A more cheerful story, and one which may be called an old-fashioned sea yarn, was told with much detail by a writer in the Salem Evening Journal in 1855, who had received it at first hand from a shipmate of the hero. In 1808, when England was nominally at peace with the United States, but molesting her commerce and impressing her seamen with the most pernicious energy, the bark Active, of Salem, arrived at Martha’s Vineyard and Captain Richardson reported that “while on his course for Europe he was captured by an English letter-of-marque, whose commander put seven men on board with Captain Richardson and three of his crew, the rest of his men being taken from him and the bark ordered to Nevis. When near that port the Americans seized upon the arms of the English, confined them in irons, and put away for home where Captain Richardson afterwards arrived in safety.”
“A few years ago,” narrates the loquacious contributor to the Salem Evening Journal of 1855, “the writer heard from one who was on board the barque Active on the above mentioned voyage a somewhat amusing account of one of the crew, who came down from New Hampshire, when she was about ready to sail, and not being able to find any work on shore, shipped with Capt. Richardson and went to sea. As a matter of course, our country friend, as far as regarded nautical phrases and the ‘ropes’ generally, was extremely verdant. To use his own words, he ‘didn’t really know t’other from which.’” Capt. Richardson knew all this beforehand, but he also knew that our Yankee friend was a tall, stout, and very smart young man and so he did not hesitate at all about taking him on board his vessel. The chief mate, however, not being so well aware of Peleg’s verdancy as the Captain, and observing that he stood with his hands in his pockets gazing curiously around the ship, whilst the rest of the crew were engaged in getting the anchor secured, addressed him thus:
“‘Who are you?’
“‘Peleg Sampson, from away up in Moultonboro, State of New Hampshire. I say, it’s a dernation mighty curious place this, ain’t it?’
“Rather surprised at the familiar manner of our Yankee friend, the mate replied:
“‘I guess you’ll find it curious enough before the voyage is up. Lay forward there and help cat that anchor.’
“Whilst the mate stepped on the forecastle for the purpose of superintending this necessary operation, Peleg began to search all around the deck with a minuteness that would have done honor to an experienced gold-hunter. After he had been for a few minutes thus engaged, he followed the mate to the forecastle deck and said:
“‘I say, mister, I cack’late there ain’t any of them critters here.’
“‘What critters? You d—n land-lubber,’ said the mate.
“‘Cats,’ returned Peleg, with an innocent gravity of tone and manner, which made the sailors turn from their work and gaze, open-mouthed, upon their verdant shipmate.