One, a short, clumsy,
little hermaphrodite brig, we recognized as our old acquaintance,
the Loriotte; another, with sharp bows
And raking masts, newly painted
and tarred, and glittering in the morning sun, with the blood-red
banner and cross of St. George at her peak, was the handsome Ayacucho.
The third was a large ship, with top-gallant-masts housed, and sails
unbent, and looking as rusty and worn as two years' "hide-droghing" could
make her. This was the Lagoda. As we drew near, carried rapidly
along by the current, we overhauled our chain, and clewed up the
topsails. "Let go the anchor!" said the captain but either there was
not chain enough forward of the windlass, or the anchor went down
foul, or we had too much headway on, for it did not bring us up.
"Pay out chain!" shouted the captain; and we gave it to her; but it
would not do. Before the other anchor could be let go, we drifted
down, broadside on, and went smash into the Lagoda. Her crew were
at breakfast in the forecastle, and the cook, seeing us coming,
rushed out of his galley, and called up the officers and men.
Fortunately no great harm was done. Her jib-boom ran between our
fore and main masts, carrying away some of our rigging, and breaking
down the rail. She lost her martingale. This brought us up, and as
they paid out chain, we swung clear of them, and let go the other
anchor; but this had as bad luck as the first, for, before any one
perceived it, we were drifting on to the Loriotte. The captain now
gave out his orders rapidly and fiercely, sheeting home the topsails,
and backing and filling the sails, in hope of starting or clearing
the anchors; but it was all in vain, and he sat down on the rail,
taking it very leisurely, and calling out to Captain Nye, that he was
coming to pay him a visit. We drifted fairly into the Loriotte, her
larboard bow into our starboard quarter, carrying away a part of our
starboard quarter railing, and breaking off her larboard bumpkin,
and one or two stanchions above the deck. We saw our handsome
sailor, Jackson, on the forecastle, with the Sandwich Islanders,
working away to get us clear. After paying out chain, we swung
clear, but our anchors were no doubt afoul of hers. We manned
the windlass, and hove, and hove away, but to no purpose.
Sometimes we got a little upon the cable, but a good surge would take
it all back again. We now began to drift down toward the Ayacucho,
when her boat put off and brought her commander, Captain Wilson,
on board. He was a short, active, well-built man, between fifty
and sixty years of age; and being nearly twenty years older than
our captain, and a thorough seaman, he did not hesitate to give his
advice, and from giving advice, he gradually came to taking the
command; ordering us when to heave and when to pawl, and backing
and filling the topsails, setting and taking in jib and trysail,
whenever he thought best. Our captain gave a few orders, but as
Wilson generally countermanded them, saying, in an easy, fatherly
kind of way, "Oh no! Captain T - - -, you don't want the jib on
her," or "it isn't time yet to heave!" he soon gave it up. We had no
objections to this state of things, for Wilson was a kind old man,
and had an encouraging and pleasant way of speaking to us, which
made everything go easily. After two or three hours of constant
labor at the windlass, heaving and "Yo ho!"-ing with all our might,
we brought up an anchor, with the Loriotte's small bower fast to it,
Having cleared this and let it go, and cleared our hawse, we soon
got our other anchor, which had dragged half over the harbor.
"Now," said Wilson, "I'll find you a good berth;" and setting both
the topsails, he carried us down, and brought us to anchor, in
handsome style, directly abreast of the hide-house which we were to
use. Having done this, he took his leave, while we furled the sails,
and got our breakfast, which was welcome to us, for we had worked
hard, and it was nearly twelve o'clock. After breakfast, and until
night, we were employed in getting out the boats and mooring ship.
After supper, two of us took the captain on board the Lagoda.
As he came alongside, he gave his name, and the mate, in the
gangway, called out to the captain down the companion-way -
"Captain T - - - has come aboard, sir!" "Has he brought his brig
with him?" said the rough old fellow, in a tone which made itself
heard fore and aft. This mortified our captain a little, and it
became a standing joke among us for the rest of the voyage.
The captain went down into the cabin, and we walked forward and
put our heads down the forecastle, where we found the men at supper,
"Come down, shipmates! Come down!" said they, as soon as they
saw us; and we went down, and found a large, high forecastle, well
lighted; and a crew of twelve or fourteen men, eating out of their
kids and pans, and drinking their tea, and talking and laughing,
all as independent and easy as so many "wood-sawyer's clerks."
This looked like comfort and enjoyment, compared with the dark
little forecastle, and scanty, discontented crew of the brig.
It was Saturday night; they had got through with their work for the
week; and being snugly moored, had nothing to do until Monday, again.
After two years' hard service, they had seen the worst, and all,
of California; - had got their cargo nearly stowed, and expected to
sail in a week or two, for Boston. We spent an hour or more with
them, talking over California matters, until the word was passed -
"Pilgrims, away!" and we went back with our captain.
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