190 



Arrival of the Porpoise. Native pilots. 

 Arrival of the Peacock. 



TONGATABOO. 



Irish suttler at Sydney. 



the native pilots had received a message from 

 the king, forbidding them to take the ships through 

 the reefs ; and although we needed their services 

 but little, yet I thought it was a circumstance that 

 required some investigation. I however gave 

 orders to weigh anchor ; but, while in the act 

 of doing so, the Porpoise was reported as in sight: 

 I therefore awaited her joining company. She 

 had been detained in consequence of light, vari- 

 able winds ; had seen nothing of Vasquez Island, 

 but had sighted Pylstart's Island. 



We found that the crew of the Porpoise had 

 been, as well as ourselves, affected by the epidemic 

 influenza, and that one case (that of David Bate- 

 man the marine) was somewhat serious; we there- 

 fore received him on board the Vincennes, for his 

 better accommodation. 



In the afternoon we ran down to the anchorage, 

 off Nukualofa, when the Porpoise and Flying-Fish 

 both went ashore on the reef, in consequence of the 

 sun preventing it from being seen; they got off 

 soon after without any damage. On anchoring, I 

 despatched an officer on shore, to inquire into the 

 reason of the order sent the pilots; word was imme- 

 diately returned, on the part of the kings, that they 

 knew nothing of the business; and they disclaimed 

 any interference with them at all. On further 

 investigation, the report was found to have grown 

 out of the jealousy between two pilots, Tahiti Jim 

 and Isaac : the former being the favourite of King 

 George, whilst the latter was attached to King Jo- 

 siah. Isaac having come on board first, was ac- 

 cepted as pilot; but Tahiti Jim being shrewd and 

 cunning, (of which we had much experience after- 

 wards,) did not like the idea of Isaac, who, as he 

 told me, was no pilot, reaping all the reward; he 

 accordingly intimated to him, that unless he pro- 

 mised to share the profits with him, he should re- 

 port him to King George; and that if he got the 

 ship ashore the captain would hang him. This so 

 alarmed Isaac, that being unwilling to fall under 

 the displeasure of the king, and equally so to divide 

 his profits, concocted the story that he was ordered 

 by the king not to take the vessel to sea. I rather 

 suspected Tahiti Jim of delivering such a message; 

 finding, however, since the arrival of the Porpoise, 

 that there was now a prospect of profit for both, 

 they became reconciled. This affair being settled, 

 and having finished my orders for the Peacock, and 

 sent them to the missionaries, we hove up our 

 anchors, and made sail. Before we had got with- 

 out the reef, a sail was descried, which proved to 

 be the Peacock. After passing congratulations, by 

 cheering, I made signal to anchor, which was done, 

 near the outer reefs, in ten fathoms water. We were 

 now once more together, and only a few days be- 

 hind the time allotted for reaching the Feejee Group, 

 and beginning operations there. 



The Peacock, as we have seen, was left at Sydney 

 to complete her repairs; these detained her until 

 the 30th of March, for it was found extremely diffi- 

 cult to obtain mechanics; and all who were em- 

 ployed, except two, were a lazy and drunken set: 

 they all belong to the " Trades' Union;" and to such 

 an extreme is the action of this association carried, 

 that they invariably support the most worthless, 

 and make common cause with them. Employers 

 are completely under their control, and there is no 

 manner of redress for idleness or bad work. If the 

 employer complains, they all leave work, refusing 



to do any thing more, and soon compel him to re- 

 engage them through necessity. 



The repairs were made, as has been stated, in 

 Mossman's Cove, on the north shore of the harbour 

 of Sydney, one of the many natural docks that 

 nature has provided for this harbour. The ship 

 was laid aground, so as to expose her whole fore- 

 foot, during the ebb tide. The damage which she 

 had sustained has been before spoken of; the stem 

 was literally worn to within an inch and a half of 

 the wood-ends. After repairing this, by scraping 

 the stem and putting on a new cut-water, they made 

 use of a diving apparatus to place the new braces, 

 and mend the copper that was broken. 



Although they were removed some distance 

 from Sydney and its vile grog-shops, despite the ut- 

 most caution to prevent the crew from procuring 

 spirits, it was found that a plan had been formed to 

 supply them with it. In a hut near by, lived an 

 Irishman, familiarly called Paddy, who acted as a 

 kind of suttler, in supplying the messes of the offi- 

 cers and men with fresh bread and milk, and also 

 doing the washing. After a few days it was disco- 

 vered that the men were obtaining some extra 

 allowance of spirits, and suspicions naturally enough 

 fell on Paddy as the cause of this irregularity, and 

 its consequent disturbances. Orders were there- 

 fore given to search him, on his next visit to the 

 ship; this fully confirmed the suspicion, and his 

 presence on board was at once interdicted. 



Paddy had no idea of being thus defeated in 

 reaping his harvest from the ship's company; he 

 therefore enlisted in his service a man, if possible, 

 of a worse character than himself, whom he kept 

 constantly supplied with rum, brandy, and gin from 

 Sydney, and made it known to the crew that he was 

 ready to furnish his former customers. The men 

 soon managed, under various pretexts, to visit his 

 hut, and supply themselves at the expense of their 

 clothing, or some other equivalent. This new 

 arrangement succeeded for a time, but was at 

 length detected, and the nuisance wholly stopped; 

 steps were also taken for the punishment of the 

 offenders, by making a complaint against them, 

 which caused the apprehension of Paddy and his 

 partner, and he was required to pay a fine of 30^., 

 or be imprisoned for six months. 



Paddy was not the only annoyance they had to 

 encounter. Another was the poisonous snakes that 

 infest the secluded nooks of Mossman's Bay, num- 

 bers of which were daily seen near the ship ; among 

 them was one resembling the diamond-snake, of a 

 light silvery colour, about eighteen inches in 

 length, and as thick as the little finger : these are 

 very numerous, and it is very desirable to avoid 

 coming in contact with them, for their bite has 

 often proved fatal. Instances are known in Sydney 

 of persons who have been bitten, and have died 

 in a few hours. An eminent physician of Sydney, 

 on being asked the treatment in case of a bite, re- 

 plied : " to bandage the affected part as soon as 

 possible, cut it out, and as soon as preparations can 

 be made, amputate the limb !" These venomous 

 snakes frequently crawl into houses near the 

 woods, and persons have been bitten whilst sitting 

 at their doors in the evening. A lady, living on 

 the north shore, near the residence of the Ameri- 

 can consul, was sitting playing on the piano, when 

 hearing some rustling noise, suddenly looked around, 

 and discovered a diamond-snake only a short dis- 



