Richard Henry Dana

Name: Two Years Before the Mast — Chapter IX
Author: Richard Henry Dana

Summary

“Two Years Before the Mast — Chapter IX”, is a work by Richard Henry Dana. It explores elements such as oars, mate and beach.

Quotes from Two Years Before the Mast — Chapter IX (Richard Henry Dana)

Richard Henry Dana, Two Years Before the Mast — Chapter IX

“ I shall never forget the impression which our first landing on the beach of California made upon me. The sun had just gone down; it was getting dusky; the damp night wind was beginning to blow, and the heavy swell of the Pacific was setting in, and breaking in loud and high “combers” upon the beach. We lay on our oars in the swell, just outside of the surf, waiting for a good chance to run in, when a boat, which had put off from the Ayacucho just after us, came alongside of us, with a crew of dusky Sandwich Islanders, talking and hallooing in their outlandish tongue. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Richard Henry Dana, Two Years Before the Mast — Chapter IX

“ We were shot up upon the beach like an arrow from a bow, and seizing the boat, ran her up high an dry, and soon picked up our oars, and stood by her, ready for the captain to come down.
Finding that the captain did not come immediately, we put our oars in the boat, and leaving one to watch it, walked about the beach to see what we could, of the place. The beach is nearly a mile in length between the two points, and of smooth sand. We had taken the only good landing-place, which is in the middle; it being more stony toward the ends. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Richard Henry Dana, Two Years Before the Mast — Chapter IX

“ Finding, at length, how matters stood, they gave a shout, and taking advantage of a great comber which came swelling in, rearing its head, and lifting up the stern of our boat nearly perpendicular, and again dropping it in the trough, they gave three or four long and strong pulls, and went in on top of the great wave, throwing their oars overboard, and as far from the boat as they could throw them, and jumping out the instant that the boat touched the beach, and then seizing hold of her and running her up high and dry upon the sand. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Richard Henry Dana, Two Years Before the Mast — Chapter IX

“ Upper California has the seat of its government at Monterey, where is also the custom-house, the only one on the coast, and at which every vessel intending to trade on the coast must enter its cargo before it can commence its traffic. We were to trade upon this coast exclusively, and therefore expected to go to Monterey at first; but the captain’s orders from home were to put in at Santa Barbara, which is the central port of the coast, and wait there for the agent who lives there, and transacts all the business for the firm to which our vessel belonged. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Richard Henry Dana, Two Years Before the Mast — Chapter IX

“ The only thing which diminishes its beauty is, that the hills have no large trees upon them, they having been all burnt by a great fire which swept them off about a dozen years before, and they had not yet grown up again. The fire was described to me by an inhabitant, as having been a very terrible and magnificent sight. The air of the whole valley was so heated that the people were obliged to leave the town and take up their quarters for several days upon the beach.
Just before sundown the mate ordered a boat’s crew ashore, and I went as one of the number. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Richard Henry Dana, Two Years Before the Mast — Chapter IX

“ The large bay lay about us, nearly smooth, as there was hardly a breath of wind stirring, though the boat’s crew who went ashore told us that the long ground swell broke into a heavy surf on the beach. There was only one vessel in the port—a long, sharp brig of about 300 tons, with raking masts and very square yards, and English colors at her peak. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Richard Henry Dana, Two Years Before the Mast — Chapter IX

“ When in port, everything is attended to by the chief mate; the captain, unless he is also supercargo, has little to do, and is usually ashore much of his time. This we thought would be pleasanter for us, as the mate was good-natured man and not very strict. So it was for a time, but we were worse off in the end; for wherever the captain is a severe, energetic man, and the mate is wanting in both these qualities, there will always be trouble. And trouble we had already begun to anticipate. The captain had several times found fault with the mate, in presence of the crew ”

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Source: Wikisource

Richard Henry Dana, Two Years Before the Mast — Chapter IX

“ The two men at the bows kept their places; and when, at length, a large sea came in and floated her seized hold of the gunwales, and ran out with her till they were up to their armpits, and then tumbled over the gunwale into the bows, dripping with water. The men at the oars struck out, but it wouldn’t do; the sea swept back and left them nearly high and dry. ”

Richard Henry Dana

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