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[page 68, continued:]
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CHAPTER VII.
JULY 10. Spoke
a brig from Rio,
bound to Norfolk. Weather hazy, with a light baffling wind from the
eastward.
To-day Hartman Rogers died, having been attacked on the eighth with
spasms
after drinking a glass of grog. This man was of the cook's party, and
one
upon whom Peters placed his main reliance. He told Augustus that he
believed
the mate had poisoned him, and that he expected, if he did not be on
the
look-out, his own turn would come shortly. There were now only himself,
Jones, and the cook belonging to his own gang — on the other side there
were five. He had spoken to Jones about taking the command from the
mate;
but the project having been coolly received, he had been deterred from
pressing the matter any further, or from saying anything to the cook.
It
was well, as it happened, that he was so prudent, for in the afternoon
the cook expressed his determination of siding with the mate, and went
over formally to that party; while Jones took an opportunity of
quarrelling
with Peters, and hinted that he would let the mate know of the plan in
agitation. There was now, evidently, no time to be lost, and Peters
expressed
his determination of attempting to take the vessel at all hazards,
provided
Augustus would lend him his aid. My friend at once assured him of his
willingness
to enter into any plan for that purpose, [page 69:]
and, thinking the opportunity a favourable one, made known the fact of
my being on board. At this the hybrid was not more astonished than
delighted,
as he had no reliance whatever upon Jones, whom he already considered
as
belonging to the party of the mate. They went below immediately, when
Augustus
called to me by name, and Peters and myself were soon made acquainted.
It was agreed that we should attempt to retake the vessel upon the
first
good opportunity, leaving Jones altogether out of our councils. In the
event of success we were to run the brig into the first port that
offered,
and deliver her up. The desertion of his party had frustrated Peters'
design
of going into the Pacific — an adventure which could not be
accomplished
without a crew, and he depended upon either getting acquitted upon
trial,
on the score of insanity (which he solemnly averred had actuated him in
lending his aid to the mutiny), or upon obtaining a pardon, if found
guilty,
through the representations of Augustus and myself. Our deliberations
were
interrupted for the present by the cry of "All hands take in sail," and
Peters and Augustus ran up on deck.
As usual, the crew were nearly all
drunk; and, before
sail could be properly taken in, a violent squall laid the brig on her
beam-ends. By keeping her away, however, she righted, having shipped a
good deal of water. Scarcely was everything secure, when another squall
took the vessel, and immediately afterward another — no damage being
done.
There was every appearance of a gale of wind, which, indeed, shortly
came
on, with great fury, from the northward and westward. All was made as
snug
as possible, and we laid to, as usual, under a close-reefed foresail.
As
night drew on, the wind increased in violence, with a remarkably heavy
sea. Peters now came into the forecastle with Augustus, and we resumed
our deliberations.
We agreed that no opportunity could
be more favourable
than the present for carrying our designs into effect, as an attempt at
such a moment would never be anticipated. As the brig was snugly laid
to,
there would be [page 70:] no necessity of
manœuvring
her until good weather, when, if we succeeded in our attempt, we might
liberate one, or perhaps two of the men, to aid us in taking her into
port.
The main difficulty was the great disproportion in our forces. There
were
only three of us, and in the cabin there were nine. All the arms on
board,
too, were in their possession, with the exception of a pair of small
pistols
which Peters had concealed about his person, and the large seaman's
knife
which he always wore in the waistband of his pantaloons. From certain
indications,
too, such, for example, as there being no such thing as an axe or a
handspike
lying in their customary places, we began to fear that the mate had his
suspicions, at least in regard to Peters, and that he would let slip no
opportunity of getting rid of him. It was clear, indeed, that what we
should
determine to do could not be done too soon. Still the odds were too
much
against us to allow of our proceeding without the greatest caution.
Peters proposed that he should go up
on deck, and
enter into conversation with the watch (Allen), when he would be able
to
throw him into the sea without trouble, and without making any
disturbance,
by seizing a good opportunity; that Augustus and myself should then
come
up, and endeavour to provide ourselves with some kind of weapons from
the
deck; and that we should then make a rush together, and secure the
companion-way
before any opposition could be offered. I objected to this, because I
could
not believe that the mate (who was a cunning fellow in all matters
which
did not affect his superstitious prejudices) would suffer himself to be
so easily entrapped. The very fact of there being a watch on deck at
all
was sufficient proof that he was upon the alert — it not being usual
except
in vessels where discipline is most rigidly enforced, to station a
watch
on deck when a vessel is lying to in a gale of wind. As I address
myself
principally, if not altogether, to persons who have never been to sea,
it may be as well to state the exact condition of a vessel under such
circumstances.
Lying to, or, in sea-parlance, "laying to," is a [page 71:]
measure resorted to for various purposes, and effected in various
manners.
In moderate weather, it is frequently done with a view of merely
bringing
the vessel to a stand-still, to wait for another vessel or any similar
object. If the vessel which lies to is under full sail, the manœuvre is
usually accomplished by throwing round some portion of her sails so as
to let the wind take them aback, when she becomes stationary. But we
are
now speaking of lying to in a gale of wind. This is done when the wind
is ahead, and too violent to admit of carrying sail without danger of
capsizing;
and sometimes even when the wind is fair, but the sea too heavy for the
vessel to be put before it. If a vessel be suffered to scud before the
wind in a very heavy sea, much damage is usually done her by the
shipping
of water over her stern, and sometimes by the violent plunges she makes
forward. This manœuvre, then, is seldom resorted to in such case,
unless
through necessity. When the vessel is in a leaky condition, she is
often
put before the wind even in the heaviest seas; for, when lying to, her
seams are sure to be greatly opened by her violent straining, and it is
not so much the case when scudding. Often, too, it becomes necessary to
scud a vessel, either when the blast is so exceedingly furious as to
tear
in pieces the sail which is employed with a view of bringing her head
to
the wind, or when, through the false modelling of the frame or other
causes,
this main object cannot be effected.
Vessels in a gale of wind are laid to
in different
manners, according to their peculiar construction. Some lie to best
under
a foresail, and this, I believe, is the sail most usually employed.
Large
square-rigged vessels have sails for the express purpose, called
storm-staysails.
But the jib is occasionally employed by itself — sometimes the jib and
foresail, or a double-reefed foresail, and not unfrequently the
after-sails,
are made use of. Foretopsails are very often found to answer the
purpose
better than any other species of sail. The Grampus was generally laid
to
under a close-reefed foresail. [page 72:]
When a vessel is to be laid to, her
head is brought
up to the wind just so nearly as to fill the sail under which she lies,
when hauled flat aft, that is, when brought diagonally across the
vessel.
This being done, the bows point within a few degrees of the direction
from
which the wind issues, and the windward bow of course receives the
shock
of the waves. In this situation a good vessel will ride out a very
heavy
gale of wind without shipping a drop of water, and without any further
attention being requisite on the part of the crew. The helm is usually
lashed down, but this is altogether unnecessary (except on account of
the
noise it makes when loose), for the rudder has no effect upon the
vessel
when lying to. Indeed, the helm had far better be left loose than
lashed
very fast, for the rudder is apt to be torn off by heavy seas if there
be no room for the helm to play. As long as the sail holds, a
well-modelled
vessel will maintain her situation, and ride every sea, as if instinct
with life and reason. If the violence of the wind, however, should tear
the sail into pieces (a feat which it requires a perfect hurricane to
accomplish
under ordinary circumstances), there is then imminent danger. The
vessel
falls off from the wind, and, coming broadside to the sea, is
completely
at its mercy: the only resource in this case is to put her quickly
before
the wind, letting her scud until some other sail can be set. Some
vessels
will lie to under no sail whatever, but such are not to be trusted at
sea.
But to return from this digression.
It had never
been customary with the mate to have any watch on deck when lying to in
a gale of wind, and the fact that he had now one, coupled with the
circumstance
of the missing axes and handspikes, fully convinced us that the crew
were
too well on the watch to be taken by surprise in the manner Peters had
suggested. Something, however, was to be done, and that with as little
delay as practicable, for there could be no doubt that a suspicion
having
been once entertained against Peters, he would be sacrificed upon the
earliest
occasion, and one would [page 73:] certainly be
either
found or made upon the breaking of the gale.
Augustus now suggested that if Peters
could contrive
to remove, under any pretext, the piece of chain-cable which lay over
the
trap in the stateroom, we might possibly be able to come upon them
unawares
by means of the hold; but a little reflection convinced us that the
vessel
rolled and pitched too violently for any attempt of that nature.
By good fortune I at length hit upon
the idea of
working upon the superstitious terrors and guilty conscience of the
mate.
It will be remembered that one of the crew, Hartman Rogers, had died
during
the morning, having been attacked two days before with spasms after
drinking
some spirits and water. Peters had expressed to us his opinion that
this
man had been poisoned by the mate, and for this belief he had reasons,
so he said, which were incontrovertible, but which he could not be
prevailed
upon to explain to us — this wayward refusal being only in keeping with
other points of his singular character. But whether or not he had any
better
grounds for suspecting the mate than we had ourselves, we were easily
led
to fall in with his suspicion, and determined to act accordingly.
Rogers had died about eleven in the
forenoon, in
violent convulsions; and the corpse presented in a few minutes after
death
one of the most horrid and loathsome spectacles I ever remember to have
seen. The stomach was swollen immensely, like that of a man who has
been
drowned and lain under water for many weeks. The hands were in the same
condition, while the face was shrunken, shrivelled, and of a chalky
whiteness,
except where relieved by two or three glaring red splotches, like those
occasioned by the erysipelas: one of these splotches extended
diagonally
across the face, completely covering up an eye as if with a band of red
velvet. In this disgusting condition the body had been brought up from
the cabin at noon to be thrown overboard, when the mate getting a
glimpse
of it (for he now saw it for the first time), and being either [page
74:] touched with remorse for his crime or struck with
terror
at so horrible a sight, ordered the men to sew the body up in its
hammock,
and allow it the usual rites of sea-burial. Having given these
directions,
he went below, as if to avoid any further sight of his victim. While
preparations
were making to obey his orders, the gale came on with great fury, and
the
design was abandoned for the present. The corpse, left to itself, was
washed
into the larboard scuppers, where it still lay at the time of which I
speak,
floundering about with the furious lurches of the brig.
Having arranged our plan, we set
about putting it
in execution as speedily as possible. Peters went upon deck, and, as he
had anticipated, was immediately accosted by Allen, who appeared to be
stationed more as a watch upon the forecastle than for any other
purpose.
The fate of this villain, however, was speedily and silently decided;
for
Peters, approaching him in a careless manner, as if about to address
him,
seized him by the throat, and, before he could utter a single cry,
tossed
him over the bulwarks. He then called to us, and we came up. Our first
precaution was to look about for something with which to arm ourselves,
and in doing this we had to proceed with great care, for it was
impossible
to stand on deck an instant without holding fast, and violent seas
broke
over the vessel at every plunge forward. It was indispensable, too,
that
we should be quick in our operations, for every minute we expected the
mate to be up to set the pumps going, as it was evident the brig must
be
taking in water very fast. After searching about for some time, we
could
find nothing more fit for our purpose than the two pump-handles, one of
which Augustus took, and I the other. Having secured these, we stripped
off the shirt of the corpse and dropped the body overboard. Peters and
myself then went below, leaving Augustus to watch upon deck, where he
took
his station just where Allen had been placed, and with his back to the
cabin companion-way, so that, if any one of the mate's gang should come
up, he might suppose it was the watch. [page 75:]
As soon as I got below I commenced
disguising myself
so as to represent the corpse of Rogers. The shirt which we had taken
from
the body aided us very much, for it was of a singular form and
character,
and easily recognisable — a kind of smock, which the deceased wore over
his other clothing. It was a blue stockinett, with large white stripes
running across. Having put this on, I proceeded to equip myself with a
false stomach, in imitation of the horrible deformity of the swollen
corpse.
This was soon effected by means of stuffing with some bedclothes. I
then
gave the same appearance to my hands by drawing on a pair of white
woollen
mittens, and filling them in with any kind of rags that offered
themselves.
Peters then arranged my face, first rubbing it well over with white
chalk,
and afterward blotching it with blood, which he took from a cut in his
finger. The streak across the eye was not forgotten, and presented a
most
shocking appearance. |
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