Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1850-04-02
A YARN ON THE HALF DECK.


"Did you say YOU served your apprentice
ship in the Ar,ihusdF"
Yes; served my time in the Arcthu.
"a.
"wha, age were you when you went to
sea :"
"l was sixteen"
"Put down sixteen, Bill"
The scene OF the present dialogue was the
forcclsilc Of collier brig at anchor in the
Thames the speakers an old scamon, and
three others scarcely arrived At middle ago,
one Of whom, behind the old nan acted as
clerk, with piece Of chalk on the lid OF his
own chest
"Pu, down sixteen. Bill" whispcrojonc,
and the number was Pu down.
"Thcn how long were you IN the Arcihu-
~"
81 served i've years" said the old man
then stopped By her Other three was
eight years in her altogether. ! liked the
ship very well, bu did no, like the own.
cr."
Bill who was all attention, put down an
eight below the sixteen.
&" But YOU would be young fellow then
| should think YOU would no; be long out Uf
a ship"
81 got a ship directly and sailed for North
America. Well, as it happened, We were
wa,cr.lorpcd rs We were on our passage
home; all hand. took the rigging, where -s
were three DAYS without bite II anything,
OF as much as a drink On ,h, iou'th day
got hold Of dad bird Of some Kind IhN was
floating pas,--a,. il, feathers and all. Well,
all hands died but myself, and the only way |
could keep mysclf alive was by sucking th-
grease on, Of the ropes. | knocked about
upon ,hc rigging for 4 month. At last | was
picked up by an American vessel, and taken
To America. The Americans used mc very
well 50 | traded among the American ports
for long time -
"IIow long do you suppose you were in
America altorrthcr'"
~ wa, away ten years from leaving
home"
"Dtdnr you % into the Greenland uadc
,Ncr that
"No; 4 Was not ill some time ahrr. ]
was on bolyd IT man of war before was
In the Greenland trade. somehow n other
the prcssganr got seen, of me good run
We had; I was nimhlc on nay f's, then, II !
had not slipped and fallen Sous. into an ash
hidden. ! believe itcy never would have Ia
. ken me; bu, take me- they dij Vel, ! was
m hi. maic.,y's service seven YEAR, and !
/ liked ttc service vcrg vel f; but one lay the
captain and hal few words, and said ! to
myself The sooner Nc part company ~
better. Old fellow | knew they would be
after me, so 60, myself slowed into hogs.
head Of sugar, and sen, aboard ofamerchani.
man and go; clear or ,ha,way"
Bill, whe was listening IN silence, put
down on board a man of war seven years.
"Thcn did you get home all rrM ~
"Ycs and then wen, to Greenland -
Nv eyes what sport We had there the frs,
ten years We were in tho trade ! was there
that year when there wasn't whale 70 be-
seen, aud W. loaded the shipNri,h scals A
weary job we had the ice was short ,nd
hammccky, lnd the seals a, shy aS foxes
somehow we always found on, ortwofiilow'
who'd been frGdlcd may BE- ,ha night before,
tha, forgot the way iro the water. When
the bru,cs make 4 dive, they are out Of sight
. in a minute
"lIow long were YOU in the Greenland
tradc'"
"Iwas nineteen years altogether Then
/ laucicd would like to bo in warmer eli
mate 50 GOT into an East Indiaman, md
traded to the Eas, for long time"
"Ilow long do you suppose ;"
About thirteen years At las, hc ship
was taken by the pirr'cs, and the most Of the
crew had to walk the plank; only three Of
Us conscutinr to he pirate, with the rest. |
never liked a pirates life; 50 one day when
we were ashore m a large island watching, |
took leg bail and ran away. Id been with
them three years, which was qato enough.
Well got among the natives n the place,
who were mighty kind in their way and as
\ | was brisk young fellow, wasa'' long in
finding a wife among them 50 lived there
Ius, like a savage for sixteen years, for there
was no chance q getting away, AMI it was
Just as we'll to make myself happy. But a,
las, an English ship put in foE water, and tic
longing came over me to go back tony native
land so Struggled myself on board just as
she was ready for sea, and glad vas 'hatmy
wife didn't follow ne
IBID you get homo all rlgf and tight"
IAN right and tight both"
Then suppose you would no, lie up At
any time at homo'"
81 didn't lie up 4, all. When got home
/ | found Inv brp,hcr had goae to America; ~.
nothing would serve me but ] would 60 10
seek him, as had no, seen him for a long
time. SO got a ship, and of went; but !
never saw him from that day to this, although
Y wandered through America for fyc ycars
seeking him. turned tired Of wandering,
aud 90, into a little vessel trading between
Prince Edwards Island and the mainland
and traded in her for ten long yoars-,eu
long years can assure YOU"
Hayn', you been long time in the coal
trade ~
"Iwas thirty years in the coal trade be
fore went to China"