Australian Tales - Setis

away on our port-quarter), for in the south-western sky there were some
ominous looking clouds rising, and the air was sultry and oppressive.
However, I took a hopeful view of our surroundings, and said I thought
we might get to Sydney before the “burster” met us; adding, “we shall be
in a dilemma if we are caught in bad weather, with all this deck lumber.”
The captain merely shrugged his shoulders, by way of reply, which
affected me like a shovelful of snow on my head. One can form an idea
in a moment what an Englishman would imply by that kind of
movement, though it is not easy to interpret a Frenchman's shrugs. After
a few minutes' reflection on my future prospects, I asked the captain
what he would do, if we met with a southerly gale.
“Why heave our deck load overboard,” he replied. “we must do that or
go down. You see I have a difficulty in keeping the ship upright at the
present time; she is rolling about like an old water-butt in a tide-way. I
am expecting every minute, too, that some of those passengers forward
will get their toes under the wheels of the chain-box, and then there will
be a hullabaloo and the doctor to pay. Overboard goes Paddy's corn, and
everything else on deck except the live stock, if we fall in with a hard
gale — that's certain.”
“What troubles me most, is the dread that you will not begin to clear
your decks soon enough, captain,” I replied; “I have been in bad weather
with you several times, and I never saw you throw anything overboard,
though you have sometimes been lumbered up almost as much as you are
now.”
“Well, you see, sir, it isn't a pleasant job to heave away cargo; no
seaman likes to do it if he can anyway help it. I always hang on to it as
long as I can, for I know there would be a pretty row when I went up the
river again, if I were to throw it overboard. All the deck cargo is at the
risk of the shippers, and most of them are poor, struggling men, who
could very badly bear the loss. But there are lots of fellows who would
make more noise about it than the poor shippers; and it is them that I
most dread, for their tongues fidget me worse than thunder and lightning.
You heard those two old fogies on the wharf at Newcastle abuse me for
overloading my ship; and if we met with any mishap, they would
exonerate the winds and waves, and blame me for all.”
“That would certainly be unfair,” I replied, “for I have observed the
difficulties you have encountered this morning; and that you had cargo
thrust on board, in spite of your appeals, or your emphatic protests.”
“Shippers actually force cargo upon us at every stopping-place; and
they each think that their ‘little lots’ can't make any odds to a big
steamer; like the old woman with her pig and her butter-tub, and the
blustering miller with his iron-work. You saw, too, that I had to stow
three bales of hay above the rail, to make room for Mr. Bang's horse.”
“It was very unreasonable for him to wish you to take it, captain; and I