The Throwing The Hides Upon The Pole Was
The Most Difficult Work, And Required A Sleight Of Hand Which Was
Only To Be Got By Long Practice.
As I was known for a hide-curer,
this post was assigned to me, and I continued at it
For six or
eight days, tossing, in that time, from eight to ten thousand hides,
until my wrists became so lame that I gave in; and was transferred
to the gang that was employed in filling the boats, where I remained
for the rest of the time. As we were obliged to carry the hides
on our heads from fear of their getting wet, we each had a piece
of sheepskin sewed into the inside of our hats, with the wool next
to our heads, and thus were able to bear the weight, day after day,
which would otherwise have soon worn off our hair, and borne hard upon
our skulls. Upon the whole, ours was the best berth; for though the
water was nipping cold, early in the morning and late at night,
and being so continually wet was rather an exposure, yet we got
rid of the constant dust and dirt from the beating of the hides,
and being all of us young and hearty, did not mind the exposure.
The older men of the crew, whom it would have been dangerous to
have kept in the water, remained on board with the mate, to stow
the hides away, as fast as they were brought off by the boats.
We continued at work in this manner until the lower hold was filled
to within four feet of the beams, when all hands were called aboard
to commence steeving. As this is a peculiar operation, it will
require a minute description.
Before stowing the hides, as I have said, the ballast is levelled
off, just above the keelson, and then loose dunnage placed upon it,
on which the hides rest. The greatest care is used in stowing, to make
the ship hold as many hides as possible. It is no mean art, and a man
skilled in it is an important character in California. Many a dispute
have I heard raging high between professed "beach-combers," as to
whether the hides should be stowed "shingling," or "back-to-back,
and flipper-to-flipper;" upon which point there was an entire and
bitter division of sentiment among the savans. We adopted each
method at different periods of the stowing, and parties ran high
in the forecastle, some siding with "old Bill" in favor of the
former, and others scouting him, and relying upon "English Bob"
of the Ayacucho, who had been eight years in California, and was
willing to risk his life and limb for the latter method. At length
a compromise was effected, and a middle course, of shifting the ends
and backs at every lay, was adopted, which worked well, and which,
though they held it inferior to their own, each party granted was
better than that of the other.
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