After This, They Had To Pull Thirty Miles, And When
They Got On Board, Were So Stiff That They Could Not Come Up
The Gangway Ladder.
This filled up the measure of the agent's
unpopularity, and never after this could he get anything done by
Any of the crew; and many a delay and vexation, and many a good
ducking in the surf, did he get to pay up old scores, or "square
the yards with the bloody quill-driver."
Having collected nearly all the hides that were to be procured,
we began our preparations for taking in a supply of wood and water,
for both of which, San Francisco is the best place on the coast.
A small island, situated about two leagues from the anchorage,
called by us "Wood Island," and by the Spaniards "Isle de los
Angelos," was covered with trees to the water's edge; and to
this, two of our crew, who were Kennebec men, and could handle
an axe like a plaything, were sent every morning to cut wood,
with two boys to pile it up for them. In about a week, they had
cut enough to last us a year, and the third mate, with myself
and three others, were sent over in a large, schooner-rigged,
open launch, which we had hired of the mission, to take in the
wood, and bring it to the ship. We left the ship about noon, but,
owing to a strong head wind, and a tide, which here runs four or
five knots, did not get into the harbor, formed by two points of
the island, where the boats lie, until sundown.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 338 of 618
Words from 92480 to 92754
of 170236
