20 FIRST NIGHT ABOARD. 



the afternoon others of the crew arrived, amongst 

 them a fine-looking old tar who knew the ropes, and 

 had a three gallon jug of New England rum stowed 

 away in his chest, which, as soon as carried into the 

 forecastle, he produced and passed around time after 

 time, until all those who would imbibe were more 

 than half seas over, making night hideous with their 

 discordant clang. At noon the next day the Captain 

 and others came aboard in the pilot boat. The sails 

 were loosed, windlass manned, anchor hove up to 

 the inspiriting chant. We are bound to the Western 

 Ocean, and soon the old Pacific was aweigh and ofiF 

 to sea again, leaving the land of her flag far in the 

 distance. 



All was bustle and confusion aboard the ship, we 

 having no less than fourteen green hands, and the 

 few foremast hands who had before followed the sea 

 were so overcome by the ardent that they were 

 useless ; so that the officers were obliged in almost 

 every case to execute their own orders. We were 

 blessed with a head wind, and were obliged to beat 

 out of the bay, and, with the consequent hurry and 

 excitement attendant on tacking ship, little leisure 

 was left to us for reflection ; but as the sun sank low 

 in the horizon, and the blue hills of the land of my 

 birth, and love, and veneration — the home of me 

 and mine — were gradually becoming more and more 

 indistinct — as I looked around me on the expanse 

 of water, extending on every side, I felt alone ; and 

 then, and not till then, did I feel the momentous 

 character of what I had undertaken ; then I bethought 

 me of the thousand little comforts of home, the 

 many kindnesses I had received from relatives and 



