Coming aboard, we hoisted up all the boats, and, diving down into the forecastle, changed our wet clothes, and got our supper.  After supper the sailors lighted their pipes (cigars, those of us who had them), and we had to tell all we had seen ashore.  Then followed conjectures about the people ashore, the length of the voyage, carrying hides, &c., &c., until eight bells, when all hands were called aft, and the ``anchor watch’’ set.  We were to stand two in a watch, and, as the nights were pretty long, two hours were to make a watch.  The second mate was to keep the deck until eight o’clock, all hands were to be called at daybreak, and the word was passed to keep a bright lookout, and to call the mate if it should come on to blow from the southeast.  We had, also, orders to strike the bells every half-hour through the night, as at sea.  My watchmate was John, the Swedish sailor, and we stood from twelve to two, he walking the larboard side and I the starboard.  At daylight all hands were called, and we went through the usual process of washing down, swabbing, &c., and got breakfast at eight o’clock.  In the course of the forenoon, a boat went aboard of the Ayacucho and brought off a quarter of beef, which made us a fresh bite for dinner.  This we were glad enough to have, and the mate told us that we should live upon fresh beef while we were on the coast, as it was cheaper here than the salt.  While at dinner, the cook called ``Sail ho!’’ and, coming on deck, we saw two sails bearing round the point.  One was a large ship under top-gallant sails, and the other a small hermaphrodite brig.  They both backed their topsails and sent boats aboard of us.  The ship’s colors had puzzled us, and we found that she was from Genoa, with an assorted cargo, and was trading on the coast.  She filled away again, and stood out, being bound up the coast to San Francisco.  The crew of the brig’s boat were Sandwich-Islanders, but one of them, who spoke a little English, told us that she was the Loriotte, Captain Nye, from Oahu, and was engaged in the hide and tallow trade.  She was a lump of a thing, what the sailors call a butter-box.  This vessel, as well as the Ayacucho, and others which we afterwards saw engaged in the same trade, have English or Americans for officers, and two or three before the mast to do the work upon the rigging, and to be relied upon for seamanship, while the rest of the crew are Sandwich-Islanders, who are active and very useful in boating.

The three captains went ashore after dinner, and came off again at night.  When in port, everything is attended to by the chief mate; the captain, unless he is also supercargo, has little to do, and is usually ashore much of his time.  This we thought would be pleasanter for us, as the mate was a good-natured man, and not very strict.  So it was for a time, but we were worse off in the end; for wherever the captain is a severe, energetic man, and the mate has neither of these qualities, there will always be trouble.