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Not four hours had we been standing on in this course , before it fell dead calm ; and in half an hour it clouded up ; a few straggling blasts , with spits of snow and sleet , came from the eastward ; and in an hour more , we lay hove-to under a close-reefed main topsail , drifting bodily off to leeward before the fiercest storm that we had yet felt , blowing dead ahead , from the eastward . The second mate was aloft , and the third mate and myself were painting the quarter-boat , which hung by the davits , so he betook himself to us ; but we looked at one another , and the officer was too busy to say a word . Besides S - - - and myself , there were only five in the forecastle ; who , together with four boys in the steerage , the sailmaker , carpenter , etc ., composed the whole crew . 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 . When I heard what was the state of things , I began to put on my clothes to stand it out with the rest of them , when the mate came below , and looking at my face , ordered me back to my berth , saying that if we went down , we should all go down together , but if I went on deck I might lay myself up for life . 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 sprang upon the knight-heads , and seizing hold of the fore-stay with my hands , drew myself upon it . When this offer was published in the ship , and the case of poor Ben was set forth in strong colors , several , who would not have dreamed of going themselves , were busy in talking it up to others , who , they thought , might be tempted to accept it ; and , at length , one fellow , a harum-scarum lad , whom we called Harry Bluff , and who did not care what country or ship he was in , if he had clothes enough and money enough - partly from pity for Ben , and partly from the thought he should have " cruising money " for the rest of his stay , - came forward , and offered to go and " sling his hammock in the bloody hooker . A man , too , can have nothing peculiar or sacred on board ship ; for all the nicer feelings they take pride in disregarding , both in themselves and others . There was no need of calling all hands , for we had all been hanging about the forecastle the whole forenoon , and were ready for a start upon the first sign of a breeze . He said that Hope was not strictly one of the crew , but as he was in our employ when taken sick , he should have the medicines ; and he got them and gave them to me , with leave to go ashore at night . Though we had now the same wind , and were in the same latitude with the Pilgrim on her passage out , yet we were nearly twelve hundred miles to the westward of her course ; for the captain , depending upon the strong south-west winds which prevail in high southern latitudes during the winter months , took the full advantage of the trades , and stood well to the westward , so far that we passed within about two hundred miles of Ducie 's Island . He added a few words about their duty in their present situation , and sent them forward , saying that he should take no further notice of the matter ; but , at the same time , told the carpenter to recollect whose power he was in , and that if he heard another word from him he would have cause to remember him to the day of his death . With the exception of Mr. N ., we had no one on board but the regular ship 's company , and the live stock . 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 . Mittens , too , we wore on deck , but it would not do to go aloft with them on , for it was impossible to work with them , and , being wet and stiff , they might let a man slip overboard , for all the hold be could get upon a rope ; so , we were obliged to work with bare hands , which , as well as our faces , were often cut with the hail-stones , which fell thick and large . Those who had no south-wester caps , made them , and several of the crew made themselves tarpaulin jackets and trowsers , lined on the inside with flannel . As soon as I came on deck , and took my place and regular walk , I began with repeating over to myself a string of matters which I had in my memory , in regular order . As we pulled under the stern , the clerk held up the package , and called out to the mate , who was leaning over the taffrail , that the California had arrived . This is done by every vessel , for the ballast can make but little difference in the channel , and it saves more than a week of labor , which would be spent in loading the boats , rowing them to the point , and unloading them . We took him aboard , landed him at the gangway , and went about our work , keeping an eye upon the quarter-deck , where the captain was walking . 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 . The curse of a people calling themselves Christian , seems to follow them everywhere ; and even here , in this obscure place , lay two young islanders , whom I had left strong , active young men , in the vigor of health , wasting away under a disease , which they would never have known but for their intercourse with Christianized Mexico and people from Christian America . There was the latent gentleman about him , and the sense of honor , and no little of the pride , of a young man of good family . The medicines were strong , and took hold and gave a check to the disorder which was destroying him ; and , more than that , they had begun the work of exterminating it .