At Daybreak It Fell A Dead Calm, And With The Sun, The Fog
Cleared A Little, And A Breeze Sprung Up From The Westward, Which Soon
Grew Into A Gale.
We had now a fair wind, daylight, and comparatively
clear weather; yet, to the surprise of every one, the ship continued
hove-to.
Why does not he run? What is the captain about? was asked
by every one; and from questions, it soon grew into complaints and
murmurings. When the daylight was so short, it was too bad to
lose it, and a fair wind, too, which every one had been praying
for. As hour followed hour, and the captain showed no sign of
making sail, the crew became impatient, and there was a good deal
of talking and consultation together, on the forecastle. They had
been beaten out with the exposure and hardship, and impatient to
get out of it, and this unaccountable delay was more than they
could bear in quietness, in their excited and restless state.
Some said that the captain was frightened, - completely cowed,
by the dangers and difficulties that surrounded us, and was afraid
to make sail; while others said that in his anxiety and suspense
he had made a free use of brandy and opium, and was unfit for
his duty. The carpenter, who was an intelligent man, and a
thorough seaman, and had great influence with the crew,
came down into the forecastle, and tried to induce the crew to
go aft and ask the captain why he did not run, or request him,
in the name of all hands, to make sail. This appeared to be a
very reasonable request, and the crew agreed that if he did not
make sail before noon, they would go aft. Noon came, and no sail
was made. A consultation was held again, and it was proposed to
take the ship from the captain and give the command of her to the
mate, who had been heard to say that, if he could have his way,
the ship would have been half the distance to the Cape before
night, - ice or no ice. And so irritated and impatient had the
crew become, that even this proposition, which was open mutiny,
punishable with state prison, was entertained, and the carpenter
went to his berth, leaving it tacitly understood that something
serious would be done, if things remained as they were many hours
longer. When the carpenter left, we talked it all over, and I gave
my advice strongly against it. Another of the men, too, who had
known something of the kind attempted in another ship by a crew
who were dissatisfied with their captain, and which was followed
with serious consequences, was opposed to it. S - - -, who soon
came down, joined us, and we determined to have nothing to do
with it. By these means, they were soon induced to give it up,
for the present, though they said they would not lie where they
were much longer without knowing the reason.
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