In the Eastern Seas Part 3

At length the s.h.i.+p, which had been favoured with a breeze more or less strong ever since she left England, was becalmed. Sometimes she got a little wind which lasted for an hour or two, and then died away; then light airs came, first from one quarter, then from another, and the crew were constantly employed in bracing up, or squaring away the yards.

"It is always like this in these Horse Lat.i.tudes," said the boatswain as he walked the forecastle, where I had gone to have a talk with him.

"Why do you call them 'Horse Lat.i.tudes?'" I asked, as I listened to his remarks.

"Why, I have heard say that they were so called by the Yankees, or the people of _New_ England, before they were separated from Old England.

They used to send out deckloads of horses to the West Indies, and they were very often kept becalmed so long in these lat.i.tudes that their water grew scarce, and to save the lives of some of the horses they were obliged to throw the others overboard; so that is how this part of the ocean came to be called the 'Horse Lat.i.tudes.'"

I afterwards told Mr Hooker what Tarbox had said.

"A more scientific name would be the Tropic of Cancer," he answered.

"We had a good breeze before we entered it, but often the wind to the north of where we now are is very variable. After we have pa.s.sed this belt of calm and light airs we shall get into the regions of the north-east trades, which will carry us along at a fine rate till we get into the very worst part of the ocean for trying a person's temper, called the Doldrums. Remember to ask me more about it when we get there. You will remember, then, the Variables are to the north of the Tropic of Cancer. The 'Horse Lat.i.tudes' are on either side of the Tropic. Then we get into the north-east trade-winds, which carry us up to the Doldrums about the Equator; and pa.s.sing through them with more or less trial of temper, we get into the south-east trade-winds, which we shall have to cross with our tacks aboard. Then we shall probably find calms about the Tropic of Capricorn; after which, without once sighting land, we may very likely find a breeze, more or less favourable, but seldom against us, which will carry us through the Straits of Sunda, between Java and Sumatra, to the west of the great island of Borneo, right away to the north, through the China sea, leaving the Philippine Islands on our right hand, up to j.a.pan. I will have a talk with you another day about those East India Islands, for they are very curious, and are probably less generally known than most parts of the world."

The events occurred very much as Mr Hooker had predicted. For nearly a whole week our s.h.i.+p lay with her head sometimes one way, sometimes another, the sails flapping against the masts. Then she got a breeze which carried her a few miles further to the south, and people's spirits began to rise, soon again to fall when once more the sails would give a loud flap, and hang down without a particle of wind in them. At length, however, they once more bulged out. The yards were squared away. The captain walked the deck with a more elastic step than for the last week had been the case, and on the s.h.i.+p went hour after hour, the breeze rather increasing than lessening.

"We are in the north-east trades," observed Mr Hooker. "Little fear now, for another two weeks or so we shall have a fine run of it."

Three day after this, a seaman from aloft shouted out, "Land ahead!"

"Ay, ay," answered Mr Thudic.u.mb, who had charge of the deck. "It is land that will not hurt us, though;" and he continued to let the s.h.i.+p run on in the course she had been steering.

Curious to know what had attracted the man's attention, I went aloft, and there I saw spread out on the surface of the calm ocean, what looked like a dark field, but little raised, however, above the water. On returning on deck, I told the first officer that I really thought there must be land ahead.

"No, Walter, no fear of that," answered Mr Thudic.u.mb; "we are crossing the Sarga.s.so Sea. You will observe that it is merely sea-weed and drift-wood collected in this spot from all parts of the ocean. The currents and winds bring it, but why this place is selected I do not exactly know. In a calm it might bother us, but we shall only pa.s.s through a small portion of it, and there is wind enough to send us along in spite of the obstruction it may offer. We must get a bucket ready, for Mr Hooker will be anxious to have some of it up on deck, that he may examine the creatures who live upon it. In the Pacific there is a collection of the same sort, and people who could not otherwise for want of fuel inhabit some of the islands in that region, are enabled to do so in consequence of the supply of drift-wood it brings them."

The s.h.i.+p, soon clear of the Sarga.s.so Sea, glided on proudly, with all sail set below and aloft. The weather was delightful; the pa.s.sengers constantly on deck. Emily and Grace were very happy together, for everything was new and interesting. They had plenty of employment; for Mrs Davenport, knowing what a sea voyage is, had brought work of all sorts. And then they had books; and they were not above running about the deck, and playing at ball occasionally, and _Les Graces_, and other games suitable for s.h.i.+p-board.

Thus day after day pa.s.sed pleasantly by: the sea sparkling, the sky bright, or occasionally mottled with light clouds. One morning, however, when they came on deck expecting to see the blue sky above their heads, they saw only a thick canopy of clouds. The sails were flapping against the masts; the air was oppressive. There the s.h.i.+p lay, her head moving now in one direction, now in another. Those who had before been full of life and spirits began to complain of la.s.situde and weariness. The seamen no longer moved actively about the decks, but went sauntering along when called upon to perform any duty. The heat grew greater and greater. The iron about the s.h.i.+p was unpleasant to touch. The pitch bubbled in the seams of the deck and stuck to the feet. Emily and Grace no longer wished to play at ball, or _Les Graces_, or any other game. Even Merlin went disconsolately up and down the decks, as if he thought something serious was going to happen. I felt as I had seldom felt before.

"Are we going to have a storm, sir?" I asked of the captain. "I have read that storms are apt to come on after weather such as we now have."

"I do not expect one," answered Captain Davenport, "though we may possibly have a squall of a few hours' duration; and I should not be sorry for it, if it would carry us out of this region. We are now in the Doldrums."

"Not a bad name, considering the condition of all us poor mortals on board," observed Mr Hooker.

"We are now under the cloud ring which encircles this part of the earth.

G.o.d has placed these clouds above our heads in this region for a particular purpose. You will observe that the thermometer and barometer stand lower under this cloud ring than they do on either side of it.

The clouds not only promote the precipitation which takes place in this region, but they also cause the rains to fall on places where they are most required, shading the surface from which the heating rays of the sun are to be excluded, and thus giving tone to the atmospherical circulation of the world and vigour to its vegetation. You have often, when the sun is sending his rays with great heat down on the earth, seen the atmosphere dancing, as it were, and trembling. This appearance is caused by the ascending and descending columns of air. The cloud ring creates on a greater scale this circulation of the atmosphere; indeed, the more we examine the phenomena of Nature, the more we shall discover the hand of a directing Providence, in suiting all things for the convenience and use of the beings placed by Him on the earth."

Day after day the s.h.i.+p remained in this calm region with a cloudy sky.

People began to feel ill; and some fancied that as they were going further south the heat would increase, and could scarcely understand that as they proceeded the atmosphere would again become cold. Captain Davenport and the officers were on the watch to make use of every breath of air which would forward the s.h.i.+p on her course; and at length she once more got the breeze, and those who had before been complaining of la.s.situde and illness suddenly revived and came on deck to enjoy the renovating and refres.h.i.+ng breeze. The sky was clear; the sea bright and sparkling as before. Cheerful countenances were everywhere visible, instead of the weary, downcast looks which most of those on board had worn for the previous ten days. The only person who never seemed depressed was Mr Hooker. When not taking exercise on deck, he always had a volume in his hand, from which he was constantly making notes into his pocket-book.

"You see, my young friend," he said to me one day, "I am anxious to ascertain what others have known, because all that man can aim at is to increase the stock of knowledge possessed by his fellow-men."

The varied changes of the ocean, and the creatures which appeared beneath its surface, and occasionally above it, afforded us an unfailing source of interest. On a bright morning I was engaged with some work by the side of the boatswain when I heard Grace cry out--

"Oh, look--look what funny birds!"

"Why, miss, those are not birds, unless they may be called water birds; those are flying-fish," said Mr Tarbox, who had come with me to the s.h.i.+p's side.

Others, with Mr Hooker, came also, looking on at the curious sight.

Numbers of fish with wings, or more properly fins, as long as their bodies, were rising out of the water and darting along for a considerable distance above the surface, again, however, to fall helplessly into their native element. Directly after them, in pursuit, appeared several large fish--now one of the latter leaped half out of the water, now another, seldom failing to catch one of the beautiful creatures in its huge jaws.

"The dolphins are getting a fine banquet," I heard Mr Hooker remark.

"The poor _dactylopteri_ are the sufferers; but they do not fall a prey to their persecutors without a brave attempt to escape. See, no sooner have they wetted their wings than they are out of the water again, and will lead them a long chase, till the dolphins are wearied out."

We watched the pursuers and pursued till they were lost to sight in the distance.

The s.h.i.+p once clear of the Doldrums, met the steady trade-wind blowing from the south-east. With her tacks aboard, she stood away towards the South American coast. When I went on deck at night, I observed a change in the appearance of the constellations; and now the beautiful one of the Southern Cross became every day clearer, rising as it were in the sky. The magellhenic clouds also came in sight, showing that the s.h.i.+p was now in the southern hemisphere. Frequently patches of light were pa.s.sed in the water; caused, Mr Hooker told me, by the _pyrosoma_.

They exhibited a beautiful pale silvery light; but when they were taken out of the water the light disappeared, till any particular part of the creature was touched, when the light again burst forth at that point, pervading the whole animal ma.s.s.

The _Bussorah Merchant_ did not, however, as many s.h.i.+ps do, touch at Rio de Janeiro; but pa.s.sing through another belt of calms at the Tropic of Capricorn, kept away eastward towards the Cape of Good Hope. One evening, while I was keeping watch under the first officer--for I was considered fit to take regular duty on board--the s.h.i.+p running at the rate of four or five knots an hour through the water, I heard a sound as if substances were falling upon the deck. As I went to windward, a large dark object, wet and cold, struck me on the shoulder, and then fell down. I instantly sung out; when the boatswain, who was on deck, brought a lantern; and there, to the surprise of all of us, a dozen or more cuttle fish were found, which had sprung over the weather bulwark.

"Well," exclaimed Mr Tarbox, "I never did see such a thing as this before."

Mr Hooker, however, said that he had heard of it, as the creatures can spring an immense distance. "I have known some," he said, "to spring right over a s.h.i.+p; though, certainly, to look at them, it is difficult to ascertain their means of rising out of the water."

The island of Tristan da Cunha was sighted, looming in the evening light like some huge monster rising out of the ocean. Looking over the sides the water appeared unusually clear; and I could see, far down, the fish swimming about by the side of the s.h.i.+p. Even Mr Hooker, however, did not succeed in catching any. The stormy petrel now made its appearance; and I and Emily and Grace were delighted soon afterwards to see a magnificent white bird with outstretched wings following the s.h.i.+p. "An albatross! an albatross!" I shouted, for I guessed at once what it was.

Mr Hooker said he wished to catch two or three and prepare them to send back to England by the _Bussorah Merchant_. He accordingly made preparations to catch them.

"I should not like to shoot one though," I remarked. "You remember what became of the 'Ancient Mariner' who shot an albatross; how his s.h.i.+p floated all alone on the ocean day after day, and week after week, and month after month, till all on board had died and he alone remained."

"Oh no; pray don't!" exclaimed Emily, "lest so dreadful a fate should overtake us."

"It is only a fancy of the poet's, perhaps," I remarked. "At the same time I like to try and believe it."

"I hope the same fate does not overtake those who catch the bird with a bait. It is his own fault, recollect, if he swallows it," said Mr Hooker, who had now got a strong line with a hook and a piece of meat on it, with a float to keep it from sinking. This he now veered astern. I could not help admiring the wondrous power exhibited by the bird as it glided on without flapping its wings. Now one was seen to dash down at a piece of refuse which the cook had thrown overboard, slowly again to rise and then to follow the s.h.i.+p, apparently without the slightest exertion.

"That gives me an idea," said Mr Hooker, throwing a large piece of fat overboard before he let go his baited hook. Again the albatross darted down on it; and then, without rising again, swam vigorously after the baited hook.

"There--he has snapped it up!" I exclaimed.

Instantly the bird found the obstruction. When the sailors who had come aft began to attempt to haul him in, out went his wings, with which he endeavoured to hold himself back, offering a powerful resistance to the line. Although three men were pulling away with might and main, yet the bird could not be drawn nearer the stern; and, at length, crack went the line, and off it flew with the hook and the remainder of the line in its mouth.

"Poor creature! I am afraid it will die a miserable death, instead of speedily being put out of its sufferings, as it would have been had it more wisely come on board," observed Mr Hooker. "However, we must get another line and take care there is no flaw in it."

The pa.s.sengers now amused themselves by throwing bits of meat overboard, and seeing the albatrosses pounce down and snap up the tempting morsels.

At last Mr Hooker's fresh line was got ready. No sooner had the bait reached the water than down pounced a bird upon it, rising immediately with the hook in his mouth. This time the sailors, instead of pulling the line up, had to haul it down, just as a paper kite is hauled down from the sky; and, at length, by running forward, the huge bird was brought on deck. Still it fought bravely with its wings, which it would have been dangerous for any one to have approached. At length Mr Hooker put an end to its sufferings by a blow from a boat's stretcher.

The other albatrosses, in no way disconcerted by the disappearance of their companion, still followed the s.h.i.+p. Two more were caught; one hauled out of the water, the other hauled on deck like the first.

A young gentleman going out to j.a.pan then made his appearance with a gun in his hand; and in spite of my warnings of what might be our fate should he kill one, began firing away at the birds. Even a practised marksman would not have found it easy to hit one of them, although they were in no way scared by the report of the gun. At length, however, a bullet struck one of them on the head, just as he descended into the water. In an instant down pounced his companions, driving their beaks into the dead body; and in a few minutes, while it still remained in sight, they had torn it almost to pieces.

"I hope no harm will come of that shot of yours," I said to the young civilian; "but look out!"

The young gentleman laughed, and said he did not believe in such nonsense. Mr Hooker was soon busily employed in skinning his albatrosses and preparing the skins for stuffing.