The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1852-12-14
MISCELLANEOUS.
"a I'EdZSHaE4QNGT EPISODE OE'
OCEAN LIFE.
BY sYLvANUs COBB. JR.

Daccp Morgan, sup OF seven nun.
cred tons burden, sailed from Bruins
wick, Georgia, bound for the East
dndlcS. She was a noble ship, but
if we believe the assertion of one
who sailed in her, she was built fol,
misfortune. She was launched from
her stocks at mid day, but yet the
moon was seen in the heavens, when
she gave her first impress to the salt
water. Several years subsequent to
the period when our story opens she
was driven upon one of the NIartv's
Reeis, and her i'll iatcd timhcrs were
strcwed upon the sands Of Florida.
at the time Of which we write. the
Jacob Morgan was commanded bv
Capt. Ben Wallack. a powerful broad
chcsted man, but as kind and consll
crate as he was fearless and strong.
Seamcn were scarce, and the ship S
crew were obtained with yrcat diff
Guilty, and under these circumstances
men had been hired who would other
wise have been percmptorily rejected.
The ship had been SIX days out when
the first mate, Mr.. GwyMn, flom
Providence, r.. l., was suddenly ia.
ken sick, and OH the next morning lis
llteless clay was consigned to the deep
grave of the blue Atlantic
y This untimcly event left Capt.
Nallack i'll a critical situation. Nat.
Faulkner, his second mate, was by
no means qualified for the Office nor
) wonld he have taken the responsible.
ty had the Captain desired it. There
was but one man i'll the ship who pos
seSscd sufficient knowledge of sea.
manship for the mates berth, ami
though Wallack found that to MIN he
must give the office, yet he did 50
with many misgivinys. This mans
name was Tom Roland, han .h,y and
ovcrbcari,lS i'll his disposition, seem.
lns by his general conduct to have
been in the habit of co,nnanlin..
rather than obeyins. on shipboarl,
and who had already begun to cxcr-
else a sort Of control over the crew.
But the case was one of necessity.
and Tom Roland was installed ito
the office Of first mate, anl pnartcrcl
in the cab;:<
For several weeks things passed
on extremely we'll RoIand proved
to be thorough navigator, finished
seaman, and ready and efficient
officer, anil Captain WalIack began
to think his misgivinys were entirely
sroundlcss. Over the crew, Roland
had most thorough control, and
even those men who had cvinced to-
wards the Captain marks Of insnbor-
dnatlon, moved without a mur.nur at
the slightest beck Of the mate.
One morning, when Capt. Wallack
and his second mate had the morning
watch, they both kept the deck until
Roland had finished his breakfast.
and when the latter took his watch at
a few minutes past s O'clock, thcv
went below. When they rcachc,l
the cabin, Mr. Russell, the snpercai.
go, was Just ris..s from the table, aul
taking book from The head Of his
@Dcrth, sat down upon a stool at the
foot of tho ladder and commenced
reading. He passed a few obscrva-
tons upon the weather, as the Cap
tain and his second mate took their
seats at the table, and then went on
with his reading. Some five minutes
had passed, when Na!lack and FauIk-
ncr. were startled by sudden cxcla.
nation Of pain from the supcrcar.o
and on turning they saw that he had
dropped his book, and sat with both
hands. pressed hard upon his stomach.
while his features had assumed
lived hue, expressive of the most
acute suffering. The Captain sprany
quickly from the table, and LAYING his
hand upon the sufferers shoulder, he
exclaimed:
'What is the matter, Mr.. Russcll?'
80, God ! don't know. Here it
IS! | burn = uttered the supcrcar-
go, az he pressed his hands harder
upon his stomach.
'Wiat have you been eating p
What have you been drinking! asked
WaIlack, III trcnzy Of anxiety.
Nothing, nothing. Oh, oh =
groancd the poor fellow.
WaIlack cast a trembling glance
at hls second mate, and for Il mo.
ment they both remained silent.
Its strange at length uttered
Faulkner, poor Gwynn was taken
III exactly the came way
The Captain made no rely, but