Poe Edgar Allan
Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym
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Edgar Allan Poe
Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym
Introductory Note
Upon my return to the United States a few months ago after the extraordinary
series of adventure in the South Seas and elsewhere of which an account is
given in the following pages accident threw me into the society of several
gentlemen in Richmond Va who felt deep interest in all matters relating to
the regions I had visited and who were constantly urging it upon me as a duty
to give my narrative to the public I had several reasons however for
declining to do so some of which were of a nature altogether private and
concern no person but myself others not so much so One consideration which
deterred me was that having kept no journal during a greater portion of the
time in which I was absent I feared I should not be able to write from mere
memory a statement so minute and connected as to have the appearance of that
truth it would really possess barring only the natural and unavoidable
exaggeration to which all of us are prone when detailing events which have had
powerful influence in exciting the imaginative faculties Another reason was
that the incidents to be narrated were of a nature so positively marvellous
that unsupported as my assertions must necessarily be except by the evidence
of a single individual and he a halfbreed Indian I could only hope for
belief among my family and those of my friends who have had reason through
life to put faith in my veracity the probability being that the public at
large would regard what I should put forth as merely an impudent and ingenious
fiction A distrust in my own abilities as a writer was nevertheless one of
the principal causes which prevented me from complying with the suggestions of
my advisers
Among those gentlemen in Virginia who expressed the greatest interest in my
statement more particularly in regard to that portion of it which related to
the Antarctic Ocean was Mr Poe lately editor of the Southern Literary
Messenger a monthly magazine published by Mr Thomas W White in the city of
Richmond He strongly advised me among others to prepare at once a full
account of what I had seen and undergone and trust to the shrewdness and
commonsense of the public insisting with great plausibility that however
roughly as regards mere authorship my book should be got up its very
uncouthness if there were any would give it all the better chance of being
received as truth
Notwithstanding this representation I did not make up my mind to do as he
suggested He afterward proposed finding that I would not stir in the matter
that I should allow him to draw up in his own words a narrative of the earlier
portion of my adventures from facts afforded by myself publishing it in the
Southern Messenger under the garb of fiction To this perceiving no objection
I consented stipulating only that my real name should be retained Two numbers
of the pretented fiction appeared consequently in the Messenger for January
and February 1837 and in order that it might certainly be regarded as
fiction the name of Mr Poe was affixed to the articles in the table of
contents of the magazine
The manner in which this ruse was received has induced me at length to
undertake a regular compilation and publication of the adventures in question
for I found that in spite of the air of fable which had been so ingeniously
thrown around that portion of my statement which appeared in the Messenger
without altering or distorting a single fact the public were still not at all
disposed to receive it as fable and several letters were sent to Mr Ps
address distinctly expressing a conviction to the contrary I thence concluded
that the facts of my narrative would prove of such a nature as to carry with
them sufficient evidence of their own authenticity and that I had consequently
little to fear on the score of popular incredulity
This exposé being made it will be seen at once how much of what follows I
claim to be my own writing and it will also be understood that no fact is
misrepresented in the first few pages which were written by Mr Poe Even to
those readers who have not seen the Messenger it will be unnecessary to point
out where his portion ends and my own commences the difference in point of
style will be readily perceived
A G PYM
Chapter I
My name is Arthur Gordon Pym My father was a respectable trader in seastores
at Nantucket where I was born My maternal grandfather was an attorney in good
practice He was fortunate in every thing 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 Ronalds academy on the hill Here I became intimate with the son of
Mr Barnard a seacaptain 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 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 sailboat called the Ariel and worth
about seventyfive dollars She had a half deck or cuddy and was rigged
sloopfashion 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 today
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 Barnards and both
Augustus and myself were not a little intoxicated toward 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 favorite 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 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 lumberyard of Pankey amp Co and
almost thumping her side 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 and 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 such a reply but
there was something in the tone of these words which filled me with an
indescribable feeling of dread I again 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 Gods 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 dddont 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 bilgewater 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 highlyconcentrated state of
intoxication a state which like madness frequently enables the victim to
imitate the outward demeanor 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 ebbtide 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 exertion The boat was going through the
water at a terrific 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 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 every
thing 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 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 whalingship 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 roughlooking personages who were present The
mystery of our being in existence was now soon explained We had been run down
by the whalingship which was closehauled 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 lookout 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 lookout 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 eggshells that the ship should not put about for any
such nonsense and if there was a man run down it was nobodys fault but his
own he might drown and be dd« or some language to that effect Henderson
the first mate now took the matter up being justly indignant as well as the
whole ships crew at a speech evincing such 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 Hardalee 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 jollyboat 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 mainchains as soon as they came within his reach Another huge
lurch now brought the starboard side of the vessel out of the water neatly 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 copperfastened 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
timberbolts 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 behavior
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 in the manner of some lifeboats 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 that floated rapidly by They pursued and
soon overtook it It proved to be the entire deck of the Ariels 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 have been 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 wound 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 endeavored to maintain 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 connection 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 oclock in the morning after
encountering one of the severest gales ever experienced off Nantucket Both
Augustus and myself managed to appear at Mr Barnards in time for breakfast
which luckily was somewhat late owing to the party overnight 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
Chapter II
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 color 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
About eighteen months after the period of the Ariels disaster the firm of
Lloyd and Vredenburgh a house connected in some manner with the Messieurs
Enberby 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 and 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
longcherished 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 arrangements for his father in
the cabin and cabinhold 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 every thing 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 inditing 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 hidingplace for me in the Grampus This hidingplace 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 every thing 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 favor 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 seamanscloak which he had brought with him so
that my person might not be easily recognized Just as we turned the second
corner after passing Mr Edmunds 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 summat
mistaken my name in the first place beent nothing at all like Goddin and
Id 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 »Wont do
new glasses thought it was Gordon dd goodfornothing 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 Vredenburghs and
would remain there until late in the evening so we had little to apprehend on
his account Augustus went first up the vessels 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 whalingvessel 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
covering the floor of both the cabin and staterooms The ceiling was full seven
feet high and in short every thing 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 afterhold 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 to the gloom and I
proceeded with less trouble holding on to the skirts of my friends coat He
brought me at length after creeping and winding through innumerable narrow
passages to an ironbound 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 oilcasks 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 shipfurniture 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 labor 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 here 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 seabiscuit 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 hidingplace throughout all 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 unlookedfor 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
hidingplace 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 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
cant 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 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 Clark 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 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 in 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 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
Throughout the whole of the next tedious twentyfour 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 meantime 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 headwinds 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 larboard that she had been sailing all
along with a steady breeze on her starboard quarter Besides granting that we
were still in the neighborhood 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 twentyfour hours when if no relief were obtained I would make my way
to the trap and endeavor 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
the stateroom While occupied with this thought however I fell in 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 aweinspiring 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 widespreading 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 sandplains 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 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 demonstration
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 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 phosphorusbox 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 oilcasks 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 seasickness 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 phosphorusbox 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 toward 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 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 ironbound 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
shipfurniture 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 endeavor 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 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 pocketknife
which luckily I had with me I succeeded after great labor 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 fine 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 but 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 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 blade of my penknife 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 chaincable 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 tranquilize 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 behavior 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 toward 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 signs 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
manoeuvres 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 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 endeavored 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 endeavored to
make my way toward 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 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 taperwax 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 smashed 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 toward 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 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 hole in a
whaling vessel and for 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 seabiscuit 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
any thing 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 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
dogs nose and endeavored 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 awhile 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 clue 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 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 forefinger 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 chilly 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
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 twentyfour 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 depressing spasmodic action of the chest But
there was still another and very different source of disquietude and one
indeed whose harassing terrors had been the chief means of arousing me to
exertion from my stupor on the mattress It arose from the demeanor 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 behavior 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
undertone 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 dispatch 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 forelegs as I perceived by the altered position of his eyes and
displayed the whole of his white fangs which were easily discernible I took
the remains of the hamskin and the bottle containing the liqueur and secured
them about my person together with a large carvingknife which Augustus had
left me then folding my cloak around me as closely as possible I made a
movement toward the mouth of the box No sooner did I do this than the dog
sprang with a loud growl toward 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 boldly 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 hamskin 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 any thing of the kind and so intense was the
emotion excited within me by the sound that I endeavored 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 words depended upon a syllable I could
not have spoken it 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 carvingknife 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
Gods 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 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 every thing he concluded to let me stay until he could meet with an
opportunity of visiting me unobserved This as I said before did 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 fishoil 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 meanwhile 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 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 companionway 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 eyeing 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 brigs 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 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 outnumbered 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 villainy All
in the forecastle presently signified their intention of submitting and
ascending one by one were pinioned and then thrown on their backs together
with the first six there being in all of the crew who were not concerned in
the mutiny twentyseven
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 twentytwo 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
labor 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 survivors 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 favor 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 the
gangway Fortunately he was so far overcome by intoxication as to be easily
restrained by the less bloodthirsty of the party among whom was a
linemanager who went by the name of Dirk Peters This man was the son of an
Indian woman of the tribe of Upsarokas who live among the fastnesses of the
Black Hills near the source of the Missouri His father was a furtrader I
believe or at least connected in some manner with the Indian tradingposts on
Lewis river Peters himself was one of the most ferociouslooking men I ever
beheld He was short in stature not more than four feet eight inches high but
his limbs were of 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 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
any thing 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 later
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 brigs
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 being permitted to bid his father farewell A handful of
seabiscuits 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 was 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 endeavored 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
companionway 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 goodhumor 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 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 stateroom What
was his grief and horror in discovering that the latter had been rendered a
place of deposit for a variety of seastores and shipfurniture and that
several fathoms of old chaincable which had been stowed away beneath the
companionladder 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
Chapter V
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 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 persons 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 companionway 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 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 mates 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 sleepingplace living altogether in the cabin since the mutiny
drinking the wines and feasting on the seastores 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 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 oilcasks 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 getting 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 behavior 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
Afterevents 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 was soon made into a pen and this by means of
feeling altogether for the betweendecks 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 coatpocket 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«
This 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 peajacket 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 humor and bringing with him my friends 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 demeanor 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 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
mates 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 halfengendered 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 linemanager 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 then freed himself
from the rope and irons and prepared for his attempt A 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 peajacket on his
knife as before to conceal the aperture this manoeuvre 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 oilcasks 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 succor 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 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 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 hatchway
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 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 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
Chapter VI
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
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 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 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 precaution 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 lyingto especially with a small headsail a vessel
which is not properly modelled in the bows is frequently thrown upon her
beamends 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
shiftingboards extending completely across the vessel Upon these boards
strong temporary stanchions should be erected reaching to the timbers above
and thus securing every thing 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 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 shiftingboards 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
shiftingboards 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 precaution
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 Firefly which sailed from Richmond Virgina
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 days sail of Madeira there came on a strong
gale from the N N E which forced him to lieto He brought the schooner to
the wind under a doublereefed foresail alone when she rode as well as any
vessel could be expected to do and shipped not a drop of water Toward 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
oilcasks1 and shipfurniture 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 oilcasks 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 every thing from my hidingplace for the
piece cut out had not been put back and I was in momentary expectation that the
negro would fall against the peajacket 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 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 companions questions with
perfect freedom told him that he had no doubt of his fathers 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
berth where I slept soundly and sweetly until nearly daybreak when he awakened
me upon hearing a stir upon deck and I regained my hidingplace as quickly as
possible When the day was fully broke we found that Tiger had recovered his
strength almost entirely and gave no indications of hydrophobia drinking a
little water that was offered him with great apparent eagerness During the day
he regained all his former vigor and appetite His strange conduct had been
brought on no doubt by the deleterious quality of the air of the hold and had
no connection 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 goodhumor He came to Augustus 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
coatpocket 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 3d Augustus furnished me with three blankets with which I contrived
a comfortable bed in my hidingplace 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 Toward 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 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 mates 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 any thing 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 cooks 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 cooks 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 cooks party the
mate whose name I never learned Absalom Hicks Wilson John Hunt and
Richard Parker of the mates 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 forced to take
his turn Just at twilight a large ship passed close by us without having been
discovered until within hail The ship was supposed to be the one for which the
mutineers were on the lookout The mate hailed her but the reply was drowned
in the roaring of the gale At eleven a sea was shipped amidships which tore
away a great portion of the larboard bulwarks and did some other slight damage
Toward 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 hidingplace I suffered a great deal
from seasickness 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
brigs 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 sprang 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 come into the mates
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
Chapter VII
July 10th Spoke a brig from Rio bound to Norfolk Weather hazy with a light
baffling wind from the eastward Today Hartman Rogers died having been
attacked on the eighth with spasms after drinking a glass of grog This man was
of the cooks 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 lookout 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 any thing 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
and thinking the opportunity a favorable 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 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 beamends By keeping her away
however she righted having shipped a good deal of water Scarcely was every
thing 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 snug as possible and we laidto as usual under a
closereefed 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 favorable 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 laidto there would be no necessity of
manoeuvring 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 seamans 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 endeavor to provide ourselves with
some kind of weapons from the deck and that we should then make a rush
together and secure the companionway 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 alert it not being
usual except in vessels where discipline is most rigidly enforced to station a
watch on deck when a vessel is lyingto 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
Lyingto or in seaparlance layingto is a 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 standstill to wait for
another vessel or any similar object If the vessel which liesto is under full
sail the manoeuvre 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 lyingto 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
manoeuvre 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 lyingto 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 laidto in different manners according to
their peculiar construction Some lieto best under a foresail and this I
believe is the sail most usually employed Large squarerigged vessels have
sails for the express purpose called stormstaysails But the jib is
occasionally employed by itself, sometimes the jib and foresail or a
doublereefed foresail and not unfrequently the aftersails are made use of
Foretopsails are very often found to answer the purpose better than any other
species of sail The Grampus was generally laidto under a closereefed
foresail
When a vessel is to be laidto 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 lyingto 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 wellmodelled 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
recourse in this case is to put her quietly before the wind letting her scud
until some other sail can be set Some vessels will lieto 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 lyingto 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 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 chaincable 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 blotches like those occasioned by the erysipelas one of these
blotches 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 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 pumphandles 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 companionway so that if any of the mates gang should
come up he might suppose it was the watch
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 singular form and character and easily recognizable a kind of
smock which the deceased wore over his other clothing It was a blue stockinet
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 blotching 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 lookingglass which hung up in the cabin
and by the dim light of a kind of battlelantern 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 tremor
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 every thing safe and keeping close to the bulwarks the
three of us crept to the cabin companionway It was only partially closed
precautions having been taken to prevent its being suddenly pushedto from
without by means of placing billets of wood on the upper step so as to
interfere with the shutting We 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 companionladder 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 captains 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
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 dd 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 companionhatch 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 pumphandles one of which I secured near the
companionway to be ready for use when required
I now steadied myself as well as possible so as to have a good view of all
that was passing within and endeavored 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 seamen 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 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 companionway 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 old 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 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 twentyfour 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 aweinspiring 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 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 pumphandle 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 dispatched 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 dispatched 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 ininstantaneously Thus in far less time than I have taken to
tell it we found ourselves masters of the brig
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 pumphandle
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 oclock in the morning and the wind was still blowing
tremendously The brig evidently labored 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
afterhold the heel of this mast had been stepped between decks a very
reprehensible practice occasionally resorted to by ignorant shipbuilders so
that it was in imminent danger of working from its step But to crown all our
difficulties we plumbed the well and found no less than seven feet of 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 labor Augustus 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 constantly
going As there were only four of us this was severe labor but we endeavored
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 leelurch the word was given to cut away the
weatherlanyards 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 labor 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 the 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 beamends 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 labor we
had undergone and were bleeding in the most horrible manner
Contrary to Parkers 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 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 gales 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 afterportion 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 sternpost Through these hooks there
extended a very thick wroughtiron rod the rudder being thus held to the
sternpost 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
sternpost which ran entirely through it being clinched on the inside were
drawn every one of them completely out of the solid wood
We had scarcely time to draw breath after the violence of this shock when
one of the most tremendous waves I had then ever known broke right on board of
us sweeping the companionway 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 oilcasks
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 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
endeavoring 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 brigs 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 vessels side only reaching us in fragments as we lay flat
on our faces while those which came from larboard being what are called
backwater 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 if any thing, blowing
indeed a complete hurricane and there appeared to us no earthy prospect of
deliverance For several hours we held on in silence expecting every moment
that our lashings would 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 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 remembered that in all which passed before
my minds eye motion was a predominant idea Thus I never fancied any
stationary object such a house a mountain or any thing 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 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
endeavor 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
toward 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 hopes 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 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 recognizing 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 endeavored 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 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 any thing.
We made a kind of drag by driving some nails which we broke out from the remains
of the companionhatch 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 labor
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
Every thing being ready Peters now descended into the cabin going down the
companionladder until the water reached his chin He then plunged in head
first turning to the right as he plunged and endeavoring 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 weatherforechains so loose that we had not the least
difficulty in wrenching it off Having fastened this securely to one of his
ankles Peters now made his fourth descent into the cabin and this time
succeeded in making his way to the door of the stewards 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 vigor to think what could yet be done by mortal means toward
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 companionway and debating the
possibility of yet making our way into the storeroom when looking toward
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 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 rodomontades 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
toward 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 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 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 Twentyfive or thirty human bodies among whom
were several females lay scattered about between the counter 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 farther 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 stupefied rose 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 liverlike 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
toward the ensanguined spot I looked upward and the eyes 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 endeavored 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
saffronlike 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 seastores 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
endeavored to snatch a little repose In this I succeeded beyond my
expectations 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
operations by wrenching off with some trouble another of the forechains and
having fastened both to Peters feet he again made an endeavor 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 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 balance 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 portwine 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
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
pocketcomb as his hair was full of fishscales 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 endeavor 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 endeavored 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 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 endeavored 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 Toward 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 favorable 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 endeavored by every
means in my power to arouse him Thinking that a plunge in the seawater might
have a beneficial effect I contrived to fasten the end of a rope around his
body and then leading him to the companionway 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
showerbath 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
caseknives a threegallon 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 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 endeavoring 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 vigor 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 toward it Peters and Augustus took little notice of
what he said being apparently wrapped up in moody contemplation Upon looking
in 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 fellowsufferers 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 of human misery and despair by perceiving the ship all at once with
her stern fully presented toward 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 seaweed floating by the brig he maintained that it was the
ships boat and endeavored 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 toward 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
Chapter XII
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 labored 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 every thing which be 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 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 any thing I could say in a mild tone
I now assumed a different demeanor 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 meantime being roused to a high pitch of anger I forced him to the
vessels 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 immediately being 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 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 afterevents have been able
to efface in the slightest degree from my memory and whose stern recollection
will embitter 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 toward 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 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 every
thing 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 fellowsufferers 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 than precisely even At
this moment all the fierceness of the tiger possessed my bosom and I felt
toward my poor fellowcreature 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 toward 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 half a gallon but even this scanty
allowance supplied us with comparative strength and hope
On the twentyfirst 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 twentysecond 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 companionhatch had been carried away whereas the forecastleway 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 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 wounded arm not permitting
him to aid us in any degree As we were still so feeble as to be 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 necessary 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 day break on the morning of the twentythird
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 labors 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
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 freshwater
terrapin 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 years 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 purslane seakelp and
pricklypears 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 seamen
employed in the whalefishery 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 sixtyfive 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 grasp and slipping back into the water when
Augustus throwing a rope with a slipknot 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 twentythird 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 its back and otherwise carefully fastened
Chapter XIII
July 24th 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 forechainplates 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
tworeef 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 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 25th This morning the gale had diminished to a mere tenknot 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 Toward 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 companionhatch 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 26th This morning the wind having greatly abated and the sea not
being very rough we determined to renew our exertions in the storeroom After
a great deal of hard labor 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 27th 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 28th 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
waterjug and two remaining jars of olives as far as possible over to the
windward placing them outside the hull below the mainchains The sea very
smooth all day with little or no wind
July 29th A continuance of the same weather Augustus 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 every thing in our power for his
comfort and trebled his allowance of water
July 30th 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 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 31st After a night of excessive anxiety and fatigue owing to the
position of the hulk we set about killing and cutting up our tortoise It
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 olivejars and the winebottle 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 twentyseven
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
food or even swallowing any liquid without great difficulty
August 1st 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 oclock 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 vessels 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 2d 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
frightfullooking 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 tired in vain
to relieve it by wine which seemed only to add fuel to the flame and excited
us to a high degree of intoxication We afterward endeavored 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 those 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 3d 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 tortoisemeat 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 beamends To these spikes we now lashed our provisions as being more
secure than their former position beneath the 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 4th 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 nearly
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 oilcask 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 toward the
hulk creating a body of foam I have no doubt that to this expedient simple as
it was I was indebted for my preservation for the sea all round 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 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 favorable 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 hours
disturbed sleep but my intense sufferings would not permit me to close my eyes
for a single moment
August 5th Today 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 6th 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 carboy 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 wringing them so as to let the grateful fluid trickle into our mouths In
this occupation we passed the entire day
August 7th Just at daybreak we both at the same instant descried a sail
to the eastward and evidently coming toward 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 rakishlooking 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 species2 In this instance
however 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 ran 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
Chapter XIV
The Jane Guy was a finelooking 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
seaboat 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 hundred to three hundred and fifty tons She should be barkrigged 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 twelvepound carronades and two or three long twelves with brass
blunderbusses and watertight armchests for each top Her anchors and cables
should be of far greater strength than is required for any other 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 ablebodied men The Jane
Guy had a crew of thirtyfive 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 the greater 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 lookingglasses tinderworks
axes hatchets saws adzes planes chisels gouges gimlets files
spokeshaves rasps hammers nails knives scissors razors needles thread
crockeryware calico trinkets and other similar articles
The schooner sailed from Liverpool on the tenth of July crossed the tropic
of Cancer on the twentyfifth in longitude twenty degrees west and reached
Sal one of the Cape Verd islands on the twentyninth 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 toward the coast of Brazil so as
to cross the equator between the meridians of twentyeight 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 Guys intention to make his first stoppage at Kerguelens Land I
hardly know for what reason On the day we were picked up the schooner was off
Cape St Roque in longitude thirtyone degrees west so that when found we
had drifted probably from north to south not less than fiveandtwenty
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 whalingships and more frequently with
the black or right whale so called in contradistinction to the spermaceti
These however were chiefly found south of the twentyfifth 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 neighborhood 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 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
Every thing had been made as snug as possible but the schooner labored
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 beamends 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 toward 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 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 Kerguelens or Desolation
Island in the Southern Indian Ocean and came to anchor in Christmas Harbor
having four fathoms of water
This island or rather group of islands bears 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 harbor
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 harbors
of which Christmas Harbor 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 harbor
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 harbor This is a small basin completely landlocked into which 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
Island and seaelephants abound The feathered tribes are discovered in great
numbers Penguins are very plentiful 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 lilac 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 color 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 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 Careys chickens
Mother Careys 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 breakbones 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 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 labor of the
encampment One side of the place thus marked out runs parallel with the waters
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 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 penguins 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
penguins 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 others 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 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 promenadeground
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
wellregulated human intellect
On the morning after our arrival in Christmas Harbor 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 toward 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 mates 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 Land but
of the several small islands in the vicinity Our labors 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 Seaelephants were abundant especially on the
western coast of the mainland but of these we killed only twenty and this with
great difficulty On the smaller islands we discovered a good many of the 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 Harbor retracing our way to the
westward and leaving Marions Island one of Crozets group on the larboard
We afterward passed Prince Edward Island leaving it also on our left then
steering more to the northward made in fifteen days the islands of Tristan da
Cunha 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 da Cunha
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 toward 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 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 sterile 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 sterile and a deep valley partially separates it
The shores of these islands abound in the proper season with sealions
seaelephants the hair and fur seal together with a great variety of oceanic
birds Whales are also plentiful 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 da
Cunha 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
I believe it was not long after Captain Pattens 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 is now to be met with
In 1811 a Captain Haywood in the Nereus visited Tristan He found there
three Americans who were residing upon the island 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 coffeeplant and sugarcane with
which he had been furnished by the American Minister at Rio de 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
twentyfifth of March 1824 the Berwick Captain Jeffrey from London to Van
Diemens 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 twentyone men and three
women He gave a very favorable account of the salubrity of the climate and of
the productiveness of the soil The population occupied themselves chiefly in
collecting sealskins and seaelephant 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 fiftysix 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 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 Oyarudo 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 twentyfirst to the twentyseventh of
January all the necessary observations and measured by chronometers the
difference of longitude between these islands and the port of Soledad in the
Manilas 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 twentyseventh 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 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 Guys intention to make every exertion within his
power to settle the question so oddly in dispute3
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
fiftythree degrees south as far as the meridian of fifty degrees west We then
stood to the north as far as the parallel of fiftytwo 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 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
Chapter XVI
It had been Captain Guys 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 da Cunha 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 favorable to
push on toward 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 neighborhood without
finding any traces of the islands he had mentioned On the twentyfirst 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
fiftyeighth parallel of south latitude and in 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 vessel 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 sixtyfourth
parallel in longitude 38° 14 E Here he had mild weather with gentle breezes
for five days the thermometer being at thirtysix 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 extreme background by gigantic ranges of
icemountains 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 Palmers Land lies south of the Shetland latitude sixtyfour
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
Palmers Land or to some other portions of land lying farther to the southward
and westward«
In 1803 Captains Kreutzenstern and Lisiausky were dispatched by Alexander
of Russia for the purpose of circumnavigating the globe In endeavoring 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 Kreutzenstern 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 Weddel 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 although he
was frequently hemmed in by ice before reaching the seventysecond 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 Weddel
discourages the idea of land existing in the polar regions of the south
On the 11th of January 1823 Captain Benjamin Morrell of the American
schooner Wasp sailed from Kerguelens 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 elevenknot breeze and we embraced
this opportunity of making to the west being however convinced that the farther
we went south beyond latitude sixtyfour 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 sixtytwo south We were now at latitude 70° 14 S and
the temperature of the air was fortyseven and that of the water fortyfour 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 water to become
more and more mild the farther I advanced beyond the sixtyfifth degree of south
latitude and that the variation decreases in the same proportion While north
of this latitude say between sixty and sixtyfive 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 westward al though 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 eightyfifth 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 whaleship
owners of London sailed in the brig Lively for the South Seas accompanied by
the cutter Tula On the twentyeighth of February being in latitude 66° 30 S
longitude 47° 13 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
neighborhood 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 further discovery during this season he
returned northward to winter in Van Diemens 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
Adelaides Island in honor of the English queen These particulars being made
known to the 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 sixtysix to sixtyseven
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 Weddel
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 islands without meeting with any ice at all On the twentysixth 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 twentyseventh stood at thirtyfive
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 Toward 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 layto
under a singlereefed foresail
January 2d 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 thirtythree Here we found
the variation to be 14° 28 easterly per azimuth
January 5th 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 floe 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
January 7th 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 10th 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 12th 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 14th 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 per hour The temperature of the
air was fortyseven that of the water thirtyfour 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 At this period not a particle of ice was to be discovered All hands on
board now felt certain of attaining the pole
January 17th This day was full of incidents 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 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 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 pricklypear 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 our 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 Captain Guy gave the name of Bennets Isle in honor 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 vapor
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
sterile 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 illtimed
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
Chapter XVIII
January 18th 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 fiftythree We now again
got our soundinggear in order and with a hundred and fifty fathoms of line
found the current setting toward 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 singularlooking landanimal 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 long The head resembled a cats with the
exception of the ears these were flopped like the ears of a dog The teeth
were of the same brilliant scarlet as the claws
January 19th Today being in latitude 83° 20 longitude 43° 5 W the
sea being of an extraordinarily dark color 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 word Anamoomoo and LamaLama 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 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 if 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 toward 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
Anamoomoo and LamaLama 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 Toowit 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 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 Toowit 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 visitors 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 Toowit 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 persuasion could prevail upon him
to take another look but throwing himself upon the floor with his face buried
in 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 Toowit 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 demeanor which we found it
impossible to understand for example, we could not get them to approach several
very harmless objects such as the schooners sails an egg an open book or a
pan of flour We endeavored 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 Toowit 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 thorough 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 eightyfourth 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 same way hardly known to
myself I had acquired much influence over 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 Toowit 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 Toowit himself remained on board and upon
dropping our 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 boardingnettings 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 around 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 color 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 brook which
crossed our path the first we had reached Toowit 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
wholegroup 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
colorless nor was it of any one uniform color 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
Toowit 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 neighboring 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 the 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
Chapter XIX
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 Toowit 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 of 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 Toowit We accordingly went on keeping a wary
eye upon the manoeuvres 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 Klockklock 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 fortyfive degrees against a bank of
clay heaped up without regular form to the 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 fullers earth with which three sides of the village were 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 magicallooking 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 never followed them to the dwellings of the savages Among the
other kinds of tame fowls were ducks differing very little from the canvasback
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 elephantfish mullets soles
parrotfish leatherjackets 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
fiftyone 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 Toowit 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 Anamoomoo and LamaLama 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 Toowit in dresses of black skin and armed with lances and heavy
clubs These appeared to 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 Toowit 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 Toowit 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
Toowit Our chief security lay however in the presence of Toowit 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 Anamoomoos were now
somewhat more strenuously insisted upon than the LamaLamas We listened in
profound silence until 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 slimlegged 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 lookingglasses We declined
however partaking of the delicacies before us and endeavored 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
crossquestioning 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 of 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 another still farther out where we saw a far
greater quantity of biche 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 Toowit after obtaining from him
a promise that he would bring us in the course of twentyfour hours as many of
the canvasback ducks and Gallipago tortoises as his canoes would hold In the
whole of this adventure we saw nothing in the demeanor 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 provisions 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 wellflavored Besides these the savages brought us upon our making them
comprehend our wishes a vast quantity of brown celery and scurvygrass with a
canoeload of fresh fish and some dried The celery was a treat indeed and the
scurvygrass 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 sicklist We had also plenty of other kinds of fresh provisions among
which may be mentioned a species of shellfish resembling the mussel 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
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 Klockklock
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 Toowit 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 bichede 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
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 to 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 gasteropoda 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 muchtalkedof edible birds 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 gasteropoda
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 were nearly round a little flattish on one side which lies next to 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 tides 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 fullgrown ones are
always observed coming in from deep water They feed principally on that class
of zoöphites which produce the coral
The biche de mer is generally taken in three or four feet of 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 133 13 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 of 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
seventyfive 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
every thing 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 of both 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 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 Peterson
all natives of London I believe who volunteered their services in this
respect
By the last of the month we had every thing in readiness for departure We
had agreed however to pay a formal visit of leavetaking to the village and
Toowit 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 boardingnettings were up the guns doubleshotted with grape and
canister and the swivels loaded with canisters of musketballs 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 shoreparty consisted of thirtytwo
persons in all We were armed to the teeth having with us muskets pistols and
cutlasses besides each had a long kind of seamans knife somewhat resembling
the bowie knife now so much used throughout our western and southern country A
hundred of the blackskin 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 Toowit 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 Klockklock 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 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 Toowit and his men the certain efficacy of our
firearms whose effect was yet a secret to the natives and more than all to
the longsustained 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 nothing I had ever before experienced and which impressed me with a
vague conception if indeed I then thought of any thing, 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
last succeeded I then remained motionless for some moments endeavoring 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 position I firmly believed that no
incident ever occurring in the course of human events is 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 endeavor to ascertain precisely the
extent of our calamity and grope about our prison it being barely possible he
observed that some opening might yet be 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 fortyfive 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 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 companions foot and that his whole body was deeply
buried beneath the rubbish beyond the 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
too 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 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 thicklywooded 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 endeavor 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 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
thirtytwo 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
rockblaster 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 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 forever 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
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 apprise 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 harbor forthwith
it could not tell them that no principles of honor 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 to rush toward the vessel to seize one of
the four canoes which lay at the head of the bay and endeavor 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 at the
proper point were stationed the whole party of the blackskin warriors with
Toowit at their head and apparently only waiting for some reenforcement 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 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
harbor 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 vessels 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 ricochetting 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
smallarms in which as the canoes were now so near 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
doubleheaded 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 boardingnettings even before the matches had been applied to the
larboard guns Nothing now could 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 every thing movable 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 Toowit who during the whole of the engagement had
maintained like a skilful general his post of security and reconnoissance
among the hills 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
Toowits descent left us at liberty to quit our hidingplace 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 filbertbushes which I mentioned before Upon tasting the nuts we found them
palatable and very nearly resembling in flavor 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 neighborhood 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 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 meantime 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 cannonballs at the bolts and other iron and copper 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 neighboring islands We now anticipated a catastrophe and were not
disappointed First of all there came a smart shock which we felt as distinctly
where we were as if we had been slightly galvanized but unattended with any
visible signs of an explosion The savages were evidently startled and paused
for an instant from their labors 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 thundercloud 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 reechoed
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 demeanor 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 »Tekelili Tekelili«
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 upon 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 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 assemblage rushed into the interior of the island with
loud screams of »Tekelili Tekelili«
Chapter XXIII
During the six or seven days immediately following we remained in our
hidingplace upon the hill going out only occasionally and then with the
greatest precaution for water and filberts We had made a kind of penthouse 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 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 hilltop 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 hours 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 manoeuvres 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 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 scurvygrass 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 lamentable5 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 singularlooking 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 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 color 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
Fig 1
This figure see fig 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 vigor 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
Fig 2
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 fig
2
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
fig 3
Fig 3 Fig 5
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
singularlooking indentures in the surface of the marl forming the termination
of the culdesac With a very slight exertion of the imagination the left or
most northern 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 which had projecting points exactly fitting the
indentures thus proving them to have been the work of nature. Fig 4 presents
an accurate copy of the whole
Fig 4
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
twentyfour 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 page 872
Chapter XXIV
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 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 a 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 pockethandkerchiefs 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 filbertbushes and to one of
these we made fast an end of our rope of handkerchiefs The other end being tied
round Peters 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 restingplace 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 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 labored 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 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 vigor 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 depths yet to be
descended and the precarious nature of the pegs and soapstone holes which were
my only support It was in vain I endeavored 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 but 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 prevaded 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 shrillsounding 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 endeavored 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 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 marl6 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 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 scarcely 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 to 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 toward 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 two canoes
projecting from behind a large rock which ran out into the water Toward 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 around 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 endeavored 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 of the natives by this time had got
hold of our boat obstinately refusing to let go until we were forced to
dispatch 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
every thing 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 flatbottomed canoes or rafts
were seen to emerge from the bay evidently with the design of pursuit Presently
they put back despairing to overtake us
Chapter XXV
We now found ourselves in the wide and desolate Antarctic Ocean in a latitude
exceeding eightyfour 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 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
paddleblades 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 labor 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 »Tekelili«
Having completed our arrangements in regard to the security of the canoe we
now set sail to the southsoutheast 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 Bennets 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 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 1st7 Many unusual phenomena now indicated that we were entering
upon a region of novelty and wonder A high range of light gray vapor 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 vapor as apparent from our station
was about twentyfive degrees The temperature of the sea seemed to be
increasing momentarily and there was a very perceptible alteration in its
color
March 2d Today 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 flatbottomed rafts the four canoes being all of the kind in their
possession and these having been obtained by mere accident from some large
island in the southwest that his own name was NuNu that he had no knowledge
of Bennets Islet and that the appellation of the island he 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 endeavors and which was precisely the same with the note of the black
bittern we had eaten up on the summit of the hill
March 3d The heat of the water was now truly remarkable and in color 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 the vapor to the southward
March 4th Today with the view of widening our sail the breeze from the
northward dying away perceptibly I took from my coatpocket a white
handkerchief NuNu 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 »Tekelili Tekelili«
March 5th 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 6th The gray vapor 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 Today a violent agitation of the water occurred very close to the
canoe It was attended as usual with a wild flaring up of the vapor 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 the flickering died away among the vapor and the commotion
subsided in the sea NuNu now threw himself on his face in the bottom of the
boat and no persuasions could induce him to arise
March 7th This day we questioned NuNu 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 8th Today 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 NuNu breathed and no more
March 9th The whole ashy material fell now continually around us and in
vast quantities The range of vapor 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 fardistant rampart in the heaven The gigantic curtain ranged along
the whole extent of the southern horizon It emitted no sound
March 21st 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 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 22d 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 Tekelili as they retreated from our vision Hereupon
NuNu 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
Note
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
Pyms account
The loss of 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 well be 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 871 872 873
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 connection 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 a means of communication between the main chambers and were of
totally distinct character constitute an Ethiopian verbal root the root 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 idea The upper range is
evidently the Arabic verbal root 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 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 toward the south
Conclusions such as these open a wide field for speculation and exciting
conjecture They should be regarded perhaps in connection with some of the
most faintlydetailed incidents of the narrative although in no visible manner
is this chain of connection complete Tekelili 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
encountering the white materials in possession of Mr Pym This also was the
shriek of the swiftflying white and gigantic birds which issued from the
vapory 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«
Notes
1 Whaling vessels are usually fitted with iron oiltanks why the Grampus was
not I have never been able to ascertain
2 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 12th
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 masts 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 ninetyone days from
December the fifteenth to June the twentieth when Captain Casneau and Samuel
Badger the only survivors 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«
3 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 fiftythree degrees south
4 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
5 This day was rendered remarkable by our observing in the south several huge
wreaths of the grayish vapor I have before spoken of
6 The marl was also black indeed we noticed no lightcolored substances of any
kind upon the island
7 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 memorandum