Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1845-05-13
For the Telegraph.
THE NONPLUSSED FRENCHMAN.
FROM THE LOG OF OLD TOM BRACE.
A Forecastie Yarn.


anchor. She had capital crew and CAPT
tai officers-to say nothing Of the capital
way she had Of running with the wind two
points abaft the beam, and every sail On
every spar sheeted home.
We left New York with the wind SOU
southwest; but before we had made three
hundred knots it died away, and the wea-
Their set in calm, and fender thrown adrift
would have sailed just as fast as we did.
One night in this dull time, when il was
my watch, left The boy in charge Of the
deck, while went alo(t and seated myself
on the fore yard, TO think of my gentle
Poll Carey, and to look out for squalls or
sail. The moon was nearly full, and
gave so much light that could see about
as pl ainly as if it had been broad day light;
the boys dropped asleep one by one, and |
myself was getting drowsy. Above me,
for hundred feet, hung mo,ionless, top
sails, to'-gallants, royals, and sky sails,
each, except the latter, fanked by siuddin'-
sails, and the whole surmounted by the
gilded vanes, whose bits of blue bunting
hung as perpendicular as lead-ine.
a laugh on deck, or in the passengers
cabin, or else the wal of an infant in the
steernge, forge, which, aroused me; and
looking about me, saw, in the northeast,
severa, ominous CATS, avs, and directly it
thickehed up in that quarter, SO ,ha, made
up my mind to hail the deck.
"On deck, thsre!"
Halo, sir" said the boys, rousing out.
Island by 10 take in studdin' sails"
"Aye, aye, sir"
"Tom Beckett, go call Mr.. Jones'"
"Aye, aye, SIR"
Directly, the studdn' sails and Mr.. Jones
(second mate) reached the deck together.
"All hands on deck!' he shout, d." all
hands 10 shorten sail"
The watch below, the first mate, and
the skipper, tumb!ed up in the hraving OF
a ! ad, and the 'od man ordered the sky
sails, royals and ,o'-galnnt sails, to he
lowered and cewed up. for The sky was
over clouded by this time, and the vanes
whipped round on their spindIes. sticking
their points right in the winds eye; how
ever, there was more promise than fulfill
ment of gale. there being jus, breeze, as
yet sufiicien, TO tl!l the top-sails and lower
ca IA vass VIII ch had been braccd sharp. add
We were off at six knots an hour with our
larhoard tacks aboard
Giving orders relative TO lacking and
carrying sai, the skipper aad jones dis
appeared into their cabins, the first mate
following them soon after, and |. as before,
had charge Of the deck. Tom Becke: was
aiot on the main-soyal yard alone. the
other boys were on deck, and was stand
ing at the pinnacle attending to the ships
course, when he sung out
"Sail ho!"
"Where awaya" said /, stepping TO the
tafl'rail.
East-northe SIR"
"Aye, Tom, see her."
She was just emerging from the haze,
and with my night glass | soon made heI
out large schooner, with fore and main
,opsails set. benring down towards US very
fast
Half an hour afterwards we tackled again
and the weather once more fell calm, sc
that we lost our Roadway; and the stranger,
who had now come within q mile and q
half of us, Of course held up likewise,
showing us a broadside with either coun
terfei, or real ports, could not distinguish
which. just then the moon set, and left
US so much in the dark that it was impos
sible to see the schooner, or, in fact, any
thing ten rods from us. Fifteen minute.
after the moon had gone down | saw q
streak Of daylight in the east, and heard
the splash of oars. Looking over the rail
saw, by the increasing light and lamp
which Dick Covil held near me, boa
alongside Of us, manned with four oarsmer
and short chap in uniform of blue aut
white, who s,esred her.
"Sare," said this parsonage, looking M
al me, we're is your captaineW
"Dick," said |, turning to him, give my
compliments 10 the skipper, and tell him ,
gentleman wishes to- speak with him or
deck"
"You be hanged" muttered Dick, grin
ming, and then sung out" Aye, aye, sir.
"Will you come on board, sir!" said ]
10 the Frenchman, as slung the side-rope:
for him; and directly he came up, leaving
his men in the boat, whose painter made
fast to our rail. The skipper now came
on deck, looking rather black in the face,
and introduced the Frenchman to him.
"Sare," said the stranger, "va, sheep is
disl"
"The Osiris, of and from New York
and bound for Liverpool with cargo oI
cotton, sir. What schooner is that, may
ask?'' said the skipper.
"Ah, sare, dat is lie Philippe, sare, vld
one lenrc de marquc, and you must surren-
der to her, sare-to me, her commander,
sarel"
"The ID must" shouted the skipper,
taken all aback by the Frsnchman's auda,
city; "what for, Mr.. Commander what
do you meant"
"Ah, sare, your great General Jaque-
song make war on my country for $4,000
francs, and my vessel is one privateer-
one very famous priyateerm
80, sir" said our skipper, softening
down little. a. see you are mistaken
General Jackson has not declared war
against your la belle France, as you call
il, but he win soon. il old Louis Philippe
don't pay up that little debt"
"Sare, | don't believe you. hear OF
de war when | lay at Algiers and you
must Surrcpner ia ma NOW sara ,,