Becoming America - An Exploration of American Literature from Precolonial to Post-Revolution, 2018a

BECOMING AMERICA
REVOLUTIONARY AND EARLY NATIONAL PERIOD LITERATURE
such information openly of the chief person endangered, and so, in eect, setting
him on his guard; how unlikely a procedure was that? Absurd, then, to suppose
that those questions had been prompted by evil designs. Thus, the same conduct,
which, in this instance, had raised the alarm, served to dispel it. In short, scarce
any suspicion or uneasiness, however apparently reasonable at the time, which
was not now, with equal apparent reason, dismissed.
At last he began to laugh at his former forebodings; and laugh at the strange
ship for, in its aspect, someway siding with them, as it were; and laugh, too, at the
odd-looking blacks, particularly those old scissors-grinders, the Ashantees; and
those bed-ridden old knitting women, the oakum-pickers; and almost at the dark
Spaniard himself, the central hobgoblin of all.
For the rest, whatever in a serious way seemed enigmatical, was now goodnaturedly
explained away by the thought that, for the most part, the poor invalid
scarcely knew what he was about; either sulking in black vapors, or putting idle
questions without sense or object. Evidently for the present, the man was not t
to be intrusted with the ship. On some benevolent plea withdrawing the command
from him, Captain Delano would yet have to send her to Conception, in charge of
his second mate, a worthy person and good navigator—a plan not more convenient
for the San Dominick than for Don Benito; for, relieved from all anxiety, keeping
wholly to his cabin, the sick man, under the good nursing of his servant, would,
probably, by the end of the passage, be in a measure restored to health, and with
that he should also be restored to authority.
Such were the American’s thoughts. They were tranquilizing. There was a
dierence between the idea of Don Benito’s darkly pre-ordaining Captain Delano’s
fate, and Captain Delano’s lightly arranging Don Benito’s. Nevertheless, it was not
without something of relief that the good seaman presently perceived his whaleboat
in the distance. Its absence had been prolonged by unexpected detention at
the sealer’s side, as well as its returning trip lengthened by the continual recession
of the goal.
The advancing speck was observed by the blacks. Their shouts attracted the
attention of Don Benito, who, with a return of courtesy, approaching Captain
Delano, expressed satisfaction at the coming of some supplies, slight and temporary
as they must necessarily prove.
Captain Delano responded; but while doing so, his attention was drawn to
something passing on the deck below: among the crowd climbing the landward
bulwarks, anxiously watching the coming boat, two blacks, to all appearances
accidentally incommoded by one of the sailors, violently pushed him aside, which
the sailor someway resenting, they dashed him to the deck, despite the earnest
cries of the oakum-pickers.
“Don Benito,” said Captain Delano quickly, “do you see what is going on there?
Look!”
But, seized by his cough, the Spaniard staggered, with both hands to his face,
on the point of falling. Captain Delano would have supported him, but the servant
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