When Rumbold had ceased reading, Jerry took up the word. ‘Now, comrades,’ quoth he, ‘you have heard the news. What say ye, shall we continue our course to the south-west, or is there enough in that letter to make us haul our wind, and beat up for the Isles des Aves? I tell you that a cargo such as the writer mentioneth is worth looking for, and it may be that we shall in the mean time light upon prey as valuable running down from the islands as we should have met upon the coast of the main.’
Upon this, Josiah Ward, being one of the oldest men on board, gave as his opinion that we ought to steer eastward for the Isles des Aves, keeping not far from the mouth of the Gulf of Venezuela, a bay which many Spanish ships were wont to enter and depart from. This seemed to settle the matter. The main-topsail was filled, and the direction of the ship altered from south-west to south-east, and then, with a hearty cheer as an opening to our new cruise, we moved away, leaving the Barco Longo, with her overthrown mast, sadly drifting on the sea.
For three days we made good progress on our new course, descrying occasionally small sails, but none we thought it worth while to pursue. In the meantime Jerry was pleased to take much notice of me, and often sounded me as to my relations to Rumbold. I deemed it right, however, to give him but evasive replies. At length he entreated me one evening to come and crush a bottle in the great cabin, where he and certain others of the choicest spirits on board, as he said, intended to drink success to the new venture of the Isles des Aves. I was in no great humour for such festivities as I knew prevailed on board the ‘Saucy Susan,’ but of course I could not but signify my acquiescence. So, soon after it was dark that night, and having seen that the watch on deck were sober, and that everything appeared to be going on well, I repaired to the great cabin, where I found the company assembled, and already pretty jovial.
The cabin in question was but a filthy hole, close and stinking, with the beams so low that none could stand upright in it, and the furniture all broken and hacked in the drunken orgies which often took place there. There were arms and coils of rope, and broken boxes, and casks half full of provisions and liquors stowed away in corners amongst dirty bedding, and heaps of sea clothes flung upon them, all wet as their owners had descended from the deck. Upon the present occasion the usual rank smell of bilge was overpowered by the fumes of tobacco, which all the company smoked, some of them seated at a table covered with mugs and glasses, the others where they best could, on casks, and boxes, and hammocks, or lying on the floor, upon which, for the convenience of those who had no better place, were scattered lanterns, that they might see their liquor and light their pipes the more readily. When I entered all the company were singing lustily a chorus to a tune called ‘Ye Buccaneers of England,’ and having at length finished the ditty, I made my way as well as I could to Rumbold, and managed to get a seat beside him. The conversation then went on, Jerry’s loud voice and sturdy oaths bearing conspicuous parts in it.
‘Doctor,’ quoth Le Chiffon Rouge to the surgeon, a lanky young man, more than half fuddled, but who was discoursing learnedly to his neighbour about the practice of phlebotomy as recommended by Galen—‘is it good for Shambling Ned, who came by the cut from Vasco’s knife, to drink raw rum.’
‘Shambling Ned,’ quoth the doctor, gravely, ‘hath a skull so thick, that neither steel nor spirits can very easily reach the brain, and therefore—’
‘Whoso says I have a thick skull,’ retorted the patient, starting up, to the great surprise of the doctor, who had imagined him not there, ‘lies in his teeth, and as a testimony to what I say, I fling this into them—’
With these words he dashed a pannikin of raw spirits right into the doctor’s face, who started up, gasping and sneezing, and vowing vengeance, but was straightway pulled down into his place again by those about him, who comforted him by saying that brandy was not to be quarrelled with in whatever way a man came by it. Just then the highwayman, who had given me the account of his detection in Newgate, and who was seated upon a high tub, over which he dangled his legs as gracefully as he could, broke in as follows:—
‘Why, stap my vitals! here be a parcel of cullies to call themselves gentlemen, forsooth, and brawl in their cups, like so many mumpers of Lincoln’s Inn. Take an example by me, bullies, who am the very flower of courtesy, having been noted therefor on every heath round London. For shame, gentlemen, for shame!’
‘Ho! ho! ho!’ laughed the doctor; ‘here be a footpad teaching us politeness, and the rules of the most courtlike society.’