William H. Macy  Source  Whalesite

Return of McDougal and his party to the beach – Sailing of the Argyle for Cape Town – Perils of "boating down" on the weather shore.

      Three Island Harbor, in Desolation, is a safe and almost land-locked haven, where ships may ride in perfect security the year round. For though the mountain gusts, or "woolies,"as they are called, blow down with great fury at times, they are not of long continuance, and no sea is raised by any wind which may blow.

      Our cargo was at once transferred to the ship, and there was nothing to prevent our immediate return. My friend Dave, who had now quite recovered from his dangerous wound, was, of course, quite exercised in mind as to his separation from Carrie McDougal; for the "Garrick's" voyage was now considered at an end, and all her crew, as well as the brig's, were at liberty to shift for themselves. They were, for the present, disposed of on board the various vesnels, each taking a share of them. McDougal and Rawlings were on board the "Cerberus," and the night before the schooner was to sail, word was given out for all the shipwrecked men to muster there.

      "Men," said the captain, when they were assembled, " the voyage is up so far as your obligation is concerned. But here we are, novhere, as one may say. There's no vessel going to leave this part of the world, this year, except the "Argyle" schooner for Cape Town; and she don't want all of us, though, no doubt, she'll give any of us a passage who may apply for it. If any of you want to join either of the American vessels, of course you are at liberty to do so. But what I am coming to is this: We have live or six hundred barrels of blubber on the beach at Hurd's Island, some of it' made off' in casks, and some loose. We've plenty of empty casks, and provisions for a year. Now, I want to know how many will volunteer to winter with me on the beach, and work right on in the same employ? We can make up a good voyage by spring, and we must stay here until that time, anyhow, if we are a burden upon others."

      "What will we do with the oil that we get?" was asked by one of the officers.

      "Mr. Rawlings will go to Cape Town in the 'Argyle,'and from there he can soon gel passage to Hobart Town, and a vessel will be sent out at once."

      "I'll winter with you, sir," was the reply.

      "And I," said another.

      Twenty-five men, including all the crew of the " Daphne," and part of the bark's volunteered on the spot, and took passages in the three schooners. We put to sea the nest morning, with the captain and his daughter on board, the "Adelaide " sailing in company. The " Ripple" was to follow the next day, and Rawlings and the doctor were to come in her, to secure a passage in the Cape Town vessel.

      "Brown cow season" was about over when we again landed on the beach at Hurd's Island. The few elephants which had, until now, escaped being slain, were hardly worth the killing, being those who had lain several weeks among the tussocks, shedding all their hair and fat. At this time, they present that ludicrous, snaky appearance which entitles them to the expressive appellation of "slim-skins."

      But the best work of all was to come yet, in February and March, for this was the time for the advent of the " March bulls," as they are called; patriarchal old beasts which have attained immense size, a single specimen often making five or six barrels of oil, while the average yield of the cows is less than one barrel.

      Meanwhile, my arm was gaining strength, so that I felt it would be as strong as ever when the active duty again commenced. While the dull times, or " between seasons" lasted, we improved the time to land casks and provisions, which had been brought down in the schooner. We also took a pot ashore and built try works, that we might be able to boil our oil on shore.

      Daphne Cottage again sent forth its familiar smoke wreath against the background of the Rookery. Carrie had re-established her boudoir in the cabin of the Wreck, and everything seemed to run smoothly in its old grooves. The Cape Towners had already obtained oil enough to make up the lading of their schooner, and she hauled off her last raft from the beach a few days after our return. Rawlings and Doctor Churchill took leave of us all with hearty farewells on both sides, and the "Argyle" made sail, followed by the Godspeed of every man on the shore.

      It had been a cherished purpose with Dave to manage his discharge at this time, and secure a passage for himself and Carrie to the Cape Colony, where he knew his father had business relations which would make it easy for him to obtain all the credit he wanted; to be united to her there, and take her home as his wife. But he met with steady opposition from her father as well as from herself.

      McDougal had felt it his interest as well as his duty, to remain on the island with the beach-gang, rather than to go home and leave Rawlings in charge. Though he held Bryant in the highest estimation, and was entirely satisfied as to his good character and connections, having sounded Fielding and others as well as myself, yet the canny Scot was not to be persuaded to part with his darling in this strange manner; nor did she herself desire it. If she went, her father must go, too, and that could not be the case at present. He had given his consent to the union, but would not listen to the impatient lover on the subject of spiriting his daughter away in this manner. She was young yet, he said; they must bide their time patiently, and not precipitate matters.

      "Well, Joe," said Bryant, as we stood looking at the sails of the "Argyle " fading in the distance, " it's tantalizing, but I suppose I must call my old philosophy to my aid, and submit to what I can't control. I am like Jacob of old, but I hope I may not have to serve so long for Carrie as he did for Rachel."

      "I am glad you can't have your own way, Dave, in this case," said I.

      "Oh, it's easy enough for you to take the thing coolly, where your heart is not interested."

      "But it is interested, though, perhaps, not in the same way as yours. My interest is not so selfish a one as yours, in this particular case; and I can give due weight to both sides of it. McDougal is right, depend upon it. Just suppose yourself in his position—suppose, if you can, that Carrie was your daughter, and think of it carefully."

      "I acknowledge that I should feel very much as he does about it," he admitted.

      "Of course you would. And now, as regards the girl's own feelings, you yourself, Dave, cannot admire or esteem this girl more than I do. I should be sorry to abate one jot of this feeling which I have for her, or to see her lowered in the least degree from the pedestal where I have placed her in my thoughts. And I certainly should be obliged to do so, if she had shown herself willing to go, even with you, and leave her father under these circumstances."

      "You are right, Joe," said, my friend, after considering a bit; "and I must acknowledge that I should not love her so well myself. But Cupid, you know, is proverbially blind, and I confess I had not looked at it in just that light before."

      "And I confess, now, that I am a little selfish, too. For I don't want to be separated from her yet, nor from you, either. You know that I can't go to Cape Town, even if you went. And now, as the 'Argyle' is hull down, we may as well dismiss the subject, and make out our logs for the winter."

      We were disappointed in the "haul" at the opening of the "March bull season," which was not so large as we had reason to expect. Though the elephants were large, and in fine condition, they were not very numerous on the Point, and the majority of those taken were on the south-west beach, which much increased the labor of transporting and securing the blubber. The animals appeared shy and wary; for many were seen to show themselves in the roller and disappear again without landing. The beach was closely watched, night and day, by scouts from all the rival parties, and we were soon satisfied that the share of each would not be very large.

      Under these circumstances, Fielding determined to steal a march upon his competitors by exploring further up the west side of the island. He took me into his confidence, one night, asking me if I felt able to go with him. I reported myself ready for the expedition, for my arm was nearly restored to its original strength, and we left the Nest an hour before daylight the next morning, saying nothing of our intention to anyone. We both took guns with us, for these were our main dependence during " March bull season." These monsters were ugly customers to attack with the lance; but a bullet in the head made quick and sure work of them.

      Winding through the tussock-land and thus avoiding all the beach-walkers, we ascended the western spur of the Glacier, and found it more easily scaled than the other one. The way, however, was long and fatiguing, and the sun was well up before we reached the beach beyond. But we were rewarded for all our toil by finding a goodly number of fine bulls on the shore; and, in the course of the forenoon we had shot thirty, and put our mark on them. Returning to our quarters, a few men were sent out to skin them, as also to continue the hunt for more; and after this, two or more were detailed, night and day, to watch on that beach.

      As may well be supposed, the secret of our movements was not long preserved. But few days elapsed ere each of the other vessels was represented on the new ground, and the opposition ran as lively there as elsewhere. But we bad secured the first "cut," and had already a stout raft of blubber "skinned out."

      But the " tug of war" had not come yet. It was only to be saved and brought home by rafting it in " strings " and boating it down along shore. This was a delicate operation on the weather side of the island, by reason of the boisterous character of the weather. Three boats, one belonging to each of the schooners, were carried across the Point where it was narrow, and made ready for launching from the other shore; but we were obliged to wait more than a week before the weather looked sufficiently promising to venture the undertaking.

      A fine morning was at length seized upon, and the boats pushed out and pulled up along shore to the beach. Each vessel's boat was manned by a crew from her own party, for it was necessary to act jointly, and bring down the whole catch at once. This time I was left behind on the Point, but Mr. Fielding and Bryant both went up in our boat.

      Much time was consumed in rafting and hauling the blubber off to a boat moored outside the surf. Meanwhile, heavy clouds were gathering in the southwest, and the aspect of the heavens was threatening. Impatient glances were directed towards where the boats were expected to heave in sight on their return; and as the breeze struck, at first moderate, but rapidly freshening, hopes were expressed among us that they might have decided to abandon the work for the day. But it was too late; they had already started. And as a fresh gust, giving earnest of the severe southwester that we might expect, swept into our faces, whirling the beach sand about our ears, and touching the tops of the seas with "white caps," the leading boat of the three made her appearance off the rugged cape which had heretofore concealed them.

      With a side wind blowing directly on shore, they were obliged to turn the boats' heads seaward, to counteract its effect, and to avoid drifting into the influence of the rollers before they should arrive abreast the spot where we were collected, an anxious group, awaiting their arrival. With so heavy a raft in tow, amounting altogether to about two hundred barrels of blubber, their progress was very slow, and the steadily increasing gale threatened to raise a heavy breaker on the Point before they could arrive. It was hard to lose that for which we had toiled so hard, and we had good reason to fear that Fielding and the other officers would hang on too long before they decided to abandon it and seek their own safety.

      All work was suspended on the Point, and the whole population, amounting to sixty souls, were assembled at the landing-place. Carrie was among us, hovering near her father, her heart, as I well knew, torn with anxiety, and with something of the absorbed expression which I had first seen in her on that memorable night when I brought the surgeon ashore. She never seemed to be overcome by dangers which threatened herself, however imminent; her anxiety was all for those she loved.

      When the boats, after an exhausting struggle, had reached a position off the mouth of the river, we observed them to exchange signals with each other; and immediately their connecting warps were cast off. The raft rope was also thrown overboard, and the blubber left to its fate, sagging slowly in towards the breakers. Relieved of the burden, the boats now drew rapidly down off the landing-place, and then edged in shore, watching a favorable opportunity to come forward. By this time, landing was really dangerous, so great had been the increase of wind and sea.

      Warner was in command of the leading boat, and first mounted the roller. Despite the rustic bearing of this man, who always looked, acted and talked as if he "hadn't got the hayseed out of his hair," there was not a more efficient seaman on the island, or a cooler head than his for any great emergency. He had taken the sea at the right moment, and guiding his boat with masterly skill, brought her directly into our willing hands, and she was run up on the beach without having shipped a bucketful of water.

      Fielding came next, giving the word to "pull ahead!" as soon as he saw the first boat safe in our grasp. He also had timed his advance well on the start, but unfortunately lost control of his steering-oar at a most critical moment, and was thrown partly broadside on. The roller combed in over his quarter, and spite of the readiness with which we rallied, at the risk of our lives, she was filled, and we dragged her up with her broadside stoven in, while the crew escaped with nothing worse than a thorough drenching.

      But the rear-guard, in charge of the fearless and hot-headed Burdick, fared still worse. The order to advance was given too soon, and the relentless breaker, a heavier one than usual, overtook his frail craft, lifted her stern, and dashed her completely over. We had no eyes for the boat; she was no longer worth looking for. We had enough to do in watching for the heads of the struggling men. By a good fortune which seemed almost a miracle, they were all pulled out alive, though Burdick himself was severely injured, and all the rest more or less bruised, to say nothing of being more than halfdrowned. The "Ripple's" owners were poorer by the value of a good whaleboat, totally wrecked; but no one cared much for that. The count of human heads showed that no life was lost; and we had leisure to turn our attention to the abandoned blubber.

      The whole mass drifted in a short distance below the river's mouth; but some of the "strings " parted, and it was scattered, portions of it coming ashore at a dozen different places along the Point. But numerous small parties were on the alert to secure it; and eventually very little of it was lost, though it was scattered in driblets over miles of beach, involving much labor in collecting it again, as well as delicate questions of ownership, which, however, were satisfactorily settled. We were all convinced that great difficulties lay in the way of working the weather side of the island, and that during the winter season, now fast approaching, we should be obliged to content ourselves with hunting on the Point only.

Source:

W. H. Macy
"Beyond Desolation - No. XII."
      Flag of Our Nation.
Vol.24, No.41, (Oct 9, 1869)
p.654.

William H. Macy  Source  Whalesite