This was all in the day's work and happened at the island of Santa Maria, not far from Juan Fernandez, where Captain Delano's Perseverance found the high-pooped Tryal in a desperate state.
Spanish sailors who had survived the massacre were leaping overboard or scrambling up to the mastheads while the African savages capered on deck and flourished their weapons.Captain Delano liked neither the Spaniard nor the slavetrade, but it was his duty to help fellow seamen in distress; so he cleared for action and ordered two boats away to attend to the matter.The chief mate, Rufus Low, was in charge, and a gallant sailor he showed himself.They had to climb the high sides of the Tryal and carry, in hand-to-hand conflict, the barricades of water-casks and bales of matting which the slaves had built across the deck.
There was no hanging back, and even a mite of a midshipman from Boston pranced into it with his dirk.The negroes were well armed and fought ferociously.The mate was seriously wounded, four seamen were stabbed, the Spanish first mate had two musket balls in him, and a passenger was killed in the fray.
Having driven the slaves below and battened them down, the American party returned next morning to put the irons on them.Ahorrid sight confronted them.Thirsting for vengeance, the Spanish sailors had spread-eagled several of the negroes to ringbolts in the deck and were shaving the living flesh from them with razor-edged boarding lances.Captain Delano thereupon disarmed these brutes and locked them up in their turn, taking possession of the ship until he could restore order.The sequel was that he received the august thanks of the Viceroy of Chili and a gold medal from His Catholic Majesty.As was the custom, the guilty slaves, poor wretches, were condemned to be dragged to the gibbet at the tails of mules, to be hanged, their bodies burned, and their heads stuck upon poles in the plaza.
It was while in this Chilean port of Talcahuano that Amasa Delano heard the tale of the British whaler which had sailed just before his arrival.He tells it so well that I am tempted to quote it as a generous tribute to a sailor of a rival race.After all, they were sprung from a common stock and blood was thicker than water.
Besides, it is the sort of yarn that ought to be dragged to the light of day from its musty burial between the covers of Delano's rare and ancient "Voyages and Travels."The whaler Betsy, it seems, went in and anchored under the guns of the forts to seek provisions and make repairs.The captain went ashore to interview the officials, leaving word that no Spaniards should be allowed to come aboard because of the bad feeling against the English.Three or four large boats filled with troops presently veered alongside and were ordered to keep clear.This command was resented, and the troops opened fire, followed by the forts.Now for the deed of a man with his two feet under him.
"The chief officer of the Betsy whose name was Hudson, a man of extraordinary bravery, cut his cable and his ship swung the wrong way, with her head in shore, passing close to several Spanish ships which, with every vessel in the harbor that could bring a gun to bear, together with three hundred soldiers in boats and on ship's decks and the two batteries, all kept up a constant fire on him.The wind was light, nearly a calm.The shot flew so thick that it was difficult for him to make sail, some part of the rigging being cut away every minute.
