Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1843-12-08
THE POOR SAILOR Roy.


heart-rending occurrence, we extract from
a work now being in serial numbers, enti
tied, "Wanderings ON the Seas and Shores
Of Africa" by d. FRANcis BACON, broth
err of Rev. Leonard Bacon of New Haven
and formerly known as the writer of the
r. M. T. II. letters from Washington, las
winter which appeared in the New York
American. The work is replete with graph
ic and affecting variations, of which the
subjoined is a specimen,
On the night of Tuesday, January TO-
Just as | was beginning to enjoy the sense
of increased safety and comfort in the abale-
ment of the tempestuous weather, start
ling and painful incident occurred, which
gave me a new and vivid impression of the
dangers of the sea.
At eight o'clock in the evening, the wind
being still so strong that the brig was stag
gering under the few sails which she was
carrying, there were appearances OF the
rapid approach of a violent squall, which
made il necessary TO reduce our canvass TO
the foretopsaI and foresail. When the or
der was given to take in the lib, | went
down into the cabin, and was trying to
amuse myself in my solitude, when was
suddenly started by most dismal grooming
sound which seemed to come to me through
the sides of the vessel Before | had time
to ask or seek the cause of this strange noise,
heard sharp, quick cry of alarm on deck,
! followed by the sound of person rushing
to the side of the brig, instantly succeeded
by stumble and heavy fall nearly over
my head. The groaning noise meanwhile
continued, sharpening into cry of human
agony and despair. sprang upon deck
and there saw the captain, both the mates,
and Two sailors. standing aft aud looking
into the water behind us, motionless and
seemingly overwhelmed with distress, while
from the sea in our wake came that awful
cry, still loud and piercing, though receed-
ing fast and to every scream the captain
responded in tones of anguish-"Oh, poor
boy l'-Wuh fearful guess of the nature
of this accident | called out--'What is III
All the officers simultaneously answered me
THE boy is overheard This was indeed
the horrid fact. Two sailors, with the boy,
were occupied in furling the jib,-he inner
most and in the most secure place, on the
cap of the bowsprit, while they were beyond
him on the lb-boom, when suddenly with
out any particular cause, he slipped from
the place he was bestriding into the sea-
the first notice of his fall being his cries as
he rose in the water. The mate was on
the bows at the time, experimenting the en-
ecution of the order, and as soon as he could
speak, after learning what had happened,
cried out-'The boys overheard Quick
as light, both in thought and action, the
captain sprung to the larboard rail where
the main brace, an immensely long line
which hung in huge coil on Delaying
pin nearly abreast of the companion way,
Tour main-brace Delaying aft, contrary to
the usual custom, with the intention of
throwing it over into the sea, when il would
have gone many fathoms behind us, almost
sure to have been grasped by the poor boy,
who in his agonzing and almost supernat-
ural efforts, was still nearly keeping up with
us, and had not fallen astern. 1t would
hare been his last chance of life but il
failed him. The deck was wet with the
dashing waves; the captains foot slipped
aud he fell into the lee scuppers with vio-
lence, stunned for moment and severely
bruised. When he rose 10 his feet, the
wretche ed sufferer was far astern beyond the
reach Of any such cid
Still the lost boys unearthly scream,
-'The bubbling cry
Ofthat strong swimmer IN his agony
was ringing with dreadful distinctness in
our ears, at intervals half obscured as he
descended into the mountainous sea, and
then pealing out again with redoubled pow
err as the next rolling wave lifted him to its