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AFLOAT AND ASHORE
low. I was soon in the pass itself, the water breaking within ten
fathoms on each side of me, sending portions of its foam, to the
very blades of our oars; but the lead still gave me six fathoms.
At the next cast, I got ten; and then the shin was at the point
where I had just before found six. Two breakers were roaring
behind me, and I pulled round, and waited for the ship, steering to the southward, sounding as I went. I could see that the
ship hauled up, and that I was already behind the reef. Straining my voice, I now called out –
“Anchor, sir – bear a hand and anchor, as soon as possible.”
Not a word came back; but up went the courses, followed
by the top-gallant-sails, after which down went the jib. I heard
the fore and main-top-sail-halyards overhauling themselves,
spite of the roar of the breakers, and then the ship luffed into
the wind. Glad enough was I to hear the heavy plunge of one
of the bowers, as it fell from the cathead into the water. Even
then I remained stationary, to note the result. The ship took
her scope of cable freely, after which I observed that she was
brought up. The next moment I was on board her.
“A close shave, Mr. Wallingford,” said Marble, giving me a
squeeze of the hand, that said more for his feelings than any
words such a being could utter; “and many thanks for your
piloting. Is not that land I see, away here to leeward – more to
the westward, boy?”
“It is, sir, beyond a doubt. It must be one of the coral islands; and this is the reef that usually lies to seaward from
them. There is the appearance of trees ashore!”
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JAMES FENIMORE COOPER
“It’s a discovery, youngster, and will make us all great
names! Remember, this passage I call ‘Miles’s Inlet;’ and to the
reef, I give the name of ‘Yawl Reef.’”
I could not smile at this touch of Marble’s vanity, for concern left me no thoughts but for the ship. The weather was
now mild and the bay smooth; the night was fine, and it might
be of the last importance to us to know something more of our
situation. The cable might chafe off, probably would, so near a
coral reef; and I offered to pull in towards the land, sounding
as I went, and otherwise gaining the knowledge that might be
necessary to our security. After a little reflection, the captain
consented, ordering me to take provisions and water in the
boat, as the duty might detain me until morning.
I found the bay between the reef and the island about a
league in breadth, and across its entire width, the soundings
did not vary much from ten fathoms. The outer barrier of rock,
on which the sea broke, appeared to be an advanced wall, that
the indefatigable little insects had erected, as it might be, in
defence of their island, which had probably been raised from
the depths of the ocean, a century or two ago, by some of their
own ancestors. The gigantic works completed by these little
aquatic animals, are well known to navigators, and give us
some tolerably accurate notions of the manner in which the
face of the globe has been made to undergo some of its alterations. I found the land easy of access, low, wooded, and without
any sign of habitation. The night was so fine that I ventured
inland, and after walking more than a mile, most of the distance in a grove of cocoa and bananas, I came to the basin of
water that is usually found in the islands of this particular for-
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AFLOAT AND ASHORE
mation. The inlet from the sea was at no great distance, and
I sent one of the men back to the yawl, with orders for the
boat to proceed thither. I next sounded the inlet and the bay,
and found everywhere a sandy bottom, and about ten fathoms
of water. As I expected, the shoalest spot was the inlet; but in
this, which I sounded thoroughly, there was nowhere less than
five. It was now midnight; and I should have remained on the
island until morning, to make further surveys by daylight, had
we not seen the ship, under her canvass, and so much nearer
to us than we had supposed possible, as to satisfy me she was
drifting in fast towards the land. Of course I did not hesitate,
but pulled on board.
It was as I suspected. The rocks so near the reef had chafed
off the cable; the ship struck adrift, and Marble was under
his canvass waiting my return, in order to ascertain where he
might anchor anew. I told him of the lagoon in the centre of
the island, and gave him every assurance of there being water enough to carry in any craft that floats. My reputation was
up, in consequence of the manner the ship had been taken
through the first inlet, and I was ordered to conn her into this
new haven.
The task was not difficult. The lightness of the wind, and
uncertainty about the currents proving the only source of embarrassment, I succeeded in finding the passage, after a short
trial; and sending the boat ahead, under Talcott, as an additional precaution, soon had the Crisis floating in the very centre of this natural dock. Sail was shortened as we came in, and
the ship made a flying moor; after which we lay as securely,
at if actually in some basin wrought by art. It is my opinion,
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JAMES FENIMORE COOPER
the vessel would have ridden out the hardest gale, or anything
short of a hurricane, at single anchor, in that place. The sense
of security was now so strong upon us, that we rolled up our
canvass, set an anchor watch of only one man, and turned in.
I never laid my head down, on board ship, with greater satisfaction, than I did that night. Let the truth be frankly stated.
I was perfectly satisfied with myself. It was owing to my decision and vigilance that the ship was saved, when outside the
reef, out of all question; and I think she would have been lost
after she struck adrift, had I not discovered her present berth.
There she was, however, with land virtually all round her, a
good bottom, plenty of water, and well moored. As I have said
already, she could not be better secured in an artificial dock. In
the midst of the Pacific, away from all custom-house officers, in
a recently discovered and uninhabited island, there was nothing to fear. Men sleep soundly in such circumstances, and I
should have been in a deep slumber in a minute after I was in
my berth, had not Marble’s conversation kept me awake, quite
unwillingly on my part, for five minutes. His state-room door
was open, and, through it, the following discourse was held.
“I think, on the whole,” commenced the captain, “it will
be better to generalize a little more,” – this was a favourite
expression of the ex-mate’s, and one he often used without exactly knowing its application himself. – “Yes, to generalize a
little more; it shall be Marble Land, Wallingford Bay, Yawl,
Reef, Talcott Inlet, Miles’s Anchorage – and a d – – d bad anchorage it was, Miles; but, never mind, we must take the good
with the bad, in this wicked world.”
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AFLOAT AND ASHORE
“Very true, sir; but as for taking that anchorage, you must
excuse me, as I shall never take it again.”
“Perhaps not. Well, this is what I call comfort – ha! Talcott? – Is Talcott asleep, Miles?”
“He and the second-mate are hard at it, sir – full and by,
and going ten knots,” I muttered, wishing my tormentor in
Japan, at the moment.
“Ay; they are rackers at a sleep! I say, Miles, such a discovery as this will make a man’s fortune! The world generalizes
in discoveries, altogether, making no great matter of distinction between your Columbuses, Cooks, or Marbles. An island
is an island and he who first discovers it, has the credit. Poor
Captain Williams! He would have sailed this ship for a whole
generation, and never found anything in the way of novelty.”
“Except the Straits – ” I muttered very indistinctly, breathing deep and hard.
“Ay, that was an affair! Hadn’t you and I been aboard, the
ship never would have done that. We are the very offspring of
luck! There was the affair of the wreck off Madagascar – there
are bloody currents in the Pacific, too, I find, Miles.”
“Yes, sir – hard-a-weather – ”
“The fellow’s dreaming. One word, boy, before you cut loose
from all reason and reflection. Don’t you think it would be a
capital idea to poke in a little patriotism among the names;
patriotism goes so far in our part of the world. Congress Rocks
would be a good title for the highest part of the reef, and
Washington Sands would do for the landing you told me of.
Washington should have a finger in the pie.”
“Crust isn’t down, sir.”
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JAMES FENIMORE COOPER
“The fellow’s off, and I may as well follow, though it is not
easy to sleep on the honour of a discovery like this. Good night,
Miles!”
“Ay, ay! sir.”
Such was the account Marble afterwards gave me of the
termination of the dialogue. Sleep, sleep, sleep! Never did men
enjoy their rest more than we did for the next five hours, the
ship being as silent as a church on a week-day, during the
whole time. For myself, I can safely say I heard nothing, or
knew nothing, until I was awakened by a violent shake of the
shoulder. Supposing myself to have been aroused for an ordinary watch at sea, I was erect in an instant, and found the sun’s
rays streaming into my face, through the cabin-windows. This
prevented me, for a moment, from seeing that I had been disturbed by Captain Marble himself. The latter waited until he
perceived I could understand him, and then he said, in a grave,
meaning manner –
“Miles, there is a mutiny in the ship! Do you understand
me, Mr. Wallingford? – a bloody mutiny!”
“A mutiny, Captain Marble! You confound me, sir – I had
thought our people perfectly satisfied.”
“Umph! One never knows whether the copper will come
up head or tail. I thought, when I turned in last night, it was to
take the surest nap I ever tasted afloat; and here I awake and
find a mutiny!”
I was on my feet and dressing in an instant, as a matter of
course, having first gone to the berths of the two other mates,
and given each a call.
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AFLOAT AND ASHORE
“But how do you know this, Captain Marble?” I resumed,
as soon as there was a chance. “I hear no disturbance, and the
ship is just where we left her,” glancing through the cabinwindows; “I think you must be mistaken, sir.”
“Not I. I turned out, ten minutes since, and was about to
go on deck to get a look at your basin, and breathe the fresh
air, when I found the companion-doors fastened, precisely
Smudge-fashion. I suppose you will allow that no regular ship’s
company would dare to fasten the officers below, unless they
intended to seize the craft.”
“This is very extraordinary! Perhaps some accident has befallen the doors. Did you call out, sir?”
“I thumped like an admiral, but got no answer. When on
the point of trying the virtue of a few kicks, I overheard a low
laugh on deck, and that let me into the secret of the state of the
nation at once. I suppose you will all admit, gentlemen, when
sailors laugh at their officers, as well as batten them down, that
they must be somewhat near a state of mutiny.”
“It does look so, indeed, sir. We had better arm the moment
we are dressed, Captain Marble.”
“I have done that already, and you will each find loaded
pistols in my state-room.”
In two minutes from that moment, all four of us were in a
state for action, each man armed with a brace of ship’s pistols,
well-loaded and freshly primed. Marble was for making a rush
at the cabin-doors, at once; but I suggested the improbability
of the steward or Neb’s being engaged in any plot against the
officers, and thought it might be well to ascertain what had
become of the two blacks, before we commenced operations.
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JAMES FENIMORE COOPER
Talcott proceeded instantly to the steerage, where the steward
slept, and returned in a moment to report that he had found
him sound asleep in his berth.
Reinforced by this man, Captain Marble determined to
make his first demonstration by way of the forecastle, where,
by acting with caution, a surprise on the mutineers might be
effected. It will be remembered that a door communicated
with the forecastle, the fastenings of which were on the side of
“‘twixt decks.” Most of the cargo being in the lower hold, there
was no difficulty in making our way to this door, where we
stopped and listened, in order to learn the state of things on
the other side of the bulkhead. Marble had whispered to me,
as we groped our way along in the sort of twilight which pervaded the place, the hatches being on and secured, that “them
bloody Philadelphians” must be at the bottom of the mischief,
as our old crew were a set of as “peaceable, well-disposed chaps
as ever eat duff (dough) out of a kid.”
The result of the listening was to produce a general surprise. Out of all question, snoring, and that on no small scale of
the gamut of Morpheus, was unequivocally heard. Marble instantly opened the door, and we entered the forecastle, pistols
in hand. Every berth had its tenant, and all hands were asleep!
Fatigue, and the habit of waiting for calls, had evidently kept
each of the seamen in his berth, until that instant. Contrary to
usage in so warm a climate, the scuttle was on, and a trial soon
told us it was fast.
“To generalize on this idee, Miles,” exclaimed the captain,
“I should say we are again battened down by savages!”
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AFLOAT AND ASHORE
“It does indeed look so, sir; and yet I saw no sign of the
island’s being inhabited. It may be well, Captain Marble, to
muster the crew, that we may learn who’s who.”
“Quite right – do you turn ‘em up, and send ‘em all aft into
the cabin, where we have more daylight.”
I set about awaking the people, which was not difficult, and
in a few minutes everybody was sent aft. Following the crew, it
was soon found that only one man was missing, and he was the
very individual whom we had left on deck, when we had all
gone below on securing the ship. Every soul belonging to the
vessel was present in the cabin, or steerage, but this solitary
man – Philadelphians and all!
“It can never be that Harris has dared to trifle with us,” said
Talcott; “and yet it does look surprisingly like it.”
“Quite sure, Miles, that Marble Land is an uninhabited island?” said the captain, interrogatively.
“I can only say, sir, that it is as much like all the other uninhabited coral islands we have passed, as one pea is like another; and that there were no signs of a living being visible last
night. It is true, we saw but little of the island, though to all
appearances there was not much to see.”
“Unluckily, all the men’s arms are on deck, in the armchest, or strapped to the boom or masts. There is no use, however, in dillydallying against one man; so I will make a rumpus
that will soon bring the chap to his bearings.”
Hereupon Marble made what he called a rumpus in good
earnest. I thought, for a minute, he would kick the cabin-doors
down.
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JAMES FENIMORE COOPER
“‘Andzomelee-’andzomelee,” said some one on deck. “Vat
for you make so much kick?”
“Who the devil are you?” demanded Marble, kicking harder than ever. “Open the cabin-doors, or I’ll kick them down,
and yourself overboard.”
“Monsieur – sair,” rejoined another voice, “tenez – you
air prisonnier. Comprenez-vous – prisonair, eh?”
“These are Frenchmen, Captain Marble,” I exclaimed, “and
we are in the hands of the enemy.”
This was astounding intelligence; so much so, that all had
difficulty in believing it. A further parley, however, destroyed
our hopes, little by little, until we entered into an arrangement with those on deck, to the following effect: I was to be
permitted to go out, in order to ascertain the real facts of our
situation; while Marble and the remainder of the crew were
to remain below, passive, until the result should be reported.
Under this arrangement, one of the cabin-doors was opened,
and I sallied forth.
Astonishment almost deprived me of the power of vision,
when I looked around me. Quite fifty armed white men, sailors and natives of France, by their air and language, crowded
round me, as curious to see me, as I could possibly be to see
them. In their midst was Harris, who approached me with an
embarrassed and sorrowful air –
“I know I deserve death, Mr. Wallingford,” this man commenced; “but I fell asleep after so much work, and everything
looking so safe and out-of-harm’s-way like; and when I woke
up, I found these people on hoard, and in possession of the
ship.”
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