Against the Sea: Tales On and Under the Sea

by John E. Christ

  For several days after the tragic loss of the harpooner, the crew worked in total silence. Nick Nick attempted to boost the morale of the crew by getting the Captain to issue an extra ration of whiskey. The Captain refused the request on the grounds he did not want to coddle the men. However, he did allow a day of rest, free of the usual chores. Most of the men spent the day in total idleness unless needed to man the rigging.

  An episode of foul weather brought the crew back to the reality they were at the mercy of the sea as well as the Captain. Work soon dulled the senses of everyone. The crew drew secret lots to determine who would accompany the Captain when chasing whales. No one wanted to be his harpooner for obvious reasons. Almost without exception, the crew felt they had sold their souls to the devil. Mutiny was muttered by some from time to time, but was prevented when Nick Nick persuaded the disgruntled men there would be other options. It was just a matter of time.

  The business of capturing whales improved and the hold filled with oil faster than anyone expected. There were hopes they would complete their voyage in far less than the expected two years. The Captain remained adamant, when approached by Nick Nick, that they would remain at sea the entire two years, if not longer. It was his intent to harvest as much oil as possible even if it meant sacrificing personal belongings. To justify his position he pointed out that the value of everyone’s share would increase proportionately.

  The search for whales took the Esther II ever farther west and south until they encountered islands populated with natives of markedly different dispositions. In 1842, many of the islands encountered were, if not undiscovered, infrequently visited. Most of the indigent natives welcomed strangers with enthusiasm, more than willing to trade in anything from citrus to slaves. On more than one occasion they encountered islands populated with what they envisioned as cannibals. That conclusion was made on the observation of human skulls and bones prominently displayed on huts dotting the beach. These islands were avoided whenever possible.

  On one of the friendlier encounters, the Captain traded to the unsuspecting natives the “meat” of the preserved dead crew. Whether the natives knew or not did not matter to the Captain as long as he received an adequate return in exchange. Nick Nick had long surmised the Captain had little respect for life regardless of the society to which it belonged. There would be a time in the future where the Captain would have to answer for his ways. Each day of additional infamy made it difficult to hold off that day. Nick Nick also knew that when that day came he would probably be called upon to lead the way. It was a responsibility he did not relish, but it was not one he would shirk. His job was to the ship and the men. Ships could be salvaged and rebuilt, men could not.

  Surprisingly little was known about the Captain. Among the crew, the endless hours at sea led to the retelling of life histories in explicit detail. Part of the problem was that the Captain usually kept to himself, alone in his cabin. The first mate and cabin boy were the only ones ever privileged to enter, and then, only by direct invitation. There was little doubt in anyone’s mind the Captain drank excessively by himself. Whether it was to feel better or escape boredom or some other demon was up for speculation. Regardless no one ever questioned him about his personal habits.

  Occasionally, a tidbit of the past slipped from the Captain’s conversation. He had been born and raised an only son among five older sisters in Maine. His father was a fisherman who one day went to sea and never came back. Left alone, surrounded by women, he left home several days before his fourteenth birthday, signing on as a cabin boy on the whaler Martha Ann. This first experience was to teach him how to survive alone with no friends at sea. Although he was not overly mistreated, he resented the attitude of the crew to him. The quest to become Captain of his own ship with unquestioned authority became a recurring dream. Barely on land for a few minutes, he quickly enlisted for duty aboard the Boston Harbour. Ostensibly setting out for whales, the ship sailed across the Atlantic to Africa without a single catch. He watched with childish curiosity as several hundred native slaves were forced into the hold of the ship. The trip back across the Atlantic carried them into the Caribbean to be exchange for molasses and rum. The sounds coming from the hold haunted him at first until he visualized the darkly colored natives as something so foreign to his senses that they were not human. He assisted on more than one occasion in tossing a dead or morbidly ill slave overboard when necessary. His share of the profits during this voyage was far greater than the first. However, he was never to enjoy the fruits of his labor. Somewhere near Bermuda, the British warship Britannia intercepted them and confiscated almost half of the cargo, despite vehement protest by the Captain. Upon returning to home port, he resolved he would never put himself in a position where he could lose his cargo to piracy of any sort. He chose future ships carefully, verifying the exact nature of the voyage. Whaling was what he wanted most and whaling was what he learned best.

  By the age of nineteen Frank Bell became first mate on the whaler Cape Ann. He fulfilled his responsibilities with a fervor and determination that not only impressed the Captain but also the owners of the ship. Unusual as it might have seemed, he was offered a captainship on the next voyage which he eagerly accepted. Putting to sea with command of the Cape Ann at age twenty-three was the fulfillment of his life’s dream. The crew, most of whom were older and more experienced, were clearly unhappy with their young Captain. It would be discipline of extraordinary sorts to change this attitude.

  The first whales were sighted several days out from home port. Three boats and crews were launched with Frank at the head of one; the chases were blessed with moderate weather and relatively calm seas. A whale was soon captured by the crew headed by the first mate. Within several hours everyone was back on board rendering blubber into oil. One of the older men, a Gus Olafson, began ridiculing the ineptness of the Captain with a string of humorous anecdotes. When the Captain heard what was being said, he became furious. He approached Gus like an avenging angel, pulled out his pistol and smashed him in the face with the butt breaking his jaw and knocking out several teeth. Any thought about joking instantly disappeared from the shocked crew.

  Gus received no sympathy from the Captain with his crippling injury. Unable to eat, he soon lost weight and weakened to the point he could no longer pull his share of the work. One evening he was summoned to the Captain’s cabin expecting a resolution to the difficulties created by the incident. Perhaps an apology was to be offered. No one ever saw Gus again. The Captain explained he had given Gus a drink of whiskey during their conversation and subsequently he must have fallen overboard in a drunken stupor. Although Gus was known to drink, he had never been witnessed incapacitated. The explanation carried little weight with the crew but they had no choice but to accept it.

  Frank had no friends and trusted no one. His first mate, Pete Jones, on several occasions tried to become his friend. Being an avid chess player, Pete taught the Captain how to play. After several lessons and multiple humiliating defeats, the chess set mysteriously disappeared never to be seen again. Pete suspected the Captain but was clearly afraid to broach the subject. Whatever relationship he could develop would have to be strictly professional. The Captain would allow no one within his thoughts or feelings, things that no friendship can exist without.

  On that first voyage, the Captain discovered his only friend came in a bottle. The first few swallows warmed the cockles of his heart. Several swallows later a better reality, an internal one, exchanged places with his surroundings. Alcohol forged his feelings into an impregnable fortress unassailable by no mortal person. Alcohol also unleashed his inner demons. Any unpleasant interruption of his well-being was greeted with anger and spite. Further alcohol brought on a profound stupor from which Frank found ultimate escape from everything, including himself. The crew always waited expectantly for the Captain to pass out. Only then could there be any personal freedom for anyone. That Frank cared for anything other than his job and the bottle there was no clue. Eve
n when landing on distant shores, Frank remained strictly business unless he sequestered himself in his cabin away from watching eyes. The years went by with nothing else changing. The sea looked the same in whatever direction chosen to look.

  Rumors of Captain Bell’s proclivities were well known throughout the whaling world. No matter how bad a picture was painted of the man, the fact stood out, he was a successful whaler with a generous pocket to his crew when the profits were split. Whether this was from an innate generous spirit or penance for sins committed mattered little. Money was money. The quirks of the man were ignored for the almighty buck.

  Nick Nick first came into contact with Captain Bell as a cabin boy. It was the Captain’s first tour with the Esther II and the first of Nick Nick’s aboard a whaler. Nick Nick had just arrived on American shores after leaving his home island of Patmos. He had managed to work from ship to ship exiting the Mediterranean and finally crossing the Atlantic on a British merchant to Canada. Once on American soil he arranged to learn English well enough to be considered a native while working ever southward toward Nantucket. It was his good fortune he found the Esther II needing a cabin boy in short order. Captain Bell was outwardly stern at his employment interview but seemed to exude inner warmth toward him. Had he been standing closer he would have smelled the alcohol.

  Whaling was a new adventure for Nick Nick. The more he watched, the more he learned. Each time the boats were launched for the chase, he was ordered to remain behind to prepare for processing the catch. It was almost a year before Nick Nick was allowed into one of the boats. The day came off the coast of Chile. It was sunny with barely two foot seas and a mild breeze out of the south. The Captain took him in his own boat, sitting him next to the stern. Good fortune was with the Captain’s boat as it soon caught up to a whale. Just as the man was about to throw the harpoon into the whale Nick Nick stood up to see better. The Captain unable to see the man clearly pushed Nick Nick strongly aside, tossing him into the water. The rope from the harpoon sung out as a whale sounded. Nick Nick started swimming back to the boat only to be horrified that it was being pulled away at an incredible speed. Fortunately, another boat was nearby and quickly pulled him out of the water, thoroughly wet and totally uninjured except for his ego. Back on the mothership, there were a few laughs at him from the crew which disappeared once the Captain returned. When the Captain saw Nick Nick busy at work helping with processing the whale, his facial expression remained unreadable although there was almost the hint of a nod of approval. In a strange way, the Captain gained a respect for Nick Nick, while for Nick Nick the lesson was to forever remain vigilant and never trust anyone no matter who it was. Several future voyages would prove the value of this lesson.

  From the first voyage fate tied Nick Nick together to the Captain. Regardless of the Captain’s quirks, the pay was far better than average. There could be far worse Captains to serve under. The next voyage enlisted Nick Nick as a deckhand, a position in which he undertook with zeal and excelled. His excellence was rewarded by being made first mate on the following trip. In less than five years, he had worked himself up to be seriously considered for Captain when a position became available.

  The current voyage was nearing conclusion. The Esther II was so laden with oil she could be said lumbering in the water. Whales had been easily found and caught, but, even so, the Captain was never happy in between catches. In the far Pacific Islands, the Captain undertook the slaughter and rendering of innocent unsuspecting natives by luring them aboard with offers of transport to more prosperous islands. The heads of many of these murdered natives were saved by the Captain to be allegedly sold as authentic evidence of cannibalistic headhunters in the exotic South Seas. Without exception, the crew objected to the grisly pastime, the Captain’s word was law at sea and punishment could result in death by hanging or far worse. For Nick Nick, his job became one of keeping the crew together until they could get home. The possibility of going to the owners of the ship or the authorities was considered with little hope of making an impression. Captain Bell was popular for his results. No one on land cared how he achieved them.

  The sun had risen above the horizon and the clouds had cleared enough for Nick Nick to make a sighting. Repeating his observation and calculations twice he applied the results to the nautical charts. The Esther II was no more than a few days from home.

  “Captain,” Nick Nick said flatly. “Weather permitting we should be home by Sunday.”

  The Captain remained unmoving behind glassy eyes. “What should I care,” he said loudly.

  “The Company will be extremely pleased at our cargo for sure,” Nick Nick said flatly.

  “I don’t like your attitude, boy!” The Captain shouted. “I’ve had enough of your insolence!” He pulled out his pistol, and aimed it at Nick Nick’s chest. “You’ve been nothing but a thorn in my side from the time I met you.”

  “Is this the way you reward faithfulness?” Nick Nick was unflustered. “Only by the grace of God have I been able to keep the crew from tossing you to the sharks.”

  “That is your mistake.” The Captain laughed. “You should have made your move first. None of your fancy talk can save you now.”

  “Captain, what are you talking about?”

  “I know you want to be Captain,” the Captain huffed. “I know you want my job. I know you’ve done everything to undermine my authority. And you think you can get away with it!”

  “You’re wrong,” Nick Nick said firmly. “I have done nothing but support you in the contract of the company. You are mistaken!”

  “Why do I not believe you?” The Captain brought the pistol closer to Nick Nick’s chest. “I think this is your last voyage.”

  “Whatever you say, Captain,” Nick Nick said calmly. “I will seek another ship next time.”

  “No you won’t!” The Captain laughed and noticeably started pulling the trigger.

  Completely unnoticed, Indeo left the helm and slipped behind the Captain. When he saw the Captain was about to shoot Nick Nick, he smashed the Captain on the side of the head with the piece of wood used to hold the helm steady at times. The Captain caught completely unawares crumpled instantly to the deck without firing a shot.

  “Thanks,” Nick Nick said quickly and immediately took the pistol out of the Captain’s hand.

  “I couldn’t let him kill you,” Indeo said and resumed his post at the helm.

  “It’s okay. It had to happen sometime.”

  A voice from aloft announced the presence of exposed rocks and shallow water off the port bow. Nick Nick consulted his charts and confirmed his position with known nautical hazards. It was clear they were traversing familiar waters. As he gazed at the rocks looming close by, an idea came into his head and he ordered the sails trimmed and one of the boats launched. When the Captain awakened, they put him in the boat with hands bound behind his back. Nick selected the best men and set out for one of the jutting rocks.

  “You won’t get away with this!” The Captain shouted. “You’ll all hang!”

  Nick Nick brought the boat next to a pillar of rocks sticking a foot or two out of the water. Its top was worn smooth from countless waves but wide and flat enough to allow a man to stand.

  “Captain, enough is enough,” Nick Nick said coolly. “Now is the time for you to pray if you believe.”

  The Captain rose up and spit in his face. “Go to hell!” He screamed.

  Nick Nick calmly wiped his face and motioned the crew to untie the Captain’s hands. He then motioned the Captain get out of the boat onto the rock. The Captain glared at Nick Nick for a moment then began laughing hysterically as he got out of the boat.

  “Upon this rock I make my last stand,” the Captain shouted ironically. “May you all suffer the same fate.”

  The crew after putting their backs into the oars were soon basck on board the Esther II. After hoisting sails into a light breeze, the figure of the Captain on his rock disappeared on the horizon. A visible wave of relief was
felt by the entire crew. How would they explain the loss of the Captain? No one really cared. The best explanation came to Nick Nick as Nantucket came into view. The sea is an unforgiving mistress who allows no cheating. The Captain had simply gone to pay his dues.