Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1857-10-16
III Miscellaneous.
From the waverly Magazine.
A YANAEE SAILORS LUCK.

On the eighth of May, lS43, an Amer
lean sloop-of war entered the beautiful ba-
sin which runs up into the city of Marscil-
lies; aud having obtained a berth among
the numerous vessels, she was soon warped
iuto and secured Next below the Yankee
lay French steamer belonging to the line
of government vessels which piled between
the French ports and Algiers, and SO near
were the two together that barely room
enough was left for the passing of tue boats.
Most of the officers of these steamers, from
their constant intercourse with the English
arc pretty we'll vcrscd in our language, and
they speak it much more fiuently than do
those whose sole instruction has been CLEAN
ed from the drawing room and bouloir,
from the fact that the peculiar tcchnicallties
and idioms of the ship board are more strlk-
ing aud pointed in their application, and
can be made to bear no such variety OF
construction as do the terms of landsmen.
Ono morning Tom Wallace, as fine "a spec
linen of Yankee sailor as our navy affords
came upon deck of the sloop-of- war, and
having slowed awap his hammock, he call
ed his gang to come and wash down tho
top gallant forecasllc AS he reached tha
part of the ship which was given to his es
pecial charge, be was not little chagrinec
to find nearly half an inch of nasty black
SCOT and cinders spread over his territory
and as the dew, which ON tho shores If the
Mediterranean falls very heavily had be
come thoroughly mixed with it, the compo
sition was by no means calculated to bege'
very pleasant reflections. The Frenchman'
smoke pipe was putting away most furious!y
and Tom saw at once To whom he was
indebted for this disagreceble favor; but Al
he knew that the steamer must let he
steam aud smoke off somewhere, and tha
it was not their fault that the wind happen
ed to blow as it did, he smothered his in
dignation, and waited till the dirt ceascC
to fall, when he washed down the forecastle
and then coiled away his running rigging
BY the time this was accomplished, th'
welcome roll of the drum was heard, an(
Tom started for the grog-rub-then th'
shrill pipe of the boatswain cut the air, ant
our hero soon forgot his troubles over
smoking pan of lobscouse.
Three bells had just struck, when Tor
Wallace obtained permission to take tur
on shore, and accordingly, arrayed in his bes
shore-togs, he leaped into a shoro-boat
which happened to be alongside, and put of
"Hallo," shouted Tom, as he saw tina
the boatman was pulling in tolerable dit
ferent direction from that which he wishe
to take, "where arc you goingG"
"Ah, zir," answered the French boatmar
''de officair of 20 stemair have one very ba'
law for ze boats. Dey no let us go unde
zeir bows, an 20 We must go very grea
ways round"
"Why there's plenty of room betwee
the steamers bows and the vessel ahead q
her" answered Tom, not at all relishing thi
kind of work.
30, yes, / know zere is plenty of 2
room, but ze boat viii have got TO go unde
ze bows, an it's only yesterday zat dey dro
one Of yer heavy cannon-ball into a boa
ag zinu him" CT1tT -
"What, just because they pulled the boa
under the steamers bows"
"Om, Monsieur, certainly"
"Weil," replied Tom, who had no idea @
being rowed around nearly half mile, whe
only few rods would answer just as well