_July 10._ Spoke a brig from Rio, bound to Norfolk. Weather hazy, with
a light baffling wind from the eastward. To-day Hartman Rogers died,
having been attacked on the eighth with spasms after drinking a glass
of grog. This man was of the cook's party, and one upon whom Peters
placed his main reliance. He told Augustus that he believed the mate
had poisoned him, and that he expected, if he did not be on the
look-out, his own turn would come shortly. There were now only himself,
Jones, and the cook belonging to his own gang--on the other side there
were five. He had spoken to Jones about taking the command from the
mate; but the project having been coolly received, he had been deterred
from pressing the matter any further, or from saying anything to the
cook. It was well, as it happened, that he was so prudent, for in the
afternoon the cook expressed his determination of siding with the mate,
and went over formally to that party; while Jones took an opportunity
of quarrelling with Peters, and hinted that he would let the mate know
of the plan in agitation. There was now, evidently, no time to be lost,
and Peters expressed his determination of attempting to take the vessel
at all hazards, provided Augustus would lend him his aid. My friend at
once assured him of his willingness to enter into any plan for that
purpose, and, thinking the opportunity a favourable one, made known the
fact of my being on board. At this the hybrid was not more astonished
than delighted, as he had no reliance whatever upon Jones, whom he
already considered as belonging to the party of the mate. They went
below immediately, when Augustus called to me by name, and Peters and
myself were soon made acquainted. It was agreed that we should attempt
to retake the vessel upon the first good opportunity, leaving Jones
altogether out of our councils. In the event of success we were to run
the brig into the first port that offered, and deliver her up. The
desertion of his party had frustrated Peters's design of going into the
Pacific--an adventure which could not be accomplished without a crew,
and he depended upon either getting acquitted upon trial on the score
of insanity (which he solemnly averred had actuated him in lending his
aid to the mutiny), or upon obtaining a pardon, if found guilty,
through the representations of Augustus and myself. Our deliberations
were interrupted for the present by the cry of "All hands take in
sail," and Peters and Augustus ran up on deck.
As usual, the crew were nearly all drunk; and, before sail could be
properly taken in, a violent squall laid the brig on her beam-ends. By
keeping her away, however, she righted, having shipped a good deal of
water. Scarcely was everything secure, when another squall took the
vessel, and immediately afterward another--no damage being done. There
was every appearance of a gale of wind, which, indeed, shortly came on,
with great fury, from the northward and westward. All was made as snug
as possible, and we laid to, as usual, under a close-reefed foresail.
As night drew on, the wind increased in violence, with a remarkably
heavy sea. Peters now came into the forecastle with Augustus, and we
resumed our deliberations.
We agreed that no opportunity could be more favourable than the present
for carrying our design into effect, as an attempt at such a moment
would never be anticipated. As the brig was snugly laid to, there would
be no necessity of manoeuvring her until good weather, when, if we
succeeded in our attempt, we might liberate one, or perhaps two of the
men, to aid us in taking her into port. The main difficulty was the
great disproportion in our forces. There were only three of us, and in
the cabin there were nine. All the arms on board, too, were in their
possession, with the exception of a pair of small pistols which Peters
had concealed about his person, and the large seaman's knife which he
always wore in the waistband of his pantaloons. From certain
indications, too, such, for example, as there being no such thing as an
axe or a handspike lying in their customary places, we began to fear
that the mate had his suspicions, at least in regard to Peters, and
that he would let slip no opportunity of getting rid of him. It was
clear, indeed, that what we should determine to do could not be done
too soon. Still the odds were too much against us to allow of our
proceeding without the greatest caution.
Peters proposed that he should go up on deck, and enter into
conversation with the watch (Allen), when he would be able to throw him
into the sea without trouble, and without making any disturbance, by
seizing a good opportunity; that Augustus and myself should then come
up, and endeavour to provide ourselves with some kind of weapons from
the deck; and that we should then make a rush together, and secure the
companion-way before any opposition could be offered. I objected to
this, because I could not believe that the mate (who was a cunning
fellow in all matters which did not affect his superstitious
prejudices) would suffer himself to be so easily entrapped. The very
fact of there being a watch on deck at all was sufficient proof that he
was upon the alert--it not being usual, except in vessels where
discipline is most rigidly enforced, to station a watch on deck when a
vessel is lying to in a gale of wind. As I address myself principally,
if not altogether, to persons who have never been to sea, it may be as
well to state the exact condition of a vessel under such circumstances.
Lying to, or, in sea-parlance "laying to," is a measure resorted to for
various purposes, and effected in various manners. In moderate weather,
it is frequently done with a view of merely bringing the vessel to a
stand-still, to wait for another vessel, or any similar object. If the
vessel which lies to is under full sail, the manoeuvre is usually
accomplished by throwing round some portion of her sails so as to let
the wind take them aback, when she becomes stationary. But we are now
speaking of lying to in a gale of wind. This is done when the wind is
ahead, and too violent to admit of carrying sail without danger of
capsizing; and sometimes even when the wind is fair, but the sea too
heavy for the vessel to be put before it. If a vessel be suffered to
scud before the wind in a very heavy sea, much damage is usually done
her by the shipping of water over her stern, and sometimes by the
violent plunges she makes forward. This manoeuvre, then, is seldom
resorted to in such case, unless through necessity. When the vessel is
in a leaky condition, she is often put before the wind even in the
heaviest seas; for, when lying to, her seams are sure to be greatly
opened by her violent straining, and it is not so much the case when
scudding. Often, too, it becomes necessary to scud a vessel, either
when the blast is so exceedingly furious as to tear in pieces the sail
which is employed with a view of bringing her head to the wind, or
when, through the false modelling of the frame or other causes, this
main object cannot be effected.
Vessels in a gale of wind are laid to in different manners, according
to their peculiar construction. Some lie to best under a foresail, and
this, I believe, is the sail most usually employed. Large square-rigged
vessels have sails for the express purpose, called storm-staysails. But
the jib is occasionally employed by itself--sometimes the jib and
foresail, or a double-reefed foresail, and not unfrequently the
after-sails, are made use of. Foretopsails are very often found to
answer the purpose better than any other species of sail. The Grampus
was generally laid to under a close-reefed foresail.
When a vessel is to be laid to, her head is brought up to the wind just
so nearly as to fill the sail under which she lies, when hauled flat
aft, that is, when brought diagonally across the vessel. This being
done, the bows point within a few degrees of the direction from which
the wind issues, and the windward bow of course receives the shock of
the waves. In this situation a good vessel will ride out a very heavy
gale of wind without shipping a drop of water, and without any further
attention being requisite on the part of the crew. The helm is usually
lashed down, but this is altogether unnecessary (except on account of
the noise it makes when loose), for the rudder has no effect upon the
vessel when lying to. Indeed, the helm had far better be left loose
than lashed very fast, for the rudder is apt to be torn off by heavy
seas if there be no room for the helm to play. As long as the sail
holds, a well-modelled vessel will maintain her situation, and ride
every sea, as if instinct with life and reason. If the violence of the
wind, however, should tear the sail into pieces (a feat which it
requires a perfect hurricane to accomplish under ordinary
circumstances), there is then imminent danger. The vessel falls off
from the wind, and, coming broadside to the sea, is completely at its
mercy: the only resource in this case is to put her quickly before the
wind, letting her scud until some other sail can be set. Some vessels
will lie to under no sail whatever, but such are not to be trusted at
sea.
But to return from this digression. It had never been customary with
the mate to have any watch on deck when lying to in a gale of wind, and
the fact that he had now one, coupled with the circumstance of the
missing axes and handspikes, fully convinced us that the crew were too
well on the watch to be taken by surprise in the manner Peters had
suggested. Something, however, was to be done, and that with as little
delay as practicable, for there could be no doubt that a suspicion
having been once entertained against Peters, he would be sacrificed
upon the earliest occasion, and one would certainly be either found or
made upon the breaking of the gale.
Augustus now suggested that if Peters could contrive to remove, under
any pretext, the piece of chain-cable which lay over the trap in the
stateroom, we might possibly be able to come upon them unawares by
means of the hold; but a little reflection convinced us that the vessel
rolled and pitched too violently for any attempt of that nature.
By good fortune I at length hit upon the idea of working upon the
superstitious terrors and guilty conscience of the mate. It will be
remembered that one of the crew, Hartman Rogers, had died during the
morning, having been attacked two days before with spasms after
drinking some spirits and water. Peters had expressed to us his opinion
that this man had been poisoned by the mate, and for this belief he had
reasons, so he said, which were incontrovertible, but which he could
not be prevailed upon to explain to us--this wayward refusal being only
in keeping with other points of his singular character. But whether or
not he had any better grounds for suspecting the mate than we had
ourselves, we were easily led to fall in with his suspicion, and
determined to act accordingly.
Rogers had died about eleven in the forenoon, in violent convulsions;
and the corpse presented in a few minutes after death one of the most
horrid and loathsome spectacles I ever remember to have seen. The
stomach was swollen immensely, like that of a man who has been drowned
and lain under water for many weeks. The hands were in the same
condition, while the face was shrunken, shrivelled, and of a chalky
whiteness, except where relieved by two or three glaring red splotches,
like those occasioned by the erysipelas: one of these splotches
extended diagonally across the face, completely covering up an eye as
if with a band of red velvet. In this disgusting condition the body had
been brought up from the cabin at noon to be thrown overboard, when the
mate getting a glimpse of it (for he now saw it for the first time),
and being either touched with remorse for his crime or struck with
terror at so horrible a sight, ordered the men to sew the body up in
its hammock, and allow it the usual rites of sea-burial. Having given
these directions he went below, as if to avoid any further sight of his
victim. While preparations were making to obey his orders, the gale
came on with great fury, and the design was abandoned for the present.
The corpse, left to itself, was washed into the larboard scuppers,
where it still lay at the time of which I speak, floundering about with
the furious lurches of the brig.
Having arranged our plan, we set about putting it in execution as
speedily as possible. Peters went upon deck, and, as he had
anticipated, was immediately accosted by Allen, who appeared to be
stationed more as a watch upon the forecastle than for any other
purpose. The fate of this villain, however, was speedily and silently
decided; for Peters, approaching him in a careless manner, as if about
to address him, seized him by the throat, and, before he could utter a
single cry, tossed him over the bulwarks. He then called to us, and we
came up. Our first precaution was to look about for something with
which to arm ourselves, and in doing this we had to proceed with great
care, for it was impossible to stand on deck an instant without holding
fast, and violent seas broke over the vessel at every plunge forward.
It was indispensable, too, that we should be quick in our operations,
for every minute we expected the mate to be up to set the pumps going,
as it was evident the brig must be taking in water very fast. After
searching about for some time, we could find nothing more fit for our
purpose than the two pump-handles, one of which Augustus took, and I
the other. Having secured these, we stripped off the shirt of the
corpse and dropped the body overboard. Peters and myself then went
below, leaving Augustus to watch upon deck, where he took his station
just where Allen had been placed, and with his back to the cabin
companion-way, so that, if any one of the mate's gang should come up,
he might suppose it was the watch.
As soon as I got below I commenced disguising myself so as to represent
the corpse of Rogers. The shirt which we had taken from the body aided
us very much, for it was of a singular form and character, and easily
recognisable--a kind of smock, which the deceased wore over his other
clothing. It was a blue stockinett, with large white stripes running
across. Having put this on, I proceeded to equip myself with a false
stomach, in imitation of the horrible deformity of the swollen corpse.
This was soon effected by means of stuffing with some bedclothes. I
then gave the same appearance to my hands by drawing on a pair of white
woollen mittens, and filling them in with any kind of rags that offered
themselves. Peters then arranged my face, first rubbing it well over
with white chalk, and afterward splotching it with blood, which he took
from a cut in his finger. The streak across the eye was not forgotten,
and presented a most shocking appearance.