The
activity of preparation, the rapid progress of the ship, the first
making land, the coming up the harbor,
And old scenes breaking upon
the view, produced a mental as well as bodily activity, from which
the change to a perfect stillness, when both expectation and the
necessity of labor failed, left a calmness, almost of indifference,
from which I must be roused by some new excitement. And the next
morning, when all hands were called, and we were busily at work,
clearing the decks, and getting everything in readiness for going up
to the wharves, - loading the guns for a salute, loosing the sails,
and manning the windlass - mind and body seemed to wake together.
About ten o'clock, a sea-breeze sprang up, and the pilot gave orders
to get the ship under weigh. All hands manned the windlass, and the
long-drawn "Yo, heave, ho!" which we had last heard dying away
among the desolate hills of San Diego, soon brought the anchor to
the bows; and, with a fair wind and tide, a bright sunny morning,
royals and sky-sails set, ensign, streamer, signals, and pennant,
flying, and with our guns firing, we came swiftly and handsomely
up to the city. Off the end of the wharf, we rounded-to and let
go our anchor; and no sooner was it on the bottom, than the decks
were filled with people: custom-house officers; Topliff's agent,
to inquire for news; others, inquiring for friends on board, or
left upon the coast; dealers in grease, besieging the galley to
make a bargain with the cook for his slush; "loafers" in general;
and last and chief, boarding-house runners, to secure their men.
Nothing can exceed the obliging disposition of these runners,
and the interest they take in a sailor returned from a long voyage
with a plenty of money. Two or three of them, at different times,
took me by the hand; remembered me perfectly; were quite sure I
had boarded with them before I sailed; were delighted to see me
back; gave me their cards; had a hand-cart waiting on the wharf,
on purpose to take my things up: would lend me a hand to get my
chest ashore; bring a bottle of grog on board if we did not haul
in immediately, - and the like. In fact, we could hardly get clear
of them, to go aloft and furl the sails. Sail after sail, for the
hundredth time, in fair weather and in foul, we furled now for
the last time together, and came down and took the warp ashore,
manned the capstan, and with a chorus which waked up half the
North End, and rang among the buildings in the dock, we hauled
her in to the wharf. Here, too, the landlords and runners were
active and ready, taking a bar to the capstan, lending a hand at
the ropes, laughing and talking and telling the news.
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