Chapter 2 Chapter two

The Vancouver was a Canadian barque with a cargo capacity of five hundred.The boat was chartered and used exclusively to traffic the "Kanak" from the coast of Asia to San Francisco, California. "Kanak" is like Chinese coolies, a kind of immigrants. They voluntarily signed contracts with foreigners to sell their labor, and sold their labor codes to foreigners.One hundred and fifty of these coolies have already boarded the Vancouver. General travelers avoid sailing with these "Canaks" across the Pacific Ocean, because they are people of low social origin, low, rude manners, and strong rebellious tendencies.And Mr. Harry Clifton is an American engineer who has been employed for many years to work on the Heilongjiang estuary project.He had amassed a fortune and was looking for an opportunity to return to his native city of Boston.Because there are few boats from northern China to the United States, the Vancouver arrived on the Asian coast while waiting for the boat in Clifton.Harry Clifton found the captain, and they were both countrymen and friends.So he decided to take his wife, three sons, and a daughter to return to his hometown on the Vancouver.Because he has accumulated quite a lot of wealth, even though he is still young, only forty years old, he does not want to continue working, but plans to return to his hometown to rest.

Mrs. Alisa Clifton, the engineer's wife, had already felt some apprehension and apprehension about the ship carrying the "Carnac", but she did not object to her husband's eagerness to return to America. .In addition, because Mrs. Clifton also thought that the voyage should be said to be not too long, and the captain of the Vancouver is an expert who often sails this route, so her hanging heart was finally at ease.So, she followed her husband, took three sons: Mark, Robert, Jack, and a young daughter Bell, and their dog Fido, boarded the Vancouver together. Captain Harrison, the commander of the ship, is an excellent sailor with rich sailing experience. He is especially aware that there are not many dangers in this route in the Pacific Ocean.Being good friends with the engineer, the captain took such good care of the Cliftons that they were spared the trouble and inconvenience of contact with the "Carnacs" who lived in the hold.

The crew of the Vancouver consisted of twelve sailors of different nationalities who had no relationship with each other.This kind of sailing organization composed of people with very different nationalities is very difficult to avoid unpredictable troubles during the long voyage.As a result, there may often be some disputes and confusion that prevent normal navigation.Among the sailors who worked on this ship were two Irish, three Americans, one French, one Maltese, two Chinese, and three Negroes. On March 14, the Vancouver set sail.For the first few days, the boat service was working normally, but the wind was not very favorable.Although Captain Harrison was flexible in command, because the south wind was too strong, the current drove the ship northward and deviated from the ship's direction.However, this will not bring much danger, but will prolong the voyage a little.However, people have vaguely felt that a real danger is brewing, which is that some sailors have ulterior motives, trying to provoke the "Kanak" to rebel and make trouble.Said to be the ship's second officer, Bob Gordon.Bob Gordon is an extremely sinister rascal. He took advantage of the good intentions of the captain, and they were working together for the first time. The captain fanned the flames and encouraged the "Canaks" to rebel against the weakness he didn't understand, in order to achieve the purpose of hijacking the ship. .There were also numerous altercations and arguments between him and the captain.The captain felt that he had to take some tough measures.Unfortunately, however, unexpected events always bring catastrophic results early.

Indeed, on board the Vancouver, crew insubordination broke out with increasing frequency. The "Kanaks" are also becoming more and more difficult to control.Captain Harrison was left with two Irishmen, three Americans, and a Frenchman.The Frenchman was a brave sailor, almost Americanized by his long residence in America.He was a noble man, born in Picardy, France, named Jean Fantemme, but he preferred to be called Flippe.Flip has traveled the world, he has been everywhere as a human being, and wherever he goes, he always maintains an open-minded, optimistic nature.It was he who reminded Captain Harrison that he should pay attention to the bad tendency on board and take timely and effective measures.But what can one do in such a situation?Isn't it the best policy to be cautious, wait for the tailwind, sail back to San Francisco Bay as soon as possible, and then deal with it?

Harry Clifton also learned of what the second mate was doing, and seeing what the "Kanaks" and certain sailors were trying to do, the engineer became more and more worried.He regretted that he should have risked his family's life by taking the Vancouver, but it was too late. The sinister intention of plotting evil was finally manifested in the form of open defiance.The cause was that on March 23, a Maltese sailor insulted Captain Harrison, who ordered him to be imprisoned.Other sailors at the time did not openly contest this ruling.There was just a lot of talking in a low voice.Flip and an American sailor imprisoned the Maltese.The punishment itself is not a big deal, but after arriving in San Francisco, this kind of disobedience to management will bring serious consequences to the Maltese sailors.No doubt, therefore, the sailor hoped that the Vancouver would never reach San Francisco.

The captain was constantly discussing these difficult issues with the engineer, and he was increasingly worried about it.Harrison had attempted to arrest the second mate as it became apparent that the plotters were attempting to hijack the ship.But the engineer disagreed with him. He said: "The second officer has the support of most of the 'Kanaks'. Locking him up will only lead to riots, and will not help. By then our situation will be even more dangerous." "You're right, Harry," answered the captain. "I can't think of a better way to stop this bastard from making trouble. I think he'd better put a bullet in the head! I'll do it! Oh, if only our ship had a smooth ride now!"

Indeed, there is a strong wind at sea, which always blows the ship out of the channel, and makes the navigation more difficult, burdensome, and tiring.Mrs. Clifton remained in the poop with her two youngest children.Harry Clifton did not tell his wife what had happened on board; he did not wish to exacerbate her needless apprehension. However, the weather at sea turned from bad to worse.The wind blew so hard that the Vancouver could only furl its sails, half-raised the jib and square sails, and sailed slowly against the wind and waves.On March 21st, 22nd, and 23rd, the sun was always covered by dark clouds, and no observations could be made.Captain Harrison had no idea where the wind had driven their ship in the North Pacific.A new crisis has quietly fallen on his overwhelmed body.

On March 25, near noon, the weather cleared a little.The westerly wind began to blow on the sea, which was very favorable for the ship's navigation.The sun had risen, and the captain wanted to take an opportunity to observe, because to the east, a piece of land gradually appeared at a distance of more than thirty nautical miles. A piece of land appeared in the waters of the Pacific Ocean, which was not even marked on the latest map. This really surprised Captain Harrison.Could it be that the ship deviated from its course to the north and reached the latitude of the Aleutian Islands?Verification is required.The captain told the accident to the engineer, who was no less astonished than the captain.

The captain fetched the sextant, went up to the poop again, and waited for the sun to rise to its highest point at noon, so that he could accurately determine the position of this piece of land. It was already 11:50, just as the captain was getting closer to the sextant lens and was about to observe, a shout came from the bottom cabin. Captain Harrison hurriedly looked down from the top of the building.At this time, more than thirty "Canaks" pushed down the British and American sailors, shouted and cursed, and rushed out the door.The Maltese sailor who had been imprisoned had also been released, and was leading the trouble among them.

Captain Harrison and the engineer, one after the other, immediately went down to the deck of the ship.The captain was immediately surrounded by loyal sailors and troublemakers. In front of the main mast, a dozen or so steps away from the captain, the rude "Kanaks" stopped.Most of them held in their hands crowbars pulled from various supports, stylus and rope bolts to fix the ropes.They brandished these weapons, yelling and cursing in Maltese, the vernacular of the Negroes, in a vicious manner.These "Kanaks" claim to want nothing else but to hijack the ship.This is exactly the result of the instigation of second officer Bob Gordon, because he wants to turn the Vancouver into a pirate ship.

Captain Harrison decided to end the bastard on the spot. "Where's the second officer?" he asked. No one answered him. "Where's Bob Gordon?" he asked again. A man emerged from the rioting crowd. It was Bob Gordon. "Why don't you side with your captain?" Harrison asked. "Captain? There is no one else on this ship, only I am the captain!" The second officer replied arrogantly and unreasonably. "You bastard!" Harrison yelled. "Get him!" Bob Gordon shouted to the mutinous sailors, pointing to the captain. At this point Harrison took a step forward, drew his pistol from his pocket, aimed at the second officer, and fired. Bob Gordon jumped sideways, dodging the shot, and the bullet disappeared through the side of the ship and out to sea. The gunfire became the signal for a general riot. Instigated by the second officer, the "Kanaks" rushed towards the small group surrounding the captain, and an inevitable and terrifying melee began.Mrs. Clifton, frightened by the noise, and her two young children, hurried out of the poop.By this time, the British and American sailors had been arrested and disarmed.When the crowd dispersed, there was only one body left lying limply on the deck. This was Captain Harrison, who had been beaten to death by the Maltese. Harry Clifton was about to charge the second mate when Bob Gordon ordered him to be fastened, and he and his dog were locked up in a small cabin. "Harry, Harry!" cried Mrs. Clifton, mingling with the pleadings of the children. Harry Clifton couldn't resist.When he thought that his wife and children would fall into the hands of these vicious gangsters, he immediately felt extremely regretful and depressed. Bob Gordon became master of the Vancouver, and he was in charge of the ship, and he could do whatever he wanted.The presence of the Cliftons on board, however, was a nuisance to him, but he had no need to worry, for his men had figured out what to do with the extras. At one o'clock, the unnamed piece of land was approached, and there were still about twenty nautical miles away from it.Bob Gordon, let's have a boat wrecked, except for two oars, a mast, and a sail, put a bag of biscuits in the boat, and a few pieces of bacon, and throw the boat overboard.At this time, Flip had been released, and he saw all the actions of the gangsters, but how could he deal with a large group of people alone? When the boat was ready, Bob Gordon ordered Mrs. Clifton and his four children to be put in the boat, and forced them to take the boat to the land which was still more than twenty miles away. The unfortunate woman still wanted to impress the rascal, and she begged, wept, and prayed that she would never be separated from her husband.But Bob Gordon didn't want to hear anything.No doubt he wanted to get rid of the engineer in a safer way.To the poor woman's entreaties he answered only: "Get into the boat!" What a sad sight it is!A woman and four children will be herded into a crude boat and thrown into the ocean.Everyone knows that without a sailor to steer them, they are sure to lose their way and fall into disaster.As for the accomplices, they were as shameless and despicable as Bob, and they were equally deaf to the pleas and cries of mothers and children. "Harry! Harry!" the poor woman kept calling. "Daddy, Daddy!" the innocent children yelled. The eldest, Mark, snatched a lanyard and rushed towards Bob Gordon, but he pushed it away with his hands.Soon the unfortunate family was herded into a boat.Their shouts and cries are heart-piercing.Bound up in his cabin, Harry Clifton must have heard the tragic cry, and his dog Fido could only echo the helpless cries and pleadings with an irritated frenzy. At this moment, under the order of Bob Gordon, the cables that tied the boat were untied from the Vancouver, and the big ship left the boat with only a few shakes. Brave Mark, like a true seaman, stood holding on tight to the helm, and with all his might he tried to keep the boat balanced, but he could not hoist the sail.The boat was hit by the waves coming from the side, and it was in danger of capsizing at any time. Suddenly, a person jumped into the sea from the top of the vancouver's poop.The man was Flip the sailor, and he swam to the boat, and he came to help these abandoned people. Bob Gordon turned towards the direction of the boat, and the momentary impulse made him want to hunt down the fugitive, but he pondered for a moment, looked at the sky, it was already cloudy, as if it was threatening, and an evil smile surfaced his lips.He asked people to hoist the fore-sail and two after-sails, and the Vancouver quickly sailed to the distance, while the small boat instantly became a blurred black spot on the sea where the water and the sky connected.

---

Notes: