Some of the crews of the vessels are obliged to go and come in
the boats, to look out for the hides and goods. These are favorite
expeditions with the sailors, in fine weather; but now to be gone
three or four days, in open boats, in constant rain, without any
shelter, and with cold food, was hard service. Two of our men went
up to Santa Clara in one of these boats, and were gone three days,
during all which time they had a constant rain, and did not sleep a
wink, but passed three long nights, walking fore and aft the boat,
in the open air. When they got on board, they were completely
exhausted, and took a watch below of twelve hours. All the hides, too,
that came down in the boats, were soaked with water, and unfit to
put below, so that we were obliged to trice them up to dry, in the
intervals of sunshine or wind, upon all parts of the vessel. We got up
tricing-lines from the jib-boom-end to each arm of the fore yard,
and thence to the main and cross-jack yard-arms. Between the tops,
too, and the mast-heads, from the fore to the main swifters, and
thence to the mizen rigging, and in all directions athwartships,
tricing-lines were run, and strung with hides.
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