I Thought Over
Everybody Who Would Be Likely To Be There, But Could Fix Upon No
One; When, The Next
Day, just as we were about to shove off from
the beach, he came down to the boat, in the
Rig I have described,
with his shoes in his hand, and his pockets full of specimens.
I knew him at once, though I should not have been more surprised
to have seen the Old South steeple shoot up from the hide-house.
He probably had no less difficulty in recognizing me. As we left
home about the same time, we had nothing to tell one another;
and, owing to our different situations on board, I saw but little
of him on the passage home. Sometimes, when I was at the wheel
of a calm night, and the steering required no attention, and the
officer of the watch was forward, he would come aft and hold a
short yarn with me; but this was against the rules of the ship,
as is, in fact, all intercourse between passengers and the crew.
I was often amused to see the sailors puzzled to know what to make
of him, and to hear their conjectures about him and his business.
They were as much puzzled as our old sailmaker was with the captain's
instruments in the cabin.
He said there were three: - the chro-nometer, the chre-nometer,
and the the-nometer. (Chronometer, barometer, and thermometer.)
The Pilgrim's crew christened Mr. N. "Old Curious," from his zeal
for curiosities, and some of them said that he was crazy, and that
his friends let him go about and amuse himself in this way. Why
else a rich man (sailors call every man rich who does not work
with his hands, and wears a long coat and cravat) should leave a
Christian country, and come to such a place as California, to pick
up shells and stones, they could not understand. One of them,
however, an old salt, who had seen something more of the world
ashore, set all to rights, as he thought, - "Oh, 'vast there! - You
don't know anything about them craft. I've seen them colleges,
and know the ropes. They keep all such things for cur'osities,
and study 'em, and have men a' purpose to go and get 'em. This
old chap knows what he's about. He a'n't the child you take him
for. He'll carry all these things to the college, and if they
are better than any that they have had before, he'll be head of
the college. Then, by-and-by, somebody else will go after some
more, and if they beat him, he'll have to go again, or else give
up his berth. That's the way they do it. This old covey knows
the ropes. He has worked a traverse over 'em, and come 'way out
here, where nobody's ever been afore, and where they'll never
think of coming." This explanation satisfied Jack; and as it
raised Mr. N.'s credit for capacity, and was near enough to
the truth for common purposes, I did not disturb it.
With the exception of Mr. N., we had no one on board but the
regular ship's company, and the live stock. Upon this, we
had made a considerable inroad. We killed one of the bullocks
every four days, so that they did not last us up to the line.
We, or, rather, they, then began upon the sheep and the poultry,
for these never come into Jack's mess.(1) The pigs were left
- - - - - - - -
1. The customs as to the allowance of "grub" are very nearly the
same in all American merchantmen. Whenever a pig is killed, the
sailors have one mess from it. The rest goes to the cabin. The
smaller live stock, poultry, etc., they never taste.
And, indeed, they do not complain of this, for it would take a great
deal to supply them with a good meal, and without the accompaniments,
(which could hardly be furnished to them,) it would not be much better
than salt beef. But even as to the salt beef, they are scarcely dealt
fairly with; for whenever a barrel is opened, before any of the beef
is put into the harness-cask, the steward comes up, and picks it
all over, and takes out the best pieces, (those that have any fat
in them) for the cabin.
This was done in both the vessels I was in, and the men said that it
was usual in other vessels. Indeed, it is made no secret, but some
of the crew are usually called to help in assorting and putting away
the pieces. By this arrangement the hard, dry pieces, which the
sailors call "old horse," come to their share.
There is a singular piece of rhyme, traditional among sailors,
which they say over such pieces of beef. I do not know that
it ever appeared in print before. When seated round the kid,
if a particularly bad piece is found, one of them takes it up,
and addressing it, repeats these lines: "Old horse! old horse!
what brought you here?"
- "From Sacarap to Portland pier
I've carted stone this many a year:
Till, killed by blows and sore abuse,
They salted me down for sailors' use.
The sailors they do me despise:
They turn me over and damn my eyes;
Cut off my meat, and pick my bones,
And pitch the rest to Davy Jones."
There is a story current among seamen, that a beef-dealer was
convicted, at Boston, of having sold old horse for ship's stores,
instead of beef, and had been sentenced to be confined in jail,
until he should eat the whole of it; and that he is now lying
in Boston jail. I have heard this story often, on board other
vessels beside those of our own nation. It is very generally
believed, and is always highly commended, as a fair instance
of retaliatory justice.
- - - - - - - -
for the latter part of the voyage, for they are sailors, and can
stand all weathers.
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