It was the same thing over again: he got nothing out of us, and we were remanded; our resolute5 behaviour annoying him prodigiously6.
What we observed led us to form the idea that, on first learning the state of affairs on board the Julia, Wilson must have addressed his invalid7 friend, the captain, something in the following style:
"Guy, my poor fellow, don't worry yourself now about those rascally8 sailors of yours. I'll dress them out for you—just leave it all to me, and set your mind at rest."
But handcuffs and stocks, big looks, threats, dark hints, and depositions9, had all gone for nought10.
Conscious that, as matters now stood, nothing serious could grow out of what had happened; and never dreaming that our being sent home for trial had ever been really thought of, we thoroughly11 understood Wilson, and laughed at him accordingly.
Since leaving the Julia, we had caught no glimpse of the mate; but we often heard of him.
It seemed that he remained on board, keeping house in the cabin for himself and Viner; who, going to see him according to promise, was induced to remain a guest. These two cronies now had fine times; tapping the captain's quarter-casks, playing cards on the transom, and giving balls of an evening to the ladies ashore12. In short, they cut up so many queer capers13 that the missionaries14 complained of them to the consul; and Jermin received a sharp reprimand.
This so affected15 him that he still drank more freely than before; and one afternoon, when mellow16 as a grape, he took umbrage17 at a canoe full of natives, who, on being hailed from the deck to come aboard and show their papers, got frightened, and paddled for the shore.
Lowering a boat instantly, he equipped Wymontoo and the Dane with a cutlass apiece, and seizing another himself, off they started in pursuit, the ship's ensign flying in the boat's stern. The alarmed islanders, beaching their canoe, with loud cries fled through the village, the mate after them, slashing18 his naked weapon to right and left. A crowd soon collected; and the "Karhowree toonee," or crazy stranger, was quickly taken before Wilson.
Now, it so chanced that, in a native house hard by, the consul and Captain Guy were having a quiet game at cribbage by themselves, a decanter on the table standing19 sentry20. The obstreperous21 Jermin was brought in; and finding the two thus pleasantly occupied, it had a soothing22 effect upon him; and he insisted upon taking a hand at the cards, and a drink of the brandy. As the consul was nearly as tipsy as himself, and the captain dared not object for fear of giving offence, at it they went—all three of them—and made a night of it; the mate's delinquencies being summarily passed over, and his captors sent away.
An incident worth relating grew out of this freak.
There wandered about Papeetee, at this time, a shrivelled little fright of an Englishwoman, known among sailors as "Old Mother Tot." From New Zealand to the Sandwich Islands, she had been all over the South Seas; keeping a rude hut of entertainment for mariners23, and supplying them with rum and dice24. Upon the missionary25 islands, of course, such conduct was severely26 punishable; and at various places, Mother Tot's establishment had been shut up, and its proprietor27 made to quit in the first vessel28 that could be hired to land her elsewhere. But, with a perseverance29 invincible30, wherever she went she always started afresh; and so became notorious everywhere.
By some wicked spell of hers, a patient, one-eyed little cobbler followed her about, mending shoes for white men, doing the old woman's cooking, and bearing all her abuse without grumbling31. Strange to relate, a battered32 Bible was seldom out of his sight; and whenever he had leisure, and his mistress' back was turned, he was forever poring over it. This pious33 propensity34 used to enrage35 the old crone past belief; and oftentimes she boxed his ears with the book, and tried to burn it. Mother Tot and her man Josy were, indeed, a curious pair.
But to my story.
A week or so after our arrival in the harbour, the old lady had once again been hunted down, and forced for the time to abandon her nefarious36 calling. This was brought about chiefly by Wilson, who, for some reason unknown, had contracted the most violent hatred37 for her; which, on her part, was more than reciprocated38.
Well: passing, in the evening, where the consul and his party were making merry, she peeped through the bamboos of the house; and straightway resolved to gratify her spite.
The night was very dark; and providing herself with a huge ship's lantern, which usually swung in her hut, she waited till they came forth39. This happened about midnight; Wilson making his appearance, supported by two natives, holding him up by the arms. These three went first; and just as they got under a deep shade, a bright light was thrust within an inch of Wilson's nose. The old hag was kneeling before him, holding the lantern with uplifted hands.
"Ha, ha! my fine counsellor," she shrieked40; "ye persecute41 a lone42 old body like me for selling rum—do ye? And here ye are, carried home drunk—Hoot! ye villain43, I scorn ye!" And she spat44 upon him.
Terrified at the apparition45, the poor natives—arrant believers in ghosts—dropped the trembling consul, and fled in all directions. After giving full vent46 to her rage, Mother Tot hobbled away, and left the three revellers to stagger home the best way they could.
The day following our last interview with Wilson, we learned that Captain Guy had gone on board his vessel for the purpose of shipping47 a new crew. There was a round bounty48 offered; and a heavy bag of Spanish dollars, with the Julia's articles ready for signing, were laid on the capstan-head.
Now, there was no lack of idle sailors ashore, mostly "Beachcombers," who had formed themselves into an organized gang, headed by one Mack, a Scotchman, whom they styled the Commodore. By the laws of the fraternity, no member was allowed to ship on board a vessel unless granted permission by the rest. In this way the gang controlled the port, all discharged seamen49 being forced to join them.
To Mack and his men our story was well known; indeed, they had several times called to see us; and of course, as sailors and congenial spirits, they were hard against Captain Guy.
Deeming the matter important, they came in a body to the Calabooza, and wished to know whether, all things considered, we thought it best for any of them to join the Julia.
Anxious to pack the ship off as soon as possible, we answered, by all means. Some went so far as to laud50 the Julia to the skies as the best and fastest of ships. Jermin too, as a good fellow, and a sailor every inch, came in for his share of praise; and as for the captain—quiet man, he would never trouble anyone. In short, every inducement we could think of was presented; and Plash Jack51 ended by assuring the beachcombers solemnly that, now we were all well and hearty52, nothing but a regard to principle prevented us from returning on board ourselves.
The result was that a new crew was finally obtained, together with a steady New Englander for second mate, and three good whalemen for harpooners. In part, what was wanting for the ship's larder53 was also supplied; and as far as could be done in a place like Tahiti, the damages the vessel had sustained were repaired. As for the Mowree, the authorities refusing to let him be put ashore, he was carried to sea in irons, down in the hold. What eventually became of him we never heard.
Ropey, poor poor Ropey, who a few days previous had fallen sick, was left ashore at the sailor hospital at Townor, a small place upon the beach between Papeetee and Matavai. Here, some time after, he breathed his last. No one knew his complaint: he must have died of hard times. Several of us saw him interred54 in the sand, and I planted a rude post to mark his resting-place.
The cooper, and the rest who had remained aboard from the first, of course, composed part of the Julia's new crew.
To account for the conduct, all along, of the consul and captain, in trying so hard to alter our purpose with respect to the ship, the following statement is all that is requisite55. Beside an advance of from fifteen to twenty-five dollars demanded by every sailor shipping at Tahiti, an additional sum for each man so shipped has to be paid into the hands of the government, as a charge of the port. Beside this, the men—with here and there an exception—will only ship for one cruise, thus becoming entitled to a discharge before the vessel reaches home; which, in time, creates the necessity of obtaining other men, at a similar cost. Now, the Julia's exchequer56 was at low-water mark, or rather, it was quite empty; and to meet these expenses, a good part of what little oil there was aboard had to be sold for a song to a merchant of Papeetee.
It was Sunday in Tahiti and a glorious morning, when Captain Bob, waddling57 into the Calabooza, startled us by announcing "Ah—my boy—shippy you, harre—maky sail!" In other words, the Julia was off.
The beach was quite near, and in this quarter altogether uninhabited; so down we ran, and, at cable's length, saw little Jule gliding58 past—top-gallant59-sails hoisting60, and a boy aloft with one leg thrown over the yard, loosing the fore-royal. The decks were all life and commotion61; the sailors on the forecastle singing "Ho, cheerly men!" as they catted the anchor; and the gallant Jennin, bare-headed as his wont62, standing up on the bowsprit, and issuing his orders. By the man at the helm stood Captain Guy, very quiet and gentlemanly, and smoking a cigar.
Soon the ship drew near the reef, and, altering her course, glided63 out through the break, and went on her way.
Thus disappeared little Jule, about three weeks after entering the harbour: and nothing more have I ever heard of her.
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1
consul
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| n.领事；执政官 | |
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farce
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| n.闹剧，笑剧，滑稽戏；胡闹 | |
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affidavits
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| n.宣誓书，（经陈述者宣誓在法律上可采作证据的）书面陈述( affidavit的名词复数 ) | |
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specified
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| adj.特定的 | |
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resolute
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| adj.坚决的，果敢的 | |
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prodigiously
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| adv.异常地，惊人地，巨大地 | |
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invalid
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| n.病人，伤残人；adj.有病的，伤残的；无效的 | |
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rascally
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| adj. 无赖的，恶棍的 adv. 无赖地，卑鄙地 | |
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depositions
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| 沉积（物）( deposition的名词复数 )； （在法庭上的）宣誓作证； 处置； 罢免 | |
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10
nought
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| n.／adj.无，零 | |
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thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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ashore
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| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
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capers
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| n.开玩笑( caper的名词复数 )；刺山柑v.跳跃，雀跃( caper的第三人称单数 ) | |
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14
missionaries
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| n.传教士( missionary的名词复数 ) | |
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affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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mellow
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| adj.柔和的；熟透的；v.变柔和；(使)成熟 | |
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umbrage
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| n.不快；树荫 | |
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slashing
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| adj.尖锐的；苛刻的；鲜明的；乱砍的v.挥砍( slash的现在分词 )；鞭打；割破；削减 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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sentry
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| n.哨兵，警卫 | |
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obstreperous
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| adj.喧闹的，不守秩序的 | |
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soothing
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| adj.慰藉的；使人宽心的；镇静的 | |
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mariners
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| 海员，水手（mariner的复数形式） | |
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dice
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| n.骰子；vt.把（食物）切成小方块，冒险 | |
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missionary
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| adj.教会的，传教(士)的；n.传教士 | |
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severely
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| adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地 | |
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proprietor
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| n.所有人；业主；经营者 | |
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28
vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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perseverance
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| n.坚持不懈，不屈不挠 | |
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invincible
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| adj.不可征服的，难以制服的 | |
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grumbling
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| adj. 喃喃鸣不平的, 出怨言的 | |
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battered
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| adj.磨损的；v.连续猛击；磨损 | |
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pious
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| adj.虔诚的；道貌岸然的 | |
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propensity
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| n.倾向；习性 | |
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enrage
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| v.触怒，激怒 | |
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nefarious
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| adj.恶毒的，极坏的 | |
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hatred
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| n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨 | |
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reciprocated
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| v.报答，酬答( reciprocate的过去式和过去分词 )；（机器的部件）直线往复运动 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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shrieked
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| v.尖叫( shriek的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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persecute
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| vt.迫害，虐待；纠缠，骚扰 | |
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lone
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| adj.孤寂的，单独的；唯一的 | |
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villain
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| n.反派演员，反面人物；恶棍；问题的起因 | |
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spat
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| n.口角，掌击；v.发出呼噜呼噜声 | |
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apparition
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| n.幽灵，神奇的现象 | |
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vent
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| n.通风口，排放口；开衩；vt.表达，发泄 | |
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47
shipping
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| n.船运（发货，运输，乘船） | |
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bounty
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| n.慷慨的赠予物，奖金；慷慨，大方；施与 | |
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49
seamen
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| n.海员 | |
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50
laud
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| n.颂歌；v.赞美 | |
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jack
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| n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克 | |
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52
hearty
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| adj.热情友好的；衷心的；尽情的，纵情的 | |
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larder
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| n.食物贮藏室，食品橱 | |
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interred
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| v.埋，葬( inter的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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requisite
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| adj.需要的，必不可少的；n.必需品 | |
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exchequer
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| n.财政部；国库 | |
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waddling
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| v.（像鸭子一样）摇摇摆摆地走( waddle的现在分词 ) | |
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gliding
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| v. 滑翔 adj. 滑动的 | |
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gallant
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| adj.英勇的，豪侠的；(向女人)献殷勤的 | |
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hoisting
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| 起重，提升 | |
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commotion
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| n.骚动，动乱 | |
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wont
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| adj.习惯于；v.习惯；n.习惯 | |
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glided
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| v.滑动( glide的过去式和过去分词 )；掠过；（鸟或飞机 ） 滑翔 | |
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