He seemed a good deal excited, and talked fast and much
about the event, but yet not as if it had sunk deeply into him. He
observed that he "would not have had it happen for a thousand dollars,"
that being the amount of detriment which he conceives himself to suffer
by the ineffaceable blood-stain on his hand. In my opinion it is little
short of murder, if at all; but what would be murder on shore is almost a
natural occurrence when done in such a hell on earth as one of these
ships, in the first hours of the voyage. The men are then all drunk,--
some of them often in delirium tremens; and the captain feels no safety
for his life except in making himself as terrible as a fiend. It is the
universal testimony that there is a worse set of sailors in these short
voyages between Liverpool and America than in any other trade whatever.
There is no probability that the captain will ever be called to account
for this deed. He gave, at the time, his own version of the affair in
his log-book; and this was signed by the entire crew, with the exception
of one man, who had hidden himself in the hold in terror of the captain.
His mates will sustain his side of the question; and none of the sailors
would be within reach of the American courts, even should they be sought
for.
October 1st.--On Thursday I went with Mr. Ticknor to Chester by railway.
It is quite an indescribable old town, and I feel at last as if I had had
a glimpse of old England.
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