Every One Was Delighted
With The Appearance Of Things.
We felt as though we had got into a
Christian (which in the sailor's vocabulary means civilized) country.
The first impression which California had made upon us was very
disagreeable:
- The open roadstead of Santa Barbara; anchoring three
miles from the shore; running out to sea before every south-easter;
landing in a high surf; with a little dark-looking town, a mile from
the beach; and not a sound to be heard, or anything to be seen,
but Sandwich Islanders, hides, and tallow-bags. Add to this
the gale off Point Conception, and no one can be at a loss to
account for our agreeable disappointment in Monterey. Beside all
this, we soon learned, which was of no small importance to us,
that there was little or no surf here, and this afternoon the
beach was as smooth as a duck-pond.
We landed the agent and passengers, and found several persons
waiting for them on the beach, among whom were some, who, though
dressed in the costume of the country, spoke English; and who,
we afterwards learned, were English and Americans who had
married and settled in the country.
I also connected with our arrival here another circumstance which
more nearly concerns myself; viz, my first act of what the sailors
will allow to be seamanship - sending down a royal-yard. I had seen
it done once or twice at sea, and an old sailor, whose favor I
had taken some pains to gain, had taught me carefully everything
which was necessary to be done, and in its proper order, and advised
me to take the first opportunity when we were in port, and try it.
I told the second mate, with whom I had been pretty thick when he
was before the mast, that I would do it, and got him to ask the mate
to send me up the first time they were struck. Accordingly I was
called upon, and went up, repeating the operations over in my mind,
taking care to get everything in its order, for the slightest mistake
spoils the whole. Fortunately, I got through without any word from
the officer, and heard the "well done" of the mate, when the yard
reached the deck, with as much satisfaction as I ever felt at Cambridge
on seeing a "bene" at the foot of a Latin exercise.
CHAPTER XII
LIFE AT MONTEREY
The next day being Sunday, which is the liberty-day among merchantmen,
when it is usual to let a part of the crew go ashore, the sailors had
depended upon a day on land, and were already disputing who should
ask to go, when, upon being called in the morning, we were turned-to
upon the rigging, and found that the topmast, which had been sprung,
was to come down, and a new one to go up, and top-gallant and royal-masts,
and the rigging to be set up. This was too bad.
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