He Did Not Seem At All Fatigued, Had Made Three
Or Four Dollars, Got A Glass Of Brandy, And Was
In fine spirits.
The brig kept on her course, and the government officers, who had
come down to forbid her
Sailing, went back, each with something
like a flea in his ear, having depended upon extorting a little
more money from the owner.
It was now nearly three months since the Alert arrived at Santa
Barbara, and we began to expect her daily. About a half a mile
behind the hide-house, was a high hill; and every afternoon,
as soon as we had done our work, some one of us walked up to see
if there were any sail in sight, coming down before the regular trades,
which blow every afternoon. Each day, after the latter part of July,
we went up the hill, and came back disappointed. I was anxious for
her arrival, for I had been told by letter that the owners in Boston,
at the request of my friends, had written to Captain T - - - to take
me on board the Alert, in case she returned to the United States
before the Pilgrim; and I, of course, wished to know whether the
order had been received, and what was the destination of the ship.
One year more or less might be of small consequence to others,
but it was everything to me. It was now just a year since we sailed
from Boston, and at the shortest, no vessel could expect to get away
under eight or nine months, which would make our absence two years in
all.
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