Outback Heritage

by K'Anne Meinel

  “I imagine the storms out here can be terrible,” she understated as she watched him fill and light his pipe, cupping his hand against the eternal winds and using his body as a further bulwark to protect the flame, so it could fire the tobacco. Practice had him puffing away on his pipe in no time at all as she watched.

  “Aye, they can be,” he agreed, talking around the stem of his well-worn pipe. “I’ve seen waves so large they seemed like mountains of water.”

  “Will we be seeing any of those?” she asked, suddenly aware that everything and everyone she cared for was on this ship. She was feeling very helpless as she looked out at the seemingly calm ocean.

  “Let’s pray not, madam,” he told her, glancing to see how alarmed he had made her. He’d noted the tone in her voice that told him he had frightened her, but her face revealed nothing. “I won’t lie to you. If we get a storm, and we probably will, you will have to tie down your horses, your children, and your people. Our job,” he said, nodding towards the men diligently working about the ship, “is to keep this ship afloat and get us to Sydney.”

  Carmen had understood that. She’d seen the straps on the bunks and explained their purpose to her people. She’d worried that some might want to leave, but everyone had been given a chance to stay in their familiar valley and had still chosen to go with her as she emigrated to Australia. She nodded in agreement to the captain’s statement.

  * * * * *

  Two days later, a storm did hit. Fortunately for them, it was mild and provided them with more water to fill the few casks that had already been emptied in their endless demand for fresh water. Carmen and her people, including the vaqueros, grooms, and settlers, helped where they could. The horses’ stalls were cleaned daily of the piles the animals made, and the manure was thrown over the side. A limited supply of straw for bedding necessitated that they only clean up the debris and not replace the entire bedding each time. Used to freedom on the plains of the large, inland valley and not being cooped up in the ship as it rode the waves sometimes caused frayed tempers in the large beasts. Carmen frequently found herself rushing from her children to her babies (her horses) and calming both with her presence and caresses.

  When the seas were calm enough, they briefly walked the horses one by one up and down the small passageway in order to exercise them twice a day. It wasn’t nearly enough, but it kept the horses from standing too long in their stalls. Dancer was becoming even more fractious, and only Carmen could keep him from biting people in anger over being confined.

  “There, there,” she soothed him in both English and Spanish, whispering sweet nothings to the great beast. She loved him, and he seemed to understand her.

  “Mama, can I help with Dancer?” Philippe asked, and she looked up from her murmurings with her stud to smile at her oldest son, who looked like a young Don standing there, her grandfather, skipping a generation.

  “Not now, Philippe. He is just angry,” she told him in English as she turned back to the mighty beast, patting him affectionately and calming him. “Aren’t you, fellow?” she asked him. He seemed to nod, agreeing with her. She knew he would always agree with her because she never asked him anything he would disagree with. He was her baby, and she glanced at the many mares she had brought with her as well as geldings, sons of Dancer’s that weren’t quite up to par with their mighty stud. They had brought coach horses, riding horses, and special mounts belonging to her men as well. She knew she could have purchased more horses in Australia, but since she’d hired this ship to transport her stock, she had indulged a few of her men in their own mounts since there had been room.

  “He is angry a lot these days,” the boy noted, watching as she caressed the large horse. Dancer was a special friend to the boy, and he was proud that he and his siblings had been singled out as friends by the mighty beast. Others back at the hacienda had been in awe of their ability to touch the great animal. He’d seen Dancer go after anyone that dared to come into his fields, near his harem, or attempt to harm anything he considered his. He knew two men had died trying to steal this stallion.

  “He is just tired of being confined,” she agreed. Carmen patted the stallion as she slipped him a carrot and backed away to concentrate on her son. “Have you finished your schoolwork?” she asked, putting her arm around the boy and leading him back down the aisle towards the stairs where their own accommodations were located. The stallion crunched happily, watching his people walking away.

  “Mama, must I study? We–” he began but could feel her arm reflexively squeeze him.

  “You will study your entire life. I want a college education for you someday,” she told him, not for the first time.

  “My father did not have one,” he pointed out reasonably.

  “No, he did not, and you are not your father. However, your grandfather was an educated man, and he is someone you should emulate.”

  “What is emulate?”

  “See, if you studied, you would know that word.”

  “Maybe I know it in Spanish and not English?” he asked slyly.

  She laughed at him, not falling for his neat little trap. “You must set an example for your brothers and sister, and studying is part of that. Every day, you must learn something, even if it’s just a little something. Someday, that knowledge will come in handy.”

  “I hardly think that learning how to dissect a sentence in both English and Spanish will benefit me as an adult.”

  “Perhaps, perhaps not. You won’t know until it comes up, will you?” she pointed out as she opened the door to the dormitory style room they shared. She smiled in welcome at the various women, who were going about their business inside the room. She could see two of her children, five-year-old Nicolás and three-year-old Rachel, were playing. They were rolling a ball, but not with their own hands. The roll of the ship sent the ball back and forth, causing them great hilarity as they tried to keep it from going off course. She gave Philippe a slight push towards the bunk he shared with his brothers, and he went to pull out a grammar book from his box of books. “Where is Sebastián?” she asked the room at large, wondering where the seven-year-old had gotten to. She noticed one of the nurses was also missing and hoped she was with the young boy.

  “He has finished his studies, and Gabriela took him up on deck to breathe the fresh air. Reading makes him green, Senora,” one of the women immediately answered, looking up and wondering if Carmen was going to be angry.

  Compassion filled Carmen. She knew that her little Sebby had not been faring well on this voyage due to seasickness. It had hit several of their people, but they had no choice. There was no turning back now. She nodded as she went to leave the crowded room.

  “Mama, may we come?” asked Nicolás in a small boy’s voice, his hand pulling on her skirt.

  Carmen looked down at her hopeful son and asked, “Come where?”

  “Are you going to find Sebby?” he asked, and behind him Rachel nodded solemnly in agreement.

  “I am. Would you and Rachel like to go up top with me?”

  He nodded seriously.

  “Then put away your ball. You can’t take a ball up on deck. Someone might slip on it, or it might roll off the ship,” she told him, watching as he ran to put it away, pulling out his small box from under the bunk and dropping it inside. Holding both her son and daughter’s hands, she was followed by a couple of the women, one with a son of her own held in her arms. Carmen made her way carefully up the stairs. Unable to lift her skirt because of the children, she kicked each of her legs up before taking another stair. It probably looked odd, but she didn’t want to trip and take the children down with her.

  The captain had designated part of the deck for his passengers to walk about, keeping them well away from the sails and the sailors working above deck. Some of the sailors were not very kind or gallant to the many women sailing with them. Some were even a bit base, but they had learned to curb their impulses because the captain was willing to whip them for their temerity in s
peaking in an ungentlemanly-like manner. One of their own had learned the first week that the captain would allow no harassment of the women or children under his care, and it had served as an example to the rest of the men, who avoided the passengers as well as they could. Naturally, their work brought them into near proximity of the women, children, men, and animals under their care on the ship. The captain realized the importance of Senora Pearson, who had paid for most of their ship’s cargo space and still allowed him to procure some other cargo for trade and cartage, and he also realized she was not to be harassed in any manner. Her vaqueros would not tolerate it, and there were always at least one or two vaqueros surrounding the woman, who were quite touchy and quick to take insult. Another of his men had earned their ire and nearly gone overboard as they whipped him with their whips and beat him with their hands. They were not large men, but they were certainly quick to take offence and react regarding their senora.

  Carmen loved being up on deck when the weather was pleasant, and she shepherded her children before her, watching them carefully and keeping them well away from the sides. She had instructed their nurses to keep them from this barely safe barrier, but the boys seemed drawn to it. The boys wanted to lean over and watch the water going by. They were fascinated by it and kept putting themselves into danger. She wasn’t even aware that Paco and Jose walked several paces behind her skirts. She was so used to her cousins’ presence, she didn’t even realize they were there. When she ‘saw’ Paco, she asked him how the horses were faring. She was worried and didn’t want to lose any of her valuable babies on this long and arduous trip. So far, other than a general restlessness, they were doing well.

  “Ma’am,” the Captain addressed her, putting his hand to his hat out of respect as he doffed it and returned it his head.

  “Captain, it’s a pleasure to see you as always. What can I do for you today?” she asked, smiling her greeting.

  “I have decided to put in at the Sandwich Islands for water, fresh fruit, and vegetables,” he informed her, watching her with her children. She did not look at any of the men on the ship, and he was grateful she wasn’t making any trouble for him in that way. One of her nurses was, but he wasn’t certain Carmen knew the woman was a harlot. He glanced at the vaquero watching him, his hands near his belt, the dangerous looking whip, and a knife that would do any sailor proud. He’d heard several of his men trying to barter with the Californios in hopes of trading for these beauties but to no avail.

  “And what are the Sandwich Islands?” she asked, looking interested after all the weeks at sea.

  He explained they were islands that had been discovered by the famed explorer Captain Cook in 1778. Most ships sailing the Pacific found them a convenient stopping point for the very reasons he told her: water, fruit, and vegetables. He did not tell her that his men had been looking forward to sampling the native women, who were so accommodating to men from all over the world. He himself would wait for Sydney, not taking chances on a diseased woman and knowing of a brothel that was known for clean and pox-free women.

  “Will we be able to put the horses ashore and allow them to graze and run about?” she asked anxiously, hopefully. She wanted to keep them healthy and happy, and their restlessness was not good.

  “No, ma’am. We won’t have the time, not if we are to keep to the schedule I agreed upon in my contract with you and your lawyer,” he told her. He knew his men would be disappointed, at least some of them would be since they wouldn’t be there long enough for all of them to indulge in some time off from their almost constant duties.

  “Captain, I would like to take the time. If there is any way to take the horses ashore, I would appreciate the consideration. My horses are very valuable, as you know. I’m sure we would all appreciate a few days on this island,” she indicated the few passengers on deck as well as his sailors hurrying about.

  He smiled, not having considered staying more than the necessary time to restock their water and food. She might regret it as there were natives who would covet the fine horses, and he knew they were not for sale…she had made that clear when she insisted on bringing them along. He wondered if he would lose any of his men by being in this exotic port too long and made a mental note to tell his officers to tighten discipline of the men. They would get time off and have plenty of time to seek out diversions, but their honor and their ethics might be tested if the ship remained too long. He didn’t want any men to desert him as he would then be forced to take on new men he didn’t know and trust. It was important to him as the captain that he trust his men. “Yes, ma’am. I am sure we can accommodate you,” he agreed, doffing his hat again as he excused himself from her presence. He nodded to the two vaqueros, their faces giving nothing away as they looked at him, their black eyes boring holes in him.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Everyone seemed to be looking forward to the rest stop on the islands. Some of the sailors shared stories of times they had been there before and the beauty of the islands. As they were not allowed to talk to the women, the men shared these stories with the male travelers, who passed them along, although some of what they had been told was edited out.

  Carmen would never forget her first view of the island they were approaching. She’d heard shouts of absolute delight from the sailors up top and couldn’t wait to get dressed and see for herself. Since the captain had said they would stop there, she had her men ask the sailors for information, and she was excited by what they would see.

  They had learned that the Sandwich Islands were originally named by Captain Cook because he was honoring John Montagu. John Montagu was the fourth Earl of Sandwich and had been one of Captain Cook’s sponsors as the first Lord of the Admiralty. Now, they were regularly calling them the Hawaiian Islands. It was all so fascinating with people from all over the world, the natives, the exotic foods, and the islands themselves. Apparently, they were an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, and numerous islets and seamounts.

  “They go for over 1500 miles,” the captain contributed to the curiosity of the Californians. He went on to explain that they were the exposed peaks of a great undersea mountain range. “They were originally formed by volcanos, and there is still an active volcano.”

  “And would you say this is the halfway point of our trip?” she asked as she ignored her meal while they were discussing this fascinating stop in their trip.

  “Oh, no, ma’am,” he answered, sorry to disillusion her. “We’ve only come about thirty-eight hundred nautical miles.”

  “And how much farther is Sydney?” she asked, feeling that she had no concept of the miles traveled when traveling by sea.

  “Sydney is another eight thousand miles or so.”

  Carmen felt crushing disappointment. Knowing that her people were already tired of the trip, she decided she wouldn’t inform them. Paco and Julio, who were eating with them at the captain’s table along with her children and their nurses, looked disappointed as well. She wouldn’t let it keep her down though. It was important that her people keep their spirits up. “You said there are several islands. Do they have names?”

  “Yes, Hawaii is the largest of the islands. This is where we will stop for our supplies, and I’ll arrange to unload your horses for a few days. We will have to make arrangements for them to be fed and exercised,” he told her. He was certain such things could be arranged, having discussed it several times with her. “There is a town building up there that I’m certain will fascinate you and your company.” His eyes took in the two vaqueros watching him and making sure he made no inappropriate comments to the lady. He was certain these men, menacing in their countenance, would have no problem running him through, if he dared. He knew how to behave like a gentleman and wouldn’t have ventured to make a pass at this fascinating woman. The ranch she and her family had owned in the great inland valley in California sounded just as fascinating to him as Australia and Hawaii now sounded to her.

  “Then there are the other, smaller islands
of Maui, O’ahu, Kaua’i, Molok’i, Lãna’I, Ni’ihau, and Kaho’olawe,” he told her, giving the names the correct inflections and nuance having learned them on previous trips to this region of the world.

  “What are the people like, the natives?” she asked, endlessly finding topics of discussion as they shared meals and her interest in their first stop grew.

  Arranging for forage for the horses proved quite easy as there were many farms on the island. The horses, many of the black mix of breeds, caused a sensation. Carmen could see the admiration on people’s faces as she rode Dancer along, helping to bring her babies to the farm they had rented for the few days they would be there. Several of her vaqueros would remain with them, switching out with those guarding the Senora in order to see more of the island.

  The children came off the ship along with her people, who took up residence at the farmhouse for the few days they were staying. They loved being able to run freely in the fields that the farm encompassed. The women shopped in the town where they found exotic foods and tried a new fruit called pineapple. It was very sweet but had a hard rind that one of the natives showed them how to slice with a machete.

  The captain allowed his men off the ship in shifts, so they would all have the benefit of some off time from the endless work aboard a ship. He left plenty on board to guard their valuable cargo as well as to ensure they had men when it was time to leave.

  “Ahoy there, Jamieson,” a fellow captain greeted him as he went into one of the many bars set up in the town. “Let’s have a pint,” he offered generously, signaling to the serving wench and patting her on the backside when she brought them both a frothy tankard. “What have you on this trip? Did I see horses being off-loaded?”

  “Aye, I have passengers and stock heading for Australia,” he answered, taking a hearty drink of the beer they were served. He wanted to grimace. He’d had better but knew not to be too choosy.