The Boats of the Glen-Carrig | Page 7

need be. This I
conceived to be wisdom, and so held my peace. Yet I was much
troubled in my mind to know what manner of thing it was which we
had need to fear, and more--I desired greatly to know whether we
should be free of it in the daylight hours; for there was always with me,
as I went hither and thither, the thought that IT--for that is how I
designated it in my mind--might come upon us to our destruction.
Now after breakfast, at which we had each a portion of salt pork,
besides rum and biscuit (for by now the fire in the caboose had been set
going), we turned-to at various matters, under the directing of the
bo'sun. Josh and two of the men made examination of the water casks,
and the rest of us lifted the main hatch-covers, to make inspection of
her cargo; but lo! we found nothing, save some three feet of water in
her hold.
By this time, Josh had drawn some water off from the casks; but it was
most unsuitable for drinking, being vile of smell and taste. Yet the
bo'sun bade him draw some into buckets, so that the air might haply
purify it; but though this was done, and the water allowed to stand
through the morning, it was but little better.
At this, as might be imagined, we were exercised in our minds as to the
manner in which we should come upon suitable water; for by now we
were beginning to be in need of it. Yet though one said one thing, and
another said another, no one had wit enough to call to mind any method
by which our need should be satisfied. Then, when we had made an end
of dining, the bo'sun sent Josh, with four of the men, up stream,
perchance after a mile or two the water should prove of sufficient
freshness to meet our purpose. Yet they returned a little before
sundown having no water; for everywhere it was salt.
Now the bo'sun, foreseeing that it might be impossible to come upon
water, had set the man whom he had ordained to be our cook, to boiling
the creek water in three great kettles. This he had ordered to be done
soon after the boat left; and over the spout of each, he had hung a great
pot of iron, filled with cold water from the hold--this being cooler than

that from the creek--so that the steam from each kettle impinged upon
the cold surface of the iron pots, and being by this means condensed,
was caught in three buckets placed beneath them upon the floor of the
caboose. In this way, enough water was collected to supply us for the
evening and the following morning; yet it was but a slow method, and
we had sore need of a speedier, were we to leave the hulk so soon as I,
for one, desired.
We made our supper before sunset, so as to be free of the crying which
we had reason to expect. After that, the bo'sun shut the scuttle, and we
went every one of us into the captain's cabin, after which we barred the
door, as on the previous night; and well was it for us that we acted with
this prudence.
By the time that we had come into the captain's cabin, and secured the
door, it was upon sunsetting, and as the dusk came on, so did the
melancholy wailing pass over the land; yet, being by now somewhat
inured to so much strangeness, we lit our pipes, and smoked; though I
observed that none talked; for the crying without was not to be
forgotten.
Now, as I have said, we kept silence; but this was only for a time, and
our reason for breaking it was a discovery made by George, the
younger apprentice. This lad, being no smoker, was fain to do
something to while away the time, and with this intent, he had raked
out the contents of a small box, which had lain upon the deck at the
side of the forrard bulkhead.
The box had appeared filled with odd small lumber of which a part was
a dozen or so grey paper wrappers, such as are used, I believe, for
carrying samples of corn; though I have seen them put to other
purposes, as, indeed, was now the case. At first George had tossed
these aside; but it growing darker the bo'sun lit one of the candles
which we had found in the lazarette. Thus, George, who was
proceeding to tidy back the rubbish which was cumbering the place,
discovered something which caused him to cry out to us his
astonishment.
Now, upon hearing George call out, the bo'sun bade