Afloat and Ashore (29 page)

I had often seen our own Indians after they had become degraded by
their intercourse with the whites and the use of rum, but never had I
beheld any beings so low in the scale of the human race, as the
North-Western savages appeared to be. They seemed to me to be the
Hottentots of our own continent. Still they were not altogether
without the means of commanding our respect. As physical men they were
both active and strong, and there were gleams of ferocity about them,
that all their avarice and art could not conceal. I could not
discover in their usages, dress, or deportment, a single trace of that
chivalrous honour which forms so great a relief to the well-established
cruelty of the warrior of our own part of the continent. Then, these
sea-otter dealers had some knowledge of the use of fire-arms, and were
too well acquainted with the ships of us civilized men to have any
superstitious dread of our power.

The Dipper, and his companions, sold us one hundred and thirty-three
sea-otter skins the very afternoon we anchored. This, of itself, was
thought to be a sufficient reward for the trouble and risk of coming
into this unknown basin. Both parties seemed pleased with the results
of the trading, and we were given to understand that, by remaining at
anchor, we might hope for six or eight times our present number of
skins. Captain Williams was greatly gratified with the success with
which he had already met, and having found that all the Dipper had
promised came true, he determined to remain a day or two, in his
present berth, in order to wait for more bargains. This resolution was
no sooner communicated to the savages than they expressed their
delight, sending off Tin-pot and Slit-nose with the intelligence,
while the Dipper and Smudge remained in the ship, apparently on terms
of perfect good-fellowship with everybody on board. The gentry of the
North-West Coast being flagrant thieves, however, all hands had orders
to keep a good look-out on our two guests, Captain Williams expressing
his intention to flog them soundly, should they be detected in any of
their usual light-fingered dexterity.

Marble and myself observed that the canoe, in which the messengers
left us, did not pull out to sea, but that it entered a small stream,
or creek, that communicated with the head of the bay. As there was no
duty on board, we asked the captain's permission to explore this spot;
and, at the same time, to make a more thorough examination of our
haven, generally. The request being granted, we got into the yawl,
with four men, all of us armed, and set out on our little
expedition. Smudge, a withered, grey-headed old Indian, with muscles
however that resembled whip-cord, was alone on deck, when this
movement took place. He watched our proceedings narrowly, and, when he
saw us descend into the boat, he very coolly slipped down the ship's
side, and took his place in the stern-sheets, with as much quiet
dignity as if he had been captain. Marble was a good deal of a ship's
martinet in such matters, and he did not more than half like the
familiarity and impudence of the procedure.

"What say you, Miles," he asked, a little sharply, "shall we take this
dried ourang-outang ashore with us, or shall we try to moisten him a
little, by throwing him overboard'!"

"Let him go, by all means, Mr. Marble. I dare say the man wishes to be
of use, and he has only a bad manner of showing it."

"Of use! He is worth no more than the carcase of a whale that has been
stripped of its blubber. I say, Miles, there would be no need of the
windlass to heave the blanket off of this fish!"

This professional witticism put Marble in good humour with himself,
and he permitted the fellow to remain. I remember the thoughts that
passed through my mind, as the yawl pulled towards the creek, on that
occasion, as well as if it had all occurred yesterday. I sat looking
at the semi-human being who was seated opposite, wondering at the
dispensation of Divine Providence which could leave one endowed with a
portion of the ineffable; nature of the Deity, in a situation so
degraded. I had seen beasts in cages that appeared to me to be quite
as intelligent, and members of the diversified family of human
caricatures, or of the baboons and monkeys, that I thought were quite
as agreeable objects to the eye. Smudge seemed to be almost without
ideas. In his bargains, he had trusted entirely to the vigilance of
the Dipper, whom we supposed to be some sort of a relation; and the
articles he received in exchange for his skins, failed to arouse in
his grim, vacant countenance, the smallest signs of pleasure. Emotion
and he, if they had been acquainted, now appeared to be utter
strangers to each other; nor was this apathy in the least like the
well-known stoicism of the American Indian; but had the air of
downright insensibility. Yet this man assuredly had a soul, a spark of
the never-dying flame that separates man from all the other beings of
earth!

The basin in which the Crisis lay was entirely fringed with
forest. The trees in most places even overhung the water, forming an
impenetrable screen to everything inland, at the season when they were
in leaf. Not a sign of a habitation of any sort was visible; and, as
we approached the shore, Marble remarked that the savages could only
resort to the place at the moments when they had induced a ship to
enter, in order to trade with them.

"No—no," added the mate, turning his head in all directions, in order
to take a complete survey of the bay; "there are no wigwams, or
papooses, hereabouts. This is only a trading-post; and luckily for us,
it is altogether without custom-house officers."

"Not without smugglers, I fancy, Mr. Marble, if contriving to get
other people's property without their knowledge, can make a
smuggler. I never saw a more thorough-looking thief than the chap we
have nick-named the Dipper. I believe he would swallow one of our
iron spoons, rather than not get it!"

"Ay, there's no mistake about him, 'Master Mile,' as Neb calls
you. But this fellow here, hasn't brains enough to tell his own
property from that of another man. I would let him into our
bread-lockers, without any dread of his knowing enough to eat. I never
saw such a vacancy in a human form; a down-east idiot would wind him
up in a trade, as handily as a pedlar sets his wooden clocks in
motion."

Such was Marble's opinion of the sagacity of Mr. Smudge; and, to own
the truth, such, in a great measure, was my own. The men laughed at
the remarks—seamen are a little apt to laugh at chief-mates' wit—and
their looks showed how thoroughly they coincided with us in
opinion. All this time, the boat had been pushing ahead, and it soon
reached the mouth of the little creek.

We found the inlet deep, but narrow and winding. Like the bay itself,
it was fringed with trees and bushes, and this in a way to render it
difficult to get a view of anything on the land; more especially as
the banks were ten or fifteen feet in height. Under the circumstances,
Marble proposed that we should land on both sides of the creek, and
follow its windings on foot, for a short distance, in order to get a
better opportunity to reconnoitre. Our dispositions were soon
made. Marble and one of the boat's crew, each armed, landed on one
side of the inlet, while Neb and myself, similarly provided, went
ashore on the other. The two remaining men were ordered to keep
abreast of us in the boat, in readiness to take us on board again, as
soon as required.

"Leave that Mr. Smudge in the boat, Miles," Marble called out across
the creek, as I was about to put foot on the ground. I made a sign to
that effect to the savage, but when I reached the level ground on the
top of the bank, I perceived the fellow was at my elbow. It was so
difficult to make such a creature understand one's wishes, without the
aid of speech, that, after a fruitless effort or two to send him back
by means of signs, I abandoned the attempt, and moved forward, so as
to keep the whole party in the desired line. Neb offered to catch the
old fellow in his arms, and to carry him down to the yawl; but I
thought it more prudent to avoid anything like violence. We proceeded,
therefore, accompanied by this escort.

There was nothing, however, to excite alarm, or awaken distrust. We
found ourselves in a virgin forest, with all its wildness, dampness,
gloomy shadows, dead and fallen trees, and unequal surface. On my side
of the creek, there was not the smallest sign of a foot-path; and
Marble soon called out to say, he was equally without any evidences of
the steps of man. I should think we proceeded quite a mile in this
manner, certain that the inlet would be a true guide on our return. At
length a call from the boat let us know there was no longer water
enough to float it, and that it could proceed no farther. Marble and
myself descended the banks at the same moment, and were taken in,
intending to return in the yawl. Smudge glided back to his old place,
with his former silence.

"I told you to leave the ourang-outang behind," Marble carelessly
observed, as he took his own seat, after assisting in getting the boat
round, with its head towards the bay. "I would rather have a
rattlesnake for a pet, than such a cub."

"It is easier said than done, sir. Master Smudge stuck to me as close
as a leech."

"The fellow seems all the better for his walk—I never saw him look
half as amiable as he does at this moment."

Of course this raised a laugh, and it induced me to look round. For
the first time, I could detect something like a human expression in
the countenance of Smudge, who seemed to experience some sensation a
little akin to satisfaction.

"I rather think he had taken it into his head we were about to desert
the coppers," I remarked, "and fancied he might lose his supper. Now,
he must see we are going back, he probably fancies he will go to bed
on a full stomach."

Marble assented to the probability of this conjecture, and the
conversation changed. It was matter of surprise to us that we had met
no traces of anything like a residence near the creek, not the
smallest sign of man having been discovered by either. It was
reasonable to expect that some traces of an encampment, at least,
would have been found. Everybody kept a vigilant look-out at the
shore as we descended the creek; but, as on the ascent, not even a
foot-print was detected.

On reaching the bay, there being still several hours of day-light, we
made its entire circuit, finding nowhere any proof of the former
presence of man. At length, Marble proposed pulling to the small
wooded island that lay a little without the entrance of the haven,
suggesting that it was possible the savages might have something like
an encampment there, the place being more convenient as a look-out
into the offing, than any point within the bay itself. In order to do
this, it was necessary to pass the ship; and we were hailed by the
captain, who wished to know the result of our examinations. As soon as
he learned our present object, he told us to come alongside, intending
to accompany us to the island in person. On getting into the boat,
which was small and a little crowded by the presence of Smudge,
Captain Williams made a sign for that personage to quit the yawl. He
might as well have intimated as much to one of the thwarts! Laughing
at the savage's stupidity, or obstinacy, we scarce knew which to term
it, the boat was shoved off, and we pulled through the entrance, two
hundred yards outside perhaps, until our keel grated against the low
rocks of this islet.

There was no difficulty in landing; and Neb, who preceded the party,
soon gave a shout, the proof that he had made some discovery. Every
man among us now looked to his arms, expecting to meet an encampment
of savages; but we were disappointed. All that the negro had
discovered were the unequivocal traces of a former bivouac; and,
judging from a few of the signs, that of no very recent
occupation. The traces were extensive, covering quite half of the
interior of the island; leaving an extensive curtain of trees and
bushes, however, so as completely to conceal the spot from any eyes
without. Most of the trees had been burnt down, as we at first
thought, in order to obtain fuel; but, farther examination satisfied
us, that it had been done as much by accident, as by design.

At first, nothing was discovered in this encampment, which had every
appearance of not having been extensively used for years, though the
traces of numerous fires, and the signs of footsteps, and a spring in
the centre, indicated the recent occupation, of which I have just
spoken. A little further scrutiny, however, brought to light certain
objects that we did not note without much wonder and concern. Marble
made the first discovery. It was impossible for seamen to mistake the
object, which was the head of a rudder, containing the tiller-hole,
and which might have belonged to a vessel of some two hundred and
fifty, or three hundred tons. This set all hands of us at work, and,
in a few minutes we found, scattered about, fragments of plank,
top-timbers, floor-timbers, and other portions of a ship, all more or
less burnt, and stripped of every particle of metal. Even the nails
had been drawn by means of perseverance and labour. Nothing was left
but the wood, which proved to be live-oak, cedar and locust, the
proofs that the unfortunate craft had been a vessel of some value. We
wanted no assurance of this, however, as none but a North-West trader
could well have got as high up the coast, and all vessels of that
class were of the best description. Then the locust, a wood unknown to
the ship-builders of Europe, gave us the nearly certain assurance that
this doomed craft had been a countryman.

At first, we were all too much occupied with our interesting discovery
to bethink us of Smudge. At length, I turned to observe its effect on
the savage. He evidently noted our proceedings; but his feelings, if
the creature had any, were so deeply buried beneath the mask of
dullness, as completely to foil my penetration. He saw us take up
fragment after fragment, examine them, heard us converse over them,
though in a language he could not understand, and saw us throw them
away, one after another, with seemingly equal indifference. At length
he brought a half-burned billet to the captain, and held it before his
eyes, as if he began to feel some interest in our proceedings. It
proved to be merely a bit of ordinary wood, a fragment of one of the
beeches of the forest that lay near an extinguished pile; and the act
satisfied us all, the fellow did not comprehend the reason of the
interest we betrayed. He clearly knew nothing of the strange vessel.