MARK TWAIN

to Smith because he is seasick and we have piled our
wines, books and small traps in the upper one.

I don't know what time it is—my watch is run down—
I think it is 7 bells in the 3rd watch but I am not certain,
the wind may have blown away one tap of the bell—
we hear it very faintly away up here, anyway.

Thursday 2oth. At noon, 5 clays out from San Fran-
cisco abreast a high stretch of land at foot of Magdalena
Bay. Capt. came and said: "Come out here" (we had
just got into warm weather and covered the whole after
part of the vessel with awnings, making it extremely cool
and shady). "1 want to show you something'1—Took the
marine glass—Whaleship at anchor under the bluffs—
one listed and hoisting vast mass of blubber aboard. Capt.
said: "Now tonight they'll try it out on deck and it will
look like a whole ship on fire. The first time 1 ever saw
it was in '50$—I came along here just after dark—saw a
ship on fire, apparently—I didn't know the country—
didn't dare to go in there with the ship, so 1 sent a boat
crew and said, Tull for your lives, d'n you, and tell the
captain I'll lay here for a week and send him all the
assistance I can and then carry his people to San Fran-
cisco.' Well, we laid to, and waited and waited—all the
passengers on deck and anxious for boat to come back
and report,—but 10 o'clock no boat,—11 o'clock no boat—
passengers began to get tired and sidle off to bed,—12
o'clock no boat—every passenger gave up and went below
except one old woman, she stuck it out and never took her
eyes off the fire.

"By and by, at 12:30, back the boat come, and I and
the old woman crowded to the lee rail to see and hear it
all—couldn't see any extra men. The officer of the boat
stepped on deck and lifted his hat and says: The captain
of the ship sends great gratification—great obligations
and thanks you for your trouble and good intention, but

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