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The men fit for duty were divided into two small watches, headed respectively by the mate and the Mowree; the latter by virtue of his being a harpooner, succeeding to the place of the second mate, who had absconded. In this state of things whaling was out of the question; but in the face of everything, Jermin maintained that the invalids would soon be well.
Even the three junior mates who had headed the whaleboats were gone: and of the four harpooners, only one was left, a wild New Zealander, or "Mowree" as his countrymen are more commonly called in the Pacific. But this was not all.
The cooper's name was the last called; we did not hear what he answered, but he stayed behind. Nothing was done about the Mowree. Shoving clear from the ship, three loud cheers were raised; Flash Jack and others receiving a sharp reprimand for it from the consul. "Good-bye, Little Jule," cried Navy Bob, as we swept under the bows.
Before Bembo was dragged away, the mate had in vain endeavoured to separate the combatants, repeatedly striking the Mowree; but the seamen interposing, at last kept him off. And intoxicated as he was, when they dispersed, he knew enough to charge the steward a steady seaman be it remembered with the present safety of the ship; and then went below, when he fell directly into another drunken sleep.
Springing on deck again, he drove down into the forecastle for a couple of oarsmen, but hardly got there before there was a cry, and a loud splash heard over the side. It was the Mowree and the boat into which he had just leaped to get ready for lowering rolling over and over in the water.
Having remained upon deck with the doctor some time after the rest had gone below, I was just on the point of following him down, when I saw the Mowree rise, draw a bucket of water, and holding it high above his head, pour its contents right over him. This he repeated several times. There was nothing very peculiar in the act, but something else about him struck me.
As he went moaning over the side, he must have heard the whispered maledictions of his crew. While the steward was busy adjusting matters in the boat, the mate, after a private interview with the Mowree, turned round abruptly, and told us that he was going ashore with the captain, to return as soon as possible.
At this time, the Dane and the steward were still struggling with the furious Mowree, and the others were running about irresolute and shouting. But darting forward the instant I had the helm, the old cook thundered on the forecastle with a handspike, "Breakers! breakers close aboard! 'bout ship! 'bout ship!" Up came the sailors, staring about them in stupid horror. "Haul back the head-yards!"
So just after the men came up from below, Bembo singled him out, and gave him such a cursing in his broken lingo that it was enough to frighten one. The convict was the worse for liquor; indeed the Mowree had been tippling also, and before we knew it, a blow was struck by Ben, and the two men came together like magnets.
The night of our arrival, the mate and the Mowree were to stand "watch and watch," relieving each other every four hours; the crew, as is sometimes customary when lying at an anchor, being allowed to remain all night below. A distrust of the men, however, was, in the present instance, the principal reason for this proceeding.
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