After we had got them all down, we were obliged to
take them on our heads, and walk over the stones, and through the
water, to the boat. The water and the stones together would wear out a
pair of shoes a day, and as shoes were very scarce and very dear, we
were compelled to go barefooted. At night, we went on board, having
had the hardest and most disagreeable day's work that we had yet
experienced. For several days, we were employed in this manner,
until we had landed forty or fifty tons of goods, and brought on board
about two thousand hides; when the trade began to slacken, and we were
kept at work, on board, during the latter part of the week, either
in the hold or upon the rigging. On Thursday night, there was a
violent blow from the northward, but as this was offshore, we had only
to let go our other anchor and hold on. We were called up at night
to send down the royal-yards. It was as dark as a pocket, and the
vessel pitching at her anchors. I went up to the fore, and my friend
S---, to the main, and we soon had them down "ship-shape and Bristol
fashion;" for, as we had now got used to our duty aloft, everything
above the cross-trees was left to us, who were the youngest of the
crew, except one boy.
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