Chapter 21 - Page 2

be confounded with the
foam of the sea, at a little distance. She rounded the head-land, and was
edging away from the coast, apparently for sea-room, when she took a
sudden sheer in our direction. As if curious to ascertain what could have
taken so large a square-rigged vessel as the Dawn, into her present berth,
this cutter actually ran athwart our hawse, passing inside of us, at a
distance of some fifty yards. We were examined; but no attempt was made to
speak us. I felt no uneasiness at the proximity of these two cruisers, for
I knew a boat could not live,--our ship fairly pitching her martingale
into the water at her anchors.

The frigate followed the cutter, though she passed us outside, even nearer
than her consort. I got my first accurate notion of the weight of the
gale, by seeing this large ship drive past us, under a reefed fore-sail,
and a close-reefed main-top-sail, running nearly dead before it. As she
came down, she took a sheer, like a vessel scudding in the open ocean;
and, at one moment, I feared she would plunge directly into us, though she
minded her helm in time to clear everything. A dozen officers on board her
were looking at us, from her gangway, her quarter-deck guns, and rigging.
All were compelled to hold on with firm grasps; and wonder seemed painted
in every countenance. I could see their features for half a minute only,
or even a less time; but I could discern this expression in each face.
Some looked up at our spars, as if to ascertain whether all were right;
while others looked back at the head-land they had just rounded, like
those who examined the roadstead. Most shook their heads, as remarks
passed from one to the other. The captain, as I took him to be, spoke us.
"What are you doing here?" came to me through a trumpet, plainly enough;
but answering was out of the question. Before I could even get a trumpet
to my mouth, the frigate had gone foaming by, and was already beyond the
reach of the voice. Heads appeared over her taffrail for some time, and we
fancied these man-of-war's men regarded us as the instructed are apt to
regard the ignorant, whom they fancy to be in danger. Marble sneered a
little at the curiosity betrayed by these two crafts; but, as for myself,
it caused great uneasiness. I fancied they acted like those who were
acquainted with the coast, manifesting surprise at seeing a stranger
anchored in the berth we occupied.

I slept little that night. Marble kept me company most of the time, but
Neb and Diogenes were as tranquil as if sleeping on good French
mattresses--made of hair, not down--within the walls of a citadel. Little
disturbed these negroes, who followed our fortunes with the implicit
reliance that habit and education had bred in them, as