‘injin,’ as it is usually termed in American
parlance, an entire barrel of pickled cucumbers, another
about half full of cabbage preserved in the same way,
and an entire barrel of molasses. In addition,
there was a cask of whiskey, a little wine and brandy
to be used medicinally, sugar, brown, whitey-brown
and browny-white, and a pretty fair allowance of tea
and coffee; the former being a Hyson-skin, and the
latter San Domingo of no very high quality. Most
of these articles were transported from the wreck
to the house, in the course of the few days that succeeded,
though Daggett insisted on a certain portion of the
supplies being left in his stranded craft. Not
until this was done would Roswell listen to any proposal
of Daggett’s to transfer the skins. Twice
during these few days, indeed, did the Vineyard master
come to a pause in his proceedings, as the weather
grew milder, and gleams of a hope of being able yet
to get away that season crossed his mind. On
the last of these occasions of misgiving, Roswell
was compelled to lead his brother master up on the
plain of the island, to an elevation of some three
hundred feet above the level of the ocean, and more
than half that distance higher than the house, and
point out to him a panorama of field-ice that the
eye could not command. Until that vast plain
opened, or became riven by the joint action of the
agitated ocean and the warmth of a sun from which the
rays did not glance away from the frozen surface,
like light obliquely received, and as obliquely reflected
from a mirror, it was useless to think of releasing
even the uninjured vessel; much less that which lay
riven and crushed on the rocks.
“Were every cake of this ice melted into water,
Daggett,” Roswell continued, “it would
not float off your schooner. The best supplied
ship-yard in America could hardly furnish the materials
for ways to launch her; and I never knew of a vessel’s
being dropped into the water some twenty feet nearly
perpendicular.”
“I don’t know that,” answered Daggett,
stoutly. “See what they’re doing
now-a-days, and think nothing of it. I have seen
a whole row of brick houses turned round by the use
of jack-screws; and one building actually taken down
a hill much higher than the distance you name.
Commodore Rodgers has just hauled a heavy frigate
out of the water, and means to put her back again,
when he has done with her. What has been done
once can be done twice. I do not like giving
up ’till I’m forced to it.”
“That is plain enough, Captain Daggett,”
returned Roswell, smiling. “That you are
game, no one can deny; but it will all come to nothing.
Neither Commodore Rodgers nor Commodore anybody else
could put your craft into the water again without
something to do it with.”
“You think it would be asking too much to take
your schooner, and go across to the main next season
a’ter timber to make ways?” put in Daggett,
inquiringly. “She stands up like a church,
and nothing would be easier than to lay down ways
under her bottom.”