The re-taking of the vessel planned--Mr. Dunn--Captain
Avalos--Preito--The corporal--Three bells--The struggle--Cambiaso
overpowered--Garcia--Cheers for victory--The crew swear fidelity to
me--Our course--Cambiaso put in irons--His cowardice--The prisoners
from the hold--River Gallegos--Voyage round Cape Horn--Attempted
outbreaks--Our danger--We reach San Carlos.
Wednesday, the 14th of January, we left Cape Gregory behind us, and
continued our course eastward, towards the eastern entrance of the
Straits. I sought Mr. Dunn early in the morning, and communicated my
determination to him. I found him ready and willing to sustain me in
the attempt, and that he agreed with me that the sooner it was made,
the better; so, determining to hurry things on, we parted--he to sound
such of the prisoners and soldiers as we thought would join us.
There were several of my crew in whom I could not put confidence, they
being too frequently seen holding confidential conversations with
Cambiaso’s followers; so that after some deliberation, I determined
not to entrust our plans to any of the men, lest those whose fidelity
we doubted should hear of them, and betray us to Cambiaso; but in the
course of the morning I spoke to those whom I could trust, and asked
them separately if they would stand by me in trouble, and obey my
orders. They all answered that they were ready; and one of them, with
an oath, added, “Till death, captain!” Captain Avalos we managed to
speak to during the morning, and found him as ready as we were.
The day wore on anxiously enough for us, for we felt that the struggle
that was approaching was a matter of life and death with us; one false
step, and we were lost; one careless or treacherous word breathed
by those whom we were compelled to trust, and we were at the mercy
of those villains, whom no sense of humanity could restrain. The
weather was fine, and the wind favorable; and, between eight and nine
o’clock in the evening, we passed Cape Possession, leaving it to the
north-west. I was on deck with the larboard watch, when Mr. Dunn
told me that he had secured the assistance of twelve besides myself.
These were some of the soldiers under captain Avalos; some prisoners
who had come down with us, and who had proved themselves so friendly
during our confinement at Sandy Bay; and one or two of Cambiaso’s
own followers, who had expressed dissatisfaction at his tyranny, and
to whom Mr. Dunn had held out the prospect of pardon, if we should
succeed in our undertaking. Among them was my former guard, Preito, to
whom I was indebted for the hymn book, which proved so great a source
of consolation. We laid our plans most cautiously. Captain Avalos and
his soldiers were to secure the officers in the cabin, while Mr. Dunn
and myself were to guard the deck. To the corporal who had defended
himself so bravely at the time the Florida was seized, and who refused
to deliver up his gun except to my order, I gave the attack on Cambiaso
himself; for during our whole imprisonment, he had manifested such a
detestation of him that I really believed he would have eaten him up
alive, if he could have got at him.
During the evening, Cambiaso and his officers sat around the table in
the after cabin, engaged in their usual occupation of gambling; and
every glance which I cast in upon them showed me their dark, fierce
countenances, while the sound of their oaths and laughter struck my
ear. Without, all was still and peaceful; the barque gliding swiftly
through the water, with a free wind and a pleasant breeze. I watched
the strange looking southern stars which looked down upon us from their
quiet skies, with a strange impatience at their peaceful calmness.
By eleven, the gamblers began to rise from the table, and one by
one retired to their state-rooms; and when the sound of eight bells
proclaimed midnight, all was still and quiet around us. I sent the
larboard watch below, telling them only that they must be prepared
to come on deck if they heard me call. The starboard watch then came
up, but I did not inform them of my plans then. The signal was to be
three bells, or as a landsman would say, the striking of half-past one
in the morning. The forward hatch was closed, and the guarding of the
after hatch was to be given to Mr. Dunn and myself. Two bells told us
that one o’clock had arrived, and all were at their posts,--captain
Avalos and his men ready at the cabin door. Not a sound was to be heard
save the ticking of the watch in the cabin, and the rustling of the
water as it broke round the bows of the vessel. Both sounds struck on
my ear with painful acuteness. At last, three bells rung out, and the
rush was made in the cabin;--at the same moment I shouted, “All hands
tumble up!” and in a moment my crew was around me. Mr. Dunn and myself
were at the after hatch, and as the noise of the struggle reached the
men between decks, we shouted that we were armed, and had the vessel,
and that the first one who appeared at the gangway should be shot down.
The struggle in the cabin went on. Avalos had stationed his men so that
each state-room door was broken in at the same moment, and some of the
occupants were secured before they were well awake. Cambiaso struggled
hard, but was at last overcome and bound with cords, for irons we had
none. During the fifteen minutes that the struggle below lasted, we
were in suspense on deck, not daring to leave our posts, but knowing
that all depended on captain Avalos’s success. At last he appeared,
with a shout; all were secured without the loss of a life--not even
a drop of blood spilled. Then rose three times three cheers for our
victory, which rung through the vessel, and announced our success to
the prisoners below.
But our work was not over. Captain Avalos and his men collected all
the pistols, cutlasses, guns, and so forth, which could be found, and
carried them into the cabin, loading the muskets and pistols, while
I called my men aft, and asked them if they would stand by me in
defending the vessel and taking her into port. They promised with most
eager anxiety; and Mr. Dunn and captain Avalos coming forward, added to
their enthusiasm by pledging their lives to sustain me in holding the
vessel, and putting themselves entirely under my orders.
I then hove the main-top-sail to the mast till our course was decided,
and called a council as to our best course. Some of the party proposed
returning to Sandy Bay, where we could defend ourselves in the
barracks; others to push on for the coast of Brazil and make the first
port there; but I told them we had not water enough to go very far, and
suggested that we should make for the nearest watering place, the river
Gallegos, lying in lat. 51° 39´ S.--lon. 69° W., on the east coast of
Patagonia; there take in a fresh supply of water, and shape our course
round Cape Horn for Valparaiso. To return to Sandy Bay seemed to me to
put ourselves directly into the hands of the pirates who were behind
us, and who could easily overpower us, and release their leaders and
companions. If we attempted to reach the coast of Brazil, it seemed to
me impossible that we should be able to hold the vessel during so long
a voyage, as we had no irons to secure our prisoners, and no men to
spare to guard them; whereas, the telling them that we were taking them
to Valparaiso would probably satisfy all but the ringleaders.
My plan was adopted; and as we had a fair wind, I squared the yards and
started at once for the river.
The whole forenoon of the 15th was spent in preparing irons for
Cambiaso, Garcia, and others confined in the state-rooms. When they
were finished, the corporal and some others entered Cambiaso’s
state-room to put them on his hands and feet. He lay on his bed, bound
hand and foot with cords, and as we entered and commenced putting on
the irons, he said, “Are you going to shoot me? Let me have fifteen
minutes to prepare.” They gave him no answer; but after securing him
they left the state-room, and placed his enemy the corporal, with
another soldier, well armed, at his door, with orders to shoot him at
once if any disturbance should break out amongst the prisoners. We took
care that he should hear our order, which captain Avalos repeated aloud
in Spanish.
Cambiaso showed more cowardice than I expected in his fear of death;
but even before us he seemed to keep his courage up by a sort of
bravado.
From his room, which was one of the after state-rooms, we went to
Garcia’s whom we found lying very quiet. He said nothing, but held
his hands so as to make it easier to adjust the handcuffs. The other
officers were ironed and locked into their state-rooms, and as heavy a
guard as we could spare, detached for the cabin.
After the officers were secured, we opened the hatchway, and allowed
the prisoners below to come up in small detachments at a time. We
continued this during the voyage, as they were so crowded below that we
felt this was necessary to escape the danger of sickness and contagion;
but we never did it without great risk and great anxiety.
Before noon on this day, the 15th, the wind shifted ahead, and we made
slow work all that day and night, and barely reached the mouth of the
river Gallegos by noon of the 16th.
As we came off the mouth of the river, I found the wind well to the
eastward, blowing fresh on shore; and I hesitated about attempting to
land, especially as there was likely to be considerable sea on shore.
After some consideration, I determined to tack ship and go south,
trusting to finding some watering place along the coast which we could
make in more favorable weather. As we tacked ship, this seeming to me
the starting for home, we fired as a salute, the guns which had been
loaded with double balls by Cambiaso, and hoisted the American ensign
which I had kept so long concealed. I had great hopes of meeting some
American or English vessel in my passing round the cape, from which I
might obtain some assistance. It was not so very long since the Virago
had left Sandy Bay, and I hoped that she or some other armed vessel
might be cruising in these seas.
After the salute, I had my guns carefully re-loaded again, and the
strictest discipline maintained on board. In this I was admirably
aided by captain Avalos, whose soldiers were kept constantly on the
alert; and by Mr. Dunn, who worked with me heart and hand. Cambiaso
was strictly confined to his state-room, and allowed no communication
with any one. The other officers we sometimes allowed to come on deck
for air and exercise for a short time, attended by a guard; but never
when any of the prisoners from below were up. The odds against us were
fearful: two hundred and two prisoners, to about twenty-two men to
guard and provide for them, and navigate the vessel.
The cleaning of the steerage I was obliged to compel the prisoners to
attend to, by constant threats of punishment for neglect. The stench
which came up from the hold was sometimes insupportable. The whole
care of providing for the crew and prisoners I left in the hands of
my faithful steward, and he performed his task well, laboring with
unwearied diligence. Sometimes the women among the prisoners were
allowed to come up and cook for their husbands.
The treasure which was in Cambiaso’s state-room was transferred to the
cabin for safe keeping, under the guardianship of Mr. Dunn and captain
Avalos.
During our passage round the cape, we had rather pleasant weather,
with but few exceptions; but very few fair winds. This increased the
length of our voyage, and every day saw us more worn out with anxiety
and watchfulness. For myself, I never had my clothes off during the
whole passage; nor did I ever venture to retire to my state-room for a
night’s sleep,--taking what rest I could snatch sitting on a chair in
the cabin, where I could be roused at any moment.
In passing Cape St. Johns, at the eastern extremity of the Straits, on
the evening of January 20th, we encountered a heavy gale of wind from
the west-south-west, which continued, with a rough sea, for some days.
During the gale we lost the head rails.
On February 1st, another gale, far heavier than the last, caused us to
ship a great deal of water in the cabin. There was no real danger, but
I never saw fellows more frightened than were our prisoners, as the
water came dashing through their state-room windows. For Cambiaso,
he was a perfect coward when he was sea-sick. Nine days afterwards we
were in real danger; as a sudden squall struck the vessel, and broke
the main-yards in the slings. When the gale abated, we got a spare yard
ready, and were soon in sailing order again.
We were disappointed in our hopes of meeting with any vessels from
which we could obtain relief; and we had experienced great difficulty
in finding a watering place; so that by the time we reached the western
extremity of the Straits, I found myself so short of water that I
determined to abandon my intention of going to Valparaiso, and to make
San Carlos, the port on the northern extremity of the island of Chiloe.
This course seemed to me more necessary, as I doubted our ability
to keep the prisoners under for many days longer, there having been
already two attempts to rise among them, only kept down by our prompt
watchfulness. The most desperate among them were either fearful of
coming within the reach of the arm of the law, or were tempted by the
treasure which lay almost within their grasp. I think nothing had so
much effect in restraining them as the perfect fearlessness with which
I moved about among them, and the apparent confidence with which I
issued my orders--directing the prisoners in the hold to come on deck,
to go to the galley for their mess, to clean out their quarters, and so
forth--as if I were perfectly sure that I should be obeyed.
During the last few days of our passage, I had been alarmed by
noticing words passing between some of the soldiers who were on guard,
and the prisoners, as they came up on deck for their daily walk. There
was evidently another outbreak in contemplation. I communicated my
suspicions to my friends, and we redoubled our vigilance.
On the 13th of February, in the evening, as the altered course of the
vessel must have informed some of them that we were nearing port, a
larger party than usual made their appearance on deck, armed with
whatever weapons they could collect from below. Some of the cutlasses
and other weapons belonging to the rebels we had never been able to
obtain, they having secreted them.
My crew were stationed at their posts on deck, and armed; and captain
Avalos ordered his men to load up their muskets in the presence of
the prisoners. About ten o’clock, three of our own men deliberately
left their places and walked over to the ranks of the prisoners. We
withdrew to the cabin, and stood with our loaded pistols and muskets in
our hands, and our drawn swords, with other loaded pistols, lying on
the table within our reach. Under the table was the box in which the
treasure was nailed up.
About eighteen of the rioters advanced to the entrance of the cabin;
but seeing our strong position and our formidable weapons, they paused
irresolute. Among them were the three deserters from our party. One of
them I called by name, opening the door of my state-room and beckoning
him in. He stepped forward much agitated, and entered with me. His
agitation showed me that I had little to fear from him; and a few
words of surprise at his conduct and of promises to forget it, brought
him over to our side. As he left the door of the state-room and joined
our party, the rioters fell back, evidently cowed, and one by one slunk
again into their places in the hold. By eleven o’clock all was quiet,
and we breathed freely again.
I have no reason to believe that Cambiaso, Garcia, or any of the
officers were concerned in this outbreak; it was concerted entirely
among the men, who were probably instigated by their desire to obtain
possession of the treasure.
That night was an anxious one to us. We were nearing the port, and
our approach to land was known to the crew, and probably to many of
the prisoners; every moment we were liable to another outbreak more
desperate than the last, as the ringleaders among the prisoners must
have been sensible that their last chance of escape was fast passing
away; but all was quiet; and the morning of the 14th of February, 1852,
dawned, to show us the port of San Carlos almost within our reach.
Before dark we were beating into the harbor with the American ensign
flying at the spanker gaff.