ADVENTURES OF DESERTERS. 153 



first place, he and another took to the bush for con- 

 ceabnent; and, not venturing to show themselves, 

 they remained concealed till night. It was intensely 

 cold, and they were obliged to lie' on each other to 

 keep warm. The under place being preferable, and 

 each wanting to secure it, almost a quarrel was oc- 

 casioned thereby between them. As soon as their 

 ship had departed, they came out from their hiding 

 place, but could find no one to relieve their neces- 

 sities, nor could they get employment. They finally 

 joined the natives, who fed and clothed them. Be- 

 coming tired of this kind of life, they eagerly caught 

 at the offer of a berth aboard a whaler. This poor 

 fellow, my informant, was almost destitute, and had 

 sent to us for clothing, of which a bundle was col- 

 lected for him. He was a German, with a very thick 

 head, and although the captain of the schooner was 

 disposed to push him forward, he found little ground 

 for cultivation. He made him steward of the craft ; 

 but he soon destroyed all the crockery ware, and was 

 so negligent that the captain and mate were com- 

 pelled to carry their knives and forks to bed with 

 them, in order to find them when wanted. 



One of the men belono^ins: to the James Allen 

 adopted a novel plan to get away from the ship. 

 He was a middle-aged man, who had participated in 

 numerous whaling-vo^-ages. On the Allen he held 

 a boatsteerer's berth, but from dislike on the part of 

 his captain, he was broken, and sent into the fore- 

 castle. In his many voyages, he had mastered the 

 language of the Sandwich Islanders, which is intelli- 

 gible to the native New Zealander, and vice versa. 

 On the night that he determined to desert, he pro- 



