Authors: James Fenimore Cooper
In less than a week after this determination, an answer was received
from Mrs. Bradfort; and, the very next day, the whole party, Neb
included, embarked in the Wallingford. Very different was this
passage down the Hudson from that which had preceded it. Then I had
the sense of error about me, while my heart yearned towards the two
dear girls we had left on the wharf; but now everything was
above-board sincere, and by permission. It is scarcely necessary to
say that Grace and Lucy were enchanted with everything they saw. The
Highlands, in particular, threw them both into ecstasies, though I
have since seen so much of the world as to understand, with nearly all
experienced tourists, that this is
relatively
the worst part of
the scenery of this beautiful river. When I say
relatively
, I
mean as comparing the
bolder
parts of our stream with those of
others—speaking of them as
high lands
—many other portions of
this good globe having a much superior
grandeur
, while very few
have so much lovely river scenery compressed into so small a space as
is to be found in the other parts of the Hudson.
In due time we arrived in New York, and I had the supreme happiness of
pointing out to the girls the State's Prison, the Bear Market, and the
steeples of St. Paul's and Trinity-
old
Trinity, as it was so
lately the fashion to style a church that was built only a few years
before, and which, in my youth, was considered as magnificent as it
was venerable. That building has already disappeared; and another
edifice, which is now termed splendid,
vast
, and I know not
what, has been reared in its place. By the time this is gone, and one
or two generations of buildings have succeeded, each approaching
nearer to the high standard of church architecture in the old world,
the Manhattanese will get to understand something of the use of the
degrees of comparison on such subjects. When that day shall arrive,
they will cease to be provincial, and—not till then.
What a different thing was Wall street, in 1799, from what it is
to-day? Then, where so many Grecian temples are now reared to Plutus,
were rows of modest provincial dwellings; not a tittle more
provincial, however, than the thousand meretricious houses of bricks
and marble that have since started up in their neighbourhood, but far
less pretending, and insomuch the more creditable. Mrs. Bradfort lived
in one of these respectable abodes, and thither Mr. Hardinge led the
way, with just as much confidence as one would now walk into Bleeker
street, or the Fifth Avenue. Money-changers were then unknown, or, if
known, were of so little account that they had not sufficient force to
form a colony and a league by themselves. Even the banks did not deem
it necessary to be within a stone's throw of each other—I believe
there were but two—as it might be in self-defence. We have seen all
sorts of expedients adopted, in this sainted street, to protect the
money-bags, from the little temple that was intended to be so small as
only to admit the dollars and those who were to take care of them, up
to the edifice that might contain so many rogues, as to render things
safe on the familiar principle of setting a thief to catch a thief.
All would not do. The difficulty has been found to be unconquerable,
except in those cases in which the homely and almost worn-out
expedient of employing honest men, has been resorted to. But, to
return from the gossipings of old age to an agreeable widow, who was
still under forty.
Mrs. Bradfort received Mr. Hardinge in a way to satisfy us all that
she was delighted to see him. She had prepared a room for Rupert and
myself, and no apologies or excuses would be received. We had to
consent to accept of her hospitalities. In an hour's time, all were
established, and I believe all were at home.
I shall not dwell on the happiness that succeeded. We were all too
young to go to parties, and, I might almost add, New York itself was
too young to have any; but in the last I should have been mistaken,
though there were not as many
children's
balls in 1799,
perhaps, after allowing for the difference in population, as there are
to-day. If too young to be company, we were not too young to see
sights. I sometimes laugh as I remember what these were at that
time. There was such a museum as would now be thought lightly of in a
western city of fifteen or twenty years' growth—a circus kept by a
man of the name of Ricketts—the theatre in John street, a very modest
Thespian edifice—and a lion, I mean literally the beast, that was
kept in a cage quite out of town, that his roaring might not disturb
people, somewhere near the spot where the
triangle
that is
called Franklin
Square
now is. All these we saw, even to the
theatre; good, indulgent Mr. Hardinge seeing no harm in letting us go
thither under the charge of Mrs. Bradfort. I shall never forget the
ecstasy of that night! The novelty was quite as great to Rupert and
myself as it was to the girls; for, though we had been to China, we
had never been to the play.
Well was it said, "Vanity, vanity—all is vanity!" He that lives as
long as I have lived, will have seen most of his opinions, and I think
I may add,
all
his tastes, change. Nothing short of revelation
has a stronger tendency to convince us of the temporary character of
our probationary state in this world, than to note for how short a
period, and for what imperfect ends, all our hopes and success in life
have been buoying us up, and occupying our minds. After fifty, the
delusion begins to give way; and, though we may continue to live, and
even to be happy, blind indeed must be he who does not see the end of
his road, and foresee some of the great results to which it is to
lead. But of all this, our quartette thought little in the year 1799.
"Thou art the same, eternal sea!
The earth hath many shapes and forms
Of hill and valley, flower and tree;
Fields that the fervid noontide warms,
Or Winter's rugged grasp deforms,
Or bright with Autumn's golden store;
Thou coverest up thy face with storms,
Or smilest serene—but still thy roar
And dashing foam go up to vex the sea-beat shore."
LUNT.
I had a free conversation with my guardian, shortly after we reached
town, on the subject of my going to sea again. The whole country was
alive with the armament of the new marine; and cocked-hats, blue coats
and white lapels, began to appear in the streets, with a parade that
always marks the new officer and the new service. Now, one meets
distinguished naval men at every turn, and sees nothing about their
persons to denote the profession, unless in actual employment afloat,
even the cockade being laid aside; whereas in 1799 the harness was put
on as soon as the parchment was received, and only laid aside to turn
in. Ships were building or equipping in all parts of the country; and
it is matter of surprise to me that I escaped the fever, and did not
apply to be made a midshipman. Had I seen another captain who
interested me as much as Captain Dale, I make no doubt my career would
have been quite different: but, as things were, I had imbibed the
prejudice that Southey, in his very interesting, but, in a
professional sense, very worthless, life of Nelson, has attributed to
that hero—"aft, the more honour; forward, the better man." Thus far,
I had not got into the cabin-windows, and, like all youngsters who
fairly begin on the forecastle, felt proud of my own manhood and
disdain of hazards and toil. I determined, therefore, to pursue the
course I had originally pointed out to myself, and follow in the
footsteps of my father.
Privateers were out of the question in a war with a country that had
no commerce. Nor do I think I would have gone in a privateer under any
circumstances. The business of carrying on a warfare merely for gain,
has ever struck me as discreditable; though it must be admitted the
American system of private-armed cruisers has always been more
respectable and better conducted than that of most other nations. This
has been owing to the circumstance that men of a higher class than is
usual in Europe, have embarked in the enterprises. To a
letter-of-marque, however, there could be no objection; her regular
business is commerce; she arms only in self-defence, or, if she
capture anything, it is merely such enemies as cross her path, and who
would capture her if they could. I announced to Mr. Hardinge,
therefore, my determination not to return to Clawbonny, but to look
for a berth in some letter-of-marque, while then in town.
Neb had received private instructions, and my sea dunnage, as well as
his own, was on board the Wallingford—low enough the wreck had
reduced both to be—and money obtained from Mr. Hardinge was used to
purchase more. I now began to look about me for a ship, determined to
please my eye as to the vessel, and my judgment as to the voyage. Neb
had orders to follow the wharves on the same errand. I would sooner
trust Neb than Rupert on such a duty. The latter had no taste for
ships; felt no interest in them; and I have often wondered why he took
a fancy to go to sea at all. With Neb it was very different. He was
already an expert seaman; could hand, reef and steer, knot and splice,
and was as useful as nine men in ten on board a vessel. It is true, he
did not know when it became necessary to take in the last reef—had no
notion of stowing a cargo so as to favour the vessel, or help her
sailing; but he would break out a cask sooner than most men I ever met
with. There was too much "nigger" in him for head-work of that sort,
though he was ingenious and ready enough in his way. A sterling fellow
was Neb, and I got in time to love him very much as I can conceive one
would love a brother.
One day, after I had seen all the sights, and had begun to think
seriously of finding a ship, I was strolling along the wharves on the
latter errand, when I heard a voice I knew cry put, "There, Captain
Williams, there's just your chap; he'll make as good a third-mate as
can be found in all America." I had a sort of presentiment this
applied to me, though I could not, on the instant, recall the
speaker's name. Turning to look in the direction of the sounds, I saw
the hard countenance of Marble, alongside the weather-beaten face of a
middle-aged shipmaster, both of whom were examining me over the
nettings of a very promising-looking armed merchantman. I bowed to
Mr. Marble, who beckoned me to come on board, where I was regularly
introduced to the master.
This vessel was called the Crisis, a very capital name for a craft in
a country where crisises of one sort or another occur regularly as
often as once in six months. She was a tight little ship of about four
hundred tons, had hoop-pole bulwarks, as I afterwards learned, with
nettings for hammocks and old junk, principally the latter; and showed
ten nine-pounders, carriage-guns, in her batteries. I saw she was
loaded, and was soon given to understand that her shipping-articles
were then open, and the serious question was of procuring a
third-mate. Officers were scarce, so many young men were pressing into
the navy; and Mr. Marble ventured to recommend me, from near a
twelvemonth's knowledge of my character. I had not anticipated a berth
aft quite so soon, and yet I had a humble confidence in my own ability
to discharge the duty. Captain Williams questioned me for fifteen or
twenty minutes, had a short conversation with Mr. Marble alone, and
then frankly offered me the berth. The voyage was to be round the
world, and it took my fancy at the very sound. The ship was to take a
cargo of flour to England; there, she was to receive a small assorted
cargo for the North-West Coast, and some of the sandal-wood islands;
after disposing of her toys and manufactures in barter, she was to
sail for Canton, exchange her furs, wood and other articles for teas,
&c., and return home. To engage in this voyage, I was offered the
berth I have mentioned, and thirty dollars a-month. The wages were of
little moment to me, but the promotion and the voyage were of great
account. The ship, too, carried out letters-of-marque and reprisal
with her, and there were the chances of meeting some Frenchman in the
European waters, at least.
I examined the vessel, the berth I was to occupy, made a great many
shy glances at the captain, to ascertain his character by that
profound expedient, analyzing his looks, and finally determined to
ship, on condition Neb should be taken as an ordinary seaman. As soon
as Marble heard this last proposal, he explained the relation in which
the black stood to me, and earnestly advised his being received as a
seaman. The arrangement was made accordingly, and I went at once to
the notary and signed the articles. Neb was also found, and he was
shipped too; this time regularly, Mr. Hardinge attending and giving
his sanction to what was done. The worthy divine was in excellent
spirits, for that very day he had made an arrangement with a friend at
the bar to place Rupert in his office, Mrs. Bradfort insisting on
keeping her young kinsman in her house, as a regular inmate. This left
on the father no more charge than to furnish Rupert with clothes, and
a few dollars of pocket-money. But I knew Rupert too well to suppose
he would, or could, be content with the little he might expect from
the savings of Mr. Hardinge. I was not in want of money. My guardian
had supplied me so amply, that not only had I paid my debt to the
owners of the John, and fully equipped myself for the voyage, but I
actually possessed dollars enough to supply all my probable wants
during the expected absence. Many of the officers and men of the
Crisis left behind them orders with their wives and families to
receive their wages, in part, during their absence, as letters from
time to time apprised the owners that these people were on board, and
in discharge of their several duties. I determined on giving Rupert
the benefit of such an arrangement. First presenting him with twenty
dollars from my own little store, I took him with me to the
counting-house, and succeeded, though not without some difficulty, in
obtaining for my friend a credit of twenty dollars a-month, promising
faithfully to repay any balance that might arise against me in
consequence of the loss of the ship, or of any accident to
myself. This I was enabled to do on the strength of my credit as the
owner of Clawbonny; for, as is usual in these cases, I passed for
being much richer than I really was, though far from being poor.