Schooner Horizon.
Having lost all my property except a small homestead, by the many
captures I had experienced, the perils of the sea, and the fluctuations
of prices in the West India produce, and being now out of employment,
and looking upon every man as slothful who remained idle when he could
earn a competence by working for less wages then he formerly received, I
agreed with a young inexperienced captain to perform a voyage with him
in a small schooner of seventy tons, called the Horizon, from New-York
to the Island of Teneriffe. My name was entered on the shipping articles
as mate, although it was verbally understood that I was to be considered
as the navigator and sailing master.
We commenced loading about the first of January, 1835, with staves and a
few other articles, and went to sea about the eighth, the vessel being
deeply loaded, which made her wet and uncomfortable for a winter's
voyage. We proceeded on the passage without any material accident until
we arrived in the latitude of Teneriffe, when we were overtaken by a
violent gale of wind, which lasted nearly two days; we shipped a number
of seas, which cleared our decks of staves, carried away our bulwarks,
broke our bowsprit, and sprung the head of our fore-mast; rendering the
schooner totally unmanageable. The next day the wind abated, and the sea
became more moderate, when we made all the repairs that our scant
materials would admit of, and in the afternoon discovered the high Peak
of Teneriffe. Finding our water running low, having had our last cask
stove during the gale, we agreed to come upon an allowance of one bottle
of water for each man per day. The weather became mild, with light
variable winds, which rendered the vessel quite unmanageable, as we had
no head sail to keep her before the wind in light breezes. With longing
eyes we viewed the majestic pyramid for fourteen days, the wind
remaining the same during all that time, when we approached so near the
harbor of Oratava that we were boarded by a pilot who conducted us into
that port. Our schooner's cables being only about forty fathoms long,
would not reach the bottom in that harbor, and we were obliged to hire a
cable and anchor to ride by during our stay in port.
While lying here it is necessary to keep a pilot constantly on board,
that we may be ready to proceed to sea the moment the wind changes so as
to blow towards the land. After we had remained in the harbor some four
or five days, and procured carpenters to repair our vessel, a gale of
wind commenced, and we were compelled to slip our cable and go to sea
again, where we remained about two days, when we put into the Island of
Palmos, at which place we continued three or four days. After the gale
abated we returned to our former anchorage in Oratava harbor.
The harbor of Oratava is surrounded by high rocks, almost perpendicular,
faced with sharp points, which makes it impossible to ascend them. When
vessels are wrecked in this place they are very soon dashed to pieces,
and their crews meet a watery grave. The anchorage is situated about
twelve miles from the foot of the Peak, where the weather is so mild
that sailors are working on board vessels with no clothing except shirts
and trowsers, while the Peak is covered with snow. Our pilot informed me
that snow fell on the Peak every month in the year except March. The
snow, from the appearance, forms a body of ice, and the brilliant rays
of the sun at its rising are reflected on this ice-capped mountain with
such dazzling light that the beholder is struck with awe as he surveys
this mighty wonder of the world. I had but one opportunity to visit the
shore, where I remained but a few moments while signing a protest. My
short stay prevents my giving the reader any description of the place.
We employed two native carpenters to repair the damages the schooner had
received on the passage, they came on board early every morning,
bringing their dinners with them, which consisted of a six cent loaf of
wheat bread, one head of lettuce, and a bottle of wine; this being the
only food they had. At twelve o'clock they sat down on deck, made their
meal and drank the wine. They brought on board a few very coarse
carpenter's tools, among which was a hand-saw that attracted my
particular attention, as it had a small hole in the point of it, through
which they put a nail gimblet; when they wanted to split a board they
lined in the usual manner, then placed one end on the deck and raised
the other end up to an angle of about forty-five degrees, being
supported by a saw-bench, when one of them took the saw by the handle in
the common way, while the other put the gimblet through the hole in the
point, which he took hold of by placing his fingers on both sides of the
blade, and assisted in drawing the saw through the board, his comrade
shoving on the other end; this was the first time I ever knew that it
took two men to work one hand-saw.
The expenses of repairs here are very great. I think one American
carpenter will perform more labor in one day than six of those natives.
We were detained here a long time in discharging our cargo for want of
lighters, being obliged to land it in small boats, which made but a few
trips on shore each day, the same boats bringing back our return cargo.
Our supply of fire wood getting very short we inquired the price of that
article on shore, and found that they asked twenty dollars per cord for
it. We purchased a few sacks of coal for the return passage. After
remaining here some weeks we sailed for New-York, where we shortly
arrived, all in good health. The cargo was soon discharged, all hands
paid, and I returned to my home.