Chapter 6

"Launch thy bark, mariner!
Christian, God speed thee!
Let loose the rudder-bands,
Good angels lead thee!
Set thy sails warily,
Tempests will come;
Steer thy course steadily,
Christian, steer home!"

Mrs. Southey.

The visit of Captain Daggett, taken in connection with all that he had
said and done, while on Oyster Pond, and at Sag Harbour, had the effect
greatly to hasten the equipments of the Sea Lion. Deacon Pratt knew the
characters of the seamen of the island too well, to trifle in a matter of
so much moment. How much the Vineyard folk had been told, in reference to
his great secrets, he did not know; but he felt assured that they knew
enough, and had learned enough in this visit, to quicken all their desires
for riches, and to set them in motion towards the antarctic circle. With
such a people, distance and difficulties are of no account; a man who has
been cradling oats, to-day, in his own retired fields, where one would
think ambition and the love of change could never penetrate, being ready
to quit home at twenty-four hours' notice, assuming the marlingspike as he
lays aside the fork, and setting forth for the uttermost confines of the
earth, with as little hesitation as another might quit his home for an
ordinary journey of a week. Such, did the deacon well know, was the
character of those with whom he had now to deal, and he foresaw the
necessity of the utmost caution, perseverance, diligence, and activity.

Philip Hazard, the mate mentioned by Roswell Gardiner, was enjoined to
lose no time; and the men engaged for the voyage soon began to cross the
Sound, and to make their appearance on board the schooner. As for the
craft herself, she had all that was necessary for her wants below hatches;
and the deacon began to manifest some impatience for the appearance of two
or three men of particular excellence, of whom Phil Hazard was in quest,
and whom Captain Gardiner had made it a point should be obtained. Little
did the worthy owner suspect that the Vineyard people were tampering with
these very hands, and keeping them from coming to terms, in order that
they might fit out a second Sea Lion, which they had now been preparing
for near a month; having purchased her at New Bedford, with a view to
profit by the imperfect information that had reached them, through the
masters of the brig and sloop. The identity in the name was accidental,
or, it might be better to say, had been naturally enough suggested by the
common nature of the enterprise; but, once existing, it had been the means
of suggesting to the Vineyard company a scheme of confounding the vessels,
out of which they hoped to reap some benefit, but which it would be
premature now fully to state.