and, as I was the youngest of the mids, I found particular favour with several of the oldest seamen, with whom, by the bye, I liked to associate better than my brother middies. I always loved to listen to their tales of murder and battles; and would sit for hours on the coils of rope and hear old Jack Transom, our second mate, an old man of sixty years, relate his adventures and hair-breadth escapes.'

We left Port Royal, on the south side of Jamaica, the day before, on our way to the mouth of the Amazon, and were now passing between the small islands of Monts-Errat and Guadaloupe: in the distance you could see the white moonbeams playing on the fort and beach, and glistening on the low roofs and white walls of the little capital of Guadaloupe. I was standing on the capstan, with a small night glass in my hand, looking at the opposite shore, with its long low beach, with here and there a small slave hut, or mound of loose stones piled up, as a covering over the grave of some drowned sailor, whose body had been washed on shore. I dropped my glass and was getting down from my station, when Jack Transom stepped up and asked for a squint. I handed the glass to him; and, after looking through it a moment, he handed it back, saying-Aye, aye, there it stands, with its creaking chains and dry bones rattling in the still air, as if a ten-knot breeze was ripping over it.' What's that?' said I, eagerly catching the glass, and pointing it where old Starboard,' as he was familiarly called, directed me. It was some time before I saw what he meant; when I did, I was at no loss for his abrupt speech. A little north of the town, on the white beach, stood a tall gibbet with its chains, and even, as old Jack said, its white bones; for I plainly saw them, even at that distance, glimmering in the rays of the bright moon, and I almost fancied I heard them rattling and shaking against each other; though, as I said before, there was not a breath of air, not enough to move a feather. I shuddered at the sight, for I was young, and easily affected by anything terrible or gloomy. We all knew, that old Starboard' was on one of his long-yarn tacks;' and in a short time a group was formed around the old fellow, as anxious as the crowds of coffee-drinkers in the saloons of Constantinople, to listen to the wonderful adventures of the Caliph, Haroun Alraschid, or Sinbad the sailor.

"It's now forty years ago, or thereabouts," began "old Starboard,' stuffing a huge quid of the true Virginia into his left cheeck, "since I first laid eyes on that same death-telling gallows. I was then a mere formast man, and perhaps rather green; seeing as how that was my first tack this way, and only the third time I had ever smelt salt water. It was a dark stormy night, with a strong north-wester, blowing at the rate of ten knots an hour; and we were beating across this very channel under a heavy press, with the hopes of clearing the shoals before morning. All hands were on deck clearing off and taking in some of our light canvass; for the gale kept on increasing, and our mainmast creaked heavily with its load, when the watch a head bawled out-Helm-a-lee! sail-a-head!' but before the words were scarcely out of his mouth, we were upon the vessel. We struck her about

midships, carrying away our bowsprit, and dashing in the forecastle sails and knuckle-timbers as if they had been glass. But it fared worse with the vessel we met. She was small, being about seven feet in the water, whereas we drew nearer fifteen. We passed slick over her, as if she had been a mere boy's plaything. You may be sure there was no standing still; every thing was hauled up, and we were before the wind in less than half a shake;-the boats were lowered, although there was such a sea running that it was almost impossible to live in a small boat. Logs of wood and hencoops were thrown overboard, so that, if any were alive, they might save themselves. Our first mate was standing on the quarter listening, when he declared that he heard a shout. We listened, and then it came again, and again, but fainter every time. At length our captain ordered a boat out, with directions to put into the shore, and come off in the morning, as we should lay to. That night there was not an eye closed in the ship-we were all waiting for the morning, for many thought it sheer madness in our captain to send off a boat in such a sea, and so dark a night; and prophesied she would be swamped in less then ten minutes, though no one said so to the captain, for he was in one of his gloomy moods, and walked the deck nearly the whole night without opening his mouth. We stood off and on till morning; and by this time the wind had lulled considerably, and we had a moderate breeze. As soon as it was light, we bore down to the little bay you see yonder to the nor'-east, and having anchored sent off a boat to the shore. I was in her, and I shall never forget my joy when I first saw our men standing on the beach and hallooing to us; we were soon among them, and asking questions enough to sink a lighter. After leaving the ship they steered as near as they could tell to where the cries came from; after running about ten minutes they could hear them plainer, and at last got so near as to speak to the person; it was a man clinging to a large board, and was nearly exhausted. After a time they got him in, and finally reached the shore; the poor fellow was nearly gone, and could not speak a word;-so they took him to a house, and after a while, by rolling and warming him, brought him to. It so happened that the house belonged to the governor, or whatever they call him; and as soon as he clapped his eyes on the man he knew him, and had him taken to prison: and it turned out, that after all our trouble, we had only saved the poor wretch from being drowned, that he might be hung; for it was proved by many who knew him, having seen the fellow before, and by pieces of the wreck which floated ashore, that he was nothing better than a real pirate, whose murders were so numerous they could'nt be counted. He had been taken twice before, but had escaped each time. The governor, to be sure of him now, ordered the execution to take place that day. We had leave to stay on shore and see it. He looked pale and half dead, when they brought him out; and for the soul of me I couldn't help pitying him, he stepped so firm, and went so willingly to meet his death. He was led out to the gallows between two files of soldiers, and our parson talked to him all the way, but he paid no attention, and seemed to be thinking

of something else—mayhap, the fine vessel he had lost, and all that. We saw the poor fellow swung off, and then went back to our ship. But there was no laughing or joking that day, nor the next either, for we all felt as if we had some hand in it; and wished the poor man had been food for the fishes, rather than to have fallen a prey to land-sharks. The body was taken down, and then hung up in chains; and on our homeward voyage, we saw them there rattling in the sea breeze and bleaching in the sun. I have passed here often, but I have never forgotten to look for the gallows and the pirate's remains; and I shall never forget that night while I live."

"All hands ahoy!" shouted the boatswain, and in a moment I was left alone. Before I went to my berth I took one more look at the dreaded object; and determined, if ever I found leisure, to commit the story to paper.

LOADING FOR HOME.

Wednesday, May 18th. Lat. 9o 54' N., long. 113° 17′ w. The north-east trades had now left us, and we had the usual variable winds which prevail near the line, together with some rain. So long as we were in these latitudes, we had but little rest in our watch on deck at night; for, as the winds were light and variable, and we could not loose a breath, we were all the watch bracing the yards, and taking in and making sail, and "humbugging" with our flying kites. A little puff of wind on the larboard quarter, and then-" larboard fore braces !" and studding-booms were rigged out, studding-sails set alow and aloft, the yards trimmed, and jibs and spanker in; when it would come as calm as a duck-pond, and the man at the wheel stand with the palm of his hand up, feeling for the wind. Keep her off a little !"" All aback forward, sir!" cries a man from the forecastle. Down go the braces again; in come the studding sails, all in a mess, which half an hour won't set right; yards braced sharp up; and she's on the starboard tack, close hauled. The studding-sails must now be cleared away, and set up in the tops, and on the booms. By the time this is done, and you are looking out for a soft plank for a nap,-" Lay aft here, and square in the head yards!" and the studding sails are all set again on the starboard side. So it goes until it is eight bells,call the watch,-heave the log,—relieve the wheel, and go below the larboard watch.

66

Sunday, May 22nd. Lat. 5o 14' N., long. 166° 45′ w. We were now a fortnight out, and within five degrees of the line, to which two days of good breeze would take us; but we had, for the most part, what the sailors call, an Irishman's hurricane,-right up and down. This day it rained nearly all day, and being Sunday, and nothing to do, we stopped up the scuppers and filled the decks with rain water, and bringing all our clothes on deck, had a grand wash, fore and aft. When this was through, we stripped to our drawers,

and taking pieces of soap, with strips of canvass for towels, we turned to, and soaped, washed, and scrubbed one another down, to get off, as we said, the California dust; for the common wash in salt water, which is all that Jack can get, being on an allowance of fresh, had little efficacy, and was more for taste, than utility. The captain was below all the afternoon, and we had something nearer to a Saturnalia, than anything we had yet seen; for the mate came into the scuppers, with a couple of boys to scrub him, and got into a battle with them in heaving water. By unplugging the holes, we let the soap-suds off the decks, and in a short time had a new supply of rain water, in which we had a grand rinsing. It was surprising to see how much soap and fresh water did for the complexions of many of us; how much of what we supposed to be tan, and sea-blacking, we got rid of. The next day, the sun rising clear, the ship was covered fore-and-aft with clothes of all sorts, hanging out to dry.

As we approached the line, the wind became more easterly, and the weather clearer, and in twenty days from San Diego,

Saturday, May, 28th, at about three P. M., with a fine breeze from the east-south-east, we crossed the equator. In twenty-four hours after crossing the line, which was very unusual, we took the regular south-east trades. These winds come a little from the eastward of south-east, and, with us, they blew directly from the east-south-east, which was fortunate for us, for our course was south-by-west, and we could thus go one point free. The yards were braced so that every sail (drew, from the spanker to the flying-jib; and the upper yards being squared in a little, the fore and main top-gallant studding-sails were set, and just drew handsomely. For twelve days this breeze blew steadily, not varying a point, and just so fresh that we could carry our royals; and, during the whole time, we hardly started a brace. Such progress did we make, that at the end of seven days from the time we took the breeze, on

Sunday, June 5th, we were in lat. 19° 29′ S., and long. 118° 01' w., having made twelve hundred miles in seven days, very nearly upon a taught bowline. Our good ship was getting to be herself again, had increased her rate of sailing more than one-third, since leaving San Diego. The crew ceased complaining of her, and the officers hove the log every two hours with evident satisfaction. This was glorious sailing. A steady breeze;-the light trade wind clouds, over our heads;-the incomparable temperature of the Pacific,-neither hot nor cold; a clear sun every day, and clear moon and stars each night,and new constellations rising in the south, and the familiar ones sinking in the north, as we went on our course," stemming nightly towards the pole." Already we had sunk the north star and the great bear in the northern horizon, and all hands looked out sharp to the southward for the magellan clouds, which, each succeeding night, we expected to make. "The next time we see the north star," said one, we shall be standing to the northward, the other side of the Horn." This was true enough, and no doubt it would be a welcome sight; for sailors say, that in coming home from round Cape Horn,

and the Cape of Good Hope, the north star is the first land you make. These trades were the same that, in the passage out in the Pilgrim, lasted nearly all the way from Juan Fernandez, to the line; blowing steadily on our starboard quarter for three weeks, without our starting a brace, or even brailing down the sky-sails. Though we had now the same wind, and were in the same latitude with the Pilgrim on her passage out, yet we were nearly twelve hundred miles to the westward of her course; for the captain, depending upon the strong south-west winds which prevail in high southern latitudes during the winter months, took the full advantage of the trades, and stood well to the westward so far, that we passed within about two hundred miles of Ducie's Island.

It was this weather and sailing that brought to my mind a little incident that occurred on board the Pilgrim, while we were in the same latitude. We were going along at a great rate, dead before the wind, with studding sails out on both sides, alow and aloft, on a dark night, just after midnight, and every thing as still as the grave, except the washing of the water by the vessel's side; for, being before the wind, with a smooth sea, the little brig, covered with canvass, was doing great business, with very little noise. The other watch was below, and all our watch, except myself and the man at the wheel, were asleep under the lee of the boat. The second mate, who came out before the mast, and was always very thick with me, had been holding a yarn with me, and just gone aft to his place on the quarter deck, and I had resumed my usual walk to and from the windlass end, when suddenly we heard a loud scream coming from ahead, apparently directly from under the bows. The darkness, and complete stillness of the night, and the solitude of the ocean, gave to the sound a dreadful and almost supernatural effect. I stood perfectly still, and my heart beat quick. The sound woke up the rest of the watch, who stood looking at one another. "What in the name of God is that?” said the second mate, coming slowly forward. The first thought I had was, that it might be a boat, with the crew of some wrecked vessel, or perhaps the boat of some whaleship, out over night, and we had run them down in the darkness. Another scream! but less loud than the first. This started us, and we ran forward, and looked over the bows, and over the sides, to leeward, but nothing was to be seen or heard. What was to be done? Call the captain, and heave the ship a-back? Just at this moment, in crossing the forecastle, one of the men saw a light below, and looking down the scuttle, saw the watch all out of their berths, and afoul of one poor fellow, dragging him out of his berth, and shaking him, to wake him out of a nightmare. They had been waked out of their sleep, and as much alarmed at the scream as we were, and were hesitating whether to come on deck, when the second sound, coming directly from one of the berths, revealed the cause of the alarm. The fellow got a good shaking for the trouble he had given. We made a joke of the matter; and we could well laugh, for our minds were not a little relieved by its ridiculous termination.