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Chapter XXVII
Chapter XXVII
The Sunday Wash-up - On Shore - A Set-to - A Grandee - "Sail Ho!" - A
Fandango
The only other vessel in port was the Russian government bark, from
Asitka, mounting eight guns, (four of which we found to be Quakers,) and
having on board the ex-governor, who was going in her to Mazatlan, and
thence overland to Vera Cruz. He offered to take letters, and deliver them to
the American consul at Vera Cruz, whence they could be easily forwarded to the
United States. We accordingly made up a packet of letters, almost every one
writing, and dating them "January 1st, 1836." The governor was true to his
promise, and they all reached Boston before the middle of March; the shortest
communication ever yet made across the country.
The brig Pilgrim had been lying in Monterey through the latter part of
November, according to orders, waiting for us. Day after day, Captain Faucon
went up to the hill to look out for us, and at last, gave us up, thinking we
must have gone down in the gale which we experienced off Point Conception, and
which had blown with great fury over the whole coast, driving ashore several
vessels in the snuggest ports. An English brig, which had put into San
Francisco, lost both her anchors; the Rosa was driven upon a mud bank in San
Diego; and the Pilgrim, with great difficulty, rode out the gale in Monterey,
with three anchors a-head. She sailed early in December for San Diego and
intermedios.
As we were to be here over Sunday, and Monterey was the best place to go
ashore on the whole coast, and we had had no liberty-day for nearly three
months, every one was for going ashore. On Sunday morning, as soon as the
decks were washed, and we had got breakfast, those who had obtained liberty
began to clean themselves, as it is called, to go ashore. A bucket of fresh
water apiece, a cake of soap, a large coarse towel, and we went to work
scrubbing one another, on the forecastle. Having gone through this, the next
thing was to get into the head, - one on each side - with a bucket apiece, and
duck one another, by drawing up water and heaving over each other, while we
were stripped to a pair of trowsers. Then came the rigging-up. The usual
outfit of pumps, white stockings, loose white duck trowsers, blue jackets,
clean checked shirts, black kerchiefs, hats well varnished, with a fathom of
black ribbon over the left eye, a silk handkerchief flying from the outside
jacket pocket, and four or five dollars tied up in the back of the
neckerchief, and we were "all right." One of the quarter-boats pulled us
ashore, and we steamed up to the town. I tried to find the church, in order to
see the worship, but was told that there was no service, except a mass early
in the morning; so we went about the town, visiting the Americans and English,
and the natives whom we had known when we were here before. Toward noon we
procured horses, and rode out to the Carmel mission, which is about a league
from the town, where we got something in the way of a dinner - beef, eggs,
frijoles, tortillas, and some middling wine - from the mayordomo, who, of
course, refused to make any charge, as it was the Lord`s gift, yet received
our present, as a gratuity, with a low bow, a touch of the hat, and "Dios se
lo pague!"
After this repast, we had a fine run, scouring the whole country on our
fleet horses, and came into town soon after sundown. Here we found our
companions who had refused to go to ride with us, thinking that a sailor has
no more business with a horse than a fish has with a balloon. They were
moored, stem and stern, in a grog-shop, making a great noise, with a crowd
of Indians and hungry half-breeds about them, and with a fair prospect of
being stripped and dirked, or left to pass the night in the calabozo. With a
great deal of trouble, we managed to get them down to the boats, though not
without many angry looks and interferences from the Spaniards, who had marked
them out for their prey. The Diana`s crew, - a set of worthless outcasts, who
had been picked up at the islands from the refuse of whale-ships, - were all
as drunk as beasts, and had a set-to, on the beach, with their captain, who
was in no better state than themselves. They swore they would not go abroad,
and went back to the town, were stripped and beaten, and lodged in the
calabozo, until the next day, when the captain bought them out. Our
forecastle, as usual after a liberty-day, was a scene of tumult all night
long, from the drunken ones. They had just got to sleep toward morning, when
they were turned up with the rest, and kept at work all day in the water,
carrying hides, their heads aching so that they could hardly stand. This is
sailor`s pleasure.
Nothing worthy of remark happened while we were here, except a little
boxing-match on board our own ship, which gave us something to talk about. A
broad-backed, big-headed Cape Cod boy, about sixteen years old, had been
playing the bully, for the whole voyage, over a slender, delicate-looking
boy, from one of the Boston schools, and over whom he had much the advantage,
in strength, age, and experience in the ship`s duty, for this was the first
time the Boston boy had been on salt water. The latter, however, had "picked
up his crumbs," was learning his duty, and getting strength and confidence
daily; and began to assert his rights against his oppressor. Still, the other
was his master, and, by his superior strength, always tackled with him and
threw him down. One afternoon, before we were turned-to, these boys got into
a violent squabble in the between-decks, when George (the Boston boy) said
he would fight Nat, if he could have fair play. The chief mate heard the
noise, dove down the hatchway, hauled them both up on deck, and told them to
shake hands and have no more trouble for the voyage, or else they should fight
till one gave in for beaten. Finding neither willing to make an offer for
reconciliation, he called all hands up, (for the captain was ashore, and he
could do as he chose aboard,) ranged the crew in the waist, marked a line on
the deck, brought the two boys up to it, making them "toe the mark;" then made
the bight of a rope fast to a belaying pin, and stretched it across the deck,
bringing it just above their waists. "No striking below the rope!" And there
they stood, one on each side of it, face to face, and went at it like two game
- cocks. The Cape Cod boy, Nat, put in his double-fisters, starting the
blood, and bringing the black and blue spots all over the face and arms of the
other, whom we expected to see give in every moment: but the more he was hurt,
the better he fought. Time after time he was knocked nearly down, but up he
came again and faced the mark, as bold as a lion, again to take the heavy
blows, which sounded so as to make one`s heart turn with pity for him. At
length he came up to the mark for the last time, his shirt torn from his body,
his face covered with blood and bruises, and his eyes flashing fire, and swore
he would stand there until one or the other was killed, and set-to like a
young fury. "Hurrah in the bow!" said the men, cheering him on. "Well crowed!"
"Never say die, while there`s a shot in the locker!" Nat tried to close with
him, knowing his advantage, but the mate stopped that, saying there should be
fair play, and no fingering. Nat then came up to the mark, but looked white
about the mouth, and his blows were not given with half the spirit of his
first. He was evidently cowed. He had always been his master, and had nothing
to gain, and everything to lose; while the other fought for honor and freedom,
under a sense of wrong. It would not do. It was soon over. Nat gave in; not so
much beaten, as cowed and mortified; and never afterwards tried to act the
bully on board. We took George forward, washed him in the deck-tub,
complimented his pluck, and from this time he became somebody on board, having
fought himself into notice. Mr. Brown`s plan had a good effect, for there was
no more quarrelling among the boys for the rest of the voyage.
Wednesday, January 6th. Set sail from Monterey, with a number of
Spaniards as passengers, and shaped our course for Santa Barbara. The Diana
went out of the bay in company with us, but parted from us off Point Pinos,
being bound to the Sandwich Islands. We had a smacking breeze for several
hours, and went along at a great rate, until night, when it died away, as
usual, and the land-breeze set in, which brought us upon a taught bowline.
Among our passengers was a young man who was the best representation of a
decayed gentleman I had ever seen. He reminded me much of some of the
characters in Gil Blas. He was of the aristocracy of the country, his family
being of pure Spanish blood, and once of great importance in Mexico. His
father had been governor of the province, and having amassed a large property,
settled at San Diego, where he built a large house a with court-yard in front,
kept a great retinue of Indians, and set up for the grandee of that part of
the country. His son was sent to Mexico, where he received the best education,
and went into the first society of the capital. Misfortune, extravagance, and
the want of funds, or any manner of getting interest on money, soon eat the
estate up, and Don Juan Bandini returned from Mexico accomplished, poor, and
proud, and without any office or occupation, to lead the life of most young
men of the better families - dissolute and extravagant when the means are at
hand; ambitious at heart, and impotent in act; often pinched for bread;
keeping up an appearance of style, when their poverty is known to each
half-naked Indian boy in the street, and they stand in dread of every small
trader and shopkeeper in the place. He had a slight and elegant figure, moved
gracefully, danced and waltzed beautifully, spoke the best of Castilian, with
a pleasant and refined voice and accent, and had, throughout, the bearing of a
man of high birth and figure. Yet here he was, with his passage given him, (as
I afterwards learned,) for he had not the means of paying for it, and living
upon the charity of our agent. He was polite to every one, spoke to the
sailors, and gave four reals - I dare say the last he had in his pocket - to
the steward, who waited upon him. I could not but feel a pity for him,
especially when I saw him by the side of his fellow-passenger and townsman, a
fat, coarse, vulgar, pretending fellow of a Yankee trader, who had made money
in San Diego, and was eating out the very vitals of the Bandinis, fattening
upon their extravagance, grinding them in their poverty; having mortgages on
their lands, forestalling their cattle, and already making an inroad upon
their jewels, which were their last hope.
Don Juan had with him a retainer, who was as much like many of the
characters in Gil Blas as his master. He called himself a private secretary,
though there was no writing for him to do, and he lived in the steerage with
the carpenter and sailmaker. He was certainly a character; could read and
write extremely well; spoke good Spanish; had been all over Spanish America,
and lived in every possible situation, and served in every conceivable
capacity, though generally in that of confidential servant to some man of
figure. I cultivated this man`s acquaintance, and during the five weeks that
he was with us, - for he remained on board until we arrived at San Diego, - I
gained a greater knowledge of the state of political parties in Mexico, and
the habits and affairs of the different classes of society, than I could have
learned from almost any one else. He took great pains in correcting my
Spanish, and supplying me with colloquial phrases, and common terms and
exclamations in speaking. He lent me a file of late newspapers from the city
of Mexico, which were full of triumphal receptions of Santa Ana, who had just
returned from Tampico after a victory, and with the preparations for his
expedition against the Texans. "Viva Santa Ana!" was the by-word everywhere,
and it had even reached California, though there were still many here, among
whom was Don Juan Bandini, who were opposed to his government, and intriguing
to bring in Bustamente. Santa Ana, they said, was for breaking down the
missions; or, as they termed it - "Santa Ana no quiere religion." Yet I had no
doubt that the office of administrador of San Diego would reconcile Don Juan
to any dynasty, and any state of the church. In these papers, too, I found
scraps of American and English news; but which were so unconnected, and I was
so ignorant of everything preceding them for eighteen months past, that they
only awakened a curiosity which they could not satisfy. One article spoke of
Taney as Justicia Mayor de los Estados Unidos, (what had become of Marshall?
was he dead, or banished?) and another made known, by news received from Vera
Cruz, that "El Vizconde Melbourne" had returned to the office of "primer
ministro," in place of Sir Roberto Peel. (Sir Robert Peel had been minister,
then? and where were Earl Grey and the Duke of Wellington?) Here were the
outlines of a grand parliamentary overturn, the filling up of which I could
imagine at my leisure.
The second morning after leaving Monterey, we were off Point Conception.
It was a bright, sunny day, and the wind, though strong, was fair; and
everything was in striking contrast with our experience in the same place two
months before, when we were drifting off from a northwester under a fore and
main spencer. "Sail ho!" cried a man who was rigging out a top-gallant
studding-sail boom. - "Where away?" - "Weather beam, sir!" and in a few
minutes a full-rigged brig was seen standing out from under Point Conception.
The studding sail halyards were let go, and the yards boom-ended, the after
yards braced aback, and we waited her coming down. She rounded to, backed her
main topsail, and showed her decks full of men, four guns on a side, hammock
nettings, and everything man-of-war fashion, except that there was no
boatswain`s whistle, and no uniforms on the quarter-deck. A short,
square-built man, in a rough grey jacket, with a speaking - trumpet in hand,
stood in the weather hammock nettings. "Ship ahoy! - "Hallo!" - "What ship is
that, pray?" - "Alert." - "Where are you from, pray?" etc., etc. She proved to
be the brig Convoy, from the Sandwich Islands, engaged in otter hunting, among
the islands which lie along the coast. Her armament was from her being an
illegal trader. The otter are very numerous among these islands, and being of
great value, the government require a heavy sum for a license to hunt them,
and lay a high duty upon every one shot or carried out of the country. This
vessel had no license, and paid no duty, besides being engaged in smuggling
goods on board other vessels trading on the coast, and belonging to the same
owners in Oahu. Our captain told him to look out for the Mexicans, but he said
they had not an armed vessel of his size in the whole Pacific. This was
without doubt the same vessel that showed herself off Santa Barbara a few
months before. These vessels frequently remain on the coast for years, without
making port, except at the islands for wood and water, and an occasional visit
to Oahu for a new outfit.
Sunday, January 10th. Arrived at Santa Barbara, and on the following
Wednesday, slipped our cable and went to sea, on account of a south-easter.
Returned to our anchorage the next day. We were the only vessel in the port.
The Pilgrim had passed through the Canal and hove-to off the town, nearly
six weeks before, on her passage down from Monterey, and was now at the
leeward. She heard here of our safe arrival at San Francisco.
Great preparations were making on shore for the marriage of our agent,
who was to marry Donna Anneta De G___ De N___y C___, youngest daughter of Don
Antonio N___, the grandee of the place, and the head of the first family in
California. Our steward was ashore three days, making pastry and cake, and
some of the best of our stores were sent off with him. On the day appointed
for the wedding, we took the captain ashore in the gig, and had orders to come
for him at night, with leave to go up to the house and see the fandango.
Returning on board, we found preparations making for a salute. Our guns were
loaded and run out, men appointed to each, cartridges served out, matches
lighted, and all the flags ready to be run up. I took my place at the
starboard after gun, and we all waited for the signal from on shore. At ten
o`clock the bride went up with her sister to the confessional, dressed in deep
black. Nearly an hour intervened, when the great doors of the mission church
opened, the bells rang out a loud, discordant peal, the private signal for us
was run up by the captain ashore, the bride, dressed in complete white, came
out of the church with the bridegroom, followed by a long procession. Just as
she stepped from the church door, a small white cloud issued from the bows of
our ship, which was full in sight, the loud report echoed among the
surrounding hills and over the bay, and instantly the ship was dressed in
flags and pennants from stem to stern. Twenty-three guns followed in regular
succession, with an interval of fifteen seconds between each when the cloud
cleared away, and the ship lay dressed in her colors, all day. At sun-down,
another salute of the same number of guns was fired, and all the flags run
down. This we thought was pretty well - a gun every fifteen seconds - for a
merchantman with only four guns and a dozen or twenty men.
After supper, the gig`s crew were called, and we rowed ashore, dressed in
our uniform, beached the boat, and went up to the fandango. The bride`s
father`s house was the principal one in the place, with a large court in
front, upon which a tent was built, capable of containing several hundred
people. As we drew near, we heard the accustomed sound of violins and guitars,
and saw a great motion of the people within. Going in, we found nearly all the
people of the town - men, women, and children - collected and crowded
together, leaving barely room for the dancers; for on these occasions no
invitations are given, but every one is expected to come, though there is
always a private entertainment within the house for particular friends. The
old women sat down in rows, clapping their hands to the music, and applauding
the young ones. The music was lively, and among the tunes, we recognized
several of our popular airs, which we, without doubt, have taken from the
Spanish. In the dancing, I was much disappointed. The women stood upright,
with their hands down by their sides, their eyes fixed upon the ground before
them, and slided about without any perceptible means of motion; for their feet
were invisible, the hem of their dresses forming a perfect circle about them,
reaching to the ground. They looked as grave as though they were going through
some religious ceremony, their faces as little excited as their limbs; and on
the whole, instead of the spirited, fascinating Spanish dances which I had
expected, I found the Californian fandango, on the part of the women at least,
a lifeless affair. The men did better. They danced with grace and spirit,
moving in circles round their nearly stationary partners, and showing their
figures to great advantage.
A great deal was said about our friend Don Juan Bandini, and when he did
appear, which was toward the close of the evening, he certainly gave us the
most graceful dancing that I had ever seen. He was dressed in white pantaloons
neatly made, a short jacket of dark silk, gaily figured, white stockings and
thin morocco slippers upon his very small feet. His slight and graceful figure
was well calculated for dancing, and he moved about with the grace and
daintiness of a young fawn. An occasional touch of the toe to the ground,
seemed all that was necessary to give him a long interval of motion in the
air. At the same time he was not fantastic or flourishing, but appeared to be
rather repressing a strong tendency to motion. He was loudly applauded, and
danced frequently toward the close of the evening. After the supper, the
waltzing began, which was confined to a very few of the "gente de razon," and
was considered a high accomplishment, and a mark of aristocracy. Here, too,
Don Juan figured greatly, waltzing with the sister of the bride, (Donna
Angustia, a handsome woman and a general favorite,) in a variety of beautiful,
but, to me, offensive figures, which lasted as much as half an hour, no one
else taking the floor. They were repeatedly and loudly applauded, the old men
and women jumping out of their seats in admiration, and the young people
waving their hats and handkerchiefs. Indeed among people of the character of
these Mexicans, the waltz seemed to me to have found its right place. The
great amusement of the evening, - which I suppose was owing to its being
carnival - was the breaking of eggs filled with cologne, or other essences,
upon the heads of the company. One end of the egg is broken and the inside
taken out, then it is partly filled with cologne, and the whole sealed up. The
women bring a great number of these secretly about them, and the amusement is
to break on upon the head of a gentleman when his back is turned. He is bound
in gallantry to find out the lady and return the compliment, though it must
not be done if the person sees you. A tall, stately Don, with immense grey
whiskers, and a look of great importance, was standing before me, when I felt
a light hand on my shoulder, and turning round, saw Donna Angustia, (whom we
all knew, as she had been up to Monterey, and down again, in the Alert,) with
her finger upon her lip, motioning me gently aside. I stepped back a little,
when she went up behind the Don, and with one hand knocked off his huge
sombrero, and at the same instant, with the other, broke the egg upon his
head, and springing behind me, was out of sight in a moment. The Don turned
slowly round, the cologne, running down his face, and over his clothes and a
loud laugh breaking out from every quarter. He looked round in vain, for some
time, until the direction of so many laughing eyes showed him the fair
offender. She was his niece, and a great favorite with him, so old Don Domingo
had to join in the laugh. A great many such tricks were played, and many a war
of sharp maneuvering was carried on between couples of the younger people, and
at every successful exploit a general laugh was raised.
Another singular custom I was for some time at a loss about. A pretty
young girl was dancing, named, after what would appear to us the sacrilegious
custom of the country - Espiritu Santo, when a young man went behind her and
placed his hat directly upon her head, letting if fall down over her eyes, and
sprang back among the crowd. She danced for some time with the hat on, when
she threw it off, which called forth a general shout; and the young man was
obliged to go out upon the floor and pick it up. Some of the ladies, upon
whose heads hats had been placed, threw them off at once, and a few kept them
on throughout the dance, and took them off at the end, and held them out in
their hands, when the owner stepped out, bowed, and took it from them. I soon
began to suspect the meaning of the thing, and was afterwards told that it was
a compliment, and an offer to become the lady`s gallant for the rest of the
evening, and to wait upon her home. If the hat was thrown off, the offer was
refused, and the gentleman was obliged to pick up his hat amid a general
laugh. Much amusement was caused sometimes by gentlemen putting hats on the
ladies` heads, without permitting them to see whom it was done by. This
obliged them to throw them off, or keep them on at a venture, and when they
came to discover the owner, the laugh was often turned upon them.
The captain sent for us about ten o`clock, and we went aboard in high
spirits, having enjoyed the new scene much, and were of great importance among
the crew, from having so much to tell, and from the prospect of going every
night until it was over; for these fandangos generally last three days. The
next day, two of us were sent up to the town, and took care to come back by
way of Capitan Noriego`s and take a look into the booth. The musicians were
still there, upon their platform, scraping and twanging away, and a few
people, apparently of the lower classes, were dancing. The dancing is kept up,
at intervals, throughout the day, but the crowd, the spirit, and the elite,
come in at night. The next night, which was the last, we went ashore in the
same manner, until we got almost tired of the monotonous twang of the
instruments, the drawling sounds which the women kept up, as an accompaniment,
and the slapping of the hands in time with the music, in place of castanets.
We found ourselves as great objects of attention as any persons or anything at
the place. Our sailor dresses - and we took great pains to have them neat and
shipshape - were much admired, and we were invited, from every quarter, to
give them an American sailor`s dance; but after the ridiculous figure some of
our countrymen cut, in dancing after the Spaniards, we thought it best to
leave it to their imaginations. Our agent, with a tight, black, swallow -
tailed coat, just imported from Boston, a high stiff cravat, looking as if he
had been pinned and skewered, with only his feet and hands left free, took the
floor just after Bandini; and we thought they had had enough of Yankee grace.
The last night they kept it up in great style, and were getting into a
high-go, when the captain called us off to go aboard, for, it being
south-easter season, he was afraid to remain on shore long; and it was well he
did not, for that very night, we slipped our cables, as a crowner to our fun
ashore, and stood off before a south-easter, which lasted twelve hours, and
returned to our anchorage the next day.
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