mmtstmtmmmtm ^ ^ THE Merchant Vessel A SAILOR BOY'S VOYAGES AROUND THE WORLD BY CHAS. NORDHOFF AUTHOR OF "man OF WAK LIFE," " WHALING AND FISHING." M'lTJI ILLUSTRATloys BY \VM. 11. WALKER NEW YORK DODD, IMEAD & COMPANY Pur.LISIIKRS Copyright, 1895, DoDD, Mead & Compant. Of CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. Jauk Asliore — Vic-tiinizcd l)y tlie Land Sharks — Off for Boston — A Pleasure Trit) — Boston — Sailor's Home — Ships and Shipjiing Offices 9 CHAPTER IT. Sail for New Orleans — Going lo Sea with a Drunken Crew — A Merchantman's Forecastle — "Man the WimUass " — Choosing Watclies— Some Points of Dif- ference between tlie Merchant Service and the Navy, with a short Digression into the Philosophy of Sailor- craft. . . 18 CHAPTER III. Watcli-and-Watcli— Reefing Tojisails— Catching a Suck- er — Tlie Berry's Keys, and the Deputy U. S. Consul thereof — Turtle Eggs — Mobile Bay — Our Crew leave. 23 CHAPTER IV. Taking in Cargo — Screwing Cotton — The Gangs and their Chants — Dejiarture for Livei'pool — Discipline on Board. 38 (V) R^^y^^^ VI CONTENTS. CHAPTER V. Old Anton's Yarn — A Cruise in a Slaver. . . 47 CHAPTER VI. A Gale off Cape Clear — Nearly Ashore — Liverpool — What a Sailor sees of it 58 CHAPTER VII. Departure from Liverpool — Passengers — Their Mode of Life on board Ship — Philadelphia — Ship for Lon- don — Seamen's Protection. ..... 69 CHAPTER VIII. Sail for London — The Vessel — A Winter Passage across the Atlantic— Its Hardships— The English Channel. 78 CHAPTER IX. Arrival in London — The Docks — Sailors — The Califor- nia Ship — Singular Instauce of Affection in a Ser- pent — What Sailors see of London — Sail for Boston. 98 CHAPTER X. Ship for Calcutta — My new Ship — Preparations for an India Voyage — Sail from Boston — Points of Differ- ence between Indiamen and otlier Ships — Discipline — Work — Our Crew — A Character. . . . 110 CHAPTER XI. A Yarn of Opium Smuggling — The Vessel — The Cap- tain—Meet Mandarin Boats— The Fight— The Cook's Scalding Water — Breeze springs up — The Repulse. 120 CONTEXTS. vii CHAPTER XII. The Merchant Seaman's SuiKhiy — CTi-owlintj Gedrsre and I bet'onie Chums — Catching Fisli — Poi-poise Meat — A Storm oflf the Cape— The Sand-Heads— The Iloog- ley — George and 1 determine to leave tlie Shiji — The Pilots— Calcutta 131 CHAPTER XIII. Leave the Akliar — An English Vessel — Sail for Madras — Some of the Peculiarities of British Ships — Arrive at Madras — The Port — Manner of taking in Cargo ■ — How I got into the Sailmaker's Gang — -The Surf- Boats — A Storm and its Consequences. . . . 145 CHAPTER XIV. Sail for Sydney— Sydney Coves, or Colonials — Their Peculiarities — Jim's Yarn — Life among the Savages of New Guinea. 162 CHAPTER XV. Sydney — Sailors' Amusements — Tired of the Shore — Looking for a Voyage — Ship — Tlie Brig Ocean — Her Crew — Description of the Vessel — Nearly a (Quarrel. 181 CHAPTER XVI. A Yarn of Sandal W^iod Hunting — Arrival at Lombok — The Natives — Chinese Residents — Manner of Life of the People — Take in Cargo — The Country-Wallah —Her Crew 190 viii CONTENTS. CHAPTER XVII. Leave Lombok — The Monkey — The Parrot — A long Calm — George grumbles — Cattle-tending in New South Wales — Whampoa — Discharge Cargo — Paid off— Visit Canton 208 CHAPTER XVIII. Ship in a Country-Wallah — Sail for Port Louis — Leave- taking — The Lascar Crew — Manner of treating them — Long Calm — Superstitions of the Lascars — Their Desire to Revolt — Arrival at Port Louis. . . 232 CHAPTER XIX. Difficulty of getting a Ship — Go on board an American Vessel — Off for Rio — A Ya'rn from a Company Sailor — Rio de Janeiro Harbor — For Boston — Cold Weather. 242 CHAPTER XX. Hard Times for Sailors — Anxiety to escape the Winter —Boston to Bangor — Sail for Demerara — A Down East Banjuc— Her Cajitain and Mate — A Family Ar- rangement — Arrival at Demerara — Discharge Cargo — Sail for Buen Ayre 258 CHAPTER XXI. Tlic Dragon's Mouth — Buen Ayre — Taking in Salt — The Suit Pans — Beauty of the Island, and the Climate — Misery of the Laborers — Off for New Orleans — Cap- tain attempts to starve the Crew — Tedious Passage — Arrival at Now Orleans — A Sailor's Law-Suit— Sail foi- New Y(jrk — Conclusion. . . , . 278 CHAPTER I. TuE tailors, boarding house keepers, and itinerant ven- ders of jewelry, in port, have a busy time during the week iu which a man-of-war's crew is discharged and paid off. Jack can not see to the end of a hundred dollars, and therefore pays royally for everything he wants, and very many things he don't want,"~never stoop- ing so low as to bargain with a tradesman — and getting cheated on all hands, of course, by the land sharks. Pinchbeck watches, and plated jewelry, and ill-fitting shore clothes, soou transform the neat, trim man-of-war's- inan, looking as though he had just stepped out of a l>andbox, into an awkward, ungainly fellow as one would l>e likely to meet with in a day's walk. But never mind ; the clothes may not fit, but they cost the money — the watch may be gilt, but its price was a g<)lden one — and "what's the odds, so long as you're (9) 10 THE MERCHANT VESSEL. happy," said a jolly topmate, as he introduced himself to my uotice, in a suit of clothes big enough for the largest man in all Ohio, a " long- faced hat," a watch in each rest pocket, rings on every finger, including the thumbs, and a breastpin almost large enough for a dinner plate. * You know," said he, with the air of one having some experience in such matters, " one must be in the fashion. Now nobody would take me for an old salt ; they won't say ' go away sailor, you smell of tar.' " I thought perhaps they wouldn't, but respectfully declined investing in a similar manner, to Jack's evi- dent disgust. Not all, however, of our crew sported their two watches, or dressed in style. I am sorry to say that not a few commenced a spree on the first day ashore, from which they only waked up to find them- selves outward bound, and the landlord jn-cparcd to ship them, and pocket no inconsiderable share of theii advance money. There were yet others, and these were principally the old merchant sailors, who were ofi^, as sof-n as they received their pay, to one of the northern sea- ports, with the intention of shipping for some foreign port, Liverpool, London, Havre, or " up the straits," as the Mediterranean is called, where, being old cruising gi-ounda to them, they thought to have their spree out to greater advantage than in the United States. I fear but few, of the many who had talked so loudly of going home, had the strength of purpose to carry their resolution into efiect. Many were doubtless persuaded off by their shipmates, and went "one more voyage" — which is like the toper's "one more glass," something w:e charter a schooner. ii that upsets all plans for reform. Others intended only t take a little preliminary spree, but spent too large a pro portion of their savings in that, and then abandoned all idea of seeing home till after another good voyage. As for myself, it had been determined that the com- pany which 1 had joined should go to Boston, from whence I intended to make my first trip in a merchant vessel. Our party consisted of five ; two seamen, old sea-dogs, one of them a captain of the mi';zentop, two ordinary seamen, and myself, a boy. The tnree last mentioned were steady, temperance lads, but the old tars were confii-med topers, who were conscious that they co\ild not resist the tempta- tion to spreeing, and had made us youngsters promise, while yet on board ship, that we would see to them. Fearing the utter impossibility of keeping straight ill the way from Norfolk to Boston, the luminous idea struck Harry Hill, the captain of the top, to charter the cabin of a little coasting schooner, about to proceed to Boston. " And then," said he, " if old Tommy Martin and I get on our beam-ends, you boys can put us into our berths, and there will be no bloody land sharks to pick oui pockets." This proposition was accordingly carried into effect We paid fifty dollars for the use of the cabin, the captain to " eat us," he agreeing, also, to start away the same day we were paid off, which clause of the contract I insisted on, fearing, were we detained any time in Nor- folk, that my topmates would get on an interminable «7ree. 1 had determined on canying them soberly to the 12 THE MERCHANT VE^^SEL. Sailors' Home, in Boston, and there, placing them umiei good influences, try to make them lay aside a portion of their earnings. Accordingly, we paid our board bill — three days, at the rate of two dollars and a half per day; for sleeping in a garret, furnishing our own bedding, and eating an occasional meal in the house — but homeward bound sailors don't dispute bills — and took ourselves and baggage down to the schooner. On getting on board, I found in the cabin lockers sundry jugs, labeled " brandy," " rum," and " wine," which our two old tars had smuggled oflf on the day before, unknown to the sober portion of the party. The wine, Hari'y Hill said he had gotten expressly for us, as such a glorious time as we might now have, should not be entirely thrown away. Procuring some oysters, on our way down the bay, we were soon outside, making good headway toward Boston. Our two old topmates saw but little of the daylight while the liquor lasted, but as a good deal of it leaked out, they had abundant time to get sober before we arrived in port. For myself, being my first trip on so small a vessel, I enjoyed myself very much. By the time we reached Boston I had learned to steer, which neces- sary accomplishment no one has a chance of acquiring on board a man-of-war, where only the most experienced of the seamen are permitted to take the wheel. Arrived at the wharf in Boston, we took a coach, (Harry Hill insisting upon going on deck with the driver, having had a surfeit of the cabin, coming from Norft Ik,) and irovc up to the Sailors' Home, in Pui-chase street, ir A SAILOR'S HOME. 13 a style calculated to let folks know that we were home- ward bounders. Sailors' Homes, almost eveiy body knows, have been established in nearly every large seaport in the Union, for the purpose of providing seamen, while on shore, with boarding houses conducted on honest prin- eiplee, and mostly by religious people, and where they will be removed as far as may be from the temptations of the land. That in Purchase street, Boston, always enjoyed a high reputation, being a very large and com- modiously arranged building, where everything was quiet and scrupulously neat, and where no efforts were spared by the kind-hearted "landlord," Mr. Chancy, and his excellent lady, to make the tars comfortable, and to aid them in their efforts at keeping on the right track. Entering our names, and the name of our last ship, on the register, we were shown to nice, airy, rooms, where matters looked more like comfort than anything I had seen for the last three years. The regulations of the house were suspended in each room, and from these I gathered, among other matters, that there was in the building a reading room and a smoking room, for the use of all the boarders, that prayers were held in the former apartment every morning, before breakfast, which all in the house were invited to attend, and that on Sabbath divine service was held in a chapel opposite the Home. That night I enjoyed a glorious rest. For three long years a narrow hammock, hung on a crowded deck, had been my only sleeping place — aside from a still harder deck plank — and to find myself once more in a good bed, with nice, clean sheets and pillows, and surrounded by 14 THE MERCHANT VESSEL. all the comforts of home, comforts, by-the-way, whicli wc don't know how to value till we are obliged to do without them, was a most unmistakable pleasure. I had taken HaiTy Hill as my room-mate. •' Now, my boy," said he, as he " turned in," " there will be no calling of all hands to-morrow, no turning out in the cold to scrub decks, no getting down on your mar- row-bones, with holy-stones and sand. So you can take just as much comfort as you please. I'm only afraid I'll sleep so sound I shan't enjoy it at all — so if you wake up along in the mid-watch, give me a call, that I may freshen my reckoning." But there was no mid-watch in my dreams that night The loud ringing of a bell called us down to prayers, in the morning. I found a very good attendance in the reading room. It was the first time I had attended family worship since leaving home, and strange feelings crept over me as I listened to the Word being read and the prayer offered. And as the gi-ay-haired minister who conducted the worship, asked God's blessing on those there assembled, and on their friends, wherever they might be, my heart was full, at the thought of the loved ones at home, perhaps then, also, offering up their morning service to the Lord. But could I go home ? What had I to tell, what had 1 to show, after my long absence? No! I was deter- mined to see a little more of the world before I showed my face there. After breakfast our party salliod out to take a look %bcut the wharves, and pick out a ship, as none of iifl THE SHIPPING OFFICE. 15 intended to stay ashore above a week or two. The spnng time is always a busy season with shipping, and wc found at the wharves ships, barques, brigs and schooners, load ing for many different parts of the world. After raml>- ling around the wharves awhile, we entered a shipping office. It is to these places that the owners and masters cf vessels, when in want of a crew, take their " articles," the obligations which each one on board must sign, before sailing, and which contain an abstract of the general laws of the merchant-marine, and whatever particular specifica- tions are deeued necessary for the voyage the ship is tc perform. These articles are spread out on desks, about the office, that seamen may examine them and pick them- selves out a voyage. Ships were plenty at this time, and we entered an office where two East Indiamen, a China ship, a Baltic ship, and a vessel going round Cape Horn, had their articles exposed — besides several small craft going to dif- ferent parts of the West Indies, and a barque borund tc a southern port, and thence to " some port or ports in Europe, at the discretion of the captain." " Here you are, now," said one of my old friends, "you want to see somewhat of the world ; here ycu have your pick, and can take a trip almost anywhere you want to." As we stood there, two tars came in. They had evi dently been down to look at some of the \esselfl. " Well, Jack," said one, " which shall it be, Eussia oi China?" " What do you say to Bombay, Tcm ?" asked the other. 16 THE 3IEBGUANT VESSEL. " Well, I'm agreed." And they signed the articles of a vessel bound to " Bombay, and such other ports in the East Indies or China, as the captain may detenniue, the voyage not tc exceed two years." It seemed strange to me to see men disposing so care Icssly of their future, for the next year or two ; choosing at hap-hazard, between the frosts of the Baltic sea, and burning sun of the Indies ; the hardships of a Eussian voyage, and the sickness incident to a trip to China. But I soon found this was a mere matter of habit, and before I was much older, learned, myself, to start to the utter- most ends of the earth at five minutes notice, and per- haps merely to oblige an old shipmate, or even from a less reasonable caprice. I desired much to go to the East Indies, but thought best to make a short European voyage first, in order to be inducted regularly into the life, and ways, and duties of a merchant vessel, before going on a long trip in a fancy Indiaman. So I one day shipped myself in a barque, going to New Orleans, thence to Liverpool or Havre. The rest of our party of five, all sailed before me. Two went to Kussia, one to Buenos Ayres, and the other to Curacoa, in the West Indies. When they weix all gone I felt really lonesome ; but as the day drew near, on which I too was to leave, to embark in a line of duty entirely new to me, and in which I knew not what success I should have, I must confess my heart sank within me. However, the hour came at last. The shipping agent sends word to tho places of residence of the various SHIPPED. 17 members of tLe crew, of the precise day and hour of sailing, which is generally determined on some days beforehand. The crew of a merchant vessel do not go on board until just as the ship is about to cast off from the wharf And on returnin;^ home, they barely make fast the ship, and then leave her. As crews are picked up at hap-haz- ard, the different individuals are, in general, strangers to each other, and it is some days before all hands become acquainted and sociable. If now, in addition to being strangers, one half of them arc drunk on their arrival in the forecastle, and consequently unfit for duty, and ready for a quarrel with the officers, (and this was precisely the case on this occasion) it need not to be said that going out to sea, under such circumstances, is not the mos* pl'^asunt incideu* in one's life CHAPTER II. OuK crew numbered ten, before the mast, of whom two, myself aud another, were boys, the rest l)eing able bcamo.:. We came on board at nine, a. m.. but early as it was, six of the men, taking time by the foreln th ■ hatchways, we sailed out of har bor with a fair wind, spreading our studding suils to the breeze. That evening wat hes were again chosen, and I found myself, to my great pleasure, once more in the mate's watch. As the ship was in excellent order, alow and aloft, and as, too, there was some expectation of our meet- ing with stormy weather during the litter part of our pas- sage, watch-and-watch was given us from the first. With this, good living, and kind officers, we had cause to con- gratulate oui'sel^'es upon having a (jood ship, and after the first few days of hurrying work was over, all went pleasantly. Our mates were strict disciplinarians, and although we were allowed our regular watehes below, no one wa.s permitted to be idle on deck. No sooner did the watch come up from below, than each one had his ;oi given him and not an idle moment was spent during the four hours uf watch. Here, were two. drawing an 1 knotting ropo- A GOOD SHIP. 45 yuni.s. There one, going aloft, nuirling-spike in hand, to mend some defective piece of rigging, put on new chafii\g- gear, or seize up ratlines. Yonder another, t\vi.tting foxes, or thrumming a paunch-mat. In short, each one must be doing something. This is the rule of the mcr chant service — one that is carried out, whether there is any necessary work on hand or not — and 1 have not unfrequently plaited sinuet, or made spunyarn for an entire passage, which would scarcely ever be used, and was only made, '• to keep the men busy." 1 have often remarked that at sea, all kii.ds of labor, except that which is actually necessary, is irksome — and there is no greater, as there is no more unusual luxury to the merchant sailor, than to pass a watch on deck with- out being Of;cupied. This is a piece of good fortune which only happens during a storm, when the violent motion of the vessel precludes the possibility of setting men at any of the usual employments, and whtu also, wise officers are desirous of husbanding the energies of the crew, for the performance of the more necessary duties of shortening sail, and working ship. It sounds odd to a landsman to wish for a storm, but give Jack a tight and good sendon probably that night yet. while we might, should we take a headwind, beat about there for a week, and after all go ashore on son^e of the English clifFs. I never before so badly wished myself out of any scrape, and determined, as indeed did all the crew, that if we once got the crazy old brig safely to London, incontinently to leave her there. That night we got a little farther ahead, and in the mid-watch fortunately got a Dungeness or deep-sea pilot as these are called, in contradistinction to the river men, who are known as mud pilots. This was an immense relief to us, as our captain, who had never before made a foreign voyage, was totally unacquainted with the Chan- nel, and had. for the last two days, been chasing every vessel that hove in sight, to find out our whereabouts, the 3onstant fogs preventing him from getting an observation. We ran into the Downs and there anchored until the ide should serve, as, when the breeze arose it was dead THE BRITISH CHANNEL. 95 abcad, giving us a prospect of beating all the way up \c Gravesend, tbe real cnti-ance to the river ThamCvSi, and the port of the city of 1-ondon. The deep-sea pilots iu the English Channel are a pc oiiliar set. More thorough-going seamen, in all that per tains to the management of a vessel, or more competent and trustworthy men in their profession, are probably nowhere to be found. They are under the control of a naval board, called the Trinity Chapter, who appiar to have under their charge the entire British Channel, or at least all in and alout the English side of it, that pertains to the safety of shipping. Very strict rules are laid down for the pilots, in regard to the management of the vessels placed untler thei charge, such as placing a single reef in the topsails every time a vessel comes to anchor, during the winter season, paying out a certain amount of cable, keeping anchor- watch, and various other matters. As vessels work tide work in beating up channel, that is, get under weigh with every favoring tide, and come to anchor when it turns, this occasions no small addition to the labor, already sufficiently great, of making short tacks, keeping the lead constantly going, and the frequent weighing anchor. With our dull-sailing and deep-loaded craft, we wen three days and nights beating up to Gravesend, a time during which we got but little sleep, and although per- haps, on the whole, less uncomfortaljle than during the previous porti''ns of our passage, were almost continually on deck, exposed to the damp air, and handling wet ropeg 96 THE 3IERCHANT VESSEL. hcavino; the lead when the line froze as we hauled it in and working with muddy chains and ai Abhors. Passing the buoy at the Nore, whosj miserable fate has ocen so comically lamented by Hood, and which marks the scene of the groat mutiny, when England's wooden walls had nearly been turned against her, we finally reached Gravepcnd. Having brought us to anchor here, our pilot's office ceased, and he went ashore. The brig was now thoroughly searched by custom-house officers, one of whom remained on board until the cargo was out. We had been hailed times without number, on Dur passage up, by tow-boats desirous to take us up to London, which would have relieved the crew of an im- mense deal of severe labor, besides materially expediting I ur progress ; but our stingy Yankee skipper took counsc with his pocket, and " having the men to feed and pay at any rate," as he said, to the pilot's infinite disgust, preferred to beat up. We had now, however, arrived at the head of all sucli navigation as that. The Thames, from Gravesend to London, outdoes even the Mississippi in the number and acuteness of its turns, or rea hes, as they are called, and but one class of vessels pretend to sail up from heic. These are the Colliers, the Jordies, who, in their dirty- looking biigs (the briy is the favorite and only rig of a tru< Jo. die col.icr-man) work up slowly from reach to r-ach, taking perhaps a week to make the distance froiL cgan tf take in cargo for Boston. We \ ad determined to leave the vessel, but found many sailors ready to take our places, and anxious for the chance even to work their passage, without pay, and therefore wisely concluded to hang on even to a sinking ship, as better than none at all. In the winter season sailors have hard time? in Lon- don. Shipping is dull and men plenty, and very fre- quently large premiums are paid for chances to ship. Woe to the poor sailor who then finds himself ashore, without money or friends. The landlord turns hira out to starve or beg, and he sleeps on the street, or worse yet, in the straw-house provided fjr indigent sailors, where they may l;e seen, on cold winter evenings, cowering under the wretched litter, trying to forget their hunger and misery in sleep. And at meal-times, guuut. wasted forms hover about the forecastle, casting wishful glances at the plenteous meal of the crew, or begging for pity's i-ake for a morsel of bread and meat. Such scenes are but too frequent in the large ports of England, when commerce is not very Ijrisk. We therefore gladly retained our places on board, hoping for better weather on the homeward passage. While we lay in the docks, a British veeael hauled in and lay along side of us, to which a singular story of Clime attached, which was at that time dinner* into every one's ears in London by the ballad-mongers, who found its horrors a fruitful source of pennies. Tb^ story, as I obtained it from her mate, was this: She had left San Fi-ancisco, bound for Londou, witxi no TEE CALIFORNIA SHIP. 101 cargo, intending to procure a load of copper on tlic coast Di' Chili, but with uearly seventy-five thousand dollars ii: gold dust and bars, in the lazerrctc, under the cabin The crew, unfortunately, knew of the presence of thi*- treasure on board, and from this arose the Hubsctjuent (;atastrophe. On the vessel's first arrival at San Francisco, all her own crew had left her, and when again about to sail, the captain was obliged to take such hands as he could get, principally coast-rangers, desperate characters, who per- haps did not ship in her without a purpose. All went on (juietly until the vessel had reached the line, and was dista^nt only some two or three days sail from the Gallapagos Islands. At this time the carpenter, who was the only m ui of the crew wlio understood the art of navigating the vessil. was approached by one of the hands, with prop)sals to mutiny, kill the oflScers. take possession of the v ssel and her treasure, and. scut- tling the former when they got near land, leaving her for the coast of Peru, there to enjoy in peace their ill-gotten booty. It appeared that they had doubted the carpenter, and had left him out of their counsels while the arrangement of the matter was pending. They now, only at the last moment previous to the execution of their project, took him into their confidence, and presented to him the alter- native to partake of the fate of the ofiicers, or join theiu in good faith. Overcome by surprise and terror, he re luctantly submitted to become one of them. But they did not trust him out of their sight again, and that vcrj" 102 THE MERCHANT VESSEL. night, in the mid-watch, while the ship was sailing along with a gentle breeze, their fell purpose was carried into effect. It was the mate's watch on deck, and as he leaned Irnwsily against the mizzen-mast, he was approached tVom behind by one of the mutineers, who buried an^ ax in his head and left him for dead. They now proceeded to get the captain out of his cabin. Throwing a large coil of rigging forcibly down on the poop deck, was the means resorted to, to gain their pur- pose. It succeeded, for sc:arce a minute had elapsed before the captain's head appeared above the companion slide, as he asked what was meant by such noise. He had hardly uttered the question, when a blow upon the head with an iron belaying pin silenced him forever. The second mate was in like manner enticed on deck and murdered. The mutineers had now possession of the vessel. The} made haste to pitch overboard the bodies of the mur- dered officers, and clear away the gore which stained the deck, and then consulted as to what was next to be done. They concluded to alter their original plan, sail for the Gallapagos, and land there on one of the uninhabited islands, setting the ship on fire before they left her, and thus more securely destroy all trace of their crime, rhey would then divide their booty, and burying it, go in their boat to some one of the inhabited isles, in the guisr of shipwrecked seamen, thus quieting all suspicions. This plan decided upor, the carpenter, who had been =;trictly guaixled in the 'brecastle while the scene of THE MURDER. 103 fuurder was being acted, was called for On approaching, he was sent to the wheel, with instructions to keep the vessel for the Galla pages, and a threat of instant death in ^ase of disobedience. The crew, consisting of ten hands, now proceeded iiiti3 the cabin to hunt up the gold, which, found, was placed in convenient sacks for carrying off. By this time day- light began to appear, and as the first excitement wore off. their breasts filled with remorse at what they had done. " Liijuor, liquor, boys," said one, '• let's drink and be merry; there's no one to forbid." The captain's rum was produced, and ere noon, after a scene of uproarious jollity, the mutineers lay upon the decks in drunken stiipor. All this time, it must be remembered, the poor carper/- ter was steering the vessel. He had several times shouted to one or other his desire to be relieved, but in vain ; and when the drunken orgies began, he was not sorry to be at the helm, as this was sufficient excuse for not joining with them. The ten wretched men, after much drunken revelry, lay asleep upon the deck. Chips was alone on board, so far as the possession of his powers was concerned. And now a dreadful thought of vengeance for the fate of the basely assassinated captain filled his soul. The muti- neers were at his mercy — should he not in turn make way with them ? There was not a little fear that, arri- ving at their destination, and having no longer a neces- sity for him they would make way with him, to prevent 104 THE MERCHANT VESSEL. one who had been an unwilling and inactive loolcei at in the fray from bringing the affair before the world. A f.roper reirard for his own safety, therefore, also prompted the carpenter to take justice in his own hands. His mind was soon made up. Lashing the wheel in such manner that she would for some time guide herself, he took a survey of those who in the last few hours had sent their offic-ers to their last a counts. " I'll do it — I must — I will." said Chips. He went to his tool-chest standing on the half deck, and took thence a large, sharp, glittering broad-ax. One after another, with this ax, he cut off ten heads, not stopping till the last headless trunk was struggling before him. and he was left the sole living person on board. . Now he in turn cleared away, dragging the bodies to the gangway, and there threw them overboard — a tedious task. This done, and the blood-stained deck once more washed off, and he had time to think. He was alone on board a large vessel — no one but he to steer, to make or take in sail, or pei form the multifari(ius duties incident to the sea, such as trimming the sails to the breeze, etc. His determination was soon taken. He let the topsails run down on the caps, clewed up, and furled as well as he was able, the topg:illant-sail? and royals, and then lashing the helm amidships, so trimmed the forward and after sails, the jibs and spanker, as to make her move along without yaAving too much. He had previously al- tered her course for the coast of Peru, and as the craft was in the track of vessels bound to the southward, and at but small distance from the Peruvian shore, he felt THE RETRIBUTION. 105 jonfideiit that the ship would be fallen in witli by somt strange vessel, or he would be able hiiusclf to take the ?hip into Callao. and there deliver her into the hands if the British Consul. What may have been his feelings when he found him self the sole occupant of the vessel, with every particulai of the late tragedy fresh before him, the very blood- stains not yet off the decks, it would be useless to at- tempt to imagine. On the fifth morning after the mutiny, the ship was spoken by a British vessel just .-Bt of Callao, the captain of which sent on board two men to assist in working the craft, giving the carpenter likewise the course and dis- tance to the harbor, in two days more he had the sat- isfaction of bringing the vessel safely to anchor in Loren- zo Bay, where she was immediately placed in charge of the British Consul. The carpenter went home to England as passenger in another vessel, and was pr. bably amply rewarded by the owners for his faithful services. The ship was sent to London by the consul, and arrived there, as before said, while we lay in the docks. We witnessed on board her a most singular instance of affection, in two snakes toward their master. An \merican. whj had been connected with some of the menageries traveling through Chili and Peru, and had afterward owned a collection of animals himself, in Lima, found the business not to pay, and determining to leave the country, had engaged a cabin passage in the British bliip. 106 THE MERCHANT VESSEL. He had sold out his animals, all but two large ana coudas, one thirteen, the other seventeen feet long. For these the British captain had agreed to give him a cabin passage to London, and one hundred dollars, cash, on theii arrival there, provided the snakes were then alive. Thej arrived safe and sound, and were duly taken ashore by the captain. When their former owner, however, askeu for the hundred dollars, he was refused it, under various pretenses, and it became e\ ident that the captain, having the snakes in his possession, intended to keep our coun- tryman out of the money justly due him. The American was much distressed at this turn in his aflFairs, as he had depend* d on this sum of money to bear his expenses in getting back to the United States. He consulted our o!hcers about the matter, but they could not show him any way to help himself out of his difficulties. This matter had been pendant nearly a week after the ship entered the dock, when one morning the British cap- tain was heard very anxiously inquiring as to the where- abouts of Mr. Reynolds, his late passenger. It appeared that the snakes would not eat. and showed other symp- toms of being ill at ease under his care, and he enter- tained fears that they would die before he could dispose ■f them. He therefore came in quest of their former )wuer, to ask his advice and assistance in setting them right again. It now for the first time occurred to the latter that the animals had nc\er been fed, or handled even, to any extent, by any one but him, and that they might therc^ Core be shy of strangers. At our advice, he toi'i A SNAKE STORY. 107 advantace of this state of affairs to secure for himself the payment of the sum due him. raaldng it the condi- tion of inducting the captain into tlio manner of taking care of the snakes. At his suigestion. the cli ist in which they were kept was a;:ain brought on board the vessel, and there, in he cabin, in the presence of part of our crew and a number of other persons, the chest was opened, he remaining on deck. The animals lay motionless in their coils, moving their heads sluggishly once in a while, but making no effort to raise thorns dvcs up, andexhil)iting but few signs of active life. Mr. Reynolds now came down. Hardly had he gotten to the side of the chest when the snakes darted up, and in a moment were hanging their huge folds ahout hi? neck, and twisting in all imaginable ways about him testifying as plainly as snakes could, their gi-eat joy at seeing once more their old master. Before he left them, they had swallowed a chicken each, and seemed asli\ely as it was in their nature to be. The American told us, by way of accounting for their strange aflfe -tion, that he had caught theni when quite young in the jungle in Ceylon, whither he had gone to procure some animals, and they had ever since been under his exclusive eare, a part of his daily business in Lima being to exhibit them. He agreed with the cajtain, in ■jonsideration of being paid his hundred dollars, to remain with them a sufficient length of time to accustom them to their new owner, and this was done. This was a remarkable proof of the fact that serpents have, although 108 THE MERCHANT VESSEL. in a minor degree, the feelings of aflfection common to am mals of a higher lange in creation. The reader will perhaps desire to know what we, the sjiilors, saw Oi' I.ond m. As the dock -gates close at seven, 't is impossible to be out at evening without remaining all night, which involved a serious expense, for our lim- ited means. Then too after working hard all day, among casks, bales, and boxes, we did not frcl in the mood foi sight-seeing when evening came. So that our o-.ily oppor tuuities of viewing the city were the Sundays, and the solitary " liberty day " which was granted us. On these occasions we saw St. Paul's, ascended the London monu- ment, (whence we saw nothing but smoke,) and Hyde Park, with a few of the S(iuares, and passed several times through the tunnel. When I took in consideration the vast number of noteworthy objects of which 1 saw no more than though I had not been in London at all, I was almost si rry that I had come, and had certainly to admit to myself that I had gone a very hard voyage to very little purpose so far as sight-seeing was concerned. AVhen we found that we should have to make the re- turn passage in our brig, we asked the aptain co have her bottom caulked before taking in cargo, that she might not leak wlien she got to sea. This he refusea to do, because, in the first place, it would cost money, and next, it would take time and he had neither to spare. " Pi'sides," said he, " we shall have nothing in tht" lower pait of the hold that will damage." In his sel- fishness ho gave no thought to the wearisome hours thnt OOOD-BY TO LONDON. 109 his men would have to spend at the jjumps, to keep the crazy old wrcclc afloat. We could have had a survey called upon her, in which ase, should the surveyors decide her to need repairs, the aptain would have been forced to make them. But 11 such cases the c:ew always labor under a serious disad- vantage. If the survey is called for by them, and it should be decided that no repairs are actually needed, the whole expense falls upon them, making a far too heavy draft upon purses by no means plethoric. And as a captain's word and influence generally go pretty far with the surveyors, all the chances are against the sailors. We therefore chose rather to risk another laborious pas- sage than venture to call a survey. We sailed from London on the 2d of March, and ar- rived in Boston on the 2d of April, our voyage lasting iust three months. I had seen sufficien t of cdld weather, had gratified a desire I had long entertained, to make, myself the experience of a winter trip across the Atlan- tic, and now firmly determined that uiy future life at sea shouM be passed as much as possible in warm weather CHAPTER X. Kemaining in Boston two weeks, I sailed in a large, comfortable ship, the Akbar, for Calcutta. The wages were twelve dollars per month. We carried seventeen hands before the mast, with a carpenter and sail-maker in the steerage, besides chief, second, and third mates. We had a splendid ship — neat, clean, and plentifully supplied with stores of all kinds. Our forecastle, like those of most Indiamen, was on deck — what is called a topgallant-forecastle — airy, and tolerably roomy, althougli, for the matter of room, all the forward deck was before us, to eat, sleep, or play upon. It was understood that she was to be a watch-and-watch ship, and we expected to have a pleasant voyage — an expectation in which we wei"e not disappointed. In preparation for the warm weather in which I was to live for the next year or two, I provided myself with an abundance of blue dungaree, gave my ditty-box a thor- ough replenishing — laying in a large supply of needles. aio) AN INDIA3IAN. HI thread, tape, buttons, etc.. and procuring, in addition, duplicates of pretty much all articles that a sailor needs on board ship, such as knife, palm, sail-liook. marlin- dpike, etc. We sailed from Boston on a beautiful spiing morning, with all sail, even to the diminutive skjnail, set — the admiration of a crowd of tars who had congregated on the wharf to bid good-by to their shipmates. I found an Indiaman to diifer in many things from the class of vessels in which 1 had been sailing since leaving the Service. Neatness and cleanliness, as regarded both vessel and crew, were much more looked after. The decks were nicely painted, and no stain of tar or grease was allowed to disfigure them. The rigging was fitted with greater care than common, and abundance of turk's- heads, and fancy seizings and lashings bore witness to the sailorship of the mates and crew who last had it under their charge. No clumsy patch-work was to bo seen on any of the sails — nothing but cloths nefitly set in. to re- pl:ice old ones. The mates, too, were dressed much more tastefully than is usual with officers of merchant-ships, and the captain kept up a certiiin state in the cabin — having a boy to wait upon him, and only showing himself upon deck at seven bells, to take the sun or to get an observation, but never interfering direetly with the working of the ship. In foct, he appeared so much of a dandy that we were somewhat inclined to doubt his seamanship until in the first gale we experienced, he showed himself under entirely dificrent oolors. and casting oflF the rather effeminate air comrinD 113 TEE MERCHANT VESSEL. to him, took charge of the deck, and worked the \cssel u. the admiration of all h:inds. The helmsman was cxpocted to appear in iicat and clean clothing, and had half an hour in his watch on deck illowed him 'Therein to change his suit, and prepare hiir- self for his trick at the wheel. As the voyage was to last much longer than a mere short trip to Europe, the discipline was somewhat stricter. Several weeks elapsed before all was arr.mgcd for the long passage to Calcutta, all port-gear, such as hawsers, fen- ders, boat's awnings, etc.. duly repaired, refitted, and stowed away below, and all the ne essary chafing-gear put on. By this time the capabilities of the crew had been pretty well ascertained, and henceforth each one was en.- r^loyed in the department for which he was best qualified. I was ohos n by the mate, in whose watch I was, as one of the sailmaker's gang, and ray daily work was laid out for me, on the ijuarter-deck, repairing old sails and awn- ings, and making ntw ones. A facility in handling a {)ahii and needle, and working about sails, is one of the best recoiuniciidations a seaman can have to the good graces of a mate. And as sewing on sails is the cleane.>t and easiest work done on board ship, fortunate is he who, when bound on a long voyage, is taken into the sailmaker's gang. He is exempt from all tarring and slushing, except on those general occasions when all hands tar down the rigging. While others are working in the broiling sun, on deck, or perched aloft, hanging cu by their eyelids, he sits, in his clean white frw^k. under the (juarter-deck awning, and «juietly plies his needle. If he is. besides, a SAIL MAKING. 11 ;5 good helmsman, and a reliable man in a gale, he is likely to h-e a general favorite, and to lead a very pleasant sort of existence — for a sailor. Every ship, bound on a voyage of any length, carries at least three complete suits of sails — one a heavy suit, to be donned when approaching the higher latitudes, where rough winds prevail; a second, good, but lighter than the former, which to cany when running down the trades, or sailing in latitudes wlitic the breezes blow steadily ; and, lastly, nn old suit, of little worth, which ia bent on approaching tli Hue, the region of calms and light winds, wher'S sails are more quickly worn out by slatting again'^t masts and rigging, and the continual hauling u . and down in working ship, than in twice the ■•iuie sailing in steady bicezes. Such a multitude of canvas requires endless repairing, altering, and sewing o\er. New sails aie to be middle- stitched- -that is, sewed down the middle of each seam — which u*aterially adds to their strength and durability. Old ones need new cloths, or, perhaps, are rij)ped to pieces, aud sewed together anew. Some are cut up, and transforn.ed into awnings or lighter sails — and, altogethei-, there is sufficient woik of the kind to keep a gang of four or five busy the entire voyage. As to the rigging, that needs never-ceasing attention fo keep it in the perfect order required on board a fancy East Indiaman. A large part of our outwiird passage was consumed in making spun yarn and marline, for whi h purpose a neat little iron winch had been provided, much better than the rule wooden c.)ntrivancc fastened to a 114 THE MERCHANT VESSEL. bit-head and turned with a rope's end, which is UbUall) seen on board ship. Tlien tlie spun yam was to be made uj into sword-mats and paunch-mats, suitable for various a rts of the rigging, where the yards are likely to chafe. U hat with this, and re-fitti.ig and setting up various parts of the rigging, our crew found plenty of work to their hands. ai;d had no idle time when on deck. In our watch below, tlieie were clothes to make, in pre- paration for the warm weather of the Indies, and books to read, of which our v row fortunately had a good sup- ply — rathei better, in regard to (juality. too, than are generally found in a fo.ecastlc. And when tired of this, there was an infinity of fansry work, such as beci