Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1852-05-19
Cuupsr's Glurksblltg astgiste,
ADVENTURE OF JERRY NTARntN-
nf NAwsRn MANriNoAlr.

The clumsy old ship ATLANTA. who de-
served TO be as remarkable for her dull
rate Of sailing, as her beautiful namesake
wasfor her beautiful proportions and swift
ness in the race, was one afternoon poking
along on her way from Havana for Cowes
and . market, with aheavy cargo of sugar
aud coffee on board The wind blew hard
from the southeast and being about abeam,
the yards were rounded in little, and teh
sheets were flowing, Tho topsails were
double reefed--but there was no great
sea on--and the old ship made more fuss
In going Eve or six knots, than other yes
sells would in going ten or eleven. On look
Ing over the bows and listening to the NOISE
abe made, and seeing the tremendous olS
white bone which she carried in her mouth
tou would think, she vaa going dozen
at least,
A sailor dislike, a dull sailing vessel.
A leaky ship--a brutal communicable.
eoysd provisions--a short allowance Of
WATERPROOF sails and rigging, &c., Sc,
are bad enough in all conscience, but a
dill sailing vessel is the worst of all, Jack
can easily forgive many bad qualities in
o his ship, and even put up with bad usage,
with tolerable grace, if the vessel in
which his fortunes are embarked, sails
fast, In his view, clear run, like char
ity, covers Multitude of sins-while a dull
sailing vessel. although extremely COM
Portable in other respects, is his utter
aversion.
ON the afternoon in question, the star
board watch of the Atalanta we're snugly
coiled away under the weather bulwarks
amid ships, busily employed in kotting
rope. yarns, while Mr., Hopkins the second
officer, was walking the quarter deck and
watching the weather, which looked rather
greasy to wudWard. The Captain was
quietly taking an observation below in his
state-room.
The watch we're grumbling about the
slow progress they made, and calculating
that if the wind held fair, in about sixty
days longer we might arrive i'll the Eng
lish Channel. We had already been out
thirty-6ve days, The whole crew seemed
exceedingly impatient and cross, and
grumbled away in the most approved man
ner, except one little queer looking follow,
whom they used to call Jerry Marlinspike.
He was about four feet eleven inches in
His eyes looked in half dozen directions,
apparently, at the same timc--his mouth
was twisted, as if he had been the victim
ola paralytic shock--his face was scanned
with several scars, his nose stood all
askew, as if it had been knocked off, and
afterwards part of it stuck on, but in the
wrong place. Indeed his whole visage
spoke as plainly as face could speak, Of
horrible encounters, OF combats dire, eth
er with animate or inanimate objects.
Jerry listened for somC time with grim
smile to the remarks Of his shipmatcs. At
length, after turning over his huge quid
two or three times, and making some at
tempts to pucker up his mouth in such
sort as to convey articulatc sounds to the
ears of his listeners, he addressed his
Vatchmates in q croNking, bull-frog kind
of voice, something after tho following
fashion -
~ tell you what it is, shipmatos, the
old barkey goes along fast cnough-she's
agood comfortable craft, and we are treat
ed as well on board of her as we deserve
that you'll all allow-and the more
months. the more dollars you know. ex-
pect to so to sea all my life, or until my
timbers become so case-harpcned, that |
can't 90 aloft-and find myself so well
off, with a good ship under my foot-good
provisions and plenty Of thcm--kind Off.
GERS, and n clever set OF fellows for a
crew, that | shan't trouble myself about
the end of the voyage, until it begins to
grow shoal-water in the harness cask, or
the breadroom becomes empty. 1t will
be time enough TO grumble then, about
long passages, according to my reckon
ing"
That's all true. Jerry" said Tom
Haines; "but then, you know, it's q
dreadful trial to fellows patience to see
stout ship crawl along so slowly with a
fair wind, and plenty OF it. She puts me
in mind of a seal trying to dance horn
pipe, or Galapagos turtle in chase of a
Guiana. wonder Capt, Spriggins don't
keep man on the tatfrel all night, keep
ing bright lookout astern, lest some de-
There would be more sense in that than
in making such fuss about sharp look
out on the forccastle.'
DWELL, Tom" rejoined Jerry, "she
sails fast enough for mel am sick of
your clippers. used to like rapid going
on sea or on shore as we'll as any of volt
but got enough of it about five years ago,
(pointing to his battered face, and have
never wanted to go faster than four or
Eve knots an hour since-eithcr on land
or the ocean,"
GLOW was it Jerry? Tellus all about
It'll" exclaimed two or three, of the watch.
e hoping to get yarn on stretch, OF diff
terent kind from those they were busted
in knotting.
.",Why, you sse," said Jerry Marlin.
spike, eel had just returned from an cigh-
teen months voyage to Calcutta; and
being an India blade, with plenty of shi-
ners in my pocket, l thought it but right
to cut up few shines on shore, lust to