CHAPTER X.

"Hi—o, and away we go,Digging up gold in Francisco."

We had a pleasant sail for several days, and nothing of importance occurred to mar our pleasures until the fourteenth of July, when Mr. Johnson met the passengers in the main cabin for the purpose of explaining his conduct in his quarrels with Julia S. He was heard very attentively in an address, in which he attempted to justify his conduct in every instance. Miss S. replied to him, contradicting some of his statements, and explaining others. Captain J. took part in the discussion, but his remarks were not calculated to restore harmony. Nothing was effected by the meeting, no new facts were elicited or old ones explained, and no change was wrought in any one's opinion.

July 17.I have another unpleasant occurrence to record. A robbery was perpetrated in the cooks' galley last night, and about a hundred cakes of soft-tack stolen. It was reported to Captain J., who came into the after house and threatened to put us on hard-tack again. Many irritating words passed between him and some of the passengers, and he became so exasperated against one of them, that he seized him by the collar. There was great excitement all over the ship. In the height of the quarrel, Stephen Walker called on Captain J. and offered to find the breadif the captain would send a man with him to make search. The first mate was directed to accompany him, and in a few minutes the bread was found in the forecastle among the sailors, and the excitement was soon quieted. The captain transferred his wrath from the passengers to the sailors, and ordered the cooks not to serve any more soft-tack to them until they should inform against the thief, which they will be in no haste to do. It was a needless theft, for since we left Talcahuana they had a full allowance, that is, two and sometimes three cakes once a day, which is all that is allowed the passengers.

My excellent friends, Captain J. and Mrs. L—t, have volunteered some very disinterested advice on the subject of my journal, and have enlightened me on the difficult question, what is proper, or rather, what is not proper, to record in it. Mrs. L—t thinks that all the little squabbles and disputes we have had, and all the scandal that has been so rife among us, would be improper subjects to record, and would prove uninteresting to the reader. She was desirous to know if my journal was intended for publication, and spoke very earnestly on the impropriety of giving the names of persons. I replied that my journal was nothing more than a letter, a long letter to my daughter, and was written for her amusement; that I did not intend it for publication, though some portions of it, might perhaps be made into articles for the newspapers; that as to what is improper to record in a journal, there was a great difference of opinion, and every one must judge for himself; and that many events of an unpleasant nature were to be found in every book of travels, and they very often proved interesting to the general reader. I remarked that though a great many books of voyages and travels had been published, no one had yet given to the public an account of the pleasures and pains, the comforts and discomforts of a passenger-ship round Cape Horn, and that I thought such an account might be received with favor bythe reading public, but that in such an account, the propriety of giving the names of persons would depend on circumstances.

As for Captain J., he didn't care what was said about him; he was independent; but he didn't want the slanders that were going about in the ship to get home to his wife, though he was not afraid but what he could satisfy her about them when he got home. He hoped I would not say any thing about them, and ended with a general threat intended to intimidate me. I made no reply to him, except that I had said nothing of him or Mrs. L—t in my journal, which it would be necessary to expunge or alter.

My journal of our Voyage is discussed by passengers and crew.

Religious Services—A Beautiful Bird—Departure of Cape Pigeons and Albatrosses—Stormy Petrels—Amusements—Harmony among the Passengers—Mrs. L—t and her Child—Violence of Captain J.—Our Chaplain turns Poet—Captain J.'s rest disturbed by the Passengers—He threatens to blow them through—Sugar—Petty Annoyances—A Rag Baby—Our Chaplain and his Revolver—Change of Weather—Uncomfortable Condition of the Main Cabin—Theft of Raisins—Ship's Stores—Gross Negligence—Great Waste of Scouse.

July 18.Mr. Johnson preached to a very small congregation to-day. The prejudice against him still continues very strong. He continues to justify his quarrel with Julia S., though he is opposed by the unanimous opinion of the passengers, who think that in striking Julia when she threw the stick of wood at him he violated that beautiful precept of Christ, "But I say unto you that ye resist not evil; but whosoever shall smite thee on the right cheek, turn to him the other also." They consider such a quarrel at such a time to be a shameful desecration of the Sabbath, and a disgrace to himself.

There was also a prayer-meeting in the afternoon. Among others, Captain J. gave an exhortation, in the course of which he acknowledged that he had not always performed his duty as a Christian during the voyage, asked pardon of the passengers for any wrongs he had done them, and promised to use his exertions to make them more comfortable during the remainder of the voyage.

July 20.Crossed the Tropic of Capricorn in longitude 85° 1' west.

July 25.I have been watching a fine bird of a new species—I mean new to me. As it flew round the ship, seeking for a place to alight, I had a pretty good opportunity to examine it. It was about two-thirds as large as the domestic goose, and had a straight, pointed bill. Excepting the feathers of the wings and tail, which were of a dark gray or slate color, every other part of the bird, including the head, neck, back and breast, the upper and under wing coverts, and tail coverts were of a pure glossy white. I have rarely seen so beautiful a bird.

Our very intimate friends, the Cape Pigeons, have suddenly taken leave. There were a considerable number of them around the ship yesterday; to-day not one is left. Will you smile, dear reader, if I tell you that a slight shade of melancholy passes over me at the departure of these pretty birds, which have been our constant and familiar companions during two months, which have followed us from Brazil to Chili, round the stormy Cape, feeding on the little scraps of food we have thrown them, amusing us by their chattering and scrambling for the precious morsels, which they seemed to expect from us.

The albatrosses left us soon after our departure from Talcahuana. My attempts to secure some of them, have as you have seen, been defeated. It has been a vexatious disappointment to me, and my fellow-passengers often express their regret at it, and their contempt for the littleness of Captain Jackson.

The place of the Cape Pigeons is occupied by a little unassuming bird, in which I always feel much interest—a little thing of dull plumage and no pretensions to beauty. I mean the Stormy Petrel. The one we find here differs from those on the coast of the United States, being smaller and of a lighter plumage. It follows us in considerable numbers, and is quite gentle, coming close tothe ship, and betraying very little fear of us. It does not patter the water with its feet, as our petrels do, but it has a singular habit of thrusting out one foot as it flies along, dipping it into the water, and describing a line on the surface sometimes two or three feet long.

July 27.Since leaving Talcahuana our men have found a new amusement for the occupation of their minds, and the exercise of their ingenuity. We took on board some wood from that port, resembling mahogany in color. Out of this wood the passengers have employed themselves in cutting out a variety of articles, such as seals for letters, hollow spools for thread and needles, little boxes, knife handles, heads for canes, and many other things. It is amusing to witness the spirit with which all, young and old, with few exceptions, enter into this business. The decks are covered every day with their whittlings, and every stick of wood that can be used, is eagerly seized and appropriated.

July 28.It is often said, that in long voyages, there commonly grows up a feeling of disgust and ill-will among the passengers towards each other, and that they become morose and quarrelsome, the natural consequence of the tedious monotony of the voyage, and the sameness and want of variety on board ship. I cannot say that our voyage thus far verifies the assertion; for though we have had innumerable quarrels, there has been generally a very good state of feeling among the passengers. This may, perhaps, be accounted for by the attitude of antagonism in which Captain J. placed himself towards us at the commencement of the voyage, (and in which he has continued ever since,) that may have rendered it necessary as a means of defence, for the passengers to maintain harmony and union among themselves. This necessity seems to increase as we approach the termination of thevoyage, in consequence of the outrageous outbursts of passion, in which the captain indulges on every occasion, and which on every fresh occasion becomes more and more ungovernable. I have spoken of the ascendency which Mrs. L—t has obtained over him. Her influence has continued to increase, until she has got him entirely under her control. She has a noisy, ill-tempered, mischievous child, about four years old, whom she keeps a great portion of the time in our room in the after house, and who, as well as her mother is exceedingly annoying to us. We have remonstrated with Captain J. against this intrusion, but our remonstrance has only increased the evil, and now, from early morning till bed-time, the two are constant occupants of our cabin. Encouraged by the support she receives from Captain J. she has become very supercilious and insulting. On one occasion I removed her child from our door, where she was doing some mischief, when she began to berate me in very passionate language. But I made no reply to her. This only increased her rage; and she talked still more abusively. Getting vexed myself, I began to whistle. Worse and worse. I remarked that it was growing warm in this room, and she became furious. But having exhausted herself and receiving no reply to her tirade, she soon desisted. But now came the captain's turn. He had lain in his berth and listened to Mrs. L—t's eloquence, and became highly exasperated against me. So leaving his berth, he commenced a furious attack on me, using the most abusive language, and uttering many threats of violence. I replied in such language as I thought the occasion required, and I believe the valorous captain received very little satisfaction.

July 29.Our chaplain has been courting the muses. Attacked with a severe fit of inspiration, he has for some time past been engaged in writing a poem. The subject,which is well calculated for the display of his poetical genius, is "The Voyage of the James W. Paige." He honored us with a public reading of a portion of the poem on deck this afternoon. It did not receive that applause it merited in the opinion of the author, for his audience were incapable of appreciating the rich beauties of the poem, and could not distinguish Mr. Johnson's poetry from ordinary prose. Much of the poem was made up of commendations of Captain J. and of censures of the owners of the bark.

We had a clear, moonlight night, and several of the passengers, male and female, were on deck till a late hour. There was much noise among them, which disturbed the captain. He went out three times and ordered them off the house. The last time he was in a great passion, and swore that if God spared his life he would blow them through the next time they disobeyed his orders. The noise was stopped, and order, but not peace, restored. The passengers were much to blame, though their disobedience arose from heedlessness rather than from any intentional disrespect to the captain. But this threat to shoot them rankles in their bosoms.

Sherman caught a large porpoise.

July 31.Being prohibited the use of butter, or fat of any sort, or molasses, to eat with our bread, and having but a little apple-sauce doled out to us once a week, I have occasionally dissolved a spoonful of sugar to give a relish to my dry bread, and this morning the mate ordered the steward to remove the sugar-bowl. This order getting to the ears of the ladies, I have been bountifully supplied by them from a cask of very nice sugar in their cabin. This sugar was bought at Rio Janeiro by Captain J. for the special benefit of Mrs. L—t. I mention this little fact as a specimen of the petty annoyances to which weare constantly subjected by the captain and first mate, and of the friendly favors of which I have been the constant recipient from all the ladies, with one exception, during the voyage.

To-day we crossed the equator in about the 108th degree of west longitude.

August 4.A little affair came off this morning, in which the dignity and magnanimity of Captain J. were conspicuously displayed. Loud words were heard in the ladies' cabin at breakfast time between the captain, and Mrs. L—t and Miss Julia S. And what, reader, do you think was the subject of the dispute?A rag baby!It appears that Miss Julia had made the baby for a little child of another passenger. It was seen this morning floating astern, and Miss S. supposed that Mrs. L—t's child had thrown it overboard. High words grew out of it. The captain, ever ready, threw himself into the breach between his dear friend and her opponent, and as we sat in our cabin we overheard the voice of this magnanimous commander of the ship raised in loud and angry debate about a rag baby!

Our chaplain, Mr. Johnson, has had the precaution to take one of Colt's revolvers with him. He evidently is opposed to the doctrine of non-resistance, and is not inclined to yield up his life or his purse without a show, at least, of defence. His fellow-passengers, however, have not a very exalted opinion of his personal courage; and the fact that he has struck a woman in a quarrel, tends strongly to increase their doubts. Some little excitement prevails among us in consequence of a report that he has lent his revolver to Captain J., who wants it for the purpose of carrying his threat against his noisy passengers into execution. Mr. Johnson has been questioned about it, but he gives an evasive answer. We have a naturalrepugnance to being blown up, and cannot entertain a very friendly regard for the minister of peace, and man of mercy, who shall allow himself to become accessory to such a tragical termination of our adventures.

August 6.We have thus far had a fine run from Talcahuana. Soon after leaving that port, we struck the south-east trade-winds, and for nearly three weeks we have sailed before an easy breeze, with our studding sails set, and have scarcely altered a sail during the whole time. This has been a season of rest for the sailors, who have had some hard work to perform in the course of the voyage, and whose labors have borne harder on them in consequence of their ignorance of the duties pertaining to a square-rigged vessel. They had all, I was told, with one exception, shipped as ordinary seamen, though some of them had been fraudulently entered as able seamen.

But now we are beginning to find a change of weather and variable winds. The atmosphere has become very hot, and heavy showers of rain are pouring down upon us. There is also considerable thunder, though we have had but few heavy peals. The wind is light and continually veering from point to point. We are apprehensive of being becalmed, and feel not a little impatience and anxiety at every unfavorable change of the weather.

Our ship is uncomfortable enough in any climate or weather with her crowd of passengers; but it is peculiarly so in this Torrid Zone. At the request of an old man, Mr. Carlow, I have been down to take a look at the main cabin. I found the air very hot and oppressive, and I was soon covered with perspiration. Some portions of the room were dark, there being no means of lighting it, but by the hatches and a few little dead-lights in the deck. They were now prohibited the use of the lamps they had made for themselves, because the smoke wasfound to annoy Mrs. L—t, into whose state-room a portion of it escaped. The only ventilation which this cabin received, was also through the hatches, and that was obstructed by the houses that were built over them. The floor was damp and dirty, and I was told that it had never been cleansed but by the passengers themselves. An offensive odor filled the room, which was to be expected from the number of the occupants, and the want of ventilation. There were twenty-eight berths in this cabin, occupied by fifty-two passengers. It was impossible for them all to pass the hot nights in such a stifling atmosphere, and the poor old man's eyes moistened as he told me that he was obliged to leave his berth, and pass his nights wherever he could find a place to rest on deck.

August 9.Captain J. has just discovered that a cask and a half, or one hundred and fifty pounds of raisins have been abstracted from the store-room. He has made rigid inquiries, but has not elicited any evidence against the purloiners; nor is there any probability that he will. The excuse for this theft seems to have been, that a cask of raisins had been previously opened for the use of the occupants of the ladies' cabin, and it was thought that justice required a more equal distribution of them among the whole ship's company.

There has been gross negligence in the care of the ship's stores, and great waste and loss of many articles of provisions, which should have been used. A few days since an examination was ordered, and three casks of decayed potatoes, that had been shipped at Frankfort, were discovered and thrown overboard. Many messes, which have been cooked up for the passengers in the course of the voyage, and which they could not eat, however hungry they may have been, have been disposed of in the same manner. How many pans of the richest sort of scousethe birds and the fishes are indebted to the bark James W. Paige for, it is impossible to tell. Much of the oil has been carelessly wasted, and many a long evening has been passed in the dark for want of it.

Gross negligence in the care of the ship's stores

An Arbitrary Prohibition—Card Playing and Checker Playing—Dancing—Treachery of Mr. Johnson—Some Passengers—A Comical Character, and a Pugnacious Character—A Beautiful Bird—Closing the Hatches—A Question of Jurisdiction—The Hatches Re-opened—A Sudden Transformation—Neglected Duties of the Chaplain—His Influence with the Captain.

Ihave spoken of the amusement the passengers have had in making wooden trinkets from the wood taken on board at Talcahuana. The captain and first mate have been made the recipients of many of these toys; but to-day they have issued an order prohibiting any further manufacture of them. The passengers all remonstrated against the arbitrary order, but were obliged to submit; for the captain has control of the wood.

One of the principal sources of amusement during the voyage has been card playing. It has helped many, who had no other occupation or source of amusement, to pass their time pleasantly; and to others it has proved an agreeable relaxation. Much mischief has doubtless been prevented by it, and many a quarrel avoided. I have not heard of an unpleasant dispute or altercation from card playing since we set sail, though there are seldom less than six or eight companies engaged in it during the pleasant weather. Several packs of cards were included in my outfit, but though I have not, in a single instance, had occasion to use them myself, they have nevertheless, done good service. Captain J. has often threatened to break up this wicked amusement, but I think he has not dared to attempt it. Though very strong in his denunciations of card playing,there are other games which meet his approbation. He has himself made a checker-board, and spends many a leisure moment in playing checkers with Mrs. L—t.

Still another source of amusement with many of the passengers is dancing. We have two fiddlers on board the ship, and are therefore well supplied with the necessary music. There is a space between the two houses covering a few square feet, and another space still smaller between the forward house and the windlass, where a small number of persons can crowd through a figure in a dance, and these spaces have been sometimes used for that purpose. I have attempted to take this kind of exercise, but in such a circumscribed space and such a rolling ballroom, I have found the amusement any thing but amusing.

From what I have already recorded of Mr. Johnson, it will be seen that he has been guilty of some indiscretions (to call them by no harsher name) that are not very creditable to him as a man or a Christian. I have now to state a fact, which proves him to be destitute of common honesty. At his particular request I had lent him several sheets of my journal, in which were some passages reflecting on the conduct of Captain J. and the first mate. These passages, he gave me his word, should not be repeated nor revealed. I heard no more about it for several days and until last night, when the reverend gentleman came deliberately to me, and said, that considering all the circumstances of the case, he felt it his duty, notwithstanding his promise, to repeat those obnoxious passages to the captain and mate. He asked me if I had any objection. I replied that it could answer no good purpose; that he very well knew that the captain had repeatedly threatened me with personal violence, and this would only serve to increase his rage, and, perhaps, furnish him with a pretextfor putting his threats into execution; and that I would not consent to the disclosure. To all my remonstrances he only replied that his duty impelled him to the course he was about to pursue, and that his conscience would no longer permit him to remain silent. So he left me to perform his duty and quiet his conscience by breaking his word and violating his promise, and making a revelation, which could answer no other purpose than to make mischief, to increase a personal animosity, which was already bitter enough, to prolong a quarrel which it should have been his duty as a Christian minister to allay, and to stir up strife when he should have endeavored to promote conciliation. "Blessed are the peace-makers."

It will be thought that we have a jumble of strange characters in our company, and so indeed we have. Perhaps I have occupied too much space with the bad portion of them. Perhaps, too, I have attached too much importance to the little scrapes and wrangles, of which I have given so many accounts. One might suppose that I had treasured up every quarrel that has occurred during the voyage, and that I delighted in telling them. But it is not so. I would give a correct impression of the voyage, its pleasures and pains; and the record of a portion of our disputes is necessary to this end. But I have omitted more than I have recorded, and I have related others in the fewest words into which I could condense them.

In addition to the ladies whose names have appeared in the progress of this narrative, is Mrs. A. G. B., who is going to join her husband in Stockton. She is a very quiet, and I believe a religious woman. She passes a great part of her time in her state-room, and keeps entirely aloof from all the bickerings that are of such frequent occurrence in the ladies' cabin. She comes on deck after supperto take the air. I have occasionally passed an hour very agreeably with her, enjoying a pleasant sunset and twilight, or talking of friends at home. Her daughter Mary is a pretty girl of seventeen, who reads French, and has a variety of accomplishments. Mrs. B. has two sons on board, one a boy, and the other, a married man, whose wife and daughter, a sprightly little girl of three years, accompany him.

One of the passengers in the main cabin is a deaf-mute, Elisha Osgood, a cabinet-maker. He gave our chaplain a mild reproof for his belligerent propensities a few days since. Learning that Mr. J. had a revolver, he proposed to buy it. Mr. J. refused to sell it; whereupon Osgood wrote upon his slate, "You had better sell your revolver, and buy a bible."

Mr. Gardner, the second mate, is a clever fellow, and is endowed with much more intelligence than the first mate, and is more popular with the passengers and crew, though far from being a favorite with the captain.

There is a quiet good-natured fellow among us, by the name of John F. Dolliff, who loves sport, and is a practical joker. He is possessed of kind, humane feelings withal, and I am indebted to him for many a glass of lemonade, given me in the former part of our voyage, at a time when I was suffering the most tormenting thirst from seasickness. Dolliff's voice bears a great resemblance to that of Captain J., which has given rise to some sport among us. He sometimes orders the stewards to trim the lamp in the binnacle, calls out to the man at the wheel to tell him how the ship heads, and gives a variety of orders, which are generally obeyed. One dark night, after the captain had turned in, he put on his—the captain's—coat and hat, and walked out. He called to the mate, asked several questions about the wind and weather, which were allrespectfully answered, and then directed him to reef the top-sails. This order, absurd enough under the circumstances, was not given in nautical style, and while the perplexed mate hesitated, some one who was in the secret laughed, and betrayed the joke.

T. W. Dolliff, a cousin of the above-named, is, or rather was, the most pugnacious man among us, though he exhibited no indications of his pugnacity on board the bark. He was said to be pretty well covered with scars, which he had received in numerous combats. At Talcahuana he fell in with a bully, who was imbued with a great hatred of Yankees, and who challenged any and all who were present to fight him. Dolliff had not had a fight for many months, and was really pining for a little amusement of that sort. This opportunity to indulge in his favorite recreation was too good to be lost, and he readily accepted the challenge. A little space in the room was cleared for the combatants. They took their places, and after a moment's maneuvering, the fellow made a pass at Dolliff, which he parried, and at the same instant he dealt him a blow that laid him sprawling on the floor. The bully got up and prepared for a second encounter, which ended in the same manner. Unwilling to yield, he made a third attempt, and a third time he measured his length upon the floor, when he wisely gave up the contest, acknowledged the superiority of the Yankee, and treated the company.

Within three weeks Dolliff has been attacked with rheumatic pains attended with fever, which have laid him up. He has been removed from the main cabin, where he must have died, had he remained there, and a berth has been provided for him in our room. Every thing that can be, is done to make him comfortable; but our ship is badly supplied with necessaries for the sick. He will, in all probability, have a lingering illness, and he must be taken to ahospital in San Francisco, California, of which he has a great dread.

August 14.One of our passengers, Mr. Gould, has generously treated us to a rich pound-cake. His wife made it in Bangor. It was put into a tin box and soldered up, and on being opened, was found as fresh and sweet as when first baked.

August 15.No religious services to-day. There are many conjectures as to the cause of this omission of his duty by our chaplain, the most plausible of which is, his consciousness of the strong disgust which his recent treachery, falsehood, and attempt at mischief-making have excited.

We occasionally see a beautiful bird making its flight high above us, but seldom coming near the ship. Its plumage as seen at a distance is pure white, its head resembles that of a dove, its neck slender and delicate, and with a tail composed of two long, pointed, and flowing white feathers, and wings long and slender, it floats through the air with a gracefulness peculiar to itself, and excelling that of any other bird I have seen. This is the Tropic Bird, (Phæton phœnicurus.) The long taper tail feathers have given the sailors a hint for a name, and they call it "The Marlin-spike."

August 17.Crossed the Tropic of Cancer in longitude 127° west. The mate signalized the day by closing the hatches over the main cabin. The reason assigned for this act was a quarrel at breakfast between an Irishman and one of the stewards, which disturbed the mate's repose. Much excitement prevailed in consequence of this act, and the fifty men shut up in that "black hole" remonstrated against the injustice of being punished for a little squabble, in which only two of their number were engaged. Finding their arguments were of no avail withthe mate, they carried their case to the captain. To their remonstrances he replied that this case was beyond his control; that he commanded the after-part of the ship, and the mate the forward part; that this hatchway, being in the mate's room, was under his sole command; and that he, the captain, had no more authority to order it to be taken off, than the mate had to command him on the quarter-deck. All this appeared very much like nonsense to our land lubbers, who doubted if the maritime law recognized a division of authority, which seemed to them so utterly absurd and ridiculous. At this point of the discussion, Mr. Tyler, one of the passengers, remarked that he had hitherto kept aloof from all the wrangles we had had, but that he should not remain quiet under this arbitrary act. He assured the captain that if the hatches were not removed, there would be a greater row than we had ever witnessed on board this bark. But neither the captain nor mate would make any concession, and it was determined by the passengers that they should have no sleep as long as the cause of their disquiet remained. There was a prospect of a stormy night between decks, and extensive preparations were made for a musical concert, which would not have been very conducive to slumber, when our brave officers, thinking they would find the contest an unequal one, suddenly and wisely resolved to remove the hatches, the consequence of which was an immediate restoration of peace.

August 22.A sudden and wonderful transformation has been wrought in our chaplain. From being very reserved in his intercourse with the passengers, he has all at once become exceedingly familiar. I have been surprised within two or three days past to see him engaged in high frolics with the men, scuffling, knocking off hats, throwing ropes over the men's heads, running and jumpinglike a boy over the houses and decks, and playing a hundred capers and pranks, which have attracted much attention, and excited not a little ridicule throughout the ship. The cause of this sudden change in the good parson is so palpable, that very few do not understand it; and the lost popularity he is so desirous to win back will scarcely be recovered by this means. His duties as our chaplain, which have never been arduous, are now wholly neglected; and well they may be, for very few will listen to him. He began his labors with us after the first two or three stormy weeks, with a prayer once a week, besides a sermon on Sundays. These were well attended, a large majority of our company being present. After a lapse of several weeks, the week-day prayer was omitted. Then the Sunday service was suspended for a time in consequence of his fight with Julia S. He attempted to renew his meetings in the main cabin, but received a hint that his services would not be acceptable to the occupants of that part of the ship. However, when warm weather returned he preached on the house-top, though to very small audiences, until the perpetration of his treachery with me, which has brought such a load of odium upon him, that he has not dared to attempt to preach since. He has proved an artful and dishonest man, and has exercised a pernicious influence over our weak-minded and ignorant captain, and has been his counsellor, adviser and supporter in nearly all the quarrels in which he has been engaged with his passengers. That his influence in this bark is confined to the captain, a single fact will prove. He some time since got up a certificate for signatures, the purport of which was to plaster over Mrs. L—t's conduct. Not a passenger would sign it.

Head Winds—The Dusky Albatross—Tacking Ship—Fishing for Birds—Amusement of the Mate and Passengers—A Poet—Fair Winds—A Porpoise—A Fight in the Main Cabin—My Journal—Opinions of Mr. Johnson—Meeting in the Main Cabin—Schools of Porpoises—Narrow Escape from Shipwreck—An Act of Charity.

August 24.Our voyage is becoming prolonged to an excessively wearisome duration. More than a month ago we calculated on arriving at San Francisco in ten days; and with a fair wind we could have performed the voyage in that time. Now, after having trebled it, we seem as far from port as ever. During the last fortnight the winds have been blowing from the north-east, and we have sailed sharp on the wind, in expectation of falling in with the north-west trades, which are said to prevail in these latitudes. But we have not yet found them. We are now about nine hundred miles west of the coast of California, and in a latitude only four degrees north of that of San Francisco. We have not seen a sail for six weeks, and we begin to feel that we are

"Alone, alone, all, all alone,Alone on the wide, wide sea."

And yet, we are not quite alone. A small number of my friends, the birds, still hover around us, and accompany us in our wanderings over the deep, even at this great distance from the land. A few days since an albatross was seen flying near us. I watched it and soon saw that it was the Dusky Albatross, (Diomedia fusca,) figured by Audubon from a specimen obtained by Dr. Townsendon the coast of Oregon. It was soon joined by another and another, and to-day, six or eight of them are following us.

We suffer much weariness, lassitude, and drowsiness, consequent on our long voyage and almost total inactivity. One circumstance has operated very favorably for our comfort. After less than a week of the hot weather of which I have spoken, there came a sudden and most agreeable change. The sky became obscured with clouds, and has remained so the greater part of the time since, and the air grew cooler, so much so that our overcoats became necessary, and the passengers, who had been driven from the main cabin, were enabled to return to their berths again.

August 27.Our first inquiry this morning was the same we have often and anxiously made of late, "How does she head?" And the same answer we have received for the last fortnight was given, "About north-west." The wind, however, was light, and we were not quite hopeless of a change. An hour or two was passed in watching the signs, for the weather had become very unsteady—when we heard from the captain, who had taken the helm, the order, "Ready, 'bout." The sound was most cheering. We had been standing on one course for a long time without making any approach towards our destined port, but rather going farther from it, and striving the while to gain a position, or rather, a wind, that would carry us in. And this intention of tacking ship was an indication of the captain's opinion, that the favorable moment had arrived. The sailors stationed themselves at the proper ropes, and the mate responded, "All ready, sir." "Hard a-lee!" sung out the captain, as he put down the helm, and brought the ship into the wind, the sails shivering and flapping with considerable violence.Presently they began to fill on the other side, when he gave the order, "Maintop sail haul," and instantly the ropes rattled through the blocks, and the main sail, maintop sail and maintop-gallant sail swung steadily and at once round the masts to the other side of the ship. Soon the order, "Let go and haul," was given, when the foresails were swung into their proper positions, and we were sailing on our course for San Francisco.

Tacking ship is a beautiful evolution, and it is for that reason that I have described it, using in this instance the necessary nautical terms, though I have generally endeavored to avoid them. It is also a performance requiring some little skill and practice. Our mate on one occasion made three attempts to tack, and failed, and was obliged at last to "wear ship," that is, to turn the ship round with the wind, thereby losing considerable ground. This is considered an unseamanlike maneuver, and it subjected our mate to some ridicule among the sailors.

The indications of a favorable wind did not continue long, and in less than half an hour we were obliged to put about again, and stand on our old course. In this manner it continued for several days, veering from point to point, between north-east and south-west, and forcing us continually to change the course of the ship, while we made very little progress towards port.

The Dusky Albatrosses became very familiar, and Sherman drew one of them on deck, but the captain followed it closely round the ship, and at last ordered it to be thrown overboard.

For the information of those who are not familiar with the science of ornithology, and who may be curious to know how we could draw large birds into the ship with a hook and line without injuring them, I will say, that the upper mandible of many of these birds is recurved or bent downwardsbeyond the lower mandible, forming a hook sufficiently strong to hold the weight of the bird, and the fish-hook catches it by this curved beak as it seizes the bait. The hook does not penetrate the beak, but its sharp point prevents it slipping off so long as the bird holds back.

Our mate amuses himself with drawing coarse caricatures of the passengers; and they in turn retaliate by writing doggerel verses on the mate. This leads me to say that one of our sailors has turned out to be a poet, and if there is any thing in a name that entitles a man to this honor, his claim is certainly good. His name is James Montgomery. His verses, though not quite equal to those by the author of the "Wanderer of Switzerland," are not altogether destitute of poetic merit; and had he an opportunity to cultivate his talent, he would probably learn to write poetry. The mate, unable to write himself, offered Montgomery a dollar to write a lampoon on one of the passengers. But he scorned to do so dirty a job for such a paltry bribe, or for so low a fellow.

September 1.We have at last got a fair wind, and during the whole day sailed directly on our course without tacking. Our spirits begin to revive, and we are not quite hopeless of reaching port.

September 3.Fair winds continue to favor us, and we are within four hundred miles of California. A very few days will, in all probability, find us on terra firma again, when we shall part, many of us to meet no more. I would that these few remaining days might be spent in peace and harmony among us. But fate orders it otherwise. My enemies, the captain and mate, since the treacherous disclosure made by the chaplain, have been growing more and more acrimonious in their hatred, and they seldom omit an opportunity to insult me. An instance occurred this evening. But I forbear.

Sherman caught a porpoise last night, and cooked a portion of it to-day. We ate it rather greedily, and all thought it excellent. Our long voyage, coarse fare, and frequent hunger, have relieved us of many fastidious whims about food, and we have learned to eat and to relish some things, which it would be difficult for us to swallow at home. These porpoises throw out a sort of phosphorescent light, by which they are readily seen in the night. This one was taken at nine o'clock of a cloudy evening.

September 4.A fight occurred at breakfast in the main cabin between an Irishman of fifty-nine, the oldest man in the ship, and an American, not much his junior. The Yankee received a cut on the ear with a case-knife, and he knocked down his antagonist and gave him some severe bruises. Our ship is becoming a miniature pandemonium.

My journal has become a source of much disquietude to Captain J. and Mrs. L—t. It has excited some interest among the passengers, and I have been repeatedly requested to publish an account of the voyage. I refused at first, but after many solicitations I so far yielded as to promise that if I had time to revise my journal after our arrival at San Francisco, I would publish it. A subscription was immediately got up, and one hundred and twenty copies subscribed for. The captain and Mr. Johnson exerted all their influence to prevent the passengers from putting their names to the paper, but they had the mortification to find that their opposition only tended to increase the subscription. Mr. Johnson made himself particularly busy in the matter. He urged me to read my manuscript to the ship's company. Not that he felt any personal interest in it, O, no! But he thought that justice to Captain Jackson, whose character I had assailed, and to the passengers, who knew not what they were subscribing for, required me to read it. I did not.

Hints had been repeatedly given me, that the captain intended to seize the obnoxious manuscript. Consultations had been held upon the subject, and it was stated—and I have no doubt of the fact—that Mr. Johnson had expressed the opinion, that the captain was fully authorized by law to break open my trunk, and seize it. Uncertain as to what these ignorant madmen might be tempted to do, I deposited the journal with a friend in the main cabin, where it remained till I left the ship.

September 5.This is the last Sabbath we expect to spend on board the bark, and as we expect to separate in two or three days, a meeting was held in the main cabin, the object of which was to settle disputes and restore harmony between the officers and passengers.

It proved, however, a failure. Several short addresses were made, one by the captain in a spirit of defiance, and one by Mr. Johnson, defending his career on board the bark; a prayer was offered, and a parting hymn sung, and we broke up with very little change of feeling.

Immense schools of porpoises passed to-day, and Sherman struck and secured one of the largest we have seen. Many of the men have employed themselves in preparing the skin for belts. A whale passed us in the afternoon, coming close along-side the bark. And to keep up the excitement, a sail was discovered on our starboard bow, the only one we have seen for fifty-three days.

September 6.We were aroused this morning at four o'clock by the startling cry of "breakers." Our ship instantly became a scene of confusion, and the passengers rushed on deck from every quarter. I arose at the first cry and went out. And there, within fifteen or twenty rods lay the land, the sea roaring loudly, and breaking in foamingsurges on the shore. The helm had been put down, and fortunately the ship came round in season to escape.

A minute's delay would have wrecked us. Or had the ship missed coming in stays, as she has often done during the voyage, nothing could have saved her. There was at the time a thick fog, which accounts for our near approach to the breakers before they were discovered. The sailor on the lookout heard the roaring of the breakers for some time before he discovered them, but attributed it to some other cause; for according to the captain's reckoning we were still far from land. Nothing could be more cheering after our long voyage than to behold the land of our destination, but this sudden introduction to it was any thing but agreeable.

And now having escaped the perils of shipwreck, and hoping to arrive in port to-day, we are closing our voyage with an act of charity to our fellow-passenger, Dolliff, who, though convalescent, is still unable to support himself. A considerable sum is being raised for him.

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