The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym

Chapter 7

JULY 10. Spoke a brig from Rio, bound to Norfolk. Weather hazy,

with a light baffling wind from the eastward. To-day Hartman Rogers

died, having been attacked on the eighth with spasms after drinking a

glass of grog. This man was of the cook's party, and one upon whom

Peters placed his main reliance. He told Augustus that he believed

the mate had poisoned him, and that he expected, if he did not be on

the look-out, his own turn would come shortly. There were now only

himself, Jones, and the cook belonging to his own gang- on the other

side there were five. He had spoken to Jones about taking the command

from the mate; but the project having been coolly received, he had

been deterred from pressing the matter any further, or from saying

any thing to the cook. It was well, as it happened, that he was so

prudent, for in the afternoon the cook expressed his determination of

siding with the mate, and went over formally to that party; while

Jones took an opportunity of quarrelling with Peters, and hinted that

he would let the mate know of the plan in agitation. There was now,

evidently, no time to be lost, and Peters expressed his determination

of attempting to take the vessel at all hazards, provided Augustus

would lend him his aid. My friend at once assured him of his

willingness to enter into any plan for that purpose, and, thinking

the opportunity a favourable one, made known the fact of my being on

board. At this the hybrid was not more astonished than delighted, as

he had no reliance whatever upon Jones, whom he already considered as

belonging to the party of the mate. They went below immediately, when

Augustus called to me by name, and Peters and myself were soon made

acquainted. It was agreed that we should attempt to retake the vessel

upon the first good opportunity, leaving Jones altogether out of our

councils. In the event of success, we were to run the brig into the

first port that offered, and deliver her up. The desertion of his

party had frustrated Peters' design of going into the Pacific- an

adventure which could not be accomplished without a crew, and he

depended upon either getting acquitted upon trial, on the score of

insanity (which he solemnly avowed had actuated him in lending his

aid to the mutiny), or upon obtaining a pardon, if found guilty,

through the representations of Augustus and myself. Our deliberations

were interrupted for the present by the cry of, "All hands take in

sail," and Peters and Augustus ran up on deck.

As usual, the crew were nearly all drunk; and, before sail could

be properly taken in, a violent squall laid the brig on her

beam-ends. By keeping her away, however, she righted, having shipped

a good deal of water. Scarcely was everything secure, when another

squall took the vessel, and immediately afterward another- no damage

being done. There was every appearance of a gale of wind, which,

indeed, shortly came on, with great fury, from the northward and

westward. All was made as snug as possible, and we laid-to, as usual,

under a close-reefed foresail. As night drew on, the wind increased

in violence, with a remarkably heavy sea. Peters now came into the

forecastle with Augustus, and we resumed our deliberations.

We agreed that no opportunity could be more favourable than the

present for carrying our designs into effect, as an attempt at such a

moment would never be anticipated. As the brig was snugly laid-to,

there would be no necessity of manoeuvring her until good weather,

when, if we succeeded in our attempt, we might liberate one, or

perhaps two of the men, to aid us in taking her into port. The main

difficulty was the great disproportion in our forces. There were only

three of us, and in the cabin there were nine. All the arms on board,

too, were in their possession, with the exception of a pair of small

pistols which Peters had concealed about his person, and the large

seaman's knife which he always wore in the waistband of his

pantaloons. From certain indications, too- such, for example, as

there being no such thing as an axe or a handspike lying in their

customary places -- we began to fear that the mate had his

suspicions, at least in regard to Peters, and that he would let slip

no opportunity of getting rid of him. It was clear, indeed, that what

we should determine to do could not be done too soon. Still the odds

were too much against us to allow of our proceeding without the

greatest caution.

Peters proposed that he should go up on deck, and enter into

conversation with the watch (Allen), when he would be able to throw

him into the sea without trouble, and without making any disturbance,

by seizing a good opportunity, that Augustus and myself should then

come up, and endeavour to provide ourselves with some kind of weapons

from the deck, and that we should then make a rush together, and

secure the companion-way before any opposition could be offered. I

objected to this, because I could not believe that the mate (who was

a cunning fellow in all matters which did not affect his

superstitious prejudices) would suffer himself to be so easily

entrapped. The very fact of there being a watch on deck at all was

sufficient proof that he was upon the alert,- it not being usual

except in vessels where discipline is most rigidly enforced, to

station a watch on deck when a vessel is lying-to in a gale of wind.

As I address myself principally, if not altogether, to persons who

have never been to sea, it may be as well to state the exact

condition of a vessel under such circumstances. Lying-to, or, in

sea-parlance, "laying-to," is a measure resorted to for various

purposes, and effected in various manners. In moderate weather it is

frequently done with a view of merely bringing the vessel to a

stand-still, to wait for another vessel or any similar object. If the

vessel which lies-to is under full sail, the manoeuvre is usually

accomplished by throwing round some portion of her sails, so as to

let the wind take them aback, when she becomes stationary. But we are

now speaking of lying-to in a gale of wind. This is done when the

wind is ahead, and too violent to admit of carrying sail without

danger of capsizing; and sometimes even when the wind is fair, but

the sea too heavy for the vessel to be put before it. If a vessel be

suffered to scud before the wind in a very heavy sea, much damage is

usually done her by the shipping of water over her stern, and

sometimes by the violent plunges she makes forward. This manoeuvre,

then, is seldom resorted to in such case, unless through necessity.

When the vessel is in a leaky condition she is often put before the

wind even in the heaviest seas; for, when lying-to, her seams are

sure to be greatly opened by her violent straining, and it is not so

much the case when scudding. Often, too, it becomes necessary to scud

a vessel, either when the blast is so exceedingly furious as to tear

in pieces the sail which is employed with a view of bringing her head

to the wind, or when, through the false modelling of the frame or

other causes, this main object cannot be effected.

Vessels in a gale of wind are laid-to in different manners,

according to their peculiar construction. Some lie-to best under a

foresail, and this, I believe, is the sail most usually employed.

Large square-rigged vessels have sails for the express purpose,

called storm-staysails. But the jib is occasionally employed by

itself, -- sometimes the jib and foresail, or a double-reefed

foresail, and not unfrequently the after-sails, are made use of.

Foretopsails are very often found to answer the purpose better than

any other species of sail. The Grampus was generally laid-to under a

close-reefed foresail.

When a vessel is to be laid-to, her head is brought up to the

wind just so nearly as to fill the sail under which she lies when

hauled flat aft, that is, when brought diagonally across the vessel.

This being done, the bows point within a few degrees of the direction

from which the wind issues, and the windward bow of course receives

the shock of the waves. In this situation a good vessel will ride out

a very heavy gale of wind without shipping a drop of water, and

without any further attention being requisite on the part of the

crew. The helm is usually lashed down, but this is altogether

unnecessary (except on account of the noise it makes when loose), for

the rudder has no effect upon the vessel when lying-to. Indeed, the

helm had far better be left loose than lashed very fast, for the

rudder is apt to be torn off by heavy seas if there be no room for

the helm to play. As long as the sail holds, a well modelled vessel

will maintain her situation, and ride every sea, as if instinct with

life and reason. If the violence of the wind, however, should tear

the sail into pieces (a feat which it requires a perfect hurricane to

accomplish under ordinary circumstances), there is then imminent

danger. The vessel falls off from the wind, and, coming broadside to

the sea, is completely at its mercy: the only resource in this case

is to put her quietly before the wind, letting her scud until some

other sail can be set. Some vessels will lie-to under no sail

whatever, but such are not to be trusted at sea.

But to return from this digression. It had never been customary

with the mate to have any watch on deck when lying-to in a gale of

wind, and the fact that he had now one, coupled with the circumstance

of the missing axes and handspikes, fully convinced us that the crew

were too well on the watch to be taken by surprise in the manner

Peters had suggested. Something, however, was to be done, and that

with as little delay as practicable, for there could be no doubt that

a suspicion having been once entertained against Peters, he would be

sacrificed upon the earliest occasion, and one would certainly be

either found or made upon the breaking of the gale.

Augustus now suggested that if Peters could contrive to remove,

under any pretext, the piece of chain-cable which lay over the trap

in the stateroom, we might possibly be able to come upon them

unawares by means of the hold; but a little reflection convinced us

that the vessel rolled and pitched too violently for any attempt of

that nature.

By good fortune I at length hit upon the idea of working upon the

superstitious terrors and guilty conscience of the mate. It will be

remembered that one of the crew, Hartman Rogers, had died during the

morning, having been attacked two days before with spasms after

drinking some spirits and water. Peters had expressed to us his

opinion that this man had been poisoned by the mate, and for this

belief he had reasons, so he said, which were incontrovertible, but

which he could not be prevailed upon to explain to us- this wayward

refusal being only in keeping with other points of his singular

character. But whether or not he had any better grounds for

suspecting the mate than we had ourselves, we were easily led to fall

in with his suspicion, and determined to act accordingly.

Rogers had died about eleven in the forenoon, in violent

convulsions; and the corpse presented in a few minutes after death

one of the most horrid and loathsome spectacles I ever remember to

have seen. The stomach was swollen immensely, like that of a man who

has been drowned and lain under water for many weeks. The hands were

in the same condition, while the face was shrunken, shrivelled, and

of a chalky whiteness, except where relieved by two or three glaring

red blotches like those occasioned by the erysipelas: one of these

blotches extended diagonally across the face, completely covering up

an eye as if with a band of red velvet. In this disgusting condition

the body had been brought up from the cabin at noon to be thrown

overboard, when the mate getting a glimpse of it (for he now saw it

for the first time), and being either touched with remorse for his

crime or struck with terror at so horrible a sight, ordered the men

to sew the body up in its hammock, and allow it the usual rites of

sea-burial. Having given these directions, he went below, as if to

avoid any further sight of his victim. While preparations were making

to obey his orders, the gale came on with great fury, and the design

was abandoned for the present. The corpse, left to itself, was washed

into the larboard scuppers, where it still lay at the time of which I

speak, floundering about with the furious lurches of the brig.

Having arranged our plan, we set about putting it in execution as

speedily as possible. Peters went upon deck, and, as he had

anticipated, was immediately accosted by Allen, who appeared to be

stationed more as a watch upon the forecastle than for any other

purpose. The fate of this villain, however, was speedily and silently

decided; for Peters, approaching him in a careless manner, as if

about to address him, seized him by the throat, and, before he could

utter a single cry, tossed him over the bulwarks. He then called to

us, and we came up. Our first precaution was to look about for

something with which to arm ourselves, and in doing this we had to

proceed with great care, for it was impossible to stand on deck an

instant without holding fast, and violent seas broke over the vessel

at every plunge forward. It was indispensable, too, that we should be

quick in our operations, for every minute we expected the mate to be

up to set the pumps going, as it was evident the brig must be taking

in water very fast. After searching about for some time, we could

find nothing more fit for our purpose than the two pump-handles, one

of which Augustus took, and I the other. Having secured these, we

stripped off the shirt of the corpse and dropped the body overboard.

Peters and myself then went below, leaving Augustus to watch upon

deck, where he took his station just where Allen had been placed, and

with his back to the cabin companionway, so that, if any of the mates

gang should come up, he might suppose it was the watch.

As soon as I got below I commenced disguising myself so as to

represent the corpse of Rogers. The shirt which we had taken from the

body aided us very much, for it was of singular form and character,

and easily recognizable- a kind of smock, which the deceased wore

over his other clothing. It was a blue stockinett, with large white

stripes running across. Having put this on, I proceeded to equip

myself with a false stomach, in imitation of the horrible deformity

of the swollen corpse. This was soon effected by means of stuffing

with some bedclothes. I then gave the same appearance to my hands by

drawing on a pair of white woollen mittens, and filling them in with

any kind of rags that offered themselves. Peters then arranged my

face, first rubbing it well over with white chalk, and afterward

blotching it with blood, which he took from a cut in his finger. The

streak across the eye was not forgotten and presented a most shocking

appearance.