/ 
 
 & 
 
 

 
 A L N O M U C: 
 
 OR 
 
 THE GOLDEN RULE, 
 
 TALE OF THE SEA. 
 
 WITH TWENTY-FOUR ENGRAVINGS. 
 
 BOSTON: 
 
 JAMES B. DOW, PUBLISHER. 
 
 H 
 
 * 1842.
 
 Entered according to an act of Congress, in the year 
 1837, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of 
 Massachusetts.
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER 1. The parting scene : the 
 landsman's farewell and thf. sailor's 
 farewell ; a rule also to guid?. those 
 who embark on a long voyage, appli- 
 cable to all who are sailing through 
 the ocean of life, 5 
 
 CHAPTER II. Home sickness : the lands- 
 man's introduction to his shipmates ; 
 his feelings on taking a last view of 
 his native land, and resolutions for 
 the voyage, 17 
 
 CHAPTER III. Sea sickness : its feel- 
 ings and effects ; rough methods of 
 cure ; application of the Golden Rule, . 29 
 
 CHAPTER IV. Old Sailor : some notice 
 of him his good qualities and rogue- 
 ish propensities, and the trouble the 
 last brought upon him, 41 
 
 CHAPTER V. The worth of a dog's good 
 will: not to be despised; kindness 
 never thrown away even upon a dog, . 53 
 
 - 
 
 2051413
 
 CHAPTER VI. Some account of one 
 Land Crab : a crooked stich and an 
 odd one, with more courage than a 
 bolder man, 65 
 
 CHAPTER VII. The Revenge: a vil- 
 lain ; Land Crab suffers for his 
 honesty, 77 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. The Christian's Re- 
 venge : application of the Golden 
 Rule, 89 
 
 CHAPTER IX. The Tempest: Ship be- 
 tween two seas ; great danger ; the 
 courageous sailor ; benefit of the 
 Golden Ride, 101 
 
 CHAPTER X. The Indian : naked sav- 
 ages ; comical dress ; the sailor's love 
 of tobacco, and economy in its use y 
 culprit saved from punishment, , . , 113 
 
 CHAPTER XI. The Conspiracy / pre- 
 cautions on Northwest coast : attack 
 from natives : value of an Indian's 
 gratitude ; results of the Golden Rule, 125 
 
 CHAPTER XII. The Conclusion : the 
 faithful wife ; the grateful chief : the 
 many advantages of following the 
 Golden Rule, 137
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 THE PARTING SCENE. 
 
 " GOD bless you my boy," said Mr. Dil- 
 loway laying his hand upon his son's head. 
 " May the God of your fathers be with you 
 jn all your wanderings and bring you back 
 to your home in peace." 
 
 George made no answer, for his feelings 
 choked him ; his heart seemed to be in his 
 throat, and he could not speak. He was 
 just of age and about to leave his father's 
 house in the pursuits of commerce, for a far 
 distant land. Before he should again visit 
 the home of his childhood, he expected to 
 measure the circumference of the earth in 
 his wanderings, and that three several times 
 would the sun perform his circuit, changing 
 the seasons. Three times as the bright lu- 
 minary moved southward, would the green 
 leaf of summer put on the seared aspect of 
 autumn, and its genial heats give way before 
 the chilling blasts of winter. Three times 
 1 *
 
 6 4LNOMUC : OR 
 
 would the face of nature be gladdened by 
 the mild influence of the spring ; and the 
 seared leaf of autumn and cold winds of 
 winter would for a while be forgotten, amid 
 the smiling blossoms of the renovated year. 
 
 But would the change be confined to the 
 face of nature ? George knew that it would 
 not : before his return infancy would have 
 progressed into childhood^childhood would 
 have passed into youth or youth be ripen- 
 ed into manhood : he could never again see 
 his young friends as he had seen them ; all, 
 all must be changed. But was he sure of 
 meeting even the youngest of those he left 
 behind ! 
 
 Many a bright blossom of the spring is 
 nipped by an untimely frost : and many a 
 fond parent's hope, is claimed by the fell 
 destroyer, in the first budding of its young 
 existence. And what may come upon in- 
 fancy, childhood and youth, is sure to come 
 upon old age. 
 
 The tender plant may escape the frosts 
 of spring, may flourish and become strong 
 under the genial influence of summer, and
 
 THE GOLDEN RULE. 7 
 
 when mature it may bear abundant fruit at 
 the harvest : but at length the blasts of au- 
 tumn will shrivel its leaf and the frosts of 
 winter bind up the current of its sap ; and 
 it will become a dead and inert mass, as 
 though it had not been. 
 
 George looked at his mother, the friend 
 of his earliest days. Her delicate frame 
 seemed unable to withstand the shocks of 
 a boisterous world ; the lamp of life flicker- 
 ed, as if the first rude breath might extin- 
 guish it. He turned to his father : his tall 
 and manly form was still erect and vigorous, 
 but the frost was upon his temples, showing 
 that the 4 winter of his days had come ; and 
 the hour, could not be far distant, when the 
 hoary head must bow and the vigor of man- 
 hood be extinguished in the grave. And 
 how could he tell that that hour would be 
 delayed till his return ! how then could he 
 leave these his best friends, never perhaps 
 to see them more on earth ! He felt that 
 he could not. 
 
 The ship in which George Dilloway was 
 to sail was then lying in the stream the
 
 8 ALNOMUC : OR 
 
 anchor was apeak, and the sails hanging 
 in festoons from the yards ready to be drop- 
 ped at an instant's warning ; then they must 
 be sheeted home to drive the vessel to her 
 far distant destination. George had been 
 very earnest in preparation, and with the 
 propensity to wander so natural to youth 
 fully developed, had been looking forward 
 to his expected adventures : but when the 
 hour came, he found it was another thing 
 than he had thought of, to leave the home of 
 his youth and all the associations of his early 
 love. And now but for very shame, he 
 would have thrown by his preparations and 
 his long cherished hopes. For a moment 
 he deliberated, then stirred up his resolution 
 and turned to go. 
 
 He could not speak, but squeezed a hand 
 of each of his parents in one of his. His 
 mother too, was overcome and could not 
 restrain her sobs ; but his father, with man- 
 ly resolution endeavored to master his feel- 
 ings, and said : " Stop a moment, my son, 
 'I have one word more to say before you 
 leave us."
 
 THE GOLDEN RULE. 9 
 
 Mr. Dilloway was a sincere and single- 
 minded Christian, who endeavored to reg- 
 ulate his life by the plain English of the 
 Bible. He had sought to rear his son in the 
 nurture and admonition of the Lord : his 
 chief fear for his boy now was, that he would 
 be forgetful of the instructions of his youth, 
 and that the religious feeling which had 
 begun to develope itself in his son, would be 
 extinguished before it could ripen to the 
 perfection of the Christian character. He 
 had formerly been on a similar voyage to 
 the one, on which George was about to em- 
 bark ; and he well knew that it abounded 
 in temptations and trials, which would often 
 prove a severe test to Christian principle 
 Why he should have consented to expose, 
 his son to such an ordeal, has nothing to do 
 with our present purpose : but the youth 
 was going and the father's heart and prayers 
 would go with him. 
 
 Mr. Dilloway remembered that on the 
 voyage he must come in contact with many 
 savage and half civilized people ; and he 
 well knew the propensity of those who visit
 
 10 ALNOMUC : OR 
 
 such, to treat them with injustice : he was 
 therefore anxious to impress upon his son 
 the golden precept of his Saviour, by which 
 if a man will rule his conduct, he shall be 
 blessed himself and will prove a blessing to 
 others. 
 
 " My dear boy," said the old gentleman, 
 placing his hand upon his son's head : " I 
 wish you always to remember one thing, 
 and that is to do to others, as you would 
 have others do to you." 
 
 " Yes, George," said his mother smiling 
 through her tears. " and remember whose 
 precept that is." 
 
 George promised sincerely that he would 
 endeavor to make this the rule of his con- 
 duct, and his father proceeded : 
 
 " You will have daily, yes, my son, 
 hourly opportunities for the exercise of this 
 most Christian principle on board your ves- 
 sel : and when you arrive at the islands in 
 the South Sea, or upon the Northwest Coast 
 of America, the calls to act upon this rule 
 will be much increased ; for you will then 
 be among a race over whom civilization
 
 THE GOLDEN RULE. 11 
 
 will give you many advantages, but whose 
 degradation is an additional claim upon you 
 to treat them with tenderness." 
 
 The old gentleman was here interrupted 
 by the entrance of another person. It was 
 no other than the captain in whose ship 
 George was to sail. " Come, Geordieman, 
 we are all holding on for you ; the anchor's 
 under the fore foot, and the lads standing by 
 to sheet home. Come, come, I didn't ex- 
 pect to find you blubbering like a whipt 
 school-boy hold up your head, man, pass 
 your swab athwart your peepers, and get up 
 your ground tackle : what's quickest done, 
 is soonest mended." 
 
 Dick Darrick was an early friend of 
 George Dilloway though by some years his 
 senior, and the advantage of going in his 
 company, was one inducement with George 
 to undertake the voyage. Dick was a frank, 
 honest hearted sailor, but somewhat rough 
 and noisy withal ; especially when by a 
 boisterous carriage, he could hope to hide 
 the workings of what he thought human
 
 12 ALNOMUC : OR 
 
 weakness. For though his weather-beaten 
 frame seemed seasoned to the hardness of a 
 pitch knot, yet had he all a woman's ten- 
 derness of heart. This was a source of 
 some annoyance, for spite of himself, it 
 would sometimes appear. 
 
 He was now going to take charge of a 
 crew of hardy seamen, and therefore wished 
 especially to avoid any appearance of what 
 might seem an unmanly weakness. So it 
 was at this time,, that he was rather more 
 noisy than usual. Besides he had found by 
 experience that shortest leave-takings were 
 always the best ; and for himself, he gen- 
 erally contrived to avoid them altogether. 
 
 When therefore, Mr. Dilloway proposed 
 to accompany his son to the ship, he would 
 not allow it " No, no," he said, " we shall 
 only have a second edition of blubbering 
 there. You needn't fear, but George '11 
 get his share of salt water before he comes 
 back." 
 
 " But then, Mr. Darrick, he's to be gone 
 so long ! " exclaimed the .mother. 
 
 " Long ! not at all. It may appear long
 
 THE GOLDEN RULE. 13 
 
 to look forward to, but we shall be back 
 almost before you'll have a chance to think 
 of us. Why, we'd take a turn round the 
 world afore you'd spin a yarn half so long. 
 Besides, he won't be back any the sooner, 
 for making yourself uncomfortable about it. 
 Now, how do you 'spose I took leave of my 
 wife?" 
 
 " I'm sure I can't tell, Mr. Darrick ! " 
 " Well, I'll tell ye, I just didn't take leave 
 at all." 
 
 " But you intend to call home again, be- 
 fore you go on board ? " 
 
 " Not I, indeed, I promise you ! " 
 " Sure, Mr. Darrick, you wouldn't be 
 gone three years without bidding your wife 
 a good bye ? " 
 
 " Wouldn't I ! That's just what I mean 
 to do, I assure you ma'am. I'll tell you 
 how I did When the time came that I 
 must go, I found I had left something up 
 stairs may be, I forgot it on purpose. So 
 I goes up to fetch it, and the wife waits at 
 the foot of the stairs to take leave as I come 
 down meantime I dives down the back 
 2
 
 14 ALNOMUC : OR 
 
 stairway, and out at another door. And 
 she's waiting there now I 'spose, and I shall 
 be under way afore she finds I'm gone : 
 then she'll be mad enough, and that '11 do 
 her good, and she won't think o' crying. 
 She'll get over the mad when she finds 
 there's no one to be mad with, so all '11 be 
 right. Come along Geordie, it's time we 
 were off." 
 
 " Mrs. Dilloway," continued Darrick, 
 putting his head back through the door, 
 "you'll have an eye upon the poor girl, 
 won't you ; you know she'll have need of 
 all the comfort her friends can give her." 
 He withdrew his head, and hurried away 
 without stopping to hear Mrs. Dillo way's 
 assurances of kindness to his wife ; for he 
 found the remembrance of his home began 
 to unman him. He felt a sort of choking 
 in his throat, and an odd sensation about 
 his eyes, that warned him to be in motion, 
 that he might keep the mastery of his feel- 
 ings ; so he seized George's arms and hur- 
 ried on towards the quay, where his boat 
 was waiting for him to embark.
 
 THE GOLDEN RULE. 15 
 
 " That Captain Darrick is a strange man 
 Mr. Dilloway," observed George's mother 
 after she had watched the two young men 
 till a turn in the street caused them to dis- 
 appear : " Don't you think it's strange he 
 xvould'nt let you go on hoard with the poor 
 boy. And only think of his leaving his 
 wife so, without letting her bid him good 
 bye ! " 
 
 " His ways are a little different from 
 what we've been accustomed to, my dear ; 
 nevertheless he is a fine frank hearted fel- 
 low. George thinks highly of him, and I've 
 a good deal of confidence in George's judg- 
 ment. As to his taking French leave of his 
 wife, it may appear rather strange ; but I 
 believe it is good policy, and calculated to 
 save her pain as well as himself. It is 
 quite common for seafaring men to leave 
 their families thus abruptly. There is one 
 thing, however, I could wish to see changed 
 about Capt. Darrick : I fear he has but little 
 religion, and that he allows himself in pro- 
 fanity, and perhaps in other sins." 
 
 " And our boy is to be his companion for
 
 16 ALNOMUC : OR 
 
 three years Oh, Mr. Dilloway, suppose 
 George was to learn his evil ways, would it 
 not bring down our grey hairs with sorrow 
 to the grave?" 
 
 " Let us hope better things, my dear. He 
 is now gone, and we will trust him to God ; 
 we will never forget our son at the throne 
 of grace, and our heavenly Father will not 
 forget him. We will agree together to re- 
 member his companion in our prayers, and 
 may we not hope God will turn him from 
 the error of his ways perhaps use our dear 
 George to awaken his attention. 
 
 It was a great comfort to Mr. and Mrs. 
 Dilloway to lay their cares upon the mercy 
 seat : yet they could not but remember that 
 their child had gone into the way of temp- 
 tation, and that they had allowed him to 
 go. Like every true Christian similarly sit- 
 uated, their consciences would not allow 
 them to. rest during the continuance of that 
 lon- -long voyage.
 
 THE GOLDEN RULE. 17 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 HOME SICKNESS. 
 
 GEORGE DILLOWAY hurried on with his 
 friend Darrick after he left his father's 
 house : neither spoke a word, for each was 
 sufficiently occupied with his own thoughts. 
 They were soon seated in the stern sheets 
 of the ship's boat, and a few strokes of the 
 oar carried them along-side. As they ap- 
 proached the vessel) Darrick laid his hand 
 on his friend with a sailor's" grip, and 
 George started from his reverie. " Come 
 Geordie," he said, " get your manly tacks 
 aboard, my boy : don't let the tars see you 
 piping your eye like a sick girl." 
 
 George manned himself as well as he 
 could and followed captain Darrick, who 
 had run up the side ladder the moment the 
 boat touched. " Man your windlass, Mr. 
 Barnacle," exclaimed the captain, as his 
 foot touched the deck 1 " drop your main- 
 top-sail boys, sheet home. Lend us a 
 2*
 
 18 ALNOMUC : OR 
 
 hand Mr. Dilloway, to sheet home this top- 
 sail : we must make a piece of a sailor of 
 you afore we bring you back." 
 
 George ran to assist his friend, and pull- 
 ed upon the topsail sheet with all his might ; 
 for though he was going out as supercargo, 
 he was determined, as captain Darrick said, 
 to make himself a piece of a sailor. 
 
 By the time the captain, with the assis- 
 tance of the cook and steward and one or 
 two of the hands, had got the main-top-sail 
 set, the anchor was at the bows ; and a 
 stern voice was heard from the quarter 
 deck : " Forward there hoist away your 
 jib." 
 
 It was the pilot, who had charge of the 
 vessel until she should be clear of the har- 
 bor : captain Darrick having interested his 
 friend in ship's duty, now went below, leav- 
 ing George eagerly engaged in assisting the 
 seamen. Sail after sail was set, and no one 
 was more busy than the supercargo : he ran 
 wherever ne saw others running, pulled 
 when others pulled ; but sometimes he'd let 
 go a wrong rope, and thus bring himself
 
 THE GOLDEN RULE. 19 
 
 into disgrace. He was very active, and of 
 course contented, and amused the sailors 
 not a little by the rapid striding of his long 
 legs and the flying of his coat tails. 
 
 The lofty spars were soon covered with 
 their clouds of canvass, and the seaman 
 were called to trim the yards. George, 
 with a parcel more of land-lubbers, followed 
 two or three old tars to the main-brace ; but 
 it was in vain the sailors tried to make them 
 lay out their strength together : they were 
 like a company of militia at a regimental 
 training, where oiie gun will go off after 
 another, as if the unruly squad had entered 
 into a combination that no two should fire 
 at once. First the seamen would pull 
 then George would pull and the green hands 
 in his rear, would each in his turn give a 
 pull. " Ho yo all together boys," exclaim- 
 ed the sailors : but the song and the exhor- 
 tation were alike useless. It was evident 
 the landsmen had no ear for the music, and 
 the tars consoled themselves for doing all 
 the work, by laughing at the scattering legs
 
 20 ALNOMUC : OR 
 
 and uncouth attempts of the awkward 
 squad behind them. 
 
 George's long shanks spread across the 
 deck, afforded an especial deal of amuse- 
 ment to the jolly tars ; though it was only 
 by sly looks at one another, and oblique 
 glances at the supercargo's nether man, that 
 they ventured to show their merriment. 
 Nevertheless, they liked the frank bearing 
 of the young man, and were pleased with 
 his vigorous movements, and the readiness 
 with which he joined in ship's duty. 
 
 " I say Bob," exclaimed Bill Driver, as 
 soon as George was out of hearing, " we've 
 got a long spliced chap for a quill-driver, 
 this time ? " 
 
 "A likely lad, Bill," replied Bob Ring- 
 tail : " that lad's got the frame work for a 
 man I can tell you ; and a pritty man he'll 
 make, arter he spreads more and gits his 
 bones hardened a bit." 
 
 " It may be Bob, if he'd only doff them 
 'are long togs, and get his gearing a little 
 more shipshape, it may be, he'd be a pritty 
 lad."
 
 THE GOLDEN RULE. 21 
 
 " Never fear man, he'll doff the swallow- 
 tail or he's been on blue water a bit : and 
 he'll make a sailor too, you may depend ; 
 it won't be long or he'll be the first at a 
 weather earring." 
 
 " That's like enough Bob ; for he's only 
 to stand on the rail and lift up his hands to 
 the top-sail yard. It '11 be handy having 
 sich a long-spliced chap when any thing 
 goes foul aloft. 
 
 George was not taller than a number of 
 others on board the Alnomuc ; but his slen- 
 der form and citizen's dress, made him ap- 
 pear very tall to some of the seamen. He 
 was about six feet in height, and though his 
 frame was not as yet developed, his heavy 
 limbs gave indication of his becoming a 
 stout man. Though his station on board 
 did not require him to be employed in ship's 
 duty, both his mind and his person were 
 too active to allow him to remain idle. He 
 therefore joined with his whole heart in the 
 same labors as the seamen, and determined 
 before he returned home, to make himself a 
 complete sailor.
 
 22 ALNOMUC : OR 
 
 While he had been busily engaged with 
 the others in trimming the ship's sails, he 
 was too much occupied to feel home sick. 
 But at last every rope was belayed in its 
 right place, the rigging coiled up, arid all 
 was snug : the ship had now cleared the 
 harbor, and the crew were intent in watch- 
 ing the boat which approached to take the 
 pilot from the vessel. The beautiful pilot 
 boat skimmed along the water with a grace- 
 ful movement ; and though, like the seamen, 
 he could not judge of her particular quali- 
 ties, George still admired the symmetry of 
 her model, and the swift easy motion with 
 which she cut her way through the waves. 
 But there was another interest belonging to 
 the boat besides that attached to her beauty 
 and grace. She would be the last means of 
 communication with the shore, that shore 
 on which were centred all George's affec- 
 tions ; there was the home of his youth, and 
 there, the dear friends of his early days 
 were even then, mourning his absence. 
 
 As the pilot shook hands with him and 
 stepped over the gangway, George had half
 
 THE GOLDEN RULE. 166 
 
 a mind to follow, for he knew he would not 
 have another chance to change his mind. 
 As the. little schooner bore up for the shore, 
 George went after her with his eyes until a 
 point of land hid her from his view. He 
 now walked aft to the quarter deck and 
 seated himself upon an hencoop, while his 
 heart wandered after the pilot boat towards 
 the home of his childhood. 
 
 The hoary head of his aged father was 
 still before his mind, arid he well remem- 
 bered his last words : the precept this kind 
 parent had taught him, he resolved should 
 be the rule of his conduct on the present 
 voyage. He now silently poured out his 
 heart to his father's God to enable him ; for 
 though he was still young, his experience 
 had shown him that of his own unassisted 
 strength, he could do nothing. 
 
 He remembered that just as he left the 
 house, his mother had slipped something 
 into his pocket. He felt for it and drew it 
 forth : it was a small Bible. He opened 
 the sacred volume o'n a blank leaf was 
 written, " my son, give me thine heart : "
 
 24 ALNOMTJC : OR 
 
 it was his mother's hand, and the tears dim- 
 med his sight as he looked at it. He passed 
 his handkerchief across his eye and again 
 he read : " my son, if sinners entice thee 
 consent thou not." George thought that he 
 should have abundant occasion to remember 
 these precepts on the voyage upon which he 
 had embarked : perhaps it was happy for 
 him that they were now brought to his 
 mind, enforced by the parental sanction, 
 while his heart was softened by the remem- 
 brance of his home. While the Christian 
 father and mother were praying for their 
 absent son, that son was calling to mind 
 their instructions, and making resolutions 
 to guide himself by them. The same God 
 was present with them upon the land, and 
 at the same moment, watching their boy as 
 he floated over the blue wave : and he was 
 as safe under the Almighty's care while 
 riding the heaving billows, as they were at 
 rest on the firm rooted earth. 
 
 George was almost unconscious of what 
 was passing around him, for his heart was 
 wandering about the precincts of his father's
 
 THE GOLDEN RULE. 25 
 
 house. He still held his Bible in his hand 
 though he did not attempt to read : the book 
 was precious to him for it contained the law 
 of his God ; it was precious too, as the part- 
 ing gift of his dear mother. As he sat thus 
 ruminating sadly, he observed a tear fall 
 upon the page which was open before him : 
 he carefully wiped it off and deposited the 
 book in his pocket, but still continued the 
 train of thought to which it had given rise. 
 He remembered that his father had com- 
 mended that book to him, as containing the 
 chart by which he was to direct his course 
 tnrough the troubled ocean of time, if he 
 would find a safe harbor in eternity. He 
 determined to take advantage of the leisure 
 afforded by the present voyage, to secure 
 a better knowledge of this chart. 
 
 George Dilloway was roused from his 
 reveire by a blow which seemed to threaten 
 the dislocation of all his joints. It pro- 
 ceeded from the heavy hand of captain Dar- 
 rick which had fallen between his shoul- 
 ders : " Wake up, wake up man," exclaim- 
 ed the captain, " don't sit moping there. 
 3
 
 26 ALNOMUC '. OR 
 
 Come George tell us what you were dream- 
 ing of." 
 
 " I was thinking of the folks at home, 
 Dick." 
 
 " Aye and been piping your eye like a 
 home sick school-gall. Now stir about a 
 little and be more of a man." 
 
 " Ah, Darrick, it's hard to leave the old 
 folks for so long a time, and how can I tell 
 that I shall ever see them again?" 
 
 " It's true enough George, but it's no use 
 blubbering about it. After all they'll be 
 just as safe as if you were with them : 
 never fear but you'll find every thing right 
 when you return, and all the merrier for a 
 short separation. You see, it's no use mak- 
 ing trouble afore it comes." 
 
 "It's easy enough to talk, Darrick, but 
 you've parted with no kind parents or you 
 wouldn't think it so easy." 
 
 Darrick seated himself by George's side 
 and fixed his dark eye on the countenance 
 of his friend. " 'Tis true George as you 
 say, my old folks have been gone many a 
 year, and I can scarce remember them at
 
 THE GOLDEN RULE. 27 
 
 all, save that I've an indistinct recollection 
 of my mother's kind look. But do you 
 think it's nothing to leave a young wife 
 when she's been a bride but a few short 
 months to leave her too with the time so 
 near when she'll want all the support that 
 I could give her." Captain Darrick felt 
 his sight grow dim as a tear rose in his eye. 
 
 " Pshaw, this is nonsense : " he muttered 
 to himself as he rose and walked away. 
 For a few moments he passed with hasty 
 strikes up and down the deck, then in a set 
 voice gave some orders to the seamen, and 
 turned to take his last took tif the land 
 which was fast passing away in the dis- 
 tance. 
 
 Though they were' thus overcome at the 
 remembrance of the friends they had left, 
 let it not be supposed that these young men 
 were effeminate or wanting in manly firm- 
 ness. Captain Darrick's weather-beaten 
 features bore the impress of many a storm ; 
 and his was an heart to meet danger with 
 calmness and to overcome it by resolutions.
 
 28 ALNOMUC : OR 
 
 George Dilloway was an high spirited youth 
 but not as yet inured to toil and danger. 
 
 Neither is it ever a mark of weakness, to 
 be alive to the tender sympathies of our 
 nature. It will always be found that that 
 heart beats with the manliest motion, which 
 is the most awake to the kindly influences 
 of those ties which bind a man to his race : 
 while the mind governed by selfishness, is 
 the one which quails in danger and shrinks 
 from suffering with a craven fear. Thus it 
 is that religion, while it softens the heart 
 and quickens its affections, at the same 
 time nerves it to action, and prepares it 
 calmly to meet every evil and to brave death 
 itself without shrinking.
 
 THE GOLDEN RULE. , 29 
 
 CHAPTER HI. , 
 
 # 
 
 SEA SICKNESS. 
 
 " COME Mr. Dilloway," said captain Dar- 
 rick, " come have your last look at your 
 native land. We must take a round turn 
 about old Neptune's dominions, afore you'll 
 have a chance to see it again." Captain 
 Darrick was leaning over the quarter deck 
 observing the change in the receding coast 
 as the ship changed her bearings. George 
 was still sitting on the hencoop, but as his 
 friend spoke he arose and went towards 
 him, staggering however, and reeling from 
 the motion of the vessel, which as yet he 
 did not understand. " Why Geordie," said 
 the captain as the young man came up, 
 " you marke rather a circumbendibus in 
 your course : if I were to steer the ship that 
 way, it would take us a while to get back 
 where we are now." 
 
 " Why the sea's so rough, that I can't 
 stand upon my legs, Dick ! " 
 3*
 
 30 ALNOMUC : OR 
 
 " Well, well, if you call this a rough sea ! 
 why it's as smooth as a mill pond all 
 but. You'll get your sea legs my boy in a 
 day or two, .nd then you won't mind a 
 little bobbing of the water." 
 
 There was a marked difference in the 
 appearance of the two young men, as they 
 leaned over the ship's rail watching the dis- 
 tant looming of that land where were all 
 that each held dear. 
 
 The sailor's was a short figure ; but what 
 was wanting in height was compensated by 
 the spread of the shoulders, like a Dutch 
 galliot whose breadth of beam is in an in- 
 verse proportion to her length of keel. By 
 his side, his friend George was full six feet 
 in height, his slender figure forming a mark- 
 ed contrast to the broad weather-seasoned 
 frame of his companion. 
 
 Captain Darrick's dark features, made 
 still darker by exposure to a tropical sun, 
 his raven locks and piercing black eye, 
 marked the country of his mother ; for Dar- 
 rick's father like himself a wanderer, had 
 brought his wife from the sunny shores of
 
 THE GOLDEN RULE. 31 
 
 Italy. In his friend George the Saxon blood 
 predominated as was manifested by his blue 
 eye and sandy hair. His complexion too, 
 though somewhat sunburnt, appeared light 
 and delicate by the side of the swarthy cap- 
 tain. .' 
 
 Nor was there less difference in the bear- 
 ing of the two : George's gentle but frank 
 and easy manners, contrasted strongly with 
 the abrupt and boisterous ways of the hardy 
 seaman. 
 
 The land had not yet disappeared, when 
 the grinning face of the black steward dis- 
 played its two rows of polished ivory above 
 the companion. " Massa captin, dinner 
 saar," he said, and dove again below the 
 deck. George Dilloway and the captain 
 followed : and when they had dined, the 
 latter and his officers went on deck again, 
 leaving George alone. 
 
 Several heavy thumps on the ship's side 
 while they were eating, gave indication that 
 the sea was rising : and to say the truth, 
 though he was far from confessing it, until
 
 32 ALNOMUC : OR 
 
 George learned the cause of these noises, 
 they excited not a little consternation in his 
 mind. He felt no inclination to follow his 
 friend to the deck ; for the close air of the 
 cabin, together with the increased motion 
 of the vessel, had wrought such perturba- 
 tion in the inner man, that he was not dis- 
 posed to move at all. 
 
 At first he felt listless and inert, and his 
 mind was confused : he could only hold on 
 by such things as were in his way, to pre- 
 vent the sea from pitching him out of his 
 seat. Presently he perceived indications of 
 sickness and his head began to swim : he 
 thought he would get to his berth while yet 
 he was able. 
 
 He rose, but at that moment the vessel 
 made a sudden lurch to leeward and discon- 
 certed all his calculations. He lost all com- 
 mand of his own motions seizing on the 
 table to steady himself, he took that with 
 him ; for as yet it had not been properly 
 secured. Chairs followed ; chests and trunks 
 had been piled carelessly together in the hur- 
 ry of departure, but were now pitched over,
 
 THE GOLDEN RULE. 33 
 
 and with George's legs and arms, formed 
 one common heap on the lee side of the 
 cabin. Luckily the poor wight, contrived to 
 dive into his own state room, the sides of 
 which protected him in a measure from 
 being injured in the melee. 
 
 When the steward found that the move- 
 ables in the cabin were under way, he 
 hastened to the scene of disorder ; for he 
 knew he would be blamed for not having 
 secured them. " Oh dear oh dear what 
 Massa captin say 1 he exclaimed, but 
 hearing George's groans from amid the con- 
 fusion of chairs and boxes, he hastened to 
 his relief. " Misser Dilloway hurt heeself ? " 
 he asked, lifting the youth from his uncom- 
 fortable position. 
 
 " Oh no, steward," replied George, " but 
 I'm dreadful sick ! " And indeed he was 
 too feeble to help himself : so the steward 
 undressed him and lifted him into his berth, 
 telling him to lay upon his back and he'd 
 feel more comfortable. He did find himself 
 much easier after he had lain down, and 
 very grateful was he to the steward for his
 
 34 ALNOMUC: OR 
 
 assistance. " That poor negro," he said to 
 himself, " understands the golden rule of 
 doing as he'd be done by ; he has left all 
 his things tumbling about the cabin to help 
 me, and if I ever have a chance I'll show 
 him kindness in return." This led him to 
 think that perhaps that chance would never 
 occur : he felt so sick so very sick, that he 
 believed it impossible he could live long. 
 Then he turned his thoughts to another 
 friend, through whose kindness it was that 
 he could look forward to death without 
 fear even the blessed Jesus, who had pur- 
 chased salvation for him at so great a sacri- 
 fice. 
 
 George Dilloway felt so miserable, that he 
 cared not to live : he had but one wish, and 
 that was to see his parents before he died 
 and receive their blessing. "Oh," he said, 
 " it was unkind in me, to leave them in 
 their old age : it was not acting according 
 to that rule which my father taught me." 
 
 The steward was now busy restoring 
 order to the cabin : every moveable article
 
 THE GOLDEN RULE. 35 
 
 had fetched away, and lay in a heap to 
 leeward. The negro comforted himself with 
 the reflection that they could go no further, 
 but what to take hold of first he could not 
 tell. As he was considering, he caught 
 sight of Bob Ringtail passing the compan- 
 ion-way, and called to him : "I say dere, 
 shipmate, gib us a leetle help to s'kure dese 
 'ere tings ? " 
 
 "To be sure I will, my beauty," replied 
 Bob, and he dove into the cabin ; and by 
 his assistance every thing was soon securely 
 lashed. George felt glad that it was done 
 before the captain came down, as it would 
 have brought reproof upon the steward had 
 his negligence been discovered. 
 
 The steward continued to be very atten- 
 tive and kind to George, as were also the 
 captain and officers of the ship ; but it was 
 little that could be done for the alleviation 
 of sea sickness. " After all, my dear boy," 
 said captain Darrick when he had been ad- 
 ministering something for his relief, " time 
 and patience must effect the cure." 
 
 George said he was so sick, he thought he
 
 36 ALNOMUC : OR 
 
 could not get well. " Never fear, my 
 hearty, you're not going to settle accounts 
 with Davy yet : you're tougher than you 
 think for." George thought they were very 
 kind to take so much care of him ; but 
 he was so utterly wretched, he did not be- 
 lieve it was possible he could ever be well 
 again. 
 
 Two days he laid in his berth so miser- 
 able, that almost his only wish was that he 
 might die. On the third day captain Dar- 
 rick changed his course towards his young 
 friend : and George thought his treatment 
 was not such as he would have been pleased 
 to receive in like circumstances. Never- 
 theless the good captain meant well, and 
 acted wisely : he was still showing kind- 
 ness in his own rough way. 
 
 " Well Geordie, how are you to day ? " 
 asked the captain, in his usual noisy and 
 blunt manner. 
 
 " Just alive, Darrick, and that's all." 
 
 " That's all nonsense, George, come cheer 
 up. It's a fine pleasant day, and a breath 
 of fresh air would make you quite another
 
 THE GOLDEN RULE. 
 
 man. So stir yourself a bit and show your 
 nose on deck." 
 
 " Oh, I'm so weak I can't stir. It's of no 
 use to talk about it, Dick 1 " 
 
 "Well, if you can't go, I must carry 
 you ; " so saying the captain lifted him from 
 the berth, while George who had no strength 
 to resist, could only beg to be left alone. 
 Dick Darrick being among the shortest of 
 men, and his burden being rather long with- 
 al, he found it rather difficult to manage, 
 especially as George's legs and arms hung 
 like the limbs of a rag doll : so the captain 
 called the steward to his assistance : " Come 
 here Marino, and pick up some of these 
 scattering legs. Why you grin, you blue 
 rascal, as if you thought it was a good joke 
 to be sea sick ! " 
 
 " Tink it do Massa George good when he 
 hab sumb fresh air," the negro replied. 
 
 George thought they were very cruel 
 while they were lugging him upon deck, 
 and that they acted not at all according to 
 the golden rule. But when his friend had 
 wrapped him in his watch coat and seated 
 4
 
 38 ALNOMUC : OR 
 
 him upon the hencoop, he began to feel the 
 invigorating influence of the sea air. Then, 
 he was ready to acknowledge that the treat- 
 ment he had received, though rather un- 
 ceremonious, was founded in kindness : he 
 was refreshed and encouraged, and for the 
 first time for several days, felt that he had 
 still something to do upon the earth. 
 
 Revived by the fresh air, George was un- 
 willing to return to the closeness of the 
 cabin. The steward therefore brought him 
 up his clothes and assisted to put them on. 
 Having then taken something to eat for the 
 first time for three days, he felt much re- 
 cruited, and thought himself strong enough 
 to walk the deck. But his legs were weak 
 and tottered under him, for as yet he was 
 not accustomed to the motion of the sea : 
 the first lurch of the ship sent him to lee- 
 ward, and he might have been severely 
 hurt, had not his friend Darrick caught 
 him and warned him to be more careful. 
 
 The warning however was not needed, 
 for George was in no hurry to trust himself 
 to his legs again : he seated himself, and 
 found abundance to occupy his attention in
 
 THE GOLDEN RULE. 39 
 
 the novelty of his situation. It was strange 
 to look about and see nothing but a wide 
 expanse of water on every side. To one 
 accustomed to look only on the unchanging 
 features of land scenery, there was some- 
 thing new in the restless motion of th 
 waves. Our voyager watched swell after 
 swell as it arose, and then followed it with 
 his eyes till it was lost in the distant hori- 
 zon. " How far will it go before it stops," 
 thought George, as he watched the rise and 
 fall of a heavy swell which was passing off 
 to the eastward. 
 
 " How far," replied Dick Darrick, for 
 George had unconsciously thought aloud, 
 " that swell is bound to the coast of Africa, 
 and it will soon be there unless it should 
 bounce against some island on the way." 
 
 " One would think heavy billows like 
 these, must overwhelm the land after going 
 so far, and with so much force one after 
 another ! " 
 
 " We might think so perhaps if we did 
 not know to the contrary. Why they don't 
 I'm sure we can't tell." 
 
 " I can tell you Dick : 'tis because He who
 
 40 ALNOMUC : OR 
 
 made these waters, holds them in the hollow 
 of his hand." 
 
 " Well they'll burst with fury enough 
 when they reach the shore, for all that." 
 
 " Yes, but the Almighty has made laws by 
 ' which the proud waters must be governed : 
 he has marked a line which they cannot 
 pass. He says to the sea, thus far shalt 
 thou go and no farther, and here shall thy 
 proud waves be stayed. And who is there 
 Darrick, but the same God, to withhold this 
 sea from swallowing us up : and yet I find 
 you allow His name to be blasphemed on 
 board this ship ! " 
 
 " Why Geordie, we are just as safe here 
 as you'd be in your father's house." 
 
 " To be sure we are perfectly safe every 
 where, if God wills us to be so. You feel 
 confidence no doubt in ycnr own skill and 
 knowledge of the sea ; but that can only 
 protect you by his sufferance. I tell you, 
 Darrick I shouldn't feel safe in my father's 
 house, while profaning God's holy name. 
 To man too, yes, to proud man, does God 
 say : ' Thus far shalt thou go, and 'tis at 
 his peril that he oversteps the bound.' "
 
 THE GOLDEN EULE. 41 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 OLD SAILOR. 
 
 THERE was one character on board the 
 Alnomuc that was a prime favorite with all 
 hands. He was allowed to associate alike 
 with the captain and officers on the quarter 
 deck, and with Jack Tar upon the forecas- 
 tle : he was sure to be well received at 
 whichever end of the ship he made a visit. 
 His favorite haunt however, was about the 
 cook's galley, from which the Doctor would 
 sometimes disburse the odd end of a seapie 
 or some scraps of duff, very pleasant to the 
 gustatory organs of Old Sailor. 
 
 I have said his visits were always well 
 received fore and aft, and yet he was treat- 
 ed to many a kick by his friends, when in 
 their hurry he happened to be in the way : 
 this not unfrequently happened, as nothing 
 could be done on board the ship without 
 his, I was going to say, having a hand in 
 it : at any rate he always wanted to do his 
 4*
 
 42 ALNOMUC : OK 
 
 part. When topsails were to be reefed or 
 any other thing to be done to the sails, 
 though he did not go aloft, he was as busy 
 as any one about the deck. 
 
 These sort of compliments were well re- 
 ceived on the part of Old Sailor : for he was 
 not one of those foolish fellows who quar- 
 rel with an acquaintance for every little 
 affront. So he pocketed the kicks and said 
 nothing about them ; and the next time he 
 met the person who bestowed them, he was 
 as cordial as ever. 
 
 This was acting in something very like 
 a Christian spirit : alas that it can only be 
 told of a dumb brute. It is to be feared 
 Christians are seldom so far Christian, as to 
 pocket an affront so as never to let it be 
 seen that they remember it. But Sailor 
 wagged his tail none the less because he 
 had been kicked. 
 
 Old Sailor was the name ov' a large New- 
 foundland dog belonging to captain Darrick, 
 which had accompanied him on several voy- 
 ages. He was a great pet of his master's 
 and like all pets somewhat troublesome,
 
 THE GOLDEN RULE. 43 
 
 being a busy body as aforesaid. With 
 George he soon became a prime favorite, 
 and in return the dog became very fond of 
 the young man, for George never treated 
 him unkindly : he was not ashamed to ex- 
 ercise towards a brute, the golden rule he 
 had resolved should govern his conduct to- 
 wards his fellow men. Indeed because he 
 was a brute, was the more reason he should 
 have patience with him, since the poor 
 beast could not be supposed to understand 
 all that was required. Moreover George 
 thought there was no harm, in gaining the 
 friendship even of a dog : if he was to fall 
 overboard he knew that Old Sailor would 
 be the first to go over after him : indeed 
 captain Darrick assured him, that the faith- 
 ful animal had already saved the lives of 
 two men. 
 
 Sailor had got to be quite an old sea dog, 
 and withal was quite expert in many parts 
 of ship's duty the seamen declared that he 
 was of more use to them than some of the 
 green horns on board ; for when they were 
 pulling a rope together, the dog would pull
 
 44 ALNOMUC : OR 
 
 with the rest; which the landsmen could 
 not be made to do. 
 
 Old Sailor had no idea of enjoying a sine- 
 cure on board the ship : whenever a brace 
 was to be hauled, or any rope he could 
 come at, he was sure to have hold of the 
 fag end : and he laid out his strength most 
 vigorously, and kept time with the song. 
 And if the seamen kept the rope from him 
 he let them know that he was not to be so 
 baulked : for then he would take hold of 
 one of the sailors by the seat of his trowsers, 
 and thus took care to add his whole weight 
 to whatever they were hauling upon. 
 
 However it isn't to be denied, that Old 
 Sailor made himself more busy than useful. 
 He was often much in the way when any 
 thing was to be done in a hurry, scamper- 
 ing among the men's legs as they ran about 
 the deck in the performance of ship's duty : 
 not unfrequently too, was he very provok- 
 ing by the pertinacity with which he would 
 keep his hold of a rope and prevent its 
 being belayed. Moreover the mischievous 
 propensities of his race, were often exhibit-
 
 THE GOLDEN RULE. 45 
 
 ed in the destruction of any article that 
 might happen to be in his way by chew- 
 ing up a hat or a shoe for instance, and by 
 other doggish tricks not to be tolerated in a 
 well regulated ship. 
 
 The tars bore with much patience, the 
 ^nany frailties of their friend in considera- 
 tion of his good companionable qualities ; 
 though each was disposed to repay his pro- 
 vocations with a kick, when he was the 
 sufferer : and indeed it was no trifling mat- 
 ter to have their clothing destroyed, bound 
 as they were upon a three years voyage. 
 
 The captain too, bore with exemplary good 
 nature many delinquencies on the part of 
 his faithful dog, forgiving his transgressions 
 in consideration of his many good qualities. 
 Sundry times had the rascal stolen a slipper 
 from his master's foot, and made off with 
 his prize : nor could it be recovered, till by 
 dint of mastication, he had left neither form 
 nor comeliness to it. 
 
 Though captain Darrick would scold at 
 the time, he still neglected to have the de- 
 linquent tied up, although he had often 
 threatened it. At last the transgressions of
 
 46 ALNOMUC : OR 
 
 Old Sailor were fulfilled, and he was com- 
 mitted to close confinement. 
 
 One forenoon, captain Darrick called his 
 officers to assist him in getting an observa- 
 tion. He brought up his nautical almanac 
 and laid it upon the \veather hencoop, and 
 with his sextant in his hand, walked to 
 leeward to obtain his distance. Scarce had 
 he put the instrument to his eye when the 
 alarm was given, that the dog was engaged 
 in mischief. 
 
 When the captain came on deck, Old 
 Sailor was gnawing a bone by the cook's 
 galley. He saw the book deposited and his 
 master walk away : it was a rare chance 
 for mischief sweeter to him, than the bone 
 he was gnawing. His penchant was not 
 to be restrained slowly he walked off and 
 demurely, till he came upon the quarter 
 deck : then casting his eye over his back to 
 see that the coast was clear for a run, he 
 lifted the book carefully from the hencoop 
 and began to walk deliberately forward. 
 
 " The dog has your almanac sir ! " ex- 
 claimed the man at the helm. 
 
 The captain turned the mate was for-
 
 THE GOLDEN RULE. 47 
 
 ward getting an altitude of the moon : 
 " Head that dog in, Mr. Barnacle," ex- 
 claimed the captain, and himself gave chase 
 to the thief from the rear, while the mate 
 sprang round the stern of the boat to make 
 sure of him that way. 
 
 When Sailor perceived that his larceny 
 was discovered he quickened his pace a lit- 
 tle, at the same time keeping one eye turned 
 back upon his master. Presently he found 
 his retreat cut off and that he had enemies 
 on both sides to contend with ; but he was 
 not disconcerted.. One spring carried him to 
 the top of the pile of spare spars, and diving 
 behind them, he disappeared beneath the 
 boat. Captain Darrick dashed after him as 
 far as he could : but he gained nothing save 
 a few hairs from the end of poor Sailor's 
 tail, which thing he had seized upon as the 
 dog passed under the keel of the long boat. 
 The captain now could only scold : and that 
 Sailor cared little for, being beyond his 
 reach. 
 
 And now the fellow was not comeatable 
 except by removing the spars : and before
 
 48 ALNOMUC : OR 
 
 that could be done, he would have abund- 
 ant time to destroy the book. He was hid 
 from sight except his nose and one eye above 
 it, leering at his master : it was provoking 
 enough to see the rascal masticating the 
 moon's distances, and the altitude of the 
 heavenly bodies, on the knowledge of which 
 the art of navigation is founded ; and with- 
 out which, it would be almost impossible to 
 direct the ship upon her voyage. However 
 Sailor continued the work of destruction 
 without any regard to consequences, and 
 he left not the book till it was ground as 
 fine as if it had passed through a paper 
 mill. 
 
 Fortunately captain Darrick had taken 
 the precaution to bring several copies of the 
 almanac : but he felt that it would not do to 
 expose himself to such accidents, which 
 might prove exceedingly detrimental to his 
 voyage. 
 
 After dinner, the captain came on deck 
 and as usual, Sailor went aft to secure a 
 little notice; for captain Darrick usually
 
 THE GOLDEN RULE. 49 
 
 brought up some nuts or other little articles 
 in his pocket, which he amused himself by 
 throwing for the dog to catch. Sailor evi- 
 dently had forgotten the mischief in which 
 he had been engaged, or he trusted that his 
 master had forgotten it. But scarce had he 
 begun to fawn and to wag his tail when he 
 was reminded that his fault was still re- 
 membered, and that the time of retribution 
 had come. His master's hand fell heavily 
 upon his neck : his conscience reminded 
 him of his iniquity, and he crouched upon 
 the deck, doubtless hoping by submission to 
 disarm his master's wrath. The tail was 
 now deposited between his legs, while slow- 
 ly and sneakishly, he crawled by the side 
 of captain Darrick, and was chained to the 
 spot where he had done the mischief. 
 
 " There," said Darrick, " you shall stay 
 by the scene of your iniquity, and you'll 
 remember what you're punished for." The 
 dog evidently understood the meaning of the 
 operation, and submitted meekly to his pun- 
 ishment. 
 
 " You seem to calculate a beneficial re- 
 5
 
 60 ALNOMUC : OE 
 
 suit from the exercise of the poor dog's con- 
 science," said George Dilloway, who had 
 witnessed the operation. 
 
 " To be sure I do : I don't know any thing 
 more likely to produce a reform than to con- 
 nect the punishment with the fault." 
 
 " And in men as well as dogs," said 
 George, " if conscience can be awakened in 
 time. Sooner or later it must be in time 
 or in eternity." 
 
 " Aye Geordie, I dare say you'll make a 
 fine sarmont out of the poor dog's pec- 
 adillo ! " 
 
 " Certainly, we can find matter enough 
 if we've a mind to improve it." 
 
 " Well Geordie, let's hear what you can 
 make of it." 
 
 " In the first place I observed, that Old 
 Sailor seemed to think himself very smart, 
 when he had stolen your almanac : and he 
 appeared much amused, while he was tear- 
 ing it in pieces, and thought himself safe 
 from punishment. In like manner I have 
 often observed that men think it very witty 
 to commit sin, and seem much tickled with
 
 THE GOLDEN RULE. 51 
 
 their own smartness while they are doing it ; 
 and afterwards they make their boast of it." 
 
 " Very well, go on." 
 
 " When their iniquity is accomplished 
 they think it is done with, and let it pass 
 from their mind ; just as the dog seemed to 
 forget he had been in mischief, when he 
 came to you after dinner. But when he 
 found his transgression was remembered, 
 and that the time of retribution had arrived, 
 he dropped his tail between his legs and 
 sneaked along behind you to receive his 
 punishment. He looked silly enough, and 
 I dare say began to think his trick was not 
 quite so witty as he had thought at first. 
 Even so sneakish will the sinner feel when 
 he sees that his iniquity is not forgotten, and 
 finds the hour of his calamity is upon him. 
 Captain Darrick, how do you think an un- 
 repentant sinner, can stand before the judg- 
 ment seat at the last day ; will he not be 
 more crestfallen than was your poor dog ? 
 Will not his conscience goad him with his 
 sins while he feels upon him, the eye of that 
 God who, he knows, will surely punish him 
 for them ? "
 
 62 ALNOMUC : OR 
 
 " I must confess George, it makes me feel 
 ugly to think of it." 
 
 " And yet Dick, if you die unrepentant 
 you will find, the thought is not half so ap- 
 palling as the reality will prove. Ah, how 
 can the naked soul appear before the Eter- 
 nal with all its sins uncovered. But clothed 
 with Christ's righteousness it may ap- 
 pear, and with joy take its place at the 
 Saviour's right hand. What folly then for 
 a sinful creature to neglect making prepara- 
 tion for that day." 

 
 THE GOLDEN RULE. 53 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 THE WORTH OF A DOG'S GOOD WILL. 
 
 OLD SAILOR, though he submitted to his 
 sentence as well as he could, felt his confine- 
 ment a very grievous punishment. When 
 any of the crew passed him he was sure to 
 come out to secure a little notice; and after he 
 had followed them to the length of his chain, 
 he would mourn and whine because he could 
 go no further, and much sympathy and 
 compassion he excited among the seamen. 
 
 He was like many a frank-hearted jolly 
 old soul, of whom it is said, " a better man 
 may be better spared." So it was with Old 
 Sailor ; his social qualities were much 
 valued by the tars : arid though he would 
 tear their jackets and eat up their hats and 
 shoes, they were willing to overlook these 
 peccadilloes in regard to his good compan- 
 ionship. And one thing the tars observed 
 of him; he was never known to steal a 
 " chaw of tobacco." 
 6
 
 54 ALNOMUC : OR 
 
 The third day of Sailor's confinement, 
 with one accord they resolved to send a pe- 
 tition to captain Darrick for his release, 
 promising to become guarantee for his good 
 behavior. The captain did not feel much 
 confidence in the reformation of the culprit, 
 nor did he feel much security in the guaran- 
 ty of the seamen : nevertheless he was glad 
 of the opportunity to release his old favorite 
 from durance, and determined to guard 
 against his roguery by keeping things out 
 of his way. 
 
 Bob Ringtail was the principal agent in 
 effecting the release of Old Sailor : and soon 
 after he cast him loose, he was called with 
 some others to haul up the mainsail ; the 
 dog hastened to do his share of the work. 
 Since he was let loose, he had been flying 
 about deck like a dog possessed, and no 
 sooner did he see the seamen take hold of 
 the clewline than he ran to join. 
 
 Now Bob Ringtail was a bit of a dandy 
 in his way, and withal very particular about 
 the set of his trowsers, the lower parts of 
 which were large enough to be a couple of
 
 THE GOLDEN RULE. 55 
 
 meal bags, but above they were snug as his 
 skin. Indeed I may say much snugger, for 
 the canvass was drawn as taught as a drum 
 head. This being the case, and Bob being 
 the only one handy to lay hold of, it is no 
 wonder Old Sailor found it necessary to 
 give a sharp grip : in his eargerness he bit 
 a little too close, and nipped a portion of the 
 seaman's flesh together with the canvass. 
 
 This attack upon his rear was altogether 
 unexpected by Bob, in the suddenness of 
 his surprise he uttered an exclamation, and 
 his fist fell like a thunder bolt upon the 
 head of Old Sailor. 
 
 " Hi spi, Hi spi," cried the dog and im- 
 mediately commenced a retreat. Bob fol- 
 lowed up and sought to ease the pain of his 
 nether man by bestowing sundry hearty 
 kicks upon the hinder end of Old Sailor. 
 
 " Well Sailor," said George Dilloway, 
 " that's returning evil for good, and not at 
 all like a grateful dog." 
 
 Old Sailor was now much worse than 
 before, and seemed possessed with the very 
 spirit of mischief : before the day was out,
 
 66 ALNOMUC ! OR 
 
 it was again found necessary to order his 
 confinement. 
 
 This time George sought to have him re- 
 leased. " You'll be the first to suffer for it 
 George," said captain Darrick, " just as 
 Bob was yesterday." 
 
 " Well let him free, Darrick," replied his 
 friend, " and I shall be willing to take my 
 chance : and with the captain's consent, 
 George soon liberated the old dog. 
 
 Dick Darrick' s prophecy was soon fulfil- 
 ed. It was not long before George was as- 
 sisting two of the men to set the spanker : 
 the throat of the gaff was almost up, and 
 he took a turn with the halliards under a pin 
 while the seamen swayed away upon them. 
 The operation did not escape the notice of 
 Old Sailor, who hastened to secure his share 
 of the fun. 
 
 Now George was by no means so snug 
 in his gearing as Bob Ringtail : more espe- 
 cially the long flaps of his coat flying in the 
 wind, were just the thing Sailor wanted, 
 It might appear to the old dog, that they 
 were made on purpose for him to haul by :
 
 THE GOLDEN RULE. 67 
 
 at any rate he was not long in appropri- 
 ating them. But the cloth was not calculated 
 for such service ; and moreover it was a 
 veteran garment whose strength was de- 
 cayed by age : it is no wonder then, when 
 Sailor pulled with might and main, that the 
 stitches should give way. 
 
 George could not let go the rope to pre- 
 vent his skirts being torn from him ; but he 
 belayed it in time to save them from being 
 carried off by the dog to be munched up at 
 his leisure, as was doubtless the intention 
 of the old reprobate when he found himself 
 possessed of the prize. 
 
 George Dilloway looked dolefully over 
 his shoulder at the shorn honors of his coat : 
 the dog looked too, and the lurking laughter 
 of his eye shew that the brute thought it 
 a very good joke. What was done could 
 not be helped ; so thought George Dilloway, 
 and he turned quietly away saying, " well 
 Sailor how would you like it if I should 
 tear off your tail ? " 
 
 " You seem to take it cooly Geordie ; you 
 remind me of the old gentleman who
 
 58 ALNOMUC : OR 
 
 thought the man ought to be " spoke to," 
 who shot him in the wrist as he was stand- 
 ing at his own front door. You see I was 
 not so far out of the way, when I said you'd 
 be the first to suffer for liberating that mis- 
 chievous fellow ! " 
 
 " Well, well, Darrick, I'm not sorry I set 
 him free for all that." 
 
 Before that sun was set which was then 
 shining above his head, George Dilloway 
 had much reason to be thankful that he had 
 let the old dog loose. All the crew were 
 busily engaged on the weather side of the 
 deck, and George was in the lee main rig- 
 ging, when his foot slipped and plunged him 
 into the water. 
 
 The ship was going at the rate of ten 
 knots, and not a human eye saw him fall, 
 no ear heard his plunge : the ship passed 
 in her rapid course and he was soon far 
 astern. 
 
 Old Sailor was standing by the windlass 
 and he saw the young man disappear. One 
 long and wild yell he gave his first leap 
 carried him to the top of the spars, the next
 
 THE GOLDEN RULE. 59 
 
 was over the ship's side. " Dog overboard," 
 exclaimed the seaman at the helm. 
 
 " Hard down your helm ! back your main 
 topsail boys," cried the mate. " What's got 
 into the brute 1 " 
 
 The noise brought captain Darrick upon 
 deck : " I've half a mind to let the rascal 
 go," he said. " He's more trouble than he's 
 worth ! " 
 
 " Here's Mr. Dillo way's hat in the main 
 chains," cried one of the seamen. 
 
 " What ! " exclaimed the captain ; and he 
 looked wildly round among the crew. His 
 young friend was not to be seen. He could 
 not wait to go round the companion, but 
 sprang to the top of it, and from thence to 
 the quarter railing, and into the whale boat 
 over the ship's side. Four seamen were 
 already in it. " Lower away," he cried, 
 " lower roundly let go ; " and the boat 
 was almost plunged under the water, for 
 the ship had as yet lost none of her way. 
 By a vigorous effort the tackles were cast 
 off " Pull away, pull away, my lads." 
 
 The boat shot ahead : but there was more
 
 60 ALNOMUC: OR 
 
 haste than good speed; for now captain 
 Derrick was uncertain which way to steer. 
 Neither the dog nor the supercargo were to 
 be seen, and the sea was so rough that so 
 small a thing as a man's head was not 
 likely to "be perceived at a distance : more- 
 over the ship had made such a sweep in 
 coming to, that a very imperfect estimate 
 could be made of the bearing of an object 
 in her former wake. However, captain 
 Darrick made the best guess he could, and 
 they went on for about a mile : for so far 
 did he judge the ship must have come be- 
 fore she was brought to. But let us see 
 what has become of George. 
 
 When he fell he sunk deep in the water, 
 and did not rise to the surface till the vessel 
 had passed him : then his mouth was filled, 
 so that he could not cry out. And it would 
 have been of little use if he could, since his 
 voice must have been drowned amid the 
 rushing of the waters beneath the ship's 
 counter and in her wake. 
 
 George Dilloway was but an indifferent 
 swimmer, and altogether unused to so rough
 

 
 THE GOLDEN RULE. 61 
 
 a sea. But he soon found he was not alone, 
 and right glad he Avas of the company of 
 Old Sailor. With one arm now resting 
 upon the back of the faithful dog, and his 
 hand interlocked with his hair, he could 
 support himself very comfortably : and as 
 he could see that the ship was rounding to, 
 he felt for a time quite at his ease. 
 
 Not so however, when he found he was 
 not perceived. He saw the men laying 
 upon their oars in uncertainty : then again 
 they began to pull, but it was away from 
 him, and his heart sunk. He raised his 
 voice, but it was all unheard : loud and still 
 louder did he call, but neither answer nor 
 recognition was returned. At times the boat 
 would draw near, and again move off ex- 
 citing alternately hope and despondency. 
 Round arid round him did they pull, and 
 then seemed to give up in despair. 
 
 But the dog now lifted up his voice. A 
 long, loud, and deep howl he gave as when 
 at midnight he bayed the moon. " Hold 
 boys," exclaimed captain Darrick, " I hear 
 the dog's whine ! " Wild and shrill rose 
 6
 
 6'^ ALNOMUC : OR 
 
 the cry from amidst the heaving billows : to 
 his master it was a joyful sound, and he 
 directed the boat's head to meet it. Again 
 he stopped in uncertainty : but the cry rose 
 again, and in a few moments more, both 
 George and his preserver were in the boat. 
 
 " If ever I forget that dog's service, I 
 won't call myself Dick Darrick any more : 
 for I should be ashamed of my name : " and 
 the captain took the head of the faithful 
 animal in his lap while he caressed him. 
 The dog was quiet, but seemed conscious he 
 had done his duty. 
 
 " So you see Darrick, I was not much 
 the loser after all, by setting Old Sailor 
 adrift : for I should have been far enough 
 astern before you missed me, had it not 
 been for him." 
 
 " That's true George ; the fellow shall 
 have his liberty if he eats up all the alma- 
 nacs in the ship. Perhaps if you had given 
 him a threshing for tearing your coat, he 
 wouldn't have been in such a hurry to go 
 overboard for you ; for I've known him to be 
 sulky a whole day after having a flogging."
 
 THE GOLDEN RULE. 63 
 
 " So you see Darrick, it's just as well, not 
 to throw away the good will even of a dog." 
 
 " You're right George, and I wish I could 
 always act upon your principles. At any 
 rate, I shall remember Old Sailor for this 
 day's work : for how could I have looked 
 the old folks in the face, had I returned 
 home without being able to give any ac- 
 count of their son without even being able 
 to say how he was lost ! It would be but 
 a poor story to tell, that you had disappear- 
 ed, no one could say how ! " 
 
 " Aye, Darrick ; but there's another we 
 should be thankful to, besides the dog : the 
 poor brute was but the instrument used, to 
 effect what God in his Providence meant 
 should be done. Should we not then be 
 mindful of God while receiving his mercies." 
 
 ' It is but reasonable, George." 
 
 " No man of sense would say otherwise. 
 But it is astonishing how unreasonably 
 some men of sense will act. What a fool 
 you would have thought me, if I had re- 
 fused to use the means provided for the 
 preservation of my life the assistance of
 
 64 ALNOMUC ! OR 
 
 the dog to support me in the water, and of 
 the boat to carry me back to the ship ! But 
 what is the present life compared to eternity ; 
 of what consequence is a residence on the 
 earth when compared with the importance 
 of securing an admittance into heaven. Yet 
 men supposed to be in their right mind, who 
 would give up all their wealth for a few 
 years of life, even if that life must be a life 
 of sorrow, are still regardless of the interests 
 of eternity are willing to exchange their 
 hopes of future happiness, for a little gain or 
 a little pleasure." 
 
 Captain Darrick assented, as he always 
 did, to what his friend said ; and though he 
 gave no evidence of a change of heart, yet 
 George was pleased to observe that his hab- 
 its of profanity were abated that he was 
 more particular in the observance of the 
 Sabbath, and that his Bible no longer con- 
 tinued a sealed book. George began to hope 
 for his friend : and he thought what a pleas- 
 ant voyage this would be, and how thank- 
 ful he should be to God for sending him on 
 it, if it should result in the conversion of one 
 in whom he felt so much interest.
 
 THE GOLDEN RULE. 66 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 SOME ACCOUNT OF ONE LAND CRAB. 
 
 GEORGE DILLOWAY had a kind and affec- 
 tionate heart, and like most youths who have 
 had but little experience of this cold and 
 selfish world, he had sensitive feelings 
 keenly alive to the sufferings and distresses 
 of others. His friend captain Darrick often 
 laughed at him for this sensitiveness, which 
 was ever breaking out in a sort of knight- 
 erranty ; this continually led him to espouse 
 the cause of those he thought oppressed or 
 persecuted. It was not that Dick Darrick 
 had an unfeeling heart; but he had been 
 bred in a harder school, and many things to 
 him seemed of no consequence, which to 
 his friend, appeared to be intolerable evils. 
 
 Old Sailor was not the only one on board 
 the Alnomuc that excited in George these 
 sympathetic feelings : nor was he the only 
 persecuted animal, if indeed he may be said
 
 66 ALNOMUC : OR 
 
 to have been persecuted at all, since his 
 confinement, and an occasional threshing to 
 which he was subjected, were the just re- 
 compense of his roguery : and he evidently 
 understood them to be so. But there were 
 those, and especially among the green hands, 
 who were often in trouble, and sometimes 
 made to suffer unnecessary pain. This was 
 not always caused by a desire to inflict 
 pain on the part of others, but it often arose 
 from the rough ways of the seamen, to 
 which the landsmen were unused ; and not 
 unfrequently from the very acts of kindness 
 manifested by the old sea dogs towards 
 those unaccustomed to their element, as in 
 the case of captain Darrick when he drag- 
 ged George from his berth during his sea 
 sickness, knowing it to be for his friend's 
 good to move about and get a little fresh 
 air. Sometimes too, it was brought to pass 
 by the love of frolic, so natural to a sailor. 
 The jolly tars found one source of never 
 ending amusement in the person and move- 
 ments of the ship's tailor ; for the nature of 
 the present voyage, rendered it. expedient to
 
 THE GOLDEN RULE. 67 
 
 have one of that craft on board the vessel. 
 This personage the seamen denominated 
 " Land Crab," from his propensity to move 
 sidelong, that by holding on with both 
 hands, he might better guard against the 
 rolling of the ship. The underpinning of 
 his person was never of the best : and legs 
 long degraded to the office of a joint stool, 
 could not be expected to afford a very firm 
 support. These members themselves were 
 marvellously crooked, so that as the sailors 
 said, it was no wonder he couldn't walk 
 straight ; for his legs they said, were made 
 for turning corners. Even on the land he 
 went along with an uncertain shuffle, and 
 not by any means in a direct line. It was 
 evident his lower spars were made to sit 
 upon, and not to walk with. 
 
 Nevertheless when he did walk, he car- 
 ried his head preposterously high, or rather 
 bent back ; this gave a pomposity to his 
 appearance which was truly ludicrous : it 
 seemed as if he wished to assume a military 
 air, not at all in accordance with the un- 
 steadiness of his step.
 
 bo ALNOMUC : OR 
 
 Land Crab was a good workman at his 
 trade, but intemperance had driven him to 
 sea. On the voyage for which he was em- 
 barked, no man on board the ship was 
 likely to become more useful than the tailor, 
 unless indeed it were the armourer and car- 
 penter. Nevertheless the poor fellow was 
 despised both fore and aft, for it was evi- 
 dent he would never make a sailor : he could 
 not even learn to walk the deck, much less 
 could it be expected that he would become 
 an efficient hand aloft. It was little to be 
 wondered at then, that he should become 
 the butt to the whole crew, for the sailors 
 thought him a very legitimate subject for 
 ridicule. George pitied the poor fellow, and 
 took every opportunity to show him kind- 
 ness : and especially he avoided laughing at 
 him, though that was very difficult at times ; 
 but he thought how unpleasant it would be 
 to himself to be made the laughing stock of 
 all hands. 
 
 For this forbearance and sympathy, poor 
 Land Crab felt very grateful ; and there 
 was nothing he would not have been wil-
 
 E GOLDEN RULE. 69 
 
 ling to do, in return for the kindness and 
 consideration George showed to him. 
 
 The tailor, like other men with crooked 
 legs, had a large share of romance in his 
 disposition. It was this which first put it 
 into his head to go to sea, though his in- 
 temperate habits drove him at last. 
 
 Withal there was a considerable degree 
 of military ardor about the feeble creature, 
 and when the crew were mustered to exer- 
 cise with small arms he was mustered with 
 them. It was their custom to drill with 
 unloaded muskets : but the armourer ob- 
 served that Land Crab always shut his 
 eyes and drew back when he touched the 
 trigger, although he knew the gun was not 
 loaded. 
 
 Several times as he delivered out the 
 muskets he passed one to Land Crab heavi- 
 ly charged, which, when he pulled the 
 trigger never failed to place the poor tailor 
 in an horizontal position. It was now with 
 fear and trembling that he moved his hand 
 towards the lock of his gun, and yet he dared 
 not neglect to obey when the officer gave 
 the order to fire.
 
 70 ALNOMUC : OR 
 
 One day George was on deck when Land 
 Crab, with several others were brought aft 
 to be drilled. As he was sitting on the 
 weather side of the companion way, he felt 
 some one touch his shoulder. He turned ; 
 it was Land Crab who had crept along the 
 leeward side when he saw no one looking. 
 The poor fellow was frightened, and said 
 in a hurried tone : " Mr. Dilloway Sir, 
 will you please to git me, Sir, a gun what 
 an't loaded 1 " 
 
 George arose and walked to the arm 
 chest, took up a musket and sounded it 
 then handed it to the tailor. There was a 
 rogueish grin on the armourer's face as he 
 observed this process : but the look of hum- 
 ble gratitude with which Land Crab re- 
 ceived the harmless weapon, George thought 
 a rich recompense for his trouble. 
 
 When Old Sailor had torn away George's 
 skirts as mentioned in the last chapter, the 
 tailor thought it a good opportunity to make 
 a small return for the many acts of kind- 
 ness the supercargo had shown to him. He 
 appeared on the quarter deck, his hat in his
 
 THE GOLDEN RULE. 71 
 
 hand, with a timid sheepish look, keeping 
 his eyes fixed upon the deck. 
 
 " What do you want, tailor? " asked cap- 
 tain Darrick. 
 
 " If Mr. Dilloway '11 let me mend his 
 coat for him, Sir?" 
 
 " Why tailor, I don't think it's worth 
 the mending," George replied. 
 
 "I'll do it so nice Sir, you shan't tell 
 where it was torn." 
 
 George thought since his coat was shorn 
 of its honors, he'd wear it as a jacket, but 
 seeing the tailor looked disappointed, he told 
 him he might take it and bind the raw edge : 
 and the poor fellow went forward, glad that 
 he could do something for his benefactor. 
 
 Bob Ringtail was at the helm, and when 
 captain Darrick went below, he said to 
 George : " Mr. Dilloway since you're a 
 going to make a razee of that 'are coat, may 
 be you'll give me the fag eend : it '11 do for 
 patches for me, and it won't be of no use to 
 yourself, you know, Sir ? " 
 
 George gave him the cloth, and when Bob 
 went forward, he said he didn't know why
 
 T& ALNOMUC : OR 
 
 he shouldn't sport a swallow tail as well as 
 the supercargo. So he stitched the dishon- 
 ored flaps to his own round jacket. To be 
 sure the jacket was blue and the skirts were 
 brown, and being grafted to a garment to 
 which they did not belong, the set was none 
 of snuggest. Moreover Bob had secured 
 his false tail by means of tarred twine, with 
 what sailors call a herring bone stitch, so that 
 it may be supposed the seam was more ap- 
 parent than the tailor had promised George 
 that he would make it. 
 
 The next day, George with the captain 
 were lounging upon the rail, when Bob was 
 going aloft on ship's duty : the swallow tail 
 immediately caught the eye of the latter. 
 " Well George," he said, pointing with his 
 thumb to the ludicrous figure, " I guess 
 you'll doff your long togs now, for this 
 voyage ! " George looked up and was much 
 amused to see the end his skirts had come 
 to, and from that time forth he ceased to 
 sport a swallow tail himself. But how far 
 the fact of his not having another old coat 
 to wear, had any thing to do with the
 
 THE GOLDEN RULE. 73 
 
 change in his appearance, the reader must 
 judge. 
 
 Let us return to our tailor. George con- 
 tinued to show him acts of kindness, and 
 poor Land Crab would often come to him 
 in the night watches to tell him of his griefs ; 
 there was no other on board from whom he 
 could expect sympathy, for to the seamen 
 his troubles seemed to arise from such 
 trifling causes, that they excited their mirth 
 rather than their compassion. The captain 
 to be sure pitied the poor fellow, but to him, 
 the discipline of the ship prevented the tailor 
 from opening his budget of grief : but 
 George was ever ready to converse with 
 him, as he was with all the crew, both for 
 his own amusement and also with the hope 
 of doing them good. He always listened to 
 Land Crab with patience ; and indeed it re- 
 quired not a little, for the tailor was a man 
 of a sorrowful spirit, and wordy withal in 
 unburdening his soul. 
 
 Now the poor fellow was very grateful 
 for this patient listening as well as for 
 7
 
 74 ALNOMUC : OR 
 
 George's other acts of kindness, and he was 
 very anxious to show his gratitude. But 
 what good could so feeble a creature do ? 
 Why the feeblest man is above a dog ; and 
 a dog can show his sense of favors done 
 him. Land Crab found an opportunity, 
 where men too that despised him, drew back 
 from the performance of their duty. 
 
 Peter Durky was an old man-of-war sai- 
 lor : he had also been a privateer's man, 
 and if not a pirate, he was piratical enough 
 in his disposition. By the assistance of one 
 of the ship's boys whom he had taught to 
 creep through a small opening into the after 
 hold, he had for some time carried on depre- 
 dations upon the cargo. His conduct was 
 disapproved by the rest of the crew, but they 
 said nothing to the officers some because 
 they did not like to be informers, and the 
 green hands, because they feared Durky, 
 who threatened to heave overboard any one 
 that told of him : and they knew right well 
 he would not mind committing a murder 
 any more than a theft.
 
 THE GOLDEN RULE. 75 
 
 One day Durky was displaying some 
 fresh plunder much to the annoyance of the 
 crew, who feared they would come in for a 
 share of the blame. As usual he threatened 
 to kill any man that told of him. " I don't 
 care the value of a rope yarn for your threat 
 Peter Durky," said Bob Ringtail, " and if it 
 wan't for gitting the karacter of an inform- 
 er, I'd let the captain know afore I was an 
 hour older." 
 
 The tailor lived in the steerage, but he 
 was then by the forecastle hatch and heard 
 what was said : he put his head down the 
 scuttle, and said: "You'd better do your 
 duty, Bob, and that's the best karicter." 
 
 "You there ! you ninth part of a man ! 
 You waddling yard stick, if you don't keep 
 your screeching pipe shut I'll dip you in the 
 salt pond, or my name an't Peter Durky." 
 
 " I shall do my duty, Durky, let what 
 will come of it : " and Land Crab shuffled 
 aft towards the quarter deck as fast as he 
 could, while Durky, raging like a chafed 
 lion, pitched headlong through the scuttle 
 in pursuit. Poor Land Crab felt he was
 
 76 ALNOMUC : OR 
 
 running for his life, and his legs then did 
 him service which astonished all who saw 
 him. Well for him it was, that he had 
 start enough to gain the quarter deck before 
 his enraged pursuer overtook him. 
 
 Neither George nor the captain were on 
 deck : he hastened to the companion way 
 his foot was lifted, but Durky's hand was 
 already falling upon his collar. The poor 
 tailor felt that his case was desperate, and 
 he took a desperate remedy, pitching head 
 first down the companion stairs. 
 
 Once safely at the bottom, Land Crab did 
 not stop to consider whether he was hurt, 
 but looked back to see what had become of 
 his pursuer. There he stood looking more 
 like a demon than a man : and with his 
 hand upon his throat, plainly signified to the 
 tailor what was to be his fate. But the 
 feeble creature's courage was screwed up, 
 and the threat did not prevent his doing his 
 duty. He was pleased too to show his grati- 
 tude, and proved that he had more moral 
 courage than many a bolder man who des- 
 pised his weakness.
 
 THE GOLDEN RULE. 77 
 
 CHAPTER, VII. 
 
 THE REVENGE. 
 
 ON examining the scene of the depreda- 
 tions, it was found that they had been car- 
 ried on to some extent. Nor was the dam- 
 age confined to the articles stolen, for many 
 packages had been cast adrift, so that they 
 must have been destroyed in the rough 
 weather in doubling the Cape, had it not 
 been previously discovered. As it was, lit- 
 tle harm was done, the articles taken being 
 mostly recovered. 
 
 It seems Durky was collecting a store, in- 
 tending to desert at the first island they 
 should touch at : he would have had wealth 
 enough perhaps to have set up for a king in 
 the South Sea, had he succeeded in getting 
 off with his booty. He frequently made his 
 boast among his shipmates of what he in- 
 tended to do, and endeavored to persuade 
 some of them to join him. But he was no 
 favorite with the crew ; for though in the 
 7*
 
 78 ALNOMUC : OR 
 
 main he was a clever fellow and a pleasant 
 companion, yet they knew him to be a vil- 
 lain of the deepest dye, and rather drew 
 back from associating with him. Though 
 they would not join in his enterprise, still 
 they did not inform against him from feeling 
 that disgrace attached to the character of an 
 informer : and to this feeling he trusted. 
 
 When he found that Land Crab was in- 
 deed resolved to make known what he had 
 heard, he went forward growling out ven- 
 geance, swearing to put the tailor to every 
 sort of torture. Having full confidence in 
 his villainy, the crew believed he would 
 fulfil his threats if he ever had opportunity. 
 
 When Durky was called aft to answer for 
 his misdeeds he obeyed the summons, but 
 maintained a sullen silence when question- 
 ed, shooting from beneath his scowling 
 brows a look of stern defiance. 
 
 The boy too whom he had used to effect 
 his wicked purposes, was brought to the 
 gangway and stripped to be punished ; he 
 wailed aloud and cried for mercy. The 
 heart of the hardened sinner was touched :
 
 THE GOLDEN RULE. 79 
 
 " Captain Darrick," he said, " that boy has 
 done nothing but what I made him do. 
 Give me all the punishment ; I can bear it 
 better than he." 
 
 " You're too deep a villain to be let off 
 with a flogging at the gangway," the cap- 
 tain replied. Durky drew himself up and 
 again scowled defiance : " You cannot in- 
 flict more than I can bear, captain Darrick." 
 The terms he used were not those of a sail- 
 or, and the truth flashed on the mind of the 
 captain that the fellow had been different 
 from what he appeared, though now de- 
 graded and fallen : however he made no re- 
 mark, but proceeded to have the lesser cul- 
 prit punished. 
 
 When this was accomplished he ordered 
 Durky to be put in irons. The crew con- 
 tinued silent and serious, but not a man 
 moved from his place to obey the order : as 
 to the condemned, he held himself straight 
 and passed his eye around to see if there 
 were any hardy enough to approach him. 
 He was truly a formidable figure, full six 
 feet high with broad shoulders and massy
 
 80 
 
 ALNOMUC: OR 
 
 limbs, making a display of strength which 
 all on board knew was not delusive. 
 Though there were those among the crew 
 who would have faced him in their own 
 quarrel, yet were there none disposed to do 
 so for the invidious purpose of putting a 
 shipmate in irons. 
 
 The fellow seemed sensible of the advan- 
 tage of his position, and the curl of his 
 upper lip and the flash of his stern grey eye 
 showed that he enjoyed it. 
 
 " Put that man in irons, Mr. Barnacle," 
 said the captain. 
 
 The mates waited but the word of com- 
 mand, and sprang forward, like a pair of 
 dogs when the leash is slipt in sight of the 
 game. The sailor like the king of the 
 forest, calmly expected the onset : he stood 
 in conscious strength, and a scornful smile 
 expressed how little he cared for his assail- 
 ants, though both were well made and pow- 
 erful men. As the stormy petrel rejoices 
 to be abroad when the howling tempest 
 lashes the waters into a rage, so contention 
 and strife were the elements in which Dur- 
 ky loved to live.
 
 THE GOLDEN RULE. 81 
 
 He continued unmoved till like two blood 
 hounds, the mates leapt upon him. Then 
 suddenly throwing back his weight, he 
 seized each by the bosom of his shirt ; their 
 chests gave forth a hollow sound as his 
 heavy hand fell upon them his arms were 
 extended, and they were dashed upon the 
 deck. 
 
 Seeing his officers used thus unceremoni- 
 ously, captain Darrick felt that it was time 
 for himself to act. He stopt not to look for 
 the dead and wounded, but rushed forward 
 to quell rebellion in its beginning. If there 
 was a man on board who could meet Dur- 
 ky on equal terms, that man was captain 
 Darrick. He was not to be sure so tall as 
 the powerful sailor, but still he was not de- 
 ficient in weight, and in strength, perhaps, 
 equalled his antagonist. 
 
 But captain Darrick had an advantage 
 which the other could not resist : it was 
 the habit of command. Durky had resisted 
 the inferior officers, but it was another thing 
 when he was confronted with his captain. 
 Bold and daring as he was, his look fell
 
 82 ALNOMUC : OR 
 
 before the fixed countenance of captain Dar- 
 rick : and when the latter seized him by 
 the throat, he sunk conquered by the moral 
 power of his eye, rather than by the strength 
 of his arm. 
 
 Meantime the mates had gained their legs, 
 stung to the quick by their disgrace ; raging 
 with anger they again came upon the field 
 of strife. Their ribs had received hard 
 thumps from the gunwale of the ship, against 
 which they had been dashed, but they were 
 inured to rough usage and thought not of 
 the hurt. It must have been much more 
 severe, to have checked them under their 
 present excitement. 
 
 " Hand me those irons, Mr. Crowell," 
 said the cp.ptain, and the second mate 
 sprang forward to obey. It was another 
 thing however to get them over Durky's 
 hands ; and it was only by the efforts of 
 all three, that the irons could be put on and 
 the fellow carried between decks, where 
 his feet were secured in another set of irons, 
 the bar of which was passed through a ring- 
 bolt in the deck.
 
 THE GOLDEN RULE. 83 
 
 Here the culprit was left bound in iron 
 and in darkness, to mediate on his ill spent 
 life. Far from his thoughts was any thing 
 like contrition or repentance for his evil 
 deeds, however he might regret the ill suc- 
 cess of his wickedness. He laid himself at 
 his length upon the pine plank of the lower 
 deck, and occupied his thoughts in brooding 
 schemes of revenge ; and especially did he 
 vow vengeance upon the tailor, should he 
 ever get the poor creature intofcis hands. 
 
 There was no bulkhead between the 
 place where he was confined and the steer- 
 age into which the light shone through the 
 after hatchway: he could of course see 
 what was done there, though he himself 
 was hid in gloomy darkness. Several times 
 did he perceive poor Land Crab, unconscious 
 of any danger, come towards the place 
 where he was, groping about for some arti- 
 cle he was in search of. Meantime, Durky 
 lay quiet like a cat watching his prey, 
 ready to spring whenever his poor victim 
 should come within his reach. 
 
 Thus passed three days and his patience
 
 84 ALNOMUC : OR 
 
 did not tire. His eyes, accustomed to the 
 medium in which he was confined, could 
 see plainly every thing about him, though 
 to one just entering, it appeared Isiut perfect 
 darkness. 
 
 So it was on the third day, when Land 
 Crab came feeling about in search of a box 
 which contained some of his work. Durky 
 spoke not, nor stirred, yet every muscle 
 was braced to spring. Land Crab groped 
 to the rigb^and left, each time drawing 
 nearer" to his hidden foe. At last he put 
 forth his hand upon Durky 's leg : he utter- 
 ed a faint cry, his hand drew back instinct- 
 ly, the blood seemed to curdle in his veins, 
 arid the hair to rise upon his head. He 
 hastily turned to make his escape, but it was 
 too late : the clanking of the fetters in the 
 ring bolt gave indication that his enemy 
 was in motion. It was, like the fierce hiss 
 and sharp rattle of the hidden serpent, an 
 alarm of death : for at that very moment 
 the tailor felt a strong grasp upon his waist- 
 band. 
 
 Durky drew his victim towards him with
 
 THE GOLDEN RULE. 85 
 
 a force which even despair, could not give 
 the poor creature power to resist. " Oh do 
 not kill me, do not kill me now, Mr. Dur- 
 ky," he exclaimed in a supplicating tone, 
 at the same time holding out his hand for 
 mercy. 
 
 " Not kill you, you reptile ! Yes ! I will 
 murder you, and your heart's blood '11 be the 
 sweetest drop I've tasted for many a long 
 day." The voice of the savage was stop- 
 ped by the hand of his vicl^i, which he 
 had seized with his teeth that he might hold 
 him while he shifted his grasp to the throat ; 
 for his wrists being confined by the same 
 fetter, he could not move one hand without 
 moving the other at the same time. 
 
 Land Crab gave a loud shriek as he felt 
 the hand of the murderer upon his throat : 
 the fingers closed upon his windpipe, and 
 the shriek died away in an horribly un- 
 earthly sound, as the rattling breath made 
 a desperate effort to force a passage. The 
 noise ceased, and all was silent. 
 
 That shriek of despair had been heard, 
 and the sepulchral sound which followed it,
 
 86 ALNOMTJC : OR 
 
 but help must arrive quickly or it will come 
 too late. 
 
 George Dilloway was sitting on the spars 
 upon the main deck reading in the shade of 
 the mainsail, when he heard the noise be- 
 neath him. He was at no loss to guess the 
 purport of the sound. 
 
 Luckily the tarpaulin of the main hatch 
 had not been battened down. He threw it 
 back, drew off one of the quarter hatches, 
 leapt down,!fend was in the midst of the 
 horrid scene. There lay the poor tailor 
 across the lap of his inveterate foe, exhibit- 
 ing the black and bloated look and the 
 starting eyeballs of a strangled man. 
 
 George's ringers were wholly powerless 
 to unlock the firm grasp of the determined 
 murderer. Others had reached the spot 
 almost as soon as he, and it was only by 
 the united strength of many hands that his 
 fingers could at length be removed from 
 the throat of his victim. Still more trouble 
 had they to separate his teeth from the hand 
 he held in his mouth ; and not till his 
 jaws were forced apart with a marlingspike,
 
 THE GOLDEN RULE. 87 
 
 in doing which one of his teeth was knock- 
 ed out, could this be effected. 
 
 As to Land Crab, though he was at last 
 drawn from the clutches of his foe, there 
 was no appearance of life in him. However 
 on captain Darrick's applying his lancet to 
 a vein, the blood was found to flow ; and 
 by persevering attention he was at last 
 brought to, much surprised to find himself 
 still in the land of the living. He was 
 placed in his berth, and after some days, re- 
 covered from the bodily harm, and in part 
 from the fright he had sustained ; his hand 
 however always after bore marks of the 
 villain's teeth. 
 
 As to Durky he threw himself sulkily 
 upon the deck when he found his prey 
 snatched from him : and there he lay utter- 
 ing curses " not loud but deep," and vow- 
 ing vengeance upon all who had helped to 
 baulk him of his revenge. 
 
 The other seamen stood around and lis- 
 tened to his deep muttered curses with 
 horror, for it was too evident they were not 
 the idle growling of a discontented spirit,
 
 OO ALNOMUC : OR 
 
 but expressive of the fixed purpose of a 
 desperado. 
 
 Upon George he was particularly liberal 
 of his threats, and captain Darrick deter- 
 mined to guard against them, by putting 
 him out of the way of doing mischief.
 
 THE GOLDEN RULE. 89 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 THE CHRISTIAN'S REVENGE. 
 
 SEVERAL days had passed away, when 
 early one morning, the crew of the Alno- 
 muc were aroused by the startling cry of 
 "land, ho!" 
 
 Every one hastened to obtain a sight of 
 the desired object : for although it was well 
 known that the islands they were approach- 
 ing, were but a cluster of barren, uninhabited 
 rocks, situated in a bleak inhospitable re- 
 gion, they still possessed an interest to those, 
 who, for day after day, and week after week, 
 had only looked at a dreary expanse of 
 waters on every side, unbroken but by their 
 own heavings, as far as the eye could reach. 
 
 It is astonishing what a trifle will pos- 
 sess an interest for the sea-worn mariner, 
 when months of incessant motion have cut 
 him off from all the world except the small 
 portion enclosed in his own little bark. 
 Any thing to break the dull monotony of 
 8*
 
 90 ALNOMUC I OR 
 
 the sailor's life has an attraction for him 
 the spouting of a whale, the flight of a 
 school of flying fish the appearance of a 
 sea bird, though there be no novelty in the 
 sight, still attracts attention, and is made 
 the subject of remark. Much more must 
 the first looming of land, though it be but 
 a barren rock or an uninhabited island, 
 have an interest to those who for weeks and 
 months have not seen the land to whom 
 the remembrance of the dry ground comes 
 in the mistiness of an almost forgotten 
 dream, rather than as the recollection of a 
 known reality, so natural has it become to 
 live upon the water. 
 
 " Well Geordie," said captain Darrick, 
 " I'm glad once more to see the land." 
 
 " I thought you meant to pass, without 
 making these islands ? " replied the super- 
 cargo. 
 
 " I did think of it : but since that affair 
 the other day, I've changed my mind. I 
 mean to run in, and put our character 
 ashore." 
 
 " But you do not mean to leave him on
 
 THE GOLDEN RULE. 91 
 
 these desolate islands, and winter coming 
 on too ! He will perish with cold and 
 hunger." 
 
 " I think he will not. But he must take 
 his chance of that ; it is not safe to keep the 
 rascal on board he is a desperate villain, 
 and has threatened your life among others." 
 
 George said he was willing to take the 
 risk, and tried hard to persuade his friend to 
 forego the punishment : " I am not willing 
 to take the risk, if you are, George," the 
 captain replied, and continued firm to his 
 purpose. 
 
 "What land's that?" Durky asked of 
 the steward as the latter brought him his 
 breakfast. 
 
 " It be one ob de Foglant islands. The 
 cap tin say run de ship close under de land." 
 
 " And what are they running in for ? " 
 said the prisoner in a husky voice and turn- 
 ing quite pale. The steward could not tell, 
 but the prisoner well guessed the captain's 
 purpose. He had never taken it into his 
 calculation to be left on a desolate island in
 
 92 ALNOMUC : OR 
 
 the bleak latitude of Cape Horn, and the 
 winter approaching too ; for it was now the 
 month of May, answering to the November 
 of Northern latitude. No one could better 
 appreciate the extent of the sentence, for no 
 man on board was better informed not 
 even the captain or supercargo, than the 
 prisoner. 
 
 Noon came and found Durky sitting alone 
 on the peak of an high hill, the only human 
 being probably in that whole cluster of 
 islands. One object alone absorbed his at- 
 tention, and that was, a ship in the distance 
 fast receding from the land. 
 
 When the prisoner was relieved from his 
 irons and ordered upon deck, he sulkily 
 obeyed : he got into the boat when com- 
 manded, for he was too proud to ask a re- 
 mission of his sentence, though he felt it was 
 worse than a sentence of death. George 
 stood in the gangway and placed a book in 
 his pocket as he passed, and this little act 
 of kindness almost overcame his stubborn-
 
 THE GOLDEN RULE. 93 
 
 ness of spirit ; he had expected to meet only 
 the scorn of others, and he was prepared to 
 brave it : any other feeling he had not ex- 
 pected to find. 
 
 He felt that he was a villain, and that 
 every finger was pointed at him. He de- 
 termined to be a resolute villain believing 
 that none felt a sympathy with him, he 
 would not show the weakness of desiring 
 it : but when he found there was one who 
 felt some interest in his welfare, wound up 
 as his feelings were, it almost brought tears 
 into his eyes. He would have given one 
 half his hopes of life, slight as those hopes 
 were, could he have thanked George for his 
 kindness; but his pride would not allow 
 him to exhibit the weakness, while the eyes 
 of the crew were upon him. 
 
 Gloomily he sat on the boat's bows while 
 his shipmates silently pulled him towards 
 the beach ; and having landed, he walked 
 straight off from the shore without saying 
 a word, or in any way responding to the 
 boat's crew, who now had their sympathies 
 fully excited.
 
 94 ALNOMTJC : OR 
 
 He walked on without looking back till 
 he reached the summit of the hill. He then 
 turned to look upon the ship she was al- 
 ready making her way seaward : he seated 
 himself on a fallen tree, and felt that he was 
 now indeed alone. He cared not to restrain 
 himself any longer his full heart was 
 ready to burst, and his feelings found vent 
 in a flood of tears the first bitter flood his 
 hard heart had allowed him to shed for 
 many years. 
 
 He watched the ship in her offing till a 
 point of land hid her from his view, then 
 threw himself upon the ground, and felt 
 more desolate than while the sight of a 
 human habitation seemed still to form a 
 connecting link with the world. 
 
 As he fell, he felt the book George had 
 placed in his pocket. He drew it forth, it 
 was as he had expected, the word of God. 
 " It is just what my poor father would have 
 done," he exclaimed, and his mind was 
 transported to the green hills of Vermont : 
 he saw the paternal roof and the village 
 spire, beneath which he had been so often
 
 THE GOLDEN RULE. 95 
 
 directed in the heavenward way, from 
 which he had so fearfully departed. He 
 saw his father in the cool shade of his 
 beautiful garden, once more studying the 
 oracles of the living God, as he had seen him 
 in the days of his childhood. That parent he 
 thought must be now stricken in years, if 
 indeed the perverseness of his wandering 
 son, had not brought down his grey hairs 
 with sorrow to the grave. Then too came 
 into his mind, that first act of disobedience, 
 from which he might trace his present de- 
 gradation. 
 
 The heart of the hardened villain was 
 softened, and for the first time since the 
 days of his early youth, was he seated to 
 read the word of God. He was beyond the 
 ken of any mortal eye, but doubtless the 
 angels of heaven looked with pleasure upon 
 the sight. 
 
 The next morning, the Alnomuc was 
 lying becalmed on the side of the island 
 opposite to where Durky had been landed. 
 Though the season was advanced, it was a
 
 96 ALNOMUC : OR 
 
 mild and pleasant day, and finding he was 
 in the neighborhood of a colony of pen- 
 guins, captain Darrick allowed some of the 
 men to go ashore in search of eggs. There 
 were no eggs to be had at that season of the 
 year, but the men had their pleasure ; and 
 George, who had gone ashore with them, 
 strayed aff alone into the country. 
 
 He was stooping to collect the seeds of a 
 plant, when lifting his eyes, he saw Durky 
 standing before him. It was an unpleasant 
 surprise, for he remembered the desperate 
 character of the man, and his threats to- 
 wards himself. 
 
 George was unarmed, and he saw nothing 
 near which he could convert into a weapon 
 of defence. However he took his stand, 
 and lifting his hand to Durky, said, " You 
 are near enough Durky, do not come any 
 further at your peril." 
 
 " I'll come no further than you say, Mr. 
 Dilloway, but you need not fear me, for I 
 wouldn't hurt a hair of your head. I saw 
 the ship this morning becalmed, and I came 
 across the island to take a last look at her ;
 
 THE GOLDEN RULE. 97. 
 
 and when I saw you was on shore, 1 could 
 but come to thank you for your kindness to 
 the poor outcast : if indeed you will receive 
 the thanks of a wretch who has long been 
 forsaken of his God, and is now forsaken 
 by his fellow men ! " As he spake, the 
 penitent held his hat in his hand and meek- 
 ly bowed his head in evident sincerity. 
 
 " And do you indeed feel sorry for what 
 you have done?" 
 
 " Ah Sir, when you put that blessed 
 book in my pocket, at a time when I thought 
 no one cared for the poor reprobate, my 
 hard heart was touched ; and I have looked 
 into the sacred pages, the first time for 
 years." 
 
 " And you can see there that God will ac- 
 cept the penitent ! " 
 
 " He will not receive me, I forsook him 
 against the clearest light, and He has for- 
 saken me." 
 
 " But He will receive all who repent : do 
 you not remember the story of the poor 
 prodigal?" 
 
 " Aye I have read it since I've been on 
 9
 
 98 ALNOMUC : OR 
 
 shore : but I am worse than the prodigal, 
 and I know God will not receive me." 
 
 " But you called him your God just 
 now ! " 
 
 " Aye did I ? He was my father's God, 
 but he cannot be mine." 
 
 " The promise is to the fathers and their 
 children. He will not fail to receive any 
 who seek him, for he desires not the death 
 of a sinner : and captain Darrick like- 
 wise, if he thought you were really sorry, 
 would be glad to receive you into the ship 
 again." 
 
 " Do you think he would, Sir? Ah, he 
 would never believe it." 
 
 " But you must forgive others if you hope 
 to be forgiven, and especially, can you for- 
 give the tailor?" 
 
 " He has more to forgive in me than I in 
 him God knows, Sir, I feel no ill will to- 
 wards him." 
 
 " And for the future you will forsake your 
 evil habits ? " 
 
 " I would that I could, Sir : but I fear, 
 they have been so long fixed ! "
 
 THE GOLDEN RULE. 99 
 
 " Well, I must be your guarantee : will 
 you accept me as your security 1 Captain 
 Darrick will not refuse me." 
 
 "It is very kind in you to offer, Mr. 
 Dilloway : how can I refuse to accept your 
 offer. After my threats against you, I had 
 no right to expect it : but it is like a Chris- 
 tian." 
 
 "And if I am enabled to do you this 
 kindness, Durky, I am only following the 
 example of my Saviour therein, in doing 
 for you as he has, I hope, done for me, and 
 as he is ready to do for all others. He will 
 intercede with the God against whom you 
 have sinned, and has already died to make 
 atonement for you. Why should you not 
 accept him as your surety with God, as 
 well as me, for your security to captain 
 Darrick. I hope captain Darrick will ac- 
 cept my mediation and forgive you for my 
 sake : and I know God will receive the in- 
 tercession of his dear Son, and grant you a 
 pardon for his sake, since he has already 
 shed his blood to wash away your sins." 
 
 " Well Mr. Dilloway, I will do the best
 
 100 ALNOMUC : OR 
 
 I can, if allowed to return to the ship ; for 
 it is dreadful to be left on a desolate coast 
 at this season of the year. But I have de- 
 served it all." 
 
 George now perceived that the ship's boat 
 was ready to put off, and he hastened to 
 the beach, determined, if possible, to obtain 
 the remission of the poor man's sentence. 
 Meantime, Durky was seated on a rock, 
 watching his movements with anxious ex- 
 pectation.
 
 THE GOLDEN RULE. 101 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 THE TEMPEST. 
 
 As Durky supposed, captain Darrick was 
 unwilling to believe his repentance sincere : 
 but at George's earnest request he consented 
 to receive him. Perhaps he did it the more 
 willingly, as he did not like to lose so good 
 a seaman from his ship ; for roguery apart, 
 Durky was a first rate hand. He said 
 however, to his young friend : " I'm afraid 
 Geordie, you'll repent bringing him back. 
 However let him come." 
 
 When Durky came on board he was 
 merely told to return to his duty. The 
 tailor was just coming up the hatchway as 
 he came over the ship's side : the poor fel- 
 low turned pale and would have fallen back 
 into the steerage in his surprise and con- 
 sternation, had not the armourer caught 
 him. But though his former deadly enemy 
 was before him, he needed not to fear ; for 
 9*
 
 102 ALNOMUC : OR 
 
 that fierce spirit was now subdued the 
 bloodthirsty tiger had assumed the bearing 
 of the gentle lamb. 
 
 Nor was the appearance mere assumed, 
 neither was the reformation only external. 
 His haughty heart was really humbled, and 
 captain Darrick now acknowledged that he 
 was the very best hand on board his ship ; 
 for while he constantly strove to keep his 
 evil propensities in check, his hardy, fear- 
 less character remained unchanged, and all 
 his energies were directed to the perform- 
 ance of his duty. He often thanked George 
 for providing him such a noble seaman : 
 and it was not many weeks before not only 
 the captain but all hands had reason to be 
 thankful that the brave fellow had returned 
 on board, and George had once more reason 
 to see, that Christian kindness is never 
 thrown away, and especially, kindness to 
 the souls of men. He once more saw that 
 the Saviour's golden precept was the best 
 guide of human actions. 
 
 As to himself, he watched over the re- 
 formed sailor with a sort of parental feeling :
 
 THE GOLDEN RULE. 103 
 
 and one of the most pleasant anticipations 
 of his arrival at home, was the hope of 
 earring back the returning prodigal to his 
 father's arms. 
 
 For some weeks after the incidents last 
 related, the Alnomuc was beating about off 
 Cape Horn: during this time, she was 
 driven as far as sixtieth degree of South 
 latitude. 
 
 The ship had gained nearly enough 
 westing to bear away to the North, when 
 she was struck by a heavy westerly gale, 
 which with the strong current setting to the 
 eastward in those latitudes, soon drove her 
 back into the Atlantic. 
 
 Beyond the Capes, where the swells of 
 the ocean can pass round and round the 
 world, without meeting any thing to check 
 their still accumulating power, it may be 
 supposed the waves will heave themselves 
 to a most fearful height. The long con- 
 tinued westerly gale had whipt old ocean 
 into a rage, and the swelling mountains of 
 black waters covered with foam, and the
 
 104 ALNOMUC : OR 
 
 deep abysses between, their masses were 
 enough to strike terror into an inexperienced 
 mind. But the seamen felt safe, confident 
 in the qualities of their good sea boat, and 
 in their own skill. 
 
 But it was not so, when the wind sud- 
 denly shifting to the eastward, blew with 
 equal violence in the very teeth of the 
 current, raising a sea in direct opposition 
 to the old one. Now it was that the 
 irregular and wild heaving of the waters, 
 rendered their situation really dangerous ; 
 for the ship could neither scud nor lie 
 to, and all their skill was unavailing to 
 prevent her falling into the trough of the 
 sea. 
 
 Thus it was when about midnight they 
 found themselves between two swells. The 
 one to the eastward, it seemed as if the 
 fierce gale would blow back upon them, 
 while the opposite one was just ready to 
 burst. It did burst high above their heads, 
 and its mass of waters was precipitated 
 upon the deck. All now expected their last 
 struggle with death the weight upon the
 
 THE GOLDEN RULE. ll5 
 
 decks they thought, must break them in, or 
 sink the vessel. 
 
 Engulphed in the dark waters, each one 
 clung to the rigging, and the good ship at 
 last rose quivering to the surface. 
 
 George kept his regular watch, hut he 
 was now below and was awakened by the 
 tremendous jar. The ship's timbers shook 
 convulsively, but the lamp was still burning 
 in the cabin as when he turned in. Pres- 
 ently he saw the captain enter the cabin, 
 and going into the opposite state room, kneel 
 down and continue some moments engaged 
 in earnest prayer. He then found some 
 articles he came in search of, and was about 
 returning to the deck, when George said : 
 " Has any thing happened, captain Dar- 
 rick ? " 
 
 " Only been struck by a sea, George, 
 the old ship won't stand another such blow. 
 Lay still, my boy, you can do no good 
 upon deck, and you're better off here." 
 But George Dilloway had already left his 
 berth, and was resolved to follow his friend 
 to the deck; there he beheld such a tu-
 
 106 ALNOMUC : OR 
 
 mult of waters as he had never before wit- 
 nessed. 
 
 " This is a grand sight, Darrick," he 
 said. 
 
 " Aye it is fearfully grand, George : and 
 it would be pleasant to look at, could we 
 but look in safety." 
 
 " But He who holds the waters in the 
 hollow of his hand, rules them here as well 
 as in the calm." 
 
 " I have found pleasure in thinking so 
 to-night. Surely it is pleasant to be able to 
 trust in God, when we feel we can do so 
 little for ourselves. However we must try 
 to get the ship before the wind : but how 
 she will work against such a sea, God only 
 knows. Mr. Barnacle, we'll see how our 
 storm sails will stand it you may hoist the 
 fore topmast staysail, and haul your sheet 
 to starboard. There hard up with your 
 helm boys." 
 
 The sail soon caught the gale, and the 
 ship shot ahead. As she sunk between the 
 waves she was becalmed, but as she rose 
 to the top of them she felt the full influence
 
 THE GOLDEN RULE. 107 
 
 of the tempest, and shot boldly ahead. By 
 skillful steering, the opposing seas were 
 avoided for a while, but at last she plunged 
 headlong into one. For a moment the flood 
 passed over the deck, and when she was 
 again clear, it was perceived that her fore 
 topmast stay had been carried away. 
 
 Durky was already in the rigging with 
 one end of a preventer stay : " Lay down, 
 lay down," exclaimed captain Darrick. 
 " Stand clear of the mast." The lanyard 
 of the forward shroud of the topmast rigging 
 had already parted, the other lanyards soon 
 gave way, passed like lightning through the 
 dead eyes, and were whipt out with their 
 strands separated the topmast nodded to- 
 wards the stern broke off with a crash 
 above the cap, and fell, to port. 
 
 " Clear the wreck," exclaimed captain 
 Darrick. The topmast backstays had 
 been thrown round the lower rigging and 
 forward of the foremast when the topmast 
 fell, and they now kept the head of the 
 broken spar in towards the vessel, while 
 the splintered end dashed about by the
 
 108 ALNOMUC : OR 
 
 heaving of the ocean, seemed to threaten 
 with instant destruction any who should 
 attempt to obey the command to cut it clear, 
 while the repeated and tremendous thumps 
 against the ship's bottom, made the danger 
 equal to all if this was not done. " Hand 
 us your hatchet, carpenter," said the cap- 
 tain : in a moment with the hatchet in his 
 hand, he sprang forward to cut away the 
 foul rigging. " That's work for me, captain 
 Darrick," exclaimed Durky, and snatching 
 the hatchet from the captain, he leapt upon 
 the rail. A single blow severed one of the 
 backstays ; but he had no time to repeat 
 it : a heavy sea at that moment burst over 
 the bows Durky clung to the rigging 
 while the officers and crew, who had been 
 keeping off the spar as well as they could 
 with oars and handspikes, were washed aft 
 with the sea. 
 
 The waters passed, and Durky was still 
 seen in the forward rigging with his hand 
 upraised. The hatchet fell and severed the 
 only remaining starboard backstay. The 
 brave fellow then leapt into the larboard

 
 THE GOLDEN RULE. 109 
 
 channels to cut them away on that side. 
 This was soon done ; but now, the spar 
 which had shot into the air after the break- 
 ing of the wave, came down against the 
 chains where Durky was standing, and the 
 man and the mast disappeared. 
 
 The cry, "A man overboard," drew all 
 hands into the larboard gangway : they 
 looked anxiously over into the dark waters 
 to get a glimpse of their lost shipmate, but 
 the ship had made a heavy lurch, and 
 nothing could have been seen, even had the 
 night permitted it. The situation of the 
 spar was made visible astern, by a white 
 spot caused by the breaking of the water 
 upon it, and all believed that that bright 
 spot marked their shipmate's grave, and 
 though the life blood was still coursing 
 through his veins, he would soon be a cold 
 and stiffened corpse. 
 
 They looked mournfully a moment, then 
 hastened to get some sail upon the vessel. 
 It was found that the fore topmast stay- 
 sail was still hanging from the end of the 
 bowsprit the stay on which it was hoisted 
 10
 
 110 ALNOMUC : OR 
 
 being carried away pretty high up, was 
 dragging in the water. It was determined 
 to secure this to the foremast head, and set 
 the staysail again; for the ship could not 
 be kept before the wind, without some head 
 sail to help her steer. 
 
 There was not a little danger in working 
 at the end of the bowsprit, plunged as it 
 was every few moments under the waves : 
 but there were brave hearts on board the 
 Alnomuc, who were not in the habit of 
 calculating danger. The sail was dragged 
 up and stowed in the netting, till the stay 
 could be got ready, and the jibboom was 
 run in and housed that it might not be car- 
 ried away by the pitching of the vessel : 
 but at this stage of their operations, the 
 crew were all frightened from their work. 
 Yet it must be no earthly sound, that could 
 frighten those brave hearts. 
 
 The wind howled over the vessel, and 
 loudly shrieked through the blocks : but 
 above the roaring of the tempest was heard 
 a more fearful noise : it was a voice speak- 
 ing to the men ; appalled and disconcerted,
 
 THE GOLDEN RULE. Ill 
 
 they hastened to the forecastle, for it was 
 the voice of Durky they heard, and it seem- 
 ed to come from the fore top. " The time 
 has come for one of us," said one of the 
 men. 
 
 " For all of us," said another. "It's no 
 use to do nothing more, when we've heard 
 the dead man's voice." 
 
 Even captain Darrick, early imbued with 
 the superstition of seafaring men, was en- 
 tirely disconcerted : but George Dilloway, 
 immediately guessed at what had happened, 
 that Durky had caught at the mizen chains 
 as the ship passed him. and had thus found 
 his way on board. He had sat in the 
 channels a moment, till the effects of the 
 blow he had received passed away, and had 
 then got on board without any one per- 
 ceiving him ; and finding what the crew 
 were engaged in, he had gone into the fore- 
 top to assist. 
 
 George hastened to bend the stay to the 
 end of a studdingsail tack, which Durky 
 had thrown down. Bob Ringtail finding it 
 was real flesh and blood in the top, was
 
 112 ALNOMUC I OR 
 
 somewhat mortified at the fear he had 
 shown, and taking a watch tackle on his 
 shoulder, began to ascend the rigging to as- 
 sist in securing the stay, observing that, " a 
 fellow who was born to be hanged could 
 never be drowned." 
 
 When daylight appeared, which was not 
 till eight o'clock in that latitude, the ship was 
 driving before the wind under a close reefed 
 main topsail and fore staysail. Though 
 it still blew fiercely, the breeze was fair : 
 by degrees, the sea became more regular, 
 and the favorable gale left them not, till they 
 were ready to bear away to the North in 
 the Pacific Ocean.
 
 THE GOLDEN RULE. 113 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 THE INDIAN. 
 
 " COLD comfort this," said captain Dar- 
 rick, as he sat at the breakfast table the 
 morning after the accident detailed in the 
 last chapter. The sea was so rough, that 
 the cook could light no fire ; consequently, 
 the breakfast was not cooked that morning. 
 
 " Well Darrick," said George Dilloway, 
 " if the food is cold, we may be thankful 
 for good appetites to eat it, and that will 
 make it sweet." 
 
 " Aye Geordie, we may be thankful that 
 we are here at all. That Durky was made 
 for a noble fellow ; and I'll try to do some- 
 thing for him before the voyage is out, if he 
 behaves himself." 
 
 " You see Darrick, I'm not sorry yet for 
 persuading you to take him on board? " 
 
 " And you never will be. You acted 
 like a Christian, and I'm sure no one will 
 ever lose, by doing that." 
 10*
 
 114 ALNOMUC : OR 
 
 " I did what no one who pretends to be 
 governed by Christian principles could con- 
 sistently avoid doing. I saw his proud 
 spirit was humbled, believed him truly 
 penitent : could I help forgiving him, and 
 yet hope to be forgiven ! Could I refuse to 
 intercede for him, and expect my Saviour 
 to intercede for me ! " 
 
 Captain Darrick had began to take some 
 interest in religion he had become regular 
 in reading the Scriptures and in his devo- 
 tional exercises had set himself to break 
 off his evil habits, and earnestly sought 
 God's help to enable him to do so. And 
 yet, he often found himself involved in feel- 
 ings and actions which his conscience dis- 
 approved. He looked much to his friend 
 George for advice and encouragement, and 
 often did these two take sweet counsel to- 
 gether. 
 
 George Dilloway had taken God's word 
 for the rule of his life ; and when he found 
 himself cut off from other means of grace, 
 he had become more diligent in studying it :
 
 THE GOLDEN RULE. 115 
 
 he had become much more decided in his 
 religious character, since he found himself 
 alone, dependent only upon his God. But 
 in general, a Christian experiences only 
 harm in cutting himself off from the means 
 of grace, unless indeed he has done it to 
 carry them to the destitute. Then, if he 
 goes forth in the strength of his God, that 
 God will be with him and bless him who 
 would be a blessing to others. 
 
 George read in his Bible his Saviour's 
 command to his disciples to convert the 
 world, and remembered his shipmates. He 
 thought too, that if he himself had been in 
 the broad road to destruction, how thank- 
 ful he should be to any one, who would 
 direct his steps into the way of life ; and he 
 resolved, to do as he would be done by. 
 Often did the approving eye of his Heaven- 
 ly Father rest upon him in the silent 
 watches of the night, while seated by the 
 side of the homeless sailor : and oftener 
 still, did he urge upon his friend Darrick 
 the importance of securing an Heavenly in- 
 heritance ; and with neither were his labors 
 without effect.
 
 116 ALNOMUC : OR 
 
 As they approached the places where 
 they were to begin their traffic with the 
 natives, the two friends felt they were draw- 
 ing nigh a scene of trial ; and both sought 
 help, that their intercourse with the savages 
 might be throughout, such as became Chris- 
 tian men. 
 
 Some weeks had elapsed since they 
 passed the Cape, and they were becalmed 
 one day under a small island. Several 
 natives were seen, along the shore, where a 
 heavy surf was beating upon the rocks. 
 Two of the Indians soon entered the surf, 
 and in about half an hour, made their ap- 
 pearance alongside. 
 
 They were the first naked savages 
 George had seen ; and they caused in him a 
 very unpleasant sensation, especially, as 
 one of them was a woman. He immedi- 
 ately brought out one of his own shirts, and 
 directed her to the cabin to put it on. 
 
 The Wyheenee, (woman,) shew much 
 readiness in appropriating the garment to 
 her own use, thursting her lower members
 
 THE GOLDEN RULE. 117 
 
 into the sleeves thereof; then tying the 
 flaps over her shoulders, she soon made her 
 appearance upon deck, proudly strutting 
 about with the nicely plaited frill flowing 
 before her. 
 
 The crew were much amused at her ap- 
 pearance, and captain Darrick told his 
 friend, that his wardrobe would not hold 
 out long, if he undertook to clothe all the 
 naked savages he should meet with. As 
 to himself, he had been so much accustom- 
 ed in his former voyages to see Indians in 
 a state of nature, that he did not think of 
 it : and George himself, soon became ac- 
 customed to the sight ; but he could never 
 cease to pity them, and to wish that Chris- 
 tians would make more efforts, to civilize 
 their habits and to Christianize their souls. 
 
 The two Indians had brought off, each a 
 bunch of cocoanuts to dispose of. George 
 had seen the fruit as they are brought singly 
 from the West Indies : but never before had 
 he seen the nuts as they grow together, like 
 a bunch of huge grapes. He was amused
 
 118 ALNOMtJC: OR 
 
 at the facility with which the Indian strip- 
 ped off the outer bark : when that was done, 
 he struck the small end against the edge of 
 the anchor's fluke, and a round piece scaled 
 off about two inches in diameter, leaving a 
 handy drinking cup filled with a sparkling 
 liquor. 
 
 George was delighted with the lively 
 juice of the young nut, with the refreshing 
 qualities of which, none can be acquainted 
 who have only seen the imported fruit. As 
 used in the countries where it grows, before 
 the meat has been formed, or when it is 
 only of a creamy consistency, the juice is of 
 a lively sparkling quality, and a delightful 
 beverage in a hot climate. 
 
 It may be supposed the natives found a 
 ready sale for their merchandize : but the 
 man could not obtain the article he was 
 "chiefly in quest of. He was a Tahitian, 
 and had been left at this island, some hun- 
 dred miles from his home, by a British ship. 
 He had learned a little broken English, and 
 also some English vices ; among these was 
 the habit of chewing, and he was now very 
 eager for some tobacco.
 
 THE GOLDEN RULE. 119 
 
 Now it so happened, that this was an 
 article in great demand on board the Alno- 
 muc, the store of this precious commodity 
 being almost exhausted. The sailors had 
 become very economical in their use of this 
 luxury, in which they all delighted : and 
 each one carefully laid by his " old sol- 
 diers," to be re-chewed. Some indeed had 
 entirely exhausted their stock, and it was 
 not uncommon for them, occasionally, to 
 borrow a soldier from their more fortunate 
 shipmates ; and when they had enjoyed it 
 for a while, it was punctually returned, to 
 be chewed again by the rightful owner. 
 
 When the Indian found he could neither 
 buy, beg, nor borrow, a single particle of 
 the pernicious weed he had learned to love, 
 he resolved to steal some if he could. Now 
 Bob Ringtail was in the habit of storing his 
 " old soldiers," for safe keeping, in one of 
 the holes of the windlass on the starboard 
 side. The Indian saw Bob make a deposit 
 in this place, and scarce had the latter turn- 
 ed his back, when the Indian seized upon 
 the treasure and clapped it into his own
 
 120 ALNOMUC : OR 
 
 jl 
 
 mouth. Bob immediately discovered the 
 theft, which, when the other perceived, 
 he leapt over the ship's side into the water. 
 Bob seized a boat hook and jumped into the 
 chains ; as the Indian rose, he hooked upon 
 him, and with the assistance of his ship- 
 mates drew him on board. 
 
 All agreed that for such an offence he 
 ought to be punished ; and Bob soon had 
 him tied up by his two thumbs, and was 
 about to inflict summary justice, when 
 George, Dilloway happened to come for- 
 ward : " Hilloa Bob," he said, " what's to 
 pay now ? " 
 
 " Why Sir, this 'ere chap's bin stealing 
 my backey : and I's agoing to give him a 
 taste of a tarred eend for it. May be he'll 
 find it some harder to chaw, than an old 
 soldier ! " 
 
 " But you an't going to flog the poor fel- 
 low for taking a bit of tobacco ? " 
 
 " To be sure I be Sir; backey 's backey 
 now you know." 
 
 This was a proposition which could not 
 be denied ; so Bob continued :
 
 THE GOLDEN RULE. 121 
 
 " There's but little in the ship Sir, and 
 soon there'll be none, and then I don't know 
 what we'll do. If the fellow had carried off 
 my dinner, or stolen my jacket, I shouldn't 
 ha' cared : a man can do on a pinch with- 
 out his dinner, and git along well enough 
 without a jacket in sich a climate as this, 
 but how he's to git on without backey, is 
 more as I can tell." 
 
 The Indian finding George was disposed 
 to take his part, begged hard with him in 
 his broken English to get him clear, and 
 George resolved if possible that he would : 
 so he told Bob Ringtail if he'd let the poor 
 fellow go, he'd give him some tobacco. 
 
 George remembered that in the bottom of 
 one of his trunks, was a quantity of this 
 dirty luxury, which he himself detested in 
 every form. His father had placed it there, 
 that he might be enabled to make a present 
 to the sailors, when .their own store should 
 be exhausted. George now thought a few 
 heads were well bestowed, in saving the 
 poor Indian from his threatened punishment. 
 Bob was satisfied, and felt even rich in his 
 11
 
 122 ALNOMUC : OE 
 
 new acquisition : he now very readily 
 released his prisoner, who immediately, 
 when he found himself at liberty, dove 
 into the water and was soon on his way to 
 the shore. 
 
 The next morning the ship was lying in 
 a tolerably good roadstead, some miles from 
 the spot where she had been becalmed. 
 Here, captain Darrick had brought his ves- 
 sel to, in order to obtain some refreshments 
 for the ship's company, after their long pas- 
 sage. A number of canoes were alongside 
 with various articles to dispose of : some 
 had a hog or two, to barter for the much 
 coveted articles on board the ship for a few 
 nails, or bits of iron hoop, or Dutch looking 
 glasses or beads. Some had a few fowls 
 others cocoanuts or yams : others again had 
 fish, and one canoe there was, in which 
 were a couple of large bunches of fine ripe 
 banannas. 
 
 This fruit is of an oblong form and about 
 six inches in length, and being of a fine 
 golden color, and several hundreds growing
 
 THE GOLDEN RULE. 123 
 
 together around a single stem, the bunches 
 have a very rich appearance. They are a 
 very luscious, and also a very healthy fruit. 
 
 There were three Indians in the canoe, 
 and captain Darrick sought in vain to pur- 
 chase their commodity: nothing that he 
 thought proper to offer, would be received 
 as an equivalent till George Dilloway came 
 on deck. One of the Indians then came 
 forward, and presented him with the fruit. 
 
 It was the same young Tahitian who had 
 stolen the tobacco. He wished much to re- 
 turn to his own country : and in his broken 
 English, he expressed his desire to George 
 to be received as a sailor on board the ship, 
 in the hope that she would touch there in 
 the course of her voyage. The natives of 
 the South Sea islands, are very handy on 
 board a ship in doing the light work : cap- 
 tain Darrick had intended to take two or 
 three in his vessel, to reinforce his crew be- 
 fore going upon the Northwest coast. He 
 therefore very readily acceded to the wishes 
 of the Tahitian. 
 
 Wass, for that was the name by which
 
 124 ALNOMUC : OR 
 
 the new comer called himself, had brought 
 off his wardrobe with him. It consisted of 
 the fragment of a shirt, and a pair of ragged 
 canvass trowsers, which he had carried 
 from the ship he before had sailed in. Being 
 received into the ship's company, he quickly 
 displaced the native waistcloth which before 
 had been his only garment, and having put 
 on his sailor habiliments, he strutted about 
 with much apparent satisfaction among his 
 half naked, quondam associates, evidently 
 feeling himself much their superior. 
 
 Wass proved himself very handy on 
 board the vessel. He was fond of assisting 
 George, arid the latter often employed him 
 when he was not engaged in ship's duty ; 
 for he found he could work very neatly, and 
 was overpaid by any trifle George had a 
 mind to give him.
 
 THE GOLDEN RULE. 125 
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 
 THE CONSPIRACY. 
 
 WEEKS and months passed away, and 
 the Alnomuc had travelled thousands of 
 miles of the dark blue ocean in the prose- 
 cution of her voyage. We now find her, 
 in an harbor on the Northwest coast of 
 America. 
 
 She had touched at several islands of the 
 Pacific on her way, and captain Darrick 
 had taken on board a number of the natives 
 to assist in ship's duty, as also to help in 
 defending the vessel, during the more dan- 
 gerous part of the voyage on which he had 
 entered : for the Indians on the Northwest 
 coast, are far more savage in their disposi- 
 tions, and less to be trusted than those at the 
 islands. 
 
 Among these fresh hands however, none 
 proved more intelligent and trustworthy, 
 than Wass, the Tahitian. At the sugges- 
 tion of the supercargo, captain Darrick took 
 11*
 
 126 ALNOMUC I OR 
 
 him into the cabin as assistant steward : 
 he was chiefly employed in helping George 
 to arrange his articles of trade, in which 
 business he could make himself very useful, 
 having before been upon the coast, and 
 having some knowledge of the languages 
 spoken there. 
 
 Captain Darrick had received strict orders 
 from his owners, with regard to his inter- 
 course with the natives. He was to keep 
 his boarding nettings always hoisted while 
 in harbor on the coast, and never to permit 
 any Indians to come on board till he had 
 ascertained their disposition. When he did 
 allow any to enter the ship, it was to be in 
 small numbers, and he was always to keep 
 a portion of his crew armed. Accordingly 
 on the passage out, the seamen had been em- 
 ployed in making the nets ; and as they ap- 
 proached the coast they were got up and 
 secured to the quarter railing all round the 
 ship. 
 
 " This is all nonsense," said captain Dar- 
 rick, when he saw his arrangement com-
 
 THE GOLDEN RULE. 127 
 
 pleted : " no one that had been on the coast, 
 would ever give such orders." 
 
 " Well, well Dick," replied George Dil- 
 loway, "it's best to be on the safe side, and 
 at any rate to obey orders." 
 
 " They say you must obey orders, if you 
 break owners : but as to safety, I should be 
 sorry if I couldn't keep my ship, with the 
 crew I've got, against all the Indians upon 
 the coast." 
 
 " And yet many a ship has been taken 
 there, and many a brave fellow cut off, by 
 these same savages you despise so much ! " 
 
 " But no ship ever ought to be cut off, 
 and never would be, if she was managed 
 right." 
 
 " That is, if proper precautions were 
 taken." 
 
 " Yes, proper precautions." 
 
 Soon after this conversation the Alnomuc 
 was at anchor among a group of islands off 
 the coast ; they appeared like a parcel of 
 specks, scattered over the face of the water 
 both landward and seaward, while the 
 misty outline of a range of lofty mountains
 
 128 ALNOMOC ! OR 
 
 in the distance, marked the course of the 
 main land. The good ship was completely 
 locked in by the islands, so that the water 
 in which she lay, was as smooth as a mill 
 pond. She was surrounded by numerous 
 Indian canoes, the natives in which, looked 
 up with astonishment at the lofty boarding 
 nets, which forbade all ingress to the vessel. 
 
 They had been accustomed to go freely 
 on board such ships, as came among them 
 for purposes of trade ; for though these 
 were always provided with boarding nets, 
 they were seldom used. 
 
 Captain Darrick and the supercargo, 
 found that the practice of excluding the 
 natives interfered much with their trade, 
 and the business of the voyage went on but 
 slowly. The pride of the former too, was 
 much hurt in adopting what he thought 
 pusillanimous measures : even the Indians 
 as they stood in their canoes at a distance, 
 to barter their skins, laughed at them for 
 their caution, calling them cowards and 
 women. 
 
 George Dilloway cared not for their re-
 
 m "V
 
 THE GOLDEN RULE. 129 
 
 marks, and he persuaded his friend to dis- 
 regard them : but he found the interests of 
 the voyage would suffer from the course he 
 was pursuing. Moreover, he was satisfied 
 the natives were but children in intellect 
 and in courage, and that a few resolute 
 white men, well armed, need not fear their 
 numbers, however great : he was therefore 
 in favor of admitting them on board the 
 vessel. 
 
 It was true they were children, hi most 
 intellectual and moral attainments ; but their 
 very want of courage, inspired them with a 
 degree of cunning, that made them most 
 fearful enemies ; and in their spirit of re- 
 venge, they were real fiends. 
 
 George was in a measure aware of these 
 traits of their character : but he also be- 
 lieved them to be a well disposed people, 
 and that when well treated, there was little 
 danger to be apprehended from them. In 
 this he was right, and he would have been 
 safe from any attempt on their part, had no 
 others of his countrymen had intercourse 
 with them. From neglecting to take this
 
 130 
 
 ALNOMUC : OR 
 
 into the calculation, many ships have been 
 cut off in visiting savage nations. 
 
 As it is with civilized nations, so also it 
 is with those they call savages : when an 
 individual does an injury, it is visited upon 
 such of his countrymen as circumstances 
 expose to the fury of the injured party. In 
 both cases, it is almost always the innocent 
 who suffer, while the guilty escape : so 
 much for the justice of all wars, whether 
 savage or civilized. 
 
 With regard to the Indians on the North- 
 west coast of America, they who injure 
 them can seldom be made the objects of 
 their vengeance. These of course, take 
 good care to guard against surprise, and are 
 in general too strong and too well armed to 
 be injured by open force, even had the In- 
 dian the courage to attempt it. Their float- 
 ing castles too, soon carry them beyond the 
 reach of danger. 
 
 The injury then, must be visited on the 
 first innocent countryman of the aggressor, 
 who unconsciously, exposes himself to the 
 fury of the injured party, or the savage
 
 THE GOLDEN RULE. 131 
 
 must forego his revenge. This no man 
 whether savage or civilized, will willingly 
 do, while the human heart remains what it 
 is ; for revenge is sweet to the natural heart. 
 But when the feelings and affections be- 
 come sanctified by divine grace, that heart 
 will be changed. This is the only means, 
 by which peace can be restored to the 
 earth : the friends of peace, will find every 
 effort vain, except as it is directed to the ex- 
 tension of the Gospel of peace. 
 
 When the Indians were first admitted on 
 board the Alnomuc, the crew were kept 
 armed and at their quarters while any 
 number of them were on board. This cap- 
 tain Darrick did, rather with a view to his 
 instructions and to satisfy his friend George, 
 than from any feeling of insecurity. The 
 ship visited many places on the coast, and 
 had prospered in her trade : for the Indians, 
 accustomed to be imposed upon by the 
 traders in every possible way, when they 
 found there was a disposition to treat them 
 fairly, were very eager in bringing their furs
 
 132 ALNOMUC : OR 
 
 on board the Alnomuc. They appeared to 
 be harmless and inoffensive, and as famili- 
 arity generally generates carelessness, so it 
 was on board the vessel : the officers by de- 
 grees, began to call the men off to the per- 
 formance of ship's duty, till at last, no guard 
 was left while the Indians were allowed to 
 crowd the deck, and no one dreamed of 
 danger. 
 
 Thus it was when the ship arrived at 
 Nookatuc Bay. Now the Nookatuc In- 
 dians, were known to be a very formidable 
 tribe cunning, savage and implacable, and 
 very bloody in their revenge. They now 
 appeared very friendly, flocking to the ship 
 with great quantities of very fine furs, and 
 a brisk trade was carried on. 
 
 Wass however soon discovered that some- 
 thing was going wrong, and took every 
 opportunity to listen to t'heir talks. He 
 found they had been injured, and were me- 
 ditating revenge. He told the supercargo 
 what he had heard, who communicated it 
 to the captain. The Tahitian had once 
 before reported a conspiracy among the In-
 
 THE GOLDEN RULE. 133 
 
 dians, but it did not end in any thing : so 
 captain Darrick paid little attention to what 
 he said now. He did not consider that the 
 danger had before, probably, been averted 
 by the preparations to meet it. 
 
 One day, Wass observed that none of their 
 women accompanied the Indians on board, 
 and that each one of the latter had a blank- 
 et over his shoulders. " Dem feller make 
 fight to-day, Massa Dilloway," he said, 
 " all, eb'ry one, hab dagger under blanket." 
 George pointed out these circumstances to 
 the captain : but captain Darrick was stub- 
 born, and like most men of his class, fool- 
 hardy, and ashamed to take precautions 
 against a foe he despised. Nevertheless, 
 he took care to see that his arms were in 
 good order and at hand, and allowed 
 George to place a guard of the idlers in the 
 main top, where was an arm chest well 
 stored with blunderbusses. George's guard, 
 consisted of Wass and two or three Sand- 
 wich Islanders under the command of Land 
 Crab, the tailor. The rest of the crew were 
 busy in the hold, and George himself when 
 12
 
 134 ALNOMUC: OR 
 
 he had posted the guard, was imprudent 
 enough to allow himself to be absorbed in 
 trade, and forgot all about the conspiracy. 
 
 Business was very brisk ; and in the 
 course of it, Captain Darrick had occasion 
 to go to the cabin for some article of trade. 
 He observed, that two of the stoutest chiefs 
 followed him : this was no unusual thing, 
 but he determined to keep an eye on them. 
 They stopped at the cabin door, and he saw 
 they were holding communication with 
 some one at the gangway. He cast his 
 eye into his berth to ascertain that his 
 pistols were handy, then stooped to open his 
 chest. 
 
 He first opened a Dutch looking glass, 
 that he might watch his customers. He 
 had no sooner laid it before him, than a ray 
 of light was reflected from its surface: it 
 was a sunbeam on the point of a dagger al- 
 ready raised for his destruction. Darrick 
 sprang for his pistols and turned upon his 
 foes. They were already within striking 
 distance, but his finger was on the trigger, 
 the flash the report the fierce death
 
 THE GOLDEN RULE. 135 
 
 bound of his assailants, and their unearthly 
 dying shriek were almost simultaneous. 
 The one struck his head on the ceiling of 
 the cabin and fell where he was the other 
 pitched upon the open chest, in the death 
 agony, striking his weapon deep among its 
 contents. 
 
 The chief at the gangway had given the 
 the signal, which was obeyed in the cabin 
 and on deck at the same moment : every 
 blanket was dropped, every dagger un- 
 sheathed. George was carelessly looking 
 over the side into a canoe, when a long 
 drawn shrill " Aigh," from his guard in the 
 top drew his attention. He turned hastily 
 there was a dagger already gleaming 
 above him in the hand of a naked savage. 
 George's right hand was instantly on the 
 throat of the Indian, while his left seized the 
 arm that lifted the weapon. There were 
 scores of naked daggers about him as sharp 
 as that; but the natives who held them, 
 were already plunging into the water ; the 
 report in the cabin had startled them, and 
 the discharge from the main top, where
 
 138 ALNOMUC : OR 
 
 his friend George. He flung aloft his broad- 
 sword, and rushed towards the Indian with 
 whom George was still struggling. The 
 poor savage seeing death impending, sunk 
 to the deck, and clasping George's knees 
 begged earnestly for his life. The young 
 man was unwilling to see shed the blood of 
 a fellow creature : he stooped forward to 
 protect the poor wretch : " Show mercy, 
 captain Darrick," he said, " show mercy, if 
 you would ask it of God." 
 
 The captain's weapon was lowered and 
 his countenance changed : " How is it 
 George, that you have always your religion 
 about you, while I, when my passions are 
 excited, always forget mine ? " 
 
 "I'm not sure that it's just so, Darrick : 
 but yet I always do wish to remember God, 
 for I know he is never forgetful of me. 
 There is one thing however I had deter- 
 mined to observe this voyage, and that is, to 
 do to others as I would have them do to me. 
 And I felt particularly called to do so with 
 regard to these poor Indians. If I were to 
 beg my life of any one, I know how I would 
 have him act."
 
 THE GOLDEN RULE. 139 
 
 " But then the rascals have been so 
 treacherous ! " 
 
 " If my Saviour did not despise me be- 
 cause of my wickedness, I ought not to re- 
 fuse mercy to any of his creatures. There 
 surely is more difference between him and 
 me, than there is between me and this poor 
 savage. Perhaps, considering our advan- 
 tages, he is no worse than I am." 
 
 " Well George, you've acted on your rule 
 nobly this voyage, and you've been blessed 
 for it : I'm sure you've been a blessing to 
 me too. After all, I believe it's the best 
 principle to go upon, even if a person is 
 governed only by selfish motives." 
 
 Captain Darrick and his friend, continued 
 their conversation at intervals, as they had 
 opportunity while busy clearing up the ship. 
 Meantime the chief who had given rise to it, 
 had been detained a prisoner, and commit- 
 ted to the custody of Wass. 
 
 It was about three hours after the Indians 
 had left the vessel, when a canoe was seen 
 approaching from the shore : there were in 
 it a woman and a small boy, for not a man
 
 140 ALNOMUC : OR 
 
 dare come near the ship. As the canoe 
 drew along side, the woman took a bundle 
 of otter skins upon her back, and climbed 
 over the gangway. It was the wife of the 
 Chieftain, come to ransom her husband. 
 
 Neither captain Darrick nor his friend, 
 could help shedding tears, when they saw 
 the faithfulness of the poor creature. The 
 former remembered her, he had left in his 
 own land ; and he blessed God who had 
 provided woman, as a help meet for the man 
 whom he had made. 
 
 It may be supposed, captain Darrick very 
 readily liberated the chieftain at the inter- 
 cession of his wife, who was overjoyed, 
 when she saw him once more at liberty. 
 She threw down her package of skins at the 
 feet of the captain : the skins would be 
 valued at several hundred dollars in Canton, 
 yet both she and her husband, refused to 
 receive any thing in return, so grateful were 
 they for the preservation of his life. More- 
 over, he freely communicated to the super- 
 cargo, the intelligence that the conspiracy 
 had extended to two other places on the
 
 THE GOLDEN RULE. 141 
 
 coast, where the Indians intended to make 
 an attempt upon the ship, should she visit 
 them. 
 
 George was thankful for this information, 
 which would place them on their guard ; 
 and captain Darrick, expressed his surprise 
 at finding so much honesty in a Northwest 
 Indian. " The events of this voyage," he 
 said, " have convinced me, that no one can 
 ever be a loser even in this world by acting 
 on Christian principles. The old saying is 
 true that it is ' folly to throw away the good 
 will of a dog ? ' We've had it proved, that 
 no one is so abandoned and no one so ig- 
 norant, that they cannot be sensible of a 
 kindness : nor is any so weak that he can- 
 not find opportunity to return it. And since 
 we find it now in one of the degraded na- 
 tives of this coast, we may consider grati- 
 tude as a prevailing trait in the human 
 character." 
 
 " It is very far from being shown by all 
 who receive kindness : " George replied, 
 " nevertheless, I believe it is the best policy 
 to do to others as we would have them do
 
 142 ALNOMUC : OR 
 
 to us, even if we consider only the present 
 benefit to ourselves. And we can never 
 lose our reward for doing good to our fellow 
 creatures, even should we receive no return 
 of gratitude from them : the Saviour for 
 whose sake we do it, will see us recom- 
 pensed. However I have no doubt that 
 gratitude is a feeling natural to every hu- 
 man heart : and yet, when the greatest 
 benefits have been received, there is fre- 
 quently no return of gratitude ! " 
 
 " I don't remember any such instance." 
 
 " I think you must have known many. 
 Suppose when you was about to cut down 
 that chief, I had seen no other way to save 
 him but by bowing my head over his, and 
 that I had thus received the blow on my 
 own neck, and lost my life to preserve his. 
 Do you not think he would be worse than 
 a brute if he had felt no sense of gratitude ? " 
 
 " Surely I do." 
 
 " Certainly a man can show no greater 
 love, than to lay down his life for his friend. 
 What must we say then of him, who dies 
 for his enemy ! And how many are there,
 
 THE GOLDEN RULE. 143 
 
 who know that the meek and gentle Jesus 
 suffered and died for their sake, and yet, 
 continue unmindful of his benefits and 
 still, remain his enemies ! " 
 
 " I am ashamed to think, how many years 
 it was so with me. Most men would be 
 ashamed of ingratitude to a fellow creature, 
 who still forget their greatest Benefactor ! " 
 
 "And of those who have submitted to 
 Christ, who call themselves by his name, 
 and are hoping for salvation through his 
 blood, how many are there, who make a 
 return of love in any measure proportioned 
 to the benefits they have received at his 
 hand. If they loved him, would they not 
 keep his commandments : if they did that, 
 would not more efforts be made for the con- 
 version of the heathen world ; and then, 
 even these poor Indians would become less 
 degraded. Surely Christians should do, as 
 they would be done by : if they were 
 groping in darkness and in the region of the 
 shadow of death, would they not be thank- 
 ful to any, who would cast a light upon 
 their path : if they were going on to certain
 
 144 ALNOMUC : OR THE GOLDEN RULE. 
 
 destruction, would they not be glad, if any 
 one would direct them into the way of life. 
 If they could come in contact with these 
 poor degraded creatures, as we have, Dar- 
 rick, this voyage, I think they would be 
 more active to do them good as I hope we 
 shall be hereafter." 
 
 If any reader of these pages, has hereto- 
 fore, been forgetful of the Saviour's kind- 
 ness in dying for him, I hope he will now 
 repent of his base ingratitude. But if he be 
 a professed disciple of Jesus, I trust he will 
 not be content to wrap himself up in his own 
 mercies, forgetful of those for whom the 
 same Redeemer died, but who are still 
 dwelling in heathen darkness.
 
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