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!
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