At Catskill I procured another cargo, filled up all my orders, and taking on board four carpenters as passengers, bound to Jerimie, sailed for New-York, where we remained three or four days employed in shipping a crew, purchasing stores, &c. We sailed from New-York about the eighth of December, and arrived at Jerimie about the first of January, 1821. On my arrival I called on my old friends, Leforet & Brier, where I was politely received, particularly by Mr. Brier, who escorted me to his house to take breakfast. After inquiring about the passage of my vessel, news in New-York, &c. he said he had news to tell me. I told him I should be pleased to hear it. He said, "Captain Dunham, we have got a new padre here since you left for home; he is the smartest padre we ever had; he can beat any man in Jerimie playing at billiards, boxing, fencing, or jumping; he has killed two men in duels, and I assure you, sir, he is the smartest padre in all the West Indies."
Among the orders given me, was one for thirty thousand loose cedar shingles, which, when landed on the beach, I learned were intended to re-cover the church. All the ladies in the town soon assembled at the place where the shingles were landed; rich and poor, some dressed in silk, and others with fine muslin gowns, having hoops in their hands, which they stuck full of shingles, and laying them on their backs carried them to the church, when they were taken by the carpenters, who put them on the roof, not allowing one of them to be carted; thus showing great zeal to protect from contamination every thing connected with their church.
The negroes on this Island are far more numerous than the mulattoes, mustees, and other colors. The old mulattoes being the heirs of their former masters, were many of them sent to France and educated; and the president being a mulatto, gives them as many offices as he dare; but is obliged to confer some on the blacks to prevent an insurrection; still I found there was considerable hatred between them. One day while walking the streets I heard a quarrel between a mulatto and a negro. The mulatto commenced, "What are you doing, nigger?" the negro replied, "Who are you, mulatto? you no got any country; white man got country and negro got country, mulatto no got any country, he's a damned mule."
My carpenters landed and were seeking some employment, when they were informed that they could not make any contracts in their own names, being white men, and not having any license, and the laws of the country not allowing a white man to obtain one. To obviate this a petition was drawn up and signed by most of the inhabitants, and sent to the president, for a special permit for the eldest carpenter to carry on his trade. Some weeks after the president sent him a license, the rest of the carpenters working under him. I was very fortunate in the disposal of my cargo, most of it selling at a good profit, and by paying a large premium I procured about twenty hundred Spanish dollars, which were smuggled on board and brought to New-York.
Coffee being high in that port, I was obliged, in purchasing it, to dispose of the St. Domingo coin I received in payment for my cargo. Being ready for sea, I took leave of my friends and sailed for New-York, where we arrived about the first of May, 1821. The schooner having proved leaky on the passage, I refused to make another voyage in her. Soon after my arrival in New-York I received a letter from my old friend, Mr. Apollos Cooke, of Catskill, advising me to purchase, on our joint account, a schooner called the Combine, which was now laying in New-York, and could be procured very cheap. On viewing the Combine I found her timbers sound, but her decks and upper works badly worn, so I called on the agent, and after some time spent in chaffering, purchased her and left for Catskill, where I arrived about the 26th of May.
CHAPTER XX.
Schooner Combine.
| "A wolf will not a wolf ensnare, "And tigers their own species spare, "Man more ferocious, bends his bow, "And at his fellow aims the blow." |
After the arrival of the Combine at Catskill, we had her well examined by a carpenter, who found her timbers sound. We then agreed to repair her by laying a new deck, putting in new ceiling, and giving her a thorough overhauling, so as to fit her for a sea voyage, which was done at an expense of nine hundred dollars. Large quantities of freight was offered for shipment, which I advised to take some part of, informing my partner in the vessel, Mr. A. Cooke, that I had but little over two thousand dollars, which would fall short of paying for one-half of the vessel and cargo; but he preferred our owning the whole cargo jointly, saying, "I will advance you any money you may want until you make the voyage." We then purchased a suitable cargo and filled up many orders I had brought from Jerimie. After we had gathered all our bills together, I found my money exhausted and myself indebted five hundred and seventy-two dollars to my partner. The vessel being repaired and loaded, we took on board four passengers, bound to Jerimie, and sailed for New-York. On my arrival at New-York I made it my first business to apply to the Marine Insurance Office for insurance, expecting I should have to pay an extra premium, my vessel being seventeen years old. After applying at all the offices in the city, and producing a certificate from old respectable carpenters, and some of our best citizens, that they considered her timbers as good as any North River vessel of two years old, my application was rejected, and I had no alternative but to proceed to sea as my own insurer, having my little all at stake, except a small homestead. I shipped a crew and made the necessary preparation, put to sea about the 10th of August, and shaped my course for Jerimie, where we arrived the sixth of September.