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Entertainments come rarely to Gatun. The one-ringed circus was packed with every grade of society from gaping Spanish laborers to haughty wives of dirt-train conductors, among whom it was not hard to distinguish in a far corner the uniformed sergeant in command of Gatun and the long lean corporal tied in a bow-line knot at the alleged wit of the versatile but solitary clown who changed his tongue every other moment from English to Spanish.
In fifteen minutes there was a locker full of good things, and a deck of jolly fellows, and when we cast off our bow-line, and ran up our canvas, we were probably the neatest thing on the tide. I know that I felt very much like a lay figure in somebody's marine picture, and it was quite wonderful to behold how suddenly we all became sea-worthy and how hard we tried to prove it.
"Haul in the plank, and cast off the bow-line," said Lawry. He rang the bell to back her, and when her bow pointed out from the shore, the stern-line was cast off, and she moved slowly away from the wharf. "I'm sorry your brother behaves so badly, Lawry," said Mr. Sherwood, after the steamer started. "It makes me sick to think of it, sir," replied the pilot.
For her bravery then she had been voted by the field "a good fellow," and an admiral present declared that she had a head "as long as the maintop bow-line." She loved admiration, though she had no foolish sentiment; she called men silly creatures, and yet would go on her knees across country to do a deserving man-friend a service.
Ben Wilford stood on the pier, leaning against one of the posts to which the steamer was fastened. He looked sour and disappointed. "Cast off the bow-line," said Lawry, when all was ready. At this moment Ben jumped on board. "Stop her!" said Mr. Sherwood sharply, as Lawry rang the bell to back her. "What's the matter, sir?" asked the pilot. "Young man," said Mr.
"I hope you find that your hammock swings easily in my ship?" "I'll not deny it, your Honour; for an easier craft, especially upon a bow-line, might be hard to find." "And the cruise? I hope you also find the cruise such as a seaman loves." "D'ye see, sir, I was sent from home with little schooling, and so I seldom make so free as to pretend to read the Captain's orders."
The little captain conducted the ladies to the saloon, and then hastened to the wheel-house, where Mr. Sherwood, by the light of a lantern in the hands of one of the boys, had screwed up the sign. "Haul in the plank!" shouted Lawry, "Cast off the bow-line." The Woodville backed till she was dear of the wharf, and then went ahead.
Of the Stirling he wrote, "The ship was on a bow-line most of the time"; and he thought her "one of the wettest ships that ever floated when heading tip against the sea." A lively account of this eleven months' service is found in Cooper's story of "Ned Myers." This life of his shipmate aboard the Stirling was written in 1843.
The tide continued to fall, and we felt the sloop begin to list. We played on until the chess men began to fall over. The list increased, and we went on deck. Bow-line and stern-line were drawn taut. As we looked the boat listed still farther with an abrupt jerk. The lines were now very taut. "As soon as her belly touches the bottom she will stop," I said.
I took the handkerchief from my neck, made a running bow-line, and got so far as to be at work at a standing bow-line, to hitch over the top of one of the poles of the fence. I now stood up, and began to look for a proper picket to make fast to, when, in gazing about, I caught sight of the mast-heads of the shipping at the yard, and of the ensign under which I had so long served!
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