CHAPTER VI.
Finding, after a short stay, that the ground was deserted both by ships and whales, we pursued our course to the southward, intending to double Cape Leuwin, thence to the eastward, and cruise in the Great Australian Bight. Anticipating heavy weather in those latitudes, our foretopgallant mast was sent down, and the mizzen topmast housed; and no sooner were we thus far prepared than we caught a heavy gale that exceeded in violence anything of the kind we had experienced during the preceding part of the voyage. It lasted eight or nine days, and as there was an ugly sea running, the ship was almost continually drenched the whole extent of her decks. One night whilst lying-to in the gale, when its violence was at its height, a heavy sea broke over the vessel, carrying away part of the starboard bulwarks, and filling the bow boat on the larboard side. The davits of the boat were crushed by the weight of the water, and the boat broke down amidships. The decks were deluged, and it was necessary to knock out a part of the lee bulwarks to allow the water to escape. The third officer, who headed the watch, called the first mate, who, on coming on deck, hurriedly ran over the members of the watch, when missing one, whose look-out he heard it was, and supposing him to have been on the forecastle at the time the sea wasshipped, he gave him up for lost. To ascertain, he cried aloud his name at the top of his voice, but the gale prevented it from being heard a short distance from the speaker. He then despatched a person into each top, who sang out for him without result. After all had decided that he was overboard, without hope of relief, he was found snugly ensconced in the starboard boat, totally unaware of the apprehensions entertained for his safety.
On the 6th and 7th of August we fell in with the barques Aladdin and Lady Emma, and the brig Jane, all of Hobartown, carrying the English flag. These were the first whalers we had seen carrying other than our own glorious banner. We gammoned them, and found them but indifferent craft—their rigging poor, and scarce any discipline existing aboard of them; their slouching arrangements contrasting unfavorably with our own neat and tidy appearance. Their crews are composed principally of convicts who have served out their terms of sentence, and ticket-of-relief men: with such material it is scarcely possible to form a good crew. Their officers and captains were, in many cases, from the same class of society; and on board one of the barques the master was so ignorant as to be compelled to carry a navigator, who directed all the movements of the ship, except when they were whaling. A few Yankees were amongst them—in every case deserters from American whalers. The residue of their crews contained representatives from all parts of the world—black, yellow and brown; Portuguese, New Zealanders, Kanackas from all of the South Sea Islands, and Negroes. Aboard some of these ships the forecastle is partitioned into twoapartments, in one of which the blacks, and in the other the whites reside—neither party encroaching on the other. These ships usually fit out for fifteen months, but generally return within the year; their forecastles look desolate, from the fact that none of the crew bring chests to sea with them; their stock of clothes consisting, in many instances, only of the suit they wear upon their backs. Their bedding, too, from lack of attention to their outfit, is very scant, and is therefore insufficient in such cool weather as prevails in the Bight at this season of the year. They were disposed to grumble, and exceeded the usual modicum of growling accorded to the sailor. They envied us our positions, and were very desirous of effecting an exchange; some went so far as to ask to be concealed when their boat left our ship. They represented that their ships were leaky, and the officers ignorant; and inveighed in unmeasured terms against their rations, describing them as scant and unwholesome. These must not be considered as fair specimens of the Hobartown shipping, as afterward we saw vessels in which, although their management could not compare with ours, their crews were at least contented, and their vessels and rigging presented a much better appearance to a seaman’s eye.
On board these ships grog is allowed; by some, daily; others, semi-and tri-weekly; and when we informed them that we sailed on the total abstinence principle, they expressed much astonishment at the fact, and wondered how we got along without liquor.
Several New Zealanders in the respective crews of these vessels attracted my attention, from the tattooing on their bodies. The figures on the face andbreast were not near so disgusting, as from previous description I had imagined them to be.
Quite a pleasant incident occurred on board our vessel, during this evening. One of the crew of the brig Jane came into our forecastle, and inquired whether there were any natives of Patterson, New Jersey, present. Two of our crew, belonging to that city, presented themselves; and, after some inquiries, one of them proved to be the play- and school-mate of the stranger. They had not met since their childhood, and their meeting now caused much feeling on each side. Both had followed the sea for years, and been self-exiled as it were from their native land. When a stripling, the one aboard of us had joined the volunteers in General Scott’s army, then in Mexico. After participating in the struggle until peace was declared, he returned to the United States, spent his pay, and then shipped aboard a whaler bound to the Arctic ocean. Having been forty months at sea, he came back, and again spent his earnings just as foolishly as he had done before; and, being compelled by necessity to return to the ocean for support, he shipped aboard a merchant vessel bound for Liverpool. He next made various voyages to different parts of Europe and the West Indies, experiencing perilous vicissitudes; when, finally, he embarked on board our old craft. His schoolmate had joined a New Bedford whaler; which, after being a year from home, touched at a port on the eastern coast of New Zealand, where he deserted, and engaged for a time in the lumber trade; in which, he told me, he would have done well, if he had left liquor alone. From this he proceeded to trade with the natives, and wasfinally adopted by them; but their mode of life being distasteful to him, he engaged in the coasting-trade, was cast away, and carried into Hobartown, where he at length joined the brig Jane. Both these men possessed talents above mediocrity. They were good seamen, and their qualifications would have rendered them good citizens also, had not a roving, restless spirit of adventure led them to throw away their time rambling over the world.
These ships pursue the blackfish with almost as much eagerness as they do the whale, and their manœuverings for this small game often deceived us. The crews receive a large proportion of the vessels’ earnings; but they get only forty pounds sterling per ton for their oil, no matter what price it brings in the market; so that, although the lays are shorter, the actual remuneration is about equal to ours. The only advantage they possess over us is in the shortness of the voyage: during the whole continuance of it, however, they allow no liberty, and only touch at insignificant ports for vegetables.
On the 22d we sighted sperm whales. Lowering away the waist boat, we went on to the fish—the boatsteerer darted; but the irons struck the head, and did not penetrate. The whales started to the windward, and we saw no more of them—getting nothing but fisherman’s luck for our pains.
On the 25th we were informed of the probable loss of the ship Twilight, of New Bedford: it being supposed that she had foundered at sea. The report was originated by the captain of the barque Draco. It appears that the two vessels sailed from King George’s Sound in company; and, experiencing an exceedinglyheavy gale, they agreed to lie by each other during the night, either party, if desirous of running before the gale, agreeing to fire a rocket or show a light. No such signal was seen from the Draco; and next morning, on the Twilight’s not being discernible, the conclusion was arrived at that she was lost. We were agreeably surprised, a few weeks after, by a sight of the missing ship. Her captain had before been informed of the report; and, on our running across his stern, to our captain’s hail he replied, that his ship was the Nonsuch of New Bedford.
About this time, I was much amused by an original method, which our captain instituted, to stop pugilistic encounters between the boys. On the evening previous, a Portuguese boy and a New Bedford youngster engaged in a game of fisticuffs, resulting in black eyes and skinned noses to both the participants. The captain, on making inquiry the next morning, discovered enough to justify him in punishing them. For this purpose he tied their left hands firmly together, and placed reef-points in their right hands. (These points are manilla ropes, three feet long, whipped at both ends, and about three-fourths of an inch in diameter—a formidable weapon in a strong hand.) Then, after getting them in position, he instructed them to lay their points on each other’s backs. The Bedford boy refusing to do this, the captain took the point in his own hand, and gave him a cut, which operated like fire amidst dry wood. At it they went; and, both being game, they continued the infliction of the points for half an hour, when they were stopped by the old man. One of them was then sent to sit astride the extreme endof the flying jib-boom, and the other to occupy a similar position on the spanker-boom. The other ships’ officers said, merrily, that old Sherman was trimming ship to beat them.
On the same day, by the ship Alexander, belonging to the same owners as our own barque, I received letters from home; and although nine months old, they were heartily welcome. None but the wanderer from home and friends knows, or can imagine, the joy and comfort imparted by good news from home. Such events are the oases in our desert. Newspapers were also sent to me; and I read them completely through, advertisements and all, with a degree of attention I had never before bestowed on a printed sheet. Others were not so fortunate as myself, and gave vent to their disappointment in bitter terms.
The Alexander had been whaling in higher latitudes than we were—she having visited Desolation and New Zealand. Her present captain came out as first officer; for, the original captain being taken sick, had returned to the United States from one of the Cape De Verde Islands, and his mate succeeded him in command. Her crew described their first captain as having been a trump; relating, with great glee, that on the cook’s serving them up beans badly cooked, they complained to him; and, discovering their complaint to be well founded, he forced the cook to eat the whole mess—giving him nothing else to eat until he had completed the task. Ever afterwards, they said, their victuals were nicely prepared. Off the western coast of New Zealand they had seen sperm whales more than sixty times; but, for some reason or other, they had not been very successfulin capturing them—having taken but five hundred barrels of oil from the time they left home. This ship then purposed returning, and was anxious for us to accompany her.
Whilst we were in the Bight, the barque Australasian Packet captured a sperm whale. The weather was boisterous, and they did not succeed in getting him alongside until after dark. The boat that was running the line to the ship was struck by the vessel, and stoven: two of her crew clung to the boat, and escaped; the others were drowned. The whale was allowed to go adrift, and was picked up on the following day by the ship Hunter, of New Bedford. By this sad disaster the crew of the Packet were intimidated, and refused to do any more whaling; therefore the captain was forced to return with her to Hobartown.
On the 10th of October we gammoned the barque Rodman, of New Bedford, twelve months out, with twelve hundred barrels of oil. She was by far the most successful ship we encountered. Much of her oil was taken off Desolation; and her crew, like that of the Stephania, represented that whaling-ground as a perfect purgatory. They said that the weather was so intensely cold, that it was necessary to envelop the person in three or four thicknesses of warm woolen clothing when going in the boats. This practice cost one of their crew his life; for the boat in which he was being stoven, from the heaviness of his clothing when saturated he was unable to swim, though he knew how, and he perished—his boatmates having as much as they could do to save themselves. They had also been into Shark’s Bay,in pursuit of humpbacks, and lost an anchor there; the captain had also there rigged a bomb-gun, so as to discharge a harpoon, but on putting it into operation shattered his hand.
Doing nothing in the Bight, and being assured of the scarcity of sperm whales on its grounds, we took our departure for the westward. We had counted largely on this season’s operations—forgetting the old maxim of not reckoning chickens before they are hatched. We saw sperm whales but once during the season, and then failed to make a capture. We were, without palliation, skunked: our whole additions being a porpoise and cowfish. The latter fish is of the same species as the porpoise, only differing from it in size, it being considerably larger; its flesh is coarser and not so good eating.
During our cruise we were continually in sight of some one or more islands of the Récherché Archipelago. These islands are uninhabited and almost barren—the only green appearance being a stunted brushwood. Around these islands the seal is found in great numbers, and small craft resort to them for the purpose of capturing these sea-dogs. Several of the ships lowered their boats, which went in, and stated that they caught numbers of fine fish.
Steering to the westward we sighted Bald Island and Baldhead, and cruised in their neighborhood for several weeks, seeing sperm whales once, but, after a hard day’s chase, giving up the pursuit as futile. One Sunday, at daybreak, the order was passed forward to loose the flying-jib. One of the hands laying out on the boom for the purpose, the foot rope parted, and he was precipitated into the sea. We had hadblustering weather for a few days previous, and a heavy swell was on at the time of the catastrophe. No one saw him fall; but one of the crew, imagining, as he thought, that he heard a gurgling sound in the water, looked over the bow, and saw at a glance what had happened. The alarm being instantly given, the cry of “Man overboard,” resounded throughout the ship; and, without waiting to dress, the whole crew, fore and aft, made their appearance on deck. In a moment the wheel was put hard down, and the mainyard hauled aback. The first officer sprang into the larboard boat, in his nightdress, and cut the gripes; the tackles were let go by the run, and the moment she touched the water she was manned by a crew, who, with strong arms and brave hearts, lustily pulled for their hapless companion. Fortunately, he was a strong swimmer, and, although the weather was cold and he enveloped in the heaviest of sea clothing, with his coat on, also, he found but little difficulty in keeping afloat. In a short time the fourth mate, who was in the head of the boat, grasped him and hauled him aboard. The word was instantly given that he was saved. No cheers followed this agreeable announcement; but a deep-drawn sigh of satisfaction expressed the relief such intelligence afforded. In eight minutes from the time the order was given to loose the sail, we had him safe and snug aboard the ship. He was so weak as to be unable to clamber from the boat up the side. On stepping from the rail to the deck, he was welcomed as one restored from the dead, and, after many assurances that he was all right, except a slight weakness, the excitement began to subside. None but those whohave experienced it, can imagine the effect produced by the cry of “Man overboard,” on every hearer; and to us, who had lived for more than a year together, seeing and conversing with each other every hour in the day, all depending on the same fabric for shelter against the storm and wave, it came with a ten-fold force—as none knew whose turn it next might be. Nothing serious resulted from the ducking; a slight cold, that soon yielded to simple treatment, being the only affection.
On the 20th we stood in with a fair wind, passed Baldhead, entered Frenchman’s Bay, and came to anchor at 7 o’clock in the evening; having taken a pilot when opposite to Baldhead. A few hours after the James Allen made her appearance. We found at anchor the barque Wavelett, of New Bedford. The ensuing morning all three ships weighed their anchors and passed through a narrow passage which connects the bay with the sound. The Wavelett and our barque came to anchor in good shape, but the James Allen, in trying to imitate us, ran aground. After a few hours she floated clear. At anchor in King George’s Sound, we found an old hulk, with only her lower masts standing, was moored stem and stern, and used for the reception of coals for the steamships that every month touch there. This harbor is beautiful and safe, it being protected from almost all winds. About a mile from where we lay is the town of Albany, a settlement containing about one hundred houses, and five hundred inhabitants. The tenements are principally of frame, with thatched roofs. Their occupants are of the same class as those of Vasse. At times, it is said, this place presents quite a business-likeappearance; but when we visited it, everything like trade seemed stagnant. This was represented to be caused by the non-arrival of the steamers; the government having withdrawn them to use as transports for troops to the Crimea.
For the first three or four days we were visited by heavy rain squalls, which preventing much work being executed, we whiled away the time, between squalls, in angling—the water being alive with fish—salmon, herring, mackarel, and whitings, rewarding the fisherman’s toil.
We had little trouble here to procure water—a large tank being walled in, from which we procured an abundant supply. The only difficulty we experienced was from the extreme coldness of the water while rafting it.
On the 27th our liberty commenced. On going ashore and walking up the beach, we found, on passing the custom-house, a notice, signed by the captains of the different ships in the harbor, notifying all persons, that in the event of trusting any of their men, it would be on their own responsibility, as no debts of our contracting would be paid by the said captains. This was unusual to us, as we had never before been posted in port; but it may have been necessary, as the sailor, when ashore, thinks of nothing but present enjoyment. When he is half seas over, he will borrow money, or buy anything on credit from persons foolish or roguish enough to trust him, and when he gets at sea, will tell with great satisfaction how nicely he bilked the landlubbers; but in ninety-nine cases out of the hundred thelandsman has the best of the bargain, seldom letting Jack Tar weather him.
The first move of our fellows was to take possession of an English bar-room, strike up Yankee Doodle, and break down in a genuine fore-and-after. There are five of these public houses in this settlement; one, however, was chiefly patronized by the ships’ crews, from the fact of a pretty bar-maid presiding over the spirits; and, as she was the only creditable-looking specimen of marriageable femininity in the place, she was surrounded by admirers. She met all with a cheerful smile, and was ever pleasant to both officers and sailors, always granting them a kiss of her fair cheek, when ready to sail; while her character, from a certain dignity about the girl, was unimpeachable.
Of course, the facilities for obtaining liquor being so abundant, there was the usual quantity of drinking; but, without prejudice, I feel justified in saying, that, of the three crews, ours conducted themselves best, and at sun-down returned in a creditable manner. Old Jack, however, got astray, and was not to be found at night when the boat came off. The next day one of the crew found him, with a bottle of grog, close by a small dam on the outskirts of the town. After being thoroughly awakened by a hearty shaking he took up his line of march, which, by the way, was a very crooked one, for the beach, singing, with great energy—
“The sailor loves his bottle, O!”
One morning, on going ashore, we found that the Wavelett’s crew were not on liberty. News soontranspired that there had been trouble aboard of her, and that part of her crew were in irons. Their captain left the town and went aboard, and found that they refused to do duty unless liberty was allowed to them. After some quibbling he consented, and they came ashore. Five of her men deserted, three of them getting clear; but the other two were traced by the natives, and apprehended by the police. One also was caught who bolted from the Allen.
Whilst in this port we had very little, in fact, scarce any, fresh meat. The reason assigned was its scarcity; but the Wavelett’s crew were all the time well supplied, and I cannot reconcile the two circumstances.Wecertainly needed it, having been from home fifteen months, and having had it in but one port. Few potatoes either were to be had here, and in lieu of them we carried to sea ruta baga turnips, which were mostly eaten by the pigs. To make amends for the absence of fresh meat, a supply of fish was contracted for with an American—a deserter from a whaler, years since, who has married and squatted down here, where he sustains himself by fishing and boating. These fish, in appearance and taste were very much like those known as porgies at home; they were well enough occasionally, but a continual fish diet, than which I know of nothing more tiresome, soon clogged our appetites, and the supply, in consequence, far exceeded the demand. I well remember our second mate’s remark on this occasion—that it would take two men and a boy to haul off his shirt, as he had eaten so many fish that the bones stuck through his skin.
From this time up to November the 5th, we werewindbound in this dull place—the entrance being so narrow that it is impossible to gain egress without a fair wind. On the 3d, the hermaphrodite brig Louisa came in from Adelaide. During these days of inaction, to kill time, some would fish; others go ashore in search of clams, or raking for oysters; some gunning, some sailing, and others in search of shells; the latter generally returning wearied, and with but few of the bivalves.
On the morning of November the 5th, Norman Kinwood, a native of Manchester, New Hampshire, was discharged at his own request, from inability to do duty; he having been sick and off duty almost the whole time since we left home, with chronic rheumatism—at times confined to his berth for weeks together. All were sorry to part with him, but thought it better for him to be ashore when unwell, than to be confined to the narrow limits of a forecastle. For a few days he was much missed, although a very reserved man; still, it was one familiar face gone, and we felt that our little circle had been broken in upon. We afterwards learned that he remained at Albany several months, and then took passage in a schooner for Melbourne, since which nothing has been heard from him. We shipped a new man in his place, and at 9¹⁄₂ o’clock on November the 5th, took the pilot aboard, hove up our anchors, and in a heavy squall stood out of the sound, coming to anchor in Frenchman’s Bay. The Allen and Wavelett soon after followed. At 5 o’clock we hove up, a second time were under weigh, and with a stiff breeze stood out to sea, steering to the southward until we were in latitude 40°, where weexpected to see plenty of right whales: and we did see them, too, and that was all the good they done us, as we would sight them from the ship, but the moment a boat was lowered they absquatulated in as secret and effectual a manner as a defaulting bank clerk. Finding we could do nothing with these shy gentlemen, we steered north-west for Cape Leuwin, hoping to see sperm whales, to recompense us for six months’ time thrown away. On the passage we gammoned with the barque Lady Macintosh, of London. She last sailed from Adelaide, having carried railroad iron to that port for the purpose of constructing a railway to Melbourne, which, when finished, will be the first work of the kind on the island. She was then bound to the East Indies for a cargo of teak-wood. It is not usual for merchant ships to lose time in visiting; but in this case both ships were becalmed within a few miles of each other, and she setting her signal our captain went aboard.
From the date of leaving King George’s Sound, until the 11th of January, 1857, little transpired worthy of record, except the capture of half-a-dozen blackfish, and the usual amount of gammoning with other whaleships—some of which had done better, others worse, than ourselves. During the whole of this time we could not catch a glimpse of a sperm whale; and whilst ships in our immediate neighborhood could see and capture them, we were doing nothing. We double-manned our mastheads, made more sail, and passed over a greater space every day than heretofore, but all to no purpose; the whales were still beyond our vision. Meantime our crew began to get discouraged, almost a year having elapsedsince we had taken any oil, and, consequently, since a single penny had been earned by any of us. Some took it very easily, but they were those to whom whaling was distasteful; others chafed with impatience; but, finally, all of us settled down into the belief that we had about all the oil we should get this voyage. The captain kept his spirits up, and was continually foretelling better luck. Our time, during this interval, was got rid of in various ways. In warm weather, the watches on deck, as well as those below, were for the most part slept away; in cold weather, walking fore and aft the deck, with hands thrust deep into breeches pockets, seemed the only occupation any of us had. There was no work to be done, in fact, but to break out our provender from the ship’s hold and consume it.
On the 11th, at 4 o’clock in the afternoon, we squared our yards and steered for the land. At 9¹⁄₂ the following morning we let go our anchor in Bunbury Bay, opposite to, and about a mile distant from, the town of Bunbury. This little town is the neatest that I have seen on the coast; and, although the class of population, to a great extent, is similar to that in Vasse and the Sound, still there are many reside in it who are worthy, respected, hospitable, and intelligent. Ours was the first ship that had been in the harbor for years, and our captain received the title of “the opener of the port.” At one time it was a place of great resort for American whale-ships, but several having, by some means, been driven ashore and lost, it became unpopular, and was superseded by Vasse. The high price of provisions and generally disobliging character of the inhabitants in the latterplace, induced our captain to visit Bunbury as an experiment, which proved successful in the highest degree. We were eagerly welcomed on going ashore, and cordially invited into the settlers’ houses. The schools were allowed a holiday, that the children might visit the ship. These youngsters, on seeing us, from the shore, engaged aloft (all the ship’s crew being at work in the rigging), tarring down, &c., deemed us monkeys, and could not be convinced to the contrary until they came aboard and had a survey of us. This was rather disparaging to some thirty young men, belonging to the smartest nation in the world, to be compared to brutes; but our occupation originated the impression, and one of the little fellows observed, on coming aboard, “If they aint monkeys, they climb about just like them;” and being convinced that he had gained a point, strutted off in triumph.
The country, hereabouts, presents a fertile appearance, contrasting favorably with the sandy soil in other portions of the colony that we have visited. Provisions were very plentiful here, too, and we were enabled to procure a sufficiency of excellent onions, potatoes, cabbages, and turnips. Part of the onions and cabbages were pickled and stowed away until our fresh supply should be exhausted. Excellent fruit was to be had ashore, comprising apples, peaches, melons, and pears; some of the peaches were delicious, and could be purchased at a moderate price.
Many of the natives here presented a better appearance than any I had before seen, being clothed with European garments, and clean, they lost half of their hideousness, and appeared immeasurablysuperior to their brethren of the bush, with whom, however, they seemed to be on terms of the utmost equality. I was informed by a resident, that several of the females had been transformed into excellent house-servants; but that they could not depend on retaining them, from their unconquerable predilection for a bush life.
On the outskirts of the town is the barrack, where a company of infantry is stationed, to whom, in a measure, the general good order prevailing is due—their presence intimidating peace-breakers. These red-coat gentry, stationed in a town in time of peace, and enforcing the strictest discipline, appear rather strange to an American; but the state of society renders them a necessary evil, and companies of them are distributed throughout these colonies.
Within a circuit of a few miles there are a number of excellent farms, on which neat buildings are erected for dwellings and dairy purposes. The principal products of these farms are potatoes, onions, cabbages, and the various garden vegetables, wheat, rye, and oats. Their wheat is good and sweet, but dark. Their oats, as they acknowledge themselves, scarcely deserve the name. They informed me that they raised three crops of potatoes during the year. Indian corn, too, is cultivated, but not to any extent. These farms are surrounded by the ordinary post and rail fence, made of the native mahogany—as it never requires renewing on account of decay. The raspberry-jam, a wood resembling in smell the berry of that name, and susceptible of a beautiful polish, is found abundantly in the neighborhood: this is a handsome wood, and when recently fractured orsawn, the odor is delightful. Vessels arrive and depart from here at stated intervals, carrying lumber to Adelaide; they only take the mahogany, which is used for sleepers to the railway in process of construction there. These crafts carry passengers, whom, for the passage of about fifteen hundred miles, they charge the extortionate price of ten pounds a head; but there is no competition, and, therefore, they have it all their own way. The crafts are small, mostly rigged as brigs of about one hundred and twenty-five tons measurement.
As in all other settlements on this coast, the rum-sellers drive a thriving trade, although here there are not so many of them, there being but two depots for the sale of spirits in the town. One of them holds forth in a neat brick building, which, they told me, cost two thousand pounds sterling to erect. At home the same description of building would have cost about one hundred pounds, or five hundred dollars. As everybody here drinks, they think it hospitable to greet the stranger with “What will you take?” and consequently our fellows, many of whom never rejected such offers, were alive for fun—and I will guarantee that the denizens of Bunbury will, for many a day, remember the skylarking of the Pacific’s crew. One, after getting pretty well elevated, took our two Portuguese up to the school, and insisted on the preceptor’s entering their names on his list of pupils.
During my visit ashore I went through the town from beginning to end, and by invitation entered most of the houses. In the garden of one I was shown a young kangaroo, leaping and gambolling about inthe most graceful and easy manner. I also saw several collections of birds: the cockatoo and whistling twenty-eight being the most noteworthy. The cockatoo varies from the East India variety in the color of its crest, which is white; and, after some tuition, they talk very fluently, as I was assured by one who, with great facility asked what my name was. Not seeing the bird at the time, I turned round to my companion to answer his inquiry, as I thought, when a repetition of the question from a different direction soon satisfied me as to its author. On my hesitating to answer, the bird curtly informed me that he would tell his mistress. As I did not wish to incur my fair hostess’ displeasure, she having furnished me with a most excellent repast, I hastened to satisfy him.
The twenty-eight is a beautiful bird, resembling the parrot. What it derives its name from I cannot imagine, as there is, whether in a wild or domestic state, nothing in its note that to my ear resembles the sound of the words “twenty-eight.” The prevailing color of its plumage is green, elegantly variegated about the head and tail with yellow, red, and black feathers. These birds are easily taught to whistle a tune. Their natural note is pleasing, and somewhat resembling that of the cuckoo. They can be taught also to talk, and several in our possession far exceeded in this respect any parrot I ever saw. When taught they are highly valued by the settlers, and almost every family has one or more of them. They exist in great numbers in the bush of the vicinity, and are preferable to the cockatoo, because they are free from his tricks—he being as mischievous as a monkey, when allowed to traverse the house.
A river runs from the town up into the interior. On following its windings, I found it too shallow for craft of the lightest draught. Thousands of fowls skim over its surface: the shag, the swan, gulls, and the monster pelican—all gathering their living from its waters. In the rainy season it becomes a formidable stream, rushing violently over its bed, and carrying away all loose objects that lie along its course. In this river, too, I saw the natives spearing fish, an art in which they displayed considerable skill. Wading in the water, and patiently watching until the prey swam near them, they would expertly strike in their spears and transfix it. I saw one of them thus encounter a shark, piercing him through and through, until he despatched the monster. During the whole conflict he displayed extreme adroitness and activity in keeping out of the way of the infuriated creature, when with gnashing jaws it turned upon its antagonist. Whenever they capture a shark they eat it.
Small cutters are continually arriving and departing from and for Freemantle, Vasse, King George’s Sound, and Adelaide. These cutters are sloop-rigged, and vary in size from ten to twenty-five tons. They are built of mahogany wood in the colony, and are represented as safe and convenient crafts; but only the largest of them venture to cross the Bight to Adelaide, and that, too at the favorable season of the year. Their freight consists of produce and goods for the various storekeepers in the settlements.
The people of these colonies generally profess the faith of the Church of England; and in Vasse, the Sound, and Bunbury, Episcopalian chapels are erected;but in none of these places do the inhabitants display a church-going spirit. During the hours of divine service the publicans close their dens, but always manage to supply their customers with the ardent on the sly. They consider the closing of their houses very unjust; and one of them, in inveighing against the tyranny of the laws, gave this as an instance: He mentioned that the government had prohibited card-playing, or any other game of chance or pleasure—even going so far as to forbid bowling-saloons; and that they were led to pass the act by a quarrel arising from a game of cards played for pastime at a public house in Vasse, in which one of the players was killed. Speaking of bowling-saloons, or skittles, as they are called here, reminds me that we heard, previous to our visit to Vasse, that there was a fine bowling-alley there. Congratulating ourselves on this fact, we counted on a game at tenpins as not the least of our anticipated pleasures; but, lo, and behold! when we visited it, we found a floor of mahogany boards, some two feet wide and twelve long. The pins were of the most outlandish shape, and could scarcely be made to retain an upright position, even when held. The balls were nearer oval than round, and as rough on their surface as a cocoa-nut with the hull on. There were only two of these; and when you had discharged them, you were constrained to walk to the farther end of the alley, and carry them back for another trial. After vainly endeavoring for a few minutes to make the balls roll in a straight line, we gave the attempt up as hopeless, and left the skittle-ground, thoroughly convinced of its demerits.
The first time we visited Bunbury there were no wells whence ships could procure water; so we held Geographe Bay in abeyance, knowing that we would have a hundred barrels to drag through its sandy road. After a week’s stay we hove short, set our ensign, and were boarded by the police, who here act as custom-house officials. They searched the ship fore and aft, above and below, as they thought—although we might have had a score of the prisoners stowed away, if we had been so disposed: as it was, we had one forward, stowed in the forepeak, of whom they saw no trace. We carried him to Vasse, and set him ashore. Their mode of search was to get into the hatchway, and insert the native spears in the interstices between the casks. They reviewed the ship’s company, in order to satisfy themselves no interlopers were there, and then delivered up the ship’s papers and departed. We then set sail, and, after twelve hours’ beating against a light headwind, we let go our anchor off the town of Vasse, where we procured water. Here we had several quarters of fresh beef—in Bunbury we had one whole sheep.
On the 20th, the ship Twilight came in and informed us that the barque Mars, with numerous letters for us, was on the eve of making this port. The next morning she made her appearance, and her stock of letters had not been over-stated, the majority of our crew, myself amongst the number, receiving letters that had been written only six months previous; and, as all of us had good news, and plenty of newspapers, we were more pleasantly employed thanwe should have been had we just captured a large whale.
On the same day our second officer,Mr.E——, left us, and went ashore; the reason he assigned being his unwillingness to encounter the cold weather on the coast of New Zealand, whither we were bound. He was a man of a most amiable disposition, had a superior intellect, and was thoroughly acquainted with his profession—both as sailor and whaleman. He had gained the respect and confidence of every man aboard, and never had had occasion all the time we were together to chide any of the crew, and as his chest went over the side into the boat, all felt that we had lost a friend. This was the second withdrawal of members of our original crew from the ship.Mr.E.’s intention was to remain ashore until some whaler should arrive in need of an officer; in which case his well-known ability would easily procure him a berth. When ready to sail, the captain brought an American aboard who had been in these colonies for some years, and was slightly related to the captain’s lady. He was taken into the cabin as fourth mate; the former fourth officer receiving the position of third mate, and the former third the second mate’s berth. All being in readiness, we hove up our ground-tackle, and with a fresh breeze on our quarter we bade adieu to Vasse.