Richard Henry Dana

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

Two Years Before the Mast — Chapter XVII

Summary

“Two Years Before the Mast — Chapter XVII”, is a work by Richard Henry Dana. It explores elements such as hides, San Diego and Lagoda.

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

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

“ It signifies a skulk, a sherk,—one who is always trying to get clear of work, and is out of the way, or hanging back, when duty is to be done. “Marine” is the term applied more particularly to a man who is ignorant and clumsy about seaman’s work—a greenhorn—a land-lubber. To make a sailor shoulder a handspike, and walk fore and aft the deck, like a sentry, is the most ignominious punishment that could be put upon him. Such a punishment inflicted upon an able seaman in a vessel of war, would break his spirit down more than a flogging. ”

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Source: Wikisource

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

“ The pig squealed like the “crack of doom,” and tears stood in the poor darky’s eyes; and he muttered something about having no pity on a dumb beast. “Dumb beast!” said Jack; “if she’s what you call a dumb beast, then my eyes a’n’t mates.” ”

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Source: Wikisource

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

“ For landing and taking on board hides, San Diego is decidedly the best place in California. The harbor is small and land-locked; there is no surf; the vessels lie within a cable’s length of the beach; and the beach itself is smooth, hard sand, without rocks or stones. For these reasons, it is used by all the vessels in the trade, as a depot; and, indeed, it would be impossible, when loading with the cured hides for the passage home, to take them on board at any of the open ports, without getting them wet in the surf, which would spoil them. ”

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Source: Wikisource

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

“ With this diminished and discontented crew, and in a small vessel, we were now to battle the watch through a couple of years of hard service; yet there was not one who was not glad that F—— had escaped; for, shiftless and good for nothing as he was, no one could wish to see him dragging on a miserable life, cowed down and disheartened; and we were all rejoiced to hear, upon our return to San Diego, about two months afterwards, that he had been immediately taken aboard the Lagoda, and went home in her, on regular seaman’s wages. ”

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Source: Wikisource

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

“ Several of us wrote letters to send home by the Lagoda. At twelve o’clock the Ayacucho dropped her fore topsail, which was a signal for her sailing. She unmoored and warped down into the bight, from which she got under way. During this operation, her crew were a long time heaving at the windlass, and I listened for nearly an hour to the musical notes of a Sandwich Islander, called Mahannah, who “sang out” for them. Sailors, when heaving at a windlass, in order that they may heave together, always have one to sing out ”

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Source: Wikisource

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

“ Having shipped for an officer when he was not half a seaman, he found little pity with the crew, and was not man enough to hold his ground among them. The captain called him a “soger,” [1] and promised to “ride him down as he would the main tack;” and when officers are once determined to “ride a man down,” it is a gone case with him. He had had several difficulties with the captain, and asked leave to go home in the Lagoda; but this was refused him. One night he was insolent to an officer on the beach, and refused to come aboard in the boat. He was reported to the captain ”

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Source: Wikisource

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

“ It was built to hold forty thousand hides, and we had the pleasing prospect of filling it before we could leave the coast; and toward this, our thirty-five hundred, which we brought down with us, would do but little. There was not a man on board who did not go a dozen times into the house, and look round, and make some calculation of the time it would require. ”

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Source: Wikisource

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

“ The hides, as they come rough and uncured from the vessels, are piled up outside of the houses, whence they are taken and carried through a regular process of pickling, drying, cleaning, etc., and stowed away in the house, ready to be put on board. ”

Richard Henry Dana

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

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