Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-01-04

sharks. The rope fixed, it is easy tow
ing to the ship"
But don't you often get your boats
smashed in 2" asked Henry.
"Oh, yes; that's an affair of frequent
occurrence, and If you are engaged with
whale toward the end of the day. a
source Of extreme danger. For, Of
course, there is no twilight in those equi-
noctial regions-now, broad daylight
Eve minutes hence, darkness. You get
stove in just as the sudden darkness sets
in, and the chances are you perish. For,
by the morning, the ship quite ignorant
Of your whereabouts-msy have drifted
miles out of sight. Now / did see a
brave thing done once in an affair of this
kind. You know, ladies, or more proba-
bly, you do not know, whaler's boat
there are three or four of them to ship
lis some thirty feet long aud as thin as
a lath--" .'f
"Thin as lath T. exclaimed Henry.
"Three cuts to the inch plank, in
fact"
But should have thought you could
not have had them too strong-so as to
resist the strokes of the whale"
"The stoutest boat made to handle
wouldn't do that, so these answer in that
respect as well; and they are much more
convenient for lowering from the ship
and repairing. Thirty feet long as they
are, you and | could carry one on our
two shoulders with ease. When boat
is stove, we right side it, lash the oars
crossways, so as to make wide, raft
like suriace-there are ropes expressly
affixed to the sides of the boats-and all
sit down to await assistance. Of course
we are stationary; but thus sitting down,
the weight of our bodies is not more than
a pound or two on the boat; the water
nearly supports u.s. if we stand up tie
boat sinks Immediately. l once sat, the
water breast high, for three hours.
Bless you, it's a luxurious position in
these climates provided your COM
rades look like eventually coming to your
assistance. Well, on the particular
occasion have in mind, we fell in with
a large whale late in the day. We were
working in an extended line-the two
other boats some long way to the right
with the ship at least three miles to lee
ward. We are stove in, and, as Coleridge
has it, at one stride comes the dark.
The ship is miles away, the other boats
far beyond hail, and there does not ap-
near a hope of salvation. Then one man
gets up from amongst us and says he
will swim for it. He does not propose
trying for the ship-that is quite out Of
the qucstion-but he points out how, in
order for themselves to reach the ship,
| the other boats must, at some point,
come within three-quarters of mile Of
us, and be hopes-in spite of the sharks,
in spite of the darkuess-to happc-
upon their path, when he will bring
them to our aid Over the side the mar
went, and we waited and waited, and
listened and listened, and in no very
long time we heard the grateful plash
of oars, and they brought us all safely
| do call that brave fellow. Our pas
sive endurance was of very different
quality. 1t was touch and go both for him
and US. | never had nearer-excepi
once, perhaps, when q whale with q
clever backstroke of his fin, took my left
eyebrow sheer off to the bone, and the
Captain pointed to very visible scar
A trihe farther, Miss Waven, and | should
not be here to tell you this tale; that
should not, as am man alive"
l "Yes," said my brother, there is
something very admirable about that
mans act. Mr.. Kavanaugh might have
remained at Lucknow with the brave
men and women; but he went out and
won the Victoria Cross All, sailors are
subject to so much exposure, little ex-
cess may be forgiven them"
Now, I'll tell you. | am fifty five,
and | was thirty years at seal was
never slowed more than twice in my
life. Once when | was boy, and some
body who ought to have known better,
gave me some .doctored stuff; and
again on the occasion of my joining my
second ship. / had something to re-
member that last by. As went on
board, mate says, Harding, how are
you, old chap 2''-"Right as trivet,"
says l, fright as trivet." And it
passed into by-word amongst them
Harding's being as right as trivet.
1t is a Suffolk saying, you knew. I had
plan of my own with my crews. !
found that spirits in that hot climate did
not agree with me, nor, indeed, any fer
mented liquors. So, for myself, | pre-
pared mixture of the best oatmeal and
water-the water simply poured over the
oatmeal, about pint TO a spoonful.
found it very nourishing as well as thirst
satisfying. Now, if / had gone to my
men, and in so many words recon-
mended it to them in the place of grog,
they would have turned up their noses.
But by putting pail Of it on deck, and
making it point of helping myself from
it, in less than no time had them fol-
lowing my example; and soon, like me,
| they would drink little else"
at is a strange life," said the Cap
tain, passing his hand meditatively over
his hair. When you get into the seas
where the compass dips perpendicularly,
you expect strange things though. Now,
I'll tell you, my brother Jack went to sea
year later than consequently our
spell at home timed differently, and we
lost all reckoning of each other. / had
not seen him for twelve years; | did not
even know in what shape he was. | was
second mate, or chief mate, forget
which, in the ship Eclipse, and it was in
the Australian seas. / was on the look
out; reported sail, and the next
minute | sighted whale. The Captain
would not bear down on the latter, lest
the other should observe it, and, being
nearer, forestall us. But in spite of our
caution, in only lowering the boats, they
perceived our object, and followed our
example; reaching the whale first, Of
course it became their lawful prey. As
the boats neared each other, | sung
out, Halloa, that's Jack" meaning the
officer in charge of the strangers boat
had not seen him for twelve years; but
bless you, knew his build in a minute.
just as / spoke, the whale INDUCED in