For some minutes after the cook had left the forecastle, Augustus
abandoned himself to despair, never hoping to leave the berth alive. He
now came to the resolution of acquainting the first of the men who
should come down with my situation, thinking it better to let me take
my chance with the mutineers than perish of thirst in the hold--for it
had been ten days since I was first imprisoned, and my jug of water was
not a plentiful supply even for four. As he was thinking on this
subject, the idea came all at once into his head that it might be
possible to communicate with me by the way of the main hold. In any
other circumstances, the difficulty and hazard of the undertaking would
have prevented him from attempting it; but now he had, at all events,
little prospect of life, and consequently little to lose--he bent his
whole mind, therefore, upon the task.
His handcuffs were the first consideration. At first he saw no method
of removing them, and feared that he should thus be baffled in the very
outset; but, upon a closer scrutiny, he discovered that the irons could
be slipped off and on at pleasure with very little effort or
inconvenience, merely by squeezing his hands through them--this species
of manacle being altogether ineffectual in confining young persons, in
whom the smaller bones readily yield to pressure. He now untied his
feet, and, leaving the cord in such a manner that it could easily be
readjusted in the event of any person's coming down, proceeded to
examine the bulkhead where it joined the berth. The partition here was
of soft pine board, an inch thick, and he saw that he should have
little trouble in cutting his way through. A voice was now heard at the
forecastle companion-way, and he had just time to put his right hand
into its handcuff (the left had not been removed), and to draw the rope
in a slipknot around his ankle, when Dirk Peters came below, followed
by Tiger, who immediately leaped into the berth and lay down. The dog
had been brought on board by Augustus, who knew my attachment to the
animal, and thought it would give me pleasure to have him with me
during the voyage. He went up to our house for him immediately after
first taking me into the hold, but did not think of mentioning the
circumstance upon his bringing the watch. Since the mutiny, Augustus
had not seen him before his appearance with Dirk Peters, and had given
him up for lost, supposing him to have been thrown overboard by some of
the malignant villains belonging to the mate's gang. It appeared
afterward that he had crawled into a hole beneath a whaleboat, from
which, not having room to turn round, he could not extricate himself.
Peters at last let him out, and with a species of good feeling which my
friend knew well how to appreciate, had now brought him to him in the
forecastle as a companion, leaving at the same time some salt junk and
potatoes, with a can of water; he then went on deck, promising to come
down with something more to eat on the next day.
When he had gone, Augustus freed both hands from the manacles and
unfastened his feet. He then turned down the head of the mattress on
which he had been lying, and with his penknife (for the ruffians had
not thought it worth while to search him) commenced cutting vigorously
across one of the partition planks, as closely as possible to the floor
of the berth. He chose to cut here, because, if suddenly interrupted,
he would be able to conceal what had been done by letting the head of
the mattress fall into its proper position. For the remainder of the
day, however, no disturbance occurred, and by night he had completely
divided the plank. It should here be observed, that none of the crew
occupied the forecastle as a sleeping-place, living altogether in the
cabin since the mutiny, drinking the wines, and feasting on the sea
stores of Captain Barnard, and giving no more heed than was absolutely
necessary to the navigation of the brig. These circumstances proved
fortunate both for myself and Augustus; for, had matters been
otherwise, he would have found it impossible to reach me. As it was, he
proceeded with confidence in his design. It was near daybreak, however,
before he completed the second division of the board (which was about a
foot above the first cut), thus making an aperture quite large enough
to admit his passage through with facility to the main orlop deck.
Having got here, he made his way with but little trouble to the lower
main hatch, although in so doing he had to scramble over tiers of
oil-casks piled nearly as high as the upper deck, there being barely
room enough left for his body. Upon reaching the hatch, he found that
Tiger had followed him below, squeezing between two rows of the casks.
It was now too late, however, to attempt getting to me before dawn, as
the chief difficulty lay in passing through the close stowage in the
lower hold. He therefore resolved to return, and wait till the next
night. With this design he proceeded to loosen the hatch, so that he
might have as little detention as possible when he should come again.
No sooner had he loosened it than Tiger sprang eagerly to the small
opening produced, snuffed for a moment, and then uttered a long whine,
scratching at the same time, as if anxious to remove the covering with
his paws. There could be no doubt, from his behaviour, that he was
aware of my being in the hold, and Augustus thought it possible that he
would be able to get to me if he put him down. He now hit upon the
expedient of sending the note, as it was especially desirable that I
should make no attempt at forcing my way out, at least under existing
circumstances, and there could be no certainty of his getting to me
himself on the morrow as he intended. After events proved how fortunate
it was that the idea occurred to him as it did: for, had it not been
for the receipt of the note, I should undoubtedly have fallen upon some
plan, however desperate, of alarming the crew, and both our lives would
most probably have been sacrificed in consequence.
Having concluded to write, the difficulty was now to procure the
materials for so doing. An old toothpick was soon made into a pen; and
this by means of feeling altogether, for the between-decks were as dark
as pitch. Paper enough was obtained from the back of a letter--a
duplicate of the forged letter from Mr. Ross. This had been the
original draught; but the handwriting not being sufficiently well
imitated, Augustus had written another, thrusting the first, by good
fortune, into his coat-pocket, where it was now most opportunely
discovered. Ink alone was thus wanting, and a substitute was
immediately found for this by means of a slight incision with the
penknife on the back of a finger just above the nail--a copious flow of
blood ensuing, as usual from wounds in that vicinity. The note was now
written, as well as it could be in the dark and under the
circumstances. It briefly explained that a mutiny had taken place; that
Captain Barnard was set adrift; and that I might expect immediate
relief as far as provisions were concerned, but must not venture upon
making any disturbance. It concluded with these words, _"I have
scrawled this with blood--your life depends upon lying close."_
The slip of paper being tied upon the dog, he was now put down the
hatchway, and Augustus made the best of his way back to the forecastle,
where he found no reason to believe that any of the crew had been in
his absence. To conceal the hole in the partition, he drove his knife
in just above it, and hung up a pea-jacket which he found in the berth.
His handcuffs were then replaced, and also the rope around his ankles.
These arrangements were scarcely completed when Dirk Peters came below,
very drunk, but in excellent humour, and bringing with him my friend's
allowance of provision for the day. This consisted of a dozen large
Irish potatoes roasted, and a pitcher of water. He sat for some time on
a chest by the berth, and talked freely about the mate, and the general
concerns of the brig. His demeanour was exceedingly capricious and even
grotesque. At one time Augustus was much alarmed by his odd conduct. At
last, however, he went on deck, muttering a promise to bring his
prisoner a good dinner on the morrow. During the day two of the crew
(harpooners) came down, accompanied by the cook, all three in nearly
the last stage of intoxication. Like Peters, they made no scruple of
talking unreservedly about their plans. It appeared that they were much
divided among themselves as to their ultimate course, agreeing in no
point except the attack on the ship from the Cape Verd Islands, with
which they were in hourly expectation of meeting. As far as could be
ascertained, the mutiny had not been brought about altogether for the
sake of booty; a private pique of the chief mate's against Captain
Barnard having been the main instigation. There now seemed to be two
principal factions among the crew--one headed by the mate, the other by
the cook. The former party were for seizing the first suitable vessel
which should present itself, and equipping it at some of the West India
Islands for a piratical cruise. The latter division, however, which was
the stronger, and included Dirk Peters among its partisans, were bent
upon pursuing the course originally laid out for the brig into the
South Pacific; there either to take whale, or act otherwise, as
circumstances should suggest. The representations of Peters, who had
frequently visited these regions, had great weight, apparently, with
the mutineers, wavering as they were between half-engendered notions of
profit and pleasure. He dwelt on the world of novelty and amusement to
be found among the innumerable islands of the Pacific, on the perfect
security and freedom from all restraint to be enjoyed, but, more
particularly, on the deliciousness of the climate, on the abundant
means of good living, and on the voluptuous beauty of the women. As
yet, nothing had been absolutely determined upon; but the pictures of
the hybrid line-manager were taking strong hold upon the ardent
imaginations of the seamen, and there was every probability that his
intentions would be finally carried into effect.
The three men went away in about an hour, and no one else entered the
forecastle all day. Augustus lay quiet until nearly night. He then
freed himself from the rope and irons, and prepared for his attempt. A
bottle was found in one of the berths, and this he filled with water
from the pitcher left by Peters, storing his pockets at the same time
with cold potatoes. To his great joy he also came across a lantern,
with a small piece of tallow candle in it. This he could light at any
moment, as he had in his possession a box of phosphorus matches. When
it was quite dark, he got through the hole in the bulkhead, having
taken the precaution to arrange the bedclothes in the berth so as to
convey the idea of a person covered up. When through, he hung up the
pea-jacket on his knife, as before, to conceal the aperture--this
manoeuvre being easily effected, as he did not readjust the piece of
plank taken out until afterward. He was now on the main orlop deck, and
proceeded to make his way, as before, between the upper deck and the
oil-casks to the main hatchway. Having reached this, he lit the piece
of candle, and descended, groping with extreme difficulty among the
compact stowage of the hold. In a few moments he became alarmed at the
insufferable stench and the closeness of the atmosphere. He could not
think it possible that I had survived my confinement for so long a
period breathing so oppressive an air. He called my name repeatedly,
but I made him no reply, and his apprehensions seemed thus to be
confirmed. The brig was rolling violently, and there was so much noise
in consequence, that it was useless to listen for any weak sound, such
as those of my breathing or snoring. He threw open the lantern, and
held it as high as possible, whenever an opportunity occurred, in order
that, by observing the light, I might, if alive, be aware that succour
was approaching. Still nothing was heard from me, and the supposition
of my death began to assume the character of certainty. He determined,
nevertheless, to force a passage, if possible, to the box, and at least
ascertain beyond a doubt the truth of his surmises. He pushed on for
some time in a most pitiable state of anxiety, until, at length, he
found the pathway utterly blocked up, and that there was no possibility
of making any farther way by the course in which he had set out.
Overcome now by his feelings, he threw himself among the lumber in
despair, and wept like a child. It was at this period that he heard the
crash occasioned by the bottle which I had thrown down. Fortunate,
indeed, was it that the incident occurred--for, upon this incident,
trivial as it appears, the thread of my destiny depended. Many years
elapsed, however, before I was aware of this fact. A natural shame and
regret for his weakness and indecision prevented Augustus from
confiding to me at once what a more intimate and unreserved communion
afterward induced him to reveal. Upon finding his further progress in
the hold impeded by obstacles which he could not overcome, he had
resolved to abandon his attempt at reaching me, and return at once to
the forecastle. Before condemning him entirely on this head, the
harassing circumstances which embarrassed him should be taken into
consideration. The night was fast wearing away, and his absence from
the forecastle might be discovered; and, indeed, would necessarily be
so, if he should fail to get back to the berth by daybreak. His candle
was expiring in the socket, and there would be the greatest difficulty
in retracing his way to the hatchway in the dark. It must be allowed,
too, that he had every good reason to believe me dead; in which event
no benefit could result to me from his reaching the box, and a world of
danger would be encountered to no purpose by himself. He had repeatedly
called, and I had made him no answer. I had been now eleven days and
nights with no more water than that contained in the jug which he had
left with me, a supply which it was not at all probable I had hoarded
in the beginning of my confinement, as I had had every cause to expect
a speedy release. The atmosphere of the hold, too, must have appeared
to him, coming from the comparatively open air of the steerage, of a
nature absolutely poisonous, and by far more intolerable than it had
seemed to me upon my first taking up my quarters in the box--the
hatchways at that time having been constantly open for many months
previous. Add to these considerations that of the scene of bloodshed
and terror so lately witnessed by my friend; his confinement,
privations, and narrow escapes from death; together with the frail and
equivocal tenure by which he still existed--circumstances all so well
calculated to prostrate every energy of mind--and the reader will be
easily brought, as I have been, to regard his apparent falling off in
friendship and in faith with sentiments rather of sorrow than of anger.
The crash of the bottle was distinctly heard, yet Augustus was not sure
that it proceeded from the hold. The doubt, however, was sufficient
inducement to persevere. He clambered up nearly to the orlop deck by
means of the stowage, and then watching for a lull in the pitchings of
the vessel, he called out to me in as loud a tone as he could
command--regardless, for the moment, of the danger of being overheard
by the crew. It will be remembered that on this occasion the voice
reached me, but I was so entirely overcome by violent agitation as to
be incapable of reply. Confident, now, that his worst apprehensions
were well founded, he descended, with a view of getting back to the
forecastle without loss of time. In his haste some small boxes were
thrown down, the noise occasioned by which I heard, as will be
recollected. He had made considerable progress on his return when the
fall of the knife again caused him to hesitate. He retraced his steps
immediately, and, clambering up the stowage a second time, called out
my name, loudly as before, having watched for a lull. This time I found
voice to answer. Overjoyed at discovering me to be still alive, he now
resolved to brave every difficulty and danger in reaching me. Having
extricated himself as quickly as possible from the labyrinth of lumber
by which he was hemmed in, he at length struck into an opening which
promised better, and finally, after a series of struggles, arrived at
the box in a state of utter exhaustion.