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AFLOAT AND ASHORE
surface of the water, I was obliged to be attentive to the pilot’s
duty, until we got into the outer bay, when this particular danger in a great measure disappeared. I could then look about me
with more freedom. Though we so far changed our position, as
respected the wreck, as to open new views of it, no launch was
to be seen behind it. By the time the ship reached the passage
through the reef, I had little hope of finding it there.
We had got to be too familiar with the channels, to have
any difficulty in taking the ship through them; and we were
soon fairly to windward of the reef. Our course, however, lay to
leeward; and we passed round the southern side of the rocks,
under the same easy canvass, until we got abreast, and within
half a cable’s length of the wreck. To aid my own eyes, I had
called up Talcott and Neb; but neither of us could obtain the
least glimpse of the launch. Nothing was to be seen about the
wreck; though I took the precaution to send a boat to it. All
was useless. Marble had gone out to sea, quite alone, in the
Frenchman’s launch; and, though twenty pairs of eyes were
now aloft, no one could even fancy that he saw anything in the
offing, that resembled a boat.
Talcott and myself had a private interview on the subject
of Marble’s probable course. My mate was of opinion, that our
friend had made the best of his way for some of the inhabited islands, unwilling to remain here, when it came to the
pinch, and yet ashamed to rejoin us. I could hardly believe this;
in such a case, I thought he would have waited until we had
sailed; when he might have left the island also, and nobody
been the wiser. To this Talcott answered that Marble probably feared our importunities; possibly, compulsion. It seemed
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JAMES FENIMORE COOPER
singular to me, that a man who regretted his hasty decision,
should adopt such a course; and yet I was at a loss to explain
the matter much more to my own satisfaction. Nevertheless,
there was no remedy. We were as much in the dark as it was
possible to be with a knowledge of the circumstance that the
bird had flown.
We hovered around the reef for several hours, most of
which time I passed in the cross-trees, and some of it on the
royal-yard. Once, I thought I saw a small speck on the ocean,
dead to windward, that resembled a boat’s sail; but there were
so many birds flying about, and glancing beneath the sun’s
rays, that I was reluctantly compelled to admit it was probably
one of them. At meridian, therefore, I gave the order to square
away, and to make sail on our course. This was done with the
greatest reluctance, however, and not without a good deal of
vaciliation of purpose. The ship moved away from the land rapidly, and by two o’clock, the line of cocoa-nut trees that fringed
the horizon astern, sunk entirely beneath the rolling margin
of our view. From that moment, I abandoned the expectation
of ever seeing Moses Marble again, though the occurrence left
all of us sad, for several days.
Major Merton and his daughter were on the poop, nearly
the whole of this morning. Neither interfered in the least; for
the old soldier was too familiar with discipline to venture an
opinion concerning the management of the ship. When we
met at dinner, however, the conversation naturally turned on
the disappearance of our old friend.
“It is a thousand pities that pride should have prevented
Marble from acknowledging his mistake,” observed the Ma-
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AFLOAT AND ASHORE
jor, “and thus kept him from getting a safe passage to Canton,
where he might have left you, and joined another ship had he
thought it necessary.”
“Where we shall do the same thing, I suppose, dear sir,”
added Emily, with a manner that I thought marked, “and thus
relieve Captain Wallingford from the encumbrance of our
presence.”
“Me! – call your delightful society anything but an enumbrance, I beg of you, Miss Merton,” I rejoined in haste.
“Now, that Mr. Le Compte has furnished this comfortable
cabin, and you are no longer at any inconvenience to yourselves, I would not be deprived of the advantage and pleasure
of this association, for more than I dare mention.”
Emily looked gratified; while her father appeared to me to
be thoughtful. After a brief pause, however, the Major resumed
the discourse.
“I should certainly feel myself bound to make many apologies for the trouble we are giving,” he said, “especially, since
I understand from Wallingford, he will not accept, either for
himself or his owners, anything like compensation even for
the food we consume, were it not that we are here by constraint, and not by any agency of our own. As soon as we reach
Canton, however, I shall feel it a duty to get on board the first
English ship that will receive us.”
I stole a glance at Emily, but could not understand the expression of her countenance, as she heard this announcement.
Of course, I made an earnest protest against the Major’s doing
anything of the sort; and yet I could not well find any sufficient reason for urging him to remain where he was, beyond
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JAMES FENIMORE COOPER
my own gratification. I could not go to either England, or Bombay; and I took it for granted Major Merton wished to proceed,
at once, to one, if not to both of these places. We conversed, a
little generally perhaps, on the subject for some time longer;
and when I left the cabin, it struck me, Emily’s melancholy
had, in no degree, lessened.
It is a long road to traverse over half of the Pacific. Weeks
and weeks were thus occupied; Talcott and myself profiting
by every suitable occasion, to enjoy the advantages of the association chance had thus thrown in our way. I make no doubt
I was greatly benefited by my constant communications with
the Mertons; the Major being a cultivated, though not a particularly brilliant, man; while I conceive it to be utterly impossible for two young men, of our time of life and profession, to
be daily, almost hourly, in the company of a young woman like
Emily Merton, without losing some of the peculiar roughness
of the sea, and getting, in its place, some small portion of the
gentler qualities of the saloon. I date a certain a plomb, an absence of shyness in the company of females, from this habitual
intercourse with one of the sex who had, herself, been carefully educated in the conventionalities of respectable, if not of
very elegant or sophisticated society.
At length we reached the China seas, and falling in to
windward, we made a quick run to Canton. It now became
necessary for me to attend to the ship and the interests of my
owners; suffering my passengers to land at Whampoa, with the
understanding we were to meet before either party sailed. I
soon disposed of the sandal-wood and skins, and found no difficulty in procuring teas, nankins, china-ware, and the other
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AFLOAT AND ASHORE
articles pointed out, in the instructions to poor Captain Williams. I profited by the occasion, also, to make certain purchases on my own account, that I had a presentiment would be
particularly agreeable to the future mistress of Clawbonny, let
that lady turn out to be whomsoever she might. The dollars
obtained on the west coast of South America enabled me to
do this; my instructions giving the necessary authority to use
a few of them on private account. My privilege as master rendered all proper.
In a word, the residence of six or eight weeks at Canton,
proved a very advantageous affair for those whose money
was embarked in the Crisis. Sandal-wood and sea-otter skins
brought particularly high prices; while teas, and the manufactures of the country, happened to be low. I had no merit
in this; not a particle; and yet I reaped the advantage, so far
as advantage was connected with the mere reputation of the
voyage; success being of nearly as great account in commerce,
as in war. It is true, I worked like a dog; for I worked under an
entirely novel sense of responsibility, and with a feeling I am
certain that could never have oppressed me in the care of my
own property; and I deserved some portion of the credit subsequently obtained. At all events, I was heartily rejoiced when
the hatches were on, and the ship was once more ready for
sea.
It now became a duty, as well as a pleasure, to seek Major
Merton, whom I had seen but once or twice during the last
two months. He had passed that time at Whampao, while I
had been either at the factories, or on board. The Major was
occupied when I called; and Emily received me alone. When
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JAMES FENIMORE COOPER
she learned that I was ready to sail for home, and had come
to take my leave, it was easy to see that she was uneasy, if not
distressed. I felt unhappy at parting too, and perhaps I had less
scruple about saying as much.
“God only knows, Miss Merton, whether we are ever to be
permitted to see each other again,” I remarked, after the preliminary explanations had been made.
The reader will remember that I am now an old man,
and that vanity no longer has any of that influence over me
which it might be supposed to possess over one of more juvenile hopes and feelings; that I relate facts, without reference
to their effect on myself, beyond the general salvo of some
lingering weaknesses of humanity. I trust, therefore, I shall
be understood in all my necessary allusions to the estimation
in which I was apparently held by others. Emily fairly started
when I made this remark concerning the probable duration
of the approaching separation, and the colour left her cheek.
Her pretty white hand shook, so that she had difficulty in using her needle; and there was an appearance of agitation and
distress about the charming girl, that I had never before witnessed in one whose manner was usually so self-possessed and
calm. I now know the reason why I did not throw myself on my
knees, and beg the charming girl to consent to accompany me
to America, though I wondered at myself afterwards, when I
came to reflect coolly on all that passed, for my stoicism. I will
not affirm that I fancied Emily’s agitation to be altogether owing to myself; but I confess to an inability to account for it, in
any other manner, as agreeable to myself. The appearance of
Major Merton at that instant, however, prevented everything
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AFLOAT AND ASHORE
like a scene, and probably restored us both to a consciousness
of the necessity of seeming calm. As for the Major, himself, he
was evidently far from being unconcerned, something having
occurred to disturb him. So very apparent was this, that I commenced the discourse by asking if he were unwell.
“Always that, I fear, Miles,” he answered; “my physician has
just told me frankly, unless I get into a cold climate as soon as
possible, my life will not be worth six months’ purchase.”
“Then sail with me, sir,” I cried, with an eagerness and
heartiness that must have proved my sincerity. “Happily, I am
not too late to make the offer; and, as for getting away, I am
ready to sail to-morrow!”
“I am forbidden to go near Bombay,” continued the Major, looking anxiously at his daughter; “and that appointment
must be abandoned. If I could continue to hold it, there is no
probability of a chance to reach my station this half-year.”
“So much the better for me, sir. In four or five months from
this moment, I will land you in New York, where you will find
the climate cold enough for any disease. I ask you as friends –
as guests – not as passengers; and to prove it, the table of the
upper cabin, in future, shall be mine. I have barely left room
in the lower cabin to sleep or dress in, having filled it with my
own private venture, as is my right.”
“You are as generous as kind, Miles; but what will your
owners think of such an arrangement?”
“They have no right to complain. The cabin and passengers,
should any of the last offer, after deducting a very small allowance for the ship’s portion of the food and water, are mine by
agreement. All the better food I find at my own charge; and,
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JAMES FENIMORE COOPER
should you insist on remunerating the owners for the coarser,
or such as they find, you can do so, it will be less than a hundred dollars, at the most.”
“On these conditions, then, I shall thankfully profit by
your offer; attaching, however, one more that I trust you may
be permitted to fulfil. It is important to me that I reach England – can you touch at St. Helena?”
“Willingly, if it be your wish. The health of the crew, moreover, may render it desirable.”
“There, then, I will quit you, if an opportunity offer to proceed to England. Our bargain is made, dear Miles; and to-morrow I shall be ready to embark.”
I think Emily never looked more beautiful than she did
while listening to this arrangement. It doubtless relieved her
mind on the painful subject of her father’s health, and I fancied it relieved it also on the subject of our own immediate
separation. Months must elapse before we could reach St. Helena; and who could foresee what those months might bring
forth? As I had a good deal to do at such a moment, I took my
leave, with my feelings lightened, as it might be, of a burthen.
The reader will at once infer, I was in love. But he will be mistaken. I was not in love; though my imagination, to use a cant
phrase of some of the sects, was greatly exercised. Lucy, even
then, had a hold of my heart in a way of which I was ignorant
myself; but it was not in nature for a youth, just approaching
his majority, to pass months and months, almost alone, in the
society of a lovely girl who was a year or two his junior, and not
admit some degree of tenderness towards her in big feelings.
The circumstances were sufficient to try the constancy of the
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AFLOAT AND ASHORE
most faithful swain that ever lived. Then, it must be remembered that I had never professed love to Lucy – was not at all
aware that she entertained any other sentiment towards me
than that she entertained towards Rupert; whereas Emily –
but I will not prove myself a coxcomb on paper, whatever I
might have been, at the moment, in my own imagination.
Next day, at the appointed hour, I had the happiness to
receive my old passengers. It struck me that Talcott was as
much gratified as I was myself; for he, too, had both pleasure
and improvement in Emily Morton’s society. It has often been
said that the English East-India ships are noted for quarrelling
and making love. The quarrels may be accounted for on the
same principle as the love-making, viz., propinquity; the same
proximity producing hostility in whose sterner natures, that,
in others of a gentler cast, produces its opposite feeling. We
sailed, and it is scarcely necessary to tell the reader how much
the tedium of so long a voyage, and the monotony of a sea-voyage, was relieved by the graces and gentle intercourse of our
upper cabin. The other apartment being so crowded and hot, I
passed most of my time in the poop, which was both light and
airy. Here I generally found the father and daughter, though
often the latter alone. I played reasonably well on the flute
and violin, and had learned to accompany Emily on her piano,
which, it will be remembered, Mons. Le Compte had caused
to be transferred from the Bombay ship to his own vessel, and
which had subsequently been saved from the wreck.
Talcott played also on the flute, far better than I did myself;
and we frequently made a trio, producing very respectable seamusic – better, indeed, than Neptune often got for his smiles.
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JAMES FENIMORE COOPER
In this manner, then, we travelled our long road, sometimes
contending with head-winds and cross-seas, sometimes becalmed, and sometimes slipping along at a rate that rendered
everybody contented and happy.
In passing the Straits of Sunda, I related to Major Merton
and Emily the incidents of the John’s affair with the proas, and
her subsequent loss on the island of Madagascar; and was rewarded by the interest they took in the tale. We all spoke of
Marble, as indeed we often did, and expressed our regrets at
his absence. The fate of my old shipmate was frequently discussed among us, there being a great diversity of opinion on
the subject. As for the Major, he thought poor Marble must
be lost at sea, for he did not perceive how any one man could
manage a boat all alone by himself. Talcott, who had juster notions of what a seaman could do, was of opinion that our late
commander had run to leeward, in the hope of finding some
inhabited island, preferring the association of even cannibals,
when it came to the trying moment, to total solitude. I thought
he had gone to windward, the boat being so well equipped for
that service, and that Marble was in the expectation of falling
in with some of the whalers, who were known to be cruising
in certain latitudes. I was greatly struck, however, by a remark
made by Emily, on the evening of the very day when we passed
the Straits of Sunda.
“Should the truth be ever known, gentlemen,” she said, “I
am of opinion it will be found that poor Mr. Marble only left
the island to escape from your importunities, and returned to
it after the ship disappeared; and that he is there at this moment, enjoying all the happiness of a hermit.”
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