They Reached The Breakers Before Us; But Here
We Had The Advantage Of Them, For, Not Being Used To The
Surf,
they were obliged to wait to see us beach our boat, just as,
in the same place, nearly a
Year before, we, in the Pilgrim,
were glad to be taught by a boat's crew of Kanakas.
We had hardly got the boats beached, and their heads out, before our
old friend, Bill Jackson, the handsome English sailor, who steered
the Loriotte's boat, called out that the brig was adrift; and, sure
enough, she was dragging her anchors, and drifting down into the
bight of the bay. Without waiting for the captain, (for there
was no one on board but the mate and steward,) he sprung into
the boat, called the Kanakas together, and tried to put off.
But the Kanakas, though capital water-dogs, were frightened by
their vessel's being adrift, and by the emergency of the case,
and seemed to lose their faculties. Twice, their boat filled,
and came broadside upon the beach. Jackson swore at them for
a parcel of savages, and promised to flog every one of them.
This made the matter no better; when we came forward, told the
Kanakas to take their seats in the boat, and, going two on each
side, walked out with her till it was up to our shoulders, and gave
them a shove, when, giving way with their oars, they got her safely
into the long, regular swell. In the mean time, boats had put off
from our ships and the whaler, and coming all on board the brig
together, they let go the other anchor, paid out chain, braced the
yards to the wind, and brought the vessel up.
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