THE YOUNG EMIGRANTS--GOING ON BOARD EMIGRANT SHIP--THE "CRUSADER"
DESCRIBED--VOYAGE TO PLYMOUTH--THE CABIN PASSENGERS--A MYSTERIOUS
PASSENGER--LAST SIGHT OF ENGLAND--MR PAGET'S GOOD EXAMPLE--EMPLOYMENT
FOR EMIGRANTS--VISIT FROM NEPTUNE--MAWSON IN THE TRITON'S HANDS.
Charles Dicey and his sisters were busily employed from morning till
night, after Willy left home, in preparing for their intended voyage,
and for their future life in New Zealand. Charles was a very fair
carpenter. He had also learned how to shoe a horse and to milk a cow.
The latter accomplishment his sisters also possessed. They also knew
how to make butter, and to bake bread, and pies, and tarts. They could
manufacture all sorts of preserves, and could cook in a variety of ways;
while, since they were young girls, they had made all their own dresses;
indeed, they possessed numerous valuable qualifications for their
intended life in a colony. Charles was a fair judge of horse-flesh, and
not a bad one of cattle and sheep. He also possessed steadiness and
perseverance, and those who knew him best foretold that he would make a
successful settler.
The time fixed for the sailing of the "Crusader" was drawing on. The
"Ranger," it must be remembered, had sailed a short time before. This
fact should not be forgotten.
The day before the emigrant ship was to sail, the old Lieutenant
accompanied his children up to London, and had the honour of escorting
Mrs Clagget at the same time. Though the "Crusader" was to touch at
Plymouth, they wisely went on board at the port from which she first
sailed, that they might have time to get their cabins in order, and the
luggage carefully stowed away.
"Bless you, my children," said Lieutenant Dicey, as he kissed his young
daughters, and held Charles' hand, gazing earnestly into his
countenance. "I entrust these dear girls to you, and I know that you
will act a brother's part, and protect them to the utmost. But there
are dangers to be encountered, and we must pray to One in heaven, who
has the power, if He sees fit, to guard you from them."
The "Crusader" was a fine ship, of about a thousand tons, with a
poop-deck, beneath which were the cabins for the first-class passengers.
Below their cabins were those for the second-class passengers, while
the between-decks was devoted to the use of the steerage passengers.
Thus there were three ranks of people on board; indeed, including the
officers and crow, the good ship presented a little world of itself.
Old Captain Westerway was the sovereign--a mild despot, however; but if
he was mild, his first mate, Mr William Windy, or Bill Windy, as he was
generally called, was very much the contrary, and he took care to bring
those who trespassed on the captain's mildness very quickly under
subjection. The "Crusader" was towed down the Thames, and when clear of
the river, the Channel pilot, who was to take her to Plymouth, came on
board. We shall know more of her passengers as she proceeds on her
voyage.
She had a pleasant passage round to Plymouth, with just sufficient sea
on for a few hours to shake people into their places, and to make them
value the quiet of Plymouth harbour. The wise ones, after the tumbling
about they had received, took the opportunity of securing all the loose
articles in their cabins, so that they might be prepared for the next
gale they were destined to encounter.
At Plymouth a good many steerage and a few more cabin passengers came on
board the "Crusader." Captain Westerway informed those who had come
round from London that he expected to remain in that magnificent harbour
three days at all events, and perhaps longer, before finally bidding
farewell to Old England.
The Misses Dicey had a cabin to themselves, their brother had a small
one near theirs, and Mrs Clagget had one on the opposite side of the
saloon; but they could hear her tongue going from morning till night;
and very often, at the latter period, addressing her next-door neighbour
whenever she guessed that she was not asleep. There were two young men,
Tom Loftus and Jack Ivyleaf by name, going out as settlers. With the
former, who was gentlemanly and pleasing, Charles Dicey soon became
intimate. A card, with the name of Mr Henry Paget, had been nailed to
the door of one of the cabins hitherto unoccupied. "I wonder what he is
like," said Emily to her sister May. "His name sounds well, but of
course that is no guide. Captain Westerway says an agent took his
passage, and that he knows nothing about him." At length a
slightly-built gentleman, prepossessing in his appearance, if not
handsome, came up the side, and presented a card with Mr Henry Paget on
it. The steward immediately showed him into his cabin, where for a
short time he was engaged in arranging several cases and other articles.
He then going on deck, took a few solitary turns, apparently admiring
the scenery. Returning below, he produced a book from his greatcoat
pocket and began reading, proceedings duly remarked and commented on by
his fellow-passengers. "Who can he be?"
"What is taking him out to New Zealand?" were questions asked over and
over again, without eliciting any satisfactory reply.
In the second cabin there was a Mr and Mrs Bolton, very estimable
people apparently, from the way they took care of their children. There
was an oldish man, James Joel, and a young farmer, Luke Gravel. The
last person who came on board told the mate, Bill Windy, as he stepped
up the side, that his name was Job Mawson. He had paid his
passage-money, and handed his ticket. Windy, who was a pretty good
judge of character, eyed him narrowly. The waterman who had put him on
board, as soon as the last article of his property was hoisted up,
pulled off to the opposite side of the Sound from which the emigrants
had come, and thus no information could be obtained from him. There was
an unpleasant expression on the man's countenance. His glance was
furtive, and he always seemed to be expecting some one to touch him on
the shoulder, and say, "You are wanted;" so Charles remarked to his
sisters.
It would be impossible to describe all the people. There were three
other young ladies in the first cabin, and the steerage passengers were
generally respectable persons, whose object in emigrating was to find
sufficient scope for their industry. Some were farm labourers and
farming people, others mechanics, and a few shopkeepers, who had been
unsuccessful in England, but who hoped to do better in the colony.
At length the captain with his papers, and the agent, came on board, all
visitors took their departure, the anchor was hove up, and the
"Crusader" with a fair wind sailed out of the Sound. The next day she
took her departure from the Land's End, the last point of Old England
many of those on board were destined to see. Mr Mawson now quickly
recovered his spirits, and began to give himself the airs of a fine
gentleman. "Circumstances compel me to take a second-class cabin," he
observed to Mr Paget, to whom he at first devoted his especial
attention; "but you may suppose that, to a person of my birth and
education, such is greatly repugnant to my feelings. However, this is
one of the trials of life, sir, we must submit to with a good grace.
Circumstances are circumstances, Mr Paget, and I am sure my young
friend, Mr Dicey (I think, sir, that is your name?) will agree with
me," he added, turning to Charles.
"We make our own circumstances, sir, however," answered Mr Paget, "by
wise and prudent, or by foolish conduct, or by honest or dishonest
dealings with our fellow-men. The upright man is not degraded by loss
of fortune, and I have no doubt many persons of education go out in
second-class cabins on board emigrant ships."
"Of course they do, sir, of course," exclaimed Mr Mawson; but either
the tone or the words of Mr Paget did not please him, for he
immediately afterwards walked away to another part of the ship.
Mr Paget had not been long on board before he visited the
between-decks, and spoke to the fathers and mothers of the families on
board. "It would be a pity that your children should be idle during the
voyage," he said; "and as perhaps some of them may be unable to read or
write, I shall be happy to give them instruction." In a short time he
had a school established on board, and in a day or two afterwards he
collected a Bible-class for the elder people; and then every morning he
went below, and read the Bible to them, and offered up a prayer, and
explained to them what he read.
"I thought, from his cut, he was one of those missionary fellows,"
observed Mr Mawson to Charles Dicey with a sneer.
"I am very glad we have got such a person on board," answered Charles,
firmly. "If he will let me, I shall be very thankful to help him."
Mr Paget gladly accepted Charles Dicey's assistance, and the Miss
Diceys offered to teach the girls, and they also undertook a
sewing-class for the young women, many of whom scarcely knew how to use
their needles properly. And then Tom Loftus, who was very ingenious,
set to work to give employment to the young men. He got them to cut out
models of all sorts, and showed them how to make brushes and other
useful articles. Then he induced some of the sailors to teach them to
knot and splice, and, indeed, to do all sorts of things.
"I am much obliged to you, gentlemen," said Captain Westerway. "The
last time I took out emigrants, they were almost in a state of mutiny.
They had nothing to do on board, and idleness breeds mischief; and idle
enough they were. Now, all these people seem as happy and contented as
possible, and as far as I can judge, they are much the same class as the
others."
There was a black fiddler on board, who went by the name of Jumbo; and
while he played the sailors danced, greatly to the amusement of the
passengers. Jack Ivyleaf, who was up to all sorts of fun, used to join
them, and soon learned to dance the hornpipe as well as the best dancer
on board.
"I wonder, Mr Ivyleaf, you can so demean yourself," exclaimed Mrs
Clagget, when he came on the poop after his performance. "You, a
gentleman, going and dancing among the sailors, and exhibiting yourself
to the steerage passengers!"
"Why, Mrs Clagget, that is the very thing I did it for," answered Jack,
laughing. "I went on purpose to amuse them. I cannot teach them, like
our friends Dicey and Loftus, and so I do what I can. I rather
contemplate giving them some recitations, and I am going to sing some
songs; and I am not at all certain that I will not act a play for their
amusement."
"Oh, you are incorrigible!" exclaimed Mrs Clagget; not that she really
minded what Jack proposed to do, but she must say something.
The fine weather continued. Jack recited and sang songs to the people
one evening, and the next he appeared in costume as a conjurer, and
performed a number of wonderful tricks; and the third day he got an
interesting book, and read out to them a story in a voice that might be
heard right across the deck, so that he had a large number of auditors.
At length it struck him that he might have a young men's class; and
before the day was over all the young men on board had begged to belong
to it, so that he not only had plenty of pupils, but he got them on at a
rapid rate. Thus the "Crusader" sailed onwards. The weather was
getting hotter and hotter, and Jack Ivyleaf and several of his pupils
were found to be especially busily employed in the forepart of the ship,
with the assistance of the boatswain and some of the men; but what they
were about no one could discover. At length Captain Westerway announced
that the "Crusader" had reached the line. The sails were set, but there
was so little wind that they hung against the masts, every now and then
slowly bulging out, soon again to hang down in a discontented mood. The
carpenter's chips could be seen floating alongside sometimes for
half-an-hour together, and the pitch in the seams of the deck bubbled
and hissed, and the passengers, as they walked about, found their shoes
sticking to it. Suddenly a loud noise was heard ahead. "Ship ahoy!
What ship is that?"
"The `Crusader,' Captain Westerway," answered the master.
"Ay, ay, Captain Westerway, you are an old friend of mine, and I am sure
you will welcome me on board," sang out some one, apparently from
beneath the bows.
"Who are you?" asked the captain.
"Daddy Neptune, to be sure," answered the voice. "Don't you know that?
Your ship is just over my parlour windows, and shutting out the light,
so that my wife and children can scarcely see to eat their porridge."
"I beg your pardon, but that is not my fault, as your Majesty well
knows," answered Captain Westerway. "However, you are welcome on
board." As he spoke, some strange figures were seen coming over the
bows, one with a crown on his head, a trident in his hand, and a huge
nose and brownish beard, which flowed over his breast. He was evidently
Daddy Neptune himself. His companions were in sea-green dresses, with
conch shells in their hands, and among them were half-a-dozen
strange-looking fish, who came walloping about the deck as if they
supposed themselves still to be swimming in the water.
"Well, Captain Westerway, as you are an old friend, I will grant any
favour you like to ask; so just out with it, and don't stand on
ceremony," said Neptune, in a familiar, easy way.
The captain replied, "As my passengers here are leaving their native
shore, and are about to settle in a strange country, I must beg that,
after you have mustered all hands, your Majesty will allow them to pass
without the ceremonies which those who cross the line for the first time
have usually to go through."
The passengers were accordingly called up on deck, when most of them, in
acknowledgment of his courtesy, presented Daddy Neptune with a fee,
which he forthwith handed to an odd-looking monster whom he took care to
introduce as his treasurer. Mr Job Mawson, however, kept out of the
way, evidently determined to pay nothing. Neptune, who had been eyeing
him for some time, now turned to his attendants. Four of them
immediately sprang forward, when Mr Mawson, suspecting their
intentions, took to flight. Round and round the deck he ran, pursued by
the tritons, to escape from whom he sprang below; but in his fright he
went down forward, so that he could not reach his own cabin, and he was
soon hunted up again and chased as before, till at length, exhausted,
and nearly frightened out of his wits, he was caught beneath the poop.
"Let him alone," exclaimed Neptune; "he is beneath our notice, after
all."
Instead of the rough amusements often carried on on board ships crossing
the line, a drama was acted by Neptune and his attendants, he being
shortly afterwards joined by his wife and children, who had by this
time, he observed, finished their breakfasts, and had come to pay their
respects to their old friend, Captain Westerway.