ARRIVAL IN CALLAO--THE RELICS OF THE EARTHQUAKE--THE FROLIC WITH THE
ENGLISH OFFICERS--TARGET SHOOTING--THE CALM--WATER SPOUTS--THE SHARK.
The ship’s course was now directed towards the port of Callao, Peru,
where we arrived about the 10th of August. We remained in this port
about eight days, visiting in the meantime the beautiful city of Lima
located at the foot of the mountains, a few miles inland, and a portion
of the earth where a rain-storm is unknown.
We found that the chief and principal amusements here at this time
consisted in cock and bull fighting; the grand arena, with its gorgeous
trappings, being situated adjacent to and under the shadow of the
principal cathedral of the city.
In the town of Callao we saw the ruins of the old city which was
partially submerged by an earthquake in 1765, at which time a ship
being at anchor in the harbor was carried by the returning tidal wave
about five miles inland, where the old hull was deposited and could be
plainly seen. At ebb tide, the tiled roofs of many old buildings can
yet be seen upon the sandy beach; but the greater portion, however,
of the submerged town lies in deep water, above which vessels in the
harbor ride at anchor.
A little incident which occurred here in the city of Lima upon the
day previous to our arrival, as we heard related is perhaps worth
recording. Upon our arrival in the port of Callao, we found lying at
anchor there, the U. S. sloop of war “St. Mary,” as well as the English
man-of-war “Asia,” and an English sloop of war, the name of which I
have forgotten. There was also in port a ship from Norfolk, Va., having
on board as passengers about forty young men from Richmond and other
Southern cities on their way to California. There was a feeling of
jealousy existing among the English officers and these young Southern
bloods in the city of Lima, from the fact that the latter seemed to
attract more attention
[Illustration: THE ARGONAUTS AT LIMA.]
from the ladies of Castilian blood. The English officers were
determined to revenge themselves, and they endeavored to do it, and to
further show their contempt for Americans generally in a despicable
manner. The latter, upon one occasion, concluded to have a regular
champagne dinner, and engaged for the purpose the large dining-room
of the only American hotel in the city, which they arranged to occupy
at 2 P.M. of the day appointed. The English officers,
to the number of thirty, having been informed of the intention of the
Americans, found now their opportunity for revenge by taking possession
of the dining-room at the appointed time, and locking the doors, thus
interfering with the arrangements. Unfortunately for them, however,
they had never fully understood the real nature of American pluck, as
one of the English officers was afterwards ready and willing to admit.
At the appointed time the Americans met at the hotel, but only to
find the doors to the dining-room locked and the room occupied by the
English officers. After a short consultation, a tall, fine-looking
specimen of one of the F. F. V’s knocked upon the door, demanding
instant admission, but, of course, was refused. Two minutes was then
allowed, and in case of refusal they were informed that the door
would be broken in. “Do so, at your peril,” came from the inside;
and almost instantly the door went in with a crash, and the tall
Virginian, stepping inside to the head of the table, seized a bottle
of wine and threw it with full force, striking the center of the table
beyond, and bounding to the wall upon the opposite end of the room.
At the same time, thirty or forty Americans, well prepared, filed in
and took their stations behind the English officers, who leaped to
their feet, and with their short swords flourishing above their heads
demanded instant satisfaction for the insult. They were informed by
the leader of the opposite party that it was the latter who demanded
satisfaction, and that the former must instantly leave the room, or
the Americans would enforce the demand. After some loud talking and
threats from the leaders of both sides had been indulged in, a more
quiet and subdued tone was used; mutual explanations followed; suitable
apologies were given, and a general hand-shaking followed. Swords were
sheathed, and fortunately the danger of a conflict was averted; seats,
as well as an additional supply of champagne and other refreshments,
were ordered. The Americans were very cordially invited to partake of
the festivities, which invitation they accepted, and peace and harmony
prevailed.
One effect of this incident, was a greater respect for the American
people, or at least that portion of them who were at present in the
harbor of Callao; for, upon the day following the incident, the
passengers of the American ships were very cordially invited on
board of H. M. ship of war the “Asia,” and were received in the most
hospitable manner. Furthermore, through the influence of her commander,
a few passengers of one of the American ships who were detected in the
act of smuggling on shore a quantity of tobacco, were released upon
promising to do so no more.
Going on shore one day, we found on the sandy beach three or four
English officers who were practicing target-shooting. The target was
a board twelve or fourteen inches square, and placed at a distance
of one-hundred yards. They were practicing with the English sporting
rifles, some of them being fixed up in a beautiful style and ornamented
with silver. These rifles were fired from a rest, and with this
advantage even, the target was hit but twice out of five shots. One of
our boys remarked to them that he had an old U. S. musket on board of
the ship, and offered to wager that he could put four balls out of five
into the target, off hand. One of the Englishmen asserted that that
was a huge joke “ye know”; but requested our passenger to bring it on
shore and prove his assertion, which he proceeded to do. There was much
merriment among them when he returned, bringing with him an old style
Springfield rifle, or Jæger, as they were usually called; but when this
youth, off-hand, put four balls out of five into the target, their
merriment subsided, and in fact they were astonished. They asked many
questions, and when informed that the U. S. army was armed with this
sort of thing they marveled greatly, and desired permission to take it
on board of H. M. ship of war for inspection, which they did, remarking
upon its return that it was an ugly looking thing; but “by Jove, the
way it shoots is simply marvelous, ye know!”
One of the officers asked the young man if all the U. S. soldiers were
as expert with the use of the gun as he was, and he replied that he
had just been expelled from the army for one year, in consequence of
being the poorest shot in his regiment, which was Co. Y. of the 287th
regiment of light infantry, stationed at Fortress Monroe; but that he
was allowed one year for practice, and if at the expiration of that
time he could do the regulation shot according to Scott’s Manual of
Tactics, he would be re-admitted into the Army. When asked what the
regulation shot was, he replied that every soldier was required to be
able to put four balls out of five into a four-inch ring, off-hand, at
a distance of half a mile when ordered, and no postponement on account
of the weather.
“My hies,” was the only answer.
Having laid in a good supply of fruit, etc., we sailed out again upon
the broad ocean toward the land of gold. From this port we cannot,
however, take a direct course for California, in consequence of the
irregularity of the winds along the coast. We are therefore compelled
to test the maxim that the longest way around is in some cases the
nearest way home, and for such reasons our good ship is headed in the
direction of Japan until we reach longitude about 140° W., from which
point upon the equator, in consequence of the prevailing winds, the
course can be laid direct for the port of San Francisco.
One of the greatest pleasures of a long tedious sea voyage is in
speaking with other ships, bound for different ports of the world,
and when the condition of the sea and weather permits, it is usual to
exchange courtesies by giving the latest news, the destination of your
ship, and occasionally visiting each other. Many, of course, were the
questions asked by the commanders of other ships upon seeing so many
passengers on ship-board, in that portion of the sea, not having heard
of the wonderful gold discovery. One commander, in particular, hailing
from Valparaiso and bound for Cork, who had passed several ships loaded
with passengers, very earnestly inquired if we Yankees were on our way
to found a new empire somewhere among the islands of the Pacific ocean,
or if we were only the rear guard of Alexander’s army searching for new
worlds to conquer. We, however, satisfied his curiosity by informing
him that we were neither one nor the other, but simply Pilgrims going
in search of the new Jerusalem supposed to be somewhere in California.
We had now a fair wind until near the equator, where it then left us,
and there fell a great calm upon the waters.
It is in these latitudes that the conditions are most favorable for
the formation of the water-spout, for it is here where the winds are
variable, and where dead calms of long duration are the rule, and
nature’s forces find the breeding grounds for the marine cyclones--it
is here that the germs of the Kansas cyclones are found, in their
original purity, free from dust, old fence-rails, hay, or ox-carts;
the upright columns being filled only with pure sea water, drawn up
from the surface of the ocean. We saw many of them in all stages of
growth, from the newly-formed, which was just able to move along in an
upright position, staggering and swaying from side to side like a child
just learning to walk, up to the monster columns which possessed the
power to elevate into the regions above anything with which it came in
contact, from a clam-shell to a man-of-war. Five were seen in one day,
and one of the largest of them seemed inclined to pay us a visit; but
being aware of the fact, we made all necessary preparations to give it
a warm reception. It changed its course, from an instinct of danger no
doubt, which was the general opinion, from the fact that an old seaman
declared positively that if you discharge a cannon-ball into this
column of water, it will instantly burst, as the proper circulation
is destroyed. For the same reasons also, as the veteran salt and able
seaman declared, it was even possible sometimes to frighten one of them
to death by running out of the port-hole a Quaker gun, and he said that
he had seen several burst in that way. It was the most economical way,
as it saved a lot of powder; but of course the rest of us old salts
didn’t believe all he said about it.
We found that upon the occurrence of any event during the voyage, this
old salt could refer to a similar event within his experience that
would discount anything we had seen. For instance, during the calm he
remarked that,
“This calm was nothing to what he experienced at a certain time on the
coast of Chili.”
“Why,” said he, “the calm lasted nearly two months, the surface of the
ocean became stagnant, turned green, and smelled like bilge water, and
you could see dead fish of all kinds, and even dead whales floating
about.”
During the gale which occurred upon the Atlantic also, he remarked:
“Oh, pshaw! this is nothing to what I have seen. Why, I was bound once
up the Mediterranean Sea, when we encountered a gale that threw our
ship upon her beam ends, and we laid in that position for nearly six
weeks. It blew away our main-topmast, and the last we saw of it, ’twas
going away south toward Africa; and maybe you won’t believe it, my
lads, but five years afterwards ’twas found in the great desert partly
buried in the sand, where it fell. The cross trees had sprouted, and a
fine cluster of white oak trees had grown up from it, more than sixty
feet high, and they made a beautiful shade for the camels to rest
under when they were cruising around the desert.”
[Illustration: THE PROLIFIC TOPMAST.]
I have stated at this time that the conditions are favorable for
water-spouts, as will be further explained. The formation of a
water-spout is only possible when there exists a calm upon the waters,
and in consequence of the heat of the sun being reflected from the
smooth surface of the ocean, the atmosphere becomes greatly rarefied,
and ascends to higher regions. The result is that at this point a
partial vacuum is produced, and the atmosphere from all points rushes
in to equalize the unbalanced condition. A hollow cylinder is formed
of atmospheric currents, which revolves with great velocity. A partial
vacuum within this is the result, and up within which the water from
the surface of the ocean rises, falling again in great showers of
rain. But one great mystery attending not only the water-spout upon
the ocean, but also the cyclone upon land, is the fact of their motion
forward in any direction, for since they are only produced under
conditions of a calm, it is difficult to determine by what force they
are caused to move in any direction, with such velocity as is often
witnessed. I observed that in a few cases, the smaller water-spouts did
not move in any particular direction, but seemed to wander about as
though undecided what course to take; while again another, but a few
miles distant to the east, would be going in a northerly direction, and
another one at the same time to the westward was taking a southerly
course at the rate of three or four miles an hour.
That a water-spout should be able to move at all in any direction,
during a dead calm upon the ocean, when at the same time our ship was
as it were, stationary is not only a mystery, but also very aggravating
to those who are from necessity compelled to remain on board of her and
suffer the intense heat, and at the same time be at the mercy of these
wandering, revolving tramps that are liable at any time to make you a
visit without any special invitation, and without any power whatever on
your part to avoid them.
The mystery of their forward movements lies in the fact that, at
some point the atmosphere is more highly rarified than at others,
and the water-spout will therefore move in the direction of the
least resistance, being impelled forward towards that point by the
atmosphere, the tendency of which is to restore the equilibrium.
They will, consequently, move with a velocity corresponding to such
unbalanced conditions to any given point.
Oh, the annoyance of a calm at sea, especially under such circumstances
as when a crowd of anxious gold seekers are cooped up unable to do
as, or go where they please, and all anxious to be filling their
bottles and pouches from Uncle Sam’s golden fountains. Fretting and
worrying could, however, avail nothing. We must gracefully submit to
the inevitable, and pray for a strong breeze from the Southwest (the
praying for which didn’t amount to much, for reasons not necessary to
explain here). There was one amusement which we were inabled to enjoy
to our heart’s content,
[Illustration: THE CALM.]
in consequence of the calm and passive condition of Nature’s forces,
and this was bathing in Neptune’s immense bath-tub, the Pacific Ocean.
At all hours of the day, many would be seen enjoying the luxury of a
bath in the warm and placid waters. The sensation of plunging headlong,
or diving from the ship’s rail into the fathomless depths is, for the
first time, anything but pleasant, for upon the shady side of our
ship we could see below the surface a great distance. We found, upon
throwing overboard an old tin plate, or any bright object, that we
could keep it in sight for several minutes, until it had descended for
the distance of one-eighth of a mile at least, or even much further.
With this idea in mind, when standing upon the rail, all ready for a
dive into this dark and bottomless abyss, one can readily imagine the
peculiar sensations produced and the thoughts that flit across the
mind at the moment. What if some miraculous event should occur upon
diving into the deep sea, or some wonderful changes in Nature’s laws
take place reversing perhaps the laws of gravitation, which should
make the waters lighter and organic substances heavier! Then just
imagine one’s self sinking down, down into the unfathomable waters and
continuing upon the downward course, among the huge monsters who make
their habitations amid the rocks and cliffs at the bottom! But after a
few trials this sensation wears away, for we find that it is impossible
to descend but a short distance below the surface, and that whether we
will or not, we must ascend again without delay.
For two or three days, a number of our passengers indulged in this
luxury of bathing, and would have continued doing so during the calm;
but all things have an ending, and sea-bathing is no exception to the
rule. The diversion was brought to an end by an incident which is worth
mentioning. We had a passenger on board who, but a few years before,
when on a voyage in the Indian Ocean, lost one of his legs in appeasing
the appetite of a shark, while enjoying the luxury of a sea-bath. This
young man, whose name was Measury, from Salem, Mass., acted in the
capacity of sergeant at arms for us, and would allow no one to dive
from the ship until well satisfied that there were no sharks in the
immediate vicinity. This fact he would ascertain by throwing overboard
any bright object, such as a tin cup or plate, for if there were any
sharks within a reasonable distance, say one or two miles, they would
be attracted towards the vessel, and could be plainly seen swimming
back and forth under the ship’s keel--waiting, not like Micawber,
for something to turn up, but for some unfortunate sailor to tumble
overboard. If no sharks made their appearance below the ship in the
space of half an hour, it was presumed that the coast was clear, and by
the gate-keeper’s consent, over we would go.
We had been in bathing one day, and nearly all of us had climbed
aboard, when our sergeant at arms, who was seated as usual upon the
ship’s rail upon the shady side, where he could obtain a good view of
the ship’s keel, was heard to cry out to those who were yet in the
water, but who were, however, near the ship, and just upon the point of
climbing on board.
“Quick! quick boys, for God’s sake! A shark! A shark!”
Upon looking over the side, we saw an enormous shark beneath the keel.
He spied the last man who was in the water, and darted towards him. The
man, however, had reached the ladder, and was soon out of danger. The
shark, turning upon its back with open mouth, darted towards him, but
was too late, for just at this time its career was ended. The captain
who was in the cabin, heard the cry of shark, and having been a short
time before sailing engaged in whale-fishing, was prepared for such an
emergency. Seizing his favorite weapon, which was a harpoon all ready
for use, and to which was attached a long wooden pole, suspended from
ropes over head in a convenient place, he jumped upon the rail, and
as the shark’s head with open mouth projected above the water with a
true aim darted the harpoon into its body. The huge fish was hoisted on
board, and found upon measurement to be about fifteen feet in length.
What a mouth, when opened! I was reminded of it years afterwards, in
passing a Mendicino Co. saw-mill, with its gang of saws all in a row,
ready for business. This incident ended our pleasures of sea-bathing.
But now was the old salt’s opportunity to spin a yarn that would
discount anything in the shark line, and he made the most of it. Seated
upon the fore hatch, toward evening, and after taking a fresh quid he
sailed in:
“Well, well! me lads, that’s a big shark; but I can tell about one that
discounts him. ’Twas when I was sailing on an English packet ship in
the Indian Ocean, bound for the East Indies. We had an opera company on
board, bound for Calcutta.
“We were running along one day with a stiff breeze, and the
[Illustration: THE OPERATIC SHARK.]
passengers were all enjoying themselves up on deck, when all at
once there was a cry of man overboard. An old gentleman, one of the
musicians, was seated on the lee rail a readin’, when the ship give a
lurch, and away he went over the side. His son was standing near at
hand, and hauling off his coat, over the side he went, to rescue his
father. The ship was brought up into the wind; a boat was lowered, and
blast my eyes if we didn’t cruise about in our ship’s wake for more
than four hours to get a sight of the old gentleman and his son. But
we searched in vain, for they had gone; only, we couldn’t tell how,
just then. We did though, pretty soon; for a few days after we saw a
big shark following in our wake. He was a regular man-eater, and we
knew from the antics he was cutting up, that he had swallowed the old
musician and his son sure enough, and was huntin’ for the balance of
the opera company. Why, shipmates, the shark would jest promenade
around ship, standing upon his tail; then he would balance fore and aft
on his head, and go through the figures of a quadrille in good style.
One of the opera boys said that the old musician was a tough customer,
and maybe the shark had the colic. Another one thought that maybe he
had been chasin’ a French ship, and had swallowed a French dancin’
master who had fell overboard. But we soon found out all about it, for
it happened that the shark came nearer to the ship than he intended
to, and one of the crew threw a harpoon into him, and we histed him
on deck to have a look at him. Jest as we were gettin’ ready to throw
him overboard again, one of the opera boys says ‘hush! what’s that
strange noise comin’ from inside of him?’ Well, we all heard it, and to
satisfy our curiosity we cut him open, and maybe, shipmates, you won’t
believe me when I tell you what we seen. But right in there was the old
musician, sittin’ at a pianner and playin’ the Fisher’s Hornpipe, and
laying in a hammock overhead was his son, beatin’ time on a base drum.”
There is consolation in the thought that, under whatever circumstances
we may be placed that are of an unpleasant nature, all things, states
and conditions have an ending. In the operations of Nature’s forces,
man, by his ingenuity, can direct them for his use, but cannot control.
During a gale of wind, for instance, the ship, by means of the sails
and rudder, can be changed or altered in her course, and at such a time
how insignificant man appears in comparison with the force and power
of the elements, which are far beyond his absolute control! Yet, even
when the elements are in active motion, they can be made serviceable by
using the proper means; but when Nature’s forces are entirely passive
and the elements are at rest, it is then that man is made conscious of
his utter insignificance, especially if he is on board of a sailing
vessel which is floating about at random upon the ocean in a dead calm.
At such a time he has no control whatever over the elements above,
or of the waters below, and the vessel drifts at random in whatever
direction the currents are flowing. She rises and falls with the swell
of the ocean, and her sails are continually flapping against the mast
as an encouragement to her patience, or as a means of quieting her
anxiety. The bows, also, exhibit their intense anxiety by swinging
around the circle like a chained bear, in the vain endeavor to break
away from the influence of such unpleasant conditions; but the only
object on board which does not conform to the random motions of the
vessel, and remained, fortunately for us, constant to the forces which
gave it value, was the needle in the binnacle.
The end was near, however, for upon the morning of the 14th day, away
off in the distance, toward the west, was discovered a cat’s paw, a
ripple upon the water, crawling silently but surely towards us upon
the surface of the waters. It crawled carefully up the side of the
ship, up into the rigging; and the great sails, which had been idly
flapping for many days against the mast, now feel the effects of its
magic influence, and, swelling with pride, endeavor to move the ship
forward upon her course. The wheel, also, which for several days
had been neglected and alone, lazily swinging from one side to the
other, nodding and blinking beneath the scorching rays of the sun,
was now aroused from its slumbers by the strong arm of a sailor, and,
responding to his efforts, the bows of the ship swing gracefully around
upon our course for the entrance to the Golden Gate with a fair wind,
which increased with such force in a few hours that it was evident we
had not only received the benefit of a cat’s paw, but that the whole
animal had crawled on board, tail and all.
Late in the afternoon of September 19th, we arrived at the entrance to
the Golden Gate, but only to find the sea enveloped in a dense fog,
and the entrance through which we were in hope of passing at once,
hidden from our view. The only resource was, in seaman’s phraseology,
“to lay off” and on until morning, which we did in safety, although
not without escaping in an almost miraculous manner from the greatest
danger. The incident is worth relating, as it shows how it is possible,
after having sailed so many thousands of miles in safety, upon arriving
at your destination to meet with disaster through the ignorance of
an incompetent seaman. It was the second mate’s watch on deck, the
burly-headed seaman previously mentioned. About 11 P.M.,
as the Captain was about turning in for the night, the second mate
called down the gang-way for the Captain. When asked what was wanted,
he replied that right ahead, seen through the fog, was a square-rigged
vessel. The Captain answered:
“Well, you know your business, of course.”
Almost instantly afterwards he again shouted:
“Captain, come quick! we are close aboard of her!”
The latter leaped from his bunk, and was upon deck in an instant, and
saw at once the nationality and character of the square-rigged craft,
looming up in a dense fog, immediately over our bow. He ordered the
wheel hard a port, and the old ship swung readily around in the foam
and swash, and within less than half a ship’s length of one of the
great rocks of the Faralone Islands. In less than one minute more we
would have crashed into, run afoul of, and knocked from its foundation
into the deep sea beyond, one of the grandest structures of the whole
group, but the presence of mind of our Captain saved it from utter
destruction, as well as a few score of badly scared gold hunters. Upon
the morning of the 20th, we sailed in through the Golden Gate, coming
at anchor in front of the tented city of San Francisco, having made the
passage from our native city to this place in the space of five months
and seventeen days.