YALE UNIVERSITY
LIBRARY

THE

MERCHAIT YESSEL

SAILOR BOY'S VOYAGES

TO SEE THE WORLD.

BT THE AFTHOE OF "MAN-OF-WAR LIFE.'

CINCINNATI:
MOORE, WILSTACH, KEYS & CO.
NEW YOKK: miller, OETON 4 MULLIGAN.
boston: whittemoee, niles & hall.
phila.: j. b. lippincott <t co.
1856.

Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1835, by
MOORE, WILSTACH, KEYS & CO.,
In the Clerk's oflice of the District Court of the United States for the
Southem District of Oliio,

stereotyped and Printed by
WILLIAM OVEREND&OO.

PREFACE.

In the present volume, it has been the aim of
the writer to draw an intelligible picture of a
Merchant Seaman's life. Were the Merchant Ser
vice such as youth are most apt to imagine it, it
would undoubtedly have great charms for one of
an adventurous turn of mind. Could the Mer
chant SaUor always have his choice of voyages —
could he obtain a situation when he wished, and
to go whither it pleased him — were he not con
tinually at the mercy of tyrannical officers, and
grasping shoresmen — and finally, but not by any
means of least importance, were his average in
come sufficient to meet even his most moderate
wants, such a life, with all its hardships, would
form a not unpleasing experience. But the direct
reverse is the fact. His chief anxiety when he is
(iii)

IV P K E F A G B .
discharged from one ship, is to engage himself
on board another. In most cases, he is forced to
accept the first chance that offers. He has no con
trol at all over his own movements, hut is the
merest creature of chance. He may plan out for
himself an easy and pleasant round of voyages,
but it is impossible to put his plans into execution.
The writer has not hesitated to show the shadows
as well as the lights of this phase of sea-life.
And, truly, these shadows are not few.
Of the " yarns " recounted in this volume, it
may be well to say, that they are told as nearly
as possible in the language of the original relators,
and that there is no doubt whatever in the mind of
the writer, of their entire truth. He has given
them place here, not only because yarning is one of
the chief amusements of sailors during their leisure
hours, but from the fact that they present phases
of sea-life which happily did not fall to his expe
rience.

CONTENTS.

Preface,

CHAPTER I.

Jack Ashore — Victimized by the Land Sharks — Off for Bos
ton — A Pleasure Trip — Boston — Sailor's Home — Ships and
Shipping Offices, - 9
CHAPTER II.
Sail for New Orleans — Going to Sea with a Drunken Crew — A
Merchantman's Forecastle — "Mau the Windlass" — Choosing
Watches — Some points of Difference between the Merchant
Service aud the NaTj, with a short digression iuto the Phi
losophy of Sailorcraft. - 18
CHAPTER III.
Watch-and-Watch — Reefing Topsails — Catching a Sucker — The
Berry's Keys, and the Deputy U. S. Consul thereof — Turtle
Eggs — Mobile Bay — Our Crew leave, - • 28
CHAPTER IV.
Taking in Cargo — Screwing Cotton — The Gangs aud their
Chants — Departure for Liverpool — Discipline on Board, - 38
(v)

vi CONIENTS.
CHAPTER V.
Old Anton's Yarn, A Cruise in a Slaver, 47
CHAPTER VI.
A Gale off Cape Clear — Nearly Ashore — ^Liverpool — What a
Sailor Sees of it, - - 58
CHAPTER VII.
Departure from Liverpool — Passengers — Their mode of Life
on Board Ship — Philadelphia — Ship for London — Seamens'
Protection, - (59
CHAPTER VIII.
Bail for London — The Vessel — A Winter Passage across the
Atlantic — Its Hardships — The English Channel, 78
CHAPTER IX.
Arrival in London — The Docks — Sailors — The California Ship
— Singular instanoe of Affection in a Serpent — What Sailors
see of London — Sail for Boston, 98
CHAPTER X.
Ship for Calcutta — My new Ship — Preparations for an India
Voyage — Sail from Boston — Points of Difference between
Indiamen and other Ships — Discipline— Work — Our Crew —
A Character, - 110
CHAPTER XI.
A Yarn of Opium Smuggling— The Vessel—The Captain— Meet
Mandarin Boats — The Fight — The Cook's Scalding Water—
The Breeze springs up — The Repulse, 120

CONTENTS. va
CHAPTER XII.
The Merchant Seaman's Sunday — Growling George and I
become Chums — Catching Fish — Porpoise Meat — A Storm
oflf the Cape — The Sand-Heads — The Hoogley — George and I
determine to leave the Ship — The Pilots — Calcutta, - 131
CHAPTER XIII.
Leave the Akbar — An English vessel — Sail for Madras —
Some of the Peculiarities of British Ships — Arrive at
Madras — The Port — Manner of taking in Cargo — How I
got iuto the Sailmaker's Gang — The Surf-Boats — A Storm
aud its Consequences, ... . 145
CHAPTER XIV.
Sail for Sydney — Sydney Coves, or Colonials — their Peculiari
ties — Jim's Yarn — Life Among the Savages of New
Guinea, • . 162
CHAPTER XV.
Sydney — Sailors' Amusements — Tired of the Shore — Looking for
a Voyage — Ship — The Brig Ocean — Her Crew — Description
of the Vessel — Nearly a quarrel. - 181
CHAPTER XVI.
A Yarn of Sandal- Wood Hunting — Arrival at Lombok — The
Natives — Chinese Residents — Manner of Life of the People —
Take in Cargo— The Country-Wallah- Her Crew, - 190
CHAPTER XVII.
Leave Lombok — The Monkey — The Parrot — A long Calm — •
George Grumbles — Cattle-tending in New South Wales —
Whampoa — Discharge Cargo — ^ Paid off — Visit Canton, 208

viii CONTENTS.
CHAPTER XVIII.
Ship in a Country- FaZteA— Sail for Port Louis— Leave-taking—
The Lascar Crew — Manner of Treating them — Long Calm-
Superstitions of the Lascars — Their desire to Revolt — Arrival
at Port Louis, - 223
CHAPTER XIX.
Difliculty of getting a Ship — Go on board an American Ves-
sel — Off for Rio — A Yarn from a Company Sailor — Rio de
Janeiro Harbor — For Boston — Cold Weather, - 242
CHAPTER XX.
Hard Times for Sailors — Anxiety to escape the Winter — Boston
to Bangor — Sail for Demarara — A Down East Barque — Her
Captain and Mate — A Family Arrangement — Arrival at De
marara — Discharge Cargo — Sail for Buen Ayre, 258
CHAPTER XXI.
The Dragon's Mouth— Buen Ayre— Taking in Salt— The Salt
Pans — Beauty of the Island, and the Climate — Misery of the
Laborers — Off for New Orleans — Captain attempts to Starve
the Crew — Tedious Passage — Arrival at New Orleans — A
Sailor's Law Suit — Sail for New Y'ork — Conclusion, - 278

THE

MEECHANT VESSEL,

CHAPTER 1.
Jack Ashore — Victimized by the Land Sharks — Off for Bos
ton — A Pleasure Trip — Boston — Sailor's Home — Ships and
Shipping Offices.
The tailors, boarding house keepers, and itinerant ven
ders of jewelry, in port, have a busy time during the
week in which a man-of-war's crew is discharged and
paid off. Jack can not see to the end of a hundred
dollars, and therefore pays royally for everything he
wants, and very many things he don't want, never stoop
ing so low as to hargain with a tradesman — and getting
cheated on all hands, of course, by the land sharks.
Pinchbeck watches, and plated jewelry, and ill-fitting
shore clothes, soon transform the neat, trim man-of-war's-
man, looking as though he had just stepped out of a
bandbox, into an awkward, ungainly fellow as one would
be likely to meet with in a day's walk.
But never mind ; the clothes may not fit, but they cost
the money — the watch may be gilt, but its price was a
golden one — and " what's the odds, so long as you're
(0)

10 THB MERCHANT VBSSBIi.
happy," said a jolly topmate, as he introduced himself
to my notice, in a suit of clothes big enough for the largest
man in all Ohio, a "long-faced hat,'' a watch in each
vest pocket, rings on every finger, including the thumbs,
and a breastpin almost large enough for a dinner plate.
" You know," said he, with the air of one having some
experience in such matters, " one must be in the fashion.
Now nobody would take me for an old salt ; they won't
say ' go away sailor, you smell of tar.' "
I thought perhaps they wouldn't, but respectfully
declined investing in a similar maimer, to Jack's evi
dent disgust. Not all, however, of our crew sported
their two watches, or dressed in style. I am sorry to
say that not a few commenced a spree on the first day
ashore, from which they only waked up to find them
selves outward bound, and the landlord prepared to
ship them, and pocket no inconsiderable share of their
advance money. There were yet others, and these were
principally the old merchant sailors, who were off, as soon
as they received their pay, t» one of the northem sea
ports, with the intention of shipping for some foreign port,
Liverpool, London, Havi-e, or '• up the straits," as the
Mediterranean is called, where, being old ciniising grounds
to them, they thought to have their spree out to gi-eater
advantage than in the United States.
I fear but few, of the many who had talked so loudly
of going home, had the strength of purpose to carry their
resolution into effect. Many were doubtless persuaded
off by their shipmates, and went "one more voyage"—
which is like the toper's " one more glass," some'thing

THE MEKCHANT VESSEL. 11
that upsets all plans for reform. Others intended only to
take a little preUminary spree, but spent too large a pro
portion of their savings in that, and then abandoned all
idea of seeing home tUl after another good voyage.
As for mysehf, it had been .determined that the com
pany which I had joined should go to Boston, from whence
I intended to make my first trip in a merchant vessel.
Our party consisted of five ; two seamen, old sea-dogs, one
of them a captain of the mizzentop, two ordinary seamen,
and myself, a boy. The three last mentioned were steady,
temperance lads, but the old tars were confirmed topers,
who were conscious that they could not resist the tempta
tion to spreeing, and had made us youngsters promise,
whUe yet on board ship, that we would see to them.
Learing the utter impossibility of keeping straight
aU the way from Norfolk to Boston, the luminous idea
struck Harry HUl, the captain of the top, to charter the
cabin of a little coasting schooner, about to proceed to
Boston. " And then," said he, " if old Tommy Martin and I
get on our beam-ends, you boys can put us into our berths,
and there will be no bloody land sharks to pick our
pockets." This proposition was accordingly carried into effect.
We paid fifty dollars for the use of the cabin, the captain
to " eat us," he agreeing, also, to start away the same
day we were paid off, which clause of the contract I
insisted on, fearing, were we detained any time in Nor
folk, that my topmates would get on an intenninable
spree. I had determined on carrying them soberly to the

12 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
Sailors' Home, in Boston, and there, placing them under
good influences, try to make them lay aside a portion of
their earnings.
Accordingly, we paid our board bill — three days, at
the rate of two dollars and a half per day; for sleeping
in a garret, furnishing our own bedding, and eating an
occasional meal in the house — but homeward bound saUors
don't dispute bills — and took ourselves and baggage down
to the schooner. On getting on board, I found in the
cabin lockers sundry jugs, labelled "brandy," "rum,"
and " wine," which our two old tars had smuggled off on
the day before, unknown to the sober portion of the party.
The wine, Harry HiU said he had gotten expressly for
us, as such a glorious time as we might now have, should
not be entirely thrown away. Procuring some oysters, on
our way down the bay, we were soon outside, making
good headway toward Boston.
Our two old topmates saw but little of the daylight
while the liquor lasted, but as a good deal of it leaked
out, they had abundant time to get sober before we
arrived in port. For myself being my first trip on so
small a vessel, I enjoyed myself very much. By the time
we reached Boston I had learned to steer, which neces
sary accomplishment no one has a chance of acquiring on
board a man-of-war, where only the most experienced
of the seamen are permitted to take the wheel.
Arrived at the wharf in Boston, we took a coach,
(Harry Hill insisting upon going on tl.eck with the driver,
having had a surfeit of the cabin, coming from Norfolk,)
and drove up to the SaUors' Home, in Purchase street in

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 13
a style calculated to let folks know that we were home-
icard bounders. SaUors' Homes, almost every body knows,
have been established in almost every large seaport in the
Union, for the purpose of providing seamen, while on
shore, with boarding houses conducted on honest prin
ciples, and mostly by religious people, and where they
wUl be removed as far as may be from the temptations
of the land. That in Purchase street, Boston, always
enjoyed a high reputation, being a very large and com
modiously arranged building, where everything was quiet
and scrupulously neat, and where no efforts were spared
by the kind-hearted "landlord," Mr. Chaney, and his
excellent lady, to make the tars comfortable, and to aid
them in their efforts at keeping on the right track.
Entering our names, and the name of our last ship, on
the register, we were shown to nice, airy, rooms, where
matters looked more like comfort than anything I had
seen for upward of three years. The regulations of the
house were suspended in each room, and from these I
gathered, among other matters, that there was in the
building a reading room and a smoking room, for the use
of all the boarders, that prayers were held in the former
apartment every morning, before breakfast, which all in
the house were invited to attend, and that on Sabbath
divine service was held in a chapel oppcsite the Home.
That night I enjoyed a glorious rest. For three long i
years a narrow hammock, hung on a crowded deck, had I
been my only sleeping place — aside from a still harder '
deck plank — and to find myself once more in a good bed,
with nice, clean sheets and pillows, and surrounded by

14 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
all the comforts of home, comforts, by-the-way, which we
don't know how to value tUl we are obliged to do without
them, was a most unmistakable pleasure. I had taken
Harry HiU as my room-mate.
" Now, my boy," said he, as he " turned in," " there
wUl be no calling of aU hands to-morrow, no tuming out
in the cold to scrub decks, no getting down on your mar
row-bones, with holy-stones and sand. So you can take
just as much comfort as you please. I'm only afraid Pil
sleep so sound I shan't enjoy it at aU — so if you wake up
along in the mid-watch, give me a caU, that I may
freshen my reckoning."
But there was no mid-watch in my dreams that night.
The loud ringing of a beU called us down to prayers,
in the moming. I found a very good attendance in the
reading room. It was the first time I had attended
family worship since leaving home, and strange feelings
crept over me as I listened to the Word being read and
the prayer offered. And as the gray-haired minister who
conducted the worship, asked God's blessing on those
there assembled, and on their friends, wherever they might
be, my heart was full, at the thought of the loved ones
at home, perhaps then, also, offering up their moming
service to the Lord.
But could I go home ? TSTiat had I to tell, what had
I to show, after my long absence? No! I was deter
mined to see a little more of the world before I showed
my face at home.
After breakfast our party sallied out to take a look
about the wharves, and pick out a ship, as none of us

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 1.0
intjcnded to stay ashore above a week or two. The spring
time is always a busy season with shipping, and we found
at the wharves ships, barques, brigs and schooners, load
ing for many different parts of the world. After ramb
ling around the wharves awhile, we entered a shipping
office. It is to these places that the owners and masters
of vessels, when in want of a crew, take their " articles,"
the obligations which each one on board must sign, before-
sailing, and which contain an abstract of the general laws
of the merchant-marine, and whatever particular specifica
tions are deemed necessary for the voyage the ship is to
perform. These articles are spread out on desks, about
the office, that seamen may examine them and pick them
selves out a voyage.
Ships were plenty at this time, and we entered an
office where two East Indiamen, a China ship, a Baltic
ship, and a vessel going round Cape Horn, had their
articles exposed — ^besides several small craft going to dif
ferent parts of the West Indies, and a barque bound to
a southem port, and thence to " some port or ports in
Europe, at the discretion of the captain."
" Here you are, now,'' said one of my old friends, "you
want to see somewhat of the world ; here you have your
pick, and can take a trip ahnost anywhere you want to."
As we stood there, two tars came in. They had evi
dently been down to look at some of the vessels.
" Well, Jack," said one, " which shall it be, Eussia or
China?" "What do you say to Bombay, Tom?" asked thc
Other.

16 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
" WeU, I'm agreed."
And they signed the articles of a vessel bound to
" Bombay, and such other ports in the East Indies or
China, as the captain may determine, the voyage not to
exceed two years.''
It seemed strange to me to see men disposing so care-
lesisly of their future, for the next year or two ; choosing
at hap-hazard, between the frosts of the Baltic sea, and
burning sun of the Indies ; the hardships of a Piussian
voyage, and the sickness incident to a trip to China. But
I soon found this was a mere matter of habit, and before
I was much older, learned, myself, to start to the utter
most ends of the earth at five minutes notice, and per
haps merely to oblige an old shipmate, or even from a
less reasonable caprice.
I desired much to go to the East Indies, but thought
best to make a short European voyage, first, in order to
be inducted regularly into the life, and ways, and duties
of a merchant vessel, before going on a long trip in a
fancy Indiaman. So I one day shipped myself in a
barque, going to New Orleans, thence to Liverpool or
Havre. The rest of our party of five, all sailed before
me. Two went to Eussia, one to Buenos Ayres, and the
other to Curacoa, in the West Indies. When they were
all gone I felt really lonesome ; but as the day drew near,
on which I too was to leave, to embark in a line of duty
entirely new to me, and in which I knew not what success
I should have, I must confess my heart sank within me.
However, the hour came at last. The shipping agent
sends word to the places of residence of the varioua

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 17
members of the crew, of the precise day and hour of saUing,
which is generally determined on some days beforehand.
The crew of a merchant vessel do not go on board until
just as the ship is about to cast oft' from the wharf
And on returning home, they barely make fast the ship,
and then leave her. As crews arc picked up at hap-haz
ard, the different individuals are, in general, strangers to
each other, and it is some days before all hands become
acquainted and sociable. K now, in addition to being
strangers, one half of them are drunk on their arrival in
the forecastle, and consequently unfit for duty, and ready
for a quarrel with the officers, (and this was precisely the
case on this occasion) it need not to be said that going
out to sea, under such circumstances, is not the most
pleasant incident in one's life.

CHAPTER 11.
S 4IL for New Orleans — Going to Sea with a Drunken Crew — A
Merchantman's Forecastle — "Man the Windlass" — Choosing
Watches — Some points of Difference between the Merchant
Service andthe Navy, with a short digression into the Phi
losophy of Sailorcraft.
Otjr crew numbered ten, before the mast, of whom
two, myself and another, were boys, the rest being able
seamen. We came on board at nine, A. m., but early
as it was. six of the men, taking time by the forelock,
were already tipsy, and of course, as cross as hears.
They were brought on board by the boarding hous;
keepers, and stowed away in the forecastle, that they
might, by means of a nap, recover their sober senses.
Meantime four of us cast off the lines, loosed the sails,
and sheeting home the foretopsaU, dropped down the har
bor a little way, and then came to anchor, the captain
determining to wait till the morrow, and go to sea with a
sober crew.
Our forecastle was a dirty little hole, into which
scarcely a glimmer of daylight could penetrate. Being
¦ust in the bow of the vessel, its shape was triangular:
(IS)

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 19
the space clear of the berths being about sis feet in length
by five wide at the base, divided in the middle by a large
stancheon, which formed, on deck, the pall-bit of the
windlass. Into this little space, ten of us, drunk and
sober together, were crowded, when evemng set in, it
being yet to cold to stay out on deck.
After coming to an anchor, the first labor was to clear
np this place, which was to be our residence for some
time. The forecastle, being untenanted in harbor, is
generaUy used by the mates or ship-keepers as a place of
deposit for old rigging, and we found our bunhs full of
aU manner of odds and ends of rigging. Throwing this
stuff upon deck, we arranged our bedding, lashed and
cleated our chests, to prevent their fetching away, and
then, having taken supper, tumed in, to keep warm. I
slept but little aU night, feeling altogether out of place
among a lot of drunken men, who were turning uneasily
in their bunks, cursing and swearing, as they shivered in
the cold.
Homing dawned at last, and with the earliest ray of
light, the second mate rapped over-head with a hand
spike, calling all hands to up anchor. How different,
thought I, from the shrill pipes of the boatswain and
his mates, which I had been so long accustomed to. We
tumed out and sat on our chests, waiting for the call to
" man the wmdlass." Several of the dmnkards of the
previous day were grumbling about sore heads, and ran
sacked the forecastle through for some liquor. One at
last bethought him to look mto his chest, and took thence
a large jug. at which all except myself took a long puU.

20 IHE MERCHANT VESSEL.
It was passed to me too, but my refusal to participate
seemed, nevertheless, to please every one.
Presently, " man the windlass, there," from the mate,
called us on deck.
" Go aloft two hands, and loose the topsaUs and top-
gallantsails," sung out the captain, as we mustered on
the topgallant forecastle. I jumped aloft at the fore, let
fall the topsail, topgallantsaU, and foresaU, and over
hauled the rigging, there being but little wind. We then
hove short on the anchor, sheeted home the foretopsaU —
a few heaves, and — " the anchor's away, sir," sung out
the mate.
" Heave him up, and come this way two hands — brace
up the foreyard."
To me, who had been accustomed to seeing two or three
hundred men pulling on a brace or halyards, it seemed
very strange to see two men caUed to brace up a yard, or
to see five or sis men run up a topsaU halyards, to a cheery
yo heave yoh, one man running up aloft to the fly block, and
then riding down on the fall. On board a vessel of war
no singing out at ropes is aUowed, the call of the boat
swain's mate giving the signal, to which all puU together.
The merchant sailor, on the contrary, delights in making
a noise when pulling on ropes, and getting up anchor or
hoisting topsails, with a good crew, is always enlivened
by various cheering songs, which seiwe the purpose of
keeping all hands m good humor, and lightening the
work. Our crew were yet too much stupified with hard
di'inking to be able to raise a song, and the anchor was
catted and the topsails sheeted home, with nothing livelier

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 21
than the never-failing "yoho, pull boys." We stood out
past Boston Light House, with a light but fair breeze,
and were soon out in the open Bay, with the highland of
Cape Cod ahead. The anchors were got on the bows, a
portion of the chain cable run down into the chain-locker,
the decks swept, and then " get your breakfasts.''
Each one took his pot to the "galley,'' getting it
filled with coffee (sweetened with molasses), while I,
being the boy, took the meat and the lobscouse down into
the forecastle, and got the bread-barge supplied with
bread. Lobscouse is the sea name for a species of hash
or stew, made of potatoes, bread, onions, and chopped
salt beef It is a savory mess for hungry tars, and forms
a standard dish for breakfast on board all good ships.
The scouse, the beef and bread, being duly arranged on
the forecastle deck, each one helped himself to what he
pleased, sitting on his chest, with the pot of coffee, and
his tin pan beside him. The old topers took a final swig
at their jug, and it being emptied, declared it a " dead
marine," and tossed it into the chain-locker. Then break
fast began, amid a little cheerful conversation, every one
appearing glad at the thought that we were fairly under-
weigh. Presently, " one bell " was struck, and the man
at the wheel was relieved, to get his breakfast. At two
bells, we were again " turned to," and got to work to
put on chafing gear, lash water casks, and get all fast
about decks, ready for sea. In this duty the day was
spent, and by evening Cape Cod Light was well astern.
After supper, all hands were called aft, and the mates
choose watches for the voyage. All hands are ranged

22 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
along the quarter deck, and the mate and second mate
choose alternately, such men as they like best. It is
generally thought preferable to be in the mate's watch,
as the second mate's is also the captain's, and has, there
fore, two heads, and often a consequent double aUowance
of work. Watches are not chosen untU the close of the
first day out, in order that the qualifications of difierent
individuals of the crew may be tested. Each mate has
thus a chance to settle in his mind what men he fancies,
whUe the men have likewise an opportumty of judging
as to the relative qualifications of the mates. I had
taken a fancy to the chief mate, who was a smart,
lively Yankee, and had done my best aU day, in order to
attract his favorable notice, with the object of bemg
chosen by him. The seamen were of course picked first.
When only an ordinary seaman and myself were left to
chose from, the mates conferred together, and finally, to
my great satisfaction, the mate said :
" Here, my lad, come over to my side — "
" Can you steer?" he asked me.
" Yes sir."
" What's your name?'
" Charles, sir."
" Well, Charles, you may go and take the wheel till
eight beUs, as we have the first eight hours in.
I had said that I could steer, but I now took the hehn
with no little misgiving. I bad done my best, while on
board the schooner, from Norfolk to Boston, to make my
self famUiar with the mystery of guiding a vessel on her
course, but the little experience gained there, did not

TUE M K K C H A N T Y E S S K L . 23
suffice to give me any degree of expertness in the art.
Fortunately for me the breeze was light aud steady,
and the ship steered well, and so I steered my first trick
without being found fault with.
With a freshening breeze, by twelve o'clock the High
land light was out of sight, and the next moming we
were fairly out at sea, and the regular routine of sea-life
began. Our crew had by this time all gotten sober, and
with clearer heads there came merrier faces, the mutin
ous and loafing wretch of the day before, being now trans
formed into a smart, lively, and wUling tar, able and
ready for any duty — to " hand, reef or steer, or heave
the lead." Taking altogether, we found ourselves to be
about as good a crew — liquor aside — as could be gotten
together, for a vessel like ours. And when we got
acquainted, got to know each one's calibre and capacities,
we jogged along very happUy together.
I found some very great differences between life " in
the Service," and in a merchant vessel. In the first
place, our work here was infinitely harder. With only
five men in a watch, each individual must put out his
whole strength, in tightening a brace, swigging home a
sheet, or puUing up a halyard. As a consequence of this,
by the time we were fairly out of the Bay, my hands
were fuU of blisters and cracks, a thing which had not
probably happened to any one on board a Naval vessel
once in three years. And the hard straining at ropes,
and often at the wheel, when the wind blew fresh, made
me for a whUe sore aU over, as though I had been beaten
with a stick.

24 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
Next, there is very great difference between the treal-
ment in the Navy and that in the merchant service. The
captain of a man-of-war has a power ahnost of life and
death over the sailors under his command. An act of
overt disobedience would be a piece of unheard of insanity;
not even a muttered growl, or an angry look is tolerated.
Mutiny, that dread word to thc man-of-war's-man, is sup
posed to lurk under all such expressions of dislike. The
cat is ever in the foreground, a warning to all.
" You may think what you please, so long as you don't
think aloud," this is about the amount of the Blue Jack
ets' liberty of speech — and liberty of action, he has none.
He eats, drinks, sleeps, and works, only at the beck and
nod of his superior. To be sure, this takes away from
him all sense of responsibUity. Others do his thinking ;
a plan of his life, with specifications annexed, is ever
hanging above the desk of the captain's clerk. He has
not to provide for the morrow — and even if it is not at
all provided for, the responsibility is not with him.
Here is taught to its fullest perfection, that great secret
of all disciplined organizations, obey orders — "obey orders,
if you break owners," as Jack has significantly rendered
it. Instant, unhesitating, unthinking obedience to the
order that is given — this is the one great rule, which is
impressed upon the mind of the sailor, until it becomes
to him a second nature, and he rushes carelessly but con
sciously, in the face of death, or on to certain destruction,
at the word of his commanding officer, leaving aU respon
sibility of the result with him.
" Jump !" shouted a captain to a cabin-boy, who, in a fit

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 25
of foolish bravado, had crawled out to the end of the
mainroyal yard, and now clung there, between sky and
water, unable to get in, afraid to move for fear of faUing.
"Jump! you scoundrel, instantly!" and the boy unhesi
tatingly leaped from the dizzy height into the blue wave
beneath — and was saved. A landsman would have argued
the point — or at least have taken time to tum over in
his mind the expediency of obeying the order, and he
would have lost his hold, and been dashed to pieces on
deck. Now it is true, and this little story exemplifies it, that
this kind of discipline is necessary on board ship, and
particularly on board a Naval vessel, where a ^reat num
ber of bodies are placed under command of one mind — but
what kind of men does it make of these bodies. Plainly,
it takes away all the more valuable part of the indi
vidual, his mind ; or rather, it accustoms him to lay it
aside as useless, and depend upon another for that which
God has given to all. It is this, to a great extent, which
makes the man-of-war's-man unfit for any other phase of
life than that in which he has been bred up. And it is
this, too, which makes him so very generally dissolute
when on shore, and almost entirely incapacitates him for
taking care of himself His car of life requires a vigi
lant conductor, to keep it from running off the track.
But in the merchant service this point of discipliner
although perfectly well understood, and enforced, in emer
gencies, where only it is necessary, does not enter into
the daily life. The seaman there, assumes interests, and

26 THE MERCHA.NT VESSEL.
feels cons.quoit responsibihties, to which Blue Jacket is
a stranger. He keeps a sharp look-out to see all secure
aloft — because, should anything give way, it would occa
sion him an unwelcome addition to labors aheady suffi
ciently heavy. The work being divided among but few
hands, each one feels interested in devising means to
make it as light as possible. In short, the safety, and
the comfort of all depend upon the thoughtfulness of
each. In this respect the merchant service is infinitely
preferable to the Navy, as a school for fraining. And,
as a consequence, the merchant sailor is valued, whUe
the veteran man-of-war's-man is almost despised.
Begging the reader have patience with this rather
prosy digression into the phUosophy of saUorcraft, we will
go on. There is no one thing in which the merchant sea
man is so far above Uncle Sam's man, than in this,
that he does his duty without the fear of punishment
before his eyes. No one who has not esperienced both
states can imagine the degradation of the one, or the honest
elevation of the other. Hard and disagi-eoable his work
is. without doubt, but he knows his duty, and his rights,
and says, mentally, to his superior, "thus far, and no
farther can you go with me." And among every good
crew there exists an esprit de coips. which makes them
do their duty wUlingly. but present a fi-ont as of one
man to the officer who attempts to exact more.
It must not be imagined, however, from this, that the
life of a merchant sailor, aside from its hardships, is
necessarily a pleasant one. The captain and mates have

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 27
always at their command an infinity of means of annoy
ance, which they may practice without transgressing any
law. There are various little privileges of which a
crew may be deprived, numberless little unnecessary
jobs, which may be given them to do, which will put
additional burdens on a life already full enough of
hardships.

CHAPTER in.
Watch-and-Watcb— Reefing Topsails — Catching a Sucker— The
Berry's Keys, and the Deputy U. S. Consul thereof— Turtle
Eggs — Mobile Bay — Our Crew Leave.
On board a good ship — and the one I was now in was
to be reckoned in most things among that number — the
crew have watch-and-watch, that is to say, the regular
alternation of watches continues during the entire twenty-
four hours, day as well as night. On board many vessels
only the /orenooji watch below is granted, all hands being
kept up in the afternoon, in order to get more work done.
But I have always found that a watch-and-watch crew
would do more, and do it with a heartier good wUl than
one that was kept up.
The starboard watch, being the second mate's, having
had eight hours on deck the preceding night, had the
forenoon watch below, and all tumed in and slept tUl
seven bells, when they were called up and got their din
ners, prepared to relieve us at twelve. The afternoon
watch being ours, was spent in arranging our chests in
the forecastle, mending or reading.
On board a merchant vessel, unlike a naval vessel,
the watch on deck is always kept busy. In the first part
(28)

THB MERCHANT VESSEL. 29
of a voyage there is generally a sufficiency of work which
it is actually necessary to have done, but in the latter
part of a long voyage it is often difficult to find work,
and in such cases various unnecessary jobs are resgrted
to, such as plaiting sinnet for gaskets, twisting spun
yam, making sword mats, etc. Anything to keep the
hands busy — "keep them at work to keep mischief out'
of their heads," as the saying is at sea.
We sailed on with a fair breeze, until we had crossed
the Gulf, and were about abreast of Charleston, when a
heavy head wind from the south-east forced us to reef
down. The vessel having ballast only in her hold, and
none too much of that, was inclined to be crank, and we
could not therefore carry on sail, or make much way
against a head-wind. We reefed, of course, one topsail
at a time, and everything was done to make the work go
as easily as possible. The yard is. laid just so as, that
the topsail is continually lifting, that is, fluttering in the
wind, neither full nor aback. And it is the special duty
of the helmsman, for the time being, to keep the sail in
precisely that condition. Eeeftackles being hauled out,
and buntlines tightened, all hands go aloft, the first one
up going out to the lee earing — the weather earing being
the second mate's place — and the balance stretching out
along the yard, the greater number, of course, lo wind
ward. " Light up the sail, light up to windward," is
now shouted, and catching hold of the reef points, each
one drags the slack sail in the required direction. Directly
the second mate has his earing or corner seoured, and
"haul out to leeward," is the cry. Those at the leeside

30 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
haul out untu the reef band is tightly stretched along
the yard, when " knot away" is shouted, and the points
are fastened tightly around the yard. Eeefing is lively
^oA — everything is done with a rush, and there is gen
erally a race down the rigging, some sliding down back
stays, others catching on the halyards, and adding their
weight to the pull of those on deck, who are hoisting
the reefed sail.
We were thirty-five days from Boston to MobUe. Our
original destination was New Orleans, but the owners had
changed their minds after the crew was shipped, and
concluded to send the vessel to Mobile Bay. This leaked
out before we were many days at sea, and the articles of
agreement thus being broken, our crew, with the way
wardness of true saUors, at once determined to avail
themselves of the privilege thereby afforded them, of
leaving the vessel on her arrival in port. The saUor is
essentially a bird of passage. His is a wandering, vaga
bond existence, and so strong is his distaste for anything
resembling a steady pursuit, that it is a very rare thing
to find a man making two voyages in one ship. No matr
ter how unexceptional the vessel, or how kindly he has
been treated, there is no persuading him to stay.
" No, we had better not stay," once said a crew, in my
hearing, whom a captain was persuading to go with him
again. ¦' But why not? you have a first rate ship, and yon
were never better treated anywhere."
" That's all true, sir," said an old salt, with a Uttle
emban-assment, giving hia trowsers a hitch at the same

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 31
time, " but then, you know, if we go with you another
voyage, we'd be getting too well acquainted."
And this, although no reason at aU, seemingly met the
ideas of every individual of the crew. Whatever may
be the true principle involved, certain it is, that I never
knew a man really worth having that would go in the
same vessel two voyages together.
The twentieth day out found us on the Bahama Banks,
becalmed and anchored in eight fathoms water, but out of
sight of any land. We had beaten with a stiff breeze
past the Hole-in-the-wall, on Abaco, a place widely known
as in days, or rather, nights, past, the scene of many
wrecks, vessels being led astray here by false lights, dis
played by the wreckers who frequent these waters and
earn their bread by the misfortunes of their fellow-men.
Abaco is a large revolving light, visible at from ten to
fifteen miles distance, from a ship's deck, and is of great
benefit to vessels passing in or out of the Gulf of Mexico,
who take this channel. It is said that the wreckers,
knowing that vessels make a practice of steering safely
around the land, by it, at night, used to extinguish it on
stormy nights, and exhibit a false light at some distance
farther up the coast, so situating it, that captains using
it as a guide, would not fail to find themselves upon a
leeshore, but only when too late to save their vessels.
To counterfeit the revolutions of the light, which is only
visible for fifteen seconds in every minute, it is said that
they fastened a large, bright light to the tail of a horse,
and then drove the animal around in a large circle, mak
ing a revolution once a minute, when, of course, his body

32 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
would conceal the light for a large portion of the time,
producing, at a distance, the precise effect of a revolving
light — an ingenious device, worthy of a better cause.
The third day after passing Abaco we anchored on the
Banks, as the Bahamas are familiarly caUed. The water
is here beautifully clear, the bottom, at a depth of from
fifty to eighty feet being clearly visible. I could not
look enough at the beauteous conch shells strewed along
on the bottom, near our vessel, where the depth was not
quite fifty feet, or at the fish, swimming about among great
lumps of sponge growing on the rocks. The steward soon
had a hook and line over the side, but caught only a good-
sized sucker, who in turn, as he was being hauled up,
caught the side of the vessel, and clinging, by means of
the flat plate of air-exhausters with which these fish are
furnished, and from which they take their name, his
captor, after pulling as hard as he could, was fain to
make fast his end, until it should suit the fish to let go
of his own accord, which did not occur for several hours.
We had a hearty laugh at the steward's fishing adven
ture, which was cut short, however, by the mate, who, for
lack of something else to do, had gone into the hold to
have a look at the water-casks, and now came upon deck
with the information that a sis gallon keg would contain
every drop of fresh water on board. This was bad news.
We found on examination, that it happened in this wise:
The water-casks put on board in Boston, were in poor
order, having lain on the wharf too long, and aU but two
had leaked dry, ere we were two weeks out. Two full
casks were, however, left, which was abundant to carry

THE MERCHANT VESSEL.

33

us into Mobile Bay. Now the ship was infested with
a horde of rats, and these had, unknown to us, gnawed
holes in both these casks, near the bottom. The conse
quence was, that we lost nearly every drop of drinking
water. The captain determined to run into the nearest
Key and obtain a supply sufficient to last us to port.
Accordingly, that evening, a light
breeze springing up, we got under-
weigh, and the next afternoon an
chored in one of the Berry Keys.
Scarcely was our anchor on the
bottom, before a canoe shot out
from a little jungle near the shore,
in the stem of which sat a portly
"gemman ob color," whose appear
ance was certainly calculated to
excite attention. He was, as he
informed the skipper as soon as he
got within haih the Deputy United
States Consul for Berry's Keys, and
in virtue of his office, had rigged
himself out in an old blue dress
coat with two rows of resplendent
eagle buttons. But in the purchase
of this piece of finery, he had evi
dently exhausted his exchequer, for Tm dbpoty n. s. cokshl.
with the addition of a broad palmetto hat, probably of
home manufacture, and a rag ahout his middle, the
coat completed his costume.
" 'Oh, what a fall was there, my countrymen,' " said
3

34 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
the mate slily, as his sable excellency came on board.
Bestowing a look of supreme contempt upon us "common
saUors," he at once marched up to the captain, and
inquired, with an air of authority, of our ports of depar
ture and destination, and hinted his desire to see the
ship's papers.
" You'd rather see some good rum, old feUow," said the
skipper rather irreverently, " now, wouldn't you?"
The exhibition of a shming set of ivory, and an
almost indefinite extension of white about the eyes, were
sufficient evidences of the favor with which this remark
was received.
The appearance of the steward, with a junk-bottle of
the article in question, caused the Deputy United States
Consul to declare himself at our service for anything in
his line, which proved to be a very short line, however,
as it included only an abundance of fresh water, and a
few fresh fish. Accordingly, we lowered a boat, and
placing in it a cask, pulled ashore, preceded by our friend,
who, depositing his coat-tails carefuUy on a board pro
vided for that purpose, sat in the bottom of his canoe and
paddled to the beach. Here we found little but a wUder
ness of tangled brush, in the midst of which, was dis
cernible the residence of the Deputy United States Consul.
His lady, possessing, perhaps, a yet scantier wardrobe
than her liege lord, declined showing herself even to the
mate, who had expressed a strong desire to make her
acquaintance. So we were obliged to fill our water-cask,
" uncheered," so said he, "by the smiles of beauty," and
returned on board, with rather a poor opinion of this one

THB MERCHANT VESSEL. 35
of Berry's Key's. Our Consul was monarch of all he
surveyed, and told us that he had done duty there for
the United States Government for fifteen years, making
only a semi-annual trip to New Providence, to relieve the
tedium of his rather monotonous life.
Besides the fish and water before mentioned, we were
fortunate enough to obtain a quantity of turtle eggs, that
genuine West Indian luxury, which, however, I did not
like, although cooked in the most approved style. I fan
cied a fi^hy taste about them, somewhat as though one
had been cutting butter with a fish knife, and therefore
left the delicacy to my more fortunate, or less particular
shipmates. Departing thence, we were yet an entire week detained i
upon the Banks, anchoring and weighing anchor, making i
and furling sail, the tedious monotony of the long calm
relieved by the occasional sight of a wrecking schooner,
looking up her prey, or of a passing vessel, drifting in
sight and out of sight again on the far horizon.
The long expected "slant" at last came, and a few days'
sailing carried us into MobUe Bay. Here we found our
selves forming one of quite a considerable fleet of vessels,
waiting for freights to rise, or cotton to come down, in .
order to take in their cargoes. The city of Mobile is
situated at some distance (nearly thirty miles) up the
MobUe Eiver, the termination of the Alabama and Tom-
bigbee, and is accessible only to ships of light draught,
on account of the Dog River bar, which obstructs the
navigation. The Bay is, however, perfectly safe, having
a good shelter, and the best of holding ground, and vessels

36 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
often lie here ten, and even twelve months, waiting for
good freights.
Our crew had determined upon leaving, but at the
request of the mate, had consented to remain long enough
to unbend the sails, send down the topgallant and royal
yards, and paint the vessel inside. This done, the cap
tain came down to pay off.
This being my first voyage, and not being yet so
strongly imbued with the vagabonding spirit, I had deter
mined to accept the advice of the mate, who said " Stay,
and we'll have some fine times after aU hands are gone."
I was partly persuaded to this by the crew, who, whUe
evidently desiring me to go with them, would not conceal
from me that MobUe was a poor place to get a ship, and
that a boy would, of course, have a poorer chance than a
man. We were heartUy sorry to part, for although we had
been but a short time shipmates, aU hands had worked
so thoroughly together, that we felt already toward one-
another as brothers. Before leaving, there was a general
tum out of chests in the forecastle, and a division of
funds, "in order that aU might start fair" — those who
had most money dividing eagerly with their poorer ship
mates. I was happy in contributing a share to the gen
eral stock, and so we bade good-bye, with a hearty wring
of the hand, which I may as well say gratified me greatly,
as evidence that I had been able to get the real good-will
of these single-hearted fcUows. On getting up to the
eity they sent me down a fiddle, wherewith to relieve the
tiresomeness of our stay— a gift of which I could,

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 37
unluckUy, make no use, having none of that kind of music
in my soul.
There were now left only the two mates, the cook, one
seaman, and myself There being so few on board, of
course aU discipline was considerably relaxed ; with the
exception of washing decks daily, and an occasional set
ting up of backstays, there was little done. The fine
breeze almost always blowing in the Bay, makes boat-
sailing a favorite amusement. We soon rigged a sail,
and thereafter, every favorable day was spent in the boat,
fishing, or racing, or making pic-nics ashore, in company
with the boats' crews and officers of other vessels. These
were fine times, and I enjoyed them hugely. In fact, my
experience so far in a merchant ship, had pleased me very
much. The work, to be sure, was exceedingly hard, at
sea.- My hands after we were three weeks out, resembled
more the claws of some animal than any portion of
humanity ; the fingers swollen and bent, the palms horny
and hard, and the joints cracked open, and bleeding.
And many a night when I got to my snug bunh, every
bone in my body ached with the exertion of turning the
huge wheel, or swigging home some sheet or halyard.
" But what's the odds, so long as you're happy," thought-
I, and in the continual novelty I found sufficient to repay "
me for the hardship.

CHAPTER IV.
Taking in Cargo — Screwing Cotton — The Gangs and their
Chants — Departure for Liverpool — Discipline on Board.
Our boat-saUing and fishing lasted nearly a month ;
when one day retuming on board from a race, a letter
from the captain informed us that the ship was " taken
up." "Where for?" was, of course, a question eagerly put
"For Liverpool," was the answer, "and the cotton to
come down next week."
All was now bustle and preparation. Numberless mat
ters were to be attended to before the ship was really ready
to take in cotton — the baUast was to be squared, dunnage
prepared, the water-casks, provisions and sails to he
lugged on deck, out of the way of cargo, the nicely
painted decks covered with planks, on which to roll cotton,
topgallant and royal yards crossed, and tackles prepared
for hoisting in our freight. We had scarcely gotten all
things in proper trim, before a lighter-load of cotton came
down, and with it, a stevedore and several gangs of the
screw men, whose business it is to load cotton-ships.
(3R)

THB MERCHANT VESSEL. 39
Screwing cotton is a regular business, requiring, besides
immense strength, considerable experience in the handling
of bales, and the management of the jack-screws.
Several other ships had " taken up" cargo at the same
time we did, and the Bay soon began to wear an appear
ance of life — lighters and steamboats bringing down cot^
ton, and the cheerful songs of the screw-gangs resounding
over the water, as the bales were driven tightly into the
hold. Freights had suddenly risen, and the ships now
loading were getting five-eighths of a penny per pound.
It was therefore an object to get into the ship as many
pounds as she could be made to hold. The huge, unwieldy
bales brought to Mobile from the plantations up the
country, are first compressed in the cotton presses, on
shore, which at once diminishes their size by half squeez
ing the soft fiber together, tiU a bale is as solid, and
almost as hard as a lump of iron. In this condition they
are brought on board, and stowed in the hold, where the
stevedore makes a point of getting three bales into a
space in which two could be barely put by hand. It is
for this purpose the jack-screws are used. A ground tier
is laid first ; upon this, beginning aft and forward, two
bales are placed with their inner covers projecting out,
and joining, leaving a triangular space vacant within.
A hickory post is now placed against the nearest beam,
and with this for a fulcmm, the screw is applied to the
two bales at the point where the corners join, and little
by little they come together, are straightened up, and fill
up the triangular space. So great is the force applied,
that not unfrequently the ship's decks are raised off the

40 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
stancheons which support them, and the seams are tom
violently asunder.
Five hands compose a gang, four to work the screws,
and one to do the headwork — for no little shrewd man
agement is necessary to work in the variously sized bales.
When a lighter-load of cotton comes along side, all hands
tum to and hoist it in. It is piled on deck, until wanted
below. As soon as the lighter is empty, the gangs go down
to the work of stowing it. Two bales being placed and
tEe screws applied, the severe labor begins. The gang,
with their shirts off, and handkerchiefs tied about their
heads, take hold the handles of the screws, the foreman
begins the song, and at the end of every two lines the
worm of the screw is forced to make one revolution, thus
. gaining perhaps two inches. Singing, or chanting as it
is called, is an invariable accompaniment to working
in cotton, and many of the screw-gangs have an endless
coUection of songs, rough and uncouth, both in words and
melody, but answering well the purposes of making aU
pull together, and enlivening the heavy toU. The fore
man is the chanty-man, who sings the song, the gang
only joining in the chorus, which comes in at the end of
every line, and at the end of which again comes the pull
at the screw handles. One song generally suffices to
bring home the screw, when a new set is got upon the
bale, and a fresh song is commenced.
The chants, as may be supposed, have more of rhyme
than reason in them. The tunes are generally plaintive
and monotonous, as are most of the capstan tunes of
saUors, but resounding over the stUl waters of the Bay,

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 41
they had a fine effect There was one, in which figured
that mythical personage "Old Stormy,'' the rising and
faUing cadences of which, as they swept over the Bay on
the breeze, I was never tired of Ustening to. It may
amuse some of my readers to give here a few stanzas of
this and some other of these chants. " Stormy" is sup
posed to have died, and the first song begins :
Old Stormy, he is dead and gone,
CJionis — Carry him along, boys, carry him along.
Oh ! carry him to his long home.
Chorus — Carry him to the burying-ground.
Oh ! ye who dig Old Stormy's grave,
Ctwnus — Carry him along, boys, carry him along.
Dig it deep and bury him safe.
Chorus — Carry him to the burying-ground.
Lower him down with a golden chain.
Chorus — Carry him along, boys, carry him along.
Then he'll never rise again.
Chorus — Carry him to the burying-ground.
Grand Chorus — ^Way-oh-way-oh-way — storm along.
Way — ^you rolling crew, storm along stormy.
And so on ad infinitum, or more properly speaking,
tiU the screw is run out.
There was another in praise of Dollars, commencing
thus: Oh, we work for a Yankee Dollar,
Chorus — Hurrah, see — man — do,
Yankee dollar, buEy dollar.
Chorus — Hurrah, see — man — dollar.
Silver dollar, pretty dollar.
Chorus — Hurrah, see — man — do,
I want your silver dollars,
Chorus — Oh, Captain, pay me dollar.

42 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
Another, encouraging the gang :
Lift him up and carry him along.
Fire, maringo, fire away.
Put him down where he belongs.
Fire, maringo, fire away.
Ease him down and let him lay.
Fire, maringo, fire away.
Screw him iu, and there he'll stay,
Fire, maringo, fire away.
Stow him in his hole below.
Fire, maringo, fire away.
Say he must, and then he'll go.
Fire, maringo, fire away.
Yet another, calling to their minds the peculiarities of
many spots with which they have become famUiar in theh
voyagings : Were you ever in Quebec,
Chorus — Bonnie laddie, highland laddie.
Stowing timber on the deck,
Chorum — My bonnie highland laddie, oh.
Were you ever in Dundee,
Chorus — Bonnie laddie, highland laddie.
There some pretty ships you'll see,
Chorus — My bonnie highland laddie, oh.
Were you ever in Merrimashee.
Chorus — Bonnie laddie, highland laddie.
Where you make fast to a tree.
Chorus — My bonnie highland laddie, oh.
Were you ever in Mobile Bay,
Chorus — Bonnie laddie, highland laddie.
Screwing cotton by the day.
Chorus — My bonnie highland laddie, oh.
These samples, which might be continued to an almost
indefinite extent, wiU give the reader an idea of what

THB MERCHANT VESSEL. 43
capstan and cotton songs, or chants, are. The tunes are
the best portion, of course, in all such rude performances.
But these are only to be heard on board ship.
The men who yearly resort to Mobile Bay to screw
cotton, are, as may be imagined, a rough set. They are
mostly English and Irish sailors, who, leaving their ves
sels here, remain until they have saved a hundred or two
dollars, then ship for Liverpool, London, or whatever port
may be their favorite, there to spree it all away — and
return to work out another supply. Screwing cotton is,
I think, fairly entitled to be called the most exhausting
labor that is done on ship board. Cooped up in the dark
and confined hold of a vessel, the gangs tug from morn
ing till night at the screws, the perspiration running off
them like water, cveiy muscle strained to its utmost.
But the men who follow it prefer it to going to sea. They
have better pay, better living, and above all, are not
liable to be called out at any minute in the night, to fight
the storm, or worse yet, to work the ship against a head
wind. Their pay is two dollars per day, and their pro
visions furnished. They sleep upon the cotton bales in
the hold, but few of them bringing beds aboard with
them. Those we had on board, drank more liquor and
chewed more tobacco, than any set of men I ever saw
elsewhere, the severe labor seeming to require an addi
tional stimulus. Altogether, I thought theirs a rough
life, not at all to be envied them.
Four weeks sufficed to load our barque, and the last
key-bale was scarce down the hatchway, when " Loose the
topsaUs, and heave short on the cable," was the word.

44 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
and we proceeded to get underweigh for Liverpool. Our
new crew had come on board several days previously, and
proved to be much better than the average to be obtained
in cotton ports, places where sailors are generally scarce,
and the rough screw-gangs mostly fiU their places.
The first thing to be done, in preparing for sea, in a
merchant vessel, is to put on the hatches (the coverings
- for the holes in the deck, where cargo is put down), and
' tightly caulk and batten them, a tarpaulin being nailed
over all, for greater security from the ingress of water.
This done, and several bales which we were to carry upon
deck, placed upon tho hatchways, we sailed out of har
bor with a fair wind, spreading our studding saUs to
the breeze.
That evening watches were again chosen, and I found
myself to my great pleasure, once more in the mate's
watch. As the ship was in excellent order, alow and
aloft, and as, too, there was some expectation of our meet
ing with stormy weather during the latter part of our pas
sage, watch-and-watch was given us from the first. With
this, good living, and kind officers, we had cause to con
gratulate ourselves upon having a good ship, and after
the first few days of hurrying work was over, aU went
pleasantly. Our mates were strict disciplinarians, and although
we were aUowed our regular watches below, no one was
permitted to be idle on deck. No sooner did the watch
come up from below, than each one had \nsjoh given hun,
and not an idle moment was spent during the four hours
of watch. Here were two, drawing and knotting rope-

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 45
yams. There one, going aloft, marling-spike in hand, to
mend some defective piece of rigging, put on new chafing-
gear, or seize up ratlines. Yonder another, twisting
foxes, or thrumming a paunch-mat. In short, each one
must be doing something. This is the rule of the mer
chant service — one that is carried out, whether there is
any necessary work on hand or not — and I have not -
unfrequently plaited sinnet, or made spunyarn for an
entire passage, which would scarcely ever be used, and
was only made, " to keep the men busy."
I have often remarked that at sea, all kinds of labor,
except that which is actually necessary, is irksome — and
there is no greater, as there is no more unusual luxury to
the merchant sailor, than to pass a watch on deck with
out being occupied. This is a piece of good fortune which '
only happens during a storm, when the violent motion of
the vessel precludes the possibUity of setting men at any
of the usual employments, and when also, wise officers are
desirous of husbanding the energy of the crew, for the
performance of the more necessary duties of shortening
saih and working ship. It sounds odd to a landsman to
wish for a storm, but give Jack a tight and good sea
boat, and experienced officers, and he sees no more com
fortable times than in a good, steady gale. On such an .
occasion, with the good ship hove-to under a close-reefed
maintopsail, or a storm-mizzen, the helm lashed down
hard alee, and everything snug, alow and aloft, the watch
gathers together under the topgallant forecastle, or on the
forehatch, spinning long yams of past gales, or sprees on
shore, and the four hours slip away before one knows it.

46 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
It was on such an occasion, during this voyage to
Liverpool, that being one day snugly ensconced on some
cotton bales lying upon the forehatchway, old Anton gave
us the following experience of a trip in a slaver. Anton
was a Spanish saUor, one of the olden kind, " first on the
yard, and last at the mess," a fellow who had literally
been everywhere, and had lived a long life of most singu
lar vicissitudes and romantic adventures. The yam,
however, we will reserve for another chapter.

CHAPTER V.
Old Anton's Yarn, A Cruise in a Slaver.
" Well, boys," said Anton, " settle yourselves down
here, and I'll spin you that yam, as the mate seems quiet,
and there's no fear of making saU this watch, judging
from present appearances.
" I was in Havana, where I had left the ship Isidore,
of Barcelona, in order to take a little longer cruise on
shore than the captain seemed willing to allow us. I had
gotten nearly to the bottom of my pocket — it don't take
long to do that any where in Cuba — and was looking out
for a ship, when happening one evening into a little cigar
shop, on the Mole, a gentleman who had just purchased
a box of cigars, asked me if I did not want a ship. I
said yes, of course.
" Well, there's a brig in the harbor, bound to Tener
iffe, for wine, which wants a hand or two. I'm the super
cargo, and if you'll say you'll go, I'll pay you your
advance, go with you to your boarding house, and take
you on board with me. We sail to-night.
" I had nothing to keep me in Havana, and embraced
the proposah In less than an hour I was on board, chest
(47)

48 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
and hammock, and we slipped our moorings and ran out
past the Moro Castle, with a fine breeze. We were six
hands in the forecastle, two Portuguese, three Spaniards,
and an American. I had the mid- watch on deck. On
tuming out at seven bells the next moming, I went on
deck, to take a daylight look at the craft in which I had
shipped, as, it being a dark night when I came on board,
I had been able to see but little of her. I found her a
remarkably sharp, clipper-built vessel, evidently calcu
lated to sail at a great rate, and a glance at the long,
tapering spars, and the immense spread of her topsails,
convinced me that she had never been buUt for a wine
drogher. " The captain was an Englishman, the mate a Scotch
man — which rather surprised me, as the vessel showed
Spanish colors. They carried a press of canvass from
the first, and paid more attention to the steering than is
usual among that class of vessels. Altogether, I felt
as though, if she were a wine drogher, she had gotten
strangely out of place — but, of course, I never suspected
what was her true bu,siness. But the third day out told
the whole story. On coming on deck that moming, I
found, to my great surprise, some sixteen or seventeen
men besides our regular crew congregated on the topgal
lant forecastle, and about the foremost among them I
recognized several Havana acquaintances, who seemed
somewhat surprised to see me there. From them I got
an inkling of what was in the wind; but the whole
matter was explained to me after breakfast.
" Send Anton to the wheel," was the word passed to

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 49
the forecastle, and I proceeded aft. Arrived there, the
captain and supercargo laid before me the real purpose
of the voyage — declared themselves sorry to have gotten
me on board under false pretences, but made the want of
hands their excuse, and then told me that I would now
have to go the voyage, and would receive the same pay
as the regularly shipped hands.
" It appeared that we were bound to the east coast of
Africa, up the Mozambique Channel, for a cargo of slaves.
We, the crew, were to receive one hundred dollars advance,
and two dollars per man for every slave landed, which,
as she had irons and cooking apparatus for eight hun
dred, bade fair to bring in no inconsiderable sum. The
one hundred doUars advance were counted out tp me, in
Spanish doubloons, when my trick at the wheel was out.
"Everything now took a different tum, as regarded
discipline on board. The officers assumed a sterner man
ner, and kept the crew at regular man-of-war rules.
None of the dilatoriness of the merchant-man was
aUowed. SaU was made and taken in expeditiously, and
we — there were enough of us — could handle the craft
like a top. She was a beauty to sail, and steered lUrfe a
boat, and altogether, was the likeliest vessel I ever set
foot on.
"But I did not feel at home on her. There was a
reckless spirit among the crew, which did not please
me, who was then yet a young man, and the imperious
ness of the officers suited me still less. We had been
but a few days out, when on occasion of a slight misunder
standing between two of the hands, the captain suddenly

50 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
made his appearance in our midst, pistol in hand, and
gave the turbulently disposed to understand that he was
master of all there.
" No fighting, no quarreling, no knives, I won't have
it,' said he, ' and the first one that gives me a word of
insolence, I'll shoot him as I would a dog.'
" The crew cowered beneath his glance — and he had
the victory. But not until he had carried his threat into
execution, did the unquiet spirits he had shipped entirely
give up. The occasion was not long in coming. We had
dowsed our topgallantsails to a squaU, off the Cape, and
when it was over, a hand had gone aloft to loose the
main. In letting fall the sail he neglected to overhaul
the gear, and was half way down the main rigging, when
the skipper ordered him aloft to do so. He replied sur
lily, that he was no errand boy to run aloft, and was still
coming down, when, quick as a flash, the captain drew a
pistol from his bosom, fired, and the man feU dead upon
the deck.
" Sheet home that saU,' shouted the mate to the rest.
When it was hoisted, aU hands were caUed aft.
" I want you to know that I am master here, and will
stand no nonsense. Not a whimper, not a surly look,
from one of you. If any of you don't feel perfectly satis
fied at the fate of that dog, I've another baU, and the
will to let him have it. I ask no extraordinary service, hut
when I say go, you must, if I shoot every mother's son of
you. Now go forward, and a couple of you throw that
carcass overboard.'
" This was the address of the skipper, and I tell you

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 51
boys, there's very little comfort in sailing with a man
who cares as little about life as he did, or as the general •'
mn of slaving captams do. You don't know what
minute you're going to loose the number of your mess.
" WeU, we rounded the Cape, ran up the Mozambique,
and made Delagoa Bay, where was the factory to which
we were consigned. A few days before making the land,
we laid our slave deck, rigged the irons, and fixed up the
cooking apparatus. The officers were now at the mast
head continually, keeping a look out for sails, as men-of-
war are often cruising in those latitudes. We made
Delagoa Bay without an accident, ran up the river which
here empties its waters into the sea, and anchored. It
took two days and nights to get the negroes on board,
when word being brought by a look-out stationed in the
offing, that the coast was clear, we spread every sail to
the breeze, and soon left the coast behind us. We had
now some disagreeable work to do. Eight hundred '
slaves were to be taken care of, and watched, and all our
force was needed to do the work thoroughly. Two men,
well armed, kept guard night and day, at each hatch
way, which we were obliged to keep open, to prevent the
miserable creatures in the hold from being entirely suf
focated. The slaves were fed once a day, some of the
most quiet of them being cast loose at such times, and
employed to serve out the miserable pittance of boiled
rice, or beans, and water, on which they subsisted. Twice
daily, small portions of them were brought upon deck,
to get a swallow of the fresh air, being carefully guarded
meanwhUe. But the hold, boys, oh, it was horrible. The

52 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
stench was enough to knock one down. And the constant
moaning, and the pitiful looks of the poor wretches, as
they reclined, one on the top of the other's legs' (so closely
they were stowed) , it haunted me for many a day after
wards. " We had rounded the Cape once more, and were nearly
abreast of St. Helena, when one moming the second
mate, at the masthead, sung out sail-ho! We had, some
days before this, lashed our topsaU-sheets to the yard-
arms, and racked the topsaU halyards, to prevent the
possibility of shortening sail, should we want to, and now
clapped on every additional rag that could help along the
least, as just here was the most dangerous spot in all the
passage, being a portion of the Atlantic very much fre
quented by English cruisers.
" The sail we had sighted had evidently also seen us
and altered his course for us, as, although we had hauled
upon a wind as soon as we saw him, he still continued m
sight, and, in fact, rather gained upon us. The captain
walked the deck uneasily, every few minutes haihng the
masthead, to know if there was any alteration in his
appearance. " He holds a better breeze than we do, and we'll have
to try him, upon another tack.'
" We did try him upon every tack — now going straight
before the wind, now with it abeam, and again close-
hauled. Still he gained upon us, slowly, but surely, and
by dark his topsaUs were visible off deck. A thorough
trial had convinced the captain, that with the wind ahout
two points free was our best chance, and accordingly we

THB MERCHANT VESSEL. 53
swept along under a terrible press of canvass, the very
best helmsmen, only, being aUowed to take the wheel,
and the captain continually looking into the compass, to
see that she was kept straight. The wind was fresh, and
the little craft staggered like a drunken man, under the
crowd of saU which was forcing her along. Everything
was new and good, and now, if ever, was the time to try
what virtue there was in hemp. Therefore, ' what she
can't carry let her drag,' was the word.
" All night we fiew on, the wind roaring fiercely through
the rigging, while the timbers groaned in melancholy
cadence. We made good headway, and strong hopes
were entertained that by daylight we should have left
the foe behind. Hopes which were however, to be dis
appointed, for as soon as the sun rose above the horizon,
we saw the same topsaUs, no nearer, but no farther off
either. All day, all night, and all next day, this tedious
chase continued, we straining every nerve to escape, but
seeming bound to the accursed vessel astern, whose posi
tion we could not change the least. The captain had
been getting more and more impatient, at being thrown
so far out of his direct track, and had we been thoroughly
armed, would, no doubt, have tumed upon our pursuer,
and then and there decided the fate of the vessel, by
force of arms.
"As it was, a bright idea struck him. We had sighted,
on the last evening, two other vessels, probably whale
ships, from their rigs, sailing leisurely along under short
canvass. The presence of these, it was determined to
bring in to our advantage. A large cask was fitted with

54 THE MERCHANT VESSEL
some iron in the bottom, and a mast secured in the top
head. To the head of this mast was made fast a large
lantem, with reflectors, which would throw out a bright
light, visible at a great distance. The night proved
exceedingly dark, which was favorable to the success of
our plan. About ten o'clock, every light in the ship was
carefully extinguished, even the binnacle light, which
illuminates the face of the compass, being shaded. The
lantem being then lighted, and securely closed, to keep
the water from it, the cask and mast were carefully low
ered over the side, when it nicely balanced. Having
watched it for a while to see that it was perfectly safe,
we quickly dowsed all the light sails, securing them, how
ever, only temporarily, ready to be cast loose at a mo
ment's waming, then double reefed the topsaUs, whaler
fashion, and putting her about, on the other tack, steered
boldly down upon our pursuer.
" Sailing toward him, it took us but a short time to
reach him. He was coming at a fearful rate; every
stitch of canvass set, and the water rushing and roaring
about his bows like a young Niagara. As she pitched,
the great waves would make a clean breach over her head,
and we could hear them, as we got closer, sweeping fore
and aft, and pouring out at the stem ports. She was one
of the little ten gun brigs, of which Britishers are so
fond, and which they have expressively named ' bathing
machines,' on account of their wetness.
As the two vessels neared each other, all hands were
ordered to keep perfect silence and to stow themselves
away out of sight, but ready for any emergency. It was

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 55
an anxious time, boys, as we lay under the guns of our
enemy, nearing her, until she was not more than half
pistol-shot off. The brig had yawed a little off her
regular course as we approached her, with the evident
intention of speaking us. We favored the movement
by making two or three broad sheers toward her. Our
skipper leaned carelessly against the mainshrouds, speak
ing-trumpet in hand, ready to answer his hail. The
hatches had been carefully closed over the poor darkies,
in order that no chance cry or groan should awaken the
suspicions of the enemy. On, on, we came, untU just as
the bows of the two ships were in line.
"Ship a-hoy!' was hailed from the brig. It was so
dark that they could not distinguish even the rig of our
vessel. " Hillo !
" Did you pass a vessel in the early part of the night,
going along under a press of canvass ?
"Ya-as !' was answered, with an unmistakable Yankee
drawl, by our skipper. 'Yonder's her light, a little on
your starboard bow, I reckon,' added he.
" Yes, I know, we've been in chase of her for three
days, and, blast her, we're too much for her — we're gain
ing on her rapidly — she's a slaver.
" Du tell — a slaver ! well, captain she's an almighty
smart craft. Eeckon you'll have to look sharp to catch
her.' By this time she was already beyond speaking-dis
tance, the last words we heard being, 'infernal lazy
Yankee,' in answer, probably, to our skipper's last speech.

56 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
and under the supposition that ours was one of the Yan
kee whale ships.
"All this passed much quicker, boys, than I can tell
it to you. When we could no longer hear the rush of
her bows through the water, we let our craft go a good
rapfuU — and standing on for half an hour longer, silently
set every stitch of canvas she could possibly bear, and
putting her square before it, let her rip for the BrazOs.
" Our scheme succeeded to admiration. When the sun
rose, the British brig was nowhere to be seen, and I
needn't say, that if carrying on saU would keep us clear
of him, that was not wanting. You talk about packet
ships, lads, but if you want your hair to stand on end,
take a slaver in a chase, or when she has just escaped
one. The little craft was fairly driven through the
waves. There was no living forward. Every sea she
took, came bodUy over the bows, and went out at the
stem ports. She quivered like an aspen under the pres
sure of her enormous topsaUs, and the taU masts leaned
away to leeward, as though every minute ready to go
over the side.
" Already before we sighted the Britisher, our cargo
had begun to die off, and now every moming watch we
were obliged to go below, and unlinking the dead from
the living, drag the emaciated corpses upon deck, and
toss them over to leeward. It's horrid work, this burying
dead by the wholesale. Not aU the money in the world
would hire me to take another tum at it.
" As we neared the Brazilian coast, a sharper look-out
than common was kept by the officers, who took regular

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 57
turns at the masthead. Two days before we made the
land, a sail hove in sight. We stood toward it, and soon
made it out to be a little schooner-boat, sent out to warn
us of danger, and direct us to a part of the coast that
was clear. Taking on board one of the owners, who had
come out in this boat, wc altered our course a little, and
on the second morning thereafter, made the land, and ran
safely into a little inlet a few miles south of Porto Seguro.
Dropping anchor close in shore, we were directly sur
rounded by boats, and in five hours after coming in, had
landed six hundred and eighty-five negroes, all that were
left out of eight hundred and two, one hundred and^
seventeen having died on the passage. No sooner was
the last slave out of the brig than we were called aft,
paid off, and the choice given us to have our passage paid
to Eio, or to be paid two dollars and a half per day, to
take the vessel around there, as soon as the slave gear
was taken out of her.
" For my part, I had had enough of slaving, and went
ashore, with one thousand three hundred and seventy
dollars, in doubloons, in my belt, determined never to be
caught in a vessel out of Havana again.''
Seven bells struck as old Anton finished his yarn, and
we started aft to pump ship, which being done, and eight
bells stmck, we were glad to turn into our warm bunks.

CHAPTER VI.
A Gale off Cape Clear — ^Nearly Ashore — ^Liverpool — What a
Sailor Sees of it.
Wb had a tedious passage, and were already forty-
eight days out, when we sighted Cape Clear. It had
been blowing quite heavUy for several days, but the wind
being only a little forward of the beam, we had made
good progress, even under the short canvass we dared to
show to it. For a cotton loaded ship is generally crank,
and wUl not bear much carrying on saU.
Our barque was stiffer than common, on account of
having an unusual quantity of baUast in, under the cot
ton. And to this fortunate circumstance we, in all prob
ability, now owed our lives and the safety of the ship.
We had been going along all day under close-reefed
topsails and reefed foresail, but as the wind freshened
toward night, and as besides, the old man had not had
an observation for some days, it was judged advisable to
take in the foretopsail and foresail, and lie to all night
Before doing so, we got a cast of the deep sea lead, and
found bottom in about one hundred fathoms, which the
skipper thought would give us a good oflSng.
C58)

THB MERCHANT VESSEL. 59
The foresaU was furled first, and we were just coming
down off the foretopsail yard after having snugly stowed
that saU, when casting a look around, at the scud flying
wildly past at the mercy of the gale, one of the seamen,
an unusually sharp-sighted fellow, descried a light upon
the lee bow.
The mate was aloft instantly, to convince himself that
we were not deceived. Sure enough, there was the light,
Cape Clear Light, as we all knew it to be, plainly visible,
at a distance of not more than twelve or thirteen mUes,
dead under our lee, too.
We had now our choice before us, either to tum about
before the wind, and run around the southem point of
Ireland, with a prospect of having to beat all the way
back again, perhaps a two weeks' piece of work, or to
carry on sail, and force her past the point, when we
would have a fair wind into Liverpool, and be safely
moored in the Docks in thirty-sis hours.
The captain and mate consulted for a few minutes,
when orders were given to loose the foretopsail and tum
a reef out, shake a reef out of the maintopsail, set the
reefed mainsail, and foresail, and the storm mizzen.
" She must weather that light, boys," said the old
man, coming forward to give us a pull at the foretopsail
sheets, " she must weather it, if we give her whole top-

We put the sail on her, and as she filled, and gathered
headway through the sea, it seemed as though every
stick must go out of her, so heavily did everything
appear stramed. The vessel lay fau:ly over on her side.

60 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
and the gale scarcely allowed her to lift her head at aU.
Her motion was that of a continual sendmg plunge, as
though going deeper and deeper all the time. The vast
bUlows rolled under her, and as she slid down into the
trough of the seas, it seemed sometimes as though she
were never' to stop.
The light, when we made it, was about four points on
the lee bow, that is to say, it bore from us in a direction
about forty-five degrees from the course the vessel was
lying. It was, at the same time, full twelve mUes off,
and it was certain, that with the drift we would inevit
ably make, in so crank a vessel, if we weathered it at all,
it would be rather close saUing.
The best helmsman was sent to the wheel, and all
hands remained upon deck during the dogwatch, keeping
the bearings of the light, and endeavoring to see if we
altered its place any. Our progress, owing to the exceed
ingly heavy sea, was but slow, and seemed nearly as much
to leeward as ahead. After an hour's saUing the light
was a little farther aft, perhaps a point, but it was also
much nearer, showing that we were drifting very fast
down upon it.
At eight beUs, we turned a reef out of the foresail,
and out of the foretopsaU, and under the additional impe
tus given her by this increase of saU, she trembled in
every beam and timber, and in the forecastle the groan
ing and creeking of the poor huU, as she was tossed from
sea to sea, made an unearthly din, which rendered sleep
ing, and even talking out of the question. It seemed as
though the good ship knew her danger and feared it.

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 61
No one thought of turning in. The excitement was
too great — and even had it not been so, the ship was
thrown about so violently, as to make lying down in a
bunk almost a matter of impossibility. We who had the
watch below, laid down on the chests, to leeward, and
talked over the chances, occasionally hearing from the
deck, how matters were going on.
At ten o'clock the light was still two points before the
beam, and now its glare seemed fearfully plain, almost
casting a shadow upon our deck. The gale seemed increas
ing in fuiy, the scud fiew wildly across the moon, now
obscuring, now revealing her disk ; and the storm- wind
shrieked through the strained cordage, while ever, as the
vessel rose upon a bUlow, the light looked down upon us,
cold and clear, a sUent monitor of the danger which
darkness hid from our sight.
Eleven o'clock came, and the light, which looked as
though almost suspended over our heads, seeming occa
sionally to be almost within reach, as a passing cloud
reflected its glare, was still forward of the beam.
Even the captain and mate now seemed doubtful
of the result ; and we of the forecastle silently went
down and lashed up our chests, ready to go ashore. It
was curious to observe the various ways in which our
position affected different individuals of the crew. Two
or three, before lashing up their chests, took out and put
on their best clothing, looking strangely out of place, in
their white shirts and gay blue jackets, amid so wild a
scene. One old tar went about the forecastle, picking up
pots and pans and other articles, which had been thrown

62 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
down by the violent motion of the ship, placing everything
snugly in the lockers, and making our rough home tidy,
perhaps, preparing thus for the long Sabbath which
seemed about to dawn, thought I. Some looked them
selves out pieces of heavy plank, to which they niight
lash themselves, to encounter the coming struggle with
the breakers; while one or two sat apart, communing with
themselves or with their God.
Twelve o'clock came. The light was now almost abeam,
but we seemed to be drifting upon it too fast for escape.
" Unless the wind favors us, lads, another half hour
will find us in the breakers," said the skipper who had
come forward, perhaps to take a last look at his crew.
" AYell, sir, we've done all that in us lay — and the
rest is with God," said an old tar, resignedly. "It's a
windy night, and if the old craft once gets into the
breakers, a very few minutes will make an end of aU."
Now the wind favors us a little.
"Luff! luff luff! you may!" shouts the captain,
cheerily, as a fresh blast strikes us from abeam.
" There she points her head to windward — ^fuU saUs —
keep full — well, there's two whole points gained, and
another half point will clear us.''
Hope once more revived in our bosoms. The wind was
evidently hauling, being probably influenced by the land,
which could not now have been more than half a mile
distant. AVe could distinguish the dull, deafening roar of the
surf, as it broke upon the crags which surround the httle
islet upon which stands the lighthouse. We could ah-eady

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 63
feel the tremendous sweep of the sea toward the rooks.
We were on the edge of the fatal ground-swell, from
which, if we once got in it, no power on earth could bring
us out again. It was in our utmost need that this unex
pected favoring slant occurred. Twenty minutes more
would have carried us into the undertow, and then not
all the breezes in the world could have saved our gallant
ship or her crew. But
" There's a sweet little cherub that sits up aloft
That looks out for the life of poor Jack."
The wind continued hauling, and also moderated faat,
as we drew more under the land, until by half past two
we were steering our course up channel, with whole top
sails set. The sun rose next moming bright and clear,
the gale of the preceding night had calmed down to a
gentle breeze, the sea had died away, and we were rolling
along quietly before the wind, with the " Ould Head of
Kinsale" on our larboard bow."
On the evening of the next day we came to anchor in
the Mersey, the river upon which Liverpool lies. The
tide runs very rapidly here, and it became necessary to
steer our vessel, even as she was lying at anchor, to keep
'-" A gale of wind, on soundings, that is, near the land, where
the water is from twenty to forty fathoms deep, raises very
quickly, au extemely disagreeable chop-sea, much worse thau
would have happened on the broad ocean. But on the other
hand, in a very few hours after the gale has moderated, the
worst sea ou soundings will smooth down, while upon the
wide Atlantic, the heavy ground-swell remains for days. Any
one who has ever smoothed the water in a tub by laying his
flat hands upon it, will know how to account for this.

64 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
her from sheering about, and breaking her ground. And
I could truly say that the very worst trick at the wheel
I had, the whole of that voyage, was whUe the old craft
was safely moored in the Mersey.
The next morning at high tide we haided into the
docks. These docks, which are the boast of Liverpool,
are enormous basins, capable, some of them, of holding
several hundred vessels, and constmcted of solid masonry.
As an evidence of the triumph of human skUl and enter
prise, over the obstacles presented by nature, these mas
sive works can not be too highly praised. Without them,
Liverpool would be a third rate shipping port. With
them, it is one of the principal commercial emporiums
of the world.
The docks are rendered necessary here, by the fact
that the extraordinary rise and faU of the tide, (twenty-
seven feet being the mean hight) would make it impos
sible for vessels to lie at wharves, as they do in all the
large American seaports. It becomes necessary, to facih
tate the labor of loading and unloading, to secure the
vessels in such a manner that the tides shall not affect
them. This is done by the docks. These are fitted with
immense flood-gates, of massive strength, which are
opened only at high tide, when the water is at its highest
At this time, all vessels going out, haul out, and next,
vessels inward bound, haul in, the gates are closed, and
the ships ride securely in a large artificial basin, the sur
face of which is, at low tide, nearly thirty feet above the
surface of the river.
Of course, where a number of vessels are crowded

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 65
together in a dock from which there can be no exit,
except at certain stated intervals, it becomes imperiously
necessary to take all proper precautions against accidents
by fire. Accordingly, the use of fire or light of any kind
is strictly prohibited within the dock walls. Officers,
who search the ship thoroughly, take into their temporary
possession all matches and other inflammable material. It
is a fineable offense to be caught smoking on board ship,
and to do away with the necessity of cooking, all handa
are boarded ashore at the expense of the vessel.
Watchmen are at all times, day and night, prowling
about to detect any breaches of the rules regarding fire
or light, and a heavy fine to the ship, and imprisonment
to the individual, is the consequence of detection.
The day after our arrival, a gang of stevedores came
on board to unload the cotton. To show how tightly it
hand been screwed in at Mobile Bay, it is only necessary
to say that it took fifteen men and two tackles an entire
hour to break out six bales in the tier next the main
hatchway. WhUe the cotton was going out, we, the crew, were
engaged in painting the vessel outside, and refitting
sundry portions of her rigging, which required it.
I do not know what impressions Liverpool may make
upon the landsman traveler. A saUor, in describing it,
would most probably say that the places most worthy of
a visit, or the lions, are the Docks, Nelson's Monument^
the Eoyal Exchange, and the New SaUors' Home — that
ita chief places of amuaement are the singing houses and
the donkey races, and that the great bulk of the inhabi-
5

66 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
tants is about equally divided into three classes, pohce
men, tailors, and fishwomen.
This is, of course, what might be styled rather a salt
water view of England's great commercial emporium —
yet, what but a one-sided view does the common sailor
get of any strange place he may visit. He has no oppor
tunity for seeing anything more than just that portion of
the otitside which happens to be turned toward hun.
Jack works hard all day, and after supper goes to a
singing house, where he may sit at one of a number of
tables, with a shipmate or two, smoke his penn'orth of
'backy, drink his pot of 'alf-and-'alf and listen to some
good, bad, and indifferent singing. These free concert
rooms, as they are called, are the principal charms of
Liverpool, to sailors. Here they congregate during the
long winter evenings, enjoying themselvea, quietly, soberly,
and at but little expense.
The tailors' shops are the places of resort next in
importance to singing houses. No sooner has your sliip
entered the dock gates, than she is besieged on aU sides
by an army of tailors, each anxious to secure the custom
of the crew, and wUling to propitiate the captain, by the
sacrifice of a pea-jacket or overcoat, or, if necessary, of
an entire suit.
And in truth, not a few captains of American mer
chant vessels find it to theii- interest to make their tailors
the bankers of the crew, thus forcing the men to trade
with a certain individual, and to take from him certain
amounts of his goods, in order to obtain certain other
amounts of cash. Thus, a captain says to his crew who

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 67
ask him for a little money on Saturday night — "Go to
Mr. Snip, I have left your money there."
Off post Tom, Dick, and Harry, to Mr. Snip's estab
lishment, in Church street, or wherever it may be, where
they are informed that Captain  has left no money
for his crew, but simply opened a credit for them, for
clothing — but if the men want to get a suit of clothes
eaoh, Mr. Snip has no objection in the world to putting
them into the bill at five dollars more than they will cost,
and paying the balance, minus a percentage, over to Tom,
Dick, or Harry.
And so Jack Tar is chiseled, and earns himself the'
name of spendthrift, by paying for an accommodation,
while the gentlemanly captain, by simply keeping his
hands in his pockets, has made a suit of clothes. This
is a part of a sea-side view of Liverpool.
"WeU, but," says the landsman, " I would take neither
clothes nor money, rather than be cheated so bare
facedly.'' This is all very good, and resolutions to that
effect are made by nearly every American ship's crew
that goes into Liverpool Docks ; and broken as often as
made. One must have money in Liverpool, and the
number of sailors who take money there or, in fact any
where else, with them, is very small. And one must
have clothes. And Liverpool, with all the cheat and -
cabbage of tailor and captain, is a place where seamens'
clothing can be obtained at fair rates, and of excellent
quality. So that Jack, after working himself up to a
state of most desperate stubbornness, and swearing fear
ful oaths that he will not he cheated, quietly walks up,

68 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
and allows himself to be made cabbage of in the most '
approved style. And then he is called a spendthrift, and
a vagabond fellow, and the tailor, who pocketed a per
centage on his hard earned five dollars on Saturday
night, on Sabbath morning points him out to his children
as an object of disgust and contempt. This it is to be a
sailor.

CHAPTER Vll.
Depaetuke from Liverpool — Passengers — Their mode of Life
on Board Ship — Philadelphia — Ship for London — Seamens'
Protection. American vessels generally carry away from Liverpool,
as return cargo, railroad iron, cotton prints, crockery,
soda, etc., and passengers. This was our cargo. No
sooner was our cotton and ballast out, than we began to
take in our return cargo of railroad iron, and crates of
crockery ware. With this, and a great number of water
casks, to supply the passengers with drinking water, the
lower hold was filled. The between decks, or steerage,
was then fitted up with two rows of hastily constructed
berths, and we were ready to take our departure.
We were to take one hundred and fifty passengers,
who came on board the morning on which we went out
of dock. They were all Irish, and a tolerably rough-
looking set, but withal, having about them that thorough
going Irish characteristic of being ready to lend a helping
hand wherever there was work going on.
We lay over night in the river, as the wind was dead
ahead to go out. Next morning, when we were about to
(69)

70 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
weigh anchor, the windlass was manned for us by a party
of passengers, who made but one demand, viz: to sing
for them some sailor songs. Accordingly our chanty-
man was called for.
Said he, "now, just wait, I'll set aU the men and
women crying before you know it."
He struck up to rather a slow and plaintive tune, an
old capstan song, which begins as follows:
" We're going away from friends and home.
Chorus — Oh sailors where are you bound to.
We're going away to hunt for gold.
Chorus — Across the briny ocean.
Father and mother say good-bye.
Chorus — Sailors where are you bound to,
Oh sisters, brothers, don't you cry,
Chorus — Across the briny ocean."
They had come up on deck laughing and talking, but
the first two stanzas of this plaintive old song had not
been sung, when all the women had their aprons to then-
eyes, and the men were not long in following suit, the
fellows who had manned the windlass, dropping the
brakes, and sobbing like children. It was rather cruel
sport, I thought, yet I would scarcely have believed that
they would have been so easily affected.
We had to pay for our fun, by heaving the anchor up
ourselves, and were glad to start up a more cheerful tune,
to win Paddy back to his usual bright spu-its.
For the first week out, it being late in the fall, we
experienced rough weather, and our passengers suffered
dreadfully with sea-sickness. Living in a crowded and
miserably dirty hole, the stench arising from which was

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 71
enough to make any one sick, half frightened out of their
wits at what they supposed to be the imminently dangerous
situation of the vessel, it was a wonder that many of
them did not die.
For eight or ten days they showed themselves but little
on deck, but lay in their berths day and night, mutter
ing prayers for a safe deliverance from the dangers of
the sea. But little cooking was done by them, and their
meager allowance was mostly wasted or thrown away.
And upon a retum of fine weather, men who, when we
left port, were stout and hearty, came up, looking as
though just arisen from a long sick bed.
Once cured of their sickness, they grew ravenously
hungry, and besieged their scantily furnished cooking-
range night and day, to get a chance to make themselves
a warm mess. Poor souls, many of them lived on hard
bread and raw meat, the greater part of the passage,
and paid dearly enough in the misery they suffered, for
the riches which they all expected to gain, on this side
the Atlantic.
The greater portion of them entertained the wildest
conceptions of the country they were about to make their
home. Few of them had any definite ideas of the rela^
tive situations of different States. Some thought the
United states to be the name of a very large city in
Ameriky, and asked if it was as large as Liverpool or
London. Others had come on board firmly convinced
that our passage could not possibly last more than ten or
twelve days. Several asked if of a truth, there was
in Ameriky^ Gold street; and judging from the igno-

72 THE MERCHANT VESSEL
ranee they displayed, there is no good reason to doubt
the truth of the story told of a newly arrived Irishman,
who, going up the wharf, saw a silver dollar lying in hia
path, but spurning it contemptuously with his foot, refused
to pick it up, saying, " I'll wait till I get to Gold street,
and pick up none but the yellow boys."
The accommodations for deck passengers, even on the
best packet ships, are of the poorest kind. There are
no rooms or divisions, the entire steerage being in one
large apartment. There can, therefore, be no privacy at
all. The bunks, or berths, are made very large, and
from six to ten persons sleep in each, men, women, and
chUdren pigging in together.
As accommodations for cooking purposes for one hun
dred and fifty persons, we had two ranges, capable each
of holding not over four small kettles. Many, therefore,
never had a mouthfuU of warm victuals from day to day.
All other accommodations are on the same scale.
Low as is the passage price, many find it beyond their
means, and scarcely a vessel leaves Liverpool for the
United Statea that has not on board some stowaways.
Careful search is always made when about to sail, but
there are many hiding-places where they cannot be
readily found. With us, one man, who had only means
sufficient to pay his own passage, but had his wife to
take along, actuaUy put her into a large chest, in which
she was brought on board, remaining in this concealment
till we were fairly out at sea.
Then the implicit confidence with which these people
venture upon a strange land, without means or friends,

THB MERCHANT VESSEL. 73
always seemed to me a matter for surprise. There were
some among our passengers, that had not actually enough
cash to support them the first week after their landing.
I overlooked one day five men, two of whom were married,
counting over their means, and among the entire party
they could muster but twenty-six English shillings, a
Uttle over six dollars. But enough of passengers.
We arrived at PhUadelphia, after a tedious passage of
fifty-four days. The snow was on the ground, and we
found the weather bitter cold, coming up the Delaware.
This was the first time for more than three years, that I
had seen snow or felt cold like this, and I speedily deter
mined that an Indiaman would be my ship, could one be
found in Philadelphia.
As soon as the ship was made fast to the wharf we
left her. I was the only one of the crew who came out
in her from Boston, and found myself now feeling quite
sorrowful at leaving the old craft, in which I had spent
nine months, on the whole very pleasantly. Yet, thus goes
the saUor's life. He cannot even center his affections
upon a vessel. A vagabond upon the face of the earth,
he is continually breaking off all ties whioh threaten to
bind him down to steadier habits.
So, even whUe I experienced most strongly the feeling
of reluctance at leaving the good old craft which had
been so long my home, and thc officers, whom long
acquaintance, and brotherhood in many trials and dan
gers, had given a strong hold on my regards, the pressing
offer which I received to " stay, and go another voyage,"

74 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
unhesitatingly refused by me. It would not be seaman
like, I thought.
We, the crew, having been now some six months
together, felt unwUling to part just here, and had agreed
therefore to take the same boarding house. For a few
days we enjoyed a degree of comfort to which we had
long been strangers. Then came the search for ships,
the pressing need, accompanied by a dread of the suffer
ings which are the inevitable portion of poor Jack, when
he gets caught on the American coast, in winter.
Now not a few wished that they could stay ashore, to
escape the frozen fingers and toes, the ice and snow, and
the keen north- westers, which chUl the very marrow in
one's bones, on a winter passage, that most terrible ordeal
the sailor passes through. But there Ls no escape. Ship,
you must, for they are already beginning to sing :
" So get up Jack, let John sit down.
For you know you're outward bound —
You know you're outward bound."
Coming in one day to dinner, I found that a shipmate of
mine had engaged in a little brigantine, bound to London.
"Come, boys," said he, "she wants two more hands,
go down and take a look at her, and then sign the
articles." " I wouldn't go into the British Channel, in winter, for
all the gold in Califomia," said an old tar at the head of
the table.
" She's a little craft, and you'll not have to keep the
blue pigeon going."

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 75
" Don't you believe it ; you'll cast the lead every bit
of the way from the Downs to Gravesend, and perhaps
clear to London."
"Well, who cares, it's all in a voyage; and at any
rate she's a snug little craft, and her crew wUl be able to
handle her like a top."
Now, I had often heard of the sufferings incidental
to a winter passage across the Atlantic, aud knew the
British Channel to be one of the most trying and uncom
fortable spots, for winter navigation, that is to be found
within the temperate zone. There was, therefore, adven
ture in the voyage, some new experiences to make — and
as to sufferings, I consoled myself with the reflection
that if my shipmates could stand them, I could do
as well. I therefore determined within my own mind, if
the vessel looked likely or comfortable, at once to ship
in her.
Going down to the wharf, I found her to be a diminu
tive brigantine, of not above one hundred and sixty tons
burthen, a strange looking vessel wherein to hazard a
winter voyage to Europe. She was to carry four hands
before the mast, the captain, mate, and cook — seven, all
told. The mate was shovelling snow off the decks, as I
went on board. Said I to him, " Do you think, sir, she'll
ever get to London ?"
"I am going there in her, my lad," was the laconic
answer; and saying to my shipmate that I would also, I
got my protection, went to the shipping office and signed
the articles of the brigantine Balize, " bound from PhUa
delphia to London, and such port or ports up the

76 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
Mediterranean, as the captain may determine on, and back
to a port of discharge, in the United States."
An American vessel bound to a foreign port, is obliged
to carry a certain proportion (two-thirds) of American
seamen. Every American seaman, in order to be entitled
to the rights and privileges peculiar to that class, must he
furnished with a Protection, an instrument obtainable at
any of the United States Custom Houses, upon bringing
forward substantial evidence that the individual is an
American, either born or naturalized. Here is the form
of a Protection : The United States of America.
No. 
I  , Collector of the District and Port of  ,
do hereby certify that  an American seaman,
aged — years, or thereabouts, of the hight of — feet —
inches,  complexion,  hair,  eyes, bom in
 , has this day produced to mc proof in the maimer
directed by the Act entitled " An Act for the Eelief and
Protection of American Seamen," and pursuant to said
Act, I do hereby certify that the said  is a citizen
of the United States of America.
In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and
seal of office, at  this — day of  ,
 , Collector.
This Protection, for which the charge of twenty-five
cents is made at the Custom House, is placed in the
captain's possession, on signing the articles, as he is
obliged to exhibit a certain number of them at the Cus
tom House before he can get his clearance. Protection

THB MERCHANT VESSEL. 77
are very often manufactured, much as American citizens
are said to be made to order on the eve of an election,
and some shipping officers keep quite an assortment on
hand, in order that a ship may not be detained for the
want of American seamen. Thus, in emergencies, they
are able to ship men of any nation, merely obliging them
to take the names which are on the Protections they hap
pen to have on hand.
An Amerioan Protection is of little value to the sea
man, except in cases where he is wrecked, or left sick or
destitute in a foreign port, when it gives him a claim on
the American Consul, who is obliged to provide for him,
and send him home if he desires it.

CHAPTER Vlll.
Ship for London — The Vessel — A Winter Passage across the
Atlantic — Its Hardships — The English Channel.
When I announced to my shipmates that I was gomg
in the little brigantine, they looked at me with dismay.
It then for the first time leaked out that the general
impression among them was that she never would reach
London. That being so small, and old, as well as deeply
laden, she was likely to founder in the tremendous gales
which sweep the Atlantic in the months of January and
February. This was not pleasant news for me, but like much ill-
tidings, it came too late. I had signed the articles, and
a seaman's pride would have forbidden me to back out
from the danger now, even though she were sure to go
down. I took occasion, however, on my next visit to the
brig, to mention to her imperturable mate what was
said of the vessel.
Said he, " Are you married?"
" No sir."
" Well, I have a wife and three little ones, down on
the Cape, and /am going to London in the Balize."
(78)

THB MERCHANT vessel. 7?
There was no answering a clincher like that, and I
was content to take what comfort I could out of the
refiection that my loss would be my loss alone.
The second of January was appointed for our sailing
day. It was an intensely cold morning when I put my
chest and hammock into a waggon, to be taken to the
ship, and taking a last lingering look at the cosey fire,
walked down to the wharf, accompanied by several old
shipmates, whom regard prompted to see me off. It was-
my first voyage as seaman. I had shipped the previous ¦
voyage as boy, but had been allowed seaman's wages by
the captain for part of the time, and, what gratified me
far more than the additional salary, had received from
the mate, on leaving, a hearty written recommendation
as able seaman. As we walked down, I received some
good advice from one of my old shipmates, concluding
with: " Now, Charley, this is your first voyage as seaman,
and you must not let any one go before you. Wherever
there's duty, there's likely to be danger, boy, and where-
ever there's danger, there do you be first."
A tight grasp of the hand, and a hearty " God bless
you, and keep you, boy," from my shipmates, and I leaped
on board the vessel, she was cast off, and we slowly wound
down the river, before a light breeze.
I do not remember ever to have felt it so terribly cold
as it was that morning. The Delaware was rapidly
freezing over, and we drifted down with the tide, through
cakes of ice every moment getting harder and more
unpenetrable. When a few mUes below the city, the

80 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
breeze freshened, and as the little craft danced over the
waves, every pitch increased the mass of ice that was
gathering about her head. The spray, which fiew freely
in over the bows, froze hard before it reached the deck,
and we who were securing the anchors for sea, were soon
encased in ice, yet without being wet through, as we should
have beeen had it been less cold.
It was utterly impossible to keep any part of the body
even moderately warm, and feet and hands were shortly
quite numb and sensationless. It is always colder on
fresh water than on salt, and as we neared the bay, and
got into the sea tide, there was a slight, although quite
perceptible change in the temperature.
As we approached the ocean, the breeze freshened to a
gale, and we took occasion, on running in behind the
break- water to land the pilot, to single reef our stiff and
bran new cotton foretopsail, and also reef the foresaU and
mainsail For the latter saU, however, we had but Uttle
use thereafter, as the gale, which blew from west-north
west, was very nearly aft, and the foretopsail and fore
sail were the only sails we could carry under such
circumstances. While aloft, reefing, we looked with sinking hearts
upon the mountain billows whose white heads were wUdly
breaking upon the beach outside, and the sullen roar of
the sea seemed to warn us not to tempt ita power.
The pilot landed (oh, how I envied him), the aails
reefed and hoisted, and everything double secured about
decks, we wore round and stood out past Cape Henlopen.
As we rounded the point of the break-water, which had

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 81
protected us, a huge wave struck the vessel, and came
crashing over the bows, deluging the deck, and sweeping
all before it, until it found its way out at the stern.
With that wave went the last vestige of dryness, the
only kind of comfort there is on board ship in cold
weather, for the entire passage. From that time, for
thirty days and nights, not one of the crew had on a dry
stitch of clothing.
I had heard before of bathing-tubs, had been told of
making an entire passage under water, but looked upon
such yams as rather tough — somewhat highly colored.
But the experience of this passage left us no longer room
to doubt the possibility of a vessel making her way
through and under the water. From the time the first
wave struck till we entered the English Channel a con
tinual succession of seas swept our decks, one following
upon the top of the other, until we have actually seen
waves come on board in a solid body over ten feet high,
sweep across the deck like a vast sea-green avalanche, and
roll out over the bow.
Fortunately our rail, or bulwark, was very low, and
the water had as free egress as ingress, else would all the
stancheons have been swept away by the force of the
body of water which was continually washing from one
side to the other of the deck as she rolled.
It was just at one o'clock of the second day after leav
ing Philadelphia, that we took this launch into the
stormy Atlantic. Judging that we shpuld experience
some rough weather, everything abput decks, such as boat,
water-casks and galley, had been doubly and evcu trebly
6

82 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
fastened. With the same view to security, we had bent
new sails, with new robands, had doubly clinched the
tackls, sheets, buntlines, and clewlines, that no piece of
gear might get adrift perhaps at the very time we should
need it most. We had furled the topgallantsaU and
gafftopsail, and wound each sail about with gaskets
enough to make fast a seventy-four's topsail. We had
even lashed the chain cable, a portion of which was
stowed upon deck.
But what can stand before the fury of such a blast
as that before which we were driving — what resist
the impetuous force of the mountains of water which
rolled, and tumbled, and broke over our decks con
tinually. On the very first night out, in the mid-watch, while I
was at the helm, a sea crashed on deck, just forward of
the main rigging, and falling upon the large boat which
lay, bottom up, upon the main hatchway, cmshed her as
completely as though men with axes had stove her to
pieces. In the morning watch, our foresaU split and blew from
the yard, not a sign of it being left, even the reef which
was fast to the yard, gradually going, strip by strip.
On the second morning, we found our topgallantsaU
blown out of the gaskets. ' On the next night an unusu
ally large sea boarded us, tore two large water-casks
from their lashings, and carried them clear over the rail.
We had, ere this, made our little galley fast to every
bolt, stancheon, mast and rigging, that could possibly he
connected with it bya rope, and this multiplied precaution

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 83
was the only means of saving it. But with this ex
ception, and two water-casks lashed aft near the taff
rail, where the seas did not come on board with such
fury, there was not left, when we were three days out, a
single moveable object about decks, and everything that
could be blown away aloft, was likewise gone.
No one who has not seen and felt it, can imagine the
searching power of the wind in a gale like this. It no
longer gives way, but carries all before it with resistless
sway. It becomes something tangible, a force which you
feel, as though a heavy body struck you. It is even im
possible to draw a breath when looking to windward, and
to make progress against it along decks, it is necessary to
draw one's self along by the bulwark, or life lines.
Of course the forecastle and cabin hatchways were
kept closed, as the least carelessness in that particular
might have filled these places with a sea, drowning the
inmates in their berths. When the watch came on deck
they were obliged to Icok out for a comparatively smooth
interval, and then darting quickly out of the little scuttle,
shut and bolt it down. Before they got aft a sea would
overwhelm them, out of which they would emerge, gasp
ing for breath, half drowned, and dripping. Not unfre
quently we were obliged to make ourselves fast to ropes
stretched along from aft to the forecastle, and let those
abaft pull us along through the water.
The natural heat of the system drying on us the salt
water, encased our bodies in a crust of salt, which rubbed
and chafed, and eat into the tender skin, making us all
over sores. The waves continually dashing into our

84 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
faces, half blinded us, and the salt drying on around the
eyelids, made painful swellings about those susceptible
parts. To add to our troubles, already sufficiently great, on
the second night out, our vessel sprung a leak, and from
that time till wc anchored in the Downs we never left the
pumps. The brig steered badly, and steering a vessel
under such circumstances is at best a most disagreeable
labor, since the Uves of all on board, and the safety of
the vessel, depend in a great measure on the watchful
vigilance of the helmsman. A turn of the hehn the
wrong way, or the neglect to meet her quickly, as some
vast wave swings the little craft half round, and she
broaches to the wind, and to broach to in such a gale at
sea is certain destruction.
Almost every minute a wave bounces over the rail, and
dashes the poor helmsman forcibly aaainst the wheel, to
which he clings for dear life, until the gi-een mass of
water passes and leaves him half drowned, to twist at
the stubborn helm, and keep the vessel in her course.
So severe was the toil of steering, that I have many a
time stood, on thc cold January nights, in my shirt
sleeves, dripping with the sea water, and yet with the
perspiration breaking out on my faee and arms, and all
the upper part of my body in a dow of heat.
Our hands, with the continual grasping of wheel or
pump-break,' or rope, and the constant wetness, were raw
inside and out, and left their marks in blood on every
thing they touched. Then, when the two hours trick at
the wheel was over, thc worn out helmsman must go to

THB MERCHANT VESSEL. 85
the pump, where lashing himself to the mainmast to
keep from being bome overboard by the seas, he pumps
another weary two hours, occasionally spelled, or relieved,
by the captain or mate.
But it was in our feet we suffered most. Arms and
body though sore and suffering, received a sufficiency of
violent exercise to keep up a healthy circulation of the
blood, while our feet were moved but little, and after
being for four hours immersed in the ice cold water, were
entirely sensationless, mere appendages, without the
power of motion, and feeling as though tightly cased in
ice. Many times have I on going below, seen my solitary
watch-mate (for there were only two in each watch,) pulling
off his boots in full confidence that he would find his feet
enveloped in ice. And often was I myself certain, that
this time my poor feet must be solidly frozen.
This was our life on deck. Below it was but little
better, although we were glad enough to get to a shelter
from the sharp winds, which was the only way in which
the forecastle was of any benefit to us. Notwithstanding
our most ingenious devices to keep out the water, in order
that we might have at least one little dry spot left, it
poured in at every seam of the upper deck. On the floor
the water stood (or rather rolled, for nothing stood) at
least six inches deep, continually. Our bunks were half
afloat, blankets were wrung out every watch, and mat
tresses were mere mouldy masses of wet and rotting straw.
Sitting in a little shower bath upon our chests, we
would first puU off very carefully, and gingerly, the boots

86 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
and stockings from our frozen feet. The operation of
gradually stripping off the stockings used to seem to me
like peeling off the skin, so tender were the benumbed
limbs. Stockings, wrung out, were hung upon a nail in
readiness to be resumed at the end of the four hours
Trowsers and shirts were now submitted to a similar pro
cess of wringing out, and hanging up, and then tach
turned naked into his berth, to get warm, and doze off to
sleep. But the getting a little warm was a torture. As the
blood retumed to the long feelingless feet, it would seem
as though small veins or streams of hot lead were being
poured over various portions of the limbs. Amid groans
of pain, the sufferer puts his hands down to ascertain
whether the retuming circulation has not bursted open
his foot, so acute are the sensations consequent upon a
renewal of feeling.
After a succession of attempts to make all snug, the
exhausted body at last sinks into a slumber, from which
it is awakened at the expiration of the watch, and called
to turn out of the now warm, and at last comfortable,
steaming bed-place, and relieve his shipmates at steering
and pumping.
On getting up, we would be steaming, literaUy, the
warmth of our bodies tuming the moisture of the bedding
into vapor. The cold, wet clothing pulled off and wrung
out at the commencement of the watch, was now resumed,
the wet stockings were once more put inside of the wetter
boots, the sow-wester securely fastened under the chin,
and shivering and miserable, we crawled up the ladder

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 87
to wait for a favorable moment when to issue on deck
and run aft.
To add still to our troubles, when it blew the hardest
it was found impossible to keep the vessel free by means
of constant pumping, and I yet recall the sinking of
despair with which, on some of the very worst days and
nights of the trip, we were wakened up long before the
expiration of our watch below, to aid in pumping, and
try to keep the water under. For three long days and
nights, at one time, she was gradualUy sinking under us,
our most strenuous efforts at the pumps to the contrary
notwithstanding. On sounding the pump-well, at the expiration of a
watch, we would find that in spite of our efforts, the
water had gained upon us several inches. We fought it
inch by inch, hoping for more moderate weather, which
V. as the only thing that could save us. Yet our labor
was performed not with the energy of persons working for
scmething they would like to save. It was more as a
matter of duty to the vessel and her owners. For so
much had we suffered with wet and cold, that we had
begun to look upon our now probable fate as, at any
rate, a relief from misery too great to be bome much
longer. Any change was welcome.
Strange feelings come over one in such times. In our
dozing, down below, (for to sleep was become impossible,
and one simply dozed off into a state of semi-unconscious
ness,) we used to dream of home and of the old times
long past when we were children there. Eetiring to our
wet births, unknowing whether we should ever rise from

88 THE MEKCHANT VESSEL.
them again, we would return to full consciousness at the
calling of the watch, half surprized, half sorry that the
final catastrophe was not yet — that another four hours
of the battle must be waged before we finaUy succumbed.
We began to think it would be as well, and much more
Comfortable, to remain in our berths and await the sure
fate. It would but hasten it a little. But duty forbade.
And there is, after all, a faint lingering spark of hope,
which seems never to leave man, or at any rate, the
sailor, until he is totally overwhelmed — and this too,
urged us to the pumps.
Yet we grew careless of the event. Day by day we
went to our berths, not knowing but we were closing our
eyes for the last time — sleeping to wake no more. Watch
after watch we went on deck expecting each four hours
to be the last, until, ere long, we had grown used to the
feeling, and suffered silently on, thinking as little as
might be of that to which all had now resigned them
selves. Cooking, for a great part of the passage, was out of
the question. A pot of hot coffee was a luxury not
attainable every day, and as for preparing anything else,
it was vain to think of it. So the cook took his tum at
the pumps with the rest, and nursed his cold toes the
balance of the time.
The water stood three feet deep in the hold, and was
still slowly gaining on us, when at last the weather
moderated a little, and the wind gradually dying down,
gave us nearly an entire day, (a Sabbath) of calm. But
although the gale had gone down, the sea was roUing

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THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 89
mountains high, and with the exception of being able, by
pumping hard all day, to free the vessel of water, we
were but little better off than before.
" We shall pay for it before forty-eight hours,'' said
the mate, as we were congratulating ourselves on the
favorable change.
And sure enough before the night was over, we had
seen the wildest weather of all the passage.
About two in the afternoon, an intensely black cloud
began to rise in the west, slowly spreading until it covered
all the western horizon, from north to south, with a pall
of inky darkness. It did not move — there seemed no life
in it. But it grew almost imperceptibly larger, until, at
sunset, the entire firmament was one impenetrable black
mass, and the darkness seemed fairly tangible.
We had taken in the sails, loosed during the day
(having taken advantage of the calm to bend another
foresaU) and were now, at dark, lying under a single
reefed foretopsail, waiting for the storm which we knew
was suspended over head.
The wind had entirely died away before dark, not a
breath of air being perceptible, and except the dull roar
of the sea, and the heavy sug of our vessel as she pitched
into it, aU was still. Every man was on deck, for we
felt there would soon be work enough for us to do.
In the pitchy darkness we could not see a rope, or dis
tinguish each other, although touching. The captain
had brought a large lantern on deck, and was standing
on the chain cable, near the helmsman, ready to light us,
should it be necessary to get a pull at anything.

90 THE MB ECHA NT VESSEL.
Now there is a low sigh of wind over the water.
" Put your helm hard to starboard," says the captain,
and try to get her before it."
Now a louder blast, succeeded by one yet fiercer, and
then with an intensely brUliant flash of lightning, and a
burst of thunder as though the heavens were rent in
twain, the gale was upon us.
" Clew down your foretopsail, let go the halyards,"
shouted the captain.
But too late. The bellying saU would not come down,
and the brig fairly stood upon end for a moment as the
whole impetus of the gale struck her, then bur3dng her
bows, clear to the foremast, in an immense sea, she torged
ahead, staggering like an animal that has been stmck a
heavy blow upon the head. The wind shrieked wildly as
it rushed by us, the hail drove down upon us in torrents,
leaving its marks wherever it stmck upon our persons.
Whi!e pulling at the foretopsail clewline, a hailstone
struck me on the hand and tore off a piece of skin as
large as half a dollar. Several were wounded in the
same way.
The captain called to all to come aft. Suddenly we
noticed upon the masthead, and at each yard arm small
blue flames, dancing like evil spirits hither and thither
upon the wind. It was the " corposant," so called by
seamen, often the precursor, sometimes the accompani
ment of a violent storm, an electrical appearance, gen
erally attaching itself to the irons on the extremities of
the masts and yards, the pale and ghastly light darting
about fitfully as the breeze catches it.

THB MERCHANT VESSEL. 91
There is a superstitious belief among seamen, that he"!
upon whom a corposant has shone, will die before the ',
expiration of the voyage. ^j
A still stranger phenomenon drew our attention from
the appearances upon the yards. Our brig had double
miin.stays, two large ropes running from the mainmast-
head to the deck at the foot of the foremast. Down
between these stays, which were some six inches apart,
now rolled what appeared to us a ball of liquid fire,
somewhat resembling a red-hot sixty-eight pound shot.
When yet some ten feet from the deck, the chain cable
stretched along under the stay, seemed to attract it, it
fell upon it, and with a sharp, hissing noise, fiew into
hundreds of pieces, the greater portion running aft along
the line of chain.
The captain, who was standing with one foot upon this
cable, was struck by the electric current and transfixed,
immovable for a few minutes. Every pane of glass in
the large lantern he held in his hand was broken, lhe
man at the wheel was rendered entirely helpless for some
time, having to be carried from his post. AVhether, as
some of the crew asserted, this appearance was accom
panied by a loud clap of thunder, or not, I would not
dare to say, for so much was I taken up with the mete
oric fire ball, that had the heavens burst with thunder I
should not have known it.
The violent hail, which lasted perhaps three-quarters
of an hour, had the effect of beating down the sea, so
that even at the hight of the squaU, we were sailing
through comparatively smooth water.

92 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
The firat blast over, and our old gale retumed, with
the same rolling, the same continual shipping of seas, the
same tiresome labor at the pumps. We still ran before
it, although we overtook large ships hove-to. Our captain
would not heave-to — partly, as he was actually afraid
when the gale was at its hight, to bring so small a vessel
to the wind, and partly because he was anxious to get
across. On the twentieth night out, she broached-to with us.
This is a most dangerous accident, and not unfrequently
occasions the loss of a vessel. Fortunately, we had but
a rag of canvass, the close-reefed foretopsail, set, and in
the moment of her coming violently to the wind, the
braces were let go by the mate, so that the yards swung,
and did not allow the sail to get aback. (By broach
ing- to is meant the act of a vessel which has been going
before the wind, tuming violently about, and bringing
the sails aback. Many a good ship, running under a
press of canvas, has been sent down stern foremost hy
broaching-to.) As our vessel lay in the trough of the
sea for a few minutes, the decks, fore and aft, were
entirely covered with an enormous wave, which boarded her
671 masse, and threatened to send us all to the bottom.
Here our low rail was again useful, the brig being able
to clear herself much quicker of the body of water, than
had she had higher bulwarks. Yet it was for some
minutes green all around and over us, and we began to
think we were going under. The helm had been put
down, in the moment of her broaching-to, and she had
sufficient headway to mind it, and graduaUy came up to

THB MERCHANT VESSEL. 93
the wind, lying across the trough of the sea, and clearing
her decks in a great measure of the water. Having her
once hove-to, it was exceedingly dangerous to keep off
before it again, until it should moderate, as we would
once more be exposed to the danger of being boarded by
some mountain wave, and perhaps having our decks swept.
It was therefore determined to heave-to under a close-
reefed fore-spencer.
The topsail was clewed up, and after an hour's hard
tugging at it, we succeeded in furling it. We were now
relieved from the toil of steering, as the helm is lashed
down, and had consequently double force at the pumps.
But our troubles were soon to recommence. We had just
gone below to get some breakfast, after having been up
nearly all night, getting her snug, when the fore-spencer
blew away. As it was necessary to have some sail on
her, we set the storm foretopmast staysaU, and a little
comer of the mainsail. Before an hour, the foretopmast
staysail flew away, and the force of the mainsail sud
denly brought to bear on the stern, brought her head to
the wind and sea. An immense billow lifted up her bow,
and for a moment she stood upon her stern, all hands
thinking she would go down stem foremost — in the next
she seemed to slide off the mountain of water, and we
lay to on the other tack, having been thrown by the sea
from one tack to the other. We quickly hauled down
the mainsaU, and set a small tarpaulin in the main rig
ging, and under this, lay to securely until the gale had
abated somewhat.
Yet ten days of pumping and steering, and the numerous

94 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
vessels coming in view, as well as the dense fogs, pro
claimed the vicinity of land. As we entered the mouth
of the British Channel, the gale decreased, but the
weather was much morc uncomfortable, on account of its
dampness, and as we kept watch at night in our salt
water soaked clothing I f.lt sometimes as though the
marrow was congealing in my bones. M ith a fair breeze,
on the next day after entering the Channel we got up to
B.achy Head, where we lay becalmed for an afternoon,
anxiously peering through the fog for a pilot-boat. While
lying here, a steamer passed us on her way up. It
seemed hard to us as she paddled past, to think that
she would be in London probably that night yet, while
we might, should we take a headwind, beat about
there for a week, and after all go ashore on some of the
English cliffs. I never before so badly wished myself
out of any scrape, and determined, as indeed did aU the
crew, that if we once got the crazy old brig safely to
London, incontinently to leave her there.
That night we got a little farther ahead, and in the
mid-watch fortunately got a Dungeness or deep-sea pilot
as these are called, in contradistinction to the river men,
who are known as mud pilots. This was an immense
relief to us, as our captain, who had never before made a
foreign voyage, was totally unacquainted with the Chan
nel, and had, for the last two days, been chasing every
vessel that hove in sight, to find out our whereabouts, the
constant fogs preventing him from getting an observation.
AVc ran into the Downs and there anchored until the
tide should serve, as, when the breeze arose, it was dead

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 95
ahead, giving us a prospect of beating all the way up to
Gravesend, the real entrance to the river Thames, and
the port of the city of London.
The deep-sea pUots in the English Channel are a pe
culiar set. More thorough-going seamen, in all that per
tains to the management of a vessel, or more competent
and trustworthy men in their profession, are probably
nowhere to be found. They are under the control of a
naval board, called the Trinity Chapter, who appear to
have under their charge the entire British Channel, or
at least all in and about the English side of it, that
pertains to the safety of shipping.
Very strict rules are laid down for the pilots, in regard
to the management of the vessels placed under their
charge, such as placing a single reef in the topsails every '
time a vessel comes to anchor, during the winter season,
paying out a certain amount of cable, keeping anchor-
watch, and various other matters. As vessels work tide
work in beating up channel, that is, get under weigh
with every favoring tide, and come to anchor when it
turns, this occasions no small addition to the labor, already
sufficiently great, of making short tacks, keeping the
lead constantly going, and the frequent weighing
anchor. With our dull-sailing and deep-loaded craft, we were
three days and nights beating up to Gravesend, a time
during which we got but little sleep, and although per
haps, on the whole, less uncomfortable than during the
previous portions of our passage, were almost continually
on deck, exposed to the damp air, and handling wet ropes.

96 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
heaving the lead when the line froze as we hauled it in,
and working with muddy chains and anchors.
Passing the buoy at the Nore, whose miserable fate has
been so comically lamented by Hood, and which marks
the scene of the great mutiny, when England's wooden
walls had nearly been turned against her, we finaUy
reached Gravesend. Having brought us to anchor here,
our pilot's office ceased, and he went ashore.
The brig was now thoroughly searched by custom-house
officers, one of whom remained on board until the cargo
was out. We had been hailed times without number, on
our passage up, by tow-boats desirous to take us up to
London, which would have relieved the crew of an im
mense deal of severe labor, besides materially expediting
our progress ; but our stingy Yankee skipper took counsel
with his pocket, and " having the men to feed and pay
at any rate," as he said, to the pUot's infinite disgust,
preferred to beat up.
We had now, however, arrived at the head of aU such
navigation as that. The Thames, from Gravesend to
London, outdoes even the Mississippi in the number and
acuteness of its tui-ns, or reaches, as they are called, and
but one class of vessels pretend to sail up from here.
These are the Colliers, the Jordies, who, in their dirty-
looking brigs (the brig is the favorite and only rig of a
true Jordie collier-man) work up slowly from reach to
reach, taking perhaps a week to make the distance from
Gravesend to the city.
These collier men are a peculiar set. Familiar from
childhood with all the intricacies of channel navigation,

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 97
they work their way with singular dexterity through the
immense fleet of shipping, of all nations, that at all times
congregates here, often nearly blocking up the upper por
tion of the channel. They hold all manner of foreign
vessels, or " south Spainers," in supreme contempt. Un
derstanding perfectly their rights, and obstinately main
taining them, woe betide the unfortunate craft that
misses stays, and hanging in irons, remains an unman
ageable impediment in Jordie's lawful track. He wiU
unhesitatingly poke his short, stout jibboom through your
foresail, or into your cabin windows, and " out of the
way, you brass-bottomed booger,"'"' is all the apology you
get. Without the collier men, London's river would be be
reft of half its life, and all its fun, for in return for his
crabbed spitefulness, everybody has a fling at Jordie ; and
happy he who does not come out second best, for either
billingsgate or fisticuffs he is hard to beat.
Being finally persuaded of the utter impossibUity of
beating up to London, our captain had to engage a
steam-tug, which brought us up to our berth, in the
herring tier, on the Surry side, in a very short time.
Here we were hauled under an immense crane, and the
hatches being opened, ten tierces of beef were hoisted out
at once, the entire cargo being landed in little more than
half a day.
" In allusion to the copper on the bottoms of all foreign-sail
ing vessels, but which is never seen on a collier.

CHAPTER IX.
ABRrvAL in London — The Docks — Sailors — The CaUfornia Ship
— Singular instance of Affection in a Serpent — What Sailors
see of London — Sail for Boston.
With the next tide we hauled into the St. Katherine's
dock, where we were to take in our retum cargo. The
docks of London are altogether differently arranged from
those in Liverpool. Here we were allowed to cook on board,
but a light after eight o'clock at night waa strictly for
bidden. The gates close at seven, P. M., and open at
seven, A. M., and every one going out is strictly searched
by the gate-keepers, not only to prevent the introduction
of contraband articles, but also to prevent thieving on
the part of the dock laborers and persons frequenting the
shipping. No bundle of any kind is allowed to be car
ried out, without a written permit from some person in
authority. These strict regulations are rendered necessary on ac
count of the vast quantities of merchandise of aU kinds
stored up here. All around the docks are spacious ware
houses from three to six stories high, where is deposited
a portion of the goods brought here by shipping from all
parts of the world. There can be no more interesting
(98)

THB MERCHANT VESSEL. 99
sight in London than would be obtained by a walk
through these warehouses. He who has not visited them
,has no idea of the vast amount of wealth, from all parta
of the world, which is constantly accumulating here.
The most precious commodities, which at home we
see dribbled out by half ounces and drachms, are there
seen by the bale and hogshead, and warehouse-full.
Here in two vast buildings is stored tea. In these
vaults, extending for squares underground, are wines.
On this broad quay are piled immense tierces of tallow
from icy Archangel, and by their side lies a vessel fra
grant with aU the spices of Araby the blest. Here is a
four-story building, filled to overfiowing with bales of
cinnamon and sacks of nutmegs. Next to it is the de
pository of all the indigo in the world. Here is hemp,
and there is cotton ; yonder, bales of costly silks, and
farther on, iron. There is no end to either the variety
or quantity of goods. All possible and impossible things
seem here brought in conjunction.
But let us take a look at the shipping. No nation
that has a ship is unrepresented here — no part ofthe earth
that has a seaport but may be visited from here at short
notice. Archangel or the Cape of Good Hope, New York
or Calcutta, China or California, St. Petersburgh or the
Guinea Coast, Valparaiso or Constantinople, whither will
you go ? Here are ships for all and many more. And
this is only one of the smallest of her docks. Truly,
he who visits London and does not see her docks, misses
one of the most interesting and instructive of her many
eights.

100 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
In a few days after entering the docks, we began to
take in cargo for Boston. We had determined to leave
the vessel, but found many sailors ready to take our
places, and anxious for the chance even to work their
passage, without pay, and therefore wisely concluded to
hang on even to a sinking ship, as better than none at aU.
In the winter season sailors have hard times in Lon
don. Shipping is dull and men plenty, and very fre
quently large premiums are paid for chances to ship.
Woe to the poor sailor who then finds himself ashore,
without money or friends. The landlord turns him out
to starve or beg, and he sleeps on the street, or worse yet,
in the strmc-Iiouse provided for indigent sailors, where
they may be seen, on cold winter evenings, cowering
under the wretched litter, trying to forget their hunger
and misery in sleep. And at meal-times, gaunt, wasted
forms hover about the forecastle, casting wishful glances
t the plenteous meal of the crew, or begging for pity's
eake for a morsel of bread and meat.
Such scenes are but too frequent in the large ports of
England, when commerce is not very brisk. We therefore
gladly retained our places on board, hoping for better
weather on the homeward passage.
While we lay in the docks, a British vessel hauled in
and lay along side of us, to which a singular story of
crime attached, which was at that time dinned into every
one's ears in London by the ballad-mongers, who found
its horrors a fruitful source of pennies. The story, as
I obtained it from her mate, was this :
She had left San Francisco, bound for London, with no

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 101
cargo, intending to procure a load of copper on the coast
of Chili, but with nearly seventy-five thousand dollars in
gold dust and bars, in the lazerrete, under the cabin.
The crew, unfortunately, knew of the presence of this
treasure on board, and from this arose the subsequent
catastrophe. On the vessel's first arrival at San Francisco, all her
own crew had left her, and when again about to sail, the
captain was obliged to take such hands as he could get,
principaUy coast-rangers, desperate characters, who per
haps did not ship in her without a purpose.
All went quietly until the vessel had got nearly to the
Une, and was distant only some two or three days sail
from the Gallapagos Islands. At this time the carpenter,
who was the only man of the crew that understood the
art of navigating the vessel, was approached by one of
the hands, with proposals to mutiny, kill the officers,
take possession of the vessel and her treasure, and, scut
tling the former when they got near land, leaving her for
the coast of Peru, and there enjoying their ill-gotten
booty. It appeared that they had doubted the carpenter, and
had left him out of their counsels while the arrangement
of the matter was pending. They now, only at the last
moment previous to the execution of their project, took
him into their confidence, and presented to him the alter
native to partake of the fate of the officers, or join them
in good faith. Overcome by surprise and terror, he re
luctantly submitted to become one of them. But they
did not trust him out of their sight again, and that very

102 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
night, in the mid- watch, while the ship was saUing along
with a gentle breeze, their fell purpose was carried into
effect. It was the mate's watch on deck, and as he leaned
drowsily against the mizzen-mast, he was approached
from behind by one of the mutineers, who buried an
axe in his head and left him for dead.
They now proceeded to get the captain out of his cabin.
Throwing a large coil of rigging forcibly down on the
poop deck, was the means resorted to, to gain their pur
pose. It succeeded, for scarce a minute had elapsed
before the captain's head appeared above the companion
slide, as he asked what was meant by such noise. He
had hardly uttered the question, when a blow upon the
head with an iron belaying pin silenced him forever.
The second mate was in like manner enticed on deck and
murdered. The mutineers had now possession of the vessel. They
made haste to pitch overboard the bodies of the mur
dered officers, and clear away the gore which stained the
deck, and then consulted as to what was next to be done.
They concluded to alter their original plan, sail for the
Gallapagos, and land there on one of the uninhabited
islands, setting the ship on fire before they left her, and
thus more securely destroy all trace of their crime.
They would then divide their booty, and burying it, go in
their boat to some one of the inhabited isles, in the guise
of shipwrecked seamen, and thus quiet all suspicions.
This plan decided upon, the carpenter, who had been
strictly guarded in the forecastle whUe the scene of

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 103
murder was being acted, was called for. On approaching,
he was sent to the wheel, with instructions to keep the
vessel for the Gallapagos, and a threat of instant death in
case of disobedience.
The crew, consisting of ten hands, now proceeded into
the cabin to hunt up the gold, whioh, found, was placed
in convenient sacks for carrying off. By this time day
light began to appear, and as the first excitement wore
off, their breasts fiUed with remorse at what they had
done. "Liquor, liquor, boys," said one, "let's drink and be
merry; there'a no one to forbid." The captain's rum
was produced, and ere noon, after a scene of uproarious
jollity, the mutineers lay upon the decks in drunken
stupor. All this time, it must be remembered, the poor carpen
ter was steering the vessel. He had several times
shouted to one or other his desire to be relieved, but in
vain; and when the drunken orgies began, he was not
sorry to be at the helm, as this was sufficient excuse for
not joining with them.
The ten wretched men, after much drunken revelry,
lay asleep upon the deck. Chips was alone on board, so
far as the possession of his powers was concemed. And
now a dreadful thought of vengeance or the fate of the
basely assassinated captain filled his soul. The muti
neers were at his mercy — should he not in tum make
way with them ? There was not a little fear that, arri
ving at their destination, and having no longer a neces
sity for him, they would make way with him, to prevent

104 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
one who had been an unwilling and inactive looker on
in the fray from bringing the affair before the world. A
proper regard for his own safety, therefore, also prompted
the carpenter to take justice in his own hands.
His mind was soon made up. Lashing the wheel in
such manner that she would for some time guide herself,
he took a survey of those who in the last few hours had
sent their officers to their last aocounts.
" ru do it — I must — I will,' said Chips. He went
to his tool-chest standing on the half deck, and took
thence a large, sharp, glittering broad-axe. One after
another, with this axe, he cut off ten heads, not stopping
tUl the last headless trunk was struggling before him,
and he was left the sole living person on board.
Now he in turn cleared away, dragging the bodies to
the gangway, and there threw them overboard — a tedious
task. This done, and the blood-stained deck once more
washed off, and he had time to think. He was alone on
board a large vessel — no one but he to steer, to make or
take in sail, or perform the multifarious duties incident
to the sea, such as trimming the sails to the breeze, etc.
His determination was soon taken. He let the topsaUs
run down on the caps, clewed up, and furled as weU as
he was able, the top-gallant-saUs and royals, and then
lashing the helm amidships, so trimmed the forward and
after sails, the jibs and spanker, as to make her move
along without yawing too much. He had previously al
tered her course for the coast of Peru, and as the craft
was in the track of vessels bound to the southward, and
at but smaU distance from the Peruvian shore, he felt

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 105
confident that he would be either faUen in with by some
strange vessel, or would be able himself to take the ship
into Callao, and there deliver her into the hands of the
British Consul.
What may have been his feelings when he found him
self the sole occupant of the vessel, with every particular
of the late tragedy fresh before him, the very blood
stains not yet off the decks, it would be useless to at
tempt to imagine.
On the fifth morning after the mutiny, the ship was
spoken by a British vessel just out of Callao, the captain
of which sent on board two men to assist in working the
craft, giving the carpenter likewise the course and dis
tance to the harbor. In two days more he had the sat
isfaction of bringing the vessel safely to anchor in Loren
zo Bay, where she was immediately placed in charge of
the British Consul.
The carpenter went home to England as passenger in
another vessel, and was probably amply rewarded by the
owners for his faithful services. The ship was sent to
London by the consul, and arrived there, as before said,
while we lay in the docks.
We witnessed on board her a most singular instance
of affection, in two snakes toward their master. An
American, who had been connected with some of the
menageries traveling through Chili and Pera, and had
afterward owned a collection of animals himself in Lima,
found the business not to pay, and determining to leave
the country, had engaged a cabin passage in the British
ship.

106 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
He had sold out his animals, all but two large ana
condas, one thirteen, the other seventeen feet long. For
these the British captain had agreed to give him a cabin
passage to London, and one hundred dollars, cash, on their
arrival there, provided the snakes were then alive. They
arrived safe and sound, and were duly taken ashore by
the captain. A\Tien their former owner, however, asked
for the hundred dollars, he was refused it, under various
pretences, and it became evident that the captain, having
the snakes in his possession, intended to keep our coun
tryman out of the money justly due him.
The American was much distressed at this turn in his
affairs, as he had depended on this sum of money to bear
his expenses in getting back to the United States. He
consulted our officers about the matter, but they coiUd not
show him any way to help himself out of his difficulties.
This matter had been pendant nearly a week after the
ship entered the dock, when one moming the British cap
tain was heard very anxiously inquiring as to the where
abouts of Mr. Eeynolds, his late passenger. It appeared
that the snakes would not eat, and showed other symp
toms of being Ul at ease under his care, and he enter
tained fears that they would die before he could dispose
of them. He therefore came in quest of their former
owner, to ask his advice and assistance in setting them
right again.
It now for the first time occurred to the latter that the
animals had never been fed, or handled even, to any
extent, by any one but him, and that they might there
fore be shy of strangers. At our advice, he took

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 107
advantage of this state of affairs to secure for himself
the payment of the sum due him, making it the condi
tion of inducting the captain into way of taking care
of the snakes.
At his suggestion, the chest in which they were kept
was again brought on board the vessel, and there, in her
cabin, in the presence of part of our crew and a number
of other persons, the chest was opened, he remaining on
deck. The animals lay motionless in their coils, moving
their heads sluggishly once in a while, but making no
effort to raise themselves up, and exhibiting but few signs
of active life.
Mr. Eeynolds now came down. Hardly had he gotten
to the side of the chest when the snakes darted up,
and in a moment were hanging their huge folds about his
neck, and twisting in all imaginable ways about him,
testifying as plainly as snakes could, their great joy at
seeing once more their old master. Before he left them,
they had swallowed a chicken each, and seemed as lively
as it was in their nature to be.
The American told us, by way of accounting for their
strange affection, that he had caught them when quite
young in the jungle in Ceylon, whither he had gone to
procure some animals, and they had ever since been under
his exclusive eare, a part of his daily business in Lima
being to exhibit them. He agreed with the captain, in
consideration of being paid his hundred dollars, to remain
with them a sufficient length of time to accustom them
to their new owner, and this was done. This was a
remarkable proof of the fact that serpents have, although

108 THE MERCHANT VESSEL:
in a minor degree, the feelings of affection common to ani
mals of a higher range in creation.
The reader will perhaps desire to know what we, the
sailors, saw of London. As the dock-gates close at seven,
it is impossible to be out at evening without remaining
all night, which involved a serious expense, for our lim
ited means. Then too after working hard all day, among
casks, bales, and boxes, we did not feel in the mood for
sight-seeing when evening came. So that our only oppor
tunities of viewing the city were the Sundays, and the
solitary " liberty day " which was granted us. On these
occasions we saw St. Paul's, ascended the London monu
ment, (whence we saw nothing but smoke,) andHydePark,
with a few of the squares, and passed several times
through the tunnel. When I took in consideration the
vast number of noteworthy objects of which I saw no
more than though I had not been in London at all, I
was almost sorry that I had come, and had certainly to
admit to myself that I had gone a very hard voyage to
very little purpose, so far as sight-seeing was concerned.
AVhen we found that we should have to make the re
turn passage in our brig, we asked the captain to have
her bottom caulked before taking in cargo, that she might
not leak so when she got to sea. This he refused to do,
because, in the first place, it would cost money, and next,
it would take time, and he had neither to spare.
" Besides,'' said he, " we shall have nothing in the
lower part of the hold that will damage." In his sel
fishness he gave no thought to the wearisome hours that

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 109
his men would have to spend at the pumps, to keep the
crazy old wreck afioat.
We could have had a survey called upon her, in which
case, should the surveyors decide her to need repairs, the
captain would have been forced to make them. But in
such cases the crew always labor under a serious disad
vantage. If the survey is called for by them, and it
should be decided that no repairs are actually needed,
the whole expense falls upon them, making a far too
heavy draft upon purses by no means plethoric. And as
a captain's word and influence generally go pretty far
with the surveyors, aU the chances are against the sailors.
We therefore chose rather to risk another laborious pas
sage than venture to call a survey.
We sailed from London on the 2d of March, and ar
rived in Boston on the 2d of April, our voyage lasting
just three month.?. I had seen sufficient of cold weather,
had gratified a desire I had long entertained, to make,
myself the experience of a winter trip across the Atlan
tic, and now firmly determined that my future life at sea
should be passed as much as possible in warm weather.

CHAPTER X.
Ship for Calcutta — Jly new Ship — Preparations for an India
Voyage — Sail from Boston — Points of Difference between
Indiamen and other Ships— Discipline — Work — Our Crew —
A Character.
Eemaining in Boston two weeks, I sailed in a large,
comfortable ship, the Akbar, for Calcutta. The wages
were twelve dollars per month. AVe carried seventeen
hands before the mast, with a carpenter and saU-maker
in the steerage, besides chief second, and third mates.
We had a splendid ship — neat, clean, and plentifully
supplied with stores of all kinds. Our forecastle, like
thoss of most Indiamen, was on deck — what is caUed a
topgallant-forecastle — airy, and tolerably roomy, although,
for the matter of room, all the forward deck was before us,
to eat, sleep, or play upon. It was understood that she
was to be a watch-and-watch ship, and we expected to
have a pleasant voyage — an expectation in which we were
not disappointed.
In preparation for the warm weather in which I was to
live for the next year or two, I provided myself with an
abundance of blue dungaree, gave my ditty-box a thor
ough replenishing — laying in a large supply of needles,
am

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. Ill
thread, tape, buttons, etc., and procuring, in addition,
duplicates of pretty much all articles that a sailor needs
on board ship, such as knife, palm, sail-hook, marlin
spike, etc.
We sailed from Boston on a beautiful spring morning,
with aU sail, even to the diminutive skysail, set — the
admiration of a crowd of tars who had congregated on the
wharf to bid good-bye to their shipmates.
I found an Indiaman to differ in many things from the
class of vessels in which I had been saUing since leaving
the Service. Neatness and cleanliness, as regarded both
vessel and crew, were much more looked after. The
decks were nicely painted, and no stain of tar or grease
was aUowed to disfigure them. The rigging was fitted
with greater care than common, and abundance of turk's-
heads, and fancy seizings and lashings bore witness to
the sailorship of the mates and crew who last had it under
their charge. No clumsy patch-work was to be seen on
any of the saUs — nothing but cloths neatly set in, to re
place old ones.
The mates, too, were dressed much more tastefully than
usual with the officers of merchant-ships, and the captain
kept up a certain state in the cabin — having a boy to wait
upon him, and only showing himself upon deck at seven
bells, to take the sun or to get an observation, but never
interfering directly with the working of the ship. In fact,
he appeared so much of a dandy that we were somewhat
- inclined to doubt his seamanship, until, in the first gale
we experienced, he showed himself under entirely different
colors, and casting off the rather effeminate air commoii

112 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
to him, held charge of the deck, and worked the vessel to
the admiration of all hands.
The helmsman was expected to appear in neat and clean
clothing, and had half an hour in his watch on deck
allowed him wherein to change his suit, and prepare him
self for his trick at the wheeh
_As the voyage was to last much longer than a mere
short trip to Europe, the discipUne was somewhat stricter.
Several weeks elapsed before aU was arranged for the long
passage to Calcutta, all port-gear, such as hawsers, fen
ders, boat's awnings, etc., duly repaired, refitted, and
stowed away below, and all the necessary chafing-gear put
on. By this time the capabUities of the crew had been
, pretty well ascertained, and henceforth each one was em-
' ployed in the department for which he was best qualified.
I was chosen by the mate, in whose watch I was, as one
of the sailmaker's gang, and my daily work was laid out
for me, on the quarter-deck, repairing old sails and awn-
. — ings, and making new ones. A facility in handling a
palm and needle, and working about sails, is one of the
best recommendations a seaman cau have to the good
graces of a mate. And as sewing on sails is the cleanest
and easiest work done on board ship, fortunate is he who,
when bound on a long voyage, is taken into the sailmaker's
gang. He is exempt from all tarring and slushing, except
on such general occasions when aU handa tar down the
rigging. While others are working in the broUing sun,
on deck, or perched aloft, hanging on by their eyelids, he
sits, in his clean white frock, under the quarter-deck
awning, and quietly plies his needle. If he is, besides, a

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 113
good helmsman, and a reliable man in a gale, he is likely
to be a general favorite, and to lead a very pleasant sort
of existence — for a sailor.
Every ship, bound on a voyage of any length, carries
at least three complete suits of sails — one a heavy suit,
to be donned when approaching the higher latitudes,
where rough winds prevaU; a second, good, but lighter
than the former, which to carry when running down the
trades, or sailing in latitudes where the breezes blow
steadily ; and, lastly, an old suit, of little worth, which is
bent on approaching the line, the region of calms and
hght winds, where sails are more quickly worn out by
slatting against masts and rigging, and the continual
hauling up and down in working ship, than in twice the
time sailing in steady breezes.
Such a multitude of canvas requires endless repairing,
altering, and sewing over. New sails are to be middle-
stitched — that is, sewed down the middle of each seam —
whioh materially adds to their strength and durability.
Old ones need new cloths, or, perhaps, are ripped to
pieces, and sewed together anew. Some are cut up, and
transformed into awnings or lighter sails — and, altogether,
there is sufficient work of the kind to keep a gang of four
or five busy the entire voyage.
As to the rigging, that needs never-ceasing attention
to keep it in the perfect order required on board a fancy
East Indiaman. A large part of our outward passage
was consumed in making spun yarn and marline, for which
purpose a neat little iron winch had been provided, much
better than the rude wooden contrivance fastened to a

114 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
bit-head and turned with a rope's end, which is usually
seen on board ship. Then the spun yam was to be made
up into sword-mats and paunch-mats, suitable for various
parts of the rigging, where the yards are likely to chafe.
What with this, and re-fitting and setting up various
parts of the rigging, our crew found plenty of work to
their hands, and had no idle time when on deck.
In our watch below, there were clothes to make, in pre
paration for the warm weather of the Indies, and books
to read, of which our crew fortunately had a good sup
ply — rather better, in regard to quality, too, than are
generally found in a forecastle. And when tired of
this, there was an infinity of fancy work, such as beckets
for chests, hammock lashings and clews, and various other
contrivances, more for show than use, on which to employ
our spare time, and exert our skiU at the numberless
knots and curious plaits in which your true East India
sailor takes so much delight.
Busied thus, on deck and below, with a staunch ship
under us, kind officers, and good living, we were a tolera
bly happy set. We were not either without matter for
amusement. An occasional game at checkers or back
gammon, or a general gathering in the last dog-watch to
play " Priest of the Parish," served to enliven the time.
Some of our shipmates, too, were characters — queer fel
lows — and of course were duly studied and commented
on. Not the least among these oddities, who are to be
found in almost every vessel, was an old English saUor,
whose growling and fault-finding spirit made us dislike

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 115
him at first, until we found what a kind and genial heart
was hidden beneath the rough exterior.
ijThe British sailor is a grumbler by nature. , Place him
wh^re you will — or even where he himself most desires to
be — give him all that the heart can wish for, and he will
grumble. In fact, the only way to make him happy is to
give him plenty to eat and drink, plenty of hard work,
and an unlimited privilege of growling. This is his chief
happiness, and he is never so well pleased as when he has
made every one about him uncomfortable. Withal, there
is, it must be said, no better seaman to be found ; he de
lights to be first in every place of duty ; there is no
more trustworthy fellow than he in a gale — no better
helmsman, nor more practised leadsman, than Johnny
BuU. AUow him only his darling privilege of growling at
you, and he will do all that mortal man can to serve you.
Cursing you for a worthless, shiftless fellow, he gladly
divides with you the last rag of his scanty wardrobe.
Ask him for a needleful of thread, and he fretfully fiings
a whole skein at you, with an air under which not the
most practised physiognomist could detect the pleasure
which it really gives him to be of any assistance.
So, too, on deck ; let him have the very best of the
work, and he will growl ; and should he — a most improba
ble thing—have no fault to find on his own account, he
straightway takes up the cause of some one else, and
expends his powers on the imaginary grievance of a ship
mate. This petulant spirit is not liked in American
ships, and many captains wUl not have British sailors at

116 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
all. In fact, there is no reason in their grumbling. Half
starved and badly treated in their own ships, they gbdly
avail themselves of any chance to leave them, and enter
on board a " Yankee." But no sooner are they here than
they grumble at the very privileges they enjoy, and are
ceaseless in their regrets at having left their own flag. To
such an extent is this carried, that " To growl like a
Lime-juicer,"'-' has become a proverb among American
sailors. The owners of the vessel, who had themselves made
choice of the crew, had used especial care to ship no
Englishmen ; but one had slipped himself in among us,
unknown to them, and we were not long out when his
constitutional infirmity broke out. A kinder hearted or
more crabbed fellow than George never lived. No one
could have been readier to confer a favor, and truly, no
one could have done it with a worse grace.
The first head wind was a fit occasion for him to give
vent to the accumulated spleen of several weeks. Coming
on deck and finding the yards braced sharp up, he solemnly
shook his fist to the windward, and apostrophized the
breeze somewhat as foUows:
" Aye 1 I knew it ; a head wind, and here we'll be beat
ing about for the next six months, without getting as far
as the line — as though you couldn't blow from anywheres

"" Liiite-juiccn," Britisli sailors are called, from the fact that,
on board English vcssiis, the law requires that the crews he
furnished with a weeklj' allowance of the extract of limes nr
lemons, as a preventive of scurvy.

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 117
else but the south'ard, just because we want to steer that
way. But it's just my luck; it serves me right for
coming on board a bloody Yankee."
It was not three days afterwards when, on the retum
of a fair wind, and a consequent setting of studding-saUs,
George was heard to declare that he never saw such a
ship for fair winds in his life, and he made a solemn vow
 forgotten the next moment — that if she carried him
once to Calcutta, she might have fair winds forever, for
him — he'd leave her.
So it was with everything. Now he would lose his
twine in the folds of the saU upon which he was working,
and would gmmble at it for ten minutes after finding it,
giving it an impatient kick with his foot at the close of
the harangue, which sent it flying to the other side of the
deck, furnishing him occasion for another growl in getting
up to get it. Again, he could not find at hand some little
article for which he had looked in his chest, and he fret
fully declared it was " like a Neapolitan box, eveiy thing
atop, and nothing at hand."
The lobscouse, which formed our moming meal, was
always either underdone or burnt up, for George ; the
coffee was either too hot, or cold as dishwater ; the pork
aU fat, and the beef aU lean— in short, he had a singular
and, to me, somewhat comic way of looking continually at
the dark side of life.
Our crew, who oould not, or would not, look beneath
the sheU of ill-nature, with which he thus covered him
self took his mutterings as the real sentiments of the
man, and soon grew to dislike him to some extent,

118 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
although his known qualities as a staunch seaman secured
him their respect ; and many disagreeable altercations
occurred in consequence. To me he was a study, and, as
serving to relieve the monotony of our every day life, a
very interesting one.
Such being the case, we soon became friends an
chums, much to the surprise of our shipmates, who were
at a loss to know what Charley could fancy in that "growl
ing old Lime-juicer." As his particular friend, I of course
came in for an extra share of his petulancy. He was hy
many years my senior, and took upon himself to regulate
all my conduct. He perseveringly found fault with all I
did and did not, and was continually endeavoring to con
vince me that I was a mere boy — a know-nothing, so far
as sailor-craft was concemed. Yet let any one else pre
sume to speak slightingly of me, and George would tum
upon him with a snarl, productive of speedy sUence.
He was the oldest seaman on board, and had many, to
me highly interesting, experiences to relate of his roving
Ufe. He had passed many years in the East Indies, saU
ing out of Calcutta and Bombay, in the " country ships,"
and in the Company's service. In common with most
East India sailors, he had been engaged in the opium
traffic, having been several times nearly captured by
the mardarin boats, which act as river police on Canton
river. Like most of his class, he entertained a supreme
contempt for John Chinaman, believing him to be con
stitutionally a swindler and a cheat, for whom there was
no redemption.

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 119
It was on a starlight mid-watch, as we were pacing the
deck together, that I became the repository of a story of
opium smuggling, which I will here transcribe, although
not exactly in his own words.
I must premise that my chum had been in that busi
ness previous to the British war in China. At that time
the Chinese revenue officers were much more strict than
they have dared to be since. Then they attacked the
vessels which brought the opium to the coast, while now
they confine their vigilance solely to the wretched Chi
nese who smuggle the contraband article from the depot
ship to the shore.

CHAPTER XI,
A Yakn of Opium Smuggling — The Vessel — The Captain — Meet
Mandarin Boats — The Fight — The Cook's Scalding Water —
The Breeze springs up — The Repulse.
"I HAD just returned," said George, "from a voyage
to Cochin, on the Malabar coast, after cocoa-nut oil, when
a shipmate put it into my head to take another trip in an
opium-trader. There was just then lying in the river one
of the prettiest little craft that was ever in that business,
and you know they are all clippers. She was called the
A  •, and had only come out from Boston about sis
months before. With her low black hull, tall rakish
masts, and square yards, she was a regular beauty, just
such a vessel as it does an old tar's heart good to set eyes
on — though for the matter of comfort, keep me out of
them, for what with their scrubbing and scouring in port,
and their carrying on sail at sea, to make a good pas
sage, and half drowning the crew, there's very little peace
on board of them. After all," said George, abating a
little of his usual snarl, " it takes you Yankees to tum
out the clippers. ^\hj. I never saw any Scotch clipper
that could begin to look up to that craft.
" We went aboard to take a look at the beauty, and
(120)

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 121
before we left her had shipped for the voyage. The cap
tain was a lank West Indian, a nervous creature, who
looked as though he never was quiet a moment, even in
his sleep — and we afterwards found he didn't belie his
looks. "After taking a cruise around Calcutta for a couple of
days, we went on board, bag and hammock (for no chests
were allowed in the forecastle) . Our pay was to be eighty
rupees per month, with half a month's advance. The
vessel was well armed, having two guns on a side, besides
a long Tom amidships. Boarding pikes were arranged in
great plenty on the rack around the mainmast, and the
large arm-chest on the quarter deck was well supplied
with pistols and cutlasses. We were fully prepared for a
bmsh with the rascally Chinese, and determined not to
be put out of our course by one or two Mardarin boats.
" We saUed up the river some miles, to take in our
chests of opium, and having them safely stowed under
hatches, proceeded to sea. With a steady wind, we were
soon outside of the Sand-Heads, the pilot left us, and we
crowded on all sail, with favoring breezes, for the Straits
of Malacca. If ever a vessel had canvas piled on her,
it was the A  . Our topsails were fully large enough
for a vessel of double her tonnage. We carried about all
tbe flying-kites that a vessel of her rig has room for.
Skysails, royal-studdingsails, jibejib, staysails alow and
aloft, and even watersails, and save-alls, to fit beneath the
foot of the topsails. Altogether, we were prepared to
show a clean pair of heels to any craft that sailed those
waters.

122 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
" She steered like a top, but our nervous skipper, who
was not for a moment, day nor night, at rest, but ever
driving the vessel, had one of those compasses in the
binnacle, the bottom of which being out, shows in the
cabin just how the vessel's head is at any moment. Under
this compass, on the transom, the old man used to lay
himself down, when he pretended to sleep (for we never
believed that he really slept a wink) ; and the vessel
could not deviate a quarter of a point of her course, or,
while we were on the wind, the royals could not lift
in the least, before he was upon the helmsman, cursing
and swearing like a trooper, and making as much fuss as
though she had yawed a point each way.
" It was the season of the southwest monsoon, and of
course we had nearly a head wind down through the
Malacca Strait. But our little craft could go to windward,
making a long tack and a short one, nearly as fast as
many an old cotton tub can go before the wind.
" Our crew consisted of seventeen men — all stout, able
fellows. There were no boys to handle the light sails,
and it was sometimes neckbreaking work to shin up the
tall royal mast when skysails were to be furled, or royal-
studd'nsail-gear rove. We had but little to do on board.
To mend a few sails and steer the vessel, was the sum
total of our duty, and as we had plenty of good books to
read, those who were inclined that way had fine times.
The rest spent their time playing at backgammon and
cards, in the forecastle. On board these vessels the men
are wanted mainly to work ship expeditiously, when ne
cessary, and, in those days, to defend her against the

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 123
attacks of the Chinese officers, whose duty, but ill-
fulfilled, it was to prevent the smuggling of opium into the
country. " Once past Singapore, and faiily in the China Sea, we
had a fair wind, and, with all studdingsails set, made a
straight wake for the mouth of Canton river. As we
neared the Chinese coast, preparations were made for
repelling 'any possible attacks. Cutlasses were placed on
the quarter-deck, ready for use, pistols loaded, and board
ing-nettings rigged, to trice up between the rigging, some
ten feet above the rail, thus materially obstructing any
attempts to board the vessel when they were triced up.
While not in use these nettings were of course lowered
down, out of the way of the sails.
"It did not take our little clipper many days to cross
the China Sea. We had passed the Ass's Ears, the first
land-fall for China-bound vessels, approaching the coast
by this way, and were just among the Ladrone Islands, a
little group lying in front of Canton Bay, and which is
the great stronghold of the Chinese pirates — when we
beheld, starting out from under the land, two of the long
Mandarin boats. They appeared to know our craft,
or to suspect her business, for they steered straight
toward us.
" With the immense force they have at the oars, it did
not take them long to get within gun-shot range, which
was no sooner the case than our skipper, taking good aim,
let fly a shot from Long Tom in their midst. This evi
dence of our readiness for them took them all aback, and
after consulting together for a little, they showed them-

124 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
selves to be possessed of the better part of valor — pru
dence — by retreating to their lurking place, behind the
land.
— -" Our skipper heartUy hated a Chinaman, and consid
ered it no more crime to shoot one than to kill a mad dog.
He therefore had no compunctions of conscience about
firing into them whenever they showed themselves inclined
to molest him. He was an old cruiser in those waters,
having passed the greater part of his life in the Indies,
and knew that nothing was so apt to beat off the cowardly
Mandarins as a show of resolute resistance, and a full
state of preparation. We knew, therefore, that so long
as we were in clear water, and had a good breeze, there
was but little to be feared from them. The only danger
was, in case we should be becalmed when we got under
the lee of the land, as they would be keeping a constant
watch upon us, and in such a case would no doubt make
a desperate rush upon us, and perhaps capture us by mere
superiority of numbers.
" ' But you all know the penalty, boys, and it's better
to die at your guns, than be squeezed to death by those
fellows,' said the captain.
"As may be imagined, we were all determined to defend
ourselves to the last ; even the black cook kept his largest
boiler constantly on the galley stove, filled with boiling
water, wherewith to give the rascals a warm salute,
should they endeavor to board.
Nowadays, since the Chinese war, the opium is in most
oases transferred from the smuggling vessels to large
ships which lie at the mouth of the river, principaUy

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 125
near Lintin Island, as depot vessels, whence again it is
smuggled on shore by the Chinese opium boats, whose
crews run the greatest risk of all, as the mandarin
boats are at all times on watch for them. They are a
desperate set, and have frequent encounters with the
mandarins, when no mercy is shown on either side, the
smugglers, however, generally gaining the day.
" In the days of which I am telling you, however, there
were no depot ships, and every captain had to get rid of
his own cargo as best he could. Those were the times
in whioh opium smugglers scarcely expected to land a
cargo without a skirmish of some kind.
" What we had feared, shortly came to pass. In less
than two hours after we had seen the boats, we lay
becalmed under the land. The little vessel was perfectly
unmanageable, drifting at the mercy of the current.
Had we been far enough in shore, we should have anch
ored. As it was, we could neither anchor, nor could we
manage the vessel, to tum her broadside toward an ene
my, should such appear. Luckily, long Tom could be
turned any way, and with his aid we thought to keep
off our assailants.
" It was not long before these made their appearance.
They had in the meantime obtained reinforcements, and
four large boats, containing from sixty to a hundred men
each, now shot out from under the land, and carae toward
us with rapid sweeps. We did not wait for them to
come to close quarters, but sent some shots at them from
long Tom. These, however, did not deter them. The
calm had given them courage, and after discharging

126 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
their swivels at us, with the hope of crippling the vessel,
by hitting some of our tophamper — an expectation in
which they were disappointed — they rushed to the
onslaught. " We now rapidly triced up our boarding nettings, and
lying down under shelter of the low rail, awaited the
attack. The boarding nets they were evidently unpre
pared for, as at sight of them they made a short halt.
This the old man took advantage of and taking good
aim, let drive long Tom at them, and luckily this time
with good effect, knocking a hole in one of the boats, and
evidently wounding some of her crew. Taking this as a
signal to advance, and leaving the disabled boat to shift
for itself the remaining three now rapidly advanced to
board. The wise .scoundrels, taking advantage of the
unmanageableness of our vessel, came down immediately
ahead, to board us over the bow, a position where, they
well knew, they were secure from the shot of our two
light guns, which could only be fired from the broadside.
Cocking our pistols, and laying the boarding pikes down
at our sides, ready for instant use, we waited for them.
" Directly, twenty or thirty leaped upon thc low bow
sprit, some rushing to the nettings with knives to cut an
entrance. We took deliberate aim and fired, about a
dozen falling back into the boats as the result of our first
and only shot. Dropping the firearms, we now took to
the pikes, and rushed to the bow. Here the battle was
for some minutes pretty fierce, and a rent having been
made in the boarding net, the Chinamen rushed to it like

THB MERCHANT VESSEL. 127
tigers. But as fast as they came in they were piked and
driven back.
"Meantime, one ofthe boats had silently dropped along
side, and ere we were aware of it, her crew were about
boarding us in the rear. But here the doctor (the pet
name for the cook) was prepared for them, and the first
that showed their heads above the rail, received half a
bucket full of scalding water in their faces, which sent
them back to their boat, howling with pain.
" That's it, doctor, give it to them," shouted the old
man, who seemed to be quite in his element. And he
rushed down off the poop, whither he had gone for a
moment to survey the contest, and taking a bucket full
of the boiling water forward, threw it in among the Chi
namen who were there yet obstinately contesting the pos
session of the bow. With a howl of mixed pain and
surprise, they retreated, and we succeeded in fairly driv
ing them back into the boats.
" A portion of us had before this gone to the assistance
of the cook at the side, and had succeeded in keeping
them at bay there. To tell the truth, the hot water
frightened them more than anything else, and the boat's
crew along side required all the urging of their manda
rin officer to make them charge at all.
" LuckUy, at this moment a squall, which had been for
some time rising, broke upon us, and the brig began to
forge ahead through the water. A more fortunate thing
could not have occurred. With a shout of victory, we
made a final rush at our assailants, and drove them back
to their boats, which cutting adrift, and giving the one

128 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
along side a parting salute of half a dozen shot in her
bottom, thrown in by hand, we left them. Our captain
now strongly desired to turn aggressor, and at least run
down one or two of them, but prudential considerations
prevented him from committing the rather wanton
destruction of life which this would have involved. For
there was danger that the breeze would again subside,
and we be exposed to a second attack of the Chinamen,
which was far from desirable. We therefore made the
best of our way from the scene of action, steering toward
Lintin Bay, where we were so fortunate as to meet a little
fieet of opium boats, who quickly relieved us of our cargo,
and we were no farther molested by the mandarins, who
had probably gotten a surfeit of fighting, an amusement
they are not very fond of
" But the old man vowed that the next time he was
attacked he would have no mercy ; a threat which he
fulfilled on his very next voyage, when he sailed into
Macao Eoads with a Chinaman hanging at each yard-
arm, after having run down two mandarin boats and
destroyed them, probably drowning most of the crew."
" ' But what arms did the Chinamen use to attack you ?'
asked I of George.
" Principally long knives, with which they cut right
and left; but not the least effective of their weapons
were large stones, of which their boats seemed to have an
almost inexhaustible supply, and which were handed up
to those who had obtained a footing upon the bowsprit,
and thence hurled in our midst. Several of our men
received severe bruises from these missUes. By keeping

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 129
them from close fighting by means of our pikes, we pre
vented them from doing much execution with their knives.
We had no lesa than seven men wounded in the encounter,
hut fortunately no one was dangerously hurt. We freely
awarded the credit of our victory to the cook, whose hot
water did more to discourage our assaUants than either
our firearms or pikes.
"As soon as we discharged our cargo, we proceeded on
our return passage to Calcutta. It was on this trip that
we were dismasted in a typhoon, in the China sea. Of
this I wUl teU you some other time, for it's nearly eight
beUs, and we'll heave the log directly and turn in."
We had again sailed through the pleasant south-east
trades, again rounded the Cape, encountering there the
usual storm, and were well on our way to Calcutta when
the above yam was spun. I must say that I enjoyed
this trip much more than the one I had previously made
through these waters in a vessel of war. A seventy-four
gun ship is much too large to be made a home of One
lives too much in public, as it were, and there are so
many hands that one never gets intimately acquainted
with aU. On board the Akbar we were by this time
all perfectly at home with one another, and-wpre indeed
like a band of brothers.
Then, the merchant veaael, with her smaller crew, has
many conveniences and comforts which the man-pf war
sailor is forced to do without. And the very wprk which
he is obliged to perform, the being constantly busy when
upon decks, makes the luxury of a free watch below aU
the more welcome. "

130 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
While beating up the southeast trades, we all used to
sleep on deck. From six till eight, the last dog-watch,
was generally devoted to singing and yarning, and after
that all hands brought out their pea-jackets, mats, and
rugs, and gathering in a little knot, lay down and talked
themselves to sleep. Secure that the wind would neither
increase nor decrease, nor change, we slept soundly aU
night, only roused by the mates, who were not unfre
quently obliged to wake up all hands, in order to find
out whose wheel it was. Happy he who had no trick at
the wheel all night. He could rest securely as though
in his bed at home. The landsman who has been all his life
accustomed to his undisturbed night's rest after the day's
duties and fatigues, can form no idea of the feeling of
luxurious abandon with which a sailor closes his eyes on
such an occasion, when an uninterrupted sleep of sis or
eight hours is almost a certainty, and his mind is bereft
of all fear of being caUed out to tack ship of reef top
saUs.

CHAPTER Xll.
The Merchant Seaman's Sunday — Growling George and I
become Chums — Catching Fish — Porpoise Meat — A Storm
off the Cape — The Sand-Heads — The Hoogley — George and I
determine to leave the Ship — The Pilots — Calcutta.
To the merchant sailor, Sunday is a day of peculiar
enjoyment. After six days of unintermitted labor,
working, too, among tar and slush, and all manner of
dirt, having no time for shaving or washing, and no
chance to keep on clean clothes, the Sabbath comes in as
a day of rest, when the mind and body are both relieved,
and the human machine rests for a period. On this day
all hands may luxuriate safely in clean shirts and trow
sers, and the entire forenoon is generally devoted to
shaving, washing, and renovating in various ways the
¦Outer man.
On Saturday afternoons, the forecastle receives a thor
ough scrubbing at the hands of the boys, and for that
and the next day every one is expected to take special
pains not to make any litter on the white fioor or decks.
Sunday morning the decks are scrubbed, and those who
have the morning watch have afterward time to make

132 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
their toilet before breakfast. After breakfast, the other
watch go through this duty, and then all hands may be
seen lying about decks, some with books, others re-read
ing old letters, while others yet take what is caUed, par
excellence, " saUor's pleasure," in overhauling their chests,
bringing their best clothing on deck to air, and counting
over their stock of tobacco and pipes.
As during the week aU on deck are kept constantly at
work, and the watch below are expected to confine them
selves to the limits of the forecastle, that they may not
interfere with the labors of those on deck, it seems quite
a privUege, on Sabbath, to roam at wUl about the ship,
without fear of being set to work.
On board a vessel of war, where every day in the week
is a Sunday, so far as exemption from work is concerned,
the Sabbath itself is looked forward to with dread and
dislike, because of the mustering and inspecting set
apart for that day. But in the merchant service the
Sabbath is a much needed and welcome day of rest.
It may be asked, what manner of books are found in
the forecastle? To that I must answer, all kinds.
From the most abstruse metaphysical speculations to the
merest sixpenny ballad, or the trashiest yellow cover, I
have seen lying on the lockers of a ship's forecastle. Of
course tales of the sea, such as Cooper's and Maryatt's
novels, are found in greatest abundance, but it is not at
aU rare to find among the tarry frocks and trowsers in
the sea-chest of an old sailor, such books as Shakspear
and Milton, the Spectator, Washington Irving, Gold
smith, and other standard authors. I have often

THE MERCHANT VESSEL.

133

found a grey-beard old seaman as famiUar with the
choicest authors in the English language, as the veriest
man of books and leisure ashore. And I have heard
shrewd criticisms passed on books and authors, in a
dingy forecastle, which would not have done dishonor to
some occupanta of chairs professorial.
The reason for this is obvious. The saUor, if on board
a good ship, has much spare time in his watches below,
which he must while away in some manner ; and books
are not only the most natural, but the most satisfactory
resort to relieve the monotony of a tedious passage.
But there is very little intellectual aliment in the yellow
cover literature of the day, and the mind naturally flies
to something more solid. Aside from this, it is impossi
ble that a man should travel all over the world, visit
most of the principal seaports, if nothing more. East,
West, North, and South, and not pick up in his peregri
nations very many items of information, to which, had
he lived on shore he would have remained a stranger, and
which give to his mind an inquiring turn. And thus it
happens that there are few more interesting talkers than
an intelligent old seaman.
In nothing does a merchant vessel differ more from a
man-of-war, than in the bond of unity which exists be
tween the crew. Where six or seven hundred men are
crowded together in one vessel, it is natural that there
should spring up cliques and parties, creating waUs of
separation between different members of the body. The
reverse of this is the case in the merchant-man, where
the forecastle, in general, is as one man, not only in

134 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
sentiment, but also to a very great extent in worldly pos
sessions. Thus, while each individual makes it a point
of duty to provide himself to the best of his ability with
everything necessary to him, whatever one has is always
at the service of the rest, and such a thing as bringing
aboard any delicacies from the shore, and not volunta
rily dividing them in the forecastle, is never seen. The
individual who would do so, would be looked down upon
as mean and selfish in the highest degree. A complete
community of goods prevaUs, and what one has not, oth
ers are always ready to help him out in.
Besides this general brotherhood, a still closer bond of
friendship generally obtains in a forecastle, between indi
viduals who are drawn together by congeniality of dispo
sition, long acquaintance, or other cause. Thus, two
men will unite their entire property together, owning
everything in common, looking out for one another's
interests, aiding each other in difficulties, and laying out
together their plans for the future. Such a connection is
known as chummyship, and to have a good chum is one
of the pleasantest parts of a voyage.
I had parted from my chum in Philadelphia, on my
return from Liverpool, and had not since then found any
one with whose ways and qualities I was sufficiently
pleased to form a new connection of the kind. The crew
of the Akbar were all strangers to me when we came on
board in Boston, but most of them had been together
before, and fell therefore naturally into little parties.
How it came about first I could not tell, but it so turned
out that growling George and I were gradually drawn

THB MERCHANT VESSEL. 135
together, and before we were a month out, he and I had
agreed to be chums. He was the oldest, while I was
the youngest seaman in the ship ; he therefore claimed
and exercised, in virtue of his experience and my youth,
a general oversight over me, which I was very willing to
allow, inasmuch as it evinced that he felt an interest in
my welfare, and also as in auch an oversight I could
profit by his superior experience, while I in retum was
glad to do for him any little services that lay in my
power. I saw and felt too, what many of our fellows could not
perceive, that under a rough and unattractive outside,
old George hid a kind heart, and that his growling was
simply a matter of habit, and not the result of malice.
We two had been very gradually becoming more and more
intimate for some time, neither, however, making any
more than very general advances toward each other, until
on one rainy night I was about to go on deck without an
oil-jacket, having mislaid mine. George, who was in
the other watch at this time.called me back, and growl
ing at me for a careless fellow, threw hia over my shoul
ders, and bade me go on deck.
Now, if there is one thing that is never lent or bor
rowed in a forecastle, it is an oil-jacket. Pea-jackets,
sea-boots, shirts, and even trowsers, are freely offered
and accepted, but an oil suit never, and he who has
none of his own considers himself in honor bound to do
without. It may be imagined, therefore, that not only
I, but all who saw the action, considered it as a great
favor, and between George and I the matter was at once

136 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
and tacitly understood as an offer and acceptance of
chummyship. Henceforth he took a more lively interest
in mc, and when, shortly after, I was overhauling my
chest, he very good-naturedly sat down to aid me ia
arranging it to a little better advantage. Looking over
my clothes, he showed me where various improvements
might be made in them, commended me for neatness,
and read me a lecture on having a place for every
thing, where it could be found at a moment's notice, in
aUusion to my having before mislaid my oil-jacket.
Shortly after, his thread, needles, and thimble found
their way into my ditty-box, and when once I desired to
borrow a sail needle, of which he had a good supply, he
told me to go to his chest and help myself Thus, by
almost imperceptible degrees we became closer friends,
and shortly we held our property in common, and it was
plainly understood, not only by our two selves, but by
aU hands, that we two were chums. StUl not a word of
such an ai-rangement had ever been spoken between us.
It was weU enough understood without. Henceforth I
came in for a special share of his grumbluig and fault
finding, whioh, however, I knew how to take, generaUy
laughing him out of his iU-humor.
I found George's friendship valuable to me in many
respects. Considerable deference is paid on board ship,
to age, and it was considered not more than right that
I, who was the youngest, should be instracted in many
things by my old chum. And a better instructor I could
not have had. In his long life at sea, he had gathered
sea-lore wherever he went, and unitmg the knowledge of

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 137
the saUors of several nations, was at home in anything
that could be done with a ship. He was standard
authority both in the forecastle and aft, in all that per-
lained to rigging or managing a vessel, and his sugges
tions as to alterations in the rig were always listened to
with deference by the mates, grumblingly as they were
uttered. If a new purchase was to be rove, a fancy knot to be
tied, or any labor-saving tackle studied out, George was
the mate's right hand man, and to him the work was
consigned, with the knowledge that in his hands it would
be weU done. To me his hints on steering, setting
studding saUs, and many other of the more laborious
duties of the sailor were invaluable, enabling me to bring
skill to the aid of strength, and perform my work better
and with less exertion than otherwise I should have been
able to do.
While beating through the southeast trades, making
our way toward the Cape, we frequently caught fish out
of the achoola that constantly surrounded the ship,
affording an agreeable variety to our salt provisions.
Here agam the merchant sailor is favored far above the
man-of-war's man. The latter has no access to the gal
ley, and though he may catch fish aU day, would not be
able to get them cooked, there being no room for prepar
ing anything but the regular ship's allowance. But, in
the merchant service, the cook is glad to have something
to provide, for a change, and, as our lines hung conatantly
to the jib-guys, we had fresh fiah whenever we desired it,
for a long time.

138 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
When off the Cape, we one day harpooned a porpoise,
and I now for the first time ate of this fish. The por
poise is a fish of the whale kind, from six to ten feet
long, and having a pointed nose or biU, giving the head
some little resemblance to a bird's. The meat resembles
somewhat coarse beef but is much darker — almost black.
The liver, which is the choicest part, and is considered
quite a delicacy, is hardly to be distinguished, when
cooked, from the liver of a hog.
Before we fairly doubled the Cape, we experienced the
usual gale of wind, without which it seems almost im
possible to get into the Indian Ocean, and although the
wind was fair, we were compelled to shorten saih
"Aye, reef her down," growled my chum, "just as
though you wanted her to lay here like an old hulk."
"But, George," said one, "you would not want to
steer her to-night, with whole topsaUs? "
" Let him put topgaUantsails on her, and I'll steer her
with one hand. Who wants to waUow about here just
like some old Dutch drogher ? I want to get to Cal
cutta." Nevertheless, with all his grumbling, George was the
first man on the topsailyard, and took occasion whUe
he and I were securing the lee-earing, to prophesy that
we would be at least six months on our passage, " short
ening sail for every cap full of wind." In his heart the
old fellow was glad of the comfortable night's rest which
our taking in sail secured to all hands, but his growl
was as earnest and persistent as though he had been
really an ill-used man.

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 139 _
We were but a few days off the Cape, and with a fair
wind soon regained a warmer latitude. With the aid
of favoring breezes we made a quick run to the Sand-
heads, where receiving a pilot from one of the pilot brigs
which have there their cruising ground, we were soon in
the Hoogly.
The Sand-heads are shoals formed by the deposits of
the Hoogly. They extend to some distance beyond the
mouth of the river, and their navigation is difficult and
often dangerous. None but the smaller country vessels
venture upon the intricate channels without the aid of a
pUot. Sauger Point is the first land made by vessels
approaching the mouth of the Hoogly.
No sooner were we in the river than everything at
once assumed an East India air. The officers donned
jackets and trowsers of dazzling white, the crew wore
their lightest clothing, the awnings were spread, and as
we saUed up the broad stream leading to Calcutta, its
shores studded with vegetation in all the exuberance of a
tropical climate, I could almost fancy that we had all
been metamorphosed into East Indians, so complete waa
the change in appearance of all on board.
The city of Calcutta Ilea about one hundred miles
from the junction of the Hoogly with the sea. The
river banka, for a portion of the way, are low and
marshy, forming a dense jungle, with here and there a
native hut peeping out from the mass of green foliage.
Above Fort Diamond, however, about half way up, Euro
pean and native residencea begin to abound on the river
bank, and as these are laid out with aU the magnificence

140 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
that art and money can produce, they make up a most
enchanting scene.
My chum, George, who was a real vagabond, had
already wearied of the monotony of life on board the
Akbar, and longed for a change. He had determined
not to go home in the ship, but to take a chance in a
lime-juicer, or a country ship, where he could make a
short trip to some other East Indian port, and again try
a new vessel. He of course confided his wish to me, and
urged me to go with him. I readily entered into his
project, as it chimed well with my own desire to see
somewhat more of the East Indies than I should be likely
to, did I remain in the Akbar. We had, therefore,
already before we made the land, picked out such of our
joint stock of clothes as we considered it best to take
along, when we left, and were determined to avail our
selves of the first suitable chance that offered, after our
arrival at Calcutta.
The pilots on the Hoogly are perhaps the greatest gen
tlemen to be found in all their fraternity. Although
sterling sailors, and masters of their business (and their
duty on the river is of the most arduous kind) , they bear
about them none of the rough looks or manners of the
sailor. They are mostly men of education, not a few of
them dabbling in literature, and some of the most credit
able prose and poetry in the Oriental magazines is dated
from the pilot brigs " off the Sand-heads."
The slender and rather effeminate gentleman who was
assisted up our gangway, and took charge of the vessel,
with his jeweled fingers, and dainty tread, smacked more

THB MERCHANT VESSEL. 141
of the parlor or the counting-house than of the ship.
But he was not ten minutes on board before we knew
that we had a seaman to deal with.
He brought on board with him a leadsman and a pri
vate servant, two swarthy Hindoos, and sufficient baggage
to last him, so we thought, for a voyage round the world.
Navigation on the Hoogly is of the most difficult, as the
channel is almost constantly shifting, and the tides and
currents are extremely rapid. It is necessary, therefore,
to keep the lead constantly going, and the line used by
the pUot's leadsman, a man of no little experience him
self is marked at every three inches, instead of every six
feet, as is the coinmon lead line.
We had sailed but little ways up the river when we
were haUed by a steam-tug, and as our captain was anx
ious to get up to the city, she was called alongside, and
took us in tow. This greatly lightened our labors, and
by the time we reached the anchorage abreast of Cal
cutta, we had the topgallant and royal yards sent down,
the lighter saUs unbent, and the ship all ready for a long
stay in port.
Most vessels coming to Calcutta are moored in tiers in
the river, opposite the city, and at but little distance
from the shore, where they discharge and take in cargo.
Great care is taken to preserve the health of the crew, as
the city is noted as a sickly place in the summer season.
Gangs of Hindoos are employed to labor in the hold, at
discharging or stowing cargo, the ship's company being
employing in fitting up the rigging, working under awn
ings spread fore and aft over the upper deck. These

142 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
awnings are kept up night as well as day, and under
them the men sleep at night, secure from the noxious in
fluences of the heavy dews.
The manner of working of the Hindoo stevedores
afforded me much amusement. It is necessary, in the
first place, to have double the number of them that
would be required of Europeans (as all whites are called
in the Indies) . The gang is under the command of a
serang, whose orders are implicitly obeyed, and who is
amenable to the captain for the good conduct of his men.
They make much noise, singing and shouting, but work
very slowly. Besides the tools for working which they
bring aboard, and their cooking utensils, each gang ia
the possessor of a large pipe, with a long fiexible tube,
called a hookah, and by the sailors denominated a hub
ble-bubble, on account, I suppose, of the peculiar bub
bling made by the water in the lower bowl, through
which the smoke is drawn into the tube. The hubble-
bubble is lit early in the morning, and does not again go
out during the day, the gang relieving each other regu
larly at it, one being always smoking. This is consid
ered a matter of course, and no surprise is felt to see a
man break off in the middle of a severe lift, to reUeve
his companion at the pipe.
They have their own cook, their own galley, their own
utensils and provisions, and even have assigned to them
a special water-cask, from which none of the Europeans
are allowed to use. The law of caste enforces this upon
them, and although they are the very lowest of the popu
lation, they have the utmost abhorrence to eating

THE MERCHANT VESSEL.

143

anything which a white man has touched. The sailors
are strictly forbidden from playing tricks upon them, as
they would be too likely to do otherwise, practical jokes
being something that Jack is exceedingly fond of

Hindoos, of Madras.
To facilitate communication with the shore, the ships
have native boatmen hired, who, for a certain sum, are
always, day and night, at hand to transport persons to
or from shore. These are called dingy wallahs, wallah
being a term signifying merchant or trader, and of uni
versal application to all manner of occupations.
Every kind of tropical fruit is to be had in abundance
in Calcutta. All the conveniences and comforts which

144 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
heart can desire are here at hand. Clothing is cheap and
of good quality. Every kind of food is also very cheap.
The natives work for the merest trifle, and one no sooner
sets his foot on shore, than he is besieged by numbers of
them, asking for a job, offering to procure him a palan-
kin, volunteering to show him about the town, begging
from him, or endeavoring by the performance of various
juggling feats to draw a little money out of your pocket.
With sailors, Calcutta is a favorite port. There are
few places even in India where their money will hold out
so well, and fewer stUl where they find united so many
of the concomitants which go to make up a good spree.
I was ashore but twice, both times in the evening after
the day's work was finished, but I saw that Jack carries
it there with a high hand. Eupees fiy about as though
they grew on trees in the next jungle, and India Jack, in
nis white suit, orders his servants about with the air of
a lord.

CHAPTER XIII.
Leave the Akbar — An English vessel — Sail for Madras —
Some of the Peculiarities of British Ships — Arrive at
Madras — The Port — Manner of taking in Cargo — ¦ How I
got into the Sailmaker's Gang — The Surf-Boats — A Storm
and its Consequences.
We had been but a few days in port, and I had only
been twice on shore in the evening, of course seeing but
little of the town or the inhabitants, when my chum
came on board late one night and communicated to me
the fact that an English vessel about to sail for Madras
was in want of handa, and that the captain had offered
him and me a chance. I demurred somewhat at leaving
Calcutta, before I had taken a daylight look at it, but
waa silenced by George saying that when we came back
we could atay a month ashore if we desired. I therefore
agreed to go with him, and it was arranged that the next
night we would go on board the barque, aa she was to
sail early the succeeding moming.
That night we arranged into suitable bundles the
effects we intended to take with us, and the next even
ing, bidding good-bye to a few of our shipmates, but
without communicating to them our destination, *e
10 (U.5)

146 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
called the dingy wallah and were set ashore. We
walked down the side of the river until we came abreast
of the English barque, and on haUing were quickly
taken on board, in her own boat.
Here we found all things ready for sea, an anchor
watch already set, windlass brakes shipped, and topsails
hanging by the bunt gaskets. Early next moming, we
got underweigh, and sailed down the river with a fair
wind and tide.
When the topsaUs were sheeted home and hoisted up,
George, who had evidently not considered his escape as
made good until then, clapped me on the shoulder, and
said cheerfully :
"Now, boy, you're on board a lime-juicer; look aft
and see the red cross waving over your head."
It had not occurred to me before, but as I glanced in
that direction and saw the blood-red ensign of England
fluttering in the spot where until now I had been used
to see only the stars and stripes, I for the first time real
ized that I was a stranger. For the moment I felt my
heart sink, and longed to be back in my old ship, with
the gridiron over head. But regrets were now useless,
and the reflection that at any rate I was about to see
something new, to make myself acquainted with another
phase of sea life, made me contented with my position.
And with that never-failing comforter of the sailor,
"What's the odds, so long as you're happy ?" I drove
away all feelings of regret, and went cheerfully to my
work. The passage to Madras, although lasting but a few

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 147
days, was sufficient to give me quite an insight into many
of the peculiar points of difference between English and
American ships and saUors. British ships partake
largely of that solidity which is a peculiar characteristic'
of John BuU. A spirit of utilitarianism pervades all.
Strength and durability are qualities much more looked
after than beauty. And while everything is neat and
seaman-Uke, there is none of that light, airy grace which
is noticeable in the Yankee.
The American sports an extravagant length of spars,
and seeks to give his vessel a rakish look, even if she is
the dullest of cotton boxes. The Briton — so John Bull
delights to be called when away from his native isle — the
Briton saws off every superfluous inch of timber, scarcely
leaving enough to keep his rigging safely on the mast
head. The American paints his masts and often his
yards white, aiming to give to heavy spars a light and
graceful appearance. The Briton scrapes his mastheads
and blacks his yards, imparting to both an appearance
of massive strength and solidity. The American deco
rates the hull of his ship with a shining coat of paint,
making her old and worn planks look as though just
from the builder's hands. The Briton coal-tars his ves
sel's bends, that the water may not penetrate to and
injure the wood. The American uses Manilla running
rigging and patent sheaves, because they run better and
save labor. The Briton persists in stiff hemp ropes, and
old-fashioned blocks with sheaves that make a revolution
perhaps once a voyage, because both last longer. So the

148 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
parallel might be carried out ad infinitum, but it would
scarce interest any one except a sailor.
In point of speed there may be but little difference
between American and English vessels ; so far as dura
bility is concerned, the Briton has undoubtedly the advan
tage — if advantage it may be called in these days of
progress in all arts, to construct vessels which will last
until their models have been eclipsed, and they are only
noticeable as dull sailing remnants of other days.
But where grace and fancy are concemed, and more
particularly still, aa regards devices for saving the heavy
labor in working ship, the Briton is at least a dozen years
behind the Yankee. Scarce an American vessel saUs
that has not patent blocks, light, soft running rigging,
winches, cleats, and fifty other contrivances for facUitat
ing work, while all such things are extremely rare in
British vessels, and the British sailor relies yet upon the
old-fashioned handy-hilly tackle, and works ahead by
"main strength and stupidness," as they say at sea. The
consequence is, that American vessels carry usuaUy about
one-third less hands than British, and get along equally
as well, if not better.
British seamen are in everything, part and parcel of
their ships. The American seaman is quick and lively.
The Briton is slow and sedate. The Yankee endeavors
to look at the pleasant side of life ; the lime-juicer's only
pleasure is to growl. The former is careless and light-
hearte(| ; the latter gets drunk with the same sedate and
dogged perseverance with which he combats and overcomea

THB MERCHANT VESSEL. 149
the elements. The one regards life from a business
point of view, the other does his duty — and growls.
In point of thorough, old-fashioned seaman,ship the
Briton is ahead of the Y'ankee. He dips deep, while the
American skims over the surface. But the day has gone
by when this old-fashioned seamanship was a necessary
qualification. And the proof of this lies in the fact that
American ships and officers, with half the preparation
and one quarter the sailor-craft, make as fortunate, if not
luckier voyages than British vessels.
During my stay in the Indies, I had often occasion to
wonder at the entire lack of preparation displayed on
board of American vessels, trading there from port to
port. A British Indiaman does not start on her voyage
without an ample supply of spare spars — almost sufficient
to re-spar her fore and aft. She carries out at least four
heavy anchors and cables, besides a number of stream
anchors and kedges. And her captain and mates would
be thought little of were they not able to re-rig her from
deck to truck, should she be dismasted.
The Yankee sets sail on his long voyage with a couple
of spare topmasts, two anchors, and a hedge, and a bound
less trust in Providence and his own management for the
rest. The officers are good navigators, and as to replacing
a broken spar, they are prepared to study it out when it
is needed. But of the two, the Yankee mostly comes out
ahead. I found the discipline on board my new ship much
different from that I had been used to. The men were
ordered about less gently, and did their work more sul-

150 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
lenly. The line of separation between fore and aft was
more strictly drawn. Each man was expected to know
his duty as a seaman, and do it, and woe to him who in
any particular fell short.
The British sailor — poor fellow — has rights. His im
portance to the national welfare has had the effect of
hedging him about with a barrier of preventives, to such
an extent that he cannot turn around but what he steps
on one of the very laws enacted to secure him against the
the imposition of his superiors. The law prescribes that
he shall have a certain allowance of provisions — barely
enough for a man of moderate appetite — and if it rained
victuals he could not get any more. The law provides
that he shall be allowed his forenoon watch below, and
therefore the captain takes care that he shall be kept on
deck all the afternoon. The law specifies certain duties,
which the seaman must be able to perform ; and however
unnecessary or uncalled for some of these may be, unless
he is entirely aufait of them, the captain considerately
docks his wages. The law provides that the ovmer shall
pay off his men within a certain number of days after
the arrival of the ship at her port of discharge, and the
captain and owner take care not to do so a day before.
Thus Jack Tar, with his rights securely protected, and
the law entirely on his side, finds himself almost alto
gether helpless, and without a single privilege.
The allowance on our vessel was a pretty hard sample
of living. I do not now remember the quantity, includ
ing bone, of beef and pork that was weighed out to each
man daily, but I have not forgotten that it was generaUy

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 151
eaten up at dinner, and we were left for breakfast and
supper to subsist on dry bread and tea, or coffee.
Lobscouse, that savory mess, the almost invariable
breakfast dish in an American ship, is only traditionally
known in a lime-juicfer, the law not reaching to that. I
remember yet, with a feeling of inward shame, the greedy
eyes which used to watch the kid of thin pea soup, to
see that no one got more than his lawful pint. And so
diminutive was the duff*' that a facetious fellow desired
to " toss up for who should have it all."
" Good luck to you, Charley, and may you never see a
banyan day,'' was the last wish of an old shipmate, as
he bade me good-bye, on T wharf at Boston.
As I laughed at the whimsical wish, I did not think
how soon I should experience all the barrenness of ban
yan. The American sailor sees no banyan day. The
British sailor has one provided for him by law. I do not
know where the expression originated, but it is reputed
very old. The sailor's bill of fare offers but three
changes — beans, or peas, rice and duff. These are alter
nated, so that each occurs twice a week. Of course, in
this arrangement, one day, Saturday, is left unprovided
for. This, in American merchant vessels, is devoted to
codfish and potatoes ; in men-of-war, beans supply the
vacancy. In most British ships it is left unsupplied, and
this makes a banyan day, of which I saw not a few
while sailing under the meteor flag.
° Duff is a mess composed of flour, water, and fat, mixed iu
proper proportions to make it indigestible, put in a little bag
and boiled for an hour or two before dinner.

152 THE MERCHANT VESSEL:
Madras on the Coromandel coast is one of the most
important seaports in the British possessions in the East.
Those who first laid out the city must have had singular
ideas as to what makes an advantageous position for a
seaport. There is no harbor or bay to make safe anchor
age for shipping — scarcely an indentation in the land.
Vessels come to anchor at a distance of from a mile to
two miles from the shore, with the broad bay of Bengal on
one side and the surf-bound beach on the other. There
is no shelter from storms, and the only way when one
comes on is to weigh anchor, or, in case of emergency,
slip the cable, and endeavor to make an offing, retuming
when the weather moderates.
So strongly doea the aurf break on the shore, that it
is entirely unapproachable to ship's boats, and all com
munication with the city is held by means of surf boats,
manned by naked half-savage Hindoo fellows, who seem
to delight in their rough business. These boat-s discharge
cargo, and bring alongside freight from shore. In them,
passengers are taken ashore through the surf thinking
themselves fortunate if they get safely to land without
a thorough drenching. It is only in fine weather that
even the surf boats can work, and on the least sign of
the breeze setting on shore all communication is entirely
cut off. With all these disadvantages, Madras is a place
of much business, and the anchorage, or Eoadstead as it is
styled bycourteay, is always studded with shipping.
In the season of the regular Monsoons, the shipping
lie safe enough, as the wind may then be counted upon,
both as to strength and direction. But during the two

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 153
or three months each year, between the changes of the
Monsoons, when the wind has thrown off its bonds, and
is so to say at liberty, Madras is a hazardous port.
In these times, every precaution is taken to prevent
being caught in one of the prevailing gales. The top
saUs are furled with a double reef in them, topgallant-
masts are sent down on deck, the anchor is securely
buoyed, that the cable may be slipped without danger of
losing it, and everything is kept well secured about
decks, ready at any moment to run out to sea. The crew
are kept at regular sea watches, and by the rules of the
port no one but the captain is permitted to leave the ves
sel, and even he, I believe, is supposed to return on
board every evening. The anchorage is at no time very
quiet, and even with a slight breeze vessels ride bows
under, pitching, rolling, and 'tossing about, much more
than if under sail.
We remained in the Eoads but two weeks, merely long
enough to take in part of a cargo of rice, with which
we were bound to Sydney, New South Wales. The rice
was brought alongside in surf boats of course, and
from them hoisted in and stowed in the hold by the crew.
A surf boat load is not a great deal, and as on the most
favorable daya we did not receive more than five or six
boat loads, we were not fully occupied in receiving and
stowing cargo, and apent the intermediate time in work
ing on saUs.
K a knowledge of sailmaking is a good thing on board
an Amerioan vessel, it is thrice more valuable in a lime-
juicer, and I found on board my new ship that a facility

154 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
in handling the palm and needle was the most valuable
recommendation I could have brought with me. My
chum, George, and I were almost from the first received
into the mate's favor, and spent the greater part of our
voyage in the vessel, under the quarter-deck awning,
making and mending sails. George being an old man
was at once taken into the sailmaker's gang, on his say
ing that he understood the work ; but I, who was quite
a stripling, and looked even more boyish than my age
warranted, was subjected to a severe trial before I fairly
won my way to the same place.
r" In British vessels, age is considered a necessary quali-
__..£cation for a seaman, and the principle seems to be, the
older the man the better sailor. A boy is a boy, and
must do a boy's duty, no matter what his strength or
knowledge of sailor craft may be. Woe to the unlucky
fellow who presumes to ship as seaman before he is able
to show a respectable beard. He is viewed by his fortu
nate older shipmates with a large degree of jealousy,
and is likely to have all his seamanship put to the test,
by the mate.
Besides my unlucky deficiency in years and whiskers, I
had the additional disadvantage of being a Yankee, and I
found very shortly after we left Calcutta that the mate had
determined to see if there was no fiaw in me, while the
crew, though sufficiently friendly, watched me with jeal
ous eyes, determined to hold aloof from any close com
munion of friendship, before I had proved myself "as
good a man as I had shipped for." All this was not
very agreeable, but I determined that the Yankee name

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 155
should not suffer in my person, and with the aid of a
Uttle neatness in workmanship, which is easier acquired
in a man-of-war than anywhere else, I left even the mate
no cause for fault-finding.
On board an American merchant vessel, the fact that
a man is not familiar with some piece of work on rigging
is not counted against him as a disgrace, provided he is
otherwise a good hand, one whose pull on a rope can be
felt, aud who is not behindhand in a gale of wind. Bat
with British sailors, thia matter is entirely different.
One may be able as possible, if there is found any fiaw,
however slight, in his seamanship, if he is so unfortunate
as to get hold of work which he can not do, or if he ap
peals to a shipmate for information on any point of duty,
he is directly looked down upon as "no sailor.'' Thus,
to make a trip in a British vessel is considered no bad
criterion of an American sailor's merits, and to have
"weathered a voyage in a lime-juicer," is something to
be mentioned with proper pride in the forecastle.
I was by this time tolerably au fait of most of the
work to be done on a vessel's rigging, could send down
or receive a topgallantmast, tum in a dead-eye, or crown
a hawser, in a seaman-like manner, and was conscious
of but one deficiency in my knowledge of sailor craft. I
did not know how to splice a hawser, a difficult piece of
work, requiring great neatness in execution, and a job
which is not often necessary to be done on board ship.
I was not without a theoretical knowledge of this, even,
growling George having taken great pains to post me up
thoroughly in everything of the kind, but I had never

156 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
seen it done, and feared that something of the kind would
now be put in my hands, and I should fail to acquit my-
self creditably. So much did this trouble me, that I
dreamed once of the mate having given me two pieces of
hawser, as large as the mainmast, to splice, and when I
was done, and just cutting off the ends, it seemed that
these ends were the mate's toes. As I clipped the first
one, he uttered a dreadful howl, and he and the hawser
somehow got mixed up and changed into an enormous
serpent, which, with rage in every feature, was darting
toward me, when I awoke, only to find that the watch
had been caUed, and it was high time to tum out.
My fears were however needless ; nothing of the kind
was found necessary, and I passed safely the ordeal the
mate had set for me. The consequences were that I was
muoh more thought of by the crew, and that one morn
ing at Madras, when dividing out work, the mate said
to me:" Here, my lad, bring your saU bag aft, and I'll give
you something to do." And for the balance of the cruise
I was of the sailmaker's gang.
Ten days were sufficient for us to take in all the rice
we were here to get, and we then lost no time in getting
away from Madras. The surf-boats, which, as before
mentioned, bring out cargo, are pulled out and back, be
tween shore and ship, by means of ropes stretched along
in all parts of the roadstead, communicating with the
landing-place on shore. These ropes are buoyed in various
parts of the Eoads, and the first thing necessary to be
done, after coming to anchor, is to pick up the nearest

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 157
one of the buoys, and secure to the bows the bight of
rope attached. The surf broke on shore with great force,
and we could see the boatmen as they cautiously ap
proached its bounds, and waited for a large wave, rising
on which, and exerting all their power to keep their boat
Straight, they were shot on shore, where a number of.
men were always in readiness to run the boat up high
and dry, beyond the reach of the next sea. They are
large, broad, heavily-built boats, sharp at each end, and
capable, if the water was smooth, of carrying quite a
load, but on account of the surf they are in general but
lightly loaded. The boatmen, whom long experience has
taught every pecuharity of the weather here, can tell
the approach of a gale, it is said, even before the ba
rometer gives notice of it, and at such times refuse to
venture out to the shipping.
One of our men, who had been in Madras Eoads a year
before, related to us his experience of a storm. They
had sent ashore about half their cargo, and received on
board a quantity of rice — ^for the boat that takes ashore
goods from the ship brings back the retum freight, it
being important to keep enough cargo in the ship at all
times to enable her to stand up before a gale. When the
Semaphore on shore displayed the signals signifying the
approach of a storm, everything was at once secured, in
the hold and on deck, and preparations made to get up
anchor and run out to sea.
Before however they could do this, so heavy a sea had set
in, that it was found impossible to bring the ship up to
hor anchor, and as the weather looked very threatening,

158 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
they buoyed the chain, took the bearings of their anchor
buoy, and slipped and ran out to sea, under double-reefed
topsails, with the hope of making an offing.
" We knew," said Peters, the man who gave us this
narrative, " by the gray scud flying across all day, and
the sea, which was getting every moment higher, that
before night we would probably feel the full force of the
storm. And accordingly, we made the best of our way
out to sea, thinking ourselves safe could we only secure
an offing. But before such a storm as we this time saw,
nothing could stand. It gradually freshened until sun
set, when we took in all sail but a close-reefed maintop
sail, reefed foresail, storm forestaysail, and storm mizzen.
We wero obliged to keep this on her, in order if possible
to hold our own, off shore. As the sun sank yellow and
fiery beneath the waves, it became evident that there was
a fresh hand at the bellows, for the squaUs were getting
harder and harder, until the wind fairly screamed as it
rushed through the tightened rigging.
" The watoh had just come on deck, at eight bells, eight
o'clock, when with a burst of thunder, seeming to break
from all quarters at once, and a continual blaze of light
ening, the real storm, of which the squalls had only been
the precursors, was upon us. The old ship lay over to it,
and the stout topmasts buckled like whip-handles, as we
wallowed deeply through the mountain seas. The thun
der was so incessant that we could not hear one another
speak, and the gale increased, puff after puff, until it
seemed as though nothing would be able to stand be
fore it.

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 159
" ' I wish we had the topsail and foresail in now,' said
the captain, 'it would save us some trouble.' But it was
blowing too hard to take in any sail, without having it
blown to pieces, and it was better to let it fly away out
of the bolt-ropes, than slat to pieces in clewing up.
" The sea had increased so that the ship was nearly
unmanageable, and as it occasionally broke over the
bow, all hands had been summoned aft, to be within call,
and in a safe place.
"We knew that if the wind did not suddenly change, as
is tbe way with these gales, we could weather it well
enough, for even if the topsail was blown away, it would
only be the trouble to bend another, when the gale
moderated. But the worst of these storms lies in the
fact that when the gale is at its hight, the wind usually
chops around suddenly, and blows as hard from the oppo
site quarter, as from that in which it began. These
sudden alterations not only make the sea much worse,
but place the ship between wind and sea, making it
impossible to trim her close to either one.
" Axes had been brought on deck early in the evening,
and placed near the wheel, for use, in case we should
want to out away anything. The gale steadily increased
until twelve o'clock, when it seemed to be at its hight.
Now came a little lull, and then with a crash of thun
der louder than any before, the wind was upon us from
the opposite quarter. All hands were on deck, awaiting
the shift, but it eame so suddenly and violently that we
could not do anything with the braces. The topsail and
foresaU were caught aback, and the vessel lay down^on

160 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
her beam-ends, until we feared she would not right
again. " 'Cut away the mainmast and mizzenmast,' shouted
the captain, through his speaking trumpet.
" Some of us were let down to leeward with ropes
made fast about our middle, to prevent our being swept
overboard, while we cut away the lanyards of the lee
rigging, and this done the mate and second mate touched
their knives to the weather lanyards. It required but a
touch, and the over-strained ropes gave way, and with a
crash the masts swept over the side. All this was of
course the work of a minute, and did not take so long as
I take in telling it.
"Believed of the weight of her two masts, she righted
a little, but the foresail and foremast, upon which we had
counted to pay her head off from the wind, seemed only
to have the effect of bearing her down in the water. She
was gathering stem-way, when the captain motioned to
the foremast, and scrambling and climbling forward, along
the now almost perpendicular deck, we also cut that away.
This eased her, and she graduaUy righted, to an even
keel. "As it was necessary to have something set to keep her
to the wind, we spread a hatch tarpaulin from the stump
of the mizzenmast to a spar fastened at the break of the
poop, and with the aid of this little rag, about sis feet
long, by four wide, we managed to keep our hulk out of
the trough of the sea. No longer under the steadying
power of the maata, ahe rolled and pitched and teased
about, as I never thought a vessel could. Jt was like

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 161
being shaken about in a box. AU hands had to fasten
themselves to the raU, to prevent being literaUy thrown
overboard, in her sudden rolls.
"The gale continued untii next moming. About
eight o'clock it began to moderate, and by twelve there
was but a gentle breeze, the sea b°ing yet, however, quite
rough. That evening we began our preparations for
rigging jury fore and main masts, and after two days of
incessant and severe labor, were able to set two topgal
lantsails on our new maata, by the aid of which, we
slowly made our way toward Calcutta, to which port it
waa now neceaaary to go, in order to have the vessel
refitted, as Madras Eoads present no facUities for such
work. "It took us thirty-five days to beat and drift up to
Sauger Point, and there we had to take a steamer up to
the city, as we had neither anchor nor cable to hold us,
should it faU calm. In Calcutta we were obliged to
have put in heavy teak masts, whioh made the old
craft so crank that she would hardly stand up when full
loaded."

11

CHAPTER XIV.
Sail for Sydney — Sydney Coves, or Colonials — their Peculiari
ties — Jim's Yarn — Life Among the Savages of New Guinea.
We escaped from Madras without being caught in a
gale. It being a stormy season none of us got ashore to
have a look at the place. This was of a piece with my
usual luck, and I began to think that even in the mer
chant service it was impossible to obtain more than a
distant glimpse at the strange places one visits. I deter
mined, however, if we got to Sydney, that I would see as
much of that place as appeared desirable, and not allow
myself to be disappointed there.
We set sail from Madras with a fair wind, glad to
be rid of a place which presented to us all the evils of
harbor life on board ship, without any of its reliefs. A
part of our crew were on this occasion in as high spirits
as British tars allow themselves to display on any account.
They were what is called " Sydney Coves," or " Colo
nials," that is, old hands in the Colony of New South
Wales, who had sailed from there some years. These
all looked upon Sydney as the only place in the world
worth sailing out of or Uving in.

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 163
These Colonials are as rough a set of vagabond^ as
one meets with even in a forecastle, but first rate seamen,
and orderly,iquiet fellows withal, if they are well treated.
They take especial pride in saying but little, and some
of them rival in taciturnity all that is related of the
American Indians. A loud talker gains but little credit
with them, as they act upon the principle that talking
and doing are not only different, but entirely incompat
able things. They are generally good boxers, masters of
the art of self-defense, and bear about them not a few
soars, reminiscences of past confiicts. They are yery
much disliked by officers of vessels, because, although as
good men as ever steered a trick, or passed an earing,
they are quick to take offense, and obstinate as mules, ^,
when once their ire is roused, and they imagine them
selves badly used.
In the forecastle they are very quiet ; I have known
one of them to be a week without saying a word to any
one on board. But woe to the unfortunate who gives
them offense. Then it is ''a word and a blow, and the
blow comes first.''
Their sUent habit is a peculiarity not caused by a
lack of something to say, for he who can succeed in
drawing out an old Colonial will be amply rewarded by
some as interesting yarns as ever were spun. Those
with us had followed, besides sea life, the business of
sheep and cattle tending. I rarely knew a Colonial sea
man who had not dipped into this business occasionally,
for a change, and often wondered whether it was not in
the utter loneliness of the wild wastes of Australia that

164 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
their singular taciturnity was first contracted. What
ever may have been the original moving cause, it is now
a peculiar feature of this class, and a lively Colonial
would be as great a singularity as an even moderately
quiet Frenchman.
The samples we had among our crew were, to a man,
thorough-going seamen, and although the class bears
rather an ill name, I found them very agreeable com
panions, after we had gotten pretty well acquainted. I
do not know what was the reason, possibly because I
myself am somewhat of a silent person, but they aU
took a fancy to me, and I received, before we reached
Sydney, more than one offer to take me into their frater
nity, and make me acquainted with Sydney and colonial
life. These flattering proposals I did not by any means
slight, for I must confess that their wandering, vagabond
mode of life, having about it muoh more of freedom than
there is found in general at sea, chimed weU with the
spirit of adventure which had induced me to become a
sailor. And had it not been that my fighting quaUties
were immensely below par, and likely ever to remain so,
I might have been to this day a '• Sydney cove."
" Pity that that little Yankee don't know how to use
his maulers — that's all he needs to make a tip top chum
of him," I overheard one of them saying one day.
They take great pride in interlarding their language
with various phrases of a slang peculiar to the Austra
lian dependency of Great Britain. A round assertion is
generally backed by " My bloody colonial oath on tha^i

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 165
mate," as a sign that its truth is entirely beyond ques
tion. By dint of a good deal of management, and a persis
tent exercise of that Yankee faculty, asking questions, I
1 got out of two of my shipmates, before we reached Syd
ney, some of their singular experiences. One of these
had been from the first an object of great curiosity to
me. His back and breast, as well as the back of his
neck, and his arms and legs, were entirely oovered with
a mass of circles and other odd figures, pricked in with
India ink, or some other blue pigment. To see various
figures on a saUor's arms, or even on other portions of his
body, is too common to occasion remark. But this was
plainly not the work of any sailor artist, but bore traces
of savage workmanship. We were but a few days aboard
when I leamed incidentally that Jim had been for five
years a prisoner among the savages on the Island of
Papua or New Guinea. He was much more silent than
any of his comrades, and it was only after most persis
tent and repeated questioning that he at last told me the
story of his adventures there.
He had been oast away, or wrecked, upon the Island,
while in one of the little schooners which sail from Syd
ney for the purpose of coUecting sandal wood and tor
toise shell, in search of which they visit all the unfre
quented isles in the vast Archipelago surrounding the
island of New Holland. According to his story, which
I have no doubt was substantially true, as he bore about
him many corroborating marks, the little craft in which
he sailed went ashore on a small isle near the main coast

166

THE MERCHANT VESSEL.

of New Guinea, in oue of the gales which often suddenly
spring up in those latitudes without giving the mariner
any notice of their approach. They had made some
excellent bargains of
sandal wood, with the
natives on various isles
they had visited, and
had collected sufficient
tortoise shell to make
them a good voyage ;
consequently were near
ly homeward bound.
when their schooner
was driven ashore, and
all hands fell into the
power of the natives.
These natives be
longed to the main
island. New Guinea,
having only paid a
chance visit in their canoes to this part of the Aroo
group. After the gale subsided, and they had gathered
what few things were washed ashore from the wreck of
the schooner, thoy returned with the crew, now then-
prisoners, to what may be called the main land. Here
my friend and his shipmates were divided out among dif
ferent parties, and he had reason to believe that most of
the latter were eaten up when they were sufficiently fat
tened to be suitable for that purpose.

Jim, the Captive.

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 167
Such was also the fate in preparation for him, from
which a mere accident saved him. He had belonged
some years before to the armorer's gang on-board a
British man-of-war, and had there learnt considerable of
the blacksmith's handicraft. Now, iron is the only pre
cious metal of the natives of the South Sea Islands — for
it they will part with anything they have, and wiU even
peril life and limb to obtain sufficient for a spear-head,
or a spike for one of their immense clubs. Quite a quan
tity had been gathered from the wrecked vessel, and the
party to whose lot Jim had fallen, had as their share
several large pieces, a chain plate, and a few spikes.
This they immediately set about getting into such shapes
as they desired. But with their lack of tools, and igno
rance of the best way to work it, they made but poor
headway. Jim was one day looking on while the chief was vainly
attempting to break in two the chain plate, when the
idea struck him that he could be of material aid to them,
and thus perhaps save himself from the fate which lay
before him. He explained to his owners that fire was
necessary in order to effect their purpose with the bar of
iron. They acted upon his suggestion, and rubbing two
sticks of wood rapidly together, soon had a bright blaze.
By means of this, .Jim soon got the iron to a white heat,
and then cut it in two with a chisel which happened to
be among the spikes in the possession of the natives.
This at once proclaimed him a valuable maiL to his
captors, and after a council held, it was resolved to adopt
him into the tribe, provided he could bear the pain of

168 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
being tatooed in like manner with themselves^; No time
was lost in submitting him to the operation, and he, who
knew well enough that to exhibit anything but the most
stoical indifference to the torture, would seal his fate, took
care not to give vent to a murmur, although the pain
must have been excrutiating. Practiced with fine nee
dles, in the hand of a skUlful manipiUator, the tatooing
is sufficiently painful — how much more so must it be
when the instruments used are naught but scraps of
shells, sharpened, when necessary, by being broken off
afresh. With these and the liquor obtained from the
cuttle fish, or rock squid, as it is called by sailors, my
friend was covered from head to foot with a solid mass
of fanciful figures. The entire operation lasted some six
months, as one part was necessarily allowed to heal before
another was commenced.
During this time his party had moved a considerable
diatance inland, stopping from time to time to hunt the
kangaroo, upon which, and a species of bread fruit, with
such fish as they could catch when on the seacoast, they
subsisted. During all this time he was kept buay at his
iron work. Using a stone for an anvU, and piece of iron
for sledge-hammer, he forged several arrow and spear
heads, which gave immense satisfaction, and raised him
to an enviable place in the good opinions of his cannibal
friends, who appear from henceforth to have given over
all ideas of making provender of him. He was shortly
initiated formaUy into their tribe and provided with a
wife, which was the only property not held entirely in
common in the community. His tribe now wandered

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 169
about from one portion of the island to the other, never
departing far from the seacoast, for somewhat over a year
and a half By this time he had become quite expert in
their manner of throwing the spear, their principal
weapon of offense and defence, and for the chase ; and
being an active man, was equal to any of his masters in
all the artifices by which they gain their subsistence
from the wild beasts of the forests.
At this time the tribe of which he had become a mem
ber got into difficulties with one of the others relative to
the ownership of an iron spike, one of the relics of Jim's
schooner, and a' war was the consequence. In this Jim
was, of course, obliged to take part, and he so distin
guished himself that, on the death of the old chief he
was unanimously chosen to fill his place.,
This accession of dignity necessitated the performance
of another small piece of tatooing. A collar, namely,
was to be placed upon his neck, and a few circles upon
his cheeks. But, to one whose entire body was only one
mass of scars, such trifles of torture were as nothing.
He entered upon his new office, and in two energetic bat
tles brought the war to a close, his tribe remaining in
undisputed possession of the iron treasure.
Jim had now arrived at the very pinacle of greatness.
He was master over some hundred naked savages, digni
fied with a collar, tatooed into his neck, and was entitled
to the first mouthful of a mess of wood worms, (a dainty
dish of these people, as weU as of the natives of Aus
tralia,) and the choicest piece of a roasted prisoner of
war. Yet he was far from contented. He longed to

170 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
return to a state of civilization, and the principal advan
tage he took of the power placed in his hands was to
keep his subjects as near the seacoast as possible, in the
hope that some passing trader would stop to barter, and
he would thus be enabled to make his escape from this
living tomb.
Being very illiterate, he had long ere this lost all
reckoning of time, all days being the same, and there not
being sufficient change in the seasons to enable him even
to guess at the months. Thus he lived on for five long
years, in all which time he saw but two vessels, neither
one passing sufficiently near to the land to enable him to
attract their notice by signals. These occasions proved
to him that his tribe were not disposed to let him go
without a struggle, and that they suspected his desire to
leave them ; for at sight of the ships they quickly hurried
off into the woods.
When he had been about three years and a half upon
the island, according to his computation, the iron which
was obtained at the wreck had been in great part used
up or lost, and most of his tribe were reduced to the ne
cessity of using sharp shells for heads to their long light
spears. Jim now endeavored to stir their avarice, (for
iron is to these people Uke gold to their more civUized
brethren,) by telling them that if they could only speak
a vessel, they could get in exchange for sandal wood,
with which the coast abounds, as much of the precious
metal as their hearts could desire. This set them upon
the lookout ; but no vessel appeared.
Poor Jim was almost in despair, and had nearly given

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 171
up aU hope of ever being so fortunate as to return to the
society of white men, when meeting a strange tribe one
day, whom a scarcity of kangaroos had driven down to
the seacoast in search of sheU-fish, he learned inciden
tally that at a point some two hundred miles from them,
as near as he could compute from the story, but certainly
east of them, two strange vessels touched annually for
trading purposes. The crews were not whites, and from the
description, he judged them to be Arabs or Malays ; but
there were vessels, and they traded, and this was sufficient
evidence that the people were at least less savage than
the Papuans. Hope once more glowed in his bosom, and
he determined to make his way eastward until the desired
haven should be attained.
Making glowing representations to his subjects of the
riches they would obtain, could they reach the trading
station in time to meet one of the vessels, they were at
length induced to turn their tardy steps that way. Fish
ing and hunting, and remaining for days in one place,
when they found an abundance of food, it was yet a
year and a half before they at last reached a little bay,
where the glad sight of a Malay proa cheered his breast.
The tribe quickly gathered a quantity of sandal wood on
the neighboring hills, and with this they approached the
vessel. Here they found the crew fully armed and pre
pared to defend themselves against any assaults of the
treacherous natives. But one boat was allowed to ap
proach the vessel at a time, and but one man from that
boat was permitted to come on board. This boat Jim
determined should be his — this man would be himself

172 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
And paying no heed to some objections urged by his com
panions, he embarked a portion of sandal wood in an old
canoe which he found upon the shore, and started off for
the proa.
Arriving along side, he clambered on deck with an
agility that somewhat surprised the Malays, who saw in
the wretched stark naked creature before them only a
native. Constant exposure to the sun and weather had
turned his skin to nearly the color of the islanders, and
the barbarous tatooing with which he was disfigured,
sufficiently completed the disguise.
Arrived on board, he was only involved in a new
perplexity. How was he to make himself known to
the Malays as an Englishman ? He could not speak
their tongue, and even if they understood a few
words of English, they would not beUeve a statement
which his appearance so strongly contradicted. As this
thought shot through his mind, poor feUow, his heart
sank, and he was nearly giving up aU hope. Neverthe
less, he determined to try, and hauling his sandal wood
on deck, to attract the attention of the crew, he advanced
to the captain and uttered the words, '' Me English."
How strange they sounded to his ears — these words of
English. The captain looked at him a moment, then
burst out in a loud laugh at the idea that one of the sav
ages had somehow gathered up two words of English.
Poor Jim repeated his asseveration, with distressed earn
estness, " Me English, captain, me English saUor."
Not a shadow of perplexity even darkened the cap
tain's countenance, as he turned to some of his men, and

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 173
remarked, (as Jim afterward learned,) upon the singu
larity of this native having caught up some words of
EngUsh language.
Jim was in despair; but now an idea struck him.
Eagerly grasping the end of a piece of the coir rigging
lying upon deck, he formed upon his hand, and on the
standing rigging, several of the knots with which the sea
men of all nations are famiUar.
At this spectacle a light seemed to dawn upon the cap
tain's face, and he looked inquiringly at him a few mo
ments. The suspense was too great, and Jim, bursting
into tears, muttered beseechingly, '¦ Me English, captain,
take me to Singapore.''
The curiosity of the crew was now thoroughly aroused,
and they crowded about him, and examined him more
narrowly than they had before done. Lifting up his
arms, Jim showed them where two white spots were yet
left on him, and they were now speedily satisfied that he
was tmly an English sailor.
In a few broken words of English, the captain asked
him how he came there, and Jim, part in his native
tongue, and part by lively pantomime, explained his his
tory to them, and asked them to take him along with
them. This was, after consultation, agreed to, if Jim
could get a load of sandal wood for them.
Although reluctant to set foot on shore again, he was
obliged to accede to the captain's proposal, and taking
some old iron, beads, and a looking glasses ashore, in re
tum for what he had brought on board, he proceeded to
the rather arduous task of getting the natives there

174 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
assembled, several tribes, to gather immediately a quan
tity of the required wood.
The fact of his having come back to them, apparently
voluntarily, lulled to rest any suspicions of his fidelity to
them, which they might previously have entertained, and
this renewed confidence gave the greater force to his com
mands. The sight of the articles he had brought off,
especially the iron, stirred up also their avarice, and
seeing what appeared to them vast riches, within their
grasp, they set to heartily, and in two days had sufficient
wood gathered to load the proa.
Meantime the crew of the vessel were keeping strict
watch on board, to provide against any hostUe attempts
by the natives. The crews of the vessels, British as
well as Arab and Jlalay, which cruise after sandal wood,
could oftentimes fill up their craft in a short time them
selves, were it not that to go ashore for that purpose,
would be to rush rashly on destruction, as the natives
are always ready to attack a vessel which is not fuUy
guarded. The prospect of securing the treasures of iron
and other material, to be found in such a prize, would
make them brave every danger, if there was the slightest
hope of their success in an attack. It is therefore found
necessary to barter with the savages, and even then to
use every precaution against treachery.
On the third day Jim had the satisfaction to see piled
upon the beach, a quantity of sandal wood sufficient to
fill the narrow hold of the little proa, and again he went
along side in his canoe, to make the final arrangements
respecting its transfer to the vessel, and his deliverance

TUB MERCHANT VESSEL. 175
from captivity. It was arranged that for every canoe
load of wood brought off, he should take ashore an
equivalent in iron, trinkets, and bright colored cloth ;
that meanwhile the vessel should be quietly gotten ready
for sailing at a moments notice, and when he was near
the end of his wood pile, the little kedge which held the
proa was to be quickly weighed, the lug sail hoisted,
while he, staving the canoe, should jump aboard, as the
vessel stood seaward.
One of the peculiarly favoring circumstances for Jim
was, that the party, or tribe of natives to whom this
little harbor really belonged, had a few days before the
arrival of the Malays, gone in their fieet of canoes, upon
a warlike expedition to another portion of the island,
leaving but two or three rickety canoes in the entire
neighborhood. Had they all been there, his escape would
have been rendered almost hopeless, as in their exaspe
ration the natives would doubtless have attacked the
proa, and perhaps overcome her by dint of superior num
bers. Supposing, which was not likely, that the Malay
captain would under such circumstances have consented
to receive him on board.
As the moment drew near which was to decide his fate,
and either give him his freedom, or consign him to a
slavery more hopeless than ever before, it may be imagined
that poor Jim's heart grew faint, with fear that some
unthought of accident might defeat his well laid scheme.
Should the natives conclude to put some one else in the
boat, and retain him ashore, or should the wind fail, or

176 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
worse yet, the fleet of boats suddenly heave in sight, he
knew that his first, perhaps his only chance for deliver
ance was gone. But luckily the breeze held, the boats
did not make their appearance, and the natives appeared
to think of anything else but his escape.
When yet fuU two canoe loads remained upon the
beach, Jim determined that he would venture no more.
While along side, and slowly passing in the wood, the
anchor was silently run up to the bows, and, overturning
the canoe with his foot, with a shout of exultation my
friend jumped aboard, and with hearty swigs puUed up
the mainsaU, whUe the captain steered the vessel out of
the harbor.
For some moments the savages did not comprehend the
drift of the maneuver, so completely had Jim's actions
of the previous day won upon their confidence, but when
they saw him pulling lustUy at the halyards, and the
vessel gathering headway toward the harbor's mouth,
they set up a roar of angry disappointment, and rushed
wildly up and down the beach, caUing upon him to come
back. Having a fair wind, however, they were soon out of
hearing and sight of Jim's savage comrades, and next
morning no longer saw the land. The Malay captain
supplied him with some clothing, the first he had wom
since, five years before, his own had been taken from
him by the natives ; and he began once more to assume
the forms of civUization. Twenty days brought the
vessel to Singapore, where he was at length among his

THB MERCHANT VESSEL. 177
countrymen ; but so much altered and defaced that he
found it difficult to persuade any one of the fact that he
was an EngUshman.
During his long captivity he had forgotten many words
of English, and at first expressed himself very awk
wardly ; but a voyage in a British veaael to Calcutta,
made him once more at home among old scenea. Only^
one thing he never more got accustomed to ; this was to
wear shoes. His feet, he complained, had gotten tender
by long tramping about among rocks and shells, and
shoes were a great inconvenience to him. On board ship
he never used them, and when ashore the softest pumps
were his only wear.
Of the manners of the savages he had but little to tell
me. The men wore no clothing whatever. The women
wore slight coverings of the large leaves of a speoies of
palm. Being a wandering people, they had no regularly
buUt habitations. In fine weather they slept under
shelter of the trees, and even often climbed up into them
to secure a more comfortable resting place. In wet
weather, during the periodical rains, they chose a site
where to remain during their continuance, and then con
structed rude huts of sticks, roofed with leaves, and gen
erally set up on posts, as the earth was too wet to rest
upon, and here they hovered in dismal discomfort, till the
retum of the pleasant season.
Although apparently devoid of energy in most respects,
they were passionate, quickly roused to anger, and even
jealous. Although destitute to the last degree, they
were avaricious for the possession of such articles as they
12

178 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
placed value upon, among which iron was evidently chief
Hence arose frequent wars between different tribes, in
which the prisoners were in great part used to satisfy
the hunger of their captors. The kangaroo and several
smaller animals, and numerous birds, together with such
shellfish as they could gather upon the beach, formed
their only subsistence, and when game was scarce they
often fared poorly enough.
One article of food, besides, Jim mentioned to me —
the worms found in decayed wood. A mess of these was
considered a great luxury, and he declared in telling me
the story, that after he got used to them, they really tasted
very well. They were roasted in large shells over a fire.
Of fruits, there appear to have been but few, com
pared with the usual plenty of tropical countries, and
with these he was not familiar. Of birds, there was a
great variety, and they frequently caught parrots and
other birds, and used them for food.
Their dead they buried in a shallow hole dug in the
ground at some distance from their then abiding place.
He spoke highly of their dexterity in throwing their rude
spears, and of the ingenious artifices used to surprise
and capture the kangaroo.
The people he described as of rather short stature,
perfectly black, and with curly hair almost like a ne-
groe's." Their features were thoroughly African, in
"Jim's hair was black, and curled very closely, a circum
stance which in all probability made his recognition as a white
man, by the Malay captain, more difSoult than it otherwise
would have been.

THB MERCHANT VESSEL. 179
some cases even exaggeratedly so. Jim seemed to have
fallen into the hands of the very lowest class of the
natives of New Guinea. He said he was frequently told
by. natives of tribes they met, of a people occupying the
inland portion of. the island, who had houses, and culti
vated the land, and who, from the rude descriptions,
given of them, must have attained to a considerable
degree of civilization. But his tribe strenuously objected
to holding any intercourse with these, fearing that they
would be by them made to work, i. e. made slaves of.
Jim, indeed, was not himself very wUling to leave the
coast, as there lay his only hope of ever being returned
to a civilized land. And he feared, should he once get
among the more civUized natives, they would prevent
him from returning again to the sea shore.
So ended his story. Had he been a man of some de-'"
gree of education, and of an energetic and inquisitive
character, the civilized world might have been indebted
to hhn for a most interesting account of a land which is
as yet more thoroughly terra incognita than the heart of
Africa ; for no where on the entire island have whites
penetrated more than a mile or two from shore, and even
that only in a few spots, and in hasty incursions, giving
no time for observation. As it was, Jim's only object
seems to have been to watch for a vessel by which he
could make his escape. Said I to him one day,
" If I had been in your place, I should have struck
inland, and taken my chance of what might happen."
" But the tribe I was with would not go, even had I
been desirous to do so, and what could I do, naked and

180 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
alone, in the vast woods, without even having any dis
tinct idea of the course which would lead me to a more
civilized place. And then, to turn myself away from
the only avenue for escape from a life long bondage — I
could not do it."
It must not be thought that this long story was told
me by Jim, just as I have written it. His habitual taci
turnity would not have given way so far as to spin such
a yarn " right off the reel." It was Only by dint of
most persistent and adroit questioning, taking him when
he was in his best humor, generally in the night watches,
when he had just completed his trick at the wheel — a sea
son of good humor generaUy with sailors — that I obtained
it. Here a little and there a little, I picked up aU his
experience, and had I not, by the practice of various
little arts, made myself a fevorite with him, I should
never have gotten any of it. Although not adhering
strictly to the language of the narrator, I have taken
care to give the facts just as they were stated to me.

CHAPTER XV.
Sydney — Sailors' Amusements — Tired of the Shore — ^Looking for
a Voyage — Ship — The Brig Ocean — Her Crew — Description
of the Vessel — Nearly a quarrel.
I Our passage to Sydney lasted forty-five days. ' Here,
after discharging our cargo, the crew were paid off, and
with six pounds sterling received as my wages, and some
money brought with me from the United States, I went
ashore. / On uniting our funds, George and I found our
selves tnf possessors of eighty doUars, quite a large sum
of money for two saUors. We determined to remain
on shore till we were heartily tired of it ; and to make
the cash hold out, I, who was the steadiest of the two,
was appointed keeper of the purse, with an agreement
that only a certain sum per diem should be given out.
First we purchased a few necessary articles of clothing,
and a chest for our joint use. Your true sailor will gen
eraUy be found to have a good chest of sea clothing. In
this he takes much pride, and let him be as dmnken
a feUow as may be, to replenish it he spends a large part
of the proceeds of every voyage. Experience has taught
him that in this matter delay is dangerous, and his first
(181)

182 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
outlay, before he ventures on a spree, is with the taUor
or slop-seller. Having filled his chest with the various
flannels, dungarees, oilcloths, etc., needed, the balance he
considers himself at liberty to use as inclination prompts
him, leaving any deficiencies in his board bill or gro
money to be settled for out of the never-failing month'
advance. I had imagined Sydney to be a rather rambling and
ill-constructed, dirty colonial town, such as one not un
frequently meets with in the British colonies. I was,
therefore, agreeably astonished to find it, with the excep
tion of the more ancient portion of the city, a regularly
laid out and well built place, the streets and public
buildings of which would have been no discredit to an
European seaport of its size. There was, too, a finished
appearance about it which I had hardly expected to see,
and many of the larger buildings had quite an ancient
appearance. Everything about it was pecuUarly Eng
lish," and when I got into the quarter in which are loca
ted the saUor's boarding houses, had it not been for the
strong dash of colonial recklessness and extravagance
everywhere perceptible, I could have easily imagined my
self in some seaport of England — London or Liverpool.
The English, particularly of the lower classes, of which
almost the entire population of Sydney, rich and poor, at
that time was composed, are a people of peculiar habits

'' This was before the discovery of gold in the colony of New
South Wales. The Sydney of to-day is probably quite a differ
ent place.

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 183
and manners, which they carry with them, and resolutely
introduce wherever they may wander. And I found here
all the prominent characteristics of the Englishman
fully, perhaps a little extravagantly developed. It was
just as though a portion of London or Liverpool had
been by some magic power removed to this extreme end
of the world.
The city is very pleasantly situated a part on a rising
ground, a kind of promontory, and a part in the adjoin
ing valley. It fronts on Sydney Cove, a secure harbor
about seven miles from the capes or headlands which form
Port Jackson Bay.
One of the principal amusements here for sailors is
horse-riding. As my chum, George, was fully intent
upon seeing all of " life " that was to be seen, he of course
must go horse-riding too, while I wandered about town to
get a look at the most note-worthy places. The Parra-
matta Eoad is the theater of Jack's horsemanship, and
thither George, in company with some of our late ship
mates, proceeded one afternoon on a parcel of as hard-
mouthed beasts as even sailors usually get hold of. The
party did not retum till late at night, when I was
already in dream-land, and I saw nothing of George tiU
next moming, when he appeared before my bed with as
raeful face as he could put on, and proposed to go down
after breakfast and hunt a ship.
" I want to get out of this confounded place. I rode
about yesterday tUl Em as sore thia moming aa though
some one had beaten me with a atick, and now those fel
lows want me to go out agam. It's an imposition. They

184 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
caU this a good port, but they don't know what good is,"
growled he.
I suggested to him that there was no law compelling
him to ride on horseback.
" Well, but what is a poor fellow to do ? I'm not
going to loaf about the tovra all day. And there's no
thing else to see. I'U have to get drunk to pass away
the time."
" Let's go cattle-tending, George."
" Mention cattle-tending again, and I'll use a cowhide
on you. Do you want to make a live mummy of your
self? Let's go down and ship."
Thus it is with the saUor. He is all eagerness to get
ashore, and is hardly there before he is glad to get away
again. Having no friends, and debarred by his calling
and his dress, if not by lack of education, from inter-
courae with any but thoae of his own class, a few days
suffice to tire him of the stupid amusements into which
he is dragged, often against his will ; he becomes thor
oughly wearied, and is almost forced, if he can't get a ship
to get drunk, as my old chum proposed to do, in mere
self-defense. To me, too, the time would soon have begun to grow
tedious. It took but a few days to see all that was ac
cessible to me, a sailor. To take a trip into the country,
which I would have muoh liked, I lacked means, and
also friends to expedite me on my way. I therefore
agreed to George's proposal, putting off the execution of
it, however, to next day. For that day we hired a car
riage, and made the driver take us through every street

THE MERCHANT VESSEL.

185

in the city accessible to a four-wheeled vehicle, and then
out into the country, on the road leading to Botany Bay,
returning in time to get our supper.
Next morning we proceeded to seek for a ship. I
wished much to make a voyage in one of the sandal
wood hunters which saU from here — the kind of vessel
in which my friend Jim had been wrecked — but there
were just then none in port, and I was compeUed to give
up my project, mentally determining to put it in execu
tion at some future time. Sailors were in demand just
at that time in Sydney, and we did not lack offers of
voyages. But I was determined to be suited before I
shipped, and did not therefore allow George to engage
hunself tiU we had taken a good look around.
We settled at length upon a colonial brig, whioh was
about to proceed to Lombok, there to take in a cargo of
rice, to carry to Macao or Whampoa. It promised to be
a novel voyage, and the brig was a likely vessel. The
crew — she was to carry ten hands before the mast — were
good looking men, and the officers had a good name.
Above aU, we were promised our discharge when we got
to China, and with this additional inducement George
and I were satisfied to put our names to the articles of
the good brig Ocean, of Sydney, at three pounds per
month, and small stores. By this latter clause is meant
that the vessel would furnish us with tea and sugar, it be
ing the practice, with many English owners and captains,
to make their men furnish these essentials, and such other
luxuries as come properly under the denomination of

186 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
small stores, paying them in such cases a slight increase
on their regular wages.
The brig was to sail in a few days, but her crew
was wanted on board immediately, a circumstance at
which I heartily rejoiced, as it would save us money.
On counting up our balance of cash on hand, I found
that George and I had spent, including clothing and
boarding, fifty dollars in a little less than two weeks,
leaving us thirty. One month's advance to each of us, fif
teen dollars, increased our store to sisty dollars, a vast deal
more than saUors generally take to sea with them. But
we were going to China, and I wanted every dollar we
could get.
Three days after we shipped, we sailed for our first
port, Lombok. Our crew was composed entirely of " Syd
ney Coves," all lank, stout, sUent fellows, who " did their
duty and asked odds of no man," as they significantly
said. The vessel was '¦ colonial " too, as before mentioned,
and I found her discipline to differ greatly from that of
English vessels. A regular allowance of provisions was
served out, as in the latter, but these were of better
quality, and there was no banyan day. Everything was
of the best, and the cook, who received a severe admoni
tion to do his duty, (from one of the crew,) on the first
day out, got up any kind of a mess that the forecastle
chose to suggest.
But the greatest difference was in the treatment of the
men by the officers. There was no haughty ordering
here and there, such as British mates and captains
delight in; no unnecessary pulling and hauling, no

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 187
making spun yam, or other contrivances to keep the men
busy. Everything was conducted in a very quiet way.
Orders were given, but the mode of fulfillment in general
entrusted to the men themselves, who, being thorough
seamen, took proper pride in doing well what was given
them. We had regular watch and watch, and no work was
done after four o'clock in the afternoon. There was none
of the usual hurrying up. Each one, in consequence,
did his work with a will. When sail was to be short
ened, or the topsails reefed, the laying of the yards, and
hauling up clewlines or reeftackles, was left in great
measure in the hands of the men themselves, and we of
course took care to make the work as light as possible.
And among the crew there was no holding baek ; every
one knew his station, and jumped there when he was re
quired. Altogether, we passed a very quiet and peace
able life, and to me a very pleasant one.
How such discipline would work with any other than
Colonials, it would be difficult to say. Of course, unless
the crew were thorough seamen, it would lead in many
cases to confusion. With such a rough and quick-tem
pered set as we had, it was the only plan. They them
selves made the rules by which their officers were forced
to abide. The captain knew quite well that to give them
just cause of offence, would be to provoke a retaliation
which would be far from pleasant. And the crew, with
a kind of feeling of honor, which I have often noticed in
such characters as their's, abstained scrupulously from

188 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
taking any undue advantage of the power which they
felt themselves possessed of
Only once during our voyage did a misunderstanding
occur. It was before we reached Lombok, and while we
were saUing through the trades. We were about to paint
the brig inside. It was intended to commence the work
on Monday moming, and on the Sabbath evemng before,
the mate, who had been taking a little more grog during
the day than was promotive of a clear understanding,
ordered the watch on deck to come aft and lift aside some
spare topsaUs, preparatory for the morrow's work. One
of the men quietly remarked that it was Sunday, and it
was not customary to work on that day.
" Come aft this instant, and don't talk to me of Sun
day, or ru keep you to work every Sunday during the
cruise," shouted the drunken mate, highly excited.
" You'd better come and take us aft," was the answer
to this.
AU hands came up out of the forecastle, and it was at
once understood that the order was not to be obeyed.
The mate was by this time aware that he was getting
himself into trouble, and when the sound of handspikes
being gathered up, in readiness for a row, struck upon
his ear, he dove down into the cabin to ask the skipper's
advice. The latter immediately came upon deck, and glancing
for a moment over the crowd collected about the wind
lass, called the oldest of the seamen by name, desiring
him to come aft. This he did, and the captain, who felt,
of com-se, bound to support his mate, even if he waa

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 189
wrong, represented to John that the matter required was
a mere trifie — that it would establish no precedent — that
the mate was anxious to get at the painting as early as
possible on the foUowing day, and finally wound up by
reminding him that disobedience to orders was mutiny,
and that in such cases he, the captain, was empowered to
proceed to extreme measures.
John heard him through, then said very drUy, " Cap
tain, if you knew how little I cared about you, you'd be
surprised," and walked forward to the forecastle.
How much the captain was surprised at this thor
oughly characteristic remark, it would be hard to teU,
but there was no more said about moving the spars, and
we were never after caUed upon for any Sunday work.

CHAPTER XVI.
A Yaen of Sandal Wood Hunting — Arrival at Lombok — The
Natives — Chinese Residents — Manner of Life of the People —
Take in Cargo — The Country-Wallah — Her Crew.
SETTiNa aside the little inconveniences and crosses
whioh are unavoidable in every ship, and which merely
served the purpose of enabling my worthy chum, George,
to relieve himself of his superfluous bile, I think I never
enjoyed any voyage so much as this in the brig Ocean.
Our course lay through a nearly uninterrupted succession
of fine weather, in which the dark little forecastle was
almost entirely deserted, and we all slept and Uved on
deck. We were as nearly our own masters as it is good
for sailors to be. and with an experienced and thoroughly
united crew, we could scarcely fail of being tolerably
contented. As for myself I lived in an atmosphere of romance.
The voyage was a novel one, and quite out of the usual
line of such sailors as I had been most among. And the
past experiences of my shipmates, as communicated to
one another and to me in the pleasant dog-watches, as we
lay on deck in the half light of the bright stars, with

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 191
soft zephyrs wafting us along, were an inexhaustible
source of interest to me.
Some of these men had not been the other side of the
Cape of Good Hope for many years. They had sailed
from Sydney, in every direction, to the most out-of-the-
way places, and on the strangest errands. India, China,
the Ladrones, the Phillipines, and the island world of the
South Pacific : with all they were familiar, of each they
had something to relate. Here I heard over again the
story of the Christian settlement on Pitcairn's Island,
which had formed one of our Sunday School volumes at
home. But how much pleasanter to listen to the tale as
it had been told one of my shipmates by a descendant of
Thursday October Christian himself Numberless whal
ing adventures, fights with savages, and incidents in the
strange voyages of the country ships, as well as one or
two experiences of life on the cattle and sheep farms —
the rektion of these occupied our idle time, and afforded
me many pleasant hours.
I was the youngest seaman on board, and found no
difficulty in making myself a favorite among my older
shipmates, by readiness in jumping aloft when light sails
were to be loosed or furled, and by general willingness to
do the duty of a •' light hand." Then, too, my inexpe
rience in the changeful life they had lead, made them
feel a flattering superiority to me, which, as it was not
unpleasant, I did not seek to break down. And the con
sequence was, that I was always called for when any
yarning was going on ; and often, when my trick at the
wheel would occur just as some one was in the midst of

192 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
an interesting story, one of the older hands would bid me
sit still, while he steered my trick for me.
I said one day that if I ever got back to Sydney I
would make a voyage in a sandal wood hunter.^;-
" Here's Long Tom, Charley," said one in answer,
" he's been in those craft for the last two years. You
had better get him to take you in tow. He can pick
you out the very boat for a good voyage."
" Tom promised us a yam about his last trip," re
marked one of the others.
" Come, a yarn, a yam, boys,'' sung out another, and
at the word we gathered upon the forecastle, with our
pea-jackets, and arranged ourselves in comfortable posi
tions to listen to the yam.
'' Who has the next helm?"
"I do," answered one of the starboard watch.
" Then do you stow yourselves outside, so that you
won't disturb any one when you get up to go aft."
This being done, and aU hands being arranged in
various positions about Long Tom, a lank, but by no
means slender six footer, he, after a little coquetting,
declaring the yarn not worth relating, etc., finally bit off
the customary quantity of pig tail, and clearing his
throat, began as foUows:
" You know, shipmates, or most of you do, that on
board of those craft that go out upon the look for sandal
wood and tortoise sheU, t^ei crew are not shipped at set
wages, so much a month and small stores, but go upon
a regular lay, like whalemen ; only, my word, it's a better
and more paying lay than any whaling that I ever saw.

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 193
The Eliza Jane — she was named after the skipper's
wife — was a pretty little colonial built craft, brigantine
rigged, steering and working easily, and sailing much
better than the generality of colony built vessels.
"We carried a stout crew, for so small a craft, twelve
men before the mast, captain, two mates, cook, and stew
ard. We could man two whale boats, which hung at
darits upon the quarters, and yet leave on board as many
men to keep ship, as could have worked her any where
she could go. ,^^e shipped upon a lay of one ninety-
ninth. That is to say, one pound sterling out of every
ninety-nine of the proceeds of the cargo was each man's
share. '\This was a lay which gave us promise of a good
voyage, and we sailed from Sydney in high spirits.
" We were all old shipmates, and a better crew Fli
venture to say never sailed out of Port Jackson Bay than
that of the Eliza Jane. All of us had been whaling,
whioh the skipper made a necessary condition to shipping
a man, as he intended to visit some islands which he
had found on his last voyage to be entirely deserted,
where he expected to pick up a large portion of his cargo.
He had the name of being a smart fellow in his chosen
business — for he had never followed any other — and was
well known for the many narrow escapes he had had
from faUmg into the hands of the natives, and for his
readiness to venture anywhere and everywhere, where
sandal wood and tortoise shell were to be found.
" We expected to do a good deal of boating. This, as
it is generally done on a surf-bound beach, is wet work,
but after all, pleasanter and more exciting than trading
13

194 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
with savages through the meshes of a boarding netting,
and keeping an armed watch day and night, for fear of a
surprise. Our trading cargo consisted of an assortment
of old and new spikes, and variously sized scraps and
pieces of iron, scarlet colored cloth, beads, tobacco, look
ing glasses, trinkets of various kinds, knives, hatchets,
and a large box full of old clothes, probably the stock
in trade of some second hand clothing store in Sydney.
We had the forecastle to ourselves, and were aUowed to
take out a small private venture of our own, with per
mission to stow the proceeds in our bunks.
"Our course was shaped for the islands known as Solo
mon's Archipelago, where we were to make some trade
with the natives. This extensive group was to be our
principal cruising ground, although the mate told us that
we should sail over toward the Louisiade group, should
we not do as well as the skipper desired. This is the
great cruising ground for sandal wood hunters, and among
these islands, they not unfrequently meet with large
quantities of the precious wood.
" Sandal wood, you must know boya, is brought off by
the natives in sticks of various shapes and sizes, suffici
ently small to be handUy stowed in the hold. They are
glad to take in exchange, such old clothes, trinkets, and
bits of iron as the captain lets them have. Thus for a
few dollars worth of trade you get several tons of wood,
worth in Sydney twenty-five pounds sterling per ton, and
in China about fifty pounds. Turtle shell is generally
gathered by the crew. It was for this more especiaUy
that we had our boats. Considerable quantities of the

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 195
sheU are washed up on the shores of the islands by the
sweU, and there it is picked up. It is but seldom that
you catch a live turtle, unless you happen to come to an
island frequented by them, where one can watch for
them, when they come up on shore at night to deposit
their eggs in the sand.
" Our first harbor for trading was Joannette, was one of
the Solomon group. Here the natives were reputed
quite wUd, and we took every precaution to preserve our
selves from an attack. No sooner were our sails lowered
than we triced up our boarding nettings, and loaded our
firearms, the watch on deck being appointed to keep a
constant and watchful guard, while those of us whose
tum it was below, had leisure to observe the natives
launching their canoes preparatory to coming off.
" Soon quite a fieet of boats, some containing cocoa-
nuts and other fruits, and chickens, parrots, etc., were
paddled off toward us, looking, with their curious out
riggers, like enormous lobsters skimming along the sur
face." " How are their outriggers fixed, Tom ?"
" The canoes are so narrow, that they would very
easily capsize, and it would be almost impossible even for
a native, to bring one safely through the surf. To
remedy this, they fasten to one side three arms, each per
haps eight or ten feet long, bow shaped, that their middle
may not touch the water, but with their other ends lying
on the surface. These outside ends are united by a fore
and aft piece, which rests on and skims along the water.
With this contrivance, it is almost impossible to tum over

196 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
a canoe, as the buoyancy of the outrigger prevents it
dipping on that side, and its weight effectually keeps it
from capsizing on the opposite. With a good outrigger,
they not unfrequently put sail on a litfle canoe, and
dance merrily over the water, the atrange looking arms
now lifted high up in the air, now plunged into the sea.
But let the outrigger give way, which sometimes occurs,
and the boat is almost helpless, and John Kanaka takes
the water for it.
" As soon as the natives got within hearing, the skip
per, who spoke their language, warned them off, giving
permission for only two boats to come alongside at a
time, and threatening to fire into any that transgressed
the rule. Two chiefs, in large canoes, accordingly saUed
up to the starboard side, where was a small entering-
place, and making fast their boats, came on board, with
their crews. They first laid at the captain's feet an
offering of plantains, cocoanuts, chickens, and a beautiful
parrot, and then informed him that they had aome sandal
wood for him, on shore, if he wanted it, desiring at the
same time to know what he had to trade.
" He informed them, and held some farther conversa
tion with them, after which, they came forward to trade
with the crew for some fruit. We had been before
warned not to make any display of our articles of trade,
nor to make any liberal offers for their fruit, as it is con
sidered necessary to keep up the value of bartering goods.
While the chiefs were aft, the crew had been looking
about the vessel, with such an air as a parcel of sailors
would be likely to put on, were they set on board a ship

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 197
in which everything was made of gold and precious
stones. In fact, to these people, who possess not even
the commonest articles found on board ship, and who
value iron as we do gold, a vessel must appear an almost
inexhaustible mine of riches.
" Knowing their thieving propensities, we had, directly
after coming to anchor, stowed down below decks every
thing removeable, or that could be conveniently carried
off. At this they were evidently disappointed. After
vainly looking about for something on which he could lay
his thieving hands, a native came with a begging
face, forward, and asked one of us for a nail, pointing to
one which was sticking in an old board forward of the
windlass. The gift of a small wrought nail made him a
rich man, for he danced aft to his companions in the
greatest glee, and we aoon had the entire crowd (there
were six of them,) begging around ua for a similar favor.
There were no more nails forthcoming, however.
" In their anxiety to obtain some iron, they now began
to entertain an idea of pulling one of the eyebolts out of
the deck. Forming a ring about one in the starboard
gangway, that their proceedings might not be observed
by the crew, two of the stoutest now got down upon
deck, and catching hold of the aecurely faatened bolt,
did their best to puU and jerk it loose, of course without
effect. Nevertheless they tugged away manfully, until
the mate stepped toward them, when they immediately
walked off, apparently much disappointed. Had any
article of iron been lying about within reach, they would
have spared no mgenuity or labor to make off with it.

198 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
" The next morning was appointed to begin the trade.
Our visitors shortly took leave, and were succeeded by
others, who in turn, after gazing around the vessel, and
seeing nothing to steal, made room for their companions.
We had a succession of canoes along side tUl sunset,
when all the boats were ordered away, and instructions
given to fire into the first canoe that came within gun
shot. " Next morning began the busy trade. Already, be
fore breakfast, a number of canoes were launched from
shore and forced through the surf, coming to us laden
with rough-looking sticks of sandal-wood of various
shapes and sizes. As on the previous day, only two boats
were allowed along side at once, and only one was traded
with at a time.
" Early in the moming, the captain had overhauled
his chest of old clothes in the hold, to famUiarize him
self with its contents, and he now stood at the gangway,
where the wood was passed in, to judge of its value, and
make such offers as he chose for it. For an old regi
mental coat of red cloth, with a little tarnished gold
lace upon it, he got sandal wood which afterward brought
him in at least one hundred and fifty dollars. So, too,
knives, small mirrors, spike nails, tobacco, and numerous
articles of old clothes, were disposed of on equally ad
vantageous terms. Each Kanaka, when his trade was
finished, was sent away, to make room for more, until by
three o'clock in the afternoon we had our entire deck and
portion of the hold filled with the curiously twisted
sticks of wood, which it was necessary to stow down

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 199
before we could trade more. A stranger to the business
would have said that we had quite sufficient to load the
vessel, yet under the careful hands of our experienced
mate, it was so snugly stowed that it occupied but a small
space in the hold.
By the foUowing noon we had gotten all their wood,
while the natives could be seen stalking about, or squat
ting in their boats, arrayed in the articles which they
had obtained from us. As they adorned themselves with
the varioua coats, vesta,, and trowsers, some of them pre
sented most comical figures. One had nothing on but a
bright red military coat, whUe the only garment of
others was an old vest. Some had hung looking
glasses about their necks, whUe many of the females,
vain creatures, had run naUs and other bits of iron
through the large holes in their ears, and in some in
stances even in their noses. All seemed highly deUghted
at the change in their appearance.
" We took our departure amid many regrets of the
natives, who were loath to see such a prize go away from
their shores. Our next two or three stopping places
were aome deaerted islets in the same group, with which
our captain waa familiar from previous visits. There we
went ashore in our whale boats, and aearched about the
beach for turtle ahell. Sometimes we found quite a
quantity ; at others, half a day's dUigent search would
not be repaid by a single piece of shell. The entire
beach was strewed thickly with the center bones of the
rock squid or cuttle fish, which must have existed here

200 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
in great numbers. The white, porous oblong bones fairly
covered the beach, in spots.
" On one of the deserted islets we met with quite a
prize, in the shape of a lump of Ambergris. It was a
yellow, tolerably solid substance, bearing, I thought,
some resemblance to an old honeycomb. The mass we found
weighed, I believe, three pounds. It was carefully put
away by the captain, to be sold when we got to Sydney.
" Thus alternately trading and looking about ourselves,
we at length filled our vessel, and set saU on our return
to Sydney."
" How did the natives look, with whom you traded ? "
I asked. " There were various tribea, and I suppose races of
them. Some were dark brown, with long, glossy, black
hair, and the usual Kanaka features. Others were short
in stature, nearly black, with curling hair, and negro fea
tures. These last were much the most savage, and we
could do but little with them in the way of trade.
" On most of the islands we saw cocoanut trees ; at
some the natives brought off bananas, and some few
other fruits. They appear also to raise chickens and
hogs. Of birds there seemed to be an abundance where-
ever we touched, and on them the ruder natives probably
subsist. The men all walked about in a state of nudity ;
the women wore the tapa, or waist cloth, made of the
fiber of the cocoanut tree, I suppose. They are a semi-
amphibious people, as are all the natives of the South
Sea Islands, appearing to be nearly as much at home in
the water as on dry land. Their principal arms were

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 201
huge clubs, the heads of which were studded with sharp
pieces of shell.
" On arriving at Sydney, we disposed of a portion of
our sandal wood, and with the rest the vessel sailed for
China. Previously to this, however, the crew were paid
off. We were gone four months on our voyage. Our
pay amounted to the snug sum of forty pounds sterling,
(nearly two hundred dollars,) each. This was considered
quite an extra voyage.
' " In China, the sandal wood probably brought our cap
tain double the price he would have obtained for it at
Sydney, and thus he and the owners must have made a
remunerative voyage."
The Chinese use the sandal wood in the manufacture
of fana and other ornamental articlea, and value it highly.
In fact, sandal wood and shark's fins are at this day two
valuable articles of export from British India to various
parts of China.
We passed safely through Torres' Straits, and in
thirty-five days from Sydney reached Lombok, or rather
the port of Ampanam, on the western coast of the
island. Lombok is a small but fertUe island of the Ma
lay Archipelago. It lies between the isles of Bali, or
Bally, and Sumbawa, separated from each by a narrow
strait. Next west of Bally is the island of Java.
Lombok itself is thickly inhabited. The people till the
land, and export great quantities of rice, which is the
principal product of the soil. It is said that not less
than from twenty to twenty-five thousand tons of this

202 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
grain are exported yearly to various parts of the Indies,
much of it going to China.
The island is intersected by a mountainous ridge, and
on the north coast is an active volcano, having a peak
which can be seen for many miles at sea. LThis was the
first active volcano I had ever seen, and I watched the
thin smoke ever and anon curling -above its top, with
muoh curiosity, almost wishing that an eruption might
take place while we were there ; although such an event
would doubtless have overwhelmed many famUies in
ruins. The harbor of Ampanam is small, but has a good an
chorage. As this was the first Malay place at which J had
ever been ashore, I saw much to amuse me. The people
live in long houses constructed of bamboo, and perched
upon high posts, from ten to fifteen feet from the ground.
Several famUies generally reside in one dwelUng, their
stock of chickens and hogs abiding on the ground beneath,
possibly acting as scavengers to remove the refuse of the
houses above. The dwellings are entered by means of
ladders, and when these are hauled up all communication
from without is shut off. The groves of cocoanuts and
palms among which these houses stood made a beautiful
shade for them, while bananas, pomegranates, shaddocks,
mangosteens, and other fruits seemed to grow almost
spontaneously, in every cleared spot.
The groves were filled with birds of beautiful plum
age, though it must be owned, many of them of discord
ant voices. These gave to the woods an appearance of
life and bustle, whioh was as strange as pleasant. Here

THE MERCHANT VESSEL.

203

and there could be seen a monkey or a marmoset, leap
ing from branch to branch among the luxuriant foliage,
or swinging by his tail, aud giving vent to a shrill screech
which would startle the other inhabitants of the grovea.

Natives of Lombok.

We took great pleasure in rambling through these
groves, on the two Sundays which we spent ashore here.
The people, although not disposed to hold any more com
munication with us than was actually necessary, were
kind and attentive. Fruits and provisions were remark
ably cheap. We purchased twenty-five large fowls for
a dollar. Cocoanuts and bananas wore to be had almost
Cfor the asking, and other fruits cost but very little more.
I here purchased a monkey, as I wanted something with

204 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
which to amuse myself when we once more got to sea.
He was a wild little fellow, and I got him a chain, with
which to keep him fast while lying in port, that he might
not slip off into some of the shore boats frequently along
side. His monkeyship only cost half a rupee (twenty-
five cents) , while parrots could be bought for from ten
cents to half a dollar. Of course, these birds were
freshly caught, and could not talk. Parrots which have
learned to talk Malay or Arabic are highly valued, and "
are not sold under twenty-five or thirty dollars.
Besides the natives of the islands, who are Malays,
and of course partly Mohammedans, a portion of the
residents are Chinese. These filled here the line of busi
ness which I have noticed they generaUy take to when
away from their homes. They are the smaU merchants
of a place, and their shops answer to the " corner gro
ceries" in the United States. Meet them where you
will, away from their home, and you wUl find the Chi
nese to be smart, thriving, and industrious people, living
frugally and keeping an eye to the main chance in busi
ness matters. Some of the Chinese who live in Lombok
are reputed to be very wealthy ; but most of them, when
they acquire a competency, retum to their native places,
to settle down. They do not even intermarry with the
natives, but import their wives from the Celestial
Empire, or remain single untU they return home.
The Chinaman dresses alike aU the world over. His
thick-Boled, clumsy shoes, petticoat trowsers, slouchy
jacket, and little round cap, reach from India to Ameri
ca, from Shanghai to Sydney. The Malay natives dress

THE MERCHANT VESSEL.

205

variously, according to rank or means. The wealthier
wear tunics of fine material, woven in bright figures.
The men are distin
guishable by the long
creese, and a short
dagger, stuck in their
belt. These arms are,
however, at this time,
more for ornament than
use, and the natives of
this island seemed to
be a very harmless, in
offensive people. The
males, among the labor
ing classes, wear noth
ing but a waist-cloth
and turban, while the
women dress themselves
in long gowns, and not
unfrequently in a flow
ing robe, formed by Malay Seaman.
winding a bright-colored cotton shawl loosely and graee-
fuUy around the body.
The government of the island is administered by a
number of rajahs, whose jealousies frequently embroil
their subjects in quarrels and petty wars. These quar
rels the Dutch on the neighboring island of Java have
taken advantage of at various times to introduce their
authority as arbitrators, and they wield at this time a
controUing influence in the government.

206 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
We began to take in our rice as soon as the ballast
was sufficiently leveled and dunnage laid on which to
atow it. It waa brought alongside by the nativea in
large boats, and hoisted or rather tossed in on board, and
stowed in the hold, by the crew. It was pretty severe
labor to carry the sacks of rice through our low hold,
and stow them snugly in tiers fore and aft. The
weather waa oppressively warm, and the hold was like an
oven. We worked from daylight till dark — that is from
six to six, with half an hour's intermission for break
fast, and an hour for dinner. We had a stout crew, and
therefore the work went cheerily on, and in loss than two
weeks we had the brig filled to the hatches with rice,
and were ready to saU for China.
While we lay at Ampanam, or Lombok as everybody
persisted in calling the port, a large country ship came
m to the anchorage, to obtain some provisions. Our cap
tain paid her a visit, and I was luckily one of the boat's
crew who took him on board, so that I too had a look at
lhe stranger. We had lain at but a short distance from
a large country wallah, in Madras, but I had never had
a chance to board her, so that I now for the first time
stood on the deck of one of these singular craft.
She was a ship of about nine hundred tons, and would
have been manned, if an American, by about sixteen or
seventeen hands, if a British vessel, by perhaps twenty-
two. But her Hindoo or Lascar crew numbered not less
than seventy. T'hese had placed over them a serang, or
boatswain, and three boatswain's mates, whose duty it
waa to enforce the orders of the captain and mates. They

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 207
used calls or pipes, precisely like that used by the boat
swain of a ship of war, and the loud •' belay" which was
being piped just as we clambered up the side, put me
much in mind of old times.
Besides her Lascar crew, whose duty it is to make and
take in sail, and work the vessel generally, there were
six sea-connies, white men, or Europeans, as they are
called, who steered the vessel, and at reefing topsails
took the earings. These lived aft, in a steerage, while
the crew lived forward in a large forecastle. Steering
and sailmaking was the only work of the six sea-connies,
who, I thought, must have fine times.
The entire rigging of the ship was of coir rope, in
stead of hemp, the kind most generally used. It was
beautifully fitted, for the Lascars are excellent saUors.
Altogether, the vessel looked very neat and clean, and
their manner of coming to anchor and getting under
weigh proved that they could handle her in a creditable
manner.

CHAPTER XVII.
Leave Lombok — The Monkey — The Parrot — A long Calm-
George Grumbles — Cattle-tending in New South Wales —
Whampoa — Discharge Cargo — Paid off — ^Visit Canton.
Having taken in our cargo, we got underweigh, and
proceeded on our voyage to Whampoa, where we were
to discharge the rice, and be in tum ourselves dis
charged. We passed through the little strait of BaUy,
which divides Lombok from the Island of BaUy, and
thence emerged into the sea which separates the two
larger islands, Java and Borneo. This was real summer
saUing. As we slowly wound our way past the land,
which loomed up in the hazy distance, I called to mind
thc last time I had saUed through these waters, and was
able to congratulate myself on now being much more
pleasantly situated, although a strange flag was flutter
ing above my head. I was no longer cooped up, a pris
oner, in a great ship. We were steering China-ward, I
with glorious anticipations of what I should see in that
land of wonders.
My monkey gave me much pleasure on this trip. I
had, by uniformly kind treatment, in a great degree
(208)

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 209
tamed him ere we were many days out, and he soon began
to make himself quite at home with all that belonged to
me. George was his bitter enemy. He had strongly
opposed my getting him, prophesying that his mischievous
habits would create bad feeling in the forecastle, and that
I would have more trouble than pleasure in keeping him.
He could not bear to have the animal about him, and as
the monkey and I eat together, George took hia pan and
pot to the other end of the forecastle.
For my part, I could never see sufficient of Jocko's
tricks, and deUghted in making him swing by a line pen
dant from the forescuttle, or in having a tussle with him
on the deck. But he was treacherous as well as mischiev
ous, and would bite on the slightest provocation.
In the dull monotony of life at sea, any strange object
serves to give an agreeable diversion so the mind, and it
is not, therefore, to be wondered at, that I found an almost
inexhaustible stock of amusement in my monkey. His
antics could always raise a laugh, even among my silent
shipmates, and he waa indulged by them in many little
tricks, whioh I at first feared they would resent.
Before we got to China, he and I got to be on excellent
terms. We took our meals on the same chest — he having
his allowance in a Uttle pan, but occasionally taking a
piece from mine. His tea was poured out for him in a
bowh and in this he put bread to soak — a fashion learned
from some of our crew. Any deficiencies in his victuals
were strongly resented, and once, when he had scalded his
fingers in the hot tea, he leaped upon me like a tiger, and
bit me severely in the neck.
14

210 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
Of course, such a companion was calculated to make a
tedious passage pass much more pleasantly, and all of our
crew, except George, grew very fond of the little creature,
whose sprightly disposition was every day breaking out in
some new trick.
Of the parrot a much leas favorable account must be
given. He was a large green bird, one of the speaking
kind, we had been assured by the Malay who sold him to
ue. His tongue, or rather the little slender cord beneath
it, had been cut by his Malay owner, before he came into
our possession — as this was considered necessary in order
to enable him to talk. He was placed in the darkest part
of the forecastle, chock forward, on one of the breast-
hooks, and there secured. Here his food was brought to
him daily — he who fed him pronouncing to him the words,
"Pretty Polly." In a very few weeks we began to hear
faint mutterings from the dark corner, and one moming,
at the end of about the seventh week, were surprised to
hear from PoUy's beak, the words " Polly, pretty Polly,"
spoken very plainly. The parrot now leamed rapidly, and
as we were going up Canton river, could talk tolerably
fluently. But he had gotten to be a terrible reprobate,
and delighted in nothing so much as swearing. He was,
therefore, a nuisance even to the most profane of the crew,
for no one of them desired to hear a stupid bird mocking
him. At Whampoa he was sold to some American sailors,
and on parting from my shipmates there, I left them the
monkey as a keepsake.
Our passage to China was a tedious one. We were
detained by calma in the waters bounded by Java and

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 211
Sumatra on one side, and Borneo on the other, and it took
us nearly sixty days to reach the mouth of Canton Bay.
It might he supposed that, as we had a good little vessel,
and were in other respects as happily situated as sailors
could expect to be, we would not have oared how long the
passage lasted.
But, singularly enough, the exact reverse is invariably
the sentiment of the forecastle. Jjet the vessel and officers
be as unexceptionable as they may, Jack always wishes
for a short passage. It is not that he wants to get ashore
to spend his money. It is not, either, that he finds more
pleasure in lying in port. On the contrary, he is almost
sure then to have much harder work than at sea. But
the sailor seems to be possessed of a restless spirit, a very
demon of inquietude, who gives him no peace except in
motion. He feels contented nowhere. When on shore,
he sighs for the ocean. No sooner is he there, than he as
ardently wishes himself back to port. The old saying,
"More days, more dollars," is oftener spoken in derision
than in earnest, and is only taken as a comforter in the
last extremity, when all progress is barred by calms or
head-winds, and a lengthened passage seems an unavoid
able fate.
Thus our fellows, though they had every reason to be
contented, were looking and whistling as anxiously for a
breeze, as though their fortunes depended upon a speedy
passage. I say our fellows — but I must own that I was
no less impatient than the rest. There was no lack of
books, nor of what was just then of more interest to me,
yams. But the general unrest had also possession of me.

212 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
and I was as eagerly wishing for the expected breeze as
any one.
A calm at sea is, under any circumstances, a very
tedious business. The smooth water, the sails drooping
listlessly against the mast, the awkward roll of the ves
sel, all betoken a breaking up of the usual routine of
sea-life. A feeling as though you were no longer at
home, seems to creep over every one. The watch below
no longer sleep, nor sew, nor read. Their enjoyment of
these usual time-killers seems to have flown with the
breeze, and they wander listlessly about the deck, calling
upon all the patron saints of wind and weather to extri
cate them from this overpowering monotony. All steady
occupation of mind or body seems to become oppressive ;
and the sound of eight bells, which sends them on deck,
is haUed with joy, as, at any rate a change.
As for the watch on deck, they generaUy find enough to
do in a calm. This is an opportunity, never lost, to set
up rigging, put on new aeizinga and lashings where they
maybe needed, and for attending to all such work as is not
to be done when the ship has headway on her, and her
rigging and spars are strained by the breeze. Under the
oppressing infiuences of the calm, with the sun's rays
pouring down intense heat, melting the tar off the ropes,
and making the decks almost too hot to stand upon, this
labor comes doubly heavy. If for no other reason, there
fore, than to escape such work, a calm is an event much to
be deprecated by sailors.
Our long calm brought to every one's recollection some
similar circumstance in his previous experience, and wo

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 213
entertained eaoh other, in the dog-watchea, with tough
yams of vessels that had lain on the line almost till they
had rotted — till the sails were dropping from the yards,
and the grass had grown yards long upon the bottom of
the vessel.
As for my grumbling chum, the spirit of prophecy was
upon him again, and he foretold, with a kind of savage'
satisfaction, that we were doomed to remain in that spot,
I am almost afraid to say how long, but at any rate until
we should have eaten up our provisions, and then be
obliged to take to our boats and make the best of our way
to Singapore. He rolled about in his berth, making grave
calculations as to how many days' water we had yet on
board, and how long our bread could be made to last, and
had all arranged in his mind as to the course to be steered
for the nearest land, when we should abandon the vessel,
a consummation which he appeared to regard as a settled
fact. Indeed, so strongly had he persuaded himself that \
this would be our fate, that I thought it was with a shade
of disappointment he at last witnessed the approaoh of a "¦
breeze. With one exception, I was, I think, the most patient
individual in the forecastle. This was a quiet old tar,
who had served an apprenticeship of two years to ennui,
on a sheep and cattle station in the wilds of New South
Wales. He had got to be resigned to almost anything,
and I am sure that no calm could overset his equanimity
of temper. As he himself expressed, " it was happy-go-
lucky with him." Two years of the desperate loneliness n
and aameneas of a hut- tender's life had so broken his ^^

214 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
spirit as to make him simply a listless looker-on in Ufe.
" He no longer lives, he only stays," said one of our fel
lows of him one day.
He was our quiet man, par excellence. For days he
would say nothing to any one, but wander up and down,
in a half-dreamy state. Not only did he not talk himself,
but he eluded all attempts on our part to talk to him, and
when addressed, would look up with a surprised stare, as
though just awakened out of a dream. He lived in a
world of his own. When lying in his berth, he would
hold long conversations with himself, in which, from the
little we could occasionally gather, many characters
appeared upon the scene which his imagination had laid
out, and not a few abstruse metaphysical problems were
discussed ; for he was not by any means an unintelligent
man. He had read a good deal during his long stay in
the woods, and was evidently but now digesting portions
of his past reading.
He was an excellent seaman, thorough in all that be
longed to his profession. But such an influenoe had his
taciturnity upon all with whom he came in contact, that
even the mates only spoke to him when it was unavoida
ble, and many times when dividing out the work to the
watch, the chief mate would put a marUn-spike or handy-
billy-tackle into old BiU's hands, and silently point out
the work he desired him to go to, instead of teUing him
what it was he wished done.
He and I were watchmates. I left no means untried
to get out of him some information conceming the life he
had led upon the cattle station, but I found it hard work.

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 215
At last I strack the right key. A somewhat out of the
way quotation from Shakspeare, in conversation with
another, caused him to look up with a pleased sparkle in
his eye, which I had not before seen. This afforded me
a little insight into his peculiarities, which I failed not
to take advantage of. I talked books to him, and here I
found was his one vulnerable point. I loaned him a pet
copy of Goldsmith, which I usually kept at the bottom
of my chest, nx)t for general circulation, and this gained
his heart. By degrees he became more communicative,
and I was greatly astonished at the mass of general in
formation hoarded up in that dreamy brain of his.
Having him once in the vein, I pestered him with ques
tions until I managed to get from him some of the detaUs
of his bush life. All my efforts failed in getting him to
give me any connected account of the mode of life which
he had there led ; but bit by bit, I obtained the infor
mation which I will here give.
Three men stay together on one part of the station.
These are, a hut-tender and two cattle -tenders. The hut-
tender, who cooks for himself and his mates, and per
haps washes for them, if they ever find it desirable to
put on a clean shirt, is generally a green hand in the
woods — a new Chum he is called in Colonial lingo. He
receives from sixteen to eighteen pounds sterling (eighty
to ninety dollars), per annum, with his rations of tea,
sugar and flour.
It is his duty to remain at the hut, while his confreres
are off with the cattle. Here he stays, sometimes for
I without seeing a soul, when the others are away in

216 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
search of a lost herd, or bringing a drove back to the
pastures. Day in, day out, he sees naught but the
dreary plain undisturbed by aught of life, except an oc
casional bird, or a wapiti, or kangaroo. It is easy to
imagine how in this lonely atate it after a while ceases
to be natural to speak, and a dreamy sUence becomes the
habit of the man.
Sometimes the hut-keeper has a gun, and occasion
ally shoots a little game. But even this is scarcely suffi
cient excitement to relieve the dreariness of the life.
Besides, it is necessary to remain near the hut, in order
to keep safe watch and ward over the supplies there de
posited, and to be in readiness to wait upon the horsemen
when they come in with their flocks.
After having served at this branch of the business a
year or two, the hut-keeper is supposed to have sufficient
experience to warrant his advancement to the post of cat
tle-tender. He is now supplied with a horse, or perhaps
two, that he may be able to change animals in his long
rides. His salary is increased to from twenty-two to
twenty-five pounds, and he assumes, with a comrade, the
responsibility of taking care of and leading about, a
flock of one thousand sheep, or six hundred or seven hun
dred cattle.
He must now have some knowledge of the woods, and
be able to retum to his hut after riding hard, perhaps in
a dozen directions, for two or three days. He rides
about the country, rain or shine, with his charge of
stock ; he sleeps near them at night, upon a blanket
spread upon the bare ground, his saddle for a pillow, and

THB MERCHANT VESSEL. 217
his horse fastened to a stake driven into the ground.
He must sleep lightly, in order that no movement in the
herd or flock may escape him. And if perchance, after
bringing the stock safely to at night, he ventures to drop
into a sound slumber, he is likely to awaken at daylight
with not a single head in sight, and find himself obliged
to hunt for days before he recovers his charge.
In the rainy season he plashes on through mud reach
ing up to the saddle girths, with the rain pouring down
in torrents. Often when sundown overtakes him in the
vast plain, during such a rain, he must sit in his saddle
the entire night, while the torrent is beating against his
body, and he becomes chilled through, and faint and
weary. This is cattle-tending. For one month in the year the
poor souls were allowed to leave the station (taking turns)
and go down to some of the outposts of colonial civiliza
tion, there to recruit their energies by the absorption of
unlimited quantities of liquor, and a general spree. But
Bill said that many of them got so used to the life on
the plains as not even to desire this annual jollification.
They remained in quiet stupor at their huts, or foUowed
their stock. Some, he said, had supplies of books at the
huts. But they had not room for many, and the few
were read and re-read, until almost learned by heart.
Take it altogether, I was no longer surprised that one
who had passed two or three years of such a life should
be almost speechless. It was only a cause for wonder
that the few ideas with which he entered upon his

218 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
hermit life had not entirely died out, and left him in a
state of irredeemable stupidity.
The breeze so long waited for came at last, and we
gladly squared the yards, and set the studdingsails to ex
pedite the vessel on her way. Our passage to Whampoa
was a long one, lasting nearly sixty days. Luckily, we
had an abundant supply of water and provisions, else
we should have been compelled to use the first fair wind
to make a port in order to refit.
We were favored with a fine breeze across the China
Sea, and that portion of the trip was passed pleasantly
enough. After the usual bending cables, and getting
anchors off the bows, preparatory to running into port,
was completed, we made the land, and were shortly
boarded by a Chinese pUot, who took us up to the anch
orage at Whampoa. Here we immediately commenced
discharging our cargo of rice into large Chinese boats,
which took it on shore.
One week sufficed for this, and then George and I
were fr-ee — our agreement on shipping having been that
we should be discharged here. We found that wages
were not so high here as they had been at Sydney, for
which reason the captain was quite willing to let us go,
being able to fill our places at a saving to himself
As neither of us posaeased English register tickets,
there were no formalitiea to be gone through, but we sim
ply took our money and a written recommendation, and
went on shore. As there are but poor accommodations at
Whampoa for sailors, we left our chest and other effects
aboard the brig until we should ship in some other vessel.

THE MERCHANT VESSEL.

219

thus being able to take a careless cruise about the town,
and up to Canton, without being at the trouble of looking
constantly after our effects.
From the anchorage below Whampoa to Canton is
called sixteen miles. From the same place to the Bogue
it is forty. On either side of the usual anchorage are
rice fields, with here and there, in the distance, a Joss-
house or Pagoda.

RiTEE Scene below Oakton.
The river is a most interesting scene, enlivened as it is
with a vast number of boats of all shapes and sizes,
from the tiny campan to the more important fast-boat.
Above the anchorage for foreign vessels are seen a num
ber of huge unwieldly junks. All is noise and confusion

220 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
from morning till night — boats hailing one another as
they pass, sailors shouting, and the Tartars in their
floating dwellings singing as they saU up and down on
the tide.
I was determined to see Canton this time, and accord
ingly on the next day after our discharge, George and I
took passage on one of the fast-boats, or passenger boats
which ply between Macao and that city, and after pass
ing, how we could not tell, through the densest mass of
boats and junks of all sizes, all moving, at length ar
rived abreast of the city. Here the surface of the river
was covered with thousands of Tartar boats, moored head
and stern, forming an aquatic town of no small dimen
sions, the residents of which probably were bom, lived,
and died upon the water, many of them doubtless never
setting their feet on shore.
Not having any friends at the factories, we engaged
sleeping room on the fast-boat, and then went ashore at
noon, to see what we could of the town, or rather of the
suburbs, which is the only portion accessible to for
eigners. Canton has been so often described that it is unneces
sary here to give a detaUed account of it. Neither did
I see sufficient of it during our necessarUy short stay to
_ say much about it. George and I walked through the
narrow but densely crowded streets, looking into the
shops as we passed along, and occasionally stopping to
make a purchase of some curiosity, a fan, or box, or pic
ture, which struck our fancy, until we were so encum
bered with our newly acquired property as to make

THB MERCHANT VESSEL. 221
farther progress inconvenient. We now retraced our steps
to the landing, where we deposited our purchases and re
turned for another exploration.
Thus we made the tour of the principal streets, or filthy
alleys, called Old China street, New China street, and
Hog Lane. Of the latter, I will not say more here than
that it amply deserves its name.
We visited a Chinese market, where, besides various
fruits, such as delicious little mandarin oranges, lichi,
preserved ginger, etc., we found some articles displayed,
and meeting with a ready sale, which do not look so tempt
ing to outside barbarians. These were cats, dogs, rats,
and even long worms preserved in sugar. The last take
rank as articles of luxury, and are attainable only to the
more favored rich. We also took an outside look at a
large Chinese or Buddhist Temple, situated on the opposite
side of the river, which forms a very prominent object in
the landscape.
By this time, it was dark, and we hastened to take
possession of our sleeping apartment, where amid the
bustle and noise, which did not cease all night, we enjoy
ed a good night's rest. On the next morning, we took a
last ramble about the town, previous to leaving on the
fast boat, which was to sail at eleven o'clock. Many of
the booths or huts on the narrow streets are occupied as
gambling saloons, where the wretched Chinese may be
seen playing at various games of chance and rascality.
I was much interested, of course, with all the novelties
of Canton ; yet my visit gave me much less satisfaction
than I anticipated from it Such an assemblage of scoun-

222 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
drels, of all grades and shades, as is rampant in that part
of Canton to which Europeans have access, is not, I ima
gine, to be found any where else in the world. I firmly
believe that, from the highest to the lowest, they are
thieves, to a man. If you go into a booth to make a
purchase, unless you keep your eyes and hands constantly
upon the article you desire to buy, it will be changed in
the twinkling of an eye, and an inferior imitation substi
tuted in its place. This too, after asking you, at the
beginning of your trade, at least four times what they
intend to take, or expect to get. Aside from the grosser
forms of vice, there is no kind of low rascality which the
inhabitants are not perfect in — no species of deception or
trickery in which they are not adepts. It is no wonder
that sailors, who come in contact only with these lower
classes of Chinese, learn to heartily hate and despise
thei^. Canton, I believe, bears an ill name, even among
the Chinese themselves, as "being the general rendezvous
of all the bad characters in the Celestial Empire.

CHAPTER XVIII.
Ship in a Country- -Wallah — Sail for Port Louis — Leave-taking —
The Lascar Crew — Manner of Treating them — Long Calm —
Superstitions of the Lascars — Their desire to Revolt — Arrival
at Port Louis.
When we returned to Whampoa, we were informed by
our shipmates that the Captain of a Scotch barque desired
to ship two sea-connies, and having heard that George
and I were ashore, had offered us the vacant places. She
was bound to Port Louis, in the Isle of France, and the
wages he offered were twenty-five rupees per month.
I proposed, at once, to ship, as I had been wishing to
make a trip in a country-wallah. But George, who had
been in Port Louis, and knew somewhat of it, declared
that he was not going there, to remain ashore till half-
starved, and then have to ship in a British vessel to go to
England. He would wait for a ship, in Macao or Wham
poa, even if he had to stop ashore there a month.
This did not suit me. I agreed, however, to look for
another chance for us two, which would perhaps suit my
chum better. But there was at that time no other
vacancy to be found, except in one or two vessels, bound
round the Cape, and in those neither of us desired to go.
(223)

224 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
I scarcely knew what to determine on. I did not want
to leave my old chum ; but I was also decidedly averse to
remaining any longer ashore, with a fair prospect of get
ting the dysentery, and being laid up for several months.
It was finally suggested by one of our shipmates that
George and I might decide the matter by tossing up a
dollar. My chum declared, however, that he would not
go to the Isle of France under any circumstances.
" But, Charley, toss up, and if you get the best in three
tosses, we'll consider it a sign that you ought to go in the
barque," said one of our fellows.
To this George demurred, saying that he wanted me to
stay with him.
I submitted the matter, however, to the test proposed,
and Dame Fortune declared in favor of my going to Port
Louis. The next morning, I shipped with the captain of
the barque, and bought me a chest. That day George
and I divided our effects and money, and the following
day I went on board my new vessel.
Our parting was, as may be imagined, a sorrowful one.
, We had been so long together that we had became used to
one another's ways, and each felt that a separation now
would leave quite a void in his feelings. Yet eaoh of us
persevered obstinately in his course, and there was, there
fore, no help for it.
On the morning on which I entered upon my new duties,
we all assembled in the forecastle of the brig to say good
bye. I divided out some keepsakes among my old ship
mates — some small matters I had bought in Canton — and
received from each something in return. WhUe we were

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 225
aU talking, our silent man came down with a quart cup
fuU of rum, which he had begged of the steward " to say
farewell in."
It was known that I did not imbibe ; yet, for this time
only, it was declared, must I drink with them. And as
my silent friend became quite eloquent on the subject, I
was obliged to assent.
Accordingly, the cup was passed around, beginning
with me, who was going away. Then came a shaking
hands aU round, my non-talkative shipmate being the
last. Said he: "Charley, God bless you, boy; I'm sorry
you are leaving us. When you come to Sydney, don't
forget to hunt us all up."
And so I jumped into the sampan alongside, and went
aboard the barque. I had before made over the monkey
to those who remained in the brig, with the hope that if
ever I should retum to Sydney, I should find Jocko safely
housed ashore.
George and I did not take final leave of each other till
the barque sailed down the river. I had not been without
a secret hope that he would yet join me. But he would
not go to Port Louis, and we at last parted, with the
agreement to meet in Calcutta, if possible, during the year.
But we met no more.
My new vessel was very different from any I had ever
been aboard of before. I had, therefore, satisfaction in
thinking that even if Port Louis proved as poor a place
as George had represented it to be, I should, at any rate,
upon my way thither, make a new experience.
1.T

226 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
My duties as sea-conny, or steersman, were very simple,
although tolerably arduous and wearisome, as I found
before the passage was completed. There were four of us
to steer the vessel, and mend old and make new saUs. Of
Lascars, we had twenty-five, with a serang and one boats
wain's mate.
The European portion of the crew, four steersmen and
two apprentices, lived in a little square cuddy, inserted in
the poop, just abaft the mainmast. The Lascars nomi
nally had the forecastle to themselves, but this was closed
as soon as we got to sea, and the entire company of them
were made to remain upon deck, where they ate, drank,
and slept, during the entire passage.
We sailed down Canton river on the 15th of April, ata
time when the climate of that part of China was pecu
liarly pleasant — the torrid heats of summer not yet hav
ing set in. I felt almost sorry to be going to sea, and
leaving the soft air of the land behind us. Yet I had
nothing to keep me ashore, and was reaUy glad to be well
rid of China.
Our course lay through the China Sea, and into the
great Indian Ocean, by way of the Straits of Malacca.
We began our voyage with a fair breeze, and consequently
entertained the hope that we should make a short pas
sage — a hope not destined to fulfillment.
Having the anchors secured upon the bows, and the
chains unbent — a sign that the ship was now at sea — our
regular sea-life began. The steersmen relieved each other
at night, every three hours, making twelve hours, from
six to six, one turn to each. When the trick at the helm

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 227
was over, each man retired to his berth, to sleep the other
eight hours.
During the day-time, we were generally all employed on
the saUs, whUe the apprentices steered the vessel. The
barque had been some years from England, and her sails
were getting old. They therefore required constant re
pairing, at whioh we worked from one day's end to the
other. The ship was worked by the Lascars. When a brace
or halyards wanted a pull, or a sail was to be set or taken
in, the order was communicated to the serang, and by him
to the crew, who were all required, night or day, to lend
a hand. This, of course, makes a great difference in
disjipline between these ships and such as are manned
entirely by " Europeans."
r The Lascar sailors receive from four to ten rupees per
month (from two to five dollars) . For this, they oblige
themselves to work the vessel, and to make such repairs
on the rigging as are actually necessary. They are very
active, and, in general, neat saUors, but are not very
strong, and have no powers of endurance at all. In fine
and warm weather they make the best of crews ; but in
a storm, and more especially when the weather is a little
raw and cold, they are not to be depended on for anything^
but skulking from their duty.
They never ship for voyages which would lead thera
into cold weather, and it is only in the greatest extremity
that they can be persuaded to go around the Cape.
They are a vindictive set, when roused by any indigni
ties or wrongs, and do not stop short of the most extreme

228 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
measures in gaining their revenge. A great deal of care
is therefore necessary in managing them, and extra pre
cautions are taken, in every ship that carries a Lascar
crew, to forestall the consequences of a sudden revolt.
Our bark had a barricade stretching across from the
mainmast to each rail, ten feet high, which was put up
every evening at sunset, and abaft of which no Lascar
was allowed to come at night, while forward of it no
European ventured, except when the working of the ves
sel's sails required it. The orders of the mates were
communii-ated to the serang, or his assistant, who remain
ed aft constantly to receive them, and who saw them
carried into eP'ect.
I said peculiar care was required in their management.
This care, however, is rather of a negative than positive
kind. It consists more in submitting to their prejudices
in religious matters, than in actually treating them well.
The officers generally abuse them scandalously, upon the
slightest neglect or dilatoriness, thinking but little of
jumping into the midst of a crowd, and laying abont
them, right and left, with a handspike or heaver. And,
in fact, I had occasion to see that this manner of treat
ment produces much more respect and orderly obedience
in them, than kind words. They very quickly learn to
despise a mild or soft-hearted officer, while the man of the
strong hand, whose word is followed by a blow, is regarded
with respect — as one with whom they dare not trifie.
But while thus submitting with as good grace as may
be, to the most brutal treatment, so slight a misdemeanor
on the part of any of the Europeans as handling any of

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 229
their cooking utensils, or drinking from their water cask,
would produce an instantaneous remonstrance, and a re
petition of the offense would no doubt create a revolt. So,
also, any interference with their superstitious idol wor
ship would provoke a most sanguinary return.
We were scarce fairly at sea, when orders were given
to fasten up the forecastle, in order that all hands of
the Lascars might be kept on deck. It has been found
necessary to adopt this course with such crews, that
they may have no chance to stow themselves away, in bad
weather or at night. Let them once get into the fore
castle, and even were the vessel about to be dismasted in
a gale or squall, they would not come up to assist in tak
ing in sail. It is not unfrequently necessary to beat
and whip them, to force them aloft to take in canvas.
A Lascar crew require a separate galley and cook.
Their religion teaches them that it is unclean to eat out
of any utensil which has been used by whites. Their
food is very plain, consisting only of a daily allowance of
rice, a small piece of salt fish, and ghee, a species of
Uquid butter. They eat but two meals per day — break
fast at nine, and dinner at three. Bread is to them un
known. Eice, boiled and eaten simple, without sauce of
any kmd, is their " staff of life." From this they make
their moming meal. At dinner, a little fish and their
quota of rice and ghee satisfies their wants.
They are consequently not very strong ; but their ac
tivity is remarkable. They run aloft like cats. They
disdain the use of ratlines — the small lines stretched

230 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
across a ship's rigging, which form a rope ladder, used
by seamen to facilitate their passage to the mast head.
The Lascar sailor takea hold of the nearly perpendic
ular backstay with his hands, places then his feet
against it, taking the rope between his great toe and the
next one, and in this manner deliberately, and yet very
rapidly walks aloft. In the performance of this feat,
European sailors can not approach them. In ships which
carry a Lascar crew, the ratlines are generally taken off
the rigging, except one narrow row, left for the convenience
of the sea-connies, who go aloft to assist in reefing, etc.
We retained our fair wind until we were nearly up
to the island of Banca. We were in fact already
congratulating ourselves on having sailed so speedily
through the most difficult part of our navigation, and
had set the day when we should have passed through the
straits of Sunda. But " man proposes, God disposes."
We were barely abreast of Banca when the wind hauled
dead in our teeth, and after vainly endeavoring to beat
ahead for a couple of days, the skipper, (as the captain is
familiarly called in British vessels — the Yankee sailor
speaks of him as " the old man,") got out of patience,
and put her off to run through the straits of Malacca.
This was making a considerable detour from our direct
course. But there was a prospect that the wind would
hold in the direction in which it had set in, and if it did
so, we eould run round the longer way much quicker and
easier than we could beat through the shorter passage.
Through the Malacca straits we therefore ran, under a
press of canvas, with the wind a little abaft our larboard

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 231
beam. The barque waa not by any means a poor sailer,
and with favoring breezes she made a glorious run through
the straits.
That is to say, so the captain considered it. Had we
had passengers, they too would have so thought it, and
would probably have beeome enthusiastic on the subject.
But looking at the matter from the seaman's point of
view, it was anything but a glorious run.
To the denizens of the forecastle, the idea of such a
run brings with it thoughts of many evils to them, many
anxieties, much hard labor, which a less favorable wind
would have spared them. For the comfort of the crew,
a breeze about two points forward of the beam, just fair
enough to keep a foretopmast studd'nsail set to advan
tage, is by far the most desirable. Sailing along with
the wind this way, the vessel steers easily, the ship
moves along steadily, pressed down upon her side by the
breeze, and there are an abundance of snug places under
the lee of the weather bulwarks, where the watch on
deck at night can caulkfl in peace, untroubled by hoist
ing, shifting, and lowering studdingsaUs, or trimming
braces, and not haunted by the dread of an approaching
trick at the wheel.
When the wind is aft, and a glorious run is being ,
made, all comfort is lost sight of What with swigging
at studd'nsail halyards, reeving preventer braces, trim
ming here a little and there a little, the watch on deck is
" Caulking, so sleeping on deck at night, when there is no
thing for the watch to do, is called.

232 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
continually busy. The wind, too, rakes the ship fore and
aft, leaving not the smallest spot uninvaded, and for the
time being all the snug caulking places, under the
lee of the long boat or bulwark, are per force given up.
The vessel rolls from side to side, with a crazy motion
not at all comfortable ; she brings up with a sudden and
unexpected jerk which is apt to take one off his feet.
The sea, as it rushes past the side, has an altogether dif
ferent and unnatural sound ; and the breeze, coming from
aft, is thrown down toward the deck by the reaction of
the sails, and makes every place unpleasant.
Lastly, in such a time, the ship steers wildly, and
that, too, just when the captain is most anxious to see
her go straight, in order to make all the headway possi
ble. Steering is, under any circumstances, the most
wearisome of a sailor's multifarious duties.
To have the attention fixed for two weary hours upon
a single object, without permitting the mind or the eye
to wander for a moment, that object being, withal, a ves
sel continually thrown off her proper course by the action
of the sails and the sea, is far more laborious than any
one can imagine who has not experienced it. But with a
roaring breeze aft, and all atudd'nsaUs set, it sometimes
becomes a positive torture to steer.
I have noticed a general impression among landsmen,
that a ship must steer easiest when the wind is square
astern. This seems, too, a natural supposition ; yet no
thing is farther from the fact. The sea follows the direc
tion of the wind, and in a strong breeze aft, the waves,
which dash violently against the ship's counter, sway her

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 233
incessantly, now to one side now to the other. The sails,
also, bear an uneven pressure upon the hull while forcing
it through the water.
Now she is swept might and main to the starboard,
and the helmsman, who has foreseen the movement, rat
tles the wheel down to meet her. But no sooner does
she feel the helm, no sooner has the rudder, fixed for the
moment transversely across the stem, caused her to stop
in her deviation upon this side, than the obstinate craft
takes a mighty, almost resistless sweep to the other side,
and " raeet her," is the cry, while poor Jack tugs desper
ately at the heavy-moving wheel, to bring her back to
her course.
Thus, often the helm is not for one moment in the two
hours' " trick " held still, and the steersman lifts and
puUs at the wheel, in vain attempts to keep the vessel
on her course, great drops of perspiration rolling down
his face, and every muscle and tendon exerted to its
utmost. There is much difference in steering. Some vessels
may be guided on their course with comparative ease,
under circumatancea in which it would be vain to attempt
to keep others within three points either way. It is ob
vious that as a bad steering ship makes an irregular, zig
zag course, instead of going in a straight line, she does
not in such case make the real progress that her headway
through the water would lead one to believe. Thus, in
some vessels, to count two knots (two mUes) out of ten,
for bad steering in strong breezes, is a very moderate
aUowance.

234 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
Of course, in such a time one does not look forward to
a trick at the wheel with the most pleasant feelings in
the world. But Jack is far from owning to any unea
siness on the subject. Everyone pretends to look upon
the matter with the utmost indifference, and a man goes
aft to take the helm, with a smile on his face, as though
it was the greatest pleasure, all the while quaking in his
boots at the thought of what is before him.
When, at the expiration of two hours, he comes for
ward, and is asked, " how does she steer?" he does not
acknowledge that it is the hardest work in the world,
and that he was very glad when his trick was out This
would be out of order — a sacrifice of dignity.
He replies with the utmost sang froid, " Oh, she steers
like a boat now ; I could steer her all day, as she goes
along with this breeze."
It is one of the peculiarities of the sailor, that having
just escaped from any position of difficulty or danger, he
wUl not then own to it. Although it may have been an
extreme case, though he may have got safely out of the
most imminent peril, he is expected to make light of the
circumstances, and any attempt to treat the matter seri
ously would expose him to the ridicule of his shipmates.
To have escaped is considered sufficient proof that the
peril was not great : to have performed the duty is evi
dence that it was not difficult
I remember a circumstance which will bring this mat
ter perhaps more clearly before the reader. Two men
went out to stow the flying jib. There was a very
heavy head sea on. and the vessel was consequently

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 235
pitching bows under, rendering the service one of no lit
tle difficulty. They had secured the sail, and were just
returning on board, when the ship gave an unusuaUy
violent pitch, and both men slid down the footrope, loos
ing their hold of the slippery jibboom, and only saving
themselves by catching with their hands on the footropes,
where they hung on, between wind and water, and so
came in hand over hand, till they reached the bowsprit
shrouds, being, in imminent danger of being washed off
by the seas, in which they were immersed up to their
middle. We who stood on deck watched them with
breathless attention, expecting momentarily to see them
go overboard, in which case no human power could have
saved them.
When they got safely in on deck, an old salt said,
" You two fellows want to show off some of your smart
ness, cutting about on the footropes. A little more and
you would have gone to Davy Jones' locker."
" It takes more than that to ship me for Davy Jones',"
answered one, with a careless laugh. The other, how
ever, took the matter more to heart, and attempted to
describe to us his thoughts as he hung on the ropes, ex
pecting to be washed away. He was met with a general
jeer of derision ; and for the balance of the voyage, he
and his adventure were the laughing stock of the fore-
casUe. This insensibiUty to danger grows naturally upon the
sailor. His life is one of continual exposure and peril,
and he soon leama to regard every danger escaped, or

236- THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
difficulty overcome, however great they may be, with
comparative indifference.
Besides this, such an accident as slipping one's hold on
a yard or boom, is considered lubberly, and he to whom it
happens, if a seaman, is too much ashamed of his care
lessness to say much about it.
Until within the last three or four years, a life-buoy
was an article almost unknown on board any American
vessels except the packet ships. The boats, the only
hope of saving a man who has fallen overboard, are al
ways secured with such a multiplicity of stout lashings
as to make it a work of at least fifteen or twenty minutes
to get one into the water. It is therefore evident
that to the merchant sailor, if he falls overboard, there
is no hope of rescue. He never goes aloft, but at the
risk of his life. But habit is everything, and no
one ever thinks of these things at sea, or if he does,
wisely keeps his thoughts to himself.
To return to our voyage. We made a glorious run
through the straits of Malacca, and retained our fair
wind until we struck the line on the other side of the
island of Sumatra, in about longitude ninety, east. Here
our breeze left us, and we were becalmed.
This is a fated spot. It is a region of almost inter
minable calms, and as such is avoided when possible by aU
vessels sailing out of or approaching the Malacca Straits.
We were fairly caught, and lay under the sweltering
sun of the line until we almost gave up aU hope of get
ting away.
Our captain had reckoned upon a quick passage, and

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 237
the vessel was in consequence but poorly supplied with
provisions. Before we got a breeze once more, we had
cause to fear a famine. It became necessary to put all
hands on short allowance. This was particularly hard
on the poor Lascars, whose lawful allowance is small
enough. But to make matters worse for them, the rice
began to grow mouldy, and was soon almost unfit to eat.
They used every species of incantation known to them,
to procure from their god the favor of a breeze. Day
and night they were praying to their idol, whose shrine,
under the top -gallant forecastle, was now adorned with
numerous votive offerings of his distressed worshipers.
They at last got an idea that the calm was sent upon
us to punish the wickedness of our captain, who, when
in liquor, was wont to make all manner of disparaging
remarks about the idol. They conceived that their pat
ron saint was not able to see, through such a mass of
wickedness, the offerings made at his shrine, and on con
sultation they determined to approach him nearer. Ac
cordingly, they placed other tributes at the mainmast-
head, and at the flying jibboom end.
I had the curiosity to examine, while they were
stretched on deck asleep, the sacrifice placed at the mast
head. It consisted of a handful of rice, a rupee, and a
slip of paper with some Hindoo characters written upon
it — the whole wrapped up in a cotton cloth, and securely
fastened to the truck.
On inquiring of the serang, after the calm was over,
I leamed that the rice waa to abow the god what hia poor
followers were forced to eat, the rupee was a propitiatory

238 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
offering, while the writing on the paper stated their press
ing need, and conveyed a prayer and a promise of future
good behavior.
But something more serious now claimed our attention.
I have already mentioned that we had two white boys,
apprentices, on board. These lads had leamed the Hin
dostanee language, and were much among the Lascar por
tion of the crew. The captain had instructed them already
that they were to be cautious in their intercourse with
these. He rather favored their intimacy with them, as
thereby he was more likely to learn of any plana of mu
tiny that might be hatching out forward.
AVe had not long been on half allowance, when one
of the boya informed us that the Lascars had asked him,
apparently by chance, but evidently with a purpose,
whether he understood navigation. The boy could navi
gate, the captain having taught him. But he had the
good sense to answer in the negative. His interrogators
were evidently much disappointed. The other boy was
also questioned, but with a similar result.
By a little management, the lads obtained sufficient
information of their plans to show us that they had in
tended, could either one of the boys navigate, to rise and
murder all the Europeans except that boy. They in
tended to preserve him, and force him to take the vessel,
when a breeze came, into the neighborhood of some port
in the Bay of Bengal, where they would set fire to the
barque to conceal their crime, and go ashore in the boats.
The captain expressed but little surprise at the
discovery of their plan. He had been long enough

THB MERCHANT VESSEL. 239
among the Lascars to know that such a pui-pose was not
unlikely to be entertained, if the vessel got into any
difSculties, or they were serioualy dissatiafied with the
voyage. We took aome extra precautions to guard against sur
prise ; the arms in the armchest were loaded, and placed
ready for uae ; but farther, nothing was done — no notice
taken of the design on foot.
Our security lay in the fact that they had no one to
navigate the barque for them. Had either one of the
boys been so imprudent as to own that he could work the
vessel, there was no doubt that a desperate attempt
would have been made to carry into effect their plans.
We were eighteen days becalmed, in all whioh time we
did not make sixty miles to the south. At last came
the breeze, and we joyfully ran up the studd'n-sails, and
stood on our course. The Lascars firmly believed that
their prayers and offerings had propitiated the ruler of
the winds in our favor, and triumphantly adduced this as
an evidence of the power of their idol, whose altar waa
now decked with ribbons and bright-colored paper — tokens
of the gratitude of his worshipers.
The breeze continued with us until we reached the
Mauritius, as the Isle of Fi ance is commonly called. We
had a ninety-days' passage to Port Louis. Although not
actually out of provisions when we got there, common
prudence had forced the captain to keep us on short
allowance for nearly half that time. I was, consequently,
glad enough to get ashore, if it were only to eat once
more a good meal. Moldy rice and rusty pork, peas fuU

240 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
of bugs, and worm-eaten bread, had been our fare for a
large portion of the passage.
This is, however, saUor's luck. It is a great blessing
that the sea-air produces an appetite which enables one
to stomach almost anything bearing the semblance of
provisions. We moored the vessel, head and stern, sent down the
top-gallant and royal yards and top-gallantmasts, and
prepared the top-masts and topsail-yards for being sent on
deck, precautions which are enforced by the authorities
of the port, to guard against accidents in time of hurri
canes, which prevail in these latitudes during certain
seasons of the year. This done, I was free to go ashore.
I was paid off with fifty rupees (twenty-five dollars),
which was two months' wages, having received the usual
month's advance at Whampoa — and spent it, too.
On the day on which I left the vessel, the Lascars also
demanded their discharge. They would not sail any
longer with our captain, whom they regarded as a repro
bate — one who was under the curse of their idoh
The captain cared but little about their leaving, but
was very desirous to retain the serang, who was an unu
sually smart and trustworthy fellow. Here I leamed
another of their peculiarities. The serang was desirous
to stay ; but the connection in which he stood to the crew
made it impossible. These men unite themselves in
gangs or companies, choose one of their number, generally
the eldest, for their serang or chief, and thus ship on a
vessel. During the voyage, any unusual action they con
sider expedient to take, is refen-ed to the entire body, and

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 241
the determination of the majority settles the matter.
From this, no one of them dares depart, as he would be
regarded a traitor.
When we arrived at Port Louis, a council was held to
determine whether they should leave. Various arguments
were offered for and against such step, but finally, those
in favor of leaving prevailed ; and now the serang, who
had been in the minority, felt himself bound to go with
his companions. No offer of additional wages could
prevaU on him to stay.
16

CHAPTER XIX.
Dancui/TT of getting a Ship — Go on board au American Ves
sel — Off for Rio — A Y''arn from a Company Sailor — Rio de
Janeiro Harbor — For Boston — Cold Weather.
Taking my chest and hammock on shore, I first of aU
hunted up a boarding-house. Boarding, I found, was at
the rate of ten rupees per week. There were but two
meals per day, Eaat India fashion, and every man was
expected to fumish his own bedding, being provided with
enough floor to spread it on.
This was fuUy as bad as my chum had represented
matters to me. I saw that at such rates, fifty rupees
would last but a Uttle whUe ; and lost no time in looking
up a ship.
But, unfortunately, ships were scarce just then. I
desired to go to some part of India, but so. it seemed, did
every other sailor on shore, and there were not a few of
them. I was without acquaintances, unused to the ways
of the port, and soon aaw that if I wanted to escape be
coming "hard up," as it is termed among sailors, I
would have to spend all my time on the mole and among
the ships, to catch a chance.
(242)

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 243
" Hard up," is a di-ead word among seamen. Few but
have experienced all its horrors. There are seasons in
every port when, from a stagnation in business, fewer
ships are fitted out than arrive, and consequently there
is a surplus of seamen on shore, for whom there is of
course no employment.
These poor fellows are obliged to waste their time and
means in vain pursuit of a ship, and finally, when they
have no longer the money necessary to pay for their
boarding and lodging, must dispose of their clothing, that
which they need most, to pay the landlord, or in default —
or even after having done this — are turned into the street,
to shift for themselves, as best they may.
Then they may be seen — poor, half-starved fellows —
sneaking about the shipping, taking shelter for the night
under lee of boxes and bales on the quay, and begging a
crust from some compassionate cook, to keep them from
utter starvation.
In American ports, it does not often happen that sailors
are reduced to these extremities ; but in foreign parts,
and especially in the principal seaports of England, there
is no depth of misery which seamen do not sometimes
suffer. I will relate here an incident, of which I was an eye
witness, which will show to what extreme seamen are not
unfrequently reduced. We were in the King's Dock, in
liverpool ; it was in November, and " times" were " poor "
ashore, so we heard. The steward had, one afternoon,
brought up out of the bread-locker, a quantity of spoiled
bread — sea-bread — which, having got wet, was all alive

244 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
with worms — a disgusting mess, which was intended for
the pig.
Two sailors, who had been wandering forlornly about
the veaael and dock all day, looked at this bread with
eager eyes. At length, it seemed they could no longer
withstand the temptation, and both got on board and
walked up to the long-boat, where it was setting. Tum
ing it over, they picked out a few of the least worm-eaten
biscuit, and asked the steward, who had been looking on,
for permission to take them.
He would not believe that the men were so hungry as
to desire to eat this stuff, and, suspecting some trick to
extort charity, told them coldly they might eat it if they
wished. They thanked him, took it on the quay, and
there, knocking the worms out of it, began to eat it.
Several of us who had watched their actions, now inter
fered, called them on board, and gave them as much as
they could eat of such as we had in the forecastle. They
told us that they were then tasting focid for the first time
in forty-eight hours — a statement which their wan looks
and voracious appetites showed to be too true.
They had been two months on shore, had sold every
stitch of clothing they owned e^rcept the dungaree shirts
and trousers they had on — had even disposed of their
shoes, and were walking the streets barefooted. They had
been turned out of their boarding-houses, and had, for
sorae weeks, slept on boxes and bales, in comers of the
docks, where a kind \^atchman would give them shelter.
All this, too, in the month of November.
They were now entirely destitute, and would have to

THB MERCHANT VESSEL. 245
suffer dreadfully for the want of suitable clothing, even
if they got a sh'p — .of which, however, there seemed but
little hope, for what captain would ship such 'worn, weak
feUows when he could have his choice of hundreds of
saUors. Yet I had one of these very men as a shipmate
afterward, and a steadier man or better sailor I never
knew. This is one of the dark sides of a sailor's life.
As before said, I was afraid of getting hard up, and
determined to avail myself of the first chance of ship
ping. I had been already nearly three weeks ashore, and
was very nearly at the bottora of ray purse, when, fortu
nately, an American ship, about to sail for Eio de Janeiro
and Boston, needed a hand, and I obtained the chance.
The wages were very low — only ten dollars per month,
and no advance. To the latter circumstance I was
indebted for being chosen out of some ten or twelve who
desired to ship. All the rest were already in debt ashore,
beyond their means to pay, while I was, so far, square
with the landlord, and had ten rupees left wherewith to
purchase myself a little warm clothing, of which I stood
muoh in need.
I had now been so long in warm weather that I had
scarcely any woolen clothes, and dreaded doubling the
Cape with so poor a fit out as I was the possessor of. But
necessity knows no law. Whether I wanted to or not, I
had to face the weather.
Although three weeks ashore in Port Louis, I saw
scarcely anything of the city, and nothing at all of the
suburbs and neighborhood, or of any other portion of the
island. The city is situated at the bottom of a tolerably

246 THE MERCHANT VESSEL
roomy basin, which forms the anchorage. It is sur
rounded on all sides, but the north, with high mountains,
the rugged volcanic peaks of which rise in most singular
shapes. The population is composed of many different nations,
both Oriental and Occidental Among Europeans, French
and English predominate. Of the Eastem races, the
Hindoos are in point of numbers the strongest, but there
are Parsees, Chinese, Malays, Africans, Madagaacarenes,
Arabs — in short, representatives of nearly every race and
nation of the Orient. The natives, who are mostly black,
the descendents of Madagascarenes, speak a barbarous
species of French, but generaUy understand English in
addition. The little I saw of the Mauritius pleased me much,
and I resolved if possible to return thither at some fu
ture time, and make it my port of departure for a
while, sailing hence in the little traders which fre
quent the bays of Madagascar, and explore the adjoining
African coast, and the islands of the Indian Ocean. As
this one of my day dreams was, singularly enough, real
ized to some extent afterward, I will defer any farther
description of Port Louis and its environs until it tums
up again in the regular course of my narrative ; merely
saying here that it derived much of its interest to me
from the fact that here is laid the scene of Pierre St.
Bernard's beautiful atory of Paul and Virginia. Poor
sailor that I was, I was deprived by my poverty of the
pleasure of making a pUgrimage to the graves of these
true lovers. I even got but a glimpse at the narrow and

THE MEllUUANT VESSEL. 247
shallow harbor, called to this day Tombo Bay (Bay of
Tombs) , where Virginia's ship was cast ashore, and she
and Paul met so melancholy a fate.
Such is but too ofteii the fortune of the seaman. He
visits places of the greatest interest but finds the cir
cumstances which control him such as to deprive him of
all the pleasure he haa anticipated from his voyage.
As we sailed out of Port Louis harbor, I was forced to
confess to myself thit the object I had had in view in
coming to the East Indies had been very poorly fulfilled.
I was bitterly disappointed when I thought that al
though I had been to Calcutta and Madras, I knew but
little more of either place than if I had never seen theni.
That though I had made another voyage to Chin^, I was
but little wiser than before. That after all the hard
ship and trouble seen and suffered since I left the Uni
ted States, more than sixteen months before, J was no
more satisfied with the little I had seen th3,n I was be
fore I set out upon this voyage, from ^ich I had ^.ntici-
pated so much. In truth I was leaming by experience
that of all travelers the sailor sees the least, and pays
most dearly for it.
I turned my face America-ward, with a mind ill con
tented, a poorly provided chest, and a nearly empty
purse. But with an obstinacy worthy, perhaps, a better
cause, I determined to make one more trial. Using the
experience gained in the last year and a half I thought
I could perhaps make my way about the Indies a little
more to my satisfaction than I had succeeded in doing
this time.

248 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
We left Port Louis in July. The vessel in which I
was now, had brought a cargo of rice from Arracan to
the Mauritius. Her captain found freights in the latter
place rather dull, and determined to return to the United
States, stopping at Eio de Janeiro by the way, to procure
a cargo of coffee.
We had a singular crew. Among the twelve members
of the forecastle, at least seven different nations were rep
resented. There were two Americans, three Englishmen,
a native of St. Helena, two Manillamen, two Frenchmen,
one Spaniard, and one Swede.
Our vessel had been for some years sailing from port
to port in the Indies, and had graduaUy lost all her own
crew, and picked up at random the men who now manned
her. They were aU good seamen ; but we made a very
unsociable set in the forecastle. So many different na
tions can not agree well together, when thrown into
such close connection as we were, in a narrow forecastle.
The English hated the Manillamen, as " conniving
fellows," because these would not get drunk with them ;
while the Spaniard made friends of them because they
spoke his language. The St. Helena man was ranged on
Johnny Bull's side, while the Swede rather inclined to
Yankeedom. The two Frenchmen assumed an air of
the loftiest contempt for all our little cliques and parties,
declared John BuU a brute, snapped their fingers at the
American eagle, and sang " vive la bagatelle."
For myself I had been so long a citizen of the world,
that it was not a matter of much difficulty to steer
my course safely between all parties, and make friends

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 249
of all. I had been hailed as a " lime -juicer," on first
coming on board, having, by sailing in British vessels for
the previous year, contracted many of the ways of British
sailors. I took care to proclaim myself au American,
however, and thus was naturally counted on the Yankee
side in the forecastle — a side, by the way, which was very
poorly represented among us.
The only other American sailor on board was a poor,
sick fellow, who had broken down his constitution under
the burning suns of India, and was now making his way
home to die. He hailed from the State of New York, but
had not been home for many years. No one would have
taken him for an American, so thoroughly had his long
service in British vessels changed him.
For three years previous to his shipping in the Ariadne
(the name of the vessel in which we now were) , he had
been in the East India Company's service, forming, the
greater part of that time, one of the crew of a small
steamer which plied on the Indus, bearing dispatches to
and from the then scene of war in Sinde and the Punjaub.
He had finally fallen sick, and was sent to Bombay, where
he partly recovered, was discharged from the hospital and
service, and shipped in the Ariadne, determined to go
home. His disease, the dysentery, still hung upon him, and he
was scarcely able to walk about when I came on board.
Although we were by this means one hand short, in
a crew that was small enough when complete, our sick
shipmate was carefully attended, and his condition made
as easy as possible in a dark and contracted forecastle.

250 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
There is but little comfort for an invalid on board a
merchant vessel. So little space is provided for the crew
that it is impossible to give to the sufferer a separate
apartment. Day after day, he must lie in his berth, in
the crowded forecastle, aroused at regular intervals by the
noise of the changing watches, listening languidly to the
gay and careless laugh of his more fortunate shipmates,
and by the constant presence of their stalwart forms,
forced to feel with treble keenness the helplessness to which
he is reduced. He receives but little attendance, for his
fellows have but little time they can call their own; and,
although all is meant kindly, no amount of good feeling
can make up to him the comforts which his fevered body
misses. Poor George, who was sick nearly all the way home,
seemed to care only to live to reach that home. To aee
once more the spot whence he had started out, many years
ago — to die in the cottage where he first saw light, and
have his remains laid in the little church-yard where, in
childhood, he had played — this seemed now the only
desire of his heart. I trust it was granted him. We
saw him safely to the oars when we were discharged in
Boston — beyond that, I know naught of him.
He had made some singular experiences in his lifetime.
Most of his sailing had been in English vessels, in the
East Indies. There was scarce a port in the Indies which
he had not visited, and of which he had not some story
to tell. He loved to beguile his loneliness by yarning,
when he could get auditors ; and I spent many hours of
my watoh below, sitting upon the edge of his berth

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 251
listening to the experience of one who had started to sea
with just such ideas as I still entertained, and who was
now returning to probably a desolate home, a wreck, fit
only to die, and hoping for nothing better than the privi
lege of dying among his kindred.
There was but one man in the forecastle whose yarns
could rival sick George's. This was a growling English
man, who presumed on his white locks and wrinkled face,
to force upon us such unconscionable stories that he, in a
very short time, became the but of every one's jokes.
George's yarns were Ustened to with interest and respect,
because we could depend on what he said. There was the
evidence of truth about him. But old Fred assumed
such a braggadocio air with his interminable tales that
no one would believe him.
We could not mention a strange place, but Fred would
at once shout, " Yes, I know all about that ; I was there,
in such a ship," the Amelia, the Augusta, the Arabella,
or whatever name happened to be uppermost in his mind.
He pretended to know everything, about wind, weather,
and the world in general. He was, in short, a kind of
self-constituted Solomon-in-ordinary to the crew ; a fel
low of whose advice you could not rid yourself, be you
ever so uncommunicative.
By his undesired interference in everybody's stories, he
broke up aU yarning in the forecastle. Not one of us but
was afraid to mention an adventure, or speak of a foreign
place, knowing that master Fred would at once take the
wind out of our sails, by some tougher yarn than any one
else oared about spinning.

252 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
At last several of us fell upon a plan to sUence him,
which proved as effectual as we hoped. He was ever
ready to yarn it. We therefore seated ourselves around
him one Sunday afternoon, and commenced catechising
him. " Were you ever in Canton, Fred ?"
" Oh, yes, I went there fifteen yeara ago in the Wind
sor Castle, a Company vessel."
" How long were you on the voyage?"
" We sailed from Londun to Canton, thence to Calcut
ta, and back to Gravesend, in eighteen months."
One of the conspirators, with a piece of chalk, slily
marked on the back of a chest, "London to Canton and
Calcutta and back, eighteen months.''
Another now said, ' Where did you board when you
were in Sydney. Fred ?"
The old fellow went into a long dissertation on
Colonial life, spoke of having been cattle tending, hav
ing sailed out of Sydney for a number of years, and at
last when pressed to raention the exact number, said,
after an effort at recollection, " about twelve years he
had spent in the colony of New South Wales."
In like manner we successively drew him out concem
ing all the different parts of the world in which any of
us had ever been, leading hira to give us the time spent
in each, or on each voyage thither and back.
Fred was in high spirits at such a chance to yam it to
us youngsters, while we had difficulty in keeping our
faces straight enough to carry out the joke. Our exam
ination was continued nearly three hours, when Fred,

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 253
having just been tempted into a most barefaced lie, one
ofhis persecutors broke out on him: ' Why, you old
swindler, you outrageous old heathen, just look here,"
pointing to his running account on the chest, " if all you
have told us were true, as you so solemnly swear, you
would be just one hundred and fifty-six years and ten
months old. Now go on deck, and be ashamed of yourself."
The old fellow looked daggers at us, who were enjoying
the scene hugely, and left us, muttering something about
" a parcel of saucy boys, who had no respect for grey
hairs." But from that time we were troubled no more with
Fred's yarns.
We had a fine passage to Eio de Janeiro ; although we
passed the Cape of Good Hope in the dead of winter, we
met with no very severe storm. This was the third tirae
I had doubled the Cape, each time in the winter season,
or during the period of short days.
We arrived in due time, and without any noteworthy
occurrence, in the harbor of Eio. The tall sugar-loaf
the many curiously shaped peaks, towering on all sides
toward the sky, and the two white forts at the harbor's
mouth, seemed to me like old acquaintances. As we
cast anchor in the midst of a dense crowd of merchant
vessels, of all nations, I recoUected how much, on my first
visit to this place, I had envied the raerchant sailors
their coraparative freedom. This time, I thought, I will
take a cmise on shore, long enough to make up for my
former deprivations.
But this time, too, I was destined to disappointment

254 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
It happened to be a season when the Brazilian navy was
in urgent need of men, and press-gangs were on the
watch either to entice away, or, in default of that, to
carry off by main force, all saUors on whom they could
lay their clutches. I had then a shipmate in that ser
vice, who had been carried off in such manner, and was
not at all desirous of sharing his fate. I did not ven
ture, therefore, any farther than the palace stairs, the
usual landing place for boats.
Neither had we muoh time to spend on shore. Al
ready on the second day after our arrival in port, cargo
began to come along side. As we had nothing to dis
charge, we began immediately to load the vessel, a ser
vice in which all the crew were engaged. After carrying
heavy coffee bags all day, in a hot and confined hold, one
does not feel much like wandering about on shore at
night. The berth is the most tempting place after sup
per ; a quiet night's rest is much more welcome than a
ramble about a foreign plaoe.
In a fortnight we had our cargo stowed, and were ready
to sail for Boston.
One day, while we were yet taking in cargo, the entire
harbor was thrown into excitement by the arrival of a
British vessel of war, having in tow a prize, taken but a
little way to the north, on the coast. She was a queer
looking craft to have been fitted out for a slaver. She
looked for all the world like a genuine Now Bedford
whaler. Boats on her Cjuarters, little topgallant cross-
trees for the convemence of the lookouts, an oil streak

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 255
itt her starboard waist — everything proclaimed her a
"spouter." We understood that she had been fitted out in this
way on purpose to deceive the cruisers. The story on
shore was that she had made several successful voyages,
no one suspecting a sleepy old blubber-hunter of carrying
anything contraband of law. How suapicion was first
aroused against her, we did not hear. Probably, how
ever, by some one in the confidence of the owners be
traying the secret.
But we saw a more remarkable specimen of a .slaver
than even this whaler. This was a Brazilian built craft,
a polacca sloop, having only one huge mast, alraost as
large in circumference as a seventy-four's mainmast. She
had been chased by a British cruiser for six days and
nights, before she was caught. She was now a mere
wreck, no longer seaworthy.
Nothing that human ingenuity could invent to add
to the vessel's speed, had been spared during the long
chaae. The rigging was all eased up, giving the mast
more play — every imaginable sail was crowded on — but
aU in vain. At last they resorted to the desperate expe
dient of sawing through the vessel's rail or bulwark, in
three places on each side. This had the effect of mak
ing her huU as limber as an old basket, and the cruiser's
men said it for a whUe increased her speed materially.
But the wind died away, and then the vessel of war
sent her boats after her, and to these they were obliged
to surrender. She lay now a hulk in the harbor, and
was to be shortly broken up.

256 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
AVe arrived in Kio de Janerio on the loth of Septem
ber, having been just sixty days in coming from the
Isle of France. AVe lay eighteen days in the port of
Eio, and took our departure thence for Boston on the 3d
of October.
Sailing for a northern port so late in the season, we
East Indiamen were considerably alarmed at the pros
pect of meeting with cold weather on the American
coast. We industriously patched up old jackets, and
flannels, tarred our sea-boots, and darned up old stock
ings, endeavoring to make as good provision as possible
for that whioh we knew was in store for us.
To one who has been sailing for some years in a
warm climate, a sudden approach to the cold of north
ern latitudes is as disagreeable an incident as can weU
happen. My warm clothes had lain so long, unused, in
my chest, that half of thera were no longer fit to wear,
and I had enough to do at tailoring, all the passage, in
order to fit myself out for cold weather, which we were
now approaching.
We had a pleasant passage, until we began to draw
near the American coast AVhen about abreast of the
Island of Nantucket, but yet some distance from the
land, the wind hauled to the north-east, and we ran
into Boston Bay amid such a pelting storm of hail, sleet,
rain, and wind, as none of us had experienced for some
time. Happily, a north-easter is a fair wind for home
ward-bounders, when they have got as far on their
passage as had we, and we were not therefore exposed
for a long time to the storm. We arrived iu Boston

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 257
harbor on the 18 th of November. It was still storming
wUdly outside', and no one could have felt more strongly
than ourselves the comfort of having brought our ship
safely into a haven. We made haste to secure her to the
wharf; then took out our effects, and departed for our dif
ferent boarding houses.

17

CHAPTER XX.
H.iED Times for Sailors — Anxiety to escape the Winter — Boston
to Bangor — Sail for Demarara — A Down East Barque — Her
Captain and Mate— A Family Arrangement — Arrival at De
marara — Discharge Cargo — Sail for Buen Ayre.
I peoceei>i:d to luy former abiding place, the Sailor's
Home, wheie I enjoyed that night the sweetest sleep
that had fallen to my experience for a long time. The
foUowiiii;- day vve were paid off. I had a little over forty
dollars due me. Aly first act was one which every sailor
makes a priraary coiisiileTation, naraely. to fill up ray old
seachcst with good warra clothes, in preparation for the
inclement weather which was now to be encountered.
Common opinion ascril)es to the sailor a careless, joy
ous disposition. So far as my experience extends, it
seems to me there is nothing farther from the truth.
The man-of-war's mau. to be sure, is burdened with no
cares, and he fills fully the idea formed of the genus by
the shoresman. His jcvial good nature borrows no
trouble of tho future. He is in a service where he can
rely upon being properly taken eare of He has no occa
sion to take thought for the raorrow. His labor is light,
(258)

TUB MERCHANT VESSEL. 259
his pay sure and sufficient and his responsibUity as tri
fling as can be imagined.
Not so with thc merchant seaman. His voyages are
shorter, and he is therefore oftener under the necessity
of looking out for a new berth. His toil is severe, and
many parts of his duty throw wearying responsibilities
upon him. His pay is barely sufficient to afford him ne
cessary clothing, aud defray his expenses during his pe
riodical loitering on land. And he is no sooner on shore
than he feels harrassed by the necessity of hunting up a
new ship.
AVithal, let him have as much foresight as ever falls
to the share of a sailor, yet he can not always choose such
voyages as he would like most, or as would make his life
easiest. In the majority of cases, he is forced to take up
with the first chance that offers. And very often, all
precautions to the contrary notwithstanding, he finds hira
self caught in winter weather upon a northern coast, and
has before hira a prospect of suffering which is enough
to make the stoutest heart quail.
So it was with me at this time. AVhen I returned to
to Boston from Lundon, I determined never again to be
caught upon the American coast in the winter. Yet here
I was now, the last of November already at hand, just
come ashore from an India voyage, and poorly prepared
to face the storm which lay between me and a more gen
ial sky.
I wUl not say that ray heart failed me ; but I felt
much troubled at the thoughts of another winter pas
sage.

260 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
" The times " in Boston, were none too good. Although
shipping was brisk, there were a great many seamen
ashore, all anxious to ship theraselves, and each looking
out for a southern voyage.
I had several offers to go to the Mediterranean. But,
with the prospect of returning to the United States in the
dead of winter, I would not go there. Sorae offers there
were, too, of voyages to the West Indies, but with a simi
lar drawback, of being gone about three months, and
retuming to the coast in February or March.
I desired to escape the entire winter, and for this pur
pose it was necessary to go upon a voyage to last at least
six months. But no vessel was juat then fitting out upon
such a trip ; or if there was, her crew was engaged several
months before hand, and all chances in her long ago
fiUed up.
I wandered about the shipping offices for more than a
week, attempting to suit myself, but ineffectuaUy. At
last, on walking into an office one moming, a gentleman
talking to the shipping-master, asked me if I would not
go " Down East"
" How far ?" asked 1.
" To Bangor."
" Where is the veaael to go, from there?"
"A fine voyage ; she goes to Demarara, thence to Buen
Ayre, and return to New Orleans with a cargo of salt."
" That will cheat the winter, ray Jad," remarked the
shipper. " She is the finest craft that ever sailed from Down
East, and her captain and mate are gentlemen," added

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 261
the one who had first spoken. " You will have fine
times." I did not much like the idea of going to Bangor, where
winter had already set in in full force ; but on considering
that so fair looking a chance might not offer again, 1 con
cluded to accept.
On signifying as much to the shipper, he produced the
shipping papers, and I signed my name to the articles of
the good barque Swain, whereof John Cutter was master,
" or whoever shall go master thereof," to proceed on a
voyage from Bangor to Georgetown, Demarara, thence to
the island of Buen Ayre, and return to New Orleans.
" She's a chartered vessel, my lad, so you may rely upon
her going the voyage," said the shipper, as I hesitated to
write my name.
This additional security decided me fully, and I prom
ised to be ready to go to Bangor by that evening's boat.
It not unfrequently happens that vessels going to a
port or on a voyage, not liked by seamen, ship crews unjder
false pretenses — that is, the artieles declare the ship to
be going to one place, when she is going to another. For
instance, I shipped once to go to New Orleans, when the
captain knew full well that he was about to proceed direct
to MobUe. So it happens in innumerable cases. It is,
therefore, counted a privilege when one can secure a berth
in a vessel that is chartered for the voyage, as there is
then a tolerable certainty that all the conditions of the
shipping agreement -will be fulfilled.
Before I left the shipping office, I obtained from the
person who was so active in getting me to ship, a full and

262 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
particular account of the ve.ssel in whioh I was to go, and
of her captain.
The barque was said to be about three years old, in
excellent order, alow and aloft, did not leak a drop, and
had a splenelid fit out.
As her outward cargo was to be lumber, I was particu
lar to inquire as to her carrying a deck-load, but waa
assured that she would not.
"All her cargo is in the hold."
The captain was said to be a fine, good-natured down-
easter, who would see that his crew were made comfort
able. Of all this, of course, I hoisted in only a very moderate
portion, leaving the balance as something to be " told to
the marines." Yet I was glad to revel, if in imagination
only, in the prospect of a comfortable ship and a good
voyage. As our ship and voyage proved so decidedly the reverse
of what was described to me, it may be well here to state,
for the benefit of the uninitiated reader, that there are
good vessels " Down East '' — in Alaine — and that some
of the finest men that ever walked a quarter-deck hail
from there.
I was the last man that shipped. The vessel was to
carry six hands, three of whora, it was said, were already
in Bangor, while the other three of us were going on by
that evening's steamer. I was so fortunate as to recognize
in the other two, old shipmates, and we three whiled away
the passage by reminiscences of past times, and plans for
the future.

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 263
Steaming all night, we awoke next morning in the
Penobscot river, and by noon arrived at Frankfort, a place
about fifteen miles below Bangor. Here, our conductor —
who, by the way, was the Express agent, to whom we had
been consigned, I suppose, as so many parcels, " contents
unknown " — was hailed by a raw-boned down-easter, who
proved to be our new captain.
He had brought his vessel down from Bangor, to prevent
her being frozen up. AA'e therefore got on shore with our
baggage, and proceeded, with our worthy captain, to take
a look at the ship. He pointed out to us her masts, as
she lay, the outside vessel in a tier, and hastily giving us
directions how to get on board, left us, to hunt up the
balance of his men, being anxious to start out imme
diately. Leaving our baggage on the wharf, we proceeded on
board to make a preliminary inspection of the craft. She
proved to be a much older looking vessel than she had
been represented, and had on a deck-load at least ten feet
high. So far, she was not at all satisfactory to us.
One of my shipmates proposed to refuse to go in her
To this, I objected ; I had signed the articles, had taken
my month's advance, and laid out a portion of it, and
I now felt that I ought to stick to my bargain at all
hazards. My determination overruled the other two, and we
brought on board our chests and hammocks.
Having procured from the second mate the key of the
forecastle, we proceeded to install ourselves in the dark
hole which was to be for some time our home. I went

264 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
below to receive the luggage. Striking a Ught, that I
might see where to place our chests, I found it would be
first necessary to remove on deck a mass of running rig
ging, studd'n-saU gear, etc., which had been thrown down
there for safe keeping.
After getting rid of this, I found the deck or floor
covered -with chips, sawdust and ice, to the depth of
several inches. I began, by this time, to wish that I had
not come to Bangor.
But, what was my astonishment when, on looking for
ward, toward what are called the breast hooks, being the
most forward portion of the bows, inside, I beheld there
a solid mass of ice, which proved to be about three feet
thick, and extended from the deck to the ceUing overhead,
nearly five feet high.
" Send down your chests, boys," shouted I, in despera
tion, fearing that if either of the others discovered the
ice before their baggage came down, they would utterly
refuse to go in the vessel.
I placed the chests as best I could upon the dirt and
ice, flung the bedding into the berths, as it was handed
down, then replaced the forecastle ladder, and invited my
two friends to walk down and inspect the premises. With
curses both loud and deep, they beheld the dirty and
miserable hole which was to be our abode.
In truth, I was myself somewhat staggered in my re
solution of going in the vessel, as I examined more closely
into the accommodations — or, it should be said, of lack
of accommodations. But a little calm consideration con
vinced me that there was no other course open to me.

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 265
We had received sixteen dollars, advance, with the
understanding that if we went to sea in the ship it would
be due, but if we did not go, it would have to be refunded
to the shipper by the people who had endorsed for us —
the boarding-house keepers, namely. It would therefore
have been a species of dishonesty in us now to back out,
especially as we were not prepared to return the money.
BiU and Tom, my shipmates, spoke of immediately taking
their effects out of the vessel. They would stand nothing
of this kind.
I had nothing to urge against this course, and contented
myself with saying that I should feel bound to go in her,
if she was to sink the first night out. After endeavoring
in vain to shake my resolution, they at last concluded
also to remain, "as it would not do to leave an old ship
mate in the lurch."
But we had not seen the worst even yet. I had simply
thrown the bundles of bedding into the berths. When
we began to spread out our beds, we found in the lower
berths, instead of berth-boards, solid blocks of ice, two
feet thick ; and upon one of these I spread out my bedding,
and here slept, or tried to sleep, until the warm weather
began to melt my resting place. By that time my
mattress was just fit to throw overboard, and for the
balance of the voyage I either slept upon deck, wrapped
up in a blanket, or made use of another's bed.
AH this ice had come into the vessel in this wise : As
before mentioned, she was lumber-loaded. The cargo had
been taken in through a bow-port, which opened into the
forecastle, just on a level with the water's edge. Thus

266 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
the boards and joists coraposing the loading were run out
of the water alongside, through our raiserable habitation,
into the hold, dripping all the way. The water froze
wherever it fell, and the lumber-men no doubt threw more
down on top of it, to make themselves a convenient slide
for the heavier pieces of wood. Thus the entire forecastle
was full of ice.
The presence of such a mass of frozen water, with the
dampness arising from the wet luraber stowed in the hold,
made staying below alraost unbearable. Yet it was a
little better than on deck, inasrauch as there was some
shelter from the rough winds.
A^'hen the captain came on board we demanded a stove.
He granted us one, but neglected to tell us, until we had
got sorae distance down the river, that there was no pipe
on board for it. The stove; therefore, was of no use. It
was altogether out of the c^uestion to keep warm, or even
moderately comfortable. Our only consolation was, that
with a fair wind, a few days would see us in warm
weather. Our crew was to have nurabered sis ; but on looking
for the reraaining three, only one was forthcoraing. The
other two had changed their mind, and found it more
comfortable to remain on shore.
"Never mind them, lads." said the captain, '-I am
going to come to at Thomaston, and there we can get two
others without trouble."
I had rayself refused to go to sea short-handed, which
drew from him this reraark.
Accordingly, we agreed to take the vessel to Thomaston,

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 267
which lies at the niouth of the Penobscot. AVe came to
anchor at some distance from the land, took the captain
ashore, ancl returned on board. He was to corae off noxt
morning, and promised faithfully to bring off two addi
tional men.
Next moming came, and so did our captain — but no
men. He talked very fairly, however ; said he could
find no one that would consent to go with hira — they
knew his character too well, probably, as this was his
native town — that he was willing to help, and would
see that the mates did their share ; and that when we
once got into warm weather we would get along finely.
Sailors are easily won over by fair words, and it did
not require mueh persuasion to make us get under weigh,
and put out to sea. The mate promised to hunt up the
missing stove-pipe when we got clear of the land ; and
with the hope of having a fire in our miserable forecastle,
we worked cheerfully. For my part, I was careless of
present suffering, while there was a prospect of running
into warra weather, and was eager to be underweigh,
decreasing the distance between ourselves and the A\ est
Indies. AA'e set sail with a stiff northwester, before which the
old craft rolled off to the southward at no slow rate.
AVhen watches were chosen, I was put with the second
mates', and found my watchmate to be the young man
who had come on board at Frankfort — a fellow who was
now making his first voyage to sea. He could not furl a
royal, could not steer, did not even know how to pull on
¦a rope properly.

268 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
Such a fellow was worse than useless on board an
under-manned vessel like ours. Of course he was not to
be trusted to steer the barque, in a breeze such as now
favored us. My first trick at the wheel lasted four hours.
And for many succeeding days and nights I was forced to
steer my entire watch on deck, while the ship was running
before a stiff gale.
But it was as well to be at the wheel as at the pumps,
which was now the alternative. The wretched old craft
had sprung a leak, the heavy deck-load straining her
timbers. This leak was not very serious, but unfortu
nately both of our pumps were out of order, and the water
threatened to stand five or six feet deep in the hold before
we could get them to work. After trying in vain to make
use of them, we hauled one pump on deck, and with a
great deal of trouble and hard labor, repaired it.
Happily this one remained in tolerable order. Had it
not, we should have become water-logged in a short time,
as the other pump, while being hauled up for the purpose
of raaking repairs upon it, was thrown violently against
the raainmast, by a heavy lurch of the ship, and so much
injured as to make it entirely useless.
In stowing the deck-load, no regard had been paid to
future convenience. The spaee about the pumps was so
much crowded, that pumping was made doubly laborious.
We would work there all night, and after breakfast next
moming all hands would turn to, and by dint of the
severest labor, free her of water by perhaps ten o'clock,
when the watch below were permitted to take their
needed rest. Tho entire afternoon watch was spent at

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 269
the pumps in like manner, and by sunset we were tired
and worn out, and but ill prepared for another night's
suffering, in wet and bitter cold.
The barque was so deeply laden that the seas broke
even over her deck-load, and kept us continually wet.
And worse yet, the usual shelter from wind and sea,
afforded by a ship's bulwarks, we were here entirely
deprived of Perched high in mid-air, on top ©f the deck
load, the biting northwest wind blew through our wet
clothes, and threatened to congeal the very marrow in our
bones. This state of things happily lasted only twelve daya
These days seemed of an almost interminable length.
There was no possibUity of resting on deck, and a four
hours' trick at the wheel wonderfully lengthens a watch,
in the' imagination of the poor victim, as any one who
has experienced it wiU readily grant.
Below, I could not sleep. There was a chilling and
damp air in the forecastle, caused by the great lumps of
ice with which it was still encumbered, and by the wet
lumber in the hold, which made the stay below, if
possible, worse than the watch on deck. I still had my
hammock and bedding spread upon the mass of ice which
half filled the berth. Here I tumbled about during my
watch below, vainly endeavoring to sleep, and annoying
my watchmate by constant grumbling. For the first
three nights out, I was not conscious of having slept at
alh After that tired nature succumbed, and I was able
to sleep, but in great misery.
Our living, meanwhile, was not of the best HappUy

270 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
we had an excellent cook, who lost no opportunity to pro
vide soraething good for us. But the captain and his brother,
thc raate, kept a sharp eye upon the provision locker, and
took care that " the sailors should not live too well."
It was not until we got to sea, that we becarae aware
of the fact, that the vessel was a " faraily concern.''
The captain and mate were brothers, and they had with
thera a lad, another brother, who was now making his
first voyage, preparatory to taking the berth of second
mate, when he grew sorne years older and stouter. This
lad « as " in everybody's mess, and nobody's watch." He
lived in the cabin, of course, but spent most of his time
in the cook's galley, finding that the most comfortable
place on board, during the cold weather.
The raate raade several attempts to set " Bob " as a
spy upon the men and the cook, but the youngster
despised the meanness, and as he invariably told us of
the mate's designs, his worthy brother was forced to do
his own spying.
No ship is dreaded so much as one the officers of which
are relatives. Jack knows, that in such vessels the work
is always harder, and the treatment worse, than in any
other. Had I known that our chief officers were brothers,
I should not havc gone in the vessel under any consid
erations. It was a source of continual trouble and
difficulty to us. AVith a captain who was a knave, and
a mate who was in everything his subservient tool, we
could cxp?ct no peace. Ilajipilv. "Bob," the younger
brother, was au impracticable, and for very mischief
ranged himself on the side of " the men."

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 271
The vessel was a remarkably dull sailer, and like all
such she steered badly. A fast sailing ship almost
invariably steers well, while a slow-going old tub can
scarcely be kept within three points of her course.
From what I have said of our condition, on deck and
below, it may be imagined that we wished for nothing
so much as warmer weather. I had thought that three
or four days of such a breeze as we were favored with,
would bring us into a railder atmosphere. But it was
full a fortnight before we could take oft' our jackets, or
before the luraps of ice in the forecastle showed, by their
dripping, that we had reached a more temperate clime.
AA'ords cannot describe how grateful to us felt the
warra beams of the suraraer sun, how delightful looked
the first dry spot upon the deck, and with what joy we
viewed the steam arising from the wet planks, an evidence
of the sun's power. One needs to suffer all the raiseries
which had fallen to our share since leaving Frankfort, to
appreciate the feelings with which relief from thera is
hailed. As soon as the weather was sufficiently moderate to
allow of such a thing, we took axes into the forecastle,
and chopped to pieces the ice still reraaining there, as the
speediest raeans of ridding ourselves of it. My mattress
was thrown overboard, as was that of another. The
remainder of my bedding — that is, the blankets — had
nearly followed, but a thorough washing and drying pre
served thera.
The sailor, of course, does not encumber himself with
sheets and pillows. His couch is composed generally of

272 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
a straw bed, and two or three thick blankets. His pea-
jacket serves him for a pillow, and if he desires to sleep
with his head high, he places his sea-boots under the
jacket. At sea he rolls into his berth, at the expiration
of his watch on deck, without divesting himself of aught
except his huge overcoat, ahd his knife and belt, and
shoes. Thus he is prepared to " tum out " at a moment's
notice — a thing he has frequent occasion to do.
All the scrubbing we could give our miserable forecastle,
would not make it habitable. When we got into warm
weather, the vapors arising from the lumber in the hold,
filled everything with mold. Our clothes were rotting
with moisture, which penetrated our chests. Matches
kept below could not be struck. On every fine day we
were obliged to take our effects upon deck, to keep all from
spoiling. Yet we had to sleep in this noisome hole, for
on deck there was no place fit to rest ; and besides, had
we slept upon deck, there was a strong probability that
we would be called to give a pull every time a brace or
halyard was to be stirred.
Much ice had been taken in with the lumber, and when
it now began to grow warm, this melted, and kept us
steadily at the pumps for an entire week, to free her of the
accumulation of water. By the time this was done, we
were in settled weather, running down the northeast
trades, and each day diminishing the distance between us
and our first port.
When we were no longer busied at the pumps, we
found sufficient to do about the rigging and sails. The
barque was old, and was, besides, so meanly kept, that

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 273
her top hamper and sails were a vast patch work. Almost
every day something was giving way, aud then, raake a
splice, or patch it up in some way, was the word. Any
thing to prevent actual expenditure. By dint of continual
labor, however, we had her in tolerable condition by the
time we got to Demarara.
It was on'the thirty-second day out that we made the
land. We had been already for two days sailing over
the immense fiats which extend to a distance of more
than a hundred miles seaward from this part of the
South American coast. On these flats the water is
nowhere more than ten fathoms (sixty feet) deep, altho'
the land is entirely out of sight, and one is as much at
sea as anywhere among the West India Islands.
We had been steering half a dozen different courses
during the day (it was a Sabbath) , to oppose the various
currents which set here along shore, and change their
direction with the varying shapes of the land. The labor
of bending cables, getting the anchors off the bows, and
making ready for entering port, which in most ships
would have been done on the preceding Saturday, had
been carefully preserved for a Sabbath afternoon's work.
We were yet busied about the anchor, when the captain,
who was at the masthead with a spy-glass, raised the
land. The coast here is remarkably low and marshy, and
visible at but little distance. We were only eight miles
from the nearest point, when the captain first saw it We
immediately shaped our course for the river's mouth, and
by dark were so fortunate as to receive on board a pilot,
18

274 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
a black fellow, dres.sed in most approved white duck, but
barefooted. Under his guidance the vessel was taken to
the entrance of the river, and there anchored, just out
side of the bar, which we could only pass at high water.
At sunrise, when the tide permitted, we sailed up the
river, abreast of the town, and by night were lying along
side of a convenient wharf or pier.
Georgetown, or Stabrok, which last is its Dutch name,
is the capital and chief city of Britiah Guiana. It liea
at the mouth of the river Demarary, and on its eaat
bank. It is a regularly laid out town. Lying upon a
marshy piece of ground, most of the streets are inter
sected by canals, crossed by means of bridges. It was
founded by the Dutch, to whom this peculiarity is
owing. Many of the houses are finely buUt, and most
of the private dwellings are surrounded by fine gardens.
The merchants, who occupy the water-side, have in
troduced here all the labor-saving improvements for
which Englishmen are noted. Little railways run from
nearly every warehouse, down the long piers to the ves
sels, to facUitate the movement of the huge hogsheads
of sugar, rum, and molasses, which form the staple ex
ports of the colony. These, with enormous cranes for
hoisting and lowering, ease greatly the labors of the sea
men in getting on board the cargoes. There is also a
line of railway running into the heart of the sugar coun
try, sorae one hundred and twenty-five miles, on which is
transported that part of the produce which does not find
its way down the river in lighters.
The principal inhabitants are English. The most

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 275
numerous are the negroes, an idle and doless race as ever
was seen, but who live in this mild cliraate a happy, if
useless existence. Those of thera who live in the town,
wander about the wharves, taking occasionally a day's
work when they need an article of clothing, but other
wise utterly idle, and lost in vice. Of course there are
some worthy exceptions, but such is their general condi
tion. Fruits of all kinds are cheap, and the climate and
soil are so favorable that they can raise the little they
need with the smallest possible araount of work. And
as a class they seera to have but little arabition.
As the negroes will not work, the colonial governraent
imports laborers. Some of these are Portuguese, brought
from the Island of Madeira and the Canaries. But the
greater portion are Hindoos. These wretched people are
induced to apprentice themselves for a period of seven
years. They are brought by shiploads, annually, from
their native plains to this sickly country, and after suf
fering all the horrors of a one hundred days' passage,
huddled together in a crowded hold, are on their arrival
sent out to the plantations, where not a few of thera die
from the exposure and severe toil, to which they are but
Uttle used in their own country.
If their own tales may be believed, they are none too
weU treated. The lash and cowhide are not unknown,
and they are driven about more like cattle than human
beings. Certain it is that not a few of them, unable to
support their misery, commit suicide, and many run away
into the wUd woods, where they probably perish of hun
ger and exposure.

276 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
From inquiries made among some of the most intelli
gent that I met with, I learned that they considered the
chances of ever getting back to their homes as being very
small. Their wages are from two to five dollars per
month, and out of this they have to furnish themselves
clothing. Thus comparatively few of them are ever able
to get together a sufficient sum to carry them back —
although they set out from home with glowing hopes of
retuming, at the expiration of their apprenticeship, in
bettered circurastances.
But few of the Hindoos are found in the town. Here
the Portuguese perform most of the manual labor. They
are a turbulent set, and hard to manage. They form a
separate body, and have regulations among theraselves,
to which each one is forced to subrait. They enjoy a
much larger share of liberty than the poor Hindoos, being
not apprentices, but emigranta. I was told by some of
them, that they frequently amass a considerable sum of
money — five or six hundred dollars being thouL'ht quite
a fortune — and retum to their native isles, where, on
this amount, they can live in comfort the balance of
their days.
On the whole, I should consider Demarara a very
undesirable place for a permanent residence. Its marshy
situation makes it very sickly. The yellow fever pre
vails all the year round, and in summer sometimes with
great violence. Centipedes, scorpions, lizards, and snakes
exist in tropical abundance : and mosqultos darken the
air with their swarms, and nearly hide the light of the

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. '277
sun. It is almost impossible for a European to exist
without mosquito bars, after nightfall.
On the next day after our arrival, we begaif to dis
charge the cargo. I here practically tested the efficacy of
strict abstinence from ardent spirits, in working under a
tropical sun. The heat was intense ; in fact, I think I
never felt a more powerful sun. In discharging the lum
ber, it was necessary for two men to work upon deck,
while the second mate, with the other two, and a couple
of negroes (when these could be gotten), shoved the
planks up out of the hold.
I was offered a place in the hold, where there was
complete protection from the sun ; but as ray shipmates
were less used to the tropics than myself I preferred to
take my place on deck. All the rest drank more or less
of rum, the prevaUing liquor here. I was warned that,
unless I also imbibed to some extent, I should be taken
sick. But I had always before, when placed in similar
circumstances, adhered to fresh water, and determined,
although the work bade fair to prove more exhausting
than I had before experienced, to stick to temperance.
And I found, that although I worked in the sun, while
my companions had a constant shade, I held out much
better than they, feeling fresh and lively when they com
plained bitterly of exhaustion.

CHAPTER XXl.
The Dragon's Mouth — Buen Ayre — Taking in Salt — The Salt
Pans — Beauty of the Island, and the Climate — Misery of the
Laborers — Off for New Orleans — Captain attempts to Starve
the Crew — Tedious Passage — Arrival at New Orleans — A
Sailor's Law Suit — Sail for New Tork — Conclusion.
Our stay in Georgetown was only two weeks long.
The last plank was put ashore on a Alonday, and next
day we took in a little sand ballast, in addition to that
we had already in, and set sail for the Island of Buen
Ayre, where we were to procure our cargo of salt.
Our passage thither would have been, in any other ves
sel, a pleasure trip. AA'e were six days underweigh, sail
ing along all the while with soft and light breezes, now
on one quarter, now on the other, as we changed our
course, in rounding the various islands which lay on our
way. On the second day out, we sailed through a beautiful
basin, called the Dragon's Atouth, which forms the pass
age between the British Island of Trinidad and the
Peninsula of Paria, the last a portion of the mainland
of South America. It is interspersed with numerous
(278)

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 279
islets, which I suppose some poetical sailor has trans
formed into the dragon's teeth, in allusion to the dangers
encountered by the mariner who threads his way among
them. Before we left Georgetown, we had spoken to the cap
tain about laying in some necessary provisions, which he
promised to do ; but he neglected the matter — purposely
or through drunkenness — and we were no sooner out of
sight of land than the mate inforraed the cook that a
very short allowance of beef, and no pork, with a sparing
use of bread, was necessary to bring us safely to Buen
Ayre. Hard work all day, with short allowance of
victuals, soon wears men down, and we consequently grew
careless at night, preferring sleep to the necessary look
out. Our captain had not yet gotten sufficiently over his
late spree to keep a very correct reckoning. In conse
quence, on the third night out, all hands were called, in a
hurry, to tack ship off shore. Coming on deck, we found
the vessel in close proximity to land. Fifteen minutes
longer on her prescribed course would have set her
ashore. We were heartUy sorry that the old tub had not
struck, as it would have released us from our unpleasant
situation. But, as the breeze waa gentle, she was easily
worked off shore. On the sixth day, we reached Buen
Ayre, without meeting with any farther noteworthy acci
dent on our way.
Buen Ayre, or Bon Ayre as it is more generally called,
at least by seamen, is a beautiful little islet lying off the
ooast of Venezuela, and a few hours' sail east of the
more important Island of Curacoa. It is about twenty

280 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
miles in length, the average breadth not being more than
four miles. It is intersected by a mountain ran;:e, of no
great hight however. Lying in the track of the north
east trade winds, it has a most charming climate. The
brilliant sky, pure and bracing air, and the clear and
beautiful waters of the sea which surrounds it, all com
bine to inspire one with new energies, and present a scene
of natural beauty which is unsurpassed in my expe
rience. The principal article of export (at least to the United
States) is salt. The island belongs to the crovni of Hol
land. I understood that the salt pans, together with the
slaves who work them, who are also the property of the
crown, are farmed out for a term of years to the highest
bidder, thus being in fact worked by private capital and
enterprise. The other most valuable product of the island is
cochineal. There are plantations of considerable extent
on the plains inland, where the bugs which when pro
perly roasted and pulverized form the valuable cochineal
of commerce, are carefully tended by slaves. The little
animals feed upon the leaves of small trees, and are
shaken down at regular periods into sheets held below —
then prepared and sent to Holland, where they finally
come into the regular line of commerce.
The Dutch are proverbially hard masters. I could
scarcely believe that human beings could so badly use
their fellow creatures, as the overseers of the salt-works,
here, treat the poor slaves who are -' in the contract."
The tanks, or pans, occupy a portion of the flat beaoh.

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 281
nearly a mUe in extent. They are square, shallow exca
vations in the grouud, their bottom lying below the sur
face of the sea. Each large pan communicates with the
water by a trough or pipe, which being opened, it flows
in until it finds its level. It is then shut off, and the
evaporation begins. The salt forma in beautiful crystals,
first along the sides, and as the water gets lower, along
the bottom. AVhen a pan is ready for working, the
slaves are turned in, and gather the salt into sacks,
which they transport on their backs to a convenient place
near shore, where it is piled until quite a little mountain
is buUt up. This glistens in the bright sun-light like an
immense diamond.
We came to anchor at about quarter of a mile from
the beach, with the open sea behind us. There is no
danger of a storm, and but little surf — this being the
lee side — and consequently the anchorage is considered
very good. The isle has but one small harbor, which is
not used by ships coming hither for salt. Immediately
ahead of us, on the shore, lay a salt hill, as high as our
masthead, part of which was to be our cargo. The first
thing to be done was to take out ballast. This lasted
three days. It was dumped overboard alongside, we
slacking out cable, once in a while, in order that the
bowlders and sand should not fall all in one place, and
make an inconvenient little shoal.
The ballast out and the hold swept clean, the salt
came alongside. It was brought from shore in large
surf-boats, by the slaves. When a boat came alongside,
the bags were thrown upon a stage, from the stage to the

282 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
deck, then a toss to the main-hatchway, where stood one
with a jacknife, to cut the string, empty the contents
into the hold, and fiing the sack baek into thc boat. In
this way we speedily got in as much as the barque would
carry. The worst of the labor was the trimming, in the
hold, and the carrying sacks forward and aft to the
hatches, there to be emptied. AA'orking among salt is
apt to produce sores upon the body. AA'e had been
warned that it was necessary to bathe at least once a
day, and to put on clean clothing at the conclusion of the
day's work. Those of us who acted up to these rules,
were not troubled with salt boils ; but the second mate,
who was an Englishman, and had all a British sailor's
aversion to water in any shape, thought it too much
trouble. He was punished for his heedlessness, by the
appearance of numerous painful swellings on different
portions of his body.
The salt intended for our ship was measured into
sacks, eaoh holding a bushel. In these sacks it was car
ried on tho shoulders of men and women, from the de
pository to the beach, where each in tum laid his or her
load into the boat, brought up beyond the reach of the
surf for that purpose. AA'hen a boat was laden, aU
hands took hold and ran her into the water, when her
regular crew hauled her alongside. A white overseer
superintended the operations of the shore gang. He
carried a long and heavy rawhide whip, whieh he appUed
with no sparing or light hand to the naked backs of
women and men, if they did not trot off fast enough
with their heavy burdens.

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 283
The slaves work from six to six (which is here from
daylight to dark) , having an intermission of two hours,
from twelve till two, wherein to eat the only meal they
get during the day. The state of semi-starvation in
which these poor creatures are kept, is cruel in the ex
treme. The daily aUowance of food to each working
person is one quart of unground corn, and nothing
besides. This allowance I saw measured out to them
myself ere I could believe that any one could be so nig-
ardly as to force working men and women to exist on such
a mere pittance. When their day's work is finished, they
retire to their camp, where for full an hour they are engaged
in pounding their corn in rude stone mortars, to reduce it
to the consistence of very coarse meal. This is the work
of the women. The men, meanwhile, gather a sraall
quantity of wood, and when ready the meal is mixed
with water, and boiled in a pot provided for the purpose,
until it is a quite solid mass. This mess is the next
day's allowance. Part of it is swallowed on rising in
the morning, the balance at noon. Supper they dare
not indulge in, as their portion would not hold out.
Of course, they know not what it is to have enough to
eat They are actually famished. Parties of them used
to fight for the leavings of our cabin table, and fish
bones, potato peelings, slop of all kinds, were voraciously
devoured by them. Poor souls, they lost no occasion to
steal victuals that happened to be unwatched, and some
of them were always prowling about the gaUey, looking
for a prize. We often connived at their thefts ; but our
stingy captain was ever upon the watch to catch them in

284 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
the act He saw a poor fellow making off with a small
piece of beef one day, and catching him, called the
overseer, who happened to be on board. The wretched
slave was at once ordered to lie down on deck. A rag
ged shirt was first stripped off his back, and then, with
a heavy rope's-end, he received fifty lashes. So pleased
was our skipper at witnessing the flogging of which he
was the occasion, that in a fit of liberality, which I am
sure he regretted the next moraent, he made his victim a
present of the beef.
The slaves are allowed by the king, their owner, two
suits — shirts and trowsers for the men, and gowns for
for the females — per annum, but no hat to keep off the
sun, no shoes to protect the feet while carrying their loads
over the sharp coral of the beach. When a woman has
a child, she is allowed three months to nurse and take
care of it. At the expiration of that time, the little one
is consigned to the care of other, larger chUdren, while the
mother goes to work in the gang, and is expected to do
as hard a day's work as any of the rest.
AA'e left for New Orleans at the end of ten days, that
space of time having sufficed to take on board our cargo
of salt. The captain had neglected to take in a supply
of fresh water at Demarara — where he would have had
to pay for it. AMien we came here, we found the water
so brackish that it made us sick to drink it. Yet we took
on board two casks of it, which cost two doUars. One
cask of good water lasted us ten days, of the thirty occu
pied by our passage to New Orleans. Then we were
reduced to drinking that last obtained.

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 285
J>lo sooner had we left port than our miserable life
recommenced. Once fairly clear of the land, the captain
informed all hands that there was naught left of our
supply of provisions, except some rice, a moderate quan
tity of bread, and beef On this, with a weekly meal of
duff, we were expected to subsist to the end of the voy
age. The vessel was a dull sailer under any circum
stances — but deeply laden with salt, she positively did
not seem to go ahead at all. Three or four knots per
hour was her highest speed. Happily she did not leak
sufficient to give us trouble with -[he pumps.
Our mate, who had never before been iu a "square-
rigger," had been told in Demarara, by some of his
acquaintance, that, in sueh vessels, it was indispensable
to the dignity of the officers to keep the men constantly
at work.
" The worse you treat them, the smarter officer you
will be."
This advice he now put in practice. There was but
Uttle necessary work to be done, as on the outward pass
age we had succeeded in patching the rigging and sails
wherever they needed it. So the poor fellow was kept
studying, night and day, what he should set " the men "
at next Before we were ten days out, he was com
pletely at the end of his Hmited stock of saUorship, and,
as he had not sufficient Yankee ingenuity to make a spun-
yam winch, aU hands were kept up to braid sinnet." To
havc kept the watch on deck busy at this would have
'^Sinnet is a small line, braided from rope-yarns, the minute
Strands of which a rope is formed.

286 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
been not unusual, but to keep up all hands for such
work, and that too when we were short of provisions,
was too bad. We remonstrated, but to no purpose. The
captain merely asked if we refused to obey orders. By
rashly doing so, we should have forfeited our wages,
which would have pleased him but too well, and benefit
ted us naught, as we should have had to work the vessel
into port, at any rate. So we submitted. But by way
of satisfaction for this outrage on our privUeges, we used
to throw overboard every night the product of our day's
labor, and the mate would sapiently " wonder " what
had become of all the sinnet.
Shortly after we left Buen Ayre, our supply of coffee
was consumed, and thenceforth we were compelled to
drink an infusion of burnt beans. Compelled to drink
this, because the water we obtained at the salt-works
waa so brackish that it was irapossible to swallow it,
without it having been previously cooked. The stomach
even of a sailor would not retain it ; and several tiraes,
when we had grown thirsty at some hard work, and were
tempted to lave our thirst from the water cask, all hands
were made sick, having to vomit up the miserable stuff.
Thus, with salt water, moldy biscuit, a small portion
of rice, and beef, we lingered out a long passage of thirty
days. And before we reached port, even this wretched
food grew very scarce, and our allowance of bread was
reduced. AA'e could not do aught to extricate ourselves
from our difficulties. To have forced the captain to run
into a port by the way, would havc been rank mutiny.
To refuse duty would not have bettered matters. We

THE MERCHANT VESSEL. 287
were therefore compelled to suffer. But we determined
that if there was a law on our side, we would test it
when we got to New Orleans.
SaUors dislike to go to law. They have a dread of
" land-sharks," and wiU suffer almost anything rather
than place themselves in their hands. But we thought
it a duty to show this man, and others of his kind, that
they could be held up to justice, and therefore determined
to risk aU the unknown dangers of a court-room, to teach
him a lesson.
Arrived at New Orleans, we sought out a lawyer of
some eminence in cases of this kind, who took the
matter in hand for us. His conditions were, the pay
ment of a fee of ten dollars, in hand, from each man,
and half the proceeds of the suit. AVe were detained in
the city for six long weeks, by various pretexts of the
captain's counsel. In this time the wages of our voyage
were spent, and my shipmates were all in debt to the
full amount of their advance-money, and all that they
could hope to obtam from the suit. Finally this was
decided. The captain was found guilty of gross mis
conduct, and sentenced to pay fifty doUars to each of the
crew, and the expenses of the suit. This, to so niggardly
a man as he, was a severe blow, and in so far was satis
factory to us, who desired to see him punished. But we
too were sufferers by the suit We had been compelled
to remain six weeks idle. In this time, the best season
for shipping in New Orleans had passed away ; we had
been forced to spend more than the proceeds of the voy
age, to keep us ashore, and had now some difficulty in

288 THE MERCHANT VESSEL.
getting a ship. All to satisfy justice. I will not set
down here the many disrespectful remarks of my ship
mates, concerning the blind Dame. Suffice it to say, that
we departed from the court-room, fully determined never
again to appeal to her, but rather to take the law into
our own hands.
The day after the termination of the suit, I shipped
on board a New York packet, and in a very quiet passage
of twenty days reached New York. Here I took my
chest and hammock to the Sailors' Home, sent to Boston
for a little money I had still on deposit there, got myself
a new fit out, and after staying ashore until tired of an
inactive life, began my search for a voyage. This search,
in which, having yet a considerable sum of money ia
my purse, I was rather hard to please, ended in an en
gagement on board a New Bedford whaleship. At this
period, therefore, legitimately closes my experience of a
merchant seaman's life.