The Affair Remained In This State Until Four O'clock, When An
Order Came Forward For All Hands To Come Aft Upon The Quarter-
Deck.
In about ten minutes they came forward again, and the
whole affair had been blown.
The carpenter, very prematurely,
and without any authority from the crew, had sounded the mate
as to whether he would take command of the ship, and intimated
an intention to displace the captain; and the mate, as in duty
bound, had told the whole to the captain, who immediately sent
for all hands aft. Instead of violent measures, or, at least,
an outbreak of quarter-deck bravado, threats, and abuse, which
they had every reason to expect, a sense of common danger and
common suffering seemed to have tamed his spirit, and begotten
something like a humane fellow-feeling; for he received the crew
in a manner quiet, and even almost kind. He told them what he
had heard, and said that he did not believe that they would try
to do any such thing as was intimated; that they had always been
good men, - obedient, and knew their duty, and he had no fault to
find with them; and asked them what they had to complain of - said
that no one could say that he was slow to carry sail, (which was
true enough;) and that, as soon as he thought it was safe and
proper, he should make sail. He added a few words about their
duty in their present situation, and sent them forward, saying
that he should take no further notice of the matter; but, at the
same time, told the carpenter to recollect whose power he was in,
and that if he heard another word from him he would have cause to
remember him to the day of his death.
This language of the captain had a very good effect upon the crew,
and they returned quietly to their duty.
For two days more the wind blew from the southward and eastward;
or in the short intervals when it was fair, the ice was too thick
to run; yet the weather was not so dreadfully bad, and the crew had
watch and watch. I still remained in my berth, fast recovering,
yet still not well enough to go safely on deck. And I should
have been perfectly useless; for, from having eaten nothing for
nearly a week, except a little rice, which I forced into my mouth
the last day or two, I was as weak as an infant. To be sick in a
forecastle is miserable indeed. It is the worst part of a dog's
life; especially in bad weather. The forecastle, shut up tight
to keep out the water and cold air; - the watch either on deck,
or asleep in their berths; - no one to speak to; - the pale light of
the single lamp, swinging to and fro from the beam, so dim that
one can scarcely see, much less read by it; - the water dropping
from the beams and carlines, and running down the sides; and the
forecastle so wet, and dark, and cheerless, and so lumbered up
with chests and wet clothes, that sitting up is worse than lying
in the berth!
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