BETWEEN one and two o'clock, the report of a little swivel gun, with which
the taffrail of the 'Daylight' was armed, echoed over the bay, and
announced to the party that all was in readiness. In a very few minutes we
were all mustered on the beach, looking, I must confess, remarkably like
brigands, in our slouching and high-crowned Californian hats, coatless, and
with shirt-sleeves either tucked up or cut off above the elbow, which, with
the carbine that each man carried in his hand, and the revolvers, knives,
etc., stuck into the waist-belts, made our 'tout ensemble' such, that I am
convinced no honest citizen, with a plethoric purse, who saw us thus for
the first time, would have felt quite at his ease in our company. With a
ringing cheer from the townspeople assembled on the beach, under the shade
of the big trees, we shoved off, and, manned by willing hands, the cable
rattled in, in a fashion that must have astonished the old windlass,
accustomed to the leisurely proceedings that usually obtained on board the
'Daylight'. The sail was soon clapped on, the little vessel heeled over to
the sea-breeze now setting in pretty stiffly, and ten minutes after
quitting the shore we were down in the hold, the captain and his lady
occupying the cabin. Making our preparations for the night, which
consisted, I may mention, mainly of spreading out our blankets, whilst the
'Daylight', with the Government whale-boat towing astern, was beating up
against the adverse wind for the north end of Hinchinbrook, where we
purposed anchoring for the night, and commencing our search on the
following morning.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 25 of 115
Words from 6504 to 6791
of 31542
