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The crew flew aloft to loose the top-gallant sails and royals ; the two captains waved their hands to one another ; and , in ten minutes , we saw the last inch of her white canvas , as she rounded the point . This day was Christmas ; and as it rained all day long , and there were no hides to take in , and nothing especial to do , the captain gave us a holiday , ( the first we had had since leaving Boston , ) and plum duff for dinner . We left the ship about noon , but , owing to a strong head wind , and a tide , which here runs four or five knots , did not get into the harbor , formed by two points of the island , where the boats lie , until sundown . No thanks , thought I , as we left the sandy shores in the distance , for the hours I have walked over your stones , barefooted , with hides on my head ; - for the burdens I have carried up your steep , muddy hill ; - for the duckings in your surf ; and for the long days and longer nights passed on your desolate hill , watching piles of hides , hearing the sharp bark of your eternal coati , and the dismal hooting of your owls . First , the multiplication table and the tables of weights and measures ; then the states of the union , with their capitals ; the counties of England , with their shire towns ; the kings of England in their order ; and a large part of the peerage , which I committed from an almanac that we had on board ; and then the Kanaka numerals . I tried to find the church , in order to see the worship , but was told that there was no service , except a mass early in the morning ; so we went about the town , visiting the Americans and English , and the natives whom we had know when we were here before . 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 . After the supper , the waltzing began , which was confined to a very few of the " gente de razon , " and was considered a high accomplishment , and a mark of aristocracy . A regulation of the port forbids any ballast to be thrown overboard ; accordingly , our long-boat was lined inside with rough boards and brought alongside the gangway , but where one tub-full went into the boat , twenty went overboard . 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 .