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- 11274
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- CHAPTER LXXXII.
WHICH ENDS THE BOOK
Disappointed in going to court, we determined upon going to sea. It
would never do, longer to trespass on Po-Po’s hospitality; and then,
weary somewhat of life in Imeeo, like all sailors ashore, I at last
pined for the billows.
Now, if her crew were to be credited, the Leviathan was not the craft
to our mind. But I had seen the captain, and liked him. He was an
uncommonly tall, robust, fine-looking man, in the prime of life. There
was a deep crimson spot in the middle of each sunburnt cheek, doubtless
the effect of his sea-potations. He was a Vineyarder, or native of the
island of Martha’s Vineyard (adjoining Nantucket), and—I would have
sworn it—a sailor, and no tyrant.
Previous to this, we had rather avoided the Leviathan’s men, when they
came ashore; but now, we purposely threw ourselves in their way, in
order to learn more of the vessel.
We became acquainted with the third mate, a Prussian, and an old
merchant-seaman—a right jolly fellow, with a face like a ruby. We took
him to Po-Po’s, and gave him a dinner of baked pig and breadfruit; with
pipes and tobacco for dessert. The account he gave us of the ship
agreed with my own surmises. A cosier old craft never floated; and the
captain was the finest man in the world. There was plenty to eat, too;
and, at sea, nothing to do but sit on the windlass and sail. The only
bad trait about the vessel was this: she had been launched under some
baleful star; and so was a luckless ship in the fishery. She dropped
her boats into the brine often enough, and they frequently got fast to
the whales; but lance and harpoon almost invariably “drew” when darted
by the men of the Leviathan. But what of that? We would have all the
sport of chasing the monsters, with none of the detestable work which
follows their capture. So, hurrah for the coast of Japan! Thither the
ship was bound.
A word now about the hard stories we heard the first time we visited
the ship. They were nothing but idle fictions, got up by the sailors
for the purpose of frightening us away, so as to oblige the captain,
who was in want of more hands, to lie the longer in a pleasant harbour.
The next time the Vineyarder came ashore, we flung ourselves in his
path. When informed of our desire to sail with him, he wanted to know
our history; and, above all, what countrymen we were. We said that we
had left a whaler in Tahiti, some time previous; and, since then, had
been—in the most praiseworthy manner—employed upon a plantation. As for
our country, sailors belong to no nation in particular; we were, on
this occasion, both Yankees. Upon this he looked decidedly incredulous;
and freely told us that he verily believed we were both from Sydney.
Be it known here that American sea captains, in the Pacific, are
mortally afraid of these Sydney gentry; who, to tell the truth,
wherever known, are in excessively bad odour. Is there a mutiny on
board a ship in the South Seas, ten to one a Sydney man is the
ringleader. Ashore, these fellows are equally riotous.
It was on this account that we were anxious to conceal the fact of our
having belonged to the Julia, though it annoyed me much, thus to deny
the dashing little craft. For the same reason, also, the doctor fibbed
about his birthplace.
Unfortunately, one part of our raiment—Arfretee’s blue frocks—we deemed
a sort of collateral evidence against us. For, curiously enough, an
American sailor is generally distinguished by his red frock; and an
English tar by his blue one: thus reversing the national colours. The
circumstance was pointed out by the captain; and we quickly explained
the anomaly. But, in vain: he seemed inveterately prejudiced against
us; and, in particular, eyed the doctor most distrustfully.
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