362 NIMROD OF THE SEA; OR, 



month ; but his old enemy rum ate it all, and finally he lost 

 his employment. He shipped on board the Brandywine, 

 again deserted, and then brought up on board this Peruvian 

 man-of-war. We found him heart and home sick; he had a 

 wife and children in America, and wanted to get back to 



them. At his request we laid his case before Captain B , 



and soon enlisted his good feeling for the poor fellow. With 

 his usual energy, the good man went on board the North 

 Carolina, acquainted Commodore Ballard with the case, 

 and claimed Hyde as a deserter from his vessel. The claim 

 was made, and the authorities .on shore promptly granted an 

 order for his release. The lieutenant of the Carolina^pro- 

 ceeded in his boat to the St. Francisco, but received the in- 

 formation that Hyde had deserted the previous night. There 

 was no redress; but the lieutenant was confident that the 

 man had been spirited away, as he was a valuable man as 

 carpenter of the ship. 



We have reason to believe that it is a regular system, of 

 the Peruvian naval service to tempt seamen to desert from 

 their ships, and then, by means fair or foul, to get them on 

 board their own vessels. The war with Chili made them 

 doubly anxious to fill up their complement of men, as the 

 Chilians were not a whit behind them in like practices. It 

 is sad to think that in case of a naval engagement it will be 

 mainly English and American blood which will flow in their 

 senseless quarrel. While we lay here, six of our Kanakas 

 were enticed away, leaviag their clothes and " lay." The 

 captain offered a reward of one hundred dollars for each 

 man. Some of our men soon afterward saw two of the de- 

 serters in the calaboose, partially intoxicated, and the cap- 

 tain proceeded to the prison to recover them ; but they were 

 then gone, the officer on guard denying, with protestations, 

 any knowledge of them. The captain felt that the cards 

 were stocked ; so he withdrew the reward, and shipped five 



