The weekly sun. (New York [N.Y.]) 1851-1869, 1861-10-12

scihP OF Penmsnship IN me bottle did take both
OF IA rather on end and fer two or three
II inutes Westwood and I sat STARING a, aacb
other and the uncouth-looking fist, In an In.
curing sort Of way, like two cocks over a
beetle. Westwood, Tor his part, was d. ubtfuI
Of Us being the Planter at ali but the whole
thing, when thought Of it. made itself clear
to me, 20 far, as two hall-hitches.
Early in the morning watch sudden stir Of
the men on deck woAe me, and I
bundled up in FIVE minutes time. Bat
IL was only the second mate ietting them to
wash decks, and out they came from all quar-
tiers, yawning, stretching the mselves, aud tict-
ing up their trousers, as they passed the full
buckets lazily along. However, was 50 anx-
iOus TO have the first lookout ahead, that |
made told push through thu thick Of It for
the bowsprit where went out till could see
nothing astsrn Of me but the Indiaman's big
black bows and figure head.
What struck me a little how bver, was the
look Of the water just as The fog was clearing
away the swell was sinking down,
the wind fallen for the time 70 a
dead calm; and when the smooth face
Of 1t caught the light full from aloft,
il seemed TO como out all over long wind
ing wrinkles and eddies, running in broad
path, as it were, twisted and woven together,
right into the wake u the sunrise. Whom |
came inboard from the bowspri', big Harry and
another grumpy Old salt were sanding by the
bits, taking a forccastle observation and gave
n
out Of the east, or had been trying topockot the
hying-ji boom. "D'you notice anything
strange about the pIier at ALP | asked in an
off hand sort Of way, wishing TO 500 Il the men
had remarked aught e what suspected. mo,
sir, aad the iirs', carelessly; cant say as how
does, while Harry eoolly commenced .hrp.
ening his sheath-knife on his shoe. Did yDu
ever hear Of currents horeabouts ?" said : L. the
other man "llereaway :" said he; why bless
ye, sir its impossible as | could ha herd tell
ON SIGH n thing, cause, ye see, sir, there amt
none 40 far out at sea. sir.
kept still looking over from the fore chains
with my aims folded, and an eve TO water on
the stsrbOard side, ne t the sun, where, Just a
fathom or two fiom the bright copper OF her
sheathing along the wator line, you could see
into IL. Every now and then little bells and
bubbles, as though would como up in II and
break short Of tho surface and sometimes
fancied the line Of slight ripple, as hne as a
rOpu-yarn, went turning and glis'ening round
one Of the ships quarters, across her shadow.
just thon the old sailor behind mo showed his
face over the bulwuk. too. suddenly squirted
his tobacco juice as far out as possible alongside
and gave his mouth wips with the back Of his
tarry yellow hand; catching my eye in a shame
faced sort Of way, as glanced first at him and
then az his floating property. | leant listessly
over the rail, watching the patch of oily yellow
fioth, a. it Aoated quietly on tho smooth fice Of
the water; till all al once started TO observe
that beyond all question II had crept slowly
away past our stlrbOard bow clear If the ship,
and at last melted into the glttering blue brine.
The two Ell noticed my attention, and stared
along with me; while the owner of the precious
cargo himself kept looking after ii wistfully in
10 the sunlight, as if he were n little hurt; then
alofi and round about, in puzzled sort Of way,
TO soc IL the ship htd't perhaps taken sudden
sheer to port "Why, my nan, ! said, meet
4 ing his oystci.liko old sca-eye, "wbat's the
reason of hdtI perhaps there IS some cur
rent OF other heio, after all, ELI p Just IA he
meant to answer, however | noticed his watch
mate give him hard shove in The rib, with his
huge elbow and quick screw Of his weather
I top light while he kept the Ice ole dOSgcdly
fixed on myself | accordin, ly walked slowly
aft a. il TO the quarterback, and came round tno
/ long.bO again right abreast OF them. Harry
was pacing fore and at, with his arms folded
when his con panion mi do some rem rk on tho
heat, ptering all about him, and then right up
/ into the air alofi. "Wel tnen, shipmlte, sad
Harry, dabbug his handkerchief back into his
tarpaulin again, eve seen worse, myself -
only, twas in the Bleht o Benip, look ye,-ln'
siore the end On it, dye see We hove o'boIrd
nine Of a crew, let alone six dozen odds Of car
go :" "Cargo!" exclaimed his companion in
! surprise. AYE, black passengers they was, you
know, old hip answered the ugly rascal,
coolly San | tell We what il is, Jack,
/ never sails yet with passengers aboard,
but some'at bad turned up in the end,
i --al'ays one or another on ems got a
foul turn in his conscience We see | say,
mate, " continued he, looking round, "didn't
We note that ere long.shore looking customer
as walked aft just now, with thcm bloody soft
| quest ms o. his about" why" said Jack,
"it's him Jacobs and tie larboard watch calls
the Green Hand, an blessed good joke they
has about him, to all appearance; but they
keeps prttty close "Close be blowed ~ growl-
ed Harry, 81 doesn't like the cut OF his jib,
tell ye shipmate! Jist you take my word for
il, that ere fellows done someat bad at home,
or he's bent on some'at bad ahoat-its all
one Don't ye mark bow he keeps boxhaulin'
aud skulking fore an aft, not to say looking
/ out 10 wind'ard every now an again, as much
as he expected q sail TO heave in sight !!
lord bless us, HAIRY !" Ealtered out the old
sailor, Eye don't mean it-sich young, soft
looked shaver, too :" Them smooth-skinnod
s,rt o. coves is kimmonly the worst, mate, 70.
piled Harry; "fcr that matter We may be sure
he's got his chums aboard-an' how does toe
know but tho ships sold, from stem TO starn2-
There's that ore black avizzed parson, now, and
one or two more aft-cuss me If that ere feller
smells brine for the first time.
"Why, for the matter o that, mate" con-
tinued he. II doesn't signify the twinkln' of a
maIlinsplke, mind ye, what lubOerly trick they
suVes this here craft, 80 be ownly ye can get
anyhow ashore, when ais done It's nouther
shiPlaw nor shore law, look yc, mate AZ
houlds good on bloody dazlrt - " Az, ay,
true enough, bO', said the other, " but what
o that there ant much signs Of a art,
reckon, in this here blue water =" - IIo :" re
l piled Harry, rather scornfully, that's 'cau.,
you blue-water, long-v age chaps isn't up Il
{ them brother There's you a d that ere Joke
e in the striped slops, Jack, chatting away owe
the side Just now about a curent-cOniounde'
, sharp he thinks hisself, too but dye thinl
Harry Foster ant got his weather-eye open
| For my part thinks more Of the streak o haz
yonder-away, right across the starbOard bow
nor all the currents in Ay ay, sal
Jack, stretching out again to look, " the heat
e you means :" Heat g. exclaimed the ugl
topmaD, heat be blowed Hark ye, mate
II may DO strip o cloud, no doubt or TIA
steam over a sand hank, but so be the cLu
lasts 70 long, and you sees that ere streak arli
, by sundown, with a touch o yallow mt
: 'What-lrhat, shipmatsi' asked J ick, breath
less with anxiety. Then it's the blac
l coast Nv Africay, and no mistake 80 sal
Harry. And what's more continued IT,
fellow, coolly after taking coupe OF shoT
it'll set dead in 10 where the land lays-ln II
, breeze, as is man enough TO take her ont o. IN
, suck OF Afrcane current - "The Lord b
a with Us - exclaimed the other sailor, in alarm
4 whats TO be done, Harry, bo',-when d'y
/, mean for TO let them know, aft p "Why
maybe I'm wrong, We know, old ship" sal
A Harry, ian man mustn't 20 for TO learn hi
bttters, We kLoT,-by this time half o. tn
r watch has notion on it, at any rats
There's Dick White, Jack Jones, Jim Side,
r an few more Wrapping men, mean
n 10 stick together in case o accidents-sO Jack