CHAPTER III.
Finding but little could be done amongst the whales on this ground, early in December we resumed sea watches, and steered a course for the coast of New Holland, intending to cruise off its southwesternmost point for sperm whales. On the fifth of the same month, whilst pursuing our course to the eastward, we sighted the Island of Amsterdam, in 40° South latitude, 77° East longitude. At daylight the ensuing morning, we lowered away three boats, each member of their respective crews provided with fishing-tackle, for the capture of much smaller members of the finny tribe than our usual game. Before arriving at the island, we saw, and gave chase to an otter, but he eluded our pursuit. This was the first animal of the kind I had ever seen; it absorbed my attention, whilst in sight, to the exclusion of all other novelties. His face, in expression, reminded me of that of a pug dog, in which opinion all my companions united. I also saw here the first of those peculiarities, viz. penguins, or waugans, as they are called by seamen—their hoarse cry and long immersion in water excited my wonder and attention. Here also were the osprey, sea hen, albatross, monimoke, right and sperm whale birds, and numerous minor specimens of the family, flying in and out of their eyries in the cliff, carrying food to their young, and occasionally disputing for the possession of thefinny prey, which they capture with much dexterity. Sometimes they wheeled in circles around our boat, apparently viewing us as intruders on their domain.
On approaching the island, we found it a rock-bound precipice, almost inaccessible, with a scanty vegetation dispersed over its summit. It has a desolate appearance, is uninhabited, and only visited by whalemen and those unfortunates whom Neptune, in his furious mood, casts upon its desolate shore. On the cliffs a few goats were to be seen, set ashore some time since by the humane captain of a whaler, who opined that they would increase, and afford sustenance to any shipwrecked mariners who might be cast away here.
We went close to the rocks, over which huge breakers gambolled, and made our boats fast to the kelp. Then out lines, and on the instant were busily engaged in hauling in noble fish, varying in weight from five to twenty pounds, of all varieties and colors: cod, trumpeter, and many species unknown to us, white, black, blue, yellow, and red. In the course of a few hours we had secured as many as we wanted; the other boats experiencing like success, the fish biting with the greatest avidity; it only being necessary to bait, heave the line overboard, and haul up, and, ten chances to one, before it reached the surface, a fish was attached to it. On an eminence on the island, a royal mast is erected, it having been the signal pole of the crew of the whale-ship Tuscany, of Sag Harbor, which went ashore on this island.
It appears that the English ship Meridian, returning from Australia, was cast away here. The principalpart of the passengers and crew reached the island, and scaled the cliff; here they remained for several days, existing on a wild cabbage that is indigenous to the island. They were much depressed, until one morning they descried a ship beating up for the island. She proved to be the whaling barque Monmouth, of Cold Springs; her captain, all honor to him, and no less to his faithful messenger, sent one of his crew across the island to communicate with the distressed ones. He directed them to cross the island, as at the side they then were it would be impossible to land a boat. This, although comparatively a short distance, they were all one day and part of the next accomplishing—the rugged, steep way, their enfeebled condition, and the presence of ladies and children, delaying them. The Monmouth’s boats, as soon as possible, conveyed them aboard their vessel, where they received every attention their condition required, and were conveyed to the Mauritius, where they were disembarked. Now for the romantic part of the story. It appears that in the general confusion, several bags of English sovereigns, that were carried from the wrecked ship ashore, were deposited, as it was supposed, in a secure place, and left on the island. This was communicated to the captain of the Tuscany, and, as the report goes, he had run close in with his ship, landed, and found the money; but at the moment of his grasping it, he discovered his ship in a perilous position. The second officer, who was left in charge, from incapacity or ignorance, had run her ashore. Circumstances occurred, during his stay on the island, that rendered it impossible to bring away the gold, the existence of which, whetherchimerical or otherwise, is still a favorite theme amongst the whalemen who frequent this latitude; and in January, 1856, a whale-ship that then lay at the Vasse, had engaged one of the Tuscany’s former crew, and anticipated having a search for it.
Our second mate went ashore, near the spot where the Tuscany was stranded, captured a right whale bird, and procured a number of eggs. On examining the bird, we found that the substance composing its jaws exactly resembled right whalebone, and its tongue was precisely similar in shape to that of the right whale. These peculiarities I had often heard attributed to the bird, but considered them fabulous, as did most of our ship’s company; although many of them had been engaged in whaling for years, but never previously had an opportunity of making an examination. Having procured as many fish as we could take care of for the nonce, at eleven o’clock we returned to the barque and commenced cleaning and salting them. In the afternoon we sent another boat in, and when all were taken care of we found that we had seven barrels, and visions of good fare rose before us; but alas, for the uncertainty of human expectations—three months afterward the whole of them spoiled, and we were forced to consign them to Davy Jones’ locker.
The next morning after our fishing excursion we saw right whales and the Island ofSt.Paul’s. The whales we lowered away for and chased, without success. The Island ofSt.Paul’s lies in the same longitude as Amsterdam, but is a degree farther north. Like Amsterdam, it is barren, but is occupied by a French company, whose agents reside herefor the purpose of fishing. They cure their catchings, and at periodical seasons a vessel visits them, bringing them supplies and carrying away their accumulations of fish. From the quantity and quality of their prey in the vicinity, I should think the business must be lucrative, and, indeed, it ought to be, to compensate for the isolation men must feel in this out of the way spot. This island being only sixty miles distant from Amsterdam, is easily distinguished on a clear day.
Nothing occurred from this time until Christmas day, when, of course, we who were brought up to the southward of the New England States, expected some observance of the time-honored customs of the day; but what was our surprise to see the work going on as usual; no difference being made, except breaking out a cheese, and distributing it amongst the crew, fore and aft. This humble fare, being so long deprived of, we hailed with acclamation, and partook of with avidity. This method of observing Christmas was persisted in during the voyage; on one, however, nothing either in the fare, or relaxation of discipline, served to mark the anniversary; on another we were agreeably surprised by the steward’s making mince pies for the whole ship’s company. New England men pay very little heed to the coming of Christmas day, they having been accustomed from childhood to regard Thanksgiving as a much more important holiday; and as they cannot tell at sea when Thanksgiving day comes, the only holiday left is the Fourth of July; and two out of the three recurrences of this glorious day, whilst I was aboard the ship, were unmarked bya single circumstance to note it; I well remember the mate’s answer to one of the crew, who in reply to his order to get up the spun yarn machine, laughingly said that it was Fourth of July. The curt answer was, “Yes! it is Fourth of July at home, but not here.” In the evening, after the quarter watch was set, the accordeon, drum, fife, tamborine, fiddle, and triangle, were pressed into service, and all the national airs performed thereon with great glee.
The New Year found us on the coast of New Holland in sight of Cape Leuwin. This portion of Australia presents rather an indifferent appearance, viewed from the ocean; it being barren, apparently, over a great part of its extent, and where vegetation does appear, it is low and scanty. Off this cape is a great resort for sperm whales, and at almost all seasons of the year American whalers are to be seen, standing off and on, patiently awaiting the appearance of the cachalot. At the time that we reached this ground, the ships were just resorting here from the coast of Africa and Island of Madagascar, we spoke and gammoned a number, varying from eight to thirty months from home, and having from one hundred to two thousand barrels of oil aboard. On the fifth, a gale of wind having but just abated, leaving a heavy swell on the surface of the ocean, we saw sperm whales. We lowered for them at 7¹⁄₂ o’clock A. M.; at 8 the starboard boat fastened to a large one, and a moment afterward we followed with the waist boat. The larboard boat, in trying to imitate us, was struck by the whale’s flukes and stove. She filled, and her crew were obliged to swim for their lives to the bow boat, in which they were conveyedto the ship. They had managed to get one iron into the whale before being stoven; but the boatsteerer, undaunted, when up to his waist in water, darted his second iron at the animated target, striking his mark, but not with sufficient force to fasten solid. Their line entwining around ours, prevented us hauling on to and despatching him; and whilst we were dallying, away he went to windward, towing us faster than a steamboat, the water breaking completely over us. Our boat was one-third full all the time, and it was only by unremitting bailing, by two of our number, that we kept her afloat. This continued for hours, until the ship was only seen as a speck in the horizon. The whales were darting here, there, and everywhere—ahead, astern, and under us—and the officer only prevented their getting afoul of us by repeated lancings; whilst our boats were tossed to and fro. The boatsteerer of the starboard boat was pitched out, but he caught the gunwale and soon recovered his position. Immediately after the line ran foul, our boat capsized and was taken down. I jumped, as soon as I found that she was going over, kicked off my shoes, and swam for the other boat, the line of which had been cut as soon as they discovered our mishap. On getting into the boat, I found that three others were all right, and directly our second mate made his appearance and was assisted in. He stated that the line had become twisted around his ankle, but, fortunately, he had the sheath-knife in his hand when he went down, and cut himself loose. The tub oarsman got in with his hand seriously cut, evidently by a lance which he must have come in contact with under water. As soon as we counted those in the boat, the amidshipoarsman was found to be missing, and as we knew that he could not swim, we were apprehensive that he was drowned; but on the instant his head made its appearance, and I shoved him an oar, with which he supported himself until picked up. After finding all safe, we laughed at the accident, and looking around for the whale, discovered him apparently taking a view of us—his profuse bleeding rendering it impossible for him to sound. On our approach he gradually receded from us stern foremost. We were twelve in a boat, almost out of sight of the ship, and had anything happened to our boat at this stage of the operation, some, if not all of us, would have lost the numbers of our mess; but Providence protected us, and we came off harmless. On going on to the whale to lance him, the monster would roll on his side, display his enormous jaw, and attempt to seize the boat with it. This was repeated a number of times, when those in the ship, which had been gradually nearing us, discovering only one boat, and that full of men, they lowered away two boats. One went in pursuit of the capsized boat, while the other came to our assistance, and fastened to the whale, discharging three-bomb lances into him. These caused him to roll and groan, but not producing a fatal effect, our boat returned to the ship for more, which were likewise deposited in his carcass; but it was not until sundown that he rolled fin out, and was brought alongside. We secured him for the night, and the next morning proceeded to cut him in. This is a very different operation from cutting-in a right whale; the two species being totally dissimilar. The first move with the sperm whale isto separate the head from the body, and when the jaw is loose, heave it in. Cutting off the head consumes, if a large whale is the subject, from two to four hours, according to the dexterity of the manipulator; if a proficient handles the spade, it is a work of but little trouble, but if a bungler, he wearies everybody’s patience out beside his own. The head, when completely clear, is made fast to the ship’s quarter by a strong chain, and the body then hove in. When the small is cleared away, the head is hooked on to and hove out of the water, then separated into two portions, known as the case and junk, and separately hove in. If the whale is very large the case is bailed overboard, so as not to endanger the ship’s spars by so heavy a heave—in this case we hove it in. Whilst heaving in our last body piece, to which the flukes were attached, they swung around and knocked the second mate and a boatsteerer overboard, with spades in their hands. They soon were recovered and on deck safe again.
We now had him all aboard. The jaw was dragged forward and secured, and several employed in cutting the blubber from the pans; it measured twenty feet in length and had in it forty-eight ivory teeth, many of them weighing a pound or more. The case was then opened, and a boatsteerer jumped into and prepared to dip out the unctuous matter, which in this part of the head is fluid; for what purpose designed I know not, but no doubt it is a provision of Providence that has its uses, although we cannot discern them. From this vast receptacle for oil we bailed some twelve barrels of the pure spermaceti. The junk was then cut into horse pieces, and these, withthe other blubber from around the head and jaw, were rendered out and stowed in casks marked “head;” it being by far the most valuable portion of the whale, and commanding a better price. The head of the sperm whale generally yields about two-fifths of the oil procured from the entire fish. After finishing with the head matter, we proceeded with the residue the same as with the right whale formerly mentioned. On boiling the body blubber, we found it exceedingly poor, and were not at all surprised at the whole yield being only seventy-two barrels—his size auguring at least a hundred. He was seventy-five feet long.
In appearance, this whale does not bear the slightest resemblance to the right whale—its massive head differing from the latter; neither has it the bonnet, as the right whale, infested by barnacles and vermin; its body is not so thick; it is longer, and on the back, near the small, a ridge rises which is known as the bump; the flukes, too, are smaller; and the skin, instead of being black as ebony, is of a slate color, frequently mottled with white—around the head presenting an appearance like marbling; beneath the skin, on the head, is found short, stiff, hair, and between the hair and skin an alkaline substance which is a solvent for oil—it is used for washing clothing and the paint work.
After our whale was stowed below and finished with, we remained off the Leuwin for a few weeks, seeing whales but once, and then just at nightfall. So the captain said, one fine morning, that he thought he had waited long enough for the whales, and that now they might wait for him. He ordered the helmhard up, and we went bowling away before a ten knot breeze toward Vasse—a settlement situated in Geographe Bay, a short distance to the northward of Cape Leuwin. Soon we could see the breakers dashing and surging over the inhospitable coast, and at 7 o’clock P. M. let go our port anchor in three and a half fathoms of water, about three miles distant from the shore. We found several other whalers at anchor, and two more came in the same evening. From the ship the country looked low, sandy, and bushy. The next day we went ashore for the purpose of procuring fresh water, and found that we had an onerous task; as the casks were towed ashore and rolled about a quarter of a mile to the wells, over a sandy, uneven road, into which the pedestrian sank knee deep at every step. On arriving at the wells, the water had to be dipped up by bucketsful from a depth of twelve feet; nor was the water very good, it being produced from the sea by filtration through the sand, which deprived it of its saline matter. On filling our casks, finding it impossible to roll them through the sand, we took our raft rope and laid it in a continuous line, rolled a cask upon it, brought the end of the rope over it, and thus, all hands taking hold, we succeeded in parbuckling them, one by one, to the beach. I had often heard it sung that Jordan was a hard road to travel, and whilst engaged in this occupation, beneath a burning sun and over the scorching sand, I thought that it would not have been inappropriate to substitute Geographe for Jordan; as a harder road to travel I defy any one to point out. Thus we toiled, day after day, until we had four hundred barrels of waterin our ship’s hold, when liberty commenced. This is always a season of rejoicing amongst sailors, but it would be impossible to give a perfect description of the manner in which they enjoy themselves, and the mad pranks they cut whilst their liberty lasts. Imagine, if you can, a school of the most mischievous urchins let loose, with perfect freedom to enact all the mischief they are capable of, and you can form a faint idea of Jack ashore in a foreign port. Some have hired horses and are riding double, one facing forward, the other in the opposite direction, kicking, spurring, and urging the nag onward, occasionally getting a fall which is productive of nothing but a hearty laugh, the loose sand protecting the dismounted cavalier from injury; and ten chances to one, after recovering his feet, the unseated one would grasp the animal’s tail to mount again. I remember a case of one of our crew, who, burning to distinguish himself, went ashore, hired a horse, and rode off into the bush at full speed. The beast, being better accustomed to bush ranging than his rider, in the course of an hour made his appearance alone; and, on search being instituted, the gay horseman was discovered hanging in the forked branch of a tree, in such a position that he could not extricate himself without assistance, and even then his garments were rather the worse for wear.
The oldsters, when ashore, of course, resorted to the grog shop and got merry; the younger ones, burning to emulate them, were soon half seas over, and rolling around in too heavy a style even for a sailor. The first day, however, settled the affair, as on the following one the youngsters discovered that the way of the transgressor is hard; for they had topay the penalty of a disordered stomach and severe headache. On the next liberty-day Bacchus had but few votaries.
I will now endeavor to give a slight description of the town of Vasse. The town and bay take their name from a French vessel and her master—the town from the captain, and the bay from the vessel. She was cast away here years ago, and remnants of her timbers are still to be seen. After half a mile’s wading through the sand, we came to the outskirts of the town; the first house was a grog-shop, the second a smithery, the third a grog-shop, and, half a mile farther on, another groggery; so that it was easily to be seen that the Maine Law had not yet gone into operation in this vicinity. Three grogshops, in a village of about one hundred inhabitants, are rather more than one would suppose were needed; but all seemed to be doing a thriving business, everybody, men, women, and children, indiscriminately going to the bars and drinking miserable spirits, for which they pay six-pence sterling, equivalent to twelve cents of our money, per glass. Then again, within a compass of a few miles, numerous sawyers are employed, who, after laboring hard for two, three, or six months, and accumulating a sum of money, resort to the village, and, to use their own expression, proceed to knock their earnings down. This they soon effect, and return to their old employment, when forced to, for want of funds to continue their carousal. The ticket of leave men, too, who are mostly employed in this section by the government, in repairing roads and public works at certain seasons of the year, are allowed a short time forrecreation; and recreation to this people is only known in intoxication, and hence they too are amongst the publican’s best customers.
The aborigines are a slender made people, with faces and bodies as dark as a negro’s, but with straight hair. Their features, to me, are unpleasing, and they heighten the disgusting expression by besmearing the cheeks, forehead, and the fore part of the hair with a reddish clay, resembling Spanish brown, mixed with oil. They are very filthy, being alive with vermin. Their only clothing consists of a kangaroo skin, with the hairy side turned in, thrown over the shoulder; this they call a bouka. The paint they put on their faces they call willagee. Their weapons consist of a hard piece of wood, shaped like a half moon, called a boomerang, which they send whizzing through the air, striking any object they aim at with the most unerring precision. The spear, too, they dart with exceeding accuracy from a diamond-shaped piece of wood which they call a womara; they also dart it from the hand. One morning I had half a dozen children darting for small pieces of tobacco, which they invariably struck. They have a passion, like all uncivilized nations, for rum and tobacco. The former they are debarred from using, from the fact that the government inflicts heavy penalties on any person who supplies them with the smallest quantity of alcoholic stimulant. Our fellows, in several cases, got a bottle and carried it into the bush, and gave them small quantities for the fun of seeing and hearing them dance and sing; and, indeed, a very small portion of spirits causesthem to act more like demons than members of the human family.
One afternoon I witnessed a sham battle between about a score of them, equally divided. Twigs were substituted for their spears; the latter being pointed, and armed with glass attached by means of a red gum, are rather dangerous weapons to play with. They charged each other, rallying and retreating, and, when opportunities presented, darting their weapons, all the time making a hoarse guttural sound, and becoming much excited. The sport continued for some time, and, after they had finished, tobacco was given to them. One of them demurring at the quantity in rather an outrageous style, was cooly knocked head over heels, and this arousing a combatant spirit amongst our crew, the whole of the natives, in a few moments, were flying as if for dear life from the vicinity. From observation on different occasions, I should say that the men are possessed of no courage; the women fight brutal battles with each other, armed with sticks, and never succumb until powerless from exertion or injury. But few, if any, of the females whom I have seen, were not covered with welts, thicker than one’s finger, on the back and breast, the result, no doubt, in many instances, of these encounters: but they have a custom, I am told, of abrading their flesh on the death of a relative, and to this cause is assigned most of the scars they are covered with. They, like the men, are dressed with the bouka or kangaroo skin, and are squalid, dirty, lewd, and ignorant. Anything, a chew of tobacco, or a mouthful of biscuit, will causethese libels on the name of women to forget the allegiance due to their lords.
In the summer these people sleep in the open air, making, towards sundown, a fire in the bush, and sleeping with their feet to the fire. In winter they build rude huts of twigs and reeds, about four feet high, and large enough for two or three individuals, and here they, having in their hunting season collected provisions enough to subsist on, huddle together and sleep away the rainy season, which usually lasts about five months. Their food comprises almost everything that is endowed with life—kangaroos, snakes, iguanas, and grubs being their dainties; and if in the neighborhood where a bullock is killed, they greedily flock to the spot, secure the entrails, and devour them without cleansing. They are also very fond of the flesh of the whale; and if by accident one comes ashore on the coast, or they take one at either of the fisheries in the bay, they resort to the spot in great numbers and devour the meat, fresh or putrid, without cooking. The women back all the burdens, beside carrying the children; the child, perfectly naked, sits astride on the mother’s shoulder, with the hands firmly clasped in her hair, and in this manner they travel miles with them. Some of the children carried in this way are of so light a complexion, as to excite strong suspicion of amalgamation with some of the whites in the neighborhood. The women, beside the child, carry a bag, into which all the surplus provision is stored. Impelled by curiosity, I one day bargained for a sight into one of these mysterious receptacles, and for a plug of tobacco had revealed to my sight half a dozen grubs, severalsnails, part of a toad, a snake, roots and herbs. The snakes they will not eat without they have been present at the time they were killed, being fearful that the snake, on being wounded, should have bitten himself. These people are remarkable for accuracy of vision and keen scent. For the former quality they are occasionally carried out by whaleships, for the purpose of looking out from the masthead; and I have been told by those who were shipmates with them, that they could discern a spout or sail at as great a distance with the naked eye, as a practised hand could with the glass. The last mentioned quality causes them to be employed by the government in tracking convicts who have taken to the bush, by captains of whaleships to recover deserters, and by the settlers to track up their stray cattle. In all these pursuits they are said to be infallible; although when they arrive at the runaway, if he present a bold face to them, they will not molest him; and unless they have a white man with them to urge them on, they will retreat empty-handed. They have a wholesome dread of fire-arms, and some of their race having seen a revolving pistol, has impressed on most of them the supernatural character of the weapon; and the “little fellow,” as they call it, is to them a great bug-a-boo.
On the strictest inquiry I could not discover that they had any religion. The only inkling that I received of their ideas of hereafter, was the fear they expressed of jing-ge, a word synonymous to the English word devil; whether they have gleaned this idea from their intercourse with the whites, or that it is traditionary with them, I have no means of ascertaining.
These people are in the extremest degree indolent, and are only induced to do even the slightest job or errand, by promising them a meal upon its performance. If the employer good naturedly bestows the recompense when they are partly through, or the black fellow has had anything to eat previously, all efforts to induce him to return to the work are futile—words and blows being equally useless. On the appearance of whaleships in the bay, they resort to the town, and every member of said ships on going ashore is importuned for hard bread and tobacco, or an old jack-knife; and if the donor gives to all who ask him, he soon finds his stock of edibles and patience entirely exhausted.
There are no musical instruments among them; their vocal music is monotonous, and sounds harshly to the ear. At certain seasons of the year they meet for the purpose of having a “corroborie” as they call it, to which every member wears his best bouka; and when assembled they vie with each other in grotesque grimaces and contortions, both of form and feature.
These people are protected by the laws equally with the whites in this section. Some few hundred miles to the northward, at a locality known as Port Gregory, it is but a word and a blow; the blow, which is generally fatal, coming first. In the latter neighborhood, depredations committed on the settlers are the causes of their harsh treatment. Some few of them, when young, have been taken, educated and clothed in the European fashion, but in vain; they always prefer life in the bush, with their own people, to all the advantages of civilization, and only return totheir benefactors when forced by hunger to do so. This often happens, as they are exceedingly improvident. Their mode is, on obtaining food, to gorge themselves to repletion, and then to sleep or hulk about until Providence sends them another supply, or hunger compels them to seek it.
These Australians contrast very unfavorably with our aborigines (the North American Indians), being possessed of all their bad qualities, without a single one of their redeeming traits; the same love of rum and tobacco, and a mean habit of pilfering, without their perseverance in the chase and bravery in conflict. I shall now, for the present, bid them farewell, though, as my narrative proceeds, I will again have occasion to revert to them.
As this settlement is part of a penal colony to which Great Britain consigns her malefactors, for from five years to the duration of their lives, to atone for offences against the laws of their country, the society is not, consequently, what we at home would call select; but, such as it is, it has its aristocracy. Although the majority of the inhabitants are convicts, some of whom have served out their term of punishment, the word convict amongst themselves is never used—it being apparently banished, by common consent, from their conversation. The convicts here form three grades—the members of the first, comprising those whose sentences have not been ameliorated, are under the strict surveillance of the government, and employed on government work. The second class are known as “ticket of relief holders;” these, for uniform good conduct, receive this ticket, which entitles them to choose their own employers and placeof residence; but at the same time they are expected to give information as to where they reside to the police, and to be within doors at 8 o’clock in the evening. If these ticket holders continue to conduct themselves in a praiseworthy manner, they then receive a conditional pardon, which entitles them to leave the country, but at the same time debars them from returning to Great Britain or Ireland; or, if condemned in the colonies, from returning to the place of conviction; permission is, however, accorded to them to take up their residence in any other part of this colony, or in any colony under the control of the English government—England, by this precaution, guarding against the return of her prison population to her own shore. Hence these men, knowing that the stigma of conviction will cling to their skirts as long as they remain in this country, anxiously desire to embark in whalers—the United States being, in their eyes, the land of promise—and in this way numbers of emigrants of very doubtful character land on our shores. It is customary for whale-ships to engage some of these men; occasionally discharging their entire original crew, and shipping these in their places. We had a number of them during the voyage, and in this port we shipped two. I cannot but deprecate the practice of introducing men of such vicious antecedents, into a forecastle in which are American youths, who, by intercourse with such people, begin quickly to have very crude ideas of morality; and, unless there is some strong-minded person, with a clear, cool head, to rebut their specious arguments, they exercise an injurious influence on the minds of the young.
During the remainder of our stay in this port, we were engaged in giving liberty, boating ashore goods that had been sold or exchanged for potatoes—other vegetables not being procurable. Beef was furnished sparingly, it being alleged that a sufficient supply of it could not be procured; but as I then was, and since have been informed, that thousands of cattle were within a short distance of the town, the story requires confirmation to make it credible.
The articles chiefly disposed of here were Yankee notions—fancy shoes, soap, calicos, saddles, and other such stores. Formerly the whalers that resorted to these ports for provisions found a market for all their surplus articles; but, at the present time, over-importation has caused a total stoppage of their trade, except at ruinous prices. Every whale-ship that comes into this vicinity brings tons of tobacco in her outfit, and very little, if any, duty is paid upon it—it being mostly smuggled ashore. On the starting of a ship for port, the foremast hands always resort to the slop-chest for tobacco, which they carry ashore and dispose of at three times its original price; thus eking out their liberty-money to a respectable sum, and, much or little, expending it quickly.
The excise is guarded by the police, who, as a matter of form, look into every boat that comes in; but I have never seen any difficulty in carrying ashore, anywhere in the colony, twenty or thirty pounds of the weed about the person; and, once ashore, purchasers are readily found.
A few Americans are to be found here, in every case deserters from whaleships; who invariably, if at all attentive to business, in the course of a few years,accumulate an independence; but, unfortunately, they are too apt to imbibe a taste for that curse of this country, rum, and live from hand to mouth, until, becoming unsettled and weary, they embark aboard another whaler, and in time get home, having little or nothing due them, after a voluntary exile of eight or ten years from home and friends.
On the second liberty-day, given to the larboard watch, Kedge Anchor took French leave and fled to the bush for concealment. For some days we saw nothing of him; but, after a week’s absence, he was at the beach, very anxious to get aboard on any conditions. He returned miserably filthy and covered with vermin; his clothing almost gone, and what he had left was all of one color, from wallowing in his various sleeping places. Whilst ashore, he was under the guidance of a fellow, who, by flaming accounts of the condition of the country, induced him to desert, intending to apply to our captain for his berth. On Kedge’s return, he was greeted with laughter, in which he heartily joined; and, as it was impossible to get angry at him, he escaped with a reprimand; the captain at the same time assuring him, that if, at any future time, he repeated the attempt, he would not allow him to return aboard. What effect this had we shall discover as we proceed.
At 10¹⁄₂ A. M. on the morning of February 12th, the ship James Allen, and barque Henry M. Crapo, hove up their ground tackle and stood out to sea. The captain of the James Allen had been vaunting of the speed of his ship, and confidently asserting that she would outsail any ship or barque in the harbor, he issued a challenge. We hove up at 11 o’clock,half an hour later than he, and in the course of two hours had both the Crapo and James Allen on our lee quarter. As we passed the latter, our captain facetiously desired them to let go thathawser. They were too badly beaten to answer without displaying their chagrin; they therefore were discreet, and said not a word. As this ship was our consort from this time until July, 1857, I shall describe her and her appointments. Like us, she was built from an old fashioned model, but was a much younger ship. Her captain was of a diminutive person, and strove to atone for his small size by blustering; his first officer, who, from all accounts, governed the ship, delighted in a display of pugilistic powers, and kicked, cuffed, and boxed the men on the slightest provocation. She was two months longer from home than we, and up to this time had taken no oil. One circumstance that I omitted, in my remarks on Vasse, was the fact of a collation and a ball, held on board this ship whilst we lay there. Invitations were issued, and the elite of the vicinity, for miles around, accepted them, and at about 3 o’clock P. M. were conveyed aboard the Allen by the boats of the vessels in the harbor. All the vessels had their colors hoisted; the captains and chief mates were the only guests from the vessels. When the boats with their freight arrived alongside, a chair that had a whip attached to it was lowered, the ladies, singly, placed in it, and, reposing on the American flag, hoisted aboard. Here a canvass screen was extended across the quarter-deck, just abaft the mainmast, and, after a hearty repast, a negro fiddler, who is an American by birth, and the principal headsman at the bay whale-fishery, wascalled into requisition, and, with the assistance of a triangle player, discoursed music for the dancers. Soon the whole assembly were tripping the light fantastic toe, on the well-worn decks that had faced many a gale. The scene was pleasing. The coils of rigging, the shrouds, and lower masts dimly lit up by the globe lanterns, reflecting a striking picture, and reminding one of the smugglers’ jubilees, after a successful run; hardy, weather-beaten men, leading in the dance; fair maidens, I was about to say—but the scathing sun of Australia allows very few females to boast a fair complexion, although their nut-brown cheeks glow with health. The respectability of these people I know nothing about, except from hearsay; but that they were a motley collection I was assured of the following day, by hearing an old resident, a female, describe their efforts, or rather the efforts of some of the party, to appear covered with finery—devoting days to scouring the country and collecting it. My fair countrywomen must not think me embittered against their sex, or that I am anxious to do them injustice—God forbid; as a man and a sailor, I would scorn to do so; but as an American, I feel the superiority of my countrywomen over all of the sex in other countries that it has been my privilege to see; and to favorably compare these females with those of my native country, would, in my eyes, be an insult to the latter.
I must advert to another circumstance before taking final leave of the Vasse for “fifty-six”—that is the existence of the whale-fisheries in this bay; there being one here, and one thirty miles to the north-east, at a town known as Bunbry. At certain seasonsthe right and humpback whales resort to the various bays on this coast for the purpose of producing their young. A look-out is stationed on an eminence ashore, and several boat’s crews being near at hand, at the appearance of a whale the alarm is given, and they start in pursuit. At times their work is very easy, but if the whale should run out to sea, after being struck, they are obliged to tow him to the shears, and frequently a day and night are consumed in this arduous employment. If the whale is attended by a calf, they always fasten to the latter first, knowing that the mother, in her solicitude for her offspring, is very careful not to use her tremendous flukes; or if a humpback, her sweeping fins: but woe betide the boat, unless an experienced boat-header directs it, that is in the vicinity when she discovers that her calf is dead. She then remains close to the lifeless body, striking right and left with flukes and fins, to avenge her loss; and as the slightest tap from these formidable weapons would cause destruction, it requires all the boat-header’s adroitness to avoid them. The officers, boatsteerers, and, if they can by any means be procured, two-thirds of the crews are Americans: we having a world-wide reputation for skill in this pursuit.