Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1840-07-21
MISCELLANEOUS.
LAND CRUISE OF AN OLD SAL

LAND CRUISE OF AN OLD SAIL.
Laugha5te Account Of a !Shpureck on Terra Firma.
The eccentricites and whimsicaities Of
old saltwater captains, from the days Of
Commodore Trunnion down to the present,
are well-known, and hundreds Of amusing
anecdotes have been told upon the subject;
but, as we have never seen the following
in print, and in the total absence Of news
foreign or coastwise--we have been in
duced to devote column to its recital
Picdyune.
The hero of our story was an old hero
Of both the revolutionary and the last war
ono who had labored hard, suffered
much, and often received the thanks of
his country. Years and exposure having
finally rendered him unseaworthy, he
brought his water lacks ashore, and set
tied down in a pleasant part Of the country
to spend the remainder Of his days. After
so long residence upon the water, it is
not to be supposed that the old gentleman
found every thing "ship-shape" on land;
but, with the assistance of couple of old
sailors, one Of them an Irshman, whom
he had brought ashore with him, he in a
short time made out to introduce man-of-
war fashions, SO far as practicable, upon
his premises.
Among his other ecccntricities, he had
carriage built upon plan entirely new
purely originai-and we doubt if even a
mong the thousands of useful, ornamental
and nonsensical articles in the Patent Of
flee at Washington, its fellow can be found
1t was nothing more nor less than a regu-
lar man-ol-war, on a small scale, COM
pletely rugged with sails, houser, anchors,
&c. This he had set upon springs, the
whole confined upon four common
riage wheels Mike, his Irish sailor, was
soon let into the secret Of driving four in
hand, and two or three launts were made
in the neighborhood with complete sue
cess.
One fine morning in summer, the old
commodore invited several ladies to take q
cruise with him in his vessel to some
springs situated about twenty miles Off
Fearing that some accident might occur
they politely refused. He set forth, in
glowing terms, the pleasures Of such q
cruise, said it was n conveyance decidedly
safer than any that could be procured, and
used every argument TO induce the ladies
10 take passage, but all to no purpose
Some gentlemen finally agreed to accom-
pany him, and taking Mike along to sit on
the bowsprit and drive, and the other sail
or to hand sails, &C., the party got under
way, and set sail for the springs.
The road for the first ten miles of the
Journey was level or slightly ascending,
and this part was got over smoothly and
without accident. Occasionally, rs the
road turned to the right or left, the old
commodore would sing out to Mike to haul
III or sacken his larboard or starboard
braces, and so far it had been perfectly
"plain sailing" every thing worked TO a
charm. They had now arrived at point
of the voyage where the road began to
descend. The horses dashed off at a more
rapid rate, and the whole party were cx-
hlarated as they flew past rocks, trees,
and fences. The farther they advanced,
the faster went the horses, and from brisk
trot they at length got into a canter.
"Haul taut the fore braces" said the
Commodore, abiding to the lines which
were attached to the leaders.
SAY, ay, SIR" responded Mike who was
now holding them in with all his might
''Slacken the larboard fore-bracc, there
hurry" continued the Commodore, as
the leaders were approaching too near the
brink of precpice which stared at them
from the left.
cay, ay, SIR" said Mike.
GLOW fast are we going now?" said the
Commodore TO the other tar.
"About sixteen knots, SIR" continued
Jack, who was holding fast to the little
foremost to prevent being pitched out, as
the wheels would occasionally hit stump
or root
The pace had now become absolutely
terrific. Single-trccs and double-trces were
rafting, traces were swinging about, hold
back straps were strained almost TO break
ing, and still the mad steeds kept on down
the decivity. To the left was a steep and
gloomy precipice, az some points hum
dred feet high and 10 run off hereto
meet with a shpwreck at such point,
would involve the certain destruction of
passengers, horses, officers and crew.
The passengers were alarmed and even
The brave old Commodore, although he