The boat put directly off again, without giving us
time to ask any more questions, and we were obliged to wait till night,
when we took a little skiff, that lay on the beach, and paddled off.
When I stepped aboard, the second mate called me aft, and gave me a
large bundle, directed to me, and marked "Ship Alert." This was what I
had longed for, yet I refrained from opening it until I went ashore.
Diving down into the forecastle, I found the same old crew, and was
really glad to see them again. Numerous inquiries passed as to the new
ship, the latest news from Boston, etc., etc. S--- had received
letters from home, and nothing remarkable had happened. The Alert
was agreed on all hands to be a fine ship, and a large one: "Larger
than the Rosa"- "Big enough to carry off all the hides in
California"- "Rail as high as a man's head"- "A crack ship"- "A
regular dandy," etc., ect. Captain T--- took command of her, and she
went directly up to Monterey; from thence she was to go to San
Francisco, and probably would not be in San Diego under two or three
months. Some of the Pilgrim's crew found old ship-mates aboard of her,
and spent an hour or two in her forecastle, the evening before she
sailed.
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