I would go on bailing for a bit, then, with a boat-hook, I would get the line hanging from the plug, haul up the bag and deliver it to whichever ship it was for.
Now the Customs Guard boat had met me so often pulling about the bay among the shipping at night that they grew suspicious, and set a watch on me. A few days afterwards, the “Sir John Loman,” a large sailing ship came into port from the Guanape Islands, loaded with guano. She had just come in to get her clearance from the Customs House and was bound to Falmouth for orders. Her captain bought three dozen of brandy and a quantity of tobacco from Captain Glasson, but the great difficulty was to get the stuff to the “Sir John Loman” while the Customs were watching us so closely, but the captain offered me five silver sol (£1) if I would manage it, so I undertook to deliver it in spite of the watchers. I was running a great risk, but I was a bit reckless, though cute. I placed the bottles in one bag, and the tobacco in another, both were packed and the mouths secured with fifty fathoms of lead line attached to each. The “Sir John Loman” was anchored about three cables length from us, and a little to the left of a line between our ship and the landing-place. I arranged with our captain that he should take the boat ashore about eight in the evening, and let the second mate row him. I slung the two bags alongside the boat, and got into her, with nothing on but a pair of dungaree pants and my belt. The night was very dark, and the guard boat was lying about a cable’s length ahead of us. When we were ready we shot the boat clear of the ship’s side, and before the watchers spied us we were within two hundred feet of the ship. They then gave chase at once. I hooked the lines on to my belt, slipped the bags and slid into the water and struck out for the ship’s gangway. As soon as I was in the water, our boat pulled away to the right, and the guard, not seeing me chased after it, but, of course, they found nothing in the boat, and the officer could only apologise, while the captain complained loudly of being chased when he was only rowing ashore.
In the meantime I had swum alongside the gangway of the “Sir John Loman,” and climbed up out of the water. After getting my breath, I slipped on deck and got the officer to lend me a hand to haul the bags in. We got them up safely and I delivered the contents to the captain, who gave me half a guinea for my trouble and told the steward to take me into the pantry and give me some coffee and something to eat, for which I was always ready in those days! About an hour afterwards our own boat called for me and took me back on board.
For nearly a month I carried on this risky business—the captain paid me well for it, and I always got a few dollars from those I supplied. I was a very powerful swimmer, and several times swam off to other ships with the end of a long signalling halliard. Then the contrabands were slung under a cork fender and the line made fast to it, and I would haul it on to the other ship without the aid of a boat and afterwards swim back again.
They say you can trust to luck once too often. I did, and nearly lost my life in the bargain. I had delivered a parcel of tobacco on board a ship and was on my way back, when I heard a terrible noise in the water just ahead of me. It was too dark to see what it was, but I could see broken water, so I turned at once and swam back to the ship’s stern. Seizing the rudder chains I pulled myself up out of the water, only just in time to escape a school of porpoises. There were hundreds of them darting hither and thither in their mad rush among the ships at anchor, and if I had been two minutes later, nothing would have saved my life in the midst of that terrible stampede. It had given me such a shock that I had not strength left to swim another yard, so standing with my foot on the shackle at the back of the rudder, I banged the rudder-chains up against the stern. The captain and mate ran to the poop and looked over the stern to see what caused the noise and were very much surprised to see me there. When I told them why I was there they at once sent the boat for me and put me on board my own ship, and I made up my mind that I would do no more smuggling, the game was not worth the candle, and I wanted to see more of the world before entering Davy Jones’ locker.
CHAPTER XII
The Capital of Peru
I think I have already said that I had an uncle in Peru whom I was anxious to find during my stay in Callao. In the little time that the smuggling had left me for my own leisure, I had been fortunate enough to find him, and on the following day, when he came to see me, he told me that he could find me plenty of work in Lima, if I cared to leave the ship. This was just the chance I wanted, as I was always ready for adventure or change, so I did not take long to make up my mind to run away the first opportunity that should come across my path.
The next day being Sunday I rowed the captain ashore in the morning, and he ordered me to come for him at ten that night. He was going to spend the day at the agent’s, and in the afternoon they were all going to see a Spanish bull fight, a sight which our captain was very partial to. I returned to the ship, informed the mate of the time the captain wanted the boat, and then went to my berth. As I was generally up half the night, I was allowed to rest and sleep during the afternoon, so I knew no remarks would be passed at my being in my berth. Here I gathered a few things together and made them into a small bundle, got what money I possessed, and then watched my opportunity and placed everything in the boat all ready. At nine o’clock I got into the boat and started to row towards the landing-place without a single regret at leaving the “Stormy Petrel.” When I got well away from the ship, I altered my course and pulled over towards the beach just off the Pacific S.S. Company’s Engine Works. Here I got out of the boat, threw one oar overboard, and pushing the boat out into the bay let her drift wherever she liked.
Making my way to the railway station I took a ticket for Lima, the capital. Here I ran a great risk of meeting the captain, but my usual good luck favoured me again. When I arrived at Lima I at once made my way to my uncle’s house, and kept in hiding for two weeks. Then he took me to some friends of his own, who had a place a few miles out of Lima, there to await the ship’s departure.