CHAPTER IV.
"There is a tide in the affairs of men, Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune Omitted, all the voyage of their life Is bound in shallows, and in miseries. On such a full sea are we now afloat; And we must take the current when it serves, Or lose our ventures." Brutus--Julius Caesar.
In four hours from the time when Rupert and I last saw Mr. Hardinge, theship was at sea. She crossed the bar, and started on her long journey,with a fresh north-wester, and with everything packed on that she wouldbear. We took a diagonal course out of the bight formed by the coasts ofLong Island and New Jersey, and sunk the land entirely by the middleof the afternoon. I watched the highlands of Navesink, as they vanishedlike watery clouds in the west, and then I felt I was at last fairlyout of sight of land. But a foremast hand has little opportunity forindulging in sentimen, as he quits his native shore; and few, I fancy,have the disposition. As regards the opportunity, anchors are to be gotin off the bows, and stowed; cables are to be unbent and coiled down;studding-gear is to be hauled out and got ready; frequently boom-ironsare to be placed upon the yards, and the hundred preparations made, thatrender the work of a ship as ceaseless a round of activity as that of ahouse. This kept us all busy until night, when the watches were told offand set. I was in the larboard, or chief-mate's watch, having actuallybeen chosen by that hard-featured old seaman, the fourth man he named;an honour for which I was indebted to the activity I had alreadymanifested aloft. Rupert was less distinguished, being taken by thecaptain for the second-mate's watch, the very last person chosen. Thatnight Mr. Marble dropped a few hints on the subject, which let me intothe secret of these two selections. "You and I will get along welltogether, I see that plainly, Miles," he said, "for there's quicksilverin your body. As for your friend in t'other watch, it's all as it shouldbe; the captain has got one hand the most, and such as he is, he iswelcome to him. He'll blacken more writing paper this v'y'ge, I reckon,than he'll tar down riggin'." I thought it odd, however, that Rupert,who had been so forward in all the preliminaries of our adventure,should fall so far astern in its first practical results.
It is not my intention to dwell on all the minute incidents of this, myfirst voyage to sea, else would it spin out the narrative unnecessarily,and render my task as fatiguing to the reader, as it might prove tomyself. One occurrence, however, which took place three days out,must be mentioned, as it will prove to be connected with importantcircumstances in the end. The ship was now in order, and was at leasttwo hundred leagues from the land, having had a famous run off thecoast, when the voice of the cook, who had gone below for water, washeard down among the casks, in such a clamour as none but a black canraise, with all his loquacity awakened.
"There's _two_ niggers at that work!" exclaimed Mr. Marble, afterlistening an instant, glancing his eye round to make certain the mulattosteward was not in the discussion. "No _one_ darkey ever could make allthat outcry. Bear a hand below, Miles, and see if Africa has come aboardus in the night."
I was in the act of obeying, when Cato, the cook, was seen risingthrough the steerage-hatch, dragging after him the dark poll of anotherblack, whom he had gripped by the wool. In an instant both were ondeck, when, to my astonishment, I discovered the agitated countenance ofNebuchadnezzar Clawbonny. Of course the secret was out, the instant thelad's glistening features were recognised.
Neb, in a word, had managed to get on board the ship before she hauledout into the stream, and lay concealed among the water-casks, hispockets crammed with ginger-bread and apples, until discovered by thecook, in one of his journeys in quest of water. The food of the lad hadbeen gone twenty-four hours, and it is not probable the fellow couldhave remained concealed much longer, had not this discovery taken place.The instant he was on deck, Neb looked eagerly around to ascertain howfar the ship had got from the land, and, seeing nothing but water onevery side of him, he fairly grinned with delight. This exasperated Mr.Marble, who thought it was adding insult to injury, and he gave the lada cuff on the ear that would have set a white reeling. On Neb, however,this sharp blow produced no effect, falling as it did on the impregnablepart of his system.
"Oh! you're a nigger, be you?" exclaimed the mate, waxing warmerand warmer, as he: fancied himself baffled by the other's powers ofendurance. "Take that, and let us see if you're full-blooded!"
A smart rap on the shin accompanying these words, Neb gave in on theinstant. He begged for mercy, and professed a readiness to tell all,protesting he was not "a runaway nigger"--a term the mate used whileapplying the kicks.
I now interfered, by telling Mr. Marble, with all the respect due froma green hand to a chief-mate, who Neb really was, and what I supposed tobe his motives for following me to the ship. This revelation cost me agood deal in the end, the idea of Jack's having a "waiting-man" on boardgiving rise to a great many jokes at my expense, during the rest of thevoyage. Had I not been so active, and so _willing,_ a great source offavour on board a ship, it is probable these jokes would have been muchbroader and more frequent. As it was, they annoyed me a good deal;and it required a strong exercise of all the boyish regard I reallyentertained for Neb, to refrain from turning-to and giving him a soundthreshing for his exploit, at the first good occasion. And yet, what washis delinquency compared to my own? He had followed his master out ofdeep affection, blended somewhat, it is true, with a love of adventure;while, in one sense, I had violated all the ties of the heart, merely toindulge the latter passion.
The captain coming on deck, Neb's story was told, and, finding that nowages would be asked in behalf of this athletic, healthy, young negro,he had no difficulty in receiving him into favour. To Neb's greatdelight, he was sent forward to take his share on the yards and in therigging, there being no vacancy for him to fill about the camboose, orin the cabin. In an hour the negro was fed, and he was regularly placedin the starboard-watch. I was rejoiced at this last arrangement, asit put the fellow in a watch different from my own, and prevented hisofficious efforts to do my work. Rupert, I discovered, however, profitedoften by his zeal, employing the willing black on every possibleoccasion. On questioning Neb, I ascertained that he had taken the boatround to the Wallingford, and had made use of a dollar or two I hadgiven him at parting, to board in a house suitable to his colour, untilthe ship was ready for sea, when he got on board, and stowed himselfamong the water-casks, as mentioned.
Neb's apparition soon ceased to be a subject of discourse, and hiszeal quickly made him a general favourite. Hardy, strong, resolute, andaccustomed to labour, he was early of great use in all the heavy drags;and aloft, even, though less quick than a white would have been, he gotto be serviceable and reasonably expert. My own progress--and I sayit without vanity, but simply because it was true--was the subject ofgeneral remark. One week made me familiar with the running gear; and, bythat time, I could tell a rope by its size, the manner in which it led,and the place where it was belayed, in the darkest night, as well as theoldest seaman on board. It is true, my model-ship had prepared the wayfor much of this expertness; but, free from all seasickness, of which Inever had a moment in my life, I set about learning these things ingood earnest, and was fully rewarded for my pains. I passed theweather-earing of the mizen-top-sail when we had been out a fortnight,and went to those of the fore and main before we crossed the line. Themate put me forward on all occasions, giving me much instruction inprivate; and the captain neglected no opportunity of giving me usefulhints, or practical ideas. I asked, and was allowed to take my regulartrick at the wheel, before we got into the latitude of St. Helena; andfrom that time did my full share of seaman's duly on board, the nicerwork of knotting, splicing, &c., excepted. These last required a littlemore time; but I am satisfied that, in all things but judgment, a cleverlad, who has a taste for the business, can make himself a very usefuland respectable mariner in six months of active service.
China voyages seldom produce much incident. If the moment of sailinghas been judiciously timed, the ship has fair winds much of the way,and generally m
oderate weather. To be sure, there are points on the longroad that usually give one a taste of what the seas sometimes are; but,on the whole, a Canton voyage, though a long one, cannot be called arough one. As a matter of course, we had gales, and squalls, and theusual vicissitudes of the ocean, to contend with, though our voyage toCanton might have been called quiet, rather than the reverse. We werefour months under our canvass, and, when we anchored in the river,the clewing up of our sails, and getting from beneath their shadows,resembled the rising of a curtain on some novel scenic representation.John Chinaman, however, has been so often described, particularly oflate, that I shall not dwell on his peculiarities. Sailors, as a class,are very philosophical, so far as the peculiarities and habits ofstrangers are concerned, appearing to think it beneath the dignity ofthose who visit all lands, to betray wonder at the novelties of any.It so happened that no man on board the John, the officers, stewardand cook excepted, had ever doubled the Cape of Good Hope before thisvoyage; and yet our crew regarded the shorn polls, slanting eyes, longqueues, clumsy dresses, high cheek-bones, and lumbering shoes, of thepeople they now saw for the first time, with just as much indifferenceas they would have encountered a new fashion at home. Most of them,indeed, had seen, or fancied they had seen, much stranger sights in thedifferent countries they had visited; it being a standing rule,with Jack to compress everything that is wonderful into the "lastvoyage"--that in which he is engaged for the present time being usuallyset down as common-place, and unworthy of particular comment. On thisprinciple, _my_ Canton excursion _ought_ to be full of marvels, as itwas the progenitor of all that I subsequently saw and experienced as asailor. Truth compels me to confess, notwithstanding, that it was oneof the least wonderful of all the voyages I ever made, until near itsclose.
We lay some months in the river, getting cargo, receiving teas, nankins,silks and other articles, as our supercargo could lay hands on them.In all this time, we saw just as much of the Chinese as it is usual forstrangers to see, and not a jot more. I was much up at the factories,with the captain, having charge of his boat; and, as for Rupert, hepassed most of his working-hours either busy with the supercargo ashore,or writing in the cabin. I got a good insight, however, into the usesof the serving-mallet, the fid, marlinspike and winch, and did somethingwith the needle and palm. Marble was very good to me, in spite of hisnor-west face, and never let slip an occasion to give a useful hint.I believe my exertions on the outward-bound passage fully equalledexpectations, and the officers had a species of pride in helping to makeCaptain Wallingford's son worthy of his honourable descent. I had takenoccasion to let it be known that Rupert's great-grandfather had beena man-of-war captain; but the suggestion was met by a flat, refusal tobelieve it from Mr. Kite, the second-mate, though Mr. Marble remarkedit _might_ be so, as I admitted that both his father and grandfather hadbeen, or were, in the Church. My friend seemed fated to achieve nothingbut the glory of a "barber's clerk."
Our hatches were got on and battened down, and we sailed for home earlyin the spring of 1798. The ship had a good run across the China Sea,and reached the Indies in rather a short passage. We had cleared allthe islands, and were fairly in the Indian Ocean, when an adventureoccurred, which was the first really worthy of being related that we metin the whole voyage. I shall give it, in as few words as possible.
We had cleared the Straits of Sunda early in the morning, and had madea pretty fair run in the course of the day, though most of the time inthick weather. Just as the sun set, however, the horizon became clear,and we got a sight of two small sail seemingly heading in towardsthe coast of Sumatra, proas by their rig and dimensions. They were sodistant, and were so evidently steering for the land, that no one gavethem much thought, or bestowed on them any particular attention. Proasin that quarter were usually distrusted by ships, it is true; but thesea is full of them, and far more are innocent than are guilty of anyacts of violence. Then it became dark soon after these craft were seen,and night shut them in. An hour after the sun had set, the wind fell toa light air, that just kept steerage-way on the ship. Fortunately, theJohn was not only fast, but she minded her helm, as a light-footed girlturns in a lively dance. I never was in a better-steering ship, mostespecially in moderate weather.
Mr. Marble had the middle watch that night, and of course I was on deckfrom midnight until four in the morning. It proved misty most of thewatch, and for quite an hour we had a light drizzling rain. The ship,the whole time, was close-hauled, carrying royals. As everybody seemedto have made up his mind to a quiet night, one without any reefing orfurling, most of the watch were sleeping about the decks, or whereverthey could get good quarters, and be least in the way. I do not knowwhat kept me awake, for lads of my age are apt to get all the sleep theycan; but I believe I was thinking of Clawbonny, and Grace, and Lucy; forthe latter, excellent girl as she was, often crossed my mind in thosedays of youth and comparative innocence. Awake I was, and walking inthe weather-gangway, in a sailor's trot. Mr. Marble, he I do believe wasfairly snoozing on the hen-coops, being, like the sails, as one mightsay, barely "asleep." At that moment I heard a noise, one familiar toseamen; that of an oar falling in a boat. So completely was my mind benton other and distant scenes, that at first I felt no surprise, as if wewere in a harbour surrounded by craft of various sizes, coming and goingat all hours. But a second thought destroyed this illusion, and I lookedeagerly about me. Directly on our weather-bow, distant perhaps a cable'slength, I saw a small sail, and I could distinguish it sufficiently wellto perceive it was a proa. I sang out "Sail ho! and close aboard!"
Mr. Marble was on his feet in an instant. He afterwards told me thatwhen he opened his eyes, for he admitted this much to me in confidence,they fell directly on the stranger. He was too much of a seaman torequire a second look, in order to ascertain what was to be done. "Keepthe ship away--keep her broad off!" he called out to the man at thewheel. "Lay the yards square--call all hands, one of you--CaptainRobbins, Mr. Kite, bear a hand up; the bloody proas are aboard us!" Thelast part of this call was uttered in a loud voice, with the speaker'shead down the companion-way. It was heard plainly enough below, butscarcely at all on deck.
In the mean time, everybody was in motion. It is amazing how soonsailors are wide awake when there is really anything to do! It appearedto me that all our people mustered on deck in less than a minute, mostof them with nothing on but their shirts and trowsers. The ship wasnearly before the wind, by the time I heard the captain's voice; andthen Mr. Kite came bustling in among us forward, ordering most of themen to lay aft to the braces, remaining himself on the forecastle, andkeeping me with him to let go the sheets. On the forecastle, the strangesail was no longer visible, being now abaft the beam; but I could hearMr. Marble swearing there were two of them, and that they must be thevery chaps we had seen to leeward, and standing in for the land, atsunset. I also heard the captain calling out to the steward to bring hima powder-horn. Immediately after, orders were given to let fly all oursheets forward, and then I perceived that they were waring ship. Nothingsaved us but the prompt order of Mr. Marble to keep the ship away, bywhich means, instead of moving towards the proas, we instantly began tomove from them. Although they went three feet to our two, this gave us amoment of breathing time.
As our sheets were all flying forward, and remained so for a fewminutes, it gave me leisure to look about. I soon saw both proas, andglad enough was I to perceive that they had not approached materiallynearer. Mr. Kite observed this also, and remarked that our movements hadbeen so prompt as "to take the rascals aback." He meant, they did notexactly know what we were at, and had not kept away with us.
At this instant, the captain and five or six of the oldest seamen beganto cast loose all our starboard, or weather guns, four in all, andsixes. We had loaded these guns in the Straits of Banca, with grape andcanister, in readiness for just such pirates as were now coming downupon us; and nothing was wanting but the priming and a hot logger-head.It seems two of the last had been ordered in the fire, when we saw theproas at
sunset; and they were now in excellent condition for service,live coals being kept around them all night by command. I saw a clusterof men busy with the second gun from forward, and could distinguish thecaptain pointing it.
"There cannot well be any mistake, Mr. Marble?" the captain observed,hesitating whether to fire or not.
"Mistake, sir? Lord, Captain Robbins, you might cannonade any of theislands astarn for a week, and never hurt an honest man. Let 'em haveit, sir; I'll answer for it, you do good."
This settled the matter. The loggerhead was applied, and one of oursixes spoke out in a smart report. A breathless stillness succeeded.The proas did not alter their course, but neared us fast. The captainlevelled his night-glass, and I heard him tell Kite, in a low voice,that they were full of men. The word was now passed to clear away allthe guns, and to open the arm-chest, to come at the muskets and pistols.I heard the rattling of the boarding-pikes, too, as they were cut adriftfrom the spanker-boom, and fell upon the deck. All this sounded veryominous, and I began to think we should have a desperate engagementfirst, and then have all our throats cut afterwards.
I expected now to hear the guns discharged in quick succession, but theywere got ready only, not fired. Kite went aft, and returned with threeor four muskets, and as many pikes. He gave the latter to those of thepeople who had nothing to do with the guns. By this time the ship was ona wind, steering a good full, while the two proas were just abeam, andclosing fast. The stillness that reigned on both sides was like thatof death. The proas, however, fell a little more astern; the result oftheir own manoeuvring, out of all doubt, as they moved through the watermuch faster than the ship, seeming desirous of dropping into our wake,with a design of closing under our stern, and avoiding our broad-side.As this would never do, and the wind freshened so as to give us fouror five knot way, a most fortunate circumstance for us, the captaindetermined to tack while he had room. The John behaved beautifully,and came round like a top. The proas saw there was no time to lose, andattempted to close before we could fill again; and this they would havedone with ninety-nine ships in a hundred. The captain knew his vessel,however, and did not let her lose her way, making everything draw againas it might be by instinct. The proas tacked, too, and, laying up muchnearer to the wind than we did, appeared as if about to close on ourlee-bow. The question was, now, whether we could pass them or not beforethey got near enough to grapple. If the pirates got on board us, we werehopelessly gone; and everything depended on coolness and judgment. Thecaptain behaved perfectly well in this critical instant, commanding adead silence, and the closest attention to his orders.
I was too much interested at this moment to feel the concern that Imight otherwise have experienced. On the forecastle, it appeared tous all that we should be boarded in a minute, for one of the proas wasactually within a hundred feet, though losing her advantage a littleby getting under the lee of our sails. Kite had ordered us to musterforward of the rigging, to meet the expected leap with a discharge ofmuskets, and then to present our pikes, when I felt an arm thrown aroundmy body, and was turned in-board, while another person assumed my place.This was Neb, who had thus coolly thrust himself before me, in orderto meet the danger first. I felt vexed, even while touched with thefellow's attachment and self-devotion, but had no time to betray eitherfeeling before the crews of the proas gave a yell, and discharged somefifty or sixty matchlocks at us. The air was full of bullets, but theyall went over our heads. Not a soul on board the John was hurt. On ourside, we gave the gentlemen the four sixes, two at the nearest and twoat the sternmost proa, which was still near a cable's length distant. Asoften happens, the one seemingly farthest from danger, fared the worst.Our grape and canister had room to scatter, and I can at this distantday still hear the shrieks that arose from that craft! They werelike the yells of fiends in anguish. The effect on that proa wasinstantaneous; instead of keeping on after her consort, she wore shortround on her heel, and stood away in our wake, on the other tack,apparently to get out of the range of our fire.
I doubt if we touched a man in the nearest proa. At any rate, no noiseproceeded from her, and she came up under our bows fast. As every gunwas discharged, and there was not time to load them, all now depended onrepelling the boarders. Part of our people mustered in the waist,where it was expected the proa would fall alongside, and part on theforecastle. Just as this distribution was made, the pirates cast theirgrapnel. It was admirably thrown, but caught only by a ratlin. I sawthis, and was about to jump into the rigging to try what I could do toclear it, when Neb again went ahead of me, and cut the ratlin with hisknife. This was just as the pirates had abandoned sails and oars, andhad risen to haul up alongside. So sudden was the release, that twentyof them fell over by their own efforts. In this state the ship passedahead, all her canvass being full, leaving the proa motionless in herwake. In passing, however, the two vessels were so near, that those aftin the John distinctly saw the swarthy faces of their enemies.
We were no sooner clear of the proas than the order was given, "readyabout!" The helm was put down, and the ship came into the wind in aminute. As we came square with the two proas, all our larboard guns weregiven to them, and this ended the affair. I think the nearest of therascals got it this time, for away she went, after her consort, bothrunning off towards the islands. We made a little show of chasing, butit was only a feint; for we were too glad to get away from them, tobe in earnest. In ten minutes after we tacked the last time, we ceasedfiring, having thrown some eight or ten round-shot after the proas, andwere close-hauled again, heading to the south-west.
It is not to be supposed we went to sleep again immediately. Neb wasthe only man on board who did, but he never missed an occasion to eat orsleep. The captain praised us, and, as a matter of course in that day,he called all hands to "splice the main-brace." After this, the watchwas told to go below, as regularly as if nothing had happened. As forthe captain himself, he and Mr. Marble and Mr. Kite went prying aboutthe ship to ascertain if anything material had been cut by whatthe chief-mate called "the bloody Indian matchlocks." A littlerunning-rigging had suffered, and we had to reeve a few new ropes in themorning; but this terminated the affair.
I need hardly say, all hands of us were exceedingly proud of ourexploit. Everybody was praised but Neb, who, being a "nigger," was insome way or other overlooked. I mentioned his courage and readiness toMr. Marble, but I could excite in no one else the same respect for thepoor fellow's conduct, that I certainly felt myself. I have since livedlong enough to know that as the gold of the rich attracts to itself thegold of the poor, so do the deeds of the unknown go to swell the fame ofthe known. This is as true of nations, and races, and families, as it isof individuals; poor Neb belonging to a proscribed colour, it was notin reason to suppose he could ever acquire exactly the same credit as awhite man.
"Them darkies do sometimes blunder on a lucky idee," answered Mr. Marbleto one of my earnest representations, "and I've known chaps among 'emthat were almost as knowing as dullish whites; but everything out of thecommon way with 'em is pretty much chance. As for Neb, however, I willsay this for him; that, for a nigger, he takes things quicker than anyof his colour I ever sailed with. Then he has no sa'ce, and that is agood deal with a black. White sa'ce is bad enough; but that of a niggeris unbearable."
Alas! Neb. Born in slavery, accustomed to consider it arrogance to thinkof receiving even his food until the meanest white had satisfied hisappetite, submissive, unrepining, laborious and obedient--the highesteulogium that all these patient and unobtrusive qualities could obtain,was a reluctant acknowledgment that he had "no sa'ce." His quicknessand courage saved the John, nevertheless; and I have always said it, andever shall.
A day after the affair of the proas, all hands of us began to brag. Eventhe captain was a little seized with this mania; and as for Marble,he was taken so badly, that, had I not known he behaved well in theemergency, I certainly should have set him down as a Bobadil. Rupertmanifested this feeling, too, though I heard he did his duty that night.The r
esult of all the talk was to convert the affair into a very heroicexploit; and it subsequently figured in the journals as one of the deedsthat illustrate the American name.
From the time we were rid of the proas, the ship got along famouslyuntil we were as far west as about 52 deg., when the wind came light fromthe southward and westward, with thick weather. The captain had beentwo or three times caught in here, and he took it into his head that thecurrents would prove more favourable, could he stand in closer to thecoast of Madagascar than common. Accordingly, we brought the ship ona bowline, and headed up well to the northward and westward. We were aweek on this tack, making from fifty to a hundred miles a day, expectinghourly to see the land. At length we made it, enormously highmountains, apparently a long distance from us, though, as we afterwardsascertained, a long distance inland; and we continued to near it. Thecaptain had a theory of his own about the currents of this part of theocean, and, having set one of the peaks by compass, at the time the landwas seen, he soon convinced himself, and everybody else whom he tried topersuade, Marble excepted, that we were setting to windward with visiblespeed. Captain Robbins was a well-meaning, but somewhat dull man; and,when dull men, become theorists, they usually make sad work with thepractice.
All that night we stood on to the northward and westward, though Mr.Marble had ventured a remonstrance concerning a certain head-land thatwas just visible, a little on our weather-bow. The captain snapped hisfingers at this, however; laying down a course of reasoning, which,if it were worth anything, ought to have convinced the mate that theweatherly set of the current would carry us ten leagues to the southwardand westward of that cape, before morning. On this assurance, weprepared to pass a quiet and comfortable night.
I had the morning watch, and when I came on deck, at four, there was nochange in the weather. Mr. Marble soon appeared, and he walked into thewaist, where I was leaning on the weather-rail, and fell into discourse.This he often did, sometimes so far forgetting the difference inour stations _afloat_--not _ashore_; _there_ I had considerably theadvantage of him--as occasionally to call me "sir." I always paidfor this inadvertency, however, it usually putting a stop to thecommunications for the time being. In one instance, he took such promptrevenge for this implied admission of equality, as literally to breakoff short in the discourse, and to order me, in his sharpest key, to goaloft and send some studding-sails on deck, though they all had to besent aloft again, and set, in the course of the same watch. But offendeddignity is seldom considerate, and not always consistent.
"A quiet night, Master Miles"--_this_ the mate _could_ call me, asit implied superiority on his part--"A quiet night, Master Miles,"commenced Mr. Marble, "and a strong westerly current, accordin'to Captain Robbins. Well, to my taste gooseberries are better thancurrents, and _I'd_ go about. That's my manner of _generalizing_."
"The captain, I suppose, sir, from that, is of a different opinion?"
"Why, yes, somewhatish,--though I don't think he knows himself exactlywhat his own opinion is. This is the third v'y'ge I've sailed with theold gentleman, and he is half his time in a fog or a current. Now, it'shis idee the ocean is full of Mississippi rivers, and if one couldonly find the head of a stream, he might go round the world in it. Moreparticularly does he hold that there is no fear of the land when in acurrent, as a stream never sets on shore. For my part, I never want anybetter hand-lead than my nose."
"Nose, Mr. Marble?"
"Yes, nose, Master Miles. Haven't you remarked how far we smelt theInjees, as we went through the islands?"
"It is true, sir, the Spice Islands, and all land, they say--"
"What the devil's that?" asked the mate, evidently startled at somethinghe _heard_, though he appeared to _smell_ nothing, unless indeed itmight be a rat.
"It sounds like water washing on rocks, sir, as much as anything I everheard in my life!"
"Ready about!" shouted the mate. "Run down and call the captain,Miles--hard a-lee--start everybody up, forward."
A scene of confusion followed, in the midst of which the captain,second-mate, and the watch below, appeared on deck. Captain Robbins tookcommand, of course, and was in time to haul the after-yards, the shipcoming round slowly in so light a wind. Come round she did, however,and, when her head was fairly to the southward and eastward, the captaindemanded an explanation. Mr. Marble did not feel disposed to trust hisnose any longer, but he invited the captain to use his ears. This allhands did, and, if sounds could be trusted, we had a pretty lot ofbreakers seemingly all around us.
"We surely can go out the way we came in, Mr. Marble?" said the captain,anxiously.
"Yes, sir, if there were no _current_; but one never knows where abloody current will carry him in the dark."
"Stand by to let go the anchor!" cried the captain. "Let run and clewup, forward and aft. Let go as soon as you're ready, Mr. Kite."
Luckily, we had kept a cable bent as we came through the Straits, and,not knowing but we might touch at the Isle of France, it was still bent,with the anchor fished. We had talked of stowing the latter in-board,but, having land in sight, it was not done. In two minutes it wasa-cock-bill, and, in two more, let go. None knew whether we should finda bottom; but Kite soon sang out to "snub," the anchor being down,with only six fathoms out. The lead corroborated this, and we had thecomfortable assurance of being not only among breakers, but just nearthe coast. The holding-ground, however, was reported good, and we wentto work and rolled up all our rags. In half an hour the ship was snug,riding by the stream, with a strong current, or tide, setting exactlynorth-east, or directly opposite to the captain's theory. As soon asMr. Marble had ascertained this fact, I overheard him grumbling aboutsomething, of which I could distinctly understand nothing but the words"Bloody cape--bloody current."
Afloat and Ashore: A Sea Tale Page 5