Here were oysterseight and nine inches long, and millions of bushels of them. We gathered a quantity in the boat, and when the water would permit, returned to the ship, with the news of our discovery. Next day, half the ship's company and officers had a picnic on this immense oyster bed. Large fires were kindled all over the place, and roasted oysters were the order of the day, and on the folloiving day the other half went on shore: so we all had a good tuck out of oysters. Mr. Percival had succeeded in finding Tumbez, but could not obtain anything eatable except oranges. He arrived however, rather too late for the great oyster supper. We sailed from this place for Payta, but could get neither provisions nor water there, so we sailed again for Valparaiso, as there was no prospect of getting supplies until we reached there.
After the whiskey was gone, our ship appeared like a heaven, compared to what she had usually been before. There were always some poor fellows in the brig * and the cause of their confinement in almost every case was whiskey, and as often as twice a week all hands were called to witness punishment, at which time the prisoners were brought up, * The place of confinement near the galley and under the charge of a sentinel. and received, according to the nature of the crime, as many lashes as the captain thought proper to inflict. But now all is hushed, no quarrelling on the berth deck after the hammocks are piped down, not a man flogged for missing his muster, the lion had become the lamb.
No insolence to officers, the metamorphosis was complete. It needed to be witnessed in order to be appreciated, and the effect of this accidental, though fortunate privation, was more visibly manifested in one unfortunate young man, than upon any other that came immediately under my notice. He was the eldest son of a highly respectable clergyman, who had preached for many years in a town near Boston. William N — — n had been educated at college and had studied for the ministry; he became addicted to ardent spirits, and it grew npon him so rapidly that he was soon known as a drunkard. His repeated intoxication truly brought the gray hairs of his too indulgent father, with sorrow to the grave.
William, now an abandoned inebriate, went off, entered the United States service, as a mariner, (sea soldier) and commenced his first term of service on board the Macedonian. It happened that he hung his hammock, or his number was near my state-room door, on the berth deck. I had not been long on board the ship, before I became acquainted with his history, and was somewhat acquainted with his venerable father, and his younger brother. Many a time have I sat by his side, while he was raving drunk, and even when his brains were fairly soaked in whiskey, his language was beautiful; and when he had become sober, would bitterly lament his thirst for rum. He would sob and cry like a child.
1 have seen an officer, as a punishment, turn down the throat of this poor fellow, a half pint of lamp oil. He had been whipped at the gangway, kicked and knocked about like a dog, but all to no purpose. Whiskey had usurped the intellectual empire, and what might have been a brilliant mind, was doomed to be a blank. • William X n was now clothed and in his right mind: his conversation showed deep contrition. But alas! it was only for a short time. The evil spirit had truly left him walking through dry places, seeking rest, and finding none. His mind had "become swept and garnished, only for a brief interval. Very soon seven other spirits more wicked than the first, were to enter, and the last state of this man, may be worse than the first.
I employed every argument in my power, to dissuade him from drinking any more whiskey when it should again be served as a ration — but he was too far gone to give it up now; he had been disgraced, publicly whipped, and now what had he to live for. Poor young man! Reader, this is no fiction, and if you are a grog drinker, your end may be like his. There were many more individual cases, where men who were before quarrelsome and insolent, now became really amiable, and I do not believe a more wonderful change was ever made anions the same number of men in so short a time, as was wrought among the creAv of the Macedonian, for the ninety-two days in which there was no whiskey.