Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1828-02-04
From the New York American.
A SAILORS STORY.

take Us clear Of the bay, and then abandoned
our vessel TO the strong current which runs
constantly into The Mediterranean, and which
bore US gently past the rock towards the East,
the direction in which we were bound. As
fhe evening approached, our captain Showed
me the way down into his little cabin, where
the steward, mulat,o man, had prepared a
supper Of tea aud biscuit with fried ham and
eggs, and where he now stood with greasy
handkerchief upon his heal, ready TO wait up
on US. have often remarked that the stations
on board OF an American merchantmen SEEM
ed 10 be filed with sort Of reference TO color;
thus, the captain is always white, the stew
ard mulatto and as for the cook, the blac ker
the better. Having finished our homely meal,
we went on deck; the captain produced some
good segars who he had brough, from Ha>
Vana, and the steward banded US a coal of FIRE
stuck upon tie end Of fork. Meanwhile,
night had set IN, and The moon, which was
nearly full, threw its sober light against the
sails, among the ropes, and upon the deck oil
the vessel We had been drIiied.by the. cur
rem, past the Rock, ard it, with Apes Hill
upon the African coast, was in full view 10 the
ives, of US. These two rugged mountains,
which frown upon each other from the extrem'
tiles. of Europe aud Asia, are the Catpe- and
Abhyle of the ancients, the tabled pillars al
Hercules, aud the ne plus ultra Of the unlearned
geograp.Iers OF the olden time. 1t may very
we'll be supposed, however, that this was mol
the subject Of conversation between the cap
tain and myself, as we reclipcd upon the hen
soops, on either side Of the companions way
We were dissoursing the common topic "a
nong ssstaring men, the sights we had seen *
the dangers through which we had passed, in
many maritime pilgrimagr. He was an oi>
der sailor than J. and assuming veterans
. = i. i -.
bal sailed chiefly IN smal. craft, aud had be- n
so unfortunate as 10 have been four times er.
srtat sea. On one occasion, said he, the YES
sel.wa, laden with sugar, which dissolved al
once and thus sa,el her from sinking. The
crew eon'r;srd t. crawl to that parI of the bot>
tom which remaiocd above The SEA. In 'h's
situation, exposed 90 the dashng IT the waves
and the constant violence of the wind, hey con-
thu lUpT long days and nights, without any
2ssSs .xzs-sSl-M.th no other food bas the
: .Slt,d bi ,cvit, which hoaed abou, the wreck.
Great fsp bers OF SHARKS surrounded them,G CIV
ine dow, mo the hold Of the vessel, in quest
OF 'tae Nstf and pork, and not refusing such OF
The unhappy sufferers as slipped from the
wreck, and sunk powerless and exhausted mo
The sea. Our captain was ma e If the distress
aed vessel, aud in that trying situation had TO
fee, not OILY for himself, but likrwis- for a
age under bis care. He had, however, con-
uived TO secure the unhappy youth Ivy means
of ropes, lest he should fall off in,o tie sea, &
in this way preserve ed him from fate which
befcl more Than one of his CONF AIDES Al
length, on the fourth day ftherr dis s,er, they
de ,cried a sail standing towards thin. HE
wind was fair, and the stranger approached
them rapidly, so that they could soon discover
that that the vessel had been disabled in the
late gale. As she came up, the suff rers be-
pan to dread lest they might not be observed;
for their onse stately brig now scarcely form
ed perceptible object above the oceai. Tbs
terrible apprehension, though soon removed
was succeeded by another scarcely inferior. AS
the Stranger approached the whole ships Com
pany came to the side 10 g,ze at them, aud
with feelings more heart sickeniDg, that they
felt unable to relieve them; for no bot was 10
be seen putting off TO Their ocour; in fact the
LONG boat had been washed from the deck Of
The vessel, and at every roll, fragments OF the
Jolly boat could be seen, dangii, < from the
stern. 1.-THE sensations or those who chung TO
the wreck were agonizins, those Of the siran-
gers crew were not IN most enyiable. They
seemed brought BY P evidence In presence OF
these unfortunate men but TO pity them, aud
be ar to their anxious friends the story of their
disaster. Man, however, is not TO be so easily
cheated OF MS HE. Ailcf gazing sR4iouSiy AZ
the vessel, s. cooviacing themselves that safe
ty was only - be found in their exer.
tons, the shipwreckrd sailors began to strip
off the tattered clio hing which the pelting Of
the sea had eft them, aCd TO prepare to swim
for their lives The Others soon understood
and seconded their endesvors. They Came as
close to lee ward OF he wreck as their own safe
ty would permit, and then stopped their pro-
gress, BY balancing the efforts Of their Sails
Cnmindful Of The sharks which were playing
between the vessels, the whole party OF sur,i-
vors now plunged of and soon osercame the
distance which separated them; the others
holding over ropes, assisted them 10 gain the
channels, and received THETA with JOY on their
bosp,table deck. One must witness such a
&C ne to appreciate i, justly; for there is be
tween sea-fsring men when they meet Oh the
ocean, bond Of unity and strong feeling Of