Ingraham, J. H. (Joseph Holt), 1809-1860 [1847], Paul Perril, the merchant's son, or, The adventures of a New-England boy launched upon life Volume 1 (Williams & Brothers, Boston) [word count] [eaf207v1].
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Front matter
Covers, Edges and Spine
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Preliminaries
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Title Page
PAUL PERRIL,
THE MERCHANT'S SON:
OR THE
ADVENTURES OF A NEW-ENGLAND BOY LAUNCHED
UPON LIFE.
BY PROFESSOR J. H. INGRAHAM,
AUTHOR OF
`THE QUADROON,' `LAFITTE,' `MONTEZUMA,' &c., &c.
PART FIRST.
BOSTON:
WILLIAMS & BROTHERS, 22, CONGRESS-STREET.
Preliminaries
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Main text
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CHAPTER I.
The Yankee predeliction for wandering. Some account of Paul's
percentage. A few passages touching `gentility.' Paul and
his brother.
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New England is the great population nursery of the American continent.
The young shoots which it produces annually, are reared with
an eye to transplanting, rather than for domestic growth. Of every
seven juvenile plants five are sent off to be planted in the South and
West—to thrive in Oregon or bear fruit in California. For a family
of children born in the land of Pilgrims to remain there as men and
women within sight of the smoke of the paternal home, is an event
scarcely known. `Where shall I emigrate—where shall I make my
fortune?' is the first enquiry of the Yankee boy as he begins to discover
a beard upon his lip.
Such was the question our hero, Paul Perril, addressed to himself
one sunshiny morning when he had scarcely reached his seventeenth
year. This was, it is true, rather an advanced age for a spirited New
England youth to put this inquiry for the first time, inasmuch as they
are expected to begin to earn their living by the time they enter their
`teens.' Indeed, two-thirds of the boys do earn their bread and butter
at this early age. Cast an eye through the length and breadth of the
land of `steady habits,' and for every man in business, you will find a
smart little fellow in his employ, smart, shrewd, and with all his eyeteeth
cut. Boys in Yankeedom are men before they have yet gone
through the period of youth. They leap from their mother's lap right
into the bustle and activity of money-getting. They cast aside their
tops and balls to grasp the sterner tools of the laborer, mechanic and
farmer. Yankee boys are easily weaned from home. It is well it is
so, or there would be much unhappiness undergone, and many, many
bitter tears shed by the courageous little exiles from the domestic
hearth.
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Paul Perril was a Yankee boy throughout. He was frank and fearless
in his bearing, quick-witted, shrewd and intelligent. He possessed,
moreover, a very generous nature, was kind and benevolent, a little
roguish withal, and had a heart large enough to embrace the whole
world within the pinions of his kindly feelings. His birth place was
in the valley of the Kennebec, one of the most beautiful regions of
New England. The town was a thriving business place, situated upon
the river bank, and contained, besides a long street filled with stores,
several back streets lined with genteel dwelling-houses, shaded by
trees, and mostly having before them neat flower-beds, besides spacious
vegetable gardens extending far in the rear. The society was highly
respectable, that is, it consisted of thirty-one or more families who
lived `genteely.' By this vague term we mean, that they were the
families of merchants, lawyers, doctors and clergymen, and two or
three retired wealthy men; that they had green blinds to their houses;
that the houses were two stories in height; (for respectability never
occupies small abodes!) that they contained a handsome front parlor,
never used but two or three times in a year, and which `the children'
were never allowed to enter; that the parlor held a piano-forte; that
the daughters went to the boarding-school, and the boys to the academy;
and lastly, that they, the said genteel families, visited each other
and no body else; for those whom they did not visit were `nobodyelses.
'
One of the families of this exclusive caste of gentility had the good
fortune to produce our hero. Peter Perril was a merchant, and by
virtue of his pursuit belonged to the upper `thirty-one.' If perchance
he had been a cabinet-maker he would not have belonged to this upper
crust, but would have taken his place with the under crust, albeit he
might have been in heart and head, hands and feet, the very identical
Peter Peril, Merchant. There is, evidently, some profound and mysterious
principle of gentility which, with all our observation, we have
not yet been able to fathom, in buying a glass of rum and selling it
again by the `gill' across the counter to red-eyed topers. For our
part, though we may be singular in our notions, we think there is
something much more genteel and elevating to manhood in taking a
rough board and skillfully shaping it by sawing and planing and glueing
and polishing it into an elegant book case, or a serviceable table.
We confess we would rather the hand that held the saw were ours than
the hand that extended the gill of rum!
Mr. Perril's store was like all country stores. We would call them
`shops,' but this word has been dropped by country merchants and
bestowed upon the places where mechanics labor. Both are mere
words. We don't quarrel with them. Whether called shop or store
the thing is the same. The shop of the shoe-maker is a more respectable
place than the `store' of the ramseller. But we are speaking of
by-gone days—days when all store-keepers sold ram and thought no
evil of it, at least the world had not then began to lift up its voice
against the traffic. Now no `merchant' retails rum. No respectable
`store-keeper' dare sell the fiery glass to the grovelling wretch
who dares to ask for it. Now the finger of scorn and displeasure
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would be pointed at him. He, therefore, unless lost to all considerations
of respectability, all regard for public opinion, banishes it from
his `store' and by so much has taken from this word its odium. But
twenty years ago, the time when we take up our story, all `merchants'
in country towns were cup-bearers to the town topers.
Peter Perril kept a store for the retailing of every thing under heaven,
from a paper of pins to a puncheon of brandy. He sold dun fish,
he sold herring, and molasses, flour and fans, fish-hooks and shingles,
brooms and ginger bread, corn and candy, nuts and raisins, tobacco
and cigars, domestic sheeting, calicos, tea, coffee, butter, lard, indigo,
mats and hats, boots and mittens, scythes and apple-sauce, oats and
pepper sauce, besides rum, gin, sherry, sherbet, and every other sort of
liquor for making men beasts.
Mr. Perril kept out of his store no article that would turn him an
honest profit. He consulted the wants of the miscellaneous community
and judiciously supplied them. His gains were small in detail but
large in the aggregate. He was a thriving man. He owned his store
and enlarged it yearly by additions, now to the side, now to the end,
new an additional story. He built a house and furnished it, and held
up his head with the best. He always went to meeting where he owned
a pew. He never kept open later than five minutes to twelve of Saturday
nights, for he had a discreet respect for the Sabbath. His wife
was a notable woman, skillful in household matters, and knew how to
bring up a family of children, of which she had no less than nine. It
was her aim to bring them up `respectably,' that is, to move in genteel
society. She wished her sons to go to college, or be merchants,
and her daughters to marry `among the first in the land.'
But although Peter made money, he had many bad debts; and a
family of nine children, seven of them boys, is not brought up and fed
and clothed and schooled by miracles. It was an expensive family,
and became more so every year. The eldest son was sent to college,
and there had to be maintained `genteely;' for Mrs. Perril was quite
above suffering her Henry to keep a school to help out his expenses.—
Clarissa Ann had to go to Bradford Academy to learn piano-playing
and other accomplishments. The next boy had to be fitted for College
at the Academy, and the rest had to go to costly schools, to keep
up the respectability of the Perrils.
Now, what with these nine burdens upon his back, Peter, at each
year's end, found that, although he was making money, he was not
growing rich. He had four sons large enough to make their way in
the world, and two daughters that might have maintained themselves
by teaching or some other genteel pursuit, such as milinery or dressmaking.
Yet these seven were all on his hands. To support them
took all his `profits.' He at length began to lose money in some operations,
and then he opened his eyes and saw that it was time they
should help him in the matter of their own maintenance. He therefore
boldly told his wife that the three boys who were at the Academy
should go to trades at once. This idea filled the mind of Mrs. Perril
with horror. The bare thought of one of her children becoming a
mechanic was enough to throw her into a paroxysm of hysteria. She
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remonstrated. Peter was firm. She plead for the `respectability' of
the family. `What will people say?' was repeated by her not less
than a hundred times. Peter said he cared not what people said; he
was not able to maintain them, as they ate up and wore out all his
`profits.'
`Henry may go through College,' he added, `and Sam may enter if
he will help himself by keeping school. The rest of the boys shall go
into stores or be bound out to trades!'
`You once would not look at a trade for your son, Mr. Perril.'
`I was once a fool. I have grown wise. I was educated, as we have
been educating our boys, in the notion that all mechanical occupations
were low. I have learned better. I have found as good men who are
mechanics as those who are store-keepers; yes, I may say better. I
believe that the mechanics, as a class, are the most honest and upright
Their pursuits are far more honorable than mine, be assured.'
`How can you talk so?'
`Because I feel so. In a word, I have resolved to make my boys
useful, and my girls too. Clarissa shall come home and learn housekeeping
under your eye. It will save the girl, and make her fitter for a
good man's wife. Now, not another word. I am toiling day by day,
only to spend. I want to get rich. I want to lay up something for
our old age. I dare not trust to my childrent to help me then. Children
are apt to forget the old people, or begrudgingly help them. No
no, Mrs. Perril; it is time we should take care of ourselves. I shall
save full four thousand dollars in the next five years by putting out my
boys to trades.'
`Don't put them to trades, then, but get them places, dear, in some
genteel counting-room in Boston. I don't see why they should go to
low trades.'
`Low! Go down into the street and step into Mr. Dunning's cabinet
shop, or Mr. Doler's jeweller's shop, and then go into my store
and see me up to my elbows in rum and flour, molasses and corn, and
say which is the neatest, cleanliest, most genteel employment. But
have your own way. I would make them useful and happy, therefore
I would make mechanics of them. The merchant is daily harrowed
by doubts, fears, perplexities, losses, disappointments, and a thousand
other things that the mechanic knows nothing of. I will leave the
matter to the boys. Let them choose.'
`I know none of them will consent to go to trades.'
`We will see. On Sunday after church, as they will all be at home,
I will have the matter brought up.'
On Sunday, at the time appointed, Mr. Perril called his sons about
him and made a speech in the spirit of the conversation just detailed.
He then asked them what they would choose? Three replied that
they wished to go into stores in Boston. The fourth, who was our
hero, said he much preferred to go to a trade. This preference, however,
had to yield to the will of the majority; for one and all said that
it would be a disgrace to them as clerks in Boston to have it known
they had a brother who was a mechanic's apprentice. Paul smiled,
but made no remark. Mr. Perril frankly pronounced him the most
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sensible boy of the three, and gave him permission to remain another
quarter at the Gardner Lyceum, where he was then at school.
During the week his brothers embarked for Boston in a Kennebec
coaster, under charge of their father, who was going up to buy goods.
He got one of them a chance in a retail silk store, another he obtained
a situation for in a thread and needle store in Hanover street, and a
third he was so fortunate as to find an opening for in a `genteel' dry-goods
store in Washington street.
In the meanwhile, Paul availed himself of his father's permission to
remain longer at the Lyceum, where he diligently applied himself to
his studies, and availed himself of all the privileges which that excellent
seminary affords the youth who seeks a good, practical education.
It was on a cheerful sunny morning, the last day of his quarter, as
he was standing near the Lyceum, waiting for his tutor to arrive, that
he put to himself the inquiry in the first part of this chapter, viz:
`Where shall I emigrate? Where shall I go to make my fortune?
And what trade or pursuit shall I engage in? This,' he added, `is my
last day at school. I am now seventeen. The world is all before me
where to choose. I would rather be a mechanic than a store-keeper,
but rather than either I would prefer being a seaman that I might travel
to far countries and see the wonders of the world!'
While he was thus meditating, the chapel bell called him into his recitation
room, whither we will follow him in the next chapter, and see
what there transpired to shape his subsequent destiny.
CHAPTER II.
Paul's thirst for adventure awakened.
After Paul and his classmates were seated in the recitation hall, the
tutor rose and remarked that he, that morning, had received a letter
from a gentleman in Boston, which he was requested, by the writer, to
read to the students. He then laid open to them the following epistle;
Boston, Oct. 3d, 1827.
`Sir—I am about going to South America for the purpose of establishing
a mercantile firm. I wish to take out with me three or
four young men, from seventeen to nineteen years of age, as clerks.—
I am willing to pay their passage out from Boston, and to allow
them a fair compensation for their services after we shall reach our
destination.
`If, sir, you chance to have in your institution any youths who would
like to embrace this opportunity for entering life and seeing something
of the world, you will confer on me a favor by communicating to them
my letter. If any are desirous of accompanying me, be so kind as to
say to them that the ship will sail on the fifteenth of the present month,
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and that I would like to have them here by the 13th, that they may
make their preparations for the voyage.
`I refer you, sir, and the friends of such youths as may wish to go
with me, to Colonel —, of Boston, S— C—, Esq., of Salem,
and P— T—, of Marblehead. You will oblige me by an early
reply. I have made this application to your institution, as I am anxious
to have young men of character and talent.
`I am, sir, your ob't serv't,
`JONATHAN BEDRICK.'
`To Prof. Benjamin Haley.
`Now, my young friends,' said the tutor, `here is an opportunity
for some of you who are now just about to leave the institution. It
seems to me a very desirable one. Mr. Bedrick I know by reputation.
I believe he is a highly respectable man; and the gentlemen to whom
he refers are individuals of the highest character. I think you would
be safe in embracing the proposition conveyed in the letter. If any of
you are inclined to accept of it, you will oblige me by giving me your
names by to-morrow, as I wish to reply then to Mr. Bedrick's letter!
'
Before the letter had been half read through by the tutor, Paul had
made up his mind to join the merchant on his expedition. The idea
of visiting at once a foreign land, awakened all his aspirations after
sight-seeing and adventure; for Paul had not a little of the romantic
and adventurous in his temperament. Mr. Haley, therefore, had no
sooner done speaking than our hero rose in his seat and said, that he,
for one, would consent to go. `I will see my father to-night,' he added,
`and I have no doubt that I shall be able to gain his consent.'
Three other youths, inspired by his example, and fired with the
same ambition for `foreign travel,' instantly made known their wish to
accept the proposal in the letter.
Their names were then taken down by the tutor, beginning with
Paul's; and were as follows—Ferdinand Radworth, Henricus Hewitt,
and George Fairfax. Thus was this important business settled without
trouble or delay; and the same night the tutor despatched his reply
to Mr. Jonathan Bedrick at Boston.
Paul lived but a short ride, in a neighboring town, from the Institution;
and the same evening made known to his father what he had
done, and then asked his consent. Mr. Perril was by no means ungratified
that his son had thus promptly taken himself off his hands, and
was not backward in expressing his pleasure that he had, at length, resolved
`to make his way in the world!'
`And in a respectable profession, too! That is every thing!' added
the maternal parent. `I knew, Paul, you had too much pride ever to
consent to become a mechanic. You will go to South America, and
I dare say, discover a gold, or at the very least a silver mine, and come
home rich as Crœsus, or the Wandering Jew. I shouldn't wonder
if one day, you was able to buy the large house on the hill and ride in
your own carriage. I only want to see the day when I have a son that
can look down on these proud Errickson's and Fawner's! Well, I'll
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go to work and get your shirts and clothes ready and every thing nice
for you to start.'
The rumor that our hero was about to go to South America, soon
reached his brothers in Boston, and not a little roused their envy; for
to their minds a clerkship in a foreign country was a princely situation
compared with one in Washington or Hanover street in Boston.—
`Distance,' in this as in most other cases, `lends enchantment to the
view,'
At length the day came for our hero to quit his paternal roof and
take his first step in the great world of action. He took a tearful farewell
of his mother, and a firm one of his father; saw his trunk safely
strapped behind, and then sprang into the waiting coach. The next
moment it was whirling with rattling axles through the village street
on the way to Boston.
The third morning our hero arrived there, and was set down at the
Commercial Coffee House, then kept by Mr. Merriam, on the corner
of Milk and Kilby streets. It was were his father used to put up when
he came to the city to buy goods, and he had told Paul to stop there,
especially as he expected to be in town and to stop there before Paul's
vessel sailed.
Our hero, after being shown to a room in the third story began, for
the first time to feel himself fairly launched upon life. From this moment
commences his Journal of rather History of his adventures, from
which the remainder of the narrative will be given. We have done
our part in introducing him to the reader. We now let him speak for
himself.
FROM HIS OWN PEN.
After I reached Boston, and found myself alone in my room at the
hotel, and had began to realize that I was fairly adrift on the world, I
resolved that I would keep a journal of every thing that happened to
me or in any way concerned me. I immediately commenced it, and I
kept it partiy from memory, but chiefly from records made at the time,
until the end of the Adventures which are to follow. From this Journal
I have written the veritable History which now challenges the kind
reader's attention. I wish him in the outset to understand and believe
that the narrative of events is truth and verity, not fiction; for I, Paul
Peril, am a man, not of straw, but of flesh and blood: and what I record
I have seen, and of it bear a part.
My narrative now commences from the moment of my arrival in
Boston, on the morning of October tenth, 1827. After the servant had
set down my trunk, which I remember was covered with hog's hair, and
had a round top, the letters P. P. in an oval of brass tacks upon it, I
began to reflect complacently upon my new position. I was alone in
a large hotel, no father's eye, no mother's care, a trunk of clothing, a
new suit upon my back, and four dollars and thirty-four cents in specie
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in my pocket. I was, too, in the great city of Boston. I was destined
to sail for South America. I was a clerk, in embryo, of some vast
Commercial House. These ideas, in themselves, sufficiently great,
were not a little amplified in imagination. I strutted up and down my
little top-of-the-house-chamber, now casting an eye upon my trunk and
upon the brass nails that formed P. P., glittering evidences to the world
that the trunk belonged to me, Paul Perril, and now admiring my new
suit which Tim Lapboard, the tailor, had cut and basted, but which
my mother, by the aid of good Anny Makeman, the village seamstress,
had made. I felt my own importance, and jingled the dollars and
coppers in my pockets, and dented the floor with my high-heeled boots.
After I had sufficiently sacrificed to personal vanity and self, I was
struck with the terrific noises that surrounded the hotel, and at times
made the very walls shake. I looked out of my window and saw that
it was occasioned by the drays thundering over the stone pavements;
but although I discovered the cause, I was none the less amazed by
the uproar which nearly deafened me.
At length I bethought me I would go out and see Boston, which I
had heard so much of, and also pay a visit to my three brothers, who
were clerks in stores here. So I opened my trunk and took out my
hair-brush aud gave my head a Sunday-smoothing, and then brushed
from my coat and trowsers every particle of lint, for I had an idea
that in Boston every body went looking as nice as a pin; that only the
country folks dressed plain and wore old and soiled clothes; but I soon
learned that one must go into a large town to see what wretched garments,
what filthy wardrobes bipeds will hang upon their backs. After
I had carefully performed my toilet and let the corner of a blue silk
handkerchief stick a little way out of my coat pocket behind, I put on
my cotton gloves and locking my door (for I had heard of robbers) I
descended to the lower regions of the hotel. I at length reached the
front door where the stage had let me down half an hour before. Two
or three gentlemen were standing upon the steps, and in the street I
beheld crowds as if all were hurrying to a fire, or an alarm had been
given that a man was drowning. The number and hurry of the people,
the throng of dravs and carriages, the thunder and overpowing rumble
of the heavily laden wheels, the shuffle of feet, the confusion of voices,
both bewildered and alarmed me. I stood a few moments upon the
step, undecided and confused. I was afraid to venture up the street,
lest I should be knocked down by the hurrying people, and so I resolved
till they should get past, not to stir. But I soon discovered that
there was no end to the passing, either of people or drays, and I then
made up my mind to venture to proceed. But I had not taken two
steps before I recollected that I did n't know where my brothers' stores
were. So I re-entered the bar-room, and seeing a respectable, middleaged
gentleman reading a paper, I advanced to him, and taking off
my hat I asked him very politely if he would inform me where the store
of Mr. Jeremiah Burns was, this being the tape and needle store where
my brother Josiah kept. He replied very gruffly that he did not know
any such person, and that if I wanted a Directory I had better consult
a printed one.
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What a Directory was I had not the least idea. I knew, however,
that the gentleman was very much displeased, and believing that I must
have said something wrong, I begged his pardon, adding, that if he
would be so obliging as to tell me what a Directory was, I should be
very happy to consult it.
`Look at that!' he answered, pointing with his finger to a wellthumbed
book hanging by a string alongside of the desk.
I approached it, and seeing the title of it and opening it, I learned
that every body who lived in Boston had their names printed in a book,
with the streets they lived in and the very numbers of the houses.
While I was reflecting upon the ingenuity and convenience of this
invention, and suggesting to my mind the expediency of having a
similar one for our village, where, as there were fewer people, the task
would be much less laborious, my brother Tom tapped me from behind
on the shoulder.
`Ah, Paul, so you were poking over the Direc' after some of our
Num's, eh! Glad to see you in Boston alive. How does old 'un and
every body else. Heard of your coming through Fairfax, who came
up yesterday, and have been here twice before, to see if you had come.
So you are going to Buenos Ayres. Devilish fine chance. I'm half
a mind to go off, too to some other country. Boston is getting too
small to hold me. It is no place for a young man of spirit. Why, how
rustic you look! Who the deuce cut that coat?'
Here my brother, who had rattled on without being interrupted by
me, turned me round by the shoulder and coolly surveyed me from top
to toe. I at the same time had not omitted to take notice that he was
dressed in a very extraordinary fashion; at least to my rustic vision —
He wore a claret coat with a very high velvet collar, at least five inches
broad, and a waist so fashionably short that the buttons behind
scarcely came below the shoulder blade, while the two swallow-tailed
skirts fell straight down, a yard in length, nearly to his heels. He were
buff pantaloons so tight that they stuck to the skin of his legs, and so
short and small at the ancle that it seemed to me marvelious, in the
first place, how he got them on, and then, in the second place, having
got them on how he could sit down in them without bursting them at
the seams. He wore also a green taffety waistcoat, that scarcely was
long enough in front for a little boy eight years old, and my brother
was full twenty, and over the vest was a green ribbon to which was
attached a gilt eye-glass. From one of the pockets of the vest I could
detect, peeping forth, the point of a pair of bright scissors, the signam
of his profession as a dry-goods clerk.
While he was surveying me, I was taking the survey I have just
recorded of him. Now, at home, Tom used to dress like other people,
Anny Makeman being the sole arbiter of fashion, and he having no
other tailor save her. Here let me diverge to pay a tribute of respect
to this excellent woman. She was an old maid, but one of the best
old maids on earth. She was the chief support of aged parents, and
heaven having given her clothes-making talent, filial duty unfolded her
industry, she west forth `sewing and to sew.' She was a rare cutter,
had undoubted genius in fitting, and her taste in style was
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undisputed. No one like her knew how to cut the paternal coat secondhanded
into a new garment for the growing juvenile. She could get
suits where a lawyer would have declared a non-suit; and then how
neat were her fits. She worked in every body's family. She seemed
to cut and make and sew for all the boys in town. She was in constant
requisition, pre-engaged weeks beforehand. Boys would have
to wait till each other had been fitted; and the impatient striplings
have been known more than once to take to the field and do battle for
Anny Makeman, the vanquished to waive his prior claim to the victor.
She had a calm, still face, with a soft clear eye, and she smiled always
when she spoke; and was very patient with us boys in fitting
and trying on. We all loved her, but I fear now, it was selfish affection.
Her needle never rested. She was received in every family
like one of it; and no one withheld family conversations before her,
for she never made mischief. She carried with her, from house to
house, in her quiet bosom, half the domestic secrets of the town; but
she never repeated them. She was discreet and pious. She made me
my first suit of long clothes, and I shall always love her for it.
Twenty years have passed, and yet she still goes forth on her daily
mission of cutting and making for boys of another generation. I called
to see her last week. She was sewing upon a suit for a seven year
old urchin. As I gazed upon her, unchanged by time, her shears, her
cutting-board and the half-made suit, I was once more a boy before
her, and that it was my suit she was making. But to my story.
CHAPTER III. The Watch-house.
After my brother had sufficiently inspected my outward man, he thus
expressed himself:
`You think, I dare say, Paul, that you are perfection. Your clothes
may be `the thing' down in Kennebec, but here they are decidedly
`green.'
`My coat is olive, Tom,' I answered, not comprehending the symbolical
meaning of the word.
`And the wearer green,' answered Tom. `Well, as you are going
off to a foreign country it ain't much matter, but if you were to stay
here in Boston you should never be owned for a relation of mine in
such a long-waisted coat.'
I began to get a little irritated at my brother's manner, for I knew
that I was as well dressed as any young man in my native town. My
clothes shone with the gloss of newness, my boots squeaked at every
step their fresh origin from the last, and my white neckcloth was stiffened
with starch to the smoothness of white paper. But putting down
his words to the score of envy at my superior position as clerk to a
foreign firm, I merely smiled my contempt for his observations, and
asked after my other brothers.
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`Oh, they are in fine health,' he answered. `We all have a capital
time here. None of us keep open after eight o'clock, and then we
meet at Bruce's Soda Saloon and have a smack, and then are off to
the theatre or cruising about the streets. Sundays we always ride out
or have a sail in the harbor.'
`Ride and sail Sundays!' I repeated with surprise; for we had, at
home, always been brought up with religious strictness.
`Why yes, Master Simplicity. Sunday in Boston ain't Sunday in
the country. Why, my dear boy, how many things you have got to
learn. How inconceivably verdant you are, Paul! Why what should
we poor devils in stores do if we had no recreation of a Sunday, I'd
like to know? We go to our stores at sun-up Monday morning, and
are in them every day in the week till eight o'clock and sometimes till
nine. If we never rode out Sundays what time should we have for recreation
and unbending the mind? I know a fellow who has been a
clerk here three years who never had beeu out of Boston into Roxbury,
Cambridge, or any of the beautiful towns in the vicinity, because he
won't go Sundays, and week days he is a slave!'
`But you ought not to break the Sabbath, nevertheless, Tom,' said
I gravely.
`It is not our fault. The merchants should love avarice less, and
give us every Saturday afternoon, or at least every other one. We
could then recreate and on Sundays go to church. But every merchant
loves money more than the souls of their clerks. Some, too, who are
members of the church; they keep their clerks in every hour of
week days; and so if the clerks recreate a little Sundays, why the
blame lies more with the merchant than the poor clerk! But don't
let us moralize here, Paul,' added my brother, putting his arm through
mine. `We will walk up to my store, and I will tell old Hunks, that
my brother has come to the city and I want an hour to go round with
you to see your other brothers. He'll give it to me, but he'll pay himself
for the loss time by keeping back one of my perquisite boxes.'
`What are your perquisite boxes?' I asked; for as the reader will
see, I was ignorant of many things with which my city brothers were
familiarly acquainted.
`Why they are the boxes goods come in. My Hunks gives me my
board and perquisites. These latter amount to about two boxes a
week on an average. These boxes I sell to draymen or others who
give me a quarter a piece for them. This is all the spending money
I get, and also half the clerks in Boston. Now Hunks, if he gives me
an hour, will give me one less box!'
`What a close hard man he must be!' I exclaimed indignantly.
`It is the custom. He is no worse than many others. Here in
Boston every man's look-out is for his own. No. 1, letter A, is the
chief care. If No. 2 wants a favor he must pay No. 1 for its full value.
Time is money here, and every man pays for it and takes pay for it.
You've got a good deal to learn, Paul.'
`I see I have,' I replied; `but how is it if you get but fifty cents a
week, you and my brothers are able to ride Sundays? It must cost
you a dollar at least for a carriage.'
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`A dollar!' repeated my brother with a smile. `I guess it costs a
two-fifty. Horses ain't hired so cheap here as they used to be at Robinson's
stable, down in Kennebec. Why, you see, we don't ride every
Sunday. Our three perquisites together make up enough to ride every
other. For we go three together; and sometimes, on the bridge, take
up a fourth crony. So we club together and have a fine spree at Fresh
Pond.'
`I am sorry to see you have forgotten the Sabbath, Tom,' I said,
quite shocked at the change which a year's residence in Boston had
effected in my brother, who, at home, had been very steady and moral.
`Well, I am no worse than others. When you are with the Romans
you must do as the Romans do.'
With this proverb, Tom took me along with him out of the door and,
together, we walked up the street.
During the day I saw my other two brothers, and found them, in
dress and habits and conversation, just the counterpart of Tom. They
could talk of nothing but boating, riding, Fresh Pond, bowling alleys,
and young girls of the town. They seemed to be all three wholly lost
to virtue and morality, and all sense of religion. They smoked cigars,
drank wine at soda shops, and visited places where vice and profligacy
nightly held their licentious levees. I had not been with them two
days before I saw that they were by no means fit companions for one
who still professed to have some respect for his character; and so one
night when they all three, accompanied by two other youths of similar
calibre, came to my room to take me away with them, I firmly told
them that I would associate with them no more.
At this they all laughed, and my brother Tom paid me the compliment
of saying that I had missed my vocation in conseuting to go out
as clerk for a merchant; that I was, without question, cut out for a
parson's clerk: and he went on to add that he had no doubt that he
should hear of me preaching to the Patagonians before I had been in
South America a twelve month.
I laughed good-naturedly at this sally of Tom's, though I was not a
little angry and mortified at being rallied before the two dressy young
men; but reflecting that I was ridiculed only for acting well, I restrained
my impulse to answer him angrily. After trying to prevail
upon me to accompany them they finally left me to myself, not a little
to my gratification. The next morning while I was dressing a servant
came to my room and handed me a note. I saw it was in Tom's handwriting.
I opened it and read as follows:
Watch-house, — street,
6, A. M.
Dear brother Paul:
Here we are in a fix every mother's son of us! After we left you
last night we went to Bruce's and had a first-rate oyster supper. About
ten o'clock we sallied forth pretty well `up!' If I had known how
tipsy brother 'Siah was, I'd have locked him up in Bruce's back room
before he should have gone out with us. Well, he was as `drunk as a
soger.' He sang songs to the top of his lungs, and took up the whole
side walk as he went. I never saw but one chap before so tipsy and
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stand. Well, we got to the corner of Broomfield lane when 'Siah saw
a `Charlie,' and so he began to sing, `O'er the water to Charlie,' adding
some few personal impromptu, that made the watchman mad; so
he told us to keep quiet: for to tell you the truth we all joined in full
chorus. I told the watchman, gentlemen had a right to sing, and that
there was no law which put them under obligations to ask a `Charlie'
what songs they should select for testing their vocal powers. At this,
`Charlie' seized me by the collar, when brother Sam up fist and
knocked him over. Charlie sprang up and then sprang his rattle. It
was answered from half a dozen corners, and in two minutes we were
every soul of us captured, though we fought hard. 'Sias was taken up
out of the gutter and Sam was only taken prisoner after giving two
bloody noses and a black eye to the enemy. The upshot was that we
were marched off to the Watch-house except Josiah, who had to be
carried between two Charlies; and the best of the joke was, although
he was too drunk to walk he would sing, and all they could do, he
kept up a rip-roarous serenade to all the houses we went by until we
were safely lodged here.
Now my dear Paul, I write to you to ask you to do what you can to
get us off. The watchmen swear unless we pay them ten dollars,
which is two dollars apiece, they will have us up before the Police
Judge, and then our names will get into the papers and we shall be
dished. We have turned our pockets inside out, and all we can raise
is a dollar and fifty-two cents, brother 'Siah planking the two coppers.
Now you have some money I know. If you have n't enough just go
down to the bar and borrow the balance on father's account, and tell
him father will pay it when he comes up on Monday. If he objects,
tell him your trunk is in your room and shall be security. Now, my
dear Paul, do this little act for us; for we know you are a good fellow,
and I am sorry I quizzed you. You know if we are put in the
papers it might injure you; for Mr. Bedrick might suppose you were
quite as—as—as—(what word shall I use?)—never mind! You
might lose your chance of going to South America; which we should
be very sorry for, as it would be on our account. So not to have your
disappointment on our three consciences, get the `dollars' and hasten
to us without delay. The Court opens in an hour; and if the Charlies
don't have the X by that time up we go!
Your affectionate and loving brother
Tom.
P. S.—Do get the money, dear Paul, that's a fine fellow, and we'll
never say `green' to you again.
Yours faithfully,
Josiah.
N. B.—Paul, my dear boy, don't fail to get us out. We are shut
up in a dog's hole, and nothing to eat or drink. Our safety and only
hope is in you. We must get out in time to open our shops or we shall
all be shipped, and only for an innocent spree! Do your best Paul,
and we 'll never forget you while memory holds a place in our souls.
Your brother in limbo,
Sam.
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P. S.—Put a small bottle of Cogniac in your pocket and half a dozen
cigars; for we are so confoundedly stiff we shall have to be carried
home in hand-carts unless we are warmed.
Tom.
Sam.
'Siah.
After I had finished the perusal of this precious epistle. I could not
but laugh heartily at my brothers' predicament, while at the same time
I congratulated myself on having resisted their invitation to accompany
them; for I should without doubt have shared in their present disgrace.
Thus had virtue its present reward and commendation; and,
also, I could not but reflect how certainly departure from it was punished.
The situation of my brothers both grieved and displeased me. At
first I felt disposed to leave them to their fate; but then I remembered
that they were my brothers, and how their infamy, if they should be
brought up before the Police Court, would reflect upon all the family.
It did not seem just that I should pay for the release of the others, who
were entire strangers to me; but as my brothers had clubbed them altogether
under the wing of the ten dollar bill, I had no other alternative
than freeing them also. After some hesitation I at length resolved
to aid them; but with the determination of first obtaining their promise
to give up all their dissipated habits and try and live upright lives;
though, I must confess, I had little hopes that if they made me such
promises they would faithfully perform them.
I had in my possession but three dollars and a half. This with the
money Tom said they could muster would leave me five dollars to borrow.
In my life I had never borrowed a dollar of any one. I felt now
a reluctance to do so that every sensitive mind must experience at
such a time; for I am well persuaded that the most humiliating act
that a man can be guilty of is to borrow money of his neighbor; and
the most humiliating position a man can be in is the debtor behind his
time in the presence of his creditors. The sensitiveness which all
proper men feel when they come to borrow money is a natural voice
in the heart to warn us against sacrifising our native independence of
character; for with the first dollar borrowed, rings the first iron blow
upon the links that bind the soul to moral vassalage. This sensitiveness,
this fear and trembling, this besitating advance, this heightened
pulse and stronger heart-beating, this deeper glow in the cheek, and
down-dropping eye, these all eloquently say that the young man is doing
a thing—that he is making some mighty sacrifice of the elevated
and pure integrity of his being to his fellow-men. Let the voice of
conscience, or sensitiveness, which warns us from evil, whisper to us
that we are selling our birth-right of manhood. I cannot too strongly
urge upon every young man firmly to resist the temptation to borrow
money. The habit once formed is destructive to the finest attributes
of the character, and leads insensibly to the outer verge of all moral
perverseness. There is, of course, a distinction to be made between
`loans' of large sums for the purposes of going into business, and `borrowing
money' in the ordinary acceptation of the phraseology.
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It was with no little difficulty that I prevailed upon myself to apply
to the landlord for the money. I hardly know in what words I made
known to him my wish, for I was too confused to note them. He,
however, no sooner understood what I wished than he very civilly
handed me the five dollars merely inquiring when I expected my father
would be up. I told him in three days; `when he replied, `very well,
it is all right!' I was relieved immeasureably by the ease with which
I had obtained the money, and having inquired the way to — street
I hastened to release my brothers and their two friends from the Watch-house.
The street was not very far distant, and on reaching it, I
found the `Lock-up' very readily. It was a small wooden building,
resembling an Engine-house. Over the door was `Ward number —.'
A large man was standing in it smoking a cigar, who answered
my inquiry `for the five young men who were taken up the night
before,' by bidding me follow him through an entry towards the
interior.
CHAPTER IV. The Trio Fraternal.
The man whom I followed led me through a gloomy passage, at the
extremity of which was a square apartment hung with watch-coats,
glazed helmets, rattles, clubs, and other paraphernalia of the city watch.
Benches, two feet wide, were placed against the wall, and worn smooth
and polished with the greasy clothes of those who had been brought in to
lodge upon them for the night. On one side of this room was a door,
across which was an iron bar secured in a ring by a stout padlock. Into
the wards of this lock my man inserted a key and turning it looked at me
for a moment before opening the door with a searching glance.
`Are you the covey what the young sparks wrote for to get 'em out?'
said he, as if to make sure that my object in coming was what he doubtless
suspected when he first saw me.
`I am sir,' was my reply.
`Then I guess they'll be glad to see you,' was his rejoinder, as he let
the iron bar drop and pulled open the door.
It led into a dark chamber, dimly lighted by an opaque looking lantern
hung over head. I could not at first see objects distinctly, but I was
made aware of the presence of my brothers, by a burst of joyous exclamations
from the obscurity in which I had dimly made out a group of human
figures stretched upon wooden pallets.
`Ah, Paul, you are a noble fellow,' cried my brother Tom rushing
towards me and grasping one of my hands, while Sam took the other, and
between them they had well nigh torn my arms from their sockets. Josiah
came up and hugged me round the neck, swearing I was `an Emperor,'
while a little in the back ground stood their two friends, who did not feel
that they could assure so much as my brothers in making demonstrations
of gratitude; indeed, I had no portion of my body at their service unless
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they had each kneeled down and grasped a leg. I could now see the
faces of my brothers, my eyes becoming use to the darkness. 'Siah
looked pale and hollow-eyed; and Tom's optics had a sleepy look. Sam's
left orb was swollen and ornamented with a semi-circular blue ring of
bruised blood; while the coats of their two friends were sadly torn in
the back and sleeves, the effects, doubtless, of their battle with the
watchmen.
After my three brothers had given utterance to their expressions of
thanks for my prompt attention to their epistle, they released me and began
to survey my features to see if they could read in them the `ten dollar
bill' on which all their hopes depended. I assumed a very grave aspect.
The last night, at my room, they were in the ascendency, ridiculing me,
and looking down upon me as a person of no spirit. Now the tables
were turned. The whole five, as it were, lay at my mercy. I felt like
showing them my power, while at the same time I wished to manifest to
them my disapprobation of their conduct.
`I am sorry,' said I in my gravest manner, `to find my brothers in
such a place as this!' Here I looked round upon the rough plastered
walls and mean appearance of the room. `I never expected to find any
with whom I claimed relationship prisoners in such a condition! I assure
you all that I was very much mortified even to be seen coming into
it!'
`We are all confoundedly penitent, Paul,' answered Tom in a whining
one.
`We confess we have been in fault, and swear morality, if you only fork
over the X,' added Sam.
`That's my dear good boy, Paul,' stammered Josiah feebly and still
tipsily, as if he had not yet become fully sobered; `just get us out o' this
and I'll do any th—thing for you, won't we fel—fellows?'
`I will release you on one condition,' I answered.
`Name it, Paul,' they repeated altogether.
`That you promise to ride no more Sundays!'
`Done! If we do may we get our wicked necks broke,' they responded
with commendable energy.
`That you stroll the streets no more nights!' I continued.
`If we do may we be locked up in the watchhouse!' said Tom with
emphasis.
`Aye, or in Leverett street Jug,' added Josiah solemnly.
`That you give up the soda-shops and oyster suppers, and cease to
tipple!'
`Done as if it was already done,' responded brother Tom slapping my
hand. `We'll be as moral as a meeting-house, won't we boys? You
won't hear of us Sundays'cept at church! We'll reform the town!'
`Yes,' reiterated Josiah, `we'll set an example to all the young clerks
in Boston, and they shall go in our foot steps, and the soda shopses, and
the Livery stableses shall all break down for want o' cus—customers,
shan't they though?'
This sentiment was echoed by the other four with unanimity.
`Now I have one other condition,' said I.
`Name it and we'll do it, if it is to go to prayer meetings before six
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o'clock every morning,' answered my brother Tom with an oath; for all
three of my brothers I found had gained, with other things, the accomplishment
of swearing since they had left the paternal roof.
`It is that you terminate your intimacy at once with these two young
men, who I am aware are no credit to you; and to whom I doubt not you
are indebted for many examples of profligacy; for I was told by Mr. Merriam
after you left last night that they were `two of the hardest cases' in
town. Nay, young gentlemen,' I added, seeing one of them bristle
up, while the other clenched his fist, `I do not fear your anger or your hatred.
You are wholly at my mercy, unless you prefer going before the
Police. I shall, however, for my brothers' sake release you with them!'
`That's noble, Paul,' exclaimed Tom. `You are a good fellow at
bottom. So you have the money! Don't you think I was just beginning
to think you had only come here to read us a lecture and then leave us to
reflect upon it. But you are a trump!'
`I have no idea what `a trump is,' I answered; `I only know that I
do what I think is my duty, and what under the circumstances my father
will approve of!'
Here I saw Tom whisper to one of the strange young men, and the
words `green, not to know a trump,' and from the other, `dare say be
never saw a card in his life!' reached my ears.
`A trump, my dear Paul,' answered Tom, `a trump is—is a devilish
good-fellow. Is n't boys?'
`A devilish good fellow,' repeated all-four, with the fawning readiness
of persons who look to another for a present-favor.
`I do n't ask any praise,' I answered in a serious tone; `for if you
could be relieved in any other way I would not aid you, for it looks
like conniving at your profligacy; but as you have promised amendment,
and as I still trust that you are not so far lost to honor or truth
as to forfeit your pledged word, I am ready to do my part toward setting
you at liberty. If you will inform me to whom I am to pay the
money I will transfer it to him.'
`To me,' answered the man who had let me in, and who had listened
to all I had said, and he extended his hand for the price of their
liberty.
I took from my pocket the eight dollars and a half and placed it in
his hand, when the whole nice party of five set up a chorus of joyful
exclamations and surrounded me in high glee. Tom then gave him
the one dollar fifty he had raised in all their pockets.
`You are at liberty to go, young gentlemen,' said the Captain of the
Watch, for such was this dignitary, `and I recommend to you to take
the advise of this young man who seems to have more virtue in his little
finger than all of you put together. Here, my young gentleman,'
he said turning to me, `I read the note they sent you, and I know you
are not rich, and had to borrow half of this. I have no power to receive
pay for letting these chaps loose; if I took a bribe I should lose
my place. It is for me either to let them go at once, supposing they
have not done had enough to haul 'em up to the Police, or else
send 'em down to the Court. I did n't intend to buy off the young
men, I only wanted to make 'em pay for their frolic; and I find to
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touch the pockets is a good plan as any. The ten dollars I meant to
have sent down to the Court as was my duty; but as circumstances
be, and you seem to have come hard by the money, and are such a
moral young man, I return you not only your eight dollars, but the
part they scraped together. Take it, and you my larks remember all
your lives how much better virtue and morality fare than vice and
busting!'
With this speech the honest Captain of the Watch gave into my
hands the amount he had received, and which he might have safely
kept. I complimented him upon his integrity, and would have prevailed
upon him to take a dollar at least, as a present. But he refused;
and so we all bade him good morning and sallied forth into the
street.
Fortunately it was very early, or the breezy look of my companions
might have told to hundreds of passers by their story. Tom's sunken
and red eyes, Sam's bunged peeper, and Josiah's tipsy look with the
torn apparel of the others, were so many chapters of unwritten spreeing
and Watch-house experiences.
Tom took my arm affectionately while the remaining four locked
two by two and followed after us. When each of the two `cronies'
arrived at the point nearest his store he slunk off, and by the time I
had reached Milk street my brothers only were with me.
`Now Paul,' said Tom winningly, `I propose that as you are flush
you treat us all to a breakfast in at Bruce's; for we are confoundedly
hungry!'
I told them that I thought they were in a great hurry to open their
stores, and advised them first to do that and then come and breakfast
with me. To this they finally consented, though not until Sam had
borrowed a dollar of me, and 'Siah fifty cents, leaving me but the
amount I had taken with me to the Watch-house.
After they had left me I went in and returned the five dollars to Mr.
Merriam, not a little grateful in my heart to the honest watchman for
enabling me to do it. At length my brothers came in and we breakfasted
together for the first time in eighteen months, our last meal
together having been beneath the paternal roof.
To say the truth the three young men behaved themselves very
humbly and quietly at the table, and on my promising, at their urgent
entreaty of me, not to mention the watch-house affair to their father,
they looked as if they thought me one of the best friends they had in
the world.
I had no been in Boston four days, and it will be seen by the
reader, that during that time, through my brothers, I had picked up no
little experience of metropolitan life. I felt thankful that my fate had
not destined me to a clerkship in a retail-store in the city; for what I
had observed of life among them did not by any means give me a taste
for it.
My brothers did not come near me again until the next evening,
when they acted under a certain restraint, as if not perfectly at ease in
my company; and I was not at a loss to discover that their habits and
tastes had grown so corrupt with loose companionship that they relished
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no society where they could not give a free rein to freer speech, especially
upon the beauty of young milliners, their susceptibility to flattery,
the ease with which their virtue might be conquered by a person of
address; also they loved to discourse about gay females of the town
whom they had fallen in with in the streets in their night-wanderings,
or else encountered at the theatres. They also discussed wines, oysters,
their soda-shop friends, bowling and billiards, and even race-horses;
for I found that my trio of brothers had twice been to horse races at
Cambridge, feigning sickness as an apology for getting off from the
store. In a word, I had not been with my precious brothers twenty-four
hours before I had my ears shocked, and my sense of delicacy
offended by their free and libidious conversation, not to mention the profane
oaths with which from time to time they saw fit to garnish it; and
from them I learned for the first time on my reproving their profanity,
that it was genteel to swear, and the sure sign of a man of spirit.
But after the adventures in the Watch-house, my brothers were careful
what they said in my presence that was offensive to my less genteel
ears; and as they were accustomed to no other conversation but such
as touched upon such subjects as I had little sympathy with, they were
mostly silent or talked very dully upon indifferent matters. In their
eyes I was, doubtless, most wretched company, and I freely confess that
in mine they were. Even Tom had once dared to hint to me the first
day of our meeting in Boston, among other recounts of his `life in
town,' that he had really seriously thought of keeping a mistress!
When he had explained to me what he meant, I was not slow in expressing
both my astonishment and contempt. Since then, especially
since the affair of the Watch-house, they had all been rather shy of
me, looking upon me as a goat among the sheep, or rather a sheep
among the goats.
At length the time arrived when Mr. Bedrick was to be in town, for
he was absent when I reached Boston, and I sallied forth to the counting-room
in India street, where I had been informed by Professor
Haley he was to be found. At this place I had not neglected to call
on my first arrival, and there having learned his absence till such a day,
I now once more proposed to present myself before the man to whom
I was to commit my future destinies.
CHAPTER V. The `Foreign Merchant. '
The event of the first presentation of a young man to the person
who is to control him for some years to come in the character of a master,
is one of no ordinary importance. While I was preparing myself to
look my best in his eyes, by making my person as tidy as possible, I
was busily forming in my mind's eye some idea of his appearance. All
I knew of him was that he was an elderly man, that his name was
Jonathan Bedrick, and that he had `very respectable' recommendations.
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Having properly attired my person I sallied forth and took my way
with a brisk step towards India street. At length I stood in front of
the store in the counting-room of which I expected to behold the great
South American Merchant into whose hands I had resolved to commit
my destinies. The height and grandeur of the store enlarged my ideas
of the personage who was to be found within. My heart fluttered, and
I dare say I was paler than usual as I entered the street door and asked
of a young man, with a quill on his ear-top, for Mr. Bedrick. Before
replying he eyed me sharply, and then asked me, in a sort of confidential
tone, if I was one of the young men whom he had engaged to go
out with him to South America. Upon my frankly replying in the
affirmative, he looked very grave, then smiled meaningly, then shook
his head with a sympathizing air. I confess I was not a little startled,
so was about to ask the meaning of these signs when he said:
`From the country, I dare say?'
`Yes,' I responded for the twentieth time since I had been in Boston,
astonished at the unfailing accuracy with which every body who
had never seen me before knew my rustic origination. If I had had
`From Kennebec,' written in chalk upon my back, the Boston folks
could not have known for a greater certainty that I was a young man
from `down East.'
`Better go back again,' he said in a half impatient way, half advising.
`You don't know every thing. Better go back again. You 'll
be sure to cry over the milk after it is spilled, but it will then be too lateTake
my advice and quit the concern!'
It at once occurred to me that this young man, who from the fact
that he never saw me before that moment, could have no particular interest
in my welfare, and that he was desirous of getting me out of the
way that he might jump into my shoes. I therefore smiled quietly and
merely answered that I never expected to know every thing so long as
Mr. Ignorance was in the world! He looked very angry at my reply,
and turning on his heel said very impressively, `Go to the devil!'
Not caring to take up his words I said nothing but walking past him
into the counting-room I saw three persons variously engaged at desks,
and a fourth seated at a table writing. I paused, and surveyed them,
and came to the conclusion that the elderly man at the table must be
Mr. Bedrick. With this idea I surveyed him for a moment with close
attention. He was about fifty one or two years of age, with a very
high bald forehead, arched wrinkled brows, and a prominent aquiline
nose, beaked like an eagle's. His eyes were black, deep set, and restless,
and one of them was kept nearly half shut, while over the other
the corner of the thick eye-brow was knitted sharply. His mouth was
large and heavily-lipped. His whole face had an aspect of shrewd
intelligence combined with low cunning.
I was not then much of a judge of physiognomy, else I had taken
the advise of my friend who had sent me so civily `to the devil,'
and gone back home without introducing myself to the man of my
destiny. I don't know how it was that I pitched, upon him as the
only man in the counting-room likely to be Mr. Bedrick, unless it
was that before him on the table lay a hat, and stick, and a pair of
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gloves, as if he had just laid them down, as a temporary visiter would
be likely to do; and I knew that he only had that counting-room as
his head-quarters until he should set sail.
After I had surveyed his face and let my eyes wander over his snuffcolored
coat and white snuff-stained waistcoat, and the ruffled bosom of
his shirt, I mustered courage and advanced towards him hat in hand.
`I have called to see Mr. Bedrick,' I said as firmly as I could manage
to articulate at such an important moment, my heart all the while going
like an engine worked by steam.
Without replying at the instant he raised his head and keenly surveyed
me, first dropping his spectacles which had been thrust above
his forehead.
`I am that person,' he at length answered in a nasal tone, and with
an effort to appear amiably condescending; for doubtless he suspected
what my business was with him, and for reasons obvious enough now,
was desirous of making a good first impression upon me.
`I have called, sir, with a letter to you from Dr. Haley,' I answered,
handing him a note which stated my name, family, and connexions.
`Ah, very well, quite well, young man,' he said, after he had completed
its perusal. `So you are one of the four young gentlemen
recommended to me. I am glad to see you here in such good time.
I like your appearance. You have never been in any business—always
at school till now?'
`Yes, sir!'
`So much the better. You come to me unsophisticated, and without
any of the bad habits young men get in town. It was that I might
have highly respectable, moral, intelligent, upright young men with me
that I conceived the idea of applying as I did by letter to Dr. Haley.
The result shows the wisdom of my course. I have already seen this
morning young Fairfax and Radsworth who report themselves ready to
go at an hour's notice!'
`So am I, sir. I have been four or five days in town!'
`Ah, indeed. I like your readiness. I am fortunate in getting
such five young men, all of the best families in Maine, too, I learn. I
want precisely such; persons that I can trust, confide in, and who will
confer credit upon me and my business. Do you know the fourth one,
Hewitt?'
`Yes, sir,' I answered; my opinion of him gradually growing more
favorable.
`Do you know if he has arrived?'
`Not yet, sir, I believe, though it is possible. I have not seen the
other two yet,' I answered.
`Is he as active and intelligent as you three seem to be?'
`He is a very clever, sir, and I believe an excellent young man.—
He bore a good reputation for scholarship and character at the Institution!
'
`That is what Healey writes. I am very fortunate in thus getting
my young men. Where do you stop?'
`At the Commercial!'
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`I shall want to see you and the rest together when Hewitt arrives,
also your father when he comes. We shall get off by the fifteenth. I
hope you will get all things necessary for the voyage, especially thin
clothing, which you will need in that climate. Now, good morning.
I will send to you when I am ready to see you again. I would prefer
you should not make this matter of going to South America an occasion
of conversation, as I would rather it should pass quietly. In mercantile
affairs secrecy is a great virtue, young man, as you will learn
before you have been a great while with me!'
With this counsel Mr. Bedrick slightly bowed and resumed his occupation
of transferring an account from a slip of paper to a small
sheepskin-covered memorandum-book that lay before him. I bowed
very politely, as it became me to do, to a person of such consideration
as a foreign merchant, whose clerk I was destined to be, and backing
out of the counting-room I replaced my new hat upon my head, and
proceeded to leave the store. In the door-way stood my friend who
would enviously have usurped my place in the proposed foreign House,
but not deigning to bestow upon him even a look of recognition, I
walked forth and took my way back to the hotel. When I reached it
I was told by Mr. Merriam that my father had just arrived and was
gone up to a room. I hastened to him, and after the congratulations
of our meeting were over, I informed him that I had seen Mr. Bedrick
and that he had desired me to be ready by the fifteenth.
During the day Hewitt arrived in a Kennebec sloop, which accounted
for his delay, the vessel having been detained by contrary winds three
days beyond the usual time required for her passage across the bay.—
In the evening, we four adventurers and aspirants for wealth in South
America, met together at my room, where we discussed our future
prospects. We all agreed that Mr. Bedrick was a shrewd-looking old
fellow, and on comparing notes generally we found that our opinions
nearly coincided respecting him; Hewitt, however, felt disposed to
regard him with more favor than either of us; but he was an easy,
quiet young man, who took every thing smoothly, and possessed the
most immovable sang froid; and no disappointment could have the
effect of disturbing his equanimity.
The next forenoon my father came in informing me that he had
seen Mr. Bedrick, and was very much pleased with him. He said that
he was every way worthy of his confidence, and that in surrendering
me to his charge he felt that he was paving the way for my ultimate
prosperity. He concluded a short chapter of advice to me touching
my deportment when I should be solely under his care, by saying that
Mr. Bedrick would call at one o'clock and dine with him, when he
would like not only to see me but the rest of the young gentlemen
together. By my father's direction I then went in seach of them and
invited them to my room to meet our future employer. At the hour
set they made their appearance, and shortly afterwards my father sent
for me and my friends to go down into his room. We found with him
Mr. Bedrick, who bowed and spoke civilly to each of us as we entered
and took our seats.
`Mr. Bedrick, Paul, wishes to explain to you and your friends more
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clearly his intention respecting you,' said my father. `I have talked
with him and am satisfied that he will be to you both a father and a
friend!'
`Certainly, young gentlemen, that is my intention,' answered Mr.
Bedrick in his shrill nasal tone, one of his black, restless eyes shining
out from beneath his contracted eyebrow, while the other was closely
shut, like a man looking through a telescope.
`I hope I shall treat you in a manner as will almost lead you to forget
you ever had another father! I have two sons who go out with
me. You shall have the same treatment precisely as they! I shall
know no difference between you. You are all my sons. I trust you
will be as sons to me, faithful and obedient!'
We all bowed our acquiescence in this sentiment, when he proceeded
after taking a huge pinch of snuff from a tortoise-shell box that
was never out of his hand:
`My intention is to sail on the fifteenth instant from this port for
Buenos Ayres, in South America, in the brig `Joseph,' Captain Pright.
I am going out for the purpose of establishing two Houses, one at
Monte Video, the other at Buenos Ayres. I have my goods for the
purpose on board the brig. I am also part owner of her. It is my
intention to pay your passage out and to board and clothe you until you
are twenty-one, giving you at the same time the privilege of making
private speculations for your own benefit and profit. That is the
country to get rich in a short time. You will with me get a thorough
knowledge of the business and also of the language of the country.—
At the age of twenty-one I will take you into the firm as partners, or
set you up in new Houses in some of the neighboring ports; for it is
my intention to establish agencies in numerous places so soon as I get
my business fairly under weigh. Now you fully understand what I am
to do and what prospects lie before you, young gentlemen. Hundreds
of young men in this city would be glad to go with me; but I want
moral young men; those who like you have never been hackneyed by
the ways of vice, and who can start fair in the world with your unspotted
character in your hands. Your parents,' he continued, addressing
my three friends, `have corresponded with me, and I have replied to
their letters. They express themselves highly gratified with the opportunity
that is now offered you. Nothing now remains to be done but
for you to sign this paper pledging yourselves each to give me your
services until you severally arrive at the age of twenty-one.'
Here he unfolded a long document which he read to us. It embraced
the sum of what he had already said, and we walked up to the table
and affixed to it our names. I remember that mine was given with
a final flourish of unusual dimensions and expressions; for in my
mind's eye I was already as rich as an Inca of Peru; Mr. Bedrick's
plausible and eloquent account of his `intentions' and our `prospects,
' having quite captivated my imagination and wholly removed
from my mind the prejudice which I had in the outset conceived
against him.
He also, affixed his name to the paper beneath ours, and my father
appended his on the left margin as `Witness.' Thus were the
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[figure description] Page 026.[end figure description]
formidable preliminaries arranged, and we felt as if we were already at the
head of our great commercial Firm! Mr. Bedrick dined with my
father who seemed much taken with him.
At length the day on which we were to sail arrived. Information
was conveyed to us that we must be on board the brig by three o'clock
as the tide would serve at four, when the vessel would weigh anchor
and proceed to sea.
CHAPTER VI. The Embarking.
At the suggestion of Mr. Bedrick we had each of us purchased a
Spanish Grammar, he having informed us that his eldest son, who had
been in Cambridge, though whether he had graduated or not we never
knew, was a good Spanish scholar, and would teach us as much of the
language as we could learn in the two month's voyage before us. I
also laid in a few little articles that I thought might be of use to me,
not forgetting a suit of thin clothes. I represented to my father the
expediency of taking more summer clothing, but he remarked that as
Mr. Bedrick had pledged himself to clothe us he did not feel called
upon to go te such an expense, which ought in justice to fall upon the
merchant himself. My father, as I have said, had a large family, and
an expensive one, and his income was not as large from his business
but that he saw the true value of every dollar that went from it to make
purchases either for himself or his family.
I was, however, tolerably well provided with clothes, though all my
worldly possessions in this way lay packed in the hair trunk already
honorably mentioned. Yet my wardrobe was by no means ample, and
would not have sufficed for me to start with on so long a voyage but
for the faith both my father and myself had in the liberal promises of
Mr. Bedrick. I dined with my father on the day we were to embark;
and I confess that the thought of leaving home for so long an absence
saddened my spirits and quite deprived me of my appetite; not even
the glowing prospects of the future were able to cheer my gloomy feelings.
To the youth who leaves home and country for the first time, it
is a sad hour. The heart will linger over the scenes of past happiness,
and the soul shrinks at the severing of the natural bond of affection and
childhood's fond associations.
After dinner I followed my father to his room, where he gave me
some excellent advise, and then took a tender farewell of me, although
it was his intention to accompany me on board; but he was a man who
did not like to manifest feeling before folks, and so we parted then in
anticipation of the more formal one on ship-board.
At length the carriage came for me and my trunk, and my father
getting into it with me, we were soon at the end of Long wharf, where
we found Mr. Bedrick, his two sons, (as I afterwards learned they were)
and my three fellow adventurers already in the boat which was to take
us on board. My brothers were also there to see me embark and say
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[figure description] Page 027.[end figure description]
`good bye.' The first words Tom said to me were it I had mentioned
the affair of the watch-house to father. Upon my assuring him that I
had not, he looked very much pleased and shook me warmly by the
hand, saying that he hoped the next time he saw me I should be a rich
man.
The boat was lying at the foot of the pier-stairs and loaded down to
the water's edge with trunks, chests, demijohns, boxes and bags. There
was hardly room for myself, my trunk, and my father, but by dint of
stowing closer we were all taken on board and the next moment put off
from the stairs, rowed by two men.
I now felt myself fairly embarked in life, and that the link that
bound me to home and country was parted. The wind blew strongly
from the North-West, and our boat was considerably tossed by the
rough waves of the harbor; but after a pull of a quarter of a mile we
reached the brig, which was hove short with her topsails loosed and the
men aloft.
She was a staunch looking vessel of about two hundred and fifty
tons, painted black, with quaker ports. We got on board one after the
other, Mr. Bedrick remaining in the boat to see that his baggage was
safely got out; for I saw in the passage to the brig that he had quite a
nervous solicitude for its safety.
The deck presented no very inviting scene. It was cumbered with
loose rigging, crates, boxes, bales, sails, spars, hen-coops, and innumerable
other articles cast about here and there in the utmost confusion
Nothing had been stowed or taken care of; but left just as it had been
taken in board. I made my way through the companion to a space at
the stern, where stood a short, broad-shouldered man with black whiskers
and a low, beetling brow, beneath which twinkled a pair of sharp
grey eyes. He held a trumpet in his hand, and was swearing huge
oaths, but without its aid, at the men on the yard. He wore an old
black hat with the brim turned up behind through long contact with
his coat collar, and his outer man was cased in a blue shaggy pilot-coat.
I did not like his looks at the first, and my prepossessions were not
made more favorable by being sharply ordered `to stand out of the way
or go below!'
I went to the other side of the deck and took a position upon a barrel
of apples, while my father mounted an oblong copper soda-fountain
that with the others lay near. The rest of the young gentlemen disposed
of themselves in the best manner they were able, for the Captain,
such being the rank of the man in the pilot-coat, swore roundly at all
as they came aft that he'd have a clear quarter-deck while his ship was
getting underweigh. At length, Mr. Bedrick got on board with his
baggage, and coming aft, was asked by Captain Pright if `all was aboard?
' Upon being answered in the affirmative, he gave orders to
the mate to man the windlass and get up the anchor.
`I see, my son, I must now leave you,' said my father. `Good bye,
and do all you can to gain the good will of Mr. Bedrick, also while on
board the brig of Captain Pright, and your voyage will be much pleasanter.
He seems to be a cross man; but it is, perhaps, because he is
troubled about getting underweigh. I wish you a pleasant voyage.—
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Things look a little out of order now, but after you get to sea the dexks
will be cleared and you will, no doubt, find every thing agreeable.—
You are fortunate in having three companions as fellow passengers
whom you know and who are your friends. When you speak a vessel
write by her; and as soon as you reach your destination send us home
letters, and do this by every opportunity. I shall always be happy to
hear of your prosperity; and I have no doubt that the way is now open
for you to become a rich man?'
`Do you go ashore, sir?' asked the Captain, addressing my father.
`Yes sir. This is my son, Captain. He goes out with Mr. Bedrick.
He is young and new to the world. Such kindness as he may receive
at your hands will be gratefully acknowledged by me!'
Captain Pright slightly nodded and said gruffly: `It is quite as much
as I can do, sir, to take care of my vessel. Mr. Bedrick is the man
for you to speak to!'
My father looked displeased, but made no reply. He shook me by
the hand. I followed him to the gangway with a full heart, for I was
already heartily sick of the brig and her Captain; for from the manner
of the latter I anticipated no very pleasant voyage under the auspices
of such a petty tyrant as he seemed to be. I had too much pride of
character, however, to betray my feelings to my father. He went over
the side into a shore boat which had just unladen a freight of vegetables
and fresh meat; for the brig's boat was already hoisted astern. I
followed my father's receding form with tearful eyes, and when he could
no longer be seen I turned away and wept like a child.
The anchor was soon suspended at the bows, the topsails were sheeted
home, the spencer hoisted and spread to the wind which filled the
upper sails, and the brig moved from her moorings each moment with
increasing speed. Sail after sail was unloosed till the masts were white
with canvass, and the spray dashed in dancing fountains from her
cleaving prow.
Sad in spirit, and already beginning to feel the sinking sensation of
the heart called `home-sickness,' I took my stand upon the taffrail
by the side of my three companions and silently gazed upon the fading
city. The wing of thought wandered from there to my native valley
and hovering over home presented it to my memory in all its fond features.
My mother, my ever kind and good mother, my sisters, my
school-mates—all the scenes endeared to me with a thousand pleasing
associations filled my mind and nearly overpowered me. I felt that I
was leaving them all for years—perhaps forever! Those who have
never left their native land in youth know nothing of this sickness of
the heart. Those who have felt it will understand it and sympathize
with me.
My three fellow-clerks doubtless had feelings kindred with my own,
for they gazed back upon the city with very sorrowful countenances,
and tears filled the eyes of at least two of them; for they too were
leaving friends, and home and country for a far distant land, their destinies
unknown.
The beauty of the scenery around the harbor as we sailed down
gradually drew my attention from myself. I gazed upon the snow-white
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[figure description] Page 029.[end figure description]
castle with its hollow embrasures frowning with cannon, and upon the
green islands, and sloping hill sides of the main adorned with stately
edifices with that interest which beautiful scenery never has failed to
awaken in my bosom.
The brig fairly under sail, the Captain began to give orders `to clear
the decks!' One after the other the boxes, bales, ank barrels disappeared
below; yet leaving all our baggage with Mr. Bedrick's `stores'
still in the gangway.
`Come, young men,' said Mr. Bedrick, who had been `fussing'
about his things to see if any thing had received damage by water or
were broken, `you must take hold and get your trunks below and then
come up and help me stow away mine and my stores. Where shall I
stow 'em, Captain?'
`In the steerage,' answered Captain Pright looking sullenly over the
scores of packages, boxes and trunks, that were piled like a hecatomb
near the capstan. `Not an article goes into the cabin, sir! You
have got `dunder' enough there, Mr. Bedrick, to freight a line of battle
ship!'
`My affairs won't interfere with yours, Captain Pright,' retorted Mr.
Bedrick sharply.
The Captain made no answer, the pilot at that moment speaking to
him. My trunk being near the steerage stairs I had promptly taken
hold of it when Mr. Bedrick called upon us, for I was desirous of securing
a good place for it, so that I could easily come at it when I
wished to open it. I descended into the dark region between decks,
and feeling round at length found a snug corner for it where I left it.
I then saw that there were four rough berths in the steerage, the which
I supposed, in my ignorance of nautical matters, were for the seamen;
and I wondered how they could be content to go to sea and sleep in
such a place! Fairfax followed me with his chest, and alter him came
Hewitt and Radsworth bearing with them all their worldly goods.—
When they had each of them broken their shins against the stores
strewn about, and nearly fractured their skulls against the beams overhead,
they succeeded in stowing their things away to their satisfaction.
We then stood together beneath the hatch-way and called a sort of
council of war.
`I'd like plaguily to ascertain to a moral certainty whether we are
to board and lodge in this place,' said Hewitt in his dry manner.
`Lodge here!' repeated Fairfax, who had seen something more of
the sea than either of us, having been a voyage with a relation who was
a sea-captain. `Why I rather guess not. We are cabin passengers
and not steerage passengers!'
`Then why did the Captain refuse to let the trunks go into the
cabin?' asked Radsworth.
`Doubtless it was small, and he did not want to lumber it up,' I
remarked.
`That is the reason. Sleep here?' repeated Fairfax with indignation;
`I'd like to see Mr. Bedrick or the Captain putting us in here!'
`Come boys,' called out Mr. Bedrick from the deck. `Up here and
go to work and lug all this down below. We shall be out at sea in an
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hour and then you'll be so sea-sick every soul of you, you won't know
whether you are on your heads or heels!'
We went to work as he directed, though we thought that the duty of
stowing his stores belonged rather to the hands of the ship than to
`young gentlemen passengers' as we were. It, however, kept us from
thinking of home, and we did the task so cheerfully and so well that in
an hour's time all the articles were not only conveyed into the steerage
but compactly stowed away around the sides.
Four soda-fountains, among other things, were brought down; but
as they were rather too heavy the seamen were called to give us a lift.
Before they went below the Captain and Mr. Bedrick had quite a sharp
skirmish of words, the former declaring very positively that they should
go into the hold with the freight, and the latter insisting on taking them
into the steerage. We did not then know the value of these oblong
copper vessels to Mr. Bedrick, or we should have ceased to be surprised
at his tender care of them. He gained the victory, however, the Captain
finally yielding with a muttering oath. This little circumstance
showed us that our employer and the Captain had not much respect for
each other; and we could not but express to each other our wonder
that Mr. Bedrick `who owned a part of the brig and had freighted her
with his own merchandize,' should have engaged a Captain who had
so little regard for his wishes. We were, indeed, surprised at Mr.
Bedrick's patience under such autocratic treatment from a man who,
though Captain of the brig, was in truth, but an agent in his employ;
for Mr. Bedrick had told my father that he had purchased half the brig
and employed her expressly to take him and his goods and clerks to
Buenos Ayres. We, therefore, unanimously voted Captain Pright a very
disagreeable man, and my self-esteem which had been touched a
little by his first rude speech to me, was healed; for I reflected
that the clerk could not expect more consideration than the Foreign
Merchant.
Having stowed the baggage we now went on deck. The light house
was just astern, and the great blue plain of the open sea was spread out
before us. The motion of the brig began to be-exceedingly unpleasant,
and I had not been on deck ten minutes before I was taken with that
sickness which outstrips in excrutiating wretchedness to the subject of
it, all others. I told Mr. Bedrick, who was near to me tying up a package,
that I would like to go to my berth if he would be so kind as to
inform me which I was to take.
`Your birth is down there! Take your choice, or draw lots among
yourselves!' As he spoke he pointed to the steerage.
CHAPTER VII. The Steerage.
So that I had somewhere to lay my swimming head it was immaterial
to me, as I then felt, whether it was in the steerage or in the
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vessel's hold. I followed the direction in which Mr. Bedrick's hand
pointed, and the next moment was stretched in one of the births.—
There in the darkness and chilly atmosphere of the place, with every
motion of the brig drawing at my very vitals, the sea dashing menacingly
against the brig's sides, close to my head, and the noise of feet
and rattling cordage above me, I lay many miserable hours, with but
one sensation—that of miserable suffering. A thousand times I wished
myself on shore again, and bitterly did I lament my ambition for foreign
travel which had brought me into such worldless woe. It was,
however, a sort of consolation to me that my fellow-passengers suffered
in like manner with myself. I had not been a quarter of an hour in
my bunk before Hewitt came creeping down the ladder with a face as
pale as a sheet, and holding on by whatever came in his way for support.
With a miserable groan he threw himself into the first berth
that offered its repose, and there lay at intervals expressing his dissatisfaction
that the sea was not made to lie smooth and not boil up in the
fashion it did, merely for the sake of turning a poor landsman's stomach.
Sick as I was I could not but smile at some of his speeches,
which were addressed rather to the empty air than to me. In a little
while after he had got into his berth Radsworth came down with the
cautions step of one who had hitherto walked on the firm earth. He
looked the picture of woe. In trying to find his berth he was knocked
over by a lurch of the brig and came rolling down upon me. At length
he succeeded in getting into his berth, and there gave himself up to
his misery.
The wind seemed to increase and the waves to run higher each moment.
The brig would sometimes roll as if she would fairly turn over,
and more than once my heart was in my mouth lest she had actually
accomplished that feat; but hearing Captain Pright still swearing on
deck I was reassured. Sometimes she would seem for a moment to
be slowly ascending some mountainous wave; then she would pause
and hang perfectly still as if balancing herself! then, oh horrors! she
would shoot, dart, dive down with the velocity of an arrow! Who can
describe the sensation of that descending motion? It was to the
shrinking soul like going down into the central heart of the ocean!—
The very strings of life were drawn down with it, while a terrible faintness
involves the whole man.
`What do you think of this, any how?' called out Hewitt in a dolorous
tone after one of these horrible plunges.
`I would I was ashore,' gasped Radsworth. `I would give all I
hope to be worth in all my life to come for a foot square of solid ground
to stand upon.'
I from my heart echoed his sentiments; but I was too sick to venture
to open my lips.
`Where is Fairfax, I wonder?' asked Hewitt, after a pause, during
which we had been all three busily reversing the action of eating our
dinners, one of the most unwilling acts man ever performs, and always
with an ill grace.
`I don't think he'll be sick,' answered Radsworth, `he has been on
the sea once and has the advantage of us.'
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[figure description] Page 032.[end figure description]
`Confound him,' said Hewitt in a murmuring tone, `it will be too
bad it he ain't sick too.'
`If he is, he won't come into the steerage,' answered Radsworth.—
`When I came down he was talking to Mr. Bedrick and saying he did
not come aboard to be a steerage passenger, and he'd have the rights
of a cabin passenger.'
`What did Mr. Bedrick say to that?' I asked.
`He said he should do as he said, that he was his clerk and must
submit to his regulations. Fairfax turned to me and said that he would
have a birth in the cabin or make a row; and as a row was already
began to be kicked up in my stomach I retreated down here glad to
find any place to lay in.'
`Fairfax is quick and fiery, and will get into trouble,' said Hewitt.
`Let us wait till we all get over this confounded sea-sickness, and
then we can look after asserting our rights. Here comes Fairfax
now!'
While he was speaking our fourth man made his appearance among
us.
`Are you sick, Fairfax?' asked Hewitt with a faint hope that he
would answer in the affirmative.
`No,' answered the young man, `I am only mad. So you have all
turned in. Well, you may lay there if you will, but I mean to have a
berth in the cabin. It is an imposition to put us here. Bedrick, himself,
is to live in the cabin and also his two sons who are no better than
we are. Bedrick says we are to eat in the cabin; but that is not
enough. I don't like this beginning of things at all; and if I had
known that we were to occupy the steerage I would have seen him in
Guinea before I would have come with him. There is his eldest son,
too. He took the liberty to speak to me because I chose to address
his father in plain words. I don't like him nor the other one. Both of
them look upon us as beneath them; and I believe the old man regards
us no better than as if we were bounden apprentices.'
`I don't see but that we will have to put up with it, Fairfax,' said I,
`at least for the present. We can be more by ourselves here in the
steerage than we could be in the cabin under Mr. Bedrick's eye; and
I dare say we shall like this better than the cabin.'
`That is what I was thinking,' said Radsworth. `Here we shall
be independent and do as we like, and speak with each other without
fear.'
`Yes,' added Hewitt with emphasis, `and if any body dares to intrude
upon our sanctum we will put 'em out by main force. If we are
to live here, it shall be our castle.'
`That it shall,' answered Fairfax; `so boys, we will say nothing
more at present, but hold on as we are. At night we'll have a lantern
swung from the beam, and we will try to make the best out of bed!'
`Did you insult Mr. Bedrick?' asked Radsworth.
`No, not a word. I merely told him in a firm tone what I believed
to be our rights. I spoke civilly, though his son with the light hair
and spectacles, he who is to teach us Spanish, and looks like a jackass,
said that I was impudent and told me to mind how I spoke to his father.
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It is my private opinion, boys, that we shall have a `muss' before we
get to Buenos Ayres; for I don't think nature ever intend ed that those
Bedrick's and ourselves should ever pull together kindly.'
`It is wisest, however, to be patient and forbear,' I remarked. `You
know we have voluntarily placed ourselves under their father, and that
at all hazards we are completely in their hands.'
`Well, I am willing to be patient,' answered the impetuous Fairfax,
and I trust all will go smoothly, but blame me if I think so.'
`Is old Bedrick sea-sick yet?' dryly inquired Hewitt with a peculiar
shuffle of his nose which was habitual to him.
`He was looking white about the gills when I came down. His
oldest son Edwin is already feeding the whales with his last shore
dinner.'
“Well, I am glad to hear it,' answered Hewitt; `I think I should
feel much better if I had certain intelligence that Captain Pright aud
his whole ship's crew were playing the game the whale played when he
cast forth Jonah!'
Night came rapidly on and darkness enveloped all in the steerage.—
Fairfax was the only one of us who would go into the cabin to sepper.
As for ourselves the very knowledge that there was such a thing as
food was abhorent to us. We had but one idea, and that was a
solid rock.
Such a night as I passed has had no parallel since in my experience
either on sea or land. The wind had increased to a gale. The roar
of the tempest reached our ears with the sound of the wild warfare of
the tumbling surges. The masts and yards cracked! the blocks
shrieked piercingly! the billows would break against the brig's side
with the force of a cannon ball and the noise of thunder, causing the
vessel to shiver to her very keel. Every timber in her seemed to have
a voice to complain, and all the live-long night kept up a wailing that
was almost madness to listen to. Added to this was the constant and
never absent fear, which as landsmen was natural to us, that we should
every minute go to the bottom, I was also sick at heart—sick in body—
sick in soul—and wretchedly sick in spirit. There is no malady
that pierces and penetrates to the joints and marrow like sea-sickness!
It makes the very soul faint within itself.
At length morning dawned, but the light brought with it no relief.
Day after day passed until the fifth day out before I was able to get
upon deck or take a morsel of nourishment. Radsworth got on deck
the day before us, but Hewitt was a full week below. At length the
monster was conquered. We got over it after it had its course, as
children get over the whooping cough. Our pallid visages began to
resume their life hue, and our mouths to relax into smiles. We soon
got our appetites aboard, and after we had been ten days at sea each
man was able to eat his full allowance. Fair winds and pleasant
weather spread cheerfulness around; and as we four stood together one
fine moonlight night just forward of the gang-way watching the sparkling
sea and gemmed skies, we remarked to one another that it was
not after all so bad an affair to go to sea!
We found Mr. Bedrick, who got well the last of all, disposed to be
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pleasant; and as we had our meals in the cabin and lived pretty well,
we said nothing more about the steerage. In fact, we had become
quite reconciled to it, for with a lantern it was light enough, and we
had arranged it so that it had quite a neat appearance. Our berths
were good mattresses, and each of us had a blanket. So on the whole,
things were favorable, and we were disposed to put the best light upon
the matter. Captain Pright, now that the bustle of leaving port was
over, proved to be a pretty clever sort of a man, though very illiterate,
and wanting in many of the deceucies which are the salt of social intercourse.
He would swear profanely, he would blow his nose with
his fingers at table, pick his teeth with his fork and then stick it into
a piece of bread and hand it to you, he would drink out of the pitcher,
and after wiping his knife clean on his tongue would cut butter with it
and help you! But these were minor points; and people at sea, especially
those who sleep in the steerage, should not be two particular.
Captain Pright was a fair specimen of a great many sea-captains who
command vessels of a smaller class. He had risen from a cabin boy
through all the stations to the command. He boasted that he had
been to school but three months, and that he went to sea in his twelfth
year, and had been attached to some vessel or other ever since. He
was a man about forty, rudely framed, rough visaged, with a snub
nose, little grey eyes, a dark complexion, and very low born looking.—
He was imperious in command, and was fully sensible of the vast power
that the law allows a captain to hold in his his hands, a power elsewhere
in the social sphere unparalleled. Every sea-captain once on
blue water is an autocrat in power, and many of them become the
most despicable tyrants over the handful of men whom circumstances
have placed under their control. Passengers, indeed, do not always
escape the exercise of their power, for `on board my ship I am king'
is more than once hinted into their ears. Yet, at the bottom, Captain
Pright possessed several good points of character which subsequently
manifested themselves in our favor.
The character of Mr. Bedrick I shall leave for future notice. I will
however, describe my fellow clerks. Henricus Hewitt, the eldest, was
the son of a highly respectable merchant in the town in which the Institution
which we had left was situated. He was about nineteen, but
looked as if he was full twenty-one. He was tall and loosely put together,
and was at times ludicrously ungainly in his movements. At
heart he was one of the best fellows; he had good sense combined with
a simplicity that to those who did not know him seemed stupidity; yet
out of this apparent dullness sparkled from time to time the brightest
wit. He had a heavy, dark brow, and a large, quiet eye of a bright
brown color. His smile was pleasing and he was universally good-natured.
He would bear a joke, and was sometimes made the butt of
our superabundance of gay spirits. He had embarked on this adventure
first, from a desire to see the world, and next, from the love of
money, for which he had already manifested quite a covetous affection.
As a scholar, he had been above mediocrity, though we soon found
that there was no affinity between his tongue and the tongue Spanish.
Radsworth was also of a highly respectable family, his father having
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been a General in the army during the last war. Radsworth was ambitious,
spirited, adventurous; and being just about to enter upon some
pursuit when Mr. Bedrick's letter came, at once resolved to embrace
the opportunity of embarking upon the theatre of active business presented
to him under the novel coloring of a foreign clerk-ship. His
imagination, as my own had been, was fired by the pictures of life
which rose up to his mind from the pages of travellers' books which he
had read, and without more reflection he gave himself to the expedition.
He was a little over eighteen, of a manly height, fair complexion,
full blue eyes, rather too wide open to be handsome, and square
cheeks and chin. He was light, active, and in vigorous health, as indeed
we all were, In character he was without reproach, being truly
upright and moral. In spirits he was cheerful, and inclined to take
the world as he found it. In heart he was kind and brave, and faithful
to those who confided in him.
CHAPTER VIII. Calm on the Equator.
In the preceding chapter I described two of my companions of the
voyage and also the Captain of the brig. I will now give my readers
a portrait of the remaining one, George Fairfax. He was a young man
about nineteen, bold, daring, quick of temper, and quicker of speech.
He was nearly related to a Senator in Congress, and the Governor of
his native State. He was a good scholar in mathematics, and knew
something of navigation. He had been once to the West Indies as a
sort of supercargo in one of his uncle's vessels, and therefere had a
knowledge of the sea which none of us could boast of. In person he
was stout built, about the middle height, with a clear gray eye full of
decision and fire. There was in him something of the dare devil, although
he was by no means vicious. He had a high sense of his
own rights, and was very firmly resolved never to relinquish them to
any man.
The eldest son of Mr. Bedrick, Ned, or Edwin, had been in Harvard,
and left to accompany his father. He was about two and twenty, with
light flaxen hair, a very light, sandy complexion, full fleshy cheeks,
and small blue eyes, which were most of the time peering inquisitively
at you through a pair of gold mounted glasses. He was stoutly made,
with a slight roundness of the shoulders, dressed in black, and wore a
plain gold ring on his little finger. He knew Greek, he knew Latin,
he knew Spanish, he knew all languages. He was a great talker, very
vain, very conceited, very arrogant, very self-assuming, very much
wanting in natural common sense. He would have lorded it over each
of us if he could have done so. He tried it, but found that it would
not do. But I will not anticipate events.
His brother William was in his twentieth year, and his opposite in
tooks and character. He was a dark complexioned young man, with
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the blackest, sharpest eye ever set in a man's head. His hair was
black as a ravin's. He looked like a handsome young Turk. He had
a finely moulded figure, supple and athletic. His face expressed resolution
and wild daring. He looked like one who would engage heart
and hand in any reckless adventure. He was one whom it would
have been dangerous to have had for an enemy; yet who would prove
a fast friend.
Such then were the companions among whom my destiny had placed
me. The first fifteen days out every thing went on smoothly, excepting
the little cross-grained occurrences of the first day, already mentioned.
We had by this time got to know something of one another,
and fallen into a certain round of habits and employment for passing
the time. I studied navigation and kept a journal. Fairfax played
the flute, helped the sailors in the duty and made perpetual motion
machines out of shingles. Hewitt did nothing all day but pore over
his Spanish, forgetting the next day all he had learned the day before,
yet persevering against hope. Radsworth read and studied Spanish
and talked literature with the elder son of Mr. Bedrick. We all had
onr Spanish to look after, and the elder son was our teacher, and
daily we made more or less proficiency. I took kindly to the language,
and when I had mastered its chief difficulties I pursued it with
delight.
`Old Bedrick,' as we had got to denominate `the Foreign Merchant,
' passed his time mostly in the cabin writing and looking over
old accounts. He did not hesitate to call upon us to overhaul his
trunks and boxes and bring and carry for him precisely as if we were
his servants; but we had plenty of time on our hands and did not refuse
to obey him, though he might have asked his sons, who never did
any thing. If, by chance, he called on either of them to bring him
what he wanted, they would invariably pass the errand over to one of
us. We bore all this quietly before them, but in the retirement of our
steerage we did not fail to express our disapprobation and displeasure.
We had found ourselves treated rather as menials than the sons of gentlemen,
and our spirits rose against it. We consoled ourselves, however,
with the hope that after we reached Buenos Ayres things would
change and we should be treated as became our positions as Clerks in
the House of a Foreign Merchant! for, be it observed, we attached no
little credit to this distinction, regarding ourselves as quite a notch and
a little more above domestic clerks.
At length one day old Bedrick, whom we liked less and less the
more his character displayed itself before us and to us, called Hewitt
into the cabin and told him that he wished him to make his berth up
every morning and take care of hir state-room. As Hewitt was of a
quiet turn of temper and had a good deal of simplicity of character, the
old man doubtless thought that he would comply without a demurrer.
But he had no sooner proposed this menial service to him, than with
flashing eyes Hewitt responded to him so as to be heard distinctly by
me in the steerage, where I was engaged in sewing up a hole I had
torn in the knee of my trousers trying to get aloft one of the futtockshrouds.
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`Sir, I am no serving-man. I am astonished and amazed that you
should presume to make such a proposition to me, sir. Mr. Bedrick I
am on board this brig as a cabin passenger, and you put me into the
steerage. I yielded without a word. You have since called upon me
and my friends to do many things which your sons refused to do. I
look upon myself quite as good as they, and have quite as delicate
tingers. Sir, I consider myself your clerk. No clerk of yours shall
through me be so degraded as to become a bed maker. I have too
high a regard for you, sir, to suffer it. I hold your reputation in too
high consideration to have it said that Mr. Bedrick's clerks were nothing
more than servants. This, sir, is my objection—my sole objection
to complying with your request!'
When Hewitt had ended this speech which he had commenced in
anger but ended with a smile under his tongue, he went on deck leaving
the old man quite thunderstruck.
`What a set of graceless rascallions I have got into my hands, or
rather that they have got me into theirs,' he muttered. `I am half a
mind to horse-whip them all round!'
This speech we did not hear, but it was reported to us the same night
by the colored steward, who was our friend, we having clubbed together
and paid him a quarter of a dollar spiece one sunny morning as
a bonus of more to follow if he behaved himself.
Hewitt had no sooner got on deck than Ned, our Spanish master,
met him and looking very pale with rage demanded to know why he
had dared to insult his father.
`Your father has insulted me,' answered Henricus firmly.
`You are all a set of—
`Of what?' I demanded poking my head up from the steerage hatch,
for I had sprang up to go to the deck when I heard Hewitt leave the
cabin. As I put the interrogative demand I caught his eye and his
tongue faltered.
`No matter what,' he added. `If I was father I would make you—'
`What?' repeated Fairfax sternly.
He made no answer, but turning on his heel descended into the
cabin. Bill soon followed him, and there they remained a long while,
doubtless discussing us. This little event originated a feeling of mutual
suspicion and ill will between us; and placed us in the position
of two antagonistic parties. For several days the old man scarcely
spoke a word to either of us and then only with angry brevity, while
his eldest born maintained a dignified silence. He even refused to
hear our Spanish lessons; but as we had mastered our pronunciation
we got along very well with our grammars without his aid.
For nearly a week this state of things continued, when there came
on a terrific storm. The brig labored heavily for many hours, and at
length carried away her main-topgallant mast with the yard and sail.
The sea broke over us with a clear arch, and on sounding the well
we found we had ten inches of water in the hold. This alarming state
of things called all our energies forth. The water was increasing, and
we knew that if the storm lasted twelve hours longer we should go to the
bottom. All the hands were employed about the decks or loft, and we
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were called upon to man the brakes of the pumps. I took the handle
with old Mr. Bedrick and Hewitt. Fairfax worked a brake with
Spanish Bedrick, as we called the eldest son, and this contiguity of
labor with the mutual danger did wonders towards removing the illfeeling
which had sprung up between us. The fear of death destroyed
all enmity, and kind words took the place of contention. The leak
was finally discovered and stopped, and the storm abaiting with the
rising sun, we were relieved from the apprehension of going to the
bottom of the ocean with the life-blood flowing warmly in our veins
and our hearts beating strong with health.
The storm was a true pacificator, and for some days all went on
smoothly. We were on good terms with one another; our Spanish
lessons were pursued with industry; we played at draughts with the
old gentleman, and backgammon with Spanish Ned.
As we approached the Southern latitudes the weather became delightful.
There was a purity in the atmosphere wholly unknown to me
before. The air was soft, and it was a pleasure to inhale it. We had
run from Boston nearly a due Easterly course until we came near the
Western Islands, when we struck the trade winds and carried them
with us down to within three degrees of the equator. Here they died
away, or came only at fitful intervals, accompanied by squalls and torrents
of rain. Here, for the first time, we understood what a calm
was. When within about a degree of the line, we were deserted by
every wind. For several days not a zephr ruffled the glassy mirror of
the deep. It rolled its long polished billows with a ceaseless swell
upon which we were gently rocked as a gem upon a maiden's bosom
is moved undulatingly upward and downward. The sun was intensely
burning, feeling like a furnace close above our heads. The decks were
so heated that it burned the feet through the sole of the shoe. All
around us was the shining, flashing plain of the slumbering ocean; for
though there may be no wind the sea forever heaves its great heart, as
the heart of a man asleep, nor ceases to rise nor fall. Our sails hung
idly from the yards, and the sailors slept in the shade or indolently
busied their fingers about some light work. At night the sun would
go down in a sea of liquid crystal and rise in the morning from the
same unruffled deep. I was fully able to realize the truth of the description
of Coleridge's cal ned ship in his `Ancient Mariner;' for
we lay day after day,
`Like a painted ship upon a painted ocean.'
The only relief we had was in occasional showers, which came upon
us without wind. The rain fell literally in sheets Such descending
floods as we experienced must be seen to be appreciated. The clouds
poured out their treasures with the abundance and force of a cascade.
The sound upon the decks was an incessant roar. The rain drops, in
many instances, were so large and close that they combined in their
fall. and came down in the visible form of flakes of water like transparent
sheets of glass many inches broad. These showers would last
usually from half an hour to two hours, and then pass away as suddenly
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as they came, leaving us to the full power of the fiery equatorial sun.
We varied our monotonous life as well as we could, though before we
had been five days becalmed we had nearly exhausted all our resources,
except quarrelling, which at sea on such occasions, is a never failing
resource for the listless and self-wearied, But Mr. Bedrick seemed
disposed to keep the peace, and conciliate us, and his sons, finding we
were not to be bullied or intimidated, treated us with that degree of
consideration to which we thought ourselves entitled, clerks though
we were to their father. We sometimes went into the sea barbing,
stationing one aloft to keep good look-out for sharks, whose dorsal fin
can be seen a great distance, cleaning the surface ere they approach.
This sea-bathing along side the brig, hundreds of miles from land,
was a novelty, and we enjoyed it greatly. We also amused ourselves
in hanging on the end of the fore studdensail boom and darting the
harpoon into the golden dolphins as they glided slowly past beneath
us. Sometimes a family of porpoises would play across our bows, one
of which was speared and taken on board. I is flesh was served up as
a `rarity,' and was very much like that of a wild hog. Sometimes, at
night, flying fish flew aboard. Hewitt's chief amusement was in fishing
after mother Cary's chickens with a bit of bread concealing the
point of a pin-hook; but success was not commensurate with his
praiseworthy perseverence.
CHAPTER IX. Crossing the Line.
As it is not my purpose to write a history of my voyage, other matters
of more interest calling for my pen, I shall only here and there
touch upon incidents connected with the passage out. The main interest
of my story will be found to commence as we enter the La Plata
River.
How we got across the `Line' I have no idea, for from the time we
reached the third degree north latitude till we got two hundred miles
south of it we had scarcely a breath of air; yet Captain Pright kept
her nose sticking south and south she made her way. We were, however,
nine days accomplishing the five degrees, where calms and storms
forever seem to reign.
I remember that before we came to the equator, about a degree and
a half above it, the north star set in the north. It had been daily, as it
progressed southwesterly, getting lower and lower till it trembled in
the horizon; but when at length night came and I looked from the
deck for `this great light-house of the world,' I felt a sadness and
loneliness come upon my heart as I saw that it had disappeared behind
the round globe. I now, for the first time, realized my distance from
my native land. I felt that I was indeed beneath other skies; and
other skies were really over me and around me. As the northern arch
of the heavens receded from the eye the south lifted its glorious
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universe of constellations to our admiring gaze. The southern cross for
the first time glittered upon our sight with a thousand brighter stars
all unfamiliar to our vision. The Magellan clouds began to rise above
the southwestern horizon and fill our minds with wonder. We
seemed to have passed from one globe to snother, whenever we gazed
upon new heavens, all was so new, so strange, so wonderously beautiful.
The usual custom of paying a tax to `Neptune' upon crossing the
line, was by no means omitted in the present instance. The idea that
something might be done to kill the dullness of the calmness revived
us all. The tribute to the king with the sea-green beard, is paid only
by the `green-ones,' that is, those luckless wights who have never
before `crossed the line.' As the hour approached that the quadrant
told us we should be upon it. all was preparation among us. There
were none in the cabin or steerage, who had ever been across the line,
save the Captain and the mate, and as we were not disposed to tax
ourselves, we combined to select for a victim a `green one' among the
erew, a poor unfortunate loafer who had by some ill-luck shipped in
our brig, though he had never seen salt water before. The sailors all
participated in the sport with that readiness which always characterizes
them when `a lark' is on foot.
One of their number, a good-natured, mischief loving old tar, vol—
unteered to presonate `Old Nep!' We got him down into the steerage
and dressed him for the `part.' In the first place, we covered his
head with a magnificent red turban ingeniously made by means of a
red shirt folded with much taste. In the front of it was stuck a feather
fan, which Hewitt had in his trunk, and which he said had been given
him by `the prettiest girl he had ever seen!' He surrendered it with
manifest reluctance; but the majority prevailed, and he was forced to
yield it for the occasion.
About his cheeks and chin a huge beard woven of oakum was suspended.
It reached to his hips and had a formidable appearance. A
pair of enormous spectacles were out out of a piece of sole leather
and were mounted upon the bridge of his nose. They were without
glasses, but doubtless this was an improvement, as it would be in most
cases where spectacles are set astride the nose, to supply, we fear too
often, the lack oi windows in the brain; for spectacles are the insignia
of windows we believe.
We then manufactured a non-descript garment of old bags for our
Neptune, in style something like an extremely long shirt, around the
bottom was a such fringe a foot deep of oakum. In his right hand we
placed a harpoon, and in his left a tin cup. We had nearly finished
his toilet, when Fairfax came below with his arms filled with sea-weed,
a floating vegetable production with long hairy fibres laden with straw-colored
berries which often covers the sea about the equator for miles,
looking at a distance like an island of yellow sand. This was what we
wanted to complete our character. We trimmed him with it from
head to foot, so that he looked like the genus of the sea clad in his-own
proper regalia.
At length Captain Pright with a smile announced to us that the brig
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was about on the equator, at least within a mile or so of it. This announcement
was made forward, and the `green hand' was called up to
see the line. He took his station on the cat-head and strained his eyes
now ahead, now to penetrate the depth of water, one of them having
suggested that it might have sunk a little under the surface. I had
gone forward to see the joke; and I have never been more amused
with simplicity combined with honest credulity than in this young Vermonter's
case. Faith in the existence of a visible `line,' was plainly
distinguishable in his visage. Thinking it a pity that such hearty
faith should go unrewarded I went aft, and after borrowing the Captain's
spy glass, fastened a black thread across the glass and then called
him to the gangway to take a look through the spy glass and see if he
could not make out `the line!'
`It is very small, just as you see it on the maps,' said I gravely as I
handed him the glass.
He had no sooner fairly got it to his eye than he brought his foot
down upon the deck with a stout thump and opened his countenance
with a broad grin of satisfaction.
`I see it, by jiggers!' was his ever memorable exclamation of unmingled
delight. `It looks for all the world just like it does on the
school-map. Well, I never expected to see the Equator!'
`I hope you are satisfied with the sight!' asked Hewitt drawing up
his nose with a snuffle.
`Yes, I would n't have lost the sight for a quarter of a dollar'
`There is something more for you to see,' I said, quietly drawing his
attention away from the forecastle, out of which I saw `Neptune' coming
to the deck, having gone forward from the steerage between decks.
Between him and `the victim' stood several of the men to screen him
from view till he should get over the bows. He succeeded in getting
over the head-board unseen, and when I saw the top of `Hewitt's fan'
disappear below the bulwark, I asked my man if he had ever heard of
Neptune.
`Oh, yes, I've heard of him afore I come aboard here; and then
I've heard the men talk about him; but don't think I am to be taken
in with that story. I don't believe there's such a chap a-livin'. I know
there's a `line' coz I've seed it through the spyin' glass with my own
eyes, but I ain't quite so green as to believe there's a human half-horse
half-fish kritter as is king o' the sea and lives on the line!'
`You ought not to doubt it,' said Hewitt. `Neptune is a confoundedly
jealous fellow. He might, if he heard you, come and call you to
account.'
`You know,' said Fairfax, `that the line is his toll-gate. If he did
n't choose to let ships go by they wouldn't be able to pass it.'
`What's that little black line! It don't look bigger than a hair!' he
said with incredulous contempt.
`That is nothing. It goes round the world and is stronger than a
chain-cable,' said Radsworth. `He used once to stop every vessel that
went by and made them pay toll!'
`So I heard the men say, but I thought they was gullin' me!' he answered
beginning to believe.
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`No they were not. But he don't take toll now of any vessels except
they have people on board that never have crossed his dominions.
Then he comes aboard of them and demands toll,' said Fairfax; while
Mr. Bedrick, the Captain and mate, and the tars were seated or standing
near by, loitering and enjoying the joke.
`What kind o' toll does he take? inquired the victim with earnest
interest.
`Grog always,' answered Bill Bedrick. `If there is n't any grog he
then shaves and takes off the beard instead. He has a great fondness
for beards, as you will allow should you ever be on board a vessel that
he should visit.'
`I don't care to be. But I know you are all laughing at me,' he
said half in doubt, half believing.
`Let Neptune himself say whether we are joking,' I called out suddenly
in a loud tone; for I had been made chief manager of the `play.'
As I spoke `the watery god' made his appearance coming over the
bows. To complete his character, the old tar had fairly dipped himself
into the sea, and now came in sight dripping with brine. The representation
was perfect, and startled even Mr. Bedrick and the Captain,
who had never before seen him. The `god' came slowly aft; all eyes
fixed upon the `green hand' alternately. Behind him came two attendants,
covered with sea weed from head to foot. To describe the
look of consternation, surprise, horror and amazement that appeared
upon his face would be impossible. He started back, became as pale
as a sheet and trembled in every limb. He looked round to us for
aid—for sympathy! He saw in all our faces well-feigned looks of fear
and awe.
Neptune came slowly on with heavy tread, and striking his tridant
(harpoon) upon the deck at every step. He came within six feet of us,
acd then looking round, sternly demanded the name of the brig that
had entered his domains. Captain Pright replied promptly.
`Have you any seamen on board who have never before crossed my
territories?'
`I have one only,' answered the Captain.
`You need not point him out. I know the faces of all that I once
have seen. Here stands the man. So, sir mortal what is your name?'
`Seth Bliss,' answered the victim, with a whine of the most pitable
apprehension.
`How old are you?'
`Twenty-three last hayin' time!'
`Have you ever been this far from home before?'
`No, I ain't, and I hope I never 'll be agen. If you 'll let me go
this time, good Mr. Neptune, I'll never come this way again.'
`I must have my toll. Do you see this silver cup?'
`It is a tin one, ain't it, sir?'
`I say do you see this gold cap?' repeated Neptune sternly.
`Yes, I see it. 'T is gold!'
`I want it filled to the brim with grog. This is the toll I demand
of all who cross my domains. Fill it, and then I will let the brig go on
her way.'
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`I hain't any grog, Mr. Neptune. The Capt'n keeps all the grog,
and ony lets us have a gill a day.'
`Then if you have no grog to bestow upon me, I must have your
bread. Seize him, and bind him, and bring me a razor, lather and
hot water! Dare any mortal presume to cross my domains without
preparing himself with the toll that all the world has paid to me from
time immemorial? Seize the presumptuous man, and let me take off
his thin-faced beard for him!'
Two of the sailors, who had attired themselves in sea weed to act as
his attendants, now seized him and placed him in a tub half filled with
sea water. One of them got a piece of an iron hoop and presented it
to Father Neptune: while the other brought a bucket of tar in which
was a swob made of oakum. A volunteer brought, also, a pan of slush.
The victim looked as if he was about to have his throat cut. He called
loudly on us for aid, and then implored `Mr. Neptune' to have mercy.
He loudly entreated the Captain to let him have the grog and take the
value out of his wages! But all his cries were addressed to insensible
ears, sorry am I to say it. His mouth was stopped with the slush with
which his face was well besmeared by a zealous sailor: then followed
a coat of tar with the swob. When he was well lathered `Neptune'
began to shave him with great dignity.
`Don't hurt me, father Neptune,' cried the poor fellow.
`I'll be as gentle as a lady!' and here the iron hoop came down
across his face with an energy that made the victim groan audibly.—
The operation of `shaving' lasted about ten minutes, for the `old man
of the sea' was desirous, as he said, of leaving the face perfectly clean.
At length the operation being ended, the victim was allowed to get up.
Neptune then gave him a few words of good advice, and, followed by
his two minions, who looked like moving monsters of sea weed, disappeared
over the bows as he had come. We now hurried Seth below
to the steerage, both to help the poor fellow relieve himself of his tar,
for Neptune had not proved himself after all a neat barber, and also to
give the sailor who had personated the character an opportunity to
come in-board and descend unseen by him to the forecastle.
We comforted Seth with a stiff glass of grog and with our sympathies.
Nothing was ever said to lead him to doubt the reality of Neptune's
existence, and to this day, these is little question but that he as
firmly believes that there is a Neptune, as he does that there is an
equatorial line!
CHAPTER X. Land ho!
After we had got about two hundred miles south of the equator,
we fell in with the south-easterly Trades, and once more moved steadily
and swiftly on our course. We were not many hundred miles
from the coast of Africa for many days sail; it being the custom of
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ships in going to South America to keep well to the Eastward, to avail
themselves of the Trades, which blow from the coast of Europe northeasterly,
and from the coast of Africa south-easterly. The two winds
do not approach each other by seven or eight degrees, which space is
in the region of the Equator, and wherein reign calms and rains, squalls
and fiery heat.
Having well passed this fitful region, and once more feeling the influence
of a steady wind which blows for weeks from one quarter, we
rapidly run down our latitude. Nothing of importance occurred until
we were in thirty south, when one morning we saw a water-spout about
a league to leeward. Its shape was that like a huge speaking trumpet
hanging from the clouds. Its smaller end nearly touched the sea
which was in the wildest confusion beneath it. At length, it suddenly
shot upward a slender column of water and joined it, thus binding the
clouds and the sea in a strange union. The conjoined column we
soon saw was in rapid motion, and in the direction of our vessel, its
progress being dead to windward. We watched its approach with no
little apprehension until it came within half a mile when it wheeled
and moved several points away from us, but advancing like a race horse,
its roar distinctly reaching our ears. Its path was marked with foam.
Above it was a jet black cloud, from the bosom of which it hung and
which supplied it with its volume of water. Suddenly a flash of lightning
darted from the cloud followed by a sharp clap of thunder. Instantly
the tall crystal link that bound heaven and earth together parted
in mid air, half ascended rapidly and lost its form in the cloud, while
the other section descended into the sea with the noise of billows dashing
against rocks.
The same afternoon we for the first time saw a whale. It was ahead
of us when first discovered, laying motionless upon the surface, occasionally
sending a jet of water into the air. As we advanced on our
course and came near the hebemoth, he disappeared, slowly sinking
beneath the surface, lashing the sea with his tail as he went down.—
In a little while we heard him blowing astern of us, and looking round
saw his huge bulk half exposed and rolling upon the waves like some
island adrift. He took his way to the westward, and was soon hulldown
in the blue distance.
The following day I was so fortunate as to spear a dolphin. It had
been swimming along side for some time, and I had entertained myself
with watching his graceful movements, keeping up with the vessel
seemingly without any effort. In the water when the sun strikes upon
his sides as he turns to it, his colors are very beautiful; but it is when
he is lying on deck and dying that he presents that splendid appearance
which has made him so celebrated. Watching my opportunity with
the `grains' in my hand, I succeeded in throwing it with such accuracy
as to spear him. He struggled with a surprising outlay of strength,
but with the aid of some of my fellow-passengers he was hauled inboard.
I never saw any thing so beautiful as the hue his scales presented
as he was expiring. They were like those in the lining of some
rich Indian pearl, varied by the most dazzling prismatic changes.
We found that his flesh or meat, (has the language no word?) his
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fish was very delicately flavored, though something dry. It was similar
in appearance and taste to the pickerel.
The next day we fell in with an English ship loaded with emigrants,
bound to Buenos Ayres. She came so close to us that we could see
the groups of poor emigrants crowding her decks in scores. The
Captain, as the wind was light, came on board of us, gave us some
English newspapers, took some of our American papers in exchange,
had a glass of wine in the cabin with the Captain and Mr. Bedrick,
and then returned to his own clumsy, slow sailing ship, the sails of
which were old and brown, and looking anything but tidy. I have
always observed the inferior appearance of English merchant vessels
compared with ours. They are wanting in that cleanliness and comfort
that characterizes the American. The Captains, too, generally
are a rude, coarse set of men, without refinement and indifferent to it.
This English brig and its Captain, suffered by comparison with our
brig, and our Captain, though we had not much to boast of in this
way.
At length, we had run down our latitude, and the Captain gave orders
to square away the yards for the mouth of the river La Plata.—
The idea of soon seeing the coast of South America, and putting an
end to our long voyage, which had now been fifty-six tedious days in
length, filled us with hope and joy. We moved speedily on our new
course for five days, when one morning after breakfast, the Captain
electrified us all by giving the order for a man to go aloft and keep
sharp look out for land.
The man went not up alone. We all followed, some ascending to
the main, some to the foreroyalmast head. We could, however, discover
nothing around us but the wide circle of the blue ocean, and far
in the south-western horizon a faint white spec which we knew to be
a sail, and reported on deck accordingly. The Captain took his glass
and swept the horizon, but he could not see it on deck on account of
the curvature of the earth, or rather the ocean. To a landsman the
difference that a few feet elevation at sea makes in viewing a distant
object, is always surprising when experienced for the first time. He
does not easily conceive that the are of the circumference of the earth
can be manifest within the scope of a human eye. Yet experience
proves that it is apparent across a few leagues' surface. We could,
from aloft, see an object on the horizon that from the deck was invisible
even with a telescope. The telescope would have had to see
over the verge of the earth's peripheny to take it within its range. A
few feet up the rattlings will make a perceptible difference. I have
seen from deck all the sails of a ship sailing along the horizon, but the
ship herself was under the verge. By going twenty feet up the mast I
rose above the arching swell of the globe sufficiently to bring in sight
her hull. I have often amused myself with watching through the glass
vessels far distant whose topsails only were visible.
The sail that was now discovered, in two hours afterwards came so
near as to be made out a whaler from Nantucket. She spoke us, asked
the news, and passed on, saying she was to touch at Rio Janeiro. By
her we despatched letters home, with the faint hope that they would
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ever get to the hands of our friends. But they were all received about
three months after we had spoken the ship.
Our look-out kept aloft, occasionally relieved until noon, when, just
as the Captain was taking the sun, he called out that cheering cry
which has made thousand of hearts leap with joy,
`Land ho!'
`Land ho!' was echoed by every voice on board; and for a moment
all was joyous confusion aft; though the seamen I noticed betrayed no
emotion. To them it is the same whether making or leaving port.—
The sea is their home, and they are alike indifferent what shores they
make or over what nameless oceans they wander. They know not the
landsman's joy at the sight of land!
We now went aloft, and from the main royal yard I was able to
make out a faint brown line in the west, but so dim, so remote, so high
up in the air (as it seemed) that I knew not whether to call it land or
cloud. But gradually it developed itself from the line of sky and sea,
between which it was suspended, and after an hour's watching I
thought I was able to detect wavy outlines that might be eminences or
might be imagination.
The Trades had left us two days before, and we wee now dependant
on such winds as pleased to blow us along. These were fickle,
as winds usually are, the kind `Trades' always excepted; and we had
not sailed an hour and a half after the land was made before the breeze
died away, leaving our sails flapping, and our hopes of getting into the
river before night, fast evaporating.
Captain Pright looked the very picture of ill-humor and discontent.
At one moment he would swear at the wind, at another at the brig,
and then give the seamen a regular d—g all round by way of variety.
Mr. Bedrick was cross, and we were one and all very much
vexed with the wind for dying away, instead of being thankful and
happy that we had got in sight of land. But such is human nature.—
We forget our blessings the moment fortune frowns upon us. The
sunshine is no more remembered when darkness and storms follow.—
Men are grumblers—good for nothing ungrateful grumblers! With
enough to fill our hearts with gratitude, for bringing us in sight of the
coast to which we were bound, we made ourselves wretched because
the wind had left us in sight of it. I dare say we should have been
less angry had we been becalmed an hour before the land was discovered.
The calm lasted the whole day. The sun set in a glassy sea of fire.
The moon rose, but with it rose not the expected wind. All night we
lay upon the bosom of the deep wooing the winds. None of us could
sleep for asking every half hour if `the wind had sprung up?' The
Captain walked the deck all night whistling, and set the sailors to
whistling for a wind. Morning dawned; the sun rose, but with it did
not come the breeze the Captain prophecied. The land, too, had
disappeared. A man was sent aloft, but could see nothing of it. The
current setting out of the river combined with the ebb of the tide had
effected us where we were and drifted us to sea again!
Upon the discovery of this fact the disappointment and ill-humor
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increased. No one spoke civilly to his neighbor. The tempers of all
had been soured by a long voyage of nearly sixty days, and also by
certain events that will be narrated in the next chapter.
At length the wind came gently from the South, and by noon we
once more made the land, which proved to be Cape St. Mary's. The
brig held on slowly until we were able to distinguish objects upon it.—
The sight of this place, the day before, had filled us with deep emotions
of joy. `Land! dear land!' It was happiness to gaze upon it.
It now proved to be a barren and bleak spot, destitute of trees, and of
a pale green hue, yet to our eyes so long weaned from earth it seemed
a paradise. Our imaginations invested it with every beauty of scenery,
and we felt that if we could place our feet upon it our earthly bliss
would receive its consummation. The very smell of the land which
came off to us many leagues was more grateful than the aroma borne
on the gales of Arabia. We did nothing now but hang over the vessel's
side and gaze upon it. The water now assumed a grayish dingy
appearance, and the lead was hove into the sea to ascertain the depth.
Nearer and nearer we came to the Cape, and at length were able to
distinguish the tower of a low light house, and near it something that
we guessed was a human habitation. About an hour before sunset we
entered the river passing within a mile and a half of the low Cape upon
which with the glass we made out a man half-naked, mounted on horseback,
and watching us.
The southern cape of the river being many leagues from the northern,
was visible to us; the river being at its mouth like a bay in
breadth. The moon rose above the dark land on our right for the
first time in sixty days that we had not seen it emerge from the water.
As we ascended the river we could hear the welcome sound of dogs
barking upon the shore; and here and there in the interior shone fires
which had been lighted for some purpose unknown to us four `clerks,'
but which we had no little curiosity to learn; for whatever we saw or
heard now, were subjects of no indifferent interest to us, thus for the
first time entering the waters and skirting the shores of a foreign
land.
CHAPTER XI. The Deception.
Having now arrived near the termination of our voyage, we were
moved by various emotions with the prospect of soon landing at the
city of Buenos Ayres, which was about two hundred miles up the river
we had just entered. To enable the reader fully to enter into our
peculiar feelings, I will now go back to a period about ten days previous
to our making Cape St. Mary's, the northernmost cape of the
La Plata.
After the storm and the imminent peril in which our lives were
placed and which led to kinder feelings, we got on very well for about
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twenty-six or seven days, the general harmony only interrupted by
those short squalls of ill-humor that will take place in the best regulated
cabins where passengers get tired of the voyage, themselves, and especially
of their fellow-passengers. We had, however, discovered our
Mr. Bedrick to be a man of violent temper, and supremely selfish, and
disposed to be arrogant in the exercise of his authority over us four
young men. His eldest son, too, we had found vain, conceited, assuming,
and with great pretentions to universal knowledge, withal extremely
ignorant. The brother Bill we found to be fiery, reckless,
indifferent whom he offended, and perfectly independent of his father
and of every body else, doing just what his wild and wayward will
dictated.
Yet we got along pretty well with all three without coming to an
open rupture, though we had to forbear a good deal with each of them.
At length, as I have said, about ten days before we entered the river,
a violent quarrel took place in the cabin between Captain Pright and
Mr. Bedrick. What the cause of it was we never exactly understood,
but from a few words we overheard, we supposed that it related to the
payment of our passage out.
In a little while the Captain came on deck looking as black as a
thunder cloud. He had a cigar in his mouth which instead of lighting
he walked the deck chewing at the end with the utmost zeal. Every
little while he would burst out with an oath, and then pace the deck
again. The Bedrick in spectacles had run down into the cabin as
soon as the Captain came on deck; but Bill, who was stretched upon
the larboard hen-coop reading a novel, paid no attention to what was
passing. It seemed to be altogether indifferent with him whether his
father knocked the Captain down, or the Captain his father; for he
had had regular quarrels with both within the last twenty-four hours.
As for ourselves, we did not love `the merchant' so well as to be sorry
to see him in a difficulty; and besides, a flare-up like this greatly relieved
the tedium of the voyage.
For some days past Captain Pright had treated us four with more
than ordinary consideration. We had discovered that, as he grew cold
towards Mr. Bedrick and his sons, he warmed kindly towards ourselves.
We were, therefore, likely to be gainers by the present tremendous
outbreak. So we remained quietly awaiting the issue. I
was engaged by the capstan, which I used as a table, in making a pencil
drawing of the brig; Radsworth seated upon a coil of rigging, in
studying navigation; Hewitt bothering his brain over his Spanish
grammar, and Fairfax lying at his length smoking under the lee of the
weather bulwarks with his head in the bight of the foretopsail braces
for a pillow. The Captain paced the deck untll he had munched up
half the length of his cigar, and then throwing it away took another
and called the cook to bring him a coal of fire. He now began to walk
and smoke. The difference between chewing a cigar and smoking it
was very soon apparent in the change that took place in his countenance.
The cloud gradually passed off as if it had been ejected
through his lips in the shape of tobacco smoke, and he began to look
composed. At length, he paused in his walk, and looked at us with
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an expression as if he had something to say to us. But he turned
away without speaking, glancing at the younger Bedrick as if he did
not care he should hear what he had to communicate. By and by
Edwin Bedrick came on deck, his face as pale as ashes with anger.—
He looked at the Captain as if he would like to annihilate him. Captain
Pright smiled with malicious pleasure. Bedrick acted as if he
wished to give vent to his displeasure upon him, but was prevented by
that discretion which is known by the name of `fear.'
`So, you don't like it that I have called your father an old rascal,'
said the Captain quietly; for I suppose he has made his complaints to
his petted son.'
`You are no gentleman to abuse an old man like my father! A man
of the highest respectability, sir,' cried Bedrick.
`Very respectable,' answered the Captain contemptuously.
`You shall apologise to him for calling him an old rascal! Brother
Bill, do you care nothing att seeing your honored father insulted!—
Captain Pright has had the audacity to call him an old rascal!'
`Well, I dare say Captain Pright knows him quite as well as we do!'
answered Bill dryly.
At this reply, we all laughed so heartily that Edwin Bedrick in great
rage, began to rate us roundly, calling us ungrateful and without
good manners, and that when we got to Buenos Ayres we should pay
for it!
We made no reply, but laughed at his threats, and made up our
minds within ourselves that we would not `pay for it' when we got to
Buenos Ayres. At length Captain Pright interposed his authority,
and told Bedrick if he did not be quiet he would `put him in
irons!'
This threat silenced him, and he went grumbling below to talk over
the affair with his father.
`Let me once get the boys there,' we overheard the old man say
among other words, `and I will let 'em know who's master.'
`Yes,' answered his son; `here Captain Pright snstains them. By
the Lord! when we once get them out of the vessel, we'll make 'em
smart for it, father.'
`Here that, my lads?' said the Captain, looking at us and winking.
He then came towards us and said in an under tone:
`I want you all to be on deck to-night in my watch. Bedrick and
the boys will be turned in. You must come up one by one without
disturbing any of them, for I have got something to tell you, that you
ought to hear.'
We promised to obey him; and then went forward and began to
discuss the matter and try to guess the subject upon which he was to
speak with us. At length the sun set, the night advanced towards
twelve o'clock, when the Captain would come on deck, for he took
the middle watch. We had all turned in by ten o'clock, but as soon
as we heard eight bells, we began to turn out and steal on deck. The
night was clear, with a bright moon that made the brig look as if covered
with a cloud of snow. After the larboard watch had gone below
and the starboard had taken the deck, the helmsman relieved, and
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every thing quiet, we went aft to where the Captain was standing smoking
his cigar, which was never out of his lips.
`Well, my lads,' he said, addressing us in a cordial tone, `I am
glad to see you on deck. The old one is sound asleep, and his sons,
too, I suppose; but to prevent surprises, I will just close the companion-way,
so that if they take a fancy to come on deck they may be
heard! Now take seats about me on the hen-coop, and I will tell you
what I have wished to tell you ever since I learned from some of your
conversation I overheard a few days ago, that you were all four completely
taken in!'
`Taken in?' we exclaimed.
Don't speak so infernal loud,' he said angrily. `I wouldn't have
Bedrick know that I tell you this for all the world! He might make
something of it to get me into trouble. But when I find respectable
young men like yourselves, the victims of deceit and downright fraud,
my danger will get up. The old man is a confounded rascal, and he
has crowned his rascality by deceiving you!'
`How has he deceived us?' we asked, filled with dismay.
`I overhearo you talking together one day about your prospects.—
From your words I learned that you had been engaged by Mr. Bedrick
to go out to Buenos Ayres to be clerks in a Mercantile House that he
was to establish there and at Monte Video.'
`Yes,' we answered, `that is what we are engaged for!'
`Well, you see, you will find yourselves confoundedly mistaken, my
lads! When I found from what I heard that you were laboring under
a deception practiced upon you by Bedrick, I came very near blowing
the whole affair at once and letting you know just what you were
going out to South America for! I saw that you were respectable
young men, from genteel families, and were destined certainly for
something more than was in prospect before you. When I first found
who and what you were, after the first week at sea, I confess I was
surprised that young men of your education and appearance should
have taken up with Mr. Bedrick, and consent to go with him on his
expedition!'
`What expedition then is it? How are we deceived? What does
he want of us?' we demanded, filled with alarm and indignation.
`I will tell you. You expect to become clerks in a respectable mercantile
establishment. But you are destined for no such thing. Mr.
Bedrick has nothing higher in view on his arrival at Buenos Ayres
than to open a soda-shop!'
`A soda-shop?' we repeated, confounded.
`Don't raise your voices so high, my friends!' said the Captain
warmly. `Yes, you are are destined for nothing more uor less than
to tend soda shops in Buenos Ayres and Monte Video!'
Our amazement was almost without bonds. It was only surpassed
by our indignant anger at the duplicity of which we had been the victims.
The announcement, however, was so unexpected and so strange,
that after a moment's reflection, recollecting the Captain's quarrel with
Mr. Bedrick, it occurred to me that he might only desire to injure him.
I, therefore, remarked to the Captain when our excitement had a little
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subsided, that I thought he must be laboring under a mistake, for the
cargo in the brig was certainly Mr. Bedrick's.
`Not a dollar of it,' he answered. `Did he tell you so?'
`Yes. He said that he had freighted the brig with his goods for
South America,' was our reply.
You have been thoroughly duped. All the freight he has on board
are four copper soda fountains which you have seen. These are what
he means by his goods for his Commercial House. I tell you truly he
has no interest in the brig or her cargo. He has only these soda
fountains and some jars of lemon syrup, which are all his `stock in
trade!' I had taken him and you out by a previous contract, made
not with him, but with the owners, who are related to him, and who
are glad to get rid of him at any rate whatever. The fact is, he has
been a merchant somewhere in the North, and failed in business some
years ago. Since then he has been fiddling round and doing little or
nothing, and rather a burden upon some rich relatives, one of whom
owns this brig. A few weeks before we sailed, Bedrick heard that
there were no soda-shops in Buenos Ayres, but that one had been set
up by an English adventurer in Rio Janeiro, which took amazingly
with the Brazilians, who paid twenty-five cents a glass for their soda,
and that the adventurer was making a fortune. So, starting on this
idea, Mr. Bedrick proposed to the owner of the brig, who was his
relation, that if he would purchase him four soda fountains, secure
him a passage out to Buenos Ayres, with his sons and three or four
`clerks,' (yourselves, young gentlemen!) he would sail for that country
and no longer burden him. To this project the gentleman at length
acceded. The soda-fountains were bought, and I was to take oat the
whole expedition and land it safely in Buenos Ayres. Where or how
Mr. Bedrick got his `clerks' I never knew until subsequent to your
coming on board. What motive he had in deceiving you I can't imagine,
unless it was that he believed (what is true) that it would be
impossible for him to obtain four respectable, trustworthy young men
to embark ten thousand miles to a foreign country to `tend soda-shops.'
He, therefore, disguised the truth that he might get young men he
could confide his `commercial affairs to,' knowing you could not help
yourself after he had got you there!'
`But we will show him that we can help ourselves,' was our resolute
reply. `But how is it,' asked Hewitt `that the merchants in Boston
to whom he referred, sustained him in this deceit?'
`His relative was desirous of getting the old man off his hands and
out of the country, and so gave his name to recommend him; but I
question if he was aware that you were kept ignorant of the precise
nature of the business in which you were to engage when you got to
South America. He would not have been a party to such a deception
as that, much as he might wish to get the old man off. I have thought
it my duty to let you know the whole truth, young gentlemen,' continued
the Captain; `and all the recompense I ask is that you will not
say a word to any one of the matter while in the brig, whatever you
do after you get ashore. Let not the old man or his sons suspect that
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[figure description] Page 052.[end figure description]
you know the truth, but try and let every thing go quietly on, until we
reach port.'
This we promised to do; and after thanking the Captain warmly
for making known the wicked deception which had been practiced
upon us, we went below, and, seated upon our trunks, began to talk
over together this new aspect of affairs.
CHAPTER XII. The Spanish Fisherman.
The astounding intelligence we had received, made a deep impression
upon us. We got little sleep that night. We talked over the
past the present, and the future. We were not diffident in expressing
our opinion of Mr. Bedrick, who had thus inveigled us into a scheme
which had fraud for its basis. We one and all felt very positive that
`we had souls above soda-shops!' We were convinced thar nature
never intended us to sell foaming glasses sweetened with lemon syrup
to Spaniards or any body else, either at fourpence or twenty-five cents
a glass. In a word, we were justly indignant at the deception which
had been practiced upon us. We regretted our precipitancy in engaging
with a stranger, but every thing had seemed outwardly fair and
honorable. How to extricate ourselves from the trap in which our
ambition to see foreign countries we had suffered ourselves to be
taken, was now the great theme of consultation. Every night, when
we were alone, we would talk over the whole matter, and devise ways
and means for getting over the difficulty. In the presence of Mr.
Bedrick we were respectful, more so than we had ever been, for we
wished to prevent any suspicion of our knowledge of the true character
of his mercantile establishment.
We at length resolved, after many secret conclaves, that we would
keep quiet until we reached Buenos Ayres, and then wait upon him in
a body, represent to him our wrongs, and make a public declaration of
our independence of him, his sons, and his abominable soda-shops. I
had in my trunk a letter of introduction from my father to Colonel
Forbes, the American charge d' affaires at Buenos Ayres, and on the
strength of this we made up our minds to wait upon Mr. Forbes and
day before him our grievances in full, declare our abjuration of Mr.
Bedrick's authority, and place ourselves at his disposal and advice as
to our future movements.
When we had settled upon this plan, our minds became easier, and
we let the day pass silently, cherishing in our hearts our resolve.—
Having this power of redress, we were enabled to appear quite cheerful,
and indeed we all were in high spirits. Whenever we came across
one of the soda-fountains in the steerage, we never failed to give it an
emphatic kick expressive of our supreme contempt.
In this way the days went by, the old man unsuspicious of our
knowledge of the truth, and believing that he was leading us like
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lambs to the slaughter. But with anticipated redress in our hands, we
laughed at him. We felt a profound satisfaction in punishing him by
depriving him of the `clerks' he had taken such pains to lure away
from their native country. We anticipated with delight his dismay,
his fury, his grief!
There was a question of conscience started by Hewitt whether it
would be right and just for us to take our passage out from him now
that we had decided not to remain with him. But after discussion, it
was decided in the affirmative. Our argument was, that he had conveyed
us to South America under a fraudulent engagement, and that
he should be the loser by our passage; that if we ever returned to the
United States, it must be at an expense to us equal to our passage out;
and that, therefore, we were under no obligations to make any remuneration
to Mr. Bedriek for his expenses.
The Captain continued to warn us, from time to time, to keep our
secret, and continued a good friend to us.
We at length, as I have already mentioned, entered the river La
Plata, and began to ascend it. The morning after we passed by Cape
St. Mary's, I awoke early, anxious to behold by daylight, the land of a
foreign shore. It was just sun-rise when I reached the deck. To the
south stretched a wide waste of water like the ocean, for the opposite
shore was invisible on account of the river's vast breadth, although
we were fifty miles up it. On our right lay the northern bank of the
La Plata, about two and a half miles distant. It presented to the eye
a low range of prairie or level pampa, broken here and there into
ridges and bare hillocks. As far as the view extended this was the
feature of the scenery of the shore, save that occasionally was visible
a clump of stunted trees, which the Captain told us were peach trees.
Not a living object was to be discovered; not a sign of habitation.—
Nevertheless I gazed on the land with longing eyes, wishing that the
wind would die away so that we might take the boat and pull to the
shore. To place our feet once more upon the firm ground we all felt
would be a luxury.
As we slowly ascended the brown-colored river, the shores began to
present a less arid aspect; and about ten o'clock we discovered a human
habitation, and near it a drove of cattle. One or two human
beings were also seen riding among the cattle. Towards noon we
passed several wretched houses with flat roofs and surrounded by picket
enclosures which contained cattle; but no signs of a farm or of cultivation
were apparent.
`Those people.' said the Captain, are half Indians, half Portuguese,
who live by hunting cattle, and selling hides at Maldonado. We shall
come to this place in two or three hours. It is a small town, defended
by an old fortress, and belongs to the Republic of Buenos Ayres, as
does all this country you see, which is called the Banda Oriental, and
is the southern extremity of Brazil. The Emperor has it in his hands
now as well as Monte Video, sixty miles above Maldonado. There is
likely to be some difficulty about it, though, and I shouldn't be surprised
if the two governments should come to blows. When I was
last here they were menacing each other!'
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`What is the cause of the hostility?' asked Hewitt; for we were
all profoundly ignorant of South American politics.
`Why, you see, when Buenos Ayres, a few years ago, declared herself
independent of Old Spain, and went to war with her, she possessed
both sides of the river,—Banda Oriental on the north, and
Paraguay on the south side, in which the city of Buenos Ayres is situated.
But not being able to defend the Banda Oriental against
Spain, she entered into a treaty with Don Pedro, the Emperor of
Brazil, with whom the Republic was on friendly terms, to keep the
district and city of Monte Video against Spain until the war was
ended. What the Republic was to pay the Emperor for this service,
I never learned. At alll events, he consented to oblige them; and as
the first step, sent round from Rio Janeiro a fleet of twenty vessels of
war, conveying twelve thousand troops to Monte Video, the capital of
the Banda Oriental. If you will look at the map, you will see that
Monte Video forms a natural southern out-post to Brazil, and a very
convenient port for the empire. Don Pedro had doubtless learned
this lesson in geography before the Republic proposed to him to keep
the city from falling into the hands of Old Spain. Well, the Buenos
Ayrean patriots secured the independence of their country after a long
contest, at which Don Pedro quietly looked on. After the Buenos
Ayreans had made peace with Spain, they called upon Don Pedro and
very civilly thanking him for the good care he had taken of Monte
Video, desired him to send back his troops to Rio, and surrender to
them the charge of the city. Upon this the wily Portuguese thrust
his tongue into his cheek, and very cavalierly told them `to come and
take it!'
`Is it possible such treachery can exist!' exclaimed Hewitt, his
cheeks flushed with resentment. `Don Pedro is no better than a
blackguard!'
`Doubtless the Republic thought so when they got his answer, and
saw how thoroughly they had been taken in!'
`Quite as grossly as we have been,' repeated Hewitt with earnestness.
`Not a word of that, young gentlemen,' said the Captain. `Wait
till you get ashore, and then you may say and do what you like! But
it was pretty much like your case. The Buenos Ayreans having just
closed a protracted war, were in no condition to commence another,
and so they quietly bore this injustice, but at the same time began to
make warlike preparations. This was the state of things when I last
was out here!' continued the Captain; `and I dare say by this time
they are pretty nearly ready to blaze away at each other. I have no
doubt but before you are six months in the country, you'll see some
fighting!'
The idea of witnessing a battle was quite exciting to us, who had
hitherto only read of such a thing. The reflections that when we
reached Buenos Ayres we should find the country at war gave us all
fine spirits; for there is nothing that has such a charm to a young and
ardent mind as war! We thanked the Captain for initiating us into
the politics of the country, and then began to talk about entering into
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the patriot service if we found the country in arms. This billigerent
notion did not very readily take with Hewitt, who was of a pacific turn
of mind, but the rest of us entered into the discussion of the affair
with great animation.
The shores now presented a most interesting appearance, being
varied with clumps of trees, enclosures, and a few cottages with low,
flat roofs. At length we came in sight of the port and houses of Maldonado,
and about five in the afternoon came abreast of the place. It
was a small hamlet, without much beauty of situation, but still it was
novel to us, as the first Spanish town we had ever seen. A few fishing
boats were anchored off the old fort, and one of them rigged with a
small lateen sail, run along side of us, and offered to sell us fish. We
all ran to the gangway to gaze upon the man and his boat. He was
tall and slender, with a face as dark as an Indian's, black glittering
eyes, and teeth like ivory. Upon his head he wore a sugar-loaf shaped
woollen cap of a scarlet color, and a striped shirt was bound about his
waist by a leathern belt, at the same time kept up a pair of cotton trowsers
fringed at the bottom. He addressed us in Spanish.
`Here now, young gentlemen,' said Captain Pright laughing, `here
now is a good chance for you to try your Spanish on him.' We were,
however, something diffident of our powers; but Hewitt ventured a
Spanish phrase, which he read to him off his grammer with a pronunciation
that was never approached. The phrase was, I believe, `What
o'clock is it?' which, put to a man who probably had never seen a
watch, was laughable enough.
`No entiendo,' answered the man, smiling and showing his teeth.
`He must be a Portugee Indian,' said Hewitt, in defence of his
prouunciation; it is plain he don't understand the pure Castillian.'
`Let Mr. Bedrick try him,' said Fairfax. `He is a Spanish
scholar?'
At this, Edwin, of the spectacles, looked a little red, and after some
hesitation asked the man how he sold his fish.
The man did not understand him, and Bedrick declared that the
fellow did not know a word of Spanish, as he had asked him in good
grammatical Spanish. We, however, questioned whether he himself
did not know less; for our progress in the language had showed us that
he had but a mere smattering of the tongue he professed to understand,
as he said, like his mother-dialect. As it did not require any Spanish
or English to take fish and pay money for them, we made a purchase
of a few, and also bought some vegetables from a boat that came off
to us. Emboldened by the failure of Bedrick, our teacher, we all
four went desperately the Spanish at the latter boatman, whom we
succeeded in making comprehend our horrible `Castillian,' by means
of a few English words judiciously thrown in, and some aid from expressive
signs. It is true, we did not understand more than a word in
six of his replies, but as he seemed to understand all that we said, and
a great deal more, we were perfectly satisfied. We made abominable
work in the attempt to ask him intelligibly what the news was, and
whether Don Pedro and the Patriots were likely to go to war. But
the poor man, although he guessed we must mean something, and tried
-- 056 --
[figure description] Page 056.[end figure description]
very hard to comprehend what it was, did not convey to our minds any
clear idea that he understood what we wanted to learn of him. So we
parted from him as wise as we met him, and proceeded on our way.—
At sundown we were within fifty miles of Monte Video, which the
Captain said we should reach by morning if the wind held. With this
prospect, therefore, of soon seeing a large walled city, full of troops,
and the harbor with vessels of war, we retired for the night, determined
to be up early to enjoy the sight; for it was not our intention
to stop there; but the Captain had promised to sail by elose to it that
we might have a good view of it.
CHAPTER XII. The Letter of Marque.
The ensuing morning when I went on deck the first object that met
my eyes was the mount of Monte Video towering grandly from the
horizon about nine miles distant, crowned with its angular fortress.—
The hill, as we approached it, presented a beautiful appearance. It is
shaped like a cone, and is three hundred feet in height, and the rest of
the land around it being low, it is visible at a great distance.
As we advanced, the towers and turrets and dome of the cathedral
of the city of Monte Video lifted themselves over the surface of the
intervening country, while near them was visible a forest of masts, the
hulls of the numerous vessels being still concealed by the intervening
land. It was a beautiful morning; one of those soft, balmy atmospheres
peculiar to this climate. The sun, reflected from the distant
towers, flags, and battlements of the fortress, gave brilliancy to the
scene. Up the river higher, were two or three vessels of war, which
carried the Brazilian flag. One of them was a brig at anchor, the
other two schooners, moving along under easy sail, as if merely sailing
for pleasure off the harbor. The harbor of Monte Video opens boldly
from the main shore of the river with a entrance, entrance, flanked on
the west side by the mount and its fortress, and on the east or right
hand by a strongly built battery. The shape of the harbor is not unlike
that of a pear, made a deep, spacious basin a mile wide, and more
than that distance in length inland. The city lays within the eastern
curve, upon gradually rising ground, and as we came in sight of it
presented a fine appearance, its roofs rising one above the other, and
the whole crowned by the cathedral with its dome and numerous
towers.
As we approached the mouth of the harbor, about a mile distant
from it, I went aloft to get a more open view. From this elevation I
was enabled to command a wide and beautiful prospect, of city, harbor,
shipping, forts, the mount, the suburbs dotted with white flat-rooted
villas, gardens and clumps of bright green trees. I enjoyed the scene
with a zest that can only be appreciated by those who have heen sixty-two
days on the ocean without seeing land. It seemed like a new
-- 057 --
[figure description] Page 057.[end figure description]
world opened to my inspection; for the general features of what I
beheld were all foreign and new to my eyes.
We at length came nearly opposite the harbor, so that we could look
in and see a huge ship-of-the-line dismantled and anchored directly in
its mouth, pointing her triple battery towards us. The Captain told
us this was called `The Guard Ship,' and was a mode much in use
with the Spaniards and Portuguese for protecting harbors. We thought
the town pretty well protected with the fort on the mount, the battery
on the opposite point, and the guard ship lying between them with
scarce room for two vessels to pass abreast, between her and the shores.
Beyond the guard-ship we saw a fleet of at least two hundred vessels
thickly crowding the basin, so that, as I have before said, their masts
presented the appearance of a forest in autumn.
`I don't like the looks o' that at all,' said the Captain, twisting his
mouth up as he gazed into the crowded harbor through his spy-glass.
`Don't like the looks of what?' I asked, for I was standing near him
in in the main top, to which he had ascended with his spy-glass.
`Of so many vessels anchored in the harbor. It looks as if things
were not altogether right!'
`Why, what do you apprehend?' I inquired.
`There are at least twenty-five Yankee flags flying at the mast-heads
in the harbor, and half as many English. I don't see what the
deuce they are doing there; and, besides, the harbor is full of Brazilian
men-of-war—frigates, sloops, gun-brigs and schooners! There
comes an English armed brig out and standing down for us! If she
comes nigh enough, I will speak her, for things look squally. Keep
away a little there, on deck, and meet that English brig! She is
luffing for us.'
`Aye, aye, sir,' answered the mate, and we came to a point and a
half.
The Captain then descended to the deck, while I remained in the
top watching the approach of a large armed brig with English colors
displayed at her peak, that had just come out of the harbor, and was
standing down the river towards us as if bound to sea. As she approached
it was plain that she intended to speak us, for she luffed up
for us. The Captain called for his trumpet and sprang into the main
rigging, where he took his stand, awaiting her; for he was anxious
to learn the news; for he had began to suspect the true state of
things.
The English brig came down towards us beautifully, and as she approached,
clewed up her topsails to deaden her head-way. I could look
down upon her clean decks and see the double battery of dark guns
and groups of men upon her forecastle; while upon the quarter-deck
stood two or three officers in uniform. Our Captain, as soon as he
had called for his trumpet, had ordered the colors to be set in answer
to those flying on board the English vessel.
`Ho the brig, ahoy!' shouted a stern voice from the quarter-deck
of the Englishman, as the two vessels neared each other on opposite
tacks.
`What brig is that?'
-- 058 --
[figure description] Page 058.[end figure description]
`The Josephus, of Portsmouth, bound to Buenos Ayres. What brig
is that?'
`The English Letter of Marque `Queen Bess,' bound to London.
I have borne down to you,' continued the obliging Captain. `supposing
you were bound up the river, to say, that war has been declared
between the Republic of Buenos Ayres and Brazil, and that the blockade
of the river above Monte Video was enforced five days ago. You
will have to put into Monte Video, as five leagues above this the
blockading fleet is stationed, and to reach Buenos Ayres will be out of
the question.'
`Thank you, thank you,' answered Captain Pright, waving his
speaking trumpet towards him, and touching his hat in acknowledgment
for his courtesy.
`Not at all, not at all,' responded the Captain of the Letter of Marque,
as he sheeted home his topsails again, while we filled away. for
we had backed our main-topsail as he came near us.
`Now this is what I call slipping between the cup and the lip,' exclaiming
Captain Pright with looks of angry disappointment. `After
sixty-two days' sail to reach a place, and get within twenty-four hour's
run of it, to be told we must go home again or put into some other
port!'
`Why what is the matter?' cried old Mr. Bedrick, coming hurriedly
up on deck, for he had been shaving below all the while; `what is it
the English Captain says?'
`He says that Buenos Ayres is blockaded by a Brazilian squadron!'
answered the Captain in a tone of ill-humor.
`Well, what is to be done?' asked the old man, pale with the news.
`To be done! We must either run the gauntlet or I must find some
other port for the cargo of flour and Yankee notions. But I am not
to be turned back unless I am compelled. If Buenos Ayres is blockaded
I can get good prices for every thing on board if I can get up
there. So I will just keep quietly on and see if I can't give them Portuguese
the slip!'
`But if they catch us trying to run the blockade,' said Bedrick,
`they will capture the brig and take her into Monte Video as a prize,
and condemn her, and make us prisoners.'
`I will put it to the vote of the passengers, and the majority shall
govern my conduct,' answered the Captain. `Come, gentlemen, shall
we stand on, or put into the harbor that is already filled with American
vessels?'
We four voted in favor of keeping on, and also the younger Bedrick;
but the old man and his elder born, proposed that we should stop at
Monte Video!'
`I shall keep on,' answered the Captain. `Flour will be a drug in
Monte Video, for I dare say, every Yankee vessel there has it on
board. If I can reach Buenos Ayres, I shall make my fortune, and
enrich the owners. So I shall stand on and trust to the keel of my
brig; for I dare swear she is faster than any of the Portuguese craft in
these waters!'
`You will stand on at your peril, Captain Pright,' cried the old man.
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[figure description] Page 059.[end figure description]
`You know if we are chased and overtaken, we shall be fired into, and
you will be answerable for life and limb! And then if you are taken,
the vessel is detained as a fair prize, and we will no doubt be thrown
into a Portuguese prison!'
`I will, at all event, run the risk. The wind is fair and —'
He was here interrupted at this crisis by the report of a gun. We
looked up and saw a cloud of blue smoke curling above the bows of a
Brazilian gun brig that had just poked her nose out of the harbor and
was bearing for us under all sail. She was about half a league distant.
`There, sir! Do you hear that?' cried Mr. Bedrick as white as a
sheet.
`Yes, sir, do you see that?' repeated his elder born, looking whiter
than his parent, if possible. `I command you, Captain Pright, to stop
your vessel before we are all killed!'
`Gentlemen, I command this brig. If you interfere with my duties,
I shall be compelled to order you below!'
As he spoke, a second report was heard from the Brazilian. Instantly
we all dodged our heads; but the shot fell short of us, for we
could see where it struck quarter of a mile to the leeward, dashing the
spray high into the air.
Captain Pright looked perplexed and dissatisfied. He smoked away
at his cigar with unusual ferocity, while he glanced from his brig's
sails to the brigantine, and then back again to his own vessel, which
was sailing past the harbor at a speed of about five knots. The Captain
saw that he was running a great risk in standing on, for if he was
brought to his vessel might be seized for infringing the blockade; as
he knew the Brazilians would advance any pretext for the purpose of
getting possession of his vessel and cargo. He saw, also, that the
Brazilian brig was a fast sailer, and that if he even should out-sail her,
he would find it difficult to elude the blockading squadron stationed
fifteen miles higher up the river. The firing of the brig had also set
in active motion the two armed schooners to windward, and they were
rapidly standing for us. Affairs began, indeed, to look a little serious.
Captain Pright seemed to think so himself; for after taking a deliberate
inspection of the three vessels, one after another, and carefully calculating
his chances of being taken, he gave two or three fierce puffs at
his cigar, and issued an order in tones of thunder to square away the
yards! As the wind was from the south, and blew directly into the
harbor, this manoeuvre plainly made known to the three vessels that
we had concluded to behave ourselves and submit to the laws of war.
The two schooners at once hauled their wind and went off about their
own business, while the brig of war kept standing on for us, but without
firing any more guns, greatly to our gratification. She was a
black, ugly looking craft, with dark brown canvass, and a very smoky
appearance altogether, like almost all the Brazilian vessels of war.—
Her mainmast raked very much, while her foremast stooped a little —
She carried very square topsails, and an enormously large jib and trisail.
She showed six guns to a side, and was filled with dark-looking
men in red caps and red shirts.
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In about ten minutes after we had squared away, she came under our
stern, and hailed in good English:
`What brig is that?'
`The Josephus, of Boston, bound to Buenos Ayres,' answered Captain
Pright in a very cross tone.
`Did you know that a blockade was enforced? What do you mean
by standing on?' demanded the officer in a stern voice.
`How should I know? And if I did, it is my duty to do the best I
can to make the port I am bound to!'
`You will back your topsails, and receive a boat, with an officer to
take charge of you.'
`There, what did I tell you, sir!' cried Mr. Bedrick. `The brig is
lost, and we are all prisoners.'
`There will be little you will be likely to lose besides your liberty,'
answered Captain Pright, looking at us slyly. `But the vessel is not
to be taken. He only pays us the compliment to escort us safely in.—
We have not run the blockade yet, though I would have done it if I
could!'
We had now backed our maintoptsail and the brigantine had done
the same. She then sent a boat to board us. It contained a lieutenant
and a middy, and was pulled by four dark looking Portuguese sailors
in red caps with black locks and piercing eyes beneath. The boat
came along side; the gang-way ladder was let down to him; the Captain
stood about half way between the companion-way and the gangway
port to receive him. He came on deck, slightly bowed round to
us, and advanced towards the Captain. He was a slender, handsome
looking fellow, with a dark cheek, and a large fine eye. He was richly
dressed in the gold embroidered and gorgeous uniform of the Brazilian
naval service, and wore at his side a magnificent sword.
`You are the Capitan?' he asked of Captain Pright in broken English:
for he was not the officer who had hailed us, and who must
have been an Englishman in the Emperor's service, which was filled
with them.
`Yes, I am the Captain?'
`You were trying to run de blockade?'
`I was trying to make my port. I hove to as soon as I saw you
were firing shotted guns.'
`Well, you will let me see your papers, and resign to me command
of the vessel to take him into port! If you had stood on five
minutes longer, you would have forfeited your vessel! Fill away
again!'
Captain Pright then invited him into the cabin to show him the
brig's papers, gave him a glass of wine, and treated him with remarkable
civility, since, we all knew that it would afford him the greatest
pleasure to pitch him overboard. We now filled away and stood into
port, while the brigantine steered down the river after another vessel
that was just coming into view.
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CHAPTER XIV. The Soda Fountains.
[figure description] Page 061.[end figure description]
It will be readily believed that this sudden change in our destination
was by no means agreeable to all on board. Mr. Bedrick raved and
seemed beside himself as we proceeded towards the harbor. We,
however, after a little reflection, took the matter kindly. We saw that
Don Pedro had very conclusively terminated our contract with Mr.
Bedrick without the necessity of any open quarrel with him; for if we
could not get to Buenos Ayres, we could not of course be `clerks' in
Buenos Ayres; the affair, therefore, dropped to the ground of itself.—
We would very much have liked reaching that city, because our
thoughts and views had naturally been directed towards it; though
Monte Video appeared to be a city that presented to the eye of a youth
every thing to please. But we thought if we could only have reached
Buenos Ayres, we would join the patriots.
`It matters little,' said Fairfax after the Brazilian officer had
taken us in charge, `it matters little to us where we go. We have
declared ourselves independent of Bedrick, and the world is all before
us where to choose! I move that we put the best face on the matter
and take the chances that are before us for by and by making our fortunes.
'
`Yes,' I replied, `and by going into Monte Video we shall have an
opportunity of seeing the city and be among the excitement of warfare.
For my part, I am not sorry that we are going into this port.—
We shall find a great deal to interest and amuse us, I dare say; and
as there must be an American Consul here, we shall have his protection
and advise.'
Therefore, on the whole, this change in our destination did not
materially affect our spirits. We had nothing to lose and all to gain
by it. Our hopes with reference to Buenos Ayres had been wrecked
already by the discovery of Mr. Bedrick's treachery towards us, and
all the objections that we really had to the change was, that we did
not like to patronize a city that was fighting against patriots. Young
and enthusiastic, and brim full of liberty, like all Yankee lads, we
could not relish the idea of being detained in a city that was at war
with a people that had just been fighting for liberty, and were now
fighting for their rights. We thought that if we could get to Buenos
Ayres, we would willingly take part with them in the contest; while
with the Brazilians we should remain passive, but indignant lookerson.
While we entered the harbor, I stood near the taffrail gazing upon
the scene around us. The morning was bright and exhilarating, and
every object appeared to the best advantage through the transparent
air. Upon our left towered the sugar-loaf mountains, frowning with
its lofty fortress, above which floated the emblazoned banner of the
Brazilian empire. The walls were formidable with cannon, and the
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battlements were lined with troops, which were at drill upon the broad
promenade the walls presented. Upon the sides of the hill cattle were
feeding, and near the water-side were two or three fisherman's huts,
and soldiers washing their clothes in the river. We next passed the
guard-ship, from which we were hailed in Portuguese, and our Brazilian
officer replied in the same tongue, and we were suffered to pass
on into the bosom of the harbor. We soon found ourselves in the
midst of a fleet composed of nearly all nations, Yankee, English,
French, Russian, Swede, Spanish and Portuguese, the national colors
designated them flying at their mast-heads. We sailed in among them,
now hailed on one side from a Boston brig, now on the other from a
New York or Baltimore ship, asking the news. At length we came
to anchor within a quarter of a mile of the Mole, and farthest in the
harbor of all the American vessels, save the Boston barque Conway,
Captain Blakely, which was moored out ahead of us. Before we come
to anchor, however, we had been boarded by a custom-house boat and
our manifesto examined.
After we had come to anchor, I passed some time in gazing off upon
the town and upon the various objects surrounding us. All around us
were vessels at anchor, among them a score of Brazilian men-of-war,
like hawks lighted amid a flock of pigeons. Directly before me lay
the mole, a sort of wharf, and the only landing place in front of the
city. It was thronged with a mixed multitude like a market place,
soldiers, monks and negroes, and crowded with boats from the vessels
in the harbor. An opening at the further extremity of the mole exposed
a narrow street in which laden asses and odd-looking carriages,
drawn by mules, were disputing the way with the foot passengers.
The appearance of the town struck me from its novelty. It was enclosed
by a massive wall save at the mole, where it had been battered
down by the British fleet in 1815. The houses were flat roofed, built
of brick, stuccoed and painted white or lemon color, with large vanes
ornamenting the battlements. Upon them I beheld the inhabitants
walking and gazing off upon the harbor. There were several heavylooking
towers rising here and there in the city, and the vast bulk of a
Roman Catholic cathedral in the centre gave an imposing finish to the
outline.
At length we were called to dinner in the cabin, our last dinner on
board the brig. At the table we discussed the city and the circumstances
which had brought us, and with such cheerfulness that Mr.
Bedrick even smiled and remarked, in an under tone to the Captain,
that perhaps he might open an establishment there, as the city was full
of soldiers and foreigners, and that it might do as well if not better than
Buenos Ayres!'
`I thought, sir,' observed Hewitt, dryly, `that you believed nothing
could be done here, as so much freight was in the place. I should
think that you would find a good many competitors in business and in
disposing of your merchandize now on board.'
`Why, no, Hewitt. In my particular business I shall not be so
much interfered with.'
`As the cargo that you have have on board is very large and
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valuable, I should think it would be difficult to command prices,' continued
Hewitt; `but Monte Video may, as you say, afford a good `fountain'
to begin business.'
We could scarcely keep our countenances at this sally of Hewitt's,
and looked at the old man to see if he took; but the word did not
convey to him the impressive idea that it did to us: for the very sound
and form of the word had become identified in our minds with a `soda-fountain!
'
`I think I shall go on shore,' said the old man, look about me, and
see how affairs are. Come, Edwin, you will go with me; but you
young men, will stay aboard till I come back.'
We made no reply, and after the old gentleman had left the brig
with his sons, Edwin and Bill, we held a meeting in the cabin, Captain
Pright presiding.
`Now, my friends, we have got to the end of our voyage out,' said
the Captain; `and you will have to land here instead of at Buenos
Ayres; for I have given up the idea of getting there with the brig, as
the blockade may be kept on for months. I shall, therefore, try and
learn what chance I have for disposing of the cargo, and if I can't
sell it to advantage, I shall sail for Bahia or Rio, and do my best. As
I shall probably lay here four or five days, you are at liberty to make
it your home on board till you can look for something to do. You
are young and enterprising, and now that you are here in this country
a fair field is open for you to make your way. If I was going direct
to the United States I would let you have a passage back, and look to
your friends for the payment; but after I sell my cargo, I sail for St.
Petersburg to take in a cargo of furs. The old man has gone ashore
to see if he can find a place to open a soda-shop.'
`Are you sure of this?' we asked.
`Yes; he toid me as he left the vessel that he should hire a shop if
he could, and at once remove to it, and set up his fountain. He said
should try and get a place with rooms over it for an eating room and
sleeping rooms for himself and you! Now, if you will take my advise,
since you are all strangers here, and have not much money either of
you with you to spend, you will stick by the old man until you can
look out for yourself something better. He is bound to take care of
you and give you lodging and food, and so I would let him do it, and
keep your own money. Don't think of going to a hotel and live like
gentlemen with your little means, (for he knew we had not between
us four but about one hundred and thirty-five dollars,) but keep by
the old man. Let him find a house and shop, and set up his fountains:
join in with him in all, cheerfully, and make the best of it. You can
then look about you, and by and by something will transpire of which
you can avail yourselves.'
We thanked the Captain for his advice, and after some warm discussion
of the matter, we took into consideratisn the poverty of our
pockets, and decided upon the expediency of following the Captain's
shrewd advice.
`Yes, fellows,' said Hewitt, `I agree with Captain Pright. The old
man is bound to look out for us. Let us stick in him like leeches till
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we can fasten upon something else. To be sure, it is not a very elevated
mode of beginning the world, especially for young gentlemen
who aspired to clerkships in a Foreign Mercantile House, to keep
soda-shops; but we will not mind that. We will stick to old Bedrick
and sell soda for him, but we'll not stay one day longer than we please.
But he must not know any thing of our dissatisfaction. Let us fall
into the traces kindly, knowing we can kick them off whenever we are
so disposed.'
This speech was unanimously applauded; and although we did not
much like to make our debut in a foreign city as soda-shop boys, yet
we were four in all, and in some sort sustained each other; and, moreover,
in consenting to this we felt that we were avenging ourselves in
some measure, upon the man whose duplicity had brought us into such
a position.
`Now,' said Radsworth, `let us go on shore. The boat has come
back, and I am impatient to press the solid land once more.'
`If we are to carry out our plan we must comply with the old man's
orders,' said Fairfax. `If we go ashore and meet him there, there
will be a blow up! He will be back soon, and let us wait and hear
his report, and then it will be time enough to go.'
We agreed to this delay, and in about two hours the old man
came off alone. As soon as he reached the deck, we saw he was in
fine spirits.
`I have got a capital house, in the most public street,' he said to
the Captain. `I have seen soveral English officers and others, who,
as soon as I told them my intention, said I could make my fortune.—
They are all impatient to have me open at once, and I shall have the
fountains brought ashore at once. I have two rooms on the street,
and five above, and all for two hundred dollars' rent. Come, Captain,
I will soon relieve you of your passengers. Will you have the fountains
and jars brought on deck! Come, young men, spring to our aid.
You have had two months' idleness and play, and now you ought to
take hold and work with a good will.'
`What are you to do with the fountains, sir?' I asked quietly.
`Why you see, young gentlemen,' said the old man, a little confused,
`I brought these four fountains out for the purpose of having a luxury
for myself and you, and our friends; for I was told that they had no
soda-fountains in Buenos Ayres, and the climate was warm. But as
we can't get up to that city, and as fortune has cast us here, it has
occurred to me that I will just take the fountains ashore and open a
soda-saloon for the officers and citizens, just to pay expenses till I can
reach Buenos Ayres and establish my Mercantile House. I am told
I can sell the soda for a quarter of a dollar a glass. We must all yield
to circumstances. The fate of war has cast our lot here; and as I
shall remain here till the port of Buenos Ayres is open, I think it will
be wise to do something to pay expenses. So if you have no objection
amuse ourselves awhile with selling soda to the Monte
Videans!'
After a little conversation aside between ourselves for form's sake,
we told him that, under the circumstances, we would be willing to aid
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him in establishing his soda saloon, and perhaps act as `clerks,' but
that we had no disposition to follow it as a profession!'
We then went to work and helped convey the fountains into the
boat, and all four of us accompanied them to the pier. Here he obtained
the aid of negroes and had them borne through the streets to the stone
building he had hired. We followed two and two, gazing upon the
strange and novel sights constantly offering themselves to the inspection
of our curiosity.
CHAPTER XV. The Old Spanish Casa.
After a very interesting traverse of the streets of the town, we at
length came in sight of the domicil which Mr. Bedrick had hired. It
was a massive-looking, prison-like structure, two stories in height, with
a stone battlement surmounted at the angles by huge urns of a brown
color. The windows were very tall and deep set, and protected by iron
bars like those of a prison. The lower ones had no glass, but inside
shutters instead. The house was of brick stuccoed, and once painted
a bright lemon color, but it had become dark with age, and in every
crevice grew little ridges of black moss. The outside had altogether
a very venerable and antiquated appearance, and to our eyes seemed as
if it had borne the storms and suns of at least five centuries; but the
true age of the building was less than a hundred; the climate here producing
in a short time the effects which in a more northern latitude are
more slowly brought about.
The house, or castle before which we now paused, was situated half
way between the corners of the square, and opposite a very handsome
edifice which was occupied as a boarding-house, or hotel for naval officers,
and other strangers. Our next door neighbor on the right, was
a little Portuguese cobbler in iron spectacles, who came to his door to
take a look at our cortege; and the neighbor on the right was an old
Brazilian beldame who made cigars. Between these two our domicil
stood. Its front exhibited a huge door of solid Paraguay oak twelve
feet high, and made with a small gate or wicket in it for one person to
pass through at the time. On either side of the door, was a tall, narrow-grated
window, half-curtained with cobwebs. Above was a row
of four long and narrow windows that opened upon an iron balcony.
These windows opened to the floor of the balcony, and had two-leaved
glass doors. Over these was a heavy cornice, surmounted by the battlements
and urns, as I have before described.
Having reached the front of this mansion, we paused to take a survey
of it and of the neighborhood, while the old man fumbled for the
key to unlock the prison-like door to let us in. Our arrival attracted
some attention. Negroes, driving by mules laden with brick, stopped
to gaze; soldiers halted to inspect us; and from the blinds or jalousies
of the dwellings across the street, we caught glimpses of sparkling eyes,
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that we guessed belonged to fair Montevideans. It took the old gentleman
some minutes to turn the massive lock; for the house having
long been vacant the wards had got rusty, as well as the whole exterior
of the edifice. There we stood, gazing and gazed upon, each of us
with a bundle in our hands, and behind us, six stout, nearly naked
Africans, carrying the soda-fountains. We formed quite a respectable
and odd-looking procession.
At length, Hewitt having put his hand to the key and given the old
man his aid, the bolt yielded, and the door turned shriekingly upon its
hinges. It opened into a dark, cheerless apartment, paved with large
square brick, which were here and there sunken, and with bare plastered
walls stained with mould. The ceiling was full sixteen feet in
height, and the naked rafters were visible in all their architectural
mystery. The room was about twenty feet square, contained a window
twelve feet tall, and grated, looking upon the street, and a door on the
back side. Not an article of furniture, not a shelf, not a board was in
it. Walls and floor were alike naked and desolate. The air, too, was
chilly and damp, and I felt a chill come over both my heart and body
as I entered and looked around me. It was for all the world like taking
possession of a prison. We looked at each other and exchanged
glances of blank dismay.
`Never mind,' said Fairfax in a whisper, `we have our fortunes in
our own hands, and can quit the old man when we choose; so let us
hang on and see him through. We shall have amusement, if nothing
more.'
`Come my lads,' said the old man, rubbing his hands together, partly
from chilliness and partly from excitement, `stir round and open the
window-shutters, and let's try and make things look cheerful!'
Things had need to look cheerful, for gloom and desolation dwelt
there without rivalry. We opened the broken shutters and let in a
broad glare of light from the sun, which only served to show more vividly
the wretchedness of the place.
`Things will look different by and by. I have already spoken for a
carpenter to come,' said Mr. Bedrick bustling about. `We shall have
a counter and shelves and fixings up here in no time!'
`Is this to be the shop?' I asked him.
`Yes. There isn't a better stand in the city. It is right on the main
street that leads from the public square to the quay, and within five minutes'
walk of both. The barracks are on the next street round the
corner, and the French, English and American Consuls live just above
us half a square. The street that runs west next to us leads directly
to the chief gate of the city; and taking all in all, I consider that we
shall make money yet out of our detention here. It's an ill wind that
blows no body good!'
Here the old hypocrite, who thought he had thrown dust into our
eyes so as effectually to blind us to the truth, rubbed his palms together
and chuckled, and began to stir about, ordering the negroes where
to set down the priceless soda-fountains, cautioning them to beware of
denting them against the bricks, though the ebony fellows could not
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understand a word of English save `Dam!' which they emphatically
used in reply to every word he said.
`Here you darkies,' said the old man, `place this one under the
window!'
`Dam, dam!' answered the negroes.
`Set it down carefully!'
`Dam, dam, dam!' was the reply in a loud tone; and so we had it
for a few minutes a strange chorus, for each of the half dozen seemed
to try to show his superior knowledge of the English language over his
fellows, by using the word oftener and louder than the rest. The old
man got fairly roused and irritated, and returned their `English' with
a round of oaths that would greatly have edified them had they been
able fully to appreciate their meaning.
They were at length paid and sent off, when Radsworth and I left
the `shop' to take a cruise round the premises. We passed through
the rear door into a room smaller, but similar to the front one, with
dark, stuccoed walls, a brick floor, and naked rafters blacked and festooned
with cobwebs. It contained a large grated window and door
looking into a small court. We went into the court or patio, which
was about thirty feet long and eighteen wide, with a broken pavement
up-grown with long grass. In the centre was a circular cistern, upon
the verge of wihich we saw two green and black lizards basking in the
sun. At our approach they darted down inside and concealed themselves
in the crevices. Around the court were several large old earthern
jars, not unlike those described in the Forty Thieves. These
stood against the stuccoed walls of adjacent houses, which formed the
boundaries of the court. In the walls on one side were two windows
high up from the ground and grated; they had also glass doors through
which the festoon of a rich crimson curtain was visible. Another side
of the court, a door was let into the wall which showed that the court
could be entered from that house. On the third side was a high brick
wall defended by iron spikes. On climbing up a lime tree which grew
by the cistern, we overlooked it, and saw in the court beyond an old
woman seated upon a door-step clad in a red petticoat with a yellow
handkerchief tied about her grey locks smoking a cigar. Her skin
was wrinkled only as an old Portuguese woman's can be, and was as
swarthy as an Indian's. She saw us, and flashing her dark glittering
eye at us, she shook her five fingers at us, and poured forth a volley of
unintelligible jargon, which doubtless contained more curses than blessings.
Having thus taken a survey of the lower ground premises, we discovered
and mounted a flight of stairs which ascended to a balcony on
the outside of the rear of the house. This balcony was a sort of platform
boarded and protected by a strong iron rail. It was six feet broad,
and made a fine promenade. From it opened four windows into the
body of the house. The glass doors were shut, but only latched, and,
opening one of the halves, we entered an apartment that extended the
whole breadth of the rear of the house. It was very different from the
one below. Its floor was of smooth boards, its walls white, and around
it run a very elaborate ornamental cornice in stucco. The
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windowframes were ornamented with carved work, and altogether, the room
had an imposing air. It did not contain, however, an article of furniture,
save the half of a cigar box. We passed through the saloon, for
such it might be called, from its height and dimensions, and entered
the front room over that which had been selected for the `shop.' It
was half the size of the `saloon,' having but two windows fronting the
street. It was a fine chamber with fine ornaments about the windows
and doors; but like the rest it was chilly and desolate. To the right
of it a door led into another room the same size, which also had two
windows upon the street, the two rooms taking up the whole front of
the house as the `saloon' did the rear. The four windows were protected
by double glass doors and barricaded; but on opening the doors
I found that the iron frame-work or grating revolved on hinges also.—
It had a padlock by which it could be locked on the inside; and doubtless
had often been used by some jealous Spanish husband to keep his
cara esposa safe from the wiles of wandering cavaliers.
The window led us upon a balcony similar to that in the rear, but
with a more elegant railing around it. I stood upon it gazing up and
down the narrow street, which looked like one of those I had seen in
old pictures of Spanish or Italian towns. It was straight and narrow,
with sidewalks only before the best houses; and all along as far as the
eye could reach were the ranges of balconies and lines of urns surmounting
the battlements. From some of the windows of the balconies
projected long window shades of green, yellow or scarlet striped
chintz, forming a sort of roof between the windows and the sun to protect
from its rays the ladies who sat within it. These presented, from
their number and variety of colors, a very gay and novel appearance.—
Indeed, all was novelty to our eyes. Every thing around us was different
from any thing in our own New England. The faces, the costumes,
the carriages, the houses, the trees, the sound of voices, the very atmosphere
were different. It seemed as if we had been but yesterday in Boston
and to-day wafted by some magic power into the bosom of these
strange scenes. The voyage seemed as a night's sleep—a vacuum—a
long monotonous dream! We seemed to have laid down to sleep in Boston
harbor, to awake from a dream of water and winds in the Portuguese
city of Monte Video! There was no gradual transition. It was
sudden and as novel as it was abrupt. Our minds were filled with wonder
and curiosity; and as we looked around us we seemed to be gazing
upon some old picture which had suddenly become animate and moving
with life. It must be remembered, too, that we were scarcely eighteen,
an age when the heart and soul drink in novelties as the young plants the
dews.
The streets were thronged with people. Negroes with naked limbs,
and shining shoulders, and soldiers, in flashy uniforms and ferocious
mustaches predominated; and not a few of the latter were Africans;
for it was the system of Don Pedro to enlist blacks in his armies, who
made excellent troops. They are at first domestic slaves, whom he
makes free on condition that they join the army for life. The poor negroes
readily embrace this new bondage, believing that they are free,
when it is only a new and more rigorous form of slavery. We saw
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passing the balcony a knot of British naval officers who had just come ashore,
and also moving up and down the street were many captains of merchant
vessels, and not a few tars in blue jackets and duck trowsers. Now and
then we could see a rich citizen go by wrapped in his velvet cloak and displaying
his jewelled fingers. There were no females save negresses, in
red or yellow turbans, brass bracelets on their naked arms and ancles, and
dressed in short white petticoats and some gay-colored spencer. The
only vehicles were a sorry-looking cart, the body of poles fastened together
with withes, and drawn by mules, some with red ribbon tied to
the tips of their ears. The mules and negroes did most of the carrying.
Seeing upon the roofs of the houses several persons who seemed to
be enjoying the air under awnings stretched over them, we thought we
would try and see if we could find a way to our roof. By going round
the balcony to the other side we came to a flight of steps in the wall
which led us to the roofs. It was perfectly flat and covered with a
cement of fine gravel. It was spacious and enclosed by battlements
three feet high, which were the continuation upward of the four external
walls of the house. At the four corners were four large earthern urns,
five feet in height. The area of the roof was intersected by low walls,
which were the extension of the dividing walls between the rooms below,
so that the roof was divided into compartments answering to those
in the story underneath. In these cross walks were openings to pass
freely from one to the other over the roof. The roofs adjacent to our
own were also flat and only separated from ours by the low battlements;
and so all along the street, both up and down, we had a prospect of flat
roofs, battlements and urns, a singular and picturesque scene, and one
which we gazed upon with emotions novel and pleasing.
CHAPTER XVI. The Cafe.
Having taken a survey of the ranges of the roofs, some of which
were shaded by awnings ornamented with scarlet fringes, and on others
of which were both men and women walking, or gazing down into the
street, we began to take a look at the city in general. Our house was
in an elevated position, and commanded a wide prospect. To the east
of us, over acres of urn-crowned roofs towered two massive, grey-looking
towers, and close by them a huge dome. These we were told afterwards
were the dome and towers of the cathedral which fronted on
the main square, or Plaga Grande. In other parts of the city we could
see turrets rising from the mass of buildings, but there was visible only
one dome. Some of the houses had small towers or belvideres rising
above the roofs on which were flag staffs. The consulates all had
them; and we could discover flying from them the flags of several nations,
and among them the beloved `stars and stripes;' beyond the
square on which the cathedral stood we caught a glimpse over the
walls of the county. On the West, we saw the harbor with its fleets
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of vessels of war, and merchantmen of all nations riding at anchor,
and in the offing two or three Brazilian cruisers under sail watching to
bring into port any vessel that might be steering past for Buenos Ayres.
Beyond the harbor rose, like a sugar-loaf, the green mount, which gives
its name to the city. It frowned with battlements from which waved
in the wind the gorgeous heraldic ensign of Brazil. The broad bosom
of the sea-like river flowed beyond, dotted here and there with a gun-boat
or transport going to or returning from the blockading squadron
five leagues above.
But what most interested us was a sight of the beleaguering camp
of the patriot General Llavelliga on the sloping side of the hill about
four miles to the north-west from the city. It presented a long line
of white tents that looked like huge drifts of snow. We did not know
then what camp it was, but afterwards learned it to be that of the
Buenos Ayrean General.
The reader is already somewhat familiar with the military politics
of the country at this period; and need not be reminded that Buenos
Ayres was now at war with Brazil for the purpose of recovering the
city of Monte Video and the territory of Bonda Oriental, of which the
Emperor had unjustly deprived her. The Buenos Ayreans had just
commenced the war, with, however, but few resources. She had but
a small fleet of schooners and gun-boats, and but one corvette of twenty
guns to compete with the hundred keels which Brazil promptly anchored
in the river. This little squadron was blockaded in port, but
daily gathering strength and increase of force. In the mean while,
General Llavelliga, a man of talents, courage, and military experience,
was appointed to command an army destined to march by land against
Monte Video to lay siege to it.
Llavelliga crossed the river above Colorina with a force of two thousand
men, and on reaching the Bonda Oriental side called to his standard
the native Quachos of the country, with whom he was very popular.
The Quachos are the country people of Bonda Oriental, who
subsist partly by farming, but mostly by hunting wild cattle. They
are a mixture of Indian and Spanish blood, are brave, lovers of their
country, free of spirit as the Arab of the desert, are admirable horsemen,
and make the best cavalry in the world. Six thousand of these
half-wild, independent fellows flocked to the standard of the Buenos
Ayrean General. Every man was mounted upon his own horse, armed
with carbine, pistols and knife, and clad in a poncha, a red blanket
with a hole in the centre to admit the head and let it fall down all over
the body. Their horses were caparisoned with gay hangings and little
bells or tinkling chains of silver. They were small, graceful, fleet and
hardy animals, and seemed even to share the spirit of the rider. The
Quacho wore upon his long black locks either a turban of bright colors,
or a sombero with a broad brim. They were fine-looking brigandlooking
men, and hated the Brazilians most cordially.
With this force, in all eight thousand mounted men, Llavelliga advanced
down the coast of the river La Plata, and after two days arrived
in the sight of Monte Video, and pitched his tent upon the hill-side,
where we saw him, and about two weeks before our arrival. There he
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had quietly remained, waiting for artillery, which had been slowly following
his march over the level pompas. In the mean while, he had
been reconnoitering the town, his mounted Quachos sometimes riding
boldly up within pistol shot of the gates, firing at the sentinels, and
then galloping off with the velocity of the wind shouting their derision.
The town, I have already said, was strongly walled around, save at
the quay, where the opening was protected by a battery of cannon.—
All around the walls was a deep moat half-filled with water let into it
from the harbor, so that, with the harbor, water entirely surrounded it.
The country immediately about the walls was open without tree or
building that could cover any hostile party approaching them. The
walls were twenty feet thick, in some places solid, in others hollow, and
used for cells to confine malefactors. The top was a level promenade
defended by battlements with cannon mounted in embrasures. Sentinels
were stationed upon the walls at short distances apart all round the
city day and night, and every fifteen minutes called out in Portuguese,
in a loud, sonorous tone, `All's well!' At first their noise annoyed us,
but by and by we got used to it as we did to every thing else here.
The city contained twenty thousand troops, one half of which were
blacks, officered by youthful springs of Portuguese nobility. Yet the
commander or governor-general, as he was denominated, had not taken
any steps towards giving the Patriot General battle before his artillery
should arrive. His time was taken up in reviewing the troops in the
great square, and in offering up splendid masses in the cathedral for
the success of the Imperial arms, and the total discomfiture of the
Patriots.
Thus up to the day that we arrived in the besieged city nothing had
been done to open the country; for Llavelliga had cut off all supplies
from the interior. Provisions were growing scarce in the place, and
vegetables were hardly to be obtained. The troops would soon have to
depend upon the cargoes in the American vessels for subsistence or
make a sortie to raise the siege. Such was the state of affairs at the
time of our entrance into the beleaguered city.
Having in some measure gratified our curiosity by the views from
the balcony and roof, we descended again to the lower floor. Here
we found the old man with his coat off helping drag boards into `the
shop,' while a Yankee carpenter from Wathersfield in Connecticut,
who had `sot up' there, was unloading a negro of plane, saw, and
other tools, for the purpose of building a counter, and putting the shop
in a shop-shape appearance. Hewitt and Radsworth were good naturedly
assisting the old man, and so we stripped off our coats and all
went cheerfully to work. For the next five hours, there was a busy
scene of sawing, planing, nailing, and by night we had the counter up,
shelves placed around it, and a bench on one side of the room. Young
Bedrick placed at the window a red and yellow curtain (second-handed)
he had bought at a stall on the quay, and Bill occupied himself in
drawing nails and hanging some pictures the old man had brought for
the purpose of ornamenting his soda-shops. A negro woman previously
whitened the walls with white-wash, and the pictures with the
curtain set off the place and gave it quite a lively and respectable air.
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After the shavings were cleared up and the floor nicely sanded we could
not help joining in with the old man in his transports of self-gratulation
at the improved aspect of things.
`Now, my lads, when I get my bottles with the handsome labels on
them ranged on the shelves, and get my counter painted imitation mahogany,
and my tumblers out, and my silver tubes for the fountain, and
my decanters for the syrup. I think we shall make a tempting display!'
We had eaten our dinner at the cafe a few doors below us, and thither
we went for our supper. Our days' work had given us good appetites;
and we four as we sat at one of the tables in the long hall, did full
justice to the coffee and toast and sweet-meats set before us. Such
coffee we had never before tasted! The remembrance of it at this
moment makes my mouth water. It was poured into cups that held
a pint, and into which had been previously put two table spoonsfull of
snowy sugar. The waiter came armed with a coffee-pot in one hand,
and a milk-pot precisely like it in the other. The milk was as boiling
hot as the coffee! He began by pouring from both into the cup holding
them about a foot above the cup. The two liquids mingled foaming
with the sugar. He continued to pour from both equally, till the
delicious nectar ran over the brim, and filled half the saucer. In this
manner he filled all four of our cups. The bread was snowy white
and delicious either as toast or fresh. The sweet-meats were new to
us and perfectly delectable. As we eat we felt in good humor with
the old gentleman, and naturally resolved that we would stick by him,
and do all the service in our power till we saw him fairly set ou his legs
and under full tide of success.
`But where are we to lodge to-night?' asked Hewelt, who never forgot
creature comforts. `I have wandered all over the old castle, roof
and all, and I don't see any thing like accommodations
`The old man says he has mattresses and bedding coming ashore tomorrow,
and the carpenter, Saul Freelove, has offered us beds for tonight
in his house,' answered Radsworth.
After we had each paid a real, (twelve and a half cents) for our
supper we rose and passed out through the crowd of noisy, smoking,
talking officers and citizens that filled the place. The jargon which
they uttered was wholly unintelligible to us. Our acquisitions had
been in Spanish for the Buenos Ayrean market and not in Portuguese.
So our study, so far as we could now avail ourselves of its results, was
quite thrown away. On our gaining the street it was just growing
dark. We hastened to the `shop,' not feeling perfectly safe to be
abroad after dark in such a city: for we had already heard from the
carpenter an account of it that by no means led us to take a fancy to
thread its streets when the sun was gone. He told us, to amuse us no
doubt, that three persons had been assassinated in the last ten days.—
So we were not long in reaching our shop, where we found the old man
supping on bread and herring with a glass of brandy and water to
wash it down. His hopeful son Edwin was munching a cracker dipped
in ginger preserves, and doing justice to a bottle of claret at sixpence
the bottle. Bill was not to be found. He had doubtless gone
foraging for better quarters than either the carpenter or the shop would
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offer him; and, indeed, we had seen but little of him during the day;
save when occasionally he would drop in upon us with a cigar in his
mouth, look round very coolly, and ask `how we came on?' He played
the gentleman to perfection, and no doubt thought we were poor
taken-in-devils, who dared not say our soul was our own! We, however,
kept our own counsel, knowing very well what we were about.
In a little while the carpenter came in and we accompanied him home.
The house was on a retired street near the harbor. On our way we
passed the guard-house. A sentinel pacing before it, called out what
sounded to us like `ken low!' but stood for `quien va la!' `who goes
there?'
`Camordas,' answered the carpenter.
`Pasen!' answered the soldier, and we passed him by turning into
the middle of the street, as he would not let us walk by near where he
stood. It was not so dark but that I could see he was a mulatto of
huge proportions, and a ferocious aspect. We caught a glimpse of
the interior of the guard-house, and saw by a lamp in it that some
score of soldiers were there drinking, smoking, sleeping, and playing
at cards or dominoes. Through a large arched way we got a sight of
the barracks and crowds of soldiers moving about, while a deep hum
of voices reached our ears.
`Them be the barracks,' said Freelove in a broad nasal tone, that
sounded delightfully like home-land; `there ain't less than three thousan'
soldiers quartered in that yard. It kivers an acre inside o' that
gate, and they stow 'em like sheep in pens!'
`Suppose we had been passing this place alone, and had been challenged?
' asked Hewitt.
`Why if you hadn't answered, they would have called three times,
then pulled trigger and blowed you to blazes!'
`But supposed we had answered `a friend?'
`They would n't understand it. When any on 'em challenges you
next time al'ays sing out as loud as they do, `Camaranda.' That
means comrade or friend. You must speak pesky quick, for they don't
let much time pass between the challenges. I like to ba' been shot by
one o' the rascals when I first came here. I was walkin' along thinkin'
and didn't hear the first challenge—nor the second; for one gets
so used to hearin' 'em by and by they don't heed 'em. Well, the first
thing I knew was `bang!' and a bullet whistled right close to my cheek.
I tell ye I sung out Camaranda then loud enough for 'em to have
heard me clean out to the Patriot camp. But here's my house and
shop all in one! Let us go in, and you are welcome to the best I've
got; though 'taint so good as it might be!'
CHAPTER XVII. The Yankee Abroad.
The habitation of the Connecticut man was, in outward appearance
not dissimilar from our own, though of less height and
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dimensions. It had the same dingy-yellow stuccoed front, large, gatelike
door, and long, narrow, grated windows. It had a flat roof,
battlements and urns upon the angles. The street upon which it
stood was narrow, closely built, and inhabited chiefly by artizans;
the shop being on the ground floor and the dwelling-house over it.
The street was quite dark when we reached Mr. Freelove's door,
and not a lamp illumined its obscurity through its whole length.—
Here and there, from some curtained upper window, a ray of light
streamed across the street. Saul opened the door by pulling a
string that was attached through a hole to the latch inside. It
opened into a dark passage, wide enough for a coach to enter.—
On one side of this passage was a door that led into a room where
he worked at his trade, and the other side was a similar groundfloor
apartment where he kept his lumber, provisions, and wood for
cooking. Passing through the paved arch we entered a small court
entirely enclosed either by high brick walls or the rears of adjacent
buildtngs. Several doors on two sides of the court led into small
rooms, or more properly called cells, that had served the former
proprietor for bed rooms for his servants: but one of them was now
occupied by an old negress, who, hearing us, came hobbling out
with a bit of wax candle in her hand.
`Ah, dat you, senor massa!' she said, looking at him and then
at us. `Who am estos jovenes?'
`Yes, it's me, Juana; estos caballetos are mis amigos,' he answered
in Spanish and English. `You must have supper right off, old
woman, and then shake up the two extra beds for four!'
Saul spoke this partly in English and party in Spanish, and then
kindly translating it to us, added,—
`I and Jenny here get along, between us, first rate. She-speaks
a little English, I a little Spanish, and between us make out to
understand each other.'
`I thought Portuguese was spoken here instead of Spanish,' I remarked.
`So it is, since the Brazilians have been in possession; but before
they came, Spanish was the language. Old Jenny was slave
to a Spanish family that escaped, and she speaks only Spanish;
and I learned all I know here afore the Portuguese took possession.
You can't get Jenny to speak a syllable of Portugee; she'd have
her head taken off first. But come, now, let's go up stairs.'
With these words he led the way with a light the negress had
given him, up a flight of stone steps on the outside of the building
to a piazza projecting from the second story. We entered a large
room, furnished with chairs, a table, book-case, and clothes-press,
all of his own make, be informed us. The walls were hung with
three or four pictures in mahogany frames, one the head of Washington,
another the representation of the battle of Bunker's Hill, a
third the victory of Perry on Lake Erie. The floor was covered with
straw matting, and the whole apartment had as great an air of comfort
as could be well obtained in one of those old castellated Spanish
houses.
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`Now, my friends,' said the worthy carpenter, as he placed the
light upon the table, `you see where I live and jist make yerselves
to hum. Things ain't here so nice as they be in the States. for the
Spanish don't know now to live But one soon gets used to their
ways, though he'll never forget his own. I see one of you look at
them pictures! They used to hang up in my bed-room to hum, when
I was a little boy, and I brought them out here to keep the old
place in memory. I'm as glad to see you as if you were my own kith
or kin. It does my soul good to see any body, if it be the meanest
feller on airth that sails from Yankee land. There is a chap that
used to be a reg'lar loafer in Weathersfield and nobody'd ever speak to
the critter, he was so low in character and habits. Well, he was
finally driven to sea, and his vessel put in here. I was going up to the
cathedral square one day when I met him and knew him. The sight
of the mean feller made my heart boil right over with affection for
him; for somehow I saw all Weathersfield in him. I shook his
hand as if he had been my father, invited him home to dinner, talked
with him all about everybody, and when he went away I gave him a
new sea-chest and ten dollars, it did me so much good to see and talk
gab with him about the old place and people. Now, arter supper,
we'll have a talk about New England; and though none on you don't
come from 'Necticut, you're jist as welcome. Railly it is a sight jist
to look on your fresh, young faces that look jist like them to hum,
'specially arter lookin at none but dark people so long. I've been here
in this country seven years, and I feel a yearnin once more to eat some
pumpkin pie and spiced dough-nuts. I think sometimes if I had a
drink of new cider I'd be willing to give fifty dollars for it. Then
there's the onions and the turnips, and fresh pork, and apples and mince
pies, and Thanksgiving days, the huskings, the sleigh rides, the
skating, the courting, the singing-schools—darnation! I shall go
right off the handle if I think on 'em any more! But to tell you
the truth, the very thoughts on the times at hum eenamost makes
me crazy. Come along here with supper, Jenny!'
`You mean to go back sometime?' I asked.
`I guess I do. If I died here afore I went back to New England,
my bones wouldn't lay still!—they'd be stealing aboard some
home-bound ship and hiding in the hold till she reached Yankee
land! I don't mean to die here, and that's the reason I am alive
and hearty now, coz when I've been taken down I've swore hard
that I warn't goin to and would'nt give up the ghost here! So no
sickness could get a good hold on me!'
`Can't you make pumpkin pies and spiced dough-cakes here!'
all at once asked Hewitt, who had been soberly ruminating upon
this subject ever since Saul had mentioned it.
`You might just as well try to make Old Hundred out of
Yankee Doodle. I tried it once, but I couldn't find a bit of lard to
fry 'em in, nor no frying pan; and as to pumkin pies, I haint seen a
pumpkin since I've been here. I tried to make a pie out of plantains
out it warn't genuwine pumpkin and that makes all the difference.'
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`So it does! So it must!' gravely responded Hewitt. `What do
the people eat here?'
`Well, they eat fixins. Garlic goes into everything they cook.—
They never saw a roast trukey or boiled chicken, nor a round o' beef.
Every thing is hashed and fricasseed and garliced to death. They
never seed a pie and I don't believe know what baked beans is! How
my mouth waters when I think o' baked beans and Indian pudding,
what used to be our Sunday dinner to hum! Sunday! Bless you!
there ain't no sich a thing as Sunday here, and how should they know
anything about baked beans! I hain't been to meetin since I've been
here! They have mass, but I don't believe in sich idolatrous doings!
Sundays they review the troops and have sham-fights, bulf-fights, theatre
shows and parties; and all the niggers dance fandango on open
ground by the walls. I read my bible through reg'lar once a year,
sing Old Hundred and Mears every Sunday night, read a sermon, and
sometimes make a long prayer. So I am meetin' minister, and congregation
all to myself! Did you ever see one of the priests here?—
But here comes that lazy critter, Jenny, with the waiter.'
As he spoke the black woman, who wore a faded yellow turban on
her head, gold rings in her ears, a brass circlet on her left arm, a blue
woollen petticoat, with a pair of huge, black, splay feet projecting half
knee high from beneath, made her appearance. In her hands she bore
a large, wooden tray, dark and polished with grease, upon which was
a coffee-pot, a milk-pot of boiling milk, cups and saucers, sugar-bowl,
and a huge plate of toasted bread, another of butter, and a dish of
cranberries. The whole looked very inviting. She spread a snow-white
napkin upon a table which Saul and I placed in the middle of
the apartment, and arranged the plates with great neatness. She then
poured out the coffee and milk together, as we had seen it done in the
restauraut.
`Come, my friends, let us take seats to the table,' said Saul.
We drew our chairs around it, and Saul paused and looked around
upon us.
`Don't you think,' said he, with an emotion in his frank countenance
that moved us to respect, `don't you think that when I look
round and see so many home-land faces, that I feel for all the world as
if I ought to ask a blesssing. My father always did: and this occasion
makes me feel like old times.'
`We should like to have you,' said Hewitt, respectfully and reverently
bending his head.
`Then I will; for the sight of you all and the thoughts of home
make me feel more than common religious.'
The carpenter then folded his hands together and closed his eyes,
and asked a blessing with a solemnity that commanded even the silent
attention of the old negress.
We all did justice to the supper; at intervals of eating listening to
our host's account of the people of the place, the state of things, and
some advice as to our proceedings in a town which was not only filled
with troops but beseiged from without.
`You must be quiet and mind your own business,' said he. `If you
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are challenged by a sentinel, as you will be at every corner and sometimes
every ten rods, answer quick and say `amigo' or `carmorado.'
If a soldier won't make way for you to pass quietly, walk around him,
as any Yankee independence might give you a bayonet through your
body—for thev'd as lief kill a man as a dog, darn their skins!—or a
lock up for a month in the calaboose; and if you once see the inside
o' that Calcutta-hole, you may say the Lord's prayer and hang yourself.
It's full o' robbers, murderers and cut-throats, thieves, prisoners of
war, niggers and devils, and all in one large stone room, as long and
high as our Weathersfield meetin has! If you see the Governor-General
and his suit riding along, touch your hat to 'em, and keep out of
the way of their horses heels, for they'll not pull rein to keep from
running over any body. Don't quarrel with any body that wears a
sword or uniform, or you'll get the worst of it. Keep your own tougues
in your heads and don't talk politics; lor, being Yankees, you will, of
course, take the side of the Patriots outside, and if you are overheard
you will be arrested.'
`But can they know what we say, as we don't speak their language?'
asked Hewitt.
`There are plenty of spies about that understand both languages.—
Don't trust to anything here; that's my advice. If you see the Host
going by and don't want to kneel to it, why just step in some shop door
or take off your hat. If you keep it on you'll be bayoneted as sure as
deth. I liked to have been once!'
`How was that?' we asked with interest.
`I had just made a small table for the Consul, and was carrying it to
his house, when the Host came full upon me down a cross street.—
Everybody dropped right down upon their knees in the mud or on the
pavement, and began to eross themselves. The Host came on through
the middle of the street with its gilded banners, its canopy sapported
by four priests, and a whole procession of monks. A platoo of soldiers
marched afore them with fixed bayonets to clear the way. I stood
my table down and kind of leaned over it, for I'd never kneel to
the beast of Babylon. Wall, I forgot to take off my hat and was put
in mind of by seeing a bayonet darting over my head and catching
the hat on its point. I made a grab at it and got it, when
another bayonet was launched at my breast. I should ha' been run
through if I hadn't caught up the table and caught the point. The
bayonet went into it an inch and broke off short. The Consul has
the table now, saying, he'd rather it as it is than have a new one
made!'
`What an escape!' responded Hewitt. `Why, it's as much as a man's
life is worth to live in such a place!'
`Yes it is; but only just be on the look-out and you'll get along
pretty well.'
`I wonder you are living now,' said Radsworth. You must make
money to stay here, Mr. Freelove!'
`Yes. I have laid up pretty well. I've cleared the matter' of
twelve hundred dollars a-year. I calk'late I shall take home with
me ten thousand dollars next spring, I then mean to court some
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[figure description] Page 078.[end figure description]
handsome Weathersfield gal that can make first-rate pumpkin-pies and
nut-cakes, and buy a farm and live there till I die.'
We then beguiled the evening talking, and gaining no little information
from our host, when at length we were startled by the
heavy report of a cannon, followed instantaneously by a swell of
instrumental music.
`That's the eight o'clock gun in the square. Nobody goes out after
this hour without a pass from the captain-general. That music is
the governor's band. It plays every night an hour before the palace,
and I'll do them justice to say, that they have good music here
and no mistake. There's upwards of seventy instruments in the
band! Jist hear 'em! They are a third of a mile off from us,
and yet it sounds as if it was in the air right over our heads!—
Some evening we will get a pass and go up to the Grand Square
and hear 'em!'
We opened the windows and listened with delight to the rich music
of the band, more than a dozen fine airs in the most masterly styleSuch
music neither of us had ever before heard. At nine o'clock it
ceased; the city became still, save the challenges and calls of the
sentries, which were heard almost every ten minutes, and had a singular
effect to our unaccustomed ears.
`Now, my friends, I'll show you to your beds,' said Saul taking
up the light and passing into the next room.
CHAPTER XVIII. The Night's Lodging.
The apartments into which our kind entertainer conducted us were
in an ell on the same floor with the room we had taken supper in.—
To go to the rooms we had to walk along a balcony from which doors
opened into them. From this balcony steps led down into the yard.
`You see, these bed-rooms are small and don't look very inviting,
but Spanish houses al'ays look like prisons, and you can't make 'em
look any other way,' said Saul as he placed the light upon a niche in
the wall where, he said, that he had found a little image when he came,
left by former occupants. There was no window in either of the
rooms, which communicated by a door. A chair, table and wooden
bedstead covered with a mattrass comprised all the furniture.
`Things ain't so nice as you've been accustomed to to hnm, I guess;
but as you've been sleepin' so many weeks in a ship, I guess you'll
think any lodging a shure fit for the President, as I did! Well, good
night. You won't want many bed-clothes coz the nights is 'mazin'
hot, and I rayther guess you'll be glad to keep your doors open. You
can blow out the candle or keep it burning, and talk as long as you
want to. You see it's a wax one. They don't burn nothin' else here.
I can't find a taller candle in the whole city. Every nigger burns wax,
and when you go into the Cathedral you'll see some as big round as
my leg and tall as a fourth o' July flag staff!'
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The good fellow then bade us again good night, and left us together
all in one room. We seated ourselves upon the bedside a few moments
and then began to talk over the events of the day. We, however,
soon grew sleepy and paired off to bed, Hewitt and Radsworth
taking the one in the next room and Fairfax and I the one in the room
in which we were. I opened the door after taking off my coat and
vest and stepped out upon the balcony; for the night was close and oppressive.
It was a clear star-light atmosphere I gazed upon the
heavens and tried to recognize stars that I had seen at home. But I
was beneath new constellations. The North Star, the Great Bear were
far northward below the Equator. The Sword of Orion was just visible
close to the northern horizon. The Southern Cross, the Harp, and
the Magellan clouds were above me. I gazed on the latter with curiosity.
I had been told that they revolved with the earth, never setting.
They are three in number, forming the three angles of our equilateral
triangle. Two are of a whity, cloud-like appearance, and the third is
black to the eye, being so much darker than the blue depths of the sky
as to be strongly relieved against it. They are called the Magellan
clouds from being vertical to the Straits of Magellan. At Montevideo,
which is nearly in latitude 35° South, they were almost in the zenith.
I had not then heard of Synime's Theory, which indeed was not then
published. He accounts for these clouds in the following manner; and
as it is the only satisfactory one I have ever seen, I give it as I heard
it from his own lips so me years subsequently.
The earth being open at the poles has a verge which intersects Magellan
on one side and Van Dieman's land on the other side of it. A
person at the Straits of Magellan looking across this verge or shadowy
chasm of five thousand miles diameter must of necessity see land on
the other side. He will not, however, see it on a level with his eye,
but it will be thrown by refraction so as to appear at the zenith! In
a word, he sees it distinctly overhead; and it revolves with the earth
always seen overhead, as well at sunset as just before dawn. It is
plainly to his eye a part of the globe.
Now the map will show you that the two southwest points of New
Holland and Van Dieman's land if seen across a school globe depressed
or sunken in as above, will form a triangular aspect to the eye, Van
Dieman's land being within the verge, and beyond the sun's rays is in
shadow and looks dark, while the two great capes of New Holland being
in the sun-light appear white.
This is Synime's theory; and is recorded here by me for what it is
worth. It certainly is the only plausible explanation ever offered for
the simultaneous revolution of this phenomenon with that of the earth.
The stillness of the hour, as I stood upon the balcony, was invaded
not only by the hoarse cries of the sentinels, stationed in all parts of
the city, but by a confused howling and barking of countless dogs.—
Such a yelping never before assailed my ears. It seemed to me that
there must have been at Montevideo one dog to every biped, and subsequent
observation led me to believe that there were seven to every
human being. At length I bade the night `good night,' and entered
my little room to go to sleep. I threw myself upon the bed along side
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of Fairfax, who was sound asleep. From the adjacent room I could,
however, hear mutterings not loud but deep, from Hewitt, and an occasional
exclamation of impatience and anger from Radsworth. I was
not long left in ignorance of the cause. I had not been five minutes
in bed when I found myself covered with animals I had but little
knowledge of before. An army of fleas had taken possession of me.
In a moment I was bitten from forehead to feet. I lay awhile and
scratched desperately, but at length anable longer to endure the intolerable
itching inflammation produced in every pore of my skin by their
bites, I leaped from the bed and seizing the light, examined the mattrass.
They literally swarmed hopping over it, and one fairly hopped
into my eye. I was appalled. I rushed out upon the balcony in my
shirt and shook myself, while every nail of my ten fingers was coursing
over my body with ceaseless industry. My cuticle was all on fire.
I was nearly wild with the fever and inflammation. I ran down stairs
into the yard where I had seen a cistern, and without more ado I sprang
for it to bury myself up to my neck. It contained no water. I stumbled
over a bucket in one corner of the court. It seemed filled with
water. I took it up and poured it over my naked body. Such a stench
as rose from it I never encountered. What it was I know not to this
hour. It was horrible. It made my skin burn like coals of fire Exposure
to the air brought on the itching worse than ever. I fairly
howled in concert with the dogs in the street. I was goaded to madness.
The pavement of the court I soon found swarmed with fleas,
and they bit my feet and ancles. I danced and for relief rolled in a
heap of shavings. While I was indulging in this amusement, down
came Hewitt.
`I can't stand this, no how!' he cried. `What the deuce is that in
the shavings?'
`It's I!' I answered savagely. `Have they driven you out?'
`I am devoured! My skin is covered with nettles! I had as lief
sleep on a bed of cowitch! For gracious sake tell me where there is
water,' he cried as he found none in the cistern. I could not tell him.
he raced round the court in his shirt like a madman. Finally he found
a brick-bat and began to rub himself down with it. Its rough surface
gave him momentary alleviation from his sufferings. Radsworth soon
came out on the balcony, and seeing us in the court, for the stars gave
considerable light he hurried down and called for water in the name of
mercy.
But I will not attempt to portray the horrors of this our first night
in Montevideo. I shall never forget it to my dying day. We wished
for day which seemed as if it would never come to our relief. At length
the dawn broke and we dressed ourselves, our skins fairly streaked
with blood. As the sun rose the itching subsided; for the bites of
fleas cease to annoy after day-break; and fortunate it was for us it is
so. Fairfax had slept the night out without being awakened, but the
spot where he lay was dappled with blood that had been drawn from
him. We tried to find the fleas by daylight, but not a villian of them
all was visible. Where they had hid themselves we ceuld not divine.
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At length our host made his appearance. He found us all assembled,
pale and haggard upon the roof of his domicil.
`You are up early! How did you sleep my friends?' he asked
very kindly.
`Sleep, sir,' said Hewitt answering for the rest. `Not a wink have
we had the past night. We don't wish to say anything against your
lodgings, Mr. Freelove, but we were too many in a bed! The fleas
fairly drove us out!'
`Fleas! Them is the nat'ral production of the country. So you
didn't get any sleep for 'em,' he said laughing. `Wall, I know how
to feel for ye; but you'll soon get used to 'em! I dare say they did
put into ye some last night, coz they don't often get sich sweet pumpkin
flesh as yourn. You do looked streaked a bit!'
`We were bitten to death,' I answered. `We might as well have
slept in a beehive!'
`Wall, I'm plaguey sorry; but it's the country and I can't help it.
I thought when I first come here I'd have to get me a whole skin of
India-rubber half an inch thick. But I got used to it after a while.—
Fleas 'll never bite a man twice in the same spot, never. But when
you've got bit all over once nice you needn't fear 'em. They don't
trouble the natives a bit coz there's no fresh places on 'em to bite; but
strangers do suffer some till they get fairly 'noculated. They don't
bite me now coz they've put their proboscises into every tarnal pore of
my skin!'
`I don't think then I shall be bitten again,' said I, `for I don't think
there is a fiesh place left on me!'
`We are certainly comforted by what Mr. Freelove says,' said Hewitt
gravely, with his habitual twitching of the nose. `Are they as bad
in other houses?'
`I don't calculate there's any difference to speak on. Fleas is as
natural to a house here in Montevideo as thistles on the road-side.—
But you've got through the worst of it. Come let's go down and see
what Jenny's got for breakfast.'
I lingered a moment to take a sun-rise view of the surrounding country.
Not far from me rose the gloomy walls of the calaboose, and behind
it stretched a long range of the battlemented walls on which sentries
were walking. Beyond I could discern the naked country, destitute
of tree or house for a mile outside the walls; but farther off I
saw pleasant villas in the midst of groves and gardens, and farther still
a white church with a hamlet at its feet, and still farther the white
tents of the Buenos Ayrean army. Here and there along the open
ways I could detect parties of horsemen galloping at full speed, their
sabres flashing in the sun. The sound of the morning gun had already
ceased echoing from the castle on the Mount on the opposite side of
the harbor, and the bells of the cathedral were ringing still their loud
call to matins. The clamor of dogs had given place to military music,
and life and activity had taken the place of the dreadful night we had
passed. A slight breeze fanned my temples and invigorated me, and
following the rest below I soon gave evidence that my want of sleep
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had not destroyed my appetite. We had an excellent breakfast, delicious
coffee, hot rolls, beef-steak and roasted yams.
After breakfast we sallied forth to seek out our `Merchant,' and
learn how he and his hopeful sons had passed the night. We did not
leave Mr. Freelove's hospitable roof, however, without returning him
our thanks for his kindness; and as we knew he would feel offended if
we offered him pay, each of us, in the course of the day, made him a
present of a book, which we saw pleased him more than a doubloon
would have.
The streets presented a lively appearance, At every step we saw
something to attract our curiosity. We met a regiment of black troops
in scarlet coats and white trousers marching to a distant quarter of the
city. We saw a large number of officers grouped about the doors of
the cafes, or opposite the quarters of their generals. These officers
were mostly young men, many of them strikingly handsome and wearing
mustaches. Their uniforms were very splendid. Some of their
frock coats were covered with silk and gold embroidery. I noticed a
very beautiful boy of fifteen, who wore a uniform perfectly gorgeous,
and at the same time graceful. I afterwards learned he was a Colonel.
His father was a duke. Indeed most of the officers were nobles.—
Now and then we beheld a war-worn warrior, his face scarred, or an
arm or leg lacking, and features hid in enormous mustaches. For hair
on the face the negro soldiers took the palm. Some that we saw showed
only their glittering eyes through a mass of hair. They looked like
bears doing military duty.
At every corner we were challenged by a sentry. We responded
`Comarada,' and passed on unmolested. Hewitt, however, came near
being beyoneted just before we reached our shop. He took upon himself
to be spokesman, as he wanted to speak at least one word of a
foreign language. He was challenged just as he went ahead of us.—
His answer was `Caramba!' This is a word that is constantly in every
Spaniard's or Portuguese mouth, and is an exclamation of surprise
equivalent to `The devil!' or `Indeed!' `Is it so?' &c. &c. Hewitt
mistook it for Comarada, `comrade,' and thundered it out. The soldier
looked at him with angry surprise, brought his bayonet to the
charge and challenged again. Hewitt found he was wrong and yelled
out `St. Jago,' for `Amigo,' friend, the word he wanted. The soldier
rushed upon him with his levelled bayonet, and Hewitt turned and run.
I could not help laughing, serious as the affair was, for the soldiers had
orders to shoot down every person that did not respond properly to the
challenge.
`Amigo,' I cried, springing forward and laying my hand on the soldier's
musket. `El joven es Americana of no entiende Portugues,' I
said in my best Spanish. He understood me, and with an oath returned
to his post.
From this moment I was dubbed interpreter of our party; for I had
spoken Spanish and so well that I was understood by a Portuguese. It
is true I had paid very close attention to the language on the voyage
and had committed to memory several hundred phrases. One of these
I now found useful, and gaining confidence from this success I
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resolved to speak Spanish at every opportunity, even to Portuguese; the two
languages being so analagous that the citizens of the two countries
find little difficulty in understanding one another. At length we reached
our `shop.'
CHAPTER XIX. The Arrest.
When we entered the `shop' we found the old gentleman busy at
work preparing to charge his soda-fountains. He looked as bright as
a lark and seemed to be in fine spirits.
`Ah, good morning, boys,' he said. `I am glad you've come. You
should keep better hours for business. Now off jackets and go to
work. We have enough to keep us all busy. A dozen gentlemen
have already called in to get a glass of soda. I am losing ten dollars
clear every hour the soda is delayed!'
`Hope you slept well last night, sir?' said Hewitt dryly, though he
had five minutes before privately expressed to us the wish that the fleas
had flayed him.
`Haven't had such a night's rest since I left Boston!'
`Confound his tough old hide,' said Hewitt aside to us. `He has
the cuticle of a rhinoceros. But here comes Ned. He looks pale
enough. How did you sleep, sir?' asked Hewitt gravely.
`Sleep! I liked to have been eaten up. I never knew the like.—
The fleas in this country have bills like forceps. I walked the roof all
night,' and he twisted up his face till it seemed as if the rim of his
spectacles twisted too. Did you have any fleas where you slept?'
`We had mattrasses-stuffed with them,' answered Radsworth.
`Come boys, don't talk but work. We must have every thing ready
by noon. I mean to charge two of the fountains and set 'em up ready
to sell from by twelve o'clock.'
By twelve o'clock, for we went cheerfully to work to help him, we
had the fountains ready, the pipes screwed, the syrups and tumblers all
set out upon the counter, and everything put in apple-pie order. Ned
had cut out of blue and yellow paper a scolloped border for each shelf
which he had nailed on, and had suspended paper festoons around the
window and over the pictures that hung upon the walls. The whole
interior had quite a respectable and inviting look. As I had some skill
in lettering it fell to me to paint in red letters on a blue ground upon
small boards the signs of the establishment. I had them both ready
by two o'clock and stuck out on either side of the door. As signs in
Montevideo are hardly known, they attracted not a little attention.—
One of them was done in Spanish, the other in English. They read
as follows:—
`Agna de Soda.' `Soda-water.'
The charge of one of the fountains was given to Hewitt, and the
other I took; for the affair had got to be for us by this time quite
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amusing, and a joke that we took no little pleasure in carrying through.
Doubtless the old gentleman thought all this while that he had four
very precious docile fools to deal with. But our time came by and by.
We let him have his now.
In a few minutes the room was filled with customers. English and
American naval officers, sea-captains of all nations, and Brazilian officers
of both services. We could hardly draw fast enough for the thirsty
crowd. The quarters of dollars poured in upon us as fast as the old
man could gather them up. It was a new thing. Many of them, particularly
the natives had never seen soda before. Its sparkling coolness
was refreshing. It was a new sensation to them. The syrups
were delicious. I drew four tumblers for one fierce Brazilian naval
captain, in succession, for which he threw down a Spanish dollar.—
Old Bedrick was in raptures at this wonderful success. The sweat
poured down his cheeks with excitement. All day the demand contioned
with but little abatement. The old man charged his fountains
four times. Hewitt and I were relieved by Fairtax and Radsworth,
and sometimes Edwin would condescend to draw a glass for a customer.
It was a hard day's work. We were glad when it became night;
for then all places of business closed, save three or four cafes kept
open by special license from the Governor. We closed our shop and
went up stairs to supper, where also we had dined. Bedrick having
commissioned William, his son, to cater, and look after these matters.
To do Bill justice he-did his duty by us. He got the beds up, `the
parlor' (I mean the large saloon) furnished with furniture brought out
in the ship, and the crockery placed in a cupboard. He proved himself
a good house-keeper, and when we went up stairs at the close of
the day's work, (which had brought the old man in two hundred and
thirty-seven dollars,) we found a nice supper set out for us, and every
thing in the bed-room looking quite comfortable,' The walls to be
sure were bare, and the floors brick, and every thing had a prison-like
look from the peculiar structure of the mansion; but things were so
much better than we looked for that we were quite pleased. The old
gentleman had grown so rich in one day that he had no appetite to eat.
He had put all his money in a shot bag, and it lay by his plate. He
looked more like eating its contents than those of his plate and cup.
A wax candle stood in the centre of the table, and we seven sat around
it, and made, I must say, a very merry supper. We were all in the
best of humors. The old man praised us, and we almost loved him as
a father, but resolved to run away from him, nevertheless, the first good
opportunity.
That night we slept better; for I had taken the precaution to elevate
my mattrass upon the table, while the rest slept upon the roof or upon
boards laid from the window to a bench. The old man, between joy,
and dollars and fleas, did not get a wink's sleep. I heard him up half
the night, and always heard at the same time the clink of silver. I
dare say he passed the night counting his gains and killing fleas. I do
not say the fleas did not trouble me. They were few, however, compared
with those that made my acquaintance the night preceding. I
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do not think I was bitten by more than a hundred and fifty on this second
trial of sleep vs. fleas.
Affairs went on swimmingly for several days. The soda was a great
card in the town, and took well. The receipts, however, were never
afterwards so large as on the first day; for many then came in to taste
it who never came a second time. Our custom, therefore, settled
down into a certain number that imbibed it as a luxury. The old gentleman
was shrewd. When he found the soda palled, he added Port
wine to their glasses, and so introduced the soda-sangaree to the Brazilian
palate. At other times he added coniac. The latter took admirably,
and in a few days the simple soda was rarely called for. We
however did well, and as the old gentleman had two other fountains,
he resolved to hire a shop at the other extremity of the city near the
gate, and place in charge of it, Fairfax and Radsworth, with his son
Edwin to oversee. He therefore, made a selection, hired a room at the
corner of two frequented streets within sight of the principal gate, and
not more than a hundred rods from it. To this place he removed the
two soda fountains, and having employed our friend Freelove, soon had
things looking quite shop-like. Fairfax and Radsworth made no objections
to taking charge; for it was our policy to live on the old gentleman
as long as we found it for our interest, looking round us in the
meanwhile for some opportunity of bettering our condition. We were
not a little mortified at times on finding ourselves treated coolly as inferiors,
by young officers, both English and American, who came into
our shops, when, forgetting that we were `bar-tenders' we presumed
upon our birth and education and respectability at home, to converse
freely with them. We, however, pocketed the slight, knowing that
we were only playing at soda-shop for the time being.
After we had been a fortnight in Montevideo, both shops were in full
blast with their four fountains. The old man now passed his time in
making the soda and trotting between his two shops, which were about
half a mile apart. He took upon an average one hundred and fifty
dollars a day in both places together. We lived in the rooms over the
first shop on the Quay street. The old man having then got matters in
full tide of success began to play the petty tyrant. He compelled us
to rise at daybreak, and follow him to market with baskets like servants.
This we had to do, or else break out into open rebellion before
the time was ripe. He wanted to make us wash for `the family,' two
at a time each week, and also to act as cook by turn. We positively
refused to do any other washing than our own, but consented after
some parleying to cook. He would have compelled us to make the
beds and keep the house clean, but we told him we would not, and that
he must hire a black woman. Finally, he consented to do so, but as
she could not speak English nor he Portuguese, they quarrelled a dozen
times the first day in their own dialect, and at night the old man
kicked her out of the house.
Half an hour afterwards we were at supper, when four black soldiers
headed by a sergeant, entered the room, and surrounded the table in
silence. The old black woman hobbled in in their rear.
`That is the old man,' she said in Portuguese, pointing fiercely at
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our `merchant,' who became very pale, while we looked on dismayed.
`You owe this woman two dollars for her day's work,' said the sergeant
sternly in Portuguese; `pay her or come with me to prison!'
`What is that he says?' asked the old man looking at his son for an
interpretation. Ned interpreted as much as he understood and I what
I comprehended, and so made it clear.
`I don't owe her a cent! She lies! She undid every thing I told
her to do, I won't pay her!'
`Que dice el caballero?' asked the sergeant turning to me and addressing
me in Spanish.
`He says,' I answered after a moment's reflection upon what Spanish
I had learned, `he says that he don't owe her anything!'
`Then he must go to prison!'
`What does he say?' inquired the old man.
`That you must go to the calaboose!'
`You had best pay her father,' said Ned as white as a sheet.
`It's robbery, downright robbery,' cried the avaricious old man taking
two dollars from his waistcoat pocket, and throwing them at the
woman's head. She grinned and picked them up and was going off,
when the sergeant called her and compelled her to relinqnish to him
one of the dollars, which she did with very ill grace. The whole party
then left us to ourselves. The old man are no more supper. He did
not like this summary way of administering justice at all. He abused
the city, the soldiers, the government, and every negro woman in general,
and this one in particular. Our friend, the carpenter, soon came
in and turned the tide. He said he had obtained a pass for us to be
out till ten o'clock, and that if we chose to go with him as a guide, he
would take us to the great square to hear the Governor's band before
the palace, and visit some of the saloons and cafes, and show us something
of the city. The old man would have prevented our going, but
without paying him any attention we sallied out, each armed with a
stout cudgel, and some of us with daggers.
Although we had been a fortnight in the city we had seen very little
of it, so closely had we been kept in our shops; once in a while, only,
could we get half an hour to ramble through the streets. Evenings
we dared not venture forth on account of the strict military police.—
The most we saw of the city was mornings going to and from market.
At such times we were entertained with a variety of novel and interesting
objects. The streets, at that hour, were filled with negroes, the
men nearly naked, and the women in gay petticoats and flashy turbans.
The dogs, too, that we encountered were innumerable. Their name
was `Legion.' And such dogs. They looked and acted like gaunt
wolves or starved hyenas. They would sometimes assemble in scores
in the middle of the street, or by the side of an old wall growling,
snarling, and fighting savagely over carrion. They turned aside for
no one. Not even horses galloping past could move them. They
would show their sharp, white fangs, and snap at the horse's legs.—
These animals always sheered from them with fear. We were told by
Freelove that when very hungry they will attack negroes carrying marketing
and if he defends it, it is at the risk of being torn in pieces.—
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He said, also, that he saw a wounded man who had been stabbed and
was running from his murderers pursued by a pack of these dogs, who
getting the scent of blood, took up the hue and cry, overtook him,
leaped upon him, bore him to the ground and literally tore him in
pieces and devoured him.
We saw these dogs in hundreds about the market, the bolder ones
prowling among the meat stalls, the more cautions sitting in groups of
twenty or thirty at a little distance waiting to pounce upon the offals
after the marketing was over. I am puzzled to tell which we dreaded
most, the dogs or the soldiers. The latter were lawless, wanton and
cruel. They knew that any act of aggression against the citizens
would be overlooked by their superiors, and they were always ready
to insult. That so few outrages were committed by them is surprising,
when they were at liberty to run any body through the body they
chose.
The market stalls were occupied wholly by black women. Among
them and the numerous individuals of the race I encountered in the
city, which is as full of negroes as it is of dogs or of soldiers, I saw
for the first time the pure Afric slave speaking his own jargon with his
fellow. They were nearly naked, of a shining black, their breasts and
faces tatooed, and the feature excessively ugly and brutal. It is worthy
of remark how soon the native African falls into the habits of the
slave. I saw one day at work upon the mole about thirty blacks,
strong, athletic fellows with only a piece of white cotton about their
loins, which, I was told, had only been landed seven weeks from Africa.
They were unloading a Brazilian brig, and seemed as docile and
laborious as those who were born slaves. You can tell the newly imported
slave by his nakedness, and also more truly by a certain Indianlike
wildness in his eye and movements. Most of the slaves wore
amulets about their necks, beads, bones, sharks' teeth, brass or copper
rings, which also encircle their wrists and depend from their ears.—
Those who are Catholic christians add crosses. I have seen several
with iron collars rivetted (for life) on their necks by their masters. I
have seen them with their backs striped like the hide of the zebra
with the welts of the lash. They are seemingly, withal, a mirthful
race, especially the females, who are ever chattering and laughing.
CHAPTER XX. The Cathedral Square.
When we got into the street we took our way, under the guidance
of Saul, in the direction of the grand square. The night was not
dark, a new moon giving us its light. The shops and stores were all
closed, save here and there a `pulperio' or grocery on the corner, the
proprietor of which had license to keep open until the gun fired. The
outside of the houses as we passed along were, therefore, on the ground
story, silent and dark, wearing that gloomy aspect peculiar to all
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Spanish towns. Every door seemed rather the inlet to a prison than
a house or shop. The shops indeed were large desolate-looking places,
unenlivened by the showy windows and display of goods that render
them, in Northern cities, so attractive to the eye. The Spanish dry-goods
dealer does not hang his goods about his door, and as he has no
sign, it is difficult to distinguish the stores from dwellings until you
are in the door.
The second stories of the houses, however, atone for the gloomy
austerity of the first floor. The windows always open upon balconies,
and are shaded by gay-colored awnings, some of them very beautifully
fringed. The ladies sit at them to gaze down upon the street and form
attractive objects for the eye of the passer-by.
As we now passed along, lights streamed across the streets from
nearly all the second story windows, which were open and through
which we could hear talking, laughing, and the sound of the piano,
and often the notes of the guitar, accompanied by rich female voices,
mingled with manly tones. The crimson, orange, or blue drapery of
the long windows, lighted up by the candles from the parlors within,
gave the whole street a brilliant appearance. We often stopped to
listen to the mirthful laughter of the young girls and the melody of the
guitar.
At one house, beneath the balcony, we saw an officer wrapped in a
cloak, who was thrumming a guitar, while from the balcony two ladies
bent over listening. He played finely. It was a real Spanish serenade,
and did more to make us realize that we were in a foreign country
than anything else. We could not see the faces of the ladies, but
presume they were young and handsome Saul told us that a rich
Brazilian merchant lived there, who had three handsome daughters,
and that somebody or other was always playing the guitar to them.—
We all felt a great desire to see and become acquainted with these
Brazilian beauties; but our aspirations somewhat fell when we recollected
that we were no longer `young gentlemen' upon a par with
good society, but merely soda-shop boys—bar-tenders! This reflection
made me, at least, resolve that I would soon change my position
and prospects in society.
At the pulperias,' on the street corners, we passed groups of soldiers,
mostly black, lounging about the steps, or else inside, playing
dominoes—a favorite game with all classes—cards, drinking or smoking
They did not molest us, though they did not move aside to let
us pass, and so we quietly took the middle of the street.
On our way we passed the residence of the English Consul. It was
brilliantly lighted up, end the sounds of music and dancing met our
ears, while figures moving in the graceful waltz flitted past the
window.
`This is the English Consulate,' said Saul. `He gives a party
to all the English, French, and American officers and citizens.'
`I should like to have had an invitation,' said Fairfax. `I see
there dancing two or three American midshipmen much younger
than I am.'
`You won't be likely to get invited to such parties, I calculate,'
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answered Saul, dryly. `It's only the distinguished folks and respectable
citizens. When you get invitations to the great parties here, I
guess they'll invite me too! Folks are mighty nice here who they invite.
I guess if any of them English or 'Merican officers should see
you in there and remember you sold them soda-water, they would
give the cold shoulder and perhaps ask you what you was a doin'
there among gentlemen?'
This rejoinder of Paul's stung me as well as my companions to the
quick. It revealed to us out true position. We saw that we were
sacrificing our `respectability,' as the world calls it, by remaining with
Mr. Bedrick. We saw that we were looked upon, not with reference
to our true position as members of families of respectability at home,
but merely as shop-boys, bar-tenders in Monte Video, just as we should
regard others whom we saw in our situation. Our pride was touched.
We said nothing then; but each one mentally resolved, as we found,
on comparing sensations afterwards, on immediately quitting the old
man and trust to fortune for something else to do.
To remain as shop-boys, we felt would he a bar (without a pun) to
our obtaining situations in respectable mercantile houses. Our minds
were at once made up, as with gloomy and bitter feelings we left the
gay scene behind, from which we were excluded, wholly from our connexion
with a man who was engaged in an occupation that was in the
lowest class of pursuits
We soon reached the Grande Plaza or Square, and as the Band
entered it from the barracks at the same moment we did, our attention
was drawn off from ourselves to the scene around us. The square
was a large area, having on one side the Cathedral, on another the
Governor's palace, and the public offices, halls of justice, &c., on the
remaining sides.
The buildings thus surrounding it were of grand proportions, and
being built in the massive style of Morisco-Spanish architecture were
imposing to the eye. The palace was directly in front of us; and
being lighted up by numerous torches, held in the hands of soldiers
stationed before it, presented a striking appearance. Its masses of
light and shadow had a fine effect. The band escorted by a detachment
of the imperial guard, after marching along, by tap of drum two
sides of the square, drew up before the palace. In a moment afterwards
the Cathedral clock tolled eight, and an eighteen pounder, opposite
to the palace, was discharged, the explosion shaking the very
ground upon which we stood. At the same instant the Band struck
up a brilliant national air, and for a time the whole universe seemed
to my senses filled, swelling, crashing with music.
We listened for an hour to a great variety of pieces, marches,
waltzes and even dirges. At nine they ceased playing, another gun
was fired, the Band wheeled into column, and escorted by the Guard,
marched across the square at a lively air played upon the drum and
pipe, and soon disappeared in the street leading to their barracks.—
The torches were extinguished, and in ten minutes silence reigned
over the square. A few of the windows of the place were lighted, and
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from the interior of the Cathedral a faint glimmer like twilight was
perceptible.
`Have you been in the Cathedral?' asked Saul.
We replied in the negative. He then proposed that we should enter
and see it by night, for `it had,' said he, `such a strange, mysterious
look about it, made a man feel as if his soul was in a nut-shell.'
We crossed the square in a body, arm in arm, Saul going in advance
a step or two.
When we came to the entrance of the dark, towering mass, we were
challenged by a sentinel, who was concealed in the shadow of a
butress. His `Quien va la?' was the only intimation of his presence.
`Amigos,' answered Saul in Spanish; for he had such an extreme
dislike of the Portuguese invaders that he would not speak their
language.
`Let me see your pass, senor?' demanded the soldier, in harsh
Portuguese.
Saul held it out to him. The man opened a small dark lantern
which was hung at his belt and examining it, said, `Bon!' and stood
aside to let us pass on where we chose.
We entered the church through a vast entrance wrapped in darkness,
our way guided only by the distant glimmer of seven wax candles
which burned at the extremity. Our sensations as we advanced
deeper into the vast pile—vast to our ideas who were conversant only
with New England meeting-houses—were solemn and tinged with awe.
The light of the candles only lighted up the altar, with its gold and
silver vessels, its gorgeous apparatus of a gorgeous worship. The
nave and extremities of the Cathedral were buried in profound darkness,
in which the twilight that prevailed near the altar was lost. We
could behold neither the roof nor the sides. It seemed like looking
off and upward into infinite darkness.
Saul and the rest passed slowly on, with their hats carried reverently
in their hands, and their steps noiseless; yet so deep was the stillness,
that the rustling of their motion awoke the unillumined silence of the
distant corridors in faint, rustling echoes, as if spirits were passing
by.
I let the others walk on, to gaze more nearly upon the magnificence
of the altar. I remained alone, to indulge in the new and heart profound
emotions which the place awakenened. It seemed to fathom
my soul and stir up its depths, flinging to its surface thoughts and
sensations I had never experienced—that I knew not were in my
being. A feeling of awe took hold upon me, and I remember that the
idea of God and Eternity pressed upon me with irresistible power.
A shadowy form, a foot-fall in the dim corridor drew my attention,
and presently it approached me across the paved floor, for the
vast floor was paved with marble and unobstructed by pews, and as it
came nearer I saw it was a priest. He passed close by my side,
lingered and regarded me in the indistinct light, and then saying
kindly `Benedicite!' proceeded on his way acrooss the church. I
followed his retreating figure till it blended with the darkness; then
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I heard a distant door open and close again with a loud echoing
sound. I followed him in my heart with feelings of interest, for he
had blessed me, knowing me not—but looking upon me only as a
brother of God's great family. I had always had a prejudice against
the Roman Catholics, but the religious awe inspired by the place I
was now in and the gentle `Bless thee!' of the muffled monk opened
my heart and dissipated my prejudices. Since then I have travelled
more and seen more of mankind; and every year's experience has
taught me to be charitable to all men,' and regard every man as a
brother for whom Christ died. I have learned to look over the barriers
of sect and see the man beyond and recognize in him God's
image, and an heir of Christ's kingdom. We are charitable towards
men of no religions, we are charitable towards the heathen-man: but
when we encounter those who differ from us in modes of worship or
in articles of christian faith we hate them! A christian sectarian who
will scrcely eat bread with one of another denomination, will find no
cause for quarrel with a Chinese or Hindoo. He will not hate him!
But he does hate and revile his brother who, knowing and believing
the true God and Jesus Christ whom he has sent, worships him not
as he worships. I have seen good men of all faiths. All creeds are
good that lead men back to God. The various and diverse denominations
of christians constitute, like the beautiful rainbow which is composed
of seven colors, one beautiful whole that shall span earth and
heaven. But I am not cheating my readers into a sermon.
Alone I slowly walked around the interior of the Cathedral. Niches,
in which stood richly attired Madonnas, St. Johns, St. Peters, and
St. Pauls, alternated with large paintings of scenes from the New Testament,
relieved the walls; but owing to the obscurity, were but faintly
visible. The floor in front of the altar was literally paved with sepulchral
slabs covering the crypt where slept the distinguished dead.—
Some of these bore armorial bearings, and the inscriptions of all being
in Latin, were easily made out by us.
The altar was a grand pile of splendor. It is impossible to describe
its magnificence. It presented to the eye a confused mass of gold,
silver, and precious stones; of gilded columns, silver arches and silver
pillars; golden candlesticks, rich silken and velvet drapery, scarlet
purple, azure, and orange colors; silver crucifixes, crosses, statues, all
of solid silver and gold. Altar rose on altar in a pyramidial series of
platform, each accession in elevation more glorious than the lower.—
The whole dazzling structure was crowned by a blazing cross of precious
stones.
All this was seen by the light of seven wax candles which burn day
and night before the alter. They were seven feet high, and stood in
pillar-like candle-sticks eight feet in height, of solid silver. I was moving
away from the spot on which I had stood beholding this scene of
elaborate magnificence, when I was startled by a low sobbing near me.
I looked in the direction whence it came, and discovered a female
keeeling before the altar. She was obscured by the shadows of the
railings, which, interrupting the light from the candles, fell across the
crypt, throwing it upon alternate bars of light and shadow. As I
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gazed, she seemed to be at prayer, for I heard low words in a soft but
sad tone. I was deeply moved.
I drew nigh and passed her twice with a heavy step. But she took
no notice of me—she seemed to be wholly wrapped in her grief and
devotions. I felt tempted to speak to her and assure her of my sympathy;
but I reflected that she might not be able to understand English
and I could not speak Portuguese.
While I was thus deliberating she rose from her knees, and crossing
herself glided away towards the corridor on the right of the altar. I
followed her and saw her enter a low door and disappear. I began to
think then of what I had read in old romances, and it seemed to me
as if I was acting a part in one of them. What I had seen was so in
keeping with the place, that all the romance of my nature was kindled.
I fancied, for she was evidently youthful, that she was some lovely nun
who had a tyrannical father, who had compelled her to take the veil;
that her lover—for I gave her a lover—had pined away and died of
grief and was buried beneath the crypt; and every night she came to
weep and pray upon the tomb; for she had been kneeling on a white
marble slab.
I went back to see what was inscribed upon it, when to the discomfiture
of the latter supposition of my story, I found that the person
whose memory it commemorated was an Archbishop of seventy, who
had died half a century ago
Seeing my friends about departing, I now hastened to join them,
and together we left the place.
`Here is a marble basin,' said Saul, `where they keep what they
call `holy water.”
As he spoke he laid his hand upon an indistinctly seen urn of white
marble that stood by the door.
`Every body dips their finger in it going in and coming out and
makes the sign of the cross upon their breasts and forehead. I asked
old Juana once what they did it for, and she said it was to keep the
devil from going in with 'em, and when they come out to keep him
from getting into 'em!'
With this remark of Saul's we emerged into the square, and took
our way towards home, which we reached without any adventure, but
not without being challenged or stopped at every guard-house we passed
on the way.
CHAPTER XXI. The Battle.
Upon entering the house we found the old man up waiting for us.
He met us with an angry look and demanded very fiercely why we had
staid out so late. It was about half-past nine. Neither of us made
any reply but passing him proceeded to our rooms. We heard him
foaming and fussing and calling us all kinds of names as we closed
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our door and fastened it. Striking a light we set it upon a table and
called a council of war.
`It is time,' said Fairfax, `that the old man and ourselves came to
an understanding. As to remaining longer with him degrading ourselves
by retailing soda and Port wine sangarees to the officers of the
navy and army, I for one will do it no longer!'
`Nor will I! Nor I! Nor I!' was the unanimous response.
`Softly boys,' said Hewitt. `We must move with discretion. We
have caught ourselves in a scrape and we must act prudently to get out
of it.'
`If you choose to remain,' answered Radsworth, `you are at liberty
to do so. I think you have a sort of hankering for the old deceiver.
You seem to be on better terms with him than any of us; and he likes
you better than the rest of us!'
`I have acted prudently only. You know we are dependent on him
and until we can find other employment must continue to be. This I
have thought of. If I had money I would not stay another day, but
dress up and go and board at the British Coffee House till I could get
a passage home. Suppose we should all leave him to-morrow, where
should we go? Where should we sleep to-morrow night? I have not
but thirty dollars in the world, and each one is worth its weight in
gold to me so far from home. None of you have much more. Paul,
here, says his father forgot to leave him any when he took leave of him
on board the brig, and he was too much taken up with parting to remind
him of it.'
`I have ninety-five dollars,' answered Fairfax very positively.
What Hewitt had said was the truth. My father had not given me
any money, and I had not asked him for any, supposing he would leave
some with me at parting. In the hurry and grief of separation, I did
not again think of it, and perhaps, he did not; at any rate, I had with
me but seven dollars and a quarter, and ten thousand miles from home,
without a friend or acquaintance, and only eighteen years of age. I
was not, however, disheartened. Neither of us were disposed to despair.
We were healthy, had a good flow of spirits, plenty of hope and
were ready to do and dare!
`Your ninety-five dollars, George, won't last long if you go to a
hotel. They charge three dollars a day.'
`You shall all share with me. We will make one purse in common,
boys!' he said generously. `All our riches together will make about
one hundred and seventy dollars. I propose that we quit old Hunks in
a body to-morrow and trust to fortune for the inture!'
`I don't think so,' said the moderate Hewitt. `Let us stay and save
every dollar till we shall need its use.'
`I propose,' said I, `that we in the morning come to an understanding
with the old man. Let us have a regular `talk' with him, let him
know that we are acquainted with his duplicity, and then tell him that
it is our intention to quit him and throw ourselves upon the protection
of the American Consul. At this he will become alarmed, and then
we will propose to him that if he will pay us each a dollar a day we
will consent to remain with him until we can do something better, or
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get a passage back to the United States. We shall thus be getting
money for our services, and laying up something for a day of necessity.
If he refuses we will then wait upon the Consul, state our grievances
and the trick that has been put upon us in thus luring us from our native
land and be guided by his advice. I have a letter in my pocket
from my father to Colonel Forbes, our charge d' affaires at Buenos
Ayres, which I will show to the consul in testimony of our `respectability'
and let him understand that we are not exactly `bar-boys.'
This speech of mine was received with general approbation, and it
was decided unanimously that this course should be adopted.
`I never thought of the Consul,' said Hewitt with an air of surprise.
`He's the very man to look to! He stands instead of our country to
protect us and all other Americans. We'll get the weather side of old
Bedrick yet!' And rubbing his hands he chuckled and snuffled his
nose at the idea.
We now retired to bed. I slept little for the fleas, and for thinking
of the step we were about to take in the morning. I may observe here
that I was less and less annoyed each successive night by these miserable
natives, and was rapidly bringing to a successful test the remark
of Saul, for I had not been a fortnight on shore when nearly every
pore in my body had been pierced by their bills.
About daylight I was awakened from a drowsy sleep into which I
had fallen by a heavy cannonading mingled with musketry. In my
half-waking half-asleep state I fancied that it was a thunder storm accompanied
by hail rattling upon the roof. I heard, however, my
companions rousing up and calling out that there must be fighting. I
sprung to my feet and hastily dressed, while the walls of the house
shook with the heavy discharges of artillery, and the flashes of the explosion
reddened to the zenith and lighted the room, for it was yet
scarcely day.
While I was putting on my coat the old man came running in in his
green flannel gown crying in great trepidation:
`There is a battle? There is a fight! They are attacking the
town! What shall we do?'
I did not answer him, but hurrying on my dress hastened to the roof
of the house, which I reached at the same moment with Fairfax and
Bill Bedrick. I have already said that the top of our house commanded
an extensive view over a portion of the city, the harbor, the curve
of the opposite shore, and the castillated mound. Upon gaining the
top of the house and mounting the battlement, I witnessed a scene
that made my blood thrill with wild excitement. The castle upon the
Mount, a mile and a half distant from the place on which I stood, was
in the act of being stormed by the patriots. The masses of cavalry,
some dismounted and acting as infantry, were surrounding its base,
swaying this way and that like the waves of the sea, now pressing forward
like an overwhelming billow, now retiring a little to renew its
onset, while from its van, its bosom and its flank flashed sheets of flame
which gave light to the terrific scene. The castle which they were
assaulting was enveloped in smoke and jetting flames from the artillery
which from the embrasures poured its fire upon them. In the harbor
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four of five vessels were opening their broadsides upon the patriots,
raking them across a low piece of ground which lay at the foot of the
hill. The roar of artillery, its red glare in the heavens, like incessant
sheet lightning, the rattling of musketry, the sharp ringing of pistols,
and the cries of those engaged, which distinctly reached our ears, presented
a scene such as I had before no conception could be enacted
on this lower earth, The tops of the houses were crowded with spectators,
whose vivas and exclamations were constant. The city itself
was in a condition of the highest excitement. Drums sounded to
arms, bugles swelled upon the air from every quarter. General officers
dashed up and down the streets, now this way now that, encircled by
their staffs, giving orders to their aids as they galloped by. In a few
minutes after I had reached the roof I beheld a regiment advancing at
a round trot from the Grande Square, their officers with waving swords
and loud voices encouraging them on. They passed along the street
beneath me like a torrent. Then appeared a detachment of cavalry
galloping after them at full speed. Then from a cross street came battalion
after battalion of infantry and artillery, all pressing forward towards
the quay. I soon saw the object of this movement by beholding
several barges filled with troops launch out from the mole and pull
across the harbor. All the boats of the fleet were in requisition.—
Barge after barge crowded with men rapidly pulled across towards
the scene of contest. While I was looking, Saul Freelove stood by
my side.
`So you are looking at the battle. Wall, it's a sight one don't see
every day in the States, but since I've been here I've seen so much
fighting I've got a sort a used to it! I came over here as I couldn't
see the castle plain from my house, and to tell you all you needn't be
frightened, it'll soon blow over. The darned Brazilians think they'll
do somethin' by sendin' over their sogers in the boats, but the patriots
ain't going to be caught in a trap. They know what they are about;
though it does seem a sort of foolish thing to take a castle without artillery!
Look and see how them brave &longs;ellers climb up the walls.—
There's bloody work going on there, and God have mercy on their
souls. It's as bad as Bunker Hill!'
`Can you tell how many patriots there are engaged?' I asked.
`About two thousand I should guess; but they don't stay still enough
for me to count 'em, and then there is sich a smoke and firing?'
`I wish I was there in the midst!' I cried with youthful enthusiasm.
`I would like to help the patriots.'
`You'd wish yourself back again,' answered Saul dryly. `Jest see
them fellers tumble off the horses and roll down hill. See them horses
without riders flying like mad towards the country. You be like
never to see Boston State-hus agen if you was there!'
Nevertheless I felt as if I should very much like to be there. I had
caught the spirit of battle, and I almost wished for wings to fly to
mingle in the conflict. The interest of the contest grew each moment
more absorbing. Battalion after battalion marched through the
city, embarked at the mole, and pressed towards the opposite shore
where they disembarked and formed under cover of the fire from the
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shipping. In the meanwhile, the assailants strove to possess themselves
of the fortress with a bravery that was wonderful. Unintimidated
by the fire of the artillery from the yawning embrasures, the heavy
and galling discharges of musketry from the battlements, they pressed
round the walls with ladders and fascires. We could see the brave
men fall here and there from their horses and objects descended swiftly
and heavily from the walls into the moat which Saul said were soldiers
slain by the patriot's fire. At length the detachment which had landed
began their march, about fifteen hundred in number, to attack the
rear of the patriots' force.
`Now Llavelleja will get caught in a trap if he doesn'tretreat,' said
Saul. `The Brazilian means to try and cut him off from his camp!'
While Saul was speaking I saw the patriots, from whom I scarcely
kept off my eyes, make a movement simultaneously to retire. The infantry,
or rather those that were dismounted, I saw disappear in a sort
of a ravine, while the cavalry, forming in a close column and bearing
off their wounded across their saddles, began to trot down the hill.—
They were in a few moments joined by about six hundred cavalry that
emerged suddenly from the ravine.
`Them are the men we saw disappear on the other side o' the hill,'
said Saul. `They left there horses there so as to attack on foot, and
now they have gone and mounted again. That's jist like them Quacho
rancheros! Now they fight on horseback, now on foot, jist as it happens.
They be the bravest fellers in the world, Yankee boys always
excepted. But they haint got the old castle this time. But they go
off with flying colors and sounding bugles!'
The patriots had indeed found it expedient to retire; but they did
so as if they did not fear their foes. They moved in a compact column
at a free but not a hurried trot, with banners glancing in the sun
which was just rising, and bugles sounding. We could hear their
tirrah-tirrah! through the still air where we were. They passed within
a third of a mile of the Brazilian battalions, which drew up in order
of battle as if expecting a cavalry charge. But the vast body of
horse passed them without notice, and in a few minutes wound into a
gorge between two low peach hills, and disappeared towards the interior.
A cannonading had been kept up after them from the fortress,
but I saw that only one shot appeared to take effect, from witnessing
some slight confusion in the midst of a column and a brief detention
in the rear of some score or two of the horsemen, who appeared to be
lifting wounded companions upon their horses.
The Brazilian force did not pursue; but after a little delay about
two hundred of them were detached from the line and marched towards
the fortress, which they entered. The firing from the shipping ceased,
and also that from the castle, and silence once more reigned over the
scene of war. With a small pocket spy-glass, which I now recollected
I had in my trunk, and which I regretted I had not thought of before,
I was able to view the battle ground with much nearer proximity. I
could plainly discern the bodies of men and horses strewn over the
green hill-side, and fancied I could make out the stiffened features of
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many a fallen patriot. I counted seventy-four dead bodies of the patriots,
and upwards of a hundred horses. Carbines, swords, pistols,
so far as I could make out, were scattered in all directions. I could
see no bodies of Brazilian soldiers save near the gates; for those that
fell had been shot upon the walls and had plunged into the moat. It
was a bad scene, and it was a relief to remove the glass from my eye
and place again a wide distance between. My heart sickened at such
slaughter. My sympathies were with the patriots. They had not
been beaten, but had returned only to avoid collision with a superior
force of fresh troops.
We gathered together in a group, we four, and talked over what we
had witnessed. One idea seemed simultaneously to take possession of
our minds. I was the first to give it language by saying to them:
`How would you like to join the patriots?'
`It is just what I was thinking of,' they answered almost in the same
breath.
`Then the way of honor is open before us,' I answered. `If we
leave Bedrick we leave him to join Llavelleja. Is it so?'
`Yes,' was the response of all three.
We joined hands upon it and then obeyed the call to breakfast; for
if men fight they must eat too. Nothing can be done in this world,
without beef, bread and coffee.
CHAPTER XXII. The Resolution.
The scenes of the morning had given a new turn to our thoughts
and a direction to our energies. We now beheld before us a field not
only of action and honorable employment but a patbway to fame. We
breakfasted in good spirits and afterwards went each to our respective
shops; for we decided to keep perfectly secret our plans until they
were fully matured. We, therefore, assumed extraordinary diligence
in business during the day in order the more fully to disguise our purposes.
Our shop was all day crowded. More soda was drank that
day on the score of the fight than had been on any previous day, not
excepting that on which we opened the establishment. The battle was
the only theme of conversation among all visitors, among whom were
naval officers from the French, English and American vessels of war
in the harbor. During the day we were honored also with the presence
of the commander of the castle, and several of his officers who had
taken part in its defence. One of them was wounded and had his arm
in a sling.
They talked valiantly of their exploits upon the walls. From the
conversation of several parties I got the facts of the affair. It appeared
that General Llavelleja had, the night before, secretly marched
from his camp at the head of a detachment of about two thousand of
his cavalry, for the purpose of surprising the castle. His force
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proceeded without discovery to the base of the Mount, about five miles
distant from his camp, where he separated them into three divisions.
One of them, consisting of five hundred dismounted cavalry, silently
marched around the hill and took a position, in ambush, directly under
the walls at the rear of the castle. The second detachment of seven
hundred men was sent to a ravine at the foot of the hill, where it dismounted,
leaving their horses tethered, and there formed in column,
ready for the signal of onset. The third and main body remained in
saddles at the base of the hill, directly in front of the main entrance to
the castle and about five hundred yards distant, the ascent to the gate
from their post being gradual, the hill being in shape not unlike an
ant hill, the castle crowning the whole.
The motive for this disposition of his forces was the fact Llavelleja
knew that every morning at dawn, the main gate of the castle was
thrown open for the soldiers to go down to a spring a hundred yards
from it to get water to cook with. Upon the opening of the gate, therefore,
the detachment in ambuscade were to rush forward and surprise
it and thus get admission into the castle, which would then have fallen
easily into their hands.
Having made this disposition of his forces under cover of the darkness,
he awaited until the dawn for the gate to be opened. When at
length the day began to break, he, in person, drew so near to the gate
that, it was said, he heard the turning of the bolts as it was unlocked.
The moment the gate was opened and the soldiers with their buckets
began to come forth, he wound his bugle and dashed at the entrance
with the whole of the ambush at his back.
So sudden was the onset and surprise that he fairly gained the entrance,
cutting to pieces about a score of the soldiers which had come
out and wounding and slaying several that opposed under the portcullis.
The garrison, however, met him with courage, and the officer in
command had presence of mind enough to drop the portcullis in the
very midst of the melee, cutting in two several of the combatants of
both parties that were fighting beneath it.
Finding the gate thus closed, the patriot general gave a general
order for storming the citadel. Now opened the cannonading upon
the advancing cavalry of the main body which had awakened the sleeping
city from its repose, and me among the number. The failure of
this bold attempt I have already stated.
The British and American officers whom I heard discussing the affair,
called it a gallant thing, though some of them were disposed to
censure the Patriot general for not waiting for his artillery before he
planned such an expedition; while others ridiculed the idea of employing
cavalry to storm a fortress. But others urged that as all his
army were cavalry, it was in character; and besides, the cavalry drawn
up at the foot of the hill could be made available in protecting the infantry,
should a sortie of the whole garrison be made and drive it
back.
All the forenoon barrows laden with wounded soldiers from the
castle passed the shop on the way to the hospital. The enthusiasm,
however, of the citizens was not damped by these sights, sufficiently
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familiar to their observation. There was a general joy throughout the
town. Men spoke of it as a great victory; and in the afternoon salutes
were fired, flags displayed, and other marks of victorious triumph
manifested. In the evening the Governor-General, who had witnessed
the battle from the cupola of the palace, gave a ball, and fire-works
were let off in the Grande Square. Exultation was on every Brazilian
visage. It was said that the detachment of fifteen hundred men which
had been sent across the harbor, would be the next day increased by
four thousand more, and an attack would be made upon the patriot
camp. All was excitement and warlike enthusiasm.
Our Consult, it was said, asked the Governor General why a sufficient
force was not sent over at the time to follow the retreating patriots and
press them into their camp, cutting them to pieces in the confusion
of their discomfiture. His reply was that he apprehended that the attack
was only a ruse to draw his attention and the flower of his troops
in that direction, while the remaining four thousand cavalry surprised
one of the city gates and endeavored to carry the town.
The Brazilian General's opinion of the courage of the patriots was
flattering to them, to say the least, that he should suppose four thousand
men would be able to take a city garrisoned with seventeen thousand!
surrounded by a wall thirty feet high, which was defended by
a moat as many feet deep and sixty feet wide, filled from the harbor
with water, which flowed all around the city like a circular river; the
gates double, protected by drawbridges and portcullis, by a strong
guard and cannon frowning above them! But the truth is, the Brazilians
stood much in fear of their brave foes, and attributed to them
prowess in arm worthy of the heroes of ancient Greece or the Scythian
warriors, whom, indeed, they not a little resembled.
Llavelleja was sustained only by his six thousand Ranchero cavalry
in his siege. The Buenos Ayrean Government had no fleet, save a
few gun boats, two or three schooners and a corvette of twenty guns
which had once been a New York merchant ship, but which the Patriot
Government purchased and converted into a vessel of war. This
vessel was the flag ship of the little squadron which was under the
command of Admiral Brown, once an English officer, but for many
years in the service of Buenos Ayres; a brave, daring man, a finished
seaman, and a thorough fighting sailor. This squadron was at this
time blockaded in Buenos Ayres by the Brazilian fleet which I have
already spoken of as stretching from shore to shore about fifteen miles
from Montevideo. The siege of Montevideo was therefore incomplete,
and would have been had Llavelleja's force been fifty thousand men;
for so long as the harbor was open to the Brazilian vessels the place
could not be starved out. But what the patriot wanted in means was
supplied by invinsible courage, energy, and love of country. They
had the sympathy of all the Americans and French in the port, and of
most of the English, who, however, could not so entirely overcome
their prejudices against republics as to extend to them hearty and cordial
wishes for success.
The character of the patriots and the patriot general inspired us
with the strongest interest; and I was filled with the greatest desire to
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see him. The analogy between the Republic and our own enlisted
our national pride. We had been told that she had adopted our constitution
almost literally, and that her form of government was modelled
after our own. We knew that her people were brave, and were
combatting on the side of justice and right. Our resolution, therefore,
to take part with them was confirmed the more we reflected upon it.
There we were, thrown upon the world, as it were, by an act of duplicity
on the part of one who should have been our protector and
friend. We had the world all before us where to choose. It was
either ignobly to return home, if we could get a passage, or carve out
our fortunes with our own hands. The war closed all avenues of
business but selling soda-water, which seemed to flourish under it, and
the army and navy of the patriots seemed to invite us. They needed
every arm that would volunteer in their cause. The idea of fighting
in the patriot cause thrilled our youthful bosoms! There was a charm,
a fascination in the very word! We might also rise rapidly to fame—
our country might yet hear of us with pride!
Our determination was taken. We that night got together, and
after talking the whole matter over with a gravity becoming a Napoleonic
council, we made up our minds to take the first opportunity to
join the Patriot force outside of the city. We were divided in choice
of the service however. Fairfax and myself were inclined, after reporting
ourselves to Llavelleja, to proceed to Buenos Ayres and join
the squadron under the gallant Brown; for we both had a fancy for the
sea. Radsworth, whose father was a general officer in the last war,
and Hewitt, preferred the military service. Fairfax and I were not
disposed, be it understood, to get out of fighting distance by joining
the squadron in the port of Buenos Ayres. We expected to fight, and
wished to. A report was in town that Brown was then preparing to
sail down the river with his little squadron, to break the blockade and
open the river, at least temporarily, to the vessels waiting below to
come up. We hoped to reach him in time to take part in the affair.
Thus having settled matters for the future, it only remained for us
to embrace some opportunity for quitting the city. This was likely
to be a difficult object to bring about. The only outlets from the place
were by the gates towards the country, which were triply guarded, or
by the mole on the harbor side.
The next morning after the battle, the old man came into the shop,
and said he was going on board an American ship which had just come
in, to hear what news there was from the States.
`Now young men,' he said, speaking through his beaked nose and
looking very authoritative, `I shall be gone just two hours to a minute.
You know my punctuality. I expect you to remain in the shop.—
Don't leave it Perril, on your peril, as you did yesterday. If I maintain
you I shall expect you to give me every minute of your time.—
Now see that I am obeyed. My son Edwin goes with me. Have you
seen William?'
`I have not since yesterday,' I answered.
`The dog! He will yet get his head taken off or be put in prison.
He is always adventuring about. I don't know but I shall have to try
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and get him a place in Ford & Co's House? He is getting unsteady
and wild!'
Well might the old gentleman say so. His son was as wayward and
independent as the wind. He was a handsome, reckless, fiery young
man, with an utter contempt for his father, and a merciless quizzer of
his literary brother, Edwin. He was a good fellow at heart, but a perfect
devil when he was roused. He refused to do anything, but dressed
elegantly and passed his time in cafes, or flirting with such young
Spanish girls as his impudence aided him to get acquainted with.—
Once in a while he would lounge into the shop and chat awhile, take a
glass of soda-brandy, smoke two or three cigars and then disappear.—
He was, however, on excellent terms with us; and well knew that we
did not intend to remain with his father any longer than we could help
ourselves; for finding him friendly we had told him. He kept our secret,
and said frankly, that he did not blame us; `for the old man had
fairly taken us in.' He added, too, that he was surprised after he had
seen more of us on board the brig, that such a set of young men as he
found us to be, should have consented to go out to Buenos Ayres, to
tend soda-shops! But when we, as a few days after our arrival we
did do, explained to him in confidence the deception, (which he warmly
professed his ignorance of before) he expressed his indignation and
said that we should but serve the old man right to quit him at once,
and let him find others to tend shop as he could. We did not, however,
fully let him into our secret purposes.
CHAPTER XXIII. The Fate.
After the old gentleman had quitted the shop to go on board the
newly arrived vessel, I went to the door to watch him safely down to
the quay. I then took my hat and arming myself with a dirk and pistol
to protect myself against dogs and bipeds both, I left the shop and
took my way down a street that led to the walls. Fairfax was well
aware of my object, it having been previously arranged, and promised
to tend both fountains till I returned. My motive in thus stealing
away was to take a survey of the walls and gates and see what chance
offered for our escaping on the country-side. My intention was to go
quite around the walls on the inner side, there being a wide, open
space or street next to them extending their whole circuit. In some
places this space widened into broad, open ground like a square, covered
with piles of offal and swarming with dogs. One of these squares
was called Congo Square, and was the favorite resort of the negroes
on holidays for dancing the fandango.
The street which I took to go to the walls was narrow and filthy
and inhabited by the lowest canaille of the city. I passed numerous
pulperias thronged with drunken soldiery and villainous looking-ruffians.
No one, however, molested me, as I sauntered carelessly along;
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and being dark complexioned and having black eyes and hair, I was
the more readily suffered to proceed as I looked like a young Spaniard
or Brazilian, having, indeed, been more than once taken to be one.—
So I attracted no particular attention and went on in security where
blue eyes and fair hair might possibly have been in peril.
Two-thirds of the way down the street I was met by a party of soldiers
with a barrow. Upon it was stretched a soldier writhing with
pain. His shirt was stripped off and his naked, braway chest and
shoulders were crimson with blood flowing from a gun-shot wound in
his neck. I heard one of the soldiers answer in reply to a question of
one standing by that the man had been a sentinel upon the walls and
was just shot by a Quacho rider—that is, a patriot horseman. They
were bearing him to the hospital. This sight had called to my mind
what Saul had told me, viz: that the Quacho cavalry will often ride
up within carbine shot of the walls and pick off the sentinels. They
approach in this way:—Wild horses, be it understood, are always roving
and browsing about in the vicinity, and can be seen in large troops
from the walls. Some of them sometimes gallop up close to the walls
neigh a sort of defiance and then scour away over the low hillocks that
break the barren surface of the region within a mile of the walls.—
The sentinels accustomed to see them come near, pay no attention to
them. The Quachos, who are the best horsemen in the world, taking
advantage of this, strip themselves of all superfluous clothing and armed
only with a carbine advance within a mile of the walls mounted as
usual. They then worm their way nigher and nigher behind the hillocks
driving a score of wild horses before them; until they get as near
the walls as they can. They then throw themselves partly off their
horses, sticking to his side by one hand upon the mane, and the feet
twisted under the hams. In this manner they gallop forward keeping
the other side of the horse next to the walls. The sentry, seeing no
rider, for the Quacho is hidden on the other side of the horse, to which
he clings like a leech, takes no beed of him, regarding him as one of
the wild steeds of the pampas. As soon as the Quacho finds himself
within shot of his man he throws himself across his courser's back,
discharging his carbine with unerring aim; the sentinel tumbles into
the moat or falls wounded upon the battlements, while the horseman
retires with the speed of the wind waving his carbine above his head,
and shouting defiance.
In this manner had this man been shot, who, from the examples he
had before his eyes of the fate of many of his comrades, ought to have
been better on his guard.
Near the foot of the street I passed a door of a house before which I
saw a small gilt cross in the hand of a little child dressed in white with
flowers in her hand she held a plate on which were a few pieces of
money She offered it to me, and upon my asking her (in my best
Spanish, in which I was daily improving so as to talk pretty well) what
it was for, she said it was to pay for masses for the soul of a little infant,
her sister! As she spoke she directed my attention through an open
door into a room where upon a table and covered with a white fringed
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cloth, stood a small coffin ornamented with gold paper, and wreathed
with flowers.
`Entre usted, senor?' said the little girl as I placed a medio (a sixteenth
of a dollar) in the plate, a sum, which I thought more than adequate
to pay for all the sins the little babe had committed in this wicked
world.
I entered and gazed upon the wax-like features of one of the loveliest
infants I ever beheld. Its little fingers were clasped upon its breast
and held a small silver gilt cross and a rosebud. A coronet of fresh
flowers bound its temples. It was arrayed in a snowy white embroidered
robe and looked like a sculptured cherub. There was no one in
the room but an old negro woman in a white scarlet gown and scarlet
turban, who was incessantly making the sign of the cross in the air,
and muttering `aves,' while I gazed down upon the child.
Leaving this house I continued my walk to the foot of the street,
where the caliboose was situated. This was a huge, gloomy structure
of stone, with a window full thirty feet high, something like a gothic
church window, looking upon the street. It was strongly grated with
a lattice of iron bars like a gigantic cage. Around this window was
collected a motley group of both sexes and all colors and costumes,
who were gazing in upon the prisoners or talking with them through
the bars. I stopped to view the scene. The window was literally
covered to its top with prisoners who had climbed up the bars on the
inside over one another's head to look out, and hear, and see and talk
with their acquaintances in the street. Such a noise I never heard.—
It was a jargon of voices that gave one a good idea of Bedlam. Some
were talking from street to grate at the top of their voices, some swearing,
some calling out, some laughing, jeering, mocking and shouting.
I stood for a few moments appalled. I then crossed the street and
drew nearer to get a better view and look into the prison. Two or
three of the prisoners, many of whom were nearly as naked as they
were born, spying me out, thrust out their murderous looking hands or
their old caps and called vociferously for `dinero, dinero, senor!' `money,
money!' One fierce, bearded, piratical villain, who was twenty
feet above me, in particular, made his loud demands. I chanced to
have in my pocket about ten or twelve coppers which I threw against
the window. Such a scramble, such oaths, such superhuman exertions
to get possession of those that fell inside, it is impossible for words to
do justice to. The piratical villain from the top, let himself down over
the backs of his fellows beneath him, like a panther descending a tree.
The window was deserted, and fifty miserable wretches were scrambling
upon the floor of the prison under it for the coin. In the midst
of the uproar and quite satisfied with what I had witnessed, I withdrew
from a scene which could hardly be paralleled in hell.
Such visages as some of those fellows exhibited as they peered
through the grating, would degrade the devil. Ferocity, brutality; lust,
fury, hatred, malice, all were stamped there with the seal of unmixed
depravity. Many of them had not been shaven for weeks. Many of
them wore chains upon their wrists, which clanked harshly upon the
ear at every movement they made. Many of them were without other
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clothing than the upper portion of ragged trowsers bound about their
waists with a bit of rope. Some of them were native Africans who had
been but a few weeks in the land and had been put in for murdering
their masters. Some of them were domestic slaves. Some were mutinous
seamen of the fleet. Some were soldiers, either deserters or
assassins. Not a few were professional pirates and midnight assassins.
The room in which this miscellaneous band of wretches were confined,
was about sixty feet in length, thirty high, and twenty-five wide.
Here about one hundred prisoners were herded together, day and night,
without distinction of crime. It was the only prison in the city, and
into it were thrown all persons, indiscriminately, who came under the
censure of the Government, or who incurred the displeasure of the Captain-general.
I shuddered at the thought that circumstances, which
were yet unforeseen, might make me an inmate of that Infernal Saloon.
After leaving this place I passed on a little farther and reached the
open space that separates the streets from the walls. I walked along
with my eyes closely surveying their height and scanning their situation.
All that met my eyes was a lofty mass of stone crowned by battlements
with sentries pacing along the sky-line with their muskets at
their shoulders, At the base were heaps of rubbish and offal, and digging
into them for food, were the usual hordes of hungry dogs,
howling and snarling like a pack of famished wolves.
At length I came to the first gate, from which a fine street extended
into the very heart of the city, losing itself in the Grand Square.—
Here were groups of soldiers lounging about, and four sentinels on duty,
two on each side of the entrance. Guard houses also flanked the
entrance, in which I saw soldiers playing at dominoes, smoking and
sleeping. Over the gate also stood a sentry with his face to the country
a sort of stationery vidette. The gates were closed; but a small
wicket in it was partly open that was just large enough to admit a man
at the time. While I was standing looking, I saw a peasant admitted
with a bag of vegetables upon his back. He seemed well known to
the guard, and many questions were put to him. An officer came out
of the guard-house and questioned him, and he was then strictly searched
to see if he bore any letters from the patriots; for no man was trusted,
however well known. Even his bag of vegetables was poured out
and overhauled; and then only he was suffered to proceed up the
street into the city. After he moved away, I lounged up to the gate,
and as the wicket was still open I stooped down to take a peep through
into the country. But my curiosity was rewarded by a friendly musket
which was pressed side-ways so forcibly against my breast that I
had nearly tumbled over backwards. The hint was accompanied with
a friendly admonition to keep out of the way and mind my own business.
I was minding my business to the letter; for I had come there
for the very purpose of seeing the chances that might offer for escape.
I did not, however, tell the sentry so, but walked away well satisfied
that there was no hope of reaching the patriot army by the gates.
END OE PART FIRST.
Ingraham, J. H. (Joseph Holt), 1809-1860 [1847], Paul Perril, the merchant's son, or, The adventures of a New-England boy launched upon life Volume 1 (Williams & Brothers, Boston) [word count] [eaf207v1].
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