William H. Macy  Source  Whalesite

Leaves from the Arethusa's Log.
No. 14

W. H. Macy

Flag of our Union.
Vol. 23, No. 38 (Sep 19, 1868)
p. 606.

Leaves from the Arethusa's Log.

No. 14.

THE BILL-FISH. — THE MARQUESAS. — A PRISONER AMONG THE SAVAGES.

      Down the coasts of Chili and Peru we pursued our voyage, and then off-shore among the Galapagos, or "Galleypaguses" as my ebony friends Jeff and the doctor would say. Here we took one large whale, but the fleet was numerous, and, from all that we could learn, they not were doing wonders, and the old man expressed his opinion that there was not more than a whale apiece for all those ships; so we carried sail again to the westward, running down the equator to the longitude of 120 to 130 degrees west. Here we met with good success, taking some four hundred barrels in the next four months. We spoke perhaps a dozen ships during that time, and all were doing a fair season's work.

      No incident of note occurred during this pleasant cruise, till near the end of it; in fact, we had already kept off to make a port at one of the Marquesas Islands, which lay conveniently under our lee. A school of bonitas or "skipjacks," as we more commonly call them, had attached themselves to us, and kept company for several days. These fish cannot be said to follow a ship, but rather lead, for they almost invariably keep ahead of her, sporting around the bow. We were running perhaps four or five knots an hour with moderate trades, and the fish were gambolling ahead of us, as usual, when Manoel, in the fore-topgallant crosstrees, sung out:

      "Bill-fish!"

      "Whereaway?" asked the mate.

      "Little on weather bow," said Manoel. "He come this way. Chase that skeepshack."

      "O, I see him!" said Father Grafton. "Give me an iron here! Never mind, here's the porpoise-iron, all rigged! Get another iron, Blacksmith, and look out for him!"

      The bonitas had taken alarm, and were darting here and there, and leaping into the air to escape their natural enemy, whose method of attack is to make a sudden dart at his victim and impale him upon his bill or sword, which projects in a straight line ahead of him. All the watch on deck were collected at the bow to witness the sport, and the irons were ready, if the opportunity offered, to transfix him, even as he would the bonita. Suddenly, after having paused a moment as if to make sure of his aim, he made a dart towards the ship with the speed of lightning; the wily bonita eluded him by leaping above the surface just in time, and the bill-fish disappeared in the swash under the ship's bows. Father Grafton darted at him as he flew past, but missed him; a slight jar was perceptible to us on deck, as though the ship had hit some small, hard object, and the fish rose to the surface under the fore-chains, quivering in the agony of death, his bill broken off short up to his head! No time was lost in bringing the ship to the wind, and lowering a boat; and we soon secured the fish and took him in on deck.

      "How did he break his bill off so short?" I asked, innocently.

      "He has run it into the ship, of course," said Father Grafton. "His bill is probably sticking in our bows under water. I hope it will caulk its own hole tight. Rig the pump there, a couple of ye, and try her."

      We did so, and found we had started a small leak; at least, we found more water than usual, though it was difficult to tell immediately. A few hours hence we could judge better. The mate and I went into the forepeak with a light, and after moving a lot of wood and empty breakers, we found what we were in search of; the end of the bill, projecting full six inches through the ceiling or inside planking of the bows: the bone, bare and smooth as if polished with sand paper. Of course we could tell nothing about the leak from the inside, except that we could hear the water trickling down between the timbers. The old man came down and had a look at it and estimated it to be about three feet below the water line.

      "If so," said he, "we can stop the leak ourselves in any smooth harbor where we can get her head up and trim her stern down. There is no fear of its working loose as long as the wood is new and sound round it. The leak is not a serious one, to be sure, but it is enough to annoy us all the time and make considerable work, and a kind of work, too, that no sailor is fond of. We must try, when we get in, and see what we can do with it."

      It was found after a few hours' trial, that the leak was about a hundred and fifty strokes an hour. Of course, the conversation, in our hours of leisure at night, turned upon the occurrence of the day, and several instances were cited which were known to have occurred, of a character similar to this. The mate had known two or three cases of the kind, and had seen a section of timber preserved in a museum at home just as it was sawed out when the ship was repaired, the bill still in the wood and projecting both sides. The cooper, of course, had known numerous instances; in fact, his experience went to show that it was quite an ordinary thing for ships to be "stabbed," as he termed it. And as for the leak, that was a mere trifle, "hardly enough to keep her sweet," the cooper said. "Why, when I was on the Banks," said he, "in the old Harbinger, she leaked so that the pumps were going all the time, and the crew got completely worn out; and at last the old man, who was a sort of natural mechanic, invented and rigged a kind of windmill up in the maintop, that would keep both pumps in operation as long as there was any breeze."

      "And how did you manage it in a calm?" I asked.

      "That's the beauty of it," replied the cooper. "We attached a crank to the shaft of the mill, and a long iron rod came down on deck, and was worked by a couple of men on a big treadle."

      "And how did you like the treadmill exercise?" inquired the mate.

      "That was pretty hard work; and you may depend we were glad enough to see a breeze coming to drive the vanes. But it was better than working brakes by hand, which would have kept four men at work, to man both pumps."

      "Then you mean to say that both pumps were going all the time?" said Mr. Bunker.

      "Certainly," returned the cooper. "And she leaked at the same rate all the time; no more when pitching in a gale of wind than when lying becalmed in smooth water; and no more at the end of the voyage than when six weeks out from home, which was the time that the leak first started. Why, she leaked so that when we were crossing the tropical latitudes, we used frequently to pump live flying fish! and once or twice the pumps got completely choked with Portuguese men-of-war!"

      "That's nothing at all!" put in the second mate, who happened to be within hearing. "I've heard say that, on board the old Yorkshire, they used to take off the lower-deck hatches, sit on the combings, and fish for skipjacks and albicore in the hold!"

      "Yes! fish for them, indeed," said the cooper, "but did they catch any?"

      "I've heard say they did," said Mr. Dunham. "I didn't see this myself."

      "O, you've heard say!" returned the cooper, with a sneer. "Well, I did see this myself, that I've been telling you; and what I've seen I know."

      A few days' run brought us among the Marquesas, and, after sending a boat to reconnoitre, we took the ship in, and came to anchor in the bay of Hanayapa on the north side of Ohevihoa, an island better known by the name of Dominica, given to it by the Spanish discoverer, Mendana, in 1597. We found good anchorage in thirteen fathoms, and a convenient watering place. A native came on board while we were yet outside, who had served some time on board a whaleship, and spoke English tolerably well. He made a pressing offer of his services as interpreter and trading-master, which position he had filled for many other ships, and produced a dirty bundle of certificates and recommendations, signed by various whaling captains, some of which were highly satisfactory, and others, to say the least, somewhat equivocal; as the thus:

      "This may certify that the bearer, Jack Bailey, has been interpreter and trading-master for me during my stay at this place, and I would recommend all other shipmasters who may anchor here to employ him — if they cannot do better." Or, again, "The bearer, Jack Bailey, has worked for me as interpreter and go-between with the natives for these ten days past; and those shipmasters who may hereafter employ him for the same length of time — will know him as well as I do."

      He was equally proud of all these testimonials, and as none of them gave him a positively bad name, and there appeared to be no opposition candidate in the field, his services were engaged, and he brought with him four young natives to row the boat about for him on trading excursions, etc. He seemed to have a realizing sense of the dignity of his official position, and was very desirous of being addressed as Mr. Bailey.

      "All right," said the old man. "If you'll serve me any the better for it, I'll call you Captain Bailey, or even Admiral Bailey."

      Our first business, after landing a large lot of empty casks to be filled with water, was to find our leak and stop it. We "broke out" everything of a heavy nature from the forehold, and stowed it away aft, roused the bights of the chain cables aft; the six-pounder gun, the blubber-hooks and other ponderous articles were collected as near the taffrail as possible, and heavy casks of water were hoisted and slung to the stern. We finally succeeded in raising her head so as to bring the leak out of water, and, taking advantage of a smooth time, we cut out a piece of the planking, which was split and shattered somewhat, and replaced it by a new piece, caulking round it so as to make all fair and tight as ever. It was found that the bill, after passing, of course, through the copper, sheathing-boards and outside planking, had pierced obliquely through the corners of two timbers, and then through the ceiling, also of heavy plank, and into the hold, as before mentioned. The muscular power necessary to pierce a ship in this manner seems hardly credible in an animal no larger than the bill-fish, but the facts are well attested in numerous similar cases. In our case, it must be remembered that the ship was moving in an opposite direction, meeting the fish "head to head," which, of course, greatly increased the momentum.

      We had finished the job, repaired the sheathing and copper as well, and were about ready to stow back the forehold, and begin trimming the ship to her old bearings, when a canoe came alongside containing two natives and a white man, from a settlement called Hanarora, a few miles to leeward. This white man represented to Captain Upton that they had some hogs and fowl to dispose of at his village, as well as plenty of fruit and cocoanuts, and persuaded the old man to go down there with the boat. It was observable that from the arrival of this white man, Mr. Bailey became a victim of ill-concealed jealousy, and evidently disliked the idea of the captain going down to the leeward with this interloper, instead of going up to Hanaca-oa, as had been arranged. This was the village where Bailey lived, and the old man had been there with him two or three times and made some traffic with his tribe, but was not so successful as he wished, and it appeared that the natives were disposed to hold back their "truck" to get higher prices. He now pacified him as well as possible, telling him he wished him to go, as promised, up to his own settlement, and would send an officer with him; while he himself would go down to Hanarora in another boat, with the white "beach-comber." He appeared well satisfied with this arrangement; and, not wishing to spare either of the mates from the ship at the time, the captain ordered me to go with Bailey up to Hana-ca-oa: and, said he;

      "Take the Kanaka, Peter, with you; he understands the language pretty well, and likes to go on these boat cruises. That will be enough, with Admiral Bailey and his crew."

      The two boats left the ship about the same time, the captain setting his sail after we passed out of the mouth of the harbor, and running down to the leeward, while we took to our oars, pulling up along shore against the trade-wind. It might have been three miles by water up to Hana-ca-oa, and rounding the rocky bluff, we pulled into a bend or bight of no great depth, and having no shelter to make a safe and convenient ship harbor. There was a handsome beach at the head of the bay, but the surf rolled in upon it with considerable force. Still there was no danger at this time in landing a whaleboat, if she were well handled. Mr. Bailey had the steering-oar, and as the boat rose upon the roller, she sheared nearly broadside on. I sprung to help Bailey, and succeeded in heading her in for the beach again, so that she was thrown ashore without damage beyond shipping a little water. We soon pulled her up high and dry on the rise of the beach, and passed out the articles of traffic that we had brought with us. I noticed that Bailey seemed much vexed at the manner of landing the boat, but supposed the boat had taken a shear, and got the advantage of him; an accident liable to have happened to myself or to any other man.

      At his suggestion, we carried the articles taken from the boat up to a shady spot among a grove of cocoanut trees but a short distance from the water. This was the trading-ground, or market where the barter was to be carried on. Very few natives had made their appearance, and these few brought nothing to sell. But Bailey gave me to understand that they would not bring their hogs or fruit for sale till after the sun went down more, for it was then but little after noon; and suggested that we should carry the articles up to his house, which he pointed out at no great distance. So we gathered up the "trade," and backed the whole up to the "thatched cottage," where an old man was sitting in the doorway, whom Bailey introduced to me as his father. There was no disputing the family resemblance; I had no doubt that he was Mr. Bailey, senior. We passed all the things into the house; and I entered with Bailey to see that they were all right and ready for market. We had two old flintlock muskets which might have done good service at Bunker Hill or the Cowpens, and could perhaps be discharged now by putting a live coal of fire into the "pan," though I have no doubt the butt was the most dangerous end of them considered as weapons; about a dozen "cast steel" hatchets, three or four pieces of cheap cottons and prints, and some thirty pounds of very ancient "nigger-head" tobacco. I accepted a very cordial invitation from Mr. Bailey to take a seat upon the mat between him and his venerable parent, whose dim eyes were, for the most part, fixed in speechless admiration upon the treasures I have mentioned. Bailey had closed the door after us, and taken a seat on the mat; and now for the first time he threw aside the mask.

      "What for cap'n go Hanarora," said he, "with white man?"

      "I don't know," said I. "Because he wanted to, I suppose. He has a roving commission, I presume, to go where he likes."

      "Well," said Mr. Bailey, pointing to the heap of goods on the floor, "I got these tings, now, I goin' keep 'em."

      The old gentleman nodded his head in silent approval.

      "I got you here too. I goin' keep you."

      "The deuce you are!" said I, without waiting for the old man's opinion on this point. "We'll see about that."

      I made a dash for the door; my would-be jailor did the same; we both seized it, pulling opposite ways, but I proved the stronger! I pushed him aside, flung the door open, and bounded out into the footpath. The whole thing had flashed upon me at once! I now understood that his intention had been to capsize the boat in the surf, making it appear accidental; and his vexation arose from his failure to beach her broadside on, as he had meant to do. As I struck into the path leading towards the landing I encountered Peter, the Mani Kanaka, coming out of the bypath through the bushes. He, too, had smelt treachery in the air.

      "Where Bailey?" said he.

      "In his house," said I, as I hurried along the path. "Come on, let's go to the boat."

      "Where four Kanaka pull boat?" asked Peter.

      "I don't know," said I. "I haven't seen 'em."

      "Where trade? gun — hatchet — tobacker?"

      "In Bailey's house. He has taken that. He tried to take me, too."

      Just then a single savage, evidently a person of note, hideously tattooed, dashed diagonally across the path ahead of us, and into the bushes, heading for the beach by a short cut. Peter whipped out his sheath-knife, and gave chase, I followed, shouting to him to stop; which he did, seeing that pursuit was hopeless.

      "What would you do with that knife, Peter?" I said.

      "Cut him," answered my Kanaka, dryly.

      "If you did so our lives would not be worth a straw. Put up your knife, Peter; we can do nothing fighting against a whole tribe of these scoundrels."

      As we emerged from the bushes upon the open sward, we came in full view of a crowd of savages, numbering two or three hundred, collected around and near our boat, which had been hauled up still higher on the beach. It was ominous of evil that no women or children were to be seen. Nearly all the men were armed, some with weapons of their own manufacture, and a few with guns; but I was surprised at the number of whale-lances, broken off in the shank and fitted into poles. We held our way directly to the boat, and seizing the gunwale, I made signs for help to shove her into the water. Several laid hold with me, but a still larger number pulled up the beach instead of down, and it was soon evident that the stronger party were in favor of keeping the boat. I had hoped that they would have been content with seizing the goods at Bailey's house, and letting us go with our boat; for Peter and myself could have worked our way back to the ship; but I now gave up this hope; and gave my attention to their noisy conference, trying to make out by my own observation, as well as by what Peter could understand and interpret, the intention of the savages in regard to ourselves. They seemed to be much divided in opinion; some wished to shove the boat off for us, and let us go; some few warriors of the old school were in favor of killing us; but the large majority advocated the middle course of holding both men and boat for ransom. My feelings may be imagined, as I sat on the ground, waiting to know my doom at the hands of the yelling savages, who were gesticulating furiously around me, and brandishing their ugly weapons in the excitement of controversy. I was, from time to time, assured of my safety by Peter, who took the matter more coolly than I did, as he understood not only the language, but the character of the people much better than I.

      "He no kill," said Peter. "He no hurt. He keep boat, keep man — make old man pay plenty gun — hatchet — tobacka."

      But now a new motion seemed to have been made, and to have been received with favor, and Peter himself entered warmly into the discussion. After expressing himself in a very decided manner, he suddenly threw himself down on the beach by my side, seized my hand in his, still protesting in his own guttural tongue. The Marquesans and Hawaians both speak dialects of the same language, and have no difficulty in understanding each other.

      "What's the matter, Peter? What do they want now?" I inquired, anxiously of course.

      "He say let me go ship — see old man — keep you here — me no like — me tell him you all'e same my brother; spose keep you keep me, too."

      I could not fail to be touched by this proof of devotion in Peter, who having his own personal safety assured him, refused to abandon me; and I endeavored, as far as possible, to make him understand my feelings. I congratulated myself that he was with me. His stubborn firmness, in so stoutly refusing to go to the ship and leave me in their hands, again threw them back upon their old disputes, and the discord became greater than before. A large number favored letting both of us go free, to return to the ship by land; and this party was evidently gaining ground.

Source:

W. H. Macy.
"Leaves from the Arethusa's Log - No. 14."
      Flag of Our Union.
Vol. 23, No. 38 (Sep 19, 1868)
p. 606.

William H. Macy  Source  Whalesite