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AFLOAT AND ASHORE
went forward, got into the head, and commanded every body
to muster on the forecastle. Marble now made a speech.
“We have some good, and some bad luck, this v’y’ge, men,”
he said; “and, when we generalize on the subject, it will be
found that good luck has usually followed the bad luck. Now,
the savages, with that blackguard Smudge, knocked poor Captain Williams in the head, and threw him overboard, and got
the ship from us; then came the good luck of getting her back
again. After this, the French did us that unhandsome thing:
now, here comes the good luck of their leaving us a craft that
will overhaul the ship, when I needn’t tell you, what will come
of it.” Here all hands, as in duty bound, gave three cheers.
“Now, I neither sail nor fight in a craft that carries a French
name. Captain Count christened the schooner the – Mr. Wallingford will tell you her exact name.”
“La Belle Emélie,” said I, “or the Beautiful Emily.”
“None of your belles for me, nor your Beautiful Emilys either,” cried Marble, smashing the bottle over the schooner’s
nose; “So here goes three cheers again, for the ‘Pretty Poll,’
which was the name the craft was born to, and the name she
shall bear, as long as Moses Marble sails her.”
From that moment, the schooner was known by the name
of the “Pretty Poll.” I met with portions of our crew years afterwards, and they always spoke of her by this appellation; sometimes familiarly terming her the “Poll,” or the “Polly.”
All the first day out, we were busy in making ourselves
comfortable, and in getting the Polly’s trim. We succeeded so
well in this last, that, according to our calculations, we made
a knot an hour more than the Crisis could have done under
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JAMES FENIMORE COOPER
the same circumstances, fast as the ship was known to be. As
the Crisis had about thirty-eight hours the start of us, and ran,
on an average, about seven knots the hour for all that time, it
would require about ten days to overtake her. Of course this
could only happen, according to our own calculations, when
we were from eighteen hundred to two thousand miles from
the island. For my own part, I sincerely hoped it would not occur at all, at sea; feeling satisfied our only chances of success
depended on surprise. By following the vessel into some port, it
might be possible to succeed; but, for an unarmed schooner to
attack a ship like the Crisis, with even a large crew on board; it
seemed rashness to think of it. Marble, however, would not listen to my remonstrances. He insisted we had more than powder enough to load all our pistols half-a-dozen times each, and,
laying the ship plump aboard, the pistols would do the rest. I
was silenced, quite as a matter of course, if not convinced.
The fifth day out, Neb came to me, saying – “Master Miles,
somet’ing must be done wid ‘em ‘ere ‘ysters! Dey smell, onaccountable; and de people swear dey will t’row ‘em overboard, if
I don’t eat ‘em. I not hungry enough for dat, sir.”
These were the pearl oysters, already mentioned, which
had been hastening to dissolution and decomposition, by the
heat of the hold. As the captain was as much concerned in this
portion of the cargo, as I was myself, I communicated the state
of things to him, and he ordered the bags and barrels on deck,
forthwith. It was well something was done, or I doubt not a
disease would have been the consequence. As decomposition
was the usual process by which to come at the treasures of
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AFLOAT AND ASHORE
these animals, however, everything was exactly in the state we
wished.
An uninterested observer would have laughed, at seeing
the employment of the quarter-deck, for the next four hours.
Marble, and the two mates, attacked a barrel belonging to the
captain, while Neb and I had my own share to ourselves. It was
a trying occupation, the odour far exceeding in strength that
of the Spice Islands. We stood it, however – for what will not
man endure for the sake of riches? Marble foresaw the difficulties, and had once announced to the mates that they then
would “open on shares.” This had a solacing influence, and
amid much mirth and sundry grimaces, the work went on with
tolerable rapidity. I observed, however, that Talcott threw one
or two subjects, that doubtless were tougher than common,
overboard, after very superficial examinations.
The first seven oysters I examined, contained nothing but
seed pearl, and not many of these. Neb opened, and I examined; and the latter occupation was so little to my taste, that I
was just on the point of ordering the whole lot thrown overboard, when Neb handed me another. This oyster contained
nine beautiful pearls, of very uniform dimensions, and each
about as large as a good-sized pea. I dropped them into a bowl
of fresh water, whence they came out sweet, pearly, and lustrous. They were of the sort known as the “white water,” which
is the kind most prized among Christian nations, doubtless on
account of their harmonizing so well with the skins of their
women. No sooner was my luck known, than it brought all the
other “pearl fishermen” around me; Marble, with his nostrils
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JAMES FENIMORE COOPER
plugged with oakum, and a quid of tobacco in his mouth, that
was as large as a small potatoe.
“By George, Miles, that looks like business,” the captain exclaimed, going back to his work, with renovated zeal, “though
it is a calling fit only for hogs and scavengers! Did I embark in
it largely, I would keep as many clerks as a bank. What do you
suppose now, these nine chaps may be worth?”
“Some fifty dollars, or thereabouts – you see, sir, they are
quite large – much larger than it is usual to see our women
wear.”
The ninth of my oysters produced eleven pearls, and all
about the size and quality of the first. In a few minutes I had
seventy-three just such pearls, besides a quantity of seed pearl.
Then followed a succession of barren shells; a dozen not giving
a pearl. The three that succeeded them gave thirty-one more;
and another yielded four pearls, each of which was as large as
a small cherry. After that, I got one that was almost as large as
a common hickory-nut, and six more of the size of the cherrysized pearls. In addition to these, I got in all, one hundred and
eighty-seven of the size of peas, besides a large handful of the
seed pearl. I afterwards ascertained, that the pearls I had thus
obtained were worth in the market about eighteen hundred
dollars; as they were far more remarkable for their beauty,
than for their size.
Notwithstanding the oakum plugs, and the tobacco, and
the great quantity of shells his divers had found, for they had
brought up something like two hundred and fifty oysters in
the course of the day, the party of the captain found in all,
but thirty-six pearls, the seed excepted; though they obtained
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AFLOAT AND ASHORE
some beautiful specimens among the shells. From that moment, Marble discontinued the trade, and I never heard him
say anything more on the subject of pursuing it. My own beauties were put carefully away, in reserve for the time when I
might delight the eyes of certain of my female friends with
them. I never intended to sell one, but they were very precious
to me on other accounts. As for the crew, glad enough were
they to be rid of such uncomfortable shipmates. As I gazed on
the spotless and lustrous pearls, and compared them with the
revolting tenements from which they had just been redeemed,
I likened them to the souls of the just escaping from their tenements of clay, to enjoy hereafter an endless existence of purity.
In the meantime, the Pretty Poll continued to find her way
along miles and miles of the deserted track across the Pacific. Marble had once belonged to a Baltimore clipper, and he
sailed our craft probably much better than she would have
been sailed by Mons. Le Compte, though that officer, as I afterwards learned, had distinguished himself in command of
a lugger-privateer, in the British Channel. Our progress was
generally from a hundred and fifty to two hundred and twenty
miles in twenty-four hours; and so it continued to be for the
first ten days, or the period, when, according to our own calculations, we ought to be near the Crisis, had that vessel steered a
course resembling our own. For my own part, I neither wished
nor expected to see the ship, until we reached the coast of
South America, when we might ascertain her position by communicating with the shore. As for the guarda-costas, I knew
we could easily elude them, and there might be a small chance
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JAMES FENIMORE COOPER
of regaining the vessel, something like the way in which we
had lost her. But Marble’s impatience, and the keenness with
which he felt our disgrace, would not make terms even with
the elements; and I do believe, he would have run alongside of
the Crisis in a gale of wind, could he have come up with her.
The chance of our having sailed so far, however, on a line so
nearly resembling that of the chase as to bring us together,
was so very small, that few of us thought it worth our consideration.
On the morning of the eleventh day, the look-out we had
kept on the fore-top-sail-yard, sang out “Sail-ho!” Marble and
myself were soon on the yard, there being nothing visible from
the deck. The upper sails, top-gallant-sails, and royals of a ship
were visible on our weather-quarter, distant from fifteen to
twenty miles. As we were now in the track of whalers, of which
there were a good many in that part of the Pacific, I thought
it was probable this was one; but Marble laughed at the notion, asking if I had ever heard of a whaler’s carrying royals
on her cruising ground. He affirmed it was the Crisis, heading
the same way we were ourselves, and which had only got to
windward of us, by keeping a better luff. We had calculated too
much on the schooner’s weatherly qualities, and had allowed
her to fall off more than was necessary, in the night-watches.
The Pretty Poll was now jammed up on a wind, in the hope
of closing with the chase in the course of the night. But the
wind had been growing lighter and lighter for some hours,
and by noon, though we had neared the chase so much as to
be able to see her from deck, there was every prospect of its
falling calm; after which, in the trades, it would be surprising
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AFLOAT AND ASHORE
if we did not get a blow. To make the most of our time, Marble
determined to tack, when we had just got the chase a point off
our weather-bow. An hour after tacking, an object was seen
adrift on the ocean, and keeping away a little to close with
it, it was ascertained to be a whale-boat, adrift. The boat was
American built, had a breaker of water, the oars, and all the
usual fittings in it; and the painter being loose, it had probably
been lost, when towing in the night, in consequence of having
been fastened by three half-hitches.
The moment Marble ascertained the condition of this
boat, he conceived his plan of operations. The four Sandwich
Islanders had been in whalers, and he ordered them into the
boat, put in some rum, and some food, gave me his orders, got
in himself, and pulled ahead, going off at five knots the hour,
leaving the schooner to follow at the rate of two. This was
about an hour before sunset; and by the time it was dark, the
boat had become a mere speck on the water, nearly half-way
between us and the ship, which was now some fifteen miles
distant, heading always in the same direction.
My orders had been very simple. They were, to stand on the
same course, until I saw a light from the boat, and then tack, so
as to run on a parallel line with the ship. The signal was made
by Marble about nine o’clock. It was immediately answered
from the schooner. The light in the boat was concealed from
the ship, and our own was shown only for a few seconds, the
disappearance of Mr. Marble’s telling us in that brief space,
that our answer was noted. I tacked immediately; and, taking
in the fore-sail, stood on the directed course. We had all foreseen a change in the weather, and probably a thunder-squall.
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JAMES FENIMORE COOPER
So far from its giving Marble any uneasiness, he anticipated
the blow with pleasure, as he intended to lay the Crisis aboard
in its height. He fancied that success would then be the most
certain. His whole concern was at not being able to find the
ship in the darkness; and it was to obviate this difficulty that
he undertook to pilot us up to her in the manner I have just
mentioned.
After getting round, a sharp look-out was kept for the light.
We caught another view of it, directly on our weather-beam.
From this we inferred that the ship had more wind than we
felt; inasmuch as she had materially altered her position, while
we had not moved a mile since we tacked. This was on the
supposition that Marble would endeavour to follow the movements of the ship. At ten, the tempest broke upon us with tropical violence, and with a suddenness that took everybody by
surprise. A squall had been expected; but no one anticipated
its approach for several hours; and we had all looked for the
return of the whale-boat, ere that moment should come. But,
come it did, when least expected; the first puff throwing our
little schooner down, in a way to convince us the elements
were in earnest. In fifteen minutes after the first blast was felt,
I had the schooner, under a reefed foresail, and with that short
canvass, there were instants, as she struggled up to the summit
of the waves, that it seemed as if she were about to fly out of the
water. My great concern, however, was for the boat, of which
nothing could now be seen. The orders left by Marble anticipated no such occurrence as this tempest, and the concert between us was interrupted. It was naturally inferred among us,
in the schooner, that the boat would endeavour to close, as
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AFLOAT AND ASHORE
soon as the danger was foreseen; and, as this would probably
be done, by running on a converging line, all our efforts were
directed to keeping the schooner astern of the other party, in
order that they might first reach the point of junction. In this
manner there was a chance of Marble’s finding the schooner,
while there was little of our finding the boat. It is true, we carried several lights; but as soon as it began to rain, even a bonfire would not have been seen at a hundred yards. The water
poured down upon us, as if it fell from spouts, occasionally
ceasing, and then returning in streams.
I had then never passed so miserable a night; even that in
which Smudge and his fellows murdered Captain Williams
and seized the ship, being happiness in comparison. I loved
Marble. Hardy, loose, in some respects, and unnurtured as he
was in others, the man had been steadily my friend. He was a
capital seaman; a sort of an instinctive navigator; true as the
needle to the flag, and as brave as a lion. Then, I knew he was
in his present strait on account of mortified feeling, and the
rigid notions he entertained of his duty to his owners. I think I
do myself no more than justice, when I say that I would gladly
have exchanged places with him, any time that night.
We held a consultation on the quarter-deck, and it was determined that our only chance of picking up the boat, was by
remaining as nearly as possible, at the place where her crew
must have last seen the schooner. Marble had a right to expect
this; and we did all that lay in our power to effect the object;
waring often, and gaining on our tacks what we lost in coming
round. In this manner we passed a painful and most uncomfortable night; the winds howling about us a sort of requiem
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JAMES FENIMORE COOPER
for the dead, while we hardly knew when we were wallowing
in the seas or not, there being so much water that came down
from the clouds, as nearly to drown us on deck.
At last the light returned, and soon after the tempest broke,
appearing to have expended its fury. An hour after the sun had
risen, we got the trade-wind again, the sea became regular once
more, and the schooner was under all her canvass. Of course,
every one of us officers was aloft, some forward, some aft, to
look out for the boat; but we did not see her again. What was
still more extraordinary, nothing could be seen of the ship! We
kept all that day cruising around the place, expecting to find at
least the boat; but without success.
My situation was now altogether novel to me. I had left
home rather more than a twelvemonth before, the third officer of the Crisis. From this station, I had risen regularly to be
her first officer; and now, by a dire catastrophe, I found myself
in the Pacific, solely charged with the fortunes of my owners,
and those of some forty human beings. And this, too, before I
was quite twenty years old.
Marble’s scheme of attacking the ship had always seemed to
me to be wild and impracticable. This was while it was his project, not my own. I still entertained the same opinion, as regards
the assault at sea; but I had, from the first, regarded an attempt
on the coast as a thing much more likely to succeed. Then Emily, and her father, and the honour of the flag, and the credit I
might personally gain, had their influence; and, at sunset, all
hope of finding the boat being gone, I ordered sail made on
our course.
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