by Edgar Allan Poe
(1850)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
UPON my return to the United States a few months ago, after the
extraordinary series of adventure in the South Seas and elsewhere, of which an
account is given in the following pages, accident threw me into the society of
several gentlemen in Richmond, Va., who felt deep interest in all matters
relating to the regions I had visited, and who were constantly urging it upon
me, as a duty, to give my narrative to the public. I had several reasons, however,
for declining to do so, some of which were of a nature altogether private, and
concern no person but myself, others not so much so. One consideration which
deterred me was, that, having kept no journal during a greater portion of the
time in which I was absent, I feared I should not be able to write, from mere
memory, a statement so minute and connected as to have the appearance of that
truth it would really possess, barring only the natural and unavoidable
exaggeration to which all of us are prone when detailing events which have had
powerful influence in exciting the imaginative faculties. Another reason was,
that the incidents to be narrated were of a nature so positively marvellous,
that, unsupported as my assertions must necessarily be (except by the evidence
of a single individual, and he a half-breed Indian), I could only hope for
belief among my family, and those of my friends who have had reason, through
life, to put faith in my veracity- the probability being that the public at
large would regard what I should put forth as merely an impudent and ingenious
fiction. A distrust in my own abilities as a writer was, nevertheless, one of
the principal causes which prevented me from complying with the suggestion of
my advisers.
Among those gentlemen in Virginia who expressed the greatest
interest in my statement, more particularly in regard to that portion of it
which related to the Antarctic Ocean, was Mr. Poe, lately editor of the
Southern Literary Messenger, a monthly magazine, published by Mr. Thomas W.
White, in the city of Richmond. He strongly advised me, among others, to
prepare at once a full account of what I had seen and undergone, and trust to
the shrewdness and common sense of the public- insisting, with great
plausibility, that however roughly, as regards mere authorship, my book should
be got up, its very uncouthness, if there were any, would give it all the
better chance of being received as truth.
Notwithstanding this representation, I did not make up my mind to
do as he suggested. He afterward proposed (finding that I would not stir in the
matter) that I should allow him to draw up, in his own words, a narrative of
the earlier portion of my adventures, from facts afforded by myself, publishing
it in the Southern Messenger under the garb of fiction. To this, perceiving no
objection, I consented, stipulating only that my real name should be retained.
Two numbers of the pretended fiction appeared, consequently, in the Messenger
for January and February, (1837), and, in order that it might certainly be
regarded as fiction, the name of Mr. Poe was affixed to the articles in the
table of contents of the magazine.
The manner in which this ruse was received has induced me at
length to undertake a regular compilation and publication of the adventures in
question; for I found that, in spite of the air of fable which had been so
ingeniously thrown around that portion of my statement which appeared in the
Messenger (without altering or distorting a single fact), the public were still
not at all disposed to receive it as fable, and several letters were sent to
Mr. P.'s address, distinctly expressing a conviction to the contrary. I thence
concluded that the facts of my narrative would prove of such a nature as to
carry with them sufficient evidence of their own authenticity, and that I had
consequently little to fear on the score of popular incredulity.
This expose being made, it will be seen at once how much of what
follows I claim to be my own writing; and it will also be understood that no
fact is misrepresented in the first few pages which were written by Mr. Poe.
Even to those readers who have not seen the Messenger, it will be unnecessary
to point out where his portion ends and my own commences; the difference in
point of style will be readily perceived.
A. G. PYM.
New-York, July, 1838.
MY name is Arthur Gordon Pym. My father was a respectable
trader in sea-stores at Nantucket, where I was born. My maternal grandfather
was an attorney in good practice. He was fortunate in every thing, and had
speculated very successfully in stocks of the Edgarton New Bank, as it was
formerly called. By these and other means he had managed to lay by a tolerable
sum of money. He was more attached to myself, I believe, than to any other
person in the world, and I expected to inherit the most of his property at his
death. He sent me, at six years of age, to the school of old Mr. Ricketts, a
gentleman with only one arm and of eccentric manners- he is well known to
almost every person who has visited New Bedford. I stayed at his school until I
was sixteen, when I left him for Mr. E. Ronald's academy on the hill. Here I
became intimate with the son of Mr. Barnard, a sea-captain, who generally
sailed in the employ of Lloyd and Vredenburgh- Mr. Barnard is also very well
known in New Bedford, and has many relations, I am certain, in Edgarton. His
son was named Augustus, and he was nearly two years older than myself. He had
been on a whaling voyage with his father in the John Donaldson, and was always
talking to me of his adventures in the South Pacific Ocean. I used frequently
to go home with him, and remain all day, and sometimes all night. We occupied
the same bed, and he would be sure to keep me awake until almost light, telling
me stories of the natives of the Island of Tinian, and other places he had
visited in his travels. At last I could not help being interested in what he
said, and by degrees I felt the greatest desire to go to sea. I owned a
sailboat called the Ariel, and worth about seventy-five dollars. She had a
half-deck or cuddy, and was rigged sloop-fashion- I forget her tonnage, but she
would hold ten persons without much crowding. In this boat we were in the habit
of going on some of the maddest freaks in the world; and, when I now think of
them, it appears to me a thousand wonders that I am alive to-day.
I will relate one of these adventures by way of introduction to a
longer and more momentous narrative. One night there was a party at Mr.
Barnard's, and both Augustus and myself were not a little intoxicated toward
the close of it. As usual, in such cases, I took part of his bed in preference
to going home. He went to sleep, as I thought, very quietly (it being near one
when the party broke up), and without saying a word on his favorite topic. It
might have been half an hour from the time of our getting in bed, and I was
just about falling into a doze, when he suddenly started up, and swore with a
terrible oath that he would not go to sleep for any Arthur Pym in Christendom,
when there was so glorious a breeze from the southwest. I never was so
astonished in my life, not knowing what he intended, and thinking that the
wines and liquors he had drunk had set him entirely beside himself. He
proceeded to talk very coolly, however, saying he knew that I supposed him
intoxicated, but that he was never more sober in his life. He was only tired,
he added, of lying in bed on such a fine night like a dog, and was determined
to get up and dress, and go out on a frolic with the boat. I can hardly tell
what possessed me, but the words were no sooner out of his mouth than I felt a
thrill of the greatest excitement and pleasure, and thought his mad idea one of
the most delightful and most reasonable things in the world. It was blowing
almost a gale, and the weather was very cold- it being late in October. I
sprang out of bed, nevertheless, in a kind of ecstasy, and told him I was quite
as brave as himself, and quite as tired as he was of lying in bed like a dog,
and quite as ready for any fun or frolic as any Augustus Barnard in Nantucket.
We lost no time in getting on our clothes and hurrying down to the
boat. She was lying at the old decayed wharf by the lumber-yard of Pankey &
Co., and almost thumping her side out against the rough logs. Augustus got into
her and bailed her, for she was nearly half full of water. This being done, we
hoisted jib and mainsail, kept full, and started boldly out to sea.
The wind, as I before said, blew freshly from the southwest. The
night was very clear and cold. Augustus had taken the helm, and I stationed
myself by the mast, on the deck of the cuddy. We flew along at a great rate-
neither of us having said a word since casting loose from the wharf. I now
asked my companion what course he intended to steer, and what time he thought
it probable we should get back. He whistled for a few minutes, and then said
crustily: "I am going to sea- you may go home if you think proper."
Turning my eyes upon him, I perceived at once that, in spite of his assumed
nonchalance, he was greatly agitated. I could see him distinctly by the light
of the moon- his face was paler than any marble, and his hand shook so
excessively that he could scarcely retain hold of the tiller. I found that
something had gone wrong, and became seriously alarmed. At this period I knew
little about the management of a boat, and was now depending entirely upon the
nautical skill of my friend. The wind, too, had suddenly increased, as we were
fast getting out of the lee of the land- still I was ashamed to betray any
trepidation, and for almost half an hour maintained a resolute silence. I could
stand it no longer, however, and spoke to Augustus about the propriety of
turning back. As before, it was nearly a minute before he made answer, or took
any notice of my suggestion. "By-and-by," said he at length-
"time enough- home by-and-by." I had expected a similar reply, but
there was something in the tone of these words which filled me with an
indescribable feeling of dread. I again looked at the speaker attentively. His
lips were perfectly livid, and his knees shook so violently together that he
seemed scarcely able to stand. "For God's sake, Augustus," I
screamed, now heartily frightened, "what ails you?- what is the matter?-
what are you going to do?" "Matter!" he stammered, in the
greatest apparent surprise, letting go the tiller at the same moment, and
falling forward into the bottom of the boat- "matter- why, nothing is the-
matter- going home- d-d-don't you see?" The whole truth now flashed upon
me. I flew to him and raised him up. He was drunk- beastly drunk- he could no
longer either stand, speak or see. His eyes were perfectly glazed; and as I let
him go in the extremity of my despair, he rolled like a mere log into the
bilge-water, from which I had lifted him. It was evident that, during the
evening, he had drunk far more than I suspected, and that his conduct in bed
had been the result of a highly-concentrated state of intoxication- a state
which, like madness, frequently enables the victim to imitate the outward
demeanour of one in perfect possession of his senses. The coolness of the night
air, however, had had its usual effect- the mental energy began to yield before
its influence- and the confused perception which he no doubt then had of his
perilous situation had assisted in hastening the catastrophe. He was now
thoroughly insensible, and there was no probability that he would be otherwise
for many hours.
It is hardly possible to conceive the extremity of my terror. The
fumes of the wine lately taken had evaporated, leaving me doubly timid and
irresolute. I knew that I was altogether incapable of managing the boat, and
that a fierce wind and strong ebb tide were hurrying us to destruction. A storm
was evidently gathering behind us; we had neither compass nor provisions; and
it was clear that, if we held our present course, we should be out of sight of
land before daybreak. These thoughts, with a crowd of others equally fearful,
flashed through my mind with a bewildering rapidity, and for some moments
paralyzed me beyond the possibility of making any exertion. The boat was going
through the water at a terrible rate- full before the wind- no reef in either
jib or mainsail- running her bows completely under the foam. It was a thousand
wonders she did not broach to- Augustus having let go the tiller, as I said
before, and I being too much agitated to think of taking it myself. By good
luck, however, she kept steady, and gradually I recovered some degree of
presence of mind. Still the wind was increasing fearfully, and whenever we rose
from a plunge forward, the sea behind fell combing over our counter, and
deluged us with water. I was so utterly benumbed, too, in every limb, as to be
nearly unconscious of sensation. At length I summoned up the resolution of
despair, and rushing to the mainsail let it go by the run. As might have been
expected, it flew over the bows, and, getting drenched with water, carried away
the mast short off by the board. This latter accident alone saved me from
instant destruction. Under the jib only, I now boomed along before the wind,
shipping heavy seas occasionally over the counter, but relieved from the terror
of immediate death. I took the helm, and breathed with greater freedom as I
found that there yet remained to us a chance of ultimate escape. Augustus still
lay senseless in the bottom of the boat; and as there was imminent danger of
his drowning (the water being nearly a foot deep just where he fell), I
contrived to raise him partially up, and keep him in a sitting position, by
passing a rope round his waist, and lashing it to a ringbolt in the deck of the
cuddy. Having thus arranged every thing as well as I could in my chilled and
agitated condition, I recommended myself to God, and made up my mind to bear
whatever might happen with all the fortitude in my power.
Hardly had I come to this resolution, when, suddenly, a loud and
long scream or yell, as if from the throats of a thousand demons, seemed to
pervade the whole atmosphere around and above the boat. Never while I live
shall I forget the intense agony of terror I experienced at that moment. My
hair stood erect on my head- I felt the blood congealing in my veins- my heart
ceased utterly to beat, and without having once raised my eyes to learn the
source of my alarm, I tumbled headlong and insensible upon the body of my
fallen companion.
I found myself, upon reviving, in the cabin of a large
whaling-ship (the Penguin) bound to Nantucket. Several persons were standing
over me, and Augustus, paler than death, was busily occupied in chafing my
hands. Upon seeing me open my eyes, his exclamations of gratitude and joy
excited alternate laughter and tears from the rough-looking personages who were
present. The mystery of our being in existence was now soon explained. We had
been run down by the whaling-ship, which was close-hauled, beating up to
Nantucket with every sail she could venture to set, and consequently running
almost at right angles to our own course. Several men were on the look-out
forward, but did not perceive our boat until it was an impossibility to avoid
coming in contact- their shouts of warning upon seeing us were what so terribly
alarmed me. The huge ship, I was told, rode immediately over us with as much
ease as our own little vessel would have passed over a feather, and without the
least perceptible impediment to her progress. Not a scream arose from the deck
of the victim- there was a slight grating sound to be heard mingling with the
roar of wind and water, as the frail bark which was swallowed up rubbed for a
moment along the keel of her destroyer- but this was all. Thinking our boat
(which it will be remembered was dismasted) some mere shell cut adrift as
useless, the captain (Captain E. T. V. Block, of New London) was for proceeding
on his course without troubling himself further about the matter. Luckily,
there were two of the look-out who swore positively to having seen some person
at our helm, and represented the possibility of yet saving him. A discussion
ensued, when Block grew angry, and, after a while, said that "it was no
business of his to be eternally watching for egg-shells; that the ship should
not put about for any such nonsense; and if there was a man run down, it was
nobody's fault but Henderson, the first mate, now took the matter up, being
justly indignant, as well as the whole ship's crew, at a speech evincing so
base a degree of heartless atrocity. He spoke plainly, seeing himself upheld by
the men, told the captain he considered him a fit subject for the gallows, and
that he would disobey his orders if he were hanged for it the moment he set his
foot on shore. He strode aft, jostling Block (who turned pale and made no
answer) on one side, and seizing the helm, gave the word, in a firm voice,
Hard-a-lee! The men flew to their posts, and the ship went cleverly about. All
this had occupied nearly five minutes, and it was supposed to be hardly within
the bounds of possibility that any individual could be saved- allowing any to
have been on board the boat. Yet, as the reader has seen, both Augustus and
myself were rescued; and our deliverance seemed to have been brought about by
two of those almost inconceivable pieces of good fortune which are attributed
by the wise and pious to the special interference of Providence.
While the ship was yet in stays, the mate lowered the jolly-boat
and jumped into her with the very two men, I believe, who spoke up as having
seen me at the helm. They had just left the lee of the vessel (the moon still
shining brightly) when she made a long and heavy roll to windward, and
Henderson, at the same moment, starting up in his seat bawled out to his crew
to back water. He would say nothing else- repeating his cry impatiently, back
water! black water! The men put back as speedily as possible, but by this time
the ship had gone round, and gotten fully under headway, although all hands on
board were making great exertions to take in sail. In despite of the danger of
the attempt, the mate clung to the main-chains as soon as they came within his
reach. Another huge lurch now brought the starboard side of the vessel out of
water nearly as far as her keel, when the cause of his anxiety was rendered
obvious enough. The body of a man was seen to be affixed in the most singular
manner to the smooth and shining bottom (the Penguin was coppered and
copper-fastened), and beating violently against it with every movement of the
hull. After several ineffectual efforts, made during the lurches of the ship,
and at the imminent risk of swamping the boat I was finally disengaged from my
perilous situation and taken on board- for the body proved to be my own. It
appeared that one of the timber-bolts having started and broken a passage
through the copper, it had arrested my progress as I passed under the ship, and
fastened me in so extraordinary a manner to her bottom. The head of the bolt
had made its way through the collar of the green baize jacket I had on, and
through the back part of my neck, forcing itself out between two sinews and
just below the right ear. I was immediately put to bed- although life seemed to
be totally extinct. There was no surgeon on board. The captain, however,
treated me with every attention- to make amends, I presume, in the eyes of his
crew, for his atrocious behaviour in the previous portion of the adventure.
In the meantime, Henderson had again put off from the ship,
although the wind was now blowing almost a hurricane. He had not been gone many
minutes when he fell in with some fragments of our boat, and shortly afterward
one of the men with him asserted that he could distinguish a cry for help at
intervals amid the roaring of the tempest. This induced the hardy seamen to
persevere in their search for more than half an hour, although repeated signals
to return were made them by Captain Block, and although every moment on the
water in so frail a boat was fraught to them with the most imminent and deadly
peril. Indeed, it is nearly impossible to conceive how the small jolly they
were in could have escaped destruction for a single instant. She was built, however,
for the whaling service, and was fitted, as I have since had reason to believe,
with air-boxes, in the manner of some life-boats used on the coast of Wales.
After searching in vain for about the period of time just
mentioned, it was determined to get back to the ship. They had scarcely made
this resolve when a feeble cry arose from a dark object that floated rapidly
by. They pursued and soon overtook it. It proved to be the entire deck of the
Ariel's cuddy. Augustus was struggling near it, apparently in the last agonies.
Upon getting hold of him it was found that he was attached by a rope to the
floating timber. This rope, it will be remembered, I had myself tied around his
waist, and made fast to a ringbolt, for the purpose of keeping him in an upright
position, and my so doing, it appeared, had been ultimately the means of
preserving his life. The Ariel was slightly put together, and in going down her
frame naturally went to pieces; the deck of the cuddy, as might have been
expected, was lifted, by the force of the water rushing in, entirely from the
main timbers, and floated (with other fragments, no doubt) to the surface-
Augustus was buoyed up with it, and thus escaped a terrible death.
It was more than an hour after being taken on board the Penguin
before he could give any account of himself, or be made to comprehend the
nature of the accident which had befallen our boat. At length he became
thoroughly aroused, and spoke much of his sensations while in the water. Upon
his first attaining any degree of consciousness, he found himself beneath the
surface, whirling round and round with inconceivable rapidity, and with a rope
wrapped in three or four folds tightly about his neck. In an instant afterward
he felt himself going rapidly upward, when, his head striking violently against
a hard substance, he again relapsed into insensibility. Upon once more reviving
he was in fuller possession of his reason- this was still, however, in the
greatest degree clouded and confused. He now knew that some accident had
occurred, and that he was in the water, although his mouth was above the
surface, and he could breathe with some freedom. Possibly, at this period the
deck was drifting rapidly before the wind, and drawing him after it, as he
floated upon his back. Of course, as long as he could have retained this
position, it would have been nearly impossible that he should be drowned.
Presently a surge threw him directly athwart the deck, and this post he
endeavored to maintain, screaming at intervals for help. just before he was
discovered by Mr. Henderson, he had been obliged to relax his hold through
exhaustion, and, falling into the sea, had given himself up for lost. During
the whole period of his struggles he had not the faintest recollection of the
Ariel, nor of the matters in connexion with the source of his disaster. A vague
feeling of terror and despair had taken entire possession of his faculties.
When he was finally picked up, every power of his mind had failed him; and, as
before said, it was nearly an hour after getting on board the Penguin before he
became fully aware of his condition. In regard to myself- I was resuscitated
from a state bordering very nearly upon death (and after every other means had
been tried in vain for three hours and a half) by vigorous friction with
flannels bathed in hot oil- a proceeding suggested by Augustus. The wound in my
neck, although of an ugly appearance, proved of little real consequence, and I
soon recovered from its effects.
The Penguin got into port about nine o'clock in the morning, after
encountering one of the severest gales ever experienced off Nantucket. Both
Augustus and myself managed to appear at Mr. Barnard's in time for breakfast-
which, luckily, was somewhat late, owing to the party over night. I suppose all
at the table were too much fatigued themselves to notice our jaded appearance-
of course, it would not have borne a very rigid scrutiny. Schoolboys, however,
can accomplish wonders in the way of deception, and I verily believe not one of
our friends in Nantucket had the slightest suspicion that the terrible story
told by some sailors in town of their having run down a vessel at sea and
drowned some thirty or forty poor devils, had reference either to the Ariel, my
companion, or myself. We two have since very frequently talked the matter over-
but never without a shudder. In one of our conversations Augustus frankly
confessed to me, that in his whole life he had at no time experienced so
excruciating a sense of dismay, as when on board our little boat he first
discovered the extent of his intoxication, and felt himself sinking beneath its
influence.
In no affairs of mere prejudice, pro or con, do we deduce
inferences with entire certainty, even from the most simple data. It might be supposed
that a catastrophe such as I have just related would have effectually cooled my
incipient passion for the sea. On the contrary, I never experienced a more
ardent longing for the wild adventures incident to the life of a navigator than
within a week after our miraculous deliverance. This short period proved amply
long enough to erase from my memory the shadows, and bring out in vivid light
all the pleasurably exciting points of color, all the picturesqueness, of the
late perilous accident. My conversations with Augustus grew daily more frequent
and more intensely full of interest. He had a manner of relating his stories of
the ocean (more than one half of which I now suspect to have been sheer
fabrications) well adapted to have weight with one of my enthusiastic
temperament and somewhat gloomy although glowing imagination. It is strange,
too, that he most strongly enlisted my feelings in behalf of the life of a
seaman, when he depicted his more terrible moments of suffering and despair.
For the bright side of the painting I had a limited sympathy. My visions were
of shipwreck and famine; of death or captivity among barbarian hordes; of a
lifetime dragged out in sorrow and tears, upon some gray and desolate rock, in
an ocean unapproachable and unknown. Such visions or desires- for they amounted
to desires- are common, I have since been assured, to the whole numerous race
of the melancholy among men- at the time of which I speak I regarded them only
as prophetic glimpses of a destiny which I felt myself in a measure bound to
fulfil. Augustus thoroughly entered into my state of mind. It is probable,
indeed, that our intimate communion had resulted in a partial interchange of
character.
About eighteen months after the period of the Ariel's disaster,
the firm of Lloyd and Vredenburgh (a house connected in some manner with the
Messieurs Enderby, I believe, of Liverpool) were engaged in repairing and
fitting out the brig Grampus for a whaling voyage. She was an old hulk, and
scarcely seaworthy when all was done to her that could be done. I hardly know
why she was chosen in preference to other good vessels belonging to the same
owners- but so it was. Mr. Barnard was appointed to command her, and Augustus
was going with him. While the brig was getting ready, he frequently urged upon
me the excellency of the opportunity now offered for indulging my desire of
travel. He found me by no means an unwilling listener- yet the matter could not
be so easily arranged. My father made no direct opposition; but my mother went
into hysterics at the bare mention of the design; and, more than all, my
grandfather, from whom I expected much, vowed to cut me off with a shilling if
I should ever broach the subject to him again. These difficulties, however, so
far from abating my desire, only added fuel to the flame. I determined to go at
all hazards; and, having made known my intentions to Augustus, we set about
arranging a plan by which it might be accomplished. In the meantime I forbore
speaking to any of my relations in regard to the voyage, and, as I busied
myself ostensibly with my usual studies, it was supposed that I had abandoned
the design. I have since frequently examined my conduct on this occasion with
sentiments of displeasure as well as of surprise. The intense hypocrisy I made
use of for the furtherance of my project- an hypocrisy pervading every word and
action of my life for so long a period of time- could only have been rendered
tolerable to myself by the wild and burning expectation with which I looked
forward to the fulfilment of my long-cherished visions of travel.
In pursuance of my scheme of deception, I was necessarily obliged
to leave much to the management of Augustus, who was employed for the greater
part of every day on board the Grampus, attending to some arrangements for his
father in the cabin and cabin hold. At night, however, we were sure to have a
conference and talk over our hopes. After nearly a month passed in this manner,
without our hitting upon any plan we thought likely to succeed, he told me at
last that he had determined upon everything necessary. I had a relation living
in New Bedford, a Mr. Ross, at whose house I was in the habit of spending
occasionally two or three weeks at a time. The brig was to sail about the
middle of June (June, 1827), and it was agreed that, a day or two before her
putting to sea, my father was to receive a note, as usual, from Mr. Ross,
asking me to come over and spend a fortnight with Robert and Emmet (his sons).
Augustus charged himself with the inditing of this note and getting it
delivered. Having set out as supposed, for New Bedford, I was then to report
myself to my companion, who would contrive a hiding-place for me in the
Grampus. This hiding-place, he assured me, would be rendered sufficiently
comfortable for a residence of many days, during which I was not to make my
appearance. When the brig had proceeded so far on her course as to make any
turning back a matter out of question, I should then, he said, be formally
installed in all the comforts of the cabin; and as to his father, he would only
laugh heartily at the joke. Vessels enough would be met with by which a letter
might be sent home explaining the adventure to my parents.
The middle of June at length arrived, and every thing had been
matured. The note was written and delivered, and on a Monday morning I left the
house for the New Bedford packet, as supposed. I went, however, straight to
Augustus, who was waiting for me at the corner of a street. It had been our
original plan that I should keep out of the way until dark, and then slip on
board the brig; but, as there was now a thick fog in our favor, it was agreed
to lose no time in secreting me. Augustus led the way to the wharf, and I
followed at a little distance, enveloped in a thick seaman's cloak, which he
had brought with him, so that my person might not be easily recognized. just as
we turned the second corner, after passing Mr. Edmund's well, who should
appear, standing right in front of me, and looking me full in the face, but old
Mr. Peterson, my grandfather. "Why, bless my soul, Gordon," said he,
after a long pause, "why, why,- whose dirty cloak is that you have
on?" "Sir!" I replied, assuming, as well as I could, in the
exigency of the moment, an air of offended surprise, and talking in the
gruffest of all imaginable tones- "sir! you are a sum'mat mistaken- my
name, in the first place, bee'nt nothing at all like Goddin, and I'd want you
for to know better, you blackguard, than to call my new obercoat a darty
one." For my life I could hardly refrain from screaming with laughter at
the odd manner in which the old gentleman received this handsome rebuke. He
started back two or three steps, turned first pale and then excessively red,
threw up his spectacles, then, putting them down, ran full tilt at me, with his
umbrella uplifted. He stopped short, however, in his career, as if struck with
a sudden recollection; and presently, turning round, hobbled off down the
street, shaking all the while with rage, and muttering between his teeth:
"Won't do- new glasses- thought it was
After this narrow escape we proceeded with greater caution, and
arrived at our point of destination in safety. There were only one or two of
the hands on board, and these were busy forward, doing something to the
forecastle combings. Captain Barnard, we knew very well, was engaged at Lloyd
and Vredenburgh's, and would remain there until late in the evening, so we had
little to apprehend on his account. Augustus went first up the vessel's side,
and in a short while I followed him, without being noticed by the men at work.
We proceeded at once into the cabin, and found no person there. It was fitted
up in the most comfortable style- a thing somewhat unusual in a whaling-vessel.
There were four very excellent staterooms, with wide and convenient berths.
There was also a large stove, I took notice, and a remarkably thick and
valuable carpet covering the floor of both the cabin and staterooms. The
ceiling was full seven feet high, and, in short, every thing appeared of a more
roomy and agreeable nature than I had anticipated. Augustus, however, would
allow me but little time for observation, insisting upon the necessity of my
concealing myself as soon as possible. He led the way into his own stateroom,
which was on the starboard side of the brig, and next to the bulkheads. Upon
entering, he closed the door and bolted it. I thought I had never seen a nicer
little room than the one in which I now found myself. It was about ten feet
long, and had only one berth, which, as I said before, was wide and convenient.
In that portion of the closet nearest the bulkheads there was a space of four
feet square, containing a table, a chair, and a set of hanging shelves full of
books, chiefly books of voyages and travels. There were many other little comforts
in the room, among which I ought not to forget a kind of safe or refrigerator,
in which Augustus pointed out to me a host of delicacies, both in the eating
and drinking department.
He now pressed with his knuckles upon a certain spot of the carpet
in one corner of the space just mentioned, letting me know that a portion of
the flooring, about sixteen inches square, had been neatly cut out and again
adjusted. As he pressed, this portion rose up at one end sufficiently to allow
the passage of his finger beneath. In this manner he raised the mouth of the
trap (to which the carpet was still fastened by tacks), and I found that it led
into the after hold. He next lit a small taper by means of a phosphorous match,
and, placing the light in a dark lantern, descended with it through the
opening, bidding me follow. I did so, and be then pulled the cover upon the
hole, by means of a nail driven into the under side- the carpet, of course,
resuming its original position on the floor of the stateroom, and all traces of
the aperture being concealed.
The taper gave out so feeble a ray that it was with the greatest
difficulty I could grope my way through the confused mass of lumber among which
I now found myself. By degrees, however, my eyes became accustomed to the
gloom, and I proceeded with less trouble, holding on to the skirts of my
friend's coat. He brought me, at length, after creeping and winding through
innumerable narrow passages, to an iron-bound box, such as is used sometimes
for packing fine earthenware. It was nearly four feet high, and full six long,
but very narrow. Two large empty oil-casks lay on the top of it, and above
these, again, a vast quantity of straw matting, piled up as high as the floor
of the cabin. In every other direction around was wedged as closely as
possible, even up to the ceiling, a complete chaos of almost every species of
ship-furniture, together with a heterogeneous medley of crates, hampers,
barrels, and bales, so that it seemed a matter no less than miraculous that we had
discovered any passage at all to the box. I afterward found that Augustus had
purposely arranged the stowage in this hold with a view to affording me a
thorough concealment, having had only one assistant in the labour, a man not
going out in the brig.
My companion now showed me that one of the ends of the box could
be removed at pleasure. He slipped it aside and displayed the interior, at
which I was excessively amused. A mattress from one of the cabin berths covered
the whole of its bottom, and it contained almost every article of mere comfort
which could be crowded into so small a space, allowing me, at the same time,
sufficient room for my accommodation, either in a sitting position or lying at
full length. Among other things, there were some books, pen, ink, and paper,
three blankets, a large jug full of water, a keg of sea-biscuit, three or four
immense Bologna sausages, an enormous ham, a cold leg of roast mutton, and half
a dozen bottles of cordials and liqueurs. I proceeded immediately to take possession
of my little apartment, and this with feelings of higher satisfaction, I am
sure, than any monarch ever experienced upon entering a new palace. Augustus
now pointed out to me the method of fastening the open end of the box, and
then, holding the taper close to the deck, showed me a piece of dark whipcord
lying along it. This, he said, extended from my hiding-place throughout an the
necessary windings among the lumber, to a nail which was driven into the deck
of the hold, immediately beneath the trap-door leading into his stateroom. By
means of this cord I should be enabled readily to trace my way out without his
guidance, provided any unlooked-for accident should render such a step
necessary. He now took his departure, leaving with me the lantern, together
with a copious supply of tapers and phosphorous, and promising to pay me a
visit as often as he could contrive to do so without observation. This was on
the seventeenth of June.
I remained three days and nights (as nearly as I could guess) in my
hiding-place without getting out of it at all, except twice for the purpose of
stretching my limbs by standing erect between two crates just opposite the
opening. During the whole period I saw nothing of Augustus; but this occasioned
me little uneasiness, as I knew the brig was expected to put to sea every hour,
and in the bustle he would not easily find opportunities of coming down to me.
At length I heard the trap open and shut. and presently he called in a low
voice, asking if all was well, and if there was any thing I wanted.
"Nothing," I replied; "I am as comfortable as can be; when will
the brig sail?" "She will be under weigh in less than half an
hour," he answered. "I came to let you know, and for fear you should
be uneasy at my absence. I shall not have a chance of coming down again for
some time- perhaps for three or four days more. All is going on right
aboveboard. After I go up and close the trap, do you creep along by the
whipcord to where the nail is driven in. You will find my watch there- it may
be useful to you, as you have no daylight to keep time by. I suppose you can't
tell how long you have been buried- only three days- this is the twentieth. I
would bring the watch to your box, but am afraid of being missed." With
this he went up.
In about an hour after he had gone I distinctly felt the brig in
motion, and congratulated myself upon having at length fairly commenced a
voyage. Satisfied with this idea, I determined to make my mind as easy as
possible, and await the course of events until I should be permitted to
exchange the box for the more roomy, although hardly more comfortable,
accommodations of the cabin. My first care was to get the watch. Leaving the
taper burning, I groped along in the dark, following the cord through windings innumerable,
in some of which I discovered that, after toiling a long distance, I was
brought back within a foot or two of a former position. At length I reached the
nail, and securing the object of my journey, returned with it in safety. I now
looked over the books which had been so thoughtfully provided, and selected the
expedition of Lewis and Clarke to the mouth of the Columbia. With this I amused
myself for some time, when, growing sleepy, I extinguished the light with great
care, and soon fell into a sound slumber.
Upon awakening I felt strangely confused in mind, and some time
elapsed before I could bring to recollection all the various circumstances of
my situation. By degrees, however, I remembered all. Striking a light, I looked
at the watch; but it was run down, and there were, consequently, no means of
determining how long I slept. My limbs were greatly cramped, and I was forced
to relieve them by standing between the crates. Presently feeling an almost
ravenous appetite, I bethought myself of the cold mutton, some of which I had
eaten just before going to sleep, and found excellent. What was my astonishment
in discovering it to be in a state of absolute putrefaction! This circumstance
occasioned me great disquietude; for, connecting it with the disorder of mind I
experienced upon awakening, I began to suppose that I must have slept for an
inordinately long period of time. The close atmosphere of the hold might have
had something to do with this, and might, in the end, be productive of the most
serious results. My head ached excessively; I fancied that I drew every breath
with difficulty; and, in short, I was oppressed with a multitude of gloomy
feelings. Still I could not venture to make any disturbance by opening the trap
or otherwise, and, having wound up the watch, contented myself as well as
possible.
Throughout the whole of the next tedious twenty-four hours no
person came to my relief, and I could not help accusing Augustus of the
grossest inattention. What alarmed me chiefly was, that the water in my jug was
reduced to about half a pint, and I was suffering much from thirst, having
eaten freely of the Bologna sausages after the loss of my mutton. I became very
uneasy, and could no longer take any interest in my books. I was overpowered,
too, with a desire to sleep, yet trembled at the thought of indulging it, lest
there might exist some pernicious influence, like that of burning charcoal, in
the confined air of the hold. In the meantime the roll of the brig told me that
we were far in the main ocean, and a dull humming sound, which reached my ears
as if from an immense distance, convinced me no ordinary gale was blowing. I
could not imagine a reason for the absence of Augustus. We were surely far
enough advanced on our voyage to allow of my going up. Some accident might have
happened to him- but I could think of none which would account for his
suffering me to remain so long a prisoner, except, indeed, his having suddenly
died or fallen overboard, and upon this idea I could not dwell with any degree
of patience. It was possible that we had been baffled by head winds, and were
still in the near vicinity of Nantucket. This notion, however, I was forced to
abandon; for such being the case, the brig must have frequently gone about; and
I was entirely satisfied, from her continual inclination to the larboard, that
she had been sailing all along with a steady breeze on her starboard quarter.
Besides, granting that we were still in the neighborhood of the island, why
should not Augustus have visited me and informed me of the circumstance?
Pondering in this manner upon the difficulties of my solitary and cheerless
condition, I resolved to wait yet another twenty-four hours, when, if no relief
were obtained, I would make my way to the trap, and endeavour either to hold a
parley with my friend, or get at least a little fresh air through the opening,
and a further supply of water from the stateroom. While occupied with this
thought, however, I fell in spite of every exertion to the contrary, into a state
of profound sleep, or rather stupor. My dreams were of the most terrific
description. Every species of calamity and horror befell me. Among other
miseries I was smothered to death between huge pillows, by demons of the most
ghastly and ferocious aspect. Immense serpents held me in their embrace, and
looked earnestly in my face with their fearfully shining eyes. Then deserts,
limitless, and of the most forlorn and awe-inspiring character, spread
themselves out before me. Immensely tall trunks of trees, gray and leafless,
rose up in endless succession as far as the eye could reach. Their roots were
concealed in wide-spreading morasses, whose dreary water lay intensely black,
still, and altogether terrible, beneath. And the strange trees seemed endowed
with a human vitality, and waving to and fro their skeleton arms, were crying
to the silent waters for mercy, in the shrill and piercing accents of the most
acute agony and despair. The scene changed; and I stood, naked and alone,
amidst the burning sand-plains of Sahara. At my feet lay crouched a fierce lion
of the tropics. Suddenly his wild eyes opened and fell upon me. With a
conculsive bound he sprang to his feet, and laid bare his horrible teeth. In
another instant there burst from his red throat a roar like the thunder of the
firmament, and I fell impetuously to the earth. Stifling in a paroxysm of
terror, I at last found myself partially awake. My dream, then, was not all a
dream. Now, at least, I was in possession of my senses. The paws of some huge
and real monster were pressing heavily upon my bosom- his hot breath was in my
ear- and his white and ghastly fangs were gleaming upon me through the gloom.
Had a thousand lives hung upon the movement of a limb or the
utterance of a syllable, I could have neither stirred nor spoken. The beast,
whatever it was, retained his position without attempting any immediate
violence, while I lay in an utterly helpless, and, I fancied, a dying condition
beneath him. I felt that my powers of body and mind were fast leaving me- in a
word, that I was perishing, and perishing of sheer fright. My brain swam- I
grew deadly sick- my vision failed- even the glaring eyeballs above me grew
dim. Making a last strong effort, I at length breathed a faint ejaculation to
God, and resigned myself to die. The sound of my voice seemed to arouse all the
latent fury of the animal. He precipitated himself at full length upon my body;
but what was my astonishment, when, with a long and low whine, he commenced
licking my face and hands with the greatest eagerness, and with the most
extravagant demonstration of affection and joy! I was bewildered, utterly lost
in amazement- but I could not forget the peculiar whine of my Newfoundland dog
Tiger, and the odd manner of his caresses I well knew. It was he. I experienced
a sudden rush of blood to my temples- a giddy and overpowering sense of
deliverance and reanimation. I rose hurriedly from the mattress upon which I
had been lying, and, throwing myself upon the neck of my faithful follower and
friend, relieved the long oppression of my bosom in a flood of the most
passionate tears.
As upon a former occasion my conceptions were in a state of the
greatest indistinctness and confusion after leaving the mattress. For a long
time I found it nearly impossible to connect any ideas; but, by very slow
degrees, my thinking faculties returned, and I again called to memory the
several incidents of my condition. For the presence of Tiger I tried in vain to
account; and after busying myself with a thousand different conjectures
respecting him, was forced to content myself with rejoicing that he was with me
to share my dreary solitude, and render me comfort by his caresses. Most people
love their dogs, but for Tiger I had an affection far more ardent than common; and
never, certainly, did any creature more truly deserve it. For seven years he
had been my inseparable companion, and in a multitude of instances had given
evidence of all the noble qualities for which we value the animal. I had
rescued him, when a puppy, from the clutches of a malignant little villain in
Nantucket who was leading him, with a rope around his neck, to the water; and
the grown dog repaid the obligation, about three years afterward, by saving me
from the bludgeon of a street robber.
Getting now hold of the watch, I found, upon applying it to my
ear, that it had again run down; but at this I was not at all surprised, being
convinced, from the peculiar state of my feelings, that I had slept, as before,
for a very long period of time, how long, it was of course impossible to say. I
was burning up with fever, and my thirst was almost intolerable. I felt about
the box for my little remaining supply of water, for I had no light, the taper
having burnt to the socket of the lantern, and the phosphorus-box not coming
readily to hand. Upon finding the jug, however, I discovered it to be empty-
Tiger, no doubt, having been tempted to drink it, as well as to devour the
remnant of mutton, the bone of which lay, well picked, by the opening of the
box. The spoiled meat I could well spare, but my heart sank as I thought of the
water. I was feeble in the extreme- so much so that I shook all over, as with
an ague, at the slightest movement or exertion. To add to my troubles, the brig
was pitching and rolling with great violence, and the oil-casks which lay upon
my box were in momentary danger of falling down, so as to block up the only way
of ingress or egress. I felt, also, terrible sufferings from sea-sickness.
These considerations determined me to make my way, at all hazards, to the trap,
and obtain immediate relief, before I should be incapacitated from doing so
altogether. Having come to this resolve, I again felt about for the
phosphorus-box and tapers. The former I found after some little trouble; but, not
discovering the tapers as soon as I had expected (for I remembered very nearly
the spot in which I had placed them), I gave up the search for the present, and
bidding Tiger lie quiet, began at once my journey toward the trap.
In this attempt my great feebleness became more than ever
apparent. It was with the utmost difficulty I could crawl along at all, and
very frequently my limbs sank suddenly from beneath me; when, falling prostrate
on my face, I would remain for some minutes in a state bordering on
insensibility. Still I struggled forward by slow degrees, dreading every moment
that I should swoon amid the narrow and intricate windings of the lumber, in
which event I had nothing but death to expect as the result. At length, upon
making a push forward with all the energy I could command, I struck my forehead
violently against the sharp corner of an iron-bound crate. The accident only
stunned me for a few moments; but I found, to my inexpressible grief, that the
quick and violent roll of the vessel had thrown the crate entirely across my
path, so as effectually to block up the passage. With my utmost exertions I
could not move it a single inch from its position, it being closely wedged in
among the surrounding boxes and ship-furniture. It became necessary, therefore,
enfeebled as I was, either to leave the guidance of the whipcord and seek out a
new passage, or to climb over the obstacle, and resume the path on the other
side. The former alternative presented too many difficulties and dangers to be
thought of without a shudder. In my present weak state of both mind and body, I
should infallibly lose my way if I attempted it, and perish miserably amid the
dismal and disgusting labyrinths of the hold. I proceeded, therefore, without
hesitation, to summon up all my remaining strength and fortitude, and
endeavour, as I best might, to clamber over the crate.
Upon standing erect, with this end in view, I found the
undertaking even a more serious task than my fears had led me to imagine. On
each side of the narrow passage arose a complete wall of various heavy lumber,
which the least blunder on my part might be the means of bringing down upon my
head; or, if this accident did not occur, the path might be effectually blocked
up against my return by the descending mass, as it was in front by the obstacle
there. The crate itself was a long and unwieldy box, upon which no foothold
could be obtained. In vain I attempted, by every means in my power, to reach
the top, with the hope of being thus enabled to draw myself up. Had I succeeded
in reaching it, it is certain that my strength would have proved utterly
inadequate to the task of getting over, and it was better in every respect that
I failed. At length, in a desperate effort to force the crate from its ground,
I felt a strong vibration in the side next me. I thrust my hand eagerly to the
edge of the planks, and found that a very large one was loose. With my
pocket-knife, which, luckily, I had with me, I succeeded, after great labour,
in prying it entirely off; and getting it through the aperture, discovered, to
my exceeding joy, that there were no boards on the opposite side- in other
words, that the top was wanting, it being the bottom through which I had forced
my way. I now met with no important difficulty in proceeding along the line
until I finally reached the nail. With a beating heart I stood erect, and with
a gentle touch pressed against the cover of the trap. It did not rise as soon
as I had expected, and I pressed it with somewhat more determination, still dreading
lest some other person than Augustus might be in his state-room. The door,
however, to my astonishment, remained steady, and I became somewhat uneasy, for
I knew that it had formerly required but little or no effort to remove it. I
pushed it strongly- it was nevertheless firm: with all my strength- it still
did not give way: with rage, with fury, with despair- it set at defiance my
utmost efforts; and it was evident, from the unyielding nature of the
resistance, that the hole had either been discovered and effectually nailed up,
or that some immense weight had been placed upon it, which it was useless to
think of removing.
My sensations were those of extreme horror and dismay. In vain I
attempted to reason on the probable cause of my being thus entombed. I could
summon up no connected chain of reflection, and, sinking on the floor, gave
way, unresistingly, to the most gloomy imaginings, in which the dreadful deaths
of thirst, famine, suffocation, and premature interment crowded upon me as the
prominent disasters to be encountered. At length there returned to me some
portion of presence of mind. I arose, and felt with my fingers for the seams or
cracks of the aperture. Having found them, I examined them closely to ascertain
if they emitted any light from the state-room; but none was visible. I then
forced the blade of my pen-knife through them, until I met with some hard
obstacle. Scraping against it, I discovered it to be a solid mass of iron,
which, from its peculiar wavy feel as I passed the blade along it, I concluded
to be a chain-cable. The only course now left me was to retrace my way to the
box, and there either yield to my sad fate, or try so to tranquilize my mind as
to admit of my arranging some plan of escape. I immediately set about the attempt,
and succeeded, after innumerable difficulties, in getting back. As I sank,
utterly exhausted, upon the mattress, Tiger threw himself at full length by my
side, and seemed as if desirous, by his caresses, of consoling me in my
troubles, and urging me to bear them with fortitude.
The singularity of his behavior at length forcibly arrested my
attention. After licking my face and hands for some minutes, he would suddenly
cease doing so, and utter a low whine. Upon reaching out my hand toward him, I then
invariably found him lying on his back, with his paws uplifted. This conduct,
so frequently repeated, appeared strange, and I could in no manner account for
it. As the dog seemed distressed, I concluded that he had received some injury;
and, taking his paws in my hands, I examined them one by one, but found no sign
of any hurt. I then supposed him hungry, and gave him a large piece of ham,
which he devoured with avidity- afterward, however, resuming his extraordinary
manoeuvres. I now imagined that he was suffering, like myself, the torments of
thirst, and was about adopting this conclusion as the true one, when the idea
occurred to me that I had as yet only examined his paws, and that there might
possibly be a wound upon some portion of his body or head. The latter I felt
carefully over, but found nothing. On passing my hand, however, along his back,
I perceived a slight erection of the hair extending completely across it.
Probing this with my finger, I discovered a string, and tracing it up, found that
it encircled the whole body. Upon a closer scrutiny, I came across a small slip
of what had the feeling of letter paper, through which the string had been
fastened in such a manner as to bring it immediately beneath the left shoulder
of the animal.
The thought instantly occurred to me that the paper was a note
from Augustus, and that some unaccountable accident having happened to prevent
his relieving me from my dungeon, he had devised this method of acquainting me
with the true state of affairs. Trembling with eagerness, I now commenced
another search for my phosphorus matches and tapers. I had a confused
recollection of having put them carefully away just before falling asleep; and,
indeed, previously to my last journey to the trap, I had been able to remember
the exact spot where I had deposited them. But now I endeavored in vain to call
it to mind, and busied myself for a full hour in a fruitless and vexatious
search for the missing articles; never, surely, was there a more tantalizing
state of anxiety and suspense. At length, while groping about, with my head
close to the ballast, near the opening of the box, and outside of it, I
perceived a faint glimmering of light in the direction of the steerage. Greatly
surprised, I endeavored to make my way toward it, as it appeared to be but a
few feet from my position. Scarcely had I moved with this intention, when I
lost sight of the glimmer entirely, and, before I could bring it into view
again, was obliged to feel along by the box until I had exactly resumed my
original situation. Now, moving my head with caution to and fro, I found that,
by proceeding slowly, with great care, in an opposite direction to that in
which I had at first started, I was enabled to draw near the light, still
keeping it in view. Presently I came directly upon it (having squeezed my way
through innumerable narrow windings), and found that it proceeded from some
fragments of my matches lying in an empty barrel turned upon its side. I was
wondering how they came in such a place, when my hand fell upon two or three
pieces of taper wax, which had been evidently mumbled by the dog. I concluded
at once that he had devoured the whole of my supply of candles, and I felt
hopeless of being ever able to read the note of Augustus. The small remnants of
the wax were so mashed up among other rubbish in the barrel, that I despaired
of deriving any service from them, and left them as they were. The phosphorus,
of which there was only a speck or two, I gathered up as well as I could, and returned
with it, after much difficulty, to my box, where Tiger had all the while
remained.
What to do next I could not tell. The hold was so intensely dark
that I could not see my hand, however close I would hold it to my face. The
white slip of paper could barely be discerned, and not even that when I looked
at it directly; by turning the exterior portions of the retina toward it- that
is to say, by surveying it slightly askance, I found that it became in some
measure perceptible. Thus the gloom of my prison may be imagined, and the note
of my friend, if indeed it were a note from him, seemed only likely to throw me
into further trouble, by disquieting to no purpose my already enfeebled and
agitated mind. In vain I revolved in my brain a multitude of absurd expedients
for procuring light- such expedients precisely as a man in the perturbed sleep
occasioned by opium would be apt to fall upon for a similar purpose- each and
all of which appear by turns to the dreamer the most reasonable and the most
preposterous of conceptions, just as the reasoning or imaginative faculties
flicker, alternately, one above the other. At last an idea occurred to me which
seemed rational, and which gave me cause to wonder, very justly, that I had not
entertained it before. I placed the slip of paper on the back of a book, and,
collecting the fragments of the phosphorus matches which I had brought from the
barrel, laid them together upon the paper. I then, with the palm of my hand,
rubbed the whole over quickly, yet steadily. A clear light diffused itself
immediately throughout the whole surface; and had there been any writing upon
it, I should not have experienced the least difficulty, I am sure, in reading
it. Not a syllable was there, however- nothing but a dreary and unsatisfactory
blank; the illumination died away in a few seconds, and my heart died away
within me as it went.
I have before stated more than once that my intellect, for some
period prior to this, had been in a condition nearly bordering on idiocy. There
were, to be sure, momentary intervals of perfect sanity, and, now and then,
even of energy; but these were few. It must be remembered that I had been, for
many days certainly, inhaling the almost pestilential atmosphere of a close
hold in a whaling vessel, and for a long portion of that time but scantily
supplied with water. For the last fourteen or fifteen hours I had none- nor had
I slept during that time. Salt provisions of the most exciting kind had been my
chief, and, indeed, since the loss of the mutton, my only supply of food, with
the exception of the sea-biscuit; and these latter were utterly useless to me,
as they were too dry and hard to be swallowed in the swollen and parched
condition of my throat. I was now in a high state of fever, and in every respect
exceedingly ill. This will account for the fact that many miserable hours of
despondency elapsed after my last adventure with the phosphorus, before the
thought suggested itself that I had examined only one side of the paper. I
shall not attempt to describe my feelings of rage (for I believe I was more
angry than any thing else) when the egregious oversight I had committed flashed
suddenly upon my perception. The blunder itself would have been unimportant,
had not my own folly and impetuosity rendered it otherwise- in my
disappointment at not finding some words upon the slip, I had childishly torn
it in pieces and thrown it away, it was impossible to say where.
From the worst part of this dilemma I was relieved by the sagacity
of Tiger. Having got, after a long search, a small piece of the note, I put it
to the dog's nose, and endeavored to make him understand that he must bring me
the rest of it. To my astonishment, (for I had taught him none of the usual
tricks for which his breed are famous,) he seemed to enter at once into my
meaning, and, rummaging about for a few moments, soon found another
considerable portion. Bringing me this, he paused awhile, and, rubbing his nose
against my hand, appeared to be waiting for my approval of what he had done. I
patted him on the head, when he immediately made off again. It was now some
minutes before he came back- but when he did come, he brought with him a large
slip, which proved to be all the paper missing- it having been torn, it seems,
only into three pieces. Luckily, I had no trouble in finding what few fragments
of the phosphorus were left- being guided by the indistinct glow one or two of
the particles still emitted. My difficulties had taught me the necessity of
caution, and I now took time to reflect upon what I was about to do. It was
very probable, I considered, that some words were written upon that side of the
paper which had not been examined- but which side was that? Fitting the pieces
together gave me no clew in this respect, although it assured me that the words
(if there were any) would be found all on one side, and connected in a proper
manner, as written. There was the greater necessity of ascertaining the point
in question beyond a doubt, as the phosphorus remaining would be altogether insufficient
for a third attempt, should I fail in the one I was now about to make. I placed
the paper on a book as before, and sat for some minutes thoughtfully revolving
the matter over in my mind. At last I thought it barely possible that the
written side might have some unevenness on its surface, which a delicate sense
of feeling might enable me to detect. I determined to make the experiment and
passed my finger very carefully over the side which first presented itself.
Nothing, however, was perceptible, and I turned the paper, adjusting it on the
book. I now again carried my forefinger cautiously along, when I was aware of
an exceedingly slight, but still discernable glow, which followed as it
proceeded. This, I knew, must arise from some very minute remaining particles
of the phosphorus with which I had covered the paper in my previous attempt.
The other, or under side, then, was that on which lay the writing, if writing
there should finally prove to be. Again I turned the note, and went to work as
I had previously done. Having rubbed in the phosphorus, a brilliancy ensued as
before- but this time several lines of MS. in a large hand, and apparently in
red ink, became distinctly visible. The glimmer, although sufficiently bright,
was but momentary. Still, had I not been too greatly excited, there would have
been ample time enough for me to peruse the whole three sentences before me-
for I saw there were three. In my anxiety, however, to read all at once, I
succeeded only in reading the seven concluding words, which thus appeared-
"blood- your life depends upon lying close."
Had I been able to ascertain the entire contents of the note-the
full meaning of the admonition which my friend had thus attempted to convey,
that admonition, even although it should have revealed a story of disaster the
most unspeakable, could not, I am firmly convinced, have imbued my mind with
one tithe of the harrowing and yet indefinable horror with which I was inspired
by the fragmentary warning thus received. And "blood," too, that word
of all words- so rife at all times with mystery, and suffering, and terror- how
trebly full of import did it now appear- how chilly and heavily (disjointed, as
it thus was, from any foregoing words to qualify or render it distinct) did its
vague syllables fall, amid the deep gloom of my prison, into the innermost
recesses of my soul!
Augustus had, undoubtedly, good reasons for wishing me to remain
concealed, and I formed a thousand surmises as to what they could be- but I
could think of nothing affording a satisfactory solution of the mystery. just
after returning from my last journey to the trap, and before my attention had
been otherwise directed by the singular conduct of Tiger, I had come to the
resolution of making myself heard at all events by those on board, or, if I
could not succeed in this directly, of trying to cut my way through the orlop
deck. The half certainty which I felt of being able to accomplish one of these
two purposes in the last emergency, had given me courage (which I should not
otherwise have had) to endure the evils of my situation. The few words I had
been able to read, however, had cut me off from these final resources, and I
now, for the first time, felt all the misery of my fate. In a paroxysm of
despair I threw myself again upon the mattress, where, for about the period of
a day and night, I lay in a kind of stupor, relieved only by momentary
intervals of reason and recollection.
At length I once more arose, and busied myself in reflection upon
the horrors which encompassed me. For another twenty-four hours it was barely
possible that I might exist without water- for a longer time I could not do so.
During the first portion of my imprisonment I had made free use of the cordials
with which Augustus had supplied me, but they only served to excite fever,
without in the least degree assuaging thirst. I had now only about a gill left,
and this was of a species of strong peach liqueur at which my stomach revolted.
The sausages were entirely consumed; of the ham nothing remained but a small
piece of the skin; and all the biscuit, except a few fragments of one, had been
eaten by Tiger. To add to my troubles, I found that my headache was increasing
momentarily, and with it the species of delirium which had distressed me more or
less since my first falling asleep. For some hours past it had been with the
greatest difficulty I could breathe at all, and now each attempt at so doing
was attended with the most depressing spasmodic action of the chest. But there
was still another and very different source of disquietude, and one, indeed,
whose harassing terrors had been the chief means of arousing me to exertion
from my stupor on the mattress. It arose from the demeanor of the dog.
I first observed an alteration in his conduct while rubbing in the
phosphorus on the paper in my last attempt. As I rubbed, he ran his nose
against my hand with a slight snarl; but I was too greatly excited at the time
to pay much attention to the circumstance. Soon afterward, it will be
remembered, I threw myself on the mattress, and fell into a species of
lethargy. Presently I became aware of a singular hissing sound close at my
ears, and discovered it to proceed from Tiger, who was panting and wheezing in
a state of the greatest apparent excitement, his eyeballs flashing fiercely
through the gloom. I spoke to him, when he replied with a low growl, and then
remained quiet. Presently I relapsed into my stupor, from which I was again
awakened in a similar manner. This was repeated three or four times, until
finally his behaviour inspired me with so great a degree of fear, that I became
fully aroused. He was now lying close by the door of the box, snarling
fearfully, although in a kind of undertone, and grinding his teeth as if
strongly convulsed. I had no doubt whatever that the want of water or the
confined atmosphere of the hold had driven him mad, and I was at a loss what
course to pursue. I could not endure the thought of killing him, yet it seemed
absolutely necessary for my own safety. I could distinctly perceive his eyes
fastened upon me with an expression of the most deadly animosity, and I
expected every instant that he would attack me. At last I could endure my
terrible situation no longer, and determined to make my way from the box at all
hazards, and dispatch him, if his opposition should render it necessary for me
to do so. To get out, I had to pass directly over his body, and he already
seemed to anticipate my design- missing himself upon his fore. legs (as I
perceived by the altered position of his eyes), and displayed the whole of his
white fangs, which were easily discernible. I took the remains of the ham-skin,
and the bottle containing the liqueur, and secured them about my person,
together with a large carving-knife which Augustus had left me- then, folding
my cloak around me as closely as possible, I made a movement toward the mouth
of the box. No sooner did I do this, than the dog sprang with a loud growl
toward my throat. The whole weight of his body struck me on the right shoulder,
and I fell violently to the left, while the enraged animal passed entirely over
me. I had fallen upon my knees, with my head buried among the blankets, and
these protected me from a second furious assault, during which I felt the sharp
teeth pressing vigorously upon the woollen which enveloped my neck- yet,
luckily, without being able to penetrate all the folds. I was now beneath the
dog, and a few moments would place me completely in his power. Despair gave me
strength, and I rose boldly up, shaking him from me by main force, and dragging
with me the blankets from the mattress. These I now threw over him, and before
he could extricate himself, I had got through the door and closed it
effectually against his pursuit. In this struggle, however, I had been forced to
drop the morsel of ham-skin, and I now found my whole stock of provisions
reduced to a single gill of liqueur, As this reflection crossed my mind, I felt
myself actuated by one of those fits of perverseness which might be supposed to
influence a spoiled child in similar circumstances, and, raising the bottle to
my lips, I drained it to the last drop, and dashed it furiously upon the floor.
Scarcely had the echo of the crash died away, when I heard my name
pronounced in an eager but subdued voice, issuing from the direction of the
steerage. So unexpected was anything of the kind, and so intense was the
emotion excited within me by the sound, that I endeavoured in vain to reply. My
powers of speech totally failed, and in an agony of terror lest my friend should
conclude me dead, and return without attempting to reach me, I stood up between
the crates near the door of the box, trembling convulsively, and gasping and
struggling for utterance. Had a thousand words depended upon a syllable, I
could not have spoken it. There was a slight movement now audible among the
lumber somewhere forward of my station. The sound presently grew less distinct,
then again less so, and still less. Shall I ever forget my feelings at this
moment? He was going- my friend, my companion, from whom I had a right to
expect so much- he was going- he would abandon me- he was gone! He would leave
me to perish miserably, to expire in the most horrible and loathesome of
dungeons- and one word, one little syllable, would save me- yet that single
syllable I could not utter! I felt, I am sure, more than ten thousand times the
agonies of death itself. My brain reeled, and I fell, deadly sick, against the
end of the box.
As I fell the carving-knife was shaken out from the waist-band of
my pantaloons, and dropped with a rattling sound to the floor. Never did any
strain of the richest melody come so sweetly to my ears! With the intensest
anxiety I listened to ascertain the effect of the noise upon Augustus- for I
knew that the person who called my name could be no one but himself. All was
silent for some moments. At length I again heard the word "Arthur!"
repeated in a low tone, and one full of hesitation. Reviving hope loosened at
once my powers of speech, and I now screamed at the top of my voice,
"Augustus! oh, Augustus!" "Hush! for God's sake be silent!"
he replied, in a voice trembling with agitation; "I will be with you
immediately- as soon as I can make my way through the hold." For a long
time I heard him moving among the lumber, and every moment seemed to me an age.
At length I felt his hand upon my shoulder, and he placed, at the same moment,
a bottle of water to my lips. Those only who have been suddenly redeemed from
the jaws of the tomb, or who have known the insufferable torments of thirst
under circumstances as aggravated as those which encompassed me in my dreary
prison, can form any idea of the unutterable transports which that one long
draught of the richest of all physical luxuries afforded.
When I had in some degree satisfied my thirst, Augustus produced
from his pocket three or four boiled potatoes, which I devoured with the
greatest avidity. He had brought with him a light in a dark lantern, and the
grateful rays afforded me scarcely less comfort than the food and drink. But I
was impatient to learn the cause of his protracted absence, and he proceeded to
recount what had happened on board during my incarceration.
The brig put to sea, as I had supposed, in about an hour after
he had left the watch. This was on the twentieth of June. It will be remembered
that I had then been in the hold for three days; and, during this period, there
was so constant a bustle on board, and so much running to and fro, especially
in the cabin and staterooms, that he had had no chance of visiting me without
the risk of having the secret of the trap discovered. When at length he did
come, I had assured him that I was doing as well as possible; and, therefore,
for the two next days be felt but little uneasiness on my account- still, however,
watching an opportunity of going down. It was not until the fourth day that he
found one. Several times during this interval he had made up his mind to let
his father know of the adventure, and have me come up at once; but we were
still within reaching distance of Nantucket, and it was doubtful, from some
expressions which had escaped Captain Barnard, whether he would not immediately
put back if he discovered me to be on board. Besides, upon thinking the matter
over, Augustus, so he told me, could not imagine that I was in immediate want,
or that I would hesitate, in such case, to make myself heard at the trap. When,
therefore, he considered everything he concluded to let me stay until he could
meet with an opportunity of visiting me unobserved. This, as I said before, did
not occur until the fourth day after his bringing me the watch, and the seventh
since I had first entered the hold. He then went down without taking with him
any water or provisions, intending in the first place merely to call my attention,
and get me to come from the box to the trap,- when he would go up to the
stateroom and thence hand me down a sup. ply. When he descended for this
purpose he found that I was asleep, for it seems that I was snoring very
loudly. From all the calculations I can make on the subject, this must have
been the slumber into which I fell just after my return from the trap with the
watch, and which, consequently, must have lasted for more than three entire
days and nights at the very least. Latterly, I have had reason both from my own
experience and the assurance of others, to be acquainted with the strong
soporific effects of the stench arising from old fish-oil when closely
confined; and when I think of the condition of the hold in which I was
imprisoned, and the long period during which the brig had been used as a
whaling vessel, I am more inclined to wonder that I awoke at all, after once
falling asleep, than that I should have slept uninterruptedly for the period
specified above.
Augustus called to me at first in a low voice and without closing
the trap- but I made him no reply. He then shut the trap, and spoke to me in a
louder, and finally in a very loud tone- still I continued to snore. He was now
at a loss what to do. It would take him some time to make his way through the
lumber to my box, and in the meanwhile his absence would be noticed by Captain
Barnard, who had occasion for his services every minute, in arranging and
copying papers connected with the business of the voyage. He determined, therefore,
upon reflection, to ascend, and await another opportunity of visiting me. He
was the more easily induced to this resolve, as my slumber appeared to be of
the most tranquil nature, and he could not suppose that I had undergone any
inconvenience from my incarceration. He had just made up his mind on these
points when his attention was arrested by an unusual bustle, the sound of which
proceeded apparently from the cabin. He sprang through the trap as quickly as
possible, closed it, and threw open the door of his stateroom. No sooner had he
put his foot over the threshold than a pistol flashed in his face, and he was
knocked down, at the same moment, by a blow from a handspike.
A strong hand held him on the cabin floor, with a tight grasp upon
his throat; still he was able to see what was going on around him. His father
was tied hand and foot, and lying along the steps of the companion-way, with
his head down, and a deep wound in the forehead, from which the blood was
flowing in a continued stream. He spoke not a word, and was apparently dying.
Over him stood the first mate, eyeing him with an expression of fiendish
derision, and deliberately searching his pockets, from which he presently drew
forth a large wallet and a chronometer. Seven of the crew (among whom was the
cook, a negro) were rummaging the staterooms on the larboard for arms, where
they soon equipped themselves with muskets and ammunition. Besides Augustus and
Captain Barnard, there were nine men altogether in the cabin, and these among the
most ruffianly of the brig's company. The villains now went upon deck, taking
my friend with them after having secured his arms behind his back. They
proceeded straight to the forecastle, which was fastened down- two of the
mutineers standing by it with axes- two also at the main hatch. The mate called
out in a loud voice: "Do you hear there below? tumble up with you, one by
one- now, mark that- and no grumbling!" It was some minutes before any one
appeared:- at last an Englishman, who had shipped as a raw hand, came up,
weeping piteously, and entreating the mate, in the most humble manner, to spare
his life. The only reply was a blow on the forehead from an axe. The poor
fellow fell to the deck without a groan, and the black cook lifted him up in
his arms as he would a child, and tossed him deliberately into the sea. Hearing
the blow and the plunge of the body, the men below could now be induced to
venture on deck neither by threats nor promises, until a proposition was made
to smoke them out. A general rush then ensued, and for a moment it seemed
possible that the brig might be retaken. The mutineers, however, succeeded at
last in closing the forecastle effectually before more than six of their
opponents could get up. These six, finding themselves so greatly outnumbered
and without arms, submitted after a brief struggle. The mate gave them fair
words- no doubt with a view of inducing those below to yield, for they had no
difficulty in hearing all that was said on deck. The result proved his
sagacity, no less than his diabolical villainy. All in the forecastle presently
signified their intention of submitting, and, ascending one by one, were
pinioned and then thrown on their backs, together with the first six- there
being in all, of the crew who were not concerned in the mutiny, twenty-seven.
A scene of the most horrible butchery ensued. The bound seamen
were dragged to the gangway. Here the cook stood with an axe, striking each
victim on the head as he was forced over the side of the vessel by the other mutineers.
In this manner twenty-two perished, and Augustus had given himself up for lost,
expecting every moment his own turn to come next. But it seemed that the
villains were now either weary, or in some measure disgusted with their bloody
labour; for the four remaining prisoners, together with my friend, who had been
thrown on the deck with the rest, were respited while the mate sent below for
rum, and the whole murderous party held a drunken carouse, which lasted until
sunset. They now fell to disputing in regard to the fate of the survivors, who
lay not more than four paces off, and could distinguish every word said. Upon
some of the mutineers the liquor appeared to have a softening effect, for
several voices were heard in favor of releasing the captives altogether, on
condition of joining the mutiny and sharing the profits. The black cook,
however (who in all respects was a perfect demon, and who seemed to exert as
much influence, if not more, than the mate himself), would listen to no
proposition of the kind, and rose repeatedly for the purpose of resuming his
work at the gangway. Fortunately he was so far overcome by intoxication as to
be easily restrained by the less bloodthirsty of the party, among whom was a
line-manager, who went by the name of Dirk Peters. This man was the son of an
Indian squaw of the tribe of Upsarokas, who live among the fastnesses of the
Black Hills, near the source of the Missouri. His father was a fur-trader, I
believe, or at least connected in some manner with the Indian trading-posts on
Lewis river. Peter himself was one of the most ferocious-looking men I ever
beheld. He was short in stature, not more than four feet eight inches high, but
his limbs were of Herculean mould. His hands, especially, were so enormously
thick and broad as hardly to retain a human shape. His arms, as well as legs,
were bowed in the most singular manner, and appeared to possess no flexibility
whatever. His head was equally deformed, being of immense size, with an
indentation on the crown (like that on the head of most negroes), and entirely
bald. To conceal this latter deficiency, which did not proceed from old age, he
usually wore a wig formed of any hair-like material which presented itself-
occasionally the skin of a Spanish dog or American grizzly bear. At the time
spoken of, he had on a portion of one of these bearskins; and it added no
little to the natural ferocity of his countenance, which betook of the Upsaroka
character. The mouth extended nearly from ear to ear, the lips were thin, and
seemed, like some other portions of his frame, to be devoid of natural pliancy,
so that the ruling expression never varied under the influence of any emotion
whatever. This ruling expression may be conceived when it is considered that
the teeth were exceedingly long and protruding, and never even partially
covered, in any instance, by the lips. To pass this man with a casual glance,
one might imagine him to be convulsed with laughter, but a second look would
induce a shuddering acknowledgment, that if such an expression were indicative
of merriment, the merriment must be that of a demon. Of this singular being
many anecdotes were prevalent among the seafaring men of Nantucket. These
anecdotes went to prove his prodigious strength when under excitement, and some
of them had given rise to a doubt of his sanity. But on board the Grampus, it
seems, he was regarded, at the time of the mutiny, with feelings more of
derision than of anything else. I have been thus particular in speaking of Dirk
Peters, because, ferocious as he appeared, he proved the main instrument in
preserving the life of Augustus, and because I shall have frequent occasion to
mention him hereafter in the course of my narrative- a narrative, let me here
say, which, in its latter portions, will be found to include incidents of a
nature so entirely out of the range of human experience, and for this reason so
far beyond the limits of human credulity, that I proceed in utter hopelessness
of obtaining credence for all that I shall tell, yet confidently trusting in
time and progressing science to verify some of the most important and most
improbable of my statements.
After much indecision and two or three violent quarrels, it was
determined at last that all the prisoners (with the exception of Augustus, whom
Peters insisted in a jocular manner upon keeping as his clerk) should be set
adrift in one of the smallest whaleboats. The mate went down into the cabin to
see if Captain Barnard was still living- for, it will be remembered, he was
left below when the mutineers came up. Presently the two made their appearance,
the captain pale as death, but somewhat recovered from the effects of his
wound. He spoke to the men in a voice hardly articulate, entreated them not to
set him adrift, but to return to their duty, and promising to land them
wherever they chose, and to take no steps for bringing them to justice. He
might as well have spoken to the winds. Two of the ruffians seized him by the
arms and hurled him over the brig's side into the boat, which had been lowered
while the mate went below. The four men who were lying on the deck were then
untied and ordered to follow, which they did without attempting any resistance-
Augustus being still left in his painful position, although he struggled and
prayed only for the poor satisfaction of being permitted to bid his father
farewell. A handful of sea-biscuit and a jug of water were now handed down; but
neither mast, sail, oar, nor compass. The boat was towed astern for a few
minutes, during which the mutineers held another consultation- it was then
finally cut adrift. By this time night had come on- there were neither moon nor
stars visible- and a short and ugly sea was running, although there was no
great deal of wind. The boat was instantly out of sight, and little hope could
be entertained for the unfortunate sufferers who were in it. This event
happened, however, in latitude 35 degrees 30' north, longitude 61 degrees 20'
west, and consequently at no very great distance from the Bermuda Islands.
Augustus therefore endeavored to console himself with the idea that the boat
might either succeed in reaching the land, or come sufficiently near to be
fallen in with by vessels off the coast.
All sail was now put upon the brig, and she continued her original
course to the southwest- the mutineers being bent upon some piratical
expedition, in which, from all that could be understood, a ship was to be
intercepted on her way from the Cape Verd Islands to Porto Rico. No attention
was paid to Augustus, who was untied and suffered to go about anywhere forward
of the cabin companion-way. Dirk Peters treated him with some degree of
kindness, and on one occasion saved him from the brutality of the cook. His
situation was still one of the most precarious, as the men were continually intoxicated,
and there was no relying upon their continued good-humor or carelessness in
regard to himself. His anxiety on my account be represented, however, as the
most distressing result of his condition; and, indeed, I had never reason to
doubt the sincerity of his friendship. More than once he had resolved to
acquaint the mutineers with the secret of my being on board, but was restrained
from so doing, partly through recollection of the atrocities he had already
beheld, and partly through a hope of being able soon to bring me relief. For
the latter purpose he was constantly on the watch; but, in spite of the most
constant vigilance, three days elapsed after the boat was cut adrift before any
chance occurred. At length, on the night of the third day, there came on a
heavy blow from the eastward, and all hands were called up to take in sail.
During the confusion which ensued, he made his way below unobserved, and into
the stateroom. What was his grief and horror in discovering that the latter had
been rendered a place of deposit for a variety of sea-stores and
ship-furniture, and that several fathoms of old chain-cable, which had been
stowed away beneath the companion-ladder, had been dragged thence to make room
for a chest, and were now lying immediately upon the trap! To remove it without
discovery was impossible, and he returned on deck as quickly as he could. As be
came up, the mate seized him by the throat, and demanding what he had been
doing in the cabin, was about flinging him over the larboard bulwark, when his
life was again preserved through the interference of Dirk Peters. Augustus was
now put in handcuffs (of which there were several pairs on board), and his feet
lashed tightly together. He was then taken into the steerage, and thrown into a
lower berth next to the forecastle bulkheads, with the assurance that he should
never put his foot on deck again "until the brig was no longer a
brig." This was the expression of the cook, who threw him into the berth-
it is hardly possible to say what precise meaning intended by the phrase. The
whole affair, however, proved the ultimate means of my relief, as will
presently appear.
For some minutes after the cook had left the forecastle,
Augustus abandoned himself to despair, never hoping to leave the berth alive.
He now came to the resolution of acquainting the first of the men who should
come down with my situation, thinking it better to let me take my chance with
the mutineers than perish of thirst in the hold,- for it had been ten days since
I was first imprisoned, and my jug of water was not a plentiful supply even for
four. As he was thinking on this subject, the idea came all at once into his
head that it might be possible to communicate with me by the way of the main
hold. In any other circumstances, the difficulty and hazard of the undertaking
would have pre. vented him from attempting it; but now he had, at all events,
little prospect of life, and consequently little to lose, he bent his whole
mind, therefore, upon the task.
His handcuffs were the first consideration. At first he saw no
method of removing them, and feared that he should thus be baffled in the very
outset; but upon a closer scrutiny he discovered that the irons could be
slipped off and on at pleasure, with very little effort or inconvenience,
merely by squeezing his hands through them,- this species of manacle being
altogether ineffectual in confining young persons, in whom the smaller bones
readily yield to pressure. He now untied his feet, and, leaving the cord in such
a manner that it could easily be readjusted in the event of any person's coming
down, proceeded to examine the bulkhead where it joined the berth. The
partition here was of soft pine board, an inch thick, and he saw that he should
have little trouble in cutting his way through. A voice was now heard at the
forecastle companion-way, and he had just time to put his right hand into its
handcuff (the left had not been removed) and to draw the rope in a slipknot
around his ankle, when Dirk Peters came below, followed by Tiger, who
immediately leaped into the berth and lay down. The dog had been brought on
board by Augustus, who knew my attachment to the animal, and thought it would
give me pleasure to have him with me during the voyage. He went up to our house
for him immediately after first taking me into the hold, but did not think of
mentioning the circumstance upon his bringing the watch. Since the mutiny,
Augustus had not seen him before his appearance with Dirk Peters, and had given
him up for lost, supposing him to have been thrown overboard by some of the
malignant villains belonging to the mate's gang. It appeared afterward that he
had crawled into a hole beneath a whale-boat, from which, not having room to
turn round, he could not extricate himself. Peters at last let him out, and,
with a species of good feeling which my friend knew well how to appreciate, had
now brought him to him in the forecastle as a companion, leaving at the same
time some salt junk and potatoes, with a can of water, he then went on deck,
promising to come down with something more to eat on the next day.
When he had gone, Augustus freed both hands from the manacles and
unfastened his feet. He then turned down the head of the mattress on which he
had been lying, and with his penknife (for the ruffians had not thought it
worth while to search him) commenced cutting vigorously across one of the
partition planks, as closely as possible to the floor of the berth. He chose to
cut here, because, if suddenly interrupted, he would be able to conceal what
had been done by letting the head of the mattress fall into its proper
position. For the remainder of the day, however, no disturbance occurred, and
by night he had completely divided the plank. It should here be observed that
none of the crew occupied the forecastle as a sleeping-place, living altogether
in the cabin since the mutiny, drinking the wines and feasting on the
sea-stores of Captain Barnard, and giving no more heed than was absolutely
necessary to the navigation of the brig. These circumstances proved fortunate
both for myself and Augustus; for, had matters been otherwise, he would have
found it impossible to reach me. As it was, he proceeded with confidence in his
design. It was near daybreak, however, before he completed the second division
of the board (which was about a foot above the first cut), thus making an
aperture quite large enough to admit his passage through with facility to the
main orlop deck. Having got here, he made his way with but little trouble to
the lower main hatch, although in so doing he had to scramble over tiers of
oil-casks piled nearly as high as the upper deck, there being barely room
enough left for his body. Upon reaching the hatch he found that Tiger had
followed him below, squeezing between two rows of the casks. It was now too
late, however, to attempt getting to me before dawn, as the chief difficulty
lay in passing through the close stowage in the lower hold. He therefore
resolved to return, and wait till the next night. With this design, he proceeded
to loosen the hatch, so that he might have as little detention as possible when
he should come again. No sooner had he loosened it than Tiger sprang eagerly to
the small opening produced, snuffed for a moment, and then uttered a long
whine, scratching at the same time, as if anxious to remove the covering with
his paws. There could be no doubt, from his behaviour, that he was aware of my
being in the hold, and Augustus thought it possible that he would be able to
get to me if he put him down. He now hit upon the expedient of sending the
note, as it was especially desirable that I should make no attempt at forcing
my way out at least under existing circumstances, and there could be no
certainty of his getting to me himself on the morrow as he intended. After-events
proved how fortunate it was that the idea occurred to him as it did; for, had
it not been for the receipt of the note, I should undoubtedly have fallen upon
some plan, however desperate, of alarming the crew, and both our lives would
most probably have been sacrificed in consequence.
Having concluded to write, the difficulty was now to procure the
mate. rials for so doing. An old toothpick was soon made into a pen; and this
by means of feeling altogether, for the between-decks was as dark as pitch.
Paper enough was obtained from the back of a letter- a duplicate of the forged
letter from Mr. Ross. This had been the original draught; but the handwriting
not being sufficiently well imitated, Augustus had written another, thrusting
the first, by good fortune, into his coat-pocket, where it was now most
opportunely discovered. Ink alone was thus wanting, and a substitute was
immediately found for this by means of a slight incision with the pen-knife on
the back of a finger just above the nail- a copious flow of blood ensuing, as
usual, from wounds in that vicinity. The note was now written, as well as it
could be in the dark and under the circumstances. It briefly explained that a
mutiny had taken place; that Captain Barnard was set adrift; and that I might
expect immediate relief as far as provisions were concerned, but must not
venture upon making any disturbance. It concluded with these words: "I
have scrawled this with blood- your life depends upon lying close."
This slip of paper being tied upon the dog, he was now put down
the hatchway, and Augustus made the best of his way back to the forecastle,
where be found no reason to believe that any of the crew had been in his
absence. To conceal the hole in the partition, he drove his knife in just above
it, and hung up a pea-jacket which he found in the berth. His handcuffs were
then replaced, and also the rope around his ankles.
These arrangements were scarcely completed when Dirk Peters came
below, very drunk, but in excellent humour, and bringing with him my friend's
allowance of provision for the day. This consisted of a dozen large Irish
potatoes roasted, and a pitcher of water. He sat for some time on a chest by
the berth, and talked freely about the mate and the general concerns of the brig.
His demeanour was exceedingly capricious, and even grotesque. At one time
Augustus was much alarmed by odd conduct. At last, however, he went on deck,
muttering a promise to bring his prisoner a good dinner on the morrow. During
the day two of the crew (harpooners) came down, accompanied by the cook, all
three in nearly the last stage of intoxication. Like Peters, they made no
scruple of talking unreservedly about their plans. It appeared that they were
much divided among themselves as to their ultimate course, agreeing in no
point, except the attack on the ship from the Cape Verd Islands, with which
they were in hourly expectation of meeting. As far as could be ascertained, the
mutiny had not been brought about altogether for the sake of booty; a private
pique of the chief mate's against Captain Barnard having been the main
instigation. There now seemed to be two principal factions among the crew- one
headed by the mate, the other by the cook. The former party were for seizing
the first suitable vessel which should present itself, and equipping it at some
of the West India Islands for a piratical cruise. The latter division, however,
which was the stronger, and included Dirk Peters among its partisans, were bent
upon pursuing the course originally laid out for the brig into the South
Pacific; there either to take whale, or act otherwise, as circumstances should
suggest. The representations of Peters, who had frequently visited these
regions, had great weight, apparently, with the mutineers, wavering, as they
were, between half-engendered notions of profit and pleasure. He dwelt on the
world of novelty and amusement to be found among the innumerable islands of the
Pacific, on the perfect security and freedom from all restraint to be enjoyed,
but, more particularly, on the deliciousness of the climate, on the abundant
means of good living, and on the voluptuous beauty of the women. As yet,
nothing had been absolutely determined upon; but the pictures of the hybrid
line-manager were taking strong hold upon the ardent imaginations of the
seamen, and there was every possibility that his intentions would be finally
carried into effect.
The three men went away in about an hour, and no one else entered
the forecastle all day. Augustus lay quiet until nearly night. He then freed
himself from the rope and irons, and prepared for his attempt. A bottle was
found in one of the berths, and this he filled with water from the pitcher left
by Peters, storing his pockets at the same time with cold potatoes. To his
great joy he also came across a lantern, with a small piece of tallow candle in
it. This he could light at any moment, as be had in his possession a box of
phosphorus matches. When it was quite dark, he got through the hole in the
bulkhead, having taken the precaution to arrange the bedclothes in the berth so
as to convey the idea of a person covered up. When through, he hung up the
pea-jacket on his knife, as before, to conceal the aperture- this manoeuvre
being easily effected, as he did not readjust the piece of plank taken out
until afterward. He was now on the main orlop deck, and proceeded to make his
way, as before, between the upper deck and the oil-casks to the main hatchway.
Having reached this, he lit the piece of candle, and descended, groping with extreme
difficulty among the compact stowage of the hold. In a few moments he became
alarmed at the insufferable stench and the closeness of the atmosphere. He
could not think it possible that I had survived my confinement for so long a
period breathing so oppressive an air. He called my name repeatedly, but I made
him no reply, and his apprehensions seemed thus to be confirmed. The brig was
rolling violently, and there was so much noise in consequence, that it was
useless to listen for any weak sound, such as those of my breathing or snoring.
He threw open the lantern, and held it as high as possible, whenever an
opportunity occurred, in order that, by observing the light, I might, if alive,
be aware that succor was approaching. Still nothing was heard from me, and the
supposition of my death began to assume the character of certainty. He
determined, nevertheless, to force a passage, if possible, to the box, and at
least ascertain beyond a doubt the truth of his surmises. He pushed on for some
time in a most pitiable state of anxiety, until, at length, he found the
pathway utterly blocked up, and that there was no possibility of making any
farther way by the course in which he had set out. Overcome now by his
feelings, he threw himself among the lumber in despair, and wept like a child.
It was at this period that he heard the crash occasioned by the bottle which I
had thrown down. Fortunate, indeed, was it that the incident occurred- for,
upon this incident, trivial as it appears, the thread of my destiny depended.
Many years elapsed, however, before I was aware of this fact. A natural shame
and regret for his weakness and indecision prevented Augustus from confiding to
me at once what a more intimate and unreserved communion afterward induced him
to reveal. Upon finding his further progress in the hold impeded by obstacles
which he could not overcome, he had resolved to abandon his attempt at reaching
me, and return at once to the forecastle. Before condemning him entirely on
this head, the harassing circumstances which embarrassed him should be taken
into consideration. The night was fast wearing away, and his absence from the
forecastle might be discovered; and indeed would necessarily be so, if be
should fail to get back to the berth by daybreak. His candle was expiring in
the socket, and there would be the greatest difficulty in retracing his way to
the hatchway in the dark. It must be allowed, too, that he had every good
reason to believe me dead; in which event no benefit could result to me from
his reaching the box, and a world of danger would be encountered to no purpose
by himself. He had repeatedly called, and I had made him no answer. I had been
now eleven days and nights with no more water than that contained in the jug
which he had left with me- a supply which it was not at all probable I had
boarded in the beginning of my confinement, as I had every cause to expect a
speedy release. The atmosphere of the hold, too, must have appeared to him,
coming from the comparatively open air of the steerage, of a nature absolutely
poisonous, and by far more intolerable than it had seemed to me upon my first
taking up my quarters in the box- the hatchways at that time having been
constantly open for many months previous. Add to these considerations that of
the scene of bloodshed and terror so lately witnessed by my friend; his
confinement, privations, and narrow escapes from death, together with the frail
and equivocal tenure by which he still existed- circumstances all so well
calculated to prostrate every energy of mind- and the reader will be easily
brought, as I have been, to regard his apparent falling off in friendship and
in faith with sentiments rather of sorrow than of anger.
The crash of the bottle was distinctly heard, yet Augustus was not
sure that it proceeded from the hold. The doubt, however, was sufficient
inducement to persevere. He clambered up nearly to the orlop deck by means of
the stowage, and then, watching for a lull in the pitchings of the vessel, he
called out to me in as loud a tone as he could command, regardless, for the
moment, of being overheard by the crew. It will be remembered that on this
occasion the voice reached me, but I was so entirely overcome by violent
agitation as to be incapable of reply. Confident, now, that his worst apprehensions
were well founded, be descended, with a view of getting back to the forecastle
without loss of time. In his haste some small boxes were thrown down, the noise
occasioned by which I heard, as will be recollected. He had made considerable
progress on his return when the fall of the knife again caused him to hesitate.
He retraced his steps immediately, and, clambering up the stowage a second
time, called out my name, loudly as before, having watched for a lull. This
time I found voice to answer. Overjoyed at discovering me to be still alive, he
now resolved to brave every difficulty and danger in reaching me. Having
extricated himself as quickly as possible from the labyrinth of lumber by which
he was hemmed in, he at length struck into an opening which promised better,
and finally, after a series of struggles, arrived at the box in a state of
utter exhaustion.
The leading particulars of this narration were all that
Augustus communicated to me while we remained near the box. It was not until
afterward that he entered fully into all the details. He was apprehensive of
being missed, and I was wild with impatience to leave my detested place of
confinement. We resolved to make our way at once to the hole in the bulkhead,
near which I was to remain for the present, while he went through to
reconnoiter. To leave Tiger in the box was what neither of us could endure to
think of, yet, how to act otherwise was the question. He now seemed to be
perfectly quiet, and we could not even distinguish the sound of his breathing
upon applying our ears closely to the box. I was convinced that he was dead,
and determined to open the door. We found him lying at full length, apparently
in a deep stupor, yet still alive. No time was to be lost, yet I could not bring
myself to abandon an animal who had now been twice instrumental in saving my
life, without some attempt at preserving him. We therefore dragged him along
with us as well as we could, although with the greatest difficulty and fatigue;
Augustus, during part of the time, being forced to clamber over the impediments
in our way with the huge dog in his arms- a feat to which the feebleness of my
frame rendered me totally inadequate. At length we succeeded in reaching the
hole, when Augustus got through, and Tiger was pushed in afterward. All was
found to be safe, and we did not fail to return sincere thanks to God for our
deliverance from the imminent danger we had escaped. For the present, it was
agreed that I should remain near the opening, through which my companion could
readily supply me with a part of his daily provision, and where I could have
the advantages of breathing an atmosphere comparatively pure.
In explanation of some portions of this narrative, wherein I have
spoken of the stowage of the brig, and which may appear ambiguous to some of my
readers who may have seen a proper or regular stowage, I must here state that
the manner in which this most important duty had been per formed on board the
Grampus was a most shameful piece of neglect on the part of Captain Barnard,
who was by no means as careful or as experienced a seaman as the hazardous
nature of the service on which he was employed would seem necessarily to
demand. A proper stowage cannot be accomplished in a careless manner, and many most
disastrous accidents, even within the limits of my own experience, have arisen
from neglect or ignorance in this particular. Coasting vessels, in the frequent
hurry and bustle attendant upon taking in or discharging cargo, are the most
liable to mishap from the want of a proper attention to stowage. The great
point is to allow no possibility of the cargo or ballast shifting position even
in the most violent rollings of the vessel. With this end, great attention must
be paid, not only to the bulk taken in, but to the nature of the bulk, and
whether there be a full or only a partial cargo. In most kinds of freight the
stowage is accomplished by means of a screw. Thus, in a load of tobacco or
flour, the whole is screwed so tightly into the hold of the vessel that the
barrels or hogsheads, upon discharging, are found to be completely flattened,
and take some time to regain their original shape. This screwing, however, is
resorted to principally with a view of obtaining more room in the hold; for in
a full load of any such commodities as flour or tobacco, there can be no danger
of any shifting whatever, at least none from which inconvenience can result.
There have been instances, indeed, where this method of screwing has resulted
in the most lamentable consequences, arising from a cause altogether distinct
from the danger attendant upon a shifting of cargo. A load of cotton, for
example, tightly screwed while in certain conditions, has been known, through
the expansion of its bulk, to rend a vessel asunder at sea. There can be no
doubt either that the same result would ensue in the case of tobacco, while
undergoing its usual course of fermentation, were it not for the interstices
consequent upon the rotundity of the hogsheads.
It is when a partial cargo is received that danger is chiefly to
be apprehended from shifting, and that precautions should be always taken to
guard against such misfortune. Only those who have encountered a violent gale
of wind, or rather who have experienced the rolling of a vessel in a sudden
calm after the gale, can form an idea of the tremendous force of the plunges,
and of the consequent terrible impetus given to all loose articles in the
vessel. It is then that the necessity of a cautious stowage, when there is a
partial cargo, becomes obvious. When lying-to (especially with a small bead
sail), a vessel which is not properly modelled in the bows is frequently thrown
upon her beam-ends; this occurring even every fifteen or twenty minutes upon an
average, yet without any serious consequences resulting, provided there be a
proper stowage. If this, however, has not been strictly attended to, in the
first of these heavy lurches the whole of the cargo tumbles over to the side of
the vessel which lies upon the water, and, being thus prevented from regaining
her equilibrium, as she would otherwise necessarily do, she is certain to fill
in a few seconds and go down. It is not too much to say that at least one-half
of the instances in which vessels have foundered in heavy gales at sea may be
attributed to a shifting of cargo or of ballast.
When a partial cargo of any kind is taken on board, the whole,
after being first stowed as compactly as may be, should be covered with a layer
of stout shifting-boards, extending completely across the vessel. Upon these
boards strong temporary stanchions should be erected, reaching to the timbers
above, and thus securing every thing in its place. In cargoes consisting of
grain, or any similar matter, additional precautions are requisite. A hold
filled entirely with grain upon leaving port will be found not more than three
fourths full upon reaching its destination- this, too, although the freight,
when measured bushel by bushel by the consignee, will overrun by a vast deal
(on account of the swelling of the grain) the quantity consigned. This result
is occasioned by settling during the voyage, and is the more perceptible in
proportion to the roughness of the weather experienced. If grain loosely thrown
in a vessel, then, is ever so well secured by shifting-boards and stanchions,
it will be liable to shift in a long passage so greatly as to bring about the
most distressing calamities. To prevent these, every method should be employed
before leaving port to settle the cargo as much as possible; and for this there
are many contrivances, among which may be mentioned the driving of wedges into
the grain. Even after all this is done, and unusual pains taken to secure the
shifting-boards, no seaman who knows what he is about will feel altogether
secure in a gale of any violence with a cargo of grain on board, and, least of
all, with a partial cargo. Yet there are hundreds of our coasting vessels, and,
it is likely, many more from the ports of Europe, which sail daily with partial
cargoes, even of the most dangerous species, and without any precaution
whatever. The wonder is that no more accidents occur than do actually happen. A
lamentable instance of this heedlessness occurred to my knowledge in the case
of Captain Joel Rice of the schooner Firefly, which sailed from Richmond,
Virginia, to Madeira, with a cargo of corn, in the year 1825. The captain had
gone many voyages without serious accident, although he was in the habit of
paying no attention whatever to his stowage, more than to secure it in the
ordinary manner. He had never before sailed with a cargo of grain, and on this
occasion had the corn thrown on board loosely, when it did not much more than
half fill the vessel. For the first portion of the voyage he met with nothing
more than light breezes; but when within a day's sail of Madeira there came on
a strong gale from the N. N. E. which forced him to lie-to. He brought the
schooner to the wind under a double-reefed foresail alone, when she rode as
well as any vessel could be expected to do, and shipped not a drop of water.
Toward night the gale somewhat abated, and she rolled with more unsteadiness
than before, but still did very well, until a heavy lurch threw her upon her
beam-ends to starboard. The corn was then heard to shift bodily, the force of
the movement bursting open the main hatchway. The vessel went down like a shot.
This happened within hail of a small sloop from Madeira, which picked up one of
the crew (the only person saved), and which rode out the gale in perfect
security, as indeed a jolly boat might have done under proper management.
The stowage on board the Grampus was most clumsily done, if
stowage that could be called which was little better than a promiscuous
huddling together of oil-casks* and ship furniture. I have already spoken of
the condition of articles in the hold. On the orlop deck there was space enough
for my body (as I have stated) between the oil-casks and the upper deck; a
space was left open around the main hatchway; and several other large spaces
were left in the stowage. Near the hole cut through the bulkhead by Augustus
there was room enough for an entire cask, and in this space I found myself
comfortably situated for the present.
* Whaling vessels are usually fitted with iron oil-tanks- why the Grampus was not I have never been able to ascertain.
By the time my friend had got safely into the berth, and
readjusted his handcuffs and the rope, it was broad daylight. We had made a
narrow escape indeed; for scarcely had he arranged all matters, when the mate
came below, with Dirk Peters and the cook. They talked for some time about the
vessel from the Cape Verds, and seemed to be excessively anxious for her
appearance. At length the cook came to the berth in which Augustus was lying,
and seated himself in it near the head. I could see and hear every thing from
my hiding-place, for the piece cut out had not been put back, and I was in
momentary expectation that the negro would fall against the pea-jacket, which
was hung up to conceal the aperture, in which case all would have been
discovered, and our lives would, no doubt, have been instantly sacrificed. Our
good fortune prevailed, however; and although he frequently touched it as the
vessel rolled, he never pressed against it sufficiently to bring about a
discovery. The bottom of the jacket had been carefully fastened to the
bulkhead, so that the hole might not be seen by its swinging to one side. All
this time Tiger was lying in the foot of the berth, and appeared to have
recovered in some measure his faculties, for I could see him occasionally open
his eyes and draw a long breath.
After a few minutes the mate and cook went above, leaving Dirk
Peters behind, who, as soon as they were gone, came and sat himself down in the
place just occupied by the mate. He began to talk very sociably with Augustus,
and we could now see that the greater part of his apparent intoxication, while
the two others were with him, was a feint. He answered all my companion's
questions with perfect freedom; told him that he had no doubt of his father's
having been picked up, as there were no less than five sail in sight just
before sundown on the day he was cut adrift; and used other language of a
consolatory nature, which occasioned me no less surprise than pleasure. Indeed,
I began to entertain hopes, that through the instrumentality of Peters we might
be finally enabled to regain possession of the brig, and this idea I mentioned
to Augustus as soon as I found an opportunity. He thought the matter possible,
but urged the necessity of the greatest caution in making the attempt, as the
conduct of the hybrid appeared to be instigated by the most arbitrary caprice
alone; and, indeed, it was difficult to say if be was at any moment of sound
mind. Peters went upon deck in about an hour, and did not return again until
noon, when he brought Augustus a plentiful supply of junk beef and pudding. Of
this, when we were left alone, I partook heartily, without returning through
the hole. No one else came down into the forecastle during the day, and at
night, I got into Augustus' berth, where I slept soundly and sweetly until
nearly daybreak, when he awakened me upon hearing a stir upon deck, and I
regained my hiding-place as quickly as possible. When the day was fully broke,
we found that Tiger had recovered his strength almost entirely, and gave no
indications of hydrophobia, drinking a little water that was offered him with
great apparent eagerness. During the day he regained all his former vigour and
appetite. His strange conduct had been brought on, no doubt, by the deleterious
quality of the air of the hold, and had no connexion with canine madness. I
could not sufficiently rejoice that I had persisted in bringing him with me
from the box. This day was the thirtieth of June, and the thirteenth since the
Grampus made sad from Nantucket.
On the second of July the mate came below drunk as usual, and in
an excessively good-humor. He came to Augustus's berth, and, giving him a slap
on the back, asked him if he thought he could behave himself if he let him
loose, and whether he would promise not to be going into the cabin again. To
this, of course, my friend answered in the affirmative, when the ruffian set
him at liberty, after making him drink from a flask of rum which he drew from
his coat-pocket. Both now went on deck, and I did not see Augustus for about
three hours. He then came below with the good news that he had obtained
permission to go about the brig as be pleased anywhere forward of the mainmast,
and that he had been ordered to sleep, as usual, in the forecastle. He brought
me, too, a good dinner, and a plentiful supply of water. The brig was still
cruising for the vessel from the Cape Verds, and a sail was now in sight, which
was thought to be the one in question. As the events of the ensuing eight days
were of little importance, and had no direct bearing upon the main incidents of
my narrative, I will here throw them into the form of a journal, as I do not
wish to omit them altogether.
July 3.- Augustus furnished me with three blankets, with which I
contrived a comfortable bed in my hiding-place. No one came below, except my
companion, during the day. Tiger took his station in the berth just by the
aperture, and slept heavily, as if not yet entirely recovered from the effects
of his sickness. Toward night a flaw of wind struck the brig before sail could
be taken in, and very nearly capsized her. The puff died away immediately,
however, and no damage was done beyond the splitting of the foretopsail. Dirk
Peters treated Augustus all this day with great kindness and entered into a
long conversation with him respecting the Pacific Ocean, and the islands he had
visited in that region. He asked him whether be would not like to go with the
mutineers on a kind of exploring and pleasure voyage in those quarters, and
said that the men were gradually coming over