollect was the last, which he
gave us, seated on the forecastle scuttle, surrounded
by a group of gaping listeners. It was an original
and a wonderful dream, of which no idea can be
formed unless I give it in his own language.

THE DOWN-EASTER'S DREAM. ' '

"I dreamp," said Mack, with the air of a man who
is conscious of the importance of certain mysteries
into which he is about to admit his hearers, "I
dreamp I was a whale !"

" A whale !" burst from every lip.

" Yes, a WHALE," said Mack, bringing his fist down
upon the scuttle with an emphasizing thump; "a
sperm whale ! I was cruisin' all around in search
of fodder, not thiukin' o' no kinder harm, when what
should I see but a barque ..ght ahead. ' W«;ll,' says

I to myself, 'oil
and, with that,
in me, and turu
long when I bej
and blow agin,
ter, what shouL
with all his mi^
Sure enough, I i
stare could I m(
myinsides. Wt
engine, the boat
I knowed what
chock into my g
and the boat flei
an eye. Well,
wriggle like mad.
80 1 hollers, ' I'm
no sort o' use.
second mate be I
my head. It wa
in less than no t
and thar* I lay oi
alongside the ba
up, and lashed m
and to save my
felt no kind o'
Then, by gosh ! _
and how the sha
minced me all u
holler, so I jest k

^p.

THE DOWN-EASTERS DREAM.

199

I to myself, * old feller, you'd better be makin' tracks ;'
and, with that, I blowed up all the salt water I had
in me, and turned flukes. I hadn't been down very
long when I began to smother ; so I had to come up
and blow agin. Just as I riz to the top o' the wa-
ter, what should I hear but old Tabor, singin' out
with all his might, * Thar' she blows ! right ahead !'
Sure enough, I felt myself a blowin' away, and not a
stare could I move till I blowed all the water out'n
my insides. While I was blowin' away like a steam-
engine, the boat fetched hard up agin me, and before
I knowed what he was about. Tabor stuck an iron
chock into my gizzard. ' Stern all !' says somebody,
and the boat flew away from me in the winkin' of
an eye. Well, I began to pitch, and blow, and
wriggle like mad. By'mby I felt myself a givin' out,
80 I hollers, ' I'm catched ! I'll give in !' but twarn't
no sort o' use. The boat comes up agin, and the
second mate he began to stick a lance right through
my head. It was all up with me. I spouted blood
in less than no time. At last I kicked the bucket,
and thar' I lay on my back, and the boat towin' me
alongside the barque. Arter a while they hauled
up, and lashed me to the night-heads by the flukes,
and to save my life I couldn't move. But I hadn't
felt no kind o' pain till they got to cuttin' me in.
Then, by gosh ! how they did rip the hide off''n me,
and how the sharks did pick at me, and how they
minced me all up ! I knowed it warn't no use to
holler, so I jest kept as quiet as I could, till they got

' m

-jj

200

THE DOWN-EASTER S DREAM.

THE

me in the tub all minced up. I couldn't keep in no
longer, when I seed Tabor with a great long fork,
Stic kin' it in me as hard as he could drive. I tell
you what it is, that 'ere fork looked mighty ugly.
* Tabor,' says I, * don't stick that 'ere fork in me ;'
but he wouldn't mind me no more 'an if I had no
feelin's no how. Well, the next place I found my-
self was right in the try-pots, roastin', and boilin',
and fry in' like fury. You never seed such a steam
as I sent up. I jumped, and tore, and pushed, and
turned, to get out, but thar' I was. My eyes ! bow
the fat worked out'n me — how it fizzed in the pots !
And every time 1 popped up I seed Tom, and Bul-
ly, and Charlie, and Bill, and a half dozen more, sit-
tin' on the windlass, laughin' at me fit to kill. Onc't
I cotched fire, and blazed chock up to the topsail-
yards. The cooper and Tabor kept stirrin' me up
with their bloody forks and spads, and now and agin
the capting he comes along and gives me a poke,
and says, ' That 'ere oil tcorCt do ; stir it up ; he ain't
brown yit! Well, such a stirrin' up and broilin' as
I got bangs all creation. But that warn't the wust
on't. As soon as pieces o' me was well done, they
sticks a fork in 'em, and pokes 'em right into the fire.
My gosh ! how I fried thar' ! At last I got red hot;
I couldn't stand it no longer. My dander was riz.
So I hollers to somebody to pull me out, thinkin' the
minute I'd get out I'd give all hands the darndest
kind of a lickin'. But I'm blowed if they'd help
me, dod burn the bit. The fust thing I knowed arter

that, was somet

onc't I was half

whar' I was tha

"Now here '.

about it. I've c

warnin' aginst tl

feelin's as well a

stuck in the gizza

and tryed out in

and if I live to g

her hunter, you w

business while m

child, you won't.'

We all agreed
max of all the di
five minutes more
We always, in
on deck. This
While the crew
and spinning yai
discussed Morm(
cooper, was a tall
very singular in
strong advocate
continually endeal
ligion. The matf
ligion a humbug,
very strict in ol
These long argur

THE DOWN-EASTER S DREAM.

201

that, was somebody jerkin' me by the ha'r, and all at
onc't I was half awake ; but I didn't know no more
whar' I was than if I was nobody at all. ' i

" Now here I am, and I'll give you my opinion
about it. I've come to the conclusion it's a solemn
warnin' aginst the catchin' of whales. Whales has
feelin's as well as any body. They don't like to be
stuck in the gizzards, and hauled alongside, and cut in,
and tryed out in them 'ere boilers no more than I do;
and if I live to get away from this bloody old blub-
ber hunter, you won't see me in no sich un-Christian

business while my name's Barzy M'F ; not this

child, you won't."

We all agreed that Barzy's dream capped the cli-
max of all the dreams we had ever heard, and in
five minutes more we were dreaming ourselves.

We always, in fine weather, spent our dog-watches
on deck. This was a time of general relaxation.
While the crew amused themselves dancing, singing,
and spinning yams, the mate, the cooper, and Tabor

discussed Mormonism in the waist. D , the

cooper, was a tall, gaunt man, lame of one leg, and
very singular in his general appearance. He was a
strong advocate of the Mormon doctrine, and was
continually endeavoring to make converts to his re-
ligion. The mate was an infidel, who deemed all re-
ligion a humbug. Tabor was a Methodist, but not
very strict in observing the codes of his Church.

These long arguments were very amusing, inasmuch

C c

202

SEA-PSALMODY.

i' \i .

as they generally resulted in an angry dispute. Ta-
bor, who was not a patient reasoner, whenever he
found the argument turn against him, would con-
clude by striking up, in a voice broken by exposure
and hard service at the mast-head, . .( ..•,,..:

" Come, holy Spirit, hemexdy Dove,
With all thy quickening powers ;"

/."

or sometimes, for the sake of variety, • *V .,, -.

. - . . . -. »• Sing, all ye nations, to the Lord ! " ■» "
Sing with a joyful noise !"

" I'm blowed if you know any thing about Mor-
monism. It's all a bloody humbug. Come, cooper,
let's all join and have a hime of the good old fire-
and-brimstone school."

The cooper, easily pacified, and the idate, caring
httle what he did, would then join and sing hymns;
and, being at a loss for suitable airs, they were no-
way particular whether it was "Hail Columbia,"
" Rousseau's Dream," or " Yankee Doodle." These
Httle revivals and devotional exercises were carried
on in a manner perfectly harmless, though not with
all the gravity adapted to subjects of a solemn nature.
< The captain being altogether too high and digni-
fied a character to associate witli people of ordinary
mold, spent most of his time in the cabin, or pacing
the quarter-deck with his hands in his pockets, and
his head down, in profound thought upon the mag-
nitude, importance, and responsibility of his situation
as master of a whaling barque of a nundred and
forty-seven tons burden ! We often speculated upon

the cause o
time of life,
"granny" ei
was evideni
of Bowditcl
him, a kiss-
leaves, whic
mony, to the

"Sh

Mack, the
of fun out ol
the quarter-d
fundity of tho
and muttered

"SINGLE I AM."

203

the cause of the old man's single blessedness at his
time of life. It was generally admitted that he was
" granny" enough without a wife ; but his stinginess
was evidently the true cause. I found in a copy
of Bowditch's Navigation, which I borrowed from
him, a kiss-verse carefully preserved between the
leaves, which explained his sentiments upon matri-
mony, to the great amusement of us all :

'' Single I am, and so resolved to be,
For Hymen's bands shall never fetter me." '

Mack, the " down-easter," made a large capital
of fun out of this. Whenever the captain walked
the quarter-deck with an air of more than usual pro-
fundity of thought, Mack nodded his head knowingly,
and muttered,

" Single I am, and so resolved to be, ' ' :

i'. . As long as ever Ifoller the sea."

I have thus endeavored to give a fair sketch
of our crew and officers. I have no feelings of
personal animosity against any of them to gratify.
Those who deserve it will meet the punishment of
their own guilt, and it is not for me to pronounce
judgment upon them. I give the result of my own
observation freely and without prejudice. •. ; . t.

The last subject to which I shall here allude is
that of ship-keeping. In whalers there is a ship-
keeper, or a man who attends to the ship when the
boats are lowered. He is either chosen from among
the fore-mast hands, or shipped at the port from
which the vessel sails. The duty of the ship-keeper

i^H

] nin i

^^B '

jIhbmBi

^^H 1

i^MI

204

SHIP-KEEPING.

is by no means unimportant. The safety of the
boats frequently depends upon his vigilance and
knowledge of sea-craft; and, in cases of accident,
the lives of the boat's crew are often dependant upon
him. It is the duty of a ship-keeper to keep the run
of the whales when the boats are lowered, and to
make the various signals necessary to indicate their
situation to the boats. Our signals were arranged in
the following order :

Whales up. Signal at the main top -gallant-mast.

Whales on the weather hoto. Weather clew of the
fore-top-gallant-sail or fore-top-sail up.

Whales on the lee bow. Lee clew up.

Whales on the weather beam. Weather clew of
the fore-top-gallant-sail or fore-top-sail up, and waif
pointed to windward.

Whales on tJte lee beam. Lee clew and waif

Whales ahead. Jib down.

Whales between the boats and ship. Colors at the
fore and main top-gallant-masts.

Boat stove. Colors at the fore and mizzen.

Come aboard. Colors at the peak.

In small vessels the ship-keeper is allowed two
hands to assist him in working the ship; but the num-
ber depends more upon the state of the weather than
the size of the vessel.

CROSS THE EQUATOR.

205

CHAPTER XII.

November l^th. — Crossed the equator at two
o'clock P.M., in longitude 23° west.

We experienced heavy squalls and much rain on
our passage to the southward.

November 25th. — Made Martin Vas Rocks and
the Isle of Trinidad.

Martin Vas Rocks are three in number, and pre-
sent a very singular appearance at the distance of
a few leagues. They are entirely barren. When
first visible they resemble three large vessels under
full sail, but, on a nearer approach, they are found to
be jagged rocks jutting abruptly out of the sea, with
continual clouds of spray dashing up from the bases,
and numbers of sea-birds wheeling around their sum-
mits.

The starboard boat was lowered, and the captain
and a crew of Portuguese went into a little cove in
the main rock to fish. We hauled off on the lar-
board tack about three leagues, and then returned.
The boat came aboard well laden with rock-fish.

206

TRINIDAD.

Trinidad is a small island, about six miles in cir-
cumference, distant twenty miles from Martin Yas
Rocks. It is uninhabited, owing to the scarcity or
bad quality of the water. Whalers and other vessels
short of wood sometimes put in here for a supply.

Bill Mann, alias Julius Caesar, had visited the Isle
of Trinidad before, and had a great many curious
stories to tell about it. Among others, he gave me
an account of a wild man whom the vessel to which
he belonged had picked up there under the following
circumstances. The Champion (the name of the
vessel) sent a boat ashore for wood. On the return
of the boat, after puuing to sea, a fire was discover-
ed on the highest peak of the island, which excited
some curiosity. The Champion stood in for the
land again, and sent a boat ashore to discover the
cause of the fire. She was hailed by a man on the
beach, who was taken in and carried aboard. As
soon as he recovered the effects of his unexpected
delivery, he gave the following narrative of his ad-
venture : He had shipped a few months previously
in a Boston whaler, and was very badly treated by
the captain and his officers. This determined him to
desert on the first opportunity. The vessel touched
at Trinidad, and sent her boats ashore for wood.
Having succeeded in getting ashore, he made his
escape to the interior of the island, and there con-
cealed himself in a ravine till the departure of the
vessel. For six weeks he subsisted on shell-fish, tur-
tles, and craw-fish, which he picked up on the beach.

kK?:.

WILD MAN.

207

He had provided himself with a hox of tinder and
some matches, which he found of great use, as he
was compelled to light a fire every night to keep the
wild hogs, his only companions on the island, from
devouring him. At the time of the arrival of the
Champion he chanced to he on the opposite side of
the island. Soon after her departure, he discovered
her from an eminence. His disappointment, upon
finding that he had missed the only opportunity he
should perhaps live to meet with of escaping the fate
that threatened him, may readily be conceived. The
distance being too great to attract her attention, he
was compelled to wait till dark. He then built a
large fire on an elevated rock, which she perceived.
He was soon on board, rejoicing in his happy de-
livery. Bill described this modern Crusoe as a wild,
uncouth-looking fellow, with a long beard, and the
eye of a maniac. His sufferings had made him as
ferocious as a wild beast. The crew humorously
gave him the soubriquet of " Governor Trinidad," in
commemoration of the six weeks he had reigned su-
preme ruler over the Isle of Trinidad. * i r

At four P.M. we set sail from Martin Vas Rocks,
steering east-southeast, the«weather rough and hazy.

December 19th. — In the latitude of the Cape of
Good Hope we caught, with a hook and line, an al-
batross, measuring twelve feet between the tips of
the wings. The mate set him adrift with a tally
round his neck, dated, and marked with the name
of the vessel.

208

WHALE CHASE.

We passed during the day the carcasses of two
whales, surrounded for a circuit of several miles by
Cape pigeons, gulls, Cape hens, and albatrosses. ^

December 2\st. — Just as the larboard watch was
called (at twelve M.), the man at the mast-head sung
out, " There she blows !" I had turned out, and was
about to go on deck, when I heard the word given
to lower away the mate's boat. During our watch
below, the waist boat had lowered after a school of
finback whales. She was now about five miles off,
in the midst of the school. The watch on deck
manned the larboard boat, leaving six or eight hands
to take care of the ship. Scarcely had she touched
the water, when the whale rose within a few yards
of our lee bow. It was perfectly calm ; the surface
of the water was of glassy smoothness. The whale
was distinctly visible as he rose to blow.

" That's a right whale !" said the captain, who had
ascended the mizzen shrouds to watch the move-
ments of the boats. " Give him a dart! Don't stave
your boat !"

The boat was close upon him in an instant.
Hitherto he seemed unconscious of the noise and
confusion around him, or of his proximity to the ship.
As the vords were echoed back from the boat, and
the splash of the oars, as she backed away, fell upon
his ear, he seemed to be a little alarmed, and turned
flukes, going lazily downward in a diagonal direc-
tion. Antone, the boat-steerer, let fly his iron, but
the distance was too great, and it took no eflect.

^' Oh the devil!" she
<iif disappointment ; " l\
that chance. You ain'
pence head !"

While Antone was ha
biing at his bad luck, th(
He was visible at a grei
parent water. The ma
ually indicated his positic
at the depth of fifteen or
at length, within a few i
menced blowing.

"Pull ahead! pull all
the mate. j

"Pull all!" was echoed
boat was within dart of hi
Antone was so eager to ij
that he overshot the m
slightly pricked the whal
the huge creature milled i
followed close in his wak
so sudden that it was dif
him. In about ten mini
the jib-boom. Antone _
Watching his opportunitj
boat came bow across
hollow roar, like that of
from the wounded monstj
torrents from his wound.

WHALE CHASE.

209

J\ M

Ok the devil !" shouted the captain, in a tone
isappointment ; " I'd have given five dollars for

chance. You ain't worth your salt, you two-
;ehead!"

/^hile Antone was hauling in the iron, and grum-
t at his bad luck, the whale took a little circuit,
was visible at a great depth through the trans-
nt water. The man at the mast-head contin-
j indicated his position, being enabled to see him
le depth of fifteen or twenty fathoms. He rose,
ngth, within a few feet of the waist, and com-
ced blowing.

Pull ahead ! pull all ! now's your time !" cried
iiate.

Pull all !" was echoed back by the crew, and the
was within dart of him in three or four strokes,
me was so eager to make up for his first failure

he overshot the mark this time. The iron
tly pricked the whale. Plunging down again,
luge creature milled round the stem. The boat
ived close in his wake ; but his evolutions were
idden that it was difficult to get within dart of
In about ten minutes he rose directly under
jib-boom. Antone stood ready with his iron,
ching his opportunity, he darted as soon as the

can»e bow across the head. A tremendous.
>w roar, like that of an infuriated bull, issued

the wounded monster. The blood spouted in
ints from his wound. Lashing the water with

I !

! .1

210

WHALE CHASE.

his flukes, he plunged down, covering the boat's
crew with clouds of blood anc' spray.

" You've killed him ! that whale's a fool !" cried
the captain.

" He's dead ! he's dead !" shouted Anton e, greatly
c.icited ; " I've fixed him !"

"De:td be d — d! Clear your line!" thundered
the mate. "Hold fast now! pull two oars! back
three ! Pull all, now ! Mind what you're about
there, Mack. D'ye want to get stove? Take a
reef in your eyes, and keep 'em aft here."

The moment the line was made fast, the boat
dashed right under our stern with fearful velocity.
The whale sheered off barely in time to avoid dash-
ing the boat to atoms against the lee quarter. As
he rose within a few fathoms of the ship, he uttered
another frightful roar, and the blood streamed from
him in torrents, discoloring the water entirely around
the vessel, so that she actually appeared to float in
a gory sea. It was evident, however, that no vital
part had yet been touched. The mate now sprang
to the bow of the boat, shouting, "Pull, my lads,
pull I" Before the crew could stop her headway,
the whale'is haad rose about six feet out of the wa-
ter, within half a dart of the boat. Shooting out his
lance, the mate gave him a gentle prick on the nose;
and dashing down with a hollow groan, the goaded
monster made straight for the ship, towing the boat,
with incredible swiftness, toward the weather beam.
For a moment I thought nothing could save her.

WHALE CHASE.

211

Her bow was not more than six feet from the vessel,
when the whale suddenly milled, and thus saved
her, and perhaps the lives of some of the crew,

" Stand by to lower the starboard boat !" cried the
captain. "77/ have that whale. Fll see whether
he can be killed or not. Fll not lose a good
chance. He won't have a fool to deal 'vith if 1 get
within dart of him. Stand by all ! Man the dant
tackles, and lower away !"

A moment more, and the starboard boat was in
hot pursuit. Bill Mann and I were left to take care
of the ship this time : a circumstance which I did
not regret, as the sun was pouring down with a
burning; intensity. I went to the mast-head, that I
might enjoy a better view of the chase. It was now
truly exciting. We hoisted a signal for the waist
boat, then about three miles from the scene of ac-
tion. The mate's boat ploughed the water at the
rate of ten knots an hour, and increased in speed as
pain gave fresh impulse to the whale. In about an
hour the three boats were in a line, running to the
leeward at a brisk rate. The larboard boat was
head-and-head with the whale at his next rising, and
the waiSt boat rapidly bearing down upon him in an
opposite direction. Ere the lances of either could
be made use of, he rolled over in his agony, and
parted the iron of the fast boat with a furious strug-
gle. He then sounded, leaving the three boats in a
whirlpool of blood and foam. When next seen, he
was spouting blood a mile off; but it was so late in

212

STARVED CHRISTMAS.

the evening that the captain gave up the chase, and
ordered the boats to return. Thus ended our first
right whale chase. • ►

1. Pinbick. >. Right whil*. 3. Sperm « halo.

December 25th. — This was a day v' ' s[i -al star-
vation and discontent. I had never speni such a
Christmas before, and I devoutly trust I never shall
again. At sunrise I went to the mast-head. The
weather was raw and boisterous, and the sea very
rough. I had three hours aloft, after which I was
relieved by one of the Portuguese, and went down
to enjoy the luxuries of a cold pot of coffee and
some hard biscuit. At dinner-time there was no
meat for us fit to dat, and the cook had spoiled the
" duff." Some of he crew went aft to the captaii?,
and complained that, as it was Christmas-dav n.
ought to have something to eat; but the c^^-.^r.
did not seem to consider any such luxury as eating;
and drinking at all due to the crew of a whaler ; so
we were compelled to take a reef in our belts and
wait patiently till supper-time. We fared little bet-
ter then, being short of meat, and having tea unfit
for use.

December '.
meridional Ik
Indian Ocean
till three A.M
January Stt
beginning of t
my journal.

On the first

the southwest.

cold for severa

aspect of the cl

We were oblige

before night.

gib, close-reefe(

the fore-sail am

TERRIBLE GALE.

213

Vecemher 2Qth. — About two P.M. we crossed the
meridional line which divides the Atlantic from the
Indian Ocean, in lat. 37° 19' south. From five P.M.
till three A.M. we lay becalmed.

January 8th, 1843. — For the first time since the
beginning of the year, I am enabled to pen a line in
my journal.

On the first of January, a severe gale arose from
the southwest. Th« weather had been extremely
cold for several days previously, and the threatening
aspect of the clouds gave us due warning of tie gale.
We were obUged to take down the top-gallant-masts
before night. Ac nine P.M., furled the spanker and
gib, close-reefed the top-sails, and soon after furled
the fore-sail and main-sail. The gale continued to
increase every hour. At midnight all hands were
called to take in the waist boat. This was a very
difficult job, as the sea broke over the vessel with
such tremendous force as to render it almost impos-
sible to hoist her off the cranes without staving her
to atoms against the bulwarks. After an hour's hard
labor, we got her bottom up on the try-works, where
she was securely lashed. Next evening we took in
the larboard and starboard boats, and lashed ihem to
the ringbolts on the quarter-deck. On the morning
of the third the sea raged with all its fury, washing
the decks fore and aft. Every stitch of sail except
the main spencer and fore-top-mast stay-sail was tak-
en in. The condition of the ship at this time baffles
description. Every sea dashed through the scuttle

I^KhC

214

BEAUTY OF THE FORECASTLE.

and drenched the forecastle, flooding our* beds, and
tearing our chests from their elects. For four days
we knew nothing of the comfort of a dry bed, a
change of clothes, or a regular hour's rest. Eating a
comfortable meal was a species of enjoyment pleas-
ant enough to reflect upon, but with us a thing of by-
gone days. The barque rolled so violently in the
trough of the sea, that it was difficult to sit down
without being pitched headlong from one side of the
forecastle to the other. Pots, pans, spoons, and kids
flew through the air like hail ; and occasionally a
dirty piece of pork, a scrap of hard biscuit, or a pot
of muddy coffee, might be seen making a desperate
attempt to escape the extended jaws of half a dozen
hungry Portuguese. We all ate below ; and if ever
there was a miniature representation of the Black
Hole of Calcutta, it was the forecastle of the Styx.
The scuttle was made as close as possible, to keep
out the heavy seas, but it also excluded the light and
fresh air. Some of us lay sprawling on the floor,
gasping for a breath of pure air ; others lay in their
bunks, braced up with logs of wood at each side to
keep them from rolling out. The Portuguese chat-
tered at the highest pitch of their shrill voices,
drowning even the roaring of the gale. Bill Mann
growled worse than ever. "He'd be everlastin'ly
shivered from clew to earing, if it wasn't the cussedest
old tub he ever sailed in. Shiver his top-lights if he
wouldn't like to see her sink. He'd seen vessels be-
fore — ^yes, he had, all sorts ; and he had sailed in all

mmm

■t-A*

tif

^■%-"^':f'-i*i-!VV!.

■#" ■

nrt*

ir*

BRAUTV OF THC UfWlKCASTt.E.

Ii«aft«ig oar chests tViWii th'pjr (deets. Fqi ioh
Ve Jk»ew nojhmn; *4 the comfort oi' a, tlrv
djaage ^f • ■' •r>i' a regular hour's n\9L k*^-:,--
»^ v«f»» a species of enjoyiii»mi ■■'■■
!0 reflect upou, bat with iis a Uiiiiv
The barque rolled so violeuii^v .
fflt that it was difficult t*^ ss*i #
hmid ODg from t>ue siii-' '\
i^>ts, pans, spponjii 8K«"^ .

■i-^y-d biscLUt.'>t* -ji -■

i^if #■■■ i-"^>iiH"; a tiv;,^.. . .

ifcon^ry l'«yfr!gut'.s<> W {»«v j . aini ;* -

itiere was t ojiiiiaturt? reprci5oati4fK5M €>f th?
Hot^ of f^icntta, it tt'as tij» ft>re<:asrle oi' Us
The sciittie was niad<- sts d*>s»^ «« ptissibie, i^ *•;>
dttt the heavy seas, hnt it also cxcluucii tUeiijrt ■■■:■
fresh air. Soiac of us lay sprawling on tli
ga^piag tor a breath of pare air; otuers lay in •■■
i,htH^e€4\ up with logs of wood at each mi^ :
tiieiji ^am rolhng out ^Vke Vonu<rnemi tt^f'
tfeii Ik^fHisi pitch of their shnll . f.
'^: mm ife*'^ m»ring of the gale. Bil' ' ^^,;

"He'd be i^verJasAU'
: > oi^v , if it wasn't the c«««*i^> ^^^

•• i^^' his top-lighwfti .
' ^ seeu vessck •
aaus.-, had saiM i).

flkiir"

^^HBPIB-

sorts, and he 1
sorts of weattj
beat all, partic
and lived on 1
for a hog to w
Yes, and he'd
done, at the fir
there, he'd let
know it, when
home, in sucli
craft"

It was reall;
continual ann
upon the difie
time like this,
ous young Ei
stories of the ]
casions, and s^
oaths, that for i
upon a plank i
thing to eat oi
look upon all t
something hig
didn't know a
the Kennebec,
with the Port!
ing at the top
or watch-houi
and mended h:
face buried in

■■

COMMENTS ON TJIE SAME.

215

sorts, and he had taken it rough and tumble in all
sorts of weatuer, but a bloody old blubber hunter
beat all, partic'larly when men got nothing to eat,
and lived on hard work, and hadn't a forecastle fit
for a hog to waller in. That was the way to tell it.
Yes, and he'd let the counsel know how things was
done, at the first port ; and if he didn't see a counsel
there, he'd let the President of the United States
know it, when he got home, if he ever should get
home, in such a dirty, lubberly, crazy, rotten old
craft."

It was really interesting to witness the effects of
continual annoyances, privations, and hardships
upon the different characters in the forecastle at a
time like this. Jack Smith, the rolicking, boister-
ous young Englishman, told the most marvelous
stories of the perils he had undergone on divers oc-
casions, and swore, with a torrent of the most awful
oaths, that for nineteen days he lay on his back once,
upon a plank in the middle of the sea, without any

thing to eat or drink. Barzy M*F seemed to

look upon all the dangers and hardships of a gale as
something highly pleasant and amusing, but "he
didn't know as he'd ever seed any thing like it up
the Kennebec." Bully employed himself quarreling
with the Portuguese part of his time, and part yell-
ing at the top of his voice snatches of obscene songs
or watch-house ditties. Charley smoked his pipe
and mended his clothes. Tom Vernon sat with his
face buried in his hands, meditating upon past times.

216

STUDY NAVIGATION.

and apparently unconscious of every thing, around
him. I pitied the poor lad from the bottom of my
heart, for my feelings were in unison with his.
■: On the evening of the sixth, the gale fell off to a
good steady breeze. Next day we got up the top-
gallant yards, and set the studding sails.
V Very little worthy of recoid occurred on our pass-
age from the Cape of Good Hope to Madagascar.
The weather was generally rough, and I had few
opportunities of writing or reading. I commenced
the study of navigation, however, soon after we en-
tered the Indian Ocean. Mr. P , the second

mate, who had all along been a very kind friend to
me, lent me a copy of Bowditch's Navigator, and al-
lowed me the use of his instruments. Aided by a
little instruction from him, I soon mastered the ele-
mentary branches of navigation, a science with
which every sea-farer ought to make himself ac-
quainted, whether before the mast or aft My
watches below were divided between this study and
patching mj' clothes, which had suffered considera-
ble wear and tear in the late gales. ' ' -^■

Toward the latter part of January, while steering
for Fort Dauphin, Madagascar, under lower and top-
mast studding sails, the man at the top-gallant cross-
trees saw a spout two miles off the weather- bow.
The studding sails were hauled in, the main-top-sail
hauled aback, and the three boats lowered. Oar
boat got the start, but came upon the whale's eye as
he rose the second time. The starboard boat lay

WHALE TAKEN. MADAGASCAR.

217

off, and took him head and head, so that she was
ready to strike the moment he appeared, and succeed-
ed in making fast with one iron. The mate's boat
came up next ; then ours. We gave him two irons,
but, in backing off the Une, got foul of the starboard
boat, and were obhged to cut away. We hauled
up by the other hne, and gave him a lance or two,
which dispatched him in a few minutes.

Owing to the roughness of the sea, we had much
difficulty in getting our prize alongside. This whale
yielded forty-five barrels of oil, which is considered
a medium size. The largest sperm whale I ever
beard of yielded a hundred and twenty barrels. In
the Indian Ocean whales of that size are not so com-
mon as in the Pacific.

January 29>th. — While trying out our last whale
we made Madagascar, in the vicinity of Fort Dau-
phin. The coast here is high, and, in parts, bold and
mountainous. At the distance of forty miles the land
was covered with hazy clouds, giving it a very beau-
tiful appearance. We cruised off and on for a few
days in search of whales ; but although we saw sev-
eral schools, they were making a rapid passage for
the bays on the coast of Africa, and gave us no
chance for a chase. . ' •' ; • •^-

February 2d. — Rounded Cape St. Mary, the most
southerly point of Madagascar. The coast here is
very low. Running dov/n the eastern side of the
cape, we approached within fifteen miles of the shore,
at which distance we could discern the huts of the

E E

218

MOZAMBIQUE CHANNEL.

natives scattered along the beach, and occasionally a
canoe.

February 9th. — After a short cruise in Mozam-
bique Channel, ran down for Madagascar, which we
made a few leagues to the southward of St. Augus-
tine's Bay. At ten A.M. made Sandy Island, or Nos
Vey, a low sand-bar, covered with a small growth of
trees, lying even miles off the mouth of the bay. A
coral reef, lying near the entrance of the bay, is seen
from the eastward of Nos Vey. We passed close
along this little island with the intention of anchor-
ing ; but finding no vessels in port, the captain deem-
ed it prudent not to trust to the friendly invitations
of the natives, who crowded down to the shores in
great numbers, and hundreds of whom were rapidly
pulling toward us in a large flotilla of canoes. The
Sacklaves, a tribe of the Malegashy in' ting this
part of the island, are described as a r... J blood-
thirsty and treacherous people, very friendly when a
large number of vessels are in port, but not to be
trusted alone or without being well armed. Mr.

P , our second mate, had spent nearly a month

in St. Augustine's Bay. He was well acquainted
with the character of the natives, and had seen a
shipmate of his murdered by a gang of them for at-
tempting to recover some stolen property.

At four P.M. we hauled off, and continued our
passage up the Mozambique Channel.

It was expressly laid down in the code of laws
which the captain gave us a few days after we left

BELLIGERENT FRIENDSHIP.

219

New Bedford, that any fighting that was to be done
would be promptly attended to by himself. Up to
the time we touched at Fayal the forecastle was tol-
erably pea^ ful. Bully had raised a few fights with
the Portuguese, but they ended without much per-
sonal damage to the belligerents. When Jack Smith,
the young Englishman, was shipped, our trouble
commenced in reality. Jack and Bully were sworn
friends the moment they met. They went shares in
every thing. Whatever was Bully's was Jack's, and
whatever was Jack's belonged to all hands in general,
and Bully in particular. For the first two or three
days it was truly an interesting study to watch the
progress of a spontaneous friendship between these
two affectionate youths. They made presents to
each other, spun yams to each other, sang together,
and bunked together. Their friendship was so sud-
den and violent that I very much feared it would be
of short duration. A week realized all my solicitude.
They quarreled, cursed each other, parted the bond
of fellowship, and became bitter enemies. In a few
days they made up again, and were more devoted
in their friendship than ever. Their next quarrel
was more violent than the first, and they did not
speak a word to each other for a week. However,
they made up again, and thus continued, quarreling
and making up, daring each other to fight, and back-
ing out when it came to the pinch. These quarrels
kept the forecastle in a perfect ferment. There was
no peace from one week's end to another. Being

■•^•F

220

A QUARREL.

I •

well matched in size and strength, neither wished to
be the aggressor. At length an accident gave them
a fair opportunity to test t^ eir pugilistic powers.

One morning, while we were cruising in the Mo-
zambique Channel, after the word was passed for
breakfast. Jack started to run down the ladder with a
pot of hot coffee. Bully had just turned out, and
was running up. The two heroes came in contact.
Bully got scalded, and, under the influence of the
pain, struck Jack. Upon this both parties closed,
and a desperate fight ensued. They had it up and
down the forecastle, right and left, here and there,
for about ten minutes, when Jack took a foul hold
on Bully. +

" Let me go !" roared Bully. v; 4P

•* Cry enough !" said Jack.

"I won't ! let me go !" rejoined Bully.

" Blow me if I do !" retorted Jack ; and there was
another scuffle for five or ten minutes. At length
Bully got clear, and clinched Jack by the shirt col-
lar. Pressing his knuckles hard upon Jack's neck,
he continued to tighten his grasp till Jack's face
turned purple. ..;,.; v-fu:

*' Cry enough !'* shouted Bully.

" Give me a chancre !" replied Jack, gasping for
breath.

" Are you licked V demanded Bully.

" Not yet !" said Jack. " Give me a knife, some-
body, or cut my shirt open. Cut ! cut ! I'm chok-
ing!" . ... ; .

A FLOGGING.

221

■ Choke and be d — d !" said Bully.

The advantage was rather on Bully's side, when
the mate came up to the scene of action, and knock-
ed him down.

" Now take that thr a koul hold !" said the mate.

" Mr. D -, if there's law in America, I'll have

it!" said Bully.

" Don't law me, you infernal scoundrel !"

" You'll pay for this when you get home, sir !"

" None of your jaw !"

" I'll have revenge for that blow !"

" You will, will you V shouted the mate, rushing
upon him again. Bully dodged, and made his escape.
As soon as the mate went aft, Bully and Jack went
to the waist to wash the blood off their faces. The
captain perceiving what had occurred, called them
aft, and, without any comment, ordered them to sit
one on each side of the companion way. When
breakfast was over in the cabin, the captain came on
deck, and sang out for the mate.

" Mr. D , call all hands aft. Come down from

the mast-head, every body."

It was my trick at the helm, so that I had an ex-
cellent opportunity of witnessing the whole scene.
The hands being ranged at the break of the quarter-
deck, and the boat-steerers by the main-mast, the
two belligerents were called up to give an account
of themselves.

" Blair, what have you bet;n fighting for ?" de-
manded the capi^ain.

222

A FLOGGING.

Here Bully gave his statement of the difficulty.

" Jack, what have you been fighting for ?"

Jack stated the case very fairly.

"Now," said the captain, "you've been fighting,

and I'll flog you both. Mr. D , seize those men

up!"

Jack's wrists were lashed to a ratlin on the star-
board side, and Bully's to a ratUn on the larboard.
The captain then provided himself with a piece of
tarred ratlin, and, striding up to Bully, bared the
man's back.

" Remember, now, this is for fighting."

" Oh, for God's sake, don't flog me, captain !" said
Bully, sensible of the degradation of the punishment
about to be inflicted on him.

" Not a word !" said the captain, whose blood was
boiling with passion. Take that ! and that ! and
that ! Do you feel it 1 Will you fight again ?"

Poor Bully groaned and writhed with agony.
Each stripe of the ratlin raised a blood-red mark on
his back.

" I'll show you how to fight !" roared the captain,
swinging the ratlin over his shoulder, and raising the
stripes with every blow. " I'll make an example of
you ! Take warning, all of you. You see what you
get for fighting. If that ain't enough, I'll lay it on
heavier next time. I'll skin your back worse than
tliat ! Cut him down now ! See if he'll behave
himself!" .

Jack's turn came next. At the first stroke he yell-
ed with all his might.

■ n

'■■;

■' 't I

■/^

1 ■' .^

'M.

;-M>^'*J-A,

J, :■«.

rr^^ ■■«;

i^F

m*?^.

■♦ ■^.

■:.?§

*j;%

!;*S!

..?**3

U.■X^a;S7J..■,■i■.^^^

1^-

"^^.

'^.

•■^>

;«L»vi(.: 'i 4*-'

^^•^

:^s.

e:^*'

^l^.^i-**.'

p^'ia.*-*!?:

iJ¥

"^.

r'i^

'■^v

•»-^.

ij^--.

TN^,

***6^

^""^^.^

'^.

't*!S?.

i*^

■ ' V f g 'yy tf w J L ' ■MMi 'Wwr '

?ft-

222

A '■l.oGtil^o.

Here Biillj' gavts \,m siatem«»Ht of tJbe dilfirv.' .
'•'Jack, wliat hav^j* j,(*<7tt hatm ti^hiiug forf*
Jack s^*i»>ti (hfi case ve»7 faidj.
♦♦NV>v^ ■ fbe captain. "V'.'i'vp been fiatriVu:.
iirtrf" t'R *?^4^' vuu 1«)tl». Mr. D ,sii\zfi thov i;^--

1.. s uerc lashed to a Vatjin oft tH« *»*?«-

; BaUy's to a ratlin on the }airh»-»ri

>fovki(.'d hiiiisclt" with a piewt '-i

' vvj^iog no to BuHv, bare^ rh-

hr ri^^hfiiig;."
^^% me. captrnii r sRui
'!■■ t)f tbe pum'shnxMil

" ><ot tmcardf r said the captaiif, ^clnise blootlvvas
{K^trng wtttt p»s^iwi Takt! ttwi * and that ' and
rluit ! Do you feel it ! VVUi y*Hi fijjbf agaiiii ?"

Po«>r Buliv croanetl au«l wl-ithed witii aironv.
Eaoh -ui|M:i of the ratlin 'uised a blood -red mark on
lifts liack.

' I il sihovt' voa how to tighl !" roared thocaptaiij.
^witt^wg;'^ FiWcHa over his sboukU-r, and rai.siug dt.
*i^t4i.M«v i4hhi»v<u\» ?ili^w. *' V\\ nuikft an cxaiVijd'' <.i'
« y- '' V<» '«^^;irM}».'^ «U of you. You ,s»'e wluu u i
#• • ^?i^ It «%:>t ! Vt enough, TM lay It ..n

»i»-.-iv. • <»ur back vrorsu I'l.-,

iliiH ' V .' •. > v»vv- i uuw * ^%<p if he'll \n\'\. •
hini^j t4"^'

J;irk - ?,^tf^-. i «}.• ■ ■.! V' ibr !tr>i sirok''; b< »!.•!'-

ed with :;!l <:■? :swi;i:t

« Oh Lord,
don't flog me !

« ril take ca
up for a month.
ging. Now ta
you feel it, don

The mate I
them a hint to
along the deck

" That's whi
dressing the cr
I told you so
fight, /'// flog.

long."

I was much
being reUeved i
windlass eating
humor.

"Well, B—
" I've got a lick
a tinker's d — n
prenticeship to

Not so with
gloomy and siU
lessness and w!
ous regard whii
another's feelin
tinually ridicuh
groans, and cryi
his meals, " Ob,

A FLOGGING.

223

« Oh Lord, captain ! Oh, for God's sake ! Oh,
don't flog me ! I'll never fight again."

« I'll take care you won't. If you do, I'll lay you
up for a month. Your back's been itching for a flog-
ging. Now take it ! Take that ! take that ! Yes,
you feel it, don't you t Cut him down, Mr. D ."

The mate having cut both the men down, gave
them a hint to go forward, which they did, lin»[ing
along the decks, scarcely able to walk.

" That's what you'll all get," said the captain, ad-
dressing the crew, '* if there's any more quarreling.
I told you so in the beginning. Any of you that
fight, /'// flog. Go forward now, where you be-
long."

I was much astonished, upon going forward, after
being reUeved at the helm, to find Jack sitting on the
windlass eating his breakfast with the utmost good
humor.

" Well, B ," said he, looking up and laughing,

"I've got a licking, but Fm used to it. I don't care
a tinker's d — n about lickin's now. I served my ap-
prenticeship to 'em in a man-o'-war."

Not so with Bully, who for several days was
gloomy and silent. The Portuguese, with a heart-
lessness and want of delicacy, so unlike the gener-
ous regard which the true American sailor has for
another's feelings under such circumstances, con-
tinually ridiculed and taunted him, mocking his
groans, and crying out every time he went below to
his meals, " Ob, capitan, for God's sake, no flog so

mmmm

224

ISLE OF MAKUMBA.

hard !" Jack took their ridicule with perfect indif-
ference ; but it cut Bully to the quick. There was
something diabolical and fiendish in this conduct of
the Portuguese. Bully was so completely crest-fallen
that he could not retort upon them ; from the day he
received the flogging his spirit was broken. -

I'l i':-f"

; (-•

(■■•.i

V > CHAPTER XIII.

Isle of Makumba Wood-cutting and Hot Weather. — ^Arrival at

Bembatooka Bay. — Town of Majunga. — ^American Traders.—
Natives. — Liberty Ashore. — Grand Dance. — Dinner at Mohammed
Desharee's. — Quarrel between the Captain and Mate. — Great
F6te in Honor of the Governor. — ^Ambolamboes and Sacklaves.—
Departure from Madagascar.

March 6/^.— Made Makumba, a small island lying
within four or five leagues >f the main island of
Madagascar.

As it was uncertain how soon we should reach
Bembatooka Bay, and being entirely out of wood, we
were compelled to run the risk of falling into the
hands of the natives here, who frequent this island
as a piratical rendezvous, where they can intercept
small craft bound to Bembatooka Bay. The waist-
boat's crew had watch below ; and it being the rule
for those who were off duty to go ashore, or on any
expedition like the present, I was lucky enough to
be among the number chosen for this adventure.

LANDING FOR WOOD.

226

The larboard boat was lowered, and manned by Ta-
bor, Jack Smith, myself, and three or four Portu-
guese, with the captain to ornament the stem sheets.
The island did not appear to be more than two
leagues off when we started ; but, after pulling hard
for about an hour, it seemed quite as far from us as
when we were on the deck of the barque. Whether
this fact was owing to a head wind or an ebb tide, I
could not say. It reminded me of an island I had
read of in a beautiful lake presenting a thousand at-
tractions, but always receding from those who at-
tempted to reach its favored shores. Sometimes I
fancied I could see the pebbles on the beach; the
next moment it seemed as far away as ever. In ad-
dition to the fatigue of rowing under a burning sun,
we had a still greater difficulty to contend with. Our
water keg was nearly empty. Captain A- rec-
ommended us to be very sparing of what we had,
as tiiere was no water on the island. In about three
hours from the time of starting, we hauled the boat
up on a white sand beach. The captain cautioned
us not to lose sight of the boat, and then ordered us
to take our axes and start off in search of wood. I
must confess, when I got out of the " old man's"
sight, I thought very little about the savages or the
wood. The novelty and excitement of exercising
my limbs once more on land, after being cooped up
for several months in a small barque, were so great
that I ran up the cliffs like a wild Indian, leaving my

F p

226

WILD SCENERY.

comrades behind me, and shouting for pure joy. In
my ramble I soon lost sight of the boat.

The shade of the trees in the interior of the isl-
and ; the tall, luxuriant grass ; the extreme richness
of the vegetation, and the grateful perfume of the
wild flowers, were all indescribably refreshing. I
grasped up bunches of weeds to enjoy their fra-
grance, for all the vegetable creation then seemed
fragrant to me. Eager to see every thing on the
island, and perceiving no traces of habitation, I as-
cended the peak, or highest part, from which a
splendid view may be had of the whole island, and
the adjacent parts of the coast of Madagascar.
There is a savage wildness in the prospect peculiar-
ly striking to one who had never gazed upon any
save the familiar scenery of civilized countries. The
boat's crew appeared like little black specks upon
the beach ; and their voices, mingled with the roar-
ing of the surf, were the only sounds that reached
my ear. Far away on the horizon floated our little
barque, which had drifted from land till her hull was
barely visible. Clouds piled upon clouds, with
bright, silvery outlines, hung over the distant hori-
zon in the most gorgeous array. 1 was lost in the
magnitude and sublimity of the scene. I thought
that even the untutored Sacklaves must gaze with
admiration upon such a manifestation of the might
and power of the Great Spirit. My enthusiastic
flights of imagination were suddenly dissipated by
the harsh voice of the captain, shouting,

TERRIBLE THIRST.

227

" You B , where the devil are you !"

"Here, sir." -< • ;

" Go down, then, and help to get the wood in the
boat." , .

This soon convinced me that I had been day-
dreaming, and the thought that I was still a slave
was depressing enough at such a moment. I envied
the freedom of the sea-gulls as they wheeled past
me in their sportive flights ; but such thoughts were
unavailing, and I sprang down the cliffs with my
axe on my shoulder, to aid my comrades in chop-
ping the wood and putting it into the boat. The
sun shone upon the beach with a heat so intense as
to blister my feet through my shoes. Parched with
thirst, I made my way to the boat, where I barely
squeezed enough of water out of the keg to wet my
lips. The rest of the crew suffered dreadfully from
thirst. Tabor, as usual, in a good humor, told us to
"grin and bear it," and he'd insure us a drink of
switchel when we got aboard. After we had pro-
cured a sufficient supply of wood to last us to Bem-
batooka Bay, we sat down on the beach and ate
some salt pork and bread, which the cook had stow-
ed away in the boat. I picked up several shells
and pieces of coral before we pushed off, as relics
of my visit to Makumba. When we pulled ashore
we had the land breeze to contend with ; now we
had the sea breeze against us. This was very pro-
voking. We were all tired of our day's work, and
parched with thirst.

228

TERRIBLE THIRST.

The barque bore down for the island as soon as
she took the sea breeze, and was rapidly nearing
us, when the wind died away again, and left her to
drift away on the current. I found that the salt
pork, instead of strengthening me, aggravated my
tliirst to bi/ach a degree that I actually thought my
end was approaching. The heat of the sun, upon
losing the breeze, became excruciating in its intens-
ity. How I got over the horrors of that evening I
can hardly tell. I held out, and pulled my oar as
long as it was possible to endure the heat and thirst;
for I would not be outdone by any of my comrades
while I had the breath of life in my body, or strength
to lift the oar. At this crisis a light breeze again
sprang up, and we lay on our oars till the vessel
reached us. I think I never sprang aboard with
more joy than I did when we hauled up alongside,
after all the sufferings of that day. I felt an undis-
guised affection for every old rope, shovel, brooui,
and handspike aboard ; and even the smell of the
try-works was agreeable to me. Tabor, true to his
word, had us a bucket of switchel made. I verily
believe I drank half a gallon of it before my thirst
was slaked. I had read in Mungo Park's travels,
and in the narratives of Denhani and Clapperton, of
the horrors of thirst in the deserts of Africa ; but I
never really sympathized with those adventurers till
my visit to Makumba had given me some idea of
their sufferings.

March 8ih. — Anchored off the mouth of Bemba-

i ' ,

ii -I

f.l

"^m

'h-

■Ik

( i

jfM^

1?^'

'^'■'IotiI

^B^Ka^Bi

1-^

jlWii

BwBwfM^B

ii ■

-BiHw Ui

"^^^MSfl^Ea^BI^^V ;

B^,t

1, sIBh.B

'^HHS^BBi^I^^^B (

iH^ni^B'lHlHv "I

' I^^k^hHHR n

t'lll

^^^^^^^^^^^^^HL^

2:28

I ■■ (;'i*,j>j,t; THJit-r..

'I '

'>iai{ii'' lurre tUnvjt fur >tii« Isiai.;- as soo-.
' ""v i{--; ji^a iin."*;'/.'. . ijnd was
' m:M r!f' wirul itu*»l AWa> ajiatu. ;<<»•.. t-ii u.

' :■' , ,'•>?■•. -I vh^mr'" tiiaf 1 actUHliv .uxi.-..
<. • ,i^t*^f-hinv' 'i.' he beat u; ihti »■■ <

. J- * 1 VI '• ,iffv' tiorvur;< oi iliiir i-v^

.■. ' .- ,■ V '^>^'>»* '^-' «!t*ili»rv; ilie hcatiiu. ..

\' •*./i:« T vs^fN .1 iieht !ii*of /

■ t » 1.- ..•..*(•. till ti»

ti'tvr al' rljc .siifli'-rlii'is f)i' that liav { I'.'.lt ?ii
;ui.-''(i .slli'tiioa \vv iri'.n oitl ro]»t'. siiovcl
' ii..;i'.^..ikf alioani; ;n.d even ilie >ut( :
',v>.;k*- '.vas agreenhl'.. (•;.' uic, ',! i<bur, irw-
'. Ikmi V ;> bu<;kp( <»t" <-Vv iutit^i juvkIc. ■' '
f / ..i;i. l-,a)', u tiullt'll d!' it l>rf'.)|,-«' It . .
• ' '■ ' ■». r^ad ill .Mniii.fO Vcirli.^ i.

■ 'i»' ({i'-"..'!"fs <if Atr}t.'a
. -.•. itU ;h(ise :!(.lvi;ii!inii'

tii^

f^i.l|,t^|l

-i 'h J) o-.,ih ol'.t'.i -•

tooka Bay, ar

hour's hard p

we rounded

stopped to ta

we sounded a

Majunga. Ci

along the bet

turbans of all

cotton, having

moment we h

ed by a " good

there awaiting

in search of t

stood, had bee

of hides for Si

hear English s(

resented by ti

of the small b(

words they hs

made the mosi

to make thenis

addressed by 1

ten years of ag

" Me speake
ty goot much,
well, tank you
hell Got tani !
sabe plenty En

Those who (
lish told me th(

^r^r

BEMBATOOKA BAY.

229

tooka Bay, and lowered the larboard boat. After an
hour s hard pull against an ebb tide and head wind,
we rounded Majunga Point, opposite which we
stopped to take soundings. In half an hour more
we sounded a long sand-spit, just above the town of
Majunga. Crowds of the inhabitants came running
along the beach, inviting us to land. They wore
turbans of all colors, and long flowing robes of white
cotton, having a very picturesque appearance. The
moment we hauled up on the beach we were greet-
ed by a "good-morning" from the natives, who stood
there awaiting our approach. The captain went up
in search of two American traders, who, he under-
stood, had been left at Majunga to procure cargoes
of hides for Salem vessels. I was quite surprised to
hear English so well spoken by a race of people rep-
resented by travelers as rude barbarians. Several
of the small boys seemed to be so proud of the few
words they had learned from the sailors, that they
made the most ludicrous mistakes in their attempts
to make themselves understood. I was continually
addressed by little urchins, not more than nine or
ten years of age, in the following strain :

" Me speakee bon goot Engleesh. Me sabe plen-
ty goot much. How you do dees morning ? Very
well, tank you ; me much worse better no goot go
hell Got tam ! Hein ? Hein ? You tink me no
sabe plenty Engleesh V

Those who could speak the most intelligible Eng-
lish told me they were from Johanna.

M J:

IfSP

230

MAJUNGA NATIVES.

M'F , who, like myself) had never been in a

savage country before, was very anxious to see
what the natives looked Uke, and how they were off
for "fodder." Taking advantage of the captain's
absence from the boat, we walked down along the
beach to the outskirts of the town, where we would
not be within hailing distance in case we were im-
mediately called ; being in no hurry to go on board
again, and hoping the captain, in his anger, would
leave us ashore till his return in the evening. On
reaching the lower part of the town, we saw at
a short distance a snug-looking bamboo hut, sur-
rounded by banana plants and a few straggling co-
coa-nut trees. At the door stood two or three of the
better class of the natives, who beckoned us to ap-
proach. We did not altogether like the looks of
one of the party, however, a tall, ferocious-looking
Ambolambo, whom I took to be a chief, from the
warlike manner in which he was equipped. He
was of a dark bronze color, naked to the middle,
with the exception of a loose robe thrown over his
left shoulder, and with a most extraordinary head of
hair frizzed out Uke rope-yarns, and fantastically
ornamented with feathers. The remainder of his
costume consisted of a clouty round the waist, and
a striped under-garment of native manufacture. In
his left hand he held a long spear, the pole of which
rested on the ground. His comrades wore turbans,
and were apparently of a different tribe or caste.
Knowing nothing of the character of these people,!

MACKS DIALOGUE.

231

was sotnewnat backward about trusting myself in
their power, so far away from the boat, and consult-
ed Mack as to the prudence of going any nearer.

" Never mind," said the " down-easter ;" " lay low
and keep dark. I'll talk to that 'ere feller. You
keep close in my wake, though, for I don't like the
looks on 'em much better than you do."

I did not altogether like the proposition of my
comrade, but finding him resolute, I thought it would
not do to let bin go alone. The savage chief con-
tinued making signs to us to approach. Mack ac-
cordingly hitched up his breeches, and started for
the hut, I keeping close by his side. A tall cocoa-
nut tree a few steps in front of the chief served as a
sort of mark for a truce ground, in case of hostility.
Doffing his hat. Mack stepped up, and with an ex-
pression of mingled apprehension and curiosity, gaz-
ed in the face of the warlike savage, without utter-
ing a word. At length, apparently satisfied that
there was no danger of an attack, he addressed him
in the most polite manner imaginable : " Good-morn-
ing, mister ! how d'ye dew, sir 1"

" Ra kaka chee tooka whocha !" growled the sav-
age (or something that sounded very much like this,
for I do not pretend to give hb remarks literally).

" What the nation does the feller mean 1" inquir-
ed the " down-easter," somewhat puzzled. " Say
that again, sir." '%•

" Crak koo wanee tee cha booz !"
- Gg

232

MACKS DIALOGUE.

Ks "Well, if that ain't the daradest lingo I ever
heerd ! I say, old hoss, can't you talk American t"

" Merikkaan 1 num whak chee taka-whee."

" No, no ; not that thar' outlandish nigger talk.
American."

" Merikkaan, si-mairre ! si-mairre !" rejoined the
savage, with a friendly grin. " Goot, goot, mans !"

" That's it," said Mack. " I know'd you could
talk it if you'd only hold your corn-trap straight.
Now, old feller, suppose you stand treat ! I'll bet
you've got some liquor in thar' in that little crib o*
youm ! What d'ye say ?"

" Goot, goot, mans !" j ,: f ,.:.,; ■;

"Well, then, let's have it, hoss." v. i j; • , ,

"Merikkaan!" •

" I say," exclaimed Mack, a little out of patience,
" tain't no use to be a fooUu'. If you've got the
Uquor, let's have it; and if you haven't, say so at
once. Maybe you have some oranges or cocoa-nuts V

"Orangee! cokko? chee whoop ee !" § • '

" She'll vvhip me ? Oh, now I know what he's
at. He's afraid his wife'll whip him if he lets us
have any thing. Well, we may's well plope. This
feller don't know beans from porridge, no how."

" Naka whozchee koo !"

" Oh, you needn't try to mend it You're nothin'
but a dod-burned nigger, or you wouldn't be so
mean." * •.;.;

Hereupon we started to return to the boat, when
the chief, advancing, took Mack by the arm, and

BARZY AND THE MADAGASCAR CHIEF.

DID]

in a very friei
pockets.

"Oh ho! ths
much thar', I te

"Goot, goot,
iog out a jack-l

"Well, what
I'm ready for a

« Whaka boo

" You can't c
it. If you wall
a dozen good o
it back. I ain'l

" Merikkaan

"Dod burn
Mack.

"Goot!"

"Toh— 1 wi

" Merikkaan-

" Look here, i
his hat in a gre
If you don't giv<
der, I'll be into
lightnin' !"

" Trokkoo sa
thrusting the kn

"Well, sir," s
"I'll let you off
ter. But 111 tel
any whar' nigb

DIDDLED OF HIS JACK-KNIFE.

235

in a very friendly manner began to search his
pockets.

" Oh ho ! that's your game, is it l You'll not find
much thar', I tell you."

<' Goot, goot, mans !" exclaimed the savage, pull-
ing out a jack-knife.

"Well, what'U you give for it? Come, mister,
rm ready for a trade."

" Whaka boo vvhoo ! Goot, goot, mans !"

" You can't come it that way, no how you can fix
it. If you waYit to trade, I'll give you the knife for
a dozen good oranges ; and if you don't, jest hand
it back. I ain't a goin' to be fooled, no way."

" Merikkaan goot !"

"Dod burn you, give me my knife!" shouted
Mack. .

"Goot!"

" To h — ^1 with your * goot !' I want my knife."

" Merikkaan — "

" Look here, nigger !" roared Mack, flinging down
his hat in a great passion, " that won't do, no how.
If you don't give me my knife in tolerable short or-
der, I'll be into you about as quick as a streak of
lightnin' !"

" Trokkoo saab kakakee," replied the chief, coolly
thrusting the knife in his clouty.

" Well, sir," said the Yankee, picking up his hat,
"I'll let you off this time. You don't know no bet-
ter. But I'll tell you what it is, if I catch you down
any whar' nigh the boat, I'll give you one of the

i ;■

■

236

WRATH THEREUPON.

darndest inaulins you ever had. If I don't mash
your ugly figure-head so you won't know whose it
is, there'll be a most almighty fight, any how. Look
out for it ! I ain't agoin' to be cheated by any
dod-burned black-faced nigger no way you can fix
it, I ain't."

On our way down to the boat. Mack let his wrath
loose in a manner so entirely original that I could
not forbear quizzing him about the loss of his knife.
This made him very angry, and he protested, if I
would only go back with him to see fair play, <« he'd
give that nigger a lickin' that would astonish me.
He'd whale his soul-case till it wouldn't look like
any thing I'd ever set my eyes on before." I need
hardly say 1 .eclined the banter.

The captain had not yet arrived at the boat.
Jack, in whose charge we had left it, was seated in
the bow, surrounded by a crowd of the natives, with
whom he was carrying on a rambling conversation in
broken English. More fortunate than Mack or my-
self, he had succeeded in bartering his knife for a
basket of oranges, which he generously shared with
us ; and we spent half an hour entertaining him with
a history of our adventure with the chief.

" I wish rd ha' been there," said Jack ; " I'll war-
rant you he wouldn't ha' got oflf so easy. I wouldn't
ask better fun than to knock the bloody lights out
of him!"

I had a good deal of curiosity to see the American
traders, having been nearly five months without see-

MEETING AMERICANS.

237

ing a civilized being, e^^-^ept on board the barque;
and there were none there particularly civilized. I
expected a hearty reception from these two fellow-
adventurers, believing that the sound of a new voice
to them in their native tongue would be somewhat
agreeable, after living for a length of time cut oflf
from the civilized world. Charley and myself went
up to the town, leaving Jack, with a crowd of na-
tives around him, to take care of the boat. We
found the captain and the two traders seated under
the portico of a stone house, surrounded by great
numbers of the natives, and an armed posse of the
governor's soldiers. One of the Americans was a
young man of genteel appearance ; the other an el-
derly man, whom I took to be an Englishman, but I
was afterward informed he was a citizen of Salem,
Massachusetts. They both regarded us with a cold
look of indifference, not deigning to favor us with a
word. I had forgotten that I was dressed in a greasy
whaling suit of duck; and for a moment I could
scarcely realize the idea of American citizens meet-
ing in a strange land without the least indication of
that courtesy and civility which are the proverbial
characteristics of the true American. That they were
neither Virginians nor Kentuckians was very evi-
dent ; and, besides, had I reflected upon the fact that
they were accustomed to keep company with cap-
tains and other officers, I might have known that poor
Jack could not reasonably expect any token of rec-
ognition from them. Still, I thought, as we were

238

RUN INTO THE DAY.

a little removed from the discipline of the ship, they
ought not to have suffered the natives to outdo them
in good feeling and courtesy toward strangers.

After the captain had obtained some information
relative to the town, and the best anchorage, vve
pulled aboard.

" Man the windlass !" was the first order after din-
ner. We got under weigh about two o'clock, and,
having a fair wind, ran straight into the bay, and
dropped anchor in a favorable position for procuring
wood and water. During the afternoon we were
busily employed in breaking out from the hold, hoist-
ing water casks on deck, and coopering and batten-
ing them for a raft. Anchor watches were chosen
for the night, and the rest of us went below to enjoy
the first uninterrupted night's sleep we had had for
nearly eight months.

Next morning after breakfast the mate came for-
ward, and sang out, " D'ye hear the news there 1
Get ready to go ashore, the starboard watch." There
was great commotion in the forecastle on hearing
this : red shirts, white ducks, and tarpaulins were the
order of the day. Two of the larboard watch, Jack
and I, pulled the other watch ashore. On our re-
turn to the vessel, a raft of casks was ready, which
we pulled ashore, and rolled upon the beach. We
then went back for the rest of the watch. By sun-
down we had filled the casks, towed them alongside,
and hoisted them aboard with a Spanish burden.

In the larboard watch there were D , the

RAMBLE ASHORE.

239

cooper, Antoine, Enos, Frauk, and the cook, Portu-
gaese, and Jack Smith, Bill Mann, and myself. It
was our liberty day ashore next.

Early after breakfast we went aft in our best sea-
rig for calico and cotton handkerchiefs, about a dol-
lar's worth of which was allowed each of the crew
to barter with the natives. At the suggestion of some
of the watch, I put my flute in my pocket. I was
afterward very glad of it, as it procured me a kind
reception wherever I went. The Portuguese went
off' to a grog-shop, kept by a native, who understood
a little English ; and Jack hauled up at the first hut
where there were women.

Accompanied by my friend D the cooper, I

started off on a ramble to see the town. The houses
are built of bamboo, and thatched with the leaves of
the cocoa-nut tree. There is little furniture in them,
except mats to sit upon, and a catanda or bamboo
bedstead. The doors are about three feet high, so
that the occupants are obliged to crawl in on all
fours. Majunga has a population at this time of
about six thousand ; but during the reign of the great
warrior Radama, it was much larger, having been
burned down several times since.

As D and I strolled along the principal street,

we were hailed in good English by a black fellow
sitting at the door of one of the huts, who proved,
upon a nearer approach, to be Davy, a native, who
had been several times aboard our ship. He had
visited America in a whaler, and understood the

240

THE POISONED MAJUNGAN

English language very well. Davy invited us into

the hut, where we found Mr. D and Bill Mann

very agreeably situated between two copper-colored
girls. Not wishing to disturb them, we hastened out
as soon as possible, and made our way to the house
of Mamoousa, one of the governor's officers, who
had given us a very cordial invitation, when on board,
to call upon him. It vv^as a neat bamboo hut, situated
near the market square, and formed quite a pleasant
retreat from the heat of th ) sun. While seated upon
a mat, enjoying a refreshing draught of air, I observed,
sitting outside the back door, the most remarkable
specimen of the human species I had ever seen — a
living skeleton. The poor creature was seated \vidi
his back against the house, under the full blaze of a
noonday sun. There was not a paiticle of flesh
visible on his bones. As he wore no clothing, with
the exception of a rag around his waist, the extreme
emaciation of his form was entirely exposed. 1q
many parts the naked bones were visible. Ma-
moousa informed me that this poor fellow haJ re-
ceived a wound in the wars with the Sacklaves with
a poisoned arrow, which ^vasted him away to his
present pitiable condition.

Our hospitable friend treated us to some cocoa-
nuts and ban^Tias, and introduced us to a couple of
his wives, who, he gave us to understand, were at

our service. D had always been lecturing us

on board the vessel for all the carnal vices of our
nature, and especially the lusts of the flesh, which,

D S MORMON MORALITY.

241

he maintained, were not only in conflict with the
Mormon doctrine, but with every moral priaciple
which ought to guide us in our way through Ufe.
He had also maintained, by repeated quotations from
the codes of his church, that all illicit indulgence:
were most heinous and flagrant violations of the
Mormon religion ; a religion which, if embraced by
mankind in general, would insure them a happy rest-
ing-place beyond the skies. Moreover, D never

swore, or heard the snilors make use of obscene
language, without giving them a great deal of whole-
some advice. With such a companion, therefore, I
would have felt perfectly secure from temptation had
Mamoousa's ladies been much more attractive than
they were ; but they were sufficiently disgusting in
themselves to keep me at a safe distance from them.
Not LO with my pious friend ; for, while I was con-
versing with Mamoousa, D was engaged in a

very suspicious pantomimic conversation with one
of the dusky dames. I presume his object was
merely to give her a lecture upon the great beauties
and benefits of the Mormon doctrine ; at all events,
it would be uncharitable to put any other construc-
tion upon his mysterious proceedings.

In about an hour, the mate and Davy called by
for us to go to a dinner, which was ready up at Da-
vy's house. We glad accepted the invitation, and
made all possible haste to the hut of our good friend.
The dinner consisted of beef, soup, rice, boiled
maize, and melons, which was something new to

H H

''iu\

242

JIAMBLE THROUGH THE TOWN.

US, at least. We made a hearty meal, and remuner-
ated Davy for his kindness by presenting him with
a few yards of calico and a red flannel shirt.

On our return toward the market-place, a melan-
choly object attracted my attention. In the middle
of the ruins of a stone building, without a roof, sat a
poor negro chained to a rock, and so covered with
stripes and sores as to bear the apperirance rather of
a putrefied corpse than of a living b€ ing. I was told
by one of the natives that this poor wretch was a
native of Mozambique, who had wounded one of
the governor's subjects with an axe. The governor
had sent an account of the affair to the queen, who
ordered the prisoner to be kept in irons till the de-
cease or recovery of the wounded man should de-
cide his fate. He had been in the situation in
which we saw him for two months, and had entire-
ly lost his hearing and the use of his limbs from the
heavy night dews, and the cruelties inflicted upon
him by his keepers. As he sat with his ba^k against
the rock, groaning in agony, and loaded w-.h chains,
I thought there could not be a more pitiable object
upon the face of the earth. We gave him a few
plugs of tobacco and passed on.

D and I, determined to see every thing curi-
ous about town, struck out through a labyrinth of
by-streets and alle)'s. We had reached the out-
skirts of the town, and were pushing our way
through an avenue of bushes, when a voice from a
shantee, or hut, at a little distance hailed us : " Hullo,

SMOKE-HOUSE.

243

whar' you goin' 1 Come dis way ; dis de place for
white man." We went to the door of the hut,
which was clouded with smoke issuing from within.
I thought at first that the whole concern was on fire.
Peering through the smoke, however, we recognized
the dusky face of our friend Davy, who, grinning
from ear to ear, invited us to walk in and take a
smoke.

This was what the natives call a smoke-house,
where they pay so much a week to enjoy a -ossip
over the pipe. There were five or six Ambolambos
squatted around a small fire, one of whom, the pro-
prietor of the establishment, was employed in filling
a large earthen pipe, the lower part of which con-
tained water. This he passed round, giving each
of the company a few puffs, Davy told us that it
was a favorite substitute for rum, producing all the
excitement of strong liquor without the evil effects.
When carried to excess, it excites the system like
exhilarating gas. The savage energy with which
the natives in the hut went to work was really
amusing. The smoke rolled up in dense volumes,
and the perspiration teemed in streams from their
dusky faces. Davy requested us to keep a sharp
look-out, and he would show us how to enjoy a
smoke. Stripping himself stark naked, he braced
himself firmly against the wall, and took hold of the
pipe. For several minutes he sucked with all his
might as rapidly as he could gain breath. With ex-
cited features and distended breast he continued at

i;-

1 .i^

i.i

9t1
1

l i

1 '

B(i

r<.

I'i

V'.ii

i 11

IM \

244

MAJUNGAN MARKET.

this till entirely enveloped in smoke, when he paus-
ed from sheer exhaustion. The dense clouds around
him clearing away, he again became visible, the
perspiration teeming down his face, his eyes closed,
and his whole countenance betokening great comfort
and satisfaction. This operation he repeated fre-
quently till entirely drunk.

We left the hut highly entertained with the exhi-
bition we had seen. In the course of our peregrina-
tions we found our way to the public market-place,
where new objects of curiosity attracted our atten-
tion. The butchers were squatted down under
bamboo sheds>, engaged in cutting up beef, weighing
small pieces of silver, which form the currency of
Majuuga, and stowing away rice and other commod-
ities, which they receive in exchange for meat. Scat-
tered along through the market-place are several
grog-shops or drinking-houses. Any one who is
rich enough to buy a barrel of rum from a vessel
trading between Majunga and the Isle of France
can set up an establishment of this sort ; the entire
stock necessary being a barrel of rum : nd a gourd
or cup. Besides beef and rice, the only articles we
saw offered for sale were straw baskets, honey,
plums, mangoes, lemons, melons, oranges, bananas,
queen's ware, and a kind of cloth manufactured by
the natives from the bark of the cocoa-nut tree. A
stranger, ignorant of the actual value of such things,
is charged double price for them. The currency is
silver. Dollars are cut up into various-sized pieces.

MADAGASGAN BULLOCK.

245

from the value of a cent up to ninety-nine cents.
To prevent imposition, all who have considerable
dealing to do keep small scales, with which they
weigh the money. It is not an uncommon thing to
see brokers' offices even in this savage land. A
desk containing weights, pieces of silver, and a pair
of scales, constitutes all that is necessary for an es-
tablishment of this description.

The Madagascan bullock is not unlike the buffalo
in appearance, but of a lighter and more active
build. It has the hump on the shoulder, the thin
flanks, and deep chest. The hair is short and sleek,
and the legs formed for fleetness. As they run wild
about the island in large herds, their flesh is tough
and muscular, and, of course, not to be compared
with our domestic cattle. The hides are purchased
from the natives in large quantities by the traders
stationed at Majunga for that purpose. Nothing
can be more cruel and disgusting than the manner
in which cattle are butchered here. The victim is
made fast to four stakes firmly driven in the ground,
so that he can not move, and in that situation is at-
tacked by a gang of boys and men, armed with
knives and axes, who chop and hew at him till his
liip*>s are cut away, and he falls to the ground, bel-
lowing with pain. I saw a bullock butchered in
this way, which, to prolong the sport, was suffered
to run around the market square for nearly an hour
on three legs, with a gang of boys after him, yelling
and laughing at the attempts of the poor animal to
escape.

■( 1 J 1

.i '

246

GOVERNORS PALACE.

While examining every object of curiosity in the
market-place, the mate came along and invited us to
accompany him to the fort and the governor's pal-
ace. A pleasant walk of about half a mile brought
us to the top of a hill upon which the fort stood, di-
rectly in front of the governor's residence. The
gate was guarded by a number of soldiers, armed
with spears and muskets. We sat down on a low
stone wall in front, not being allowed to enter the
premises of his sable mightiness. Hoy Audrimaro,
without a permit from himself or his chief officers.
Within the inclosure is a tall staff with a white flag
bearing the name of the queen in large black letters :
RANARALO MANJAKO.

The captains of vessels are allowed to visit the
governor at any time ; but sailors and subordinates
are treated with a dignified contempt by this impor-
tant functionary. Bearing in mind that " music hath
charms," &c., I drew out my flute, and, as a number
of the soldiers had already seen it in the town, they
gathered around me in crowds to hear me play. I
struck up " O dolce concento," with variations. At
the end of each variation they clapped their hands,
and cried out, " Maivre ! maivre !" signifying " Good !
good !" accompanying this exclamation with a grunt
of astonishment. They had apparently never seen
a flute. I found that fiddles and banjoes were quite
familiar to them, and many of them had instruments
of this kind rudely constructed by themselves. They
use an instrument made of reed, somewhat like a

MADAGASCAN MUSIC.

247

flute, and a " bambooa," or large bamboo, about two
feet long, with strings peeled from the bark, under
which are placed pieces of wood, forming a rude
imitation of the guitar, and not unlike it in sound.
While I was entertaining the soldiers with my flute,
the governor's secretary, Ami Selamica, a small, dark
man, habited in a light cotton robe, and armed with
a spear, came to the gate and listened with great at-
tention until I had concluded, when he expressed his
satisfaction in good English, and requested me to
play a waltz. Wishing to know if he really had
any idea of the difference between the time of one
tune and another, I asked him to whistle the waltz
he wished me to play. To ray great surprise, he
gave me with great accuracy the Q,ueen of Prussia's
waltz. I had much curiosity to get a better view of
the governor's palace than we had from the outside
of the gate, and I told Selamica if he wished me to
play I must go in, as the crowd was too great out-
side. Eying me very keenly, he observed, "Gov-
ernor no allow sailor in. Are you sailor V

Knowing that sailors were not admitted, I replied,

" Why do you take me to be a sailor V ; • ,

" You wear blue shirt."

" True, but any body can wear a blue shirt. You
don't know whether I'm a sailor or not. Perhaps
I'm the captain's son." , > . la /; t : ;

" Capitan's son ? Oh well, suppose you capitan's
son, I go see the governor. Stay there. Presently
Selamica return ;" and, so saying, the secretary went
off full speed to see the governor.

' i

248

A WALK OVER THE HILLS.

D and the mate were highly amused at the

trick about to be played upon Selamica and the
governor ; but my scheme was frustrated by the fact
that his sable highness was taking a nap and could
not be disturbed. The secretary, however, shook
hands with me as I was going away, and invited nie
to call again, promising to speak to Hoy Audrimaro
of my musical powers, and obtain leave to admit nie.

The mate, D , and myself, spent the remain-
der of the evening walking over the hills, and en-
joying the refreshing sea breeze. The scenery in
the vicinity of Majunga is not very prepossessing,
being barren and rocky, and the vegetation crisped
by the burning rays of a tropical sun. The beach
is in many places of snowy whiteness, which ren-
ders it very painful to the eyes at particular periods
of the day when it reflects the sun's rays. Within
range of the eye are the opposite shores of Bemba-
tooka Bay, presenting a dreary waste of inhospita-
ble rocks and inland, and a succession of hills and
barren land, with scarcely a patch under cultivation.
On the margin of the bay, near the lower part of the
town, are a few plantations very indifferently culti-
vated.

It was nearly sundown when we reached the
landing. The waist boat was already waiting for
us, and, as soon as the stray Uberty men could be
gathered together, we went on board, having thus
spent our first liberty day.

The captain and mate were still on very bad

A "GREASY QUARREL.

249

terms. Nothing went right ; nothing suited the " old
man." He was continually snapping at the officers,
and particularly at the mate, against whom he en-
tertained the most inveterate feelings of enmity. As
a natural consequence, there was a general relaxa-
tion of discipline, and all hands did pretty much as
they pleased when out of the captain's sight. He
annoyed the mate in every possible way, and the
mate retaliated by abusing him before the men ; so
that, to use his own language, " the barque was go-
ing to the devil as fast as she could."

During the middle watch one night, while we lay
at Majunga, «i squall came on. We began to drag
anchor. The mate was unwell, and the man on
deck called the captain. When he came on deck,
he found a pile of casks on the chain of the starboard
anchor. In a furious passion, he called upon the

mate to turn out. As soon as Mr. D made his

appearance, the captain turned fiercely upon him,
and addressed him in the most violent language, part
of which was drowned by the roaring of the squall.
1 could just hear the conclusion of his harangue :

"Mr. D , you lied to me. You told me a

d — d lie. You said the chains were clear before I
turned in."

" And so they were, sir. I left them clear."

" Do you call these clear ? Mind what you say.
Don't lie to me ! don't lie to me ! I'll larn you bet-
ter ! I'll show you how to he to me, d— n you !"

" Captain A , I'm not used to such language

1 1

;

250

THE CAPTAIN AND MATE.

from any man. You can believe what I tell you or
not ; but don't tell me I lie, sir. I'll not stand it !"

" I'll tell you what, then, if you can't pay more
attention to your duty, /'// do your duty. /'// do it
for you. Take warning, now. I've talked to you
before."

" I've always done my duty. Captain A ."

" You have not ! Do you mean to tell me I lie I"

" Take it as you like, sir ; you're determined not
to be pleased with any thing I do ; and, to tell you

the truth, Captain A , I don't care a curse

whether you're pleased or not. My heart's blood
wouldn't satisfy you. I've tried to satisfy you, but
all h— 1 wouldn't do it"

'♦ None of your slack-jaw ! I've always seen mates
obey orders without a word."

" I've always seen captains attend to their own
business. You interfere too much for your own
good."

" I'll make you attend to yours as long as you're
mate of this ship. I've had enough of your insolence ;
I'll make you know your place hereafter."

" You can begin now, if you Uke, Captain A .

I'm ready for you at any moment — in any shape. If
you don't like what I say, you can help yourself.
Come ahead, if you want satisfaction. I'm the man
for you!"

Like all buUies, the captain was a coward at heart;
and the moment he thought there was some danger
of a collision, he walked aft, muttering,

MOHAMMED OESHAREE.

251

" I wish to God you were out of the ship."

"I wish I was!" retorted the mate; "and the
sooner the better. Put me out just as soon as you
please." ;

The squall above and the squall below ended at
the same time. As soon as we got the chain clear
we went below, highly edified with the rhetorical
exhibition we had just enjoyed.

I spent my next day's liberty even more agreeably

than the first. My friend D and I had received

an invitation on board the barque to dine with a na-
tive of Johanna, Mohammed Desharee, reputed to
be a man of wealth and distinction. We had given
him numerous presents, and treated him with much
civility and attention, so that we looked for quite a
blow-out on our liberty day. When we got ashore,
we were met by Mohammed on the beach, ready to
conduct us to his house. He invited the whole
watch to partake of the entertainment.

We found Mohammed's house quite a palace in
comparison with the generality of houses in Majun-
ga. It was a large bamboo building, thatched with
palmetto, and whitewashed outside. The interior
was fitted up in the most curious and fantastic style.
The walls were covered with Chinese plates, Ameri-
can looking-glasses, Arabian fans, flags of different
nations, Chinese pictures, old copper plates with in-
scriptions, Egyptian relics and charms, and various
other curiosities. In the sitting-room were two
sofas, with silk cushions, ornamented with gaudy

"^^^^

^.V^<

IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-3)

1.0

I.I

11.25

121 125

■ 2.2

iu »x ini

1.4 il.6

FtotDgraphic

Sciences

Corporation

IS WIST MAIN STRUT
WnSTIR.N.Y. MStO

^^^'t.

^^.v

252

VAST LIBERALITY.

fringe-work. Mohammed informed us, with a look
of pride and exultation, that " this house was his ;
all this property was his; he had four wives, two
hundred slaves, five hundred head of cattle, two
plantations near Majnnga, and one in Johanna — all
his." Notwithstanding his riches, he wanted pay-
ment for the> dinner we were about to get, and that,
too, before we ate it We offered him a new shirt
and several fathoms of calico ; but he refused them
with disdain, saying, " Give me more ; I can no give
you dinner for dis." Cursing the fellow for his
meanness, we started off in high dudgeon to dine

aboard the ship. He called D and me back,

protesting that he did not intend to offend us ; but
that we had hurt his feelings by offering him any
thing at all. After a long harangue, he wound up by
asking us two to dine with him " as brothers," assur-
ing us that he loved us "all de same as himself."
The rest of the crew were mean time hull-down ;
and having no desire to go aboard, D and my-
self remained, determined at least to be even with
him for his meanness in some way.

By-and-by a table was carried in about two feet
long, and a foot and a half wide. I now began to
suspect the true cause of his treating our watch so
cavalierly. He had boasted extensively of his great
wealth; but the fact was, he neither had a table large
enough to accommodate us all, nor more than three
or four whole plates ; and his vanity was too great
to bear the humiliation of making a confession of the

GREAT DINNER. ^NO SPOONS.

253

actual state of his household affairs. Dinnen was
served with all the pomp and display of a public
banquet at one of the best hotels. The word was
passed, a back door was thrown open, and six or
eight slaves, each bearing something, entered in In-
dian file. After all the ceremony of setting the table,
we had nothing to eat bat a few hard-boiled e^,
a plate of rice, another of fish, and a panful of rice
batter cakes. The table being too small to contain
all, we were obliged to set some of the dishes on the
chairs, and, so situated, my friend and myself sat
down ; Mohammed, seeing us look round apparently
in want of something (which was true enough, as
there were no knives or spoons visible), told us to
"eat plenty much." Seeing ao other resource, I
took out a small pen-knife, which I fortunately had
in my pocket. D was better off, having a jack-
knife, and a fork with two prongs. I made some
laughable attempts to devour the rice with my pen-
knife. It was too slow a process, however, for a
half-famished whaleman, and I commenced attacking
the dishes with my hands. Mohammed seeing the
difficulty, called to one of his slaves, who brought
me a spoon. With this I got along well enough.

We ate a hearty meal, such as it was ; after which
we took possession of the sofas, lighted a couple of
cigars, and lay smoking like nabobs for an hour or
two. Mohammed talked incessantly of his immense
possessions, giving us to understand that he was the
richest and most distinguished man in Majunga.

254

FRESH COCOA-NUTS.

When we u ere done smoking, he asked us to walk
out to his plantation, which was about a mile below
the town. We gladly agreed to the proposal ; and
off we started through groves of underwood, brakes,
and lagoons. In half an hour we arrived at the
plantation, which was indeed a very pleasant place.
The wide-spreading mangroves afforded us a cool
and delightful shade, while the tall cocoa-nut trees,
freighted with fruit, promised us something refresh-
ing to the palate.

Mohammed called a little boy, and ordered him
to climb one of the trees for cocoa-nuts. With the
aid of a piece of kyaa rope, which he placed in
niches cut in the tree, the boy soon reached the
top, and threw down the cocoa-nuts in abundance.
This delicious fruit can only be enjoyed in perfec-
tion when eaten green, and directly from the tree.
The milk is then rich and sweet ; the pulp delicious,
resembling white jelly or blanc-mange in appearance.
We sat for about an hour under the refreshing shade
of the trees, highly ami ied by the egotism of Mo-
hammed Desharee.

"These groves," said he, "of cocoa-nut trees, man-
groves, oranges, plums; these fields of rice, maize,
and plantains ; these houses, and all the slaves you
see, are mine — all mine."

With this and other remarks of the kind he amus-
ed us, until the sun warned us to return to the boat
landing.

The boat not having arrived, we wound up the

MUSIC.

255

asures of the day at the market-place. I shall
never forget the hin we had that evening. The son
had set, and the whole square was occupied by Mo-
hammedan grandees, squatted on the ground, enjoy-
ing the cool of the evening, and chatting over the
affairs of the day. I was hailed by a general cry of
"Music, music." Drawing out my flute, I struck up
'< Clar de Kitchen," upon which an old man with a
long white beard jumped up, clapping his hands and
dancing about in great glee. He was followed by
others, who crowded around me, till I presently
found myself surrounded by the whole group of
grave old Mussulmans, all dancing and shouting as
if possessed of the devil.

" Well done. Jack ! play on ! Maivre ! maivre !"
was sung out at the end of every tune. Others, see-
ing the fun, came running from all quarters, and in
less than ten minutes I verily believe there were
over two hundred men and boys, from eighty to five
years of age, all shouting and capering around me.
A gang of lads with drums came up and joined me ;
and such a confusion of sounds I never heaid as
was made that evening. I received the thanks and
cordial good wishes of the whole company, with in-
vitations to call at their houses and dine with them
my next liberty day. The boat having by this time
arrived, we went on board to pay for our frolic by
hard work next day. Whenever I went ashore af-
ter the spree at the market-place, I was hailed from
all quarters for " music."

256

MAJUNGA POPULATION.

Majunga is situated on the northeast side of Mad-
agascar. The inhabitants are mixed races, but chief-
ly of the Ambolatuboe tribe, the most powerful of the
Malegash. The wealthiest residents are descend-
ants of the Arabs, from Johanna, Zanzibar, and the
coast of Africa,. The population of the town is
composed of the Malegash, Sowhelians, a race be-
tween the Arab and the African, natives of Zanzibar
and the Cormoro Islands, Africans, Hindoos, and
Jews from the East Indies.

Beef, rice, fish, maize, potatoes, cassada root,
yams, and fruit, are the principal articles of provi-
sion.

The governor, Hoy Audrimaro, who derives his
office from the queen, has great power, and is very
much feared by the lower classes. His residence is
situated on the top of a hill, about half a mile back
of the town. An avenue, hedged in with bushes,
and shaded with cocoa-nut, mangrove, and orange
trees, leads up to the large massive wooden gate,
which I have already alluded to as situated at the
entrance of the square in which the palace stands.
This gate is usually guarded by a corps of Ambo-
lamboes armed with spears and muskets.

The northern part of Madagascar is now under
the dominion of a queen, whose name is Ranavalo
Manjako. This is the most civilized part of the
island. It is inhabited by Ambolamboes and strag-
gling parties of the Sacklave tribe. The two great
tribes are the Ambolamboes and the Sacklaves — cue

THE AMBOLAMBOES.

257

occupying the northern, and the other the southern
parts of Madagascar. There is also a powerful tribe,
inhabiting the central and mountainous parts of the
island, called the Orahs. The Sacklaves and Ambo-
lamboes have been engaged in a sanguinary war for
upward of thirty years, and there is yet no prospect
of its termination.

I saw more cripples in Majunga than I had ever
seen in any place of its size. Most of them had
been wounded in the war with the Sacklaves, who
use poisoned spears, the slightest wound of which
is fatal, producing a sore that gradually destroys the
whole body.

The Ambolamboes are a fine race of men ; tall,
athletic, and well formed. Their simple costume
displays their fine proportions and muscular limbs to
great advantage. They are an indolent people, and,
perhaps, owing to the fact that they do but little
work, their hands are remarkably small. Constant
exercise with the spear and war-club develops the
muscles of the arms and chest, and renders them ex-
tremely powerful antagonists. I noticed but little
distinction between the Ambolamboes and Sack-
laves, except that of wearing the hair. The Ambo-
lamboes leave it in its natural bushy state, sometimes
ornamented with beads. The Sacklaves all wear
their hair braided. Over the forehead are two wide
braids covering the temples, and curiously drawn
across the eyebrows, giving the countenance a stern

cast, which is increased by a short mustache, and a

fn'^^^^H^^^I

fflil

I'll J|

iir

ill

258

AMUSEMENTS AMONG THE NATIVES.

tuft of beard on the chin. With their highly-pol-
ished spears and flowing robes thrown gracefully
over the left shoulder, they are decidedly as warlike
and fine-looking a tribe as one could wish to see.
Those of the Sacklaves residing at Majunga are
subjects of the queen, who had been taken prisoners
in the war. If they attempt to make their escape or
take up arms against the queen, they are instantly
beheaded.

Music and dancing are favorite pastimes with the
Malegash. The young Ambolamboes in Majunga
have a pole erected in the market-place, with niches
in it, upon which they hang half a dozen drums ev-
ery evening, and beat upon these and dance around
them half the night. We could scarcely sleep on
board the vessel in consequence of the uproar kept
up at night by these drummers and dancers.

There are several mosques in the town, in which
the Mohammedans perform their devotions. Their
manner of calling together their congregations is
somewhat singular. Within a few yards of the well
from which we procured our water stands one of
these mosques. The back entrance faces the well.
I saw numbers of natives performing their ablutions
in a large trough of water, but paid little attention to
what was going on. Presently my ears were stun-
ned by a voice at the door of the mosque, shouting,
in a wild, melancholy key, "Alla-ak-ba! Alla-ak-hal"
Casting my eye around to see whence the sounds
proceeded, I saw standing at the mosque door a tail,

PREPARATION FOR VISITORS.

259

powerful man, dressed in white, with a turban on
his head, shouting at the highest pitch of his voice,
" AUa-ak-ba!" followed by a long rigmarole not very
intelligible to me. His hands were placed against
his ears, as if to shut out his own wailing cry.
About every five minutes he turned toward the pul-
pit and muttered a short prayer, and then resumed
his dismal "AUa-ak-ba!"

Gambling is a favorite pursuit of the people of
Majunga. Seated at the doors of the houses may
be seen at all times of the day groups of gamblers
playing the exciting game. • -,;'«'

On Saturday the captain dined with the govern-
or. In return, the governor was invited to dine
on board the barque. Mamoousa was desired to
explain that it was not customary for his excellency
to visit vessels belonging to foreign countries, but
that a deputation of the officers of the palace would
be sent to represent him.

On Monday, at twelve o'clock, we prepared our-
selves to receive our distinguished visitors. They
came alongside in a large canoe, highly decorated
with ornamental fringe- work. In entering the cabin,
the following was the order observed :

General Merimaro, chief commanding officer.

Melanzoone,. captain of the fort.

Mamoousa, captain of the body guards.

Ami Salamica, secretary to the governor.

Risalvo, first officer of the port.

Rinejaro, treasurer, followed by several subordinate
officers.

260

THE REPAST.

These distinguished gentry were habited in vari-
ous costumes, betokening their different ranks. Gen-
eral Merimaro was as black as the ace of spades,
and looked for all the world like a servant in livery.
Mamoousa wore an English dress, which seemed to
sit very awkwardly on him. The rest of the com-
pany were dressed in the native costume of the Am-
bolamboes, which is decidedly the most appropriate
and picturesque dress they wear.

The dinner surpassed, in abundance and grandeur,
any thing ever before given by our captain. It was,
indeed, quite a matter of speculation for us, who
looked at the proceedings with utter amazement,
actually believing something had operated upon the
captain's bowels of liberality. Two of the hands,
Bully and Enos, were called aft to wait upon the
darkies ; an honor which had been tendered to me,
but which I most respectfully declined, notwithstand-
ing the tempting prospect of stray crumbs from die
table. There was one pie, a real chicken pie; not
very large, to be sure, for twelve or fifteen persons ;
but it was a chicken pie ! and there was a piece of
fresh beef, and a piece of salt beef, and a piece of
fat pork ! These were the substantial, particularly
the pork, which, it was very well known, the na-
tives would not eat. Then there was for dessert
one bottle of wine, some molasses and water, and a
kid of ship->bread ! Oh ! it was " a sadly touching
sight" to stand by the cook's galley and witness the
ilisappearance, one after another, of all these rarities;

CONCLUDING THE BANQUET.

261

to be regaled with odoriferous fumes from the pass-
ing dishes ; to see the steward dive down the com-
paaion-way to that " bourne whence no morsel re-
turneth;" and yet, with whetted appetites, and a
perfect appreciation of all that is savory, palatable,
and refreshing, to be compelled to make a miserable
meal of the remnants of dirty bread in the forecastle,
soar molasses, and a few scraps of old horse.

We lay about the forecastle deck smoking and
talking, while the captain was entertaining his com-
pany. From the uproarious noises which we occa-
sionally heard, it was quite evident that the sable
gentry and their generous host were enjoying them-
selves to their entire satisfaction. Dinner over, the
captain took out his calicoes, and, favored by the
good-humor of his company, commenced trading
with them. They knew too well the value of goods
to be cheated ; and none of them would submit to
bis extortions, when they could purchase goods from
die trader ashore, of a better quality, for half the
price. The result was that there was a general war
of words, and the entertainment broke up with ill
feeling on both sides. I went aft to the scuttle-butt
to hear what was going on. Mamoousa, as he was
about to jump over into the canoe, whispered in my
ear, " You got one mean capitan. He no like Ameri-
can man !" The whole procession moved toward
the gangway in disorder and confusion, and jumped
over into the canoe, vociferating sundry benedictions
on the barque Styx.

X\}4.

uxi^Li *jf tAHe, At u.-i^^AiOOKA.

Our recruit at Bambatooka Bay consisted of a
very stingy supply of fresh meat and fruit, which
lasted us abou* two weeks. Some of the officers
procured a couple of mokaks and a Madagascar pap.
The pup was called Mamoousa, and of course was
a good Mohammedan. It was very amusing to see
the effect produced upon him by the sight of a litter
of pigs which we had on board. Whenever they
got him into a tight corner, they were sure to give
him a thrashing; but, being a good Mohammedan, he
could not be forced to defile his teeth with the filthy
swine.

Rajapoot, a native, who had agreed to furnish us
with wood, brought a large canoe alongside in the
evening, containing about a whale-boat load, which
was what he contracted to furnish. After we got it
on board, the captain refused to pay the sum agreed
upon. Rajapoot argued that he had fulfilled his con-
tract, and was entitled to be honestly paid for his
wood ; but if the captain wished he would take it
back again, he would do so. The captain would
neither give it up, nor pay for it. Rajapoot went off
m high dudgeon, swearing he would raise men enough
ashore to take the vessel. As soon as he was gone,
we were set to work clearing away the casks in the
blubber-room, and stowing away the wood under
hatches, it being the design to pay all dues " with the
fore-top-sail." We were ordered to go to work very
silently, in order that we might not alarm the n?tives
by any symptoms of preparation to put to sea. That

"raising the wind."

263

they might suspect nothing unusual, I was told to go
out on the jib-boom and " blaze n^vay" on my flute.
I thought it rather a hard case to be obliged to par-
ticipate in cheating poor Rajapoot, light as the duty
assigned to me was ; but this was not a matter of
taste. The American portion of the crew all grum-
bled at the meanness of this trickery ; and the mate
said, " if he could raise three dollars, he'd pay for the
wood himself, sooner than such an act of low, stealthy,
contemptible meanness should be attributed to a ves-
sel bearing the flag of ihe United States." We held
a private consultation about raising a subscription to
pay the bil; but, upon examining our effects, we
were not able to scrape up even two dollars' worth
of property; all our clothing consisting of a few
miserable rugs, for which we felt much indebted to
the outfitter.

It is treatment like this that renders the natives
treacherous and hostile. There has been more done
to destroy the friendly feelings of the inhabitants of
islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans toward
Americans, by the meanness and rascality of whaling
captains, than all the missionaries and embassies
from the United States can ever atone for.

' Pay them with the fore-top-sail !" is a mode of
cheating the natives as common in practice as in
theory. Such examples will invariably be followed;
for where the vices of civilized life are sown, there
they will grow.

Watches were kept all night on the bow, but no

J • i j ' S V .' 1

264

FRUITS OF INDULGING IN FRUITS.

attack was made. Next morning a strong ebb tide
was setting out At daylight all hands were called
to weigh anchor. The wind died away before we
doubled the sand-spit, and the tide drifted us ashore.
We got out two whale lines, attached to a small
kedge anchor, with which we warped her off the bar.
A violent rain storm came on during our exertions
to get off, which drenched us thoroughly, and by
main force blew us off the bar. After we had gained
the middle of the bay, the starboard anchor was
dropped, and, for the first time since we left New
Bedford, all hands were called aft to '* splice the
main brace."

We left Bembatooka Bay in the evening with a
Hindoo passenger on board for Johanna.

!hi:i m:..: ef

;! >u-*i;vri/

CHAPTER Xni.

Cruelty to a Portaguese Boy. — Make the Comoro Isles. — ^Visit
from the Sheik's Secrotary. — Johanna. — Bay of Henzooaoee.—
Description of the Town. — Hozain and his Certificates. — Jack
America. — ^Adventure with the Sheik. — Description of Syed Mo-
hammed.

In the course of a few days several of the crew
were laid up from indulging too freely in fruit and
v^etables ashore ; and, owing to the number unable
to do duty, we could lower but two boats after
whales.

" There she blows !" was snug out one morning ;

CAPTAINS AMIABILITY.

jr'i"

265

« a large school of whales !" The larboard and star-
board boats were lowered. D , Tom, Charlie,

and myself remained on board to work ship. Frank,
a raw Portuguese lad from the Western Islands, was
put at the helm, being very unwell, and unable to do

active duty. Captain A was, as usual when

any of the crew were sick, in a savage humor.
Having no person upon whom he could so well vent
his ferocity as upon Frank, he roared at him to per-
forin so many impossibilities with the wheel that the
poor fellow became confused. The sea was very
rough, and it was impossible to keep the head of the
vessel to the wind.

" Steady !" thundered the captain.

" Can no keep her steady," said Frank. ^ ' ' '

" Steady, blast you !" • i '

" She no stay steady !"

The captain darted furiously upon him, and struck
him a severe blow on the head. Pale and terrified,
and totally ignorant of what he was punished for,
the poor lad hung down his head to avoid the blows.

" You dumb animal," shouted the captain, " didn't
I tell you to put your wheel down ? Answer me —
answer me, I say ! None of your whining ! Fll
flog the senses into you, if you don't understand me !
That scuttle-butt knows more than you do ! You're
worse, a devilish sight, than the old sow. Won't
you speak — won't you V

" No savey, sare," replied Frank, who, in reality,
did not understand a dozen words of English.

L L

HI
v,\ 1

266

NEW MANNER OF TEACHING ENGLISH.

" You no savey, heh ! Fll make you savey, you
blasted two-pence head! Fll whale English into
you ! ril see that you understand me when I speak
to you :" so saying, the captain grasped a rope, and
with all his might struck the boy across the face five
or six times. ^ .-..j

"Oh capitan, me no savey!" cried Frank, staggering
back, stupefied and almost blind. " Oh Christ, you
kill me ! What for you strike me ?"

" I'll make you savey ! You've been long enough
aboard to learn English. If you don't learn, it's your
own fault, /'//hammer it into you. Now you know
what you're flogged for, don't you t Answer me !
Speak, blast you ! Say something, you dumb beast !
Grunt, if you will be a hog ! grunt, I say !"

Ignorant of what was said, and writhing with pain
— for his face was swollen with blows — Frank only
endeavored to suppress his cries of agony, as the cap-
tain shook him by the hair, and repeated the blows
with the rope. If ever there was the impersonation
of a demon, the captain was one. His cheeks were
pale with rage, and his mouth foaming.

'* Why don't you answer me ?" he yelled, in a vt Ice
husky with passion. " Have you no tongue ? Are
you speechless \ If you can't speak, I tell you to
grunt. Won't you do it? Grunt, you infernal
blockhead ! Grunt, you stupid ass ! Bray, if you
can't grunt. Bray, now, or I'll make a zebra of you I
I'll stripe your back !"

Still Frank made no reply.

CAPTAINS JOKE.

267

"You shall make some sort of noise, I swear!"
said the captain; and, swinging back his arm, he
struck Frank with all his strength several violent
blows on the head and face with the rope's end.
Antoine, a boat-steerer, who was standing in the
waist, believing the boy was about to be murdered,
ran up and interfered. This man, the captain well
knew, had a violent temper when excited, and could
stir up a mutiny among the Portuguese at any mo-
ment. Fearing that such would be the result of his
cruelty, he endeavored to turn it into a joke, by ex-
claiming,

" Antoine ! Flunk all de same as scuttle-butt. He
no got plenty sense all de same as hog. Hog can
grunt ; Frank can no grunt !"

No one laughed at his joke, however ; and An-
toine, disdaining to make a reply, merely addressed
a few words in Portuguese to Frank, and walked
forward to the forecastle.

Soon after this the captain was attacked with the
jungle fever, which prostrated him almost to the
verge of the grave. Four or five of the crew were
also in a very low state. I can not describe the hor-
rors of our situation, without incurring the charge
of exaggeration ; yet they were too real to need the
aid of fiction. The Portuguese, conscious of supe-
rior numbers, and driven to desperation by hard fare
and bad treatment, became insolent and mutinous
The very* elements seemed to combme against us.
Day after day we drifted about in strong currents,

268

DISTINGUISHED VISITOR.

and beset by gales and heavy rains. If ever there
was a hell afloat, the Styx was one. Things were
in this condition when we made the Comoro Isl-
ands, on .. ' = ^ ,. /'I 4? ,^ •';

March 20^A. — The Peak of Mayotta was visible
distant twenty leagues. In the evening we made
Mohilla, another of the Comoro Islands.

March 24th. — ^Anchored in the Bay of Johanna.
We found m port a British East Indiaman, and the

whaler Bogota, of New Bedford, Captain F

The Bogota had been out ten months, and had not
heard from home since she left.

March 26th. — ^At an early hour this morning we
were visited by the secretary and suite of his high-
ness the sheik of Johanna. Housein, the secretary,
gave us to understand that it was customary for ves-
sels, before coming to an anchor, to present Syed
Mohammed, the sheik, with two kegs of powder, and
as many pieces of calico as the captain might feel
disposed to part with. The sheik professedly re-
ceives DO port charges, but generally manages to ex-
tort presents of this kind to the amount of eighty or
a hundred dollars from every vessel anchoring in the
Bay of Johanna for refreshments or commercial pur-
poses. As he has unlimited control over the natives,
and can make a monopoly of the sale of all their ar-
ticles, this system of fraud is carried on entirely for
his own emolument.

The waist and larboard boats were sent ashore for
fruit and vegetables. I belonged to the waist boat,

^*Ci,r.

"■T-"^~: .T**^-

iStlSk

.J«

i »

li^

! |8||

f wit

i' tlMlli

wmmmmm^

""^'^^mmmm

>68

oisTwai'iyur vt*iToft.

m^\ hm*t hv weiles and hf;avy rnhs, Jf weir ijii;%>,,

jJtr ?^^ f:*^twife;ion wkeit we miKle >Jie Gar»».vwfo'''l#
*^l*v *m '"'-7 ;.:•■-■-■

Mi^vk'Mjiu. — -i'hfe Pfeak irif'Mayotia w^l* v4*j;?4iF
d»siaj»i 4w«?nty kagufis. In the «?v«jijig wit tti^ii^^
5|c'h>ife» fftoUiet- of die Comoro lsl«h(fc ' '- =

.iferfA ,24/4.'*»*Ajoi'^.hored bi the Bi\y of :^f»hami3t

^^ ■ srd in ^H^fi* i^rUwsh Enst Indi&fngR^ ♦mdajbc

'' w%gota, t>^Ji}*';ftf IH'ilford, Capti*i« F-^-'»*-:

%^ ha4 ifww'tt ^^^Hl tea nmuths, afi4 loti not

ife;.- .•,<4«JS^-;i«-»'l(*^r« ^*^Mt:7 ■•■•. '-'^ ■■'''" '■.'

wer« viyitedvby the secn'tan aft4 siiite of bis his;h-
uess the ^helk «f Johaua*. Housejn, the *fjcr»'tarv,
^RVid lis ftr- afltfpntaflP* #i» ft' ^l**-'<''U4tomaiT for ves-
sels, hefore coniing. to #» sitwdliHSW'. lOf'preseirt- Sj^yed
Moliammed, tlic .sheik," wrth iwo.nke^sOf po^'rfftr, and
ns iiiaay pieces of caiico as the captmn mi^hf fe^I
disposed to part wiih. The sheik profea»^dty re-
v«%rns no port charges, hut fi^iierfilly m-fnages to e.x-
«55«»* t5"«'^ents of this kind to the aniomrt of eighty or
' flollars Woxum'firy vessjel aiichorinf^ in tbo
i <.nnti for refreshments or emfuiierriid pnr-

fh- '--m mdimited oontrol over thi* imfivi;**;,

W(.- . s«#ty «f the sMe of all thpir ar-

t^ . ' ^4 i* c»n-icd on otHirely for

hi»- V- ^^'^ "; ■' > i^^- ■■■-■'." '^ •

The^!*>t %«*««•* were sent ashoTP for

fruit and y^-'Hitm- ^^k*^^ f** the wai.'il; hont

mniff

'11

V!W^'

-A'^'

which was i
of mine, an
town of Jol
ing for the i
dilla's slaves
of potatoes
had promise
had nothing
with which
Bay had lef
affairs. I h
and, unless
make " a rai
is too scarci
beggarly ere
The boat
quently very
coves, const;
the general i
ferent barric
changes of t
of white con
the bay. T
that bottom
fathoms. C
the air over
remarkably \
idea of the (
Thousands
beneath us;
charmed wil

EXCHEQUER EXHAUSTED.

269

which was commanded by the second mate, a friend
of mine, and had a fine opportunity of seeing the
town of Johanna. We spent the day ashore, wait-
ing for the natives to carry down the recruit. Ab-
dilla's slaves were to bring us eight or ten baskets
of potatoes and fruit, which our friend, the Hindoo,
had promised us for his passage from Majunga. I
had nothing with me but a few plugs of tobacco,
with which to purchase curiosities. Bembatooka
Bay had left me pretty low in regard to my worldly
affairs. I had bartered away all my trifles there ;
and, unless 1 pawned or sold my clothes, I couldn't
make " a raise." We were all in debt : and money
is too scarce on board a whaler to be loaned to a
beggarly crew.

The boat-landing at Johanna is rocky, and conse-
quently very dangerous in rough weather. Artificial
coves, constructed of rocks, protect the boats from
the general swell of the sea, but form rather an indif-
ferent barrier at high tide, or during the gales on the
changes of the monsoons. Near the shore is a bed
of white coral, extending a considerable distance into
the bay. The sea is so clear over this bed of coral
that bottom can be seen at a depth of ten or twelve
fathoms. One can almost fancy himself floating in
the air over magnificent hills and valleys of coral, so
remarkably transparent is the water. It gives some
idea of the enchanted worlds in the Arabian Nights.
Thousands of fish, of rich and varied colors, sported
beneath us; and in many places our eyes were
charmed with beautiful shells of diflerent species.

if:

270

TOWN OF JOHANNA.

We had a steady pull of about three leagues be-
fore we made the landing. The abruptness of the
shore and the height of the mountains render the
distance very deceptive. The cocoa-nut trees and
orange groves were distinctly visible from the ship,
and we naturally concluded she was not more than
four or five miles off; but, after a pull of two hours,
under a scorching sun, we all agreed it was fully
three leagues.

The town of Johanna, called by the natives Hen-
zooanee, stands on an incUned plane at, the foot of a
mountain. From the bay nothing is seen but a pile
of roofs, commencing apparently at the water's edge,
and, rising gradually, it reaches the base of the
mountain. Upon a nearer approach, a barrier of rude
stone •walls is perceptible. This incloses the whole
front of the town, and forms a sort of semicircle, the
ends of which are blocked up against an immense
pile of rocks. Entering by a dilapidated gateway,
we struck into a by-alley ; but, following it up, we
found that it was intersected by numerous alleys of
the same description, and, in fact, found it impossi-
ble to get out of it without entering other alleys
still narrower and more filthy. I inquired of a na-
tive the way into the town, and was told that we
were just in the middle of it. The streets, if such
they may be called, are nearly all alike, none of
them being over five or six feet wide. Most of the
houses are built of stone ; and, owing to the narrow-
ness of the streets, a continual draught of air passing

I ('

CRAVING FOR TOBACCO.

271

between them renders the whole town cool even in
that tropical climate.

We were stopped by every passer-by craving a
piece of tobacco. What we had about us we gave
away, but this did not prevent the natives from per-
secuting us. Some feigned a toothache ; others, a
pain in the jaw. We offered them medical advice ;
such, at least, as we were capable of giving ; but to-
bacco is the only remedy they profess to know any
thing about.

The principal object that attracts the attention of
a stranger in Johanna is the fort, which is situated
on the top of a high rock back of the town. The
ascent is made by rough stone steps, now in a ruin-
ous condition. I was told that the British East In-
dia Company took possession of this fort, and made
use of it, during the days of their commercial pros-
perity, to protect their shipping in the Bay of Johan-
na. It commands every point of the bay, and is dif-
ficult of access to an enemy.

Having nothing better to do, I ascended the steps
leading to the gates of the fort, where, for a trifling
consideration, I hired a guide to show me the forti-
fications. Around the fort is a wall, which incloses
a little village of bamboo huts, containing, at a rough
guess, about a hundred inhabitants. Both the vil-
lage and fort are crumbling to ruin. The guns are
lying scattered about the place, rusty, and unfit for
use. Immense masses of abutments hang gaping
over the town. A volcanic eruption in the neigh-

272

HOUSE OF REFRESHMENT.

boring moantains would evidently precipitate them
on the bouses. In various places the walls are mere
piles of ruins, covered with grass and moss. Com-
manding, as it does, a view of the whole town and
bay, the fort of Johanna forms quite a picturesque
ruin, and a few hours may be very pleasantly spent
in rambling about the premises.

On my way back through the town I met a light-
complexioned lad, who spoke to me in English, and
invited me to his house. He said he was the sod
of an Arab, and that his name was Hozain. He
made a living by trading, and furnishing the officers
and crews of vessels with dinners. I found his house
a clean and cool retreat, after having spent two or
three hours under a bumin" snn. A cloth was spread
before me by some slaves, a plates were brought
in containing oranges, bananas, poppies, &c. ; and a
Chinese bowl was set before me full of the most de-
licious lemonade I ever drank.

While I was paying my addresses to the refresh-
ments, Hozain brought me a pocket-book containing
certificates and recommendations from masters and
crews of vessels who had favored him with their cus-
tom. All the natives who transact business with the
shipping have papers of this kind. The following
will serve as specimens: u :■'■' .1 . ; '

" This is to certify that Hozain, a native of Johan-
na, is an intelligent and accommodating lad. I have,
on various occasions, hired him to transact business
for me, and have always found him industrious and

LITERATURE AT SEA.

273

honest. I recommend any of my countrymen who
visit Johanna to call at his house, if they wish a
good dinner on reasonable terms.

" , Captain

-, 1842."

of Barque

The next is rather an amusing specimen, and may
be preserved as a literary curiosity :

« We the undersined do hereby sertify that jack
America is a good washewoman and a fus rate help
aboard ship we got him to wash for us while at an-
cor hear which was 2 weaks more or less and can
say to all Americans that he is an honest feller hav-
ing stole but 2 shirts from us the hole time which is
sayen a grate dele as the nagers will all steal whin
tliey git a chanse jack does all kinds of jobs on reas-
onable terms for tobacco or old close which is some-
times very convenient for saillers. ; ,
" Signed,

f..,"t^.

I a;

" Foremast bans."

At the earnest request of Hozain, I gave him an
additional recommendation. He refused payment
for the refreshments (I had nothing to give him if
he had asked payment). Few of the natives will
take any thing for fruit or lemonade, when they in-
vite a stranger into their house?. They will accept
any quantity of tobacco, but in a case of this kind it
must be given to them as a present, ij;

M M

274

JOHANNA LADIES.

''■ I met my friend D soon after leaving Ho-

zain's. Determined to see what the Johanna ladies
were made of, we set out on a cruise, having been
ashore the best part of the day without catching a
glimpse of the dusky beauties of the town. The
Mohammedans of Johanna strictly adhere to the old
rule of keeping the women under lock and key
when strangers are about, especially sailors, whose
proverbial gallantry to the sex they look upon as
dangerous.

We received several invitations to walk into the
houses, but the women were always warned of our
approach by the shrill "Hood! hoad! hoad!" of the
master. We frequently asked why this extreme
jealousy existed, and the invariable answer was,
"'Tis de fashon in Johanna !"

" What are you afraid of 1" I asked an old Arab.

He shook his head, and, shrugging his shoulders,
replied, " 'Tis de fashon. Mohammed do so. No good
for Christian to look at Mohammedan's women."

" No," said I. " Your women are ugly. You're
ashamed to let us see them. Our American ladies
are nmch better looking, no doubt. We have the
prettiest ladies in the world. No wonder you're
ashamed to let us see your women."

This made him very angry, and he began a fiery
harangue in broken English :

" What for de devil you want to see our women?
'Tis no de fashon here. Johanna man no like dis.
Mohammed find it out, what he say den V

JOHANNA LADIES.

275

" I presume he'd say you are becoming more civ-
ilized."

" Got damn ! de devil you, sir ! We great peo-
ple ; we all de same as English. Syed Mohammed
all de same as King George. Suppose I go to your
country, I no talk so. I no want to see your d — d
women ! If it de fashon of de country, very good ;
I like to see, very well. If it no de fashon, what for
I want to see your women ?"

A sailor let loose from a ship is no better than a
wild man. He is free ; he feels what it is to be free.
For a little while, at least, he is no dog to be cursed
and ordered about by a ruffianly master. It is like

an escape from bondage. D and I felt what it

was to be at liberty, and our exuberance of spirits
was beyond all bounds.

The first adventure we had came near getting us
into a difficulty. Passing a house, we saw, peeping
ironi behind the door, three or four females, with
bright, laughing eyes. Before tl. y could gue s our
intention, we burst in upon them. Such a scene of
confusion as we made baffles Joscription. Shrieking
and laughing, they attempted to make their escape
through a back passage, but we were too fast for

them. D closed upon them on one side, and I

on the other, so that, by a well-managed manceuver,
we soon caught a good armful of these wild damsels.
Five or six of the natives, hearing the noise, came
running up, abusing us, and using all kinds of violent
and threatening gestures. It was a thing that had

;lr

276

GALLANTRY AND TROUBLE.

never been done before. They raved, swore, flour-
ished their spears, and finally, after cooling down a
little, threatened to tell the sheik. A fierce-looking
fellow with mustaches seemed in favor of Lynching
us after the fashion of the Arabs, which is simply a
dexterous thrust of the kkunger. We took advan-
tage of a pause in the row, and, to use an expressive
phrase, made ourselves scarce.

A little before sundown we reached the boat-land-
ing, where we found Housein, the sheik's secretary,
Seidi Rahma, Ahamet Baas, and other distinguished
characters. Abdilla and his slaves had brought down
the fruit and potatoes. Every thing being ready, we
pushed off for the barque, which we reached after a
hard pull of three hours.

Captain A was so much worse during the

night that it was deemed advisable to run in and an-
chor. We got up the larboard and starboard chains
by noon. At two o'clock P.M. we dropped anchor
a httle above the town, and went on board the British
East Indiaman for the doctors.

Canoes, laden with shells, bananas, cocoa-nuts,
popois, melons, guaras, &c., crowded round the ship
in great numbers during the evening. The natives,
when the sheik does not prohibit trading, sell fruit
very cheap. A large bunch of bananas may be pur-
chased for a plug of tobacco, a hundred cocoa-nuts
for half a pound, and other tropical fruits at the same
rate.

Among the products of the island ire rice, maize,

NATIVE PRODUCTIONS.

277

cassada, mangoes, pine-apples, chalottes, pumpkins,
sweet potatoes, limes, lemons, and such fruit as I
have already mentioned. Bullocks of a small breed,
goats, sheep, poultry, and pigeons are plenty in Jo-
hanna, and may be had of the natives at reasonable
prices. Besides the various products of the island,
the natives enjoy other luxuries. They carry on a
considerable trade in dans and chelingas with Bom-
bay, Mauritius, Madagascar, Mozambique, Delagoa
Bay, and other places in the Indian Ocean. Ameri-
can and English whalers find Johanna a very con-
venient stopping-place after a long cruise. Its fer-
tility is not so great as that of Zanzibar; but the
climate is better, and ships' crews are less subject to
fevers than at Zanzibar.

The natives have some knowledge of the arts, and
even profess the sciences. Silver-smiths, tailors,
painters, chirographers, and astrologers are numerous.
The men are too indolent to attain any high degree
of proficiency in these or other pursuits, and, conse-
quently, the chief part of the labor devolves upon the
females, who do all the drudgery, manufacture cloths,
mats, baskets, &c. The lower classes of women are
considered no better than beasts of burden. They
appear to be quite indifierent about their degraded
condition.

We had liberty ashore every day while we lay at
anchor. I saw a great deal to interest me ; also, a
great deal to disgust me.

The strictness with which the Mohammedans ad-

ili

'■ mmnmmwmm

It'^S^vlll

^^■IkI^BU^H'.^KI^B

^i InflBlMnl

I^^K^B^^H^uIr

mHKM

{

K^l^n

Ml 1

pfflMI

]

U WB

Uli

H U

■HI

278

THE SHEIKS MOSQUE.

here to the codes of their church would do honor to
more civilized people. Still there are customs prev-
alent among them which, to Christians, seem open
violations of every law, moral and divine. The steps
of their mosques are places of public resort, where
the citizens assemble every evening to gamble.
Groups of incorrigible gamesters may be seen amus-
ing themselves in this way while the devout leader
of the flock is reading the Koran to the congregation
within. Even the venerable priest occasionally re-
laxes his mind by taking part in the games. To gain
admittance into the mosque, application must be
made to him. If the visitor chooses to pay two shil-
lings for the benefit of the Prophet, or a few plugs
of tobacco to cure an incurable toothache with which
the Prophet's servant is afflicted, he can go in ; but,
if he is not disposed to be charitable, he can sit down
on the steps at the mosque door, and entertain him-
self at cards or checkers while listening to the read-
ing of the Koran !

Mr. P and I visited one evening the sheik's

mosque, a conspicuouL. ''idifice, which may be known
by its steeple. We had nothing to give the priest
but an old jack-knife, which he condescended to ac-
cept after a good deal of grumbling. Abda Selini, a
lad whom we had hired as a guide and interpreter,
informed us that we could not go in without first
having our feet washed. We assured him that, as
we had just enjoyed the pleasure of a ducking down
at the boat-landing, we were unexceptionably clean.

HOLY CARPET.

279

This would not do ; our feet must be washed. A
speck of dirt would defile the carpet, and eternally
damn the mosque. Furthermore, our mouths were
scrupulously examined, lest tobacco or any other foul
and nauseous weed, unsightly in the eyes of the
Prophet, might be therein concealed from the vigi-
lance of sublunary mortals. These preparatory cerer
monies being over, Selim told us to enter, cautioning
us, with great solemnity, not to spit upon the car-
pets or speak above a whisper, if we would avoid the
wrath of the Prophet. The floor of the sheik's
mosque is covered with mats of rich and beautiful
colors, and on these the congregation kneel. Around
the altar, or that part of the mosque where the priest
stands when reading the Koran, the floor is covered
with splendid Persian rugs of the richest texture and
color. On the walls, at each side of the altar, are
curiously-designed maps or charts, which, from all I
could gather from Selim, show the latitude and longi-
tude of the seven heavens, the true bearings of the
infernal regions, the rocks, shoals, and sand-bars to
be avoided by a soul bound heavenward ; all orna-
mented with pious mottoes from the Koran, to be
perused by departing sinners. The building itself is
very plain within, and not more than sixty feet by
forty in size. Externally there are some rude at-
tempts made at architectural ornament. There is
a clumsiness and want of system in the buildings of
the Arabs which all their filigree-work can not dis-
guise.

liiiil

280

SYEt) MOHAMMED.

It was now sundown. Having spent an hour very
agreeably in the mosque, we took our leave of the
priest ; and, accompanied by our guide Selini, once
more made our way through the labyrinth of narrow
streets to the boat-landing. / - ■ r

One fine afternoon, while rambling about the town,
I met a native named Jezzarine, with whom I had
formed a slight acquaintance. At his request, I fol-
lowed him to a certain part of the town, where, he
informed me, I would see " much fine thing." We
stopped at the door of a large whitewashed house,
highly ornamented with Arabian filigree-work. Un-
der a piazza was seated a remarkably handsome
young Arab, surrounded by a group of richly-dressed
retainers, who seemed to regard him with unusual
deference. From his general appearance, I took him
to be some distinguished chieftain. His costume
was exceedingly striking and graceful. The upper
part of his dress consisted of a kind of spencer of
rich green cloth, beautifully decorated with gold and
silver ornaments ; a gaudy silk vest, fringed with tas-
sel-work; and a loose white robe, thrown gracefully
over the left shoulder. His sash vvas of the most
delicate Persian silk ; and his khunger, or dagger, was
highly ornamented with jewels. The remainder of
his dress consisted of loose white pantaloons, ex-
quisitely embroidered, and a pair of sandals, in which
were worked symbols and devices from the Koran.
His turban was singularly rich and becoming. In
complexion he was lighter than the common order

MUSIC AND GREATNESS.

281

of Arabs; perhaps owing to less exposure. I think
I never saw a more perfect face. His forehead was
high and expansive, his nose a true Grecian, his eyes
brilliant as diamonds, and his mouth and chin ex-
quisitely chiseled. I saluted him with my most po-
lite bow, which he returned by a slight incUnation of
the head, and a smile of welcome. Jezzarine, who
stood behind me, pinched my elbow, and whispered
in iny ear, " Takee off hat !" I did as he desired,
and patiently awaited farther orders.

The chief, after carefully examining me, to ascer-
tain if I had any tobacco, put his hand in my pocket
and drew out my flute, which I joined together. He
attempted to play upon it, but was unable to pro-
duce a sound. Nettled at his failure, he handed it
to me rather impatiently, and by a motion expressed
his desire to hear me play. I did so, and had the
good fortune to throw him into a very good humor.
He enjoyed the music as well as I could wish ; and,
when I had done playing, expressed his satisfaction
by clapping his hands three times. I thought this
was intended for applause ; but I soon discovered
that the applause was of a more substantial nature.
A slave quickly made his appearance. The chief
spoke a few words to him, and he went back into
the house. Presently he returned, bearing in his
hands a round table with pewter plates upon it, con-
taining oranges, bananas, dates, mjmgoes, and other
tropical delicacies; also glasses containing sherbet
and lemonade. I ate and drank heartily of what

N N

I'i

t,.

282

HORRIFIED GVIIjE.

was set before me ; but the Arabs would not join me.
However, I cared little about that ; the refreshments
tasted quite as well as if they had assisted me. I
played several more tunes before I left; laughed,
talked, and danced for the amusement of the chief,
and, altogether, made myself quite at home. On
parting, I shook hands with the crowd all round.
Jezzarine pinched me several times when he thought
I was going ahead rather too unceremoniously ; but
I paid no attention to his hints. After we had turned
a corner, and were entirely out of the hearing of the
chief and his followers, Jezzarine stopped, and, with
horror and consternation depicted in his looks, whis-
pered, I* .

" You savey who dat ?"

"No," said I; "who is it?"

" What !" he exclaimed, in utter amazement, " you
no savey who you play for 1"

" No ; I never saw him before."

" Oh, you do bad ting ; you play, you dance, you
laugh all de same he me ! He bery mad. Suppose
ship no here, he kill you!"

" But who is he r'

" Who 1 What for you no savey his highness
Syed Mohammed, grand big sultan l"

Finding this neither alarmed nor astonished me as
he expected, Jezzarine, disgusted at my stolidity,
started to leave me, expecting, of course, that, being
in the densely-populated part of the town, I would
be compelled to call him back to guide me out. Af-

EVENING RAMBLE.

283

ter following me for two or three squares, dodging
from corner to corner to avoid letting me see him,
he thought proper at length to overtake me.

" Well, I no leave you," said he ; "I good friend
to you. All de same you brother. Me bad tooth-
ache ! oh ! me bery bad toothache ! Tohac little
Utt Heint" ^

CHAPTER XIV.

Mohammedan at Prayer. — Beautiful Glen. — Upset in a Canoe. —
Bull Fight. — TeiTible Combat between the Down-Easter and the
Bull. — Leave Johanna. — Exciting Whale Chase, and Capture of h
Whale. — Trouble and Discontent. — Make Zanzibar. — Desertion
of three Men. — Speech of the Captain. — Condition of the Crew.

In the course of my rambles next day about Hen-
zooanee, the town of Johanna, I fell in with a native
of Mauritius, who spoke good French. A slight
knowledge of this language enabled me to carry on
a conversation with him. I found him very intelli-
gent and obliging ; and I was much indebted to him
for his hospitality.

The evening being fine, he asked me to take a
walk with him up the Motoni, a beautiful little rivu-
let, which runs through the upper part of the town.
I gladly accepted his services as a cicerone. We
followed the course of the stream for about a mile,
where it comes foaming down between the mount-

284

BEAUTIFUL GLEN.

ains, forming a succession of picturesque cascades.
The banks on our way were covered with rich green
foliage and a small growth of trees, under the shade
of which is a pathway. The sides of the mountains
are interspersed with groves pf cocoa-nut and orange
trees, laden with fruit. Above them, reaching two
thirds of the way to the peaks, are pastures of short
grass, upon which the cattle feed. The luxuriance
of the vegetation gives the mountains a rich and
beautiful appearance. Nothing can be more gor-
geous than their verdure during the summer months.
When the fleecy clouds which generally envelop
the peaks are blown away by a stiff breeze, immense
masses of burned clay and lava are exposed to the
eye. The whole scene taken at a glance is at once
bold, rugged, rich, and gorgeous. Thousands of
canoes are seen paddling about the bay ; and here
and there a large dan, with its picturesque sail,
sweeps across with a life-Uke grace of motion. In-
describably delightful to a sea-farer, who, for many
long months, sees nothing but the broad ocean, is an
hour's enjoyment in the glens of Johanna, where he
is surrounded by all that is soothing and refreshing:

" The warbling woodland, the resounding shore,
The pomp of groves, the garniture of fields ;
All that the gonial ray of morning gilds,
And all that echoes to the song of even."

We were pushing our way through the brush-
wood, when my guide, who took the lead, beckoned
me to stop, at the same time pointing up the ravine.

MOHAMMEDAN AT PRAYER.

285

Following the direction of his finger, I perceived an
aged Mohammedan at prayer. The ceremonies
through which this devout follower of the Prophet
went had something singularly solemn and striking
in them. > " ■ ■■'~" "''.'• "■■<■/ • ^ ... ■«*:■' ■

He stood upon a rock surrounded by the rippling
current, his head bowed down in earnest devotion.
For upward of five minutes he maintained the same
position, motionless as a statue. He then raised up
bis head, and gazed for a few moments in the heav-
ens, when he took a string of beads, and, laying them
at his feet, bowed down to them, and kissed them
with an expression of sincere humility. This cere-
mony he performed three times in succession. Cross-
ing his hands on his breast, he then hung down his
head, and continued in that attitude for several
minutes, motionless as the rock upon which he
stood. I was struck with the deep humility and de-
votion with which he offered up his prayers. Though
in my mind the victim of a religious delusion, the
true spirit of adoration dwelt within him. His was
no ostentatious display of piety. He stood alone,
unconscious of the presence of a human being. Sur-
rounded by grand and imposing scenery, in the deep
solitude,

" Where heavenly contemplation dwells,"

he offered up to his God and his Prophet the genu-
ine devotion of a true heart. Certainly there never
was a spot more suitable for worship. Secluded
from the busy haunts of man, the solitude of the

fBM

i n

I^H

''llflml

'ff^flrHi

i^^Bu

VrW

i%-wf 1 i

mmM

f^^H

fifSi ' Sill

S^Kr

^^P

1
1

niiii

286

DEVILS IN THE GLEN.

glen, and the beauties of the scenery, were well cal-
culated to inspire religious thoughts and feelings.

In about an hour numbers of Mohammedans came
down from the town to perform their ablutions in the
stream. My new acquaintance told me, in French,
that great alarm had been excited among the natives
on the previous evening, by the appearance of a le-
gion of devils in this little glen. I smiled at the idea
of such characters m^Ji^ing their appearance in pub-
lic ; but he solemnly assured me it was a fact, as he
had seen them himself.

The boats were ashore constantly while we lay at
Johanna, and I had many opportunities of seeing the
town.

I must not forget to mention a little adventure we
had previous to our visit to the mosque. Our barque
being a considerable distance off shore, we were in-
vited to dine aboard the Bogota. Those who were
down at the landing in time took off the boats, so

that D , Bill, Charley, and myself were obliged

to hire a canoe from one of the natives. The only
one we could procure was in a ve.y unsafe condi-
tion. It was rather a frail craft for four of us, be-
sides the owner, to make the attempt in ; but the
greater the danger, the better the sport. D , al-
though he could not swim, was determined not to be
left behind. Havin^r stowed away all our shells and
oranges in the bottom, we shoved off The canoe,
unfortunately, had but one oiU-rigger, and it had
been baking so long in the sun that the cracks lay

UPSET IN A ROTTEN CANOB.

287

gaping under us; and the water poured in much
faster than we could bale it out. We expected, how-
ever, to reach the ship before she filled. As we
were pulling and bailing with all our might, a tre-
mendous sea struck us broadside and pitched us all
over, the canoe uppermost. I took care, the moment
we were upset, to climb up astride of the canoe. I
could not contain my risibles, when I looked around

me, and saw D clinging to the out-rigger, while

be spluttered and blew the salt water up like a por-
poise. Bill and Charley swam for shore. The old
Arab, who did not at all relish the ducking, and the
loss of a few plugs of tobacco which we had given to
him, commenced cursing us with angry vociferations
for upseting his canoe ; and, to complete the fun, the
little urchins ashore yelled and danced with delight.
We lost no time in running the canoe ashore. If we
had lost a fortune each, instead of our shells, we
would not have laughed less heartily at the catas-
trophe. To make amends for lost time, we hurried
back to the boat-landing, and there hired a larger
and safer canoe, in which we went aboard the Bo-
gota without farther accident. The brig's crew and
our own shipmates were all done dinner. However,
we made a hearty meal of what was left, and joined
in the general laugh which our account of the upset
occasioned.

I was present one evening at a favorite entertain-
ment of the natives, which they frequently have for
the amusement of crews ashore on liberty. The in-

2SS

BULL-FIGIIT.

habitants of the interior of the island all crowded
down to the town to witness a grand bull-fighi. The
bull had just been brought down from the •'-iountains
where the cattle are suffered to run wild. He was
of a small, but active and fiery breed, with a hump
on the shoulders, similar to the Madagascar cattle.
The arena inio which he was led was a large square
back of a ruinous old fort, and was surrounded In-
high walls, with steps built of stone in different
places, for the spectators to sit upon. A large con-
course of people had already assembled, and were
eagerly awaiting the commencement of the fight. I
got up on the steps of the fort, where I found some
of our crew, and several of the Bogota's. The en-
trance into the arena was directly under our feet
We were just at an agreeable distance from the
scene of action. Suddenly there was a universal
shout, and those who were in the way ran toward
the gates as fast as possible to make their escape.
A moment more, and the trampling of the Lull's hoofs
was heard. The champions sprang down from their
seats, and stood ready to receive him. Foaming
and panting, he rushed in, his eyes flashing, his flanks
reeking with sweat, and his nostrils distended. I ex-
pected to see a sanguinary strife, but was disappoint-
ed. The fight was entirely on the defensive. The
bull rushed upon his foes with great fury, upon v'sjch
the one attacked jumped nimbly aside, and flun^ out
a rv^d scarf Thus every attack was ended. Bj
means of a rope fastened to his horns, the bull was

DOWN-EASTER COURAGE.

289

hauled back by fifty or a hundred of the natives, and
a second and third onset followed. I began to think
this way of fighting a bull rather a dull business,
when an incident occurred that gave rise to a good
deal of fun.

Our " down-easter," M'F , had stationed him-
self on an abutment in the arena, with three or four
steps leading up to the top, where he could have a
good view of the entertainment, and, at the same
time, enjoy a comfortable degree of personal security.
He seemed highly edified with the sport, and oc-
casionally gave vent to his satisfaction by shouts of
laughter and cries of " Well done, old critter ! Look
out, you darned niggers, or you'll get stuck ! My
gosh ! ain't he savage now !" Mack wore a red
shirt, which now and then attracted the attention of
the worried animal. The natives having wrought it
to a state of madness, began to show signs of fear,
and made their escape through a small aperture in
the wall. Mack rolled up his sleeves, and let his
courage boil over in the most warlike strain. Squar-
ing himself in a pugilistic attitude, he shouted at the
top of his voice, " Come on, if you want a lickin' !
I'll give you a Yankee touch, old feller ! I'll orna-
ment your ugly pioter with a pair of black eyes !
Come on, sir ! come on !"

The infuriated bull, not at all relishing the insults
of the man with the red shirt, turned short round,
and made for the steps.

" Come on !" roared Mack ; " come up here, you

O o

I
i

;ll

Li
I

290

YANKEE PUGILISM IN A BULL-FIGHT.

blamed ugly- looking critter ! Durn your orful visage,
I'll show you a thing or two! I'll spoil your nose
for you ! I'U do you bodily damage !"

Snorting and pawing the ground with rage, the
bull bellowed ai d shook his horns, but seemed rather
dubious about attacking a live Yankee. Mack ca-
pered about like s. madman, and made sundry scien-
tific passes within a few feet of the animal's head, to
the great amusement of the natives, who cheered anil
roared with laughter.

" Why don't you iay into me ?" said Mack, kick-
ing at him. " Don't you savey my lingo, you bloody
Aarahr

At this there was such an uproar that the bull,
driven to desperation, rushed madly up the steps, bcl
lowing frightfully.

" Don't you come so nigh !" roared Mack, retreat-
ing a little, and stretching forth his long, bony arms
and clinched fists. " Don't you come here, I say :
durUt you I dorCt you .'"

1'he last words were scarcely out of his mouth,
when the furious animal had mounted the abutment.
Fearing tha?^^ the battle might not be fairly conducted
in so dangerous a situation. Mack suddenly turned to
run, and, yelling at the top of Lis voice, " Hold on,
darn you ! Don't you come here ! doii!t you !" he at-
tempted to escape. The bull assisted his progress,
by picking him up by the nether extremities and
pitching him headlong over into the arena.

" Oh gosh ! oh gosh !" groaned Mack, flounder-

TAKIN A HORN.

291

log about on the ground like a gigged dolphin, and
ondeavoring to get away before another such onset ;
"oh jeminy gosh! I'm spoilt! I'm dead as a
whistle!"

Some of the natives rushed in at this critical junc-
ture, and rescued him from the farther violence of his
rough adversary.

We were all enjoying a hearty laugh at Mack's
expense, when he came limping up to where we
stood, rubbing his bones, and looking rather used up
after his encounter. Unable to resist our cachinna-
tions, he joined in the laugh, and asked us what was
the fun.

" Wiiy," said some of the crew, " ain't you dead
yetr

" Dead, gentlemen !" cried Mack ; " not yet I ain't.
I've only been takin' a horn. Dead, indeed ! Why,
ain't I the man ' wot fit the bull X Ain't I the man
' wot 'pushed the hull off the bridge V "

Mack's wit was irresistible. We suffered nearly
as much from laughter as he did from his encounter.
For many weeks after this adventure, he was called
' the man wot pushed the bull off the bridge."

About the fifth of April we weighed anchor, and set
jal! from Johanna on another cruise.

dinil 8thf 1843. — We were running down for the
Al'*alia Islands with a fine, steady breeze. The
nioruing was bright and clear, and the water of
that peculiar color which whalemen regard as the
favorite r( ort for whales. I had forenoon watch

'al

292 ALDABRA ISLANDS. — WHALES IN SIGHT.

below, and was just congratulating myself upon get-
ting through with my " double altitudes," when the
loud, clear voice of a man at the mast-head came
ringing down the forecastle.

" There she blows !" was the thrilling cry.

^^'^

1. Whale* wen. S- Whales captured.

•• ' s once !" shouted the captain.

"Thc-3 she blows!"

" That's twice, by jingo !"

" There she blows !"

" Three times ! Where away, Tabor ?"

" Off the weather bow, sir, two points."

"How far r

" A mile and a half. There she blows !"

" Sperm whale ! Call all hands !"

There was a rush on deck, each man trying to
get to the scuttle first. Then came half a dozen
loud knocks, and a hoarse voice, shouting,

" Larboard watch ahoy ! Turn out, my lads !
Spt.m whale in sight! Heave out! heave out!
Lash and carrv ! Rise and chime ! Bear a hand,
my lively hearties !"

Those who were " turned in" rolled out as soon
as possible, and buckled on their ducks, and in less
than two minutes we were all on deck, ready for or-

" THERE SHE BLOWS !"

293

ders. The tubs were put in the boats, and the mam
yard hauled aback. We all now perched ourselves
in the rigging, and kept a sharp look-out on every
side for the whale's next rising. Twenty minutes
elapsed since the spout was first seen; twenty-five
passed, and the captain began to get into a state of
nervous anxiety. We strained our eyes in all direc-
tions to " make a spout." Half an hour flew by, and
no spout was seen. It began to look like a hopeless
case, when Tabor, whose visual organs appeared to
have the power of ubiquity, sang out, .>,!,,,'.:;

" There she blows ! there she blows !" , ...

"Where now?" roared the captain. , . ,

"Off the weather quarter! Two large sperm
whales, sir. Go it, boots !"

" Clear away the boats ! Come down from the
mast-head, all you that don't belong there ! Bear a
hand ! we'll take them this rising !" shouted the cap-
tain, in a fierce, sharp voice. . ..; .

"All ready, sir." , .

" Lower away, then !"

The waist and larboard boats were instantly down,

ready to " bend on." Captain A and some of

his boat's crew being too ill to man the other boat,
we struck off for the whales without them. I pulled
the aft oar, as usual ; and as, by this time, I was as
tough and muscular as my comrades, the boat dan-
ced along the water in fine style. Although the lar-
board boat was much easier pulled, and had the old-
est and stoutest of the whole crew, we contrived, by

..^\

i I

t '

• W

'i:

294

THE CHASE.

unusual exertions, to keep ahead of her, till the real
" tug of war" came. Then was our mettle put to
the test ! One of the whales was leisurely making
to windward not more than half a mile off.

" Lay back, my lads !" cried P— , pale with ex-
citement " Keep the larboard boat astern ! Never
say die ! That's our whale ! Oh, do spring — do
spring ! No noise ! steady and soft's the word."

We replied to this appeal by " piling up the ago-
ny" on the oars. Away sprang our boat, trembling
and quivering as she darted through the waves. She
really seemed to imbibe the general excitement as
she parted the clear blue water, and dashed it foam-
ing from her bows. Onward we flew ! The lar-
board boat was hard upon our stern ; the whale roll-
ing lazily in the trough of the sea, a few darts ahead.

" Oh, lay back ! lay back !" whispered P ,

trembling with eagerness not to be outdone by the
mate. " Do spring, my boys, if you love gin ! Now's
your time ! now or never ! Oh, see him ! see him !
how qivet he lies ! Put the beef on your oars, ev-
ery mother's son of you ! Pile it on ! pile it on !
That's the way to tell it ! Our wiiale this time !"

The moment of intense excitement now arrived.
We pulled as if for life or death. Not a word was
spoken, and scarcely a sound was heard from our
oars.

" Stand up, Tabor !" cried P , in a low voice.

Peaking his oar. Tabor sprang to his feet, and
grasped a harpoon.

SPORT UNDER

"THE FLUKES."

295

" Shall I give him two irons ?"

" Yes ; he ma}' be wild."

Another stroke or two, and we were hard upon
him. Tabor, with unerring aim, let fly his irons,
and buried them to the sockets in the huge carcass
of the whale.

« Stern all !" thundered P .

" Stern all !" echoed the crew ; but it was too late.
Our bows were high and dry on the whale's head !
Infuriated with the pain produced by the harpoons,
and doubtless much astonished to And his head so
roughly used, he rolled half over, lashing the sea
with his flukes, and in his struggles dashing in two
of the upper planks. " Boat stove ! boat stove I"
was the general cry.

"Silence!" thundered the second mate, as he
sprang to the bow, and exchanged places with Ta-
bor. "All safe, my hearties ! Stern hard ! stern !
stern ! before he gets his flukes to bear upon us."

" Stern all !" shouted we, and in a moment more
we were out of danger. The whale now " turned
flukes," and dashed off to windward with the speed
of a locomotive, towing us after him at a glorious
rate. We occasionally slacked line in order to give
him a plenty of play. A stiff breeze had sprung up,
causing a rough, chopping sea ; and we leaked bad-
ly in the bow planks. It fell to my lot to keep the
water bailed out and the line clear as the others
hauled in : a ticklish job, the last ; for, as the second
mate said, a single turn would whip off a shin " as
slick as goose-grease."

296

TOWED OFF IN STYLE.

Notwithstanding the roughness of the sea, we
shot ahead with incredible swiftness ; and the way
we "walked" past the larboard boat, whose crew
were tugging and laboring with all their might, was
surprising. . .; i ; <

" Hoora for the waist boat !" burst from every
lip. Three hearty cheers followed, much to the an-
noyance of the other boat's crew and mate. We
exultingly took off our hats and waved them a polite
" good-by," requesting them, if they had any news
to send to the windward ports, to be quick about it,
as it was inconvenient for us to stop just then. I
believe Solomon says it is not good to be vain-glo-
rious. At all events, while we were skimming aloag
so gallantly, the whale suddenly milled, and pitched
the boat on her beam ends. Every one who could
grasp a thwart hung on to it, and we were all for-
tunate enough to keep our seats. For as much as a
ship's length the boat flew through the water on her
gunwale, foaming and whizzing as she dashed on-
ward. It was a matter of doubt as to which side
would turn uppermost, until Tabor slacked out the
line, when she righted. To have a boat, with all
her irons, lances, gear, and oars, piled on one's head
in such a sea was rather a startling prospect to the
best swimmer. .

Meantime the whale rose to the surface to spout,
The change in his course had enabled the mate's
boat to come up ; and we lay on our oars in order
that Mr. D might lance him. He struck him in

LEVIATHAN DEATH-STRUGGLES.

297

the "life" the first dart, as was evident from the
whale's furious dying struggle** ; nevertheless, in or-
der to make sure, we hauled up and churned a lance
back of his head.

I can not conceive any thing more strikingly aw-
ful than the butchery of this tremendous leviathan
of the deep. Foaming and breaching, he plunged
from wave to wave, flinging high in the air torrents
of blood and spray. The sea around was literally a
sea of blood. At one moment his head was poised
in the air ; the next, he buried himself in the gory
sea, carrying down in his vast wake a whirlpool of
foam and slime. But this respite was short. He
rose again, rushing furiously upon his enemies ; but
a slight prick of a lance drove him back with min-
gled fury and terror. Whichever way he turned,
the barbed irons goaded him to desperation. Now
and again intensity of agony would cause him to
lash the waters with his huge flukes, till the very
ocean appeared to heave and tremble at his power.
Tossing, struggling, dashing over and over in his
agony, he spouted up the last of his heart's bh od.
Half an hour before he was free as the wave, sport-
ing in all the pride of gigantic strength and unrival-
ed power. He now lay a lifeless mass : his head

!"■#

298

CAPTAIN SICK.

toward the sun, his tremendous body heaving to the
swell, and his destroyers proudly cheering over their
victory !

Shortly after we left Johanna, two of the foremast
hands were chosen to stand watches t)elow witii
the captain, whose illness increased every day. He
was so ferocious and ill-natured, however, that no-
body could stand it more than a day or two. Ho
finally sent forward for me, and I was promoted doc-
tor. My situation was very unpleasant. On the
one hand, I had to bear all the ill usage which the
captain chose to inflict upon me, and, on the other,
the crew, ever ready to growl, complained that a
preference was shown to nu in giving me the light-
est duty — a duty which they had refused themselves.
None of the officers would have any thing to do
with the old man. The whole care of attending to
him devolved upon me. I felt that to desert him
when he was deserted by his own officers would be
ungenerous ; and for many days and nights I stood
by him, subjected incessantly to the most brutal and
insulting language.

One of the bcat-steerers, a Portuguese, came
down one day, and told him that the mate was in
the habit of rope's-ending Frank, and that, if he
did not put a stop to it, there would be a mutiny
among the Portuguese. After supper, the officers
were all called down, and the cabin cleared of listen-
ers. There was a general row below, the result of
which was, that I was called down as soon as the

HE IS CROSS. PLEASANT GRATITUDE.

299

trial was over, and accused of being the instigator of
the mischief.

" B , what have you been telling the officers ?"

demanded the captain, in a savage voice.

The question surprised me, for I had never told
the officers any thing that had transpired in the
cabin. I had enough to do to attend to my own
difficulties, much less to meddle between the captain
and officers.

My reply was that I told them nothing.

" You lie ! You have been retailing all I said to
you about them."

" I have not," said I.

"Don't tell me that — don't lie to me!" shouted
the captain, impotent with rage, and with a face of
ghastly paleness.

« You are mistaken, sir ; and if you think I could
be guilty of any thing so mean, the sooner I go back
to the forecastle the better."

" Well, go ; I want no tell-tales about me."

I thought this was a rather ungenerous return for
all the care I had bestowed upon him ; and I answer-
ed by reminding him that it was at his own solicita-
tion I had come to attend him; that I had never
courted his confidence, or encouraged any allusions
to the officers ; and that, if he chose to forget himself
so far as to make a confidant of a fore-mast hand, he
need not be surprised if mischief should arise out of
it, but that he ought to be sure of the fact first, be-
fore he accused me of being the instigator of the
mischief.

'ill
It

:'(

• 1

) i i

■ <

300

PLEASANT GRATITUDE.

I then went forward, heartily glad of my release
from a duty so irksome. At two P.M. the captain
sent for me. He had learned the true source of the
disturbance during my absence from the cabin.
The mate had overheard some of his remarks, and
had told him of it, to remove the imputation from me.
As I went below, I thought, of course, I was about to
receive the amende hohorable. ,„,;.

" Well, B , are you going to desert me V said

the old man, in a whining voice.

" You drove me away yourself, sir."

"Very well, go forward. My officers won't do
any thing for me, and the crew have all deserted me.
I can die, I guess. I don't want you to stay with
me against your will."

I could not but pity the poor wretch, little as he
deserved it.

" Sir, you have brought this on yourself You ac-
cuse me of things of which I am not guilty. I think,
therefore, I had better stay where I shipped to stay."

" Go, then ; you'll be sick yourself some of these
days ; and mark me, if you rot in the forecastle, don't
call on me !"

This was his apology for the wrong done me. I
might have known what to expect, had I reflected a
little Certainly it was natural enough to look for
decent treatment after the close attention I had be-
stowed upon him during his painful illness, though
I had only discharged my duty as a fellow-creature.

May 6th. — Made the Island of Zanzibar, bearing

MAKE THE ISLAND OF ZANZIBAR.

301

S.S.W., distant twenty miles. We spent two days
in a vain attempt to make the southern point of the
island, and finally had to put to sea again, being
driven as far as the Island of Femba by strong
southerly currents.

May 20th. — After two weeks of great hardship
and suffering, owing to continual exposure to strong
shifting winds and rains, the watch on deck made
land. At daylight we ran down for it, and discov-
ered that it was the coast of Africa to the northward
of Monfea. By an observation at noon we found
that we were in the latitude of T 10' S. During
the day we passed a great number of reefs and isl-
ands a few leagues from i e main land. At night,
anchored about three miles off shore.

May 2\st, — All hands were called at daylight.
Weighed anchor and stood along the coast, passing
a great number of beautiful little islands, somo of
which were inhabited. About noon we made Zan-
zibar at Ras Kizimbas, the southern point. Stood
along shore till dark, and cast anchor in eight fatlioms
of water, about two leagues from N'Googa, the town.

May 22d. — Anchor watches were set, and we en-
joyed a comfortable night's rest after the fatiguing
duties of the last three weeks. At daylight the
hands were called, and the larboard boat lowered to
make soundings toward the town. After breakfast
we weighed anchor and made sail. At ten A.M.
came to an anchcor about half a mile off the town,
below the sultan's frigate, Sha-Halm.

^ii

'^^■V

'I C||a

•t liii

fir

i'l
1 1

302

PLANNING DESERTION.

We found our old friend, the Bogota, ashore
wrecked — her fore-top-mast gone, and her rigging in

great disorder. Captain F and three or four

of his men were living ashore in a bamboo hut.
We learned from them that the Bogota had struck
upon a coral reef about the latitude of 11° S., and
her top-mast went overboard. She leaked so badlj
that the greater part of her crew abandoned her,
and started in two boats, under the command of the

mate, for the coast. Captain F remained, with

three or four hands, on board until the tide rose,
wh'^n he succeeded in getting her off. He then ran
down for the Island of Zanzibar, and when off the
eastern side, sent ashore for assistance. The sultan
sent a number of slaves to aid him in getting round
to the anchorage. One of his men had already died
from exposure to the night dews, and two others
were prostrated with a high fever. The cargo, with
the exception of about twenty barrels of oil, was
saved.

Maij 23d. — The starboard watch had liberty
ashore. It was a preconcerted plan that several of
the crew were to desert upon the first oppoitui:ity.
Drawn together by a common understanding, we
had assembled in the forecastle every evening since
we made land, to concert measures for ridding our-
selves of the many grievances under which we la-
bored. We were now a reckless and desperate
gang. We had been driven almost lo the verge of
a mutiny by the harsh and brutal manner in which

DESERTION.

C-103

we were treated, and the hard fare upon whi.^h we
were compelled to live. The more we dwelt upon
these things, the more excited became our passions.
Bitter wrongs; the cruelties and oppressions to
which we were subjected; the nece-sit.y for some
change, were discussed with fierce i'^nprecations
upon the head of the tyrant.

The men looked up to me as an adviser, and al-
though I preached moderation, I did not feel it. I
showed them the necessity of keeping cool till a
suitable opportunity occurisd of presenting their
wi'ongs before the American consul; but those of
them who had been to sea before knew too well
that consuls are, in many instances, but the aiders
and abettors of the cruelties of captains. I knew
that it was useless to go aft and make an appeal to
the captain, but I also knew that any thing like mu-
tiny would be severely punished. I therefore advis-
ed them to keep quiet till a proper opportunity oc-
curred, and then rid themselves of their troubles by
slaving ashore.

Fearing, from some treachery of the Portuguese,
that it was the intention of some of the crew to de-
sert, the captain called us all aft, before the starboard
watch went ashore, and thus addrtjssed us :

"Now you're going ashore. Before you go, let
me tell you what to expect. The natives will mur-
der you if you go outside the town. You'd better
keep in sight of the ship, and not trust 'em. iou
hear me, don't you ? The consul says he'll ptit you

Mi;

't::;

■y-U

304

DESERTION.

in the fort if you stay ashore after dark. I'll send a
boat for you at sundown, and if you ain't on the
beach, look out ! that's all."

When the boat came alongside that evening two
of the watch were missing — Bully and Tom Vernon.
This was only a beginning. The captain was in a
perfect fury, and walked the quarter-deck, speaking
aloud,

" Yes, tliey're gone ; an' I suppose you'll all be
tryin' it next. You'd better not ! /'// catch 'em,
and, d — n their souls, I'll warm their backs. I'll see
whether my crew will leave me or not ! You'll not
have watch ashore another one of you. It 'ill stop
here ; I'll not lose any more men, if I can help it !"

In order to carry out his threat, the officers receiv-
ed orders to keep all hands on board. Strict watch-
es of the boat-steerers were set at night to prevent
us from deserting. The captain hired four natives
to row him ashore; and for six days we remained
on board in a perfect state of despair, only allowed
ashore occasionally to work hard under the eyes of
officers.

Notwithstanding the vigilance of the watches set
over us, the cook made his escape on the night of
the 28th. While the officer was aft, he slipped
down over the head, with his bundle of clothes on
his back, and swam ashore.

The captain was rowed ashore next morning by
his black crew. After he had left the vessel, there
was quite an entertaining adventure occurred to re-

SWIMMING FOR IT.

305

lieve the monotony of our prison life. The Portu-
guese, who had become very insolent and impatient
under the restraints imposed upon them, determined
that, as there was nothing to do on board, and no
liberty allowed them, they would have it in defiance
of orders. Enos, George, Manuel, and Jose entered
into an agreement to swim ashore, and the rest of
the Portuguese agreed, if called upon by the mate to
man the boat, that they would be so slow about it as
to afford the deserters a chance to reach the beach.
Manuel and Jose, after a good deal of talk, backed
out, being afraid of the mate. The other two, Enos
and George, slipped down by the cat-heads, and
struck out boldly for the beach. They had pro-
ceeded about two hundred yards, when the mate,
happening to cast his eye in that direction, discov-
ered them.

"Lower away a boat!" he roared. "Jump in,

Tabor ! Stand by the davit-tackles, B ! Blast

your souls, where are you all I"

The Po)**uguese came up out of the forecastle, ap-
parently somewhat astonished, and inquired there
was a sperm whale in sight. After a volley of oaths
from the mate, four of the crew, among whom was
myself, were gathered together, and the boat was
lowered. The tackles were all foul, and it took us
some ten minutes to get them clear. A good deal
of delay occurred also in shipping our oars; but we
finally arranged every thing, and started oft' in pur-
suit of the fugitives. As we were not puUing for

mm'-

306

OVERHAULED.

whales, the oars were in no danger of being broken
by any vigorous exertions on our part. Seeing the
boat in chase of them, the deserters came to a halt,
and we picked them up within a few cable lengths
of the shore. As soon as we got on board aud hoist-
ed the boat upon the cranes, the mate came forward
and addressed us in a very pithy and forcible speech.

" Now," said he, puffing and blowing, after the ad-
venture, " what the nation d'ye all mean by this ?
I'll let some of you know who I am, if I catch you
at such tricks again. You want to get me into
trouble — that's it. None of your Portuguese lingo
on deck ! I'll see if I can't keep you on board. I've
received orders to seize you up in the main rigging
if I catch any of you attempting to desert. If you
wan't Uberty ashore, talk to the captain ; he's the
boss. If I had my way, you'd all be ashore, and m
Halifax, for what I care. You're a gang of bloody
cowards, or you'd speak to the captain. If you
think to impose on me because I'm easy, you're
damnably mistaken. Yi, JIl aw what I can be, if
you carry things too far."

When Captain A came on board, the two

delinquents were called aft, and confined in the cab-
in. Mr. D was then called to an account for

what the captain termed negligence in suffering
these men to get away from the vessel. A quarrel
ensued. The mate denied that it was owing to any
negligence on his part The captain called him a
liar.

BILL MANN GONE.

307

" Yes," said he, hoarse with passion, " it's a d — d
lie ! If you had been attending to your business, it
wouldn't have occurred."

"Captain A , I have given you to understand

that I won't suffer any such language from you or
any other man. Now I tell you stop it in time."

" What ! do you threaten me V

"I tell you for your own good. Stop it, sir —
that's all!" - -r :

And with a meaning shake of the head the mate
went below. (?:]■;;>/ >:>,] m'^iuu •/utu

I'i .1

Next day Bill Mann got ashore, and made an ex-
change with Captain F 's cook, a negro, who,

for a trifling sum to boot, took Bill's place on board
the Styx. There were now in the forecastle, besides

the Portuguese, only M'F , Charley, and myself.

It was a perfect bedlam. The Portuguese had be-
come so brutal and overbearing, that it was worse
than death to live among them. The captain had,
during the whole voyage, sided with them, and
showed a strong preference for them over the Amer-
icans, so that they were countenanced in all their
brutality.

308

ALL IN THE SULKS.

'S •''

CHAPTER XV.

Effects of ill Treatment — Scene in the Forecastle.— Combination
to refuse Duty. — A bad Predicament. — ^Revolt. — Dreadful Con-
dition of Things on Board. — Appeal to the Consul. — Intei-view with
him. — Exertions to find a Substitute. — Disappointment. — Sus-
pense. — Hope. — Another Disappointment. — Bargain with a Quaa-

roon. — Swapping Places with a Negro. — Procure.my Discharge

A happy Release. — Good-by to the Styx.

Things were now in the worst possible condition.
Three men had deserted ; others had threatened to
desert. The captain was terribly out of humor.
The mate chuckled in his sleeve, and would have
rejoiced had all hands followed the example of the
deserters. All this trouble was nuts to him. To
weigh anchor for another cruise without our full com-
plement of men was out of the question. We had
all sufficiently tested the hardship of whaling with
two boats. It was not probable the deserters would
be retaken, and there were no men to be had ashore
except the natives. Still it seemed hardly fair that,
with the prospect of a week or two in port, and lit-
tle to do, our liberty should be stopped for an ofTense
of which others a ere guilty.

May 25th. — 1 went below, as usual, after supper.
The Portuguese were in earnest conversation.

M'F and Charley were also talking over some

deeply interesting subject. There was a sudden
cessation of the conversation the moment I entered

MUTINOUS.

309

the forecastle. It was evident something profoundly
mysterious was going on. I inquired what was
afloat, but received only an evasive answer, which
tended to increase my suspicion. Shortly after I
bad turned in, Charley came to my bunk, and whis-
pered, ••,.'■;.;:,:-: '■.:''■'''. •' i ' .. ' :

" We have all agreed to refuse duty. What do
you think of it ? Will you go on deck in the morn-
ing, or stay below ?"

" Why, what's the matter V* said I.

" Matter enough. We don't want to be slaves
any longer. We are determined to have liberty
ashore, or weigh anchor and put to sea at once."

The Portuguese overheard us, and joined with
Charley, protesting with oaths that they'd go to sea
or have liberty ashore, one or the other, and that I'd
better join them, if I didn't want to get myself into
trouble. I remarked that the trouble would most
probably be on their side, and warned them of the
consequences which might ensue from a revolt of this
kind. They were all in a high state of excitement,
however, and would not listen to argument or reason.
For my part, I said I would go on deck when called.
I was as anxious as any of them to have liberty
ashore, but had no particular desire to be put in the
fort.

" Then," cried several voices, " you are a coward!
If you had any spirit, you'd join us ; but you're afraid
of the captain."

I observed, in reply, that none of them could justly

310

MUTINOUS.

accuse me of cowardice. I had never flinched from
real danger ; and I considered it no proof of courage
to commit an act of folly, which would only bring
additional trouble upon my own head.

" Then you'll sleep on deck to-night ! We won't
have you here, by G — d !" cried Manuel, the bully
of the Portuguese. Juan, Jos^, Frank, and some of
the others, joined in threatening to put me on deck.
I made no answer, but lay still, expecting an assault.
Charley and M'F , I beUeved, would not coun-
tenance such an outrage ; yet I knew that, when
excited, the Portuguese would stop at nothing, how-
ever brutal or cowardly, to gratify their animosity;
and,* even if the two Americans joined me, we could
make but a feeble resistance against eight overgrown
ruffians, all armed with knives.

After the Portuguese had chattered a while in
their own language, they again addressed me :

" You had better go on deck. If yo: don't, look
out to-night !" -,= .(.* , ._j

To this I replied, that I knew them too well to be
intimidated by their threats. ' - s

" Then, if you sleep in the forecastle, you sha'n't
go on deck in the morning. You can have your
choice : go on deck now, or stay below in the morn-
ing."

My answer was, " I shall do neither. I have as
much right to sleep in the forecastle as you have.
Your refusing to do duty is a matter that concerns
yourselves. I shall not be driven into trouble by
any of you."

THREATS FROM THE PORTUGUESE.

311

These cowardly dogs, who could be so bold on
an occasion like this, when they only had but one to
contend against, one whom they had every reason to
suppose would not fight — for I had neiver taken any
notice of their insult& — now began to make demon-
strations of an assault. AH my past hatred for them
seemed to be centered in a single moment. I felt as
if suddenly inspired with supernatural strength. My
blood boiled with indignation and contempt. To
use a western phrase, I was, for the first time in my
life, really icolfish. In the bitterness of intense and
loathing hatred I cursed them, taunted them, dared
them to lay a hand on me. Now, let it not be sup-
posed that I intend this for bravado ; I knew my men,
I knew that nothing but a bold front could save me
the disgrace of being severely thrashed. Besides, I
despised them with the most unfeigned cordiality,
and it relieved me to let off a little of my exuberant
valor. The effect was magical. Not one of them

touched me ! Charley and M*F lay in their

bunks chuckling over the fun ; nor did their mirth
surprise me, for the whole scene had something su-
premely ludicrous in it. As I turned over to go to
sleep, after this bloodless /raca*, I overheard Manuel
say "he had a sharp knife, and I'd feel it before I
knew where I was."

About midnight I was awakened by low voices in
conversation. To tell the truth, I had not slept very
soundly. There was something, in spite of all the
bravado of the Portuguese, by no means pleasant in

312

FOUND OUT.

my situation. By listening attentively, I found that
Hankley and Antoine, the two Portuguese boat-
steerers, were below discussing the topics of discon-
tent. A smattering of their language enabled me to
make out the substance of their conversation. It ap-
peared that they apprehended Enos and George
would be flogged for attempting to desert. They
were resolved the punishment should not take place;
and the doubtful point seemed to be, whether, if all
the Portuguese united in a revolt to prevent the pun-
ishment, Charley, M'F , and myself would join

them. I heard my name mentioned very often, ac-
companied by epithets of no flattering character;
and, indeed, felt rather uneasy till the boat-steerers
went on deck.

At daylight next morning the watch came to the
scuttle as usual, and called all hands. I had not un-
dressed, so that before any attempt could be made to
keep me below, I was on deck. In the course often
or fifteen minutes the mate came forward, and asked
the reason of the delay. Finding how matters stood,
he went aft, with an ill-concealed chuckle, to convey
the information to the captain.

No notice was taken of the revolt till after break-
fast, when all hands were called aft. The captain
appeared to take matters pretty coolly, considering
the indignity offered to his authority. Had this af-
fair happened at sea, he would have pursued a dif-
ferent course. There was a consul ashore, how-
ever, and he was evidently anxious to avoid having

GAME BLOCKED.

313

any investigation of the ship's economy before that
officer.

" Now," said the captain, very deliberately, thrust-
ing his hands in his pockets, and taking his stand
by the main-mast, "you that belong to that 'ere
crowd, stay where you are ; and you that don't, step
over to leeward."

No one stepped over to leeward but myself.

"Well," continued the captain, fixing his cold,
dead eyes on the Portuguese, "what's the matter?
Why don't you go to work V*

There was no answer, till Charley stepped for-
ward and said, " We want liberty ashore, sir."

"You sha'n't have it!" was the reply.

" Then, sir, we want to put to sea, and get over
the voyage as soon as we can. We didn't ship to
lay up in port without liberty."

" I'll put to sea whenever / think proper," said
the captain. " Will that suit you \ What have you
tosay, M'F ?"

" I want to go ashore, sir, or go to sea."

" You sha'n't go ashore, nor to sea till it suits my
convenience. What next?"

" We'll not work, then, that's all."

" Go forward, all of you. I'll soon find a way to
make you work. Cook, see that those men have
nothing to eat till I give you orders to the contrary !
I'll starve this obstinacy out of you."

The mutineers then went forward, and took up
their quarters for the day in the forecastle. As it

l^^alii

[^HSu

m' '

^^wK

V ^

RHi- I

flfilf

|ttj,

^ ^^^K

■v

' 'Bns

314

REWARD OF VIRTUE.

happened, the bread-kid had been replenished that
morning, so that they suffered no inconvenience
from starvation that day. It was perfectly apparent
that, unless they resorted to forcible measures to pro-
cure a supply of provisions, they would soon be
compelled to yield. Finding the captain resolute in
his determination to give them nothing to eat till
they went to work, the Portuguese next day came
into measures. Charley and M'F — ~ who were
left in a small minority, apparently yielded; but it
was with the mutual understanding that they would
desert on the first favorable opportunity, and, if no
such opportunity offered, they would swim ashore
the night previous to the sailing of the vessel. Thus
ended the revolt. To my great surprise^ I learned,
when it was all over, that the captain suspected me
of being the originator of all the mischief, and re-
garded the course I had taken as a mere ruse to
avoid punishment !

My situation was now more unpleasant than ever.
On the one hand, reproached and taunted by the
crew for refusing to join them in their revolt, and,
on the other, suspected by the captain as the real
instigator of all the mischief, I had no peace either
on deck or below. The prospect of being compel-
led to spend a year or fifteen months longer on
board the barque, with all the horrors of the past
increased tenfold, drove me to the verge of despair.
I thought of the parting words of the man who had
made his escape from the steam-boat at Newport,

RESOLUTION TO DO^SOMETHINO.

315

Rhode Island ; I reflected with many bitter thoughts
upon my indiscretion in not following his advice ; I
called to mind the unhappy fate of my friend, left
sick and destitute in a foreign land ; and, so help
me God ! sooner than drag out another such year
of misery, I would gladly have exchanged my place
with that of the most abject slave in Mississippi;
nay, so desperate did my prospect seem, that, had
the offer been made me to serve a year in one of
the state penitentiaries, I believe, from the bottom of
my heart, I would have accepted it in preference to
the life I now led. "!(■, f*7 • ; r; ;• -Jr. ;- r

In a state of mind bordering on madness, I resolv-
ed to take a bold step, which, if successful, might
procure me my release, but, if not, might be the
means of my disgrace during the remainder of the
voyage. I had no confidence in the captain's hu-
manity. I knew very well, if I attempted to desert
and did not succeed, I should be seized up and
flogged like a dumb brute. The degradation of such
a mode of punishment I had not yet experienced,
and I was anxious to avoid it, if possible ; for it was
my firm determination, from the moment I first wit-
nessed it, to take a more summary method of aveng-
ing the wrong, should it ever be inflicted upon me,
than that of the law. My intention was first to
make an appeal to the United States consul, lay the
facts before him, and, if unsuccessful, to desert and
suffer the consequences. I knew the fact of my ap-
pearing anxious to leave the vessel would be a suffi-

4 \ •■' . '

! f ;ii

'"he

316

STRONG APPEAL TO THE CONSUL.

ciont cause, in the eyes of the captain, to treat me
with increased barbarity in case I remained on
board ; so that if I failed, I might as well desert, and
run the risk of being retaken and flogged. There

were but two Americans left, M'F and Clifford.

I had no reason to rejoice in the prospect of having,
in addition to eight Portuguese, three or four beast-
ly negroes to share the forecastle with us.

I remained on deck till a late hour, reflecting upon
my condition. About midnight, finding all the watcii
asleep, I : tole softly down into the forecastle, and, by
the flickering rays of the 'rip, commenced my work.
Seated on a soap-keg, I made use of one of the chests
as a desk, and wrote a long letter to the American
consul, setting forth the particulars of my unpleasant
situation, and the hardships which I had endured,
together with the dreadful alternative before me, of
remaining on board the vessel another year, if he
should not exercise his influence ti procure uiy dis-
charge. I appealed to his humanity — his sense of
justice as an officer of the American government. I
called upon him, with all the eloquence I war, mas-
ter of, to save me from the horrors of such a life. It
occurred to me that the letter might fall into the
hands of the captain, or some of his officers, and, to
guard against any unpleasant consequences that
mi^hi arise frt^iii such miscarriage, I made no com-
plaint against them ; though I could hrve said a good
deal that would have placed them in no enviable
light. This letter i sealed, and, putting it under ni'

ANXIETY.

317

pillow, turned in to dream of home and happier
times. : :

Next morning, perceiving that M'F was about

to go ashore in the mate's boat for wood, I slipped
the letter into his pocket, and begged him, if an op-
portunity should occur, to hand it with due secrecy
to the cottsul. Mack was the very man whom I
would have chosen, had I any choice in the matter,
for this delicate commission. Honest and kind-
hearted, he had my most implicit confidence. I felt
quite sure he would spare no exertion to do me a
service.

How can I depict the tortures of suspense that I
suifere<4 that day t My mind was racked with alter-
nate! hopes and doubts. Would the consul receive
my letter ? What would be its effect ? Would he
demand my instant discharge, or pay no attention
whatever to my appeal ? These were but a few of
the conflicting questions upon which my mind dwelt
(luring the absence of my shipmate. K^ur after
hour I watched the boat with eager eyes and a ibrob-
bing heart. At length I saw the crew get in and
push off. I felt faint with expectation. After a
tedious pull they hauled up alongside. Mack's face
beamed with good nature. I read in its expression
the su.jess of my mission. He had delivered the
letter. The consul had read it, but made no com-
ment upon its contents, except that he would be glad
to see me the first time I went ashore.

The question then was, would I have an oppor-

318

THE CONSUL.

tunity of going ashore before the vessel weighed an-
chor ? All that day and part of the next I remained
in the same miserable state of suspense. At length
the mate sang out, " Man the waist-boat !" Every
one was anxious to get ashore, and all hands rushed
for the davit-tackles. I did not even wait till the
boat was lowered, but, with one spring over the bul-
warks, made good my place. It fortunately happen-
ed that the key of the wood-yard was up at the con-
sul's. While the mate was thinking how he would
get it, I volunteered my services to run for it ; and
the answer had scarcely escaped his lips, when I was
off.

The consul chanced to be standing at the door. I
approached him with awe and trembling ; for he it
was who was to decide my fate. Having first de-
livered liiy message, and procured the key of the
wood-yard, I hesitated whether to address him, or
leave the matter entirely to himself While con-
sidering what course I should pursue, he called me,
and said,

" Are you the young man who sent me this let-
ter T

" Yes, sir," said I.

" Well, when will you be ashore again V*

" 1 can't say, sir ; the captain allows us no more
liberty." ' ' : '

" Call upon me to-morrow, and I'll talk this mat-
ter over with you ; I shall see the captain about giv-
ing you permission."

TRIFLES IN TH£ WAY.

319

Elated with the hope of a speedy release, I hur-
ried down to the wood-yard, and went to work with
a zeal that I had not felt for many months

Permission was given me to go ashore next day
with one of the boat-steerers, who, as good fortune
would have it, was no other than my worthy friend
Tabor. I communicated to him the object of my
mission. He said he was sorry to think of parting
with me; but, for my own good, wished me suc-
cess. I lost no time in calling upon the consul after
leaving the kind-hearted boat-steerer. On my ar-
rival at the consular residence, I was shown up stairs,
where Mr. W attended to private matters.

"I see," said he, "you are not pleased with the
whaUng business. You find it, no doubt, different
from what you expected. Tt is a severe lesson to
you, and I hope you will profit by it. I am willing
to aid you so far as I have the power, but have no
authority to demand your discharge from the vessel.
If you can procure a hand to take your place, it is
probable the captain will consent to an exchange.
In that way yon may succeed, but I know of no
other."

" That, I fear, can not be done," said I ; " the cap-
tain would keep me, if for no other reason than be-
cause I wish to procure my discharge ; besides, I owe
him thirty dollars."

" I am sorry for it ; the whole matter rests with
him."

" Then, sir, I shall be compelled to desert. I can
not remain on board the vessel another year."

320

CONSULS GENEROSITY.

" That would be unwise. We have no other al-
ternative here than to put deserters in the fort, and
there you would soon take the fever."

" Well, death is preferable to my present condi-
tion."

" If you think it would be of any avail," replied the
consul, "you may tell the captain that I will pay
your bill ; and, to show you that I am vviUing to do
all I can for you, I give you liberty to offer ten, fif-
teen, or twenty dollars to any of Captain F- ^"s

crew who will take your place."

This was certainly as much as I could have ex-
pected from any American. Thanking the consul

for his kindness, I set out for Captain F 's hut,

and there made the proposition to those of the Bo-
gota's crew who were not prostrated with the fever.
It was like offering fire to a burned man. Not ooe
of them would listen to my proposition. They had
experienced too many of the hardships of a whaling
voyage within a month or two past to be tempted by
any pecuniary inducements.

Sadly disappointed, I went off in search of a sub-
stitute among the natives. The sun was intensely
hot, and the streets were like long, dirty ovens. Af-
ter a harassing ramble of two hours from hut to hut
— seldom meeting any one who could speak Eng-
lish — I fell in with a couple of young blacks, who
had been to sea before, and could speak English
with tolerable fluency. They both seemed anxious
to ship, and agreed to take my place if I could make
an arrangement of that kind with the captain.

SEARCH FOR A SUBSTITUTE.

321

I returned to the consul's, and gave him the result
of my search. The onlj difficulty, he said, in tak-
ing natives of the island, would be the consequences
it might lead to in case the vessel should fall in with
a man-of-war. So many blacks on board would ex-
cite the suspicion that she was a slaver, and much
embarrassment might result from it. If the captain
was willing to take one of them, however, he thought
the matter could be arranged.

Without any delay, I proceeded down to the
beach, and, finding the boat ready to start, went on
board. It was nearly sundown. The work of the
day was over, and I found the crew lounging about
the forecastle, smoking and chatting as usual. Learn-
ing from Clifford that the captain had given orders
to the mate to weigh anchor early in the morning,
for the purpose of dropping down opposite the
imaum's palace to procure a supply of water from
the Motoney, preparatory to making immediate sail
on another cruise, I became alarmed about my
prospect of effecting the exchange. Not an hour
was to be lost. As yet I had not broached the sub-
ject to the captain.

Plucking up all my courage, I walked aft to the
larboard boat, in which he was sitting, and, taking
off my hat, respectfully asked his attention lor a few
moments.

" Well, what do you want V* said he, staring at
me as if he had never seen me before. " What's the
matter now ?"

322

SEARCH FOR A SUBSTITUTE.

" I wish, sir," said I, striving hard to suppress my
agitation, *' to procure somebody in my place. This
business does not suit me ; I should like to have my
discharge." • ■ '

" What ! Discharge, hey ? Why, I thought you
were very well satisfied. I haven't heard you say
you wanted to leave the vessel till now !" replied the
captain, with unfeigned astonishment.

" Because I thought it would be useless. Now
sir, if I procure a hand in my place, will you let me
go ? I have no peace with those Portuguese, and
would rather take my chance of dying of the fever
than remain on board."

" Oh ho ! that's it, hey 1 If that's all, you may
rest easy. I intend putting you, and Clifford, and
M'F in the aft-hold as soon as we get to sea."

This was a " stumper." I could only reply that,
under any circumstances, I would prefer having my
discharge, adding, that the consul had promised to
pay my bill, and I would engage to furnish a tiist-
rate hand in my place. I was then dismissed, with
the remark that " he'd see about it."

At five o'clock next morning we weighed anchor
and dropped down to the Moloney. Immediately
after breakfast, while the men were battening the
casks for a raft, I renewed my application. The
captain was not at all pleased at the dissaiisfaciion
manifested lately by his crew. He thought lie liad
treated us well, and wanted to know the reason we
were all so anxious to leave the ship. It would tell

DARK SUCCESS. PLEASANTRY OF THE CAPTAIN. 323

badly for him with the owners, if he went home
with but two or three of his original crew. This
was the first time he ever condescended to argue the
point, and I could not but feel surprised at his won-
derful benevolence. However, a little reflection en-
abled me to see through it. He thought it highly
probable I would desert, and preferred having a man
in my plac^^ hile, at the same time, he would leave
a good imT"^ After some quibbling about hav-

ing so many n^^ "oes on board, he agreed to take
one of the natives to whom I had alluded. No op-
portunity to go ashore occurred till in the afternoon,
when the consul's boat came alongside with a clerk,
who had business with the captain. I was permit-
ted to accompany him back to the town. In about
an hour the captain came ashore for his papers, hav-
ing concluded to put to sea before officers and all
left the vessel. When* I produced my substitute,
who was a fine, stout young negro, the captain,
without assigning any reason, peremptorily refused
to take him, and ordered me on board again. I had
no alternative but to obey. The barque was all
ready for sea next morning, and I felt sure, if I went
on board again, I should lose the last opportunity of
making my escape, having no doubt strict watches
would be set that night. On my way down to the

boat, I met one of Captain F 's men, to whom I

had proposed an exchange on a previous occasion.
I again broached the subject, and, knowing him to
be a reckless fellow, to whom whaling was as agree-

324

ANOTHER SUBSTITUTE.

able as any other pursuit, I had no qualms of con-
science in offering him every inducement. He was
a rough, stout-built quadroon from South Carolina,
and had been drifting about the world for eight or
ten years -past. With an iron constitution and a
happy disposition, he never troubled himself with
any of the niceties of feeling or thought, and I sin-
cerely believed he was much better adapted for the
situation than I was. I offered him ten dollars in
cash, and all my clothes, together with my sea-chest,
and whatever else I had on board, if he would take
my place. Such an offer was hard to resist. He
said he would not agree to take my place, but would
ship as boat-steerer, in which capacity he had serv-
ed on board the Bogota, at the fiftieth lay, provided
I would give him the ten dollars and the clothes.
It made no difference to me, of course, in what ca-
pacity he shipped, if I could procure my discharge
by an exchange. I had but little time to talk, how-
ever, as the boat was waiting ; and, telling him I
would consult the captain, and that he must be down
about the beach before dark, pushed off once more
for the hated barque.

It was decided that we were to weigh anchor
and put to sea at daylight next morning. I had but
two or three hours to spare ; the captain might not
come on board till dark, and then it would be too
late to make the arrangement which I so ardently
desired. I did not know, even, whether he would
take my substitute, having already, without cause,
refused the man whom he had promised to take.

FINAL ARRANGEMENT.

325

In the most racking state of suspense I awaited
the arrival of his boat. I must have looked like a
madman, for the crew made comments upon my un-
natural wildness. I was, indeed, somewhat bereft
of my senses, and had difficulty in controlling my
feelings. A long, weary hour of torture elapsed be-
fore the captain made his appearance. "With min-
gled feelings of hope and despair I approached him,
and told him the particulars of my interview with
the quadroon. It fortunately happened that this
was a man to whom the captain had himself applied
some days previously, and whose services he was
most anxious to secure. The only difficulty was
about the lay. However, sooner than not have him,
he consented to go ashore with me and talk to the
man, and if they could agree upon the terms, he
would give me my discharge.

1 need hardly say I sprang into the boat half fran-
tic with delight. So overpowered, indeed, did I
feel with joy at the prospect of my release, uncertain
as it was, that I could scarcely refrain from teUing
the captain I considered him a pretty clever fellow,
after all.

To make a long story short, the matter was ar-
ranged to my entire satisfaction, and we went up to
the consul's to sign the papers and settle accounts.
I did not feel sure of my release till I held the writ-
ten discharge in my own hand; then, for the first
time in my life, I felt what it really was to be free !
I am sure I must have made myself very ridiculous.

■

326

LEAVE-TAKING. POOR MACK !

I hardly know what I said or did, for I was delirious
with joy. In the phrensy of my dehght I shook
hands with the captain, and wished him a pleasant
and prosperous voyage; well knowing, even then,
that for half a dollar he would have sold my liberty
for life had it been in his power.

Once more I returned to the vessel to bid good-
by to my old comrades. The cooper, Tabor, the

mate, Charley, and M'F shook me cordially by

the hand, and wished me all success and happiness.
I really felt sorry at parting from friends to whom I
had become so warmly attached, more particularly
Tabor and the poor Yankee boy, for both of whom
I entertained the strongest regard. Poor Mack ! I
had been his warmest fri d, and the tears stood in
his eyes as he bid me good-by. I would have given
the savings of ten years to come to have had him
share my good fortune. Nor was it without emo-
tion that I parted with the Portuguese. We had
lived many months together; we had endured the
same hardships, faced the same dangers, suffered to-
gether, and stood night-watches together ; and, al-
though I did not regret that the tie of our fellowship
was broken, I sincerely wished them well, and was
deeply impressed with the thought that, as our paths
through life lay in different directions, those faces so
familiar to me, I should, in all likeUhood, never see
again. From the bottom of my heart I forgave them
all I ever had against them. They had enjoyed but
few of the blessings of social life ; their career from

THE change!

327

ckiidliuod had been one of labor and hardship. I
saw more in them to pity than to blame, and I felt
sorry for every harsh word I had spoken to them
during our unhappy voyage.

The transition from the filthy forecastle of a whal-
er to a large and commodious stone house, furnished
in European style, and to the society of a little circle
of educated New Englanders, was so unexpected
and so difficult to realize, that for many days I could
hardly avoid thinking it a delightful dream. How^
my blood thrilled through my veins and how my
heart bounded with joy, when I saw around me ob-
jects that brought to mind home, friends, civilization,
and all the blessings and comforts of social life !
Above all, how entrancing, how indescribably de-
lightful, was my long-wished-for freedom ! how
happy the thought that I was no longer subject to
the whims and caprices of a tyrant !

So great was my horror of the Ufe I had led dur-
ing the past year, that in my sleep, for weeks after
my release, I struggled with imaginary foes, whom
my morbid fancy pictured in the act of dragging me
on board again ; and often, when I awoke and
looked around me, I wondered what had become of
the rusty forecastle lamp with its dim, flickering rays.
Where were the haggard faces of the sick, the
groans, the curses, the gurgling of the water, the
roar of the gale, the hoarse voices calling the watch I

I learned from one of tlie natives who was on
board the Styx when she weighed anchor, that, early

328

ZANZIBAR.

on the night previous to her departure, my unfortu-
nate comrades, Charley and M*F , had attempt-
ed to escape by swimming ashore. A boat was
lowered after them before they succeeded in reach-
ing the beach, and they were taken on board and
put in irons, to be flogged as soon as the vessel got
to sea. Let it be borne in mind that these were
American citizens — that they had committed no
crime in following the dictates of nature !

CHAPTER XVI.

Description of Zanzibar. — Imaum's Harem. — Castle Antiquities.—
Inhabitants of N'Googa. — Sowhelian Customs. — Poetry. — Imaum's
Palace. — Commercial Advantages of Zanzibar. — Treaties. — Abam-
et Bin Hamees. — Rajab. — Exaggerations of Travelers. — Despotic
Government. — Possessions of Syed Syed Bin Soultan. — Presents
to his Highness. — Fate of the American Pleasure-boat.

Zanzibar, the present seat of government of Sjed
Syed Bin Soultan, imaum of Muscat, is situated in
the Indian Ocean, within four leagues of the eastern
coast of Africa, between the latitude of 5" and T
south, and longitude 39° and 41° east. It is forty-
five miles in length, and varies from fifteen to twen-
ty miles in breadth.

N'Googa, the town of Zanzibar, is situated nearly
midway between the northern and southern points
of the island, in latitude 6° 10' south, and longitude
39° 41' east. From the bay it has quite a flourish-

•■r.

». T

Hit

:t' •*•■■

;"52.9

^-^'IKKN^JtR,

"on t\w mifltt, proviou<J to her depMrtum m-y uniii^;^,
j|»e«,cji7nrade$;Ghart6y nikl M'F — ™ , lujd artsir-
«#'lb C'Scape by swiinmiug ashorfv A boa. .
bwerod after tlicm befoivj they succeodfil 'in r*^
thg the beach, and thoywf?rc takrit on I^Mrd ^ s
put in irons, to he flogged as' soon as th(> fc&s?
to- *!nr ' Let it be borne in 'jjind tfiHl th«?M^ ^» , ,,
Xmm'^'^Ati. cJTizfiNs — diat they had cotntnittvd •
< n*!*it?':i»* fel^Vvkmg the dii-.tate* of uaturot

^1- ii>

• \ ;

InJifktiitaiits of N ' Cimuga. — >'ov»hti{ntf j < uii^ixrwl — il'oj try . - - ". aikJ.);*: .
Paiact^--Commercial Advantago)sot'Zj»j«»i!ittr;--'Tr«Hit»«»"i ^ lun-i-
'jt Bill TT^ni»etr.— ilftjfib — Kxng,i;*»mHons of Tj'aveJi'rs. •■ }.v>i^?»ijir
(jovflriituciit, — losscfisiioiis of Sycd Sycii Jim S<^uIUin.— {•s«s*jji.i.
t<> hi» IlighuesK. — Fate wf Ujo Amunvaa Phawfe-'jua^i-

^Janzthar, the pre-^V^nt s(vat of gov^runicrtt of 8\ t,v.
Syed Bin Soulfan, iinaiun of Musrat, Is situiii'-'d h.
'V ludian Ocean, within fo^ir leagnr's-'of tK? mufi-m
'f Africa, between the lalilude of 5" and T
' 'int/jtade ^f^" and 41" o:isf. It is i6m
' 'i';.!^th, and vnrirs from fifteen to iw'Nj

*' ''Zanzibar, is siuiated ue;"-!*
^^T'! and soutberu j;;..';?'^
« ,, f'.mrb, rind louij^iixiit-

Kfofi. .t .,ay tt Hhs quite a flonn'^h

rv '.
* K
midwit
of ihei mh„.
39M1' ^««t.

•■w

iDg appearan(
beach are lai
washed, and

' J

the eye. Tli

occupies a pr<

and is a regul

a larger size t

fore the door j

of Arabia. T

imaum by a B

the sum of $'.

estimate of the

boo hut, thatc]

thing but a cu

of the importa

most interestin

is the castle ar

the English co

ligent gentlem

this castle was

fliey got posses

parison of the

Brazilians and

dined to the s

structure, about

dred and fifty \^

a spacious tern

which is fortifie

abutments for t

gunnery. It is

ZANZIBAR.

329

ing appearance. Many of the buildings along the
beach are large stone edifices, which are white-
washed, and present a very pleasing appearance to
the eye. The imaum's harem, or town residence,
occupies a prominent position near the water's edge,
and is a regular, though not a handsome building, of
a larger size than any other fronting the bay. Be-
fore the door is a tall staff, bearing the blood-red flag
of Arabia. The custom-house, now rented from the
imaum by a Banyan merchant, Jeram Bin Seeva, at
the sum of $150,000 a year (from which a rough
estimate of the trade may be formed), is a low bam-
boo hut, thatched with palmetto leaves, and Uke any
thing but a custom-house, according to our notions
of the importance of such an edifice. Perhaps the
most interesting specimen of architecture in the place
is the castle and its fortifications. It is supposed by
the English consul, Captain Hamilton, a very intel-
ligent gentleman well versed in these matters, that
this castle was erected by the Portuguese soon after
they got possession of the island ; and from a com-
parison of the style of architecture with that of the
Brazilians and Western Islanders, I am strongly in-
clined to the same opinion. It is a large, massive
structure, about three hundred feet long and a hun-
dred and fifty wide, with a tower at each corner, and
a spacious terrace in front of it, the outer part of
which is fortified by a battery, or row of heavy stone
abutments for the protection of the soldiers and the
gunnery. It is evident^, c^en to an inexperienced

330

CURIOUS OLD CANNONS.

observer, that the castle and its fortifications, well
provided as they are with soldiers and guns, would
stand but a slender chance before a broadside from
an English or American frigate. At this time the
entire building is in a ruinous condition, and there is
nothing about it to show that it was ever a good
specimen of architectural skill, A volume might be
written on the eventful history of the old cannons
lying in front of the castlo ; and yet lam not aware
that they have ever been mentioned by travelers
who have visited Zanzibar. There is a rare and
valuable work in possession of the English consul,
entitled, " Curious and Entertaining Voyages, un-
dertaken either for Discovery, Conquest, or the Ben-
efit of Trade, by Portuguese Navigators, from the
earliest Voyages under the Auspices of Prince Henry
of Portugal, down to the seventeenth Century." In
this work there is an account given of the voyages
and discoveries of Albuquerque, and his conquests in
the Indian Ocean, Persian Gulf, and Red Sea. The
cannons to which I allude have certain inscriptions
in Portuguese and Arabic, which were translated to
me by Captain Hamilton, proving beyond a doubt
that they were cast by a follower of Albuquerque.
In the narrative of his exploits, it appears that he
brought with him several founders, for the purpose
of manufacturing arms in distant countries. In his
negotiations with Coje Attar, governor, or wallee, of
Harmoaz and Bundrabus, Attar corrupted the fol-
lowers of the Portuguese navigator with brilliant of-

THEIR HISTORY.

331

fers of gold, and prevailed upon five seamen, one of
them a founder, to desert. This founder, by the di-
rection of the governor, cast, between the years
1507 and 1509, at Harmoaz, an island near the en-
trance of the Persian Gulf, about three leagues from
Gambaroon (the ancient Dutch name of an import-
ant port in Arabia), in the 915th and 917th Al Ha-
gari, or Mohammedan year, a number of cannons
for Coje Attar, which, together with some brass can-
nons taken from Albuquerque, were taken posses-
sion of by Aimed, sultan of Muscat, previous to the
reign of Syed Syed Bin Soultan. Syed afterward
murdered his uncle Aimed, and became the ruler of
Muscat. Extending his conquests from the island
of Socotara, he fought several battles with these can-
nons on the eastern coast of Arabia, took possession
of Mombas, Pembo, and Zanzibar, and eventually
extended his dominion as far south as Mozambique.
Such is an outline of the probable history of these
guns.

The lower or northern part of the town of N'Goo-
ga consists almost exclusively of huts and shanties,
rudely constructed of bamboo and cocoa-nut leaves,
and is occupied chiefly by the slaves and poorer
classes. The southern part is occupied by wealthy
Banyan, Hindoo, and Muscat merchants. Many
of those merchants have acquired splendid fortunes
ivory and gum-copal trade, and in commercial

transactions with agents in the East Indies. So
great i ] their passion for money, that they seldom re-

332

TOWN OF N GOOGA.

turn to their native country while they can amass
weahh more rapidly elsewhere; and they are now
building large and commodious residences in Zanzi-
bar. The principal part of N'Googa, however, is at
best but the ruin of a town. Like the Peruvian
cities lately discovered, it is a rehc of the past ; but
there is nothing in its clumsy architectural remains
to prove that it was ever inhabited by an enlightened
race of men, or had at any time splendid edifices or
institutions of learning. The Portuguese did not im-
prove it while it was in their possession ; nor are the
Arabs of Oman a race of p :ople to build fine cities.
The present Arabian population of Zanzibar, the
subjects of Syed Syed Bin Soultan, differ little from
their forefathers in their peculiarities of manner,
habits, or religion ; and it is but a natural presump-
tion that they have not reformed in point of indo-
lence.

It has been estimated by resident merchants, whose
opportunities of acquiring an accurate knowledge of
the town and its resources entitle their opinion to
respect, that the entire population within the limits
of the town is between fifty and sixty thousand souls.
This, from the size of the town, would at first appear
greatly exaggerated ; but when we reflect that some
of the wealthy Arabs have over a thousand slaves,
who are crowded into small huts, and that there are
as many houses on one acre of ground as there are
in America on six, the estimate does not appear un-
reasonable ; the population of the whole island is
about a hundred and fifty thousand.

ARAB LOAFERS.

333

The mosques, of which there are eight or ten in
the town, are ordinary stone buildings, plastered and
whitewashed. With their small barred windows and
dingy walls (the original whitewash being covered
with slime and filth), they look more like jails than
temples of devotion. Their doors are public loafing
places for all the idlers in town. The Arabs are
second to no people in the world in the art of loafing.
A worthless scoundrel, who has gambled away all
his property, and who is too lazy to work, will saun-
ter up to the mosque with the air of a sultan, and
join in the topic of discussion with as much non-
chalance as if he were the millionaire of the place.
He can swindle, at the same time, with the ease and
grace of an accomplished London sharper. Poor,
indeed, is the Arab who can not appear with a flashy
turban, a gold-mounted jamhea, and a jeweled sword;
and dull is he who can not live by his wits. In all
their poverty, these people have a haughty air.
There is nothing like sprightliness or vivacity about
them, and never a want of self-confidence. Their
motions are slow, measured, and dignified. Nothing
startles, nothing astonishes them. They pride them-
selves, Uke the North American Indians, on their
power of concealing every emotion, good and bad.
A physiognomist would be puzzled to read any thing
in their stolid features. In this respect. Miss Par-
doe's admirable description of the Turks would ap-
ply quite as appropriately to them ; and, indeed, I
often fancied myself, when in the midst of a gi'oup

334

THE IMAUMS HAREM.

of these proud vagabonds, breathing the atmosphere
of the " City of the Sultan."

The imaum's harem, to which I have already
briefly alluded, is a large, plain edifice, with a red tile
roof, and whitewashed walls. From the bay, where
the most favorable view of it is to be had, it might
easily be mistaken for a large mercantile establish-
ment. The back part of it, or that part which faces
the town, is perfectly plain, without even a window.
A row of windows, occasionally ornamented with
the greasy faces of the sultan's concubines, fronts the
bay.

I had heard, previous to my visit to Zanzibar,
that this harem contained some beautiful women
As I could never find any white person who had
been within its sacred precincts, I am led to doubt
the truth of this assertion from my own limited ob-
servation. There were several Arabian girls peep-
ing out of the beach windows one morning before
his highness had arrived from his palace, who were
pointed out to me as fair specimens. I must admit
that they were in good condition, being very fat and
sleek, but, to my taste, they were any thing but l)caiiti-
ful. From personal observation, on various occa-
sions after that, I have arrived at the conclusion that
the " lights" of this harem would be eclipsed by an
ordinary American quadroon, or even a mulatto girl.
There are females of this description in New Or-
leans, who, if placed in a harem, and taught to lisp
'^Alhumdilla rohilla andamene malikeo midene'' or anv

■-imtm

,r V

III

331

! ME I'rtAt;!! ni U.i«.>. ,"«,

111

of «1»f«e proud vagabonds. l>reaf)i' ifiimw.*.ii.M

«»i" rhf "Oify of the 8nhaii,"

Tire imaum's hniom, r*"* whit ..nve pIiosiJv

briofiv tillnded, is a li^rg*^ }>Iain eci iJlt a r< >■ •'■}

roof, and vvhitowashcd walls. Vmm rheh^i;
tbo most favorable view of it Is t6 b*- Had
easily bo inistakcii for a larjje fnorcantilc^
wt ■ Tlin back part of it, or lhnt.})»ft Wli'u ii i .
•"f^% is porfcctly plain, without evftn a x> n..

.. ooeasionally orm<uif?nir<} ,. ■
tm ^pimm vKvm » f *ho vnkms conciibiuRs, fnyim ^
bay,- ' • ■ : -

I had heard, prfjiious to njy visit to ZfUr/g
that this harem c«:>utyined >onu^ beautiful 'At^
As I could Eifvcr 6m! awy white person wh., ^
been within its sacrtfd prectncls, I am ted to d.
the truth of this asspnioji from my 6v>'n limit* -i
sorvatioiL There were several Arabian jrivi; ,
ing out of the beach windows one morning •
his highness had arrived from his palace, wb(»
pointed out to me as fair sppcimens. I mu«t ^vk
,li5(t they were in good cofidiHon, being vpr> f-' -^
^ but, to my taste, the}' were any tljiti^* but ^"nmv
"otn personal observaf.iou, on rarioei- --
i ''-:«'' l have arrived Jit tbo oonclusioi* '•

rij* K harem would be edipse'i i:-\ <

otM idroon, or;*VG» a m^inH'' ''^

T^' df'soription in ;

kanjvwh^', t . 'cm, and tangljit nt ;;v

IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-3)

1.0

I.I

11.25

121

■so

i£ m

2.2

2.0

1.4

1.6

Photographic

Sdences
Corporation

33 V^'iST MAIN STRE'iT

WnSttiK.N 4310

(716) 173-4503

y^^

other cant phi
addition of a j
deemed by soi

"To

fit only for th
miring eyes c
sensuality of t
vigilance of tl
mental twaddl
their spirituali

The inhabit
complexioned
yans, Parsees,
Sowhelians, A

The Sowh
spoken. Thii
the African, pj
It derives its d
lese, who were

The Sowhe
the population
pie, fond of an
formal rules o
brethren. In
red Indians of
good, though n
the Arab and
than the first, 5
istics of the C

INHABITANTS OF ZANZIBAR.

335

Other cant phrase from the Koran, would, with the
addition of a graceful turban and a Persian robe, be
deemed by some of our enthusiastic travelers houris,

" Too rich for use; for earth too dear;"

fit only for the inspired pen of the poet, or the ad-
miring eyes of Platonic lovers. The disgusting
sensuality of the sultan's ladies, notwithstanding the
vigilance of the old eunuchs, destroys all the senti-
mental twaddle that has ever been penned about
their spirituality and refinement.

The inhabitants are of various races, from the light-
complexioned Hindoo to the darkest African : Ban-
yans, Parsees, Malays, Bedouin Arabs, Oman Arabs,
Sowhelians, Africans, &c.

The Sowhelian language is the most generally
spoken. This is a corruption of the Arabic with
the African, partaking of the characteristics of both.
It derives its name from a mixed race, called Sowhy-
lese, who were the original settlers of Zanzibar.

The Sowhelians, of whom a large proportion of
the population consists, are a gay, light-hearted peo-
ple, fond of amusement, and little influenced by the
formal rules of etiquette laid down by their Arab
brethren. In complexion they closely resemble the
red Indians of North America. Their features are
good, though not handsome, being a medium between
the Arab and the African; less regular and comely
than the first, and partaking more of the character-
istics of the Circassian than the last. A writer of

336

FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE.

considerable celebrity speaks of them as a highly in.
telligent and poetic4ji people. After three months'
constant intercourse with them, I must say I never
discovered any thing like intelligence or a poetic
spirit among them. They are a lively, harmless,
good-natured race, of a happy disposition, but en-
tirely ignorant of the world, and few of them ac-
quainted with letters. Perhaps I should not pro-
nounce them decidedly an unpoetic people. There
is always something in the temperament of the East-
ern people alive to poetic feelings, even in the savage;
and, from a want of absolute terms, such as belong
to all cultivated languages, they make great use of
figures and similes. This figurative style of language
has, I imagine, been mistaken, in more than one in-
stance, for the true spirit of poetry. Politeness
among the Sowhylese is carried to excess in their
mode of salutation. It is quite common to hear two
of them, when they meet, pass the compliments of
the day in the following * igh-flown strain :

Question. Yambo ? Are you well ?

Answer. Yambo. I am well.

Q. Yambo Saanaf Are you very well?

A. Saana. Very.

QL. Canalooloo? Like pearl?

A. Cana. All the same. . '

Q. Cana marijan f Like coral ?

A. Cana. All the time. *.

Q. Cana /ether? Like silver

A. Cana. All the same.

A TOUCHING LAMENT.

337

Q,. Cana tha-hah ? Like gold ?

A. Cana. All the same.

Qudliaree ! Good-by !

Quaharee ! Good-by !

On meeting they shake hands, after which each
kisses his own hand. This ceremony they repeat on
parting.

The above translation, though literal, does not,
perhaps, clearly convey their meaning ; but, upon re-
peated inquiry, I could find no other me;\ning attach-
ed to the words, which the natives explain by saying
that a man is like pearl when he looks clear and
bright ; like coral when his cheeks are red ; like sil-
ver and gold when his worldly affairs are all in a
flourishing condition. These similies are quite com-
mon among the Sowhylese in all their dialogues.

Like all barbarous, or even savage nations, they
frequently chant their words in a species of irregular
measure, corresponding to the tone of voice in which
they are uttered ; but it is with few gleams of imag-
ination. The following is the touching lament of a
broken-hearted man grieving over the grave of con-
jugal bliss, and will, no doubt, be peculiarly edifying
to the ladies :

"Coonanene? Coonanene? . .
Memo coopa M'aka
Mauavoo papo, maravoo ak we see
M'gooam anepa oolene
Waneenee. Coona nene ? >
Se luagoopa, m'aka
Oothea ! oothea ! oothea !'*
Uu

338

PALACE OF THE IMAUM.

This, rendered into English, literally means,

" What's the matter ? What's the matter ?
My wife scolds me plenty ;
She uses stormy talk ;
She calls me a bad fellow ;
She says AUah gave her a tongue.
What's the matter ? I'm afraid !
My wife will whip me ! Oh, I'm in trouble !

Trouble ! trouble !" .

Syed Syed Bin Soultan Bin Aimed, imaum of
Muscat, is supreme chief, or sultan, of Zanzibar.
Syed Sulemin, the former governor of the island, de-
rives his office from the imaum, and carries on the
government during the absence of Syed Syed, who
performs a voyage to Muscat to superintend his do-
minions there every year. The imaum has, within
the last five or six years, made Zanzibar his place of
residence in preference to the sultry heights of Mus-
cat, generally known as the hottest place in the
world. His palace is situated about a mile and a
half below the town, near a river called the Motoney.
It is an old, bat picturesque building, beautifully or-
namented in the Oriental style, and partially hidden
in a grovje of cinnamon, orange, clove, and mango
trees. The luxuriant and shady clove trees, the
fragrant cinnamon, the magnificent mangrove, and
all the opulence of Eastern vegetation, are peculiarly
refreshing to the eye and grateful to the senses in
this tropical climate. A stream of water from the
Motoney is conducted throujjli the palace, and emp-
ties into the bay in front. The richly-colored cupo-

las, and th

groves, giv<

The ima

his pleasur

proud of his

mens of w]

present to tl

years since)

retinue. Tr

ed, the Arab

world, is hei

the pride an

and ease of t

ness the imai

breed, and, th

in his saddle

equestrian.

ity of counte

pearance; ai

* Our form of
States from rece
quently, as these
were at its dispos
tional Institute,"
auction. The fol
ofthe23dof Aug
" Sale of Arab,
a present to Mr.
from the Imaum
gress, on the 15t
years old, brought
Louisiana; and th
pflrchased by Dr.

HIS STUD OF HORSES.

339

las, and the extreme beauty and freshness of the
groves, give you some idea of an Oriental scene.

The imaum visits the town twice a week either in
his pleasure-boat or on horseback. He is justly
proud of his beautiful stud of Arabian horses (speci-
mens of which, it will be recollected, he sent as a
present to the President of the United States* a few
years since), and of the state and magnificence of his
retinue. Trained to perfection, and richly caparison-
ed, the Arabian horse, celebrated as the finest in the
world, is here seen to great advantage. He has all
the pride and stateliness of royalty, with the grace
and ease of the wild horse of the desert. His high-
ness the imaum rides a spirited charger of the purest
breed, and, though upward of sixty years of age, sits
in his saddle with the easy grace of an accomplished
equestrian. His long, white beai d, and serene grav-
ity of countenance, give him a truly venerable ap-
pearance ; and the occasional flash of his fine eye

* Our form of government prohibita the President of the United
States from receiving presents from any foreign power; conse-
quently, as these horses became the property of the government, they
were at its disposal; and not being able to preserve them in the " Na-
tional Institute," Congress passed an act authorizing their sale by
auction. The following additional item I find in a Washington pnper
of the 23d of August, 1845 :

" Sale of Arabian Horses. — The two Arabian horses received, as
a present to Mr. Tyler, by the United States Consul at Zanzibar,
from the Imaum of Muscat, were sold, pursuant to an act of Con-
gress, on the 15th. They were light gray, mettled. One, seven
years old, brought $450, and was purchased by a gentleman from
Louisiana ; and the other, eight years old, brought but $190, and was
pflrchased by Dr. John Baldv/in."

S|l

;: ■■Fsp

^'1 ■

' 'S'hB

3 t '

ta-'IH

tWs^o^

HHml

[; iMJ^jMI

9 H-

HnU

l>> ■

i ^BiilBnfl^K

BHi

.;V!{H|Bwj

H^l

CJS#mj^»iM[Mf J

'^vB

IBliit^

340 COMMERCIAL ADVANTAGES OF ZANZIBAR.

speaks of one who has fought battles and who rules
nations. The long line of turbaned officers forming
his retinue are richly and tastefully dressed, and,
with their flowing costumes and splendid steeds,
present a royal pageant strikingly picturesque.

The great advantages which the Island of Zanzi-
bar has over islands in the Indian Ocean to the
southward of the equator are n'^l yet sufficiently
known to be justly appreciated. It is undoubtedly
the best and most convenient stopping-place for ves-
sels bound through the Mozambique Channel to the
Red Sea, the Persian Gulf, and India, on this side
the Cape of Good Hope. The British East India
Company's vessels formerly procured refreshments,
on their voyage from England to Bombay and Ma-
dras, at Johanna. Few merchantmen of any de-
scription now touch there, owing to the exorbitant
demands of the sheik for port-charges, and the dis-
honesty of the natives. It is principally frequented
by whalers, though not so much so now as it was
some years ago. The want of a responsible consul-
ar agent is scarcely counterbalanced by the extreme
fertility of the island and the cheapness of refresh-
ments. The Portuguese settlements on the coast,
in Mozambique, are the worst places, perhaps, be-
tween the Cape and India to touch at for refresh-
ments. Exclusive of the unhealthiness of the cli-
mate, and the degraded character of the Portuguese,
nothing can be had of any value but stagnant rain-
water, which, though better than none, is always i»-

ITS GREAT FERTILITY.

341

jurious to a ship's crew. What Uttle fruit the coun-
try affords is consumed by the settlers. For some
of the common necessaries of Ufe they are depend-
ent upon Majunga and other ports in Madagascar.
The Seyschelles Islands are too far to the eastward
for vessels bound up the Red Sea or Persian Gulf.
In fact, there is no place in the Indian Ocean so con-
veniently situated for that purpose as the Island of
Zanzibar. With the exception of Femba (a small
island to the northward of Zanzibar, also under the
dominion of the Imaum of Muscat), it is the most fer-
tile island on the eastern coast of Africa. Fruit and
vegetables of the greatest possible variety can be had
at the town of N'Googa cheaper than at any other
seaport in the Indian Ocean where it would be at all
prudent to stop. Horsburg's assertion that the gov-
ernor " makes a monopoly of the sale of these arti-
cles," and that " the inhabitants, when permitted, sell
their productions on more reasonable terms," is not
now applicable to the island. The late accounts
given of this island by Ruschenberger, Roberts, Tay-
lor, and others, are all expressive of surp rise at the
cheapness of fruit and vegetables ! Besides, the
imaum himself is now at the head of the govern-
ment, and will not permit or make a monopoly of
the sale of any of the native products. Prince Syed
Carlid, one of the imaum's sons, who has jurisdiction
over the commercial transactions of the natives, has
no power himself to create a monopoly. It is doubt-
ful whether even the sultan could do it, so little re-

342

SLAVE TRADE ABOLISHED.

spect have the natives for his authority when it cou-
flicts with their interests. At all events, they dis-
pose of the products of their shambas, or plantation,
without restraint, at their own prices. No sickness
need be apprehended, if proper precautions are tak-
en ; but, at the same time, it would be to the inter-
est of vessels to remain in port no longer than is ac-
tually necessary to procure refreshments. It is not
a climate which can be tampered with. I have
shown in another chapter the cause of its fatality
among sea-faring men. I propose iu some future
chapter to offer a few hints in regard to the means
by which sickness might be avoided.

The resources of Zanzibar, as a place of trade,
are now considered of some importance in the com-
mercial world. So far as relates to the slave trade,
it may be seen, by reference to the existing treaties
etween the sovereign of Muscat and the British
jind American powers, that it is now confined to na-
tions which do not come under the denomination of
" Christian." On the tenth of September, 1822, a
treaty was entered into by Great Britain with his
highness the Imaum of Muscat, for the perpetual
abolition of the slave trade between the dominions
of his highness and all Christian nations. This
treaty was recorded and confirmed in a more formal
manner in August, 1839, by Robert Cogan, Esq.,
plenipotentiary on the part of her majesty, Victoria,
and Hassan Bin Ibrahim and Mahamet Ali Bin Na-
sir, on behalf of the imaum. There was also a con-

COMMERCIAL TREATIES.

343

ventiou of commerce entered into at Zanzibar reg-
ulating the trade between British subjects and the
subjects of the imaum, granting free intercourse be-
tween the merchants of both nations, and affording
them every facility in their commercial pursuits. It
also limited the duty on British and East India mer-
chandise, and regulated the collecting of the cus-
toms. The laws governing residents, and the pow-
ers of consuls and resident agents, were more strictly
defined. This treaty was concluded at Zanzibar on
the 31st of May, 1839, and ratifications were ex-
changed on the 22d of July, 1840. It had its ori-
gin,' no doubt, in our own treaty of commerce, nego-
tiated and concluded in the years 1833-34,* which
gave us many commercial advantages. The neces-
sity for our treaty had sprung out of the increasing
importance of the Island of Zanzibar, which charac-
ter the indomitable energy and enterprise of the Sa-
lem merchants had given it by the extensive trade
they had opened with it in exchanging American
manufactures for gum copal, ivory teeth, ebony, goat-
skins, hides, &c.

* The treaty of amity and commerce between his highness the
Imaum of Muscat and the government of the United States was pre-
sented and concluded at Muscat by Edmund Roberts, Esq., envoy
to the courts of Siam and Muscat, on the 21st of September, 1833.
It went into operation on the 30th of June, 1834. Ratifications were
exchanged on the 30th of September, 1835. This ti'-^aty was trans-
lated into the Arabic by Syed Bin Calfaim, the sultan's interpreter,
and present United States consular agent at Muscat. The conven-
tion of commerce between the imaum and the government of Great
Britain is similar to our treaty in most of its provisions.

344

SCHOOLS AND EDUCATION.

The value of a practical education is here duly an.
preciated. Schools for the young are numerous. A
knowledge of the rudiments of arithmetic and the
art of writing is considered essential in all business
pursuits. When the pupil can cipher sufficiently
well to be quahfied for the office of cranee, or clerk
write the Arabic, Sowhelian, and Hindoo, and read
the Koran throughout, he has an education which
fits him for all the pursuits of Oriental life. Many
of the young men have visited England and Amer-
ica, where the colleges and seminaries have struck
them with wonder, and shown them how much they
have yet to learn. A voyage to Europe or America
is a matter of pride to them during life, and causes
them to be looked upon as persons of consequence.
I was particularly struck with the aristocratic bear-
ing of Ahamet Bin Hamees, secretary to the imaum,
who had visited England, and received an excellent
education under the auspices of some of the nobili-
ty. He has certainly something to boast of; for, al-
though as black as the ace of spades (and darkness
of complexion has its disadvantages as well in Zan-
zibar as elsewhere), and of low descent, he got him-
self into notice by his own natural talent and his
perseverance. He is extremely polite to white peo-
ple, but looks down upon his own caste with all the
contempt springing from conscious superiority in ed-
ucation and intellect. I conversed with him on the
subject of the patronage he had received in Eng-
land, and was greatly amused at the sang f raid with

■;«i^^:^

AN Arab's opinion of the salem ladies. 345

which he spoke of Iiaving, on various occasions,
dined with the queen, and the ton" jf familiar free-
dom with which he alluded to his friends Lord ,

the Duke of , Sir Thomas or Sir John , &c.

His pronunciation of the English language is pain-
fully precise, and altogether according to Walker
and Johnson. When parting with him after my first
interview, he politely tendered me his card, which
was neatly printed in English letters,

■ ' " Mr. Ahamkt Bin Hamees, *

" Secretary to His Highness the Imaum of Muscat!''

R'ajab, a young Arab, whose acquaintance I made
during my sojourn, had been to Salem, Massachu-
setts, in a merchantman. Speaking of the houses in
Salem and Boston, he said, " Oh, very fine ! Big !
too big ! Grand ! Zanzibar nothing at all ! Bom-
bay nothing at all !" He was quite enthusiastic in
bis encomiums on the Salem ladies, whose charms
he dwelt upon with all the raptures of a young amo-
roso. " His highness (the sultan) no sabby women
all de same as Salem ladies ! Skin white, all de
same as paper ! Teeth like bright pearl ! Hair
long, fine, too fine ! Eyes ! Bismilla ! when dey look
at me I feel all ober drunk ; I no sabby nothing !"

I spent my evenings strolling about town, gather-
ing up what information I could respecting the man-
ners and customs of the inhabitants. I was greatly
indebted, in my inquiries, to two young Americans,
clerks in the employ of the United States consul,

■ill

JIM

, t ;! : ■

■ i. :

■I

;'■ '

346

INQUISITIVENESS.

vvli > spoke the Sowhelian language. There are so
few white residents in the place, and they are so
familiar to the citizens, that my appearance as a
temporary resident created quite a sensation. With
all that curiosity attributed to Yankees, they inquired
of my friends where I was from, where going, what
I followed, how I came to Zanzibar, when I was
going away, &c. iSo vessel had been in port for
some time except the Styx, and the consul having
improved my appearance considerably, they could
scarcely believe I came out of a whaler, having a
pious aversion to any craft engaged in the shedding
of blood, and the business of preserving grease. On
being informed that I had actually been in a whaler,
they congratulated me on my release, and heartily
welcomed to their island the " Manoomagee!" in
the'*' own figurative language, the "Child of the
Ocean !"

As yet, neither the resources nor the physical
characteristics of Zanzibar have been accurately de-
scribed. This fact I attribute, not to a want of per-
ception on the part of those writers who have at-
tempted to give some idea of the island, but to the
fact that few, if any of them, have enjoyed the op-
portunity of acquiring strict knowledge on the sub-
ject. Officers of American and English vessels of
war have spent a few days in making hasty re-
searches, and, after gathering sufficient material from
their casual and limited observation to cram into a
general journal, without the slightest opportunity of

EXAGGERATIONS OF TRAVELERS.

347

ascertaining whether they are correct in their views
or not, have published to the world the result of their
investigations. It is quite natural that these ac-
counts, distorted and exaggerated as they are by the
enthusiastic imagination of the writers, should be
very erroneous. The prevaiUng misrepresentations
respecting this island, however, have not been alto-
gether promulgated by modern writers. In the trans-
lation of the old Portuguese work, to which reference
has already been made, descriptive of the voyages
of Vasco de Gama, Albuquerque, and other naviga-
tors, there is an account of a grand victory achieved
by the Portuguese over the natives of this island.
The description of this achievement is quite as exag-
gerated as Marco Polo's narrative of the magnificent
court of Kubla Khan. Impossibilities are advanced
as facts, redounding to the everlasting glory of the
Portuguese. We are told in one passage that the
natives, frantic with fear, and panic-stricken at the
bravery of the Portuguese, fled in a body to the
mountains! Now, this was certainly one of the
most extraordinary feats on record ; especially when
we take into consideration that there is not a mount-
ain, and scarcely a hill of any considerable height on
the whole island ! Kizimbane, the site of the sul-
tan's shamba, is, I believe, the highest part of Zanzi-
bar; and no effort of the imagination can make any
thing but a hill of it. From the ocean, the entire
island has the appearance of a dead level; and, in-
deed, so low is it, that the slight undulations on its

;

348

SPEEDY PUNISHMENT.

surface can scarcely be seen at the distance of a few
leagues. The unhealthiness of the climate is owing,
in a great measure, to its flat surface, which retains
the rain, and thus abounds in marshes. In a tropi-
cal climate, from the extreme luxuriance of the vege-
tation, these marshy flats are peculiarly destructive
to the health. The exhalations and noxious vapors
arising from them are fatal to European constitu-
tions.

The principle of law here is " an eye for an eje,
and a tooth for a tooth." Mr. Fabeus told me of
several instances which had come under his observa-
tion of prompt and despotic punishment.

A native from the coast stabbed a subject of the
sultan. He was carried to the public bazar, and
the citizens were summoned to witness his execu-
tion. The sultan in person was present with his
guard of soldiers. The prisoner was bound hand and
foot, and thrown upon his back. At a given signal,
the executioner, a soldier, armed with a long knife
approached him, and, slowly removing his scarf,
placed the point of the knife against his breast. Not
a word was spoken ; all was done silently and quiet-
ly. The prisoner calmly gazed in the face of his
executioner, without betraying the least symptom of
fear. Another signal was given, and the soldier,
kneeling upon his breast, slowly and deliberately
thrust the knife into his heart. A convulsive shud-
der passed through the frame of the wretched mur-
derer; the crimson blood spouted from his wound;

AN INCORRIGIBLE THIEF.

349

and, when they lifted him up to bear him away, he
was dead ! The body was taken to the receptacle for
executed criminals (a sterile part of the shore, about
two miles to the southward of the town), and there
thrown upon the rocks to be devoured by wild dogs
and birds of prey.

I saw myself one of the victims of the sultan's
barbarity. It was a very aggravated case on both
sides ; but I hardly think it justified so much cruelty.
A poor wretch, horribly maimed, had frequently so-
licited alms from me in the streets. He had neither
hands nor feet, and was entirely naked. I inquired
of Hassan Ben Ibrahim what had mutilated him; and
learned that the object of my pity was an incorrigible
thief, who, for the first offense, had his middle fingers
cut off; for the next, his left hand. The desire to
appropriatB to his own use the property of others
was not yet satiated. He committed theft again, and
his right hand was cut off. His propensity for steal-
ing was stronger than his fear of punishment ; and,
before the wounds had healed, he stole again and
again, till he lost both his feet. It was in that miser-
able condition I saw him. Hassan said he had no
doubt the fellow would steal till both his arms and
legs were cut off.

Although this was the only man I saw who had
lost his hands and feet, I met every day persons wlio
had their fingers, toes, hands, or ears cut ofT for petty
crimes.

It has become fashionable in the United States to

350

CHARACTER OF THE IMAUM.

speak of the Iinaum of Muscat in the most extrava-
gant terms of admiration, as a hero, a patriot, a law-
giver, and a miracle of honor, humanity, and gener-
osity. During my stay at Zanzibar I had, perhaps,
a better opportunity of becoming acquainted with hk
real character than most of the visitors to that island
who had preceded me ; and my observation leads me
to believe that these opinions are too hastily formed.
The sultan's principles of honor, honesty, and hu-
manity may be in accordance with the ideas of cap-
tains and officers, and quite creditable to an Arab;
but they will hardly accord with the customs of civ-
ilized nations.

A subject of his highness, belonging to Mombas,
sold a " dow" (what we would call a fishing-smack)
to another subject living at Zanzibar, who, having
taken possession of the property, refused or evaded
payment. The owner of the dow stated his griev-
ance to the sultan. The defaulter was taken up, the
dow taken from him and sold at auction, and the
proceeds safely deposited in his highness's coffers.
The man to whom the money rightfully belonged
did not receive a cent. He made application to an
English merchant residing at Zanzibar, with the
hope of obtaining redress from the British govern-
ment ; but the merchant refused to interfere in the
matter.

Mohammed Abdelkada, one of the sultan's chief
officers, had a fine plantation in the neighborhood
of his highness's palace at Montoney. He had ac-

HIS POWER GREATLY EXAGGERATED.

351

quired it after years of industry, and lived upon it
with his family. The sultan thought it would make
an excellent addition to his shamha, and without
ceremony ejected Mohammed, and made him no
recompense whatever. Various other instances have
occurred to show that he is no respecter of private
property. He cares very little about the rights of
his subjects, if they interfere with his own interests.

His power ha? been greatly magnified. It is
stated by Dr. Ruschenberger thr c he has control over
all the ports in East Africa, the coast of Arabia, and
Abjssinia. Where this information was obtained I
am unable to say ; perhaps it was from the sultan, or
Hassan Ben Ibrahim. This much is certain, that
the statement is altogether fallacious. Captain Ham-
ilton, who has traveled over every part of the sultan's
dominions, and who has spent twenty years of his
life in the service of the British government as a
political agent, assured me that the sultan could not
name a port or.island, except Muscat, Socotara, Zan-
zibar, Pemba, Mombas, and perhaps a few places of
minor consequence on the coast, that he could call
his own. In Arabia his power is only acknowledged
from Kalhaut to Ras al Head. Even at Ras al
Head, almost within gunshot of Muscat, his influence
is very slight.

Still for an Arab chief, his dominion is consider-
able, and* altogether peculiar. Other barbarian po-
tentates of the Arabian and African coasts exercise
their authority in some single section of the desert,

ili

352

EXTENT OF THE IMAUM S DOMINION.

PRESENTS

larger or smaller; places contiguous or separate, at
small distances. The imaum, occupying originally
the port of Muscat, so situated between Arabia and
India as to fall within the course of European inter-
course, has gradually acquired some European ideas-
and possessing himself of a few vessels, has extend-
ed his power down the coast of Africa to points very
distant from each other. Muscat lies on the coast
of that part of the Indian Ocean called the Arabian
Sea, not more than two hundred miles from the Per-
sian Gulf. Socotara is an island of some importance,
eight or nine hundred miles south, near the coast of
Africa, and on the direct route from the Red Sea to
Ceylpn ; and from this to the port of Mombas, and
the islands of Femba and Zanzibar, it is not less than
fifteen to seventeen hundred miles southward, toward
Madagascar and the Cape of Good Hope.

The diplomatic intercourse between the English
and American governments and his sultanic highness
has been of a character sufficiently curious.

I learned from Captain Hamilton that among the
various costly presents sent to the Sultan of Muscat
from England was a splendid yacht, called the Prince
Regent. It was built and fitted by order of George
the Fourth. The basso-relievo work in the cabin
did not suit his highness, and he took umbrage at it.
The king offered to repair or alter it in any manner
that the sultan might suggest. Syed Syed, ho^vever,
would not accept it under any other terms than that
he should be allowed to dispose of it as he pleased.

PRESENTS FROM THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT. 353

Permission being granted him, he sold the yacht to
the residency at Bombay, and, while laughing in his
sleeve at the simplicity of his English friend, deposit-
ed the gold in his coffers.

A magnificent set of silver plate was also sent out
from England to his highness. After keeping them
a sufficient length of time to elude suspicion, the sal-
tan disposed of them to his neighbors and officers.
Some, who were able to purchase them, got the sil-
ver spoons ; others, the plate ; and an old Arab in
Muscat was fortunate enough to obtain possession
of one of the immense head-dishes, which he now
\ises ior his paddee. -^

Queen Victoria sent him a splendid carriage, and
with it a letter, stating that, as his highness would per-
ceive, it was a very superior article, constructed pre-
cisely on the model of her own carriage of state ;
and she had no doubt his highness would appreciate
it all the better, when she informed him that it was
constructed by her own artisan, and was peculiarly
adapted, in ease of motion, to the smooth and beauti-
ful roads of Zanzibar. She hoped his highness's
footmen and drivers would display it to the best ad-
vantage, and she enjoyed the belief that his highness
would ride out often in his delightful parks. The
whips, harness, cushions, trimmings, &c., were of the
finest workmanship and most costly material. The
whole affair was built at the expense of S9000.
When the sultan received this present he was in
raptures ; but he very soon had the richest of the

354 PRESENTS FROM THE AMERICAN GOVERNMENT.

ornaments taken off to convert into money. Her
majesty's knowledge of the dominions of his highness
being altogether drawn from works of an imaginative
character, she was of course quite excusable for not
knowing that there is no such thing as a carriage
road in the jungles of Zanzibar, or on the suo-
burned heights of Muscat. The idea of presenting
a splendid carriage to the sultan, when he could make
no earthly use of it as it was designed to be used,
was about as ridiculous as addressing him in verse.
I saw this carriage myself; and it grieved me to think
now pearls were thrown before swine. It is now
boxed up, after having been defaced by the na-
tives, the beautiful ornamental work all destroyed,
and the whole affair rendered unfit for use, even if
there were roads. The moths and vermin have de-
stroyed all the embroidery and inside trimmings, and
the wood-work is ruined by worms. As it stands
now, it is not worth fifty dollars.

The articles presented to the sultan by the govern-
ment of the United States fared no better. He re-
ceived by the Peacock, as is stated by Rusclieiiber-
ger, a sword and altagar with gold scabbards and
mountings. Tanner's Map of the United States, a set
of American coins, several rifles, a number of cut-
glass lamps, a quantity of American Nankin, known
as Forsyth's Nankin, &c. Now, the merchants who
have resided at Zanzibar for years, and who know
exactly every thing said and done by the suhan in
relation to our government, say that his highness

DISHONORABLE CONDUCT OF THE SULTAN. 355

treated these gifts with perfect contempt, however
well pleased he may have expressed himself to the
commander and officers of the Peacock. The in-
trinsic value of a present, not the friendly feelings
with which it is given, has its influence with him. Tt
was certainly a very small business to send a set of
trifles of this kind to a foreign sovereign ; but it was
not very honorable in the sultan to sell the greater
part of them to his subjects, for it is well known in
Zanzibar he did so.

I was witness myself to a transaction of this kind.
It is very generally known that a splendid boat, worth
$3000, was sent out to the suhan by our govern-
ment. His highness, with his suite of officers, met
with an accident the day it was first tried at Zanzi-
bar. Owing to the awkwardness of the boatmen, it
upset in the bay, and completely ducked the royal
party. The sultan, attaching the blame to the boat
rather than to the awkwardness of the men, had it
carried on board his frigate, the Sha-Halm, where it
remained neglected and unused till the trimmings
were totally ruined, and the fine mountings stolen or
sold by the sultan's officers. His highness offered it
as a present to the American consul, who of course
was bound to decline the gift. He then tried to sell
it to some of his subjects, but they preferred their
native craft. Finally, he made a bargain with the
British consul (which I witnessed personally) to this
eflfect: The consul had a common six-oared boat,
worth about two hundred dollars, which the sultan

356 FATE OF THE AMERICAN PLEASURE BOAT.

received in exchange for his three thousand dollar
present. By his oath of office, the British consul is
bound neither to transact business on his own ac-
count with the sultan, nor to receive any present or
presents. The difficulty was thus obviated on both
sides : The sultan wished to get rid of his fine boat
because through awkwardness it had once been up-
set; and the British consul quieted his own con-
science, in violating the spint of his obligations to
his government, by receiving it as a mere matter of
exchange — an accommodation which politeness re-
quired him to extend to the sultan ! So much for
making presents to an Arab potentate, '

I would suggest, in consideration of these facts,
that, when it is conceived this government is indebt-
ed to the Sultan of Muscat, instead of sending him
ffimsy toys, trumpery, enameled and silver-mounted
boats, &c., the proper course would be to present him
with a few mulatto ladies for his harem, or send over
for his use some white slaves out of the whale fishery
or navy. In case he should object to these, it would
be but honest to hand him over the cash, which, af-
ter all, is the most acceptable commodity that can be
presented to him.

v».i;/(;/ il ARABIAN TOWNS. .ti ^t 367

sr-V!.

:,i ' - "i 'i' ,-}>r''. »•:

i>.; 'i' lj;'i«-''>i/iiii

m , CHAPTER XVII. h .?.»,.,;.

Arabian Towng — Topography of N'Googa.— Fatal Effects of the Cli-
mate. — Unchristian Treatment of a Scotch Seaman. — Wretched
Condition of the Natives. — Barbarous Treatment of Sailors. — The
Sultan's Generosity toward the American People. — Directions for
the Preservation of Health.

,■,4

■'Mt'-'J

' .; tinil; *1 Zanzibar, July, 1843.

A VERY remarkable peculiarity in all Arabian
towns is the narrowness of the streets. Those of
Henzooanee, the capital of Johanna, are not more
than five or six feet wide ; and at Muscat, where it
might naturally be supposed the intense heat of the
climate would render room a matter of great im-
portance, they seldom exceed ten feet in width.
Majunga, on the margin of Bembatooka Bay, Mad-
agascar, though not built by the Arabs, partakes
strongly of this characteristic. The houses, which
are chiefly composed of bamboo, thatched with pal-
metto-leaves, are huddled so closely together as to
leave scarcely room to pass between them. This is
where the population is dense. Immediately along
the beach they are scattering, and built without any
regard to order or regularity. Aden resembles very
closely the town of N'Googa, being for the most
part composed of bamboo huts, interspersed with
mosques and other stone buildings. Mocha has
many stone houses in it of considerable size, but the

358 DEGRADED CONDITION OF THE NATIVES.

Streets arc so narrow and filthy as to render it a very-
undesirable place of residence for Europeans or
Americans. Captain Webb, of Salem, who spent
some time there in the capacity of a mercantile
agent, gave me a very unfavorable description of
the town. The natives he described as an indolent,
superstitious, and degraded race, extremely treacher-
ous, and possessing no taste whatever for the refine-
ments of civilized life. In their manner of living
they are litde better than mere brutes ; and so hos-
tile are they to any invasions upon their establisiied
customs, that they openly oppose every attempt to
improve their moral and social condition. The cli-
mate is insufferably warm. At times the showers
of red sand which come & ''ping down from the
deserts are suffocating, and tL j only means of avoid-
ing their baneful effects are refuge and close con-
finement in the houses. Momlas, as described hy
Boteler, Owens, and others connected with the sur-
veying expedition under the auspices of the British
Admiralty, differs in no respect from the generalit}
of Arabian towns. The houses are built of stone,
bamboo, and the leaves of the coaco-nut tree ; and
the streets barely admit of two persons walking
abreast. The same may be said of Brava, duilau,
Tangate, and, in fact, all the Arabian towns on this
side of the African and Asiatic continents.

N'Googa extends about a mile along the beach,
and is situated in a bend formed by two points of
the island, distant from each other about two leagues.

SITUATION OF NO 000 A.

359

The bay derives its chief safety from its situation
being that side of the island, which is protected from
heavy gales from the west by the coast of Africa,
from the east by the entire stretch of land embraced
between the northern and southern points, and by
die small islands of Pemba and a small group near
Ras Kizimbas, which protect it from strong northern
and southern gales. The bay itself, being very open,
would otherwise afford but an indifferent protection,
to the shipping. It is only on the changes of the
monsoons that Zanzibar is visited at all by gales of
any consequence. During the remainder of the
year a steady breeze prevails, the weather is regular,
and the wind seldom shifts more than two or three
points of the compass. There are several small isl-
ands at the outer extremity of the bay, which pre-
vent the strong currents of air arising in the interior
of Zanzibar, and passing from that part of the con-
tinent over the space of water that intervenes, from
acquiring material force before reaching the shipping
opposite the town. In this way Nature has made
up the deficiencies, which, if situated as Johanna,
the Seyschelles Islands, Mauritius, or Bourbon are,
unprotected by a continent, would render Zanzibar
a very unsafe place of resort. There is no conven-
ient or secure harbor on the eastern side of the isl-
and; and, without considering this fact, it would
seem rather singular that the town should have been
located at a point so difficult of access at certain pe-
riods of the year. A strong northerly current, com-

360

DIVISIONS OF N GOOGA.

bined with a northeastern monsoon, frequently com-
pels vessels to put to sea after many attempts to haul
up from the southward; and the only way of reach-
ing the town in such cases is to make a long tack
to the eastward, and come in to the northward of
Pemba, there being no safe passage for vessels be-
tween Zanzibar and Pemba by which the interven-
ing distance might be cut off. It requires skill and
care to drop down through the channel formed by
these two islands and the main-land, owing to the
number of bars and small islands which obstruct its
navigation.

N'Googa is divided into several sections, inhabited
mainly by distinct classes. The name of each sec-
tion denotes some peculiarity in the inhabitants or
the articles of trade. A considerable portion of the
town to the south is called Boo-boo-boo, from a san-
guinary battle which was once fought there by two
factions of the natives. The Soco-Mo^ ^o derives
its name from the fact that it is the principle place
for the traffic of mcihogo, or cassada root. Of the
other sections, to each of which is attached some
meaning indicative of its character, the most import-
ant are MeHnda, Shonganee, Bunganee, Guzzeega,
and Hindostan. Melinda is the northern part of the
town, containing a large portion of the Sowlielian
and African population, and consists chiefly of huts.
Shonganee is a section in the rear, inhabited by
Arabs and their slaves. Bunganee is situated on the
beach to the southward, and embraces the residence

POPULATION.

361

of the English consul, Captain Webb, Mr. Norsun-
thy, the store-house of the American consul, and oth-
er stone buildings of very respectable magnitude.
The population is mixed, consisting of Parsees,
Arabs, and Sowhelese. Guzzeega is the back part
of the town to the north, and is inhabited by Comoro
Arabs, natives of Madagascar, Delagoans, and vari-
ous classes of the poor population of Zanzibar.
Hindostan is about midway between the northern
and southern extremities of the town, some two or
three hundred yards back from the range of buildings
on the beach, and is by far the most respectable part
of N'Googa. Several of the streets are occupied
by industrious Hindoo merchants, or, as they are
called in Zanzibar by way of contradistinction from
the Banyans, Indmen. They have numerous shops,
with goods and wares exposed for sale, such as
Persian rugs, Madras cloths, combs, beads, queens-
ware, spoons, knives, coffee, spices, and every t) ing
required by the mass of the citizens. The Banyans
occupy separate streets, and are large dealers in gum
copal, ivory teeth, honey, sugar, and other articles of
commerce. As citizens, they are very industrious
and useful, compared with other Oriental tribes.

To the narrowness of the streets, and the vitiated
state of the atmosphere from the want of a free cir-
culation, is to be attributed, in a great measure, the
frightful extent to which fevers prevail in this place.
In the interior of the island, the wonderful density
of the vegetation is a prolific source of disease.

362

FATAL EFFECTS OF THE CLIMATE.

Take the climate generally, its deleterious effects are
much more fatal than the few white residents in Zan-
zibar will admit. Short as my stay has been, I have
witnessed many melancholy proofs of its dreadful
fatality. In some of the preceding pages I have
given an account of the shipwreck of the brig Bogota,

of New Bedford, commanded by Captain F ■

which occurred on a coral reef near the Island of
Monfia. The captain, with three or four hands,
brought the vessel, with its damaged cargo, into the
port of Zanzibar. Ten of the crew, under the
command of the chief mate, abandoned her on the
reef, and made their escape, with the whale boats
and several nautical instruments, to the coast. It
was more than ten days after the arrival of the Bo-
gota before we heard from them, and the natural con-
clusion was that they had all been massacred by the
natives. About the 5th of June, however, a dow
came in containing eight of the crew and the mate,
one of their number having died on the coast.
They had landed in several places near Monfia, but
were so barbarously treated by the natives that they
were compelled to keep off shore. In this way they
coasted down for three or four days, till they arrived
at a settlement where there happened to be two Ban-
yans, agents for Jeram Bin Seeva, who kindly pro-
vided them with a dow to reach Zanzibar. Six of
them were prostrated with fever, and the remaining
two were quite emaciated. Within a week or two
the whole of the Bogota's crew — the st- ..t and hearty

PREVALENCE OF FEVERS.

363

as well as the sick — with the exception of one who
had come from the coast, and two who had assisted
in getting the vessel into port, were buried on the lit-
tle island in the bay ! Day after day I saw these
brave fellows struggle in the agonies of death. A
gasp, a convulsive shudder, a hurried word of remem-
brance to those at home, and all was over — their
race was run. Their bodies were sewn up in a
coarse shroud of cotton cloth, and carried over to
the receptable for foreigners, where they were hasti-
ly thrown into a sand-hole, and covered. I had
seen these unfortunate men but a few months be-
fore at Johanna, in all the strength and vigor of
manhood.

Scarcely an hour in the day passes that I do not
hear the wild, mournful funeral wail of the natives.
Of the white residents who have become acclimated,
about two thirds are laboring under slow fevers,
which gradually consume their vitals. A boat's crew
of six men, who deserted from a whaler at Johanna,
and arrived here in perfect health about a week ago,
are prostrated to a man. The Hindoos, Banyans,
and Farsees, though accustomed to a warm climate,
are carried off in great numbers. Out of fifty who
take up their residence in Zanzibar, not more than
twenty live to return to their native country ; and
yet it is stated by writers who have visited the isl-
and that it is by no means an unhealthy place. At
this time the S-W. monsoon prevails, and it is con-
sidered the heahhiest part of the year. I certainly

364

INSTANCE OF FATALITY OP CLIMATE.

can not regard a climate as healthy, when, at such a
favorable season of the year, out of thirty or forty
white persons, transient visitors and residents, more
than half of them were carried off by fevers within
a few weeks, and not more than eight or ten free of
fever. It is certain death to a white person to sleep
a single night in the open air, or even under the shel-
ter of a bamboo house at one of the shamhas, or in-
terior plantations. This has been tested by sad ex-
perience. How many vessels have lost the best por-
tion of their crews by suffering them to sleep a sin-
gle night on shore it is impossible to compute, but
the number is enormous.

A melancholy instance of the fatality of the cli-
mate is deeply engraved upon my memory. An
American whaler had hauled into port to repair her
keel, which had sustained some damage on a coral
reef off the southern point of Johanna. She was
stranded on the beach opposite the English consul's
during the first spring-tide, and the men were obliged
to turn out in the night 'o work upon her. One of
the crew, a Scotchman, was kicked by the captain
for not obeying the call with sufficient promptness.
The same night, or the next, this man, with two of
his shipmates, who had been severely treated during
the voyage, escaped from the vessel, and concealed
themselves in the town. In a few days the two last
mentioned returned to duty. After the vessel sailed
the Scotchman came from his hiding-place. Day
after day I saw him wandering about the streets sick

BRUTAL TREATMENT OF A SCOTCH SAILOR. 365

and destitute, without the power to relieve him. Far
from feeling any sympathy for him, the white traders
turned him from their doors with threats of imprison-
ment in the fort. The natives, fearing the displeas-
ure of the saltan if they did not follow the humane
example of the whites, kicked him out of their houses;
and for more than two weeks he had neither shelter
nor medical aid, nor, as far as I could learn, any food,
except what he could beg from the female slaves
when their masters were absent, or occasionally a

scrap of bread from Captain F ^*s men, who had

been wrecked, and were themselves in great distress.
My own situation was so precarious that it was only
by stealth I dared to speak to him ; for I knew the
penalty of being caught aiding or befriending a de-
serter; nor was it in my power to relieve his distress,
even if this were not the case. Early one morning
I heard that a man was found dead on the beach,
and that he still lay there. I went down, and was
shocked to see the body of the poor Scotchman
stretched upon the sand, with his face down, and his
eyes and nostrils covered with sand. A more heart-
rending sight I never witnessed. Such a death ! far
away from his native land, with no kind mother's
hand to press his fevered brow, nor sister to pass the
cup to his burning lips ; no brother to whisper words
of encouragement ; no

" Silent tears to weep,
And patient smiles to wear through suffering's hours,
And sumlesi* riches from affection's deep,"

f'A

366 MOHAMMEDAN ESTIMATE OF CHRISTIANS.

to rob death of its horrors, and soothe his last hours.
The tide had swept up partially over him, and his
light hair was matted with sea-weeds and water.
His muscles were frightfully distorted, as if in all the
agonies of a miserable death. A crowd of natives
stood around the body, jeering at the barbarity of
Christians. I did not understand sufficient of the
language to gather the meaning of all they said; but
Mr. Fabeus, the consul's clerk, kindly acted as inter-
preter, and from him I learned that the general in-
quiry was : " Is this the way Christians do in your
country ? When a man does wrong, do they suffer
him to die in the streets 1 Do they drive him from
their own doors to beg from people of another caste !
And when he dies, do they pitch him into the sand,
as the white people do here, and say no prayer over
him 1 Better be Mohammedan than Christian, if
Christians do so. You say yours is the only good
and true religion. Where is the good 1 We see all
bad. Mohammed teaches us to be good to other
men of our caste ; you do evil. Better have no re-
ligion at all, if it teach you to do evil. First you
treat men of your own caste like dogs, let them die
like dogs, and then bury them like dogs. When )00
die, where will you go V This was unanswerable.
It is perfectly useless to tell Mohammedans that in
America these disgraceful proceedings are not quite
so common. They naturally believe what th?y see,
and form their opinions from it, in preference to giv-
ing credence to what they are told.

Ki'VCHMnP'^a

ROBBING THE DEAD.

367

The unfortunate sailor, after such a miserable
death, might at least have been decently buried ; for
it is not an uncommon feature in civilization to be
very kind when it is too late to benefit the object.
But how was this poor fellow buried ? After a com-
fortable breakfast, the whites tumbled him into a
brig's launch, and had him taken over to a little isl-
and in the bay by a set of half-naked slaves, with-
out a soul to see him properly laid in the ground ;
and God knows whether they buried him at all or
not. Of one thing I am certain, and can prove it by
the captain who lent the launch, that they robbed the
lody of thefeio rags that covered it ! If this be in-
troducing civilization into savage lands, I trust I
shall remain uncivilized all the days of my life ; for I
protest against being considered one of that class
who could, while professing Christianity, shamefully
neglect a fellow-creature while living, and treat him
as a brute when dead.

With sickness and death staring me in the face
wherever I went, and the consciousness of having a
constitution less strong than any of those whom I
had seen carried off by fever, it was not strange that
I should feel depressed in mind. The fate of those
who had fallen victims to this dreadful disease ; the
prospect of being the next to be buried on a desert
island,* ten thousand miles from home, a stranger.

tua

* The Mohnmmedans will not suffer white people to be buried on
the Island of Zanzibar. All who die in port are carried over to a lit-
tle sand island in the bay.

■P

368

GLOOMY PROSPECTS.

and uncared for, threw a gloom over my spirits that
at times bordered on despair.

The fact that the entire crew of the Bogota, the
brig which had been wrecked near Monfia, and the
three men who had deserted from the Styx, the boat's
crew from Johanna, and all who had been more than
two weeks ashore, had been stricken down with the
fever, left me but little hope of escj<pe ; and I knew
too well the horrors of death in a place where a man
who has had the misfortune to be a common sea-
farer is considered no better, living or dead, than a
dog!

There are few means of beguiling one's time in
Zanzibar. From nine o'clock in the morning till
four or five in the evening the heat of the sun is in-
tense. Exposure to its rays is fatal. Consequently,
all that time must be spent in the house. Those
ceremonies and peculiarities of character and cos-
tume, which at first interest a stranger, soon become
monotonous. The streets ar too narrow and dirty
to be pleasant places of resort ; the bazar is generally
crowded with Sowhelian slaves and their sluggish
Arab masters, trading, quarreling, or gambling ; the
beach, from Bunganee to Melinda, is a place of pub-
lic deposit for all the filth of the town, and is often
strewn with the dead bodies of slaves in the last stage
of corruption. Go where you will within the limits
of the town, and a sickening stench from d'^cayed
vegetable and animal matter, rendered peculiarly of-
fensive from '.he intense heat of the cUmate, fills the

DISGUSTING SIGHTS.

369

atmosphere. The gaunt forms of men rotting with
fever, leprosy, and ulcers, are seen staggering from
street to street, begging a morsel of food to prolong
their sufferings; slaves crawling about on their knees
and hands, in the condition, and bearing the appear-
ance, of brutes ; half-naked skeletons tottering about
with sunken eyes, maimed by the cruelty of their
owners, and unsightly frpm disease.

The most disgusting part o-f the town is Banyan-
street, where the Banyans chiefly reside. From day-
light in the morning till breakfast-time the Banyans
may be seen squatted down at their doors, with their
long, black pigtails streaming over their shoulders,
and their clothes wrapped around them in a slovenly
manner, busily engaged brushing their teeth with
pieces of wood, which they dip in their snuffboxes,
and make use of as brushes. The whole street is a
complete puddle of saliva, and, of course, is very of-
fensive. As there are no canoes convenient, it be-
hoves the passer-by to keep in soundings, or, like a
fly in a glue-pot, he may find swimming rather a vio-
lent exercise in so substantial an element. Although
remarkably clean in their persons, the Banyans are
an extremely disgusting people in some of their cus-
toms.

No doubt the indolent habits of the natives, their
filthiness of person, their sensual indulgences, and
the piles of decayed vegetable matter in the streets,
tend as much to the production of disease as the
climate. That disease prevails, however, and to a

A A A

370 EFFECTS OF CLIMATE ON FOREIGNERS.

fearful extent, admits of no question ; but from the
very nature of the country, low, flat, abounding in
marshes, within a few leagues of the deadly coast of
Africa, and under a scorching tropical sun, it could
not be otherwise than unhealthy.

Foreigners have resided at Zanzibar for ye.->rs
without experiencing much apparent inconvenience
after becoming acchmated ; yet this has been rather
the result of increased care than the good effects of
the climate. Every white person with whom I be-
came acquainted while there had suffered attacks of
the fever, which required much care, and rendered
him more susceptible of fevers, from exposure to the
sun, or from cold, than he originally was. It is a
singular fact, that I never knew a man who would
acknowledge a sickly climate affected his constitu-
tion, though his sunken eye and sallow complexion
proved the presence of disease. Every man seems
to consider himself, by a special law of nature, ex-
empt from the ills of the flesh which befall his fellow-
creatures. The few who reside at Zanzibar will not
allow that the climate is at all deleterious, but attrib-
ute the fatality attending those who visit the island
entirely to imprudence. That in many, perhaps in
most cases, imprudence is the chief cause of disease,
can not be denied. Imprudence, generally the re-
sult of ignorance of the climate, can hardly he attrib-
uted to those who have resided there an^ length of
time and experienced its baneful effects ; and 1 think
the assertion, in regard to its healthiness, is sufticieut-

I /

LOATHSOME CONDITION OF THE FORT.

371

ly contradicted by their pallid faces and broken con-
stitutions.

One of the most inhuman practices that ever fell
under my observation is that of imprisoning sailors
in the fort. In such a climate as that of Zanzibar
it is positive murder, and that, too, of the most cruel
and nefarious character. The external appearance
of the fort is that of a ruin, patched up by unskillful
architects. Like nearly all the buildings in Zanzi-
bar, its prominent characteristic is a loathsome smell.
The walls are actually piles of filth, being thoroughly
saturated with the drawings of dirt-buckets from the
port-holes and windows. Unsightly as it is exter-
nally, the interior is still more disgusting. In the
large square, formed by the four great walls and the
towers at each corner, are a few miserable sheds, built
of bamboo, and thatched with leaves of the cocoa-
nut tree. These sheds emit an insufferable smell
from their extreme squalor and filth, and abound with
vermin. The lazy sentinels, who have charge of
the castle, never think of cleansing their own disgust-
ing persons, much less the place they lie in. There
is no other shelter for prisoners than these miserable
sheds, and they are so poorly constructed as to ad-
mit the night-dews, which are even more fatal than
rains or the burning rays of the sun. As a protec-
tion against the inclemency of the weather, they
amount to nothing at all. With nothing to keep the
inmates from the damp earth, not a single article of
furniture being allowed them, and no comfort what-

K i

Ki'l!

lit • ,

372

INHUMAN TREATMENT OF SAILORS.

ever to preserve health, these sheds answer but one
purpose — to hurry the unfortunate wretch who is
immured in them out of existence. Dead men oc-
casion but little trouble. It is a sure and expeditious
way to get rid of sailors,, slaves, and others of that
class, to immure them in his highness's castle. A
week will do for a man of ordinary constitution-
tougher ones require two or three. Some, in a
healthy season, have stood it a month; but these
were mutinous sailors, who had a great deal of pre-
sumption, and deserved severe punishment for not dy-
ing immediately, according to the established rules
of the place, as all docile and well-disposed sailors
should do. It is a piece of unpardonable audacity
for a sailor to hold out a month. Prisoners of this
class are not aware of the trouble they give their su-
perior authorities by such conduct. I would suggest,
as an improvement to the accommodations of the
fort, the propriety of erecting a whipping-post in the
middle of the square. Sailors who have the pre-
sumption to live after the usual time allotted to them
could then be brought to a due «ense of their ingrat-
itude and miral depravity. A sound flogging every
morning for a week would no doubt effect the main
object of their imprisonment — the gratification of
arbitrary power, and the glorious pleasures of triumph
over stupidity and obstinacy. There are some fla-
grant instances of this moral depravity, on the part
of sailors, recorded in the log-books of vessels which
have visited Zanzibar. I shall only mention one, for

"benevolence" of whaling captains. 373

I dislike exceedingly to impugn the characteristic
" benevolence" of whaling captains.
In 1838 (if I am not mistaken), a whaler came

into port under the command of Captain N ,

with the crew in a mutinous state. The cause, as I
learned it, was this: During the voyage the men
had taken up all that was due to them in slops, at
the usual exorbitant prices. The consequence was,
when there should have been a handsome sum com-
ing to them for their labor, they were either in debt
or had nothing. This naturally caused them to take
less interest in the success of the voyage than they
would have taken had their earnings been withheld
till the proper time, and what clothing they actually
needed sold them at an honest price. The captain
was a drunkard, quarreled with his officers, and
made a practice of using profane language to the
men, and flogging them without the slightest justifi-
cation. This created discontent. When they ar-
rived at Zanzibar, nine of them refused duty, and
complained of the brutal manner in which they had
been treated. Consuls seem to consider that there
is but one course for them to pursue in cases of this
kind — to have a trial, hear all the captain says, turn
a deaf ear to all complaints from the men, and put
them In prison. This may be the law — I will not

dispute it. Captain N 's men were sent in irons

to his highness's fort, and the vessel proceeded on a
short cruise. In a few weeks she returned. Mean-
time, several of the men, who doubtless felt too grate-

51 •*'

374

MELANCHOLY FATE OF PRISONERS.

fill for the treatment they had received to violate the
established laws of nature, were sufficif ntly sensible
of their obligations to die in great agony of body
and distress of mind. The others took the fever.
Whether they eventually recovered or not, I was uu-
able to le^.n. However, they were taken on duty
again, to enter upon another hard year's cruise, for
the benefit of their owners : a piece of magnanimity
unparalleled in the archives of tliis fort I do not
adduce this to reflect upon the conduct of Captain
N . Every consul and ship-owner in the coun-
try will admit that he did his duty. The crew re-
fused duty ; they were tried, found guilty, and put in
prison. A number of them happened to die. Wb^^se
fault was it ? The fault of the fort and the climate,
of course ! I merely relate it as a singular and strik-
ing instance of stubboinness on the part of sailors.

I have it from the best authority that two thirds
of the white men imprisoned in this fort fall victims
to the fever. Whether the offenses of which they
are presumed to be guilty are in all cases criminal
or not, or whether the offenders deserve death for
every breach of duty, it is not my province to deter-
mine ; but I must be permitted to say, I am not
aware of any law, English or American, which pro-
vides that seamen shall, for offenses of any kind what-
ever, be immured in a prison where death is inevita-
ble. As I am but little versed in law, however, it
may be that, upon certain legal principles unknown
to me, this particular species of murder is justifiable.

If so, I devo

in our count

es us expedi

uiagr inimit)

these petty ii

ate death. I

or consuls v

shoot sailors

these imposh

deal of vexat

much more h

ing the poor '

not be unders

the British o

Injustice to <

that he invari;

of the fort, w

diem, and urg

of their coun

countries, are

to make use

plate at prese

conception o

• I should be sc
consul dereUction
ere vested in him
cend them. Mr.
assisted me in my
and, during my soj
and hospitality,
oot to the persons

RBHHI

A HUMANE SUGGESTION.

375

If so, I devoutly trust that, as Christianity progresses
in our country — as the march of improvement teach-
es us expedition, our government will see fit, in its
magp'^nimity, to transmute the punishment for all
these petty infringements of marine law to immedi-
ate death. By practicing at rifle-shooting, our agents
or consuls would soon become expert enough to
shoot sailors down scientifically the moment one of
these imposing trials is over. This will save a vast
deal of vexation and trouble on their part, and be
much more humane than the present plan of subject-
ing the poor wretches to death by torture. I world
not be understood as casting reflections upon either
the British or Ameriran consul now at Zanzibar.
Injustice to our consul, Mr. Waters, I should state
that he invariably represents to seamen the condition
of the fort, when it devolves upon him to imprison
them, and urges them to return to duty.* The laws
of their country, or the customary rules in foreign
countries, are conceived imperatively to coiiipel them
to make use of the fort. It is the only prison the
place at present aflbrds, and it is, no doubt, in their
conception of their duty that this detestable practice

* I should be sorry to be understood as imputing to t'be American
consul dereliction of duty townrd our seamen. He has certain pow-
ers vested in him as an agent of the government, and can not trans-
cend them. Mr. Waters, the present incumbent, very humanely
assisted me in my endeavors to procure my discharge from the Styx,
and, daring my sojourn on the island, treated me with great kindness
ai^d hospitality. My strictures are intended to apply to the system,
not to the persons.

m m

376

I VILS OF THE CONSULAR SYSTEM.

is pursued. But what law can require or justify in-
humanity fio disgraceful, crime so foul, barbaritv so
fiendish ? I ask for information. I do not dispute
the existence of such a law. I have been told the
duties of coDiuls are strictly defined in this particu-
lar ; that th<3y do not transcend them in punishing
mutinous seasien by imprisoning them in the best
prison the place affords. Vessels of war, from Eng-
land and America, have visited Zanzibar. Its re-
sources have been described — its advantages as a
place of commercial resort descanted upon. Itj then,
with the knowledge of such an eviJ, this system of
murder is officially sanctioned, humanity shoiM
prompt the ruling power to vest in its representaiL ;,
or agent, the privilege of shortening, in any conven-
ient manner, th'i cruel tortures to which these pris-
oners are now subjected. Let it not be said, at this
enlightened period, that a new inquisition has sprung
up. Let it not be said, that while we are sending
out missionaries to civilize barbarous nations, we are
exhibiting a most detestable barbarism ourselves.
The remark uf Eymerie, the Dominican, that it is a
great consolation to suffer jr.stly for a crime, is very
probably true. Apply it to the ^)resent case. Would
it not be rather too late for a man to call upon his
country, after dying of a fever, to state that his ac-
commodati<^ns were bad while in prison, and that,
by some slight error of judgment as to the culpable
party, he had suffered wnjustly 1 I am inclined to
think redress would avail him but Uttle then. The

A GOCn PLAN NOT EXECUTED.

377

punishment of death, in my opinion, should not be
left at the discretion of captains or consuls. Even
where the life at stake is only that of a sailor, he
ought, according to the principles of cui Constitu-
tion, to be entitled to equal privileges with the lands-
man.

The sultan, in the plenitude of his generosity to-
ward America and England, had a fine house built
for the accommodation of mariners. It was to be
furnished in the European style, and to answer all
the purposes of a sailor's home.' His highness in-
tended having an American physician attached to
the establishment, to take charge of the sick and dis-
abled, at his own expense. The whole design was
excellent ; nothing could be better ; but his highness
has omitted one important feature in the plan — to
put it in execution. One of his sons, Syed Hallal,
occupies the house. Whether it will ever be made
use of as a hospital or sailor's home it is impossible
to say.

In most parts of the world where consuls are sta-
tioned, accommodations are provided for the sick
aiid destitute mariners who are cast upon their hands.
ilce the greatest misfortune a shipwrecked mariner
u J sustain is to be rescued from the perils of the
jr: . A fate far less preferable awaits him. There
are no accommodations fit for a white man to be
had. He must, in many instances, find such shelter
as an old i ore-house, or such lodgings as the natives
may feel disposed to let him have. Indifferent lodg-

Bbb

%^. .^

378

HARDSHIPS OF THE SAILOR.

ings, in such a climate, are the most productive causes
of fever. It is no wonder that disease soon fastens
upon him. What is his condition then 1 There is
no hospital where he can find rest and care ; no
physician in the place ; no medicine to be had, un-
less some of his kind countrymen choose to spare
him a little ; and, above all, he is destitute of those
necessaries, and that care and attention which tend
to promote recovery as much as medicine or profes-
sional skill. The result is, that, in perhaps five cases
out of six, these shipwrecked and distressed mariners,
who, Isfortune, are cast ashore on the Island of

Zanziba , fall victims to disease.

I have seen so much barbarity toward the sick
here ; so brutal a disregard for human life ; so much
selfishness and cupidity, that my blood runs cold to
think of the number of valuable lives that have been
willfully and purposely sacrificed to avoid trouble and
expense. Great God ! are such evils to be counte-
nanced by American freemen ! Must men who, from
choice or necessity, follow sea-faring for a livelihood,
who minister to all our luxuries and comforts at home
by their daring intrepidity, be treated like dumb
brutes l Must a poor sailor, who has had the mis-
fortune to be cast ashore, be browbeat, scorned, and
neglected when sickness and destitution come upon
him, and for no other reason than because he is a
sailor, who can not make any direct return for the
trouble and expense ? Americans ! will you suffer
this 1 I have pointed out the evil; apply the remedy.

DIRECTIONS FOR PRESERVING HEALTH. 379

For the benefit of seamen, I shall say a word or
two on the best means of avoiding fevers and other
diseases which prevail on the island.

Pre\ 'ous to entering port, the stomach should be
cleansed by an emetic, and the blood cooled by some
gentle aperient, such as salts. Undue exposure to
the sun is fatal. Too much sleep in this climate
enervates and relaxes the muscular system, and ren-
ders the stomach more susceptible of fevers. Seven
hours out of the twenty-four are amply sufficient.
All exciting liquors and strong food should be avoid-
ed. The French are less subject to fevers in this
climate than the Americans or English, because they
make use of lighter food, and their mode of cooking
is better adapted to health. In our vessels, a large
quantity of grease is used in almost every mess for
the men. This is calculated to promote bile, and as-
sist in the production of fever. Horsburgh cautions
mariners against drinking the water fresh from the
Motoney, and recommends them to make use of that
which has been in the casks on board the ship for
some time in preference to any other. I have known a
very fatal form of dysentery to be brought on by using
this water. The stream is supplied, in a great meas-
ure, by the heavy dews in the interior of the island.
These dews are formed by noxious exhalations from
vegetable matter, and contain a large amount of poi-
son. The poisonous particles settle down or adhere
to the cask, after letting the water stand a sufficient
length of time, which accounts for the fact that it
becomes quite wholesome in a few weeks.

380 DIRECTIONS fOR PRESERVING HEALTH.

Curry, a favorite article of food with the Arabs,
is considered by physicians very wholesome, and
when properly prepared with chicken, or fowl of any
kind, it is an extremely palatable dish. When pre-
pared for use it resembles mustard, and has a pungent
taste, without the exciting properties of that seed. It
is most frequently used with rice. From my own
experience, I regard it as the best food that can be
used, being light, nutritious, and easily digested.

Fruits should be very sparingly eaten. In a tropi-
cal climate, there is perhaps no cause of fever so pro-
ductive as an imprudent indulgence in this article
of food. The cheapness and abundance of the most
delicious tropical fruits are almost irresistible tempta-
tions to the sea-farer who for months has whetted
his appetite on hard biscuit and salt junk ; but it
should be borne in mind that sickness and death are
too often the penalties of indulgence. The pine-
apple is the most dangerous of all tropical fruits. I
have known two or three cases in which valuable
lives werf> lost by even a moderate use of the pine-
apple, in consequence of drinking the juice of cocoa-
nut after it; and several cases of death caused by
the pine-apple alone. It possesses dangerous chem-
ical properties, which, by contact with certain acids
in the stomach, produce the most baneful results. A
mixture of the pine-apple with the milk of the cocoa-
nut is almost invariably fatal. This fact is so little
known, that in many cases death seizes the victim
without any apparent cause. The cocoa-nut is also

DIRECTIONS FOR PRESERVING HEALTH. 381

a fruit that should be avoided. Travelers have en-
thusiastically described it as a most wholesome and
nutritions fruit ; but this is fiction. It is not only in-
digestible, but, from its strong, oily properties, pecul-
iarly calculated to vitiate the blood and promote fe-
vers. The chief cause of the disgusting cutaneous
eruptions, ulcers, cancers, sores, &c., so prevalent
among the natives, is the free use which they make
of the cocoa-nut. Plantains and bananas, when
eaten sparingly, are easily digested, and may be used
withodC any serious consequences. Undue indul-
gence in them, however, is apt to produce acidity in
the stomach, dysentery, and fevers. Oranges are
less objectionable than any of the tropical fruits yet
mentioned. Care should be taken to avoid eating
the small species called the China orange. It is very
unwholesome. The danger is perhaps more in the
quantity of oranges eaten than the quality. Cha-
lottes, melons, guavas, and mangoes are not unwhole-
some when prudently eaten, but,. as a general rule, it
is better to avoid them entirely than run the risk of
being tempted to over-indulgence. The same rule
may be applied to all tropical fruits. In the United
States, where these fruits are dear, and are only eaten
in small quantities, they seldom produce fatal conse-
quences ; but here they are within reach of all, and
in the greatest abundance, and, being peculiarly deli-
cious from their freshness, are eaten with less mod-
eration. Besides, many articles of food may be
made use of in a temperate climate with impunity,

■?*

382 DIRECTIONS FOR PRESERVING HEALTH.

which are almost absolute poison in a very warm
chmate. Febrile action is promoted by the heat,
which enervates, and renders the body more suscepti-
ble of disease. The digestive powers are less vigor-
ous, and the muscular system relaxed. Disease is
more easily engendered. It would be better, there-
fore, to avoid fruit of every kind, where there is any
fear of yielding to over-indulgence.

Cassada, a vegetable much esteemed by the Bra-
zilians, who use it very frequently for bread, is pro-
duced in great abundance on the Island of Zanzibar.
When well boiled, it is glutinous, and in taste some-
what resembles the potato. It is generally made use
of as a substitute for potatoes. It is extremely nu-
tritious, and forms a valuable addition to a ship's
recruit. The yam, above all vegetables produc-
ed on the island, should have the preference as a
wholesome article of food. It is far preferable to
the sweet potato, the only species of potato produced
on the island. I do not consider the latter very
wholesome. The yam, however, need not be feared.
It is light, porous, and nutritious, and I have never
known it to occasion sickness. Rice is too well
known to need recommendation. Its excellent qual-
ities are so well appreciated by the white residents
at Zanzibar, that they use it almost exclusively.
The natives make a sort of bread by mixing rice
and cocoa-nut, but it is very heavy and indigestible.

It is necessary in all climates, and indispensably
so between the tropics, for the preservation of health.

DIRECTIONS FOR PRESERVING HEALTH.

383

to keep the skin clean, so that the refuse matter may
have a free passage throus;h the pores. Bathing,
therefore, can not be too strongly recommended.
Salt water is preferable to fresh. The crews of ves-
sels should avoid bathing too far from the beach, as
the bay abounds in sharks. It is injurious to bathe
in the heat of the day.

By attention to these directions, which I give
from experience, much sickness may be avoided.
While ships' crews were dying around me every day,
I escaped a day's sickness by prudence in the use
of fruit, light diet, moderate exercise, and frequent
immersions in water. I will not guaranty exemption
from sickness in every case. The climate, notwith-
standing every precaution, ahects the health unfavor-
ably in all cases by producing languor, depression of
mind, and general debility. These effects are felt, in
a greater or less degree, by all who visit the island
and spend any considerable length of time there.
But the fatal fevers may, in many instances, be
avoided by strict attention to cleanliness and diet.

The night dews contain large quantities of pois-
onous matter exhaled from vegetables, which, either
absorbed by the skin, or taken into the lungs, mate-
rially affect the health, and exposure to them for a
single night is absolutely fatal. It would therefore
be advisable, not only to avoid staying out later than
eight o'clock, but to keep within the limits of the
town even till that hour, the dew being lighter and
less injurious where there are few shrubs or trees

;«l

384

SUPERSTITIONS.

than where vegetation is dense. Those who sleep
on board vessels out in the bay are less subject to
fevers than those who sleep ashore, owing to the fact
that the dews are not so heavy, and that the plank
decks are less damp than the earth, and do not emit
poisonous exhalations. When it is necessary to
sleep ashore, a stone house, well roofed, and with a
second story, should be chosen in preference to a
bamboo hut.

CHAPTER XVIII.

Superstitions of the Inhabitants. — Hassan and the Devil. — Jeram Bin
Seva's Horror of Mesmerism. — The big Snake. — Funeral Cere-
monies of the Sowhelians. — A Mohammedan's Aversion to Pork.
— Death of a Portuguese Boy. — Character of the Arabs. — A Bri-
dal Ceremony. — Marriage Law. — Sowhelian Dances. — The
Coolies. — Jungle Dogs. — Death of a Shipmate. — Practicing Med-
icine. — Auctions. — Sale of the Brig Bogota.

Superstitions. — Hassan, a Banyan, had a para-
lytic stroke not long since, which twisted his nose to
one side, and drew up tbe corners of his mouth. It
was impossible to convince him that this was not all
through the special agency of the devil. Describing
the manner in which his affliction originated, Hassan
said,

•' I was sitting at the door of my house. The
devil came and struck me on the face. Presently,
when I thought he was gone, I put my hand up, and

HASSAN AND THE DEVIL.

385

found my mouth and nose all on one side. I called
in the doctors and necromancers, and they said it
was all the devil's work. He is in my head. I felt
him enter my nostrils. He is trying to get out now,
but another devil down in my throat has him by the
leg."

Perfectly satisfied that the two devils were waging
war in his head and throat, Hassan procured an old
woman, a celebrated necromancer from the Red Sea,
to watch for the evil spirit, which, according to the
prophecy of the woman, was to come out of his
mouth within eight days. Meantime, he was com-
pelled to sit in a chair in the middle of the room,
with strict injunctions not to leave it night or day ;
and, as an additional inducement to the evil spirits
to leave, he was obliged to give the charmer large
sums of money. Neither argument nor ridicule
would convince him that this idea, which had taken
sach a hold upon him, was unfounded.

When a Banyan is taken sick, he is immediately
surrounded by a host of conjurers, who prescribe
the most absurd remedies for him. It is confidently
believed that a cure may be effected! by the use of
charms. The Arabs take passages from the Koran,
and drink them in tumblers of water, or wear them
next the part affected in a silk or cotton envelope.
I have often seen these charms hung up over their
doors to keep out the evil spirits.

One morning I met Captain Hassan Bin Ibrihim,
the commander-in-chief of the sultan's naval forces,

C c c

386

HASSAN BIN IBRIHIM.

at the custom-house. I had been reading Ruschen-
berger's Sketches of Zanzibar, in which the captain
is described at full length, and highly eulogized. Af-
ter we had exchanged the customary salutations, I
alluded to the compHmentary manner in which he
had been noticed. His countenance immediately
brightened up.

" Oh yes," said he, " the doctor has written a work.
I have heard of it, but I have not read it. I very
well remember the time when the Peacock was here.
Commodore Kennedy is my friend. The commo-
dore is a very fine man. I like him much."

" Well, Hassan," said I, " it appears that you and
Dr. Ruschenberger were quite intimate. He gives
an account of a visit to Kizimbane, and speaks of
you as if he knew you well, for he intimates as much
as that you are ' a gentleman and a scholar.' "

This little compliment tickled old Hassan's van
so much that he grasped my hand, and his eyes
sparkled as he repeated my words.

" Indeed ! Ton my word ! And so my friend
has put me in print. And he calls me a gentleman
and a scholar— *all the same as plenty sense here"
(tapping his forehead). " I should like very much to
read his book ; but, ahhough I can speak English
like American man, I can't catch idea in books."

''Is it true, Hassan, that one of the party at his
highness's shamba examined your head I"

" Oh yes, I recollect. What you call man who
feel the head all over in this fashion ?"

JERAM BIN SEEVa's OPINION OP PHRENOLOGY. 387

" A phrenologist. Is that what you mean V

" That's it ; a phrenologist. Well, that is strange
business. I no understand it exactly."

I soon explained to Captain Hassan the element-
ary principles of phrenology ; and it quite surprised
me to find him comprehend them so readily.

Jeram Bin Seeva, the keeper of the custom-house,
who had been listening to our conversation, shook
his head doubtfully, and remarked,

"Ah, dis no very good business. Phrenologist
man put plenty devil in people's head. I tink it
more better he do something else."

" But, Jeram," said I, " you are not aware of all
the advantages of this science. Is it not a very
good way to find out a m; I's character ? Suppose
his highness wishes to buy a slave — would it not be
a great advantage to him to be able to tell by the
sha^e of the man's head whether he was a good
man or a bad one V

"Dat may be; but I no. like. Suppose he put
bad ting in people's head ; what good den 1 Ah,
all dis ting bad, very bad. I tink phrenologist no
better dan devil. I no let him feel mj/ head."

" Why, Jeram, you are entirely mistaken. It is a
very harmless science, if not a useful one. But have
you ever heard of a Mesmerist 1"

" Mesmeris % What dat ? More bad ting, I
know."

As this was something new to him, I undertook
to explain the phenomena of animal magnetism. He

■'!i

ripii

'■

388

ri : ; h

MESMERISM, i^:;.

seemed to comprehend what I meant very readily.
I then told him some of the wonders of neurology.
The superstitious awe with which the Banyan list-
ened to my recital heartily amused Captain Hassan,
who, heing better educated, was less superstitious.
When I had concluded, he observed,

" I think it very good plan. Suppose you put Mes-
merism in Jeram's leg, and make it stiff all the tame
as a log of wood. Then you say to Jeram, • My
friend, you very rich man : if you give me ten thou-
sand dollars, I take devil out of your leg. Suppose
you no give, I make it stay stiff all the days of your
Ufe. Then you must walk on one leg all the same
as dervish.' "

All present laughed heartily but Jeram, who seem-
ed to be seriously frightened. Shaking his head
gravely, he muttered, " No good business. I tink all
dese kind people go to bad place."

" Not at all, Jeram," said I ;" it is a very useful sci-
ence. Now, for instance, if you wish to see your
friends and relatives in Cutch, and to know how
they are, what they are doing, how they if»ok, and
all about them, all I have to do is to put you to
sleep in this way. Keep still, now, one minute,"
and I made some of the Mesmeric passes down be-
fore his face, keeping my eyes steadily fixed upon
his. He twisted and turned in his seat, opened his
eyes in horror, and exhibited every symptom of un-
easiness. • < 1

" Keep still, Jeram ; you'll see your friends pres-

-ft/* ■! tf .

THE BIG SNAKE.

389

ently. Now don t move. There ! there ! 'Don't
you see any thing V and, gazing in his eyes with a
mysterious eagerness, I continued to make the pass-
es. This was too much for the superstitious Ban-
yan.

" No good ! no good !" he shrieked, starting up
from his seat, with the utmost consternation depict-
ed in his looks. " You put devil in me. I no like
dis. Very bad business dis. Go way ! go way ! I
call my men."

Captain Hassan laughed heartily at the conster-
nation of Jeram ; but told me, after we had left the
custom-house, that I must be careful, or I would get
the reputation of being connected with evil spirits,
in which case he would not answer for the conse-
quences. . ,. . :

Mr. Fabeus told me of an amusing occurrence
illustrative of the superstition of the Arabs. Trav-
eling along the beach one day, he was accosted by
Jia sultan's secretary, Ahamet Bin Hamees.
" Well, you catch news to-day t"
« No ; what news ?"

" Oh, great things going to happen. A big devil
came down from the clouds this morning. The
people are all in confusion. He made a terrible
noise. His highness says this is a bad sign. What
shall we dot"
"What did this devil look likeT
"He came down in the shape of a big snake.
His head was in the water ; his tail reached clear up

1 V.

■■'^p

390

HORROR OF BLOOD.

to the clouds. I was firightened to death. I think
he will swallow up Zanzibar."

This devil in the shape of a snake, which pro-
duced such consternation, proved to be nothing less
than a water-spout, which had passed across the
bay. The sultan firmly adhered to his first asser-
tion, that it was a devil, and boded destruction to
Zanzibar; nor could ridicule or reason convince
him of his error.

The Banyans are extremely punctilious in their
religious forms. They have a holy horror of blood,
and will never willingly sacrifice the life of an ani-
mal. Among their deities the cow is particularly
revered. They treat this animal with great tender-
ness and affection : providing shelter for her in their
own houses, feeding her with their own hands, and
caressing her on all occasions. They seldom pass
one without complimenting her with a reverential
salaam. Their bigotry is almost incredible. So
implicitly do they rely on the truth of their own
doctrines, that they firmly believe no one who sheds
the blood, knowingly and willfully, even of the mean-
est creeping thing, can enter the future state, but
must become forever extinct after death. When an
accident befalls any of them, it is attributed to the
devil, who, they imagine, takes up his quarters in
their bodies, and plays those pranks upon them for
his own special amusement. They use no animal
food whatever. Milk and rice constitute their chief
food. So much has been written respecting the

FUNERAL CEREMONIES.

391

idolatries of these people, that I fear I can hardly add
any thing new. It is almost universally known that
they believe in the transmigration of souls. Their
doctrine is, that if they were to kill a cow, or a goat,
or any other domestic animal, it would be destroy-
ing the soul of some deceased relative. Hence their
aversion to the shedding of blood. The Banyans,
notwithstanding their superstitions and idolatries,
are an extremely quiet and inoffensive people, and,
from their knowledge of commercial transactions,
make very useful citizens. It is not improbable that,
if it were not for the industry and good example of
the Banyans, the Arabs would never enjoy any of
those luxuries which are now so common at Zan-
zibar.

The Sowhelians are no less superstitious than the
Banyans. In their funeral processions they exhibit
this trait very strongly. The mourners, or relatives
of the deceased, take the lead, and march through
the town with torches, wailing for the deceased.
When they arrive at the beach, they ar' iken by
their friends, and, after some ceremony like haptism,
immersed in the surf. After this, the body of a goat
is thrown in where the immersion took place, and
they return to their homes with all their griefs washed
away. Tc is unnecessary for them to exhibit any
signs of grief thenceforth. The funeral wail is sin-
gularly wild and mournful, and accompanies the fol-
lowing words:

'mm

|UHH|

IffiiHi'

jffiniii

392

ENTERTAINING AN ARAB.

•J{;

(Solo) Seela boola yama hilo !

(Echo) Yama hilo.

(Chorus) Hilo.

This is merely a dirge, expressive oF the grief of
the mourners, and signifies, in substance, the virtues
of the deceased, who is now free from the cares and
anxieties of life.

While at anchor in the bay, the Styx was visited
by great numbers of the natives, who brought off
shells in their canoes to trade with us. Among these
visitors was a tall young Arab of pleasing address, to
whom I have already alluded as having been to Amer-
ica. He understood English very well, and spoke
it quite fluently. I found him very communicative
and intelligent, and became such a favorite with him
that he made me several little presents of shells. la
return for his fiiendly intentions, I invited him one
day to share my dinner in the forecastle, with the
design of making him some presents afterward. My
accommodations were not very good, but I contrived
a seat for him alongsluu i..^ ciiesi. We seated our-
selves on a couple of soap-kegs very socially. I bor-
rowed a tin pot and pan from one of my shipmates,
and, having a jack-knife, two Majungha spoons, and
an old fork, our table made something of a show.
Unfortunately, it happened to be what the sailors call
banyan day, so that 1 could get nothing for him but
beef, pork, potatoes, and bread. He manifested so
much disgust at the sight of the pork that I removed
it, though he had the delicacy to avoid saying any

HIS AVERSION TO PORK.

393

thing. The beef, which had been taken from the
same kid, was quite as offensive, and the potatoes,
having come in contact with the meat, were equally
unpalatable. Here I was, in a pretty predicament !
An Arab to dine with me, with every desire to ex-
tend the rights of hospitality to him, and yet with
nothing to give him to eat ! Seeing him nibble away
on a dry biscuit, I got out my keg of molasses, and
made him some s'lcitchel. This, with some broken
bread, he dispatched with great relish. Curious to
learn the extent of his reli^ous scruples, I asked him
if he had ever eaten pork.

" Me eat pork !" he exclaimed, with looks of dis-
gust ; " better I eat poison ! Fork all the same as dirt.
Sooner than eat pork, I cut my throat. Mohamme-
dan, if he touch pork, wash himself all over. Me
touch it, it make me sick ; me eat it, I die."

" A»id have you never even tasted of it f

"Never. Me taste it? ugh!"

" How do you know, then, whether it's good or
bad I Try a piece, and I'll engage you'll find it very
good. It won't do you the least harm."

" You want me to die — go to bad place 1" said
Rajab, looking gravely in my face. r. <

" No, Rajab ; I don't know that pork ever sent any
body to the bad place." '

" Mohammedans think so. Suppose I break the
rules of my religion, what am I ? Nobody speak to
me ; my mother turn me out of doors ; nobody give
me food ; nobody trade with me ; slaves spit upon

Ddd

394

AN INTERESTING PORTUGUESE BOY.

me, and beat me with sticks as I walk along the
streets ; I no better than a dog."

In this way I learned much from him concerning
the most interesting parts of his creed. As soon as
he found that my object was only to gain informa-
tion, he answered all my questions with great candor
and good humor.

Captain F , of the brig Bogota, had a Portu-
guese boy, whose tricks were the occasion of much
merriment antong the Bogota's crew. He was a
bright-eyed, happy little fellow, and his melancholy
fate gives more than ordinary interest to his memory.
I first met him at Johanna, where his ingenuous
countenance and pleasant disposition, so strongly
contrasting with the characteristic traits of the Por-
tuguese, attracted my attention. His extreme youth,
the wild life he led, the great distance that separated
him from his parents, and the intellectual beauty of
his countenance, interested me. He had been eight
months from St. Michael's, where his parents resided,
and, although he had never been before from his
mountain home in the Azores, he could speak very

good English. Captain F was much annoyed

by the natives, who were continually lounging about
his house, watching an opportunity to steal. Little
Sam contrived a plan to get rid of them. As it was
completely successful, I shall mention it for the ben-
efit of others who may be placed in the same situa-
tion. With a large piece of pork, which he procur-
ed from the cook, he baited a line attached to a long

HIS MELANCHOLY DEATH.

395

pole, and hid himself behind a bamboo wall, where
he could reach the intruders without being seen.
When any of them came within the premises, down
went the pork on their heads, and away they flew,
yelling as if pursued by a legion of devils. Spring-
ing from his station, Sam would then pursue them
at full speed with his defiling instrument. I have
seen the poor creatures actually go into convulsions
if touched on the mouth with the pork.

Poor little Sam, one day, ate a piece of pine-apple,
and drank some sherbet. Four days after, I saw
him stretched on a catanda in the agonies of death.
He died on the fifth day, in the most excruciating
pain. His delicate limbs were contracted with tor-
ture, and that fair countenance, which I had often
looked upon with so much pleasure, animated with
boyish glee, was ghastly and distorted. Captain

F mourned his loss with deep sincerity. He

had the unfortunate boy decently buried on the little
island in the bay, and erected a cross, with a Fortu-
guese^inscription, over his grave.

The Arabs place great reliance on the power of
conjurers, and subject themselves, by their credulity,
to the most glaring deceptions. Such is the influence
of superstition over them, that they will sooner part
with all their wealth and efiects than gainsay one of
these conjurers. It is a common practice for this
class of impostors to persuade their dupes that the
evil spirits have taken up their habitation in the head,
or certain parts of the body, and thus obtain large

mmm

1 M^^

wmm

m i^nn

>^ -mmim

°B

396

MARRIAGE CEREMONY.

sums of money for working charms to drive these
imps out. An Arab who imagines himself to be
afflicted in this way, will surrender himself com-
pletely to the disposal of conjurers, who, by acting
in concert, and increasing his superstitious fears,
often contrive to fleece him of all his money. This
does not impair his beUef in the wisdom and power
of the conjurers. The misfortune is attributed to
his bad luck, and they go free from suspicion, to
practice their deceptions on another dupe. At the
bidding of these impostors, an Arab will shut him-
self up for weeks, with scarcely food enough to sus-
tain life. When informed that the evil spirits have
taken their departure, he opens his doors once more,
sufficiently glad to get clear of the unwelcome in-
truders not to grieve over the cost.

Ceremonies, &c. — The marriage ceremony among
the Coolies is strikingly characteristic of savage life.
It usually lasts from three to five days, according to
the circumstances of the parties. I y, jessed a
grand ceremony in honor of the marriage of dbe of-
the Akedars (head Coolies), who was joined in holy
wedlock to a Sowhelian beauty. It was on a larger
scale than the ordinary marriage ceremonies, and
lasted a week.

The bridal couple, after arranging all the prelim-
inaries in the presence of their friends and relatives,
sallied forth, followed by a long procession. From
eighty to a hundred girls, friends of the happy pair,
preceded by all the Coolies in the town, and sur-

rZANZIBAR BELLES AND COSTUME.

397

rounded by crowds of citizens of every caste^ com-
posed tbe most singular part of the procession.
These damsels were all fat and sleek ; for, unlike
our standard of beauty, a belle at Zanzibar must
weigh at least two hundred. Her cheeks must pro-
ject like gourds, and the quintessence of beauty is a
bright, greasy skin. The belle who can scarcely
carry her surplus fat, and waddles along like a duck,
captivates all hearts. Their style of costume in
these processions is by no means unbecoming, though
characteristic of the love of show evinced by all sav-
age nations. It is composed of Persian silks, or
shawls from Aden, of the most striking and beauti-
ful colors, thrown gracefully over the shoulders and
breasts, and hanging in loose folds to the feet. A
simple robe of Zanzibar fabric, made from. the bark
of the cocoa-nut, wrapped around the body, and se-
cured by strings, forcis the remainder of this pictu-
resque costume. No turban is worn ; but frequent-
ly the head is ornamented with a great profusion of
beads, and the hair combed out at full length, resem-
bling very strongly i mop^ or what is sometimes
called a pope's head, such as chambermaids use for
brushing down cobwebs. Fashion here, as well as
elsewhere, commits her fantastic freaks. Sandals
are seldom worn by the females. The ankles are
fancifully bedecked with brass rings, silver or gilt
clasps and beads, and rudely-carved ebony ; and the
ears and various parts of the person ornamented
with a profusion of trinkets. A horse's tail, or the

398

DRESS OF THE MEN.

skin of a mokak, not unfrequently forms the head-
dress. It has a very singular appearance dangling
down over the back of the neck. Their faces are
daubed in a frightful manner with yellow, red, or
black paint. The eyebrows are painted from tern-
pie to temple, and a large circle round the eyes
traced with black paint is considered the chef-d'ceuvre
of elegance. At a short distance it gives them the
appearance of owls.

The men are naked to the waist, and wear noth-
ing but white turbans and a cotton clouty fastened
round the hips and reaching down to the calf of the
leg. They present a very formidable appearance
with their painted faces, necklaces of sharks' teeth,
and glittering khungars ^knives). In the procession
of the Akedar, they took the lead of the musicians.
Their arms consisted of swords, spears, khungars,
bows and arrows, and war-clubs, which they flour-
ished with the most ferocious and threatening ges-
tures. When the procession reached any street
where the leaders desired to have a dance, the main
body came to a halt. Six or eight of the active
performers ran forward in advance of the procession,
and gave notice of the entertainment by yelling at
the top of their voices, and going through various
curious manceuvers. Each man was provided with
a sword, the blade of which was so thin, that, by
holding it in a vertical position and striking his wrist
with the hilt, a vibratory motion was produced,
which is considered a feat of great skill. Some-

A MOUNTEBANK.

399

times one of the party has a bow and a quiver of
arrows, another a spear, and a third a javelin. In
this case the man with the bow and arrows goes
through his exercise by running stealthily along, as
if stealing upon an enemy. He then crouches upon
the ground, creeps a few yards on his hands and
knees, and draws upon his foe. The arrow is sup>
posed to have reached the heart of his victim. The
warrior springs up with a savage yell, and dances
about in a paroxysm, of delight, his eyes flashing,
and his countenance indicative of savage triumph.
The spear and javelin exercise follows this, and is
precisely similar. There is also a mountebank at-
tached to all these processions, and the part he plays
is very conspicuous. His dress is composed of a
clouty, a few bunches of kya rope dangling from his
head, tattered rags round his wrists and ankles, and
a civit-skin hanging over each shoulder by way of
ornament. His face is striped with red and black
paint, and his body fantastically ornamented with
yellow ochre, or copal dust. This important func-
tionary, like the clown at a circus, is full of tricks,
and acts well his part if he can raise a laugh by
his grimaces or ridiculous antics. He yells louder
than any one in the party, cuts the most extraordi-
nary monkey capers, dances, wriggles his body into
unnatural positions, and frightens the little children
with the horrible contortions of his face. In short,
he is quite an indispensable personage, and attracts
great attention.

400

A BARBAROUS DIN.

Meantime, while these manoenverswere going on,
the main body formed themselves into two lines, one
at each side of the street, leaving a space between
of four or five feet. The musicians stood between
these lines, and struck up their wild, singular airs on
zoomaras (somewhat like our clarinets) bambooas
banjos, and drums, creating a most deafening din.
In the midst of them stood three boys bearing a
platform, upon which was a large copper dish, which
a fourth performed upon by hammering it with a
cudgel, causing a sound not unlike a dozen cymbals
struck at once. The females maintain their posi-
tion, one row opposite the other, and move slowly
along in military tile, bowing their bodies over in time
to the music. They beat the time on rhinoceros
horns with a solid piece of wood. This barbarous
din they accompany with their voices, singing a sort
of chant, much in the monotnous manner of the
Portuguese. Nothing can be more characteristic of
savage life than their gestures, which are beastly and
lascivious. If this would not sicken the sentimental-
ist who eulogizes the grace and beauty of these
wenches, there is a certain odor that fills the atmos-
phere, especially in very warm weather, which I
think would tend to destroy all romantic allusions.

Occasionally an amateur from the crowd springs
into the opening between the two files, and dances
from one end to the other, reminding me forcibly of
our own country reels. , j.. !

Thousands of idlers and vagabond Arabs follow
the procession, and join in the clamor.

*•

CHARACTER OF THE WOMEN.

401

Preceding the procession is a mammoth represent-
ation of a horse, carried by four men, whose bodies
are concealed. The body of this immense animal
is composed of a cloth cast over a frame, and a
wooden head, highly ornamented with red silks and
other fanciful decorations. Moving along slowly
with an undulating motion, and the legs of the four
men giving it the appearance of some extraordinary
animal with double legs, it is certainly one of the
most startling objects I ever saw, and I think it would
strike a panic among a regiment of soldiers, if they
suddenly came upon it without knowing the secret
of its structure.

There is a stated period — three days, as I was
told by a Sowhelian — after the performance of the
marriage ceremony, during which the bridegroom can
not enjoy any of the privileges of conjugal life ; but
this delay is no great deprivation, as, in nine cases
out of ten, those privileges have been enjoyed before-
iiand. V . ; ■ / •• .

Marriage with the Sowhelese is a mere theatrical
farce, or, at best, but a jubilee for the entertainment
of the bridegroom's friends. It is no sweeping as-
sertion to say that the females, from the age of twelve,
are at the service of the public. Of all the shame-
less libertines I ever saw, the Arabs are pre-eminent.
Although very zealous that the virtue of women of
all castes should be in their own hands, they evince
by all their actions that it could not be in worse.

I have read in some work — the title of which I

E E E

-m

402

THE MARRIAGE LAW.

car not call to mind — that infidelity, in regard to the
marriage tie, is extremely rare among the Moham-
medans. It was one of the laws of Mohammed
himself, as is stated in Sale's translation of the
Koran, that no female could be convicted of adultery
without the testimony of foui responsible witLesses.
This originated in consequence of a charge made
against his favorite wife, in whose chastity he had
great confidence. She had the misfortune to lose
her way one evening ; next morning she was gallant-
ed home by a handsome youth. Her character was
assailed by the envioiis c/ her sex, and Mohammed,
believing her to be innocent, enacted a law to save
her reputation, as well as to apply to all cases of a
similar nature.

That this law has ever been carried into execu-
tion under the government of the Imaum of Muscat,
seems to me a matter of doubt ; and the assertion
that infidelity is of rare occuircace among the Mo-
hammedans is altogether fallacious ; for the Sovvhe-
lese and Arab females are, with scarcely an excep-
tion, singularly liberal of their favors before marriage,
and it is not at all probable that the mere mockery
of a ceremony could produce the magical effect of
naking them virtuous. Sevei al cases of infidelity oc-
curred within my knov iedge. The females were
Aiibs, the "lenders Sowhelepe. It did not require
lour witnesses to prove the offense. In each case
one witness was quite sufficient. Nor was there any
trial afterward. The only law executed in su'h

SOWHELIAN DANCE.

403

cases is what we would term Lynch law. Like all
the laws by which the Arabs are governed, it is the
law of passion, unguided either by reason or a desire
for strict justice. The offenders were beaten through
the streets with clubs and sticks. Every passer-by
who had a weapon of this kind amused himself by
tapping tiie poor wretches on the head; and one who
passed the consular residence, as I sat at the window
one forenoon, was covered with blood and stripes.

Dancing is a favorite pastime with the natives of
Zanzibar. The Sowhelese are so devoted to this
amusement, that groups of them may be seen in the
streets, enjoying themselves to the tune of a dozen
drums under a burning sun, and where the ground is
\M enough to bake bread. The females dance in
separate sets from the men ; and although, to a culti
vated taste, their style of dancing has nothing attract-
ive or graceful in it, yet no doubt they have their
Ellslers, Augustas, and Celestes. The first time I
saw ;i regular dance, I was strolling dowri through
that part of the town called Melina, where the poor-
er classes reside. My attention was attracted by a
crowd at the door of a miserablo-looking hut, and a
deafening din of drums, tamborines, zoomaras, and
bambooas from within. Having a great curiosity to
see ^\ uat was going on, I stepped up to the door and
made my salaam to the crowd, with the usual com-
pliments, •' Yamho — yamho saana — cana loolo V
They very politely made way for the Manoomaigee,
and I took my stand on the threshold of the door,

'am

404

SOWHELIAN " AGQRAVATORS.

for the sufibcating closeness of the atmosphere
within was more than I could bear. There were
six or eight damsels of a very dusky hue on the floor,
performing their part with great energy and perse-
verance ; indeed, they looked more like poor wretch-
es hard^t work than SowheUan ladies enjoying a fa-
vorite amusement. If there was any pleasure in it,
they certainly earned it by the " sweat of their brow;"
and although I was aware of nothing of a pathetic
nature that had occurred, they were all in a melting
mood. The dusky beauties have all the vanity of
their sex in civilized lands, and since it is not the
custom to break hearts and captivate the beaux with
starch, rouge, and jewels, they make themselves form-
idable by dyeing their lips, ornamenting their hair
with horses' tails, and wearing a bewitching profusion
ot ah ?» rks' teeth round their necks. What a spectacle !
A belle of the first water with a necklace of sharks'
teeth, and a horse's tail in her hair ! So much for
fashion. They are quite as captivating, no doubt,
to the SowheUan beaux as all tlie fascinating gew-
gaws of our ball-room coquettes are to the bandbox
gentry with white kids. These SowheUan " aggra-
vators," as the elder Mr. Weller would caU them, in-
creased their natural charms by decorating themselves
with prodigious earrings, weighing not less than half
a pound each, and brass and iron bracelets on their
wrists and ankles of corresponding dimensions.
Such a sight in America would be looked upon as a
satire upon vanity, and doiibtless one of our belles

A DIABOLICAL CONCATENATION.

405

woald smile with sovereign contempt at such an ex-
hibition ; but is it more ridiculous than vanity in the
higher walks of life ? Women are the same all ever
the world. I have discovered that fact, at least, and
that much information has been added to my stock
of knowledge. ^ ' ' •

The musicians were squatted in a corner of the
hut, drumming and blowing like madmen. They
seemed to me to have a savage grudge against their
instruments, so furiously did they perform on them.
It was laughable to see their earnestness. Their
faces were fixed in one position ; their eyes rolling
hither and thither ; the muscles of their faces work-
ing, as if undergoing a galvanic process ; their necks
stretched stock stiff; and their teeth clinched, as if
in a desperate attempt to elicit something electrify-
ing from the instruments. The music, if such it
could be called, was the most diabolical concatena-
tion of harsh discords I ever heard. It was simply a
repetition of three or four notes on the zoomara, ac-
companied by the bambooa and banjo, and the thun-
dering applause of the drum. I was soon tired of
the horrible din and confusion of the whole exhibi-
tion, and I left them to the enjoyment of their sport,
fully impressed with the conviction, that every spe-
cies of human pleasure is simply the result of our
ideas of pleasure ; for what was fun to the Sowhe-
lians would have been hard labor to me.

The Coolies, or slaves, who carry burdens, are by
far the best dancers I have seen. Constant exercise

406

CONDITION OF THE ARABS.

gives them a grace of motion and freedom in their
muscular action not possessed by any other class of
natives on the island. From fifty to a hundred of
them form setts every week in one of the public
squares, and sometimes keep up the dance all night
to the music of the zoomara and the roar of a dozen
drums. They are stout, athletic, and well formed,
and excel in feats of muscular activity. Their dances
are carried on with great spirit, and consist of a
variety of manceuvers, not unlike the Portuguese and
Spanish country dances.

Superstition, indolence, and bigotry have prevent-
ed the Arabs from arriving at any high degree of pro-
ficiency in the arts and sciences. Since the reign
of Mohammed, they have dwindled down into com-
parative insignificance. I speak of the Arabs of the
pre.ent age ; far different are they from their fore-
fathers, whose thirst for knowledge led them to make
some of the most valuable discoveries on record.
They have fallen low indeed, and are now little
better than semi-barbarians. Other nations have
come into existence, grown powerful, and attained
the highest degree of civilization ; but the Arabs, un-
der the influence of their religious prejudices, prohib-
iting all the powers of reason ; turning a deaf ear to all
argument ; excluding the views and opinions of every
other nation on earth ; and treating all human wis-
dom as an innovation upon their doctrines, have
slowly retrograded, till they now stand beyond the
pale of civilization. Nature has not been sparing

A MYSTERIOUS SERENADE.

407

of her gifts to them. They are comely in form and
feature, and possess naturally strong intellectual ca-
pacities. It is to be regretted that they are so blind
to their own powers. I have associated with many
of them who possessed quick perceptive powers, a
keen relish for information, and strong reasoning
faculties combined with quiet humor. With a suit-
able education, deprived of their fanaticism, con-
vinced of their religious errors, and with some power-
ful incentive to energy and action, the Arabs are ca-
pable of arriving at a high state of perfection in
literature and science.

Jungle Dogs. — ^A very singular circumstance oc-
curred shortly after I took up my quarters at the
consul's. It made an impression on my mind that
has not since been effaced. I slept in a large room
in the front part of the house. On a fine moonlight
night I was awakened by a low, dismal howl under
one of the windows. Startling me from a sound
sleep, it had something unearthly in it. I had hard-
ly been well roused, when another howl, low and
wild — entirely different from any canine sound I
had ever heard before — broke upon the stillness of
the night. Slowly and mournfully it died away. I
listened for a moment, and it was repeated. Scarce-
ly had the last faint echo died awaj*, when there
burst upon the night air a loud, full chorus of howls
like a funeral wail, but so wild, sepulchral, and
death-like, that I sprang from my catanda in affright,
and ran to the window to see the cause of my

408

JUNGLE DOGS.

alarm. Much to my surprise, I discovered that a
pack of jungle dogs, forty or fifty in number, had
assembled in the street to serenade the consular res-
idence. They were lean, ghostly-looking gentry
with long ears, fierce eyes, and smooth brown coats.
Unaccompanied as their voices were by instrumental
music, and being rather uncultivated, the startling
novelty of the serenade was easily accounted for.
After favoring us with a few more airs of a similar
plaintive nature, they quietly betook themselves to
their homes in the jungle. I thought but little of
this at the time, and had it then ended I should not,
perhaps, have deemed it worth mentioning. Next
morning, however, we discussed the matter at the
breakfast-table. The consul spoke of it as some-
thing quite as new to him as to me. He had never
known the jungle dogs to come in a body, and act
in this extraordinary manner before. That day I
asked Sedeek, the consul's steward, what he thought
was the cause of their mysterious visit. "Ah," said
he, " somebody die soon. Dis always so, when man
goin' to die. Dog coiJio from jungle to tell him, so
he be ready. Dog );now plenty much. Arab man
all tink dis true sign. You find it so."

Precisely at the same hour the next night, and for
three nights in succession, these dogs set up their
unearthly wail. One of the clerks, having no taste
for such music, fired a pistol at them during their
last serenade, and dispersed them, after which they
did not return.

SICK FRIENDS.

409

Though no believer in omens, nor superstitions,
in the general sense of the term, I must confess the
sequel to these nocturnal visits produced the most
melancholy feelings. I walked down next morning

to the house where Captain F 's men had died,

and where two of the deserters from the Styx had
for a week past been lying ill of a fever. In a
sketch of the i;rew, I alluded to the tyrannical and
brutal m?»' '.vhich Thomas Vernon, a young

man from I ^.i ,hia, was treated. Driven, by the
cold-blooded system of oppression invariably pursued
by the captain, to desert, he was attacked by a fever
soon after the Styx sailed, and, after dragging him-
self from place to place, he at length found rest in
the untenanted house which had been left vacant by
the hand of death. The other deserter, Blair, was
but slightly ill. I visited these men every day, and
gave them all the medical advice I was capable of
giving. Bill Mann took up his quarters with them,
and attended to them with great kindness; and I
had supposed their disease had taken a favorable
turn, when, on the morning to which I refer, my
hopes were disappointed. On entering the room
which Bill made use of as a kitchen, I found the
rough old tar sitting on a chest, with his arms cross-
ed, and the tears streaming down his sunburned face.
I knew too well the cause of his grief. I walked
silently into Tom's room, and sat down on the ca-
tanda. The body was covered. Removing the
blanket, I gazed upon the face that but yesterday

F p F

410

DEATH OF A SHIPMATE.

had beamed with hope. It was pale, ghastly, and
motionless. Poor Tom was no more. I learned
from Bill, that previous to his death he had a pre-
sentiment that he would never again see home, and
he begged him to convey a message to his mother.
Bill watched by him till he fell asleep, and then left
him. Early in the morning, on entering the room,
he found him lying with his face down, and one
hand firmly grasped around his throat, while with
the other the unfortunate young man had strangled
himself. Thus died a victim of heartless tyranny.
It may be a source of satisfaction to the captain of
the Styx to know that Vernon spoke of the wrongs
which had caused him to desert in a kind and for-
giving spirit. He died in a strange land, far away
from all who were dear to him. He was buried on
the little island in front of the town, with no prayer
but the natural offering of the few hearts that felt
and regretted his untimely death.

One word to the captain of the Styx ; and should
this ever meet his eye, he will hardly pass it over.
Look at the miserable death of a youth, who never
oflfended and who freely forgave. He sleeps in
peace after all your tyranny. Should you ever, in
the course of your wanderings over the world, visit
the desolate little island upon which he is buried,
ponder over his solitary grave, and ask your heart, is
it free from guilt ! Think of his wrongs ; his suiier-
ings ; his yearnings for home, when there was no
ministering angel to lend a helping hand ; his death,
in the very morning of life — think of these ; but

GLOOMY THOUGHTS. 411

** Let not the vision of the murdered dead,
' The brolien hearts that Ae has left behind,

! !• If Disturb your joys.*'

■ vi:. ■■ ^wl I. .;.' : ; I'^y. :' '; ;•■ '

Go your way through life, spreading sorrow and
desolation around you ; and, when your last hour has
arrived, pray that God may be as forgiving to. you as
your victims have been ; pray that he may show more
mercy to you than you have ever shown to others.

Is it strange that, after this melancholy occurrence,
depressed in mind, enervated in body, the death-
scenes I had witnessed from day to day fresh in my
memory, I should feel a superstitious dread of im-
pending evil 1 Not that death is an evil, but it was
with horror I thought of such deaths as I had seen :
the raging fevers, the agonies, the momentary calm,
and the passionate yearnings for the faces of beloved
parents, sisters, or brothers. These circumstances,
combined with the night-wailing of the junglet dogs,
made me very gloomy and unhappy ; and I longed
for the appearance of a vessel in which I might work
my passage to some more civilized land, less fraught
with scenes of distress and death.

Practicing Medicine. — It is characteristic of all
semi-barbarous nations, and has often been noticed
by European and American travelers, that the superi-
ority in education and intellect of white people
causes them to be looked up to as possessing great
powers over disease. At Madagascar and Johanna,
I was beset by crowds of cripples, who, in piteous
accents, begged me to relieve their sufferings. It

412

HUNT FOR CURIOSITIES.

was the same in Zanzibar. Scarcely a day passed
that I was not called upon to administer some rem-
edy for a fever or wound. One case that came un-
der my observation was rather amusing, and I think
a brief account of it will interest the reader.

I had but a short time to spare, the brig Rolla
being expected very soon from the Persian Gulf;
and I wished to procure all the curiosities I could in
that time. From my acquaintance with Rajab, I
knew him to be a faithful guide. I therefore stated
my wants to him, and he readily agreed to conduct
me through the town in search of curiosities. We
first went to the shop of Aloo, a shell-merchant,
where we spent an hour ransacking a large stock of
shells. They were in a putrid state, and the smell
was very offensive. ! ^)urchased a small collection
of the most valuable, and then went in search of a
spear. Rajab informed me that one of his neigh-
bors had a very handsome one, and, if I would ac-
company him home, he would engage to get it. A
long walk through the dirtiest part of the town
brought us to the door of a neat whitewashed house,
upon which was written, in large letters, "Rajab,
No. 1." Upon entering the front room, I was quite
struck with the neatness and taste with which it was
furnished. A rich carpet, a polished table, and the
usual number of chairs, looking-glasses, &c., which
make up the furniture of a snug Western log-cabin,
evinced something of the civilized notions which
Rajab had acquired in Salem.

RAJABS PORTRAIT.

413

As I had often heard that Rajab had a very pretty
sister, I was in no particular hurr' to get the spear.
My young host entertained me with an account of
his reception in America ; his impressions on first
seeing steam-boats and locomotives under way ; the
curiosities he had seen in Boston ; and other topics
of wonder which might be supposed to attract the
attention of an Arab. He informed me, among other
interesting items, that Mr. Sheppard, an artist of Sa-
lem, had painted his portrait, and made him a pres-
ent of it. On his return to Zanzibar he brought it
home with him. His mother asked him what it
was. " Dis me, modder," said Rajab ; " dis all de
same as my face." She looked at the portrait, and
fell into a terrible rage; abusing the artist in no
measured terms for having transplanted part of her
son's flesh and blood to the canvas. Rajab insisted
that it was only paint. " No Rajab, sure 'nuff." But
the old woman denounced the artist as a dealer in
evil sciences, and protested her son could only re-
gain the lost flesh, and whatever of his soul he had
lost with it, by destroying the painting. This she
forced him to do, much to his mortification ; for he
was not a little vain of his appearance on canvas.
I was heartily amused at the young Arab's account
of his mother's superstition.

"You sabbe medicine?" asked Rajab, after a
pause.

" Yes, I savey a little."

"You sabbe how to cure sore foot?"

414

A SORE FOOT,

" What sort of foot ? and whose is it t" • '
" It belong to my modder." '

" Well, I'll try, Rajab. Have you any sisters Y*
" Yes, me got one sister here." »

" Is she married V

" No ; suppose you look at my modder's foot, an'
you 'fraid of my sister, I tell her go way."

" Oh, no !" said I, laughing ; " don't trouble your-
self about that, Rajab. I think I can stand it. I'll
go in ; lead the way !"

I had seen so few of the Arab females who merit-
ed the praises bestowed upon them by travelers, that
I was very anxious to have an opportunity of passing
my judgment upon this belle. Following Rajab, he
led me through several rooms to the piazza at the
back part of the house. Seated on a low catanda
were the old dame and her daughter, busily employ-
ed making colored mats. I made my salaam to tliein,
not with the grace of a Chesterfield, I confess, for
my professional character was rather too new to sit
comfortably upon me. My patient was all aback at
the sudden apparition of a white man, and the daugh-
ter blushed with embarrassment. She was really a
modest, pretty girl, about eighteen years of age, with
piercing black eyes, finely-rounded limbs, tapering
arms, and hands that might be envied, for grace and
delicacy of shape, by many a belle in our own land
of beauty. Not wishing to increase her embarrass-
ment by staring at her, I pretended to be very busily
occupied with the old woman's foot ; but, I confess,

AND A PAIR OF BLACK EYES.

415

my eyes wandered slyly from time to time in the
other direction. I explained to Rajab the nature of
the wound, which was simply occasioned by a splin-
ter, and gave him a verbal recipe for a poultice, with
suitable directions for applying it My patient was
profuse in her expressions of gratitude, which were
all Greek, or, rather, Arabic to me, till Rajab Angli-
cized them. There was no plausible reason why I
should prolong my stay ; still, when I looked upon
the dark, expressive eyes of the Arab beauty, I could
not help thinking how charming it would be to hear
her sing

" Go not yet, go not yet ;

Linger yet a moment more.
Something that I now forget,
Would I whisper o'er."

And when one anxiously wishes for little compli-
mentary notices of this kind, how easy it is to per-
suade himself that they are expressed by the eyes, if
not by the tongue. I made up my mind that the
expression of my charmer's eyes was peculiarly af-
fectionate, and I " lingered a moment more." Ra-
jab spoke to i 's sister, and she brought me a little
stool about four inches high, upon which I attempt-
ed, without looking very particularly at it, to seat
myself. Deceived as to its height, I had the mis-
fortune to turn a back somerset down a little slope
in the yard, which occasioned a hearty laugh on all
sides at my expense. Whether it was chagrin at
my own awkwardness, or a sort of malicious criti-

mmfi

116 IN DANGER OF BECOMING A MOHAMMEDAN.

cism, I was decidedly of opinion at that niomeat
that young Arab ladies who chew betel-nut should
not laugh ; it exposes the teeth, and shows the per-
nicious effects of the juice.

When the merriment of the fair damsel had sub-
sided, she bounded away, and after a short abseoce
retiuned with a plate of China oranges, dates, and
bananas, doubtless to make amends for her unkind-
uess in laughing at me. I ate sparingly of the fruits,
and, having no excuse to remain any longer, took
my leave.

I did not fail to call twice or three times after
this to see how my patient progressed, and to give
Rajah professional instructions in the art of making
poultices. Whether the old lady suspected that
there were other attractions than her lame foot, or
that the remedy was so scientific and intricate as to
require the most skUilful preparation, I had no oppor-
tunity of learning. At all events, I found her house
so attractive, that, in order to avoid becoming a Mo-
hammedan, I was obliged to discontinue my visits.

June 14th, 1843. — An Auction. At the public
bazar almost every thing is sold by auction. The
principal traffic carried on betvvjen the natives is
done in this way. An auctior. among the Arabs!
What a burlesque upon auctions ! Those who
know the temperament of this race of people can
form the best idea of the expedition with which such
a sale is carried on here.

The wreck of the brig Bogota was yesterday sold

AN AUCTION.

417

at auction to Mohammed Abdelkada for $1530, with
all her spars, tackling, &c. Her provisions were sold
in the same manner ; and her oil was stowed away at
the consul's warehouse, to be sent home in the RoUa.

Imagine a heterogeneous crov/d of dusky mer-
chants of every nation from this side of the Cape to
China, gathered around a shriveled old Arab, the
dallal, or auctioneer, who is flourishing a ratan, and
shouting, in a mixture of Arabic and English,

"How mucha] How much? you gib for disi
Very fine cask ! plenty good new ! Hein ? hein ?
Realle humpsa (five dollars) — realle humpsa ! realle
hunipsa !"

" Sitta I" grunts a bidder, in a guttural voice ; but
the dalial is, unfortunately, deaf.

" Sitta — six !" roars the bidder in the ear of the
dalial, who continues, at the highest pitch of his
voice, " Realle humpsa ! realle humpsa ! humpsa ^
and he raises his ratan.

" Sitta !" shrieks the agonized bidder ; upon
which, finding he is not heard, he gives the dallal a
ihrust with his cane.

" Hein 1 hein 1 Realle sitta ! sitta ! sitta !"

While he is edifying the crowd with his eloquence
on this bid, the Banyans assemble behind some shed
in the neighborhood and consult. A group of Arabs
may be seen whispering together i another quarter ;
then they pray a while ; then all go off and talk in
pairs. Presently a few stragglers return, and some-
body sings out, •* Scbba !" (seven.)

Ggg

',1

418

ANOTHER BABEL.

" Realle sitta ! realle sitta ! sitta ! sitta !" continues
the dallal, drowning in his sharp cries every voice
except his own.

" Themama !" shouts a new bidder, before tl. e last
has been heard.

" Tessa !" cries the other, forgetting, in the slow
progress of thought, that the incorrigible dallal is
still shrieking, " Realle sitta ! realle sitta !"

Presently somebody gives the auctioneer i thump
under the fifth rib.

"Hein? lieinT he cries, as if startled from a
trance ; " who dat ?" and then all is confusion. The
Banyans all come up ; the Arabs join ; the Sovvhe-
lese mingle in the crowd, and they all talk together.
One has bid seven dollars ; he is now singing out,
with all his might, " Asharra !" (ten). Another has
just bid eight dollars ; a third has bid nine ; and it is
not known precisely who bid, or what was bid.
Then there is a grand clamor, a confusion of tongues,
and a commingling of Mohammedan blessings and
curses unparalleled. Meau time the dallal is bus,
engaged caning in the most unmerciful manner the
article up for sale, said performance signifying that
it is " knocked down." When asked how much he
got for it, and who was the highest bidder, he is
completely puzzled. Nobody knows, and in many
cases it has to be sold over two or three times be-
fore there can be a thorough understanding of the
matter.

GAMBLING.

419

CHAPTER XIX.

Gambling. — Horse-racing on the Nazee Moya. — Warlike Exercises.
— Religious Customs. — Visit to the Interior of the Island. — An
Oriental Scene. — Caravan. — Description of the Shambas. — Grand
Dinner at Hadja Mouchad't. — Return to Town. — A Funeral.

Show ine a community in which gambUng of
some description does not prevail, and I will show
jou a singular anomaly in human nature. I had
really hoped, when we crossed the meridional line
which divides the Atlantic from the Indian Ocean,
that I had seen the last of the vices of civilized
lands. It was some consolation to look forward to
the primitive simplicity of a people untarnished with
the inordinate love of gain — content with the re-
wards of labor, and virtuous even in their rudeness
and ignorance. But such hopes were not destined
to be realized. At Madagascar I found bankers,
brokers, sharpers, speculators, and gamblers in every
possible variety. At Johanna or Anzuan, an island
inhabited by a race still farther removed from the
contamination of the world, I found this class still
more numerous. And now, after a sojourn of three
months on the Island of Zanzibar, 1 am persuaded
tliat the most inveterate ganiblors upon the face of
the earth are those of barbarous an-d demi-civilized
nations. The passion of the Arabs for betting and
horse-racing is without bounds. The highest offi-

',*

B *M

mmm

1 Jh^^Riu 1

H^:

fj^EB

: ^^^

li^ ''

4^9w

\- ^LmWB

420

HORSE-RACING.

cers of his highness the Sultan of Muscat are gain-
hlers and jockeys. I had often known men to gam-
ble away in a single night all their property, but al-
though I had read of such things, I never knew be-
fore that a people existed who made a practice of
betting away their wives and families. This extra-
ordinary vice prevails to an incredible extent on the
Island of Zanzibar. Gambling in all its forms is the
ruling passion of the inhabitants. At any hour in
the day groups of Arabs may be seen seated on their
door-steps playing cards, dice, or other customary
games. Every Friday afternoon there is a general
turn-out for the Nazee Moya, or race ground, where
the Arabs, Hindoos, and Persians have their horse-
races. Here a stranger may enjoy an excellent op-
portunity of seeing the different castes assembled in
their various costumes.

Accompanied by a friend, I walked out to this
place one evening to witness a grand trial of speed
between two Arabian and two Cutch horses. The
principal part of the way, on leaving the town, is
through a succession of Mohammedan grave-yards,
making a curious contrast. Thousands of the in-
habitants, of every caste and grade, from the opulent
Hindoo to the degraded African, were hurrying
through the avenues between the tombs, toward the
scene of excitement. On the one hand was life,
with all its restlessness and parade ; on the other,
with its moldering monuments, death, the end of
all upon earth.

PICTURESQUE SCENE.

421

It Struck me as something singular, that ahhough
these races take place week after week, and year
after year, there is no abatement to the eager interest
with which they are carried on. So frequent a rep-
etition of the same amusement would seem monot-
onous; but gambling or racing can never become
monotonous with the Arabs. The passion for the
sudden acquirement of wealth without labor is in-
satiable.

On our arrival at the ground, we found the whole
green, extending over an area of several miles, cov-
ered with an immense concourse of people. I esti-
mated the number present at six or seven thousand.
All were anxiously awaiting the commencement of
the races. Groups of the various Indian castes were
scattered over the side of a green slope in earnest
conversation. The Banyans, with their tall red
turbans; the Hindoos, with their loose pantaloons
and long black beards ; the Parsees, with their square
calico hats and tight coats' the Persians, few in
number, but conspicuous, with their rich flowery
costumes and flashy silk turbans; and here and
there a dusky Belooche, gave a picturesque and an-
imated appearance to the scene. For the most part,
however, this heterogeneous concourse of people
consisted of different tribes of Arabs, from the stiltan
and his officers down to the darkest Sowhelian or
half-breed. Ahamet Bin Hamees, the sultan's sec-
.' vary, with his suite of soldiers in red coats, was the
observed of all observers. Next in order were the

ii '^

■H

422

THE RACE-COURSE.

officers of the court, the castle guard, the eunuchs in
their plain brown gowns, and Arab merchants and
tradesmen. By way of variety, there were Bedouin
Arabs in their native costumes, Neguzzeyans, or
natives of the Comora Islands, Malegash, Sowheli-
ans, and Coolies of every variety. And last in the
list were the miserable African slaves, contrasting

strangely with the pomp and display of their masters.

The race-course is upon a clear strand formed
by the rising and falling of the tide. At high tide
N'Googa (the town and its environs) becomes an
island, the neck, or isthmus, being cut off from the
main island by the sea. A channel is thus formed
varying from fifty to a hundred yards in breadth and
about a mile in length. The course is upon ihe
margin of this, and is a fine hard strand admirably
adapted for the purpose. The spectators stand upon
a beautiful green slope, studded with shrubs and co-
coa-nut trees, which extends the whole length of the
course.

We took our stand on a little eminence about
midway between the two extremities of this strand,
a position which enabled us to see the horses under
full speed. It also afforded us a grand bird's-eye view
of the whole crowd and the neighboring scenery.

About half an hour before sunset the races com-
menced. Four magnificent horses entered the lists-
two of the Arabian, and two of the Cutch breed.
They had not the polish of our best racers in Amer-
ica, but were finely modeled for fleetness, and of

«■«■

ipilj

422

Tire RAOKrCOCRSK-

oliriirei*s of the .court, the c*sile guard, th'-

ifail»3mnc»i. Ii> v^'ay of variety, UiiTe^w ■
Arabs in tlifeir. native, tostuait's, Jh{og«iux*;..
iKitives of th(;.Coniara Islands^ MaJGga.?|k, !$•■ >,},.,

list wem the iniserahle Affi^an ^^lav*»h, .oofah-hvi^-
stningel)' nitkthaponip aii<1 dis[)la5 of^-tJbeir .
. Th«j rneu-coujiie is upon a df ;ir sticijitfj
h) ih^ nilfig HUjl tnlhtig vt tlic tul«* ,: A*. ^ ;

uraiu. j*Uuid by tibe Jiflifa, A cudiimt'i >»Uim
varviivg' ti'trnj hft;^ t«? - ^<)p.i.U'eJ yards iu^"'.
about- a mik» »u 3(ni.y:- The-rourse . -
. Bnargin of rhb, aiici U a. fine Ue-M nu-cU-;«
adapted for th^ purpose. Thf(n|K>Mator^
• a beautiftd green slope, studdedwith shpkK
coa-mit trees, wliiah ex^twitls the ;w|jplo,i«i^-^^
course, . •., ..'i . .^:-. '.•,!'-••■■ ', ■•'■

We took our !>taH4 01} a lialeevwu-^^*'*^ ib*>u^
. midway betwet'U the two extromities of ife.?* rum^,
a position whictieu aided us to see the 1jk*)Is**v. ''■,<i<yr
t^.^ »;y»-e.(l. It also ufiordf. d us a grand bi;d> -•iS'^ >«w
.vhol«. w?>wd and the neigh boriwg -
bnlf H» h<4«: bc|oi'<5 siuisct.the i;v

r.». <ta. ati4 .i*^'» of the C^\r

' Thtfv *V of wir best racep* ;;«*

ica, but v*^*** iiKi<i*!led for fleetnf^

PER

uncommon
horses bek
mounted b^
finer-lookin
letic man, b
black beard
made a str
was a spirit
the caparis
The other :
ed with gai
the richest .

At a give
astonishing
locked in i
lead the unl
were not eq
from his sc
same feat pi
not take pi
fectly as to
cing in part

The Peri
tors were tv
dently desig
and the su{
moment he
and dashed
exciting cri
yards of the

-^'

PERFECT TRAINING OF THE HORSES.

423

uncommon muscular powers. One of the Cutch
horses belonged to the British consul, and was
mounted by a Persian in the consul's service. A
finer-looking rider I never saw. He was a tall, ath-
letic man, beautifully formed ; and with his long, jet-
black beard, dark, flashing eyes, and superb costume,
made a striking show on horseback. The horse
was a spirited animal of the purest Cutch blood, and
the caparisons were singularly rich and becoming.
The other horses were also fine animals, ornament-
ed with gaudy trappings, and mounted by Arabs in
the richest Arabian costume.

At a given signal, away flew the competitors with
astonishing speed. Two of the Arab riders were
locked in a close embrace : a custom that would
lead the unlearned spectator to fear that if the horses
were not equally swift, either rider must be dragged
from his seat. This, however, though I saw the
same feat performed several times in succession, did
not take place. The horses were trained so per-
fectly as to understand precisely when they are ra-
cing in partnership.

The Persian curbed in his steed till his competi-
tors were twenty yards in advance, a manoeuver evi-
dently designed to show his skill in horsemanship
and the superior swiftness of the animal. At this
moment he gave loose to the reins, applied his whip,
and dashed like lightning after them. Now was the
exciting crisis. They were within two hundred
yards of the goal. On one side arose the deafening

'i'.

;Ji

IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-3)

1.0

;.i

UIM 125

■50 "^^ m^

us lii 12.2
^ bfi 12.0

11-25 III 1.4

1.6

41-

Photographic

Sciences

Corporation

23 WIST MAIN STMICT

WIISTH.N.Y. UStU

(716) S72-4S03

•sj

424

r.H>::<h>i\

EXCITING SCENE.

!•'(

cheers of encouragement from the wavering con-
course of Arabs ; on the other, the exulting shouts of
the Hindoos and Banyans. High bets were made
on the success of the Arabian horses ; others on
their defeat, and the success of the Cutch racers
The conflicting shouts of the different tribes — Hin-
doos, Arabs, Sowhelese, and Africans — ^the waving
mass of beings, heaving and swelling like an angry
sea ; and the aerial lightness with which the horses
swept over the strand, with the gaiidy robes of the
riders streaming behind and flashing in the sun-
beams, were all novel and exciting. I shouted with
the rest, and felt all the enthusiasm of victory, when
the Persian, applying his whip with renewed vigor,
passed his competitors. The yells of disappoint-
ment and shouts of triumph were absolutely stun-
ning when the Persian shot over the boundary line
full three lengths ahead of the Arabs. It was worth
a dozen races to see the proud, disdainful glance
with which he regarded the. dense crowd of Arabs
along the course as he rode slowly back. - ^-'

There were several scrub-ra.ces, foot-races, and
feats of activity after this, in all of which the Persian
won new laurels.

Toward dusk, as the crowd was about to dis-
perse, we were all astonished by the sudden appear-
ance of a buggy drawn by a white horse, and occu-
pied by two gentlemen, who were amusing them-
selves by driving over the beach on the opposite
side of the channel. Nothing could equal the cries

A NOVEL SIGHT.

425

of astonishment as this novel vehicle cat through
the water and dashed in among tlie crowd. It
proved to be a buggy and horse which had just been
received by Jeram Bin Seeva as a present from
Bombay, and not knowing how to manage it, he had
submitted it for experiment to the American consul

and Captain W . Few of the natives had ever

seen a vehicle of any description drawn by horses.
Most of them scampered away, believing the island
was in possession of the devil. Those who had
been to Bombay remained, with loud cheers of ad-
miration. Jeram himself, who stood close by me,
shook his head and muttered, " No good dis ; more
better they send me something else. Plenty of devil
come from dis."

I returned to the consul's, highly amused at the
various exhibitions I had seen.

Warlike Exercises. — ^At stated periods through-
out the year the natives have sham battles, which
are carried on with great spirit, and not unfrequently
with so much earnestnese as to end in bloodshed.
Some years ago, the Coolies, and lower classes of
the citizens belonging to the different sections of
the town, assembled at the appointed periods, under
the names of the sections to which they belonged,
such as Shonganeans, Bunganeans, Melindans, &c.,
and, armed with clubs, spears, and other weapons,
fought in good earnest, sometimes slaying each other
in great numbers. The nominal object of these
meetings was to teach the youth of Tangila the use

Hhh

426

WARLIKE EXERCISES.

of warlike weapons, and by athletic and manly ex-
ercises to make them formidable in battle. When
first permitted by the sultan, they were conducted
with great harmony and fairness. Divisions, how-
ever, soon resulted from the victory, of one side and
the defeat of the other, or the superior skill of the
natives of one part of the town over those of anoth-
er. In the heat of these sham engagements acci-
dental blows were given, which were revenged by
the friends or relatives of such as were killed or se-
riously injured. Parties were formed, and party an-
imosity prevailed to such a degree that every fight
resulted in bloodshed. A civil war between the na-
tives was rapidly springing into existence. So dead-
ly and rancorous was their animosity against each
other that they fought in the streets on every occa-
sion. The sultan deemed the matter of sufficient
importance to interfere, and lay down particular
laws on the subject for their guidance. He also re-
quired the attendance of a guard of his soldiers at
the place of engagement, to preserve order and see
that the strife was fairly conductei.. This had a sal-
utary effect in the beginning. The natives fought
with more moderation, and no deaths occurred ex-
cept by accident. In this way the entertainment
continued a considerable length of time. The
guard was discontinued, and the laws became relax-
ed. Again jealousy and bloodshed were the results
of every battle. The sultan came to the conclusion,
that if people chose to slaughter each other, it would

SHAM BATTLES.

427

be ungenerous in him to deprive them of the enjoy-
ment of their innocent propensities. Accidents were
but excuses for murder and the gratification of re-
venge. A native or party of natives who, in the or-
dinary transactions of Ufe, had sust^.iued an injury,
invariably found means to avenge all wrongs at these
sham battles. The custom has continued so to the
present time, with little modification.

I witnessed several battles of this kind which
took place in the public squares ; but as they were
only preparatory to a grand exhibition of skill which
was to come ofi* in a few months, no deaths oc-
curred.

The contending parties meet in an open square,
iu any convenient part of the town agreed upon.
A champion from each party, armed with a club, and
naked to the waist, commences the engagement.
After a trial of skill, in which some blows are given
and parried off, much in the manner of the Irish
fight with the shillelah,the combatants from each side
rush in, and a general battle commences. Heads
are broken, faces bruised, clubs dashed to pieces, and
scores of the combatants stretched on the ground.
Covered with dust and blood, and panting with ex-
citement, they soon become a waving mass. Shouts
and yells, the crash of clubs, and tramp of feet, are
all that mark the fight. A cloud of dust covers the
spot. Now a broken club whizzes past the specta-
tor — now a defeated warrior staggers out of the
crowd, reeking with sweat and besmeared with

428

RELIGIOUS CUSTOMS.

blood. Presently a deafening yell bursts upon the
ear ; dozen3 of the combatants come flying out of
the circle pursued b^- the victors, who dash madly af-
ter them, flourishing their clubs, and shouting in tones
of triumph. The first grand onset is over. Those
who are most disabled retire a short distance from
the scene of strife, and refresh themselves for anoth-
er bout. This is sport at Zanzibar.
: Religious Customs. — If the ceremony of prayer
be any evidence of piety, the Mohammedans are a
truly pious race. At four o'clock every morning the
Nazenee, or church-criers, station themselves on the
roofs of the mosques, and in loud, shrill voictts call
the Mohammedans of the town to prayer. After
this prayer they return to their beds and sleep till
sunrise, when they have another at home prepara-
tory to breakfast. Before dinner they pray again;
before supper, the same ; and once before they retire
to bed — making in all five times. This is tlie inva-
riable custom. A Mohammedan thinks it actually
necessary to pray five times a day in order that his
soul may reach Paradise. His conduct during the
intervals has nothing to do with religion, provided
he does not violate the laws of the Koran. Relig-
ion and moraUty are with him entirely distinct
matters. Want of one will ruin him ; want of the
other is a matter of indifference. On this account
he is extremely particular in the observance of the
rules of his creed. Faith in them, and a strict re-
gard to their performance, ease his conscience of all

MANNER OF PRAYING.

429

its burdens, and satisfy his mind in regard to the sal-
vation of his soul. For an indolent people, addict-
ed to vice, it is the most convenient and comfortable
religion imaginable, ix-itw :A r*; t ,-.

The ceremonies are numerous and complicated.
As a general rule, the Mohammedans remove their
turbans, kneel with their faces toward Mecca, and
bow their heads to the ground. This form of
prayer they repeat at intervals of a few moments.
They then stand, turn their faces toward the altar,
and go through another portion of their prayer. All
their motions are simultaneous. A row of fifty or
sixty men with their bare heads to the ground has
a singular appearance, and is rather calculated to
excite mirth and ridicule, on the part of strangers,
than feelings of reverence. Still they are quite as
sensible as certain sects in our own country, whose
religion consists in external pomp, and whose devo-
tion is evinced rather by signs and ceremonies than
charity of feeling, humility, and the natural and un-
ostentatious offerings of the heart

June ISth, 1843. — Yesterday was a day of ex-
citement and adventure, such as I have seldom en-
joyed. The glowing descriptions given by many
of my Arab friends, of the interior of the island, ex-
cited my curiosity in the highest degree. I had for
some time anxiously desired an opportunity to go on
an exploring ramble ; but such were the feelings of
animosity, on the part of the natives of the interior,
toward the whites, occasioned by the murder of one

kr'*

ti' iBW

430

VISIT TO THE INTERIOR.

of the Sowhelese by an English sailor not long be-
fore, that I deemed it prudent to go, if I coald so ar-
range it, in company with some of the white resiii-
dents. A party was at length made up, consisting
of the United States consul, Mr. Tibbetts, Mr.
Cloutman, and Mr. Jelly, three young gentlemen
from Salem, Captain Webb, and myself, besides a
number of trusty Arabs, and a retinue of Coolies to
take care of our animals. Bright and beautiful was
the morning of the seventeenth of June, tL.3 glorious
anniversary of the Battle of Bunker's Hill. We were
all up at the dawn of day, had an early breakfast,
and were ready to start by sunrise. At the door
of the United States consular residence was our car-
avan^ consisting of four or five horses, and about
twenty Muscat donkeys, richly caparisoned with
splendid Persian saddles, highly ornamented bridles,
and gaudy cushions, each attended by a Cooly.
The air was cool and bracing, and the whole party
was in fine spirits. Our Mohammedan friends were
in a glorious humor, capering and curveting with
their spirited Arabian steeds, and exhibiting every
symptom of eagerness to dash off through the orange
groves and shamhas.* The donkeys, unlike our
plodding, meditative, and matter-of-fact animals of
that species, were full of mettle, and seemed to snuif
the rich herbage of the jungle. It took us but a short
time to mount ; and, seated in the Arabian fashion,
directly over the hind legs of our donkeys, away we

* Plantations in the interior.

AN ORIENTAL SCENIS.

431

dashed through the town, headed by the Moham-
medans on their horses, and followed by crowds of
boys. We soon passed through the Mohammedan
grave-yards on the outskirts of the town and reach-
ed the race-course. The sun was rismg in all his
splendor as we passed the Nazee Moya,* gilding the
dewy shrubs with a sparkling light, and shedding a
golden flood over the plains to our left. The scen-
ery was truly Oriental. To the right was a row of
tall cocoa-nut trees, extending nearly a mile along
the beach, affording barely a glimpse of the ocean ;
behind us was the town, with its mosques glancing
brilliantly in the sunbeams, and the white houses
reflecting the silvery rays; and toward the interior
were grassy plains, interspersed with lagoons and
jungles, bounded by a dense forest of cocoa-nut and
orange groves. The air was deliciously fragrant
with the perfume of wild flowers ; and the whole
scene forcibly brought to my mind Southey's exqui-
site picture :

" What odors the voluptuous vale
Scatters from jasmine bowers ;
From yon rose wilderness,
From clustered henna, and from orange groves,
That Vth such perfumes fill the breeze !"

The gambols of a group of camels, as they start-
ed from the grass surprised at so early a visit ; the
picturesque costume of the Arabs; their imposing
appearance ou horseback as they swept over the

* Last cocoa-nut tree — a name given to a sand plain near the last
cocoa-nut tree of a range commencing near the town.

432

A DELIGHTFUL CHANGE.

Nazee Moya ; the long train of donkeys, with their
riders and gaudy caparisons ; the half-naked Coolies
trotting along by our sides ; and the singular beauties
of the scenery, all combined, had a peculiar effect
upon my feelings. I was delirious with enthusiasm.
Did I dream ? Was I in reality in an Oriental land
— the land of romance ? How strange, how delight-
ful ! It was like the realization of the visions I had
so often enjoyed while reading the Arabian Nights,
or one of those enchanting pictures in Lalla Rookh.
The beautiful princess was not there, but it requir-
ed no stretch of imagination to find a Feramoez and
a Fadladeean. After the miserable life I had led for
nearly a year past, my heart was filled with pure
joy, such as I had not experienced since I left the
United States. It was with difficulty I realized so
delightful a change. Applying the ratan to my
donkey, I dashed on after the Arabs, soon leaving
the "^a'*i body of the party far behind. The animal,
thoi mall, was very ambitious, and his efforts not
to be outdone by his rivals were rather amusing.
In about twenty minutes we entered a path leading
into the thickest part of the woods. Our course
now lay through cocoa-nut groves and patches of
jungle, still wet with the heavy night dews, and af-
fording but a gUmmer of the sun's rays. The densi-
ty of the vegetation somewhat limited our equestrian
feats, and the sharp, damp air began to reduce the
temperature of our spirits, when, pushing through
this labyrinth of trees and shrubs, we gained an

SCENIC PANORAMA.

433

opening, from which we enjoyed a most delightful
prospect. The sun had burst through a mass of
golden clouds, and a flood of dazzling light illumi-
nated every object Flowers, shrubs, and trees spar-
kled in its beams. Before us was a magnificent
scenic panorama, consisting of wood-land, patches
of meadow, lagoons, clove plantations, animated by
groups of slaves with their turbans and curious cos-
tumes, driving herds of cattle from the jungles, and
the joyous carol of the wood-land minstrels. Here,
casting my eye in the rear, I perceived our caravan
just emerging from the woods, and presently the
merry shouts of our party came ringing over the
copses. The singular and imposing appearance of
the Mohammedans, who led the way, and the long
procession of slaves, boys, donkeys, and riders, had
a peculiarly romantic effect.

An hour's ride over undulating paths, and through
many varieties of trees, groves, and jungle, brought
us to the shamba of Mohammed Abdelkada, a rich
planter, whose farm is delightfully situated on the
side of a gentle eminence about five miles from
N'Googa. We were agreeably surprised to find a
delicious repast already prepared for us, under the
shade of two wide-spreading mangroves. Abdelka-
da's slaves had given their master warning of our
approach, and every preparation for our reception
that the time would permit was accordingly made.
After our ride nothing could have been more appro-
priate and acceptable than Abdelkada's refreshing

ullli'

434

PLANTATIONS.

sherbet, the delicious oranges fresh from the tree, the
chalottes, bananas, cooling water-melons, and in-
comparable lemonade. Our Arab host was all at-
tention, hospitality, and talk, and each of us had no
less than three or four slaves to keep the flies off,
and pass round the refreshments.

These shambas, or plantations, are, for the most
part, owned by wealthy Arabs, who not unfrequently
possess two or three hundred slaves. When it is
taken into consideration thut a slave here is not
worth more than ten dollars, and can be purchased
on the coast at a much lower price, this part of the
property will not appear so imposing. In general,
these slaves are treated with great kindness by their
masters, and do less work, on an average, in a month
than a Mississippi slave does in a week. Indolence
on the part of the master begets indolence on that
of the slave. Activity and energy are by no means
characteristic traits of either master or slave. Still,
Nature has been so bountiful in this part of the world
as to leave man but little to do in the cultivation
of the soil. Vegetation here flourishes to an extent
that all the toil and labor bestowed upon less favor-
ed soils can not produce. It has been wisely ordain-
ed that where the climate is adverse to great phys-
ical exertion, the wants of man are more easily sup-
plied than in other parts of the world diflerently cir-
cumstanced. ,. ,

In extremely cold regions it requires constant ex-
ertion to obtain the means of subsistence ; but hu-

INDOLENCE OF THE NATIVES.

435

man nature could not endure that fatigue in an un-
healthy tropical climate. Tiie natural indolence of
the natives of Zanzibar, resulting from tk e causes,
precludes them from the enjoyment of many com-
forts which have been thrown within their reach. A
slight knowledge of the properties of the soil and
the agricultural art would enable them, by very little
exertion, to live in the enjoyment, not only of the
ppmforts, but of the luxuries of life. Still, as their
mode of living has always been different from ours,
and their manners and customs are founded on pecu-
liar religious notions, they no doubt enjoy what they
conceive the greatest of all comforts and luxuries, in
the gratification of their passions and undisturbed in-
dolence. What we would consider an easy and ra-
tional mode of bettering our condition and minister-
ing to our social and moral enjoyments, they would
regard as severe and unnecessary labor. I was nat-
urally led to these reflections by all that fell under
my observation at the shamha of Mohammed Abdel-
kada. With a plantation of the richest soil, and a
sufficient number of slaves to cultivate it to the high-
est possible degree by three or four hours' labor a day
under proper management, he lives in a dilapidated
bamboo hut little better than those of his slaves, raises
every } ear a small crop of moliogo-root, and a few
piculs of cloves, and ekes out a monotonous exist-
ence, the sole enjoyment of which is eating, drink-
ing, sleeping, and praying : such are the habits, and
such is the life of an Arab. He has an unconquer-

1 1- 14

436

VEGETABLE PRODUCTS.

able aversioD to physical exertion, and is never so
contented as when idle. . The soil of Zanzibar is
not only rich; it is rank with vegetable aliment.
In most parts of the island it is of a sandy quality.
The nocturnal saturations of dew, impregnated with
strong creative properties, which keep it continually
moist, peculiarly adapt h* to the vegetable products
of the East. Orange groves, plantains, bananas,
and other fruits, grow in abundance without any cul-
tivation. The clove plantations, which somewhat
••esemble young peach orchards, the trees averaging
from fifteen to eighteen feet in height, and being set
out in regular rows, require but little care after the
labor originally bestowed upon them in the planting.
They yield abundant and profitable crops ; and so
well adapted is this climate to their development, that,
I was assured by the American consul, Zanzibar is
capable of supplying the whole world with this ar-
ticle of trade. The sugar-cane is raised on many
of these shambas, and with very little labor the na-
tives are enabled to supply themselves plentifully with
an excellent quality of sugar. His highness, the
imaum, has now in progress a sugar manufactory on
his shamba, under the management of two English
engineers, who have just arrived with the necessary
materials for constructing the works. Coffee, of a
medium quality, is also raised here. It can be im-
ported so cheap, however, from other parts of the
sultan's dominions, that little attention is bestowed
upon its cultivation. Cassada and rice, being the

COTTON.

437

chief articles of provision consumed by the slaves,
are produced in large quantities. Ploughs are not
used in the cultivation of the soil, and the only ag-
ricultural implements I saw were rude spades, pick-
axes, and hoes. From their ignorance of the agri-
cultural arts, twice as much labor is, required to ef-
fect what could be done in half the time, and with
less exertion. As I observed before, the slaves do
not work hard. Little is required of them by their
masters. Still, that little could be done more effect-
ively, and with greater ease, if they had even a smat-
tering of agricultural knowledge. I have seen slaves
squatted on their haunches, planting cassada with old
knives, by means of which they did about as much
in a week as could be done in a day by a Kentucky
negro.

The climate and soil are admirably adapted to the
growth of cotton. It is not a little singular that the
Arabs will purchase cotton fabrics imported from the
United States at an exorbitant advance on the cost,
when, by importing a few Yankee mechanics and
an overseer from our Southern plantations, they could
soon raise and manufacture more than would be nec-
essary for their own consumption at half what they
now pay. I saw several specimens of cotton pro-
duced in small quantities for experiment, and they
were certainly equal to any I had ever seen in Mis-
sissippi or Louisiana. But what can be expected of
a race who are degraded to the dust by superstition
and religious intolerance t

ill

■If

438

MOHAMMED ABDELKADA.

In general, the land is level — in pa<rt moderately
undulating. There are several small springs scatter-
ed over the island, which supply some of the planta-
tions. The chief dependence, however, is upon
wells. Owing, perhaps, to the scarcity of rock, the
water is in no part of the interior of a good quality.
Chim-chim, the source of the creek called Metoney,
affords the best All the water I could get at the
shamhas was discolored with insects and vegetable
matter, and it was only when compelled by sheer
necessity that I drank it.

Our worthy host, Mohammed Abdelkada, treated
us to the best of every thing he had, and provided
us with catandas, upon which we stretched ourselves,
shaded from the sun's rays by the thick foliage of the
mango trees, and enjoyed a refreshing &iesta.

We remained here, enjoying the courtesies of our
hospitable friend, about two hours, when we again
mounted and proceeded toward the shamba of Hadja
Mouchad, a weaUhy Arab merchant from Muscat.
As we advanced still farther into the interior the
vegetation became more dense, and in luxuriance sur-
passed any thing I had ever dreamed of, even in a
tropical country. It did not surprise me that rhe
malaria arising from a flat country rank with vege-
tation should be so fatal to the health. After a ride
of about three miles through a tract of country dif-
fering only in this lespect from what we passed
through before we reached Mohammed Abdelkada's,
we arrived at the fine plantation of Hadja Mouchad.

I
I

HADJA MOUCHAD.

439

In common Vith others who have performed a
pilgrhnage to Mecca and thrown stones at the dev-
il,^ our friend had earned for himself the distinguish-
ed title of one of the sacred Iladji, which he had
prefixed to his name in commemoration of the event.
He is a diminutive and shriveled old man, with scarce-
ly breath enough left in him, from fevers and age, to
sustain life. On important occasions he ofiicisUes in
the town as dallal, or public auctioneer. He had
received intimation of our contemplated visit, and
hospitality being one of the cardinal virtues with the
Arabs, our reception was as cordial as we could de-
sire. Slaves were in attendance to assist the Coolies
in taking care of our animals, and, on dismounting,
we found a great variety of refreshments already pre-
pared for us. Every thing was in the true Oriental
style — fruits, sherbet, lemonade, and Mocha coffee
in abundance. We found the refreshments extreme-
ly palatable after our ride, for the sun had now near-
ly reached its zenith, and its rays poured down
through every opening in the woods with a scorching
heat, raising the thermometer fifteen or twenty de-
grees in the shade in the course of a few hours.
Mouchad's house was large, and superior in every
respect to that of Mohammed Abdelkada*s, and, in-
deed, he seemed to have some idea of the true prin-
ciples of comfort. The main building was con-
structed of wooden stakes interwoven with cane, then

* This is an important ceremony, which all pious pilgrims perform
for the benefit of the Prophet.

440

A WELL-ARRANGED SHAMBA.

plastered and whitewashed. The roof was compos-
ed of cocoa-nut leaves closely matted, and formed
quite a shelter from the sun, though in rainy weather
it could not be of much avail. At the back of the
house were several sheds, which were used as kitch-
ens, and in front was an inclosure of several acres,
delightfully shaded by large mango trees. A row of
neat whitewashed cabins within twenty or thirty
yards of the front doc, at the edge of the inclosure,
was occupied by slaves, who peeped from behind the
door in ill-concealed amazement. The whole scene
forcibly reminded me of an inferior negro quarter in
Mississippi. Some attempts at ornaments were ex-
hibited in the arrangements of the orange groves
near the house. A glimmering of civiHzed taste was
also to be seen in the cultivation of a garden, which
contained a variety of beautiful tropical flowers, and
had paths through it at regular intervals.

The older portion of our party went under the
shade of a piazza, and stretched themselves in a
range of catandas (bamboo bedsteads) for a siesta,
while Mr. Jelly, Mr. Tibbits, and myself rambled
over toward a neighboring shamba to enjoy a smoke
and a social talk out of the atmosphere of official
discipline. Pushing our way through grove and jun-
gle, we reached an opening distant about half a mile
from Mouchad's shamba, interspersed with orange
trees, plantain, and banana. The profusion of fruit
here was beyond conception. The trees were actu-
ally bending with their golden-colored freight, and

PROFUSION OF FRUIT.

441

under them the ground was covered with the most
delicious oranges of every species. So abundant
were they, that for more than an hour we amused
ourselves throwing them at the cocoa-nuts, which
hung temptingly from the tall trees in every direction.
Tired of our sport, we lay down under the cooling
shade of a group of mango-trees, and smoked cigars,
and talked of our sweethearts at home till we fell
asleep. Our slumbers were soon disturbed by a loud
voice shouting " Yahoo ! yahoo I American man !
DiJiner ready ! yahoo /"

This important notice caused us to jump to our
feet, and make all possible haste back to Mouchad's
shamba. We received a reprimand from our friends
on our arrival for keeping them waiting so long, and
were duly repentant for our transgression. Present-
ly Mouchad led the way into the house, telling us,
" Dinner no very good ; more better next time ; but
eat plenty much now, and he give us first-rate din-
ner when we come again." The excuses, however,
were not necessary, for we found the dinner very
creditable to the good taste and hospitality of the
venerable pilgrim. A long table was set in the mid-
dle of the room, with a white cloth, and knives,
plates, and spoons arranged as near in the Amer-
ican style as could have been expected from an
Arab. The table groaned with the profusion of
meats, vegetables, and fruits, all prepared in the
Arabian st^ie with sweetmeats and richly-perfumed
sauces. The incense arising from the dishes almost

Kk K

'a<

i!' ill

442

A SUMPTUOUS DINNER.

deprived me of my appetite ; but as soon as I tasted
the delicious curry, drank a glass of sherbet, and ate
a few cassada, I found that I had a fair prospect of
making a good dinner. The meats were cooked in
sugar-juice, and served up in a mixture of gravy and
sirup ; and mere taste quite satisfied me that this
style of preparing flesh is not an improvement on
ours. There was an abundance of rice, spices,
pickles, cakes, and bread, which I relished highly;
and we had wines of a very good quality. The
Arabs, meantime, leaving us to the enjoyment of our
dinner in our own way, ranged themselves under
the piazza, and squatting down around a large dish
of rice, ate their simple meal in theirs. Our sump-
tuous repast over, we sallied out to enjoy the shade
of the mangroves. An agreeable surprise awaited
us. Under the largest and most shady of the trees
was a table containing a dessert of the choicest
fruits, and a service of China cups and saucers for
cofTee. At a signal from Mouchad, a train of slaves
appeared bearing various other refreshments. I had
never tasted any thing to equal the coffee. It was
the pure Mocha, boiled down to a rich essence, and
was so strong that a single cup produced a sort of
enchanting excitement, like the celestial dreams of
the opium-eater ; and no doubt would, if freely re-
peated, prove equally disastrous in its consequences.
Mouchad entertained us with an account of his pil-
grimage to Mecca, and when he had concluded we
had several patriotic sentiments in commemoration

A GORGEOUS SCENE.

443

of the battle of Bunker's Hill. It was not a little
singular, that while we were thus celebrating that
memorable event, our friends in the United States —
equally enthusiastic in the cause of liberty^qually
devoted to the memory of their forefathers — were
dozing away in their beds, heedless of all the tri-
umphs and glories of their country ! One of the
party, a wag, who had very gravely broached this
fact, nearly incurred the displeasure of the rest of
the company by his comments upon the want of
patriotism in America, when he explained himself
by reminding us that we were eight hours nearer
sunrise than the people in the United States ! Con-
sequently, it was quite natural to presume that they
were asleep while we were commemorating an im-
portant event in our national history.

I shall not torture the reader by dwelling upon all
the good things we enjoyed at the shamba of our
kind entertainer. Such rarities, scenes, and adven-
tures hardly admit of description.

In the covii of the evening we bid adieu to our
worthy friend Hadja Mouchad, and had a pleasant
ride to the Nazee Moya. When we reached this
place the sun was just setting, and if I were to live
for centuries I could not forget the gorgeous splendor
of the scene. Such a continuation of clouds, colors,
and shades as hung over the western horizon, softly
reflected in the ocean, can only be seen in an Ori-
ental sky. A golden haze gave the dreamy appear-
ance of a vision to the mosque steeples in the dis-

444

FUNERAL PROCESSION.

tance, and beautifally illuminated the windows. The
tall cocoa-nut trees on the summit of a little emi-
nence that intervened added much to the scenic
beauties of the view ; and the white sand plains of
the Nazee Moya before us, contrasting with the
deep green shrubberies around the Mohammedan
burial-grounds, had a magnificent effect. As we
wended our way among the tombs, the wail of death
arose upon the breeze. In a few minutes we met a
long funeral procession, bearing the bier of a young
Arab who had died that morning The young
girls were chanting a melancholy requiem, and an
aged woman, who walked beside the bier, clapped
her hands, and with frantic expressions of grief la-
mented the deceased. He was her only son !

" Oh, 'tis hard to lay into the earth
A countenance so benign ! a form that walk'd
But yesterday so stately o'er the earth!"

CHAPTER XX.

Arrival of a Brig from the Persian Oulf. — A Whaling Skipper.—
Suspense. — Arrangements for a Passage Home. — Departure Irom
Zanzibar. — Passage round the Cape of Good Hope.

Toward the latter part of July, the brig Rolla, of
Salem, owned by the firm of Pingree & Co., and
commanded by Captain P , arrived from Mus-
cat, whither the American consul had sent her two

ARRIVAL OF THE ROLLA.

445

months previously to procure a portion of her cargo.
The officers and crew were in good health, but had
suffered severely by heavy gales to the northward,
and had much difficulty in working down to Zanzi-
bar in consequence of head winds. From Muscat
they were compelled to run out as far east as the
Laccadive and Maldive Islands, and then tack to the
west. The chief part of the cargo procured at Mus-
cat consisted of goat-skins and hides, which had been
purchased from the natives by Syed Bin Calfaun, the
commercial agent at the port of Muscat.

The Rolla, on her arrival, commenced taking in
the remainder of her cargo (gum copal and ivory
teeth), and underwent some repairs. Arrangements
were made to ship home the oil which had been
saved from the wreck of the brig Bogota, and pass-
ages were provided for the survivors, now reduced
to four; the rest having all died of fever, with the
exception of the cook, who had shipped on board
the Styx in place of Bill Mann.

I was in a state of painful suspense about getting
home in this vessel. Some of my friends said I
would be allowed to go in her; others, that F would
be kept until the next opportunity, which, very prob-
ably, would be in about six months. The consul
said nothing on the subject, and I feared my prospects
might be destroyed by any importunity on my part.
In this unpleasant situation I remained two weeks,
when, one morning, the consul told me the cargo of
the Rolla was nearly all on board, and she would

446

OBTAIN A PASSAGE HOME.

sail in a few days. He had made arrangements for
my passage home. I was to assist in the ordinary
work necessary to be done on board, stand regular
watches, and have a bunk in the state-room with
the second mate, with whom I was also to eat. A
young man, named Cloutman, who had been in the
employ of Captain Webb as a clerk, was to go
home in the same way, and to have share of Captain
F 's state-room. This was entirely to my satis-
faction ; and so delightful was the idea of a pleasant
passage home that I thought every day a week, and
had many misgivings that my good luck was too
rare to be reaUzed. An opportunity of getting home,
under any circumstances, I would have joyfully
seized ; but, with a party of lively and agreeable
companions, it was beyond my most sanguine hopes.
I had formed quite an attachment to young Clout-
man. He was a brave and clever Httle fellow, who
had spent several years at sea, and had passed through
many dangerous adventures. His mind was stored
with anecdotes of the sea, and the toughest kind of
old sailor yarns ; and these he could spin with an ir-
resistible humor. In size, manner, and liveliness of
disposition, he strongly resembled my favorite on
board the Styx, Charley Clifford. It was, therefore,
with no little joy I learned he was to be my fellow-
passenger on a homeward voyage of three or four

months. Captain F ,. of the brig Bogota, the

only other cabin passenger, was also a man well cal-
culated to make the voyage pleasant. He was cei*-

A WHALING SKIPPER.

447

tainly the best specimen of a whaling captain I ever
knew, and in manner and personal appearance the
greatest oddity. I first met him at Johanna, where
he had a difficulty with the Portuguese on board the
Bogota. Armed with a handspike, he sprung in
among the mutineers, and in less than two minutes
quelled the mutiny. The next time I met him was
after the wreck of the Bogota. He had come into
the consul's office to make arrangements for the sale
of the hull. There were several persons in the room,
amon^ whom were the consul and his brother, Cap-
tain Webb, Captain Hamilton, and the commander
of a merchantman from the Cape of Good Hope.
The whaling skipper was a little abashed at this ar-
ray of high characters, and, hardly knowing what to
say, he turned to the consul, and observed,
" Mister, do you know Joe Dunbar V
" Joe Dunbar ! who is he 1 I never heard of him."
" Why, Captain Joe Dunbar ; I sailed with him."
« You did ? Well, sir, I don't know him."
" Now, I'll swa'n, that's tarnal strange. You don't
know old Joe Dunbar of New Bedford, the smartest
whaleman that ever handled a lance ? Well, I'll be
darned ! Gentlemen, don't none o' you know himi"
" No, sir ; never heard of him."
"Well, by thunder! that beats all. I thought
every body knew old Joe Dunbar."
« Why, what of him ?"

" Oh, nothin' ; only he made a fortune in the whaling
business. He's a rich man now."

448

" OLD JOE DUNBAR."

The puzzled dignataries looked at each other,
whether the captain was quizzing them, or deranged ;
but finding him perfectly serious, they said nothing.
Taking advantage of their silence, he began a long
yarn, in which he gave an account of " old Joe Dun-
bar's" voyages to the Northwest Coast, and was just
entering upon a marvelous yarn in relation to the
capture of a white whale, when the consul cut him
short by saying,

" We'll attend to that some other time. This is
the place for business, not talk."

" Oh, sir," said the disconcerted skipper, " I didn't
mean to intrude. I just wanted to tell you about
old Joe Dunbar ; 'cos, if you don't know him, you
had oughter know him. There ain't a chap in New
Bedford knee high that don't know old Joe Dun-
bar."

After this we invariably called the aptain "Joe
Dunbar," a name which he bore during the whole
passage home. Captain F was a comical mix-
ture of good nature, simplicity, natural smartness, and
ignorance of the world. He had been in the whale
fishery from the age of sixteen, and had been ship-
wrecked times innumerable. In his personal appear-
ance he was a perfect curiosity, being only five feet
in height, built like a monkey, and with whiskers
that covered his entire face, leaving only a couple
of holes to peep through. He was very active, full
of spunk and talk, and altogether the most amusing
character I became acquainted with in the course

HOMEWARD BOUND.

449

of my wanderings. So much for my feilow-passen-
gera

August IQth. — Light breezes from the S.S.W.
Hove short at daylight, and at five o'clock A.M.
beat out to the southward. At eight we were up
with Choomba, and at ten Quallee bore due east.
At twelve it (ell calm, and so continued till dark,
when a Ught breeze sprang up, and we set all
sail.

August Wth. — Beating down along the coast of
Africa. Passed Hwala, Hoi-hoi, and a number of
smaller islands, during the day. At dark, very squal-
ly to windward.

August 12th. — A fresh southern breeze. Still
squally to windward. At four P.M. Zanzibar in
sight from the top-sail-yard. Got the anchors in,
and unbent the chains. In the evening, made a sail
to leeward on the opposite tack.

We continued to make good headway to the
southward and eastward till

August 21st, when the wind fell away. Toward
noon a light breeze sprang up, when we tacked to
the southward and westward. At daybreak a barque
and ship were in sight, one on the lee beam and the
other ahead. At ten A.M. we were boarded by a
boat's crew, under the command of the chief mate,
from the ship Fenelon, of New Bedford, Hathaway
master, one year out. Learned from the mate that
the boat's crew, who had arrived at Zanzibar about
a mouth previously, had deserted from a whaler at

L L L

450

HEAD WINDS.

Johanna, the commander of which had since had
his leg broken by a whale.

From this date to the 17th of September we had
rough weather and head winds. In the early part
of the month we were driven by strong currents and
head winds into the Bay of Sofala, and had much
difficulty in beating out again to the eastward.

Off the Banks of LaguUas we hove to, and fished
for cod, but without success. Found bottom at sev-
enty fiaithoms. '■•■ 7 f

September 20th, made Table Mountain, Cape of
Good Hope, distant four or five leagues. Here we
took the S.E. trades, and in a few hours were " roll-
ing down for St Helena.'^

CHAPTER XXI.

Make St. Helena. — Preparations to go Ashore. — Dinner at the Con*
sul's. — White Ladies. — A Whaling Captain. — Love and Music.
— Visit to Napoleon's Tomb. — Politeness of a Yamstock. — Anec-
dote of a Frenchman. — Departure from St. Helena.

September 29th, IP 1:3.

I PASSED a restless night, thinking of Napoleon
and St. Helena. The long-wished-for time had
nearly arrived when my ardent desire to visit the
tomb of the exile was to be gratified. At the dawn
of day I was on deck, peering through the gray at-
mosphere to get a glimpse of the island. There

ISLAND OF ST. HELENA.

461

was a dark bank of cloudr ahead, hanging over the
horizon, toward which all eyes were directed. It
was too vague and undefined, even through the spy-
glass, for land ; yet we knew that it enveloped the
island. About sunrise the captain went to the mast-
head, and in fifteen minutes the joyful cry of " Land
ho !" saluted our ears. All hands were on deck in
an instant. The clouds soon cleared away, and the
rugged outline of St. Helena became visible. Noth-
ing was talked of at breakfast but "going ashore,"
"rigging up," "the counsel's daughters," "a cruise
up town," &c. Every one was on the tiptoe of ex-
pectation. The hands had some warm disputes
about the watch that was to go ashore and the date
of Napoleon's death. Old John, the Frenchman,
was in ecstasies, jabbering French, dancing, and
shouting " Vive I'empereur !" At ten A.M. the jag-
ged rocks, and the deep ravines between them, cuuld
be seen ofi" deck. By twelve we were close upon
the southeastern part of the island, an ^ in an hour
more the valley of Jamestown began to open to our
view. In passing the ravines betwec:: the high rocks
we had some of those jevere gusts against which
Horsburg cautions mariners to be on the look-out.
We were obliged, on two or three occasions, to drop
the top-sails on the caps, and clew up the main and
fore sail. The top-gallaiit-sails were furled, and the
colors hoisted on the mizaen-peak and main-royal.
At two P.M. we cast anchor a few cables' lengths
off the pier. There were in port a Dutch merchant-

452

DINNER AT THE CONSUL S.

man from Batavia, two slavers which had just been
captured, and a vessel in quarantine. The United
States consular agent, Mr. Carroll, accompanied by
the colonial doctor, visited us immediately. Cap-
tain P , Captain F , and myself were po-
litely invited to the consular residence, which Mr.
Carroll requested us to make our home during our
stay. Having heard much of the beauty and accom-
plishments of his daughters, I was not at all back-
ward in accepting the invitation, nor did the two
skippers show any disinclination to take advantage

of the proffered courtesy. Captain P very

kindly provided me with some " go-ashore" clothes,
which he called " long-togs," but I could not clearly
see the appropriateness of the title ; for the captain
being a short, thick man, and I tall and slim, the
idea occurred to me that "short-togs" would have
been much nearer the mark. We all went ashore,
with the consul and the doctor, in the brig's jolly-
boat.

An excellent dinner was prepared for us at the
consul's, which, being unusually palatable to us from
its novelty, we devoured with no ordinary relish.
Nevertheless, I felt very awkward seated at a well-
furnished table, with a knife and fork in my hand,
and the bright eyes of several ladies upon me.

In the course of the afternoon Captain F and

I set out to explore the town. Strolling down the
principal street, I spied a young lady seated at the
window of a handsome private residence, very in-

GET CAPTIVATED.

453

tently engaged with hei needle. Any thing white,
after my long cruise, was truly refreshing to my
eyes ; and I unconsciously gazed at her with an earn-
estness that she might have mistaken for rudeness,
had she noticed it. She was really a most beautiftil
girl, with jet-black hair, a clear white skin, and a
kilUng witchery in the exquisitely-rounded outline
of her form. The captain, notwithstanding the
hearty dinner he had just eaten, had been boring
me for some time to go to a chop-house or bake-
shop to help him to eat something. Wishing to
3top his voice, for it might have been heard from the
mast-head of a whaler, I begged him to notice what
a lovely girl was at the window oghng him. By
this time, attracted by our voices, she had raised
her head, probably to ascertain the subject of our
consultation.

" Drot the girl t Let's get something to eat I'm
hungry as the devil !" replied the captain, in a loud

voice.

" But, captain, my dear sir, not so loud. She'll
hear you," whispered I, very much alarmed.

" Yes, I will. I'ta hungry as a horse, I tell you.
Come, B , let's go to a bake-shop and get some-
thing to eat."

I endeavored in vain to bring his voice within
moderate bounds; for not only the young lady,
whose beauty had captivated me, but the public in
general, turned to see the hungry strangers. At this
moment there was a dapper-looking negro passing
Uj> on the other side of the street.

■I U n

454

A HUNGRY WHALER.

"Sail ho!" shouted the captain; "avast there,
darkee ! I say, moonshine, can't you show us where
to find a bake-shop t"

" What you call 'um, sare ?"

" A bake-shop ; don't you savey, you Portuguese
snow-ball t"

" Oh yes, sare, I savey — beeg shop. Plenty beeg
shop about here."

" No, no, you dunce ! A bake-shop, where they
sell bread!"

"Ah! dat w'at you want. Yes, sare, I direct
you."

" Be quick, then ; for I'll be d d if I've seen

one since I've been in town. This is an infernal
hole. There ain't nothin' in it. Why, at the Sand-
wich Islands, you can go to a.poolfaree and get what
you want ; it don't make no odds what it is, from

fried ham up to punkin pie. Come, B , v.hat

the nation are you gallied at f

"Nothing; I'm not hungry, captain," said I, en-
deavoring to get him away as speedily as possible.
However, he steadily refused to move an inch till he
knew what I was " gallied" at. i insisted that I was
by no means gallied, though I was considerably
struck.

" Od rot it !" shouted the captain, out of all pa-
tience at my want of taste in preferring the sight of
a pretty girl to a good meal ; " come along ! Never
mind that 'ere gal's skylights ; they won't do you no
good. My old doxy at home is a grand sight a

MUSICAL ?ARTY.

455

snugger craft. Come, I want somethin' to eat. Oh
Lord \ifwe only had a mess of baked clams /"

This capped the climax. A half-suppressed laugh
reached my ears, and, without waiting to hear any
thing more, I started off at a brisk pace, with the
captain blowing and puffing at my heels hke a short-
winded porpoise.

After tea we had quite a musical party at Mr.
Carroll's, composed of the family and several agree-
able and fascinating young ladies of their acquaint-
ance. It was indescribably delightful to an advent-
urer like myself, who had been over a year among
Portuguese boors, during which time I had enjoyed
no other change of company than the American con-
sul's assistants at Zanzibar, and the Arabs and Afri-
cans at Madagascar and Johanna. We had duets
on the piano, songs, conversational recreations;, and
all the pleasures of a social soiree. It was with
mingled feelings of sadness and joy that I Ustened to
the " songs I used to love." What delightful asso-
ciations were conjured up that evening ! I felt as if
I lived over again the happiest part of my life.
Times past, winter evenings, the luxuries and refine-
ments of civilized life, the familiar faces of my friends,
the happy smiles of brothers and sisters crowded
upon me, and filled my heart to overflowing. I
thought of these, and then I thought of the past year.
It \;as like a dark cloud stealing over a region of
enchantment, bringing with it visions of distress, suf-
fering, and cruelty. Poor Clifford! how gloomy

H,..'

i J

456

A FORETASTE OF HOAIE.

seemed the prospect before him, when all around me

was joy and brightness. And M'F , what a fate

was his ! Still the thoughts of home were too en-
trancing to be altogether dissipated by such reflec-
tions as these. The sweet tones of female voices
speaking my own language in all its purity, the hall^
forgotten airs brought to mind again, the sound of
the piano, the very furniture of the room, delighted
and bewildered me. I could scarcely realize the
idea that but a few hours before I was on the lonely
deep, with nothing but the sky above, the sea around
me, the tall spars of the vessel, its rigging, and the
weather-beaten faces of the crew to relieve the eye.
The past as well as the present was like a dream. 1
enjoyed myself more than I had since I had left
Washington ; for all this was a foretaste of home.
It seemed to lessen the distance which we had yet
to go. I found, too, that, after all the novelty of life
in foreign countries, and the excitement of adventure,

•4'f'^'J

it There is an Lunate feeling clings
' Around our human clay ;

- . : A fondness for familiar things < : f i

That will not wear away."

Captain P , and my whaling friend, Captain

F , spent most of the evening discussing wine

and sea-faring matters in the next room with Mr.
Carroll, having but Uttle taste for the pleasures of the
drawing-room.

We slept that night in an apartment provided us
by the kind hospitality of Mr. Carroll. Having

RIDE TO NAPOLEONS TOMB.

457

previously bespoken horses, we were ready after
breakfast next morning to ride out to Napoleon's
tomb. Mr. Hamblet, our chief mate, and Mr. Clout-
man, the young man from Zanzibar, joined us ; and,
with this accession, we had as jovial and sociable a
party as could possibly be desired,
r We had scarcely halfway ascended the mountain
back of the town when we missed our jolly compan-
ion, Mr. Hamblet, who had ver v mysteriously disap-
peared from our ranks. Upon rooming to a halt to
ascertain what had befallen him, we discovered him
some distance behind, clinging to his horse, minus
his hat. We immediately rode up to his assistance,
when we heard him delivering himself of a torrent
of oaths, mingled with nautical obsei'/ations on the
difficulty of navigating a horse, an animal with
which he was totally unacquainted.

" Shiver me, if I've ever been athwart such a craft,
shipmates. You're just in time. I've lost my main-
top-gallant-sail, and hauled aback in distress. The
lubberly-rigged thing wouldn't lay-to, so I had to
fetch her short up, and run her off a point or two to
leeward of her course ; but she made so much lee-
way that I had to haul her to port again. Then
she wriggled like she'd shipped a heavy sea, and
pitched me on my beam-ends. I righted up, I tell
you, in pretty short order, and here I am with my
main rigging hanging by the board, and my union-
jack at the mizzen-peak."

Without farther accident we reached the summit

M M M

468

GRAND SCENE.

of the mountain. The road is walled up at the outer
edge with rough stone, and winds up the sides of the
mountain in zigzag meanders, so as to make the
ascent gradual. From the peak, or highest emi
nence, the prospect surpasses in wildness and gran-
deur any thing I had ever seen. No effort of the
imagination can conceive the natural wonders of the
scene. Rocks piled upon rocks, till they actually
seem to pierce the clouds with their rugged pinna-
cles; deep chasms edged with furz; ravines and
valleys through which the sea gleams like a sheet
of silver, and roads winding like serpents through
the dark wood-land, form the background. To the
left is the Valley of Jamestown, dotted with white
houses, and the town dwindled to a mere speck.
The vessels at anchor in the bay are perfect minia-
tures, reminding one of Coleridge's

" Painted ships upon a punted sea."

Beyond the town is Ladder Hill, an immense deso-
late rock, upon the highest pinnacle of which is a
small observatory bearing the British flag. A row
of steps, cut in the solid rock, reaches to the top of
this wonderful pyramid. The precipice fronting the
sea is almost perpendicular, and from its abruptness
and great depth forms such a picture of danger as to
make the boldest spectator shudder. In front and
to the right the scene is still more desolate and ex-
pansive. Gleaming between the gray, rugged out-
line of the rocks is the vast Northern Atlantic, pre-
senting to the eye a boundless waste of waters. I

LONGWOOD.

459

never felt the littleness of all things human so sensi-
bly as when gazing with breathless interest on this
mighty panorama. Turning our horses toward the
interior, we soon came in sight of Longwood. Here
new beauties entranced us. What associations the
name conjures up ! To see the far-famed residence
of the hero — to be within an hour's ride of Long-
wood, was worth years of suiTering. It brought be-
fore me the spirit of the departed. The thousand
objects I had so often read of — his favorite haunts ;
each hill and dell — all were famiUar, though I now
looked upon them for the first time. And there
stood the cottage, half hidden in trees — an eloquent
memento of the past. It brought to mind the exile,
cold, pale, motionless, but proud even in the habili-
ments of death :

•• Earth's trembling monarchs there* vit bay
The caged lion kept ;
For they knew with dread that his iron tread
Woke earthquakes where he stepped.-'

On the road, Captain F and I, who were

riding in front, were met by a gentleman returning
from the tomb.

" Hello, you sir !" shouted the captain, hauling
up. " I say, sir, is this the way to Boney's tomb V

"Yes. You can scarcely miss the road if you
keep on, and turn to the left where it branches."

" Ay, ay, sir. How far d'ye call it V*

" Two miles."

" Two miles!" ejaculated the captain ; "why, dang

460

MRS. TALBOT.

it, sir, 'twas only a mile an hour ago. It's strange
sort of navigating in this here country. Thank you,
sir. Good-by !" and while the stranger was gazing
in silent astonishment on the shaggy face of my
friend, the captain started on, muttering, " By thun-
der! this beats all the navigating I ever saw. A
fellow had better take a reef in his eyes and sail
t'other eend foremost, or shiver me if he won't make
all his headway astern !"

A pleasant ride of two miles brought us to the
residence of Mrs. Talbot, the present superintendent
of the tomb. This delightful little cottage is in a
secluded glen, sheltered from the inclemency of the
weather by towering mountains; and in neatness,
beauty, and elegance evinces the refined and culti-
vated taste of its amiable occupant. Her servants
took our horses, and she came to the door herself to
invite us in. We spent half an hour in her cottage
conversing with her about Napoleon, and listening
to her reminiscences of his captivity. This excel-
lent lady has been on the island upward of thirty
years, and recollects perfectly well the ex-emperor's
first appearance. Her reminiscences of his suite,
especially of the Count and Madame Bertrand, the
Count de Las Casas, and General and Madame
Montholon, were peculiarly interesting to me, com-
ing from one who knew them personally and who
had enjoyed their confidence.

We also amused ourselves examining the registers,
on the pages of which were the names of all the

HEARTLESSNESS OF A BRITISH OFFICER. 461

Strangers who for years past had visited the tomb. I
found some good pieces of poetry, and a great deal
of execrable doggerel in these books. Of the latter
description, there were some verses that could not but
excite indignation in any man of feeling, containing
jests and jeers on the dead body of the illustrious
emperor. One in particular, written by an officer in
the British navy, had something actually fiendish in
it. The utter heartlessness and moral depravity of a
wretch who could profane the memory of the dead
by a burlesque description in verse of his removal
from the tomb, and a satire on \\\^ fallen nose, should
brand him with infamy.

Having refreshed ourselves with an excellent lunch,
we proceeded to the tomb. An old soldier, who
says he has lived on the island for forty years, acted
as our guide. The former guide, who had fought
with Napoleon, and whose entertaining anecdotes
delighted so many tourists, died some years ago.

At a short distance from the cottage is the inclos-
ure in which lies the sacred relic. A wooden fence
of forty or fifty yards in length, and fifteen or twenty
in breadth, encircles the tomb, if such it can be call-
ed. We entered by a gate, and found ourselves in a
neat little garden, interspersed with shrubbery and
willow-trees. In the center of this inclosure is a
small square, formed by iron railing, over which was
spread a tarpauling roof, somewhat in the manner
of a military tent-cover. Of the tomb I have but
little to say. It is now but a moldering reUc of the

4G2

THE GRAVE OF NAPOLEON.

past ; a sad memento of by-gone days. The guide
opened a little gate in the railing, and told us to de-
scend. A flight of crumbling stone steps leads to the
bottom of the vault. Here we found ourselves in the
resting-place of the illustrious hero. A damp, noi-
some hole, sixteen or eighteen feet, walled up at the
sides, and plastered, is now all that remains to be
seen. The broken and dilapidated stair-way; the
moldering walls, covered with inscriptions in various
languages ; the loneliness and seclusion of the spot ;
and the recollection of the magnificent victories
numbered among the deeds of him who had so long
tenanted this ruin, told an impressive tale of the
emptiness of ambition, the insignificance of man, and
the power of Death, the great conqueror of all.
When I descended the steps, and stood upon the
very spot where, for nineteen years, Napoleon had
slept, I felt for a moment utterly lost in the confusion
of thoughts and emotions occasioned by the novelty
of my situation. I had pictured in my own mind all
that I now saw ; I had lingered with rapture over the
pages of description ; I had from early boyhood ar-
dently cherished the hope of seeing what I had so
long thought and read of; now, all my desn-es and
aspirations were realized. It was no dream of fancy ;
no vision conjured up by youthful enthusiasm. I
was in the grave of Napoleon ! To be on ground
thus famed in the world's history ; to stand in the
grave over which a nation Iiad wept; to have the
most ardent wish of my heart gratified beyond ex-

ENTERTAINING GUIDE.

4G3

pectation, was an epoch in my life too novel and im-
pressive ever to be erased from my memory. The
old soldier in attendance described the ex-emperor as
he lay from the day of his death to that of his re-
moval by the Prince de Joinville. It was extremely
interesting to hear, from one who had known and
loved him well, the most minute particulars of Na-
poleon's death ; his last words ; his looks when on
the point of death ; his funeral ; his position in the
coffin, and every circumstance connected with his
removal; to have him, as it were, brought before our
eyes as he had lived and as he died. The loquacity
of the guide was really the most entertaining thing
connected with our visit to the tomb. I presume he
has told his story over a thousand times, with all his
pardonable egotism ; yet, as it evidently has the merit
of being true, and contains much that can not be
found in books — descriptions of incidents trifling in
themselves, but characteristic of Napoleon; vivid
reminiscences of scenes never sketched by the pen ;
anecdotes of the ex-emperor's peculiarities of habit
and inclination, and interesting historical facts con-
nected with his captivity — it is far from tiresome, and
to every stranger it is new. A daughter of the guide,
a fair, blue-eyed little girl of twelve or fourteen, pre-
sented us with several bouquets of flowers, gathered
around the tomb, to take home with us as relics for
our friends in the United States. The old man him-
self gave us leave to tear some pieces of plaster from
the inside of the vault, and assisted us in getting

'(■

i!! I'

464

UEUOS.

sprigs of willow and cypress from the trees within
the inclosure.

Wishing to learn every thing connected with thh
celebrated spot, I gave the guide a rupee, which had
the happy effect of making him still more communi-
cative. We entered into a dialogue as we walked
round the grounds, of which I give the substance.
Referring to tlie presents we had received from him
and his daughter, I inquired if he was troubled with
many applications for relics of that kind.

"Yes," said he; "so many that I am obliged to
be very careful, or there would be nothing left about
here. If I did not keep a vigilant eye on them, the
French who visit the tomb would carry trees, rail-
ing, tomb, and all away with them. They are fanat-
ics in their devotion to things of this kind connect-
ed with the memory of their emperor. Mrs. Talbot,
who receives a pension from the Prince de Join-
ville for superintending the premises, wishes to pre-
serve the fev/ trees that remain from injury, and I
am obliged to be rather sparing of my gifts."

" Do you have as many visitors here as you had
previous to Napoleon's removal V

" Yes ; I am not aware that there is any diminu-
tion of the number. The officers, passengers, and
crew of every vessel that comes into port, unless
prevented by the most urgent circumstances, visit the
tomb. When the body was here they could not do
more ; and this is rather too remote a part of the
world to be visited by vessels expressly for that pur-
pose."

1 ' i'

FAVORITE RESORTS OF NAPOLEON.

465

" The French seem to be devotedly attached to
the memory of Napoleon V

"They are indeed — extravagantly so. I have
known them to shed tears over his tomb, as if he
had died but a day before. Some of them are so
completely overpowered with grief as to give way
to the most violent lamentations. Scarcely a French
visitor leaves here without carrying away with him
tnfts of grass, lumps of the sod, or any rubbish he
can find within the railing. A piece of plaster from
the vault is a fortune to a Frenchman."

"Where were Napoleon's favorite places of re-
sort]"

"Within this inclosure, and, in fact, throughout
the valley, he spent most of his time. Napoleon was
too proud a man to rehsh any want of confidence in
him, and he disUked nothing so much as being con-
tinually under the vigilant eyes of the British guards.
After prevailing upon Admiral Cockburn to station
a cordon of sentinels at a stated distance around
Longwood, he never went beyond the prescribed
limits, although at liberty to do so with the attend-
ance of a British officer. This is the spot where he
used to sit and read. It wa? his favorite part of the
island ; and he said that, next to the banks of ^he
Seine, he should choose this as his last resting-
place."

" Was he always unattended in his rambles here ?"

" He was generally alone ; but he took great
pleasure in the company of his favorites, the Count

N N N

I '.i

,*«

466 APPEARANCE OF THE BODY ON ITS REMOVAL.

and Madame Bertrand, by whom he was frequently
accompanied. He was sincerely attached to the
count and his lady, whose romantic devotion to liim
he fully appreciated." <.

"It appears, from tie published accounts of his
removal, that his body was in a good state of preser-
vation when taken uji ?"

"Yes; externally it v/as perfect. The least touch,
however, made an indenture. His nose was the
only part which did not retain its original fullness.
It hung in upon the bone, and greatly disfigured his
countenance. I saw him by torch-light, and a more
ghastly object I never looked upon. The night was
dark, and, when the lid of the coffin was raised, the
glare of light shed upon his pale features gave them
an additional ghastliness. His eyes were much
sunken, and his lips slightly parted. There was
nothing of sternness in the expression of his counte-
nance. It was rather that of pain. He looked as
if he had fallen into an uneasy sleep after a long fit
of illness. His liver and he^rt, which were embalm-
ed and placed upon his breast, were uninjured."

By this time we had reached the spring, so cele-
brated for its excellent water. Thr little girl who
had presented us with the geraniums, s-tood in front
of it, with a pitcher and tumbler.

" This," said the guide, " is the spring from which
Napoleon drank durWig his captivity here. He con-
sidered the water excellent, and always nsod it In
preference to any other beverage. Visitors to his

tomb (

say, w]

poleon

of all r

ties of

relic as

Havi

old mar

where i

some fai

horses b

% COtti

our visit.
On thi
wurious h
fore. Tj
hair, or,
and forcii
of Moreh
We rej
hostlers
ready to
set of nieil
the world!
three ;.).
solaii
jour ai/!:,
ness and
given the
inorning

RETURN TO JAMESTOWN.

467

tomb drink from this spring, in order that they may
say, when they get home, that they drank from Na-
poleon's spring. The French, and, indeed, visitors
of all nations, frequently take away with them bot-
tles of the water, which they consider as valuable a
relic as the place affords."

Having satisfied our curiosity, we remunerated the
old man for his trouble, and repaired to the cottage,
where we partook of some refreshments, and had
some farther conversation with Mrs. Talbot. Our
horses being ready, we took our leave of these wor-
thy cottagers, and started off, highly pleased with
our visit, for Jamestown Valley.

On ihe road we met several specimens of a very
.arious breed of asses, such as I had never seen be-
fore. They were of a rough, thick-set make, with
hair, or, rather, wool, hanging almost to the ground,
and forcibly reminded me of the off-hand sketches
of Moreland.

We reached Jamestown about two o'clock. The
hostlers were standing in front of Mr. Carroll's house,
ready to take charge of the horses. A more polite
set of men I never saw. They will do any thing in
the world for you ; but you must pay them two or
three ijits over, and you have the additional con-
solali '>' a vast increase in their number during
your aus. u e. I was much amused at the polite-
ness and pertinacity of one of these knaves. I had
given the hostler who had attended my horse in the
morning a rupee. Captain F , through kind-

ill

468

RENCOUNTER WITH

ness or mistake, had paid the same man, both for
himself and me. Thinking the business all settled,
I went on a ramble about town. To my great sur-
prise, I was confronted at every corner by a man
whom I had no recollection of having ever seen be-
fore. He was a well-dressed, bright-looking Yam-
stock, or native of the island, and kept bowing to
me with the greatest politeness imaginable. I paid
little attention to him at first, supposing it might pos-
sibly be the custom at St. Helena for strangers to be
noticed in that flattering manner. At last, finding
he followed ?»'^ wherever I went, bobbing at me
with his hat iu hand, I stopped short, and giving
him a friendly nod in return, hoped he was well,
and wished abundance of health and happiness to
himself and family. "^

" Yes, sir — thank you, sir — ^Iiope you are very well
yourself, sir," said he, bowing and scraping in a per-
fect fever of politeness.

" Quite well, thank you," said I.

" Glad to hear it, sir. Hope you like St. Helena,
sir. Very pretty place ; think I saw you before, sir.
I takes care of horses — ^yes, sir, I keeps 'em in good
order."

" You do 1 Well, I hope you find it a profitable
business."

" Thank you, sir ; sometimes I do, when I meets
with gentlemen like yourself."

" Well, my friend, I am glad to hear it. I hope
you'll prosper in your line of business. Good-by;
I'm in a hurry just now."

"On
Garlick
" Pill
terated
"Yes
"We
before, h
know yc
"Mist
sir. Be
"But]
How's th
" Ah !"
and a niel
the wrons
the persou
Amusec
a shilliDg,
light of hi:
which (th
very cordi
and kept 1
with his f(
know to
there in tl
In the cl
numerous
tomb of
I was partj
cible Frenc

THE VERITABLE PILL GARLIGK.

469

" One moment, sir ; hope you'll remember old Pill
Garlick."

" Pill Garlick ? Are you the original and unadul-
terated Pill?"

" Yes, sir ; I'l.. the very man."

" Well, Pill, I'll remember you. I never saw you
before, but if I ever meet you again, I think I shall
know you. Good-morning !"

" Mister! mister! I took good care of your horse,
sir. Be happy to drink your health."

" But I paid a man for taking care of the horse.
How's that ?"

" Ah !" sighed Pill, with a grave shake of the head
and a melancholy smile of commiseration, " you paid
the wrong man I If you pay me, you can't mistake
the person again, sir."

Amused at the effrontery of the rogue, I gave him
a shilling, and advised him never again to let the
light of his countenance shine upon me, for both of
which (the shilling and the advice) he thanked me
very cordially, wished me a pleasant voyage home,
and kept bowing at me, and scraping the pavement
with his feet, till I lost sight of him, and, for all I
know to the contrary, he may be bobbing away
there in the same polite manner still.

In the course of the afternoon I was favored with
numerous anecdotes of what had occurred at the
tomb of Napoleon within Mr. Carroll's recollection.
I was particularly amused at an account of an iras-
cible Frenchman, who conceived himself insulted by

"i 1

■1 li]

470

AN IRASCIBLE FRENCHMAN.

a Yankee. Though such an anecdote must lose
in the repetition, I shall give it as nearly as possible
in the language of the narrator.

An EngUshman some years since visited the tomb,
and indited in the register a verse on the ex-emperor
to this effect:

*' BoNET was a great man,
A soldier brave and true,
But Wellington did lick him at
The field of Waterloo."

This was not in very good taste, nor exactly such
an allusion as an Englishman should be guilty of at
the tomb of a conquered foe. Nevertheless, it con-
tained indisputable truths. A Yankee visited the
place a few days after. Determined to punish the
braggart for so illiberal and unmanly an attack on the
dead, he wrote, immediately under it,

" But greater still, and braver far,
And tougher than shoe-leather,
Was Washington, the man wot could
Have licked 'em both together."

The next visitor was a Frenchman, who, like all
his countrymen, was deeply attached to the memory
of Napoleon. When he read the first lines he ex-
claimed, with looks of horror and disgust,

" Mon Dieu ! duel sacrilege ! Sans douts, 1' An-
glais sont grands cochons !"

The Yankee skipper's addition next attracted his
eye. He started as he read ; gasped, grinned, read
the lines again ; then, dashing his hands in his hair,
danced about the room in a paroxysm of indignation,

screami'
grand bi
rible !
cut him
He a
and sou^
had flow
gone !

Unapj
upon th(
could no
raged ms
excellenc
phized, b
the irasci
fensive lij
stricken i
James
populatio
are neat,
great var
island ar<
are callec
intelligen
number
six to tw
sunset
I though
the Atlar
women

POPULATION OP JAMESTOWN.

471

screami'ig " Sacre diable ! Monsieur Bull is one
grand brute, but le frere Jonathan is one savage hor-
rible ! Sacre ! sacre ! I challenge him ! I shall
cut him up in vera small pieces !"

He called for his horse, rode post-haste to town,
and sought the Yankee every where. Alas, the bird
had flown ! A ship had just sailed; the skipper was
gone !

Unappeased in his wrath, the Frenchman called
upon the consul for redress, but was told redress
could not be had there. Straightway went the en-
raged man with his complaint to the governor. His
excellency reasoned with him, moralized, philoso-
phized, but to no purpose. Nothing would satisfy
the irascible Frenchman but the erasure of the of-
fensive lines, which, by order of the governor, were
stricken from the register.

Jamestown is a pleasant little place, containing a
population of about fifteen hundred. The houses
are neat, and many of them even elegant. There is
great variety in the population. Those born on the
island are of the complexion of the Portuguese, and
are called Yamstocks. The upper classes are very
intelligent and polite, and the society is good. The
number of children in Jamestown, from the ages of
six to twelve, is almost incredible. From sunrise to
sunset the streets are hterally swarmed with them.
I thought Terceira surpassed every other island in
the Atlantic in that respect, but the fecundity of the
women in St. Helena is beyond all competition.

.il^inr

472

VEGETABLE PRODUCTIONS.

Within a few years, hundreds of children have been
sent from St. Helena to the Cape of Good Hope.
Still there seems to be a sufficient number left to peo-
ple all the uninhabited portions of the globe in a few
generations.

I visited the market- house early on the morning
after our arrival, and found much there to interest
From the general descriptions I had read of the

me.

sterility of this island, I had supposed that it produced
little or nothing in the way of vegetables. It quite
surprised me to find that, so far from that, there was
an abundance of very good vegetables in the market.
I saw pumpkins and water-melons equal in size to
any I had ever seen before. There were also small,
round potatoes, middling-sized turnips, cabbage,
greens, plums, and pears. The products of the isl-
and are sufficient for its population. Owing to the
great demand for vegetables, caused by the number
of vessels constantly stopping at St. Helena on their
passage home from the Indian Seas, the prices are
proportionably high. Captains of vessels are apt to
deem these prices exorbitant ; but they should recol-
lect the great difficulty of raising crops on a pile of
desolate rocks ; besides, the natives have no other
protection. It can not be expected that they should
give the food out of their own mouths without re-
ceiving sufficient to compensate them for their dep-
rivations.

The water at St. Helena is the purest and best,
perhaps, in the world. That which is made use of

FORTIFICATIONS.

473

by vessels is procured from a spring near the pier,
gushing from the solid rock. A ship's long-boat,
with three or four casks, can run "nder this spring,
and obtain a load without any trouble.

Our stay was so short that I could learn but little
in relation to the civil regulations of the place. The
laws, I was told, are strict and severe. The British
governor rules the colony with despotic sway. The
present incumbent, however, is a man of good sense
and humanity ; and St. Helena being rather a mil-
itary station than an ordinary settlement, strictness
in the administration of the laws is absolutely indis-
pensable.

There is a formidable battery fronting the harbor,
upon which the British soldiers may be seen parad-
ing at all hours of the day. The heavy guns cover
every part of the anchorage, and leave no chance for
the entrance of an enemy's vessels of war. The
most striking feature in the fortifications of St. Helena
is to be seen on approaching the harbor. In the
highest rocks, which one would suppose to be inac-
cessible, are holes through which the muzzles of can-
non protrude. What is most extraordinary, the
rocks are so nearly perpendicular as to preclude the
idea of getting those heavy weapons of defense up
from the water; and I could account for their ap-
pearance there in no other way than by supposing
they were lowered from above by ropes. The labor
that it required to dig these holes in solid rock must
have been very great. Sentinels are stationed at

o o

474

DEPARTURE.

each gun, who are reUeved at regular periods during
the day and night. The necessity for all this vigi-
lance, since the removal of Napoleon's remains, I
could not clearly see. St. Helena certainly is not an
island of so attractive an aspect as to invite attack
for the purpose of territorial acquisition.

Captain P had procured all the necessary re-
freshments by evening ; and having taken an affec-
tionate leave of the consul and his family, we all
went on board the RoUa. In fifteen minutes the
anchor was up. The Dutch merchantman had al-
ready hove short, and by sundown we were steering
in company for home, with all sail set.

The bustle and confusion of departure over, the
crew seated themselves on the scuttle, or lounged
about the forecastle, talking of what they had seen.
Old John, the Frenchman, leaned against the bul-
wark, and gazed silently at the receding rocks. 1
quietly approached him, and asked him what he
tliought of Napoleon and St. Helena. He turned
his face toward me, and I could see the tears steal

down his cheeks as he replied, " Ah, Mr. B , it

was a hard fate ! I never kneio how hard it was be-
fore. It reminds me of a song T learned when I was
about your, age :

•* ' Adieu, Patrie ! adieu, Patrie /' "

Here John attempted to sing me the Exile's Lament
on bidding adieu to his country ; but, overpowered
by emotion, he buried his face in his hands, and was
silent. I respected his affection for the dead, and
left him to the indulgence of his feelings.

PALL IN LOVE WITH A L — 00.

476

Slowly and mournfully the dark shadows of night
were stealing over the island. I sat upon the taff-
rail and gazed upon it, as it grew more indistinct each
moment. Now it was but a dark mass of rocks,
with a rugged outline ; now, an undefined object,
half hidden in the darkening twilight ; now the eye
could scarcely recognize it in the depths of the
gloom. Thoughts of the few happy hours I had
spent there ; of all I had seen and experienced with-
in so short a period ; the genuine hospitality of the
warm-hearted strangers who had been so kind to
me ; the associations connected with this desolate
spot, awoke within me many emotions of regret, and
vague, melancholy reflections on the fleeting triumphs
of ambition.

That night, inspired by visions of the beauty of a
young lady to whom I had been introduced on the
island, I went below, and perpetrated, for the first
time in my life, a desperate attempt at poetry. I
have not been very hard upon the reader in this re-
spect, and, regarding my narrative somewhat in the
light of a confession, I claim indulgence for the fol-
lowing rash effort :

Lines on Miss L — gg.
To the sweet little valley of Jamestown I came,

Ne'er dreaming with danger 'twas fraught ;
After whaling a year, oh, I tell it with shame,

On the pin-hook of love I got caught.

Long years in my heart this misfortune will rankle,

And the reason you'll notice, I beg ;
While others, from taste, fall in love with an ankle,

Too fondly I loved a whole L — gg !

•ii

1 :■ ,

476

3KETCH OF A GOOD CAPTAIN.

CHAPTER XXII.

Sketch of a good Captain. — Amusements. — Dana's Narrative. — A
pattern Husband. — Baffling Winds. — The Gulf Stream. — A Ves-
sel abandoned. — Land Ho ! — The Captain's Wit. — Muko Cape
Cod Light-house. — Hospitality of the Citizens of Salom. — Bad
News. — Arrival in Washington. — Visit to the West. — Cliaiiges.—
Home and its Pleasures.

Captain P was the very autipodes of my old

whaling skipper. Never had I met with a more gen-
erous and warm-hearted man, or a better friend in
every respect. He was kind to his crew, respected
their feelings, and did all in his power to promote
their comfort. At the same time, he preserved dis-
cipline, and made every man know his place. A
better sailor never walked a ship's planks. He un-
derstood his duty from beginning to end, kept within
the bounds cf his authority, and, while faithful to the
interest of the owners, gave the crew their full com-
plement of provisions, and encouraged them in all
their enjoyments. The consequence was that they
respected him, and made themselves active and use-
ful. Brave, energetic, and liberal, he set an exam-
ple that excited the emulation of all on board. No
man flinched from danger, avoided work, or refused
to share the best he had with his shipmates.

I have said thnt the captain was fond of fun. It
was, in fact, the chief ingredient in his nature. Our
passenger. Captain F , was the subject of his

DANA S NARRATIVE.

477

best jokes. The ex-whaleman had a superabund-
ance of good-nature, but was too credulous for an

old joker like Captain P . There was but one

subject upon which he really disliked to be quizzed,
and any allusion to that made him very angry — a
paragraph in Mr. Dana's Narrative, which had a di-
rect bearing upon his seamanship. Now a sea-cap-
tain is as sensitive about his seamanship as a poet is
about his verses. Dana speaks of a whaler which
he visited on the northwest coast, and describes the
captain as a " slab-sided Quaker," the hands as an
awkward set of backwoodsmen, and the whole cut
and rig of the vessel as neither tidy nor shipshape.
This, it happened, was the very vessel in which Cap-
tain F performed his first voyage as mate. The

allusion to her untidiness was juiething he could
not digest. Captain P anti myselt took partic-
ular pleasure in denouncing whalers, and always
quoted this passage in support of our position. The
fun we enjoyed in this way kept the whole ship
alive. It soon found its way to the forecastle, and
the ex-whaleman was quizzed on all sides. At last,
unable to bear it any longer, he swore he would
knock the first man down who alluded to the " vil-
lanous libel," and signified his intention of going to
Boston as soon as the Rolla anchored in Salem har-
bor, hunting up Mr. Dana, and giving him a most
terrible thrashing. It was impossible, however, to
prevent some sly hints once in a while about the
" slab-sided captain" and the " lubberly whaler."

478

A PATTERN HUSBAND.

" On our passage from St. Helena we amused our-
selves making miniature ships, working lunars, prick-
ing our progress on the charts, and talking of home
during our leisure hours, and doing the usual small
jobs about the vessel when on duty.
» There was one trait in Captain P 's charac-
ter for which I warmly esteemed him : his devotion
to his wife and children. Not content with descant-
ing upon their merits, he spent an hour every fore-
noon reading a package of letters written by his wife
to entertain him during his long voyage ; and every
night he regularly wrote her an account of the pro-
ceedings of the day, signed and directed as if for
the mail. This arrangement, dictated by affection,
brought the devoted couple in mutual communion.
While thus separated, the wife had all the letters of
the preceding voyage to read, and the husband all
those interesting little details of domestic life which
had transpired during his previous absence, to make
up for the deprivation of being separated from those
he loved.

Wafted along by pleasant trade-winds, nothing
occurred to reUeve the monotony of our passage till

October lAth, when we crossed the line, in long.
35° 20' west. This is always an interesting epoch
in sea life, and was none the less so to me from the
fact that, once across the line, it seemed as if we
were more in the neighborhood of home than even
a few leagues to the southward. The rest oi our
passage may be summed up in a brief log.

MEET AN ABANDONED VESSEL.

479

October l^th. — Lost the trides in lat. 7" north.
From this date till the 23d we had light and baffliug
winds, heavy rains, squalls, and calms.

In lat. 13°*took the N.E. trades, which continued
till we reached lat 30*.
- In 32» had N.W. gales.

November lltk. — ^Entered the Gulf Stream, after
much bad weather. In this dark and dreary nest of
storms we had strong N., N. by W., N.N.W., and
N.W. gales. Lay to three days under close-reefed
main-top-sails and fore-top-mast stay-sail. Made our
exit in 37° 30' north.

November 16th. — Gulf astern, looking like a thick,
dark bank of clouds. Some of the men on the bow
descried a vessel ahead, three or four leagues distant,
without sail, and apparently in distress. At two
P.M. made sail for her, and at four came up and
rounded to under her lee. She proved to be the
schooner Mirror, of Newburyport, Rhode Island.
Boarded her, and found her abandoned. Her sails
hun^ in ribbons on her spars; the fore-yard was
gone ; the fore-top-sail yard swinging by the hal-
liards, braces drifting overboard, and rigging in great
disorder. There was no water in her hold, though
she had apparently been abandoned but a few days,
evidently in consequence of the loss of her sails.
Her cargo was plaster of Paris. The cabm was
Uned with bird's-eye maple, and in good order, but
without bedding or furniture, except the Chini.
ware, which was carefully stowed away in her lo( k-

■;\

jli

|J,:i

r i:

480

LAND ho!

ers. There was also in one of the lockers the rem-
nant of a meal recently cooked. We procured from
the hold two barrels of good potatoes, a few blocks,
some loose riggmg, and whatever else we could con-
veniently carry away in the boat.

November 17th. — Rain, and thick foggy weather.
Got the anchors on the bow. At one A.M. sound-
ed in forty-two fathoms, muddy bottom.

" Land ho !" shouted the captain, who had been
on deck most of the night anxiously looking out.
" Land ho ! you lubbers ! What are you all about V

" Where away, sir V cried several of the crew,
running aft with joy in their faces. " We can't see
it, sir."

" What land V asked the mate. ^

" Land ho ! land ho !" yelled the captain.

" Where is it, sir ]" demanded a chorus of voices.

" Here in my hand, you boobies !" coolly rejoined
the captain, holding up the lead. " This is land ;
smell it!"

Of course every body laughed at the joke, and
bore the disappointment with becoming good-humor.

That night, however, we made Cape Cod light-
house. There was no deception about this. All
hands were frantic with delight, and nobody thougbt
of turning in on so joyous an occasion. I can not
describe the strange sensations I experienced when
we passed Boston harbor, and saw all the ships and
houses lining the shores. There was something
novel in the civiHzed aspect of the whole scene, for

■"IP

GENEROSITY OF CAPTAIN P.

481

I had become so accustomed to Arabian dows, ca-
noes, bamboo huts, and cocoa-nut trees, that I was
almost a stranger to every thing bearing the marks
of civilization. . The Salem pilot boarded us during
the morning, and that afternoon, the 19th of No-
vember, we cast anchor in Salem harbor. I expe-
rienced no unusual sensations of pleasure in getting
ashore. Regret at parting with the crew greatly
predominated over every other feeling. I had be-
come warmly attached to many of them, and it was
sad to think I should most probably never see them
again.

Captain P insisted upon making me his guest

for a few days, or as long as I wished to stay. I
could not resist so kind an invitation, anxious as I
was to start for home.

The genuine hospitality of my sea-faring friend,
the attention and kindness of his estimable lady, and
their generosity in providing me with clothes and
other necessaries, made an impression upon my heart
which time can not erase. I enjoyed a week's unal-
loyed pleasure under their roof, and though, in the
course of my life, I have met with many people ^ lo
made a greater dash in the world, and a more im-
posing parade of: their virtues, never has it been my
fortune to know a more affectionate, generous, and
deserving couple than this honest mariner and his
wife.

I can not bid adieu to Salem without acknowledg-
ing the disinterested kindness with which I was

P p p

lira

482

MELANCHOLY NEWS. ^iO

treated by every citizen of that place with whom I
became acquainted, and, indeed, by many who were
total strangers to me. I look back upon my short
sojourn there with mingled feelings of pleasure and
regret. In a single week I made more warm-heart-
ed friends in Salem than I had ever made any where
during twice the time. As to the ladies, bless their
noble souls, I love them — every one ! Is it not sad
to part with friends and associations so dear to the
way-faring pilgrim ? v i;>^. >i, ,,

On my arrival in New York I called upon an old
family friend, who gave me the first news from home
I had received since my departure from Washington,
and communicated the melancholy intelligence of
the death of a younger brother. The unhappy tid-
ings, so unexpected, shocked me more than words
can tell. I had left him in the enjoyment of health,
and in the very morning of life. Scarcely a week
had elapsed since I had sent a letter from Salem,
containing an affectionate remembrance to him, and
an allusion to some little presents whi^b T bcpcd soon
to hand him in person.

Without making any stay in New York, I pro-
ceeded to Washington, and arrived there on the 28th
of November, having been absent nearly seventeen
months.

I was extremely anxious to continue on to Louis-
ville. It was my home. I was comparatively a
stranger in Washington, and longed to be once more
among fiiends and kindred. This pleasure was de-

ARRIVAL HOME.

483

nied me. I had to give my last cent to a porter, and,
after all the perils and hardships of the past year, the
only resource left me was to set to work and earn
money enough to carry me home ! o

Congress was about to convene, and I was just in
time to make an engagement for the session. At
the expiration of seven months, during which time I
worked hard at my business as a reporter, I set out
for Kentucky, where I at rived after a pleasant trip
across the mountains.

Two years and a half had produced many changes
in Louisville. My old acquaintances were grown
out of my recollection, married, or scattered over the
country. I met few who recognized me, and none
who did so without difficulty. Forgetting that /had
altered too, it mortified me to think I was so soon
forgotten. Even the houses looked new and strange
to me, and reminded me that I had been a wanderer.

It was now more than a year since the death of
my brother, and the natural gloom, caused by the cir-
cumstances under which I once more found myself a
member of the family circle, soon passed away. Sur-
rounded by old and well-tried friends, and the near-
est and dearest of my kindred, who loved me all the
better *' for the dangers I had passed," I related my
adventures. I need scarcely say I had an indulgent
audience. The joy of such a reunion more than
compensated for the perils and hardships of the past.
Never before had I fully experienced all the pleasures
of home. My pilgrimage was over.

484 FATE OF COMRADES.

"I was once again
With thote who loved me. What a beauty dwelt
In each accustomed face ! What music hung
On each familiar voice ! We circled in
Our meeting ring of happiness. If e'er
This life has bliss, I knew and felt it then !"

."»'<,

' CONCLUSION.

Fate of my Comrades. — Narrative of the Sufferings of my Friend

W . — Unparalleled Case of Cruelty. — Account of the Yankee

Boy. — The Mockery of the Law. — Injustice toward Seamen. —
Review of the Voyage. — Reflections on the present Condition of
the Whale Fishers. — Flogging, and its evH Effects. — Imperfec-
tions of the United States Consular System. — Life of a Whale-
man. — Tyranny. — The End.

If I have succeeded in securing the attention of
the reader so far, it is but reasonable to presume he
feels an interest in the fate of my fellow-adventur-
ers. I should deem my task but half performed
were I to omit farther reference to the unfortunate
young men whose sufferings I had shared, and with
whom I had been so long and so intimately asso-
ciated.

My first inquiry on my return to Washington was
touching the fate of my fiiend W , whose mel-
ancholy history is given in the early part of this nar-
rative. When I parted from him at Fayal I had
Uttle hope of ever seeing him again. He was then
in such a state of health as almost to preclude the

SUFFERINGS OF W.

485

possibility of his recovery. It rejoiced me, however,
to learn that he had returned to Ohio in safety dar-
ing the autumn of the preceding year. I learned,
also, that his family and friends attributed to me all
his misfortunes. Not knowing how much blame he
attached to me himself, I felt a delicacy, under these
circumstances, in writing to him ; convinced that,
the moment he heard of my return to the Unit-
ed States, he would, if still friendly to me, explain
how matters stood. Some time after my arrival in
Washington, hearing nothing from him, I published
an outline of my voyage, and sent him a paper con-
taining it. In the course of a week or two I receiv-
ed a frank, cordial, and highly satisfactory letter, as-
suring me of the friendly regard of himself and fam-
ily, and containing the following brief narrative of
his adventures from the time he had parted from me
at Fayal.

After our separation he remained in the Villa
Orta, confined to the hospital about two weeks, dur-
ing which time his sufferings from illness and the
unskillful treatment of the doctors surpassed even
what he had endured on board the whaler. He at
length succeeded in negotiating with the captain of
a small schooner, about to sail for Boston, Massa-
chusetts, for a passage to that port. Though too fee-
ble to work, he was compelled to turn out at night
and assist the hands in taking in sail, and in some
other respects received the most heartless treatment
from the captain, who had too little manliness to ap-

486

PROLONGED ILLNESS OF W.

predate his unhappy situation. On the passage they
encountered much rough weather, and it was not
until the 29th of November that they came to an-
chor in Boston harbor — making the passage upward
of six weeks. He lay confined to his bed, in a sail-
or boarding-house, for several days before he had
strength to write to his parents. An answer, con-
taining a remittance, arrived in due time ; but it was
more than three weeks before he had sufficiently re-
covered to bear the fatigue of traveling. Immedi-
ately on regaining in some measure his health, he
started for home, where he arrived in the course of
a week, very much enfeebled. Unfortunately, the
effects of the sun-stroke still remained, and he again
fell sick, and continued throughout the winter in a
state of great prostration of mind and body.

In the summer of 1844, having received a cordial
invitation to spend a few weeks with him, I passed
through Ohio, on my return to Washington from
Kentucky, and paid him a visit. Need I say our
greeting was a warm one ? We had both suffeicd,
and we felt that past events had but strengthened
the bond of friendship. Our joy was mutual, for our
separation had been long and painful. I spent a
few weeks with my esteemed shipmate, on the banks
of the beautiful Scioto, in unreserved communion
over the trials and hardships of our sea life. I was
grieved, however, to find him still laboring under the
effects of his maltreatment on board the whaler;
and it is with deep regret I add that now, after the

AMIABLE CHARACTER OF M'F.

487

lapse of more than three years from that period, there
is no abatement to his distressing malady. Where
is the law for y deep and lasting injury like ^his ?

During the winter succeeding my visit to the
West, I learned the following melancholy particu-
lars in relation to the fats of my poor firiend, Barzy

M'F , the " down-easier." I have already dwelt

at some length upon the estimable character of this
young man. I have shown that he possessed more
than an ordinary share of the kindly and endearing
feelings of our nature. Though rude in his exterior,
and without education, he had a noble, manly, and
generous heart — a heart alive to the sufferings of
others, and ever prompting him to acts of kindness.
I have shown that he was lively, inoffensive, and
honest ; and I now add, in testimony of his good
qualities, that in all my intercourse with the world, I
never met with a more upright and honorable young
man, a kinder friend, or a l)eiter companion.

But hear his fate, ponder over it, and, T venture to
say, you can not find in the annals of dark and dam-
ning crime a deed more atrocious. Driven by cru-
elties which he could no longer endure to make his
escape from the barque Styx, he took advantage of
the first opportunity that occurred after she left Zan-
zibar, and deserted on an island in the Indian Ocean.
He had been absent but twelve hours when he \i^as
retaken. Warned by the ill-treatment which he had
previously received not to depend any longer upon
the prospect of his condition being improved, he re-

r. '■
V

I" r

488

BRUTAL TREATMENT OF M'F.

fused duty. To this determination he adhered with
so much spirit and resolution, that the captain, with
all his threats, could not compel him to yield.
M'F ■ had suffered too many outrages to remain
in the slavish position he had occupied during the
voyage. For thus maintaining his rights as a man
and an American citizen, he was confined in the
run, and kept there, on bread and water, from the
^ th of February till the 11th of September, 1844 —
nearly seven months.

Upon the arrival of the vessel in the United States
(at the date of his liberation), he had the captain
arraigned before the United States Commissioner in
Boston on a charge of cruel and unusual punish-
ment. It appeared from the testimony that his pun-
ishment was the result of his own determination not
to do duty ; that he had been repeatedly offered his
liberty if he would resume his place before the inast,
but had invariably returned the same positive answer.
When liberated, he was a mere skeleton, and had
evidently endured the most intense tortures of mind
and body In giving an account of the cruelties in-
flicted upon him, he betrayed no ill-will against the
captain, but stated all the circumstances with mark-
ed fairness and honesty.

Now I wish to call particular attention to the run
in which this man was confined. Those acquainted
with a ship's structure of course understand all this,
but there may be some who will not deem a few
words of explanation supererogatory. The run is the

DESCRIPTION OF HIS NOISOME DUNGEON. 489

hole or apartment immediately under the cabin floor.
In a vessel of a hundred and forty or fifty tons bur-
den, it is rarely more than three or four feet from
the deepest part of the run to the cabin floor, and
not more than twelve or fourteen feet from the stern-
post *o the bulk-heads which separate it from the
aft hold. The stench of the bilge-water in this noi-
some hole is almost suffocating. In addition to this,
the run of the barque Styx was more than half filled
with old kegs, cheese-boxes, rigging, and other rub-
bish, leaving scarcely room for a man to lie down at
full length, and no room to stand, or even sit with
comfort. Light being totally excluded, and no air
admitted except what found its way through the
aft hold, which contained the ship's provisions, the
horrors of such a place of confinement may more
readily be imagined than described.

In this dark and noisome hole an unoffending
and friendless young man dragged out a weary con-
finement of SEVEN MONTHS. I ask the reader to
pause and reflect upon his sufferings. Can any thing
more dreadful be conceived 1 Within limits scarce-
ly larger than a coffin — ^thousands of miles from his
native land — ^breathing the thick and fetid air of a
dungeon ; surrounded by dense and perpetual dark-
ness, without the power of escape should the vessel
suddenly founder; without a friend to whom he
could appeal; goaded by the insults of a tyrant;
mocked by offers, which, as a man not totally dead
to all sense of the dignity of human nature, he felt

Q. q Q

490

MOCKERY OF THE LAW.

bound to reject with disdain ; days, and weeks, and
months dragging their slow length along without a
change — what language can depict his sufferings!
what heart is there that does not sympathize with
him!

Let no man say the age of inquisitorial cruelty has
passed away ! Is it possible to conceive any thing
more fiendish than this t Can the imagination pic-
ture a more malicious, a more brutal act of despot-
ism? -v/.m!...- ..1 i.i: .:'

But this is an enlightened age: of course, it is not
to be supposed such deeds of villany are suffered to
go unpunished. A crime more atrocious than the
foulest murder certainly demanded an appropriate
punishment. Was the perpetrator of this outrage
hung, then 1 it is asked. No. Was he imprisoned
in a penitentiary I No. Was he compelled to yield
up the proceeds of his voyage in reparation of the
cruel wrong ? Oh, no ! there is no such law for the
poor and the friendless. Redress, in r civilized age,
must always be meted out according Ko the influence
and standing of the party arraigned ; otherwise it
would be a disgusting relic of barbarism, not to be
tolerated in a more advanced state of civilization.

Look to this, philanthropists ! God forbid that I
should attempt, by any crude suggestions of mine, to
divert your attention from the consideration of those
great causes for the amelioration of the condition of
the human race, which so loudly appeal to your
sympathies — which furnish themes for lectures and

APPEAL TO PHILANTHROPISTS.

491

addresses — which agitate the whole country, and in
which the public feel so profound an interest ; but
if you can conveniently spare a thought upon the
slavish and degraded condition of a certain class of
your white countrymen, to whose daring enterprise
you are indebted for many of the luxuries of life, pray
do so, and I have no doubt your condescension will
be duly appreciated. They are but white men, it
is true — men of no influence or standing in society ;
men who have been so degraded by the lash that
respectable people spurn them; but so much the
greater reason for the exercise of your magnanimity.

It was not enough that M*F should receive

no redress for the injuries inflicted upon him. To
let a case of that kind pass without a word in sup-
port of tyranny would have been another relic of bar-
barism. An influential journal referred to it as a
most extraordinary instance of " ignorance, or 06-
stinacy, or both" on the part of an American seaman !
I learned that the captain was held to bail in the
suiu uf $800 to answer to the charge. Considering
the nature of the testimony — which was of a very
conflicting character, some of the witnesses having
a wonderful afiection for the captain — this was as
much as could be expected of the court. But, re-
garding the facts as they really occurred, what a
mockery upon justice do we find here ! I have nev-
er been able to learn whether, at the final trial, any
fine was imposed upon the captain ; but if there was,
it certainly could not have exceeded the amount of

i 1

49J>

CHEAP JUSTICE.

the bail, and the probability is, it was much less.
Justice is certainly cheap, when such an outrage as
this only costs the paltry sum of a few hundred dol-
lars.

The captain was also held to bail in the sum of
$200 (another instance of cheap justice) for putting
the mate, Mr. D , ashore on one of the Sey-
chelles Islands, contrary to the marine laws of the
United States. But this was a justifiable case ; the
mate had refused to submit to the arbitrary and over-
bearing tyranny ^f a captain. Whether he obtained
redress for the losb of his voyage and the expense of
his passage home is a matter of nu consequence.

I should like to know the object of marine laws.
That they protect the rights of the master is plain
enough ; but in my simplicity, I had supposed they
were also designed to protect those of the seaman.
Let us revert for a single moment to some of the fla-
grant abuses narrated in the preceding pages, and see
whether it would not be expedient to enact some laws
for the protection of seamen, and also to devise some
means to have them administered.

1. In the case of Smith, who was dragged from
a bed of sickness, and brutally assaulted for refusing
to perform duties, which, by the articles of agree-
ment, he was not bound to perform, was there liot a
direct violation of what is commonly supposed to be
the law 1 When he was cruelly beaten at the helm
becawse ignorant of his duty, was there not violation
of t'ie law without just provocation t When he was

A CHAPTER OF OUTRAGES.

493

put ashore on the Island of Terceira without the
consular fee, was there not violation of the law?
When he was afterward left at Fayal, where he
could have been recovered had it been supposed he
had voluntarily deserted, was there not violation of
the law ? And what redress has he had for these
grievous wrongs 1 None whatever.

2. In the case of flogging which occurred near St.
Augustine's Bay, was the offense of sufficient mag-
nitude to justify so cruel and degrading a punishment?
What redress have the sufferers obtained for their
degradation? None.

3. In that of the Portuguese boy, Frank, who was
flogged with a rope's end at the helm for his igno-
rance of the English language, was there not a di-
rect and flagrant violation of the law — an atrocious
outrage upon a helpless and uuoflending youth ?
What redress has he had 1 None.

4. In that of Vernon, who had been driven by ill
usage to desert at Zanzibar, and who died miserably
in a strange land in consequence of this ill usage,
was there not a most shameful disregard of law and
humanity 1 What redress has his bereaved family
obtained for this outrage ? None.

5. In that of the mate, who was left ashore ten
thousand m"3s from home, was there not an open
violation of the law ? What redress has he had ?
The loss of his year's labor !

6. In that of M'F , whose wrongs 1 have just

narrated, was there not one of the most fiendish and

494

-ROSS PERVERSION OP AUTHORITY.

disgraceful violations of law on record 1 And what
redress has he had ? The empty mockery of a tri-
al, a paltry and miserable fine, perhaps, and the in-
dignity of being stigmatized as ignorant and obsti-
nate.

7. For a long series of abuses ; for harsh and in-
sulting language ; for months of starvation ; for un-
wholesome food ; for every species of degradation
that malice could devise, what redress have the whole
crew had ? The gratification of returning to the
United States, after their privations and hardships, in
debt for their outfits! -^^^^ '•

Various subterfuges are constantly resorted to, for
the purpose of escaping the just retribution of the
law, by men who pervert their authority to gratify
base and malicious passions. What respect can the
poor seaman, who moves in an humble sphere, have
for legal enactments, when men of wealth and influ-
ence are, with scarcely an exception, suffered to revel
in every species of enormity ? '• • '^ ' -->

I once heard it contended, as an apology for an
arbitrary act of despotism, by no means calculated
to inspire barbarous nations with a very profound re-
spect for our civilized institutions, that an American
vessel of war, in a friendly port, and in a time of
peace, could not with safety keep in custody three
of her own crew! This plea was sustained by intel-
ligent and respectaDe witnesses. Of course, after
such a plea, the injured party could receive no other
than mere nominal redress. Under such circumstan-

WHY FOREIGNERS ARE EMPLOYED AS SEAMEN. 495

ces, when a high tribunal gives countenance to tyr-
anny and oppression because of the commanding in-
fluence of the party arraigned for trial, what hope
can we have of seeing justice administered in an
humble sphere of life t Certainly very little. Still,
we should not be discouraged.

It has been alleged that it is impossible to preserve
discipUne and prevent crime without extraordinary
severity, where the crews of our vessels are com-
posed of so great a proportion of foreign outcasts.
This is one of the many arguments in support of
tyranny, dictated by selfish and pecuniary interests.
Why are the crews composed, for the most part, of
foreign outcasts I Because they can be obtained at
a lower rate of compensation than Americans ; be-
cause they have never been accustomed to Republican
institutions, and are willing to submit to oppressive
and despotic treatment; because, having been all
their lives suffering from hunger and want, they are
easily satisfied with the poorest fare; because, in
short, they are more easily cheated, more servile, more
ignorant, and more depraved than the generality of
Americans inveigled into the same service. I have
particular reference to the Portuguese, shipped in
such numbers from the Western Islands, and by
whom our vvhaling fleet is in a large proportion man-
ned. It is always easy to find excuses for oppression
and tyranny where pecuniary interests and selfish
passions arc involved. The very arguments ad-
vanced in support of the abuses existing in our entire

i! *

496

THE CURE FOR THE EVIL.

naval, commercial, and whaling marine are refuted by
the facts which have given rise to them. American
freemen are unwilling to subject themselves to a sys-
tem of brutal tyranny. Abolish all these abuses, and
Americans will man our vessels. There are thou-
sinds of enterprising young men in this country who
would be glad to find employment in the whale
fishery, if they could do so without becoming slaves.
I speak now of the better class; for I fireely confess a
large proportion of the Americans who continue to
seek refuge in that service are not of the most repu-
table character. It is the existence of the very evils
complained of that furnishes the excuse for oppres-
sion. Remove them, and the alleged necessity for
this severity will be removed. While those greedy
cormorants, who live, and gloat, and grow rich on
the misery and degradation of their fellow-creatures,
are suffered to carry on their nefarious system in
the very face of our laws, so long will these abuses
exist

It is a disgrace to the American flag that the bar-
barous system of flogging, now permitted in our ves-
sels, has not long since been abolished. A glorious
navy is ours ; a glorious whaling fleet have we when
such a system is suffered to exist. What a spectacle
of Republican perfection we present to the world !

Where the abuse of a privilege exceeds the bene-
fits resulting from it ; where it has never produced a
change for the better, that privilege should be at
once abolished. A sacred maxim, sanctioned by the

SYSTEM OF FLOGGING.

497

dictates of humanity, and consecrated by ages, tells
us it is better ninety-and-nine guilty men should
escape than one innocent man suffer. But this
maxim has been reversed. To such perfection has
this system of flogging been carried of late years that,
whether a man be innocent or guilty, if it is sup-
posed it can in any way add to the dignity of the
quarter-deck, he is seized up and flogged. This
power was designed for useful purposes; but its
abuse prevails to a far greater extent than could have
been apprehended. It is the primary cause of mutiny
and bloodshed on the high seas. Experience has
taught us that a discretionary power of this kind, in
the hands of rude and ignorant men, is ever subject
to gross perversion. Its abuses far exceed, in their
demoralizing tendency, the good done by its appro-
priate and judicious exercise. In a majority of cases
it is made the medium of gratifying the basest pas-
sions : maUce of heart, cruelty, and a domineering
and arbitrary spirit. Would it be safe to abolish
flogging ? I answer, not only would it be safe to do
so, but it would be the strongest bulwark against in-
subordination and mutiny. Let flogging in every
form, and under all circumstances, be abolished, and
there will no longer exist any occasion for so bar-
barous a custom. Give the masters of vessels no dis-
cretion in the matter. As a general rule, the;' are
incapable of making a proper use of a discretionary
power. Human nature can not always resist so great
a temptation ; and it is never expedient to give the

R R R

liMi.lj

498 FLOGGING UNNECESSARY AND DEGRADING.

slrong, or those in whom authority is vested, the
power to tyrannize over the weak.

I am not prepared to deny that severity is some-
times necessary ; but I deny that punishments of a
degrading character are either necessary or expedi-
ent. What good has ever been effected by render-
ing men callous to all those moral obligations which
distinguish them as responsible beings 1 Sailors are
not so depraved as to be insensible to kindness and
good treatment Convinced of their errors, they
would avail themselves of the benefits of moral per-
suasion in a far greater ratio than they improve by
being degraded Under the present disgraceful sys-
tem of punishment, the laws of nature uphold them
in throwing off the burden of unjustifiable oppression,
and maintaining their rights against an arbitrary and
iniquitous custom. The almost insurmountable dif-
ficulties under which they labor, in obtaining redress
commensurate with their wrongs, has already taught
them the absurdity of depending upon laws so loosely
adminis^^^ered, and so liable to gross perversion. They
have very little reason to rely upon the legal tribunals
of their country for the maintena?icu of their rights.

Granting the assumption, for t!ie sake of argument,
that flogging is necessary in extreme cases, and to
what does it amount? Simply to this: that the
master of a vessel, in his conception of the character
of an offense, not in that of an impartial tribunal,
may punish a seaman, and the seaman is bound to
submit to the punishment ; for, if he resist, and re-

DESTROYS SELF-RESPECT.

499

fuse duty, he is carried home in irons as a mutineer.
It is true, the master is Uable to prosecution for un-
justifiable severity ; but what redress does the sufferer
receive ? A fine, perhaps, of fifty, or a hundred, or
five hundred dollars is imposed upon the defendant.
Is this redress 1 Does this wipe out the stain ? does
this remove the degradation 1 Upon what principle
can such a burlesque be AenommaAed justice ? There
are few seamen, inv^>ied, though I do not deny that
there may be Si>»-. -^erly lost to self-respect, and
to the respect of txieii .w-creatures, as to conceive
themselves conipeusateu for a degradation so mon-
strous by a paltry sum of money.

It is not a matter of surprise that those who are
the most violent in their denunciations of the op-
pression and injustice of our Southern institutions are
pecuUarly sensitive about the freedom of the whole
human race. Massachusetts beings largely interested
in the whale fishery, has constantly before her prac-
tical demonstrations of the horrors of slavery. The
philanthropists of that state will, it is to be hoped,
make some grand efforts in behalf of the seamen em-
ployed in their whaling fleet, as soon as they dispose
of the African race.

It may be asked, are these abuses the only sources
of crime on the high seas 1 By no means. One of
the objects which I have in view is to expose some
enormities in a higher quarter.

"As the sun disdains not to give light to the
smallest worm," says Sir Philip Sidney, " so a virt-

600

THE CONSULAR SYSTEM.

uons prince protects the life of bis meanest subject"
The remark may, with slight variation, be applied to
those who administer this government Our Con-
stitution provides that they shall guard with a vigi-
lant eye, not only the Ufe, but the liberty, rights, and
happiness, social and poUtical, of every citizen.
Under our present consular system this great and
comprehensive object is defeated. No nation upon
earth is disgraced with such a miserable apology for
a consular system. In that respect we are pre-emi-
nent over all the rest of the world : we have the
weakest and most ineffectual laws for the protection
of our citizens abroad. In its incipient state, it was
perhaps as good as could have been devised, consid-
ering the embarrassed condition of the treasury,
and the difficulty of raising a sufficient revenue to
meet the pressing expenses of the government But
the aspect of things has changed, and it now be-
comes us to maintain the dignity of the rank we
have assumed in the scale of nations. How is this
end best to be accomplished ? By a due regard to
the teachings of experience. The admonitions of
the past have ever proved the best guide to the per-
fection of governments. No citizen of the United
States who has ever visited a foreign country, and
witnessed the operation of our consular system, will
deny its imperfections, or its inferiority to those of
other nations, based upon the policy of a definite
and adequate remuneration for services rendered.
When the prospect of emolument from commercial

ITS IMPERFECTIONS.

501

speculations is the only inducement held out to our
representatives abroad, it is hardly to be expected
that the business of the government will receive that
constant and faithful attention which alone insures
its efficient discharge. Private and pecuniary inter-
ests must inevitably alienate the feelings of our offi-
cers from the duties of their station. Men are not
often so blind to their own advantages as to neglect
the business upon which they depend for a subsist-
ence, out of pure patriotism, or from any sense of
duty to their fellow-citizens.

There are very few ports at which our consuls
are stationed where the perquisites of the office are
of sufficient importance to render the consulate any
object, without the adventitious aid of private spec-
ulation.* No matter how much sagacity and dis-
crimination may be exercised in the appointment
of men, the duties of whose office are by the very
laws of nature made secondary to their private in-
terests, abuses must inevitably exist. The effects of
such a system are the establishment of monopolies
in commerce, and petty despotisms in foreign lands,
where the voice of the suffering and injured is too
distant to be heard. Justice and humanity are for-
gotten in the selfish thirst for gain. Complaint is
too often unavailing, for what redress can be had

* It may not be fresh in the memory of the reader that the only
consuls from this country who receive salaries are those stationed at
London, Tangiers, Tunis, Tripoli, and Beirout, each of whom is paid
$2000 per annum, except the last, who receives but $500.

502 COLLUSIONS BETWEEN CAPTAINS AND CONSULS.

where party influence is in the balance ! Ask the
American citizen who has felt the sway of official
insolence and perverted authority over his rights;
ask the suffering mariner.

Now it stands to reason that this deplorable state
of things must exist so long as the system remains in
its present condition. In most of the foreign ports
where consuls are stationed, the commanders of
whaling vessels, when they put in for refreshments,
or for the purpose of refitting, are obliged to expend
considerable sums of money, exclusive of the fee for
depositing their papers, in the purchase of various
stores necessary for another cruise. As the fees
alone would not be any object, the consuls are
obliged to depend upon their own private business.
They keep on hand all articles required by vessels
touching at the port, and sell them oii such terms as
the market will permit, or, if there be no compe-
tition, on their own terms. The captains finding it
convenient to deal with the consuls — particularly
when apprehensive that the crews will complain of
cruel or unjust treatment — and the consuls being
desirous of propitiating the friendly feelings of the
captains, a mutual understanding is established which
prohibits any thing like justice toward seamen. The
consul understands perfectlj' well that if he interferes
in behalf of the seamen, the captain will not deal with
him ; and the captain knows equally well that if he
deals with the consul, that officer will have too much
regard for his own purse to make use of his official

UNCERTAINTY OF THE LAW.

503

power to the disadvantage of so good a customer.
Consequently, it is all mockery to talk about the
protection of the rights of seamen by an American
consul. • .

I venture to assert that a large proportion of the
crimes committed on the high seas might be prevent-
ed by proper consular regulations. Can we blame
men constituted like ourselves, deficient neither in
pride nor feeling, possessed of warm hearts and
strong passions, if, when they apply for a redress of
their grievances to those whose duty it is to aid and
protect them, and receive but contumely and injus-
tice, they should take the law into their own hands
— redress their own wrongs ? They have no reason
to look for justice at home. Experience has taught
them how uncertain the laws of their own country
are, and how tardy and partial are its awards. Op-
pressed by grievous wrongs, they rise and throw off
the burden. This is mutiny — this is called crime.
Be it so ; but it is a species of crime which is inhe-
rent in every manly heart. When protection is de-
nied our own citizens abroad under the pretended
aegis of our laws, the worst results must be expected.

Now I maintain that the whole system, whatever
it may be in theory, is in point of fact anti-republi-
can and despotic. " Whatever excellence, whatever
freedom," says Mackintosh, " is discoverable in gov-
ernments has been infused into them by the shock
of a revolution, and their subsequent progress has
been only the accumulation of abuse. It is hence

504

RETURN TO FIRST PRINCIPLES.

that the most enlightened politicians have recog-
nized the necessity of frequently recalling govern-
ments to their first principles." This is a truth of
which the hbtory of our own government has afTord-
ed a striking proof. We have now a naval aristoc-
racy the most arrogant and despotic, perhaps, in the
world. We have a whaling marine in which cru-
elty and despotism are fostered with special care.
We have a consular system which, instead of pro-
tecting American citizens, is made the medium of
private emolument, and sanctions the grossest op-
pressions. All this may be modern RepubUcanism ;
but I should greatly prefer a return to first principles
— justice to all men, equal rights and equal protec-
tion to every citizen.

There is no class of men in the world who are
so unfairly dealt with, so oppressed, so degraded, as
the seamen who man the vessels engaged in the
American whale fishery. I do not speak from my
own limited experience alone. The testimony of
every unprejudiced seaman with whom I have con-
versed on the subject establishes the truth of the as-
sertion. Instead of being a monument of our glory,
the condition of this oppressed class is a reproach to
our country — a disgrace to the age of civilization in
which we five.

At best, the life of a whaleman is fraught with
dangers and hardships. His duties differ widely
firom those of the merchant seaman ; his compensa-
tion is more uncertain ; his enjoyments are fewer,

HARDSHIPS OF THE WHALEMAN.

505

and his risk of life greater. Many of the comforts
of the one are denied the other. The merchant
sailor has regular and steady employment, sure pay,
good fare, and the protection of the law. He is sel-
dom more than three or four months out from port
to port. He knows that, however severe may be his
treatment, there is a prospect of sure and speedy re-
dress. But how is it with the whaleman \ From
the time he leaves port he is beyond the sphere of
human rights: he is a slave till he returns. He
sees little of the pleasures of shore life. He is fre-
quently six or eight months on a cruise without see-
ing land. All this time he is subject to severe labor,
the poorest and meanest fare, and such treatment as
an ignorant and tyrannical master, standing in no
fear of the law, chooses to inflict upon him. On
the cruising ground he not unfrequently stands from
four to six hours a day at the mast-head, under the
scorching rays of a tropical sun, or exposed to the
cutting blasts of a frigid zone. He has also his
tricks at the helm night and day. At times, when
there has been a run of luck, he is out in the boats,
toiling with his oar from six to ten hours on a
stretch, and for weeks he has but four or five hours'
rest out of the twenty-four. Covered with oil, suf-
focating under the fumes of the try-works, in immi-
nent and perpetual danger of life and limb, he thus
toils on, conscious that the proceeds of his labor are
not for him. Nominally he receives his proportion,
but in point of fact it amounts to nothing. His out-

Sss

{

506

BRUTAL CONDUCT OF OFFICERS.

fit costs him twice its real value, and if, after three
years of incessant labor, he returns to the port from
which he sailed with a few hundred dollars due him,
he considers himself peculiarly fortunate. But how
oftea does he return in debt or penniless ! Worse
than all, he is the slave of others, perhaps his infe-
riors in every manly attribute. He is flogged for
the roost trifling offense, cursed when he strives to
please, trampled and spit upon, without the power
to resent the indignities. Remonstrance is a cr iirse
to which he dare not resort. The officers, eager
after promotion, cringe to the captain, and are ever
ready to win a word of approbation by bestowing
upon their inferiors in rank the choicest epithfts in
the calendar of vulgarity and blasphemy, and to show
by word and deed that they are qualified, by eveiy
heartless und brutal attribute, for the discharge of
their duty. It is pa"nful to trace his career to its
close. With a crushed spirit, he finds himself once
more in his native land. But he is penniless and
degraded. Who is there to befriend him I Who
to console him ? He seeks oblivion in the rum-bot-
tle — falls into the snares of a wary and designing
set of agents, and is shipped again, to waste away
his manhood in the service of others, who, se ited in
their easy arm-chairs, are gloating over their ill-got-
ten gains. Such is the life of a whaleman.

But this, some may say, is a picture of extremes.
Not so : it is a picture of ordinary life, which may
be attested by their own observation.

RARE EXCEPTIONS.

607

I am willing to admit that there are exceptions.
Prejudice, springing from an innate detestation of
oppression in all its forms, has not blinded me to
justice. In many cases the agents and outfitters
are imposed upon by a class of swindlers and fugi-
tives from justice, who, in order to obtain a living on
easy terms, procure money and clothing from them,
and, as soon as an opportunity occurs, make their
escape to another sea-port. There are, in other
cases, humane and liberal owners, who know as
little of ♦he conduct of their captains toward the
crews as is known by those who have no direct
interest in the matter. Again, there are captains
who treat their crews witli kindness and humanity,
and who deprecate cruelty with as much warmth
and sincerity as the most ardent philanthropists in
existence. Such men are, unhappily, not deemed
the best fitted for the service; and for this reason
they are scarce. Where the exceptions are so rare,
tliey can hardly be said to affect the general rule.

J know very well that sweeping assertion proves
nothing : still I flatter myself the plain narrative of
facts which I have given proves that what I have here
advanced is not without foundation. Prudence dic-
tates that disagreeable truths should be carefully told ;
and if I have not been guided by it in all respects,
it is because my feelings are enlisted in i c cause of
the oppressed. I have a loathing contempt for the
drivelling arguments which are constantly urged in
support of tyranny. Away with all such miserable

! i

i I

ft.

508

CONCLUSION.

subterfuges ! He who abuses his authority by per-
verting it to base purposes, tramples upon the rights
and feelings of those over whom fortune has placed
him, refuses to listen to remonstrance, and whose
craven heart would wither within him but for the
aid and support of the powerful, is the most despi-
cable, the most contemptible of cowards. Nay,

•' He is a wretch, whom 'twere base flattery to call coward."

I have thus discharged what I deemed to be a
duty. If injustice has been done to any man or
class of men, it has not been intentional. I may
have erred in judgment, but I have not knowingly
wronged even those whom I have censured. The
press is the most powerful guardian of liberty and
ju.«iice, and will net long suffer abuses, when they
become known, to exist I trust the day is at hand
when the rights of seamen can not be invaded with
impunity.

APPENDIX.

m4i

♦ 'I

OT'

if'

APPENDIX.

It is hardly necessary for me to state that I make no pretensions to
scientific attainments. At the time of writing the preceding narrative,
I had never read a single work of any description relating to the whale
fishery. Since my return from the Indian Ocean, the study of the natural
history of the whale has engrossed no small share of my attention ; but,
wishing my journal to stand upon its own footing, I have not embraced
in it the information which I might have obtained from the works of
more experiisnced writers. As an offset, however, to a light and sketchy
narrative of mere personal adventures, professing to be nothing more
than a delineation of the life of a whaleman, I am induced to believe a
compilation of more solid reading matter will not be altogether unac-
ceptable. Having had access to the various works in the Library of Con-
gress on the whale fishery, I flatter myself I shall be able to present to
the reader some interesting and curious facts, not easily found elsewhere,
and w ^,ch may serve to satisfy his mind on many particulars not within
the scope of my observation. I wish it to be borne in mind that, in mak-
ing this compilation, I am indebted to the writings of others, and lay no
claims to originality, being quite willing to rest my chances of approba-
tion or censure on the foregoing narrative alone. Convinced that I can
not improve what others, better versed in the subject, have bestowed so
much labor upon, I shall, for the most part, give the extracts without ad-
dition or alteration.

I have found it extremely difficult to obtain any definite and authentic
facts in relation to the origin of the whale fishery. The works which I
have before me, containing the earliest records on this subject, are of so
conflicting a character, that, after wading throu^u volumes embracing a
great variety of othor topics, I am puzzled upon which to place the most
reliance. Instead, therefore, of attempting any consecutive arrangement
of these records, I shall lay before the reader such extracts from works of
an authentic character as will enable him to judge for himself; and this I
shall endeavor to do with as much regard to order as the nature of the sub-
ject will permit. It is true, I present nothing new ; but I find an apology for
that in the fact that it took me many weeks to collate what I do present ;
and no compilation of the kind having yet been made, the inquirer will,
at least, be saved the trouble of ransacking more than twenty volumin-
ous works to find what is here embraced within the limits of a few dozen
pages. I am confident the rare and interesting character of the extracts
will amply repay a perusal, and my only regret is, that I am unable to
give thei • .a a more methodical form.

'PL,
■M

-.!' '>!

612

APPENDIX.

It is admitted, I believe, that the Norwegians were the first to engage
in the capture of the whale, and that they carried on a fishery long before
any other European nation. As early as 887, according to Anderson (in
his Historical and Chronological Deduction of the Origin of Commerce),
or, as Hakluyt thinks, about 890, "our excellent King Alfred received
from one Octher, a Norwegian, an account of his discoveries northward
on the Coast of Norway ; a coast which seems to have been before very
little, if at all, known to the Anglo^azons. There is one very remark-
able thing in this account ; for he tells King Alfred < that he sailed along
the Norway coast, so far north as commonly the whale-hunters used to
travel ;' which shows the great antiquity of whale fishing, though undoubt-
edly then, and long after, the use of what is usually called whalebone was
not known ; so that they fished for whales merely on account of their tat
or oil." Macpherson, in his improved edition of this work, in which many
of the statements are corrected and valuable additions made, does not
materially diflTer from Anderson. The following quotation from Henry's
History of Great Britain, giving the particulars of Octher's narrative,
will not be uninteresting : " In addition to all these [expeditions against
the Danish pirates] and many other cares, Alfred encouraged foreigners
that were in his service, and some of his own subjects, to undertake voy-
ages for making discoveries, and opening new soure«>8 of trade, both to-
ward the north and south ; of which it will be proper to give some ac-
count. There is still extant a very curious relation of one of these voy-
ages, undertaken by one Ochter, a Norwegian. This relation was given
by the adventurer himself at his return, and written down from his mouth
by King Alfred with his own hand. The style of this precious fragment
of antiquity is remarkably simple, and it seems to have been designed
only as a memorandum for the king's own private use. This simplicity
of style is imitated in the following translation from the original Saxon,
of that part of it which it is thought necessary to lay before the reader.
Ochter, after giving a very curious description of the country inhabited
by the Finmans, proceeds to say, that ' he visited this country also with
a view of catching horse-whales, which had bones of very great value for
their teeth, of which he brought some to the king ; that their skins were
good for making ropes for ships. These whales are much less than oth-
er whales, being only five ells long. The best whales were catched in
his own country, of which some were forty-eight, some fifty yards long.
He said that he was one of six who had killed sixty in two days.' "

These horse-whales, spoken of by Ochter, were what we call sea-hor-
ses, and the Dutch sea-cows, or morses. It is probable the length of the
whales caught in his own country is greatly exaggerated. Beal quotes
from many of the ancient writers instances of extraordinary exaggera-
tions of this kind, and doubts whether any whales were ever seen of a
greater length than eighty or ninety feet, even admitting that they were
once found of a larger growth than any now seen or captured.

The earliest authentic data that I have been able to find respecting the
origin of the whale fishery, as a regular and permanent branch of trade.

APPENDIX.

513

is that furnished by M'CulIoch, in his Commercial Dictionary, which, al-
though little more than a condensBtion from the works of Anderson, Mac-
pherson, and others, is of a more reliable character than any similar com-
pilation I hare met with. It has often been asserted that the whale fish-
ery had its origin on the North American coast, and that the inhabitants
of Plymouth province were the first to engage in it as a systematic busi-
ness. We can justly claim the honor of having done more to extend and
render profitable this branch of trade, under very discouraging circum-
stances, than any nation upon earth, but not that of having commenced
it before other nations. At the time the inhabitants of Massachusetts
were making their first attempts in the capture of the whale (about 1650),
the fiiscayans had already extensively engaged in that business, the
Dutch and the English had followed their example, the Russia Company
had obtained an exclusive charter fur it, and many other nations of Eu-
rope had directed their attention to the northern fisheries.

*< It is probably true, as has been sometimes contended," says M'Cul-
Ioch, " that the Norwegians occasionally captured the whale befure any
other European nation engaged in so perilous an enterprise. But the
early efforts of the Norwegians were not conducted on any systematic
plan, and shonld be regarded only in the same point of view as the fish-
ing expeditions of the Esquimaux. The Biscayans were certainly the
first people who prosecuted the whale fishery as a regular commercial
pursuit. They carried it on with great vigor and success in the 12th,
13th, and 14th centuries. In 1261, a tithe was laid upon the tongues of
whales imported into Bayonne, they being there a highly-esteemed spe-
cies of food. In 1388, Edward III. relinquished to Peter de Puayanne a
duty of £6 sterling a whale, laid on those brought into the port of Biaritz,
to indemnify him for the extraordinary expenses he had incurred in fit-
ting out a fleet for the service of his majesty. This fact proves beyond
dispute that the fishery carried on from Biaritz at the period referred to
must have been very considerable indeed ; and it was also prosecuted to
a great extent from Cibourre, Vieux Boucan, and, subsequently, from
Rochelle and other places.

" The whales captured by the Biscayans were not so large as those
that are taken in the Polar Seas, and are supposed to have been attracted
southward in the pursuit of herrings. They were not very productive of
oil, but their flesh v, as used as an article of food, and the whalebone was
applied to a variety of useful purposes, and brought a very high price.

•' This branch of industry ceased long since, and from the same cause
that has occasioned the cessation of the whale fishery in many other pla-
ces—the want of fish. Whether it were that the whales, from a sense
of the dangers to which they exposed themselves in coming southward,
no longer left the Icy Sea, or that the breed had been nearly destroyed,
certain it is that they gradually became less numerous m the Bay of Bis-
cay, and at length ceased almost entirely to frequent that sea ; and the
fishers being obliged to pursue their prey upon the banks of Newfound-
land and the coasts of Iceland, the French fishery rapidly fell off.

T T T

514

APPENDIX.

" The voyages of the Dutch and English to the Northern Ocean, in
order, if possible, to discover a passage through it to India, though they
failed of their main object, laid open the haunts of the whale. The com-
panions of Barentz, who discovered Spitzbergen in 1596, and of Hudson,
who soon after explored the same seas, represented to their countrymen
the amazing number of whales with which they were crowded. Vessels
were in consequence fitted out for the Northern whale fishery by the
English and Dutch, the harpooners and a part of the crew being Biscay-
ans. They did not, however, confine their efforts to a fair competition
with each other as fishers. The Muscovy Company obtained a royal
ctiarter, prohibiting the ships of all other nations from fishing in the seas
round Spitzbergen, on pretext of its having first been discovered by Sir
Hugh WiUoughby. There can, however, be no doubt that Barentz, and
not Sir Hugh, was its original discoverer ; though, supposing that the
fact had been otherwise, the attempt to exclude other nations from the
surrounding seas, on such a ground, was not one that could be tolerated.
The Dutch, who were at that time prompt to embark in any commercial
pursuit that gave any hopes of success, eagerly entered on this new ca-
reer, and sent out ships fitted equally for the purposes of fishing, and of
defense against the attacks of others. The Muscovy Company having
attempted to vindicate its pretensions by force, several encounters took
place between their ships and those of the Dutch. The conviction at
length becamo general that there was room enough for all parties in the
Northern Seas ; and in order to avoid the chance of coming into collision
with each other, they parcelled Spitzbergen and the adjacent ocean in
districts, which were respectively assigned to the English, Dutch, Ham-
burghers, French, Danes, &c.

" The Dutch, thus left to prosecute the fishery without having their
attention diverted by hostile attacks, speedily acquired a decided supe-
riority over all their competitors.

" When the Europeans first began to prosecute the fishery on the coast
of Spitzbergen, whales were every where found in vast numbers. Igno-
rant (It the strength and stratagems of the formidable foe by whom they
were now assailed, instead of betraying any symptoms of fear, they sur-
rount'ed the ships and crowded all the bays. Their capture was, in con-
ttequence, a comparatively easy task, and many were killed which it was
afterwar'i necessary to abandon, from the ships being already full.

" While fish were thus easily obtained, it was the practice to boil the
blubber on shore in the North, and to fetch home only the oil and whale-
hone ; and perhaps nothing can give a more vivid idea of the extent and
importance of the Dutch fishery in the middle of the 17th century, than
the fact that they constructed a considerable village, the houses of which
were all previously prepared in Holland, on the Isle of Amsterdam, on
the northern shore of Spitzbergen, to whi"' they gave the appropriate
name of Smterenberg (from smeeren, to melt, and berg, a mountain). This
was the grand rendezvous of the Dutch whale ships, and was amply pro-
vided with boiiato, xanks, and every sort of apparatus required for pre-

APPENDIX.

515

paring the oil and bone. But this was not all. The whale ships were
attended with a number of provision ships, the cargoes of which were
landed at Smeerenberg, which abounded during the busy season with
well-furnished shops, good inns, &c. ; so that many of the conveniences
and enjoyments of Amsterdam were found within about eleven degrees
of the Pole ! It is particularly mentioned that the sailors and others were
every morning supplied with what a Dutchman regards as a very great
luxury, hot rollt for breakfast. Batavia and Smeerenberg were founded
nearly at the same period, and it was for a considerable time doubted
whether the latter was not the more important establishment. — (De Rette,
Histoire de» Peuchet, dec, tome i., p. 42.)

'< During the flourishing period of the Dutch fishery, the quantity of oil
made in the North was so great that it could not be carried on by the
whale ships ; and every year vessels were sent out in ballast to assist
la importing the produce of the fishery.

" But the same cause which had destroyed the fishery of the Biscayans,
ruined that which was carried on in the immediate neighborhood of Spitz-
bergen. Whales became gradually less common, and more and more dif-
ficult to catch. They retreated first to the open seas, and then to the
great banks of ice on the eastern coast of Greenland. When the site of
the fishery had been thus removed to a very great distance from Spitz-
bergen, it was found most economical to send the blubber direct to Hol-
land. Smeerenberg was, in consequence, totally deserted, and its posi-
tion is now with difficulty discernible."

" When in the most flourishing state, toward 1680, the Dutch whale
fishery employed about 260 ships and 14,000 sailors."

This brings ns nearly up to the period when the settlers in North Amer-
ica began to fit out vessels for this service. It will be seen, however,
that they had been for some time previously engaged in the fishery near
the shores, in boats and canoes.

My attention was directed by the Hon. Mr. Grinnell, a gentleman bet-
ter acquainted with the history of the whale fishery than perhaps any
man in the United States, to a very curious and entertaining account of
the rise and progress of the whale fishery, by an old resident of Nan-
tucket, Mr. Obed Macy,* n d ascendant of Thomas Macy, the first settler.
From this work I glean ihd following facts in relation to the first at-
tempts made by the inhabitants of Nantucket to capture the " great levi-
athan of the deep."

Driven by religious persecution from his home in Massachusetts, whith-
er he had emigrated froru England in 1640, Thomas Macy removed with
his family to the Island of Nantucket in the fall of 1659, where he estab-
lished a settlement.

" The whaling business was not commenced till several years after the
settlement of the island. In the interval, the people were occupied in

* The History of Nantucket : being a compendious Account of the first Settlement of the
Island by the English, together with the Rise and Progress of the Whale Fishery, and other
hiitorical Facts relative to said Island and its Inhabitants. By Obed Macy. 1835.

: !

516

APPENDIX.

farming, or in fishing near the shores. Fish were plenty, and easily
caught. The Indians were instructed in the mode of fishing practiced
by the whites, and, in return, the whites were assisted by the Indians in
pursuing the business. Previous to their acquaintance with the English,
the natives fished with a rude line of twisted grass, to which they at-
tached a stone for a sinlcer, and a clumsy hook of bone. Some of the
sinkers just mentioned remain to this day. They resemble a ship's block
in form, and weigh two or three pounds. With this inconvenient appa-
ratns, they caught but few fish compared with the number obtained by
the better-adapted hook and line of the Europeans.

" The first whaling expedition was undertaken by some of the original
purchasers of the island, the circumstances of which are handed down
by tradition. A whale, of the kind called * scragg,' came into the har-
bor, and continued there three days. This excited the curiosity of the
people, and led them to devise measures to prevent his return out of the
harbor. They accordingly invented, and caused to be wrought for them,
a harpoon, with which they attacked and killed the whale. This first
success encouraged them to undertake whaling as a permanent business,
whales being at that time numerous in the vicinity of the shores. In
furtherance of their design, they made a contract with James Lopar to
settle on the island and engage in the business."

Lopar made a contract witli some of the islanders, and a company was
organized for the purpose of carrying on the business systematically.
An agreement was drawn up and duly signed, allowing Lopar one third
of the proceeds, and two thirds to those who embarked in the enterprise
with him.

" As it now appeared that there was a prospect of carrying the busi-
ness of whaling into effect, the town, willing to give it every encourage-
ment that it required, agreed with John Savage to remove thither with
his family, and to serve them in the occupation of cooper ; and, to induce
his compliance, to give him ten acres of land, and commonage for three
cows and one horse — nearly on the same conditions as those above men-
tioned in relation to Lopar.

" How far this plan succeeded we are in a great measure unacquainted ;
the profits of the business, however, were sufllcient to encourage its
pursuit. Finding that the people of Cape Cod had made greater profi-
ciency in the art of whale catching than themselves, the inhabitants, in
1690, sent thither and employed a man by the name of Ichabod Paddock,
to instruct them in the best manner of killing whales and extracting their
oil. The pursuit of whales commenced in boats from the shore, and in-
creased from year to year till it became the principal branch of business
with the islanders. The Indians, ever manifesting a disposition for fish-
ing of every kind, readily joined with the whites in this new pursuit, and
willingly submitted to any station assigned them. By their assistance
the whites were enabled to fit out and man a far greater number of boats
than they could have done of themselves. Nearly every boat was
manned in part, many almost entirely, by natives : some of the most

APPENDIX.

517

active of them were made steersmen, and some were allowed now to
head the boats : thus encouraged, they soon became experienced whale-
men, and capable of conducting any part of the business.

"They sometimes, in pleasant days during the winter season, ventured
oflT in their boats nearly out of sight of land. It has often been remarked
by the aged, that the winters were not so windy and boisterous at that
time as at present, though quite as cold ; and that it would sometimes
continue calm a week, or even a fortnight.

" The process called laving the whales afler they had been killed and
towed ashore, was to use a trab, an instrument similar to a capstan, to
heave and turn the blubber off as fast as it was cut. The blubber was
then pat into their carts and carried to their try-houses, which, at that
early period, were placed near their dwelling-houses, where the oil was
boiled out and fitted for market.

" To enable them to discover whales at a considerable distance from
the land, a large spar was erected, and cleats fixed to it, by which the
whalemen could climb to the top, and there keep a good look-out for their
game. There was no perceptible decrease of the number of whales dur-
ing the period of the first thirty or forty years from the comtnencement
of the fishery. It appears that in 1726 they were very numerous, for
eighty-six were taken in that year, a greater number than were obtained
in any one year either before or since that date. The greatest number
ever killed and brought to shore in one day was eleven. This mode of
whaling continued until about the year 1760, when the whales became
scarce, and it was by degrees discontinued. Since that date, whales
have only occasionally been obtained by boats from the shore.

" It is remarkable that, notwithstanding the people had to learn the
business of whaling, and to carry it on under many hazardous circum-
stances, yet not a single white person was killed or drowned in the pur-
suit, in the course of seventy years preceding 1760. The whales hith-
erto caught near the shores were of the right species.

" The first spermaceti whale known to the inhabitants was found dead,
and ashore, on the southwest part of the island. It caused considerable
excitement, some demanding a part of the prize under one pretence,
some under another, and all were anxious to behold so strange an ani-
mal. There were so many claimants of the prize, that it was difficult to
tell to whom it should belong. The natives claimed the whale because
they found it ; the whites, to whom the natives made known their dis-
covery, claimed it by a right comprehended, as they affirmed, in the pur-
chase of the island by the original patent. An officer of the crown made
his claim, and pretended to seize the fish in the name of his majesty as
being property without any particular owner. After considerable discus-
sion between these contending parties, it was finally settled that the
white inhabitants who first found the whale should share the prize equal-
ly among themselves. The teeth, which were considered very valuable,
had been extracted by a white man and an Indian before any others had
any knowledge of the whale. All difficulty being now settled, a compa-

■y

,fl

IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-3)

1.0

I.I

lAaiM U2.5

■JO ^^~ B^B

■ 2.2

IJ£

L25|||||U |i6

►

Hiotographic

Sciences
Corporation

3J \;yi$T MAIN STRPIT
(716) •7i->j03

^>^

•SJ

4is

l^.

I-

518

APPENDIX.

ny was formed, who commenced cutting the whale in pieces convenient
for transportation to their try-works. The sperm produced from the head
was thought to be of great value for medical purposes. It was used
both as an internal and an external application ; and such was the credu-
lity of the people, that they considered it a certain cure for all diseases ;
it was sought with avidity, and, for a while, was esteemed to be worth
its weight in silver. The whole quantity of oil obtained from this whale
is not known.

" Whales being plenty near the shores, people were led to conclude
that they should find them still more numerous were they to pursue them
with vessels into the ' deep.' That the pursuit of whales into the ocean
was early anticipated, we know by an anecdote related by one of our an-
cestors. In the year 1690, the same in which Ichabod Paddock was sent
for from Cape Cod, as before related, some persons were on a high hill,
afterward called Folly House Hill, observing the whales spouting and
sporting with each other, when one observed, ' Thtre,^ pointing to the
sea, ' it a green patture where our chUdren's grand-children wiU go /or
bread.^ It was many years, however, before they began to whale with
vessels, but at what precise time it happened we have no means of
knowing.

" Previous to whaling in vessels, it was necessary to determine where
the harbor should be. It has already been mentioned that the one at
Madacket was at first prefened ; but this was aAerward relinquished for
the present harbor, which is larger, more land-locked, and in many other
respects better adapted to the purposes of navigation than the first-men-
tioned. The south side of this harbor was first selected for the site of
the town ; the proprietors, therefore, laid out house lots, or homesteads,
of one hundred rods in length, and three or four rods in width ; but many
inconveniences were afterward found to attend this location, and the
present situation of the town was soon afler selected. It being now de-
termined where the town thould be, it became necessary to give it a
name, and it was accordingly called Sherburne, by order of Francis Love-
lace, Esq., governor of the province of New York, in his written direc-
tions bearing date April 18th, 1673.

" The first spermaceti whale taken by the Nantucket whalers was killed
by Christopher Hussey. He was cruising near the shore for right whales,
and was blown off some distance from the land by a strong northerly
wind, where he fell in with a school of that species of whales, and killed
one and brought it home. At what date this adventure took place is not
fully ascertained, but it is supposed to be not far from 1712. This event
gave new life to the business, for they immediately began with vessels
of about thirty tons to whale out in the ' deep,' as it was then called, to
distinguish it from shore whaling. They fitted out for cruises of about
six weeks, carried a few hogsheads, enough, perhaps, to carry the blubbers
of one whale, with which, after obtaining it, they returned home. The
owners then took charge of the blubber, and tried out the oil, an'Y imme-
diately sent the vessel out again. At the commencement of this mode

APPENDIX.

519

#"|

of whaling, it was found neeenaiy to erect try-houses near the landing,
and a number were built on the beach a little south of the wharves.
North from these they erected small buildings, called warehouses, in
which they put their whaling apparatus and other outfits.

" In 1716, the number of vessels engaged ir. the whaling business was
six, all sloops, from thirty to forty tons burden each, which produced
£1100 sterling, or S4888 88 cents.

" As the shipping increased, it was found indispensably necessary to
have wharves. Tba first built is that now called Straight Wharf, con-
structed in 1723. Previous to this, there had been places built off, called
landing-places, which were but temporary, and were often broken up by
winter storms.

" The island was now in a flourishing condition. The inhabitants
were fast increasing in number and wealth ; the land was principally pur-
chased of the natives ; it was very productive when improved ; the na-
tives were cordially enlisted in the service of the whites ; fish and fowls
were plenty ; the whaling had become a most profitable employment,
and had promised business for all. What a prospect must this have
been to a people like them, remarkable for their industry and prudence,
never so well pleased as when they had as much business as they could
perform. This being the general character of the inhabitants, they in-
creased in wealth as fast as could be expected. This business, it is
true, did not aflford great profits — less, perhaps, than almost any other ;
but the people, being of a frugal disposition, required but little to keep
them comfortable, and there were but few among them who aspired after
great things.

" As the whaling business was found to answer their expectations, they
were encouraged to increase the number and size of their vessels.
Sloops and schooners of from forty to fifty tons were put into the busi-
ness. Vessels of this size being supposed to be best adapted to whaling
near the coast, no larger ones were employed for many years. At length
whales began to b? scarce near the shore, and some enterprising persons
procured larger vessels and sent them out to the touthwari, as it was
called, where they cruised until about the first of the seventh month,
when they came in and refitted, and went to the eastward of the Grand
Bank, where they continued through the whaling season, unless they
completed their lading sooner, which frequently happened. The vessels
that went on these voyages were generally sloops of sixty or seventy
tons ; their crews were made up in part of Indians, there being usually
from four to eight in each vessel. They were pleased with the business,
and always ready to engage in it when called upon.

" At the close of the whaling season, the vessels were mostly drawn
on shore for the winter, being considered safer and less expensive in that
situation than at the wharves. The boats were placed on the beach bot-
tom upward, and tied together, to prevent disasters in gaies of wind, and
all the whaling gear was put into the warehouses."

Having followed Mr. Macy thus far in his Vi,ry interesting account of

520

APPENDIX.

the origin of the whale fishery, I shall endeavor to preserve a sort of con*
nection of the subject by introducing an outhne of the rise and progress
of this pursuit at other points of the American Continent, and in Europe.
It does not appear that Mr. Macy claims for the early settlers of Nantucket
the honor of having been the first people near the shores of this Continent
to engage in the capture of the whale. This is a matter about which his-
torians differ, and I believe it is conceded by all to be involved in much
obscurity. The islanders, it appears, were encouraged, by their success
in capturing a whale which had come into the harbor, to make a contract
with one James Lopar, " to settle on the island and engage in the busi-
ness." From this it is but reasonable to infer that Lopar was not a res-
ident of the island, and that he must have had some experience elsewhere
in the catching of <vhales. Next it appears that the people of Cape Cod,
having made " greater proficiency in the art of whale catching than them-
selves, the inhabitants in 1690 sent thither and employed a man by the
name of Ichabod Paddock, to instruct them in the best manner of killing
vhales and extracting their oil." How long the people of Cape Cod had
been engaged in the business, does not appear ; and, indeed, after a care-
ful investigation of the subject, I am constrained to believe this interest-
ing point has never been recorded, and can not now be ascertained, oth-
erwise than by tradition. The precise date at which the first whale was
captured on the island of Nantucket is not known, though it appears
that this event took place some time after the settlement by the original
purchasers in 1660. Mr. Richard Norwood, who resided at the Ber-
mudas, states, as will be seen from the extracts which I am about to in-
troduce, that the whale fishery had been carried on in the bays of those
islands for " two or three years" prior to 1667. Putting these statements
together — " several years after the settlement of the island" ^Nantucket,
in 1660), and " two or three years" prior to 1667, at the Bermudas Isl-
ands, with the proficiency of the people of Cape Cod in 1690, and it is
very difllcult to decide to whom the honor is due. I am greatly aided in
my researches upon this point by ' le following compilation from the
work of a distinguished English writer, who seems to have devoted more
than ordinary atteniion to the history of the sperm whale. Having given
a sketch of the rise and progress of the whale fishery on the island of
Nantucket, it will be interesting to glance for a moment at the earliest
records extant, touching the same subject, elsewhere. In the " Natural
History of the Sperm Whale," a valuable scientific work by Thomas Beale,
Esq., surgeon to the "Kent" and "Sarah Elizabeth," London whalers,
and Demonstrator of Anatomy to the Eclectic Society, I find the following
passages in reference to the early history of the whale fishery, and its
progress in Europe. It will be seen that Dr. Beale gives us the credit of
having been the first to engage in this business, though he claims for the
mother country the honor of having been the first to open the sperm fish-
ery in the Pacific.

" The origin of the sperm whale fishery — that is, before it became or-
ganized as a branch of commerce — ^like the origin of other fisheries of the

APPENDIX.

521

same nature, is involved in such deep mystery as almost altogether to
defy the searching acumen of the historian. Without looking into the
ancient, romancing, and classical histories with which most of the coun-
tries of Europe abound, and which contain wonderful stories of the ap-
pearance, death, or capture of the sp'^rm whale, or other creatures of the
same order, it may be sufficient ior some of us to know, that during the
early part of the last century, a '.few daring individuals, who inhabited the
shores of the American Continent, fitted out their little crafls, furnished
with weak and almost impotent weapons, to attack and destroy in its own
element the mighty monarch of the ocean, in order to rob his immense
carcass of the valuable commodity with which it is surrounded. But even
as far back as the year 1667, we find a letter, published in the second vol-
ume of the Philosophical Trantaetions, from Mr. Richard Norwood, who
resided at the Bermudas, which states that the whale fishery had been
carried on in the bays of those islands for ' two or three years,' evident-
ly meaning the black whale fishery ; for in other t<<ti to he says, * I hear
not that they have found any spermaceti in any of these whales ;' but
subsequently he states in the same letter, ' I have heard from credible
persons that there is a kind of whale having great teeth, as have the sper-
maceti at Eleutheria, and others of the Bahama Islands. One of this
place,' he continues, < John Perinchief, found one there dead, driven upon
an island, and though, I think, ignorant in the business, yet got a great
quantity of spermaceti out of it.'

" He says again : ' It seems they have not so much oil as ours (mean-
ing the black whale), but the oil, I hear, is at first like spermaceti, but
they clarify it, I think, by the fire.' But in vol. iii., Phil. Trcns., in a
letter from the same place, written a year or two afterward, we find
something like a beginning of the sperm whale fishery threatened by a
Mr. Richard Staflbrd, who informs us that he has killed several black
whales himself, and who is represented as a very intelligent gentleman.
He says, ' Great stores of whales make use of our coast ;' but in another
part he states, 'but here have been seen spermaceti whales driven
upon the shore ; these have divers teeth, about the bigness of a man's
wrist. I have been,' says he, < at tlie Bahama Islands, and there have
seen this same sort of whale dead on the shore, with sperma all over
their bodies. Myself, and about twenty others, have agreed to try whether we
can master ani kill them, for I could never hear of any of that sort that woa
killed by any man, s^ich is their fierceness and swiftness.* He concludes by
remarking, that ■ one such whale would be worth many htndred pounds !*
A weighty reason for the establishment of the fishery, no doubt. The
same writer, in another part of his letter, states, < There is one island
among the Bahamas, which some of our people are settled upon, and
more are going thither. It is called New Providence, where many rare
things might be discovered, if the people were but encouraged.' This
same New Providence afterward became so famous as a whale-fishing sta-
tion, by the exertions of our American descendants.

" But even before these needy adventurers commenced their career of

Uuu

622

APPENDIX.

spermaceti hunting, we have had it proved to us that the Indians who
inhabited the snores of America nsed to voyage out to sea. and attack
this animal from their canoes, and pierce him with their lances of wood,
or other instruments of the same material, which were barbed, and which,
before they were plunged into his flesh, were fastened by a short warp,
or piece of rope, to a large block of light wood, which was thrown over-
board the moment the barbed instrument was thrust into its body, which,
being repeated at every rising of the whale, or when they were so for-
tunate as to get near enough to do so, in a few instances, by a sort of
worrying-to-death system, rewarded the enterprising savage with the
lifeless body of his victim, but which, in most cases, was thut of a very
young one ; and even this, when towed to the shore, it was impossible for
them to turn over, so that they were obliged to content themselves with
flinching the fat from one side of the body only. Few, indeed, must these
instances have been, when we consider the means that were employed in
the capture of so immense an animal, possessing such enormous strength,
by which their barbed spears or lances of wood must tiave been frequently
shivered to atoms, or drawn from the flesh of the whale, by the resistance
the blocks of wood to which they were attached must have occasioned
when the animal became frightened into its utmost speed ; and when we
know at the present time that by their powerful actions and convulsive
movements the best tempered iron, of which our harpoons and lances are
made, frequently becomes twisted to pieces, while the boats which are
used in the chase are often thrown high into the air with the head, or
broken to fragments by one blow of the tail of this enormous creature.

" But although, as has been before stated, Mr. Richard StaflTord had
threatened to commence the sperm whale fishery at the Bahama Islands,
it appears rather doubtful whether he did so or not, when we come to pe-
ruse the letter of the Hon. Paul Dudley, F.R.S., published in 1724 (Phil.
Trana., vol. zxxiii.), an extract of which states, ' I very lately received
of one Mr. Atkins, an inhabitant of Boston, in New England, who used the
whale fishery for ten or twelve years (black whales), and was one of the
Arat that went out a fishing fur the tptrmaceti whales, about the year 1780.'
It also appears in this account that the fishery even then was very little
understood, for Mr. Atkins himself says, ' He never saw, nor certainly
heard of a spermaceti female being taken in his life ;' for he states, ' the
cows of that species of whale being much more timorous than the males,
and almost impossible to come at, unless when haply found asleep upon
the water, or detained by their calves.'

" In another part of his letter the Hon. Paul Dudley states : ' Our peo-
ple formerly used to kill the whale near the shore, but now they go oflf
to sea in sloops and whale boats. Sometimes,' he says, 'the whale is
killed by a single stroke, and yet at other times she will hold the whale-
men in play near half a day together with their lances, and sometimes they
will get away after they have been lanced, and spouted ihick blood, with
irons in them and drags (drouges) fastened to them, which are thick
boards about fourteen inches square.'

APPENDIX.

523

" But even after the capture of the sperm whale had occasionally been
carried on in ships by the descendants of the European settlers upon
the American shores, who struck the whales with the harpoon, having a
log of wood attached, after the Indian fashion, it was a considerable time
before any great improvement manifested itself in their mode of fishing.
Presumptuous indeed was he deemed who first proposed to chase and cap-
ture such huge beings in small boats, and by the aid of lines at the end of
which was attached the harpoon, by which they could draw themselves to
the harpooned whale whenever they wished to destroy it with the lance.

" An American whaler, who had been bred from his boyhood in the ser-
vice, iniormed me that his grand-father had been employed on a whaling
expedition in a small vessel off the coast of America, and that, having
experienced a great deal of ill success in consequence of their being un-
able to capture any whales by means of the log harpoon, the captain of
their little barque wished them to make trial of the method of which they
had just heard, by the boat and line ; but to his irresolute seamen the
idea seemed monstrous ; the mere thought of having the boat they were
in attached to an infuriated leviathan by a strong rope struck terror
among the whole crew. < What,' said they, < shall we be dragged to
the bottom of the sea 1 Shall we be towed with the velocity of lightning
to the other side of the world 1 Shall we be torn to pieces by the jaws
of the monstrous fish that we may be fastened to V In vain did their
captain explain to them the various means they could employ to avoid those
anticipated dangers ; he urged their reason to note the excellence of the
plan, but his eloquence proved of no avail ; so fearful were they of this
dangerous innovation on their old method, that the very rope which the
captain had prepared f&r the service was pointed through the ship's stern
during the nif ht, and allowed to run overboard. But, nevertheless, oth-
ers more daring undertook the trial soon afterward, in which they fre-
quently came off victorious, so that the new method was established
among them, and has since been much improved.

" The fishery was thus carried on at first by a few individuals in Amer-
ica frcm their own shores ; but, as their numbers increased, the quantity
of vf hales diminished ; so that, in a few years, they had not only destroyed
great numbers of these useful animals, but had driven the remainder to
find more secure retreats, in which they could follow their natural incli-
nations without being harassed by the chase or wounded by the harpoon

" But, about the year 1771, we find that the American navigators were
engaged with extraordinary ardor in the whale fisheries which were car-
ried on in the North and South Atlantic Oceans. From the year 1771 to
1775, Massachusetts alone employed annually 183 vessels, carrying 13,820
tons in the former, and 121 vessels, carrying 14,026 tons in the latter.

" Mr. Burke, in his famous speech on American affairs in 1 774, advert-
ed to this wonderful display of daring enterprise in the following eloquent
words : ' As to the wealth,' said he, ' which the colonists have drawn
from the sea by their fisheries, you had all that matter fully opened at
Tour bar. You surely thought these acquisitions of value, for they seemed

524

APPENDIX.

to excite your envy ; and yet the spirit by which that enterprising em-
ployment has been exercised, ought rather, in my opinion, to have raised
your esteem and admiration: And pray, sir, what in the world is equal
to it 1. Pass by the other parts, and look at the manner in whioh the
New England people carry on the whale fishery. While we follow them
among the trembling mountains of ice, and behold them penetrating into
the deepest frozen recesses of Hudson's and Davis's Straits — while we are
looking for them beneath the Arctic circle, we hear that they have pierced
into the opposite region of the polar cold — that they are at the antipodes,
and engaged under the frozen serpent of the south. Falkland Island,
which seems too remote for the grasp of national ambition, is but a stage
and resting-place for their victorious industr}. Nor is the equinoctial
heat more discouraging to them than the accumulated winter of both
poles. We learn that, while some of them draw the line or strike the
harpoon on the coast of Africa; others run the longitude, and pursue their
gigantic game along the coast of Brazil. No sea but what is vexed with
their fisheries, no climate that is not witness of their toils. Neither the
perseverance of Holland, nor the activity of France, nor the dexterous
and firm sagacity of English enterprise, ever carried this most perilous
mode of hardy industry to the extent to which it has been pursued by
these recent people — a people who are still in the gristle, and not hard*
ened into manhood.'

'" Whether this eloquent address had any effect or not upon the minds
of our own merchants and ship-owners in stimulating them to fit out ships
for the sperm and other whale fisheries, I am not aware, but it is certain
that in the following year (1775) the first attempt was made to establish
the sperm whale fishery from Britain ; and we accordingly find, from pri-
vate statements on which I can securely rely, that ships of from 100 to
109 tons burden were sent to South Greenland, the coast of Brazil, the
Falkland Islands, and the Gulf of Guinea, for the purpose of procuring
sperm and other oils. The names of the ships which were thus employed
in these distinct expeditions were the ' Union,' ' Neptune,' • Rocking-
ham,' 'America,' 'Abigail,' 'Hanover,' 'Industry,' 'Dennis,' 'Beaver,'
and ■ Sparrow ;' but the principal places of resort of the spermaceti
whale not having been yet discovered, these vessels met with very tri-
fling success.

" In the following year, 1776, the government, with a view to stimulate
all persons engaged in these fisheries, established a principle of reward
for those ships which were most successful in their endeavors ; in ac-
cordance with which, five different bountiet or preraiuius were offered,
forming a scale of prizes for those who were so fortunate as to prove the
five gradations of success ; the sum of five hundred pounds being the max-
imum, and that of one hundred being the minimum prize.

" In 1781, four ships were fitted out for the River St. Lawrence, but after
they had been out a considerable time, they returned with the discoura-
ging announcement of having only procured six gallons of sperm oil among
them during the whole time of their absence.

APPENDIX.

525

" In 1784, France, which, it appears, had preceded the other nations of
Europe in the whale fishery, but had for many years past, for some cause
or other, hardly had any share in it, now endeavored to revive it, and
with this view Louis XVI. fitted out six ships from Dunkirk on bis own
account, which were furnished, at a great expense, with a number of ex-
perienced harpooners and able seamen from Nantucket.

The adventure was more successful than could have been reasonably
expected, considering the auspices under which it was carried on. Sev-
eral private individuals followed the example of his majesty, according
to Mr. M'CuUoch, ' and in 1790 France had about forty ships employed
in the fishery. The Revolutionary war destroyed every vestige of this ris-
ing trade. Since the peace, the government has made great efforts for
its renewal, but hitherto without success ; and it is singular that, with
the exception of an American house at Dunkirk, hardly any one had
thought of sending out a ship from France.'

" In the year 1785, the English ship ' Masters' began to discover tfie
haunts of the sperm whale, the principal object of ptirsuit ; for we find
that afler they had been out about twelve months, many vessels returned
with from twenty to eighty tons of sperm oil each ; so that, in the year
1786, we find three hundred and twenty-teven ton* of sperm oil was brought
to this countiy, which sold for £43 per ton ; and the success which
attended our whaling expeditions at this time was quite equal to that
which the American whalers met with.

" In 1786, the bounties were increased to £700 maximum and £300 min-
imum, which had the efl^ect of increasing the perseverance and activity
of our whalers, for we now discover them staying out eighteen and even
twenty-eight months, and bringing home much larger quantities of sperm
oil. During the year 1788, the ships that were sent out were much in-
creased in size, so that they were frequently of from 150 to 300 tons bur-
den ; and they still continued, like the Americans, to fish on this side of
Cape Horn, taking the common black as well as the sperm whale at such
places as the Gulf of Guinea, the coast of Brazil, the Falkland Islands,
and, for sperm whales in particular, about the eqiinoctial line. But if
the Americans had been the first to establish the fishery cMtheir own
shores, and even throughout the North and South Atlantic Oc^ns, it was
the destiny of the mother country to enjoy the honor of opening the in-
valuable sperm fisheries of the two Pacifies, the discovery of which formed
an era in the commercial history of this>country ; for not only was the
sperm whale fishery by this discovery prodigiously increased, but otiier
commercial advantages rapidly accrued from the whalers who resorted
to these seas, opening a trade with the people who inhabited the extensive
shores which bound the enormous ocean.

" ■ The importance of the southern whale fishery,' says a gentleman
who is deeply conversant with the whole subject, • has never been duly
appreciated. It is not generally known,' he says, ' that it is to this im-
portant branch of trade and nursery for seamen that we owe the opening
of commerce with South America, and which even caused the separation

526

APPENDIX.

of the Spanish colonies in the Pacific Ocean from the parent state. So
meanly jealous was Spain of the interference of foreigners with the trade
of her American colonies, that it was with the greatest difllcuUy, on the
opening of the sperm whale fishery in the Pacific, that we could obtain
permission for our ships to cruise within a hundred Italian miles of their
coasM ; and it was only through a few of our ships at first claiming the
right of wooding and watering in a friendly port, that a trade was first
established, which spread in all directions the moment the great mutual
advantages were felt. The enterprise of the ship-owners,' he continues,
'engaged in the whale fishery knew no bounds. They sent ships to all
parts of the world — to places at which no merchant vessel would have
had cause to venture, so that lands were visited upon which important
colonies have been formed. What merchant vessel would have visited
Van Diemen's Land, or even Australia 1 Having no object or prospect
of gain, and lying, as they both did, out of the track of our merchantmen,
it is not to be believed that they could have been much visited by them.
But our whaling vessels cruising for whales examined their shores and
brought home information respecting their value, and, what was still more
important, they carried out people to reside upon them, and establish a
regular communication between them and our own country, by which the
wants of the primitive settlers could be supplied, and their persons pro^
tected, and which could not have been done by other ships except at a
frightful expense ; at a time, too, when the settlement of the above now
valuable and flourishing colonies was a mere experiment, with many
sneering at the project as an ignis fatuus, evidence inclines us to believe
'hat these colonies would never have existed had it not been for whaling
vessels approaching their shores. It is a fact, that the original settlers
at Botany Bay were more than once saved from starvation by the timely
arrival of some whaling vessels.

" ' But if our commerce has received benefit from our southern whaling
expeditions, our intimate knowledge of the Polynesian islanders has also
arisen from the same means ; and if missionaries have gone to reside
among these people, with the view of spreading among them a belief in
the ChristA^ faith, these messengers have been preceded by the whaler,
who has opened a barter with the savage, and brought about a friendly
regard toward us, by which he has secured a ready welcome to the mis-
sionaries ; and they are doing so at the present hour at New Guinea,
New Ireland, New Britain, and at hundreds of islands in the South Pa-
cific. New Zealand has been succeeded with in the same way ; and if it
was not fur these preliminary meetings, not a missionary would dare to
step upon their shores.'

'* [n 1788, the grand mercantile speculation of sending ships round Cape
Horn into the Pacific, in order to extend the sperm whale fishery, was
reserved for the bold and enterprising mind of Mr. Enderby, a London
merchant and ship-owner, who fitted out, at a vast expense, the ship
'Amelia,' Captain Shields, which sailed from England on the first of
September, 1788, and returned on the 12th of March, 1790, making an

APPENDIX.

527

absence of one year and seven months, but bringing home the enormona
cargo of 139 tons of sperm oil ! and likewise having the good fortune to
receive £800 more by way of an increased bounty, in consequence of the
peculiar nature of the expedition. The * Amelia' having been the first
ship of any country which had entered the Pacific in search of whales,
her success gave an amazing impulse to all persons engaged in the fish-
eries, so that several ships, both from this country and America, immedi-
ately followed in her track ; for on her return in 1790, many vessels were
directly sent ofiT, the crews of which continued the fishery along the coast
of Chili and Peru with great advantage, so that in r^dl we had a great
addition in the importation of sperm oil, amounting this year to 1258 tons,
making an increase over the importation in the year 1786 of 931 tons.

" In 1791 the bounties were again altered, but the alteration merely re-
lated to the time the ships should remain out. The ships which were at
this time engaged in the fishery carried from twenty-two to thirty men
each. This enterprising branch of commerce was carried on year after
year with considerable success, subject to but slight variations in the an-
nual and gradual increase in the importation of oil, giving employment to
a vast number of persons, many of whom were enriched to an immense
amount by the success which attended their exertions in this profitable
pursuit.

" In the year 1802, ships were sent to whale oflfthe island of New Zea-
land, where they frequently met with considerable success. In 1803, many
vessels were ploughing the China Seas, about the Molucca Islands, in
search of the sperm whale, and with the same encouraging results. In
passing over a lapse of sixteen years, we have nothing to remark, except
that there was still a gradual increase in the importation of sperm oil,
from a greater number of ships being employed in this adventurous trade,
to which every year added fresh experience, by which they became better
fitted and manned, and, therefore, the more qualified to war with and cap-
ture the * giant of the main.'

" In 1819, another great impulse was given to the fishery by the indefat-
igable and enterprising Mr. Enderby, who had not only joined the govern-
ment, in 1793, in the expense of fitting out a ship, commanded by Captain
James Colnett, to undertake a voyage to the South Seas, with a view to
extend the sperm whale fishery there, but in this year (1819) formed the
scheme, and actually fitted out at his own expense a large ship of 500 tons
burden, called the ' Siren,' commanded by Captain Coffin, with a crew
of thirty-six seamen, for the purpose of sending her on an experimental
voyage to the far distant sea of Japan, to prosecute the sperm whale fish-
ery 4i that remote part of the world.

"The ' Siren' sailed from England on the 3d of August, 1819, and ar-
rived off the coast of Japan on the 5th of April, 1820, where she fell in with
immense numbers of the spermaceti whale, which her crew gave chase
to with excellPiit success ; for they returned to their native land on the
21st of April, 1822, after an absence of about two years and eight months,
during which time they had, by their industry, courage, and perseverance,

528

APPENDIX.

gathered firom the confines of the North Paoiflc Ocean no leas than the
enormous quantity of three hundred and forty-tix tone of sperm oil, which
was brought into the port, of London in safety and triumph, showing a
success unprecedented in the annals of whaling, and which astonished
and stimulated to exertion all those engaged in the trade throughout Eu-
rope and America. The success which attended this expedition not only
rewarded the oeamen and others who composed her crew, but the spirited
man who had sent them out also must have felt the solid and weighty
considerations which he no doubt receivbd in return for the great and
successful enterprise to which he had given origin.

" After the return of the • Siren,' the Japan fishery was speedily estab*
lished, and remains to this day the principal one of both Pacifies ; and al-
though it has been so much resorted to by ships of diflTerent nations ever
since, which have carried oflf immense quantities of sperm oil, yet such
is the boundless space of ocean throughout which it exists, that the -^vhales
scarcely appear to be reduced in number. But they are much mrre dif<
ficult to get near than they were some years back, on account of the fre-
quent harassing they have met with from boats and ships ; so that they
have become now well aware of the reckless nature of their pursuers,
and they evince great caution and instinct in avoiding them. Notwith-
standing the great success which had attended the single-handed yet im-
portant efforts of Mr. Enderby, in having been the means uf establishing
two great fisheries, by which numbers of persons were employed, as well
as those who were engaged on shipboard, his enterprising mind still con-
tinued to be prompted by the laudable ambition of discovering others in
a far different portion of the globe to either of the preceding. With this
view he fitted out the ' Swan,' of 160 tons burden, commanded by Cap-
tain M'Clain, which sailed on the 3d of June, 1823, to undertake a voyage
to the ' Seychelle Islands,' for the purpose of searching for the sperm
whale ; directing the captain, at the same time, to prosecute the fishery,
if possible, at the entrance of the 'Red Sea' and 'Persian Gulf;' but
although this third experimental expedition did not prove so beneficial to
the crew and owner as the two former had done, still the voyage of
the ' Swan' to those places had the eflfect of opening the new fishery of
the ' Seychelles' to the great advantage of the commercial interests of
this country, which was manifested by the number of ships which soon
resorted to it for the purpose of whaling. For although the * Swan' did
not return until the S7th of April, 182S, and' had only procured forty tons
of sperm oil during all the time of her absence, yet her want of entire
success was not owing to the absence of whales at the places to which
they were sent, for the crew saw immense numbers, but from a amies
of misfortunes which befell them, and which rendered them incrpable of
prosecuting the fishery with all the energy and entire devotion which it
requires to bring about a successful termination. The ship which resort-
ed to the < Seychelles' after the return of the ' Swan' had good reason
to be well satisfied with the success which attended their efforts, not only
from the number of whales which they found there, but from its being so

APPENDIX.

629

much nearer home than the Japan fishery, hy which much time was saved
in the outward and homeward passages.

" During the year 1881, the government, finding that the sperm whale
fishery was fully established, thought proper to discontinue the system of
the bounties, so that the crews of the various ships which resorted to
the fisheries were made to depend altogether upon the success of their
own exertions.

<' In 18S3, the first introduction of sperm oil from the colonies took place,
the principal part of which was brought from Sidney ; and when, in 1826,
the imperial measure was introduced, we find the enormous quantity of
sperm oil altogether imported into London during that year amounted to
6083 tons ! while the ships that were employed in the fishery were of
from 300 to 400 tons.

" In 1827, 6652 tons were imported ; in 1828 there was a great decrease
in the supply, as only S'/M tons arrived ; but in 1829 the importation
again increased to 6668 tons.

" In the year 1830, from some cause, the supply was again greatly re-
duced, as only 4792 tons were imported ; but in the following year of 1 831 ,
the importation rose suddenly to its maximum height, as the ei. )rmou3
quantity of 7606 imperial tons was introduced. In 1832 a slight decreii>?e
to 7166 tons took place, and in 1833 a still farther reduction to 6067
tons, but in 1834 it rallied again slightly, and 6731 tons were the impor^
tation. Tlio uhips engaged at this time in the fishery from this coun-
try were about ninety in number, and from 300 to 400 tons burden,
the average duration of their voyages being three years and three
months.

"In the year 1836, 7001 tons were imported, by which we perceive
scarcely any or no diminution in the proceeds of fishery, although it was
not so great as in the successful maximum year of 1831, when the im-
portation amounted to 7601 imperial tons : a success which stimulates the
adventurer in this ' most perilous mode of hardy industry.' "

Having thus given Beale's version of the origin of the whale fishery
on the American Continent, and traced the progress of European nations
in the extension of that pursuit almost to the present period, let us
.again revert to Mr. Macy'a sketch of the rise and progress of our own
fishery, omitting such portions as relate to the general history of the
island.

" As the number of inhabitants [on the Island of Nantucket] increased,
the whaling business was carried on more extensively. Larger vessels,
and a greater number, were employed, requiring, consequently, a greater
number of men. The island did not furnish seamen enough to man the
fleet, and recourse was had to various parts of Cape Cod, and thence
westward as far as Long Island. From these sources there was at that
time a sufiicient supply of men to render that part of the business not
difficult."

In the year 1745, they commenced the business of exporting their oil
to England.

Xxx

530

APPENDIX.

"TLo whale fishery gradually increased, and as new eouatries and
coasts were explored, the voyages necessarily became longnr. The fol-
lowing schedule will show, as nearly as can be ascertained, the times
when the fishery commenced at- some places, previous to the Revolution-
ary war, viz. :

"The Island of Disco, in the mouth of Bafiln's Bay, in the year 175 1.

"Gulf of St. Lawrence, in the year 1761.

" Davis's Straits, in the year 1746.

" Coast of Guinea, in the year 1763.

" Western Islands, in the year 1765.

" Eastward of the Banks of Newfoundland, in the year 1765.

" Coast of Brazil, in the year 1774.

" The business was carried on in shorter voyages at the Grand Banks,
Cape Verd Islands, various parts of the West Indies, in the Bay of Mex-
ico, the Caribbean Sea, and on the coast of the Spanish Main, &c. The
following table shows the number of vessels, and the quantity of oil ob-
tained within the period of ten years :

Dttt.

No- orvmb.

No. of Bwrelt.

<it«.

No. orTauelf.

NaofBtmli.

}IS!

9,440

1788

195

15,439

»3t

0,938

1769

119

19,140

»25!

11,983

1770

195

14,331

1768

101

11,513

1771

115

19,754

1786

116

11,969

1779

7,895

1767

108

16,601

" Between the years 1770 and 1775 the whaling business increased to
an extent hitherto unparalleled. In 1770 there were little more than one
hundred vessels engaged [125], and in 1775 the number exceeded 150,
some '^ them large brigs."

"Many branches of labor were conducted by those who were immedi-
ately interested in the voyages. The young men, with few exneptions,
were brought up to some trade necessary to the business. The rope-
maker, the cooper, the blacksmith, the carpenter — in fine, the workmen
were either the ship-owners or of their household ; so were the officers
and men who navigated the vessels and killed the whales. While a ship
was at sea, tlie owners at home were busily employed in the manufacture
of casks, iron- work, cordage, blocks, and other articles for the succeeding
voyage. Thus the profits of labor were enjoyed by those interested in
the fishery, and voyages were rendered advantageous, even where the '
oil obtained was barely sufficient to pay the outfits, estimating the labor
as a part thereof."

" The first manufactory of sperm candles in this country was estab-
lished in Rhode Island, a little pievious to 1750, by Benjamin Crab, an
Englishman." "In 1761 there were eight manufactories in New Eng-
land and one in Philadelphia."

" The following table, copied from a report to Congress by Thomas
Jeflferson, shows the state of the whale fishery in Massachusetts between
the years 1771 and 1775."

It is hardly necessary to give this table in full. The most interesting
items embraced in it are as follow :

APPENDIX.

531

Ports from wbich (he aquipmeou
wen nude.

Number of
VeHela.

Their
tonuge.

Seamen
empluyed.

Nantucket

WellflMt

Dartmontk

ISO
30
80

13
3

304

15,075

9,000

0,500

1«S

730

ISO

3,000

300

27,840

S,U35

430

1,040

150

360

4,059

Martha'i Vineyud ....

Barnstable

Boiton

Falmouth, 3aniMabla Co. . .
Swanzey

From this period until the close of the Revolutionary war little was
done in the whale fishery. During the greater part of the time it was
entirely suspended, and the inhabitants of Nantucket were reduced to
great distress. I must necessarily, from want of space, pass over this
interesting period in the history of the whale fishery, merely quoting Mr.
Macy's summary of the number of vessels lost and captured.

" During the war, 15 vessels were lost at sea, and 134 were captured ;
total loss in tonnage, 12,467 tons, of which more than 10,000 tons fell
into the hands of the enemy. It would be difllcult at this period to make
an estimate of the value of those vessels ; many of them had on board
valuable cargoes. They were navigated by the youth and manhood of
the island. Of the crews, some perished miserably in prison ships, oth-
ers lingered years in confinement ; some entered the service of tlie coun-
try, others returned home destitute to destitute families. To these con-
siderations, if we add losses by plunderers, the almost total stoppage of
all business during the war, the insufiiciency of soil to produce food for
the inhabitants, the almost constant blockading of the harbor by the Eng-
lish or the Refugees, it will not be doubted that Nantucket paid as dearly
for the independence of our country as any place in the Union."

The Legislature of Massachusetts, in order to encourage the whale
fishery throughout the state, which had been greatly depressed by the
war, passed, in 1786, a resolve to the following effect :

That the treasurer of the Commonwealth would pay, for every ton of
white spermaceti oil, a bounty of five pounds ; for every ton of brown or
yellow spermaceti oil, sixty shillings ; for every ton of whale oil (so
called), forty shillings, taken by vessels owned and wholly manned by
inhabitants of the Commonwealth.

This bounty afforded but a temporary relief, and was soon withdrawn.
It had the effect, however, of stimulating those engaged in the fishery to
new enterprises, which, though not always profitable, finally resulted in
the re-establishment of the business.

" The whaling business gradually increased from year to year, though
it occasionally met with depressions which checked its progress and cre-
ated considerable uneasiness. In 1702, the people of New Bedford turned
their attention to it more particularly than heretofore. A number of ves-
sels were pit mto the service there, and some from Boston and Long
Island. The quantity of oil thus imported exceeded the consumption,
and kept the price below the cost to importers.

532

APPENDIX.

'< A few years previous to the Revolution in France, in 1792, a new mar-
ket opened for whale oil in that country, which gave encouragement that
it would eventually be the best place for the sale of the article that could
be found."

" The shipments which were made [after the Revolution began] did not
meet with prices sufficient to pay costs."

" In 1790, finding some of the people of England profitably engaged in
the sealing business, the inhabitants of Nantucket turned their attention
ta that business, and fitted out a vessel for the coast of Africa.

" In 1791, vessels first went from Nantucket into the Pacific Ocean in
pursuit of whales. Some successful cruises had been made on the west-
ern coast of South America by vessels from England, which encouraged
the people of Nantucket to engage in similar voyages.

" In 1795, the name of the town was changed from Sherburne to Nan-
tucket."

It would be impossible, within the limited space of this Appendix, to
follow the changes which took place in the whale fishery up to the period
of the last war.

" The immediate effects of the war were experienced in the 7th month
of this year, 1812, in the capture and burning of a whaling schooner to
the northward of the Gulf Stream. The crew were made prisoners of
war. This was the first capture of a Nantucket vessel afler the com-
mencement of hostilities. There were at this time belonging to the isl-
and 43 ships, 47 sloops, 7 brigs, 19 schooners ; total, 116 vessels, whose
tonnage amounted to nearly 11,000 tons."

Then followed all the devastations of the war in quick succession :
the capturing of whaling vessels, and the part taken by the hardy and
enterprising whalemen belonging to the different ports in the United
States, in the defense of their country, with which the public are famil-
iar. The Island of Nantucket, which had suffered most, owing to her
isolated and exposed situation, was, however, declared neutral by the
contending powers, the inhabitants having, in consequence of their great
distress, stipulated that they would take no part in the war. Subsequent
difficulties arose, in consequence of the embarrabajng position in which
the people of the island were placed, but it does not come within the ob-
ject of this compilation to enter into a detail of them

<' In the year 1819 [the devastating effects of the war having in a great
measure passed away], the number of ships and vessels belonging to the
island had increased to 67 ships and 4 brigs in the whale fishery. In
1^21 the number had increased to 78 ships and 8 brigs in the whale
fishery."

From that date to liie present the inhabitants of Nantucket have pur-
sued the business with the greatest zeal and perseverance. Prosperity
has crowned their efforts, and many of them have become wealthy.

The following tables and extracts from various documents with which
I have been kindly favored by the Hon. James Orinneli, will show the

APPENDIX.

533

value and extent of the entire whale fishery carried on in vessels belong-
ing to the United States ; thus giving a general view of its origin, prog-
ress, and present condition.

Estimated Value of 644 Vessels employed in the Wk(de Fishery belonging to
the United States at the Time of sailing, and which were at Sea on the 1st
of January, 1844. , / ,

' ' f ■

343 ihip*, barqnei, and brigi in tba iperm (uhery, at (38,000 eiuih .... 99,108,000
33» " " " " right whale fishery, at 938,000 each . . g,S13,000

73 " " " and ichoonen in the Atlantic sperm fishery, at

•14,000 each 1,033,000

,, 910,480,000

Estimated Value of the 644 Vessels employed in the Whale Fishery, belonging io
the United States, including Catchings at Sea, on the 1st of January, 1844.

243 ships, barques, and brigs in the sperm fishery, at 9SS,000 each .... 913,300,000
339 " " " ■' right whale fishery, at 940,000 each . . 13,100,000

73 " " " and schooners in the Atlantic sperm fishery, at

916,000each 1,314,000

937,784,000

N.B. The above estimates, I am informed by Mr. GrinneU, are consid-
erably below the actual value of the vessels, fittings, and oil taken at this
date, but he preterred making the calculation at the lowest point to which
their value might descend.

Duties on a Whale Ship and Outfits.

The articles which pay duty, used by a whaler (the ship Charles Fen-
duck, burden 317 tons), are as follows :

On 134 pieces of duck, containing 3800 square yards, duty 7 ets. per yard . . . 93M OS
On cordage, 34,409 pounds hemp, say 10 tons, at 940 per ton . . . . 9400 00

" S7S4 pounds of Manilla, say 3 tons, at 935 per ton ... 75 00—475 00

On iron chains of all kinds, 17,784 pounds, duty 3) cts. per pound 444 00

On iron, about 17 tons, including hoops, whale craft, that used aboat yaids, rig-
ging, &c., duty 917 per ton 389 00

On iron anchors, 4300 pounds, duty H cts. per pound 444 00

On iron try-pots ; three 180-gsllon pots weigh 3300 pounds, duty H et. per pound 33 00
On copper cooler, made of brazier's copper, 400 pounds, duty 5 eta. par pound . . 30 00
On molasses, 1100 gallons, 4i mills per pound, is about 4| cts. per gallon ... 40 SO

On chronometer, about 40 00

A great part of the tools, steel, and crockery-ware pay « duty, but it is not easy

to get at the correct amount ; estimated at 80 00

91753 73

534

APPENDIX.

Statement of the Number of Veeselii employed in the United Statet Whale
Fiehery on the Ul of January, 1846, their Tonnage, and the Placet where
they beUmg. — IFrom the Whaleman't Shipping lAtt.}

Port*.

Stata

Shipstmi
BtrquM. '

Brigt.

Tons,

NawBedfonl. . .

Massacbnsetu

SS3

83,633

FairhaTen . . .

••

—

19,391

Dartmouth . •

—

387

Westport . . •

—

3,066

Matupoiiett . .

—

1,864

Sippieau . . •
Wareham . • •

u
11

9
S

910
1,366

Falmouth . ■

•t

—

1,470

Holmei'i Hole

—

1,987

Edsartown . •

—

3,017

Nantucket

—

35,964

Province town

3,001

Iijmn . .
Plymouth . .
Boston . .

«l
<>
II

3
3

1
1

980
999
375

Portsmouth

—

348

Salem . .

—

660

Fall River

—

1,908

Freetown .

—

634

Somerset .

—

137

Bristol . .

Rhode Island

—

1,743

Proridance

—

3,341

Warren .

—

8,318

Newport .
Mystic . .

II
Connecticut

10
18

3,099
9,531

Stonidgton

—

8,076

New London

6 Bchrs. 1 sl^p

36,913

Sag Harbor

New York

—

33,103

Bridgeport

Connecticut

—

973

New Suffolk

New York

—

501

Greenport .

—

3,955

Cold Spring
New York

—

3,319

—

499

Total.— WhoU number of vessels employed in the fishery, Jan. I, 1846, 680 ships and

barques, 34 brigs, SI schooners, 1 sloop ; tonnage, 333,149.
Whole number employed in the fishery, Jan. 1, 1845, 643 ships and barques, 39 brigs, 16

schooneit, 1 sloop ; tannage, 318,655.
Whole number employed in the fishery, Jan. 1, 1644, 995 ships and barques, 41 brigs, 8

schooners, and 1 sloop ; tonnage, 300,147.

The annexed tables, taken from the Whaleman's Shipping List, pub-
lished in New Bedford, show the imports and exports of oil and bone,
average prices from 1838 to 1846, amount of oil on hand, average length
of voyages, arrivals, &c. I think it will be conceded that they are of suf-
ficient importance to be preserved in a durable form.

APPENDIX.

535

Importt of Sperm and Whale OiU and Whalebone into the United State*, for
1845, made up, in moat caeet, from the Gauger't Report of the different
cargoes.

Portt,

New Bedford

" in Merchantmen

FtirhaTea

MsttapoiMtt

Sippican

Wareham

Dartmouth

AVettport

Diatrict of New Bedford .

Falmouth

Holmea'a Hoi ....

Edgartown

FroTincetown ....

Nantucket

Fljrmouth

Lynn

Batten

" in Merchantmen .

Salem

Portsmouth

Fall River

Briitol

Warren

ProTidanca

Newport

Stonington

New I^ndon

Myitio

Cold Spring

Oreenport

Sag Harbor

New York

" in Merchantmen .

Hudson

Wilmington

New SuiTolk

Total ....

Ship*

ana

BarquM.

04
S

15
1
3
1
I

89
S
1
8
1

39
1
1
1
3
3
1
3
1
5
3
3

31
4
3

S3
1
1
1
1

_l,

SIS

Briga,

Scboonara,

Ac.

Barrela
Sperm.

3
1
3

11
1

13
3
3

1
6

49,12}

8,897

15,381

631

1,316

943

1.400

3,780

74,573

3,000

301

1,719

3,MS

45,864

1,390

ISO

370

5,013

3,300

S,600

1,646

1,000

3,511

750

B,580

1,941

1,411

713

300

578

S,6S4

130

584

800

300

108

157,700

Barrela
Whale.

81,898

1,626

16,659

S40

540

1,991

sro

486
103,843

140
3,339
1,816

730
6,380

ijm

3,000

800

sioso

7,984

3,450

3,865

15,363

53,576

7,271

4,818

7,824

43,784

1,650

900

800

350

398

272,809

Pounda
Whalebone.

745,434
360,573
148,100

3,000
16,800

1,173,907

92,000

,33,300

14,000

46,100

15,000

487,100
6,000

44,600

7,300

30,000

«2,800

115,635

469,700

51,400

' 87,490

69,877

475,186

15,000

9,000

8,000

3,000

6,669

3,195,054

Import* of Sperm and Whale Oil from January 1, 1838, to January 1, 1844,
and of OU and Bone from January 1, 1844, to January 1, 1846.

Bone.

1838
1839
1840
1841
1843
1843
1844
1845

Sperm.
132,356
143,336
157,791
159,304
165,637
166,985
139,594
157,917

Whale.
326,553
239,783
207,908
307,348
161,041
206,737
363,047
373,730

3,533,445
3,167,143

We estimate the quantity of sperm oil to arrive in 1846 at 117,000 barrela. Of whale,
it is imposaible, as yet, to form an estimate with any degree of accuracy, owing to the mea-
ger aonounts yet received from the Northwest Coast.

O':

536

APPENDIX.

Exporta. — Quantity and Value of Whale Oil and Spermaceti exported from
the Port of New Bedford, Year ending Jan. 1, 1846 ; furnished by Mr.
James Freeman, Deputy Collector.

Oab.WbiI«. Ttlne. Ibi. Spciaanti. T«lae.

To Stettin 393,113 $99,413

HambMfh 114,484 39,967

Rotterdam 199,997 07,409

Antwerp 163,163 93,644 9300 $1489

Caxharen and market . . 91,798 16,833

Total .... 817,933 $368,330 "^ $1489

Exports of Whale Oil from New Bedford to Foreign Ports for the years

1841. 1843. 1843. 1844. 1849.

Barrels . . 33,273 36,009 17,301 30,093 39,939

Statement of Oils and Whalebone on hand, December 30, 1845.

Sperm. Whale. Bone. ' '

New Bediord 8,101 2630 301,000 '

Fairhaven ....... 0,300 10,000

Weetport 3,300 " — —

Nantucket, aboat .... 30,000 — — _

Edgartown 1,000 — — ^—

Falmouth 900 — — _

, Nevport 900

Boston 1,100

Total 40,701 9331 311,000

The abora itatement inclndei all recent importatioai, and all crude oils in manufactu-
rer's hands, in the ports named.

Amount of Oil on hand, January 1, 1845.
Sperm, 33,992 barrels ; Whale, 13,990 barrels.

Average Voyages.— Table of Voyages made by Sperm and Right Whalers
in the Years 1842 to 1845 inclusive, with average Time absent, and Quan-
tity of Oils brought Home.

In 1842, 99 sperm whalers arrived, avenge absence, 41 months 8 days, """"^

with average cargoes of I973 535

In 1843, 74 two-season right whalers arrived, average time absent, 34)

months, with average cargoes of 433 1732

In 1842, 13 one-season right whalers arrived, average time absent, 10}

months, average cargoes of 123 jfios

In 1843, 69 Atlantic sperm whalers arrived, average time absent, 13 months

38 days, average cargoes of 3g0 13

''''' .irrtvo/f in 1843.

70 sperm whalers, average absence, 41 months, 13 days, average cargoes . 1641 124
90 two-season right whalers, average absence, 29 months 10 days, average

''■^°«» 311 1937

19 one-season right whalers, average absence, 11 months 38 days, average

'•'80* 93 1398

69 Atlantic sperm whalers, average absence, 14 months 30 days, average

•^fBO* 389 as

APPENDIX.

637

Arrivah in 1844.

Ipcrm. Wbtla.

OB iperm whalen, avenge abience, 43 munthi, average cargoes .... 141U 293

119 3-seaionngbtwlialen,averageabieiice,8Smonthi9dayi,avenigecargoei 348 S0S9

7 one-ieaion right whaleni average abiance, U month* 14 dayi, average

cargoei 09 1176

4S Atlantic ipenn whalen, average abeence, 13 monthi, average cargoei . . 348 38

Arrivalt in 1849.

01 iperm whalen, average abience, 43 monthi 31 day*, average cargoes . 1391 3S7
103 two-aeaion right whalen, average abience, 34 month), average cargoes . 190 3180

8 one-ieason right whalen, average absence, 13 months 4 days, average

cargoes 05 790

43 Atlantic sperm whalen, avenge absence, 14 months 7 days, avenge

cargoes 338 70

Statement of the Prices of Sperm and Whale Oil and Whalebone on the \st
and \6th of each Month efthe Year 1845, together toilh the average Price
for the Year, and the average Price per Year for *ix Yeart.

' Sperm.

1845. 1st 19th

January 88 87

February 85 85

Manh 85 84

Apnl 88 90

May 90 90

June 90 90

July 90 90

August 90 90

September 90 89

October 88 89

November 87 85

December 84 87

Whal&

1st

33
89

314

S2J

33i

15th
33
33
33
34
33i

33;i

344

Average for 1845
Average for 1844
" " 1843
" " 1843
" « 1841
" " 1840

88 88
. 904
. 83
. 73
. 04
. 100

334 33i
364
344
33)
31}
304

Bone.
1st ISth
39 39
no sales.

29 30
34 36
344 344
344 344
no sales,
no sales.
34 35
34 35
33 30

30 30

lii ii)

40
S5|

1B|

Arrivals at the Port of New Bedford in 1845.

We are indebted to the politeness of Mr. David Sylvester, boarding oflScer, United Slates'
revenue department. New Bedford, for the following statement of arrivals m this port in 1845

From Foreign Porli.

Ships 64

Barques 31

Brigs

Schoonen 7

Total TIT

Of which there wen

Ships,

American 04

British —

Danish —

Prussian —

Btrquvi.

Brigs.
3

SdiooDsn.
«

Yyy

538

APPENDIX.

CoaiUeise Arrivah tn 164S.

flhlpt.
Jaontry ....
Februaiy ....
Mkrch S

4
1
t

Buquat.

1
1
1

Bri|t.

7
IS

Schcsun.
45
S9

68
110
110
108
114
197
104

Skwpi.

98
131
108'
107
169
178
189
ISO

TotiJ.
100
85
178
3S8
391
383
384
301
834
339
170
114

3958
111

April . . .
May ...

June . . .

July . . .

Auguit . .

September .

October . •

November •

December .

Total

To which add foreign arriTala . > . .

Making a total for the year of

Statement of tome of the principal Articles used in fitting one of two hundred
and forty -two Skips employed in the Sperm Whale Fishery from the United
States, Jan. 1, 1844; average Length of Voyage, including Time in Port,
forty-four Months ; two Months allowed to each in Port.

Article!, Ac. Amount TotiL
9800 barrela oil caaki, at f 1 89, $3900 ; to make which are required

lOi M. itavei, at $63 91033 00

9881 feet Southern pine heading, at 999 347 00

13i tons iron hoope, at 989 1063 90

Labor of coopen, &o 1167 90 93,900 00

940 bamils beef and pork, at 98 50 ' . . 3,040 00

930 barrels flour, at 99 99 1.199 00

79 bushels com, at 99 cents 41 99

14 bushels beans and pease, at 91 99 17 90

S barrels com meal, at $3 90 17 90 76 9^

9500 pounds tobacco, at 11 cents

1300 pounds rice, at 3} cents 43 00

150 bushels potatoes, at 35 cenU 93 50

600 pounds cheese, at 7 cents • 5600

900 pounds butter, at 13 cenU 117 00

600 pounds dried apples, at 4 centi 94 00

10 barrels vinegar, at 93 50 35 00 336 90

90 barrels tar, at 93 39 49 00

e whale boats, at 960 360 00

7 sets oars, at 98 90 99 90

4000 feet boards, at 930 60 00

700 pounds composition nails, at S3 cents 985 00

8500 pounds sheathing copper, at 31 cents 1785 00

8500 pounds cordage, at 10 cents 850 00

3000 pounds tow lines, at 13 cents 360 00 3,834 90

3 try-pots (American), at 960 180 00

800 pounds codfish, at 3 cenU 34 00

6000 yards domestics for recmits, at 9 centa (including calicoes) . . 940 00

4000 pounds iron crafts, Ac, at 19 cents (average) 600 00

Ready-made clothing 3800 00 4,144 00

915,341 39
3,900 00

Mechanics and labor while in port

Carried forward 917,841 39

APPENDIX.

539

Foreign.

Aiticin, 4te. Amouat ToUL

Braoght up 917,841 SS

1600 galloni moluies, at 37 cent* 43S 00

S30 pounds black tea, at 39 centa 87 90

SM) poundi hyion tea, at 00 oanti . . > 19 00

00 piecei heavy duck, at 918 1080 00

38 piecei light duck, at $8 388 00

300 poundi raiiini, at 9 centi 10 00

1000 poundi lugar, at 7^ centa 75 00

1000 ponnda coffee, at 8 oenU 80 00 3,064 90

$io,go» 79

The Hon. Mr. Grinnell, of New Bedford, Mass., made, daring the last
session of Congress (1844), the following statements in the House o(
Representatives :

" I have prepared with great care a table from authentic sources, to
show the consumption of domestic and foreign articles by our whaling
fleet, now consisting of 660 ships, barques, brigs, and schooners, tonna-
ging 200,000 tons ; cost at the time of sailing, 920,000,000 ; manned by
17,500 officers and seamen, one half of whom are green hands when the
vessels sail. By this table, it will be seen that the annual consumption
by this fleet is 83,846,600 ; only $400,000 is of foreign articles. This
great source of wealth to the nation is dependent mainly on a home mar-
ket for its products. The value of the annual import of oil and whale-
bone in a crude state is $7,000,000 ; when manufactured it probably is in-
creased in value to $8,000,000 or $9,000,000. The whole amount of ex-
ports of oil, whalebone, and sperm candles is only $2,000,000 ; leaving
$6,000,000 or $7,000,000 to be consumed in this country. * * * The du-
ties on each whale ship and outfits of 300 tons, amount to $1700.

<t * • * xhis fleet of whaling ships is larger than ever pursued the busi-
ness before. Commercial history furnishes no account of any parallel; our
ships now outnumber those of all other nations combined, and the proceeds
of its enterprise are in proportion, and diffused to every part of our country.
The voyages of those engaged in the sperm fishery average three and a
half years ; they search every sea, and often cruise three or four months
with a man at each mast-head on the look-out, without the cheering sight
of a whale. This fleet is manned by 17,500 Americans. They are hardy,
honest, and patriotic, and will, as they did in the last war, stand by their
country when in danger ; they will man our ships, and fight our battles on
the ocean. Should we ever again be compelled to resort to war to main-
tain our rights, they, with the other seamen of our country, will be the
right arm of our defense."

Mr. Rockwell, of Connecticut, in a speech on the Oregon question, de-
livered in the House of Representatives of the United States, on the 16th
of January, 1846, took occasion to pay the following handsome tribute to
the hardy seamen engaged in our whale fishery :

"And the very men who petitioned and protested against war and

540

APPENDIX.

war measures, will be found, if war come, quite as faithful to their coun-
try as gentlemen who talk the loudest and declaim with most vehemence
on this floor. Indeed, sir, I say, without fear of contradiction, that a
more hardy, resolute, determined set of men, or who, in the hour of dan-
ger, are more to be relied on, are not to be found in this or any other
country than those embarked in the whale fishery in my district. Intel-
ligent, with industrious, frugal, and temperate habits, their whole life has
been a course of discipline. The interest which every sailor, in common
with the master, has in the result of the voyage, without interfering with
the discipline of the ship, gives independence and energy to the charac-
ter ; and the constant personal dangers to which they are exposed ren-
der habitual that calm and resolute courage only to be relied upon in the
hour of danger. But, sir, they have no courage to boatt of, and they will
not thank me for saying what I have, and for adding that they are almost
as much to be relied upon, for real service, for actual danger, as the most
patriotic speaker and 'greatest thunderer' in the country."

The following statement, from the speech of Mr. Clayton, of Delaware,
un the Oregon question, delivered in the United States Senate, February
12th, 1846, shows the total tonnage of our commercial marine, including
vessels embarked in the whale fishery, compared with that of England :

" We have at this time a commerce of 2,417,000 tons of shipping.
England has 2,420,000 tons ; so that we are nearly — nay, it is my opin-
ion we are completely — on a par with her. I doubt, sir, whether Eng-
land has a greater commercial marine, or greater interests to protect
than we ; if so, I would like to know in what it consists. We have more
than 700 whale ships in the Pacific Ocean ; we have an exl«;nsive Indian
commerce, and a great and daily growing commerce with China."

BOUNTIES.

Mr. Davis, of Massachusetts, presented to the Senate of the United
States, on the 24th of March, 1846, the memorial of three hundred and
twelve ship-owners and fishermen of the town of Marblehead, all engaged
in the cod fishery, with some remarks in favor of the prayer of the me-
morialists, an extract from which I take from the published report of his
speech.

•■ They state that a bill is pending before the Senate providing for the
repeal of the act granting bounties to vessels engaged in the cod fishery,
and a drawback upon pickled fish. They allege, also, that they are threat-
ened with the repeal of the duty upon imported dry fish ; and in order
that the Senate may understand their condition and comprehend their
connection with this employment, they recur to their past history, and
allege that this cod fishery has been their chief occupation ever since
the settlement of the town, and for a period of more than two hundred
years. That, while connected with the mother country, legislative pro-
tection was given, which so encouraged the business that they realized

APPENDIX.

541

greater prosperity, acquired more wealth, and had a greater population
before the Revolutionary war than they witnessed at any period since.
They affirm that their population and wealth is less now than it was then."

Mr. Benton, in the course of a reply, made the following remark? respect-
ing the success of the whale fishery without the aid of the government :

" This was one point of view ; but there was another, and it was the
small proportion which the tonnage employed in these fisheries bore to
the tonnage employed in other branches of trade. They had but half the
amount which the whalers possessed : those who double Cape Horn and
go to a distance of 20,000 miles from any port that they can call their
own, who make three years' voyages, and are all that time employed in
killing the monsters of the deep. While he would admit a degree of
merit in those engaged in the river and coast fisheries, in the mackerel
and the cod fisheries, yet they were far below the whalers in point of
numbers.

" Mr. Benton stated the increase in the amount of tonnage employed
in the various branches of commerce and the fisheries for a period of
twelve years, commencing with 1833, showing a very disproportionate
increase in all other branches over that of the cod and mackerel fisheries."

Mr. Fairfield concluded the discussion as follows :

" But it is objected to these bounties, by the senator from Missouri,
that they go to the owners of the fishing vessels, and not to the fisher-
men themselves. In reply, he would say that in bis view it was of no
consequence to whom the bounty was, in the first instance, paid. It went
eventually for the common benefit of all concerned in the voyage. The
fishermen, it is well known, do not receive specific wages, as in mercan-
tile voyages ; but, instead thereof, have a certain share of the fish. This
share is enlarged by the fact that the owner receives a portion of his prof-
its of the voyage in the bounty received from the government. If the
bounty was received, in the first place, by the fishermen, they would re-
ceive a smaller share of the fish. Again : the senator from Missouri al-
ludes to the whaling business, and says that, though this business fur-
nishes many and excellent seamen, those engaged in it neither ask nor
receive any bounty. For this there was a very good reason, to wit, that
none was needed. The business was highly lucrative, and on turning
to New Bedford, Nantucket, and other ports at the north, we may see
that large fortunes have been accumulated in it. If it were otherwise — if
it was necessary to bestow a bounty on those engaged in this business in
order that it should be continued, he, for one, knowing how many good
sailors it furnishes, and how dependent the country would be upon it in
case of war, would cheerfully vote for such a bounty. But no such boun-
ty is "ceded ; and, indeed, the senator from Missouri has drawn a com-
parison between this and the cod fisheries, showing that the latter is in a
declining condition. If this be so — and he was not disposed to deny it —
it certainly furnished no reason why the scanty aid now furnished by the
government should be withdrawn. On the contrary, it would seem to be
a strong reason why the aid should be continued. The necessity for this

542

APPENDIX.

aid is found in the fact alluded to by the senator from Massachusetts
(Mr. Davis), that the English and French governments aflbrd liberal aid
and encouragement to their fisheries, enabling them thereby to go into
the markets of the world with a clear advantage over American fisher-
men. But he did not intend to enlarge upon this subject. At another
time, when the bill should come up for a repeal of the law, he perhaps
might avail himself of the occasion to express his views more fully.
'• Tho petition was ordered to be printed, and laid on the table."

EFFECTS OF THE TARIFF OF 1848 UPON THE WHALE

FISHERY.

Although I do not consider it within my province to oflTer any opinion
of my own in reference to the effects of the present tariflflaws upon the
whaling interests, the reader will not, I think, find fault with me for giving
him a few of the arguments which have been advanced in favor of and
against the protective system. It is my desire to embrace within a small
space ail the useful and interesting matter touching this important branch
of commerce that can with propriety be introduced. None will deny that
the tariff* question is one which deep<v concerns its welfare. I therefore
select from what has been said on both sides s 'i '"■quments as carry
with them the greatest weight, as well from their prat character as the
respectability of their source.

In bis speech of May, 1844, Mr. Grinnell says :

" Although this interest is not directly protected by the tariff* of 1842,
as sperm oil, whale oil, and whalebone are cheaper in this country than
any other, yet those interested in it are decidedly in favor of the protect-
ive policy. They have found by experience that when the manufacturers
and mechanics of this country are actively employed, they could sell the
products of the fishery at fair prices ; but when the duties have been low,
and almost without discrimination in favor of such articles as are made
in this country, that it has been difficult to make sales, even at low prices.
They are in favor of this policy ; notwithstanding that the duties on each
whale ship and outfits of 317 tons amount to $1700, they find themselves
fully compensated by the home market."

As an olTset to this argument in Tavor of the protective systnm, I quote
from a very able editorial article in a late number of the New York Even-
ing Post, the following remarks on the other side of the question. The
reader must draw his own conclusion. I wish it to be borne in mind that
I express no opinion on the subject.

*' The whale fishery affTords a most convincing illustration of tho ab-
surdity of the view which the friends of a protective tariflT take of im-
portations.

" Those whose occupations have not led them to reflect on the sub-
ject, or whose place of residence has not forced the fact upon their no-
tice, are generally not aware what an immense branch of the industry of

APPENDIX.

543

this country consists in the extraction of riches from the ocean. We
call the sea the highway of nations, but it is more than this ; it is the
patiimony and treasury of nations : and the sea-faring men bred on our
Boundb, and capes, and islands are among the most adventurous, diligent,
and successful cultivators of this vast inheritance, which has not yet
been subjected to the laws of property, and remains common and open
to all mankind.

" A fleet of more than three hundred sail take their departure to pursue
the whale fishery on the Northwest Coast from the two ports of New
Bedford and Fairhaven, situated on the same little inlet. Nantucket and
New London send out more than seventy each, and the ports of the east
end of Long Island, on the Sound, are the places of rendezvous for large
numbers of vessels engaged in the whale fishery ; sixty go out from Sag
Harbor. The whole number of whaling vessels belonging to the United
States is seven hundred and thirty.

" The outfit, as it is called, for these vessels, that is to say, the stores
and apparatus which are taken on board for the purposes of the voyage,
is estimated by experienced persons to amount to about fifteen thousand
dollars for each vessel. This would give, in round numbers, a total of
about ten millions of dollars for the 'outfit of the whole number of vessels.
But as each vessel is absent about two years and a half, on an average,
the annual outfit of our whaling vessels, taking the estimate we have al-
ready given as a basis, may be set down at four millions of dollars.

" Now what is the reward of all this enterprise 1 What do the com-
manders of our whaling vessels bring back to the country from these long
and toilsome voyages, for which such expensive preparations are made 1
The record of the contributions they make to the wealth of the country
is found in the annual statements of our imports.

"The value of the whalebone annually brought to this country by our
vessels engaged in the whale fishery is about one million of dollars.
The average of the importations of whale and sperm oil may be comput-
ed at seven millions ; the sperm oil making about two thirds of this value.
Thus we have eight millions added yearly to the riches of the country,
for the four miljions annually outdrawn.

*' But, again, the four millions which go to make up the yearly outfit of
our whaling vessels are not shipped as exports. No record of them ap-
pears in the returns of our commerce and navigation. They are cleared
as stores or supplies and whaling apparatus. We have, therefore, an ad-
dition of eight millions to our importations, against which we can not set
off a dollar of exports."

1! I

I am indebted to a gentleman who recently returned to the United
States from the East Indies, in the Brandywine, for a file of Honolulu
papers, dated September, 1844, from which I glean the following infor-
mation in relation to the whale fishery in the Pacific Ocean. Honululn
is the great rendezvous for whalers cruising to the westward and north-

544

APPENDIX.

ward of Cape Horn, and any thing concerning the condition of our fish-
ery, from a pubhcation issued at that port, can not fail to be of particular
interest. It is but seldom a Honolulu paper is found in the interior of
the United States. The " Friend," a publication devoted to the cause of
temperance and education, is quite a curiosity in this country ; and a few
extracts from it will show that the schoolmaster is " at home" in the
Sandwich Islands. I find them in an interesting series of contributions
written by Robert Crichton Wyllie, Esq., of Hazelbank, Scotland, who
has been termed the " M'CulIoch of the Sandwich Islands."

" So far," says this writer, " as the number of whale ships touching
at the Sandwich Islands affords an idea of the whale fishery of the Pa-
cific, by far the greatest portion of it belongs to the United States, whose
inhabitants first commenced it. This superiority is the more creditable
to the Americans, that they have maintained it from first to last without
any legislative protection.

" The average value of the hulk of each American whaler may be con-
sidered $22,000, and of the outfit $18,000.

" The adventure is divided into lai/s, or shares, of which the captain's lay
is generally one seventeenth of the whole ; the first officer's, one twen-
tieth ; the second officer's, one forty-fifth ; the third officer's, one sixtieth ;
the boat-steerer's, from one eightieth to 120th ; and the common sailor's,
from 120th to 160th.

" Great Britain, during eleven years, from 1813 to 1824 inclusive, al-
lowed the large sum of ^82,700 in bounties to 490 ships, without fully
establishing the fishery. This result is evident from the fact that in 1701
Great Britain had afloat 75 South Sea men ; that the average yearly num-
ber for the above eleven years was only 44, and that during the last year
of the eleven, namely, 1824, it was reduced to 31.

" No bounty has been allowed since 1824, yet the number of British
South Sea whalers is still about 30.

" The French whalers in the Pacific are estimated at about 70, most
of which belong to Havre. The government, from the 1st of March, 1842,
to the 31st of December, 1850, allows the following bounties, viz. :

" On departure, 40 francs per ton on ships, crews wholly French.

" On departure, 29 francs per ton on ships, crews partly French.

' On return, 27 franca per ton on ships, crews wholly French.

" On return, 14^ francs per ton on ships, crews partly Frentih.

" The following farther allowances are made on French whalers in the
Pacific which have been out 30 months and upward, and have taken
their fish beyond tlie 28th degree of North latitude ;

" 20 francs on every 200 pounds of oil and head matter up to the 31st
of December, 1845.

" 15 francs on every 200 pounds of oil and head matter from the 1st
of January, 1846, until the 31st of December, 1850.

" The same ships often touch twice during the year.

" It will be seen that ships of late years have not generally succeeded in
obtaining as much sperm oil as they did twenty years ago. I have at-

APPENDIX.

545

tempted to demonstrate the exact amount of the decrease, by selecting,
as they occur in Mr. Reynolds's lists, six ships for each year out, re-
spectively the same number of months. But as it is impossible to find
the same number of ships for every year, out precisely the same time,
blanks occur which can not be filled up, and hence the comparison is in-
complete."

For the purpose of encouraging whalers to visit Honolulu, the king has
enacted laws which afford them facilities over every other class of ves-
sels in obtaining refreshments and recruits. " All whalers are allowed
to sell goods to the amount of $200 each, without paying any duty what-
ever."

" The harbor dues at this port are the following, viz. : 20 cents per
ton on merchant vessels ; 6 cents per ton on whale ships and merchant
vessels entering fur the purpose of obtaining refreshments only."

" The consumption of goods in the Sandwich Islands is not to be
measured by the native population, numerically considered. Regard must
be had to the foreign population, which is now very considerable, and the
rates of whose consumption is much greater than that of the ill-clothed
and poi-fei natives. Nor must we overlook the floating market arising
from the immense fleet of whalers that touch yearly at these islands, dur-
ing the seasons of the spring and fall. Each of these whalers is sup-
posed to purchase vegetables, beef, and other produce of the islands, to
the yearly amount of $300 on an average, and from $600 to $1300 in oth-
er articles bought from the stores. I take the whole range, because some
old residents estimate the total consumption of each whaler at $800,
while others estimate it as high as $1500. I have been assured that,
when the English whplers frequented this port, the average consumption
of each vessel used to be from £250 to :£300.

" But even were the consumption much less, is obvious that tl s pros-
perity of these islands has depended, and does depend, mainly upon the
whale ships that annually flock to their ports, many of them coming
twice a year. Were thp whale fishery a fall off, as seems in some
measure to be the case, or were the vessels engaged in it to abandon
these islands for some others in this ocean, or for ports on the Main, the
ports in the Sandwich Islands would relapse into their primitive insignif-
icance. The government seems to be aware of this, for I have shown
in my notes that there in e exceptions in favor of whalers, both in the du-
ties and port dues. My only doubt is whether these exceptions have
been carried far enough. I incline to the belief that whale ships should
be exempted from all port dues, and that the police regulations toward
sailors should be the mildest thut the maintenance of order will permit."

These police regulations are something of a curiosity, as will be seen
from the following abstract -.

"Hanging, as a murderer, for knowingly and maliciously violating
those laws whereby a contagious disease is communicated on shore.

" $60 fine on any captain who leaves on shore any of his men without
leave in writing from the governor.

Zzz

546

APPENDIX.

" 810 for coming on shore with a knife, sword-cane, or any other dan-
gerous weapon.

■< $2 for every seaman seized on shore, after the firing of tbe second
gun from the fort, at half past nine o'clock P.M.

" $10 on every person who aids, secretes, or entertains a seaman on
shore after that hour ; and the same fine on every person who by force
opposes the police in their search for such seaman.

<■ $1 to $6 for hallooing or making a noise in the streets at night.

" $6 for striking another in a quarrel.

<< S5 for racing or swift riding in the streets or frequented roads.

" $1 for desecrating the Sabbath for the first time.

" $2 for desecrating tbe Sabbath for the second time ; and then the
fine is doubled for every repetition of the ofibuse.

*■ $6 for drunkenness.

" $6 for fornication. '

" $30 for adultery.

" $50 for rape.

'• $10 for lewd, seductive, and lascivious conduct.

" $6 reward for catching every deserter near to the harbor ; $12 if
ten miles oflf.

"The port of Honolulu, Oahu, is in latitude 21° 18' N., and longitude
158° 1' west from Greenwich. The climate is subject to little variation,
the thermometer ranging only from 71° to 83°."

The religious institutions in Honolulu are in a flourishing condition,
and the missionaries stationed there are pursuing their labors with
much zeal.

I trust the great importance of this port as a rendezvous for our whal-
ing fleet in the Pacific Ocean will be deemed a sufficient excuse for the
length to which I have extended my quotations. There are a few more
points, in relation to which very little is known in this country, so inti-
mately associated with the interests of American whale ships, that I
can not refrain from introducing them.

"Native Seamen. — I have never heard any captain of a vessel," says
Wyllie, " who did not speak highly of the native seamen whom he had
employed. They are eminently subordinate, docile, goood-natured, and
trustworthy, and, with proper training, they become good, efficient sea-
men. Their extraordinary expertness in swimming renders them of
great use where boats are employed in surfs.

" It is very common for the youn;^ natives to engage themselves on
board of whalers and other ships for long voyages. They can not now
so embark without license from the governor of the island to which they
belong ; and the captain who takes them away is required to sign a bond
of 8200 for their return within three years from date, provided he bo
then alive.

" The number of young men yearly taken off the islands as sailor as
in former years so great as to be considered by many one of the causes
of the depopulation of the islands. I do not believe that it deserved to

APPENDIX.

547

be BO considered to any great extent, for although some of the natives
remained abroad, and were never afterward heard of, yet many of them
returned, and those who did carried with them a degree of knowledge and
civilization useful to their countrymen, and more than compensating for
the loss of those who never came back.

" All these traveled kanaka* are readily distinguishable among, the pop-
ulation, by their superior cleanliness, dress, and assimilation to foreign-
ers in their manners and habits." The number of natives from the port
of Honolulu alone, serving in whalers from January 1st, 1843, to June 1st,
1844, was forty-four. " At Mani, and from other parts and ports of the
islands, perhaps an equal number hav6 been shipped during the same pe-
riod."

" The wages paid these men varies from $5 to $10 (per month), except
where paid by ■ /ay«' in whaling vessels ; but taking 98 as a low average,
and in the assumption that 550 is the number of native seamen so em-
ployed, their collective earnings will amount to $4400 yearly. There is
little doubt that part of that sum, sooner or later, finds its way back to
these islands, as happens with the migratory laborers of the Dutch, of
Lucca, and of Ireland and the Highlands of Scotland.

" The lays, or shares allowed in whalers, vary from a 120th to a 250th ;
though perhaps three fourths of the kanaka* get a 140th or a 160th, the
same as allowed to European or American seamen."

It will be gratifying to the friends of temperance to learn that the abo-
lition of all intoxicating hquors on board our whaling vessels has become
general, indeed, I believe, universal. The Rev. F. C. Damon, editor of
the Honolulu Friend, bears testimony to the cheering fact in the follow-
ing extracts from an editorial article of December 2d, 1844 :

" It is with pleasure that we are able to report that the temperance re-
form is triumphantly advancing among whalemen in the Pacific Ocean."

" Every ship has more or less tetotailers among its crew. We can not
now call to mind a single exception in that portion of the vehaling fleet that
has visited Honolulu within the past season."

A LIST OF THE CRUISING-GROUNDS FREQUENTED BY

WHALERS.

" Although the spermaceti whale," says Beale, "has been seen and even
captured in almost every part of the ocean between the latitude of (50°
south and 60° north, I am not aware that it has ever been seen in the
Mediterranean Sea, and seldom or never at Greenland, by modern navi-
gators, although several ancient authors agree in stating that it has been
frequently seen there ; for Cuvier has stated, from some authority, that
the Greenlanders are remarkably fond of its flesh, which they consider a
delicate viand when it is dried in smoke ; they ' also feed,' says Cuvier,
' upon the fat entrails and skin.' And Sir Thomas Brown, in his work,
published in 1686, aAer stating that many conceive the sperm whale to

548

APPENDIX.

have been the fish which swallowed Jonah,' also says that < Greenland
inquirers seldom meet with a whale of this kind.'

" Whether this has been the case in former times or not, I will not pre-
sume to determine ; I can only say that I have now made many inquiries
among several captains of ships who have been engaged in the Green-
land fisheries, and not one of them ever saw a sperm whale so far north
as Greenland. They are seldom or never seen on ' soundings,' that is,
where the bottom of the sea can be touched by the deepest sea line, or
in the ' banks,' as they are termed by whalers, that exist in various parts
of the ocean, as the ' Brazil banks,' which are only discolorations of water,
caused by myriads of animalculse, which perhaps form the common black
whale's food, and which consist of ' squillse' and other small animals.
But the sperm whale has been sometimes taken near the borders of these
' submarine pastures,' particularly near those of Brazil. The favorite
places of his resort at the present day appear in the following list :

" New Guinea and parts adjacent. — On the north coast of New Guinea,
from 140° to 146° east longitude. New Ireland, from Gape St. George
to Cape St. Mary; from Squally Island to the northward; from St.
George's Channel to the southward ; on the east coast of New Britain ;
about the Islands of Bougainville, as far as the Green or Bentley's Isl-
ands ; Solomon's Archipelago, as far to the northward as Howe's Group ;
Malanta, along the northeast and southwest parts, and in the straits, as
far to the north as Gower's Island ; and off the west points of New
Hanover.

" King's Mill Group. — Off any part of these islands, but more espe-
cially off the southwest parts of Roach's Island, distant from the land
thirty or forty miles, and off the southwest portion of Byron's Island.

<* Equinoctial Line. — From the longitude of 168° to 175° east.

" Ellis's Group. — Off the south side, distant from the land three or four
miles.

" Rotuma. — Off the southeast side, distant from the land fifteen to
thirty miles.

" New Holland.— Off the eastern coast, fro, latitude 85° to 34°, and
along the northwest coast.

" New Zealand. — From the east cape to the north cape, the Ijnd dip-
ping, and off the shoal to the northeastward, as far as Curtis's Island.

" Tongataboo. — Off Middleburgh Island, and isles adjacent.

"Navigator Islands. — Southwest side of Tootooillah.

" From Fenning't to Christmas Island. — Situated on the line.

"American Continent. Ptru. — Off the shore, from longitude west 90°
to 130°, in the latitude 5° south to the line. Coast of Peru, from the
line to 16° south, off Paita Head, used to be very famous.

" Gallipagos Islands. — Off the south head of Albemarle Island ;
Weather and. Lee Bays, or Elizabeth and Banks's Bays.

"Middle Ground. — Between the Continent and the Gallipagos Islands.

" Molucca Islands. — Off the north point of Moratay, and off the east and
west sides of Gillalo, and also off the adjacent isles.

APPENDIX.

549

" Bonton. — Off the east side and in the straits.

" Timor.— In the Straits of Timor ; off the south side of Omby ; off the
south side of Panton, and off the south side of the adjacent islands, as
far as Sandal-wood Island, to Java Head ; and off the shore in latitude 12°
to 16°, and longitude from 112° to 120°.

" Mahee Island. — Off the eastern side ; off Johanna Island, in the Mo-
zambique Channel ; off the Island of Aldabra ; on the line, from 55° to
60° ; off the Cape St. Marys, Madagascar.

" Ckih. — Off the island of Chiloe, to the northward, along the coast of
Chili, and as far south as 37°, the land dipping.

*' California. — Off Cape St. Lucas, and off the Tres Maria Islands.

"Japan. — Along the coast; Volcano Bay; Loo Choo Islands; off
shore ground of Japan, from the latitude of 28° to 40°.

" Benin Islands. — ^AU round them, within forty miles.

" China Sea.

" Red Sea.

" Persian Gulf.

*' They are not unfrequently seen about the equinoctial line in the At-
lantic Ocean."

Although this list embraces in general terms the principal cruising
grounds known to whalers, it is by no means as full as that given in the
last chapter of Wilkes's Narrative, which comprises all the discoveries of
new grounds recently made. It may seem supererogatory to introduce
both ; but, anxious to make this part of the Appendix as complete as pos-
sible, I quote them, at the risk of prolixity, because thero is some differ-
ence in the statements of the two writers, and some of the information con-
tained in the remarks of the first is not to be found in those of the last.
Besides, Beale should have his full meed of the credit of having given, per-
haps, the first extended list of the cruising-grounds resorted to by whalers.

I have frequently heard it suggested that Wilkes's chapter on the
whale fishery should be published in some cheap form, so that all who
feel an interest in the subject may have access to it. There are many
who can not afford to pay $60 for the best, or $25 for the cheapest edition
of the whole narrative. The benefits of the information relating to the
whale fishery are, therefore, almost exclusively confined to the wealthy,
or those%ho are able to purchase the five volumes. Valuable knowledge
of this kind ought to be disseminated among all classes. Two reasons
induce me to believe it will be an acceptable addition to the present work :
first, because it gives an authentic and satisfactory explanation of many
things which I had no opportunity of observing with care ; and, second,
because it will complete a full, valuable, and, I hope, not uninteresting
compilation, giving a view of the whale fishery, from its origin up to the
present time, in such a form as will enable seamen as well as captains to
have access to it.

" The whaling interest, taking into consideration the extent to which
it has been carried by our countrymen, may be almost claimed as pecul-
iarly American. There are few employments in which the enterprise

650

APPENDIX.

and industry of our countrymen are so well developed as in this, or in
which 80 much hardihood or so many resources are required to ensure
success.

" Our whaling fleet may be said at this very day to whiten the Pacific
Ocean with its canvass, and the proceeds of this fishery give comfort and
happiness to many thousands of our citizens. The ramifications of the
business extend to all branches of trade, are spread through the whole
Union, and its direct or secondary influence would seem to recommend
it to the especial protection and fostering care of the government.

" As it was among the first objects of the Exploring Expedition to ren-
der the dangerous path of these enterprising mariners more safe, I trust
it will have been perceived that throughout the operations of the squad-
ron this interest has never been lost sight of. In fact, it has always
been my constant study to accomplish whatever could tend to its benefit.
In the course of the various and devious voyages we have made, the
greatest attention has been paid to the winds and currents ; and from my
investigations I hope to be able to point out the most feasible routes by
which to gain the proper cruising grounds, and to define their localities
more clearly than has hitherto been done.

*' Among other duties, we were called upon to administer chastisement
for the murder of portions of the crews of whale ships, as well as of per-
sons belonging to the squadron, which was done, not as a vindictive re-
taliation, but to convince the natives that their attacks on vessels bear-
ing our flag can not pass with impunity.

" In all places to foster a good feeling, to establish a system of fair
dealing, to win confidence, and to act justly. The knowledge of the na-
tive character which I have obtained, and have recorded in the preceding
pages, will, I hope, be of use in preserving a good understanding between
them and those who follow us. Rules and regulations were agreed upon
in many places with the chiefs, for the purpose of rendering the property
and lives of our citizens more secure in their visits to the ports of the
islands ; and it is to be hoped that they will be strictly observed on the
part of American vessels.

" The Expedition has done much, by its'«urveys and explorations, to
make the islands, their anchorages and harbors, better known ; and very
many doubtful shoals, reefs, and islands have been carefully searched for.
Particular information respecting these dangers will be embraced in the
hydrographical memoir.

" Our whaling fleet now counts six hundred and seventy -five vessels,
the greater part of which are ships of four hundred tons burden, amount-
ing in all to two hundred thousand tons. The majority of these vessels
cruise in the Pacific Ocean. Between fifteen and sixteen thousand of
our countrymen are required to man these vessels, half of whom go to
sea for the first time as ' green hands,' and return, after a voyage of fa-
tigue and hazard, transformed into sailors.

" The value of the whale fleet is estimated at not less than twenty-five
millions of dollars, yielding an annual return of five millions extracted

APPENDIX.

651

from the ocean by hard toil, exposure, and danger. The estimated quan-
tity of oil imported into the United States is about four hundred thousand
barrels, nearly one half of which is sperm oil.

" It might be said that the employment of so large a number of persons
is not constant, because many of the vessels are always to be found in
our harbors. But it is well known that the same number of hands are
employed in port as at sea ; and I beUeve, from my own observation and
the statements of others, that, so far from falUng below the estimate, the
number of persons actually engaged in this business would greatly exceed
the registry of the crews, as our ships are constantly in the practice of
taking on board extra hands from the Azoros, Cape de Verds, and South
Sea Islands, which would probably amount to an eighth or a tenth
more.

" The number of those on shore to whom this branch of business gives
employment will readily be admitted to be twice as great as that of the
crews. When we add to this profitablo occupation of so many persons,
the value of the domestic products consumed by them, and the benefit
that is thus conferred upon both our agricultural and manufacturing in-
terests, the importance of this branch of business will appear greatly en-
hanced. By a large majority of persons it is believed that the whale
fishery is a mere lottery, in which success is more owing to good luck
than to good management. Those, however, who entertain such an
opinion are in error. There is, perhaps, no employment on the ocean
wherein a sound judgment is more necessary, and no business where
success depends more upon the experience, enterprise, and industry of
the commander than in that of whaling.

" Voyages may indeed be made by incompetent persons, and by fortu-
itous circumstances success may be obtained ; but those who are well
acquainted with the business will almost certainly ' fill up' in the time al-
lotted to a voyage, and frequently in a much shorter period.

" There are two kinds of whales that are principally the object of search
by our whalers. These are the sperm whale (Macrocephalus), and the
right whale (Mysticelua). These two animals diflTer exceedingly, both in
their form and in their habits. The first is furnished with teeth, the last
with a collection of lamine ; they are therefore adapted to difiTerent kinds
of food : the former feeds on the large medusa of the ocean, termed by
the whalers squid ; the other on small Crustacea, and small fish. Their
feeding grounds are seldom in the same places ; for, while the latter fre-
quents the coasts and bays, the former is seldom found except in the
deep sea, and generally far from the land.

" Whales of the two difiTerent kinds are easily distinguished at a dis-
tance by the experienced, from the volume of their spout, its direction
and elevation, the number of times it is repeated, the manner in which
they dive, the length of time they disappear, and the body they expose
to view.

" I shall now proceed to point out the cruising grounds, and explain
the operations of the whalers, directing my attention first to the sperm

552

APPENDIX.

whale fishery, not only because it is the most valuable, but because it
depends more upon the skill and information of those engaged in it.

*' The master of a whale ship should be a good seaman and navigator,
well acquainted with the winds and currents, as well as with the cruis-
ing grounds of his prey. When he is thoroughly acquainted with these,
and possesses a good ship, with a spirit of perseverance and energy, there
is little fear of his returning home with a 'clean ship.'

" The principal whaling grounds in the Pacific are shown on the map
annexed to this chapter ; they are confined particularly to spaces which
have been known in the Pacific Ocean by names well understood among
the whalers, such as the ' on shore ground,' and the ' oflT shore ground,'
' middle ground,' &o. These spaces, however, have wide limits ; thus,
for instance, the ' on shore ground' embraces the whole extent of ocean
along the coast of Chili and Peru, from the Island of Juan Fernandez to
the Gallipagos Islands ; and the ' ofiT shore ground' the space between
latitude 6° and 10° south, longitude 90° and 120° west.

*■ The following embraces all the different grounds in the Pacific visited
by our whalers :

" 1. The on shore ground.

"2. The oflf shore ground.

"3. In the neighborhood of the Hawaiian Islands.

"4. In the neighborhood of the Society Islands.

" 6. In the neighborhood of the Samoan Group.

'* 6. In the neighborhood of the Feejee Group.

" 7. In the neighborhood of the King's Mill Group.

<* 8. Along and to the south of the equator, from the coast of South
America to the King's Mill Group.

"9. Across the South Pacific, between the parallels of 21° and 27°
south.

" 10. Across the North Pacific, between the parallels of 27° and 35°
north.

"11. In the neighborhood of the east coast of New Zealand.

" 12. The middle ground between New Holland and New Zealand.

" 13. The coast of Japan, and between it and the Benin Islands.

" 14. The northwest coast of America.

" 16. . Coast of California.

" These, it will be seen, embrace a large field, and it mi^ht be suppos-
ed that a ship could hardly miss finding the animals. Suc'.i, however, is
not the case. A vessel may visit all these places, and yet return home
a 'clean ship,' if she happened to be out of season. It appears from ex-
perience that whales, in their migrations, congregate in the above-
named places at certain times of the year, and those who are acquaint-
ed with the business endeavor to be early on the cruising grounds. I
shall now point out the times, according to the best information, at
which the whales visit the several grounds, and, although not a whaler,
I hope to give such information as may be useful to this class of my
countrymen.

APPENDIX.

553

" For convenience of description, the cruising grounds may be consid-
ered as included within four sections or belts.

" These belts are from twenty to twenty-five degrees of latitude in
width.

" The first of which I shall speak is that between the equator and the
northern tropic ; the second, between the tropic and 60° north ; the third,
between the equator and the southern tropic and latitude 60° south.

" Within the tropics whales are almost always to be met with. There
are, however, particular places within this zone where they chiefly con-
gregate. Whales are found in the first belt on the north side of the equa-
tor, to the southward of the Sandwich Islands, and thence westward as
far as the Mulgrave Islands, for the greater part of the year ; but the only
spot or space they are known to abound in at any particular season,
within this belt, is to the westward of the Gallipagos ; they pass and re-
pass over the rest of this space in their migrations, and may generally be
found near to or around the small islands.

" In the second belt, they range from the coast of Japan to the north-
west coast of America and California ; this they frequent from May till
November. In the month of July they are found off the Benin Islands,
and between them and the coast of Japan. They frequent the space ly-
ing to the northward of the Hawaiian Islands, and comprehended between
the parallels of 28° and 36° north ; and within the meridians of 146° and
156° west, from June to October ; and resort to the northwest coast of
America in August and September, and to that of California in Novem-
ber and January.

" The third belt comprises the ocean from the coast of South America
to the King's Mill Group, including the Marquesas, Society, and Friendly
Islands, the Samoan and Feejee Groups. Within these are the spaces
known as the ' on shore and off shore grounds.' The latter the whalers
frequent from November to February, and along this belt they are found
until the months of July and August, by which time they reach the King's
Mill and Feejee Groups. There are, however, stragglers to be met with
in this space during all seasons.

<■ The fourth belt extends from the southern tropic to the latitude of
60° south. The most profitable time for cruising within it is in the
months of March, April, and May, to the eastward of New Zealand. Af-
ter that date, along and between the parallels of 22° and 28° south, from
the coast of New Holland to that of South America. The portion of sea
between New Holland and New Zealand is called the ' middle ground,'
and is frequently found very profitable.

" From an examination of the particular localities in which whales are
found most at certain seasons, and connecting these with my own ob-
servations on currents, I am induced to believe the places of their resort
will point more correctly to the neutral points, or spaces of no current,
than any other data that we yet possess.

" These must necessarily become the rendezvous, or feeding-places, of
these animals. The determination of these points will, therefore, throw

554

APPENDIX.

additional light on the system of currents in the ocean, by pointing oat
the neutral spaces. The chief resort of whales will be seen on the map
at one view ; and when these are connected with the currents shown to
exist by the observations of the Expedition and others, they will be found
to correspond in a remarkable manner with the neutral spaces.

" I have myself paid much attention to acquiring information in rela-
tion to the position of these grounds from the masters of whale ships,
but have usually found their reports at variance one with another, and
they have sometimes differed as much as five degrees in assigning their
limits. Their position, no doubt, varies much in different years -, but even
this will not explain all the discrepancies of the statements.

" If we examine the seasons of the appearance of whales at certain
Islands, they will generally be found to be between the beginning and the
end of the summer of the climate, during which time animal life is most
prolific, and the food of the whale consequently abounds near the partic-
ular group. I have frequently been told, and it is generally believed,
that whales are partial to warmth, and frequent few places outside the
tropics. This, if true, would be singular enough ; but the main reason
for their frequenting the summer seas at particular seasoLji is the pro-
curement of food, which is there to be found in greater abundance ; and
there appears to be little doubt that in migrating these animals move
with the currents until they find their food in plenty, and then continue
in such locality until it is exhausted.

" A number of instances are known, as will be seen by referring to the
Track Map which will be found in the Atlas to this volume, in which,
at certain seasons, strong currents have been experienced in places
where three months afterward they were found to have ceased altogether,
or even to have changed their direction. I have now particular reference
to the northwest coast.

" Having pointed out the different bolts in the Pacific, I will now refer
to the localities in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, where the sperm
whale fishery is most successful.

" These, in like manner, are found to correspond, and are connected
with, the obstructions of the submarine currents, or the places where,
from opposing currents, they become lost.

" In the Atlantic Ocean :

"1. Off the Azores, or Western Islands. '

••2. Off the Cape de Verdes.

"3. North of the Bahama Banks.

" 4. Gulf of Mexico. : . *.

" 5. Caribbean Sea.

*' 6. To the eastward of the Windward Islands. '> '>

" 7. North coast of Brazil.

" 8. South coast of Brazil.

" 9. Carrol Ground, or a space of ocean lying between St Helena and
Africa.

" In the Indian Ocean :

APPENDIX.

555

*' 1. Off the aouth end of Madagascar, and between it and Africa.

«3. Offthe north end of Madagascar.

"8. The coast of Arabia.

*' 4. West coast of Java.

" 6. Northwest coast of New Holland.

*' 6. South coast of New Holland, and between ir and Van Diemen's
Land.

"The periods of time allotted to these fisheries coincide with the times
at which it might be expected that the food of the whale would be most
plentiful if brought by the polar streams.

" The Atlantic fishery is, for the most part, carried on in a smaller class
of vessels than those used in the Pacific ; the voyages are of less dura-
tion, and less capital is, therefore, required in this business than the other.
In speaking of cruising grounds, I shall follow the order in which they
are visited.

<' The first in point of time is that near the Azores. This ground does
not extend more than two;,hundred miles from these islands, and lies
principally to the southwest of them. Here whales are found during
the summer months, and as late as October. These islands, it will be
well to remark here, lie in the route of the great North Polar Stream,
and form an obstruction to its passage ; consequently, the food is arrest-
ed in its progress, and is accumulated here.

" The next ground visited is off Cape Blanco and the Cape de Verdes,
and it is also searched by the outward-bound ships of the Pacific fleet.
The whalers of the Atlantic next pass to the north coast of Brazil, in the
months of October, November, and December, and thence to the Brazil
Bank, and offthe mouths of the Rio de la Plata, where they fish in Jan-
uary and February ; after this they seek St. Helena and Carrol Ground,
which lies from fifty to two hundred miles south of that island, toward
the Cape of Good Hope. On the latter ground they remain during the
months of March, April, and May ; and thence they pass to the west-
ward, along the South American coast, to the eastward of the Windward
Islands ; thence to the Bahama Banks, Cape Hatteras, and along the
coast of the United States, home.

" The smaller class of whalers seldom extend their cmisings to the
south of the line, but after they have visited the first two whaling grounds
they usually pass to the westward, toward the Islands of Fernando de
Noronha, and thence along the South American coast, till they reach the
Windward Islands. They frequent the Caribbean Sea in the months of
January and February ; and farther to the westward, off the Peninsula
of Yucatan and Cuba, in April ; after which time they proceed through
the Gulf of Mexico, to cruise off the Bahama Banks and Cape Hatteras,
in May. Thence they pass northward, on either side of the Gulf Stream,
to the eastern side of the Grand Banks.

" In the Indian Ocean, the south part of Madagascar, off Point Dauphin,
is visited in March and April ; in May, June, and July the ground offthe
southwest coast of Madagascar, in the Mozambique Channel, and upon

<hIi

656

APPENDIX.

both tides of that channel. The whalers usually recruit in St. Augus-
tine's Bay, where supplies are to be had in abundance, and both wood
and water are easily procured. After this they usually spend some time
off Cape Corrientes, with the cape and headlands on either side, and visit
the Comoro Isles. Sperm whales are frequently found in numbers among
these islands, and ships usually do well in their vicinity. The African
coast, from Mozambique to Zanzibar, is good ground, and the latter is
also a good port for repairing.

<* Some ships extend their cruising during the northeast monsoon, from
October to April, to the Arabian coast, but the African is generally pre-
ferred. The Chagos Archipelago at times affords some success, but it is
very doubtftil ground, and ha» not been often frequented. The proper
season is during the southwest monsoon.

" The most profitable ground in the Indian Ocean is the west and north-
west coast of New Holland, as far eastward as the islands of Timor,
Lomboch, and Angier, and westward to the Keeling Islands, including
the coast of Java.

" On reference to the map illustrative of the currents and whaling
grounds before refened to, it will be perceived how nearly these grounds
coincide with the places wherein, according to the views already stated,
the polar streams are obstructed by land or islands, so as either to inter-
rupt their course, or create such an impediment as to change it.

"The Socio Sea is the only place that remains to be noticed. Amer-
ican ships, however, have seldom gone thither ; but English vessels are
reported as having met with much success there.

" There are two routes by which our whale ships can enter the Pacif-
ic : one by the Cape of Good Hope, and round New Holland ; the other
by Cape Horn.

" To take the first route, they ought generally to time their departure
so as to meet the season of New Zealand in March, and this is also the
best course for ships sailing in the autumn from the United St^.tes. They
will then reach their whaling ground at the earliest possible season, and
place themselves at cnce in a situation to reach the harvest of vhich
they are in search ; aud they would, in all probability, have time to refit
and recruit after the outward voyage. This is much more important for
ipeurir.g suv-cess in this employment than very many, either of the mas-
ters or owners, are nware. After a few diiys in port, and a supply ef
fresh vegetables, they would find bcsh their ships and crews in a better
condition to take the sea and keep it. After r»niaining six weeks or two
months on the New Zealand ground, untr the) winter season and bois-
terous weather approach, the vessels should pass to the northward, to-
ward Sunday Island, and thence cruise to the eastward, between the
latitudes of 22° and 28° south, or even to a few degrees higher latitude.
The lower latitudes are, however, found to be the most frequented by
the whale. Along these parallels they proceed as far as the coast of
South America, so as to arrive there in the course of the month of Sep-
tember, after passing part of the time to the westward of the islands of
Juan Fernandez and Massafuera.

APPENDIX.

667

" Other vessels reach the Society Islands in June, and thence pass to
the westward, in order to meet the season of the Samoan and Feejee
Groups ; thence, again, without the tropics, to the south, either on the
' middle ground' between New Holland and New Zealand, or to a higher
aouth latitude, and again meet the season off New Zealand, at the end
of the summer or in March. Those that reach the coast of Chili gener-
ally recruit in the Bay of Talcahuana, or in the port of Payta, in Peru,
and are ready to take up the season on the ' off shore ground' in No-
Tember.

" Vessels leaving the United States In the beginning of summer would
do better to take the route round Cape Horn, reaching Chili or Peru in
time to recruit before the month of November, at which time they repair
to the • off shore ground,' where they remain for one, two, or three
months ; thence pass to the Marquesas Islands, and to the westward of
them, and thence to the west, along thti equator, as far as the Mulgrave
Islands, and the coast of Japan. Returning, they proceed to the north-
west coast of America, California, and, finally, reach the Sandwich
Islands to recruit by the months of October and November. Other ves-
sels pass directly from the < offshore ground' to the neighborhood of the
Sandwich Islands, where they spend the months of February, March,
and a part of April ; they then proceed to the latitude of 30°, and con-
tinue their cruising on each side of that parallel, between the meridians
of 146° and 1 05° west, until October, when they repair to the Hawaiian
Islands to recruit.

" It will readily be seen that there is ample room for a vast fleet to op-
erate in these numerous and extensive spaces without the vessels inter-
fering with each other, and many more might be advantageously em-
ployed. An opinion has, indeed, gained ground within a few years, 'hat
the whales are diminishing in numbers ; but this surmise, as far as I
have learned from the numerous inquiries, does not appear to be well
founded.

" They have, indeed, become wilder, or, as some of the whalers express
it, ' more scary,' and, in consequence, not so easy to capture ; but if we
consider the numbers that continue to be yearly taken, there will, I think,
be no reason to suppose that any great decrease has occurred. On an
average, it requires fifty whales to fill a ship, and it would therefore take
about five thousand whales annually to supply the quantity of oil that is
imported. This would appear but a small proportionate number, if these
animals were as prolific as our herds on shore, when it is considered
that they have a feeding ground of twenty millions of square miles.

" The number of right whales captured is to the spermaceti in the
proportion of about two to one. The former are principally found on the
coasts, in the bays, and even in the harbors, and are far more numerous
than the sperm whale. They are pursued to the greatest advantage in
small vessels. They frequent the coast of Chili during the summer sea-
son, from October to March, and are to be found on the northwest coast
of America and that of California during the northern summer, or from

558

APPENDIX.

March to November. On both the east and west coast of New Holland,
as well as on that of New Zealand, they are abundant from September
to March, in the bays where they resort to calve. This, however, thay
no longer do without molestation, as the shores are now occupied by ex-
tensive establishments for taking them, well provided with boats. On
the signal from the look-out the boats are launched, and soon in hot pur-
''uit of the game, which, when killed, is towed <ato the bay, and dragged
on shore, where it is cut up and < tryed out.'

" There are few places which surpass tbjse localities for the commis-
sion of all kinds of vice ; and in saying tuxB, I have reference as well to
those of South and West Australia as to those of New Zealand, although
the latter are most noted for their enormities. Some merchants, it is
said, in Sydney, advance the capital and share the profits with those who
undertake the business. The latter generally engage in their service a
large number of natives and some of the lowest whites, whom they allow
to indulge in every sort of vice, so long as they can make use of them.
Quarrels often take place between the parties engaged in the same busi-
ness, and the rivalry not unfrequently leads to sharp conflicts and blood-
shed.

" I am surprised that the British authorities have not taken cognizance
of the outrageous acts that are constantly taking place within the limits
where they claim authority. One of these acts was made known to me
after my arrival at the Bay of Islands, and I regretted the impossibility
of repairing to the spot to demand redress. The following is the state-
ment of the master, officers, and crew :

" ' While the whale ship Adeliie, Thomas Brown, master, was lying at
Kapiti, on the 12th of December, 1839, for the purpose of refitting with
wood and water, at about 2 P.M., as the third officer and five of the crew
were employed in towing off a raft of water, being about one mile from
the ship, they were boarded by a whale boat, having a crew of eight Eu-
ropeans and one New Zealander, under one James Harrison, as heads-
man, armed with pistols and knives (being a part of the persons employed
by Raymond and Young), who forcibly took possession of the boat, and
cut off the raft, threatening instant death to any one who should make
resistance. Having thus captured the boat, they at once made sail, and
ran for their establishment on the shore, about f u miles distant. The
captain, on perceiving the piratical act, at once followed with two boats,
but did not succeed in overtaking them until they reached the shore and
had hauled the captured boat upon the beach. While on his way he was
pursued by another boat, which kept firing at him. The captured boat
was surrounded on the beach by from thirty to forty desperate-looking
wretches, more or iess armed. Of these Harrison became the spokes-
man, declaring that ihey had taken the boat and meant to keep it, at the
risk of all the party's lives, to which they all signified their assent. Cap-
tain Brown repeatedly cautioned them against such acts of piracy ; but
his caution was received with curses and all kinds of abuse, and finally
a pistol was presented, with the declaration that he, Harrison, would

APPENDIX.

559

blow out the brains of Captain Brown if he attempted to rescue the
boat.'

" Such has been the indiscriminate manner in which the whales havb
been slaughtered, both old and young, that these haunts have of late
yt- ".rs been less frequented by them.

" The right whale is found of much larger size in high latitudes than in
low, ?nd not unfrequently yields, when taken in these latitudes, as much
as one hundred and eighty barrels of oil. Besides the oil, the whalebone
produces some profit. A large number of these whales were seen by us
in the bays about Cape Horn, in the months of March and April ; but
the weather there is seldom favorable to the use of boats, and would, of
course, preclude success in carrying on such a business.

" On soundings and in shoal water, attempts have been made to cap-
ture a different species of whale, called the humpback (GUbbosa) ; but
there is a great impediment to the securing of the spoils of this game ;
for, when killed, they immediately sink for thirty or forty hours. It there-
fore becomes necessary either to anchor a boat near by, to watr'' them,
or leave a buoy, and then, not unfrequently, they may be swept off by the
under current, or lost by bad weather.

" Although the high latitudes offer great inducements, on account of
the number and size of the whales, yet there are many difficulties exist-
ing that render it preferable to pursue the game in the low latitudes.
The weather, even in the summer season, is rflen tempestuous, which
makes it dangerous to lower the boats ; and there are, even in the fine
season, fogs, which not only tantalize, but prevent the chase from being
extended to any distance from the ship, without the risk of losing both
boats and crew. I have been told that it has frequently happened that
the boats have been separated from the ship for several days ; thus not
only producing great anxiety, but often much distress from want of pro-
visions and water. Our whalers feel that there is quite enough of ad-
venture and peril in following their employment in the lower latitudes.

" Notwithstanding these difficulties, the favorite and most successful
ground fur the right whale is between the fiftieth and fifty-fifth parallels
of north latitude, where vast numbers have been recently taken in June
and July, of great size ; ilthough the season is of ^hort duration, yet
large ships have obtained a full cargo before its close.

" It is impossible to meet a whale ship on the ocean without being
struck by her mere ap;>earance. The vessel under short sail, with look-
outs at the mast-head, eagerly scanning the wide expanse around them,
has a totally different air from those engaged in a regulir voyage."

[Here follows a short description of the usual manner of capturing
whales, cutting them in, and trying out their blubber. Having described
this process very fully in the foregoing narrative, it is hardly necessary
to quote any thing relating to the same subject.]

"The profits of the whale fishery have been great, and show what in-
dustry and perseverance can yield when well directed. The small num-
ber of accidents in this large fleet is surprising ; for the total loiiaea for

560

APPENDIX.

which the underwriters hare o pay seldom exceed one per cent., and
those from other accidents ar i not more than one half per cent. The
insurance seldom exceeds two .'^nd a half per cent, by the year, and at
this low premium the underwriter,* have derived good dividends.

" Of late years there has been much fluctuation in the price of oil,
which has caused those to make los.ng voyages who returned at the times
of its depression ; but at the stear'.y prices of eighty-five cents per gallon
for sperm oil, and thirty-five cen's for whale oil, voyages would generally
yield a handsome return.

" It is estimated that about ter per cent, of the ships make losing voy-
ages, as well from the incompetency of the masters as from accident and
iU-luck.

" The greater proportion of oil finds a market in Germany, Holland,
and Prussia; consequently, the prices abroad control those at home.

" I have stated th') number of sperm whales that are taken at five
thousand, and this may in some years be beyond ih'^ truth. From ti)e best
authorities, the whole of both species annually taken is about ten thou-
sand, including those lost from accident, and those cut adrift, in conse-
quence of bad weather or night. These losses may amount to eight or
ten per cent, of those mortally wounded. It is said that an equal pro-
portion of bull and cow whales are taken. It is, however, admitted that
the latter are the most numerous ; and the probable reason for the equd-
ity of the number taken may be, that ihe bull whale, being the largest,
is most sought after. The bull whales yield, on an average, from thirty
to one hundred barrels of oil, while the cows seldom exceed forty-five
barrels, and at times yield no more than five barrels. Bull whales are
never found together but in small numbers, while the cows are seen in
large herds.

" The right whales occupy the higher latitudes in both hemispheres,
which are their feedini; grounds. As the winter is setting in, the cows
resort to the bays to bring forth their young, where they remain until the
spring months, when they again resort to the feeding grounds to meet
the bulls. It is not known where the latter go during the interval, but
it is generally supposed to the high latitudes, where the} find food in
greater plenty.

" While visiting the ports for the purpose of recruiting, tl 3 crews of
whale ships are often found in a state of lax discipline ; both captains
and crew take this opportunity to lay their complaints before the consuls,
who are much troubled with them, and frequently at a loss to understand
and pass upon- the merits of the case. The crews usually complain of
bad provisions, short allowance, nnd bad usage ; in some cases, I have
heard them assert that they felt their lives in danger froni the outrageous
conduct of the captain ; and in one instance even the officers joined in
the complaint. The captain, on the other hand, believed that there was
a conspiracy on foot to poison him.

" Many Americans are found on the different islands, who have been
tur- 'd ashore from whale ships, or left because they have broken their

APPENDIX.

561

liberty a single time, near the end of the voyage. Such treatment leaves
too much ground to believe that they are purposely left, in order to in-
crease the profits of the shipmaster or owners. Several of these men
were received, in a perfectly destitute condition, on board thr Vincennes ;
others were taken out of prison, and all related many of the difficulties
and troubles they had to encounter on board the sbips to which they were
i.ttached ; although I am not generally disposed to place much reliance
on their statements, yet it can not but happen that out of so many cases
there must be some in which the seamen are in the right.

*' It is difficult to suggest any remedy for this state of things by legis-
lation. The law passed in 1837 has had a beneficial effect in protecting
the crews against a short supply of provisions and in causing them to be
furnished with wholesome food. But the quantity as well as the quality
of the rations ought to be fixed by law, that any one who is restricted in
food by his master may receive an equivalent in money.

" The ration has hitherto been left to the master and owner, and al-
though it is the true interest of the latter that the crew of his ship should
be well 1 :d, yet there are many who think and practice the contrary.
I see no reason why there should not be a lawful ration fixed, as well in
the merchant service as in the navy, and when it is not supplied in full,
that the crew shall be entitled to be paid for the deficiency ; it then could
be no object for a master or owner to stint them. I have generally ob-
served that by far the greater part of the complaints arise from this
cause, and when the master is in part owner they are almost invariably
made.

" Another cause of complaint arises from the practice of issuing slops
to the crews instead of money, and giving the supply of these to tkem js-
ter as a perquisite. I was not a little surprised when I learned that this
perquisite had amounted to eighteen hundred dollars with a crew of
about thirty men. It, in fact, sometimes reaches the amount of between
two and three thousand dollars ; and it will naturally excite some curi-
osity to know how so large a nett gain could accrue from sailoro whose
ordinary dress is but a pair of coarse blue trowsers and red flannel shirt.
There is, however, no difficulty in the explanation. The crew, in the
ilx^n ^tiace, get an outfit in clothing as an advance, which is charged to
'nexii f • a profit of one hundred per cent. ; they then, when allowed liber-
ty ■ :( :.nore, are obliged to draw these goods or clothing in lieu of money,
s'l:'. rart <ot exchange them on shore for more than one fourth of what
the B'vj charged for them. In this way a debt is accumulated against
the ' lay' > f thp f>eamen, until he finds, before the end of the voyage, that
the whole amount that ought to accrue to him is dissipated. This natu-
rally leads to discontent against the persons whom he knows or believes
to be the authors of his loss, and for whose gain all his labors have gone.
This state of tilings unavoidably produces difficulties rnore or less serious,
according to the number of the crew who find themselves thus circum-
stanced. I am not prepared to say how this can be avoided, but I am
well satisfied it would be for the interest of the owners to reserve this

562

APPENDIX.

supply to themselves, and charge it to the crew at such an advance on the
cost as will just secure themselves from loss. By doing this, they would
find that the expenses caused by detention, and the many vexations and
quarrels, would be saved. It is inconceivable how much time is lost in
port by these difficulties between the master and crew.

" Many difficulties would certainly be prevented by the government
sending men-of-war to the ports at the time they are frequented by the
whalers, not only to support the authority of the consuls and masters of
whalers, but, at the same time, to protect the interests of the crews. I
am well assured that the presence of our national vessels would, in a
great measure, prevent many of the disturbances that are consUntly oc-
curring between the masters and crews, among the crews of different ves-
sels, and between both these and the authorities on shore.

" It is due to the large interest embarked in this extended fishery, that
the government should protect its defenseless ships against savage at-
tacks, and have a force at hand to preserve the property in case of acci-
dent or wreck, j .••- S^'Mc vessels of war, actively engaged, would suf-
fice to afford ampk ^on to this business, by being kept cruising so
as to reach the varioL : ^-ts at the proper seasons In this way they
might be the means of relieving many of our countrymen from distress-
ing situations, and of restoring them to their homes in safety. A knowl-
edge among the whaling ileet that their interests were watched over, even
if they made no calls for aid, would give security and protect them from
impositions, as well as prevent them from practicing fraud, or committing
aggressions on the natives of the islands they visit. Such aggressions
invariably lead to retaliations on the part of the chiefs, which they inflict
on the first unsuspecting vessel that anchors in their ports. The capture
of vessels and the massacre of their whole crews have frequeuily been
owing to this cause.

•' It would also be the means of securing the owners against losses ; for
it scarcely need be stated, that, in the event of accidents that would be
deemed elsewhere of a trivial nature, condemnation frequently ensues,
and a total sacrifice of property. This is not to be ascribed to any want
of vigilance, or to connivance on the part of our consuls or the public au-
thorities ; but it arises from the desire, on the part of the whole commu-
nity, to derive profit out of accident. A visit of a man-of-war, or the
feeling that one was or would be at hand to afford succor and relieve dis-
tress, would have a indency to remove these evils.

" The difficulties to which the whaling fleet is exposed are often aggra-
vated by tlie position of our consuls ; fur if engaged in trade, as they al-
most always are, they lose that influence and standing with the authori-
ties which they otherwise would have, whether civilized or savage, as
well as with their own countrymen.

" The whole system is wrong ; those appointed to such stations should
not be suffered to engage in trade, but should receive a salary adequate
to their support. This would place them in a situation to assert our
rights, prevent the difficulties now of daily occurrence, and enable tho

APPENDIX.

663

consuls to maintain the high standing they ought to hold in foreign
ports.

" The crews of whale ships are much more prone to scurry than I had
any idea of. Daring our stay at Oahu several ships arrived more or less
affected \ h this horrible disorder, which arose from various causes.
My inquiries satisfied me it was in most cases to be imputed to the long
period passed at sea, aggravated by the despondency arising from want
of success. In one case in particular, the captain had stopped at some
islands for fruit and provisions, of which he had received an ample sup-
ply, and, concluding that his crew would recover, he continued to cruise
until he finally reached Oahu with no more than three men fit for duty.
Several of his men had died, and the rest were in a very precarious state.
This, in my mind, is'a sufficient proof that it is absolutely necessary not
only to give the crew occasional relaxation, but a change of employment,
and additional hours of rest ; it also shows that fresh provisions are not
alone a sufficient preventive against, or cure for, the scurvy. A change
of diet must be accompanied by a change of scene, and cleanliness. To
a strict attention to these circumstances, and care in promoting cheer-
fulness, I impute the remarkable freedom from disease enjoyed in the
squadron during the whole cruise. Feeling constantly that on the health
and good condition of my men every thing depended, I lost no oppov tunity
of encouraging amusements, and particularly of enjoining attention to
cleanliness.

" I would strongly urge upon the owners of whale ships the necessity
of the assignment of a larger and more airy apartment to the crew. The
usual accommodation in the forecastle of a ship is in every respect un-
fitted to preserve either cleanliness or comfort. There is, perhaps, more
room for improvement in this respect than in any other that can engage
the attention of the owners of ships. While they are lavishing every
sort of expense on the cabins and saloons, and receiving the meed of
praise from the civilized world for the costliness and beauty of the deco-
rations, I would ask them to bestow some small attention and expendi-
ture to increase the comforts of the common sailor, by whose aid alone
their business can be carried on.

•' Among the maste-s of whale ships whom it has been my good for-
tune to fall in with were many intelligent persons, from whom I have
derived much pleasufe and information in my intercourse with them. As
a class, they bear a high character ; but there are some, I regret to say,
whose actions only tend to bring disgrace on themselves and the pursuit
they follow. I shall not dwell upon such a disagreeable topic, trusting
that time and good example will meliorate the evil.

" There is one entreaty I would urge upon all those who are engaged
in the whale and biche de mer fishery : namely, that, in their intercourse
with the natives of the South Seas, they would treat them with justice
and honesty. By so doing, I am satisfied that, however much they may
be exposed to dangers, they will escape without harm. I would not,
however, be understood to say that they should relax anything in watch-

*-^^

564

APPENDIX.

fulness against treachery ; but while this is attended to, all harsh treat-
ment to the natives should be avoided.

" Above every thing, a strict morality should be preserved on board,
both by precept and example, and none should believe themselves be-
yond the eye of those whose respect they value at home. I am well as-
sured that under such auspices the arrival of a whale ship would be
hailed with delight in the ports it may visit, instead of being often looked
upon, as it now is, as a blight upon a dawning civilization. On no con-
sideration should the debt to those pioneers of civilization, the missiona-
ries, be forgotten ; for they have already, in very many parts, by their ex-
ample and instruction, been the means of saving many of our country-
men and shipmates from cruel captivity and horrible death.

" Before closing this chapter, I would also say a word to the first ph'n-
ners and promoters of foreign missions in the South Seas, entreating them
to turn their attention to the morals of those who follow the sea, and the
improvement of their condition. Our ships might, by proper exertions
at home, be soon made lo carry on every breeze to the ports and islands
of the Pacific, such an example as would promote the great cause of mo-
rality, religion, and temperance. Of one truth I am satisfied, that if one
tenth of the sums and attention uow expended in other ways were ap-
plied to improving the condition of sailors, elevating them in their cir-
cumstances, both at sea and on shore, it would produce in a short time
the most desirable results ; and instead of our ' tars' being considered, as
they now frequently are, worthless reprobates, opposed to every thing that
is sacred, they will be found a band of industrious advocates in the cause
of civilization. Until this class of men is brought up to a respectable
standing, the cause to which so much exertion has been applied, so much
talent and perseverance have been sacrificed, and which now claims so
much of the interest and attention of the civilized world, can never per-
manently prosper.

" The field for improvement is wide, and those who first labor in it
must reap a satisfactory harvest. To none does it more appertain to take
the first step, and push earnestly onward, than the owners of our mer-
cantile marine, and of our whaling fleet in particular."

THE SPERM WHALE (Macroeephalus).

Beale gives the following description of theexternal form of this whale :
" The head of the sperm whale presents in front a very thick, blunt
extremity, called the snout, or nose, and constitutes about one third of
the whole length of the animal ; at its junction with the body is a large
protuberance on the back, called by the whalers the ' bunch of the neck ;'
immediately behind this, or at what might be termed the shoulder, is the
thickest part of the body, which from this point gradually tapers off to the
tail, but it does not become much smaller for about another third of the
whole length, when the < small,' as it is called, or tail, commences ; and

APPENDIX.

565

on this point also, on the back, is a large prominence of a pyramidal
form, called the ' hump,' from which a series of smaller processes run
half way down the ' small,' or tail, constituting what is called by whalers
the < ridge.' The body then contracts so much as to become, finally, not
thicker than the body of a man, and terminates by becoming expanded
on the sides into the ' flukes,' or tail, properly speaking. The two flukes
constitute a large triangular fin, resembling, in some respects, the tails
of fishes, but differing in being placed horizontally. There is a slight
notch or depression between the flukes posteriorly ; they are about six
or eight feet in length, and from twelve to fourteen in breadth in the
largest males. The^hest and belly are narrower than the broadest part
of the back, and tapeir oflT evenly and beautifully toward the tail, giving
what by sailors is termed a < clear run.' The depth of the head and body
is, in all parts except the tail, greater than the width. The head, view-
ed in front, presents a broad, somewhat flattened surface, rounded and
contracted above, considerably expanded on the sides, and gradually con>
tracted below, so as in some degree to resemble the cutwater of a ship.

" At the angle formed by the anterior and superior surfaces, on the left
side, is placed the single blowing hole or nostril, which in the dead ani-
mal presents the appearance of a slit or fissure, in form resembling an /,
extending longitudinally, and about twelve inches in length.

" This nostril, however, is surrounded by several muscles, which, in
the living st^te, are for the purpose of modifying its shape and dimen-
sions, according to the necessities of respiration, similar to those which
act upon the nostrils of land animals.

" In the right side of the nose and upper surface of the head is a large,
almost triangular-shaped cavity, called by whalers the ' case,' which is
lined with a beautiful glistening membrane and covered by a thick layer
of muscular fibers and small tendons, running in various directions, and
finally united by common integuments. This cavity is for the purpose
of secreting and containing a small, oily fluid, which, after death, con-
cretes into a granulated substance of a yellowish color, the spermaceti.
The size of the case may be estimated when it is stated that, in a large
whale, it not unfrequently contains a ton, or more than ten large barrels
of spermaceti.

" Beneath the case and nostril, and projecting beyond the lower jaw,
is a thick mass of elastic substance called the < junk ;' it is formed of a
dense cellular tissue, strengthened by numerous strong tendinous fibers,
and infiltrated with very fine sperm oil and spermaceti.

" The mouth extends nearly the whole length of the head. Both the
jaws, but especially the lower, are in front contracted to a very narrow
point, and when the mouth is closed the lower jaw is received within a
sort of cartilaginous lip or projection of the upper one, but principally in
front ; for farther back, at the sides and toward the angle of the mouth,
both jaws are furnished with tolerably well-developed lips. In the lower
jaw are forty-two teeth of a formidable size, but conical shape ; there
are none, however, in the upper, which instead presents depressions cor-

566

APPENDIX.

responding to, and for the reception of, the points of those in the lower
jaw ; sometimes, however, a few rudimentary teeth may be found situ-
ated in the upper jaw, but never projecting beyond the gums, and upon
which those in the lower jaw strike when the mouth is closed.

•* The tongue is small, of a white color, and does not appear to possess
the power of very extended motion.

" The throat is capacious enough to give passage to the body of a man ;
in this respect presenting a strong contrast with the contracted gullet of
the Greenland whale.

" The mouth is lined throughout with a pearly white membrane, which
becomes continuous at the lips and borders with the common integument,
where it becomes of a dark brown or black color.

" The eyes are small in comparison with the size of the animal, and are
furnished with eyelids, the lower of which is the more movable : they
are placed a little above and behind the angle of the mouth, at the widest
part of the head. At a short distance behind the eyes are the external
openings of the ear, of size sufficient to admit a small quill, and unpro-
vided with any external auricular appendage.

■< Behind, and not far from the posterior angle of the mouth, are placed
the swimming paws, or fins, which are analugous in their formation to
the anterior extremities of other animals, or the arms of man ; they are
not much used as instruments of progression, but probably in giving a
direction to that motion, in balancing the body in sinking suddenly, and
occasionally in supporting their young.

" In a full-grown male sperm whale of the largest size, or about eighty-
four feet in length, the din^ensions may be given as follows : depth of the
head, from eight to nine feet ; breadth, from five to six feet ; depth of
body seldom exceeds twelve or fourteen feet, so that the circumference
of the largest sperm whale of eighty or eighty-four feet will seldom ex-
ceed thirty-six feet ; the swimming paws, or fins, are about six feet long
and three broad ; the dimensions of the flukes, or tail, have been previous-
ly mentioned.

" In reviewing this description of the external form and some of the
organs of the sperm whale, it will, perhaps, not be uninteresting if some
comparison is instituted between them and the corresponding points of
the Greenland whale. In doing this, the remarkable adaptation of forms
and parts to different habits, situation, and food, will not fail to strike
every one with admiration.

'* One of the peculiarities of the sperm whale, which strikes at first
sight every beholder, is the apparently disproportionate and unwieldy
bulk of the head ; but this peculiarity, instead of being, as might be sup-
posed, an impediment to the freedom of the animal's motion in his na-
tive element, is in fact, on the contrary, in some respects very conduc-
ive to his lightness and agility, if such a term can with propriety be ap-
plied to such an enormous creature ; for a great part of the bulk of the
head is made up of a large, thin, membranous case, containing during
life a thin oil of much less specific gravity than water ; below whicb»

APPENDIX.

567

again, is the junk, which, although heavier than the spermaceti, is still
lighter than the element in which thr whale moves ; consequently, the
head, taken as a whole, is lighter specifically than any other part of the
body, and will always have a tendency to rise at least so far above the
surface as to elevate the nostril, or ' blow-hole,' sufficiently for all pur-
poses of respiration ; and more than this, a very slight effort on the part
of the fish would only be necessary to raise the whole of the anterior flat
surface of the nose out of the water ; in case the animal should wish to
increase his speed to the utmost, the narrow inferior surface, which has
been before stated to bear some resemblance to the cutwater of a ship,
and which would, in fact, answer the same purpose to the whale, would
be the only part exposed to the pressure of the water in front, enabling
him thus to pass with the greatest celerity and ease through the bound*
less track of his wide domain.

" It is in this shape of the head that the sperm whale differs in the most
remarkable degree from the Greenland whale, the shape of whose head
more resembles that of the porpoise, and in it the nostril is situated much
farther back, rendering it seldom or never necessary for the nose to be
elevated above the surface of the water ; end when swimming even at
the greatest speed, the Greenland whale keeps nearly the whole of the
head under it ; but as his head tapers off evenly in front, this circumstance
does not much impede his motion, the rate of which is, however, never
equal to that of the greatest rate of the sperm whale.

" It seems, indeed, in point of fact, that this purpose of rendering the
head of light specific gravity is the only use of this mass of oil and sper-
maceti, although some have supposed, and not without some degree of
probability, that the 'junk' especially may be serviceable in obviating
the injurious effects of concussion, should the whale happen to meet
with any obstacle when in full career. This supposition, however, would
appear hardly tenable, when we consider the Greenland whale, although
living among the rock-like icebergs of the Arctic Seas, has no such con-
venient provision, and with senses probably in all, and certainly in one
respect less acute than those of the sperm whale, on whinh account it
would seem requisite for him to possess this defense rather thaa the sperm
whale, whose habitation is, for the most part, in the smiling; latitude of
the Southern Seas. Considering the habits and mode of feeding, and the
superior activity and apparent intelligence of the sperm whale, we shall
be prepared to expect that he must possess a corresponding superiority in
external senses ; and we accordingly find that he enjoys a more perfect or-
gan of hearing, in having an external opening of considerable size for the
purpose of conveying sounds to the internal ear more readily and acutely
than could be done through the dense and thick integument which is con-
tinued over the auricular opening in the northern whale.

** Although the eyes in both animals are very small in comparison with
their bulk, yet it is remarked that they are tolerably quick-sighted. I am
not aware that the sperm whale possesses, in this respect, any superi-
ority.

668

APPENDIX.

" Passing to the mouth, we again observe a very remarkable difTerence
in the conibrmation of the two animals ; as in place of the enormous
plates of whalebone which are found attached to the upper jaw of the
Greenland whale, we in the sperm whale only find depressions for the
reception of the teeth of the lower jaw ; organs which again are totally
wanting in the other. Conesponding with these distinctions, which
plainly point out that the food of the two whales must be very different,
we find a remarkable difference in the size of the gullet.

" The several lumps or ridges on the back of the sperm whale consti-
tute another difference in their external aspect ; these prominences are,
however, not altogether peculiar to the sperm whale, as that which is
called by whalers the ' humpback' possesses a prominence on the back
not very dissimilar to that of the sperm whale, which has been noticed be-
fore, in the introductory remarks, and which induced Saccapedd to divide
the genus Baltena into those with a hump and those without ; employ-
ing the name Balaena for the latter, and styling the others Balenoptera.

"I have before adverted to the sharp cutwater-like conformation of the
under part of the head in the sperm whale, and it is worthy of remark
that the same part of the Greenland whale is nearly, if not altogether flat.

" The skin of the sperm whale, as of all other cetaceous animals, is
without scales, smooth, but occasionally, in old whales, wrinkled and fre-
quently marked on the sides by linear impressions, appearing as if rubbed
against some angular body. The color of the skin, over the greatest
part of its extent, is very dark ; most so on the upper part of the head,
the back, and on the flukes, in which situation it is, in fact, sometimes
black ; on the sides it gradually assumes a lighter tint, till on the breast
it becomes silvery gray.

"In different individuals there is, however, considerable variety of
shade, and some are even piebald. Old ■ bulls,' as full-grown whales are
called by whalers, have generally a portion of gray on the nose, imme-
(*iately above the fore part of the upper jaw, and they are then said to be
'gray-headed.'

" In young whales, the * black skin,' as it is called, is about three eighths
of an inch thick, but in old ones it is not more than one eighth.

" Immediately beneath the black skin is the biuober or fat, which is
contained in a cellular membrane, and which is much strengthened by nu-
merous interlacements of ligamentous fibers, which has induced Profess-
or Jacob to consider the whole thickness of the blubber to be the cutis
vera, or true skin, infiltrated with oil or fatty matters. Its thickness on
the breast of a large whale is about fourteen inches, and on most other
parts of the body it measures from eight to eleven inches. The head is
not, however, supplied with this covering, having only the black skin, or
cutis, which lies close to a layer of very dense cellular tissue, under which
is seen a considerable thickness of numerous small tendons, intermixed
with muscular fibers.

" This is more especially observed on the top and upper third of the
head surrounding the case, as lower down we find the black skin lying
close to the peculiar structure of the junk.

}

APPENDIX.

569

" This thick covering or skin, blubber, or fat, is called by South Sea
whalers the < blanket.' It is of a light yellowish color, and, when melted
down, furnishes the sperm oil. It also serves two excellent purposes to
the whale, in rendering it buoyant, and in furnishing it with a warm pro-
tection from the coldness of the surrounding element ; in this last respect
answering well to the name bestowed upon it by the sailors."

In addition to the above faithful description of the sperm whale, I give
a single quotation more, which refers to a point upon which there seems
to be a great diversity of opinion. Beale, with his usual sagacity, sees
the error and corrects it. I am surprised that his work has never been
republished in this country, for it certainly contains a great variety of
useful and corretfflnformation concerning the whale tribe.

" I can only say, when I find myself again in opposition to those old
and received notions, that, out of the thousands of sperm whales which
I have seen during my wanderings in the South and North Pacific Ocen
I have never observed one of them to eject a column of water from itio
nostril. I have seen them at a distance, and I have been within a few
yards oi several hundreds of them, and I never saw water pass from the
spout-hole. But the column of thick and dense vapor which is certainly
ejected is exceedingly likely to mislead the judgment of the casual ob-
server in these matters ; and this column does, indeed, appear very much
like a jet of water, when seen at the distance of one or two miles, on a
clear day, because of the condensation of the vapor which takes place
the moment it escapes from the nostril, and its consequent opacity, which
makes it appear of a white color, and which is not observed when the
whale is close to the spectator, and it then appears only like a jet of
white steam; the only water in addition is the small quantity -that may
be lodged in the external fissure of the spout-hole, when the animal rais-
es it above the surface to breathe, and which is blown up into the air
with the spout, and may probably assist in condensing the vapor of which
it is formed."

" The humpbacked, whale, which is well known to whalers, possesses, like
the Greenland whale, the baleen, and spouts from the top of the head, yet
has a hump not very dissimilar to that of the sperm whale." . . " So that
they resemble each other in some respects, and differ so widely in other
parts of their formation, and also in their habits, that they each neces-
sarily belong to distinct classes of beings, and convince me that they can
not properly be arranged in families, from the form or situation of their
fins, humps, teeth, or baleen.

" Food. — The food of the sperm whale consists almost wholly of an
animal of the cuttle-fish kind, called by sailors the ' squid,' and by natu-
ralists the < sepia octopus.' This squid, or sepia, at least forms the prin-
cipal part of his sustenance when at a distance from shore, or what is
termed ' off shore ground ;' but when met with nearer land, he has been
known, when mortally or severely wounded, to eject from his stomach
quantities of small fish, which are met with in great abundance in the
bays and somewhat near the shore. These fish, it is supposed, are at-

670

APPENDIX.

tracted into the whale's mouth by the white and glistening appearance of
the roof and teeth ; and when a sufficient number are within the mouth,
he rapidly closes his jrwh and swallows the contents. It seems to be
well established that the whale does not pursue its prey.

'* The octopus (or squid), which was the animal denominated polypaa
by Aristotle, has eight arms of equal length, and contains in its interior
two very small rudimentary shells, formed by the inner surface of the
mantle." Its texture is fibrous, and it has eight arms, with which it
twines round objects of any shape. Its external appearance is pellucid,
somewhat resembling jelly, and it is said to measure occasionally thirty
feet between the most remote extremities, but there is a great diflerence
in the size, some being very large, and others v y minute and even mi-
croscopic. Touching this subject and its connection with the migratory
habits of the sperm whale, Lieutenant Wilkes, of the United States Ex-
ploring Expedition, says :

" It is well known to whalers that the favorite and appropriate food of
the sperm whale is a gelatinous medusa ; which, however, has not as yet
received from naturalists much attention. It may, however, be advanced
as certain that this molluscous animal most abounds in the higher latitudes
of both hemispheres, which would therefore seem to be the places in which
it is produced, and to which its habits are best adapted.* During our
cruise in the higher southern latitudes, we saw vast numbers of these
medusffi, around and near the icebergs. The quantity was such as to
prove conclusively that it was in the waters of the temperature caused
by the vicinity of these masses of ice that they delight to dwell. Whales
were also in abui dance, and although principally of the fin-back species,
sperm whales were not entirely wanting.

" As regards tue medusa, its powers of locomotion are feeble, and con-
fined chiefly to the purpose of rising and sinking at pleasure. If polar
currents exist, it must, therefore, be swept by them from the place of its
nativity, and in its passage to lower latitudes will, by its locomotive pow-
er, seek strata in the water of the low temperature to which its consti-
tution is best adapted. My attention was drawn to the habits of the
whales here in particular, from the novel manner they exhibited of feed-
ing near the surface, instead of diving lower down, as they are usually
seen to do in lower latitudes : they were constantly in sight, instead of
being only seen at intervals.

" It wiU be readily admitted that the medusa, like other animals, has its
appropriate seasons of procreation, and it will appear probable that the
season at which we saw them in such numbers was that in which they
are brought forth most ~*'ur>dantly. So, also, however low the temper-
ature of the water in which they delight, there is little probability that
their increase goes forward when the regions in which we met them are
locked up in ice, and the genial light and warmth of the sun is denied them.

<* The food of the sperm whale will, therefore, be borne off to lower lat-

* " Innumerable uimalcule, the appropriate food of the right whale, are also found there,
M hai been teen from our own obaervationi at the South, and thoie of Scoreaby at the North."

APPENDIX.

571

itudes by the polar streams in greater abundance at one season than an-
other, and this former season corresponds with that in which these cur*
rents have their greatest force. The sperm whale, it must be expected,
will leave the higher latitudes, and follow the currents which transport
his food.

" In conformity with this view, we find the habits of the sperm whale
migratory. The polar currents, as has been seen, disappear from the
surface in many cases, but do not cease to flow ; and even when felt
both at the surface and below, they will, in approaching lower latitudes,
have their higher temperatures near the surface. The medusae will,
therefore, descend in either case to greater depths, and the whale must
dive in quest of the food which, in higher latitudes, he could find at the
surface. We have seen in what a decided manner the polar currents
become or continue superficial at the southern promontories of the con-
tinents. A similar cause, operating to a less extent, raises them, if sub-
marine, when they are interrupted or impeded by islands, and spreads
water of low temperature over the surface. Here, then, at the proper
season, the food of the whale will be not only accessible, but more abund-
ant within a given space, in consequence of the check the velocity of
the stream must experience.

" So, also, in the zones of cal is, we have seen that the matter borne
by the polar cunents in all pr ability finds a resting-place ; and here,
also, at fit seasons, the food oi the whale must bo abundant. Points
possessing either of these characteristics I have distinguishr >1, as before
stated, by the name of nuclei.

" However satisfactory this theory may be in explaining the causes of
the migratory habits of the sperm whale, it is obvious that we do not
know enough of the natural history of his favorite food, nor of the rate
and- course of all the submarine polar currents, to enable us to predict
with certainty the seasons at which he will be found in particular parts
of the ocean. This can be learned by observation alone, and long ex-
perience has taught those who are skillful in the whale fishery the posi-
tion of the favorite haunts of their prey, and the times at which they are
most likely to be met with there. Comparing these points and the nu-
clei of the currents, as observed and explained in the preceding pages,
the coincidence will strike every one who will examine the subject ; and
when all the facts necessary to illustrate this subject shall be ascertained,
theory may serve, in some degree, to shorten the apprenticeship which is
now necessary in order to acquire game in this adventurous employment ;
the object, therefore, of the residue of this chapter will be devoted to
whaling, and to point out the results which our own observations, with
the information derived from others, has afforded."

^■

672

APPENDIX.

THE RIGHT WHALE {Great Myttieete).

Shaw, in his Natural History, gives the following desoription of this
whale :

" It is the chief of the whale tribe, and, unless the krakan be not a
fabulous existence, is the largest of all animals, either of land or sea.
Before the northern fisheries had reduced the number of the specias, it
was no very uncommon circumstance to find specimens of a hundred feet
in length, or even longer. Such, however, are now very rarely seen, and
it is not often that they are found of more than sixty or seventy feet
long. In its general appearance this animal is peculiarly uncouth, the
head constituting nearly a third of the whole mass ; the mouth is of pro-
digious amplitude ; the tongue measuring eighteen or twenty feet in
length ; the eyes are most disproportionately small. In the upper jaw
are a vast number of veiy long and broad horny laminae, disposed in reg-
ular series along each side ; these are popularly known by the name of
whalebone. On the top of the head is a double fistula, or spout -hole,
through which the enormous animal discharges water at intervals, caus-
ing the appearance of a marine jet d'eau, ascending to a vast height in
the air. Its common color is^black above and white beneath, but in this
circumstance it is known to vary. Its general residence is in the North-
ern Seas, where it has long constituted the principal trade of the whale
or oil fishery. Its food is supposed to consist chiefly of different kinds
of sepiae, medusae, and other marine molluscee." , ., j

THE FIN-BACKED WHAIE.

" This species is of a much more slender form than the preceding,
which it equals in length ; the head is rather narrow, the mouth very
wide, and the lips are marked by a number of oblique wrinkles or plates,
in such a manner as to resemble, in some degree, the appearance of a large
twisted rope. The upper jaw is furnished with laminae of whalebone, on
the same plan as in the great whale, but smaller and shorter in propor-
tion, and generally of a bluish color. The general color of this species
is a dark or blackish olive on the upper parts, and whitish beneath. Mar-
tens compares the color to that of a tench. On the lower part of ttie
back is situated a small thick or fatty fin, of about three or four feet in
length, and of a somewhat sharpened form. This animal swims with
greater celerity and vigor than the great whale, and is consideied as much
more dangerous to attack, exerting such rapid and violent mo.ions as to
render the capture extremely diflScult ; and as the oil which it affords is
much less plentiful than in the former species, it is, of course, less an
object of pursuit. It is known to the fishers by the title of the fin fish,
being easily distinguished by it. back fin, as well as by its much more vi-
olent blowing and spouting. It inhabits the same seas with the great or
common whale." — Shaw.

5«;

APPENDIX.

or the Mysticete, or right whale epecies, Shaw mentions, in addition
to the foregoing, the following :

'* Pike-headed Mysticete. — This species measures fifty feel or more in
length, and is found both in the Northern and Southern Oceans. It is
of moderately slender form, but somewhat thick im the (ore parts, and
its color is black above and white beneath : the i.yiier p:<'C of the belly is
marked by numerous longitudinal plaits or wrinkles, the insides of which
are of a red color. It has a double »piracle or blow-pii;)e on the head, the
holes of which are approximated, and which it can close in such a man-
ner, by a common operculum, as to appear single. The head is moder-
ately large, and of a gradually tapering form, yet ending in a somewhat
broad or obtuse tip. It lives on a small species of salmon, called the
Salmo arcticiu, as well as on the Arganauta arctica and tbe Ammodytes Po-
bianus, or launce. It is a very timid animal.

" Bunched Mysticete. — ^This species is a native of the Northern Seas,
and is said to be of the same general form with the great whale, but of
smaller size, and to have the back furnished with one or more tuber-
cles. Their whalebone is said to be of a pale or whitish color.

" Under-jawed Mysticete. — ^This is a native of the Northern Seas, and
seems much allied to the pike-beaded mysticete, but grows to a much
larger size ; having been found, it is said, of the length of seventy-eight
feet, measuring thirty-iive feet in girth. The laminae of whalebone are
black, and short in proportion to the size of the animal, the longest not
measuring more than three feet. In the year 1698 a specimen was taken
on the coast of Scotland.

" Rostrated Mysticete. — This is by far the smallest as well as the most
elegant in its appearance of all the Mysticetes, or whalebone whales, being
raicly known to attain the length of twenty feet. The head, upper part
of the back, fins, and tail are of a dark or bluish-brown, but the sides
and abdomen are of a beautiful white, with a very slight tinge of pale
rose or flesh-color, aud are marked for more than half the length of the
animal by very numerous longitudinal plaits or furrows ; the eyes are
small, as is also the head, and the snout is much more elongated than in
any other species, gradually tapering to the extremity, which is slightly
pointed : the back fin is small, and situated at no great distance from the
tail ; the pectoral fins are small and narrow, and the tail is divided into
two longish or pointed lobes. The whole animal has an elegant, fish-like
form, and has none of that uncouth appearance which prevails in the
larger species.

Hunter, speaking of the whale tribe, says :

"Tiie blood of this order is, I believe, similar to that of iiadrupeds ;
but I have an idea that the red globules are in larger prr, jrtion." " It
is certain that the quantity of blood in this tribe and in t'.ie seal is com-
paratively larger than in the quadruped, and therefore, probably, amounts
to more than that of any other known animal." Whales •< differ from

674

APPENDIX.

fish in having the red blood canied to the extreme parts of the body, sim-
ilar to the quadruped."

" The substance of the brain is more Tisibly fibrous than I ever saw it
in any other animal ; the fibers passing from the ventricles as from a
center to a circumference, which fibrous texture is also continued through
the cortical substance. The whole brain in the piked wh le weighed
four pounds ten ounces."

INVENTIONS rOR KILLING THE WHALE.

Many expedients have been resorted to from time to time by the in>
genious to overcome the hazards and increase the profits of the whaling
business. It was thought, in the earlier stages of this pursuit, that a more
safe and expeditious way of killing the whale than by the harpoon could
be devised. Various inventive geniuses set to work, in consequence, and
suggested innumerable methods, none of which were attended with &uch
success as to insure the expediency of their adoption. There was, be-
sides, a repugnance, on the part of old and experienced whalemen, to any
infringement upon their established method of capturing the whale. Its
hazards had no terrors for them ; they had become accustomed to the har-
poon and the lance, and preferred these instruments to all scientific con-
trivances. Among the experiments made, the most interesting were the
gun for shooting harpoons, the bomb shell, and the use of prussic acid.
I find K.n account of the first in Anderson's Historical and Chronological
Deduction of the Origin of Commerce :

" In the year 1731 the South Sea Company sent out their remaining
twenty-two ships on the whale fishery, one of which was lost, and the
other twenty-one ships brought home fourteen whales, which was far from
being a saving voyage. At the Company's dock there had at this time
been invented a new sort of gun for shooting with gunpowder the har-
poons into the bodies of whales, at a greater distance than the harpoons
could be thrown by hand ; and the ships were accordingly provided with
some of them, which were used both in this and the next year's fishery,
with some success. They were chiefly adapted to a calm season, and
were scarcely practicable in blowing weather, which mostly happens in
the Greenland seas. And although the foreign harpooners could not
easily be brought to use them, as being out of their usual method, yet in
a ship fitted out by Mr. Elias Bird and partners, two years after, out of
the three whales brought home, two of them were said to be killed by that
new-invented gun."

I learned while at sea that another experiment had been tried, but with
even less success. This invention is not mentioned in any of the works
which I have examined, and will, no doubt, be somewhat novel to the
reader. It was proposed that a small swivel gun should be attached to
the bow of the boat, with a bore of about an inch in diameter. A round
and hollow piece of iron, charged with a combustible preparation, and

.* .-

APPENDIX.

675

sharp at one end, was to be shot from this gun inio the body of the
whale. By an ingenious contrivance, a match was so placed at the butt-
end of this instrument, that the explosion would not take place till sev<
eral minutes after it had entered the whale. The dart being heaviest at
the sharp end, it could be shot a considerable distance with unerring aim.
It was thought by many that this invention could not fail of success, and
a vessel was sent out, fitted with a number of these swivel guns and
bomb-shells. In one respect the apparatus succeeded admirably — whales
were killed with amazing facility. All that the boats had to do was to
pull up within shooting distance and fire away. A few moments after the
attack the immense body of the whale was seen to explode with a grand
report. But, unfortunately, before the prize could be secured it. always
sank beyond hope of recovery. The buoyant properties being destroyed
by the explosion, the whalemen had the mortification of seeing all their
game disappear beneath the clear blue waves. Thus, this invention
proved a failure.

The next improvement upon the ordinary method was the use of prus-
sic acid. The head of the harpoon was made with a cavity capable of
containing a sufficient quantity of this deadly poison to kill the whale al-
most instantly. When the iron penetrated the blubber, by a very simple
contrivance the poison was forced out, and, as was expected, the whale
was killed without farther trouble : so that one dart answered every pur-
pose, thus avoiding exposure to its dying throes. This invention proved
not only a failure, but was attended by the most disastrous consequences.
Several of the crew were poisoned during the process of cutting and try-
ing the blubber, which was found to be impregnated with the prussic
acid, and two of them died in consequence of some slight wounds on their
hands, having absorbed the poison. The use of prussic acid was, there-
fore, abolished at once.

Experience has sufficiently proved that the old method is the best, after
all. The dangers to which whalemen are exposed am crreat, but they
have learned to regard them as inseparable from their \n^. All these
inventions may do very well in the way of experiment, lor it is only by
experiment that we can hope to arrive at perfection in any pur»uit ; but
the proba'jility is, tha harpoon and lance, as they have been from t'lie
immemorial, will continue to be, in all future ages, the most effective in-
struments in the capture of the whale.

SPECIMENS OF THE SOWHELI AN LANGUAGE.

Oo-the-a, trouble.
Tan-goo-ka, il will fall down.
Ca-se-a, oar.
E-ya-coon-dor, red.
Ne-ya-oi)-se, black.
Mun-Ja-no, yellow.

Mane-mow-ete, green.
Oo-choon-gou, bitter.
M'-we-ve, Ikief.
Tha-hid, witness.
Oo-ma-que-ba, you stole it.
U-fa-je-re, four o'clock in the morning.

676

APPENDIX.

Se-ya-o-na quanza, / did not see it

before.
A-ke-le, setue.
M'-cha-zoo, play,
N'-na, / have.
Oo-na, you have.
An-na, he hat.

Hoo-na, are you 7 or, have not you ?
Coo-na, you have not.
So-nia, read.
Voom-be, dust.
Moo-e-oe ma-na, tchich has.
Oo-so, face.

Ma-cone-da°, poor, utelua.
Yem-bam-ba, thin.
Na-na, thick.
\A-xe-ho, pretty soon.
Cha-voo, net. ....

A-sa-ra, to lose in trade.
Ma-ra- voo, hard fellow. * ' ,
Ma-go-pa, afraid.
M'zed, old man.
Da-ra-ja, */air«. i
N'you-ma, behind.
M'ba-Ia, before.
Oo-pan-da, aide.
Oo-pan-da-hoo, this aide.
Oo-pan-da wa-pe-lee, that aide.
Ta-fond, different.
Ta-foo-na, chew.
M'-ra-foo, tall.
Hum-na, none.

Ma-chin-jjna, wounded to death.
Hoo-na-ne-here, you will not aay ao.
Ca-ra-tha, borrow.
Copa-sha, lend.
Boo-too-jee, loaf-sugar.
Be-o-rum ta-coo-o-na sha, Til show

you.
See-coo-o-n'a, / unll not shme you.
Roo-de-za, return or send back.
A-coo-na fara-ka, I haven't time.
Moo-o-voo, noise.
Na-we-wa, I owe.
"Wa-vie-vra, you owe.
A'-we-wa, he owes.
A shoo-roo, duty ?

Ma-ha-Ia ga-na, what place J

M'gee-nec, town.

Foon-de-Bba, to learn.

Ta-noo, piU of chemun.

Mo-ahe, smoke,

Me-me-yan,

Gwa-ba-re-ke, thank you.

Oo-se-ma-gee, don't spill it.

Ke-tab, printed book.

Moo-da, minute.

Qua-ka, home.

Too-le-a, rug.

Soo-he-re, aloea.

Za-be-boo, grapes.

N'-yo-ta, atar.

Ma-ving-oo, cloud.

N'yon-a-ta, hair. *

N'go-te, maat.

Fur-ma-le, yarda. y

Me-te, tree.

Chu-ma, iron.

Poo-u, ateel.

Sha-ba, brass. _

San-cha, machine.

N'-yo-a, shave.

Da- voo, beard. * /

Ma-ta, merchandise. "

Goo-ga, Zanzibar.

Ca-de-re, a part.

Goom-ba-na, quarrel, not friends.

Quem-ba, sine.

M'sha-ha-ra, wages.

Oo-ma-me, thunder.

Moo-re, lightning.

Ka-ra-moo, feast.

Too-ka-na, bad talk.

Be-o, to run.

'M-ka, wife.

Ko-ho, sov!.

Soo-re-a, uncuhine.

Mt'-ne, creilti, trust.

Coo-ze-ka, to bury the dead.

Foo-ke-a, to bury money.

Pan-da, to set out a tree.

Sur-ma-la, carpenter.

M'a-she, mason.

M'hoo-ze-tna chu-ma, blacksmilh.

^# ^

APPENDIX.

577

M'hoo-zee-wa-fether, silversmith.
Go-do-ro, bed.
Pe-ra, India-rubber.
Coo-ha-de-le, to exchange, or steap.
M'coo-ke, spear.
Na-na'ze, pine-apple.
Fa-ra, guana.

Oo-ta-wa M'sha-ra, bow and arrows.
M'co-no N'doe-voo, tUler.
Ma-dan-ze, Persian oranges.
Change-a, China oranges.
Co-co, seed.^
Movr-Qo-a, Jtmer.
Oon-ga, flour. ■ .; »

* ^ N'ga-noo, wheat.

>'' » Wan-ga, arrow-root.

i W Ma-ra-she, M'zoo-ma-re, rose-water.
Ma-foo-ta Stam'ooul, otto of rose, or

Turkish oil.
Co-po, bowl.

Be-low-oo-re, tumbler. .> >

Ba-coo-de, mug. >

Ke-sa-ha-ne, small plate.
Sa-ha-ne, large plate.
Ke-ghe-koo, small spoon.
'". M'e-co, large spoon.

P.ah-ha-ma-ne, chart.
Cha-fee, to sneeze.
Coo-n'go, to drink.
Co-jo-a, pump ship.
N' jo, come.

Nenda come M'pe, go and give.
Ma-ca-ma-ta-ya-he, how did you catch

that 7
Coo-fa-fee, blocks.
Ha-re-re, silk.
Ma-zoo-re, handsome.
Oo-ze, cotton, or twine.
• * Be-re-ka, trunk.

Ke-tam-ba, piece of cloth.
Ta-sa-ma-oo-se an goo ka, look out

and don't fall down.
Thorn, garlic.
M'coong-oo, bunch.
Shoe-hoo-Ie, plenty of business.
Ma-voo-Ie, umbrella.
A-la-ma, number.

M'pe-a, new.

Ke-za, dark.

Koo-koo, old.

Ha-na, he has not any.

M'cha-na, noon.

Pin-du-a, turn it over.

Yan-go, mine.

Se, /.

Youn-do, hammer.

N'gong-go, mallet.

Len-ca, chisel.

Fan-ye, fix or make.

Ma-zan, scale.

Mo-oren, bad.

Me-me-tut-wa-he-k, / lake this.

Cooney, wood.

Ma-tiva, take. '

Ke-ka-poo, basket.

Yam-ve, mat.

Pe-pa na-voo-yu, casks leak.

An-de-ka, torite.

Wa-ke a happo, put it there,

Wa-ke a happa, put it here.

Qua-ne-o-fa-ne ka-ree, why don't you

work ?
Fan-ya-ka-za, go to work.
Nen-de-he-ma, go quickly.

Days of the Week.

U-ma-ta-too, Monday '

U-ma-ne, Tuesday.
U-ma-tu-no, Wednesday,
Ul-him-ese, Thursday.
Len-ma, Friday.
De-ma-moose, Saturday.
Due-ma-pe-le, Sunday.

Ma-kire-sha, finished.
Sick, how easy !
Mus-ke-a, do you hear ?
Go-ye-quan-za nish a-coola, wait till

I finish my dinner.
Ka-ka-ta-koo, «ti<{mon.
Kas-a-gana, how much do you ask J
Go-ze, hides
Voo-a, rain.
Litta, bring.

-"WHIP"

578

APPENDIX.

Ya-ha ae-ne, aboard /Ac vettel.
Moo-le-za, oak.
Foon-goo-oo, key.
Ma-oan-da, bag.
Ma>foo-ta, oil.
Ke-te, chain.
Ha-Ia-foo, by-and-by.
Ya-na, yesterday.
Koo-tua, day after.
Moon-ton, pillow-ease.
Ba-roat, powder.
♦ > Ya-ha-za, ship.

Youm-ba, house.
Ma-zinga, cannon.
Ma-no, teeth.

Ba-da ancoo-na, not come yet.
Ya-ka, yours.
Fi-da, profit.

Wa-cha-ka ye-ne, why do you laugh ?
Se-na, / haven'' t any.
Me-la-la, or Dic-e-ma, always.
Coo-na-ne-ne, what's the matter 1
Zide, more.
Oo-ma, bite.

Oo-se-pa-soo-e, don't tear it.
Se-ta-ka, / don't want to.
Oo-man-da, den. ,, ,

Hoo-GOO-me-a, high.
Coo-me-za, did it hurt 1
•s^ Duff-ta-re, book (writing).

Na-na atn-a-choo-goo-a, who brought

that's
High-do-roo, never mind.
Dew-a-le-ma-too-a, sunset.
Bon-a ha-Ie ja-too-a, sun is not set.
Ha-ba-re-ga-na, what's the news ?
Kee-sha, then.
Ra-hese, cheap.
Ye-a-noo-ka, smeUs.
E-na-po-po, any time. .;

Voo-ta, pvUl.
Soo-koo-ma, push.
Po-tare, last. ■%
Ye-a-to-ka whappee, where do you

come from 1
Goo-oo-ma, sore or aches.
Ye-a-coo rohea, nearly.

Wa-we-ya, due, or owe.
Sec-ka-sec-de, accident.
Washa-ta, light the lamp.
Te-ma-ta, put out the lamp.
Who-hea-fa, not yet dead.
Hum-dea cha-too, not yetfinishei.
Com-jewa, spread.
Ta-ka, dirty.

Coon-ja, double, or fold up.
Sa-ha-ne, plate.

Choo-coo-i, carry. ■, ,„. -.^.a. <
M'la-va, drunk. ..a ,». ,'

Ga-le, dear. • . «

Nam-na, sample. ■■■.< .!■ '

Fe-ne-ka, cooer. ■• • ■ '

M'we-ve, thief.

Oo-ma-que-ba, you stole it. '

Ha-pa-na-m'-too, nobody,
Coo-poo-tare, lost.
M'goo-am a-ne-pa oo-le-me Wa-ne-
ne, God gave me a tongue for what t
Zoon-goo-sha, turn it round.
See-me-ka, stand it up.
Soo-ma-ke, fish.

Me-me-na, pour it out. ^ -

Cut-e-cut-e, middle.
Pach-a, double, or two.
Ma-san-goo, brass-ware. r

E-ma-jar, full. <

N'ga, outside.
Poon-goo-sa, take out.
To-sha, enough.
N'za,y?y.

Ke-pa-to, half bag.
T'fa-tha-le, if you please.
Pa-Ia-pa-la, same place.
Wa-kam baia, keep separate.
M'ze-goo, bundle.
Men-da, cockroach.
To-bu-ka-ra, snvffbox.
Da-na-te, writing-desk.
Ve-ring-oo, rouTid.
Ta-noose, lantern, or entry lamp.
Coo-ta-e-re, circumcise.
Kelem-ba, turban.
Ke-goo-roo, lame.
Ke-do-le, finger.

#;,

APPENDIX.

579

'•■>v

.. , «■

Va-ne-

whatl

lamp.

M'goo, foot.

Pa-d'ya, leg.

Daw-moo, lip.

Cho-ro-ro, toft.

Gov-moo, hard.

A-ke-dar, head eooly.

Nenda coo-si-de-a, go and help.

Ca-ba, whore. .j

M'ganga, doctor. ..,. v

Mamoo, preacher. >

Pemba, ivory.

Dua, sun. . )

Mazee, moon. ;_,,j .

Maka, year.

Mar.a-noo papo, useless talk (wind

Ze-o-ma, acAe.

Quanza, before.

Kee-sha, after. ,

Ke-o, that. "*

Wa-ka, iee;*.

Na-jew-a, I know that.

N'de-ric, that is it.

Ra-ze-bo, try.

Ye-a-ma-za mammo, stop that talk.

Cha-goo-a, garble (pick copal).

Sa-fa, clean.

Coo-coo, dirty.

Now-om-ba, / wish, or / hope.

Qua-Ia, true.

Twa-ka, hoist.

Tu-a, lower.

Na-tha-ne-heveo, / think so.

Co-me a he, sarhe as this.

Ca-na, the same.

Ma-cho-ka, tired.

Soo-a-za-koo Se-ma-ma, Ican't stand

up.
Sa-ba-boo ne-na, whai is the reason 1
Ca-le, hot.
Ba-re-de, cold.

He-sa-boo, figures, or account.
Go-ra, piece (30 yards of cloth).
Rup-ta, bale {of cloth).
Ha-re, sweat.

Ta-ka, do you want 1

Wa-to-ka whappey, where do yoti
come from ?

Mo-e-ta, call.

Se-pen-da, / don't like it.

Ke-ja-na, boy.

Coo-o-sha, wash. ,

M'pe-she, cook.

Wen-da na-na ne, whom are you go-
ing with ?

Ca-voo, dry.

She-ka, hold it.

Ak-we-ta, he calls you, or you are
called.

Mu-e-sho, the last.

Coo-za, sell.

A-ta-ka, asks, the price.

New-new-a, buy.

Ha-too-fa ne-bea chara, wc can not
trade.

Goomy (Banyan), whale.

Y'hazzee piga M'goomy (Banyan),

a whaler, or " ship that strikes

whales."
Mazene (Arabic), name ofchurchcrier
Smilla f Arabic), take care !
Bona (Sowhelian), the name by which

slaves address their masters.
Malim (Sowhelian), schoolmaster, or

mate of a vessel.
M'goo (Sowhelian), God.
Alia (Arabic), God.
Shatan (Sowhelian), devil.
Matonee (Sowhelian), hell.
Paponee (Sowhelian), heaven.
Monano tamo (Sowhelian), J?a«efy,

or " sweet talk."
N'Googa (Sowhelian), form of Zan-

zibar.
Mareeina (Sowhelian), coast opposite

Zanzibar.
N'Guzzeeja (Sowhelian), name of

Grand Comoro Island.-
Bookin (Sowhelian), Madagascar.

4"'^

5S0

ArPENDlX.

NunuraU.

•'^

N.B. No specimens of the Sowhelian or Ambolambo numerals have, I
believe, ever before been published.

The above list of words and phrases in common use among the Sowhe-
Hans is also the first that has yet appeared.

Arabic

1 Wahed.

2 Thineen.

3 Thalatha.

4 Aroba.

5 Humpsa.

6 Sitta.

7 Sebba.

8 Themaina.

9 Tessa.
10 Asliarra.

Sowheliu.

Moya.

Tatoo.

N'nee.

Tanoo.

Beele.

Sitta.

Sebla.

Nanee.

Kenda.

Kooma.

Hindooitanee.

Yeik.

Do.

Teen.

Char.

Pauch.

Cha.

Saat.

Aat.

No.

Dus.

Banyan.

Okelo.

Pa.

Teen.

Char.

Pauch.

Cha.

Saat.

Aat.

Neend.

Chim.

Ambolanibo.

Rakee.

Rone.

Mamoko.

Efagee.

Fifo.

Cbarta.

Tetoo.

Valoo.

Scene.

Fooloo.

■1-

THE END.

i I