登陆注册
19981900000102

第102章 THE BAY OF ISLANDS AND NEW ZEALAND COAST(2)

Next day was devoted to watering; but as I have elsewhere described that necessary if prosaic occupation, I will not repeat the story.Sufficient to say that the job was successfully "did"in the course of the day.

All the work being accomplished for which we had come, it only remained to give the crew "liberty." So the port watch, in their best (?) rig, were mustered aft; each man received ten shillings, and away they went in glee for the first genuine day's liberty since leaving Honolulu.For although they had been much ashore in Vau Vau, that was not looked upon in the same light as a day's freedom in a town where liquor might be procured, and the questionable privilege of getting drunk taken advantage of.

Envious eyes watched their progress from the other ships, but, much to my secret satisfaction, none of their crews were allowed ashore at the same time.There were quite sufficient possibilities of a row among our own crowd, without farther complications such as would almost certainly have occurred had the strangers been let loose at the same time.Unfortunately, to the ordinary sailor-man, the place presented no other forms of amusement besides drinking, and I was grieved to see almost the whole crowd, including the Kanakas, emerge from the grog-shop plentifully supplied with bottles, and, seating themselves on the beach, commence their carouse.The natives evinced the greatest eagerness to get drunk, swallowing down the horrible "square gin"as if it were water.They passed with the utmost rapidity through all the stages of drunkenness.Before they had been ashore an hour, most of them were lying like logs, in the full blaze of the sun, on the beach.Seeing this, the captain suggested the advisability of bringing them on board at once, as they were only exposed to robbery by the few prowling Maories that loafed about the beach--a curious contrast to the stately fellows met with in other parts of New Zealand.

So we set to work, and brought them on board again, handing them over to their compatriots by way of warning against similar excesses, although, it must be confessed, that they were hardly to blame, with the example of their more civilized shipmates before their eyes.Sam was energetic in his condemnation of both the Kanakas for getting drunk, and the captain for giving them any money wherewith to do so.The remainder of the watch fortunately concluded their carouse without any serious disorder.

A few bruises bestowed upon one another, more in clumsy horseplay than real fighting summed up the casualties among them.By ten o'clock that evening we had them all safely on board again, ready for sore heads and repentance in the morning.

During the day I had evolved a scheme, which I had great hopes of carrying out when our watch should be let loose on the morrow.

When morning came, and the liberty men received their money, Icalled them together and unfolded my plan.Briefly, I proposed a sort of picnic at a beautiful spot discovered during our wooding expedition.I was surprised and very pleased at the eager way in which all, with the sole exceptions of Tui and his fellow-harpooner, a Portuguese, fell in with my suggestions.Without any solicitation on my part, my Kanakas brought me their money, begging me to expend it for them, as they did not know how, and did not want to buy gin.

Under such favourable auspices as these, we landed shortly after eight a.m., making a bee-line for the only provision shop the place boasted.Here we laid in a stock of such savouries as we had long been strangers to, both eatables and drinkables, although I vetoed fire-water altogether.Beer in bottle was substituted, at my suggestion, as being, if we must have drinks of that nature, much the least harmful to men in a hot country, besides, in the quantity that we were able to take, non-intoxicant.We also took tea, sugar, milk, and a kettle, Thus furnished, we struck for the country, merry as a group of schoolboys, making the quiet air ring again with song, shout, and laughter--all of which may seem puerile and trivial in the extreme; but having seen liberty men ashore in nearly every big port in the world, watched the helpless, dazed look with which they wander about, swinging hands, bent shoulders, and purposeless rolling gait, I have often fervently wished that some one would take a party of them for a ramble with a definite purpose, helping them to a little enjoyment, instead of them falling, from sheer lack of knowing what else to do, into some dirty, darksome gin-mill, to be besotted, befooled, and debased.

I do earnestly wish that some of the good folk in London and Liverpool, who are wringing their hands for want of something to do among their fellow-men, would pay a visit to sailor-town for the purpose of getting up a personally-conducted party of sailors to see the sights worth seeing.It is a cheap form of pleasure, even if they paid all expenses, though that would not be likely.

同类推荐
  • 异虚篇

    异虚篇

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • The Life of John Bunyan

    The Life of John Bunyan

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 迦丁比丘说当来变经

    迦丁比丘说当来变经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 弥勒上生经宗要

    弥勒上生经宗要

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 苗宫夜合花

    苗宫夜合花

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 财倾大明

    财倾大明

    钱不是万能的,可是没有钱是万万不能的?如果大明有钱,那流寇和满清鞑虏都不是问题。一个二十一世纪的金融大学生获得了一个玉佩,让他可以来回穿越自己前世和今生,并且可以携带双手触碰到的东西一起穿越,这样让他感觉到自己发财了。所谓独发财不如众发财,他依靠两袖金风行走天下,所到之处上至贵族官僚地主豪商,下到普通庶民百姓,都在他的银弹战术之下弄得跪地投降,纷纷主动结成利益集团。“我要让流寇、建奴、西方洋人,都统统在我的金山银海里面摔死淹死,让大明帝国的皇帝,在我的银弹之前跪下唱征服!”本文关键字:种田、赚钱、练兵、打仗、泡妞、开疆拓土、海外殖民
  • 魔法大陆的武器商

    魔法大陆的武器商

    我不会斗气,别人会就行。因为我卖剑!我不会魔法,别人会就行。因为我卖魔法杖!只要你想学魔法,只要你想学斗气,就要从我这里买东西。我最希望的是,世界战火一片!没有战火怎么办?不要紧,作为一个成功的商人,我要做的就是没有机会也要创造机会。没有战斗,我挑起战斗,没有战争,我挑起战争。
  • 镇灭诸天

    镇灭诸天

    对于要伤害他身边人的敌人,他带着淡淡地微笑:“划个道道说说吧,你今儿是想死了还是不想活了?”对于关心他和他关心的人,他永远都是微微一笑:“不必担心,人生自古谁无死?说句实话,自打出生以后,小爷就没打算活着回去!”对于那些除了死亡才能让他们忏悔的恶人,他依旧带着淡淡地微笑:“别紧张,我又不是什么好人!”这,就是陆小天!这,就是血修罗!血,就是英雄泪!泪,就是不悔情!
  • 为梦写本书

    为梦写本书

    本文主要讲的是一个梦蘋的女孩的梦中的故事,有快乐的、幸福的、恐惧的、忧伤的......各种梦境,让你在梦境中体会不一样的人生。本文更新有点小慢,请理解哦!(*^__^*)(*^__^*)
  • 洛道盘

    洛道盘

    仙界流传了几千年的法宝锻造图,为世间所不容,然而它却在现代高科技时代被一名少年当做一款游戏制造出来。这个法宝到底隐藏着什么不为人知的秘密?仙界到底发生了什么变故?几千年后,真相终于慢慢浮现水面……
  • 决绝陆崖

    决绝陆崖

    这是一个被诅咒的世界,里面存在的,是更多的挣扎。无尽深渊中嘶咆,泣血。你的信念可以持续多久?你是否还能抓握着什么?因为失去了很多,所以我们也会痛苦着,思考着孤奀扶沉浮晓,凸延期绵,惜荼秃芜。娇渡愍游幽咀,貌染燃域,涓溪煮绯。坠瘫渊忌顾咽,挣泊浊喘,扎眨止呼。忧诺拓思塑未,漾摆急陡,醒丝觉泯。似狂风渡暗醉涌,如腾浪奔泳。长嘶纱煞,独寄思丝。要静宁,锁帘怜。奀缺舵堵,淤即故。想破封重铸,惜叹岩域。望未逐寂泯,安得岸平。
  • 过河小卒

    过河小卒

    小小小卒本领大,誓死过河不归还,一心向前杀将去。他在上级眼里是个痞子,是一个不遵守命令临阵脱逃的兵痞!但是在战友眼里他是一个好大哥,是一个英雄,是一个敢作敢当的军人!
  • 相妃无敌:天才医女

    相妃无敌:天才医女

    资深宅女江苏苏,因一枚神奇的戒指,开启了她新的人生。穿越成农家女的她,娘亲是寡妇,哥哥是莽夫,日子穷得连老鼠都懒得光顾,且看她是如何撑起了一片天。“麻痹戒指”在手,天下我有!算命看相施医她样样能,衣袖一挥,不仅打得过流氓斗得了土匪,眨眨眼,还能勾了小王爷的魂呢!
  • 重生之君凰

    重生之君凰

    一心求死,却料醒来魂在异地。显赫的身份却遭异样对待,两世不顺的结束开始,她仰起脸,一切从头开始。然平静不久。暗藏事变,分崩离析,家国天下,恩怨情仇。八国领袖霸权为大统,天下才俊热血为英雄,隐秘之人手段惊天下,占领掠夺挥手民堪忧。面对选择,她是悄然隐去潇洒天下?还是再度投身入牢笼?(本文纯属虚构,请勿模仿。)
  • 佛说持世陀罗尼经

    佛说持世陀罗尼经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。