VAUCLIN.
If the crew of the Perseverance thought their young captain somewhat
dilatory, they soon had reason to modify that opinion, since he turned
them out at three o'clock the next morning to raft one of the frames
ashore, and raise it on the beach.
A large crowd of buyers came to look at it, and among the first
Lemaire. All were anxious to buy, not merely the frames, but the
hardware, some edge-tools that were in the vessel, and, in short, the
whole cargo; but Lemaire outbid the rest, and made a bargain with
Walter to go to his plantation at Vauclin, and there exchange his
frames and other cargo for coffee, indigo, tortoise-shell, and cloves,
at certain prices agreed upon between them. Walter, for the sake of
going to the spot where Peterson was, would have closed with the
planter at almost any price; but the rates now agreed upon left him a
very large profit. The frame on the beach was taken down, and put on
board of one of the drogers that had discharged her cargo of sugar, and
she immediately made sail for the plantation.
That night, when the crew of the Perseverance assembled in the
cuddy,--for, like all pink sterns, she had her accommodations forward,
and the salt-room aft,--Walter told them that in two days, during which
time Lemaire would get through with his business, they were to set
sail for his plantation. The announcement gave rise to a most animated
discussion as to the course to be pursued after they arrived there. It
was much nearer morning than midnight when they turned in.
French and Spanish vessels are all well modelled, and, in general, sail
well. The West India drogers, being constantly obliged to work out
in creeks and coves, and contend with head winds, are generally fast
vessels; but although, during the war of Independence, the Americans
had been brought by necessity to build sharp vessels to prey upon
British commerce, and escape from their men-of-war, the great majority
of the American vessels employed in the West India trade were of the
old English model, built after the fashion of the colonial period.
Beauty and speed were sacrificed to capacity, and the vessel that could
carry the most lumber and molasses, with the least tonnage on the
custom-house books, was considered the best, since in that trade, at
that period, capacity was more profitable than speed. But the inventive
genius of the people, always equal to the situation, was manifested in
their fishermen. In respect to this class of vessels, always on a lee
shore, and navigating among shoals and breakers, where both life and
property depended upon their weatherly qualities, speed paid. Thus it
came to pass that occasionally, in the winter, after the fishing season
was over, an Ipswich chebacco boat or Marblehead pink-stern would
take a cargo of onions, codfish, or small lumber, and go to the West
Indies, when those who confounded her with the common lumber drogers,
and supposed they could sail two feet to her one, caught a Tartar. It
was so in the present instance. Lemaire prided himself upon the sailing
qualities of his droger, and thought nothing on the coast could hold
way with her.
He came alongside of the Perseverance, the morning of the day
appointed, and said,--
"Captain, I shall be ready in about two hours. I must go ashore again.
You had better get your anchor and make sail."
"But I don't know the way."
"No matter; you can be jogging along the coast. I'll overtake you, and
then you can follow me."
"Very well," was the reply.
It was a good working breeze, the wind for a portion of the way nearly
ahead--a direction well adapted to show the weatherly qualities of a
vessel.
"Make sail," said Walter; "we'll be _jogging_."
With only her fore, mainsail, and jibs set, the Perseverance soon left
the harbor astern. Hour after hour passed, and nothing was seen of
Lemaire; but as they knew the general direction, and that there were no
reefs or shoals, they kept on till they made Diamond Rock, on the port
hand, when they must round the southern extremity of the island, and
a pilot was needed. They accordingly hove to abreast of this singular
rock, rising perpendicularly between five and six hundred feet above
the sea, except on the western side, which is accessible, and where are
a few small trees and bushes.
Lemaire was astonished, when, after getting his anchor, he looked in
vain for the Yankee schooner, and knew not what to make of it, as she
was hidden from his view by the island. After waiting till the droger
came up, and passed ahead for nearly a mile, they put the bonnet on
the jib, set the gaff-topsails, came up with and passed her, as Dick
Cameron said, "hand over fist," then hove to, and waited for her to
come up.
"I guess," said Walter, "we can spare him the gaff-topsails, the bonnet
off the jib, and the flying-jib, and then keep jogging."
Having thus shortened sail, they fell into the wake of the droger.
Lemaire was excessively annoyed at being beaten so outrageously by a
lumber carrier, and internally resolved to buy the American schooner,
as he had not the least doubt but a Yankee would sell anything, only
give him his price; and if she would sail like that loaded, what
wouldn't she do in a set of pig-iron ballast, and with copper on her
bottom!
Rounding Cape Ferre, they entered the Passe Vauclin, where the
navigation was most intricate. Sewall Lancaster was one of those who
seem by nature constituted for pilots. If he went to a place once, he
could go again. In the woods, or on the water, Sewall could find his
way. Though an uncouth, awkward being, caring little whom he pleased
or displeased, he was a good navigator, had been mate several voyages,
and only went before the mast in the brigantine because of the profits,
and volunteered to go in the Perseverance because he was a relative of
Walter, and greatly attached to Captain Rhines. When Walter saw the
nature of the navigation, he said,--
"Sewall, I must calculate on you to bring us out again; this is a
crooked place."
"Never fear, cap'n; I'll take my landmarks, crooked as it is."
The plantation of Lemaire was of great extent, comprising two coves,
separated by a point of moderate height, rocky at its extremity. The
cove on the southern side being appropriated to the house and offices
connected with it, and the northerly one, where was a greater depth
of water, was the site of the mill, the house of the overseer, negro
quarters, hospital, and other buildings. Here were a wharf, and
facilities for repairing vessels, work-shop, and so on, and here the
drogers were moored. The great wealth of this planter was evident from
the character of the buildings, which were to a great extent of stone
or timber, and the roofs covered with tiles, instead of thatch and
palm-leaf, as is generally the case. Many of the work-shops were built
of timber framed together, the walls covered with narrow pine boards
lapped one over the other to shed rain, and the roofs either tiled
or shingled after the fashion in America--constant intercourse with
the States having taught the French planters many of the methods of
building in use there; and, as in that climate timber decayed rapidly,
there was a steady demand for lumber.
As they slowly entered the harbor, the sound of hammers, axes, and
calking mallets was heard from the northern cove. With eager curiosity
the boys strove to make out the form of Peterson among some negroes
driving oakum into the gar-board seams of a droger that lay aground
upon the beach.
"There is no man there large enough for him," said Walter.
The schooner dropped her anchor in the cove, and the ship's company
had the rest of the day--it being two hours before night--at their own
disposal, as nothing could be done towards discharging till the negroes
moved some sugar that occupied the wharf.
After supper they went ashore, and took a stroll over the plantation,
hoping they might get some inkling of Peterson, but without making any
inquiries, or manifesting any undue curiosity to excite suspicion, for
all felt that they were treading on dangerous ground. They went among
slaves employed in all sorts of work, calkers, coopers, carpenters, not
daring to inquire, and, without obtaining any information, returned on
board.
"Where do you suppose he can be?" said Ned. "We've looked everywhere."
"Perhaps they've carried him to some of his other plantations," said
Lancaster.
"No, he's here," said Walter.
"Where is he, then?"
"Locked up. That was what that droger was sent off in such a hurry
for,--that we put the frame aboard of, that was on the beach,--to tell
the overseer that an American vessel was coming into the creek. Lemaire
is not such a fool as not to know that a fellow as smart as Peterson
would do his best to get aboard of her. He will probably be kept out of
sight as long as we are here, and we must find where he's confined, and
get at him."
"What puzzles me," said Dick, "is why so smart a nigger as you say he
is hasn't got away before, and got aboard some vessel."
"That is what puzzles me, too," said Walter.
"What kind of a vessel do you call that, captain?" said the planter,
when he came down in the morning.
"We call them pink-sterns."
"Why don't you build larger vessels of the same model?"
"They would draw too much water, and would not carry enough."
"What are they made for?"
"Fishing. They will carry all the fish necessary, and are excellent
sea-boats."
"She sails like the wind. Will you sell her?"
"She doesn't belong to me."
"Your captains are always allowed discretionary powers. Your owners
would not object to a round price."
"She is owned by one man, who would not part with her, as she once
belonged to a dear friend of his."
Every effort was made by Walter and his crew, by prowling round in the
night, to discover the place of Peterson's confinement.
They cultivated the acquaintance of the negroes, who for their long
residence on the estate, and supposed devotion to their master's
interests, were promoted to the office of night watchmen, in hopes
something might drop from them to throw light on the matter, while, at
the same time, they dared not commit themselves by inquiry. The captain
also became more and more intimate with Lemaire and the overseer, but
all to no purpose, till at length the matter grew serious. The vessel
was discharged, would soon begin to load, and there would be no longer
any excuse for remaining.
One night, as Walter lay feverish and wakeful in his berth, his
mechanical turn furnished him with an excuse for prolonging his stay.
"Monsieur," said he the next day to Lemaire, "I thought you wanted a
new house for your overseer."
"So I do; but these frames are not large enough."
"Put three of them together, one on top of the other, and the third for
a porch."
"That would be a great deal of work."
"I'll do it for you with my crew, if you will find us, and pay us
moderate wages, cover the outside, lay the floors, and shingle the
roofs."
To this the planter agreed, and forthwith all hands went to work, but
in a manner very much resembling that of the negroes, as they desired
to prolong the time.
For some time the attention of Walter had been attracted by a stone
building of moderate size, of which no use seemed to be made as a
storehouse, the windows of which were some feet from the ground and
grated. He noticed a negro, a body servant of the planter, go in there
about meal times with something in a basket, and thought it must be the
place where Peterson was confined.
Access was difficult, even to the outside, in the night, as a negro
called Jean Baptiste, and in whom great confidence was placed, kept the
night watch before it. Walter made the acquaintance of Jean, which was
not at all difficult, as the negro was delighted with the notice of
both him and Ned. Nothing, however, came of it for some days.
At length Walter, being at work with Ned on the frame of the overseer's
house, and thus brought above the level of the grates in the building
which had been so long the object of intense curiosity, thought, as he
looked towards it, he perceived something moving behind the grates,
although the distance was too great to determine its character.
But the very possibility that Peterson was confined there made Walter's
heart leap to his throat. He looked around. Below were Sewall, Dick,
and three negro assistants. He made a signal to Ned, and directed his
attention to the place, and received a nod of intelligence.
Every few moments that afternoon their eyes were fastened on those
grates. As the sun declined, the rays, falling on the apertures, made
them quite confident that they saw a human figure pacing back and
forth. It seemed to Walter and Ned as though the sun would never, never
set that night.
The moment they reached the vessel the announcement was made. Walter,
Ned, and Dick began to devise methods to ascertain whether their
suspicions were well founded.
"If you want to know, and can't see," said Lancaster, who stood
listening in silence, "why don't you take the glass? That's what they
have 'em for."
"What precious fools we are," said Walter, "looking and longing all the
afternoon, and couldn't think of that!"
Within a short distance of the frame they had been at work upon, rose
the high ground, forming the point that separated the two coves. In
the evening, Walter hid the glass among some bushes on the side of the
ascent, and while the rest were at breakfast the next morning, he and
Ned repaired to the spot.
Walter put the glass to his eye, and was rewarded by seeing the
well-known features of his black friend pressed against the grates.
"It's he," whispered Walter, trembling with suppressed delight, as
he passed the glass to Ned. The boys sat and looked at each other in
silent ecstasy, with hand clasped in hand for a few moments, and then,
creeping stealthily from the place, by a look and gesture conveyed the
intelligence to their shipmates as they joined them at the building.
How to establish communication with Peterson was the subject that
occupied the thoughts of Walter during the entire day.
Having made the habits of Jean a study for some time, he ascertained
that he, like most negroes, kept a very poor watch. An old log lay
beside the wall of the pig-yard, several rods from Peterson's window;
upon this the negro would often sit, lean his back against the wall,
and get sound asleep. During this time a good opportunity offered to
attract the attention of Peterson, and communicate with him; but as
it was not until late at night that Jean fell asleep, Peterson would
be asleep also, and it would be impossible to arouse him within those
thick walls without making noise enough to wake Jean likewise. They
therefore determined to do it in the daytime, as exposing them to the
least chance of detection, there being no watch kept then, the building
not situated in any common thoroughfare, and the risk of observation
from any transient passer very little. There is a great difference in
the treatment of slaves by different planters, some being of a cruel,
others of a more mild disposition, and disposed not to aggravate the
hardships of their slaves by savage treatment; and there are some
in whose hands the institution assumes somewhat of a patriarchal
character. Lemaire was one of this latter class; whether it sprang
from kindness of natural disposition or calculation, as thinking they
would last longer and accomplish more in the end, his slaves were well
fed, lightly worked, and seldom flogged. He kept a strict watch over
his overseers, and the negro drivers especially, and has been known,
when he heard the lash too frequently, to go to the spot, take the
whip from the negro driver, and giving him three or four severe cuts,
say, "See how you like that yourself!" The chief business of the day
was over at three o'clock; then came the dinner hour at the mansion,
after which Lemaire took his afternoon nap. The overseer did the same;
the negroes improved the opportunity to shirk and sleep, and while
work went on in the field and at the cane mill more leisurely, all was
repose in the vicinity of the dwelling.
The boys had succeeded so well in gaining the confidence of all on the
plantation, that they went everywhere without question, both night and
day, sat down and gossiped with the children and worn-out darkies who
were employed in picking over coffee and cloves, strolled into the
fields, and among the carpenters and calkers, at work upon the drogers,
for Lemaire built his own vessels.
This hour of napping was the time of the day selected by the boys as
most favorable for their purpose. It was a little after four in the
afternoon of the day succeeding that on which they had obtained a
glimpse of Peterson, when they strolled leisurely towards the lock-up
to reconnoitre.
A superannuated negro, partially blind and wholly deaf, sat half
asleep on the steps; a parcel of negro children were burrowing in
the sand beneath the walls of the adjoining stable, and teasing a
turkey-cock by holding up before him a tattered red handkerchief.
With these exceptions, no person was seen around the premises. "We need
not fear that old negro, nor these little children," said Walter, "and
we never shall have a better opportunity than at this very time."
In the yard was a small building used for storing the coarse cloth
of which coffee-bags were made; a cart was tipped up against it, by
clambering on which it was not difficult to reach the roof.
"I will get up to the roof of that shed," said Ned, "where I can see
all around, and make a signal if any one is coming."
No sooner had Ned gained the roof of the shed, than Walter placed
himself directly beneath the grated window, at which they had seen
Peterson the morning previous. The blacks possess a wonderful ability
for singing those songs of labor used by both black and white seamen
to lighten their toil. Negroes in general possess a great facility for
remembering tunes, and even the words of songs. In the West Indies
you will hear negroes who cannot speak a word of English (to know what
it means), sing a song which they have caught from white sailors, all
through, without knowing the meaning of one word.
Peterson had a large stock of these songs, which he had picked up in
the course of his sea life from sailors of different nations, with whom
he had been shipmate. It had been a favorite recreation of Walter,
in years past, to sit on Peterson's knee, and coax him to sing those
songs, while the little fellow would clap his hands, join in the
chorus, and applaud most lustily at the close, always winding up with
an entreaty for just one more. Sometimes on a rainy Saturday afternoon,
when the weather prevented Peterson from working, half a dozen of the
boys would get round him, and, together with his own children, make the
old house ring with their screams, while Luce, Peterson's wife, would
take her hands out of the suds and join the merry company.
Walter stood some minutes leaning against the wall, striving to recall
some favorite song that had often served them upon those occasions. Al
length, suddenly exclaiming, "I have it," he began in a low tone to
sing,--
"Where have you been all this day,
Bonnie laddie, Highland laddie,
From your hills so far away,
My bonny Highland laddie?"
Instantly, in the same cautious tone, came through the grates the
succeeding stanza,--
"Donald's been to Aberdeen,
Bonnie lassie, Highland lassie,
To see de duke in his Highland green,
My bonnie Highland lassie."
"Peterson," said Walter.
"Here I is. Who is you?"
"Walter--Walter Griffin."
"Bress de Lord! Who is wid you?"
"Little Ned, Sewall Lancaster, and Dick Cameron, your shipmate in the
Leonidas, and old Neptune as cook. We are here in the Perseverance, and
have come after you. Luce and the children, Captain Rhines, Lion Ben,
and all our folks are well."
"Bress de Lord. He's too good; O, bress de Lord."
"Here, Peterson, take this;" and Walter took from his pocket a long
piece of tarred twine, with a nail at the end of it, and fastening the
string to a piece of rattan, thrust it through the grates.
"What dis for?"
"I dare not stay any longer now. When it is dark, tie this string round
your wrist, and drop the nail out of the window. I'll come here at
twelve o'clock to-night, when Jean is asleep, pull it to wake you up,
and then we can talk more, and lay our plans."
At the appointed time Walter was on the spot. After telling Peterson
how they ascertained he was sold and where he was, he asked,--
"Could you get out of that window, if we take the bars out?"
"No, sonny; it no large enough."
"Then we must break the door."
"Dat make too much noise. You bring strong string, piece of spun-yarn,
and crowbar; tie de bar to de spun-yarn; I pull him up, hide him in
my bed; den, when time come, pull de staple out de stone what hold de
bolt. De stones of dis island bery soft, Peterson bery strong; pull him
out; make no noise."
The plantation at Vauclin abounded in domestic animals and fowls of
all kinds. Hogs were not suffered to run at large, but were kept in
a yard surrounded by a high stone wall, laid in lime mortar; here
were hogs, sucking pigs, and shotes of all ages. The fowls run at
large. There were ducks, geese, guinea-fowl, turkeys, and hens in
abundance. These were all under the supervision of an old negro,
assisted by several boys. Philip was a Guinea negro, uncommonly stupid
and indolent, although his office was no sinecure, as the other slaves
stole all the fowls and pigs they could lay their hands on. But the
depredations of the negroes upon their master's poultry and pigs were
few indeed compared with those of Dick Cameron. From the time Dick was
ten years old, and held horses for a baubee in the streets of Greenock,
he had been flung upon his own resources, was an old forager, and
his miscellaneous life was not favorable to the cultivation of very
accurate distinctions in respect to the rights of individuals in such
things as fruit, fowl, and other outlying property.
Dick would have cut his right hand off sooner than have cheated his
landlord, backed out after signing the ship's articles, or run away
after taking his advance wages; but he would not hesitate an instant in
helping himself to a pair of trousers, or a frock, from any piece of
canvas that was lying about decks, or to any rope, small line, twine,
or worming he wanted for beckets to his chest, hammock lashings, or
strings to a clothes-bag. Entertaining such sentiments, it was not
wonderful that, since the arrival of the Perseverance, turkeys, ducks,
and guinea-fowl should disappear with astonishing rapidity, especially
turkeys. At length Walter objected to the process by which he had good
reason to suppose the table of the Perseverance was supplied; but all
the difference this made was, that, although he and Ned fared less
sumptuously, Sewall, Dick, and old Nep lived none the worse, taking
their meals at extra hours by themselves; and what they were unable to
consume there were plenty of invited guests to finish.
At length the disappearance of some very fine turkeys attracted the
attention of the cook, who told his master. He threatened to flog Phil
if the matter went on.
"It is these white sailors," said the planter. "They steal them in the
night. There's never a vessel comes here but the fowl and pigs are
stolen. You must set a watch while this vessel is here,--there's enough
of you,--or shut them up."
As the easiest method, Phil and his understrappers shut up the fowl;
but every night, when Phil drove them in, some of the turkeys were
missing.
"You lazy rascal," said Lemaire, "can't you keep them from stealing
them in broad daylight? They don't take the geese; why don't you keep
them from taking the turkeys as well?"
"Wharra fur you flog poor nigga, massa? How I help it, massa? When
buckra man come, goose he say, 'Sailor man, sailor man.' Den Phil he
look sharp. Buckra man go 'way; no git him. Turkey he big fool; go
round all de day long, head one side, hollerin, 'Quit, quit, quit.'
Wharra poor nigga do? He no tell when sailor man dere, 'cause turkey
holler, 'Quit, quit,' all de time."
A few days after this conversation with his master, Phil was asleep in
the sun, in the midst of his feathered charge, when he was aroused by
a great outcry among the turkeys. Rousing up, he heard all the turkeys
crying, "Quit, quit," and saw Dick running for dear life, with the
gobbler after him, his neck outstretched, and his wings flapping.
"Yah, yah!" he exclaimed, rubbing his eyes; "wharra fur you run so,
buckra man? Turkey no bite you."
[Illustration: "WHARRA FUR YOU RUN SO, BUCKRA MAN? TURKEY NO BITE
YOU."]
It is said "a stern chase is a long chase." It proved so in this
instance; for the gobbler never returned. The simple truth was, Dick
had baited a hook with corn, and was dragging the old gobbler after
him.
Ned was quite fond of going up and sitting among the negroes Sundays,
listening to their queer expressions, and watching the frolics of
the little darkies. One Sunday morning, there were many of them in a
large yard near the house, one part of which was a garden, separated
by an open fence of bamboo from the pig-yard. On the other side of the
pig-yard was a smaller place, set apart for hens with young chickens.
The children were playing in the dirt and among the hogs, the older
negroes sitting in the sun on a bench, in their holiday clothes,
chatting and laughing. In the yard was a sow, with twelve pigs almost
weaned. Ned sat next to Phil, who, as usual, was half asleep, and saw
a pollock-line, which was not far from the color of the wall, flung
over, attached to which was a hook, baited with a piece of bread. In
a few moments a great squealing drew the attention of all, and one of
the pigs was seen going right up the wall as fast as he could move his
legs, and in a moment disappeared over the summit.
"Je hay, buckra man!" cried Phil, in amazement, and, turning to Ned,
said, "Eighteen year dis nigga been in Martinique; nebber see pig run
ober dat wall 'fore dis morning."
It may strike some of our young readers as rather singular, since we
have spoken of a garden, that vegetables should be salable in the West
Indies, where the soil and climate are so favorable to vegetation,
and even bring high prices, especially in Martinique, which is well
watered. One great reason of this, undoubtedly, was neglect, since
most of the garden vegetables are raised in Martinique now. It must be
recollected that many vegetables used on the table are not palatable
when grown in a hot climate. Peas ripen so fast that you can only have
them just for one picking. It is the same with corn, which, instead
of being a long time in the milk, as with us at the north, ripens as
it grows. Potatoes are not half as good as those of cold climates;
beets and carrots soon grow tough and stringy, running up to seed the
first year; cabbages won't form a close head, and are now exported by
tons to Cuba. Add to this, that so many fruits grow spontaneously, and
attention is all directed to sugar, coffee, and cotton.