He Had Had Several Difficulties With The Captain,
And Asked Leave To Go Home In The Lagoda; But This Was Refused Him.
One Night He Was Insolent To An Officer On The Beach, And Refused
To Come Aboard In The Boat.
He was reported to the captain; and
as he came aboard, - it being past the proper hour, - he was called
aft, and told that he was to have a flogging.
Immediately, he fell
down on the deck, calling out - "Don't flog me, Captain T - - -;
don't flog me!" and the captain, angry with him, and disgusted
with his cowardice, gave him a few blows over the back with a
rope's end and sent him forward. He was not much hurt, but a
good deal frightened, and made up his mind to run away that
very night. This was managed better than anything he ever did
in his life, and seemed really to show some spirit and forethought.
He gave his bedding and mattress to one of the Lagoda's crew,
who took it aboard his vessel as something which he had bought,
and promised to keep it for him. He then unpacked his chest,
putting all his valuable clothes into a large canvas bag, and told
one of us, who had the watch, to call him at midnight. Coming on
deck, at midnight, and finding no officer on deck, and all still
aft, he lowered his bag into a boat, got softly down into it,
cast off the painter, and let it drop silently with the tide
until he was out of hearing, when he sculled ashore.
The next morning, when all hands were mustered, there was a
great stir to find F - - -. Of course, we would tell nothing, and all
they could discover was, that he had left an empty chest behind him,
and that he went off in a boat; for they saw it lying up high and dry
on the beach. After breakfast, the captain went up to the town,
and offered a reward of twenty dollars for him; and for a couple
of days, the soldiers, Indians, and all others who had nothing to do,
were scouring the country for him, on horseback, but without effect;
for he was safely concealed, all the time, within fifty rods of
the hide-houses. As soon as he had landed, he went directly to
the Lagoda's hide-house, and a part of her crew, who were living
there on shore, promised to conceal him and his traps until the
Pilgrim should sail, and then to intercede with Captain Bradshaw
to take him on board the ship. Just behind the hide-houses,
among the thickets and underwood, was a small cave, the entrance
to which was known only to two men on the beach, and which was so
well concealed that, though, when I afterwards came to live on
shore, it was shown to me two or three times, I was never able to
find it alone. To this cave he was carried before daybreak in the
morning, and supplied with bread and water, and there remained
until he saw us under weigh and well round the point.
Friday, March 27th. The captain, having given up all hope of
finding F - - -, and being unwilling to delay any longer, gave
orders for unmooring the ship, and we made sail, dropping slowly
down with the tide and light wind. We left letters with Captain
Bradshaw to take to Boston, and had the satisfaction of hearing
him say that he should be back again before we left the coast.
The wind, which was very light, died away soon after we doubled the
point, and we lay becalmed for two days, not moving three miles the
whole time, and a part of the second day were almost within sight
of the vessels. On the third day, about noon, a cool sea-breeze came
rippling and darkening the surface of the water, and by sundown
we were off San Juan's, which is about forty miles from San Diego,
and is called half way to San Pedro, where we were now bound.
Our crew was now considerably weakened. One man we had lost
overboard; another had been taken aft as clerk; and a third had
run away; so that, beside S - - - and myself, there were only three
able seamen and one boy of twelve years of age. With this
diminished and discontented crew, and in a small vessel, we were
now to battle the watch through a couple of years of hard service;
yet there was not one who was not glad that F - - - had escaped;
for, shiftless and good for nothing as he was, no one could wish
to see him dragging on a miserable life, cowed down and disheartened;
and we were all rejoiced to hear, upon our return to San Diego,
about two months afterwards, that he had been immediately taken
aboard the Lagoda, and went home in her, on regular seaman's wages.
After a slow passage of five days, we arrived, on Wednesday,
the first of April, at our old anchoring ground at San Pedro.
The bay was as deserted, and looked as dreary, as before, and formed
no pleasing contrast with the security and snugness of San Diego,
and the activity and interest which the loading and unloading of four
vessels gave to that scene. In a few days the hides began to come
slowly down, and we got into the old business of rolling goods up
the hill, pitching hides down, and pulling our long league off and
on. Nothing of note occurred while we were lying here, except
that an attempt was made to repair the small Mexican brig which
had been cast away in a south-easter, and which now lay up, high
and dry, over one reef of rocks and two sand-banks. Our carpenter
surveyed her, and pronounced her capable of refitting, and in a
few days the owners came down from the Pueblo, and, waiting for
the high spring tides, with the help of our cables, kedges, and crew,
got her off and afloat, after several trials.
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