Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1833-01-07
ALEXANDRIA GAZETTE
A LEEKER.

IL
and instructive variety, "A Chapter of Sea
Life" We extract only part which is GER.
tainIy well written. 1t is the narrative of Lis
ton, common sailor, WHO'S spinning long yarns
Reeve is young midshipman.
After the ship was brought more before the
wind, and every thing was quiet on board, |
strollcd forward as usual, where found the sal.
lors, under the excitement Of the chase and the
former recolIec,ions which il received. enter.
tanning each other with some of those arratlons
which a sailor loves so well to recount. Nv tall
friend, Jack Iiston, had Just taken his prepara-
tory quid, and. with his tarpaulin little askew,
upon locks which had long scorned all aid from
shears, was about commencing the story Of an
adventure, which befel him upon the lakes.
"Did ever tell you, Mr. Reeves" said he,
AS he perceived me on the edge of the listening
circle, show we cut off and burnt the English
brig, when we were up at Lake Ontario?"
"No. Liston," said !. ''but it would afford
me great pleasure to hear 1t now"
cannot expect to give any OF Jacks spirit to
INV diluted narrative; but this was something Of
the rambling style 10 which he proceeded; | leave
out an occasional eypletive, with which he gar
nished the narration, as no way necessary to
to the thread Of the discourse.
SAY, Sir, you're but chicken of a lad, Mr..
Reeve, officer though you be; and, therefore,
I'm bound to respect you, aud do respect you, by
Jove, and like you, too; and yet we lost fine
lad at the time | am telling you OF, not much
bigger than your own self. Likely he was, too,
and we all loved the boy, More's the pity he
went aIoft SO soon" Here Jack reyerently
touched the edge of his tarpaulin. For. nv
own part. was somehow born a sort of a sailor,
and have handled marlinspikes ever since was
big enough to lift one. and SO. you see, may be
supposed TO know something OF these matlets.--
But this. that am going to tell you, is true as
preaching, and it come to pass. while | was al
Sackeu's Harbor, in the days of Commodore
Cnauncey, who was Captain Of that shore You
see, my lads, the Commodore. who was always
ON the look .out, had, some how or other, (for our
boats were flying here, there, and every where,
ever the lake, which is more, by the way, like
great SEA thar it is like pond,--on the watch
for what thew could pick up adrift, IL say, the
Commodore had discovered that the enemy had
fac brig on the stocks, just ready to be launch
ed. at harbor on the other side; Pressure Isle,
think they call it, or some such Frenchlfed
name A tight little craft she was, and fourteen
guns they said she was to mount; for we had not
then given them enough of il, and they were try
ing us on every rack, to see If they could not run
US under at last. Mr. Bull, who is the king of
that country, my lads. kept sharp lookout for
her night and day. But howsoeyer." and here
Jack li.htened the strain OF his neither intcgu
mpnts, "we sometimes managed to oyerreach
the old fellow. as you shall hear. Lieutenant
Gregory, las fine sailor as ever stepped. Sir,
and a real gentleman, every inch OF him. did
not, by any means, like the idea Of seeing this
brig afloat; and so he petilioned the Commodore
for men enough to cut her out aud burn her as she
stood, stock and fuke.
Every body, as am told, though twas des-
perate sort Of undertaking; tor, besides the watch
kept by old Bulls people, near the vessel, there
were two forts to be passed before you could run
into this same harbOr, Of which | attn telling
But the Lieutenant was none OF your half way
sort of fresh-water land Iubbers, and SO he final
ly got the Cnmmodore's leave | remember
very well, that one day he came down to us, and
il was we'll towards night, too, and Ny boys
saws he, sare there any stout lads here. that
would like to 20 with me on little bit Of ser.
Weep believe that every r1an on the station
would have followed him any where, and hun
dred and fifty said at once that they were up to
any thing that he was in for. lie only wanted
thirty of us, howsOmever, and am proud to say
that 1 was one that he picked. Well, as soon
as it was little dark, We pulled out Of the har-
Dor in the sixteen cared barge, and every man
had his pistols in his belt and his cutlass ready.
We were still enough, you may rely, for the
Lieutenant had bid US keep quiet, and we rowed
round the outer fort, and nobody minded U.s.
Our oars were muflle,, to b. sare, AID 'he night
was as black as a VOLTS mouth; bu, we picked
our way along By the lights ashore, and the moon
began o break through the clouds a little just as
We pulled under the briggs stern. We heard the
sodger pacing the deck; but how to get quietly
ON board Of her was hard Ia tell. We judged
her hold to b. foil Of light stuff. and it We could
but once get fire to that. it was mt likely she'd
float in hurry. After while, one OF our hands,
and who should it be but Tom Dixon, ia nimble
lad was Tom, too,) SAID he thought he could
throw rope over her davit. aud so climb over
her stern without notice.
Up he did get too. Tom,-and while the senti'
nel's back was turned. he crept along under the
lee Of her quarter boards, and managed, IN this
bo. peep fashion. to get match down her hatch
&c and then back into the boat again, and nobO-