New-York daily tribune., 1861-08-27
A PARABLE For THE TIMES.


off the coast of South Carolina At first the crew
made light Of the matter, and hardly thought it worth
while to take a single reef in the sails. /" 1t was
mere squall, such to that latitude, and
would coon be over" But the wind continued to
stien, ind the to roughen: day after day matters
went from bad TO worse at last such state Of things
was reached as the oldest tar board lad never
known. 1t blew perfect hurricane. The good ship
labored awfuily. Toe gunwaes went uod.r at every
wave. Though well built, and by no means an old
ship indeed still considered by not few good judges
az the s,anehes hull afoat), she sprung leak and,
DESPITE the best that could be done at the pumps, made
water very fast. 49,
A council Of officers was called. What should be
done1 One thing was plain 10 all-the ship must be
hghtenfd She would stand 1t under such tre-
mendous pressure Of cargo. The decks swarmed with
men. A large amount OF military stores was on
board-rifed cannon and email of the cOstiiest
paiterns ammunitiOnaod provision OF the best quail
ties There was also, slowed away In various parts
of the ship no inconsderabe amount OF treasure In
the shape of Jewels bullion and coin. Further there
happened to be on board II hardly know how or why,
though there people who profess to eXplain The
matterl an immense quantity Of Old Jamaica IL was
the principal thing from the mdsbTs forward, espe'
ciay in aud about the forecaste; and, what win the
stout ronbound casks and the sanohlons required Tor
it's security weighed 80 heavily that even in calm
the bowspIil was brought quite too near the water
for safe aud easy sailing. more dsagreeable place
than that fore,hp could scarcely hnd The casks,
black and dirty lay about in all directions dlsgurlng
the ship, obstrucng the saiors emitting horrio Smells
and in stress OF w,ather rolling and pitching tremen.
dously. As 10 the liquor itself. though some denied
tire fact it really yillanous compound OF ttych
nine, nux yomica, and other powerful posons. IL
had always made more work for the smp-doctors ON
GERS and carpenters, than all other things put To-
geber. part OF the hands and even officers, roaid
drink it, and become dseased Incompetent dlsorderiy
quaIresoDe, and at times even quie outrageous In
their conduct. The morale OF the whole crew was
more or LEES corrupted. Pilots steered many points
astray joiners struck many unlucky blows sails were
spread aui firled st most unfortunate moments and
dangerous munies arosc. In such ways that ugly
freight had several times come near rnihlng the good
ship Some narrow eecapes from this were al
mos, too frghtful 10 thiuk o. and II had ~ be
confidently expected In many quarters that some day
the old Jamaica would be the means OF sending the
URiou TO the bottom
.'Wha shall We do :" cried the captain as hisooers
gathe red about him with alarm pictured IN their faces
II il plain matter that unless the ship is hgotened
she will q down. What shall We throw overbosrdf
After talking the matter over the council at last con-
clnd,d ldo not wonder for assure you there WAS much
exccllet argument made in favor OF the measure TO
begin with throwing over large part OF the crew,
stores and treasure. II this should not relieve
the ship sufficiently, they would follow with aoother
arp- nsamcnt of the eame and perhaps another, and
still another. Lastly in thcse extensive sacrifices
should prove uDavsilipg they would hoist overheard
the Old Jamaica.
Adnirible!" cried an old sslt as the officers came
ON deck and announced this bright plan with beaming
faces. "IdH f0bie Never was scheme 50 original
and wsc Why, comrades, had We been consulted
poor simple souls that we are-we should never once
lave tbousb of such thing. Indeed, warrant you.
should have been just stupid enough TO have turned
ts most generous snd exalted plan around, end for
end. In our simplicity, we should have begun with
-pilg tho Old Jamnicn, and in OF this not prov
ing enough woald have procs cded 10 throw over
board money sores, and men, iDstalmeri after II stall
IL L.. llttI ia HAulH
have been reyv stupid course. II has not spark of
genius and originality about IL. Our officers have hit
The true course between wird and winter. BY all
means, bet us save tho Old Jamaica. What are your
lyes ioIn, Dick, and Harry, and ten thousand more
like you SAY, what are your liver worth, compared
with the Old Iauaical What are tbeec hundreds OF
milona Of treasure, in cabin and bold, worth, com
pared with the Old Jamaica To be sure, chemists
.ay il s an arrant poson, and It seems pretty clear
that from the day Of launching till now, it has been
the source of infinite mischief and risk 10 our shipi
aud rbori-.ighted people like ourselves might very
naturally 10 think that our lives and real van-
,bles deserve 10 be the last things sacrificed But
MT so-depend on it, comrades, 'tisn't so. Our
officers are right. It's better 10 the Old Jamaica
At all hazards. So, hurra for the Old Jamaica"
And the sailors rhouted and threw up their tarDau-
ns for the onion, aud for tho keeping Of the Old Ja
maica TO the la, possible moment. Thon O SQUAD Of
them sez d hold Of as much gold and war stores as
they could manage, and incontineDtly jumped over
board with them. No relief, however coming OF this
another detachment OF the crew followed suit, and
then another, aud still another. At last, when the
crew WAS decinated, and nearly all yaluables had
walked the plank leaving the ship laboring about
badly as ever the officers and all hands concluded TO
try rs the art resort the throwing overheard Of the
Old Jamaica. So overheard II went. At once, tho
ship righted, became buoyant and Manageable, and
easily rode out the remainder Of the gale. But ah
when all was calm, it sorry sight TO zee that
great ship Union with IT. thin decks, and empty hold
and battered hull-stFpped of almost everything in
order 10 save the Old Jnmaica which was not saved,
alter all. IL w. B'
PROMPT DENIAL.
10 he Edfey Of The ~ L. Tribune.
SIR: In your morning edition of Friday, Aug. %,