Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 2.djvu/64

48 Otaheite arrived at the island to take them off, the feeling of relief was truly unutterable. The remainder of the Sultana's cargo, with her boats, were taken on board, the natives assisting in getting the Sultana's heavy chain cable to the Pomare. Her whaleboat was taken in tow, but was lost in a squall the second night out.

It was about the last of June when Captains Lambert and Clarke were rejoined by their men. To fittingly celebrate their reunion Captain Lambert gave a Fourth of July dinner; and to be made presentable for the occasion it became necessary to laundry certain articles of clothing, the "doing-up' ' of a white shirt being accomplished with arrow-root for starch, and a bottle of hot water for a smoothing iron. At the dinner some of the guests, including one of the missionaries and the native queen, indiscreetly took too much wine and furnished much amusement to the young sailors by their hilarity. The following day the queen sent some glassware to replace that which had been fractured in the social skirmish of "the day we celebrate" by her own dusky hand. The missionary, poor man, was being conducted home, when on attempting to walk a foot-log across a slough he fell into the morass, together with his guide, and on reaching home created, by his unusual appearance, the greatest consternation.

At Otaheite Lemont learned that the English bark of which Clarke had been master was taken in charge by the Danish consul, as part owner, who had departed in her, leaving Captain Clarke without a vessel. The departure of the bark also left Captain Lambert without the means to continue his voyage to the Columbia as he had hoped to do, and with no resort except to sell the goods in his charge at auction where he was, and return to the United States. An opportunity soon offered, passage being secured for himself, his mate and the super-