Chapter 21. Blown Off The Coast...

________________________________________________
_ CHAPTER TWENTY ONE. BLOWN OFF THE COAST--WALLER'S KINDNESS TO THE NEGROES--RUN SHORT OF PROVISIONS AND WATER--VESSEL LEAKING--AMERICAN HARD-HEARTEDNESS-- WALLER'S NOBLE RESOLVE--BEACH BAHIA--AUDACIOUS TRICK OF BRAZILIAN SLAVE-DEALERS

We had parted from the _Opossum_ about a couple of days, when we observed signs of one of those terrific easterly gales which sometimes blow off the coast of Africa. Waller, from his previous experience, knew them, and remarked them in time, so that we were able to get all snug to meet the wind when it came. On a sudden the hitherto calm leaden water was covered with a foam-drift, like the fine sand swept across the stony desert. The only sail we had set was a close-reefed topsail and storm-jib; the helm was put up, and away she flew before the gale, swift as the albatross on its snowy wing. Away, away we sped, and soon, leaving the African coast far astern, were ploughing the water of the South Atlantic. The _Zerlina_, though a beautiful model, as are most of her class, was flimsily built, and far from a good sea-boat, speed only having been cared for in her construction. As we got away from the land, we met a good deal of sea, in which she laboured much; and Ned Awlhole, one of the carpenter's mates, who was acting carpenter, came one afternoon with a very long face into the cabin, where Waller and I were sitting at dinner, to inform us that she was making far more water than was satisfactory.

"Get the pumps rigged, then, and we must try and keep her clear till we can manage to beat back to Sierra Leone," said Waller, as coolly as if it were a matter of slight importance.

"It is rather a serious thing this, is it not?" I observed. "I wonder you make so light of it."

"Very serious; and on that account it behoves us, as officers, to keep up our own spirits, and to cheer up the men," he replied. "I am sorry to say also, that I very much fear we shall fall short of water before we get into port, if this wind continues; and, with all these poor blacks on board, that will indeed be a very serious thing. Good seamanship may enable us to keep, the ship afloat, but God only can provide us with water."

"What must we do, then?" I asked.

"We must place all hands on short allowance, and we may fall in with some vessel which may supply us; or showers may come, and we may collect enough for our more pressing wants," he replied. "We must keep the poor negroes on deck as much as possible--with fresh air they may exist with less water."

Waller had speedily won the confidence and affection of the negroes, by his kindness and considerate conduct. At first, when we had taken possession of the vessel, they looked upon us as enemies, for the Spaniards had told them that we should cook and eat them; but Waller, who could speak a few words of their language, soon tranquillised their fears on that account. He then got upon deck the sick, and those whose limbs were chafed or bruised, and gave them medicines, and dressed their wounds with his own hands. He told them that they should be set free to go where they wished, and should, if possible, be enabled to return to their own country. Few, however, had any hope of being enabled to do the latter, for they had mostly all been taken in war, or kidnapped from districts away from the coast, the wars being undertaken by the chiefs nearer the sea for the express purpose of making prisoners to sell into slavery. Two or three of those who had been kidnapped had already been at Sierra Leone, or other British settlements, and as they understood a good deal of English, we were able to communicate pretty freely with them. We found them, poor children of Ham, very intelligent fellows, and as capable of receiving instruction as the people of any other race I have ever met. Waller's good example was followed by the crew, and at last each man vied in showing kindness to the poor wretches, so that they learned to look on us truly as their friends and protectors. We did but our duty. They were our fellow-creatures, and we were soon to be fellows in suffering. At first I own it was very trying, and more than once, as I was dressing their wounds, I turned sick; but I recollected that they were fellow-beings, with human feelings, and souls to be saved, like ours, and I returned to my duty with renewed strength to perform it. At length we found that we could, with perfect safety, allow all the blacks to come on deck as they liked. Whenever Waller appeared, they shouted after him--"How do, Masser Waller? Bless 'um, Masser Waller!" And some would come and kneel down, and put his hand on their heads, with a look of affection which was unmistakeable.

"I believe, sir, it's all very right with these poor fellows, and there's no harm in them," said Jack Stretcher to me one day. "But, to my mind, it doesn't do to trust these strange niggers too much. They sometimes, I've heard, rises and cuts the throats of their friends."

I agreed with Jack that it was necessary, in most cases, to be cautious; but in the present instance it was evident, as things turned out, that it was owing to Waller's judicious treatment of the negroes that all our lives were preserved.

All this time the wind was blowing so strongly from the eastward, that we found it impossible to beat up against it, so we had nothing else to do but to continue running before it. Every day matters were getting more and more serious; our own provisions were growing shorter. Of anything like luxuries we had none--salt beef and pork, hard biscuit and rice, and a little tea and sugar, with a cask of rum--none of the best either, by-the-bye. Waller called me into the cabin for a consultation.

"To get back to the coast is now impossible," he remarked. "If this wind holds, and we can keep the craft afloat, our best chance is to try and make the coast of Brazil. The port of Bahia is the nearest, and I propose steering for that place."

I agreed with him; but we neither of us had any very strong hopes of being really able to make it in time to save our own lives and those of the negroes. On carefully examining our stock of provisions, we found that only by the most economical expenditure of them, and with the most favourable weather, should we be able to reach our destination in time. A foul wind, or a day or two of calm, would ruin us; and a gale would in all probability send us to the bottom. The blacks, of their own accord, took their spell at the pumps, and finally relieved our men entirely of the labour. Had they been compelled to continue pumping, it would, I am certain, have worn them out. We most dreaded a want of water. Not a cloud appeared from which we might draw it forth, and scarcely could we expect a shower. Though constantly on the look-out, not a vessel could we see, from whence we might get provisions. At length, one morning, as Jack Stretcher had gone aloft--

"A sail on the weather-bow!" he sung out, in a cheery tone, which gave hope to all our hearts. "She's standing across our course, so we can speak her without altering it."

In about two hours we were up to her. She was a good sized brig, and the ensign, with the stars and stripes, which flew out at her peak, showed that she hailed from the United States. We had a signal of distress flying, in addition to the British ensign.

"Hillo! what are you?" sung out a man in her main-rigging.

"A prize to His Britannic Majesty's brig of war _Opossum_," answered Waller. "What are you?"

"The _Go-along_, from Baltimore, bound for Rio," answered a person on board the brig, through a speaking-trumpet.

"Heave-to, if you please, sir, and I will pay you a visit--we are in great distress," said Waller.

"Ay, ay, sir," was the reply from the brig, as she was speedily brought up on a wind and hove-to.

So soon as we could get a boat in the water, leaving Jack in charge, Waller and I went on board the brig. The master, a tall, thin, sallow man, with a pointed beard, no whiskers, and a hooked nose, with a huge cigar in his mouth, a straw hat on his head, loose nankeen trousers, and a gingham swallow-tailed coat, received us at the gangway.

"Walk into the cabin, gentlemen, and let's liquor a bit," said he, as we stepped on board, showing us the way before we had time to reply.

The cabin, to our eyes, looked luxuriously furnished, and not unwelcome was the repast of cold beef and ham and fine biscuits which the steward placed speedily before us, not forgetting a spirit-stand with four tall bottles. We did ample justice to the good things placed before us.

"And now, what's your pleasure, Mr Lieutenant?" laid the master of the brig.

Waller explained exactly what had occurred. "And now," he continued, "we are in a sinking state; we have neither provisions nor water to last us till we can reach a port; and the destruction of all these poor people is sealed if you do not help us."

"What! take all them dirty niggers aboard my craft?" exclaimed the skipper, with a look of ineffable disgust. "You Britishers have rum notions, I calculate."

"No, pardon me," said Waller. "I only ask you to preserve from almost certain destruction a number of our fellow-creatures; and any remuneration which you may require will certainly be paid you."

"What! do you call them black niggers fellow-creatures, master? That's a rum joke, I guess," exclaimed the skipper. "I should be happy to be of service to you, but you are so unreasonable,--that you are."

"Scarcely unreasonable, sir," urged Waller, mildly. "Can you not name a sum for which you could land all the people I have on board at Bahia, or the nearest port we can make."

"No, sir; I guess no sum would pay me to defile my vessel in the way you propose," said the Yankee. "I'll take you and your own crew with pleasure; but the niggers are out of the question."

"What! would you leave the poor wretches to perish in the most horrible way, with thirst and starvation?" exclaimed Waller, shuddering at the thought.

"They are niggers," said the Yankee, coolly puffing forth a cloud of smoke, and leaning back in his chair with a self-satisfied look.

"Hear me, sir!" exclaimed Waller, rising, a flush mantling on his brow. "I have six thousand pounds of my own in this world. That sum I will make over to you, by every legal means you can devise, if you will take these poor people on board your brig, and land them in a place of safety. This shall be over and above what my Government may award you. I entreat you, as you hope for mercy here and hereafter, to do as I ask."

"Not if you were to go down on your knees and pray till to-morrow morning," replied the Yankee, slowly. "Niggers are niggers, and they can't be otherwise. If you and your people like to come aboard, you are welcome. You've got my answer, Sir."

"Then, sir," exclaimed Waller, rising from his seat, "I'll trust to the negroes' God, to mine, and to yours, for that help which you deny them. May you never be in the same strait and seek in vain for help. Good day, sir."

The Yankee looked at us with an expression more of surprise than anger as we left the brig's deck.

"Stay! you are not a bad chap, I guess. Here, just take these things; you are welcome to them."

Saying this he ordered a cask of water, some beef and biscuits, and a few little luxuries, to be put into the boat. We were not in a position to decline the gift; and, to do the Yankee full justice, he would receive no remuneration. We thanked him sincerely; and assured him that we regretted deeply our opinions on the nature of negroes did not coincide; at which he shrugged his shoulders, and we pulled back to the schooner.

We again made sail for the westward.

When I told Jack Stretcher what had occurred, he slapped his hand on his thigh, and exclaimed:

"Mr Waller was right, sir, that he was, not to think of deserting the poor niggers; and there isn't a man of us but would gladly stick by him to the last."

I told Waller what Jack had said, and he replied that he was sure all our people would have refused to have deserted the poor blacks, even if he had proposed so cruel a proceeding to them. We husbanded to the utmost the provisions we had brought from the brig; though, divided among all the people, there was scarcely more than enough to sustain life for a day. Still, not a seaman grumbled. Far from so doing, he willingly shared his own scanty allowance with any negro who appeared more particularly to require sustenance. It was amusing to see the weather-beaten, thick-bearded men carrying about the little black children, whose mothers were too weak to bring them on deck.

Though these Africans had hitherto been taught, with good reason, to look upon white men as incarnations of devils, they began to consider our gallant fellows as something approaching to angels; and, like savages in general, always in extremes, they were ready now to worship us. Providentially the easterly wind continued, and the sea remained calm, so that we made very good way, and were able to keep the leak under. It was with a sense of deep gratitude that we at length made the land, when we had not a drop of water remaining, and with scarcely food enough to sustain life for another day. We fondly believed that all our troubles were over. The negroes shouted, and clapped their hands, and laughed with joy: some of them fancied, I believe, that they had got back to Africa. The next morning we dropped our anchor in the harbour of Bahia. Waller proposed to get the schooner repaired, to take in a supply of provisions, and to return to Sierra Leone, intending, if necessary, to bear all the expenses himself. Now I am going to relate a circumstance which may seem very strange, but is, nevertheless, perfectly true. As soon as we brought up, Waller went on shore, intending to report all that had occurred to the British Consul, and to get his assistance in carrying out his intentions. I was in the meantime left in charge on board. Waller had been gone a couple of hours, and I was looking anxiously for his return, hoping that he would bring some provisions and water, when, as I was walking the deck, I observed three boats pulling off towards us. As they came near, I saw that one of them contained several men in uniform. They stepped on board without ceremony; and one of them presented a paper, in Portuguese, which looked like an official document, though, of course, I could not make it out. I shook my head to signify this, when he commenced explaining in broken English that he and his party were sent by the Governor to convey the negroes on shore, that the vessel might be the more speedily hove-down to be repaired. I was somewhat surprised that Waller had not first returned; but it never occurred to me to suspect a fraud in the matter.

While the Portuguese were speaking, three more boats came alongside, and in a very few minutes all the blacks were transferred from the schooner into them. Without an instant's delay, the boats left the schooner's sides; but instead of making towards the town, they pulled away to a spot some distance from it, where the negroes were landed, and I lost sight of them. About an hour after this, Waller returned.

"I have settled with the Consul, who will have a large store, where our poor blackies can be housed comfortably while the schooner is repaired; but he says we must keep a strict watch over them, for the people here are such determined slave-dealers, that they will kidnap them before our eyes."

My heart sunk as I heard these words, and I felt like a culprit.

"Why," I exclaimed, "the Governor has sent and had them all conveyed on shore."

Waller could scarcely believe his senses when he found all the negroes gone. He hurried back to the Consul, who went with him to the Governor. The Governor knew nothing whatever of the matter, nor did any of the officials of the town. The Consul and some of the British in the place made every inquiry in their power, but no information whatever could they obtain. There could, however, be no doubt that some slave-dealers had carried out the nefarious plot, while, by the employment of bribes, they easily contrived to escape detection. Waller felt the matter very severely. To have the poor negroes, in whom he took so great an interest, carried into slavery, after all the toil and danger he had gone through, was almost heartbreaking. For long afterwards he could scarcely bear to speak on the subject.

It was not without difficulty that we got the schooner repaired; but at last she was ready for sea, and without further delay we made sail for Sierra Leone. We had a very fine run across. Within a day's sail of the coast, we fell in with a slaver, which, supposing us to be of the same kidney as herself, allowed us to ran alongside; so that, without the slightest opposition, we took possession of her. Although she had no slaves on board, she was in every respect fitted to carry them. She had but a small crew, it being evidently intended to take more men on board when the slaves were shipped. Waller thought it best to remove them into the _Zerlina_, while he sent me and three hands, with Jack Stretcher as my first-lieutenant, to navigate the prize into port. As may be supposed, I felt very proud of my new command, and pictured to myself the satisfaction I should have in reporting my arrival at Sierra Leone. _

Read next: Chapter 22. My New Command...

Read previous: Chapter 20. Look Out For Slavers In A Boat...

Table of content of Salt Water: The Sea Life and Adventures of Neil D'Arcy the Midshipman


GO TO TOP OF SCREEN

Post your review
Your review will be placed after the table of content of this book