“‘Who the —— said anything about cats?’ asked the mate.
“‘Why you, you tarnal goslin,’ returned Peleg somewhat tartly. ‘Didn’t you tell me to help cat the anchor, and before I could do that ere, hadn’t I got to find the animal to do it with, hey, what?’
“On hearing this reply to the mate’s question, the old salts burst out in a loud, uproarious guffaw, in which the chief officer most heartily joined, as he had by this time become most fully aware that Peleg was nothing more nor less than a ‘green hand.’
“About a week afterwards, when the Active had got well out to sea, and Peleg had recovered from a severe fit of seasickness so as to be able to be about the decks, the mate, being in want of an article from aloft, said to Peleg:
“‘Go up in the main-top there, and bring down a slush bucket that’s made fast to the topmast rigging.’
“‘What, up these rope-ladders do you want me to go?’ asked Peleg, with a scared look at the main-rigging.
“‘Yes,’ returned the mate, ‘and be spry about it, too.’
“‘Can’t do any such business,’ returned Peleg, in a very decided tone of voice. ‘Why don’t you tell me to run overboard. I should jest as soon think on’t, really. Now I’m ready to pull and haul, or wrestle, back to back, Indian hug, or any way you like, fight the darnation Englishers till I’m knocked down, or do anything I kin do, but as to going up them darnation littleish rope-ladders, I can’t think of it nohow.’
“Thinking it would be as well not to urge the matter farther at that time, the mate sent another hand for the slush bucket, and thus the affair ended. Afterwards, however, as we learned from the same authority, Peleg became one of the smartest sailors on board the vessel, and in the affair of retaking the ship from English, did most excellent and efficient service.”
In Felt’s Annals of Salem, it is related under date of February 21, 1802, “the ships Ulysses, Captain James Cook; Brutus, Captain William Brown, owned by the Messrs. Crowninshield; and the Valusia, Captain Samuel Cook, belonging to Israel Williams and others sailed for Europe (on the same day). Though when they departed the weather was remarkably pleasant for the season, in a few hours a snowstorm commenced. After using every exertion to clear Cape Cod the tempest forced them the next day upon its perilous shore. The most sad of all in this threefold catastrophe was the loss of life in the Brutus. One hand was killed by the fore-yard prior to the ship striking; another was drowned while attempting to reach the shore, and the commander with six men perished with the cold after they had landed, while anxiously seeking some shelter for their wet, chilled, and exhausted bodies.”