tag="{http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml}a">A FLOGGING—A NIGHT ON SHORE—THE STATE OF THINGS ON BOARD—SAN DIEGO

XVI   LIBERTY-DAY ON SHORE XVII   SAN DIEGO—A DESERTION—SAN PEDRO AGAIN—BEATING THE COAST XVIII   EASTER SUNDAY—"SAIL HO!"—WHALES—SAN JUAN—ROMANCE OF HIDE-DROGHING—SAN DIEGO AGAIN XIX   THE SANDWICH ISLANDERS—HIDE-CURING—WOOD-CUTTING—RATTLE-SNAKES—NEW-COMERS XX   LEISURE—NEWS FROM HOME—"BURNING THE WATER" XXI   CALIFORNIA AND ITS INHABITANTS XXII   LIFE ON SHORE—THE ALERT XXIII   NEW SHIP AND SHIPMATES—MY WATCHMATE XXIV   SAN DIEGO AGAIN—A DESCENT—HURRIED DEPARTURE—A NEW SHIPMATE XXV   RUMORS OF WAR—A SPOUTER—SLIPPING FOR A SOUTH-EASTER—A GALE XXVI   SAN FRANCISCO—MONTEREY XXVII   THE SUNDAY WASH-UP—ON SHORE—A SET-TO—A GRANDEE—"SAIL HO!"—A FANDANGO XXVIII   AN OLD FRIEND—A VICTIM—CALIFORNIA RANGERS—NEWS FROM XXIX   LOADING FOR HOME—A SURPRISE—LAST OF AN OLD FRIEND—THE LAST HIDE—A HARD CASE—UP ANCHOR, FOR HOME!—HOMEWARD BOUND XXX   BEGINNING THE LONG RETURN VOYAGE—A SCARE XXXI   BAD PROSPECTS—FIRST TOUCH OF CAPE HORN—ICEBERGS—TEMPERANCE SHIPS—SHIPS—LYING-UP—ICE—DIFFICULTY ON BOARD—CHANGE OF COURSE—STRAITS OF MAGELLAN XXXII   ICE AGAIN—A BEAUTIFUL AFTERNOON—CAPE HORN—"LAND HO!"—HEADING FOR HOME XXXIII   CRACKING ON—PROGRESS HOMEWARD—A PLEASANT SUNDAY—A FINE XXXIV   NARROW ESCAPES—THE EQUATOR—TROPICAL SQUALLS—A THUNDER STORM XXXV   A DOUBLE-REEF-TOP-SAIL BREEZE—SCURVY—A FRIEND IN NEED—PREPARING FOR PORT—THE GULF STREAM XXXVI   SOUNDINGS—SIGHTS FROM HOME—BOSTON HARBOR—LEAVING THE SHIP CONCLUDING CHAPTER

PREFACE

I am unwilling to present this narrative to the public without a few words in explanation of my reasons for publishing it. Since Mr. Cooper's Pilot and Red Rover, there have been so many stories of sea-life written, that I should really think it unjustifiable in me to add one to the number without being able to give reasons in some measure warranting me in so doing.

With the single exception, as I am quite confident, of Mr. Ames's entertaining, but hasty and desultory work, called "Mariner's Sketches," all the books professing to give life at sea have been written by persons who have gained their experience as naval officers, or passengers, and of these, there are very few which are intended to be taken as narratives of facts.

Now, in the first place, the whole course of life, and daily duties, the discipline, habits and customs of a man-of-war are very different from those of the merchant service; and in the next place, however entertaining and well written these books may be, and however accurately they may give sea-life as it appears to their authors, it must still be plain to every one that a naval officer, who goes to sea as a gentleman, "with his gloves on," (as the phrase is,) and who associated only with his fellow-officers, and hardly speaks to a sailor except through a boatswain's mate, must take a very different view of the whole matter from that which would be taken by a common sailor.

Besides the interest which every one must feel in exhibitions of life in those forms in which he himself has never experienced it; there has been, of