[Illustration: THE FIRST WHALE. Page 67.]
THERE SHE BLOWS!
OR,
THE LOG OF THE ARETHUSA.
BY
CAPT. W. H. MACY.
OF NANTUCKET.
BOSTON
LEE & SHEPARD, PUBLISHERS
NEW YORK:
CHARLES T. DILLINGHAM
COPYRIGHT, 1877,
BY
LEE & SHEPARD.
THE AUTHOR TO HIS READERS.
The story embodied in these pages is not to be regarded as a mere
"yarn." It is rather a series of illustrated sketches of actual life on
the ocean, made up of real incidents and introducing for the most part
real characters, many of which will be recognized. Indeed the author
may truly say that in writing these "Leaves," he felt himself simply
telling a story--not making one.
Since its first publication in serial form, nine years ago, he has
been stricken with one of the heaviest of physical infirmities. Doomed
to life-long blindness, the recollection of years spent at sea in the
prime of manhood, come crowding upon him more thickly than ever, and
he finds his chief solace in having still retained the ability to
write them down for the benefit and amusement of others. His seafaring
friends, as they overhaul the log of their own experience, will at once
recognize the truthfulness of the pictures he has drawn here.
W. H. M.
NANTUCKET, MASS., August, 1877.
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.
PAGE.
FROM PECK SLIP TO NANTUCKET BAR 1
CHAPTER II.
IN AND OUT OVER THE BAR 12
CHAPTER III.
FROM THE BAR ROUND GREAT POINT 24
CHAPTER IV.
FAIRLY AT SEA.--THE FIRST LOOKOUT.--INTRODUCTION 38
CHAPTER V.
THE WESTERN ISLANDS.--"YARNS" AND ANECDOTES 50
CHAPTER VI.
THE FIRST WHALE 62
CHAPTER VII.
"CUTTING IN" 73
CHAPTER VIII.
BOILING.--CUTTING THE LINE.--DUTCH COURAGE.--"MAN OVERBOARD" 85
CHAPTER IX.
"GAMMING" WITH A "HOMEWARD-BOUNDER" 98
CHAPTER X.
WHALING NEAR THE FALKLANDS.--DEATH OF MR. JOHNSON 112
CHAPTER XI.
PROMOTION.--"COOPER'S NOVELS."--THE MATE MORALIZES.--CAPE HORN 125
CHAPTER XII.
FISHING AT JUAN FERNANDEZ.--FIGHT WITH AN UGLY WHALE 139
CHAPTER XIII.
TALCAHUANA 153
CHAPTER XIV.
THE BILL-FISH.--THE MARQUESAS.--A PRISONER AMONG THE SAVAGES 167
CHAPTER XV.
ESCAPE FROM THE SAVAGES.--RECOVERY OF THE BOAT.--MAGICAL EFFECTS
OF LYNCH LAW 181
CHAPTER XVI.
THE COOPER "ROMANCES".--INCIDENTS.--BYRON'S ISLAND 197
CHAPTER XVII.
KINGSMILL'S GROUP.--SINGULAR WHALING INCIDENT.--HARD AND FAST.--A
PERILOUS POSITION 211
CHAPTER XVIII.
OFF THE ROCKS AGAIN.--A BAD LEAP.--ANECDOTES.--THE RUN TO THE
CAROLINE ISLANDS 225
CHAPTER XIX.
STRONG'S ISLAND 238
CHAPTER XX.
ON JAPAN.--ORMSBEE'S PEAK.--WHALING INCIDENTS.--A YANKEE TRICK 253
CHAPTER XXI.
RADACK CHAIN.--WATERING AT OCEAN ISLAND.--INCIDENTS ON THE RUN
TO SYDNEY, N. S. W. 267
CHAPTER XXII.
SYDNEY.--UP ANCHOR FOR HOME.--"GALWAY MIKE." 280
CHAPTER XXIII.
HOMEWARD.--THE EPISODE OF GALWAY MIKE.--CAPE HORN.--THE LAST WHALE 294
CHAPTER XXIV.
HOMEWARD. The Whale Recognized as an Old Acquaintance.--Incidents
of the Run Home.--Nantucket Again 307
LEAVES
FROM THE
ARETHUSA'S LOG.
CHAPTER I.
FROM PECK SLIP TO NANTUCKET BAR.
"WANTED--500 able-bodied, enterprising young men, to go on whaling
voyages of from twelve to twenty months' duration in first class
ships. All clothing and other necessaries furnished on the credit of
the voyage. To coopers, carpenters and blacksmiths, extra inducements
offered."
This announcement, on a gigantic placard, in staring capitals, arrested
my attention, and brought me to a stand, as I was strolling along South
Street, near Peck Slip. I had just attained the susceptible age of
eighteen, and had left my country home with the consent of my parents,
to visit the great city of Gotham, like a modern Gil Blas, in quest of
employment and adventures. As the old story-books have it, I had come
"to seek my fortune." I have sought it ever since, but it has kept
ahead of me, like an _ignis fatuus_. Like old Joe Garboard, I began the
world with nothing, and have held my own ever since.
I had always a predilection for the sea, and had cultivated my
adventurous propensities by the study of all books of voyages and
travels that I had access to. All the wanderings of famous navigators,
from the days of Sinbad down to the present era, had been perused with
delight, and I had always affected the sailor, as well as I knew how,
in manner and dress. I had discovered, since I arrived in the city,
however, that I was a miserable amateur; and not a ragged boy along
the piers but would have spotted me for a "green one" at sight, while
Jack himself, the real article, would have found my verdancy really
refreshing after a long cruise.
Above the attractive placard to which I have alluded, in the form
of a hanging sign projecting over the sidewalk, was a most stirring
nautical piece, illustrating one of those agreeable little episodes
which diversify the life of the whaleman. The principal figure in the
foreground of this masterpiece of art was a huge sea monster, intended,
doubtless, to represent something "very like a whale," but which, in
truth, bore rather more resemblance to a magnified codfish with a
specific gravity something less than that of a cork, as he floated _on_
the water instead of _in_ it. Fragments of a devoted whaleboat, which
had been nearly pulverized by a blow of his tail, filled the air, and
rained back in showers upon the unfortunate leviathan, at the imminent
hazard, as it seemed, of inflicting serious splinter wounds, while
several sailors, apparently dressed for the occasion in span new blue
and red shirts, cut pirouettes among the wreck at various altitudes
between sky and water, and made spread eagles of themselves for the
special diversion of a gaping public. From the head of the sea monster
was ejected a stream of blood, which rose in a solid column to a height
but little exceeding that of the topmasts of the ship, which appeared
standing under all sail, in fearful proximity to the fast boats, and
having no apparent intention of starting tack or sheet to avoid a
collision. Hogarth's famous "Perspective" was quite eclipsed by this
effort.
I stood, for a time, regarding this picture in silent admiration, and
especially commiserating the situation of one luckless mariner, for
whom the fate of Jonah seemed inevitable, as he appeared suspended
in mid-air, directly over the jaws of the whale, which were widely
distended in his agony.
"Now," said I to myself, "why wouldn't this be the sort of cruise for
me? A long voyage, full of adventure and excitement. The very thing.
I'll stop in here, and get some information about this business."
Following the direction of a hand painted on a tin sign, the finger of
which, as well as the inscription, indicated that Ramsay's shipping
office was "up stairs," I entered a room where a middle-aged gentleman,
with a florid countenance, evidently the great Ramsay himself, was
seated at a desk fenced in by a railing, while a shabby clerk, who
looked as if he had been kept up all night, hovered, like a familiar
spirit, near his elbow. Two youths, fresh from the country like myself,
were negotiating for enlistment with the elder gentleman, who was all
smiles and affability, and who, at my entrance, elevated his eyebrows,
and said something, _sotto voce_, to the sleepy clerk, whereat the
latter smiled knowingly, and then, seeming fatigued by the exertion,
relapsed into his former apathy.
"Take a seat, sir," said Mr. Ramsay. "I'm happy to see you, sir; and
the fact of your being early in the day argues well for your success
in life. I presume you would like to try a pleasant voyage, to see the
world, and make some money at the same time."
"Yes, sir," said I; "I did think of trying a sea voyage, but I would
like to make a few inquiries first."
"Quite right, sir," said Mr. Ramsay, lighting a cigar; "quite right.
'Look before you leap,' as the saying is. Have a cigar, sir?" at the
same time extending a handful of cheap sixes, with a general invitation
to the company present. "I shall be happy to afford you any information
in my power, sir. I have never been whaling myself, but from my long
experience in this business, and my extensive acquaintance with
whalemen and shipowners, I may say that you could hardly have applied,
in this city, to a better source; and, as I was observing to these two
young gentlemen just before you entered, there is the finest opening
just at this time that I have ever known. Indeed, I do not remember
any period since I have been in the business when such inducements
were offered to enterprising young men as now. A packet leaves this
afternoon for Nantucket, and there are crews wanted there for four new
ships, just launched, and all to be commanded by experienced captains.
There will be more ships fitted this year than any previous one; and,
owing to the increased demand for young men, the lays are uncommonly
high."
"The what, sir?" asked one of the country youths.
"The lays, sir; that is to say, the shares. You will understand that
in this business no one is paid wages by the day or month, but each
receives a certain part, or lay, as it is called, of the proceeds of
the cruise. By this arrangement, you will see, at once, that every
one, from the captain to the cabin boy, has a personal interest in the
success of the voyage. The lay is, of course, proportioned to his rank
or station on board, and to his experience in the business. The lays,
as I before observed, are high this season, uncommonly so."
"And what may be the lay of a new hand--one who has never been by
water," I asked.
"Well, sir, the lays of green hands have ranged, in times past, from a
two hundredth to a two hundred and fiftieth, but they are paying now a
hundred and seventieth, and even as high as a hundred and fiftieth. By
the way, have you any mechanical trade?" pursued the shipping-master,
with the greatest urbanity.
"Well--yes, sir; I have served some time at the blacksmith's trade,
though I can hardly call myself a finished workman," I answered.
"A blacksmith! ah, indeed! The very thing, sir. That reminds me that I
have a special demand, at this time, for three or four blacksmiths, and
as many carpenters. As to your being a finished workman, that is not
at all essential, sir. If you can botch a little and do an indifferent
sort of job, that is quite sufficient. I may safely promise an
able-bodied young man like you with some knowledge of the blacksmith's
trade, as good as the hundred and thirtieth. That, however, is a matter
to be arranged with the agent of the ship when you sign the articles. I
shall mention the subject to my correspondents, Messrs. Brooks & Co.,
at Nantucket, and they will use their influence for you."
"The voyage, you say, will not be more than twenty months, sir?" I
asked.
"Ye--no, sir--that is, they are seldom absent beyond that length of
time, and, if very fortunate, you may finish a voyage in a year. Then
your chances of promotion! Consider, sir--a young man of your ability
ought certainly to command a third mate's berth on the second voyage,
in which case, of course, your pay is more than doubled; and so on each
successive voyage as you advance still higher on the ladder. That is,
of course, supposing you should wish to follow the business. If not,
why, a year or a year and a half is not much at your time of life. You
would still be young enough to turn your attention to something else."
"How's the victuals on these whaling boats?" inquired one of the
verdant youths.
"Excellent, sir," returned the voluble Mr. Ramsay. "I have reason to
believe there are no ships on the ocean where the living is so good as
in whalers. Even the luxuries of life are to be found in abundance.
Cows are generally kept on board, so that the supply of milk and fresh
beef scarcely ever fails."
Here the sleepy clerk knocked the ashes from his cigar, gave
another knowing smile, and distended his cheek with his tongue, in
keen enjoyment of the game. This action was not lost upon me, and,
inexperienced though I was, I had already begun to surmise that the
statements of his eloquent employer were to be received _cum grano
salis_. Still, making due allowance for exaggeration, I thought this
sort of voyage, from its very nature, full of excitement and adventure,
would suit me better than any other.
"Do you furnish the outfit of clothes here, sir?" I inquired.
"No, sir," answered Mr. Ramsay, "that is not in my line. My
correspondents, Messrs. Brooks & Co., will attend to that; and, from
their perfect knowledge of the articles required, and their extensive
facilities, cannot fail to give you satisfaction."
The sleepy clerk had the pleasure of registering the names of all
three of us on the list of recruits to go on board the "Lydia Ann,"
and at four o'clock that afternoon, I found myself, in company with
a score or more of others, on board the old sloop, with the mainsail
hoisted, and dropped down to an outside berth; and, after the most
affectionate farewells and hand-shaking from Mr. Ramsay and the sleepy
clerk, the whole party were mustered and counted, and the roll being
found correct, the Lydia Ann slipped the only fast by which she rode to
the pier, and was fairly under way for Nantucket, amid the shouts and
hurrahs of her passengers, who seemed to have bid adieu to all care and
sorrow, and to consider themselves fairly enrolled in the ranks of the
elect.
After taking our last looks at the great metropolis, I found ample
amusement in studying human nature, and observing the peculiarities
of my several companions, who were a motley crowd, composed of men of
every stamp, from the fresh and innocent country youth, like myself,
who had just left his mother and sisters, to the city rowdy, who had
run himself "hard up" on a spree, and, unable longer to raise the wind,
had shipped for a sea voyage as a last resort. It was surprising to
note, now that we were brought together, and all bound on the same
mission, how quickly we became acquainted with each other, and how
quickly all distinctions were levelled. Many of my companions were more
or less in liquor at starting, and some had brought suspicious bottles
with them, and now were clustered in groups about the deck, roaring
snatches of songs, breaking out into boisterous merriment, and cracking
jokes on the old skipper, who only shook his head, and joined in the
laugh, muttering:
"Hold on, my lads, till I get you out off Pint Judy, with a good stiff
breeze and chopping sea on to shake up your stomachs, and I'll bet some
of you will laugh out of the other side of your mouths."
The old gentleman was not at all averse to taking a stout pull at
the bottles with those who offered them; and, after two or three
applications of this sort, he grew communicative, and volunteered much
information for our special behoof, touching the business in which we
were about embarking. Many of his statements differed widely from those
of the shipping-master, which is not strange; for it is well known
that two witnesses are seldom found to agree to their accounts of the
same matter.
The Lydia Ann was an old time-worn and battered sloop, which ran
as a regular transport between Nantucket and New York, having no
accommodations for any considerable number of passengers, though she
had carried so many human cargoes to the same consignees, all bound on
the same errand, that she had acquired the pet name of "the Slaver."
When night came on, we were constrained to find lodgings in the hold
as best we could; and, selecting the softest spots and most eligible
corners among the casks and boxes which composed the freight list, we
passed part of the night in much the same manner as before. But, as
the skipper had predicted, the breeze freshened during the night, and
the old sloop, feeling the benefit of it, and diving smartly into a
head sea, furnished the majority of us employment in casting up our
accounts, and admonished us that all bodies, not excepting the solid
earth, are subject to upheavings when shaken to their centres. Some of
us, who had crawled on deck to get the fresh air, furnished, by our
own rueful and woe-begone appearance, rare food for merriment to the
old mate, a veteran of nearly the same date as his commander, who in a
rough pea-jacket and slouched sou'wester, stood, statue-like, braced up
against the tiller, apparently as immovable as the rock of ages.
"Ah, boys," said the jolly old salt, "so the Liddy Ann is breaking you
in, eh? Well, you've got to go through it, all of ye, and it's better
to have it over now, when you've got no duty to attend to, than to
begin it in the Gulf stream, when there'll be, maybe, topsails to reef,
and a slatting jib to be got in on a slippery boom."
He advised us, moreover, to try the experiment of attaching a piece of
fat pork, previously dipped in molasses, to a string, swallowing the
precious morsel and pulling it up again, repeating the operation as
often as the symptoms returned, which mode of proceeding, he solemnly
assured us, had been proved to be an invaluable specific, in cases
of this kind, as could be attested by the experience of thousands
of sufferers. The victims were slow to avail themselves of this
information, not so much from any doubt of its efficacy, as from sheer
inability to make the necessary exertion to prepare the medicine.
The utter prostration of all energy which attends sea-sickness is
well known to those who have passed the ordeal. I was a sufferer with
the rest, but not to the same extent as many others. When daylight
broke, I was on deck, and stirring, and became accustomed to the Lydia
Ann's antics with so little difficulty that the old skipper noticed
me particularly; and finding I was the only one who could do full
justice to an "able-bodied breakfast," he complimented me by averring
his belief that I would be a sailor yet before my mother would. Which
prophecy seemed in a fair way of fulfilment; for I gained so rapidly
that before the sloop went in over Nantucket Bar, I was able to take an
interest in all I saw and even to lend a hand about decks. I was rather
vain of the comparatively easy victory which my stomach had gained
over old Neptune's medicine chest, and lost no opportunity of cracking
jokes upon others, whose course of initiation had been more severe.
Some of the boys who came over in the Lydia Ann will never forget
the martyrdom they endured from this intolerable malady, which, when
violent, makes even life and death seem a matter of indifference, and
not the least irritating peculiarity of which is that it is a standing
subject for joking by those who have passed through it, and that even
the very pity which the initiated traveller bestows upon us is akin to
ridicule.