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 L I E> R.A FLY 
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 UNIVERSITY 
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 From the Library of 
 Dr. R. E. Hieronymus 
 1942 
 
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TWO YEARS 
 
 LIFE AT SEA. 
 
 By 
 
 r 
 
 R. H. DANA, Jr. 
 
 - ■ -Crowded in the rank and narrow ship,— 
 
 Housed on the wild sea with wild usages, — 
 
 Whate’er in the inland dales the land conceals 
 Of fair and exquisite, O 1 nothing, nothing, 
 
 Do we behold of that in our rude voyage. 
 
 Coleridge’s Wallenstbi* 
 
 CHICAGO, HEW YORK AND SAN FRANCISCO: 
 
 BELFORD, CLARKE & CO. 
 
 1888 . 
 
SnoraiCtiojGTH 3 ~p? 3T 
 
 5 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 CHAPTER L 
 
 I am unwilling to present this narrative to the public 
 without a few words in explanation of my reasons for pub- 
 lishing it. Since Mr. Cooper’s Pilot and Red Rover, there 
 have been so many stories of sea-life written, that I should 
 really think it unjustifiable in me to add one to the number 
 without being able to give reasons in some measure war- 
 ranting me in so doing. 
 
 With the single exception, as I am quite confident, of 
 Mr. Ames’ entertaining, but hasty and desultory work, 
 called “ Mariner’s Sketches,” all the books professing to 
 give life at sea have been written by persons who have 
 gained their experience as naval officers, or passengers, 
 and of these, there are very few which are intended to be 
 taken as narratives of facts. 
 
 Now, in the first place, the whole course of life, and 
 daily duties, the discipline, habits and customs of a man- 
 of-war are very different from those of the merchant ser- 
 vice ; and in the next place, however entertaining and well 
 written these books may be, and however accurately they 
 may give sea-life as it appears to their authors, it must still 
 be plain to every one that a naval officer, who goes to sea 
 as a gentleman, “ with his gloves on,” (as the phrase is,) 
 and who associates only with his fellow-officers, and hardly 
 speaks to a sailor except through a boatswain’s mate, must 
 
4 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 take a very different view of the whole matter from that 
 which would be taken by a common sailor. 
 
 Besides the interest which every one must feel in 
 exhibitions of life in those forms in which he himself has 
 never experienced it ; there has been, of late years, a great 
 deal of attention directed toward common seamen, and a 
 strong sympathy awakened in their behalf. Yet I believe 
 that, with the single exception which I have mentioned, 
 there has not been a book written, professing to give their 
 life and experiences, by one who has been of them, and 
 can know what their life really is. A voice from the fore- 
 castle has hardly yet been heard. 
 
 In the following pages I desire to give an accurate and 
 authentic narrative of a little more than two years spent 
 as a common sailor, before the mast, in the American mer- 
 chant service. It is written out from a journal which I 
 kept at the time, and from notes which I made of most of 
 the events as they happened ; and in it I have adhered 
 closely to fact in every particular, and endeavored to give 
 each thing its true character. In so doing, I have been 
 obliged occasionally to use strong and coarse expressions, 
 and in some instances to give scenes which may be pain- 
 ful to nice feelings ; but I have very carefully avoided 
 doing so, whenever I have not felt them essential to giving 
 the true character of a scene. My design is, and it is this 
 which has induced me to publish the book, to present the 
 life of a common sailor at sea as it really is, — the light and 
 the dark together. There may be in some parts a good 
 deal that is unintelligible to the general reader ; but I have 
 found from my own experience, and from what I have 
 heard from others, that plain matters of fact in relation to 
 customs and habits of life new to us, and descriptions of 
 life under new aspects, act upon the inexperienced through 
 the imagination, so that we are hardly aware of our want of 
 technical knowledge. Thousands read the escapes of the 
 American frigate through the British channel, and the 
 chase and wreck of the Bristol trader in the Red Rover, 
 and follow the minute nautical manoeuvres with breathless 
 interest, who do not know the name of a rope in the ship,* 
 perhaps with none the less admiration and enthusiasm for 
 their want of acquaintance with the professional detail. 
 
 In preparing this narrative I have carefully avoided in* 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 5 
 
 corporating into it any impressions but those made upon 
 me by the events as they occurred, leaving to my conclud- 
 ing* chapter, to which I shall respectfully call the reader's 
 attention, those views which have been suggested to me by 
 subsequent reflection. 
 
 These reasons, and the advice of a few friends, have 
 led me to give this narrative to the press. If it shall 
 interest the general reader, and call more attention to the 
 welfare of seamen, or give any information as to their real 
 condition, which may serve to raise them in the rank of 
 beings, and to promote in any measure their religious and 
 moral improvement, and diminish the hardships of their 
 daily life, the end of its publication will be answered. 
 
 R. H. Jr. 
 
6 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 DEPARTURE. 
 
 The fourteenth of August was the day fixed upon for 
 the sailing of the brig Pilgrim on her voyage from Boston 
 round Cape Horn to the western coast of North America. 
 As she was to get under weigh early in the afternoon, I 
 made my appearance on board at twelve o’clock, in full 
 sea-rig, and with my chest, containing an outfit for a two 
 or three years’ voyage, which I had undertaken from a 
 determination to cure, if possible, by an entire change of 
 life, and by a long absence from books and study, a weak- 
 ness of the eyes, which had obliged me to give up my pur- 
 suits, and which no medical aid seemed likely to cure. 
 
 The change from the tight dress coat, silk cap and kid 
 gloves of an undergraduate at Cambridge, to the loose 
 duck trowsers, checked shirt and tarpaulin hat of a sailor, 
 though somewhat of a transformation, was soon made, and 
 I supposed that I should pass very well for a jack tar. 
 But it is impossible to deceive the practised eye in these 
 matters ; and while I supposed myself to be looking as salt 
 as Neptune himself, I was, no doubt, known for a lands- 
 man by every one on board as soon as I hove in sight. A 
 sailor has a peculiar cut to his clothes, and a way of wear- 
 ing them which a green hand can never get. The trowsers, 
 tight round the hips, and thence hanging long and loose 
 round the feet, a superabundance of checked shirt, a low- 
 crowned, well varnished black hat, worn on the back of 
 the head, with half a fathom of black ribbon hanging over 
 the left eye, and a peculiar tie to the black silk necker- 
 chief, with sundry other minutiae, are signs, the want of 
 which betray the beginner, at once. Beside the points in 
 my dress which were out of the way, doubtless my com- 
 plexion and hands were enough to distinguish me from the 
 regular salt , who, with a sunburnt cheek, wide step, and 
 rolling gait, swings his bronzed and toughened hands a- 
 thwart-ships, half open, as though just ready to grasp a 
 rope. 
 
 “ With all my imperfections on my head,” I joined the 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 7 
 
 crew, and we hauled out into the stream, and came to 
 anchor for the night. The next day we were employed in 
 preparations for sea, reeving studding-sail gear, crossing 
 royal yards, putting on chafing gear, and taking on board 
 our powder. On the following night, I stood my first 
 watch. I remained awake nearly all the first part df the 
 night from fear that I might not hear when I was called ; 
 and when I went on deck, so great were my ideas of the 
 importance of my trust, that I walked regularly fore and 
 aft the whole length of the vessel, looking out over the 
 bows and taifrail at each turn, and was not a little surprised 
 at the coolness of the old salt whom I called to take my 
 place, in stowing himself snugly away under the long boat, 
 for a nap. That was a sufficient look-out, he thought, for 
 a fine night, at anchor in a safe harbor. 
 
 The next morning was Saturday, and a breeze having 
 sprung up from the southward, we took a pilot on board, 
 hove up our anchor, and began beating down the bay. I 
 took leave of those of my friends who came to see me off, 
 and had barely opportunity to take a last look at the city, 
 and well-known objects, as no time is allowed on board 
 ship for sentiment. As we drew dpwn into the^lower 
 harbor, we found the wind ahead in the bay, and were 
 obliged to come to anchor in the roads. We remained 
 there through the day and a part of the night. My watch 
 began at eleven o’clock at night, and I received orders to 
 call the captain if the wind came out from the westward. 
 About midnight the wind became fair, and having called 
 the captain, I was ordered to call all hands. How I ac- 
 complished this I do not know, but I am quite sure that 
 I did not give the true hoarse, boatswain call* of “ A-a-11 
 ha-a-a-nds ! up anchor, a-ho-oy I ” In a short time every one 
 was in motion, the sails loosed, the yards braced, and we 
 began to heave up the anchor, which was our last hold 
 upon Yankee land. I could take but little partin all these 
 preparations. My little knowledge of a vessel was all at 
 fault. Unintelligible orders were so rapidly given and so 
 immediately executed ; there was such 3 hurrying abont, 
 and such an^intermingling of strange cries and ^stranger 
 actions, that I was completely bewildered. There is not 
 so helpless and pitiable an object in the world as a lands- 
 man beginning a sailors’s life. At length those peculiar, 
 
8 TllV YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 long-drawn sounds, which denote that the crew are heaving 
 at the windlass, began, and in a few moments we were 
 under weigh. The noise of the water thrown from the 
 bows began to be heard, the vessel leaned over from the 
 damp night breeze, and rolled with a heavy ground swell, 
 and we had actually begun our long, long journey. This 
 was literally bidding “ good night ” to my native land. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 The first day we passed at sea was the Sabbath. As 
 we were just from port, and there was a great deal to be 
 done on board, we were kept at work all day, and at night 
 the watchers were set, and everything put into sea order. 
 When we were called aft to be divided into watches, I had 
 a good specimen of the manner of a sea captain. After 
 the division had been made, he gave a short characteristic 
 speech, walking the quarte. deck with a cigar in his mouth, 
 and dropping the words out between the puffs. 
 
 “ Now, my men, we have begun a long voyage. If we 
 get along well together, we shall have a comfortable time ; 
 if we don’t, we shall have hell afloat. — All you’ve got to do 
 is to obey your orders and do your duty like men, — then 
 you’ll fare well enough ; — if you don’t, you’ll fare hard 
 enough, — I can tell you. If we pull together, you’ll find 
 me a clever fellow ; if we don’t, you’ll find me a bloody 
 rascal. — That’s all I’ve got to say. — Go below, the larboard 
 watch ! ” 
 
 I being in the starboard, or second mate’s watch, had 
 
 the opportunity of keeping the first watch at sea. S , 
 
 a young man, making, like myself, his first voyage, was in 
 the same watch, and as he was the son of a professional 
 man, and had been in a counting-room in Boston, we found 
 that we had many friends and topics in common. We 
 talked these matters over; — Boston, what our friends were 
 probably doing, our voyage, etc., until he went to take his 
 turn at the look-out, and left me to myself. I had now a 
 fine time for reflection. I felt for the first time the perfect 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 9 
 
 silence of the sea. The officer was walking the quartei 
 deck, where I had no right to go, one or two men were 
 talking on the forecastle, whom I had little inclination to 
 join, so that I was left open to the full impression of every- 
 thing about me. However much I was affected by the 
 beauty of the sea, the bright stars, and the clouds driven 
 swiftly over them, I could not but remember that I was 
 separating myself from all the social and intellectual enjoy- 
 ments of life. Yet, strange as it may seem, I did then and 
 afterwards take pleasure in these reflections, hoping by 
 them to prevent my becoming insensible to the value of 
 what I was leaving. 
 
 But all my dreams were soon put to flight by an ordei 
 from the officer to trim the yards, as the wind was getting 
 ahead ; and I could plainly see by the looks the sailors 
 occasionally cast to windward, and by the dark clouds that 
 were fast coming up, that we had bad weather to pre- 
 pare for, and had heard the captain say that he expected 
 to be in the Gulf Stream by twelve o’clock. In a few 
 minutes eight bells were struck, the watch called, and we 
 went below. I now began to feel the first discomforts of 
 a sailor’s life. The steerage in which I lived was filled 
 with coils of rigging, spare sails, old junk and ship stores, 
 which had not been stowed away. Moreover, there had 
 been no berths built for us to sleep in, and we were not 
 allowed to drive nails to hang our clothes upon. The sea, 
 too, had risen, the vessel was rolling heavily, and every- 
 thing was pitched about in grand confusion. There was a 
 complete “ hurrah’s nest,” as the sailors say, “ everything 
 on top and nothing at hand.” A large hawser had been 
 coiled away upon my chest ; my hats, boots, mattress and 
 blankets had all fetched away and gone over the leeward, 
 and were jammed and broken under the boxes and coils of 
 rigging. To crown all, we were allowed no light to find 
 anything with, and I was just beginning to feel strong 
 symptoms of sea-sickness, and that listlessness and in- 
 activity which accompany it. Giving up all attempts to 
 collect my things together, I lay down upon the sails, ex- 
 pecting every moment to hear the cry of “ all hands ahoy,” 
 which the approaching storm would soon make necessary. 
 I shortly heard the rain-drops falling on deck, thick and 
 fast, and the watch evidently had their hands full of work, 
 
no TWO T&Ak-S TJLTOliL TUT MAST, 
 
 for I could hear the loud and repeated orders of the mate, 
 the trampling of feet, the creaking of blocks, and all the 
 accompaniments of a coming storm. In a few minutes the 
 slide of the hatch was thrown back, which let down the 
 noise and tumult of the deck still louder, the loud cry of 
 “ All hands, ahoy I tumble up here and take in sail/* 
 saluted our ears, and the hatch was quickly shut again. 
 When I got upon deck, a new scene and a new experience 
 was before me. The little brig was close hauled upon the 
 wind, and lying over, as it then seemed to me, nearly upon 
 her beam ends. The heavy head sea was beating against 
 her bows with the noise and force almost of a sledge ham- 
 mer, and flying over the deck, drenching us completely 
 through. The topsail haliards had been let go, and the 
 great sails were filling out and backing against the masts 
 with a noise like thunder. The wind was whistling through 
 the rigging, loose ropes flying about ; loud and, to me, un- 
 intelligible orders constantly given and rapidly executed, 
 and the sailors “ singing out ” at the ropes in their hoarse 
 and peculiar strains. In addition to all this, I had not got 
 my “ sea legs on,” was dreadfully sick, with hardly strength 
 enough to hold on to anything, and it was “ pitch dark.” 
 This was my state when I was ordered aloft, for the first 
 time, to reef topsails. 
 
 How I got along, I cannot now remember. I “laid 
 out ” on the yards and held on with all my strength. I 
 could not have been of much service, for I remember hav- 
 ing been sick several times before I left the topsail yard. 
 Soon all was snug aloft, and we were again allowed to go 
 below. This I did not consider much of a favor, for the 
 confusion of everything below, and the inexpressible sicken- 
 ing smell, caused by the shaking up of the bilge-water in 
 the hold, made the steerage but an indifferent refuge from 
 the cold, wet decks. I had often read of the nautical ex- 
 periences of others, but I felt as though there could be none 
 worse than mine ; for in addition to every other evil, I 
 could not but remember that this was only the first night 
 of a two year's voyage. When we were on deck we were 
 not much better off, for we were continually ordered about 
 by the officer, who said that it was good for us to be in 
 motion. Yet anything was better than the horrible state 
 of things below. I remember very well going to the hatch- 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 II 
 
 way and putting my head down, when I was oppressed by 
 nausea , and always being relieved immediately. It was as 
 good as an emetic. 
 
 This state of things continued for two days. 
 
 Wednesday , Aug . 20 th. We had the watch on deck 
 from four till eight, this morning. When we came on deck 
 at four o’clock, we found things much changed for the 
 better. The sea and wind had gone down, and the stars 
 were out bright. I experienced a corresponding change 
 in my feelings ; yet continued extremely weak from my 
 sickness. I stood in the waist on the weather side, watch- 
 ing the gradual breaking of the day, and the first streaks 
 of the early light. Much has been said of the sunrise at 
 sea ; but it will not compare with the sunrise on shore. It 
 wants the accompaniments of the songs of birds, the 
 awakening hum of men, and the glancing of the first beams 
 upon trees, hills, spires, and house-tops, to give it life and 
 spirit. But though the actual ?dse of the sun at sea is not 
 so beautiful, yet nothing will compare with the early break- 
 ing of day upon the wide ocean. 
 
 There is something in the first gray streaks stretching 
 along the eastern horizon and throwing an indistinct light 
 upon the face of the deep, which combines with the bound- 
 lessness and unknown depth of the sea around you, and 
 gives one a feeling of loneliness, of dread, and of melan- 
 choly foreboding, which nothing else in nature can give. 
 This gradually passes away as the light grows brighter, 
 and when the sun comes up, the ordinary monotonous sea 
 day begins. 
 
 From such reflections as these, I was aroused by the 
 order from the officer, “ Forward there ! rig the head- 
 pump ! ” I found that no time was allowed for day-dream- 
 ing, but that we must “turn to” at the first light. Hav- 
 ing called up the “ idlers,” namely carpenter, cook, steward, 
 etc., and rigged the pump, we commenced washing down 
 the decks. This operation, which is performed every morn- 
 ing at sea, takes nearly two hours ; and I had hardly strength 
 enough to get through it. After we had finished, swabbed 
 down, and coiled up the rigging, I sat down on the spars, 
 waiting for seven bells, which was the sign for breakfast. 
 The officer, seeing my lazy posture, ordered me to slush the 
 main-mast, from the royal-mast-head, down. The vessel 
 
12 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 was then rolling a little, and I had taken no sustenance 
 for three days, so that I felt tempted to tell him that I 
 had rather wait till after breakfast; but I knew that I 
 must “ take the bull by the horns,” and that if I showed 
 any sign of want of spirit or of backwardness, that I should 
 be ruined at once. So I took my bucket of grease and 
 climbed up to the royal-mast-head. Here the rocking of 
 the vessel, which increases the higher you go from the 
 foot of the mast, which is the fulcrum of the lever, and the 
 smell of the grease, which offended my fastidious senses, 
 upset my stomach again, and I was not a little rejoiced 
 when I got upon the comparative terra firma of the deck. 
 In a few minutes seven bells were struck, the log hove, 
 the watch called, and we went to breakfast. Here I can- 
 not but remember the advice of the cook, a simple-hearted 
 African. “ Now/’ says he, “ my lad, you are well cleaned 
 out; you haven’t got a drop of your ’long-shore swash 
 aboard of you. You must begin on a new tack, — pitch all 
 your sweet-meats overboard, and turn-to upon good hearty 
 salt beef and sea bread, and I’ll promise you, you’ll have 
 your ribs well sheathed, and be as hearty as any of ’em, 
 afore you are up to the Horn.” This would be good ad- 
 vice to give passengers, when they speak of the little nice- 
 ties which they have laid in, in case of sea-sickness. 
 
 I cannot describe the change which half a pound of 
 cold salt beef and a biscuit or two produced in me. I was 
 a new being. We had a watch below until noon, so that I 
 had some time to myself ; and getting a huge piece of 
 strong, cold, salt beef from the cook, I kept gnawing upon 
 it until twelve o’clock. When we went on deck J felt some- 
 what like a man, and could begin to learn my sea duty 
 with considerable spirit. At about two o’clock we heard 
 the loud cry of “sail ho!” from aloft, and soon saw two 
 sails to windward, going directly athwart our hawse. This 
 was the first time that I had seen a sail at sea. I thought 
 then, and have always since, that it exceeds every other 
 sight in interest and beauty. They passed to leeward of 
 us, and out of hailing distance ; but the captain could read 
 the names on their sterns with the glass. They were the 
 ship Helen Mar, of New York, and the brig Mermaid, of 
 Boston. They were both steering westward, and were 
 bound in for our “ dear native land.” 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 T 3 
 
 Thursday Aug 21 st. This day the sun rose clear, we 
 had a fine wind, and everything was bright and cheerful. 
 I had now got my sea legs on, and was beginning to 
 enter upon the regular duties of a sea-life. About six bells, 
 that is,, three o’clock, P. M., we saw a sail on our lar- 
 board bow. I was very anxious, like every new sailor, to 
 speak her. She came down to us, backed her main-top- 
 sail, and the two vessels stood “ head on,” bowing and 
 curvetting at each other like a couple of warhorses reined 
 in by their riders. It was the first vessel that I had seen 
 near, and I was surprised to find how much she rolled and 
 pitched in so quiet a sea. She plunged her head into the 
 sea, and then, her stern settling gradually down, her huge 
 bows rose up, showing the bright copper, and her stern, 
 and brest-hooks dripping, like old Neptune’s locks, with 
 the brine. Her decks were filled with passengers who had 
 come up at the cry of “ sail ho,” and who by their dress 
 and features appeared to be Swiss and French emigrants. 
 She hailed us in French, but receiving no answer, 
 she tried us in English. She was the ship “ La Carolina,” 
 from Havre, for New York, We desired her to report 
 the brig Pilgrim, from Boston, for the northwest coast of 
 America, five days out. She then filled away and left us 
 to plough on through our waste of waters. This day en- 
 ded pleasantly ; we had got into regular and comfortable 
 weather, and into that -routine of sea-life which is only 
 broken by a storm, a sail, or the sight of land. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 A$ we had now a long “ spell” of fine weather, without 
 any incident to break the monotony of our lives, there 
 can be no better place to describe the duties, regulations, 
 and customs of an American merchantman, of which ours 
 was a fair specimen. 
 
 The captain, in the first place, is lord paramount. He 
 stands no watch, comes and goes when he pleases, and is 
 accountable to no one, and must be obeyed in everything, 
 without a question, even from his chief officer. He has 
 
14 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 the power to turn his officers off duty, and even to break 
 them and make them do duty as sailors in the forecastle. 
 Where there are no passengers and no supercargo, as in 
 our vessel, he has no companion but his own dignity, and 
 no pleasures, unless he differs from most of his kind, but 
 the consciousness of possessing supreme power, and, oc- 
 casionally, the exercise of it. 
 
 The prime minister, the official organ, and the active 
 and superintending officer, is the chief mate. He is first 
 lieutenant, boatswain, sailing-master, and quarter-master. 
 The captain tells him what he wishes to have done, and 
 leaves to him the care of overseeing, of allotting the work, 
 and also the responsibility of its being well done. The 
 mate (as he is always called, par excellence) also keeps the 
 log-book, for which he is responsible to the owners and in- 
 surers, and has the charge of the stowage, safe keeping, 
 and delivery of the cargo. He is also, cx-officio, the wit 
 of the crew ; for the captain does not condescend to joke 
 with the men, and the second mate no one cares for; so 
 that when “the mate” thinks fit to entertain “ the people” 
 with a coarse joke or a little practical wit, every one feels 
 bound to laugh. 
 
 The second mate's is proverbially a dog's berth. He 
 is neither officer nor man. The men do not respect him 
 as an officer, and he is obliged to go aloft to reef and furl 
 the topsails, and to put his hands into the tar and slush, 
 with the rest. The crew call him the “ sailor's waiter,” as 
 he has to furnish them with spun-yarn, marline, and all 
 other stuffs that they need in their work, and has charge of 
 the boatswain's locker, which includes serving-boards, mar- 
 line-spikes, etc. etc. He is expected by the captain to 
 maintain his dignity and to enforce obedience, and still is 
 kept at a great distance from the mate, and obliged to work 
 with the crew. He is one to whom little is given and of 
 whom much is required. His wages are usually double 
 those of a common sailor, and he eats and sleeps in the 
 cabin ; but he is obliged to be on deck nearly all his time, 
 and eats at the second table, that is, makes a meal out of 
 what the captain and chief mate leave. 
 
 The steward is the captain's servant, and has charge of 
 the pantry, from which every one, even the mate himself, 
 is excluded. These distinctions usually find him an enemy 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 '5 
 
 in the mate, who does not like to have any one on board 
 who is not entirely under his control ; the crew do not con- 
 sider him as one of their number, so he is left to the mercy 
 of the captain. 
 
 The cook is the patron of the crew, and those who are 
 in his favor can get their wet mittens and stockings dried, 
 or light their pipes at the galley in the night watch. These 
 two worthies, together with the carpenter and sailmaker, if 
 there be one, stand no watch, but, being employed all day, 
 are allowed to “ sleep in” at night unless all hands are 
 called. 
 
 The crew are divided into two divisions, as equally as 
 may be, called the watches. Of these the chief mate com- 
 mands the larboard, and the second mate the starboard. 
 They divide the time between them, being on and off duty, 
 or, as it is called, on deck and below, every other four 
 hours. If, for instance, the chief mate with the larboard 
 watch have the first night-watch from eight to twelve ; at 
 the end of the four hours, the starboard watch is called, 
 and the second mates takes the deck while the larboard 
 watch and the first mate go below until four in the morning, 
 when they come on deck again and remain until eight ; hav- 
 ing what is called the morning watch. As they will have 
 been on deck eight hours out of the twelve, while those 
 who had the middle watch — from twelve to four, will only 
 have been up four hours, they have what is called a “ fore- 
 noon watch below,” that is, from eight, A.M., till twelve, 
 M. In a man-of-war, and in some merchantmen^ this alter- 
 nation of watches is kept up throughout the twenty-four 
 hours ; but our ship, like most merchantmen, had “ all 
 hands ” from twelve o’clock till dark, except in bad weather, 
 when we had “ watch and watch.” 
 
 An explanation of the “ dog watches” may, perhaps, be 
 of use to one who has never been at sea. They are to 
 shift the watches each night, so that the same watch need 
 not be on deck at the same hours. In order to effect this, 
 the watch from four to eight, P. M., is divided into two half, 
 or dog watches, one from four to six, and the other from 
 six to eight. By this means they divide the twenty four 
 hours into seven watches instead of six , and thus shift the 
 hours every night. As the dog-watches come during twi- 
 light, after the day’s work is done, and before the night 
 
1 6 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 watch is set, they are the watches in which everybody is on 
 deck. The captain is up, walking on the weather side of 
 the quarter-deck, the chief mate on the lee side, and the 
 second mate about the weather gangway. The steward has 
 finished his work in the cabin, and has come up to smoke 
 his pipe with the cook in the galley. The crew are sitting 
 on the windless or lying on the forecastle, smoking, singing, 
 or telling long yarns. At eight o’clock, eight bells are 
 struck, the log is hove, the watch set, the wheel relieved, 
 the galley shut up, and the other watch goes below. 
 
 The morning commences with the watch on deck’s 
 “ turning-to” at day-break and washing down, scrubbing, and 
 swabbing the decks. This, together with filling the “ scuttled 
 butt” with fresh water, and coiling up the rigging, usually 
 occupies the time until seven bells, (half after seven,) when 
 all hands get breakfast. At eight, the day’s work begins, 
 and lasts until sundown, with the exception of an hour for 
 dinner. 
 
 Before I end my explanations, it may be well to define 
 a day's work, and to correct a mistake prevalent among 
 landsmen about a sailor’s life. Nothing is more common 
 than to hear people say — “Are not sailors very idle at 
 sea ? — what can they find to do ? ” This is a very natural 
 mistake, and being very frequently made, it is one which 
 every sailor feels interested in having corrected. In the 
 first place, then, the discipline of the ship requires every 
 man to be at work upon something when he is on deck, ex- 
 cept at night and on Sundays. Except at these times, you 
 will never see a man, on board a well-ordered vessel, stand- 
 ing idle on deck, sitting down, or leaning over the side. 
 It is the officers’ duty to keep every one at work, even if 
 there is nothing to be done but to scrape the rust from the 
 chain cables. In no state prison are the convicts more 
 regularly set to work, and more closely watched. No con- 
 versation is allowed among the crew at their duty, and 
 though they frequently do talk when aloft, or when near 
 one another, yet they always stop when an officer is nigh. 
 
 With regard to the work upon which., the men are put, 
 it is a matter which probably would not be understood by 
 one who has not been at sea. When I first left port, and 
 found that we were kept regularly employed for a week or 
 twc, I supposed that we were getting the vessel into sea 
 
TWO YEARS BMEORE SUE MAST. 
 
 n 
 
 trim and that it would soon be over, and we should have 
 nothing to do but to sail the ship ; but I found that it con- 
 tinued so for two years, and at the end of the two years there 
 was as much to be done as ever. As has often been said, a 
 ship is like a lady’s watch, always out of repair. When first 
 leaving port, studding-sail gear is to be rove, all the running 
 rigging to be examined, that which is unfit for use to be 
 got down, and new rigging rove in its place : then the 
 standing rigging it to be overhauled, replaced, and repaired, 
 in a thousand different ways; and wherever any of the 
 numberless ropes or the yards are chafing or wearing upon 
 it, there “ chafing gear,” as it is called, must be put on. 
 This chafing gear consists of worming, parcelling, round- 
 ings, battens, and service of all kinds — both rope-yarns, 
 spun-yarn, marline, and seizing-stuffs. Taking off, putting 
 on, and mending the chafing gear alone, upon a vessel, 
 would find constant employment for two or three men, dur- 
 ing working hours, for a whole voyage. 
 
 The next point to be considered is, that all the “ small 
 stuffs ” which are used on board a ship — such as spun- 
 yarn, marline, seizing-stuff, etc., etc., — are made on board. 
 The owners of a vessel buy up incredible quantities of 
 “ old junk,” which the sailors unlay, after drawing out the 
 yarns, knot thorn together, and roll them up in balls. These 
 “ rope-yarns” are constantly used for various purposes, but 
 the greater part is manufactured into spun-yarn. For this 
 purpose every vessel is furnished with a “ spun-yarn winch ;” 
 which is very simple, consisting of a wheel and spindle. 
 This may be heard constantly going on deck in pleasant 
 weather ; and we had employment, during a great part of 
 the time, for three hands in drawing and knotting yarns, 
 and making spun-yarn. 
 
 Another method of employing the crew is, “ setting up” 
 Whenever any of the standing rigging becomes 
 slack, (which is continually happening,) the seizing and 
 coverings must be taken off, tackles got up, and after the 
 rigging is bowsed well taught, the seizings and coverings 
 replaced ; which is a very nice piece of work. There is 
 also such a connection between different parts of a vessel, 
 that one rope can seldom be touched without altering an- 
 other. You cannot stay a mast aft by the back stays, with- 
 out slacking up the head stays, etc., etc. If we add to this 
 
j3 two years before the mast . 
 
 all the tarring, greasing, oiling, varnishing, painting, scrap- 
 ing, and scrubbing which is required in the course of a 
 long voyage, and also remember this is all to be done in 
 addition to watching at night, steering, reefing, furling, 
 bracing, making and setting sail, and pulling, hauling and 
 climbing in every direction, one will hardly ask, 44 What 
 can a sailor find to do at sea? 99 
 
 If, after all this labor — after exposing their lives and 
 limbs in storms, wet and cold, 
 
 “ Wherein the cub-drawn bear would couch ; 
 
 The lion and the belly-pinched wolf 
 
 Keep their furs dry ; — ” 
 
 # 
 
 the merchants and captains think that they have not earned 
 their twelve dollars a month, (out of which they clothe 
 themselves,) and their salt beef and hard bread; that they 
 keep them picking oakum — ad infinitum. This is the usual 
 resource upon a rainy day, for then it will not do to work 
 upon rigging ; and when it is pouring down in floods, in- 
 stead of letting the sailors stand about in sheltered places, 
 and talk, and keep themselves comfortable, they are sepa- 
 rated to different parts of the ship and kept at work pick- 
 ing oakum. I have seen oakum stuff placed about in dif- 
 ferent parts of the ship, so that the sailors might not be 
 idle in the snatches between the frequent squalls upon cros- 
 si Hg the equator. Some officers have been so driven to 
 find work for the crew in a ship ready for sea, that they 
 have set them to pounding the anchors (often done) and 
 scraping the chain cables. The 44 Philadelphia Catechism” 
 is, 
 
 Six days shalt thou labor and do all that thou art able, 
 
 And on the seventh — holystone the decks and scrape the cable.” 
 
 This kind of work, of course, is not kept up off Cape 
 Horn, Cape of Good Hope, and in extreme north and 
 south latitudes ; but I have seen the decks washed down 
 and scrubbed, when the water would have frozen if it had 
 been fresh ; and all hands kept at work upon the rigging, 
 w^hen we had on our pea-jackets, and our hands so numb 
 that we could hardly hold our marline-spikes. 
 
 I have here gone out of my narrative course in order 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 19 
 
 that any who read this may form as correct an idea of a 
 sailor’s life and duty as possible. I have done it in this 
 place because, for some time, our life was nothing but the 
 unvarying repetition of these duties, which can be better 
 described together. Before leaving this description, how- 
 ever, I would state, in order to show landsmen how little 
 they know of the nature of a ship, that a ship-carpenter is 
 kept in constant employ during good weather on board 
 vessels which are in, what is called, perfect sea order. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 After speaking the “ Carolina,” on the 21st. August, 
 nothing occurred to break the monotony of our life until 
 Friday , September 5th, when we saw a sail on our 
 weather (starboard) beam. She proved to be a brig under 
 English colors, and passing under our stern, reported her- 
 self as forty-nine days from Buenos Ayres, bound to Liver- 
 pool. Before she had passed us, “ sail ho ! ” was cried 
 again, and we made another sail, far on our weather bow, 
 and steering athwart our hawse. She passed out of hail, 
 but we made her out to be an hermaphrodite brig, with 
 Brazilian colors in her main rigging. By her course, she 
 must have been bound from Brazil to the south of Europe, 
 probably Portugal, 
 
 Sunday , Sept. jih. Fell in with the northeast trade 
 winds. This morning we caught our first dolphin, which 
 I was very eager to see. I was disappointed in the colors 
 of this fish when dying. They were certainly very beauti- 
 ful, but not equal to what has been said of them. They 
 are too indistinct. To do the fish justice, there is nothing 
 more beautiful than the dolphin when swimming a few 
 feet below the surface, on a bright day. It is the most 
 elegantly formed, and also the quickest fish, in salt water; 
 and the rays of the sun striking upon it, in its rapid and 
 changing motions, reflected from the water, make it look 
 like a stray beam from a rainbow. 
 
 ^bis day was spent like all pleasant Sabbaths at sea. 
 
20 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 The decks are washed down, the rigging coiled up, and 
 everything put in order ; and throughout the day, only one 
 watch is kept on deck at a time. The men are all dressed 
 in their best white duck trowsers, and red or checked 
 shirts, and have nothing to do but to make the necessary 
 changes in the sails. They employ themselves in reading, 
 talking, smoking, and mending their clothes. If the 
 weather is pleasant, they bring their work and their books 
 upon deck, and sit down upon the forecastle and windlass. 
 This is the only day on which these privileges are allowed 
 them. When Monday comes, they put on their tarry 
 trowsers again, and prepare for six days of labor. 
 
 To enhance the value of the Sabbath to the crew, they 
 are allowed on that day a pudding, or as it is called a 
 “duff.” This is nothing more than flower boiled with 
 water, and eaten with molasses. It is very heavy, dark, 
 and clammy, yet it is looked upon as a luxury, and really 
 forms an agreeable variety with salt beef and pork. Many 
 a rascally captain has made friends of his crew by allow- 
 ing them duff twice a week on the passage home. 
 
 On board some vessels this is made a day of instruc- 
 tion and of religious exercises ; but we had a crew of 
 swearers, from the captain to the smallest boy ; and a day 
 of rest, and of something like quiet, social enjoyment, was 
 all that we could expect. 
 
 We continued running large before the northeast trade 
 winds for several days, until Monday — 
 
 September 22 d ; when, upon coming on deck at seven 
 bells in the morning, we found the other watch aloft throw- 
 ing water upon the sails ; and looking astern, we saw a 
 small clipper-built brig with a black hull heading directly 
 after us. We went to work immediately, and put all the 
 canvass upon the brig which we could get upon her, rigging 
 out oars for studding-sail yards ; and continued wetting 
 down the sails by buckets of water whipped up to the mast- 
 head, until about nine o'clock, when there came on a driz- 
 zling rain. The vessel continued in pursuit, changing her 
 course as we changed ours, to keep before the wind. The 
 captain, who watched her with his glass, said that she was 
 armed, and full of men and showed no colors. We con- 
 tinued running dead before the wind, knowing that we sail- 
 ed better so, and that clippers are fastest o?i the wind. 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 21 
 
 We had also another advantage. The wind was light, and 
 we spread more canvas than she did, having royals and 
 sky-sails fore and aft, and ten studding-sails ; while she, 
 being an hermaphrodite brig, had only a gaff topsail, aft. 
 Early in the morning she was overhauling us a little, but 
 after the rain came on and the wind grew lighter, we began 
 to leave her astern. All hands remained on deck through- 
 out the day, and we got our arms in order; but we were 
 too few to have done anything with her, if she had proved 
 to be what we feared. Fortunately there was no moon, 
 and the night which followed was exceedingly dark, so that 
 by putting out all the lights on board and altering our 
 course four points, we hoped to get out of her reach. We 
 had no light in the binnacle, but steered by the stars, and 
 kept perfect silence through the night. At day-break there 
 was no sign of anything in the horizon, and we kept the 
 vessel off to her course. 
 
 Wednesday, October ist. Crossed the equator in long 
 24 0 24' W. I now, for the first time, felt at liberty, ac- 
 cording to the old usage, to call myself a son of Neptune, 
 and was very glad to be able to claim the title without the 
 disagreeable initiation which so many have to go through. 
 After once crossing the line you can never be subjected to 
 the process, but are considered as a son of Neptune, with 
 full powers to play tricks upon others. This ancient 
 custom is now seldom allowed, unless there are passen- 
 gers on board, in which case there is always a good deal 
 of sport. 
 
 It had been obvious to all hands for some time that the 
 second mate, whose name was Foster, was an idle, careless 
 fellow, and not much of a sailor, and that the captain was 
 exceedingly dissatisfied with him. The power of the cap- 
 tain in these cases was well known, and we all anticipated 
 a difficulty. Foster (called Mr. by virtue of his office) 
 was but half a sailor, having always been short voyages 
 and remained at home a long time between them. His 
 father was a man of some property, and intended to have 
 given his son a liberal education ; but he, being idle and 
 worthless, was sent off to sea, and succeded no better 
 there ; for, unlike many scamps, he had none of the qua- 
 li ties of a sailor — he was “not of the stuff that they make 
 sailors of.” He was one of that class of officers who are 
 
22 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 disliked by their captain and despised by the crew. He 
 used to hold long yarns with the crew, and talk about the 
 captain, and play with the boys, and relax discipline in 
 every way. This kind of conduct always makes the cap- 
 tain suspicious, and is never pleasant in the end, to the 
 men ; they preferring to have an officer active, vigilant, and 
 distant as may be, with kindness. Among other bad prac- 
 tices, he frequently slept on his watch, and having been 
 discovered asleep by the captain, he was told that he 
 would be turned off duty if he did it again. To prevent it 
 in every way possible the hen-coops were ordered to be 
 knocked up, for the captain never sat down on deck him- 
 self, and never permitted an officer to do so, 
 
 The second night after crossing the equator, we had 
 the watch from eight till twelve, and it was “ my helm ” 
 for the last two hours. There had been light squalls 
 through the night, and the captain told Mr. Foster, who 
 commanded our watch, to keep a bright look-out. Soon 
 after I came to the helm, I found that he was quite drowsy, 
 and at last he stretched himself on the companion and 
 went fast asleep. Soon afterwards, the captain came very 
 quietly on deck, and stood by me for some time looking at 
 the compass. The officer at length became aware of the 
 captain’s presence, but pretending not to know it, began 
 humming and whistling to himself, to show that he was 
 not asleep, and went forward, without looking behind him, 
 and ordered the main royal to be loosed. On turning 
 round to come aft, he pretended surprise at seeing the 
 master on deck. This would not do. The captain was 
 too “ wide awake ” for him, and beginning upon him at 
 once, gave him a grand blow-up, in true nautical style — 
 “ You’re a lazy, good for nothing rascal ; you’re neither 
 man, boy, soger, nor sailor ! you’re no more than a thing 
 aboard a vessel ! you don’t earn your salt ! you’re worse 
 than a Mahon soger ! ” and other still more choice ex- 
 tracts from the sailor’s vocabulary. After the poor fellow 
 had taken this harrangue ; he was sent into his state-room, 
 and the captain stood the rest of the watch himself. 
 
 At seven bells in the morning, all hands were called 
 aft and told that Foster was no longer an officer on board 
 and that we might choose one of our number for second 
 mate. It is usual for the captain to make this offer, and 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAS l. 
 
 2 3 
 
 it is very good policy, for the crew think themselves 
 the choosers and are flattered by it, but have to obey, 
 nevertheless. Our crew, as is usual, refused t«o take the 
 responsibility of choosing a man of whom we would never 
 be able to complain, and left it to the captain. He picked 
 out an active and intelligent young sailor, born near the 
 Kennebec, who had been several Canton voyages, and 
 proclaimed him in the following manner : “ I choose Jim 
 Hall — he’s your second mate. All you’ve got to do is, to 
 obey him as you would me ; and remember that he is Mr. 
 Hall.” Foster went forward into the forecastle as a com- 
 mon sailor, and lost the handle to his name , while young 
 fore-mast Jim became Mr. Hall, and took up his quarters 
 in the land of knives and forks and tea-cups. 
 
 Swiday , October $th. It was our morning watch ; when, 
 soon after the day began to break, a man on the forecas- 
 tle called out, “ Land ho ! ” I had never heard the cry be- 
 fore, and did not know what it meant, (and few would sus- 
 pect what the words were, when hearing the strange sound 
 for the first time), but I soon found, by the direction of 
 all eyes, that there was land stretching along on our 
 weather beam. We immediately took in studding-sails 
 and hauled our wind, running for the land. This was done 
 to determine our longitude ; for by the captain’s chrono- 
 meter we were in 250 W., but by his observations we were 
 much farther, and he had been for some time in doubt 
 whether it was his chronometer or his sextant which was 
 out of order. This land-fall settled the matter, and the 
 former instrument was condemned, and becoming still 
 worse, was never afterwards used. 
 
 As we ran in towards the coast, we found that we were 
 directly off the port of Pernambuco, and could see with 
 the telescope the roofs of the houses, and one large church, 
 and the town of Olinda. We ran along by the mouth of 
 the harbor, and saw a full-rigged brig going in. At two, 
 P. M., we again kept off before the wind, leaving the land 
 on our quarter, and at sun-down, it was out of sight. It 
 was here that I first saw one of those singular things 
 called catamarans. They are composed of logs lashed 
 together upon the water ; have one large sail, are quite 
 fast, and, strange as it may seem, are trusted as good sea 
 boats. We saw several, with from one to three men in 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 24 
 
 each, boldly putting out to sea, after it had become al 
 most dark. The Indians go out in them after fish, and as 
 the weather is regular in certain seasons, they have no 
 fear. After taking a new departure from Olinda, we kept 
 off on our way to Cape Horn. 
 
 We met with nothing remarkable until we were in the 
 latitude of the river La Plata. Here there are violent 
 gales from the southwest, called Pomperos, which are 
 very destructive to the shipping in the river, and are felt 
 for many leagues at sea. They are usually preceded by 
 lightning. The captain told the mates to keep a bright 
 look-out, and if they saw lightning at the southwest, to 
 take in sail at once. We got the first touch of one during 
 my watch on deck. I was walking in the lee gangway, 
 and thought that I saw lighting on the bow. I told the 
 second mate, who came over and looked out for some 
 time. It was very black in the southwest, and in about 
 ten minutes we saw a distinct flash. The wind, which had 
 been southeast, had now left us, and it was dead calm. 
 We sprang aloft immediately and furled the royals and 
 top-gallant-sails, and took in the flying jib, hauled up the 
 mainsail and trysail, squared the after yards, and awaited 
 the attack. A huge mist capped with black cloud came 
 driving towards us, extending over that quarter of the 
 horizon, and covering the stars, which shone brightly in 
 the other part of the heavens. It came upon us at once 
 with a blast, and a shower of hail and rain, which almost 
 took our breath from us. The hardiest was obliged to 
 turn his back. We let the halyards run, and fortunately 
 were not taken aback. The little vessel “ paid off ” from 
 the wind, and ran on for some time directly before it, 
 tearing through the water with everything flying. Having 
 called all hands, we close reefed the top-sails and try- 
 sail, furled the courses and jib, set the fore-top-mast stay-, 
 sail, and brought her up nearly to her course, with the 
 weather braces hauled in a little, to ease her. 
 
 This was the first blow, that I had seen, which could 
 really be called a gale. We had reefed our topsails in the 
 Gulf Stream, and I thought it something serious, but an 
 older sailor would have thought nothing of it. As I had 
 now become used to the vessel and to my duty, I was of 
 some service on a yard, and could knot my reef-point as 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 *5 
 
 well as anybody, I obeyed the order to lay* aloft with the 
 rest, and found the reefing a very exciting scene ; for one 
 watch reefed the fore-topsail, and the other the main, and 
 everyone did his utmost to get his topsail hoisted first 
 We had a great advantage over the larboard watch, be 
 cause the chief mate never goes aloft, while our new se- 
 cond mate used to jump into the rigging as soon as we 
 began to haul out the reef-tackle, and have the weather 
 earing passed before there was a man upon the yard. In 
 this way we were almost always able to raise the cry of 
 “ Haul out to leeward ” before them, and having knotted 
 our points, would slide dcwn the shrouds and back-stays, 
 and sing out at the topsail halyards to let it be known 
 that we were ahead of them. Reefing is the most ex- 
 citing part of a sailors duty. All hands are engaged 
 upon it, and after the halyards are let go, there is oo time 
 to be lost — no “ sogering,” or hanging back, then. If one 
 is not quick enough, another runs over him. The first on 
 the yard goes to the weather earing, the second to the 
 lee, and the next two to the “ dog’s ears ; ” while the others 
 lay along into the bunt, just giving each other elbow-room. 
 In reefing, the yard-arms (the extremes of the yards) are 
 the posts of honor ; but in furling, the strongest and most 
 experienced stand in the slings, (or, middle of the yard), 
 to make up the bunt. If the second mate is a smart 
 fellow, he will never let any one take either of these posts 
 from him ; but if he is wanting either in seamanship, 
 strength, or activity, some better man will get the bunt 
 and earings from him ; which immediately brings him into 
 disrepute. 
 
 We remained for the rest of the night, and throughout 
 the next day, under the same close sail, for it continued 
 to blow very fresh ; and though we had no more hail, yet 
 there was a soaking rain, and it was quite cold and un 
 comfortable ; the more so, because we were not prepared 
 for cold weather, but had on our thin clothes. We were 
 
 •This word u lay,” which is in such general use on board ship, be- 
 ing used in giving orders instead of “go;” as R' Lay forward!** 
 u Lay aft I M “Lay aloft! ” etc., I do not understand to be the neutei 
 verb lie , mispronounced, but to be the active verb lay , with the ob- 
 jective case understood ; as, u Lay yourselves forward ! ” Lay your 
 •elves aft 1 ” etc. 
 
2D 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 glad to get a watch below, and put on our thick clothing, 
 boots, and south-westers. Towards sundown the gale 
 moderated a little, and it began to clear off in the south- 
 west. We shook our reefs out, one by one, and before 
 midnight had top-gallant sails upon her. 
 
 We had now made up our minds for Cape Horn and 
 cold weather, and entered upon every necessary prepara- 
 tion. 
 
 Tuesday , Nov. \th. At daybreak, saw land upon our 
 larboard quarter. There were two islands, of different 
 size but of the same shape ; rather high, beginning low at 
 the waters edge, and running with a curved ascent to the 
 middle. They were so far off as to be of a deep blue 
 color, and in a few hours we sank them in the northeast. 
 These were the Falkland Islands. We had run between 
 them and the main land of Patagonia. At sunset the 
 second mate, who was at the masthead, said that he saw 
 land on the starboard bow. This must have been the 
 island of Staten Land ; and we were now in the region of 
 Cape Horn, with a fine breeze from the northward, top- 
 mast and top-gallant studding-sails set, and every pros- 
 pect of a speedy and pleasant passage round. 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 Wednesday, Nov. 5TH. The weather was fine during 
 ♦he previous night, and we had a clear view of the Magel- 
 lan Clouds, and of the Southern Cross. The Magellan 
 clouds consist of three small nebulse in the southern part 
 of the heavens, — two bright, like the milky-way, and one 
 dark. These are first seen, just above the horizon, soon 
 after crossing the southern tropic. When off Cape Horn, 
 the/ are nearly over head. The cross is composed of four 
 sta s in that form, and is said to be the brightest constel- 
 lation in the heavens. 
 
 During the first part of this day (Wednesday) the wind 
 was light, but after noon it came on fresh, and we furled 
 the royals. We still kept the studding-sails out, and the 
 captain said he should go round with them, if he could. 
 Just before eight o’clock (then about sun-down, in that 
 
mm m total 
 
 SHOWN AT- TQ? 
 
 I A aooo.401 
 
 I A 0.000.02 + 
 
 'I A 0.000.33 S 
 
 i a mm.27 + 
 
 I A 0.000.11 + 
 
 8 3 3 7 2 7 65 
 
 ij. 
 
 DRUG STORES 
 
 -J 7 07 V 07- 0? 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 2 7 
 
 latitude) the cry of “ All hands ahoy ! ” was sounded 
 down the fore scuttle and the after hatchway, and hurry- 
 ing upon deck, we found a large black cloud rolling on 
 toward us from the southwest, and blackening the whole 
 heavens. “ Here comes Cape Horn ! ” said the chief 
 mate ; and we had hardly time to haul down and clew up, 
 before it was upon us. In a few moments, a heavier sea 
 was raised than I had ever seen before, and as it was 
 directly ahead, the little brig, which was no better than a 
 bathing machine, plunged into it, and all the forward part 
 of her was under water ; the sea pouring in through the 
 bow-ports and hawse-hole and over the knight-heads, 
 threatening to wash everything overboard. In the lee 
 scuppers it was up to a man’s waist. We sprang aloft and 
 double reefed the topsails, and furled all the other sails, 
 and made all snug. But this would not do ; the brig was 
 laboring and straining against the head sea, and the gale 
 was growing worse and worse. At the same time sleet 
 and hail were driving with all fury against us. We clewed 
 down, and hauled out the reef-tackles again, and close- 
 reefed the fore-topsail, and furled the main, and hove her 
 to on the starboard tack. Here was an end to our fine 
 prospects. We made up our minds to head winds and 
 cold weather; sent down the royal yards and unrove the 
 gear; but all the rest of the top hamper remained aloft, 
 even to the sky-sail mast’s and studding-sail boom. 
 
 Throughout the night it stormed violently — rain, hail, 
 snow, and sleet beating upon the vessel — the wind con- 
 tinuing ahead, and the sea running high. At day-break 
 (about three, A. M.) the deck was covered with snow. 
 The captain sent up the steward with a glass of grog to 
 each of the watch ; and all the time that we were off the 
 Cape, grog was given to the morning watch, and to all 
 hands whenever we reefed topsails. The clouds cleared 
 away at sunrise, and the wind becoming more fair, we 
 again made and stood nearly up to our course. 
 
 Thursday Nov . 6th, It continued more pleasant 
 through the first part of the day, but at night we had the 
 same scene over again. This time, we did not heave to, 
 as on the night before, but endeavored to beat the wind- 
 ward under close-reefed topsails, balance-reefed trysail, 
 and fore top-mast staysail. This night it was my turn to 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 2 & 
 
 Bteer, or, as the sailors say, my trick at the helm, for 
 two hours. Inexperienced as I was, I made out to steer 
 to the satisfaction of the officer, and neither S nor my- 
 
 self gave up our tricks, all the time that we were off the 
 Cape. This was something to boast of, for it req i'res a 
 good deal of skill and watchfulness to steer a vessel close 
 hauled, in a gale of wind, against a heavy head sea. 
 “ Ease her when she pitches,” is the word ; and a little 
 carelessness in letting her ship a heavy sea, might sweep 
 the decks, or knock the masts out of her. 
 
 Friday Nov . 7th. Towards morning the wind went 
 down, and during the whole forenoon we lay tossing about 
 in a dead calm, and in the midst of a thick fog. The 
 calms here are unlike those in most parts of the world, for 
 there is always such a high sea running, and the periods 
 of calm are so short, that it has no time to go down ; and 
 vessels, being under no command of sails or rudder, lie 
 like logs upon the water. We were obliged to steady the 
 booms and yards by guys and bracks, and to lash every- 
 thing well below. We now found our top hamper of some 
 use, for though it is liable to be carried away or sprung 
 by the sudden “ bringing up” of a vessel when pitching in 
 a chopping sea, yet it is a great help in steadying a vessel 
 when rolling in a long swell ; giving more slowness, ease, 
 and regularity to the motion. 
 
 The calm of the morning reminds me of a scene which 
 I forgot to describe at the time of its occurrence, but 
 which I remember from its being the first time that I had 
 heard the near breathing of whales. It was on the night 
 that we passed between the Falkland Islands and Staten 
 Land. We had the watch from twelve to four, and com- 
 ing upon deck, found the little brig lying perfectly still, 
 surrounded by a thick fog, and the sea as smooth as 
 though oil had been poured upon it ; yet now and then a 
 long, low swell rolling over its surface slightly lifting the ves- 
 sel, but without breaking the glassy smoothness of the water. 
 We were surrounded far and near by shoals of sluggish 
 whales and grampuses, which the fog prevented our see- 
 ing, rising slowly to the surface, or perhaps lying out at 
 length, heaving out those peculiar lazy, deep, and long- 
 drawn breathings which give such an impression of supine- 
 oess and strength. Some of the watch were asleep, and 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 29 
 
 the others were perfectly still, so that there was nothing to 
 break the illusion, and 1 stood leaning over the bulwarks, 
 listening to the slow breathings of the mighty creatures — • 
 now one breaking the water just alongside, whose black 
 body I almost fancied that I could see through the fog; 
 and again another, which I could just hear in the distance 
 * — until the low and regular swell seemed like the heaving 
 of the ocean’s mighty bosom to the sound of its heavy and 
 long-drawn respirations. 
 
 Towards the evening of this day, (Friday 7th,) the fog 
 cleared off, and we had every appearance of a cold blow; 
 and soon after sun-down it came on. Again it was clew 
 up and haul down, reef and furl, until we had got her 
 down to close-reefed topsails, double-reefed trysail, and 
 reefed fore spenser. Snow, hail, and sleet were driving 
 upon us most of the night, and the sea breaking over the 
 bows and covering the forward part of the little vessel ; 
 but as she would lay her course the captain refused to 
 heave her to. 
 
 Saturday, Nov . 8 th. This day commenced with calm 
 and thick fog, and ended with hail, snow, a violent wind, 
 and close-reefed topsails. 
 
 Sunday , Nov. gth. To-day the sun rose clear, and 
 continued so until twelve o’clock, when the captain got an 
 observation. This was very well for Cape Horn, and we 
 thought it a little remarkable that, as we had not had one 
 unpleasant Sunday during the whole voyage, the only 
 tolerable day here should be a Sunday. We got time to 
 clear up the steerage and forecastle, and set things to 
 rights, and to overhaul our wet clothes a little. But this 
 did not last very long. Between five and six — the sun 
 was then nearly three hours high — the cry of “All star- 
 bowlines ahoy! ” summoned our watch on deck ; and im- 
 mediately all hands were called. A true specimen of 
 Cape Horn was coming upon us. A great cloud of a dark 
 slate-color was driving on us from the southwest ; and we 
 did our best to take in sail (for the light sails had been set 
 during the first part of the day), before we were in the 
 midst of it. We had got the light sails furled, the courses 
 hauled up, and the topsail reef-tackles hauled ouf, and 
 were just mounting the fore-rigging, when the storm struck 
 us. In an instant the sea, which had been comparatively 
 
3 ° 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 quiet, was running higher and higher ; and it became 
 almost as dark as night. The hail and sleet were harder 
 than I had yet felt them ; seeming almost to pin us down 
 to the rigging. We were longer taking in sail than ever 
 before ; for the sails were stiff and wet, the ropes and rig- 
 ging covered with snow and sleet, and we ourselves cold 
 and nearly blinded with the violence of the storm. By 
 the time we had got down upon deck again, the little brig 
 was plunging madly into a tremendous head sea, which at 
 every drive rushed in through the bow-ports and over the 
 bows, and buried all the forward part of the vessel. At 
 this instant the chief mate, who was standing on the top 
 of the* windlass, at the foot of the spenser mast, called out, 
 “ Lay out there and furl the jib ! ” This was no agreeable 
 or safe duty, yet it must be done. An old Swede (the 
 best sailor on board), who belonged on the forecastle, 
 sprang out upon the bowsprit. Another one must go : I 
 was near the mate, and sprang forward, threw the down- 
 haul over the windlass, and jumped between the knight- 
 heads out upon the bowsprit. The crew stood abaft the 
 windlass and hauled the jib down, while we got out upon 
 the weather side of the jib-boom, our feet on the foot-ropes, 
 holding on by the spar, the great jib flying off to leeward 
 and slatting so as almost to throw us off of the boom. For 
 some time we could do nothing but hold on, and the 
 vessel diving into two huge seas, one after the other, 
 plunged us twice into the water up to our chins. We 
 hardly knew whether we were on or off ; when coming up, 
 dripping from the water, we were raised high into the air. 
 John (that was the sailor’s name) thought the boom would 
 go, every moment, and called out to the mate to keep the 
 vessel off, and haul down the staysail ; but the fury of the 
 wind and the breaking of the seas against the bows defied 
 every attempt to make ourselves heard, and we were 
 obliged to do the best we could in our situation. Fortun- 
 ately, no other seas so heavy struck her, and we succeeded 
 in furling the jib “ after a fashion ; ” and, coming in over 
 the staysail nettings, were not a little pleased to find that 
 all was snug, and the watch gone below; for we were 
 soaked through, and it was very cold. The weather con- 
 tinued nearly the same through the night. 
 
 Monday , Nov. io th. During a part of this day wo 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 31 
 
 were hove to, but the rest of the time were driving on, un 
 der close-reefed sails, with a heavy sea, a strong gale, and 
 frequent squalls of hail and snow. 
 
 lilies day, Nov. 1 ith. The same. 
 
 Wednesday. The same. 
 
 Thursday . The same. 
 
 We had now got hardened to Cape weather, the vessel 
 was under reduced sail, and everything secured on deck 
 and below, so that we had little to do but to steer and to 
 stand our watch. Our clothes were all wet through, and 
 the only change was from wet to more wet. It was in 
 vain to think of reading or working below, for we were 
 too tired, the hatchways were closed down, and everything 
 was wet and uncomfortable, black and dirty, heaving and 
 pitching. We had only to come below when the watch 
 was out, wring out our wet clothes, hang them up, and 
 turn in and sleep as soundly as we could, until the watch 
 was called again. A sailor can sleep anywhere — no sound 
 of wind, water, wood or iron can keep him awake — and 
 we were always fast asleep when three blows on the hatch- 
 way, and the unwelcome cry of “ All starbowlines ahoy ! 
 eight bells there below ! do you hear the news ? ” (the 
 usual formula of calling the watch), roused us up from our 
 berths upon the cold, wet decks. The only time when we 
 could be said to take any pleasure was at night and morn- 
 ing, when we were allowed a tin pot full of hot tea (or, as 
 the sailors significantly call it, “ water bewitched ”), 
 sweetened with molasses. This, bad as it was, was still 
 warm and comforting, and, together with our sea biscuit 
 and cold salt beef, made quite a meal. Yet even this 
 meal was attended with some uncertainty. We had to go 
 ourselves to the galley and take our kid of beef and tin 
 pots of tea, and run the risk of losing them before we 
 could get below. Many a kid of beef have I seen rolling 
 in the scuppers, and the bearer lying at his length on the 
 decks. I remember an English lad who was always the 
 life of the crew, but whom we afterwards lost overboard, 
 standing for nearly ten minutes at the galley, with his pot 
 of tea in his hand, waiting for a chance to get down into 
 the forecastle ; and seeing what he thought was a “ smooth 
 spell,” started to go forward. He had just got to the end 
 of the windlass, when a great sea broke over the bows, 
 
3 2 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 and for a moment I saw nothing of him but his head and 
 shoulders ; and at the next instant, being taken off of his 
 legs, he was carried aft with the sea, until her stern lifting 
 up and sending the water forward, he was left high and 
 dry at the side of the long-boat, still holding on to his tin 
 pot, which had now nothing in it but salt water. But 
 nothing could ever daunt him, or overcome, for a moment, 
 his habitual good humor. Regaining his legs, and shaking 
 his fist at the man at the wheel, he rolled below, saying, 
 as he passed, “ A man’s no sailor, if he can’t take a joke.” 
 The ducking was not the worst of such an affair, for, as 
 there was an allowance of tea, you could get no more 
 from the galley ; and though the sailors would never suffer 
 a man to go without, but would always turn in a little 
 from their own pots to fill up his, yet this was at best but 
 dividing the loss among all hands. 
 
 Something of the same kind befell me a few days after. 
 The cook had just made for us a mess of hot “ scouse” — 
 that is, biscuit pounded fine, salt beef cut into small pieces, 
 and a few potatoes boiled up together and seasoned with- 
 pepper. This was a rare treat, and I, being the last at the gal- 
 ley, had it put in my charge to carry down for the mess. I 
 got along very well as far as the hatchway, and was just get- 
 ting down the steps, when a heavy sea, lifting the stern out of 
 water, and passing forward, dropping it down again, threw 
 the steps from their place, and I came down into the 
 steerage a little faster than I meant to, with the kid on top 
 of me, and the whole precious mess scattered over the 
 floor. Whatever your feelings may be, you must make a 
 joke of everything at sea; and if you were to fall from 
 aloft and be caught in the belly of a sail, and thus saved 
 from instant death, it would not do to look at all disturbed, 
 or to make a serious matter of it. 
 
 l ? riday Nov i\th . We were now well to the westward 
 of the Cape, and were changing our course to the north- 
 ward as much as we dared, since the strong southwest 
 winds, wdiich prevailed then, carried us in towards Pata- 
 gonia. At two, P. M., we saw a sail on our larboard beam, 
 and at four w r e made it out to be a large ship, steering our 
 course, under single-reefed topsails. We at that time 
 had shaken the reefs out of our topsails, as the wand was 
 lighter, and set the main top-gallant sail. As soon as our 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 33 
 
 captain saw what sail she was under, he set the fore top- 
 gallant sail and flying jib ; and the old whaler — for such 
 his boats and short sail showed him to be — felt a little 
 ashamed, and shook the reefs out of his topsails, but could 
 do no more, for he had sent down his top-gallant masts 
 off the Cape. He ran down for us, and answered our hail 
 as the whale-ship, New-England, of Poughkeepsie, one 
 hundred and twenty days from New York. Our captain 
 gave our name, and added, ninety* two days from Boston. 
 They then had a little conversation about longitude in 
 which they found that they could not agree, The ship 
 fell astern, and continued in sight during the night. To- 
 ward morning, the wind having become light, we crossed 
 our royal and skysail yards, and at daylight, we were seen 
 under a cloud of sail, having royals and skysails fore and aft. 
 The “ spurter,’ as the sailors call a whaleman, had sent up his 
 main top-gallant mast and set the sail, and made signal for 
 us to heave to. About half-past seven their whale boat came 
 alongside, and Captain Job Terry sprang on board, a 
 man known in every port and by every vessel in the 
 Pacific ocean. “ Don’t you know Job Terry ? I thought 
 everybody knew Job Terry,” said a green-hand, who came 
 in the boat, to me, when I asked him about his captain. 
 He was indeed a singular man. He was six feet high, 
 wore thick, cowhide boots, and brown coat and trowsers, 
 and, except a sun-burnt complexion, had not the slightest 
 appearance of a sailor ; yet he had been forty years in the 
 whale trade, and, as he said himself, had owned ships, and 
 built ships, and sailed ships. His boat’s crew were a pretty 
 raw set, just out of the bush, and, as the sailor’s phrase is, 
 “ hadn’t got the hayseed out of their hair.” Captain Terry 
 convinced our captain that our reckoning was a little out, 
 and, having spent the day on board, put off in his boat at 
 sunset for his ship, which was now six or eight miles astern. 
 He began a u yarn” when he came aboard, which lasted, 
 with but little intermission, for four hours. It was all 
 about himself, and the Peruvian government, and the 
 Dublin frigate, and Lord James Townshend, and President 
 Jackson, and the ship Ann M’Kim of Baltimore. It 
 would probably never have come to an end, had not a 
 good breeze sprung up, which sent him off to his own 
 vessel. One of the lads who came in his boat, a throughly 
 
34 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 countrified-looking fellow, seemed to care very little about 
 the vessel, rigging, or anything else, but went round look- 
 ing at the live stock, and leaned over the pig-sty, and 
 said he# wished he was back again tending his father’s pigs. 
 
 At eight o’clock we altered our courses to the north- 
 ward, bound for Juan Fernandez. 
 
 This day we saw the last of the albatrosses, which had 
 been our companions a great part of the time off the Cape. 
 I had been interested in the bird from descriptions which 
 I had read of it, and was not all disappointed. We caught 
 one or two with a baited hook which we floated astern 
 upon a shingle. Their long, flapping wings long legs, 
 and large, staring eyes, give them a very peculiar ap- 
 pearance. They look well on the wing : but one of 
 the finest sights that I have ever seen, was an albatross 
 asleep upon the water, during a calm, off Cape Horn, when 
 a heavy sea was. running. There being no breeze, the sur- 
 face of the water was unbroken, but a long, heavy swell was 
 rolling, and we saw the fellow, all white, directly a- 
 head of us, asleep upon the waves, with his head under 
 his wing ; now rising on the top of a huge billow, and 
 then falling slowly until he was lost in the hollow be- 
 tween. He was undisturbed for some time, until the noise 
 of our bows, gradually approaching roused him, when, lift- 
 ing his head, he stared upon us for a moment, and then 
 spread his wide wings and took his flight. 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Monday, Nov. 19TH. This was a black day in our 
 calendar. At seven o’clock in the morning, it being our 
 watch below, we were aroused from a sound sleep by the 
 cry of “ All hands ahoy! a man over board !” This un- 
 wonted cry sent a thrill through the heart of every one, 
 and hurrying on deck, we found the vessel hove flat aback, 
 with all her studding-sails set ; for the boy who was at the 
 helm left it to throw some thing overboard, and the car- 
 penter, who was an old sailor, knowing that the wind was 
 light, put the helm down and hove her aback. The watch 
 on deck were lowering away the quarter-boat, and I got 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 35 
 
 on deck just in time to heave myself into her as she was 
 leaving the side ; but it was not until out upon the wide 
 Pacific, in our little boat, that I knew whom we had lost. 
 It was George Ballmer, a young English sailor, who was 
 prized by the officers as an active and willing seaman, and 
 by the crew as a lively, hearty fellow, and a good shipmate. 
 He was going aloft to fit a strap round the main top-mast- 
 head, for ringtail halyards, and had the strap and block, 
 a coil of halyards, and a marline-spike about his neck. 
 He fell from the starboard futtoek shrouds, and not know- 
 ing how to swim, and being heavily dressed, with all those 
 things round his neck, he probably sank immediately. We 
 pulled astern, in the direction in which he fell, and 
 though we knew that there was no hope of saving him, 
 yet no one wished to speak of returning, and we rowed 
 about for nearly an hour, without the hope of doing any- 
 thing, but unwilling to acknowledge to ourselves that we 
 must give him up. At length we turned the boat’s head 
 and made towards the vessel. 
 
 Death is at all times solemn, but never so much so as 
 at sea. A man dies on shore ; his body remains with his 
 friends, and “ the mourners go about the streets ; ” but 
 when a man falls over-board at sea and is lost, there is a 
 suddenness in the event, and a difficulty in realizing it, 
 which give to it an air of awful mystery. A man dies on 
 shore — you follow his body to the grave, and a stone 
 marks the spot. You are often prepared for the event. 
 There is always something which helps you to realize it 
 when it happens, and to recall it when it has passed. A 
 man is shot down by your side in battle, and the mangled 
 body remains an object, and a real evidence ; but at sea, the 
 man is near you — at your side — you hear his voice, and 
 in an instant he is gone, and nothing but a vacaiicy shows 
 his loss. Then, too, at sea — to use a homely but expres- 
 sive phrase — you miss a man so much. A dozen men are 
 shut up together in a little bark, upon the wide, wide sea, 
 and for months and months see no forms and hear no 
 voices but their own, and one is taken suddenly from 
 among them, and they miss him at every turn. It is like 
 losing a limb. There are no new faces or new scenes to 
 fill up the gap. There is always an empty berth in the 
 forecastle, and one man wanting when the small night 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 36 
 
 watch is mustered. There is one less to take the wheel, 
 and one less to lay out with you upon the yard. You miss 
 his form, and the sound of his voice, for habit had made 
 them almost necessary to you, and each of your senses 
 feels the loss. 
 
 All these things make such a death peculiarly solemn, 
 and the effect of it remains upon the crew for some time. 
 There is more kindness shown by the officers to the crew, 
 and by the crew to one another. There is more quietness 
 and seriousness. The oath and the loud laugh are gone. 
 The officers are more watchful, and the crew go more 
 carefully aloft. The lost man is seldom mentioned, or is 
 dismissed with a sailors rude eulogy — “ Well, poor George 
 is gone ! His cruise is up soon ! He knew his work, and 
 did his duty, and was a good shipmate.” Then usually 
 follows some allusion to another world, for sailors are 
 almost all believers ; but their notions and opinions are 
 unfixed and at loose ends. They say, — “ God won’t be 
 hard upon the poor fellow,” and seldom get beyond the 
 common phrase which seems to imply that their suffer- 
 ings and hard treatment here will excuse them hereafter, 
 — “ 'Fo work hard , live hard, die hard \ and go to hell after 
 all, would be hard indeed l ” Our cook, a simple-hearted 
 old African, who had been through a good deal in his day, 
 and was rather seriously inclined, always going to church 
 twice a day when on shore, and reading his Bible on a 
 Sunday in the galley, talked to the crew about spending 
 their Sabbaths badly, and told them that they might go as 
 suddenly as George had, and be as little prepared. 
 
 Yet a sailor’s life is at best but a mixture of a little 
 good with much evil and a little pleasure with much pain. 
 The beautiful is linked with the revolting, the sublime with 
 the common-place, and the solemn with the ludicrous. 
 
 We had hardly returned on board with our sad report, 
 before an auction was held of the poor man’s clothes. 
 The captain had first, however, called all hands aft and 
 asked them if they were satisfied that everything had been 
 done to save the man, and if they thought there was any 
 use in remaining there longer. The crew all said that i* 
 was in vain, for the man did not know how to swim, and 
 was veFy heavily dressed. So we then filled away and 
 kept her off to her course. 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 37 
 
 The laws regulating navigation make the captain an- 
 swerable for the effects of a sailor who dies during the 
 voyage, and it is either a law or a universal custom, estab- 
 lished for convenience, that the captain should immedi- 
 ately hold an auction of his things, in which they are bid 
 off by the sailors, and the sums which they give are 
 deducted from their wages at the end of the voyage. In 
 this way the trouble and risk of keeping his things through 
 the voyage are avoided, and the clothes are usually sold 
 for more than they would be worth on shore. Accordingly, 
 we had no sooner got the ship before the wind, than his 
 chest was brought up upon the forecastle, and the sale 
 began. The jackets and trowsers in which we had seen 
 him dressed but a few days before, were exposed and bid 
 off while the life was hardly out of his body, and his chest 
 was taken aft and used as a store-chest, so that there was 
 nothing left which could be called his. Sailors have an 
 unwillingness to wear a dead man’s clothes during the 
 same voyage, and they seldom do so unless they are in 
 absolute want. 
 
 As is usual after a death, many stories were told about 
 George. Some had heard him say that he repented never 
 having learned to swim, and that he knew that he should 
 meet his death by drowning. Another said that he never 
 knew any good to come of a voyage made against the will, 
 and the deceased man shipped and spent his advance, and 
 was afterwards very unwilling to go, but not being able to re- 
 fund, was obliged to sail with us. A boy, too, who had be- 
 come quite attached to him, said that George talked to him 
 during most of the watch on the night before, about his 
 mother and family at home, and this was the first time 
 that he had mentioned the subject during the voyage. 
 
 The night after this event, when I went to the galley 
 to get a light, I found the cook inclined to be talkative, 
 so I sat down on the spars, and gave him an opportunity 
 to hold a yarn. I was the more inclined to do so, as I 
 found that he was full of the superstitions once more com- 
 mon among seamen, and which the recent death had 
 waked up in his mind. He talked about George’s having 
 spoken of his friends, and said he believed few men died 
 without having a warning of it, which he supported by a 
 great many stories of dreams, and the unusual behavior 
 
38 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 of men before death. From this he went on to other 
 superstitions, the Flying Dutchman, etc., and talked rather 
 mysteriously, having something evidently on his mind. At 
 length he put his head out of the galley and looked care 
 fully about to see if any one was within hearing, and be- 
 ing satisfied on that point, asked me in a low tone — 
 
 “ I say ! you know what countryman ’e carpenter be ? ” 
 “Yes,” said I ; “he ’s a German.” 
 
 “ What kind of a German ? ” said the cook. 
 
 “ He belongs to Bremen,” said I. 
 
 4< Are you sure o’ dat ? ” said he. 
 
 I satisfied him on that point by saying that he could 
 speak no language but the German and English. 
 
 “I’m plaguy glad o’ dat,” said the cook. '“I was 
 was mighty ’fraid he was a Fin. I tell you what, I been 
 plaguy civil to that man all the voyage.” 
 
 1 asked him the reason of this, and found that he was 
 fully possessed with the notion that Fins are wizards, and 
 especially have power over winds and storms. I tried to 
 reason with him about it, but he had the best of all argu- 
 ments, that from experience, at hand, and was not to be 
 moved. He had been in a vessel at the Sandwich Islands, 
 in which the sail-maker was a Fin, and could do anything 
 he was of a mind to. This sail-maker kept a junk bottle 
 in his berth, which was always just half full of rum, though 
 he got drunk upon it nearly every day. He had seen him 
 sit for hours together, talking to this bottle, which he stood 
 up before him on the table. The same man cut his throat 
 in his berth, and everybody said he was possessed. 
 
 He had heard of ships, too, beating up the gulf of 
 Finland against a head wind, and having a ship heave in 
 sight astern, overhaul and pass them, with as fair a wind 
 as could blow, and all studding-sails out, and find she was 
 from Finland. 
 
 “ Oh ho ! ” said he ; “ I've seen too much of them men 
 to want to see ’em ’board a ship. If they can’t have their 
 
 own way, they’ll play the d 1 with you,” 
 
 As I still doubted, he said he would leave it to John, 
 who was the oldest seaman aboard, and would know, if 
 anybody did. John, to be sure, was the oldest, and at the 
 same time the most ignorant, man in the ship ; but I con- 
 sented to have him called. The cook stated the matter to 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE RUE MAST. 
 
 3V 
 
 him, and John, as I anticipated, sided with the cook, and 
 said that he himself had been in a ship where they had a 
 head wind for a fortnight, and the captain found out at 
 last that one of the men, whom he had had some hard 
 words with a short time before, was a Fin, and immedi- 
 diately told him if he didn’t stop the head wind he would 
 shut him down in the fore peak. The Fin would not give 
 in, and the captain shut him down in the fore peak, and 
 would not give him anything to eat. The Fin hefd out for 
 a day and a half, when he could not stand it any longer, 
 and did something or other which brought the wind round 
 again, and they let him up, 
 
 “ There,” said the cook, “ what do you think o’ dat ? ” 
 
 I told him I had no doubt it was true, and that it 
 would have been odd if the wind had not changed in 
 fifteen days, Fin or no Fin. 
 
 “ Oh,” says he, “ go ’way ! You think, ’cause you been 
 to college you know better than anybody. You know 
 better than them as ’as seen it with their own eyes. You 
 wait till you’ve been to sea as long as I have, and you’ll 
 know,” 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 We continued sailing along with a fair wind and fine 
 weather until 
 
 Tuesday, Nov. 2$th, when at daylight we saw Jhe 
 island of Juan Fernandez, directly ahead, rising like' a 
 deep blue cloud out of the sea. We were then probably 
 nearly seventy miles from it ; and so high and so blue did 
 it appear, that I mistook it # for a cloud, resting over the 
 island, and looked for the island under it, until it gradually 
 turned to a deader and greener color, and I could mark 
 the inequalities upon its surface. 'At length we could dis- 
 tinguish trees and rocks ^nd by, the afternoon this beau- 
 tiful island lay fairly before us, arid we, directed our course 
 to the only harbor. Arriving at the entrance soon after 
 sundown, we found a Chilian man-of-war brig, the only 
 vessel, coming out. She hailed us, and an officer on 
 board, whom we supposed to be an American, advised us 
 
40 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 to run in before night, and said that they were bound 
 to Valparaiso. We ran immediately for the anchorage, 
 but, owing to the winds which drew about the mountains 
 and came to us in daws from every point of the compass, 
 we did not come to an anchor until nearly midnight. We 
 had a boat ahead all the time that we were working in, 
 and those aboard were continually bracing the yards 
 about for every puff that struck us, until about 12 o’clock, 
 when we came to in 40 fathoms water, and our anchor 
 struck bottom for the first time since we left Boston — one 
 hundred and three days. We were then divided into three 
 watches, and thus stood out the remainder of the night. 
 
 I was called on deck to stand my watch at about three 
 in the morning, and I shall never forget the peculiar sen- 
 sation which I experienced on finding myself once more 
 surrounded by land, feeling the night breeze coming from 
 off shore, and hearing the frogs and crickets. The moun- 
 tains seemed almost to hang over us, and apparently from 
 the very heart of them there came out, at regular intervals, 
 a loud echoing sound, which affected me as hardly human. 
 We saw no lights, and coijd -hardly account for the sound, 
 until the mate, who had been tliere before, told us that it 
 was the “Alerta” of the Spanish soldiers, who were 
 stationed over some convicts confined in caves nearly half 
 way up the mountain. At the expiration of my watch 
 I went below, feeling not a little anxious for the day, that 
 I might see more nearly, and perhaps tread upon, this 
 romantic, I may almost say, classic island. 
 
 When all hands were called it was nearly sunrise, and 
 between that time and breakfast, although quite busy on 
 board in getting up water-casks, etc., I had a good view of 
 the objects about me. The harbor was nearly land-locked, 
 and at the head of it was a landing-place, protected by a 
 smail breakwater of stones, upon which two large boats 
 weie hauled up, with a sentry standing over them. Near 
 this was a variety of huts or cottages, nearly an hundred 
 in number, the best of them built of mud and whitewashed, 
 but the greater part only Robinson Crusoe like — of posts 
 and branches of trees. The governor’s house, as it is 
 called, was the most conspicuous, being large, with grated 
 windows, plastered walls, and roof of red tiles ; yet, like 
 all the rest, only of one story. Near it was a small chapel, 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 41 
 
 distinguished by a cross : and a long, low, brown-looking 
 building, surrounded by something like a palisade, from 
 which an old and dingy-looking Chilian flag was flying. 
 This, of course, was dignified by the title of Presidio. A 
 sentinel was stationed at the chapel, another at the gover- 
 nor’s house, and a few soldiers armed with bayonets, look- 
 ing rather ragged, with shoes out at the toes, were strolling 
 about among the houses, or waiting at the landing-place 
 for our boat to come ashore. 
 
 The mountains were high, but not so overhanging as 
 they appeared to be by starlight. They seemed to bear off 
 towards the centre of the island, and were green and well- 
 wooded, with some large, and, I am told, exceedingly 
 fertile valleys, with mule-tracks leading to different parts 
 of the island. 
 
 I cannot here forget how my friend S — and my- 
 
 self got the laugh of the crew upon us by our eagerness to 
 get on shore. The captain having ordered the quarter- 
 boat to be lowered, we both sprang down into the fore- 
 castle, filled our jacket pockets with tobacco to barter with 
 the people ashore, and when the officer called for “ four 
 hands in the boat,” nearly broke our necks in our haste to 
 be first over the side, and had the pleasure of pulling 
 ahead of the brig with a tow-line for a half an hour, and 
 coming on board again to be laughed at by the crew, who 
 had seen our manoeuvre. 
 
 After breakfast the second mate was ordered ashore 
 with five hands to fill the water- casks, and to my joy I was 
 among the number. We pulled ashore with the empty 
 casks ; and here again fortune favored me, for the water 
 was too thick and muddy to put into the casks, and the 
 governor had sent men up to the head of the stream to 
 clear it out for us, which gave us nearly two hours of 
 leisure. This leisure we employed in wandering about 
 among the houses, and eating a little fruit which was 
 offered to us. Ground apples, melons, grapes, strawberries 
 of an enormous size, and cherries abound here. The 
 latter are said to have been planted by Lord Anson. The 
 soldiers were miserably clad, and asked with some interest 
 whether we had shoes to sell on board. I doubt very 
 much if they had the means of buying them. They were 
 very eager to get tobacco, for which they gave shells, 
 
4 2 
 
 TWO YEATS BEFORE TUE MAST. 
 
 fruits, etc Knives also were in demand, but we were for- 
 bidden by the governor to let any one have them, as he 
 told us that all the people there, except the soldiers and a 
 few officers, were convicts sent from Valparaiso, and that 
 it was necessary to keep all weapons from their hands. 
 The island, it seems, belongs to Chili, and had been used 
 by the government as a sort of Botany Bay for nearly two 
 years ; and the governor — an Englishman who had 
 entered the Chilian navy — with a priest, half a dozen 
 task-masters, and a body of soldiers, were stationed there 
 to keep them in order. This was no easy task ; and only 
 a few months before our arrival, a few of them had stolen 
 a boat at night, boarded a brig lying in the harbor, sent 
 the captain and crew ashore in their boat and gone off to 
 sea. We were informed of this, and loaded our arms and 
 kept strict watch on board Jhrough the night, and were 
 careful not to let the convicts get our knives from us when 
 on shore. The worst part of the convicts, I found, were 
 locked up under sentry in caves dug into the side of the 
 mountain, nearly half way up, with mule-tracks leading to 
 them, whence they were taken by day and set to work 
 under task-masters upon building an aqueduct, a wharf, 
 and other public works ; while the rest lived in the houses 
 which they put up for themselves, had their families with 
 them, and seemed to me to be the laziest people on the 
 face of the earth. They did nothing but take a paseo into 
 the woods, a paseo among the houses, a paseo at the land- 
 ing-place, looking at us and our vessel, and too lazy tc 
 speak fast ; while' the others were driving — or rather, 
 driven — about, at a rapid trot, in single file, with burdens 
 on their shoulders, and followed up by their task-masters, 
 with long rods in their hands, and broad-brimmed straw 
 hats upon their heads. Upon what precise grounds this 
 great distinction was made, I do not know, for the gover- 
 nor was the only man who spoke English upon the island, 
 and he was out of my walk. 
 
 Having filled our casks, we returned on board, and 
 soon after, the governor, dressed in a uniform like that of 
 an American militia officer, the Padre, in the dress of the 
 grey friars, with hood and all complete, and the Capitan , 
 with big whiskers and dirty regimentals, came on board to 
 dine. While at dinner, a large ship appeared in the offing, 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 43 
 
 and soon afterwards we saw a light whale-boat pulling into 
 the harbor. The ship lay off and on, and a boat came 
 alongside of us, and put on board the captain, a plain 
 young Quaker, dressed all in brown. The ship was the 
 Cortes, whaleman, of New Bedford, and had put in to see 
 if there were any vessels from round the Horn, and to hear 
 the latest news from America. They remained aboard a 
 short time and had a little talk with the crew, when they 
 left us and pulled off to their ship, which, having filled 
 away, was soon out of sight. 
 
 A small boat which came from the shore to take away 
 the governor and suite — as they styled themselves — 
 brought, as a present to the crew, a large pale of milk, a 
 few shells, and a block of sandal wood. The milk, which 
 was the first we had tasted since leaving Boston, we soon 
 despatched ; a piece of the sandal wood I obtained, and 
 learned that it grew on the hills in the centre of the island. 
 I have always regretted that I did not bring away other 
 specimens of the products of the island, having afterwards 
 lost all that I had with me — the piece of sandal wood, and 
 a small flower which I plucked and brought on board in 
 the crown of my tarpaulin, and carefully pressed between 
 the leaves of a book. 
 
 About an hour before sundown, having stowed our 
 water-casks, we commenced getting under weigh, and were 
 not a little while about it ; for we were in thirty fathoms of 
 water, and in one of the gusts which came from off shore 
 had let go our other bow anchor ; and as the southerly 
 wind draws round the mountains and comes off in uncer- 
 tain flaws, we were continually swinging round, and had 
 thus got a very foul hawse. We hove in upon our chain, 
 and after stoppering and unshackling it again and again, 
 and hoisting and hauling down sail, we at length tipped 
 our anchor and stood out to sea. It was bright starlight when 
 we were clear of the bay, and the lofty island lay behind 
 us, in its still beauty, and I gave a parting look, and bid 
 farewell, to the most romantic spot of earth that my eyes 
 had ever seen. I did then, and have ever since, felt an 
 attachment for that island, altogether peculiar. It was 
 partly, no doubt, from its having been the first island that 
 I had seen since leaving home, and still more from the 
 associations which every one has connected with it in their 
 
TWO YEATS BEFORE THE MAST . 
 
 childhood from reading Robinson Crusoe. To this I may 
 add the height and romantic outline of its mountains, the 
 beauty and freshness of its verdure, and the extreme 
 fertility of its soil, and its solitary position in the midst of 
 the wide expanse of the South Pacific, as all concurring to 
 give it its peculiar charm. 
 
 When thoughts of this place have occurred to me at 
 different times, I have endeavored to recall more partic- 
 ulars with regard to it. It is situated in about 33 0 30' S., 
 and is distant a little more than three hundred miles from 
 Valparaiso, on the coast of Chili, which is in the same 
 latitude. It is about fifteen miles in length and five in 
 breadth. The harbor in which we anchored (called by 
 Lord Anson, Cumberland bay) is the only one in the island ; 
 two small bights of land on each side of the main bay 
 (sometimes dignified by the name of bays) being little more 
 than landing-places for boats. The best anchorage is at 
 the western side of the bay, where we lay at about three 
 cables’ lengths from the shore, in a little more than thirty 
 fathoms water. This harbor is open to the N. N. E., and 
 in fact nearly from N. to E., but the only dangerous winds 
 being the southwest, on which side are the highest moun- 
 tains, it is considered very safe. The most remarkable 
 thing perhaps about it is the fish with which it abounds. 
 Two of our crew, who remained on board, caught in a 
 few minutes enough to last us for several days, and one of 
 the men, who was a Marblehead man, said that he never 
 saw or heard of such an abundance. There were cod, 
 breams, silver-fish, and other kinds whose names they did 
 not know, or which I have forgotten. 
 
 There is an abundance of the best of water upon the 
 island, small streams running through every valley, and 
 leaping down from the sides of the hills. One stream of 
 considerable size flows through the centre of the lawn upon 
 which the houses are built, and furnishes an easy and abun- 
 dant supply to the inhabitants. This, by means of a short 
 wooden aqueduct, was brought quite down to our boats. 
 The convicts had also built something in the way of a 
 breakwater, and were to build a landing-place for boats 
 and goods, after which the Chilian government intended 
 to lay port charges. 
 
 Of the wood I can only say, that it appeared to be 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 45 
 
 abundant ; the island in the month of November, when 
 we were there, being in all the freshness and beauty of 
 spring, appeared covered with trees. These were chiefly 
 aromatic, and the largest was the myrtle. The soil is very 
 loose and rich, and wherever it is broken up, there spring 
 up immediately radishes, turnips, ground apples, and other 
 garden fruits. Goats, we were told, were not abundant, 
 and we saw none, though it was said we might, if we had 
 gone into the interior. We saw a few bullocks winding 
 about in the narrow tracks upon the sides of the moun- 
 tains, and the settlement was completely overrun with dogs 
 of every nation, kindred, and degree. Hens and chickens 
 were also abundant, and seemed to be taken good care 
 of by the women. The men appeared to be the laziest 
 people upon the face of the earth ; and indeed, as far as 
 my observation goes, there are no people to whom the 
 newly-invented Yankee word of “ loafer” is more applic- 
 able than to the Spanish Americans. These men stood about 
 doing nothing, with their cloaks, little better in texture 
 than an Indian’s blanket, but of rich colors, thrown over 
 their shoulders with an air which it is said that a Spanish 
 begger can always give to his rags ; and with great polite- 
 ness and courtesy in their address, though with holes in 
 their shoes and without a sou in their pockets. The only 
 interruption to the monotony of their day seemed to be 
 when a gust of wind drew round between the mountains 
 and blew off the boughs which they had placed for roofs 
 to their houses, and gave them a few minutes’ occupation 
 in running about after them. One of these gusts occurred 
 while we were ashore, and afforded us no little amusement 
 at seeing the men look round, and if they found that their 
 roofs had stood, conclude that they might stand too, while 
 those who saw theirs blown off, after uttering a few Spanish 
 oaths, gathered their cloaks over their shoulders, and 
 started off after them. However, they were not gone long, 
 but soon returned to their habitual occupation of doing 
 nothing. 
 
 It is perhaps needless to say that we saw nothing of 
 the interior ; but all who have seen it, give very glowing 
 accounts of it. Our captain went with the governor and a 
 few servants upon mules over the mountains, and upon 
 their return, I heard the governor request him to stop at the 
 
46 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 island on his passage home, and offer him a handsome sum 
 to bring a few deer with him from California, for he said 
 that there were none upon the island, and he was very 
 desirous of having it stocked. 
 
 A steady, though light southwesterly wind carried us 
 well off from the island, and when I came on deck for the 
 middle watch I could just distinguish it from its hiding a 
 few low stars in the southern horizon, though my un- 
 practised eyes would hardly have known it for land. At 
 the close of the watch a few trade-wind clouds which had 
 arisen, though we were hardly yet in their latitude, shut it 
 out from our view, and the next day, 
 
 Thursday , Nov. 27 th, upon coming on deck in the 
 morning, we were again upon the wide Pacific, and saw no 
 more land until we arrived upon the western coast of the 
 great continent of America. 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 As we saw neither land nor sail from the time of leav- 
 ing Juan Fernandez until our arrival in California, nothing 
 of interest occurred except our own doings on board. We 
 caught the southeast trades, and run before them for 
 nearly three weeks, without so much as altering a sail or 
 bracing a yard. The captain took advantage of this fine 
 weather to get the vessel in order for coming upon the 
 coast. The carpenter was employed in fitting up a part 
 of the steerage into a trade-room ; for our cargo, we now 
 learned, was not to be landed, but to be sold by retail from 
 on board ; and this trade-room was built for the samples 
 and the lighter goods to be kept in, and as a place for the 
 general business. In the mean time we were employed in 
 working upon the rigging. Everything was set up taught, 
 the lower rigging rattled down, or rather rattled up, (ac- 
 cording to the modern fashion,) an abundance of spun- 
 yarn and seizing-stuff made, and finally, the whole stand- 
 ing-rigging, fore and aft, was tarred down. This was my 
 first essay at this latter business, and I had enough of it ; 
 for nearly all of it came upon my friend S and myself. 
 
TWO YEATS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 47 
 
 The men were needed at the other work, and M , the 
 
 other young man who came out with us, was laid up with 
 the rheumatism in his feet, and the boy was rather too 
 young and small for the business ; and as the winds were 
 light and regular, he was kept during most of the daytime 
 at the helm ; so that nearly all the tarring came upon us. 
 We put on short duck frocks, and taking a small, bucket 
 of tar and a bunch of oakum in our hands, went aloft, one 
 at the main royal-mast-head and the other at the fore, and 
 began tarring down. This is an important operation, and 
 is usually done about once in six months in vessels upon 
 a long voyage. It was done in our vessel several times 
 afterwards, but by the whole crew at once, and fin- 
 ished off in a day ; but at this time, as most of it came 
 upon two of us, and we were new at the business, it took 
 us several days. In this operation they always begin at 
 the mast-head and work down, tarring the shrouds, back- 
 stays, standing parts of the lifts, the ties, runners, etc., and 
 go out to the yard-arms, and come in, tarring, as they 
 come, the lifts and foot-ropes. Tarring the stays is more 
 difficult, and is done by an operation which the sailors call 
 “ riding down.” A long piece of rope — top-gallant-stud- 
 ding-sail halyards, or something of the kind — is taken up 
 the masthead from which the stays leads, and rove through 
 a block for a girt-line, or, as the sailors usually call it, a 
 gant-Yme ; with the end of this a bowline is taken round 
 the stay, into which the man gets with his bucket of tar 
 and bunch of oakum, and the other end being fast on deck, 
 with some one to tend it, he is lowered down gradually, 
 an d tars the stay carefully as he goes. There he “ swings 
 aloft ’twixt heaven and earth,” and if the rope slips, 
 breaks, or is let go, or if the bowline slips, he falls 
 overbord or breaks his neck. This, however, is a thing 
 which never enters into a sailor’s calculation. He only 
 thinks of leaving no holydays , (places not tarred,) for in 
 case he should, he would have to go over the whole again ; 
 or of dropping no tar upon deck, for then there would be a 
 soft word in his ear from the mate. In this manner I 
 tarred down all the head-stays, but found the rigging 
 about the jib-booms, martingale, and spritsail yard, upon 
 which I was afterwards put, the hardest. Here you hav* 
 to hang on with your eyelids and tar with your hands. 
 
TWO YEATS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 4 S 
 
 This dirty work could not last forever, and on Saturday 
 night we finished it, scraped all the spots from the deck 
 and rails, and, what was of more importance to us, cleaned 
 ourselves thoroughly, rolled up our tarry frocks and 
 trowsers and laid them away for the next occasion, and 
 put on our clean duck clothes, and had a good comfortable 
 sailor’s Saturday night. The next day was pleasant, and 
 indeed we had but one unpleasant Sunday during the whole 
 voyage, and that was off Cape Horn, where we could ex- 
 pect nothing better. On Monday we commenced paint- 
 ing, and getting the vessel ready for port. This work, too, is 
 done by the crew, and every sailor who has been long voy- 
 ages is a little of a painter, in addition to his other accom- 
 plishments. We painted her both inside and out, from 
 the truck to the waters edge. The outside is painted by 
 lowering stages over the side by ropes, and on those we 
 sat, with our brushes and paint-pots by us, and our feet 
 half the time in the water. This must be done, of course, 
 on a smooth day, when the vessel does not roll much. I 
 remember very well being over the side painting in this 
 way, one fine afternoon, our vessel going quietly along at 
 the rate of four or five knots, and a pilot-fish, the sure, pre- 
 cursor of a shark, swimming alongside of us. The captain 
 was leaning over the rail watching him, and we went 
 quietly on with our work. In the midst of our painting, on 
 
 Friday , Dec . 19//2 we crossed the equator for the second 
 time. I had the feeling which all have when, for the first 
 time, they find themselves living under an entire change of 
 seasons ; a$, crossing the line under a burning sun in the 
 midst of December, and, as I afterwards was, beating 
 about among ice and snow on the fourth of July. 
 
 Thursday Dec . 25 th. This day was Christmas, but it 
 brought us no holiday. The only change was that we had 
 a “ plum duff ” for dinner, and the crew quarreled with the 
 steward because he did not give us our usual allowance of 
 molasses to eat with it. He thought the plums would be a 
 substitute for the molasses, but we were not to be cheated 
 out of our rights in this way. 
 
 Such are the trifles which produce quarrels on ship- 
 board. In fact, we had been too long from port. We 
 were getting tired of one another, and were in an irritable 
 state, both forward and aft. Our fresh provisions were, of 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 49 
 
 course, gone, and the captain had stopped our rice, so that 
 we had nothing but salt beef and salt pork throughout the 
 week, with the exception of a very small duff on Sunday. 
 This added to the discontent ; and a thousand little things, 
 daily and almost hourly occurring, which no one who has 
 not himself been on a long and tedious voyage can con- 
 ceive of or properly appreciate — little wars and rumors of 
 wars, — reports of things said in the cabin, — misunderstand- 
 ing of words and looks, — apparent abuses, — brought us 
 into a state in which everything seemed to go wrong. 
 Every encroachment upon the time allowed for rest, 
 appeared unnecessary. Every shifting of the studding-sails 
 was only to “ haze ” * the crew. 
 
 In the midst of this state of things, my messmate S 
 
 and myself petitioned the captain for leave to shift our 
 berths from the steerage where we had previously lived, 
 into the forecastle. This, to our delight, was granted, and 
 we turned in to bunk and mess with the crew forward. 
 We now began to feel like sailors, which we never fully 
 did when we were in the steerage. While there, however 
 useful and active you may be, you are but a mongrel, — and 
 sort of afterguard and “ ship’s cousin.” You are immedia- 
 tely under the eye of the officers, cannot dance, sing, play, 
 smoke, make a noise, or growl , (i. e. complain,) or take any 
 other sailor’s pleasure ; and you live with the steward, who 
 is usually a go-between ; and the crew never feel as though 
 you were one of them. But if you live in the forecastle, you 
 are “ as independent as a wood-sawyer’s clerk,” (nautice.) 
 and are a sailor. You hear sailors’ talk, learn their ways, 
 their peculiarities of feeling as well as speaking and acting ; 
 and moreover pick up a great deal of curious and useful 
 information in seamanship, ship’s customs, foreign coun- 
 tries, etc., from the long yarns and equally long disputes. 
 No man can be a sailor, or know what sailors are, unless 
 he has lived in the forecastle with them — turned in and out 
 with them, eaten of their dish and drank of their cup. 
 After I had been a week there, nothing would have tempted 
 
 * Haze is a word of frequent use on board ship, and never, I 
 believe, used elsewhere. It is very expressive to a sailor, and means 
 to punish by hard work. Let an officer once say, “ 1*11 haze you,” and 
 your fate is fixed. You will be “ worked up,” if you are not a better 
 man than he is. 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 5 ° 
 
 me to go back to my old berth, and never afterwards, even 
 in the worst of weather, when in a close and leaking fore- 
 castle off' Cape Horn, did I for a moment wish myself in 
 the steerage. Another thing which you learn better in the 
 forecastle than you can anywhere else, is, to make and 
 mend clothes, and this is indespensable to sailors. A large 
 part of their watches below they spend at this work, and 
 here I learned that art which stood me in so good stead 
 afterwards. 
 
 But to return to the state of the crew. Upon our com- 
 ing into the forecastle, there was some difficulty about the 
 uniting of the allowances of bread, by which we thought 
 we were to lose a few pounds. This set us into a ferment. 
 The captain would not condescend to explain, and we went 
 aft in a body, with a Swede, the oldest and best sailor of 
 the crew for spokesman. The recollection of the scene 
 that followed always brings up a smile, especially the 
 quarter-deck dignity and eloquence of the captain. He 
 was walking the weather side of the quarter-deck, and see- 
 ing us coming aft, stopped short in his walk, and with a 
 voice and look intended to annihilate us, called out, “ Well, 
 
 what the d 1 do you want now ? ” Whereupon we stated 
 
 our grievances as respectfully as we could, but he broke in 
 upon us, saying that we were getting fat and lazy, didn’t 
 have enough to do, and that made us find fault. This pro- 
 voked us, and we began to give word for word. This would 
 never answer. He clinched his fist, stamped and swore, 
 and sent us all forward, saying, with oaths enough inter- 
 spersed to send the words home, — “ Away with you ! go 
 forward every one of you ! I’ll haze you ! I’ll work you up ! 
 You don’t have enough to do ! If you a’n’t careful I’ll 
 make a hell of the ship ! . . . . You’ve mistaken your man ! 
 
 I’m F T , all the way from ‘ down east.’ I’ve 
 
 been through the mill, ground, and bolted, and come out a 
 regular-built down-east johnny-cake, good when it’s hot, but 
 when it’s cold, sour and indigestible ; and you’ll find me 
 so i M The latter part of this harangue I remember well, 
 for it made a strong impression, and the “ down-east 
 johnny-cake ” became a by-word for the rest of the voy- 
 age. So much for our petition for the redress of griev- 
 ances. The matter was however set right, for the mate, 
 after allowing the captain due time to cool off, explained 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 51 
 
 it to him, and at night we were all called aft to hear an- 
 other harangue, in which, of course, the whole blame of 
 the misunderstanding was thrown upon us. We ventured 
 to hint that he would not give us time to explain ; but it 
 wouldn’t do. We were driven back discomforted. Thus 
 the affair blew over, but the irritation caused by it re- 
 mained ; and we never had peace or a good understanding 
 again so long as the captain and crew remained together. 
 
 We continued sailing along in the beautiful temperate 
 climate of the Pacific. The Pacific well deserves its name, 
 for except in the southern part, at Cape Horn, and in the 
 western parts, near the China and Indian oceans, it has few 
 storms, and is never either extremely hot or cold. Between 
 the tropics there is a slight haziness, like a thin gauze, 
 drawn over the sun, which, without obstructing or obscur- 
 ing the light, tempers the heat which comes down with 
 perpendicular fierceness in the Atlantic and Indian tropics. 
 We sailed well to the westward to have the full advantage 
 of the northeast trades, and when we had reached the lati- 
 tude of Point Conception, where it is usual to make the 
 land, we were several hundred miles to the westward of it. 
 We immediately changed our course due east, and sailed 
 in that direction for a number of days. At length we be- 
 gan to heave-to after dark, for fear of making the land at 
 night on a coast where there are no lighthouses and but 
 indifferent charts, and at daybreak on the morning of 
 
 Tuesday, Jan 13th, 1835, we made the land at Point 
 Conception, lat. 34 0 32' N., long. 120° 06' W. The port 
 of Santa Barbara, to which we were bound, lying about 
 sixty miles to the southward of this point, we continued 
 sailing down the coast during the day and following night, 
 and on the next morning, 
 
 Jan 14 th, 1835, we came to anchor in the spacious bay 
 of Santa Barbara, after a voyage of one hundred and fifty 
 days from Boston. 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 5 * 
 
 CHAPTER DC 
 
 California extends along nearly the whole of the 
 western coast of Mexico, between the gulf of California in 
 the south and the bay of Sir Francis Drake on the north, 
 or between the 22d and 38th degrees of north latitude. It 
 is subdivided into two provinces — lower or Old California, 
 lying between the gulf and the 32d degree of latitude, or 
 near it ; (the division line running, I believe between the 
 bay of Todos Santos and the port of San Diego ;) and 
 New or Upper California, the southernmost port of which 
 is San Diego, in lat. 32 0 39', and the northernmost, San 
 Francisco, situated in the large bay discovered by Sir Fran- 
 cis Drake, in lat. 37 0 58', and called after him by the Eng- 
 lish, though the Mexicans call it Yerba Buena. Upper 
 California has the seat of its government at Monterey, 
 where is also the custom-house, the only one on the coast, 
 and at which every vessel intending to trade on the coast 
 must enter its cargo before it can commence its traffic. 
 We were to trade upon this coast exclusively, and therefore 
 expected to go to Monterey at first ; but the captain’s orders 
 from home were to put in at Santa Barbara, which is the 
 central port of the coast, and wait there for the agent who 
 lives there, and transacts all the business for the firm to 
 which our vessel belonged. 
 
 The bay, or, as it was commonly called, the canal of 
 Santa Barbara, is very large, being formed by the main 
 land on one side, (between Point Conception on the north 
 and Point St. Buena Ventura on the south,) which here 
 bends in like a crescent, and three large islands opposite 
 to it and at the distance of twenty miles. This is just suf- 
 ficient to give it the name of a bay, while at the same time 
 it is so large and so much exposed to the southeast and 
 northwest winds, that it is little better than an open road- 
 stead ; and the whole swell of the Pacific ocean rolls in 
 here before a southeaster, and breaks with so heavy a surf 
 
TWO YEATS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 53 
 
 in the shallow waters, that it is highly dangerous to lie 
 near in to the shore during the southeaster season, that is, 
 between the months of November and April. 
 
 This wind (the- southeaster) is the bane of the coast of 
 California. Between the months of November and April, 
 (including a part of each,) which is the rainy season in this 
 latitude, you are never safe from it, and accordingly, in 
 the ports which are open to it, vessels are obliged, during 
 these months, to lie at anchor at a distance of three miles 
 from the shore, with slip-ropes on their cables, ready to 
 slip and go to sea at a moment’s warning. The only ports 
 which are safe from this wind are San Francisco and Mon- 
 terey in the north, and San Diego in the south. 
 
 As it was January when we arrived, and the middle of 
 the southeaster season, we accordingly came to anchor at 
 the distance of three miles from the shore, in eleven fath- 
 oms water, and bent a slip-rope and buoys to our cables, 
 cast off the yard-arm gaskets from the sails, and stopped 
 them all with rope-yarns. After we had done this, the boat 
 went ashore with the captain, and returned with orders to 
 the mate to send a boat ashore for him at sundown. I did 
 not go in the first boat, and was glad to find that there was 
 another going before night ; for after so long a voyage as 
 ours had been, a few hours is long to pass in sight and out 
 of reach of land. We spent the day on board in the usual 
 avocations ; but, as this was the first time we had been 
 without the captain we felt a little more freedom, and looked 
 about us to see what sort of a country we had got into, and 
 were to spend a year or two of our lives in. 
 
 In the first place, it was a beautiful day, and so warm 
 that we had on straw hats, duck trowsers, and all the sum- 
 mer gear ; and as this was midwinter, it spoke well for 
 the climate ; and we afterwards found that the thermome- 
 ter never fell to the freezing point throughout the winter, 
 and that there was very little difference between the sea- 
 sons, except that during a long period of rainy and south- 
 easterly weather, thick clothes were not uncomfortable. 
 
 The large bay lay about us, nearly smooth, as there 
 was hardly a breath of wind stirring, though the boat’s 
 crew who went ashore told us that the long ground swell 
 broke into a heavy surf on the beach. There was only 
 one vessel in the port — a long, sharp brig of about 300 
 
54 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 tons, with raking masts and very square yards, and Eng- 
 lish colors at her peak. We afterwards learned that she 
 was built at Guayaquil, and named the “ Ayacucho,” after 
 the place where the battle was fought that gave Peru her 
 independence, and was now owned by a Scotchman 
 named Wilson, who commanded her, and was engaged in 
 the trade between Callao, the Sandwich Islands, and Cali- 
 fornia. She was a fast sailor, as we frequently afterwards 
 perceived, and had a crew of Sandwich Islanders on 
 board. Beside this vessel there was no object to break the 
 surface of the bay. Two points ran out as the horns of 
 the crescent, one of which — the one to the westward — 
 was low and sandy, and is that to which vessels are obliged 
 to give a wide berth when running out for a southeaster ; 
 the other is high, bold, and well-wooded, and, we were 
 told, has a mission upon it called St. Buenaventura, from 
 which the point is named. In the middle of this crescent, 
 directly opposite the anchoring ground, lie the mission 
 and town of Santa Barbara, on a low, flat plain, but little 
 above the level of the sea, covered with grass, though en- 
 tirely without trees, and surrounded on three sides by an 
 amphitheatre of mountains, which slant off to the distance 
 of fifteen or twenty miles. The mission stands a little 
 back of the town, and is a large building, or rather collec- 
 tion of buildings, in the center of which is a high tower, 
 with a belfry of five bells ; and the whole, being plastered, 
 makes quite a show at a distance, and is the mark by 
 which vessels come to anchor. The town lies a little 
 nearer to the beach — about half a mile from it — and 
 is composed of one-story houses built of brown clay — some 
 of them plastered — with red tiles on the roofs. I should 
 judge that there were about an hundred of them ; and in 
 the midst of them stands the Presidio, or fort, built of the 
 same materials, and apparently but little stronger. The 
 town is certainly finely situated, with a Bay in front, and 
 an amphitheatre of hills behind. The only thing which 
 diminishes its beauty is, that the hills have no large trees 
 upon them, they having been all burnt by the great fire 
 which swept them off about a dozen years before, and 
 they had not yet grown up again. The fire was described 
 to me by an inhabitant, as having been a very terrible and 
 magnificent sight. The air of the whole valley was so 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 55 
 
 heated that the people were obliged to leave the town and 
 take up their quarters for several clays upon the beach. 
 
 Just before sun-down the mate ordered a boat’s crew 
 ashore, and 1 went as one of the number. We passed 
 under the stern of the English brig, and had a long pull 
 ashore. I shall never forget the impression which our first 
 landing on the beach of California made upon me. The 
 sun had just gone down ; it was getting dusky ; the damp 
 night wind was beginning to blow, and the heavy swell of 
 the Pacific was setting in, and breaking in loud and high 
 “ combers ” upon the beach. We lay on our oars in the 
 swell, just outside the surf, waiting for a good chance to 
 run in, when a boat, which had put off from the Ayacucho 
 just after us, came alongside of us, with a crew of dusky 
 Sandwich Islanders, talking and hallooing in their out- 
 landish tongue. They knew that we were novices in this 
 kind of boating, and waited to see us go in. The second 
 mate, however, who steered our boat, determined to have 
 the advantage of their experience, and would not go in 
 first. Finding, at length, how matters stood, they gave a 
 shout, and taking advantage of a great comber which 
 came swelling in, rearing its head, and lifting up the stern 
 of our boat nearly perpendicular, and again dropping it in 
 the trough, they gave three or four long and strong pulls, 
 and went in on top of the great wave, throwing their oars 
 overboard, and as far from the boat as they could throw 
 them, and jumping out the instant that the boat touched 
 the beach, and then seizing hold of her and running her 
 up high and dry upon the sand. We saw, at once, how it 
 was to be done, and also the necessity of keeping the boat 
 “ stern on ” to the sea ; for the instant the sea should 
 strike upon her broad-side or quarter, she would be driven 
 up broad-side on, and capsized. We pulled strongly in, and 
 as soon as we felt that the sea had got hold of us and was 
 carrying us in with the speed of a race-horse, we threw 
 the oars as far from the boat as we could, and took hold 
 of the gunwale, ready to spring out and seize her when she 
 struck, the officer using his utmost strength to keep her 
 stern on. We were shot up upon the beach like an arrow 
 from a bow, and seizing the boat, ran her up high and dry, 
 and soon picked up our onrs, and stood by her, ready for 
 the captain to come down. 
 
56 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 Finding that the captain did not come immediately, we 
 put our oars in the boat, and leaving one to watch it, 
 walked about the beach to see what we could, of the place. 
 The beach is nearly a mile in length between the two 
 points, and of smooth sand. We had taken the only good 
 landing-place, which is in the middle ; it being more stony 
 towards the ends. It is about twenty yards in width from 
 high-water mark to a slight bank at which the soil begins, 
 and so hard that it is a favorite place for running horses. 
 It was growing dark, so that we could just distinguish the 
 dim outlines of the two vessels in the offing; and the 
 great seas were rolling in, in regular lines, growing larger 
 and larger as they approached the shore, and hanging 
 over the beach upon which they were to break, when their 
 tops would curl over and turn white with foam, and, be- 
 ginning at one extreme of the line, break rapidly to the 
 other, as a long card-house falls when the children knock 
 down the cards at one end. The Sandwich Islanders, in 
 the meantime, had turned their boat round, and ran her 
 down into the water, and were loading her with hides and 
 tallow. As this was the work in which we were soon to be 
 engaged, we looked on with some curiosity. They ran 
 the boat into the water so far that every large sea might 
 float her, and two of them, with their trowsers rolled up, 
 stood by the bows, one on each side, keeping her in her 
 right position. This was hard work ; for beside the force 
 they had to use upon the boat, the large seas nearly took 
 them off their legs. The others were running from the 
 boat to the bank, upon which, out of the reach of the 
 water, was a pile of dry bullocks’ hides, doubled length- 
 wise in the middle, and nearly as stiff as boards. These 
 they took upon their heads, one or two at a time, and 
 carried down to the boat, where one of their number 
 stowed them away. They were obliged to carry them on 
 their heads, to keep them out of the water, and we ob- 
 served that they hud on thick woollen caps. “ Look here, 
 Bill, and see what you’re coming to I ” said one of our 
 
 men to another who stood by the boat. “Well, D ,” 
 
 said the second mate to me, “ this does not look much 
 like Cambridge college, does it ? — This is what I call 
 ‘ head work: ” To tell the truth, it did not look very en- 
 couraging. 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 57 
 
 After they had got through with the hides, they laid 
 hold of the bags of tallow, (the bags are made of hide, and 
 are about the size of a common meal bag,) and lifting each 
 upon the shoulders of two men, one at each end, walked 
 off with them to the boat, and prepared to go abroad. 
 Here, too, was something for us to learn. The man who 
 steered, shipped his oars and stood up in the stern, and 
 those that pulled the after oars sat upon their benches, 
 with their oars shipped, ready to strike out as soon as she 
 was afloat. The two men at the bows kept their places ; 
 and when, at length, a large sea came in and floated her, 
 seized hold* of the gunwale, and ran out with her till they 
 were up to their armpits, and then tumbled over the gun- 
 wale into the bow, dripping with water. The men at the 
 oars struck out, but it wouldn’t do ; the sea swept back and 
 left them nearly high and dry. The two fellows jumped 
 out again ; and the next time they succeeded better, and, 
 with the help of a deal of outlandish hallooing and bawling, 
 got her well off. We watched them till they were out of 
 the breakers, and saw them steering for their vessel, which 
 was now hidden in the darkness. 
 
 The sand of the beach began to be cold to our bare 
 feet ; the frogs set up their croaking in the marshes, and 
 one solitary owl, from the end of the distant point, gave out 
 his melancholy note, mellowed by the distance, and we began 
 to think that it was nigh time for “ the old man,” as the 
 captain is generally called, to come down. In a few 
 minutes we heard something coming towards us. It was a 
 man on horseback. He came up on the full gallop, reined 
 up near us, addressed a few words to us, and receiving no 
 answer, wheeled round and galloped off again. He was 
 nearly as dark as an Indian, with a large Spanish hat, 
 blanket cloak or surreppa, and leather leggins, with a long 
 knife stuck in them. “ This is the seventh city that ever 
 I was in, and no Christian one neither,” said Bill Brown. 
 “ Stand by ! ” said Tom, “ you haven’t seen the worst of 
 it yet.” In the midst of this conversation the captain ap- 
 peared ; and we winded the boat round, shoved her down, 
 and prepared to go off. The captain, who had been on the 
 coast before and “ knew the ropes,” took the steering oar, 
 and we went off in the same way as the other boat. I, be- 
 ing the youngest, had the pleasure of standing at the bow e 
 
TWO YEATS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 S3 
 
 and getting wet through. We went off well, though the 
 seas were high. Some of them lifted us up, and sliding 
 from under us, seemed to let us drop through the air like a 
 flat plank upon the body of the water, in a few minutes 
 we were in the low, regular swell, and pulled for a light, 
 which, as we came up, we found had been run up to our 
 trysail gaff. 
 
 Coming aboard, we hoisted up all the boats, and diving 
 down into the forecastle, changed our wet clothes, and got 
 our supper. After supper the sailors lighted their pipes, 
 (cigars, those of us who had them,) and we had to tell all 
 we had seen ashore. Then followed conjectures about the 
 people ashore, the length of the voyage, carrying hides, 
 etc. etc., until eight bells, when all hands were called aft, 
 and the “ anchor watch” set. We were to stand two in a 
 watch, and as the nights were pretty long, two hours were 
 to make a watch. The second mate was to keep the deck 
 until eight o’clock, and all hands were to be called at day- 
 break, and the word was passed to keep a bright look-out, 
 and to call the mate if it should come on to blow from the 
 southeast. We had also orders to strike the bells every 
 half hour through the night, as at sea. My watchmate was 
 John, the Swedish sailor, and we stood from twelve to two, 
 he walking the larboard side, and I the starboard. At day- 
 light all hands were called, and we went through the usual 
 process of washing down, swabbing, etc., and got breakfast 
 at eight o’clock. In the course of the forenoon, a boat 
 went aboard of the Ayacucho and brought off a quarter of 
 beef, which made us afresh bite for dinner. This we were 
 glad enough to have, and the mate told us that we should 
 live upon fresh beef while we were on the coast, as it was 
 cheaper here than the salt. While at dinner, the cook 
 called, “ Sail ho ! ” and coming on deck, we saw two sails 
 coming round the point. One was a large ship under top- 
 gallant sails, and the other a small hermaphrodite brig. 
 They both backed their topsails and sent boats aboard of 
 us. The ship’s colors had puzzled us, and we found that 
 she was from Genoa, with an assorted cargo, and was trad- 
 ing on the coast. She filled away again, and stood out ; 
 being bound up the coast to San Francisco. The crew of 
 the brig’s boat were Sandwich Islanders, but one of them, 
 who spoke a little English, told us that she was the Loriotte, 
 
TfVO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 59 
 
 Captain Nye, from Oahu, and was engaged in this trade. 
 She was a lump of a thing — what the sailors call a butter- 
 box. This vessel, as well as the Ayacucho, and others, 
 which we afterwards saw engaged in the same trade, have 
 English or Americans for officers, and two or three before 
 the mast to do the work upon the rigging, and to rely upon 
 for seamanship, while the rest of the crew are Sandwich 
 Islanders, who are active, and very useful in boating. 
 
 The three captains went ashore after dinner, and came 
 off again at night. When in port, everything is attended 
 to by the chief mate ; the captain, unless he is also super- 
 cargo, has little to do, and is usually ashore much of his time. 
 This we thought would be pleasanter for us, as the mate was 
 a good-natured man and not very strict. So it was for a 
 time, but we were worse off in the end ; for wherever the cap- 
 tain is a severe, energetic man, and the mate is wanting in 
 both these qualities, there will always be trouble. And 
 trouble we had already begun to anticipate. The captain 
 had several times found fault with the mate, in presence of 
 the crew ; and hints had been dropped that all was not 
 right between them. When this is the case, and the cap- 
 tain suspects that his chief officer is too easy and familiar 
 with the crew, then he begins to interfere in all the duties, 
 and to draw the reins taughter, and the crew have to 
 suffer. 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 This night, after sundown, it looked black at the south- 
 ward and eastward, and we were told to keep a bright 
 look-out. Expecting to be called up, we turned in early. 
 Waking up about midnight, I found a man who had just 
 come down from his watch, striking a light. He said that 
 it was beginning to puff up from the southeast, and that 
 the sea was rolling in, and he had called the captain ; and 
 as he threw himself down on his chest with all his clothes 
 on, I knew that he expected to be called. I felt the vessel 
 pitching at her anchor, and the chain surging and snap- 
 ping, and lay awake, expecting an instant summons. In a 
 few minutes it came — three knocks on the scuttle, and 
 
6o 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST \ 
 
 “All hands ahoy! bear-a-hand up and make sail.” We 
 sprang up for our clothes, and were about half way 
 dressed, when the mate called out, down the scuttle, 
 “ Tumble up here, men ! tumble up ! before she drags her 
 anchor.” We were on deck in an instant. “ Lay aloft 
 and loose the topsails ! ” shouted the captain, as soon as 
 the first man showed himself. Springing into the rigging, 
 I saw that the Ayacucho’s topsails were loosed, and heard 
 her crew singing out at the sheets as they were hauling 
 them home. This had probably started our captain ; as 
 “old Wilson” (the captain of the Ayacucho) had been 
 many years on the coast, and knew the signs of the 
 weather. We soon had the topsails loosed ; and one hand 
 remaining, as usual, in each top, to overhaul the rigging 
 and light the sail out, the rest of us laid down to man the 
 sheets. While sheeting home, we saw the Ayacucho 
 standing athwart our bows, sharp upon the wind, cutting 
 through the head sea like a knife, with her raking masts 
 and sharp bows running up like the head of a greyhound. 
 It was a beautiful sight. She was like a bird which had 
 been frightened and had spread her wings in flight. After 
 the topsails had been sheeted home, the head yards braced 
 aback, the fore-top-mast staysail hoisted, and the buoys 
 streamed, and all ready forward, for slipping, we went aft 
 and manned the slip-rope which came through the stern 
 port with a turn round the timber-heads. “All ready for- 
 ward?” asked the captain. “Aye, aye, sir; all ready,” 
 answered the mate. “Let go!” “All gone, sir !” and 
 the iron cable grated over the windlass and through the 
 hawse-hole, and the little vessel’s head swinging off from 
 the wind under the force of her backed head sails, brought 
 the strain upon the slip-rope. “Let go aft ! ” Instantly 
 all was gone, and we were under weigh. As soon as she 
 was well off from the wind, we filled away the head yards, 
 braced all up sharp, set the foresail and trysail, and left 
 our anchorage well astern, giving the point a good berth. 
 “ Nye ’s off too,” said the captain to the mate; and look- 
 ing astern, we could just see the little hermaphrodite brig 
 under sail standing after us. 
 
 It now began to blow fresh ; the rain fell fast, and it 
 grew very black ; but the captain would not take in sail 
 until we were well clear of the point. As soon as we left 
 
TWO YEATS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 61 
 
 this on our quarter, and were standing out to sea, the 
 order was given, and we sprang aloft, double reefed each 
 topsail, furled the foresail, and double reefed the trysail, 
 and were soon under easy sail. In these cases of slipping 
 for southeasters, there is nothing to be done, after you 
 have got clear of the coast, but to lie-to under easy sail, 
 and wait for the gale to be over, which seldom lasts more 
 than two days, and is often over in twelve hours; but the 
 wind never comes back to the southward until there has a 
 good deal of rain fallen. “ Go below the watch, ” said the 
 mate ; but here was a dispute which watch it should be, 
 which the mate soon however settled by sending his watch 
 below, saving that we should have our turn the next time 
 we got under weigh. We remained on deck till the expira- 
 tion of the watch, the wind blowing very fresh and the rain 
 coming down in torrents. When the watch came up, we 
 wore ship, and stood on the other tack, in towards land. 
 When we came up again, which was at four in the morn- 
 ing, it was very dark, and there was not much wind, but it 
 was raining as I thought I had never seen it rain before. 
 We had on oilcloth suits, and southwester caps, and had 
 nothing to do but to stand bolt upright and let it pour 
 down upon us. There are no umbrellas, and no sheds to 
 go under, at sea. 
 
 While we were standing about on deck, we saw the 
 little brig drifting by us, hove to under her fore topsail 
 double reefed ; and she glided by like a phantom. Not a 
 word was spoken, and we saw no one on deck but the man 
 at the wheel. Towards morning the captain put his head 
 out of the companion-way, and told the second mate, who 
 commanded our watch, to look out for a change of wind, 
 which usually followed a calm and heavy rain ; and it wag 
 well that he did ; for in a few minutes it fell dead calm, 
 the vessel lost her steerage-way, and the rain ceased. 
 We hauled up the trysail and courses-, squared the after 
 yards, and waited for the change, which came in a few 
 minutes, with a vengeance, from the northwest, the oppo- 
 site point of the compass. Owing to our precautions, we 
 were not taken aback, but ran before the wind with square 
 yards. The captain coming on deck, we braced up a 
 little and stood back for our anchorage. With the change 
 of wind came a change of weather, and in two hours the 
 
62 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 wind moderated into the light steady breeze, which blows 
 down the coast the greater part of the year, and from its 
 regularity, might be called a trade-wind. The sun came 
 up bright, and we set royals, sky-sails, and studding-sails 
 and were under fair way for Santa Barbara. The little 
 Loriotte was astern of us, nearly out of sight ; but we saw 
 nothing of the Ayacucho. In a short time she appeared, 
 standing out from Santa Rosa Island, under the lee of 
 which she had been hove to, all night. Our captain 
 was anxious to get in before her, for it would be a great 
 credit to us, on the coast, to beat the Ayacucho, which 
 had been called the best sailer in the North Pacific, in 
 which she had been known as a trader for six years or 
 more. We had an advantage over her in light winds, 
 from our royals and skysails which we carried both at the 
 fore and main, and also in our studding-sails ; for Captain 
 Wilson carried nothing above top-gallant sails, and always 
 unbent his studding-sails when on the coast. As the wind 
 was light and fair, we held our own, for some time, when 
 we were both obliged to brace up and come upon a taught 
 bowline, after rounding the point; and here he had us on 
 fair ground, and walked away from us, as you would haul 
 in a line. He afterwards said that we sailed well enough 
 with the wind free, but that give him a taught bowline, and 
 he would beat us, if we had all the canvass of the Royal 
 George. 
 
 The Ayacucho got to the anchoring ground about half 
 an hour before us, and was furling her sails when we came 
 up to it. This picking up your cables is a very nice piece 
 of work. It requires some seamanship to do it, and come 
 to at your former moorings, without letting go another 
 anchor. Captain Wilson was remarkable, among the 
 sailors on the coast, for his skill in doing this ; and our 
 captain never let go a second anchor during all the time 
 that I was with him. Coming a little to windward of our 
 buoy, we clewed up the light sails, backed our main top- 
 sail, and lowered a boat, which pulled off, and made fast a 
 spare hawser to the buoy on the end of the slip-rope. We 
 brought the other end to the capstan, and hove in upon it 
 until we came to the slip-rope, which we took to the wind- 
 lass, and walked her up to her chain, the capstan helping 
 her by backing and filling the sails. The chain is then 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 63 
 
 passed through the hawse-hole and round the windlass, 
 and bitted, the slip-rope taken round outside and brought 
 into the stern port, and she is safe in her old berth. After 
 we had got through, the mate told us that this was a small 
 touch of California, the like of which we must expect to 
 have through the winter. 
 
 After we had furled the sails and got dinner, we saw 
 the Loriotte nearing, and she had her anchor before night 
 At sun-down we went ashore again, and found the Loriotte’s 
 boat waiting on the beach. The Sandwich Islander who 
 could speak English, told us that he had been up to the 
 town ; that our agent, Mr. R , and some other pass- 
 
 engers, were going to Monterey with us, and that we were 
 
 to sail the same night. In a few minutes Captain T , 
 
 with two gentlemen and one female, came down, and we 
 got ready to go off. They had a good deal of baggage, 
 which we put into the bows of the boat, and then two of 
 us took the senora in our arms, and waded with her through 
 the water, and put her down safely in the stern. She ap- 
 peared much amused with the transaction, and her hus- 
 band was perfectly satisfied, thinking any arrangement 
 good which saved his wetting his feet. I pulled the after 
 oar, so that I heard the conversation, and learned that 
 one of the men, who, as well as I could see in the dark- 
 ness, was a young-looking man, in the European dress, 
 and covered up in a large cloak, was the agent of the firm 
 to which our vessel belonged ; and the other, who was 
 dressed in the Spanish dress of the country, was a brother 
 of our captain, who had been many years a trader on the 
 coast, and had married the lady who was in the boat. She 
 was a delicate, dark-complexioned young woman, and of 
 one of the best families in California. I also found that 
 we were to sail the same night. As soon as we got on 
 board, ‘the boats were hoisted up, the sails loosed, the 
 windlass manned, the slip-ropes and gear cast off ; and 
 after about twenty minutes of heaving at the windlass, 
 making sail, and bracing yards, we were well under weigh, 
 and going with a fair wind up the coast to Monterey. The 
 Loriotte got under weigh at the same time, and was also 
 bound up to Monterey, but as she took a different course 
 from us, keeping the land aboard, while we kept well out 
 to sea, we soon lost sight of her. We had a fair wind, 
 
6 4 7 WV YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 which is something unusual when going up, as the pre- 
 vailing wind is the north, which blows directly down the 
 coast ; whence the northern are called the windward, and 
 the southern the leeward ports. 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 We got clear of the islands before sunrise the next 
 morning, and by twelve o’clock were out of the canal, and 
 off Point Conception, the place where we first made the 
 land upon our arrival. This is the largest point on the 
 coast, and is an uninhabited headland, stretching out into 
 the Pacific, and has the reputation of being very windy. 
 Any vessel does well which gets by it without a gale, 
 especially in the winter season. We were going along 
 with studding-sails set on both sides, when, as we came 
 round the point, we had to haul our wind, and took in the 
 lee studding-sails. As the brig came more upon the wind, 
 she felt it more, and we doused the sky-sails, but kept the 
 weather studding-sails on her, bracing the yards forward 
 so that the swinging-boom nearly touched the sprit-sail 
 yard. She now lay over to it, the wind was freshening, 
 and the captain was evidently “ dragging on to her.” His 
 
 brother and Mr. R , looking a little squally, said 
 
 something to him, but he only answered that he knew the 
 vessel and what she would carry. He was evidently show- 
 ing off his vessel, and letting them know how he could 
 carry sail. He stood up to windward, holding on by the 
 backstays, and looking up at the sticks, to see how much 
 they would bear ; when a puff came which settled the 
 matter. Then it was “haul down,” and “clew up,” 
 royals, flying-jib, and studding-sails, all at once. There 
 was what the sailors call a “ mess everything let go, 
 nothing hauled in, and everything flying. The poor 
 Spanish woman came to the companion-way, looking as 
 pale as a ghost, and nearly frightened to death. The 
 mate and some men forward were trying to haul in the 
 lower studding-sail, which had blown over the sprit-sail 
 yard-arm and round the guys, while the topmast-studding- 
 sail boom, after buckling up and springing out again like 
 
TWO years BEFORE THE MAST, 65 
 
 a piece of whalebone, broke off at the boom-iron. I sprang 
 aloft to take in the main top-gallant studding-sail, but be- 
 fore I got into the top, the tack parted, and away went 
 the sail, swinging forward of the top-gallant-sail, and tear- 
 ing and slatting itself to pieces. The halyards were at 
 this moment let go by the run ; and such a piece of work 
 I never had before, in taking in a sail. After great exer- 
 tions I got it, or the remains of it, into the top, and was 
 making it fast, when the captain, looking up, called out to 
 
 me, “ Lay aloft there, D , and furl that main royal.” 
 
 Leaving the studding-sail, I went up to the cross-trees ; 
 and here it looked rather squally. The foot of the top- 
 gallant-mast was working between the cross and trussel 
 trees, and the royal-mast lay over at a fearful angle with 
 the mast below, while everything was working, and crack- 
 ing, strained to the utmost. 
 
 There’s nothing for Jack to do but to obey orders, and 
 I went up upon the yard ; and there was a worse “ mess,” 
 if possible, than I had left below. The braces had been 
 let go, and the yard was swinging about like a turnpike- 
 gate, and the whole sail having blown over to leeward, the 
 lee leach was over the yard-arm, and the sky-sail was all 
 adrift and flying over my head. I looked down, but it 
 was in vain to attempt to make myself heard, for every one 
 was busy below, and the wind roared, and sails were flap- 
 ping in every direction. Fortunately, it was noon and 
 broad daylight, and the man at the wheel, who had his 
 eyes aloft, soon saw my difficulty, and after numberless 
 signs and gestures, got some one to haul the necessary 
 ropes taught. During this interval I took a look below. 
 Everything was in confusion on deck ; the little vessel was 
 tearing through the water as if she were mad, the seas flying 
 over her, and the masts leaning over at an angle of forty- 
 five degrees from the vertical. At the other royal-mast- 
 head was S , working away at the sail, which was 
 
 blowing from him as fast as he could gather it in. The 
 top-gallant-sail below me was soon clewed up, which 
 relieved the mast, and in a short time I got my sail furled, 
 and went below ; but I lost overboard a new tarpaulin 
 hat, which troubled me more than anything else. We 
 worked for about half an hour with might and main ; and 
 in an hour from the time the squall struck us, from having 
 
66 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 all our flying kites abroad, we came down to double-reefed 
 top-sails and the storm-sail^ 
 
 The wind had hauled ahead during the squall, and we 
 were standing directly in for the point. So, as soon as we 
 had got all snug, we wore round and stood off again, and 
 had the pleasant prospect of beating up to Monterey, a 
 distance of an hundred miles, against a violent head wind. 
 Before night it began to rain ; and we had five days of 
 rainy, stormy weather, under <51ose sail all the time, and 
 were blown several hundred miles off the coast. In 
 the midst of this, we discovered that our fore topmast was 
 sprung, (which no doubt happened in the squall,) and were 
 obliged to send down the fore top-gallant-mast and carry 
 as little sail as possible forward. Our four passengers 
 were dreadfully sick, so that we saw little or nothing of 
 them during the five days. On the sixth day it cleared off, 
 and the sun came out bright, but the wind and sea were 
 still very high. It was quite like being at sea again : no 
 land for hundreds of miles, and the captain' taking the sun 
 every day at noon. Our passengers now made their 
 appearance, and I had for the first time the opportunity of 
 seeing what a miserable and forlorn creature a sea-sick 
 passenger is. Since I had got over my own sickness, the 
 first two days from Boston, I had seen nothing but hale, 
 hearty men, with their sea legs on, and able to go any- 
 where, (for we had no passengers ;) and 1 will own there 
 was a pleasant feeling of superiority in being able to walk 
 the deck, and eat, and go about, and comparing one’s self 
 with two poor, miserable, pale creatures, staggering and 
 shuffling about decks, or holding on and looking up with 
 giddy heads, to see us climbing to the mast-heads, or sitting 
 quietly at work on the ends of the lofty yards. A well 
 man at sea has little sympathy with one who is sea-sick ; 
 he is too apt to be conscious of a comparison favorable to 
 his own manhood. 
 
 After a few days we made the land at Point Pinos, 
 (pines,) which is the headland at the entrance of the bay 
 of Monterey. As we drew in, and ran down the shore, we 
 could distinguish well the face of the country, and found it 
 better wooded than that to the southward of Point Con- 
 ception. In fact, as I afterwards discovered, Point Con- 
 ception may be made the dividihg line between two 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 67 
 
 different faces of the country. As you go to the north- 
 ward of the point, the country becomes more wooded, has 
 a richer appearance, and is better supplied with water. 
 This is the case with Monterey, and still more so with San 
 Francisco ; while to the southward of the point, as at Santa 
 Barbara, San Pedro, and particularly San Diego, there 
 is very little wood, and the country has a naked, level 
 appearance, though it is still very fertile. 
 
 The bay of Monterey is very wide at the entrance, being 
 about twenty-four miles between the two points, Ano 
 Nuevo at the North, and Pinos at the south, but narrows 
 gradually as you approach the town, which is situated in a 
 bend, or large cove, at the south eastern extremity, and 
 about eighteen miles from the points, which makes the 
 whole depth of the bay. The shores are extremely well 
 wooded, (the pine abounding upon them,) and as it was 
 now the rainy reason, everything was as green as nature 
 could make it, — the grass, the leaves, and all ; the birds 
 were singing in the woods, and great numbers of wild 
 fowl were flying over our heads. Here we could lie safe 
 from the southeasters. We came to anchor within two 
 table lengths of the shore, and the town lay directly before 
 us, making a very pretty appearance ; its houses being 
 plastered, which gives a much be f ter effect than those of 
 Santa Barbara, which are of a mud color. The red tiles, 
 too, on the roofs, contrasted well with the white plastered 
 sides, and with the extreme greenness of the lawn upon 
 which the houses— about an hundred in number — were 
 dotted about, here and there, irregularly. There are in 
 this place, and in every other town which I saw in Cali- 
 fornia, no streets, or fences, (except here and there a 
 small patch was fenced in fora garden), so that the houses 
 are placed at random upon the green, which, as they are 
 of one story and of the cottage form, gives them a pretty 
 effect when seen from a little distance. 
 
 It was a fine Saturday afternoon when we came to 
 anchor, the sun about an hour high, and everything look- 
 ing pleasantly. The Mexican flag was flying from the 
 little square Presidio, and the drums and trumpets of the 
 soldiers, who were out on parade, sounded over the water, 
 and gave great life to the scene. Every one was delighted 
 with the appearance of things. We felt as though we 
 
68 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 had got into a Christian (which in the sailor’s vocabulary 
 means civilized) country. The first impression which 
 California had made upon us was very disagreeable : — the 
 open roadstead of Santa Barbara; anchoring three miles 
 from the shore ; running out to sea before every south- 
 easter ; landing in a high surf : with a little dark-looking 
 town, a mile from the beach ; and not a sound to be heard, 
 or anything to be seen, but Sandwich Islanders, hides, and 
 tallow-bags. Add to this the gale off Point Conception, 
 and no one can be at a loss to account for our agreeable 
 disappointment in Monterey. Beside all this, we soon 
 learned, which was of no small importance to us, that 
 there was little or no surf here, and this afternoon the 
 beach was as smooth as a duck-pond. 
 
 We landed the agent and passengers, and found several 
 persons waiting for them on the beach, among whom were 
 some, who, though dressed in the costume of the country, 
 spoke English ; and who, we afterwards learned, were 
 English and Americans who had married and settled in 
 the country. 
 
 I also connected with our arrival here another circum- 
 stance which more nearly concerns myself ; viz., my first 
 act of what the sailors will allow to be seamanship — 
 sending down a royal-yard. I had seen it done once or 
 twice at sea, and an old sailor, whose favor I had taken 
 some pains to gain, had taught me carefully everything 
 which was necessary to be done, and in its proper order, 
 and advised me to take the first opportunity when we 
 were in port, and try it. I told the second mate, with 
 whom I had been pretty thick when he was before the 
 mast, that I would do it, and got him to ask the mate to 
 send me up the first time they were struck. Accordingly 
 I was called upon, and went up, repeating the operations 
 over in my mind, taking care to get everything in its order, 
 for the slightest mistake spoils the whole. Fortunately, 
 I got through without any word from the officer, and heard 
 the “ well done” of the mate, when the yard reached the 
 deck, with as much satisfaction as I ever felt at Cam- 
 bridge on seeing a “ bene ” at the foot of a Latin exercise. 
 
TWO , YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 69 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 The next day being Sunday, which is the liberty-day 
 among merchantmen, when it is usual to let a part of the 
 crew go ashore, the sailors had depended upon a day on 
 land, and were already disputing who should ask to go, 
 when, upon being called in the morning, we were turned- 
 to upon the rigging, and found that the topmast, which 
 had been sprung, was to come down, and a new one to go 
 up, and top-gallant and royal-masts, and the rigging to be 
 set up. This was too bad. If there is anything that irri- 
 tates sailors and makes them feel hardly used, it is being 
 deprived of their Sabbath. Not that they would always, 
 or indeed generally, spend it religiously, but it is their 
 only day of rest. Then, too, they are so often necessarily 
 deprived of it by storms, and unavoidable duties of all 
 kinds, that to take it from them when lying quietly and 
 safely in port, without any urgent reason, bears the more 
 hardly. The only reason in this case was, that the captain 
 had determined to have the custom-house officers on board 
 on Monday, and wished to have his brig in order. Jack 
 is a slave aboard ship ; but still he has many opportunities 
 of thwarting and balking his master. When there is dan- 
 ger, or necessity or when he is well used, no one can 
 work faster than he ; but the instant he feels that he is 
 kept at work for nothing, no sloth could make less head- 
 way. He must not refuse his duty, or be in any way diso- 
 bedient, but all the work that an officer gets out of him, 
 he may be welcome to. Every man who has been three 
 months at sea knows how to “ work Tom Cox’s traverse” 
 — “ three turns round the long-boat, and a pull at the scut- 
 tled-butt.” This morning everything went in his way. “ So- 
 gering ” was the order of the day. Send a man below to 
 get a block, and he would capsize everything before find- 
 ing it, then not bring it up till an officer had called him 
 twice, and take as much time to put things in order again. 
 Marline-spikes were not to be found ; knives wanted a 
 prodigious deal of sharpening, and, generally, three or 
 four were waiting round the grindstone at a time: When 
 
 a man got to the mast-head, he would come slowly down 
 
7 ° 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 again to get something which he had forgotten ; and after 
 the tackles were got up, six men would pull less than one 
 who pulled “with a will.” When the mate was out of 
 sight, nothing was done. It was all up-hill work ; and at 
 eight o'clock, when we went to breakfast, things were 
 nearly where they were when we began. 
 
 During our short meal, the matter was discussed. One 
 proposed refusing in work ; but that was mutiny, and of 
 course was rejected at once. I remember, too, that one 
 of the men quoted “ Father Taylor," (as they call the 
 seamen's preacher at Boston,) who told them that if they 
 were ordered to work on Sunday, they must not refuse 
 their duty, and the blame would not come upon them. After 
 breakfast, it leaked out, through the officers, that if we 
 would get through work soon, we might have a boat in the 
 afternoon and go a fishing. This bait was well thrown, 
 and took with several who were fond of fishing ; and all 
 began to find that as we had one thing to do, and were 
 not to be kept at work for the day, the sooner we did it, 
 the better. Accordingly, things took a new aspect ; and 
 before two o'clock, this work, which was in a fair way to 
 last two days, was done ; and five of us went a fishing in the 
 jollyboat, in the direction of Point Pinos ; but leave to go 
 ashore was refused. Here we saw the Loriotte, which sailed 
 with us from Santa Barbara, coming slowfy in with a light 
 sea-breeze, which sets in towards afternoon, having been 
 becalmed off the point all the first part of the day. We 
 took several fish of various kinds, among which cod and 
 perch abounded, and Foster, (the ci-devant second mate,) 
 who was of our number, brought up with his hook a large 
 and beautiful pearl-oyster shell. We afterwards learned 
 that this place was celebrated for shells, and that a small 
 schooner had made a good voyage, by carrying a cargo of 
 them to the United States. 
 
 We returned by sundown, and found the Loriotte at 
 anchor, within a cable’s length of the Pilgrim. The next 
 day we were “ turned-to" early, and began taking off the 
 hatches, overhauling the cargo, and getting everything 
 ready for inspection. At eight, the officers of the customs, 
 five in number, came on board, and began overhauling. 
 The carge, manifest, etc. The Mexican revenue laws are 
 very strict, and require the whole cargo to be landed, ex- 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 7 * 
 
 amined, and taken on board again ; but our agent, Mr. R 
 
 , had succeeded in compounding with them for the 
 
 two last vessels, and saving the trouble of taking the cargo 
 ashore. The officers were dressed in the costume which we 
 found prevailed through the country. A broad-brimmed 
 hat, usually of a black or dark-brown color, with a gilt or 
 figured band round the crown, and lined inside with silk ; 
 a short jacket of silk or figured calico, (the European 
 skirted body-coat is never worn ;) the shirt open in the 
 neck ; rich waistcoat, if any ; pantaloons wide, straight, 
 and long, usually of velvet, velveteen, or broadcloth ; or 
 else short breeches and white stockings. They wear the 
 dearskin shoe, which is of a dark-brown color, and, (being 
 made by Indians,) usually a good deal ornamented. They 
 have no suspenders, but always wear a sash round the 
 waist, which is generally red, and varying in quality with 
 the means of the wearer. Add to this the never-failing 
 cloak, and you have the dress of the Californian. This 
 last garment, the cloak, is always a mark of the rank and 
 wealth of the owner. The “ gente de razon ,” or aristocracy, 
 wear cloaks of black or dark blue broadcloth, with as much 
 velvet and trimmings as maybe; and from this they go 
 down to the blanket of the Indian ; the middle classes 
 wearing something like a large table-cloth, with a hole in 
 the middle for the head to go through. This is often as 
 coarse as a blanket, but being beautifully woven with 
 various colors, is quite showy at a distance. Among the 
 Spaniards there is no working class ; (the Indians being 
 slaves and doing all the hard work ;) and every rich man 
 looks like a grandee, and every poor scamp like a broken- 
 down gentleman. I have often seen a man with a fine 
 figure, and courteous manners, dressed in broadcloth and 
 velvet, with a noble horse completely covered with trap- 
 pings, without a real in his pockets, and absolutely suffering 
 for something to eat. 
 
72 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 The next day, the cargo having been entered in due 
 form, we began trading. The trade-room was fitted up in 
 the steerage, and furnished out with the lighter goods, 
 and with specimens of the rest of the cargo ; and M — , a 
 young man who came out from Boston with us, before the 
 mast, was taken out of the forecastle, and made super- 
 cargo’s clerk. He was well qualified for the business, 
 having been clerk in a counting-house in Boston. He had 
 been troubled for some time with the rheumatism, which 
 unfitted him for the wet and exposed duty of a sailor on 
 the coast. For a week or ten days all was life on board. 
 The people came off to look and to buy — men, women, 
 and children ; and we were continually going in the boats, 
 carrying goods and passengers, — for they have no boats of 
 their own. Everything must dress itself and come aboard 
 and see the new vessel, if it were only to buy a paper of 
 pins. The agent and his clerk managed the sales, while 
 we were busy in the hold or in the boats. Our cargo was 
 an assorted one ; that is, it consisted of everything under 
 the sun. We had spirits, of all kinds, (sold by the cask,) 
 teas, coffee, sugars, spices, raisins, molasses, hardware, 
 crockery-ware, tin-ware, cutlery, clothing of all kinds, boots 
 and shoes from Lynn, calicoes and cottons from Lowell 
 crapes, silks; also, shawls, scarfs, necklaces, jewelry, 
 and combs for the ladies ; furniture ; and in fact, every- 
 thing that can be imagined, from Chinese fire-works to 
 English cart-wheels — of which we had a dozen pairs with 
 their iron rims on. 
 
 The Californians are an idle, thriftless people, and can 
 make nothing for themselves. The country abounds in 
 grapes, yet they buy bad wine made in Boston and brought 
 round by us, at an immense price, and retail it among 
 themselves at a real (i 2-1-2 cents) by the small wine-glass. 
 Their hides too, which they value at two dollars in money, 
 they give for something which cost seventy-five cents in 
 Boston ? and buy shoes (as like as not, made of their own 
 hides, which have been carried twice round Cape Horn) at 
 three and four dollars, and “ chicken-skin” boots at fifteen 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 73 
 
 dollars apiece. Things sell, on an average, at an advance 
 of nearly three hundred per cent upon the Boston prices. 
 This is partly owning to the heavy duties which the govern- 
 ment, in their wisdom, with the intent, no doubt, of keep- 
 ing the silver in the country, has laid upon imports. These 
 duties, and the enormous expenses of so long a voyage, 
 keep all merchants, but those of heavy capital, from en- 
 gaging in the trade. Nearly two thirds of all the articles 
 imported into the country from round Cape Horn, for the 
 last six years, have been by the single house of Bryant, 
 Sturgis & Co., to whom our vessel belonged and who have 
 a permanent agent on the coast. 
 
 This kind of business was new to us, and we liked it 
 very well for a few days, though we were hard at work 
 every minute from daylight to dark ; and sometimes even 
 later. 
 
 By being thus continually engaged in transporting pas- 
 sengers with their goods, to and fro, we gained considera- 
 ble knowledge of the character, dress, and language of 
 the people. The dress of the men was as I have before 
 described it. The women wore gowns of various texture — 
 silks, crape, calicoes, &c. — made after the European style, 
 except that the sleeves were short, leaving the arm bare, 
 and that they were loose about the waist, having no corsets. 
 They wore shoes of kid, or satin ; sashes or belts of bright 
 colors ; and almost always a necklace and ear-rings. Bon- 
 nets they had none. I only saw one on the coast and that 
 belonged to the wife of an American sea captain who had 
 settled in San Diego, and had imported the chaotic mass 
 of straw and ribbon, as a choice present to his new wife. 
 They wear their hair (which is almost invariably black, o\ 
 a very dark brown) long in their necks, sometimes loose, 
 and sometimes in long braids ; though the married woraeh 
 often do it up on a high comb. Their only protection against 
 the sun and weather is a large mantle which they put over 
 their heads, drawing it close round their faces, when they 
 go out of doors, which is generally only in pleasant weather. 
 When in the house, or sitting out in front of it, which they 
 often do in fine weather, they usually wear a small scarf oi 
 neckerchief of a rich pattern. A band, also, about the top 
 of the head, with a cross, star, or other ornament in front, 
 is common. Their complexions are various, depending — • 
 
74 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 as well as their dress and manner — upon their rank ; or, 
 in other words, upon the amount of Spanish blood they 
 can lay claim to. Those who are of pure Spanish blood, 
 having never intermarried with the aborigines, have clear 
 brunette complexions, and sometimes, even as fair as those 
 of English women. There are but few of these families in 
 California ; being mostly those in official stations, or who, 
 on the expiration of their offices, have settled here upon 
 property which they have acquired ; and others who have 
 been banished for state offences. These form the aristo- 
 cracy ; intermarrying, keeping up an exclusive system in 
 every respect. They can be told by their complexions, 
 dress, manner, and also by their speech; for, calling them- 
 selves Castilians, they are very ambitious of speaking the 
 pure Castilian language, which is spoken in a somewhat 
 corrupted dialect by the lower classes. From this upper 
 class, they go down by regular shades, growing more and 
 more dark and muddy, until you come to the pure Indian, 
 who runs about with nothing upon him but a small piece 
 of cloth, kept up by a wide leather strap drawn round his 
 waist. Generally speaking, each person’s caste is decided 
 by the quality of the blood, which shows itself, too plainly 
 to be concealed, at first sight. Yet the least drop of 
 Spanish blood, if it be only of quatroon or octoon, is suffi- 
 cient to raise them from the rank of slaves and entitle them 
 to a suit of clothes — boots, hat, cloak, spurs, long knife, 
 all complete, though coarse and dirty as may be — and to 
 call themselves Espanolos, and to hold property, if they 
 can get any. 
 
 The fondness for dress among the women is excessive, 
 and is often the ruin of many of them. A present of a fine 
 mantle, or of a necklace or pair of earrings, gains the favor 
 of the greater part of them. Nothing is more common than 
 to see a woman living in a house of only two rooms, and 
 the ground for a floor, dressed in spangled satin shoes, silk 
 gown, high comb, and gilt, if not gold ear-rings and neck- 
 lace. If their husbands do not dress them well enough, 
 they will soon receive presents from others. They used to 
 spend whole days on board our vessel, examining the fine 
 clothes and ornaments, and frequently made purchases at 
 a rate which would have made a sempstress or waiting-maid 
 in Boston open her eyes. 
 
TWO YEATS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 75 
 
 Next to the love of dress, I was most struck with the 
 fineness of the voices and beauty of the intonations of both 
 sexes. Every common ruffian-looking fellow, with a 
 slouched hat, blanket cloak, dirty under-dress, and soiled 
 leather leggins, appeared to me to be speaking elegant 
 Spanish. It was a pleasure simply to listen to the sound 
 of the language, before I could attach any meaning to it. 
 They have a good deal of the Creole drawl, but it is varied 
 with an occasional extreme rapidity of utterance, in which 
 they seem to skip from consonant to consonant, until, 
 lighting upon a broad, open vowel, they rest upon that 
 to restore the balance of sound. The women carry this 
 peculiarity of speaking to a much greater extreme than the 
 men, who have more evenness and stateliness of utterance. 
 A common bullock-driver, on horseback, delivering a 
 message, seemed to speak like an ambassador at an audi- 
 ence. In fact, they sometimes appeared to me to be a 
 people on whom a curse had fallen, and stripped them of 
 everything but their pride, their manners and their voiceSo 
 
 Another thing that surprised me was the quantity of 
 silver that was in circulation. I certainly never saw so 
 much silver at one time in my life, as during the week that 
 we were at Monterey. The truth is, they have no credit 
 system, no banks, and no way of investing money but in 
 cattle. They have no circulating medium but silver and 
 hides — which the sailors call “ California bank notes.” 
 Everything that they buy they must pay for in one or the 
 other of these things. The hides they bring down dried 
 and doubled, in clumsy ox-carts, or upon mules’ backs, and 
 the money they carry tied up in a handkerchief ; — fifty, 
 eighty, or an hundred dollars and half dollars. 
 
 I had never studied Spanish while at college, and could 
 not speak a word, when at Juan Fernandez ; but during the 
 latter part of the passage out, I borrowed a grammar and 
 dictionary from the cabin, and by a continual use of these, 
 and a careful attention to every word that I heard spoken, 
 I soon got a vocabulary together, and began talking for 
 myself. As I soon knew more Spanish than any of the 
 crew, (who indeed knew none at all,) and had been at 
 college and knew Latin, I got the name of a great linguist, 
 and was always sent by the captain and officers to get pro- 
 visions, or to carry letters and messages to different parts 
 
7 6 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 of the town. I was often sent to get something which I 
 could not tell the name of to save my life ; but I liked the 
 business, and accordingly never pleaded ignorance. Some- 
 times I managed to jump below and take a look at my 
 dictionary before going ashore ; or else I overhauled some 
 English resident on my way, and got the word from him ; 
 and then, by signs, and the help of my Latin and French, 
 contrived to get along. This was a good exercise for me, 
 and no doubt taught me more than I should have learned 
 by months of study and reading ; it also gave me opportu- 
 nities of seeing the customs, characters, and domestic 
 arrangements of the people ; beside being a great relief 
 from the monotony of a day spent on board ship. 
 
 Monterey, as far as my observation goes, is decidedly 
 the pleasantest and most civilized-looking place in Cali- 
 fornia. In the centre of it is an open square, surrounded 
 by four lines of one-story plastered buildings, with half a 
 dozen cannon in the centre ; some mounted, and others not, 
 This is the “ Presidio,” or fort. Every towm has a pre- 
 sidio in its centre ; or rather, every presidio has a town 
 built around it ; for the forts were first built by the Mexican 
 government, and then the people built near them for pro- 
 tection. The presidio here was entirely open and unfortified. 
 There were several officers with long titles, and about 
 eighty soldiers, but they were poorly paid, fed, clothed and 
 disciplined. The governor-general, or, as he is commonly 
 called, the “ general,” lives here ; which makes it the seat 
 of government. Pie is appointed by the central govern- 
 ment at Mexico, and is the chief civil and military officer. 
 In addition to him, each town has a commandant, who is 
 the chief military officer, and has charge of the fort, and 
 of all transactions with foreigners and foreign vessels ; and 
 two or three alcaldis and corregidores, elected by the in- 
 habitants, who are the civil officers. Courts and jurispru- 
 dence they have no knowledge of. Small municipal matters 
 are regulated by the alcaldis and corregidores ; and every- 
 thing relating to the general government, to the military, 
 and to foreigners, by the commandants, acting under the 
 governor-general. Capital cases are decided by him, upon 
 personal inspection, if he is near ; or upon minutes sent by 
 the proper officers, if the offender is at a distant place. No 
 Protestant has any civil rights, nor can he hold any 
 
TWO YEATS L EEC RE TEE MAST. 
 
 11 
 
 property, or, indeed, remain more than a few weeks on 
 shore, unless he belonged to some vessel. Consequently, the 
 Americans and English who intend to reside here become 
 Catholics, to a man ; the current phrase among them 
 being, — “ A man must leave his conscience at Cape Horn.” 
 
 But to return to Monterey. The houses here, as every- 
 where else in California, are of one story, built of clay made 
 into large bricks, about a foot and a half square and three 
 or four inches thick, and hardened in the sun. These are 
 cemented together by mortar of the same material, and the 
 whole are of common dirt-color. The floors are generally 
 of earth, the windows grated and without glass ; and the 
 doors, which are seldom shut, open directly into the com- 
 mon room ; there being no entries. Some of the more 
 wealthy inhabitants have glass to their windows and board 
 floors ; and in Monterey nearly all the houses are plaster- 
 ed on the outside. The better houses, too, have red tiles 
 upon the roofs. The common ones have two or three 
 rooms which open into each other, and are furnished with 
 a bed or two, a few chairs and tables, a looking-glass, a 
 crucifix of some material or other, and small daubs of 
 paintings enclosed in glass, and representing some miracle 
 or martydom. They have no chimneys or fireplaces in the 
 houses, the climate being such as to make a fire unneces- 
 sary ; and all their cooking is done in a small cook-house, 
 separated from the house. The Indians, as I have said 
 before, do all the hard work, two or three being attached 
 to each house ; and the poorest persons are able to keep 
 one, at least, for they have only to feed them and give 
 them a small piece of coarse cloth and a belt, for the 
 males ; and a coarse gown, without shoes or stockings, for 
 the females. 
 
 In Monterey there are a number of English and Ameri- 
 cans (English or “ Ingles ” all are called who speak the 
 English language) who have married Californians, be- 
 come united to the Catholic church, and acquired con- 
 siderable property. Having more industry, frugality, and 
 enterprise than the natives, they soon get nearly all the 
 trade into their hands. They usually keep shops, in which 
 they retail the goods purchased in larger quantities from 
 our vessels, and also send a good deal into the interior, 
 taking hides in pay, which they again barter with our 
 
•jS TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 vessels. In every town on the coast there are foreigners 
 engaged in this kind of trade, \yhile I recollect bat two 
 shops kept by natives. The people are naturally suspici- 
 ous of foreigners, and they would not be allowed to re- 
 main, were it not that they become good Catholics, and by 
 marrying natives, and bringing up their children as Catho 
 lies and Spaniards, and not teaching them the English 
 language, they quiet suspicion, and even become popular 
 and leading men. The chief alcaldis in Monterey and 
 Santa Barbara were both Yankees by birth. 
 
 The men in Monterey appeared to me to be always 
 on horseback. Horses are as abundant here as dogs and 
 chickens were in Juan Fernandez. There are no stables 
 to keep them in, but they are allowed to run wild and 
 graze wherever they please, being branded, and having 
 long leather ropes, called “ lassos ” attached to their 
 necks and dragging along behind them, by which they can 
 be easily taken. The men usually catch one in the morn- 
 ing, throw a saddle and bridle upon him, and use him for 
 the day, and let him go at night, catching another the 
 next day. When they go on long journeys, they ride one 
 horse down, and catch another, throw the saddle and bridle 
 upon him, and after riding him down, take a third, and so 
 on to the end of the journey. There are probably no better 
 riders in the world. They get upon a horse when only 
 four or five years old, their little legs not long enough to 
 come half way over his sides ; and may almost be said to 
 keep on him until they have grown to him. Thp stirrups 
 are covered or boxed up in front, to prevent their catch- 
 ing when riding through the woods ; and the saddles are 
 large and heavy, strapped very tight upon the horse, and 
 have large pommels, or loggerheads, in front, round which 
 the “ lasso ” is coiled when not in use. They can hardly 
 go from one house to another without getting on a horse, 
 there being generally several standing tied to the door- 
 posts of the little cottages. When they wish to show their 
 activity, they make no use of their stirrups in mounting, 
 but striking the horse, spring into the saddle as he starts, 
 and sticking their long spurs into him, go off on the full 
 run. Their spurs are cruel things, having four or five 
 rowels, each an inch in length, dull and rusty. The flanks 
 of the horses are often sore from them, and I have seen 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 79 
 
 men come in from chasing bullocks with their horses' hind 
 legs and quarters covered with blood. They frequently 
 give exhibitions of their horsemanship, in races, bull-bait- 
 ings, etc. ; but as we were not ashore during any holi- 
 day, we saw nothing of it. Monterey is also a great place 
 for cock-fighting, gambling of all sorts, fandangos, and 
 every kind of amusement and knavery. Trappers and 
 hunters, who occasionally arrive here from over the Rocky 
 mountains, with their valuable skins and furs, are often 
 entertained with every sort of amusements and dissipation, 
 until they have wasted their time and their money, and go 
 back, stripped of everything. 
 
 Nothing but the character of the people prevents 
 Monterey from becoming a great town. The soil is as 
 rich as man could wish ; climate as good as any in the 
 world ; water abundant, and situation extremely beautiful. 
 The harbor, too, is a good one, being subject only to one 
 bad wind, the north ; and though the holding-ground is 
 not the best, yet I heard of but one vessel's being driven 
 ashore here. That was a Mexican brig, which went 
 ashore a few months before our arrival, and was a total 
 wreck, all the crew but one being drowned. Yet this was 
 from the carelessness or ignorance of the captain, who 
 paid out all his small cable before he let go his other 
 anchor. The ship Lagoda, of Boston, was there at the 
 time, and rode out the gale in safety, without dragging at 
 all, or finding it necessary to strike her top-gallant masts. 
 
 The only vessel in port with us was the little Loriotte. 
 I frequently went on board her, and became very well ac- 
 quainted with her Sandwich Island crew. One of them 
 could speak a little English, and from him I learned a 
 good deal about them. They were well formed and ac- 
 tive, with black eyes, intelligent countenances, dark-olive, 
 or, I should rather say, copper complexions, and coarse 
 black hair, but not woolly like the negroes. They ap- 
 peared to be talking continually. In the forecastle there 
 was a complete Babel. Their language is extremely gut- 
 tural, and not pleasant at first, but improves as you hear 
 it more, and is said to have great capacity. They use a 
 good deal of gesticulation, and are exceedingly animated, 
 saying with their might what their tongues find to say. 
 They are complete water-dogs, and therefore very good in 
 
So TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 boating. It is for this reason that there are so many of 
 them on the coast of California ; they being very good 
 hands in the surf. They are also quick and active in the 
 rigging, and good hands in warm weather ; but those who 
 have been with them round Cape Horn, and in high lati- 
 tudes, say that they are useless in cold weather. In their 
 dress they are precisely like our sailors. In addition to 
 these Islanders, the vessel had two English sailors, who 
 acted as boatswains over the Islanders, and took care of 
 the rigging. One of them I shall always remember as the 
 best specimen of the thorough-bred English sailor that I 
 ever saw. He had been to sea from a boy, having served 
 a regular apprenticeship of seven years, as all English 
 sailors are obliged to do, and was then about four or five 
 and-twenty. He was tall ; but you only perceived it when 
 he was standing by the side of others, for the great breadth 
 of his shoulders and chest made him appear but little 
 above the middle height. His chest was as deep as it was 
 wide ; his arm like that of Hercules ; and his hand “ the 
 fist of a tar — every hair a rope-yarn.” With all this he 
 had one of the pleasantest smiles I ever saw. His cheeks 
 were of a handsome brown ; his teeth brilliantly white ; 
 and his hair, of a raven black, waved in loose curls all 
 over his head, and fine, open forehead ; and his eyes he 
 might have sold to a duchess at the price of diamonds, 
 for their brilliancy. As for their color, they were like the 
 Irishman’s pig, which would not stay to be counted ; every 
 change of position and light seemed to give them a new 
 hue ; but their prevailing color was black, or nearly so. 
 Take him with his well-varnished black tarpaulin stuck 
 upon the back of his head ; his long locks coming down 
 almost into his eyes ; his white duck trowsers and shirt ; 
 blue jacket, and black kerchief, tied loosely round his 
 neck ; and he was a fine specimen of manly beauty. On 
 his broad chest he had stamped with India ink “ Parting 
 moments ; ” — a ship ready to sail ; a boat on the beach; 
 and a girl and her sailor lover taking their farewell. Un- 
 derneath were printed the initials of his own name, and 
 two other letters, standing for some name which he knew 
 better than I did. This was very well done, having been 
 executed by a man who made it his business to print with 
 India ink, for sailors, at Havre. On one of his broad 
 
TWO YEATS BEFORE TIIE MAST. 8l 
 
 arms he had the crucifixion, and on the other the sign of 
 the “ foul anchor.” 
 
 He was very fond of reading, and we lent him most of 
 the books which we had in the forecastle, which he read 
 and returned to us the next time we fell in with him. He 
 had a good deal of information, and his captain said he 
 was a perfect seaman, and worth his weight in gold 
 on board a vessel, in fair weather and in foul. His 
 strength must have been immense, and he had the sight 
 of a vulture. It is strange that one should be so minute 
 in the description of an unknown, outcast sailor, whom one 
 may never see again, and whom no one may care to hear 
 about ; but so it is. Some people we see under no re- 
 markable circumstances, but whom, for some reason or 
 other, we never forget. He called himself Bill Jackson; 
 and I know no one of all my accidental acquaintances to 
 whom I would more gladly give a shake of the hand than 
 to him. Whoever falls in with him will find a handsome, 
 hearty fellow, and a good shipmate. 
 
 Sunday came again while we were at Monterey, but, 
 as before, it brought us no holiday. The people on shore 
 dressed themselves and came off in greater numbers than 
 ever, and we were employed all day in boating and breaking 
 out cargo, so that we had hardly time to eat. Our ci- 
 devant second mate, who was determined to get liberty if 
 it was to be had, dressed himself in a long coat and black 
 hat, and polished his shoes, and went aft and asked to go 
 ashore. He could not have done a more imprudent thing ; 
 for he knew that no liberty would be given ; and besides, 
 sailors, however sure they may be of having liberty granted 
 them, always go aft in their working clothes, to appear as 
 though they had no reason to expect anything, and then 
 wash, dress, and shave, after they have got their liberty. 
 But this poor fellow was always getting into hot water, and 
 if there was a wrong way of doing a thing, was sure to 
 hit upon it. We looked to see him go aft, knowing pretty 
 well what his reception would be* Tlje captain was walk- 
 the quarter-deck, smoking his morning cigar, and Foster 
 went as far as the break of the deck, and there waited for 
 him to notice him. The captain took two or three turns, 
 and then walking directly up to him, surveyed him from 
 head to foot, and lifting up his forefinger, said a word o/ 
 
82 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 two, in a tone too low for us to hear, but which had a 
 magical effect upon poor Foster. He walked forward, 
 sprang into the forecastle, and in a moment more made his 
 appearance in his common clothes, and went quietly to 
 work again. What the captain said to him, we never 
 could get him to tell us, but it certainly changed him out- 
 wardly and inwardly in a most surprising manner. 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 After a few days, finding the trade beginning to 
 slacken, we hove our anchor up, set our topsails, ran the 
 stars and stripes up to the peak, fired a gun, which was 
 returned from the presidio, and left the little town astern, 
 running out of the bay, and bearing down the coast again, 
 for Santa Barbara. As we were now going to leeward, we 
 had a fair wind and a plenty of it. After doubling Point 
 Pinos, we bore up, set studding-sails alow and aloft, and 
 were walking off at the rate of eight or nine knots, prom- 
 ising to traverse in twenty-four hours the distance which 
 we were nearly three weeks in traversing on the passage 
 up. We passed Point Conception at a flying rate, the 
 wind blowing so that it would have seemed half a gale to 
 us, if we had been going the other way and close hauled. 
 As we drew near the islands off Santa Barbara, it died 
 away a little, but we came-to at our old anchoring-ground 
 in less than thirty hours from the time of leaving Mon- 
 terey. 
 
 Here everything was pretty much as we left it — the 
 large bay without a vessel in it ; the surf roaring and roll 
 ing in upon the beach ; the white mission ; the dark town, 
 and the high, treeless mountains. Here, too, we had our 
 southeaster tacks aboard again, — slip-ropes, buoy-ropes, 
 sails furled with reefs in them, and rope-yarns for gaskets. 
 We lay here about a fortnight, employed in landing goods 
 and taking off hides, occasionally, when the surf was not 
 high ; but there did not appear to be one half the business 
 doing here that there was in Monterey. In fact, so far as 
 we were concerned, the town might almost as well have 
 been in the middle of the Cordilleras. We lay at a dis- 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE TEE MAST 83 
 
 tance of three miles from the beach, and the town was 
 nearly a mile further; so that we saw little or nothing of 
 it. Occasionally we landed a few goods, which were 
 taken away by Indians in large, clumsy ox-carts, with 
 the yoke on the ox’s neck instead of under it, and with 
 small solid wheels. A few hides were brought down, 
 which we carried off in the California style. This we had 
 now got pretty well accustomed to ; and hardened to also ; 
 for it does require a little hardening, even to the toughest. 
 
 The hides are always brought down dry, or they would 
 not be received. When they are taken from the animal, 
 they have holes cut in the ends, and are staked out, and 
 thus dried in the sun without shrinking. They are then 
 doubled once, lengthwise, with the hair side usually in, 
 and sent down upon mules or in carts, and piled above 
 high-water mark ; and then we take them upon our heads, 
 one at a time, or two, if they are small, and wade out with 
 them and throw them into the boat, which, as there are no 
 wharves, we usually kept anchored by a small hedge, or 
 keeleg, just outside of the surf. We all provided ourselves 
 with thick Scotch caps, which would be soft to the head, 
 and at the same time protect it ; for we soon found that 
 however it might look or feel at first, the “ head-work ” was 
 the only system for California. For besides that the seas, 
 breaking high, often obliged us to carry the hides so, in 
 order to keep them dry, we found that, as they were 
 very large and heavy, and nearly as stiff as boards, 
 it was the only way that we could carry them with any con- 
 venience to ourselves. Some o f the crew tried other 
 expedients, saying that that looked too much like West 
 India negroes; but they all came to it at last. The great 
 art is in getting them on the head. We had to take them 
 from the ground, and as they were often very heavy, and 
 as wide as the arms could stretch, and easily taken bv the 
 wind, we used to have some trouble with them. I have 
 often been laughed at myself, and joined in laughing at 
 others, pitching themselves down in the sand, trying to 
 swing a large hide upon their heads, or nearly blown over 
 with one in a little gust of wind. The captain made it 
 harder for us, by telling us that it was “ California fashion ” 
 to carry two on the head at a time; and as he insisted 
 upon it, and we did not wish to be outdone by other vefr 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 S 4 
 
 sels, we carried two for the first few months ; but after 
 falling in with a few other “ hide droghers. 0 and finding 
 that they carried only one at a time, we “knocked off” 
 the extra one, and thus made our duty somewhat easier. 
 
 After we had got our heads used to the weight, and 
 had learned the true California style of tossing a hide , we 
 could carry off two or three hundred in a short time, with- 
 out much trouble ; but it was always wet work, and, if the 
 beach was stony, bad for our feet : for we, of course, always 
 went barefooted on this duty, as no shoes could stand 
 such constant wetting with salt water. Then, too, we had 
 a long pull of three miles, with a loaded boat, which often 
 took a couple of hours. 
 
 We had now got well settled down into our harbor 
 duties, which, as they are a good deal different from those 
 at sea, it may be well enough to describe. In the first 
 place, all hands are called at daylight, or rather — especially 
 if the days are short — before daylight, as soon as the first 
 gray of the morning. The cook makes his fire in the 
 galley; the steward goes about his work in the cabin ^ and 
 the crew rig the head pump, and wash down the decks. 
 The chief mate is always on deck, but takes no active part, 
 all the duty coming upon the second mate, who has to roll 
 up his trowsers and paddle about deck barefooted like the 
 rest of the crew. The washing, swabbing, squilgeeing, 
 etc., lasts, or is made to last, until eight o’clock, when 
 breakfast is ordered, fore and aft. After breakfast, for 
 which half an hour is allowed, the boats are lowered down, 
 and made fast astern, or out to the swinging booms, by 
 gaswarps, and the crew are turned-to upon their day’s 
 work. This is various, and its character depends upon 
 circumstances. There is always more or less of boating, 
 in small boats ; and if heavy goods are to be taken ashore, 
 or hides are brought down to the beach for us, then all 
 hands are sent ashore with an officer in the long-boat. 
 Then there is always a good deal to be done in the hold : 
 goods to be broken out ; and cargo to be shifted, to make 
 room for hides, or to keep the trim of the vessel. In 
 addition to this, the usual work upon the rigging must be 
 going on. There is a good deal of the latter kind of 
 work which can only be done when the vessel is in port , 
 and then everything must be kept taught and in good 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 *5 
 
 order ; spun-yarn made ; chafing gear repaired ; and all 
 the other ordinary work. The great difference between 
 sea and harbor duty is in the division of time. Instead of 
 having a watch on deck and a watch below, as at sea, all 
 hands are at work together, except at meal times, from day- 
 light till dark ; and at night an “ anchor-watch ” is kept 
 which consists of only two at a time ; the whole crew 
 taking turns. An hour is allowed for dinner, and at dark, 
 the decks are cleared up ; the boats hoisted ; supper 
 ordered ; and at eight, the lights put out, except in the 
 binnacle, where the glass stands ; and the anchor-watch is 
 set. Thus, when at anchor, the crew have more time at 
 night, (standing watch only about two hours,) but have no 
 time to themselves in the day ; so that reading, mending 
 clothes, etc., has to be put off until Sunday, which is 
 usually given. Some religious captains give their crews 
 Saturday afternoon to do their washing and mending in, 
 so that they may have their Sundays free. This is a good 
 arrangement, and does much toward creating the prefer- 
 ence sailors usually show for religious vessels. We were 
 well satisfied if we got Sunday to ourselves, for, if any 
 hides came down on that day, as was often the case when 
 they were brought from a distance, we were obliged to 
 bring them off, which usually took half a day ; and as we 
 now lived on fresh beef, and ate one bullock a week, the 
 animal was almost always brought down on Sunday, and 
 we had to go ashore, kill it, dress it, and bring it aboard, 
 which was another interruption. Then, too, our common 
 day’s work was protracted and made more fatiguing by 
 hides coining down late in the afternoon, which sometimes 
 kept us at work in the surf by star-light, with the prospect 
 of pulling on board, and stowing them all away, before 
 supper. 
 
 But all these little vexations and labors would have 
 been nothing, they would have been passed by as the com- 
 mon evils of a sea-life, which every sailor who is a man 
 will go through without complaint, — were it not for the un- 
 certainty, or worse than uncertainty, which hung over the 
 nature and length of our voyage. Here we were, in a 
 little vessel, with a small crew, on a half-civilized coast, at 
 the ends of the earth, and with a prospect of remaining an 
 indefinite period, two or three years at the least. When 
 
86 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 we left Boston we supposed that it was to be a voyage of 
 eighteen months, or two years, at most ; but upon arriving 
 on the coast, we learned something more of the trade, and 
 found that in the scarcity of hides, which was yearly 
 greater and greater, it would take us a year, at least, to 
 collect our own cargo, beside the passage out and home ; 
 and that we were also to collect a cargo for a large ship 
 belonging to the same firm, which was soon to come on the 
 coast, and to which we were to act as tender. We had 
 heard rumors of such a ship to follow us, which had leaked 
 out from the captain and mate, but we passed them by as 
 mere “ yarns,” till our arrival, when they were confirmed 
 by the letters which we brought from the owners to their 
 agent. The ship California, belonging to the same firm, 
 had been nearly two years on the coast ; had collected a 
 full cargo, and was now at San Diego, from which port she 
 was expected to sail in a few weeks for Boston ; and we 
 were to collect all the hides we could, and deposit them 
 at San Diego, when the new ship, which would carry forty 
 thousand, was to be filled and sent home ; and then we 
 were to begin anew, and collect our own cargo. Here 
 was a gloomy prospect before us, indeed. The California 
 had been twenty months on the coast, and the Lagoda, a 
 smaller ship, carrying only thirty-one or thirty-two thou- 
 sand, had been two years getting her cargo ; and we were 
 to collect a cargo of forty thousand beside our own, which 
 would be twelve or fifteen thousand ; and hides were said 
 to be growing scarcer. Then, too, this ship, which had 
 been to us a worse phantom than any flying Dutchman, 
 was no phantom, or ideal thing, but had been reduced to a 
 certainty ; so much so that a name was given her, and it 
 was said that she was to be the Alert, a well-known India- 
 man, which was expected in Boston in a few months, 
 when we sailed. There could be no doubt, and all looked 
 black enough. Hints were thrown out about three years 
 and four years ; — the older sailors said they never should 
 see Boston again, but should lay their bones in California ; 
 and a cloud seemed to hang over the whole voyage. Be- 
 sides, we were not provided for so long a voyage, and 
 clothes, and all sailors’ necessaries, were excessively dear 
 — three or four hundred per cent, advance upon the Boston 
 prices. This was bad enough for them : but still worse 
 
TWO YEATS BEFORE THE MAST. 87 
 
 was it for me, who did not mean to be a sailor for life ; 
 having intended only to be gone eighteen months or two 
 years. Three or four years would make me a sailor in 
 every respect, mind and habits, as well as body — nolens 
 volens ; and would put all my companions so far ahead of 
 me that college and a profession would be in vain to think 
 of ; and I made up my mind that, feel as I might, a sailor 
 I must be, and to be master of a vessel, must be the height 
 of my ambition. 
 
 Beside the length of the voyage, and the hard and ex- 
 posed life, we were at the ends of the earth ; on a coast 
 almost solitary; in a country where there is neither law nor 
 gospel, and where sailors are at their captain’s mercy, there 
 being no American consul, or any one to whom a com- 
 plaint could be made. We lost all interest in the voyage ; 
 cared nothing about the cargo, which we were only collect- 
 ing for others ; began to patch our clothes ; and felt as though 
 we were fixed beyond all hope of change. 
 
 In addition to, and perhaps partly as a consequence of, 
 this state of things, there was trouble brewing on board 
 the vessel. Our mate (as the first mate is always called, 
 par excellence) was a worthy man ; — a more honest, upright, 
 and kind-hearted man I never saw ; but he was too good 
 for the mate of a merchantman. He was not the man to 
 call a sailor a <c son of a b — h,” and knock him down with 
 a handspike. He wanted the energy and spirit for such a 
 
 voyage as ours, and for such a captain. Captain T was 
 
 a vigorous, energetic fellow. As sailors say, “ he hadn’t a 
 lazy bone in him.” He was made of steel and whalebone, 
 lie was a man to “ toe the mark,” and to make every one 
 else step up to it. During all the time that I was with 
 him, I never saw him sit down on deck. He was always 
 active and driving; severe in his discipline, and expected 
 the same of his officers. The mate not being enough of a 
 driver for him, and being perhaps too easy with the crew, 
 he was dissatisfied with him, became suspicious that dis- 
 cipline was getting relaxed, and began to interfere in 
 everything. He drew the reins taughter ; and as, in all 
 quarrels between officers, the sailors side with the one 
 who treats them best, he became suspicious of the crew. 
 He saw that everything went wrong — that nothing was 
 done “ with a will ;” and in his attempts to remedy the 
 
88 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 difficulty by severity, he made everything worse. We 
 were in every respect unfortunately situated. Captain, 
 officers, and crew, entirely unfitted for one another ; and 
 every circumstance and event was like a two-edged sword, 
 and cut both ways. The length of the voyage, which 
 made us dissatisfied, made the captain, at the same time, 
 feel the necessity of order and strict discipline ; and the 
 nature of the country, which caused us to feel that we had 
 nowhere to go for redress, but were entirely at the mercy 
 of a hard master, made the captain feel, on the other 
 hand, that he must depend entirely upon his own re- 
 sources. Severity created discontent, and signs of discon- 
 tent provoked severity. Then, too ill-treatment and dissatis- 
 faction are no “ linimenta laborum ; ” and many a time 
 have I heard the sailors say that they should not mind the 
 length of the voyage, and the hardships, if they were only 
 kindly treated, and if they could feel that something was 
 done to make things lighter and easier. We felt as 
 though our situation was a call upon our superiors to give 
 us occasional relaxations, and to make our yoke easier. 
 But the contrary policy was pursued. We were kept 
 at work all day when in port ; which, together with a 
 watch at night, made us glad to turn in as soon as we got 
 below. Thus we got no time for reading, or — which was of 
 more importance to us — for washing and mending our 
 clothes. And then, when we were at sea, sailing from 
 port to port, instead of giving us “ watch and watch,” as 
 was the custom on board every other vessel on the coast, 
 we were all kept on deck and at work, rain or shine, 
 making spun yarn and rope, and at other work in good 
 weather, and picking oakum, when it was too wet for any- 
 thing else. All hands were called to “ come up and see 
 it rain,” and kept on deck hour after hour in a drenching 
 rain, standing round the deck so far apart as to prevent 
 our talking with one another, with our tarpaulins and oil- 
 jackets on, picking old rope to pieces, or laying up 
 gaskets and robands. This was often done, too, when we 
 were lying in port with two anchors down, and no necessity 
 for mere than one man on deck as a look/out. This is 
 what is called “hazing” a crew, and “working their old 
 iron up.” 
 
 While lying at Santa Barbara, we encountered another 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 89 
 
 southeaster ; and like the first, it came on in the night ; the 
 great black clouds coming round from the southward, cover- 
 ing the mountain, and hanging down over the town, ap- 
 pearing almost to rest upon the roofs of the houses. We 
 made sail, slipped our cable, cleared the point, and beat 
 about for four days, in the offing, under close sail, with con- 
 tinual rain and high seas and winds. No wonder, thought 
 we, they have no rain in the other seasons, for enough 
 seemed to have fallen in those four days to last through a 
 common summer. On the fifth day it cleared up, after a 
 few hours, as is usual, of rain coming down like a four 
 hours' shower-bath, and we found ourselves drifted nearly 
 ten leagues from the anchorage ; and having light head- 
 winds, we did not return until the sixth day. Having re- 
 covered our anchor, we made preparations for getting under 
 weigh to go down to leeward. We had hoped to go directly 
 to San Diego, and thus fall in with the California before 
 she sailed for Boston ; but our orders were to stop at an in- 
 termediate port called San Pedro, and as we were to lie 
 there a week or two, and the California was to sail in a few 
 days, we lost the opportunity. Just before sailing, the cap- 
 tain took on board a short, red-haired, round-shouldered, 
 vulgar-looking fellow who had lost one eye, and squinted 
 with the other, and introducing him as Mr. Russell, told us 
 that he was an officer on board. This was too bad. We 
 had lost overboard on the passage, one of the best of our 
 number, another had been taken from us and appointed 
 clerk, and thus weakened and reduced, instead of shipping 
 some hands to make our work easier, he had put another 
 officer over us, to watch and drive us. We had now four 
 officers, and only six in the forecastle. This was bringing 
 her too much down by the stern for our comfort. 
 
 Leaving Santa Barbara, we coasted along down, the 
 country appearing level or moderately uneven, and, for the 
 most part, sandy and treeless ; until, doubling a high sandy 
 point, we let go our anchor at a distance of three and a 
 half miles from shore. It was like a vessel, bound to Hali- 
 fax, coming to anchor on the Grand Banks ; for the shore 
 being low, appeared to be at a greater distance than it 
 actually was, and we thought we might as well have staid 
 at Santa Barbara, and sent our boat down for the hides. 
 The land was of a clayey consistency, and as far as the eye 
 
9 ° 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 could reach, entirely bare of trees and even shrubs ; a> d 
 there was no sign of a town, — not even a house to be seo«i. 
 What brought us into such a place, we could not conceive. 
 No sooner had we come to anchor, than the slip-rope, awd 
 the other preparations for southeaster, were got ready ; 
 and there was reason enough for it, for we lay exposed to 
 every wind that could blow, except the northwest, and 
 that came over a flat country with a range of more than a 
 league of water. As soon as everything was snu^ on board, 
 the boat was lowered, and we pulled ashore, our new officer, 
 who had been several times to the port before, taking the 
 place of steersman. As we drew in, we found the tide low, 
 and the rocks and stones, covered with kelp and sea-weed, 
 lying bare for the distance of nearly an eighth of a mile. 
 Picking our way barefooted over these, we came to what is 
 called the landing-place, at high-water mark. The soil was 
 as it appeared at first, loose and clayey, and except the 
 stalks of the mustard plant, there was no vegetation. Just 
 in front of the landing, and immediately over it, was a 
 small hill, which, from its being not more than thirty or 
 forty feet high, we had not perceived from our anchorage. 
 Over this hill we saw three men coming down, dressed 
 partly like sailors and partly like Californians ; one of 
 them having on a pair of untanned leather trowsers and a 
 red baize shirt. When they came down to us, we found 
 that they were Englishmen, and they told us that they had 
 belonged to a small Mexican brig which had been driven 
 ashore here in a southeaster, and now lived in a small house 
 just over the hill. Going up this hill with them, we saw, 
 just behind it, a small, low building, with one room, con- 
 taining a fireplace, cooking-apparatus, etc., and the rest of 
 it unfinished, and used as a place to store hides and goods. 
 This, they told us, was built by some traders in the Pueblo, 
 (a town about thirty miles in the interior, to which this was 
 the port,) and used by them as a storehouse, and also as a 
 lodging-place when they came down to trade with the ves- 
 sels. These three men were employed by them to keep 
 the house in order, and to look out for the things stored in 
 it. They said that they had been there nearly a year ; had 
 nothing to do the most of the time, living upon beef, hard 
 bread, and frijoles (a peculiar kind of bean very abundant 
 in California). The nearest house, they told us, was a 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 9 1 
 
 Rancho, or cattle-farm, about three miles off ; and one of 
 them went up, at the request of our officer, to order ahorse 
 to be sent down, with which the agent, who was on board, 
 might go up to the Pueblo. From one of them, who was 
 an intelligent English sailor, I learned a good deal, in a 
 few minutes , conversation, about the place, its trade, and 
 the news from the southern ports. San Diego, he said, was 
 about eighty miles to the leeward of San Pedro ; that they 
 had heard from there, by a Spaniard who came up on horse- 
 back, that the California had sailed for Boston, and that 
 the Lagoda, which had been in San Pedro only a few weeks 
 before, was taking in her cargo for Boston. The Ayacucho 
 was also there, loading for Callao, and the little Loriotte, 
 which had run directly down from Monterey, where we left 
 her. San Diego, he told me, was a small, snug place, hav- 
 ing very little trade, but decidedly the best harbor on the 
 coast, being completely land-locked, and the water as 
 smooth as a duck-pond. This was the depot for all the 
 vessels engaged in the trade ; each one having a large 
 house there, built of rough boards in which they stowed 
 their hides, as fast as they collected them in their trips up 
 and down the coast, and when they had procured a full 
 cargo, spent a few weeks there taking it in, smoking ship, 
 supplying wood and water, and making other preparations 
 for the voyage home. The Lagoda was now about this 
 business. When we should be about it was more than 1 
 could tell ; two years, at least, I thought to myself. 
 
 I also learned, to my surprise, that the desolate-looking 
 place we were in was the best place on the whole coast for 
 hides. It was the only port for a distance of eighty miles, 
 and about thirty miles in the interior was a fine plane 
 country, filled with herds of cattle, in the centre of which 
 was the Pueblo de les Angelos — the largest town in Cali- 
 fornia — and several of the wealthiest missions ; to all of 
 which San Pedro was the seaport. 
 
 Having made our arrangements for a horse to take the 
 agent to the Pueblo the next day, we picked our way again 
 over the green, slippery rocks, and pulled aboard. By the 
 time we reached the vessel, which was so far off that we 
 could hardly see her, in the increasing darkness, the boats 
 were hoisted up, and the crew at supper. Going down in- 
 to the forecastle, eating our supper, and lighting our cigars 
 
9 2 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 and pipes, we had, as usual, to tell all we had seen or heard 
 ashore. We all agreed that it was the worst place we had 
 seen yet, especially for getting off hides, and our lying off 
 at so great a distance looked as though it was bad for 
 southeasters. After a few disputes as to whether we 
 should have to carry our goods up the hill, or not, we 
 talked of San Diego, the probability of seeing the Lagoda 
 before she sailed, etc., etc. 
 
 The next day we pulled the agent ashore, and he went 
 up to visit the Pueblo and the neighboring missions ; and 
 in a few days, as the result of his labors, large ox-carts, 
 and droves of mules, loaded with hides, were seen coming 
 over the flat country. We loaded our long-boat with goods 
 of all kinds, light and heavy, and pulled ashore. After 
 landing and rolling them over the stones upon the beach, 
 we stopped, waiting for the carts to come down the hill and 
 take them ; but the captain soon settled the matter by 
 ordering us to carry them all up to the top, saying that 
 that was “ California fashion.” So what the oxen would 
 not do, we were obliged to do. The hill was low, but 
 steep, and the earth being clayey and wet with the recent 
 rains, was but bad holding-ground for our feet. The 
 heavy barrels and casks we rolled up with some difficulty, 
 getting behind and putting our shoulders to them ; now 
 and then our feet slipping, added to the danger of the 
 casks rolling back upon us. But the greatest trouble was 
 with the large boxes of sugar. These we had to place 
 upon oars, and lifting them up, rest the oars upon oui 
 shoulders, and creep slowly up the hill with the gait of 
 a funeral procession. After an hour or two of hard work, 
 we got them all up, and found the carts standing full of 
 hides, which we had to unload, and also to load again with 
 our own goods ; the lazy Indians, who came down with 
 them, squatting down on their hands, looking on, doing 
 nothing, and when we asked them to help us, only shaking 
 their heads, or drawling out “ no quiero.” 
 
 Having loaded the carts, we started up the Indians, 
 who went off, one on each side of the oxen, with long 
 sticks, sharpened at the end, to punch them with. This 
 is one T the means of saving labor in California; — two 
 Indians to two oxen. Now, the hides were to be got down ; 
 and for this purpose, we brought the boat round to a place 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST \ 
 
 93 
 
 where the hill was steeper, and threw them down, letting 
 them slide over the slope. Many of them lodged, and we 
 had to let ourselves down and set them agoing again ; and 
 in this way got covered with dust, and our clothes torn. 
 After we had got them all down, we were obliged to take 
 them on our heads, and walk over the stones, and through 
 the water, to the boat. The water and the stones togethei 
 would wear out a pair of shoes a day, and as shoes were 
 very scarce and very dear, we were compelled to go bare- 
 footed. At night, we went on board, having had the 
 hardest and most disagreeable day’s work that we had yet 
 experienced. For several days, we were employed in this 
 manner, until we had landed forty or fifty tons of goods, 
 and brought on board about two thousand hides ; when 
 the trade began to slacken, and we were kept at work, on 
 board, during the latter part of the week, either in the hold 
 or upon the rigging. On Thursday night, there was a vio- 
 lent blow from the northward, but as this was off-shore, we 
 had only to let go our other anchor and hold on. We 
 were called up at night to send down the royal-yards. It 
 was as dark as a pocket, and the vessel pitching at her 
 
 anchors. I went up to the fore, and my friend S , 
 
 to the main, and we soon had them down “ ship-shape 
 and Bristol fashion ; ” for, as we had now got used to our 
 duty aloft, everything above the cross-trees was left to us, 
 who were the youngest of the crew, except one boy. 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 For several days the captain seemed very much out of 
 humor. Nothing went right, or fast enough for him. He 
 quarrelled with the cook, and threatened to flog him for 
 throwing wood on deck ; and had a dispute with the mate 
 about reeving a Spanish burton ; the mate saying that he 
 was right, and had been taught how to do it by a man who 
 was a sailor l This, the captain took in dudgeon, and they 
 were at sword’s points at once. But his displeasure was 
 chiefly turned against a large, heavy-moulded fellow from the 
 
94 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 the Middle states, who was called Sam. This man hesitat- 
 ed in his speech, and was rather slow in his motions, but 
 was a pretty good sailor, and always seemed to do his best ; 
 but the captain took a dislike to him, thought he was surely, 
 and lazy ; and “ if you once give a dog a bad name” — as 
 the sailor-phrase is — “ he may as well jump overboard.” 
 The captain found fault with everything this man did, and 
 hazed him for dropping a marline spike from the main-yard, 
 where he was at work. This, of course, was an accident, 
 but it was set down against him. The captain was on board 
 all day Friday, and everything went on hard and disagree- 
 ably. “ The more you drive a man, the less he will do.” 
 was as true with us as with any other people. We worked 
 late Friday night, and were turned-to early Saturday morn- 
 ing. About ten o’clock the captain ordered our new offi- 
 cer, Russel, who by this time had become thoroughly dislik- 
 ed by all the crew, to get the gig ready to take him ashore. 
 John, the Swede, was sitting in the boat alongside, and 
 Russell and myself were standing by the main hatchway, 
 waiting for the captain, who was down in the hold, where the 
 crew were at work, when we heard his voice raised in violent 
 dispute with somebody, whether it was with the mate, or one 
 of the crew, I could not tell ; and then came blows and scuf- 
 fling. I ran to the side and beckoned to John, who came 
 up, and we leaned down the hatchway ; and though we 
 could see no one, yet we knew that the captain had the 
 advantage, for his voice was loud and clear — 
 
 “ You see your condition ! You see your condition ! 
 Will you ever give me any more of your jaw No answer ; 
 
 and then came wrestling and heaving, as though the man 
 was trying to turn him. 
 
 “ You may as well keep still, for I have got you,” said 
 the captain. Then came the question, “ Will you ever 
 give me any more of your jaw ? ” 
 
 “ I never gave you any, sir,” said Sam ; for it was his 
 voice that we heard, though low and half choked. 
 
 “ That’s not what I ask you. Will you ever be impu- 
 dent to me again ? ” 
 
 “ I never have been,” said Sam. 
 
 “ Answer my question, or I’ll make a spread eagle of 
 you ! I’ll flog you, by G — d.” 
 
 “ I’m no negro slave,” said Sam, 
 
TWO YEA RS' BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 95 
 
 “ Then I’ll make you one,” said the captain ; and he 
 came to the hatchway, and sprang on deck, threw off his 
 coat, and rolling up his sleeves, called out to the mate — “ 
 Seize that man up, Mr. A — ! Seize him up ! Make a 
 spread eagle of him ! I’ll teach you all who is master 
 aboard ! ” 
 
 The crew and officers followed the captain up the 
 hatchway, and after repeated orders the mate laid hold of 
 Sam, who made no resistance, and carried him to the gang- 
 way. 
 
 What are you going to flog that man for, sir ? ” said 
 John, the Swede, to the captain. 
 
 Upon hearing this, the captain turned upon him, but 
 knowing him to be quick and resolute, he ordered the 
 steward to bring the irons, and calling upon Russell to 
 help him, went up to John. 
 
 “ Let me alone,” said John. “ I’m willing to be put 
 in irons. You need not use any force and putting out 
 his hands, the captain slipped the irons on, and sent him 
 aft to the quarter-deck. Sam by this time was seized up, 
 as it is called, that is, placed against the shrouds, with his 
 wrists made fast to the shrouds, his jacket off, and his 
 back exposed. The captain stood on the break of the 
 deck, a few feet from him, and a little raised, so as to 
 to have a good swing at him, and held in his hand the 
 bright of a thick, strong rope. The officers stood round, 
 and the crew grouped together in the waist. All these 
 preparations made me feel sick and almost faint, angry 
 and excited as I was. A man — a human being, made in 
 God’s likeness — fastened up and flogged like a beast ! 
 A man, too, whom I had lived with and eaten with for 
 months, and knew almost as well as a brother. The first 
 and almost uncontrollable impulse was resistance. But 
 what was to be done ? The time for it had gone by. The 
 two best men were fast, and there were only two beside 
 myself, and a small boy of ten or twelve years of age. 
 And then there were (beside the captain) three officers, 
 steward, agent, and clerk. But beside the numbers, what 
 is there for sailors to do ? If they resist, it is mutiny ; and 
 if they succeed, and take the vessel, it is piracy. If they 
 ever yield again, their punishment must come ; and if they 
 do not yield, they are pirates for life. If a sailor resist 
 
9 6 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 his commander, he resist the law, and piracy or submis- 
 sion, are his only alternatives. Bad as it was, it must be 
 borne. It is what a sailor ships for. Swinging the rope 
 over his head, and bending his body so as to give it full 
 force, the captain brought it down upon the poor fellow’s 
 back. Once, twice, — six times. “ Will you ever give me 
 any more of your jaw?” The man writhed with pain, 
 but said not a word. Three times more. This was too 
 much, and he muttered something which I could not hear; 
 this brought as many more as the man could stand ; when 
 captain ordered him to be cut down, and to go forward. 
 
 “ Now for you,” said the captain, making up to John 
 and taking his irons off. As soon as he was loose, he 
 ran forward to the forecastle. “ Bring that man aft,” 
 shouted the captain. The second mate, who had been a 
 shipmate of John’s stood still in the waist, and the mate 
 walked slowly forward ; but our third officer, anxious to 
 show his zeal sprang forward over the windlass, and laid 
 hold of John ; but he soon threw him from him. At this 
 moment I would have given worlds for the power to help 
 the poor fellow ; but it was all in vain. The captain stood 
 on the quarter-deck, bare-headed, his eyes flashing with 
 rage, and his face as red as blood, swinging the rope, and 
 calling out to his officers, “ Drag him aft! — Lay hold of 
 him ! I’ll sweeten him ! ” etc., etc. The mate now went 
 forward and told John quietly to go aft; and he, seeing 
 resistance in vain, threw the blackguard third mate from 
 him ; said he would go aft of himself ; that they should 
 not drag him ; and went up to the gangway and held out 
 his hands ; but as soon as the captain began to make him 
 fast, the indignity was too much, and he began to resist ; 
 but the mate and Russell holding him, he was soort seized 
 up. When he was made fast, he turned to the captain, 
 who stood turning up his sleeves and getting ready for the 
 blow, and asked him what he was to be flogged for, 
 “ Have I ever refused my duty, sir ? Have you ever 
 known me to hang back, or to bo insolent, or not to know 
 my work ? ” 
 
 “ No,” said the captain, “ it is not that I flog you for ; 
 
 I flog you for your interference — for asking questions.” 
 
 “Can’t a man ask a question here without being 
 flogged ? ” 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 97 
 
 “ No,’’ shouted the captain ; “ nobody shall open his 
 mouth aboard this vessel, but myself ; ” and began laying 
 the blows upon his back, swinging half round between 
 each blow, to give it full effect. As he went on his passion 
 increased, and he danced about the deck calling out as he 
 swung the rope, — “ If you want to know what I flog you 
 for, I’ll tell you. It’s because I like to do it ! — because I 
 like to do it ! — It suits me ! That’s what I do it for ! ” 
 
 The man writhed under the pain, until he could endure 
 it no longer, when he called out, with an exclamation more 
 common among foreigners than with us — “ Oh, Jesus 
 Christ, oh, Jesus Christ! ” 
 
 “ Don’t call on Jesus Christ,” shouted the captain ; 
 
 “ he cad t help you. Call on Captain T He’s the man! 
 
 He can help you ! Jesus Christ can’t help you now ! ” 
 
 At these words, which I never shall forget, my blood 
 ran cold. I could look on no longer. Disgusted, sick, 
 and horror-struck, I turned away and leaned over the rail, 
 and looked down into the water. A few rapid thoughts 
 of my own situation, and of the prospect of future revenge, 
 crossed my mind ; but the falling of the blows and the 
 cries of the man called me back at once. At length they 
 ceased, and turning round, I found that the mate, at a 
 signal from the captain, h d cut him down. Almost 
 doubled up with pain, the man walked slowly forward, and 
 went down into the forecastle. Every one else stood still 
 at his post, while the captain, swelling with rage and with the 
 importance of his achievement, walked the quarter-deck, 
 and at each turn, as he cam^ forward, calling out to us, — 
 “ You see your condition ! You see where I’ve got you 
 all, and you know what to expect ! ” — “ You’ve been mis- 
 taken in me — you didn’t know what I was ! Now you 
 know what I am ! ” — “ I’ll make you toe the mark, every 
 soul of you, or I’ll flog you all, fore and aft, from the boy, 
 up ! ” — “ You ’ve got a driver over you ! Yes, a slave- 
 driver a negro-driver ! I’ll see who’ll tell me he isn’t a 
 negro slave ! ” With this and the like matter, equally cal- 
 culated to quiet us, and to allay any apprehensions of future 
 trouble, he entertained us for about ten minutes, when he 
 went below. Soon after, John came aft, with his bare 
 back covered with stripes and wales in every direction, 
 and dreadfully swollen, and asked the steward to ask the 
 
98 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 captain to let him have some salve, or balsam, to put upon 
 it. " No,” said the captain, who heard him from below ; 
 “ tell him to put his shirt on ; that ’s the best thing for 
 him ; and pull me ashore in the boat. Nobody is going 
 to lay-up on board this vessel.” He then called to Mr. 
 Russell to take those two men and two others in the boat, 
 and pull him ashore. I went for one. The two men could 
 hardly bend their backs, and the captain called to them 
 to “ give way,” “ give way ! ” but finding they did their 
 best, he let them alone. The agent was in the stern 
 sheets, but during the whole pull — a league or more — not 
 a word was spoken. We landed ; the captain, agent, and 
 officer went up to the house, and left us with the boat. I, 
 and the man with me, staid near the boat, while John and 
 Sam walked slowly away, and sat down on the rocks. 
 They talked some time together, but at length separated, 
 each sitting alone. I had some fears of John. He was a 
 foreigner, and violently tempered, and under suffering; 
 and he had his knife with him, and the captain was to come 
 down alone to the boat. But nothing happened ; and we 
 went quietly on board. The captain was probably armed, 
 and if either of them had lifted a hand against him, they 
 would have had nothing before them but flight, and starva- 
 tion in the woods of California, or capture by the soldiers 
 and Indian bloodhounds, whom the offer of twenty dollars 
 would have set upon them. 
 
 After the day’s work was done, we went down into the 
 forecastle, and ate our plain supper ; but not a word was 
 spoken. It was Saturday night ; but there was no song — 
 no “ sweethearts and wives.’/ A gloom was over every- 
 thing. The two men lay in their berths, groaning with 
 pain, and we all turned in, but, ior myself, not to sleep. A 
 sound coming now and then from the berths of the two 
 men showed that they were awake, as awake they must 
 have been, for they could hardly lie in one posture a mo- 
 ment ; the dim, swinging lamp of the forecastle shed its 
 light over the dark hole in which we lived ; and many and 
 various reflections and purposes coursed through my mind. 
 I thought of our situation, living under a tyranny ; of the 
 character of the country we were in ; of the length of the 
 voyage, and of the uncertainty attending our return to 
 America ; and then, if we should return, of the prospect 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 99 
 
 of obtaining justice and satisfaction for these poor men ; 
 and vowed that if God should ever give me the means, I 
 would do something to redress the grievances and relieve 
 the sufferings of that poor class of beings, of whom I then 
 was one. 
 
 The next day was Sunday. We worked as usual, 
 washing decks, etc., until breakfast-time. After breakfast, 
 we pulled the captain ashore, and finding some hides 
 there which had been brought down the night before, he 
 ordered me to stay ashore and watch them, saying that the 
 boat would come again before night. They left me, and I 
 spent a quiet day on the hill, eating dinner with the three 
 men at the little house. Unfortunately, they had no 
 books, and after talking with them and walking about, I 
 began to grow tired of doing nothing. The little brig, the 
 home of so much hardship and suffering, lay in the offing, 
 almost as far as one could see ; and the only other thing 
 which broke the surface of the great bay was a small, 
 desolate-looking island, steep and conical, of a clayey 
 soil, and without the sign of vegetable life upon it ; yet 
 which had a peculiar and melancholy interest to me, for 
 on the top of it were buried the remains of an Englishman, 
 the commander of a small merchant brig, who died while 
 lying in this port. It was always a solemn and interesting 
 spot to me. There it stood, desolate, and in the midst of 
 desolation ; and there were the remains of one who died 
 and was buried alone and friendless. Had it been a com- 
 mon burying-place, it would have been nothing. The 
 single body corresponded well with the solitary character 
 of everything around. It was the only thing in California 
 from which I could ever extract anything like poetry. 
 Then, too, the man died far from home ; without a friend 
 near him ; by poison, it was suspected, and no one to in- 
 quire into it ; and without proper funeral rites ; the mate, 
 (as I was told,) glad to have him out of the way, hurrying 
 him up the hill and into the ground, without a word or a 
 prayer. 
 
 I looked anxiously for a boat, during the latter part of 
 the afternoon, but none came ; until toward sundown, 
 when I saw a speck on the water, and as it drew near, I 
 found it was the gig, with the captain. The hides, then, 
 were not to go off. The captain came up the hill, with 
 
IOO 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 a man, bringing my monkey-jacket and a blanket. He 
 looked pretty black, but inquired whether I had enough 
 to eat ; told me to make a house out of the hides, and 
 keep myself warm, as I should have to sleep there among 
 them, and to keep good watch over them. I got a mo- 
 ment to speak to the man who brought my jacket. 
 
 “ How do things go aboard ? ” said I. 
 
 “ Bad enough,- ” said he ; “ hard work and not a kind 
 word spoken.” 
 
 “ What,” said I, “ have you been at work all day? ” 
 
 “ Yes ! no more Sunday for us. Everything has been 
 moved in the hold, from stem to stern, and from the 
 water-ways to the keelson.” 
 
 I went up to the house to supper. We had frijoles, 
 (the perpetual food of the Californians, but which, when 
 well cooked, are the best bean in the world, )coffee made 
 of burnt wheat, and hard bread. After our meal, the 
 three men sat down by the light of a tallow candle, with a 
 pack of greasy Spanish cards, to the favorite game of 
 “ treinta uno,” a sort of Spanish “ everlasting.” I left 
 them and went out to take up my bivouac among the 
 hides. It was now dark ; the vessel was hidden from 
 sight, and except the three men in the house, there was 
 not a living soul within a league. The coati (a wild 
 animal of a nature and appearance between that of the 
 fox and the wolf) set up their sharp, quick bark ; and two 
 owls, at the end of two distant points running out into the 
 bay, on different sides of the hill where I lay, kept up 
 their alternate, dismal notes. I had heard the sound be- 
 fore at night, but did not know what it was, until one of 
 the men, who came down to look at my quarters, told me 
 it was the owl. Mellowed by the distance, and heard 
 alone, at night, I thought it was the most melancholy, 
 boding sound I had ever heard. Through nearly all the 
 night they kept it up, answering one another slowly, at 
 regular intervals. This was relieved by the noisy coati, 
 some of which came quite near to my quarters, and were 
 not very pleasant neighbors. The next morning, before 
 sunrise, the long-boat came ashore, and the hides were 
 taken off. 
 
 We lay at San Pedro about a week, engaged in taking 
 off hides and in other labors, which had now become our 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 IOI 
 
 regular duties. I spent one more day on the hill, watch- 
 ing a quantity of hides and goods, and this time suc- 
 ceeded in finding a part of a volume of Scott's Pirate, in a 
 corner of the house ; but it failed me at a most interesting 
 moment, and I betook myself to my acquaintances on 
 shore, and from them learned a good deal about the cus- 
 toms of the country, the harbors, etc. This, they told 
 me, was a worse harbor than Santa Barbara, for south- 
 easter ; the bearing of the headland being a point and a 
 half more to windward, and it being so shallow that the 
 sea broke often as far out as where we lay at anchor. 
 The gale from which we slipped at Santa Barbara, had 
 been so bad a one here, that the whole bay, for a league 
 out, was filled with the foam of the breakers, and seas 
 actually broke over the Dead Man’s island. The Lagoda 
 was lying there, and slipped at the first alarm, and in such 
 haste that she was obliged to leave her launch behind her 
 at anchor. The little boat rode it out for several hours, 
 pitching at her anchor, and standing with her stern up al- 
 most perpendicularly. The men told me that they watched 
 her till toward night, when she snapped her cable and 
 drove up over the breakers, high and dry upon the beach. 
 
 On board the Pilgrim, everything went on regularly, 
 each one trying to get along as smoothly as possible ; but 
 the comfort of the voyage was evidently at an end. “ That 
 is a long lane which has no turning 1 “ Every dog must 
 have his day, and mine will come by-and-by ” — and the 
 like proverbs, were occasionally quoted ; but no one spoke 
 of any probable end to the voyage, or of Boston, or any- 
 thing of the kind ; or if he did, it was only to draw out the 
 perpetual, surly reply from his shipmate — “ Boston, is it ? 
 You may thank your stars if you ever see that place. You 
 had better have your back sheathed, and your head cop- 
 pered, and your feet shod, and make out your log for Cali- 
 fornia for life ! ” or else something of this kind — “ Before 
 you get to Boston the hides will wear all the hair off your 
 head, and you'll take up all your wages in clothes, and 
 won’t have enough left to buy a wig with ! ” 
 
 The flogging was seldom if ever alluded to by us, in 
 the forecastle. If any one was inclined to talk about it, 
 the others, with a delicacy which I hardly expected to find 
 among them, always stopped him, or turned the subject. 
 
IC2 
 
 TWO YEATS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 But the behavior of the two men who were flogged toward 
 one another showed a delicacy and a sense of honor, which 
 would have been worthy of admiration in the highest walks 
 of life. Sam knew that the other had suffered solely on 
 his account, and in all his complaints, he said that if he 
 alone had been flogged, it would have been nothing ; but 
 that he never could see that man without thinking what 
 had been the means of bringing that disgrace upon him ; 
 and John never, by word or deed, let anything escape 
 him to remind the other that it was by interfering to save 
 his shipmate, that he had suffered. 
 
 Having got all our spare room filled with hides, we 
 hove up our anchor and made sail for San Diego. In 
 no operation can the disposition of a crew be discovered 
 better than in getting under weigh. Where things are 
 done “ with a will,” every one is like a cat aloft : sails are 
 loosed in an instant ; each one lays out his strength on* 
 his handspike, and the windlass goes briskly round with 
 the loud cry of “ Yo heave ho ! Heave and pawl ! Heave 
 hearty ho ! 99 But with us, at this time, it was all dragging 
 work. No one went aloft beyond his ordinary gait, and 
 the chain came slowly in over the windlass. The mate, 
 between the knight-heads exhausted all his official rhetoric 
 in calls of “ Heave with a will ! ” — “ Heave hearty, men ! 
 — heave hearty ! ” — “ Heave and raise the dead ! ” — 
 “ Heave, and away ! ” etc. etc. ; but it would not do. 
 Nobody broke his back or his handspike by his efforts. 
 And when the cat-tackle-fall was strung along, and all 
 hands — cook, steward, and all — laid hold, to cat the 
 anchor, instead of the lively song of “ Cheerily, men ! ” in 
 which all hands join in the chorus, we pulled a long, heavy, 
 silent pull, and — as sailors say a song is as good as ten 
 men — the anchor came to the cathead pretty slowly. 
 “ Give us ‘ Cheerily ! 9 99 said the mate ; but there was no 
 “ cheerily ” for us, and we did without it. The captain 
 walked the quarter-deck, and said not a word. He must 
 have seen the change, but there was nothing which he 
 could notice officially. 
 
 We sailed leisurely down the coast before a light, fair 
 wind, keeping the land well aboard, and saw two other 
 missions, looking like blocks of white plaster, shining in 
 the distance ; one of which, situated on the top of a high 
 
TWO YE4RS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 103 
 
 hill, was San Juan Campestrano, under which vessels 
 sometimes come to anchor, in the summer season, and 
 take off hides. The most distant one was St,. Louis Rey, 
 which the third mate said was only fifteen miles from San 
 Diego. At sunset on the second day, we had a large and 
 well wooded headland directly before us, behind which lay 
 the little harbor of San Diego. We were becalmed off this 
 point all night, but the next morning, which was Saturday, 
 the 14th of March, having a good breeze, we stood round 
 the point, and hauling our wind, brought the little harbor, 
 which is rather the outlet of a small river, right before us. 
 Every one was anxious to get a view of the new place. A 
 chain of high hills, beginning at the point, (which was on 
 our larboard hand, coming in), protected the harbor on the 
 north and west, and ran off into the interior, as far as the 
 eye could reach. On the other sides, the land was low, 
 and green, but without trees. The entrance is so narrow 
 as to admit but one vessel at a time, the current swift, and 
 the channel runs so near to a low stony point that the 
 ship’s sides appeared almost to touch it. There was no 
 town in sight, but on the smooth sand beach, abreast, and 
 within a cable’s length of which three vessels lay moored, 
 were four large houses, built of rough boards, and looking 
 like the great barns in which ice is stored on the borders 
 of the large ponds near Boston ; with piles of hides 
 standing round them, and men in red shirts and large 
 straw hats walking in and out of the doors. These were 
 the hide-houses. Of the vessels : one, a short, clumsy, 
 little hermaphrodite brig, we recognized as our old 
 acquaintance the Loriotte ; another, with sharp bows and 
 raking masts, newly painted and tarred, and glittering in 
 the morning’s sun, with the blood-red banner and cross of 
 St. George at her peak, was the handsome Ayacucho. 
 The third was a large ship, with top-gallant masts housed, 
 and sails unbent, and looking as rusty and worn as two 
 years’ “ hide droghing ” could* make her. This was the 
 Lagoda. As we drew near, carried rapidly along by the 
 current, we overhauled our chain, and clewed up the top- 
 sails. “ Let go the anchor ! ” said the captain ; but either 
 there was not chain enough forward of the windlass, or 
 the anchor went down foul, or we had too much headway 
 on, for it did not bring us up. “ Pay out chain 1 ” shouted 
 
104 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 the captain ; and we gave it to her ; but it would not do. 
 Before the other anchor could be let go, we drifted down, 
 broadside on, and went smash into the Lagoda. Hef 
 crew were at breakfast in the forecastle, and the cook, 
 seeing us coming, rushed out of his galley, and called up 
 the officers and men, 
 
 Fortunately, no great harm was done. Her jib-boom 
 ran between our fore and main masts, carrying away some 
 of our rigging, and breaking down the rail. She lost her 
 martingale. This brought us up, and as they paid out 
 chain, we swung clear of them, and let go the other 
 anchor ; but this had as bad luck as the first, for, before 
 any one perceived it, we were drifting on to the Loriotte. 
 The captain now gave out his orders rapidly and fiercely, 
 sheeting home the topsails, and backing and filling the 
 sails, in hope of starting or clearing the anchors ; but it 
 was all in vain, and he sat down on the rail, taking it very 
 leisurely, and calling out to Captain Nye, that he was 
 coming to pay him a visit. We drifted fairly into the 
 Loriotte, her larboard bow into our starboard quarter, 
 carrying away a part of our starboard quarter railing, and 
 breaking off her larboard bumpkin, and one or two 
 stanchions above the deck. We saw our handsome sailor, 
 Jackson, on the forecastle, with the Sandwich Islanders, 
 working away to get us clear. After paying out chain, we 
 swung clear, but our anchors were no doubt afoul of hers. 
 We manned the windlass, and hove and hove away, but to 
 no purpose. Sometimes we got a little upon the cable, 
 but a good surge would take it all back again. We now 
 began to drift down toward the Ayacucho, when her boat 
 put off and brought her commander, Captain Wilson, on 
 board. He w T as a short, active, well-built man, between 
 fifty and sixty years of age ; being nearly thirty years 
 older than our captain, and a thorough seaman, he did not 
 hesitate to give his advice, and from giving advice, he 
 gradually came to taking the command ; ordering us when 
 to heave and when to paul, and backing and filling the top- 
 sails, setting and taking in jib and trysail, whenever he 
 thought best. Our captain gave a few orders, but as 
 Wilson generally countermanded them, saying, in an easy, 
 
 fatherly kind of way, “ Oh no ! Captain T , you don't 
 
 want the jib on her," or, “ it isn't time yet to heave ! " he 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE TIIE MAST. 
 
 105 
 
 soon gave it up. We had no objections to this state of 
 things, for Wilson was a kind old man, and had an encour- 
 aging and pleasant way of speaking to us, which made 
 everything go easily. After two or three hours of con- 
 stant labor at the windlass, heaving and “Yo ho ! ”-ing 
 with all our might, we brought up an anchor, with the 
 Loriotte’s small bower fast to it. Having cleared this and 
 let it go, and cleared our hawse, we soon got our other an- 
 chor, which had dragged half over the harbor. “ Now,” 
 said Wilson, “Til find you a good berth;” and setting 
 both the topsails, he carried us down, and brought us to 
 anchor in handsome style, directly abreast of the hide- 
 house which we were to use. Having done this, he took 
 his leave, while we furled the sails, and got our breakfast, 
 which was welcome to us, for we had worked hard, and it 
 • was nearly twelve o’clock. After breakfast, and until 
 night, we were employed in getting out the boats and 
 mooring ship. 
 
 After supper, two of us took the captain on board the 
 Lagoda. As he came alongside, he gave his name, and 
 the mate, in the gangway, called out to the captain down 
 
 the companion-way — “ Captain T has come aboard, 
 
 sir ! ” “ Has he brought his brig with him ? ” said the 
 
 rough old fellow, in a tone which made itself heard fore 
 and aft. This mortified our captain a little, and it became 
 a standing joke among us for the rest of the voyage. The 
 captain went down into the cabin, and we walked forward 
 and put our heads down the forecastle, where we found 
 the men at supper. “ Come down, shipmates ! come 
 down ! ” said they, as soon as they saw us ; and we went 
 down, and found a large, high forecastle, well lighted; 
 and a crew of twelve or fourteen men, eating out of their 
 kids and pans, and drinking their tea, and talking and 
 laughing, all as independent and easy as so many “ wood- 
 sawyer’s clerks.” This looked like comfort and enjoy- 
 ment, compared with the dark little forecastle, and scanty, 
 discontented crew of the brig. It was Saturday night ; 
 they had got through their work for the week ; and being 
 snugly moored, had nothing to do until Monday, again. 
 After two years’ hard service, they had seen the worst, 
 and all, of California ; — had got their cargo nearly stowed, 
 and expected to sail in a week or two, for Boston. We 
 
106 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 spent an hour or more with them, talking over California 
 matters, until the word was passed — “ Pilgrims, away ! ” 
 and we went back with our captain. They were a hardy, 
 but intelligent crew ; a little roughened, and their clothes 
 patched and old, from California wear ; all able seamen, 
 and between the ages of twenty and thirty-five. They in- 
 quired about our vessel, the usage, etc., and were not a 
 little surprised at the story of the flogging. They said 
 there were often difficulties in vessels on the coast, 
 and sometimes knock-downs and fightings, but they had 
 never heard before of a regular seizing-up and flogging. 
 “ Spread eagles ” were a new kind of biid in California. 
 
 Sunday, they said, was always given in San Diego, both 
 at the hide-houses and on board the vessels, a large num- 
 ber usually going up to the town, on liberty. We learned 
 a good deal from them about curing and stowing of hides, 
 etc., and they were anxious to have the latest news (seven 
 months old) from Boston. One of their first inquiries was 
 for Father Taylor, the seamen’s preacher in Boston. 
 Then followed the usual strain of conversation, inquiries, 
 stories, and jokes, which one must always hear in a ship’s 
 forecastle, but which are perhaps, after all, no worse, nor, 
 indeed, more gross, than that of many well-dressed gentle- 
 men at their clubs. 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 The next day being Sunday, after washing and clearing 
 the decks, and getting breakfast, the mate came forward 
 with leave for one watch to go ashore, on liberty. We drew 
 lots, and it fell to the larboard, which I was in. Instantly 
 all was preparation. Buckets of fresh water (which we 
 were allowed in port), and soap, were put in use ; go- 
 ashore jackets and trousers got out and brushed ; pumps, 
 neckerchiefs, and hats overhauled ; one lending to an- 
 other ; so that among the whole, each one got a good fit- 
 out. A boat was called to pull the “ liberty-men ” ashore, 
 and we sat down in the stern sheets, “as big as pay- 
 passengers,” and jumping ashore, set out on our walk for 
 the town, which was nearly three miles off. 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST \ 
 
 107 
 
 It is a pity that some other arrangement is not made 
 in merchant vessels, with regard to the liberty-day. When 
 in port, the crews are kept at work all the week, and the 
 only day they are allowed for rest or pleasure is the 
 Sabbath ; and unless they go ashore on that day, they 
 cannot go at all. I have heard of a religious captain who 
 gave his crew liberty on Saturdays, after twelve o’clock. 
 This would be a good plan, if shipmasters would bring 
 themselves to give their crews so much time. For young 
 sailors especially, many of whom have been brought up with 
 a regard for the sacredness of the day, this strong tempta- 
 tion to break it, is exceedingly injurious. As it is, it can 
 hardly be expected that a crew, on a long and hard voy- 
 age, will refuse a few hours of freedom from toil and the 
 restraints of a vessel, and an opportunity to tread the 
 ground and see the sights of society and humanity, 
 because it is on a Sunday. It is too much like escaping 
 from prison, or being drawn out of a pit, on the Sabbath 
 day. 
 
 I shall never forget the delightful sensation of being 
 in the open air, with the birds singing around me, and es- 
 caped from the confinement, labor, and strict rule of a 
 vessel — of being once more in my life, though only for a 
 day, my own master. A sailor’s liberty is but for a 
 day ; yet while it lasts it is perfect. He is under no one’s 
 eye, and can do whatever, and go wherever, he pleases. 
 This day, for the first time, I may truly say, in my whole 
 life, I felt the meaning of a term which I had often heard 
 
 — the sweets of liberty. My friend S was with me, 
 
 and turning our backs upon the vessels, we walked slowly 
 along, talking of the pleasure of being our own masters, 
 of the times past, when we were free, and in the midst of 
 friends in America, and of the prospect of our return ; and 
 planning where we would go, and what we would do, when 
 we reached home. It was wonderful how t be prospect 
 brightened, and how short and tolerable the voyage ap- 
 peared, when viewed in this new light. Things looked dif- 
 ferently from what they did when we talked them over in 
 the little dark forecastle, the night after the flogging of 
 San Pedro. It is not the least of the advantages of allow- 
 ing sailors occasionally a day of liberty, that it gives them 
 a spring, and makes them feel cheerful and independent, 
 
io 8 TWO YEARS BEFORE tJHE MAST, 
 
 and leads them insensibly to look on the bright side of 
 everything for some time after. 
 
 S and myself determined to keep as much together 
 
 as possible, though we knew that it would not do to cut our 
 shipmates ; for, knowing our birth and education, they 
 were a little suspicious that we would try to put on the 
 gentleman when we got ashore, and would be ashamed of 
 their company; and this won't do with Jack. When the 
 voyage is at an end, you may do as you please, but so long 
 as you belong to the same vessel, you must be a shipmate 
 to him on shore, or he will not be a shipmate to you on 
 board. Being forewarned of this before I went to sea, I 
 I took no “ long togs” with me, and being dressed like the 
 rest, in white duck trowsers, blue jacket and straw hat, 
 which would prevent my going in better company, and 
 showing no disposition to avoid them, I set all suspicions at 
 rest. Our crew fell in with some who belonged to the other 
 vessels, and, sailor-like, steered for the first grog-shop. 
 This was a small mud building, of only one room, in which 
 were liquors, dry and West India goods, shoes, bread, fruits, 
 and everything which is vendible in California. It was kept 
 by a Yankee, a one-eyed man, who belonged formerly to 
 Fall River, came out to the Pacific in a whale-ship, left her at 
 the Sandwich Islands, and came to California to set up a 
 
 “ Pulperia.” S and I followed in our shipmates' wake, 
 
 knowing that to refuse to drink with them would be the 
 highest affront, but determining to slip away at the first 
 opportunity. It is the universal custom with sailors for 
 each one, in his turn, to treat the whole, calling for a glass 
 all round, and obliging every one who is present, even to 
 the keeper of the shop, to take a glass with him. When 
 we first came in, there was some dispute between our crew 
 and the others, whether the new-comers or the old Cali- 
 fornia rangers should treat first ; but it being settled in 
 favor of the latter, each of the crews of the other vessels 
 treated all round in their turn, and as there was a good 
 many present, (including some “ loafers” who had dropped 
 in, knowing what was going on, to take advantage of Jack's 
 hospitality,) and the liquor was a real (12J cents) a glass, 
 it made somewhat of a hole in their lockers. It was now 
 
 our ship’s turn, and S and I, anxious to get away, 
 
 stepped up to call for glasses ; but we soon found that we 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 109 
 
 must go in order — the oldest first, for the old sailors did 
 not choose to be preceded by a couple of youngsters ; and 
 bon gr/, mal gre\ we had to wait our turn, with the twofold 
 apprehension of being too late for our horses, and of get- 
 ting corned ; for drink you must, every time ; and if you 
 drink with one and not with another, it is always taken as 
 an insult. 
 
 Having at length gone through our turns and acquitted 
 ourselves of all obligations, we slipped out, and went about 
 among the houses, endeavoring to get horses for the day, 
 so that we might ride round and see the country. At first 
 we had but little success, all we could get out of the lazy 
 fellows, in reply to our questions, being the eternal drawl- 
 ing “ Quien sale? ” (“ who knows ? ”) which is an answer 
 to all questions. After several efforts, we at length fell in 
 with a little Sandwich Island boy, who belonged to Captain 
 Wilson of the Ayacucho, and was well acquainted with the 
 place ; and he, knowing where to go, soon procured us two 
 horses, ready saddled and bridled, each with a basso coiled 
 over the pommel. These we were to have all day, with 
 the privilege of riding them down to the beach at night, 
 for a dollar, which we had to pay in advance. Horses are 
 the cheapest thing in California ; the very best not being 
 worth more than ten dollars apiece, and very good ones 
 being often sold for three, and four. In taking a day’s 
 ride, you pay for the use of the saddle, and for the labor 
 and trouble of catching the horses. If yoi'vjoring the saddle 
 back safe, they care but little what becomes of the horse. 
 Mounted on our horses, which were spirited beasts, and 
 which, by the way, in this country, are always steered by 
 pressing the contrary rein against the neck, and not by 
 pulling on the bit — we started off on a fine run over the 
 country. The first place we went to was the old ruinous 
 presidio, which stands on a rising ground near the village, 
 which it overlooks. It is built in the form of an open 
 square, like all the other presidios, and was in a most ruin- 
 ous state, with the exception of one side, in which the com- 
 mandant lived with his family. There were only two guns, 
 one of which was spiked, and the other had no carriage. 
 Twelve, half-clothed, and half starved looking fellows, com- 
 posed the garrison ; and they, it was said, had not a mus- 
 ket apiece. The small settlement lay directly below the 
 
no 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 fort, composed of about forty dark brown looking huts, or 
 houses, and two larger ones, plastered, which belonged to 
 two of the “ gente de razon.” This town is not more than 
 half as large as Monterey, or Santa Barbara, and has little 
 or no business. From the presidio, we rode off in the di< 
 rection of the mission, which we were told was three miles 
 distant. The country was rather sandy, and there was no- 
 thing for miles which could be called a tree, but the grass 
 grew green and rank, and there were many bushes and 
 thickets, and the soil is said to be good. After a pleasant 
 ride of a couple of miles, we saw the white walls of the 
 mission, and fording a small river, we came directly be- 
 fore it. The mission is built of mud, or rather of the un- 
 burnt bricks of the country, and plastered. There was 
 something decidedly striking in its appearance : a number 
 of irregular buildings, connected with one another, and dis- 
 posed in the form of a hollow square, with a church at one 
 end, rising above the rest, with a tower containing five 
 belfries, in each of which hung a large bell, and with an 
 immense rusty iron cross at the top. Just outside of 
 the buildings, and under the walls, stood twenty or thirty 
 small huts, built of straw and the branches of trees, 
 grouped together in which a few Indians lived under 
 the protection and in the service of the mission. 
 
 Entering a gateway, we drove into the open square, 
 in which the stillness of death reigned. On one side was 
 the church ; on another, a range of high buildings with 
 grated windows ; a third was a range of smaller buildings, 
 or offices ; and the fourth seemed to be little more than a 
 high connecting wall. Not a living creature could we see. 
 We rode twice round the square, in the hope of waking up 
 some one ; and in one circuit, saw a tall monk, with shaven 
 head, sandals, and the dress of the Grey Friars, pass 
 rapidly though a gallery, but he disappeared without notic- 
 ing us. After two circuits, we stopped our horses, and 
 saw, at last, a man show himself in front of one of the 
 small buildings. We rode up to him, and found him dress- 
 ed in the common dress of the country, with a silver chain 
 round his neck, supporting a large bunch of keys. From 
 this, we took him to be the steward of the mission, and 
 addressing him as “ Mayordomo,” received alow bow and an 
 invitation to walk into his room. Making our horses fast, 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 III 
 
 we went in. It was a plain room, containing a table, three 
 or four chairs, a small picture or two of some saint, or 
 miracle, or martyrdom, and a few dishes and glasses. 
 “Hay algunas cosas a comer ?” said I. “Si Senor!” 
 said he. “ Que gusta usted ? ” Mentioning frijoles. which 
 I knew they must have if they had nothing else, and beef 
 and bread, and a hint for wine, if they had any, he went 
 off to another building, across the court, and returned 
 in a few moments, with a couple of Indian boys, bearing 
 dishes and a decanter of wine. The dishes contained 
 baked meats, frijoles stewed with peppers and onions, 
 boiled eggs, and California flour baked into a kind of 
 macaroni. These, together with the wine, made the most 
 sumptuous meal we had eaten since we left Boston ; and 
 compared with the fare we had lived upon for seven months, 
 it was a real banquet. After despatching our meal, we 
 took out some money and asked him how much we were 
 to pay. He shook his head, and crossed himself, saying 
 that it was charity : — that the Lord gave it to us. Know- 
 ing the amount of this to be that he did not sell, but was 
 willing to receive a present, we gave him ten or twelve 
 reals , which he pocketed with admirable nonchalance, 
 saying, “ Dios se lo pague.” Taking leave of him, we rode 
 out to the Indians’ huts. The little children were running 
 about among the huts, stark naked, and the men were, 
 not much better ; but the women had generally coarse 
 gowns, of a sort of tow cloth. The men are employed, 
 most of the time, in tending the cattle of the mission, and 
 in working in the garden, which is a very large one, in- 
 cluding several acres, and filled, it is said, with the best 
 fruits of the climate. The language of these people, which 
 is spoken by all the Indians of California, is the most 
 brutish and inhuman language, without any exception, 
 that I ever heard, or that could well be conceived of. It 
 is complete slabber. The words fall off of the ends of 
 their tongues, and a continual slabbering sound is made in 
 the cheeks, outside of the teeth. It cannot have been 
 the language of Montezuma and the independent Mexi- 
 cans. 
 
 Here, among the huts, we saw the oldest man that I 
 had ever seen ; and, indeed, I never supposed that a per- 
 son could retain life and exhibit such marks of age. He 
 
1 1 2 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 was sitting out in the sun, leaning against the side of a 
 hut ; and his legs and arms, which were bare, were of a 
 dark red color, the skin withered and shrunk up like burnt 
 leather, and the limbs not larger round than those of a boy 
 of five years. He had a few gray hairs, which were tied 
 together at the back of his head ; and he was so feeble 
 that, when we came up to him, he raised his hands slowly 
 to his face, and taking hold of his lids with his fingers, 
 lifted them up to look at us ; and being satisfied, let them 
 drop again. All command over the lid seemed to have 
 gone. I asked his age, but could get no answer but 
 “ Quien sabe ? ” and they probably did not know the age. 
 
 Leaving the mission, we returned to the village, going 
 nearly all the way on a full run. The California horses 
 have no medium gait, which is pleasant, between walking 
 and running ; for as there are no streets and parades, they 
 have no need of the genteel trot, and their riders usually 
 keep them at the top of their speed until they are tired, 
 and then let them rest themselves by walking. The fine 
 air of the afternoon ; the rapid rate of the animals, who 
 seemed almost to fly over the ground ; and the excit- 
 ment and novelty of the motion to us, who had been so 
 long confined on shipboard, were exhilarating beyond ex- 
 pression, and we felt willing to ride all day long. Coming 
 into the village, we found things looking very lively. The 
 Indians, who always have a holiday on Sunday, were 
 engaged at playing a kind of running game of ball, on a 
 level piece of ground, near the houses. The old ones sat 
 down in a ring, looking on, while the young ones — men, 
 boys, and girls — were chasing the ball, and throwing it 
 with all their might. Some of the girls ran like grey- 
 hounds. At every accident, or remarkable feat, the old 
 people set up a deafening screaming and clapping of hands. 
 Several blue jackets were reeling about among the houses, 
 which showed that the pulperias had been well patronized. 
 One or two of the sailors had got on horseback, but being 
 rather indifferent horsemen, and the Spaniards having 
 given them vicious horses, they were soon thrown, much 
 to the amusement of the people. A half dozen Sandwich 
 Islanders, from the hide-houses and the two brigs, who were 
 bold riders, were dashing about on the full gallop, halloo- 
 ing and laughing like so many wild men. 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 **3 
 
 It was now nearly sundown, and S and myself 
 
 went into a house and sat quietly down to rest ourselves 
 before going down to the beach. Several people soon 
 collected to see “ los Ingles marineros,” and one of them 
 — a young woman — took a great fancy to my pocket hand- 
 kerchief, which was a large silk one that I had before 
 going to sea, and a handsomer one than they had been in 
 the habit of seeing. Of course, I gave it to her ; which 
 brought us into high favor ; and we had a present of some 
 pears and other fruits, which we took down to the beach 
 with us. When we came to leave the house, we found that 
 our horses, which we left tied at the door, were both gone. 
 We had paid for them to ride down to the beach, but they 
 were not to be found. We went to the man of whom we 
 hired them, but he only shrugged his shoulders, and to our 
 question, “ Where are the horses ? ” only answered — 
 “ Quien sabe ? ” but as he was very easy, and made no 
 inquiries for the saddles, we saw that he knew very well 
 where they were. After a little trouble, determined not 
 to walk down, — a distance of three miles— we procured 
 two, at four reals apiece, with an Indian boy to run on 
 behind and bring them back. Determined to have “ the 
 go” out of the horses, for our trouble, we went down at full 
 speed, and were on the beach in fifteen minutes. Wishing 
 to make our liberty last as long as possible, we rode up 
 and down among the hide-houses, amusing ourselves with 
 seeing the men, as they came down, (it was now dusk,) 
 some on horseback and others on foot. The Sandwich 
 Islanders rode down, and were in “ high snuff.” We in- 
 quired for our shipmates, and were told that two of them 
 had started on horseback and been thrown or had fallen 
 off, and were seen heading for the beach, but steering 
 pretty wild, and by the looks of things, would not be down 
 much before midnight. 
 
 The Indian boys having arrived, we gave them our 
 horses, and having seen them safely off, hailed for a boat 
 and went aboard. Thus ended our first liberty-day on 
 shore. We were well tired, but had had a good time, and 
 were more willing to go back to our old duties. About 
 midnight, we were waked up by our two watch-mates, who 
 had come aboard in high dispute. It seems they had 
 started to come down on the same horse, double-backed ; 
 
n 4 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 and each was accusing the other of being the cause of his 
 fall. They soon, however, turned-in and fell asleep and 
 probably forgot all about it, for the next morning the dis- 
 pute was not renewed. 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 The next sound that we heard was “ All hands ahoy 1 99 
 and looking up the scuttle, saw that it was just daylight. 
 Our liberty had now truly taken flight, and with it was laid 
 away our pumps, stockings, blue jackets, neckerchiefs, and 
 other go-ashore paraphernalia, and putting on old duck 
 trowsers, red shirts, and Scotch caps, began taking out and 
 landing our hides. For three days we were hard at work, 
 from the gray of the morning until starlight, with the ex- 
 ception of a short time allowed for meals, in this duty. 
 For landing and taking on board hides, San Diego is de- 
 cidedly the best place in California. The harbor is small 
 and land-locked ; there is no surf ; the vessels lie within 
 a cable’s length of the beach ; and the beach itself is 
 smooth, hard sand, without rocks or stones. For these rea- 
 sons, it is used by all the vessels in the trade, as a depot ; 
 and, indeed, it would be impossible, when loading with the 
 cured hides for the passage home, to take them on board 
 at any of the open ports, without getting them wet in the 
 surf, which would spoil them. We took possession of one 
 of the hide-houses, which belonged to our firm, and had 
 been used by the California. It was built to hold forty 
 thousand hides, and we had the pleasing prospect of filling 
 it before we could leave the coast ; and toward this, our 
 thirty-five hundred, which we brought down with us, would 
 do but little. There was not a man on board who did not 
 go a dozen times into the house, and look round, and make 
 some calculation of the time it would require. 
 
 The hides, as they come rough and uncured from the 
 vessels, are piled up outside of the houses, whence they 
 are taken and carried through a regular process of pick- 
 ling, drying, cleaning, etc., and stowed away in the house, 
 ready to put on board. This process is necessary in order 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 ll 5 
 
 that they may keep, during a long voyage and in warm 
 latitudes. For the purpose of curing and taking care of 
 these hides, an officer and a part of the crew of each ves- 
 sel are usually left ashore ; and it was for this business, 
 we found, that our new officer had joined us. As soon as 
 the hides were landed, he took charge of the house, and 
 the captain intended to leave two or three of us with him, 
 hiring Sandwich Islanders to take our places on board ; 
 but he could not get any Sandwich Islanders to go, 
 though he offered them fifteen dollars a month ; for the 
 report of the flogging had got among them, and he was 
 called “aole maikai,” (no good,) and that was an end of 
 the business. They were, however, willing to work on 
 shore, and four of them were hired and put with Mr, Rus- 
 sell to cure the hides. 
 
 After landing our hides, we next sent ashore all our 
 spare spars and rigging ; all the stores which we did not 
 want to use in the course of one trip to windward ; and, 
 in fact, everything which we could spare, so as to make 
 room for hides : among other things, the pig-sty, and with 
 it “ old Bess.” This was an old sow that we had brought 
 from Boston, and which lived to get round Cape Horn, 
 where all the other pigs died from cold and wet. Report 
 said that she had been a Canton voyage before. She 
 had been the pet of the cook during the whole passage, 
 and he had fed her with the best of everything, and taught 
 her to know his voice, and to do a number of strange 
 tricks for his amusement. Tom Cringle says that no one 
 can fathom a negro’s affection for a pig ; and I believe he 
 is right, for it almost broke our poor darky's heart when 
 he heard that Bess was to be taken ashore, and that he 
 vyas to have the care of her no more during the whole voy- 
 age. He had depended upon her as a solace, during the 
 long trips up and down the coast. “ Obey orders, if you 
 break owners ! ” said he. “ Break hearts? ’ he meant to 
 have said ; and lent a hand to get her over the side, trying 
 to make it as easy for her as possible. We got a whip up 
 on the main-yard, and hooking it to a strap round her 
 body, swayed away ; and giving a wink to one another, ran 
 her chock up to the yard. “’Vast there ! ’vast ! ” said 
 the mate ; “ none of your skylarking ! Lower away ! 99 
 But he evidently enjoyed the joke. The pig squealed like 
 
1 16 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 the “ crack of doom,” and tears stood in the poor darky’s 
 eyes ; and he muttered something about having no pity on 
 a dumb beast. “ Dumb beast 1” said Jack; “if she’s 
 what you call a dumb beast, then my eyes a’n’t mates.” 
 This produced a laugh from all but the cook. He was 
 too intent upon seeing her safe in the boat. He watched 
 her all the way ashore, where, upon her landing, she was 
 received by a whole troop of her kind, who had been set 
 ashore from the other vessels, and had multiplied and 
 formed a large commonwealth. From the door of his gal- 
 ley, the cook used to watch them in their manoeuvres, set- 
 ting up a shout and clapping his hands whenever Bess 
 came off victorious in the struggles for pieces of raw hide 
 and half-picked bones which were lying about the beach. 
 During the day, he saved all the nice things, and made a 
 bucket of swill, and asked us to take it ashore in the gig, 
 and looked quite disconcerted when the mate told him 
 that he would pitch the swill overboard, and him after it, 
 if he saw any of it go into the boats. We told him that 
 he thought more about the pig than he did about his wife, 
 who lived down in Robinson’s Alley; and, indeed, he 
 could hardly have been more attentive, for he actually, on 
 several nights, after dark, when he thought he would not 
 be seen, sculled himself ashore in a boat with a bucket of 
 nice swill, and returned like Leander from crossing the 
 Hellespont. 
 
 The next Sunday the other half of our crew went 
 ashore on liberty, and left us on board, to enjoy the first 
 quiet Sunday which we had had upon the coast. Here 
 were no hides to come off, and no southeaster to fear. 
 We washed and mended our clothes in the morning, and 
 spent the rest of the day in reading and writing. Several 
 of us wrote letters to send home by the Lagoda. At 
 twelve o’clock the Ayacucho dropped her fore topsail, 
 which was a signal for her sailing. She unmoored and 
 warped down into the bight, from which she got under 
 weigh. During this operation, her crew were a long time 
 heaving at the windlass, and I listened for nearly an hour 
 to the musical notes of a Sandwich Islander, called Ma* 
 hannah, who “ sang out ” for them. Sailors, when heav- 
 ing at a windlass, in order that they may heave together, 
 always have one to sing out; which is done in a peculiar. 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 ll 7 
 
 high and long-drawn note, varying with the motion of the 
 windlass. This requires a high voice, strong lungs, and 
 much practice, to be done well. This fellow had a very 
 peculiar, wild sort of note, breaking occasionally into a 
 falsetto. The sailors thought that it was too high, and not 
 enough of the boatswain hoarseness about it ; but to me 
 it had a great charm. The harbor was perfectly still, and 
 his voice rang among the hills, as though it could have 
 been heard for miles. Toward sundown, a good breeze 
 having sprung up, she got under weigh, and with her long, 
 sharp head cutting elegantly through the water, on a taught 
 bowline, she stood directly out of the harbor, and bore 
 away to the southward. She was bound to Callao, and 
 thence to the Sandwich Islands, and expected to be on 
 the coast again in eight or ten months. 
 
 At the close of the week we were ready to sail, but 
 were delayed a day or two by the running away of Foster, 
 the man who had been our second mate, and was turned 
 forward. From the time that he was “ broken,” he had 
 had a dog’s berth on board the vessel, and determined to 
 run away at the first opportunity. Having shipped for an 
 officer when he was not half a seaman, he found little pity 
 with the crew, and was not man enough to hold his ground 
 among them. The captain called him a “ soger, and 
 promised to “ ride him down as he would the main tack; ” 
 and when officers are once determined to “ ride a man 
 down,” it is a gone case with him. He had had several 
 difficulties with the captain, and asked leave to go home 
 in the Lagoda ; but this was refused him. One night he 
 was insolent to an officer on the beach, and refused to 
 come aboard in the boat. He was reported to the cap- 
 tain ; and, as he came aboard, — it being past the proper 
 hour, — he was called aft, and told that he was to have a 
 flogging. Immediately, he fell down an deck, calling out 
 
 * Soger (soldier) is the worst term of reproach that can be applied 
 to a sailor. It signifies a skulk , a sherk , — one who is always trying to 
 get clear of work, and is out of the way, or hanging back, when duty 
 is to be done, “ Marine ” is the term applied more particularly to a 
 man who is ignorant and clumsy about seaman’s work — a green-horn 
 —a land-lubber. To make a sailor shoulder a handspike, and walk 
 fore and aft the deck, like a sentry, is the most ignominious punish- 
 ment that could be put upon him. Such a punishment inflicted upon 
 an able seaman in a vessel of war, would break his spirit down more 
 than a flogging. 
 
n8 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 — “ Don’t flog me, Captain T ; don’t flog me!” and 
 
 the captain, angry with him, and disgusted with his cowar- 
 dice, gave him a few blows over the back with a rope’s 
 end and sent him forward. He was not much hurt, but a 
 good deal frightened, and made up his mind to run away 
 that very night. This was managed better than anything 
 he ever did in his life, and seemed really to show some 
 spirit and forethought. He gave his bedding and mat- 
 tress to one of the Lagoda’s crew, who took it aboard his 
 vessel as something which he had bought and promised to 
 keep it for him. He then unpacked his chest, putting all 
 his valuable clothes into a large canvas bag, and told 
 one of us, who had the watch, to call him at midnight. 
 Coming on deck at midnight, and finding no officer on 
 deck, and all still aft, he lowered his bag into a boat, got 
 softly down into it, cast off the painter, and let it drop 
 down silently with the tide until he was out of hearing, 
 when he sculled ashore. 
 
 The next morning, when all hands were mustered, there 
 was a great stir to find Foster. Of course, we would tell 
 nothing, and all they could discover was, that he had left 
 an empty chest behind him, and that he went off in a boat ; 
 for they saw it lying up high and dry on the beach. After 
 breakfast, the captain went up to the town, and offered a 
 reward of twenty dollars for him ; and for a couple of days, 
 the soldiers, Indians, and all others who had nothing to 
 do, were scouring the country for him, on horseback, but 
 without effect ; for he was safely concealed, all the time, 
 within fifty rods of the hide-houses. As soon as he had 
 landed, he went directly to the Lagoda’s hide-house, and a 
 part of her crew, who were living there on the shore, pro- 
 mised to conceal him and his traps until the Pilgrim should 
 sail, and then to intercede with Captain Bradshaw to take 
 him on board the ship. Just behind the hide-houses, among 
 the thickets and underwood, was a small cave, the entrance 
 to which was known only to two men on the beach, and 
 which was so well concealed that, though, when I after- 
 wards came to live on shore, it was shown to me two or 
 three times, I was never able to find it alone. To this cave 
 he was carried before day-break in the morning, and sup- 
 plied with bread and water, and th(#*e remained until he 
 saw us under weigh and well round the point. 
 
TWO YEATS BEFORE TIIE MAST 
 
 119 
 
 Friday , March 27///. The captain having given up all 
 hope of finding Foster, and being unwilling to delay any 
 longer, gave orders for unmooring ship, and we made sail, 
 dropping slowly down with the tide and light wind. We 
 left letters with Captain Bradshaw to take to Boston, and 
 had the satisfaction of hearing him say that he should be 
 back again before we left the coast. The wind, which was 
 very light, died away soon after we doubled the point, and 
 we lay becalmed for two days, not moving three miles the 
 whole time, and a part of the second day were almost with- 
 in sight of the vessels. On the third day, about noon, a 
 cool seabreeze came rippling and darkening the surface of 
 the water, and by sundown we were oft St. Juan’s, which 
 is about forty miles from San Diego, and is called half way 
 to San Pedro, where we were now bound. Our crew was 
 now considerably weakened. One man we had lost over- 
 board; another had been taken aft as clerk; and a third 
 
 had run away; so that, besides S and myself, there 
 
 were only three able seamen and one boy of twelve years 
 of age. With this diminished and discontented crew, and 
 in a small vessel, we were now to battle the watch through a 
 couple of years of hard service ; yet there was not one who 
 was not glad that Foster had escaped ; for, shiftless and 
 good for nothing as he was, no one could wish to see him 
 dragging on a miserable life cowed down and disheartened ; 
 and we were all rejoiced to hear upon our return to San 
 Diego, about two months afterwards, that he had been im- 
 mediately taken aboard the Lagoda, and went home in 
 her, on regular seaman’s wages. 
 
 After a slow passage of five days, we arrived, on Wed- 
 nesday, the first of April, at our old anchoring ground at San 
 Pedro. The bay was as deserted, and looked as dreary as 
 before, and formed no pleasing contrast with the security 
 and snugness of San Diego, and the activity and interest 
 which the loading and unloading of four vessels gave to 
 that scene. In a few days the hides began to come slowly 
 down, and we got into the old business of rolling goods up 
 the hill, pitching hides down, and pulling our long league 
 off and on. Nothing of note occurred while we were lay- 
 ing here, except that an attempt was made to repair the 
 small Mexican brig which had been cast away in a south- 
 easter, and which now lay high and dry, over one reef of 
 
120 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 rocks and two sand-banks. Our carpenter surveyed her, 
 and pronounced her capable of refitting, and in a few days 
 the owners came down from the Pueblo, and waiting for 
 the high spring tides, with the help of our cables, kedges, 
 and crew, got her off and afloat, after several trials. The 
 three men at the house on shore, who had formerly been 
 a part of her crew, now joined her, and seemed glad enough 
 at the prospect of getting off the coast. 
 
 On board our own vessel, things went on in the common 
 monotonous way. The excitement which immediately 
 followed the flogging scene had passed off, but the effect 
 of it upon the crew, and especially upon the two men 
 themselves, remained. The different manner in which 
 these men were affected, corresponding to their different 
 characters, was not a little remarkable. John was a for- 
 eigner and high-tempered, and though mortified, as any 
 one would be at having had the worst of an encounter, yet 
 his chief feeling seemed to be anger ; and he talked much 
 of satisfaction and revenge, if he ever got back to Boston. 
 But with the other, it was very different. He was an 
 American, and had had some education ; and this thing 
 coming upon him, seemed completely to break him down. 
 He had a feeling of the degradation that had been inflicted 
 upon him, which the other man was incapable of. Before 
 that, he had a good deal of fun, and amused us often with 
 queer negro stories, — (he was from a slave state); but 
 afterwards he seldom smiled ; seemed to lose all life and 
 elasticity ; and appeared to have but one wish, and that 
 was for the voyage to be at an end. I have often known 
 him to draw a long sigh when he was alone, and he took 
 but little part or interest in John's plans of satisfaction and 
 retaliation. 
 
 After a stay of about a fortnight, during which we 
 slipped for one southeaster, and were at sea two days, we 
 got under weigh for Santa Barbara. It was now the 
 middle of April, and the southeaster season was nearly 
 over ; and the light, regular trade-winds, which blow down 
 the coast, began to set steadily in, during the latter part of 
 each day. Against these, we beat slowly up to Santa Bar- 
 bara — a distance of about ninety miles — in three days. 
 There we found, lying at anchor, the large Genoese ship 
 which we saw in the same place, on the first day of our 
 
TWO YEATS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 1 2 1 
 
 coming upon the coast. She had been up to San Francis* 
 co ? or, as it is called, “ chock up to windward,” had stop- 
 ped at Monterey on her way down, and was shortly to pro- 
 ceed to San Pedro and San Diego, and thence, taking in 
 her cargo, to sail for Valparaiso and Cadiz. She was a 
 large, clumsy ship, and with her topmasts stayed forward, 
 and high poop-deck, looked like an old woman with a 
 crippled back. It was now the close of Lent, and on 
 Good Friday she had all her yards a ’-cock-bill, which is 
 customary among Catholic vessels. Some also have an 
 effigy of Judas, which the crew amuse themselves with 
 keel-hauling and hanging by the neck from the y?*d-arms. 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 The next Sunday was Easter Sunday, and as there 
 had been no liberty at San Pedro, it was our turn to go 
 ashore and misspend another Sabbath. Soon after break- 
 fast, a large boat, filled with men in blue jackets, scarlet 
 caps, and various colored underclothes, bound ashore on 
 liberty, left the Italian ship, and passed under our stern ; 
 the men singing beautiful Italian boat-songs, all the way, 
 in fine, full chorus. Among the songs I recognized the 
 favorite “ O Pescator dell’ onda.” It brought back to my 
 mind piano-fortes, drawing-rooms, young ladies singing, 
 and a thousand other things which as little befitted me, in 
 iny situation, to be thinking upon. Supposing that the 
 whole day would be too long a time to spend ashore, as 
 there was no place to which we could take a ride, we 
 remained quietly on board until after dinner. We were 
 then pulled ashore in the stern of the boat, and, with 
 orders to be on the beach at sundown, we took our way 
 for the town. There, everything wore the appearance of a 
 holiday. The people were all dressed in their best ; the 
 men riding about on horseback among the houses, and the 
 women sitting on carpets before the doors. Under the 
 piazza of a “ pulperia,” two men were seated, decked out 
 with knots of ribbons and bouquets, and playing the violin 
 
123 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 and the Spanish guitar. These are the only instruments, 
 with the exception of the drums and trumpets at Monterey, 
 that I ever heard in California ; and I suspect they play 
 upon no others, for at a great fandango at which I was 
 afterwards present, and where they mustered all the music 
 they could find, there were three violins and two guitars, 
 and no other instruments. As it was now too near the 
 middle of the day to see any dancing, and hearing that a 
 bull was expected down from the country, to be baited in 
 the presidio square, in the course of an hour or two, we 
 took a stroll among the houses. Inquiring for an Ameri- 
 can who, we had been told, had married in the place, and 
 kept a shop, we were directed to a long, low building, at 
 the end of which was a door, with a sign over it, in 
 Spanish. Entering the shop, we found no one in it, and 
 the whole had an empty, deserted appearance. In a few 
 minutes the man made his appearance, and apologized for 
 having nothing to entertain us with, saying that he had 
 had a fandango at his house the night before, and the 
 people had eaten and drunk up everything. 
 
 “ Oh yes ! ” said I, “ Easter holidays ! ” 
 
 “ No ! ” said, he, with a singular expression to his face ; 
 “ I had a little daughter die the other day, and that’s the 
 custom of the country.” 
 
 Here I felt a little strangely, not knowing what to say, 
 or whether to offer consolation or not, and was beginning 
 to retire, when he opened a side door and told us to walk 
 in. Here I was no less astonished ; for I found a large 
 room, filled with young girls, from three or four years of 
 age up to fifteen and sixteen, dressed all in white, with 
 wreaths of flowers on their heads, and bouquets in their 
 hands. Following our conductor through all these girls, 
 who were playing about in high spirits, we came to a table 
 at the end of the room, covered with a white cloth, on 
 which lay a coffin, about three feet long, with the body of 
 his child. The coffin was lined on the outside with white 
 cloth, and on the inside with white satin, and was strewed 
 with flowers. Through an open door we saw, in another 
 room, a few elderly people in common dresses ; while the 
 benches and tables thrown up in a corner, and the stained 
 walls, gave evident signs of the last night’s “ high go.” 
 Feeling, like Garrick, between tragedy and comedy, an un- 
 
TWO YEATS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 123 
 
 certainty of purpose and a little awkwardness, I asked the 
 man when the funeral would take place, and being told 
 that it would move toward the mission in about an hour, 
 took my leave. 
 
 To pass away the time, we took horses and rode down 
 to the beach, and there found three or four Italian sailors, 
 mounted, and riding up and down, on the hard sand, at a 
 furious rate. We joined them, and found it fine sport. 
 The beach gave us a stretch of a mile or more, and the 
 horses flew over the smooth, hard sand, apparently in- 
 vigorated and excited by the salt sea-breeze, and by the 
 continual roar and dashing of the breakers. From the 
 beach we returned to the town, and finding that the 
 funeral procession had moved, rode on and overtook it, 
 about half way to the mission. Here was as peculiar a 
 sight as we had seen before in the house ; the one looking 
 as much like a funeral procession as the other did like a 
 house of mourning. The little coffin was borne by eight 
 girls, who were continually relieved by others, running for- 
 ward from the procession and taking their places. Eehind 
 it came a straggling company of girls, dressed as before, 
 in white and flowers, and including, I should suppose by 
 their numbers, nearly all the girls between five and fifteen 
 in the place. They played along on the way, frequently 
 stopping and running all together to talk to some one, or 
 to pick up a flower, and then running on again to overtake 
 the coffin. There were a few elderly women in common 
 colors ; and a herd of young men and boys, some on foot 
 and others mounted, followed them, or walked or rode by 
 their side, frequently interrupting them by jokes and 
 questions. But the most singular thing of all was, that 
 two men walked, one on each side of the coffin, carrying 
 muskets in their hands, which they continually loaded and 
 fired into the air. Whether this was to keep off the evil 
 spirits or not, I do not know. It was the only interpreta- 
 tion that I could put upon it. 
 
 As we drew near the mission, we saw the great gate 
 thrown open, and the padre standing on the steps, with 
 a crucifix in hand. The mission is a large and deserted- 
 looking place, the out-buildings going to ruin, and every- 
 thing giving one the impression of decayed grandeur. A 
 large stone fountain threw out pure water, from tout 
 
124 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 mouths, into a basin, before the church door ; and we 
 were on the point of riding up to let our horses drink, 
 when it occurred to us that it might be consecrated, and we 
 forbore. Just at this moment, the bells set up their harsh, 
 discordant clang ; and the procession moved into the 
 court. I was anxious to follow, and see the ceremony, 
 but the horse of one of my companions had become 
 frightened, and was tearing off toward the town ; and hav- 
 ing thrown his rider, and got one of his feet caught in the 
 saddle, which had slipped, was fast dragging and ripping 
 it to pieces. Knowing that my shipmate could not speak 
 a word of Spanish, and fearing that he would get into dif- 
 ficulty, I was obliged to leave the ceremony and ride after 
 him. I soon overtook him, trudging along, swearing at 
 the horse, and carrying the remains of the saddle of which 
 he had picked up on the road. Going to the owner of the 
 horse, we made a settlement with him, and found him sur- 
 prisingly liberal. All parts of the saddle were brought 
 back, and being capable of repair, he was satisfied with 
 six reals. We thought it would have been a few dollars. 
 We pointed to the horse, which was now half way up one 
 of the mountains ; but he shook his head, saying, “ No im- 
 pore ! ” and giving us to understand that he had plenty 
 more. 
 
 Having returned to the town, we saw a great crowd 
 collected in the square before the principal pulperia, and 
 riding up, found that all these people — men, women, and 
 children — had been drawn together by a couple of bantam 
 cocks. The cocks were in full tilt, springing into one 
 another and the people were as eager, laughing and 
 shouting, as though the combatants had been men. There 
 had been a disappointment about the bull ; he had broken 
 his bail, and taken himself off, and it was too late to get 
 another , so the people were obliged to put up with a 
 cock-fight. One of the bantams having been knocked in 
 the head, and had an eye put out, he gave in, and two 
 monstrous prize-cocks were brought on. These were the 
 object of the whole affair; the two bantams having been 
 merely served up as a first course, to collect the people to- 
 gether. Two fellows came into the ring holding the cocks 
 in their arms, and stroking them, and running about on 
 all fours, encouraging and setting them on. Bets ran 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST \ 125 
 
 high, and, like most other contests, it remained for some 
 time undecided. They both showed great pluck, and 
 fought probably better and longer than their masters would. 
 Whether, in the end, it was the white or the red that beat, 
 I do not recollect ; but whichever it was, he strutted off 
 with the true veni-vidi-vici look, leaving the other lying 
 panting on his beam-ends. 
 
 This matter having been settled, we heard some talk 
 about “ caballos” and “ carrera ,” and seeing the people 
 all streaming off in one direction, we followed, and came 
 upon a level piece of ground, just out of town, which was 
 used as a racecourse. Here the crowd soon became thick 
 again ; the ground was marked off ; the judges stationed ; 
 and the horses led up to one end. Two fine-looking old 
 gentlemen — Don Carlos and Don Domingo, so called — • 
 held the stakes, and all was now ready. We waited some 
 time, during which we could just see the horses twisting 
 round and turning, until, at length, there was a shout along 
 the lines, and on they came — heads stretched out and 
 eyes starting ; — working all over, both man and beast. 
 The steeds came by us like a couple of chain-shot — neck 
 and neck ; and now we could see nothing but their backs, 
 and their hind hoofs flying in the air. As fast as the 
 horses passed, the crowd broke up behind them, and ran 
 to the goal. When we got there, we found the horses re- 
 turning on a slow walk, having run far beyond the mark, 
 and heard that the long, bony one had come in head and 
 shoulders before the other. The riders were light-built 
 men ; had handkerchiefs tied round their heads ; and 
 were bare-armed and bare-legged. The horses were nob e- 
 looking beasts, not so sleek and combed as our Boston stable 
 horses, but with fine limbs and spirited eyes. After this, 
 had been settled, and fully talked over, the crowd scattered 
 again and flocked back to the town. 
 
 Returning to the large pulperia, we found the violin 
 and guitar screaming and twanging away under the piazza, 
 where they had been all day. As it was now sundown, 
 there began to be some dancing, The Italian sailors 
 danced, and one of our crew exhibited himself in a sort of 
 West Tndia shuffle, much to the amusement of the by* 
 standers, who cried out, “ Bravo ! ” “ Otra vez ! ” and 
 “ Vivan los marineros ! ” but the dancing did not become 
 
126 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 general, as the women and the “gente de razon ” had not 
 yet made their appearance. We wished very much to 
 stay and see the style of dancing ; but, although we had 
 had our own way during the day, yet we were, after all, 
 but 'foremast Jacks ; and having been ordered to be on 
 the beach by sundown, did not venture to be more than an 
 hour behind the time ; so we took our way down. We 
 found the boat just pulling ashore through the breakers, 
 which were running high, there having been a heavy fog 
 outside, which, from some cause or other, always brings on 
 or precedes a heavy sea. Liberty-men are privileged from 
 the time they leave the vessel until they step on board 
 again ; so we took our places in the stern sheets, and were 
 congratulating ourselves upon getting off dry, when a 
 great comber broke fore and aft the boat, and wet us 
 through and through, filling the boat half full of water. 
 H aving lost her buoyancy by the weight of the water, she 
 dropped heavily into every sea that struck her, and by the 
 time we had pulled out of the surf into deep water, she 
 was but just afloat, and we were up to our knees. By the 
 help of a small bucket and our hats we bailed her out, 
 got on board, hoisted the boat, eat our supper, changed 
 our clothes, gave (as is usual) the whole history of our 
 day's adventures to those who had staid on board, and 
 having taken a night-smoke, turned in. Thus ended our 
 second day’s liberty on shore. 
 
 On Monday morning, as an offset to our day’s sport, 
 we were all set to work “ tarring down ” the rigging. 
 Some got girt-lines up for riding down the stays and back- 
 stays, and others tarred the shrouds, lifts, etc., laying out 
 on the yards, and coming down the rigging. We over- 
 hauled our bags and took out our old tarry trowsers and 
 frocks, which we had used when we tarred down before, 
 and were all at work in the rigging by sunrise. After 
 breakfast, we had the satisfaction of seeing the Italian 
 ship’s boat go ashore, filled with men, gaily dressed, as on 
 the day before, and singing their barcarollas. The Easter 
 holidays are kept up on shore during three days ; and 
 being a Catholic vessel, the crew had the advantage of 
 them. For two successive days, while perched up in the 
 rigging, covered with tar and engaged in our disagreeable 
 work, we saw these fellows going ashore in the morning, 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 127 
 
 and coming off again at night, in high spirits. So much 
 for being Protestants. There’s no danger of Catholicism’s 
 spreading in New England ; Yankees can’t afford the time 
 to be Catholics. American ship-masters get nearly three 
 weeks more labor out of their crews, in the course of a 
 year, than the masters of vessels from Catholic countries. 
 Yankees don’t keep Christmas, and ship-masters at sea 
 never know when Thanksgiving comes, so Jack has no festi- 
 val at all. 
 
 About noon,- a man aloft called out “ Sail ho ! ” and 
 looking round, we saw the head sails of a vessel coming 
 round the point. As she drew round, she showed • the 
 broadside of a full-rigged brig, with the Yankee ensign at 
 her peak. We ran up our stars and stripes, and knowing 
 that there was no American brig on the coast but our- 
 selves, expected to have news from home. She rounded- 
 to and let go her anchor, but the dark faces on her yards, 
 when they furled the sails, and the Babel on deck, soon 
 made known that she was from the Islands. Immediately 
 afterwards, a boat’s crew came aboard, bringing her skip- 
 per, and from them we learned that she was from Oahu, 
 and was engaged in the same trade with the Ayacucho, 
 Loriotte, etc., between the coast, the Sandwich Islands, 
 and the leeward coast of Peru and Chili. Her captain 
 and officers were Americans, and also a part of her crew ; 
 the rest were Islanders. She was called the Catalina, and, 
 like all the ether vessels in that trade, except the Aya- 
 cucho, her papers and colors were from Uncle Sam. 
 They, of course, brought us no news, and we were doubly 
 disappointed, for we had thought, at first, it might be the 
 ship which we were expecting from Boston. 
 
 After lying here about a fortnight, and collecting all 
 the hides the place afforded, we set sail again for San 
 Pedro. There we found the brig which we had assisted in 
 getting off, lying at anchor, with a mixed crew of Ameri- 
 cans, English, Sandwich Islanders, Spaniards, and Spanish 
 Indians ; and though much smaller than we, yet she had 
 three times the number of men ; and she needed them, 
 for her officers were Californians. No vessels in the world 
 go so poorly manned as American and English ; and none 
 do so well. A Yankee brig of that size would have had a 
 crew of four men, and would have worked round and 
 
128 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 round her. The Italian ship had a crew of thirty men ; 
 nearly three times as many as the Alert, which was after- 
 wards on the coast, and was of the same size ; yet the 
 Alert would get under weigh and come-to in half the time, 
 and get two anchors, while they were all talking at once — * 
 jabbering like a parcel of “Yahoos,” and running about 
 decks to find their cat-block. 
 
 There was only one point in which they had the 
 advantage over us, and that was in lightening their labors 
 in the boats by their songs. The Americans are a time 
 and money-saving people, but have not yet, as a nation, 
 learned that music may be “ turned to account. We 
 pulled the long distances to and from the shore, with our 
 loaded boats, without a word spoken, and with discon- 
 tented looks, while they not only lightened the labor of 
 rowing, but actually made it pleasant and cheerful by their 
 music. So true is it, that, — 
 
 u For the tired slave, song lifts the languid oar, 
 
 And bids it aptly fall, with chime 
 That beautifies the fairest shore, 
 
 And mitigates the harshest clime.” 
 
 We lay about a week in San Pedro, and got under weigh 
 for San Diego, intending to stop at San Juan, as the south- 
 easter season was nearly over, and there was little or no 
 danger. 
 
 This being the spring season, San Pedro, as well as all 
 the other open ports upon the coast, was filled with whales 
 that had come in to make their annual visit upon sound- 
 ings. For the first few days that we were here and at 
 Santa Barbara, we watched them with great interest — call- 
 ing out “ there she blows ! ” every time we saw the spout 
 of one, breaking the surface of the water ; but they soon 
 became so common that we took little notice of them. 
 They often “ broke ” very near us ; and one thick, foggy 
 night, during a dead calm, while I was standing anchor 
 watch, one of them rose so near, that he struck our cable, 
 and made all surge again. He did not seem to like the 
 encounter much himself, for he sheered off, and spouted at 
 a good distance. We once came very near running one 
 down in the gig, and should probably have been knocked 
 to pieces and blown sky-high. We had been on board 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 129 
 
 the little Spanish brig, and were returning, stretching out 
 well at our oars, the little boat going like a swallow; our 
 backs were forward, (as is always the case in pulling) and 
 the captain, who was steering, was not looking ahead, when, 
 all at once, we heard the spout of a whale directly ahead. 
 “ Back water ! back water for your lives ! ” shouted the 
 captain ; and we backed our blades in the water and 
 brought the boat to in a smother of foam. Turning our 
 heads, we saw a great, rough, humpbacked whale, slowly 
 crossing our fore foot, within three or four yards of the 
 boat’s stem. Had we not backed water just as we did, we 
 should inevitably have gone to smash upon him, striking 
 him with our stem just about amidship. He took no notice 
 of us, but passed slowly on, and dived a few yards beyond 
 us, throwing his tail high in the air. He was so near that 
 we had a perfect view of him, and, as may be supposed, 
 had no desire to see him nearer. He was a disgusting 
 creature ; with a skin rough, hairy, and of an iron -gray 
 color. This kind differs much from the sperm in color 
 and skin, and is said to be fiercer. We saw a few sperm 
 whales ; but most of the whales that come upon the coast 
 are finbacks, humpbacks, and right-whales, which are more 
 difficult to take, and are said not to give oil enough to pay 
 for the trouble. For this reason, whale-ships do not come 
 upon the coast after them. Our captain, together with 
 Captain Nye of the Loriotte, who had been in a whale-ship, 
 thought of making an attempt upon one of them with two 
 boats’ crews, but as we had only two harpoons and no 
 proper lines, they gave it up. 
 
 During the months of March, April, and May, these 
 whales appear in great numbers in the open ports of Santa 
 Barbara, San Pedro, etc., and hover off the coast, while a 
 few find their way into the close harbors of San Diego and 
 Monterey. They are all off again before midsummer, and 
 make their appearance on the “ off shore ground.” We 
 saw some fine “ schools ” of sperm whales, which are easily 
 distinguished by their spout, blowing away, a few miles to 
 windward, on our passage to San Juan. 
 
 Coasting along on the quiet shore of the Pacific, we 
 came to anchor, in twenty fathoms’ water, almost out at 
 sea, as it were, and directly abreast of a steep hill which 
 overhung the water, and was twice as high as our royal- 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 * 3 ° 
 
 masthead. We had heard much of this place from the La- 
 goda’s crew, who said it was the worst place in California. 
 The shore is rocky, and directly exposed to the southeast, 
 so that vessels are obliged to slip and run for their lives on 
 the first sign of a gale ; and late as it was in the season, 
 we got up our sliprope and gear, though we meant to stay 
 only twenty-four hours. We pulled the agent ashore, and 
 were ordered to wait for him, while he took a circuitous 
 way round the hill to the mission, which was hidden behind 
 it. We were glad of the opportunity to examine this sin- 
 gular place, and hauling the boat up and making her well 
 fast, took different directions up and down the beach, to 
 explore it. 
 
 San Juan is the only romantic spot in California. The 
 country here for several miles is high table-land, running 
 boldly to the shore, and breaking off in a steep hill, at the 
 foot of which the waters of the Pacific are constantly dash- 
 ing. For several miles the water washes the very base of 
 the hill, or breaks upon ledges and fragments of rocks 
 which run out into the sea. Just where we landed was a 
 small cove, or “ bight,” which gave us, at high tide, a few 
 square feet of sand beach between the sea and the bottom 
 of the hill. This was the only landing-place. Directly be- 
 fore us, rose the perpendicular height of four or five hun- 
 dred feet. How we were to get hides down, or goods up, 
 upon the table-land on which the mission was situated, was 
 more than we could tell. The agent had taken a long cir- 
 cuit, and yet had frequently to jump over breaks, and climb 
 up steep places, in the ascent. No animal but a man or a 
 monkey could get up it. However, that was not our look- 
 out ; and knowing that the agent would be gone an hour 
 or more, we strolled about, picking up shells, and following 
 the sea where it tumbled in, roaring and spouting among 
 the crevices of the great rocks. What a sight, thought I, 
 must this be in a southeaster ! The rocks were as large as 
 thclse of Nahant or Newport, but, to my eye, more grand and 
 broken. Besides there was a grandeur in everything around, 
 which gave almost a solemnity to the scene : a silence and 
 solitariness which affected everything ! Not a human being 
 but ourselves for miles ; and no sound heard but the pub 
 * sation of the great Pacific ! and the great steep hill rising 
 Kke a wall, and cutting us off from all the world, but the 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 * 3 * 
 
 u world of waters ! ” I separated myself from the rest, and 
 sat down on a rock, just where the sea ran in and formed 
 a fine spouting horn. Compared with the plain dull sand 
 beach of the rest of the coast, this grandeur was as refresh- 
 ing as a great rock in a weary land. It was almost the 
 first time that I had been positively alone — free from the 
 sense that human beings were at my elbow, if not talking 
 with me — since I had left home. My better nature re- 
 turned strong upon me. Everything was in accordance 
 with my state of feeling, and I experienced a glow of pleas- 
 ure at finding that what of poetry and romance I ever had 
 in me, had not been entirely deadened by the laborious 
 and frittering life I had led. Nearly an hour did I sit, 
 almost lost in the luxury of this entire new scene of the 
 play in which I had been so long acting, when I was arous- 
 ed by the distant shouts of my companions, and saw that 
 they were collecting together, as the agent had made his 
 appearance, on his way back to our boat. 
 
 We pulled aboard, and found the long-boat hoisted out, 
 and nearly laden with goods ; and after dinner, we all 
 went on shore in the quarter-boat, with the long-boat in 
 tow. As we drew in, we found an ox-cart and a couple of 
 men standing directly on the brow of the hill ; and having 
 landed, the captain took his way round the hill, ordering 
 me and one other to follow him. We followed, picking 
 our way out, and jumping and scrambling up, walking over 
 briers, and prickly pears, until we came to the top. Here 
 the country stretched out for miles, as far as the eye could 
 reach, on a level, table surface ; and the only habitation 
 in sight was the small white mission of San Juan Cam- 
 pestrano, with a few Indian huts about it, standing in a 
 small hollow, about a mile from where we were. Reach- 
 ing the brow of the hill where the cart stood, we found 
 several piles of hides, and Indians sitting round them. 
 One or two other carts were coming slowly on from the 
 mission, and the captain told us to begin and throw the 
 hides down : This, then, was the way they were to be 
 got down : thrown down, one at a time, a distance of four 
 hundred feet ! This was doing the business on a great 
 scale. Standing on the edge of the hill and looking down 
 the perpendicular height, the sailors. 
 
i3* 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 “ That walked upon the beach, 
 
 Appeared like mice ; and our tall anchoring bark 
 Diminished to her cock ; her cock a buoy 
 Almost too small for sight.” 
 
 Down this height we pitched the hides, throwing them 
 as far out into the air as we could ; and as they were all 
 large, stiff, and doubled, like the cover of a book, the wind 
 took them, and they swayed and eddied about, plunging and 
 rising in the air, like a kite when it has broken its string. 
 As it was now low tide, there was no danger of their falling 
 into the water, and as fast as they came to ground, the 
 men below picked them up, and taking them on then- 
 heads, walked off with them to the boat. It was really a 
 picturesque sight ; the great height ; the scaling of the 
 hides ; and the continual walking to and fro of the men, 
 who looked liked mites, on the beach 1 This was the 
 romance of hide-droghing ! 
 
 Some of the hides lodged in cavities which were under 
 the bank and out of our sight, being directly under us ; 
 but by sending others down in the same direction, we 
 succeeded in dislodging them. Had they remained there, 
 the captain said he should have sent on board for a couple 
 of pair of long halyards, and got some one to have gone 
 down for them. It was said that one of the crew of an 
 English brig went down in the same way, a few years 
 before. We looked over, and thought it would not be a 
 welcome task, especially for a few paltry hides ; but no 
 one knows what he can do until he is called upon ; for, six 
 months afterwards, I went down the same place by a pair 
 of top-gallant studding-sail halyards, to save a half a dozen 
 hides which had lodged there. 
 
 Having thrown them all down we took our way back 
 again, and found the boat loaded and ready to start. We 
 pulled off ; took the hides all aboard ; hoisted in the boats ; 
 hove up our anchor ; made sail ; and before sundown, 
 were on our way to San Diego. 
 
 . Friday, May 1835. Arrived at San Diego. Here 
 we found the little harbor deserted. The Lagoda, 
 Ayacucho, Loriotte, and all, had left the coast, and we 
 were nearly alone. All the hide-houses on the beach, but 
 ours, were shut up, and the Sandwich Islanders, a dozen 
 or twenty in number, who had worked for the other vessels 
 
TIVO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 133 
 
 and been paid off when they sailed, were living on the 
 beach, keeping up a grand carnival. A Russian discovery- 
 ship, which had been in this port a few years before, had 
 built a large oven for baking bread, and went away, leav- 
 ing it standing. This, the Sandwich Islanders took pos- 
 session of, and had kept, ever since, undisturbed. It was 
 big enough to hold six or eight men-— that is, it was as 
 large as a ship’s forecastle ; had a door at the side, and a 
 vent-hole at top. They covered it with Oahu mats, for a 
 carpet ; stopped up the venthole in bad weather, and made 
 it their headquarters. It was now inhabited by as many as 
 a dozen or twenty men, who lived there in complete idle- 
 ness — drinking, playing cards, and carousing in every 
 way. They bought a bullock once a week, which kept 
 them in meat, and one of them went up to the town every 
 day to get fruit, liquor, and provisions. Besides this, they 
 had bought a cask of ship-bread, and a barrel of flour from 
 the Lagoda before she sailed. There they lived, having a 
 
 grand time, and caring for nobody. Captain T was 
 
 anxious to get three or four of them to come on board the 
 Pilgrim, as we were so much diminished in numbers ; and 
 went up to the oven, and spent an hour or two trying to 
 negotiate with them. One of them, — a finely built, active, 
 strong and intelligent fellow, — who was a sort of king 
 among them, acted as spokesman. He was called Mannini, 
 — or rather, out of compliment to his known importance 
 and influence, Mr. Mannini,— and was known all over 
 California. Through him, the captain offered them fifteen 
 dollars a month, and one month’s pay in advance ; but it 
 was like throwing pearls before swine, or, rather, carrying 
 coals to Newcastle. So long as they had money, they 
 would not work for fifty dollars a month, and when their 
 money was gone, they would work for ten. 
 
 “ What do you do here, Mr. Mannini ? ” * said the 
 captain. 
 
 “ Oh, we play cards, get drunk, smoke — do anything 
 we ’re a mind to.” 
 
 “ Don’t you want to come aboard and work ? ” 
 
 u Aole ! aolc make make makou i ka hana. Now got 
 plenty money ; no good, work. M amide, money pan — all 
 
 * The letter i in the Sandwich Island language is sounded like € in 
 the English. 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE TEE MAST. 
 
 134 
 
 gone. Ah ! very good, work ! — maikai , hana hana nut ! * 
 
 “ But you ’ll spend all your money in this way,” said 
 the captain. 
 
 “ Aye ! me know that. By-’em-by money pau — all gone ; 
 then Kanaka work plenty.” 
 
 This was a hopeless case, and the captain left them, to 
 wait patiently until their money was gone. 
 
 We discharged our hides and tallow, and in about a 
 week were ready to set sail again for the windward. We 
 unmoored, and got everything ready, when the captain 
 made another attempt upon the oven. This time he had 
 more regard to the “ mollia tempora fandi,” and succeeded 
 very well. He got Mr. Mannini in his interest, and as 
 the shot was getting low in the locker, prevailed upon him 
 and three others to come on board with their chests and 
 baggage, and sent a hasty summons to me and the boy to 
 come ashore with our things, and join the gang at the hide- 
 house. This was unexpected to me ; but anything in the 
 way of variety I liked ; so we got ready, and were pulled 
 ashore. I stood on the beach while the brig got under 
 weigh, and watched her until she rounded the point, and 
 then went up to the hide-house to take up my quarters for 
 a few months. 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 Here was a change in my life as complete as it had 
 been sudden. In the twinkling of an eye I was trans- 
 formed from a sailor into a “ beach-comber ” and a hide- 
 curer ; yet the novelty and the comparative independence 
 of the life were not unpleasant. Our hide-house was a 
 large building, made of rough boards, and intended to 
 hold forty thousand hides. In one corner of it, a small 
 room was parted off, in which four berths were made, 
 where we were to live, with mother earth for our floor. It 
 contained a table, a small locker for pots, spoons, plates, 
 etc., and a small hole cut to let in the light. Here we put 
 our chests, threw our bedding into the berths, and took up 
 our quarters. Over our head was another small room, in 
 which Mr. Russell lived, who had charge of the hide- 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 1 35 
 
 house ; the same man who was for a time an officer of the 
 Pilgrim. There he lived in solitary grandeur ; eating and 
 sleeping alone (and these were his principal occupations,) 
 and communing with his own dignity. The boy was to act 
 as cook; while myself, a giant of a Frenchman named 
 Nicholas, and four Sandwich Islanders, were to cure the 
 hides. Sam, the Frenchman, and myself, lived together in 
 the room, and the four Sandwich Islanders worked and 
 ate with us, but generally slept at the oven. My new 
 messmate, Nicholas, was the most immense man that I 
 had ever seen in my life. He came on the coast in a vessel 
 which was afterwards wrecked, and now let himself out to 
 the different houses to cure hides. He was considerably 
 over six feet, and of a frame so large that he might have 
 been shown for a curiosity. But the most remarkable 
 thing about him was his feet. They were so large that he 
 could not find a pair of shoes in California to fit him, and 
 was obliged to send to Oahu for a pair; and when he got 
 them, he was compelled to wear them down at the heel. 
 He told me once, himself, that he was wrecked in an 
 American brig on the Goodwin Sands, and was sent up to 
 London, to the charge of the American consul, without 
 clothing to his back or shoes to his feet, and was obliged 
 to go about London streets in his stocking-feet three or 
 four days in the month of January, until the consul could 
 have a pair of shoes made fo /* him . His strength was in 
 proportion to his size, and his ignorance to his strength — 
 “ strong as an ox, and ignorant as strong.” He neither 
 knew how to read nor to write. He had been to sea from 
 a boy, and had seen all kinds of service, and been in every 
 kind of vessels : merchantmen, men-of-war, privateers, and 
 slavers ; and from what I could gather from his accounts of 
 himself, and from what he once told me, in confidence, after 
 we had become better acquainted, he had even been in 
 worse business than slave-trading. He was once tried for 
 his life in Charleston, South Carolina, and though ac- 
 quitted, yet he was so frightened that he never would 
 show himself in the United States again ; and I could not 
 persuade him that he could never be tried a second time 
 for the same offence. He said he had got safe off from 
 the breakers, and was too good a sailor to risk his timbers 
 again. 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 136 
 
 Though I knew what his life had been, yet I never had 
 the slightest fear of him. We always got along very well 
 together, and, though so much stronger and larger than I, 
 he showed a respect for my education, and for what he 
 had heard of my situation before coming to sea. “ I’ll be 
 good friends with you,” he used to say, “ for bv-and-by 
 you’ll come out here captain, and then you’ll haze me 
 well ! ” By holding well together, we kept the officer 
 in good order, for he was evidently afraid of Nicholas, 
 and never ordered us, except when employed upon the 
 hides. My other companions, the Sandwich Islanders, 
 deserve particular notice. 
 
 A considerable trade has been carried on for several 
 years between California and the Sandwich Islands, and 
 most of the vessels are manned with Islanders ; who, as 
 they, for the most part, sign no articles, leave whenever 
 they choose, and let themselves out to cure hides at San 
 Diego, and to supply the places of the men of the Ameri- 
 can vessels while on the coast. In this way quite a colony 
 of them had become settled at San Diego, as their head 
 quarters. Some of these had recently gone off in the 
 Ayacucho and Loriotte, and the Pilgrim had taken Mr. 
 Mannini aad three others, so that there were not more 
 than twenty left, Of these, four were on pay at the Aya- 
 cucho’s house, four more working with us, and the rest 
 were living at the oven in a quiet way ; for their money 
 was nearly gone, and they must make it last until some 
 other vessel came down to employ them. 
 
 During the four months that I lived here, I got well 
 acquainted with all of them, and took the greatest pains 
 to become familiar with their language, habits, and char- 
 acters. Their language I could only learn orally, for they 
 had not any books among them, though many of them had 
 been taught to read and write by the missionaries at home. 
 They spoke a little English, and by a sort of compromise, 
 a mixed language was used on the beach, which could be 
 understood by all. The long name of Sandwich Islanders 
 is dropped, and they are called by the whites, all over the 
 Pacific ocean, “ Kanakas,” from a word in their own 
 language which they apply to themselves, and to all 
 South Sea Islanders, in distinction from whites, whom 
 they call “ Haole.” This name “ Kanaka,” they answer 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 *37 
 
 to, both collectively and individually. Their propel names, 
 in their own language, being difficult to pronounce and re- 
 member, they are called by any names which the captains 
 or crews may choose to give them. Some are called after 
 the vessels they are in ; others by common names, as 
 Jack, Tom, Bill; and some have fancy names, as Ban-yan, 
 Fore-top, Rope-yarn, Pelican, etc., etc. Of the four who 
 worked at our house, one was named “ Mr. Bingham,” 
 after the missionary at Oahu ; another, Hope, after a ves- 
 sel that he had been in ; a third, Tom Davis, the name of 
 his first captain ; and the fourth, Pelican, from his fancied 
 resemblance to that bird. Then there was Lagoda-Jack, 
 California-Bill, etc., etc. But by whatever names they 
 might be called, they were the most interesting, intelligent 
 and kind-hearted people that I ever fell in with. I felt a 
 positive attachment for almost all of them ; and many of 
 them I have, to this time, a feeling for, which would lead 
 me to go a great way for the mere pleasure of seeing them, 
 and which will always make me feel a strong interest in 
 the mere name of a Sandwich Islander. 
 
 Tom Davis knew how to read, write and cipher in com- 
 mon arithmetic ; had been to the United States, and 
 spoke English quite well. His education was as good as 
 that of three-quarters of the Yankees in California, and 
 his manners and principles a good deal better, and he was 
 so quick of apprehension that he might have been taught 
 navigation, and the elements of many of the sciences, with 
 the most perfect ease. Old “ Mr. Bingham ” spoke very 
 little English — almost none, and neither knew how to read 
 nor write ; but he was the best-hearted old fellow in the 
 world. He must have been over fifty years of age, and 
 had two of his front teeth knocked out, which was done by 
 his parents as a sign of grief at the death of Tamahamaha, 
 the great king of the Sandwich Islands. We used to tell 
 him that he ate Captain Cook, and lost his teeth in that 
 way. That was the only thing that ever made him angry. 
 He would always be quite excited at that ; and say — 
 “ Aole /” (no.) “Me no eat Captain Cook ! Me pikinini 
 — small — so high— no more ! My father see Captain 
 Cook ! Me — no ! ” None of them liked to have any- 
 thing said about Captain Cook, for the sailors all believe 
 that he was eaten, and that, they cannot endure to be 
 
13 8 TWO years before the mast. 
 
 taunted with. — u New Zealand Kanaka eat white man 
 Sandwich Island Kanaka, — no. Sandwich Island Kanaka 
 ua like pu na haole — all ’e same a’ you ! ” 
 
 Mr. Bingham was a sort of patriarch among them, and 
 was always treated with great respect, though he had not 
 the education and energy which gave Mr. Mannini his 
 power over them. I have spent hours in talking with this 
 old fellow about Tamahamaha, the Charlemagne of the 
 Sandwich Islands ; his son and successor Riho Riho, who 
 died in England, and was brought to Oahu in the frigate 
 Blonde, Captain Lord Byron, and whose funeral he re- 
 membered perfectly ; and also about the customs of his 
 country in his boyhood, and the changes which had been 
 made by the missionaries. He never would allow that 
 human beings had been eaten there ; and, indeed, it 
 always seemed like an insult to tell so affectionate, intelli- 
 gent, and civilized a class of men, that such barbarities 
 had been practised in their own country within the 
 recollection of many of them. Certainly, the history of no 
 people on the globe can show anything like so rapid an 
 advance. I would have trusted my life and my fortune in 
 the hands of any one of these people ; and certainly, had 
 I wished for a favor or act of sacrifice, I would have gone 
 to them all, in turn, before I should have applied to one 
 of my own countrymen on the coast, and should have 
 expected to have seen it done, before my own countrymen 
 had got half through counting the cost. Their customs, 
 and manner of treating one another, show a simple, primi- 
 tive generosity, which is truly delightful ; and which is 
 often a reproach to our own people. Whatever one has, 
 they all have. Money, food, clothes, they share with one 
 another ; even to the last piece of tobacco to put in their 
 pipes. I once heard old Mr. Bingham say, with the high- 
 est indignation, to a Yankee trader who was trying to per- 
 suade him to keep his money to himself — “ No ! We no 
 all ’e same a' you ! — Suppose one got money, all got 
 money. You ; — suppose one got money — lock him up in 
 chest. — No good ! — Kanaka all ’e same a ’ one ! ” This 
 principle they carry so far, that none of them will eat any- 
 thing in sight of others, without offering it all round. I 
 have seen one of them break a biscuit, which had been 
 giver, him, into five parts, at a time when I knew he was 
 
TTTO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST \ 
 
 *39 
 
 on a very short allowance, as there was but little to eat on 
 the beach. 
 
 My favorite among all of them, and one who was liked 
 by both officers and men, and by whomever he had any- 
 thing to do with, was Hope. He was an intelligent, kind- 
 hearted little fellow, and I never saw him angry, though I 
 knew him for more than a year, and have seen him impos- 
 ed upon by white people, and abused by insolent officers 
 of vessels. He was always civil, and always ready, and 
 never forgot a benefit. I once took care of him when he 
 was ill, getting medicines from the ship's chests, when no 
 captain or officer would do anything for him, and he never 
 forgot it. Every Kanaka has one particular friend, whom 
 he considers himself bound to do everything for, and with 
 whom he has a sort of contract, — an alliance offensive and 
 defensive, — and for whom he will often make the greatest 
 sacrifices. This friend they call aikane; and for such, did 
 Hope adopt me. I do not believe I could have wanted 
 anything which he had, that he would not have given me. 
 In return for this I was always his friend among the 
 Americans, and used to teach him letters and numbers ; 
 for he left home before he had learned how to read. He 
 was very curious about Boston (as they call the United 
 States) ; asking many questions about the houses, the 
 people, etc., and always wished to have the pictures in 
 books explained to him. They were all astonishingly quick 
 in catching at explanations, and many things which I had 
 thought it utterly impossible to make them understand, 
 they often seized in an instant, and asked questions 
 which showed that they knew enough to make them wish 
 to go farther. The pictures of steamboats and railroad 
 cars, in the columns of some newspapers which I had, 
 gave me great difficulty to explain. The grading of the 
 road, the rails, the construction of the carriages, they 
 could easily understand, but the motion produced by 
 steam was a little too refined for them. I attempted to 
 show it to them once by an experiment upon the cook’s 
 coppers, but failed ; probably as much from my own igno- 
 rance as from their want of apprehension ; and, I have no 
 doubt, left them with about as clear an idea of the 
 principle as I had myself. This difficulty, of course, ex- 
 isted in the same force with the steamboats ; and all I 
 
140 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 could do was to give them some account of the results, in 
 the shape of speed ; for, failing in the reason, I had to fall 
 back upon the fact In my account of the speed, I was 
 supported by Tom, who had been to Nantucket, and seen 
 a little steamboat which ran over to New Bedford. 
 
 A map of the world, which I once showed them, kept 
 their attention for hours ; those who knew how to read 
 pointing out the places and referring to me for the distances. 
 I remember being much amused with a question which 
 Hope asked me. Pointing to the large irregular place 
 which is always left blank round the poles, to denote that 
 it is undiscovered, he looked up and asked — “ Pau?” 
 (Done ? ended ?) 
 
 The system of naming the streets and numbering the 
 houses, they easily understood, and the utility of it. 
 They had a great desire to see America, but where afraid 
 of doubling Cape Horn, for they suffer much in cold weath- 
 er, and had heard dreadful accounts of the Cape, from 
 those of their number who had been round it 
 
 They smoke a great deal, though not much at a time ; 
 using pipes with large bowls, and very short stems, or no 
 stems at all. These, they light, and putting them to 
 their mouths, take a long draught, getting their mouths as 
 full as they can hold, and their cheeks distended, and then 
 let it slowly out through their mouths and nostrils. The 
 pipe is then passed to others, who draw, in the same man- 
 ner, one pipe-full serving for a half a dozen. They never 
 take short, continuous draughts, like Europeans, but one 
 of these “ Oahu puffs,” as the sailors call them, serves for 
 an hour or two, until some one else lights his pipe, and it 
 is passed round in the same manner. Each Kanaka on the 
 beach had a pipe, flint, steel, tinder, a hand of tobacco, 
 and a jack-knife, which he always carried about with him. 
 
 That which strikes a stranger most peculiarly is their 
 style of singing. They run on, in a low, guttural, monot- 
 onous sort of chant, their lips and tongues seeming hardly 
 to move, and the sounds apparently modulated solely in 
 the throat. There is very little tune to it, and the words, 
 so far as I could learn, are extempore. They sing about 
 persons and things which are around them, and adopt this 
 method when they do not wish to be understood by any 
 but themselves ; and it is very effectual, for with the most 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 Hi 
 
 careful attention I never could detect a word that I knew. 
 I have often heard Mr. Mannini, who was the most noted 
 improvisato7*c among them, sing for an hour together, 
 when at work in the midst of Americans and Englishmen ; 
 and, by the occasional shouts and laughter of the Kanakas, 
 who were at a distance, it was evident that he was singing 
 about the different men that he was at work with. They 
 have great powers of ridicule, and are excellent mimics ; 
 many of them discovering and imitating the peculiarities of 
 our own people, before we had seen them ourselves. 
 
 These were the people with whom I was to spend a few 
 months ; and who, with the exception of the officer, 
 Nicholas the Frenchman, and the boy, made the whole 
 population of the beach. I ought, perhaps, to except the 
 dogs, for they were an important part of our settlement. 
 Some of the first vessels brought dogs out with them, who, 
 for convenience, were left ashore, and there multiplied, 
 until they came to be a great people. While I was on the 
 beach, the average number was about forty, and probably 
 an equal, or greater number are drowned, or killed in 
 some other way, every year. They are very useful in guard- 
 ing the beach, the Indians being afraid to come down at 
 night ; for it was impossible for any one to get within half 
 a mile of the hide-houses without a general alarm. The 
 father of the colony, old Sachem, so called from the ship 
 in which he was brought out, died while I was there, full 
 of years, and was honorably buried. Hogs, and a few 
 chickens, were the rest of the animal tribe, and formed, 
 like the dogs, a common company, though they were 
 all known and marked, and usually fed at the houses to 
 which .they belonged. 
 
 I had been but a few hours on the beach, and the Pilgrim 
 was hardly out of sight, when the cry of “ Sail ho ! ” was 
 raised, and a small hermaphrodite brig rounded the point, 
 bore up into the harbor, and came to anchor. It was the 
 Mexican brig Fazio, which we had left at San Pedro, and 
 which had come down to land her tallow, try it all over, 
 and make new bags, and then take it in, and leave the 
 coast. They moored ship, erected their try-works on 
 shore, put up a small tent, in which they all lived, and 
 commenced operations. Th'ey made an addition to our 
 society , and we spent many evenings in their tent, where, 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 142 
 
 amid the Babel of English, Spanish, French, Indian, and 
 Kanaka, we found some words that we could understand 
 in common. 
 
 The morning after my landing, I began the duties of 
 hide-curing. In order to understand these, it will be 
 necessary to give the whole history of a hide, from the 
 time it is taken from a bullock until it is put on board the 
 vessel to be carried to Boston. When the hide is taken 
 from the bullock, holes are cut round it, near the edge, by 
 which it is staked out to dry. In this manner it dries 
 without shrinking. After they are thus dried in the sun, 
 they are received by the vessels, and brought down to the 
 depot. The vessels land them, and leave them in large 
 piles near the houses. Then begins the hide-curer’s duty. 
 The first thing is to put them in soak. This is done by 
 carrying them down at low tide, and making them fast, 
 in small piles, by ropes, and letting the tide come up and 
 cover them. Every day we put in soak twenty-five for each 
 man, which, with us, made an hundred and fifty. There 
 they lie forty-eight hours, when they are taken out, and 
 rolled up, in wheel-barrows, and thrown into the vats. 
 These vats contain brine, made very strong ; being sea- 
 water, with great quantities of salt thrown in. This 
 pickles the hides, and in this they he forty-eight hours , 
 the use of the sea-water, into which they are first put, be- 
 ing merely to soften and clean them. From these vats, 
 they are taken, and lie on a platform twenty-four hours, 
 and then are spread upon the ground, and carefully 
 stretched and staked out, so that they may dry smooth. 
 After they were staked, and while yet wet and soft, we 
 used to go upon them with our knives, and carefully cut 
 off all the bad parts : — the pieces of meat and fat, which 
 would corrupt and infect the whole if stowed away in a 
 vessel for many months, the large flippers , the ears, and 
 all other parts which would prevent close stowage. This 
 was the most difficult part of our duty ; as it required 
 much skill to take everything necessary off and not to cut 
 or injure the hide. It was also a long process, as six of 
 us had to clean an hundred and fifty, most of which re- 
 quired a great deal to be done to them, as the Spaniards 
 are very careless in skinning their cattle. Then, too, as 
 we cleaned them while they were staked out, we were 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 143 
 
 obliged to kneel down upon them, which always gives be- 
 ginners the back-ache. The first day, I was so slow and 
 awkward that I cleaned only eight ; at the end of a few 
 days I doubled my number ; and in a fortnight or three 
 weeks, could keep up with others, and clean my propor- 
 tion — twenty-five. 
 
 This cleaning must be got through with before noon ; 
 for by that time they get too dry. After the sun has been 
 upon them a few hours, they are carefully gone over with 
 scrapers, to get off all the grease which the sun brings out. 
 This being done, the stakes are pulled up, and the hides 
 carefully doubled, with the hair side out, and left to dry. 
 About the middle of the afternoon they are turned upon 
 the other side, and at sundown piled up and covered over. 
 The next day they are spread out and opened again, and 
 at night, if fully dry, are thrown upon a long, horizontal 
 pole, five at a time, and beat with flails. This takes all 
 the dust from them. Then, being salted, scraped, cleaned, 
 dried, and beaten, they are stowed away in the house. 
 Here ends their history, except that they are taken out 
 again when the vessel is ready to go home, beaten, stowed 
 away on board, carried to Boston, tanned, made into shoes 
 and other articles for which leather is used ; and many of 
 them, very probably, in the end, brought back a gain to 
 California in the shape of shoes, and worn out in pursuit 
 of other bullocks, or in the curing of other hides. 
 
 By putting an hundred and fifty in soak every day, we 
 had the same number at each stage of curing, on each 
 day ; so that we had, every day, the same work to do upon 
 the same number : an hundred and fifty to put in soak ; 
 an hundred and fifty to wash out and put in the vat ; the 
 same number to haul from the vat and put on the plat- 
 form to drain ; the same number to spread and stake out 
 and clean ; and the same number to beat and stow away 
 in the house. I ought to except Sunday ; for, by a pre- 
 scription which no captain or agent has yet ventured 
 to break in upon, Sunday has been a day of leisure on the 
 beach for years. On Saturday night, the hides, in every 
 s1:age of progress, are carefully covered up, and not un- 
 covered until Monday morning. On Sundays we had 
 absolutely no work to do, unless it was to kill a bullock, 
 which was sent down for our use about once a week, and 
 
*44 
 
 TJTD 'THATS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 sometimes came on Sunday. Another good arrangement 
 v/as, that we had just so much work to do, and when that 
 was through the time was our own. Knowing this, we 
 worked hard, and needed no driving. We “ turned out ” 
 every morning at the first signs of daylight, and allowing 
 a short time, about eight o’clock, for breakfast, generally 
 got through our labor between one and two o’clock, when 
 we dined, and had the rest of the time to ourselves ; until 
 just before sundown, when w r e beat the dry hides and put 
 them in the house, and covered over all the others. By 
 this means we had about three hours to ourselves every 
 afternoon ; and at sundown we had our supper, and our 
 work was done for the day. There was no watch to stand, 
 and no topsails to reef. The evenings we generally spent 
 at one another’s houses, and I often went up and spent an 
 hour or so at the oven ; which was called the “ Kanaka 
 Hotel,” and the “ Oahu Coffee-house.” Immediately 
 after dinner we usually took a short sufsta to make up for 
 our early rising, and spent the rest of the afternoon accord- 
 ing to our own fancies. I generally read, wrote, and 
 made or mended clothes ; for necessity, the mother of in- 
 vention, had taught me these two latter arts. The Kan- 
 akas went up to the oven, and spent the time in sleeping, 
 talking, and smoking ; and my messmate, Nicholas, who 
 neither knew how to read nor write, passed away the time 
 by a long siesta , two or three smokes with his pipe, and a 
 pase'o to the other houses. This leisure time is never in- 
 terfered with, for the captains know that the men earn it 
 by working hard and fast, and that if they interfered with 
 it, the men could easily make their twenty-five hides apiece 
 last through the day. We were pretty independent, too, 
 for the master of the house — “ capitan de la casa ” — had 
 nothing to say to us, except when we were at work on the 
 hides, and although we could not go up to the town with- 
 out, his permission, this was seldom or never refused. 
 
 The great weight of the wet hides, which we were 
 obliged to roll about in wheelbarrows ; the continual stoop- 
 ing upon those which were pegged out to be cleaned ; 
 and the smell of the vats, into which we were often* 
 obliged to get, knee-deep, to press down the hides ; 
 all made the work disagreeable and fatiguing ; — but we 
 soon got hardened to it, and the comparative indepen- 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 1 45 
 
 c! c nee of our life reconciled us to it ; for there was 
 nobody to haze us and find fault ; and when we got 
 through, we had only to wash and change our clothes, and 
 our time was our own. There was, however, one excep- 
 tion to the time’s being our own ; which was, that on two 
 afternoons of every week we were obliged to go off and 
 get wood for the cook to use in the galley. Wood is very 
 scarce in the vicinity of San Diego; there being no trees 
 of any size, for miles. In the town, the inhabitants burn 
 the small wood which grows in thickets, and for which 
 they send out Indians, in large numbers, every few days. 
 Fortunately, the climate is so fine that they have no need 
 of a fire in their houses, and only use it for cooking. With 
 us, the getting of wood was a great trouble ; for all that in 
 the vicinity of the houses had been cut down, and we were 
 obliged to go off a mile or two, and to carry it some dis- 
 tance on our backs, as we could not get the hand-cart up 
 the hills and over the uneven places. Two afternoons in 
 the week, generally Monday and Thursday, as soon as we 
 had got through dinner, we started off for the bush, each 
 of us furnished with a hatchet and a long piece of rope, 
 and dragging the hand-cart behind us, and followed by 
 the whole colony of dogs, who were always ready for the 
 bush, and were half mad whenever they saw our prepara- 
 tions. We went with the hand-cart as far as we could 
 conveniently drag it, and leaving it in an open, conspicu- 
 ous place, separated ourselves ; each taking his own 
 course, and looking about for some good place to begin 
 upon. Frequently, we had to go nearly a mile from the 
 hand-cart, before we could find any fit place. Having 
 lighted upon a good thicket, the next thing was to clear 
 away the under-brush, and have fair play at the trees. 
 These trees are seldom more than five or six feet high, 
 and the highest that I ever saw in these expeditions could 
 not have been more than twelve ; so that, with lopping off 
 the branches and clearing away the underwood, we had a 
 good deal of cutting to do for a very little wood. Having 
 cut enough for a “back-load,” the next thing was to make 
 it well fast with the rope, and heaving the bundle upon 
 our backs, and taking the hatchet in hand, to walk off, up 
 hill and down dale, to the hand-cart. Two good back- 
 loads apiece filled the hand-cart ; and that was each one’s 
 
i 4 6 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 proportion. When each had brought down his second 
 load, we filled the hand-cart, and took our way again 
 slowly back to the beach. It was generally sundown when 
 we got back, and unloading, covering the hides for the 
 night, and getting our supper, finished the day’s work. 
 
 These wooding excursions had always a mixture of 
 something rather pleasant in them. Roaming about in 
 the woods with hatchet in hand, like a backwoodsman, 
 followed by a troop of dogs ; starting up of birds, snakes, 
 hares and foxes, and examining the various kinds of trees, 
 flowers, and birds’ nests, was, at least, a change from 
 the monotonous drag and pull on shipboard. Frequently, 
 too, we had some amusement and adventure. The coati, 
 of which I have before spoken, — a sort of mixture of the 
 fox and wolf breeds, — fierce little animals, with bushy 
 tails and large heads, and a quick, sharp bark, abound 
 here, as in all other parts of California. These, the dogs 
 were very watchful for, and whenever they saw them, 
 started off in full run after them. We had many fine 
 chases ; yet, although our dogs ran finely, the rascals 
 generally escaped. They are a match for the dog, — one 
 to one, — but as the dogs generally went in squads, there 
 was seldom a fair fight. A smaller dog, belonging to us, 
 once attacked a coati, single, and got a good deal worsted, 
 and might perhaps have been killed, had we not come to 
 his assistance. We had, however, one dog which gave 
 them a good deal of trouble and many hard runs. He was 
 a fine, tall fellow, and united strength and agility better 
 than any dog that I have ever seen. He was born at the 
 Islands, his father being an English mastiff, and his mother 
 a greyhound. He had the high head, long legs, narrow 
 body, and springing gait of the latter, and the heavy 
 jaw, thick jowls, and strong fore-quarters of the mastiff. 
 When he was brought to San Diego, an English sailor said 
 that he looked, about the face, precisely like the Duke of 
 Wellington, whom he had once seen at the Tower ; and, 
 indeed, there was something about him which resembled 
 the portraits of the Duke. From this time he was chris- 
 tened “ Welly,” and became the favorite and bully of the 
 beach. He always led the dogs by several yards in the 
 chase, and had killed two coati at different times in sin- 
 gle combats. We often had fine sport with these fellows. 
 
rtro YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 U7 
 
 A quick, sharp bark from a coati, and in an instant every 
 dog was at the height of his speed. A few moments 
 made up for an unfair start, and gave each dog his 
 relative place. Welly, at the head, seemed almost to skim 
 over the bushes ; and after him came Fanny, Bravo, 
 Childers, and the other fleet ones, — the spaniels and ter- 
 riers ; and then, behind, followed the heavy corps, — ■ 
 bulldogs, etc. ; for we had every breed. Pursuit by us 
 was in vain, and in about half an hour a few of them would 
 come panting and straggling back. 
 
 Beside the coati, the dogs sometimes made prizes of 
 rabbits and hares, which are very plentiful here, and great 
 numbers of which we often shot for our dinners. There 
 was another animal that I was not so much disposed to 
 find amusement from, and that was the rattlesnake. 
 These are very abundant here, especially during the spring 
 of the year. The latter part of the time that I was on 
 shore, I did not meet with so many, but for the first two 
 months we seldom went into “ the bush ” without one 
 of our number starting some of them. The first that I 
 ever saw, I remember perfectly well. I had left my com- 
 panions, and was beginning to clear away a fine clump of 
 trees, when, just in the midst of the thicket, not more 
 than eight yards from me, one of these fellows set up his 
 hiss. It is a sharp, continuous sound, and resembles, 
 very much the letting off the steam from the small pipe of 
 a steamboat, except that it is on a smaller scale. I knew, 
 by the sound of an axe, that one of my companions was 
 near, and called out to him, to let him know what I had 
 fallen upon. He took it very lightly, and as he seemed 
 inclined to laugh at me for being afraid, I determined 
 to keep my place. 1 knew that so long as I could hear 
 the rattle, I was safe, for these snakes never make a noise 
 when they are in motion. Accordingly, I kept at my 
 work, and the noise which I made with cutting and break- 
 ing the trees kept him in alarm; so that I had the rattle 
 to show me his whereabouts. Once or twice the noise 
 stopped for a short time, which gave me a little uneasi- 
 ness, and retreating a few steps, I threw something into 
 the bush, as which he would set his rattle agoing; and 
 finding that he had not moved from his first place, I was 
 easy again, in this way I continued at my work until I 
 
148 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 had cut a full load, never suffering him to be quiet for a 
 moment. Having cut my load, I strapped it together, 
 and got everything ready for starting. I felt that I could 
 now call the others without the imputation of being afraid ; 
 and went in search of them. In a few minutes we were 
 all collected, and began an attack upon the bush. The 
 big Frenchman, who was the one that I had called to at 
 first, I found as little inclined to approach the snake as 1 
 had been. The dogs, too, seemed afraid of the rattle, 
 and kept up a barking at a safe distance ; but the Kana- 
 kas showed no fear, and getting long sticks, went into 
 the bush, and keeping a bright look-out, stood within a 
 few feet of him. One or two blows struck near him, and a few 
 stones thrown, started him, and we lost his track, and had 
 the pleasant consciousness that he might be directly under 
 our feet. By throwing stones and chips in different direc- 
 tions, we made him spring his rattle again, and began another 
 attack. This time we drove him into the clear ground, and 
 saw him gliding off, with head and tail erect, when a stone, 
 well aimed, knocked him over the bank, down a declivity of 
 fifteen or twenty feet, and stretched him at his length. 
 Having made sure of him, by a few more stones, we went 
 down, and one of the Kanakas cut off his rattle. These 
 rattles vary in number, it is said, according to the age of 
 the snake ; though the Indians think they indicate the 
 number of creatures they have killed. We always pre- 
 served them as trophies, and at the end of the summer 
 had quite a number. None of our people were ever bit- 
 ten by them, but one of our dogs died of a bite, and an- 
 other was supposed to have been bitten, but recovered. 
 We had no remedy for the bite, though it was said that 
 the Indians of the country had, and the Kanakas professed 
 to have an herb which would cure it, but it was fortunately 
 never brought to the test. 
 
 Hares and rabbits, as I said before, were abundant, 
 and during the winter months, the waters are covered with # 
 wild ducks and geese. Crows, too, were very numerous, 
 and frequently alighted in great numbers upon our hides, 
 picking at the pieces of dried meat and fat. Bears and 
 wolves are numerous in the upper parts, and in the inte- 
 rior, (and, indeed, a man was killed by a bear within a few 
 miles of San Pedro, while we were there,) but there were 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 149 
 
 none in our immediate neighborhood. The only other 
 animals were horses. Over a dozen of these were owned 
 by different people on the beach, and were allowed to run 
 loose among the hills, with a long lasso attached to them, 
 and pick up feed wherever they could find it. We were 
 sure of seeing them once a day, for there was no water 
 among the hills, and they were obliged to come down to 
 the well which had been dug upon the beach. These horses 
 were bought at, from two, to six and eight dollars apiece, 
 and were held very much as common property. We gener- 
 ally kept one fast to one of the houses every day, so that 
 we could mount him and catch any of the others. Some 
 of them were really fine animals, and gave us many good 
 runs up to the presidio and over the country. 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 After we had been a few weeks on shore, and had be- 
 gun to feel broken into the regularity of our life, its 
 monotony was interrupted by the arrival of two vessels 
 from the windward. We were sitting at dinner in out 
 little room, when we heard the cry of “ Sail ho ! ” This, 
 we haa learned, did not always signify a vessel, but was 
 raised whenever a woman was seen coming down from the 
 town ; or a squaw, or an ox-cart, or anything unusual, hove 
 in sight upon the road ; so we took no notice of it. But it 
 soon became so loud and general from all parts of the 
 beach, that we were led to go to the door ; and there, sure 
 enough, were two sails coming round the point, and lean- 
 ing over from the strong northwest wind, which blows 
 down the coast every afternoon. The headmost was a 
 ship, and the other, a brig. Everybody was alive on the 
 beach, and all manner of conjectures were abroad. Some 
 said it was the Pilgrim, with the Boston ship, which we 
 were expecting ; but we soon saw that the brig was not 
 the Pilgrim, and the ship, with her stump top-gallant 
 masts and rusty sides, could not be a dandy Boston India 
 man. As they drew nearer, we soon discovered the high 
 poop and top-gallant forecastle, and other marks of the 
 Italian ship Rosa, and the brig proved to be the Catalina 
 
* 5 ° 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE TEE MAST. 
 
 which we saw at Santa Barbara, just arrived from Valpa- 
 raiso. They came to anchor, moored ship, and commenced 
 discharging hides and tallow. The Rosa had purchased 
 the house occupied by the Lagoda, and the Catalina took 
 the other spare one between ours and the Ayacucho’s, so 
 that, now, each one was occupied, and the beach, for 
 several days, was all alive. The Catalina had several 
 Kanakas on board, who were immediately besieged by the 
 others, and carried up to the oven, where they had a long 
 pow-wow, and a smoke. Two Frenchmen, who belonged 
 to the Rosa’s crew, came in, every evening, to see 
 Nicholas ; and from them we learned that the Pilgrim was 
 at San Pedro, and was the only other vessel now on .the 
 coast. Several of the Italians slept on shore at their hide- 
 house ; and there, and at the tent in which the Fazio’s 
 crew lived, we had some very good singing, almost every 
 evening. The Italians sang a variety of songs — barcarol- 
 los, provincial airs, etc. ; in several of which I recognized 
 parts of our favorite operas and sentimental songs. They 
 often joined in a song, taking all the different parts ; 
 which produced a fine effect, as many of them had good 
 voices, and all seemed to sing with spirit and feeling. 
 One young man, in particular, had a falsetto as clear as a 
 clarionet. 
 
 The greater part of the crews of the vessels tame 
 ashore every evening, and we passed the time in going 
 about from one house to another, and listening to all 
 manner of languages. The Spanish was the common 
 ground upon which we all met ; for every one knew more 
 or less of that. We had now, out of forty or fifty, repre- 
 sentatives from almost every nation under the sun : two 
 Englishmen, three Yankees, two Scotchmen, two Welsh- 
 men, one Irishman, three Frenchmen (two of whom were 
 Normans, and the third from Gascony), one Dutchman, 
 one Austrian, two or three Spaniards (from old Spain), 
 half a dozen Spanish- Americans and half-breeds, tw r o 
 native Indians from Chili and the Island of Chiloe, one 
 Negro, one Mulatto, about twenty Italians, from all parts 
 of Italy, as many more Sandwich Islanders, one Otaheitan, 
 and one Kanaka from the Marquesas Islands. 
 
 The night before the vessels were ready to sail, all the 
 Europeans united and had an entertainment at the Rosa’s 
 
Tll’O YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 * 5 * 
 
 hide-house, and we had songs of every nation and tongue. 
 A German gave us “ Och ! mein lieber Augustin ! ” the 
 three Frenchmen roared through the Marseilles Hymn ; 
 the English and Scotchmen gave us “ Rule Britannia/’ 
 and “ Wha’ll be King but Charlie ? ” the Italians and 
 Spaniards screamed through some national affairs, for 
 which I was none the wiser ; and we three Yankees made 
 an attempt at the “ Star-spangled Banner/ , After these 
 national tributes had been paid, the Austrian gave us a 
 very pretty little love-song, and the Frenchmen sang a 
 spirited thing called “ Sentinelle ! O prenez garde a 
 vous ! ” and then followed the melange which might have 
 been expecled. When I left them, the aquadiente and 
 annisou were pretty well in their heads, and they were all 
 singing and talking at once, and their peculiar national 
 oaths were getting as plenty as pronouns. 
 
 The next day, the two vessels got under weigh for the 
 windward, and left us in quiet possession of the beach* 
 Our numbers were somewhat enlarged by the opening of 
 the new houses, and the society of the beach a little 
 changed. In charge of the Catalina’s house, was an old 
 Scotchman, who, like most of his countrymen, had a 
 pretty good education, and, like many of them, was rather 
 pragmatical, and had a ludicrously solemn conceit. He 
 employed his time in taking care of his pigs, chickens, 
 turkeys, dogs, etc., and in smoking his long pipe. Every- 
 thing was as neat as a pin in the house, and he was as 
 regular in his hours as a chronometer, but as he kept very 
 much by himself, was not a great addition to our society. 
 He hardly spent a cent all the time he was on the beach, 
 and the others said he was no shipmate. He had been a 
 petty officer on board the British frigate Dublin, Capt. 
 Lord James Townshend, and had great ideas of his own 
 importance. The man in charge of the Rosa’s house was 
 an Austrian by birth, but spoke, read, and wrote four lan- 
 guages with ease and correctness. German was his native 
 tongue, but being born near the borders of Italy, and hav- 
 ing sailed out of Genoa, the Italian was almost as familiar 
 to him as his own language. He was six years on board 
 of an English man-of-war, where he learned to speak our 
 language with ease, and also to read and write it. He 
 had been several years in Spanish vessels, and had acquire 
 
TWO J EARS SEE ORE THE MAST 
 
 I S 2 
 
 ed that language so well, that he could read any books in 
 it. He was between forty and fifty years of age, and was 
 a singular mixture of the man-of-war’s-man and Puritan. 
 He talked a great deal about propriety and steadiness, 
 and gave good advice to the youngsters and Kanakas, but 
 seldom went up to the town, without coming down “ three 
 sheets in the wind.’ 1 One holyday, he and old Robert 
 (the Scotchman from the Catalina) went up to the town, 
 and got so cozy , talking over old stories and giving one 
 another good advice, that they came down, double-back- 
 ed, on a horse, and both rolled off into the sand as soon 
 as the horse stopped. This put an end to their preten- 
 sions, and they never heard the last of it from the rest of 
 the men. On the night of the entertainment at the 
 Rosa’s house, I saw old Schmidt (that was the Austrian’s 
 name), standing up by a hogshead, holding on by 
 both hands, and calling out to himself — “ Hold on, 
 Schmidt ! hold on, my good fellow, or you’ll be on your 
 back ! ” Still, he was an intelligent, good-natured old fel- 
 low, and had a chest-full of books, which he willingly lent 
 me to read. In the same house with him was a French- 
 man and an Englishman; the latter a regular-built “ man- 
 of-war Jack ; ” a thorough seaman ; a hearty, generous 
 fellow ; and, at the same time, a drunken, dissolute dog. 
 He made it a point to get drunk once a fortnight (when 
 he always managed to sleep on the road, and have his 
 money stolen from him), and to battle the Frenchman 
 once a week. These, with a Chilian, and a half a dozen 
 Kanakas, formed the addition to our company. 
 
 In about six weeks from the time when the Pilgrim 
 sailed, we had got all the hides which she left us cured and 
 stowed away ; and having cleared up the ground, and 
 emptied the vats, and set everything in order, had nothing 
 more to do until she should come down again, but to sup- 
 ply ourselves with wood. Instead of going twice a week 
 for this purpose, we determined to give one whole week to 
 getting wood, and then we should have enough to last us 
 half through the summer. Accordingly, we started off every 
 morning, after an early breakfast, with our hatchets in 
 hand, and cut wood until the sun was over the point, — 
 which was our only mark of time, as there was not a watch 
 on the beach — and then came back to dinner, and after dim 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 153 
 
 ner started off again with our hand-cart and ropes, and carted 
 and “ backed” it down, until sunset. This, we kept up for a 
 week, until we had collected several cords,— enough to last 
 us for six or eight weeks, — when we “ knocked off ” alto- 
 gether, much to my joy ; for, though I liked straying in the 
 woods, and cutting, very well, yet the backing the wood 
 for so great a distance, over an uneven country, was, with- 
 out exception, the hardest work I had ever done. I usually 
 had to kneel down and contrive to heave the load, which 
 was well strapped together, upon my back, and then rise 
 up and start off with it, up the hills and down the vales, 
 sometimes through thickets, — the rough points sticking 
 into the skin, aud tearing the clothes, so that, at the end 
 of the week, I had hardly a whole shirt to my back. 
 
 We were now through all our work, and had nothing 
 more to do until the Pilgrim should come down again. 
 We had nearly got through our provisions too, as well as 
 our work ; for our officer had been very wasteful of them, 
 and the tea, flour, sugar, and molasses, were all gone. 
 We suspected him of sending them up to the town ; and 
 he always treated the squaws with molasses, whcr* they 
 came down to the beach. Finding wheat-coffee and dry 
 bread rather poor living, we clubbed together, and I went 
 up to the town on horseback, with a great salt-bag be- 
 hind the saddle, and a few rekls in my pockets, and 
 brought back the bags full of onions, pears, beans, water- 
 melons, and other fruits ; for the young woman who tended 
 the garden, finding that I belonged to the American ship, 
 and that we were short of provisions, put in a double por- 
 tion. With these we lived like fighting-cocks for a week or 
 two, and had, besides, what the sailors call “ a blow-out on 
 sleep not turning out in the morning until breakfast was 
 ready. I employed several days in overhauling my chest, 
 and mending up all my old clothes, until I had got every- 
 thing in order — patch upon patch, like a sand-barge's 
 mainsail. Then I took hold of Bowditch’s Navigator, 
 which I had always with me. I had been through the 
 greater part of it, and now went carefully through it, from 
 beginning to end, working out most of the examples. That 
 done, and there being no signs of the Pilgrim, I made a 
 descent upon old Schmidt, and borrowed and read all the 
 books there were upon the beach. Such a dearth was 
 
*54 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 there of these latter articles, that anything, even a little 
 child’s story-book, or half of a shipping calendar, appeared 
 like a treasure. I actually read a jest book through, from 
 beginning to end, in one day, as I should a novel, and en- 
 joyed it very much. At last, when I thought that there 
 were no more to be got, I found, at the bottom of old 
 Schmidt’s chest, “ Mandeville, a Romance, by Godwin, in 
 five volumes.” This I had never read, but Godwin’s name 
 was enough, and after the wretched trash I had devoured, 
 anything bearing the name of a distinguished intellectual 
 man, was a prize indeed. I bore it off, and for two days I 
 was up early and late, reading with all my might, and 
 actually drinking in delight. It is no extravagance to say 
 that it was like a spring in a desert land. 
 
 From the sublime to the ridiculous — so, with me, from 
 Mandeville to hide-curing, was but a step ; for 
 
 Wednesday , July 1 8th, brought us the brig Pilgrim 
 from the windward. As she came in, we found that she 
 was a good deal altered in her appearance. Her short top- 
 gallant masts were up; her bowlines all unrove (except 
 to the courses) ; the quarter boom-irons off her lower yards ; 
 her jack-cross-trees sent down ; several blocks got rid of ; 
 running-rigging rove in new places ; and numberless other 
 changes, of the same character. Then, too, there was a 
 new voice giving orders, and a new face on quarter-deck, 
 — a short, dark-complexioned man, in a green jacket and 
 a high leather cap. These changes, of course, set the 
 whole beach on the qui-vive , and we were all waiting for 
 the boat to come ashore, that we might have things ex- 
 plained. At length, after the sails were furled and the 
 anchor carried out, the boat pulled ashore, and the news 
 soon flew that the expected ship had arrived at Santa Bar- 
 bara, and that Captain T had taken command of her, 
 
 and her captain, Faucon, had taken the Pilgrim, and was the 
 green jacketed man on the quarter-deck. The boat put 
 directly off again, without giving us time to ask any more 
 questions, and we were obliged to wait till night, when we 
 took a little skiff, that lay on the beach, and paddled off. 
 When I stepped aboard, the second mate called me aft, and 
 gave me a large bundle, directed to me, and marked “ Ship 
 Alert.” This was what I had longed for, yet I refrained 
 from opening it until I went ashore. Diving down into the 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 *55 
 
 forecastle, I found the same old crew, and was really glad 
 to see them again. Numerous inquiries passed as to the 
 
 new ship, the latest news from Boston, etc. etc. S had 
 
 received letters from home, and nothing remarkable had 
 happened. The Alert was agreed on all hands to be a fine 
 ship, and a large one : “ Larger than the Rosa” — “ Big 
 enough to carry off all the hides in California” — “ Rail as 
 high as a man’s head” — “ A crack ship” — A regular dandy,” 
 
 etc. etc. Captain T took command of her, and she went 
 
 directly up to Monterey ; from thence she was to go to San 
 Francisco, and probable would not be in San Diego under 
 two or three months. Some of the Pilgrim’s crew found 
 old shipmates aboard of her, and spent an hour or two in 
 her forecastle, the evening before she sailed. They said 
 her decks were as white as snow — holystoned every morn- 
 ing, like a man-of-w&r’s ; everything on board “ ship-shape 
 and Bristol fashion ;” a fine crew, three mates, a sailmaker 
 and carpenter, and all complete. “ They’ve got a man for 
 mate of that ship, and not a bloody sheep about decks ! ” — 
 “ A mate that knows his duty, and makes everybody do 
 theirs, and won’t be imposed upon either by captain or 
 crew.” After collecting all the information we could get on 
 this points, we asked something about their new captain. 
 He had hardly been on board long enough for them to 
 know much about him, but he had taken hold strong, as 
 soon as he took command ; — sending down the top-gallant 
 masts, and unreeving half the rigging, the very first day. 
 
 Having got all the news we could, we pulled ashore 
 and as soon as we reached the house, I, as might be sup- 
 posed, proceeded directly to opening my bundle, and found 
 a reasonable supply of duck, flannel shirts, shoes, etc., and, 
 what was still more valuable, a packet of eleven letters. 
 These I sat up nearly all the night to read, and put them 
 carefully away, to be read and re-read again and again at 
 my leisure. Then came a half a dozen newspapers, the 
 last of which gave notice of Thanksgiving, and of the clear- 
 ance of “ ship Alert, Edward FI. Faucon, master, for Cal- 
 lao and California, by Bryant, Sturgis & Co.” No one 
 has ever been on distant voyages, and after a long absence 
 received a newspaper from home, who cannot understand 
 the delight that they give one. I read every part of them 
 — the houses to let, things lost or stolen ; auction sales, 
 
TWO YEATS BEFORE TI1E MAST 
 
 156 
 
 and all. Nothing carries you so entirely to a place, ^ud 
 makes you feel so perfectly at home, as a newspaper. The 
 very name of “ Boston Daily Advertiser ” sounded hospit- 
 ably upon the ear. 
 
 The Pilgrim discharged her hides, which set us at work 
 again, and in a few days we were in the old routine of dry 
 hides — wet hides — cleaning — beating, etc. Captain Fau- 
 con came quietly up to me, as I was at work with my knife, 
 cutting the meat from a dirty hide, asked me how I liked 
 California, and repeated — “ Tityre, tu patulae recubans sub 
 tegmine fagi.” Very apropos, thought I, and, at the same 
 time, serves to show that you understand Latin. However, 
 a kind word from a captain is a thing not to be slighted ; 
 so I answered him civilly, and made the most of it. 
 
 Saturday, July 11 th. The Pilgrim set sail for the wind- 
 ward, and left us to go on in our old way. Having laid 
 in such a supply of wood, and the days being now long, 
 and invariably pleasant, we had a good deal of time to our- 
 selves. All the duck I received from home I soon made 
 up into trowsers and frocks, and displayed every Sunday, 
 a complete suit of my own make, from head to foot, hav- 
 ing formed the remnants of the duck into a cap. Reading, 
 mending, sleeping, with occasional excursions into the 
 bush, with the dogs, in search of coati, hares and rabbits, 
 or to encounter a rattlesnake, and now and then a visit to 
 the presidio, filled up our spare time after hide-curing was 
 over for the day. Another amusement, which we some- 
 times indulged in was “ burning the water ” for crawfish. 
 For this purpose, we procured a pair of grains, with a long 
 staff like a harpoon, and making torches with tarred rope 
 twisted round a long pine stick, took the only boat on the 
 beach, a small skiff, and with a torch-bearer in the bow, a 
 steersman in the stern, and one man on each side with the 
 grains, went off, on dark nights, to burn the water. This 
 is fine sport. Keeping within a few rods of the shore, 
 where the water is not more than three or four feet deep, 
 with a clear sandy bottom, the torches light everything up 
 so that one could almost have seen a pin among the grains 
 of sand. The crawfish are an easy prey, and we used soon 
 to get a load of them. The other fish were more difficult 
 to catch, yet we frequently speared a number of them, of 
 various kinds and sizes. The Pilgrim brought us down a 
 
TWO YEA RS BEFORE THE MAST \ 
 
 l S7 
 
 supply of fish-hooks, which we had never had before, on 
 the beach, and for several days we went down to the Point 
 and caught a quantity of cod and mackerel. On one of these 
 expeditions, we saw a battle between two Sandwich Island- 
 ers and a shark. “ Johnny ” had been playing about our 
 boat for some time, driving away the fish, and showing his 
 teeth at our bait, when we missed him, and in a few mo- 
 ments heard a great shouting between two Kanakas who 
 were fishing on the rock opposite to us : u E hana hana 
 make i ka ia nui ! ” “ E pii mai Aikaite I” etc. etc. ; and 
 
 saw them pulling away on a stout line, and “ Johnny Shark” 
 floundering at the other end. The line soon broke ; but 
 the Kanakas would not let him off so easily, and sprang 
 directly into the water after him. Now came the tug of 
 war. Before he could get into deep water, ^ne of them 
 seized him by the tail, and ran up with him upon the beach ; 
 but Johnny twisted round, turning his head under his body, 
 and showing his teeth in the vicinity of the Kanaka’s hand, 
 made him let go and spring out of the way. The shark 
 now turned tail and made the best of his way by flapping 
 and floundering, toward deep water ; but here again, before 
 he was fairly off, the other Kanaka seized him by the tail, 
 and made a spring toward the beach, his companion at the 
 same time paying away upon him with stones and a large 
 stick. As soon, however, as the shark could turn, he was 
 obliged to let go his hold ; but the instant he made toward 
 deep water, they were both behind him, watching their 
 chance to seize him. In this way the battle went on for 
 some time, the shark, in a rage, splashing and twisting 
 about, and the Kanakas, in high excitement, yelling at the 
 top of their voices ; but the shark at last got, off, carrying 
 away a hook and line, and not a few severe bruises. 
 
 CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 We kept up a constant connection with the presidio, 
 and by the close of the summer I had added much to my 
 vocabulary, beside having made the acquaintance of nearly 
 everybody in the place, and acquired some knowledge of 
 
158 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 the character and habits of the people, as well as of the 
 institutions under which they live. 
 
 California was first discovered in 1536, by Cortes, and 
 was subsequently visited by numerous other adventurers, 
 as well as commissioned voyagers of the crown. It was 
 found to be inhabited by numerous tribes of Indians, and 
 to be in many parts extremely fertile ; to which, of course, 
 was added rumors of gold mines, pearl fishery, etc. No 
 sooner was the importance of the country known, than the 
 Jesuits obtained leave to establish themselves in it, to 
 christianize and enlighten the Indians. They established 
 missions in various parts of the country toward the close 
 of the seventeenth century, and collected the natives about 
 them, baptizing them into the church, and teaching them 
 the arts of civilized life. To protect the Jesuits in their 
 missions, and at the same time to support the power of the 
 crown over the civilized Indians, two forts were erected 
 and garrisoned, one at San Diego, and the other at Mon- 
 terey. These were called Presidios, and divided the com- 
 mand of the whole country between them. Presidios have 
 since been established at Santa Barbara and San Fran- 
 cisco ; thus dividing the country into four large districts, 
 each with its presidio, and governed by the commandant. 
 The soldiers, for the most part, married civilized Indians ; 
 and thus, in the vicinity of each presidio, sprung up, grad- 
 ually, small towns. In the course of time, vessels began 
 to come into the ports to trade with the missions, and re- 
 ceived hides in return ; and thus began the great trade of 
 California. Nearly all the cattle in the country belonged 
 to the missions, and they employed their Indians, who 
 became, in fact, their slaves, in tending their vast herds. 
 In the year 1793, when Vancouver visited San Diego, the 
 missions had obtained great wealth and power, and are 
 accused of having depreciated the country with the sover- 
 eign, that they might be allowed to retain their possession. 
 On the expulsion of the Jesuits from the Spanish domin- 
 ions, the missions passed into the hands of the Franciscans, 
 though without any essential change in their management. 
 Ever since the independence of Mexico, the missions have 
 been going down ; until, at last, .a law was passed, strip- 
 ping them of all their possessions, and confining the 
 priests to their spiritual duties ; and at the same time 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 *59 
 
 declaring all the Indians free and independent Ra?icheros 
 The change in the condition of the Indians was, as maybe 
 supposed, only nominal : they are virtually slaves, as 
 much as they ever were. But in the missions, the change 
 was complete. The priests have now no power, except in 
 their religious character, and the great possessions of the 
 missions are given over to be preyed upon by the harpies 
 of the civil power, who are sent there in the capacity of 
 administradores , to settle up the concerns ; and who usu- 
 ally end, in a few years, by making themselves fortunes, 
 and leaving their stewardships worse than they found 
 them. The dynasty of the priests was much more accepta- 
 ble to the people of the country, and, indeed, to every one 
 concerned with the country, by trade or otherwise, than 
 that of the administradores. The priests were attached 
 perpetually to one mission, and felt the necessity of keep- 
 ing up its credit. Accordingly their debts were regularly 
 paid, and the people were, in the main, well treated, and 
 attached to those who had spent their whole lives among 
 them. But the administradores are strangers sent from 
 Mexico, having no interest in the country ; not identified 
 in any way with their charge, and, for the most part, men 
 of desperate fortunes — broken down politicians and sol- 
 diers — whose only object is to retrieve their condition in 
 as short a time as possible. The change had been made 
 but a few years before our arrival upon the coast, yet, in 
 that short time, the trade was much diminished, credit im- 
 paired, and the venerable missions going rapidly to decay. 
 The external arrangements remain the same. There are 
 four presidios, having under their protection the various 
 missions, and pueblos, which are towns formed by the 
 civil power, and containing no mission or presidio. The 
 most northerly presidio is San Francisco ; the next Mon- 
 terey ; the next Santa Barbara, including the mission of 
 the same, St. Louis Obispo, and St. Buenaventura, which 
 is the finest mission in the whole country, having very 
 fertile soil and rich vineyards. The last, and most south- 
 erly, is San Diego, including the mission of the same, San 
 Juan Campestrano, the Pueblo de los Angelos, the largest 
 town in California, with the neighboring mission of San 
 Gabriel. The priests in spiritual" matters are subject to 
 tht* Archbishop of Mexico, and in temporal matters to the 
 
i So TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST \ 
 
 governor-general, who is the great civil and military head 
 of the country. 
 
 The government of the country is an arbitrary demo- 
 cracy ; having no common law, and no judiciary. Their 
 only laws are made and unmade at the caprice of the legis- 
 lature, and are as variable as the legislature itself. They 
 pass through the form of sending representatives to the 
 congress at Mexico, but as it takes several months to go 
 and return, and there is very little communication between 
 the capital and this distant province, a member usually 
 stays there, as permanent member, knowing very well 
 that there will be revolutions at home before he can write 
 and receive an answer ; and if another member should be 
 sent, he has only to challenge him, and decide the con- 
 tested election in that way. 
 
 Revolutions are matters of constant occurrence in Cali- 
 fornia. They are got up by men who are at the foot of 
 the ladder and in desperate circumstances, just as a new 
 political party is started by such men in our own country. 
 The only object, of course, is the loaves and fishes ; and 
 instead of caucusing, paragraphing, libelling, feasting, 
 promising, and lying, as with us, they take muskets and 
 bayonets, and seizing upon the presidio and custom-house, 
 divide the spoils, and declare a new dynasty. As for 
 justice, they know no law but will and fear. A Yankee, 
 who had been naturalized, and become a Catholic, and 
 had married in the country, was sitting in his house at the 
 Pueblo de los Angelos, with his wife and children, when a 
 Spaniard, with whom he had had a difficulty, entered the 
 house, and stabbed him to the heart before them all. 
 The murderer was seized by some Yankees who had 
 settled there, and kept in confinement until a statement of 
 the whole affair could be sent to the governor-general. 
 He refused to do anything about it, and the countrymen 
 of the murdered man, seeing no prospect of justice being 
 administered, made known that if nothing was done, they 
 should try the man themselves. It chanced that, at this 
 time, there was a company of forty trappers and hunters 
 from Kentucky, with their rifles, who had made their head- 
 quarters at the Pueblo ; and these, together with the Ameri- 
 cans and* Englishmen in the place, who were between 
 twenty and thirty in number, took possession of the town, 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 161 
 
 and waiting a reasonable time, proceeded to try the man 
 according to the forms in their own country. A judge 
 and jury were appointed, and he was tried, convicted, sen- 
 tenced to be shot, and carried out before the town with 
 his eyes blindfolded. The names of all the men were then 
 put into a hat, and each one pledging himself to perform 
 his duty, twelve names were drawn out, and the men took 
 their stations with their rifles, and firing at the word, laid 
 him dead. He was decently buried, and the place was 
 restored quietly to the proper authorities. A general, 
 with titles. enough for an hidalgo, was at San Gabriel, and 
 issued a proclamation as long as the fore-top-bowline, 
 threatening destruction to the rebels, but never stirred 
 from his fort ; for forty Kentucky hunters, with their rifles, 
 were a match for a whole regiment of hungry, drawling, 
 lazy half-breeds. This affair happened while we were at 
 San Pedro, (the port of the Pueblo,) and we had all the 
 particulars directly from those who were on the spot. A 
 few months afterwards, another man, whom we had often 
 seen in San Diego, murdered a man and his wife on the 
 high road between the Pueblo and San Louis Rey, and the 
 foreigners not feeling themselves called upon to act in 
 this case, the parties being all natives, nothing was done 
 about it ; and I frequently afterwards saw the murderer in 
 San Diego, where he was living with his wife and family. 
 
 When a crime has been committed by Indians, justice, 
 or rather vengeance, is not so tardy. One Sunday after- 
 noon, while I was at San Diego, an Indian was sitting on 
 his horse, when another, with whom he had had some dif- 
 ficulty, came up to him, drew a long knife, and plunged 
 it directly into the horse’s heart. The Indian sprang from 
 his falling horse, drew out the knife, and plunged it into 
 the other Indian’s breast, over his shoulder, and laid him 
 q ead. The poor fellow was seized at once, clapped into 
 the calabozo, and kept there until an answer could be re- 
 ceived from Monterey. A few weeks afterwards, I saw 
 the poor wretch, sitting on the bare ground, in front of 
 the calabozo, with his feet chained to a stake, and hand- 
 cuffs about his wrists. I knew there was very little hope 
 for him. Although the deed was done in hot blood, the 
 horse on which he was sitting being his own, and a great 
 favorite, yet he was an Indian, and that was enough. In 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 162 
 
 about a week after I saw him, I heard that he had been 
 shot. These few instances will serve to give one a notion 
 of the distribution of justice in California. 
 
 In their domestic relations, these people are no better 
 than in their public. The men are thriftless, proud, and 
 extravagant, and very much given to gaming ; and the wo- 
 men have but little education, and a good deal of beauty, 
 and their morality, of course, is none of the best ; yet the 
 instances of infidelity are much less frequently than one 
 would at first suppose. In fact, one vice is set over 
 against another ; and thus, something like a balance is 
 obtained. The women have but little virtue, but then 
 the jealousy of their husbands is extreme, and their revenge 
 deadly and almost certain. A few inches of cold steel has 
 been the punishment of many an unwary man, who has been 
 guilty, perhaps, of nothing more than indiscretion of man- 
 ner. The difficulties of the attempt are numerous, and the 
 consequences of discovery fatal. With the unmarried wo- 
 men too, great watchfulness is used. The main object of the 
 parents is to marry their daughters well, and to this, the 
 slightest slip would be fatal. The sharp eyes of a duenna, 
 and the cold steel of a father or brother, are a protection 
 which the characters of most of them — men and women — 
 render by no means useless ; for the very men who would 
 lay down their lives to avenge the dishonor of their own 
 family, would risk the same lives to complete the dishonor 
 of another. 
 
 Of the poor Indians, very little care is taken. The 
 priests, indeed, at the missions, are said to keep them 
 very strictly, and some rules are usually made by the 
 alcaldes to punish their misconduct ; but it all amounts 
 to but little. Indeed, to show the entire want of any 
 sense of morality or domestic duty among them, I have 
 frequently known an Indian to bring his wife, to whom 
 he was lawfully married in the church, down to the beach, 
 and carry her back again, dividing with her the money 
 which she had got from the sailors. If any of the girls 
 were discovered by the alcalde to be open evil-livers, 
 they were whipped, and kept at work sweeping the square 
 of the presidio, and carrying mud and bricks for the build- 
 ings ; yet a few reals would generally buy them off. In- 
 temperance, too, is a common vice among the Indians* 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 i6 3 
 
 The Spaniards, on the contrary, are very abstemious, and 
 I do not remember ever having seen a Spaniard intoxi- 
 cated. 
 
 Such are the people who inhabit a country embracing 
 four or five hundred miles of sea-coast, with several good 
 harbors ; with fine forests in the north ; the waters filled 
 with fish, and the plains covered with thousands of herds 
 of cattle ; blessed with a climate, than which there can be 
 no better in the world; free from all manner of diseases, 
 whether epidemic or endemic ; and with a soil in which corn 
 yields from seventy to eighty fold. In the hands of an enter- 
 prising people, what a country this might be ! we are 
 ready to say. Yet how long would a people remain so, in 
 such a country ? The Americans (as those from the 
 United States are called) and Englishmen, who are fast 
 filling up the principal towns, and getting the trade into 
 their hands, are indeed more industrious and effective 
 than the Spaniards ; yet their children are brought up 
 Spaniards, in every respect, and if the “ California fever ” 
 (laziness) spares the first generation, it always attacks the 
 second. 
 
 CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 Saturday, July i8th. This day, sailed the Mexican 
 hermaphrodite brig, Fazio, for San Bias and Mazatlan. 
 This was the brig which was driven ashore at San Pedro 
 in a southeaster, and had been lying at San Diego to 
 repair and take in her cargo. The owner of her had 
 had a good deal of difficulty with the government about the 
 duties, etc., and her sailing had been delayed for several 
 weeks ; but everything having been arranged, she got un- 
 der weigh with a light breeze, and was floating out of the 
 harbor, when two horsemen came dashing** down to the 
 beach, at full speed, and tried to find a boat to put off 
 after her ; but there being none on the beach, they offered 
 a handful of silver to any Kanaka who would swim off 
 and take a letter on board. One of the Kanakas, a fine, 
 active, well-made young fellow, instantly threw off every- 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 164 
 
 thing but his duck trowsers, and putting the letter into 
 his hat, swam off, after the vessel. Fortunately, the wind 
 was very light and the vessel was going slowly, so that, 
 although she was nearly a mile off when he started, he 
 gained on her rapidly. He went through the water leaving 
 a wake like a small steamboat. I certainly never saw such 
 swimming before. They saw him coming from the deck, 
 but did not heave-to, suspecting the nature of his errand ; 
 yet, the wind continuing light, he swam alongside and got 
 on board, and delivered his letter. The captain read the 
 letter, told the Kanaka there was no answer, and giving 
 him a glass of brandy, left him to jump overboard and find 
 the best of his way to the shore. The Kanaka swam in 
 for the nearest point of land, and, in about an hour, made 
 his appearance at the hide-house. He did not seem at all 
 fatigued, had made three or four dollars, got a glass of 
 brandy, and was in fine spirits. The brig kept on her 
 course, and the government officers, who had come down 
 to forbid her sailing, went back, each with something like 
 a flea in his ear, having depended upon extorting a little 
 more money from the owner. 
 
 It was now nearly three months since the Alert arrived 
 at Santa Barbara, and we began to expect her daily. 
 About a half a mile behind the hide-house, was a high hill ; 
 and every afternoon, as soon as we had done our work, 
 some one of us walked up to see if there were any sail in 
 sight, coming down before the regular trades, which blow 
 every afternoon. Each day, after the latter part of July, 
 we went up the hill, and came back disappointed. I was 
 anxious for her arrival, for I had been told by letter that 
 the owners in Boston, at the request of my friends, had 
 
 written to Captain T to take me on board the Alert, in 
 
 case she returned to the United States before the Pilgrim.; 
 and I, of course, wished to know whether the order had 
 been received, and what was the destination of the ship. 
 One year more or less might be of small consequence to 
 others, but it was everything to me. It was now just a 
 year since we sailed from Boston, and at the shortest, no 
 vessel could expect to get away under eight or nine months, 
 which would make our absence two years in all. This 
 would be pretty long, but would not be fatal It would not 
 necessarily be decisive of my future life. But one year 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 165 
 
 more would settle the matter. I should be a sailor for 
 life ; although I had made up my mind to it before I had 
 my letters from home, and was, as I thought, quite satisfied ; 
 yet, as soon as an opportunity was held out to me of 
 returning, and the prospect of another kind of life was 
 opened to me, my anxiety to return, and, at least, to have 
 the chance of deciding upon my course for myself, was 
 beyond measure. Beside that, I wished to be “ equal to 
 either fortune,” and to qualify myself for an officer’s berth, 
 and a hide-house was no place to learn seamanship in. I 
 had become experienced in hide-curing, and everything 
 went on smoothly, and I had many opportunities of becom- 
 ing acquainted with the people, and much leisure for read- 
 ing and studying navigation ; yet practical seamanship 
 could only be got on board ship; I, therefore, determined to 
 ask to be taken on board the ship when she arrived. By 
 the first of August, we finished curing all our hides, stored 
 them away, cleaned out our vats, (in which latter work we 
 spent two days, up to our knees in mud and the sediments 
 of six months’ hide-curing, in a stench which would drive 
 an Irishman from his breakfast,) and got in readiness for the 
 arrival of the ship, and had another leisure interval of three 
 or four weeks ; which I spent, as usual, in reading, writing, 
 studying, making and mending my clothes, and getting my 
 wardrobe in complete readiness, in case I should go on 
 board the ship ; and in fishing, ranging the woods with the 
 dogs, and in occasional visits to the presidio and mission. 
 A good deal of my time was spent in taking care of a little 
 puppy, which I had selected from thirty-six, that were born 
 within three days of one another, at our house. He was a 
 fine, promising pup, with four white paws, and all the rest 
 of his body of a dark brown. I built a little kennel for 
 him, and kept him fastened there, away from the other 
 dogs, feeding and disciplining him myself. In a few weeks, 
 I got him in complete subjection, and he grew finely, was 
 very much attached to me, and bid fair to be one of the 
 leading dogs on the beach. I called him Bravo, and the 
 only thing I regretted at the thought of leaving the beach, 
 was parting with him. 
 
 Day after day, we went up the hill, but no ship was to 
 be seen, and we began to form all sorts of conjectures as 
 to her whereabouts ; and the theme of every evening’s con- 
 
1 66 TWO YEARS 'j&KFOHSE THE MAST 
 
 versation at the different houses, and in our afternoon’s 
 paseo upon the beach, was, the ship — where she could be 
 — had she been to San Francisco ? — how many hides she 
 would bring, etc. etc. 
 
 Tuesday \ August 25 th. This morning, the officers in 
 charge of our house went off beyond the point a fishing, 
 in a small canoe, with two Kanakas ; and we were sitting 
 quietly in our room at the hide-house, when, just before 
 noon, we heard a complete yell of “ Sail ho ! ” breaking 
 out from all parts of the beach, at once, — from the Kan- 
 akas’ oven to the Rosa’s house. In an instant, every one 
 was out of his house ; and there was a fine, tall ship, with 
 royals and skysails set, bending over before the strong 
 afternoon breeze, and coming rapidly round the point. 
 Her yards were braced sharp up * every sail was set, and 
 drew well ; the Yankee ensign was flying from her mizen- 
 peak ; and having the tide in her favor, she came up like 
 a race-horse. It was nearly six months since a new vessel 
 had entered San Diego, and of course, every one was on the 
 qui-vive . She certainly made a fine appearance. Her light sails 
 were taken in, as she passed the low, sandy tongue of land, 
 and clewing up her head sails, she rounded handsomely to, 
 under her mizen topsail, and let go the anchor at about a 
 cable’s length from the shore. In a few minutes, the top- 
 sail yards were manned, and all three of the topsails 
 furled at once. From the fore-top-gallant yard, the men 
 slid down the stay to furl the jib, and from the mizen top- 
 gallant yard, by the stay, into the main-top, and thence to 
 the yard ; and the men on the topsail yards came down 
 the lifts to the yard-arms of the courses. The sails were 
 furled with great care, the bunts triced up by jiggers, and 
 the jibs stowed in cloth. The royal yards were then 
 struck, tackles got upon the yard-arms and the stay, the 
 long-boat hoisted out, a large anchor carried astern, and 
 the ship moored. Then the captain’s gig was lowered 
 away from the quarter and a boat’s crew of fine lads, be- 
 tween the ages of fourteen and eighteen, pulled the cap- 
 tain ashore. The gig was a light whale-boat, handsomely 
 painted and fitted up with cushions, etc., in the stern 
 sheets. We immediately attacked the boat’s crew, and 
 got very thick with them in a few minutes. We had much 
 to ask about Boston, their passage out, etc., and they 
 
TWO YEATS BEFORE THE MAST. 167 
 
 were very curious to know about the life we were leading 
 upon the beach. One of them offered to exchange with 
 me ; which was just what I wanted ; and we had only to 
 get the permission of the captain. 
 
 After dinner, the crew began discharging their hides, 
 and, as we had nothing to do at the hide-houses, we were 
 ordered aboard to help them. I had now my first opportu- 
 nity of seeing the ship which I hoped was to be my home 
 for the next year. She looked as well on board as she 
 did from without. Her decks were wide and roomy, (there 
 being no poop, or house on deck, which disfigures the after 
 part of most of our vessels,) flush, fore and aft, and as 
 white as snow, which the crew told us was from constant 
 use of holystones. There was no foolish gilding and ginger- 
 bread work, to take the eye of landsmen and passengers, 
 but everything was “ ship-shape and Bristol fashion.” There 
 was no rust, no dirt, no rigging hanging slack, no fag ends 
 of ropes and “ Irish pendants ” aloft, and the yards were 
 squared “to a /” by lifts and braces. The mate was a 
 fine, hearty, noisy fellow, with a voice like a lion, and al- 
 ways wide awake. He was “a man, every inch of him,” 
 as the sailors said ; and though “ a bit of a horse,” and 
 “ a hard customer,” yet he was generally liked by the crew. 
 There was also a second and third mate, a carpenter, sail- 
 maker, steward, cook, etc., and twelve, including boys, 
 before the mast. She had, on board, seven thousand 
 hides, which she had collected at tne windward, and also 
 horns and tallow. All these we began discharging, from 
 both gangways at once, into the twc boats, the second 
 mate having charge of the launch, and the third mat* 
 of the pinnace. For several days, we were employed in 
 this way, until all the hides were tak*n out, when the 
 crew began taking in ballast, and we returned to our old 
 work, hide-curing. 
 
 Saturday , Aug. 29th. Arrived, brig Catalina, from the 
 windward. 
 
 Sunday $oth. This was the first Sunday that the crew 
 had been in San Diego, and of course they were all for 
 going up to see the town. The Indians came down early, 
 with horses to let for the day, and all the crew, who could 
 obtain liberty, went off to the presidio and mission, and 
 did not return until night. I had seen enough of San 
 
1 68 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 Diego, and went on board and spent the day with some of 
 the crew, whom I found quietly at work in the forecastle, 
 mending and washing their clothes, and reading and writ- 
 ing. They told me that the ship stopped at Callao in the 
 passage out, and there lay three weeks. She had a pas- 
 sage of a little over eighty days from Boston to Callao, 
 which is one of the shortest on record. There they left 
 the Brandywine frigate, and other smaller American ships 
 of war, and the English frigate Blonde, and a French 
 seventy-four. From Callao they came directly to Califor- 
 nia, and had visited every port on the coast, including San 
 Fraixdsco. The forecastle in which they lived was large, 
 tolerably well lighted by bulls-eyes, and, being kept per- 
 fectly clean, had quite a comfortable appearance ; at least, 
 it was far better than the little, black, dirty hole in which 
 I had lived so many months on board the Pilgrim. By the 
 regulations of the ship, the forecastle was cleaned out 
 every morning, and the crew, being very neat, kept it clean 
 by some regulations of their own, such as having a large 
 spit-box always under the steps and between the bits, and 
 obliging every man to hang up his wet clothes, etc. In 
 addition to this, it was holystoned every Saturday morning. 
 In the after part of the ship was a handsome cabin, a din- 
 ing-room, and a trade-room, fitted out with shelves and 
 furnished with all sorts of goods. Between these and the 
 forecastle was the “ between-decks,” as high as the gun 
 deck of a frigate ; being six feet and a half, under the 
 beams. These between-decks were holystoned regularly, 
 and kept in the most perfect order ; the carpenter’s bench 
 and tools being in one part, the sailmaker’s in another, 
 and a boatswain’s locker, with the spare rigging, in a third. 
 A part of the crew slept here, in hammocks swung fore 
 and aft from the beams, and triced up every morning. 
 The sides of the between-decks were clapboarded, the knees 
 and stanchions of iron, and the latter made to unship. 
 The crew said she was as tight as a drum, and a fine sea 
 boat, her only fault being, that of most fast ships, — that 
 she was wet forward. When she was going, as she some- 
 times would, eight or nine knots on a wind, there would 
 not be a dry spot forward of the gangway. The men told 
 great stories of her sailing, and had great confidence in 
 her as a “ lucky ship.” She was seven years old, and had 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 169 
 
 always been in the Canton trade, and never had met with an 
 accident of any consequence, and had never made a pas- 
 sage that was not shorter than the average. The third 
 mate, a young man of about eighteen years of age, nephew 
 of one of the owners, had been in the ship from a small 
 boy, and “believed in the ship;’’ and the chief mate 
 thought more of her than he would of a wife and family. 
 
 The ship lay about a week longer in port, when, having 
 discharged her cargo and taken in ballast, she prepared 
 to get under weigh. I now made my application to the 
 captain to go on board. He told me that I could go home 
 in the ship when she sailed (which I knew before) ; and 
 finding that I wished to be on board while she was on the 
 coast, said he had no objection, if I could find one of my 
 own age to exchange with me, for the time. This, I easily 
 accomplished, for they were glad to change the scene by \ 
 few months on shore, and, moreover, escape the winter and 
 the southeasters ; and I went on board the next day, with 
 my chest and hammock, and found myself once more 
 afloat. 
 
 CHAPTER XXIII. 
 
 Tuesday, Sept. 8th. This was my first day's duty on 
 board the ship ; and though a sailor’s life is a sailor’s life 
 wherever it may be, yet I found everything very different 
 here from the customs of the brig Pilgrim. After all hands 
 were called, at daybreak, three minutes and a half were 
 allowed for every man to dress and come on deck, and if 
 any were longer than that, they were sure to be overhauled 
 by the mate, who was always on deck, and making himself 
 heard all over the ship. The head-pump was then rigged, 
 and the decks washed down by the second and third mates; 
 the chief mate walking the quarter-deck and keeping a 
 general supervision, but not deigning to touch a bucket or 
 a brush. Inside and out, fore and aft, upper deck and 
 between-decks, steerage and forecastle, rail bulwarks, and 
 water-ways, were washed, scrubbed and scraped with 
 brooms and canvas, and the decks were wet and sanded 
 
170 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 all over, and then holystoned. The holystone is a large, 
 soft stone, smooth on the bottom, with long ropes attached 
 to each end, by which the crew keep it sliding fore and 
 aft, over the wet sanded decks. Smaller hand-stones, 
 which the sailors called “ prayer-books,” are used to scrub 
 in among the crevices and narrow places, where the large 
 holystone will not go. An hour or two, we were kept at 
 this work, when the head-pump was manned, and all the 
 sand washed off the decks and sides. Then came swabs 
 and squilgees; and after the decks were dry, each one 
 went to his particular morning job. There were five boats 
 belonging to the ship, — launch, pinnace, jolly-boat, lar- 
 board quarter-boat, and gig, — each of which had a coxswain, 
 who had charge of it and was answerable for the order 
 and cleanness of it. The rest of the cleaning was divided 
 among the crew ; one having the brass and composition 
 work about the capstan ; another the bell, which was of 
 brass, and kept as bright as a gilt button ; a third, the har- 
 ness-cask ; another, the man-rope stanchions ; others, the 
 steps of the forecastle and hatchways, which were hauled 
 up and holystoned. Each of these jobs must be finished 
 before breakfast ; and in the meantime, the rest of the 
 crew filled the scuttle-butt, and the cook scraped his kids 
 ( wooden tubs out of which the sailors eat ) and polished the 
 hoops, and placed them before the galley, to await inspec- 
 tion. When the decks were dry, the lord paramount made 
 his appearance on the quarter-deck, and took a few turns, 
 when eight bells were struck, and all hands went to break- 
 fast. Half an hour was allowed for breakfast, when all 
 hands were called again ; the kids, pots, bread-bags, etc., 
 stowed away ; and this morning, preparations were made 
 for getting under weigh. We paid out on the chain by which 
 we swung ; hove in on the other ; catted the anchor ; and 
 hove short on the first. This work was done in shorter 
 time than was usual on board the brig ; for though every- 
 thing was more than twice as large and heavy, the cat-block 
 being as much as a man could lift, and the chain as large 
 as three of the Pilgrim’s, yet there was a plenty of room to 
 move about in, more discipline and system, more men and 
 more good will. Every one seemed ambitious to do his 
 best : officers and men knew their duty, and all went well. 
 As soon as she was hove short, the mate, on the forecastle, 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 I?* 
 
 gave the order to loose the sails, and, in an instant, every 
 one sprung into the rigging, up the shrouds, and out on the 
 yards, scrambling by one another, — the first up the best 
 fellow, — cast off the yard-arm gaskets and bunt gaskets, and 
 one man remained on each yard, holding the bunt jiggei 
 with a turn round the tye, all ready to let go, while the 
 rest laid down to man the sheets and halyards. The mate 
 then hailed the yards — “ All ready forward ? ” — “ All ready 
 the cross-jack yards ?” etc. etc.; and “Aye, aye, sir!” 
 being returned from each, the word was given to let go ; 
 and in the twinkling of an eye, the ship, which had shown 
 nothing but her bare yards, was covered with her loose 
 canvass, from the royal-mast-heads to the decks. Every 
 one then laid down, except one man in each top, to over- 
 haul the rigging, and the top sails were hoisted and sheeted 
 home ; all three yards going to the mast-head at once, the 
 larboard watch hoisting the fore, the starboard watch the 
 main, and five light hands, ( of whom I was one,) picked 
 from the two watches, the mizen. The yards were then 
 trimmed, the anchor weighed, the cat-block hooked on, the 
 fall stretched out, manned by “ all hands and the cook,” 
 and the anchor brought to the head with “ cheerily men ! ” 
 in full chorus. The ship being now under weigh, the light 
 sails were set, one after another, and she was under full 
 sail, before she had passed the sandy point. The fore 
 royal, which fell to my lot, (being in the mate’s watch, ) was 
 more than twice as large as that of the Pilgrim, and, though 
 I could handle the brig’s easily, I found my hands full, 
 with this, especially as there were no Jacks to the ship; 
 everything being for neatness, and nothing left for Jack to 
 hold on by, but his eyelids. 
 
 As soon as we were beyond the point, and all sail out, 
 the order was given, “ Go below the watch ? ” and the 
 crew said that, ever since they had been on the coast, they 
 had had “ watch and watch,” while going from port to port ; 
 and, in fact, everything showed that, though strict discipline 
 was kept, and the utmost was required of every man, in the 
 way of his duty, yet, on the whole, there was very good 
 usage on board. Each one knew that he must be a man, 
 and show himself smart when at his duty, yet every one 
 was satisfied with the usage ; and a contented crew, 
 agreeing with one another, and finding no fault, was a con- 
 
172 
 
 TWO YEATS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 trast indeed with the small, hard-used, dissatisfied, grum- 
 bling, desponding crew of the Pilgrim. 
 
 It being the turn of our watch to go below, the men 
 went to work, mending their clothes, and doing other 
 little things for themselves ; and I, having got my ward- 
 robe in complete order at San Diego, had nothing to do 
 but to read. I accordingly overhauled the chests of the 
 crew, but found nothing that suited me exactly, until one 
 of the men said he had a book which “ told all about a 
 great highwayman, ” at the bottom of his chest, and produc- 
 ing it, I found, to my surprise and joy, that it was noth- 
 ing else than Bulwer's Paul Clifford. This, I seized im- 
 mediately, and going to my hammock, lay there, swing- 
 ing and reading, until the watch was out. The between- 
 decks were clear, the hatchways open, and a cool breeze 
 blowing through them, the ship under easy way, and every- 
 thing comfortable. I had just got well into the story, 
 when eight bells were struck, and we were all ordered to 
 dinner. After dinner come our watch on deck for four 
 hours, and, at four o'clock, I went below again, turned 
 into my hammock, and read until the dog watch. As no 
 lights were allowed after eight o'clock, there was no read- 
 ing in the night watch. Having light winds and calms, 
 we were three days on the passage, and each watch 
 below, during the daytime, I spent in the same manner, 
 until I had finished my book. I shall never forget the 
 enjoyment I derived from it. To come across anything 
 with the slightest claims to literary merit, was so unusual, 
 that this was a perfect feast to me. The brilliancy of the 
 book, the succession of capital hits, lively and characteristic 
 sketches, kept me in a constant state of pleasing sensations. 
 It was far too good for a sailor. I could not expect such 
 fine times to last long. 
 
 While on deck, the regular work of the ship went on. 
 The sailmaker and carpenter worked between decks, and 
 the crew had their work to do upon the rigging, drawing 
 yarns, making spun-yarn, etc., as usual in merchantmen. 
 The night watches were much more pleasant than on 
 board the Pilgrim. There, there were so few in a watch, that, 
 one being at the wheel, and another on the look-out, 
 there was no one left to talk with ; but here, we had seven 
 in a watch, so that we had long yarns, in abundance. After 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 173 
 
 two or three night watches, I became quite well acquainted 
 with all the larboard watch. The sailmaker was the head 
 man of the watch, and was generally considered the most 
 experienced seaman on board. He was a thoroughbred 
 old man-of-war’s-man, had been to sea twenty-two years, in 
 all kinds of vessels, -men-of-war, privateers, slavers and mer- 
 chantmen ; — everything except whalers, which a thorough 
 sailor despises, and will always steer clear of if he can. 
 He had, of course, been in all parts of the world, 
 and was remarkable for drawing a long bow. His yarns 
 frequently stretched through a watch, and kept all hands 
 awake. They were always amusing from their improba- 
 bility, and, indeed he never expected to be believed, but 
 spun them merely for amusement ; and as he had some 
 humor and a good supply of man-of-war slang and sailor’s 
 salt phrases, he always made fun. Next to him in age 
 and experience, and, of course, in standing in the watch 
 was an Englishman, named Harris, of whom I shall have 
 more to say hereafter. Then, came two or three Ameri- 
 cans, who had been the common run of European and 
 South American voyages, and one who had been in a 
 " spouter,” and, of course, had all the whaling stories to 
 himself. Last of all, was a broad-backed, thick-headed 
 boy from Cape Cod, who had been in mackerel schooners, 
 and was making his first voyage in a square-rigged vessel. 
 He was born in Higham, and of course was called 
 “ Bucketmaker.” The other watch was composed of about 
 the same number. A tall, fine looking Frenchman, with coal 
 black whiskers and curly hair, a first-rate seaman, and 
 named John (one name is enough for a sailor,) was the head 
 man of the watch. Then came two Americans, (one of 
 whom had been a dissipated young man of property and 
 family, and was reduced to duck trowsers and monthly 
 wages,) a German, an English lad, named Ben, who be- 
 longed on the mizen topsail yard with me, and was a good 
 sailor for his years, and two Boston boys just from the 
 public schools. The carpenter sometimes mustered in the 
 starboard watch, and was an old sea-dog, a Swede by 
 birth, and accounted the best helmsman in the ship. 
 This was our ship’s company, beside cook and steward, 
 who were blacks, three mates, and the captain. 
 
 The second day out, the wind drew ahead, and we had 
 
174 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 to beat up the coast ; so that, in tacking ship, I could see 
 the regulations of the vessel. Instead of going wherever 
 was most convenient, and running from place to place, 
 wherever work was to be done, each man had his station. 
 A regular tacking and wearing bill was made out. The 
 chief mate commanded on the forecastle, and had charge 
 of the head sails and the forward part of the ship. Two 
 of the best men in the ship — the sailmaker from our watch, 
 and John, the Frenchman, from the other, worked the fore- 
 castle. The third mate commanded in the waist, and, with 
 the carpenter and one man, worked the main tack and 
 bowline ; the cook, ex-officio , the fore sheet, and the steward 
 the main. The second mate had charge of the after yards, 
 and let go the lee fore and main braces. I was stationed 
 at the weather cross-jack braces; three other light hands 
 at the lee ; one boy at the spanker-sheet and guy ; a man 
 and a boy at the main topsail, top-gallant, and royal braces ; 
 and all the rest of the crew — men and boys — tallied on to 
 the main brace. Every one here knew his station, must 
 be there when all hands were called to put the ship about, 
 and was answerable for every rope committed to him. 
 Each man’s rope must be let go and hauled in at the order, 
 properly made fast, and neatly coiled away when the ship 
 was about. As soon as all hands are at their stations, the 
 captain, who stands on the weather side of the quarter- 
 deck, makes a sign to the man at the wheel to put it down, 
 and calls out “ Helm’s a lee’ ! ” “ Helm’s a lee’ ! ” answers 
 the mate on the forecastle, and the head sheets are let go. 
 “ Raise tacks and sheets ! ” says the captain ; “ tacks and 
 sheets ! ” is passed forward, and the fore tack and main 
 sheet are let go. The next thing is to haul taught for a 
 swing. The weather cross-jack braces and the lee main 
 braces are each belayed together upon two pins, and ready 
 to be let go, and the opposite braces hauled taught. “ Main 
 topsail haul ! ” shouts the captain ; the braces are let go ; 
 and if he has taken his time well, the yards swing round 
 like a top ; but if he is too late, or too soon, it is like draw- 
 ing teeth. The after yards are then braced up and belayed, 
 the main sheet hauled aft, the spanker eased over to lee- 
 ward, and the men from the braces stand by the head 
 yards. “ Let go and haul ! ” says the captain ; the second 
 mate lets go the weather fore braces, and the men haul 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 I 7S 
 
 in to leeward. The mate, on the forecastle, looks out for 
 the head yards. “Well, the fore topsail yard!” Top- 
 gallant yard's well ! ” “ Royal yard too much ! Haul in to 
 windward! So! well that!” “Well all!” Then the 
 starboard watch board the main tack, and the larboard 
 watch lay forward and board the fore tack and haul down 
 the jib sheet, clapping a tackle upon it, if it blows very 
 fresh. The after yards are then trimmed, the captain gen- 
 erally looking out for them himself. “Well the cross-jack 
 yard ! ” “ Small pull the main top-gallant yard ! ” “ Well 
 
 that!” “Well the mizen topsail yard!” “Cross-jack 
 yards all well! ” “ Well all aft ! ” “ Haul taught to wind- 
 
 ward ! ” Everything being now trimmed and in order, 
 ^ach man coils up the rigging at his own station, and the 
 order is given — “ Go below the watch ! ” 
 
 During the last twenty-four hours of the passage, we 
 beat off and on the land, making a tack about once in four 
 hours, so that I had a sufficient opportunity to observe the 
 working of the ship ; and certainly, it took no more men to 
 brace about this ship’s lower yards, which were more than 
 fifty feet square, than it did those of the Pilgrim, which 
 were not much more than half the size ; so much depends 
 upon the manner in which the braces run, and the state of 
 the blocks ; and Captain Wilson, of the Ayacucho, who 
 was afterwards a passenger with us, upon a trip to wind- 
 ward, said he had no doubt that our ship worked two men 
 lighter than his brig. 
 
 Friday , Sept. n. This morning, at four o’clock, went 
 below, San Pedro point being about two leagues ahead, 
 and the ship going on under studding-sails. In about an 
 hour we w r ere waked up by the hauling of the chain about 
 decks, and in a few minutes “ All hands ahoy ! ” w^as called ; 
 and we were all at work, hauling in and making up the 
 studding-sails, overhauling the chain forward, and getting 
 the anchors ready. “The Pilgrim is there at anchor,” said 
 some one, as we were running about decks ; and taking a 
 moment’s look over the rail, I saw my old friend, deeply 
 laden, lying at anchor inside of the kelp. In coming to 
 anchor, as well as in tacking, each one had his station and 
 duty. The light sails were clewed up and furled, the 
 courses hauled up, and the jibs down ; then came the top- 
 sails in the buntlines, and the anchor let go. As soon as 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 170 
 
 she was well at anchor, all hands lay aloft to furl the top- 
 sails ; and this, I soon found, was a great matter on board 
 this ship ; for every sailor knows that a vessel is judged of, 
 a good deal, by the furl of her sails. The third mate, sail- 
 maker, and the larboard watch went upon the fore topsail 
 yard; the second mate, carpenter, and the larboard watch 
 upon the main ; and myself and the English lad, and the 
 two Boston boys, and the young Cape-Cod man, furled the 
 mizen topsail. This sail belonged to us altogether, to reef 
 and to furl, and not a man was allowed to come upon our 
 yard. The mate took us under his special care, frequently 
 making us furl the sail over, three or four times, until we 
 got the bunt up to a perfect cone, and the whole sail with- 
 out a wrinkle. As soon as each sail was hauled up and 
 the bunt made, the jigger was bent on to the slack of the^ 
 buntlines, and the bunt triced up, on deck. The mate then 
 took his place between the knight-heads to “ twig” the 
 fore, on the windlass to twig the main, and at the foot of 
 the main-mast, for the mizen ; and if anything was wrong, 
 — too much bunt on one side, clues too taught or too slack, 
 or any sail abaft the yard, — the whole must be dropped 
 again. When all was right, the bunts were triced well up, 
 the yard-arm gaskets passed, so as not to leave a wrinkle 
 forward of the yard — short gaskets with turns close to- 
 gether. 
 
 From the moment of letting go the anchor, when the 
 captain ceases his care of things, the chief mate is the 
 great man. With a voice like a young lion, he was halloo- 
 ing and bawling, in all directions, making everything fly, 
 and at the same time doing everything well. He was quite 
 a contrast to the worthy, quiet, unobtrusive mate of the 
 Pilgrim : not so estimable a man, perhaps, but a far better 
 
 mate of a vessel ; and the entire change in Captain T 
 
 conduct, since he took command of the ship, was owing, 
 no doubt, in a great measure, to this fact. If the chief of- 
 ficer wants force, discipline slackens, everything gets out 
 of joint, the captain interferes continually ; that makes a 
 difficulty between them, which encourages the crew, and 
 the whole ends in a three-sided quarrel. But Mr. Brown 
 (the mate of the Alert) wanted no help from anybody ; took 
 everything into his own hands ; and was more likely to en- 
 croach upon the authority of the master, than to need any 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 C7 
 
 spurring. Captain T gave his directions to the mate 
 
 in private, and except in coming to anchor, getting under 
 weigh, tacking, reefing topsails, and other “ all hands-work,” 
 seldom appeared in person. This is the proper state of 
 things, and while this lasts, and there is a good under- 
 standing aft, everything will go on well. 
 
 Having furled all the sails, the royal yards were next 
 to be sent down. The English lad and myself sent down 
 the main, which was larger than the Pilgrim’s main top- 
 gallant yard ; two more light hands, the fore ; and one boy, 
 the mizen. This order, we always kept while on the 
 coast ; sending them up and down every time we came in 
 and went out of port. They were all tripped and lowered 
 together, the main on the starboard side, and the fore and 
 mizen to port. No sooner was she all snug, than tackles 
 were got up on the yards and stays, and the long boat and 
 pinnace hove out. The swinging booms were then guyed 
 out, and the boats made fast by geswarps, and everything 
 in harbor style. After breakfast, the hatches were taken 
 off, ancfall got ready to receive hides from the Pilgrim. 
 All day, boats were passing and repassing, until we had 
 taken her hides from her, and left her in ballast trim. These 
 hides made but little show in our hold, though they had 
 loaded the Pilgrim down to the water’s edge. This chang- 
 ing of the hides settled the question of the destination of 
 the two vessels which had been one of some specula- 
 tion to us. We were to remain in the leeward ports, 
 while the Pilgrim was to sail the next morning, for San 
 Francisco. After we had knocked off work, and cleared 
 
 up decks for the night, my friend S came on board, 
 
 and spent an hour with me in our berth between decks. 
 The Pilgrim’s crew envied me my place onboard the ship, 
 and seemed to think that I had got a little to windward of 
 
 them ; especially in the matter of going home first. S 
 
 was determined to go home in the Alert, by begging or 
 
 buying ; if Captain T would not let him come on other 
 
 terms, he would purchase an exchange with some one of the 
 crew. The prospect of another year after the Alert should 
 sail, was rather “ too much of the monkey.” About seven 
 o’clock, the mate came down into the steerage, in fine trim 
 for fun, roused the boys out of the berths, turned up the 
 carpenter with his fiddle, sent the steward with lights to 
 
i 7 8 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 put in the between decks, and set all hands to dancings 
 The between decks were high enough to allow of jumping ; 
 and being clear, and white, from holystoning, made a fine 
 dancing hall. Some of the Pilgrim’s crew were in the fore- 
 castle, and we all turned to, and had a regular sailor’s 
 shuffle, till eight bells. The Cape-Cod boy could dance the 
 true fisherman’s jig, barefooted, knocking with his heels, 
 and slapping the decks with his bare feet, in time with the 
 music. This was a favorite amusement of the mate’s, who 
 always stood at the steerage door, looking on, and if the 
 boys would not dance, he hazed them round with a rope’s 
 end, much to the amusement of the men. 
 
 The next morning, according to the orders of the agent, 
 the Pilgrim set sail for the windward, to be gone three or 
 four months. She got under weigh with very little fuss, 
 and came so near us as to throw a letter on board, Cap- 
 tain Faucon standing at the tiller himself, and steering her 
 
 as he would a mackerel smack. When Captain T was 
 
 in command there was as much preparation and cgremony 
 as there would be in getting a seventy-four under weigh. 
 Captain Faucon was a sailor, every inch of him ; he knew 
 what a ship was, and was as much at home in one, as a 
 cobbler in his stall. I wanted no better proof of this than 
 the opinion of the ship’s crew, for they had been six months 
 under his command, and knew what he was ; and if sailors 
 allow their captain to be a good seaman, you may be sure 
 he is one, for that is a thing they are not always ready to 
 say. 
 
 After the Pilgrim left us, we lay three weeks at San 
 Pedro, from the nth of September until the 2nd of Octo- 
 ber, engaged in the usual port duties of landing cargo, 
 taking off hides, etc. etc. These duties were much easier, 
 and went on much more agreeably, than on board the Pil- 
 grim. “ The more, the merrier,” is the sailor’s maxim ; 
 and a boat’s crew of a dozen could take off all the hides 
 brought down in a day, without much trouble by a division 
 of labor ; and on shore, as well as on board, a good will, 
 and no discontent or grumbling, make everything go well. 
 The officer, too, who usually went with us, the third mate, 
 was a fine young fellow, and made no unnecessary trouble ; 
 so that we generally had quite a sociable time, and were 
 glad to be relieved from the restraint of the ship. While 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 179 
 
 here, I often thought of the miserable, gloomy weeks we 
 had spent in this dull place, in the brig; discontent and 
 hard usage on board, and four hands to do all the work on 
 shore. Give me a big ship. There is more room, more 
 hands, better outfit, better regulation, more life and more 
 company. Another thing was better arranged here : we 
 had a regular gig’s crew. A light whale-boat, handsomely 
 painted, and fitted out with stern seats, yoke, tiller-ropes, 
 etc. hung on the starboard quarter, and was used as the 
 gig. The youngest lad in the ship, a Boston boy about 
 thirteen years old, was coxwain of this boat, and had the 
 entire charge of her, to keep her' clean, and have her in 
 readiness to go and come at any hour. Four light hands, 
 of about the same size and age, of whom I was one, formed 
 the crew. Each had his oar and seat numbered, and we 
 were obliged to be in our places, have our oars scraped 
 white, our thole-pins in, and the fenders over the side. 
 The bowman had charge of the boat-hook and painter, and 
 the coxwain of the rudder, yoke, and sternsheets. Our 
 duty was to carry the captain and agent about, and pas- 
 sengers off and on ; which last was no trifling duty, as the 
 people on shore have no boats, and every purchaser, from 
 the boy who buys his pair of shoes, to the trader who buys 
 his casks and bales, were to be taken off and on, in our 
 boat. Some days, when people were coming and going 
 fast, we were in the boat, pulling off and on, all day long, 
 with hardly time for our meals ; making, as we lay nearly 
 three miles from shore, from forty to fifty miles rowing in 
 a day. Still, we thought it the best berth in the ship ; for 
 when the gig was employed, we had nothing to do with 
 the cargo, except small bundles which the passengers car- 
 ried with them, and no hides to carry, besides the opportu- 
 nity of seeing everybody, making acquaintances, hearing 
 the news, etc. Unless the captain or agent were in the 
 boat, we had no officer with us, and often had fine times 
 with the passengers, who were always willing to talk and 
 joke with us. Frequently, too, we were obliged to wait 
 several hours on shore ; when we would haul the boat up 
 on the beach, and leaving one to watch her, go up to the 
 nearest house, or spend the time in strolling about the 
 beach, picking up shells, or playing hop-scotch, and other 
 games, on the hard sand. The rest of the crew never left 
 
iSo TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 the ship, except for bringing heavy goods and taking off 
 hides ; and though vve were always in the water, the surf 
 hardly leaving us a dry thread from morning till night 
 yet we were young, and the climate was good, and we 
 thought it much better than the quiet hum-druir 1 ag 
 and pull on board ship. We made the acqu r <u£u*ji of 
 nearly half California ; besides carrying everybody in our 
 boat — men, women, and children, — all the messages, letters, 
 and light packages went by us, and being known by our 
 dress, we found a ready reception everywhere. 
 
 At San Pedro, we had none of this amusement, for, there 
 being but one house in the place, we, of course, had but 
 little company. All the variety that I had, was riding, once 
 a week, to the nearest rancho, to order a bullock down for 
 the ship. 
 
 The brig Catalina came in from San Diego, and being 
 bound up to windward, we both got under weigh at the 
 same time, for a trial of speed up to Santa Barbara, a dis- 
 tance of about eighty miles. We hove up and got under 
 sail about eleven o’clock at night, with a light land-breeze, 
 which died away toward morning, leaving us becalmed 
 only a few miles from our anchoring-place. The Catalina, 
 being a small vessel, of less than half out size, put out 
 sweeps and got a boat ahead, and pulled out to sea, during 
 the night, so that she had the sea-breeze earlier and 
 stronger than we did, and we had the mortification of see- 
 ing her standing up the coast, with a fine breeze, the sea all 
 ruffled about her, while we were becalmed, in-shore. 
 When the sea-breeze died away, she was nearly out of 
 sight ; and, toward the latter part of the afternoon, the 
 regular northwest wind set in fresh, we braced sharp upon 
 it, took a pull at every sheet, tack, and halyard, and stood 
 after her, in fine style, our ship being very good upon a 
 taughtened bowline. We had nearly five hours of fine 
 sailing, beating up to windward, by long stretches in and 
 off shore, and evidently gaining upon the Catalina, at every 
 tack. When this breeze left us, we were so near as to 
 count the painted ports on her side. Fortunately, the 
 wind died away when we were on our inward tack, and she 
 on her outward, so we were in-shore, and caught the land- 
 breeze first, which came off upon our quarter, about the 
 middle of the first watch. All hands were turned up, and 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 181 
 
 we set all sail, to the skysails and the royal studding-sails ; 
 and with these, we glided quietly through the water, leav- 
 ing the Catalina, which could not spread so much canvass 
 as we, gradually astern, and, by daylight, were off St. 
 Buenaventura, and our antagonist nearly out of sight. 
 The sea-breeze, however, favored her again, while we were 
 becalmed under the headland, and laboring slowly along, 
 she was abreast of us by noon. Thus we continued, ahead, 
 astern, and abreast of one another, alternately; now, far 
 out at sea, and again, close in under the shore. On the 
 third morning, we came into the great bay of Santa Bar- 
 bara, two hours behind the brig, and thus lost the bet ; 
 though, if the race had been to the point, we should have 
 beaten her by five or six hours. This, however, settled 
 the relative sailing of the vessels, for it was admitted that 
 although she, being small and light, could gain upon us in 
 very light winds, yet whenever there was breeze enough to 
 set us agoing, we walked away from her like hauling in a 
 line ; and in beating to windward, which is the best trial of 
 a vessel, we had much the advantage of her. 
 
 Sunday , Oct. \th. This was the day of our arrival ; and 
 somehow or other, our captain always managed not only 
 to sail, but to come into port, on a Sunday. The main 
 reason for sailing on the Sabbath is not, as many people 
 suppose, because Sunday is thought a lucky day, but be- 
 cause it is a leisure day. During the six days, the crew 
 are employed upon the cargo and other ship’s works, and 
 the Sabbath, being the only day of rest, whatever additional 
 work can be thrown into Sunday, is so much gain to the 
 owners. This is the reason of our coasters, packets, etc., 
 sailing on the Sabbath. They get six good days’ work out 
 of the crew, and then throw all the labor of sailing into the 
 Sabbath. Thus it was with us, nearly all the time we were 
 on the coast, and many of our Sabbaths were lost entirely 
 to us. The Catholics on shore have no trading and make 
 no journeys on Sunday, but the American has no national 
 religion, and likes to show his independence of priestcraft 
 by doing as he chooses on the Lord’s day. 
 
 Santa Barbara looked very much as it did when I left 
 it five months before : the long sand beach, with the heavy 
 rollers, breaking upon it in a continual roar, and the little 
 town, imbedded on the plain, girt by its amphitheatre of 
 
IS2 
 
 7 VO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 mountains. Day after day, the sun shone clear and 
 bright upon the wide bay and the red roofs of the houses ; 
 everything being as still as death, the people really hardly 
 seeming to earn their sunlight. Daylight actually seemed 
 thrown away upon them. We had a few visitors, and col- 
 lected about an hundred hides, and every night at sun- 
 down, the gig was sent ashore, to wait for the captain, who 
 spent his evenings in the town. We always took our 
 monkey-jackets with us, and flint and steel, and made a 
 (ire on the beach with the driftwood and the bushes we 
 pulled from the neighboring thickets, and lay down by it, 
 on the sand. Sometimes we would stray up to the town, 
 if the captain was likely to stay late, and pass the time at 
 some of the houses in which we were almost always well 
 received by the inhabitants. Sometimes earlier and some- 
 times later, the captain came down ; when, after a good 
 drenching in the surf, we went aboard, changed our 
 clothes, and turned in for the night — yet not for all the 
 night, for there was the anchor watch to stand. 
 
 This leads me to speak of my watchmate for nine 
 months — and, taking him all in all, the most remarkable 
 man I have ever seen — -Tom Harris. An hour, every night, 
 while lying in port, Harris and myself had the deck to our- 
 selves, and walking fore and aft, night after night, for 
 months, I learned his whole character and history, and 
 more about foreign nations, the habits of different people, 
 and especially the secrets of sailors’ lives and hardships, 
 and also of practical seamanship, (in which he was abund- 
 antly capable of instructing me,) than I could ever have 
 learned elsewhere. But the most remarkable thing about 
 him, was the power of his mind. His memory was perfect ; 
 seeming to form a regular chain, reaching from his earliest 
 childhood up to the time I knew him, without one link 
 wanting. His power of calculation, too, was remarkable. 
 I called myself pretty quick at figures, and had been 
 through a course of mathematical studies ; but, working by 
 my head, I was unable to keep within sight of this man, 
 who had never been beyond his arithmetic : so rapid was 
 his calculation. He carried in his head not only a log-book 
 of the whole voyage, in which everything was complete and 
 accurate, and from which no one ever thought of appeal- 
 ing, but also an accurate registry of all the cargo ; knowing, 
 
TITO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. ^3 
 
 precisely, where each thing was, and how many hides we 
 took in at every port. 
 
 One night, he made a rough calculation of the number 
 of hides that could be stowed in the lower hold, between 
 the fore and main mast, taking the depth of hold and breadth 
 of beam, (for he always knew the dimension of every part 
 of a ship, before he had been a month on board,) and the 
 average area and thickness of a hide ; he came surprisingly 
 near the number, as it afterward turned out. The mate 
 frequently came to him to know the capacity of different 
 parts of the vessel, and he could tell the sailmaker very 
 nearly the amount of canvas he would want for each sail 
 in the ship ; for he knew the hoist of every mast, and spread 
 of every sail, on the head and foot, in feet and inches. 
 When we were at sea, he kept a running account, in his 
 head, of the ship’s way — the number of knots and the 
 courses ; and, if the courses did not vary much during the 
 twenty-four hours, by taking the whole progress, and allow- 
 ing so many eighths southing or northing, to so many east- 
 ing or westing ; he would make up his reckoning just 
 before the captain took the sun at noon, and often came 
 wonderfully near the mark. Calculation of all kinds was 
 his delight. He had, in his chest, several volumes giving 
 accounts of inventions in mechanics, which he read with 
 great pleasure, and made himself master of. I doubt if he 
 ever forgot anything that he read. The only thing in the 
 way of poetry that he ever read was Falconer’s Shipwreck, 
 which he was delighted with, and whole pages of which he 
 Could repeat. He knew the name of every sailor that had 
 ever been his shipmate, and also, of every vessel, captain, 
 and officer, and the principal dates of each voyage ; and a 
 sailor whom we afterwards fell in with, who had been in a 
 ship with Harris nearly twelve years before, was very much 
 surprised at having Harris tell him things about himself 
 which he had entirely forgotten. His facts, whether dates 
 or events, no one thought of disputing ; and his opinions, 
 few of the sailors dared to oppose ; for, right or wrong, he 
 always had the best of the argument with them. His rea- 
 soning powers were remarkable. I have had harder work 
 maintaining an argument with him in a watch, even when 
 I knew myself to be right, and he was only doubting, than 
 I ever had before ; not from his obstinacy, but from his 
 
184 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE TIIE MAST 
 
 acuteness, Give him only a little knowledge of his sub- 
 ject, and, certainly, among all the young men of my ac- 
 quaintance and standing at college, there was not one 
 whom I had not rather meet, than this man. I never an- 
 swered a question from him, or advanced an opinion to him 
 without thinking more than once. With an iron memory, 
 he seemed to have your whole past conversation at com- 
 mand, and if you said a thing now which ill agreed with 
 something said months before, he was sure to have you on 
 the hip. In fact, I always felt, when with him, that I was 
 with no common man. I had a positive respect for his 
 powers of mind, and felt often that if half the pains had 
 been spent upon his education which are thrown away 
 yearly, in our colleges, he would have been a man of great 
 weight in society. Like most selftaught men, he over-esti- 
 mated the value of an education ; and this, I often told him, 
 though I profited by it myself ; for he always treated me 
 with respect, and often unnecessarily gave way to me, from 
 an over-estimate of my knowledge. For the capacities of 
 all the rest of the crew, captain and all, he had the most 
 sovereign contempt. He was a far better sailor, and pro- 
 bably a better navigator, than the captain, and had more 
 brains than all the after part of the ship put together. The 
 sailors said, “ Tom's got a head as long as the bowsprit," 
 and if any one got into an argument with him, they would 
 call out — “ Ah, Jack ! you'd better drop that, as you would 
 a hot potato, for Tom will turn you inside out before you 
 know it." 
 
 I recollect his posing me once on the subject of the 
 Corn Laws. I was called to stand my watch, and, coming 
 on deck, found him there before me ; and we began, as 
 usual, to walk fore and aft, in the waist. He talked about 
 the corn laws ; asked me my opinion about them, which I 
 gave him ; and my reasons ; my small stock of which I 
 set forth to the best advantage, supposing his knowledge 
 on the subject must be less than mine, if, indeed, he had 
 any at all. When I had got through, he took the liberty 
 of differing from me, and, to my surprise, brought argu- 
 ments and facts connected with the subject which were 
 new to me, and to which I was entirely unable to reply. 
 I confessed that I knew almost nothing of the subject, 
 and expressed my surprise at the extent of his information. 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 He said that, a number of years before, while at a board- 
 ing-house in Liverpool, he had fallen in with a pamphlet 
 on the subject, and, as it contained calculations, had read 
 it very carefully, and had ever since wished to find some 
 one who could add to his stock of knowledge on the ques- 
 tion. Although it was many years since he had seen the 
 book, and it was a subject with which he had had no previ- 
 ous acquaintance, yet he had the chain of reasoning, 
 founded upon principles of political economy, perfect in 
 his memory ; and his facts, so far as I could judge, were 
 correct ; at least, he stated them with great precision. The 
 principles of the steam engine, too, he was very familiar 
 with, having been several months on board of a steamboat, 
 and made himself master of its secrets. He knew every 
 lunar star in both hemispheres, and was a perfect master 
 of his quadrant and sextant. Such was the man, who, at 
 forty, was still a dog before the mast, at twelve dollars a * 
 month. The reason of this was to be found in his whole 
 past life, as I had it, at different times, from himself. 
 
 He was an Englishman, by birth, a native of Ilfracomb, 
 in Cornwall. His father was skipper of a small coaster, 
 from Bristol, and dying, left him, when quite young, to the 
 care of his mother, by whose exertions he received a com- 
 mon school education, passing his winters at school and 
 his summers in the coasting trade, until his seventeenth 
 year, when he left home to go upon foreign voyages. Of 
 this mother he often spoke with the greatest respect, and 
 said that she was a strong-minded woman, and had the 
 best system of education he had ever known ; a system 
 which had made respectable men of his three brothers, and 
 failed only in him, from his own indomitable obstinacy. 
 One thing he often mentioned, in which he said his mother 
 differed from all other mothers that he had ever seen dis- 
 ciplining their children ; that was, that when he was out 
 of humor and refused to eat, instead of putting his plate 
 away, as most mothers would, and saying that his hunger 
 would bring him to it, in time, she would stand over him 
 and oblige him to eat it--every mouthful of it. It was no 
 fault of hers that he was what I saw him ; and so great 
 was his sense of gratitude for her efforts, though unsuccess- 
 ful, that he determined, at the close of the voyage, to em- 
 bark for home with all the wages he should get, to spend 
 
i86 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 with and for his mother, if perchance he should find her 
 alive. 
 
 After leaving home, he had spent nearly twenty years, 
 sailing upon all sorts of voyages, generally out of the ports 
 of New York and Boston. Twenty years of vice ! Every 
 sin that a sailor knows, he had gone to the bottom of. 
 Several times he had been hauled up in the hospitals, and 
 as often, the great strength of his constitution had brought 
 him out again in health. Several times, too, from his known 
 capacity, he had been promoted to the office of chief mate, 
 and as often, his conduct when in port, especially his drunk- 
 enness, which neither fear nor ambition could- induce him 
 to abandon, put him back into the forecastle. One night, . 
 when giving me an account of his life, and lamenting the 
 years of manhood he had thrown away, he said that there, 
 in the forecastle, at the foot of the steps — a chest of old 
 clothes — was the result of twenty-two years of hard labor 
 and exposure — worked like a horse, and treated like a dog, 
 As he grew older, he began to feel the necessity of some 
 provision for his later years, and came gradually to the 
 conviction that rum had been his worst enemy. One night, 
 in Havana, a young shipmate of his was brought aboard 
 drunk, with a dangerous gash in his head, and his money 
 and new clothes stripped from him. Harris had seen and * 
 been in hundreds of such scenes as these, but in his then 
 state of mind, it fixed his determination, and he resolved 
 never to taste another drop of strong drink, of any kind. 
 He signed no pledge, and made no vow, but relied on his 
 own strength of purpose. The first thing with him was a 
 reason, and then a resolution, and the thing was done. The 
 date of his resolution he knew, of course, to the very hour. 
 
 It was three years before I knew him, and during all that 
 time, nothing stronger than cider or coffee had passed his 
 lips. The sailors never thought of enticing Tom to take a 
 glass, any more than they would of talking to the ship’s 
 compass. He was now a temperate man for life, and cap- 
 able of filling any berth in a ship, and many a high station 
 there is on shore which is held by a meaner man. 
 
 He understood the management of a ship upon scien- 
 tific principles, and could give the reason for hauling every 
 rope ; and along experience, added to careful observation 
 at the time, and a perfect memory, gave him a knowledge 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. . 
 
 i8 7 
 
 of the expedients and resorts in times of hazard, which was 
 remarkable, and for which I became much indebted to him, 
 as he took the greatest pleasure in opening his stores of 
 information to me, in return for what I was enabled to do 
 for him. Stories of tyranny and hardship which had driven 
 men to piracy ; — of the incredible ignorance of masters and 
 mates, and of horrid brutality to the sick, dead, and dying ; 
 as well as of the secret knavery and impositions practised 
 upon seamen by connivance of the owners, landlords, and 
 officers ; all these he had, and I could not but believe 
 them, for men who had known him for fifteen years had 
 never taken him even in an exaggeration, and, as I have 
 said, his statements were never disputed. I remember, 
 among other things, his speaking of a captain whom I had 
 known by report, who never handed a thing to a sailor, but 
 put it on deck and kicked it to him ; and of another, who was 
 of the best connexion in Boston, who absolutely murdered a 
 lad from Boston that went out with him before the mast to 
 Sumatra, by keeping him hard at work while ill of the coast 
 fever, and obliging him to sleep in the close steerage. (The 
 same captain has since died of the same fever on the same 
 coast.) 
 
 In fact, taking together all that I have learned from 
 him of seamanship, of the history of sailors’ lives, of practi- 
 cal wisdom, and of human nature under new circumstan- 
 ces, — a great history from which many are shut out, — 1 
 would not part with the hours I spent in the watch with 
 that man for any given hours of my life past to study and 
 social intercourse. 
 
 CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 Sunday, Oct. iith. Set sail this morning for the lee- 
 ward ; passed within sight of San Pedro, and, to our great 
 joy, did not come to anchor, but kept directly on to San 
 Diego, where we arrived and moored ship on 
 
 Thursday Oct . 15 th. Found here the Italian ship La 
 Rosa, from the windward, which reported the brig Pil- 
 grim at San Francisco, all well. Everything was as quiet 
 here as usual. We discharged our hides, horns, and tallow 
 
i88 
 
 TIVO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 and were ready to sail again on the following Sunday, I went 
 ashore to my old quarters, and found the gang at the hide- 
 house going on in the even tenor of their way, and spent 
 an hour or two, after dark at the oven, taking a whiff with 
 my old Kanaka friends, who really seemed glad to see me 
 again, and saluted me as the Aikane of the Kanakas. I 
 was grieved to find that my poor dog Bravo was dead. 
 He had sickened and died suddenly, the very day after I 
 sailed in the Alert. 
 
 Sunday was again, as usual, our sailing day, and we 
 got under weigh with a stiff breeze, which reminded us 
 that it was the latter part of the autumn, and time to ex- 
 pect southeasters once more. We beat up against a 
 strong head wind, under reefed top-sails, as far as San 
 Juan, where we came to anchor nearly three miles from 
 the shore, with slip-ropes on our cables, in the old south- 
 easter style of last winter. On the passage up, we had an 
 old sea captain on board, who had married and settled in 
 California, and had not been on salt water for more than 
 fifteen years. He was astonished at the changes and im- 
 provements that had been made in ships, and still more at 
 the manner in which we carried sail ; for he was really a 
 little frightened ; and said that while we had top-gallant 
 sails on, he should have been under reefed top-sails. The 
 working of the ship, and her progress to windward, seemed 
 to delight him, for he said she went to windward as though 
 she were hedging. 
 
 Tuesday, Oct . 20 th. Having got everything ready, we 
 set the agent ashore, who went up to the mission to hasten 
 down the hides for the next morning. This night we had 
 the strictest orders to look out for southeasters ; and the 
 long, low clouds, seemed rather threatening. But the night 
 passed over without any trouble, and early the next morn- 
 ing, we hove out the long-boat and pinnace, lowered away 
 the quarter-boats, and went ashore to bring off our hides. 
 Here we were again, in this romantic spot; a perpen- 
 dicular hill, twice the height of the ship's mast-head, with a 
 single circuitous path to the top, and long sand beach at 
 its base, with the swell of the whole Pacific breaking high 
 apon it, and our hides ranged in piles on the overhanging 
 summit. The captain sent me, who w r as the only one of 
 the crew that ever had been there before, to the top, to 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 log 
 
 count the hides and pitch them down. There I stood 
 again, as six months before, throwing off the hides, and 
 watching them, pitching and scaling, to the bottom, while 
 the men, dwarfed by the distance, were walking to and fro 
 on the beach, carrying the hides, as they picked them up, 
 to the distant boats, upon the tops of their heads. Two or 
 three boat- loads were sent off, until, at last, all were 
 thrown down, and the boats nearly loaded again, when we 
 were delayed by a dozen or twenty hides which had lodged 
 in the recesses of the hill, and which we could not reach 
 by any missiles, as the general line of the side was exactly 
 perpendicular, and these places were caved in, and could 
 not be seen or reached from the top. As hides are worth 
 in Boston twelve and a half cents a pound, and the captain’s 
 commission was two per cent., he determined not to give 
 them up; and sent on board for a pair of top-gallant stud- 
 ding-sail halyards, and requested some one of the crew to 
 go to the top, and come down by the halyards. The older 
 sailors said the boys, who were light and active, ought to 
 go, while the boys thought that strength and experience 
 were necessary. Seeing the dilemma, and feeling myself 
 to be near the medium of these requisites, I offered my 
 services, and went up, with one man to tend the rope, and 
 prepared for the descent. 
 
 We found a stake fastened strongly into the ground, 
 and apparently capable of holding my weight, to which we 
 made one end of the halyards well fast, and taking the 
 coil, threw it over the brink. The end, we saw, just reached 
 to a landing-place, from which the descent to the beach was 
 easy. Having nothing on but shirt, trowsers and hat, the 
 common sea-rig of warm weather, I had no stripping to do, 
 and began my descent, by taking hold of the rope in each 
 hand, and slipping down, sometimes with hand and feet 
 round the rope, and sometimes breasting off with one hand 
 and foot against the precipice, and holding on the rope 
 with the other. In this way I descended until I came to 
 a place which shelved in, and in which the hides were 
 lodged. Keeping hold of the rope with one hand, I scram- 
 bled in, and by the other hand and feet succeeded in dislodg- 
 ing all the hides, and continued on my way. Just below 
 this place, the precipice projected again, and going over 
 the projection. I could see nothing below me but the sea 
 
9 o 
 
 TWO YEATS BEFORE THE MAST, 
 
 and the rocks upon which it broke, and a few gulls flying 
 in mid air. I got down with safety, pretty well covered 
 with dirt; and for my pains was told, “ What a d — d fool 
 you were to risk your life for half a dozen hides ! ” 
 
 While we were carrying the hides to the boat, I per- 
 ceived, what I had been too busy to observe before, that 
 heavy black clouds were rolling up from seaward, a strong 
 swell heaving in, and every sign of a southeaster. The 
 captain hurried everything. The hides were pitched into 
 the boats ; and, with some difficulty, and by wading nearly 
 up to our armpits, we got the boats through the surf, and 
 began pulling aboard. Our gig’s crew towed the pinnace 
 astern of the gig, and the launch was towed by six men in 
 the jolly-boat. The ship was lying three miles off, pitch- 
 ing at her anchor, and the farther we pulled, the heavier 
 grew the swell. Our boats stood nearly up and down sev- 
 eral times ; the pinnace parted her tow-line, and we ex- 
 pected every moment to see the launch swamped. We at 
 length got alongside, our boats half full of water; and 
 now came the greatest difficulty of all, — unloading the 
 boats, in a heavy sea, which pitched them about so that it 
 was almost impossible to stand in them ; raising them 
 sometimes even with the rail, and again dropping them be- 
 low the bends. With great difficulty, we got all the hides 
 aboard and stowed under hatches, the yard and stay tackles 
 hooked on, and the launch and pinnace hoisted, chocked 
 and griped. The quarter-boats were then hoisted up, and 
 we began heaving in on the chain. Getting the anchor 
 was no easy work in such a sea, but as we were not com- 
 ing back to this port, the captain determined not to slip. 
 The ship’s head pitched into the sea, and the water rushed 
 through the hawse-holes, and the chain surged so as almost 
 to unship the barrel of the windlass. “ Hove short, sir ! ” 
 said the mate. “ Aye, aye ! Weather-bit your chain and 
 loose the top-sails ! Make sail on her, men — with a will ! ” 
 A few moments served to loose the top-saCils, which were 
 furled with reefs, to sheet them home, and hoist them up. 
 “ Bear a hand ! ” was the order of the day ; and every one 
 saw the necessity of it, for the gale was already upon us. 
 The ship broke out her own anchor, which we catted and 
 fished, after a fashion, and stood off from the lee shore 
 against a heavy head sea, under reefed top-sails, fore top* 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 I 9 I 
 
 mast stay-sail and spanker. The fore course was given to 
 her, which helped her a little ; but as she hardly held her 
 own against the sea which was setting her to leeward — 
 “ Board the main tack ! ” shouted the captain ; when the 
 tack was carried forward and taken to the windlass, and 
 all hands called to the handspikes. The great sail bellied 
 out horizontally as though it would lift up the main stay; 
 the blocks rattled and flew about but the force of machin- 
 ery was too much for her. “ Heave ho ! Heave and pawl ! 
 Yo, heave, hearty, ho ! ” and, in time with the song, by the 
 force of twenty strong arms, the windlass came slowly 
 round, pawl after pawl, and the weather clue of the sail 
 was brought down to the water-ways. The starboard 
 watch hauled aft the sheet, and the ship tore through the 
 water like a mad horse, quivering and shaking at every 
 joint, and dashing from its head the foam, which flew off at 
 every blow, yards and yards to leeward. A half hour of 
 such sailing served our turn, when the clues of the sail 
 were hauled up, the sail furled, and the ship, eased of her 
 press, went more quietly on her way. Soon after, the fore- 
 sail was reefed, and we mizen-top men were sent up to take 
 another reef in the mizen top-sail. This was the first time 
 I had taken a weather earing, and I felt not a little proud 
 to sit astride of the weather yard-arm, passed the earing, 
 and sing out, “ Haul out to leeward ! ” From this time until 
 we got to Boston, the mate never suffered any one but 
 our own gang to go upon the mizen top-sail yard, either 
 for reefing or furling, and the young English lad and my- 
 self generally took the earings between us. 
 
 Having cleared the point and got well out to sea, we 
 squared away the yards, made .more sail, and stood on, 
 nearly before the wind, for San Pedro. It blew strong, 
 with some rain nearly all night, but fell calm toward morn- 
 ing, and the gale having gone over, we came-to, — 
 
 Thursday , Oct. 22 d, at San Pedro, in the old south- 
 easter berth, a league from shore, with a slip-rope on the 
 cable, reefs in the top-sails, and rope-yarns for gaskets. 
 Here we lay ten days, with the usual boating, hide-carrying, 
 rolling of cargo up the steep hill, walking barefooted over 
 stones, and getting drenched in salt water. 
 
 The third day after our arrival, the Rosa came in from 
 San Juan, where she went the day after the southeaster. 
 
192 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 Her crew said it was as smooth as a mill-pood, after the 
 gale, and she took oh: nearly a thousand hides, which had 
 been brought down for us, and which was lost in conse- 
 quence of the southeaster. This mortified us ; not only 
 that an Italian ship should have got to windward of us in 
 the trade, but because every thousand hides went toward 
 completing the forty thousand which we were to collect be- 
 fore we could say good-by to California, 
 
 While lying here, we shipped one new hand, an English- 
 man, of about two or three and twenty, who was quite an ac- 
 quisition, as he proved to be a good sailor, could sing toler- 
 ably, and, what was of more importance to me, had a good 
 education, and a somewhat remarkable history. He called 
 himself George P,, Marsh ; professed to have been at sea 
 from a small boy, and to have served his time in the smug- 
 gling trade between Germany and the coasts of France 
 and England. Thus he accounted for his knowledge of 
 the French language, which he spoke and read as well as 
 he did English ; but his cutter education would not account 
 for his English, which was far too good to have been 
 learned in a smuggler ; for he wrote an uncommonly hand- 
 some hand, spoke with great correctness, and frequently, 
 when in private talk with me, quoted from books, and 
 showed a knowledge of the customs of society, and parti- 
 cularly of the formalities of the various English courts of 
 law and of Parliament, which surprised me. Still, he 
 would give no other account of himself than that he was 
 educated in a smuggler. A man whom we afterwards fell 
 in with, who had been a shipmate of George’s a few years 
 before, said that he heard at the boarding-house from which 
 they shipped, that George had been at a college, ( probably 
 a naval one, as he knew no Latin or Greek ), where he 
 learned French and mathematics. He was by no means 
 the man by nature that Harris was. Harris had made 
 everything of his mind and character in spite of obstacles ; 
 while this man had evidently been born in a different rank, 
 and educated early in life accordingly, but had been a 
 vagabond, and done nothing for himself since. What had 
 been given to him by others, was all that made him to dif- 
 fer from those about him ; while Harris had made himself 
 what he was. Neither had George the character, strength 
 of mind, acuteness, or memory of Harris ; yet there was 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 *93 
 
 about him the remains of a pretty good education, which 
 enabled him to talk perhaps beyond his brains, and a high 
 spirit and sense of honor, which years of a dog's life had 
 not broken. After he had been a little while on board, we 
 learned from him his remarkable history, for the last two 
 years, which we afterwards heard confirmed in such a man- 
 ner, as put the truth of it beyond a doubt. 
 
 He sailed from New York in the year 1833, if I mis- 
 take not, before the mast, in the brig Lascar, for Canton. 
 She was sold in the East Indies, and he shipped at Manilla, 
 in a small schooner, bound on a trading voyage among 
 the Ladrone and Pelew Islands. On one of the latter 
 islands, their schooner was wrecked on a reef, and they 
 were attacked by the natives, and, after a desperate re- 
 sistance, in which all their number except the captain, 
 George, and a boy, were killed or drowned, they surren- 
 dered, and were carried bound, in a canoe, to a neigh- 
 boring island. In about a month after this, an oppor- 
 tunity occurred by which one of their number might get 
 away. I have forgotten the circumstances, but only one 
 could go, and they yielded to the captain, upon his promis- 
 ing to send them aid if he escaped. He was successful in 
 his attempt ; got on board an American vessel, went back 
 to Manilla, and thence to America, without making any 
 effort for their rescue, or indeed, as George afterwards 
 discovered, without even mentioning their case to any one 
 in Manilla. % The boy that was with George died, and he 
 being alone, and there being no chance for his escape, the 
 natives soon treated him with kindness, and even with at- 
 tention. They painted him, tattooed his body, (for he would 
 never consent to be marked in the face or hands,) gave 
 him two or three wives ; and, in fact, made quite a pet of 
 him. In this way, he lived for thirteen months, in a fine 
 climate, with a plenty to eat, half naked, and nothing to do. 
 He soon, however, became tired, and went round the 
 island, on different pretences, to look out for a sail. One 
 day, he was out fishing in a small canoe with another man, 
 when he saw a large sail to windward, about a league and 
 a half off, passing abreast of the island and standing west- 
 ward. With some difficulty, he persuaded the islander to 
 go off with him to the ship, promising to return with a good 
 supply of rum and tobacco. These articles, which the 
 
194 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 islanders had got a taste of from American traders, were 
 too strong a temptation for the fellow and he consented. 
 They paddled off in the track of the ship, and lay-to until 
 she came down to them. George stepped on board the 
 ship, nearly naked, painted from head to foot, and in no 
 way distinguishable from his companion until he began to 
 speak. Upon this, the people on board were not a little 
 astonished, and having learned his story, the captain had 
 him washed and clothed, and sending away the poor as- 
 tonished native with a knife or two and some tobacco and 
 calico, took George with him on the voyage. This was the 
 ship Cabot, of New York, Captain Low. She was bound 
 to Manilla, from across the Pacific, and George did sea- 
 man’s duty in her until her arrival in Manilla, when he 
 left her and shipped in a brig bound to the Sandwich 
 Islands. From Oahu, he came, in the British brig Clemen- 
 tine, to Monterey, as second officer, where, having some 
 difficulty with the captain, he left her, and coming down 
 the coast, joined us at San Pedro. Nearly six months 
 after this, among some papers we received by an arrival 
 from Boston, we found a letter from Captain Low, of the 
 Cabot, published immediately upon his arrival at New 
 York, and giving all the particulars just as we had them 
 from George. The letter was published for the information 
 of the friends of George, and Captain Low added, that he 
 left him at Manilla to go to Oahu, and he had heard nothing 
 of him since. 
 
 George had an interesting journal of his adventures in 
 the Pelew Islands, which he had written out at length, in a 
 handsome hand, and in correct English. 
 
 CHAPTER XXV. 
 
 Sunday, November ist. Sailed this day, (Sii.L y 
 again) for Santa Barbara, where we arrived on the 51I1. 
 Coming round St. Buenaventura, and nearing the anchor- 
 age, vve saw two vessels in port, a large full-rigged, and a 
 small hermaphrodite brig. The former, the crew said 
 must be die Pilgrim ; but I had been too long in the Pil- 
 grim to be mistaken in her, and I was right in differing 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 *95 
 
 from them ; for, upon nearer approach, her long, low 
 shear, sharp bows, and raking masts, told quite another 
 story. “ Man-of-war brig,” said some of them ; “ Balti- 
 more clipper,” said others ; the Ayacucho, thought I ; and 
 soon the broad folds of the beautiful banner of St. George. 
 — white field with blood-red border and cross, — where dis- 
 played from her peak. A few minutes put it beyond a 
 doubt, and we were lying by the side of the Ayacucho, which 
 had sailed from San Diego about nine months before, 
 while we were lying there in the Pilgrim. She had since 
 been to Valparaiso, Callao, and the Sandwich Islands, and 
 had just come upon the coast. Her boat came on board, 
 bringing Captain Wilson ; and in a half an hour the news 
 was all over the ship that there was a war between the 
 United States and France. Exaggerated accounts reached 
 the forecastle. Battles had been fought, a large French 
 fleet was in the Pacific, etc. etc. ; and one of the boat’s 
 crew of the Ayacucho said that when they left Callao, a 
 large French frigate and the American frigate Brandywine, 
 which were lying there, were going outside to have a battle; 
 and that the English frigate Blonde was to be umpire, and 
 see fair play. Here was important news for us. Alone, 
 on an unprotected coast, without an American man-of-war 
 within some thousands of miles, and the prospect of a voy- 
 age home through the whole length of the Pacific and 
 Atlantic oceans! A French prison seemed a much more 
 probable place of destination than the good port of Boston. 
 However, we were too salt to believe every yarn that 
 comes into the forecastle, and waited to hear the truth of 
 the matter from higher authority. By means of the super- 
 cargo’s clerk, I got the amount of the matter, which was, 
 that the governments had had a difficulty about the pay- 
 ment of a debt ; that war had been threatened and pre- 
 pared for, but not actually declared, although it was pretty 
 generally anticipated. This was not quite so bad, yet was 
 no small cause of anxiety. But we cared very little about 
 the matter ourselves. “ Happy go lucky ” with Jack ! We 
 did not believe that a French prison would be much worse 
 than “ hide-droghing” on the coast of California ; and no 
 one who has not been a long, dull voyage, shut up in one 
 ship, can conceive of the effect of monotony upon one’s 
 thoughts and wishes. The prospect of a change is like a 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 196 
 
 green spot in a desert, and the remotest probability of 
 great events and exciting scenes gives a feeling of delight, 
 and sets life in motion, so as to give a pleasure, which any 
 one not in the same state would be entirely unable to ac- 
 count for. In fact, a more jovial night we had not passed 
 in the forecastle for months. Every one seemed in unac* 
 countably high spirits. An undefined anticipation of 
 radical changes, of new scenes, and great doings, seemed 
 to have possessed every one, and the common drudgery of 
 the vessel appeared contemptible. Here was a new vein 
 opened : a grand theme of conversation and a topic for 
 all sorts of discussions. National feeling was wrought up. 
 Jokes were cracked upon the only Frenchman in the ship, 
 and comparisons made between “ old horse ” and “ soup 
 meagre,” etc. etc. 
 
 We remained in uncertainty as to this war for more 
 than two months, when an arrival from the Sandwich 
 Islands brought us the news of an amicable arrangement 
 of the difficulties. 
 
 The other vessel which we found in port was the her- 
 maphrodite brig Avon, from the Sandwich Islands. She 
 was fitted up in handsome style ; fired a gun and ran her 
 ensign up and down at sunrise and sunset ; had a band of 
 four or five pieces of music on board, and appeared rather 
 like a pleasure yacht than a trader ; yet, in connection 
 with the Loriotte, Clementine, Bolivar, Convoy, and other 
 small vessels, belonging to sundry Americans at Oahu, she 
 carried on a great trade — legal and illegal — in otter skins, 
 silks, teas, specie, etc. * 
 
 The second day after our arrival, a full-rigged brig 
 came round the point from the northward, sailed leisurely 
 through the bay, and stood off again for the southeast, in 
 the direction of the large island of Catalina. The next 
 day the Avon got under weigh, and stood in the same 
 direction, bound for San Pedro. This might do for marines 
 and Californians, but we knew the ropes too well. The 
 brig was never again seen on the coast, and the Avon ar- 
 rived at San Pedro in about a week, with a full cargo* of 
 Canton and American goods. 
 
 This^vas one of the means of escaping the heavy duties 
 the Mexicans lay upon all imports. A vessel comes on 
 the coast, enters a moderate cargo at Monterey, which is 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 197 
 
 the only custom-house, and commences trading. In a 
 month or more, having sold a large part of her cargo, she 
 stretches over to Catalina, or other of the large uninhabited 
 islands which lie off the coast, in a trip from port to port, 
 and supplies herself with choice goods from a vessel from 
 Oahu, which has been lying oh and on the islands, waiting 
 for her. Two days after the sailing of the Avon, the Lori- 
 otte came in from the leeward, and without doubt had also 
 a snatch at the brig’s cargo. 
 
 Tuesday , Nov . \oth, Going ashore, as usual, in the gig, 
 just before sundown, to bring off the captain, we found, 
 upon taking in the captain and pulling off again, that our 
 ship, which lay the farthest out, had run up her ensign. 
 This meant “ Sail ho ! ” of course, but as we were within 
 the point we could see nothing. “ Give way, boys ! Give 
 way ! Lay out on your oars, and long stroke ! ” said the 
 captain ; and stretching to the whole length of our arms, 
 bending back again, so that our backs touched the thwarts, 
 we sent her through the water like a rocket. A few minutes 
 of such pulling opened the islands, one after another, in 
 range of the point, and gave us a view of the Canal, where 
 was a ship, under top-gallant sails, standing in, with a light 
 breeze, for the anchorage. Putting the boat’s head in the 
 direction of the ship, the* captain told us to lay out again ; 
 and we needed no spurring, for the prospect of boarding a 
 new ship, perhaps from home, hearing the news, and having 
 something to tell of when we got back, was excitement 
 enough for us, and we gave way, with a will. Captain 
 Nye, of the Loriotte, who had been an old whaleman, was 
 in the stern-sheets, and fell mightily into the spirit of it. 
 “ Bend your backs and break your oars ! ” said he. “ Lay 
 me on, Captain Bunker ! ” “ There she flukes ! ” and other 
 
 exclamations, peculiar to whalemen. In the meantime, it 
 fell flat calm, and being within a couple of miles of the ship, 
 we expected to board her in a few moments, when a sud- 
 den breeze sprung up, dead ahead for the ship, and she 
 braced up and stood off toward the islands, sharp on the 
 larboard tack, making good way through the water. This, 
 of course, brought us up, and we had only to * ease larboard 
 oars ; pull round starboard ! ” and go aboard the Alert, 
 with something very like a flea in the ear. There was a 
 
igS TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 light land-breeze all night, and the ship did not come to 
 anchor until the next morning. 
 
 As soon as her anchor was down, we went aboard, and 
 found her to be the whale-ship, Wilmington and Liverpool 
 Packet, of New Bedford, last from the “off-shore ground,” 
 with nineteen hundred barrels of oil. A “ spouter ” we 
 knew her to be as soon as we saw her cranes and boats, 
 and by her stump top-gallant masts, and a certain slovenly 
 look to the sails, rigging, spars, and hull ; and when we 
 got on board, found everything to correspond, — spouter 
 fashion. She had a false deck, which was rough and oily, 
 and cut up in every direction by the chimes of oil casks ; 
 her rigging was slack and turning white ; no paint on the 
 spars or blocks ; clumsy seizing and straps without covers, 
 and homeward-bound splices in every direction. Pier crew, 
 too, were not in much better order. Her captain was a 
 slab-sided, shamble-legged Quaker, in a suit of brown, with 
 a broad-brimmed hat, and sneaking about decks, like a 
 sheep, with his head down ; and the men looked more like 
 fishermen and farmers than they did like sailors. 
 
 Though it was by no means cold weather, (we having 
 on only our red shirts and duck trowsers,) they all had on 
 woollen trowsers — not blue and ship-shape — but of all 
 colors — brown, drab, gray, aye, a*h d green, with suspenders 
 over their shoulders, and pockets to put their hands in. 
 This added to guernsey frocks, striped comforters about 
 the neck, thick cowhide boots, woollen caps, and a strong, 
 oily smell, and a decidedly green look, will complete the 
 description. Eight or ten were on the fore top sail yard, 
 and as many more in the main, furling the top-sails, while 
 eight or ten were hanging about the forecastle, doing noth- 
 ing. This was a strange sight for a vessel coming to anchor ; 
 so we went up to them, to see what was the matter. One of 
 them, a stout, hearty-looking fellow, held out his leg and 
 said he had the scurvy ; another had cut his hand ; and 
 others had got nearly well, but said that there were plenty 
 aloft to furl the sails, so they were sogering on the fore- 
 castle. There was only one “ splicer ” on board, a fine 
 looking old tar, who was in the bunt of the fore top-sail. 
 He was probably the only sailor in the ship, before the 
 mast. The mates, of course, and the boat-steerers, and 
 also two or three of her crew, had been to sea before, but 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 ! 99 
 
 only whaling voyages ; and the greater part of the crew 
 were raw hands, just from the bush, as green as cabbages, 
 and had not yet got the hay-seed out of their heads. The 
 mizen top-sail hung in the bunt-lines until everything was 
 furled forward. Thus a crew of thirty men were half an 
 hour in doing what would have been done in the Alert, with 
 eighteen hands to go aloft in fifteen or twenty minutes. 
 
 We found they had been at sea six or eight months, 
 and had no news to tell us ; so we left them, and promised 
 to get liberty to come board in the evening, for some curi- 
 osities, etc. Accordingly, as soon as we were knocked off 
 in the evening and had got supper, we obtained leave, took 
 a boat, and went aboard and spent an hour or two. They 
 gave us pieces of whalebone, and the teeth and other parts 
 of curious sea animals, and we exchanged books with them 
 — a practice very common among ships in foreign ports, 
 by which you get rid of the books you have read and re- 
 read, and a supply of new ones in their stead, and Jack is 
 not very nice as to their comparative value. 
 
 Thursday , Nov. 12 th. This day was quite cool in the 
 early part, and there were black clouds about ; but as it 
 was often so in the morning, nothing was apprehended, 
 and all the captains went ashore together, to spend the day. 
 Towards noon, the clouds hung heavily over the mountains, 
 coming half way down the hills that encircle the town of 
 Santa Barbara, and a heavy swell rolled in from the south- 
 east. The mate immediately ordered the gig’s crew away, 
 and, at the same time, we saw boats pulling ashore from 
 the other vessels. Here was a grand chance for a rowing 
 match, and every one did his best. We passed the boats 
 of the Ayacucho and Loriotte, but could gain nothing upon, 
 and, indeed, hardly hold our own with, the long six-oared 
 boat of the whale-ship. They reached the breakers before 
 us ; but here we had the advantage of them, for, not being 
 used to the surf, they were obliged to wait to see us beach 
 our boat, just as, in the same place, nearly a year before, 
 we, in the Pilgrim were glad to be taught by a boat’s crew 
 of Kanakas. 
 
 We had hardly got the boats beached, and their heads 
 out, before our old friend. Bill Jackson, the handsome Eng- 
 lish sailor, who steered the Loriotte’s boat, called out that 
 the brig was adrift ; and sure enough, she was dragging. 
 
200 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 her anchors, and drifting down into the bight of the bay. 
 Without waiting for the captain, (for there was no one on 
 board but the mate and steward,) he sprung into the boat, 
 called the Kanakas together, and tried to put off. But the 
 Kanakas, though capital water dogs, were frightened by 
 their vessel's being adrift, and by the emergency of the 
 case, and seemed to lose their faculty. Twice, their boat 
 filled, and came broadside upon the beach. Jackson swore 
 at them for a parcel of savages, and promised to flog everj 
 one of them. This made the matter no better; when we 
 came forward, told the Kanakas to take their seats in 
 the boat, and, going two on each side, walked out with her 
 till it was up to our shoulders, and gave them a shove, when, 
 giving way with their oars, they got her safely into the 
 long, regular swell. In the meantime, boats had put off 
 from our ship and the whaler, and coming all on board the 
 brig together, they let go the other anchor, paid out chain, 
 braced the yards to the wind, and brought the vessel up. 
 
 In a few minutes, the captain came hurrying down, on 
 the run ; and there was no time to be lost, for the gale 
 promised to be a severe one, and the surf was breaking 
 upon the beach, three deep, higher and higher every in- 
 stant. The Ayacucho's boat, pulled by four Kanakas, put 
 off first, and as they had no rudder or steering oar, would 
 probably never have got off, had we not waded out with 
 them, as far as the surf would permit. The next that made 
 the attempt was the whale-boat, for we, being the most ex- 
 perienced “ beach-combers," needed no help, and staid till 
 the last. Whalemen make the best boats' crew in the world 
 for a long pull, but this landing was new to them, and not- 
 withstanding the examples they had had, they slued round 
 and were hove up — boat, oars, and men — all together, high 
 and dry upon the sand. The second time, they filled, and 
 had to turn their boat over, and set her off again. We 
 could be of no help to them, for they were so many as 
 to be in one another's way, without the addition of our 
 numbers. The third time, they got off, though not without 
 shipping a sea which drenched them all, and half filled 
 their boat, keeping them baling, until they reached their 
 ship. We now got ready to go off, putting the boat's head 
 out; English Ben and I, who were the largest, standing’on 
 each side of the bows, to keep her “ head on " to the sea, 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 201 
 
 two more shipping and manning the two after oars, and the 
 captain taking the steering oar. Two or three Spaniards, 
 who stood upon the beach looking at us, wrapped their 
 cloaks about them, shook their heads, and muttered, “ Ca- 
 ramba ! ” They had no taste for such doings ; in fact, the 
 hydrophobia is a national malady, and shows itself in then- 
 persons as well as their actions. 
 
 Watching a “ smooth chance,” we determined to show 
 the other boats the way it should be done ; and as soon as 
 ours floated, ran out with her, keeping her head on, with 
 all our strength, and the help of the captain’s oar, and 
 the two after oarsmen giving way regularly and strongly, 
 until our feet were off the ground, we tumbled into the bows, 
 keeping perfectly still, from fear of hindering the others. 
 For some time it was doubtful how it would go. The boat 
 stood nearly up and down in the water, and the sea, roll- 
 ing from under her, let her fall upon the water with a force 
 which seemed almost to stave her bottom in. By quietly 
 sliding two oars forward, along the thwarts, without im- 
 peding the rowers, we shipped two bow oars, and thus, by 
 the help of four oars and the captain’s strong arm, we got 
 safely off, though we shipped several seas, which left us 
 half full of water. We pulled alongside of the Loriotte, 
 put her skipper on board, and found her making prepara- 
 tions for slipping, and then pulled aboard our own ship. 
 Here Mr. Brown, always “ on hand,” had got everything 
 ready, so that we had only to hook on the gig and hoist it 
 up, when the order was given to loose the sails. While we 
 were on the yards, we saw the Loriotte under weigh, and 
 before our yards were mastheaded, the Ayacucho had 
 spread her wings, and, with yards braced sharp up, was 
 standing athwart our hawse. There is no prettier sight in 
 the world than a full rigged, clipper built brig, sailing sharp 
 on the wind. In a moment, our slip- rope was gone, the 
 head yards filled away; and we were off. Next came the 
 whaler ; and in a half an hour from the time when four ves- 
 sels were lying quietly at anchor, without a rag out, or a 
 sign of motion, the bay was deserted, and four white clouds 
 were standing off to sea, Being sure of clearing the point, 
 we stood off with our yards a little braced in, while the Aya- 
 cucho went off with a taught bowline, which brought her 
 to windward of us. During all this day, and the greater 
 
•2 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 part of the night, we had the usual southeaster entertain- 
 ment, a gale of wind, variegated and finally topped off with 
 a drenching rain of three or four hours. At daybreak, the 
 clouds thinned off and rolled away, and the sun came up 
 clear. The wind, instead of coming out from the north- 
 ward, as is usual, blew steadily and freshly from the anchor* 
 ing ground. This was bad for us, for, being “ flying light,” 
 with little more than ballast trim, we were in no condition 
 for showing off on a taught bowline, and had depended 
 upon a fair wind, with which, by the help of our light sails 
 and studdingsails, we meant to have been the first at the 
 anchoring ground ; but the Ayacucho was a good league 
 to windward of us, and was standing in, in fine style. The 
 whaler, however, was as far to leeward of us, and the 
 Loriotte was nearly out of sight, among the islands, up the 
 Canal. By hauling every brace and bowline, and clapping 
 watch-tackles upon all the sheets and halyards, we man- 
 aged to hold our own, and drop the leeward vessels a little 
 in every tack. When we reached the anchoring ground, 
 the Ayacucho had got her anchor, furled her sails, squared 
 her yards, and was lying quietly as if nothing had happened 
 for the last twenty-four hours. 
 
 We had our usual good luck in getting our anchor with- 
 out letting go another, and were all snug, with our boats 
 at the boom ends, in half an hour. In about two hours 
 more, the whaler came in, and made a clumsy piece of 
 work in getting her anchor, being obliged to let go her best 
 bower, and finally to get out a kedge and a hawser. They 
 were heave-ho-ing, stopping and unstopping, pawling, cat- 
 ting, and fishing, for three hours ; and the sails hung from 
 the yards all the afternoon, and were not furled until sun- 
 down. The Loriotte came in just after dark, and let go 
 her anchor, making no attempt to pick up the other until 
 the next day. 
 
 This affair led to a great dispute as to the sailing of our 
 ship and the Ayacucho. Bets were made between the 
 captains, and the crews took it up in their own way ; but 
 as she was bound to leeward and we to windward, and 
 merchant captains cannot deviate, atrial never took place ; 
 and perhaps it was well for us that it did not, for the 
 Ayacucho had been eight years in the Pacific, in every 
 part of it — Valparaiso, Sandwich Islands, Canton, Cali* 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 203 
 
 fornia, and all, and was called the fastest merchantman 
 that traded in the Pacific, unless it was he brigt John 
 Gilpin, and perhaps the ship Ann McKim of Baltimore. 
 
 Saturday Nov . 14 th. This day we got under weigh, 
 
 with the agent and several Spaniards of note, as passengers, 
 bound up to Monterey. We went ashore in the gig to 
 bring them off with their baggage, and found them waiting 
 on the beach, and a little afraid about going off, as the 
 surf was running very high. This was nuts to us ; for we 
 liked to have a Spaniard wet with salt water ; and then 
 the agent was very much disliked by the crew, one and 
 all ; and we hoped, as there was no officer in the boat, to 
 have a chance to duck them ; for we knew that they were 
 such “ marines ” that they would not know whether it was 
 our fault or not. Accordingly, we kept the boat so far 
 from shore as to oblige them to wet their feet in getting 
 into her ; and then waited for a good high comber, and 
 letting the head slue a little round, sent the whole force 
 of the sea into the stern-sheets, drenching them from head 
 to feet. The Spaniards sprang out of the boat, swore, 
 „ and shook themselves, and protested against trying it 
 again ; and it was with the greatest difficulty that the agent 
 could prevail upon them to make another attempt. The 
 next time we took care, and went off easily enough, and 
 pulled aboard. The crew came to the side to hoist in their 
 baggage, and we gave them the wink, and they heartily 
 enjoyed the half-drowned looks of the company. 
 
 Everything being now ready, and the passengers 
 aboard, we ran up the ensign and broad pennant, (for 
 there was no man-of-war, and we were the largest vessel on 
 the coast), and the other vessels ran up their ensigns. 
 Having hove short, cast off the gaskets, and made the 
 bunt of each sail fast by the jigger, with a man on each 
 yard ; at the word, the whole canvas of that ship was 
 loosed, and with the greatest rapidity possible, everything 
 was sheeted home and hoisted up, the anchor, tripped and 
 catheaded, and the ship under headway. We were de- 
 termined to show the “ spouter ” how things could be done 
 in a smart ship, with a good crew, though not more than 
 half their number. The royal yards were all crossed at 
 once, and royals and sky-sails set, and, as we had the wind 
 free, the booms were run out, and every one was aloft, active 
 
204 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 as cats, laying out on the yards and booms, reeving the 
 studding-sail gear ; and sail after sail the captain piled upon 
 her, until she was covered with canvas, her sails looking 
 like a great white cloud resting upon a black speck. Be- 
 fore we doubled the point, we were going at a dashing 
 rate, and leaving the shipping far astern. We had a fine 
 breeze to take us through the Canal, as they call this bay 
 of forty miles long by ten wide. The breeze died away at 
 night, and we were becalmed all day on Sunday, about 
 half way between Santa Barbara and Point Conception. 
 Sunday night tve had a light, fair wind, which set us up 
 again ; and having a fine sea-breeze on the first part of 
 Monday, we had the prospect of passing, without any 
 trouble, Point Conception, — the Cape Horn of California, 
 where it begins to blow the first of January, and blows all 
 the year round. Toward the latter part of the afternoon, 
 however, the regular northwest wind, as usual, set in, 
 which brought in our studding-sails, and gave us the 
 chance of beating round the Point, which we were new 
 just abreast of, and which stretched off into the Pacific, 
 high, rocky and barren, forming the central point of the 
 coast for hundreds of miles north and south. A cap-full 
 of wind will be a bag-full here, and before night our royals 
 were furled, and the ship was laboring hard under her 
 top-gallant sails. At eight bells our watch went below, 
 leaving her with as much sail as she could stagger under, 
 the water flying over the forecastle at every plunge. It 
 was evidently blowing harder, but then there was not a 
 cloud in the sky, and the sun had gone down bright. 
 
 We had been below but a short time, before we had 
 the -usual premonitions of a coming gale : seas washing 
 over the whole forward part of the vessel, and her bows 
 beating against them with a force and sound like the driv- 
 ing of piles. The watch, too, seemed very busy trampling 
 about decks, and singing out at the ropes. A sailor can 
 always tell, by the sound, what sail is coming in, and, in a 
 short time, we heard the top-gallant sails come in, one 
 after another, and then the flying jib. This seemed to 
 ease her a good deal, and we were fast going off to the 
 land of Nod, when — bang, bang, bang — on the scuttle, 
 and “ All hands, reef top-sails, ahoy ! ” started us out 4 
 of our berths ; and, it not being very cold weather, w§ 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 20 r 
 
 had nothing extra to put on, and were soon on deck. I 
 shall never forget the fineness of the sight. It was a 
 clear, and rather a chilly night ; the stars were twink- 
 ling with an intense brightness, and as far as the eyes 
 could reach, there was not a cloud to be seen. The 
 horizon met the sea in a defined line. A painter could 
 not have painted so clear a sky. There was not a speck 
 upon it. Yet it was blowing great guns from the north- 
 west. When you can see a cloud to windward, you feel 
 that there is a place for the wind to come from ; but here, 
 it seemed to come from nowhere. No person could have 
 told, from the heavens, by their eyesight alone, that it was 
 not a still summer’s night. One reef after another, we 
 took in the top-sails, and before we could get them hoisted 
 up, we heard a sound like a short, quick rattling of 
 thunder, and the jib was blown to atoms out of the bolt- 
 rope. We got the top-sails set, and the fragments of the 
 jib stowed away, and the fore top-mast stay-sail, set in its 
 place, when the great main-sail gaped open, and the sail 
 ripped from head to foot. “ Lay up on that main-yard 
 and furl the sail, before it blows to tatters ! ” shouted the 
 captain ; and in a moment, we were up, gathering the re- 
 mains of it upon the yard. We got it wrapped round the 
 yard, and passed gaskets over it as snugly as possible, and 
 were just on deck again, when, with another loud rent, 
 ‘which was heard throughout the ship, the fore topsail, 
 wnich had been double-reefed, split in two, athwartships, 
 just below the reef band, from earing to earing. Here 
 again it was down yard, haul out reef-tackles, and lay out 
 upon the yard for reefing. By hauling the reef-tackles 
 chock-a-block, we took the strain from the other earings, 
 and passing the close-reef earing, and knotting the points 
 carefully, we succeeded in setting the sail, close-reefed. 
 
 We had but just got the rigging coiled up, and were 
 waiting to hear “go below the watch !” when the main 
 royal worked loose from the gaskets, and blew directly out 
 to leeward, flapping, and shaking the mast like a wand. 
 Here was a job for somebody. The royal must come in 
 or be cut adrift, or the mast would be snapped short off. 
 All the light hands in the starboard watch were sent up, 
 - one after another, but they could do nothing with it. At 
 length, John, the tall Frenchman, the head of the star- 
 
206 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 board watch, (and a better sailor never stepped upon a 
 deck,) sprang aloft, and, by the help of his long arms and 
 legs, succeeded, after a hard struggle, — the sail blowing 
 over the yard-arm to leeward, and the sky-sail blowing 
 directly over his head, — in smothering it, and trapping it 
 with long pieces of sinnet. He came very near being 
 blown or shaken from the yard, several times, but he was 
 a true sailor, every finger a fish-hook. Having made the 
 sail snug, he prepared to send the yard down, which was a 
 long and difficult job ; for, frequently, he was obliged to 
 stop and hold on with all his might, for several minutes, 
 the ship pitching so as to make it impossible to do any- 
 thing else at that height. The yard at length came down 
 safe, and after it, the fore and mizen royal-yards were sent 
 down. All hands were then sent aloft, and for an hour or 
 two we were hard at work, making the booms well fast ; 
 unreeving the studding-sail and royal and sky-sail gear ; 
 getting rolling-ropes on the yards ; setting up the weather 
 breast-backstays ; and making other preparations for a 
 storm. It was a fine night for a gale ; just cool and 
 bracing enough for quick work, without being cold, and as 
 bright as day. It was sport to have a gale in such weather 
 as this. Yet it blew like a hurricane. The wind seemed 
 to come with a spite, an edge to it, which threatened to 
 scrape us off the yards. The mere force of the wind was 
 greater than I had ever seen it before ; but darkness, cold 
 and wet are the worst parts of a storm, to a sailor. 
 
 Having got on deck again, we looked round to see 
 what time of night it was, and whose watch. In a few 
 minutes the man at the wheel struck four bells, and we 
 found that the other watch was out, and our own half out. 
 Accordingly, the starboard watch went below, and left the 
 ship to us for a couple of hours, yet with orders to stand 
 by for a call. 
 
 Hardly had they got below, before away went the fore 
 top-mast stay-sail, blown to ribbons. This was a small 
 sail, whieh we could manage in the watch, so that we were 
 not obliged to call up the other watch. We laid out upon 
 the bowsprit, where we were under water half the time, 
 and took in the fragments of the sail, and as she must 
 have some head sail on her, prepared to bend another 
 stay-sail. We got the new one out, into the nettings; 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 20J 
 
 seized on the tack, sheets, and halyards, and the hanks ; 
 manned the halyards, cut adrift the frapping lines, and 
 hoisted away ; but before it was half way up the stay, it 
 was blown all to pieces. When we belayed the halyards, 
 there was nothing left but the bolt-rope. Now large eyes 
 began to show themselves in the foresail, and knowing 
 that it must soon go, the mate ordered us upon the yard to 
 furl it. Being unwilling to call up the watch who had 
 been on deck all night, he roused out the carpenter, sail- 
 maker, cook, steward, and other idlers, and, with their 
 help, we manned the fore-yard, and, after nearly half an 
 hour’s struggle, mastered the sail, and got it well furled 
 round the yard. The force of the wind had never been 
 greater than at this moment. In going up the rigging, it 
 seemed absolutely to pin us down to the shrouds; and on 
 the yard, there was no such thing as turning a face to 
 windward. Yet here was no driving sleet, and darkness, 
 and wet, and cold, as off Cape Horn ; and instead of a 
 stiff oil-cloth suit, southwester caps, and thick boots, we 
 had on hats, round jackets, duck trowsers, light shoes, and 
 everything light and easy. All these things make a great 
 difference to a sailor. When we got on deck, the man at 
 the wheel struck eight bells, (four o’clock in the morning,) 
 and “ All starbowlines, ahoy ! ” brought the other watch 
 up. But there was no going below for us. The gale was 
 now at its height, “blowing like scissors and thumb- 
 screws ; ” the captain was on deck ; the ship, which was 
 light, rolling and pitching as though she would shake the 
 lang sticks out of her ; and the sails gaping open and 
 splitting, in every direction. The mizen top-sail, which 
 was a comparatively new sail, and close-reefed, split, from 
 head to foot, in the bunt ; the fore top-sail went, in one 
 rent, from clew to earing, and was blowing to tatters ; one 
 of the chain bobstays parted ; the sprit-sail yard sprung in 
 the slings ; the martingale had slued away off to leeward ; 
 and, owing to the long dry weather, the lee rigging hung 
 in large bights, at every lurch. One of the main top- 
 gallant shrouds had parted ; and, to crown all, the galley 
 had got adrift, and gone over to leeward, and the anchor 
 on the lee bow had worked loose, and was thumping the 
 side. Here was work enough for all hands for half a day. 
 Our gang laid out on the mizen top-sail yard, and after 
 
208 TWO years before the mast 
 
 more than half an hour’s hard work, furled the sail, though 
 it bellied out over our heads, and again, by a slat of the 
 wind, blew it under the yard, with a fearful jerk, and 
 almost threw us off from the foot-ropes. 
 
 Double gaskets were passed round the yards, rolling 
 tackles and other gear bowsed taught, and everything 
 made as secure as could be. Coming down, we found the 
 rest of the crew just laying down the fore rigging, having 
 furled the tattered top-sail, or, rather, swathed it round 
 the yard, which looked like a broken limb, bandaged. 
 There was no sail now on the ship but the spanker and 
 the close-reefed main top-sail, which still held good. But 
 this was too much after sail ; and order was given to furl 
 the spanker. The brails were hauled up, and all the light 
 hands in the starboard watch sent out on the gaff to pass 
 the gaskets ; but they could do nothing with it. The 
 second mate swore at them for a parcel of “ sogers,” and 
 sent up a couple of the best men ; but they could do no 
 better, and the gaff was lowered down. All hands were 
 now employed in setting up the lee rigging, fishing the 
 sprit-sail yard, lashing the galley, and getting tackles upon 
 the martingale, to bowse it to windward. Being in the lar- 
 board watch, my duty was forward, to assist in setting up 
 the martingale. Three of us were out on the martingale 
 guys and back-ropes for more than half an hour, carrying 
 out, hooking and unhooking the tackles, several times 
 buried in the seas, until the mate ordered us in, from fear 
 of our being washed off. The anchors were then to be 
 taken up on the rail, which kept all hands on the forecastle 
 for an hour, though every now and then the seas broke 
 over it, washing the rigging off to leeward, filling the lee 
 scuppers breast high, and washing chock aft to the taff rail. 
 
 Having got everything secure again, we were promis- 
 ing ourselves some breakfast, for it was now nearly nine 
 o’clock in the forenoon, when the main top-sail showed 
 evident signs of giving way. Some sail must be kept on 
 the ship, and the captain ordered the fore and main 
 spencer gaffs to be lowered down, and the two spencers 
 (which were storm sails, bran new, small, and made of the 
 strongest canvas) to be got up and bent ; leaving the 
 main top-sail to blow away, with a blessing on it, if it 
 would only last until we could set the spencers. These 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 209 
 
 we bent on very carefully, with strong robands and seiz- 
 ings, and making tackles fast to the clues, bowsed them 
 down to the water-ways. By this time the main top-sail 
 was among the things that have been, and we went aloft 
 to stow away the remnant of the last sail of all those 
 which were on the ship twenty-four hours before. The 
 spencers were now the only whole sails on the ship, and 
 being strong and small, and near the deck, presenting but 
 little surface to the wind above the rail, promised to hold 
 out well. Hove-to under these, and eased by having no 
 sail above the tops, the ship rose and fell, and drifted off 
 to leeward like a line-of-battle ship. 
 
 It was now eleven o’clock, and the watch was sent be- 
 low to get breakfast, and at eight bells (noon), as every- 
 thing was snug, although the gale had not in the least 
 abated, the watch was set, and the other watch and idlers 
 sent below. For three days and three nights, the gale 
 continued with unabated fury, and with singular regularity. 
 There were no lulls, and very little variation in its fierce- 
 ness. Our ship, being light, rolled so as almost to send 
 the fore yard-arm under water, and drifted off bodily, to 
 leeward. All this time there was not a cloud to be seen in 
 the sky, day or night ; — no, not so large as a man’s hand. 
 Every morning the sun rose cloudless from the sea, and 
 set again at night, in the sea, in a flood of light. The 
 stars, too, came out of the blue, one after another, night 
 after night, unobscured, and twinkled as clear as on a still 
 frosty night at home, until the day came upon them. All 
 this time, the sea was rolling in immense surges, white 
 with foam, as far as the eye could reach, on every side, 
 for we were now leagues and leagues from shore. 
 
 The between-decks being empty, several of us slept 
 there in hammocks, which are the best things in the world 
 to sleep in during a storm ; it not being true of them, as 
 it is of another kind of bed, “ when the wind blows, the 
 cradle will rock ” ; for it is the ship that rocks, while they 
 always hang vertically from the beams. During these 
 seventy-two hours we had nothing to do, but to turn in and 
 out, four hours on deck, and four below, eat, sleep, and 
 keeo watch. The watches were only varied by taking the 
 helm in turn, and now and then, by one of the sails, which 
 w *e furled, blowing out of the gaskets, and getting adrift, 
 
*10 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 which sent us up on the yards ; and by getting tackles on 
 different parts of the rigging, which were slack. Once, 
 the wheel-rope parted, which might have been fatal to us, 
 had not the chief mate sprung instantly with a relieving 
 tackle to windward, and kept the tiller up, till a new one 
 could be rove. On the morning of the twentieth, at day- 
 break, the gale had evidently done its worst, and had 
 somewhat abated ; so much so, that all hands were called 
 to bend new sails, although it was still blowing as hard 
 as two common gales. One at a time, and with great 
 difficulty and labor, the old sails were unbent and sent 
 down by the buntlines, and three new top-sails, made for 
 the homeward passage round Cape Horn, and which had 
 never been bent, were got up from the sail-room, and, 
 under the care of the sailmaker, were fitted for bending, 
 and sent up by the halyards into the tops, and, with stops 
 and trapping lines, were bent to the yards, close-reefed, 
 sheeted home, and hoisted. These were done one at a 
 time, and with the greatest care and difficulty. Two spare 
 courses were then got up and bent in the same manner and 
 furled, and a storm-jib, with the bonnet off, bent and furled 
 to the boom. It was twelve o’clock before we got through ; 
 and five hours of more exhausting labor I never ex- 
 perienced ; and no one of that ship’s crew, I will venture 
 to say, will ever desire again to unbend and bend five 
 large sails, in the teeth of a tremendous northwester. 
 Towards night, a few clouds appeared in the horizon, and 
 as the gale moderated, the usual appearance of driving 
 clouds relieved the face of the sky. The fifth day after 
 the commencement of the storm, we shook a reef out of 
 each top-sail, and set the reefed fore-sail, jib, and spanker ; 
 but it was not until after eight days of reefed top-sails that 
 we had a whole sail on the ship ; and then it was quite 
 soon enough, for the captain was anxious to make up for 
 leeway, the gale having blown us half the distance to the 
 Sandwich Islands. 
 
 Inch by inch, as fast as the gale would permit, we made 
 sail on the ship, for the wind still continued a-head, and 
 we had many days’ sailing to get back to the longitude we 
 were in when the storm took us. For eight days more we 
 beat to windward under a stiff top-gallant breeze, when the 
 wind shifted and became variable. A light southeaster, 
 
TWO YEATS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 2 1 1 
 
 to which we could carry a reefed top-mast studding-sail, 
 did wonders for our dead reckoning. 
 
 Friday , December \th , after a passage of twenty days, 
 we arrived at the mouth of the bay of San Francisco, 
 
 CHAPTER XXVI. 
 
 OuRjdace of destination had been Monterey, but as 
 we were to the northward of it when the wind hauled a- 
 head, we made a fair wind for San Francisco. This large 
 bay, which lies in latitude 37 0 58', was discovered by Sir 
 Francis Drake, and by him represented to be (as indeed 
 it is) a magnificent bay, containing several good harbors, 
 great depth of water, and surrounded by a fertile and 
 finely-wooded country. About thirty miles from the mouth 
 of the bay, and on the southeast side, is a high point 
 upon which the presidio is built. Behind this, is the har- 
 bor in which trading vessels anchor, and near it, the mis- 
 sion of San Francisco, and a newly begun settlement, 
 mostly of Yankee Californians, called Yerba Buena which 
 promises well. Here, at anchor, and the only vessel was a 
 brig under Russian colors, from Asitka, in Russian Amer- 
 ica, which had come down to winter, and to take in a sup 
 ply of tallow and grain, great quantities of which latter ar- 
 ticle are raised in the missions at the head of the bay. 
 The second day after our arrival, we went on board the 
 brig, it being Sunday, as a matter of curiosity ; and there 
 was enough there to gratify it. Though no larger than the 
 Pilgrim, she had five or six officers, and a crew of between 
 twenty and thirty ; and such a stupid and greasy-looking 
 set, I certainly never saw before. Although it was quite 
 comfortable weather, and we had nothing on but straw 
 hats, shirts, and duck trowsers, and were barefooted, they 
 had, every man of them, doubled-soled boots, coming 
 up to the knees, and well greased ; thick woollen trowsers, 
 frocks, waistcoats, pea-jackets, woollen caps, and everything 
 in true Nova Zembla rig ; and in the warmest days they 
 made no change. The clothing of one of these men would 
 weigh nearly as much as that of half our crew. They had 
 
212 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST, 
 
 brutish faces, looked like the antipodes of sailors, and ap* 
 parently dealt in nothing but grease. They lived upon 
 grease ; eat it, drank it, slept in the midst of it, and their 
 clothes were covered with it. To a Russian, grease is the 
 greatest luxury. They looked with greedy eyes upon the 
 tallow-bags as they were taken into the vessel, and, no 
 doubt, would have eaten one up whole, had not the officer 
 kept watch over it. The grease seemed actually coming 
 through their pores, and out in their hair, and on their 
 faces. It seems as if it were this saturation which makes 
 them stand cold and rain so well. If they were to go into 
 a warm climate, they would all die of the scurvy. 
 
 The vessel was no better than the crew. Everything 
 was in the oldest and most inconvenient fashion possible : 
 running trusses on the yards, and large hawser cables, 
 coiled all over the decks, and served and parcelled in all 
 directions. The top-masts, top-gallant masts, and studding- 
 sail-booms were nearly black for want of scraping, and the 
 decks would have turned the stomach of a man-of-war’s- 
 man, The galley was down in the forecastle; and there 
 the crew lived, in the midst of the steam and grease of the 
 cooking, in a place as hot as an oven, and as dirty as a pig- 
 sty. Five minutes in the forecastle was enough for us, and 
 we were glad to get into the open air. We made some 
 trade with them, buying Indian curiosities, of which they 
 had a great number; such as bead-work, feathers of birds, 
 fur mocassins, etc. I purchased a large robe, made of the 
 skins of some animal, dried and sewed nicely together, and 
 covered all over on the outside with thick downy feathers, 
 taken from the breasts of various birds, and arranged with 
 their different colors, so as to make a brilliant show. 
 
 A few days after our arrival, the rainy season set in, and, 
 for three weeks, it rained almost every hour, without cessa- 
 tion. This was bad for our trade, for the collecting of hides 
 is managed differently in this port from what it is in any 
 other on the coast. The mission of San Francisco, near 
 the anchorage, has no trade at all, but 'those of San Jose. 
 Santa Clara, and others, situated on large creeks or rivers 
 which run into the bay, and distant between fifteen and 
 forty miles from the anchorage, do a greater business in 
 hides than any in California. Large boats, manned by In- 
 dians, and capable of carrying nearly a thousand hides 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 213 
 
 apiece, are attached to the missions, and sent down to the 
 vessels with hides, to bring away goods in return. Some 
 of the crews of the vessels are obliged to go and come in 
 the boats, to look out for the hides and goods. These are 
 favorite expeditions with the sailors, in fine weather ; but 
 now, to be gone three or four days, in open boats, in con- 
 stant rain, without any shelter, and with cold food, was 
 hard service. Two of our men went up to Santa Clara in 
 one of these boats and were gone three days, during all 
 which time they had a constant rain, and did not sleep a 
 wink, but passed three long nights, walking fore and aft the 
 boat, in the open air. When they got on board, they were 
 completely exhausted, and took a watch below of twelve 
 hours. All the hides, too, that came down in the boats, 
 were soaked with water, and unfit to put below, so that we 
 were obliged to trice them up to dry, in the intervals of 
 sunshine or wind, upon all parts of the vessel. We got up 
 tricing-lines from the jib- boom-end to each arm of the fore 
 yard, and thence to the main and cross-jack yard-arms. 
 Between the tops, too, and the mast-heads, from the fore 
 to the main swifters, and thence to the mizen rigging, and 
 in all directions athwart-ships, tricing-lines were run, and 
 strung with hides. The head stays and guys, and the sprit- 
 sail yard, were lined, and, having still more, we got out the 
 swinging booms, and strung them and the forward and 
 after guys, with hides. The rail, fore and aft, the windlass, 
 capstan, the sides of the ship, and every vacant place on 
 deck, were covered with wet hides, on the least sign of an 
 interval for drying. Our ship was nothing but a mass of 
 hides, from the cat-harpins to the water's edge, and from 
 the jib-boom-end to the taffrail. 
 
 One cold rainy evening, about eight o’clock, I received or- 
 ders to get ready to start for San Jose at four the next morn- 
 ing, in one of these Indian boats, with four days' provisions. 
 I got my oil-cloth clothes, southwester, and thick boots 
 all ready, and turned into my hammock early, determined 
 to get some sleep in advance, as the boat was to be along- 
 side before daybreak. I slept on till all hands were call- 
 ed in the morning ; for, fortunately for me, the Indians, 
 intentionally, or from mistaking their orders, had gone oil 
 alone in the night, and were far out of sight. Thus I 
 escaped three or four days of very uncomfortable service. 
 
214 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST \ 
 
 Four of our men, a few days afterwards, went up in one 
 of the quarter-boats to Santa Clara, to carry the agent, and 
 remained out all night in a drenching rain, in the small 
 boat, where there was not room for them to turn round ; 
 the agent having gone up to the mission and left the 
 men to their fate, making no provision for their accommoda- 
 tion, and not even sending them anything to eat. After 
 this, they had to pull thirty miles, and when they got on 
 board, were so stiff that they could not come up the gang- 
 way ladder. This filled up the measure of the agent’s un- 
 popularity, and never after this could he get anything done 
 by any of the crew ; and many a delay and vexation, and 
 many a good ducking in the surf, did he get to pay up the 
 old scores, or “ square the yards with the bloody quill- 
 driver.” 
 
 Having collected nearly all the hides that were to 
 be procured, we began our preparations for taking in a 
 supply of wood and water, for both of which, San 
 Francisco is the best place on the cost. A small isl- 
 and, situated about two leagues from the anchorage, 
 called by us “ Wood Island,” and by the Spaniards “ Isla 
 de los Angelos,” was covered with trees to the water’s 
 edge ; and to this, two of our crew, who were Kennebec 
 men, and could handle an axe like a plaything, were sent 
 every morning to cut wood, with two boys to pile it up for 
 them. In about a week, they had cut enough to last us a 
 year, and the third mate, with myself and three others, 
 were sent over in a large, schooner-rigged, open launch, 
 which we had hired of the mission, to take in the wood, 
 and bring it to the ship. We left the ship about noon, but, 
 owing to a strong head wind, and a tide, which here runs 
 four or five knots, did not get into the harbor, formed by 
 two points of the island, where the boats lie, until sun- 
 down. No sooner had we come-to, than a strong south- 
 easter, which had been threatening us all day, set in, with 
 heavy rain and a chilly atmosphere. We were in rather a 
 bad situation : an open boat, a heavy rain, and a long 
 night; for in winter, in this latitude, it was dark nearly 
 fifteen hours. Taking a small skiff which we had brought 
 with us, we went ashore, but found no shelter, for every- 
 thing was open to the rain, and collecting a little wood, 
 which we found by lifting up the leaves and brush, and a few 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 2l 5 
 
 muscles, we put aboard again, and made the best prepara- 
 tions in our power for passing the night. We unbent the 
 main-sail, and formed an awning with it oyer the after part 
 of the boat, made a bed of wet logs of wood, and, with our 
 jackets on, lay down, about six o’clock, to sleep. Finding 
 the rain running down upon us, and our jackets getting 
 wet through, and the rough, knotty logs rather indifferent 
 couches, we turned out ; and taking an iron pan which we 
 brought with us, we wiped it out dry, put some stones 
 around it, cut the wet bark from some sticks, and striking 
 a light, made a small fire in the pan. Keeping some sticks 
 near, to dry, and covering the whole over with a roof of 
 boards, we kept a small fire, by which we cooked our 
 muscles, and eat them, rather for an occupation than from 
 hunger. Still, it was not ten o’clock, and the night was 
 long before us, when one of the party produced an old 
 pack of Spanish cards from his monkey-jacket pocket, 
 which we hailed as a great windfall ; and keeping a dim, 
 flickering light by our fagots, we played game after game 
 till one or two o’clock, when, becoming really tired, we 
 went to our logs again, one sitting up at a time, in turn, to 
 keep watch over the fire. Toward morning, the rain 
 ceased, and the air became sensibly colder, so that we found 
 sleep impossible, and sat up watching for daybreak. No 
 sooner was it light than we went ashore, and began our 
 preparations for loading our vessel. We were not mistaken 
 in the coldness of the weather, for a white frost was on 
 the ground, a thing we had never seen before in California, 
 and one or two little puddles of fresh water were skim- 
 med over with a thin coat of ice. In this state of the 
 weather, and before sunrise, in the gray of the morning, we 
 had to wade off, nearly up to our hips in water, to load 
 the skiff with the wood by arms-full. The third mate re- 
 mained on board the launch, two more staid in the skiff, 
 to load and manage it, and all the water-work, as usual, 
 fell upon the two youngest of us ; and there we were, with 
 frost on the ground, wading forward tnd back, from the 
 beach to the boat, with arms-full of wood, barefooted, and 
 our trowsers rolled up. When the skiff went off with her 
 load, we could only keep our feet from freezing by racing 
 up and down the beach on the hard sand, as fast as we 
 could go. We were all day at this work, and toward sun- 
 
2l6 
 
 WO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 down, having loaded the vessel as deep as she would bear, 
 we hove up our anchor, and made sail, beating out of the 
 bay. No sooner had we got into the large bay, than we 
 found a strong tide setting us out to seaward, a thick fog 
 which prevented our seeing the ship, and a breeze too light 
 to set us against the tide ; for we were as deep as a sand 
 barge. By the utmost exertions, we saved ourselves from 
 being carried out to sea, and were glad to reach the leeward- 
 most point of the island, where we came-to, and prepared 
 to pass another night, more uncomfortable than the first, 
 for we were loaded up to the gunwale, and had only a 
 choice among logs and sticks for a resting-place. The 
 next morning, we made sail at slack water, with a fair 
 wind, and got on board by eleven o'clock, when all hands 
 were turned-to, to unload and stow away the wood, which 
 took till night. 
 
 Having now taken in all our wood, the next morning a 
 water-party was ordered off with all the casks. From this 
 we escaped, having had a pretty good siege with the wood- 
 ing. The water-party were gone three days, during which 
 time they narrowly escaped being carried out to sea, and 
 passed one day on an island, where one of them shot a 
 deer, great numbers of which overrun the islands and hills 
 of San Francisco Bay. 
 
 While not off, on these wood and water parties, or up 
 the rivers to the missions, we had very easy times on board 
 the ship. We were moored stem and stern, within a 
 cable's length of the shore, safe from southeasters, and 
 with very little boating to do ; and as it rained nearly all 
 the time, awnings were put over the hatchways, and all 
 hands sent down between decks, where we were at work, 
 day after day, picking oakum, until we got enough to caulk 
 the ship all over, and to last the whole voyage. Then we 
 made a whole suit of gaskets for the voyage home, a pair 
 of wheel-ropes from strips of green hide, great quantities 
 of spun-yarn, and everything else that could be made be- 
 tween decks. It being now mid-winter and in high latitude, 
 the nights were very long, so that we were not turned-to 
 until se\ en in the morning, and were obliged to knock off 
 at five in the evening, when we got supper ; which gave us 
 nearly three hours before eight bells, at which time the 
 watch was set. 
 
TWO YEATS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 217 
 
 As we had now been about a year on the coast, it was 
 time to think of the voyage home ; and knowing that the 
 la t two or three months of our stay would be busy ones, 
 and that we should never have so good an opportunity to 
 work for ourselves as the present, we all employed our 
 evenings in making clothes for the passage home, and more 
 especially for Cape Horn. As soon as supper was over 
 and the kids cleared away, and each one had taken his 
 smoke, we seated ourselves on our chests round the lamp, 
 which swung from a beam, and each one went to work in 
 his own way, some making hats, others trowsers, others 
 jackets, etc. etc. ; and no one was idle. The boys who 
 could not sew well enough to make their own clothes, laid 
 up grass into sinnet, for the men, who sewed for them in 
 return. Several of us clubbed together and bought a large 
 piece of twilled cotton, which we made into trowsers and 
 jackets, and giving them several coats of linseed oil, laid 
 them by for Cape Horn. I also sewed and covered a tar- 
 paulin hat, thick and strong enough to sit down upon, and 
 made myself a complete suit of flannel under-clothing, for 
 bad weather. Those who had no southwester caps, made 
 them, and several of the crew made themselves tarpaulin 
 jackets and trowsers, lined on the inside with flannel. 
 Industry was the order of the day, and everyone did some- 
 thing for himself ; for we knew that as the season ad- 
 vanced, and we went further south, we should have no 
 evenings to work in. 
 
 Friday , December 25 tk. This day was Christmas ; and 
 as it rained all day long, and there were no hides to take 
 in, and nothing especial to do, the captain gave us a holy- 
 day, (the first we had had since leaving Boston, ) and plum 
 duff for dinner. The Russian brig, following the Old 
 Style, had celebrated their Christmas eleven days before ; 
 when they had a grand blow-out and ( as our men said ) 
 drank in the forecastle, a barrel of gin, ate up a bag of 
 tallow, and made a soup of the skin. 
 
 Sunday , December zyth. We had now finished all our 
 business at this port, and it being Sunday, we unmoored 
 ship and got under weigh, firing a salute to the Russian 
 brig, and another to the presidio, which were both answered. 
 The commandant of the presidio, Don Gaudaloupe Villego, 
 a young man, and the most popular, among the Americans 
 
2l8 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 and English, of any man in California, was on board when 
 we got under weigh. He spoke English very well and 
 was suspected of being favorably inclined to foreigners. 
 
 We sailed down this magnificent bay with a light wind, 
 the tide, which was running out, carrying us at the rate of 
 four or five knots. It was a fine day ; the first of entire 
 sunshine we had had for more than a month. We passed 
 directly under the high cliff on which the presidio is built, 
 and stood into the middle of the bay, from whence we could 
 see small bays, making up into the interior, on every side ; 
 large and beautifully-wooded islands ; and the mouths of 
 several small rivers. If California ever becomes a pros- 
 perous country, this bay will be the centre of its prosperity. 
 The abundance of wood and water, the extreme fertility of 
 its shores, the excellence of its climate, which is as near 
 to being perfect as any in the world, and its facilities for 
 navigation, affording the best anchoring-grounds in the 
 whole western coast of America, all fit it for a place of 
 great importance ; and indeed, it has attracted much at- 
 tention, for the settlement of “ Yerba Buena,” where we 
 lay at anchor, made chiefly by Americans and English, and 
 which bids fair to become the most important trading place 
 on the coast, at this time began to supply traders, Russian 
 ships, and whalers, with their stores of wheat and frijoles. 
 
 The tide leaving us, we came to anchor near the mouth 
 of the bay, under a high and beautifully sloping hill, upon 
 which herds of hundreds and hundreds of red deer, and 
 the stag, with his high branching antlers, were bounding 
 about, looking at us for a moment, and then starting off, 
 affrighted at the noises which we made, for the purpose of 
 seeing the variety of their beautiful attitudes and motions. 
 
 At midnight, the tide having turned, we hove up our 
 anchor and stood out of the bay, with a fine starry heaven 
 above us, — the first we had seen for weeks and weeks. 
 Before the light northerly winds, which blow here with the 
 regularity of trades, we worked slowly along, and made 
 Point Ano Nuevo, the northerly point of the Bay of Mon- 
 terey, on Monday afternoon. We spoke, going in, the 
 brig Diana, of the Sandwich Islands, from the Northwest 
 Coast, last from Asitka. She was off the point at the 
 same time with us, but did not get in to the anchoring- 
 ground until an hour or two after us. It was ten o’clock 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 219 
 
 on Tuesday morning when we came to anchor. The town 
 looked just as it did when I saw it last, which was eleven 
 months before, in the brig Pilgrim. The pretty lawn on 
 which it stands, as green as sun and rain could make it ; 
 the pine wood on the south ; the small river on the north 
 side ; the houses, with their white plastered sides and red- 
 tiled roofs, dotted about on the green ; the low, white pre- 
 sidio, with its soiled, tri-colored flag flying, and the discor- 
 dant din of drums and trumpets for the noon parade ; all 
 brought up of the scene we had witnessed were with so 
 much pleasure nearly a year before, when coming from a 
 long voyage, and our unprepossessing reception at Santa 
 Barbara, It seemed almost like coming to a home. 
 
 CHAPTER XXVII. 
 
 The only other vessel in the port was a Russian govern- 
 ment bark, from Asitka, mounting eight guns, (four of 
 which we found to be Quakers, ) and having on board the 
 ex-governor, who was going in her to Mazatlan, and thence 
 over land to Vera Cruz. He offered to take letters and 
 deliver them to the American consul at Vera Cruz, whence 
 they could be easily forwarded to the United States. We 
 accordingly made up a packet of letters, almost every one 
 writing, and dating them “ January 1 st, 1 836.” The 
 governor was true to his promise, and they all reached 
 Boston before the middle of March ; the shortest com- 
 munication ever yet made across the country. 
 
 The brig Pilgrim had been lying in Monterey through 
 the latter part of November, according to orders, waiting 
 for us. Day after day, Captain Faucon went up to the 
 hill to look out for us, and at last, gave us up, thinking we 
 must have gone down in the gale which we experienced off 
 Point Conception, and which had blown with great fury 
 over the whole coast, driving ashore several vessels in the 
 snuggest ports. An English brig, which had put into San 
 Francisco, lost both her anchors ; the Rosa was driven up- 
 on a mud bank in San Diego ; and the Pilgrim, with great 
 
220 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 difficulty, rode out the gale in Monterey, with three anchors 
 a-head. She sailed early in December for San Diego and 
 intermedios . 
 
 As we were to be here over Sunday, and Monterey was 
 the best place to go ashore on the whole coast, and we had 
 had no liberty day for nearly three months, every one was foi 
 going ashore. On Sunday morning as soon as the decks 
 were washed, and we had got breakfast, those who had 
 obtained liberty began to clean themselves, as it is called, 
 to go ashore. A bucket of fresh water apiece, a cake of 
 soap, a large coarse towel, and we went to work scrubbing 
 one another, on the forecastle. Having gone through this 
 the next thing was to get into the head, — one on each side, 
 — with a bucket apiece, and duck one another, by drawing 
 up water and heaving over each other, while w r e were 
 stripped to a pair of trowsers. Then came the rigging-up. 
 The usual outfit of pumps, white stockings, loose white 
 duck trowsers, blue jackets, clean checked shirts, black 
 kerchiefs, hats well varnished, with a fathom of black rib- 
 bon over the left eye, a silk handkerchief flying from the 
 outside jacket pocket, and four or five dollars tied up in 
 the back of the neckerchief, and we were “ all right.” One 
 of the quarter-boats pulled us ashore, and we streamed up 
 to the town. I tried to find the church, in order to see 
 the worship, but was told that there was no service, except 
 a mass early in the morning ; so we went about the town, 
 visiting the Americans and English, and the natives whom 
 we had known when we were here before. Toward noon 
 we procured horses, and rode out to the Carmel mission, 
 which is about a league from the town, where we got some- 
 thing in the way of a dinner — beef, eggs, frijoles, tortillas, 
 and some middling wine — from the mayordomo, who, of 
 course, refused to make any charge, as it was the Lord’s 
 gift, yet received our present, as a gratuity, with a low bow, 
 a touch of the hat, and “ Dios se lo pague ! ” 
 
 After this repast, we had a fine run, scouring the whole 
 country on our fleet horses, and came into town soon after 
 sundown. Here we found our companions who had 
 refused to go to ride with us, thinking that a sailor has no 
 more business with a horse than a fish has with a balloon. 
 They were moored, stem and stern, in a grog-shop, making 
 a great noise, with a crowd of Indians and hungry half' 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST til 
 
 breeds about them, and with a fair prospect of being 
 stripped and dirked, or left to pass the night in the cala- 
 bozo. With a great deal of trouble, we managed to get 
 them down to the boats, though not without many angry 
 looks and interferences from the Spaniards, who had 
 marked them out for their prey. The Diana’s crew — a set 
 of worthless outcasts, who had been picked up at the 
 islands from the refuse of whale-ships, — were all as drunk 
 as beasts, and had a set-to, on the beach, with their captain, 
 who was in no better state than themselves. They swore 
 they would not go aboard, and went back to the town, 
 were stripped and beaten, and lodged in the calabozo, 
 until the next day, when the captain bought them out. 
 Our forecastle, as usual, after a liberty-day, was a scene of 
 tumult all night long, from the drunken ones. They had 
 just got to sleep toward morning, when they were turned 
 up with the rest, and kept at work all day in the water, 
 carrying hides, their heads aching so that they could hardly 
 stand. This is sailors’ pleasure. 
 
 Nothing worthy of remark happened while we were 
 here, except a little boxing-match on board our own ship, 
 which gave us something to talk about. A broad-backed, 
 big-headed Cape Cod boy, about sixteen years old, had 
 been playing the bully, for the whole voyage, over a slender, 
 delicate-looking boy, from one of the Boston schools, and 
 over whom he had much the advantage, in strength, age, 
 and experience in the ship’s duty, for this was the first 
 time the Boston boy had been on salt water. The latter, 
 however, had “ picked up his crumbs,” was learning his 
 duty, and getting strength and confidence daily ; and 
 began to assert his rights against his oppressor. Still, the 
 other was his master, and, by his superior strength, always 
 tackled with him and threw him down. One afternoon, 
 before we were turned-to, these boys got into a violent 
 squabble in the between-decks, when George (the Boston 
 boy) said he would fight Nat, if he could have fair play. 
 The chief mate heard the noise, dove down the hatchway, 
 hauled them both up on deck, and told them to shake 
 hands and have no more trouble for the voyage, or else 
 they should fight till one gave in for beaten. Finding 
 neither willing to make an offer of reconciliation, he called 
 all hands up, (for the captain was ashore, and he could do 
 
122 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 as he chose aboard,) ranged the crew in the waist, marled 
 a line on the deck, brought the two boys up to it, making 
 them “ toe the mark then made the bight of a rope fast to 
 a belaying pin, and stretched it across the deck, bringing it 
 just above their waists. “No striking below the rope!” 
 And there they stood, one on each side of it, face to face, and 
 went at it like two game-cocks. The Cape Cod boy, Nat, 
 put in his double-fisters, starting the blood, and bringing 
 the black and blue spots all over the face and arms of the 
 other, whom we expected to see give in every moment : 
 but the more he was hurt the better he fought. Time 
 after time he was knocked nearly down, but up he came 
 again and faced the mark, as bold as a lion, again to take 
 the heavy blows, which sounded so as to make one’s heart 
 turn with pity for him. At length he came up to the mark 
 the last time, his shirt torn from his body, his face covered 
 with blood and bruises, and his eyes flashing fire, and 
 swore he would stand there till one or the other was killed, 
 and set-to like a young fury. “ Hurrah in the bow !” said the 
 men, cheering him on. “Well cowed !” “ Never say die, 
 
 while there’s a shot in the locker !” Nat tried to close 
 with him, knowing his advantage, but the mate stopped 
 that, saying there should be fair play, and no fingering. 
 Nat then came up to the mark, but looked white about the 
 mouth, and his blows were not given with half the spirit of 
 his first. He was evidently cowed. He had always been 
 master, and had nothing to gain, and everything to lose ; 
 while the other fought for honor and freedom, and under 
 a sense of wrong. It would not do. It was soon over. 
 Nat gave in ; not so much beaten, as cowed and mortified ; 
 and never afterwards tried to act the bully on board. We 
 took George forward, washed him in the deck-tub, compli- 
 mented his pluck, and from this time he became somebody 
 on board, having fought himself into notice. Mr. Brown’s 
 plan had a good effect, for there was. no more quarrelling 
 among the boys for the rest of the voyage. 
 
 Wednesday, January 6th. Set sail from Monterey, 
 with a number of Spaniards as passengers, and shaped 
 our course for Santa Barbara. The Diana went out of the 
 bay in company with us, but parted from us off Point Pinos, 
 being bound to the Sandwich Islands. We had a smack- 
 breeze for several hours# and went along at a great 
 
TWO YEARS' BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 223 
 
 rate, until night, when it died away, as usual, and the land- 
 breeze set in, which brought us upon a taught bowline. 
 Among our passengers was a young man who was the best 
 representation of a decayed gentleman I had ever seen. 
 He reminded me much of some of the characters in Gil 
 Bias. He was of the aristocracy of the country, his family 
 being of pure Spanish blood, and once of great importance 
 in Mexico. His father had been governor of the province, 
 and having amassed a large property, settled at San Diego, 
 where he built a large house with a courtyard in front, 
 kept a great retinue of Indians, and set up for the grandee 
 of that part of the country. His son was sent to Mexico, 
 where he received the best education, and went into the 
 first society of the capital. Misfortune, extravagance, and 
 the want of funds, or any manner of getting interest on 
 money, soon eat the estate up, and Don Juan Bandina 
 returned from Mexico accomplished, poor, and proud, and 
 without any office or occupation, to lead the life of most 
 young men of the better families — dissolute and extrava- 
 gant when the means are at hand ; ambitious at heart, and 
 impotent in act ; often pinched for bread ; keeping up an 
 appearance of style, when their poverty is known to each 
 half-naked Indian boy in the street, and they stand in 
 dread of every small trader and shopkeeper in the place. 
 He had a slight and elegant figure, moved gracefully, 
 danced and waltzed beautifully, spoke the best of Castilian, 
 with a pleasant and refined voice and accent, and had, 
 throughout, the bearing of a man of high birth and figure. 
 Yet here he was, with his passage given him, (as I afterwards 
 learned,) for he had not the means of paying for it, and 
 living upon the charity of our agent. He was polite to 
 every one, spoke to the sailors, and gave four reals — I dare 
 say the last he had in his pocket — to the steward who waited 
 upon him. I could not but feel a pity for him, especially 
 when I saw him by the side of his fellow-passenger and 
 townsman, a fat, coarse, vulgar, pretending fellow of a 
 Yankee trader, who had made money in San Diego, and who 
 was eating out the very vitals of the Bandinis, fattening upon 
 their extravagance, grinding them in their poverty ; having 
 mortgages on their lands, forestalling their cattle, and 
 already making an inroad upon their jewels, which were 
 their last hope. 
 
224 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 Don Juan had with him a retainer, who was as much 
 like many of the characters in Gil Bias as his master. He 
 called himself a private secretary, though there was no 
 writing for him to do, and he lived in the steerage with the 
 carpenter and sailmaker. He was certainly a character; 
 could read and write extremely well ; spoke good Spanish ; 
 had been all over Spanish America, and lived in every pos- 
 sible situation, and served in every conceivable capacity, 
 though generally in that of confidential servant to some 
 man of figure. I cultivated this man’s acquaintance, and 
 during the five weeks that he was with us, — for he remained 
 on board until we arrived at San Diego, — I gained a greater 
 knowledge of the state of political parties in Mexico, and 
 the habits and affairs of the different classes of society, 
 than I could have learned from almost any one else. He 
 took great pains in correcting my Spanish, and supplying 
 me with colloquial phrases, and common terms and excla : 
 mations in speaking. He lent me a file of late newspapers 
 from the city of Mexico, which were full of the triumphal 
 reception of Santa Ana, who had just returned from Tam- 
 pico after a victory, and with the preparations for his ex- 
 pedition against the Texans. “Viva Santa Ana!” was 
 the by-word everywhere, and it had even reached California, 
 though there were still many here, among whom was Don 
 Juan Bandini, who were opposed to his government, and 
 intriguing to bring in Bustamente. Santa Ana, they said, 
 was for breaking down the missions ; or, as they termed 
 it — “ Santa Ana no quiere religion.” Yet I had no doubt 
 that the office of administrador of San Diego would recon 
 cile Don Juan to any dynasty, and any state of the church. 
 In these papers, too, I found scraps of American and Eng- 
 lish news ; but which were so unconnected, and I was so 
 ignorant of everything preceding them for eighteen months 
 past, that they could not satisfy. One article spoke of 
 Taney as Justicia Mayor de los Estados Unidos, (what had 
 become of Marshall ? was he dead, or banished ?) and an- 
 other made known, by news received from Vera Cruz, 
 that “ El Vizconde Melbourne ” had returned to the office 
 of “ primer ministro,” in place of Sir Roberto Peel. (Sir 
 Robert Peel had been minster, then ? and where were Earl 
 Grey and the Duke of Wellington ?) Plere were the outlines 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 225 
 
 of a grand parliamentary overturn, the filling up which I 
 could imagine at my leisure. 
 
 The second morning after leaving Monterey, we were 
 off Point Conception. It was a bright, sunny day, and 
 the wind, though strong, was fair; and everything was in 
 striking contrast with our experience in the same place 
 two months before, when we were drifting off from a north- 
 wester under a fore and main spencer. “ Sail ho ! ” cried 
 a man who was rigging out a top-gallant studding-sail 
 boom. — “ Where away ? ” — “ Weather beam, sir I ” and in 
 a few minutes a full-rigged brig was seen standing out from 
 under Point Conception. The studding-sail halyards were 
 let go, and the yards boom-ended, the after yards braced 
 aback, and we waited her coming down. She rounded to, 
 backed her main top-sail, and showed her decks full of men, 
 four guns on a side, hammock nettings, and everything 
 man-of-war fashion, except that there was no boatswain’s 
 whistle, and no uniforms on the quarter-deck. A short, 
 square-built man, in a rough gray jacket, with a speaking- 
 trumpet in hand, stood in the weather hammock nettings. 
 “ Ship ahoy ! ” — “ Plallo ! ” — “ What ship is that, pray ? ” — ■ 
 “ Alert.” — “ Where are you from, pray ? ” etc. etc. She 
 proved to be the brig Convoy, from the Sandwich Islands, 
 engaged in otter hunting, among the islands which lie along 
 the coast. Her armament was from her being an illegal 
 trader. The otter are very numerous among these islands, 
 and being of great value, the government require a heavy 
 sum for a license to hunt them, and lay a high duty upon 
 every one shot or carried out of the country. This vessel 
 had no license, and paid no duty, besides being engaged 
 in smuggling goods on board other vessels trading on the 
 coast, and belonging to the same owners in Oahu. Our 
 captain told him to look out for the Mexicans, but he said 
 they had not an armed vessel of his size in the whole Pacific. 
 This was without doubt the same vessel that showed herself 
 off Santa Barbara a few months before. These vessels fre- 
 quently remain on the coast for years, without making port, 
 except at the islands for wood and water, and an occa- 
 sional visit to Oahu for a new outfit. 
 
 Sunday, January 10 th. Arrived at Santa Barbara, and 
 on the following Wednesday, slipped our cable and went 
 to sea,, on account of a southeaster. Returned to our an- 
 
226 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 chorage the next day. We were the only vessel in the port. 
 The Pilgrim had passed through the Canal and hove-to off 
 the town, nearly six weeks before, on her passage down 
 from Monterey, and was now at the leeward. She heard 
 here of our safe arrival at San Francisco. 
 
 Great preparations were making on shcre for the mar- 
 riage of our agent, who was to marry Donna Anneta De 
 
 G De N y C , youngest daughter of 
 
 Don Antonio N , the grandee of the place, and the 
 
 head of the first family in California. Our steward was 
 ashore three days, making pastry and cake, and some of 
 our stores were sent off with him. On the day appointed 
 for the wedding, we took the captain ashore in the gig, and 
 had orders to come for him at night, with leave to go up to 
 the house and see the fandango. Returning on board, we 
 found preparations making for a salute. Our guns were 
 loaded and run out, men appointed to each, cartridges served 
 out, matches lighted, and all the flags ready to be run up. I 
 took my place at the starboard after gun, and we all waited 
 for the signal from on shore. At ten o’clock the bride 
 went up with her sister to the confessional, dressed in deep 
 black. Nearly an hour intervened, when the great doors 
 of the mission church opened, the bells rang out a loud, 
 discordant peal, the private signal for us was run up by the 
 captain ashore, the bride, dressed in complete white, came 
 out of the church with the bridegroom, followed by a long 
 procession. Just as she stepped from the church door, a 
 small white cloud issued from the bows of our ship, which 
 was full in sight, the loud report echoed among the surround- 
 ing hills and over the bay, and instantly the ship was dressed 
 in flags and pennants from stem to stern. Twenty-three 
 guns followed in regular succession, with an interval of 
 fifteen seconds between each, when the cloud cleared away, 
 and the ship lay dressed in her colors, all day. At sundown, 
 another salute of the same number of guns was fired, and 
 all the flags run down. This we thought was pretty well — 
 a gun every fifteen seconds — for a merchantman with 
 only four guns and a dozen or twenty men. 
 
 After supper, the gig’s crew were called, and we rowed 
 ashore, dressed in our uniform, beached the boat, and 
 went up to the fandango. The bride’s father’s house was 
 the principal one in the place, with a large court in front, 
 
TWO YEATS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 227 
 
 upon which a tent was built, capable of containing several 
 hundred people. As we drew near, we heard the accus- 
 tomed sound of violins and guitars, and saw a great motion 
 of the people within. Going in, we found nearly all the 
 people of the town — men, women, and children — collected 
 and crowded together, leaving barely room for the dancers ; 
 for on these occasions no invitations are given, but every 
 one is expected to come, though there is always a private 
 entertainment within the house for particular friends. The 
 old women sat down in rows, clapping their hands to the 
 music, and applauding the young ones. The music was 
 lively, and among the tunes, we recognized several of our 
 popular airs, which we, without doubt, have taken from the 
 Spanish. In the dancing, I was much disappointed. The 
 women stood upright, with their hands down by their 
 sides, their eyes fixed upon the ground before them, and 
 slided about without any perceptible means of motion ; 
 for their feet were invisible, the hem of their dresses 
 forming a perfect circle about them, reaching to the ground. 
 They looked as grave as though they were going through 
 some religious ceremony, their faces as little excited as 
 their limbs ; and on the whole, instead of the spirited, 
 fascinating Spanish dances which I had expected, I found 
 the Californian fandango, on the part of the women at 
 least, a lifeless affair. The men did better. They danced 
 with grace and spirit, moving in circles round their nearly 
 stationary partners, and showing their figures to great 
 advantage. 
 
 A great deal was said about our friend Don Juan 
 Bandini, and when he did appear, which was toward the 
 close of the evening, he certainly gave us the most grace- 
 ful dancing that I had ever seen. He was dressed in 
 white pantaloons, neatly made, a short jacket of dark 
 silk, gaily figured white stockings and thin morocco slip- 
 pers upon his very small feet. His slight and graceful 
 figure was well calculated for dancing, and he moved about 
 with the grace and daintiness of a young fawn. An oc- 
 casional touch of the toe to the ground, seemed all that 
 was necessary to give him a long interval of motion in 
 the air. At the same time he was not fantastic or flourish- 
 ing, but appeared to be rather repressing a strong tend- 
 ency to motion. He was loudly applauded, and danced 
 
2 2S 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 frequently toward the close of the evening. After the sup- 
 per, the waltzing began, which was confined to a very few 
 of the “ gente de razon, ” and was considered a high ac- 
 complishment, and a mark of aristocracy. Here, too, Don 
 Juan figured greatly, waltzing with the sister of the bride. 
 (Donna Angustia, a handsome woman and a general, favo- 
 rite) in a variety of beautiful, but, to me, offensive figures, 
 which lasted as much as half an hour, no one else taking 
 the floor. They were repeatedly and loudly applauded, the 
 old men and women jumping out of their seats in admira- 
 tion, and the young people waving their hats and hand- 
 kerchiefs. Indeed, among people of the character of those 
 Mexicans, the waltz seemed to me to have found its right 
 place. The great amusement of the evening, — which I 
 suppose was owing to its being carnival — was the breaking 
 of eggs filled with cologne, or other essences, upon the 
 heads of the company. One end of the egg is broken and 
 the inside taken out, then it is partly filled with cologne, 
 and the whole sealed up. The women bring a great num- 
 ber of these secretly about them, and the amusement is to 
 break one upon the head of a gentleman when his back is 
 turned. He is bound in gallantry to find out the lady and 
 return the compliment, though it must not be done if the 
 person sees you. A tall, stately Don, with immense gray 
 whiskers, and a look of great importance, was standing 
 before me, when I felt a light hand on my shoulder, and 
 turning around, saw Donna Angustia, (whom all knew, as 
 she had been up to Monterey, and down again, in the 
 Alert), with her finger upon her lip, motioning me gently 
 aside. I stepped btick a little, when she went up behind 
 the Don, and with one hand knocked off his huge sombrero , 
 and at the same instant with the other, broke the egg upon 
 his head, and springing behind me, was out of sight in a 
 moment. The Don turned slowly round, the cologne run- 
 ning down his face, and over his clothes, and a loud laugh 
 breaking out from every quarter. He looked round in 
 vain, for some time, until the direction of so many laugh- 
 ing eyes showed him the fair offender. She was his niece, 
 and a great favorite with him, so old Don Domingo had 
 to join in the laugh. A great many such tricks were play- 
 ed, and many a war of sharp manceuvering was carried on 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 229 
 
 between couples of the younger people, and at every suc- 
 cessful exploit a general laugh was raised. 
 
 Another singular custom I was for some time at a loss 
 about. A pretty young girl was dancing, named, after 
 what would appear to us the sacrilegious custom of the 
 country — Espiritu Santo, when a young man went behind 
 her and placed his hat directly upon her head, letting it 
 fall down over her eyes, and sprang back among the crowd. 
 She danced for some time with the hat on, when she threw 
 it off, which called forth a general shout ; and the young 
 man was obliged to go out upon the floor and pick it up. 
 Some of the ladies, upon whose heads hats had been 
 placed, threw them off at once, and a few kept them on 
 throughout the dance, and took them off at the end, and 
 held them out in their hands, when the owner stepped out, 
 bowed, and took it from them. I soon began to suspect 
 the meaning of the thing, and was afterwards told that it 
 was a compliment, and an offer to become the lady’s gal- 
 lant for the rest of the evening, and to wait upon her home. 
 If the hat was thrown off, the offer was refused, and the 
 gentleman was obliged to pick up his hat amid a general 
 laugh. Much amusement was caused some times by gen- 
 tlemen putting hats on the ladies’ heads, without permitting 
 them to see whom it was done by. This obliged them to 
 throw them off, or keep them on at a venture, and when 
 they came to discover the owner the laugh was often turned 
 upon them. 
 
 The captain sent for us about ten o’clock, and we went 
 aboard in high spirits, having enjoyed the new scene much, 
 and were of great importance among the crew, from having 
 so much to tell, and from the prospect of going every night 
 until it was over ; for these fandangos generally last three 
 days. The next day, two of us were sent up to the town, 
 and took care to come back by way of Capitan Noriego’s, 
 and take a look into the booth. The musicians were still 
 there, upon their platform, scraping and twanging away, 
 and a few people, apparently of the lower classes, were 
 dancing. The dancing is kept up, at intervals, through- 
 out the day, but the crowd, the spirit, and the elite, come in 
 at night. The next night, which was the last, we went 
 ashore in the same manner, until we got almost tired of the 
 monotonous twang of the instruments, the drawling sound?? 
 
230 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 which the women kept up, as an accompaniment, and the 
 slapping of the hands in time with the music, in place oi 
 castanets. We found ourselves as great objects of attem 
 tion as any persons or anything at the place. Our sailor 
 dresses — and we took great pains to have them neat and 
 ship-shape — were much admired, and we were invited, from 
 every quarter, to give them an American sailor’s dance ; 
 but after the ridiculous figure some of our countrymen cut, 
 in dancing after the Spaniards, we thought it best to leave 
 it to their imaginations. Our agent, with a tight, black, 
 swallow-tailed coat, just imported from Boston, a high stiff 
 cravat, looking as if he had been pinned and skewered, with 
 only his feet and hands left free, took the floor just after 
 Bandini ; and we thought they had had enough of Yankee 
 grace. 
 
 The last night they kept it up in great style, and 
 were getting into a high-go when the captain called us off 
 to go aboard, for, it being southeaster season, he was afraid 
 to remain on shore long ; and it was well he did not, for 
 that very night, we slipped our cables, as a crowner to our 
 fun ashore, and stood off before a southeaster, which 
 lasted twelve hours, and returned to our anchorage the 
 next day. 
 
 CHAPTER XXVIII. 
 
 Monday, Feb. ist. After having been in port twenty- 
 one days, we sailed for San Pedro, where we arrived on 
 the following day, having gone “ all flunking,” with the 
 weather clue of the main-sail hauled up, the yards braced 
 in a little, and the lower studding-sail just drawing ; the 
 wind hardly shifting a point during the passage. Here 
 we found the Ayacucho and the Pilgrim, which last we 
 had not seen since the nth of September, — nearly five 
 months ; and I really felt something like an affection for 
 the old brig which had been my first home, and in which 
 I had spent nearly a year, and got the first rough and tum- 
 ble of a sea-life. She, too, was associated in my mind with 
 Boston, the wharf from which we sailed, anchorage in the 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 * 3 * 
 
 stream, leave-taking, and all such matters, which were now 
 to me like small links connecting me with another world, 
 which I had once been in and which, please God, I might 
 yet see again. I went on board the first night, after sup- 
 per ; found the old cook in the galley, playing upon a fife 
 which I had given him, as a parting present ; had a hearty 
 shake of the hand from him , and dove down into the fore- 
 castle, where were my old shipmates, the same as ever, glad 
 to see me ; for they had nearly given us up for lost, especi- 
 ally when they did not find us in Santa Barbara. They 
 had been at San Diego last, had been lying at San Pedro 
 nearly a month, and had received three thousand hides 
 from the pueblo. These were taken from her the next day, 
 which filled us up, and we both got under weigh on the 4th, 
 she bound up to San Francisco again, and we to San Diego, 
 where we arrived on the 6th. 
 
 We were always glad to see San Diego ; it being the 
 depot, and a snug little place, and seeming quite like home, 
 especially to me, who had spent a summer there. There 
 was no vessel in port, the Rosa having sailed for Valparaiso 
 and Cadiz, and the Catalina for Callao, nearly a month 
 before. We discharged our hides, and in four days were 
 ready to sail again for the windward ; and, to our great 
 joy — -for the last time I Over thirty thousand hides had 
 been already collected, cured, and stowed away in the 
 house, together with what we should collect, and the Pil- 
 grim would bring down from San Francisco, would make 
 out our cargo. The thought that we were actually going 
 up for the last time, and that the next time we went round 
 San Diego point it would be “ homeward bound, ” brought 
 things so near a close, that we felt as though we were just 
 there, though it must still be the greater part of a year 
 before we could see Boston. 
 
 I spent one evening, as had been my custom, at the 
 oven with the Sandwich Islanders ; but it was far from 
 being the usual noisy, laughing time. It has been said, 
 that the greatest curse to each of the South Sea islands, 
 was the first man who discovered it, and every one who 
 knows anything of the history of our commerce in those 
 parts, knows how much truth there is in this ; and that the 
 white men, with their vices, have brought in diseases be- 
 fore unknown to the islanders, and which are now sweep- 
 
*32 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 ing off the native population of the Sandwich Islands, at 
 the rate of one fortieth of the entire population annually. 
 They seem to be a doomed people. The curse of a people 
 calling themselves Christian, seems to follow them every- 
 where ; and even here, in this obscure place, lay two young 
 islanders, whom I had left strong, active young men, in 
 the vigor of health, wasting away under a disease, which 
 they would never have known but for their intercourse with 
 christianized Mexico and people 'from Christian America. 
 One of them was not so ill ; and was moving about, smok- 
 ing his pipe, and talking, and trying to keep up his spirits ; 
 but the other, who was my friend, and Aikane — Hope, 
 was the most dreadful object I had ever seen in my life : 
 his eyes sunken and dead, his cheeks fallen in against 
 his teeth, his hands looking like claws ; a dreadful cough, 
 which seemed to rack his whole shattered system, a hollow, 
 whispering voice, and an entire inability to move himself. 
 There he lay, upon a mat, on the ground, which was the 
 only floor of the oven, with no medicine, no comforts, and 
 no one to care for, or help him, but a few Kanakas, who 
 were willing enough, but could do nothing. The sight of 
 him made me sick and faint. Poor fellow ! During the 
 four months that I lived upon the beach, we were continually 
 together, both in work, and in our excursions in the woods, 
 and upon the water. I really felt a strong affection for 
 him, and preferred him to any of my own countrymen there ; 
 and I believe there was nothing which he would not have 
 done for me. When I came into the oven he looked at 
 me, held out his hand, and said, in a low voice, but with a 
 delightful smile, “ Aloha Aikane! Aloha nui ! ” I com- 
 forted him as well as I could, and promised to ask the cap- 
 tion to help him from the medicine-chest, and told him I 
 had no doubt the captain would do what he could for him, 
 as he had worked in our employ for several years, both on 
 shore and aboard our vessels on the coast. I went aboard 
 and turned into my hammock, but I could not sleep. 
 
 Thinking, from my education, that I must have some 
 knowledge of medicine, the Kanakas had insisted upon 
 my examining him carefully ; and it was not a sight to be 
 forgotten. One of our crew, an old man-of-war’s man, of 
 twenty years’ who had seen sin and suffering in every 
 shape, and whom I afterwards took to see Hope, said it 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 2 33 
 
 was dreadfully worse than anything he had ever seen, or 
 even dreamed of. He was horror-struck, as his counte- 
 nance showed ; yet he had been among the worst cases in 
 our naval hospitals. I could not get the thought of the 
 poor fellow out of my head all night ; his horrible suffer- 
 ing, and his apparently inevitable, horrible end. 
 
 The next day I told the captain of Hope’s state, and 
 asked him if he would be so kind as to go and see him. 
 
 “ What ? a d — d Kanaka ? ” 
 
 “ Yes, sir,” said I ; “ but he has worked four years for 
 our vessels, and has been in the employ of our owners, 
 both on shore and aboard.” 
 
 “ Oh ! he be d — d ! ” said the captain, and walked off. 
 
 This same man died afterwards of a fever on the 
 deadly coast of Sumatra ; and God grant he had better 
 care taken of him in his sufferings, than he ever gave to 
 any one else ! Finding nothing was to be got from the 
 captain, I consulted an old shipmate, who had much expe- 
 rience in these matters, and got from him a recipe, which he 
 always kept by him. With this I went to the mate, and 
 told him the case. Mr. Brown had been entrusted with 
 the general care of the medicine-chest, and although a 
 driving fellow, and a taught hand in a watch, he had good 
 feelings, and was always inclined to be kind to the sick. 
 He said that Hope was not strictly one of the crew, but as 
 he was in our employ when taken sick, he should have the 
 medicines ; and he got them and gave them to me, with 
 leave to go ashore at night. Nothing could exceed the 
 delight of the Kanakas, when I came bringing the medi- 
 cines. All their terms of affection and gratitude were 
 spent upon me, and in a sense wasted (for I could not 
 understand half of them), yet they made all known by 
 their manner. Poor Hope was so much revived at the 
 bare thought of anything’s being done for him, that he was 
 already stronger and better. I knew he must die as he 
 was, and he could but die under the medicines, and any 
 chance was worth running. An oven, exposed to every 
 wind and change of weather, is no place to take calomel ; 
 but nothing else would do, and strong remedies must be 
 used, or he was gone. The applications, internal and ex- 
 ternal, were powerful, and I gave him strict directions to 
 keep warm and sheltered, telling him it was his only 
 
234 
 
 TWO YEATS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 chance for life. Twice, after this, I visited him, having 
 only time to run up, while waiting in the boat. He prom- 
 ised to take his medicines regularly until we returned, and 
 insisted upon it that he was doing better. 
 
 We got under weigh on the ioth, bound up to San 
 Pedro, and had three days of calm and head winds, making 
 but little progress. On the fourth, we took a stiff south' 
 easter, which obliged us to reef our top-sails. While on 
 the yard, we saw a sail on the weather bow, and in about 
 half an hour, passed the Ayacucho, under double-reefed top 
 sails, beating down to San Diego. Arrived at San Pedro 
 on the fourth day, and came-to in the old place, a league 
 trom shore, with no other vessel in port, and the prospecl 
 of three weeks, or more, of dull life, rolling goods up a 
 slippery hill, carrying hides on our heads over sharp stones, 
 and, perhaps, slipping for a southeaster. 
 
 There was but one man in the only house here, and him 
 I shall always remember as a good specimen of a California 
 ranger. He had been a tailor in Philadelphia, and getting 
 intemperate and in debt, he joined a trapping party and 
 went to the Columbia river, and thence down to Monterey, 
 where he spent everything, left his party, and came to the 
 Pueblo de los Angelos, -to work at his trade. Here he 
 went dead to leeward among the pulperias, gambling rooms, 
 etc., and came down to San Pedro, to be moral by being 
 out of temptation. He had been in the house several 
 weeks, working hard at his trade, upon orders which he 
 had brought with him, and talked much of his resolution, 
 and opened his heart to us about his past life. After we 
 had been here some time, he started off one morning, in 
 fine spirits, well dressed, to carry the clothes which he had 
 been making to the pueblo, and saying he would bring back 
 his money and some fresh orders the next day. The next 
 day came, and a week passed, and nearly a fortnight, when, 
 one day, going ashore, we saw a tall man, who looked like 
 our friend the tailor, getting out of the back of an Indian’s 
 cart, which had just came down from the pueblo. He 
 stood for the house, but we bore up after him ; when, find- 
 ing that we were overhauling him, he hove-to and spoke 
 us. Such a sight I never saw before. Barefooted, with 
 an old pair of trowsers tied round his waist by a piece of 
 green hide, a soiled cotton shirt, and a torn Indian hat; 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 235 
 
 “ cleaned out,” to the las! real, and completely “used up.” 
 He confessed the whole matter ; acknowledged that he was 
 on his back ; and now ha had a prospect of a fit of the 
 horrors for a week, and of being worse than useless for 
 months. This is a specime n of the life of half of the Amer- 
 icans and English who are adrift over the whole of Cali- 
 fornia. One of the same stamp was Russell, who was 
 master of the hide-house at San Diego, while I was there, 
 and afterwards turned away for his misconduct. He spent 
 his own money and nearly all the stores among the half- 
 bloods upon the beach, and being turned away, went up to 
 the presidio, where he lived the life of a desperate “ loafer,” 
 until some rascally deed sent him off “between two days,” 
 with men on horseback, dogs, and Indians in full cry 
 after him, among the hills. One night, he burst into our 
 room at the hide-house, breathless, pale as a ghost, cov- 
 ered with mud, and torn by thorns and briers, nearly 
 naked, and begged for a crust of bread, saying he had 
 neither eaten nor slept for throe days. Here was the great 
 Mr . Russell, who a month before was “Don Tomas,” 
 “ Captain de la playa,” “ Madstro de la casa,” etc. etc., 
 begging food and shelter of Kanakas and sailors. He 
 staid with us till he gave himself up, and was dragged off 
 to the calabozo. 
 
 Another, and a more amusing; specimen, was one whom 
 we saw at San Francisco. He had been a lad on board 
 the ship California, in one of her first voyages, and ran away 
 and commenced Rarichero, gambling, stealing horses, etc. 
 He worked along up to San Francisco, and was living on 
 a rancho near there, while we were in port. One morning, 
 when we went ashore in the boat , we found him at the 
 landing-place, dressed in California style, — a wide hat, 
 faded velveteen trowsers, and a blanket cloak thrown over 
 his shoulders — and wishing to go off in the boat, saying 
 he was going to pasear with our captain a little. We had 
 many doubts of the reception he would meet with ; but he 
 seemed to think himself company for any one. We took 
 him aboard, landed him at the gang vay, and went about 
 our work, keeping an eye upon the qu? rter-deck, where the 
 captain was walking. The lad went t p to him with the 
 most complete assurance, and raising 1 is hat, wished him 
 a good afternoon. Capt. T turne \ round, looked at 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 236 
 
 him from head to foot, and saying coolly, “ Hallo ! who the 
 
 h are you ? ” kept on his walk. This was a rebuff not 
 
 to be mistaken, and the joke passed about among the crew 
 by winks and signs, at different parts of the ship. Finding 
 himself disappointed at headquarters, he edged along for- 
 ward to the mate, who was overseeing some work upon the 
 forecastle, and tried to begin a yarn; but it would not do. 
 The mate had seen the reception he had met with aft, and 
 would have no cast-off company. The second mate was aloft, 
 and the third mate and myself were painting the quarter- 
 boat, which hung by the davits, so he betook himself to us ; 
 but we looked at one another, and the officer was too busy 
 to say a word. From us, he went to one and another of 
 the crew, but the joke had got before him, and he found 
 everybody busy and silent. Looking over the rail a few 
 moments afterward, we saw him at the galley-door, talking 
 with the cook. This was a great come-down, from the high- 
 est seat in the synagogue to a seat in the galley with the 
 black cook. At night, too when supper was called, he 
 stood in the waist for some time, hoping to be asked down 
 with the officers, but they went below, one after another, 
 and left him. His next chance was with the carpenter and 
 sail maker, and he lounged round the after hatchway until 
 the last had gone down. We had now had fun enough out 
 of him, and taking pity on him, offered him a pot of tea, 
 and a cut at the kid, with the rest, in the forecastle. He 
 was hungry, and it was growing dark, and he began to see 
 that there was no use in playing the Caballero any longer, 
 and came down into the forecastle, put into the “ grub ” in 
 sailor’s style, threw off all his airs, and enjoyed the joke as 
 much as any one ; for a man must take a joke among sailors. 
 He gave us the whole account of his adventures in the 
 country, — roguery and all — and was very entertaining. He 
 was a smart, unprincipled fellow, was at the bottom of most 
 of the rascally doings of the country, and gave us a great 
 deal of interesting information in the ways of the world we 
 were in. 
 
 Saturday . Feb . 13th. Were called up at midnight to 
 slip for a violent northeaster, for this rascally hole of San 
 Pedro is unsafe in every wind but a southwester, which is 
 seldom known to blow more than once in half a century. 
 We went off with a flowing sheet, and hove-to under the 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 * 3 ? 
 
 lee of Catalina island, where we lay three days, and then 
 returned to our anchorage. 
 
 Tuesday, Feb. 2$d. This afternoon, a signal was made 
 from the shore, and we went off in the gig, and found the 
 agent’s clerk, who had been up to the pueblo, waiting at 
 die landing place, with a package under his arm, covered 
 with brown paper and tied carefully with twine. No sooner 
 had we shoved off than he told us there was good news 
 from Santa Barbara. “ What’s that ? ” said one of the 
 crew ; “ has the bloody agent slipped off the hooks ? Has 
 the old bundle of bones got him at last ? ” — “ No ; better 
 than that. The California has arrived. Letters, papers, 
 news, and, perhaps — friends, on board ! Our hearts were 
 all up in our mouths, and we pulled away like good fel- 
 lows ; for the precious packet could not be opened except 
 by the captain. As we pulled under the stern, the clerk 
 held up the package, and called out to the mate, who was 
 leaning over the taffrail, that the California had arrived. 
 
 “ Hurrah ! ” said the mate, so as to be heard fore and 
 aft ; “ California come, and news from Boston ? ” 
 
 Instantly there was a confusion on board which no one 
 could account for who has not been in the same situation. 
 All discipline seemed for a moment relaxed. 
 
 “ What’s that, Mr. Brown ? ” said the cook, putting his 
 head out of the galley — “ California come ? ” 
 
 “ Aye, aye ! you angel of darkness, and there’s a letter 
 for you from Bullknop ’treet, number two-two-five — green 
 door and brass knocker ! ” 
 
 The packet was sent down into the cabin, and every 
 one waited to hear of the result. As nothing came up, the 
 officers began to feel that they were acting rather a child’s 
 part, and turned the crew to again ; and the same strict 
 discipline was restored, which prohibits speech between 
 man and man, while at work on deck ; so that, when the 
 steward came forward with letters for the crew, each man 
 took his letters, carried them below to his chest, and came 
 up again immediately ; and not a letter was read until we 
 had cleared up decks for the night. 
 
 An overstrained sense of manliness is the characteris- 
 tic of seafaring men, or, rather, of life on board ship. This 
 often gives an appearance of want of feeling, and even of 
 cruelty. From this, if a man comes within an ace of break' 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 238 
 
 ing his neck and escapes, it is made a joke of ; and no 
 notice must be taken of a bruise or a cut ; and any expres- 
 sion of pity, or any show of attention, would look sisterly, 
 and unbecoming a man who has to face the rough and 
 tumble of such a life. From this, too, the sick are neg- 
 lected at sea, and whatever sailors may be ashore, a sick 
 man finds little sympathy or attention, forward or aft. A 
 man, too, can have nothing peculiar or sacred on board 
 ship ; for all the nicer feelings they take pride in disre- 
 garding, both in themselves and others. A thin-skinned 
 man could not live an hour on shipboard. One would be 
 torn raw unless he had the hide of an ox. A moment of 
 natural feeling for home and friends, and then the frigid 
 routine of sea life returned. Jokes were made upon those 
 who showed any interest in the expected news, and every- 
 thing near and dear was made common stock for rude 
 jokes and unfeeling coarseness, to which no exception 
 could be taken by any one. 
 
 Supper, too, must be eaten before the letters were 
 read ; and when, at last, they were brought out, they all 
 got round any one who had a letter, and expected to have 
 it read aloud, and have it all in common. If anyone went 
 by himself to read, it was — Fair play, there ; and no 
 skulking !” I took mine and went into the sailmaker’s 
 berth, where I could read it without interruption. It was 
 dated August, just a year from the time I had sailed from 
 home ; and every one was well, and no great change had 
 taken place. Thus, for one year my mind was set at ease, 
 yet it was already six months from the date of the letter, 
 and what another year would bring to pass, who could tell ? 
 Every one away from home thinks that some great thing 
 must have happened, while to those at home there seems 
 to be a continued monotony and lack of incident. 
 
 As much as my feelings were taken up by my own in- 
 telligence from home, I could not but be amused by a 
 scene in the steerage. The carpenter had been married 
 just before leaving Boston, and during the voyage had 
 talked much about his wife, and had to bear and forbear, 
 as every man, known to be married, must, aboard ship ; 
 yet the certainty of hearing from his wife by the first ship, 
 seemed to keep up his spirits. The California came ; the 
 packet was brought on board ; no one was in higher spirits 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 239 
 
 then he ; but when the letters came forward, there was none 
 for him. The captain looked again, but there was no mis- 
 take. Poor “ Chips ” could eat no supper. He was com- 
 pletely down in the mouth. “ Sails ” (the sailmaker) tried 
 to comfort him, and told him he was a bloody fool to give 
 up his grub for any woman’s daughter, and reminded him 
 that he had told him a dozen times that he’d never see or 
 hear from his wife again. 
 
 “ Ah ! ” said Chips, “ you don’t know what it is to have 
 a wife, and” — 
 
 “ Don’t I ? ” said Sails ; and then came, for the hun- 
 dredth time, the story of his coming ashore at New York, 
 from the Constellation frigate, after a cruise of four years 
 round the Horn, — being paid off with over five hundred 
 dollars, — marrying, and taking a couple of rooms in a four 
 story house, — furnishing the rooms, (with a particular ac- 
 count of the furniture, including a dozen flag-bottomed 
 chairs, which he always dilated upon, whenever the subject 
 of furniture was alluded to), — going off to sea again, leaving 
 his wife half pay, like a fool, — coming home and finding her 
 “ off, like Bob’s horse, with nobody to pay the reckoning;” 
 furniture gone, — flag-bottomed chairs and all ; — and with 
 it, his “long togs,” the half pay, his beaver hat, white linen 
 shirts, and everything else. His wife he never saw or 
 heard of, from that day to this, and never wished to. Then 
 followed a sweeping assertion, not much to the credit of 
 the sex, if true, though he has Pope to back him. “ Come, 
 Chips, cheer up like a man, and take some hot grub! 
 Don’t be made a fool of by anything in petticoats ! As for 
 your wife, you’ll never see her again ; she was ‘ up keeleg 
 and off’ before you were outside of Cape Cod. You’ve 
 hove your money away like a fool ; but every man must 
 learn once, just as I did ; so you’d better square the yards 
 with her, and make the best of it.” 
 
 This was the best consolation “ Sails” had to offer, 
 but it did not seem to be just the thing the carpenter 
 wanted ; for, during several days, he was very much de- 
 jected and bore with difficulty the jokes of the sailors, and 
 with still more difficulty their attempts at advice and consol- 
 ation, of most of which the sailmaker’s was a good speci- 
 men. 
 
 Thursday , Feb. i$th. Set sail for Santa Barbara, where 
 
240 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 we arrived on Sunday, the 28th. We just missed of seeing 
 the California, for she had sailed three days before, bound 
 to Monterey, to enter her cargo and procure her license, 
 and thence to San Francisco, etc. Captain Arthur left 
 
 files of Boston papers for Captain T , which, after they 
 
 had been read and talked over in the cabin, I procured 
 from my friend the third mate. One file was of all the 
 Boston Transcripts for the month of August, 1835, and the 
 rest were about a dozen Daily Advertisers and Couriers, 
 of different dates. After all, there is nothing in a strange 
 land like a newspaper from home. Even a letter, in 
 many respects, is nothing, in comparison with it. It car- 
 ries you back to the spot, better than anything else. It 
 is almost equal to clairvoyance . The names of the streets, 
 with the things advertised, is almost as good as seeing the 
 signs ; and while reading “ Boy lost ! ” one can almost 
 hear the bell and well-known voice of “ Old Wilson , ” cry- 
 ing the boy as “ strayed, stolen, or mislaid ! ” Then there 
 was the Commencement at Cambridge, and the full account 
 of the exercises at the graduating of my own class. A 
 list of all those familar names, (beginning as usual with 
 Abbot, and ending with W.), which, as I read them over, 
 one by one, brought up their faces and characters as I had 
 known them in the various scenes of college life. Then I 
 imagined them upon the stage, speaking their orations, dis- 
 sertations, colloquies, etc., with the gestures and tones of 
 each, and tried to fancy the manner in which each would 
 handle his subject. * * * * *, handsome, showy, and 
 superficial ; * * *, with his strong head, clear brain, cool 
 self-possession ; * * * * modest, sensitive, and un- 
 derrated ; B * * * *, the mouth-piece of the debating, 
 clubs, noisy, vaporous, and democratic ; and so following. 
 Then I could see them receiving their ABs from the digni- 
 fied, feudal-looking President, with his “auctoritate mihi 
 commissa,” and walking off the stage with their diplomas 
 in their hands ; while, upon the very same day, their 
 classmate was walking up and down California beach with 
 a hide upon his head. 
 
 Every watch below, for a week, I pored over these papers 
 until I was sure there < ould be nothing in them that had 
 escaped my attention, and was ashamed to keep them any 
 longer. 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 241 
 
 Saturday , March 5 th . This was an important day in our 
 almanac, for it was on this day that we were first assured 
 that our voyage was really drawing to a close. The captain 
 gave orders to have the ship ready for getting under weigh ; 
 and observed that there was a good breeze to take us down 
 to San Pedro. Then we were not going up to windward. 
 Thus much was certain, and was soon known fore and aft ; 
 that when we went in the gig to take him off, he shook 
 hands with the people on the beach, and said that he 
 never expected see Santa Barbara again. This settled 
 the matter, and sent a thrill of pleasure through the heart 
 of every one in the boat. We pulled off with a will, saying to 
 ourselves (I can speak for myself at least) — “ Good-by, Santa 
 Barbara ! — This is the last pull here ! — No more duckings 
 in your breakers, and slipping from your cursed south- 
 easter ! ” The news was soon known aboard, and put life 
 into everything when we were getting under weigh. Each 
 one was taking his last look at the mission, the town, the 
 breakers on the beach, and swearing that no money would 
 make him ship to see them again ; and when all hands 
 tallied on to the cat-fall, the chorus of “ Time for us to go,” 
 was raised for the first time, and joined in, with full swing, 
 by everybody. One would have thought we were on our voy- 
 age home, so near did it seem to us, though there were 
 yet three months for us on the coast.” 
 
 We left here the young Englishman, George Marsh, of 
 whom I have before spoken, who was wrecked upon the 
 Pelew Islands. He left us to take the berth of second 
 mate on board the Ayacucho, which was lying in port. 
 He was well qualified for this, and his education would 
 enable him to rise to any situation on board ship. I felt 
 really sorry to part from him. There was something about 
 him which excited my curiosity ; for I could not, for a 
 moment, doubt that he was well born, and, in early life, 
 well bred. There was the latent gentleman about him, 
 and the sense of honor, and no little of the pride, of a 
 young man of good family. The situation was offered him 
 only a few hours before we sailed ; and though he must 
 give up returning to America, yet I have no doubt that 
 the change from a dog’s berth to an officer’s, was too 
 agreeable to his feelings to be declined. We pulled him 
 on board the Ayacucho, and when he left the boat he gave 
 
242 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 each of its crew a piece of money, except myself, and shook 
 hands with me, nodding his head, as much as to say; — 
 “ We understand one another,” and sprang on board. 
 Had I known, an hour sooner, that he was to leave us, I 
 would have made an effort to get from him the true history 
 of his early life. He knew that I had no faith in the story 
 which he told the crew, and perhaps, in the moment of 
 parting from me, probably forever, he would have given 
 me the true account. Whether I shall ever meet him 
 again, or whether his manuscript narrative of his ad- 
 ventures in the Pelew Islands, which would be creditable 
 to him and interesting to the world, will ever see the light, 
 I cannot tell. His is one of those cases which are more 
 numerous than those suppose, who have never lived any- 
 where but in their own homes, and never walked but in 
 one line from their cradle to their graves. We must come 
 down from our heights, and leave our straight paths, for 
 the byways and low places of life, if we would learn 
 truths by strong contrasts ; and in hovels, in forecastles, 
 and among our own outcasts in foreign lands, see what has 
 been wrought upon our fellow-creatures by accident, hard- 
 ship, or vice. 
 
 Two days brought us to San Pedro, and two days more 
 (to our no small joy) gave us our last view of that place, 
 which was universally called the hell of California, and 
 seemed designed, in every way, for the wear and tear of 
 sailors. Not even the last view could bring out one feel- 
 ing of regret. No thanks, thought I, as we left the sandy 
 shores in the distance, for the hours I have walked over 
 your stones, barefooted, with hides on my head ; — for the 
 burdens I have carried up your steep, muddy hill ; — for 
 the duckings in your surf ; and for the long days and 
 longer nights passed on your desolate hill, watching piles 
 of hides, hearing the sharp bark of your eternal coati, and 
 and the dismal hooting of your owls. 
 
 As I bade good-by to each successive place, I felt as 
 though one link after another were struck from the chain 
 of my servitude. Having kept close in shore, for the 
 land-breeze, we passed the mission of San Juan Cam- 
 pestrano the same night, and saw distinctly, by the bright 
 moonlight, the hill which I had gone down by a pair of 
 halyards in search of a few paltry hides, “ Forsitan et 
 
TWO YEATS WE FORE TBE 'MAST. 
 
 243 
 
 hoec olim,** thought I, and took my last look of that place 
 too. And on the next Were under the high 
 
 point of San Diego. The flood tldd took us swiftly in, and 
 we came-to, opposite our hide-house, and prepared to get 
 everything in trim for a long stay. This was our last port. 
 Here we were to discharge everything from the ship, clean 
 her out, smoke her, take in our hides, wood, water, etc. 
 and set sail for Boston. While all this was doing, we 
 were to lie still in one place, and the port was a safe one, 
 and there was no fear of southeasters. Accordingly, hav- 
 ing picked out a good berth, in the stream, with a good 
 smooth beach opposite, for a landing-place, and within two 
 cables* length of our hide-house, we moored ship, unbent 
 all the sails, sent down the top-gallant yards and all the 
 studding-sail booms, and housed the top-gallant masts. 
 The boats were then hove out, and all the sails, the spare 
 spars, the stores, the rigging not rove, and, in fact, every- 
 thing which was not in daily use, sent ashore, and stowed 
 away in the house. Then went all our hides and horns, 
 and we left hardly anything in the ship but her ballast, and 
 this we made preparation to heave out, the next day. At 
 night, after we had knocked off, and were sitting round in 
 the forecastle, smoking and talking and taking sailors* 
 pleasure, we congratulated ourselves upon being in that 
 situation in which we had wished ourselves every time we 
 had come into San Diego. “ If we were only here for 
 the last time,** we had often said, “ with our top-gallant 
 masts housed and our sails unbent ! ** and now we had our 
 wish. Six weeks, or two months, of the hardest work we 
 had yet seen, was before us, and then — “ Good-by to 
 California I ” 
 
 CHAPTER XXIX 
 
 We tumed-in early, knowing that we might expect 
 an early call ; and sure enough, before the stars had quite 
 faded, “ All hands ahoy ! ** and we were turned-to, heaving 
 out ballast. A regulation of the port forbids any ballast 
 to be thrown overboard ; accordingly, our long-boat was 
 
a 44 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 lined inside with rough boards and brought alongside the 
 gangway, but where one tub-full went into the boat, twenty 
 went overboard. This is done by every vessel, for the 
 ballast can make but little difference in the channel, and 
 it saves more than a week of labor, which would be spent 
 in loading the boats, rowing them to the point, and un- 
 loading them. When any people from the presidio were 
 on board, the boat was hauled up and the ballast thrown 
 in ; but when the coast was clear, she was dropped astern 
 again, and the ballast fell overboard. This is one of those 
 petty frauds which every vessel practises in ports of in- 
 ferior foreign nations, and which are lost sight of, among 
 the countless deeds of greater weight which are hardly less 
 common. Fortunately, a sailor, not being a free agent in 
 work aboard ship, is not accountable ; yet the fact of be- 
 ing constantly employed, without thought, in such things, 
 begets an indifference to the rights of others. 
 
 Friday, and a part of Saturday, we were engaged in 
 this work, until we had thrown out all but what we wanted 
 under our cargo on the passage home ; when, as the next 
 day was Sunday, and a good day for smoking ship, we 
 cleared everything out of the cabin and forecastle, made 
 a slow fire of charcoal, birch bark, brimstone, and other 
 matters, on the ballast in the bottom of the hold, calked 
 up the hatches and every open seam, and pasted over the 
 cracks of the windows, and the slides of the scuttles, and 
 companion-way. Wherever smoke was seen coming out, we 
 calked and pasted, and, so far as we could, made the ship 
 smoke tight. The captain and officers slept under the 
 awning which was spread over the quarter-deck ; and we 
 stowed ourselves away under an old studding-sail, which 
 we drew over one side of the forecastle. The next day, 
 from fear that something might happen, orders were given 
 for no one to leave the ship, and, as the decks were 
 lumbered up with everything, we could not wash them 
 down, so we had nothing to do, all day long. Unfortu- 
 nately, our books were where we could not get them, and 
 we were turning about for something to do, when one man 
 recollected a book he had left in the galley. He went 
 after it, and it proved to be Woodstock. This was a 
 great windfall, and as all could not read it at once, I, being 
 the scholar of the company, was appointed reader. I got 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST \ 
 
 245 
 
 a knot of six or eight about me, and no one could have 
 had a more attentive audience. Some laughed at the 
 “ scholars,” and went over the other side of the forecastle, 
 to work, and spin their yarns : but I carried the day, and 
 had the cream of the crew for my hearers. Many of the 
 reflections, and the political parts, I omitted, but all the 
 narrative they were delighted with ; especially the descrip- 
 tions of the Puritans, and the sermons and harangues of 
 the Round-head soldiers. The gallantry of Charles, Dr. 
 Radcliffe’s plots, the knavery of “ trusty Tompkins/’ — in 
 fact, every part seemed to chain their attention. Many 
 things which, while I was reading, I had a misgiving about, 
 thinking them above their capacity, I was surprised to 
 find them enter into completely, 
 
 I read nearly all day, until sundown : when, as soon 
 as supper was over, as I had nearly finished, they got a 
 light from the gallery ; and by skipping what was less in- 
 teresting, I carried them through to the marriage of Ever- 
 ard, and the restoration of Charles the Second, before 
 eight o’clock. 
 
 The next morning, we took the battens from the hatches 
 and opened the ship. A few stifled rats were found ; and 
 what bugs, cockroaches, fleas, and other vermin, there 
 might have been on board, must have unrove their life- 
 lines before the hatches were opened. The ship being 
 now ready, w r e covered the bottom of the hold over, fore 
 and aft, with dried bush, for dunnage, and having levellee 
 everything away, were ready to take in our cargo. All th« 
 hides that had been collected since the California left the 
 coast, (a little more than two years), amounting to aboul 
 forty thousand, were cured, dried, and stowed away in 
 the house, waiting for our good ship to take them tj 
 Boston. 
 
 Now began the operation of taking in our cargo, which 
 kept us hard at work, from the gray of the morning till 
 star-light, for six weeks, with the exception of Sundays, 
 and of just time to swallow our meals. To carry the 
 work on quicker, a division of labor was made. Two men 
 threw the hides down from the piles in the house, two 
 more picked them up and put them on a long horizontal 
 pole, raised a few feet from the ground, where they were 
 beaten, by two more, with flails, somewhat like those used 
 
2 46 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 in threshing wheat When beaten, they were taken from 
 this pole by two more, and placed upon a platform of 
 boards ; and ten or a dozen men with their trowsers 
 rolled up, were constantly going, back and forth, from the 
 platform to the boat, which was kept off where she would 
 just float, with the hides upon their heads. The throwing 
 the hides upon the pole was the most difficult work, and 
 required a sleight of hand which was only to be got by 
 long practice. As I was known for a hide-curer, this post 
 was assigned to me, and I continued at it for six or eight 
 days, tossing, in that time, from eight to ten thousand 
 hides, until my wrists became so lame that I gave in ; and 
 was transferred to the gang that was employed in filling 
 the boats, where I remained for the rest of the time. As 
 we were obliged to carry the hides on our heads from 
 fear of their getting wet, we each had a piece of sheep- 
 skin sewed into the inside of our hats, with the wool next 
 our heads, and thus were able to bear the weight, day 
 after day, which would otherwise have soon worn off our 
 hair, and borne hard upon our skulls. Upon the whole, 
 ours was the best berth ; for though the water was nipping 
 cold, early in the morning and late at night, and being so 
 continually wet was rather an exposure, yet we got rid of 
 the constant dust and dirt from the beating of the hides, 
 and being all of us young and hearty, did not mind the 
 exposure. The older men of the crew, whom it would 
 have been dangerous to have kept in the water, remained 
 on board with the mate, to stow the hides away, as fast as 
 they were brought off by the boats. 
 
 We continued at work in this manner until the lower 
 hold was filled to within four feet of the beams, when all 
 hands were called aboard to commence steering. As this 
 is a peculiar operation, it will require a minute description. 
 
 Before stowing the hides, as I have said, the ballast is 
 levelled off, just above the keelson, and then loose dun* 
 nage placed upon it, on which the hides rest. The great- 
 est care is used in stowing, to make the ship hold as many 
 hides as possible. It is no mean art, and a man skilled 
 in it is an important character in California. Many a dis- 
 pute have I heard raging high between professed “ beach- 
 combers, ^ as to whether the hides should be stowed 
 u shingling,” or “ back-to-back, and flipper-to-flipper ; ” upon 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 247 
 
 which point there was an entire and bitter division of sen- 
 timent among the savans. We adopted each method at dif* 
 ferent periods of the stowing, and parties ran high in the 
 forecastle, some siding with “ old Bill ” in favor of the for- 
 mer, and others scouting him, and relying upon u English 
 Bob ” of the Ayacucho, who had been eight years in Cal- 
 ifornia, and was willing to risk his life and limb for the 
 latter method. At length a compromise was effected, and 
 a middle course, of shifting the ends and backs at every 
 lay, was adopted, which worked well, and which, though 
 they held it inferior to their own, each party granted 
 was better than that of the other. 
 
 Having filled the ship up, in this way, to within four 
 feet of her beams, the process of steeving commenced, by 
 which an hundred hides are got into a place where one 
 could not be forced by hand, and which presses the hides 
 to the utmost, sometimes starting the beams of the ship, 
 resembling in its effects the jack-screws with are used in 
 stowing cotton. Each morning we went ashore, and beat 
 and brought off as many hides as we could steeve in the 
 course of the day, and, after breakfast, went down into the 
 hold, where we remained at work until night. The whole 
 length of the hold, from stem to stern, was floored off level, 
 and we began with raising a pile in the after part, hard 
 against the bulkhead of the run, and filling it up to the 
 beams, crowding in as many as we could by hand and push- 
 ing in with oars ; when a large “ book” was made of from 
 twenty-five to fifty hides, doubled at the backs, and put 
 into one another, like the leaves of a book. An opening 
 was then made between two hides in the pile, and the back 
 of the outside hide of the book inserted. Two long, 
 heavy spars, called steeves, made of the strongest wood, 
 and sharpened off like a wedge at one end, were placed 
 with their wedge ends into the inside of the hide which was 
 the centre of the book, and to the other end of each, straps 
 were fitted, into which large tackles were hooked, composed 
 each of two huge purchase blocks one hooked to the strap 
 on the end of the steeve, and the other into a dog, fastened 
 into one of the beams, as far aft as it could be got. When 
 this was arranged, and the ways greased upon which the 
 book was to slide, the falls of the tackles were stretched for- 
 ward, and all hands tallied on, and bowsed away until the 
 
248 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 book was well entered ; when these tackles were nipped, 
 straps and toggles clapped upon the falls, and two more luff 
 tackles hooked on, with dogs, in the same manner ; and 
 thus, by luff upon luff, the power was multiplied, until into 
 a pile in which one hide more could not be crowded by hand, 
 an hundred or an hundred and fifty were often driven in by 
 this complication of purchases. When the last luff was 
 hooked on, all hands were called to the rope — cook, 
 steward, and all — and ranging ourselves at the falls, one 
 behind the other, sitting down on the hides, with our heads 
 just even with the beams, we set taught upon the tackles, 
 and striking up a song, and all lying back at the chorus, 
 we bowsed the tackles home, and drove the large books 
 chock in out of sight. 
 
 The sailors’ songs for capstans and falls are of a pecu- 
 liar kind, having a chorus at the end of each line. The bur- 
 den is usually sung by one alone, and, at the chorus, all 
 hands join in, — and the louder the noise, the better. With 
 us, the chorus seemed almost to raise the decks of the 
 ship, and might be heard at a great distance, ashore. A 
 song is as necessary to sailors as the drum and fife to a 
 soldier. They can’t pull in time, or pull with a will, without 
 it. Many a time, when a thing goes heavy, with one fellow 
 yo-ho-ing, a lively song, like “ Heave, to the girls ! ” Nancy 
 Ho,” “ Jack Crosstree ” etc., has put life and strength into 
 every arm. We often found- a great difference in the 
 effect of the different songs in driving in the hides. Two 
 or three songs would be tried, one after the other, with no 
 effect ; — not an inch could be got upon the tackle — 
 when a new song, struck up, seemed to hit the humor 
 of the moment, and drove the tackles “ two blocks” at 
 once. “ Heave round hearty ! ” “ Captain gone ashore ! ” 
 and the like, might do for common pulls, but on an 
 emergency, when we wanted a heavy, “ raise-the-dead” 
 pull, which should start the beams of the ship, there 
 was nothing like “ Time for us to go ! ” “ Round the 
 corner,” or “ Hurrah ! Hurrah my hearty bullies 1 ” 
 
 This was the most lively part of our work. A little 
 boating and beach work in the morning ; then twenty or 
 thirty men down in a close hold, where we were obliged to 
 sit down and silde about, passing hides, and rowsing about 
 the great steeves, tackles, and dogs, singing out at the 
 
TIVO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 249 
 
 falls, and seeing the ship filling up every day. The work 
 was as hard as it could well be. There was not a moment’s 
 cessation from Monday morning till Saturday night, when 
 we were generally beaten out, and glad to have a full 
 night’s rest, a wash and shift of clothes, and a quiet Sun- 
 day. During all this time, — which would have startled Dr. 
 Graham — we lived upon almost nothing but fresh beef : 
 fried beefsteaks, three times a day, — morning, noon, and 
 night. At morning and night we had a quart of tea to 
 each man ; and an allowance of about a pound of hard 
 bread a day ; but our chief article of food was the beef. 
 A mess, consisting of six men had a large wooden kid 
 piled up with beefsteaks, cut thick, and fried in fat, with 
 the grease poured over them. Round this we sat, attack- 
 ing it with our jack-knives and with the appetite of young 
 lions, and sent back an empty kid to the galley. This was 
 done three times a day. How many pounds each man ate 
 in a day, I will not attempt to compute. A whole bullock (we 
 ate liver and all) lasted us but four days. Such devouring 
 of flesh, I will venture to say, was seldom known before. 
 What one man ate in a day, over a hearty man’s allowance, 
 would make a Russian’s heart leap into his mouth. Indeed, 
 during all the time we were upon the coast, our principal 
 food was fresh beef, and every man had perfect health ; 
 but this was a time of especial* devouring ; and what we 
 should have done without meat, I cannot tell. Once or 
 twice, when our bullocks failed and we were obliged to 
 make a meal upon dry bread and water, it seemed like 
 feeding upon shavings. Light and dry, feeling unsatisfied, 
 and, at the same time, full, we were glad to see four quar- 
 ters of a bullock, just killed, swinging from the fore-top. 
 Whatever theories many be started by sedentary men, 
 certainly no men could have gone through more hard work 
 and exposure for sixteen months in more perfect health, and 
 without ailings and failings, than our ship’s crew, let them 
 have lived upon Hygeia’s own baking and dressing. 
 
 Friday , April i$th. Arrived, brig Pilgrim from the 
 windward. It was a sad sight for her crew to see us get- 
 ting ready to go off the coast, while they, who had been 
 longer on the coast than the Alert, were condemned 
 to another year’s hard service. I spent an evening on 
 board., and found them making the best of the matter, and 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 *50 
 
 determined to rough it out as they might ; but my 
 
 friend S was determined to go home in the ship, if 
 
 money or interest could bring it to pass. After considera- 
 ble negotiating and working, he succeeded in persuading 
 my English friend, Tom Harris, — my companion in the 
 anchor watch — for thirty dollars, some clothes, and an 
 intimation from Captain Faucon that he should want a 
 second mate before the voyage was up, to take his place in 
 the brig as soon as she was ready to go up to windward. 
 
 The first opportunity I could get to speak to Captain 
 Faucon, I asked him to step up to the oven and look at 
 Hope, whom he knew well, having had him on board his 
 vessel. He went to see him, but said that he had so little 
 medicine, and expected to be so long on the coast, that he 
 could do nothing for him, but that Captain Arthur would 
 take care of him when he came down in the California, 
 which would be in a week or more. I had been to see 
 Hope the first night after we got into San Diego this last 
 time, and had frequently since spent the early part of a 
 night in the oven. I hardly expected, when I left him to 
 go to windward, to find him alive upon my return. He 
 was certainly as low as he could well be when I left him, 
 and what would be the effect of the medicines that I gave 
 him, I hardly then dared to conjecture. Yet I knew that 
 he must die without them. I was not a little rejoiced, 
 therefore, and relieved, upon our return, to see him decid- 
 edly better. The medicines were strong, and took hold 
 and gave a check to the disorder which was destroying 
 him ; and, more than that, they had begun the work of ex- 
 terminating it. I shall never forget the gratitude that he 
 expressed. All the Kanakas attributed his escape solely 
 to my knowledge, and would not be persuaded that I had 
 not all the secrets of the physical system open to me and 
 under my control. My medicines, however, were gone, 
 and no more could be got from the ship, so that his life 
 was left to hang upon the arrival of the California. 
 
 Sunday , April 24 th. We had now been nearly seven 
 weeks in San Diego, and had taken in the greater part of 
 our cargo, and were looking out, every day, for the arrival 
 of the California, which had our agent on board ; when, 
 this afternoon, some Kanakas, who had been over the hill 
 for rabbits and to fight rattlesnakes, came running down 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 2 5 * 
 
 the path, singing out, “ Kail ho ! ” with all their might. 
 Mr. H., our third mate, was ashore, and asking them par- 
 ticularly about the size of the sail, etc., and learning that 
 it was “ Moku — Nui Moku” hailed our ship, and said that 
 the California was on the other side of the point. Instantly, 
 all hands were turned up, the bow guns rum out and loaded, 
 the ensign and broad pennant set, the yards squared by 
 lifts and braces, and everything got ready to make a good 
 appearance. The instant she showed her nose round the 
 point, we began our salute. She came in under top-gal- 
 lant. sails, clewed up and furled her sails in good order, 
 and came to, within good swinging distance of us. It be- 
 ing Sunday, and nothing to do, all hands were on the fore- 
 castle, criticising the new-comer. She was a good, sub- 
 stantial ship, not quite so long as the Alert, and wall-sided 
 and kettle bottomed, after the latest fashion of south-shore 
 cotton and sugar wagons ; strong, too, and tight, and a 
 good average sailer, but with no pretensions to beauty, and 
 nothing in the style of a “ crack ship.” Upon the whole, 
 we were perfectly satisfied that the Alert might hold up 
 her head with a ship twice as smart as she. 
 
 At night, some of us got a boat and went on board, and 
 found a large, roomy forecastle, (for she was squarer for- 
 ward than the Alert,) and a crew of a dozen or fifteen men 
 and boys, sitting around on their chests, smoking and 
 talking, and ready to give a welcome to any of our ship’s 
 company. It was just seven months since they left Boston, 
 which seemed but yesterday to us. Accordingly, we had 
 much to ask, for though we had seen the newspapers that 
 she brought, yet these were the very men who had been 
 in Boston and seen everything with their very own eyes. 
 One of the green hands was a Boston boy, from one of the 
 public schools, and, of course, knew many things which we 
 wished to ask about, and on inquiring the names of our 
 two Boston boys, found that they had been schoolmates 
 of his. Our men had hundreds of questions to ask about 
 Ann street, the boarding houses, the ships in port, the rate 
 of wages, and other matters. 
 
 Among her crew were two English man-of-war’s-men, 
 so that, of course, we soon had music. They sang in the 
 true sailor’s style, and the rest of the crew, which was a 
 remarkably musical one, joined in the choruses. They 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 252 
 
 had many of the latest sailor songs, which had not yet got 
 about among our merchantmen, and which they were very 
 choice of. They began soon after we came on board, and 
 kept it up until after two bells, when the second mate came 
 forward and called “ the Alerts away ! ” Battle-songs, 
 drinking-songs, boat-songs, love-songs, and everything else, 
 they seemed to have a complete assortment of, and I was 
 glad to find that “ All in the downs,” “ Poor Tom Bow- 
 line,” “ The Bay of Biscay,” “ List ye landsmen ! ” and 
 all those classical songs of the sea, still held their places. 
 In addition to these, they had picked up at the theatres 
 and other places a few songs of a little more genteel cast, 
 which they were very proud of ; and I shall never forget 
 hearing an old salt, who had broken his voice by hard 
 drinking on shore, and bellowing from the mast-head in an 
 hundred northwesters, with all manner of ungovernable 
 trills and quavers — in the high notes breaking into a rough 
 falsetto — and in the low ones, growling along like the 
 dying away of the boatswain’s “ all hands ahoy ! ” down 
 the hatchway, singing, “ Oh no, we never mention him.” 
 
 “ Perhaps, like me, he struggles with 
 Each feeling of regret ; 
 
 But if he’s loved as I have loved, 
 
 He never can forget I ” 
 
 The last line, being the conclusion, ne roared out at 
 the top of his voice, breaking each word up into half a 
 dozen syllables. This was very popular, and Jack was 
 called upon every night to give them his “ sentimental 
 song.” No one called for it more loudly than I, for the 
 complete absurdity of the execution, and the sailor’s per- 
 fect satisfaction in it, were ludicrous beyond measure. 
 
 The next day, the California commenced unloading her 
 cargo ; and her boats’ crews, in coming and going, sang 
 their boat-songs, keeping time with their oars. This they 
 did all day long for several days, until .their hides were all 
 discharged, when a gang of them was sent on board the 
 Alert, to help us steeve our hides. This was a windfall 
 for us, for they had a set of new songs for the capstan and 
 fall, and ours had got nearly worn out by six weeks’ con- 
 stant use. I have no doubt that this timely reinforcement 
 of songs hastened our work several days. 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE i MAST \ 
 
 2.S3 
 
 Our cargo was now nearly all taken in ; and my old 
 friend, the Pilgrim, having completed her discharge, un- 
 moored, to set sail the next morning on another long trip 
 to windward. I was just thinking of her hard lot, and con- 
 gratulating myself upon my escape from her, when I re- 
 ceived a summons into the cabin. I went aft, and there 
 found, seated round the cabin table, my own captain, Cap- 
 tain Faucon of the Pilgrim,' and Mr. R , the agent. 
 
 Captain T— turned to me and asked abruptly — - 
 
 “ D , do you want to go home in the ship ? ” 
 
 “ Certainly, sir,” said I ; “ I expect to go home in the 
 ship.” 
 
 “ Then,” said he, “ you must get some one to go in your 
 place on board the Pilgrim.” 
 
 I was so completely “taken back ” by this sudden inti- 
 mation, that for a moment I could make no reply. I knew 
 that it would be hopeless to attempt to prevail upon any of 
 the ship’s crew to take twelve months more upon California 
 
 in the brig. I knew, too, that Captain T had received 
 
 orders to bring me home in the Alert, and he had told me, 
 when I was at the hide-house, that I was to go home in 
 her ; and even if this had not been so, it was cruel to give 
 me no notice of the step they were going to take, until a 
 few hours before the brig would sail. As soon as I had 
 got my wits about me, I put on a bold front, and told him 
 plainly that I had a letter in my chest informing me that he 
 had been written to, by the owners in Boston, to bring me 
 home in the ship, and moreover that he had told me that I 
 was to go in the ship. 
 
 To have this told him, and to be opposed in such a 
 manner, was more than my lord paramount had been used 
 to. He turned fiercely upon me, and tried to look me 
 down, and face me out of my statement; but finding that 
 that wouldn’t do, and that I was enteringupon my defence 
 in such a way as would show to the other two that he was 
 in the wrong, — he changed his ground, and pointed to the 
 shipping papers of the Pilgrim, from which my name had 
 never been erased, and said that there was my name, — 
 that I belonged to her, — that he had an absolute discre- 
 tionary power, — and, in short, that I must be on board the 
 r Pilgrim by the next morning with my chest and hammock, 
 or have some one ready to go in my place, and that he 
 
254 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 would not hear another word from me. No court of star 
 chamber could proceed more summarily with a poor devil, 
 than this trio was about to do with me; condemning me 
 to a punishment worse that a Botany Bay exile, and to a 
 fate which would alter the whole current of my future life ; 
 for two years more in California would have made me a 
 sailor for the rest of my days. I felt all this, and saw the 
 necessity of being determined. I repeated what I had said, 
 and insisted upon my right to return in the ship. 
 
 I “ raised my arm, and tauld my crack, 
 
 Before them a\” 
 
 But it would have all availed me nothing, had I been 
 “ some poor body,” before this absolute, domineering 
 tribunal. But they saw that I would not go, unless “vi et 
 irmis,” and they knew that I had friends and interest 
 enough at home to make them suffer for any injustice they 
 light do me. It was probably this that turned the matter ; 
 vor the captain changed his tone entirely, and asked me if, 
 ill case any one went in my place, I would give him the 
 
 same sum that S gave Harris to exchange with him. I 
 
 told him that if any one was sent on board the brig, I 
 should pity him, and be willing to help him to that, or 
 almost any amount ; but would not speak of it as an ex- 
 change. 
 
 “Very well,” said he. “ Go forward about your busi- 
 ness, and send English Ben here to me ! ” 
 
 I went forward with a light heart, but feeling as angry, 
 and as much contempt as I could well contain between 
 my teeth. English Ben was sent aft, and in a few moments 
 came forward, looking as though he had received his sen- 
 tence to be hung. The captain had told him to get his 
 things ready to go on board the brig the next morning; 
 and that I would give him thirty dollars and a suit of 
 clothes. The hands had “knocked off ” for dinner, and 
 were standing about the forecastle, when Ben came forward 
 and told hih story. I could see plainly that it made a great 
 excitement, and that, unless I explained the matter to them, 
 the feeling \ rould be turned against me. Ben was a poor 
 English bo > a stranger in Boston, and without friends or 
 money ; and being an active, willing lad, and a good sailo* 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 *55 
 
 for his years, was a general favorite. “ Oh yes ! ” said the 
 crew, “ the captain has let you off, because you are a gentle- 
 man’s son, and have got friends, and know the owners ; 
 and taken Ben, because he is poor, and has got nobody to 
 say a word for him ! ” I knew that this was too true to be 
 answered, but I excused myself from any blame, and 
 told them that I had a right to go home, at all events. 
 This pacified them a little, but Jack had got a notion that 
 a poor lad was to be imposed upon, and did not distinguish 
 very clearly ; and though I knew that I was in no fault, 
 and, in fact, had barely escaped the grossest injustice, yet 
 I felt that my berth was getting to be a disagreeable one. 
 The notion that I was not “ one of them,” which, by a par- 
 ticipation in all their labor and hardships, and having no 
 favor shown me, had been laid asleep, was beginning to 
 revive. But far stronger than any feeling for myself, was 
 the pity I felt for the poor lad. He had depended upon 
 going home in the ship ; and from Boston, was going im- 
 mediately to Liverpool, to see his friends. Beside this, 
 having begun the voyage with very few clothes, he had 
 taken up the greater part of his wages in the slop-chest, 
 and it was every day a losing concern to him ; and, like 
 all the rest of the crew, he had a hearty hatred of California, 
 and the prospect of eighteen months or two years more of 
 hide droghing seemed completely to break down his spirit. I 
 had determined not to go myself, happen what would, and 
 I knew that the captain would not dare to attempt to force 
 me. I knew, too, that the two captains had agreed together 
 to get some one, and that unless I could prevail upon some- 
 body to go voluntarily, there would be no help for Ben. 
 From this consideration, though I had said that I would 
 have nothing to do with an exchange, I did my best to get 
 some one to go voluntarily. I offered to give an order 
 upon the owners in Boston for six months’ wages, and also 
 all the clothes, books, and other matters, which I should 
 not want upon the voyage home. When this offer was 
 published in the ship, and the case of poor Ben was set 
 forth in strong colors, several, who would not have dreamed 
 of going themselves, were busy in talking it up to others, 
 who, they thought, might be tempted to accept it ; and, at 
 length, one fellow, a harum-scarum lad, whom we called 
 Harry Bluff, and who did not care what country or ship he 
 
256 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 was in, if he had clothes enough and money enough — 
 partly from pity for Ben, and partly from the thought he 
 should have “ cruising money ” for the rest of his stay, — 
 came forward, and offered to go and “ sling his hammock 
 in the bloody hooker. ,, Lest his purpose should cool, I 
 signed an order for the sum upon the owners in Boston, 
 gave him all the clothes I could spare, and sent him aft to 
 the captain, to let him know what had been done. The 
 skipper accepted the exchange, and was, doubtless, glad to 
 have it pass off so easily. At the same time he cashed 
 the order, which was endorsed to him,* and the next morn- 
 ing, the lad went aboard the brig, apparently in good spirits, 
 having shaken hands with each of us and wished us a 
 pleasant passage home, jingling the money in his pockets, 
 and calling out, “ Never say die, while there’s a shot in the 
 locker.” The same boat carried off Harris, my old watch- 
 mate, who had previously made an exchange with my 
 friend S . 
 
 I was sorry to part with Harris. Nearly two hundred 
 hours ( as we had calculated it) had we walked the ship’s 
 deck together, at anchor watch, when all hands were below, 
 and talked over and over every subject which came within 
 the ken of either of us. He gave me a strong grip with 
 his hand ; and I told him, if he came to Boston again, not 
 to fail to find me out, and let me see an old watchmate. 
 
 The same boat brought on board S , my friend, who 
 
 had begun the voyage with me from Boston, and, like me, 
 was going back to his family and to the society which we 
 had been born and brought up in. We congratulated one 
 another upon finding what we had long talked over and 
 wished for, thus brought about ; and none on board the 
 ship were more glad than ourselves to see the old brig 
 standing round the point, under full sail. As she passed 
 abreast of us, we all collected in the waist, and gave her 
 three loud, hearty cheers, waving our hats in the air. Her 
 crew sprang into the rigging and chains, and answered us 
 with three as loud, to which we, after the nautical custom, 
 gave one in return. I took my last look of their familiar 
 
 * When the crew were paid off in Boston, the owners answered the 
 order, but generously refused to deduct the amount from the pay-roll, 
 saying that the exchange was made under compulsion. They also al- 
 lowed S his exchange money. 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 *57 
 
 faces as they got over the rail, and saw the old black cook 
 put his head out of the galley, and wave his cap over his 
 head. The crew flew aloft to loose the top-gallant sails 
 and royals ; the two captains waved their hands to one an- 
 other ; and, in ten minutes, we saw the last inch of her 
 white canvas, as she rounded the point. 
 
 Relieved as I was to see her well off, ( and I felt like 
 one who had just sprung from an iron trap which was clos- 
 ing upon him) I had yet a feeling of regret at taking the 
 last look at the old craft in which I had spent a year and 
 the first year, of my sailor’s life — which had been my first 
 home in the new world into which I had entered — and 
 with which I had associated so many things, — my first 
 leaving home, my first crossing the equator, Cape Horn, 
 Juan Fernandez, death at sea, and other things, serious 
 and common. Yet, with all this, and the feeling I had 
 for my old shipmates, condemned to another term of Cali- 
 fornia life, the thought that we were done with it, and that 
 one week more would see us on our way to Boston, was a 
 cure for everything. 
 
 Friday , May 6th , completed the taking in of our cargo, 
 and was a memorable day in our calendar. The time when 
 we were to take in our last hide, we had looked forward to, 
 for sixteen months, as the first bright spot. When the last 
 hide was stowed away, and the hatches calked down, the 
 tarpaulins battened on to them, the long-boat hoisted in 
 and secured, and the decks swept down for the night, — 
 the chief mate sprang upon the top of a long-boat, called 
 all hands into the waist, and giving us a signal by swing- 
 inghis cap over his head, — we gave three long, loud cheers, 
 which came from the bottom of our hearts, and made the 
 hills and valleys ring again. In a moment, we heard three, 
 in answer, from the California’s crew, who had seen us 
 taking our long-boat, and — “ the cry they heard — its mean- 
 ing knew.” 
 
 The last week, we had been occupied in taking in a 
 supply of wood and water for the passage home, and in 
 bringing on board the spare spars, sails, etc. I was sent 
 off with a party of Indians to fill the water-casks, at a 
 spring, about three miles from the shipping, and near the 
 town, and was absent three days, living at the town, and 
 spending the daytime in filling the casks and transporting 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 258 
 
 them on ox-carts to the landing- place, whence they were 
 taken on board by the crew with boats. This being all 
 done with, we gave one day to bending our sails ; and ^t 
 night, every sail, from the courses to the sky-sails, was 
 bent, and every studding-sail ready for setting. 
 
 Before our sailing, an unsuccessful attempt was made 
 by one of the crew of the California to effect an exchange 
 with one of our number. It was a lad, between fifteen 
 and sixteen years of age, who went by the name of the 
 “ reefer,” having been a midshipman in an East India 
 Company’s ship. His singular character and story had 
 excited our interest ever since the ship came into the port. 
 He was a delicate, slender little fellow, with a beautiful 
 pearly complexion, regular features, forehead as white as 
 marble, black hair, curling beautifully round it, tapering, 
 delicate fingers, small feet, soft voice, gentle manners, and, 
 in fact, every sign of having been well born and bred. At 
 the same time, there was something in his expression 
 which showed a slight deficiency of intellect. How great 
 the deficiency was, or what it resulted from ; whether he 
 was born so ; whether it was the result of disease or acci- 
 dent ; or whether, as some said, it was brought on by his 
 distress of mind, during the voyage, I cannot say. From 
 his own account of himself, and from many circumstances 
 which were known in connection with his story, he must 
 have been the son of a man of wealth. His mother was 
 an Italian woman. He was probably a natural son, for 
 in scarcely any other way could the incidents of his early 
 life be accounted for. He said that his parents did not 
 live together, and he seemed to have been ill-treated by 
 his father. Though he had been delicately brought up, 
 and indulged in every way (and he had then with him 
 trinkets which had been given him at home), yet his edu- 
 cation had been sadly neglected ; and when only twelve 
 years old, he was sent as midshipman in the Company’s 
 service. His own story was, that he afterwards ran away 
 from home, upon a difficulty which he had with his father, 
 and went to Liverpool, whence he sailed in the ship Rialto, 
 Captain Holmes, for Boston. Captain Holmes endeavored 
 to get him a passage back, but there being no vessel to 
 sail for some time, the boy left him, and went to board at 
 a common sailor’s boarding-house, in Ann street, where he 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 2 59 
 
 supported himself for a few weeks by selling some of his 
 valuables. At length, according to his own account, being 
 desirous of returning home, he went to a shipping office, 
 where the shipping articles of the California were open. 
 Upon asking where the ship was going, he was told by the 
 shipping-master that she was bound to California. Not 
 knowing where that was, he told him that he wanted to go 
 to Europe, and asked if California was in Europe. The 
 shipping-master answered him in a way which the boy did 
 not understand, and advised him to ship. The boy signed 
 the articles, received his advance, laid out a little of it in 
 clothes, and spent the rest, and was ready to go on board, 
 when, upon the morning of sailing, he heard that the ship 
 was bound upon the Northwest coast, on a two or three 
 years’ voyage, and was not going to Europe. Frightened 
 at this prospect, he slipped away when the crew were going 
 aboard, wandered up into another part of the town, and 
 spent all the forenoon in straying about the common and 
 the neighboring streets. Having no money, and all his 
 clothes and other things being in his chest, on board, and 
 being a stranger, he became tired and hungry, and ven- 
 tured down toward the shipping, to see if the vessel had 
 sailed. He was just turning the corner of a street, when 
 the shipping master, who had been in search of him, pop- 
 ped upon him, seized him, and carried him on board. He 
 cried and struggled, and said he did not wish to go in the 
 ship, but the top-sails were at the mast-head, the fast just 
 ready to be cast off, and everything in the hurry and con- 
 fusion of departure, so that he was hardly noticed ; and the 
 few who did inquire about the matter were told that it was 
 merely a boy who had spent his advance and tried to run 
 away. Had the owners of the vessel known anything of 
 the matter, they would have interfered at once ; but they 
 either knew nothing of it, or heard, like the rest, that it 
 was only an unruly boy who was sick of his bargain. As 
 soon as the boy found himself actually at sea, and upon a 
 voyage of two or three years in length, his spirits failed 
 him ; he refused to work, and became so miserable, that 
 Captain Arthur took him into the cabin, where he assisted 
 the steward, and occasionally pulled and hauled about 
 decks. He was in this capacity when we saw him ; and 
 though it was much better for him than the life in a fore- 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 260 
 
 castle, and the hard work, watching, and exposure, which 
 his delicate frame could not have borne, yet, to be joined 
 with a black fellow in waiting upon a man whom he prob- 
 ably looked upon as but little, in point of education 
 and manners, above one of his father’s servants, was 
 almost too much for his spirit to bear. Had he entered 
 upon this situation of his own free will, he could have en- 
 dured it ; but to have been deceived, and, in addition to 
 that, forced into it, was intolerable. He made every effort 
 to go home in our ship, but his captain refused to part 
 with him except in the way of exchange, and that he could 
 not effect. If this account of the whole matter, which we 
 had from the boy, and which was confirmed by all the 
 crew, be correct, I cannot understand why Captain Arthur 
 should have refused to let him go, especially being a cap- 
 tain who had the name, not only with that crew, but with 
 all whom he had ever commanded, of an unusually kind- 
 hearted man. The truth is, the unlimited power which 
 merchant captains have, upon long voyages on strange 
 coasts, takes away a sense of responsibility, and too often, 
 even in men otherwise well-disposed, substitutes a dis- 
 regard for the rights and feelings of others. The lad was 
 sent on shore to join the gang at the hide-house ; from 
 whence, I was afterwards rejoiced to hear, he effected his 
 escape, and went down to Callao in a small Spanish 
 schooner; and from Callao he probably returned to 
 England. 
 
 Soon after the arrival of the California, I spoke to 
 Captain Arthur about Hope ; and as he had known him 
 on the voyage before, and was very fond of him, he im- 
 mediately went to see him, gave him proper medicines, 
 and, under such care, he began rapidly to recover. The 
 Saturday night before our sailing, I spent an hour in the 
 oven, and took leave of my Kanaka friends ; and, really, 
 this was the only thing connected with leaving California 
 which was in any way unpleasant. I felt an interest and 
 affection for many of these simple, true hearted men, such 
 as I never felt before but for a near relation. Hope shook 
 me by the hand ; said he should soon be well again, and 
 ready to work for me when I came upon the coast, next 
 voyage, as officer of the ship ; and told me not to forget 
 when I became captain, how to be kind to the sick. Old 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 261 
 
 “Mr. Bingham ” and “King Mannini ” went down to the 
 boat with me, shook me heartily by the hand, wished 11s a 
 good voyage, and went back to the oven, chanting one of 
 their deep monotonous songs, the burden of which I gath- 
 ered to be about us and our voyage. 
 
 Sunday May &th. This promised to be our last day in 
 California. Our forty thousand hides, thirty thousand 
 horns, besides several barrels of otter and beaver skins, 
 were all stowed below, and the the hatches calked down. 
 All our spare spars were taken on board and lashed ; 
 our water-casks secured; and our live stock, consis- 
 ting of four bullocks, a dozen sheep, a dozen or more 
 pigs, and three or four dozen of poultry, were all stowed 
 away in their different quarters : the bullocks in the 
 long-boat, the sheep in a pen on the forehatch, and 
 the pigs in a sty under the bows of the long-boat, 
 and the poultry in their proper coop, and the jolly- 
 boat was full of hay for the sheep and bullocks. Our un- 
 usually large cargo, together with the stores for a five 
 months’ voyage brought the ship channels down into the 
 water. In addition to this, she had been steeved so 
 thoroughly, and was so bound by the compression of her 
 cargo, forced into her by so powerful machinery, that she 
 was like a man in a strait jacket, and would be but a dull 
 sailor, until she had worked herself loose. 
 
 The California had finished discharging her cargo, and 
 was to get under weigh at the same time with us. Having 
 washed down decks and got our breakfast, the two vessels 
 lay side by side, in complete readiness for sea, our ensigns 
 hanging from the peaks, and our tall spars reflected from 
 the glassy surface of the river, which, since sunrise, had 
 been unbroken by a ripple. At length, a few whiffs came 
 across the water, and, by eleven o’clock, the regular north- 
 west wind set steadily in. There was no need of calling 
 all hands, for we had all been hanging about the forecastle 
 the whole forenoon, and were ready for a start upon the 
 first sign of a breeze. All eyes were aft upon the captain, 
 who was walking the deck, with, every now and then, a 
 look to windward. He made a sign to the mate, who 
 came forward, took his station deliberately between the 
 knight-heads, cast a glance aloft, and called out, “All 
 hands, lay aloft and loose the sails ! ” We were half in the 
 
262 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 rigging before the order came, and never since we left 
 Boston were the gaskets off the yards, and the rigging 
 overhauled, in a shorter time. “ All ready forward, sir ! ” 
 — “All ready the main ! ” — “Cross-jack yards all ready, 
 sir ! ” — “ Lay down, all hands but one on each yard !” 
 The yard-arm and bunt gaskets were cast off; and each 
 sail hung by the jigger, with one man standing by the tie 
 to let it go. At the same moment that we sprang aloft, a 
 dozen hands sprang into the rigging of the California, and 
 in an instant were all over her yards ; and her sails, too, 
 were ready to be dropped at the word. In the meantime 
 our bow gun had been loaded and run out, and its dis- 
 charge was to be the signal for dropping the sails. A 
 cloud of smoke came out of our bows ; the echoes of the 
 gun rattled our farewell among the hills of California ; and 
 the two ships were covered, from head to foot, with their 
 white canvas. For a few minutes, all was uproar and ap* 
 parent confusion ; men flying about like monkeys in the 
 rigging; ropes and blocks flying; orders given and an- 
 swered, and the confused noises of men singing out at the 
 ropes. The top-sails came to the mast-heads with “Cheer- 
 ily, men ! ”and, in a few minutes, every sail was set ; for the 
 wind was light. The head sails were backed, the wind- 
 lass came round ‘ slip — slap’ to the cry of the sailors ; — 
 “ Hove short, sir,” said the mate ; — “ Up with him ! ” — 
 “ Aye, aye, sir.” — A few hearty and long heaves, and the 
 anchor showed its head. “ Hook cat !” — The fall was 
 stretched along the decks ; — all hands laid hold ; “ Hur- 
 rah, for .the last time,” said the mate ; and the anchor 
 came to the cat-head to the tune of “ Time for us to go,” 
 with a loud chorus. Everything was done quick, as though 
 it were for the last time. The head yards were filled away, 
 and our ship began to move through the water on her 
 homeward-bound course. 
 
 The California had got under weigh at the same mo- 
 ment ; and we sailed down the narrow bay abreast, and 
 were just off the mouth, and finding ourselves gradually 
 shooting ahead of her, were on the point of giving her 
 three parting cheers, when, suddenly, we found ourselves 
 stopped short, and the California ranging fast ahead of us. 
 A bar stretches across the mouth of the harbor, with 
 water enough to float common vessels, but, being low in 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 263 
 
 the water, and having kept well to leeward, as we were 
 bound to the southward, we had stuck fast, while the Cal- 
 ifornia, being light, had floated over. 
 
 We kept all sail on, in the hope of forcing over, but 
 failing in this, we hove aback, and lay waiting for the tide, 
 which was on the flood, to take us back into the channel. 
 This was somewhat of a damper to us, and the captain 
 looked not a little mortified and vexed. “This is the 
 same place where the Rosa got ashore,” observed our red- 
 headed second mate, most malapropos. A malediction 
 on the Rosa, and him too, was all the answer he got, and 
 he slunk off to leeward. In a few minutes, the force of 
 the wind and the rising of the tide backed us into the 
 stream, and we were on our way to our old anchoring-place, 
 the tide setting swiftly up, and the ship barely manage- 
 able, in the light breeze. We came-to, in our old berth, 
 opposite the hide-house, whose inmates were not a little 
 surprised to see us return. We felt as though we were tied 
 to California; and some of the crew swore that they never 
 should get clear of the bloody coast. 
 
 In about half an hour, which was near high water, the 
 order was given to man the windlass, and again the anchor 
 was catted ; but not a word was said about the last time. 
 The California had come back on finding that we had re- 
 turned, and was hove-to, waiting for us, off the point. 
 This time we passed the bar safely, and were soon up with 
 the California, who filled away, and kept us company. She 
 seemed desirous of a trial of speed, and our captain ac- 
 cepted the challenge, although we were loaded down to 
 the bolts of our chain plates, as deep as a sand-barge, and 
 bound so taught with our cargo that we were no more fit for 
 a race than a man in fetters ; — while our antagonist was in 
 her best trim. Being clear of the point, the breeze became 
 stiff, and the royal masts bent under our sails, but we 
 would not take them in until we saw three boys spring 
 aloft into the rigging of the California ; when they were all 
 furled at once, but with orders to stay aloft at the top-gal- 
 lant mast-heads, and loose them again at the word. It 
 was my duty to furl the fore royal ; and while standing by 
 to loose it again, I had a fine view of the scene. From 
 where I stood, the two vessels seemed nothing but spars 
 and sails,- while their narrow decks, far below, slanting 
 
264 TWO YEATS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 over by the force of the wind aloft, appeared hardly capable 
 of supporting the great fabrics raised upon them. The 
 California was to windward of us, and had every advan- 
 tage ; yet, while the breeze was stiff, we held our own. 
 As soon as it began to slacken, she ranged a little ahead, 
 and the order was given to loose the royals. In an in 
 stant the gaskets were off and the bunt dropped. “ Sheet 
 home to the fore royal ! — Weather sheet’s home ! ” — “ Lee 
 sheet’s home ! “ Hoist away, sir ! ” is bawled from aloft. 
 
 “ Overhaul your clewlines ! ” shouts the mate. Aye, aye, 
 sir ! all clear ! ” — Taught leech ! belay ! Well the lee brace ; 
 haul taught to windward ” — and the royals are set. These 
 brought us up again ; but the wind continuing light, the 
 California set hers, and it was soon evident that she was 
 walking away from us. Our captain then hailed, and said 
 that he should keep off to his course; adding — “ She isn’t 
 the Alert now. If I had her in your trim, she would have 
 been out of sight by this time.” This was good-naturedly 
 answered from the California, and she braced sharp up, 
 and stood close upon the wind up the coast ; while we 
 squared away our yards, and stood before the wind to the 
 south-southwest. The California’s crew manned her 
 weather rigging, waved their hats in the air, and gave us 
 three hearty cheers, which we answered as heartily, and 
 the customary single cheer came back to us from over the 
 water. She stood on her way, doomed to eighteen months’ 
 or two years’ hard service on that hated coast, while we 
 were making our way to our home, which every hour and 
 every mile was bringing us nearer to. 
 
 As soon as we parted company with the California, all 
 hands were sent aloft to set the studding-sails. Booms 
 were rigged out, tacks and halyards rove, sail after sail 
 packed upon her, until every available inch of canvas was 
 spread, that we might not lose a breath of the fair wind. 
 We could now see how much she was cramped and dead- 
 ened by her cargo ; for with a good breeze on her quarter, 
 and every stitch of canvas spread, we could not get more 
 than six knots out of her. She had no more life in her 
 than if she were water-logged. The log was hove several 
 times ; but she was doing her best. We had hardly patience 
 with her, but the older sailors said— “ Stand by ! you’ll see 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 26 ^ 
 
 her work herself loose in a week or two, and then she’ll 
 walk up to Cape Horn like a race-horse.” 
 
 When all sail had been set, and the decks cleared up, 
 the California was a speck in the horizon, and the coast lay 
 like a low cloud along the northeast. At sunset they were 
 both out of sight, and we were once more upon the ocean, 
 where sky and water meet. 
 
 CHAPTER XXX. 
 
 At eight o'clock all hands were called aft, and the 
 watches set for the voyage. Some changes were made ; 
 but I was glad to find myself still in the larboard watch. 
 Our crew were somewhat diminished ; for a man and a boy 
 had gone in the Pilgrim ; another was second mate of the 
 Ayacucho ; and a third, the oldest man of the crew, had 
 broken down under the hard work, and constant exposure 
 on the coast, and, having had a stroke of the palsy, was 
 left behind at the hide-house, under the charge of Captain 
 Arthur. The poor fellow wished very much to come home 
 in the ship ; and he aught to have been brought home in 
 her. But a live dog is better than a dead lion, and a sick 
 sailor belongs to nobody’s mess ; so he was sent ashore 
 with the rest of the lumber, which was only in the way. 
 By these diminutions, we were short-handed for a voyage 
 
 round Cape Horn in the dead of winter. Beside S 
 
 and myself, they were only five in the forecastle ; who, to- 
 gether with four boys in the steerage, the sailmaker, car- 
 penter, etc., composed the whole crew. In addition to this, 
 we were only three or four days out, when the sailmaker, 
 who was the oldest and best seaman on board, was taken 
 with the palsy, and was useless for the rest of the voyage. 
 The constant wading in the water, in all weathers, to take 
 off hides, together with the other labors, is too much for 
 old men, and for any who have not good constitutions. 
 Besides these two men of ours, the second officer of the 
 California and the carpenter of the Pilgrim broke down 
 under the work, and the latter died at Santa Barbara. The 
 young man, too, who came out with us from Boston in the 
 Pilgrim, had to be taken from his berth before the mast and 
 
266 
 
 TIYO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 made clerk, on account of a fit of rheumatism which at- 
 tacked him soon after he came upon the coast. By the 
 loss of the sailmaker, our watch was reduced to five, of 
 whom two were boys, who never steered but in fine weather, 
 so that the other two and myself had to stand at the wheel 
 four hours apiece out of every twenty-four ; and the other 
 watch had only four helmsmen. “ Never mind — we’re home- 
 ward bound ! ” was the answer to everything ; and we 
 should not have minded this, were it not for the thought 
 that we should be off Cape Horn in the very dead of winter. 
 It was now the first part of May; and two months would 
 bring us off the Cape in July, which is the worst month in 
 the year there ; when the sun rises at nine and sets at three, 
 giving eighteen hours night, and there is snow and rain, 
 gales and high seas, in abundance. 
 
 The prospect of meeting this in a ship half manned, 
 and loaded so deep that every heavy sea must wash her 
 fore and aft, was by no means pleasant. The Alert, in her 
 passage out, doubled the Cape in the month of February, 
 which is midsummer ; and we came round in the Pilgrim in 
 the latter part of October, which we thought was bad 
 enough. There was only one of our crew who had been 
 off there in the winter, and that was in a whaleship, much 
 lighter and higher than our ship ; yet he said they had man- 
 killing weather for twenty days without intermission, and 
 their decks were swept twice, and they were all glad enough 
 to see the last of it. The Brandywine frigate, also, in her 
 passage round, had sixty days off the Cape, and lost several 
 boats by the heavy seas. All this was for our comfort ; 
 yet pass it we must ; and all hands agreed to make the best 
 of it. 
 
 During our watches below we overhauled our clothes, 
 and made and mended everything for bad weather. Each 
 of us had made for himself a suit of oil-cloth or tarpaulin, 
 and these we got out, and gave thorough coatings of oil or 
 tar, and hung upon the stays to dry. Our stout boots, too, 
 we covered over with a thick mixture of melted grease 
 and tar, and hung out to dry. Thus we took advantage oi 
 the warm sun and fine weather of the Pacific to prepare 
 for its other face. In the forenoon watches below, our 
 forecastle looked like the workshop of what a sailor is, — a 
 Jack of all trades. Thick stockings and d rawers were darn- 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 26j 
 
 and patched ; mittens dragged from the bottom of the 
 chest and mended ; comforters made for the neck and ears ; 
 old flannel shirts cut up to line monkey-jackets ; south- 
 westers lined with flannel, and a pot of paint smuggled for- 
 ward to give them a coat on the outside ; and everything 
 turned to hand ; so that, although two years had left us 
 but a scanty wardrobe, yet the economy and invention which 
 necessity teaches a sailor, soon put each of us in pretty 
 good trim for bad weather, even before we had seen the 
 last of the fine. Even the cobbler’s art was not out of 
 place. Several old shoes were very decently repaired, and 
 with waxed ends, an awl, and the top of an old boot, I 
 made me quite a respectable sheath for my knife. 
 
 There was one difficulty, however, nothing that we could 
 do would remedy ; and that was the leaking forecastle, which 
 made it very uncomfortable in bad weather, and rendered 
 half of the berths tenantless. The tightest ships, in a long 
 voyage, from the constant strain which is upon the bow- 
 sprit, will leak, more or less, round the heel of the bowsprit, 
 and the bits, which come down into the forecastle ; but, in 
 addition to this, we had an unaccountable leak on the star- 
 board bow, near the cat-head, which drove us from the for- 
 ward berths on that side, and, indeed, when she was on the 
 starboard tack, from all the forward berths. One of the 
 after berths, too, leaked in very bad weather ; so that in a 
 ship which was in other respects as tight as a bottle, and 
 brought her cargo to Boston perfectly dry, we had after 
 every effort made to prevent it, in the way of calking and 
 leading, a forecastle with only three dry berths for seven 
 of us. However, as there is never but one watch below 
 at a time, by “ turning in and out,” we did pretty well. And, 
 there being in our watch, but three of us who lived for- 
 ward, we generally had a dry berth apiece in bad weather.* 
 
 All this, however, was but anticipation. We were still 
 in fine weather in the North Pacific, running down the 
 northeast trades, which we took on the second day after 
 leaving San Diego. 
 
 * On removing the cat-head, after the ship arrived a Boston, it was 
 found that there were two holes under it which had been bored for 
 the purpose of driving treenails, and which, accidentally, had not been 
 plugged up when the cat-head was placed over them. This was suffi- 
 cient to account for the leak, and for our not having been able to dis- 
 cover and stop it. 
 
268 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 Sunday , May 15 th, one week out, we were in latitude 
 14 0 56' N., long. 116 0 14' W., having gone, by reckoning, 
 over thirteen hundred miles in seven days. In fact, ever 
 since leaving San Diego we had had a fair wind, and as 
 much as we wanted of it. For seven days, our lower and 
 top-mast studding-sails were set all the time, and our royals 
 and top-gallant studding-sails, whenever she could stagger 
 under them. Indeed, the captain had shown, from the 
 moment we got to sea, that he was to have no boy’s play, 
 but that the ship had got to carry all she could, and that 
 he was going to make up, by “ cracking on ” to her, what 
 she wanted in lightness. In this way, we frequently made 
 three degrees of latitude, besides something in longitude,, 
 in the course of twenty-four hours. Our days w r ere spent in 
 the usual ship’s work. The rigging which had become slack 
 from being long in port was to be set up ; breast backstays 
 got up ; studding-sail booms rigged upon the main yard ; 
 and royal studding-sails got ready for the light trades ; ring- 
 tail set ; and new rigging fitted and sails got ready for Cape 
 Horn. For, with a ship’s gear, as well as a sailor’s ward- 
 robe, fine weather must be improved to get ready for the 
 bad to come. Our forenoon watch below, as I have said, 
 was given to our own work, and our night watches were 
 spent in the usual manner : — a trick at the wheel, a look- 
 out on the forecastle, a nap on a coil of rigging under the 
 lee of the rail ; a yarn round the windlass-end ; or, as was 
 generally my way, a solitary walk fore and aft, in the 
 weather waist, between the windlass-end and the main tack. 
 Every wave that she threw aside brought us nearer home, 
 and every day’s observation at noon showed a progress 
 which, if it continued, would, in less than five months, take 
 us into Boston Bay. This is the pleasure of life at sea, — 
 fine weather, day after day, without interruption, — fair 
 wind, and a plenty of it, — and homeward bound. Every 
 one was in good humor ; things went right ; and all was 
 done with a will. At the dog watch, all hands came on 
 deck, and stood round the weather side of the forecastle, 
 or sat upon the windlass, and sung sea songs, and those 
 ballads of pirates and highwaymen, which sailors delight 
 in. Home, too, and what we should do when we got there, 
 and when and how we should arrive, was no infrequent 
 topic. Every night, after the kids and pots were put away, 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 269 
 
 and we had lighted our pipes and cigars at the galley, 
 and gathered about the windlass, the first question was, — 
 “ Well, Tom, what was the latitude to day ? ” 
 
 “ Why, fourteen, north, and she has been going seven 
 knots ever since. ,, 
 
 “ Well, this will bring us up to the line in five days.” 
 
 “ Yes, but these trades won’t last twenty-four hours 
 longer,” says an old salt, pointing with the sharp of his 
 hand to leeward, — “ I know that by the look of the clouds.” 
 Then came all manner of calculations and conjectures 
 as to the continuance of the wind, the weather under the 
 line, the southeast trades, etc., and rough guesses as to 
 the time the ship would be up with the Horn ; and some, 
 more venturous, gave her so many days to Boston light, 
 and offered to bet that she would not exceed it. 
 
 “ You’d better wait till you get round Cape Horn, ” 
 says an old croaker. 
 
 “ Yes,” says another, “ you may see Boston, but you’ve 
 got to “ smell hell ” before that good day.” 
 
 Rumors also of what had been said in the cabin, as 
 usual, found their way forward. The steward had heard 
 the captain say something about the straits of Magellan, 
 and the man at^ the wheel fancied he had heard him tell 
 the “ passenger ” that, if he found the wind ahead and the 
 weather very bad off the Cape he should stick her off for 
 New Holland, and come home round the Cape of Good 
 Hope. 
 
 This passenger — the first and only one we had had, 
 except to go from port to port on the coast, was no one 
 else than a gentleman whom I had known in my better 
 days ; and the last person I should have expected to hav 
 
 seen on the coast of California — Professor N , of Can> 
 
 bridge. I had left him quietly seated in the chair of Bot- 
 any and Ornithology, in Harvard University ; and the next 
 I saw of him, was strolling about San Diego beach, in 
 a sailor’s pea-jacket, with a wide straw hat, and barefooted, 
 with his trowsers rolled up to his knees, picking up stones 
 and shells. He had travelled over land to the Northwest 
 Coast, and come down in a small vessel to Monterey. There 
 he learned that there was a ship at the leeward, about to 
 to sail for Boston ; and, taking passage in the Pilgrim, 
 which was then at Monterey, he came slowly down, visit- 
 
2 70 
 
 TWO YEATS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 ing the intermediate ports, and examining the trees, plants, 
 earths, birds, etc., and joined us at San Diego shortly be- 
 for we sailed. The second mate of the Pilgrim told me 
 that they had got an old gentleman on board who knew 
 me, and came from the college that I had been in. He 
 could not recollect his name, but said he was a “ sort of an 
 oldish man,” with white hair, and spent all his time in the 
 bush, and along the beach, picking up flowers and shells, 
 and such truck, and had a dozen boxes and barrels, full of 
 them. I thought over everybody who would be likely to 
 be there, but could fix upon no one ; when, the next day, 
 just as we were about to shove off from the beach, he came 
 down to the boat, in the rig I have described, with his 
 shoes in his hand, and his pockets full of specimens. I 
 knew him at once, though I should not have been more 
 surprised to have seen the Old South steeple shoot up 
 from the hide-house. He probably had no less difficulty 
 in recognizing me. As we left home about the same time, 
 we had nothing to tell one another ; and owing to our dif- 
 ferent situations on board, I saw but little of him on the 
 passage home. Sometimes, when I was at the wheel of a 
 calm night, and the steering required no attention, and the 
 officer of the watch was forward, he would come aft and 
 hold a short yarn with me ; but this was against the rules 
 of the ship, as is, in fact, all intercourse between passen- 
 gers and the crew. I was often amused to see the sailors 
 puzzled to know what to make of him, and to hear their 
 conjectures about him and his business. They were as much 
 puzzled as our old sailmaker was with the captain's instru- 
 ments in the cabin. He said there were three : — the Chro - 
 nomter, the chre-nometer, and the the- nometer, (Chrono- 
 meter, barometer, and thermometer.) The Pilgrim’s crew 
 christened Mr. N. “ Old Curious,” from his zeal for curi- 
 osities, and some of them said that he was crazy, and that 
 his friends let him go about and amuse himself in this way. 
 Why else a rich man (sailors call every man rich who does 
 not work with his hands, and wears a long coat and cravat) 
 should leave a Christian country, and come to such a place 
 as California, to pick up shells and stones, they could not 
 understand. One of them, however, an old salt, who had 
 seen something more of the world ashore, set all to rights, 
 as he thought, — “ Oh, ’vast there !— You don’t know any- 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 27 i 
 
 thing about them craft. I’ve seen them colleges, and know 
 the ropes. They keep all such things for curiosities, and 
 study ’em, and have men a’ purpose to go and get ’em. 
 This old chap knows what he ’s about. He a’n’t the child 
 you take him for. He’ll carry all these things to the col- 
 lege, and if they are better than any that they have had 
 before, he ’ll be head of the college. Then, by-and-by, 
 somebody else will go after some more, and if they beat 
 him, he ’ll have to go again, or else give up his berth. 
 That’s the way they do it. This old covey knows the ropes. 
 He has worked a traverse over ’em, and come ’way out 
 here, where nobody’s ever been afore, and where they’ll 
 never think of coming.” This explanation satisfied Jack ; 
 and as it raised Mr. N.’s credit for capacity, and was near 
 enough to the truth for common purposes, I did not dis- 
 turb it. 
 
 With the exception of Mr. N., we had no one on board 
 but the regular ship’s company, and the live stock. Upon 
 this we had made a considerable inroad. We killed one 
 of the bullocks every four days, so that they did not last 
 us up to the line. We, or, rather, they, then began upon 
 the sheep and the poultry, for these never came into 
 Jack’s mess.* The pigs were for the latter part of the 
 
 * The custom as to the allowance of “ grub ” are very nearly the 
 same in all American merchantmen. Whenever a pig is killed, the 
 sailors have one mess from it. The rest goes to the cabin. The 
 smaller live stock, poultry, etc., they never taste. And, indeed, they 
 do not complain of this, for it would take a great deal to supply them 
 with a good meal, and without the accompaniments, (which could 
 hardly be furnished to them,) it would hardly be much better than salt 
 beef. But even as to the salt beef, they are scarcely dealt fairly with ; 
 for whenever a barrel is opened, before any of the beef is put into the 
 harness-cask, the steward comes up, and picks it all over, and takes 
 out the best pieces, (those that have any fat in them) for the cabin. 
 This was done in both the vessels I was in, and the men said it was 
 usual in other vessels. Indeed, it is made no secret, but some of the 
 crew are usually called to help in assorting and putting away the 
 pieces. By this arrangement, the hard, dry pieces, which the sailors 
 call u old horse,” come to their share. 
 
 There is a singular piece of rhyme, traditional among sailors, which 
 they say over such pieces of beef. I do not know that it ever appeared 
 in print before. When seated round the kid, if a particularly bad 
 piece is found, one of them takes it up, and addressing it, repeats 
 these lines ; 
 
 “ Old horse I old horse ! what brought you here ? * 
 
 From Sacarap’ to Portland pier 
 
272 
 
 7 WO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 voyage, for they are sailors, and can stand all weathers. 
 We had an old sow on board, the mother of a numerous 
 progeny, who had been twice round the Cape of Good 
 Hope, and once round Cape Horn. The last time going 
 round, was very nearly her death. We heard her squealing 
 and moaning one dark night, after it had been snowing 
 and hailing for several hours, and, getting into the sty, we 
 found her nearly frozen to death. We got some straw, an 
 old sail, and other things, and wrapped her up in a corner 
 of the sty, where she staid until we got into fine weather 
 again. 
 
 Wednesday, May 1 8 th. Lat. 9 0 54' N., long. 113 0 
 17' W. The north-east trades had now left us, and we 
 had the usual variable winds which prevail near the line, 
 together with some rain. So long as we were in these 
 latitudes, we had but little rest in our watch on deck at 
 night, for, as the winds were light and variable, and we 
 could not lose a breath, we were all the watch bracing the 
 yards, and taking in and making sail, and ‘ humbugging’ 
 with our flying kites. A little puff of wind on the larboard 
 quarter, and then “ larboard fore braces !” * and studding 
 booms were rigged out, studding-sails set alow and aloft, 
 the yards trimmed, and jib and spanker in ; when it would 
 come as calm as a duck-pond, and the man at the wheel 
 standing with the palm of his hand up, feeling for the 
 wind. “ Keep her off a little ! ” “ All aback forward, 
 
 sir !” cries a man from the forecastle. Down go the 
 braces again ; in come the studding-sails, all in a mess, 
 which half an hour won’t set right ; yards braced sharp 
 
 I’ve carted stone this many a year : 
 
 Till, killed by blows and sore abuse, 
 
 They salted me down for sailors* use. 
 
 The sailors they do me despise : 
 
 They turn me over and damn my eyes ; 
 
 Cut off my meat, and pick my bones, 
 
 And pitch the rest to Davy Jones.* ” 
 
 There is a story current among seamen, that a beef-dealer was 
 convicted at Boston, of having sold old horse for ship’s stores, instead 
 of beef, and had been sentenced to be confined in jail, until he should 
 eat the whole of it ; and that he is now lying in Boston jail. I have 
 heard this story often on board other vessels beside those of our own 
 nation. It is very generally believed, and is always highly commend 
 ed, as a fair instance of retaliatory justice. 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 *73 
 
 up ; and she's on the starboard tack, close hauled. The 
 studding-sails must now be cleared away, and set up in the 
 tops, and on the booms. By the time this is done, and 
 you are looking out for a soft plank for a nap, — “ Lay aft 
 here, and square in the head yards !” and the studding- 
 sails are all set again on the starboard side. So it goes 
 until it is eight bells, — call the watch, — heave the log, — 
 relieve the wheel, and go below the larboard watch. 
 
 Sunday, May 22nd . Lat. 5 0 14 N., long. 166 0 45' W. 
 We were now a fortnight out, and within five degrees of 
 the line, to which two days of good breeze would take us ; 
 but we had for the most part, what the sailors call 4 an 
 Irishman's hurricane, — right up and down.’ This day it 
 rained nearly all day, and being Sunday, and nothing to 
 do, we stopped up the scuppers and filled the decks with 
 rain water, and bringing all our clothes on deck, had a 
 grand wash, fore and aft. When this was through, we 
 stripped, to our drawers, and taking pieces of soap, with 
 strips of canvas for towels, we turned to and soaped, 
 washed, and scrubbed one another down, to get off, as we 
 said, the California dust ; for the common wash in salt 
 water, which is all that Jack can get, being on an allow- 
 ance of fresh, had little efficacy, and was more for taste 
 than utility. The captain was below all the afternoon, 
 and we had something nearer to a Saturnalia than any- 
 thing we had yet seen ; for the mate came into the scuppers, 
 with a couple of boys to scrub him, and got into a battle 
 with them in heaving water. By unplugging the holes, we 
 let the soap-suds off the decks, and in a short time had a 
 new supply of rain water, in which we had a grand rinsing. 
 It was surprising to see how much soap and fresh water 
 did for the complexions of many of us ; how much of what 
 we supposed to be tan and sea-blacking, we got rid of. 
 The next day, the sun rising clear, the ship was covered, 
 fore and aft, with clothes of all sorts, hanging out to dry. 
 
 As we approached the line, the wind became more 
 easterly, and the weather clearer, and in twenty days from 
 San Diego, — 
 
 Saturday , May 28 th, at about three P.M., with a fine 
 breeze from the east-south-east, we crossed the equator. 
 In twenty-four hours after crossing the line, which was 
 very unusual, we took the regular south-east trades. These 
 
*74 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 winds come a little from the eastward of south-east, and, 
 with us, they blew directly from the east-south-east, which 
 was fortunate for us, for our course was south-by-west, and 
 we could thus go one point free. The yards were braced 
 so that every sail drew, from the spanker to the flying-jib ; 
 and the upper yards being squared in a little, the fore and 
 main top-gallant studding-sails were set, and just drew 
 handsomely. For twelve days this breeze blew steadily, 
 not varying a point, and just so fresh that we could carry 
 our royals ; and, during the whole time, we hardly started 
 a brace. Such progress did we make, that at the end of 
 seven days from the time we took the breeze, on 
 
 Sunday, June $th, we were in lat. 19 0 29 ' S., and long. 
 ii8 0 oi' W., having made twelve hundred miles in seven 
 days, very nearly upon a taught bowline. Our good ship 
 was getting to be herself again, had increased her rate of 
 sailing more than one third since leaving San Diego. The 
 crew ceased complaining of her, and the officers hove the 
 log every two hours with evident satisfaction. This was 
 glorious sailing. . A steady breeze ; the light trade-wind 
 clouds over our heads ; the incomparable temperature of 
 the Pacific, — neither hot nor cold ; a clear sun every day, 
 and clear moon and stars each night ; and new constella- 
 tions rising in the south, and the familiar ones sinking in 
 the norths as we went on our course, — “ stemming nightly 
 toward the pole. ,, Already we had sunk the north star 
 and the Great Bear in the northern horizon, and all hands 
 looked out sharp to the southward for the Magellan Clouds, 
 which, each succeeding night, we expected to make. 
 “ The next time we see the north star,” said one, “ we 
 shall be standing to the northward, the other side of the 
 Horn.” This was true enough, and no doubt it would be 
 a welcome sight ; for sailors say that in coming home from 
 round Cape Horn, and the Cape of Good Hope, the north 
 star is the first land you make. 
 
 These trades were the same that, in the passage out in 
 the Pilgrim, lasted nearly all the way from Juan Fernandez 
 to the line ; blowing steadily on our starboard quarter for 
 three weeks, without our starting a brace, or even brailing 
 down the sky-sails. Though we had now the same wind, 
 and were in the same latitude with the Pilgrim on her pas- 
 sage out, yet we were nearly twelve hundred miles to the 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 27S 
 
 westward of her course ; for the captain, depending upon 
 the strong southwest winds which prevail in high southern 
 latitudes during the winter months, took the full advantage 
 of the trades, and stood well to the westward, so far that 
 we passed within about two hundred miles of Ducie’s 
 Island. 
 
 It was this weather and sailing that brought to my mind 
 a little incident that occurred on board the Pilgrim, while 
 we were in the same latitude. We were going along at a 
 great rate, dead before the wind, with studding-sails out on 
 both sides, alow and aloft, on a dark night, just after mid- 
 night, and everything as still as the grave, except the wash- 
 ing of the water by the vessel’s side: ; for, being before the 
 wind, with a smooth sea, the little brig, covered with 
 canvas, was doing great business, with very little noise. 
 The other watch was below, and all our watch, except my- 
 self and the man at the wheel, were asleep under the lee 
 of the boat. The second mate, who came out before the 
 mast, and was always very thick with me, had been hold- 
 ing a yarn with me, and just gone aft to his place on the 
 quarter-deck, and I had resumed my usual walk to and from 
 the windlass-end, when, suddenly, we heard a loud scream 
 coming from ahead, apparently directly from under the 
 bows. The darkness, and complete stillness of the night, 
 and the solitude of the ocean, gave to the sound a dreadful 
 and almost supernatural effect. I stood perfectly still, and 
 my heart beat quick. The sound woke up the rest of the 
 watch, who stood looking at one another. “ What, in the 
 name of God, is that ? ” said the second mate, coming 
 slowly forward. The first thought I had was, that it might 
 be a boat, with the crew of some wrecked vessel, or per- 
 haps the boat of some whale-ship, out over night, and we 
 had run them down in the darkness. Another scream ! 
 but less loud than the first. This started us, and we ran 
 forward, and looked over the bows, and over the sides to 
 leeward, but nothing was to be seen or heard. What was 
 to be done ? Call the captain, and heave the ship aback ? 
 Just at this moment, in crossing the forecastle, one of the 
 men saw a light below, and looking down the scuttle, saw 
 the watch all out of their berths, afoul of one poor fellow, 
 dragging him out of his berth, and shaking him, to wake 
 him out of a nightmare. They had been waked out of their 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 276 
 
 sleep, and as much alarmed at the scream as vve were, and 
 were hesitating whether to come on deck, when the second 
 sound coming directly from one of the berths, revealed the 
 cause of the alarm. The fellow got a good shaking for the 
 trouble he had given. We made a joke of the matter ; and 
 we could well laugh, for our minds were not a little relieved 
 by its ridiculous termination. 
 
 We were now close upon the southern tropical line, 
 and, with so fine a breeze, were daily leaving the sun be- 
 hind us, and drawing nearer to Cape Horn, for which it 
 behoved us to make every preparation. Our rigging was 
 all examined and overhauled, and mended, or replaced with 
 new, where it was necessary : new and strong bobstays 
 fitted in the place of the chain ones, which were worn out ; 
 the sprit-sail yard and martingale guys and back-ropes set 
 well taught ; bran new fore and main braces rove ; top- 
 gallant sheets, and wheel-ropes, made of green hide, laid 
 up in the form of rope, were stretched and fitted; and new 
 top-sail clewlines, etc., rove ; new fore top-mast back-stays 
 fitted ; and other preparations made in good season, that 
 the ropes might have time to stretch and become limber 
 before we got into cold weather. 
 
 Sunday, June 12 th. Lat. 26° 04' S., long. 116 0 3 1' 
 W. We had now lost the regular trades, and had the winds 
 variable, principally from the westward, and kept on, in a 
 southerly course, sailing very nearly upon a meridian, and 
 at the end of the week, — 
 
 Sunday , June iqth, were in lat. 34 0 15/ S., and long. 
 116 0 38' W. 
 
 CHAPTER XXXI. 
 
 There began now to be a decided change in the 
 appearance of things. The days became shorter and 
 shorter; the sun running lower in its course each day, 
 and giving less and less heat ; and the nights so cold 
 as to prevent our sleeping on deck ; the Magellan 
 Clouds in sight, of a clear night ; the skies looking cold 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 277 
 
 and angry; and, at times, a long, heavy, ugly sea, setting 
 in from the southward, told us what we were coming to. 
 Still, however, we had a fine, strong breeze, and kept on 
 our way, under as much sail as our ship would bear. To- 
 ward the middle of the week, the wind hauled to the 
 southward, which brought us upon a taught bowline, made 
 the sheep meet, nearly head-on, the heavy swell which 
 rolled from that direction ; and there was something not at 
 all encouraging in the manner in which she met it. Being 
 so deep and heavy, she wanted the buoyancy which should 
 have carried her over the seas, and she dropped heavily 
 into them, the water washing over the decks; and every 
 now and then, when an unusually large sea met her fairly 
 upon the bows, she struck it with a sound as dead and 
 heavy as that with which a sledge-hammer falls upon the 
 pile, and took the whole of it in upon the forecastle, and 
 rising, carried it aft in the scuppers, washing the rigging off 
 the pins, and carrying along with it everything which was 
 loose on deck. She had been acting in this way all of our 
 forenoon watch below ; as we could tell by the washing of 
 the water over our heads, and the heavy breaking of the 
 seas against her bows (with a sound as though she were 
 striking against a rock), only the thickness of the plank 
 from our heads, as we lay in our berths, which are 
 directly against the bows. At eight bells, the watch was 
 called, and we came on deck, one hand going aft to take 
 the wheel, and another going to the galley to get the grub 
 for dinner. I stood on the forecastle, looking at the seas, 
 which were rolling high, as far as the eye could reach, 
 heir tops white with foam, and the body of them of a deep 
 ndigo blue, reflecting the bright rays of the sun. Our 
 diip.rose slowly over a few of the largest of them, until 
 one immense fellow came rolling on, threatening to cover 
 ier, and which I was sailor enough to know by “ the feei- 
 ng of her ” under my feet, she would not rise over. I 
 sprang upon the knight-heads, and seizing hold of the fore* 
 siay with my hands, drew myself up upon it. My feet 
 were just off the stanchion, when she struck fairly into the 
 middle of the sea, and it washed her fore and aft, burying 
 her in the water. As soon as she rose out of it, I looked 
 aft, and everything forward of the main-mast, except the 
 ’ong-boat, which was griped and double-lashed down to 
 
278 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 the ring-bolts, was swept off clear. The galley, the pig- 
 sty, the hen-coop, and a large sheep-pen which had been 
 built upon the fore-hatch, were all gone, in the twinkling 
 of an eye — leaving the deck as clean as a chin new-reaped 
 — and not a stick left, to show where they had stood. In 
 the scuppers lay the galley, bottom up, and a few boards 
 floating about, — the wreck of the sheep-pen, — and half a 
 dozen miserable sheep floating among them, wet through, 
 and not a little frightened at the sudden change that had 
 come upon them. As soon as the sea had washed by, all 
 hands sprung up out of the forecastle to see what had be- 
 come of the ship ; and in a few moments the cook and Old 
 Bill crawled out from under the galley, where they had been 
 lying in the water, nearly smothered, with the galley over 
 them. Fortunately, it rested against the bulwarks, or it 
 would have broken some of their bones. When the water 
 ran off, we picked the sheep up, and put them in the long- 
 boat, got the galley back in its place, and set things a little 
 to rights ; but, had not our ship had uncommonly high bul- 
 warks and rail, everything must have been washed over- 
 board, not excepting Old Bill and the cook. Bill had been 
 standing at the galley-door, with the kid of beef in his 
 hand for the forecastle mess, when, away he went, kid, 
 beef, and all. He held on to the kid till the last, like a 
 good fellow, but the beef was gone, and when the water 
 had run off, we saw it lying high and dry, like a rock at 
 low tide — nothing could hurt that. We took the loss of 
 our beef very easily, consoling ourselves with the recol- 
 lection that the cabin had more to lose than we ; and 
 chuckled not a little at seeing the remains of the chicken- 
 pie and pancakes floating in the scuppers. “ This will 
 never do ! ” was what some said, and every one felt. 
 Here we were, not yet within a thousand miles of the lati- 
 tude of Cape Horn, and our decks swept by a sea, not one- 
 half so high as we must expect to find there. Some 
 blamed the captain for loading his ship so deep, when he 
 knew what he must expect ; while others said that the 
 wind was always southwest, off the Cape, in the winter; 
 and that, running before it, we should not mind the seas so 
 much. When we got down into the forecastle, Old Bill, 
 who was somewhat of a croaker, — having met with a great 
 many accidents at sea — said that if that was the way she 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 279 
 
 was going to act, we might as well make our wills, and bal- 
 ance the books at once, and put on a clean shirt. “ ’Vast 
 there, you bloody old owl ! you’re always hanging out blue 
 lights ! You’re frightened by the ducking you got in the 
 scuppers, and can’t take a joke ! What’s the use in being 
 always on the look-out for Davy Jones ? ” “ Stand by ! ” 
 says another, “ and we’ll get an afternoon watch below, by 
 this scrape ; ” but in this they were disappointed, for at 
 two bells, all hands were called and set to work, getting 
 lashings upon everything on deck ; and the captain talked 
 of sending down the long top-gallant masts ; but, as the 
 sea went down toward night, and the wind hauled abeam, 
 we left them standing, and set the studding-sails. 
 
 The next day, all hands were turned-to upon unbending 
 the old sails, and getting up the new ones ; for a ship, un- 
 like people on shore, puts on her best suit in bad weather. 
 The old sails were sent down, and three new top-sails, and 
 new fore and main courses, jib, and fore top-mast stay-sail, 
 which were made on the coast, and never had been used, 
 were bent, with a complete set of new earings, robands and 
 reef-points ; and reef-tackles were rove to the courses, and 
 spilling-lines to the top-sails. These, with new braces and 
 clewlines, fore and aft, gave us a good suit of running rig- 
 
 The wind continued westerly, and the weather and 
 sea less rough since the day on which we shipped the 
 the heavy sea, and we were making great progress under 
 studding-sails, with our light sails all set, keeping a little 
 to the eastward of south ; for the captain, depending upon 
 westerly winds off the Cape, had kept so far to the west- 
 ward, that, though we were within about five hundred 
 miles of the latitude of Cape Horn, we were nearly seven- 
 teen hundred miles to the westward of it. Through the 
 rest of the week, we continued on with a fair wind, grad- 
 ually, as we got more to the southward, keeping a more 
 easterly course, and bringing the wind on our larboard 
 quarter, until — 
 
 Sunday, June 2 6th ; when, having a fine, clear day, the 
 captain got a lunar observation, as well as his meridian 
 altitude, which made us in lat. 47 0 50 S., long. 113 0 49 
 W. ; Cape Horn bearing, according to my calculation, 
 E. S. E, i E., and distant eighteen hundred miles. 
 
280 TWO years before the mast. 
 
 Monday , June 26 th. During the first part of this day, 
 the wind continued fair, and, as we were going before it, it 
 did not feel very cold so that we kept at work on deck, in 
 our common clothes and round jackets. Our watch had 
 an afternoon watch below, for the first time since leaving 
 San Diego, and having inquired of the third mate what the 
 latitude was at noon, and made our usual guesses as to the 
 time she would need, to be up with the Horn, we turned- 
 in, for a nap. We were sleeping away “ at the rate of 
 knots/’ when three knocks on the scuttle, and “ All hands, 
 ahoy ! ” started us from our berths. What could be the 
 matter ? It did not appear to be blowing hard, and look- 
 ing up through the scuttle, we could see that it was a clear 
 day, overhead ; yet the watch was taking in sail. We 
 thought there must be a sail in sight, and that we were 
 about to heave-to and speak her; and were just congratu- 
 lating ourselves upon it — for we had seen neither sail nor 
 land since we left port — when we heard the mate’s voice on 
 deck, ( he turned-in “ all standing,” and was always on deck 
 the moment he was called), singing out to the men who 
 were taking in the studding-sails, and asking where his 
 watch were. We did not wait for a second call, but tum- 
 bled up the ladder ; and there, on the starboard bow, was 
 a bank of mist, covering sea and sky, and driving directly 
 for us. I had seen the same before, in my passage round 
 in the Pilgrim, and knew what it meant, and that there 
 was no time to be lost. We had nothing on but thin 
 clothes, yet there was not a moment to spare, and at it 
 we went. 
 
 The boys of the other watch were in the tops, taking 
 in the top-gallant studding sails, and the lower and top- 
 mast studding-sails, were coming down by the run. It was 
 nothing but “ haul dawn and clew up,” until we got all the 
 studding-sails in, and the royals, flying-jib, and the mizen 
 top-gallant sail furled, and the ship kept off a little, to take 
 the squall. The fore and main top-gallant sails were still 
 on her. for the “ old man ” did not mean to be frightened 
 in broad daylight, and was determined to carry sail till the 
 last minute. We all stood waiting for its coming, when 
 the first blast showed us that it was not to be trifled with. 
 Rain, sleet, snow, and wind, enough to take our breath from 
 us, and make the toughest turn his back to windward 1 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 281 
 
 The ship lay nearly over on her beam-ends ; the spars and 
 rigging snapped and cracked ; and her top-gallant masts 
 bent like whip-sticks. “ Clew up the fore and main top- 
 gallant sails ! ” shouted the captain, and all hands sprang 
 to the clewlines. The decks were standing nearly at an 
 angle of forty-five degrees, and the ship going like a mad 
 steed through the water, the whole forward part of her in 
 a smother of foam. The halyards were let go and the yard 
 clewed down, and the sheets started, and in a few minutes 
 the sails smothered and kept in by the clewlines and the 
 buntlines. — “Furl ’em, sir ? ” asked the mate.— “ Let go 
 the top-sail halyards, fore and aft ! ” shouted the captain, 
 in answer, at the top of his voice. Down came the top- 
 sail yards, the reef-tackles were manned and hauled out, 
 and we climbed up to windward, and sprang into the 
 weather rigging. The violence of the wind, and the hail 
 and sleet, driving nearly horizontally across the ocean, 
 seemed actually to pin us down to the rigging. It was 
 hard work making head against them. One after another, 
 we got out upon the yards. And here we had work to do ; 
 for our new sails, which had hardly been bent long enough 
 to get the starch out of them, were as stiff as boards, and 
 the new earings and reef-points, stiffened with the sleet, 
 knotted like pieces of iron wire. Having only our round 
 jackets and straw hats on, we were soon wet through, and 
 it was every moment growing colder. Our hands were 
 soon stiffened and numbed, which, added to the stiffness 
 of everything else, kept us a good while on the yard. After 
 we had got the sail hauled upon the yard, we had to wait 
 a long time for the weather earing to be passed ; but there 
 was no fault to be found, for French John was at the ear- 
 ing, and a better sailor never laid out on a yard ; so we 
 leaned over the yard, and beat our hands upon the sail, to 
 keep them from freezing. At length the word came — 
 “ Haul out to leeward/' — and we seized the reef-points 
 and hauled the band taught for the lee earing. “ Taught 
 band — Knot away," and we got the first reef fast, and were 
 just going to lay down, when — “ Two reefs — two reefs ! ” 
 shouted the mate, and we had a second reef to take, in the 
 same way. When this was fast, we laid down on deck, 
 manned the halyards to leeward, nearly up to our knees 
 in water, set the top-sail, and then laid aloft on the main 
 
2$2 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 top-sail yard, and reefed that sail in the same mariner ; 
 for, as I have before stated, we were a good deal reduced 
 in numbers, and, to make it worse, the carpenter, only 
 two days before, cut his leg with an axe, so that he could 
 not go aloft. This weakened us so that we could not well 
 manage more than one top-sail at a time, in such weather 
 as this, and, of course, our labor was doubled. From the 
 main-top-sail yard, we went upon the main yard, and took 
 a reef in the main sail. No sooner had we got on deck 
 than — “Lay aloft there, mizen-top-men, and close-reef the 
 mizen top-sail ! ” This called me ; and being nearest to 
 the rigging, I got first aloft, and out to the weather earing. 
 English Ben was on the yard just after me, and took the 
 lee earing, and the rest of our gang were soon on the 
 yard, and began to fist the sail, when the mate consider- 
 ately sent up the cook and steward, to help us. I could 
 not account for the long time it took to pass the other eat- 
 ings, for, to do my best, with a strong hand to help me at 
 the dog’s ear, I could not get it passed until I heard them 
 beginningto complain in the bunt. One reef after anothei 
 we took in, until the sail was close-reefed, when we went 
 down and hoisted away at the halyards. In the meantime 
 the jib had been furled and the stay-sail set, and the ship, 
 under her reduced sail, had got more upright and was un- 
 der management ; but the two top-gallant sails were still 
 hanging in the buntlines, and slatting and jerking as 
 though they would take the masts out of her. We gave a 
 look aloft, and knew that our work was not done yet ; and 
 sure enough, no sooner did the mate see that we were on 
 deck, than — “Lay aloft there, four of you, and furl the top- 
 gallant sails ! ” This called me again, and two of us went 
 aloft, up the fore rigging, and two more up the main, upon 
 the top-gallant yards. The shrouds were now iced over, 
 the sleet having formed a crust or cake round all the stand- 
 ing rigging, and on the weather side of the masts and 
 yards. When we got upon the yard, my hands were so 
 numb that I could not have cast off the knot of the gasket 
 to have saved my life. We both lay over the yard for a 
 few seconds, beating our hands upon the sail, until we 
 started the blood into our fingers’ ends, and at the next 
 moment our hands were • in a burning heat. My com- 
 panion on the yard was a lad, who came out in the ship 
 
TWO YEATS BEFORE THE MAST. 283 
 
 a weak, puny boy, from one of the Boston schools, — u no 
 larger than a sprit-sail sheet knot” nor “ heavier than a 
 paper of lamp-black,” and “ not strong enough to haul a 
 shad off a gridiron,” but who was now “ as long as a spare 
 top-mast, strong enough to knock down an ox, and hearty 
 enough to eat him.” We fisted the sail together, and after 
 six or eight minutes of hard hauling and pulling and beat- 
 ing down the sail, which was as stiff as sheet iron, we man- 
 aged to get it furled ; and snugly furled it must be, for we 
 knew the mate well enough to be certain that if it got adrift 
 again, we should be called up from our watch below, at 
 any hour of the night, to furl it. 
 
 I had been on the look-out for a moment to jump be- 
 low and clap on a thick jacket and southwester ; but 
 when we got on deck we found that eight bells had been 
 struck, and the other watch gone below, so that there were 
 two hours of dog watch for us, and a plenty of work to do. 
 It had now set in for a steady gale from the southwest ; 
 but we were not yet far enough to the southward to make 
 a fair wind of it, for we must give Terra del Fuego a wide 
 berth. The decks were covered with snow, and there was 
 a constant driving of sleet. In fact, Cape Horn had set 
 in with good earnest. In the midst of all this, and before 
 it became dark, we had all the studding-sails to make up 
 and stow away, and then to lay aloft and rig in all the 
 booms, fore and aft, and coil away the tacks, sheets, and 
 halyards. This was pretty tough work for four or five 
 hands, in the face of a gale which almost took us off the 
 yards, and with ropes so stiff with ice that it was almost im- 
 possible to bend them. I was nearly half an hour out on 
 the end of the fore yard, trying to coil away and stop 
 t own the top-mast studding-sail tack and lower halyards. 
 It was after dark when we got through, and we were not a 
 little pleased to hear four bells struck, which sent us below 
 tor two hours, and gave us each a pot of hot tea with our 
 cold beef and bread, and, what was better yet, a suit of 
 thick, dry clothing, fitted for the weather, in place of our 
 thin clothes, which were wet through and now frozen stiff. 
 
 This sudde*n turn, for which we were so little prepared, 
 was as unacceptable to me as to any of the rest ; for I had 
 been troubled for several days with a slight tooth-ache, and 
 this cold weather, and wetting and freezing, were not the 
 
2S4 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 best things in the world for it. I soon found that it was 
 getting strong hold, and running over all parts of my face ; 
 and before the watch was out I went aft to the mate, who 
 had charge of the medicine-chest, to get something for it. 
 But the chest showed like the end of a long voyage, for 
 there was nothing that would answer but a few drops of 
 laudanum, which must be saved for any emergency ; so I 
 had only to bear the pain as well as I could. 
 
 When we went on deck at eight bells, it had stopped 
 snowing, and there were a few stars out, but the clouds 
 were still black, and it was blowing a steady gale. Just 
 before midnight, I went aloft and sent down the mizen 
 royal yard, and had the good luck to do it to the satisfac- 
 tion of the mate, who said it was done “ out of hand and 
 ship-shape.” The next four hours below were but little 
 relief to me, for I lay awake in my berth, the whole time, 
 from the pain in my face, and heard every bell strike, and, 
 at four o’clock, turned out with the watch, feeling little 
 spirit for the hard duties of the day. Bad weather and 
 hard work at sea can be borne up against very well, if 
 one only has spirit and health ; but there is nothing brings 
 a man down, at such a time, like bodily pain and want of 
 sleep. There was, however, too much to do to allow time 
 to think ; for the gale of yesterday, and the heavy seas we 
 met with a few days before, while we had yet ten degrees 
 more southing to make, had convinced the captain that we 
 had something before us which was not to be trifled with, 
 and orders were given to send down the long top-gallant 
 masts. The top-gallant and royal yards were accordingly 
 struck, the flying jib-boom rigged in, and the top-gallant 
 masts sent down on deck, and all lashed together by the 
 side of the long-boat. The rigging was then sent down and 
 coiled away below, and everything made snug aloft. There 
 was not a sailor in the ship who was not rejoiced to see 
 these sticks come down ; for, so long as the yards were 
 aloft, on the least sign of a lull, the top-gallant sails were 
 loosed, and then we had to furl them again in a snow- 
 squall, and shin up and down single ropes caked with ice, 
 and send royal yards down in the teeth of a gale coming 
 right from the south pole. It was an interesting sight, too, 
 to see our noble ship, dismantled of all her top-hamper of 
 long tapering masts and yards, and boom pointed with 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 285 
 
 spear-head, which ornamented her in port ; and all that 
 canvas, which a few days before had covered her like a 
 cloud, from the truck to the water’s edge, spreading far 
 out beyond her hull on either side, now gone ; and she, 
 stripped, like a wrestler for the fight. It corresponded, 
 too, with the desolate character of her situation ; — alone, 
 as she was, battling with storms, wind, and ice, at this ex- 
 tremity of the globe, and in almost constant night. 
 
 Friday, July, 1st. We were now nearly up to the lati- 
 of Cape Horn, and having over forty degrees of easting 
 to make, we squared away the yards before a strong west- 
 erly gale, shook a reef out of the fore top-sail, and stood 
 on our way, east-by-south, with the prospect of being up 
 with the Cape in a week or ten days. As for myself, 
 I had had no sleep for forty-eight hours ; and the want of 
 rest, together with constant wet and cold, had increased 
 the swelling, so that my face was nearly as large as two, and 
 I found it impossible to get my mouth open wide enough to 
 eat. In this state, the steward applied to the captain for 
 some rice to boil for me, but he only got a — “ No ! d — you ! 
 Tell him to eat salt junk and hard bread, like the rest of 
 them.” For this, of course, I was much obliged to him, 
 and in truth it was just what I expected. However, I did 
 not starve, for the mate, who was a man as well as a 
 sailor, and had always been a good friend to me, smuggled 
 a pan of rice into the galley, and told the cook to boil it 
 for me, and not let the “ old man ” see it. Had it been 
 fine weather, or in port, I should have gone below and 
 lain by until my face got well ; but in such weather as this., 
 and short-handed as we were, it was not for me to desert 
 my post ; so I kept on deck, and stood my watch and did 
 my duty as well as I could. 
 
 Saturday, July 2nd, This day the sun rose fair, but it 
 ran too low in the heavens to give any heat, or thaw out 
 our sails and rigging ; yet the sight of it was pleasant ; 
 and we had a steady “ reef-top-sail breeze ” from the west- 
 ward. The atmosphere, which had previously been clear 
 and cold, for the last few hours grew damp, and had a dis- 
 agreeable, wet chilliness in it ; and the man who came 
 from the wheel said he heard the captain tell “ the passen- 
 ger ” that the thermometer had fallen several degrees since 
 moaning, which he could not account for in any other way 
 
286 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 than by supposing that there must be ice near us ; though 
 such a thing had never been heard of in this lattitude, at 
 this season of the year. At twelve o’clock we went below, 
 and had just got through dinner, when the cook put his 
 head down the scuttle and told us to come on deck and 
 see the finest sight that we had ever seen. “ Where away, 
 cook ? ” asked the first man who was up. “ On the lar- 
 board bow.” And there lay, floating on the ocean, several 
 miles off, an immense, irregular mass, its top and points 
 covered with snow, and its centre of a deep indigo color. 
 This was an iceberg, and of the largest size, as one of our 
 men said who had been in the Northern ocean. As far 
 as the eye could reach, the sea in every direction was of a 
 deep blue color, the waves running high and fresh, and 
 sparkling in the light, and in the midst lay this immense 
 mountain-island, its cavities and valleys thrown into deep 
 shade, and its points and pinnacles glittering in the sun. 
 All hands were soon on deck, looking at it, and admiring 
 in various ways its beauty and grandeur. But no descrip- 
 tion can give any idea of the strangeness, splendor, and, 
 really, the sublimity, of the sight. Its great size; — for it 
 it must have been from two to three miles in circumference 
 and several hundred feet in height ; — its slow motion, as 
 its base rose and sank in the water, and its high points 
 nodded against the clouds ; the dashing of the waves upon 
 it, which, breaking high with foam, lined its base with a 
 white crust ; and the t! x ndering sound of the cracking of 
 the mass, and th: breaking and tumbling down of huge 
 pieces ; together with its nearness and approach, which 
 added a slight element of fear, — all combined to give to it 
 the character of true sublimity. The main body of the 
 mass was, as I have said, of an indigo color, its base 
 crusted with frozen foam ; and as it grew thin and trans- 
 parent toward the edges and top, its color shaded off from 
 a deep blue to the whiteness of snow. It seemed to be 
 drifting slowly toward the north, so that we kept away and 
 avoided it. It was in sight all the afternoon ; and when 
 we got to leeward of it, the wind died away, so that we 
 lay-to quite near it for a greater part of the night. Un- 
 fortunately, there was no moon, but it was a clear night, 
 and we could plainly mark the long, regular heaving of the 
 stupendous mass, as its edges moved slowly against the 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 287 
 
 stars. Several times on our watch loud cracks were 
 heard, which sounded as though they must have run 
 through the whole length of the iceberg, and several 
 pieces fell down with a thundering crash, plunging heavily 
 into the sea. Toward morning, a strong breeze sprang 
 up, and we filled away, and left it astern, and at daylight 
 it was out of sight. The next day, which was 
 
 Sunday , July 3d, the breeze continued strong, the air 
 exceedingly chilly, and the thermometer low. In the 
 course of the day we saw several icebergs, of different 
 sizes, but none so near as the one which we saw the day 
 before. Some of the them, as well as we could judge, at the 
 distance at which we were, must have been as large as that, 
 if not larger, At noon we were in latitude 55 0 i2 # south, 
 and supposed longitude 89° 5' west. Toward night the 
 wind hauled to the southward, and headed us off our course 
 a little, and blew a tremendous gale ; but this we did not 
 mind, as there was no rain nor snow, and we were already 
 under close sail. 
 
 Monday, July \th, This was “ independent day ” in Bos- 
 ton. What firing of guns, and ringing of bells, and re- 
 joicings of all sorts, in every part of our country ! The 
 ladies (who have not gone down to Nahant, for a breath of 
 cool air, and sight of the ocean) walking the streets with 
 parasols over their heads, and the dandies in their white 
 pantaloons and silk stockings! What quantities of ice- 
 cream have been eaten, and what quantities of ice brought 
 into the city from a distance, and sold out by the lump 
 and the pound ! The smallest of the islands which we saw 
 to-day would have made the fortune of poor Jack, if he 
 had had it in Boston ; and I dare say he would have had no 
 objection to being there with it. This, to be sure, was no 
 place to keep the fourth of July. To keep ourselves warm, 
 and the ship out of the ice, was as much as we could do. 
 Yet no one forgot the day ; and many were the wishes, and 
 conjectures, and comparisons, both serious and ludicrous, 
 which were made among all hands. The sun shone bright 
 as long as it was up, only that a scud of black clouds was 
 ever and anon driving across it. At noon we were in lat. 
 54 0 27' S., and long, 85° 5' W., having made a good deal 
 of easting, but having lost in our latitude by the heading 
 of the wind. Between daylight and dark — that is, between 
 
288 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST* 
 
 nine o'clock and three — we saw thirty-four ice islands, of 
 various sizes ; some no bigger than the hull of our vessel, 
 and others apparently nearly as large as the one that we first 
 saw; though, as we went on, the islands became smaller 
 and more numerous ; and, at sundown of this day, a man 
 at the mast-head saw large fields of floating ice, called 
 ‘field-ice,' at the southeast. This kind of ice is much 
 more dangerous than the large islands, for those can be 
 seen at a distance, and kept away from ; but the field-ice, 
 floating in great quantities, and covering the ocean for 
 miles and miles, in pieces of every size — large, flat, and 
 broken cakes, with here and there an island rising twenty 
 and thirty feet, and as large as the ship's hull ; — this, it is 
 very difficult to sheer clear of. A constant look-out was 
 necessary ; for any of these pieces, coming with the heave 
 of the sea, were large enough to have knocked a hole in 
 the ship, and that would have been the end of us ; for no 
 boat (even if we could have got one out) could have lived 
 in such a sea; and no man could have lived in a boat in 
 such weather. To make our condition still worse, the wind 
 came out due east, just after sundown, and it blew a gale 
 dead ahead, with hail and sleet, and a thick fog, so that 
 we could not see half the length of the ship. Our chief 
 reliance, the prevailing westerly gales, was thus cut off ; 
 and here we were, nearly seven hundred miles to the west- 
 ward of the Cape, with a gale dead from the eastward, and 
 the weather so thick that we could not see the ice with 
 which we were surrounded, until it was directly under our 
 bows. At four P. M. (it was then quite dark) all hands 
 were called, and sent aloft in a violent squall of hail and 
 rain to take in sail. We had now all got on our “ Cape 
 Horn rig " — thick boots, southwesters coming down over 
 our necks and ears, thick trowsers and jackets, and some 
 with oil-cloth suits over all. Mittens, too, we wore on 
 deck, but it would not do to go aloft with them on, 
 for it was impossible to work with them, and being 
 wet and stiff, they might let a man slip overboard, for all 
 the hold he could get upon a rope ; so, we were obliged 
 to work with bare hands, which, as well as our faces, were 
 often cut with the hail-stones, which fell thick and large. 
 Our ship was now all cased with ice, — hull, spars, and 
 standing rigging ; — and the running rigging so stiff that xf 
 
nvo years Before the mast. 289 
 
 could hardly bend it so as to belay it, or, still worse, take 
 a knot with it ; and the sails nearly as stiff as sheet iron. 
 One at a time, (for it was a long piece of work and re- 
 quired many hands,) we furled the courses, mizen top-sail, 
 and fore top-mast stay-sail, and close-reefed the fore and 
 main top-sails, and hove the ship to under the fore, with 
 the main hauled up by the clewlines and buntlines, and 
 ready to be sheeted home, if we found it necessary to make 
 sail to get to windward of an island. A regular look-out 
 was then set, and kept by each watch in turn, until the 
 morning. It was a tedious and anxious night. It blew 
 hard the whole time, and there was an almost constant 
 driving of either rain, hail, or snow. In addition to this, 
 it was ‘‘as thick as muck,” and the ice was all about us. 
 The captain was on deck nearly the whole night, and kept 
 the cook in the galley, with a roaring fire, to make coffee 
 for him, which he took every few hours, and once or twice 
 gave a little to his officers ; but not a drop of anything 
 was there for the crew. The captain, who sleeps all the 
 daytime, and comes and goes at night as he chooses, can 
 have his brandy and water in the cabin, and his hot coffee 
 at the galley; while Jack, who has to stand through every- 
 thing, and work in wet and cold, can have nothing 
 to wet his lips or warm his stomach. This was a 
 “ temperance ship,” and, like too many such ships, the 
 temperance was all in the forecastle. The sailor who 
 only takes his one glass as it is dealt out to him, is 
 in danger of being drunk ; while the captain, who 
 has all under his hand, and can drink as much as he 
 chooses, and upon whose self-possession and cool judgment 
 the lives of all depend, may be trusted with any amount, 
 to drink at his will. Sailors will never be convinced that 
 rum is a dangerous thing, by taking it away from them, 
 and giving it to the officers ; nor that that temperance 
 is their friend which takes from them what they have al- 
 ways had, and gives them nothing in the place of it. By 
 seeing it allowed to their officers, they will not be con- 
 vinced that it is taken from them for their good ; and by 
 receiving nothing in its place, they will not believe that it 
 is done in kindness. On the contrary, many of them look 
 upon the change as a new instrument of tyranny. Not 
 that they prefer rum. I never knew a sailor, in my life, 
 
290 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 who would not prefer a pot of hot coffee or chocolate, in a 
 cold night, to all the rum afloat. They all say that rum 
 only warms them for a time ; yet, if they can get nothing 
 better, they will miss what they have lost. The momen- 
 tary warmth and glow from drinking it ; the break and 
 change which is made in a long, dreary watch by the mere 
 calling all hands aft and serving of it out ; and the simply 
 having some event to look forward to, and to talk about ; 
 give it an importance and a use which no one can appreci- 
 ate who has not stood his watch before the mast. On my 
 passage round Cape Horn before, the vessel that I was in 
 was not under temperance articles, and grog was served out 
 every middle and morning watch, and after every reefing 
 of top-sails ; and though I had never drank rum before, 
 and never intend to again, I took my allowance then at 
 the capstan, as the rest did, merely for the momentary 
 warmth it gave the system, and -the change in our 
 feelings and aspect of our duties on the watch. At 
 the same time, as I have stated, there was not a 
 man on board who would not have pitched the rum 
 to the dogs, (I have heard them say so, a dozen times) for 
 a pot of coffee or chocolate ; or even for our common 
 beverage — “ water bewitched, and tea begrudged,” as it 
 was.* The temperance reform is the best thing that ever 
 was undertaken for the sailor ; but when the grog is taken 
 from him, he ought to have something in its place. As it 
 is now, in most vessels, it is a mere saving to the owners ; 
 and this accounts for the sudden increase of temperance 
 ships, which surprised even the best friends of the cause. 
 If every merchant, when he struck grog from the list of 
 the expenses of his ship, had been obliged to substitute as 
 much coffee, or chocolate, as would give each man a pot- 
 full when he came off the top-sail yard, on a stormy night ; 
 — I fear Jack might have gone to ruin on the old road.f 
 
 * The proportions of the ingredients of the tea that was made for 
 us, (and ours, as I have before stated, was a favorable specimen of 
 American merchantmen), were, a pint of tea, and a pint and a half of 
 molasses, to about three gallons of water. These are all boiled down 
 together in the “ coppers,” and before serving it out, the mess is stir- 
 red up with a stick, so as to give each man his fair share of sweeten- 
 ing and tea-leaves. The tea for the cabin is, of course, made in the 
 usual way, in a tea-pot, and drank with sugar. 
 
 t I do not wish these remarks, so far as they relate to the saving of 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 291 
 
 But this is not doubling Cape Horn. Eight hours 
 of the night, our watch was on deck, and during the 
 whole of that time we kept a bright look-out : one man 
 on each bow, another in the bunt of the fore yards, 
 the third mate on the scuttle, one on each quarter, 
 and a man always standing by the wheel. The chief 
 mate was everywhere, and commanded the ship when 
 the captain was below. When a large piece of ice was 
 seen in our way, or drifting near us, the word was passed 
 along, and the ship’s head turned one way and another ; 
 and sometimes the yards squared or braced up. There 
 was little else to do than to look out ; and we had the 
 sharpest eyes in the ship on the forecastle. The only 
 variety was the monotonous voice of the look-out forward — 
 “Another island!” — “Ice ahead!” — “Ice on the lee 
 bow ! ” — “ Hard up the helm ! ” — “ Keep her off a little ! ” 
 — “ Stead-y ! ” 
 
 In the meantime, the wet and cold had brought my 
 face into such a state that I could neither eat nor sleep ; 
 and though I stood it out all night, yet, when it became 
 light, I was in such a state, that all hands told me I must 
 go below, and lie-by for a day or two, or I should be laid 
 up for a long time, and perhaps have the lock-jaw. When 
 the watch was changed I went into the steerage, and took 
 off my hat and comforter, and showed my face to the mate 
 who told me to go below at once, and stay in my berth un- 
 til the swelling went down, and gave the cook orders to 
 make a poultice for me, and said he would speak to the 
 captain. 
 
 I went below and turned-in, covering myself over with 
 blankets and jackets, and lay in my berth nearly twenty- 
 four hours half asleep and half awake, stupid, from the 
 dull pain. I heard the watch called, and the men going 
 
 expense in the outfit, to be applied to the owners of our ship, for she 
 was supplied with an abundance of stores, of the best kind that are 
 given to seamen ; though the dispensing of them is necessarily left to 
 the captain. Indeed, so high was the reputation of “ the employ ” 
 among men and officers, for the character and outfit of their vessels, 
 and for their liberality in conducting their voyages, that when it was 
 known that they had a ship fitting out for a long voyage, and that 
 hands were to be shipped at a certain time ; — a half hour before the 
 time, as one ofc the crew told me, numbers of sailors were steering 
 down the wharf, hopping over the barrels, like flocks of sheep. 
 
292 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 up and down, and sometimes a noise on deck, and a cry 
 of “ ice,” but I gave little attention to anything. At the 
 end of twenty-four hours the pain went down, and I had a 
 long sleep, which brought me back to my proper state ; 
 yet my face was so swollen and tender, that I was obliged 
 to keep to my berth for two or three days longer. Dur- 
 ing the two days I had been below, the weather was much 
 the same that it had been, head winds, and snow und 
 rain ; or, if the wind came fair, too foggy, and the ice too 
 thick, to run. At the end of the third day the ice was 
 very thick ; a complete fog-bank covered the ship. It 
 blew a tremendous gale from the eastward, with sleet and 
 snow, and there was every promise of a dangerous and 
 fatiguing night. At dark, the captain called all hands aft, 
 and told them that not a man was to leave the deck 
 that night ; that the ship was in the greatest danger ; 
 any cake of ice might knock a hole in her, or she 
 might run on an island and go to pieces. No one could 
 tell whether she would be a ship the next morning. The 
 look-outs were then set, and every man was put in his sta- 
 tion. When I heard what was the state of things, I began 
 to put on my clothes to stand it out with the rest of them, 
 when the mate came below, and looking at my face, or- 
 dered me back to my berth, saying that if we went down, 
 we should all go down together, but if I went on deck I 
 might lay myself up for life. This was the first word I 
 had heard from aft ; for the captain had done nothing, nor 
 inquired how I was, since I went below. 
 
 In obedience to the mate’s orders, I went back to my 
 berth ; but a more miserable night I never wish to spend. 
 I never felt the curse of sickness so keenly in my life. If 
 I could only have been on deck with the rest, where some- 
 thing was to be done, and seen, and heard ; where there were 
 fellow-beings for companions in duty and danger — but to be 
 cooped up alone in a black hole, in equal danger, but with- 
 out the power to do, was the hardest trial. Several times, 
 in the course of the night, I got up, determined to go on 
 deck ; but the silence which showed that there was nothing 
 doing, and the knowledge that I might make myself seri- 
 ously ill, for nothing, kept me back. It was not easy to 
 sleep, lying, as I did, with my li 1 1# 1 
 
 bows, which might be dashed 
 
TIVO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 293 
 
 brought down by the very next sea that struck her. This 
 was the only time I had been ill, since I left Boston, and 
 it was the worst time it could have happened. I felt almost 
 willing to bear the plagues of Egypt for the rest of voyage, 
 if I could but be well and strong for that one night. Yet 
 it was a dreadful night for those on deck. A watch of 
 eighteen hours, with wet, and cold, and constant anxiety, 
 nearly wore them out ; and when they came below at nine 
 o’clock for breakfast, they almost dropped asleep on their 
 chests, and some of them were so stiff that they could with 
 difficulty sit down. Not a drop of anything had been given 
 them during the whole time, (though the captain, as on the 
 night that I was on deck, had his coffee every four hours,) 
 except that the mate stole a pot-full of coffee for two men 
 to drink behind the galley, while he kept a look-out for 
 the captain. Every man had his station, and was not al- 
 lowed to leave it ; and nothing happened to break the mo- 
 notony of the night, except once setting the main top-sails 
 to run clear of a large island to leeward, which they were 
 drifting fast upon. Some of the boys got so sleepy and 
 stupefied, that they actually fell asleep at their posts ; and 
 the young third mate, whose station was the exposed one 
 of standing on the fore scuttle, was so stiff, when he was 
 relieved, that he could not bend his knees to get down. 
 By a constant look-out, and a quick shifting of the helm, as 
 the islands and pieces came in sight, the ship went clear of 
 everything but a few small pieces, though daylight showed 
 the ocean covered for miles. At daybreak it fell a dead 
 calm, and with the sun, the fog cleared a little, and a 
 breeze sprung up from the westward, which soon grew into 
 a gale. We had now a fair wind, daylight, and compara- 
 tively clear weather; yet, to the surprise of every one, the 
 ship continued hove-to. Why does not he run ? What is 
 the captain about ? was asked by every one ; and from 
 questions, it soon grew into complaints and murmurings. 
 When the daylight was so short, it was too bad to lose it, 
 and a fair wind, too, which every one had been praying for. 
 As hour followed hour, and the captain si -owed no sign 
 of making sail, the crew became impatient, and there was 
 a good deal of talking and consultation together, on the 
 forecastle. They had been beaten out with the exposure 
 and hardship, and impatient to get out of it, and this un- 
 
294 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 accountable delay was more than they could bear in quiet- 
 ness, in their excited and restless state. Some said that 
 the captain was frightened, — completely cowed, by the 
 dangers and difficulties that surrounded us, and was* afraid 
 to make sail ; while others said that in his anxiety and 
 suspense he had made a free use of brandy and opium, and 
 was unfit for his duty. The carpenter, who was an intel 
 ligent man, a thorough seaman, and had great influence 
 with the crew, came down into the forecastle, and tried to 
 induce the crew to go aft and ask the captain why he did 
 not run, or request him, in the name of all hands, to make 
 sail. This appeared to be a very reasonable request, and 
 the crew agreed that if he did not make sail before noon, 
 they would go aft. Noon came, and no sail was made. A 
 consultation was held again, and it was proposed to take 
 the ship from the captain and give the command of her to 
 the mate, who had been heard to say that, if he could have 
 his way, the ship would have been half the distance to the 
 Cape before night, — ice or no ice. And so irritated and impa- 
 tient had the crew become, that even this proposition, which 
 was open mutiny punishable with state prison, was enter- 
 tained, and the carpenter went to his berth, leaving it 
 tacitly understood that something serious would be done, 
 if things remained as they were many hours longer. When 
 the carpenter left we talked it all over, and I gave my 
 advice strongly against it. Another of the men, too, who 
 had known something of the kind attempted in another 
 ship by a crew who were dissatisfied with their captain, 
 and which was followed with serious consequences, was 
 
 opposed to it. S , who soon came down, joined us, 
 
 and we determined to have nothing to do with it. By these 
 means, they were soon induced to give it up, for the pres- 
 ent, though they said they would not lie where they were 
 much longer without knowing the reason. 
 
 The affair remained in this state until four o’clock, 
 when an order came forward for all hands to come aft 
 upon the quarter-deck. In about ten minutes they came 
 forward again, and the whole affair had been blown. The 
 carpenter, very prematurely, and without any authority 
 from the crew, had sounded the mate as to whether he 
 would take command of the ship, and intimated an inten- 
 tion to displace the captain ; and the mate, as in duty 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 2 95 
 
 bound, had told the whole to the captain, who immediately 
 sent for all hands aft. Instead of violent measures, or, at 
 least, an outbreak of quarter-deck bravado, threat and abuse, 
 which they had every reason to expect, a sense of common 
 danger and common suffering seemed to have tamed his 
 spirit, and begotten something like a humane fellow-feel- 
 ing for he received the crew in a manner quiet, and even 
 almost kind. He told them what he had heard, and said 
 that he did not believe that they would try to do any such 
 thing as was intimated ; that they had always been good 
 men, — obedient, and knew their duty, and as he had no fault 
 to find with them ; and asked them what they had to com- 
 plain of — said that no one could say that he was slow to 
 carry sail, (which was true enough ;) and that, as soon as 
 he thought it was safe and proper, he should make sail. 
 He added a few words about their duty in their present situa- 
 tion, and sent them forward, saying that he should take 
 no further notice of the matter ; but, at the same time, told 
 the carpenter to recollect whose power he was in, and 
 that if he heard another word from him he would have cause 
 to remember him to the day of his death. 
 
 This language of the captain had a very good effect 
 upon the crew, and they returned quietly to their duty. 
 
 For two days more the wind blew from the southward 
 and eastward ; or in the short intervals when it was fair, 
 the ice was too thick to run ; yet the weather was not so 
 dreadfully bad, and the crew had watch and watch. I still 
 remained in my berth, fast recovering, yet still not well 
 enough to go safely on deck. And I should have been per- 
 fectly useless ; for, from having eaten nothing for nearly a 
 week, except a little rice which I forced into my mouth the 
 last day or two, I was as weak as an infant. To be sick in 
 a forecastle is miserable indeed. It is the worst part of a 
 dog’s life ; especially in bad weather. The forecastle, shut 
 up tight to keep out the water and cold air; — the watch 
 either on deck, or asleep in their berths ; — no one to speak 
 to ; the pale light of the single lamp, swinging to and fro 
 from the beam, so dim that one could scarcely see, much 
 less read by it ; — the water dropping from the beams and 
 carlines, and running down the sides ; and the forecastle so 
 wet', and dark, and cheerless, and so lumbered up with chests 
 and wet clothes, that sitting up is worse than lying in the 
 
296 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST \ 
 
 berth ! These are some of the evils. Fortunately, I needed 
 no help from any one, and no medicine ; and if I had 
 needed help, I don’t know where I should have found it. 
 Sailors are willing enough, but it is true, as is often said — 
 No one ships for nurse on board a vessel. Our merchant 
 ships are always under-manned, and if one man is lost by 
 sickness, they cannot spare another to take care of him. 
 A sailor is always presumed to be well, and if he’s sick, 
 he’s a poor dog. One has to stand his wheel, and another 
 his look-out, and the sooner he gets on deck again, the 
 better. 
 
 Accordingly, as soon as I could possibly go back to my 
 duty, I put on my thick clothes and boots and southwester, 
 and made my appearance on deck. Though I had been 
 but a few days below, yet everything looked strangely 
 enough. The ship was cased in ice, — decks, sides, masts, 
 yards, and rigging. Two close-reefed top-sails were all 
 the sail she had on, and every sail and rope was frozen so 
 stiff in its place, that it seemed as though it would be im- 
 possible to start anything. Reduced, too, to her top-masts, 
 she had altogether a most forlorn and crippled appearance. 
 The sun had come up brightly ; the snow was swept off the 
 decks, and ashes thrown upon them, so that we could walk, 
 for they had been as slippery as glass. It was, of course, 
 too cold to carry on any ship’s work, and we had only to 
 wafk the deck and keep ourselves warm. The wind was 
 stfU ahead, and the whole ocean, to the eastward, covered 
 with islands and field-ice. At four bells the order was given 
 to square away the yards ; and the man who came from the 
 helm said that the captain had kept her off to N. N. E. 
 What could this mean ? Some said that he was going to 
 put into Valparaiso, and winter, and others that he was go- 
 ing to run out of the ice and cross the Pacific, and go home 
 around the Cape of Good Hope. Soon, however, it leaked 
 out, and we found that we were running for the straits of 
 Magellan. The news soon spread through the ship, and all 
 tongues were at work, talking about it. No one on board 
 had been through the straits, but I had in my chest an ac- 
 count of the passage of the ship A. J. Donelson, of New 
 York, through those straits a few years before. The account 
 was given by the captain, and the representation was as 
 favorable as possible. It was soon read by every one on 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE TEE MAST. 
 
 297 
 
 board, and various opinious pronounced. The determina- 
 tion of our captain had at least this good effect : it gave 
 every one something to think and talk about, made a break 
 in our life, and diverted our minds from the monotonous 
 dreariness of the prospect before us. Having made a fair 
 wind of it, we were going off at a good rate, and leaving the 
 thickest of the ice behind us. This at least was something. 
 
 Having been long enough below to get my hands well 
 warmed and softened, the first handling of the ropes was 
 rather tough ; but a few days hardened them, and as soon 
 as I got my mouth open wide enough to take in a piece of 
 salt beef and hard bread, I was all right again. 
 
 Sunday, July 10 th. Lat. 54 0 10', Ion. 79° 07 '. This 
 was our position at noon. The sun was out bright ; the 
 ice was all left behind, and things had quite a cheering ap- 
 pearance. We brought our wet pea-jackets and trowsers 
 on deck, and hung them up in the rigging, that the breeze 
 and the few hours of sun might dry them a little ; and, by 
 the permission of the cook, the galley was nearly filled 
 with stockings and mittens, hung around to be dried. Boots, 
 too, were brought up, and having got a little tar and slush 
 from below, we gave them a thick coat. After dinner, all 
 hands were turned-to, to get the anchors over the bows, 
 bend on the chains, etc. The fish-tackle was got up, fish- 
 davit rigged out, and after two or three hours of hard and 
 cold work, both the anchors were ready for instant use, a 
 couple of hedges got up, a hawser coiled away upon the 
 fore-hatch, and the deep-sea-lead-line overhauled and got 
 ready. Our spirits returned with having something to do ; 
 and when the tackle was manned to bowse the anchor 
 home, notwithstanding the desolation of the scene, we 
 struck up “ Cheerily ho ! ” in full chorus. This pleased 
 the mate, who rubbed his hands and cried out — “That’s 
 right, my boys ; never say die ! That sounds like the old 
 crew ! ” and the captain came up, on hearing the song, and 
 said to the passenger, within hearing of the man at the 
 wheel, — “ That sounds like a lively crew. They’ll have 
 their song so long as there’re enough left for a chorus !” 
 
 This preparation of the cable and anchors was for the 
 passage of the straits ; for, being very crooked, and with a 
 variety of currents, it is necessary to come frequently to 
 anchor. This was not, by any means, a pleasant prospect. 
 
298 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 far, of all the work that a sailor is called upon to do in 
 cold weather, there is none so bad as working the ground 
 tackle. The heavy chain cables to be hauled and pulled 
 about decks with bare hands ; wet hawsers, slip-ropes, and 
 buoy-ropes to be hauled aboard, dripping in water, which 
 is running up your sleeves, and freezing ; clearing hawse 
 under the bows ; getting under weigh and coming-to, at 
 all hours of the night and day, and a constant look-out for 
 rocks and sands and turns of tides ; — these are some of 
 the disagreeables of such a navigation to a common sailor. 
 Fair or foul, he wants to have nothing to do with the 
 ground-tackle between port and port. One of our hands, 
 too, had unluckily fallen upon a half of an old newspaper 
 which contained an account of the passage, through the 
 straits, of a Boston brig, called, I think, the Peruvian, in 
 which she lost every cable and anchor she had, got aground 
 twice, and arrived at Valparaiso in distress. This was set 
 off against the account of the A. J. Donelson, and led us 
 to look forward with less confidence to the passage, 
 especially as no one on board had ever been through, and 
 the captain had no very perfect charts. However, we were 
 spared any further experience on the point ; for the next 
 day, when we must have been near the Cape of Pillars, 
 which is the southwest point of the mouth of the straits, 
 a gale set in from the eastward, with a heavy fog, so that we 
 could not see half of the ship’s length ahead. This, of 
 course, put an end to the project, for the present ; for a 
 thick fog and a gale blowing dead ahead are not the most 
 favorable circumstances for the passage of difficult and 
 dangerous straits. This weather, too, seemed likely to last 
 for some time, and we could not think of beating about the 
 mouth of the straits for a week or two, waiting for a favor- 
 able opportunity ; so we braced up on the larboard tack, 
 put the ship’s head due south, and stuck her off for Cape 
 Horn again. 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 299 
 
 CHAPTER XXXII. 
 
 In our first attempt to double the Cape, when we came 
 up to the latitude of it, we were nearly seventeen hundred 
 miles to the westward, but, in running for the straits of 
 Magellan we stood so far to the eastward, that we made 
 our second at a distance of not more than four or five 
 hundred miles ; and we had great hopes, by this means, to 
 run clear of the ice ; thinking that the easterly gales, 
 which had prevailed for a long time, would have driven it 
 to the westward. With the wind about two points free, the 
 yards braced in a little, and two close-reefed top-sails and 
 a reefed fore-sail on the ship, we made great way toward 
 the southward ; and, almost every watch, when we came 
 on deck, the air seemed to grow colder, and the sea to run 
 higher. Still, we saw no ice, and had great hopes of go- 
 ing clear of it altogether, when, one afternoon, about three 
 o’clock, while we were taking a siesta during our watch be- 
 low, “ All hands ! ” was called in a loud and fearful voice. 
 “ Tumble up here, men! — tumble up ! — don’t stop for your 
 clothes — before we’re upon it ! ” We sprang out of our 
 berths and hurried upon deck. The loud, sharp voice of 
 the captain was heard giving orders, as though for life 
 or death, and we ran aft to the braces, not waiting to 
 look ahead, for not a moment was to be lost. The helm 
 was hard up, the after yards shaking, and the ship in the 
 act of wearing. Slowly, with the stiff ropes and iced rig- 
 ging, we swung the yards round, everything coming hard 
 and with a creaking and rending sound, like pulling up a 
 plank which has been frozen into the ice. The ship wore 
 round fairty, the yards were steadied, and we stood off on 
 the other tack, leaving behind us, directly under our 
 larboard quarter, a large ice island, peering out of the 
 mist, and reaching high above our tops, while astern ; and 
 on either side of the island, large tracts of field-ice were 
 dimly seen, heaving and rolling in the sea. We were now 
 safe, and standing to the northward , but, in a few minutes 
 more, had it not been for the sharp look-out of the watch, 
 we should have been fairly upon the ice, and left our ship’s 
 old bones adrift in the Southern ocean. After standing 
 
3 00 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 to the northward a few hours, we wore ship, and, the wind 
 having hauled, we stood to the southward and eastward. 
 All night long, a bright look-out was kept from every part 
 of the deck ; and whenever ice was seen on the one bow 
 or the other, the helm was shifted and the yards braced, 
 and by quick working of the ship she was kept clear. 
 The accustomed cry of “ Ice ahead ! ” — “ Ice on the lee 
 bow ! ” — “ Another island ! ” in the same tones, and with 
 the same orders following them, seemed to bring us directly 
 back to our old position of the week before. During our 
 watch on deck, which was from twelve to four, the wind 
 came out ahead, with a pelting storm of hail and sleet, and 
 we lay hove-to, under a close-reefed fore top-sail, the whole 
 watch. During the next watch it fell calm, with a drench- 
 ing rain, until daybreak, when the wind came out to the 
 westward, and the weather cleared up, and showed us the 
 whole ocean, in the course which we should have steered, 
 had it not been for the head wind and calm, completely 
 blocked up with ice. Here then our progress was stopped, 
 and we wore ship, and once more stood to the northward 
 and eastward ; not for the straits of Magellan, but to 
 make another attempt to double the Cape, still farther to 
 the eastward ; for the captain was determined to get round 
 if perseverance could do it, and the third time, he said, 
 never failed. 
 
 With a fair wind we soon ran clear of the field-ice, and 
 by noon had only the stray island floating far and near 
 upon the ocean. The sun was out bright, the sea of a 
 deep blue, fringed with the white foam of the waves which 
 ran high before a strong southwester ; our solitary ship 
 tore on through the water as though glad to be out of her 
 confinement ; and the ice islands lay scattered upon the 
 ocean here and there, of various sizes and shapes, reflect- 
 the bright rays of the sun, and drifting slowly northward 
 before the gale. It was a contrast to much that we had 
 lately seen, and a spectacle not only of life ; for it required 
 but little fancy to imagine these islands to be animate 
 masses which had broken loose from the “ thrilling regions 
 of thick-ribbed ice,” and were working their way, by wind 
 and current, some alone, and some in fleets, to milder 
 climes. No pencil has ever yet given anything like the 
 true effect of an iceberg. In a picture, they are huge. 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 301 
 
 uncouth masses, stuck in the sea, while their chief beauty 
 and grandeur, — their slow, stately motion ; the whirling of 
 the snow about their summits, and the fearful groaning and 
 cracking of their parts, — the picture cannot give. This is 
 the large iceberg; while the small and distant islands, float- 
 ing on the smooth sea, in the light of a clear day, look 
 like little floating fairy isles of sapphire. 
 
 From a northeast course we gradually hauled to the 
 eastward, and after sailing about two hundred miles, which 
 brought us as near to the western coast of Terra del Fuego 
 as was safe, and having lost sight of the ice altogether, — 
 for the third time we put the ship’s head to the southward, 
 to try the passage of the Cape. The weather continued 
 clear and cold, with a strong gale from the westward, and 
 we were fast getting up with the latitude of the Cape, with 
 a prospect of soon being round. One fine afternoon, a 
 man who had gone into the foretop to shift the rolling 
 tackles, sung out, at the top of his voice, and with evident 
 glee, — “ Sail ho ! ” Neither land nor sail had we seen 
 since leaving San Diego ; and any one who has traversed 
 the length of a whole ocean alone, can imagine what an 
 excitement such an announcement produced on board. 
 “ Sail ho ! ” shouted the cook, jumping out of his galley ; 
 “ Sail ho ! ” shouted a man, throwing back the slide of the 
 scuttle, to the watch below, who were soon out of their 
 berths and on deck ; and “ Sail ho ! ” shouted the captain 
 down the companion-way to the passenger in the cabin. 
 Beside the pleasure of seeing a ship and human beings in 
 so desolate a place, it was important for us to speak a 
 vessel, to learn whether there was ice to the eastward, and 
 to ascertain the longitude ; for we had no chronometer, and 
 had been drifting about so long that we had nearly lost 
 out reckoning, and opportunities for lunar observation are 
 not frequent or sure in such a place as Cape Horn. For 
 these various reasons, the excitement in our little commu- 
 nity was running high, and conjectures were made, and 
 everything thought of for which the captain would hail, 
 when the man aloft sung out — “ Another sail, large on the 
 weather bow ! ” This was a little odd, but so much the 
 better, and did not shake our faith in their being sails. 
 At length the man in the top hailed, and said he believed 
 \t was land, after all. “ Land in your eye ! ” said the 
 
302 
 
 TWO YEARS BE TORE THE MAST 
 
 mate, who was looking through the telescope ; “ they are 
 ice islands, if I can see a hole through a ladder; ” and a 
 few moments showed the mate to be right ; and all our ex- 
 pectations fled ; and instead of what we most wished to see, 
 we had what we most dreaded, and what we hoped we had 
 seen the last of. We soon, however, left these astern, hav- 
 ing passed within about two miles of them ; and at sun- 
 down the horizon was clear in all directions. 
 
 Having a fine wind, we were soon up with and passed 
 the latitude of the Cape, and having stood far enough to 
 the southward to give it a wide berth, we began to stand 
 to the eastward, with a good prospect of being round and 
 steering to the northward on the other side, in a very few 
 days. But ill luck seemed to have lighted upon us. Not 
 four hours had we been standing on in this course, before 
 it fell dead calm ; and in half an hour it clouded up ; a 
 few straggling blasts, with spits of snow and sleet, came 
 from the eastward ; and in an hour more, we lay hove-to 
 under a close-reefed main top-sail, drifting bodily off to 
 leeward before the fiercest storm that we had yet felt, 
 blowing dead ahead, from the eastward. It seemed as 
 though the genius of the place had been roused at finding 
 that we had nearly slipped through his fingers, and had 
 come upon us with tenfold fury. The sailors said that 
 every blast, as it shook the shrouds, and whistled through 
 he rigging, said to the old ship, “ No, you don’t ! ” — “ No, 
 you don’t ! ” 
 
 For eight days we lay drifting about in this manner. 
 Sometimes, — generally towards noon, — it fell calm ; once 
 or twice a round copper ball showed itself for a few mo- 
 ments in the place where tfye sun ought to have been ; and 
 a puff or two came from th westward, giving some hope 
 that a fair wind had come at last. During the first two 
 days, we made sail for these puffs, shaking the reefs out 
 of the top-sails and boarding the tacks of the courses ; but 
 finding that it only made work for us when the gale set 
 in again, it was soon given up, and we lay-to under out 
 close-reefs. We had less snow and hail than when we 
 were farther to the westward, but we had an abundance of 
 what is worse to a sailor in cold weather — drenching rain. 
 Snow is blinding, and very bad when coming upon a 
 toast, but, for genuine discomfort, give me rain with freez- 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 3°3 
 
 ing weather. A snow-storm is exciting, and it does not 
 wet through the clothes (which is important to a sailor) ; 
 but a constant rain there is no escaping from. It wets to 
 the skin, and makes all protection vain. We had long 
 ago run through all our dry clothes, and as sailors have 
 no other way of drying them than by the sun, we had 
 nothing to do but to put on those which were the least 
 wet. At the end of each watch, when we came below, 
 we took off our clothes and wrung them out ; two taking 
 hold of a pair of trowsers, — one at each end, — and jackets 
 Sn the same way. Stockings, mittens, and all, were wrung 
 out also, and then hung up to drain and chafe dry against the 
 bulkheads. Then, feeling of all our clothes, we picked out 
 those which were the least wet, and put them on, so as to 
 be ready for a call, and turned-in, covered ourselves up 
 with blankets, and slept until three knocks on the scut- 
 tle and the dismal sound of “ All starbowlines ahoy ! 
 Eight bells, there below ! Do you hear the news ? ” 
 drawled out from on deck, and the sulky answer of “ Aye, 
 aye ! ” from below, sent us up again. 
 
 On deck, all, was as dark as a pocket, and either a 
 dead calm, with the rain pouring steadily down, or, more 
 generally, a violent gale dead ahead with rain pelting 
 horizontally, and occasional variations of hail and sleet ; 
 — deck afloat with water swashing from side to side, and 
 constantly wet feet ; for boots could not be wrung out 
 like drawers, and no composition could stand the constant 
 soaking. In fact, wet and cold feet are inevitable in such 
 weather, and are not the least of those little items which 
 go to make up the grand total of the discomforts of a 
 winter passage round the Cape. Few words were spoken 
 between the watches as they shifted, the wheel was re- 
 lieved, the mate took his place on the quarter-deck, the 
 look-outs in the bows ; and each man had his narrow 
 space to walk fore and aft in, or, rather, to swing himself 
 forward and back in, from one belaying pin to another, — 
 for the decks were too slippery with ice and water to al- 
 low of much walking. To make a walk, which is abso- 
 lutely necessary to pass away the time, one of us hit upon 
 the expedient of sanding the deck ; and afterwards, when- 
 ever the rain was not so violent as to wash it off, the 
 weatherside of the quarter-deck, and a part of the waist 
 
3°4 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 and forecastle were sprinkled with the sand which we had 
 on board for holystoning ; and thus we made a good pro- 
 menade, where we walked fore and aft, two and two, hour, 
 after hour, in our long, dull, and comfortless watches. 
 The bells seemed to be an hour or two apart, instead of 
 half an hour, and an age to elapse before the welcome 
 sound of eight bells. The sole object was to make the 
 time pass on. Any change was sought for, which would 
 break the monotony of the time ; and even the two hours’ 
 trick at the wheel, which came round to each of us, in turn, 
 once in every other watch, was looked upon as a relief. 
 Even the never-failing resource of long yarns, which eke 
 out many a watch, seemed to have failed us now ; for we 
 had been so long together that we had heard each other’s 
 stories told over and over again, till we had them by 
 heart ; each one knew the whole history of each of the 
 others, and we were fairly and literally talked out. Sing- 
 ing and joking, we were in no humor for, and, in fact, any 
 sound of mirth or laughter would have struck strangely 
 upon our ears, and would not have been tolerated, any 
 more than whistling, or a wind instrument. The last re- 
 sort, that of speculating upon the future, seemed now to fail 
 us, for our discouraging situation, and the danger we 
 were really in (as we expected every day to find ourselves 
 drifted back among the ice) “ clapped a stopper” upon all 
 that. From saying — “ when we get home ” — we began in- 
 sensibly to alter it to — “if we get home ” — and at last the 
 subject was dropped by a tacit consent. In this state of 
 things, a new light was struck out, and a new field opened, 
 by a change in the watch. One of our watch, was laid up 
 for two or three days by a bad hand, (for in cold weather 
 the least cut or bruise ripens into a sore,) and his place 
 was supplied by the carpenter. This was a windfall, 
 and there was quite a contest, Who should have the carpen- 
 ter to walk with him. As “ Chips ” was a man of some little 
 education, and he and I had had a good deal of intercourse 
 with each other, he fell in with me in my walk. He was 
 a Fin, but spoke English very well, and gave me long ac- 
 counts of his country ; — the customs, the trade, the towns, 
 what little he knew of the government, (I found he was no 
 friend to Russia,) his voyages, his first arrival in America, 
 his marriage and courtship he had married a country 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 3 ° 5 
 
 woman of his, a dressmaker, whom he met with in Boston. I 
 had very little to tell him of my quiet, sedentary life at home ; 
 and in spite of our best efforts, which had protracted these 
 yarns through five or six watches, we fairly talked one an- 
 other out, and I turned him over to another man in the 
 watch, and put myself upon my own resources. 
 
 I commenced a deliberate system of time-killing, which 
 united some profit with a cheering up of the heavy hours. 
 As soon as I came on deck, and took my place and 
 regular walk, I began with repeating over to myself 
 a string of matters which I had in my memory, in reg- 
 ular order. First, the multplication table and the tables of 
 weights and measures ; then the states of the Union, with 
 their capitals ; the counties of England, with their shire 
 towms ; the kings of England in their order ; and a large 
 part of the peerage, which I committed from an almanac 
 that we had on board ; and then the Kanaka numerals. 
 This carried me through my facts, and being repeated 
 deliberately with long intervals, often eked out the two first 
 bells. Then came the ten commandments ; the thirty- 
 ninth chapter of Job, and a few other passages from 
 Scripture. The next in the order, that I never varied 
 from, came Cowper’s Castaway, which was a great 
 favorite with me ; the solemn measure and gloomy 
 character of which, as well as the incident that it was 
 founded upon, made it well suited to a lonely watch 
 at sea. Then his lines to Mary, his address to the jack daw, 
 and a short extract from Table Talk ; (I abounded in 
 Cowper, for I happened to have a volume of his poems 
 in my chest ; ) lt Ille et nefasto ” from Horace, and Goethe’s 
 Erl King. After I had got through these, I allowed my- 
 self a more general range among everything that I could 
 remember, both in prose and verse. In this way, with an 
 occasional break by relieving the wheel, heaving the log, 
 and going to the scuttle-butt for a drink of water, the 
 longest watch was* passed away ; and I was so regular in 
 my silent recitations, that. if there was no interruption by 
 ship’s duty, I could tell very nearly the number of bells 
 by my progress. 
 
 • Our watches below were no more varied than the watch 
 x m deck. All washing, sewing, and reading was given up; 
 and we did nothing Let cat, sleep, and stand our watch, 
 
TWO years be tore the mast. 
 
 306 
 
 leading what might be called a Cape Horn life. The fore* 
 castle was too uncomfortable to sit up in ; and whenever 
 we were below, we were in our berths. To prevent the 
 rain, and the sea-water which broke over the bows, from 
 washing down, we were obliged to keep the scuttle closed, 
 so that the forecastle was nearly air-tight. In this little, 
 wet, leaky hole, we were all quartered in an atmosphere 
 so bad that our lamp, which swung in the middle from the 
 beams, sometimes actually burned blue, with a large circle 
 of foul air about it. Still, I was never in better health than 
 after three weeks of this life. I gained a great deal of 
 flesh, and we all ate like horses. At every watch, when 
 we came below, before turning-in, the bread barge and 
 beef kid were overhauled. Each man drank his quart of 
 hot tea night and morning ; and glad enough we were to 
 get it, for no nectar and ambrosia were sweeter to the lazy 
 immortals, than was a pot of hot tea, a hard biscuit, and a 
 slice of cold salt beef, to us after a watch on deck. To be 
 sure, we were mere animals, and had this life lasted a year 
 instead of a month, we should have been little better than 
 the ropes in the ship. Not a razor, nor a brush, nor a drop 
 of water, except the rain and the spray, had come near us 
 all the time ; for we were on an allowance of fresh water; 
 and who would strip and wash himself in salt water on 
 deck, in the snow and ice, with the thermometer at zero ? 
 
 After about eight days of constant easterly gales, the 
 wind hauled occasionally a little to the southward, and 
 blew hard, which, as we were well to the southward, al- 
 lowed us to brace in a little and stand on, under all the 
 sail we could carry. These turns lasted but a short while, 
 and sooner or later it set in again from the old quarter ; 
 yet at each time we made something, and were gradually 
 edging along to the eastward. One night, after one of 
 these shifts of the wind, and when all hands had been up 
 a great part of the time, our watch was left on deck, with 
 the main-sail hanging in the buntlines, ready to be set if 
 necessary. It came on to blow worse and worse, with hail 
 and snow beating like so many furies upon the ship, it be- 
 ing as dark and thick as night could make it. The main- 
 sail was blowing and slatting with a noise like thunder, 
 when the captain came on deck, and ordered it to be furled. 
 The mate was about to call all hands, when the captain 
 
Tiro YEARS retort: the mast. 
 
 3°7 
 
 stopped him, and said that the men would be beaten out 
 if they were called tip so often ; that as our watch must 
 stay on deck, it might as well be doing that as anything 
 else. Accordingly, we went upon the yard ; and never 
 shall I forget that piece of work. Our watch had been so 
 reduced by sickness, and by some having been left in Cali- 
 fornia, that, with one man at the wheel, we had only the 
 third mate and three beside myself to go aloft ; so that, at 
 most, we could only attempt to furl one yard-arm at a time. 
 We manned the weather yard-arm, and set to work to make 
 a furl of it. Our lower masts being short, and our yards 
 very square, the sail had a head of nearly fifty feet, and a 
 short leach, made still shorter by the deep reef which was 
 in it, which brought the clue away out on the quarters of 
 the yard, and made a bunt nearly as square as the mizen 
 royal-yard. Beside this difficulty, the yard over which we 
 lay was cased with ice, the gaskets and rope of the foot 
 and leach of the sail as stiff and hard as a piece of of suc- 
 tion-hose, and the sail itself about as pliable as though it 
 had been made of sheets of sheathing copper. It blew a 
 perfect hurricane, with alternate blasts of snow, hail, and 
 rain. We had to fist the sail with bare hands. No one 
 could trust himself to mittens, for if he slipped, he was a 
 gone man. All the boats were hoisted in on deck, and 
 there was nothing to be lowered for him. We had need of 
 every finger God had given us. Several times we got the 
 sail upon the yard, but it blew away again before we could 
 secure it. It required men to lie over the yard to pass 
 each turn of the gaskets, and when they were passed, it 
 was almost impossible to knot them so that they would 
 hold. Frequently we were obliged to leave off altogether 
 and take to beating our hands upon the sail, to keep them 
 from freezing. After some time, — which seemed forever, 
 — we got the weather side stowed after a fashion, and went 
 over to leeward for another trial. This was still worse, 
 for the body of the sail had been blown over to leeward, 
 as the yard was a-cock-bill by the lying over of the ves- 
 sel, we had to light it all up to windward. When the yard- 
 arms were furled, the bunt was all adrift again, which made 
 more work for us. We got all secure at last, but we had 
 been nearly an hour and a half upon the yard, and it 
 seemed an age. It had just struck five bells when we went 
 
joS TWO YEARS BEFORE TEE MAST. 
 
 up, and eight were struck soon after we came down. This 
 may seem slow work ; but considering the state of every- 
 thing, and that we had only five men to a sail with just 
 half as many square yards of canvas in it as the main-sail 
 of the Independence, sixty-gun ship, which musters seven 
 hundred men at her quarters, it is not wonderful that we 
 were no quicker about it. We were glad enough to get on 
 deck, and still more, to go below. The oldest sailor in the 
 watch said, as he went down, — “ I shall never forget that 
 main yard; — it beat all my going a fishing. Fun is fun, 
 but furling one yard-arm of a course, at a time, off Cape 
 Horn, is no better than man-killing.” 
 
 During the greater part of the next two days, the wind 
 was pretty steady from the southward. We had evidently 
 made great progress, and had good hope of being soon up 
 with the Cape, if we were not there already. We could 
 put but little confidence in our reckoning, as there had 
 been no opportunities for an observation, and we had drifted 
 too much to allow of our dead reckoning being anywhere 
 near the mark. If it would clear off enough to give a 
 chance for an observation, or if we could made land, we 
 should know where we were ; and upon these, and the 
 chances of falling in with a sail from the eastward, we de- 
 pended almost entirely. 
 
 ' Friday, July 22 d. This day we had a steady gale from 
 the southward, and stood on under close sail, with the 
 yards eased a little by the weather braces, the clouds lifting 
 a little, and showing signs of breaking away. In the after- 
 noon, I was below with Mr. H , the third mate, and 
 
 two others, filling the bread locker in the steerage from 
 the casks, when a bright gleam of sunshine broke out and 
 shone down the companion-way and through the skylight, 
 lighting up everything below, and sending a warm glow 
 through the hearts of every one. It was a sight we had 
 not seen for weeks, — an omen, a god-send. Even the 
 ronghest and hardest face acknowledged its influence. 
 Just at that moment we heard a loud shout from all parts 
 of the deck, and the mate called out down the companion- 
 way to the captain who was sitting in the cabin. What 
 he said, we could not distinguish, but the captain kicked 
 over his chair, and was on deck at one jump. We could 
 not tell what it was ; and, anxious as we were to know, the 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 3°9 
 
 discipline of the ship would not allow of our leaving our 
 places. Yet, as we were not called, we knew there was 
 no danger. We hurried to get through with our job, when, 
 seeing the steward’s black face peering out of the pantry, 
 
 Mr. H hailed him, to know what was the matter. 
 
 “ Lan’ o, to be sure, sir ! No you hear ’em sing out, 
 
 ‘ Lan o ? ’ De cap’em say ’im Cape Horn ! ” 
 
 This gave us a new start, and we were soon through 
 our work, and on deck ; and there lay the land, fair upon 
 the larboard beam, and slowly edging away upon the quar- 
 ter. All hands were busy looking at it, — the captain and 
 mates from the quarter-deck, the cook from his galley, and 
 the sailors from the forecastle ; and even Mr. N., the pas- 
 senger, who had kept in his shell for nearly a month, and 
 hardly been seen by anybody, and who we had almost for- 
 gotten was on board, came out like a butterfly, and was 
 hopping round as bright as a bird. 
 
 The land was the island of Staten Land, just to the 
 eastward of Cape Horn ; and a more desolate looking spot 
 I never wish to set eyes upon ; — bare, broken, and girt 
 with rocks and ice, with here and there, between the rocks 
 and broken hillocks, a little stunted vegetation of shrubs, 
 It was a place well suited to stand at the junction of the 
 two oceans, beyond the reach of human cultivation, and 
 encounter the blasts and snows of a perpetual winter. Yet, 
 dismal as it was, it was a pleasant sight to us ; not only as 
 being the first land we had seen, but because it told us 
 that we had passed the Cape, — were in the Atlantic, — and 
 that, with twenty-four hours of this breeze, might bid de- 
 fiance to the Southern ocean. It told us, too, our latitude 
 and longitude better than any observation ; and the cap- 
 tain now knew where we were, as well as if we were off the 
 end of Long wharf. 
 
 In the general joy, Mr. N. said he should like to go 
 ashore upon the island and examine a spot which probably 
 no human being had ever set foot upon ; but the captain 
 intimated that he* would see the island — specimens and all, 
 — in another place, before he would get out a boat or de- 
 lay the ship one moment for him. 
 
 We left the land gradually astern ; and at sundown had 
 the Atlantic Ocean clear before us. 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 310 
 
 CHAPTER XXXIII. 
 
 It is usual, in voyages round the Cape from the Paci- 
 fic, to keep to the eastward of the Falkland Islands; but 
 as it had now set in a strong, steady, and clear south- 
 wester, with every prospect of its lasting, and we had had 
 enough of high latitudes, the captain determined to stand 
 immediately to the northward, running inside the Falk- 
 land Islands. Accordingly, when the wheel was relieved 
 at eight o’clock, the order was given to keep her due north, 
 and all hands were turned up to square away the yards and 
 make sail. In a moment, the news ran through the ship 
 that the captain was keeping her off, with her nose straight 
 for Boston, and Cape Horn over her taffrail. It was a 
 moment of enthusiasm. Everyone was on the alert, and 
 even the two sick men turned out to lend a hand at the 
 halyards. The wind was now due southwest, and blowing 
 a gale to which a vessel close hauled could have shown no 
 more than a single close-reefed sail ; but as we were going 
 before it, we could carry on. Accordingly, hands were 
 sent aloft, and a reef shaken out of the top-sails, and the 
 reefed fore-sail set. When we came to mast-head the top- 
 sail yards, with alf hands at the halyards, we struck up 
 “ Cheerily, men,” with a chorus which might have been 
 heard half way to Staten Land. Under her increased sail, 
 the ship drove on through the water. Yet she could bear it 
 well ; and the captain sang out from the quarter-deck— 
 “ Another reef out of that fore top-sail, and give it to her ! ” 
 Two hands sprang aloft ; the frozen reef points and ear- 
 ings were cast adrift, the halyards manned, and the sail 
 gave out her increased canvas to the gale. All hands were 
 kept on deck to watch the effect of the change. It was as 
 much as she could well carry, and with a heavy sea astern, 
 it took two men at the wheel to steer her. She flung the 
 foam from her bows : the spray breaking aft as far as the 
 gangway. She was going at a prodigious rate. Still, 
 everything held. Preventer braces were reeved and hauled 
 taught ; tackles got upon the backstays ; and each thing 
 done to keep all snug and strong. The captain walked 
 the deck at a rapid stride, looked aloft at the sails, and then 
 
TWO YEAR'S BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 3 1 1 
 
 to windward ; the mate stood in the gangway, rubbing his 
 hands, and talking aloud to the ship — “ Hurrah, old 
 bucket ! the Boston girls have got hold of the tow rope ! ” 
 and the like ; and we were on the forecastle, looking to 
 see how the spars stood it, and guessing the rate at which 
 she was going, — when the captain called out — “ Mr. Brown, 
 get up the top-mast studding-sail ! What she can’t carry 
 she may drag ! ” The mate looked a moment ; but he 
 would let no man be before him in daring. He sprang 
 forward, — “ Hurrah, men ! rig out the topmast studding- 
 sail boom ! Lay aloft, and I’ll send the rigging up to you ! ” 
 — We sprang aloft into the top ; lowered a girt line down, 
 by which we hauled up the rigging ; rove the tacks and 
 halyards ; ran out the boom and lashed it fast, and sent 
 down the lower halyards, as a preventer. It was a clear 
 starlight night, cold and blowing ; but everybody worked 
 with a will. Some, indeed, looked as though they thought 
 the “ old man ” was mad, but no one said a word. We 
 had had a new top-mast studding-sail made with a reef in 
 it, — a thing hardly ever heard of, and which the sailors had 
 ridiculed a good deal, saying that when it was time to reef 
 a studding-sail it was time to take it in. But we found a 
 use for it now ; for, there being a reef in the top- sail, the 
 studding-sail could not be set without one in it also. To 
 be sure, a studding-sail with reefed top-sails was rather a 
 new thing ; yet there was some reason in it, for if we 
 carried that away, we should lose only a sail and a boom ; 
 but a whole top-sail might have carried away the mast and 
 all. 
 
 While w r e were aloft, the sail had been got out, bent to 
 the yard, reefed, and ready for hoisting. Waiting for a 
 good opportunity, the halyards were manned and the yard 
 hoisted fairly up to the block ; but when the mate came to 
 shake the catspaw’ out of the downhaul, and we began to 
 boom-end the sail, it shook the ship to her centre. The 
 boom buckled up and bent like a whip-stick, and we 
 looked every moment to see something go ; but, being of 
 the short, tough, upland spruce, it bent like whalebone, 
 and nothing could break it. The carpenter said it w r as the 
 best stick he had ever seen. The strength of all hands 
 soon brought the tack to the boom end, and the sheet was 
 trimmed down, and the preventer and the weather bracr 
 
3 12 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 hauled taught to take off the strain. Every rope-yart? 
 seemed stretched to the utmost, and every thread of can- 
 vas; and with this sail added to her, the ship sprang 
 through the water like a thing possessed. The sail being 
 nearly all forward, it lifted her out of the water, and she 
 seemed actually to jump from sea to sea. From the time 
 her keel was laid, she had never been so driven ; and had 
 it been life or death with every one of us, she could not 
 have borne another stitch of canvas. 
 
 Finding that she would bear the sail, the hands were 
 sent below, and our watch remained on deck. Two men 
 at the wheel had as much as they could do to keep her 
 within three points of her course, for she steered as wild as 
 a young colt. The mate walked the deck, looking at 
 the sails, and then over the side to see the foam fly by her, 
 — slapping his hands upon his thighs and talking to the 
 ship — “ Hurrah, you jade, you *ve got the scent ! — you 
 know where you ’re going ! ” And when she leaped over 
 the seas, and almost out of the water, and trembled to 
 her very keel, the spars and masts snapping and creaking, 
 “ There she goes ! — There she goes, — handsomely ! — As 
 long as she cracks she holds ! ” — while we stood with the 
 rigging laid down fair for letting go, and ready to take in 
 sail and clear away, if anything went. At four bells we 
 hove the log, and she was going eleven knots fairly ; and 
 had it not been for the sea from aft which sent the chip 
 home, and threw her continually off her course, the log 
 would have shown her to have been going much faster. I 
 went to the wheel with a young fellow from the Kennebec, 
 who was a good helmsman ; and for two hours we had our 
 hands full. A few minutes showed us that our monkey- 
 jackets must come off; and cold as it was, we stood in 
 our shirt-sleeves, in a perspiration ; and were glad enough 
 to have it eight bells, and the wheel relieved. We turned- 
 in and slept as well as we could, though the sea made a 
 constant roar under her bows, and washed over the fore- 
 castle like a small cataract. 
 
 At four o’clock, we were called again. The same sail 
 was still on the vessel, and the gale, if there was any 
 change, had increased a little. No attempt was made to 
 take the studding-sail in ; and, indeed, it was too late now. 
 If we had started anything toward taking it in, either tack 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 3^3 
 
 or halyards, it would have blown to pieces, and carried 
 something away with it. The only way now was to let 
 everything stand, and if the gale went down, well and 
 good ; if not, something must go — the weakest stick or 
 rope first — and then we could get it in. For more than 
 an hour she was driven on at such a rate that she seemed 
 actually to crowd the sea into a heap before her ; and the 
 water poured over the sprit-sail yard as it would over a 
 dam. Toward daybreak the gale abated a little, and she 
 was just beginning to go more easily along, relieved of the 
 pressure, when Mr. Brown, determined to give her no 
 respite, and depending upon the wind’s subsiding as the 
 sun rose, told us to get along the lower studding-sail. 
 This was an immense sail, and held wind enough to last a 
 Dutchman a week, — hove-to. It was soon ready, the 
 boom topped up, preventer guys rove, and the idlers called 
 up to man the halyards ; yet such was still the force of the 
 gale, that we were nearly an hour setting the sail; carried 
 away the outhaul in doing it, and came very near snapping 
 off the swinging boom. No sooner was it set than the 
 ship tore on again like one that was mad, and began to 
 steer as wild as a hawk. The men at the wheel were 
 puffing and blowing at their work, and the helm was 
 going hard up and hard down, constantly. Add to this, 
 the gale did not lessen as the day came on, but the sun 
 rose in clouds. A sudden lurch threw the man from the 
 weather wheel across the deck and against the side. The 
 mate sprang to the wheel, and the man, regaining his feet, 
 seized the spokes, and they hove the wheel up just in time 
 to save her from broaching to ; though nearly half the 
 studding-sail went under water ; and as she came to, the 
 boom stood up at an angle of forty-five degrees. She had 
 evidently more on her than she could bear ; yet it was in 
 vain to try to take it in — the clewline was not strong 
 enough ; and they were thinking of cutting away, when 
 another wide yaw and a come-to, snapped the guys, and 
 the swinging boom came in, with a crash, against the 
 lower rigging. The outhaul block gave way, and the top- 
 mast studding-sail boom bent in a manner which I never 
 before supposed a stick could bend. I had my eye on it 
 when the guys parted, and it made one spring and buckled 
 up so as to form nearly a half circle, and sprang out again 
 
3*4 
 
 TWO YEATS BEFORE THE .VAST. 
 
 to its shape. The clewline gave way at the first pull ; the 
 cleat to which the halyards were belayed was wrenched 
 off, and the sail blew round the sprit-sail yard and head 
 guys, which gave us a bad job to get it in. A half hour 
 served to clear all away, and she was suffered to drive on 
 with her top-mast studding-sail set, it being as much as 
 she could stagger under. 
 
 During all this day and the next night, we went on 
 under the same sail, the gale blowing with undiminished 
 force ; two men at the wheel all the time ; watch and 
 watch, and nothing to do but to steer and look out for the 
 ship, and be blown along ; — until the noon of the next 
 day — 
 
 Sunday, July 24 th, when we were in latitude 50° 27' S., 
 longitude 62° 13' W., having made four degrees of latitude 
 in the last twenty-four hours. Being now to the northward 
 of the Falkland Islands, the ship was kept off, northeast, 
 for the equator ; and with her head for the equator, and 
 Cape Horn over her taffrail, she went gloriously on ; every 
 heave of the sea leaving the Cape astern, and every hour 
 bringing us nearer to home, and to warm weather. Many 
 a time, when blocked up in the ice, with everything dis- 
 mal and discouraging about us, had we said, — if we were 
 only fairly round, and standing north on the other side, 
 we should ask for no more : — and now we had it all, with 
 a clear sea, and as much wind as a sailor could pray for. 
 If the best part of a voyage is the last part, surely we had 
 all now that we could wish. Every one was in the highest 
 spirits, and the ship seemed as glad as any of us at getting 
 out of her confinement. At each change of the watch, 
 those coming on deck asked those going below — “ How 
 does she go along ? ” and got for answer, the rate, and the 
 customary addition — “ Aye ! and the Boston girls have had 
 hold of the tow-rope all the watch, and can’t haul half the 
 slack in ! ” Each day the sun rose higher in the horizon, 
 and the nights grew shorter ; and at coming on deck each 
 morning, there was a sensible change in the temperature. 
 The ice, too, began to melt from off the rigging and spars, 
 and, except a little which remained in the tops and round 
 the hounds of the lower masts, was soon gone. As we 
 left the gale behind us, the reefs were shaken out of the 
 top-sails, and sail made as fast as she could bear it ; and 
 
THE MAST. 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE 
 
 3 X S 
 
 every time all hands were sent to the halyards, a song was 
 called for, and we hoisted away with a will. 
 
 Sail after sail was added, as we drew into fine weather ; 
 and in one week after leaving Cape Horn, the long top- 
 gallant masts were got up, top-gallant and royal yards 
 crossed, and the ship restored to her fair proportions. 
 
 The Southern Cross we saw no more after the first 
 night ; the Magellan Clouds settled lower and lower in the 
 horizon ; and so great was our change of latitude each 
 succeeding night, that we sank some constellation in the 
 south, and raised another in the northern horizon. 
 
 Sunday, July 31 st. At noon we were in lat. 36° 41' S,, 
 long. 38° 08' W. ; having traversed the distance of two 
 thousand miles, allowing for changes of course, in nine 
 days. A thousand miles in four days and a half ! — This is 
 equal to steam. 
 
 Soon after eight o’clock, the appearance of the ship 
 gave evidence that this was the first Sunday we had yet 
 had in fine weather. As the sun came up clear, with the 
 promise of a fair, warm day, and, as usual on Sunday, 
 there was no work going on, all hands turned-to upon 
 clearing out the forecastle. The wet and soiled clothes 
 which had accumulated there during the past month, were 
 brought up on deck ; the chests moved ; brooms, buckets 
 of water, swabs, scrubbing-brushes, and scrapers carried 
 down, and applied, until the forecastle floor was as white 
 as chalk, and everything neat and in order. The bedding 
 from the berths was then spread on deck, and dried, and 
 aired ; the deck-tub filled with water ; and a grand wash- 
 ing began of all the clothes which were brought up. Shirts, 
 frocks, drawers, trowsers, jackets, stockings, of every shape 
 and color, wet and dirty — many of them mouldy from having 
 been lying a long time wet in a foul corner — these were all 
 washed and scrubbed out, and finally towed overboard for 
 half an hour ; and then made fast in the rigging to dry. 
 Wet boots and shoes were spread out to dry in sunny places 
 on deck ; and the whole ship looked like a back yard on a 
 washing day. After we had done with our clothes, we 
 began upon our own persons. A little fresh water, which 
 we had saved from our allowance, was put in buckets, and, 
 with soap and towels, we had what sailors call a fresh- 
 water wash. The same bucket, to be sure, had to go 
 
316 TWO years before tiie mast. 
 
 through several hands, and was spoken for by one after 
 another, but as we rinsed off in salt water, pure from the 
 ocean, and the fresh was used only to start the accumulated 
 grime and blackness of five weeks, it was held of little 
 consequence. We soaped down and scrubbed one another 
 with towels and pieces of canvas, stripping to it; and 
 (hen, getting into the head, threw buckets of water upon 
 each other. After this, came shaving, and combing, and 
 brushing ; and when, having spent the first part of the 
 day in this way, we sat down on the forecastle, in the 
 afternoon, with clean duck trowsers, and shirts on, washed, 
 shaved, and combed, and looking a dozen shades lighter 
 for it, reading, sewing, and talking at our ease, with a 
 clear sky and warm sun over our heads, a steady breeze 
 over the larboard quarter, studding-sails out alow and 
 aloft, and all the flying kites abroad ; — we felt 4 that we had 
 got back into the pleasantest part of a sailor’s life. At 
 sundown the clothes were all taken down from the rigging 
 clean and dry — and stowed neatly away in our chests ; and 
 our southwesters, thick boots, guernsey frocks, and other 
 accompaniments of bad weather, put' out of the way, we 
 hoped, for the rest of the voyage, as we expected to come 
 upqn-the coast early in the autumn. 
 
 Notwithstanding all that has been said about the beauty 
 of a ship under full sail, there are very few who have ever 
 seen a ship literally, under all her sail. A ship coming 
 in or going out of port, with her ordinary sails, and per- 
 haps, two or three studding-sails, is commonly said to be 
 under full sail ; but a ship never has all her sail upon her, 
 except when she has a light, steady breeze, very nearly, 
 but not quite, dead aft, and so regular that it can be 
 trusted, and is likely to last for some time. Then, with 
 all her sails, light and heavy, and studding-sails, on each 
 side, alow and aloft, she is the most glorious moving object 
 in the world. Such a sight, very few, even some who have 
 been at sea a good deal, have ever beheld ; for from the 
 deck of your own vessel you cannot see her, as you would 
 a separate object. 
 
 One night, while we were in these tropics, I went out 
 to the end of the flying-jib-boom, upon some duty, and, 
 having finished it, turned round, and lay over the boom 
 for a long time, admiring the beauty of the sight before 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE 2'J/E MAST. 
 
 3*7 
 
 /Tic. Being so far out from the deck, I could look at the 
 ship, as at a separate vessel ; — and, there, rose up from 
 the water, supported only by the small black hull, a pyra- 
 mid of canvas, spreading out far beyond the .hull, and 
 towering up almost, as it seemed in the indistinct night air, 
 to' the clouds. The sea was as still as an inland lake ; the 
 light trade wind was gently and steadily breathing from 
 astern ; the dark blue sky was studded with the tropical 
 stars ; there was no sound but the rippling of the water 
 under the stem ; and the sails were spread out, wide and 
 high.; the two lower studding-sails stretching, on each 
 side, far beyond the deck ; the top-mast studding-sails, like 
 wings to the top-sails ; the top-gallant studding-sails 
 spreading fearlessly out above them ; still higher, the two 
 royal studding-sails, looking like two kites flying from the 
 same string ; and highest of all, the little sky-sail, the apex 
 of the pyramid, seeming actually to touch the stars, and to 
 be out of reach of human hand. So quiet, too, was the 
 sea, and so steady the breeze, that if these sails had been 
 sculptured marble, they could not have been more motion- 
 less. Not a ripple upon the surface of the canvas ; not 
 even a quivering of the extreme edges of the sail — so per- 
 fectly were they distended by the breeze. I was so lost 
 in the sight, that I forgot the presence of the man who 
 came out with me, until he said, (for he too, rough old 
 man-of-war’s-man as he was, had been gazing at the show,) 
 half to himself, still looking at the marble sails — “ How 
 quietly they do their work ! ” 
 
 The fine weather brought work with it* as the ship was 
 to be put in order for coming into port. This may give a 
 landsman some notion -of what is done on board ship. — 
 All the first part of a passage is spent in getting a ship, 
 ready for sea, and the last part in getting her ready for 
 port. She is, as sailors say, like a lady’s watch, always 
 out of repair. The new, strong sails, which we ha 3 
 up off Cape Horn, were to be sent down, and the old set, 
 which were still serviceable in fine weather, to be bent in‘ 
 their place , all the rigging to be set up, fore and aft ; the 
 masts stayed ; the standing rigging to be tarred down ; 
 lower and top“-mast rigging rattled down, fore and aft ; the 
 ship scraped, inside and out, and painted ; decks varnished ; 
 new and neat knots, seizings and coverings to be fitted; 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 and every part put in order, to look well to the owner’s eye, 
 on coming into Boston. This, of course, was a long mat- 
 ter ; and all hands were kept on deck at work for the whole 
 of each day, during the rest of the voyage. Sailors call 
 this hard usage ; but the ship must be in crack order, 
 and “ we’re homeward bound ” was the answer to every- 
 thing. 
 
 We went on for several days, employed in this way, 
 nothing remarkable occurring ; and, at the latter part of 
 the week, fell in with the southeast trades, blowing about 
 east-southeast, which brought them nearly two points 
 abaft our beam. These blew strong and steady, so that 
 we hardly started a rope, until we were beyond their lati- 
 tude. The first day of “ all hands,” one of those little in- 
 cidents occurred, which are nothing in themselves, but are 
 great matters in the eyes of a ship’s company, as they serve 
 to break the monotony of a voyage, and afford conversation 
 to the crew for days afterwards. These small matters, 
 too, are often interesting, as they show the customs and 
 state of feeling on ship-board. 
 
 In merchant vessels, the captain gives his orders, as to 
 the ship’s work, to the mate, in a general way, and leaves 
 the execution of them, with the particular ordering, to him. 
 This has become so fixed a custom, that it is like a law, 
 and is never infringed upon by a wise master, unless his 
 mate is no seaman ; in which case, the captain must often 
 oversee things for himself. This however, could not be 
 said of our chief mate ; and he was very jealous of any en- 
 croachment upon the borders of his authority. 
 
 On Monday morning, the captain told him to stay the 
 fore top-mast plumb. He accordingly came forward, turned 
 all hands to, with tackles on the stays and back-stays, 
 coming up with the seizings, hauling here, belaying them, 
 and full of business, standing between the knight-heads ;o 
 sight the mast, — when the captain came forward, and a 'so 
 began to give orders. This made confusion, and the mate, 
 finding that he was all aback, left his place and went aft, 
 saying to the captain — 
 
 “ If you come forward, sir, I’ll go aft. One is enough 
 on the forecastle.” 
 
 This produced a reply, and another fierce answer , and 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 3 1 9 
 
 the words flew, fists were doubled up, and things looked 
 threateningly. 
 
 “ I’m master of this ship.” 
 
 “Yes, sir, and I’m mate of her, and know my place 1 
 My place is forward, and yours is aft ! ” 
 
 “ My place is where I choose ! I command the whole 
 ship , and you are mate only so long as I choose ! ” 
 
 “ Say the word, Capt, T., and I’m done ! I can do a 
 man’s work aboard ! I didn’t come through the cabin win- 
 dows ! If I’m not mate, I can be man,” etc. etc. 
 
 This was all fun for us, who stood by, winking at each 
 other, and enjoying the contest between the higher powers. 
 The captain took the mate aft ; and they had a long talk, 
 which ended in the mate’s returning to his duty, The cap- 
 tain had broken through a custom, which is a part of the 
 common-law of a ship, and without reason ; for he knew 
 that his mate was a sailor, and needed no help from him ; 
 and the mate was excusable for being angry. Yet he was 
 wrong and the captain right. Whatever the captain does 
 is right, ipso facto, and any opposition to it is wrong, on 
 board ship ; and every officer and man knows this when he 
 signs the ship’s articles. It is a part of the contract. Yet 
 there has grown up in merchant vessels a series of customs, 
 which have become a well understood system, and have al- 
 most the force of prescriptive law. To be sure, all power 
 is in the captain, and the officers hold their authority only 
 during his will ; and the men are liable to be called upon 
 for any service ; yet, by breaking in upon these usages, 
 many difficulties have occurred on board ship, and even 
 come into courts of justice, which are perfectly unintelligi- 
 ble to any one not acquainted with the universal nature 
 and force of these customs. Many a provocation has 
 been offered, and a system of petty oppression pursued to^ 
 wards men, the force and meaning of which would appear 
 as nothing to strangers, and doubtless do appear so to 
 many “ ’long-shore ” juries and judges. 
 
 The next little diversion, was a battle on the forecastle, 
 one afternoon, between the mate and the steward. They 
 had been on bad terms the whole voyage ; and had threat- 
 ened a rupture several times. This afternoon, the mate 
 asked him for a tumbler of water, and he refused to get it 
 for him, saying that he waited upon nobody but the cap- 
 
3 2 ° 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 tain ; and here he had the custom on his side. But in 
 answering, he left off ‘ the handle to the mate’s name.’ 
 This enraged the mate, who called him a “ black soger ; ” 
 and at it they went, clenching, striking, and rolling over 
 and over; while we stood by, looking on, and enjoying 
 the fun. The darkey tried to butt him, but the mate got 
 him down, and held him, the steward singing out, “ Let me 
 go, Mr. Brown, or there’ll be blood spilt ! In the midst 
 of this, the captain came on deck, separated them, took 
 the steward aft, and gave him a half a dozen with a rope’s 
 end. The steward tried to justify himself ; but he had 
 been heard to talk of spilling blood, and that was enough 
 to earn him his flogging ; and the captain did not choose 
 to inquire any further. 
 
 CHAPTER XXXIV. 
 
 The same day, I met with one of those narrow escapes, 
 which are so often happening in a sailor’s life. I had 
 been aloft nearly all the afternoon, at work, standing for 
 as much as an hour on the fore top-gallant yard, which was 
 hoisted up, and hung only by the tie ; when, having got 
 through my work, I balled up my yarns, took my serving- 
 board in my hand, laid hold deliberately of the top-gallant 
 rigging, took one foot from the yard, and was just lifting 
 the other, when the tie parted, and down the yard fell. I 
 was safe, by my hold upon the rigging, but it made my 
 heart beat quick. Had the tie parted one instant sooner, 
 or had I stood an instant longer on the yard, I should 
 inevitably have been thrown violently from the height of 
 ninety or an hundred feet, overboard ; or, what is worse, 
 .upon the deck. However, “ a miss is as good as a mile 
 a saying which sailors very often have occasion to use. 
 An escape is always a joke on board ship. A man would 
 be ridiculed who should make a serious matter of it. A sailor 
 knows too well that his life hangs upon -a thread, to wish 
 to be always reminded of it ; so, if a man has an escape, he 
 keeps it to himself, or makes a joke of it. I have often known 
 a man’s life to be saved by an instant of time, or by the merest 
 chance, — the swinging of a rope, — and no notice taken of 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 321 
 
 it One of our boys, when off Cape Horn, reefing top-sails 
 of a dark night, and when there were no boats to be lowered 
 away, and where, if a man fell overboard, he must be left 
 behind, — lost his hold of the reef-point, slipped from the 
 foot-rope, and would have been in the water in a moment, 
 when the man who was next to him on the yard caught 
 him by the collar of his jacket, and hauled him up upon 
 the yard, with — “ Hold on another time you young 
 
 monkey, and be d d to you 1 ” — and that was all that 
 
 was heard about it. 
 
 Sunday, August jth. Lat. 25 0 59' S., long. 27 0 o' W. 
 Spoke the English bark Mary Catherine, from Bahia, bound 
 to Calcutta. This was the first sail we had fallen in with, 
 and the first time we had seen a human form or heard a 
 human voice, except of our own number, for nearly an 
 hundred days. The very yo-ho-ing of the sailors at the 
 ropes sounded sociably upon the ear. She was an old, 
 damaged-looking craft, with a high poop and top-gallant 
 forecastle, and sawed off square, stem and stern, like a 
 true English “ tea-wagon,” and with a run like a sugar-box. 
 She had studding-sails out alow and aloft, with a light but 
 steady breeze, and her captain said he could not get more 
 than four knots out of her ; and thought he should have a 
 long passage. We were going six on an easy bowline. 
 
 The next day, about three P.M., passed a large corvette- 
 built ship, close upon the wind, with royals and sky-sails 
 set fore and aft, under English colors. She was standing 
 south-by-east, probably bound round Cape Horn. She had 
 men in her tops, and black mast-heads ; heavily sparred, 
 with sails cut to a /, and other marks of a man-of-war. She 
 sailed well, and presented a fine appearance ; the proud, 
 aristocratic-looking banner of St. George, the cross in a 
 blood-red field, waving from the mizen. We probably 
 were as fine a sight, with our studding-sails spread far out 
 beyond the ship on either side, and rising in a pyramid to 
 royal studding-sails and sky-sails, burying the hull in canvas, 
 and looking like what the whalemen on the Banks, under 
 their stump top-gallant masts, call “ a Cape Horn-er under 
 a cloud of sail.” 
 
 Friday , August 12 th. At daylight made the island of 
 Trinidad, situated in lat. 20° 28' S., long. 29° 08' W. At 
 twelve, M., it bore N., W J N., distant twenty-seven miles. 
 
322 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 It was a beautiful day, the sea hardly ruffled by the light 
 trades, and the island looking like a small blue mound 
 rising from a field of glass. Such a fair and peaceful 
 looking spot is said to have been, for a long time, the 
 resort of a band of pirates, who ravaged the tropical seas. 
 
 Thursday . August iSth. At three, P. M., made the 
 island of Fernando Naronha, lying in lat. 3 0 55' S., long. 
 32 q 35' W. ; and between twelve o’clock Friday night and 
 one o’clock Saturday morning, crossed the equator, for the 
 fourth time since leaving Boston, in long. 35° W. ; having 
 been twenty-seven days from Staten Land — a distance, by 
 the courses we had made, of more than four thousand 
 miles. 
 
 We were now to the northward of the line, and every 
 day added to our latitude. The Magellan clouds, the last 
 sign of south latitude, were sunk in the horizon, and the 
 North Star, the Great Bear, and the familiar signs of 
 Northern latitudes, were rising in the heavens. Next to 
 seeing land, there is no sight which makes one realize 
 more that he is drawing near home, than to see the same 
 heavens, under which he was born, shining at night over 
 his head. The weather was extremely hot, with the usual 
 tropical alterations of a scorching sun and squalls of rain ; 
 yet not a word was said in complaint of the heat, for we 
 all remembered that only three or four weeks before we 
 would have given nearly our all to have been where we 
 now were. We had a plenty of water, too, which we caught 
 by spreading an awning, with shot thrown in to make 
 hollows. These rain squalls came up in the manner usual 
 between the tropics. — A clear sky ; burning, vertical sun ; 
 work going lazily on, and men about deck with nothing 
 but duck trowsers, checked shirts, and straw hats ; the 
 ship moving as lazily through the water ; the man at the 
 helm resting against the wheel, with his hat drawn over 
 his eyes the captain below, taking an afternoon nap ; the 
 passenger leaning over the taffrail, watching a dolphin 
 following slowly in our wake ; the sail-maker mending an 
 old top-sail on the lee side of the quarter-deck ; the car- 
 penter working at his bench, in the waist ; the boys making 
 sinnet; the spun-yarn winch whizzing round and round, 
 and the men walking slowly fore and aft with the yarns. — 
 A cloud rises to windward, looking a little black ; the sky- 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 323 
 
 sails are brailed down ; the captain puts his head out of 
 the companion-way, looks at the cloud, comes up, and 
 begins to walk the deck. — The cloud spreads and comes 
 on ; — the tub of yarns, the sail, and other matters, are 
 thrown below, and the sky-light and booby-hatch put on, 
 and the slide drawn over the forecastle. — “ Stand by the 
 royal halyards — the man at the wheel keeps a good 
 weather helm, so as not to be taken aback. — The squall 
 strikes her. If it is light, the royal yards are clewed down, 
 and the ship keeps on her way ; but if the squall takes 
 strong hold, the royals are clewed up, fore and aft ; light 
 hands lay aloft and furl them ; top-gallant yards clewed 
 down, flying jib hauled down, and the ship kept off before it, 
 — the man at the helm laying out his strength to heave the 
 wheel up to windward. At the same time a drenching rain, 
 which soaks one through in an instant. Yet no one puts on 
 a jacket or cap ; for if it is only warm, a sailor does not 
 mind a ducking; and the sun will soon be out again. As 
 soon as the force of the squall has passed, though to a 
 common eye the ship would seem to be in the midst of it, 
 — “ Keep her up to her course, again ! ” — “ Keep her up, 
 sir,” (answer) ; — “ Hoist away the top-gallant yards ! ” — 
 “ Run up the flying-jib ! ’ — “ Lay aloft, you boys, and loose 
 the royals !” — and all sail is on her again before she is 
 fairly out of the squall ; and she is going on in her course. 
 The sun comes out once more, hotter than ever, dries up 
 the decks and the sailors’ clothes ; the hatches are taken 
 off ; the sail got up and spread on the quarter-deck ; 
 spun-yarn winch set a whirling again ; rigging coiled up ; 
 captain goes below ; and every sign of an interruption is 
 removed. 
 
 These scenes, with occasional dead calms, lasting for 
 hours, and sometimes for days, are fair specimens of the 
 Atlantic tropics. The nights were fine ; and as we had all 
 hands all day, the watch were allowed to sleep on deck at 
 night, except the man at the wheel, and one look-out on 
 the forecastle. This was not so much expressly allowed, 
 as winked at. We could do it if we did not ask leave. If 
 the look-out was caught napping, the whole watch was kept 
 awake. We made the most of this permission, and stowed 
 ourselves away upon the rigging, under the ^weather rail, on 
 the spars, under the windlass, and in all the snug corners ; 
 
3 2 4 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 and frequently slept out the watch, unless we had a wheel 
 or a look-out. And we were glad enough to get this rest ; 
 for under the “ all hands ” system, out of every other thirty- 
 six hours, we had only four below ; and even an hour’s 
 sleep was a gain not to be neglected. One would have 
 thought so, to have seen our watch, some nights, sleeping 
 through a heavy rain. And often have we come on deck, 
 and finding a dead calm and a light, steady rain, and de> 
 termined not to lose our sleep, have laid a coil of rigging 
 down so as to keep us out of the water which was washing 
 about decks, and stowed ourselves away upon it, covering a 
 jacket over us, slept as soundly as a Dutchman between 
 two feather beds. 
 
 For a week or ten days after crossing the line, we had 
 the usual variety of calms, squalls, head winds, and fair 
 winds ; — at one time braced sharp upon the wind, with a 
 taught bowline, and in an hour after, slipping quietly along, 
 with a light breeze over the taffrail, and studding-sails out 
 on both sides, — until we fell in with the northeast trade- 
 winds ; which we did on the afternoon of 
 
 Sunday, August 2 8 th, in lat, i2 p N. The trade-wind 
 clouds had been in sight for a day or two previously, and 
 we expected to take them every hour. The light southerly 
 breeze, which had been blowing languidly during the first 
 part of the day, died away toward noon, and in its place 
 came puffs from the northeast, which caused us to take our 
 studding-sails in and brace up ; and, in a couple of hours 
 more, we were bowling gloriously along, dashing the spray 
 far ahead and to leeward, with the cool, steady northeast 
 trades, freshening up the sea, and giving us as much as we 
 could carry our royals to. These winds blew strong and 
 steady, keeping us generally upon a bowline, as our course 
 was about north-northwest ; and sometimes, as they veered 
 a little to the eastward, giving us a chance at a main 
 top-gallant studding-sail ; and sending us well to the 
 northward, until — 
 
 Sunday, Sept. \th , when they left us in lat. 22 0 N., 
 long. 51 0 W., directly under the tropic of Cancer. 
 
 For several days we lay ‘ humbugging about’ in the 
 Horse latitudes, with all sorts of winds and weather, and 
 occasionally, as we were in the latitude of the West Indies, 
 — a thunder storm. It was hurricane month, too, and we 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 3 2 5 
 
 were just in the track of the tremendous hurricane of 1830, 
 which swept the North Atlantic, destroying almost every- 
 thing before it. The first night after the trade-winds left 
 us, while we were in the latitude of the island of Cuba, we 
 had a specimen of a true tropical thunder storm. A light 
 breeze had been blowing directly from aft during the first 
 part of the night, which gradually died away, and before 
 midnight it was dead calm, and a heavy black cloud had 
 shrouded the whole sky. When our watch came on deck 
 at twelve o’clock, it was as black as Erebus ; the studding- 
 sails were all taken in, and the royals furled ; not a breath 
 was stirring ; the sails hung heavy and motionless from 
 the yards ; and the perfect stillness, and the darkness, 
 which was almost palpable, were truly appalling. Not a 
 word, was spoken, but every one stood as though waiting 
 for something to happen. In a few minutes the mate 
 came forward, and in a low tone, which was almost a whis- 
 per, told us to haul down the jib. The fore and mizen top- 
 gallant sails were taken in, in the same silent manner ; and 
 we lay motionless upon the water, with an uneasy expec- 
 tation, which, from the long suspense, became actually 
 painful. We could hear the captain walking the deck, but 
 it was too dark to see anything more than one’s hand 
 before the face. Soon the mate came forward again, and 
 gave an order, in a low tone, to clew up the main top-gal- 
 lant sail ; and so infectious was the awe and silence, that 
 the clew-lines and buntlines were hauled up without any of 
 the customary singing out at the ropes. An English lad 
 and myself went up to furl it ; and we had just got the bunt 
 up, when the mate called out to us, something, we did not 
 hear what, — but supposing it to be an order to bear-a-hand, 
 we hurried, and made all fast, and came down, feeling our 
 way among the rigging. When we got down we found 
 all hands looking aloft, and there, directly over where we 
 had been standing, upon the main top-gallant-mast-head, 
 was a ball of light, which the sailors narr*e a corposant 
 (corpus sancti), and which the mate had called out to us 
 to look at. They were all watching it carefully, for sailors 
 have a notion, that if the corposant rises in the rigging, it 
 is a sign of fair weather, but if it comes lower down, there 
 will be a storm. Unfortunately, as an omen, it came down 
 tnd showed itself on the top-gallant yard-arm. We were 
 
326 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 off the yard in good season, for it is held a fatal sign to 
 have the pale light of the corposant thrown upon one’s 
 face. As it was, the English lad did not feel comfortably 
 at having had it so near him, and directly over his head. 
 In a few minutes it disappeared, and showed itself again 
 on the fore top-gallant yard ; and after playing about for 
 some time, disappeared again ; when the man on the fore- 
 castle pointed to it upon the flying-jib-boom-end. But 
 our attention was drawn from watching this, by the falling 
 of some drops of rain, and by a perceptible increase of 
 the darkness, which seemed suddenly to add a new shade 
 of blackness to the night. In a few minutes, low, grum- 
 bling thunder was heard, and some random flashes of light- 
 ning came from the southwest. Every sail was taken in 
 but the top-sails ; still, no squall appeared to be coming. 
 A few puffs lifted the top-sails, but they fell again to the 
 mast, and all was as still as ever. A moment more, and a 
 terrific flash and peal broke simultaneously upon us, and 
 a cloud appeared to open directly over our heads and let 
 down the water in one body, like a falling ocean. We 
 stood motionless, and almost stupefied ; yet nothing had 
 been struck. Peal after peal rattled over our heads, with 
 a sound which seemed actually to stop the breath in the 
 body, and the “ speedy gleams ” kept the whole ocean in 
 a glare of light. The violent fall of rain lasted but a 
 few minutes, and was succeeded by occasional drops and 
 showers ; but the lightning continued incessant for several 
 hours, breaking the midnight darkness with irregular and 
 blinding flashes. During all which time there was not a 
 breath stirring, and we lay motionless, like a mark to be 
 shot at, probably the only object on the surface of the 
 ocean for miles and miles. We stood hour after hour, un- 
 til our watch was out, and we were relieved, at four o’clock. 
 During all this time, hardly a word was spoken ; no bells 
 were struck, and the wheel was silently relieved. The 
 rain fell at intervals in heavy showers, and we stood 
 drenched through and blinded by the flashes, which broke 
 the Egyptian darkness with a brightness which seemed al- 
 most malignant ; while the thunder rolled in peals, the 
 concussion of which, appeared to shake the very ocean. A 
 ship is not often injured by lightning, for the electricity is 
 separated by the great number of points she presents, and 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 327 
 
 the quantity of iron which she has scattered in various 
 parts. The electric fluid ran over our anchors, top-sail 
 sheets and ties ; yet no harm was done to us. We went 
 below at four o’clock, leaving things in the same state. It 
 is not easy to sleep, when the very next flash may tear the 
 ship in two, or set her on fire ; or where the deathlike calm 
 may be broken by the blast of a hurricane taking the masts 
 out of the ship. But a man is no sailor if he cannot sleep 
 when he turns-in, and turn out when he’s called. And 
 when, at seven bells, the customary “All the larboard 
 watch, ahoy ! ” brought us on deck, it was a fine, clear, 
 sunny morning, the ship going leisurely along, with a good 
 breeze and all sail set. 
 
 CHAPTER XXXV. 
 
 From the latitude of the West Indies, until we got in- 
 side the Bermudas, where we took the westerly and south- 
 westerly winds, which blow steadily off the coast of the 
 United States early in the autumn, we had every variety 
 of weather, and two or three moderate gales, or, as sailors 
 call them, double-reef-top-sail breezes which came on in 
 the usual manner, and of which one is a specimen of all. 
 — A fine afternoon ; all hands at work, some In the rig- 
 ging, and others on deck ; a stiff breeze, and ship close 
 upon the wind, and sky-sails brailed down. — Latter part 
 of the afternoon, breeze increases, ship lies over to it, and 
 clouds look windy. Spray begins to fly over the forecastle, 
 and wets the yarns the boys are knotting; — ball them up 
 and put them below. — Mate knocks off work and clears up 
 decks earlier than usual, and orders a man who has been 
 employed aloft to send the royal halyards over to wind- 
 ward, as he comes down. Breast backstays hauled taught, 
 and tackle got upon the martingale back-rope. — One of the 
 boys furls the mizen royal. — Cook thinks there is going to 
 be “ nasty work,” and has supper ready early. — Mate gives 
 orders to get supper by the watch, instead of all hands, as 
 usual. — While eating supper, hear the watch on deck 
 taking in the royals. — Coming on deck, find it is blowing 
 harder, and an ugly head sea is running. — Instead of 
 
328 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 having all hands on the forecastle in the dog watch, smok* 
 ing, singing, and telling yarns, one watch goes below and 
 turns-in, saying that it’s going to be an ugly night, and two 
 hours’ sleep is not to be lost. Clouds look black and wild; 
 wind rising, and ship working hard against a heavy head 
 sea, which breaks over the forecastle, and washes aft 
 through the scuppers. Still, no more sail is taken in, for 
 the captain is a driver, and, like all drivers, very partial to 
 his top-gallant sails. A top-gallant sail, too, makes the 
 difference between a breeze and a gale. When a top-gal- 
 lant sail is on a ship, it is only a breeze, though I have 
 seen ours set over a reefed top-sail, when half the bow- 
 sprit was under water, and it was up to a man’s knees in 
 the lee scuppers. At eight bells, nothing is said about 
 reefing the top-sails, and the watch go below, with orders 
 to “ stand by for a call.” We turn-in, growling at the “ old 
 man 9 for not reefing the top-sails when the watch was 
 changed, but putting it off so as to call all hands, and 
 break up a whole watch below. Turn-in “ all standing,” 
 and keep ourselves awake, saying there is no use in going 
 to sleep to be waked up again. — Wind whistles on deck, 
 and ship works hard, groaning and creaking, and pitching 
 into a heavy head sea, which strikes against the bows, with 
 a noise like knocking upon a rock. — The dim lamp in the 
 forecastle swings to and fro, and things ‘ fetch away 9 and 
 go over to leeward. — “ Doesn’t that booby of a second 
 mate ever mean to take in his top-gallant sails ? — He’ll 
 have the sticks out of her soon,” says old Bill, who was 
 always growling, and, like most old sailors, did not like to 
 see a ship abused. — By-and-by, an order is given ; — “ Aye, 
 aye, sir ! ” from the forecastle ; — rigging is heaved down on 
 deck ; — the noise of a sail is heard fluttering aloft, and the 
 short, quick cry which sailors make when hauling upon 
 clewlines. — “ Here comes his fore top-gallant sail in ! ” — 
 We are wide awake, and know all that’s going on as well 
 as if we were on deck. — A well-known voice is heard from 
 the mast-head singing out to the officer of the watch to 
 
 haul taught the weather brace. — “ Hallo ! There’s S 
 
 aloft to furl the sail ! ” — Next thing, rigging is heaved 
 down directly over our heads, and a long-drawn cry and a 
 rattling of hanks announce that the flying-jib has come in. 
 ■ — The second mate holds on to the main top-gallant sail 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 329 
 
 until a heavy sea is shipped, and washes over the fore- 
 castle as though the whole ocean had come aboard ; when 
 a noise further aft shows that that sail, too, is taking in. 
 After this, the ship is more easy for a time ; two bells are 
 struck, and we try to get a little sleep. By-and-by, — 
 bang, bang, bang, on the scuttle — “ All ha-a-ancls, a-ho-ov ! ” 
 — We spring out of our berths, clap on a monkey-jacket 
 and southwester, and tumble up the ladder. — Mate up be- 
 fore us, and on the forecastle, singing out like a roaring 
 bulb; the captain singing out on the quarter-deck, and the 
 second mate yelling, like a hyena, in the waist. The ship 
 is lying over half upon her beam-ends ; lee scuppers under 
 water, and forecastle all in a smother of foam. — Rigging 
 all let go, and washing about decks ; top-sail yards down 
 upon the caps, and sails flapping and beating against the 
 masts ; and starboard watch hauling out the reef-tackles of 
 the main top-sail. Our watch haul out the fore, and lay 
 aloft and put two reefs into it, and reef the fore-sail, and 
 race with the starboard watch, to see which will mast-head 
 its top-sail first. All hands tally-on to the main tack, and 
 while some are furling the jib, and hoisting the stay-sail, 
 we mizen-top-men double-reef the mizen top-sail and hoist 
 it up. All being made fast — “ Go below, the watch ! ” and 
 we turn-in to sleep out the rest of the time, which is per- 
 haps an hour and a half. During all the middle, and for 
 the first part of the morning watch, it blows as hard as 
 ever, but toward daybreak it moderates considerably, and 
 we shake a reef out of each top-sail, and set the top- 
 gallant sails over them ; and when the watch come up, at 
 seven bells, for breakfast, shake the other reefs out, turn 
 all hands to upon the halyards, get the watch-tackle upon 
 the top-gallant sheets and halyards, set the flying-jib, and 
 crack on to her again. 
 
 Our captain had been married only a few weeks before 
 he left Boston ; and, after an absence of over two years, 
 it may be supposed he was not slow in carrying sail. The 
 mate, too, was not to be beaten by anybody ; and the 
 second mate, though he was afraid to press sail, was afraid 
 as death of the captain, and being between two fears, 
 sometimes carried on longer than any of them. We 
 snapped off three flying- jib booms in twenty-four hours, as 
 fast as they could be fitted and rigged out ; sprung the 
 
330 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 sprit-sail yard ; and made nothing of studding-sail booms. 
 Beside the natural desire to get home, we had another 
 reason for urging the ship on. The scurvy had begun to 
 show itself on board. One man had it so badly as to be 
 disabled and off duty, and the English lad, Ben, was in a 
 dreadful state, and was daily growing worse. His legs 
 swelled and pained him so that he could not walk ; his 
 flesh lost its elasticity, so that if it was pressed in, it would 
 not return to its shape : and his gums swelled until he 
 could not open his mouth. His breath, too, became very 
 offensive ; he lost all strength and spirit ; could eat noth- 
 ing ; grew worse every day : and, in fact, unless something 
 was done for him, would be a dead man in a week, at the 
 rate at which he was sinking. The medicines were all, or 
 nearly all, gone ; and if we had had a chestfull, they would 
 have been of no use ; for nothing but fresh provisions and 
 terra firma has any effect upon the scurvy. This disease 
 is not so common now as formerly ; and is attributed 
 generally to salt provisions, want of cleanliness, the free use 
 of grease and fat (which is the reason of its prevalence 
 among whalemen,) and, last of all, to laziness. It never 
 could have been from the latter cause on board our ship ; 
 nor from the second, for we were a very cleanly crew, kept 
 our forecastle in neat order, and were more particular 
 about washing and changing clothes than many better- 
 dressed people on shore. It was probably from having 
 none but salt provisions, and possibly from our having run 
 very rapidly into hot weather, after having been so long in 
 the extremest cold. 
 
 Depending upon the westerly winds, which prevail off 
 the coast in the autumn, the captain stood well to the 
 westward, to run inside of the Bermudas, and in the hope 
 of falling in with some vessel bound to the West Indies or 
 the Southern States. The scurvy had spread no farther 
 among the crew, but there was danger that it might ; and 
 these cases were bad ones. 
 
 Sunday , Sept, nth.— Lat. 30° 04/ N., long. 63° 23/ W.; 
 the Bermudas bearing n orth-north-west, distant one hun- 
 dred and fifty miles. The next morning, about ten 
 o’clock, “ Sail ho ! ” was cried on deck ; and all hands 
 turned up to see the stranger. As she drew nearer, she 
 proved to be an ordinary-looking hermaphrodite brig, 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 33 I 
 
 standing south-southeast; and probably bound out, from 
 the Northern States to the West Indies ; and was just the 
 thing we wished to see. She hove-to for us, seeing that 
 we wished to speak her ; and we ran down to her ; boom- 
 ended our studding-sails ; backed our main top-sail, and 
 hailed her — “ Brig, ahoy ! ” — “ Hallo ! ” — “ Where are you 
 from, pray ? ” — “ From New York bound to Curacoa.” — 
 “ Have you any fresh provisions to spare ? ” — “ Aye, aye ! 
 plenty of them ! ” We lowered away the quarter-boat, in- 
 stantly ; and the captain and four hands sprang in, and were 
 soon dancing over the water, and alongside the brig. In 
 about half an hour they returned with half a boat-load of 
 potatoes and onions, and each vessel filled away, and kept 
 on her course. She proved to be the brig Solon, of Ply- 
 mouth, from the Connecticut river, and last from New 
 York, bound to the Spanish M'ain, with a cargo of fresh 
 provisions, mules, tin bake-pans, and other notions . The 
 onions were genuine and fresh ; and the mate of the brig 
 told the men in the boat, as he passed the bunches over 
 the side, that the girls had strung them on purpose for us 
 the day he sailed. We had supposed, on board, that a new 
 president had been chosen, the last winter, and, just as 
 we filled away, the captain hailed and asked who was 
 president of the United States. They answered, Andrew 
 Jackson ; but thinking that the old general could not 
 have been elected for a third time, we hailed again, and 
 they answered — Jack Downing ; and left us to correct the 
 mistake at our leisure. 
 
 It was just dinner-time when we filled away ; and the 
 steward, taking a few bunches of onions for the cabin, 
 gave the rest to us, with a bottle of vinegar. We carried 
 them forward, stowed them away in the forecastle, refus- 
 ing to have them cooked, and ate them raw, with our beef 
 and bread. And a glorious treat they were. The fresh- 
 ness and crispness of the raw onion, with the earthy taste, 
 give it a great relish to one who has been a long time on 
 salt provisions. We were perfectly ravenous after them. 
 It was like a scent of blood to a hound. We ate them at 
 every meal, by the dozen ; and filled our pockets with 
 them, to eat in our watch on deck ; and the bunches, rising 
 in the form of a cone, from the largest at the bottom, to 
 the smallest, no larger than a strawberry, at the top, soon 
 
332 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 disappeared. The chief use, however, of the fresh 
 provisions, was for the men with the scurvy. One of 
 them was able to eat, and he soon brought himself to, by 
 gnawing upon raw potatoes ; but the other, by this time, 
 was hardly able to open his mouth ; and the cook took 
 the potatoes raw, pounded them in a mortar, and gave 
 him the juice to. drink. This he swallowed, by the tea- 
 spoonful at a time, and rinsed it about his gums and 
 throat. The strong earthy taste and smell of this extract 
 of the raw potatoe at first produced a shuddering through 
 his whole frame, and after drinking it, an acute pain, 
 which ran through all parts of his body ; but knowing, by 
 this, that it was taking strong hold, he persevered, drink- 
 ing a spoonful every hour or so, and holding it a long 
 time in his mouth ; until, by the effect of this drink, and 
 of his own restored hope (for he had nearly given up, in 
 despair), he became so well as to be able to move about, 
 and open his mouth enough to eat the raw potatoes and 
 onions pounded into a soft pulp. This course soon 
 restored his appetite and strength ; and in ten days after 
 we spoke the Solon, so rapid was his recovery, that, from 
 lying helpless and almost hopeless in his berth, he was at 
 the mast-head, furling a royal. 
 
 With a fine southwest wind, we passed inside of the 
 Bermudas ; and notwithstanding the old couplet, which 
 was quoted again and again by those who thought we 
 should have one more touch of a storm before our voyage 
 was up, — 
 
 “ If the Bermudas let you pass, 
 
 You must beware of Iiatteras — n 
 
 we were to the northward of Hatteras, with good weather, 
 and beginning to count, not the days, but the hours, to the 
 time when we should be at anchor in Boston harbor. 
 
 Our ship was in fine order, all hands having been hard 
 at work upon her from daylight to dark, every day but 
 Sunday, from the time we' got into warm weather on this 
 side the Cape. 
 
 It is a common notion with landsmen that a ship is in 
 her finest condition when she leaves port to enter upon 
 her voyage ; and that she comes home, after a long 
 absence. 
 
TWO YEATS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 333 
 
 “ With over-weathered ribs and ragged sails ; 
 
 Lean, rent and beggared by the strumpet wind.” 
 
 But so far from that, unless a ship meets with some 
 accident, or conies upon the coast in the dead of winter, 
 when work cannot be done upon the rigging, she is in her 
 finest order at the end of the voyage. When she sails 
 from port, her rigging is generally slack ; the masts need 
 staying ; the decks and sides are black and dirty from 
 taking in cargo ; rigged seizings and overhand knots in 
 place of nice seaman like work ; and everything, to a 
 sailor’s eye, adrift. But on the passage home, the fine 
 weather between the tropics is spent in putting the ship 
 into the neatest order. No merchant vessel looks better 
 than an Indiaman, or a Cape Horn-er, after a long voyage ; 
 and many captains and mates will stake their reputation 
 for seamanship upon the appearance of their ship when 
 she hauls into the dock. All our standing rigging, fore 
 and aft, was set up and tarred ; the masts stayed ; the 
 lower and top-mast rigging rattled down (or, up, as the 
 fashion now is ;) and so careful were our officers to keep 
 the rattlins taught and straight, that we were obliged to 
 ga aloft upon the ropes and shearpoles with which the rig- 
 ging was swifted in ; and these were used as jury rattlins 
 until we got close upon the coast. After this, the ship 
 was scraped, inside and out, decks, masts, booms and all ; 
 a stage being rigged outside, upon which we scraped her 
 down to the water-line ; pounding the rust off the chains, 
 bolts and fastenings. Then, taking two days of calm 
 under the line, we painted her on the outside, giving her 
 open ports in her streak, and finishing off the nice work 
 upon the stern, where sat Neptune in his car, holding his 
 trident, drawn by sea horses ; and re-touched the gilding 
 and coloring of the cornucopia which ornamented her 
 billet-head. The inside was then painted, from the sky- 
 sail truck to the waterways — the yards black ; mastheads 
 and tops, white ; monkey-rail, black, white and yellow ; 
 bulwarks, green ; plank-shear, white ; waterways, lead 
 color, etc. etc. The anchors and ring-bolts, and other 
 iron work, were blackened with coal-tar ; and the steward 
 kept at work, polishing the brass of the wheel, bell, 
 capstan, etc. The cabin, too, was scraped, varnished, and 
 
334 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 painted; and the forecastle scraped and scrubbed ; there 
 being no need of paint and varnish for Jack’s quarters. 
 The decks were then scraped and varnished, and every- 
 thing useless thrown overboard ; among which, the empty 
 tar barrels were set on fire and thrown overboard, of a 
 dark night, and left blazing astern", lighting up the ocean 
 for miles. Add to all this labor, the neat work upon the 
 rigging ; — the knots, flemish-eyes, splices, seizings, cover- 
 ings, pointings, and graffings, which show a ship in crack 
 order. The last preparation, and which looked still more 
 like coming into port, was getting the anchors over the 
 bows, bending the cables, rowsing the hawsers up from 
 between decks, and overhauling the deep-sea-lead-line. 
 
 Thursday September i$th. This morning the tem- 
 perature and peculiar appearance of the water, the quantities 
 of gulf-weed floating about, and a bank of clouds lying 
 directly before us, showed that we were on the border of 
 the Gulf Stream. This remarkable current, running north* 
 east, nearly across the ocean, is almost constantly shrouded 
 in clouds, and is the region of storms and heavy seas. 
 Vessels often run from a clear sky and light wind, with all 
 sail, at once into a heavy sea and cloudy sky, with double- 
 reefed top-sails. A sailor told me that on a passage from 
 Gibraltar to Boston, his vessel neared the Gulf Stream 
 with a light breeze, clear sky, and studding-sails out, alow 
 and aloft , while, before it was a long line of heavy, black 
 clouds, lying like a bank upon the water, and a vessel 
 coming out of it, under double-reefed top-sails, and with 
 royal yards sent down. As they drew near, they began 
 to take in sail after sail, until they were reduced to the 
 same condition ; and, after twelve or fourteen hours of 
 rolling and pitching in a heavy sea, before a smart gale, 
 they ran out of the bank on the other side, and were in 
 fine weather again, and under their royals and sky-sails. 
 As we drew into it, the sky became cloudy, the sea high, 
 and everything had the appearance of the going off, or the 
 coming on, of a storm. It was blowing no more than a 
 stiff breeze ; yet the wind, being northeast, which is 
 directly against the course of the current, made an ugly, 
 chopping sea, which heaved and pitched the vessel about 
 so that we were obliged to send down the royal yards, and 
 to take in our light sails. At noon, the thermometer. 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 335 
 
 which had been repeatedly lowered into the water, showed 
 the temperature to be seventy ; which was considerably 
 above that of the air, — as is always the case in the centre 
 of the Stream. A lad who had been at work at the royal 
 mast-head, came down upon deck, and took a turn round 
 the long-boat ; and looking very pale, said he was so sick 
 that he could stay aloft no longer, b.ut was ashamed to 
 acknowledge it to the officer. He went up again, but 
 soon gave out and came down, and leaned over the rail, “ as 
 sick as a lady passenger.” He had been to sea several years, 
 and had, he said, never been sick before. He was made so 
 by the irregular, pitching motion of the vessel, increased 
 by the height to whic^ he had been above the hull, which 
 is like the fulcrum of the lever. An old sailor, who was 
 at work on the top-gallant yard, said he felt disagreeably 
 all the time, and was glad, when his job was done, to get 
 down into the top, or upon deck. Another hand was sent 
 to the royal masthead, who staid nearly an hour, but gave 
 up. The work must be done, and the mate sent me. I 
 did very well for some time, but began at length to feel 
 very unpleasantly, though I had never been sick since the 
 first two days from Boston, and had been in all sorts of 
 of weather and situations. Still, I kept my place, and did 
 not come down, until I had got through my work, which 
 was more than two hours. The ship certainly never acted 
 so badly before. She was pitched and jerked about in all 
 manner of ways ; the sails seeming to have no steadying 
 power over her. The tapering points of the masts made 
 various curves and angles against the sky overhead, and 
 sometimes, in one sweep of an instant, described an arc of 
 more than forty-five degrees, bringing up with a sudden 
 jerk which made it necessary to hold on with both hands, 
 and then sweeping off, in another long, irregular curve. I 
 was not positively sick, and came down with a look of indif- 
 ference, yet was not unwilling to get upon the comparative 
 terra firma of the deck. A few hours more . carried us 
 through, and when we saw the sun go down, upon our 
 larboard beam, in the direction of the continent of North 
 America, we had left the bank of dark, stormy clouds 
 astern, in the twilight. 
 
33& 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 CHAPTER XXXVI. 
 
 Friday, Sept. i6th. Lat. 38° N., long, 69° 00’ W. 
 A fine southwest wind; every hour carrying us nearer in 
 toward the land. All hands on deck at the dog watch and 
 nothing talked about, but our getting in ; where we should 
 make the land ; whether we should arrive before Sunday ; 
 going to church ; how Boston would look ; friends ; wages 
 paid ; — and the like. Every one was in the best spirits ; 
 and, the voyage being nearly at an end, the strictness of 
 discipline was relaxed ; for it was not necessary to order 
 in a cross tone, what every one was ready to do with a 
 will. The little differences and quarrels which a long 
 voyage breeds on board a ship, were forgotten, and every 
 one was friendly; and two men, who had been on the eve 
 of a battle half the voyage, were laying out a plan together 
 for a cruise on shore. When the mate came forward, he 
 talked to the men, and said we should be on George’s 
 Bank before to-morrow noon ; and joked with the boys, 
 promising to go and see them, and to take them down to 
 Marblehead in a coach. 
 
 Saturday, ijth. The wind was light all day, which 
 kept us back somewhat ; but a fine breeze springing up at 
 nightfall, we were running fast in toward the land. At 
 six o’clock we expected to have the ship hove-to for sound- 
 ings, as a thick fog, coming up, showed we were near them ; 
 but no order was given, and we kept on our way. Eight 
 o’clock came, and the watch went below, and, for the whole 
 of the first hour, the ship was tearing on, with studding-sails 
 out, alow and aloft, and the night as dark as a pocket. 
 At two bells the captain came on deck, and said a word to 
 the mate, when the studding-sails were hauled into the tops, 
 or boom-ended, the after yards backed, the deep-sea-lead 
 carried forward, and everything got ready for sounding. 
 A man on the sprit-sail yard with the lead, another on the 
 cat head with a handful of the line coiled up, another 
 in the fore chains, another in the waist and another 
 in the main chains, each with a quantity of the line 
 coiled away in his hand. “ All ready there, foreward ? ” 
 Aye aye, sir ! ” — “ He-e-ave ? ” — “ Watch ! ho ! watch 1” 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST \ 
 
 33 > 
 
 sings out the man on the sprit-sail yard, and the heavy 
 lead drops into the water. “ Watch ! ho ! watch ! ” bawls 
 the man on the cat-head, as the last fake of the coil drops 
 from his hand, and “ Watch ! ho ! watch ! ” is shouted 
 by each one as the line falls from his hold ; until it 
 comes to the mate, who tends the lead, and has the line in 
 coils on the quarter-deck. Eighty fathoms, and no bot- 
 tom ! A depth as great as the height of St. Peters ! The line 
 is snatched in a block upon the swifter, and three or four 
 men haul it in and coil it away. The after yards are 
 braced full, the studding-sails hauled out again, and in a 
 few minutes more the ship had her whole way upon her. 
 At four bells, backed again, hove the lead, and — sounding ! 
 at sixty fathoms! Hurrah for Yankee land! Hand over 
 hand, we hauled the lead in, and the captain, taking it to 
 the light, found black mud on the bottom. Studding-sails 
 taken in ; after yards filled, and ship kept on under easy 
 sail all night ; the wind dying away. 
 
 The soundings on the American coast are so regular 
 that a navigator knows as well where he has made land, 
 by the soundings, as he would by seeing the land. Black 
 mud is the soundings of Block Island. As you go toward 
 Nantucket, it changes to a dark sand ; then, sand and 
 white shells ; and on George’s Banks, white sands ; and 
 so on. Being off Block Island, our course was due east, 
 to Nantucket shoals, and the South Channel ; but the wind 
 died away and left us becalmed in a thick fog, in which we 
 lay the whole of Sunday. At noon of 
 
 Sunday , 1 8tk, Block Island bore, by calculation, N. W. 
 i W. fifteen miles ; but the fog was so thick all day that we 
 could see nothing. 
 
 Having got through the ship’s duty, and washed and 
 shaved, we went below, and had a fine time overhauling our 
 Chests, laying aside the clothes we meant to go ashore in, 
 and throwing overboard all that were worn out and good 
 for nothing. Away went the woollen caps in which we had 
 carried hides upon our heads, for sixteen months, on the 
 coast of California ; the duck frocks, for tarring down rig- 
 ging; and the worn-out and darned mittens and patched 
 woollen trowsers which had stood the tug of Cape Plorn. 
 We hove them overboard with a good will ; for there is 
 nothing like being quit of the very last appendages and 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 338 
 
 remnants of our evil fortune. We got our chests all ready 
 for going ashore ; ate the last ‘ duff ’ we expected to have 
 on board the ship Alert ; and talked as confidential about 
 matters on shore as though our anchor were on the 
 bottom. 
 
 “ Who’ll go to church with me a week from to-day ? ** 
 
 “ I will,” says Jack ; who says aye to everything. 
 
 “ Go away, salt water ! ” says Tom. “ As soon as I get 
 both legs ashore, I’m going to shoe my heels, and button 
 my ears behind me, and start off into the bush, a straight 
 course, and not stop till I’m out of the sight ot salt water ! ” 
 “ O ! belay that ! Spin that yarn where nobody knows 
 your filling ! If you get once moored, stem and stern, in 
 
 old B ’s grog shop, with a coal fire ahead and the bar 
 
 under your lee, you won’t see daylight for three weeks !” 
 
 “ No ! ” says Tom, “ I’m going to knock off grog, and 
 go and board at the Home, and see if they won’t ship me 
 for a deacon ! ” 
 
 “ And I,” says Bill, “ am going to buy a quadrant and 
 ship for navigator of a Higham packet ! ” 
 
 These and the like jokes served to pass the time while 
 we were lying waiting for a breeze to clear up the fog and 
 send us on our way. 
 
 Toward night a moderate breeze sprang up ; the fog 
 however continuing as thick as before , and we kept on to 
 the eastward. About the middle of the first watch, a man 
 on the forecastle sang out, in a tone which showed that 
 there was not a moment to be lost, — “ Hard up the helm ! ” 
 and a great ship loomed up out of the fog, coming directly 
 down upon us. She luffed at the same moment, and we 
 just passed one another ; our spanker boom grazing over 
 her quarter. The officer on deck had only time to hail, and 
 she answered, as she went into the fog again, something 
 about Bristol — Probably, a whaleman from Bristol, Rhode 
 Island, bound out. The fog continued through the night, 
 with a very light breeze, before which we ran to the east- 
 ward, literally feeling our way along, The lead was 
 heaved every two hours and the gradual change from black 
 mud to sand, showed that we were approaching Nantucket 
 South Shoals. On Monday morning, the increased depth 
 and deep blue color of the water, and the mixture of shells 
 and white sand which we brought up, upon sounding, 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 339 
 
 showed that we were in the channel, and nearing George’s; 
 accordingly, the ship’s head was put directly to the north- 
 ward, and we stood on, with perfect confidence in the 
 soundings, though we had not taken an observation for two 
 days, nor seen land ; and the difference of an eighth of a 
 mile out of the way might put us ashore. Throughout the 
 day a provokingly light wind prevailed, and at eight o’clock, 
 a small fishing schooner, which we passed, told us we were 
 nearly abreast of Chatham lights. Just before midnight, 
 a light land-breeze sprang up, which carried us well 
 along ; and at four o’clock, thinking ourselves to the north- 
 ward of Race Point, we hauled upon the wind and stood 
 into the bay, north-northwest, for Boston light, and com- 
 menced firing guns for a pilot. Our watch went below at 
 four o’clock, but could not sleep, for the watch on deck 
 were banging away at the guns every few minutes. And, 
 indeed, we cared very little about it, for we were in Bos- 
 ton Bay ; and if fortune favored us, we could all “ sleep in ” 
 the next night, with nobody to call the watch every four 
 hours. 
 
 We turned out, of our own will, at daybreak, to get a 
 sight of land. In the gray of the morning, one or two 
 small fishing smacks peered out of the mist ; and when the 
 broad day broke upon us, there lay the low sand-hills of 
 Cape Cod, over our larboard quarter, and before us the 
 wide waters of Massachusetts Bay, with here and there 
 a sail gliding over its smooth surface; As we drew in to- 
 ward the mouth of the harbor, as toward a focus, the ves- 
 sels began to multiply, until the bay seemed actually alive 
 with sails gliding about in every direction ; some on the 
 wind, and others before it, as they were bound to or from 
 the emporium of trade and centre of the bay. It was a 
 stirring sight for us, who had been months on the ocean 
 without seeing anything but two solitary sails ; and over 
 two years without seeing more than the three or four 
 traders on an almost desolate coast. There were the lit- 
 tle coasters, bound to and from the various towns along 
 the south shore, down in the bight of the bay, and to the 
 eastward ; here and there a square-rigged vessel standing 
 out to seaward ; and far in the distance, beyond Cape Ann, 
 was the smoke of a steamer, stretching along in a narrow, 
 black cloud upon the water. Every sight was full of 
 
340 
 
 TWO YEATS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 beauty and interest, We were coming back to cur homes ; 
 and the signs of civilization and prosperity, and happiness, 
 from which we had been so long banished, were multiply- 
 ing about us. The high land of Cape Ann and the rocks 
 and shore of Cohasset were full in sight, the lighthouses 
 standing like sentries in white before the harbors, and even 
 the smoke from the chimneys on the plains of Higham, 
 was seen rising slowly in the morning air. One of our boys 
 was the son of a bucket-maker ; and his face lighted up as 
 he saw the tops of the well-known hills which surround his 
 native place. About ten o’clock a little boat came bob- 
 bing over the water, and put a pilot on board, and sheered 
 off in pursuit of other vessels bound in, Being now with- 
 in the scope of the telegraph stations, our signals were ran 
 up at the fore, and in half an hour afterwards, the owner 
 on ’change, or in his counting-room, knew that his ship 
 was below; and the landlords, runners, and sharks in Ann 
 street learned that there was a rich prize for them down 
 in the bay ; a ship from round the Horn, with a crew to be 
 paid off with two years’ wages. 
 
 The wind continuing very light ; all hands were sent 
 aloft to strip off the chafing gear ; and battens, pacellings, 
 roundings, hoops, mats, and leathers, came flying from 
 aloft, and left the rigging neat and clean, stripped of all its 
 sea bandaging. The last touch was put to the vessel by 
 painting the sky-sail poles ; and I was sent up to the fore, 
 with a bucket of white paint and a brush, and touched her 
 off, from the truck to the eyes of the royal rigging. At 
 noon, we lay becalmed off the lower lighthouse ; and it 
 being about slack water, we made little progress. A firing 
 was heard in the direction of Hingham, and the pilot 
 said there was a review there. The Hingham boy got wind 
 of this, and said if the ship had been twelve hours sooner, 
 he should have been down among the soldiers, and in the 
 booths, and having a grand time. As it was, we had little 
 prospect of getting in before night. About two o’clock a 
 breeze sprang up ahead, from the westward, and we began 
 beating up against it. A full-rigged brig was beating in at 
 the same time, and we passed one another, in our tacks, 
 sometimes one and sometimes the other, working to wind- 
 ward, as the wind and the tide favored or opposed. It was 
 my trick at the wheel from two till four ; and I stood my 
 
TWO YEATS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 341 
 
 last helm, making between nine hundred and a thousand 
 hours which I had spent at the helms of our two vessels. 
 The tide beginning to set against us, we made slow work ; 
 and the afternoon was nearly spent, before we got abreast 
 of the inner light. In the meantime, several vessels were 
 coming down, outward bound ; among which, a fine, large 
 ship, with yards squared, fair wind and fair tide, passed us 
 iike a race-horse, the men running out upon her yards to 
 rig out the studding-sail booms. Toward sundown the 
 wind came off in flaws, sometimes blowing very stiff, so 
 that the pilot took in the royals, and then it died away ; 
 when, in order to get us in before the tide became too 
 strong, the royals were set again. As this kept us running 
 up and down the rigging all the time, one hand was sent 
 aloft at each mast-head, to stand by to loose and furl the 
 sails, at the moment of the orders. I took my place at the 
 fore, and loosed and furled the royal five times between 
 Rainsford Island and the Castle. At one track we ran so 
 near to Rainsford Island, that, looking down from the 
 royal yard, the island, with its hospital buildings, nice grav- 
 elled walks, and green plats, seemed to lie directly under 
 our yardarms. So close is the channel to some of these 
 islands that we ran the end of our flying-jib- boom over one 
 of the out-works of the fortifications on George’s Island ; 
 and had an opportunity of seeing the advantages of that 
 point as a fortified place ; for, in working up the channel, 
 we presented a fair stem and stern, for raking, from the 
 batteries, three or four times. One gun might have knocked 
 us to pieces. 
 
 We had all set our hearts upon gett'ng up to town be. 
 fore night and going ashore, but the tide beginning to 
 run strong against us, and the wind, what there was of 
 it, being ahead, we made but little by weather-bowing the 
 tide, and the pilot gave orders to cock-bill the anchor and 
 overhaul the chain. Making two long stretches, which 
 brought us into the roads, under the lee of the Castle, he 
 clewed up the top-sails, and let go the anchor : and for 
 the first time since leaving San Diego, — one hundred and 
 thirty-five days— our anchor was upon bottom. In half 
 an hour more, we were lying snugly, with all sails furled, 
 safe in Boston harbor ; our long voyage ended ; the well- 
 known scene about us ; the dome of the State House fad- 
 
342 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 ing in the western sky ; the -lights of the city starting into 
 sight as the darkness came on ; and at nine o’clock the 
 clangor of the bells, ringing their accustomed peals, among 
 which the Boston boys tried to distinguish the well-known 
 tone of the Old South. 
 
 We had just done furling the sails, when a beautiful 
 little pleasure-boat luffed up into the wind, under our 
 quarter, and the junior partner of the firm to which our 
 ship belonged, jumped on board. I saw him from the 
 mizen top-sail yard, and knew him well. He shook the 
 captain by the hand, and went down into the cabin, and 
 in a few moments came up and inquired of the mate for 
 me. The last time I had seen him, I was in the uniform 
 of an under-graduate of Harvard College, and now, to his 
 astonishment, there came down from aloft a “ rough alley” 
 looking fellow, with duck trowsers and red shirt, long hair, 
 and face burnt as black as an Indian’s. He shook me by 
 the hand, congratulated me upon my return and my ap- 
 pearance of health and strength, and said my friends were 
 all well. I thanked him for telling me what I should not 
 have dared to ask ; and if — 
 
 “ the first bringer of unwelcome news 
 
 Hath but a losing office ; and his tongue 
 
 Sounds ever after like a sullen bell — ” 
 
 certainly I shall ever remember this man and his words 
 with pleasure. 
 
 The captain went up to town in the boat with Mr. 
 
 H , and left us to pass another night on board ship, 
 
 and to come up with the morning’s tide under command of 
 the pilot. 
 
 So much did we feel ourselves to be already at home, 
 in anticipation, that our plain supper of hard bread, and 
 salt beef was barely touched ; and many on board, to 
 whom this was the first voyage, could scarcely sleep. As 
 for myself, by one of those anomalous changes of feeling 
 of which we are all the subjects, I found that I was in a 
 state of indifference, for which I could by no means ac- 
 count. A year before, while carrying hides on the coast, 
 the assurance that in a twelvemonth we should see Boston, 
 made me half wild ; but now that I was actually there, 
 and in sight of home, the emotions which I had so long 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE TIIE MAST. 
 
 343 
 
 anticipated feeling, I did not find, and in their place was 
 a state of very nearly entire apathy. Something of the 
 same experience was related to me by a sailor whose first 
 voyage was one of five years upon the Northwest Coast. 
 He had left home, a lad, and after several years of very 
 hard and trying experience, found himself homeward 
 bound ; and such was the excitement of his feelings that 
 during the whole passage, he could talk and think of noth- 
 ing else but his arrival, and how and when he should jump 
 from the vessel and take his way directly home. Yet 
 when the vessel was made fast to the wharf and the crew 
 dismissed, he seemed suddenly to lose all feeling about 
 the matter. He told me that he went below and changed 
 his dress; took some water from the scuttle-butt and 
 washed himself leisurely ; overhauled his chest, and put 
 his clothes all in order ; took his pipe from its place, filled 
 it, and sitting down upon his chest, smoked it slowly for 
 the last time. Here he looked round upon the forecastle 
 in which he had spent so many years, and being alone and 
 his shipmates scattered, he began to feel actually unhappy. 
 Home became almost a dream ; and it was not until his 
 brother (who had heard of the ship’s arrival) came down 
 into the forecastle and told him of things at home, and 
 who were waiting there to see him, that he could realize 
 where he was, and feel interest enough to put him in 
 motion toward that place for which he had longed, and of 
 which he had dreamed, for years. There is probably so 
 much of excitement in prolonged expectation, that the 
 quiet realizing of it produces a momentary stagnation of 
 feeling as well as of effort. It was a good deal so with 
 me. The activity of preparation, the rapid progress of the 
 ship, the first making land, the coming up the harbor, and 
 old scenes breaking upon the view, produced a mental 
 as well as bodily activity, from which the change to a 
 perfect stillness, when both expectation and the necessity 
 of labor failed, left a calmness, almost of indifference, 
 from which I must be roused by some new excitement. 
 And the next morning, when all hands were called, and we 
 were busily at work, cleaning the decks, and gettiqg every- 
 thing in readiness for going up to the wharves, — loading 
 the guns for a salute, loosing the sails, and manning the 
 windlass — mind and body seemed to wake together. 
 
344 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 About ten o’clock, a sea-breeze sprang up, and the 
 pilot gave orders to get the ship under weigh. All hands 
 manned the windlass, and the long-drawn “ Yo, heave ho ! ” 
 which we had last heard dying away among the desolate 
 hills of San Diego, soon brought the anchor to the bows ; 
 and, with a fair wind and tide, a bright sunny morning, 
 royals and sky-sails set, ensign, streamer, signals, and pen- 
 nant, flying, and with our guns firing, we came swiftly and 
 handsomely up to the city. Off the end of the wharf, we 
 rounded-to and let go our anchor ; and no sooner was it on 
 the bottom, than the decks were filled with people ; custom- 
 house officers ; Topliff’s agent, to inquire for news ; others, 
 inquiring for friends on board, or left upon the coast ; 
 dealers in grease, besieging the galley to a make a bar- 
 gain with the cook for his slush; “ loafers” in general; 
 and landlords and boarding-house runners, to secure their 
 men. Nothing can exceed the obliging disposition of 
 these runners, and the interest they take in a sailor re- 
 turned from a long voyage with a plenty of money. Two 
 or three of them, at different times, took me by the hand ; 
 remembered me perfectly ; were quite sure I had boarded 
 with them before I sailed ; were delighted to see me back ; 
 gave me their cards ; had a hand-cart waiting on the wharf, 
 on purpose to take my things up ; would lend me a hand 
 the get my chest ashore ; bring a bottle of grog on board if 
 we did not haul in immediately, — and the like. In fact, 
 we could hardly get clear of them, to go aloft and furl the 
 sails. Sail after sail, for the hundredth time, in fair weather 
 and in foul, we furled now for the last time together, and 
 came down and took the warp ashore, manned the capstan, 
 and with a chorus which waked up half the North End, and 
 rang among the buildings in the dock, we hauled her in to 
 the wharf. Here, too, the landlords and runners were ac- 
 tive and ready, taking a bar to the capstan, lending a hand 
 at the ropes, laughing and talking and telling the news. 
 The city bells were just ringing one when the last turn was 
 made fast, and the crew dismissed ; and in five minutes 
 more, not a soul was left on board the good ship Alert, but 
 the old ship-keeper, who had come down from the count- 
 ing-house to take charge of hei. 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 345 
 
 CONCLUDING CHAPTER, 
 
 I trust that they who have followed me to the end of 
 my narrative, will not refuse to carry their attention a little 
 farther, to the concluding remarks which I here present to 
 them. 
 
 This chapter is written after the lapse of a considerable 
 time since the end of my voyage, and after a return to my 
 former pursuits ; and in it I design to offer those views of 
 what may be done for seamen, and of what is already doing, 
 which I have deduced from my experiences, and from the 
 attention which I have since gladly given to the subject. 
 
 The romantic interest which many take in the sea, and 
 in those who live upon it, may be of use in exciting their 
 attention to this subject, though I cannot but feel sure that 
 all who have followed me in my narrative must be con- 
 vinced that the sailor has no romance in his every-day life 
 to sustain him, but that it is very much the same plain, 
 matter-of-fact drudgery and hardship, which would be ex- 
 perienced on shore. If I have not produced this convic- 
 tion, I have failed in persuading others of what my own ex- 
 perience has most fully impressed upon myself. 
 
 There is a witchery in the sea, its songs and stories, 
 and in the mere sight of a ship, and the sailor’s dress es- 
 pecially to a young mind, which has done more to man 
 navies, and fill merchantmen, than all the press-gangs of 
 Europe. I have known a young man with such a passion 
 for the sea, that the very creaking of a block stirred up his 
 imagination so that he could hardly keep his feet on dry 
 ground ; and many are the boys, in every seaport, who are 
 drawn away, as by an almost irresistible attraction, from 
 their work and schools, and hang about the decks and yards 
 of vessels, with a fondness which, it is plain, will have its 
 way. No sooner, however, has the young sailor begun his 
 new life in earnest, than all this fine drapery falls off, and 
 lie learns that it is but work and hardship, after all. This 
 is the true light in which a sailors life is to be viewed ; and 
 if in our books, and anniversary speeches, we would leave 
 out much that is said about “blue water,” “blue jackets,” 
 
346 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 “ open hearts,” seeing God’s hand on the deep,” and so 
 forth, and take this up like any other practical subject, I 
 am quite sure, we should do full as much for those we wish 
 to benefit. The question is, what can be done for sailors, 
 as they are, — men to be fed, and clothed, and lodged, for 
 whom laws must be made and executed, and who are to 
 be instructed in useful knowledge, and, above all, to be 
 brought under religious influence and restraint ? It is upon 
 these topics that I wish to make a few observations. 
 
 In the first place, I have no fancies about equality on 
 board ship. It is a thing out of the question, and certainly, 
 in the present state of mankind, not to be desired. I never 
 knew a sailor who found fault with the orders and ranks of 
 the service ; and if I expected to pass the rest of my life 
 before the mast, I would not wish to have the power of the 
 captain diminished one iota. It is absolutely necessary 
 that there should be one head and one voice, to control 
 everything, and be responsible for everything. There are 
 emergencies which require the instant exercise of extreme 
 power. These emergencies do not allow of consultation ; 
 and they who would be the captain’s constitutional advisers 
 might be the very men over whom he would be called upon 
 to exert his authority. It has been found necessary to vest 
 in every government, even the most democratic, some ex- 
 traordinary, and, at first sight, alarming powers ; trusting 
 in public opinion, and subsequent accountability, to modify 
 the exercise of them. These are provided to meet exigen 
 cies, which all hope may never occur, but which yet by 
 possibility may occur, and if they should, and there were 
 no power to meet them instantly, there would be an end 
 put to the government at once. So it is with the authority 
 of the shipmaster. It will not answer to say that he shall 
 never do this and that thing, because it does not seem al- 
 ways necessary and advisable that it should be done. He 
 has great cares and responsibilities; is answerable for 
 everything; and is subject to emergencies which perhaps 
 no other man exercising authority among civilized people 
 is subject to. Let him, then, have powers commensurate 
 with his utmost possible need ; only let him be held strictly 
 responsible for the exercise of them. Any other course 
 would be injustice, as well as bad policy. 
 
 In the treatment of those under his authority, the cap* 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 347 
 
 tain is amenable to the common law, like any other person. 
 He is liable at common law for murder, assault and battery, 
 and other offences ; and in addition to this, there is a spe- 
 cial statute of the United States which makes a captain or 
 other officer liable to imprisonment for a term not exceed- 
 ing five years, and to a fine not exceeding a thousand dol- 
 lars, for inflicting any cruel punishment upon, withholding 
 food from, or in any other way maltreating a seaman. This 
 is the state of the law on the subject ; while the relation 
 in which the parties stand, and the peculiar necessities, 
 excuses and provocations arising from that relation, are 
 merely circumstances to be considered in each case. As 
 to the restraints upon the master’s exercise of power, the 
 laws themselves seem, on the whole, to be sufficient. I do 
 not see that we are in need, at present, of more legislation 
 on the subject. The difficulty lies rather in the adminis- 
 tration of the laws ; and this is certainly a matter that de- 
 serves great consideration, and one of no little embarrass- 
 ment. 
 
 In the first place, the courts have said that public policy 
 requires the power of the master and officers should be 
 sustained. Many lives and a great amount of property are 
 constantly in their hands, for which they are strictly re- 
 sponsible. To preserve these, and to deal justly by the 
 captain, and not lay upon him a really fearful responsibility 
 and then tie up his hands, it is essential that discipline 
 should be supported. In the second place, there is always 
 great allowance to be made for false swearing and ex- 
 aggeration by seamen, and for combinations among them 
 against their officers ; and it is to be remembered that the 
 latter have often no one to testify on their side. These 
 are weighty and true statements, and should not be lost 
 sight of by the friends of seamen. On the other hand, 
 sailors make many complaints, some of which are well 
 founded. 
 
 On the subject of testimony, seamen labor under a 
 difficulty full as great as that of the captain. It is a well 
 known fact, that they are usually much better treated when 
 there are passengers on board. The presence of passen- 
 gers is a restraint upon the captain, not only from his re- 
 gard to their feelings, and to the estimation in which they 
 may hold him, but because he knows they will be influen- 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 348 
 
 tial witnesses against him if he is brought to trial. Though 
 officers may sometimes be inclined to show themselves 
 off before passengers, by freaks of office and authority, 
 yet cruelty they would hardly dare to be guilty of. It 
 is on long and distant voyages, where there is no restraint 
 upon the captain, and none but the crew to testify against 
 him, that sailors need most the protection of the law. On 
 such voyages as these, there are many cases of outrageous 
 cruelty on record, enough to make one heartsick, and al- 
 most disgusted with the sight of man ; and many, many 
 more, which have never come to light, and never will be 
 known, until the sea shall give up its dead. Many of these 
 have led to mutiny and piracy, — stripe for stripe, and blood 
 for blood. If on voyages of this description the testimony 
 of seamen is not to be received in favor of one another, or 
 too great a deduction is made on account of their being 
 seamen, their case is without remedy, and the captain, 
 knowing this, will be strengthened in that disposition to 
 tyrannize which the possession of absolute power, without 
 the restraints of friends and public opinion, is too apt to 
 engender. 
 
 It is to be considered, also, that the sailor comes into 
 court under very different circumstances from the master, 
 He is thrown among landlords, and sharks of all descrip- 
 tions ; is often led to drink freely ; and comes upon the 
 stand unaided, and under a certain cloud of suspicion as to 
 his character and veracity. The captain, on the other 
 hand, is backed by the owners and insurers, and has an 
 air of greater respectability ; though, after all, he may have 
 but a little better education than the sailor, and sometimes 
 (especially among those engaged in certain voyages that I 
 could mention) a very hackneyed conscience. 
 
 These are the considerations most commonly brought 
 up on the subject of seamen’s evidence ; and I think it 
 cannot but be obvious to every one that ‘here, positive 
 legislation would be of no manner of use. There can be 
 no rule of law regulating the weight to be given to sea- 
 men’s evidence. It must rest in the mind of the judge and 
 jury ; and no enactment or positive rule of court could 
 vary the result a hair, in any one case. The effect of a 
 sailor’s testimony in deciding a case must depend alto- 
 gether upon the reputation of the class to which he be* 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAS 6 i\ 
 
 349 
 
 longs, and upon the impression he himself produces in 
 court by his deportment, and by those infallible marks of 
 character which always tell upon a jury. In fine, after 
 all the well-meant and specious projects that have been 
 brought forward, we seem driven back to the belief, that 
 the best means of securing a fair administration of the 
 laws made for the protection of seamen, and certainly the 
 only means which can create any important change for the 
 better, is the gradual one of raising the intellectual and 
 religious character of the sailor, so that as an individual, 
 and. as one of a class, he may, in the first instance, com- 
 mand the respect of his officers, and if any difficulty should 
 happen, may upon the stand carry that weight which an 
 intelligent and respectable man of the lower class almost 
 always does with a jury. I know there are many men 
 who, when a few cases of great hardship occur, and it is 
 evident that there is an evil somewhere, think that some 
 arrangement must be made, some law passed, or some 
 society got up, to set all right at once. On this subject 
 there can be no call for any such movement ; on the con- 
 trary, I fully believe that any public and strong action 
 would do harm, and that we must be satisfied to labor in the 
 less easy and less exciting task of gradual improvement, and 
 abide the issue of things working slowly together for good. 
 
 Equally injudicious would be any interference with the 
 economy of the ship. The lodging, food, hours of sleep, 
 etc., are all matters which, though capable of many changes 
 for the better, must yet be left to regulate themselves. 
 And I am confident that there will be, and that there is 
 now a gradual improvement in all such particulars. The 
 forecastles of most of our ships are small, black, and wet 
 holes, which few landsmen would believe held a crew of 
 ten or twelve men on a voyage of months or years ; and 
 often, indeed in most cases, the provisions are not good 
 enough to make a meal anything more than a necessary 
 part of a day's duty;* and on the score of sleep, I fully 
 
 * I am not sure that I have stated, in the course of my narrative, 
 the manner in which sailors eat, on board ship. There are neither 
 tables, knives, forks, nor plates, in a forecastle ; but the kid (a wooden 
 tub, with iron hoops) is placed on the floor, and the crew sit round it, 
 and each man cuts for himself with the common jack-knife, or sheath 
 
35 ° 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 believe that the lives of merchant seamen are shortened 
 by the want of it. I do not refer to those occasions when 
 it is necessarily broken in upon ; but, for months, during 
 fine weather, in many merchantmen, all hands are kept, 
 throughout the day, and, then, there are eight hours on 
 deck for one watch each night. Thus it is usually the 
 case that at the end of a voyage, where there has been the 
 finest weather, and no disaster, the crew have a wearied 
 and worn-out appearance. They never sleep longer than 
 four hours at a time, and are seldom called without being 
 really in need of more rest. There is no one thing that a 
 sailor thinks more of as a luxury of life on shore, than a 
 whole night's sleep. Still, all these things must be left to 
 be gradually modified by circumstances. Whenever hard 
 cases occur, they should be made known, and masters and 
 owners should be held answerable, and will, no doubt, in 
 time, be influenced in their arrangements and discipline by 
 the increased consideration in which sailors are held by 
 the public. It is perfectly proper that the men should 
 live in a different part of the vessel from the officers ; and 
 if the forecastle is made large and comfortable, there is 
 no reason why the crew should not live there as well as in 
 any other part. In fact, sailors prefer the forecastle. It 
 is their accustomed place, and in it they are out of the 
 sight and hearing of their officers. 
 
 As to their food and sleep, there are laws, with heavy 
 penalties, requiring a certain amount of stores to be on 
 board, and safely stowed ; and, for depriving the crew un- 
 knife that he carries about him. They drink their tea out of tin pots, 
 holding little less than a quart each. 
 
 These particulars are not looked upon as hardships, and, indeed, 
 may be considered matters of choice. Sailors, in our merchantmen, 
 furnish their own eating utensils, as they do many of the instruments 
 which they use in the ship’s work, such as knives, palms and needles, 
 marline-spikes, rubbers, etc. And considering their mode of life in 
 other respects, the little time they would have for laying and clearing 
 away a table with its apparatus, and the room it would take up in a 
 forecastle, as well as the simple character of their meals, consisting 
 generally of only one piece of meat, — it is certainly a convenient 
 method, and, as the kid and pans are usually kept perfectly clean, a 
 neat and simple one. I had supposed these things to be generally 
 known, until I heard, a few months ago, a lawyer of repute, who has 
 had a good deal to do with marine cases, ask a sailor upon the stand 
 whether the crew had “ got up from table ” when a certain thing hap- 
 pened. 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 35 * 
 
 necessarily of food or sleep, the captain is liable at com- 
 mon law, as well as under the statute before referred to. 
 Farther than this, it would not be safe to go. The cap- 
 tain must be the judge when it is necessary to keep his 
 crew from their sleep ; and sometimes a retrenching, not 
 of the necessaries, but of some of the little niceties of their 
 meals, as, for instance, duff on Sunday, may be a mode of 
 punishment, though I think generally an injudicious one. 
 
 I could not do justice to this subject without noticing 
 one part of the discipline of a ship, which has been very 
 much discussed of late, and has brought out strong ex- 
 pressions of indignation from many, — I mean the infliction 
 of corporal punishment. Those who have followed me in 
 my narrative will remember that I was witness to an act 
 of great cruelty inflicted upon my own shipmates ; and in- 
 deed I can sincerely say that the simple mention of the 
 word flogging, brings up in me feelings which I can hardly 
 control. Yet, when the proposition is made to abolish it 
 entirely and at once \ to prohibit the captain from ever, 
 under any circumstances, inflicting corporal punishment ; 
 I am obliged to pause, and, I must say, to doubt exceed- 
 ingly the expediency of making any positive enactment 
 which shall have that effect. If the design of those who 
 are writing on this subject is merely to draw public atten- 
 tion to it, and to discourage the practice of flogging, and 
 bring it into disrepute, it is well ; and, indeed, whatever 
 may be the end they have in view, the mere agitation of 
 the question will have that effect, and, so far, must do 
 good. Yet I should not wish to take the command of a 
 ship to-morrow, running my chance of a crew, as most 
 masters must, and know, and have my crew know, that I 
 could not, under any circumstances, inflict even moderate 
 chastisement. I should trust that I might never have to 
 resort to it ; and, indeed, I scarcely know what risk I 
 would not run, add to what inconvenience I would not 
 subject myself, rather than do so. Yet not to have the 
 power of holding it up in terrorem , and indeed of protect- 
 ing myself, and all under my charge, by it, if some extreme 
 case should arise, would be a situation I should not wish 
 to be placed in myself, or to take the responsibility of 
 placing another in. 
 
 Indeed, the difficulties into which masters and officers 
 
352 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 are liable to be thrown, are not sufficiently considered by 
 many whose sympathies are easily excited by stories, fre- 
 quent enough, and true enough of outrageous abuse of 
 this power. It is to be remembered that more than three 
 fourths of the sea men in our merchant vessels are foreign- 
 ers. They are from all parts of the world. A great 
 many from the north of Europe, and beside Frenchmen, 
 Spaniards, Portuguese, Italians, men from all parts of the 
 Mediterranean, together with Lascars, Negroes and, perhaps 
 worst of all, the off-casts of British men-of-war, and men 
 from our own country who have gone to sea because they 
 could not be permitted to live on land. 
 
 As things now are, many masters are obliged to sail 
 without knowing anything of their crews, until they get 
 out at sea. There may be pirates or mutineers among 
 them ; and one bad man will often infect all the rest ; and 
 it is almost certain that some of them will be ignorant 
 foreigners, hardly understanding a word of our language, 
 accustomed all their lives to no influence but force, and per- 
 haps nearly as familiar with the use of the knife as with 
 that of the marline-spike. No prudent master, however 
 peaceably inclined, would go to sea without his pistols and 
 handcuffs. Even without such a crew as I have supposed, 
 kindness and moderation would be the best policy, and 
 the duty of every conscientious man ; and the administer- 
 ing of corporal punishment might be dangerous, and of 
 doubtful use. But the question is not, what a captain 
 ought generally to do, but whether it shall be put out of 
 the power of every captain, under any circumstances, to 
 make use of, even moderate, chastisement. As the law 
 now stands, a parent may correct moderately his child, and 
 the master his apprentice ; and the case of the ship- 
 master has been placed upon the same principle. The 
 statutes, and the common law as expounded in the decis- 
 ions of courts, and in the books of commentators, are ex- 
 press and unanimous to this point, that the captain may 
 inflict moderate corporal chastisement, for a reasonable 
 cause. If the punishment is excessive, or the cause not 
 sufficient to justify it, he is answerable ; and the jury are to 
 determine, by their verdict in each case, whether, under all 
 the circumstances, the punishment, was moderate, and for 
 a justifiable cause. 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 353 
 
 This seemed to me to be as good a position as the 
 whole subject can be left in. I mean to say, that no positive 
 enactment, going beyond this, is needed, or would be a 
 benefit either to masters or men, in the present state of 
 things. This again would seem to be a case which should 
 be left to be the gradual working of its own cure. As sea- 
 men improve, punishment will become less necessary ; 
 and as the character of officers is raised, they will be less 
 ready to inflict it ; and, still more, the infliction of it upon 
 intelligent and respectable men, will be an enormity which 
 will not be tolerated by public opinion, and by juries, who 
 are the pulse of the body politic. No one" can have a 
 greater abhorrence of the infliction of such punishment than 
 I have and a stronger conviction that severity is bad policy 
 with a crew ; yet I would ask every reasonable man whether 
 he had not better trust to the practice becoming unnecessary 
 and disreputable ; to the measure of moderate chastisement 
 and a justifiable cause being better understood, and thus, 
 the act becoming dangerous, and in course of time to be 
 regarded as an unheard-of barbarity — than to take the re- 
 sponsibility of prohibiting it, at once, in all cases, and in 
 whatever degree, by positive enactment ? 
 
 There is, however, one point connected with the ad- 
 ministration of justice to seamen, to which I wish seriously 
 to call the attention of those interested in their behalf, and 
 if possible, also of some of those concerned in that admin- 
 istration. This is the practice which prevails of making 
 strong appeals to the jury in mitigation of damages, or to 
 the judge, after a verdict has been rendered against a cap- 
 tain or officer, for a lenient sentence, on the grounds of 
 their previous good character, and of their being poor, and 
 having friends and families depending upon them for sup- 
 port. These appeals have been allowed a weight which 
 is almost incredible, and which, I think, works a greater 
 hardship upon seamen than any one other thing in the laws, 
 or the execution of them. Notwithstanding every advan- 
 tage the captain has over the seamen in point of evidence, 
 friends, money, and able counsel, it becomes apparent that 
 he must fail in his defence. An appeal is then made to 
 the jury, if it is a civil action, or to the judge for a mitigated 
 sentence, if it is a criminal prosecution, on the two grounds 
 I have mentioned. The same form is usually gone through 
 
354 
 
 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 in every case. In the first place, as to the previous good 
 character of the party. Witnesses are brought from the 
 town in which he resides, to testify to his good character, 
 and to his unexceptional conduct when on shore. They 
 say that he is a good father, or husband, or son, or neigh- 
 bor, and that they never saw in him any signs of a cruel 
 tyrannical disposition, I have even known evidence ad- 
 mitted to show the character he bore when a boy at school. 
 The owners of the vessel, and other merchants, and per- 
 haps the president of the insurance company, are then in- 
 troduced ; and they testify to his correct deportment, 
 express their confidence in his honesty, and say that they 
 have never seen anything in his conduct to justify a sus- 
 picion of his being capable of cruelty or tyranny. This 
 evidence is then put together, and great stress is laid upon 
 the extreme respectability of those who give it. They are 
 the companions and neighbors of the captain, it is said, — 
 men who know him in his business and domestic relations, 
 and who knew him in his early youth. They are also men 
 of the highest standing in the community, and who, as the 
 captain’s employers, must be supposed to know his charac- 
 ter. This testimony is then contrasted with that of some 
 half dozen obscure sailors, who, the counselor will not for- 
 get to add, are exasperated against the captain because 
 he has found it necessary to punish them moderately, and 
 who have combined against him, and if they have not fab- 
 ricated a story entirely, have at least so exaggerated it, 
 that little confidence can be placed in it. 
 
 The next thing to be done is to show to the court and 
 jury that the captain is a poor man, and has a wife and 
 family, or other friends, depending upon him for support ; 
 that if he is fined, it will only be taking bread from the 
 mouths of the innocent and helpless, and laying a burden 
 upon them which their whole lives will not be able to work 
 off ; and that if he is imprisoned, the confinement, to be 
 sure, he will have to bear, but the distress consequent 
 upon the cutting him off from his labor and means of earn- 
 ing his wages, will fall upon a poor wife and helpless 
 children, or upon an infirm parent. These two topics, well 
 put, and urged home earnestly, seldom fail of their effect. 
 
 In deprecation of this mode of proceeding, and in be- 
 half of men who I believe are every day wronged by it, I 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 355 
 
 would urge a few considerations which seem to me to be 
 conclusive. 
 
 First, as to the evidence of the good character the cap- 
 tain sustains on shore. It is to be remembered that mas- 
 ters of vessels have usually been brought up in a forecastle ; 
 and upon all men, and especially upon those taken from 
 lower situations, the conferring of absolute power is too 
 apt to work a great change. There are many captains 
 whom I know to be cruel and tyrannical men at sea, who 
 yet, among their friends, and in their families, have never 
 lost the reputation they bore in childhood. In fact, the 
 sea-captain is seldom at home, and when he is, his stay 
 is short, and during the continuance of it he is surrounded 
 by friends who treat him with kindness and consideration, 
 and he has everything to please, and at the same time to 
 restrain him. He would be a brute indeed, if, after an 
 absence of months or years, during his short stay, so short 
 that the novelty and excitement of it has hardly time to 
 wear off, and the attentions he receives as a visitor and 
 stranger hardly time to slacken,— if, under such circum- 
 stances, a townsman or neighbor would be justified in testify- 
 ing against his correct and peaceable deportment. With 
 the owners of the vessel, also, to which he is attached, and 
 among merchants and insurers generally, he is a very differ- 
 ent man from what he may be at sea, when his own master, 
 and the master pf everybody and everything about him. He 
 knows that upon such men, and their good opinion of him 
 he depends/for his bread. So far from their testimony 
 being of pny value in determining what his conduct would 
 be at s£a, one would expect that, the master who would 
 abuse^ and impose upon a man under his power, would be 
 the^ most compliant and deferential to his employers at 
 h6me. 
 
 * As to the appeal made in the captain’s behalf on the 
 ground of his being poor and having persons depending 
 upon his labor for support, the main and fatal objection 
 to it is, that it will cover every case of the kind, and exempt 
 nearly the whole body of masters and officers from punish- 
 ment the law has provided for them. There are very 
 few, if any, masters or other officers of merchantmen in our 
 country, who are not poor men, and having either parents, 
 wives, children, or other relatives, depending mainly or 
 
356 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 wholly upon their exertions for support in life. Few 
 others follow the sea for subsistence. Now if this appeal 
 is to have weight with courts in diminishing the penalty 
 the law would otherwise inflict, is not the whole class un- 
 der a privilege which will, in a degree, protect it in wrong- 
 doing ? It is not a thing that happens now and then. It 
 is the invariable appeal, the last resort, of counsel, when 
 everything else has failed. I have known cases of the 
 most flagrant nature, where, after every effort has been 
 made for the captain, and yet a verdict rendered against 
 him, and all other hope failed, this appeal has been urged, 
 and with such success that the punishment has been 
 reduced to something little more than nominal ; the court 
 not seeming to consider that it might be made in almost 
 every such case that could come before them. It is a little 
 singular, too, that it seems to be confined to cases of ship- 
 masters and officers. No one ever heard of a sentence, 
 for an offence committed on shore, being reduced by the 
 court on the grounds of the prisoner’s poverty, and the 
 relation in which he may stand to third persons. On the 
 contrary, it has been thought that the certainty that dis- 
 grace and suffering will be brought upon others as well as 
 himself, is one of the chief restraints upon the criminally 
 disposed. Besides, this course works a peculiar hardship 
 in the case of the sailor. For if poverty is the point in ques- 
 tion, the sailor is the poorer of the two ; and if there is a man 
 on earth who depends upon whole limbs and an unbroken 
 spirit for support, it is the sailor. He, too, has friends to 
 whom his hard earnings may be a relief, and whose hearts 
 will bleed at any cruelty or indignity practised upon him. 
 Yet I never knew this side of the case to be once adverted 
 to in these arguments addressed to the leniency of the 
 court, which are now so much in vogue ; and certainly 
 they are never allowed a moment’s consideration when a 
 sailor is on trial for revolt, or for an injury done to an officer. 
 Notwithstanding the many difficulties which lie in a sea- 
 man’s way in a court of justice, presuming that they will be 
 modified in time, there would be little to complain of, were 
 it not for these two appeals. 
 
 It is no cause of complaint that the testimony of sea- 
 men against their officers is viewed with suspicion, and 
 that great allowance is made for combinations and exagger* 
 
. TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 357 
 
 ation. On the contrary, it is the judge’s duty to charge 
 the jury on these points, strongly. But there is reason 
 for objection, when, after a strict cross examination of 
 witnesses, after the arguments of counsel, and the judge’s 
 charge, a verdict is found against the master, that the 
 court should allow the practice of hearing appeals to its 
 lenity, supported solely by evidence of the captain’s good 
 conduct when on shore, (especially where the case is one 
 in which no evidence but that of sailors could have been 
 brought against the accused,) and then, on this ground, 
 and on the invariable claims of the wife and family, be in- 
 duced to cut down essentially the penalty imposed by a 
 statute made expressly for masters and officers of mer- 
 chantmen, and for no one else. 
 
 There are many particulars connected with the man- 
 ning of vessels, the provisions given to crews, and the treat- 
 ment of them while at sea, upon which there might be a 
 good deal said ; but as I have, "for the most part, remarked 
 upon them as they came up in the course of my narrative 
 I will offer nothing further now, except on the single point 
 of the manner of shipping men. This, it is well known, is 
 usually left entirely to shipping-masters, and is a cause of 
 a great deal of difficulty, which might be remedied by the 
 captain, or owner, if he has any knowledge of seamen, 
 attending to it personally. One of the members of the 
 
 firm to which our ship belonged, Mr. S , had been 
 
 himself a master of a vessel, and generally selected the 
 crew from a number sent down to him from the shipping- 
 office. In this way he almost always had healthy, service- 
 able, and respectable men ; for any one who has seen 
 much of sailors can tell pretty well at first sight, by a man’s 
 dress, countenance, and deportment, what he would be on 
 board ship. This same gentleman was also in the habit 
 of seeing the crew together, and speaking to them pre- 
 viously to their sailing. On the day before our ship sailed, 
 while the crew were getting their chests and clothes on 
 board, he went down into the forecastle and spoke to 
 them about the voyage, the clothing they v/ould need, the 
 
 f irovision he had made for them, and saw that they had a 
 amp and a few other conveniences. If owners or masters 
 would more generally take the same pains, they would often 
 save their crews a good deal of inconvenience, beside creat- 
 
355 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 
 
 ing a sense of satisfaction and gratitude, which make a voy- 
 age begin under good auspices, and goes far toward keeping 
 up a better state of feeling throughout its continuance. 
 
 It only lemains for me now to speak of the associated 
 public efforts which have been making of late years for 
 the good of seamen ; a far more agreeable task than that 
 of finding fault, even where fault there is. The exertions 
 of the general association, called the American Seamen's 
 Friend Society, and of the other smaller societies through- 
 out the Union, have been a true blessing to the seaman ; 
 and bid fair, in course of time, to change the whole nature 
 of the circumstances in which he is placed, and give him 
 a new name, as well as a new character. These associa- 
 tions have taken hold in the right way, and aimed both at 
 making the sailor's life more comfortable and creditable, 
 and at giving him spiritual instruction. Connected with 
 these efforts, the spread of temperance among seamen, 
 by means of societies, called, in their own nautical lan- 
 guage, Windward-Anchor Societies, and the distribution 
 of books ; the establishment of Sailors' Homes, where 
 they can be comfortably and cheaply boarded, live quietly 
 and decently, and be in the way of religious services, read- 
 ing and conversation ; also the institution of Savings 
 Banks for Seamen ; the distribution of tracts and Bibles ; 
 —are all means which are silently doing a great work for 
 this class of men. These societies make the religious in- 
 struction of seamen their prominent object. If this is 
 gained, there is no fear but that all other things necessary 
 will be added unto them. A sailor never becomes inter- 
 ested in religion, without immediately learning to read, if 
 he did not know how before ; and regular habits, fore- 
 handedness (if I may use the word) in worldly affairs, and 
 hours reclaimed from indolence and vice, which follow in 
 the wake of the converted man, make it sure that he will 
 instruct himself in the knowledge necessary and suitable 
 to his calling. The religious change is the great object. 
 If this is secured, there is no fear but that knowledge of 
 things of the world will come in fast enough. With the sailor, 
 as with all other men in fact, the cultivation of the intellect, 
 and the spread of what is commonly called useful knowl- 
 edge, while religious instruction is neglected, is little else 
 than changing an ignorant sinner into an intelligent and 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 359 
 
 powerful one. That sailor upon whom, of all others, 
 the preaching of the Cross is least likely to have effect, 
 is the one whose understanding has been cultivated, 
 while his heart has been left to its own devices. I fully 
 believe that those efforts which have their end in the in- 
 tellectual cultivation of the sailor ; in giving him scientific 
 knowledge ; putting it in his power to read everything, 
 without securing, first of all, a right heart which shall guide 
 him in judgment ; in giving him political information, and 
 interesting him in newspapers ; — an end in the furtherance 
 of which he is exhibited at ladies’ fairs and public meet- 
 ings and complimented for his gallantry and generosity, 
 — are all doing a harm which the labors of many faithful 
 men cannot undo. 
 
 The establishment of Bethels in most of our own sea- 
 ports, and in many foreign ports frequented by our vessels, 
 where the gospel is regularly preached ; and the opening 
 of “ Sailors’ Homes,” which I have before mentioned, where 
 there are usually religious services and other good influ- 
 ences, are doing a vast deal in this cause. But it is to be 
 remembered that the sailor’s home is on the deep. Nearly 
 all his life must be spent on board ship ; and to secure a 
 religious influence there, should be the great object. The 
 distribution of Bibles and tracts into cabins and fore- 
 castles, will do much toward this. There is nothing which 
 will gain a sailor’s attention sooner, and interest him more 
 deeply, than a tract, especially one which contains a story. 
 It is difficult to engage their attention in mere essays and 
 arguments, but the simplest and shortest story, in which 
 home is spoken of, kind friends, a praying mother or sister, 
 a sudden death, and the like, often touches the hearts of 
 the roughest and most abandoned. The Bible is to the 
 sailor a sacred book. It may lie in the bottom of his chest 
 voyage after voyage ; but he never treats it with positive 
 disrespect. I never knew but one sailor who doubted its 
 being the inspired word of God ; and he was one who had 
 received an uncommonly good education, except that he 
 had been brought up without any early religious influence. 
 The most abandoned man of our crew, one Sunday morn- 
 ing, asked one of the boys to lend him his Bible. The boy 
 said he would, but was afraid he would make sport of 
 it u No l ” said the man, “ I don’t make sport of God 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 360 
 
 Almighty.” This is a feeling general among sailors, and 
 is a good foundation for religious influence. 
 
 A still greater gain is made whenever, by means of 
 a captain who is interested in the eternal welfare of those 
 under his command, there can be secured the performance 
 of regular religious exercises, and the exertion, on the side 
 of religion, of that mighty influence which a captain pos- 
 sesses for good, or for evil. There are occurrences at sea 
 which he may turn to great account, — a sudden dearth, the 
 apprehension of danger, or the escape from it, and the like ; 
 and all the calls for gratitude and faith. Besides, thiis state 
 of things alters the whole current of feeling between the 
 crew and their commander. His authority assumes more 
 of the parental character ; and kinder feelings exist. God- 
 win, though an infidel, in one of his novels, describing the 
 relation in which a tutor stood to his pupil, says that the 
 conviction the tutor was under, that he and his ward were 
 both alike awaiting a state of eternal happiness or misery, 
 and that they must appear together before the same judg- 
 ment-seat, operated so upon his naturally morose disposi- 
 tion, as to produce a feeling of kindness and tenderness 
 toward his ward, which nothing else could have caused. 
 Such must be the effect upon the relation of master and 
 common seamen. 
 
 There are now many vessels sailing under such auspi- 
 ces, in which great good is done. Yet I never happened 
 to fall in with one of them. I did not hear a prayer made, 
 a chapter read in public, nor see anything approaching to a 
 religious service, for two years and a quarter. There were, 
 in the course of the voyage, many incidents which made, 
 for the time, serious impressions upon our minds, and which 
 might have been turned to our good ; but there being no 
 one to use the opportunity, and no services, the regular re- 
 turn of which might have kept something of the feeling 
 alive in us, the advantage of them was lost, to some, per- 
 haps, forever. 
 
 The good which a single religious captain may do can 
 hardly be calculated. In the first place, as I have said, a 
 kinder state of feeling exists on board the ship. There is 
 no profanity allowed ; and the men are not called by any 
 opprobrious names, which is a great thing with sailors. The 
 Sabbath is observed. This gives the men a day of rest, 
 
TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST 361 
 
 even if they pass it in no other way. Such a captain, too, 
 will not allow a sailor on board his ship to remain unable 
 to read his Bible and the books given to him ; and will 
 usually instruct those who need it, in writing, arithmetic, 
 and navigation ; since he has a good deal of time on kis 
 hands, which he can easily employ in such a manner. He 
 will also have regular religious services ; and, in fact, by 
 the power of his example, and, where it can judiciously be 
 done, by the exercise of his authority, will give a character 
 to the ship, and all on board. In foreign ports, a ship is 
 known by her captain ; for, there being no general rules in 
 the merchant service, each master may adopt a plan of his 
 own. It is to be remembered, too, that there are, inmost 
 ships, boys of a tender age, whose characters for life are 
 forming, as well as old men, whose lives must be drawing 
 toward a close. The greater part of sailors die at sea ; 
 and when they find their end approaching, if it does not, 
 as is often the case, come without warning, they cannot, as 
 on shore, send for a clergyman, or some religious friend, 
 to speak to them of that hope in a Saviour, which they have 
 neglected, if not despised, through life ; but if the little 
 hull does not contain such an one within its compass, they 
 must be left without human aid in their great extremity. 
 When such commanders and such ships, as I have just de- 
 scribed, shall become more numerous, the hope of the 
 friends of seamen will be greatly strengthened , and it is 
 encouraging to remember that the efforts among common 
 sailors will soon raise up such a class ; for those of them 
 who are brought under these influences will inevitably be 
 the ones to succeed to the places of trust and authority. 
 If there is on earth an instance where a little leaven 
 may leaven the whole lump, it is that of a religious ship- 
 master. 
 
 It is to the progress of this work among seamen that 
 we must look with the greatest confidence for the remedy- 
 ing of those numerous minor evils and abuses that we so 
 often hear of. It will raise the character of sailors, both 
 as individuals and as a class. It will give weight to their 
 testimony in courts of justice, secure better usage to them 
 on board ship, and add comforts to their lives on shore 
 and at sea. There are some laws that can be passed to 
 remove temptation from their way and to help them in 
 
362 TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST. 
 
 their progress ; and some changes in the jurisdiction of 
 the lower courts, to prevent delays, may, and probably will 
 be made. But generally speaking, more especially in 
 things which concern the discipline of ships, we had better 
 labor in this great work, and view with caution the proposal 
 of new laws and arbitrary regulations, remembering that 
 most of those concerned in the making of them must neces- 
 sarily be little qualified to judge of their operation. 
 
 Without any formal dedication of my narrative to that 
 body of men, of whose common life it is intended to be a 
 picture, I have yet borne them constantly in mind during 
 its preparation. I cannot but trust that those of them, into 
 whose hands it may chance to fall, will find in it that 
 which shall render any professions of sympathy and good 
 wishes on my part unnecessary. And I will take the 
 liberty, on parting with my reader, who has gone down 
 with us to the ocean, and “ laid his hand upon its mane/’ 
 to commend to his kind wishes, and to the benefit of his 
 efforts, that class of men with whom, for a time, my lot 
 was cast. I wish the rather to do this, since I feel that 
 whatever attention this book may gain, and whatever favoi 
 it may find, I shall owe almost entirely to that interest in 
 rhe sea, and those who follow it, which is so easily excited 
 irv us alL