Wisconsin tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1847-1854, 1852-11-11
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THE >CAPE
A SCENE on TIE RIO DE La PLATA.
By G. S. RAYMOND.

IT was dark-black pitchy-dark, aye
as black as the lowest depths of some grim
old feudal dungeon, into which not one
single ray of Gods glorious sunlight had
ever penetrated 1t was to, almost calm
it would have been better had it not
been entirely so; for the unsteady breeze
came in ftful puffs from all points of the
compass, rendering it almost impossible
to prevent the ship from being square q
back. All the light sails had been furl-
ed and the heavy courses were hauled UP
snug. so that the noble craft lay there un-
der her three topsails, like giant gIadia-
tor stripped for battle We were midway
between the southern edge of the great
English Bank. and the shore of the vast
sandy bay of San Borombom; upon the
bosom of the mighty ocean like Rio de la
Plata Ever since we left Buenos Ayres,
five days previous. this strange gloomy,
battling weather had continued, and we
had not made two hundred miles of pro-
gress towards the ocean.
The mate was an excellent sailor = but
this was his first voyage to the river; and
when | went on deck at 0 O'Clock | found
him pacing hurriedly to and fro. and ut
terly contounded by the unusual appear
ance of the weather The night as [ have
said, was intensely dark and there were
indistiuct murmuriugs all round US In the
gloom, that sounded like the wings OF
monstrous birds tanning the air in their
rapid fight Far away IN the southern
board could be heard the low and almost
constant believing of auttered thunder,
while along the whole line of horizon tow
ards the San Borombom, small wiry
threads of chain lightning seemed to dart
up from the surface of the water, and fetch
the laundering warnings of the storm
king, upon the black scroll Of night in hi
eroglypLics of living fire.
[ was but passenger in the ship, but
| had been an old cruiser on the River
Plata, and I knew that ali these appear.
ances were but the heralds of the coming
tempest. BY my advice, the mizzen top
sail was furled, and the third reef taken
in the fore, and the main topsail yard was
settled away upon the cap, the reef tack
els hauled out, and two or three men were
already in the rigging on their way aloft
to reef the sail, when the captain came on
deck, and after a single glance out into
Z
"Clew up the main-topsail Down out
of the rigging there, everybody, and clap
on to clewlines and buntlines. Let 90
the sheets, and up with him both sides
up with him my lads-up with him with
a will-so Belay everything and now
lay aloft there for your lives and roll him
up. Up you 60, my souls and be handy
it'll be down here on the top of US IN
FIVE minutes I' And thus encouraged and
urged on to their duty, the ready sailors
few up the main rigging, and out on the
topsaiI yard like cats.
Who's skul5ing here ?" exclaimed the
mate, as his eye encountered dusky fig
ure crouching among the ropes about the
he dragged the delinquent away from the
mast towards the weather main rigging
sMe sir boy Diego" replied a deep
musical voice, which | recognized IN mo-
ment as belonging to a beautiful Brazil
ian. perhaps sixteen years old, who had
Joined the ship the day before she sailed,
aud came aboard in company with the
Portugese sailor. to whom he appeared to
be particularly attached, and who | had
observed, was always the first man aloft
when .he order was given to make or take
in sail.
Boy Diego p yelled the excited mate !;
''well. why the devil don't you 60 aloft
and help to furl that sail ?"
"Nav posse se7lor pczoto," replied the
frightened boy. 'Eu sou rapaz que ser
Ue como noco do mario p
The poor lad wanted to tell the officer
that be had shipped as boy or ordinary
seaman, and he dare not 60 aloft but in
his fright he had forgotten the few words
Of English which he might have picked
up. and be spoke it IN Portuguese.
BE done with your jaw breaking lingo
and go aloft, or III start you with a ropes
end -
The boy did not understand tie words
but he knew 1t was threat of some kind
and dreading its fulfllment, be sprang to-
ward the rigging. and would have gone a.
loft or tried to but laid my hand upon
his arm. and held him back, while | said