NARRATIVE OF A. GORDON PYM.
[figure description] Page 009.[end figure description]
My name is Arthur Gordon Pym. My father was a respectable
trader in sea-stores at Nantucket, where I was
born. My maternal grandfather was an attorney in good
practice. He was fortunate in everything, and had speculated
very successfully in stocks of the Edgarton New-Bank,
as it was formerly called. By these and other
means he had managed to lay by a tolerable sum of money.
He was more attached to myself, I believe, than
to any other person in the world, and I expected to inherit
the most of his property at his death. He sent me,
at six years of age, to the school of old Mr. Ricketts, a
gentleman with only one arm, and of eccentric manners—
he is well known to almost every person who has
visited New Bedford. I stayed at his school until I was
sixteen, when I left him for Mr. E. Ronald's academy
on the hill. Here I became intimate with the son of
Mr. Barnard, a sea captain, who generally sailed in the
employ of Lloyd and Vredenburgh—Mr. Barnard is also
very well known in New Bedford, and has many relations,
I am certain, in Edgarton. His son was named
Augustus, and he was nearly two years older than myself.
He had been on a whaling voyage with his father
in the John Donaldson, and was always talking to me of
his adventures in the South Pacific Ocean. I used frequently
to go home with him, and remain all day, and
sometimes all night. We occupied the same bed, and
he would be sure to keep me awake until almost light,
-- 010 --
[figure description] Page 010.[end figure description]
telling me stories of the natives of the Island of Tinian,
and other places he had visited in his travels. At last I
could not help being interested in what he said, and by
degrees I felt the greatest desire to go to sea. I owned
a sail-boat called the Ariel, and worth about seventy-five
dollars. She had a half-deck or cuddy, and was rigged
sloop-fashion—I forget her tonnage, but she would hold
ten persons without much crowding. In this boat we
were in the habit of going on some of the maddest freaks
in the world; and, when I now think of them, it appears
to me a thousand wonders that I am alive to-day.
I will relate one of these adventures by way of introduction
to a longer and more momentous narrative. One
night there was a party at Mr. Barnard's, and both Augustus
and myself were not a little intoxicated towards
the close of it. As usual, in such cases, I took part of
his bed in preference to going home. He went to sleep,
as I thought, very quietly (it being near one when the
party broke up), and without saying a word on his favourite
topic. It might have been half an hour from the time
of our getting in bed, and I was just about falling into a
doze, when he suddenly started up, and swore with a
terrible oath that he would not go to sleep for any Arthur
Pym in Christendom, when there was so glorious a
breeze from the southwest. I never was so astonished
in my life, not knowing what he intended, and thinking
that the wines and liquors he had drunk had set him entirely
beside himself. He proceeded to talk very coolly,
however, saying he knew that I supposed him intoxicated,
but that he was never more sober in his life. He was
only tired, he added, of lying in bed on such a fine night
like a dog, and was determined to get up and dress, and
go out on a frolic with the boat. I can hardly tell what
possessed me, but the words were no sooner out of his
mouth than I felt a thrill of the greatest excitement and
pleasure, and thought his mad idea one of the most delightful
and most reasonable things in the world. It was
blowing almost a gale, and the weather was very cold—
it being late in October. I sprang out of bed, nevertheless,
in a kind of ecstasy, and told him I was quite as
-- 011 --
[figure description] Page 011.[end figure description]
brave as himself, and quite as tired as he was of lying
in bed like a dog, and quite as ready for any fun or
frolic as any Augustus Barnard in Nantucket.
We lost no time in getting on our clothes and hurrying
down to the boat. She was lying at the old decayed
wharf by the lumber-yard of Pankey & Co., and almost
thumping her sides out against the rough logs. Augustus
got into her and bailed her, for she was nearly half
full of water. This being done, we hoisted jib and mainsail,
kept full, and started boldly out to sea.
The wind, as I before said, blew freshly from the
southwest. The night was very clear and cold. Augustus
had taken the helm, and I stationed myself by the
mast, on the deck of the cuddy. We flew along at a
great rate—neither of us having said a word since casting
loose from the wharf. I now asked my companion
what course he intended to steer, and what time he
thought it probable we should get back. He whistled
for a few minutes, and then said crustily, “I am going
to sea—you may go home if you think proper.” Turning
my eyes upon him, I perceived at once that, in spite of
his assumed nonchalance, he was greatly agitated. I
could see him distinctly by the light of the moon—his
face was paler than any marble, and his hand shook so
excessively that he could scarcely retain hold of the
tiller. I found that something had gone wrong, and became
seriously alarmed. At this period I knew little
about the management of a boat, and was now depending
entirely upon the nautical skill of my friend. The wind,
too, had suddenly increased, as we were fast getting out
of the lee of the land—still I was ashamed to betray any
trepidation, and for almost half an hour maintained a
resolute silence. I could stand it no longer, however,
and spoke to Augustus about the propriety of turning
back. As before, it was nearly a minute before he
made answer, or took any notice of my suggestion.
“By-and-by,” said he at length—“time enough—home
by-and-by.” I had expected a similar reply, but there
was something in the tone of these words which filled
me with an indescribable feeling of dread. I again
-- 012 --
[figure description] Page 012.[end figure description]
looked at the speaker attentively. His lips were perfectly
livid, and his knees shook so violently together
that he seemed scarcely able to stand. “For God's
sake, Augustus,” I screamed, now heartily frightened,
“what ails you?—what is the matter?—what are you
going to do?” “Matter!” he stammered, in the greatest
apparent surprise, letting go the tiller at the same moment,
and falling forward into the bottom of the boat—
“matter!—why, nothing is the—matter—going home—
d—d—don't you see?” The whole truth now flashed
upon me. I flew to him and raised him up. He was drunk—
beastly drunk—he could no longer either stand, speak,
or see. His eyes were perfectly glazed; and as I let
him go in the extremity of my despair, he rolled like
a mere log into the bilge-water from which I had lifted
him. It was evident that, during the evening, he had
drunk far more than I suspected, and that his conduct in
bed had been the result of a highly-concentrated state of
intoxication—a state which, like madness, frequently
enables the victim to imitate the outward demeanour of
one in perfect possession of his senses. The coolness
of the night air, however, had had its usual effect—the
mental energy began to yield before its influence—and
the confused perception which he no doubt then had of
his perilous situation had assisted in hastening the catastrophe.
He was now thoroughly insensible, and there
was no probability that he would be otherwise for many
hours.
It is hardly possible to conceive the extremity of my
terror. The fumes of the wine lately taken had evaporated,
leaving me doubly timid and irresolute. I knew
that I was altogether incapable of managing the boat,
and that a fierce wind and strong ebb tide were hurrying
us to destruction. A storm was evidently gathering behind
us; we had neither compass nor provisions; and it
was clear that, if we held our present course, we should
be out of sight of land before daybreak. These thoughts,
with a crowd of others equally fearful, flashed through
my mind with a bewildering rapidity, and for some moments
paralyzed me beyond the possibility of making any
-- 013 --
[figure description] Page 013.[end figure description]
exertion. The boat was going through the water at a
terrible rate—full before the wind—no reef in either jib
or mainsail—running her bows completely under the
foam. It was a thousand wonders she did not broach
to—Augustus having let go the tiller, as I said before,
and I being too much agitated to think of taking it myself.
By good luck, however, she kept steady, and
gradually I recovered some degree of presence of mind.
Still the wind was increasing fearfully; and whenever
we rose from a plunge forward, the sea behind fell
combing over our counter, and deluged us with water.
I was so utterly benumbed, too, in every limb, as to be
nearly unconscious of sensation. At length I summoned
up the resolution of despair, and rushing to the
mainsail, let it go by the run. As might have been
expected, it flew over the bows, and, getting drenched
with water, carried away the mast short off by the
board. This latter accident alone saved me from instant
destruction. Under the jib only, I now boomed along
before the wind, shipping heavy seas occasionally over
the counter, but relieved from the terror of immediate
death. I took the helm, and breathed with greater freedom
as I found that there yet remained to us a chance
of ultimate escape. Augustus still lay senseless in the
bottom of the boat; and as there was imminent danger of
his drowning (the water being nearly a foot deep just
where he fell), I contrived to raise him partially up, and
keep him in a sitting position, by passing a rope round
his waist, and lashing it to a ringbolt in the deck of the
cuddy. Having thus arranged everything as well as I
could in my chilled and agitated condition, I recommended
myself to God, and made up my mind to bear whatever
might happen with all the fortitude in my power.
Hardly had I come to this resolution, when, suddenly,
a loud and long scream or yell, as if from the throats of
a thousand demons, seemed to pervade the whole atmosphere
around and above the boat. Never while I live
shall I forget the intense agony of terror I experienced
at that moment. My hair stood erect on my head—I
felt the blood congealing in my veins—my heart ceased
-- 014 --
[figure description] Page 014.[end figure description]
utterly to beat, and without having once raised my eyes
to learn the source of my alarm, I tumbled headlong and
insensible upon the body of my fallen companion.
I found myself, upon reviving, in the cabin of a large
whaling-ship (the Penguin) bound to Nantucket. Several
persons were standing over me, and Augustus, paler
than death, was busily occupied in chafing my hands.
Upon seeing me open my eyes, his exclamations of gratitude
and joy excited alternate laughter and tears from
the rough-looking personages who were present. The
mystery of our being in existence was now soon explained.
We had been run down by the whaling-ship,
which was close hauled, beating up to Nantucket with
every sail she could venture to set, and consequently
running almost at right angles to our own course. Several
men were on the look-out forward, but did not perceive
our boat until it was an impossibility to avoid
coming in contact—their shouts of warning upon seeing
us were what so terribly alarmed me. The huge ship,
I was told, rode immediately over us with as much ease
as our own little vessel would have passed over a feather,
and without the least perceptible impediment to her
progress. Not a scream arose from the deck of the victim—
there was a slight grating sound to be heard mingling
with the roar of wind and water, as the frail bark
which was swallowed up rubbed for a moment along
the keel of her destroyer—but this was all. Thinking
our boat (which it will be remembered was dismasted)
some mere shell cut adrift as useless, the captain (Captain
E. T. V. Block of New London) was for proceeding
on his course without troubling himself further about
the matter. Luckily, there were two of the look-out who
swore positively to having seen some person at our helm,
and represented the possibility of yet saving him. A
discussion ensued, when Block grew angry, and, after a
while, said that “it was no business of his to be eternally
watching for egg-shells; that the ship should not put
about for any such nonsense; and if there was a man run
down, it was nobody's fault but his own—he might drown
and be d—d,” or some language to that effect.
-- 015 --
[figure description] Page 015.[end figure description]
Henderson, the first mate, now took the matter up, being
justly indignant, as well as the whole ship's crew, at a
speech evincing so base a degree of heartless atrocity.
He spoke plainly, seeing himself upheld by the men, told
the captain he considered him a fit subject for the gallows,
and that he would disobey his orders if he were
hanged for it the moment he set his foot on shore. He
strode aft, jostling Block (who turned very pale and made
no answer) on one side, and seizing the helm, gave the
word, in a firm voice, Hard-a-lee! The men flew to
their posts, and the ship went cleverly about. All this
had occupied nearly five minutes, and it was supposed to
be hardly within the bounds of possibility that any individual
could be saved—allowing any to have been on
board the boat. Yet, as the reader has seen, both Augustus
and myself were rescued; and our deliverance
seemed to have been brought about by two of those
almost inconceivable pieces of good fortune which are
attributed by the wise and pious to the special interference
of Providence.
While the ship was yet in stays, the mate lowered the
jolly-boat and jumped into her with the very two men, I
believe, who spoke up as having seen me at the helm.
They had just left the lee of the vessel (the moon still
shining brightly) when she made a long and heavy roll
to windward, and Henderson, at the same moment, starting
up in his seat, bawled out to his crew to back water.
He would say nothing else—repeating his cry impatiently,
back water! back water! The men put back as
speedily as possible; but by this time the ship had gone
round, and gotten fully under headway, although all
hands on board were making great exertions to take in
sail. In despite of the danger of the attempt, the mate
clung to the main-chains as soon as they came within his
reach. Another huge lurch now brought the starboard
side of the vessel out of water nearly as far as her keel,
when the cause of his anxiety was rendered obvious
enough. The body of a man was seen to be affixed in
the most singular manner to the smooth and shining
bottom (the Penguin was coppered and copper-fastened),
-- 016 --
[figure description] Page 016.[end figure description]
and beating violently against it with every movement of
the hull. After several ineffectual efforts, made during
the lurches of the ship, and at the imminent risk of
swamping the boat, I was finally disengaged from my
perilous situation and taken on board—for the body
proved to be my own. It appeared that one of the
timber-bolts having started and broken a passage through
the copper, it had arrested my progress as I passed
under the ship, and fastened me in so extraordinary a
manner to her bottom. The head of the bolt had made
its way through the collar of the green baize jacket I
had on, and through the back part of my neck, forcing
itself out between two sinews and just below the right
ear. I was immediately put to bed—although life seemed
to be totally extinct. There was no surgeon on board.
The captain, however, treated me with every attention—
to make amends, I presume, in the eyes of his crew, for
his atrocious behaviour in the previous portion of the
adventure.
In the meantime, Henderson had again put off from the
ship, although the wind was now blowing almost a hurricane.
He had not been gone many minutes when he
fell in with some fragments of our boat, and shortly afterward
one of the men with him asserted that he could
distinguish a cry for help at intervals amid the roaring of
the tempest. This induced the hardy seamen to persevere
in their search for more than half an hour, although
repeated signals to return were made them by Captain
Block, and although every moment on the water in so
frail a boat was fraught to them with the most imminent
and deadly peril. Indeed, it is nearly impossible to conceive
how the small jolly they were in could have escaped
destruction for a single instant. She was built, however,
for the whaling service, and was fitted, as I have since
had reason to believe, with air-boxes, in the manner of
some life-boats used on the coast of Wales.
After searching in vain for about the period of time
just mentioned, it was determined to get back to the ship.
They had scarcely made this resolve when a feeble cry
arose from a dark object which floated rapidly by. They
-- 017 --
[figure description] Page 017.[end figure description]
pursued and soon overtook it. It proved to be the entire
deck of the Ariel's cuddy. Augustus was struggling
near it, apparently in the last agonies. Upon getting
hold of him it was found that he was attached by a rope
to the floating timber. This rope, it will be remembered,
I had myself tied round his waist, and made fast to a
ringbolt, for the purpose of keeping him in an upright
position, and my so doing, it appeared, had been ultimately
the means of preserving his life. The Ariel was
slightly put together, and in going down her frame naturally
went to pieces; the deck of the cuddy, as might
be expected, was lifted, by the force of the water
rushing in, entirely from the main timbers, and floated
(with other fragments, no doubt) to the surface—Augustus
was buoyed up with it, and thus escaped a terrible
death.
It was more than an hour after being taken on board
the Penguin before he could give any account of himself,
or be made to comprehend the nature of the accident
which had befallen our boat. At length he became thoroughly
aroused, and spoke much of his sensations while
in the water. Upon his first attaining any degree of
consciousness, he found himself beneath the surface,
whirling round and round with inconceivable rapidity,
and with a rope wrapped in three or four folds tightly
about his neck. In an instant afterward he felt himself
going rapidly upward, when, his head striking violently
against a hard substance, he again relapsed into insensibility.
Upon once more reviving he was in fuller possession
of his reason—this was still, however, in the greatest
degree clouded and confused. He now knew that
some accident had occurred, and that he was in the water,
although his mouth was above the surface, and he
could breathe with some freedom. Possibly, at this
period, the deck was drifting rapidly before the wind,
and drawing him after it, as he floated upon his back.
Of course, as long as he could have retained this position,
it would have been nearly impossible that he should
be drowned. Presently a surge threw him directly athwart
the deck; and this post he endeavoured to maintain,
-- 018 --
[figure description] Page 018.[end figure description]
screaming at intervals for help. Just before he was discovered
by Mr. Henderson, he had been obliged to relax
his hold through exhaustion, and, falling into the sea,
had given himself up for lost. During the whole period
of his struggles he had not the faintest recollection of the
Ariel, nor of any matters in connexion with the source
of his disaster. A vague feeling of terror and despair
had taken entire possession of his faculties. When he
was finally picked up, every power of his mind had failed
him; and, as before said, it was nearly an hour after getting
on board the Penguin before he became fully aware
of his condition. In regard to myself—I was resuscitated
from a state bordering very nearly upon death (and
after every other means had been tried in vain for three
hours and a half) by vigorous friction with flannels bathed
in hot oil—a proceeding suggested by Augustus. The
wound in my neck, although of an ugly appearance,
proved of little real consequence, and I soon recovered
from its effects.
The Penguin got into port about nine o'clock in the
morning, after encountering one of the severest gales
ever experienced off Nantucket. Both Augustus and
myself managed to appear at Mr. Barnard's in time for
breakfast—which, luckily, was somewhat late, owing to
the party over night. I suppose all at the table were too
much fatigued themselves to notice our jaded appearance—
of course, it would not have borne a very rigid scrutiny.
Schoolboys, however, can accomplish wonders in the way
of deception, and I verily believe not one of our friends
in Nantucket had the slightest suspicion that the terrible
story told by some sailors in town of their having run
down a vessel at sea and drowned some thirty or forty
poor devils, had reference either to the Ariel, my companion,
or myself. We two have since very frequently
talked the matter over—but never without a shudder.
In one of our conversations Augustus frankly confessed
to me, that in his whole life he had at no time experienced
so excruciating a sense of dismay, as when on board our
little boat he first discovered the extent of his intoxication,
and felt himself sinking beneath its influence.
-- 019 --
CHAPTER II.
[figure description] Page 019.[end figure description]
In no affairs of mere prejudice, pro or con, do we deduce
inferences with entire certainty even from the most
simple data. It might be supposed that a catastrophe
such as I have just related would have effectually cooled
my incipient passion for the sea. On the contrary, I
never experienced a more ardent longing for the wild
adventures incident to the life of a navigator than within
a week after our miraculous deliverance. This short
period proved amply long enough to erase from my memory
the shadows, and bring out in vivid light all the pleasurably
exciting points of colour, all the picturesqueness
of the late perilous accident. My conversations with
Augustus grew daily more frequent and more intensely
full of interest. He had a manner of relating his stories
of the ocean (more than one half of which I now suspect
to have been sheer fabrications) well adapted to
have weight with one of my enthusiastic temperament,
and somewhat gloomy, although glowing imagination. It
is strange, too, that he most strongly enlisted my feelings
in behalf of the life of a seaman, when he depicted his
more terrible moments of suffering and despair. For
the bright side of the painting I had a limited sympathy.
My visions were of shipwreck and famine; of death or
captivity among barbarian hordes; of a lifetime dragged
out in sorrow and tears, upon some gray and desolate
rock, in an ocean unapproachable and unknown. Such
visions or desires—for they amounted to desires—are
common, I have since been assured, to the whole numerous
race of the melancholy among men—at the time of
which I speak I regarded them only as prophetic glimpses
of a destiny which I felt myself in a measure bound to
fulfil. Augustus thoroughly entered into my state of
mind. It is probable, indeed, that our intimate communion
had resulted in a partial interchange of character.
-- 020 --
[figure description] Page 020.[end figure description]
About eighteen months after the period of the Ariel's
disaster, the firm of Lloyd and Vredenburgh (a house connected
in some manner with the Messieurs Enderby, I
believe, of Liverpool) were engaged in repairing and fitting
out the brig Grampus for a whaling voyage. She was
an old hulk, and scarcely seaworthy when all was done
to her that could be done. I hardly know why she was
chosen in preference to other good vessels belonging to
the same owners—but so it was. Mr. Barnard was
appointed to command her, and Augustus was going
with him. While the brig was getting ready, he frequently
urged upon me the excellency of the opportunity
now offered for indulging my desire of travel. He
found me by no means an unwilling listener—yet the
matter could not be so easily arranged. My father
made no direct opposition; but my mother went into
hysterics at the bare mention of the design; and, more
than all, my grandfather, from whom I expected much,
vowed to cut me off with a shilling if I should ever
broach the subject to him again. These difficulties,
however, so far from abating my desire, only added fuel
to the flame. I determined to go at all hazards; and,
having made known my intention to Augustus, we set
about arranging a plan by which it might be accomplished.
In the meantime I forbore speaking to any of
my relations in regard to the voyage, and, as I busied myself
ostensibly with my usual studies, it was supposed
that I had abandoned the design. I have since frequently
examined my conduct on this occasion with
sentiments of displeasure as well as of surprise. The
intense hypocrisy I made use of for the furtherance of
my project—an hypocrisy pervading every word and action
of my life for so long a period of time—could only
have been rendered tolerable to myself by the wild and
burning expectation with which I looked forward to the
fulfilment of my long-cherished visions of travel.
In pursuance of my scheme of deception, I was necessarily
obliged to leave much to the management of
Augustus, who was employed for the greater part of
every day on board the Grampus, attending to some
-- 021 --
[figure description] Page 021.[end figure description]
arrangements for his father in the cabin and cabin hold.
At night, however, we were sure to have a conference,
and talk over our hopes. After nearly a month passed
in this manner, without our hitting upon any plan we
thought likely to succeed, he told me at last that he had
determined upon everything necessary. I had a relation
living in New Bedford, a Mr. Ross, at whose house
I was in the habit of spending occasionally two or three
weeks at a time. The brig was to sail about the middle
of June (June, 1827), and it was agreed that, a day
or two before her putting to sea, my father was to receive
a note, as usual, from Mr. Ross, asking me to
come over and spend a fortnight with Robert and
Emmet (his sons). Augustus charged himself with the
enditing of this note and getting it delivered. Having
set out, as supposed, for New Bedford, I was then to
report myself to my companion, who would contrive a
hiding-place for me in the Grampus. This hiding-place,
he assured me, would be rendered sufficiently comfortable
for a residence of many days, during which I was
not to make my appearance. When the brig had proceeded
so far on her course as to make any turning
back a matter out of question, I should then, he said, be
formally installed in all the comforts of the cabin; and
as to his father, he would only laugh heartily at the
joke. Vessels enough would be met with by which a
letter might be sent home explaining the adventure to
my parents.
The middle of June at length arrived, and everything
had been matured. The note was written and delivered,
and on a Monday morning I left the house for the New
Bedford packet, as supposed. I went, however, straight
to Augustus, who was waiting for me at the corner of a
street. It had been our original plan that I should keep
out of the way until dark, and then slip on board the
brig; but, as there was now a thick fog in our favour,
it was agreed to lose no time in secreting me. Augustus
led the way to the wharf, and I followed at a little
distance, enveloped in a thick seaman's cloak, which he
had brought with him, so that my person might not be
-- 022 --
[figure description] Page 022.[end figure description]
easily recognised. Just as we turned the second corner,
after passing Mr. Edmund's well, who should appear,
standing right in front of me, and looking me full in the
face, but old Mr. Peterson, my grandfather. “Why,
bless my soul, Gordon,” said he, after a long pause,
“why, why—whose dirty cloak is that you have on?”
“Sir!” I replied, assuming, as well as I could, in the exigency
of the moment, an air of offended surprise, and
talking in the gruffest of all imaginable tones—“sir! you
are a sum'mat mistaken—my name, in the first place,
bee'nt nothing at all like Goddin, and I'd want you for
to know better, you blackguard, than to call my new obercoat
a darty one!” For my life I could hardly refrain
from screaming with laughter at the odd manner in which
the old gentleman received this handsome rebuke. He
started back two or three steps, turned first pale and
then excessively red, threw up his spectacles, then, putting
them down, ran full tilt at me, with his umbrella
uplifted. He stopped short, however, in his career, as
if struck with a sudden recollection; and presently, turning
round, hobbled off down the street, shaking all the
while with rage, and muttering between his teeth, “Won't
do—new glasses—thought it was Gordon—d—d good-for-nothing
salt water Long Tom.”
After this narrow escape we proceeded with greater
caution, and arrived at our point of destination in safety.
There were only one or two of the hands on board, and
these were busy forward, doing something to the forecastle
combings. Captain Barnard, we knew very well,
was engaged at Lloyd and Vredenburg's, and would remain
there until late in the evening, so we had little to
apprehend on his account. Augustus went first up the
vessel's side, and in a short while I followed him, without
being noticed by the men at work. We proceeded
at once into the cabin, and found no person there. It
was fitted up in the most comfortable style—a thing
somewhat unusual in a whaling-vessel. There were
four very excellent staterooms, with wide and convenient
berths. There was also a large stove, I took notice,
and a remarkably thick and valuable carpet
-- 023 --
[figure description] Page 023.[end figure description]
covering the floor of both the cabin and staterooms. The
ceiling was full seven feet high, and, in short, everything
appeared of a more roomy and agreeable nature than I
had anticipated. Augustus, however, would allow me
but little time for observation, insisting upon the necessity
of my concealing myself as soon as possible. He
led the way into his own stateroom, which was on the
starboard side of the brig, and next to the bulkheads.
Upon entering, he closed the door and bolted it. I
thought I had never seen a nicer little room than the one
in which I now found myself. It was about ten feet
long, and had only one berth, which, as I said before,
was wide and convenient. In that portion of the closet
nearest the bulkheads there was a space of four feet
square, containing a table, a chair, and a set of hanging
shelves full of books, chiefly books of voyages and travels.
There were many other little comforts in the room,
among which I ought not to forget a kind of safe or refrigerator,
in which Augustus pointed out to me a host
of delicacies, both in the eating and drinking department.
He now pressed with his knuckles upon a certain spot
of the carpet in one corner of the space just mentioned,
letting me know that a portion of the flooring, about sixteen
inches square, had been neatly cut out and again
adjusted. As he pressed, this portion rose up at one
end sufficiently to allow the passage of his finger beneath.
In this manner he raised the mouth of the trap
(to which the carpet was still fastened by tacks), and I
found that it led into the after hold. He next lit a small
taper by means of a phosphorus match, and, placing the
light in a dark lantern, descended with it through the
opening, bidding me follow. I did so, and he then pulled
the cover upon the hole, by means of a nail driven into
the under side—the carpet, of course, resuming its original
position on the floor of the stateroom, and all
traces of the aperture being concealed.
The taper gave out so feeble a ray, that it was with
the greatest difficulty I could grope my way through the
confused mass of lumber among which I now found myself.
By degrees, however, my eyes became accustomed
-- 024 --
[figure description] Page 024.[end figure description]
to the gloom, and I proceeded with less trouble, holding
on to the skirts of my friend's coat. He brought me, at
length, after creeping and winding through innumerable
narrow passages, to an iron-bound box, such as is used
sometimes for packing fine earthenware. It was nearly
four feet high, and full six long, but very narrow. Two
large empty oil-casks lay on the top of it, and above
these, again, a vast quantity of straw matting, piled up
as high as the floor of the cabin. In every other direction
around was wedged as closely as possible, even up
to the ceiling, a complete chaos of almost every species
of ship-furniture, together with a heterogeneous medley
of crates, hampers, barrels, and bales, so that it seemed
a matter no less than miraculous that we had discovered
any passage at all to the box. I afterward found that
Augustus had purposely arranged the stowage in this
hold with a view to affording me a thorough concealment,
having had only one assistant in the labour, a man
not going out in the brig.
My companion now showed me that one of the ends
of the box could be removed at pleasure. He slipped it
aside and displayed the interior, at which I was excessively
amused. A mattress from one of the cabin berths
covered the whole of its bottom, and it contained almost
every article of mere comfort which could be crowded
into so small a space, allowing me, at the same time,
sufficient room for my accommodation, either in a sitting
position or lying at full length. Among other things,
there were some books, pen, ink, and paper, three blankets,
a large jug full of water, a keg of sea-biscuit, three
or four immense Bologna sausages, an enormous ham, a
cold leg of roast mutton, and half a dozen bottles of cordials
and liqueurs. I proceeded immediately to take
possession of my little apartment, and this with feelings
of higher satisfaction, I am sure, than any monarch ever
experienced upon entering a new palace. Augustus now
pointed out to me the method of fastening the open end
of the box, and then, holding the taper close to the deck,
showed me a piece of dark whipcord lying along it. This,
he said, extended from my hiding-place throughout all
-- 025 --
[figure description] Page 025.[end figure description]
the necessary windings among the lumber, to a nail
which was driven into the deck of the hold, immediately
beneath the trapdoor leading into his stateroom. By
means of this cord I should be enabled readily to trace
my way out without his guidance, provided any unlooked-for
accident should render such a step necessary. He
now took his departure, leaving with me the lantern, together
with a copious supply of tapers and phosphorus,
and promising to pay me a visit as often as he could contrive
to do so without observation. This was on the
seventeenth of June.
I remained three days and nights (as nearly as I could
guess) in my hiding-place without getting out of it at all,
except twice for the purpose of stretching my limbs by
standing erect between two crates just opposite the opening.
During the whole period I saw nothing of Augustus;
but this occasioned me little uneasiness, as I knew
the brig was expected to put to sea every hour, and in
the bustle he would not easily find opportunities of coming
down to me. At length I heard the trap open and
shut, and presently he called in a low voice, asking if all
was well, and if there was anything I wanted. “Nothing,”
I replied; “I am as comfortable as can be; when
will the brig sail?” “She will be under weigh in less
than half an hour,” he answered. “I came to let you
know, and for fear you should be uneasy at my absence.
I shall not have a chance of coming down again for some
time—perhaps for three or four days more. All is going
on right aboveboard. After I go up and close the
trap, do you creep along by the whipcord to where the
nail is driven in. You will find my watch there—it may
be useful to you, as you have no daylight to keep time
by. I suppose you can't tell how long you have been
buried—only three days—this is the twentieth. I would
bring the watch to your box, but am afraid of being
missed.” With this he went up.
In about an hour after he had gone I distinctly felt
the brig in motion, and congratulated myself upon having
at length fairly commenced a voyage. Satisfied with
this idea, I determined to make my mind as easy as
-- 026 --
[figure description] Page 026.[end figure description]
possible, and await the course of events until I should be
permitted to exchange the box for the more roomy, although
hardly more comfortable, accommodations of the
cabin. My first care was to get the watch. Leaving
the taper burning, I groped along in the dark, following
the cord through windings innumerable, in some of which
I discovered that, after toiling a long distance, I was
brought back within a foot or two of a former position.
At length I reached the nail, and, securing the object of
my journey, returned with it in safety. I now looked
over the books which had been so thoughtfully provided,
and selected the expedition of Lewis and Clarke to the
mouth of the Columbia. With this I amused myself for
some time, when, growing sleepy, I extinguished the
light with great care, and soon fell into a sound slumber.
Upon awaking I felt strangely confused in mind, and
some time elapsed before I could bring to recollection
all the various circumstances of my situation. By degrees,
however, I remembered all. Striking a light, I
looked at the watch; but it was run down, and there
were, consequently, no means of determining how long
I had slept. My limbs were greatly cramped, and I was
forced to relieve them by standing between the crates.
Presently, feeling an almost ravenous appetite, I bethought
myself of the cold mutton, some of which I had
eaten just before going to sleep, and found excellent.
What was my astonishment at discovering it to be in a
state of absolute putrefaction! This circumstance occasioned
me great disquietude; for, connecting it with the
disorder of mind I experienced upon awaking, I began to
suppose that I must have slept for an inordinately long
period of time. The close atmosphere of the hold might
have had something to do with this, and might, in the
end, be productive of the most serious results. My head
ached excessively; I fancied that I drew every breath
with difficulty; and, in short, I was oppressed with a
multitude of gloomy feelings. Still I could not venture
to make any disturbance by opening the trap or otherwise,
and, having wound up the watch, contented myself
as well as possible.
-- 027 --
[figure description] Page 027.[end figure description]
Throughout the whole of the next tedious twenty-four
hours no person came to my relief, and I could not help
accusing Augustus of the grossest inattention. What
alarmed me chiefly was, that the water in my jug was
reduced to about half a pint, and I was suffering much
from thirst, having eaten freely of the Bologna sausages
after the loss of my mutton. I became very uneasy, and
could no longer take any interest in my books. I was
overpowered, too, with a desire to sleep, yet trembled at
the thought of indulging it, lest there might exist some
pernicious influence, like that of burning charcoal, in the
confined air of the hold. In the mean time the roll of
the brig told me that we were far in the main ocean, and
a dull humming sound, which reached my ears as if from
an immense distance, convinced me no ordinary gale was
blowing. I could not imagine a reason for the absence
of Augustus. We were surely far enough advanced on
our voyage to allow of my going up. Some accident
might have happened to him—but I could think of none
which would account for his suffering me to remain so
long a prisoner, except, indeed, his having suddenly died
or fallen overboard, and upon this idea I could not dwell
with any degree of patience. It was possible that we
had been baffled by head winds, and were still in the
near vicinity of Nantucket. This notion, however, I
was forced to abandon; for, such being the case, the
brig must have frequently gone about; and I was entirely
satisfied, from her continual inclination to the lar-board,
that she had been sailing all along with a steady
breeze on her starboard quarter. Besides, granting that
we were still in the neighbourhood of the island, why
should not Augustus have visited me and informed me
of the circumstance? Pondering in this manner upon
the difficulties of my solitary and cheerless condition, I
resolved to wait yet another twenty-four hours, when, if
no relief were obtained, I would make my way to the
trap, and endeavour either to hold a parley with my
friend, or get at least a little fresh air through the opening,
and a further supply of water from his stateroom.
While occupied with this thought, however, I fell, in
-- 028 --
[figure description] Page 028.[end figure description]
spite of every exertion to the contrary, into a state of
profound sleep, or rather stupor. My dreams were of
the most terrific description. Every species of calamity
and horror befell me. Among other miseries, I was
smothered to death between huge pillows, by demons of
the most ghastly and ferocious aspect. Immense serpents
held me in their embrace, and looked earnestly in
my face with their fearfully shining eyes. Then deserts,
limitless, and of the most forlorn and awe-inspiring character,
spread themselves out before me. Immensely
tall trunks of trees, gray and leafless, rose up in endless
succession as far as the eye could reach. Their
roots were concealed in wide-spreading morasses, whose
dreary water lay intensely black, still, and altogether terrible,
beneath. And the strange trees seemed endowed
with a human vitality, and, waving to and fro their skeleton
arms, were crying to the silent waters for mercy, in
the shrill and piercing accents of the most acute agony
and despair. The scene changed; and I stood, naked
and alone, amid the burning sand-plains of Zahara. At
my feet lay crouched a fierce lion of the tropics. Suddenly
his wild eyes opened and fell upon me. With a
convulsive bound he sprang to his feet, and laid bare his
horrible teeth. In another instant there burst from his
red throat a roar like the thunder of the firmament, and
I fell impetuously to the earth. Stifling in a paroxysm
of terror, I at last found myself partially awake. My
dream, then, was not all a dream. Now, at least, I was
in possession of my senses. The paws of some huge
and real monster were pressing heavily upon my bosom—
his hot breath was in my ear—and his white and
ghastly fangs were gleaming upon me through the gloom.
Had a thousand lives hung upon the movement of a
limb or the utterance of a syllable, I could have neither
stirred nor spoken. The beast, whatever it was, retained
his position without attempting any immediate violence,
while I lay in an utterly helpless, and, I fancied, a dying
condition beneath him. I felt that my powers of
body and mind were fast leaving me—in a word, that I
was perishing, and perishing of sheer fright. My brain
-- 029 --
[figure description] Page 029.[end figure description]
swam—I grew deadly sick—my vision failed—even the
glaring eyeballs above me grew dim. Making a last
strong effort, I at length breathed a faint ejaculation to
God, and resigned myself to die. The sound of my
voice seemed to arouse all the latent fury of the animal.
He precipitated himself at full length upon my body;
but what was my astonishment, when, with a long and
low whine, he commenced licking my face and hands
with the greatest eagerness, and with the most extravagant
demonstrations of affection and joy! I was bewildered,
utterly lost in amazement—but I could not forget
the peculiar whine of my Newfoundland dog Tiger, and
the odd manner of his caresses I well knew. It was
he. I experienced a sudden rush of blood to my temples—
a giddy and overpowering sense of deliverance
and reanimation. I rose hurriedly from the mattress
upon which I had been lying, and, throwing myself
upon the neck of my faithful follower and friend, relieved
the long oppression of my bosom in a flood of the most
passionate tears.
As upon a former occasion, my conceptions were in
a state of the greatest indistinctness and confusion after
leaving the mattress. For a long time I found it nearly
impossible to connect any ideas—but, by very slow degrees,
my thinking faculties returned, and I again called
to memory the several incidents of my condition. For
the presence of Tiger I tried in vain to account; and
after busying myself with a thousand different conjectures
respecting him, was forced to content myself with
rejoicing that he was with me to share my dreary solitude,
and render me comfort by his caresses. Most
people love their dogs—but for Tiger I had an affection
far more ardent than common; and never, certainly,
did any creature more truly deserve it. For seven
years he had been my inseparable companion, and in a
multitude of instances had given evidence of all the
noble qualities for which we value the animal. I had
rescued him, when a puppy, from the clutches of a malignant
little villain in Nantucket, who was leading
him, with a rope around his neck, to the water; and the
-- 030 --
[figure description] Page 030.[end figure description]
grown dog repaid the obligation, about three years afterward,
by saving me from the bludgeon of a street-robber.
Getting now hold of the watch, I found, upon applying
it to my ear, that it had again run down; but at this
I was not at all surprised, being convinced, from the peculiar
state of my feelings, that I had slept, as before,
for a very long period of time; how long, it was of
course impossible to say. I was burning up with fever,
and my thirst was almost intolerable. I felt about the
box for my little remaining supply of water; for I had
no light, the taper having burnt to the socket of the
lantern, and the phosphorus-box not coming readily to
hand. Upon finding the jug, however, I discovered it to
be empty—Tiger, no doubt, having been tempted to
drink it, as well as to devour the remnant of mutton, the
bone of which lay, well picked, by the opening of the
box. The spoiled meat I could well spare, but my
heart sank as I thought of the water. I was feeble in
the extreme—so much so that I shook all over, as with
an ague, at the slightest movement or exertion. To add
to my troubles, the brig was pitching and rolling with
great violence, and the oil-casks which lay upon my box
were in momentary danger of falling down, so as to
block up the only way of ingress or egress. I felt, also,
terrible sufferings from sea-sickness. These considerations
determined me to make my way, at all hazards, to
the trap, and obtain immediate relief, before I should be
incapacitated from doing so altogether. Having come to
this resolve, I again felt about for the phosphorus-box
and tapers. The former I found after some little
trouble; but, not discovering the tapers as soon as I had
expected (for I remembered very nearly the spot in
which I had placed them), I gave up the search for the
present, and bidding Tiger lie quiet, began at once my
journey towards the trap.
In this attempt my great feebleness became more
than ever apparent. It was with the utmost difficulty I
could crawl along at all, and very frequently my limbs
sank suddenly from beneath me; when, falling prostrate
-- 031 --
[figure description] Page 031.[end figure description]
on my face, I would remain for some minutes in a state
bordering on insensibility. Still I struggled forward by
slow degrees, dreading every moment that I should
swoon amid the narrow and intricate windings of the
lumber, in which event I had nothing but death to expect
as the result. At length, upon making a push forward
with all the energy I could command, I struck my
forehead violently against the sharp corner of an iron-bound
crate. The accident only stunned me for a few
moments; but I found, to my inexpressible grief, that
the quick and violent roll of the vessel had thrown the
crate entirely across my path, so as effectually to block
up the passage. With my utmost exertions I could not
move it a single inch from its position, it being closely
wedged in among the surrounding boxes and ship-furniture.
It became necessary, therefore, enfeebled as I
was, either to leave the guidance of the whipcord and
seek out a new passage, or to climb over the obstacle,
and resume the path on the other side. The former
alternative presented too many difficulties and dangers
to be thought of without a shudder. In my present
weak state of both mind and body, I should infallibly
lose my way if I attempted it, and perish miserably
amid the dismal and disgusting labyrinths of the hold.
I proceeded, therefore, without hesitation, to summon up
all my remaining strength and fortitude, and endeavour,
as I best might, to clamber over the crate.
Upon standing erect, with this end in view, I found the
undertaking even a more serious task than my fears had
led me to imagine. On each side of the narrow passage
arose a complete wall of various heavy lumber, which
the least blunder on my part might be the means of
bringing down upon my head; or, if this accident did
not occur, the path might be effectually blocked up
against my return by the descending mass, as it was in
front by the obstacle there. The crate itself was a long
and unwieldy box, upon which no foothold could be obtained.
In vain I attempted, by every means in my
power, to reach the top, with the hope of being thus enabled
to draw myself up. Had I succeeded in reaching
-- 032 --
[figure description] Page 032.[end figure description]
it, it is certain that my strength would have proved utterly
inadequate to the task of getting over, and it was
better in every respect that I failed. At length, in a desperate
effort to force the crate from its ground, I felt a
strong vibration in the side next me. I thrust my hand
eagerly to the edge of the planks, and found that a very
large one was loose. With my pocket-knife, which
luckily I had with me, I succeeded, after great labour,
in prying it entirely off; and, getting through the aperture,
discovered, to my exceeding joy, that there were
no boards on the opposite side—in other words, that the
top was wanting, it being the bottom through which
I had forced my way. I now met with no important
difficulty in proceeding along the line until I finally
reached the nail. With a beating heart I stood erect,
and with a gentle touch pressed against the cover of
the trap. It did not rise as soon as I had expected, and
I pressed it with somewhat more determination, still
dreading lest some other person than Augustus might be
in his stateroom. The door, however, to my astonishment,
remained steady, and I became somewhat uneasy,
for I knew that it had formerly required little or no effort
to remove it. I pushed it strongly—it was nevertheless
firm: with all my strength—it still did not give
way: with rage, with fury, with despair—it set at defiance
my utmost efforts; and it was evident, from the
unyielding nature of the resistance, that the hole had
either been discovered and effectually nailed up, or that
some immense weight had been placed upon it, which it
was useless to think of removing.
My sensations were those of extreme horror and dismay.
In vain I attempted to reason on the probable
cause of my being thus entombed. I could summon up
no connected chain of reflection, and, sinking on the
floor, gave way, unresistingly, to the most gloomy imaginings,
in which the dreadful deaths of thirst, famine,
suffocation, and premature interment, crowded upon me
as the prominent disasters to be encountered. At length
there returned to me some portion of presence of mind.
I arose, and felt with my fingers for the seams or cracks
-- 033 --
[figure description] Page 033.[end figure description]
of the aperture. Having found them, I examined them
closely to ascertain if they emitted any light from the
stateroom; but none was visible. I then forced the
penblade of my knife through them, until I met with
some hard obstacle. Scraping against it, I discovered
it to be a solid mass of iron, which, from its peculiar
wavy feel as I passed the blade along it, I concluded to
be a chain-cable. The only course now left me was to
retrace my way to the box, and there either yield to my
sad fate, or try so to tranquillize my mind as to admit of
my arranging some plan of escape. I immediately set
about the attempt, and succeeded, after innumerable difficulties,
in getting back. As I sank, utterly exhausted,
upon the mattress, Tiger threw himself at full length by
my side, and seemed as if desirous, by his caresses, of
consoling me in my troubles, and urging me to bear
them with fortitude.
The singularity of his behaviour at length forcibly arrested
my attention. After licking my face and hands
for some minutes, he would suddenly cease doing so,
and utter a low whine. Upon reaching out my hand
towards him, I then invariably found him lying on his
back, with his paws uplifted. This conduct, so frequently
repeated, appeared strange, and I could in no
manner account for it. As the dog seemed distressed,
I concluded that he had received some injury; and,
taking his paws in my hands, I examined them one by
one, but found no sign of any hurt. I then supposed
him hungry, and gave him a large piece of ham, which
he devoured with avidity—afterward, however, resuming
his extraordinary manœuvres. I now imagined
that he was suffering, like myself, the torments of thirst,
and was about adopting this conclusion as the true one,
when the idea occurred to me that I had as yet only
examined his paws, and that there might possibly be a
wound upon some portion of his body or head. The
latter I felt carefully over, but found nothing. On
passing my hand, however, along his back, I perceived
a slight erection of the hair extending completely across
it. Probing this with my finger, I discovered a string,
-- 034 --
[figure description] Page 034.[end figure description]
and, tracing it up, found that it encircled the whole
body. Upon a closer scrutiny, I came across a small
slip of what had the feeling of letter paper, through
which the string had been fastened in such a manner as
to bring it immediately beneath the left shoulder of the
animal.
CHAPTER III.
The thought instantly occurred to me that the paper
was a note from Augustus, and that some unaccountable
accident having happened to prevent his relieving me
from my dungeon, he had devised this method of acquainting
me with the true state of affairs. Trembling
with eagerness, I now commenced another search for
my phosphorus matches and tapers. I had a confused
recollection of having put them carefully away just before
falling asleep; and, indeed, previously to my last
journey to the trap, I had been able to remember the
exact spot where I had deposited them. But now I endeavoured
in vain to call it to mind, and busied myself
for a full hour in a fruitless and vexatious search
for the missing articles; never, surely, was there a more
tantalizing state of anxiety and suspense. At length,
while groping about, with my head close to the ballast,
near the opening of the box, and outside of it, I perceived
a faint glimmering of light in the direction of the
steerage. Greatly surprised, I endeavoured to make my
way towards it, as it appeared to be but a few feet from
my position. Scarcely had I moved with this intention,
when I lost sight of the glimmer entirely, and, before I
could bring it into view again, was obliged to feel along
by the box until I had exactly resumed my original situation.
Now, moving my head with caution to and fro,
I found that, by proceeding slowly, with great care, in
an opposite direction to that in which I had at first
-- 035 --
[figure description] Page 035.[end figure description]
started, I was enabled to draw near the light, still keeping
it in view. Presently I came directly upon it (having
squeezed my way through innumerable narrow windings),
and found that it proceeded from some fragments
of my matches lying in an empty barrel turned upon its
side. I was wondering how they came in such a place,
when my hand fell upon two or three pieces of taper-wax,
which had been evidently mumbled by the dog. I
concluded at once that he had devoured the whole of my
supply of candles, and I felt hopeless of being ever able
to read the note of Augustus. The small remnants of
the wax were so mashed up among other rubbish in the
barrel, that I despaired of deriving any service from
them, and left them as they were. The phosphorus, of
which there was only a speck or two, I gathered up as
well as I could, and returned with it, after much difficulty,
to my box, where Tiger had all the while remained.
What to do next I could not tell. The hold was so
intensely dark that I could not see my hand, however
close I would hold it to my face. The white slip of
paper could barely be discerned, and not even that when
I looked at it directly; by turning the exterior portions
of the retina towards it, that is to say, by surveying it
slightly askance, I found that it became in some measure
perceptible. Thus the gloom of my prison may be
imagined, and the note of my friend, if indeed it were a
note from him, seemed only likely to throw me into further
trouble, by disquieting to no purpose my already
enfeebled and agitated mind. In vain I revolved in my
brain a multitude of absurd expedients for procuring
light—such expedients precisely as a man in the perturbed
sleep occasioned by opium would be apt to fall
upon for a similar purpose—each and all of which appear
by turns to the dreamer the most reasonable and
the most preposterous of conceptions, just as the reasoning
or imaginative faculties flicker, alternately, one
above the other. At last an idea occurred to me which
seemed rational, and which gave me cause to wonder,
very justly, that I had not entertained it before. I
-- 036 --
[figure description] Page 036.[end figure description]
placed the slip of paper on the back of a book, and, collecting
the fragments of the phosphorus matches which
I had brought from the barrel, laid them together upon
the paper. I then, with the palm of my hand, rubbed
the whole over quickly yet steadily. A clear light diffused
itself immediately throughout the whole surface;
and had there been any writing upon it, I should not
have experienced the least difficulty, I am sure, in reading
it. Not a syllable was there, however—nothing but
a dreary and unsatisfactory blank; the illumination died
away in a few seconds, and my heart died away within
me as it went.
I have before stated more than once that my intellect,
for some period prior to this, had been in a condition
nearly bordering on idiocy. There were, to be sure,
momentary intervals of perfect sanity, and, now and
then, even of energy; but these were few. It must be
remembered that I had been, for many days certainly,
inhaling the almost pestilential atmosphere of a close
hold in a whaling vessel, and a long portion of that time
but scantily supplied with water. For the last fourteen
or fifteen hours I had none—nor had I slept during that
time. Salt provisions of the most exciting kind had
been my chief, and, indeed, since the loss of the mutton,
my only supply of food, with the exception of the sea-biscuit;
and these latter were utterly useless to me, as
they were too dry and hard to be swallowed in the
swollen and parched condition of my throat. I was
now in a high state of fever, and in every respect exceedingly
ill. This will account for the fact that many
miserable hours of despondency elapsed after my last
adventure with the phosphorus, before the thought suggested
itself that I had examined only one side of the
paper. I shall not attempt to describe my feelings of
rage (for I believe I was more angry than anything
else) when the egregious oversight I had committed
flashed suddenly upon my perception. The blunder itself
would have been unimportant, had not my own folly
and impetuosity rendered it otherwise—in my disappointment
at not finding some words upon the slip, I had
-- 037 --
[figure description] Page 037.[end figure description]
childishly torn it in pieces and thrown it away, it was
impossible to say where.
From the worst part of this dilemma I was relieved
by the sagacity of Tiger. Having got, after a long
search, a small piece of the note, I put it to the dog's
nose, and endeavoured to make him understand that he
must bring me the rest of it. To my astonishment (for
I had taught him none of the usual tricks for which his
breed are famous), he seemed to enter at once into my
meaning, and, rummaging about for a few moments,
soon found another considerable portion. Bringing me
this, he paused a while, and, rubbing his nose against my
hand, appeared to be waiting for my approval of what he
had done. I patted him on the head, when he immediately
made off again. It was now some minutes before
he came back—but when he did come, he brought with
him a large slip, which proved to be all the paper missing—
it having been torn, it seems, only into three
pieces. Luckily, I had no trouble in finding what few fragments
of the phosphorus were left—being guided by the
indistinct glow one or two of the particles still emitted.
My difficulties had taught me the necessity of caution,
and I now took time to reflect upon what I was about to
do. It was very probable, I considered, that some
words were written upon that side of the paper which
had not been examined—but which side was that? Fitting
the pieces together gave me no clew in this respect,
although it assured me that the words (if there were any)
would be found all on one side, and connected in a
proper manner, as written. There was the greater necessity
of ascertaining the point in question beyond a
doubt, as the phosphorus remaining would be altogether
insufficient for a third attempt, should I fail in the one I
was now about to make. I placed the paper on a book
as before, and sat for some minutes thoughtfully revolving
the matter over in my mind. At last I thought it
barely possible that the written side might have some
unevenness on its surface, which a delicate sense of
feeling might enable me to detect. I determined to
make the experiment, and passed my finger very
-- 038 --
[figure description] Page 038.[end figure description]
carefully over the side which first presented itself—nothing
however, was perceptible, and I turned the paper, adjusting
it on the book. I now again carried my fore-finger
cautiously along, when I was aware of an exceedingly
slight, but still discernible glow, which followed
as it proceeded. This, I knew, must arise from some
very minute remaining particles of the phosphorus with
which I had covered the paper in my previous attempt.
The other, or under side, then, was that on which lay
the writing, if writing there should finally prove to be.
Again I turned the note, and went to work as I had previously
done. Having rubbed in the phosphorus, a brilliancy
ensued as before—but this time several lines of
MS. in a large hand, and apparently in red ink, became
distinctly visible. The glimmer, although sufficiently
bright, was but momentary. Still, had I not been too
greatly excited, there would have been ample time enough
for me to peruse the whole three sentences before me—
for I saw there were three. In my anxiety, however, to
read all at once, I succeeded only in reading the seven
concluding words, which thus appeared: “blood—your
life depends upon lying close.”
Had I been able to ascertain the entire contents of
the note—the full meaning of the admonition which my
friend had thus attempted to convey, that admonition,
even although it should have revealed a story of disaster
the most unspeakable, could not, I am firmly convinced,
have imbued my mind with one tithe of the harrowing
and yet indefinable horror with which I was inspired by
the fragmentary warning thus received. And “blood”
too, that word of all words—so rife at all times with
mystery, and suffering, and terror—how trebly full of
import did it now appear—how chillily and heavily (disjointed,
as it thus was, from any foregoing words to
qualify or render it distinct) did its vague syllables fall,
amid the deep gloom of my prison, into the innermost
recesses of my soul!
Augustus had, undoubtedly, good reasons for wishing
me to remain concealed, and I formed a thousand surmises
as to what they could be—but I could think of
-- 039 --
[figure description] Page 039.[end figure description]
nothing affording a satisfactory solution of the mystery.
Just after returning from my last journey to the trap,
and before my attention had been otherwise directed by
the singular conduct of Tiger, I had come to the resolution
of making myself heard at all events by those on
board, or, if I could not succeed in this directly, of
trying to cut my way through the orlop deck. The half
certainty which I felt of being able to accomplish one of
these two purposes in the last emergency, had given me
courage (which I should not otherwise have had) to
endure the evils of my situation. The few words I had
been able to read, however, had cut me off from these
final resources, and I now, for the first time, felt all the
misery of my fate. In a paroxysm of despair I threw
myself again upon the mattress, where, for about the
period of a day and night, I lay in a kind of stupor, relieved
only by momentary intervals of reason and recollection.
At length I once more arose, and busied myself in
reflection upon the horrors which encompassed me.
For another twenty-four hours it was barely possible
that I might exist without water—for a longer time I
could not do so. During the first portion of my imprisonment
I had made free use of the cordials with which
Augustus had supplied me, but they only served to excite
fever, without in the least degree assuaging my
thirst. I had now only about a gill left, and this was of
a species of strong peach liqueur at which my stomach
revolted. The sausages were entirely consumed; of
the ham nothing remained but a small piece of the skin;
and all the biscuit, except a few fragments of one, had
been eaten by Tiger. To add to my troubles, I found
that my headache was increasing momentarily, and with
it the species of delirium which had distressed me more
or less since my first falling asleep. For some hours
past it had been with the greatest difficulty I could breathe
at all, and now each attempt at so doing was attended
with the most distressing spasmodic action of the chest.
But there was still another and very different source of
disquietude, and one, indeed, whose harassing terrors
-- 040 --
[figure description] Page 040.[end figure description]
had been the chief means of arousing me to exertion
from my stupor on the mattress. It arose from the demeanour
of the dog.
I first observed an alteration in his conduct while rubbing
in the phosphorus on the paper in my last attempt.
As I rubbed, he ran his nose against my hand with a
slight snarl; but I was too greatly excited at the time
to pay much attention to the circumstance. Soon afterward,
it will be remembered, I threw myself on the
mattress, and fell into a species of lethargy. Presently
I became aware of a singular hissing sound close at my
ears, and discovered it to proceed from Tiger, who was
panting and wheezing in a state of the greatest apparent
excitement, his eyeballs flashing fiercely through the
gloom. I spoke to him, when he replied with a low
growl, and then remained quiet. Presently I relapsed
into my stupor, from which I was again awakened in a
similar manner. This was repeated three or four times,
until finally his behaviour inspired me with so great a degree
of fear that I became fully aroused. He was now
lying close by the door of the box, snarling fearfully, although
in a kind of under tone, and grinding his teeth as
if strongly convulsed. I had no doubt whatever that the
want of water or the confined atmosphere of the hold
had driven him mad, and I was at a loss what course to
pursue. I could not endure the thought of killing him,
yet it seemed absolutely necessary for my own safety.
I could distinctly perceive his eyes fastened upon me
with an expression of the most deadly animosity, and I
expected every instant that he would attack me. At
last I could endure my terrible situation no longer, and
determined to make my way from the box at all hazards,
and despatch him, if his opposition should render it necessary
for me to do so. To get out, I had to pass directly
over his body, and he already seemed to anticipate
my design—raising himself upon his fore legs (as I perceived
by the altered position of his eyes), and displaying
the whole of his white fangs, which were easily discernible.
I took the remains of the ham-skin, and the
bottle containing the liqueur, and secured them about
-- 041 --
[figure description] Page 041.[end figure description]
my person, together with a large carving-knife which
Augustus had left me—then, folding my cloak as closely
around me as possible, I made a movement towards the
mouth of the box. No sooner did I do this than the dog
sprang with a loud growl towards my throat. The
whole weight of his body struck me on the right shoulder,
and I fell violently to the left, while the enraged
animal passed entirely over me. I had fallen upon my
knees, with my head buried among the blankets, and
these protected me from a second furious assault, during
which I felt the sharp teeth pressing vigorously upon
the woollen which enveloped my neck—yet, luckily,
without being able to penetrate all the folds. I was
now beneath the dog, and a few moments would place
me completely in his power. Despair gave me strength,
and I rose bodily up, shaking him from me by main
force, and dragging with me the blankets from the mattress.
These I now threw over him, and before he
could extricate himself I had got through the door and
closed it effectually against his pursuit. In this struggle,
however, I had been forced to drop the morsel of
ham-skin, and I now found my whole stock of provisions
reduced to a single gill of liqueur. As this reflection
crossed my mind, I felt myself actuated by one of
those fits of perverseness which might be supposed to
influence a spoiled child in similar circumstances, and,
raising the bottle to my lips, I drained it to the last drop,
and dashed it furiously upon the floor.
Scarcely had the echo of the crash died away, when
I heard my name pronounced in an eager but subdued
voice, issuing from the direction of the steerage. So
unexpected was anything of the kind, and so intense
was the emotion excited within me by the sound, that I
endeavoured in vain to reply. My powers of speech totally
failed, and, in an agony of terror lest my friend
should conclude me dead, and return without attempting
to reach me, I stood up between the crates near the door
of the box, trembling convulsively, and gasping and
struggling for utterance. Had a thousand worlds depended
upon a syllable, I could not have spoken it.
-- 042 --
[figure description] Page 042.[end figure description]
There was a slight movement now audible among the
lumber somewhere forward of my station. The sound
presently grew less distinct, then again less so, and still
less. Shall I ever forget my feelings at this moment?
He was going—my friend—my companion, from whom
I had a right to expect so much—he was going—he
would abandon me—he was gone! He would leave me
to perish miserably, to expire in the most horrible and
loathsome of dungeons—and one word—one little syllable
would save me—yet that single syllable I could not
utter! I felt, I am sure, more than ten thousand times
the agonies of death itself. My brain reeled, and I fell,
deadly sick, against the end of the box.
As I fell, the carving-knife was shaken out from the
waistband of my pantaloons, and dropped with a rattling
sound to the floor. Never did any strain of the richest
melody come so sweetly to my ears! With the intensest
anxiety I listened to ascertain the effect of the noise
upon Augustus—for I knew that the person who called
my name could be no one but himself. All was silent
for some moments. At length I again heard the word
Arthur! repeated in a low tone, and one full of hesitation.
Reviving hope loosened at once my powers of
speech, and I now screamed, at the top of my voice,
“Augustus! oh Augustus!” “Hush—for God's sake
be silent!” he replied, in a voice trembling with agitation;
“I will be with you immediately—as soon as I can
make my way through the hold.” For a long time I
heard him moving among the lumber, and every moment
seemed to me an age. At length I felt his hand upon
my shoulder, and he placed at the same moment a bottle
of water to my lips. Those only who have been suddenly
redeemed from the jaws of the tomb, or who have
known the insufferable torments of thirst under circumstances
as aggravated as those which encompassed me
in my dreary prison, can form any idea of the unutterable
transports which that one long draught of the richest
of all physical luxuries afforded.
When I had in some degree satisfied my thirst, Augustus
produced from his pocket three or four cold
-- 043 --
[figure description] Page 043.[end figure description]
boiled potatoes, which I devoured with the greatest avidity.
He had brought with him a light in a dark lantern,
and the grateful rays afforded me scarcely less comfort
than the food and drink. But I was impatient to learn
the cause of his protracted absence, and he proceeded
to recount what had happened on board during my incarceration.
CHAPTER IV.
The brig put to sea, as I had supposed, in about an
hour after he had left the watch. This was on the
twentieth of June. It will be remembered that I had
then been in the hold for three days; and, during this
period, there was so constant a bustle on board, and so
much running to and fro, especially in the cabin and
staterooms, that he had had no chance of visiting me
without the risk of having the secret of the trap discovered.
When at length he did come, I had assured him
that I was doing as well as possible; and, therefore, for
the two next days he felt but little uneasiness on my account—
still, however, watching an opportunity of going
down. It was not until the fourth day that he found
one. Several times during this interval he had made up
his mind to let his father know of the adventure, and
have me come up at once; but we were still within
reaching distance of Nantucket, and it was doubtful,
from some expressions which had escaped Captain Barnard,
whether he would not immediately put back if he
discovered me to be on board. Besides, upon thinking
the matter over, Augustus, so he told me, could not imagine
that I was in immediate want, or that I would hesitate,
in such case, to make myself heard at the trap.
When, therefore, he considered everything, he concluded
to let me stay until he could meet with an opportunity
of visiting me unobserved. This, as I said before, did
-- 044 --
[figure description] Page 044.[end figure description]
not occur until the fourth day after his bringing me the
watch, and the seventh since I had first entered the
hold. He then went down without taking with him any
water or provisions, intending in the first place merely
to call my attention, and get me to come from the box
to the trap—when he would go up to the stateroom and
thence hand me down a supply. When he descended
for this purpose he found that I was asleep, for it seems
that I was snoring very loudly. From all the calculations
I can make on the subject, this must have been
the slumber into which I fell just after my return from
the trap with the watch, and which, consequently, must
have lasted for more than three entire days and nights at
the very least. Latterly, I have had reason, both from
my own experience and the assurance of others, to be
acquainted with the strong soporific effects of the stench
arising from old fish-oil when closely confined; and
when I think of the condition of the hold in which I
was imprisoned, and the long period during which the
brig had been used as a whaling vessel, I am more inclined
to wonder that I awoke at all, after once falling
asleep, than that I should have slept uninterruptedly for
the period specified above.
Augustus called to me at first in a low voice and
without closing the trap—but I made him no reply.
He then shut the trap, and spoke to me in a louder, and
finally in a very loud tone—still I continued to snore.
He was now at a loss what to do. It would take him
some time to make his way through the lumber to my
box, and in the mean while his absence would be noticed
by Captain Barnard, who had occasion for his services
every minute, in arranging and copying papers connected
with the business of the voyage. He determined, therefore,
upon reflection, to ascend, and await another opportunity
of visiting me. He was the more easily induced
to this resolve, as my slumber appeared to be of the most
tranquil nature, and he could not suppose that I had
undergone any inconvenience from my incarceration. He
had just made up his mind on these points when his attention
was arrested by an unusual bustle, the sound of
-- 045 --
[figure description] Page 045.[end figure description]
which proceeded apparently from the cabin. He sprang
through the trap as quickly as possible, closed it, and
threw open the door of his stateroom. No sooner had
he put his foot over the threshold than a pistol flashed
in his face, and he was knocked down, at the same moment,
by a blow from a handspike.
A strong hand held him on the cabin floor, with a
tight grasp upon his throat—still he was able to see
what was going on around him. His father was tied
hand and foot, and lying along the steps of the companion-way
with his head down, and a deep wound in the
forehead, from which the blood was flowing in a continued
stream. He spoke not a word, and was apparently
dying. Over him stood the first mate, eying him with
an expression of fiendish derision, and deliberately
searching his pockets, from which he presently drew
forth a large wallet and a chronometer. Seven of the
crew (among whom was the cook, a negro) were rummaging
the staterooms on the larboard for arms, where
they soon equipped themselves with muskets and ammunition.
Besides Augustus and Captain Barnard, there
were nine men altogether in the cabin, and these among
the most ruffianly of the brig's company. The villains
now went upon deck, taking my friend with them, after
having secured his arms behind his back. They proceeded
straight to the forecastle, which was fastened
down—two of the mutineers standing by it with axes—
two also at the main hatch. The mate called out in a
loud voice, “Do you hear there below? tumble up with
you—one by one, now, mark that—and no grumbling.”
It was some minutes before any one appeared: at last
an Englishman, who had shipped as a raw hand, came
up, weeping piteously, and entreating the mate in the
most humble manner to spare his life. The only reply
was a blow on the forehead from an axe. The poor
fellow fell to the deck without a groan, and the black
cook lifted him up in his arms as he would a child, and
tossed him deliberately into the sea. Hearing the blow
and the plunge of the body, the men below could now be
induced to venture on deck neither by threats nor
-- 046 --
[figure description] Page 046.[end figure description]
promises, until a proposition was made to smoke them out.
A general rush then ensued, and for a moment it seemed
possible that the brig might be retaken. The mutineers,
however, succeeded at last in closing the forecastle effectually
before more than six of their opponents could
get up. These six, finding themselves so greatly out-numbered
and without arms, submitted after a brief
struggle. The mate gave them fair words—no doubt
with a view of inducing those below to yield, for they had
no difficulty in hearing all that was said on deck. The
result proved his sagacity, no less than his diabolical villany.
All in the forecastle presently signified their intention
of submitting, and, ascending one by one, were
pinioned and thrown on their backs together with the
first six—there being in all, of the crew who were not
concerned in the mutiny, twenty-seven.
A scene of the most horrible butchery ensued. The
bound seamen were dragged to the gangway. Here the
cook stood with an axe, striking each victim on the head
as he was forced over the side of the vessel by the other
mutineers. In this manner twenty-two perished, and
Augustus had given himself up for lost, expecting every
moment his own turn to come next. But it seemed that
the villains were now either weary, or in some measure
disgusted with their bloody labour; for the four remaining
prisoners, together with my friend, who had been
thrown on the deck with the rest, were respited while
the mate sent below for rum, and the whole murderous
party held a drunken carouse, which lasted until sunset.
They now fell to disputing in regard to the fate of the
survivers, who lay not more than four paces off, and
could distinguish every word said. Upon some of the
mutineers the liquor appeared to have a softening effect,
for several voices were heard in favour of releasing the
captives altogether, on condition of joining the mutiny
and sharing the profits. The black cook, however (who
in all respects was a perfect demon, and who seemed to
exert as much influence, if not more, than the mate himself),
would listen to no proposition of the kind, and
rose repeatedly for the purpose of resuming his work at
-- 047 --
[figure description] Page 047.[end figure description]
the gangway. Fortunately, he was so far overcome by
intoxication as to be easily restrained by the less blood-thirsty
of the party, among whom was a line-manager,
who went by the name of Dirk Peters. This man was
the son of an Indian squaw of the tribe of Upsarokas, who
live among the fastnesses of the Black Hills near the
source of the Missouri. His father was a fur-trader, I
believe, or at least connected in some manner with the
Indian trading-posts on Lewis river. Peters himself
was one of the most purely ferocious-looking men I ever
beheld. He was short in stature—not more than four
feet eight inches high—but his limbs were of the most
Herculean mould. His hands, especially, were so enormously
thick and broad as hardly to retain a human
shape. His arms, as well as legs, were bowed in the
most singular manner, and appeared to possess no flexibility
whatever. His head was equally deformed, being
of immense size, with an indentation on the crown (like
that on the head of most negroes), and entirely bald.
To conceal this latter deficiency, which did not proceed
from old age, he usually wore a wig formed of any hairlike
material which presented itself—occasionally the
skin of a Spanish dog or American grizzly bear. At
the time spoken of he had on a portion of one of these
bearskins; and it added no little to the natural ferocity
of his countenance, which betook of the Upsaroka character.
The mouth extended nearly from ear to ear; the
lips were thin, and seemed, like some other portions of
his frame, to be devoid of natural pliancy, so that the
ruling expression never varied under the influence of
any emotion whatever. This ruling expression may be
conceived when it is considered that the teeth were exceedingly
long and protruding, and never even partially
covered, in any instance, by the lips. To pass this man
with a casual glance, one might imagine him to be convulsed
with laughter—but a second look would induce a
shuddering acknowledgment, that if such an expression
were indicative of merriment, the merriment must be that
of a demon. Of this singular being many anecdotes
were prevalent among the seafaring men of Nantucket.
-- 048 --
[figure description] Page 048.[end figure description]
These anecdotes went to prove his prodigious strength
when under excitement, and some of them had given
rise to a doubt of his sanity. But on board the Grampus,
it seems, he was regarded at the time of the mutiny
with feelings more of derision than of anything else. I
have been thus particular in speaking of Dirk Peters,
because, ferocious as he appeared, he proved the main
instrument in preserving the life of Augustus, and because
I shall have frequent occasion to mention him
hereafter in the course of my narrative—a narrative, let
me here say, which, in its latter portions, will be found
to include incidents of a nature so entirely out of the
range of human experience, and for this reason so far
beyond the limits of human credulity, that I proceed in
utter hopelessness of obtaining credence for all that I
shall tell, yet confidently trusting in time and progressing
science to verify some of the most important and
most improbable of my statements.
After much indecision and two or three violent quarrels,
it was determined at last that all the prisoners
(with the exception of Augustus, whom Peters insisted
in a jocular manner upon keeping as his clerk) should
be set adrift in one of the smallest whaleboats. The
mate went down into the cabin to see if Captain Barnard
was still living—for, it will be remembered, he was
left below when the mutineers came up. Presently the
two made their appearance, the captain pale as death,
but somewhat recovered from the effects of his wound.
He spoke to the men in a voice hardly articulate, entreated
them not to set him adrift, but to return to their
duty, and promising to land them wherever they chose,
and to take no steps for bringing them to justice. He
might as well have spoken to the winds. Two of the
ruffians seized him by the arms and hurled him over the
brig's side into the boat, which had been lowered while
the mate went below. The four men who were lying
on the deck were then untied and ordered to follow,
which they did without attempting any resistance—Augustus
being still left in his painful position, although he
struggled and prayed only for the poor satisfaction of
-- 049 --
[figure description] Page 049.[end figure description]
being permitted to bid his father farewell. A handful of
sea-biscuit and a jug of water were now handed down;
but neither mast, sail, oar, nor compass. The boat was
towed astern for a few minutes, during which the mutineers
held another consultation—it was then finally cut
adrift. By this time night had come on—there were
neither moon nor stars visible—and a short and ugly sea
was running, although there was no great deal of wind.
The boat was instantly out of sight, and little hope
could be entertained for the unfortunate sufferers who
were in it. This event happened, however, in latitude
35 ° 30′ north, longitude 61 ° 20′ west, and consequently
at no very great distance from the Bermuda Islands.
Augustus therefore endeavoured to console himself with
the idea that the boat might either succeed in reaching
the land, or come sufficiently near to be fallen in with by
vessels off the coast.
All sail was now put upon the brig, and she continued
her original course to the southwest—the mutineers
being bent upon some piratical expedition, in which,
from all that could be understood, a ship was to be intercepted
on her way from the Cape Verd Islands to Porto
Rico. No attention was paid to Augustus, who was
untied and suffered to go about anywhere forward of the
cabin companion-way. Dirk Peters treated him with some
degree of kindness, and on one occasion saved him from
the brutality of the cook. His situation was still one of
the most precarious, as the men were continually intoxicated,
and there was no relying upon their continued
good-humour or carelessness in regard to himself. His
anxiety on my account he represented, however, as the
most distressing result of his condition; and, indeed, I
had never reason to doubt the sincerity of his friendship.
More than once he had resolved to acquaint the mutineers
with the secret of my being on board, but was restrained
from so doing, partly through recollection of the
atrocities he had already beheld, and partly through a
hope of being able soon to bring me relief. For the
latter purpose he was constantly on the watch; but, in
spite of the most constant vigilance, three days elapsed
-- 050 --
[figure description] Page 050.[end figure description]
after the boat was cut adrift before any chance occurred.
At length, on the night of the third day, there came on a
heavy blow from the eastward, and all hands were called
up to take in sail. During the confusion which ensued,
he made his way below unobserved, and into the state-room.
What was his grief and horror in discovering
that the latter had been rendered a place of deposite for
a variety of sea-stores and ship-furniture, and that several
fathoms of old chain-cable, which had been stowed
away beneath the companion-ladder, had been dragged
thence to make room for a chest, and were now lying immediately
upon the trap! To remove it without discovery
was impossible, and he returned on deck as quickly
as he could. As he came up the mate seized him by
the throat, and demanding what he had been doing in
the cabin, was about flinging him over the larboard bulwark,
when his life was again preserved through the interference
of Dirk Peters. Augustus was now put in
handcuffs (of which there were several pairs on board),
and his feet lashed tightly together. He was then
taken into the steerage, and thrown into a lower berth
next to the forecastle bulkheads, with the assurance
that he should never put his foot on deck again “until
the brig was no longer a brig.” This was the expression
of the cook, who threw him into the berth—
it is hardly possible to say what precise meaning was
intended by the phrase. The whole affair, however,
proved the ultimate means of my relief, as will presently
appear.
-- 051 --
CHAPTER V.
[figure description] Page 051.[end figure description]
For some minutes after the cook had left the forecastle,
Augustus abandoned himself to despair, never
hoping to leave the berth alive. He now came to the
resolution of acquainting the first of the men who should
come down with my situation, thinking it better to let
me take my chance with the mutineers than perish of
thirst in the hold—for it had been ten days since I was
first imprisoned, and my jug of water was not a plentiful
supply even for four. As he was thinking on this subject,
the idea came all at once into his head that it might
be possible to communicate with me by the way of the
main hold. In any other circumstances, the difficulty
and hazard of the undertaking would have prevented
him from attempting it; but now he had, at all events,
little prospect of life, and consequently little to lose—he
bent his whole mind, therefore, upon the task.
His handcuffs were the first consideration. At first
he saw no method of removing them, and feared that he
should thus be baffled in the very outset; but, upon a
closer scrutiny, he discovered that the irons could be
slipped off and on at pleasure with very little effort or
inconvenience, merely by squeezing his hands through
them—this species of manacle being altogether ineffectual
in confining young persons, in whom the smaller
bones readily yield to pressure. He now untied his
feet, and, leaving the cord in such a manner that it
could easily be readjusted in the event of any person's
coming down, proceeded to examine the bulkhead where
it joined the berth. The partition here was of soft pine
board, an inch thick, and he saw that he should have
little trouble in cutting his way through. A voice was
now heard at the forecastle companion-way, and he
had just time to put his right hand into its handcuff (the
left had not been removed), and to draw the rope in a
-- 052 --
[figure description] Page 052.[end figure description]
slipknot around his ankle, when Dirk Peters came below,
followed by Tiger, who immediately leaped into the
berth and lay down. The dog had been brought on
board by Augustus, who knew my attachment to the animal,
and thought it would give me pleasure to have him
with me during the voyage. He went up to our house
for him immediately after first taking me into the hold,
but did not think of mentioning the circumstance upon
his bringing the watch. Since the mutiny, Augustus
had not seen him before his appearance with Dirk Peters,
and had given him up for lost, supposing him to have
been thrown overboard by some of the malignant villains
belonging to the mate's gang. It appeared afterward
that he had crawled into a hole beneath a whaleboat,
from which, not having room to turn round, he could not
extricate himself. Peters at last let him out, and with
a species of good feeling which my friend knew well
how to appreciate, had now brought him to him in the
forecastle as a companion, leaving at the same time
some salt junk and potatoes, with a can of water; he then
went on deck, promising to come down with something
more to eat on the next day.
When he had gone, Augustus freed both hands from
the manacles and unfastened his feet. He then turned
down the head of the mattress on which he had been lying,
and with his penknife (for the ruffians had not thought
it worth while to search him) commenced cutting vigorously
across one of the partition planks, as closely as
possible to the floor of the berth. He chose to cut here,
because, if suddenly interrupted, he would be able to conceal
what had been done by letting the head of the mattress
fall into its proper position. For the remainder of
the day, however, no disturbance occurred, and by night
he had completely divided the plank. It should here be
observed, that none of the crew occupied the forecastle
as a sleeping-place, living altogether in the cabin since
the mutiny, drinking the wines, and feasting on the sea-stores
of Captain Barnard, and giving no more heed than
was absolutely necessary to the navigation of the brig.
These circumstances proved fortunate both for myself
-- 053 --
[figure description] Page 053.[end figure description]
and Augustus; for, had matters been otherwise, he would
have found it impossible to reach me. As it was, he
proceeded with confidence in his design. It was near
daybreak, however, before he completed the second division
of the board (which was about a foot above the
first cut), thus making an aperture quite large enough to
admit his passage through with facility to the main orlop
deck. Having got here, he made his way with but little
trouble to the lower main hatch, although in so doing he
had to scramble over tiers of oil-casks piled nearly as
high as the upper deck, there being barely room enough
left for his body. Upon reaching the hatch, he found
that Tiger had followed him below, squeezing between
two rows of the casks. It was now too late, however,
to attempt geting to me before dawn, as the chief difficulty
lay in passing through the close stowage in the
lower hold. He therefore resolved to return, and wait
till the next night. With this design he proceeded to
loosen the hatch, so that he might have as little detention
as possible when he should come again. No sooner
had he loosened it than Tiger sprang eagerly to the
small opening produced, snuffed for a moment, and then
uttered a long whine, scratching at the same time, as if
anxious to remove the covering with his paws. There
could be no doubt, from his behaviour, that he was
aware of my being in the hold, and Augustus thought it
possible that he would be able to get to me if he put him
down. He now hit upon the expedient of sending the
note, as it was especially desirable that I should make
no attempt at forcing my way out, at least under existing
circumstances, and there could be no certainty of
his getting to me himself on the morrow as he intended.
After events proved how fortunate it was that the idea
occurred to him as it did: for, had it not been for the
receipt of the note, I should undoubtedly have fallen
upon some plan, however desperate, of alarming the
crew, and both our lives would most probably have been
sacrificed in consequence.
Having concluded to write, the difficulty was now to
procure the materials for so doing. An old toothpick
-- 054 --
[figure description] Page 054.[end figure description]
was soon made into a pen; and this by means of feeling
altogether, for the between-decks were as dark as pitch.
Paper enough was obtained from the back of a letter—
a duplicate of the forged letter from Mr. Ross. This
had been the original draught; but the handwriting not
being sufficiently well imitated, Augustus had written
another, thrusting the first, by good fortune, into his
coat-pocket, where it was now most opportunely discovered.
Ink alone was thus wanting, and a substitute
was immediately found for this by means of a slight incision
with the penknife on the back of a finger just
above the nail—a copious flow of blood ensuing, as
usual from wounds in that vicinity. The note was now
written, as well as it could be in the dark and under the
circumstances. It briefly explained that a mutiny had
taken place; that Captain Barnard was set adrift; and
that I might expect immediate relief as far as provisions
were concerned, but must not venture upon making any
disturbance. It concluded with these words, “I have
scrawled this with blood—your life depends upon lying
close.”
The slip of paper being tied upon the dog, he was
now put down the hatchway, and Augustus made the
best of his way back to the forecastle, where he found
no reason to believe that any of the crew had been in
his absence. To conceal the hole in the partition, he
drove his knife in just above it, and hung up a pea-jacket
which he found in the berth. His handcuffs were then
replaced, and also the rope around his ankles.
These arrangements were scarcely completed when
Dirk Peters came below, very drunk, but in excellent
humour, and bringing with him my friend's allowance of
provision for the day. This consisted of a dozen large
Irish potatoes roasted, and a pitcher of water. He sat
for some time on a chest by the berth, and talked freely
about the mate, and the general concerns of the brig.
His demeanour was exceedingly capricious and even
grotesque. At one time Augustus was much alarmed by
his odd conduct. At last, however, he went on deck,
muttering a promise to bring his prisoner a good dinner
-- 055 --
[figure description] Page 055.[end figure description]
on the morrow. During the day two of the crew (harpooners)
came down, accompanied by the cook, all three
in nearly the last stage of intoxication. Like Peters,
they made no scruple of talking unreservedly about their
plans. It appeared that they were much divided among
themselves as to their ultimate course, agreeing in no
point except the attack on the ship from the Cape Verd
Islands, with which they were in hourly expectation of
meeting. As far as could be ascertained, the mutiny
had not been brought about altogether for the sake of
booty; a private pique of the chief mate's against Captain
Barnard having been the main instigation. There
now seemed to be two principal factions among the crew—
one headed by the mate, the other by the cook. The
former party were for seizing the first suitable vessel
which should present itself, and equipping it at some of
the West India Islands for a piratical cruise. The latter
division, however, which was the stronger, and included
Dirk Peters among its partisans, were bent upon pursuing
the course originally laid out for the brig into the
South Pacific; there either to take whale, or act otherwise,
as circumstances should suggest. The representations
of Peters, who had frequently visited these regions,
had great weight, apparently, with the mutineers,
wavering as they were between half-engendered notions
of profit and pleasure. He dwelt on the world of novelty
and amusement to be found among the innumerable
islands of the Pacific, on the perfect security and freedom
from all restraint to be enjoyed, but, more particularly,
on the deliciousness of the climate, on the abundant
means of good living, and on the voluptuous beauty of
the women. As yet, nothing had been absolutely determined
upon; but the pictures of the hybrid line-manager
were taking strong hold upon the ardent imaginations of
the seamen, and there was every probability that his intentions
would be finally carried into effect.
The three men went away in about an hour, and no
one else entered the forecastle all day. Augustus lay
quiet until nearly night. He than freed himself from
the rope and irons, and prepared for his attempt. A
-- 056 --
[figure description] Page 056.[end figure description]
bottle was found in one of the berths, and this he filled
with water from the pitcher left by Peters, storing his
pockets at the same time with cold potatoes. To his
great joy he also came across a lantern, with a small
piece of tallow candle in it. This he could light at any
moment, as he had in his possession a box of phosphorus
matches. When it was quite dark, he got through the
hole in the bulkhead, having taken the precaution to arrange
the bedclothes in the berth so as to convey the
idea of a person covered up. When through, he hung
up the pea-jacket on his knife, as before, to conceal the
aperture—this manœuvre being easily effected, as he did
not readjust the piece of plank taken out until afterward.
He was now on the main orlop deck, and proceeded to
make his way, as before, between the upper deck and
the oil-casks to the main hatchway. Having reached
this, he lit the piece of candle, and descended, groping
with extreme difficulty among the compact stowage of
the hold. In a few moments he became alarmed at the
insufferable stench and the closeness of the atmosphere.
He could not think it possible that I had survived my
confinement for so long a period breathing so oppressive
an air. He called my name repeatedly, but I made him
no reply, and his apprehensions seemed thus to be confirmed.
The brig was rolling violently, and there was
so much noise in consequence, that it was useless to
listen for any weak sound, such as those of my breathing
or snoring. He threw open the lantern, and held it as high
as possible, whenever an opportunity occurred, in order
that, by observing the light, I might, if alive, be aware that
succour was approaching. Still nothing was heard from
me, and the supposition of my death began to assume
the character of certainty. He determined, nevertheless,
to force a passage, if possible, to the box, and at least
ascertain beyond a doubt the truth of his surmises. He
pushed on for some time in a most pitiable state of anxiety,
until, at length, he found the pathway utterly
blocked up, and that there was no possibility of making
any farther way by the course in which he had set out.
Overcome now by his feelings, he threw himself among
-- 057 --
[figure description] Page 057.[end figure description]
the lumber in despair, and wept like a child. It was at
this period that he heard the crash occasioned by the
bottle which I had thrown down. Fortunate, indeed,
was it that the incident occurred—for, upon this incident,
trivial as it appears, the thread of my destiny depended.
Many years elapsed, however, before I was aware of
this fact. A natural shame and regret for his weakness
and indecision prevented Augustus from confiding to me
at once what a more intimate and unreserved communion
afterward induced him to reveal. Upon finding his
further progress in the hold impeded by obstacles which
he could not overcome, he had resolved to abandon his
attempt at reaching me, and return at once to the forecastle.
Before condemning him entirely on this head,
the harassing circumstances which embarrassed him
should be taken into consideration. The night was fast
wearing away, and his absence from the forecastle might
be discovered; and, indeed, would necessarily be so, if
he should fail to get back to the berth by daybreak.
His candle was expiring in the socket, and there would
be the greatest difficulty in retracing his way to the
hatchway in the dark. It must be allowed, too, that he
had every good reason to believe me dead; in which
event no benefit could result to me from his reaching
the box, and a world of danger would be encountered to
no purpose by himself. He had repeatedly called, and I
had made him no answer. I had been now eleven days
and nights with no more water than that contained in the
jug which he had left with me, a supply which it was
not at all probable I had hoarded in the beginning of my
confinement, as I had had every cause to expect a
speedy release. The atmosphere of the hold, too, must
have appeared to him, coming from the comparatively
open air of the steerage, of a nature absolutely poisonous,
and by far more intolerable than it had seemed to
me upon my first taking up my quarters in the box—the
hatchways at that time having been constantly open for
many months previous. Add to these considerations
that of the scene of bloodshed and terror so lately witnessed
by my friend; his confinement, privations, and
-- 058 --
[figure description] Page 058.[end figure description]
narrow escapes from death; together with the frail and
equivocal tenure by which he still existed—circumstances
all so well calculated to prostrate every energy of
mind—and the reader will be easily brought, as I have
been, to regard his apparent falling off in friendship and
in faith with sentiments rather of sorrow than of anger.
The crash of the bottle was distinctly heard, yet Augustus
was not sure that it proceeded from the hold.
The doubt, however, was sufficient inducement to persevere.
He clambered up nearly to the orlop deck by
means of the stowage, and then watching for a lull in
the pitchings of the vessel, he called out to me in as
loud a tone as he could command—regardless, for the
moment, of the danger of being overheard by the crew.
It will be remembered that on this occasion the voice
reached me, but I was so entirely overcome by violent
agitation as to be incapable of reply. Confident, now,
that his worst apprehensions were well founded, he descended,
with a view of getting back to the forecastle
without loss of time. In his haste some small boxes
were thrown down, the noise occasioned by which I
heard, as will be recollected. He had made considerable
progress on his return when the fall of the knife
again caused him to hesitate. He retraced his steps immediately,
and, clambering up the stowage a second
time, called out my name, loudly as before, having
watched for a lull. This time I found voice to answer.
Overjoyed at discovering me to be still alive, he now resolved
to brave every difficulty and danger in reaching
me. Having extricated himself as quickly as possible
from the labyrinth of lumber by which he was hemmed
in, he at length struck into an opening which promised
better, and finally, after a series of struggles, arrived at
the box in a state of utter exhaustion.
-- 059 --
CHAPTER VI.
[figure description] Page 059.[end figure description]
The leading particulars of this narration were all that
Augustus communicated to me while we remained near
the box. It was not until afterward that he entered
fully into all the details. He was apprehensive of being
missed, and I was wild with impatience to leave my detested
place of confinement. We resolved to make our
way at once to the hole in the bulkhead, near which I
was to remain for the present, while he went through to
reconnoitre. To leave Tiger in the box was what
neither of us could endure to think of; yet, how to act
otherwise was the question. He now seemed to be
perfectly quiet, and we could not even distinguish the
sound of his breathing upon applying our ears closely to
the box. I was convinced that he was dead, and determined
to open the door. We found him lying at full
length, apparently in a deep stupor, yet still alive. No
time was to be lost, yet I could not bring myself to
abandon an animal who had now been twice instrumental
in saving my life, without some attempt at preserving
him. We therefore dragged him along with us as
well as we could, although with the greatest difficulty
and fatigue; Augustus, during part of the time, being
forced to clamber over the impediments in our way with
the huge dog in his arms—a feat to which the feebleness
of my frame rendered me totally inadequate. At length
we succeeded in reaching the hole, when Augustus got
through, and Tiger was pushed in afterward. All was
found to be safe, and we did not fail to return sincere
thanks to God for our deliverance from the imminent
danger we had escaped. For the present it was agreed
that I should remain near the opening, through which
my companion could readily supply me with a part of
his daily provision, and where I could have the advantages
of breathing an atmosphere comparatively pure.
-- 060 --
[figure description] Page 060.[end figure description]
In explanation of some portions of this narrative
wherein I have spoken of the stowage of the brig, and
which may appear ambiguous to some of my readers
who may have seen a proper or regular stowage, I must
here state that the manner in which this most important
duty had been performed on board the Grampus was a
most shameful piece of neglect on the part of Captain
Barnard, who was by no means as careful or as experienced
a seaman as the hazardous nature of the service
on which he was employed would seem necessarily to
demand. A proper stowage cannot be accomplished in
a careless manner, and many most disastrous accidents,
even within the limits of my own experience, have arisen
from neglect or ignorance in this particular. Coasting
vessels, in the frequent hurry and bustle attendant upon
taking in or discharging cargo, are the most liable to
mishap from the want of a proper attention to stowage.
The great point is to allow no possibility of the cargo or
ballast's shifting position even in the most violent rollings
of the vessel. With this end, great attention must be
paid, not only to the bulk taken in, but to the nature of
the bulk, and whether there be a full or only a partial
cargo. In most kinds of freight the stowage is accomplished
by means of a screw. Thus, in a load of tobacco
or flour, the whole is screwed so tightly into the
hold of the vessel that the barrels or hogsheads upon
discharging are found to be completely flattened, and
take some time to regain their original shape. This
screwing, however, is resorted to principally with a view
of obtaining more room in the hold; for in a full load of
any such commodities as flour or tobacco, there can be
no danger of any shifting whatever, at least none from
which inconvenience can result. There have been instances,
indeed, where this method of screwing has resulted
in the most lamentable consequences, arising from
a cause altogether distinct from the danger attendant
upon a shifting of cargo. A load of cotton, for example,
tightly screwed while in certain conditions, has
been known, through the expansion of its bulk, to rend
a vessel asunder at sea. There can be no doubt, either,
-- 061 --
[figure description] Page 061.[end figure description]
that the same result would ensue in the case of tobacco,
while undergoing its usual course of fermentation, were
it not for the interstices consequent upon the rotundity of
the hogsheads.
It is when a partial cargo is received that danger is
chiefly to be apprehended from shifting, and that precautions
should be always taken to guard against such misfortune.
Only those who have encountered a violent
gale of wind, or, rather, who have experienced the rolling
of a vessel in a sudden calm after the gale, can form an
idea of the tremendous force of the plunges, and of the
consequent terrible impetus given to all loose articles in
the vessel. It is then that the necessity of a cautious
stowage, when there is a partial cargo, becomes obvious.
When lying to (especially with a small head sail), a
vessel which is not properly modelled in the bows is
frequently thrown upon her beam-ends; this occurring
even every fifteen or twenty minutes upon an average,
yet without any serious consequences resulting, provided
there be a proper stowage. If this, however, has not
been strictly attended to, in the first of these heavy
lurches the whole of the cargo tumbles over to the side
of the vessel which lies upon the water, and, being thus
prevented from regaining her equilibrium, as she would
otherwise necessarily do, she is certain to fill in a few
seconds and go down. It is not too much to say that
at least one half of the instances in which vessels have
foundered in heavy gales at sea may be attributed to a
shifting of cargo or of ballast.
When a partial cargo of any kind is taken on board,
the whole, after being first stowed as compactly as may
be, should be covered with a layer of stout shifting-boards,
extending completely across the vessel. Upon
these boards strong temporary stanchions should be
erected, reaching to the timbers above, and thus securing
everything in its place. In cargoes consisting of grain,
or any similar matter, additional precautions are requisite.
A hold filled entirely with grain upon leaving
port will be found not more than three fourths full upon
reaching its destination—this, too, although the freight,
-- 062 --
[figure description] Page 062.[end figure description]
when measured bushel by bushel by the consignee, will
overrun by a vast deal (on account of the swelling of the
grain) the quantity consigned. This result is occasioned
by settling during the voyage, and is the more perceptible
in proportion to the roughness of the weather experienced.
If grain loosely thrown in a vessel, then, is
ever so well secured by shifting-boards and stanchions,
it will be liable to shift in a long passage so greatly as
to bring about the most distressing calamities. To prevent
these, every method should be employed before
leaving port to settle the cargo as much as possible;
and for this there are many contrivances, among which
may be mentioned the driving of wedges into the grain.
Even after all this is done, and unusual pains taken to
secure the shifting-boards, no seaman who knows what
he is about will feel altogether secure in a gale of any
violence with a cargo of grain on board, and, least of all,
with a partial cargo. Yet there are hundreds of our
coasting vessels, and, it is likely, many more from the
ports of Europe, which sail daily with partial cargoes,
even of the most dangerous species, and without any
precautions whatever. The wonder is that no more accidents
occur than do actually happen. A lamentable
instance of this heedlessness occurred to my knowledge
in the case of Captain Joel Rice of the schooner Fire-fly,
which sailed from Richmond, Virginia, to Madeira,
with a cargo of corn, in the year 1825. The captain
had gone many voyages without serious accident, although
he was in the habit of paying no attention whatever
to his stowage, more than to secure it in the ordinary
manner. He had never before sailed with a cargo
of grain, and on this occasion had the corn thrown on
board loosely, when it did not much more than half fill
the vessel. For the first portion of the voyage he met
with nothing more than light breezes; but when within
a day's sail of Madeira there came on a strong gale
from the N. N. E. which forced him to lie to. He
brought the schooner to the wind under a double-reefed
foresail alone, when she rode as well as any vessel
could be expected to do, and shipped not a drop of water.
-- 063 --
[figure description] Page 063.[end figure description]
Towards night the gale somewhat abated, and she rolled
with more unsteadiness than before, but still did very
well, until a heavy lurch threw her upon her beam-ends
to starboard. The corn was then heard to shift bodily,
the force of the movement bursting open the main hatchway.
The vessel went down like a shot. This happened
within hail of a small sloop from Madeira, which
picked up one of the crew (the only person saved), and
which rode out the gale in perfect security, as indeed a
jollyboat might have done under proper management.
The stowage on board the Grampus was most clumsily
done, if stowage that could be called which was little
better than a promiscuous huddling together of oil-casks1
and ship furniture. I have already spoken of the condition
of articles in the hold. On the orlop deck there
was space enough for my body (as I have stated) between
the oil-casks and the upper deck; a space was
left open around the main hatchway; and several other
large spaces were left in the stowage. Near the hole
cut through the bulkhead by Augustus there was room
enough for an entire cask, and in this space I found
myself comfortably situated for the present.
By the time my friend had got safely into the berth,
and readjusted his handcuffs and the rope, it was broad
daylight. We had made a narrow escape indeed; for
scarcely had he arranged all matters, when the mate
came below, with Dirk Peters and the cook. They talked
for some time about the vessel from the Cape Verds, and
seemed to be excessively anxious for her appearance.
At length the cook came to the berth in which Augustus
was lying, and seated himself in it near the head. I
could see and hear everything from my hiding-place, for
the piece cut out had not been put back, and I was in
momentary expectation that the negro would fall against
the pea-jacket, which was hung up to conceal the aperture,
in which case all would have been discovered, and
our lives would, no doubt, have been instantly sacrificed.
Our good fortune prevailed, however; and although he
-- 064 --
[figure description] Page 064.[end figure description]
frequently touched it as the vessel rolled, he never
pressed against it sufficiently to bring about a discovery.
The bottom of the jacket had been carefully fastened to
the bulkhead, so that the hole might not be seen by its
swinging to one side. All this time Tiger was lying in
the foot of the berth, and appeared to have recovered in
some measure his faculties, for I could see him occasionally
open his eyes and draw a long breath.
After a few minutes the mate and cook went above,
leaving Dirk Peters behind, who, as soon as they were
gone, came and sat himself down in the place just occupied
by the mate. He began to talk very sociably with
Augustus, and we could now see that the greater part of
his apparent intoxication, while the two others were with
him, was a feint. He answered all my companion's
questions with perfect freedom; told him that he had no
doubt of his father's having been picked up, as there
were no less than five sail in sight just before sundown
on the day he was cut adrift; and used other language
of a consolatory nature, which occasioned me no less
surprise than pleasure. Indeed, I began to entertain
hopes, that through the instrumentality of Peters we
might be finally enabled to regain possession of the brig,
and this idea I mentioned to Augustus as soon as I
found an opportunity. He thought the matter possible,
but urged the necessity of the greatest caution in making
the attempt, as the conduct of the hybrid appeared to be
instigated by the most arbitrary caprice alone; and, indeed,
it was difficult to say if he was at any moment of
sound mind. Peters went upon deck in about an hour,
and did not return again until noon, when he brought
Augustus a plentiful supply of junk beef and pudding.
Of this, when we were left alone, I partook heartily,
without returning through the hole. No one else came
down into the forecastle during the day, and at night I got
into Augustus's berth, where I slept soundly and sweetly
until nearly daybreak, when he awakened me upon hearing
a stir upon deck, and I regained my hiding-place as quickly
as possible. When the day was fully broke, we found that
Tiger had recovered his strength almost entirely, and gave
-- 065 --
[figure description] Page 065.[end figure description]
no indications of hydrophobia, drinking a little water that
was offered him with great apparent eagerness. During the
day he regained all his former vigour and appetite. His
strange conduct had been brought on, no doubt, by the deleterious
quality of the air of the hold, and had no connexion
with canine madness. I could not sufficiently rejoice
that I had persisted in bringing him with me from the
box. This day was the thirtieth of June, and the thirteenth
since the Grampus made sail from Nantucket.
On the second of July the mate came below, drunk as
usual, and in an excessively good-humour. He came to
Augustus's berth, and, giving him a slap on the back,
asked him if he thought he could behave himself if he
let him loose, and whether he would promise not to be
going into the cabin again. To this, of course, my friend
answered in the affirmative, when the ruffian set him at
liberty, after making him drink from a flask of rum
which he drew from his coat-pocket. Both now went
on deck, and I did not see Augustus for about three
hours. He then came below with the good news that
he had obtained permission to go about the brig as he
pleased anywhere forward of the mainmast, and that he
had been ordered to sleep, as usual, in the forecastle.
He brought me, too, a good dinner, and a plentiful supply
of water. The brig was still cruising for the vessel from
the Cape Verds, and a sail was now in sight which was
thought to be the one in question. As the events of the
ensuing eight days were of little importance, and had no
direct bearing upon the main incidents of my narrative, I
will here throw them into the form of a journal, as I do
not wish to omit them altogether.
July 3. Augustus furnished me with three blankets,
with which I contrived a comfortable bed in my hiding-place.
No one came below, except my companion, during
the day. Tiger took his station in the berth just by
the aperture, and slept heavily, as if not yet entirely recovered
from the effects of his sickness. Towards
night a flaw of wind struck the brig before sail could be
taken in, and very nearly capsized her. The puff died
away immediately, however, and no damage was done
-- 066 --
[figure description] Page 066.[end figure description]
beyond the splitting of the foretopsail. Dirk Peters
treated Augustus all this day with great kindness, and
entered into a long conversation with him respecting the
Pacific Ocean, and the islands he had visited in that region.
He asked him whether he would not like to go
with the mutineers on a kind of exploring and pleasure
voyage in those quarters, and said that the men were
gradually coming over to the mate's views. To this
Augustus thought it best to reply that he would be glad
to go on such an adventure, since nothing better could be
done, and that anything was preferable to a piratical
life.
July 4th. The vessel in sight proved to be a small
brig from Liverpool, and was allowed to pass unmolested.
Augustus spent most of his time on deck, with a
view of obtaining all the information in his power respecting
the intentions of the mutineers. They had frequent
and violent quarrels among themselves, in one of
which a harpooner, Jim Bonner, was thrown overboard.
The party of the mate was gaining ground. Jim Bonner
belonged to the cook's gang, of which Peters was a partisan.
July 5th. About daybreak there came on a stiff
breeze from the west, which at noon freshened into a
gale, so that the brig could carry nothing more than her
trysail and foresail. In taking in the foretopsail, Simms,
one of the common hands, and belonging also to the
cook's gang, fell overboard, being very much in liquor,
and was drowned—no attempt being made to save him.
The whole number of persons on board was now thirteen,
to wit: Dirk Peters; Seymour, the black cook;—
Jones; —Greely; Hartman Rogers; and William
Allen, of the cook's party; the mate, whose name
I never learned; Absalom Hicks; — Wilson; John
Hunt; and Richard Parker, of the mate's party—besides
Augustus and myself.
July 6th. The gale lasted all this day, blowing in
heavy squalls, accompanied with rain. The brig took in
a good deal of water through her seams, and one of the
pumps was kept continually going, Augustus being
-- 067 --
[figure description] Page 067.[end figure description]
forced to take his turn. Just at twilight a large ship
passed close by us, without having been discovered until
within hail. This ship was supposed to be the one for
which the mutineers were on the look-out. The mate
hailed her, but the reply was drowned in the roaring of
the gale. At eleven, a sea was shipped amid-ships,
which tore away a great portion of the larboard bulwarks,
and did some other slight damage. Towards
morning the weather moderated, and at sunrise there
was very little wind.
July 7th. There was a heavy swell running all this
day, during which the brig, being light, rolled excessively,
and many articles broke loose in the hold, as I
could hear distinctly from my hiding-place. I suffered
a great deal from sea-sickness. Peters had a long conversation
this day with Augustus, and told him that two
of his gang, Greely and Allen, had gone over to the
mate, and were resolved to turn pirates. He put several
questions to Augustus which he did not then exactly understand.
During a part of this evening the leak gained
upon the vessel; and little could be done to remedy it,
as it was occasioned by the brig's straining, and taking
in the water through her seams. A sail was thrummed,
and got under the bows, which aided us in some measure,
so that we began to gain upon the leak.
July 8th. A light breeze sprung up at sunrise from
the eastward, when the mate headed the brig to the
southwest, with the intention of making some of the
West India islands, in pursuance of his piratical designs.
No opposition was made by Peters or the cook; at least
none in the hearing of Augustus. All idea of taking the
vessel from the Cape Verds was abandoned. The leak
was now easily kept under by one pump going every
three quarters of an hour. The sail was drawn from
beneath the bows. Spoke two small schooners during
the day.
July 9th. Fine weather. All hands employed in repairing
bulwarks. Peters had again a long conversation
with Augustus, and spoke more plainly than he had
done heretofore. He said nothing should induce him to
-- 068 --
[figure description] Page 068.[end figure description]
come into the mate's views, and even hinted his intention
of taking the brig out of his hands. He asked my
friend if he could depend upon his aid in such case, to
which Augustus said, “Yes,” without hesitation. Peters
then said he would sound the others of his party
upon the subject, and went away. During the remainder
of the day Augustus had no opportunity of speaking
with him privately.
eaf319.11. Whaling vessels are usually fitted with iron oil-tanks—why the
Grampus was not I have never been able to ascertain.
CHAPTER VII.
July 10. Spoke a brig from Rio, bound to Norfolk.
Weather hazy, with a light baffling wind from the eastward.
To-day Hartman Rogers died, having been attacked
on the eighth with spasms after drinking a glass
of grog. This man was of the cook's party, and one
upon whom Peters placed his main reliance. He told
Augustus that he believed the mate had poisoned him,
and that he expected, if he did not be on the look-out,
his own turn would come shortly. There were now
only himself, Jones, and the cook belonging to his own
gang—on the other side there were five. He had
spoken to Jones about taking the command from the
mate; but the project having been coolly received, he
had been deterred from pressing the matter any further,
or from saying anything to the cook. It was well, as it
happened, that he was so prudent, for in the afternoon
the cook expressed his determination of siding with the
mate, and went over formally to that party; while
Jones took an opportunity of quarrelling with Peters,
and hinted that he would let the mate know of the plan
in agitation. There was now, evidently, no time to be
lost, and Peters expressed his determination of attempting
to take the vessel at all hazards, provided Augustus
would lend him his aid. My friend at once assured him
of his willingness to enter into any plan for that purpose,
-- 069 --
[figure description] Page 069.[end figure description]
and, thinking the opportunity a favourable one, made known
the fact of my being on board. At this the hybrid was
not more astonished than delighted, as he had no reliance
whatever upon Jones, whom he already considered as
belonging to the party of the mate. They went below
immediately, when Augustus called to me by name, and
Peters and myself were soon made acquainted. It was
agreed that we should attempt to retake the vessel upon
the first good opportunity, leaving Jones altogether out
of our councils. In the event of success we were to
run the brig into the first port that offered, and deliver
her up. The desertion of his party had frustrated Peters's
design of going into the Pacific—an adventure
which could not be accomplished without a crew, and
he depended upon either getting acquitted upon trial on
the score of insanity (which he solemnly averred had
actuated him in lending his aid to the mutiny), or upon
obtaining a pardon, if found guilty, through the representations
of Augustus and myself. Our deliberations
were interrupted for the present by the cry of “All
hands take in sail,” and Peters and Augustus ran up on
deck.
As usual, the crew were nearly all drunk; and, before
sail could be properly taken in, a violent squall laid the
brig on her beam-ends. By keeping her away, however,
she righted, having shipped a good deal of water.
Scarcely was everything secure, when another squall
took the vessel, and immediately afterward another—no
damage being done. There was every appearance of a
gale of wind, which, indeed, shortly came on, with great
fury, from the northward and westward. All was made
as sung as possible, and we laid to, as usual, under a
close-reefed foresail. As night drew on, the wind increased
in violence, with a remarkably heavy sea. Peters
now came into the forecastle with Augustus, and we
resumed our deliberations.
We agreed that no opportunity could be more favourable
than the present for carrying our design into effect,
as an attempt at such a moment would never be anticipated.
As the brig was snugly laid to, there would be
-- 070 --
[figure description] Page 070.[end figure description]
no necessity of manœuvring her until good weather,
when, if we succeeded in our attempt, we might liberate
one, or perhaps two of the men, to aid us in taking her
into port. The main difficulty was the great disproportion
in our forces. There were only three of us, and in
the cabin there were nine. All the arms on board, too,
were in their possession, with the exception of a pair of
small pistols which Peters had concealed about his person,
and the large seaman's knife which he always wore
in the waistband of his pantaloons. From certain indications,
too, such, for example, as there being no such
thing as an axe or a handspike lying in their customary
places, we began to fear that the mate had his suspicions,
at least in regard to Peters, and that he would let
slip no opportunity of getting rid of him. It was clear,
indeed, that what we should determine to do could not
be done too soon. Still the odds were too much against
us to allow of our proceeding without the greatest caution.
Peters proposed that he should go up on deck, and
enter into conversation with the watch (Allen), when he
would be able to throw him into the sea without trouble,
and without making any disturbance, by seizing a good
opportunity; that Augustus and myself should then come
up, and endeavour to provide ourselves with some kind
of weapons from the deck; and that we should then
make a rush together, and secure the companion-way
before any opposition could be offered. I objected to
this, because I could not believe that the mate (who was
a cunning fellow in all matters which did not affect his
superstitious prejudices) would suffer himself to be so
easily entrapped. The very fact of there being a watch
on deck at all was sufficient proof that he was upon the
elert—it not being usual, except in vessels where discipline
is most rigidly enforced, to station a watch on
deck when a vessel is lying to in a gale of wind. As I
address myself principally, if not altogether, to persons
who have never been to sea, it may be as well to state
the exact condition of a vessel under such circumstances.
Lying to, or, in sea-parlance “laying to,” is a
-- 071 --
[figure description] Page 071.[end figure description]
measure resorted to for various purposes, and effected in
various manners. In moderate weather, it is frequently
done with a view of merely bringing the vessel to a
stand-still, to wait for another vessel, or any similar object.
If the vessel which lies to is under full sail, the
manœuvre is usually accomplished by throwing round
some portion of her sails so as to let the wind take them
aback, when she becomes stationary. But we are now
speaking of lying to in a gale of wind. This is done
when the wind is ahead, and too violent to admit of carrying
sail without danger of capsizing; and sometimes
even when the wind is fair, but the sea too heavy for the
vessel to be put before it. If a vessel be suffered to
scud before the wind in a very heavy sea, much damage
is usually done her by the shipping of water over her
stern, and sometimes by the violent plunges she makes
forward. This manœuvre, then, is seldom resorted to in
such case, unless through necessity. When the vessel
is in a leaky condition, she is often put before the wind
even in the heaviest seas; for, when lying to, her seams
are sure to be greatly opened by her violent straining,
and it is not so much the case when scudding. Often,
too, it becomes necessary to scud a vessel, either when
the blast is so exceedingly furious as to tear in pieces
the sail which is employed with a view of bringing her
head to the wind, or when, through the false modelling
of the frame or other causes, this main object cannot be
effected.
Vessels in a gale of wind are laid to in different manners,
according to their peculiar construction. Some
lie to best under a foresail, and this, I believe, is the
sail most usually employed. Large square-rigged vessels
have sails for the express purpose, called storm-staysails.
But the jib is occasionally employed by
itself—sometimes the jib and foresail, or a double-reefed
foresail, and not unfrequently the after-sails, are made
use of. Foretopsails are very often found to answer
the purpose better than any other species of sail. The
Grampus was generally laid to under a close-reefed
foresail.
-- 072 --
[figure description] Page 072.[end figure description]
When a vessel is to be laid to, her head is brought
up to the wind just so nearly as to fill the sail under
which she lies, when hauled flat aft, that is, when
brought diagonally across the vessel. This being done,
the bows point within a few degrees of the direction
from which the wind issues, and the windward bow
of course receives the shock of the waves. In this situation
a good vessel will ride out a very heavy gale of
wind without shipping a drop of water, and without any
further attention being requisite on the part of the crew.
The helm is usually lashed down, but this is altogether
unnecessary (except on account of the noise it makes
when loose), for the rudder has no effect upon the vessel
when lying to. Indeed, the helm had far better be left
loose than lashed very fast, for the rudder is apt to be
torn off by heavy seas if there be no room for the helm
to play. As long as the sail holds, a well-modelled
vessel will maintain her situation, and ride every sea, as
if instinct with life and reason. If the violence of the
wind, however, should tear the sail into pieces (a feat
which it requires a perfect hurricane to accomplish
under ordinary circumstances), there is then imminent
danger. The vessel falls off from the wind, and, coming
broadside to the sea, is completely at its mercy: the
only resource in this case is to put her quickly before the
wind, letting her scud until some other sail can be set.
Some vessels will lie to under no sail whatever, but
such are not to be trusted at sea.
But to return from this digression. It had never been
customary with the mate to have any watch on deck
when lying to in a gale of wind, and the fact that he
had now one, coupled with the circumstance of the missing
axes and handspikes, fully convinced us that the
crew were too well on the watch to be taken by surprise
in the manner Peters had suggested. Something, however,
was to be done, and that with as little delay as
practicable, for there could be no doubt that a suspicion
having been once entertained against Peters, he would
be sacrificed upon the earliest occasion, and one would
-- 073 --
[figure description] Page 073.[end figure description]
certainly be either found or made upon the breaking of
the gale.
Augustus now suggested that if Peters could contrive
to remove, under any pretext, the piece of chain-cable
which lay over the trap in the stateroom, we might possibly
be able to come upon them unawares by means of
the hold; but a little reflection convinced us that the
vessel rolled and pitched too violently for any attempt
of that nature.
By good fortune I at length hit upon the idea of working
upon the superstitious terrors and guilty conscience
of the mate. It will be remembered that one of the
crew, Hartman Rogers, had died during the morning,
having been attacked two days before with spasms after
drinking some spirits and water. Peters had expressed
to us his opinion that this man had been poisoned by
the mate, and for this belief he had reasons, so he said,
which were incontrovertible, but which he could not be
prevailed upon to explain to us—this wayward refusal
being only in keeping with other points of his singular
character. But whether or not he had any better
grounds for suspecting the mate than we had ourselves,
we were easily led to fall in with his suspicion, and determined
to act accordingly.
Rogers had died about eleven in the forenoon, in violent
convulsions; and the corpse presented in a few
minutes after death one of the most horrid and loathsome
spectacles I ever remember to have seen. The
stomach was swollen immensely, like that of a man
who has been drowned and lain under water for many
weeks. The hands were in the same condition, while
the face was shrunken, shrivelled, and of a chalky
whiteness, except where relieved by two or three glaring
red splotches, like those occasioned by the erysipelas:
one of these splotches extended diagonally across
the face, completely covering up an eye as if with a
band of red velvet. In this disgusting condition the
body had been brought up from the cabin at noon to be
thrown overboard, when the mate getting a glimpse of it
(for he now saw it for the first time), and being either
-- 074 --
[figure description] Page 074.[end figure description]
touched with remorse for his crime or struck with terror
at so horrible a sight, ordered the men to sew the body
up in its hammock, and allow it the usual rites of seaburial.
Having given these directions he went below,
as if to avoid any further sight of his victim. While
preparations were making to obey his orders, the gale
came on with great fury, and the design was abandoned
for the present. The corpse, left to itself, was washed
into the larboard scuppers, where it still lay at the time
of which I speak, floundering about with the furious
lurches of the brig.
Having arranged our plan, we set about putting it in
execution as speedily as possible. Peters went upon
deck, and, as he had anticipated, was immediately accosted
by Allen, who appeared to be stationed more as
a watch upon the forecastle than for any other purpose.
The fate of this villain, however, was speedily and silently
decided; for Peters, approaching him in a careless
manner, as if about to address him, seized him by the
throat, and, before he could utter a single cry, tossed him
over the bulwarks. He then called to us, and we came
up. Our first precaution was to look about for something
with which to arm ourselves, and in doing this we
had to proceed with great care, for it was impossible to
stand on deck an instant without holding fast, and violent
seas broke over the vessel at every plunge forward.
It was indispensable, too, that we should be quick in our
operations, for every minute we expected the mate to be
up to set the pumps going, as it was evident the brig
must be taking in water very fast. After searching
about for some time, we could find nothing more fit for
our purpose than the two pump-handles, one of which
Augustus took, and I the other. Having secured these,
we stripped off the shirt of the corpse and dropped the
body overboard. Peters and myself then went below,
leaving Augustus to watch upon deck, where he took
his station just where Allen had been placed, and with
his back to the cabin companion-way, so that, if any one
of the mate's gang should come up, he might suppose it
was the watch.
-- 075 --
[figure description] Page 075.[end figure description]
As soon as I got below I commenced disguising myself
so as to represent the corpse of Rogers. The shirt
which we had taken from the body aided us very much,
for it was of a singular form and character, and easily
recognisable—a kind of smock, which the deceased wore
over his other clothing. It was a blue stockinett, with
large white stripes running across. Having put this on,
I proceeded to equip myself with a false stomach, in imitation
of the horrible deformity of the swollen corpse.
This was soon effected by means of stuffing with some
bedclothes. I then gave the same appearance to my
hands by drawing on a pair of white woollen mittens,
and filling them in with any kind of rags that offered
themselves. Peters then arranged my face, first rubbing
it well over with white chalk, and afterward splotching
it with blood, which he took from a cut in his finger.
The streak across the eye was not forgotten, and presented
a most shocking appearance.
CHAPTER VIII.
As I viewed myself in a fragment of looking-glass
which hung up in the cabin, and by the dim light of
a kind of battle-lantern, I was so impressed with a
sense of vague awe at my appearance, and at the recollection
of the terrific reality which I was thus representing,
that I was seized with a violent tremour, and could
scarcely summon resolution to go on with my part. It
was necessary, however, to act with decision, and Peters
and myself went upon deck.
We there found everything safe, and, keeping close to
the bulwarks, the three of us crept to the cabin companion-way.
It was only partially closed, precautions having
been taken to prevent its being suddenly pushed to
from without, by means of placing billets of wood on the
upper step so as to interfere with the shutting. We
-- 076 --
[figure description] Page 076.[end figure description]
found no difficulty in getting a full view of the interior
of the cabin through the cracks where the hinges were
placed. It now proved to have been very fortunate for
us that we had not attempted to take them by surprise,
for they were evidently on the alert. Only one was
asleep, and he lying just at the foot of the companion-ladder,
with a musket by his side. The rest were
seated on several mattresses, which had been taken from
the berths and thrown on the floor. They were engaged
in earnest conversation; and although they had been carousing,
as appeared from two empty jugs, with some tin
tumblers which lay about, they were not as much intoxicated
as usual. All had knives, one or two of them
pistols, and a great many muskets were lying in a berth
close at hand.
We listened to their conversation for some time before
we could make up our minds how to act, having as
yet resolved on nothing determinate, except that we
would attempt to paralyze their exertions, when we
should attack them, by means of the apparition of Rogers.
They were discussing their piratical plans, in
which all we could hear distinctly was, that they would
unite with the crew of a schooner Hornet, and, if possible,
get the schooner herself into their possession preparatory
to some attempt on a large scale, the particulars
of which could not be made out by either of us.
One of the men spoke of Peters, when the mate replied
to him in a low voice which could not be distinguished,
and afterward added more loudly, that “he
could not understand his being so much forward with
the captain's brat in the forecastle, and he thought the
sooner both of them were overboard the better.” To
this no answer was made, but we could easily perceive
that the hint was well received by the whole party, and
more particularly by Jones. At this period I was excessively
agitated, the more so as I could see that neither
Augustus nor Peters could determine how to act. I
made up my mind, however, to sell my life as dearly as
possible, and not to suffer myself to be overcome by any
feelings of trepidation.
-- 077 --
[figure description] Page 077.[end figure description]
The tremendous noise made by the roaring of the
wind in the rigging and the washing of the sea over the
deck prevented us from hearing what was said except
during momentary lulls. In one of these we all distinctly
heard the mate tell one of the men to “go forward, and
order the d—d lubbers to come into the cabin, where he
could have an eye upon them, for he wanted no such
secret doings on board the brig.” It was well for us
that the pitching of the vessel at this moment was so
violent as to prevent this order from being carried into
instant execution. The cook got up from his mattress
to go for us, when a tremendous lurch, which I
thought would carry away the masts, threw him headlong
against one of the larboard stateroom doors, bursting
it open, and creating a good deal of other confusion.
Luckily, neither of our party was thrown from his position,
and we had time to make a precipitate retreat to
the forecastle, and arrange a hurried plan of action before
the messenger made his appearance, or rather before
he put his head out of the companion-hatch, for he
did not come on deck. From this station he could not
notice the absence of Allen, and he accordingly bawled
out as if to him, repeating the orders of the mate. Peters
cried out, “Ay, ay,” in a disguised voice, and the
cook immediately went below, without entertaining a
suspicion that all was not right.
My two companions now proceeded boldly aft and
down into the cabin, Peters closing the door after him
in the same manner he had found it. The mate received
them with feigned cordiality, and told Augustus
that, since he had behaved himself so well of late, he
might take up his quarters in the cabin, and be one of
them for the future. He then poured him out a tumbler
half full of rum, and made him drink it. All this I saw
and heard, for I followed my friends to the cabin as
soon as the door was shut, and took up my old point of
observation. I had brought with me the two pump-handles,
one of which I secured near the companion-way,
to be ready for use when required.
I now steadied myself as well as possible so as to
-- 078 --
[figure description] Page 078.[end figure description]
have a good view of all that was passing within, and endeavoured
to nerve myself to the task of descending
among the mutineers when Peters should make a signal
to me as agreed upon. Presently he contrived to turn
the conversation upon the bloody deeds of the mutiny,
and, by degrees, led the men to talk of the thousand superstitions
which are so universally current among sea-men.
I could not make out all that was said, but I
could plainly see the effects of the conversation in the
countenances of those present. The mate was evidently
much agitated, and presently, when some one mentioned
the terrific appearance of Rogers's corpse, I thought he
was upon the point of swooning. Peters now asked
him if he did not think it would be better to have the
body thrown overboard at once, as it was too horrible a
sight to see it floundering about in the scuppers. At
this the villain absolutely gasped for breath, and turned
his head slowly round upon his companions, as if imploring
some one to go up and perform the task. No one,
however, stirred, and it was quite evident that the whole
party were wound up to the highest pitch of nervous excitement.
Peters now made me the signal. I immediately
threw open the door of the companion-way, and,
descending without uttering a syllable, stood erect in the
midst of the party.
The intense effect produced by this sudden apparition
is not at all to be wondered at when the various circumstances
are taken into consideration. Usually, in cases
of a similar nature, there is left in the mind of the spectator
some glimmering of doubt as to the reality of the
vision before his eyes; a degree of hope, however feeble,
that he is the victim of chicanery, and that the apparition
is not actually a visitant from the world of shadows. It
is not too much to say that such remnants of doubt have
been at the bottom of almost every such visitation, and
that the appalling horror which has sometimes been
brought about, is to be attributed, even in the cases most
in point, and where most suffering has been experienced,
more to a kind of anticipative horror, lest the apparition
might possibly be real, than to an unwavering belief in
-- 079 --
[figure description] Page 079.[end figure description]
its reality. But, in the present instance, it will be seen
immediately, that in the minds of the mutineers there
was not even the shadow of a basis upon which to rest
a doubt that the apparition of Rogers was indeed a revivification
of his disgusting corpse, or at least its spiritual
image. The isolated situation of the brig, with its
entire inaccessibility on account of the gale, confined
the apparently possible means of deception within such
narrow and definite limits, that they must have thought
themselves enabled to survey them all at a glance.
They had now been at sea twenty-four days, without
holding more than a speaking communication with any
vessel whatever. The whole of the crew, too, at least
all whom they had the most remote reason for suspecting
to be on board, were assembled in the cabin, with
the exception of Allen, the watch; and his gigantic
stature (he was six feet six inches high) was too familiar
in their eyes to permit the notion that he was the apparition
before them to enter their minds even for an instant.
Add to these considerations the awe-inspiring
nature of the tempest, and that of the conversation
brought about by Peters; the deep impression which the
loathsomeness of the actual corpse had made in the
morning upon the imaginations of the men; the excellence
of the imitation in my person; and the uncertain
and wavering light in which they beheld me, as the
glare of the cabin lantern, swinging violently to and fro,
fell dubiously and fitfully upon my figure, and there will
be no reason to wonder that the deception had even
more than the entire effect which we had anticipated.
The mate sprang up from the mattress on which he
was lying, and, without uttering a syllable, fell back,
stone dead, upon the cabin floor, and was hurled to the
leeward like a log by a heavy roll of the brig. Of the
remaining seven there were but three who had at first
any degree of presence of mind. The four others sat
for some time rooted apparently to the floor, the most pitiable
objects of horror and utter despair my eyes ever
encountered. The only opposition we experienced at
all was from the cook, John Hunt, and Richard Parker;
-- 080 --
[figure description] Page 080.[end figure description]
but they made but a feeble and irresolute defence. The
two former were shot instantly by Peters, and I felled
Parker with a blow on the head from the pump-handle
which I had brought with me. In the mean time Augustus
seized one of the muskets lying on the floor, and
shot another mutineer (—Wilson) through the breast.
There were now but three remaining; but by this time
they had become aroused from their lethargy, and perhaps
began to see that a deception had been practised
upon them, for they fought with great resolution and
fury, and, but for the immense muscular strength of Peters,
might have ultimately got the better of us. These
three men were—Jones, — Greely, and Absalom
Hicks. Jones had thrown Augustus on the floor,
stabbed him in several places along the right arm, and
would no doubt have soon despatched him (as neither
Peters nor myself could immediately get rid of our own
antagonists), had it not been for the timely aid of a
friend upon whose assistance we surely had never depended.
This friend was no other than Tiger. With a
low growl he bounded into the cabin, at a most critical
moment for Augustus, and throwing himself upon Jones,
pinned him to the floor in an instant. My friend, however,
was now too much injured to render us any
aid whatever, and I was so encumbered with my disguise
that I could do but little. The dog would not
leave his hold upon the throat of Jones—Peters, nevertheless,
was far more than a match for the two men who
remained, and would, no doubt, have despatched them
sooner, had it not been for the narrow space in which
he had to act, and the tremendous lurches of the vessel.
Presently he was enabled to get hold of a heavy stool,
several of which lay about the floor. With this he beat
out the brains of Greely as he was in the act of discharging
a musket at me, and immediately afterward a roll
of the brig throwing him in contact with Hicks, he seized
him by the throat, and, by dint of sheer strength, strangled
him instantaneously. Thus, in far less time than
I have taken to tell it, we found ourselves masters of the
brig.
-- 081 --
[figure description] Page 081.[end figure description]
The only person of our opponents who was left alive
was Richard Parker. This man, it will be remembered,
I had knocked down with a blow from the pump-handle
at the commencement of the attack. He now lay motionless
by the door of the shattered stateroom; but, upon
Peters touching him with his foot, he spoke, and entreated
for mercy. His head was only slightly cut, and otherwise
he had received no injury, having been merely
stunned by the blow. He now got up, and, for the
present, we secured his hands behind his back. The
dog was still growling over Jones; but, upon examination,
we found him completely dead, the blood issuing in a
stream from a deep wound in the throat, inflicted, no doubt,
by the sharp teeth of the animal.
It was now about one o'clock in the morning, and
the wind was still blowing tremendously. The brig
evidently laboured much more than usual, and it became
absolutely necessary that something should be done with
a view of easing her in some measure. At almost
every roll to leeward she shipped a sea, several of which
came partially down into the cabin during our scuffle,
the hatchway having been left open by myself when I
descended. The entire range of bulwarks to larboard
had been swept away, as well as the caboose, together
with the jollyboat from the counter. The creaking and
working of the mainmast, too, gave indication that it was
nearly sprung. To make room for more stowage in the
after hold, the heel of this mast had been stepped between
decks (a very reprehensible practice, occasionally
resorted to by ignorant ship-builders), so that it was in
imminent danger of working from its step. But, to crown
all our difficulties, we plummed the well, and found no
less than seven feet water.
Leaving the bodies of the crew lying in the cabin, we
got to work immediately at the pumps—Parker, of
course, being set at liberty to assist us in the labour.
Augustus's arm was bound up as well as we could effect
it, and he did what he could, but that was not much.
However, we found that we could just manage to keep
the leak from gaining upon us by having one pump
-- 082 --
[figure description] Page 082.[end figure description]
constantly going. As there were only four of us, this was
severe labour; but we endeavoured to keep up our spirits,
and looked anxiously for daybreak, when we hoped to
lighten the brig by cutting away the mainmast.
In this manner we passed a night of terrible anxiety
and fatigue, and, when the day at length broke, the gale
had neither abated in the least, nor were there any signs
of its abating. We now dragged the bodies on deck
and threw them overboard. Our next care was to get
rid of the mainmast. The necessary preparations having
been made, Peters cut away at the mast (having
found axes in the cabin), while the rest of us stood by
the stays and lanyards. As the brig gave a tremendous
lee-lurch, the word was given to cut away the weather-lanyards,
which being done, the whole mass of wood
and rigging plunged into the sea, clear of the brig, and
without doing any material injury. We now found that
the vessel did not labour quite as much as before, but
our situation was still exceedingly precarious, and, in
spite of the utmost exertions, we could not gain upon the
leak without the aid of both pumps. The little assistance
which Augustus could render us was not really of
any importance. To add to our distress, a heavy sea,
striking the brig to windward, threw her off several
points from the wind, and, before she could regain her
position, another broke completely over her, and hurled
her full upon her beam-ends. The ballast now shifted
in a mass to leeward (the stowage had been knocking
about perfectly at random for some time), and for a few
moments we thought nothing could save us from capsizing.
Presently, however, we partially righted; but the
ballast still retaining its place to larboard, we lay so
much along that it was useless to think of working the
pumps, which indeed we could not have done much
longer in any case, as our hands were entirely raw with
the excessive labour we had undergone, and were bleeding
in the most horrible manner.
Contrary to Parker's advice, we now proceeded to cut
away the foremast, and at length accomplished it after
much difficulty, owing to the position in which we lay.
-- 083 --
[figure description] Page 083.[end figure description]
In going overboard the wreck took with it the bowsprit,
and left us a complete hulk.
So far we had had reason to rejoice in the escape of
our longboat, which had received no damage from any
of the huge seas which had come on board. But we
had not long to congratulate ourselves; for the foremast
having gone, and, of course, the foresail with it, by
which the brig had been steadied, every sea now made
a complete breach over us, and in five minutes our deck
was swept from stem to stern, the longboat and starboard
bulwarks torn off, and even the windlass shattered
into fragments. It was, indeed, hardly possible for us to
be in a more pitiable condition.
At noon there seemed to be some slight appearance
of the gale's abating, but in this we were sadly disappointed,
for it only lulled for a few minutes to blow with
redoubled fury. About four in the afternoon it was utterly
impossible to stand up against the violence of the
blast; and, as the night closed in upon us, I had not a
shadow of hope that the vessel would hold together until
morning.
By midnight we had settled very deep in the water,
which was now up to the orlop deck. The rudder went
soon afterward, the sea which tore it away lifting the after
portion of the brig entirely from the water, against which
she thumped in her descent with such a concussion
as would be occasioned by going ashore. We had
all calculated that the rudder would hold its own to the
last, as it was unusually strong, being rigged as I have
never seen one rigged either before or since. Down its
main timber there ran a succession of stout iron hooks,
and others in the same manner down the stern-post.
Through these hooks there extended a very thick
wrought-iron rod, the rudder being thus held to the stern-post,
and swinging freely on the rod. The tremendous
force of the sea which tore it off may be estimated by
the fact, that the hooks in the stern-post, which ran entirely
through it, being clinched on the inside, were
drawn every one of them completely out of the solid
wood.
-- 084 --
[figure description] Page 084.[end figure description]
We had scarcely time to draw breath after the vio-ence
of this shock, when one of the most tremendous
waves I had then ever known broke right on board of
us, sweeping the companion-way clear off, bursting in
the hatchways, and filling every inch of the vessel with
water.
CHAPTER IX.
Luckily, just before night, all four of us had lashed
ourselves firmly to the fragments of the windlass, lying
in this manner as flat upon the deck as possible. This
precaution alone saved us from destruction. As it was,
we were all more or less stunned by the immense weight
of water which tumbled upon us, and which did not roll
from above us until we were nearly exhausted. As
soon as I could recover breath, I called aloud to my
companions. Augustus alone replied, saying, “It is all
over with us, and may God have mercy upon our souls.”
By-and-by both the others were enabled to speak, when
they exhorted us to take courage, as there was still hope;
it being impossible, from the nature of the cargo, that
the brig could go down, and there being every chance
that the gale would blow over by the morning. These
words inspired me with new life; for, strange as it may
seem, although it was obvious that a vessel with a cargo
of empty oil-casks would not sink, I had been hitherto
so confused in mind as to have overlooked this consideration
altogether; and the danger which I had for some
time regarded as the most imminent was that of foundering.
As hope revived within me, I made use of every
opportunity to strengthen the lashings which held me
to the remains of the windlass, and in this occupation I
soon discovered that my companions were also busy.
The night was as dark as it could possibly be, and the
horrible shrieking din and confusion which surrounded
-- 085 --
[figure description] Page 085.[end figure description]
us it is useless to attempt describing. Our deck lay
level with the sea, or rather we were encircled with a
towering ridge of foam, a portion of which swept over
us every instant. It is not too much to say that our
heads were not fairly out of water more than one second
in three. Although we lay close together, no one of us
could see the other, or, indeed, any portion of the brig
itself, upon which we were so tempestuously hurled
about. At intervals we called one to the other, thus endeavouring
to keep alive hope, and render consolation
and encouragement to such of us as stood most in need
of it. The feeble condition of Augustus made him an
object of solicitude with us all; and as, from the lacerated
condition of his right arm, it must have been impossible
for him to secure his lashings with any degree of firmness,
we were in momentary expectation of finding that
he had gone overboard—yet to render him aid was a
thing altogether out of the question. Fortunately, his
station was more secure than that of any of the rest of
us; for the upper part of his body lying just beneath a
portion of the shattered windlass, the seas, as they tumbled
in upon him, were greatly broken in their violence.
In any other situation than this (into which he had been
accidentally thrown after having lashed himself in a very
exposed spot) he must inevitably have perished before
morning. Owing to the brig's lying so much along, we
were all less liable to be washed off than otherwise
would have been the case. The heel, as I have before
stated, was to larboard, about one half of the deck being
constantly under water. The seas, therefore, which
struck us to starboard were much broken by the vessel's
side, only reaching us in fragments as we lay flat on our
faces; while those which came from larboard, being
what are called back-water seas, and obtaining little hold
upon us on account of our posture, had not sufficient
force to drag us from our fastenings.
In this frightful situation we lay until the day broke
so as to show us more fully the horrors which surrounded
us. The brig was a mere log, rolling about at
the mercy of every wave; the gale was upon the increase,
-- 086 --
[figure description] Page 086.[end figure description]
if anything, blowing indeed a complete hurricane, and
there appeared to us no earthly prospect of deliverance.
For several hours we held on in silence, expecting every
moment that our lashings would either give way, that
the remains of the windlass would go by the board, or
that some of the huge seas, which roared in every direction
around us and above us, would drive the hulk so far
beneath the water that we should be drowned before it
could regain the surface. By the mercy of God, however,
we were preserved from these imminent dangers,
and about midday were cheered by the light of the
blessed sun. Shortly afterward we could perceive a
sensible diminution in the force of the wind, when, now
for the first time since the latter part of the evening before,
Augustus spoke, asking Peters, who lay closest to
him, if he thought there was any possibility of our being
saved. As no reply was at first made to this question,
we all concluded that the hybrid had been drowned
where he lay; but presently, to our great joy, he spoke,
although very feebly, saying that he was in great pain,
being so cut by the tightness of his lashings across the
stomach, that he must either find means of loosening
them or perish, as it was impossible that he could endure
his misery much longer. This occasioned us great
distress, as it was altogether useless to think of aiding
him in any manner while the sea continued washing over
us as it did. We exhorted him to bear his sufferings
with fortitude, and promised to seize the first opportunity
which should offer itself to relieve him. He replied that
it would soon be too late; that it would be all over with
him before we could help him; and then, after moaning
for some minutes, lay silent, when we concluded that he
had perished.
As the evening drew on, the sea had fallen so much
that scarcely more than one wave broke over the hulk
from windward in the course of five minutes, and the
wind had abated a great deal, although still blowing a
severe gale. I had not heard any of my companions
speak for hours, and now called to Augustus. He replied,
although very feebly, so that I could not
-- 087 --
[figure description] Page 087.[end figure description]
distinguish what he said. I then spoke to Peters and to
Parker, neither of whom returned any answer.
Shortly after this period I fell into a state of partial
insensibility, during which the most pleasing images
floated in my imagination; such as green trees, waving
meadows of ripe grain, processions of dancing girls,
troops of cavalry, and other phantasies. I now remember
that, in all which passed before my mind's eye, motion
was a predominant idea. Thus, I never fancied
any stationary object, such as a house, a mountain, or
anything of that kind; but windmills, ships, large birds,
balloons, people on horseback, carriages driving furiously,
and similar moving objects, presented themselves in
endless succession. When I recovered from this state,
the sun was, as near as I could guess, an hour high. I
had the greatest difficulty in bringing to recollection the
various circumstances connected with my situation, and
for some time remained firmly convinced that I was still
in the hold of the brig, near the box, and that the body
of Parker was that of Tiger.
When I at length completely came to my senses, I
found that the wind blew no more than a moderate
breeze, and that the sea was comparatively calm; so
much so that it only washed over the brig amidships.
My left arm had broken loose from its lashings, and was
much cut about the elbow; my right was entirely benumbed,
and the hand and wrist swollen prodigiously
by the pressure of the rope, which had worked from the
shoulder downward. I was also in great pain from another
rope which went about my waist, and had been
drawn to an insufferable degree of tightness. Looking
round upon my companions, I saw that Peters still lived,
although a thick line was pulled so forcibly around his
loins as to give him the appearance of being cut nearly
in two; as I stirred, he made a feeble motion to me with
his hand, pointing to the rope. Augustus gave no indication
of life whatever, and was bent nearly double
across a splinter of the windlass. Parker spoke to me
when he saw me moving, and asked me if I had not sufficient
strength to release him from his situation; saying,
-- 088 --
[figure description] Page 088.[end figure description]
that if I would summon up what spirits I could, and contrive
to untie him, we might yet save our lives; but that
otherwise we must all perish. I told him to take courage,
and I would endeavour to free him. Feeling in my
pantaloons' pocket, I got hold of my penknife, and, after
several ineffectual attempts, at length succeeded in opening
it. I then, with my left hand, managed to free my
right from its fastenings, and afterward cut the other ropes
which held me. Upon attempting, however, to move
from my position, I found that my legs failed me altogether,
and that I could not get up; neither could I
move my right arm in any direction. Upon mentioning
this to Parker, he advised me to lie quiet for a few minutes,
holding on to the windlass with my left hand, so
as to allow time for the blood to circulate. Doing this,
the numbness presently began to die away, so that I
could move first one of my legs, and then the other;
and, shortly afterward, I regained the partial use of my
right arm. I now crawled with great caution towards
Parker, without getting on my legs, and soon cut loose
all the lashings about him, when, after a short delay, he
also recovered the partial use of his limbs. We now
lost no time in getting loose the rope from Peters. It
had cut a deep gash through the waistband of his woollen
pantaloons, and through two shirts, and made its
way into his groin, from which the blood flowed out
copiously as we removed the cordage. No sooner had
we removed it, however, than he spoke, and seemed to
experience instant relief—being able to move with much
greater ease than either Parker or myself—this was no
doubt owing to the discharge of blood.
We had little hope that Augustus would recover, as he
evinced no signs of life; but, upon getting to him, we
discovered that he had merely swooned from loss of
blood, the bandages we had placed around his wounded
arm having been torn off by the water; none of the
ropes which held him to the windlass were drawn sufficiently
tight to occasion his death. Having relieved
him from the fastenings, and got him clear of the broken
wood about the windlass, we secured him in a dry place
-- 089 --
[figure description] Page 089.[end figure description]
to windward, with his head somewhat lower than his
body, and all three of us busied ourselves in chafing his
limbs. In about half an hour he came to himself, although
it was not until the next morning that he gave
signs of recognising any of us, or had sufficient strength
to speak. By the time we had thus got clear of our
lashings it was quite dark, and it began to cloud up, so
that we were again in the greatest agony lest it should
come on to blow hard, in which event nothing could have
saved us from perishing, exhausted as we were. By
good fortune it continued very moderate during the night,
the sea subsiding every minute, which gave us great
hopes of ultimate preservation. A gentle breeze still
blew from the N. W., but the weather was not at all cold.
Augustus was lashed carefully to windward in such a
manner as to prevent him from slipping overboard with
the rolls of the vessel, as he was still too weak to hold
on at all. For ourselves there was no such necessity.
We sat close together, supporting each other with the
aid of the broken ropes about the windlass, and devising
methods of escape from our frightful situation. We derived
much comfort from taking off our clothes and
wringing the water from them. When we put them on
after this, they felt remarkably warm and pleasant, and
served to invigorate us in no little degree. We helped
Augustus off with his, and wrung them for him, when he
experienced the same comfort.
Our chief sufferings were now those of hunger and
thirst, and, when we looked forward to the means of relief
in this respect, our hearts sunk within us, and we
were induced to regret that we had escaped the less
dreadful perils of the sea. We endeavoured, however,
to console ourselves with the hope of being speedily
picked up by some vessel, and encouraged each other to
bear with fortitude the evils that might happen.
The morning of the fourteenth at length dawned, and
the weather still continued clear and pleasant, with a
steady but very light breeze from the N. W. The sea
was now quite smooth, and as, from some cause which
we could not determine, the brig did not lie so much
-- 090 --
[figure description] Page 090.[end figure description]
along as she had done before, the deck was comparatively
dry, and we could move about with freedom.
We had now been better than three entire days and
nights without either food or drink, and it became absolutely
necessary that we should make an attempt to get
up something from below. As the brig was completely
full of water, we went to this work despondingly, and
with but little expectation of being able to obtain anything.
We made a kind of drag by driving some nails
which we broke out from the remains of the companion-hatch
into two pieces of wood. Tying these across
each other, and fastening them to the end of a rope, we
threw them into the cabin, and dragged them to and fro,
in the faint hope of being thus able to entangle some article
which might be of use to us for food, or which
might at least render us assistance in getting it. We
spent the greater part of the morning in this labour without
effect, fishing up nothing more than a few bedclothes,
which were readily caught by the nails. Indeed, our
contrivance was so very clumsy, that any greater success
was hardly to be anticipated.
We now tried the forecastle, but equally in vain,
and were upon the brink of despair, when Peters proposed
that we should fasten a rope to his body, and let
him make an attempt to get up something by diving into
the cabin. This proposition we hailed with all the delight
which reviving hope could inspire. He proceeded
immediately to strip off his clothes with the exception
of his pantaloons; and a strong rope was then carefully
fastened around his middle, being brought up over his
shoulders in such a manner that there was no possibility
of its slipping. The undertaking was one of great difficulty
and danger; for, as we could hardly expect to find
much, if any provision in the cabin itself, it was necessary
that the diver, after letting himself down, should
make a turn to the right, and proceed under water a distance
of ten or twelve feet, in a narrow passage, to the
storeroom, and return, without drawing breath.
Everything being ready, Peters now descended into
the cabin, going down the companion-ladder until the
-- 091 --
[figure description] Page 091.[end figure description]
water reached his chin. He then plunged in, head first,
turning to the right as he plunged, and endeavouring to
make his way to the storeroom. In this first attempt,
however, he was altogether unsuccessful. In less than
half a minute after his going down we felt the rope
jerked violently (the signal we had agreed upon when
he desired to be drawn up). We accordingly drew him
up instantly, but so incautiously as to bruise him badly
against the ladder. He had brought nothing with him,
and had been unable to penetrate more than a very little
way into the passage, owing to the constant exertions he
found it necessary to make in order to keep himself
from floating up against the deck. Upon getting out he
was very much exhausted, and had to rest full fifteen
minutes before he could again venture to descend.
The second attempt met with even worse success;
for he remained so long under water without giving the
signal, that, becoming alarmed for his safety, we drew
him out without it, and found that he was almost at the
last gasp, having, as he said, repeatedly jerked at the
rope without our feeling it. This was probably owing
to a portion of it having become entangled in the balustrade
at the foot of the ladder. This balustrade was,
indeed, so much in the way, that we determined to remove
it, if possible, before proceeding with our design.
As we had no means of getting it away except by main
force, we all descended into the water as far as we
could on the ladder, and, giving a pull against it with
our united strength, succeeded in breaking it down.
The third attempt was equally unsuccessful with
the two first, and it now became evident that nothing
could be done in this manner without the aid of some
weight with which the diver might steady himself, and
keep to the floor of the cabin while making his search.
For a long time we looked about in vain for something
which might answer this purpose; but at length, to our
great joy, we discovered one of the weather-forechains
so loose that we had not the least difficulty in wrenching
it off. Having fastened this securely to one of his
ancles, Peters now made his fourth descent into the
-- 092 --
[figure description] Page 092.[end figure description]
cabin, and this time succeeded in making his way to the
door of the steward's room. To his inexpressible grief,
however, he found it locked, and was obliged to return
without effecting an entrance, as, with the greatest exertion,
he could remain under water not more, at the utmost
extent, than a single minute. Our affairs now
looked gloomy indeed, and neither Augustus nor myself
could refrain from bursting into tears, as we thought of
the host of difficulties which encompassed us, and the
slight probability which existed of our finally making an
escape. But this weakness was not of long duration.
Throwing ourselves on our knees to God, we implored
his aid in the many dangers which beset us; and arose
with renewed hope and vigour to think what could yet
be done by mortal means towards accomplishing our deliverance.
CHAPTER X.
Shortly afterward an incident occurred which I am
induced to look upon as more intensely productive of
emotion, as far more replete with the extremes first of delight
and then of horror, than even any of the thousand
chances which afterward befell me in nine long years,
crowded with events of the most startling, and, in many
cases, of the most unconceived and unconceivable character.
We were lying on the deck near the companion-way,
and debating the possibility of yet making our way
into the storeroom, when, looking towards Augustus, who
lay fronting myself, I perceived that he had become all
at once deadly pale, and that his lips were quivering in
the most singular and unaccountable manner. Greatly
alarmed, I spoke to him, but he made me no reply, and
I was beginning to think that he was suddenly taken ill,
when I took notice of his eyes, which were glaring apparently
at some object behind me. I turned my head,
-- 093 --
[figure description] Page 093.[end figure description]
and shall never forget the ecstatic joy which thrilled
through every particle of my frame, when I perceived a
large brig bearing down upon us, and not more than a
couple of miles off. I sprung to my feet as if a musket
bullet had suddenly struck me to the heart; and, stretching
out my arms in the direction of the vessel, stood in
this manner, motionless, and unable to articulate a syllable.
Peters and Parker were equally affected, although
in different ways. The former danced about the deck
like a madman, uttering the most extravagant rhodomontades,
intermingled with howls and imprecations, while
the latter burst into tears, and continued for many minutes
weeping like a child.
The vessel in sight was a large hermaphrodite brig,
of a Dutch build, and painted black, with a tawdry gilt
figurehead. She had evidently seen a good deal of
rough weather, and, we supposed, had suffered much in
the gale which had proved so disastrous to ourselves;
for her foretopmast was gone, and some of her starboard
bulwarks. When we first saw her, she was, as I have
already said, about two miles off and to windward, bearing
down upon us. The breeze was very gentle, and
what astonished us chiefly was, that she had no other
sails set than her foresail and mainsail, with a flying jib—
of course she came down but slowly, and our impatience
amounted nearly to phrensy. The awkward manner
in which she steered, too, was remarked by all of
us, even excited as we were. She yawed about so considerably,
that once or twice we thought it impossible
she could see us, or imagined that, having seen us, and
discovered no person on board, she was about to tack
and make off in another direction. Upon each of these
occasions we screamed and shouted at the top of our
voices, when the stranger would appear to change for a
moment her intention, and again hold on towards us—
this singular conduct being repeated two or three times,
so that at last we could think of no other manner of accounting
for it than by supposing the helmsman to be in
liquor.
No person was seen upon her decks until she arrived
-- 094 --
[figure description] Page 094.[end figure description]
within about a quarter of a mile of us. We then saw
three seamen, whom by their dress we took to be Hollanders.
Two of these were lying on some old sails
near the forecastle, and the third, who appeared to be
looking at us with great curiosity, was leaning over the
starboard bow near the bowsprit. This last was a stout
and tall man, with a very dark skin. He seemed by his
manner to be encouraging us to have patience, nodding
to us in a cheerful although rather odd way, and
smiling constantly so as to display a set of the most
brilliantly white teeth. As his vessel drew nearer, we
saw a red flannel cap which he had on fall from his head
into the water; but of this he took little or no notice,
continuing his odd smiles and gesticulations. I relate
these things and circumstances minutely, and I relate
them, it must be understood, precisely as they appeared
to us.
The brig came on slowly, and now more steadily than
before, and—I cannot speak calmly of this event—
our hearts leaped up wildly within us, and we poured
out our whole souls in shouts and thanksgiving to God
for the complete, unexpected, and glorious deliverance
that was so palpably at hand. Of a sudden, and all at
once, there came wafted over the ocean from the strange
vessel (which was now close upon us) a smell, a
stench, such as the whole world has no name for—no
conception of—hellish—utterly suffocating—insufferable,
inconceivable. I gasped for breath, and, turning to
my companions, perceived that they were paler than marble.
But we had now no time left for question or surmise—
the brig was within fifty feet of us, and it seemed
to be her intention to run under our counter, that we
might board her without her putting out a boat. We
rushed aft, when, suddenly, a wide yaw threw her off
full five or six points from the course she had been running,
and, as she passed under our stern at the distance
of about twenty feet, we had a full view of her decks.
Shall I ever forget the triple horror of that spectacle?
Twenty-five or thirty human bodies, among whom were
several females, lay scattered about between the counter
-- 095 --
[figure description] Page 095.[end figure description]
and the galley, in the last and most loathsome state of
putrefaction! We plainly saw that not a soul lived in
that fated vessel! Yet we could not help shouting to the
dead for help! Yes, long and loudly did we beg, in the
agony of the moment, that those silent and disgusting
images would stay for us, would not abandon us to become
like them, would receive us among their goodly
company! We were raving with horror and despair—
thoroughly mad through the anguish of our grievous disappointment.
As our first loud yell of terror broke forth, it was replied
to by something, from near the bowsprit of the
stranger, so closely resembling the scream of a human
voice that the nicest ear might have been startled and deceived.
At this instant another sudden yaw brought the
region of the forecastle for a moment into view, and we
beheld at once the origin of the sound. We saw the
tall stout figure still leaning on the bulwark, and still
nodding his head to and fro, but his face was now turned
from us so that we could not behold it. His arms were
extended over the rail, and the palms of his hands fell
outward. His knees were lodged upon a stout rope,
tightly stretched, and reaching from the heel of the bowsprit
to a cathead. On his back, from which a portion
of the shirt had been torn, leaving it bare, there sat
a huge seagull, busily gorging itself with the horrible
flesh, its bill and talons deep buried, and its white plumage
spattered all over with blood. As the brig moved
further round so as to bring us close in view, the bird,
with much apparent difficulty, drew out its crimsoned
head, and, after eying us for a moment as if stupified,
arose lazily from the body upon which it had been feasting,
and, flying directly above our deck, hovered there
a while with a portion of clotted and liver-like substance
in its beak. The horrid morsel dropped at length
with a sullen splash immediately at the feet of Parker.
May God forgive me, but now, for the first time, there
flashed through my mind a thought, a thought which I will
not mention, and I felt myself making a step towards
the ensanguined spot. I looked upward, and the eyes
-- 096 --
[figure description] Page 096.[end figure description]
of Augustus met my own with a degree of intense and
eager meaning which immediately brought me to my
senses. I sprang forward quickly, and, with a deep
shudder, threw the frightful thing into the sea.
The body from which it had been taken, resting as it
did upon the rope, had been easily swayed to and fro by
the exertions of the carnivorous bird, and it was this motion
which had at first impressed us with the belief of
its being alive. As the gull relieved it of its weight, it
swung round and fell partially over, so that the face was
fully discovered. Never, surely, was any object so terribly
full of awe! The eyes were gone, and the whole
flesh around the mouth, leaving the teeth utterly naked.
This, then, was the smile which had cheered us on to
hope! this the—but I forbear. The brig, as I have already
told, passed under our stern, and made its way
slowly but steadily to leeward. With her and with her
terrible crew went all our gay visions of deliverance
and joy. Deliberately as she went by, we might possibly
have found means of boarding her, had not our sudden
disappointment, and the appalling nature of the discovery
which accompanied it, laid entirely prostrate every
active faculty of mind and body. We had seen and felt,
but we could neither think nor act, until, alas, too late.
How much our intellects had been weakened by this
incident may be estimated by the fact, that, when the
vessel had proceeded so far that we could perceive no
more than the half of her hull, the proposition was seriously
entertained of attempting to overtake her by swimming!
I have, since this period, vainly endeavoured to obtain
some clew to the hideous uncertainty which enveloped the
fate of the stranger. Her build and general appearance,
as I have before stated, led us to the belief that she was
a Dutch trader, and the dresses of the crew also sustained
this opinion. We might have easily seen the
name upon her stern, and, indeed, taken other observations
which would have guided us in making out her
character; but the intense excitement of the moment
blinded us to everything of that nature. From the
-- 097 --
[figure description] Page 097.[end figure description]
saffron-like hue of such of the corpses as were not entirely
decayed, we concluded that the whole of her company
had perished by the yellow fever, or some other virulent
disease of the same fearful kind. If such were the case
(and I know not what else to imagine), death, to judge
from the positions of the bodies, must have come upon
them in a manner awfully sudden and overwhelming,
in a way totally distinct from that which generally characterizes
even the most deadly pestilences with which
mankind are acquainted. It is possible, indeed, that
poison, accidentally introduced into some of their sea-stores,
may have brought about the disaster; or that the
eating some unknown venomous species of fish, or other
marine animal, or oceanic bird, might have induced it—
but it is utterly useless to form conjectures where all is
involved, and will, no doubt, remain for ever involved, in
the most appalling and unfathomable mystery.
CHAPTER XI.
We spent the remainder of the day in a condition of
stupid lethargy, gazing after the retreating vessel until
the darkness, hiding her from our sight, recalled us in
some measure to our senses. The pangs of hunger and
thirst then returned, absorbing all other cares and considerations.
Nothing, however, could be done until the
morning, and, securing ourselves as well as possible, we
endeavoured to snatch a little repose. In this I succeeded
beyond my expectation, sleeping until my companions,
who had not been so fortunate, aroused me at
daybreak to renew our attempts at getting up provision
from the hull.
It was now a dead calm, with the sea as smooth as I
have ever known it—the weather warm and pleasant.
The brig was out of sight. We commenced our
-- 098 --
[figure description] Page 098.[end figure description]
operations by wrenching off, with some trouble, another of the
forechains; and having fastened both to Peters's feet, he
again made an endeavour to reach the door of the storeroom,
thinking it possible that he might be able to force
it open, provided he could get at it in sufficient time;
and this he hoped to do, as the hulk lay much more
steadily than before.
He succeeded very quickly in reaching the door,
when, loosening one of the chains from his ankle, he
made every exertion to force a passage with it, but
in vain, the framework of the room being far stronger
than was anticipated. He was quite exhausted with
his long stay under water, and it became absolutely necessary
that some other one of us should take his place.
For this service Parker immediately volunteered; but,
after making three ineffectual efforts, found that he could
never even succeed in getting near the door. The condition
of Augustus's wounded arm rendered it useless
for him to attempt going down, as he would be unable
to force the room open should he reach it, and it accordingly
now devolved upon me to exert myself for our
common deliverance.
Peters had left one of the chains in the passage, and
I found, upon plunging in, that I had not sufficient ballast
to keep me firmly down. I determined, therefore,
to attempt no more, in my first effort, than merely to recover
the other chain. In groping along the floor of the
passage for this I felt a hard substance, which I immediately
grasped, not having time to ascertain what it
was, but returning and ascending instantly to the surface.
The prize proved to be a bottle, and our joy may
be conceived when I say that it was found to be full of
Port wine. Giving thanks to God for this timely and
cheering assistance, we immediately drew the cork with
my penknife, and, each taking a moderate sup, felt the
most indescribable comfort from the warmth, strength,
and spirits with which it inspired us. We then carefully
recorked the bottle, and, by means of a handkerchief,
swung it in such a manner that there was no possibility
of its getting broken.
-- 099 --
[figure description] Page 099.[end figure description]
Having rested a while after this fortunate discovery, I
again descended, and now recovered the chain, with
which I instantly came up. I then fastened it on and
went down for the third time, when I became fully satisfied
that no exertions whatever, in that situation, would
enable me to force open the door of the storeroom. I
therefore returned in despair.
There seemed now to be no longer any room for hope,
and I could perceive in the countenances of my companions
that they had made up their minds to perish. The
wine had evidently produced in them a species of delirium,
which, perhaps, I had been prevented from feeling
by the immersion I had undergone since drinking it.
They talked incoherently, and about matters unconnected
with our condition, Peters repeatedly asking me questions
about Nantucket. Augustus, too, I remember, approached
me with a serious air, and requested me to
lend him a pocket-comb, as his hair was full of fish
scales, and he wished to get them out before going on
shore. Parker appeared somewhat less affected, and
urged me to dive at random into the cabin, and bring up
any article which might come to hand. To this I consented,
and, in the first attempt, after staying under a full
minute, brought up a small leather trunk belonging to
Captain Barnard. This was immediately opened in the
faint hope that it might contain something to eat or drink.
We found nothing, however, except a box of razors and
two linen shirts. I now went down again, and returned
without any success. As my head came above water I
heard a crash on deck, and, upon getting up, saw that
my companions had ungratefully taken advantage of my
absence to drink the remainder of the wine, having let
the bottle fall in the endeavour to replace it before I saw
them. I remonstrated with them on the heartlessness
of their conduct, when Augustus burst into tears. The
other two endeavoured to laugh the matter off as a joke,
but I hope never again to behold laughter of such a
species: the distortion of countenance was absolutely
frightful. Indeed, it was apparent that the stimulus, in
the empty state of their stomachs, had taken instant and
-- 100 --
[figure description] Page 100.[end figure description]
violent effect, and that they were all exceedingly intoxicated.
With great difficulty I prevailed upon them to
lie down, when they fell very soon into a heavy slumber,
accompanied with loud stertorous breathing.
I now found myself, as it were, alone in the brig, and
my reflections, to be sure, were of the most fearful and
gloomy nature. No prospect offered itself to my view
but a lingering death by famine, or, at the best, by being
overwhelmed in the first gale which should spring up,
for in our present exhausted condition we could have no
hope of living through another.
The gnawing hunger which I now experienced was
nearly insupportable, and I felt myself capable of going
to any lengths in order to appease it. With my knife I
cut off a small portion of the leather trunk, and endeavoured
to eat it, but found it utterly impossible to swallow
a single morsel, although I fancied that some little
alleviation of my suffering was obtained by chewing
small pieces of it and spitting them out. Towards
night my companions awoke, one by one, each in an indescribable
state of weakness and horror, brought on by
the wine, whose fumes had now evaporated. They
shook as if with a violent ague, and uttered the most
lamentable cries for water. Their condition affected
me in the most lively degree, at the same time causing
me to rejoice in the fortunate train of circumstances
which had prevented me from indulging in the wine, and
consequently from sharing their melancholy and most
distressing sensations. Their conduct, however, gave
me great uneasiness and alarm; for it was evident that,
unless some favourable change took place, they could
afford me no assistance in providing for our common
safety. I had not yet abandoned all idea of being able
to get up something from below; but the attempt could
not possibly be resumed until some one of them was
sufficiently master of himself to aid me by holding the
end of the rope while I went down. Parker appeared
to be somewhat more in possession of his senses than
the others, and I endeavoured, by every means in my
power, to arouse him. Thinking that a plunge in the
-- 101 --
[figure description] Page 101.[end figure description]
seawater might have a beneficial effect, I contrived to
fasten the end of a rope around his body, and then, leading
him to the companion-way (he remaining quite passive
all the while), pushed him in, and immediately drew
him out. I had good reason to congratulate myself upon
having made this experiment; for he appeared much revived
and invigorated, and, upon getting out, asked me,
in a rational manner, why I had so served him. Having
explained my object, he expressed himself indebted to
me, and said that he felt greatly better from the immersion,
afterward conversing sensibly upon our situation.
We then resolved to treat Augustus and Peters in the
same way, which we immediately did, when they both
experienced much benefit from the shock. This idea of
sudden immersion had been suggested to me by reading
in some medical work the good effect of the shower-bath
in a case where the patient was suffering from mania a
potu.
Finding that I could now trust my companions to hold
the end of the rope, I again made three or four plunges
into the cabin, although it was now quite dark, and a
gentle but long swell from the northward rendered the
hulk somewhat unsteady. In the course of these attempts
I succeeded in bringing up two case-knives, a
three-gallon jug, empty, and a blanket, but nothing which
could serve us for food. I continued my efforts, after
getting these articles, until I was completely exhausted,
but brought up nothing else. During the night Parker
and Peters occupied themselves by turns in the same
manner; but nothing coming to hand, we now gave up
this attempt in despair, concluding that we were exhausting
ourselves in vain.
We passed the remainder of this night in a state of
the most intense mental and bodily anguish that can possibly
be imagined. The morning of the sixteenth at
length dawned, and we looked eagerly around the horizon
for relief, but to no purpose. The sea was still
smooth, with only a long swell from the northward, as on
yesterday. This was the sixth day since we had tasted
either food or drink, with the exception of the bottle of
-- 102 --
[figure description] Page 102.[end figure description]
Portwine, and it was clear that we could hold out but a very
little while longer unless something could be obtained.
I never saw before, nor wish to see again, human beings
so utterly emaciated as Peters and Augustus. Had I
met them on shore in their present condition I should not
have had the slightest suspicion that I had ever beheld
them. Their countenances were totally changed in
character, so that I could not bring myself to believe
them really the same individuals with whom I had been
in company but a few days before. Parker, although
sadly reduced, and so feeble that he could not raise his
head from his bosom, was not so far gone as the other
two. He suffered with great patience, making no complaint,
and endeavouring to inspire us with hope in
every manner he could devise. For myself, although at
the commencement of the voyage I had been in bad
health, and was at all times of a delicate constitution, I
suffered less than any of us, being much less reduced in
frame, and retaining my powers of mind in a surprising
degree, while the rest were completely prostrated in intellect,
and seemed to be brought to a species of second
childhood, generally simpering in their expressions, with
idiotic smiles, and uttering the most absurd platitudes.
At intervals, however, they would appear to revive suddenly,
as if inspired all at once with a consciousness of
their condition, when they would spring upon their feet
in a momentary flash of vigour, and speak, for a short
period, of their prospects, in a manner altogether rational,
although full of the most intense despair. It is possible,
however, that my companions may have entertained the
same opinion of their own condition as I did of mine, and
that I may have unwittingly been guilty of the same extravagances
and imbecilities as themselves—this is a
matter which cannot be determined.
About noon Parker declared that he saw land off the
larboard quarter, and it was with the utmost difficulty I
could restrain him from plunging into the sea with the
view of swimming towards it. Peters and Augustus
took little notice of what he said, being apparently
wrapped up in moody contemplation. Upon looking in
-- 103 --
[figure description] Page 103.[end figure description]
the direction pointed out I could not perceive the faintest
appearance of the shore—indeed, I was too well aware
that we were far from any land to indulge in a hope of
that nature. It was a long time, nevertheless, before I
could convince Parker of his mistake. He then burst into
a flood of tears, weeping like a child, with loud cries and
sobs, for two or three hours, when, becoming exhausted,
he fell asleep.
Peters and Augustus now made several ineffectual efforts
to swallow portions of the leather. I advised them
to chew it and spit it out; but they were too excessively
debilitated to be able to follow my advice. I continued
to chew pieces of it at intervals, and found some relief
from so doing; my chief distress was for water, and I
was only prevented from taking a draught from the sea
by remembering the horrible consequences which thus
have resulted to others who were similarly situated with
ourselves.
The day wore on in this manner, when I suddenly
discovered a sail to the eastward, and on our larboard
bow. She appeared to be a large ship, and was coming
nearly athwart us, being probably twelve or fifteen miles
distant. None of my companions had as yet discovered
her, and I forbore to tell them of her for the present,
lest we might again be disappointed of relief. At
length, upon her getting nearer, I saw distinctly that she
was heading immediately for us, with her light sails
filled. I could now contain myself no longer, and
pointed her out to my fellow-sufferers. They immediately
sprang to their feet, again indulging in the most
extravagant demonstrations of joy, weeping, laughing in
an idiotic manner, jumping, stamping upon the deck,
tearing their hair, and praying and cursing by turns. I
was so affected by their conduct, as well as by what I
now considered a sure prospect of deliverance, that I
could not refrain from joining in with their madness, and
gave way to the impulses of my gratitude and ecstasy
by lying and rolling on the deck, clapping my hands,
shouting, and other similar acts, until I was suddenly
called to my recollection, and once more to the extreme
-- 104 --
[figure description] Page 104.[end figure description]
of human misery and despair, by perceiving the ship all
at once with her stern fully presented towards us, and
steering in a direction nearly opposite to that in which I
had at first perceived her.
It was some time before I could induce my poor companions
to believe that this sad reverse in our prospects
had actually taken place. They replied to all my
assertions with a stare and a gesture implying that they
were not to be deceived by such misrepresentations.
The conduct of Augustus most sensibly affected me. In
spite of all I could say or do to the contrary, he persisted
in saying that the ship was rapidly nearing us, and in
making preparations to go on board of her. Some sea-weed
floating by the brig, he maintained that it was the
ship's boat, and endeavoured to throw himself upon it,
howling and shrieking in the most heartrending manner,
when I forcibly restrained him from thus casting himself
into the sea.
Having become in some degree pacified, we continued
to watch the ship until we finally lost sight of her, the
weather becoming hazy, with a light breeze springing up.
As soon as she was entirely gone, Parker turned suddenly
towards me with an expression of countenance
which made me shudder. There was about him an air
of self-possession which I had not noticed in him until
now, and before he opened his lips my heart told me
what he would say. He proposed, in a few words, that
one of us should die to preserve the existence of the
others.
-- 105 --
CHAPTER XII.
[figure description] Page 105.[end figure description]
I had, for some time past, dwelt upon the prospect of
our being reduced to this last horrible extremity, and
had secretly made up my mind to suffer death in any
shape or under any circumstances rather than resort to
such a course. Nor was this resolution in any degree
weakened by the present intensity of hunger under which
I laboured. The proposition had not been heard by
either Peters or Augustus. I therefore took Parker
aside; and mentally praying to God for power to dissuade
him from the horrible purpose he entertained, I expostulated
with him for a long time and in the most supplicating
manner, begging him in the name of everything
which he held sacred, and urging him by every species
of argument which the extremity of the case suggested,
to abandon the idea, and not to mention it to either of the
other two.
He heard all I said without attempting to controvert
any of my arguments, and I had begun to hope that he
would be prevailed upon to do as I desired. But when
I had ceased speaking, he said that he knew very well
all I had said was true, and that to resort to such a
course was the most horrible alternative which could
enter into the mind of man; but that he had now held
out as long as human nature could be sustained; that it
was unnecessary for all to perish, when, by the death of
one, it was possible, and even probable, that the rest
might be finally preserved; adding that I might save
myself the trouble of trying to turn him from his purpose,
his mind having been thoroughly made up on the subject
even before the appearance of the ship, and that only
her heaving in sight had prevented him from mentioning
his intention at an earlier period.
I now begged him, if he would not be prevailed upon
to abandon his design, at least to defer it for another day,
-- 106 --
[figure description] Page 106.[end figure description]
when some vessel might come to our relief; again reiterating
every argument I could devise, and which I
thought likely to have influence with one of his rough
nature. He said, in reply, that he had not spoken until
the very last possible moment; that he could exist no
longer without sustenance of some kind; and that therefore
in another day his suggestion would be too late, as
regarded himself at least.
Finding that he was not to be moved by anything I
could say in a mild tone, I now assumed a different demeanour,
and told him that he must be aware I had suffered
less than any of us from our calamities; that my
health and strength, consequently, were at that moment
far better than his own, or than that either of Peters or
Augustus; in short, that I was in a condition to have
my own way by force if I found it necessary; and that,
if he attempted in any manner to acquaint the others
with his bloody and cannibal designs, I would not hesitate
to throw him into the sea. Upon this he immediately
seized me by the throat, and drawing a knife, made
several ineffectual efforts to stab me in the stomach; an
atrocity which his excessive debility alone prevented him
from accomplishing. In the mean time, being roused to
a high pitch of anger, I forced him to the vessel's side,
with the full intention of throwing him overboard. He
was saved from this fate, however, by the interference
of Peters, who now approached and separated us, asking
the cause of the disturbance. This Parker told before
I could find means in any manner to prevent him.
The effect of his words was even more terrible than
what I had anticipated. Both Augustus and Peters,
who, it seems, had long secretly entertained the same
fearful idea which Parker had been merely the first to
broach, joined with him in his design, and insisted upon
its being immediately carried into effect. I had calculated
that one at least of the two former would be found
still possessed of sufficient strength of mind to side
with myself in resisting any attempt to execute so dreadful
a purpose; and, with the aid of either one of them,
I had no fear of being able to prevent its
-- 107 --
[figure description] Page 107.[end figure description]
accomplishment. Being disappointed in this expectation, it became
absolutely necessary that I should attend to my own
safety, as a further resistance on my part might possibly
be considered by men in their frightful condition a sufficient
excuse for refusing me fair play in the tragedy that
I knew would speedily be enacted.
I now told them I was willing to submit to the proposal,
merely requesting a delay of about one hour, in
order that the fog which had gathered around us might
have an opportunity of lifting, when it was possible that
the ship we had seen might be again in sight. After
great difficulty I obtained from them a promise to wait
thus long; and, as I had anticipated (a breeze rapidly
coming in), the fog lifted before the hour had expired,
when, no vessel appearing in sight, we prepared to draw
lots.
It is with extreme reluctance that I dwell upon the
appalling scene which ensued; a scene which, with its
minutest details, no after events have been able to efface
in the slightest degree from my memory, and whose
stern recollection will imbitter every future moment of
my existence. Let me run over this portion of my narrative
with as much haste as the nature of the events to
be spoken of will permit. The only method we could
devise for the terrific lottery, in which we were to take
each a chance, was that of drawing straws. Small
splinters of wood were made to answer our purpose, and
it was agreed that I should be the holder. I retired to
one end of the hulk, while my poor companions silently
took up their station in the other with their backs turned
towards me. The bitterest anxiety which I endured at
any period of this fearful drama was while I occupied
myself in the arrangement of the lots. There are few
conditions into which man can possibly fall where he
will not feel a deep interest in the preservation of his
existence; an interest momentarily increasing with the
frailness of the tenure by which that existence may be
held. But now that the silent, definite, and stern nature
of the business in which I was engaged (so different
from the tumultuous dangers of the storm or the
-- 108 --
[figure description] Page 108.[end figure description]
gradually approaching horrors of famine) allowed me to reflect
on the few chances I had of escaping the most appalling
of deaths—a death for the most appalling of purposes—
every particle of that energy which had so long
buoyed me up departed like feathers before the wind,
leaving me a helpless prey to the most abject and pitiable
terror. I could not, at first, even summon up sufficient
strength to tear and fit together the small splinters
of wood, my fingers absolutely refusing their office, and
my knees knocking violently against each other. My
mind ran over rapidly a thousand absurd projects by
which to avoid becoming a partner in the awful speculation.
I thought of falling on my knees to my companions,
and entreating them to let me escape this necessity;
of suddenly rushing upon them, and, by putting one of
them to death, of rendering the decision by lot useless—
in short, of everything but of going through with the matter
I had in hand. At last, after wasting a long time in
this imbecile conduct, I was recalled to my senses by
the voice of Parker, who urged me to relieve them at
once from the terrible anxiety they were enduring.
Even then I could not bring myself to arrange the splinters
upon the spot, but thought over every species of finesse
by which I could trick some one of my fellow-sufferers
to draw the short straw, as it had been agreed
that whoever drew the shortest of four splinters from
my hand was to die for the preservation of the rest.
Before any one condemn me for this apparent heartlessness,
let him be placed in a situation precisely similar to
my own.
At length delay was no longer possible, and, with a
heart almost bursting from my bosom, I advanced to the
region of the forecastle, where my companions were
awaiting me. I held out my hand with the splinters,
and Peters immediately drew. He was free—his, at
least, was not the shortest; and there was now another
chance against my escape. I summoned up all my
strength, and passed the lots to Augustus. He also
drew immediately, and he also was free; and now,
whether I should live or die, the chances were no more
-- 109 --
[figure description] Page 109.[end figure description]
than precisely even. At this moment all the fierceness
of the tiger possessed my bosom, and I felt towards my
poor fellow-creature, Parker, the most intense, the most
diabolical hatred. But the feeling did not last; and, at
length, with a convulsive shudder and closed eyes, I
held out the two remaining splinters towards him. It
was full five minutes before he could summon resolution
to draw, during which period of heartrending suspense
I never once opened my eyes. Presently one of the
two lots was quickly drawn from my hand. The decision
was then over, yet I knew not whether it was for
me or against me. No one spoke, and still I dared not
satisfy myself by looking at the splinter I held. Peters
at length took me by the hand, and I forced myself to look
up, when I immediately saw by the countenance of Parker
that I was safe, and that he it was who had been
doomed to suffer. Gasping for breath, I fell senseless
to the deck.
I recovered from my swoon in time to behold the
consummation of the tragedy in the death of him who
had been chiefly instrumental in bringing it about. He
made no resistance whatever, and was stabbed in the
back by Peters, when he fell instantly dead. I must
not dwell upon the fearful repast which immediately ensued.
Such things may be imagined, but words have
no power to impress the mind with the exquisite horror of
their reality. Let it suffice to say that, having in some
measure appeased the raging thirst which consumed us
by the blood of the victim, and having by common consent
taken off the hands, feet, and head, throwing them,
together with the entrails, into the sea, we devoured the
rest of the body, piecemeal, during the four ever memorable
days of the seventeenth eighteenth, nineteenth, and
twentieth of the month.
On the nineteenth, there coming on a smart shower
which lasted fifteen or twenty minutes, we contrived to
catch some water by means of a sheet which had been
fished up from the cabin by our drag just after the gale.
The quantity we took in all did not amount to more than
-- 110 --
[figure description] Page 110.[end figure description]
half a gallon; but even this scanty allowance supplied
us with comparative strength and hope.
On the twenty-first we were again reduced to the last
necessity. The weather still remained warm and pleasant,
with occasional fogs and light breezes, most usually
from N. to W.
On the twenty-second, as we were sitting close huddled
together, gloomily revolving over our lamentable
condition, there flashed through my mind all at once an
idea which inspired me with a bright gleam of hope. I
remembered that, when the foremast had been cut away,
Peters, being in the windward chains, passed one of the
axes into my hand, requesting me to put it, if possible, in
a place of security, and that a few minutes before the last
heavy sea struck the brig and filled her I had taken this
axe into the forecastle, and laid it in one of the larboard
berths. I now thought it possible that, by getting at
this axe, we might cut through the deck over the storeroom,
and thus readily supply ourselves with provisions.
When I communicated this project to my companions,
they uttered a feeble shout of joy, and we all proceeded
forthwith to the forecastle. The difficulty of descending
here was greater than that of going down in the
cabin, the opening being much smaller, for it will be remembered
that the whole framework about the cabin
companion-hatch had been carried away, whereas the
forecastle-way, being a simple hatch of only about three
feet square, had remained uninjured. I did not hesitate,
however, to attempt the descent; and, a rope being fastened
round my body as before, I plunged boldly in, feet
foremost, made my way quickly to the berth, and, at the
very first attempt, brought up the axe. It was hailed
with the most ecstatic joy and triumph, and the ease
with which it had been obtained was regarded as an omen
of our ultimate preservation.
We now commenced cutting at the deck with all the
energy of rekindled hope, Peters and myself taking the
axe by turns, Augustus's wounded arm not permitting him
to aid us in any degree. As we were still so feeble as to be
-- 111 --
[figure description] Page 111.[end figure description]
scarcely able to stand unsupported, and could consequently
work but a minute or two without resting, it soon became
evident that many long hours would be requisite to accomplish
our task—that is, to cut an opening sufficiently
large to admit of a free access to the storeroom. This
consideration, however, did not discourage us; and,
working all night by the light of the moon, we succeeded
in effecting our purpose by daybreak on the
morning of the twenty-third.
Peters now volunteered to go down; and, having made
all arrangements as before, he descended, and soon returned,
bringing up with him a small jar, which, to our
great joy, proved to be full of olives. Having shared
these among us, and devoured them with the greatest
avidity, we proceeded to let him down again. This time
he succeeded beyond our utmost expectations, returning
instantly with a large ham and a bottle of Madeira wine.
Of the latter we each took a moderate sup, having
learned by experience the pernicious consequences of
indulging too freely. The ham, except about two pounds
near the bone, was not in a condition to be eaten, having
been entirely spoiled by the salt water. The sound part
was divided among us. Peters and Augustus, not being
able to restrain their appetite, swallowed theirs upon the
instant; but I was more cautious, and ate but a small
portion of mine, dreading the thirst which I knew would
ensue. We now rested a while from our labours, which
had been intolerably severe.
By noon, feeling somewhat strengthened and refreshed,
we again renewed our attempt at getting up provision,
Peters and myself going down alternately, and
always with more or less success, until sundown. During
this interval we had the good fortune to bring up,
altogether, four more small jars of olives, another ham,
a carboy containing nearly three gallons of excellent
Cape Madeira wine, and, what gave us still more delight,
a small tortoise of the Gallipago breed, several of which
had been taken on board by Captain Barnard, as the
Grampus was leaving port, from the schooner Mary
Pitts, just returned from a sealing voyage in the Pacific.
-- 112 --
[figure description] Page 112.[end figure description]
In a subsequent portion of this narrative I shall have
frequent occasion to mention this species of tortoise. It
is found principally, as most of my readers may know,
in the group of islands called the Gallipagos, which,
indeed, derive their name from the animal—the Spanish
word Gallipago meaning a fresh-water terapin. From
the peculiarity of their shape and action they have been
sometimes called the elephant tortoise. They are frequently
found of an enormous size. I have myself seen
several which would weigh from twelve to fifteen hundred
pounds, although I do not remember that any navigator
speaks of having seen them weighing more than eight
hundred. Their appearance is singular, and even disgusting.
Their steps are very slow, measured, and
heavy, their bodies being carried about a foot from the
ground. Their neck is long, and exceedingly slender;
from eighteen inches to two feet is a very common
length, and I killed one, where the distance from the
shoulder to the extremity of the head was no less than
three feet ten inches. The head has a striking resemblance
to that of a serpent. They can exist without
food for an almost incredible length of time, instances
having been known where they have been thrown into
the hold of a vessel and lain two years without nourishment
of any kind—being as fat, and, in every respect, in
as good order at the expiration of the time as when they
were first put in. In one particular these extraordinary
animals bear a resemblance to the dromedary, or camel
of the desert. In a bag at the root of the neck they
carry with them a constant supply of water. In some
instances, upon killing them after a full year's deprivation
of all nourishment, as much as three gallons of perfectly
sweet and fresh water have been found in their
bags. Their food is chiefly wild parsley and celery,
with purslain, sea-kelp, and prickly pears, upon which
latter vegetable they thrive wonderfully, a great quantity
of it being usually found on the hillsides near the shore
wherever the animal itself is discovered. They are excellent
and highly nutritious food, and have, no doubt,
been the means of preserving the lives of thousands of
-- 113 --
[figure description] Page 113.[end figure description]
seamen employed in the whale-fishery and other pursuits
in the Pacific.
The one which we had the good fortune to bring up
from the storeroom was not of a large size, weighing
probably sixty-five or seventy pounds. It was a female,
and in excellent condition, being exceedingly fat, and
having more than a quart of limpid and sweet water in
its bag. This was indeed a treasure; and, falling on our
knees with one accord, we returned fervent thanks to God
for so seasonable a relief.
We had great difficulty in getting the animal up
through the opening, as its struggles were fierce and its
strength prodigious. It was upon the point of making
its escape from Peters's grasp, and slipping back into
the water, when Augustus, throwing a rope with a slip-knot
around its throat, held it up in this manner until I
jumped into the hole by the side of Peters, and assisted
him in lifting it out.
The water we drew carefully from the bag into the
jug, which, it will be remembered, had been brought up
before from the cabin. Having done this, we broke off
the neck of a bottle so as to form, with the cork, a kind
of glass, holding not quite half a gill. We then each
drank one of these measures full, and resolved to limit
ourselves to this quantity per day as long as it should
hold out.
During the last two or three days, the weather having
been dry and pleasant, the bedding we had obtained
from the cabin, as well as our clothing, had become thoroughly
dry, so that we passed this night (that of the
twenty-third) in comparative comfort, enjoying a tranquil
repose, after having supped plentifully on olives and ham,
with a small allowance of the wine. Being afraid of
losing some of our stores overboard during the night, in
the event of a breeze springing up, we secured them as
well as possible with cordage to the fragments of the
windlass. Our tortoise, which we were anxious to preserve
alive as long as we could, we threw on his back,
and otherwise carefully fastened.
-- 114 --
CHAPTER XIII.
[figure description] Page 114.[end figure description]
July 24. This morning saw us wonderfully recruited
in spirits and strength. Notwithstanding the perilous
situation in which we were still placed, ignorant of
our position, although certainly at a great distance from
land, without more food than would last us for a fortnight
even with great care, almost entirely without water,
and floating about at the mercy of every wind and wave,
on the merest wreck in the world, still the infinitely
more terrible distresses and dangers from which we had
so lately and so providentially been delivered caused us
to regard what we now endured as but little more than
an ordinary evil—so strictly comparative is either good
or ill.
At sunrise we were preparing to renew our attempts
at getting up something from the storeroom, when, a
smart shower coming on, with some lightning, we turned
our attention to the catching of water by means of the
sheet we had used before for this purpose. We had no
other means of collecting the rain than by holding the
sheet spread out with one of the forechain-plates in the
middle of it. The water, thus conducted to the centre,
was drained through into our jug. We had nearly filled
it in this manner, when, a heavy squall coming on from
the northward, obliged us to desist, as the hulk began
once more to roll so violently that we could no longer
keep our feet. We now went forward, and, lashing ourselves
securely to the remnant of the windlass as before,
awaited the event with far more calmness than could
have been anticipated, or would have been imagined possible
under the circumstances. At noon the wind had
freshened into a two-reef breeze, and by night into a stiff
gale, accompanied with a tremendously heavy swell. Experience
having taught us, however, the best method of
arranging our lashings, we weathered this dreary night
-- 115 --
[figure description] Page 115.[end figure description]
in tolerable security, although thoroughly drenched at
almost every instant by the sea, and in momentary dread
of being washed off. Fortunately, the weather was so
warm as to render the water rather grateful than otherwise.
July 25. This morning the gale had diminished to a
mere ten-knot breeze, and the sea had gone down with
it so considerably that we were able to keep ourselves
dry upon the deck. To our great grief, however, we
found that two jars of our olives, as well as the whole of
our ham, had been washed overboard, in spite of the
careful manner in which they had been fastened. We
determined not to kill the tortoise as yet, and contented
ourselves for the present with a breakfast on a few of
the olives, and a measure of water each, which latter we
mixed, half and half, with wine, finding great relief and
strength from the mixture, without the distressing intoxication
which had ensued upon drinking the Port. The
sea was still far too rough for the renewal of our efforts
at getting up provision from the storeroom. Several articles,
of no importance to us in our present situation,
floated up through the opening during the day, and were
immediately washed overboard. We also now observed
that the hulk lay more along than ever, so that we could
not stand an instant without lashing ourselves. On this
account we passed a gloomy and uncomfortable day.
At noon the sun appeared to be nearly vertical, and we
had no doubt that we had been driven down by the long
succession of northward and northwesterly winds into
the near vicinity of the equator. Towards evening saw
several sharks, and were somewhat alarmed by the audacious
manner in which an enormously large one approached
us. At one time, a lurch throwing the deck
very far beneath the water, the monster actually swam
in upon us, floundering for some moments just over the
companion-hatch, and striking Peters violently with his
tail. A heavy sea at length hurled him overboard, much
to our relief. In moderate weather we might have easily
captured him.
July 26. This morning, the wind having greatly
-- 116 --
[figure description] Page 116.[end figure description]
abated, and the sea not being very rough, we determined
to renew our exertions in the storeroom. After a great
deal of hard labour during the whole day, we found that
nothing further was to be expected from this quarter, the
partitions of the room having been stove during the night,
and its contents swept into the hold. This discovery,
as may be supposed, filled us with despair.
July 27. The sea nearly smooth, with a light wind,
and still from the northward and westward. The sun
coming out hotly in the afternoon, we occupied ourselves
in drying our clothes. Found great relief from
thirst, and much comfort otherwise, by bathing in the sea;
in this, however, we were forced to use great caution,
being afraid of sharks, several of which were seen swimming
around the brig during the day.
July 28. Good weather still. The brig now began
to lie along so alarmingly that we feared she would
eventually roll bottom up. Prepared ourselves as well
as we could for this emergency, lashing our tortoise,
water-jug, and two remaining jars of olives as far as possible
over to the windward, placing them outside the
hull, below the main-chains. The sea very smooth all
day, with little or no wind.
July 29. A continuance of the same weather. Augustus's
wounded arm began to evince symptoms of
mortification. He complained of drowsiness and excessive
thirst, but no acute pain. Nothing could be done
for his relief beyond rubbing his wounds with a little of
the vinegar from the olives, and from this no benefit
seemed to be experienced. We did everything in our
power for his comfort, and trebled his allowance of
water.
July 30. An excessively hot day, with no wind. An
enormous shark kept close by the hulk during the whole
of the forenoon. We made several unsuccessful attempts
to capture him by means of a noose. Augustus
much worse, and evidently sinking as much from want
of proper nourishment as from the effect of his wounds.
He constantly prayed to be released from his sufferings,
wishing for nothing but death. This evening we ate the
-- 117 --
[figure description] Page 117.[end figure description]
last of our olives, and found the water in our jug so
putrid that we could not swallow it at all without the
addition of wine. Determined to kill our tortoise in the
morning.
July 31. After a night of excessive anxiety and fatigue,
owing to the position of the hulk, we set about
killing and cutting up our tortoise. He proved to be
much smaller than we had supposed, although in good
condition—the whole meat about him not amounting to
more than ten pounds. With a view of preserving a
portion of this as long as possible, we cut it into fine
pieces, and filled with them our three remaining olive-jars
and the wine-bottle (all of which had been kept),
pouring in afterward the vinegar from the olives. In
this manner we put away about three pounds of the tortoise,
intending not to touch it until we had consumed
the rest. We concluded to restrict ourselves to about
four ounces of the meat per day; the whole would thus
last us thirteen days. A brisk shower, with severe thunder
and lightning, came on about dusk, but lasted so
short a time that we only succeeded in catching about
half a pint of water. The whole of this, by common
consent, was given to Augustus, who now appeared to
be in the last extremity. He drank the water from the
sheet as we caught it (we holding it above him as he
lay so as to let it run into his mouth), for we had now
nothing left capable of holding water, unless we had
chosen to empty out our wine from the carboy, or the
stale water from the jug. Either of these expedients
would have been resorted to had the shower lasted.
The sufferer seemed to derive but little benefit from
the draught. His arm was completely black from the
wrist to the shoulder, and his feet were like ice. We
expected every moment to see him breathe his last. He
was frightfully emaciated; so much so that, although he
weighed a hundred and twenty-seven pounds upon his
leaving Nantucket, he now did not weigh more than
forty or fifty at the farthest. His eyes were sunk far in
his head, being scarcely perceptible, and the skin of his
cheeks hung so loosely as to prevent his masticating any
-- 118 --
[figure description] Page 118.[end figure description]
food, or even swallowing any liquid, without great difficulty.
August 1. A continuance of the same calm weather,
with an oppressively hot sun. Suffered exceedingly
from thirst, the water in the jug being absolutely putrid
and swarming with vermin. We contrived, nevertheless,
to swallow a portion of it by mixing it with wine—our
thirst, however, was but little abated. We found more
relief by bathing in the sea, but could not avail ourselves
of this expedient except at long intervals, on account of
the continual presence of sharks. We now saw clearly
that Augustus could not be saved; that he was evidently
dying. We could do nothing to relieve his sufferings,
which appeared to be great. About twelve o'clock he
expired in strong convulsions, and without having spoken
for several hours. His death filled us with the most
gloomy forebodings, and had so great an effect upon our
spirits that we sat motionless by the corpse during the
whole day, and never addressed each other except in a
whisper. It was not until some time after dark that we
took courage to get up and throw the body overboard.
It was then loathsome beyond expression, and so far decayed
that, as Peters attempted to lift it, an entire leg
came off in his grasp. As the mass of putrefaction
slipped over the vessel's side into the water, the glare of
phosphoric light with which it was surrounded plainly
discovered to us seven or eight large sharks, the clashing
of whose horrible teeth, as their prey was torn to
pieces among them, might have been heard at the distance
of a mile. We shrunk within ourselves in the extremity
of horror at the sound.
August 2. The same fearfully calm and hot weather.
The dawn found us in a state of pitiable dejection as
well as bodily exhaustion. The water in the jug
was now absolutely useless, being a thick gelatinous
mass; nothing but frightful-looking worms mingled with
slime. We threw it out, and washed the jug well in the
sea, afterward pouring a little vinegar in it from our bottles
of pickled tortoise. Our thirst could now scarcely
be endured, and we tried in vain to relieve it by wine,
-- 119 --
[figure description] Page 119.[end figure description]
which seemed only to add fuel to the flame, and excited
us to a high degree of intoxication. We afterward endeavoured
to relieve our sufferings by mixing the wine
with seawater; but this instantly brought about the most
violent retchings, so that we never again attempted it.
During the whole day we anxiously sought an opportunity
of bathing, but to no purpose; for the hulk was now
entirely besieged on all sides with sharks—no doubt the
identical monsters who had devoured our poor companion
on the evening before, and who were in momentary
expectation of another similar feast. This circumstance
occasioned us the most bitter regret, and filled us with
the most depressing and melancholy forebodings. We
had experienced indescribable relief in bathing, and to
have this resource cut off in so frightful a manner was
more than we could bear. Nor, indeed, were we altogether
free from the apprehension of immediate danger,
for the least slip or false movement would have thrown
us at once within reach of these voracious fish, who frequently
thrust themselves directly upon us, swimming
up to leeward. No shouts or exertions on our part
seemed to alarm them. Even when one of the largest
was struck with an axe by Peters, and much wounded,
he persisted in his attempts to push in where we were.
A cloud came up at dusk, but, to our extreme anguish,
passed over without discharging itself. It is quite impossible
to conceive our sufferings from thirst at this
period. We passed a sleepless night, both on this account
and through dread of the sharks.
August 3. No prospect of relief, and the brig lying still
more and more along, so that now we could not maintain
a footing upon deck at all. Busied ourselves in securing
our wine and tortoise-meat, so that we might not
lose them in the event of our rolling over. Got out two
stout spikes from the forechains, and, by means of the
axe, drove them into the hull to windward within a
couple of feet of the water; this not being very far from
the keel, as we were nearly upon our beam-ends. To
these spikes we now lashed our provisions, as being
more secure than their former position beneath the
-- 120 --
[figure description] Page 120.[end figure description]
chains. Suffered great agony from thirst during the
whole day—no chance of bathing on account of the
sharks, which never left us for a moment. Found it impossible
to sleep.
August 4. A little before daybreak we perceived that
the hulk was heeling over, and aroused ourselves to prevent
being thrown off by the movement. At first the
roll was slow and gradual, and we contrived to clamber
over to windward very well, having taken the precaution
to leave ropes hanging from the spikes we had driven in
for the provision. But we had not calculated sufficiently
upon the acceleration of the impetus; for presently the
heel became too violent to allow of our keeping pace
with it; and, before either of us knew what was to happen,
we found ourselves hurled furiously into the sea,
and struggling several fathoms beneath the surface, with
the huge hull immediately above us.
In going under the water I had been obliged to let go
my hold upon the rope; and finding that I was completely
beneath the vessel, and my strength utterly exhausted,
I scarcely made a struggle for life, and resigned
myself, in a few seconds, to die. But here again I was
deceived, not having taken into consideration the natural
rebound of the hull to windward. The whirl of the
water upward, which the vessel occasioned in rolling
partially back, brought me to the surface still more violently
than I had been plunged beneath. Upon coming
up, I found myself about twenty yards from the hulk, as
near as I could judge. She was lying keel up, rocking
furiously from side to side, and the sea in all directions
around was much agitated, and full of strong whirlpools.
I could see nothing of Peters. An oil-cask was floating
within a few feet of me, and various other articles from
the brig were scattered about.
My principal terror was now on account of the sharks,
which I knew to be in my vicinity. In order to deter
these, if possible, from approaching me, I splashed the
water vigorously with both hands and feet as I swam
towards the hulk, creating a body of foam. I have no
doubt that to this expedient, simple as it was, I was
-- 121 --
[figure description] Page 121.[end figure description]
indebted for my preservation; for the sea all around the
brig, just before her rolling over, was so crowded with
these monsters, that I must have been, and really was, in
actual contact with some of them during my progress.
By great good fortune, however, I reached the side of
the vessel in safety, although so utterly weakened by the
violent exertion I had used that I should never have
been able to get upon it but for the timely assistance of
Peters, who now, to my great joy, made his appearance
(having scrambled up to the keel from the opposite side
of the hull), and threw me the end of a rope—one of
those which had been attached to the spikes.
Having barely escaped this danger, our attention was
now directed to the dreadful imminency of another; that
of absolute starvation. Our whole stock of provision
had been swept overboard in spite of all our care in securing
it; and seeing no longer the remotest possibility
of obtaining more, we gave way both of us to despair,
weeping aloud like children, and neither of us attempting
to offer consolation to the other. Such weakness
can scarcely be conceived, and to those who have never
been similarly situated will, no doubt, appear unnatural;
but it must be remembered that our intellects were so
entirely disordered by the long course of privation and
terror to which we had been subjected, that we could not
justly be considered, at that period, in the light of rational
beings. In subsequent perils, nearly as great, if
not greater, I bore up with fortitude against all the evils
of my situation, and Peters, it will be seen, evinced a
stoical philosophy nearly as incredible as his present
childlike supineness and imbecility—the mental condition
made the difference.
The overturning of the brig, even with the consequent
loss of the wine and turtle, would not, in fact, have rendered
our situation more deplorable than before, except
for the disappearance of the bedclothes by which we
had been hitherto enabled to catch rainwater, and of the
jug in which we had kept it when caught; for we found
the whole bottom, from within two or three feet of the
bends as far as the keel, together with the keel itself,
-- 122 --
[figure description] Page 122.[end figure description]
thickly covered with large barnacles, which proved to be
excellent and highly nutritious food. Thus, in two important
respects, the accident we had so greatly dreaded
proved a benefit rather than an injury; it had opened to
us a supply of provisions, which we could not have exhausted,
using it moderately, in a month; and it had
greatly contributed to our comfort as regards position,
we being much more at our ease, and in infinitely less
danger, than before.
The difficulty, however, of now obtaining water
blinded us to all the benefits of the change in our condition.
That we might be ready to avail ourselves, as far
as possible, of any shower which might fall, we took off
our shirts, to make use of them as we had of the sheets—
not hoping, of course, to get more in this way, even
under the most favourable circumstances, than half a
gill at a time. No signs of a cloud appeared during the
day, and the agonies of our thirst were nearly intolerable
At night Peters obtained about an hour's disturbed sleep,
but my intense sufferings would not permit me to close
my eyes for a single moment.
August 5. To-day, a gentle breeze springing up carried
us through a vast quantity of seaweed, among which
we were so fortunate as to find eleven small crabs,
which afforded us several delicious meals. Their shells
being quite soft, we ate them entire, and found that they
irritated our thirst far less than the barnacles. Seeing
no trace of sharks among the seaweed, we also ventured
to bathe, and remained in the water for four or five hours,
during which we experienced a very sensible diminution
of our thirst. Were greatly refreshed, and spent the
night somewhat more comfortably than before, both of us
snatching a little sleep.
August 6. This day we were blessed by a brisk and
continual rain, lasting from about noon until after dark.
Bitterly did we now regret the loss of our jug and car-boy;
for, in spite of the little means we had of catching
the water, we might have filled one, if not both of them.
As it was, we contrived to satisfy the cravings of thirst
by suffering the shirts to become saturated, and then
-- 123 --
[figure description] Page 123.[end figure description]
wringing them so as to let the grateful fluid trickle into
our mouths. In this occupation we passed the entire
day.
August 7. Just at daybreak we both at the same instant
descried a sail to the eastward, and evidently coming
towards us! We hailed the glorious sight with a
long, although feeble shout of rapture; and began instantly
to make every signal in our power, by flaring the
shirts in the air, leaping as high as our weak condition
would permit, and even by hallooing with all the strength
of our lungs, although the vessel could not have been
less than fifteen miles distant. However, she still continued
to near our hulk, and we felt that, if she but held
her present course, she must eventually come so close
as to perceive us. In about an hour after we first discovered
her we could clearly see the people on her
decks. She was a long, low, and rakish-looking topsail
schooner, with a black ball in her foretopsail, and had,
apparently, a full crew. We now became alarmed, for
we could hardly imagine it possible that she did not observe
us, and were apprehensive that she meant to leave
us to perish as we were—an act of fiendish barbarity,
which, however incredible it may appear, has been repeatedly
perpetrated at sea, under circumstances very
nearly similar, and by beings who were regarded as belonging
to the human species.2 In this instance, however,
-- 124 --
[figure description] Page 124.[end figure description]
by the mercy of God, we were destined to be most happily
deceived; for presently we were aware of a sudden
commotion on the deck of the stranger, who immediately
afterward run up a British flag, and, hauling her wind,
bore up directly upon us. In half an hour more we
found ourselves in her cabin. She proved to be the
Jane Guy, of Liverpool, Captain Guy, bound on a sealing
and trading voyage to the South Seas and Pacific.
eaf319.22. The case of the brig Polly., of Boston, is one so much in point,
and her fate, in many respects, so remarkably similar to our own,
that I cannot forbear alluding to it here. This vessel, of one hundred
and thirty tons burden, sailed from Boston, with a cargo of
lumber and provisions, for Santa Croix, on the twelfth of December,
1811, under the command of Captain Casneau. There were eight
souls on board besides the captain—the mate, four seamen, and the
cook, together with a Mr. Hunt, and a negro girl belonging to him.
On the fifteenth, having cleared the shoal of Georges, she sprung a
leak in a gale of wind from the southeast, and was finally capsized;
but, the mast going by the board, she afterward righted. They remained
in this situation, without fire, and with very little provision,
for the period of one hundred and ninety-one days (from December the
fifteenth to June the twentieth) when Captain Casneau and Samuel
Badger, the only survivers, were taken off the wreck by the
Fame, of Hull, Captain Featherstone, bound home from Rio Janeiro.
When picked up they were in latitude 28 N., longitude 13 W., having
drifted above two thousand miles. On the ninth of July the Fame fell
in with the brig Dromeo, Captain Perkins, who landed the two sufferers
in Kennebeck. The narrative from which we gather these
details ends in the following words.
“It is natural to inquire how they could float such a vast distance,
upon the most frequented part of the Atlantic, and not be discovered
all this time. They were passed by more than a dozen sail, one of which
came so nigh them that they could distinctly see the people on deck and on
the rigging looking at them; but, to the inexpressible disappointment of the
starving and freezing men, they stifled the dictates of compassion, hoisted
sail, and cruelly abandoned them to their fate.”
CHAPTER XIV.
The Jane Guy was a fine-looking topsail schooner of
a hundred and eighty tons burden. She was unusually
sharp in the bows, and on a wind, in moderate weather,
the fastest sailer I have ever seen. Her qualities, however,
as a rough sea-boat, were not so good, and her
draught of water was by far too great for the trade to
which she was destined. For this peculiar service a
larger vessel, and one of a light proportionate draught, is
desirable—say a vessel of from three to three hundred
and fifty tons. She should be barque-rigged, and in
other respects of a different construction from the usual
South Sea ships. It is absolutely necessary that she
should be well armed. She should have, say ten or
twelve twelve pound carronades, and two or three long
twelves, with brass blunderbusses, and water-tight arm-chests
for each top. Her anchors and cables should be
of far greater strength than is required for any other
-- 125 --
[figure description] Page 125.[end figure description]
species of trade, and, above all, her crew should be numerous
and efficient—not less, for such a vessel as I
have described, than fifty or sixty able-bodied men.
The Jane Guy had a crew of thirty-five, all able seamen,
besides the captain and mate, but she was not altogether
as well armed or otherwise equipped as a navigator acquainted
with the difficulties and dangers of the trade
could have desired.
Captain Guy was a gentleman of great urbanity of
manner, and of considerable experience in the southern
traffic, to which he had devoted a great portion of his
life. He was deficient, however, in energy, and, consequently,
in that spirit of enterprise which is here so absolutely
requisite. He was part owner of the vessel in
which he sailed, and was invested with discretionary
powers to cruise in the South Seas for any cargo which
might come most readily to hand. He had on board, as
usual in such voyages, beads, looking-glasses, tinder-works,
axes, hatchets, saws, adzes, planes, chisels,
gouges, gimlets, files, spokeshaves, rasps, hammers,
nails, knives, scissors, razors, needles, thread, crockery-ware,
calico, trinkets, and other similar articles.
The schooner sailed from Liverpool on the tenth of
July, crossed the Tropic of Cancer on the twenty-fifth, in
longitude twenty degrees west, and reached Sal, one of
the Cape Verd Islands, on the twenty-ninth, where she
took in salt and other necessaries for the voyage. On
the third of August she left the Cape Verds and steered
southwest, stretching over towards the coast of Brazil
so as to cross the equator between the meridians of
twenty-eight and thirty degrees west longitude. This
is the course usually taken by vessels bound from Europe
to the Cape of Good Hope, or by that route to the
East Indies. By proceeding thus they avoid the calms
and strong contrary currents which continually prevail
on the coast of Guinea, while, in the end, it is found to
be the shortest track, as westerly winds are never wanting
afterward by which to reach the Cape. It was Captain
Guy's intention to make his first stoppage at Kerguelen's
Land—I hardly know for what reason. On the
-- 126 --
[figure description] Page 126.[end figure description]
day we were picked up the schooner was off Cape St.
Roque, in longitude 31 W.; so that, when found, we
had drifted probably, from north to south, not less than
five-and-twenty degrees.
On board the Jane Guy we were treated with all the
kindness our distressed situation demanded. In about
a fortnight, during which time we continued steering to
the southeast, with gentle breezes and fine weather, both
Peters and myself recovered entirely from the effects of
our late privation and dreadful suffering, and we began
to remember what had passed rather as a frightful dream
from which we had been happily awakened, than as
events which had taken place in sober and naked reality.
I have since found that this species of partial oblivion is
usually brought about by sudden transition, whether from
joy to sorrow or from sorrow to joy—the degree of forgetfulness
being proportioned to the degree of difference
in the exchange. Thus, in my own case, I now feel it
impossible to realize the full extent of the misery which
I endured during the days spent upon the hulk. The
incidents are remembered, but not the feelings which the
incidents elicited at the time of their occurrence. I only
know that, when they did occur, I then thought human
nature could sustain nothing more of agony.
We continued our voyage for some weeks without
any incidents of greater moment than the occasional
meeting with whaling-ships, and more frequently with
the black or right whale, so called in contradistinction
to the spermaceti. These, however, were chiefly found
south of the twenty-fifth parallel. On the sixteenth of
September, being in the vicinity of the Cape of Good
Hope, the schooner encountered her first gale of any violence
since leaving Liverpool. In this neighbourhood,
but more frequently to the south and east of the promontory
(we were to the westward), navigators have often to
contend with storms from the northward which rage with
great fury. They always bring with them a heavy sea,
and one of their most dangerous features is the instantaneous
chopping round of the wind, an occurrence almost
certain to take place during the greatest force of the
-- 127 --
[figure description] Page 127.[end figure description]
gale. A perfect hurricane will be blowing at one moment
from the northward or northeast, and in the next
not a breath of wind will be felt in that direction, while
from the southwest it will come out all at once with a
violence almost inconceivable. A bright spot to the
southward is the sure forerunner of the change, and vessels
are thus enabled to take the proper precautions.
It was about six in the morning when the blow came
on with a white squall, and, as usual, from the northward.
By eight it had increased very much, and brought down
upon us one of the most tremendous seas I had then
ever beheld. Everything had been made as snug as
possible, but the schooner laboured excessively, and
gave evidence of her bad qualities as a seaboat, pitching
her forecastle under at every plunge, and with the greatest
difficulty struggling up from one wave before she
was buried in another. Just before sunset the bright
spot for which we had been on the lookout made its appearance
in the southwest, and in an hour afterward we
perceived the little headsail we carried flapping listlessly
against the mast. In two minutes more, in spite of
every preparation, we were hurled on our beam-ends as
if by magic, and a perfect wilderness of foam made a
clear breach over us as we lay. The blow from the
southwest, however, luckily proved to be nothing more
than a squall, and we had the good fortune to right the
vessel without the loss of a spar. A heavy cross sea
gave us great trouble for a few hours after this, but towards
morning we found ourselves in nearly as good
condition as before the gale. Captain Guy considered
that he had made an escape little less than miraculous.
On the thirteenth of October we came in sight of
Prince Edward's Island, in latitude 46 ° 53′ S., longitude
37 ° 46′ E. Two days afterward we found ourselves
near Possession Island, and presently passed the islands
of Crozet, in latitude 42 ° 59′ S., longitude 48 ° E. On
the eighteenth we made Kerguelen's or Desolation Island,
in the Southern Indian Ocean, and came to anchor in
Christmas Harbour, having four fathoms of water.
This island, or rather group of islands, bears
-- 128 --
[figure description] Page 128.[end figure description]
southeast from the Cape of Good Hope, and is distant therefrom
nearly eight hundred leagues. It was first discovered
in 1772, by the Baron de Kergulen, or Kerguelen,
a Frenchman, who, thinking the land to form a portion
of an extensive southern continent, carried home information
to that effect, which produced much excitement
at the time. The government, taking the matter up,
sent the baron back in the following year for the purpose
of giving his new discovery a critical examination, when
the mistake was discovered. In 1777, Captain Cook
fell in with the same group, and gave to the principal
one the name of Desolation Island, a title which it certainly
well deserves. Upon approaching the land, however,
the navigator might be induced to suppose otherwise,
as the sides of most of the hills, from September
to March, are clothed with very brilliant verdure. This
deceitful appearance is caused by a small plant resembling
saxifrage, which is abundant, growing in large
patches on a species of crumbling moss. Besides this
plant there is scarcely a sign of vegetation on the island,
if we except some coarse rank grass near the harbour,
some lichen, and a shrub which bears resemblance to a
cabbage shooting into seed, and which has a bitter and
acrid taste.
The face of the country is hilly, although none of the
hills can be called lofty. Their tops are perpetually
covered with snow. There are several harbours, of
which Christmas Harbour is the most convenient. It is
the first to be met with on the northeast side of the
island after passing Cape François, which forms the
northern shore, and, by its peculiar shape, serves to distinguish
the harbour. Its projecting point terminates in
a high rock, through which is a large hole, forming a
natural arch. The entrance is in latitude 48 ° 40′ S.,
longitude 69 ° 6′ E. Passing in here, good anchorage
may be found under the shelter of several small islands,
which form a sufficient protection from all easterly
winds. Proceeding on eastwardly from this anchorage
you come to Wasp Bay, at the head of the harbour.
This is a small basin, completely landlocked, into which
-- 129 --
[figure description] Page 129.[end figure description]
you can go with four fathoms, and find anchorage in
from ten to three, hard clay bottom. A ship might lie
here with her best bower ahead all the year round without
risk. To the westward, at the head of Wasp Bay,
is a small stream of excellent water, easily procured.
Some seal of the fur and hair species are still to be
found on Kerguelen's Island, and sea elephants abound.
The feathered tribes are discovered in great numbers.
Penguins are very plenty, and of these there are four different
kinds. The royal penguin, so called from its size
and beautiful plumage, is the largest. The upper part
of the body is usually gray, sometimes of a lilach tint;
the under portion of the purest white imaginable. The
head is of a glossy and most brilliant black, the feet
also. The chief beauty of the plumage, however, consists
in two broad stripes of a gold colour, which pass
along from the head to the breast. The bill is long,
and either pink or bright scarlet. These birds walk
erect, with a stately carriage. They carry their heads
high, with their wings drooping like two arms, and, as
their tails project from their body in a line with the legs,
the resemblance to a human figure is very striking, and
would be apt to deceive the spectator at a casual glance
or in the gloom of the evening. The royal penguins
which we met with on Kerguelen's Land were rather
larger than a goose. The other kinds are the macaroni,
the jackass, and the rookery penguin. These are much
smaller, less beautiful in plumage, and different in other
respects.
Besides the penguin many other birds are here to be
found, among which may be mentioned seahens, blue
peterels, teal, ducks, Port Egmont hens, shags, Cape pigeons,
the nelly, seaswallows, terns, seagulls, Mother
Carey's chickens, Mother Carey's geese, or the great peterel,
and, lastly, the albatross.
The great peterel is as large as the common albatross,
and is carnivorous. It is frequently called the break-bones,
or osprey peterel. They are not at all shy, and,
when properly cooked, are palatable food. In flying
they sometimes sail very close to the surface of the
-- 130 --
[figure description] Page 130.[end figure description]
water, with the wings expanded, without appearing to
move them in the least degree, or make any exertion
with them whatever.
The albatross is one of the largest and fiercest of the
South Sea birds. It is of the gull species, and takes its
prey on the wing, never coming on land except for the
purpose of breeding. Between this bird and the penguin
the most singular friendship exists. Their nests are
constructed with great uniformity, upon a plan concerted
between the two species—that of the albatross being
placed in the centre of a little square formed by the
nests of four penguins. Navigators have agreed in calling
an assemblage of such encampments a rookery.
These rookeries have been often described, but, as my
readers may not all have seen these descriptions, and as
I shall have occasion hereafter to speak of the penguin
and albatross, it will not be amiss to say something here
of their mode of building and living.
When the season for incubation arrives, the birds assemble
in vast numbers, and for some days appear to be
deliberating upon the proper course to be pursued. At
length they proceed to action. A level piece of ground
is selected, of suitable extent, usually comprising three
or four acres, and situated as near the sea as possible,
being still beyond its reach. The spot is chosen with
reference to its evenness of surface, and that is preferred
which is the least encumbered with stones. This matter
being arranged, the birds proceed, with one accord,
and actuated apparently by one mind, to trace out, with
mathematical accuracy, either a square or other parallelogram,
as may best suit the nature of the ground, and of
just sufficient size to accommodate easily all the birds
assembled, and no more—in this particular seeming determined
upon preventing the access of future stragglers
who have not participated in the labour of the encampment.
One side of the place thus marked out runs parallel
with the water's edge, and is left open for ingress
or egress.
Having defined the limits of the rookery, the colony
now begin to clear it of every species of rubbish,
-- 131 --
[figure description] Page 131.[end figure description]
picking up stone by stone, and carrying them outside of the
lines, and close by them, so as to form a wall on the
three inland sides. Just within this wall a perfectly
level and smooth walk is formed, from six to eight feet
wide, and extending around the encampment—thus serving
the purpose of a general promenade.
The next process is to partition out the whole area into
small squares exactly equal in size. This is done by
forming narrow paths, very smooth, and crossing each
other at right angles throughout the entire extent of the
rookery. At each intersection of these paths the nest
of an albatross is constructed, and a penguin's nest in the
centre of each square—thus every penguin is surrounded
by four albatrosses, and each albatross by a like number
of penguins. The penguin's nest consists of a hole in
the earth, very shallow, being only just of sufficient
depth to keep her single egg from rolling. The albatross
is somewhat less simple in her arrangements, erecting
a hillock about a foot high and two in diameter.
This is made of earth, seaweed, and shells. On its
summit she builds her nest.
The birds take especial care never to leave their nests
unoccupied for an instant during the period of incubation,
or, indeed, until the young progeny are sufficiently
strong to take care of themselves. While the male is
absent at sea in search of food, the female remains on
duty, and it is only upon the return of her partner that
she ventures abroad. The eggs are never left uncovered
at all—while one bird leaves the nest, the other
nestling in by its side. This precaution is rendered necessary
by the thievish propensities prevalent in the
rookery, the inhabitants making no scruple to purloin
each other's eggs at every good opportunity.
Although there are some rookeries in which the penguin
and albatross are the sole population, yet in most
of them a variety of oceanic birds are to be met with,
enjoying all the privileges of citizenship, and scattering
their nests here and there, wherever they can find room,
never interfering, however, with the stations of the
larger species. The appearance of such encampments,
-- 132 --
[figure description] Page 132.[end figure description]
when seen from a distance, is exceedingly singular.
The whole atmosphere just above the settlement is darkened
with the immense number of the albatross (mingled
with the smaller tribes) which are continually hovering
over it, either going to the ocean or returning
home. At the same time a crowd of penguins are to be
observed, some passing to and fro in the narrow alleys,
and some marching, with the military strut so peculiar to
them, around the general promenade-ground which encircles
the rookery. In short, survey it as we will, nothing
can be more astonishing than the spirit of reflection
evinced by these feathered beings, and nothing
surely can be better calculated to elicit reflection in
every well-regulated human intellect.
On the morning after our arrival in Christmas Harbour
the chief mate, Mr. Patterson, took the boats, and (although
it was somewhat early in the season) went in
search of seal, leaving the captain and a young relation
of his on a point of barren land to the westward, they
having some business, whose nature I could not ascertain,
to transact in the interior of the island. Captain
Guy took with him a bottle, in which was a sealed letter,
and made his way from the point on which he was set
on shore towards one of the highest peaks in the place.
It is probable that his design was to leave the letter on
that height for some vessel which he expected to come
after him. As soon as we lost sight of him we proceeded
(Peters and myself being in the mate's boat) on
our cruise around the coast, looking for seal. In this
business we were occupied about three weeks, examining
with great care every nook and corner, not only of
Kerguelen's Land, but of the several small islands in
the vicinity. Our labours, however, were not crowned
with any important success. We saw a great many fur
seal, but they were exceedingly shy, and, with the greatest
exertions, we could only procure three hundred and fifty
skins in all. Sea elephants were abundant, especially
on the western coast of the main island, but of these we
killed only twenty, and this with great difficulty. On
the smaller islands we discovered a good many of the
-- 133 --
[figure description] Page 133.[end figure description]
hair seal, but did not molest them. We returned to the
schooner on the eleventh, where we found Captain Guy
and his nephew, who gave a very bad account of the interior,
representing it as one of the most dreary and utterly
barren countries in the world. They had remained
two nights on the island, owing to some misunderstanding,
on the part of the second mate, in regard to the
sending a jollyboat from the schooner to take them off.
CHAPTER XV.
On the twelfth we made sail from Christmas Harbour,
retracing our way to the westward, and leaving Marion's
Island, one of Crozet's group, on the larboard. We afterward
passed Prince Edward's Island, leaving it also
on our left; then, steering more to the northward, made,
in fifteen days, the islands of Tristan d'Acunha, in latitude
37 ° 8′ S., longitude 12 ° 8′ W.
This group, now so well known, and which consists
of three circular islands, was first discovered by the Portuguese,
and was visited afterward by the Dutch in 1643,
and by the French in 1767. The three islands together
form a triangle, and are distant from each other about
ten miles, there being fine open passages between. The
land in all of them is very high, especially in Tristan
d'Acunha, properly so called. This is the largest of
the group, being fifteen miles in circumference, and so
elevated that it can be seen in clear weather at the distance
of eighty or ninety miles. A part of the land towards
the north rises more than a thousand feet perpendicularly
from the sea. A tableland at this height
extends back nearly to the centre of the island, and
from this tableland arises a lofty cone like that of Teneriffe.
The lower half of this cone is clothed with trees
of good size, but the upper region is barren rock, usually
hidden among the clouds, and covered with snow during
-- 134 --
[figure description] Page 134.[end figure description]
the greater part of the year. There are no shoals or
other dangers about the island, the shores being remarkably
bold and the water deep. On the northwestern
coast is a bay, with a beach of black sand, where a
landing with boats can be easily effected, provided there
be a southerly wind. Plenty of excellent water may
here be readily procured; also cod, and other fish, may
be taken with hook and line.
The next island in point of size, and the most westwardly
of the group, is that called the Inaccessible. Its
precise situation is 37 ° 17′ S. latitude, longitude 12 °
24′ W. It is seven or eight miles in circumference,
and on all sides presents a forbidding and precipitous
aspect. Its top is perfectly flat, and the whole region
is steril, nothing growing upon it except a few stunted
shrubs.
Nightingale Island, the smallest and most southerly,
is in latitude 37 ° 26′ S., longitude 12 ° 12′ W. Off its
southern extremity is a high ledge of rocky islets; a
few also of a similar appearance are seen to the northeast.
The ground is irregular and steril, and a deep
valley partially separates it.
The shores of these islands abound, in the proper season,
with sea lions, sea elephants, the hair and fur seal,
together with a great variety of oceanic birds. Whales
are also plenty in their vicinity. Owing to the ease
with which these various animals were here formerly
taken, the group has been much visited since its discovery.
The Dutch and French frequented it at a very
early period. In 1790, Captain Patten, of the ship Industry,
of Philadelphia, made Tristan d'Acunha, where
he remained seven months (from August, 1790, to April,
1791) for the purpose of collecting sealskins. In this
time he gathered no less than five thousand six hundred,
and says that he would have had no difficulty in loading
a large ship with oil in three weeks. Upon his arrival
he found no quadrupeds, with the exception of a few
wild goats—the island now abounds with all our most
valuable domestic animals, which have been introduced
by subsequent navigators.
-- 135 --
[figure description] Page 135.[end figure description]
I believe it was not long after Captain Patten's visit
that Captain Colquhoun, of the American brig Betsey,
touched at the largest of the islands for the purpose of
refreshment. He planted onions, potatoes, cabbages,
and a great many other vegetables, an abundance of all
which are now to be met with.
In 1811, a Captain Heywood, in the Nereus, visited
Tristan. He found there three Americans, who were
residing upon the islands to prepare sealskins and oil.
One of these men was named Jonathan Lambert, and he
called himself the sovereign of the country. He had
cleared and cultivated about sixty acres of land, and
turned his attention to raising the coffee-plant and sugarcane,
with which he had been furnished by the American
minister at Rio Janeiro. This settlement, however, was
finally abandoned, and in 1817 the islands were taken
possession of by the British government, who sent a detachment
for that purpose from the Cape of Good Hope.
They did not, however, retain them long; but, upon the
evacuation of the country as a British possession, two or
three English families took up their residence there independently
of the government. On the twenty-fifth of
March, 1824, the Berwick, Captain Jeffrey, from London
to Van Diemen's Land, arrived at the place, where they
found an Englishman of the name of Glass, formerly a
corporal in the British artillery. He claimed to be supreme
governor of the islands, and had under his control
twenty-one men and three women. He gave a very favourable
account of the salubrity of the climate and of
the productiveness of the soil. The population occupied
themselves chiefly in collecting sealskins and sea
elephant oil, with which they traded to the Cape of Good
Hope, Glass owning a small schooner. At the period
of our arrival the governor was still a resident, but his
little community had multiplied, there being fifty-six persons
upon Tristan, besides a smaller settlement of seven
on Nightingale Island. We had no difficulty in procuring
almost every kind of refreshment which we required—
sheep, hogs, bullocks, rabbits, poultry, goats, fish in
great variety, and vegetables were abundant. Having
-- 136 --
[figure description] Page 136.[end figure description]
come to anchor close in with the large island, in eighteen
fathoms, we took all we wanted on board very conveniently.
Captain Guy also purchased of Glass five hundred
sealskins and some ivory. We remained here a
week, during which the prevailing winds were from the
northward and westward, and the weather somewhat
hazy. On the fifth of November we made sail to the
southward and westward, with the intention of having a
thorough search for a group of islands called the Auroras,
respecting whose existence a great diversity of opinion
has existed.
These islands are said to have been discovered as
early as 1762, by the commander of the ship Aurora.
In 1790, Captain Manuel de Oyarvido, in the ship Princess,
belonging to the Royal Philippine Company, sailed,
as he asserts, directly among them. In 1794, the Spanish
corvette Atrevida went with the determination of ascertaining
their precise situation, and, in a paper published
by the Royal Hydrographical Society of Madrid in
the year 1809, the following language is used respecting
this expedition. “The corvette Atrevida practised, in
their immediate vicinity, from the twenty-first to the
twenty-seventh of January, all the necessary observations,
and measured by chronometers the difference of
longitude between these islands and the port of Soledad
in the Malninas. The islands are three; they are very
nearly in the same meridian; the centre one is rather
low, and the other two may be seen at nine leagues distance.”
The observations made on board the Atrevida
give the following results as the precise situation of each
island. The most northern is in latitude 52 ° 37′ 24′ S.,
longitude 47 ° 43′ 15′ W.; the middle one in latitude
53 ° 2′ 40′ S., longitude 47 ° 55′ 15′ W.; and the most
southern in latitude 53 ° 15′ 22′ S., longitude 47 ° 57′
15′ W.
On the twenty-seventh of January, 1820, Captain
James Weddel, of the British navy, sailed from Staten
Land also in search of the Auroras. He reports that,
having made the most diligent search, and passed not
only immediately over the spots indicated by the
-- 137 --
[figure description] Page 137.[end figure description]
commander of the Atrevida, but in every direction throughout
the vicinity of these spots, he could discover no indication
of land. These conflicting statements have induced
other navigators to look out for the islands; and,
strange to say, while some have sailed through every
inch of sea where they are supposed to lie without finding
them, there have been not a few who declare positively
that they have seen them, and even been close in
with their shores. It was Captain Guy's intention to
make every exertion within his power to settle the question
so oddly in dispute.3
We kept on our course, between the south and west,
with variable weather, until the twentieth of the month,
when we found ourselves on the debated ground, being
in latitude 53 ° 15′ S., longitude 47 ° 58′ W.—that is to
say, very nearly upon the spot indicated as the situation
of the most southern of the group. Not perceiving any
sign of land, we continued to the westward in the parallel
of fifty-three degrees south, as far as the meridian of fifty
degrees west. We then stood to the north as far as the
parallel of fifty-two degrees south, when we turned to
the eastward, and kept our parallel by double altitudes,
morning and evening, and meridian altitudes of the
planets and moon. Having thus gone eastwardly to the
meridian of the western coast of Georgia, we kept that
meridian until we were in the latitude from which we set
out. We then took diagonal courses throughout the entire
extent of sea circumscribed, keeping a lookout constantly
at the masthead, and repeating our examination
with the greatest care for a period of three weeks, during
which the weather was remarkably pleasant and fair,
with no haze whatsoever. Of course we were thoroughly
satisfied that, whatever islands might have existed
in this vicinity at any former period, no vestige of
them remained at the present day. Since my return
-- 138 --
[figure description] Page 138.[end figure description]
home I find that the same ground was traced over with
equal care in 1822 by Captain Johnson, of the American
schooner Henry, and by Captain Morrell, in the
American schooner Wasp—in both cases with the same
result as in our own.
eaf319.33. Among the vessels which at various times have professed to
meet with the Auroras may be mentioned the ship San Miguel, in
1769; the ship Aurora, in 1774; the brig Pearl, in 1779; and the
ship Dolores, in 1790. They all agree in giving the mean latitude
fifty-three degrees south.
CHAPTER XVI.
It had been Captain Guy's original intention, after
satisfying himself about the Auroras, to proceed through
the Strait of Magellan, and up along the western coast
of Patagonia; but information received at Tristan d'Acunha
induced him to steer to the southward, in the hope of
falling in with some small islands said to lie about the
parallel of 60 ° S., longitude 41 ° 20′ W. In the event
of his not discovering these lands, he designed, should
the season prove favourable, to push on towards the
pole. Accordingly, on the twelfth of December, we
made sail in that direction. On the eighteenth we
found ourselves about the station indicated by Glass,
and cruised for three days in that neighbourhood without
finding any traces of the islands he had mentioned. On
the twenty-first, the weather being unusually pleasant,
we again made sail to the southward, with the resolution
of penetrating in that course as far as possible.
Before entering upon this portion of my narrative, it may
be as well, for the information of those readers who have
paid little attention to the progress of discovery in these
regions, to give some brief account of the very few attempts
at reaching the southern pole which have hitherto
been made.
That of Captain Cook was the first of which we have
any distinct account. In 1772 he sailed to the south in
the Resolution, accompanied by Lieutenant Furneaux in
the Adventure. In December he found himself as far
as the fifty-eighth parallel of south latitude, and in
-- 139 --
[figure description] Page 139.[end figure description]
longitude 26 ° 57′ E. Here he met with narrow fields of
ice, about eight or ten inches thick, and running northwest
and southeast. This ice was in large cakes, and
usually it was packed so closely that the vessels had
great difficulty in forcing a passage. At this period
Captain Cook supposed, from the vast number of birds
to be seen, and from other indications, that he was in
the near vicinity of land. He kept on to the southward,
the weather being exceedingly cold, until he reached the
sixty-fourth parallel, in longitude 38 ° 14′ E. Here he
had mild weather, with gentle breezes, for five days, the
thermometer being at thirty-six. In January, 1773, the
vessels crossed the Antarctic circle, but did not succeed
in penetrating much farther; for, upon reaching latitude
67 ° 15′, they found all farther progress impeded by an
immense body of ice, extending all along the southern
horizon as far as the eye could reach. This ice was of
every variety—and some large floes of it, miles in extent,
formed a compact mass, rising eighteen or twenty
feet above the water. It being late in the season, and
no hope entertained of rounding these obstructions,
Captain Cook now reluctantly turned to the northward.
In the November following he renewed his search in
the Antarctic. In latitude 59 ° 40′ he met with a strong
current setting to the southward. In December, when
the vessels were in latitude 67 ° 31′, longitude 142 °
54′ W., the cold was excessive, with heavy gales and
fog. Here also birds were abundant; the albatross, the
penguin, and the peterel especially. In latitude 70 °
23′ some large islands of ice were encountered, and
shortly afterward, the clouds to the southward were observed
to be of a snowy whiteness, indicating the vicinity
of field ice. In latitude 71 ° 10′, longitude 106 ° 54′
W., the navigators were stopped, as before, by an immense
frozen expanse, which filled the whole area of the
southern horizon. The northern edge of this expanse
was ragged and broken, so firmly wedged together as to
be utterly impassable, and extending about a mile to the
southward. Behind it the frozen surface was comparatively
smooth for some distance, until terminated in the
-- 140 --
[figure description] Page 140.[end figure description]
extreme back-ground by gigantic ranges of ice mountains,
the one towering above the other. Captain Cook
concluded that this vast field reached the southern
pole or was joined to a continent. Mr. J. N. Reynolds,
whose great exertions and perseverance have at length
succeeded in getting set on foot a national expedition,
partly for the purpose of exploring these regions, thus
speaks of the attempt of the Resolution. “We are not
surprised that Captain Cook was unable to go beyond
71 ° 10′, but we are astonished that he did attain that
point on the meridian of 106 ° 54′ west longitude. Palmer's
Land lies south of the Shetland, latitude sixty-four
degrees, and tends to the southward and westward farther
than any navigator has yet penetrated. Cook was
standing for this land when his progress was arrested
by the ice; which, we apprehend, must always be the
case in that point, and so early in the season as the sixth
of January—and we should not be surprised if a portion
of the icy mountains described was attached to the main
body of Palmer's Land, or to some other portions of land
lying farther to the southward and westward.”
In 1803, Captains Kreutzenstern and Lisiausky were
despatched by Alexander of Russia for the purpose of
circumnavigating the globe. In endeavouring to get
south, they made no farther than 59 ° 58′, in longitude 70 °
15′ W. They here met with strong currents setting eastwardly.
Whales were abundant, but they saw no ice.
In regard to this voyage, Mr. Reynolds observes that, if
Krcutzenstern had arrived where he did earlier in the
season, he must have encountered ice—it was March
when he reached the latitude specified. The winds prevailing,
as they do, from the southward and westward,
had carried the floes, aided by currents, into that icy region
bounded on the north by Georgia, east by Sandwich
Land and the South Orkneys, and west by the South
Shetland Islands.
In 1822, Captain James Weddell, of the British navy,
with two very small vessels, penetrated farther to the
south than any previous navigator, and this too, without
encountering extraordinary difficulties. He states that
-- 141 --
[figure description] Page 141.[end figure description]
although he was frequently hemmed in by ice before
reaching the seventy-second parallel, yet, upon attaining
it, not a particle was to be discovered, and that, upon arriving
at the latitude of 74 ° 15′, no fields, and only three
islands of ice were visible. It is somewhat remarkable
that, although vast flocks of birds were seen, and other
usual indications of land, and although, south of the
Shetlands, unknown coasts were observed from the
masthead tending southwardly, Weddell discourages the
idea of land existing in the polar regions of the south.
On the eleventh of January, 1823, Captain Benjamin
Morrell, of the American schooner Wasp, sailed from
Kerguelen's Land with a view of penetrating as far south
as possible. On the first of February he found himself
in latitude 64 ° 52′ S., longitude 118 ° 27′ E. The following
passage is extracted from his journal of that
date. “The wind soon freshened to an eleven-knot
breeze, and we embraced this opportunity of making to
the west; being however convinced that the farther we
went south beyond latitude sixty-four degrees the less ice
was to be apprehended, we steered a little to the southward,
until we crossed the Antarctic circle, and were in
latitude 69 ° 15′ E. In this latitude there was no field
ice, and very few ice islands in sight.”
Under the date of March fourteenth I find also this
entry. “The sea was now entirely free of field ice,
and there were not more than a dozen ice islands in
sight. At the same time the temperature of the air and
water was at least thirteen degrees higher (more mild)
than we had ever found it between the parallels of sixty
and sixty-two south. We were now in latitude 70 ° 14′
S., and the temperature of the air was forty-seven, and
that of the water forty-four. In this situation I found
the variation to be 14 ° 27′ easterly, per azimuth...
I have several times passed within the Antarctic circle
on different meridians, and have uniformly found the
temperature, both of the air and the water, to become
more and more mild the farther I advanced beyond the
sixty-fifth degree of south latitude, and that the variation
decreases in the same proportion. While north of this
-- 142 --
[figure description] Page 142.[end figure description]
latitude, say between sixty and sixty-five south, we frequently
had great difficulty in finding a passage for the
vessel between the immense and almost innumerable
ice islands, some of which were from one to two miles
in circumference, and more than five hundred feet above
the surface of the water.”
Being nearly destitute of fuel and water, and without
proper instruments, it being also late in the season, Captain
Morrell was now obliged to put back, without attempting
any farther progress to the southward, although
an entirely open sea lay before him. He expresses the
opinion that, had not these overruling considerations
obliged him to retreat, he could have penetrated, if not
to the pole itself, at least to the eighty-fifth parallel. I
have given his ideas respecting these matters somewhat
at length, that the reader may have an opportunity of
seeing how far they were borne out by my own subsequent
experience.
In 1831, Captain Briscoe, in the employ of the Messieurs
Enderby, whale-ship owners of London, sailed in the
brig Lively for the South Seas, accompanied by the cutter
Tula. On the twenty-eighth of February, being in
latitude 66 ° 30′ S., longitude 47 ° 31′ E., he descried
land, and “clearly discovered through the snow the black
peaks of a range of mountains running E. S. E.” He
remained in this neighbourhood during the whole of the
following month, but was unable to approach the coast
nearer than within ten leagues, owing to the boisterous
state of the weather. Finding it impossible to make
farther discovery during this season, he returned northward
to winter in Van Diemen's Land.
In the beginning of 1832 he again proceeded southwardly,
and on the fourth of February land was seen
to the southeast in latitude 67 ° 15′, longitude 69 ° 29′ W.
This was soon found to be an island near the headland
of the country he had first discovered. On the twentyfirst
of the month he succeeded in landing on the latter,
and took possession of it in the name of William IV.,
calling it Adelaide's Island, in honour of the English
queen. These particulars being made known to the
-- 143 --
[figure description] Page 143.[end figure description]
Royal Geographical Society of London, the conclusion
was drawn by that body “that there is a continuous
tract of land extending from 47 ° 30′ E. to 69 ° 29′ W.
longitude, running the parallel of from sixty-six to sixty-seven
degrees south latitude.” In respect to this conclusion
Mr. Reynolds observes, “In the correctness of
it we by no means concur; nor do the discoveries of
Briscoe warrant any such inference. It was within
these limits that Weddell proceeded south on a meridian
to the east of Georgia, Sandwich Land, and the South
Orkney and Shetland Islands.” My own experience
will be found to testify most directly to the falsity of the
conclusion arrived at by the society.
These are the principal attempts which have been
made at penetrating to a high southern latitude, and it
will now be seen that there remained, previous to the
voyage of the Jane, nearly three hundred degrees of longitude
in which the Antarctic circle had not been crossed
at all. Of course a wide field lay before us for discovery,
and it was with feelings of most intense interest
that I heard Captain Guy express his resolution of pushing
boldly to the southward.
CHAPTER XVII.
We kept our course southwardly for four days after
giving up the search for Glass's Islands, without meeting
with any ice at all. On the twenty-sixth, at noon, we
were in latitude 63 ° 23′ S., longitude 41 ° 25′ W. We
now saw several large ice islands, and a floe of field ice,
not, however, of any great extent. The winds generally
blew from the southeast, or the northeast, but were very
light. Whenever we had a westerly wind, which was
seldom, it was invariably attended with a rain squall.
Every day we had more or less snow. The thermometer,
on the twenty-seventh, stood at thirty-five.
-- 144 --
[figure description] Page 144.[end figure description]
January 1, 1828. This day we found ourselves completely
hemmed in by the ice, and our prospects looked
cheerless indeed. A strong gale blew, during the whole
forenoon, from the northeast, and drove large cakes of
the drift against the rudder and counter with such violence
that we all trembled for the consequences. Towards
evening, the gale still blowing with fury, a large
field in front separated, and we were enabled, by carrying
a press of sail, to force a passage through the smaller
flakes into some open water beyond. As we approached
this space we took in sail by degrees, and having
at length got clear, lay to under a single reefed foresail.
January 2. We had now tolerably pleasant weather.
At noon we found ourselves in latitude 69 ° 10′ S., longitude
42 ° 20′ W., having crossed the Antarctic circle.
Very little ice was to be seen to the southward, although
large fields of it lay behind us. This day we rigged
some sounding gear, using a large iron pot capable of
holding twenty gallons, and a line of two hundred fathoms.
We found the current setting to the north, about
a quarter of a mile per hour. The temperature of the
air was now about thirty-three. Here we found the variation
to be 14 ° 28′ easterly, per azimuth.
January 5. We had still held on to the southward
without any very great impediments. On this morning,
however, being in latitude 73 ° 15′ E., longitude 42 ° 10′
W., we were again brought to a stand by an immense
expanse of firm ice. We saw, nevertheless, much open
water to the southward, and felt no doubt of being able
to reach it eventually. Standing to the eastward along
the edge of the flow, we at length came to a passage of
about a mile in width, through which we warped our
way by sundown. The sea in which we now were was
thickly covered with ice islands, but had no field ice,
and we pushed on boldly as before. The cold did not
seem to increase, although we had snow very frequently,
and now and then hail squalls of great violence. Immense
flocks of the albatross flew over the schooner this
day, going from southeast to northwest.
-- 145 --
[figure description] Page 145.[end figure description]
January 7. The sea still remained pretty well open,
so that we had no difficulty in holding on our course.
To the westward we saw some icebergs of incredible
size, and in the afternoon passed very near one whose
summit could not have been less than four hundred fathoms
from the surface of the ocean. Its girth was probably,
at the base, three quarters of a league, and several
streams of water were running from crevices in its sides.
We remained in sight of this island two days, and then
only lost it in a fog.
January 10. Early this morning we had the misfortune
to lose a man overboard. He was an American,
named Peter Vredenburgh, a native of New-York, and
was one of the most valuable hands on board the
schooner. In going over the bows his foot slipped, and
he fell between two cakes of ice, never rising again.
At noon of this day we were in latitude 78 ° 30′, longitude
40 ° 15′ W. The cold was now excessive, and we
had hail squalls continually from the northward and eastward.
In this direction also we saw several more immense
icebergs, and the whole horizon to the eastward
appeared to be blocked up with field ice, rising in tiers,
one mass above the other. Some driftwood floated by
during the evening, and a great quantity of birds flew
over, among which were Nellies, peterels, albatrosses,
and a large bird of a brilliant blue plumage. The variation
here, per azimuth, was less than it had been previously
to our passing the Antarctic circle.
January 12. Our passage to the south again looked
doubtful, as nothing was to be seen in the direction of
the pole but one apparently limitless floe, backed by absolute
mountains of ragged ice, one precipice of which
arose frowningly above the other. We stood to the
westward until the fourteenth, in the hope of finding an
entrance.
January 14. This morning we reached the western
extremity of the field which had impeded us, and, weathering
it, came to an open sea, without a particle of ice.
Upon sounding with two hundred fathoms, we here found
a current setting southwardly at the rate of half a mile
-- 146 --
[figure description] Page 146.[end figure description]
per hour. The temperature of the air was forty-seven,
that of the water thirty-four. We now sailed to the
southward, without meeting any interruption of moment
until the sixteenth, when, at noon, we were in latitude
81 ° 21′, longitude 42 ° W. We here again
sounded, and found a current setting still southwardly,
and at the rate of three quarters of a mile per hour.
The variation per azimuth had diminished, and the temperature
of the air was mild and pleasant, the thermometer
being as high as fifty-one. At this period not a
particle of ice was to be discovered. All hands on
board now felt certain of attaining the pole.
January 17. This day was full of incident. Innumerable
flights of birds flew over us from the southward,
and several were shot from the deck; one of them, a
species of pelican, proved to be excellent eating. About
midday a small floe of ice was seen from the masthead
off the larboard bow, and upon it there appeared to be
some large animal. As the weather was good and
nearly calm, Captain Guy ordered out two of the boats
to see what it was. Dirk Peters and myself accompanied
the mate in the larger boat. Upon coming up with
the floe, we perceived that it was in the possession of a
gigantic creature of the race of the Arctic bear, but far
exceeding in size the largest of these animals. Being
well armed, we made no scruple of attacking it at once.
Several shots were fired in quick succession, the most
of which took effect, apparently, in the head and body.
Nothing discouraged, however, the monster threw himself
from the ice, and swam, with open jaws, to the boat
in which were Peters and myself. Owing to the confusion
which ensued among us at this unexpected turn of
the adventure, no person was ready immediately with a
second shot, and the bear had actually succeeded in getting
half his vast bulk across our gunwale, and seizing
one of the men by the small of his back, before any efficient
means were taken to repel him. In this extremity
nothing but the promptness and agility of Peters saved
us from destruction. Leaping upon the back of the huge
beast, he plunged the blade of a knife behind the neck,
-- 147 --
[figure description] Page 147.[end figure description]
reaching the spinal marrow at a blow. The brute tumbled
into the sea lifeless, and without a struggle, rolling
over Peters as he fell. The latter soon recovered himself,
and a rope being thrown him, he secured the carcass
before entering the boat. We then returned in triumph
to the schooner, towing our trophy behind us.
This bear, upon admeasurement, proved to be full fifteen
feet in his greatest length. His wool was perfectly
white, and very coarse, curling tightly. The eyes were
of a blood red, and larger than those of the Arctic bear—
the snout also more rounded, rather resembling the
snout of the bulldog. The meat was tender, but excessively
rank and fishy, although the men devoured it with
avidity, and declared it excellent eating.
Scarcely had we got our prize alongside, when the
man at the masthead gave the joyful shout of “land on
the starboard bow!” All hands were now upon the alert,
and, a breeze springing up very opportunely from the
northward and eastward, we were soon close in with the
coast. It proved to be a low rocky islet, of about a
league in circumference, and altogether destitute of vegetation,
if we except a species of prickly pear. In approaching
it from the northward, a singular ledge of
rock is seen projecting into the sea, and bearing a
strong resemblance to corded bales of cotton. Around
this ledge to the westward is a small bay, at the bottom
of which our boats effected a convenient landing.
It did not take us long to explore every portion of the
island, but, with one exception, we found nothing worthy
of observation. In the southern extremity, we picked
up near the shore, half buried in a pile of loose stones,
a piece of wood, which seemed to have formed the prow
of a canoe. There had been evidently some attempt at
carving upon it, and Captain Guy fancied that he made
out the figure of a tortoise, but the resemblance did not
strike me very forcibly. Besides this prow, if such it
were, we found no other token that any living creature
had ever been here before. Around the coast we discovered
occasional small floes of ice—but these were
very few. The exact situation of this islet (to which
-- 148 --
[figure description] Page 148.[end figure description]
Captain Guy gave the name of Bennet's Islet, in honour
of his partner in the ownership of the schooner) is 82 °
50′ S. latitude, 42 ° 20′ W. longitude.
We had now advanced to the southward more than
eight degrees farther than any previous navigators,
and the sea still lay perfectly open before us. We
found, too, that the variation uniformly decreased as
we proceeded, and, what was still more surprising, that
the temperature of the air, and latterly of the water, became
milder. The weather might even be called pleasant,
and we had a steady but very gentle breeze always
from some northern point of the compass. The sky
was usually clear, with now and then a slight appearance
of thin vapour in the southern horizon—this, however,
was invariably of brief duration. Two difficulties
alone presented themselves to our view; we were getting
short of fuel, and symptoms of scurvy had occurred
among several of the crew. These considerations began
to impress upon Captain Guy the necessity of returning,
and he spoke of it frequently. For my own part, confident
as I was of soon arriving at land of some description
upon the course we were pursuing, and having
every reason to believe, from present appearances, that
we should not find it the steril soil met with in the
higher Arctic latitudes, I warmly pressed upon him the
expediency of persevering, at least for a few days longer,
in the direction we were now holding. So tempting an
opportunity of solving the great problem in regard to an
Antarctic continent had never yet been afforded to man,
and I confess that I felt myself bursting with indignation
at the timid and ill-timed suggestions of our commander.
I believe, indeed, that what I could not refrain from saying
to him on this head had the effect of inducing him
to push on. While, therefore, I cannot but lament the
most unfortunate and bloody events which immediately
arose from my advice, I must still be allowed to feel
some degree of gratification at having been instrumental,
however remotely, in opening to the eye of science one
of the most intensely exciting secrets which has ever
engrossed its attention.
-- 149 --
CHAPTER XVIII.
[figure description] Page 149.[end figure description]
January 18. This morning4 we continued to the
southward, with the same pleasant weather as before.
The sea was entirely smooth, the air tolerably warm
and from the northeast, the temperature of the water fifty-three.
We now again got our sounding-gear in order,
and, with a hundred and fifty fathoms of line, found the
current setting towards the pole at the rate of a mile an
hour. This constant tendency to the southward, both
in the wind and current, caused some degree of speculation,
and even of alarm, in different quarters of the
schooner, and I saw distinctly that no little impression
had been made upon the mind of Captain Guy. He was
exceedingly sensitive to ridicule, however, and I finally
succeeded in laughing him out of his apprehensions.
The variation was now very trivial. In the course of
the day we saw several large whales of the right species,
and innumerable flights of the albatross passed over
the vessel. We also picked up a bush, full of red berries,
like those of the hawthorn, and the carcass of a
singular-looking land-animal. It was three feet in length,
and but six inches in height, with four very short legs,
the feet armed with long claws of a brilliant scarlet, and
resembling coral in substance. The body was covered
with a straight silky hair, perfectly white. The tail was
peaked like that of a rat, and about a foot and a half
-- 150 --
[figure description] Page 150.[end figure description]
long. The head resembled a cat's, with the exception
of the ears—these were flapped like the ears of a dog.
The teeth were of the same brilliant scarlet as the claws.
January 19. To-day, being in latitude 83 ° 20′, longitude
43 ° 5′ W. (the sea being of an extraordinarily
dark colour), we again saw land from the masthead,
and, upon a closer scrutiny, found it to be one of a
group of very large islands. The shore was precipitous,
and the interior seemed to be well wooded, a circumstance
which occasioned us great joy. In about four
hours from our first discovering the land we came to
anchor in ten fathoms, sandy bottom, a league from the
coast, as a high surf, with strong ripples here and there,
rendered a nearer approach of doubtful expediency.
The two largest boats were now ordered out, and a
party, well armed (among whom were Peters and myself),
proceeded to look for an opening in the reef which appeared
to encircle the island. After searching about for
some time, we discovered an inlet, which we were entering,
when we saw four large canoes put off from the
shore, filled with men who seemed to be well armed. We
waited for them to come up, and, as they moved with
great rapidity, they were soon within hail. Captain Guy
now held up a white handkerchief on the blade of an
oar, when the strangers made a full stop, and commenced
a loud jabbering all at once, intermingled with occasional
shouts, in which we could distinguish the words Anamoo-moo!
and Lama-Lama! They continued this for at
least half an hour, during which we had a good opportunity
of observing their appearance.
In the four canoes, which might have been fifty feet
long and five broad, there were a hundred and ten savages
in all. They were about the ordinary stature of
Europeans, but of a more muscular and brawny frame.
Their complexion a jet black, with thick and long woolly
hair. They were clothed in skins of an unknown
black animal, shaggy and silky, and made to fit the
body with some degree of skill, the hair being inside,
except where turned out about the neck, wrists, and ankles.
Their arms consisted principally of clubs, of a
-- 151 --
[figure description] Page 151.[end figure description]
dark, and apparently very heavy wood. Some spears,
however, were observed among them, headed with flint,
and a few slings. The bottoms of the canoes were full
of black stones about the size of a large egg.
When they had concluded their harangue (for it was
clear they intended their jabbering for such), one of them
who seemed to be the chief stood up in the prow of his
canoe, and made signs for us to bring our boats alongside
of him. This hint we pretended not to understand,
thinking it the wiser plan to maintain, if possible, the interval
between us, as their number more than quadrupled
our own. Finding this to be the case, the chief ordered
the three other canoes to hold back, while he advanced
towards us with his own. As soon as he came up with
us he leaped on board the largest of our boats, and
seated himself by the side of Captain Guy, pointing at
the same time to the schooner, and repeating the words
Anamoo-moo! and Lama-Lama! We now put back to
the vessel, the four canoes following at a little distance.
Upon getting alongside the chief evinced symptoms of
extreme surprise and delight, clapping his hands, slapping
his thighs and breast, and laughing obstreperously.
His followers behind joined in his merriment, and for
some minutes the din was so excessive as to be absolutely
deafening. Quiet being at length restored, Captain
Guy ordered the boats to be hoisted up, as a necessary
precaution, and gave the chief (whose name we
soon found to be Too-wit) to understand that we could
admit no more than twenty of his men on deck at one
time. With this arrangement he appeared perfectly satisfied,
and gave some directions to the canoes, when one
of them approached, the rest remaining about fifty yards
off. Twenty of the savages now got on board, and proceeded
to ramble over every part of the deck, and scramble
about among the rigging, making themselves much
at home, and examining every article with great inquisitiveness.
It was quite evident that they had never before seen
any of the white race—from whose complexion, indeed,
they appeared to recoil. They believed the Jane to
-- 152 --
[figure description] Page 152.[end figure description]
be a living creature, and seemed to be afraid of hurting
it with the points of their spears, carefully turning them
up. Our crew were much amused with the conduct of
Too-wit in one instance. The cook was splitting some
wood near the galley, and, by accident, struck his axe
into the deck, making a gash of considerable depth.
The chief immediately ran up, and pushing the cook on
one side rather roughly, commenced a half whine, half
howl, strongly indicative of sympathy in what he considered
the sufferings of the schooner, patting and
smoothing the gash with his hand, and washing it from
a bucket of seawater which stood by. This was a degree
of ignorance for which we were not prepared, and
for my part I could not help thinking some of it affected.
When the visiters had satisfied, as well as they could,
their curiosity in regard to our upper works, they were
admitted below, when their amazement exceeded all
bounds. Their astonishment now appeared to be far
too deep for words, for they roamed about in silence,
broken only by low ejaculations. The arms afforded
them much food for speculation, and they were suffered
to handle and examine them at leisure. I do not believe
that they had the least suspicion of their actual use, but
rather took them for idols, seeing the care we had of them,
and the attention with which we watched their movements
while handling them. At the great guns their wonder
was redoubled. They approached them with every
mark of the profoundest reverence and awe, but forbore
to examine them minutely. There were two large mirrors
in the cabin, and here was the acme of their amazement.
Too-wit was the first to approach them, and he
had got in the middle of the cabin, with his face to one
and his back to the other, before he fairly perceived
them. Upon raising his eyes and seeing his reflected
self in the glass, I thought the savage would go mad;
but, upon turning short round to make a retreat, and beholding
himself a second time in the opposite direction,
I was afraid he would expire upon the spot. No persuasions
could prevail upon him to take another look; but,
throwing himself upon the floor, with his face buried in
-- 153 --
[figure description] Page 153.[end figure description]
his hands, he remained thus until we were obliged to
drag him upon deck.
The whole of the savages were admitted on board in
this manner, twenty at a time, Too-wit being suffered to
remain during the entire period. We saw no disposition
to thievery among them, nor did we miss a single article
after their departure. Throughout the whole of their visit
they evinced the most friendly manner. There were,
however, some points in their demeanour which we found
it impossible to understand: for example, we could not get
them to approach several very harmless objects—such
as the schooner's sails, an egg, an open book, or a pan of
flour. We endeavoured to ascertain if they had among
them any articles which might be turned to account
in the way of traffic, but found great difficulty in being
comprehended. We made out, nevertheless, what greatly
astonished us, that the islands abounded in the large tortoise
of the Gallipagos, one of which we saw in the
canoe of Too-wit. We saw also some biche de mer in
the hands of one of the savages, who was greedily devouring
it in its natural state. These anomalies, for
they were such when considered in regard to the latitude,
induced Captain Guy to wish for a through investigation
of the country, in the hope of making a profitable
speculation in his discovery. For my own part,
anxious as I was to know something more of these
islands, I was still more earnestly bent on prosecuting
the voyage to the southward without delay. We had
now fine weather, but there was no telling how long it
would last; and being already in the eighty-fourth parallel,
with an open sea before us, a current setting strongly
to the southward, and the wind fair, I could not listen
with any patience to a proposition of stopping longer
than was absolutely necessary for the health of the crew
and the taking on board a proper supply of fuel and
fresh provisions. I represented to the captain that we
might easily make this group on our return, and winter
here in the event of being blocked up by the ice. He
at length came into my views (for in some way, hardly
known to myself, I had acquired much influence over
-- 154 --
[figure description] Page 154.[end figure description]
him), and it was finally resolved that, even in the event
of our finding biche de mer, we should only stay here a
week to recruit, and then push on to the southward
while we might. Accordingly we made every necessary
preparation, and, under the guidance of Too-wit, got the
Jane through the reef in safety, coming to anchor about
a mile from the shore, in an excellent bay, completely
landlocked, on the southeastern coast of the main island,
and in ten fathoms of water, black sandy bottom. At
the head of this bay there were three fine springs (we
were told) of good water, and we saw abundance of
wood in the vicinity. The four canoes followed us in,
keeping, however, at a respectful, distance. Too-wit
himself remained on board, and, upon our dropping anchor,
invited us to accompany him on shore, and visit
his village in the interior. To this Captain Guy consented;
and ten savages being left on board as hostages,
a party of us, twelve in all, got in readiness to attend
the chief. We took care to be well armed, yet without
evincing any distrust. The schooner had her guns run
out, her boarding-nettings up, and every other proper
precaution was taken to guard against surprise. Directions
were left with the chief mate to admit no person
on board during our absence, and, in the event of our
not appearing in twelve hours, to send the cutter, with a
swivel, round the island in search of us.
At every step we took inland the conviction forced itself
upon us that we were in a country differing essentially
from any hitherto visited by civilized men. We
saw nothing with which we had been formerly conversant.
The trees resembled no growth of either the torrid,
the temperate, or the northern frigid zones, and were
altogether unlike those of the lower southern latitudes
we had already traversed. The very rocks were novel
in their mass, their colour, and their stratification; and
the streams themselves, utterly incredible as it may appear,
had so little in common with those of other climates,
that we were scrupulous of tasting them, and, indeed,
had difficulty in bringing ourselves to believe that
their qualities were purely those of nature. At a small
-- 155 --
[figure description] Page 155.[end figure description]
brook which crossed our path (the first we had reached)
Too-wit and his attendants halted to drink. On account
of the singular character of the water, we refused to
taste it, supposing it to be polluted; and it was not until
some time afterward we came to understand that such
was the appearance of the streams throughout the whole
group. I am at a loss to give a distinct idea of the nature
of this liquid, and cannot do so without many
words. Although it flowed with rapidity in all declivities
where common water would do so, yet never, except
when falling in a cascade, had it the customary appearance
of limpidity. It was, nevertheless, in point of
fact, as perfectly limpid as any limestone water in existence,
the difference being only in appearance. At first
sight, and especially in cases where little declivity was
found, it bore resemblance, as regards consistency, to a
thick infusion of gum Arabic in common water. But
this was only the least remarkable of its extraordinary
qualities. It was not colourless, nor was it of any one
uniform colour—presenting to the eye, as it flowed,
every possible shade of purple, like the hues of a changeable
silk. This variation in shade was produced in a
manner which excited as profound astonishment in the
minds of our party as the mirror had done in the case
of Too-wit. Upon collecting a basinful, and allowing
it to settle thoroughly, we perceived that the whole mass
of liquid was made up of a number of distinct veins,
each of a distinct hue; that these veins did not commingle;
and that their cohesion was perfect in regard to
their own particles among themselves, and imperfect in
regard to neighbouring veins. Upon passing the blade
of a knife athwart the veins, the water closed over it immediately,
as with us, and also, in withdrawing it, all
traces of the passage of the knife were instantly obliterated.
If, however, the blade was passed down accurately
between two veins, a perfect separation was effected,
which the power of cohesion did not immediately
rectify. The phenomena of this water formed the first
definite link in that vast chain of apparent miracles with
which I was destined to be at length encircled.
eaf319.44. The terms morning and evening, which I have made use of to
avoid confusion in my narrative, as far as possible, must not, of
course, be taken in their ordinary sense. For a long time past we
had had no night at all, the daylight being continual. The dates
throughout are according to nautical time, and the bearings must
be understood as per compass. I would also remark in this place,
that I cannot, in the first portion of what is here written, pretend to
strict accuracy in respect to dates, or latitudes and longitudes, having
kept no regular journal until after the period of which this first
portion treats. In many instances I have relied altogether upon
memory.
-- 156 --
CHAPTER XIX.
[figure description] Page 156.[end figure description]
We were nearly three hours in reaching the village,
it being more than nine miles in the interior, and the
path lying through a rugged country. As we passed
along, the party of Too-wit (the whole hundred and ten
savages of the canoes) was momentarily strengthened
by smaller detachments, of from two to six or seven,
which joined us, as if by accident, at different turns in
the road. There appeared so much of system in this
that I could not help feeling distrust, and I spoke to
Captain Guy of my apprehensions. It was now too late,
however, to recede, and we concluded that our best security
lay in evincing a perfect confidence in the good
faith of Too-wit. We accordingly went on, keeping a
wary eye upon the manœuvres of the savages, and not
permitting them to divide our numbers by pushing in between.
In this way, passing through a precipitous ravine,
we at length reached what we were told was the
only collection of habitations upon the island. As we
came in sight of them, the chief set up a shout, and frequently
repeated the word Klock-Klock; which we supposed
to be the name of the village, or perhaps the generic
name for villages.
The dwellings were of the most miserable description
imaginable, and, unlike those of even the lowest of the
savage races with which mankind are acquainted, were
of no uniform plan. Some of them (and these we found
belonged to the Wampoos or Yampoos, the great men of
the land) consisted of a tree cut down at about four feet
from the root, with a large black skin thrown over it, and
hanging in loose folds upon the ground. Under this the
savage nestled. Others were formed by means of rough
limbs of trees, with the withered foliage upon them,
made to recline, at an angle of forty-five degrees, against
a bank of clay, heaped up, without regular form, to the
-- 157 --
[figure description] Page 157.[end figure description]
height of five or six feet. Others, again, were mere holes
dug in the earth perpendicularly, and covered over with
similar branches, these being removed when the tenant
was about to enter, and pulled on again when he had
entered. A few were built among the forked limbs of
trees as they stood, the upper limbs being partially cut
through, so as to bend over upon the lower, thus forming
thicker shelter from the weather. The greater number,
however, consisted of small shallow caverns, apparently
scratched in the face of a precipitous ledge of dark stone,
resembling fuller's earth, with which three sides of the
village was bounded. At the door of each of these
primitive caverns was a small rock, which the tenant
carefully placed before the entrance upon leaving his
residence, for what purpose I could not ascertain, as the
stone itself was never of sufficient size to close up more
than a third of the opening.
This village, if it were worthy of the name, lay in a
valley of some depth, and could only be approached
from the southward, the precipitous ledge of which I
have already spoken cutting off all access in other directions.
Through the middle of the valley ran a brawling
stream of the same magical-looking water which has
been described. We saw several strange animals about
the dwellings, all appearing to be thoroughly domesticated.
The largest of these creatures resembled our common
hog in the structure of the body and snout; the tail,
however, was bushy, and the legs slender as those of the
antelope. Its motion was exceedingly awkward and indecisive,
and we never saw it attempt to run. We noticed
also several animals very similar in appearance, but of a
greater length of body, and covered with a black wool.
There were a great variety of tame fowls running about,
and these seemed to constitute the chief food of the natives.
To our astonishment we saw black albatross
among these birds in a state of entire domestication, going
to sea periodically for food, but always returning to the
village as a home, and using the southern shore in the vicinity
as a place of incubation. There they were joined
by their friends the pelicans as usual, but these latter
-- 158 --
[figure description] Page 158.[end figure description]
never followed them to the dwellings of the savages.
Among the other kinds of tame fowls were ducks, differing
very little from the canvass-back of our own
country, black gannets, and a large bird not unlike the
buzzard in appearance, but not carnivorous. Of fish
there seemed to be a great abundance. We saw, during
our visit, a quantity of dried salmon, rock cod, blue dolphins,
mackerel, blackfish, skate, conger eels, elephant-fish,
mullets, soles, parrotfish, leather-jackets, gurnards,
hake, flounders, paracutas, and innumerable other varieties.
We noticed, too, that most of them were similar
to the fish about the group of the Lord Auckland
Islands, in a latitude as low as fifty-one degrees south.
The Gallipago tortoise was also very plentiful. We
saw but few wild animals, and none of a large size, or
of a species with which we were familiar. One or two
serpents of a formidable aspect crossed our path, but
the natives paid them little attention, and we concluded
that they were not venomous.
As we approached the village with Too-wit and his
party, a vast crowd of the people rushed out to meet us,
with loud shouts, among which we could only distinguish
the everlasting Anamoo-moo! and Lama-Lama! We
were much surprised at perceiving that, with one or
two exceptions, these new comers were entirely naked,
the skins being used only by the men of the canoes.
All the weapons of the country seemed also to be in the
possession of the latter, for there was no appearance of
any among the villagers. There were a great many
women and children, the former not altogether wanting
in what might be termed personal beauty. They were
straight, tall, and well formed, with a grace and freedom
of carriage not to be found in civilized society. Their
lips, however, like those of the men, were thick and
clumsy, so that, even when laughing, the teeth were
never disclosed. Their hair was of a finer texture than
that of the males. Among these naked villagers there
might have been ten or twelve who were clothed, like
the party of Too-wit, in dresses of black skin, and armed
with lances and heavy clubs. These appeared to
-- 159 --
[figure description] Page 159.[end figure description]
have great influence among the rest, and were always
addressed by the title Wampoo. These, too, were the
tenants of the black skin palaces. That of Too-wit was
situated in the centre of the village, and was much larger
and somewhat better constructed than others of its kind.
The tree which formed its support was cut off at a distance
of twelve feet or thereabout from the root, and
there were several branches left just below the cut, these
serving to extend the covering, and in this way prevent
its flapping about the trunk. The covering, too, which
consisted of four very large skins fastened together
with wooden skewers, was secured at the bottom with
pegs driven through it and into the ground. The floor
was strewed with a quantity of dry leaves by way of
carpet.
To this hut we were conducted with great solemnity,
and as many of the natives crowded in after us as possible.
Too-wit seated himself on the leaves, and made
signs that we should follow his example. This we did,
and presently found ourselves in a situation peculiarly
uncomfortable, if not indeed critical. We were on the
ground, twelve in number, with the savages, as many as
forty, sitting on their hams so closely around us that, if
any disturbance had arisen, we should have found it impossible
to make use of our arms, or indeed to have risen
on our feet. The pressure was not only inside the tent,
but outside, where probably was every individual on the
whole island, the crowd being prevented from trampling
us to death only by the incessant exertions and vociferations
of Too-wit. Our chief security lay, however, in the
presence of Too-wit himself among us, and we resolved
to stick by him closely, as the best chance of extricating
ourselves from the dilemma, sacrificing him immediately
upon the first appearance of hostile design.
After some trouble a certain degree of quiet was restored,
when the chief addressed us in a speech of great
length, and very nearly resembling the one delivered in
the canoes, with the exception that the Anamoo-moos!
were now somewhat more strenuously insisted upon than
the Lama-Lamas! We listened in profound silence until
-- 160 --
[figure description] Page 160.[end figure description]
the conclusion of his harangue, when Captain Guy replied
by assuring the chief of his eternal friendship and goodwill,
concluding what he had to say by a present of several
strings of blue beads and a knife. At the former
the monarch, much to our surprise, turned up his nose
with some expression of contempt; but the knife gave him
the most unlimited satisfaction, and he immediately ordered
dinner. This was handed into the tent over the
heads of the attendants, and consisted of the palpitating
entrails of a species of unknown animal, probably one of
the slim-legged hogs which we had observed in our approach
to the village. Seeing us at a loss how to proceed,
he began, by way of setting us an example, to devour
yard after yard of the enticing food, until we could
positively stand it no longer, and evinced such manifest
symptoms of rebellion of stomach as inspired his majesty
with a degree of astonishment only inferior to that
brought about by the looking-glasses. We declined,
however, partaking of the delicacies before us, and endeavoured
to make him understand that we had no appetite
whatever, having just finished a hearty déjeuner.
When the monarch had made an end of his meal, we
commenced a series of cross-questioning in every ingenious
manner we could devise, with a view of discovering
what were the chief productions of the country, and
whether any of them might be turned to profit. At length
he seemed to have some idea of our meaning, and offered
to accompany us to a part of the coast where he assured
us the biche de mer (pointing to a specimen of that animal)
was to be found in great abundance. We were
glad at this early opportunity of escaping from the oppression
of the crowd, and signified our eagerness to proceed.
We now left the tent, and, accompanied by the
whole population of the village, followed the chief to the
southeastern extremity of the island, not far from the bay
where our vessel lay at anchor. We waited here for
about an hour, until the four canoes were brought round
by some of the savages to our station. The whole of
our party then getting into one of them, we were paddled
along the edge of the reef before mentioned, and of
-- 161 --
[figure description] Page 161.[end figure description]
another still farther out, where we saw a far greater quantity
of bicke de mer than the oldest seaman among us had
ever seen in those groups of the lower latitudes most
celebrated for this article of commerce. We stayed near
these reefs only long enough to satisfy ourselves that we
could easily load a dozen vessels with the animal if necessary,
when we were taken alongside the schooner,
and parted with Too-wit after obtaining from him a promise
that he would bring us, in the course of twenty-four
hours, as many of the canvass-back ducks and Gallipago
tortoises as his canoes would hold. In the whole of this
adventure we saw nothing in the demeanour of the natives
calculated to create suspicion, with the single exception
of the systematic manner in which their party
was strengthened during our route from the schooner to
the village.
CHAPTER XX.
The chief was as good as his word, and we were soon
plentifully supplied with fresh provision. We found the
tortoises as fine as we had ever seen, and the ducks surpassed
our best species of wild fowl, being exceedingly
tender, juicy, and well-flavoured. Besides these, the savages
brought us, upon our making them comprehend our
wishes, a vast quantity of brown celery and scurvy grass,
with a canoe-load of fresh fish and some dried. The
celery was a treat indeed, and the scurvy grass proved of
incalculable benefit in restoring those of our men who
had shown symptoms of disease. In a very short time
we had not a single person on the sick-list. We had
also plenty of other kinds of fresh provision, among which
may be mentioned a species of shellfish resembling the
muscle in shape, but with the taste of an oyster, Shrimps,
too, and prawns were abundant, and albatross and other
birds' eggs with dark shells. We took in, too, a plentiful
-- 162 --
[figure description] Page 162.[end figure description]
stock of the flesh of the hog which I have mentioned before.
Most of the men found it a palatable food, but I
thought it fishy and otherwise disagreeable. In return
for these good things we presented the natives with blue
beads, brass trinkets, nails, knives, and pieces of red
cloth, they being fully delighted in the exchange. We
established a regular market on shore, just under the guns
of the schooner, where our barterings were carried on
with every appearance of good faith, and a degree of order
which their conduct at the village of Klock-klock had
not led us to expect from the savages.
Matters went on thus very amicably for several days,
during which parties of the natives were frequently on
board the schooner, and parties of our men frequently on
shore, making long excursions into the interior, and receiving
no molestation whatever. Finding the ease with
which the vessel might be loaded with biche de mer, owing
to the friendly disposition of the islanders, and the readiness
with which they would render us assistance in collecting
it, Captain Guy resolved to enter into negotiation
with Too-wit for the erection of suitable houses in which
to cure the article, and for the services of himself and
tribe in gathering as much as possible, while he himself
took advantage of the fine weather to prosecute his voyage
to the southward. Upon mentioning this project to
the chief he seemed very willing to enter into an agreement.
A bargain was accordingly struck, perfectly satisfactory
to both parties, by which it was arranged that,
after making the necessary preparations, such as laying
off the proper grounds, erecting a portion of the buildings,
and doing some other work in which the whole of our
crew would be required, the schooner should proceed on
her route, leaving three of her men on the island to superintend
the fulfilment of the project, and instruct the
natives in drying the biche de mer. In regard to terms,
these were made to depend upon the exertions of the savages
in our absence. They were to receive a stipulated
quantity of blue beads, knives, red cloth, and so forth, for
every certain number of piculs of the biche de mer which
should be ready on our return.
-- 163 --
[figure description] Page 163.[end figure description]
A description of the nature of this important article of
commerce, and the method of preparing it, may prove of
some interest to my readers, and I can find no more suitable
place than this for introducing an account of it.
The following comprehensive notice of the substance is
taken from a modern history of a voyage to the South
Seas.
“It is that mollusca from the Indian Seas which is
known in commerce by the French name bouche de mer
(a nice morsel from the sea). If I am not much mistaken,
the celebrated Cuvier calls it gasteropeda pulmonifera.
It is abundantly gathered in the coasts of the Pacific
Islands, and gathered especially for the Chinese
market, where it commands a great price, perhaps as
much as their much-talked of edible bird's nests, which
are probably made up of the gelatinous matter picked up
by a species of swallow from the body of these molluscæ.
They have no shell, no legs, nor any prominent part, except
an absorbing and an excretory, opposite organs; but,
by their elastic wings, like caterpillars or worms, they
creep in shallow waters, in which, when low, they can be
seen by a kind of swallow, the sharp bill of which, inserted
in the soft animal, draws a gummy and filamentous
substance, which, by drying, can be wrought into
the solid walls of their nest. Hence the name of gasteropeda
pulmonifera.
“This mollusca is oblong, and of different sizes, from
three to eighteen inches in length; and I have seen a
few that were not less than two feet long. They are
nearly round, a little flattish on one side, which lies next
the bottom of the sea; and they are from one to eight
inches thick. They crawl up into shallow water at particular
seasons of the year, probably for the purpose of
gendering, as we often find them in pairs. It is when
the sun has the most power on the water, rendering it
tepid, that they approach the shore; and they often go up
into places so shallow, that, on the tide's receding, they
are left dry, exposed to the heat of the sun. But they
do not bring forth their young in shallow water, as we
never see any of their progeny, and the full-grown ones
-- 164 --
[figure description] Page 164.[end figure description]
are always observed coming in from deep water. They
feed principally on that class of zoophytes which produce
the coral.
“The biche de mer is generally taken in three or four
feet water; after which they are brought on shore, and
split at one end with a knife, the incision being one inch
or more, according to the size of the mollusca. Through
this opening the entrails are forced out by pressure, and
they are much like those of any other small tenant of the
deep. The article is then washed, and afterward boiled
to a certain degree, which must not be too much or too
little. They are then buried in the ground for four hours,
then boiled again for a short time, after which they are
dried, either by the fire or the sun. Those cured by the
sun are worth the most; but where one picul (133⅓ lbs.)
can be cured that way, I can cure thirty piculs by the fire.
When once properly cured, they can be kept in a dry place
for two or three years without any risk; but they should
be examined once in every few months, say four times
a year, to see if any dampness is likely to affect them.
“The Chinese, as before stated, consider biche de mer
a very great luxury, believing that it wonderfully strengthens
and nourishes the system, and renews the exhausted
system of the immoderate voluptuary. The first quality
commands a high price in Canton, being worth ninety
dollars a picul; the second quality seventy-five dollars;
the third fifty dollars; the fourth thirty dollars; the fifth
twenty dollars; the sixth twelve dollars; the seventh
eight dollars; and the eighth four dollars; small cargoes,
however, will often bring more in Manilla, Singapore, and
Batavia.”
An agreement having been thus entered into, we proceeded
immediately to land everything necessary for preparing
the buildings and clearing the ground. A large
flat space near the eastern shore of the bay was selected,
where there was plenty both of wood and water, and
within a convenient distance of the principal reefs on
which the biche de mer was to be procured. We now all
set to work in good earnest, and soon, to the great astonishment
of the savages, had felled a sufficient number
-- 165 --
[figure description] Page 165.[end figure description]
of trees for our purpose, getting them quickly in order
for the framework of the houses, which in two or three
days were so far under way that we could safely trust
the rest of the work to the three men whom we intended
to leave behind. These were John Carson, Alfred Harris,
and—Peterson (all natives of London, I believe),
who volunteered their services in this respect.
By the last of the month we had everything in readiness
for departure. We had agreed, however, to pay a
formal visit of leavestaking to the village, and Too-wit
insisted so pertinaciously upon our keeping the promise,
that we did not think it advisable to run the risk of offending
him by a final refusal. I believe that not one of us
had at this time the slightest suspicion of the good faith
of the savages. They had uniformly behaved with the
greatest decorum, aiding us with alacrity in our work,
offering us their commodities frequently without price,
and never, in any instance, pilfering a single article, although
the high value they set upon the goods we had
with us was evident by the extravagant demonstrations
of joy always manifested upon our making them a present.
The women especially were most obliging in
every respect, and, upon the whole, we should have been
the most suspicious of human beings had we entertained
a single thought of perfidy on the part of a people who
treated us so well. A very short while sufficed to prove
that this apparent kindness of disposition was only the result
of a deeply-laid plan for our destruction, and that the
islanders for whom we entertained such inordinate feelings
of esteem were among the most barbarous, subtle,
and bloodthirsty wretches that ever contaminated the face
of the globe.
It was on the first of February that we went on
shore for the purpose of visiting the village. Although,
as said before, we entertained not the slightest suspicion,
still no proper precaution was neglected. Six men were
left in the schooner with instructions to permit none of
the savages to approach the vessel during our absence,
under any pretence whatever, and to remain constantly
on deck. The boarding-nettings were up, the guns
-- 166 --
[figure description] Page 166.[end figure description]
double-shotted with grape and canister, and the swivels
loaded with canisters of musket-balls. She lay, with
her anchor apeak, about a mile from the shore, and no
canoe could approach her in any direction without being
distinctly seen and exposed to the full fire of our swivels
immediately.
The six men being left on board, our shore-party consisted
of thirty-two persons in all. We were armed to
the teeth, having with us muskets, pistols, and cutlasses,
besides each a long kind of seaman's knife, somewhat resembling
the Bowie knife now so much used throughout
our western and southern country. A hundred of the
black skin warriors met us at the landing for the purpose
of accompanying us on our way. We noticed, however,
with some surprise, that they were now entirely without
arms; and, upon questioning Too-wit in relation to this
circumstance, he merely answered that Mattee non we pa
pa si—meaning that there was no need of arms where
all were brothers. We took this in good part, and proceeded.
We had passed the spring and rivulet of which I before
spoke, and were now entering upon a narrow gorge
leading through the chain of soapstone hills among which
the village was situated. This gorge was very rocky
and uneven, so much so that it was with no little difficulty
we scrambled through it on our first visit to Klock-klock.
The whole length of the ravine might have been
a mile and a half, or probably two miles. It wound in
every possible direction through the hills (having apparently
formed, at some remote period, the bed of a torrent),
in no instance proceeding more than twenty yards
without an abrupt turn. The sides of this dell would
have averaged, I am sure, seventy or eighty feet in perpendicular
altitude throughout the whole of their extent,
and in some portions they arose to an astonishing height,
overshadowing the pass so completely that but little of
the light of day could penetrate. The general width
was about forty feet, and occasionally it diminished so
as not to allow the passage of more than five or six persons
abreast. In short, there could be no place in the
-- 167 --
[figure description] Page 167.[end figure description]
world better adapted for the consummation of an ambuscade,
and it was no more than natural that we should
look carefully to our arms as we entered upon it. When
I now think of our egregious folly, the chief subject of astonishment
seems to be, that we should have ever ventured,
under any circumstances, so completely into the
power of unknown savages as to permit them to march
both before and behind us in our progress through this ravine.
Yet such was the order we blindly took up, trusting
foolishly to the force of our party, the unarmed condition
of Too-wit and his men, the certain efficacy of our fire-arms
(whose effect was yet a secret to the natives), and,
more than all, to the long-sustained pretension of friendship
kept up by these infamous wretches. Five or six
of them went on before, as if to lead the way, ostentatiously
busying themselves in removing the larger stones
and rubbish from the path. Next came our own party.
We walked closely together, taking care only to prevent
separation. Behind followed the main body of the savages,
observing unusual order and decorum.
Dirk Peters, a man named Wilson Allen, and myself
were on the right of our companions, examining, as we
went along, the singular stratification of the precipice
which overhung us. A fissure in the soft rock attracted
our attention. It was about wide enough for one person
to enter without squeezing, and extended back into the
hill some eighteen or twenty feet in a straight course,
sloping afterward to the left. The height of the opening,
as far as we could see into it from the main gorge, was
perhaps sixty or seventy feet. There were one or two
stunted shrubs growing from the crevices, bearing a species
of filbert, which I felt some curiosity to examine,
and pushed in briskly for that purpose, gathering five or
six of the nuts at a grasp, and then hastily retreating.
As I turned, I found that Peters and Allen had followed
me. I desired them to go back, as there was not room
for two persons to pass, saying they should have some of
my nuts. They accordingly turned, and were scrambling
back, Allen being close to the mouth of the fissure,
when I was suddenly aware of a concussion resembling
-- 168 --
[figure description] Page 168.[end figure description]
nothing I had ever before experienced, and which impressed
me with a vague conception, if indeed I then
thought of anything, that the whole foundations of the
solid globe were suddenly rent asunder, and that the day
of universal dissolution was at hand.
CHAPTER XXI.
As soon as I could collect my scattered senses, I found
myself nearly suffocated, and grovelling in utter darkness
among a quantity of loose earth, which was also
falling upon me heavily in every direction, threatening
to bury me entirely. Horribly alarmed at this idea,
I struggled to gain my feet, and at length succeeded. I
then remained motionless for some moments, endeavouring
to conceive what had happened to me, and where I
was. Presently I heard a deep groan just at my ear, and
afterward the smothered voice of Peters calling to me
for aid in the name of God. I scrambled one or two
paces forward, when I fell directly over the head and
shoulders of my companion, who, I soon discovered, was
buried in a loose mass of earth as far as his middle, and
struggling desperately to free himself from the pressure.
I tore the dirt from around him with all the energy I could
command, and at length succeeded in getting him out.
As soon as we sufficiently recovered from our fright and
surprise to be capable of conversing rationally, we both
came to the conclusion that the walls of the fissure in
which we had ventured had, by some convulsion of nature,
or probably from their own weight, caved in overhead,
and that we were consequently lost for ever, being
thus entombed alive. For a long time we gave up supinely
to the most intense agony and despair, such as
cannot be adequately imagined by those who have never
been in a similar situation. I firmly believe that no incident
ever occurring in the course of human events is
-- 169 --
[figure description] Page 169.[end figure description]
more adapted to inspire the supremeness of mental and
bodily distress than a case like our own, of living inhumation.
The blackness of darkness which envelops
the victim, the terrific oppression of lungs, the stifling
fumes from the damp earth, unite with the ghastly considerations
that we are beyond the remotest confines of
hope, and that such is the allotted portion of the dead, to
carry into the human heart a degree of appalling awe and
horror not to be tolerated—never to be conceived.
At length Peters proposed that we should endeavour
to ascertain precisely the extent of our calamity, and
grope about our prison; it being barely possible, he observed,
that some opening might be yet left us for escape.
I caught eagerly at this hope, and, arousing myself to exertion,
attempted to force my way through the loose earth.
Hardly had I advanced a single step before a glimmer of
light became perceptible, enough to convince me that, at
all events, we should not immediately perish for want of
air. We now took some degree of heart, and encouraged
each other to hope for the best. Having scrambled over
a bank of rubbish which impeded our farther progress
in the direction of the light, we found less difficulty in advancing,
and also experienced some relief from the excessive
oppression of lungs which had tormented us.
Presently we were enabled to obtain a glimpse of the objects
around, and discovered that we were near the
extremity of the straight portion of the fissure, where it
made a turn to the left. A few struggles more, and
we reached the bend, when, to our inexpressible joy, there
appeared a long seam or crack extending upward a vast
distance, generally at an angle of about forty-five degrees,
although sometimes much more precipitous. We could
not see through the whole extent of this opening; but, as
a good deal of light came down it, we had little doubt of
finding at the top of it (if we could by any means reach
the top) a clear passage into the open air.
I now called to mind that three of us had entered the
fissure from the main gorge, and that our companion,
Allen, was still missing; we determined at once to retrace
our steps and look for him. After a long search,
-- 170 --
[figure description] Page 170.[end figure description]
and much danger from the farther caving in of the earth
above us, Peters at length cried out to me that he had
hold of our companion's foot, and that his whole body
was deeply buried beneath the rubbish, beyond a possibility
of extricating him. I soon found that what he said
was too true, and that, of course, life had been long extinct.
With sorrowful hearts, therefore, we left the
corpse to its fate, and again made our way to the bend.
The breadth of the seam was barely sufficient to admit
us, and, after one or two ineffectual efforts at getting
up, we began once more to despair. I have before said
that the chain of hills through which ran the main gorge
was composed of a species of soft rock resembling soapstone.
The sides of the cleft we were now attempting to
ascend were of the same material, and so excessively
slippery, being wet, that we could get but little foothold
upon them even in their least precipitous parts; in some
places, where the ascent was nearly perpendicular, the
difficulty was, of course, much aggravated; and, indeed,
for some time we thought it insurmountable. We took
courage, however, from despair; and what, by dint of cutting
steps in the soft stone with our Bowie knives, and
swinging, at the risk of our lives, to small projecting
points of a harder species of slaty rock which now and
then protruded from the general mass, we at length
reached a natural platform, from which was perceptible
a patch of blue sky, at the extremity of a thickly-wooded
ravine. Looking back now, with somewhat more leisure,
at the passage through which we had thus far proceeded,
we clearly saw, from the appearance of its sides, that it
was of late formation, and we concluded that the concussion,
whatever it was, which had so unexpectedly
overwhelmed us, had also, at the same moment, laid
open this path for escape. Being quite exhausted with
exertion, and, indeed, so weak that we were scarcely
able to stand or articulate, Peters now proposed that we
should endeavour to bring our companions to the rescue
by firing the pistols which still remained in our girdles—
the muskets as well as cutlasses had been lost among
the loose earth at the bottom of the chasm. Subsequent
-- 171 --
[figure description] Page 171.[end figure description]
events proved that, had we fired, we should have sorely
repented it; but, luckily, a half suspicion of foul play
had by this time arisen in my mind, and we forbore to
let the savages know of our whereabouts.
After having reposed for about an hour, we pushed on
slowly up the ravine, and had gone no great way before
we heard a succession of tremendous yells. At length
we reached what might be called the surface of the
ground; for our path hitherto, since leaving the platform,
had lain beneath an archway of high rock and foliage,
at a vast distance overhead. With great caution we
stole to a narrow opening, through which we had a clear
sight of the surrounding country, when the whole dreadful
secret of the concussion broke upon us in one moment
and at one view.
The spot from which we looked was not far from the
summit of the highest peak in the range of the soapstone
hills. The gorge in which our party of thirty-two had
entered ran within fifty feet to the left of us. But, for
at least one hundred yards, the channel or bed of this
gorge was entirely filled up with the chaotic ruins of
more than a million tons of earth and stone that had
been artificially tumbled within it. The means by which
the vast mass had been precipitated were not more simple
than evident, for sure traces of the murderous work
were yet remaining. In several spots along the top of the
eastern side of the gorge (we were now on the western)
might be seen stakes of wood driven into the earth. In
these spots the earth had not given way; but throughout
the whole extent of the face of the precipice from which
the mass had fallen, it was clear, from marks left in the
soil resembling those made by the drill of the rock-blaster,
that stakes similar to those we saw standing
had been inserted, at not more than a yard apart, for the
length of perhaps three hundred feet, and ranging at about
ten feet back from the edge of the gulf. Strong cords
of grape vine were attached to the stakes still remaining
on the hill, and it was evident that such cords had also
been attached to each of the other stakes. I have already
spoken of the singular stratification of these
-- 172 --
[figure description] Page 172.[end figure description]
soapstone hills; and the description just given of the narrow
and deep fissure through which we effected our escape
from inhumation will afford a further conception of its
nature. This was such that almost every natural convulsion
would be sure to split the soil into perpendicular
layers or ridges running parallel with one another; and
a very moderate exertion of art would be sufficient for
effecting the same purpose. Of this stratification the
savages had availed themselves to accomplish their
treacherous ends. There can be no doubt that, by the
continuous line of stakes, a partial rupture of the soil
had been brought about, probably to the depth of one or
two feet, when, by means of a savage pulling at the end
of each of the cords (these cords being attached to the
tops of the stakes, and extending back from the edge of
the cliff), a vast leverage power was obtained, capable of
hurling the whole face of the hill, upon a given signal,
into the bosom of the abyss below. The fate of our
poor companions was no longer a matter of uncertainty.
We alone had escaped from the tempest of that overwhelming
destruction. We were the only living white
men upon the island.
CHAPTER XXII.
Our situation, as it now appeared, was scarcely less
dreadful than when we had conceived ourselves entombed
for ever. We saw before us no prospect but
that of being put to death by the savages, or of dragging
out a miserable existence in captivity among them. We
might, to be sure, conceal ourselves for a time from their
observation among the fastnesses of the hills, and, as a
final resort, in the chasm from which we had just issued;
but we must either perish in the long Polar winter
through cold and famine, or be ultimately discovered in
our efforts to obtain relief.
-- 173 --
[figure description] Page 173.[end figure description]
The whole country around us seemed to be swarming
with savages, crowds of whom, we now perceived, had
come over from the islands to the southward on flat
rafts, doubtless with a view of lending their aid in the
capture and plunder of the Jane. The vessel still lay
calmly at anchor in the bay, those on board being apparently
quite unconscious of any danger awaiting them.
How we longed at that moment to be with them! either
to aid in effecting their escape, or to perish with them in
attempting a defence. We saw no chance even of
warning them of their danger without bringing immediate
destruction upon our own heads, with but a remote
hope of benefit to them. A pistol fired might suffice to
apprize them that something wrong had occurred; but
the report could not possibly inform them that their only
prospect of safety lay in getting out of the harbour forth-with—
it could not tell them that no principles of honour
now bound them to remain, that their companions were
no longer among the living. Upon hearing the discharge
they could not be more thoroughly prepared to meet the
foe, who were now getting ready to attack, than they already
were, and always had been. No good, therefore,
and infinite harm, would result from our firing, and, after
mature deliberation, we forbore.
Our next thought was to attempt a rush towards the
vessel, to seize one of the four canoes which lay at the
head of the bay, and endeavour to force a passage on
board. But the utter impossibility of succeeding in this
desperate task soon became evident. The country, as I
said before, was literally swarming with the natives,
skulking among the bushes and recesses of the hills, so
as not to be observed from the schooner. In our immediate
vicinity especially, and blockading the sole path
by which we could hope to attain the shore in the proper
point, were stationed the whole party of the black
skin warriors, with Too-wit at their head, and apparently
only waiting for some re-enforcement to commence his
onset upon the Jane. The canoes, too, which lay at
the head of the bay were manned with savages, unarmed,
it is true, but who undoubtedly had arms within reach.
-- 174 --
[figure description] Page 174.[end figure description]
We were forced, therefore, however unwillingly, to remain
in our place of concealment, mere spectators of the
conflict which presently ensued.
In about half an hour we saw some sixty or seventy
rafts, or flatboats, with outriggers, filled with savages,
and coming round the southern bight of the harbour.
They appeared to have no arms except short clubs, and
stones which lay in the bottom of the rafts. Immediately
afterward another detachment, still larger, approached in
an opposite direction, and with similar weapons. The
four canoes, too, were now quickly filled with natives,
starting up from the bushes at the head of the bay, and
put off swiftly to join the other parties. Thus, in less
time than I have taken to tell it, and as if by magic, the
Jane saw herself surrounded by an immense multitude
of desperadoes evidently bent upon capturing her at all
hazards.
That they would succeed in so doing could not be
doubted for an instant. The six men left in the vessel,
however resolutely they might engage in her defence,
were altogether unequal to the proper management of
the guns, or in any manner to sustain a contest at such
odds. I could hardly imagine that they would make resistance
at all, but in this was deceived; for presently
I saw them get springs upon the cable, and bring the
vessel's starboard broadside to bear upon the canoes,
which by this time were within pistol range, the rafts
being nearly a quarter of a mile to windward. Owing
to some cause unknown, but most probably to the agitation
of our poor friends at seeing themselves in so hopeless
a situation, the discharge was an entire failure.
Not a canoe was hit or a single savage injured, the
shots striking short and ricochêting over their heads.
The only effect produced upon them was astonishment
at the unexpected report and smoke, which was so excessive
that for some moments I almost thought they
would abandon their design entirely, and return to the
shore. And this they would most likely have done had
our men followed up their broadside by a discharge of
small arms, in which, as the canoes were now so near
-- 175 --
[figure description] Page 175.[end figure description]
at hand, they could not have failed in doing some execution,
sufficient, at least, to deter this party from a farther
advance, until they could have given the rafts also a
broadside. But, in place of this, they left the canoe
party to recover from their panic, and, by looking about
them, to see that no injury had been sustained, while
they flew to the larboard to get ready for the rafts.
The discharge to larboard produced the most terrible
effect. The star and double-headed shot of the large
guns cut seven or eight of the rafts completely asunder,
and killed, perhaps, thirty or forty of the savages outright,
while a hundred of them, at least, were thrown into the
water, the most of them dreadfully wounded. The remainder,
frightened out of their senses, commenced at
once a precipitate retreat, not even waiting to pick up
their maimed companions, who were swimming about in
every direction, screaming and yelling for aid. This
great success, however, came too late for the salvation
of our devoted people. The canoe party were already
on board the schooner to the number of more than a
hundred and fifty, the most of them having succeeded in
scrambling up the chains and over the boarding nettings
even before the matches had been applied to the
larboard guns. Nothing could now withstand their
brute rage. Our men were borne down at once, overwhelmed,
trodden under foot, and absolutely torn to
pieces in an instant.
Seeing this, the savages on the rafts got the better of
their fears, and came up in shoals to the plunder. In
five minutes the Jane was a pitiable scene indeed of
havoc and tumultuous outrage. The decks were split
open and ripped up; the cordage, sails, and everything
moveable on deck demolished as if by magic; while,
by dint of pushing at the stern, towing with the canoes,
and hauling at the sides, as they swam in thousands
around the vessel, the wretches finally forced her on shore
(the cable having been slipped), and delivered her over
to the good offices of Too-wit, who, during the whole
of the engagement, had maintained, like a skilful general,
his post of security and reconnoissance among the hills,
-- 176 --
[figure description] Page 176.[end figure description]
but, now that the victory was completed to his satisfaction,
condescended to scamper down with his warriors
of the black skin, and become a partaker in the spoils.
Too-wit's descent left us at liberty to quit our hiding-place
and reconnoitre the hill in the vicinity of the
chasm. At about fifty yards from the mouth of it we
saw a small spring of water, at which we slaked the
burning thirst that now consumed us. Not far from the
spring we discovered several of the filbert-bushes which
I mentioned before. Upon tasting the nuts we found
them palatable, and very nearly resembling in flavour
the common English filbert. We collected our hats full
immediately, deposited them within the ravine, and returned
for more. While we were busily employed in
gathering these, a rustling in the bushes alarmed us,
and we were upon the point of stealing back to our covert,
when a large black bird of the bittern species strugglingly
and slowly arose above the shrubs. I was so
much startled that I could do nothing, but Peters had
sufficient presence of mind to run up to it before it
could make its escape, and seize it by the neck. Its
struggles and screams were tremendous, and we had
thoughts of letting it go, lest the noise should alarm
some of the savages who might be still lurking in the
neighbourhood. A stab with a Bowie knife, however,
at length brought it to the ground, and we dragged it into
the ravine, congratulating ourselves that, at all events,
we had thus obtained a supply of food enough to last us
for a week.
We now went out again to look about us, and ventured
a considerable distance down the southern declivity of
the hill, but met with nothing else which could serve us
for food. We therefore collected a quantity of dry wood
and returned, seeing one or two large parties of the natives
on their way to the village, laden with the plunder
of the vessel, and who, we were apprehensive, might
discover us in passing beneath the hill.
Our next care was to render our place of concealment
as secure as possible, and, with this object, we arranged
some brushwood over the aperture which I have before
-- 177 --
[figure description] Page 177.[end figure description]
spoken of as the one through which we saw the patch
of blue sky, on reaching the platform from the interior
of the chasm. We left only a very small opening, just
wide enough to admit of our seeing the bay, without the
risk of being discovered from below. Having done this,
we congratulated ourselves upon the security of the position;
for we were now completely excluded from observation,
as long as we chose to remain within the ravine
itself, and not venture out upon the hill. We could
perceive no traces of the savages having ever been
within this hollow; but, indeed, when we came to reflect
upon the probability that the fissure through which
we attained it had been only just now created by the
fall of the cliff opposite, and that no other way of attaining
it could be perceived, we were not so much rejoiced
at the thought of being secure from molestation as fearful
lest there should be absolutely no means left us for
descent. We resolved to explore the summit of the hill
thoroughly, when a good opportunity should offer. In
the mean time we watched the motions of the savages
through our loophole.
They had already made a complete wreck of the vessel,
and were now preparing to set her on fire. In a
little while we saw the smoke ascending in huge volumes
from her main-hatchway, and, shortly afterward, a dense
mass of flame burst up from the forecastle. The rigging,
masts, and what remained of the sails caught immediately,
and the fire spread rapidly along the decks. Still
a great many of the savages retained their stations about
her, hammering with large stones, axes, and cannon balls
at the bolts and other copper and iron work. On the
beach, and in canoes and rafts, there were not less, altogether,
in the immediate vicinity of the schooner, than
ten thousand natives, besides the shoals of them who,
laden with booty, were making their way inland and
over to the neighbouring islands. We now anticipated
a catastrophe, and were not disappointed. First of all
there came a smart shock (which we felt distinctly where
we were as if we had been slightly galvanized), but unattended
with any visible signs of an explosion. The
-- 178 --
[figure description] Page 178.[end figure description]
savages were evidently startled, and paused for an instant
from their labours and yellings. They were upon the
point of recommencing, when suddenly a mass of smoke
puffed up from the decks, resembling a black and heavy
thunder-cloud—then, as if from its bowels, arose a tall
stream of vivid fire to the height, apparently, of a quarter
of a mile—then there came a sudden circular expansion
of the flame—then the whole atmosphere was magically
crowded, in a single instant, with a wild chaos of wood,
and metal, and human limbs—and, lastly, came the concussion
in its fullest fury, which hurled us impetuously
from our feet, while the hills echoed and re-echoed the
tumult, and a dense shower of the minutest fragments of
the ruins tumbled headlong in every direction around us.
The havoc among the savages far exceeded our utmost
expectation, and they had now, indeed, reaped the full
and perfect fruits of their treachery. Perhaps a thousand
perished by the explosion, while at least an equal
number were desperately mangled. The whole surface
of the bay was literally strewn with the struggling and
drowning wretches, and on shore matters were even
worse. They seemed utterly appalled by the suddenness
and completeness of their discomfiture, and made
no efforts at assisting one another. At length we observed
a total change in their demeanour. From absolute
stupor they appeared to be, all at once, aroused to
the highest pitch of excitement, and rushed wildly about,
going to and from a certain point on the beach, with the
strangest expressions of mingled horror, rage, and intense
curiosity depicted on their countenances, and shouting,
at the top of their voices, Tekeli-li! Tekeli-li!
Presently we saw a large body go off into the hills,
whence they returned in a short time, carrying stakes of
wood. These they brought to the station where the
crowd was the thickest, which now separated so as to
afford us a view of the object of all this excitement.
We perceived something white lying on the ground, but
could not immediately make out what it was. At length
we saw that it was the carcass of the strange animal
with the scarlet teeth and claws which the schooner had
-- 179 --
[figure description] Page 179.[end figure description]
picked up at sea on the eighteenth of January. Captain
Guy had had the body preserved for the purpose of stuffing
the skin and taking it to England. I remember he
had given some directions about it just before our making
the island, and it had been brought into the cabin and
stowed away in one of the lockers. It had now been
thrown on shore by the explosion; but why it had occasioned
so much concern among the savages was more
than we could comprehend. Although they crowded
around the carcass at a little distance, none of them
seemed willing to approach it closely. By-and-by the
men with the stakes drove them in a circle around it,
and, no sooner was this arrangement completed, than the
whole of the vast assembly rushed into the interior of
the island, with loud screams of Tekeli-li! Tekeli-li!
CHAPTER XXIII.
During the six or seven days immediately following
we remained in our hiding-place upon the hill, going out
only occasionally, and then with the greatest precaution,
for water and filberts. We had made a kind of pent-house
on the platform, furnishing it with a bed of dry
leaves, and placing in it three large flat stones, which
served us for both fireplace and table. We kindled a
fire without difficulty by rubbing two pieces of dry wood
together, the one soft, the other hard. The bird we had
taken in such good season proved excellent eating, although
somewhat tough. It was not an oceanic fowl,
but a species of bittern, with jet black and grizzly plumage,
and diminutive wings in proportion to its bulk.
We afterward saw three of the same kind in the vicinity
of the ravine, apparently seeking for the one we had
captured; but, as they never alighted, we had no opportunity
of catching them.
As long as this fowl lasted we suffered nothing from
-- 180 --
[figure description] Page 180.[end figure description]
our situation; but it was now entirely consumed, and it
became absolutely necessary that we should look out for
provision. The filberts would not satisfy the cravings
of hunger, afflicting us, too, with severe gripings of the
bowels, and, if freely indulged in, with violent headache.
We had seen several large tortoises near the seashore
to the eastward of the hill, and perceived they might be
easily taken, if we could get at them without the observation
of the natives. It was resolved, therefore, to
make an attempt at descending.
We commenced by going down the southern declivity,
which seemed to offer the fewest difficulties, but had not
proceeded a hundred yards before (as we had anticipated
from appearances on the hill-top) our progress was
entirely arrested by a branch of the gorge in which our
companions had perished. We now passed along the
edge of this for about a quarter of a mile, when we were
again stopped by a precipice of immense depth, and, not
being able to make our way along the brink of it, we
were forced to retrace our steps by the main ravine.
We now pushed over to the eastward, but with precisely
similar fortune. After an hour's scramble, at the
risk of breaking our necks, we discovered that we had
merely descended into a vast pit of black granite, with
fine dust at the bottom, and whence the only egress was
by the rugged path in which we had come down. Toiling
again up this path, we now tried the northern edge
of the hill. Here we were obliged to use the greatest
possible caution in our manœuvres, as the least indiscretion
would expose us to the full view of the savages
in the village. We crawled along, therefore, on our
hands and knees, and, occasionally, were even forced to
throw ourselves at full length, dragging our bodies along
by means of the shrubbery. In this careful manner we
had proceeded but a little way, when we arrived at a
chasm far deeper than any we had yet seen, and leading
directly into the main gorge. Thus our fears were fully
confirmed, and we found ourselves cut off entirely from
access to the world below. Thoroughly exhausted by
our exertions, we made the best of our way back to the
-- 181 --
[figure description] Page 181.[end figure description]
platform, and, throwing ourselves upon the bed of leaves,
slept sweetly and soundly for some hours.
For several days after this fruitless search we were
occupied in exploring every part of the summit of the
hill, in order to inform ourselves of its actual resources.
We found that it would afford us no food, with the exception
of the unwholesome filberts, and a rank species
of scurvy grass which grew in a little patch of not more
than four rods square, and would be soon exhausted.
On the fifteenth of February, as near as I can remember,
there was not a blade of this left, and the nuts were
growing scarce; our situation, therefore, could hardly be
more lamentable.5 On the sixteenth we again went
round the walls of our prison, in hope of finding some
avenue of escape, but to no purpose. We also descended
the chasm in which we had been overwhelmed,
with the faint expectation of discovering, through this
channel, some opening to the main ravine. Here, too,
we were disappointed, although we found and brought
up with us a musket.
On the seventeenth we set out with the determination
of examining more thoroughly the chasm of black granite
into which we had made our way in the first search.
We remembered that one of the fissures in the sides of
this pit had been but partially looked into, and we were
anxious to explore it, although with no expectation of
discovering here any opening.
We found no great difficulty in reaching the bottom
of the hollow as before, and were now sufficiently calm
to survey it with some attention. It was, indeed, one
of the most singular-looking places imaginable, and we
could scarcely bring ourselves to believe it altogether
the work of nature. The pit, from its eastern to its
western extremity, was about five hundred yards in
length, when all its windings were threaded; the distance
from east to west in a straight line not being more
(I should suppose, having no means of accurate
-- 182 --
[figure description] Page 182.[end figure description]
examination) than forty or fifty yards. Upon first descending
into the chasm, that is to say, for a hundred feet downward
from the summit of the hill, the sides of the abyss
bore little resemblance to each other, and, apparently,
had at no time been connected, the one surface being of
the soapstone and the other of marl, granulated with
some metallic matter. The average breadth, or interval
between the two cliffs, was probably here sixty feet,
but there seemed to be no regularity of formation. Passing
down, however, beyond the limit spoken of, the interval
rapidly contracted, and the sides began to run
parallel, although, for some distance farther, they were
still dissimilar in their material and form of surface.
Upon arriving within fifty feet of the bottom, a perfect
regularity commenced. The sides were now entirely
uniform in substance, in colour, and in lateral direction,
the material being a very black and shining granite, and
the distance between the two sides, at all points facing
each other, exactly twenty yards. The precise formation
of the chasm will be best understood by means of a
delineation taken upon the spot; for I had luckily with
me a pocketbook and pencil, which I preserved with
great care through a long series of subsequent adventure,
and to which I am indebted for memoranda of many subjects
which would otherwise have been crowded from my
remembrance.
Figure 1
[figure description] Illustration of the horizontal (or plan) shape of a geographic
chasm (or abyss or cavern) defined by parallel cliffs, which is
described in the narrative appearing on pages 182 and 183.[end figure description]
-- 183 --
[figure description] Page 183.[end figure description]
This figure (see figure 1) gives the general outlines
of the chasm, without the minor cavities in the sides, of
which there were several, each cavity having a corresponding
protuberance opposite. The bottom of the gulf
was covered to the depth of three or four inches with a
powder almost impalpable, beneath which we found a
continuation of the black granite. To the right, at the
lower extremity, will be noticed the appearance of a
small opening; this is the fissure alluded to above, and
to examine which more minutely than before was the
object of our second visit. We now pushed into it with
vigour, cutting away a quantity of brambles which impeded
us, and removing a vast heap of sharp flints somewhat
resembling arrowheads in shape. We were encouraged
to persevere, however, by perceiving some
little light proceeding from the farther end. We at
length squeezed our way for about thirty feet, and found
that the aperture was a low and regularly-formed arch,
having a bottom of the same impalpable powder as that
in the main chasm. A strong light now broke upon us,
and, turning a short bend, we found ourselves in another
lofty chamber, similar to the one we had left in every
respect but longitudinal form. Its general figure is here
given. (See figure 2.)
Figure 2
[figure description] Illustration of the horizontal (or plan) shape of a geographic
chasm (or abyss or cavern) defined by parallel cliffs, which is
described in the narrative appearing on page 183.[end figure description]
-- 184 --
[figure description] Page 184.[end figure description]
The total length of this chasm, commencing at the
opening a and proceeding round the curve b to the extremity
d, is five hundred and fifty yards. At c we discovered
a small aperture similar to the one through
which we had issued from the other chasm, and this was
choked up in the same manner with brambles and a
quantity of the white arrowhead flints. We forced our
way through it, finding it about forty feet long, and
emerged into a third chasm. This, too, was precisely
like the first, except in its longitudinal shape, which was
thus. (See figure 3.)
Figure 3 and Figure 5
[figure description] Illustration of the horizontal (or plan) shape of a geographic
chasm (or abyss of cavern) defined by parallel cliffs, which is
described in the narrative appearing on page 184.
Illustration of the horizontal (or plan) shape of two
geographic chasms (or abyss or cavern or well), which are described in
the narrative appearing on page 184 and 185.[end figure description]
We found the entire length of the third chasm three
hundred and twenty yards. At the point a was an opening
about six feet wide, and extending fifteen feet into
the rock, where it terminated in a bed of marl, there
being no other chasm beyond, as we had expected. We
were about leaving this fissure, into which very little
light was admitted, when Peters called my attention to
a range of singular-looking indentures in the surface of
the marl forming the termination of the cul-de-sac. With
a very slight exertion of the imagination, the left, or most
northerly of these indentures might have been taken for
the intentional, although rude, representation of a human
figure standing erect, with outstretched arm. The rest
of them bore also some little resemblance to alphabetical
characters, and Peters was willing, at all events, to adopt
the idle opinion that they were really such. I convinced
him of his error, finally, by directing his attention to the
floor of the fissure, where, among the powder, we picked
up, piece by piece, several large flakes of the marl,
which had evidently been broken off by some convulsion
from the surface where the indentures were found, and
-- 185 --
[figure description] Page 185.[end figure description]
which had projecting points exactly fitting the indentures;
thus proving them to have been the work of nature.
Figure 4. presents an accurate copy of the whole.
Figure 4
[figure description] Illustration of indentures (or engravings, incisions, or
carvings) in wall of geographic chasm (or abyss or cavern), which are
described in the narrative appearing on page 185 and 186.[end figure description]
After satisfying ourselves that these singular caverns
afforded us no means of escape from our prison, we
made our way back, dejected and dispirited, to the summit
of the hill. Nothing worth mentioning occurred during
the next twenty-four hours, except that, in examining
the ground to the eastward of the third chasm, we
found two triangular holes of great depth, and also with
black granite sides. Into these holes we did not think
it worth while to attempt descending, as they had the
appearance of mere natural wells, without outlet. They
were each about twenty yards in circumference, and
their shape, as well as relative position in regard to the
third chasm, is shown in figure 5, preceding page.
eaf319.55. This day was rendered remarkable by our observing in the
south several huge wreaths of the grayish vapour I have before
spoken of.
CHAPTER XXIII.
On the twentieth of the month, finding it altogether
impossible to subsist any longer upon the filberts, the
use of which occasioned us the most excruciating torment,
we resolved to make a desperate attempt at descending
the southern declivity of the hill. The face of
-- 186 --
[figure description] Page 186.[end figure description]
the precipice was here of the softest species of soapstone,
although nearly perpendicular throughout its whole extent
(a depth of a hundred and fifty feet at the least),
and in many places even overarching. After long
search we discovered a narrow ledge about twenty feet
below the brink of the gulf; upon this Peters contrived
to leap, with what assistance I could render him by
means of our pocket-handkerchiefs tied together. With
somewhat more difficulty I also got down; and we then
saw the possibility of descending the whole way by the
process in which we had clambered up from the chasm
when we had been buried by the fall of the hill—that is,
by cutting steps in the face of the soapstone with our
knives. The extreme hazard of the attempt can scarcely
be conceived; but, as there was no other resource, we
determined to undertake it.
Upon the ledge where we stood there grew some filbert-bushes;
and to one of these we made fast an end
of our rope of handkerchiefs. The other end being tied
round Peters's waist, I lowered him down over the edge
of the precipice until the handkerchiefs were stretched
tight. He now proceeded to dig a deep hole in the
soapstone (as far in as eight or ten inches), sloping
away the rock above to the height of a foot, or thereabout,
so as to allow of his driving, with the butt of a
pistol, a tolerably strong peg into the levelled surface.
I then drew him up for about four feet, when he made a
hole similar to the one below, driving in a peg as before,
and having thus a resting-place for both feet and hands.
I now unfastened the handkerchiefs from the bush, throwing
him the end, which he tied to the peg in the uppermost
hole, letting himself down gently to a station about
three feet lower than he had yet been, that is, to the full
extent of the handkerchiefs. Here he dug another hole,
and drove another peg. He then drew himself up, so
as to rest his feet in the hole just cut, taking hold with
his hands upon the peg in the one above. It was now
necessary to untie the handkerchiefs from the topmost
peg, with the view of fastening them to the second; and
here he found that an error had been committed in
-- 187 --
[figure description] Page 187.[end figure description]
cutting the holes at so great a distance apart. However,
after one or two unsuccessful and dangerous attempts at
reaching the knot (having to hold on with his left hand
while he laboured to undo the fastening with his right),
he at length cut the string, leaving six inches of it affixed
to the peg. Tying the handkerchiefs now to the
second peg, he descended to a station below the third,
taking care not to go too far down. By these means
(means which I should never have conceived of myself,
and for which we were indebted altogether to Peters's
ingenuity and resolution) my companion finally succeeded,
with the occasional aid of projections in the cliff,
in reaching the bottom without accident.
It was some time before I could summon sufficient
resolution to follow him; but I did at length attempt it.
Peters had taken off his shirt before descending, and this,
with my own, formed the rope necessary for the adventure.
After throwing down the musket found in the
chasm, I fastened this rope to the bushes, and let myself
down rapidly, striving, by the vigour of my movements,
to banish the trepidation which I could overcome in no
other manner. This answered sufficiently well for the
first four or five steps; but presently I found my imagination
growing terribly excited by thoughts of the vast
depth yet to be descended, and the precarious nature of
the pegs and soapstone holes which were my only support.
It was in vain I endeavoured to banish these reflections,
and to keep my eyes steadily bent upon the
flat surface of the cliff before me. The more earnestly I
struggled not to think, the more intensely vivid became
my conceptions, and the more horribly distinct. At
length arrived that crisis of fancy, so fearful in all similar
cases, the crisis in which we begin to anticipate the
feelings with which we shall fall—to picture to ourselves
the sickness, and dizziness, and the last struggle, and
the half swoon, and the final bitterness of the rushing
and headlong descent. And now I found these fancies
creating their own realities, and all imagined horrors
crowding upon me in fact. I felt my knees strike violently
together, while my fingers were gradually yet
-- 188 --
[figure description] Page 188.[end figure description]
certainly relaxing their grasp. There was a ringing in my
ears, and I said, “This is my knell of death!” And
now I was consumed with the irrepressible desire of
looking below. I could not, I would not, confine my
glances to the cliff; and, with a wild, indefinable emotion
half of horror, half of a relieved oppression, I threw my
vision far down into the abyss. For one moment my
fingers clutched convulsively upon their hold, while,
with the movement, the faintest possible idea of ultimate
escape wandered, like a shadow, through my mind—in
the next my whole soul was pervaded with a longing to
fall; a desire, a yearning, a passion utterly uncontrollable.
I let go at once my grasp upon the peg, and, turning
half round from the precipice, remained tottering for an
instant against its naked face. But now there came a
spinning of the brain; a shrill-sounding and phantom
voice screamed within my ears; a dusky, fiendish, and
filmy figure stood immediately beneath me; and, sighing,
I sunk down with a bursting heart, and plunged within
its arms.
I had swooned, and Peters had caught me as I fell.
He had observed my proceedings from his station at the
bottom of the cliff; and, perceiving my imminent danger,
had endeavoured to inspire me with courage by every
suggestion he could devise; although my confusion of
mind had been so great as to prevent my hearing what
he said, or being conscious that he had even spoken to
me at all. At length, seeing me totter, he hastened to
ascend to my rescue, and arrived just in time for my
preservation. Had I fallen with my full weight, the
rope of linen would inevitably have snapped, and I
should have been precipitated into the abyss; as it was,
he contrived to let me down gently, so as to remain suspended
without danger until animation returned. This
was in about fifteen minutes. On recovery, my trepidation
had entirely vanished; I felt a new being, and, with
some little further aid from my companion, reached the
bottom also in safety.
We now found ourselves not far from the ravine
which had proved the tomb of our friends, and to the
-- 189 --
[figure description] Page 189.[end figure description]
southward of the spot where the hill had fallen. The
place was one of singular wildness, and its aspect
brought to my mind the descriptions given by travellers
of those dreary regions marking the site of degraded
Babylon. Not to speak of the ruins of the disruptured
cliff, which formed a chaotic barrier in the vista to the
northward, the surface of the ground in every other direction
was strewn with huge tumuli, apparently the
wreck of some gigantic structures of art; although, in
detail, no semblance of art could be detected. Scoria
were abundant, and large shapeless blocks of the black
granite, intermingled with others of marl,6 and both granulated
with metal. Of vegetation there were no traces
whatsoever throughout the whole of the desolate area
within sight. Several immense scorpions were seen, and
various reptiles not elsewhere to be found in the high
latitudes.
As food was our most immediate object, we resolved
to make our way to the seacoast, distant not more than
half a mile, with a view of catching turtle, several of
which we had observed from our place of concealment
on the hill. We had proceeded some hundred yards,
threading our route cautiously between the huge rocks
and tumuli, when, upon turning a corner, five savages
sprung upon us from a small cavern, felling Peters to the
ground with a blow from a club. As he fell the whole
party rushed upon him to secure their victim, leaving me
time to recover from my astonishment. I still had the
musket, but the barrel had received so much injury in
being thrown from the precipice that I cast it aside as
useless, preferring to trust my pistols, which had been
carefully preserved in order. With these I advanced
upon the assailants, firing one after the other in quick
succession. Two savages fell, and one, who was in the
act of thrusting a spear into Peters, sprung to his feet
without accomplishing his purpose. My companion being
thus released, we had no further difficulty. He had his
pistols also, but prudently declined using them, confiding
-- 190 --
[figure description] Page 190.[end figure description]
in his great personal strength, which far exceeded that
of any person I have ever known. Seizing a club from
one of the savages who had fallen, he dashed out the
brains of the three who remained, killing each instantaneously
with a single blow of the weapon, and leaving
us completely masters of the field.
So rapidly had these events passed, that we could
scarely believe in their reality, and were standing over
the bodies of the dead in a species of stupid contemplation,
when we were brought to recollection by the sound
of shouts in the distance. It was clear that the savages
had been alarmed by the firing, and that we had little
chance of avoiding discovery. To regain the cliff, it
would be necessary to proceed in the direction of the
shouts; and even should we succeed in arriving at its
base, we should never be able to ascend it without being
seen. Our situation was one of the greatest peril, and
we were hesitating in which path to commence a flight,
when one of the savages whom I had shot, and supposed
dead, sprang briskly to his feet, and attempted to make
his escape. We overtook him, however, before he had
advanced many paces, and were about to put him to
death, when Peters suggested that we might derive some
benefit from forcing him to accompany us in our attempt
at escape. We therefore dragged him with us, making
him understand that we would shoot him if he offered
resistance. In a few minutes he was perfectly submissive,
and ran by our sides as we pushed in among the
rocks, making for the seashore.
So far, the irregularities of the ground we had been
traversing hid the sea, except at intervals, from our sight,
and, when we first had it fairly in view, it was, perhaps,
two hundred yards distant. As we emerged into the
open beach we saw, to our great dismay, an immense
crowd of the natives pouring from the village, and from
all visible quarters of the island, making towards us with
gesticulations of extreme fury, and howling like wild
beasts. We were upon the point of turning upon our
steps, and trying to secure a retreat among the fastnesses
of the rougher ground, when I discovered the bows of
-- 191 --
[figure description] Page 191.[end figure description]
two canoes projecting from behind a large rock which
ran out into the water. Towards these we now ran with
all speed, and, reaching them, found them unguarded,
and without any other freight than three of the large Gallipago
turtles and the usual supply of paddles for sixty
rowers. We instantly took possession of one of them,
and, forcing our captive on board, pushed out to sea
with all the strength we could command.
We had not made, however, more than fifty yards
from the shore before we became sufficiently calm to
perceive the great oversight of which we had been guilty
in leaving the other canoe in the power of the savages,
who, by this time, were not more than twice as far from
the beach as ourselves, and were rapidly advancing to
the pursuit. No time was now to be lost. Our hope
was, at best, a forlorn one, but we had none other. It
was very doubtful whether, with the utmost exertion, we
could get back in time to anticipate them in taking possession
of the canoe; but yet there was a chance that
we could. We might save ourselves if we succeeded,
while not to make the attempt was to resign ourselves
to inevitable butchery.
The canoe was modelled with the bow and stern
alike, and, in place of turning it round, we merely
changed our position in paddling. As soon as the savages
perceived this they redoubled their yells, as well
as their speed, and approached with inconceivable rapidity.
We pulled, however, with all the energy of desperation,
and arrived at the contested point before more
than one of the natives had attained it. This man paid
dearly for his superior agility, Peters shooting him through
the head with a pistol as he approached the shore. The
foremost among the rest of his party were probably
some twenty or thirty paces distant as we seized upon
the canoe. We at first endeavoured to pull her into the
deep water, beyond the reach of the savages, but, finding
her too firmly aground, and there being no time to spare,
Peters, with one or two heavy strokes from the butt of
the musket, succeeded in dashing out a large portion of
the bow and of one side. We then pushed off. Two
-- 192 --
[figure description] Page 192.[end figure description]
of the natives by this time had got hold of our boat, obstinately
refusing to let go, until we were forced to despatch
them with our knives. We were now clear off,
and making great way out to sea. The main body of
the savages, upon reaching the broken canoe, set up
the most tremendous yell of rage and disappointment
conceivable. In truth, from everything I could see of
these wretches, they appeared to be the most wicked,
hypocritical, vindictive, bloodthirsty, and altogether fiendish
race of men upon the face of the globe. It is clear
we should have had no mercy had we fallen into their
hands. They made a mad attempt at following us in
the fractured canoe, but, finding it useless, again vented
their rage in a series of hideous vociferations, and rushed
up into the hills.
We were thus relieved from immediate danger, but
our situation was still sufficiently gloomy. We knew
that four canoes of the kind we had were at one
time in the possession of the savages, and were not
aware of the fact (afterward ascertained from our captive)
that two of these had been blown to pieces in the
explosion of the Jane Guy. We calculated, therefore,
upon being yet pursued, as soon as our enemies could
get round to the bay (distant about three miles) where
the boats were usually laid up. Fearing this, we made
every exertion to leave the island behind us, and went
rapidly through the water, forcing the prisoner to take a
paddle. In about half an hour, when we had gained,
probably, five or six miles to the southward, a large fleet
of the flat-bottomed canoes or rafts was seen to emerge
from the bay, evidently with the design of pursuit.
Presently they put back, despairing to overtake us.
eaf319.66. The marl was also black; indeed, we noticed no light-coloured
substances of any kind upon the island.
-- 193 --
CHAPTER XXIV.
[figure description] Page 193.[end figure description]
We now found ourselves in the wide and desolate
Antarctic Ocean, in a latitude exceeding eighty-four degrees,
in a frail canoe, and with no provision but the
three turtles. The long Polar winter, too, could not be
considered as far distant, and it became necessary that
we should deliberate well upon the course to be pursued.
There were six or seven islands in sight belonging to
the same group, and distant from each other about five
or six leagues; but upon neither of these had we any
intention to venture. In coming from the northward in
the Jane Guy we had been gradually leaving behind us
the severest regions of ice—this, however little it may
be in accordance with the generally-received notions respecting
the Antarctic, was a fact experience would not
permit us to deny. To attempt, therefore, getting back,
would be folly—especially at so late a period of the season.
Only one course seemed to be left open for hope.
We resolved to steer boldly to the southward, where
there was at least a probability of discovering other
lands, and more than a probability of finding a still
milder climate.
So far we had found the Antarctic, like the Arctic
Ocean, peculiarly free from violent storms or immoderately
rough water; but our canoe was, at best, of frail
structure, although large, and we set busily to work with
a view of rendering her as safe as the limited means in
our possession would admit. The body of the boat was
of no better material than bark—the bark of a tree unknown.
The ribs were of a tough osier, well adapted
to the purpose for which it was used. We had fifty feet
room from stem to stern, from four to six in breadth,
and in depth throughout four feet and a half—the boats
thus differing vastly in shape from those of any other inhabitants
of the Southern Ocean with whom civilized
-- 194 --
[figure description] Page 194.[end figure description]
nations are acquainted. We never did believe them the
workmanship of the ignorant islanders who owned them;
and some days after this period discovered, by questioning
our captive, that they were in fact made by the natives
of a group to the southwest of the country where
we found them, having fallen accidentally into the hands
of our barbarians. What we could do for the security
of our boat was very little indeed. Several wide rents
were discovered near both ends, and these we contrived
to patch up with pieces of woollen jacket. With the
help of the superfluous paddles, of which there were a
great many, we erected a kind of framework about the
bow, so as to break the force of any seas which might
threaten to fill us in that quarter. We also set up two
paddle-blades for masts, placing them opposite each
other, one by each gunwale, thus saving the necessity
of a yard. To these masts we attached a sail made of
our shirts—doing this with some difficulty, as here we
could get no assistance from our prisoner whatever, although
he had been willing enough to labour in all the
other operations. The sight of the linen seemed to affect
him in a very singular manner. He could not be prevailed
upon to touch it or go near it, shuddering when we attempted
to force him, and shrieking out Tekeli-li!
Having completed our arrangements in regard to the
security of the canoe, we now set sail to the south southeast
for the present, with the view of weathering the
most southerly of the group in sight. This being done,
we turned the bow full to the southward. The weather
could by no means be considered disagreeable. We had
a prevailing and very gentle wind from the northward, a
smooth sea, and continual daylight. No ice whatever
was to be seen; nor did I ever see one particle of this
after leaving the parallel of Bennett's Islet. Indeed, the
temperature of the water was here far too warm for its
existence in any quantity. Having killed the largest of
our tortoises, and obtained from him not only food, but
a copious supply of water, we continued on our course,
without any incident of moment, for perhaps seven or
eight days, during which period we must have proceeded
-- 195 --
[figure description] Page 195.[end figure description]
a vast distance to the southward, as the wind blew constantly
with us, and a very strong current set continually
in the direction we were pursuing.
March 1.7 Many unusual phenomena now indicated
that we were entering upon a region of novelty and
wonder. A high range of light gray vapour appeared
constantly in the southern horizon, flaring up occasionally
in lofty streaks, now darting from east to west, now from
west to east, and again presenting a level and uniform
summit—in short, having all the wild variations of the
Aurora Borealis. The average height of this vapour, as
apparent from our station, was about twenty-five degrees.
The temperature of the sea seemed to be increasing
momentarily, and there was a very perceptible
alteration in its colour.
March 2. To-day, by repeated questioning of our captive,
we came to the knowledge of many particulars in
regard to the island of the massacre, its inhabitants, and
customs—but with these how can I now detain the
reader? I may say, however, that we learned there
were eight islands in the group—that they were governed
by a common king, named Tsalemon or Psalemoun,
who resided in one of the smallest of the islands—that
the black skins forming the dress of the warriors came
from an animal of huge size to be found only in a valley
near the court of the king—that the inhabitants of the
group fabricated no other boats than the flat-bottomed
rafts; the four canoes being all of the kind in their possession,
and these having been obtained, by mere accident,
from some large island to the southwest—that his
own name was Nu-Nu—that he had no knowledge of
Bennett's Islet—and that the appellation of the island
we had left was Tsalal. The commencement of the
words Tsalemon and Tsalal was given with a prolonged
hissing sound, which we found it impossible to imitate,
even after repeated endeavours, and which was precisely
-- 196 --
[figure description] Page 196.[end figure description]
the same with the note of the black bittern we had eaten
upon the summit of the hill.
March 3. The heat of the water was now truly remarkable,
and its colour was undergoing a rapid change,
being no longer transparent, but of a milky consistency
and hue. In our immediate vicinity it was usually
smooth, never so rough as to endanger the canoe—but
we were frequently surprised at perceiving, to our right
and left, at different distances, sudden and extensive agitations
of the surface—these, we at length noticed, were
always preceded by wild flickerings in the region of vapour
to the southward.
March 4. To-day, with the view of widening our sail,
the breeze from the northward dying away perceptibly, I
took from my coat-pocket a white handkerchief. Nu-Nu
was seated at my elbow, and the linen accidentally flaring
in his face, he became violently affected with convulsions.
These were succeeded by drowsiness and
stupor, and low murmurings of Tekeli-li! Tekeli-li!
March 5. The wind had entirely ceased, but it was
evident that we were still hurrying on to the southward,
under the influence of a powerful current. And now,
indeed, it would seem reasonable that we should experience
some alarm at the turn events were taking—but we
felt none. The countenance of Peters indicated nothing
of this nature, although it wore at times an expression I
could not fathom. The Polar winter appeared to be
coming on—but coming without its terrors. I felt a
numbness of body and mind—a dreaminess of sensation—
but this was all.
March 6. The gray vapour had now arisen many more
degrees above the horizon, and was gradually losing its
grayness of tint. The heat of the water was extreme,
even unpleasant to the touch, and its milky hue was more
evident than ever. To-day a violent agitation of the
water occurred very close to the canoe. It was attended,
as usual, with a wild flaring up of the vapour at its summit,
and a momentary division at its base. A fine white
powder, resembling ashes—but certainly not such—fell
over the canoe and over a large surface of the water, as
-- 197 --
[figure description] Page 197.[end figure description]
the flickering died away among the vapour and the commotion
subsided in the sea. Nu-Nu now threw himself
on his face in the bottom of the boat, and no persuasions
could induce him to arise.
March 7. This day we questioned Nu-Nu concerning
the motives of his countrymen in destroying our companions;
but he appeared to be too utterly overcome by
terror to afford us any rational reply. He still obstinately
lay in the bottom of the boat; and, upon our reiterating
the questions as to the motive, made use only of
idiotic gesticulations, such as raising with his forefinger
the upper lip, and displaying the teeth which lay beneath
it. These were black. We had never before seen the
teeth of an inhabitant of Tsalal.
March 8. To-day there floated by us one of the white
animals whose appearance upon the beach at Tsalal had
occasioned so wild a commotion among the savages. I
would have picked it up, but there came over me a sudden
listlessness, and I forbore. The heat of the water
still increased, and the hand could no longer be endured
within it. Peters spoke little, and I knew not what to
think of his apathy. Nu-Nu breathed, and no more.
March 9. The white ashy material fell now continually
around us, and in vast quantities. The range of vapour
to the southward had arisen prodigiously in the horizon,
and began to assume more distinctness of form. I can
liken it to nothing but a limitless cataract, rolling silently
into the sea from some immense and far-distant rampart
in the heaven. The gigantic curtain ranged along the
whole extent of the southern horizon. It emitted no
sound.
March 21. A sullen darkness now hovered above us—
but from out the milky depths of the ocean a luminous
glare arose, and stole up along the bulwarks of the boat.
We were nearly overwhelmed by the white ashy shower
which settled upon us and upon the canoe, but melted
into the water as it fell. The summit of the cataract
was utterly lost in the dimness and the distance. Yet
we were evidently approaching it with a hideous velocity.
At intervals there were visible in it wide, yawning, but
-- 198 --
[figure description] Page 198.[end figure description]
momentary rents, and from out these rents, within which
was a chaos of flitting and indistinct images, there came
rushing and mighty, but soundless winds, tearing up the
enkindled ocean in their course.
March 22. The darkness had materially increased, relieved
only by the glare of the water thrown back from
the white curtain before us. Many gigantic and pallidly
white birds flew continuously now from beyond the veil, and
their scream was the eternal Tekeli-li! as they retreated
from our vision. Hereupon Nu-Nu stirred in the bottom
of the boat; but, upon touching him, we found his spirit
departed. And now we rushed into the embraces of the
cataract, where a chasm threw itself open to receive us.
But there arose in our pathway a shrouded human figure,
very far larger in its proportions than any dweller among
men. And the hue of the skin of the figure was of the
perfect whiteness of the snow.
eaf319.77. For obvious reasons I cannot pretend to strict accuracy in these
dates. They are given principally with a view to perspicuity of narration,
and as set down in my pencil memoranda.
-- 199 --
NOTE.
[figure description] Page 199.[end figure description]
The circumstances connected with the late sudden and distressing
death of Mr. Pym are already well known to the public
through the medium of the daily press. It is feared that the few
remaining chapters which were to have completed his narrative, and
which were retained by him, while the above were in type, for the
purpose of revision, have been irrecoverably lost through the accident
by which he perished himself. This, however, may prove not
to be the case, and the papers, if ultimately found, will be given to
the public.
No means have been left untried to remedy the deficiency. The
gentleman whose name is mentioned in the preface, and who, from
the statement there made, might be supposed able to fill the vacuum,
has declined the task—this for satisfactory reasons connected with
the general inaccuracy of the details afforded him, and his disbelief
in the entire truth of the latter portions of the narration. Peters,
from whom some information might be expected, is still alive, and a
resident of Illinois, but cannot be met with at present. He may
hereafter be found, and will, no doubt, afford material for a conclusion
of Mr. Pym's account.
The loss of the two or three final chapters (for there were but two
or three) is the more deeply to be regretted, as, it cannot be doubted,
they contained matter relative to the Pole itself, or at least to regions
in its very near proximity; and as, too, the statements of the
author in relation to these regions may shortly be verified or contradicted
by means of the governmental expedition now preparing for
the Southern Ocean.
On one point in the Narrative some remarks may be well offered;
and it would afford the writer of this appendix much pleasure if
what he may here observe should have a tendency to throw credit,
in any degree, upon the very singular pages now published. We
allude to the chasms found in the island of Tsalal, and to the whole
of the figures upon pages 182, 183, 184, 185.
-- 200 --
[figure description] Page 200.[end figure description]
Mr. Pym has given the figures of the chasms without comment,
and speaks decidedly of the indentures found at the extremity of the
most easterly of these chasms as having but a fanciful resemblance
to alphabetical characters, and, in short, as being positively not such.
This assertion is made in a manner so simple, and sustained by a
species of demonstration so conclusive (viz., the fitting of the projections
of the fragments found among the dust into the indentures
upon the wall), that we are forced to believe the writer in earnest;
and no reasonable reader should suppose otherwise. But as the
facts in relation to all the figures are most singular (especially
when taken in connexion with statements made in the body of
the narrative), it may be as well to say a word or two concerning
them all—this, too, the more especially as the facts in question have,
beyond doubt, escaped the attention of Mr. Poe.
Figure 1, then, figure 2, figure 3, and figure 5, when conjoined
with one another in the precise order which the chasms themselves
presented, and when deprived of the small lateral branches or arches
(which, it will be remembered, served only as means of communication
between the main chambers, and were of totally distinct character),
constitute an Ethiopian verbal root—the root [figure description] [end figure description]
“To be shady”—whence all the inflections of shadow or darkness.
In regard to the “left or most northwardly” of the indentures in
figure 4, it is more than probable that the opinion of Peters was correct,
and that the hieroglyphical appearance was really the work of
art, and intended as the representation of a human form. The delineation
is before the reader, and he may, or may not, perceive the
resemblance suggested; but the rest of the indentures afford strong
confirmation of Peters's idea. The upper range is evidently the
Arabic verbal root [figure description] [end figure description] “To be white,” whence all the inflections
of brilliancy and whiteness. The lower range is not so immediately
perspicuous. The characters are somewhat broken and disjointed;
nevertheless, it cannot be doubted that, in their perfect state,
they formed the full Egyptian word [figure description] [end figure description] , “The
region of the south.” It should be observed that these interpretations
confirm the opinion of Peters in regard to the “most northwardly”
of the figures. The arm is outstretched towards the south.
Conclusions such as these open a wide field for speculation and
exciting conjecture. They should be regarded, perhaps, in connexion
with some of the most faintly-detailed incidents of the narrative;
although in no visible manner is this chain of connexion complete.
Tekeli-li! was the cry of the affrighted natives of Tsalal upon discovering
the carcass of the white animal picked up at sea. This also
was the shuddering exclamation of the captive Tsalalian upon
-- 201 --
[figure description] Page 201.[end figure description]
encountering the white materials in possession of Mr. Pym. This also
was the shriek of the swift-flying, white, and gigantic birds which issued
from the vapoury white curtain of the South. Nothing white
was to be found at Tsalal, and nothing otherwise in the subsequent
voyage to the region beyond. It is not impossible that “Tsalal,” the
appellation of the island of the chasms, may be found, upon minute
philological scrutiny, to betray either some alliance with the chasms
themselves, or some reference to the Ethiopian characters so mysteriously
written in their windings.
“I have graven it within the hills, and my vengeance upon the dust
within the rock.”
THE END.
