“Well, you see, this Sharon touched at an island where a number of the crew deserted, and she put to sea with only seventeen men all told. One day two boats were lowered for whales, and the captain, a Portuguese boy and three natives of the Kingsmill group of islands was left on board. They took a whale and the ship bore down and took him alongside, and then they trimmed the sails to prevent her forgin’ ahead. The boats were now after other whales.
“Soon the signal flag of the ship at half-mast informed those in the boats that there was trouble on board and they put for the ship. When within hailin’ distance the boy, who was in the riggin’, called out that the natives had killed the captain and had control of the ship. One of the natives shook a cuttin’-spade at the men in the boats. Then he said somethin’ in his own language to the fourth native who was in one of the boats. They thought that he asked him to jump overboard and swim to the ship, but the man in the boat shook his head. Then the fellow on deck threw the cook’s axe and he aimed so good that the man in the boat only saved himself by dodgin’ it.
“The mate was afraid that the savages would swing the yards and that the sails would catch the wind, so he called to the boy in the riggin’, ‘Cut the halyards of the upper sails on the mainmast and then go forward on a stay and cut ’em on the foremast.’ The boy done it, and then the boats got close together and the mates talked over what they’d better do. One said one thing, and another another.
“Benjamin Clough, only nineteen years old, was third mate of the ship. Clough stood up in the bow of the first mate’s boat, picked up a lance and hurled it at a savage standin’ on the ship’s rail, but the warp was too short and the savage laughed at him. Then Clough said that, if the boy would cut loose the foreroyal stay and let it drop into the water from the end of the jib boom, he would swim to the ship with the warp of the lance in his mouth and fight the savages single-handed. The mate said, ‘All right,’ and they called to the boy, but he was weak from bein’ afraid and tired out, and couldn’t do it. The ship didn’t drift much, and they stayed in the boats till night come on.
“Now this Clough was an awful smart fellow and he said once more that he would swim to the ship, and the first mate told him to go ahead. He took off every rag he had on, then he took a boat knife in his teeth, and he didn’t care if the sea was full of sharks; he swam straight to the stern of the vessel, climbed up the rudder and got into the cabin through a window. He found, in the dark, two cutlasses and two muskets, which he loaded. A native come down the steps and Clough attacked him with a cutlass and cut out one of his eyes, but in the struggle Clough’s right hand was badly cut. The native was as good as killed.
“One of the other two savages come to the head of the stairs with a cuttin’ spade in his hand. Clough pointed a musket with his left hand and right forearm and fired it and killed the fellow. As his body come down stairs, bringin’ the spade with him, it struck Clough’s left arm and cut it badly. And now see what a smart fellow the first mate was. Through the cabin window Clough told him what he had done, and how badly he was hurt, and called for help and said that only one savage was alive. But the brave mate replied that, as he had only heard one shot, he believed that only one savage was dead, so he wouldn’t help Clough. The poor fellow stretched out on the cabin floor helpless. In half an hour the boat come under the stern, and the men climbed in through the windows. The native who hadn’t been hurt jumped overboard but come on board again during the night and was put in irons. Clough’s wounds healed and, when he got back, his owners made him captain of the Sharon and then built a new ship for him.”
The men were greatly pleased with Kreelman’s story; they were loud in their praises of Clough; and, as foremast hands have generally a pretty low estimate of the upper officers, they expressed their opinion of the first mate in uncomplimentary language. This conference during the dogwatch was the most interesting of any in the whole voyage. Most of my companions had looked forward to this long cruise with some forebodings, and the stories narrated pertained to experiences and incidents which some of them probably felt they might themselves encounter before the season was over. But Kreelman’s tale had thrilled them. What gloom there had been was dissipated, and the men went to the watch below that night all ready for their labors in the months before them.
CHAPTER XII
THE COAST OF JAPAN AND THE CAROLINES
One would think from the name “Coast of Japan” that whalers cruised off the land. In truth they cruised generally some distance from it, for, as has been said, sperm whales do not like soundings and are found in deep water. Fortunately we did not experience a typhoon or any violent storm. We saw a few vessels that looked like junks, but they did not come near enough for us to hail them. Of whalers we saw not a few, and we gammed with several of them. During the months we were there we took three hundred and fifty barrels of sperm oil and were about to start for the Caroline Islands, as Kreelman had predicted, when I had the most eventful experience of my life. As I recall it after all these years, I shudder and renew my gratitude for deliverance.
The day before we were to sail for the Carolines, whales were announced in the afternoon, and Silva’s and Lakeum’s boats were lowered. The wind was right; so the masts were stepped and the sails set. For heavy whaleboats, built for service and not for speed, we made very good time. Every one was happy, and I fancy that the men in both boats contemplated a good day’s work with a couple of whales, at least, fast to the ship.