The First Mate: The Story of a Strange Cruise Read online

  CHAPTER TWO.

  WE GO TO SEA.

  It was past nine o'clock, and a cold, dreary night, with a drizzle ofrain, when at length I quitted the hospitable wardroom of the yacht andwended my way back to my rather frowsy lodging in Nightingale Lane.Arrived there, I forthwith proceeded to write a letter to my mother,whose home was in the picturesque little village of Newton Ferrers, nearPlymouth, informing her of my good fortune in having secured sosatisfactory a berth, and explaining my inability to run down and seeher before my departure owing to the fact that we were to sail on thefollowing day. Then, having posted my letter, I got my few trapstogether, bundled them all into my sea chest, and turned in to take mylast sleep on English soil for many a long day to come.

  I was up and astir again by seven o'clock the next morning, my firstmove being to go along to the yacht and interview Snip, the tailor, inaccordance with my arrangement of the previous evening. To myamazement, I found that the man, with characteristic American "hustle",had got my working suit of uniform far enough advanced for me to try iton. The cut and fit proved to be everything: that could be desired, andI was faithfully promised that the suit should be ready for me to donupon joining the ship after signing articles.

  In keeping with our pretensions to be a "swagger" ship and crew, thewardroom mess took lunch, instead of dinner, at one o'clock, dining atseven o'clock in the evening. This was the hour adopted by the saloonparty, who, I learned, were regularly reinforced by one or more membersof the wardroom contingent, by special invitation from Mrs Vansittart.

  It was just two o'clock in the afternoon when the boatswain piped "Allhands unmoor ship"; and by half-past two we were through the dock gatesand heading down the river, impelled by our own engine.

  Bearing out what Kennedy and the others had already told me as to MrsVansittart being the actual as well as nominal captain of the yacht, atthe call of "All hands" the lady had appeared on deck. She was arrayedin an exceedingly neat and workmanlike costume of navy-blue serge, thejacket of which was fastened with gilt buttons bearing the insignia ofthe New York Yacht Club, the cuffs being adorned with four rows of goldbraid, the top row showing the "executive curl", while her smartlydressed chestnut hair was surmounted by a navy cap of the most approvedpattern, the peak edged with the usual trimming of a wreath of oakleaves embroidered in gold thread, while the front of the cap bore theNew York Yacht Club badge.

  True, she did not give her orders respecting the unmooring of the shipdirectly to the crew, as this would probably have resulted in undulystraining her voice, singularly sweet and pure in quality, of which, asI subsequently discovered, she was very justly proud. She gave herorders to Kennedy, who acted as her _aide_ and repeated them intrumpet-like notes that could be distinctly heard all over the ship.

  It was then, while we were hauling out of dock, that I got my firstglimpse of Miss Anthea, Master Julius, and the Reverend Henry JamesMonroe, all of whom came on deck to witness the passage of the shipthrough the dock gates and down the river. I was stationed in thewaist, and therefore only obtained at that moment a comparativelydistant glimpse of the saloon party on the poop, but even that sufficedto confirm the testimony of the second engineer as to Miss Anthea'sphysical charms. But I did not altogether like her expression, whichwas a blank, save for a hint of hauteur mingled with dissatisfaction atthings in general.

  Her brother was so exactly like her in features that the two might havebeen twins, but he was a good three inches shorter than his sister, aswell as a trifle thinner in the face. He talked incessantly in a sharp,high-pitched, and most unmusical voice, the unattractiveness of whichwas further heightened by a pronounced nasal American accent. From suchscraps of his conversation as reached me from time to time I gatheredthat his talk was almost wholly about himself, his doings, his opinions,his likes and dislikes--chiefly the latter. I liked his expression evenless than that of his sister. It was a most objectionable mingling ofpeevishness, insolence, and self-assurance; while his manner, even tohis mother, was domineering and dictatorial to a perfectly disgustingdegree. There was no doubt in my mind that he had been thoroughlyspoiled from the moment of his birth onward, and the process was stillgoing on, if I was anything of a judge of such matters.

  As regards the Reverend Mr Monroe, all I need say about him at thisjuncture was that he appeared to answer in every respect to the verbalportrait that had been drawn of him in the wardroom during the precedingevening.

  Shortly after we had cleared the dock gates I got a message from Sniprequesting me to present myself in his workshop as early as possible totry on my mess jacket and waistcoat; which, like the new rig I haddonned little more than an hour earlier, I found fitted me excellently.I was promised that the entire suit should be ready for me in time formess that night (it appeared that everything was done in tip-top styleaboard the _Stella Maris)_.

  About five o'clock, Marsh, the chief steward, presented himself with amessage from Mrs Vansittart, requesting the pleasure of my company atdinner at seven o'clock, which invitation I of course accepted, as induty bound.

  We were just abreast the eastern extremity of Canvey Island when thesecond bugle call sounded for dinner. I was by that time dressed andquite ready, and joined Kennedy, who had also been invited; and togetherwe repaired to the drawing-room, where Mrs Vansittart, gorgeouslyattired and wearing many diamonds, very graciously received us and thenproceeded to introduce me in due form to the parson, her daughter, andher son.

  As regards the parson, I need only say that his manner was everythingthat the most fastidious person could possibly desire. He was agentleman, in the highest sense of that often misused term; and althoughhis conversation subsequently, during dinner, evidenced that he was amost erudite and finished scholar, there was nothing of the pedant abouthim. Information exuded from him naturally and simply because he couldnot help it; it seemed impossible to broach a topic upon which hisknowledge was not complete, and he was brilliant without the slightestapparent effort.

  As for Miss Anthea, she looked lovely in a perfectly simple white satindinner frock, her only jewellery being a thin gold necklet, from whichwas suspended a very fine opal in a quaint and curious gold setting.She acknowledged my introduction to her with the slightest possibleinclination of her head, and thereafter ignored my existence for therest of the evening. And her brother's greeting of me was equallyfrigid.

  Mrs Vansittart's graceful and kindly geniality, however, made ampleamends for the disdainful attitude of her children. She chatted inanimated fashion with Monroe, Kennedy, and me for some minutes, and thenMarsh, the chief steward, appeared with the announcement that dinner wasserved. Thereupon she turned to me and said:

  "Mr Leigh, you are the stranger of the party to-night; do me the favourto take me down to dinner."

  That dinner--as indeed were all those at which I was subsequently aguest--was a banquet. The viands were the choicest of their severalkinds, and perfectly prepared; the wines were of rare vintages--at leastso Monroe asserted (I was no judge of wines, and contented myself with asingle glass of sherry taken with my soup); and the table appointmentswere on a par with the food and the sumptuous character of the apartmentin which the meal was served. There were choice flowers in profusionupon the table; a fire burned cosily in the handsome fireplace; and thetable was brilliantly illuminated by handsome, softly shaded electriccandelabra of massive silver.

  The finishing touch to the enjoyment of the meal was given by MrsVansittart's charming manner and sparkling conversation. For the momentwe were not her servants but her welcome guests, and she contrived tomake us feel this without the faintest suggestion of condescension. Shewas both brilliant and witty, and in some subtle manner peculiar toherself she not only put us perfectly at our ease, but also put us uponour mettle, so that I at least found myself saying clever things ofwhich I had not before believed myself in the least capable.

  It was all so very different from what I had hitherto been accustomed tothat I could scarcely persuade myself
I was not dreaming some splendidand unusually vivid dream; and I heartily congratulated myself upon thelucky chance which had thrown me into the midst of such delightfulsurroundings. The dinner, although smartly served, demandedthree-quarters of an hour for its consumption; and at its close ourhostess took wine with us all, nodded to her daughter, and, rising fromthe table, retired to the drawing-room.

  When the ladies disappeared, Monroe, Kennedy, and young Vansittartresumed their seats, somewhat to my surprise; and a moment later Marshbrought forward cigars, cigarettes, and a jar of choice tobacco. I hadbeen picked for the first mate's watch, and it was our eight hours outthat night, consequently by rights I ought to have been on deck at thatmoment; therefore, as soon as Mrs Vansittart and her daughter vanished,I turned to Kennedy and said:

  "If you gentlemen will excuse me, I'll run away and change, and go ondeck. I am in your watch, you know, Mr Kennedy, and ought to be onduty now--"

  "Bring yourself to an anchor, me bhoy," interrupted Kennedy, pointing tothe chair alongside him. "Do ye shmoke? No? Quite right; shmoking isvery bad for growing lads," with a glance at Master Julius, who wascoolly lighting a cigarette. "If ye don't shmoke ye can at least sitand listen to Mr Monroe's and my illuminatin' conversation until it'stime for us to join the ladies. Mrs Vansittart--God bless her kindheart!--allows us just half an hour for an afther-dinner shmoke; thenshe expects us to join her in the drawing-room until ten o'clock, and tocontribute, each in our separate ways, toward the entertainment of therest. Do ye sing by anny chance?"

  I modestly replied that I did, a little, and that in a very amateurishway I also played the fiddle. I may as well frankly confess that in myinmost heart I rather prided myself upon my musical accomplishments,music being a perfect passion with me. I had often been complimentedupon the quality of my baritone voice and my manner of using it, whilesome who might be supposed to be competent judges had told me that Iought to have devoted my energies to becoming a professional violinist.But I was careful not to say anything of this.

  "Good! That's capital!" exclaimed Monroe. "Mrs Vansittart will bepleased to hear that, I know; for she is devoted to music, is herself abrilliant musician, and will warmly welcome anyone who can contribute inthe slightest degree to the pleasure of our evenings. You have thetrick of telling a story well, too, Leigh; our hostess thoroughlyenjoyed the humour of that yarn of yours. You should cultivate the artof story-telling; there are very few people who are able to tell a storyreally well."

  "Guess that's all nonsense, Mr Monroe," remarked Master Julius. "It'sthe easiest thing in the world to talk. Anybody can do it."

  "Well--yes, I suppose anybody can," returned Monroe. "But," hecontinued, meaningly, "it is not everybody who can talk sense, Julius.Moreover, the art of conversation consists in knowing when to talk--andwhen to be silent."

  Master Julius, however, did not agree with this. He argued the pointwith Monroe so volubly and persistently that anything like generalconversation became impossible, and he kept it up until Kennedy, with aglance at the clock on the mantelpiece, deposited his cigar stub in anash tray and announced that the half-hour was up, and that it was timeto adjourn to the drawing-room.

  "Ah, here you are!" exclaimed Mrs Vansittart, who was seated at theopen piano as we filed into the drawing-room, Master Julius well inadvance. The boy marched straight across the room, without taking theslightest notice of his mother, and seated himself beside his sister,who occupied a settee in the far corner, and was apparently so deeplyabsorbed in a book that she was unaware of our entrance.

  "Now, then," continued our hostess, "it has gone one bell, and we havenot very much time to spare. Which of you gentlemen will favour us witha song?"

  "I suggest, madam, that you should call upon Mr Leigh," said Monroe."In response to a leading question put to him by our friend Kennedy, theyoung man has pleaded guilty to a limited ability as a singer, and hehas also admitted that there are times when he scrapes upon a fiddle.Knowing Britishers as I do, it is my experience that when one of themgoes so far as to say he can play or sing at all, he--or she--canusually do it pretty well; I am therefore not without hope that in Leighwe shall find we have a valuable addition to our stock of musicaltalent."

  "You don't say!" ejaculated Mrs Vansittart vivaciously. "Well, I amglad; for I believe I have heard every one of your songs at least half adozen times, Mr Monroe; and Mr Kennedy's too, to say nothing about thedoctor and the purser. Do you sing and play by ear, or from music, MrLeigh?"

  I explained that I did both, but preferred to have the music before me;and in answer to a further question I admitted the existence of certainbooks and sheets of music among my other belongings. Thereupon I wasordered off to my cabin, with instructions to fetch them and my fiddleforthwith. When I returned, Kennedy was trolling forth the song"Kathleen Mavourneen" in a deep, rich bass voice that made the spaciousapartment ring again, while Mrs Vansittart accompanied him on thepiano. But for all the attention that the youngsters gave to the songthey might as well have been deaf!

  When the song was finished, Mrs Vansittart beckoned me to her, and,taking my music from me, glanced through it. Among it were two volumesof _Standard English Songs_, a book of songs by Schubert, a book ofsacred melodies consisting chiefly of solos and duets from theoratorios, another containing a selection of songs from various operas,and, in sheet, a few ballads and a quantity of music specially composedfor the violin. As she glanced through my budget, our hostess volublyexpressed her delight, and was pleased to compliment me very highly uponthe taste which had dictated my choice. Then, opening one of the booksof English songs and placing it before her on the piano, she invited meto sing "Twickenham Ferry". The song happened to be rather a favouriteof mine, and when I noticed the exquisite perfection with which sheplayed the few bars of the introduction I just let myself go, and wasrewarded for my pains by receiving what sounded like very genuine andhearty applause when the song came to an end.

  Then Monroe, who was gifted with a really beautiful tenor voice, sangwith much taste and feeling an old plantation song; after which MrsVansittart sang in Italian. Then, by way of a change, we had Gounod's"Ave Maria", Mrs Vansittart playing the accompaniment on the pianowhile I played the air on my fiddle and Monroe joined in with anobligato on the organ. So, in a very delightful way, to me at least,the evening was passed until four bells chimed out, when we closed theconcert by rendering "Hail, Columbia!" with all the vocal andinstrumental strength at our command.

  As Kennedy and I took our leave, Mrs Vansittart very graciously thankedus both for giving her the pleasure of our company, and expressed thehope that we should spend together many equally enjoyable evenings; butMiss Vansittart scarcely deigned to acknowledge, by the curtest nod ofher head, our farewell bows. As for the boy, he was, or pretended tobe, fast asleep.

  Taking my beloved fiddle with me, I hurried away to my cabin, placed theinstrument safely in my bunk, shifted hurriedly into my working clothes,and went on deck, where I was presently joined by Kennedy. The pilotwas in charge on the poop, and Mrs Vansittart, wrapped in a voluminouscloak, was also up there, taking a look round and a brief promenadebefore turning in; so the first mate and I fell into step and walkedfore and aft in the waist, between the break of the poop and the forerigging.

  It was a lovely night, very clear and brilliantly starlit. There was nomoon, the satellite, then well advanced in her fourth quarter, notrising until toward morning; and it was very cold, a light breeze fromthe north-east having sprung up about the end of the second dog-watch.We were by that time well down toward the mouth of the Thames estuary,the Tongue lightship being about a point and a half before our portbeam, while Margate lights were broad on our starboard bow, the shipheading a trifle to the south of east as she edged in toward the landpreparatory to hauling round the North Foreland.

  There was a small easterly swell running, just enough to impart motionto the ship and let us know that we were afloat, and we were slippingalong at a fine rate upon the last
of the ebb tide, and as smoothly andas free from vibration as though we had been under sail.

  We rounded the North Foreland just before midnight; and when at eightbells Mr Briscoe came on deck to relieve Mr Kennedy I heard the latterinstruct him to get the ship under canvas, and, as soon as she was undercommand, stop the engine and have the propeller feathered. Then I wentbelow, very tired, to snatch four hours' sleep before turning out tokeep the morning watch.

  I tumbled into my bunk and instantly fell asleep, only to be awakenedthe next moment, as it seemed to me, by a quartermaster, who informedme, as he switched on the light, that it wanted ten minutes to eightbells. Accordingly I hopped out of bed, washed and dressed, and was inthe act of ascending the poop ladder when eight bells struck.

  I found the ship under all plain sail, heading south-west, with thelights of Dover just abaft the starboard beam, some five miles distant;and was informed by Mr Briscoe that the pilot had left us about half anhour earlier, and that we were now "on our own". There was a fine freshbreeze blowing from the north-east, and we were sweeping along in finestyle, with squared yards and the mainsail brailed up. After a goodlook at the sky the first mate gave it as his opinion that the wind wasgoing to haul round more from the eastward, accordingly as soon as thewatches had been changed he gave the order to set fore, main, and mizenroyal, topgallant, and topmast studding sails on both sides, and lowerstudding sails for'ard. Now came the advantage of our strong crew; foralthough we were working with the port watch only, we had the whole ofthose studding sails set in less than half an hour; whereas, had we beenmanned after the rate of an ordinary merchantman of our tonnage, the jobwould have kept us busy during the entire watch. As soon as we werethrough with this work Mr Kennedy instructed me to ship and set thepatent log, which I did, taking the exact time when it started, andnoting what it registered fifteen minutes later. The result was that wefound we were doing just twelve knots, with the wind dead aft and ourhead sails practically becalmed by our after canvas.

  The first mate's prophecy concerning the easting of the wind proved atrue one, for when we hauled up a couple of points after roundingDungeness it followed us, keeping dead astern. At four bells (sixo'clock) we mustered holystones and scrubbing-brushes, attached the hoseto the fire hydrant, and industriously washed, scrubbed, and holystonedthe decks and cleaned paintwork for an hour, after which the planks werethoroughly squeegeed and dried. Then all hands went to work to polishbrasswork until eight bells, by which time the ship looked as spick andspan as if she had been kept under a glass case, just removed.

  When eight bells struck, Beachy Head bore North-North-West by compass,distant fourteen miles. Prompt at the stroke of the bell, MrsVansittart came up on deck, dressed in her blue serge seagoing rig, andbade us a cheery good morning. After receiving Kennedy's report andverifying the bearing and distance of the headland, she gave orders forthe course to be altered to west-half-south for the run down channel.

  It was at this time a clear and brilliant morning, the sky a hard blue,streaked here and there with mare's tails, the sun, pallid and withoutwarmth, hanging low over the French coast well on our port quarter. Thebreeze was blowing fresh and very keen, although, running before it aswe were, we did not feel anything like the full strength of it. Of thiswe could only get a correct idea by observing the run of the short,bottle-green channel surges breaking in foam all round us, and the wayin which a few brigs and schooners, the former under single-reefedtopsails, beating up channel, lay down to it and flung the spray overtheir weather catheads. There were a good many craft going our way too,both steam and sail, the latter, like ourselves, making the utmost ofthe good fair wind by showing to it every rag that they could spread.But we overhauled and passed them, one after the other, with the utmostease; and when, a little later, the breeze freshened, we began to givesome of the steamers the go-by as well.

  By noon we had brought Selsea Bill square abeam, some sixteen milesdistant; and at two o'clock in the afternoon, when I went on deck afterluncheon, Saint Catharine's was a point abaft the beam, distant eightmiles. At nine o'clock that night we were abreast of the Start, when,Mrs Vansittart having determined our distance from the Point by acouple of bearings taken an hour apart, ordered the studding sails to betaken in and the royals and mizen topgallant sail to be furled. We then"took our departure", and, hauling our wind on the port tack, shaped acourse for Ushant, which was sighted and passed at three bells in thefollowing morning watch, our next port of call being, as I now learned,Lisbon.

  During the day occupied by our run down channel all hands had an easytime of it, there being nothing much for them to do except keep the shipclean and take an occasional pull at a halyard or brace. I thereforehad ample time to take stock of the crew and improve my acquaintancewith my shipmates generally.

  As regards the crew, I had an idea that in a quiet way they werewatching me and seeking to "reckon me up". I was a "Britisher", theonly one in the ship; and my experience of Americans, which up to thattime had been but slight, led me to the belief that the people, taken asa whole, held the Britisher in but light esteem. I therefore decidedthat, so far at least as the crew of the _Stella Maris_ was concerned,the reputation of my countrymen was to some extent in my hands, and Idetermined to let slip no opportunity to vindicate it. I was the morestrengthened in this resolution by hearing the boy Julius remark to hissister, in tones which I felt were fully intended to reach my ear, that"he had no use for Britishers, and took no stock in them, for they werenever of much account."

  I do not know whether my brother officers shared the lad's view, orwhether they, as I half-suspected the men of doing, were quietly waitingto see of what stuff I was made; but, in either case, they never, withthe solitary exception of Briscoe, the second mate, permitted such anattitude to appear. On the contrary, they were genial, cordial, andfriendly in a very marked degree, so that within the first twenty-fourhours of our being at sea I felt thoroughly at home with all of them.If I had a preference for any above the others it was for Monroe, theboy's tutor, and Harper, the medico of the ship, both of whom wereextremely broad-minded men, in addition to being exceptionally wellinformed and polished in manner. As for our skipper, the more I saw ofher the better I liked her. I soon discovered that nothing escaped hernotice; she was as smart a seaman as Kennedy himself; she was an expertnavigator; the heavens and their portents were an open book to her; sheissued her orders with the utmost confidence and decision, and neverhesitated to find fault if things did not please her; and yet with itall she was most gracious and friendly in her manner to us all, from thehighest to the lowest.

  As for Miss Anthea, I am bound to admit that, with the exception ofMonroe and the doctor, she treated us all alike with the utmostimpartiality, merely acknowledging our salutes with a careless, scarcelyperceptible inclination of the head, and otherwise completely ignoringour existence. Her amusements, while on deck, consisted of reading,playing bull, shuffle-board, or deck quoits with her brother,promenading the poop with her mother, and occasionally condescending toexchange a few remarks with the parson or the doctor. But she was amusician of rare ability, and possessed a soprano singing voice ofexquisite richness and purity, as I had frequent opportunity of judgingby hearing her playing and singing in the drawing-room below while I wason duty on the poop.

  That Mrs Vansittart was an ardent sportswoman was evident from the veryoutset by the way in which she sailed the yacht. She "carried on"consistently, day and night, as though we were sailing in a race, and nosooner were we past Ushant, and the breeze showed signs of freshening,than she ordered preventer backstays rigged fore and aft, and hung on toher canvas until our lee rail was awash and the lee main-deck flooded tosuch an extent from the topgallant forecastle to the poop that itspassage became an impossibility except by swimming.

  We swept across the Bay like smoke driven by a strong breeze,overhauling and passing everything that was going our way, excepting abig Cape liner; and we actually held our own with her for some hours,u
ntil the breeze eased up sufficiently to allow the steamer to drawgradually away from us. We must have presented a most beautiful pictureto the people aboard that boat as we swept along for a time neck andneck with her, our snow-white cotton canvas gleaming in the brilliantsunlight or flecked with sweeping blue shadows as the yacht rushedthrough and over the foaming surges with the water all aboil about herand every perfectly cut sail, to her three royals, accurately set anddrawing like a team of cart horses.

  The fresh easterly breeze which had swept us down channel in suchsplendid style lasted long enough to carry us to the mouth of the Tagusshortly after nine o'clock in the morning of our fifth day out fromLondon; and by noon of that day we were riding at anchor off the city ofLisbon. Here we remained two days, our next destination being theisland of Madeira.

  From Madeira we went on to Teneriffe, and from Teneriffe to Gibraltar;after which we gradually worked our way up the Mediterranean, calling inat a number of interesting places on the way. We were at Ajaccio onChristmas Day; and it was characteristic of our skipper that she soarranged matters as to spend the day aboard with us, giving the crew arare good time and inviting the whole of her officers to dine with herin the evening.

  We left Ajaccio on the evening of New Year's Day, and, passing throughthe Straits of Bonifacio, headed for the Bay of Naples, where we arrivedat nine o'clock on the morning of the third of January. From Naples weproceeded to Messina; thence to Malta, Athens, Constantinople, andJaffa, where we were all afforded an opportunity to make the trip toJerusalem; and from Jaffa we proceeded to Port Said, where, afterremaining at anchor some four or five hours, we ran through the Canalduring the night, with an enormous searchlight suspended from ourbowsprit end to light us on our way. We anchored at Suez the next day,and Mrs Vansittart then announced that we should remain there at leasta week, during which the men would be granted daily leave, while theofficers were to make their own arrangements, subject to the approval ofKennedy, who was left in charge. I thus had an opportunity not only tovisit Cairo, but also to take a run out to the Pyramids and the Sphinx.As a matter of fact we remained at Suez nearly a fortnight, awaiting ourskipper's return, when we hove up our anchor and proceeded down the Gulfof Suez into the Red Sea, duly noting Mount Sinai on our port hand as wepassed it.