THE AMERICAN WHALEMAN. 211 



from these islands. In the evening the Elmira, of Edkin- 

 ton, Captain Marchant, twenty -four months out, fourteen 

 hundred barrels of oil, dropped anchor close beside us. We 

 pulled on board, and gave them a store of fresh fish of vary- 

 ing sizes, forms, and colors, and for the same they had vali- 

 ant stomachs. The evening we spent on board the stranger, 

 with song arid yarn, music and dancing, until ten P.M., when, 

 at peace with all men, we bunked and slept. 



Nov. 27. The Yankee and the Spaniard having exhausted 

 each other's resources in trade, the courtesies of the vikings 

 were then extended to the ruler of the land which held our 

 anchor. We " snugged up " the ship, screened th'e unsightly 

 try-works with shrubbery from shore, and dressed her with 

 all the red, white, and blue which we had and could borrow. 

 Every thing was made gay and festive to welcome Governor 

 Villamill and lady, with a party of grandees, who had ac- 

 cepted our invitation. At 2 P.M. the dignitaries of the shore, 

 and the captain, officers, and most of the crew of the JSlmira, 

 came on board. The sefior was accompanied by Senora 

 Villamill, a pretty, pleasant-faced woman, strikingly in con- 

 trast with her husband. They and their party came in two 

 whale-boats manned with crews of ragged convicts this 

 being a penal settlement. These latter beauties were not 

 permitted to come on board, lest they might appropriate 

 the spare anchor or the good name of some of the crew. 



Jollity was the order of the day. Captain B warmed 



up for the occasion, and determined to give his crew a regu- 

 lar blow-out for once at least. He ordered the steward to 

 bring up his comfortable case -bottle of Santa Cruz, and, 

 pouring out a stiff horn, sent it forward with an order for 

 music to the " Doctor," who sat atop a cask tuning his vio- 

 lin. The benign old darkey imbibed ; the drop was alone 

 needed to bring the fiddle to tune, and in lively measure 

 he struck up our favorite jig, the " Chelsea's Crew," a com- 



