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Las diagrammes suivants illustrant la mAthode. ■Ir 1 2 3 4 5 6 .. .il''^'- ■*^- <»fe» )'»l W » »» w u ' Wf wm iwwiiMBipBgwMj >.. > ' ■ t r^t ^'i r- |,i . ?U,^ U^jw )fc-" ■ ■ u ■ ■ ». -^jijft^i^****?"*" ^.ifi -'S I "t* : :ft,*-|^' *4-<^:*^' ■?■■ ■ ■^ic* ' ■^' M'^ ARCTIC EOVING;: OB, TBX ADYENTUEES OF A NEW BEDFOED BOY ON SEA AND LAND. BY DANIEL WESTON HALL. \ BO S T O N : PUBLISHED BY ABEL TOMPKINS, 38 & 40 Cornhill. 1861. "m Katored accordinj^ to Act of Congress, in the year 1800, by ABEL TOMPKINS, In the Clerk's OflQoe of the Diatrict Court of Massachusetts. Printed by BAZIN AND CHANDLBB, 37 Oornhill ♦ TO B Snr latter, WHOSE UNTIEINQ BXEIITIONS IN MY BEHALV ENABLED ME TO ESCAPE FROM A SIBERIAN DESERT, AND RETURN TO MY FRIENDS, C:ijts Book is ©cKicatcii, AS A SLIGHT TOIOJN OF LOVE AND OEATITUDB, BT HIS AFFECTIONATE SON, THE AUTHOB. \ JRl O fi PREFACE. In submitting this little work to public perusal, I desire that my motives for its publication should be clearly understood at the outset ; and I hope, by an honest confession of my inability to do ray subject jus- tice, at least in a literary point of view, to disarm criti- cism, and enlist the sympathies of the public in my behalf. If the kind reader will but remember that I left my schcol at the early age of fifteen years, and that the four years intervening between that time and the pres- ent, have been spent among the doubtful associations of a whaleship's forecastle, and in the wilds of Siberia, he will readily overlook the many imperfections, which, doubtless, exist, both in the aiTangement of this little volume, and the treatment of my subject. I have no expectation that the publication of this work will secure for me the smallest degree of distinc- tion in the world of letters ; I have no ambition to be considered a hero, or a prodigy of youthful courage and endurance ; but I think tbat a narrative of my \. " 1 VI PREFACE. advcnturos by pea and land, during a four years* abflcnco from home, will be read with pleasure by my personal friends, and with interest by many strangers ; particularly by all yoimg men of my own age who have either been to sea, or who intend, at some future time, to join the numbers of those who " go down to the sea in ships.'* I am not without hope that the plain statement of fiicta in regard to the severe discipline sometimes exor- cised on shipboard, contained ui these pages, may have the efTect to open the eyes of the pablic to the condi- tion of seamen in the whaling fleet, and the necessity for stringent laws to protect them from the abuse and maltreatment of then* superiors. In this manner I hope to be an humble instrument to bring about a great and much needed reform. This motive, and the desire to offer some testimonial of gratitude to a kind and affectionate parent, have chiefly in£uenced me to the publication of this work. If its perusal shall afford pleasure to the reader, and, in the smallest dcgroo, effect the ends to which I have alluded, I shall feel that mv sufferings on shipboard, and subse- quently in tho midst of an Arctic wilderness, have not been in vain. Daniel Weston Hall. I TABLE OF CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. Going TO Ska 9 CHAPTER n. Peep at tue Wuale Fisheries 526 CHAPTER III. Life on the Ocean Wate % 43 CHAPTER IV. The Escape 59 CHAPTER V. A Parent's Distress 75 CHAPTER VI. Journey in thu; Arctic Wilderness 81 CHAPTER VII. A Winter Home in Siberia 96 viii CONTENTS. CHA.PTER VIII. Abctic Rovinqs and Adventures 112 CHAPTER IX. Thb Rescue j28 CHAPTER X. Conclusion— Homeward Bound 140 APPENDIX. CoEEESPONDENCE ■■ ■m^- BY SEA AND LAND. 15 the jibs and stay-sails hoisted, and the yards properly trimmed. A man had been already tent to the wheel ; and, as the Condor stood out of the bay before the favoring breeze, the top- gallant-sails were set, the fore-sail, main-sail, and cross-jack were flung to the breeze ; while, with each addition of canvas, the speed of the ship rapidly increased, and very soon the last familiar objects on the shore, so dear to our hearts, had faded into " airy nothingness,'* in the dim distance astern. And when the pilot, whom some one has aptly called the " connecting link between sea and shore," departed from the ship, then, for the first time in my life, I experienced the sen- sation of genuine, perfect home-sickness. The pilot had scarcely left us, however, when the wind commenced hauling gradually ahead, in- creasing rapidly, meanwhile, until it became necessary to uouble-reef the top-sails ; and the excitement attending the operation of shorten- ing sail, together with the novelty and gran- deur of the scene, had the immediate ciFect to arouse me to a sense of present duty, and to dissipate, for the time, the gloomy thoughts upon which my mind had begun to dwell. The royals and top-gallant-sails having been *■*♦/ 16 ARCTIC ROVTXGS, clewed up and furled, the top-Fail halyards were let go by the rim, and the yards clewed down upon the caps ; the rocl-tacklcs were then hauled out, and the order <>;iven to '\junip aloft, and clap a double-reef in the tore and main top- sails ! " I mechanically followed the crowd of men who were running up the main rigging, and with some difficulty succeeded in getting upon the top-sail yard ; but I am fearful that I ren"ht of home." Pray to God, daily, to protect and sustain you through all your vicissitudes and under all circumstances ; feeling assured that if you put your trust in Him he will never leave you nor forsake vou. Be careful of your clothing, and keep it neat- ly repaired. This will add greatly to your comfort Oil shipboard, while the habits of neat- ness and order thus formed will be of lasting value to you. May lie who " holds the waters in the hol- low of his hand," bless you and keep you in safety during your voyage ; may He grant you health, happiness and prosperity, is the con- stant prayer of Your affectionate father, William Hall. New Bedford^ Auy. 5, 1856. s 20 ARCTIC U0VING9, ? At the risk of })clng^ considered weak and chihiiHli even, I must confess tlisit I perused this letter with tearful eyes. I read and re- read it many times, and then, replacing it ^'are- fully in the till of my chest, fell hjick in ujy bunk, overpowered by the combined elfect of home-sickness and physical weakness. But I will not bore the reader with a de- scription of my painful initiation to an ocean life ; it is sufficient to say that for the twenty- four hours following, I suffered more real mis- ery than a landsman can well conceive of. On the morning of the third day out, how- ever, I turned out at " seven bells," with a good appetite for breakfast, and after partak- ing of a hearty meal of salt junk and hard bis- cuit, accompanied with the usual allowance of " hot, wet and dirty," (a sailor's name for cof- fee), I began to feel that " Richard was himself agnin. >> Up to this time we had been beating out to sea under double-reefed top-sails, but shortly after breakfast the wind suddenly veered to a more favorable quarter, and the order was im- mediately given to " brace in the yards I " The reefs were then shake^i out of the top-sails, the top-gallant-sails loosed and sheeted home, BY SEA AVD r.VXD. 21 and the main and niizzen courpos brono-lit down to their phiccs. The jibs and sstay-sails were hoisted, and, by four bell.s of the t'orenoun ^vatch, the Condor was careening over the bil- lows, at tlie rate often knots an hour, with the wind on her quarter, and every stitch of her canvas distended to the breeze. The operation of making sail had scarcely been conipljtcd, when the thrilling cry of " A man overboard ! " resounded along the decks. A scene of great confusion immediately en- sued ; a portion of the crew crowded to the rail to catch a glimpse of their missing ship- mate ; others sprang to the boats, and others yet hastened to the braces, in obedience to the proper commands for bringing the sliip to the wind. The main top-sail was promptly laid back, and as soon as the ship became stationary, the quarter-boat was manned and lowered into the water. The missing man proved to be a green hand by the name of Knights, who had fallen from the lee-main-chains while attempting to reef the main-sheet. He could not swim, but, for some minutes, succeeded in keeping his head above water. Before the boat had been lower- '^ 22 ARCTIC ROVIXGS, u ed, however, he had sunk twl<^e, and would probably have drowned before assistance could bave reached him, had not a man by the name ^f Hathaway leaped overboard and swam to liis rescue. He succeeded in reaching the drowning man just as he was upon the point of sinking for the third and last time. With some difficulty he kept the head of his unfortunate shipmate above water until the arrival of the boat, when both were taken on board, amid the joyful shouts of the boat's crew, and the responsive cheers of their shipmates on board the Condor. The boat immediately returned to the ship, where the proper means were used to restore young Knights to animation. In a few min- utes he began to show signs of life, and, by the time the ship had been filled upon her course again, was able to return to his duty. For several days following, no incident of importance occurred to relieve the monotony of sea life. We pursued our onward w^ay for the Azo^'cs or Western Islands, whither we had shaped our course from the commencement of the passage, and by the morning of the fifth day out, had crossed the Gulf Stream. During the first watch on this morning, the BY SEA AND LAND. 23 crew were suddenly startled by a succession of groans and shrill cries of distress which evi- dently proeceded from some human being in mortal ai^onv. It was soon ascertained that the sounds proceeded from the lower hold, and, a lantern having been procured, several men hastily descended the main hatchway, where a ghastly and heart-rending spectacle awaited them. Guided by the cries of distress which still continued, and aided by the faint rays of the lantern, they soon discovered the body of Mr, Galon, the cooper of the ship, who lay upon the barrels wdiich formed the ground tier of the hold, weltering in his own blood, and evi- dently in the agonies of death. It appeared that while laboring under the influence of that terrible species of insanity known as delirium tremens^ he had procured a razor from his chest, and, descending to the hold, had there <"-ommitted suicide, by cutting his throat from ear to ear. When found, he wa^ beyond the reach of human aid, and his earthly existence terminated in le?s than an hour after the performance of the rash and terrible act. The captain immediately ordered that the body of the unfortunate man should be sewed 24 ARCTIC ROVINGS, i '■ ixx a canvas shroud, with a few cannon balls to give it weight, which, being accomplished, he directed that it should be thrown overboard without farther delay. This mournful duty- was performed without form or ceremony, ac- companied only with the remark on the part of the captain, that, " In this case, you see the re- sult of dissipation I " A long period of ftivorable wind and weather followed, during which nothing transpired of particular interest to the reader. On the 20th of September we arrived off the Flores, having seen nothing of the whale species as yet, but a few black fish, none of which, however, we had succeeded in cnpturing. Having procured a quantity of potatoes and a supply of water at the Flores, we again stood out to sea, shaping our course for Fayal, where we arrived in due season. We lay off and on the island for a few hours, and a boat was sent ashore with letters for the United States. I gladly improved this opportunity to send a let- ter to my father, informing him that I was in good health and spirits, and briefly relating my experience of sea life up to that time. Upon the return of the boat it was discover- ed that one of her crew had deserted. As he i m. ij BY SEA AND LAND. 25 had probably secreted himself in some inacces- sible part of the island, it was decided that pursuit would be useless, and, accordingly we were compelled to sail without him. After leaving Fayal, few incidents occurred until we arrived oiF the Horn ; and, although a description of the pasj^age would, doubtless in- terest the reader, I must omit unnecessary de- tails, that I may arrive the sooner at the prop- er scene of my narrative. -''■\ J CHAPTER n. A PEEP AT THE WI:ALE FISHERY. I I H 'f , Doubling the Horn — Arrival at the 3an{]wich Islands — The OTc- otslc Sea — The first Whale — Surrounded by ice-lioes— Sprung alcalc — A specimen of our Captains system of discipline— A successful season — Return to the Sandwich Islands — A squall. Upon arriving off Cape Horn, we encount- ered the adverse o^ales and stormv weather common to that tempestuous locality. The Condor was kept for several days under close reefed fore and main top-sails, reefed spanker, and fore-top-mast stay-sail ; and on more than one occasion, was hove to under storm stay- sails, or the lee clews of the main top-sail. She proved herself, however, to be a staunch and sea-worthy craft ; and, after a brief delay, we succeeded in " doubling the Horn " with- out losing a single spar, or parting so much as a rope-yarn. Having fairly weathered the cape, we stood well to the westward for an offing, until we had given the land a wide berth ; when we £6 BY SEA A\D LAND. 27 '1 .-^ crowded on all sail, squared the yards, and stood up for the coast of Chili. We bowled along over the nzure billows of the Pacific in magnificent style ; wind and weather favoring us to a remarkable degree, un- til we had sighted the Chilian coast, when we shortened sail and stood in shore for a supply of Avater. This being obtained, we stood off and on the cost for a fortnight under easy sail, seeing many whales, but capturing none of them in conse- quence of the captain's absence on board other ships. We did, indeed, succeed in fastening to one whale, which, however, unfortunately escaped, to the great disappointment of all hands. Towards the latter part of December we bade farewell to the coast of ChiH, and bore awav for the Sandwich Islands. Durinsr our passage thither, we stopped for a day or two at Felix Island for the purpose of catching fish, an ample supply of which was obtained by a single day's fishing. We then shaped our course for the port of Hilo, in the Sandwich islands, where we arriv- ed on the 5th of March, 1857, and lay oflP and on for two weeks ; supplying the ship mean- ''■•^<: !■>** 28 ARCTIC ROVING 8, while, with water and fresh, provisions. Our next port was Towehigh, where we remained three days, and obtained a supply of potatoes, after whieh we sailed for Lihinia. At the latter place we lay oiF and on the coast for sev- eral days, during which time the captain was constantly ashore, while his officers and crew were compelled to remain on board ; their con- finement beinjT rendered the more irksome from their vicinity to the land, upon which they were not permitted to set foot. After leaving Lihinia we shaped our course for Honalulu, where we remained but a single day ; sailing thence, immediately, for Onehow, where we obtained a supply of yams, sweet potatoes, fowls and fresh pork. Since our departure from the coast of Chili, a sharp lookout had constantly been kept for whales ; and on several occasions, the welcome cry of " There she blows ! " had sent a thrill of joy to our hearts ; but, notwithstandirg we had given chase to many of the " blubbery monsters," we had not, as yet, a single gallon of oil in our barrels. As a natural consequence, the crew began to get disheartened, and to vent their ill-humor in muttered malediction upon the " unlucky BY SEA AND LAND. 29 craft," into which they had been inveigled, by the specious promises of owners and captain. Many of the older sailors, indeed, declared that they had always considered the Condor an '' unlucky ship," and had, from the firs^., predicted ill-luck and disappointment as the certain result of the voyage. In justice to the crew, however, I must state in this connection, that our want of success in catching whales, was not, by any means, the only cause for com- plaint in the Condor's forecastle. From the commencement of the voyage, the discipline of the ship had been maintained with a degree of severity altogether uncalled for, and, in my opinion, unjustifiable. It is not my present intention, however, to cast reproach upon any one on board the Condor, or to com- plain of those who saw fit to exercise their "little brief authority " in such a rigid and un- compromising manner ; but, I shall, in the course of my narrative, describe a few cases of punishment in which I was, myself, particularly concerned. In doing this, I shall " naught ex- tenuate, nor set down aught in malice ; " and having stated facts in plain terms, I shall leave the reader to judge for himself in regard to the treatment received by the crew of the Condor, ¥ "- V ^^ 30 ARCTIC ROVINGS, >■'!? i at the hands of the commander and superior officers. From Onehow we sailed direct for the north- west coast of the Okotsk Hea. Nothinj:^ of special interest occurcd on our passage, which we made in about two months ; arriving at the Bays on the 29th of May, 1857. Not finding any whales, however, we continued our course to Jonas Itland, where our progress was con- siderably impeded by an unusual quantity of floating ice. We cruised in this locality for ten days, and during this time the cry of " whale ! " was fre- quently raised ; but in consequence of the ice, all pursuit and effort to capture them proved fruitless, resulting only in disappointment and vexation. Meanwhile the ice continued to collect and increase in quantity, until, becoming discourag- ed with our prospects in that vicinity, we stood in for the port of Ay an, — running un- der short sail, in consequence of the dangerous navigation. After making land, we stood along the coast for the "South-west Bav." We arrived at the mouth of this bay on the 5th of June, but were unable to enter it on account of floating ice, BY SEA AND LAND. 81 and were compelled to f-tand off and on until a change of wind should clear away the ice, and render the passage practicable. On the 7th of June, whales were seen spouting at a short distance to windward, and the captain's boat immediately went in pursuit of them. After a short chase, the captain suc- ceeded in fastening to the largest of the whales, by means of a bomb gun, with which his boat had been provided. To the surprise and delight of all who wit- nessed the chase, the whale was soon observed to spout blood. The mate's boat had by this time arrived at the scene of action, and was immediatelv made fast to the hufje mass of inanimate blubber. A third boat was now dispatched from the ship, to assist in towing the whale alons^sidc : and, in less than two hours after the first cry of " There she blows !" had been given, we had the satisfaction oi makinjj the carcase fast to the hull of the Con- dor. It is needless to say, that the best of humor now prevailed on board. We had been absent from home ten months to a day, and this was the first whale that we had succeeded in cap- turing. This circumstance was hailed as a 82 ARCTIC R0VING9, favorable omen ; and with light hearts, we commenced the operation of " cutting in." All was now bustle and activity on board ; a tackle was immediately attached to the star- board main-yard arm, by means of which the huge *' blanket pieces" of blubber were hoisted on board, as fast as they could be cut from the carcase of the whale. These pieces were rapidly " minced " with long knives and thrust into the " try-pots," be- neath which the fires had already been kind- led. As soon as the operation of "trying out " had fairly commenced, these fires were fed with the " scraps " or refuse part of the blubber. By the time the work of reducing the dead body of the whale to oil, was in full blast, the ship had become enveloped in the dense black smoke from the try-works ; the greasy faces of the crew reflected the glow of the flames, un- til they looked like so many devils engaged in some diabolical pastime ; and, altogether, a scene was presented which utterly baffles my feeble powers of description, and must be left to the imagination of the reader. The labor of " cutting in " and " trying out '* occupied a whole day ; and when the oil had / BY Si: A AND LAND. 33 all been coojxn-ed, it was ascertained that this, our first prize, had [)r()(luce(l above tliirty barrels. These were si m wed awav in the hold before nightfall ; alter wliich we held an im- j)roptu eelebration in the forecastle, in honor of the occasion, of which singing, dancing and other noisy demonstrations of joy formed a prominent part. At daybreak on the following morning, it wa3 discovered that the ice had so completely sur- rounded the ship during the night, as to ren- der our position one of considerable danger. The captain being informed of our situation, immediately commanded that sail should be made without delay, for the purpose of work- ing the ship into clear water if possible. During the night we had been lying to for the greater part of the time, with the close reefed main top-sail to the mast and the ship's head in shore, — occasionally filling away, how- ever, for a sufficient length of time to keep our offing good. In obedience to the captain's or- ders, the reefs were now shaken out of the top- sails and the yards promptly mast-headed ; the top-gallant sails, courses and main royal were set, and the helm being put up, we stood out toward the open sea, in the hope of finding 84 AUCTIC ROVTNG3, I ■ some cliJinnel tliroucrli wliicli to escape the floes and bergd wliieli, appiireutly lieinmcd us in, ui)ou every Hide. We were compelled to bteer the nhip with the utmost caution, to avoid collision with tho ice ; and all hands were kept at the braces, in readiness to trim the sails promptly at tlie word of command. After six hours of this dithcult and danoerous navi<>'ation, durinj]^ which time we had more than once escaped destruction by a hair's breadth, — as it were — we found our- eelves, as we supposed, in clear water, — for no ice was now visible as far as the eye could reach. As we had reached a place of comparative safety, the ship ought now to have been hove to under reefed top-sails ; this was not done, however, but with all sail set, we continued up- on our course at the rate of nine or ten knots an hour. While running in this manner, with no ice visible around us, a severe and sudden shock was felt, which completely checked tho ship's headway and threw the sails aback, while every t' her of the hull groaned and creaked from the c " ct of the concussion ; and those of us who A..td been standing on deck, were prostrated as instantly as if by a thunderbolt from the clouds. BY SEA AND LAND. 35 It was soon j\scortuincd that the ship had come m coHision with a HUiiken cake of ice ; and, as .«oon as we had recovered from tlic tem- porary conl'nsion into which this unexpected accident had thrown us, the order was given to " shorten sail and bring the ship to." This task was soon accomplished, and the sliip was hove to under double reefed topsails, with her head in shore. Meanwhile, another boy and myself had been sent into the lower hold to take oif the lower deck hatches, for the purpose of breaking out some fresh water. To our astonishment, we discovered, upon raising the hatches, that the lower hold was nearly full of water, the surftice of which was already within ten inches of the lower deck ! The bows of the ship had been badly dam- aged by collision with the sunken ice-floe, wdiich had carried away a portion of the cut- water, and thus caused the leak ; but strange to say, this fact had never been suspected until discovered in the manner just described. The alarm was immediately given, and all hands were set at work at the pumps. It was soon found, howevei*, that our utmost exertions at the pumps were not sufficient, even to stay the further progress of the leak ; and, accord- 86 ARCTIC ROVINGS, I" ingly, tubs were hastily slung in the fore and main hatchways to aid in the labor of freeing the ship. After thirty-six hours of pumping and bail- inir, we succeeded in freeing the hold of water ; when the leak was temporarily stopped by means of tarred canvas, which was crowded into the opening, and kept in place by nailing battens across the leak, from side to side. During this time, great excitement had pre- vailed on board, and the ship had been allowed to drift well in shore, that, in case worst should come to worst, and we should be unable to control the influx of water, we might ruD her high and dry upon the beach, and thus save car lives and perhaps the vessel. While the labor of pumping and bailing was going on and all hands were struggling for their lives, as it were, the order was repeatedly given to ' splice the main brace ; ' that is to say, an abundant supply of grog was served out, to cheer the sinking spirits of the men, and stimulate them to renewed exertions. All free- ly partook of the spirits with the single excep- tion of myself. Not being accustomed to its use, and being, withal, somewhat alarmed, I refused to taste it, thus exciting the surprise BY SEA AND LAND. 37 and provoking the ridicule of my shipmates. I do not wish to boast of superior virtue, or any thing of the kind ; but it may not be amiss to state in this connection, that during my ab- eence from home, I totally abstained from the use of ardent spirits. We soon had the satisfaction of finding that we had the leak under control, our extempore plug of tarred canvas having proved effectual in excluding the water ; when it was decided to bear up for the port of Ayan for repairs. The ship's head was accordingly put about, and under easy sail, we stood off for that port, keeping well in shore for safety in case of fur- ther accident. We arrived at Ayan on the 25th oP June : and the work of repairing the ship was imme- diately commenced. With a single exception, no incident of particular importance occurred during our stay *xi this port. The exception to which I allude, was a most severe and unmerit- ed punishment inflicted upon me by the captain. Up to this time, I had endeavored to conduct myself in such a manner as to preclude the possibility of punishment. I had cheerfully, and to the best of my ability, obeyed what I regarded as the most unreasonable commands ; #1 n 38 ARCTIC ROViNGS, I had submitted without a murmur, to what I considered to be most reproachful and abusive language ; in short, I had endured, what seemed to me, a Hfe of the most abject slavery, that I might not afford the faintest shadow of a pretext for further abuse. It appears, however, that all my efforts to please my superiors, and save myself from dis- graceful punishment, were destined to prove un- availing. On one occasion during our si :.y at Ayan, as I was standing on deck, engaged in the performance of some trivial duty, the captain approached me, and without any prov- ocation that I am aware of, began to beat and kick me in the most cruel manner ; after which he led me aft, and gave me fourteen blows with the end of the main-top-gailant brace ! To this day, I am entirely at loss to account for this act : for 1 am not conscious of having dis- obeyed a single command, or offended in any manner w: vitever. Comment upon such a deed as I have just, recorded, is entirely unnecessary : I simply state the incidents precisely as they occurred, leaving the reader to draw hid own inferences therefrom. The labor of repairing the ship was carried I BY SEA AND LAND. 39 on with all possible despatch ', and we were soon ready for sea. As soon as we had left the port of Ay an, we shaped our course for what is called the Shanter Bay, in which we ar- rived on the 3d day of July. The following day, which, with a thrill of patriotism in our bosoms, we remembered aa the anniversary of our National Independence, was celebrated by the capture of one of the largest whales we had yet seen. The excite- ment of the chase after this leviathan of the deep, and the subsequent labor of "cutting in" and boiling, afforded us little time for patriotic feelings, or demonstrations in honor of the occa- sion ; but we could not heip contrasting the scene of Arctic desolation by which we were now surrounded, and the oppressive stillness which reigned upon the bosom of this ice-girt sea, with those noisy and brilliant celebrations of the " glorious fourth" which we had so fre- quently witnessed in " the land of the free and the home of the brave !" The whaling season, so favorably inaugerat- ed upon the anniversary of American Inde- pendence, proved, to us at least, a remarkably successful one. During the months of July, August; and September, scarcely a day passed f 40 ARCTIC ROVIXGS, without our cii^'injf chase to one or more of the whale species ; and although many, of course, escaped us, we succeeded in taking a greater number than any other ship in the fleet. Encouraged by the unusual success which had thus far attended us, we remained upon the whaling ground until Jong after the fleet had departed ; and when we could no longer pursue the fi } "- , in consequence of heavy and dang- erous gii i, and the intensely cold weather, we made sail for FecklistoiF, having captured, dur- ing the season, forty-nine whales, which had yielded seventeen hundred barrels of oil, and twenty-seven thousand pounds of bone. We arrived at Fecklistoff on the 7th of Oc- tober ; and after stopping a sufficient time to take in a supply of fresh water, sailed again, immediately for the Sandwich Islands. Our passage down the coast was long and tedious, in consequence of a succession of se- vere and dangerous gales ; our situation, mean- while, being rendered extremely unpleasant by harsh treatment from a quarter whence we might reasonably have expected better things. In the following chapter I ehall give the read- er an account of what I then considered a most flagrant piece of injustice, of which I was made BY SEA AND LAND. 41 1^ the victim, and wliich occurred nbout this time. On our passage down the coast we came very near losing our masts, in consequence of being caught aback by a heavy squall, during the middle watch of a dark and stormy night. We were running at the time, under single reefed topsail, main-top gallant-sail, foresail, mainsail and spanker, close hauled to the wind on the starboard tack. The weather had been squally and variable for several hours, and m.cn had been constantly stationed at the topsail and top-gallant halyards, which had several times been let go by thij run, the yards being clewed down on the cay/O dur- ing the squalls, and again mast-headed /.s soon as the wind abated. Shortly after four bells of the middle watch, the wind suddenlv headed us, and before the helmsman could throw his wheel up, the cry of " All aback forward !" was heard from the forecastle. In a moment more, the after sails had filled aback with a tremendous noise, throwing the ship nearly upon her beam tads, and instantly prostrating the men on deck. All hands were hastily called ; ^hen the order was instantly given to " shi-v«vr tha ». 42 AKCTIC R0VING9, main-topsail ;" but owing to the violence of the squall, and the steep inclination of the deck, which rendered it difficult for the men to stand upon their feet, this command coukl not be im- mediately obeyed. Meanwhile, great excite- ment prevailed among the crew ; for the situa- tion of the ship was extremely dangerous ; but, at length, the yards were shivered and braced up on the larboard tack ; the helm was then righted, and the Condor was once more breast- ing the billows in comparative safety. The danger being thus averted, the watch below returned to their bvmks to complete their unfinished naps, as calmly as if nothing had occurred : for your true Jack Tar is one of the most nonchalent animals in existence. Let the winds blow high or low, his excitement is seldom so great as to deprive him of an ap;"3- tite, or prevent him from sleeping : nor is he the man to indulge in gloomy or sentimental fancies, under any circumstances whatever: notwithstanding, as the poet has expressed it, he— Often kno'V3, That he must sink to the groves beneath, Where the pearl on the tree of coral grow, In the emerald hall of Death ! of Death J" CHAPTER m. A LIFE ON THE OCEAN WAVE. Punishment for skylarking— Honolulu— Letters from home— Vol- canic eruption— Desire to desert the ship— Departure from the Sandwich Islands— Incidents of the passage— A storm. The Incident to which I have alluded to in the foregoing chapter, as occurring during our passage down the coast from the FecklistofF to the Sandwich Islands, affords a striking exam- ple of the manner in which sea captains may amuse themselves, during their leisure hours, at the expense of their inferiors. A precedent to this style of amusement is recorded in the fable of the " boys and the frogs," with which the reader is doubtless familiar ; but I will not anticipate. The circumstances of the case were substantially as follows : . A few days after the squall, which has been previously described, a young man by the name of Pope, and myself, chanced to be engaged in what is termed by sailors, " skylarking" in the forecastle, during our forenoon watch below. -43 44 ARCTIC ROVINGS, i H i h For tlie benefit of my lanclsmen readers, I will stjite in tliis connection, that in the term sky- larking, is conipreliended wrestling, sparring, and all the otlier athletic sports and boisterous pastimes, by which sailors seek to assuage the tedeum vitce, or relieve the exuberance of ani- mal spirits. On this particular occasion Pope and myself were having a " set to " at sparring, merely for the fun of the thing, and without the slightest ill will or anger upon either side. While amusing ourselves in this manner, the mate came forward, and ordering us on deck, bade us walk aft and report ourselves to the captain. The captain was pacing the quarter deck at the time, apparently in very bad humor ; but as Pope and myself approached him, he greeted us with an oath, which I will not shock the reader by repeating, and immediately ordered us to the mast head, telling us to remain there until we received permission to come down. In obedience to this command, Pope ascend- ed to the main top-gallant cross-tress, while I clambered up the mizzen rigging and perched myself upon th 3 royal yard. We were allowed to remain at our posts for about half an hour ; I BY SEA AND LAND. 45 for what reason I cannot imagine, unless, in~ deed, it were that wc might have sufficient time to reflect upon the enormity of the cr'ine we had just committed, and repent of our sins be- fore receiving their well merited punishment. If this were really so, I fear we were not suHi ciently grateful for this clemency on the part of our kind hearted commander ; but I digress. We were at length commanded to come down, and stationed side by side near the miz-' zen rigging ; when the captain informed us that as we had been "making believe fight for our own amusement we should now fight in earnest for his,'* adding, that whoever got wdiipped should receive a flogging from him also. Having no alternative ]^t to obey, we com- menced fighting ; taking care, however, to strike as lightly as we dared under the circum- stances. After a few minutes of this compul- sory fighting. Pope gave up, saying that I was too much for him ; but this was not sufficient to satisfy the captain, who exclaimed, " That is no fighting at all !" adding, with an oath, " I will show you how to fight and help you my- self in the bargain." He then procured a short whip, having sev- eral lashes of small tarred cordsj similar to what 46 ARCTIC UOVINGS, 11 i! ^ is known on sliipboard us the ' Cat,' and, to my surprise, ordered me ' to strip !' The reader can well ima<^ine, that I obeyed this command most unwillingly : I was completely in his power, however, and neither dared to disobey, or even to express my indignation at this piece of injustice. I accordingly removed all my clothing above the waist ; after which, the cap- tain bade me " take fast hold of the mizzen be- laying pins," and not to let go when he struck, unless "I wished to receive a double portion." lie then proceeded to give me eighteen blows upon my bare back, with the whip, laying them on with his whole strength, and causing the blood to flow freely at nearly every blow ; after which he handed the instrument to Pope, and bade him give me " half a dozen." This ./as promptly done ; the blows which I received from my fellow sufferer, however, being far less painful than those given me by the captain. As soon as Pope had given me six lashes, he, himself, was ordered to strip ; and having been placed in the same position as myself, was thea flofta'ed in a similar manner ; receiving, how- ever, but eighteen blows from the captain, and none from mvself. We were then allowed to resume our cloth- r li BY SEA AND LAND. 47 >> as ing, and, with many curses, were ordered to re- turn to the forecastle. We sufiered intensely for many days afterwards, from the eflects of this flogging, and it was with no little difiiculty that we performed our duties : Still, we dared not complain, for we knew too well the temper of our commander ; and were well aware that a still more painful punishment would attend a refusal to perform our appropriate labors. The reader will ple;ise to bear in mind the fact that this severe punishment was inflicted upon us, simply, because we ventured to indulge in a little harmless eport, during our watch be- low, and not in conseqiicnce of neglect of duty or a single act of insubordination. The injustice, as we considered it, of the pun- ishment, however, only rendered it the more unendurable, and many times, while sufl'ering from the painful wounds, inflicted by the cat, 1 thought of Burns' oft c| noted words, — *• Man's inhumanity to man, Makes countless thousands mourn, — But I forbear. The reader's own sense of justice will enable him to render a just decision in regard to such a case as this, without further comment from me. •WW f 4S AIJCTIC 110V1NG8, \ I \ . (,. We jvi'iivchI at Honolulu on tlie ITtli of De- ccnibor, lisivliiui; st(»|)[)e(l for a few djiys on our way thither, tit llilo and Lalunia ; and iniuie- diately commenced discharguij^ our oil and bone, for the purpose of sending them to New Bed- ford, by some homeward bound ship. At Honolulu I received a package of letters from my friends at home, which 1 opened with eager hands, and mingled sensations of joy and fear ; — joy at the prospect of beholding once more the familiar hand writing, and i)erusing the words of the loved ones at home, and fear, lest tiie letters should contain intelliijence > '^ a painful nature. A person who has never crt \ the pathless deep, can scarcely realize the im- portance which the ocean wanderer attaches to the event of receiving a letter from home. " As cold water to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country ;" but when the long expect- ed letter brings intelligence of the sickness or death of some near and dear one, then its peru- sal affords the most bitter and soid crushinjj disappointment that the mind can well conceive of. My letters, however, contained only good news, and words of the most cheering import. My friends at home were well and happy, and m r BY SEA AXD LAND. 49 the m;iny tokens of kindly remenjl>rancc and sinccro wishes tor the prosperity and safe return of tlic al)scnt one, contained in their letters, en- abled me to resume my labors with a lighter heart than I had borne in my bosom for many a long and dreary day. I immediately answered the letters which I had received, giving my friends a brief account of my voyage thus far, but presenting only the brighter side of the picture to their view, as I did not wish to pain them, with a faithful de- scription of my daily life ou shipboard. I in- formed them of the remarkable success which had thus far attended us, and concluded by stating that should our second season prove as favorable as the first, and I should live to re- turn to the Sandwich Islands, I should, by that time, have made my " pile," and be ready to sail for home. During our stay at Honolulu I witnessed a volcanic eruption, which presented the most sublime and awful scene that I ever be- held. The molten lava was thrown upward to a considerable height, and, descending, flow- ed down the sides of the mountain in torrents, sweeping away every particle of vegetation like chaff before the wind, and consuming every i t I 1 Li ARCTIC ROVINGS, thing combustible in its pathway ; until it reachftd the water, into which it rushed head- Jong, seething and hissing furiously, and then burst into fragments with a loud report. I collected a quantity of these fragments, which I stowed carefully away in the till of my chest, among other curiosities procured at various ports that we had \isited, and which I designed as presents for my friends at home. Shortly after our arrival at Honolulu, I asked for my discharge, but this request was met w^ith a most unqualified refusal. While we remained in that port, I was more than once, strongly tempted to desert the ship ; but upon serious consideration, I feared to make the attempt ; the chance of escape being small, and the fate which I knew would ine- vitably await me should I be taken in the act, so much to be dreaded. Still, I resolved, that should a more favorable opportunity present, before the sailing of the ship, I would desert, even at the ri.«k of being caught and severely flogged, or perhaps, maimed for life. We remained at Honolulu nearly three months ; meanwhile, the ship was discharged, and thoroughly repaired. She was then refit- ted and supplied with stores for another sea- son. -I BY SEA AND LAND. 51 On the 31st of Jauuary, 1858, we sailed from Honolulu, bound direct .o the Okotsk Sea ; no good chance for me to efloct my escape hav- ing, as yet offered. Our first stopping place on the passage was Attoian, where we arrived on the 10th of February, and lay off and on three days, for the purpose of supplying the ship with ^rewood, water and fresh meat. After sailing from Attoian, no i \cident of importance interrupted the monotony of the pasi'age for many days. Wind and weather being favorable, we pursued our course under a heavy spread of canvas, and frequently, with- out starting tack, sheet, or halyards for daya at a time. Meanwhile, the crew enjoyed a life of ease and comparative comfort. Of course, there was httlc labor to be performed on board, and, with the exception of the lookout, and the man at the wheel, the foremast hands were left to spend the hours in whatever manner seemed most agreeable. In the ^orecastle, cards, backgammon, checkers and similar games, formed a never failing source of amusement durinj; leisure hours ; while sinfjincj, dancins: and story-telling, afforded an agreeable variety, and aided in keeping the men in good health and spirits. 1 ! r i 52 ARCTIC ROVINGS, ^ \ Borne of tiie older, and more superstitious tars displayed an extraordinary degree of skill in " dra vying the long bow ; " and many marvellous talcs of the great deep, — of phan- tom craft which appeared only during a gale of wind ; like the Flying Dutchman, with her ghostly crew of strange apparitions, and fear- ful omens, — of haunted ships and a thousand other strange and supernatural things, were spun, during the hours of rest by day, or the long watches of the night, to an eager and de- lighted audience. Did time and space permit, I would gladly repeat a few of these " yarns " for the benefit of the reader ; but I must not digress from the proper course of my narra- tive. One Sunday afternoon, soon after we had left the port of A^ttoian, the entire crew, with the exception of one man upon the lookout, and another at the w^heel, had assembled in the forecastle, for the double purpose of enjoying a comfortable after-dinner smoke, and listening: to " a long yarn " from a veteran whaleman. Our dinner, by the way, had consisted of a " sea-pie," of fresh meat, and a liberal supply of " plum duif ; " and all hands had partaken of both these luxuries, to the extent x their 'i BT SEA AND LAND. 53 capacity. As may well be supposed, this *' Sabbath-day dinner," had been a most agree- able change from our every day fare, and had served to put us in the best of humor. We had been listening with the utmost at- tention for nearly an hour» to a " blood and thunder " story of sea adventure, when we were suddenly startled by the cry of "All hands ahoy ! Shorten sail I " We sprang to our feet in utter amazement, for the ship was going smoothly along, at the time, under full sail, and no indication of a coming squall had been visible when we left the deck. We rushed out of the forecastle, but, upon reaching the deck, our astonishment increased at finding our- selves beneath a still unclouded sky, and with only a six knot breeze -tending our canvas. The horizon even at the wuter's edge, presented an unbroken expanse of clear blue sky the sea was heavino: in lonjj and renjuliir swells, the surface of which appeared as smooth as molten glass ; and everything seemed to be- token a protracted calm, rather than a tempest or a squall. We had little time for gazing upon the scene around us, however, for we had scarcely reach- ed the deek, when the captain advanced to the I 4i : ) rj r t ' ? 8i 54 ARCTIC ROVINGS, break of the poop and commenced rapidly is- suing the proper commands for taking in sail. The royals and top-gallant sails were hastily clewed up, fore and aft ; the outer and flying jibs and all the stay eails were hauled down, and the officers were ordered to " see the top-sail halyards clear for running out !" the star- board watch was then sent aloft to furl the royals and top-gallant sails, while the port watch were ordered to roll up the jibs and stay-sails. Meanwhile the captain paced fore and aft the quarter deck in the most excited manner, repeat- edly calling to the men to " be lively," and " work with a will," and casting many a long and anxious glance to windward. As soon as all hands had returned to the deck, the main and mizzen courses and mizzen top-sail were clewed up ; though as yet, no in- dications of an approaching gale were visib e to the eye of the most experienced seaman. Of course, the men obeyed the orders for short- ening sail as promptly as they would have done in a case of emergency ; but I overheard more than one veteran tar express the mutter- ed opinion, that " the old man must be either drunk or crazy, to clew up and furl in this manner. » BY SEA AND LAND. 55 We discovered ere long, however, that the " old man " had good and sufficient cause for his present course, as the reader will presently un- derstand. The main-sail, cross-jack, and mizzen top- sail were hastily furled ; and then came the order " to let go the fore-main and top-sail hal- yards — clew the yards down — haul out the reef tackles — jump aloft and close reef the top- sails." By the time these orders had been obeyed it was nearly sun-set ; but still no signs of rough weather were to be seen,with the excep- tion of a few small, dark clouds which were beginning to show themselves along the weath- er horizon. The top-sails having been mast- headed, the spanker was close reefed, after which, two of the best men were sent to the wheel, while others were stationed at the hal- yards of the fore and main top-sails, fore top- mast stay-sails and spanker; these being the only sails which now remained upon the ship. And now, the appearance of the sky was, indeed, portentous. The clouds to windward had rapidly risen and increased, while the rays of the setting sun cast a lurid glare upon the sea, which already began to be troubled, as fi f. I' ; 5Q ARCTIC I10VIXO8, by some unseen influence. The wind had been gradually increasing for some time ; but we had scarcely completed the task of making all snug alow and aloft, when it suddenly lulled, and an ominous calm succeeded, while the si ils hung idly from the yards, unstirred by the faintest breath. It was evident that rough weather was soon to be expected ; and the men collected along the w^eather rail castinjy manv an anxious glance toward the dense black clouds to wind- ward. We were not destined, however, to re- main long in suspenFC ; for soon a long line of foam was visible, broad upon the weather beam, advancing rapidly toward the Ehip, and thus indicating the quarter whence the squall was about to £5trike us. The order was now given to " stand by the braces," while the captain seized his speaking trumpet and stationed himself by the mizzen rigging, holding by the shrouds for support. The sails still hung motionless from the yards, and the ship lay like a log upon the waters, but the tempest w as rapidly approaching, with the low moaning sound which so frequently precedes a storm at sea. Suddenly, and with a roar like thunder, it BY SEA AND LAND. 57 burst upon us, burying the ship to her scup- pers in the foaming sea, and drenching us with the spray, which flew above the main yard and descended in torrents upon the deck. " Heave up the wheel — square the yards ! " shouted the captain, through his trumpet, as the squall broke upon us ; and in obedience to these commands the wheel was hove hard up, while the men braced round the yards in a twinkling, thus getting the ship directly before the wind. The top-sail halyards were then let go, and the yard clewed down ; for the force of the gale was so great, that the captain was in fear of losing his masts. In this condition the ship drove furiously on before the gale, for several hours, while the crew did nothing but hold on as best they might, to save themselves from being washed overboard by the waves, which, ever and anon, burst over the forecastle and swept fore and aft the decks. While scuddino; in this manner almost under bare poles, we could not but reflect upon the fate which would inevitably have been ours, had this howling tempest found us under full sail and unprepared for its coming. My nautical reader will not need to be in- I ! ■ I I I % 58 ARCTIC KOVIXGS, formed of the manner in which the captain waa able to predict the approaching storm and pre- pare his ship to meet it ; but, for the bcnelit of others, a brief explanation seems necessary. It appears, that early in the afternoon, the captain had taken a look at the barometer, according to his usual custom, when, to his surprise, he observed that the mercury waa falling with great rapidity. As no other signs of a storm were visible, he did not immediately heed the warning thus conveyed ; but, when, after the lapse of half an hour, he again con- sulted the barometer and found the mercury still falling, he wisely concluded that no time was to be lost, and hastening on deck, pro- ceeded to shorten sail as previously described. The result the reader alreadv knows. After a few hours the wind considerably abated ; and by midnight, we were running smoothly along under close reefed top-sails, fore top-mast stay-sail, and spanker ; while it was evident to all, that the gale had blown its strength away, and that no farther danger was to be apprehended. Had it not been for the timely warning of the faithful barometer, how- ever, not one of us would have survived to tell the tale. CHAPTEK IV. THE ESCAPE. Fair weather aj;ain— A leak— In port for repairs— Arrival at the wliiilini! j^rounds— A successful season— IMaltroatment— Encamp- ment on the coast— The escape— Two nights iu the wilds— Join- ing the natives. By daybreak, on the morning following the storm, the wind had greatly abated, and the clonds had began to break away and disappear. Durlno; the mornino; watch, the reefs were shaken out of the topsails, and at eight bells the other watch were turned out to assist in making sail. An hour later, we were again heading our course, under full sail, for the Okotsk sea. No farther incident of importance occurred for several days ; and every thing on board the Condor went on as usual, until nearly a week after the storm, when it was suddenlv disco v- ered, upon sounding the well one evening, that the ship had five feet of water in the hold ! She had been pumped dry on the preceding 59 60 ARCTIC ROVINOS, : « ;" is f evening ; and it was evident that ^lie had again pprung aleak. The pumps were immediately put in operation, and the crew were divided into pump gangs of* six men each, that they might relieve each other at regular intervals. We soon perceived, however, that the leak was rap- idly gaining upon us, notwithstanding our ut- most exertions at the pumps ; when the captain immediately decided to tack ship and stand in for the port of Gnom for repairs. This was ac- cordingly done ; and, in the course of twenty four hours, we arrived at Gnom, with eight feet of water in the ship, and, literally, in a sinking condition. At this port, the ship was overhauled and thoroughly repaired ; after which, we took in a supply of water, and vejxetables, and sailed again, on the 5th of March, for the Okotsk sea ; making the passage without further ad- venture, and arriving in the sea on the 25th of April. Thence, wc sailed for Jonas Island, where we cruised nine days, and took one whale. We then ran into Ay an, and lay off and on for a day or two while the captain was ashore ; sail- ing thence, immediately upon his return to the ship, for the Shanter Bay, where we arrived on BY SEA AND LAND. 61 the evening of the following day, having made the passage from Ayan in thirty six hours. Here we encountered a dense foo:, which for several days, prevented us from giving chase to any of the whale/j, which we saw in abundance around us. At length, however, the fog cleared away ; when we commenced the fishing in good earnest. After this we had quite a " run" of good luck, and in a short time succeeded in cap- turing nine whales, one of the " right whale '* species, which yielded three hundred barrels of oil. One morning during the season, the cry of " Whales I" was heard from the mast head ; and as usual, the boats were hastily manned for the chase. At that time 1 belonged to the captain's boat and, upon this occasion, w hile row ing, I ac- cidentally did what many an older and better seaman than myself has occasionally done be- fore me, that io to say, I had the misfortune to " cramp" my oar ; wdiereupon the captain im- mediately knocked me off my seat. He then proceeded to kick me as I lay in the bottom of the boat, and to strike me several blows with an oak stick, which he found in the stern sheets of the boat. One of these blows inflicted a wound upon my side, from which I never ex- SSSB 62 A Ti en c ROviNoa, '■t' I 1 I 1 1 i ; i h pect to recover ; liavinj^ ])i'0(luced an internal injury of a severe and painful nature. As the reader may well imagine, tliiii treat- ment rendered me unfit for the proper perfor- mance of my duty ; nevertheless, 1 was com- pelled to resume my seat, and pull at my oar until the whale of which we were in pursuit of had been overtaken, killed, and towed along- side of the ship. On the following morning I found myself scarcely able to leave my berth, from the eflects of my injuries ; still, I dared not complain, or refuse to perform duty. Accordingly, I hob* bled on deck, as well as I was able ; and, soon afterwards, tl -y of " whales " having been raised, w^as placed in the boat, by the assistance of my shipmates, and, although in great pain, compelled to pull an oar for many hours. A few davs after the occurrence of the events just described, the second mate had a long chase after a whale, which he finally succeeded in killing, at a distance of nearly twelve miles from the ship, and very near the shore. Find- ing that he should be unable to tow his prize back to the ship w ithout assistance, and being in shoal water, he anchored the carcase securely and returned to the ship. BY SEA AND LAND. 63 On the next morning, two boats, the second and tliird mate's, wer j sent to the place where the whale had been left, for the purpose of bringing it along side. Although I rightly be- longed to the captain's boat, I was ordered to join the party, and, notwithstanding my dis- abled condition, was compelled to obey. The wind was strong and the sea running high at the time ; and so much time was consumed in searching for the whale, that the short Arctic day was well nigh spent, by the time we had succeeded in finding him. Knowing, full well, that it would be useless to attempt to return to the ship before morning, we resolved to land upon the coast, and seek shelter for the night. The weather was intensely cold, for it was now the first of October ; the entire fleet, with the exception of the Condor, having al- ready left the coast for the Sandwich Islands. We accordingly pulled ashore ; and, having moored the boats in a small cove, proceeded to seek a suitable spot for our encampment. After a brief search, we found ^ place well suited to our purpose ; being sheltered on three sides by large rocks, which might easily be covered in, and made to form a comfortable shelter for the night. 1 I I ^ • 64 ARCTIC R0VING8, Accordingly, we proceeded, under the direc- tion of the second mate, — who had assumed the position of leader, — ^to cut down a number oi small trees, which we placed across the rocks which formed the sides of our wigwam ; covering these to a considerable depth, with bushes which grew in abundance at a short dis- tance from the shore. We then procured a large quantity of drift wood, with which we built a roaring iire, oppo- site the open, or seaward side of the hut, for the double purpose of warmth, and a protection against the attacks of wild beasts. Each one of us was provided with two entire suits of woolen clothing ; and with a portion of these extra g?iiments and some pieces of can- vas which had been placed in the boats, we now constructed a very comfortable sleeping place at the inner extremity of our cave. We had taken the precaution, upon leaving the ship, to supply both boats Avith water and pro- visions, lest, we might suffer from the want of these articles, in case our absence from the ship should, from any cause, prove longer than we anticipated. The necessary preparations for the night be- ing completed, the provisions were brought BY SEA AND LAND. 65 from tlie boats, and placed upon a large flat stone, near the entrance of our liut, together with a demijohn of rum, which the second mate had slyly placed in the stern sheets of his boat. All hands then seated themselves upon the ground, around the flat stone which served us for a table ; and with an appetite such as a hard day's labor, in the piercing cold of tlie Arctic region alone can give, we commenced an attack upon the substantial cheer so abundantly pro- vided. The sense of perfect freedom, so delightful to those who have been long accustomed to the restraints on ship-board, as well as the feelings of comfort, resulting from a good supper and snug quarters for the night, put the whole company in the best of humor ; the rum, which was freely dispensed in the tin cups, with which each man was provided, added to the ef- fect : and before the conclusion of the meal, a scene of merry-making and hilarity had com- menced, which promised to continue until far into the night. Meanwhile, a new and strange idea had taken possession of my mind ; an idea which, at first, I scarcely dared to entertain, lest my new born hope should result in bitter disappointment ; 66 AKCTIC ROVTNGS, M but which, as the evening hours passed on, be- gan to assume a more and more reasonable ap- pearance. It had occurred to me that an op- portunity of escape, from the hateful life which I had so long been compelled to endure, might possibly present itself during the night ; and, as the mirth and laughter of my companions grew more and more boisterous, and it became evident that very soon the entire company would be completely intoxicated, this thought became a well grounded hope ; and I proceed- ed innnediately to lay my plans for an escape, and take measures for putting them in execu- tion. And here I must inform the reader that, while the Condor had remained at Honolulu, previous to the commencement of the second season in the fishery, I had made a confidant of a boy of nearly the same age as myself, named Elias D. Tolman, who was a native of Dana, Mass., and who, like myself, considered his daily life on board the Condor, to be only a species of sla- very, and that too, of the most intolerable nature. I had informed Tolman of my desire to es- cape from the ship, either while she remained at that port, or at a future time, and he had expressed his willingness to join me in such an BY SEA AND LAND. 67 undertaking, whenever I deemed it prudent to make the attempt. During our passage from the Sandwich Is- lands to tlie Okotsk Sea, we had frequently conversed upon the subject, and had resolved that we would desert the ship together at the first favorable opportunity ; uuless our daily life on shipboard should undergo a change for the better, promit^ing to stand by each other under any circumstances, and incur any dangers or endure any amount of privation, rather than re- linguish our enterprises. Fortunately, Tolman was a member of the second mate's boat's crew, and was consequently a member of our party upon the present occa- sion. After many hours of revelry, our compan- ions began gradually to yield to the stupefying effects of the rum, and to drop off, one by one, into a drunken slumber. I had, previously, con- trived to give Tolman a hint of my designs, and he, like myself, had refused to partake of the rum, as the demijohn was passed around. When the second mate, who had presided over the revel, perceived that nearly all his party had become insensible, he ordered Tolman and myself to replenish the fire ; bidding us keep m" 68 ARCTIC ROYINGS, i ' 1 M I !• I n 1: ; . 31 watch by turn during the night, both to guard against being surprised by savages or wild beasts, and to prevent the fire from going out. In less than half an hour from this time, the whole company, ourselves excepted, were wrapped in slumber. The long looked for opportunity of escape had now arrived ; and, with trembling eager- ness, we proceeded to make preparations for our departure. Previous to our landing, I had ob- served a number of small tents at a short dis- tance from the place which we had chosen for our encampment, and which, as I rightly sup- posed, belonged to the natives, whose custom it is to come to the coast for the purpose of fish- ing, at this season of the year, bringing with them small tents, which they pitch along the shore for shelter durino^ the nig-ht. The plan which I had hastily conceived, was to join this party of natives, and seek protec- tion and shelter from them ; making them un- derstand by signs, if possible, the situation in which we were placed, and the fate which would await us if compelled to return to the ship. I feared to join them, immediately, however, lest our shipmates, upon discovering our absence in the morning, should, naturally look for us in the native encampment. f .] BY SEA AND LAND. 69 Accordingly, I resolved to m ^ke preparations for spending one day and night, at least, in Bome secure place of concealment, at a consid- erable distance inland ; thus affording the two boats' crews ample time to return to the ship before I attempted to hold any intercourse with the natives. Having imparted my plans to Tolman, as soon as the last of our companions had fallen asleep, we commenced, without de- lay, to collect a quantity of provisions, and a few other articles which would be necessary to our safety and comfort, during the following twenty four hours. Among these articles, were a box of lucifer matches, two tin cups for drinking purposes, an extra sheath knife apiece, which we were compelled to take from the belts of our sleeping ship-mates, — quieting our consciences mean- while with the reflection that they could pro- cure others on board the ship, while we could not — a pair of ship pistols, with suitable am- munition — a small pocket compass which we found in the second mate's pea-jacket pocket, and last, but not least, especially in that arctic region, a pint flask which we also found in the second mate's pocket, and which we filled with rum from the demijohn. m 1 I I III : i 1 ^•h ! i • H . 2 ^ \\ f i- f i IMI ^ i- ? if 1! 70 ATICTIC ROARINGS, Our provisions and a portion of these articles were placed in a canvas bag, which we agreed to carry by turns ; while the remainder were stowed carefully away in the pockets of our inner pea-jackets — for it will be remembered ihat we were each provided with two suits of clothino^ throufijhout. Our preparations for departure being com- pleted, we crept softly past our sleeping com- panions, and, trembling with hope and fear, emerged from our tent, into the clear cold night of the Arctic .Region, without difficulty or danger, and without in the slightest degree disturbing our companions. Notwithstanding the perils v»^hich surrounded us, and the ob- stacles which we must expect to encounter dur- ing our journey nto the interior of the deso- late region, our hearts leaped for joy as we hastened silently away from the tent ; for at length we were free ! — free from a life of slavery — free from tyranny — free from the oppressive power of our fellow-men — free as the children of the desert and the forest, and happy in the consciousness of that freedom, al- though far away from home and friends, in the desolate wilds of Siberia ! For many hours after leaving the encamp- M BY 8EA AND LAND. 71 ment, we proceeded upon our way toward the interior, not pausing' for a 8in<5]e instant, until we had travelled such a distance, that we no longer apprehended pursuit. By this time, we were nearly exhausted with fatifjue and hun- ger ; and we now resolved to proceed no farther, until we had refreshed ourselves with food and rest. After a brief search, we found a sheltered spot, and proceeded to adapt it to our purpose, by hastily constructing a rude shelter of bushes, beneath which we might sleep with comparative comfort and safety. We then collected a quantity of dry wood, and built a fire, whose grateful warmth soon put new life and vigor into our stiffened and weary limbs. Our provisions were then produced, and after a comfortable meal, we stretched our wearied frames upon the frozen ground, with our feet toward the fire, and our bodies shel- tered from the cold wind by our wigwam of bushes. I know not how long wo slept, but it must have been many hours ; for when we awoke, we perceived, by the position of the sun that it was nearly noon-day. We felt greatly refreshed, and would gladly have started on our return to the coast, had f ?■ m '^^."l 'W. i '% I u ^1 i ' I i .^1 '•1 72 AKCTIC ROVIXGS, we deemed it prudent ; but fearing lest our companions had not yet departed, we resolv- ed to remain in our present position until the following day. Our second night in this place, passed with- out incident of importance, although we were several times awakened by the howling of the wild beasts, which prowled about our encamp- ment during the whole night. Our fire, how- ever, which we took the precaution to keep burning, prevented them from attacking us ; and, at an early hour of the morning, we turned out, and having made a hasty breakfast, which finished the last of our provisions, commenced our journey towards the native encampment. About noon we arrived at the coast, and as- cending a small eminence, took a hasty obser- vation of both sea and shore, to ascertain if our ship had left the coast, and to discover if pos- sible in what direction the native encampment was situated. To our great delight, no sail was visible as far as the eye could reach ; while at a little distance to the right of us, were seen the tents of the natives. We proceeded immediately toward the en- campment, where, upon our arrival, we were received by the natives in a friendly manner ; I i BY SEA ANT) LAND. 73 for they probably sii|)])osc(l us to be members of some boat's crew, Avho liad landed upon the coast, and who had strolled thither from mo- tives of curiosity. At length, however, we succeeded in informing them by signs, that we were deserters, — that we had been severely beaten, and otherwise maltrqtited on board our ship, to which we dared not return, and that we tlesired to return with them to their settle- ment in the interior, and claim their protection until the following season, when we hoped to obtain a berth on board some whale ship, in which we might return to our own country. Upon this, they held a consultation in their own language, during which it was evident to us, that some were in favor of granting our re- quest, while others opposed it ; but, at length, they decided to allow us to accompany them ; whereupon we expressed our gratitude, by signs, and a most friendly feeling was soon es- tablished between us. We spent the night in one of their tents ; and on the following morning, the encampment was broken up, and the whole party, ourselves in- cluded, took up their line of march for the in- terior. At this point, I shall be compelled to make a m 'I m I m ;i I ' I ^ i 74 ARCTIC ROVING S, brief digression from the regular course of my narmtive, for the purpose of informing the reader of tlie means wliicii my father employed upon learning that I had deserted the ship U})on the coast of Siberia, to ascertain my whereabouts if living, or the place, time and manner of my death, if otherwise. I shall devote the follow^ing chapter to this purpose, which seems necessary to the proper arrangement of this work ; after which I shall resume the thread of my narrative, and follow it, uninterruptedly, to a conclusion. '- i '■ '!' 1 > ii ■; \ i i ^ ' ! 1 ' f : '. 1 1 ■ CHAPTER V. A PARENT 8 ANXIETY. Return of tho Condor to tho Sandwich Islands — Condemn- ation and aale at Honolulu— Return of the t'aptain and Mate to the United States— Rumors of my abauuoauieut cir- culated at Now Bedford — Interview between ray father and Cap- tain Whitcaido— The Arrest— Sympathy of the ('ommunity. Shortly after my desertion, the Condor, with one thousand barrels of oil, and sixteen thou- sand pound of bone on board — the result of her second season's fishery — left the Okotsk Sea, for the Sandwich Islands. The passage thither was long and tedious ; for she leaked badly, and wns, altogether, in a most unse a worthy condition. Immcdiutely, upon her arrival at Honolulu, she was con- demned and sold. Her crew, being paid off, dispersed in various directions. Some went north again, others remained among the Sand- wich Islands, but none, with the exception of the Captain and Mate, returned to the United States. In the meantime, my father had begun to feel 75 i '■'■ 76 ARCTIC ROVINGS, i ^' ■ i f 1 ■ n i i ^ H if lit 1 con Hid (Table anxiety in rofjard to me, as I had found no opportunity of writinfj^liiin since our de- parture from Honolulu, previous to our se(;ond season in ilie Okotsk Sea. His first intelli- gence in regard to the Condor, after the recep- tion of my letters, was the news of her con- demnation at Honolulu ; which, together with a report to the effect that Captain Whiteside had sailed for home, was briefly given among the marine intelligence in the public news- papers. Upon this, he concluded that he should re- ceive letters from me by the Captain ; unless, indeed, I was already on my way home ; and this conclusion had the effect to relieve his mind of all farther anxiety in regard to me. In the course of time, he learned that Captain Whiteside had arrived in New York, and he awaited with impatience the news which he expected to receive from him ; but in this re- spect, he was doomed to disappointment. Previous to this, however, a report had been put in circulation at New Bedford, to the effect that I had been left upon the coast of Siberia. This coming to the ears of my father, he set about tracing it to its source, and soon discov- ered that it had originated with a lady who BY SEA AND LANDo 77 14 had received tlie intclligcnoe in a letter from her son, written in the Sandwich Islands. Shortly after this, ('aptain Whiteside and his mate arrived at New Bedford ; when my fatlier immediately, had an interview with them, demanding an explanation of the circum- stances attending my abandonment upon the coast of an Arctic region, at the commence- ment of winter. Although, at this interview, both the captain and mate declared that they knew of no suffi- cient cause foi' my desertion, that I had always been faithful in the performance of my duty on shipboard, and that I had been kindly treated, they subsequently prevaricated ; and my father, after due investigation, became satisfied that I had been maltreated on board the Condor. It did not appear reasonable to him, that a boy, only seventeen years of age, with strong home attachments, and a large circle of affectionate relatives, anxiously awaiting his return, should have deserted his ship upon the eve of her homeward passage, particularly, in that remote corner of the globe. My father was ever a man of action ; and, in this case, instead of wasting time in useless re- pinings, he immediately proceeded to take all '15; il I, fly '■ % lii * % 78 ARCTIC ROVINGS, ' I' r possible measiirca for ascertaining my where- abouts, if still living, and eilecting my rescue from exile. In pursuance of this design, he caused an advertisement to be inserted in the New Bed- ford shipping list, which circulates among whalers in every part of the worhl, in which he besouglit shipmasters bound to, or cruising in the Okotsk Sea, and Shanter Bay, to use all possible means to ascertain my fate, or assist me to return home, if I had not already per- ished of hung ,r and cold. He also wrote to the United States Secreta- ry of State, to the American Consuls at the Sandwich Islands, and many other places, and to all from w horn he could hope to gain the slight- est possible information in regard to my proba- ble fare. In short, he labored in tJie most inde- fatigable manner to effect the rescue of his lost son ; and his zeal in my behalf excited the ud- miration of his frieids and the community in which he lived, so much, that hundreds of com- parative strang'^rs came forward, and expressed their willingness to aid him to the extent of their ability in his labor of love. In due time he received replies to his letters to the Secretary of State, and the United 'ff "I BY SEA AND T.aND. 79 States consuls, in which the writers pledged themselves to use wluitever influence they pos- sessed in my behalf; promising to forward any intelligence they might obtain, at the earliest possible moment. Soon after his interview with Captain Whiteside and the mate of the Condor, he caured the former to be arrested, uj)on suspi- cion of having maltreated and abused mc on shipboard ; for although he possessed, as yet, no positive proof that such had been the caj^e, he had already sufficient grounds of complaint against him to justify a legal investigation. The news of this event spread far and wide in a most incredibly short time ; and as soon as the cause of the captain's arrest became known in the community, many people came daily to my father's residence and his place of business, to hear from his ov:n lips the story of my mis- fortunes, and the fate to which I had been ab'uidoned. Men, women, and my former as- sociates, came to sympathize with him nnd mintitiam 80 ARCTIC ROVINGS, As my father had not, at this time, sufficient evidence to satisfy his lawyer, it was decided to dehiy the trial until the return of some of the Condor's crew, or until more conclusive evidence could, in some manner, be obtained ; and the captain, after giving satisfactory bail, was set at liberty. lie soon afterwards went to sea in the ship C. W. Morgan, his attorney having agreed to appear for him at the time of trial. In due time the case was submitted to legal investiga- tion, the result of which will be made known to the reader in the concluding chapter of this work. I, CHAPTER VI. ^ F -I If ) 1 i A JOURNEY IN THE ARCTIC WILDERNESS. Tl>c Yukoot Indians— A Despatcli fioui the Governor— A Journey in the W'1'lorness— Nif^ht Encampment -An Alarm— A Bear Fight — Victory— Division of the Spoils — Arrival at Oudskoi The Indians, upon whose tender mercies my companion and myself had thrown ourselves, after taking "French leave " of our shi[)mates, were of the tribe called Yukoot ; and, although tlieir large stature and coarse features gave tliein an appearance of ferocity, w^e soon found them to be of a most peaceful, humane, and kindly disposition. Immediatelv after our arrival at their en- canipment, they departed from the coast as I have previously stated, and journeyed toward their settlement, which was situated some fif- teen miles in the interior, and upon the bank of the Oudskoi River. At this settlement we re- mained one week ; and, in the meantime, our native protectors dispatched a possengerto the Russian Governor of the province, who resided 't hi mm St 1 < »«n;"-i r« i vmriv,.- t^! , iisrrx- i ,nft f U itai»f a 82 ARCTIC ROVINGS, I- h \ f' at the villai^e of Oiidskoi, — a penal settlement under the jurisdiction of the Eussian Govern- ment, situated upon the bank of the river, at a distance of eighty miles from the mouth, — for the purpose of learning what disposal they should make of their new proteges. -^ V answer was promptly returned, directing that we should be sent to the villacje of Oud- skoi ; and, accordingly, as soon as preparations had been made for the journey, we took our departure for that place accompanied by an es- cort of four natives. As the journey was too long to be made in a single day, we travelled only about half of tho distance on the first day, and then encamj^ed for the night on the bank of the river. We constructed a rude shelter, similar to the one beneath which we had spent our first night in the wilderness, after leaving our companions upon the coast. Having then prepared a sleep- ing place, we built a fire, and proceeded to re- fresh ourselves, after the fatigues of the day, with food and rest. The provisions which we had brought with us, consisted of dried tisl:, large pieces of raw horse flesh, and small round cakes of rye meal, baked very hard, and somewhat resembling BY SEA AND LAND. 83 ■I ship bii^cuits. Both the fish and horse flesh were devoured by the natives i^aw ; but neither Tohnan nor myself had, as yet, been able to overcome our disgust at the bare thought of eating uncooked flesh, and we, accordingly, broiled our portion of the horse meat upon a bed of coals. We found our steaks, when prepared in this manner, to be delicious ; being nuich more juicy and tender than the beef of more civilized countries. We could not, however, induce the natives to partake of it, as they preferred to eat the flesh raw, cutting thick slices and lumps of clear fat from the body of the horse, which they devoured with as keen a relish, and as greedily, as I was wont to devour my mother's mince pies, when a boy at home. The fish, of which we had an ample store, had been procured by the party of natives, upon whose mercy we had thrown ourselves, after our desertion, during their sojourn upon the coast. These had been taken by means of spears and nets — both of which articles, al- though of rude construction, answered the pur- pose for which they were intended, in a very satisfactory manner. As fast as the fish were caught, they were prepared for winter use, by I; I T ■,! .;:f' t 84 ARCTIC ROVING S, beinf;^ cleaned and split open, and then spread out in the sun to dry, after Ix.ing slightly sprin- kled with salt, in the same manner that codfish are cured on the shores of the old Bay State. In this manner, the natives procure, during the short Arctic summer, a good supply of fish, with which to eke out their scanty stock of provisions during the winter ; and well it is for them that nature has given them access to the ocean storehouse — for tliev would otherwise be in frequent danger of want and starvation through the dreary winter of their desolate and unproductive climate. After our native guides had satisfied their appetites by devouring raw horse flesh, in quan- tities which would huve caused the eyes of the most inveterate glutton, of warmer regions, to protrude with astonishment, they stretched themselves on their backs beside the fire, and (not having the slightest fear of nightmare or troublesome dreams, before their eyes), were Boon lost to all consciousness of earthly things in that blissful, mysterious region, the " Land of Nod." It had been previously decided that a watch should be kept during the night ; and that we might share equally in this duty, we had divid- BY SEA AND LAND. 85 ed the night into six watches, of two hours each, that is to say, as near as we could judge, for it will be remembered that we were no longer in the land of clocks and watches, and had arranged the order in which we should be calJed to relieve each other by lot. The first watch fell to Tolman, and the second to myself. After conversing for a short time with my companion, upon the events of the past few days, and our future prospects, I lay down by the side of our native guides, and was soon fast asleep. In due time, I was awakened from a pleasant dream of home, by my companion, who, after charging me to keep the fire burning brightly, and not, on any ac(;ount, relax my vigilance for an instant, as he had heard the howliLg of wild beasts in the immediate vicinity but a short time before, exchanged places with me, and stretched himself on the ground for a comfort- able sleep. This w amino; and the recollection of the bliss- ful dream which had been so suddenly and painfully dispelled, served to drive away any feelintv of drowsiness that I mio;ht otherwise have felt ; and after replenishing the fire, I seated myself upon a smooth rock, close to the r-.i 1 ^. !■'■' "I'iiiriiiti firT»-""T»-* t ! l-\ ' 1 86 ARCTIC ROVTNGS, open side of our wigwam, and spent the first hour of uiy lonely vigil in a kind of waking dream, in which bright memories of the past were mingled with a feeling of sadness, as I thought of my friends at home, and pictured the ^7;nef whicli the news of my abandonment in tb is remote corner of the globe, would cause theUi. And then again, my spirits rose, as fancy painted fair pictures of that future time, when, God sparing my life, and preserving me from the dangers which beset me, I should return once more to my dear native land, and the be- loved friends at home ; or enjoyed again, in memory, the joys of the past, and the peaceful happy years of my childhood, — *' Thus in the stilly night, E'er slumber's chain has bound me, Fond memory brings the light, Of other days around me." At the commencement of my watch, I had resolved that nothing should te-mpt me to relax my vigilance, until relieved from duty, but it was not long before I had wandered so far into the realms of the ideal as to lose all conscious- ness of, or interest in the things of the real ; at length a feeling of drowsiness, which I had not the power to resist, began to creep over me. •^if BY SEA AND LAND. 87 In short, I fell asleep at my post, and slum- bered soundly for, I knew not how many hours, but long enough, at all events, to allow my lire to burn out, leaving nothing to mark the place where it had been, but a bed of smouldering ashes. 1 was awakened, at length, by a sound which chilled the blood in my veins, and almost caused my hair to stand on end, and which even now, I shudder to think of! It was the fearful howl of a wild beast in the very act of seizing his j)rey ! In an instant I was wide awake and able to comprehend all. While I had slept the fire had gone out, in consequence of which the bears, which had been prowling in the neigh- borhood, had approached, and eurr(iunded our encampment. The first object which met my astonished gaze, as I opened my eyes, was a huge grizly bear, crouched upon its hind legs, and in the very act of springing upon one of our native guards, as he lay asleep and helpless upon the ground. For a single instant, I stood paralyzed with surprise and fear, and incapable of the slightest motion, but the next moment my presence of mind, which seldom entirely forsakes me, re- » -''•^'mwrrm^jsifrm II 1 ' 'r li l^t 88 ARCTIC ROVING S, turned ; and, actin<^ upon mj first impul'^c, I uttered a shout, wliich not only awakened my companions, but startled the bear so nuich that he pautied in the very act of* seizing his prey, and tunned his jL]^lariii<]j eyes full upon me. In a moment more he seemed to have changed his original design, and had crouched again for a spnng ; but this time the victim would have been myself, had he lived to take the fatal leap. I saw my danger at once, and instinctively grasped one of the pistols, which it will be re- membered I had taken from the second mate's boat, and which, I had fortunately, loaded and placed in my belt at the commencement of my watch. Not an instant was to be lost : but although fully conscious of my danger, my nerves were firm and my thoughts clear and collected ; and quick as the lightning's flash, I raised the pis- tol, took hasty but accurate aim at the mon- ster's glistening eye, and pulled the trigger. To the aiitonishment and delight of all who witnessed the scene — including even myself — the dying howl of the monster instantly follow- ed the report of the pistol ; and ere the smoke had fairly cleared away, the ferocious beast was writhing in the death-struggle at our ■a If ill BY SEA AND LAXD. 89 o le r lr feet. My liasty aim had been true, — my bullet had entered at the eye, ^^ierclng the brain of the bear, and causinj^ ahnost instant death. Our danger, however, was not yet over ; for there were other bears in the immediate viein- ity, and we could see their eyes glistening like stars in the darkness which surrounded our camp, as they stealthily approached us, as if meditating a sudden and simultaneous attack. No time was now to be lost in jxuardinjj against this fearful danger, and preparing for a hand to hand battle, if need be, with these fierce and hungry monsters ; and Tolman and myself held a hasty consultation as to what should be done, while loading our pistols; for although the natives were, doubtless more compecent than ourselves, to judge as the most proper course to pursue, — it will be remem- bered that we could neither understand their language, nor they ours ; consequently, we were compelled to trust to ourselves in this emergency. The natives, however, seemed to compre- hend our design, and tacitly to acquiesce in it ; for, without wasting time in striving to com- municate with us, they immediately prepared to assist and protect us in the coming struggle. 1 'M I ^, IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I ■ 50 ■^~ lit 125 2.2 - Iia 1.8 IL25 i_U iii.6 V] VQ 7. > > '/ W fliotDgrapMc Sdaices Corporation 23 WIST MAIN STREET WBBSTEE.N.Y. 14580 (716)S72-4S03 4^0 % 90 ARCTIC ROVINGS, Hi Three of them seized their short spears — their only weapons of offence or defence — and placed themselves in advance of Tolman and myself, with the evident intention of protecting us while in the ac of loading, and of coming to the rescue in case our bullets should miss their aim, and wound without killing the fierce crea- tures, while the fourth immediately set about re-kindling the extinct camp-fire. These preparations were made in much less time than I have consumed in describing them ; but not an instant too soon for our safety. We had scarcely finished loading our pistols, and taken our position in the rear of the na- tives, when a huge she bear bounded forward from the covert of bushes in which she had been reconnoitring the camp ground, crouched for an instant upon her hind legs, and uttering a fearful yell, sprang with the rapidity of lightning upon us. Nothwithstanding the impetuosity of the at- tack, our three native guards stood firm as a column of trained infantry, and received the infuriated beast upon the points of their spears, which entered her breast to a considerable depth and brought her to the ground; but not, however, without breaking the spears, and prostrating the natives as she fell. % BY SEA AND LAND. 91 At this moment I brought my pistol to bear, and fired ; but the violent struggles of the wounded bcr^st had prevented me from taking an accurate aim^ and, although my bullet pierced her side, it only served to enrage her the more, without disabling her in the slightest degree. Tolman was about to discharge his pistol also, when his arm was seized by one of the natives who had regained his feet, and he was soon made to comprehend that he must re- serve his fire for a more pressing emergency. By this time the other two natives had es capcd, as it were, from the very claws of the bear which still rolled and struggled upon the ground in agony, driving the spears still farther into her breast with every motion, and rising to their feet, had procured other spears from the wigwam. By the time the creature had succeeded in regaining her feet^ they were again prepared for combat, and a second time received her upon their spears. As before, the spears snapped like pipe stems, and bear and natives rolled upon the ground in a promiscuous heap ; but this time the infuriated animal succeeded in planting her claws deep into the leg of one of the natives as she felL i I^B i r^^^^K i if ^m i'^Hi 1 tfl 92 ARCTIC uoviycs, •r;i i tr •■ f^ « ->** i The poor victim gave forth the most heart- rending cries of agony as the claws of the bear penetrated hia flesh ; but several moments necessarily elapsed before his companions could come to his rescue ; and in the meantime the infuriated beast had lacerated his leg in the most shoeking manner. Indeed, she would probably have succeeded in killing him, had not Tolman discharged his pistol at the very "nick of time," with so good an aim that the ball entered the monster's head, just below the ear, and caused her to relinquish her grasp upon her victim and fall powerless to the earth. The companions of the wounded man imme- diately rushed upon the beast followed by my- self, armed with a hatchet which I had hastily procured, and with which I followed up the work of Tolman's pistol, by dealing the bear several blows upon the head, which quickly de- prived her of the power of doing further mis- chief. A few thrusts of the spears completed the work of destruction ; and by this time, the bright blaze of the re-kindled fire had lit up the scene : frightening the other bears back to their coverts, and revealing to us the inanimate bodies of our two prizes. I t BY SEA AND LAND. 98 Before proceeding to examine the carcases, however, we turned our attention to our woun- ded companion, who lay groaning with pain, and completely helpless, by the side of his de- funct assailant. We found that his wounds, although deep and painful, were not dangerous ; and after binding up his lacerated limb with portions of our own clothing, we prepared a bed of leaves, at the inner extremity of our wigwam, for the sufferer, and made him as comfortable as was possible under the circum- stances. We then commenced the work of divestinsr our trophies of their valuable skins ; and before this task was completed, a bright streak in the eastern horizon had given indications of the approach of day. To the surprise of both Tolman and myself, our native companions, after holding a brief consultation among themselves, expressed, by signs, their intention of giving up all cl lim in the bear skins ; thus, v'rtually presenting to us these valuable gifts. The skins were unus- ually large, and the fur extremely soft and thick ; and in giving them to us, the natives ex- hibited a feeling of generosity and good will, which would do credit to many who pride am: i 94 ARCTIC EG VINOS, y^ i!!^' i ■H i themselves upon their civilization, and social refinement. During our sojourn in the wilds of Siberia, these bear skins were to us a com- fort and protection, to an extent which the in- habitants of warmer regions can scarcely con- ceive of. After the bears had been divested of their skins, we proceeded to cut off the choicest por- tion of the carcases with the intention of taking with us as much meat as we could carry, leav- ing the remainder in charge of one of the na- tives, who had already expressed his desire to remain at the encampment until the return of our escort, for the purpose of taking care of his wounded companion. Everything having been satisfactorily arran- ged, we partook of a hearty and comfortable breakfast of beards meat ; the natives, as usual, devouring the flesh raw, while Tolman and my- self rendered our portion not only palatable but delicious, by broiling it in the form of steaks upon a bed of coals. We then bade farewell to our wounded com- panion and his kind-hearted protector, express- ing our kindly feelings towards them as weU as we were able, and, with packs of bear's meat upon our shoulders, we took up our line of BY SEA AND LAND. 95 march for Oiulskoi, where we arrived just at sunset, and were recer,»ed with a warm wel- come, and many expressions of sympathy and kindly fellow feelings, by the semi-civilized and exiled inhabitants of this Siberian wilderness. ' :l !» ,;. a It ^ i»-»U ■ !' I* it ^i' J CHAPTER Vn. A WINTER HOME IN SIBERIA. The village of Oudskoi — Going to work — Disappointment — Going to liouse-koepina: — Tlio coranionccment of winter — Description of tlie climate — Incident of sea-life. On the morning following our arrival at the settlement of Oudskoi, the inhabitants met for the purpose of holding a consultation in regard to the manner in which they couM best provide for the necessities of their American guests. Tlie result of this council was made known to us by a Russian convict, who had acquired a slight knowledge of the English language, by intercourse with English and American sailors in Russian ports. It appears that they wished to give us our choice of two things, viz : to live in common, with them, working as they did, and living as they lived, or to live alone, and be put upon a short allowance of provisions, as their supplies were, necessarily, limited. I should have preferred the latter mode of BY SEA AND LAND. 97 our ion, as |n a blies of Hvlurr ; ^iit Tulinai'i dochircd that lio would soon- cr ticcept the i'onuc r Ici-m:; tluiii live Ujjon short allowiuice ; and 1 IbivrcKl to express tliid preler- cnce, lest my generous j)rotectors sliould mis- construe my desire to live by myself into a feel- ing of superiority to them, which caused me to avoid their society, and which, under the cir- cumstances, would have been most ungrateful and absurd. Accordingly, both Tolman and myself ex- pressed our willingness to become members of their connnunity, and co-laborers upon an equal tooting with themselves, and, in order to make, if possible, a favorable " first impression, " de- sired that we mio'ht be set at work forthwith. They seemed greatly pleased at our decision, and in answer to our request for employment, informed us that the only work which they could give us, at present, was cutting wood, which labor we might commence as soon as we pleased. Upon this, we prepared ourselves for labor, without delay, and having bade farewell to the two natives, who had escorted us hither, and who were in readiness to depart for their home, commenced the work of felling spruce and fir trees, and preparing them for fuel. To my ,1 m :i f 98 AIICTIC ROVINGS, great d'lpappointnient, liowcvor, T poon found that the wound upon niy Hide, inflicted by the Captain, aa I have prcviout^ly stated, imper- atively forbade my performing severe phy- sical labor ; and, after working for two hours in great pain, and with the utmost difficulty, I was compelled to desist, and retire to an unoc- cupied hut, where I lay for the remainder of the day in a state of complete exhaustion, and un- able to rise, or even to move, without the most excruciating pain. This unexpected and disagreeable event, of course, frustrated my plan of joining the other inhabitants of the village in their labors, and sharing their home and fare ; and compelled me to accept their first offer. As soon as I had succeeded in making them understand my desire, and the cause which led me to change my mind in regard to my mode of life, they placed a small hut at my disposal, which, although somewhat out of repair, might b(3 easily made snug and comfortable for the winter ; and I immediately commenced to re- pair and improve it, with the design of making, not only a comfortable, but a pleasant dwelling, which should resemble, as far as possible, in its internal arrangements, a New England cottage. BY SEA AKD LAND. 90 Q-ht the ige, In the fii-f't place, I carefully closed up all the cracks and o[)enIiigs in the sides and roof, through which the icy north wind niioht have found an entrance ; and then, as no provision Lad been made ibr wanning the hut, I pro- ceeded to build a rough fire-j)lace and chlnniey, with flat stones, which I collected with consid- erable labor and difficulty, and cemented to- gether with clay. This labor occupied a whole week, for, not- withstanding I kept a fire burning in the inte- rior of my chimney from the commencement of the work, I found it almost impossible to keep my clay from freezing as fast as I could spread it. At length, however, the task was com- pleted ; and, although my chimney was far from being a masterpiece of the masonic art, it still answered my purpose very well, and added not a little to my comfort during the fol- lowing winter. Having finished my chimney, I next pro- ceeded to construct a sleeping place, and a few rude articles of furniture, with which to give my dwelling a comfortable, home-like appear- ance. The former task I acco»^^r>lishcd without difficulty, by making a rough, but substantial 100 AUCTIC ROVINGS, *: 4 n i.f - I* ' framework from tlu; unlicwn limbs of t]ie fir- troc, raiisiiiii: it a foot or more; from the tri'oimd by j)bicInLi; the cornerri upon four Hat ptoncs of e([ual height, and fastcniii!!; slender and clastic boughs in the form of transverse bars or slats across the frame. Upon this i j)l]ed a (juantity of dried leaves and grass wlilch J i)rocured from the natives ; c:)m[)!eting the arrangement of this essential article of hoMsehold furniture, by covering the bed of leaves with my bear skin, which was large enough to serve the double pur[)ose of blankets and outer covering. A rough table, a box or horizontal closet in which to keep my provision, a few shelves, and several camp-stools, comj)leted my invcniory of furniture ; and when I had arranged these articles in proper order, and fiu'nished my shelves wdth wooden dishes, platters, and spoons, and drinking vess^cls of bircli bark, and had built l cheerful fire in my rude grate, I could, by giving loose rein to my iry agination, almost fancy myself in the kitchen of some humble New England cottage ; and the reader may rest assured that my heart swelled with gratitude to God for His mercies toward me, as I compared my present comfortable })osition, with the fate that mii>;ht have been mine in that e, n, at BV SKA AM) LAND. 101 dcsol.itc rcjT^ion, but tor His protcctlnjr care, or tlic li{'e ot* liorrlblc f Itivcrv tVoiu 'which I hud etcaj)C(l in Icaviii;.'; the Condor. Jliivin;:^ thus set before the reader a picture of niv winter lionic in the ii;l(ht ot'tlio J^iLerian forest, I sliall now |)r<-ceed to p^ive a brief de- ecri[)tion of our (hii'y iii'e, and the adventures which befell me during luy soj«;i'.rn in that Arc- tic region. On the first day of every nion+h, I received the following allowance of provisions, which, whether sulliclent or insuilicient for my ne- cessities, must serve nie until the first day of the next month, viz: — Twenty pounds of horse flesh ; ten pounds of rye meal ; ten pounds of fish. « To this w^as added a quantity of bear's meat, when such could be obtained, which, however, was but seldom ; and, as 1 could never cat the fish without being made sick by It, I was com- pelled to lose tliis part of my allowance, or ex- change it with some of my neighbors whose tastes were not so fastidious as my own, for a few pounds of rye meal, or a lun.p of horse flesh. During my residence In Liberia, I was, ne- cessarily, left alone a great part of the time, not I i li .i I: 11 i r Jiii^'? 102 ARCTIC ROVINGS, being able, for some months, to communicate intelligibly with the Eussian and native inhab- itants, and having but few opportunities of holding intercourse with my friend Tolman, who was constantly employed with a party of Russians and natives, at a distance from my solitary dwelling. Hence, we seldom met ; and if, in the fol- lowing pages, I seldom allude to him who had been a good ship-mate and a kind friend, as well as a brave and faithful companion in the hours of danger, the reader will understand that I do not neglect him from any feeling of unfriendliness, but, simply, because our adven- tures in the wilds of Siberia were, of necessity, separate and distinct ; and, as the pui'pose of this work is simply to give a narrative of my own personal adventures, I do not feel at lib- erty to introduce anything not directly pertain- ing to my subject, and the end which 1 have in view. Before I had completed the arrangement of my dwelling, the weather had become intense- ly cold ; and the severe and constant labo which I was compelled to perform, in order t finish my hut before the snow and ice shoul put an end to my operations, inflamed and ii \4 BY SEA AND LAND. 103 ritated the wound in my side to such a degree, that when I had made everything snug and comfortable, and tlie necessity for exertion no longer existed, the re-action completely pros- trated me, and for several -weeks following, I was almost constantly confined to my hut. Meanwhile the weather daily grew colder, and colder, and colder, until it really seemed to me that every created thing in that frigid region, both animate and inanimate, must soon be congealed into ice, and become a portion of th«. silent and frozen landscape. Althouo:h the villao:c of Oudskoi is situated in the warmest part of Siberia, that is to say, the south eastern corner, and in the latitude of about 59 degrees north, it is still sufficient- ly near to the pole to be visited by winters of great length and extreme severity. The winter season proper, commences about the first of October, and from that time, the weather increases in sevc^itv for four months, vdien it reaches the point of greatest cold. At this period of the year, and indeed, for the four months from November to February, in- clusive, the thermometer would probably indi- cate from thirty to forty degrees below zero ; I'lit a3 there was no iii^tninient of tlii^ kind at u !• ! i ( Hv >»! u ';J»' ■ 1 . i r /> 1 ■ 104 ARCTIC ROVING S, Oiulskoi, during my residence there, I am un- able to speak with certainty upon this point. The snows usually commence falling during the latter part of September, continuing and increasing as the season advances, until the middle of winter, when its depth upon a level, is frequently as great as eight or ten feet ; and remaining upon the ground until the first of May. The ice commences to form upon the sea- board in October ; and the first formation gradually increases until it reaches the thick- ness of from twenty to thirty feet, and extends far out to sea, sometimes even, to the distance of four or five hundred miles ft'om the shore. In this connection it may not be impertinent to state a fact which frequently surprised me, while on board the Condor, and which for a long time, I was unable to explain or account for. Many times, while lying off and on this coast, I have observed at night-fall, vast fields of floating ice, extending as far as the eye could reach, and completely surrounding the ship ; and yet, by daybreak on the following morning, all this ice would have disappeared, leaving not so nuuh as a single floe or berg ii ■ •or o BY SEA AND LAXD. 105 where miles upon miles of floating ice had covered the surface of the sea. The reader can well believe that we were not a little ])uzzled to account for this mysterious circumstance ; for, of course, the ship was sub- ject to the influence of changmg winds and unseen currents, equally with the bergs and floes around her ; yet, while the ship had re- mained stationary, the ice had vanished, no one knew whither, or in what manner. Those of the Condor's crew, however, who were not superstitious enough to believe that the ice had been spirited away by father Nep- tune or his attendant gods, explained its dis- appearance, by declaring that it had sunk. I could scarcely credit this explanation at first, although it seemed the most reasonable that could be given ; but I was soon convinced by ocular demonstration that it was, indeed, the true one. On one occasion, during our second summer in the Okotsk Sea, all hands were summoned at daybreak to got the ship under weigh. This labor had scarcely been completed, when our look-out man gave notice of the fact that the ship Josephine, of New Bedford, which lay at anchor within half a mile of us, had li f : ■ II ^;f! 106 ARCTIC ROVINGS, hoisted a blue flag, which signified that she was in need of assistance. Accordingly we hastily sheeted home our top-sails, put up the helm, squared the yards and run her alongside for the purpose of ren- derinnf aid. As w^e approached her we perceived that she was badly " down by the head" — that is to say, that her bows were very deep in the water, as if she was sinking head foremost from some cause which was not yet apparent. We lowered our boats as quickly as possible, and hastened on board, where we discovered to our astonishment, that she had her starboard anchor down, and that her whole crew, not- withstanding they had employed the heaviest purchases they coukl bring to bear, coukl not heave it up. By the utmost exertions of both her crew and our own at the windlass and capstan, however, the anchor was at length brought to the surface, deeply imbedded in a cake of ice. The weight of this ice was so great as to bury the ship's head to the hawse- holes in the water ; and, as soon as we had suc- ceeded in cutting it free from the anchor, it im- mediately sunk again ; thuf> sntisfying U3 of the BY SEA A-ND LAND. 107 fact that ice could sink, and clearing up the mystery which had so long attached itself to the sudden disappearance of the floes and bergs. I have recorded this incident at this point, because I considered it sufficiently important and remarkable to deserve a passing notice ; and because I have never seen a similar fact mentioned by Arctic voyagers. Hoping the reader will pardon the digression, I proceed with my narrative. As I have previously intimated, the winter season, in this portion of the world, embraces eight months of the year. The remaining four months are called summer, but during a great part of this season, even, the weather is colder than that of our New England winters, and the warmest part of the summer is not sufficiently long to enable any kind of vegetation to come to perfection ; the few products of the soil raised by the natives, being only of a minature size, and of a very inferior quality. Durino; the three months from December to February inclusive, the sun is visible but two hours in the twenty-four, and the nights, from the brief twilight to the first grey streak of dawn, are upwards of twenty-one hours in \ f ; 108 ARCTIC ROVINGS, n ;■ r t. length. Through these long hours of dark- ness, die native inhabitants of our little settle- ment usually seclude themselves in their respec- tive huts ; passing the time either in sleep, or in a state of stupid, passive inaction. In fact, their temperament, disposition and manner of existence, are directly opposite to the characteristics of our wide-awake, hard- working, and far-seeing New Englanders, who would contrive, I doubt not, to live in plenty and even luxury, aye, and amass fortunes, withal, where these poor heathen are scarcely able to provide the humblest means of prolong- ing their miserable existence. For many days after the completion of my hut, I was confined to my bed ; hard labor and exposure to the weather, having caused my w^ound to swell and become inflamed to such a degree as to considerably alarm me. While suffering in this manner, I was, one day visited by a native whom I had never before seen, who seated himself by my bed-side, and having gone through a species of pantomime which I inter- preted to mean that he was a physician or medicine-man, proceeded to examine my wound. After carefully feeling the wound and the BY SEA AND LAND. 109 my and the surroundino; flesh, in precisely the manner of the "medicine men" of my own country; he raised hiy eyes to mine, looked as wise as an owl, and, giving his head the true professional wag, — which so frequently serves the doctor of civilized nations the double purpose of conceal- ing his own ignorance, and impressing his patient with a sense of his great wisdom, — in- formed me bv a second exhibition of dumb show, that the wound contained purulent mat- ter, and must be opened. He then produced a slender blade of polished bone shaped somewhat like a dagger, and, not- withstanding my reluctance to being operated upon in this summary manner, which 1 took no pains to conceal, plunged it, without ceremony, into the inflamed surface of the swelling. To my great surprise, and to the intense de- light of the "medicine man," a co2)ious dis- charge of pus follt/wed the withdrawal of the lancet, which ahnost instantly relieved the violent throbbing pain which had tortured me for the pa:st twenty-four hours. Not satisfied with this, however, the doctor proceeded, as soon as the discharge had ceased, to probe the sore with a blunt pointed instrument of the same material as the lancet, and with which he 1 A. p 110 AUCTIC KOVINGS, i- /;Hf J 11 ■? 'flU ![•!! (I I ^1 soon succeeded in extracting several splinters of bone ! These, he gave me to understand were por- tions of one of the ribs which had been frac- tured by the blow which I had received, and which my subsequent hard labor liad caused to work into tlie flesli, thereby causing an irrita- tion and a formation of matter. He then bound up tlie wound with great care, and having signified his intention of mak- ing a second call on the morrow, and his desire that I should remain as quiet as possible for the present, departed with all the dignity of a reg- ular M. D. To my great satisfaction, his treatmenc of my wound effected, not only immediate relief, but a comparative cure, and in a few days I was able to leave my bed and attend to my household labors without diflaculty. From that time, forward, during my residence in Siberia, I suffered but little from my wound, except when I irritated and inflamed it by severe man- ual labor ; yet I am even now compelled to la- bor with great caution, and have no hope of ever being entirely free from the effects of this unmerited injury. As soon as I was able to leave my hut, I be- 1 l^Y SKA AND LAM). Ill iW gan to make fre(iuent excursiono iiitc the sur- rounding country, in every direction, for the purpose of gaining all possible infornuition in regard to thio almost unknown region, its cli- mate, soil and productions ; and when the days became too short to admit of my spending more than a few hours each day, in this manner, I rendered the hours of darkness both pleasant and profitable, by visiting the natives and Jais- sians in their homes, with the design of learn- ing to speak their language. In the course of a few months I had gained this desirable end, to an extent which enabled me to converse freely with the other inhabi- tants of the village, and thus during my short residence among them, I obtained a far better knowledge of the country and people than I could have done in a much longer time from my personal observation alone. |; j f 1 j i i 1 1 1 1 ;' ' ?l ■^«H SJ ■■ :^i M I i CHAPTER VIII. ARCTIC llOVINGS AND ADVENTURES. Sad reflections — The bri!i;liter side of the ]>icture — Learning to speak the llussiau language — A Christmas dinner— Bears ani wolves —A hunting adventure — Treed lyy the TVulves — An uu- Cumlbrtable night — Anew comer — Escape, and return to the settlement. It will be perhaps, a matter of surprise to the reader, that I do not more frequently, in these pages, dilate upon the feelings of sadness and distress which I must have experienced during my sojourn in that cold and dreary re- gion, an exile from home and friends, and, vir- tually, shut out from communication with the whole civilized world, to which I had no cer- tainty of ever returning. 1 will not deny that I had many weary days and sleepless nights of sad and bitter reflec- tion, when I allowed myself to dwell upon the darker side of the picture, and contrasted my present lot with the years of my happy child- hood ; but I am well aware that every human 112 AHCTIC noVINfJS, 113 re- ays lec- the Imy lild- boinir Imn cnoiijj;]! of trouble and nadnesa liim- eelf, witlioul hcinijj coinpellcd to sulTor, from syinpatliy, the trials of anollicr, and I have ])nr])(>.«-c]y refrained from giving ex{)res8ion here to anything of an unpleasant nature, beyond a simple statement of faets, which arc, of them- selves, sufHeiently painful. Indeed, I had great cause for joy and thanks- giving during my winter residence in Siberia, which effectually repelled any feeling of settled despondency. I had escaped from a life of degrading servitude, and was, at least, in pos- session of the glorious gift of Freedom wdjich the sons of America so well know how^ to prize; I had been preserved unscathed in the midst of danger ; 1 had a comfortable home, and the wdiere-withal to support life ; and, above all, I had within me, the light of hope, which ever illuminated my patliway in the darkest hour, and which cheered and en- couraged me in the midst of danger and priva- tion. As soon as I had learned to speak the Rus- sian language intelligibly, I began to enjoy tJie society of the liussian inhabitants of the vil- lage, and to gain their favor by an exhibition of social and kindly feelings wdiich 1 have ever \. ■ ( . 1 li : ■'' 114 .\RCTic novT\r;9, found to bo, as it were, contn^ioiis, and produc- tive of .1 similar ^collnj; in v^thcrs. I gave tlicni a concise history of my li^o from my earliest recollection, up to lite present time, to vrlnel) they listened with evident inter- est ; and when T spoke of the harsh treatment to wliich I ha I:' I i t'i ■if' ' 116 ARCTIC R0VING9, The reader will, doubtless, be somewhat aston- ished to learn that 1 devoured this portion of my Christmas dinner raw, and relished it exceed- ingly ; but such was, indeed, the fact. I had al- ready learned to prefer raw horse ilesh to any thing else that could be procured in that re- gion, and I found the head to be the sweetest, tenderest, and best part of the animal. In a short time I had completed the arrange- ment of my hut. By this time I had gained the favor of the Russian governor to such a degree that I ventured to ask for the loan of his gun, whenever I wished to make an excur- sion into the wilderness ; my pistol being too small to be used with advantao:e among- the large game of that region, which game con- sists chiefly of grizzly bears and wolves, many of the former weighing, perhaps, a thousand pounds or more ! During these excursions I met with many extraordinary adventures, and, more than once, escaped death, as it were, by a miracle. I be- held many wonderful sights and gained consid- erable knowledge of the country , but, I have not space in this little work for a detailed ac- count of my Arctic adventures, or anything, in fact, but a brief outline of my first sea-voy- age, it? attendant circumstances and results. - - &m : BY SEA AND LAND. 117 Upon one occasion I had wandered many miles from the settlement, in quest of adventures, and the short day being more than half spent, was just on the point of turning my face to- wards home, when the distant howl of a wolf fell upon my ear, and caused me to hasten for- ward again in the direciion whence it proceeded. Although wolves are plenty in this region I had never yet succeeded in killing one ; but I had a great desire to procure one or more of their skins, the fur of the Siberian wolf being white and extremely thick and soft ; and as I knew that a single wolf was not, by any means, a dangerous foe to an armed man, I resolved to give chase to this one, and if possible, secure his skin as a trophy. Guided by the sound of his howls, I rapidly approached my intended victim ; but ere I had cauo'ht sip^ht of him, the cries of other wolves CO ' had mingled with his own, and it soon became evident that, instead of one wolf, I should be compelled to wage war with several, and per- haps with a whole troop. Nothwithstanding this, however, I pursued my course without stopping, for I had become greatly excited by the prospect of sport, and was not inclined to return without making, at least i 1 wr 118 ARCTIC ROVINGS, ^ f !' %\ n ■i^::sj-, ? ra ^r -if 'Pi an attempt, to secure a few of the long-coveted skins. In a few moments more I pushed my way through a thicket of busheS; and stood in a wide clearing, in full view of the wolves, w^hich to my great surprise were no less than fifty in number, some of them being of unusual size, and evidently rendered fierce and desperate by the pangs of hunger. I perceived, at once, that any attempt to com- bat such a number of these ferocious and hungry creatures, would be foolhardy in the extreme ; but it was now too late to retreat with safety, and I resolved to stand my ground and face them with a bold front, until I could find a fa- vorable opportunity to give thjm the slip and mjtke my escape ; for I had been told that the Siberian wolf seldom ventures to attack a man unless he can take him at a disadvantage. This plan was instantly conceived, and as in- etantly put into execution. The wolves no sooner caught sight of me than they set up a shout, as it seemed to me, of exultation at the prospect of prey, and began to advance toward^ me ; but, when instead c^ turning to flee, 1 brought my gun to my shoulder and took de- liberate aim at the leader, they paused, and stood for a few moments, as if irresolute. BY SEA AND LAND. 119 Meanwhile, they continued to howl without cessation, and, to my dismay, I heard answer- ing howls in every direction, which plainly in- dicated that I was completely surrounded by the wolves. In a very lew minutes the orig- inal troop had been greatly augmented by the arrival of others of the species, equally fierce and hungry, from every point of the compass. And now, as if emboldened by their increase in numbers, the foremost of the troop began to press forward a gain. It was evident that a show of courage and resolution would avail nothing in this case, and, as a last resort, I discharged my gun at an immense wolf which seemed to act as leader of the troop. The ball crashed through his skull, and he instantly rolled upon the snow in the agonies of deatli. The other wolves set up a terrible howd, and rushed pell-mell u])on the carcass of cheir leader, and tearing it to shreds, devoured it ! This act of cannibalism occupied but a lew sec- onds ; but, finding that my chance of escape was growing smaller and " smaller and beautifully less " every moment, I had improved this brief space of time to lessen the distance between myself and a large fir tree which etood at the e Jge of the clearing, and which seemed to ofter a '' forlorn hope " of safety. ■u.- «:! ! 5 Hi)*:^. 120 ARCTIC ROVIIsGS, T had not quite reached the foot of this tree, when the wolves, havhicr swallowed the last morsel of their defunct comj^anlon, again sprang forward e/i masse ; the ta^te of blood having made them ten fokl more ferocious than before. My case was desperate, for less than half a dozen leaps would put ihem in possession of their prey, unless I should meanwhile have reached the friendly protection of the fir tree ; but desperation only lent new vigor to my sin- ews, and, gaining the foot of the tree \^ith a single jump, I grasped my gun firmly by the barrel with my left hand, and bounded into the air, in the hope of seizing the lower branch of the tree with my other hand. As kind fortune would have it, the effort was successful. I clutched the elastic bough with a vice like grasp., and with an agility of which I should have been incapable under ordinary circumstances- swung myself into the body of the tree, just as the wolves surrounded it, howl- ing and yelling like so many devils, at finding their victim beyond their reach. Notwithstanding my narrow escape from a horrible death, I could not refrain from laugh- ing heartily at their expression of baffled rage and disappointment ; but I soon discovered BY SEA AND LAND. 121 tliat after all, it was no laughing matter, and that I should do well to heed the okl adage which advises us, " not to hallo till we are out of the woods ! " Instead of dispersing in pursuit of other and more accessible prey, as I had hoped they would, tlie wolves pressed close together around the foot of the tree, and looked up at me with their glistening eyes, as much as to say, " we can stay here as long as you can, old fellow, and by-and-by you will be obliged to come down ! " It was evident that they designed to besiege the fortress until the garrison should be com- pelled to surrender from want of provisions ; and my only hope of escape was in killing the whole troop, or being relieved by my friends from the settlement who might, perchance, dis- cover my absence and come to the rescue. Accordingly, I examined my ammunition, but I soon found that I had not balls enough to kill one-fourth of the troop, even if none should miss their aim. I resolved, however, to shoot as many as possible, immediately ; saving only three or four balls to be used in case of any unforeseen emergency. In pursuit of this design I climbed into a •V I I I it I' * if ;f A '^^ ' ,! a-:; ' '*l 122 ARCTIC IIOVINGS, fork of the tree, and commenced loading and firing as fast as I could ; every ball carrying death to some one of the four-legged fiends, until I had destroyed eleven of them, which were speedily devoured by their ravenous companions. Having but four balls left, I desisted from firing ; and settling myself into an easy position, deposited my gun upon an overhanging branch, and [jrcceeded to take a philosophic view of my situation. This, however, afforded me but very little satisfaction ; for, all my philosophy failed to re- lieve me of the uncomfortable idea that I had got into a very bad scrape. My tormentors still remained at the foot of the tree ; and to add to my discomfort, the night had closed in with more than Efryptian darkness, while I began to feel decidedly cold and hungry, without any prospect of being less so, at present, if ever. At first, I resolved to keep awake during* the night, but after a vigil of several hours duration, I became so drowsy that I was com- pelled to yield to the powers of the " dull god ;'" and, having taken a secure position among the branches, fell into a deep slumber, from which I did not awake until the grey dawn was be- ginning to streak the eastern hoiizon. BY SEA AND LAXD. 123 trom 'Notwithstamllng the intense cold, I had slept conirortably ; and although upon waking, I found myself chilled and benumbed to sucli an extent as to be almost incapable of motion, 1 was still untouched by the frost. As soon as I could muster spirit and resolution enough to stir my benum.bed limbs, I began to climb up and down the branches of the tree for the pur- pose of causing the almost stagnant blood to circulate in my veins, and send a glow of warmth through my body. [n this manner, I at length succeeded in get- ting warm, and again returned to the perch upon which I had passed the night, to take an observation of the hostile army. Tlie devils were still there, in full force, and I was begin* ning to despair of ever being relieved from my uncomfortable position except by death, when a sudden and unexpected event speedily changed the aspect of affairs, and released me from my elevated prison. This was notliing more or less, than the sud- den appearance, upon the scene of action, of a huge grizzly bear, which bounded througli the bushes into the clearing, gazed, for a moment, upon the pack of hungry and ferocious wolves collected at the foot of my tree, and then as if \ ' I, 124 ARCTIC KOVINGS, unwilling to form a cloe'er acquaintance with thera, turned to fiec. At the first appearance of the bear, the wolves, as if conscious, by instinct, of the fact that bruin would furnish a more abundant meal than a poor human like myself, instantly forsook their position at the fir tree, and, spring- ing forward in solid column, pursued him to the edge of the clearing, where they managed to close around him and cut off his retreat. And now ensued tho most singular combat that the eye of man ever beheld. I have neith- er time nor space to give the details of the battle ; suffice it to say that, although the bear succeeded in killincj several of the wolves, he was, at length, compelled to yield to a superior force, and be torn in pieces and devoured by his small but numerous and ferocious antagon- ists. ** So fell the eagle by a swavm of gnats — So the whale perished by a shoal of sprats." The reader will scarcely need to be told that I improved the time, while the wolves were engaged in feasting upon the carcase of the bear, to decamp, without so much as say- ing, " by your leave," or bidding a formal BY SEA AND LAND. 125 " good-bye ! " In less than half an hour I reached the settlement of Oudskoi and my own hut, happy in returning at all, even without the ekins for which I had dared so much, and en- dured so great hardship and anxiety of mind. Subsequently, however, I procured several of the much coveted skins and many otlu r trophies of my hunting adventures in the wilda of Siberia. If the natives of Siberia but knew the value of furs, and were not too indolent, they might easily capture many of the bears, wolves, Babies and foxes, which abound in that region, and derive much profit from the sale of their i'kins. Indolence and want of care for the future, however, are their " easily besetting sins ; " hence, their degraded condition, and frequent wants of the necessities of life Na- ture provides sufficient store of food and rai- ment, if they would but take pains to secure it; but although ignorant of the Bible, they daily and constantly obey, in its most literal sense, the injunction, " take no heed of the morrow, what thou shalt eat, or what thou shalt put on." The river Oudskoi, upon which the settle- ment of the same name is situated, abounds, \ 126 ARCTIC no VINO a, m .'' v: at certain seasons of the year, with salmon, trout, perch, dace and varonce, all of which might be taken in great quantities, and made to form a valuable addition to their winter stock of food. At certain seasons of the year, also, the river and the many large lakes in its vicinity, are visited by immense flocks of ducks and geese, which the natives seldom attempt to capture ; not deeming them of sufticient value to com- pensate for the labor of taking them. During my residence at Oudskoi, it occurred to me that the inhabitants might raise a small stock of vegetables, by selecting the sunny and sheltered spots upon the south side of the hills and rocks, and planting those vegetables which are of rapid growth, very early in the spring- time. As soon as I had learned to speak their language, I advanced this idea, and after con- siderable persuasion, induced them to try the experiment, which I have reason to believe was eminently successful, and if carried out, will have the effect to ameliorate their condition to a considerable deo-ree. Thus, it appears that, notwithstanding the severity of the climate and the sterility of the soil of Siberia, nature has still placed within BY SEA AND LAND. 127 Imon, \ liich ,de to stock river y, are gjcese, )ture ; com- jurred , small ly and e hills which pring- k their 3r con- Dry the )elieve id out, tidition the reach of man, the wherewithal to sustain life in a comfortable manner; and the "one thing needful," to render the inhabitants of tliat re«i;ion prosperous and happy, is the spirit of Yankee enterprise and industry. ngt the of the within \. i i CHAPTER IX. THE RESCUE. fihJpwrccliod mariners — Now comors to tlio Ruasian sottlemont — Tlio end of wiiit(^r — Jounioy to tlio coast — A welcome sij^lit — Tlie roscue — The pliip Daniel Wood of New Badford — A noble commander — The wJialc lisliery ai^ain — Varieties of whales. During the month of Decemher, a party of natives from the lower settlement, previously referred to, visited our villaire ; brinj^inc: tid- ings from the coast, of a party of American sailors, either cast-aways or deserters, who had encamped on the c(jast, and were suf- fering greatly from cold and hunger. Being unable to relieve the distress of these Buflerers, themselves, the natives, in their humanity, had come to Oudskoi for the pur- pose of informing the Russian governor, that he mio-ht send them aid. After a brief consultation with the natives, the Governor, who could neither speak nor write English, sent for me, and requested me to write a letter to the party of seamen at the coast, at his dictation. 128 nv SKA A\T) LA\n. 129 eraont — siiJiht — A noble lales. rty of iously g tid- ierican , who e suf- these their 3 pur- ', that atives, k nor )d me it the ITc (Urc'ctiul iiiu to write that, if tlic party- were castawavH, and liad anv oflicors anionnr them, thoy mi^ht immediately accompany the bearer of the letter to Oudskoi, wliere they bhouhl receive aid and protection ; but that if they were not castaways, but deserters, they might stay where they were and shift for them- eelves. Instead of following these directions, liow- cver, I inibrmed them of the governor's willing- ness to aid and succor castaways, as well as his aversion to deserters ; and directed them, if they belonged to the latter class, to select one or more of their number to act as officers, and to return to Oudskoi with the bearer, under the assumed character of wrecked seamen. This letter was immediately dispatched by one of the natives, who proceeded with all po'ssible haste to the coast and delivered the missive ac- cordinor to directions. It afterward appeared, however, that the precaution which I had taken, in writing the letter, was needless ; for the party, who num- bered in all, twelve men, were in reality, a por- tion of the crew of the ship Phoenix of Nan- tucket, Capt. Handy, which had been wrecked in the month of October, previous, upojj Elbow \ 1 ; i ;i ;r ■■; t 130 ARCTIC ROVINGS, Island. All hands were saved ; and for some time the whole company remained upon the Island, living in a hut which they had construct- ed from frao;mcnts of the wreck. At lenjrth however, as their scanty stock of provisions began to fail, twelve of the bolder and more adventurous spirits had taken leave of their companions, and crossed the ice to the main- land, a distance of about seventy miles. These twelve men consisted of Capt. Handy, the fourth mate, and ten foremast hands, who, immediately upon the receipt of my letter, set out with the bearer for the settlement of Oud- skoi, where they arrived at length, nearly ex- hausted with cold, hunger, and fatigue, and, without a single exception, badly frost-bitten. They were received with great hospitality by the vilhigers, and every thing was done for their comfort, which the circumstances of the case would admit. Immediately upon their ar- rival I held an interview Vy^ith Capt. Handy, and offered to fcliare my hut with him. This oiFer, however, he (tid not accept, choosing rather to live with his companions in a large cabin which had been placed a* their disposal. Some poet has said, — BY SEA AND LAND. 131 and I realized the truth of this sentiment, in this case, as I had never done before. It af- forded me much gratification to be able to min- ister to the wants of my ship-wrecked country- men, to share with them my scanty allowance, and perform for them every kind office that humanity could suggest. * * * All things earthly must have an end at last, accordins: to the immutable laws which o;overn the universe ; and, although protracted ten-fold by sorrow, sickness, hardship and privation, the long Arctic winter worf; slowly away, and the light of hope began to glow with renewed brilliancy in my bosom, as the time approached for the whalinjT fleet to return to the Okotsk sea, when, perchance, I should be rescued from my dreary place of exile. At leno'th, the month of June, which is the first month of the whalinor season, arrived ; and in company with my friend Tolman, and the crew of the Phoenix, with the exception of Capt. Handy, I set out for the coast. By this time the snow and ice had nearly all disappeared ; and, meeting no adve^ tures to delay us, we accomplished the journey in less than two days. \. 'n ■if • t I I! !■' m 132 ARCTIC R0TTNG9, Shortly be fare noon on tlie second day, we came in sight of the coast and the broad ex- panse of the Okotsk sea. To our indescrib- able delight the deep blue surface of the sea was thickly studded with white winged ships, with the "starry ensign'* of our own dear native land, floating gracefully from their peaks. No words of mine can adequately describe the scene of wild and joyful excitement which ensued, as our eyes took in the welcome f * rhu We shouted, we laughed, we cried, we shook each other by the hand, and pointed to the ships, and sobbed like children ; and anon, we threw ourselves upon the ground in an extacy of joy ; while from every heart, I doubt not, went up a fervent, though unspoken, prayer of gratitude and thanksgiving to the infinite Crea- tor and Preserver. Presently, one of the ships which had been heading up the coast, close hauled on the star- board tKok, and under full sail, was h ve sudden- ly in stays, and rapidly approached the shore. When within a mile of the land, her main yai J was laid aback, and a boat was lowered and pulled directly toward the beach. The eminence from which we had observed this being at some distance from the beach, we ! BY SEA AND LAND, 138 we ex." riL- sea ht.. th( started thither upon a run, as soon as the boat had been lowered, for the purpose of meetmg the crew as they landed. As the boat glided up to the shore, impelled by the lusty strokes of the stalwart oarsmen, we greeted her erew with three rousing cheers, which were prompt- ly echoed from the boat ; and, as her keel grat- ed upon the beach, the officer in charge of the boat sprang ashore, followed by his crew, and inquired in a loud voice, if " Daniel Hall, of New Bedford was among the company ?" Upon this, I stepped forward and informed him that I was the person whom he sought ; whereupon, he grasped me by the hand, declar- ing that " It did his eyes good to see me I" He then informed me that he was the mate of the ship Daniel Wood, of New Bedford, com- manded by Capt. Thomas Morrison, and that he had been sent ashore every day sin^^.e the arrival of the ship in the Sea, to search for me I Capt. Morrison had seen my father's adver- tisement in the New Bedford Shipping List, and being a liumane and noble-hearted man, and, withal, f« friend to my father, had resolved to rescue me, if possible, from exile, and en- able me to return to my native land. The officer concluded by inviting me to take u-ri gn }J ; 134 ARCTIC ROVINGS, a seat in the boat, saying that there were com- fortable quarters reserved fur me on board the Daniel Wood, and that he would be glad to take my companions also, if he had authority to do so ; but that as he had not, he would take pains to find some other ship or ships which were in need of hands, and that they should Boon / ''Hieved from their unpleasant situation. This I jmise was faithfully kept ; and, in the course of twenty-four hours, the whole party had been shipped on board vessels which chanced to be short handed. Upon my arrival on board the Daniel Wood, I was greeted with cheers by the crew, and re- ceived by Captain Morrison in the most friend- ly manner. Taking me by the hand the cap- tain led me into the cabin, and showed me the advertisement inserted by my father, in the New Bedford Shipping List, saying that he had sent his boats ashore several times, to search for me, and that he thanked God he had been able to find me, and rescue me from that bar- ren shore. His kind manner and words afifected me to such an extent that I could not refrain from shedding tears, and was scarcely able to express in fitting words, the gratitude which I felt ; , t 4 BY SEA AND LAND. 185 whereupon lie bade me say no more upon tliat subject, declaring that he liad only done as he would wish another tc do by his own son, ehouhl he ever be pLaced in a Blmilar position ; and that the pleasure of having relieved my distress, was, of itself, a sufficient reward for wTiat he had done. lie then ordered the steward to supply me with a comfortable outfit, and told me that 1 mlii;ht, from that time forward, consider mvself a member of the ship's crew, upon equal terms with the others. Blessed be God that I fell into the hands of a generous, noble-hearted, honorable man, like Thomas Morrison, of the ship Daniel Wood ! The whaling season having but just com- menced, three months must necessarily elapse before we should sail for home ; and shortly after I had become a member of the Daniel Wood's crew, the labor of capturing the mon- sters of the deep began in good earnest. We had a most successful season, but as I have already, in these pages, given the' reader a " peep at the whale fishery," I will not waste time, or weary his patience with a repetition. Fearing, however, that some of my landsmen readers would be disappointed, did I not give them a brief description of the different varie- tal .1 il ^ I !*!!<&'» %:J; ?f 136 ARCTIC ROVINGS, ties of whales, I have taken the liberty to in- sert in this connection a list of the various kinds of the species, with the distinguishing peculiarities of each. The following varieties of the whale species are all that are at present known to seamen. Tj e sperm whale is found in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Ocean, and the Japan Sea, and generally in shoals. These whales vary in size, yielding from three to one hundred and thirty barrels of oil, but averaging about forty barrels. When a sperm whale has been taken and brought alongside, the head is first severed from the body, just forw^ard of the eye, and hoisted on deck. The head is then opened, and what is called the " head matter," (which is the best part of the oil,) is dipped out and trant;- ferred to the boilers, or try-pots. After it has been sufficiently heated, it is ready for the casks, which as soon as the oil is cold, are stowed away, not to be disturbed until the arrival of the ship at home. This head oil averages from three to twenty barrels, according to the size of the whale. The blubber is then taken from the body, in what are termed " blanket pieces," in the fol- ' BY SEA AND LAND. 13: m- lOUS fol- lowing manner : — These pieces or strips of blub- ber arc cut four feet in width, and al)out forty in length ; and, when hoisted on board, are placed in the nijihi hatch v/ay, called by whale- men, the "blubber-room," where they are rap- idly *' minced" and sent to the boilers, to be *' tryed out." When all the blubber has been taken from the whale, the carcase is cut adrift. No bone is taken from the sperm whale. Of the right whale species, there are several kinds', the first and largest of which is called the Greenland whale. Some specimens of this variety of whales have been known to yield four hundred barrels of oil, with bone averag- ing twenty-five pounds to the barrel. The right whale has no head matter ; and the manner of trying out the blubber is the same as in the case of the sperm whale. The next in size is the right whale that is taken from the Japan sea, which averages one hundred and fifty barrels, with about twelve pounds of bone to the barrel. This whale is the most diflScult to capture, being prone to show fight, and frequently stav- ing boats, and killing men, but seldom venturing to attack a ship, as the sperm whale has been known to do. If!-''' Ml •i i I ■'. ill 138 ARCTIC KOVINGS, The next in order is the Baniheiid, which is the mildest of the whale species, seldom show- ing fight, and, yielding upon the average, forty- barrels, with ten pounds of bone to the barrel. The next is the Finback, which is very wild and difficult to capture, and yields upon an average about twenty-five barrels, hav- ing but a small quantity of bone. The Sulphur Bottom is seldom taken, being "wild and shy ; and affords but a small quantity of oil, and no bone. The Devil Fish is one of the worst to attack of all the whale species, and is found chiefly on the coast of California. This whale destroys more boats and kills more men, than all the other members of his family ; and yields but about twentv barrels of oil. These whales are very plenty ; but it is only about four years since much account has been made of them. They have but little bore. Another kind of whale called the Killer, is seldom taken. These whales generally go in shoals, in search of food and prey, and swim with great rapidity. They invariably have a leader whic'i swims in advance of the shoal, and who evidently acts as '* lookout ;" for when- ever he observes a whale of any other species wi BY SEA AND LAND. 139 'h is ihow- forty bav- but his own, be gives notice of tin; fact in some way to his companions, when the whole shoal immediately start in pursuit of the ^ Ictim, usu- ally overtaking him in a very short time. When they have killed a whale, they devour his tongue only, leaving the remainder of his body un- touched. The Black Fish arc taken in great numbers, by whalemen, and yield from fifteen gallons to five barrels of oil. They are a very lively kind of fish, and very uncomfortable creatures to handle, being quite as likely to " breach " or jump into the boat in pursuit, as otherwise. These arc the only fish yielding oil, which are known to whalemen. ;., \ ''. \ ! In ( CHAPTER X. CONCLUSION — nOMEWAKD BOUND. Departure from the Okotsk Sea— Arrival at the Sandwich Islands Joining a New bhip — Interview with the yeaman's Pastor at Honolulu— Homeward Bound— Land ho— Home a<;ain. We remained in the Okotsk Sea until late in the season ; meeting with more than average success in the fishery. At lengtli, the ice having begun to collect in considerable quan- tities, we set sail for the Sandwich Islands. The passage down the coast w^as marked \^ no incident of special importance ; and, on the fifth of November we arrived in the port of Lahinia. Here, to my great delight, I found several boys who had been my former school- mates and intimate friends, belonging to the ship Rapid of New Bedford, then in the port of Lahinia. Upon making inquiries in regard to the des- tination of the Rapid, I learned that she was bound directly to New Bedford. As Captain Morrison, of my own ship, had decided to 140 BY SEA AND LAND. 141 D. 1 Islands Pastor at ;il late iverage the ice ? quan- [slands. cl It no on the port of [ found school- to the tie port he des- ;he was Captain jided to cruise two months or more on the homeward passage, and as I desired to reach home as speedily as possible, I asked permission to join the Rapid. This was readily given ; and, accordingly I enrolled my name upon the shipping-list of the Eapid, agreeing to help work the ship home at five dollars per mouth, and a " Icigh," in case we should take any oil on the homeward passage. In a few days we sailed from Lahinia for Honolulu, arriving at the latter port after a two days passage. Immediately upon our arrival, I hastened to the post-office, hoping to find letters from my friends at home. Being disap- pointed in this hope, I proceeded to the office of Father Damon, the seaman's pastor of the port. Upon giving him my name, he informed me that he had received two letters from my father, (which he showed me,) and gave me a detailed account of the manner in which my father had endeavored to gain intelligence of me, upon learning that I did not return to Hon- olulu with the Condor. This account, and the letters to Mr. Damon, showed me how great had been my father's anx- iety and solicitude in my behalf; and, request- ing Father Damon to furnish me with suitable ;!il W k I ! , 1 < i ■I .' ^4 142 ARCTIC llOVINCJS, materials, T ininiediatoly sat down to write a long letter to my father, that his anxious mind might be relieved at the earliest possible mo- ment. Mr. Damon also wrote a letter to my father, which, together with my own, was dc- spatciied without delay. After a long and pleasant conversation with this reverend and estimable man, in the course of which he did not fail to give me good advice, I bade him farewell and returned to my ship. Instead of sailing directly for home in the Kapid, as I had anticipated, I was transferred, with the remainder of her crew, to anothr hip named the Frances Henrietta ; Captain est of the Rapid, of which he was agent and part owner, having decided to refit his own ship, for another season, and, exchanging her for the Frances Henrietta, return, with his crew to the United States in the latter vessel. Accordingly, the transfer was made ; and, after remaining six weeks at Honolulu, we sailed for home in the Frances Henrietta. On the third day out, however, the ship sprung aleak, and we were compelled to make the near- est port, which was the Island of Otaheite, for repairs. In this poi't the upper works of the ship were recaulked and sheathed, which op- T BY SEA AND LAND. 143 HMtc a mind C 1110- to my ^as de- g and d and he did le him in the sferred, [C hip . est id part hip, for for the V to the e ; and, Lilu, we ta. On sprung he near- leite, for 5 of tlie lich op- eration consumed about ten days ; and, when bhe was rciady for sea, we were ihitaincd seven days longer by a head wind, the harbor being too narrow to admit of beating the slii[) out to sea. At length, however, the wind liaving ^ eered to a fiivorable quarter, we sailed from Otaheite. During our passage to the Horn, we saw several whales, to which we occasionally gave chase, and innumeralde black-fish. On one occasion, while in pursuit of a whale, one of our boats was pulled close alongside the already wounded and struggling monster, with the de- sign of fixing a second harpoon in his body. The excitement of the chase, and the desire to be " in at the death," however, had overcome the prudence of those in charge of the boat, and sufficient caution was not observed in approach- ing the enraged Leviathan, which was lashing the water into foam in his violent struggles to escape from the torturing iron. As the harpooner poised his weapon for the deadly blow, the whale suddenly went down, but ere the boat's crew had time to obey the hasty order to " back oars ! " which was given instantly upon the disappearance of the whale, he had again risen to the surface withiji a \i ■I I i . r 144 ARCTIC ROVI^GS, a few yards of the boat. In a moment more his huge tail rose high into the air, as he took a second dive, and then descended full upon the bows of the boat, which it dashed, instant- ly, to atoms, scattering men, oars, and frag- ments of the wreck in every direction. Providentiallv, the entire force of the blow had fallen upon the boat itself, and not upon the men, who would otherwise have been in- stantly killed. The other two bqats, which were near at hand at the time of this accident, came promptly to the rescue of their unfortu- nate shipmates, some of whom had succeeded in getting hold of oars and fragments of the boat, while others sustained themselves in the water by their own exertions. One of the latter, being -inable to keep him- self afloat until the arrival of the boat, proba- bly in consequence of injuries which he had received from flying splinters of the wreck, at the moment of its destruction, sunk to rise no more, before the eyes of his shipmates, and when relief was close at hand. All the other members of the boat's crew were rescued un- injured ; but the sad event of their companion's death cast a gloom over the whole ship's com- pany, for the deceased had been a true sailor BY SEA AND LAND. 145 nore took upon ?tant- frag- blow upon in in- which ident, ifortu- jeeded of the in the p him- proba- le had eck, at rise no 3s, and e other ed un- )anion's I's com- e sailor and a good shipmate, esteemed and respected alike in cabin and forecastle. Meanwhile, the whale wdiich had been the cause of this sad disaster, had ended his ex- ploits by " flurrying " about in such a frantic manner, that it became necessary to the safety of the first boat which had fastened to him, to cut the line, and let his Avhalcshl]) go ; where- upon, he gave a single flourish of his tail in token of defiance, and started lOr " parts un- known " at a furious rate ; while the three re- laaining boats returned to the ship. * * * * In due time, we arrived off Cape Hom» where we received the usual portion which falls to the lot of mariners in this tempestuous local- ity ; that is to say, severe weather, adverse winds, and plenty of hard work for all hands. We spent nearly two weeks beating off and on, before we succeeded in doubling the Horn ; and, although we met with no serious disaster, were frequently in a position of considera- ble peril, and more than i^nce, narrowly escaped losing our masts, or bv ing otherwise damaged. One one occasion during this time, we were lying to at night under the lee clew of the main-topsail, in a living gale of wind ; and the ft ; 146 ARCTIC KOTINGS, watch on deck, of which I was a memher, had collected just abaft the main-mast, that we migiit be in readiness to obey the orders from the officers of the deck without dela3^ To while away the long hours of the middle- watch, we resorted to the never-failing enter- tainment of " spinning yarns." Naturally enough, these yarns upon the present occasion, took the form of tales of chipwreck and disas- ter and fearful accounts were given by our vet- eran " salts," of ships which had sunk in mid ocean, carrying down nearly all on board to a watery grave, — of ships burnt at sea, or dashed in pieces among the breakers of a rocky lee shore, and of ships which had sailed from port, with hundreds of happy human beings on board, ;nd whose fate had been briefly told in the comprehensive phrase, — " Sailed, and never heard from." Such stories as these were lis- tened to with an interest heightened to a degree which a landsman can scarcely conceive of, by the sight of the tempest-tossed waves around us, and the roar of the gale above our heads. Suddenly, a sound of terrible import fell upon our ears, interrvipting the narrative to which we were eagerly listening, and causing a profound silence for several minutes, as we lis- BY SEA AND LAND. 147 tened with breathless anxiety fur its repetition. Again and again, that fearful sound, so painful to all endowed with the feeling of sympathy for their fellow beings in danger and distress, came booming over the angry waters, chilling the blood in our veins, and sending a thrill of sorrow to the hardest heart. It was the minute gun^ the signal of distress at sea — coming from a point far to windward of us. It was evident to all, that even had it b r.n safe for us to make sail in such a tempest, it would still be impossible to beat the ship up to the point whence the signal proceeded, in season to render any assistance. The officer of the deck, however, called the captain, who immedintcly hastened on deck for the purpose of doing \ory thing that was pos- sible, under the circumt>tan('os in the faint Jiope of being able to relieve the unf )rtunat< vessel. He commanded that rockets and blue li -Jits should be shown at intervals for the pur[)Oi?e of lettino; the sufferers know that their sin-nal of distress had been heard, and encourage them to the last to exert themselves :o keep their ship afloat until, perchance, the subsid- ence of the gale, or a change of wind, might enable us to come to their rescue. m "'nil' ■ 148 ARCTIC ROVING9, i ( i tl 'i^ This was accordingly clone ; and after a few rockets had been sent up from our own ship, answering signals were observed far to wind- ward. It was too dark, however, for us to make out the vessel in distress with the night- glass ; and after a short time, we saw no more of her signals, although the minute gun was still fired without cessation. Meanwhile, great excitement prevailed on board our own ship. The watch below had been aroused by the bustle on deck, and had turned out, long before eight bells, and all hands were assembled on deck, listening with painful emotions to the dull boom of the signal gun, and " hoping against hope," for the ulti- mate safety of those on board the sinking ship, whose distressed condition they knew so well yet were unable to relieve. Our commander paced the quarter-deck in a most excited manner, occasionally exchanging a few words with one of the officers, and, ever and anon, consulting: the " doo;-vane " to ascer- tain if the wind had veered. At length, after the lapse of nearly an hour since the first gun had been heard, the wind suddenly hauled aft several points, and, at the same time, percepti- bly subsided. y ^ ARCTIC BOVTNGS, 149 Upon this our captain lost no time in giving the proper orders for making sail, and getting the ship under way. The fore and fore-top- mast stay-sail, main spencer and close reefed spanker were first set ; and, as soon as the ship had acquired steerage way, and been brought to her course, the reefed fore-sail, main-sail, and main-top-sail were successively spread to the gale. Under this canvas, the ship bowed to the tempest, which still roared furiously, until her lee chains were submerged in the foaming waves, while her stout masts bent and swp.ved like coach whips, and at every headlong plunge, we more than half expected to hear the strained rigging burst asunder, and see the spars go overboard. Yet no such disaster occurred. The masts and rigging, although r-trained to a fearful ex- tent, still resisted the force of the gale, which bore us on our course with the speed of a race- horse. Each successive report of the signal gun sounded "nearer, clearer," than before, and we had begun to cherish a strong hope of being able to relieve our distressed fellow be- ings, when suddenly the minute gun ceased ; and, although the hearts of all stood sti'l. as, 150 ARCTIC ROVINGS, ! -'v breathless and silent, we listened for another report, it came not again ! At length, we could no longer resist the fear- ful conviction, that the unfortunate ship, with its precious freight of human lives, had been engulphed by the maddened billows ; and with sorrowful hearts we commenced the labor of shortening sail, and heaving the ship to, in obedience to the orders of tho captain. Such an incident as the foregoing, is not, by any means, of unfrequcnt occurrence upon the ocean. It affords but one of the many proofs which, almost daily come under the observation of sailors, that " life on the ocean wave " is held by a frail and uncertain tenure ; and that those " who go down to the sea in ships " have need to be ever prepared for the awful ei^ent of an instant transition from time to eternity. We never ascertained, with any degree of certainty, the name of the unfortunate vessel, which, undoubtedly, went down during that dark and stormy night, " off Cape Horn. So many ships were reported as " lost," " miss- ing," or " not heard from " upon our arrival home, that we could not, in this manner, gain any information that would afford us the mel- ancholy satisfaction of knowing her name and destination, or the names of those on board. BY SEA AND LAND. 151 ar- Hth cen ith of in Having doiiljled the Horn, we proceeded on our course, under full sail ; wind and weathor favoring us to an extraordinary degree, until after we bad crossed the equator in tlic Atlantic. OiF the Bermudas, we experienced rou;'h weather, and were considerably delayed by baHling and adverse winds ; but met with no accident more serious than the loss of a stud- ding-sail boom or two, in consequence of being taken suddenly aback, or tlie splitting of some of the smaller sails, in a scjuall. After passing the Bermudas, we were so for- tunate as to get a favorable " slant," which we held for several days, during which time, we started neither tack, sheet, nor halyards ; but, with the wind a litde abaft the beam, and every stitch of our canvas, with the exception of studding-sails, distended to the breeze, we bounded over the blue rolling billows of the Korth Atlantic, at the rate of eight or ten knots an hour, homeward hound. The joy which vv^ould have filled our bosoms, under ordinary circumstancos, in view of our vapid progress toward the dear home from which we had been so long absent, and the prospect of a speedy re-union with the beloved friends who, doul)tle3s, anxiously awaited our l!i n^ ::;' m '■! 152 AUCTIC KOVIXGS, arrival in port, was, upon tlie present occasion, considerably modified by a sad event which had occurred during our passage from the equator. This was the death of one of our shipmates, who, after suffering greatly from the scurvy — a disease which is sometimes unavoidable on shipboard — had finally died, and been con- signed to an ocean grave. The deceased, dur- ing his last days, had fondly cherished the hope that he mi> He had not recognized me as he approached the ship ; for four years, at my time of life, produce a wonderful change of form and fea- ture ; and, notwithstanding my hardships, I had grown both tall and stout ; but, after a brief inquiry as to my whereabouts, of one of the officers, he hastened aft ; and in a moment more, the now happy parent and his long ab- sent son stood face to face, hand grasping hand in affectionate pressure, and the eyes of both suffused with tears of joy, while, for several moments, neither could find voice to speak words of salutation, or give utterance to the emotions which filled his bosom. I pass over BY SEA AND LAND. 155 ad- I my fan- well lided istily tlicr, side 3S to was the scene which ensued, and which my pen is incapable of describing. The wind being fair, we stood up the harbor under the three topsails ; and, without coming to an anchorage, ran alongside the wharf, and moored the sh:p at once, and before the crew were allowcl to go ashore. Upon lauding, I found the wharf crowded with people, among whom were many of my former acquaintances and friends, who had as- sembled to greet me, knowing that I was ex- pected to return in that ship. As I stepped a.-^hore, cheer after cheer went up from the as- sembled multitude ; while hundreds crowded around me, eager to shake hands with me, or even to catch a glimpse of the returned wanderer, in whose adventures they had taken such a lively interest. Without boasting, I may say that I doubt if I lis Royal Highness, the Prince of Wales, during his late visit to this country, was anywhere received with more genuine and liearty good will, not to say enthusiasm, than that which was exhibited to- ward me upon my arrival at New Bedford. As soon as I could escape from the crowd, I jumped into a hack, in company with my father and brother-in-law, Mr. Wood, and drove to , 1 n i I it J •^\ i . ■' ^1 r|5 156 APwCTIC ROVING S, the house of the hitter, where I was received with joy and thanksgiving by my svhole circle of relatives, who had there assemLled. On tlie following day, I was sent for by the Editor of the New Bedford Dailv Stan(hird, who desired me to allow him to publish a brief article in reference to my adventures in Siberia, my rescue and my return ; and a brief sketch of my adventures was accordingly published in the Standard^ which attracted public attention to such a degree, as to cause it to be copied in all the leading papers in Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and other cities; and which, eventually, led to the request, from various quarters, that I should publish a full and com- plete narrative of my sea life, and residence in Siberia. Shortly after my return home, my father re- lated to me the history of his eftbrts to discover my whereabouts, and effect my rescue, if living* upon learning that I had been left upon the coast of the Okotsk Sea, and which is compre- hended in the fifth chapter of this book ; togeth- er with the following additional information in •egard to the trial of Capt. Yv'hitesidc. While the December term of the court, at wliicli the trial of Capt. Whiteside had been ap- BY Si: A AND LAND. 157 ceived circle y the idard, l)ricf beria, sketch heel in ention lied in York, which, various 1 com- nce in [ler re- iscover living* Dn the )mpre- ogeth- :ion in urt, at en ap- pointed, was pending, and when my father, al- though still " hopin;^ against hope," had begun to despair of ever again beholding nie, or even of learning what had boen niv fate, he unex- pectedly received the letter which I wrote to him upon my return to Honolulu in the Daniel Wood, and also, one from Mr. Damon, written at the same time and place, whicdi gave him the joyful assurance that I still lived, and should soon return to mv home. My letter, which contained a full account of the manner in which I had been treated while onboard the Condor and the abuses to which I had been tlicre subjected, was immediately plac- ed by my father in possession of his lawyer, to be used as evidence in the suit. The trial was then held ; the attorney of Captain Whiteside, who was then absent at sea, appearing for his client ; and after a full inves- tigation of the facts in the case, the jury, ad- mittuijx mv letter as leij^al tcstimonv, rendered a verdict against Capt. Whiteside, of three hun- dred dollars damages, as compensation for the time which I had been compelled to lose by leaving the ship. Thus, not only had Divine Providence per- i^i ,;^:i ! fl ! 158 AaCTiC ROVIXGS, mitted me to return in safety to my home and friends ; but I had, in a measure, obtained legal redress for my wrongs. Li bringing this suit against Ca])tain Whiteside, however, my father had been actuated by a higher motive than the desire to obtain pecuniary redress. He wished to make the case of Captain Whiteside an ex- ample to convince other commanders, who might be disposed in future, to tyrannize over their crews, that the laws of America will pro- tect the seamen from abuse, or, at least, aiFord them compensation for tiieir sufferings, and pun- ish the tyrant of tlie ouarter deck. He hoped in this r lanner, to perform a ser- vice to his felloYf men ; particularly to those " wliD go down to the sea in ships;" and the publication of this w^ork has been undertaken, by the author, partly with a view to further this desirable end. I wish it to be distinctly understood that I cherisli no spirit of revenge toward Captain Whitesjdo, nor would I desire to injure his feel- ings or reputation i^^ any manner whatsoever ; and I have endeavored to make this work a narrative of my personal adventures alone, with as few reflections upon the conduct and actions of others as possible. and legal suit utlier m the dshed Q ex- wlio over Ihpro- afFord dpun- a eer- tliose nd the L'taken, ler this that I Japtain [lis feel- 500 vcr ; work a le, with actions BY SEA AA'D LAND. 1.'9 The paragraph to which I have alluded, as having been publislied upon my return, in the New Bedford Standard, was extensively copied and created so much interest in the conununity as to induce my relatives and personal friends, and indeed, manv entire strano-ers, to sufffrcst to my father and myself the publication of such a book as this. Knowing that a narrative of my adventures would interest my personal friends, and that it might be read with pleasure by other.s ; and being, withal, unable to labor hard for r, susten- ance, I have ventured to submit this little vol- ume to a generous public ; trusting that it may prove a source of gratification to my friends, of interest to strangers, of benefit to all whose home is, of necessity, upon the great deep, and larst, but not least, of profit to myself. If all, or any of tliese ends shall have been accomplished by the publication of this work, I shall feel amply repaid for the time and labor I have expended upon it. And now, gentle reader, trusting that you will scan these pages, not with a critics eye, but in the spirit of partial friendship, overlook- ing their manifold imperfections, and exagger- if 1*1 m 1 '! ' t it 160 ATICTIC ROVINGS, ating tlieir merits, if any such there be, your sincere friend and well wisher, THE SAILOR BOY OF New Bedford, bids you farewell. THE END. ^oiir LOR APPENDIX. II? ' 1 1 APPENDIX. Containing a copy of the advertisement inserted m tlie New Bedford Shipping List, by Wm. Hall, of that city, which eventually led to the rescue of his son from exile; together with the correspondence between Mr. Hall and the United States Secretary of State, the American Consul, and Seamen's Pastor at Honolulu, and others, in regard to the abandonment of his son, by the captain of the whale ship Condor, on the shores of the Okotsk Sea. li' \' From the JVcw Beiford Hhipping List. "INFORMATION WANTEDI" .' To any or all of the whalemen or merchantmen bound to, or cruising in the Okotsk Sea and Shanter BaT and to all friends of humanity in that part of Zworld, the subscriber would most earnestly appeal tr^posible assistance in regard to the foUowtng case :— 163 1^ ■1^^ Vi t is W^ i: i : , - ll? 1G4 APPENDIX. " The subscriber, being generally known to the of- ficers of the New Bedford whaling fleet, does hereby declare, upon the authority of Samuel H. Whiteside, late master of the whale -ship Condor, of Xew Bed- ford, that his son, Daniel Weston Hall, together with a young man named Elias D. Tolman, alias Albert Sherman, also of Massachusetts, were left by said Whiteside, upon the coast of Shanter Bay, on the Gth of October, 1858 ; since which time no farther intelli- gence of them has been received by their anxious friends. " Any information in regard to the above named boys, will be thankfully received by the subscriber ; any assistance or protection which may be rendered them, by any person or persons whatsoever, and any counsel or aid, whatever, in the above mentioned case, ehall be rewarded with the eternal gratitude of an af- flicted circle of relatives. " The said Hall is now seventeen years and seven months old, five feet and six inches in height, and stout built, having black eyes, and a small scar upon his forehead. WILLIAM HALL, No. 129 Union Street, New Bedford, Mass. March 29, 1859. APrEXDIX. 166 Letter to the United States Secretary of Slate. Hon. Lewis Cass, Seadary of States Washington City. Dear Sir : — Allow me to represent to you, as the head of the Department of State for the United States, that my son, Daniel W. Hall, of New Bedford, aged now, if living, about eighteen years, sailed from this place in the ship Condor, of New Bedford, Samuel H. Whiteside, master, in August, 1856, on a whaling voyage to the north Pacific. After a very successful cruise, and when the ship was full of oil and bone, and nearly ready to start for home, two of her boats were overtaken by the night, at a distance from the ship, and their crews landed upon the Siberian coast for shelter during the night. When morning came, my son, with another young man, named Albert Sherman, also of Massachusetts, were missing ; the boats waited a short time and then returned to the ship, which soon set sail for the Sand- wich Islands. Since that time, nothing has been heard of either of these boys ; and as winter was com- ing on, their friends have great cause to fear that they perished from hunger and cold, unless picked up by some of the natives or Eussian trappers. And now, Mr. Secretary, having placed these facts before you, the subscriber, as parent of the boy Hall, most humbly prays, that you will use such means as you have at your very extensive command, througli ' I* iil ! !' ; i:l 166 APPENDIX. ,: I H 1-i ministers and consuls in Eussia, China, Japan and the Sandwich Islands, to learn, if possible, the where- abouts of the boys if living, or, if dead, the place, time and probable cause of their decease. The subscriber also prays that your honor may be pleased to give this your immediate attention. Your humble servant, WILLIAM HALL. New Bedford, April 2, 1853. M Letter to the Secretary of State, from Hon. A S. Cmh- man, qf J^ew Bedford. Hon. Lewis Cass, Secretary of State, Washington City. Sir : — Allow me to say to you that I have seen the letter written by Mr. Hall that I know something of the case in question, r.nd that I most cheerfully concur in the subject of his letter to you ; hoping that you will hear his prayer in his distressed condi- tion. Mr. Hall is one of our most respected citizens, and has the hearty sympathy of our entire community ; therefore, I can with propriety, recommend him to your notice. Your obedient servant, A. S. CUSHMAN, United States Commissioner. New Bedford, April 2, 1859. 1 APPENDIX. 167 and heve- )lace, ly be LL. Cu9h- een the nething eerfully hoping I condi- ?ng, and mnnity ; him to ioner. Letter from the United States Secretary of State to Mr. Hall. Department of State, Washington, April 7, 1859. DearSie: — Your communication of the 2d inst., and also two letters from Mr. A. S. Cushman and Mr. A. H. Howland, respecting the abandonment of your sou and Albert Sherman, on the shores of the Okotsk Sea, have been received. Agreeably to your rec[uest, instructions have been sent to the United States Consuls at Hong-Kong, Shanghai, Sidney, Mauritius, Hilo, Labinia, and Ho- nolulu, directing them to make inquiries concerning these young men, and to communicate any informa- tion which they may obtain to this Department. Your obedient servant, JOEN APPLETON, Assistant Secretary, Wm, Hall, Esq., New Bedford, Mass. Letter from Rev. S. C- Damon^ »eamen*s pador at Hono- lulu. Eonolulu, July 26, 1859. Dear Sir : — Your letter of the 2d now lies before me. In reply let me say, that I am acquainted with all the facts in regard to the ship Condor, and her being condemned at Honolulu. I had considerable to do with the crew, but I do not remember to have I' i. \ i : ^ Y iM 1^1 IP"' J; 168 APPENDIX. heard thora speak of your sons being left in the Oko+sk Sea. As you have doubtless, ero this, hcaid the particu- lars from Captain Whiteside, I hope your anxious mind has been relieved. At present, I know not if any of the crew are in Honolulu, but I will make in- quiries when the ships return from sea. You know that none of these ships will bo reported until Sep- tember or October. In the meantime, I shall be gliid to hear from you again, unless your mind has bceu put at rest by the captain's statcmento In conclusion, let me say, that the condemnation of the Condor was a most unfortunate affair fo.- the crow. They were paid off here, at Honolulu prices, and obtained orders which were sold back to the agent at a low figure. I suppose all is right, but still I could not but look on and feel sad, for this was one of the best crews that ever came into Honolulu. Yours truly, SAxMUEL 0. DAMON. APPENDIX. 1G9 n tLe brticu- axious not if ike in- know I Sep- dQ glvid s been fusion, lor waa y were L orders ure. I look on i;73 tliat MON. Second Letter from the Siecretnry qf State. Department of State, Wa-shiiic/lon, December 20, 185;). William Hall, Esq., New Bfdford Mass. Sir: — Referring to the coTniniinication of the 7th of April last, addressed to you, in reply to your let- ter of the 2d of the same month, respect ii:.^ your son» who is supposed to have been abandoned on the shores of the Okotsk Sea, I have now to transmit, for your information, a copy of a despatch, (No. 1 7,) received from the United States Consul at Honolulu, in reply to the instructions of the Department on the subject. I regret to inform you that the other United States Consuls to whom similar instructions were sent, have been unable to furnish any information concerning your son. I am sir, your obedient serva^"'., JOHN APPLETON, Assistant Secretary. I ■t .ij 170 APPENDIX. JDetpatch from the V. S. Consul at Honolulu* ^o. 17, Consulate op the U. 8. at EonolulUy S, /., October 15, 1859. Sir: — Your letter of inquiry, under date of April 1, 1859, in relation to the fate of two young men, viz., Daniel W. Hall and Albert Sherman, of Massachu- setts, who sailed from New Bedford in August, 1858, on a whaling voyage, &c., in the ship "Condor," Samuel H. Whiteside, master, and who are reported to have been left on the shore of the Okotsk, &o., wag received ; and in answer thereto, I can only at pres- ent say, that early last spring, and long before the receipt of your despatch, the ship "Condor'' was condemned and sold in this port, consequently, the crew were discharged, and some of them shipped again to return home, while others of them shipped in various vessels for another whaling expedition ; and that immediately after condemnation and sale of the *• Condor," Capt. Whiteside returned to New Bed- ford by way of San Francisco, since which time I have not seen any of the officers or crew of said vessel, nor have I been able to obtain the least information on the subject. No information touching the matter, was communi- cated to me, or to any other person, as I can learn, while the crew were in this port. Some of the sea- meu ^vho shipped on a whaling voyage, will, undoubt- AITENDIX, 171 edly, be in this port again some time during the fall or winter, and any information I can obtain from them on the subject, 1 will, at once, communicate to you. Most rcBpectfuUy, ABXER PRA.TT, U. S. Consul Hon. John Appleton, Assistant Secretary oj State, Washington. >» i 1' 1 \ > 1 k \ ti a .! ^ i I ii KilA V NEW BOOKS. JUST PUBLISHED BY ABEL TOMPKINS, 38 and 40 CornhiU, Boston. A SPLENDID GIFT BOOK FOR THE HOLIDAYS. i! J"XJST I=>XJ:B3LISH:3Br>- BY LIYING WORDS. REV. E. U. CHAPIN, D. D. The subscri'Der has just pu>>l!?he<] a work ofunprccedonlcd inter- est iind worth, coiiri'istiui; ui' OViiti O.MO TilUUdAJND SELKC- TIO.N'S from tht3 worK,-< of tliir^ omiiciit (livimi. in tUiti collection the iuiiuirer^ of Dr. Chapiu will hnd thoije }^h)vviii,u' i)!issa'.i,oj at winoli tli-n^ paiisjjd ami lin'^'ored or »-urut;(l back to rriperutjc ai- tliey reau liid writiuj^s, or which have thrill ud them as thej' listened to his voice, to;j;ether witli numerous auhor- wms, iioutcuced and pLtrat:,rapho coiiocied i'roiu h.c crations, t'peecli- es, extempor'Ti'-oiis si;rmons and unpnblishod lectures; makinu; in all tlie mo.st ricii auu varied eiiturtaiuuient to which the leadin^' puolic has for a lon^ time heou iavited In thcs\i e:;tractif — varyin.;, fn lu a ain'j,ie line to t\V(> and a half payees, thou ^h mostly very i)rief-are found the .'>reatt)inj^'s of a vatiiolie and Olirieliau spirit, tiie uictatcri of a ^'j.iui;.-. piuio. .'j/liy and wis ioui. uuequalled elo([UOUce of diction and llashci; of inimit- able wit. liis ideas of (iod. Christ. Nature, Revelation, Life. Rell^'ion, Lit- erature, Art, ocience. La .or, Ohlvaiij i'iiil( sophy, Rui'.rm, ;i;:i. Woman. Freedom, Immortality, aiid ovary t-ubject to w.hieii his va^ jiud varied jj.jwei.-! ii.ive i'een directed., are here brou^lit to-ct'ivc ill fiiat poetic foriu of statement an. I happy mode of il i u-lri*tioa in whicli rie so nmcli e.vcois uil liviiu, nu a. Tiie wliole has been celecLed and arranj;ed by one wiiwsjo «vmpa- paU'iy witii Dr. ■ 'h ><',!;iu* tiiid ci:e- I'ul study of ills works, were exeelient i^ua!i^earloll^ lu» tiie uisic. It io acooiiipaniei i^y a very full an.; pcrNiCt in tox, i/V -vhich tne thou!j;lit on any subject may reanily be iound, mt Inrruuuuliou oy tiie Rev. I . ft. ivir j^,, aa.i a m>i^t superi and r.^'cuiafo ^tctd Ivi:^'rav iu.^i' of tlie Autfior. It contains .'JGd ]ia{i,e>, and is issued in Lao very best st\ le of B'>stuii work. 'i he linobt quality of papev, printiii;.. and biudinj; will be founct, in this volume wiiich wdl i e SO 1 at t/ elow priceoi $! O.t per copy, lor wiiicii ^u.u wo wui acim mo wonv b^. m.i.i, [uu-^t pa»vi, to ua> place within 30u0milc3. All ordois muat bo ecnt directly to the Publisher. {. lih; 1, t IS hi ^ i "I ? IN UNIFORM BINDINGS. HOME LIFE; OR, A PEEP ACROSS THE THRESHOLD, MRS. CAROLINE A. SOULE. PRICE 75 CENTS. This volume is a collection of beautiful stories, by one of the best writers in this country. Aloral stories, that can be read at any time with profit to the reader. It is just the book to have in the •' Home." MARION LESTER; OR, THE MOTHER'S MISTAKE. BY MINNIE S. DAVIS. 16mo Price 75 cents. This is one of the best stories ever written. It K worthy of a place in every family. THE HARVEST OF LOVE. BY MINNIE S. DAVIS. UNIFOEM WITH MAEION LESTER. PEICS 75 CENTS. These three volumes, together with the Pet of the Settlement and Hesper, are pat up in a neat paste- board box, under the title of " The Home Circle Lib- rary," price $3.75 per set, or 75 cents single volumes. Ser t by mail, postage paid, on receipt of the retail price. A. TOMPKINS. Publisher, 38 and 40 CoruhilL Boston. A BOOK FOS EVERT HOME. HESPER; THE HOME SPIRIT. A Simple Story of Household Labor and Love. BY MISS ELIZABETH DOTEN. R. ■ the This work, from the pen of ^lii^'i Doten, is a Home hook for the people and their children, — it gives the simple history of an individual experience, illustrating throughout, the all prevailing power of the " Charity that never faiieth." Aside from any exaggerated ro- mance, or " incidents of thriding interest," it presents life in the ordinary household phase with which most minds are familiar. The work is manufactured in the hest style. 1 vol., 16mo., 256 pages, uniform with " Home Life " and " Marion Lester." PRICE 76 CENTS. On receipt of this price we will send the work ly mail, with postage prepaid. ABEL TOMPKINS, 38 and 40 CornhUl, Boston. 1 ( A BEAUTIFUL STOHY OP WS3TERN LIFE. i I ■- '■ ■, ;' ; THE PET OF THE SSTTLEZ^IENT. A STOliY OF PIIAIKIE LAND. BY MRS. CAROLINE A SOULE, AUTHOR OP " HOME LIFE." 16mo Price 75 cents. This story of Mrs. Soule is so well known to our readers, that any notice from us would he superfluous. We take up the volume with s unewhat the fcclinoj, we imagine, that our children look upon a completed picture formed by pretty pictui-ed blocks. Each chap- ter has been a story by itself full of incident, c*nd placed in these neat covers and woven together, we have now a complete history of western life. AVe have been told that woman dcgeneraies in western homes, but the author of the Pet of the Settlemeat, in the capacity of wife, mother, housekotipor, and writer, makes us doubt the assertion, and as we are inclined to the bright rather than the dark side of a picture, we shall look upon her as the type of western woman- hood. A new chapter, "The Maniac," is added to the story since its publication in our pages, and we hope next month to give it to our readers. — Editor Ladies' Repository. On receipt of the price, as above, we will send the book mv mail and pay -postage. E. r. ;ents. ) our 10U3. Ling, leted hap- v»nd • we We stern t, in 'iter, ined ture, aian- I the bope dies' . the