"Never was bothered with a more thorough calm!" exclaimed my brother
Harry, not for the first time that morning, as he and I, in spite of the
sweltering heat, paced the deck of our tight little schooner the
_Dainty_, then floating motionless on the smooth bosom of the broad
Pacific. The empty sails hung idly from the yards. The dog-vanes
imitated their example. Not the tiniest wavelet disturbed the shining
surface of the ocean, not a cloud dimmed the intense blue of the sky,
from which the sun glared forth with a power that made the pitch in the
seams of the deck bubble up and stick to the soles of our feet, and
though it might have failed to cook a beefsteak in a satisfactory
manner, was rapidly drying some strings of fish hung up in the rigging.
The white men of the crew were gathered forward, in such shade as they
could find, employed under the superintendence of Tom Platt, our mate,
in manufacturing mats, sinnet, rope yarns, or in knotting and splicing;
the dark-skinned natives, of whom we had several on board similarly
engaged, were mostly on the other side of the deck, apparently
indifferent as to whether they were in the shade or sunshine. Even my
brother, the commander of the _Dainty_, was too impatient to think much
about the broiling we were undergoing, as we walked from the taffrail to
a short distance before the mainmast, where we invariably turned to face
back again; while during the intervals in our conversation, from an old
habit, he whistled vehemently for a breeze, not that in consequence he
really expected it to come.
As we walked with our faces forward I was amused by watching old Tom,
who, marline-spike in hand, was stropping a block, now inspecting the
work of one man, now that of another, and then giving his attention to a
lad, seated on the spars stowed under the long-boat, engaged in splicing
an eye to the end of a rope.
"Is this all right, Mr Platt?" asked the lad, handing the rope to the
mate, who, squirting a mouthful of tobacco juice over the bulwarks,
turned it round and round to examine it critically.
"Ay, t'will do, Dick--wants scraping a bit; let's see how you'll serve
it," answered old Tom, giving back the rope.
After taking a few more turns my brother stopped. "Do you think, Platt,
that, we shall be long delayed by this provoking calm?" he asked.
"Can't say, Cap'en. Known such to last for the better part of a week in
these latitudes," answered the mate, coming a few steps aft. "Maybe,
though, we'll get a breeze to-morrow, maybe not."
"We are not likely to get it yet, at all events, from the look of the
sky," said Harry. "We'll rig the awning and persuade Mary and Fanny to
come on deck. They'll be better here than in the close cabin." Just as
he spoke Nat Amiel, his young brother-in-law, appeared at the
companion-hatch.
"Wanted to see if you were asleep, as we have been below all the
morning," he exclaimed. "Well, I declare, it is hot, though it's baking
enough in the cabin to satisfy a salamander."
"We'll soon have some more shade, and then ask the ladies to come on
deck and enjoy it," I answered. "In the meantime hand up a couple of
the folding-chairs, and I'll place some gratings for them to put their
feet on."
Nat dived into the cabin, and the mate calling the men aft we quickly
had an awning rigged to cover the after-part of the deck. Harry then
went below to bring up his wife and her sister. They were by this time
pretty well accustomed to a sea life, as three weeks had passed since we
left Brisbane in Queensland. My brother Harry, who had been a
lieutenant in the navy, had about four years before come out to settle
in the colony, being engaged at the time to Miss Mary Amiel, the eldest
daughter of an English clergyman. Agricultural pursuits had not been
much to his taste, and he had therefore settled himself in Brisbane for
the purpose of carrying on a mercantile business. He had made a very
fair commencement, and had returned about a year before the time I am
speaking of to marry his intended. On his arrival he found that Mr
Amiel had died, and that his family, consisting of another daughter and
a son, were left in very poor circumstances. Prompted by his generous
feelings, he at once invited Fanny and Nat to return with him and his
bride to the colony. This they gladly agreed to do, and the whole party
forthwith took a passage on board an emigrant ship, which after a
prosperous voyage reached the colony.
I had from my earliest days wished to go to sea, and my mother having
consented, as I could not obtain a nomination for the _Britannia_, I got
a berth as a midshipman on board a trader bound for China. I was
unfortunate in my ship and my captain. This gave me a dislike not so
much to the sea as to the merchant service, and on my return from my
first voyage, finding that my brother, to whom I was much attached, had
gone back to Queensland, I got leave from my mother, after representing
to her the sort of life I had been leading, to go and join him, she
being certain that he would be very glad to receive me.
As I had made the best use of my opportunities of becoming a seaman
during my first voyage, I had no difficulty in obtaining a berth on
board a ship bound to Queensland, called the _Eclipse_, commanded by
Captain Archer, and I was thus able to work my passage out free of
expense. On this occasion also I made good use of my time, by adding
considerably to my knowledge of seamanship, and by studying navigation.
Though I was before the mast, as I had my own sextant and books the
officers allowed me to take observations with them and to keep the
ship's reckoning, I had thus a right, with the experience I had had, to
consider myself a fair seaman.
The _Eclipse_ had been four days at sea, when the third mate summoned me
to accompany him into the forehold to get up some casks of provisions.
While searching for those he wanted, I heard a sound as if some one was
gasping for breath, and then a low moan. I told the mate.
"What can that be, sir?" I asked. "It comes from forward."
"Take the lantern, and see if there is any one there," he answered.
I made my way to the spot whence I fancied the sounds proceeded, and
lowering my lantern into a small hole, I saw the figure of a boy
crouching down, with his head resting against a cask. He made no
movement, and his eyes appeared to be closed.
"There's some one here, sir," I cried out. "He seems to be very far
gone."
The mate quickly joined me. "A young stowaway!" he exclaimed. "We must
have him on deck at once, or it will be beyond the doctor's skill to
bring him round. I have known more than one lad lose his life in this
way; and I shall get blamed for not having examined the hold before we
left port."
Saying this he lifted the lad in his arms while I held the lantern, and
forthwith carried him on deck. The low groans the boy uttered showed us
that he was still alive, but he was pale as death and in a wretched
condition. He was dressed like a respectable lad, but his face and
clothes were covered with dirt.
"The captain will be in a great taking when he finds this out," said the
mate; "still more so if the young fellow dies. Go aft, Ned, and call
the doctor; maybe he'll be able to bring him round."
I hurried aft, and soon found the surgeon, who was in his dispensary.
When I told him what he was wanted for, he at once, bringing some
medicine with him, hurried forward.
"This will do him good," he said, pouring some liquid down the lad's
throat. "I don't think, Mr Simmons, that you need be anxious about
him."
The young stowaway almost immediately opened his eyes and stared about
him. The doctor then ordered the cook to get some broth ready, while
two of the women passengers brought some warm water and washed the poor
lad's face and hands. The broth, which he eagerly swallowed, revived
him still more, and the doctor considered that he had sufficiently
recovered to be conveyed to the sick bay, the women offering to stay by
his side and to give him medicine and food as he might require them.
"If he is carefully tended he may come round," said the doctor; "but had
he remained another hour in the hold I feel pretty sure that he would
have lost his life."
Having been the means of discovering the young stowaway, I felt a
certain amount of interest in him, and, whenever I could, went in to see
how he was getting on. The next day he had so far recovered as to be
able to speak without difficulty. He told me that his name was Richard
Tilston, though he was generally called Dick by his friends; that he had
had a great longing for going to sea; and that, as his father would not
let him, he had run off from school, and found his way down to the
docks. Hearing that our ship was to haul out into the stream early the
next day, he waited until late in the evening, when he stole on board,
and had, without being discovered, got down into the hold. He had
brought a bottle of water and some biscuits, together with a couple of
sausages. Supposing that the ship would at once put to sea, he had not
placed himself on an allowance, and in less than three days had
exhausted all his provisions and water. As the sea was smooth he
fancied that we were still in the river, and was therefore afraid to
creep out, until he became too ill and weak to do so.
From the tone of his voice and the way he expressed himself I suspected
that he was a young gentleman, but I did not like to ask questions, and
waited to hear what account he would give of himself. He was, however,
too ill to say much, and was in a great fright at hearing that the
captain would be very angry with him for having stowed himself away. I
tried to reassure him by saying I did not believe that the captain was
as yet made acquainted with his being on board, and, as far as I could
judge, he was a good-natured man, and would probably not say much to
him.
In spite of all the doctor's care and the nursing he received from the
two kind women who had taken him in charge, it was considerably more
than a week before he was able to get up and move about the deck. When
his clothes had been cleaned and he himself had been well washed, he
looked a very respectable lad.
At last, one day, Captain Archer saw him, and inquired who he was. The
third mate had to confess all about the matter, and the captain then
sent for Dick, and in an angry tone asked what had induced him to come
on board.
"I wanted to go to sea, sir, and didn't know any other way of managing
it," answered Dick.
"You took a very bad way, and nearly lost your life in carrying out your
foolish notion," said the captain. "You have been pretty severely
punished by what you have gone through, or I should have given you a
sound flogging; as it is, I intend to let you off, but you will
understand you must make yourself useful on board and try to pay for
your passage; I can have no idlers, remember, and you will get thrashed
if you do not work. I will speak to the mates about you, and they'll
see that you have something to do."
Poor Dick, looking very much ashamed of himself, returned forward. The
mates took care that he should have something to do, and the men also,
for Dick was at everybody's beck and call, and had to do all sorts of
dirty and disagreeable work. When there was no other work for him he
was employed by the cook to sweep out the caboose and clean the pots and
pans. He now and then got his back up, when he received a rope's-ending
for his pains. I did the best I could for him, but often could not save
him from ill-treatment, and at last, in the bitterness of his soul, he
complained that he was leading a regular dog's life, and that he
heartily wished he had not come to sea.
"I won't stand it any longer," he exclaimed. "I'll jump overboard and
drown myself."
"Don't even talk of doing so wicked and foolish a thing," I said. "You
wished to become a sailor, now that you have the opportunity of learning
your duty you do nothing but grumble and complain. You must take the
rough and the smooth together. I wasn't over well off on my first
voyage, though my mother had paid a premium to the owners and I was on
the quarterdeck, but I saw while I remained on board that there was no
use complaining, so I took things as they were, and by keeping my eyes
open and my wits awake became in a short time a fair seaman."
Poor Dick said that he would try to follow my advice, but he,
notwithstanding, would answer when spoken to, and consequently I was
unable to save him from ill-treatment, as he had brought it down upon
himself.
During a heavy gale we encountered, when near the latitude of the Cape,
one of the so-called midshipmen fell overboard and was drowned. The
captain knowing that I could take an observation, and hearing that I was
able to keep accounts and would be useful to him, invited me to take the
poor fellow's berth. This, though it gave me a good deal of work, I was
very glad to do, and I thus saw much less than before of Dick. As I was
well treated I soon regained my old affection for a sea life, and had
half determined to return home in the ship should my brother not
especially press me to remain. When, however, we arrived at Brisbane,
and Harry told me of his contemplated trip, and that he should be very
glad of my assistance, I kept to my former intention of remaining with
him. I therefore wished Captain Archer and his ship, the _Eclipse_,
good-bye, and took up my quarters with Harry and his family. I liked
Mary and her sister, whom I had not before seen, very much, and I was
glad that Harry had not taken them into the bush, for they did not
appear at all suited to the rough style of life they would have had to
lead there, for they were both very pretty and elegant, and had never
been accustomed to hard work, though they now did their best to make
themselves useful in the house, and were never idle. Their brother,
Nat, was a capital little fellow--as merry as a cricket and never out of
temper, even when his face and hands were bitten all over by mosquitoes,
or when the pugnacious insects were buzzing round us in thousands, and
that is a trial to the sweetest of tempers. We used to have music and
reading in the evenings, and very pleasant evenings they were--indeed,
we lived much as we should have done in the old country. Altogether, I
congratulated myself that I had decided on stopping out.
My brother was, however, somewhat anxious about the state of business.
"You see, Ned, there is not, I fear, much to be done at present," he
said. "I have, therefore, thought of making the trip I spoke to you
about. A number of vessels sail from Sydney and other places to collect
cargoes of palm-oil and sandal-wood, and some few go in search of
pearls. They do not all trade honestly with the natives, and several
have suffered in consequence, their crews having been attacked and
murdered; but I hope, by trading honestly and by being always on my
guard against surprise, to make a profitable venture. I have an
especial reason for wishing to sail at once, as the day before your
arrival I received information from an old shipmate of mine, Tom Platt,
of the existence of a small group of islands, among which pearls of
large size are obtained by the natives in unusual abundance. Tom, who
has been out in these seas for some years on board whalers and other
craft, sailed a few months ago in a small schooner, the _Zebra_, from
Sydney. Both master and crew were rough, lawless fellows, and Tom told
me that he often wished himself clear of them, but they touched at no
place where he could venture to land till they reached the islands I
speak of. Here the master, for his own purposes, at first behaved
better to the natives than he was accustomed to do, as he wanted to
obtain some pigs, cocoanuts, and other provisions. They consequently,
without hesitation, came on board in considerable numbers. Many of them
were observed to wear necklaces of white beads, which the captain
supposed to be made of glass, and to have been obtained from some
previous trader. On examining, however, one of the strings of beads,
what was his surprise to find that they were pearls! Being a cunning
fellow, he kept his discovery to himself till he had obtained all he
could induce the natives to part with, when, though he fancied that he
had made his fortune, he formed the design of kidnapping as many people
as his schooner would hold, as an effectual way of preventing other
traders from having any friendly intercourse with the islanders and
discovering his secret, and thereby spoiling his market. Tom Platt was
the only person among the crew who suspected what the white beads really
were, and he managed, unknown to the captain, to obtain a necklace,
which he hid in his pocket. The very evening before the natives were to
have been seized a heavy gale sprang up, and the schooner was driven out
to sea. Before many days had gone by she was cast away on an
uninhabited island, when all hands, with the exception of Tom Platt,
were lost. He supported existence on shell-fish and a few birds he
knocked down, while a small cask of water washed ashore saved him from
dying of thirst. Just as it was exhausted, he was taken off by a vessel
bound for this place. I met him, looking very ill and wretched,
wandering about the street the very day he landed. We recognised each
other, and I took him to my house, where he became so much worse that,
had it not been for the careful way he was nursed, I believe he would
have died. He seemed to think so himself, and was very grateful. While
I was sitting with him one day, having a yarn of old times, he gave me
an account of the pearl islands, and assured me that he could find them
again, having carefully noted the distance the schooner had run to the
reef on which she was wrecked, as also its position on the chart. He
then showed me the necklace, of which he had not spoken to any one. His
narrative first put our proposed venture into my head. When I told him
of my idea he at once agreed to accompanying me, saying that he should
be content with any wages I could afford to give him. Though a
first-rate seaman, he cannot be much of a navigator, so that had you,
Ned, not come out I should have been obliged to get another mate; and
now that you have come, we will forthwith commence our preparations."
"The first thing to be done is to find a suitable craft," I said.
"I have had my eye on one--a schooner, the _Dainty_, of a hundred and
twenty tons, built for a fruit-trader, which was brought out here from
England by a settler only a month ago," he answered.
"Then let us go at once and have a look at her, and, if she is in good
condition, secure her," I exclaimed; for, after the account Harry had
given me, I had become very eager to undertake the expedition.
We started forthwith. The _Dainty_ was even more suited for our object
than we had expected. She had well fitted up cabins, like those of a
yacht, with a hold large enough for all the cargo and stores we might
wish to stow--was well-found and in capital condition; so Harry at once
made an offer for her, which being accepted, the _Dainty_ became his.
In the evening Harry said what he had done.
"You do not intend to leave me behind, I hope," exclaimed Mary.
"Or me either," cried Miss Fanny Amiel. "What should we poor girls do
all alone by ourselves in this little bakehouse?"
"You must let me go as cabin-boy," said Nat. "I'll make myself
tremendously useful."
"I'll talk it over with Mary," answered Harry, who looked not at all ill
pleased at the thoughts of having his wife to accompany him of her own
free will. The result of the talk was that the next morning it was
settled that we were all to go, the house and business being left in
charge of a trustworthy old clerk, Mr Simon Humby, who had accompanied
Harry when he came out the first time from England. We were very busy
for the next few days in making preparations for the voyage--the ladies
in the house assisted by Nat, and Harry, and I in refitting the
schooner--purchasing provisions, stores, and articles for bartering with
the natives. We procured also four small brass guns, with some muskets,
pistols, boarding-pikes, and cutlasses.
"We shall not, I hope, have to use them," said Harry. "But, now
especially that we are to have ladies on board, we must be well prepared
for defence should we be attacked."
It was easy enough to prepare the vessel for sea, but Harry expected to
find some difficulty in securing an efficient crew. He of course at
once applied to Tom Platt.
"I'll see about that, sir," he answered. "You mustn't be too particular
as to what sort of chaps they may be, provided they are good seamen--for
as to their characters, I'm not likely to be able to say much."
"Pick up the best you can find," said Harry. "They'll probably behave
well enough, if kept under strict discipline."
Tom was as good as his word. In the course of a few days he had engaged
ten hands--a strong crew for a vessel of the _Dainty's_ size--six
Englishmen, a New Zealander, a Sandwich Islander, and two blacks,
natives of Tanna, an island of the New Hebrides Group. Tom confessed
that he had more confidence in the probable good conduct of the Pacific
islanders than he had in that of the white men, who, however, when they
came on board, looked more decent fellows than I had expected.
Just as the schooner was ready for sea, Harry and I were one evening
leaving the quay, when I saw a lad in ragged clothes, who, on catching
sight of me, tried to hide himself behind a stack of planks lately
landed. In spite of his forlorn and dirty condition, I recognised him
as the young stowaway who had come out with me on board the _Eclipse_.
"Hillo, Dick Tilston, can that be you?" I exclaimed. "Come here. What
have you been about?"
On being called, he approached, looking very sheepish.
"Now, don't be scolding at me," he said, taking my hand, which I held
out to him. "You know how I was treated aboard the _Eclipse_. I
couldn't stand it any longer, so when she was about to sail I slipped
ashore, and hid away till she had gone. I've since been knocking about,
unable to get any work, for no one will engage me without a character,
as they guess that I'm a runaway, and take me for a young thief. I've
sold my clothes and everything I had for food, and have got only these
rags to cover me."
I knew that what Dick said was true. I asked him if he still wished to
be a sailor, or would rather go up the country and seek for employment,
which I was sure he would be able to obtain with my brother's
recommendation.
"I would rather be a sailor than anything else, if I could serve under a
good captain," he answered.
"Well, then, stop a moment, and I'll speak to my brother," I said; and I
ran after Harry. I told him in a few words about Dick.
"Well, he may come with us," he said. "But he must try to make himself
useful, and not fancy that he is a young gentleman to do what he likes."
I ran back to Dick. The poor fellow was delighted, and burst into
tears. "I own, Ned, I've had nothing to eat all day in this land of
plenty, for I could not bring myself to beg, and nobody offered me
anything," he exclaimed, scarcely able for shame to get out his words.
I fortunately had a shilling in my pocket. "Here, Dick, go and get
something to eat," I said, giving it to him. I thought that he would
rather have some food first, before he came to talk with Harry. "Then
come up to my brother's house--you can easily find it--and I will speak
to him in the meantime." Dick promised to come.
While we walked home I told my brother more about Dick.
"It is very clear that the first thing we must do for him is to give him
an outfit, or he'll not be presentable on board, and then I hope, from
gratitude, that he will behave well," he observed.
On our way we stopped at an outfitter's, and Harry gave an order to the
storekeeper to supply whatever I might select for Dick. As we walked
on, he told me what things he wished me to get.
Soon after we reached home Dick presented himself at the door, looking
somewhat brighter than he did when I first saw him, but rather ashamed
of himself and unwilling to come in. Harry, however, came and had a few
words with him, and seemed satisfied that he might be made useful on
board the schooner.
As we had no place to put him up in the house, he told me to get a
lodging for him for the night, and to see that he had plenty of food.
"I say, Ned," he added, "just give him a hint to take a bath and get his
hair cut before he puts on his clean clothes."
Accordingly, telling Dick to come with me, I took him to the
outfitter's. We soon got the necessary clothing for him, and then left
him at a lodging with a person who knew my brother.
That evening was to be the last on shore for many a long day. Mary and
her sister were in high spirits at the thoughts of their trip, for which
they had got everything ready.
The next morning Dick presented himself so changed for the better in
appearance, that Harry scarcely knew him. He looked a fine, intelligent
sailor lad, and at once began to make himself useful in carrying down
our things to the boat: most of our heavier luggage had been sent on
board the previous evening. Mr Humby came off in a shore boat.
While our own boat was being hoisted in, my brother gave his last
directions.
"I'll do my best, Mr Harry, and I pray that you may have a successful
voyage, and when you return find all things going on well," he said, as
he shook hands with us all.
The anchor was then hove up, and sail being made, we stood out of the
harbour, while Mr Humby returned on shore, waving his last adieus.
The first part of our voyage was uneventful. We had fine weather, a
fair wind, and a smooth sea, and the ladies soon got accustomed to their
life on board, declaring that it was even more pleasant than they had
expected, though they should like occasionally to get sight of some of
the beautiful islands of the Pacific, of which they had so often heard.
We left New Caledonia and the Loyalty Islands on our port side, then
steered to the north between the New Hebrides and the Fiji Islands, at
neither of which my brother wished to touch.
Day after day we sailed on without sighting land, and at last Emily
exclaimed, "What has become of the islands we have heard so much about?
I thought we should not pass a day without seeing several of them. They
appear on the chart to be very close together, like the constellations
in the sky."
"But if you will measure off on the chart the distances they are apart,
you will easily understand how it is we have sailed so far without
seeing them," said Harry.
The very next day, as Fanny was looking over the starboard side, Harry
pointed out to her several blue hillocks rising out of the ocean, which
he told her were the northern islands of Fiji, the habitation of a
dark-skinned race, once the most notorious cannibals in the Pacific.
"I am very glad to keep away from them, then," answered Fanny, "for I
shouldn't at all like to run the risk of being captured and eaten."
"Not much chance of that," said Harry. "The larger number of them have
given up their bad habits, and promise to become as civilised as any of
the people in these seas."
"Still, I would rather not go near their shores," said Fanny.
She little thought at the time that there were many other islands in
every direction, the inhabitants of which were quite as savage as those
of Fiji had been.
From the first, Tom Platt had taken a fancy to Dick, who had hitherto
behaved himself remarkably well.
"We'll make a seaman of the lad, if he only sticks to it," he said to
me. "The rope's-endings, as he tells me he used to get aboard the
_Eclipse_, did him a world of good, though he didn't think so."
I always treated Dick in a friendly way, though he was before the mast,
and I was glad to find that he did not presume on this, but willingly
did whatever he was ordered. Tom had had a hammock slung for Dick near
his berth away from the men, whose conversation, he said, was not likely
to do him any good.
Our life on board was very regular; Tom and I kept watch and watch, the
crew being divided between us, while Harry, as captain, was on deck at
all hours whenever he thought it necessary.