82. CHAPTER LXXXII.
Disappointed in going to court, we determined upon going
to sea. It would never do, longer to trespass on Po-Po's
hospitality; and then, weary somewhat of life in Imeeo, like
all sailors ashore, I at last pined for the billows.
Now, if her crew were to be credited, the Leviathan was
not the craft to our mind. But I had seen the captain, and
liked him. He was an uncommonly tall, robust, fine-looking
man, in the prime of life. There was a deep crimson spot in
the middle of each sun-burnt cheek, doubtless the effect of his
sea-potations. He was a Vinyarder, or native of the island of
Martha's Vinyard (adjoining Nantucket), and—I would have
sworn it—a sailor, and no tyrant.
Previous to this, we had rather avoided the Leviathan's
men, when they came ashore; but now, we purposely threw
ourselves in their way, in order to learn more of the vessel.
We became acquainted with the third mate, a Prussian, and
an old merchant seaman—a right jolly fellow, with a face like
a ruby. We took him to Po-Po's, and gave him a dinner
of baked pig and bread-fruit; with pipes and tobacco for
dessert. The account he gave us of the ship, agreed with my
own surmises. A cosier old craft never floated; and the
captain was the finest man in the world. There was plenty to
eat, too; and, at sea, nothing to do but sit on the windlass and
sail. The only bad trait about the vessel was this: she had
been lanched under some baleful star; and so, was a luckless
ship in the fishery. She dropped her boats into the brine
often enough, and they frequently got fast to the whales; but
lance and harpoon almost invariably “drew” when darted by
the men of the Leviathan. But what of that? We would
have all the sport of chasing the monsters, with none of the
detestable work which follows their capture. So, hurrah for
the coast of Japan! Thither the ship was bound.
A word now, about the hard stories we heard, the first time
we visited the ship. They were nothing but idle fictions, got
up by the sailors for the purpose of frightening us away, so as
to oblige the captain, who was in want of more hands, to lie
the longer in a pleasant harbor.
The next time the Vinyarder came ashore, we flung ourselves
in his path. When informed of our desire to sail with
him, he wanted to know our history; and, above all, what
countrymen we were. We said, that we had left a whaler in
Tahiti, some time previous; and, since then, had been—in the
most praiseworthy manner—employed upon a plantation. As
for our country, sailors belong to no nation in particular; we
were, on this occasion, both Yankees. Upon this he looked
decidedly incredulous; and freely told us, that he verily believed
we were both from Sydney.
Be it known here, that American sea captains, in the Pacific,
are mortally afraid of these Sydney gentry; who, to tell the
truth, wherever known, are in excessively bad odor. Is there
a mutiny on board a ship in the South Seas, ten to one a
Sydney man is the ringleader. Ashore, these fellows are
equally riotous.
It was on this account, that we were anxious to conceal the
fact of our having belonged to the Julia; though it annoyed
me much, thus to deny the dashing little craft. For the same
reason, also, the doctor fibbed about his birth-place.
Unfortunately, one part of our raiment—Arfretee's blue
frocks—was deemed a sort of collateral evidence against us.
For, curiously enough, an American sailor is generally distinguished
by his red frock; and an English tar, by his blue one:
thus reversing the national colors. The circumstance was
pointed out by the captain; and we quickly explained the
anomaly. But, in vain: he seemed inveterately prejudiced
against us; and, in particular, eyed the doctor most distrustfully.
By way of propping the latter's pretensions, I was throwing
out a hint concerning Kentucky, as a land of tall men,
when our Vinyarder turned away abruptly, and desired to
hear nothing more. It was evident that he took Long Ghost
for an exceedingly problematical character.
Perceiving this, I resolved to see what a private interview
would do. So, one afternoon, I found the captain smoking a
pipe in the dwelling of a portly old native—one Mai-Mai—
who, for a reasonable compensation, did the honors of Partoowye,
to illustrious strangers.
His guest had just risen from a sumptuous meal of baked
pig and taro pudding; and the remnants of the repast were
still visible. Two reeking bottles, also, with their necks
wrenched off, lay upon the mat. All this was encouraging;
for, after a good dinner, one feels affluent and amiable, and
peculiarly open to conviction. So, at all events, I found the
noble Vinyarder.
I began by saying, that I called for the purpose of setting
him right, touching certain opinions of his concerning the
place of my nativity:—I was an American—thank Heaven!—
and wanted to convince him of the fact.
After looking me in the eye for some time, and, by so doing,
revealing an obvious unsteadiness in his own visual organs,
he begged me to reach forth my arm. I did so; wondering
what upon earth that useful member had to do with the
matter in hand.
He placed his fingers upon my wrist; and holding them
there for a moment, sprang to his feet; and, with much enthusiasm,
pronounced me a Yankee, every beat of my pulse!
“Here, Mai-Mai!” he cried, “another bottle!” And, when
it came, with one stroke of a knife, he summarily beheaded it,
and commanded me to drain it to the bottom. He then told me,
that if I would come on board his vessel the following morning,
I would find the ship's articles on the cabin transom.
This was getting along famously. But what was to become
of the doctor?
I forthwith made an adroit allusion to my long friend. But
it was worse than useless. The Vinyarder swore he would
have nothing to do with him—he (my long friend) was a “bird”
from Sydney, and nothing would make him (the man of little
faith) believe otherwise.
I could not help loving the free-hearted captain; but indignant
at this most unaccountable prejudice against my comrade,
I abruptly took leave.
Upon informing the doctor of the result of the interview, he
was greatly amused; and laughingly declared, that the Vinyarder
must be a penetrating fellow. He then insisted upon
my going to sea in the ship, since he well knew, how anxious I
was to leave. As for himself, on second thoughts, he was no
sailor; and although “landsmen” very often compose part of a
whaler's crew, he did not quite relish the idea of occupying a
position so humble. In short, he had made up his mind to
tarry awhile in Imeeo.
I turned the matter over; and at last decided upon quitting
the island. The impulse urging me to sea once more, and the
prospect of eventually reaching home, were too much to be
resisted; especially, as the Leviathan was so comfortable a
craft, was now bound on her last whaling cruise, and, in little
more than a year's time, would be going round Cape Horn.
I did not, however, covenant to remain in the vessel for the
residue of the voyage; which would have been needlessly
binding myself. I merely stipulated for the coming cruise,
leaving my subsequent movements, unrestrained; for, there
was no knowing that I might not change my mind, and prefer
journeying home by short and easy stages.
The next day I paddled off to the ship, signed and sealed,
and stepped ashore with my “advance”—fifteen Spanish dollars,
tasseling the ends of my neck-handkerchief.
I forced half of the silver on Long Ghost; and having little
use for the remainder, would have given it to Po-Po as some
small return for his kindness; but, although he well knew the
value of the coin, not a dollar would he accept.
In three days time, the Prussian came to Po-Po's, and told us,
that the captain, having made good the number of his crew, by
shipping several islanders, had determined upon sailing with
the land breeze, at dawn the following morning. These tidings
were received in the afternoon. The doctor immediately disappeared,
returning soon after with a couple of flasks of wine concealed
in the folds of his frock. Through the agency of the Marquesan,
he had purchased them from an understrapper of the
court.
I prevailed upon Po-Po to drink a parting shell; and even little
Loo, actually looking conscious that one of her hopeless admirers
was about leaving Partoowye forever, sipped a few drops from
a folded leaf. As for the warm-hearted Arfretee, her grief was
unbounded. She even besought me to spend my last night under
her own palm-thatch; and then, in the morning, she would
herself paddle me off to the ship.
But this I would not consent to; and so, as something to remember
her by, she presented me with a roll of fine matting,
and another of tappa. These gifts placed in my hammock, I
afterward found very agreeable in the warm latitudes to which
we were bound; nor did they fail to awaken most grateful remembrances.
About nightfall, we broke away from this generous-hearted
household, and hurried down to the water.
It was a mad, merry night among the sailors: they had on
tap a small cask of wine, procured in the same way as the doctor's
flasks.
An hour or two after midnight, every thing was noiseless;
but when the first streak of the dawn showed itself over the
mountains, a sharp voice hailed the forecastle, and ordered the
ship unmoored. The anchors came up cheerily; the sails were
soon set; and with the early breath of the tropical morning, fresh
and fragrant from the hillsides, we slowly glided down the bay,
and were swept through the opening in the reef. Presently,
we “hove to,” and the canoes came alongside to take off the
islanders who had accompanied us thus far. As he stepped
over the side, I shook the doctor long and heartily, by the hand.
I have never seen or heard of him since.
Crowding all sail, we braced the yards square; and, the
breeze freshening, bowled straight away from the land. Once
more the sailor's cradle rocked under me, and I found myself
rolling in my gait.
By noon, the island had gone down in the horizon; and all
before us was the wide Pacific.
THE END.
