The Portsmouth inquirer. [volume] (Portsmouth, O. [Ohio]) 1849-1855, 1851-07-14
A Swimming Story.

The story Of man Of his Majesty's list
Regiment falling overheard from the Cham
bly, steamboat between Long Point and Mon
treal, and in SO miraculously appearing on
the beach before his comrades had disembar-
ked, reminded me of circumstance that oc-
Cured during my servitude on board the Dol
phin man of war, bound to the West Indies.
We were going at the rate of about three
knots and ahalfan hour, when Tom Cardboard
belonging to the fore.op (who by the by, was
bit ola wag.) sleeping in the lee forechains,
by sudden lurch Of the ship was thrown
overheard.
A man overheard was the general cry fore
and aft, and every one ran to offer or give as
sisance to the drowning man.
Tom was tolerable good swimmer as ev-
erybody thought, but nothing extraordinary;
he awoke on finding himself in deep water,
and began to use his paddles, and the ship
going ahead, as was saying before, at the
rate Of three and a half, Tom was soon lost
sight of under the counter, where he waslucky
enough to get hold of the rudder chains. The
hands all ran aft expecting to see him astern,
and to lower the jolly boat to pick him up,
DuN IOIu Nuo llOL W UC cCSus
Hes gone they said, 'to Davy's locker,
and efforts ceased.
Our ship was very deep, bound to the West
Indies; consequently our gun room ports
were low in the water. This Tom saw and
as it was getting dark, he thought he would
wait till they beat the quarters, and piped
the hammocks down, before he got on board.
which he did; and he popped into the lady's
hold, where the gunner kept his wads and
spare monkeys tails, and there remained till
the middle of the first watch, when he sailed
forth and made free with our bread bags, ta-
king enough to serve him for about three
days. @f
At the end of this time we were jogging
along at an easy rate, with scarcely any wind,
about knot an hour, when Tom, unobserved,
slipped out of the port he CAME in at, and
dropping astern, began to hail the ship.
The Dolphin ahoy!
Halo says the quartermaster, who was
about gettinga pull on the main brace.
Says Tom
If you don't back the mainsail and heave
TO, shall sink, for no man can swim to
the West Indies without provisions
Everybody ran aft in amazement, for il
had been blowing fresh during the time We
had supposed he had been overheard; but
there was no time 10 be lost, SO the boat was
lowered and Tom was picked up to the grea
qualification and astonishment of everybody
on board.
On our arrival, as the captain was on shore
dining with the Governor, the talk turned up
on swimming. The Governor was extollint
the powers of black he had, and the cap
tain declared that no man could swim will
Tom Garboard, Of the Dolphins foretop
however, to make long story short, tht
captain and the governor made very heavy
bet-the time appointed-Tom requested ON
week to get ready. 9.
| The carpenters were ordered to make wha
chests and conyeniences Tom required. Th'
purser was entrusted, at his request, to sup
ply fortnights provisions.
The day came, and Tom went on shore a
the wharf appointed, where he began to stow
Ibis grub. The black fellow looked at hin
with astonishment.
What you do dare massa ? said he. ~
sWhat am ] doing here 2 says Tom, why
| | am taking my provisions, to be sure, and
advise you to do the same, for not a bit o
this willvou get ON the road sfsse
| 'Why, massa, says the Niger, me no NOR
lswim nine or ten miles, as 'F'
Says Tom, as if in establishment at tn,
lshort distance tflt
j .Why, man, I'm going to Tobago, which
II believe, is over two hundred miles, anl
lsban't be back for fortnight.