At early dawn on the 29th all were on the alert, anxious to recommence
their gold-gathering labor, but obedient to the captain’s request the
steamer was first supplied with its full allotment of wood. This was
accomplished with a despatch that betokened an earnest desire to resume
their yesterday’s toil in the sands. The captain and padre explained the
most approved methods for the economical saving of the smaller
particles, which brought into requisition the steward’s and cook’s
wares. The tableau of the second day, although lacking in the wilder
excitement of the previous, incident to the impressions of first
discovery, would have afforded a novelty unparalleled in scenic variety
for the study of an artist, but unfortunately our own was too much
engrossed with interest to heed the rare advantages of the absurd
comicalities of selfishness. In truth all were so moved by an
acquisitive spirit, but little thought was given to the ludicrous
groupings of the parties engaged, or the solitary wildness of the
surrounding scenery, contrasting so vividly with the pretentious
civilization of the laborers.
On the morning of June 3, the spit was left in the wake of the steamer,
exhausted of its free surface gold, and much to the surprise of all
there was a general expression of relief when it was lost to view, and
the discomfort it had caused began to disappear with the revival of
order. But a still greater surprise was in store, which removed all the
barriers of distinction bred by the pride of birth and station from the
standard of laboring vocation, inasmuch as they debarred in exchange
kindly equality in reciprocation. Unusual alacrity and kindliness of
feeling had been observed in “putting” the vessel to rights by the
hands, which was explained, when accomplished, by Jack and Bill, who
came aft with hats in hand. After bowing all round, Bill the prompter
nudged Jack the spokesman to give way, which he essayed to do, but from
confusion was unable to get a running bight of phrase, until aided by
the captain’s inquiry, “Well, what is it, my man?”
_Jack._ “You see, Bill and I started up the river to freshen our joints,
which had grown stiff and creaky with salt junk and hard tack. Well,
after we had loosened our barnacles with the treacle of a Spanish
skipper we took French leave and laid low until you hove in sight. Now
you see after we entered with you it took us some time to get the run of
the fair weather you made for all hands. Expecting to be taken aback
with a sharp squall we kept our eyes well to the wind’ard, for you see
on this river with cannibals on the lookout and no vessels there was no
chance of skulking on shore for a down-river craft. To be sure, we soon
found that we were out and wide in our calculations, so when brought to
our bearings we began to take kindly to the lay of our watches in
scrubbing and wooding, as there was no hand-spike snubbing or squeak of
hard words. Then comes this gold lay, and when you says, ‘Boys, here’s
your chance, pitch in, every man for himself without envy,’ we were
taken aback with a fair wind. When we came on board to empty our hats we
began to take our bearings, and says Bill to me, after an observation,
‘We’ve shipped and signed the papers, and this gold is way freight, so
you see it’s not right to tap the cargo on full rations.’
“There was the p’int clear, and we said ‘Never a bit!’ So you see after
the flurry was over we put the question to the others and they took the
bearings at once; so you see that we’ve concluded that we’re only
‘titled to prize money at most, just as you valer the danger we run with
the savages.”
This construction, regulated by the sea usage of man-of-war’s men, who
had grown gray and poverty stricken in “service,” was so generous in the
sincerity of honest proposition for revoking the captain’s liberality
that he asked time for consideration. In submission the procession,
headed by the two honest tars, retreated to the “for’ard” hatch, on
which they placed their well-filled hats to await the captain’s
decision. A consultation with the members of the corps was immediately
held to decide upon a method to insure an equitable division of the gold
suited to the emergency. After a variety of propositions had been made
and rejected, the padre advanced one that proved the most acceptable.
His suggestion was that the passengers and officers should abide
contented with their own gatherings, as they were proportionately less
than those of the crew; but that an equal division of theirs should be
made to avoid envy. When this equitable measure was made known to the
men, Jack, with the advice of Bill, objected that the most important
persons had been left out, which in their opinion were the vessel and
captain. As this amended consideration met with general approval, it was
adopted. Then Antonio, the steward, said, that the men for’ard, from
being accustomed to work, had gathered so much more in proportion than
those aft, he would propose to “lump” the whole for an equal division,
after one fifth had been deducted for the vessel’s and captain’s share.
This was acted upon, notwithstanding the captain’s protest that all
should share alike. The division accomplished, there was a hearty
shaking of hands that opened a sympathetic current of reciprocation void
of selfish envy, which as an omen heralded a happy result for their
adventurous voyage. After the parties to this happy arbitration had
resumed their usual avocations, Jack and Bill—to whom had been assigned
the duty of “freshening up” the trimmings of capstan, binnacle, and
other extras aft, usually attended to in their watch below, to save
time—entered upon their duty during the siesta hour of the day. While
engaged they ruminated in silence until the deck was cleared of chance
listeners, then the rapid change of tobacco quids from side to side of
their mouths, and an unusual flow of the green ooze from the corners
gave indication of thought’s supremacy. At length when they “supposed”
the coast was clear, Jack gave an expressive tug at his waistband, then
after blowing his nose with a clarion note, he sputtered, “Blast my
buttons, Bill, if this fresh-water turtle of a captain hain’t sounded
and found a salt-water leak in the water run of my eyes!” Bill without
answering, except with a suppressed sniffle, found it necessary to
expectorate and blow his nose over the bulwark nettings. A prolonged
effort having relieved his emotions he shuffled back, and shyly
exclaimed, with a whispering sob, “Don’t, Jack.”
Woman’s distress, from the period of youth and beauty, through all the
gradation of cause, to its decline with the influence of age and
ugliness, when haggish distemper engendered from selfish disappointment
makes it repulsively loathsome, I have felt with impulsive variations,
but never experienced the like choking sensations of affectionate
sympathy, from the evidences of gratitude, that held me bound during the
enactment of this short scene, so truthful in expression. Probably
during their long term of service they had never felt a like cause,
foreign to themselves, for the revival of emotions so nearly allied to
affectionate reciprocation; for it was evident that the gold of itself
occupied a minor impression in the ruling of their thoughts. Indeed, in
the after detached rehearsal of their sea-faring experience, they
declared that a glass of grog was the only compensation they had ever
known a sea captain to bestow upon his sailors for extra labor. The
representatives of tropical countries, of which a majority of the crew
was composed, were more open and volatile in their expressions of
gratitude; but like the English sailors attested that the self-denial of
Captain Greenwood was the only exception in their experience in which
the master of a vessel had failed to exact to the uttermost the fruits
of their labor.
From the Tortugian era of the third of June Captain Greenwood became a
deity of adoration to his crew, who offered daily sacrifice of labor for
kindly propitiation, which from promptness in anticipation rendered the
padre’s official vocation a sinecure.
The sun of June 4 found the _Tortuga’s_ decks neatly scrubbed and washed
in readiness for its rays; the two savages having participated in the
cleanly overture, the elder receiving his somewhat copious douche with a
grateful show of teeth; but the younger’s eyes were used with such an
evident desire for pitying sympathy that Antonio volunteered his
tonsorial service as an initiatory introduction to civilized habits.
This act won the young savage’s first love; while it added another count
to the special hatreds of the old, who bestowed upon Antonio a toothful
longing to recompense his civilized barbarity. The improvement of the
young savage was so marked from the use of soap, sand, and scissors,
with the grateful expression produced, that Antonio was fain to crown
his morning’s missionary labor, and his neophyte’s satisfaction, with a
hat.