New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-10-09

they swarm IN mltltudes 80 pr"del"uS ds alihoS'
Ia blaeken the air.
Ab,,', surs., ,,e cast anchor in Gloucester hsr-
Dor. The weather was thick and the wind very
Eobt A we slowly made our way in the skipper
noticed small schooner, fishing Jlgger from his
own town of Swanpscoti, which WAS also creeping
along with the tide. II was owned, he told u, by
a neiqhbor Of his, and was manned by two men,
one .f uhou was particularly known 10 swamp
.c.tt by the nickname Vi Courier, who, BE- SAID
vrsayrr, merry fellow, and would amuse Us By his
droU remarks. We accordingly stood towards the
oc.r and v hen near enough for conversation. hail
ed il. "Coursier" WAS at the helm, and in anything
but a merry mood apparently. In answer to our
inquiry for news he replied that he had "lost his
skipper" ,,,.: -, ,-
uhat does the man mean | never heard
before Of losing skipper-the fellow must be jck-
ing"
But observed that the cOuntenanccs Of orr
SwampscOtt fishermen grew grave on hearing
Coursier's" unexpected reply. They were too
familiar with the dangers of their perous vocation
to be- much perplexed to comprehend the strange
catastrophe that Ind befillen their neighbOr. The
old pilot silently renqu-hed the helm 10 the Pro-
fessor, aud be and the skipper tooh the dory and
went aboard the jigger They returned in a few
minutes and confirmed "C0ursicr's statement.
He had really 'lost his skipper"
The two men had been sent To some distant fish
ing bank, and on their return. while yet out OF
sight Of land, had been Oyertaken by night. lhey
kept watch, at time. The first halt OF the
night Was Coursier's' watch. At midnight he
reused the skipper, who took the helm, while
" COursicr" turned into sleep. In the morning
when he awoke the skipper was mlsSlng-gone-
vanished. Not trace OF him was visible. The
little schooner was easily searched-he WAS not on
board. The dory still towed at the stern-he had
not gone off in that. The inevitable conclusion
was that be had somehow fallen overheard and
been drowned. But how, when, or why, were ques-
tons that would have baffled for ever all the
cOrOners Of the commonwealth. After looking IN
all manner of impossible places for his missing com
panion, "Coursier, with heavy heart, steered Tor
Cape Ann the nearest land, to report hls loss and
take counsel with the friends and neighb0rs whom
he knew he should meet in Gloucester harbor,
which is the great rendezvous Of the Massachusett
fishermen.
Our pilot and skipper, who knew both the men
intimately, express the most entire confidence IN
the accuracy Of "COursers" statement. Ills com
panon had probably fallen overheard IN tit or by
a careless nissfep in the dark, and like many of
the fishermen being unable to swim, had gone
down unseen and unheard. They showed evident
concern for their neighbour but still could not re-
press a certain degree of amusement as they
thought of "COursers " astounding brwlderlnent
getting up in the morning and tndlng that he
had lost his skipper. They had been 81 much in
that touch of the ludcrOus could not but mix IT.
self with even So grave aud shocking an event.
On our way up the harb0r We had dressed our
selves in shOre-clohcs and immediately on casting
anchor we went ashore and made our way to the
Gloucester House, where We ordered supper
While that getting ready We strolled out INTO
the narrow, winding streets, which were thronged
by sailors and fishermen, of whom there are some
times three four Thousand IN port AT once. sup
per being ready at ?. H., we sat down and made
II night of it, with arpetltcs rendered keen by ten
days abstinence from the forms, food and appnr-
tenanccs of civilized life. 1t was pleasant To SEE a
table-coth once more to SIT ia char, and To eat
something beside fish and salt meat. We lodged
that night at the hotel, and 1t Was really delightful
10 turn in without pantalOODs on, into bed broad
enough to turn round in.
The next day, Tuesday, July 10, there was little
or 10 wind aud not vessel left port. We amused
oureclycs therefore, with walking aboIt the town
during the forenoon, visiting the Pavilion, fine
botel superbly situated on the edge Of the harbor
near to which are the ruins of an old fort command
ing b tine prospect, where We bashed for an hour
OF two in the sunshine, watching the mackerel fish
ers IN the harbor. We dined at the hotel and after
dinner went on board the sl0op and resumed cur
sea rig. La the evening We received visits from
several SwampscOtt skppers whose vessels like
our own, were wibd-bound in the port One of
these sat with till midnight spinning the
most mOnstrOus and incredible yarus, which he
narrated with serene gravity that would almost
have persuaded the bearer tn believe any lie. lie
was sea. Munchausen of the fret water, and bis
adventures hearty ~ wonderful as those OIL the
renowned Baron himself.
"Wednesday, July a. there was fog In the
morning, but not very dense one, md we mad
grown so tired of inactl0n that We rugged pair of
oars ard about q. N. began to sweep the soOp
out of the harbor, slow and tollsoine process but
successful i'll time We passed angudly by the
al, oftb .,h ,r
lighthouses passed the reef of Nornans Woe, the
scene OF Longicllow's ballad;
"such was the wreck Of the H-sperus,
u the midnislt and the snow
Clri.t all from death ike ihs,
On the reef Of NOTuan's Woe
Great schools of hardheads were ripping the
water all around u.s. A light breeze at length
sprung up and We laid our course for Rockport on
the outside OF Cape Ann. OF Thatcher's Island
at the extreme end of the Cape, We encountered ia
feet of large sOops laden with granite from Rock
port, which they were taking to Boston They
were very deeply laden, and as they rolled along
they dipped n volume of water which immediately
poured out again in great streams from their SOUP
pers. There was heavy swell Oh the sea and the
water had strange metallic luster like that oi blue
steel. We had II slow, duh breeze and the tide
was against us. We did not advance, on an aver
age more than mile hour and at times actually
retrograded.
The Professor with ms dip.net caught qusntty
OF beautiful sun-squales as they hoated by lie also
caught up some floating capsules of jaeus or rock
weed, sttached TO which We found specimens ofthe
4ndtita ritrcG, h species of duck barnacle. This
curious animal having u regular muiiyalve shall,
was long thought 20 be n mollusk, and was so
classed 1t is now, however, placed among the
crustSceous, and the young OF IT is found 10 be a
small crus,acean, swimming freely in the water.
This sninal has stout leshy pedunce for attach
ment. Its fattened body is nclosed IN two large