ich Typee found her. Besides the
losses by desertion, her crew was weakened by disease. Several of the
men lay sick in their berths, wholly unfit for duty. The captain himself
was ill, and all would have derived benefit from a short sojourn in
port; but this could not be thought of. The discipline of the ship was
bad, and the sailors, desperate and unruly fellows, discontented, as
well they might be, with their wretched provisions and uncomfortable
state, were not to be trusted on or near shore. Three-fourths of them,
had they once set foot on dry land, would have absconded, taken refuge
in the woods or amongst the savages, and have submitted to any amount of
tattoo, paint, and nose-ringing, rather than return to the ship.
Already, at St Christina, one of the Marquesas, a large party had made
their escape in two of the four whale-boats, scuttling the third, and
cutting the tackles of the fourth nearly through, so that when Bembo
jumped in to clear it away, man and boat went souse into the water. By
the assistance of a French corvette, and by bribing the king of the
country with a musket and ammunition, the fugitives were captured. But
it was more than probable that they and others would renew the attempt
should opportunity offer; so there was no alternative but to keep the
sea, and hope for better days and for the convalescence of the invalids.
Two of these died. Neither Bible nor Prayer-book were on board the
godless craft, and like dogs, without form of Christian burial, the dead
were launched into the deep. The situation of the survivors inspired
with considerable uneasiness the few amongst them capable of reflection.
The captain was ignorant of navigation; it was the mate who, from the
commencement of the voyage, had kept the ship's reckoning, and kept it
all to himself. He had only to get washed overboard in a gale, or to
walk over in a drunken fit, to leave his shipmates in a fix of the most
unpleasant description, ignorant of latitude, longitude, and of
everything else necessary to be known to guide the vessel on her course.
And as to the sperm whales, which Jermin had promised them in such
abundance that they would only have to strike and take, not a single fin
showed itself. At last the captain was reported dying, and the mate took
counsel with Long-Ghost, Typee, and others of the crew. He would gladly
have continued the cruise, but his wish was overruled, and the whaler's
stern was turned towards the Society Isl