I engaged passage in the Dutch brig "Ceres," bound for Sydney; and
sailed in the early part of June out of San Francisco Bay.
When I again embark as a passenger in a Dutch vessel, it will be after I
have learnt to speak that detestable lingo. Of all the crew of the
"Ceres," only the first officer could speak a word of English; and,
during the time I was aboard the brig, I discovered more than one good
reason for my resolve never again to embark in a ship, where I could not
understand the language by which she was worked.
A majority of the passengers had originally come from the Australian
Colonies to California; and were now returning to their homes--
dissatisfied with a country, where they were not regarded as good
citizens.
The worst characters amongst them had conceived a strong antipathy for
everything American.
This will be easily understood, by taking into consideration the fact,
that many of the people from the Australian Colonies who went to
California, were men of infamous character. Indeed it is rather to the
credit of the Californians: that they had treated with some severity
these English convicts, who had made their appearance amongst them, for
the express purpose of thieving and robbing.
I do not wish to be understood as saying, that all the gold seekers from
Australia were of this character. I formed the acquaintance of many
Anglo-Australian diggers, who had won the respect of all who knew them.
Too many of the class, however, were undoubtedly bad men. They had been
bad men in their mother country, were bad men in the colonies, bad in
California; and will continue to be bad wherever they go. They justly
merited the contempt, which the Americans had bestowed upon them.
I have more respect for the great nation to which I belong than to
defend the conduct of its convicts, against the opinions formed of them
by the people of California.
There were three or four Californians amongst the passengers of the
"Ceres," who appeared to be respectable, as they were well conducted
young men, yet they were intensely hated by a majority of the
passengers--merely because they were Americans, and not English convicts
from the colonies.
The Australians, while in California, when not drunk, generally behaved
themselves like other people. This, however, arose from the absolute
compulsion of circumstances, and the dread of being punished for their
misdeeds; but no sooner had we got clear of the Golden Gate, than they
resumed their former vulgar habits of acting and speaking; and not a
sentence could be uttered by one of them, without reference to the
circulating fluid of the body.
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Early in the month of August, we came in sight of one of the numerous
groups of islands with which the Pacific ocean is enamelled.
About twelve o'clock at night--while going at a speed of not more than
five knots an hour--we ran straight upon a reef of rocks.
A scene of wild confusion then ensued--every one expecting the brig to
go immediately to the bottom--but it was soon ascertained, that she was
hanging or resting on a point of the rocks, which had penetrated her
timbers; and that she was in no immediate danger of sinking.
Fortunately the weather was calm at the time, and the sea perfectly
tranquil, else the brig would certainly have been knocked to pieces.
As usual, the long boat was found to be _not_ sea-worthy; and there was
but one other, a small pinnace, that would hold about twelve of the
seventy-six passengers comprising the cargo of the "Ceres"--to say
nothing of her crew!
We could see land, about a mile from our position; and it was evident,
that no watch could have been kept aboard; else the brig could not have
been lost.
As soon as order had been somewhat restored, and our exact situation
ascertained, the crew, assisted by the passengers, commenced building a
raft, upon which, when finished, we were to attempt making a passage to
the shore.
At daybreak we obtained a better view of the land--indistinctly seen
during the darkness. It was a small island--apparently about three
miles in circumference--with groves of palm trees standing thickly over
it.
The raft having been at length got ready, the work of landing commenced.
By nine o'clock all hands were ashore; and then some efforts were made
towards transporting to the beach such provisions as could be saved from
the wreck of the brig.
The men, who first volunteered their services for this duty, were some
of the most disreputable of the passengers.
Their object in returning to the brig was simply to plunder. The boxes
belonging to their fellow-passengers were broken open by these
scoundrels, who appropriated to themselves every article of value they
could conceal about their persons.
When the work of saving the provisions really commenced, it was found
that there was but little to be saved. All the bread, and most of the
other stores, had got soaked in the sea-water, and consequently spoilt.
A barrel of beef, and another of pork, were all the stores that could be
procured in a fit condition for food.
Before we had been ashore over an hour, we became acquainted with the
unpleasant circumstance that no fresh water was to be found upon the
island.
This intelligence produced great consternation; and the wreck was
revisited--for the purpose of ascertaining if any could be procured
there. But very little water fit for drinking could be had on board the
brig--most of her supply being down in the hold, and of course submerged
entirely out of reach.
Some mining tools and American axes had constituted a portion of the
cargo. Some of these were now brought ashore, and put into requisition
in the search for water.
With the picks and shovels we scooped out a deep hole in the centre of
the island, which, to the delight of all, soon became filled with the
wished-for fluid.
Our joy was of short continuance. We tasted the water. It was briny as
the billows of the ocean. It was the sea-water itself--that went and
came with the tides.
Next morning, the captain and six men were despatched in the pinnace--in
the hope of then finding some ship to take us off, or reaching some
inhabited island--where they might obtain the means of assisting us.
They took with them nearly all the water that remained--leaving over
seventy people to depend on the milk of cocoa-nuts as a substitute.
To go out to sea in an open boat, with but a short allowance of water,
and some salt beef, was not a very pleasant undertaking; but the captain
and his crew seemed highly elated at even this opportunity of getting
away from the island. They preferred their chances to ours.
Although the island was small, there was a sufficient quantity of fruit
growing upon it to have supported us for many weeks. The chief trouble
to be apprehended, was from the lawless wretches who comprised a large
minority of the passengers.
After the shipwreck, these men became possessed with the idea: that they
were no longer to be under any restraint. The only law they appeared
disposed to regard was, that of might; and there was a sufficient number
of them to give trouble should they combine in any evil design.
The old convicts, of course, felt sympathy for, and aided one another,
while those of the passengers that were honestly inclined, gave
themselves too little concern, on the score of combination.
The consequences were, that matters soon proceeded to a state of
dangerous insubordination; and each hour it was becoming more evident,
that those who wished to live without molesting others, or being
molested themselves, must enter into a league against the scoundrels,
who would otherwise devote the whole community to destruction.
Volume Two, Chapter XII.