Cruising.—Boats’-crew Watches.—Deserters by wholesale.—A large
Reward.—Public Auction.—Juan Fernandez.—Peaches.—Robinson Crusoe’s
Cave.—Fishing.—Ship “Java.”—Masa Fuero.—St. Felix.—St. Ambrose.—San
Lorenzo.—Callao.—A Railroad.
We were now fairly at sea again, cruising for whales. We were now, as
is customary for whalemen alone while on cruising ground, standing
“boats’-crew watches.” It will be recollected that in a former
chapter we explained the “regular watches” of a ship’s company; but
this is something entirely different. The ship’s company are now
divided into _three_ equal portions, and each watch has only “four
hours out” each night and “eight hours in,” instead of four and eight
hours alternately, as in the regular watches. They are regulated so
as to alternate them every night, and are generally “headed” or in
charge of the boat-steerers.
It was during one of these watches, on the morning of the 25th of
March, that a boat-steerer and five foremast hands took the bow boat
from off the cranes and deserted the ship. The boat-steerer who
left was the one who headed the watch. It was blowing quite fresh
from the southeast at the time, the ship standing to the westward
under double-reefed topsails. The plot had probably been concocting
for some days, as they took with them, in addition to most of their
clothing, all the boat sails and a quantity of provisions and water,
disabling the other boats by taking the “thole-pins” and hiding them.
It was very rugged weather, and the experiment was dangerous, as the
ship was going through the water about six knots. They succeeded,
however, in getting clear.
[Illustration: JUAN FERNANDEZ, FROM THE SEA.]
As soon as their absence was discovered, all hands were called, sail
made, and we tacked ship and stood in for the land, which was about
one hundred and eighty miles distant. At daybreak the captain offered
a reward of _one hundred dollars_ to the person who should first
raise the boat from the masthead, but the reward was never claimed.
The man who was at the wheel at the time the boat was taken said he
knew nothing about the boat going, although the boat-steerer came to
the binnacle and took one of the ship’s compasses before his face. He
said he thought the man wished to fix the compass. The captain was
very much enraged, and could hardly keep his hands off the man.
After cruising a few days for the missing boat, and seeing nothing,
we squared away for Juan Fernandez. The remark that “we see something
new every day” is as applicable to whalers, and perhaps more so, as
to any thing else. We now had something _new_, a public auction;
the _public_, the ship’s company; the auctioneer, the captain; the
“stock,” not Central Railroad, nor yet La Crosse and Milwaukie bonds,
but the clothing and other valuables (!) left on board by deserters.
This is the usual practice on board of whalemen, and we had several
“public auctions” during the voyage.
On Tuesday, April 2d, 1850, we first sighted the island of Juan
Fernandez, and the next day sent a boat on shore for peaches. Another
boat and crew were dispatched fishing. This island looks beautiful
from the sea, being very high land, and completely covered with
verdure. Peaches and quinces grow here in great abundance. Wild
goats are also found here in large numbers. There was but one family
living on the island at this time, the head of which, we believe, was
governor! We need hardly repeat here that this island is famous for
having been the residence of Alexander Selkirk, a Scotch sailor,
who was put ashore some years since, and remained a long time on
the island, his adventures giving rise to the well-known story
of Robinson Crusoe. The cave spoken of in that work as “Robinson
Crusoe’s Cave” is still pointed out, whether the true one or not we
are unable to say.
[Illustration: PEAK OF YONKA.]
We now returned to the ship with our fish, etc., after having spent
most of the day with poor success, and lost our boat-anchor. We found
the other boat had arrived with peaches and quinces. We altered our
course and steered north.
The next day we saw the island of Masa Fuero, very similar in its
appearance to Juan; and on the 10th sighted the islands of St. Felix
and St. Ambrose. They present a rocky, barren appearance, and are
uninhabited except by sea-birds, who flock there in great numbers.
[Illustration: CRUSOE’S CAVE.]
On the 17th we saw the island of San Lorenzo, off the town of Callao;
and the next day we were “standing off and on” in the Bay of
Callao, Peru. Our captain here went ashore to obtain medical advice
and assistance for Mr. Lowe, our second officer, who has been for
some time off duty, sick, his right side being affected with palsy.
This town is well laid out, the houses mostly one story. The streets
are of good width and clean. This city was also destroyed in 1746 by
an earthquake, and remains are yet to be seen as gloomy monuments
placed over the ill-fated persons who were thus suddenly cut off.
There is a railroad building from Callao to Lima, which is but seven
miles distant. About 4 P.M. the captain and Mr. Lowe returned, and we
filled away for Payta.