CHAPTER TWO.
ROUNDING CAPE HORN--A GALE--PUT INTO A PORT IN PATAGONIA--VISIT AWHALER--A ROMANTIC HISTORY--THE LOST CHILD--A YOUNG LADY--A SNUGHARBOUR--CLIMB A MOUNTAIN--A NARROW ESCAPE--VALPARAISO--THE CORALISLAND--COMMUNICATE WITH THE NATIVES--AN ADDITION TO OUR CREW--DICKYPOPO LOST OVERBOARD--THE SANDWICH ISLANDS--MY SHIPMATES--SURVEY ANISLAND--RECOVER POPO, AND FIND A WHITE BOY--HOW POPO WAS SAVED--GAININFORMATION ABOUT HARRY, THE WHITE BOY.
Little did I think, scarcely six months before, when seated at a desk inmy father's counting-house, that I should ever see Cape Horn; yet thereit rose on our starboard beam, dark, solitary, and majestic, high abovethe ocean, which rolled in vast undulations at its base.
Onward we glided, with the ship's head to the westward and the wind aft,under all sail; now rising to the summit of a glass-like billow, nowsinking deep down into the valley to climb up the watery steep on theopposite side. We had touched at Rio, to obtain a supply of wood andwater and fresh provisions; but I need not give a description of thatmagnificent harbour, as nothing very particular occurred there.
"That's a fine sight!" I exclaimed, as I watched the mighty headland,which gradually faded from view over our starboard quarter.
"You'll see a good many other fine sights," observed Peter Mudge, whowas somewhat matter-of-fact. "For my part, I have been glad to see thelast of it each time I have come round this way, and to get safe intothe Pacific; for twice I have been driven back, and have been keptknocking about among the icebergs, with the wind sharp enough to cut ournoses off, for six blessed weeks or more. I only hope that is not to beour lot this time."
"I hope not," I answered. "I was expecting to be in smooth water, witha sunny sky overhead, before many days are over."
"So we may, youngster; then we'll hope for the best," said Mudge."Still, when a fellow has met with as many ups and downs as I have, helearns not to fancy himself safe in harbour till he has got there."
This time, however, Mudge, and we his shipmates, were not doomed todisappointment, and were, ere long, floating on the waters of thePacific. We ran to the northward with a flowing sheet, keeping muchcloser in with the coast than, I believe, is usual, till we reached the46th degree of south latitude. It then fell a dead calm. We had justbefore caught sight of a sail away to the eastward, beyond which, someforty or fifty miles off, rose the lofty peaks of the Cordilleras,covered with eternal snows; or I should say, perhaps, the southern endof that mighty chain which rises abruptly from the Isthmus of Panama,and extends the whole length of the continent.
For the entire day we lay rolling our masts from side to side, till italmost seemed as if they would be shaken out of the ship. The commanderwished to speak the stranger, on the chance of her being lately fromEngland, and able to give us fresher intelligence than we possessed. Hehad ordered a boat to be got ready to be sent away, when, on looking atthe barometer, he found that it was falling, while a bank of clouds wasseen to be rising to the north-west.
"Hold fast with the boat," he said; "before she can return, we may havea gale down upon us."
We had not long to wait for it; and in half an hour or so we weredashing through the water under close-reefed topsails, heeling over withthe wind from the north-west till the water came rushing in through thelee ports. The master, who had been on the coast before, recommendedthat, in order not to lose ground, we should run for the Gulf of Penas;where we could find shelter under the lee of an island, or get into oneof the snug ports of the mainland. The ship's head was accordingly keptto the eastward. The sail we had seen was also standing in the samedirection, probably with the same object in view. We guessed,therefore, that she was also bound to the northward, and wished to avoidbeing driven back. Mudge expressed his satisfaction that we had notstood away on the other tack.
"If we had, we should have run a chance of being blown back again roundthe Cape into the Atlantic," he observed. "Not every captain, however,would venture to stand in for the land as we are doing; we must keep oureyes open and the lead going, or we may chance to run the ship on shore.But as yonder vessel probably knows her way, we shall have her as aguide, and may hope to find shelter without difficulty."
We quickly overhauled the stranger, which proved to be a barque; andfrom her appearance, as we caught sight of her hull, there was no doubtthat she was a South Sea whaler, and that, consequently, she was likelyto be well acquainted with the coast. As we stood on, we caught sightof an extensive chain of islands, stretching out from the mainland onour larboard bow. Gradually they appeared more and more abeam, whileahead rose up several lofty and rugged peaks. The stranger still keptthe lead; and following her, we at length found ourselves in anextensive bay, completely sheltered from the gale blowing without.Being now in perfectly smooth water, and the commander considering itnot prudent to run farther in, we furled sails, and brought up somedistance ahead of the whaler, which had just before come to an anchor.
The spot where we found ourselves was about the wildest I had ever seen:dark rocks rose out of the sea fringing the shore, and rugged mountainstowered up to the sky in all directions; while not a sign of human lifewas visible. As we swept the coast with our glasses, we discovered,almost abreast of the ship, a deep indentation which looked like themouth of a gulf or estuary. This we naturally felt anxious to explore,and we hoped to have leave to do so the next day.
Soon after we had furled sails, the commander directed Peter Mudge totake the jolly-boat and board the whaler, with a message to the masterrequesting any newspapers of a late date which he might possess. "Yes,you may go, Rayner," he said to me. "And, Mr Mudge, take him a leg ofmutton my steward will put into the boat, and some oranges we broughtfrom Rio." We had killed a sheep the previous day.
We were soon on board the whaler. The master, a middle-aged,grave-looking man, in a long-tailed coat and broad-brimmed hat, not muchlike a sailor in outward appearance, received us very civilly, and wasgrateful for the present, as his wife, he said, was in delicate health,and to her it would be especially welcome. He invited us into the cabinwhere she was seated. She was a nice, pleasant-looking woman, though itstruck me that her countenance bore a peculiarly melancholy expression.He at once handed us a bundle of English papers, published long after wehad left home, and which were very welcome.
"You'll stop and take supper with us, gentlemen. I hope," he said; "itwill be on the table immediately. I don't know, however, that I canoffer you better fare than you'll get on board your own ship."
Mudge assured him that he did not care about that, and was happy toaccept his invitation.
While we remained in the cabin, our men were entertained by the crew.
We had just taken our seats, when the door of a side cabin opened, and ayoung lady stepped out, looking more like a fairy, or an angel, or somecelestial being, than a mortal damsel. So I thought at the time. Mudgeand I rose and bowed; she returned our salutation with a smile and aslight bend of her neck. The master did not introduce us, nor did hesay anything to let us know who she was. I, of course, thought that shewas the captain's daughter; but she did not address Mrs Hudson asmother, and from some remarks she made I doubted whether such was thecase. She at once entered into conversation without the slightestbashfulness; and it struck me that she was exerting herself, not so muchto entertain us, as to keep up Mrs Hudson's spirits.
The meal did not occupy much time, so that we had but little opportunityof talking. I thought the young lady's voice very sweet and melodious;indeed, she seemed to me the most perfect being I had ever seen. Butthen, it must be remembered, I was but a midshipman, and my experiencewas not very extensive; and the best part of a year had passed since weleft England.
At last, however, Mudge, pulling out his watch, observed that it wastime to be on board again; so getting up, he wished Mrs Hudson and theyoung lady good-bye in his hearty way, and I was compelled to follow hisexample. Tears came into Mrs Hudson's eyes as she took me by the handand murmured, "May Heaven preserve you from the dangers of th
e sea!"The young lady smiled very sweetly, and I could not help wishing that Imight have the opportunity of paying another visit to the _Hopewell_.
The first mate had accompanied me on deck, where I found the mastertalking to Mudge. I therefore went a little way along the deck tosummon our boat's crew, who were with the men forward.
"Mrs Hudson appears to be very melancholy," I observed to my companion.
"She has reason to be so, poor lady," said the mate. "She has never gotover the loss of her only child, in these seas, some years ago. It wasa sad affair, for he was a fine brave little chap, the pet of all hands.The master's, and my boat, and the second mate's, had gone off in chaseof whales, when another fish was seen spouting in an opposite direction.The third mate's boat was lowered, when the little fellow, whose motherwas ill below, asked to be taken. The third mate, instead of refusing,thoughtlessly consented to let him go; and before the boatswain or anyone else who had sense in his head saw what he was doing, he had carriedhim down into the boat; no one on deck, indeed, knew he had gone. Awaypulled the boat, when the look-out at the mast-head shouted that one ofour boats had struck a fish, and the boatswain accordingly made sailtowards her. The whale, however, darted away, towing the boats for aleague or more farther off, and we then had a hard matter to kill it.It had long been dark before we got alongside, by which time the weatherhad changed, and the wind was blowing very strong, while a nasty sea hadgot up.
"I shall never forget the state poor Mrs Hudson was in when she couldnot discover what had become of her child; while her husband was almostas bad. At last one of the boys, who had before been afraid to speak,acknowledged that he saw little Harry in the arms of the third mate justbefore the boat shoved off, but that he, being called below at thatmoment, could not tell what had become of the child. We at once cutadrift the fish we had secured, and made sail in the direction the boatwas supposed to have gone, placing lanterns in the rigging and firingguns to show our whereabouts. The weather, however, had been growingworse and worse, and with the heavy sea there was running, the boatherself, we knew, would be in no slight peril.
"All night long we continued cruising over the ground; but not a sign ofthe boat could we discover. When morning came, we continued our search,with the same want of success. Towards noon the weather againmoderated; but though fish were seen spouting, the master would not sendthe boats after them; and unwilling as we were to lose them, none of ushad the heart to press him to do so.
"For the best part of a week we stood backwards and forwards in alldirections looking for the boat; till at last the men began to grumble,and I felt it my duty to urge the master to carry out the object of thevoyage. Almost broken-hearted, he consented to do so. Slowly his poorwife recovered; and from that day to this they have never found anytrace of their lost child. Probably the third mate had got hold of afish; and he having but little experience, his boat must have beenknocked to pieces, or else dragged down by the line becoming foul beforeit could be cut."
"A very sad history," I remarked; "and I am not surprised at poor MrsHudson's melancholy. But who is the young lady?" I asked.
"That is more than I can tell you," he answered. "She came on board theevening before we sailed, but not one of us had ever heard of her tillthen, and neither the master nor Mrs Hudson thought fit to enlighten uson the subject; while she herself, though ready enough to talk to me atthe dinner-table, seldom says anything to any of us on deck."
"How very romantic!" I could not help exclaiming, more interested thanever in the young lady.
Wishing Captain Hudson good-bye, we shoved off, and as we pulled away wesaw the young lady standing on the poop watching us. I pulled off mycap, and she waved her handkerchief in return.
The account we gave of her and the master's wife excited much intereston board.
The next morning, as the gale continued, a party was made up to visitthe shore. It consisted of the second lieutenant and master, PeterMudge, Tommy Peck, and I. We pulled in for the opening we had seen, andwhich I found to be much farther off than I had supposed--the height ofthe rocks at the entrance, which rose sheer out of the water, making theland appear quite close to us. At length we entered a narrow passagewith high rocks on both sides for some distance, completely bare oftrees; indeed, there was not a spot in which the roots could have fixedthemselves. Gradually, however, the passage opened out, and we foundourselves in a large basin, the shore of which was covered with therichest vegetation, extending far up the sides of the mountains risingaround us. Dark rocks peeped out from amid the trees which grew on themountain-sides till lost to view, while above them were seen toweringpeaks covered with glittering snow. The master sounded as we went in,and found the depth of water sufficient for the largest ship. Here shemight remain at anchor or moored to the trees, while the fiercest galewas blowing outside, as securely as in an artificial dock.
We pulled round one side of the basin, but could find no opening bywhich, should we step on shore, we could make our way up the mountain.We did, indeed, land at two or three places, but it was impossible toget beyond a few yards from the water's edge. Probably, no human beinghad ever before set foot in that wooded region. Not even the chirp of abird was heard, nor was any sign of life visible--silence and solitudereigned around. The whole surface of the ground was one mass of rottentimber, covered with various descriptions of moss and ferns. The trunksof trees which had fallen either from age and decay, or from being blowndown by the wind, lay about in all directions; another generation havinggrown up to share the same fate, and to be succeeded by others stillproudly rearing their heads green and flourishing.
"Come, it won't do to be balked!" exclaimed the master. "We'll make ourway somehow or other through the forest;" and the boat was run with herbow against the yielding bank. "You'll follow me!" As he said this hesprang on shore, or rather on to the trunk of a tree. "All right--comealong," he exclaimed; "do as I do." The next instant, however, over hewent on his nose, and disappeared.
We followed, and found his legs sticking up, while his head andshoulders were three or four feet deep in damp wood and moss. Wemanaged to haul him out, covered from head to foot with wet moss; hisblue suit turned into one of green, fitted for the woodland region inwhich he was so anxious to roam. Undaunted, however, he made his wayonwards, now climbing over a somewhat firm trunk; only, however, thenext instant to sink up to his middle in the moss and decayed wood.Tommy followed, but was very nearly smothered, and not withoutdifficulty we hauled him out; then the master, finding himself alone,came back grumbling at our cowardice, as he called it.
We now all embarked, and pulled along the shore in the hope of finding amore practicable way up the mountain. As we got to the head of thebasin, we discovered a stream flowing into it; up this we pulled forsome distance,--the bank on either side being covered with vegetation,--till we reached a rocky ledge on one side, over which the water hadapparently at one time flowed. A low waterfall a slight distance aheadshowed that further progress was impracticable. We accordingly landedon the ledge, and once more attempted to make our way up the mountain.We had much the same sort of ground to go over as that on which themaster had made his first essay; but as the belt of forest whichseparated us from the steep side of the mountain was much narrower thanin the former place, we persevered, and soon found that we wereascending.
Up and up we went, helping ourselves along by the roots and branches ofthe trees, the more stunted growth of which at length showed the heightwe had reached. We now emerged from the forest, when the ground aboveus appeared covered with spongy moss, the walking over which we foundcomparatively easy, saturated though it was with snow-water, which fellin every direction in tiny cascades over the side of the mountain. Eventhe grass and moss were at length left behind, and we found ourselvestreading on half-melted snow, which, as we ascended, became more crispand solid--the bright glare, as the sun fell on it, proving very tryingto our eyes after the gloom of the forest. Still, on we went for somedistance
, the ground being almost level; then we ascended, and, passingover the ridge, descended once more into a shallow valley, on the otherside of which the mountain rose at a moderate inclination, which, itappeared to us, we could mount without any impediment till we reachedthe summit. Thence we expected to obtain a magnificent prospect overthe sea on one side, and the country towards the interior on the other.
We did get up it somehow or other, panting and exhausted, with our headsaching and our eyes dizzy, to encounter a fierce snow-storm which shutout all objects from view. To remain here longer might prove ourdestruction; we soon, therefore, began our descent. But the traces ofour upward path were obliterated, and after descending a short distancewe discovered that we had lost our way. I had gone some little distanceahead of the rest of the party, when I saw before me a gentle slope ofsnow, by sliding down which I fancied that I should quickly arrive atthe bottom; so, calling to my companions, I began slipping gentlydownwards.
"It's very pleasant and easy," I shouted out--"come along;" and on Iwent.
I had gone some hundred yards, when, the atmosphere clearing, I sawrising before me a perpendicular cliff, which I knew was the oppositeside of a deep chasm. Unless I could stop myself, I should be dashed topieces. I thereupon dug my arms and legs into the snow; but still on Iwent. I now heard a shout, and looking up I saw Tommy laughing merrilyas he descended, totally unaware of the fearful peril he was in. Icried out to him to stop himself if he could; but he did not understandwhat I said. On I went; not a tree nor a rock appeared to which I couldcling. The precipice could not have been fifty yards before me, when,making another desperate effort, I got my feet through the snow andfixed against a rock in the ground. Still Tommy came on, with the restof the party some way above him. Just as he shot by me, I seized him bythe leg and brought him up. "Why did you do that?" he cried out, eventhen not knowing how close he was to the edge of the precipice. When hesaw it, he joined his shouts with mine; and then pointing to the left,where I observed that the inclination was less steep, we directed theparty towards it. Scrambling along on our knees and hands, we joinedthem; and now, moving with the greatest care, fearing every instant tobe sent sliding down to our right, we at length reached a ledge by whichwe made our way into the valley.
The danger was now past, but we had to undergo immense fatigue before wegot back to the boat.
We had intended calling on board the whaler, to pay another visit toCaptain Hudson, but the lateness of the hour compelled our return to theship. I was much disappointed, as I hoped to see the young lady bywhose appearance I had been so much struck the previous day; but Iconsoled myself with the expectation of being able to go on board thenext morning.
During the night, however, the gale completely ceased; and when I cameon deck I saw the whaler under all sail standing out of the harbour,with the wind off the land. We followed, but did not again get nearenough to communicate with her. We stood some distance off the coast,and then continued our course to the northward.
Very frequently, afterwards, did the image of that fair young girl recurto my memory, though she did not appear to have made so much impressionon Peter Mudge; but he sometimes spoke of the captain's wife, and seemedto sympathise with her on the loss of her child, though it had happenedso long ago.
The peaks of the Cordilleras again came in sight, at a distance of ahundred and fifty miles, long before the shore at the base of the mightyrange was visible--one of them, Aconcagua, rising to an elevation ofupwards of 23,000 feet above the ocean. We touched at Valparaiso; whichmight, we agreed, possibly be a paradise for fleas, but certainly notfor human beings of good taste. The climate is fine,--of that I have nodoubt,--but the surrounding country is sterile and monotonous, thevegetation just then on the hills consisting of half-withered cacti,though in the valleys and the plains to the left of the town we sawgroves of fruit trees and flowering shrubs. I can best describe theplace by saying that it is divided by two deep ravines into three hills,sprinkled over with whitewashed houses; the hills are called fore-top,main-top, and mizen-top.
Sailing from thence, during my watch one morning I heard a cry of "Landahead!" I looked out, but nothing like land could I see.
"We shall get sight of it before long from the deck," observed Mudge,"if we keep our eyes open."
The ship, as she glided onward, rose and sank with the swell of theocean; and presently, as she rose, I caught sight of what appeared to bea fleet of vessels at anchor. The next instant they had disappeared;but as she rose on the next swell I again caught sight of the seemingmasts, which I gradually discovered to be tall cocoa-nut palms orpandanus trees. On approaching nearer, the whole white beach wasdistinctly seen; and above it a narrow belt of land of a light claycolour, surrounding a perfectly smooth lagoon of a beautiful blue tint;while against the outer belt the surf was breaking with terrific force.The highest part of the land appeared to be about ten or twelve feetabove the level of the sea; and we calculated that the belt between thesea and the lagoon was about seven hundred feet wide, the soil beingcomposed of coral debris and vegetable matter. Besides the palm-trees,there were a few shrubs not more than fourteen or fifteen feet inheight. The whole island was about eight miles long, and from one and ahalf to two miles wide.
We sounded as we approached, but could obtain no bottom; and it was nottill we got quite close that the lead gave us ninety fathoms, andfarther on seventy, thus proving that the land was the top of asubmerged mountain. Such, indeed, are all the islands of this group.Once upon a time in the world's history, a mountainous region existed onthe spot over which we were sailing, which gradually sank till the oceanflowed over all the highest portions. The coral insects finding it aconvenient situation on which to build, the temperature of the watersuiting their constitution, commenced operations, and formed anencircling reef round the shore. These creatures can only live at acertain depth beneath the surface; thus, as the land continued to sink,the first builders died, while others continued to work above theirhabitations. Still the land sank, and the coral insects worked on,building higher and higher till the summit of the mountain was not onlycovered, but was many fathoms deep below the surface. This, however,did not prevent the persevering creatures from continuing theiroperations; till at length a time came when the subsidence of the landceased. The breakers then washed up portions of the coral on to thesummit of the reef, which by degrees crumbled away from the action ofthe atmosphere. Sea-birds made it their home, and deposited the seedsof various plants, while the ocean washed up other seeds stillcontaining germinating powers. Thus vegetation commenced; and the treesand shrubs decaying, more vegetable mould was formed to support theexistence of a further succession of trees and shrubs.
I give this information here, though I did not obtain it till longafterwards; indeed, I believe that no one at the time understood how theisland was formed. I asked Mudge, who told me that it was placed thereby Nature, as other parts of the earth had been formed, to give apleasing variety to the face of the globe.
"It will afford us anything but a pleasing variety, if we have to sailthrough a sea studded with such islands as these," I could not helpobserving; "for if we don't keep our eyes open, we shall be running onthem."
"You may well say that, my boy," he answered. "And as they extend forthe best part of two thousand miles across the Pacific, we shall belucky if our keel escapes acquaintance with some of them, should thecommander take it into his head to cruise through their midst."
The ship having reached the lee side of the island, a boat was lowered,and Mudge and I accompanied the first lieutenant to try and open acommunication with the inhabitants,--carrying with us some trifles, suchas beads, small looking-glasses, and other trinkets, furnished us athome to barter with the natives or to use as presents in order to gaintheir good-will. As we pulled in, a number of them appeared on thebeach armed with long spears and clubs, which they brandished withmenacing attitudes, as if they would prevent us from landing. We hadtaken Dicky Popo with us, und
er the belief that, seeing a person of adarker skin than ours among us, they might be inclined to trust us; notthat it was supposed he could understand their language.
As they still continued waving us off, the lieutenant held up a stringof beads and some other articles. Then, not wishing to risk the safetyof the boat by running her on the coral beach,--on which the surf,beating heavily, might soon have stove in her bows,--we pulled in asclose as we could venture, and he threw the articles on shore. Thesavages eagerly picked them up; but still they did not appear satisfiedas to our friendly intentions, and continued waving us off, shouting, atthe same time, at the top of their voices. As they did not throw theirspears, however, or make any other hostile movements, we remained at ashort distance from the beach, hoping that the presents we had giventhem would produce a more amiable state of mind. Still, though we didall we could to win their confidence, whenever we got a little nearerthey again began gesticulating, showing that they had no intention tolet us land if they could help it.
Besides the men on the beach, we saw a group of people at some distance,who seemed to be watching our proceedings with great interest, andapparently holding back one of their number who was making efforts tobreak away from them. In colour and costume, or rather in the want ofit, he differed but little from the rest; and we therefore concludedthat he was insane, or that from some other cause his companionsobjected to his coming near us. As the commander had given orders thatwe should on no account force a landing, our lieutenant, believing thatwe should be unable to accomplish our object, put the boat round; and wewere pulling off, when the man we had seen escaped from those who heldhim, and, dodging round the others, sprang into the water, and withrapid strokes swam off towards us, in spite of several spears hurled athim. Mr Worthy instantly pulled back to take him in.
"Glad get among you," he exclaimed, greatly to our surprise, intolerable English, as he climbed over the side.
"Why, my friend, who are you?" asked Mr Worthy.
"I Kanaka," he answered; by which we knew that he was a SandwichIslander.
As we returned to the ship, he explained that he had belonged to avessel caught in a gale off the island; when, having been washedoverboard from the bowsprit, and no attempt being made to pick him up,he had remained afloat all night, and succeeded the next morning, in away that only a Sandwich Islander could have accomplished, in reachingthe island. Happily the inhabitants did not see him till he hadrecovered his strength. He then went boldly among them; and as he wasable to make himself understood, he had, by the way he addressed them,gained their confidence, though he believed that they would otherwiseimmediately have put him to death. His knowledge being superior totheirs, he was looked upon with much respect; and as he had alreadytaught them many things they did not before know, the people wished toretain him among them.
"Dey stupid savages," he observed with a look of contempt; though,except that he could speak a little English, we were not inclined toconsider him much raised above them in the scale of civilisation.
The lieutenant then inquired the character of the vessel from which hehad been washed overboard. The Kanaka, shaking his head and throwing anexpression of disgust into his countenance, answered, "No good;" and onfurther examining him, Mr Worthy came to the conclusion that she waseither a pirate, or a craft engaged in carrying off the inhabitants towork in the mines of Peru--the rumour having reached us at Valparaisothat some vessels had been fitted out for that purpose. He had for sometime been serving on board a whaler, where he had learned English; andhaving deserted at a port in Peru, had joined this craft in the hope ofgetting back to his own island, whither he had understood she was bound.
His name, he told us, was Tamaku. He and Dicky Popo soon became greatfriends, and both made themselves very useful on board. It was singularthat they should have joined us much in the same way. Tamaku was likelyto prove of service in acting as interpreter with the natives ofPolynesia; for the language of the Sandwich group differs but slightlyfrom the dialects of the other brown-skinned races inhabiting thenumerous archipelagoes which dot its surface. The Sandwich Islanderscan thus generally make themselves understood wherever they go.
Tamaku being a merry, obliging fellow, became a favourite with the crew,and we hoped that we should be able to retain him on board even afterour visit to the Sandwich Islands, to which we were now bound.
We were glad enough to get clear of the Low Archipelago, for it is aserious matter to be caught in a gale amid its countless coral reefs,many of which are not to be seen until the ship is close upon them; andeven in fine weather the greatest vigilance is required to avoidthem. We had a look-out at each fore-topsail-yardarm, at thefore-topmast-head, and often at the bowsprit end, as the submerged reefscan in calm weather be distinguished only by the darker colour of thewater. Even when we were clear of these, we had still to keep alook-out for other islands in our course; as well as for the craft whichTamaku had described to us, or for her consorts, which the commander wasvery anxious to catch.
As we were soon afterwards running on with a flowing sheet during thenight, the stars being obscured by clouds, and the wind pretty strong,"Land! land on the starboard bow!" was shouted from forward. "Landahead!" was the next startling cry. What dangerous reef might run offit was not known. "Starboard the helm!" shouted the officer of thewatch; "brace the yards sharp up!"
"All hands on deck!" was the next cry; for the ship was heeling over somuch to the gale that it became necessary to shorten sail without delay.As it was, the risk of carrying away the yards, if not the masts, wasvery great. While the hands were hauling aft the sheets, a loud clapwas heard. The main-tack had given way, and the clew of the sail wasflapping furiously in the wind, threatening with death all within itsreach.
At the instant it gave way a sharp cry reached my ears. Immediatelyafterwards a voice from the poop shouted, "Man overboard!" But, alas!whoever he was, no assistance could be rendered him. Destructionawaited the ship should she not weather the land ahead. One of mymessmates who was on the poop--Tommy Peck by name--acting upon theimpulse of the moment, cut the lanyard of the life-buoy, which fell intothe seething ocean; though he either forgot to pull that which wouldhave ignited the port-fire, or the port-fire itself was damaged, as nolight was seen as it fell into the water.
Some minutes of anxious suspense followed, during which the ship wasploughing her way through the dark seas which, rolling onward, burstinto masses of foam on the rocky shore to leeward.
At length the open ocean could be seen beyond the point which graduallyappeared over our starboard quarter; but the commander dared not yetkeep the ship away, not knowing how far the reef extending from it mightreach. In the meantime the tack had been secured, and two reefs takenin the topsail. Even as it was, however, the ship, slashing through thefoaming seas, could scarcely look up to the gale, and I every momentexpected to see her go right over. The water was rushing through herports, and rose half-way up the deck to the combings of the hatchway.With infinite relief, therefore, I heard the order given to port thehelm and square the yards; and once more we flew on before the wind,leaving the dark land astern. It seemed as if there had come a suddenlull, so easily did she now speed on her way over the ocean.
All were eager to know who had been lost, and the muster-roll wascalled. One after another the men answered to their names, till that ofDicky Popo was shouted out. No Dicky answered, and it became certainthat he was the unfortunate individual lost. Tamaku expressed his griefwith a loud wail. "O Popo! Popo! why you go overboard?" he cried out."You not swim like Kanaka, or you get to shore. But now I know you atde bottom of de sea."
It was sad, indeed, to think that the poor lad had gone overboard at amoment when it was utterly impossible to render him any assistance.Under other circumstances he might easily have been saved, as the sea,though rough, was not sufficiently so to prevent a boat being lowered.Now, however, we could not go back to look for him; indeed, as Tamakusaid, he must long before this have perished
.
We after this sighted the Marquesas, to which the French have laidclaim, though they have made no attempt to colonise these beautiful andfertile islands.
The Sandwich Islands were at length reached, and we brought up offHonolulu, in the island of Oahu. We were more struck with the beauty ofthe scenery than with that of the female portion of the inhabitants; butas the islands have been so often described, I will not attempt to doso; merely remarking that they are eleven in number, some of them abouta hundred miles in circumference. Hawaii, formerly known as Owhyhee, isvery much the largest, being eighty-eight miles in length by sixty-eightin breadth; and it contains two lofty mountains, each upwards ofthirteen thousand feet in height--one called Mauna Kea, and the otherMauna Loa, which latter is for ever sending forth its volcanic fires,while it casts its vast shadow far and wide over the ocean.
After leaving Honolulu, which in those days was a very different placeto what it is now, we brought up in the Bay of Kealakeakua, celebratedas the place where Captain Cook lost his life. As we entered the bay wecould see in the far distance the towering dome of Mauna Loa. The wholecountry round bore evidence of the volcanic nature of the soil; brokencliffs rose round the bay, on the north side of which a reef of rocksoffers the most convenient landing-place. It was here that Captain Cookwas killed, while endeavouring to reach his boat. A few yards from thewater stands a cocoa-nut tree, at the foot of which he is said to havebreathed his last. The _Imogene_ carried away the top of the tree; andher captain had a copper plate fastened on to the stem, the lower partof which has been thickly tarred to preserve it. On the plate is across, with an inscription--"Near this spot fell Captain James Cook, therenowned circumnavigator, who discovered these islands, A.D. 1778."
Tamaku having been allowed to remain on shore during the time we werehere, came off again of his own free will, and expressed his readinessto continue on board.
We again sailed to the southward. The commander had been directed tovisit the archipelagoes on the western side of the Pacific, but hewished first to make a survey of the island on which we had so nearlyrun during the gale on our course northward.
I have, by-the-by, said very little about my messmates, except MrWorthy, Peter Mudge (who acted as my Mentor, as he was likewise that ofall the youngsters), and my chum Tommy Peck. There was another mate,who had lately passed,--Alfred Stanford, a very gentlemanly, pleasingyoung man. We had, besides, a surgeon, a master's assistant, thecaptain's clerk and the purser's clerk, who made up the complement inour berth. My chief friend among the men was Dick Tillard, an oldquartermaster, to whom I could always go to get instruction inseamanship, with the certainty that he would do his best to enlightenme. He had been at sea all his life, and had scarcely ever spent amonth on shore at a time. He was a philosopher, in his way; and hisphilosophy was of the best, for he had implicit confidence in God'soverruling providence. If anything went wrong, his invariable remarkwas,--"That's our fault, not His who rules above; trust him, lads, trusthim, and he will make all things right at last."
I have very little to say about our second lieutenant, or the master, orsurgeon, or purser,--who, as far as I knew, were respectable men, notabove the average in intellect, and got on very well together in thegunroom; so that our ship might have been looked upon as a happy one, asthings go, though I confess that we cannot expect to find a paradise onboard a man-of-war.
I must not omit to mention our boatswain, a person of no smallimportance on board ship. So, at all events, thought Mr FletcherYallop, as he desired to be called; and if we youngsters ever wanted himto do anything for us, we always thus addressed him--though, of course,the commander and officers called him simply Mr Yallop. If the menaddressed him as Mr Yallop, he invariably exclaimed,--"Mr FletcherYallop is my name, remember, my lad; and I'll beg you always todenominate me by my proper appellation, or a rope's end and your backwill scrape acquaintance with each other."
He explained his reasons to me in confidence one day. "You see, MrRayner, I expect before I die to come into a fortune, when I shall be,of course, Fletcher Yallop, Esquire. I can't make the men call me sonow, because I am but a simple boatswain; but I like the sound; it keepsup my spirits. When I get out of sorts, I repeat to myself: `FletcherYallop, Esquire, be a man; be worthy of your future position in societywhen you take your place among the nobility of the land, and perhapswrite M.P. after your name,'--and in an instant I am myself again, andpatiently bear the rubs and frowns to which even warrant-officers aresubjected. In truth, though I wish you not to repeat it, Mr Rayner, Imay become a baronet; and I always look with trembling interest at theGazette, to see if a certain person, whose heir I am, has been raised tothat dignity."
I ventured to ask the boatswain on what he grounded his hopes offortune.
"That is a secret, Mr Rayner," he replied, "which I must not divulge,even to you; but you would not doubt my word, I am sure. That must besufficient for the present; and I must request you not to make thematter a subject of conversation among your messmates. They would notenter into my feelings as you do."
I found, however, that Mr Yallop had been equally confidential to TommyPeck, though he had not ventured to talk of his hopes either to Mudge orStanford. Tom and I, on comparing notes, came to the conclusion thatthe boatswain was under a hallucination; though, as it was a veryharmless one, and afforded him intense satisfaction without in any wayinterfering with his duty, we agreed that it was as well to let himenjoy it. He was, indeed, a first-rate seaman and an excellentboatswain, though he handled the rope's end pretty freely when any ofthe ship's boys or ordinary seamen neglected their duty. He was abroadly built man, with enormous black whiskers; and no one would havesupposed that he possessed a single grain of romance in his composition.He had an eagle eye, and a sun-burned, weather-beaten countenance; butI believe he had as tender a heart as any man in the ship.
Nothing of importance occurred till we sighted the island against whichwe had so nearly run. Standing in with the lead going, we found goodanchorage in a wide bay, protected by a high point of land on one sideand a reef on the other. The captain wishing to survey the island, andthe weather being fine, he ordered his gig to be manned, and, much to mysatisfaction, told me to be ready to accompany him. We took a supply ofprovisions for the day, as we did not expect to be back till late in theevening.
While the first lieutenant and master were surveying the bay in whichthe ship lay, and the coast in its immediate neighbourhood, we pulledround to the opposite side of the island. We had as yet seen nonatives, but as cocoa-nut trees were visible on shore, we concluded thatsome parts of it were inhabited. The centre was of considerable height,and was evidently of volcanic origin, the highest point being apparentlya volcano, though no smoke or fire was seen proceeding from it.
We had been pulling on for three or four hours, keeping at some distancefrom the shore, to avoid the reefs which ran off it, as the captainwished to make the whole circuit during the day, when, just as we haddoubled the point, we saw right ahead, some way from the shore, a smallcanoe with a flag flying at her bow. The commander ordered the men togive way, fearing that the natives in the canoe, when they saw us, wouldattempt to escape, and he specially wished to gain information fromthem. (Tamaku, I should have said, formed one of the crew, having beentaken to act as interpreter.) There appeared to be no one on board thecanoe, which was at anchor; but as we drew nearer we saw the head of aperson rise up above the gunwale, when, as it seemed, he for the firsttime caught sight of us. He gazed towards the gig with astonishment,though without uttering any cry of alarm.
"He has an unusually white skin for a native," observed the captain;"indeed, he must be, I am sure, a European."
The boy, for his features showed that he was very young, took somethingfrom the bottom of the canoe, as we drew near, and kneeling down in thebow in a suppliant manner, held out his hand towards us. The commander,anxious not to alarm him, ordered the gig to pull round and back inquietly astern, while, standing up, he lea
ned forward to examine whatthe boy had got in his hand. Just at that moment another head roseabove the gunwale of the canoe from the outside; but that was black asjet; and what should I see but Dicky Popo's astonished countenance, hisivory teeth gleaming whitely as his mouth distended from ear to ear.
"Oh, ky! cappen--and you, Massa Rayner--where you come from?" heexclaimed, as he rested on his elbows before getting into the canoe.
So interested was the captain in the appearance of the white boy,--moreeven than in the number of beautiful pearls he held in his hand,--thathe scarcely recognised Popo.
"Who are you, and where do you come from?" asked the commander.
The lad only shook his head, as if he did not understand his question--still keeping his hand extended, with the pearls in it.
"He no speakee English," said Popo, who had just scrambled into thecanoe.
"Why, Dicky Popo," cried the commander, "you here, my boy!"
I could not resist shaking Popo by the hand, so delighted was I to seehim.
"Yes, massa cappen; me no drownee," he answered.
"That's very evident," said the commander; "and I shall be glad to knowhow you escaped. But first I want you to set the mind of this poor ladat rest, as he seems in a great fright. Tell him we are friends, andwill do him no harm, for he does not understand what I say to him."
Popo, more by signs than words, quickly succeeded in tranquillising thelad.
"Who is he?" asked the commander, "for his skin is as white as ours; andI cannot suppose that he is a native."
"He not say who he is," answered Popo; "but by-and-by perhaps talkeemore."
"Well, we must wait patiently," said the commander. "Ask him if he hasany objection to accompany us; and if he is ready to come we will takeyou and him into the gig, while we tow the canoe astern." After a fewmore signs and incomprehensible words had passed between Popo and thewhite boy, they both stepped into the gig; the latter still holding thepearls in his hand, which, as soon as he was seated, he again offered tothe commander, who this time received them, and after examining them putthem into his pocket. The canoe was then made fast to the gig astern,and we continued our course round the island.
The commander was engaged in noting its headlands and bays and otherfeatures, and could not give his attention to the lad; but I lost notime in trying to learn from Popo how he had escaped,--also drawing fromhim anything he knew about the white boy. On the first point he quicklyenlightened me.
On falling overboard, he had caught sight of the life-buoy which Peckhad providentially let go; and being a good swimmer, he had reached it,and climbing up, had made himself fast to it. With a feeling of dismayhe saw the ship sailing on, but he did not gave way to despair, as aftersome time he discovered that the life-buoy was drifting towards theland. Still, he knew that, should it be driven among the breakers, heshould in all probability be dashed to pieces on the rocks. However, ashe told me, he hoped for the best, and clung on, finding himself gettingnearer and nearer the shore.
When morning broke, he found that he was not more than a fewcable-lengths from the beach. As the light increased he looked outanxiously, and, much to his satisfaction, saw that he was driftingtowards a sandy bay. He cast off the lashings which had hithertosecured him, that he might swim on shore, knowing that the life-buoywould in all probability be rolled over and over.
It now advanced but little; and he was on the point of parting from itand beginning to swim, when he saw several natives come down to thebeach, and among them a white lad. The former stood gazing at him,apparently indifferent to the rude breakers; the lad, however, directlyafterwards began to launch a small canoe which lay on the beach, andjumping into it and actively working the paddle, made his way throughthe breakers towards him. Popo being quite sure that he came as afriend, left the life-buoy as soon as he drew near, and with a fewstrokes reached the bow of the canoe, over which he soon scrambled; whenthe boy at once paddled back to the beach, carrying him safely throughthe breakers. The savages, who were as brown as those he had beforeseen, gathered round him and examined his skin with much curiosity,supposing, he observed, that he had got on a black coat. They then madehim and the white boy stand together, grinning at the contrast whichtheir colours presented, and evidently satisfied that they themselveswere the just medium.
Popo, who was very hungry, now made signs that he wanted something toeat. His new friend, hastening away, quickly returned from a hut at nogreat distance with some food, which the brown savages did not preventhis giving him. Popo soon found, however, that although his life was tobe spared he was to be treated as a slave, as the white boy appeared tobe.
After remaining on the beach a short time, the savages led him to theirvillage, which consisted of a number of low huts. The women had beenpreparing their morning meal, after which some of the men went out tokill birds, while others occupied themselves in a taro plantation onsome level ground to the rear of their village. Popo, meantime, whocould scarcely keep his eyes open, was conducted by his white friend toa hut, where the latter spread a mat for him, and made signs that hemight lie down. Scarcely had he done so when he fell fast asleep.
The next day, the weather being finer, many of the men went off in theircanoes; Popo and the white boy being taken out in that of the chief.Popo found that they were engaged in diving for pearl-oysters. Thewhite lad appeared to be among the best of their divers. He fearlesslyplunged overboard with a net and a small axe--the net being attached tothe boat by a line; and when his net was hauled up it was invariablyfull of oysters. The chief made signs to Popo that he must do the same.Though he was a good swimmer, he had never been accustomed to diving;but the white boy showed him how he could accomplish the feat, and aftersome practice he was able to go down, and succeeded almost as well ashis companion.
Since he had been there, three vessels had come and purchased all thepearls which had been collected, when he and the white boy had beencarried off some way from the shore, so that they might not communicatewith the crews. After each visit paid by the pearl-traders, all the menin the village had become excessively tipsy; and on the first twooccasions they, fearing that they might be ill-treated, had run off andhidden themselves, though they did not escape punishment. Popo hadbegun to learn his companion's language; which he spoke, however, in away very different from the natives. They were thus able to communicatewith each other.
Only the day before our arrival another trader had gone away, and at thepresent time every man in the village was drunk. As the old chief hadon previous occasions beaten them, when he came to himself, for nothaving some pearls ready for him, they had come off in the canoe bythemselves, and were engaged in fishing,--for so it may be called,--whenwe found them.
Such is an outline of the account Popo gave me.
All the time I was talking to Popo, the lad had his eyes fixed intentlyon me, as if he was endeavouring to understand what we were saying.
"And you, Popo," I asked; "are you glad to escape from the savages?"
"Yes, massa; dat I am," answered Popo.
"And do you think your companion is the same?" I added, looking towardshim.
"Yes, yes," said the white boy, looking up at me.
"Why, you must be English; you have thoroughly understood what I said,"I exclaimed.
"Me tink so too," observed Popo.
The commander, who had been listening to what we had been saying, nowcalled Tamaku aft, and desired him to try if he could understand thewhite boy, who after he had last spoken seemed abashed, and could not begot to utter a word. Tamaku at once began to ask him questions, whichhe answered with apparent readiness in the same language, differing butslightly in sound.
"Can you make out how he came to be among the natives?" asked thecommander, when Tamaku and the boy had ceased speaking.
"He not know much," answered the Kanaka; "long time wid dem--say deyfind him in a boat at sea, and bring him here and make him slavey."
"Try and find out his name," said the
commander; "whether it is Tom orDick, or Jack or Harry."
Scarcely had he uttered the last word when the boy exclaimed, "Harry!Harry! dat my name," and seemed almost overcome by hearing it uttered.
"Well, Harry, my boy, can't you talk a little more English? Since youremember your name, tell us something about your father and mother, orany of your other friends," continued the commander.
"Father--mother," repeated the boy, with a look of pleasure, as if theywere words once familiar to his tongue.
"Well done, my boy," exclaimed the commander, pleased with the result ofhis experiment; "you'll remember more words by-and-by, when you get onboard. And we'll not yet pay your drunken friends a visit to let themwish you good-bye."
It was difficult to say whether the boy understood him; but, at allevents, the commander's kind tone of voice gave him confidence, and heseemed contented and happy.
As we had only just time to get round the island, the commander did notput on shore anywhere; also, with so small a party, he thought itimprudent to go among the natives, who might prove hostile--especiallyif they found that he was carrying off their slaves. Popo and the whiteboy appeared well-pleased at this; and it was evident that the latterhad no great affection for those among whom he had lived so long.
Frequently during the remainder of the day we heard the boy saying tohimself, "Yes, yes--Harry--father--mother," as if pleased with the soundof those long-forgotten words. Then I was nearly certain that I heardhim muttering to himself a verse of a child's hymn; but the words wereindistinct.
He listened attentively to every word we said, and now and then uttereda word after us.
"I suspect that in the course of a few days he will be able to tell usmore about himself than he can do now," observed the captain; "in themeantime, we must not bother him too much."
We got on board just before darkness set in. Popo was greeted warmly bythe whole of the crew, who were delighted to find that he had escapedand to have him back among them again; while Harry, as the white boy wasat once called, was received with much curiosity, every one being eagerto know who he was and how he had fallen into the hands of the savages.As may be supposed, he had not been many minutes on board before he wasrigged out in a shirt and trousers and jacket, with a handkerchief roundhis neck, and a broad-brimmed hat on his head. He made no objection toputting on the dress, which really became him; and Dick Tillard, whoacted as his valet, observed that it was surely not the first time hehad been so rigged out.
Next day, the commander went on shore with a strongly-armed party,taking Tamaku with him, that he might try and obtain further informationfrom the natives. The latter showed no signs of fear, being apparentlyaccustomed to the sight of white men. They inquired what had become ofthe boys, and demanded to have them back. Tamaku replied that one ofthem belonged to the ship, and that the other desired to remain onboard, so that they could not be given up; but the English commanderwould make a present to them if they would inform him honestly how theycame to have the white boy among them. After this, by Tamaku's account,they had a long palaver, when the old chief, stepping forward, said thathe was ready to declare the truth: that some seven years before, as heand his people were on board a large canoe on their way to this island,they had fallen in with an English boat containing several men and alittle boy; but the men had all died; and the little boy had been takencare of, and had lived with them ever since.
Tamaku had his suspicions that the men had been put to death; however,it was not worth while pressing the matter home on the chief, as, ofcourse, he would have denied it.
The commander having finished his survey of the island, and obtained allthe information respecting the boy which he could collect, we again madesail and stood to the westward.