We stood away for the Azores. The Captain wishing to get a man to fill the place of the one left, tried to steal a Portuguese soldier; had him secreted on board; but was found out, and fined $200. This enraged him, and severity was our lot in consequence. His haste in leaving that place was great. We had been out only about twelve hours, when heavy squalls from the northeast struck us. The wind increased. We lay to, under a storm try-sail, fourteen days. During this time we were kept picking oakum, having but six hours rest. The Captain endeavored the while to teach us the value of true, heart-felt thankfulness. As the wind abated, we spread sail for New Bedford. Happy, indeed, were we to learn that home was our next point to be reached. We were kept on allowance during the passage which occupied 60 days. We caught and eat porpoises to satisfy the demands of hunger. Those acquainted with the article can form some idea of our misery.
One night, in the gulf stream, a number of flying fish came on board, which I took, and was preparing for my breakfast, when the Captain came along, saying "you have had fine luck. Think you have got enough for my breakfast?" and at the same time called the cook to take them. I seized the pail and threw them overboard, "saying you shall not have them any how." His rage knew no bounds; he called me every thing which he could find words to utter. I reminded him of the speedy termination of the voyage. He could find no way to punish this insolence as he called it. Finally, he set us all scrubbing the deck with sand, although it rained so hard that it kept one man constantly putting it on. Stopping the scupper, the rolling of the vessel would wash the water and sand from one side to the other. We were obliged to rub from 7 to 12 o'clock; then to dinner, (if boiled porpoise and bread can be called dinner,) back again to scrubbing, and thus we finished the day.
The next day we spoke the ship Boston, Capt. Reed, of Fair Haven, bound to Brazil, whaling; they offered us provisions, which our Captain refused, probably thinking it economy for his men to catch their own. In a few days we saw land, took on a pilot; soon came to anchor. As is always the case, seamen's duty is done the moment the anchor is let go, though they usually stow the sails; but the moment the anchor was cast we took our things, put them in a boat to go ashore, leaving the sails hanging to the yards. The Captain begged of us to stow them. We told him we had been with him long enough, and were now happily free from his authority; and that it would give us much pleasure to see him stow them himself. He was soon leaving the ship himself; for the owners came on board, and ordered him, and all that he had, out of the ship immediately, or it would go overboard. Thus terminated my second voyage with still poorer success than my former one, having taken only 150 barrels sperm, and 10 black fish oil, after a voyage of nearly 13 months. This voyage, like the first, left me in debt, and with no other way, seemingly, than to again try and see what another voyage would do. I went to the boarding house without a cent in my pocket.
CHAPTER IV.
Sail on board the Huntress, bound for the Pacific, on a whaling Expedition. Encounter a heavy Storm. A Man lost. Reach the Falklands. Description of them. Storm at the Cape. Icebergs. Island of Juan Fernandez. Arrive at the Sandwich Islands. A Sketch of them.
I shipped myself on board the Huntress, Capt. Post, then fitting for a cruise to the Pacific. We set sail from New Bedford, 1832, August 3d. About the middle of the month a violent gale arose from the southeast. We stowed our top-gallant-sails; reefed our top-sails; furled our main course, and stood to the eastward. The gale increasing, we were obliged to furl our fore and mizen top-sails, jib and spankers, and heave our ship to under close reefed main-top-sail, fore-sail, and fore-top-mast, main and mizen stay-sail. Thus we ran many hours. The wind subsiding in a degree, enabled us to run quarterly with the wind, with fore-top-mast studding-sail set. Most of the hands were below when the ship fetched a lurch and roll at the same time, with a head sea, carrying the fore-top-mast in three pieces, and the top-gallant-mast; springing the main and mizen top-mast; throwing one man who was aloft into the water. A boat was lowered, but no trace of him found save his hat. By the blood on the rigging, it was thought he received serious injury before he reached the water. All hands were called, and the wreck cleared fast as possible.