They Both Showed Great Pluck, And Fought Probably
Better And Longer Than Their Masters Would Have Done.
Whether,
in the end, it was the white or the red that beat, I do not recollect;
but, whichever it was, he strutted off with the true veni-vidi-vici look,
leaving the other lying panting on his beam-ends.
This matter having been settled, we heard some talk about "caballos"
and "carrera" and seeing the people all streaming off in one direction,
we followed, and came upon a level piece of ground, just out of
the town, which was used as a race-course. Here the crowd soon
became thick again; the ground was marked off; the judges stationed;
and the horses led up to one end. Two fine-looking old gentlemen
- Don Carlos and Don Domingo, so called - held the stakes, and all
was now ready. We waited some time, during which we could just see
the horses twisting round and turning, until, at length, there
was a shout along the lines, and on they came - heads stretched
out and eyes starting; - working all over, both man and beast.
The steeds came by us like a couple of chain-shot - neck and neck;
and now we could see nothing but their backs, and their hind hoofs
flying in the air. As fast as the horses passed, the crowd broke
up behind them, and ran to the goal. When we got there, we found
the horses returning on a slow walk, having run far beyond the mark,
and heard that the long, bony one had come in head and shoulders
before the other. The riders were light-built men; had handkerchiefs
tied round their heads; and were bare-armed and bare-legged.
The horses were noble-looking beasts, not so sleek and combed as
our Boston stable-horses, but with fine limbs, and spirited eyes.
After this had been settled, and fully talked over, the crowd
scattered again and flocked back to the town.
Returning to the large pulperia, we found the violin and guitar
screaming and twanging away under the piazza, where they had
been all day. As it was now sundown, there began to be some
dancing. The Italian sailors danced, and one of our crew exhibited
himself in a sort of West India shuffle, much to the amusement of
the bystanders, who cried out, "Bravo!" "Otra vez!" and "Vivan
los marineros!" but the dancing did not become general, as the
women and the "gente de razón" had not yet made their appearance.
We wished very much to stay and see the style of dancing; but,
although we had had our own way during the day, yet we were,
after all, but 'foremast Jacks; and having been ordered to be on the
beach by sundown, did not venture to be more than an hour behind
the time; so we took our way down. We found the boat just pulling
ashore through the breakers, which were running high, there having
been a heavy fog outside, which, from some cause or other, always
brings on, or precedes a heavy sea. Liberty-men are privileged
from the time they leave the vessel until they step on board again;
so we took our places in the stern sheets, and were congratulating
ourselves upon getting off dry, when a great comber broke fore and
aft the boat, and wet us through and through, filling the boat
half full of water. Having lost her buoyancy by the weight of the
water, she dropped heavily into every sea that struck her, and by
the time we had pulled out of the surf into deep water, she was but
just afloat, and we were up to our knees. By the help of a small
bucket and our hats, we bailed her out, got on board, hoisted the
boats, eat our supper, changed our clothes, gave (as is usual) the
whole history of our day's adventures to those who had staid on
board, and having taken a night-smoke, turned-in. Thus ended
our second day's liberty on shore.
On Monday morning, as an offset to our day's sport, we were all
set to work "tarring down" the rigging. Some got girt-lines up
for riding down the stays and back-stays, and others tarred the
shrouds, lifts, etc., laying out on the yards, and coming down
the rigging. We overhauled our bags and took out our old tarry
trowsers and frocks, which we had used when we tarred down before,
and were all at work in the rigging by sunrise. After breakfast,
we had the satisfaction of seeing the Italian ship's boat go ashore,
filled with men, gaily dressed, as on the day before, and singing
their barcarollas. The Easter holydays are kept up on shore during
three days; and being a Catholic vessel, the Crew had the advantage
of them. For two successive days, while perched up in the rigging,
covered with tar and engaged in our disagreeable work, we saw these
fellows going ashore in the morning, and coming off again at night,
in high spirits. So much for being Protestants. There's no danger
of Catholicism's spreading in New England; Yankees can't afford the
time to be Catholics. American shipmasters get nearly three weeks
more labor out of their crews, in the course of a year, than the
masters of vessels from Catholic countries. Yankees don't keep
Christmas, and ship-masters at sea never know when Thanksgiving
comes, so Jack has no festival at all.
About noon, a man aloft called out "Sail ho!" and looking round,
we saw the head sails of a vessel coming round the point. As she
drew round, she showed the broadside of a full-rigged brig, with
the Yankee ensign at her peak. We ran up our stars and stripes, and,
knowing that there was no American brig on the coast but ourselves,
expected to have news from home. She rounded-to and let go her
anchor, but the dark faces on her yards, when they furled the sails,
and the Babel on deck, soon made known that she was from the Islands.
Immediately afterwards, a boat's crew came aboard, bringing her skipper,
and from them we learned that she was from Oahu, and was engaged in
the same trade with the Ayacucho, Loriotte, etc., between the coast,
the Sandwich Islands, and the leeward coast of Peru and Chili.
Her captain and officers were Americans, and also a part of her crew;
the rest were Islanders.
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