The Chain Is Then Passed
Through The Hawse-Hole And Round The Windlass, And Bitted, The Slip-Rope
Taken Round Outside And Brought Into The Stern Port, And She Is Safe
In Her Old Berth.
After we had got through, the mate told us that
this was a small touch of California, the like of which we must
expect to have through the winter.
After we had furled the sails and got dinner, we saw the Loriotte
nearing, and she had her anchor before night. At sun-down we went
ashore again, and found the Loriotte's boat waiting on the beach.
The Sandwich Islander who could speak English, told us that he had
been up to the town; that our agent, Mr. R - - -, and some other
passengers, were going to Monterey with us, and that we were to
sail the same night. In a few minutes Captain T - - -, with two
gentlemen and one female, came down, and we got ready to go off.
They had a good deal of baggage, which we put into the bows of
the boat, and then two of us took the señora in our arms, and waded
with her through the water, and put her down safely in the stern.
She appeared much amused with the transaction, and her husband was
perfectly satisfied, thinking any arrangement good which saved his
wetting his feet. I pulled the after oar, so that I heard the
conversation, and learned that one of the men, who, as well as I
could see in the darkness, was a young-looking man, in the European
dress, and covered up in a large cloak, was the agent of the firm
to which our vessel belonged; and the other, who was dressed in the
Spanish dress of the country, was a brother of our captain, who had
been many years a trader on the coast, and had married the lady who
was in the boat. She was a delicate, dark-complexioned young woman,
and of one of the best families in California. I also found that
we were to sail the same night. As soon as we got on board,
the boats were hoisted up, the sails loosed, the windlass manned,
the slip-ropes and gear cast off; and after about twenty minutes
of heaving at the windlass, making sail, and bracing yards, we were
well under weigh, and going with a fair wind up the coast to Monterey.
The Loriotte got under weigh at the same time, and was also bound up
to Monterey, but as she took a different course from us, keeping the
land aboard, while we kept well out to sea, we soon lost sight of her.
We had a fair wind, which is something unusual when going up, as the
prevailing wind is the north, which blows directly down the coast;
whence the northern are called the windward, and the southern the
leeward ports.
CHAPTER XI
PASSAGE UP THE COAST - MONTEREY
We got clear of the islands before sunrise the next morning, and by
twelve o'clock were out of the canal, and off Point Conception, the
place where we first made the land upon our arrival. This is the
largest point on the coast, and is uninhabited headland, stretching
out into the Pacific, and has the reputation of being very windy.
Any vessel does well which gets by it without a gale, especially
in the winter season. We were going along with studding-sails set
on both sides, when, as we came round the point, we had to haul our
wind, and take in the lee studding-sails. As the brig came more upon
the wind, she felt it more, and we doused the sky-sails, but kept
the weather studding-sails on her, bracing the yards forward so that
the swinging-boom nearly touched the sprit-sail yard. She now lay
over to it, the wind was freshening, and the captain was evidently
"dragging on to her." His brother and Mr. R - - -, looking a little
squally, said something to him, but he only answered that he knew
the vessel and what she would carry. He was evidently showing off
his vessel, and letting them know how he could carry sail. He stood
up to windward, holding on by the backstays, and looking up at the
sticks, to see how much they would bear; when a puff came which
settled the matter. Then it was "haul down," and "clew up," royals,
flying-jib, and studding-sails, all at once. There was what the
sailors call a "mess" - everything let go, nothing hauled in, and
everything flying. The poor Spanish woman came to the companion-way,
looking as pale as a ghost, and nearly frightened to death. The mate
and some men forward were trying to haul in the lower studding-sail,
which had blown over the sprit-sail yard-arm and round the guys;
while the topmast-studding-sail boom, after buckling up and springing
out again like a piece of whalebone, broke off at the boom-iron.
I sprang aloft to take in the main top-gallant studding-sail, but
before I got into the top, the tack parted, and away went the sail,
swinging forward of the top-gallant-sail, and tearing and slatting
itself to pieces. The halyards were at this moment let go by the run;
and such a piece of work I never had before, in taking in a sail.
After great exertions I got it, or the remains of it, into the top,
and was making it fast, when the captain, looking up, called out
to me, "Lay aloft there, D - - -, and furl that main royal." Leaving
the studding-sail, I went up to the cross trees; and here it looked
rather squally. The foot of the top-gallant-mast was working between
the cross and trussel trees, and the royal-mast lay over at a fearful
angle with the mast below, while everything was working, and cracking,
strained to the utmost.
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