"Because a boy has just come to sea, and is ignorant of his profession,
it appears to be a custom--which I shall take care shall not be followed
up--to play him all manner of tricks, and tell him all manner of
falsehoods. Now, sir, what have you to say for yourself?"
"Mr Green and I have both just come to sea, sir, and the midshipmen all
play us so many tricks," replied I, humbly, "that I hardly know whether
what I do is right or wrong."
"But, sir, it was you who played this trick to Mr Green."
"Yes, sir, I told him so for fun, but I didn't think he was such a fool
as to believe me. I only said that you were a freemason, and that
freemasons were kind to each other, and that you gave one another signs
to know one another by; I heard you say you were a freemason, sir, when
I dined in the gun-room."
"Well, sir, I did say so; but that is no reason for your teaching him to
be impudent."
"He asked me for the signs, sir, and I didn't know them exactly; so I
gave him the signs that Mr Dott and I always make between us."
"Mr Dott and you--a pretty pair, as I said before. I've a great mind
to put you in Mr Green's place--at all events, I shall report your
conduct when the captain comes from London. There, sir, you may go."
I put on a penitent face as I went out wiping my eyes with the back of
my hands. After I went out, I waited a few seconds at the gun-room
door, and then the officers, supposing that I was out of hearing, gave
vent to their mirth, the first lieutenant laughing the loudest.
"Cross is right," thought I, as I went up the ladder; a minute
afterwards, Mr Green was set free, and, after a severe reprimand, was
allowed to return to his duty.
"You are well out of that trick, my hearty," said Bob Cross; "the first
lieutenant won't say a word to the captain, never fear; but don't try it
again."
But an event occurred a few hours afterwards which might have been
attended with more serious consequences. The ship was, during the day,
surrounded by shore boats of all descriptions, containing Jews, sailors'
wives, and many other parties, who wished to have admittance on board.
It was almost dusk, the tide was running strong flood, and the wind was
very fresh, so that there was a good deal of sea. All the boats had
been ordered to keep off by the first lieutenant, but they still
lingered, in hope of getting on board.
I was looking over the stern, and perceived that the boat belonging to
the bumboat woman, who was on board of the ship, was lying with her
painter fast to the stern ladder; the waterman was in her, as well as
one of the sailors' wives, who had left her own wherry in hopes of
getting on board when the waterman went alongside to take in the
articles not sold, when the bumboat woman left the ship, which would be
in a few minutes, as it was nearly gun-fire for sunset. The waterman,
who thought it time to haul alongside, and wished to communicate with
his employer on board, was climbing up by the stern ladder.
"That's against orders, you know," cried I to the man.
"Yes, sir; but it is so rough, that the boat would be swamped if it were
to remain alongside long, and I hope you won't order me down again;
there's some nice cakes in the boat, sir, just under the stern sheets,
if you would like to have them, and think it worth while to go down for
them."
This was a bribe, and I replied, "No, I don't want your cakes, but you
may come up."
The man thanked me, and walked forward as soon as he had gained the
deck. On second thoughts, I determined that I would have the cakes; so
I descended by the stern ladder, and desiring the woman who was left in
the boat to haul upon the rope, contrived to get into the boat.
"What is it you want, my dear?" said the woman.
"I come for some of those cakes under the stern sheets," replied I.
"Well, I'll soon rummage them out," said she, "and I hope you will let
me slip on board when the boat is alongside. Mind, sir, how you step,
you'll smash all the pipes. Give me your hand. I'm an old sailor."
"I should not think so," replied I, looking at her. I could hardly make
out her face, but her form was small, and, if an old sailor, she
certainly was a very young woman.
We had a good many articles to remove before we could get at the cakes,
which were under the stern sheets; and the boat rocked and tossed so
violently with the sea which was running, that we were both on our knees
for some little while before we obtained the basket: when we did, to our
surprise, we found that the boat's painter, somehow or another, had
loosened, and that during our search we had drifted nearly one hundred
yards from the ship.
"Mercy on me!--why, we are adrift," exclaimed the woman. "What shall we
do? It's no use hailing, they'll never hear us; look well round for any
boat you may see."
"It is getting so dark that we shall not see far," replied I, not much
liking our position. "Where shall we go to?"
"Go to!--clean out to St. Helen's, if the boat does not fill before we
get there; and further than that too, if I mistake not, with this gale
of wind. We may as well say our prayers, youngster, I can tell you."
"Can't we make sail upon her?" replied I. "Can't we try and pull on
shore somewhere? Had we not better do that, and say our prayers
afterwards?"
"Well said, my little bantam," replied the woman: "you would have made a
good officer if you had been spared; but the fact is, boy, that we can
do nothing with the oars in this heavy sea; and as for the sail, how can
you and I step the mast, rolling and tossing about in this way? If the
mast were stepped, and the sail set, I think I could manage to steer, if
the weather was smoother, but not in this bubble and this gale; it
requires older hands than either you or I."
"Well, then, what must we do?"
"Why, we must sit still and trust to our luck, bale out the boat, and
keep her from swamping as long as we can, and between times we may cry,
or we may pray, or we may eat the cakes and red herrings, or the soft
bread and other articles in the boat."
"Let's bale the boat out first," said I, "for she's half full of water;
then we'll have something to eat, for I feel hungry and cold already,
and then we may as well say our prayers."
"Well, and I tell you what, we'll have something to drink, too, for I
have a drop for Jem, if I could have got on board. I promised it to
him, poor fellow, but it's no use keeping it now, for I expect we'll
both be in Davy's locker before morning."
The woman took out from where it was secreted in her dress, a bladder
containing spirits; she opened the mouth of it, and poured out a portion
into one of the milk-cans; having drunk herself, she handed it to me,
but not feeling inclined, and being averse to spirits, I rejected it,
"Not just now," said I, "by-and-by perhaps."
During the time of this conversation we were swept by a strong tide and
strong wind right out of the anchorage at Spithead; the sea was very
high, and dashed into the boat, so that I was continually baling to keep
it free; the night was as dark as pitch; we could see nothing except the
lights of the vessels which we had left far away from us, and they were
now but as little twinkles as we rose upon the waves. The wind roared,
and there was every appearance of a heavy gale.
"Little hopes of our weathering this storm," said the woman; "we shall
soon be swamped if we do not put her before the wind. I'll see if I
cannot find the lines."
She did so after a time, and by means of a rudder put the boat before
the wind; the boat then took in much less water, but ran at a swift rate
through the heavy sea.
"There, we shall do better now; out to sea we go, that's clear," said
the woman; "and before daylight we shall be in the Channel, if we do not
fill and go down; and then, the Lord have mercy upon us, that's all!
Won't you take a drop?" continued she, pouring out some spirits into the
can.
As I felt very cold, I did not this time refuse. I drank a small
quantity of the spirits; the woman took off the remainder, which, with
what she had previously drunk, began to have an effect upon her.
"That's right, my little Trojan," said she, and she commenced singing.
"A long pull, a strong pull, and a pull altogether; in spite of wind and
weather, boys, in spite of wind and weather. Poor Jem," continued she,
"he'll be disappointed; he made sure of being glorious to-night, and I
made sure to sleep by his side--now he'll be quite sober--and I'll be
food for fishes; it's a cold bed that I shall turn into before morning,
that's certain. Hand me the cakes, boy, if you can fumble them out; the
more we fill ourselves, the less room for salt water. Well, then, wind
and waves are great bullies; they fly slap back in a fright when they
bang against a great ship; but when they get hold of a little boat like
this, how they leap and topple in, as if they made sure of us [here a
wave dashed into the boat]. Yes, that's your sort. Come along, swamp a
little boat you washy cowards, it's only a woman and a boy. Poor Jim,
he'll miss me something, but he'll miss the liquor more; who cares?
Let's have another drop."
"Give me the lines, then," said I, as I perceived she was letting them
go, "or we shall be broadside to the waves again."
I took the rudder lines from her, and steered the boat, while she again
resorted to the bladder of spirits.
"Take another sip," said she, after she had filled the milk-can; "it
won't harm you."
I thought the same, for I was wet through, and the wind, as it howled,
pierced me to the bones; I took a small quantity as before, and then
continued to keep the boat before the wind. The sea was increasing very
much and although no sailor, I felt fully convinced that the boat could
not live much longer.
In the meantime the woman was becoming intoxicated very fast. I knew
the consequence of this, and requested her to bale out the boat: she did
so, and sang a mournful sort of song as she baled, but the howling of
the wind prevented me from distinguishing the words.
I cannot well analyse my feelings at this time--they were confused; but
this I know, self-preservation and hope were the most predominant. I
thought of my mother, of my aunt, of Captain Bridgeman, Captain Delmar,
and Bob Cross; but my thoughts were as rapid as the gale which bore us
along, and I was too much employed in steering the boat, and preventing
the seas from filling it, to have a moment to collect my ideas.
Again the woman applied to the bladder of spirits, and offered some to
me; I refused. I had had enough, and by this time she had had too much,
and after an attempt to bale she dropped down in the stern sheets,
smashing pipes and everything beneath her, and spoke no more.
We had now been more than four hours adrift; the wind was as strong as
ever, and, I thought, the sea much higher; but I kept the boat steady
before the wind, and by degrees, as I became more accustomed to steer,
she did not take in so much water; still the boat appeared to be sinking
deeper down, and after a time I considered it necessary to bale her out.
I did so with my hat, for I found it was half full of water; and then I
execrated the woman for having intoxicated herself, so as to be useless
in such an emergency.
I succeeded in clearing the boat of the major portion of the water,
which was no easy task, as the boat, having remained broadside to the
wind, had taken in the sea continually as I baled it out. I then once
more resumed the helm, and put the boat before the wind, and thus did I
continue for two hours more, when the rain came down in torrents, and
the storm was wilder than ever, but a Portsmouth wherry is one of the
best boats ever built, and so it proved in this instance. Still I was
now in a situation most trying for a lad between fourteen and fifteen;
my teeth chattered with the cold, and I was drenched through and
through; the darkness was opaque, and I could see nothing but the white
foam of the waves, which curled and broke close to the gunwale of the
boat.
At one moment I despaired, and looked for immediate death; but my
buoyant spirit raised me up again, and I hoped. It would be daylight in
a few hours, and oh! how I looked and longed for daylight. I knew I
must keep the boat before the wind; I did so, but the seas were worse
than ever; they now continually broke into the boat, for the tide had
turned, which had increased the swell.
Again I left the helm and bailed out; I was cold and faint, and I felt
recovered with the exertion; I also tried to rouse the woman, but it was
useless. I felt for her bladder of liquor, and found it in her bosom,
more than half empty. I drank more freely, and my spirits and my
courage revived. After that, I ate, and steered the boat, awaiting the
coming daylight.
It came at last slowly--so slowly; but it did come, and I felt almost
happy. There is such a horror in darkness when added to danger; I felt
as if I could have worshipped the sun as it rose slowly, and with a
watery appearance, above the horizon. I looked around me: there was
something like land astern of us, such as I had seen pointed out as land
by Bob Cross, when off the coast of Portugal; and so it was--it was the
Isle of Wight: for the wind had changed when the rain came down, and I
had altered the course of the boat so that for the last four hours I had
been steering for the coast of France.
But, although I was cold and shivering, and worn out with watching, and
tired with holding the lines by which the wherry was steered, I felt
almost happy at the return of day. I looked down upon my companion in
the boat; she lay sound asleep, with her head upon the basket of tobacco
pipes, her bonnet wet and dripping, with its faded ribbons hanging in
the water which washed to and fro at the bottom of the boat, as it
rolled and rocked to the motion of the waves; her hair had fallen over
her face, so as almost to conceal her features; I thought that she had
died during the night, so silent and so breathless did she lie. The
waves were not so rough now as they had been, for the flood tide had
again made; and as the beams of the morning sun glanced on the water,
the same billows which appeared so dreadful in the darkness appeared to
dance merrily.
I felt hungry; I took up a red herring from one of the baskets, and tore
it to pieces with my teeth. I looked around me in every quarter to see
if there was any vessel in sight, but there was nothing to be seen but
now and then a screaming sea-gull. I tried to rouse my companion by
kicking her with my foot; I did not succeed in waking her up, but she
turned round on her back, and, her hair falling from her face,
discovered the features of a young and pretty person, apparently not
more than nineteen or twenty years old; her figure was slight and well
formed.
Young as I was, I thought it a pity that such a nice-looking person--for
she still was so, although in a state of disorder, and very dirty--
should be so debased by intoxication; and as I looked at the bladder,
still half full of spirits I seized it with an intention to throw it
overboard, when I paused at the recollection that it had probably saved
my life during the night, and might yet be required.
I did not like to alter the course of the boat, although I perceived
that we were running fast from the land; for although the sea had gone
down considerably, there was still too much for the boat to be put
broadside to it. I cannot say that I was unhappy; I found my situation
so very much improved to what it was during the darkness of the night.
The sun shone bright, and I felt its warmth. I had no idea of being
lost--death did not enter my thoughts. There was plenty to eat, and
some vessel would certainly pick us up. Nevertheless, I said my
prayers, more devoutly than I usually did.
About noon, as near as I could guess, the tide changed again, and as the
wind had lulled very much, there was little or no swell. I thought
that, now that the motion was not so great, we might possibly ship the
foremast and make some little sail upon the boat; and I tried again more
earnestly to rouse up my companion; after a few not very polite
attempts, I succeeded in ascertaining that she was alive.
"Be quiet, Jim," said she, with her eyes still closed; "it's not five
bells yet."
Another kick or two, and she turned herself round and stared wildly.
"Jim," said she, rubbing her eyes, and then she looked about her, and at
once she appeared to remember what had passed; she shrieked, and covered
her face up with her hands.
"I thought it was a dream, and was going to tell Jim all about it, at
breakfast," said she, sorrowfully, "but it's all true--true as gospel.
What will become of me? We are lost, lost, lost!"
"We are not lost, but we should have been lost this night if I had been
as drunk as you have been," replied I; "I've had work enough to keep the
boat above water, I can tell you."
"That's truth," replied she, rising up and taking a seat upon the thwart
of the boat. "God, forgive me, poor wretch that I am: what will Jim
think, and what will he say, when he sees my best bonnet in such a
pickle?"
"Are you quite sure that you'll ever see Jim again, or that you'll ever
want your best bonnet?" replied I.
"That's true. If one's body is to be tossed about by green waves, it's
little matter whether there's a bonnet or shawl on. Where are we, do
you know?"
"I can just see the land out there," replied I, pointing astern. "The
sea is smooth; I think we could ship the foremast, and get sail upon
her."
The young woman stood up in the boat.
"Yes," said she, "I'm pretty steady; I think we could. Last night in
the dark and the tossing sea I could do nothing, but now I can. What a
blessing is daylight to cowards like me--I am only afraid in the dark.
We must put some sail upon the boat, or nobody will see us. What did
you do with the bladder of liquor?"
"Threw it overboard," replied I.
"Had you courage to do that?--and watching through the the night so wet
and cold. Well you did right--I could not have done it. Oh! that
liquor--that liquor; I wish there wasn't such a thing in the world, but
it's too late now. When I first married James Pearson, and the garland
was hung to the main-stay of the frigate, nobody could persuade me to
touch it, not even James himself, whom I loved so much. Instead of
quarrelling with me for not drinking it, as he used to do, he now
quarrels with me for drinking the most. If you'll come forward, sir,
and help me, we'll soon get up the foremast. This is it, you see, with
the jib passed round it. Jim often says that I'd make a capital sailor,
if I'd only enter in man's clothes--but as I tell him, I should be put
up at the gangway, for not being sober, before I'd been on board a
week."
We contrived to ship the mast, and set the jib and foresail. As soon as
the sheets were hauled aft, my companion took the steering lines,
saying, "I know how to manage her well enough, now it's daylight, and
I'm quite sober. You must be very tired, sir; so sit down on the
thwart, or lie down if you please, and take a nap; all's safe enough
now--see, we lie up well for the land;" and such was the case, for she
had brought the boat to the wind, and we skimmed over the waves at the
rate of three or four miles an hour. I had no inclination to sleep; I
baled the boat out thoroughly, and put the baskets and boxes into some
kind of order. I then sat down on the thwarts, first looking round for
a vessel in sight; but seeing none, I entered into conversation with my
companion.
"What is your name?" said I.
"Peggy Pearson; I have my marriage lines to show: they can throw nothing
in my face, except that I'm fond of liquor, God forgive me."
"And what makes you so fond of it now, since you say that, when you were
married, you did not care for it?"
"You may well say that: it all came of _sipping_. James would have me
on his knee, and would insist on my taking a sip; and to please him I
did, although it made me almost sick at first, and then after a while I
did not mind it; and then, you see, when I was waiting at the sallyport
with the other women, the wind blowing fresh, and the spray wetting us
as we stood on the shingle with our arms wrapped up in our aprons,
looking out for a boat from the ship to come on shore, they would have a
quartern, and make me take a drop; and so it went on. Then James made
me bring him liquor on board, and I drank some with him; but what
finished me was, that I heard something about James when he was at
Plymouth, which made me jealous, and then for the first time I got
tipsy. After that, it was all over with me; but, as I said before, it
began with sipping--worse luck, but it's done now. Tell me what has
passed during the night. Has the weather been very bad?"