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[lemma=practice] | [□=□] | □
Why else a rich man ( sailors call every man rich who does not work with his hands , and wears a long coat and cravat ) should leave a Christian country , and come to such a place as California , to pick up shells and stones , they could not understand . In obedience to the mate 's orders , I went back to my berth ; but a more miserable night I never wish to spend . A thin-skinned man could not live an hour on ship-board . She was off the point at the same time with us , but did not get in to the anchoring-ground until an hour or two after us . The Saturday night before our sailing , I spent an hour in the oven , and took leave of my Kanaka friends ; and , really , this was the only thing connected with leaving California which was in any way unpleasant . I was nearly half an hour out on the end of the fore yard , trying to coil away and stop down the topmast studding-sail tack and lower halyards . Still , we saw no ice , and had great hopes of going clear of it altogether , when , one afternoon , about three o'clock , while we were taking a siesta during our watch below , " All hands ! " 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 . Each one was taking his last look at the mission , the town , the breakers on the beach , and swearing that no money would make him ship to see them again ; and when all hands tallied on to the cat-fall , the chorus of " Time for us to go ! He was a smart , unprincipled fellow , was at the bottom of most of the rascally doings of the country , and gave us a great deal of interesting information in the ways of the world we were in . He gave us the whole account of his adventures in the country , - roguery and all - and was very entertaining . We pulled him on board the Ayacucho , and when he left the boat he gave each of its crew a piece of money , except myself , and shook hands with me , nodding his head , as much as to say , - " We understand one another . Sometimes , when I was at the wheel of a calm night , and the steering required no attention , and the officer of the watch was forward , he would come aft and hold a short yarn with me ; but this was against the rules of the ship , as is , in fact , all intercourse between passengers and the crew . If California ever becomes a prosperous country , this bay will be the centre of its prosperity . For two days more the wind blew from the southward and eastward ; or in the short intervals when it was fair , the ice was too thick to run ; yet the weather was not so dreadfully bad , and the crew had watch and watch . So it goes until it is eight bells , - call the watch , - heave the log , - relieve the wheel , and go below the larboard watch . " The next four hours below were but little relief to me , for I lay awake in my berth , the whole time , from the pain in my face , and heard every bell strike , and , at four o'clock , turned out with the watch , feeling little spirit for the hard duties of the day . Had I known , an hour sooner , that he was to leave us , I would have made an effort to get from him the true history of his early life . I spent an evening on board , and found them making the best of the matter , and determined to rough it out as they might ; but my friend S - - - was determined to go home in the ship , if money or interest could bring it to pass . 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 . 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 .