Upon the missionary islands, of
course, such conduct was severely punishable; and at various places,
Mother Tot's establishment had been shut up, and its proprietor made
to quit in the first vessel that could be hired to land her
elsewhere. But, with a perseverance invincible, wherever she went she
always started afresh; and so became notorious everywhere.
By some wicked spell of hers, a patient, one-eyed little cobbler
followed her about, mending shoes for white men, doing the old
woman's cooking, and bearing all her abuse without grumbling. Strange
to relate, a battered Bible was seldom out of his sight; and whenever
he had leisure, and his mistress' back was turned, he was forever
poring over it. This pious propensity used to enrage the old crone
past belief; and oftentimes she boxed his ears with the book, and
tried to burn it. Mother Tot and her man Josy were, indeed, a curious
pair.
But to my story.
A week or so after our arrival in the harbour, the old lady had once
again been hunted down, and forced for the time to abandon her
nefarious calling. This was brought about chiefly by Wilson, who, for
some reason unknown, had contracted the most violent hatred for her;
which, on her part, was more than reciprocated.
Well: passing, in the evening, where the consul and his party were
making merry, she peeped through the bamboos of the house; and
straightway resolved to gratify her spite.
The night was very dark; and providing herself with a huge ship's
lantern, which usually swung in her hut, she waited till they came
forth. This happened about midnight; Wilson making his appearance,
supported by two natives, holding him up by the arms. These three
went first; and just as they got under a deep shade, a bright light
was thrust within an inch of Wilson's nose. The old hag was kneeling
before him, holding the lantern with uplifted hands.
"Ha, ha! my fine counsellor," she shrieked; "ye persecute a lone old
body like me for selling rum - do ye? And here ye are, carried home
drunk - Hoot! ye villain, I scorn ye!" And she spat upon him.
Terrified at the apparition, the poor natives - arrant believers in
ghosts - dropped the trembling consul, and fled in all directions.
After giving full vent to her rage, Mother Tot hobbled away, and left
the three revellers to stagger home the best way they could.
The day following our last interview with Wilson, we learned that
Captain Guy had gone on board his vessel for the purpose of shipping
a new crew. There was a round bounty offered; and a heavy bag of
Spanish dollars, with the Julia's articles ready for signing, were
laid on the capstan-head.
Now, there was no lack of idle sailors ashore, mostly "Beachcombers,"
who had formed themselves into an organized gang, headed by one Mack,
a Scotchman, whom they styled the Commodore. By the laws of the
fraternity, no member was allowed to ship on board a vessel unless
granted permission by the rest. In this way the gang controlled the
port, all discharged seamen being forced to join them.
To Mack and his men our story was well known; indeed, they had several
times called to see us; and of course, as sailors and congenial
spirits, they were hard against Captain Guy.
Deeming the matter important, they came in a body to the Calabooza,
and wished to know whether, all things considered, we thought it best
for any of them to join the Julia.
Anxious to pack the ship off as soon as possible, we answered, by all
means. Some went so far as to laud the Julia to the skies as the best
and fastest of ships. Jermin too, as a good fellow, and a sailor
every inch, came in for his share of praise; and as for the
captain - quiet man, he would never trouble anyone. In short, every
inducement we could think of was presented; and Plash Jack ended by
assuring the beachcombers solemnly that, now we were all well and
hearty, nothing but a regard to principle prevented us from returning
on board ourselves.
The result was that a new crew was finally obtained, together with a
steady New Englander for second mate, and three good whalemen for
harpooners. In part, what was wanting for the ship's larder was also
supplied; and as far as could be done in a place like Tahiti, the
damages the vessel had sustained were repaired. As for the Mowree,
the authorities refusing to let him be put ashore, he was carried to
sea in irons, down in the hold. What eventually became of him we
never heard.
Ropey, poor poor Ropey, who a few days previous had fallen sick, was
left ashore at the sailor hospital at Townor, a small place upon the
beach between Papeetee and Matavai. Here, some time after, he
breathed his last. No one knew his complaint: he must have died of
hard times. Several of us saw him interred in the sand, and I planted
a rude post to mark his resting-place.
The cooper, and the rest who had remained aboard from the first, of
course, composed part of the Julia's new crew.
To account for the conduct, all along, of the consul and captain, in
trying so hard to alter our purpose with respect to the ship, the
following statement is all that is requisite. Beside an advance of
from fifteen to twenty-five dollars demanded by every sailor shipping
at Tahiti, an additional sum for each man so shipped has to be paid
into the hands of the government, as a charge of the port.
