The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1859-01-08
Written for the Council BLUFFS Noupareil.
SKETCHES OF THE sEA-N0. a

UOunu W LuIopS' T" ushu uou ucuu WlnuS as
We came out of the Gulf and with difficulty
and danger, had to "beat" out through the
Bahamas into the open sea. Here the elc-
ments had signed treaty of peace, and as
the sandy beach of Great Abaco faded from
view, We took a fair wind. Never did
maiden hail her lover with gladder welcome
Than We knights of the forecastle weary
and toll worn, hailed this harbingcr Of
coming rest. We shook out every Street,"
hauled down the "courses," and, with roy
ais, and studding sails set, stretched out
across the Atlantic in gallant style. We
had changed the vexatious programme Of
squalls, and shoals, and lee shores, for an
other, broad and safe in its general plan,
and charming in its details. Our ship was
stanch and tisht-we had plenty of sea room
and the wind blew so steadily that when We
Stunned mat night, We had little fear of hay
ing our four hours nap broken, by call to
stake in sail - and, during the day, we
t;ybtened and tarred a rope here and there,
coiled up the loose rigging about deck, took
our turns at the wheel, spun mermaid
.vornso over our pea soup and "dutf,' -
and studied Histology "without teacher
To any lover of this scienoe,.' is exceedingly
interesting. The beautiful little flying fish,
darling out of the water, take an archins
FIGHT of two or three hundred yards, till tue
air dries their fnny wings, and down 'ney
20 to be snapped up by the ravenous DOL
min. which lust beneath the surface, has
been shooting after them like an arrow
The great lazy shark, w"gging along in the
wake of the ship, is duly compllmented oy
call hands," as a savage and a cannIoai'
and were the labor of doing it less, he would
he hooked and butchercd without mercy.
The Porpoise, with his slender snout, shin
ing skin, ind astonishing powers Of locom-
otion, follows the ship for miles, and sports
around her in the widest gambols, till I'm
allv, perchance. he is harpOoned and d'shcd
up in soup to the sailors. The Grampus'
following his prey, glides like specter un'
der the ship, and is lost to sight in "
moment; and the huge whale rolls and
spouts in the distance, neither knowing nor
caring whether merchautmau or whaler
is bearing down upon him. Ten days OF
glorious weather, and we had passed the
AZORES and entered the bay of Biscay. An
other week, and we hoped.to be safely dock
ed in tho mouth of the Seine, unloading
our million pounds of cotton, for the spin
dies of France. But We were doomed to
disappointment. On the morning of the
eleventh day, the sun rose clear, and the
wind blew steadily ten knot breeze from
the South West but, before noon, thick
haze overspread the sky. The Captain
paced the deck with anxious countenance,
scanning, alternately, the sails and the
heavens, and frequently going below to
look at the barometer. And well he might
be anxious, for, only three years before, he
had lost a noble ship in gale, IN the SAINT
/
shifting. and at three o'clock We commenced
to "shortcn SAIL At six the heavens wer'
black with the impending storm, and ierc'
North Wcster was rolling up huge pillows
and testing the strength of our sails ant
cordagc. As it swept bowling over our heads
The great black waves peeped in over tn
stern, rs if asking permission to com
aboard and the old "salts, - as they gather
ed on the forccustlc. shook their heads ON
inously; and some Of them related the incl
dents of similar occasions, when the gal
LIANT crafts they were sailing in had gon
down in the tempest. Weyoungsters look
ed for dismal nisht-and thoughts o
wreck, and of riding out the storm on
spar, or a hencoop, or going down anon
the sea nymphs, would unplcasantly fore
themselves upon US. But We had stor
ship, n good Captain, and an active fearlec
crew and, as we were Sin for it" we ratht
liked the idea of battling with the element
There was something in the strife to stir tn
most sluggish Soul, and call out its later
emotions.
We hoped for the best and prepared fo
the worst. Before dark the ship was ''.al
to-" Steadily the gale increased till mlt
night, when it roarcd around US like tc
thousand demons. Pitchy darkness shu
Us in, and ever and anon, an enormous way
broke over the bow and dashed along af
knocking some uckless wight off his peg
and sousing the rest of the swatch" to the
hearts content. Carefully the ship wa
kept head to wind, for, had she veered an,
fallen off into the trough of the sea, sln
would have been literally buried in a mo
ment and, rs we hudd!cd together aroun
the mainmast, with characteristic reckless
ness, we counted the chances of escape i
such contingency, and coolly conclude
that they were about one in a hundred
1t was halfpast twelve, and the othe
"watch," wet and cross, and sleepy, ha
slowed themselves away between tn
bIihhclsp uuu we're ulTeuuy ODHNlous l
ship, and sea, and storm, and dreaming O
their sweethrarts on the other side Of tn
Ocean. We were cracking jokes about oil
Boreas and his relatives, when. suddenly,
crack crash and down came the fore
topmast crash ! crash and away wen
the main and mizzcn topmasts; and, as tn
/ Captain, startled from his slumbers, stuc
D his head up out of the cabin, "caH a
hands" rang out loud and clear above th
roar of the tempest. The poor fellows mus
"turn out" Rudely awakened from
blissful illusion to a stern and dreary realt
they donned their "toggery" in no amiabl
mood, and "all hands" were soon bus
clearing the wreck. The ship, relieved @
so much top weight, now rode easier; an
the storm, as if rcpentant of its mischief
began to abate. Daylight opened a pre,t
scene to our view. Part Of our fallen spar
were on board, and part of them were float
ing away to lecward. The Jbboom wa
gone, the round house smashed in. and tn