Dana, Richard Henry, 1815-1882; Sailors; Seafaring life; Voyages and travels
After a slow passage of five days, we arrived on Wednesday, the
first of April, at our old anchoring-ground at San Pedro. The bay
was as deserted and looked as dreary as before, and formed no
pleasing contrast with the security and snugness of San Diego, and
the activity and interest which the loading and unloading of four
vessels gave to that scene. In a few days the hides began to come
slowly down, and we got into the old business of rolling goods up
the hill, pitching hides down, and pulling our long league off and
on. Nothing of note occurred while we were lying here, except that
an attempt was made to repair the small Mexican brig which had
been cast away in a southeaster, and which now lay up, high and
dry, over one reef of rocks and two sand-banks. Our carpenter
surveyed her, and pronounced her capable of being refitted, and in
a few days the owners came down from the Pueblo, and having waited
for the high spring tides, with the help of our cables, kedges,
and crew, hauled her off after several trials. The three men at
the house on shore, who had formerly been a part of her crew, now
joined her, and seemed glad enough at the prospect of getting off
the coast.
On board our own vessel, things went on in the common monotonous
way. The excitement which immediately followed the flogging scene
had passed off, but the effect of it upon the crew, and especially
upon the two men themselves, remained. The different manner in
which these men were affected, corresponding to their different
characters, was not a little remarkable. John was a foreigner and
high-tempered, and though mortified, as any one would be at having
had the worst of an encounter, yet his chief feeling seemed to be
anger; and he talked much of satisfaction and revenge, if he ever
got back to Boston. But with the other it was very different. He
was an American, and had had some education; and this thing coming
upon him seemed completely to break him down. He had a feeling of
the degradation that had been inflicted upon him, which the other
man was incapable of. Before that, he had a good deal of fun in
him, and amused us often with queer negro stories (he was from a
Slave State); but afterwards he seldom smiled, seemed to lose all
life and elasticity, and appeared to have but one wish, and that
was for the voyage to be at an end. I have often known him to draw
a long sigh when he was alone, and he took but little part or
interest in John's plans of satisfaction and retaliation.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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