Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-10-11
EVENING STAR.
L o o K OUT HEAD,
HAWSER hARTINGALR

4
Conch Shell, named Fleming, who was neye
known to "calk the deck' during bis watch
No one ever knew him to nod, even if he ha,
been destitute of sleep for twenty four hours
so long as he remained on deck and vet tn
old fellow liked to sleep In proper times anc
seasons as we'll as any man on board anC
when he had left the deck and was fairI,
turned into his bunk, he would sleep as if h,
was resolved to make up for lost time, or bot
tie up good quantity for future use, anc
breathe and snore rs musically as q crocodile
afflicted with the pethisic.
And Fleming did not merely keep atcaks In
his watch on deck. He would walk the wea
ther side Of the forecastle, or the main dec l
for hours together, when it was not his trick
at the wheel, and keep bright eye to wind
ward and ahead, and every few minutes cast
an inquiriug glance under the lee In other
respects Fleming was not remarkable He
was good sailor, and would do his duty as
well as the common run of men, but no better
His prominent excellence consisted in his ca.
pabllity of remaining awake during his watch
In the night, and keeping sharp and con-
stant lookout
| One evening, in the dog-watch, while the
ship lay becalmed in sight of Tristan Acun-
ma, some OF the youngsters undertook to joke
Fleming little about his only peculiarity
and broadly intimated that his unrelaxing
| vigilance was more owing to a peculiar re-
sPect Ior " number one, ~ to unmanly and
sort OF insane fear of some evil happening to
m nm IN me dark: than to conscientious wish
to discharge an important duty.
We'll, boys said Fleming, with a grim
smile, " you may have it your own way-and
perhaps, after all, you are not so far wrong
L received a lesson many years ago-a dear
one 1t was, too, which shall never forget
ana dare say that if either Of you should
should receive such lesson, you would nsver
To- lSln
followed the seas until you were as old rs Me-
| thusaleh."
What happened, old fellow ?" exclaimed
| Jack Grimsby, with hoarse laugh did
| the ship take in a sea over the bows, while
| you were taking comfortable snooze on the
forecastle deck or did a clumsy elephant Of
shipmate plant his heel ON your Jaws and
| fracture the bones? or did an ili-natured
| skipper thrust a tar brush down your throat
while you were snoring, and tickle and pay
you windpipe. ?''
You are rather wide of the mark this
time, Jack, replied Fleming "The lesson
| which L received was Of character rather
more solemn than any thing you have men
tioned'
"Well, out with it, my bully" said David
Houston. 81 suppose it's no secret, is it? ?''
Certainly not" replied Fleming off
you would like to hear of a hair breadth es-
cape, prick open your ears with a marlin
spike, and incline them this way"
The crew all gathered around the old man,
who was seated comfortably on the heel of the
6oWsprit, and, after scratching his head as if
for the purpose of concentrating his IDEAS, he
thus commenced his narrative:
" GU must know, shipmates, that some ff-
teen years ago was on board the ship Amin.
ldab, bound on q voyage to Rotterdam. The
captain, whose name was Swipes, was a good
sort of man enough-a seaman and a naviga-
tor; but he dearly loved his own ease, and
trusted too much to his officers He did not
like to be broken of mis- nights rest, but
usually turned in about two bells in the first
watch, after telling the officers to keep good
look out, and let him (the captain) know if II
should come on to blow then, 'fuke up,' he
be would disappear through the companion
way, and blow high or blow low. nothing fur
ther would be seen or heard of him until seven
bells in the morning watch, when he would
come on deck to blow.
The chief mate, Mr.. Stanley, was a toler-
able good oficer-at least he would have
been, If the captain had attended 10 his busi-
ness, and looked after his officers. He kept a
pretty good watch, considering all things.
Sometimes, though, he would take cats nap
on the weather hencoOp; and the sails were
not always so well trimmed, and the ship
steered, even in his watch, as should have
been the case. As for Mr. Watkins, the second
mate, he was thick headed youth, a sort of
ships cousin, believe, not overstocked with
brains, and he seemed to consider keeping a
watch as a great bore, and resolved to get
over the disagreeable duty as easily as posi-
BILE. He would usually stand two or three
calls, before he would show himself on deck
the chief mate would then dive below like a
loon at the fash Of musket, and the safety
of the ship and the lives Of all on board were
entrusted to the care of this Mr.. w atkins, who
| would sleep, L verify believe, with his head
In bucket of water.
This officer would usually take few turns
| on the quarter deck, and then sing out in
| loud and peremptory voice, keep a good
| look out ahead, there!' To this, one Of the
! watch, perhaps reused out of a sound sleep,
would reply with cheerful Aye, aye, sir i''
and turn over and take another nap Mr..
W atkins would then as if he had faithfully
performed his duty, and taken all proper pre-
! caution against accidents, stretch himself on
| the hencoop, and in few minutes sounds re-
sembling somewhat the hoarsest tones Of a
Scotch bagpipc, would give sufficient evidence
| that he was fast anchored in some good bar
| Dor in the land of dreams The ship was thus
| often left in the mid hours of the night in the
/ care of the helmsmaD, sometimes a mere boy.
| and if tho wind hauled or increased, or a
| quall seemed to be rising, he would awake
| the officer, and tell him he had better be STIR
| ring.
1t sometimes, however, happened that the
| man at the wheel would be nodding at his
post, for the ship steered remarkably easy,
| and if the weather was quite moderate, lie
would nipper the wheel rope with a rope
yarn, and take a cats nap alsO-fOr sleeping
is as contagious as the plague. and man
can hardly see q half dozen men sound asleep
around him without feeling the lids of his
| eyes grow heavy, and keeping close together
longer than is actually consistent with steering
a true course, and looking outsharp for the wind
and the weather, And, shipmates, even to this
day, there is many a ship crosses the Atlantic
with no better lookout during the night thap
was kept on board the Aminadab-for there are
more captains like Captain Swiper, and mates
like Mr.. w atkins, than is generally imagined.
You know as we'll as myself that there is a
vast difference between men at sea and On
shore-and this, and nothing else, you know,
as we'll as I do, is often the cause of long pas.
sages.
Well, one dark and cloudy night, it was the
5th of April-I remember it well-we were
drawing up with the chops of the English
Channel, with a strong breeze from the north.
ward, and heavy rough and-tumble sea. We
4 had pot snundinus hafora p;Dbt -, g.