The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1866-03-29
THE PHANTOM SHIP.
From Once a Week.

From Once Week.1
Her Maiesty's ship Spitfire (six and-th
ty guns) had been now four months OF
the southwest coast of Africa, looking out
for slavers as keenIy as any terrier watching
q rabbit-hole when the ferret has been put
10.
This smart vessels favorite anchorage
was in Ele pfant Bay, Benguela an inlet O.
the Atlantic, lat. I3 deg. S., long. u deg
SIS min E., the highest land in all the Ben
guela coast, being a hill commanding the
bay at the south side, which Capt. Viii
Ioughby had found very useful for the pur-
pose of a look out
Captain Willonghby was little fragile
man, with long thin face and only one
eye He had seen great deal of service,
and lost an arm at Acre; he was as brave
as a lion, totally insensible to any such
mean sensation as fear, and stern disciplin-
arian, needing no more the heat and dan
ger of Africa than he would have done the
shot and shell Of the enemy, and hating all
grumblers at climate or any other hardship.
The dull monotony of African service,
the mere daily routine of plank scrubbing,
rope-splicing and sailmending, was broken
into on a warm September morning of 1860
by the arrival of Ii. M s brig Racoon, with
dispatches from Sierra Leone The captain
Of the Racoon had been invited to lunch by
Captain WiIloughby, and Fl. nj. S. Spit6re
was in an unusual state of hustle with the
preparation for that meal
Abernethy, the grave old Scotch steward
was arranging some silver topped bottles of
champagne in fan shape, round a small
tank attached to refrigerator, and even
that was all but tepid with the heat of AT
rica At the foot of the cabin stairs three
young midshipmen one of whom, named
Fowls, was the pickle of the vessel, stood
watching him from eyes sparkling with fun
and mischief The under steward and his
boys were every moment descending the
steps with piles of plates tucked under their
chins. A distant SAVIOR of soup spread from
the distant galley, where redfaced beings
in white stirred and slipped at simmeripg
stew-pans
'sDobson," said the head-steward, under
breath, 'fust watch this wine while | go
and get up some more coffee biscuits. The
captains boat will be here directly. Keep
your weather eye open, Dobson, there's that
Mr.. Fowls there, as full of mischief as an
egg is full of meat"
'Ay, ay, Mr.. Abernethy," said the under
steward, sitting down on the lower steps. a
very Cerberus, with one foot planted on the
great metal-lined chest of the ref 'gerator {;
and as Abernethy plunged into the store
room, Fowls and his companions ran up on
deck
Five minutes after there came violent
shout of ''Dobson Dobson J. from the di
rection of the store room, and Dobson, for
getting for the moment his charge, ran to
see who it was called him.
Three minutes afterwards there was a
running together of sailors amid ships to the
gangways, a shout below,a sound of voices,
and the next moment Captain Wiloughby
and his guest, Captain Martlock, stiff,pre-
else, old officer, followed by several officers
of both vessels, followed each other, one af-
ter the other, over the ships side. A guard
of the marines, drawn up in military order,
received them with presented arms. The
uidshipmen, headed by Fowls, the eldest Of
the lot, were there in in full uniform to do
honor to so unusual an occasion. A 8
Hang it = cried Fowls, as the procession
passed down into the state cabin; old Cy-
clops', the dhe midshipmen's nickname for
their excellent captain) might have asked
us to meet these Racoon fellows. One does
deserve better dinner sometimes than salt
Junk and bolster pudding for serving ones
country in this Internal climate. What
have they come about, Gasket ? turning t.
an old quartermaster, rough old sailor,
with enormous bushes Of grey whiskers.
Come Mr. Fowls, bout captain going ur
country and make presents, and hold a pa
laver with the niggers, to induce 'em not tc
sell 'emselves to those cussed Portuguese"
swish I'd niger, Gasket, to keep watct
and soak my junk for me- - -.
And go to the masthead for you, Master
Fowls p
WELL said the cnrly-headed youngster
shouldn't mind that either, and he should
do nv work too, on the lookout HILL
Seen the Phantom Ship last night, Gas
ket p said Powis companion, with wink
at Fowls; for Gasket, though one Of thu
best sailors on board was very superstitious
and had lately spread among the men re
mort of white ghostly sort of vessel tha
he had seen three nights running at TIVE
bells, steal out of the bay, but which wa
generally believed to be creation Of hi
own brain, and mere drift of that THO
smouldering fog that after nightfall bid tn
shore of the bay This Phantom Ship see
in bay guarded by one Of the smartest {
Her Majestys cruisers, had become stoc
Joke against the quartermaster, and he wa
rather sore on the subject, so all the repl
he gave was to roll his quid, with a sou
primace, mutter something about "a youn
shaver as didn't know a Blackwell hitc
from Garrick bend, aud turned on h
heels as he helped to haul in the captain
boat up the davits. 81 ssa.s.s. 10 asafs.,
sHalf-a, dozen lads such as that amt wort
their weight in dunnage, he muttered;
the midshipmen went off laughing 'Whj
use are school boys on board a ship, exec
to sauce the captain behind his back, al
play monkey tricks on the Stewards Ugt
and he hit one of the ships boys clout f
not being quick enough with a marlingspil
that the sail maker was calling for.
In the meantime lunch IAN early dim
in reality had commenced in the cabin
The Racoon and Spitfre officers having Fl
ished their soup were taking wine togethS