“Good lad,” yelled Captain Taber delightedly. “Pull two, stern three, ah! unrow there;”—and as the boat ranged alongside he gripped the man ropes and ascended the side ladder of rope like a goat climbing a precipice.
While the two old friends greeted each other there was a whirring of sheaves and down came the mate’s boat into the water. Dark forms leapt into her and she pushed off, immemorial custom having decided that in gamming when the captain visits a ship the mate of that ship goes a visiting his fellow on board the other vessel. As they pushed off into the darkness a voice was heard above, “Haul up and hook on, chums,” and they did so, their boat being cheerily hoisted into the position the other had left. For this was also a pleasant sea-custom among whalers, being eminently practicable because of the almost standard size of all whale boats.
Arriving on deck the four hands were immediately haled forrard, and C. B. was welcomed in the half deck by the harponeers, where such hospitality as they possessed was offered him and all hands crowded around him eager to talk to him, and listen to what he had to say. First of all with native courtesy they inquired what sort of a season the Eliza Adams was having and other matters of that kind, but he could not help noticing that they all looked curiously at him, as if they could not quite make him out. At last the old carpenter, a fine venerable Yankee, said—
“Whar d’ye hail from, mister?”
“I come from Norfolk Island,” replied C. B. pleasantly.
“Well, do tell,” ejaculated the cooper, “I didn’t know they was ever any natives on Norfolk ’cept convicks from England, and I heerd that they was done away with long ago. An’ yew don’ look like a Kanaka neither.”
“Neither am I,” explained C. B. with gentle dignity. “Surely you must have heard of the Pitcairn Islanders finding Pitcairn too small for them, and a number of them being sent by the British Government to Norfolk Island, which was given them to live in.”
A chorus of remembrance arose in a babel of voices until the old carpenter, getting up, came close to C. B. and peered in his face intently, at last remarking quietly, “Did your father ever go to sea in a spouter, young feller?”
“Oh yes,” answered C. B.; “he was in the Rainbow and the Canton, both New England whaleships, for a considerable time.”