Dana, Richard Henry, 1815-1882; Sailors; Seafaring life; Voyages and travels
Returning to the large pulpería, we heard 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 razon'' 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 'fore-mast Jacks; and, having been ordered
to be on the beach by sunset, 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 stayed 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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