Page:Twenty years before the mast - Charles Erskine, 1896.djvu/77

 three inches long. There was a lot of whisky on board of her for the squadron, on which most of the crew and the marines got drunk. Next morning at sunrise all hands were called to witness punishment. Every man who had been intoxicated received one dozen lashes  on the bare back with the cats, with the exception of  the deserters, who received, one thirty-six lashes, the  others forty-one each.

The commodore was very busy at this place. Among other things he overhauled the officers and crews of the  squadron, and sent all invalids and idlers on board the  Relief, which ship was ordered to the Sandwich Islands,  and thence to Sydney, New South Wales, to land stores  for the squadron, thence to sail for the United States by  the way of Cape Horn. All hands wanted to go in her. We had a fine view of the famous Andes Mountains, which tower in lofty grandeur above the surrounding  country. When the sun sets, and sheds his golden rays upon their numerous summits, they seem to move,  as though they were having a frolic, and look like the  waves of the ocean running after one another. We lay here until our repairs were nearly completed, when we  up anchor one fine afternoon and ran over to the port. We came to in the evening, outside of the rest of the shipping, by the starboard anchor. Callao presents a poor appearance from the bay. The fort and castles on the right are by no means handsome, and in front of  them is a dirty, sandy beach. To the left is the dirtiest of all dirty places, Callao. When you land, the first discomforts you feel are the fleas making acquaintance  with your dainty flesh, — and the Lord help a greenhorn