The leading particulars of this narration were all that Augustus
communicated to me while we remained near the box. It was not until
afterward that he entered fully into all the details. He was
apprehensive of being missed, and I was wild with impatience to leave
my detested place of confinement. We resolved to make our way at once
to the hole in the bulkhead, near which I was to remain for the
present, while he went through to reconnoitre. To leave Tiger in the
box was what neither of us could endure to think of; yet, how to act
otherwise was the question. He now seemed to be perfectly quiet, and we
could not even distinguish the sound of his breathing upon applying our
ears closely to the box. I was convinced that he was dead, and
determined to open the door. We found him lying at full length,
apparently in a deep stupor, yet still alive. No time was to be lost,
yet I could not bring myself to abandon an animal who had now been
twice instrumental in saving my life, without some attempt at
preserving him. We therefore dragged him along with us as well as we
could, although with the greatest difficulty and fatigue; Augustus,
during part of the time, being forced to clamber over the impediments
in our way with the huge dog in his arms--a feat to which the
feebleness of my frame rendered me totally inadequate. At length we
succeeded in reaching the hole, when Augustus got through, and Tiger
was pushed in afterward. All was found to be safe, and we did not fail
to return sincere thanks to God for our deliverance from the imminent
danger we had escaped. For the present it was agreed that I should
remain near the opening, through which my companion could readily
supply me with a part of his daily provision, and where I could have
the advantages of breathing an atmosphere comparatively pure.
In explanation of some portions of this narrative wherein I have spoken
of the stowage of the brig, and which may appear ambiguous to some of
my readers who may have seen a proper or regular stowage, I must here
state that the manner in which this most important duty had been
performed on board the Grampus was a most shameful piece of neglect on
the part of Captain Barnard, who was by no means as careful or as
experienced a seaman as the hazardous nature of the service on which he
was employed would seem necessarily to demand. A proper stowage cannot
be accomplished in a careless manner, and many most disastrous
accidents, even within the limits of my own experience, have arisen
from neglect or ignorance in this particular. Coasting vessels, in the
frequent hurry and bustle attendant upon taking in or discharging
cargo, are the most liable to mishap from the want of a proper
attention to stowage. The great point is to allow no possibility of the
cargo or ballast's shifting position even in the most violent rollings
of the vessel. With this end, great attention must be paid, not only to
the bulk taken in, but to the nature of the bulk, and whether there be
a full or only a partial cargo. In most kinds of freight the stowage is
accomplished by means of a screw. Thus, in a load of tobacco or flour,
the whole is screwed so tightly into the hold of the vessel that the
barrels or hogsheads upon discharging are found to be completely
flattened, and take some time to regain their original shape. This
screwing, however, is resorted to principally with a view of obtaining
more room in the hold; for in a _full_ load of any such commodities as
flour or tobacco, there can be no danger of any shifting whatever, at
least none from which inconvenience can result. There have been
instances, indeed, where this method of screwing has resulted in the
most lamentable consequences, arising from a cause altogether distinct
from the danger attendant upon a shifting of cargo. A load of cotton,
for example, tightly screwed while in certain conditions, has been
known, through the expansion of its bulk, to rend a vessel asunder at
sea. There can be no doubt, either, that the same result would ensue in
the case of tobacco, while undergoing its usual course of fermentation,
were it not for the interstices consequent upon the rotundity of the
hogsheads.
It is when a partial cargo is received that danger is chiefly to be
apprehended from shifting, and that precautions should be always taken
to guard against such misfortune. Only those who have encountered a
violent gale of wind, or, rather, who have experienced the rolling of a
vessel in a sudden calm after the gale, can form an idea of the
tremendous force of the plunges, and of the consequent terrible impetus
given to all loose articles in the vessel. It is then that the
necessity of a cautious stowage, when there is a partial cargo, becomes
obvious. When lying to (especially with a small head sail), a vessel
which is not properly modelled in the bows is frequently thrown upon
her beam-ends; this occurring even every fifteen or twenty minutes upon
an average, yet without any serious consequences resulting, _provided
there be a proper stowage_. If this, however, has not been strictly
attended to, in the first of these heavy lurches the whole of the cargo
tumbles over to the side of the vessel which lies upon the water, and,
being thus prevented from regaining her equilibrium, as she would
otherwise necessarily do, she is certain to fill in a few seconds and
go down. It is not too much to say that at least one half of the
instances in which vessels have foundered in heavy gales at sea may be
attributed to a shifting of cargo or of ballast.
When a partial cargo of any kind is taken on board, the whole, after
being first stowed as compactly as may be, should be covered with a
layer of stout shifting-boards, extending completely across the vessel.
Upon these boards strong temporary stanchions should be erected,
reaching to the timbers above, and thus securing everything in its
place. In cargoes consisting of grain, or any similar matter,
additional precautions are requisite. A hold filled entirely with grain
upon leaving port will be found not more than three fourths full upon
reaching its destination--this, too, although the freight, when
measured bushel by bushel by the consignee, will overrun by a vast deal
(on account of the swelling of the grain) the quantity consigned. This
result is occasioned by _settling_ during the voyage, and is the more
perceptible in proportion to the roughness of the weather experienced.
If grain loosely thrown in a vessel, then, is ever so well secured by
shifting-boards and stanchions, it will be liable to shift in a long
passage so greatly as to bring about the most distressing calamities.
To prevent these, every method should be employed before leaving port
to _settle_ the cargo as much as possible; and for this there are many
contrivances, among which may be mentioned the driving of wedges into
the grain. Even after all this is done, and unusual pains taken to
secure the shifting-boards, no seaman who knows what he is about will
feel altogether secure in a gale of any violence with a cargo of grain
on board, and, least of all, with a partial cargo. Yet there are
hundreds of our coasting vessels, and, it is likely, many more from the
ports of Europe, which sail daily with partial cargoes, even of the
most dangerous species, and without any precautions whatever. The
wonder is that no more accidents occur than do actually happen. A
lamentable instance of this heedlessness occurred to my knowledge in
the case of Captain Joel Rice of the schooner Firefly, which sailed
from Richmond, Virginia, to Madeira, with a cargo of corn, in the year
1825. The captain had gone many voyages without serious accident,
although he was in the habit of paying no attention whatever to his
stowage, more than to secure it in the ordinary manner. He had never
before sailed with a cargo of grain, and on this occasion had the corn
thrown on board loosely, when it did not much more than half fill the
vessel. For the first portion of the voyage he met with nothing more
than light breezes; but when within a day's sail of Madeira there came
on a strong gale from the N. N. E. which forced him to lie to. He
brought the schooner to the wind under a double-reefed foresail alone,
when she rode as well as any vessel could be expected to do, and
shipped not a drop of water. Towards night the gale somewhat abated,
and she rolled with more unsteadiness than before, but still did very
well, until a heavy lurch threw her upon her beam-ends to starboard.
The corn was then heard to shift bodily, the force of the movement
bursting open the main hatchway. The vessel went down like a shot. This
happened within hail of a small sloop from Madeira, which picked up one
of the crew (the only person saved), and which rode out the gale in
perfect security, as indeed a jollyboat might have done under proper
management.
The stowage on board the Grampus was most clumsily done, if stowage
that could be called which was little better than a promiscuous
huddling together of oil-casks[1] and ship furniture. I have already
spoken of the condition of articles in the hold. On the orlop deck
there was space enough for my body (as I have stated) between the
oil-casks and the upper deck; a space was left open around the main
hatchway; and several other large spaces were left in the stowage. Near
the hole cut through the bulkhead by Augustus there was room enough for
an entire cask, and in this space I found myself comfortably situated
for the present.
[Footnote 1: Whaling vessels are usually fitted with iron
oil-tanks--why the Grampus was not I have never been able to
ascertain.]
By the time my friend had got safely into the berth, and readjusted his
handcuffs and the rope, it was broad daylight. We had made a narrow
escape indeed; for scarcely had he arranged all matters, when the mate
came below, with Dirk Peters and the cook. They talked for some time
about the vessel from the Cape Verds, and seemed to be excessively
anxious for her appearance. At length the cook came to the berth in
which Augustus was lying, and seated himself in it near the head. I
could see and hear everything from my hiding-place, for the piece cut
out had not been put back, and I was in momentary expectation that the
negro would fall against the pea-jacket, which was hung up to conceal
the aperture, in which case all would have been discovered, and our
lives would, no doubt, have been instantly sacrificed. Our good fortune
prevailed, however; and although he frequently touched it as the vessel
rolled, he never pressed against it sufficiently to bring about a
discovery. The bottom of the jacket had been carefully fastened to the
bulkhead, so that the hole might not be seen by its swinging to one
side. All this time Tiger was lying in the foot of the berth, and
appeared to have recovered in some measure his faculties, for I could
see him occasionally open his eyes and draw a long breath.
After a few minutes the mate and cook went above, leaving Dirk Peters
behind, who, as soon as they were gone, came and sat himself down in
the place just occupied by the mate. He began to talk very sociably
with Augustus, and we could now see that the greater part of his
apparent intoxication, while the two others were with him, was a feint.
He answered all my companion's questions with perfect freedom; told him
that he had no doubt of his father's having been picked up, as there
were no less than five sail in sight just before sundown on the day he
was cut adrift; and used other language of a consolatory nature, which
occasioned me no less surprise than pleasure. Indeed, I began to
entertain hopes, that through the instrumentality of Peters we might be
finally enabled to regain possession of the brig, and this idea I
mentioned to Augustus as soon as I found an opportunity. He thought the
matter possible, but urged the necessity of the greatest caution in
making the attempt, as the conduct of the hybrid appeared to be
instigated by the most arbitrary caprice alone; and, indeed, it was
difficult to say if he was at any moment of sound mind. Peters went
upon deck in about an hour, and did not return again until noon, when
he brought Augustus a plentiful supply of junk beef and pudding. Of
this, when we were left alone, I partook heartily, without returning
through the hole. No one else came down into the forecastle during the
day, and at night I got into Augustus's berth, where I slept soundly
and sweetly until nearly daybreak, when he awakened me upon hearing a
stir upon deck, and I regained my hiding-place as quickly as possible.
When the day was fully broke, we found that Tiger had recovered his
strength almost entirely, and gave no indications of hydrophobia,
drinking a little water that was offered him with great apparent
eagerness. During the day he regained all his former vigour and
appetite. His strange conduct had been brought on, no doubt, by the
deleterious quality of the air of the hold, and had no connexion with
canine madness. I could not sufficiently rejoice that I had persisted
in bringing him with me from the box. This day was the thirtieth of
June, and the thirteenth since the Grampus made sail from Nantucket.
On the second of July the mate came below, drunk as usual, and in an
excessively good-humour. He came to Augustus's berth, and, giving him a
slap on the back, asked him if he thought he could behave himself if he
let him loose, and whether he would promise not to be going into the
cabin again. To this, of course, my friend answered in the affirmative,
when the ruffian set him at liberty, after making him drink from a
flask of rum which he drew from his coat-pocket. Both now went on deck,
and I did not see Augustus for about three hours. He then came below
with the good news that he had obtained permission to go about the brig
as he pleased anywhere forward of the mainmast, and that he had been
ordered to sleep, as usual, in the forecastle. He brought me, too, a
good dinner, and a plentiful supply of water. The brig was still
cruising for the vessel from the Cape Verds, and a sail was now in
sight which was thought to be the one in question. As the events of the
ensuing eight days were of little importance, and had no direct bearing
upon the main incidents of my narrative, I will here throw them into
the form of a journal, as I do not wish to omit them altogether.
_July 3._ Augustus furnished me with three blankets, with which I
contrived a comfortable bed in my hiding-place. No one came below,
except my companion, during the day. Tiger took his station in the
berth just by the aperture, and slept heavily, as if not yet entirely
recovered from the effects of his sickness. Towards night a flaw of
wind struck the brig before sail could be taken in, and very nearly
capsized her. The puff died away immediately, however, and no damage
was done beyond the splitting of the foretopsail. Dirk Peters treated
Augustus all this day with great kindness, and entered into a long
conversation with him respecting the Pacific Ocean, and the islands he
had visited in that region. He asked him whether he would not like to
go with the mutineers on a kind of exploring and pleasure voyage in
those quarters, and said that the men were gradually coming over to the
mate's views. To this Augustus thought it best to reply that he would
be glad to go on such an adventure, since nothing better could be done,
and that anything was preferable to a piratical life.
_July 4th._ The vessel in sight proved to be a small brig from
Liverpool, and was allowed to pass unmolested. Augustus spent most of
his time on deck, with a view of obtaining all the information in his
power respecting the intentions of the mutineers. They had frequent and
violent quarrels among themselves, in one of which a harpooner, Jim
Bonner, was thrown overboard. The party of the mate was gaining ground.
Jim Bonner belonged to the cook's gang, of which Peters was a partisan.
_July 5th._ About daybreak there came on a stiff breeze from the west,
which at noon freshened into a gale, so that the brig could carry
nothing more than her trysail and foresail. In taking in the
foretopsail, Simms, one of the common hands, and belonging also to the
cook's gang, fell overboard, being very much in liquor, and was
drowned--no attempt being made to save him. The whole number of persons
on board was now thirteen, to wit: Dirk Peters; Seymour, the black
cook; ---- Jones; ---- Greely; Hartman Rogers; and William Allen, of
the cook's party; the mate, whose name I never learned; Absalom Hicks;
---- Wilson; John Hunt; and Richard Parker, of the mate's
party--besides Augustus and myself.
_July 6th._ The gale lasted all this day, blowing in heavy squalls,
accompanied with rain. The brig took in a good deal of water through
her seams, and one of the pumps was kept continually going, Augustus
being forced to take his turn. Just at twilight a large ship passed
close by us, without having been discovered until within hail. This
ship was supposed to be the one for which the mutineers were on the
look-out. The mate hailed her, but the reply was drowned in the roaring
of the gale. At eleven, a sea was shipped amid-ships, which tore away a
great portion of the larboard bulwarks, and did some other slight
damage. Towards morning the weather moderated, and at sunrise there was
very little wind.
_July 7th._ There was a heavy swell running all this day, during which
the brig, being light, rolled excessively, and many articles broke
loose in the hold, as I could hear distinctly from my hiding-place. I
suffered a great deal from sea-sickness. Peters had a long conversation
this day with Augustus, and told him that two of his gang, Greely and
Allen, had gone over to the mate, and were resolved to turn pirates. He
put several questions to Augustus which he did not then exactly
understand. During a part of this evening the leak gained upon the
vessel; and little could be done to remedy it, as it was occasioned by
the brig's straining, and taking in the water through her seams. A sail
was thrummed, and got under the bows, which aided us in some measure,
so that we began to gain upon the leak.
_July 8th._ A light breeze sprung up at sunrise from the eastward, when
the mate headed the brig to the southwest, with the intention of making
some of the West India islands, in pursuance of his piratical designs.
No opposition was made by Peters or the cook; at least none in the
hearing of Augustus. All idea of taking the vessel from the Cape Verds
was abandoned. The leak was now easily kept under by one pump going
every three quarters of an hour. The sail was drawn from beneath the
bows. Spoke two small schooners during the day.
_July 9th._ Fine weather. All hands employed in repairing bulwarks.
Peters had again a long conversation with Augustus, and spoke more
plainly than he had done heretofore. He said nothing should induce him
to come into the mate's views, and even hinted his intention of taking
the brig out of his hands. He asked my friend if he could depend upon
his aid in such case, to which Augustus said, "Yes," without
hesitation. Peters then said he would sound the others of his party
upon the subject, and went away. During the remainder of the day
Augustus had no opportunity of speaking with him privately.