The Bow-Man Had Charge Of The Boat-Hook And
Painter, And The Coxswain Of The Rudder, Yoke, And Stern-
Sheets.
Our duty was to carry the captain and agent about, and passengers
off and on; which last was no
Trifling duty, as the people on shore
have no boats, and every purchaser, from the boy who buys his pair
of shoes, to the trader who buys his casks and bales, were to be
taken off and on, in our boat. Some days, when people were coming
and going fast, we were in the boat, pulling off and on, all day long,
with hardly time for our meals; making, as we lay nearly three
miles from shore, from forty to fifty miles' rowing in a day.
Still, we thought it the best berth in the ship; for when the
gig was employed, we had nothing to do with the cargo, except
small bundles which the passengers carried with them, and no
hides to carry, besides the opportunity of seeing everybody,
making acquaintances, hearing the news, etc. Unless the captain
or agent were in the boat, we had no officer with us, and often had
fine times with the passengers, who were always willing to talk and
joke with us. Frequently, too, we were obliged to wait several hours
on shore; when we would haul the boat up on the beach, and leaving
one to watch her, go up to the nearest house, or spend the time in
strolling about the beach, picking up shells, or playing hopscotch,
and other games, on the hard sand. The rest of the crew never left
the ship, except for bringing heavy goods and taking off hides;
and though we were always in the water, the surf hardly leaving us
a dry thread from morning till night, yet we were young, and the
climate was good, and we thought it much better than the quiet,
hum-drum drag and pull on board ship. We made the acquaintance
of nearly half of California; for, besides carrying everybody in
our boat, - men, women, and children, - all the messages, letters,
and light packages went by us, and being known by our dress,
we found a ready reception everywhere.
At San Pedro, we had none of this amusement, for, there being but
one house in the place, we, of course, had but little company.
All the variety that I had, was riding, once a week, to the
nearest rancho, to order a bullock down for the ship.
The brig Catalina came in from San Diego, and being bound up to
windward, we both got under weigh at the same time, for a trial
of speed up to Santa Barbara, a distance of about eighty miles.
We hove up and got under sail about eleven o'clock at night, with
a light land-breeze, which died away toward morning, leaving us
becalmed only a few miles from our anchoring-place. The Catalina,
being a small vessel, of less than half our size, put out sweeps
and got a boat ahead, and pulled out to sea, during the night,
so that she had the sea-breeze earlier and stronger than we did,
and we had the mortification of seeing her standing up the coast,
with a fine breeze, the sea all ruffled about her, while we
were becalmed, in-shore.
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