The Lambertville press. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1858-1???, 1859-01-27

die of the night what time it was-l woke up
suddenly with the whole thing at my tongues
end, where it has stuck like burr to this day.
This difficulty overcome, the steering-wheel was
as simple to me as cart-wheel, and from that
time forward I not only served my regular
''trick" at it, but often got the old sailors to
give me up theirs This last was not difficult !;
for if there is one thing which an old Jack alb
hors more than another it is the steering wheel
He would sooner serve d short apprenticeship in
tread-mill There would be more fun in it
Steering makes him either stupid or serious; if
stupid, he goes to sleep, and gets fogged for it (;
if serious, he gets to rejecting and becomes
miserable
The sailor, of all men, lives in the present
The past bores him. for he hates to sail in his
own wake. The future bothers him; for he
sees nothing ahead but breakers. The present,
moreover he can understand. 1t is before him.
He knows its soundiugs. If it brings him an
emergency he is equal to it. 1t can annoy him
with but one thing-a calm Rocks, breakers,
quicksands, waterspouts, whirlwinds, short all
lowance of grog-any thing but Gains. He
worships life He would deny the weary old
sea himself moments sleep. He likes to see
every body and every thing up and doing
know not what Carlyle means by his favorite
xpression,-"Ape of the dead sea-" but it
always suggests to me the exact opposite of a
common sailor
The sailor likes at all times to be busy
"busY y Ito use his own fgure) as the Devil
in gale of wind" He has his day of rest,
like handbook, but he spends it in doing chores
He oyerhauls his chest and repairs his ward
robe He knits himself q curious hammock
sling. He pricks the name of his sweetheart
on his left breast, and anchors both arms in
India ink He weaves himself new hat or
invents a new knot. He polshes joint Of a
sharks backbone to reeve his neck-ribbon
through He cleans up his pumps, and prac-
tees a horn-pipe. At all events he keeps busy
| used to look forward to these ship Sabbaths
with JOY unspeakable. They were the only red
letter days in my calendar spent Them all
reigiously in-sailorzing myself. I got Peter
to teach me the knack Of tattooing "a knack, by
the way, which he considered as branch of
" high art,") and for the want Of real sweet
hearts, adorned my arms and legs with the
names Of imaginary James and Pollys, till they
looked like a proper dictionary. Moreover, I
had supernumary heart, designed on one
breast, and on the other tremendous emblem
of hope.
Having succeeded in learning the art of steer
ing, began to cast any thing but Sleeps eyes
at the quarter deck. For few days, strutted
about the ship like an incipient commodore
To Peters great disgust, | begged the mate to
initiate ME into the mysteries Of the "log-book. "
Thus far; had not so much as learned to throw
the log. | had, indeed, held the I-forget how
many "second- glass" while the officer of the
deck cast the little triangular bit Of wood, with
it's curiousl} -knotted line, into the sea but how
the rate Of the ships speed could be determined
by any such operation, was d puzzle. 1t was a
puzzler, however, that | was determined to
solve; and with Peters help Gor he would al
ways help me in such things, though always
under protest), did at last solve it, and was as
proud of the feat as if had discovered an extra
zodical planet.
In truth, / found that although l detSted
the sight of book, and looked upon all learn
ing as vanity and vexation, | had nevertheless a
feverish thirst for practical knowledge must
know, like child, not only the what and the
whereabouts, but the why and the wherefore of
every thing When I saw the mate aiming his
many -eyed quadrant at the sky, and quizzing
the sun with as much earnestness as if it had
been pretty girl, and, after that, coolly fgur-
ing out of his observations the exact latitude,
as he called it, of the Ship she doomed up in my
sight like worker Of miracles
And then wanted to work miracles myself
Why not. The mate appeared to me to be very
much like the rest of us, except that he had a
snub nose and a hair lip; and if he could chase
the sun about the heavens take it y and COM
1 petit to tell tales about the brig, why couldn't
i do the same thing