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At twelve o'clock we went below , and had just got through dinner , when the cook put his head down the scuttle and told us to come on deck and see the finest sight that we had ever seen . Some of the crews of the vessels are obliged to go and come in the boats , to look out for the hides and goods . On the day appointed for the wedding , we took the captain ashore in the gig , and had orders to come for him at night , with leave to go up to the house and see the fandango . Now began the operation of taking in our cargo , which kept us hard at work , from the grey of the morning till star-light , for six weeks , with the exception of Sundays , and of just time to swallow our meals . In this state , the steward applied to the captain for some rice to boil for me , but he only got only got a - " No ! However , I did not starve , for the mate , who was a man as well as a sailor , and had always been a good friend to me , smuggled a pan of rice into the galley , and told the cook to boil it for me , and not let the " old man " see it . Two or three songs would be tried , one after the other , with no effect ; - not an inch could be got upon the tackles - when a new song , struck up , seemed to hit the humor of the moment , and drove the tackles " two blocks " at once . This preparation of the cable and anchors was for the passage of the straits ; for , being very crooked , and with a variety of currents , it is necessary to come frequently to anchor . The affair remained in this state until four o'clock , when an order came forward for all hands to come aft upon the quarter-deck .