CHAPTER XXVII
THE SUNDAY WASH-UP - ON SHORE - A SET-TO - A GRANDEE - "SAIL HO!" - A FANDANGO
The only other vessel in port was the Russian government bark,
from Asitka, mounting eight guns, (four of which we found to be
Quakers,) and having on board the ex-governor, who was going in
her to Mazatlan, and thence overland to Vera Cruz.
He offered
to take letters, and deliver them to the American consul at
Vera Cruz, whence they could be easily forwarded to the United
States. We accordingly made up a packet of letters, almost every
one writing, and dating them "January 1st, 1836." The governor
was true to his promise, and they all reached Boston before the
middle of March; the shortest communication ever yet made across
the country.
The brig Pilgrim had been lying in Monterey through the latter part
of November, according to orders, waiting for us. Day after day,
Captain Faucon went up to the hill to look out for us, and at last,
gave us up, thinking we must have gone down in the gale which we
experienced off Point Conception, and which had blown with great
fury over the whole coast, driving ashore several vessels in the
snuggest ports. An English brig, which had put into San Francisco,
lost both her anchors; the Rosa was driven upon a mud bank in
San Diego; and the Pilgrim, with great difficulty, rode out the
gale in Monterey, with three anchors a-head. She sailed early
in December for San Diego and intermedios.
As we were to be here over Sunday, and Monterey was the best place
to go ashore on the whole coast, and we had had no liberty-day for
nearly three months, every one was for going ashore. On Sunday morning,
as soon as the decks were washed, and we had got breakfast, those who
had obtained liberty began to clean themselves, as it is called,
to go ashore. A bucket of fresh water apiece, a cake of soap,
a large coarse towel, and we went to work scrubbing one another,
on the forecastle. Having gone through this, the next thing was
to get into the head, - one on each side - with a bucket apiece,
and duck one another, by drawing up water and heaving over each
other, while we were stripped to a pair of trowsers. Then came
the rigging-up. The usual outfit of pumps, white stockings,
loose white duck trowsers, blue jackets, clean checked shirts,
black kerchiefs, hats well varnished, with a fathom of black
ribbon over the left eye, a silk handkerchief flying from the
outside jacket pocket, and four or five dollars tied up in the
back of the neckerchief, and we were "all right." One of the
quarter-boats pulled us ashore, and we steamed up to the town.
I tried to find the church, in order to see the worship, but was told
that there was no service, except a mass early in the morning; so we
went about the town, visiting the Americans and English, and the
natives whom we had known when we were here before.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 182 of 324
Words from 94751 to 95271
of 170236
