We continued at work in this manner until the lower hold was
filled to within four feet of the beams, when all hands were called
aboard to commence steeving. As this is a peculiar operation, it
will require a minute description.
Before stowing the hides, as I have said, the ballast is levelled
off, just above the keelson, and then loose dunnage placed upon it, on
which the hides rest. The greatest care is used in stowing, to make
the ship hold as many hides as possible. It is no mean art, and a
man skilled in it is an important character in California. Many a
dispute have I heard raging high between professed "beach-combers," as
to whether the hides should be stowed "shingling," or back-to-back,
and flipper-to-flipper;" upon which point there was an entire and
bitter division of sentiment among the savans. We adopted each
method at different periods of the stowing, and parties ran high in
the forecastle, some siding with "old Bill" in favor of the former,
and others scouting him, and relying upon "English Bob" of the
Ayacucho, who had been eight years in California, and was willing to
risk his life and limb for the latter method.
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