ABOUT five o'clock on the evening of the 23d, the Janson passed Castle Pinckney, ran up to the wharf1 with the flood-tide, let go her anchor, and commenced warping2 into the dock. Her condition attracted sundry3 persons to the end of the wharf, who viewed her with a sort of commiseration4 that might have been taken for sincere feeling. The boarding officer had received her papers, and reported her character and condition, which had aroused a feeling of speculative5 curiosity, that was already beginning to spread among ship-carpenters and outfitters.
Conspicuous6 among those gathered on the wharf was a diminutive7 little dandy, with an olive-colored frock-coat, black pants, embroidered8 vest, and an enormous shirt-collar that endangered his ears. This was secured around the neck with a fancy neckcloth, very tastefully set off with a diamond pin, He was very slender, with a narrow, feminine face, round popeyes--requiring the application of a pocket-glass every few minutes--and very fair complexion9, with little positive expression of character in his features. His nose was pointed10; his chin, projected and covered with innumerable little pimples11, gave an irregular and mastiff-shaped mouth a peculiar12 expression. He wore a very highly-polished and high-heeled pair of boots, and a broad-brimmed, silk-smooth hat. He seemed very anxious to display the beauty of two diamond rings that glittered upon his delicate little fingers, made more conspicuous by the wristbands of his shirt. Standing13 in a very conspicuous place upon the capsill of the wharf, he would rub his hands, then running from one part of the wharf to another, ordering sundry niggers about making fast the lines, kicking one, and slapping another, as he stooped, with his little hand. All paid respect to him. The Captain viewed him with a smile of curiosity, as much as to say, "What important specimen14 of a miss in breeches is that?" But when the little fellow spoke15, the secret was told. He gathered the inflections of his voice, as if he were rolling them over the little end of a thunderbolt in his mouth. As the vessel16 touched the wharf, he sprang to the corner and cried out at the top of his voice, "Yer' welcome to Charleston, Captain Thompson! Where did you get that knocking?--where are ye bound for?--how many days are you out?--how long has she leaked in that way?" and a strain of such questions, which it would be impossible to trace, such was the rapidity with which he put them. The Captain answered him in accordance with the circumstances; and supposing him clothed with authority, inquired where he should find some hands to work his pumps, in order to relieve his men. "By-Je-w-hu! Captain, you must a' had a piping time, old feller. Oh! yes, you want help to work your pumps. Get niggers, Captain, there's lots on 'em about here. They're as thick as grasshoppers17 in a cotton-patch."
"Yes, but I want 'em now, my men are worn out; I must get some Irishmen, if I can't get others at once," said the Captain, viewing his man again from head to foot.
"Oh! don't employ Paddies, Captain; 'ta'n't popular; they don't belong to the secession party; Charleston's overrun with them and the Dutch! Why, she won't hurt to lay till to-morrow morning, and there'll be lots o' niggers down; they can't be out after bell-ring without a pass, and its difficult to find their masters after dark. Haul her up 'till she grounds, and she won't leak when the tide leaves her. We can go to the theatre and have a right good supper after, at Baker's or the St. Charles's. It's the way our folks live. We live to enjoy ourselves in South Carolina. Let the old wreck18 go to-night." The little fellow seemed so extremely polite, and so anxious to "do the genteel attention," that the Captain entirely19 forgot the tenor20 of his conversation with the pilot, while his feelings changed with the prospect21 of such respectful attention; and yet he seemed at a loss how to analyze22 the peculiar character of his little, pedantic23 friend.
"You must not think me intrusive24, Captain," said he, pulling out his segar-pouch and presenting it with at Chesterfieldian politeness. "It's a pleasure we Carolinians take in being hospitable25 and attentive26 to strangers. My name, sir, is--! My niggers call me Master George. Yes, sir! our family!--you have heard of my father probably--he belongs to one of the best stocks in Carolina--owns a large interest in this wharf, and is an extensive cotton-broker, factors, we call them here--and he owns a large plantation27 of niggers on Pee-Dee; you must visit our plantation. Captain, certain! before you leave the city. But you mustn't pay much attention to the gossip you'll hear about the city. I pledge you my honor, sir, it don't amount to any thing, nor has it any prominent place in our society."
"Really, sir," replied the Captain, "I shall do myself the honor to accept of your hospitable kindness, and hope it may be my good fortune to reciprocate28 at some future day. I'm only too sorry that our wrecked29 condition affords me no opportunity to invite you to my table to-night; but the circumstances which you see everywhere presenting themselves are my best apology."
"Oh, dear me! don't mention it, I pray, Captain. Just imagine yourself perfectly30 at home. We will show you what Southern hospitality is. We don't go upon the Yankee system of Mr. So-and-so and What-do-ye-call-'um. Our feelings are in keeping with our State pride, which, with our extreme sensibility of honor, forbids the countenance31 of meanness. South Carolinians, sir, are at the very top of the social ladder--awake to every high-minded consideration of justice and right. We are not moved by those morbid32 excitements and notions that so often lead people away at the North. Make no unnecessary preparation, Captain, and I will do myself the honor to call upon you in an hour." Thus saying, he shook his hand and left.
The pilot had delivered his charge safe, and was about to, bid the Captain good-by for the night. But in order to do the thing in accordance with an English custom, that appears to have lost none of its zest33 in South Carolina, he was invited into the Captain's cabin to take a little prime old Jamaica. Manuel, who had somewhat recovered, brought out the case from a private locker34, and setting it before them, they filled up, touched glasses, and drank the usual standing toast to South Carolina. "Pilot," said the Captain, "who is my polite friend--he seems a right clever little fellow?"
"Well, Captain, he's little, but he's first-rate blood, and a genuine sprig of the chivalry35. He's a devil of a secessionist, sir. If ye were to hear that fellow make a stump36 speech on States' rights, you'd think him a Samson on Government. His father is the head of a good mercantile house here; 'twouldn't be a bad idea to consign37 to him. But I must bid you good-night, Captain; I'll call and see you to-morrow," said the pilot, leaving for his home.
The Janson was hauled well up the dock, and grounded on the ebb-tide. Manuel prepared supper for the officers and crew, while the Captain awaited the return of his new acquaintance. "Captain," said Manuel, "I should like to go ashore38 to-night and take a walk, for my bones are sore, and I'm full of pains. I think it will do me good. You don't think anybody will trouble me, if I walk peaceably along?"
"Nobody would trouble you if they knew you, Manuel; but I am afraid they will mistake you in the night. You had better keep ship until morning; take a good rest, and to-morrow will be a fine day--you can then take some exercise."
Manuel looked at the Captain as if he read something doubtful in his countenance, and turned away with a pitiful look of dissatisfaction. It seems that through his imperfect knowledge of English, he had misconceived the position of the celebrated39 Thomas Norman Gadsden, whom he imagined to be something like an infernal machine, made and provided by the good citizens of Charleston to catch bad niggers. "Nora-ma Gazine no catch-e me, Cap-i-tan, if me go ashore, 'case me no make trouble in no part de world where me sail, Oh! no, Cap-i-tan, Manuel know how to mine dis bisness," said he returning again to the Captain.
"Yes, yes, Manuel, but we can't let the crew go ashore 'till we get through the custom-house; you must content yourself to-night, and in the morning 'twill be all right. I'm afraid you'll get sick again-the night-air is very bad in this climate; old Gadsden won't trouble you. He don't walk about at night."
Manuel walked forward, not very well satisfied with the manner in which the Captain put him off. The latter felt the necessity of caution, fearing he might infringe40 upon some of the municipal regulations that the pilot had given him an account of, which accounted for his refusal Manuel sat upon the main-hatch fondling Tommy, and telling him what good things they would have in the morning for breakfast, and how happy they ought to be that they were not lost during the gales41, little thinking that he was to be the victim of a merciless law, which would confine him within the iron grates of a prison before the breakfast hour in the morning. "I like Charleston, Tommy," said Manuel; "it looks like one of our old English towns, and the houses have such pretty gardens, and the people they say are all so rich and live so fine. Tommy, we'll have a long walk and look all around it, so that we can tell the folks when we get home. The ship, owes me eleven pounds, and I mean to take some good things home for presents, to show what they have in South Carolina."
"You better buy a young nigger, and take him home as a curiosity to show among the Highlands. You can buy a young Sambo for any price, just the same as you would a leg of mutton at the butcher's; put him in a band-box, lug42 him across, and you'll make a fortune in the North country. But I'd rather buy a young wife, for the young niggers are more roguish than a lot o' snakes, and al'a's eat their heads off afore they're big enough to toddle43. They sell gals44 here for niggers whiter than you are, Manuel; they sell 'em at auction45, and then they sell corn to feed 'em on. Carolina's a great region of supersensual sensibility; they give you a wife of any color or beauty, and don't charge you much for her, providing you're the right stripe. What a funny thing it would be to show the Glasgow folks a bright specimen of a bought wife from the renowned46 State of South Carolina, with genuine aristocratic blood in her veins47; yes, a pure descendant of the Huguenots!" said the mate, who was leaning over the rail where Manuel and Tommy were seated, smoking a segar and viewing the beautiful scenery around the harbor.
"Ah!" said Manuel, "when I get a wife and live on shore, I don't want to buy one-it might be a dangerous bargain. Might buy the body, but not the soul-that's God's."
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wharf
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| n.码头，停泊处 | |
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warping
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| n.翘面，扭曲，变形v.弄弯，变歪( warp的现在分词 )；使（行为等）不合情理，使乖戾， | |
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sundry
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| adj.各式各样的，种种的 | |
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commiseration
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| n.怜悯，同情 | |
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speculative
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| adj.思索性的，暝想性的，推理的 | |
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conspicuous
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| adj.明眼的，惹人注目的；炫耀的，摆阔气的 | |
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diminutive
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| adj.小巧可爱的，小的 | |
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embroidered
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| adj．绣花的 | |
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complexion
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| n.肤色；情况，局面；气质，性格 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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pimples
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| n.丘疹，粉刺，小脓疱( pimple的名词复数 ) | |
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peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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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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specimen
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| n.样本，标本 | |
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spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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grasshoppers
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| n.蚱蜢( grasshopper的名词复数 )；蝗虫；蚂蚱；（孩子）矮小的 | |
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wreck
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| n.失事，遇难；沉船；vt.(船等)失事，遇难 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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tenor
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| n.男高音（歌手），次中音（乐器），要旨，大意 | |
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prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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analyze
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| vt.分析，解析 (=analyse) | |
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pedantic
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| adj.卖弄学问的；迂腐的 | |
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intrusive
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| adj.打搅的；侵扰的 | |
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hospitable
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| adj.好客的；宽容的；有利的，适宜的 | |
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attentive
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| adj.注意的，专心的；关心(别人)的，殷勤的 | |
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plantation
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| n.种植园，大农场 | |
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reciprocate
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| v.往复运动；互换；回报，酬答 | |
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wrecked
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| adj.失事的，遇难的 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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morbid
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| adj.病的；致病的；病态的；可怕的 | |
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zest
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| n.乐趣；滋味，风味；兴趣 | |
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locker
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| n.更衣箱，储物柜，冷藏室，上锁的人 | |
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chivalry
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| n.骑士气概，侠义；（男人）对女人彬彬有礼，献殷勤 | |
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stump
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| n.残株，烟蒂，讲演台；v.砍断，蹒跚而走 | |
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consign
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| vt.寄售（货品），托运，交托，委托 | |
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ashore
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| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
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celebrated
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| adj.有名的，声誉卓著的 | |
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infringe
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| v.违反，触犯，侵害 | |
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gales
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| 龙猫 | |
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lug
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| n.柄，突出部，螺帽；(英）耳朵；（俚）笨蛋；vt.拖，拉，用力拖动 | |
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toddle
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| v.（如小孩）蹒跚学步 | |
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gals
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| abbr.gallons （复数）加仑（液量单位）n.女孩，少女( gal的名词复数 ) | |
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auction
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| n.拍卖；拍卖会；vt.拍卖 | |
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renowned
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| adj.著名的，有名望的，声誉鹊起的 | |
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veins
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| n.纹理；矿脉( vein的名词复数 )；静脉；叶脉；纹理 | |
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