THE SPORT OF THE WAVES
We at once went to the vessel. The captain, after asking a few
questions, took us into the cabin, and I signed the articles for a
voyage to Richmond, Va., as an able seaman, at fifteen dollars a month.
I was then given an advance note for eighteen dollars, which I handed to
the runner. I felt perfectly safe then, knowing that the note was not
payable until just forty-eight hours after the vessel left port. That
fact would prevent him from giving me up for the reward from the
frigate. My new vessel was a swift-sailing American clipper bark--the
name I have forgotten. The slaves were bringing large bags of coffee on
their backs and dropping them on deck. In a couple of days the cargo was
completed. There being a fair wind, the topsails were hoisted and
sheeted borne alongside the dock. The lines to the dock were cast off,
and our voyage to the United States began. I was aloft, loosing the main
royal, as we passed close by the old Madagascar. I took off my old straw
hat and waved it at the men on deck as they watched the Yankee clipper
go past. I was perfectly safe then. Within an hour we had passed the
Sugar Loaf. That was the last time in my life that I was to see the
beautiful harbour of Rio de Janeiro.
What a contrast between the bark and the brig Grenfalls! It was child's
play to steer now. A slight movement of the wheel would keep the vessel
on the course. We had dry quarters on deck, fine weather, and plenty of
good food and water. The only thing unusual that occurred was the large
number of flying-fish that dropped on deck during the night-time. As
many as fifty would be found in the morning. They are about the size of
fresh-water herring. While flying they appear like streaks of bright
silver. The flight is only for a short distance, however. As soon as
their wings become dry they drop at once. The dolphins are their
greatest enemy. In the equatorial regions, or "doldrums," as it is
called, we had the usual experience--the sea as smooth as glass, no air
stirring except in "cat's-paws" and coming from different directions. As
soon as the little ripples would be seen on the water, the back yards
would have to be braced in the proper direction to take advantage of
what little wind was coming. Day after day it was the same. At last we
got a steady wind and were soon on the American coast. Being in north
latitude, the days were rapidly becoming shorter and the weather very
cold and stormy. I suffered very much from the want of warm clothing. A
shirt and pair of drawers had been given me by a shipmate. Those and the
suits I had changed for with the Brazilians were all that I then
possessed. The latter part of December we arrived at Richmond. I was
paid off, seven dollars and fifty cents being the amount due me. A cheap
suit of clothes was bought with that money, and I was again in a strange
city "dead broke." I had one consolation, however, in knowing that I
had quit being proxy for Mike Murray.
The large schooner Onrust was in the canal at Richmond loaded with
cement for Fort Taylor at Key West and the fort on the Dry Tortugas
Island. My late shipmates and myself shipped on her by the month, she
being a coasting vessel. It was a novel experience for us all to be on a
schooner. Everything was so different from a square-rigged ship. The
captain was also the owner. Economy was his motto. Instead of eating in
the forecastle, we had our meals in the cabin, the captain acting as
host. None of the crew felt as comfortable as if feeding in sailor style
and all etiquette dispensed with. In the forecastle was a small box
stove, and that was a nuisance. The watch below would make a wood fire
and go to sleep. It would only be a short time before the fire would be
out and then we would wake up shivering with the cold atmosphere. As yet
I did not enjoy the luxury of a bed or blankets. My finances, since
leaving the frigate, had been at a low point. Besides the trouble below,
we felt the cold more severely when on deck. All hands agreed on one
point--that the stove was a nuisance. That was my only experience with a
fire in the forecastle during my life on the sea. No matter how cold the
weather, clothing wet or dry, a sailor never catches cold on the ocean
if he will keep away from a stove. We sailed, instead of being towed,
down the James River. When near Fortress Monroe, the main boom snapped
short off near the jaws. Then there was trouble. We put into Norfolk for
a new boom. Everything being ready, we hoisted sail for a new start. And
such a job to get the main and foresails up on that brute of a schooner!
But our experience was yet to come. In a few days we were rounding Cape
Hatteras and a heavy gale came up. Then was the time the schooner showed
what she could do. The main-sail had to be lowered for reefing. The hour
was about midnight, and a dark, stormy winter night it was. The captain
was steering, as all the men were needed for reefing, the cook included.
The first thing the Onrust did was to fall off into the trough of the
sea, and in the Gulf Stream, where we were at the time, the waves were
mighty lively. Then over the rails came the water and swashed around the
decks, knee deep. The cook had a nice lot of firewood neatly piled up
handy for use. That was travelling around in all directions, the
objective point being the sailors' shins. Suddenly the main boom got
loose and swung from one quarter to the other. It was "thump, thump,"
and sparks of fire the size of a baseball were flying over our worthy
captain's head. The sheet blocks worked on heavy iron travellers, and
every roll of the schooner swung the heavy boom with terrific force. All
we could do was to look on and wait for the captain to get his craft
head on to the sea. Bang went the boom. It had snapped short off near
the jaws. Now both ends were loose, and affairs were becoming unpleasant
for us "square-rigged" sailors. The heavy cargo of cement was much below
the water-line, and there being no yards or heavy rigging aloft to
counterbalance it, made the schooner roll extra quick and lively. The
boom was very long and about fourteen inches in diameter. How it did
rattle over the top of the cabin! At last, with the use of ropes, we
managed to secure it. The main-sail, in the meantime, had been having
its share of the fun, much to our discomfort. A storm-sail was brought
from below and set. As that needed no boom or gaff, we had but little
trouble to get the schooner under control again. Next in order was to
save the main-sail. About fifty knots that fastened the sail had to be
untied, and they being wet, made the knots hard to loosen. The boom was
lying diagonally, partly on the cabin and over the port quarter. There
was a narrow passageway between the cabin and the bulwarks. I was in the
passageway at work, with my head between the top edge of the cabin and
the boom. In trying to unfasten a foot stop I poked my head a little too
far. When the next roll came the boom moved just enough to give my head
a most unmerciful squeeze. I saw more stars to the square inch than
could be seen with the Lick telescope! The pain actually lifted me off
my feet from the deck. When the boom rolled back, I dropped to the deck
all in a heap. Had the boom moved one half inch farther, my skull would
have been crushed. I have had many narrow escapes from death since, but
that night occurred the closest call of all. When the gale abated, the
boom was taken on deck and spliced and then placed in position again.
The captain was the chief carpenter.
In a short time we were in warm latitudes, and well pleased to get away
from a northern winter. Passing through the Florida Keys, everything was
delightful and interesting. The water was very clear. In calm weather
the ocean's bottom could be plainly seen at twenty fathoms' depth. White
coral was everywhere--the islands formed of it. It was the coral that
made the water so transparent. On our arrival at Key West, part of the
cement was landed at Fort Taylor. Then we sailed for the Dry Tortugas
and landed the balance. The latter place was only a small island.
Nothing but broken coral and shells were to be seen. The fort was built
of brick, and about one third completed at that time. Little fishing
smacks kept the place supplied with fish and green turtles. That was the
first time that I saw the red snapper. It is a beautiful large fish, and
excellent eating. Several wrecking schooners were in the harbour. The
crews seemed to have a fine time. Their pay was a certain share of what
was taken from the numerous wrecks. Piracy and wrecking meant almost the
same thing in those days. One of the wreckers and myself wished to
exchange places, but my captain would not consent. The schooners were
about fifty or sixty tons burthen, with fourteen to twenty men for a
crew. Our vessel was about five hundred men for a ton and only four men
for a crew. Our main boom was larger than any mast in their whole fleet.
To hoist sail for them was only child's play. With us it was a big job.
On leaving Tortugas we sailed for Mobile, Ala. On our arrival in port I
severed connections with the Onrust, at the same time making a vow that
if ever I shipped on a fore-and-after again, it would be a smaller
craft. I went to a sailor boarding-house, and remained on shore for
three weeks. Then I shipped on the C. C. Duncan for Liverpool, England.
Eighteen dollars per month was the pay, and thirty-six dollars in
advance. It was a fine, large American ship, a thousand tons burthen.
The owners were the banking firm of Duncan, Sherman & Co., No. 17 Wall
Street, New York City. The crew was composed of Swedes and Norwegians,
excepting three young Americans and myself. I was the only sailor
shipped in Mobile, the rest having been on board for a number of months.
To show the difference in cargoes, I will describe the loading of this
ship with cotton. In the first place, a hundred tons of stone ballast
had to be placed in the bottom. The bales of cotton at the warehouse
were put under powerful steam presses and reduced to one half the
original size. The old bands were tightened with levers, and two extra
bands added. Then the bale was sent to the ship and stowed as closely as
possible; then jack-screws were used, and a space made for an extra bale
to be jammed in, and, tier by tier, the cotton was screwed in by men
who made that work a specialty. Their pay was from three to five dollars
a day, with board included. The cargo was a solid, compact mass. The
bales averaged about five hundred pounds each, and yet, with that heavy
weight, the ship would not stand full sail in a moderate breeze. About
two weeks after leaving Mobile we had a severe gale. While close reefing
the main top-sail, one of the seamen was pulled over forward of the yard
by the sail, and instantly killed as he struck the deck.
On that trip we saw a vessel, about two miles to windward of us, struck
by a heavy squall. Its light sails were quickly furled, and the
top-sails lowered. All preparations were made on our ship to do the
same. We waited quite a while, but no squall came. Not a rope had to be
let go. The wind must have shot high up in the clouds and passed over
us. About six weeks after leaving Mobile we arrived off Holyhead. There
a large tug-boat took us in tow, and we were soon going up the Mersey
River, and at anchor, waiting for high tide in order to go into dock.
While coming up the river we were boarded by the custom-house officers.
All hands were ordered to bring out their tobacco. Then the search of
the ship began in earnest. With long, sharp-pointed steel wires they
prodded into everything and every place where tobacco could be hidden.
It was understood that what could be found would be confiscated. Much to
their disgust, none was found. What the officers had in the cabin was
put into a state-room, and the door fastened with the custom-house seal.
This was my first trip to England. I'd had a good description of
Liverpool from sailors, and yet I was surprised at what was to be seen.
Each dock is an immense large basin, built of solid stone masonry, with
large store-houses surrounding it, the whole being inside of a high
wall, a large gate opening into the city. Policemen and custom-house
officers patrol it day and night. Nothing can pass without examination.
The tide from the sea rises from twenty to twenty-eight feet in
twenty-four hours. At high tide the gates, like a lock in a canal, are
opened. The ships are then allowed to enter or go out. Within a half
hour the tide commences to lower, then the gates are closed until the
next high water. Everything was made ready on the ship for going into
dock. A tugboat had us near the gate waiting for our chance. Once
inside, we had no trouble securing the ship alongside the dock. Our big
anchors had to be taken on deck, that being one of the dock regulations.
By evening everything was in first-class shape and very little work left
to be done by us in port. After supper we all started to see the city
sights by night. I was the only stranger, the others having been there
before. The three Americans and myself had a very pleasant time and
returned on board the vessel about twelve o'clock. Before we had
undressed for bed we heard a heavy splash in the water from the forward
part of the vessel, then some one from another vessel sung out, "Man
overboard!" We ran to the top-gallant forecastle and could plainly see
the bubbles rising in the water, but the man never came to the surface.
Grappling-hooks were sent for and the body was soon recovered. One of
the crew, a Norwegian, had gone to sleep on a coil of rope on the
forecastle and rolled overboard. The next morning, through superstition,
the crew all left the ship. We four Americans, of all the crew, alone
remained. The stevedore and his gang came on board to discharge the
cargo. I was anxious to see the first bale of cotton taken out. I had
seen how tightly it had been jammed in at Mobile. With tackle and hooks
and plenty of hard work, it was slowly pulled out. It took over a week
to discharge the entire cargo. I had bought a straw mattress in Mobile,
and, as it was not very comfortable, I emptied the tick and filled it
with cotton. That same day a young fellow came on board and asked me if
I had a cotton mattress that I would sell him. I told him I had one, but
needed it to sleep on. Finally a bargain was made--he wanted the cotton
only to sell. I was to receive a half-crown--sixty cents--and get the
tick back. I went to the dock gate with him and told the custom-house
officer that I was sending my bed to a boarding-house. The next day the
bed was sold again, and I continued the operation as long as there was
any loose cotton lying about the vessel. A half-crown in England was
considered quite a big pile of money. For two crowns a coat, pantaloons,
and vest could be purchased in those days. Our ship was chartered by the
French Government to take a cargo of coal from Cardiff, Wales, and
deliver it at Algiers, Africa. A few English navvies were hired to
assist working the ship. Then a powerful tug-boat took us out of the
dock and towed us around to Cardiff. After getting in the dock, the
navvies were sent back on the tug. There was only one dock, very wide
and long, without any walls around it. It was the private property of
the Marquis of Bute, a kid about five years old then. He owned nearly
the whole city--it was "Bute" road, "Bute" dock, "Bute" Castle, and
"Bute" everything else. We had to wait a number of days for our turn to
go under the chutes. At last we commenced loading. The lower hold was
about two thirds filled, the balance of the load going on "between
decks," so as to leave part of the weight above the water-line. A full
complement of men was shipped and we were off for the Mediterranean
Sea.