Dana, Richard Henry, 1815-1882; Sailors; Seafaring life; Voyages and travels
Returning to the large pulperia, we found the violin and guitar
screaming and twanging away under the piazza, where they had been all
day. As it was now sundown, there began to be some dancing. The
Italian sailors danced, and one of our crew exhibited himself in a sort
of West India shuffle, much to the amusement of the bystanders, who
cried out, "Bravo!" "Otra vez!" and "Vivan los marineros!" but the
dancing did not become general, as the women and the "gente de razón"
had not yet made their appearance. We wished very much to stay and see
the style of dancing; but, although we had had our own way during the
day, yet we were, after all, but 'foremast Jacks; and having been
ordered to be on the beach by sundown, did not venture to be more than
an hour behind the time; so we took our way down. We found the boat
just pulling ashore through the breakers, which were running high,
there having been a heavy fog outside, which, from some cause or other,
always brings on, or precedes a heavy sea. Liberty-men are privileged
from the time they leave the vessel until they step on board again; so
we took our places in the stern sheets, and were congratulating
ourselves upon getting off dry, when a great comber broke fore and aft
the boat, and wet us through and through, filling the boat half full of
water. Having lost her buoyancy by the weight of the water, she
dropped heavily into every sea that struck her, and by the time we had
pulled out of the surf into deep water, she was but just afloat, and we
were up to our knees. By the help of a small bucket and our hats, we
bailed her out, got on board, hoisted the boats, eat our supper,
changed our clothes, gave (as is usual) the whole history of our day's
adventures to those who had staid on board, and having taken a
night-smoke, turned-in. Thus ended our second day's liberty on shore.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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