th pain, but said not a word. Three times more. This
was too much, and he muttered something which I could not hear. This
brought as many more as the man could stand, when the captain ordered
him to be cut down and to go forward.

Then John the Swede was made fast. He asked the captain what he was to
be flogged for.

"Have I ever refused my duty, sir? Have you ever known me to hang back,
or to be insolent, or not to know my work?"

"No," said the captain. "I flog you for your interference--for asking
questions."

"Can't a man ask a question here without being flogged?"

"No!" shouted the captain. "Nobody shall open his mouth aboard this
vessel but myself!" And he began laying the blows upon the man's back.
As he went on his passion increased, and the man writhed under the pain.
My blood ran cold. When John had been cut down, Mr. Russell was ordered
to take the two men and two others in the boat, and pull the captain
ashore.

After the day's work was done we went down into the forecastle and ate
our supper, but not a word was spoken. The two men lay in their berths
groaning with pain, and a gloom was over everything. I vowed that if
ever I should have the means I would do something to redress the
grievances and relieve the sufferings of that poor class of beings of
whom I was then one.

_IV.--I Become a Hide-Curer_

The comfort of the voyage was evidently at an end, though I certainly
had some pleasant days on shore; and as we were continually engaged in
transporting passengers with their goods to and fro, in addition to
trading our assorted cargo of spirits, teas, coffee, sugars, spices,
raisins, molasses, hardware, crockery-ware, tinware, cutlery, clothing,
jewelry, and, in fact, everything that can be imagined from Chinese
fireworks to English cartwheels, we gained considerable knowledge of the
character, dress, and language of the people of California.

In the early part of May I was called upon to take up my quarters for a
few months at our hide-house at San Diego. In the twinkling of an eye I
was transformed into a beach-comber and hide-curer, but the novelty and
the comparative independence of the life were not unpleasant. My
companions were a Frenchman named Nicholas, and a boy who acted as cook;
Four Sandwich Islanders worked and ate with us, but generally slept at a
large oven which had been built by the men of a Russian discovery ship,
and was big enough to hold six or eight men. Mr. Russell, wh