"The Next Time We See
The North Star," Said One, "We Shall Be Standing To The Northward,
The Other Side
Of the Horn." This was true enough, and no doubt it
would be a welcome sight; for sailors say that
In coming home from
round Cape Horn, and the Cape of Good Hope, the north star is the
first land you make.
These trades were the same that, in the passage out in the Pilgrim,
lasted nearly all the way from Juan Fernandez to the line; blowing
steadily on our starboard quarter for three weeks, without our
starting a brace, or even brailing down the skysails. Though we
had now the same wind, and were in the same latitude with the
Pilgrim on her passage out, yet we were nearly twelve hundred miles
to the westward of her course; for the captain, depending upon the
strong south-west winds which prevail in high southern latitudes
during the winter months, took the full advantage of the trades,
and stood well to the westward, so far that we passed within about
two hundred miles of Ducie's Island.
It was this weather and sailing that brought to my mind a little
incident that occurred on board the Pilgrim, while we were in the
same latitude. We were going along at a great rate, dead before
the wind, with studding-sails out on both sides, alow and aloft,
on a dark night, just after midnight, and everything was as still
as the grave, except the washing of the water by the vessel's side;
for, being before the wind, with a smooth sea, the little brig,
covered with canvas, was doing great business, with very little
noise. The other watch was below, and all our watch, except myself
and the man at the wheel, were asleep under the lee of the boat.
The second mate, who came out before the mast, and was always very
thick with me, had been holding a yarn with me, and just gone aft
to his place on the quarter-deck, and I had resumed my usual
walk to and from the windlass-end, when, suddenly, we heard a
loud scream coming from ahead, apparently directly from under
the bows. The darkness, and complete stillness of the night,
and the solitude of the ocean, gave to the sound a dreadful and
almost supernatural effect. I stood perfectly still, and my heart
beat quick.
The sound woke up the rest of the watch, who stood looking at one
another. "What, in the name of God, is that?" said the second mate,
coming slowly forward. The first thought I had was, that it might
be a boat, with the crew of some wrecked vessel, or perhaps the
boat of some whaleship, out over night, and we had run them down
in the darkness. Another scream, but less loud than the first.
This started us, and we ran forward, and looked over the bows,
and over the sides, to leeward, but nothing was to be seen or
heard. What was to be done. Call the captain, and heave the
ship aback? Just at this moment, in crossing the forecastle,
one of the men saw a light below, and looking down the scuttle,
saw the watch all out of their berths, and afoul of one poor
fellow, dragging him out of his berth, and shaking him, to wake
him out of a nightmare.
They had been waked out of their sleep, and as much alarmed at the
scream as we were, and were hesitating whether to come on deck,
when the second sound, coming directly from one of the berths,
revealed the cause of the alarm. The fellow got a good shaking
for the trouble he had given. We made a joke of the matter and
we could well laugh, for our minds were not a little relieved
by its ridiculous termination.
We were now close upon the southern tropical line, and, with
so fine a breeze, were daily leaving the sun behind us, and drawing
nearer to Cape Horn, for which it behoved us to make every
preparation. Our rigging was all examined and overhauled, and
mended, or replaced with new, where it was necessary: new and
strong bobstays fitted in the place of the chain ones, which were
worn out; the spritsail yard and martingale guys and back-ropes
set well taught; bran new fore and main braces rove; top-gallant
sheets, and wheel-ropes, made of green hide, laid up in the form of
rope, were stretched and fitted; and new top-sail clewlines, etc.,
rove; new fore-topmast back-stays fitted; and other preparations
made, in good season, that the ropes might have time to stretch
and become limber before we got into cold weather.
Sunday, June 12th. Lat. 26° 04' S., 116° 31' W. We had now lost
the regular trades, and had the winds variable, principally from
the westward, and kept on, in a southerly course, sailing very
nearly upon a meridian, and at the end of the week,
Sunday, June 19th, were in lat. 34° 15' S., and long. 116° 38' W.
CHAPTER XXXI
BAD PROSPECTS - FIRST TOUCH OF CAPE HORN - ICEBERGS - TEMPERANCE SHIPS -
LYING-UP - ICE - DIFFICULTY ON BOARD - CHANGE OF COURSE - STRAITS OF MAGELLAN
There now began to be a decided change in the appearance of things.
The days became shorter and shorter; the sun running lower in its
course each day, and giving less and less heat; and the nights so
cold as to prevent our sleeping on deck; the Magellan Clouds in
sight, of a clear night; the skies looking cold and angry; and,
at times, a long, heavy, ugly sea, setting in from the southwards
told us what we were coming to. Still, however, we had a fine,
strong breeze, and kept on our way, under as much sail as our
ship would bear. Toward the middle of the week, the wind hauled
to the southward, which brought us upon a taught bowline, made the
ship meet, nearly head on, the heavy swell which rolled from that
direction; and there was something not at all encouraging in the
manner in which she met it.
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