To This Cave He Was Carried Before Daybreak In The
Morning, And Supplied With Bread And Water, And There Remained
Until He Saw Us Under Weigh And Well Round The Point.
Friday, March 27th.
The captain, having given up all hope of
finding F - - -, and being unwilling to delay any longer, gave
orders for unmooring the ship, and we made sail, dropping slowly
down with the tide and light wind. We left letters with Captain
Bradshaw to take to Boston, and had the satisfaction of hearing
him say that he should be back again before we left the coast.
The wind, which was very light, died away soon after we doubled the
point, and we lay becalmed for two days, not moving three miles the
whole time, and a part of the second day were almost within sight
of the vessels. On the third day, about noon, a cool sea-breeze came
rippling and darkening the surface of the water, and by sundown
we were off San Juan's, which is about forty miles from San Diego,
and is called half way to San Pedro, where we were now bound.
Our crew was now considerably weakened. One man we had lost
overboard; another had been taken aft as clerk; and a third had
run away; so that, beside S - - - and myself, there were only three
able seamen and one boy of twelve years of age. With this
diminished and discontented crew, and in a small vessel, we were
now to battle the watch through a couple of years of hard service;
yet there was not one who was not glad that F - - - had escaped;
for, shiftless and good for nothing as he was, no one could wish
to see him dragging on a miserable life, cowed down and disheartened;
and we were all rejoiced to hear, upon our return to San Diego,
about two months afterwards, that he had been immediately taken
aboard the Lagoda, and went home in her, on regular seaman's wages.
After a slow passage of five days, we arrived, on Wednesday,
the first of April, at our old anchoring ground at San Pedro.
The bay was as deserted, and looked as dreary, as before, and formed
no pleasing contrast with the security and snugness of San Diego,
and the activity and interest which the loading and unloading of four
vessels gave to that scene. In a few days the hides began to come
slowly down, and we got into the old business of rolling goods up
the hill, pitching hides down, and pulling our long league off and
on. Nothing of note occurred while we were lying here, except
that an attempt was made to repair the small Mexican brig which
had been cast away in a south-easter, and which now lay up, high
and dry, over one reef of rocks and two sand-banks. Our carpenter
surveyed her, and pronounced her capable of refitting, and in a
few days the owners came down from the Pueblo, and, waiting for
the high spring tides, with the help of our cables, kedges, and crew,
got her off and afloat, after several trials.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 100 of 324
Words from 51612 to 52136
of 170236
