Tales of the New World by Sabina Murray

Author:Sabina Murray
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Grove Atlantic

Coffin supervised the bathing of the castaways, who turned out to be none other than Captain George Pollard and Charles Ramsdell of the Essex out of Nantucket. Somewhere, out there in the blue wash of sea, was another boat with the first mate, Owen Chase, and a few other men. A third boat was also making its way to Chile, but they had lost sight of that one long ago. On an island deep to the west, three other sailors had elected to cast their lot (or decided to avoid casting their lot) trying to eke out a life on the occasional albatross egg. Pollard was eager to tell his tale, but Coffin had been firm. Rest first, then maybe later, if Pollard was up to it, he would join Coffin in his cabin, where he could tell of his ordeal.

At about five o’clock that afternoon, another ship was sighted, the Diana. Coffin knew the captain, Aaron Paddack, and it was soon arranged for Paddack to come aboard for dinner.

Coffin met Paddack’s boat as it pulled up to the side of the Dauphin. “Coffin, you look good!” Paddack called as the ladder rattled down the Dauphin’s side. “And I’m done, on my way home with the hold filled to the brim. So I have a gift for you.” Paddack swung his long legs over the railing and handed Coffin a cloth bag. “Tobacco, and smell it.”

“How kind,” said Coffin. He inhaled the contents of the bag. “Damp and sweet. And you look well. How I wish I was heading home.” But really, he wished nothing of the sort. “Come and have a drink with me,” he said. And after a hearty handshake, they made their way to the captain’s cabin.

Coffin wasted no time telling Paddack about the men of Essex. “If Captain Pollard’s up to it, he’ll join us shortly. But I must say, he presents a frightful appearance. Quite wasted, and I’m not sure, but verging on the mad.”

“What happened to the Essex?”

“He says a whale sank it. Smashed into the boat and crumpled the timbers. I’ve never heard anything like it, but he swears it happened, as does the other man. They’ve been afloat for three months, have navigated over three thousand miles.”

“And how have they survived?”

“Their boat was filled with bones. We had to pry them out of their hands. When we gave them clean clothes, we found their pockets filled with fingers cleaned of all the meat. And the ribs, they were sucking, to get the marrow out. When we took these bones away, the men started sobbing, begged us to give them back their companions. They said we’d no right to take their friends away.”

The steward set some pork on the table and the captains grew still.

“How are our guests faring?” asked Captain Coffin.

“Captain Pollard is eager to join you, sir.”

“Well,” said Coffin, and he stood up. He went to his chest and pulled out a clean shirt and a pair of trousers. “Give him these.

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