Two or three hours before sundown, a small schooner came out of theharbour, and headed over for the adjoining island of Imeeo, orMoreea, in plain sight, about fifteen miles distant. The windfailing, the current swept her down under our bows, where we had afair glimpse of the natives on her decks.
There were a score of them, perhaps, lounging upon spread mats, andsmoking their pipes. On floating so near, and hearing the maudlincries of our crew, and beholding their antics, they must have takenus for a pirate; at any rate, they got out their sweeps, and pulledaway as fast as they could; the sight of our two six-pounders, which,by way of a joke, were now run out of the side-ports, giving a freshimpetus to their efforts. But they had not gone far, when a whiteman, with a red sash about his waist, made his appearance on deck,the natives immediately desisting.
Hailing us loudly, he said he was coming aboard; and after someconfusion on the schooner's decks, a small canoe was launchedover-hoard, and, in a minute or two, he was with us. He turned out tobe an old shipmate of Jermin's, one Viner, long supposed dead, butnow resident on the island.
The meeting of these men, under the circumstances, is one of athousand occurrences appearing exaggerated in fiction; but,nevertheless, frequently realized in actual lives of adventure.
Some fifteen years previous, they had sailed together as officers ofthe barque Jane, of London, a South Seaman. Somewhere near the NewHebrides, they struck one night upon an unknown reef; and, in a fewhours, the Jane went to pieces. The boats, however, were saved; someprovisions also, a quadrant, and a few other articles. But several ofthe men were lost before they got clear of the wreck.
The three boats, commanded respectively by the captain, Jermin, andthe third mate, then set sail for a small English settlement at theBay of Islands in New Zealand. Of course they kept together as muchas possible. After being at sea about a week, a Lascar in thecaptain's boat went crazy; and, it being dangerous to keep him, theytried to throw him overboard. In the confusion that ensued the boatcapsized from the sail's "jibing"; and a considerable sea running atthe time, and the other boats being separated more than usual, onlyone man was picked up. The very next night it blew a heavy gale; andthe remaining boats taking in all sail, made bundles of their oars,flung them overboard, and rode to them with plenty of line. Whenmorning broke, Jermin and his men were alone upon the ocean: thethird mate's boat, in all probability, having gone down.
After great hardships, the survivors caught sight of a brig, whichtook them on board, and eventually landed them at Sydney.
Ever since then our mate had sailed from that port, never once hearingof his lost shipmates, whom, by this time, of course, he had longgiven up. Judge, then, his feelings when Viner, the lost third mate,the instant he touched the deck, rushed up and wrung him by the hand.
During the gale his line had parted; so that the boat, drifting fastto leeward, was out of sight by morning. Reduced, after this, togreat extremities, the boat touched, for fruit, at an island of whichthey knew nothing. The natives, at first, received them kindly; butone of the men getting into a quarrel on account of a woman, and therest taking his part, they were all massacred but Viner, who, at thetime, was in an adjoining village. After staying on the island morethan two years, he finally escaped in the boat of an American whaler,which landed him at Valparaiso. From this period he had continued tofollow the seas, as a man before the mast, until about eighteenmonths previous, when he went ashore at Tahiti, where he now owned theschooner we saw, in which he traded among the neighbouring islands.
The breeze springing up again just after nightfall, Viner left us,promising his old shipmate to see him again, three days hence, inPapeetee harbour.
CHAPTER XXVI.
WE ENTER THE HARBOUR--JIM THE PILOT
EXHAUSTED by the day's wassail, most of the men went below at an earlyhour, leaving the deck to the steward and two of the men remaining onduty; the mate, with Baltimore and the Dane, engaging to relieve themat midnight. At that hour, the ship--now standing off shore, undershort sail--was to be tacked.
It was not long after midnight, when we were wakened in the forecastleby the lion roar of Jermin's voice, ordering a pull at thejib-halyards; and soon afterwards, a handspike struck the scuttle,and all hands were called to take the ship into port.
This was wholly unexpected; but we learned directly that the mate, nolonger relying upon the consul, and renouncing all thought ofinducing the men to change their minds, had suddenly made up his own.He was going to beat up to the entrance of the harbour, so as to showa signal for a pilot before sunrise.
Notwithstanding this, the sailors absolutely refused to assist inworking the ship under any circumstances whatever: to all mine andthe doctor's entreaties lending a deaf ear. Sink or strike, theyswore they would have nothing more to do with her. This perverse-nesswas to be attributed, in a great measure, to the effects of theirlate debauch.
With a strong breeze, all sail set, and the ship in the hands of fouror five men, exhausted by two nights' watching, our situation was badenough; especially as the mate seemed more reckless than ever, and wewere now to tack ship several times close under the land.
Well knowing that if anything untoward happened to the vessel beforemorning, it would be imputed to the conduct of the crew, and so leadto serious results, should they ever be brought to trial; I calledtogether those on deck to witness my declaration;--that now that theJulia was destined for the harbour (the only object for which I, atleast, had been struggling), I was willing to do what I could towardcarrying her in safely. In this step I was followed by the doctor.
The hours passed anxiously until morning; when, being well to windwardof the mouth of the harbour, we bore up for it, with the union-jackat the fore. No sign, however, of boat or pilot was seen; and afterrunning close in several times, the ensign was set at themizzen-peak, union down in distress. But it was of no avail.
Attributing to Wilson this unaccountable remissness on the part ofthose ashore, Jermin, quite enraged, now determined to stand boldlyin upon his own responsibility; trusting solely to what he rememberedof the harbour on a visit there many years previous.
This resolution was characteristic. Even with a competent pilot,Papeetee Bay, is considered a ticklish, one to enter. Formed by abold sweep of the shore, it is protected seaward by the coral reef,upon which the rollers break with great violence. After stretchingacross the bay, the barrier extends on toward Point Venus, in thedistrict of Matavia, eight or nine miles distant. Here there is anopening, by which ships enter, and glide down the smooth, deep canal,between the reef and the shore, to the harbour. But, by seamengenerally, the leeward entrance is preferred, as the wind isextremely variable inside the reef. This latter entrance is a break inthe barrier directly facing the bay and village of Papeetee. It isvery narrow; and from the baffling winds, currents, and sunken rocks,ships now and then grate their keels against the coral.
But the mate was not to be daunted; so, stationing what men he had atthe braces, he sprang upon the bulwarks, and, bidding everybody keepwide awake, ordered the helm up. In a few moments, we were runningin. Being toward noon, the wind was fast leaving us, and, by the timethe breakers were roaring on either hand, little more thansteerage-way was left. But on we glided--smoothly and deftly; avoidingthe green, darkling objects here and there strewn in our path; Jerminoccasionally looking down in the water, and then about him, with theutmost calmness, and not a word spoken. Just fanned along thus, itwas not many minutes ere we were past all danger, and floated intothe placid basin within. This was the cleverest specimen of hisseamanship that he ever gave us.
As we held on toward the frigate and shipping, a canoe, coming outfrom among them, approached. In it were a boy and an old man--bothislanders; the former nearly naked, and the latter dressed in an oldnaval frock-coat. Both were paddling with might and main; the oldman, once in a while, tearing his paddle out of the water; and, afterrapping his companion over the head, both fell to with fresh vigour.As they came within hail, the old fellow, springing to his feet and
flourishing his paddle, cut some of the queerest capers; all thewhile jabbering something which at first we could not understand.
Presently we made out the following:--"Ah! you pemi, ah!--youcome!--What for you come?--You be fine for come no pilot.--I say, youhear?--I say, you ita maitui (no good).--You hear?--You nopilot.--Yes, you d---- me, you no pilot 't all; I d---- you; youhear?"
This tirade, which showed plainly that, whatever the profane oldrascal was at, he was in right good earnest, produced peals oflaughter from the ship. Upon which, he seemed to get beside himself;and the boy, who, with suspended paddle, was staring about him,received a sound box over the head, which set him to work in atwinkling, and brought the canoe quite near. The orator now openingafresh, it turned out that his vehement rhetoric was all addressed tothe mate, still standing conspicuously on the bulwarks.
But Jermin was in no humour for nonsense; so, with a sailor'sblessing, he ordered him off. The old fellow then flew into a regularfrenzy, cursing and swearing worse than any civilized being I everheard.
"You sabbee me?" he shouted. "You know me, ah? Well; me Jim, mepilot--been pilot now long time."
"Ay," cried Jermin, quite surprised, as indeed we all were, "you arethe pilot, then, you old pagan. Why didn't you come off before this?"
"Ah! me scibbee,--me know--you piratee (pirate)--see you long time,but no me come--I sabbee you--you ita maitai nuee (superlativelybad)."
"Paddle away with ye," roared Jermin, in a rage; "be off! or I'll darta harpoon at ye!"
But, instead of obeying the order, Jim, seizing his paddle, darted thecanoe right up to the gangway, and, in two bounds, stood on deck.
Pulling a greasy silk handkerchief still lower over his brow, andimproving the sit of his frock-coat with a vigorous jerk, he thenstrode up to the mate; and, in a more flowery style than ever, gavehim to understand that the redoubtable "Jim," himself, was beforehim; that the ship was his until the anchor was down; and he shouldlike to hear what anyone had to say to it.
As there now seemed little doubt that he was all he claimed to be, theJulia was at last surrendered.
Our gentleman now proceeded to bring us to an anchor, jumping upbetween the knight-heads, and bawling out "Luff! luff! keepy off!leeepy off!" and insisting upon each time being respectfullyresponded to by the man at the helm. At this time our steerage-waywas almost gone; and yet, in giving his orders, the passionate oldman made as much fuss as a white squall aboard the Flying Dutchman.
Jim turned out to be the regular pilot of the harbour; a post, be itknown, of no small profit; and, in his eyes, at least, invested withimmense importance. Our unceremonious entrance, therefore, wasregarded as highly insulting, and tending to depreciate both thedignity and lucrativeness of his office.
The old man is something of a wizard. Having an understanding with theelements, certain phenomena of theirs are exhibited for hisparticular benefit. Unusually clear weather, with a fine steadybreeze, is a certain sign that a merchantman is at hand; whale-spoutsseen from the harbour are tokens of a whaling vessel's approach; andthunder and lightning, happening so seldom as they do, are proofpositive that a man-of-war is drawing near.
In short, Jim, the pilot, is quite a character in his way; and no onevisits Tahiti without hearing some curious story about him.
CHAPTER XXVII.
A GLANCE AT PAPEETEE--WE ARE SENT ABOARD THE FRIGATE
THE village of Papeetee struck us all very pleasantly. Lying in asemicircle round the bay, the tasteful mansions of the chiefs andforeign residents impart an air of tropical elegance, heightened bythe palm-trees waving here and there, and the deep-green groves ofthe Bread-Fruit in the background. The squalid huts of the commonpeople are out of sight, and there is nothing to mar the prospect.
All round the water extends a wide, smooth beach of mixed pebbles andfragments of coral. This forms the thoroughfare of the village; thehandsomest houses all facing it--the fluctuation of the tides beingso inconsiderable that they cause no inconvenience.
The Pritchard residence--a fine large building--occupies a site on oneside of the bay: a green lawn slopes off to the sea: and in frontwaves the English flag. Across the water, the tricolour also, and thestars and stripes, distinguish the residences of the other consuls.
What greatly added to the picturesqueness of the bay at this time wasthe condemned hull of a large ship, which, at the farther end of theharbour, lay bilged upon the beach, its stern settled low in thewater, and the other end high and dry. From where we lay, the treesbehind seemed to lock their leafy boughs over its bowsprit; which,from its position, looked nearly upright.
She was an American whaler, a very old craft. Having sprung a leak atsea, she had made all sail for the island, to heave down for repairs.Found utterly unseaworthy, however, her oil was taken out and senthome in another vessel; the hull was then stripped and sold for atrifle.
Before leaving Tahiti, I had the curiosity to go over this poor oldship, thus stranded on a strange shore. What were my emotions, when Isaw upon her stern the name of a small town on the river Hudson! Shewas from the noble stream on whose banks I was born; in whose watersI had a hundred times bathed. In an instant, palm-trees andelms--canoes and skiffs--church spires and bamboos--all mingled in onevision of the present and the past.
But we must not leave little Jule.
At last the wishes of many were gratified; and like an aeronaut'sgrapnel, her rusty little anchor was caught in the coral groves atthe bottom of Papeetee Bay. This must have been more than forty daysafter leaving the Marquesas.
The sails were yet unfurled, when a boat came alongside with ouresteemed friend Wilson, the consul.
"How's this, how's this, Mr. Jermin?" he began, looking very savage ashe touched the deck. "What brings you in without orders?"
"You did not come off to us, as you promised, sir; and there was nohanging on longer with nobody to work the ship," was the blunt reply.
"So the infernal scoundrels held out--did they? Very good; I'll makethem sweat for it," and he eyed the scowling men with unwontedintrepidity. The truth was, he felt safer now, than when outside thereef.
"Muster the mutineers on the quarter-deck," he continued. "Drive themaft, sir, sick and well: I have a word to say to them."
"Now, men," said he, "you think it's all well with you, I suppose. Youwished the ship in, and here she is. Captain Guy's ashore, and youthink you must go too: but we'll see about that--I'll miserablydisappoint you." (These last were his very words.) "Mr. Jermin, calloff the names of those who did not refuse duty, and let them go overto the starboard side."
This done, a list was made out of the "mutineers," as he was pleasedto call the rest. Among these, the doctor and myself were included;though the former stepped forward, and boldly pleaded the office heldby him when the vessel left Sydney. The mate also--who had alwaysbeen friendly--stated the service rendered by myself two nightsprevious, as well as my conduct when he announced his intention toenter the harbour. For myself, I stoutly maintained that, accordingto the tenor of the agreement made with Captain Guy, my time aboardthe ship had expired--the cruise being virtually at an end, howeverit had been brought about--and I claimed my discharge.
But Wilson would hear nothing. Marking something in my manner,nevertheless, he asked my name and country; and then observed with asneer, "Ah, you are the lad, I see, that wrote the Round Robin; I'lltake good care of you, my fine fellow--step back, sir."
As for poor Long Ghost, he denounced him as a "Sydney Flash-Gorger";though what under heaven he meant by that euphonious title is morethan I can tell. Upon this, the doctor gave him such a piece of hismind that the consul furiously commanded him to hold his peace, or hewould instantly have him seized into the rigging and flogged. Therewas no help for either of us--we were judged by the company we kept.
All were now sent forward; not a word being said as to what heintended doing with us.
After a talk with the mate, the consul withdrew, going aboard theFrench frigate, which lay within a cabl
e's length. We now suspectedhis object; and since matters had come to this pass, were rejoiced atit. In a day or two the Frenchman was to sail for Valparaiso, theusual place of rendezvous for the English squadron in the Pacific;and doubtless, Wilson meant to put us on board, and send us thither tobe delivered up. Should our conjecture prove correct, all we had toexpect, according to our most experienced shipmates, was the fag endof a cruise in one of her majesty's ships, and a discharge beforelong at Portsmouth.
We now proceeded to put on all the clothes we could--frock over frock,and trousers over trousers--so as to be in readiness for removal at amoment's warning. Armed ships allow nothing superfluous to litter upthe deck; and therefore, should we go aboard the frigate, our chestsand their contents would have to be left behind.
In an hour's time, the first cutter of the Reine Blanche camealongside, manned by eighteen or twenty sailors, armed with cutlassesand boarding pistols--the officers, of course, wearing theirside-arms, and the consul in an official cocked hat borrowed for theoccasion. The boat was painted a "pirate black," its crew were adark, grim-looking set, and the officers uncommonly fierce-lookinglittle Frenchmen. On the whole they were calculated to intimidate--theconsul's object, doubtless, in bringing them.
Summoned aft again, everyone's name was called separately; and beingsolemnly reminded that it was his last chance to escape punishment,was asked if he still refused duty. The response was instantaneous:"Ay, sir, I do." In some cases followed up by divers explanatoryobservations, cut short by Wilson's ordering the delinquent to thecutter. As a general thing, the order was promptly obeyed--sometaking a sequence of hops, skips, and jumps, by way of showing notonly their unimpaired activity of body, but their alacrity incomplying with all reasonable requests.
Omoo: Adventures in the South Seas Page 10