The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1869-03-25
hcte5ts, 3nctOotes, it.
ADVENTURE WITH IiIPP0P0TAMI.

The good ship Lone Star had been
eleven months our, and her whalrg cruise
had not, as yet, proved very successful,
when she ran short of wood and water
whilst beating about the Mozambique
Channel under easy sail. and with all
hands on The lookout for any soerm whale
unfortunate enough to heavc in sight.
1t wss my first voyage As mate, and
was pacing the quarter deck in no very
envaoie frame OF mind-3or my share in
the profits Of the voyage were promising
to be bat smali-when the captain sent
for me 10 join him in the cabin.
Leaving one cf or boat s;eerers in
charge OF the deck, went below, and
found my superior poring over q chart
spread out on the saloon table
"Wel!, Mr.. WyIie,'' said he, 'swhales
are kind of scarce, so ] am thinking of
putting into the CONFORM Islands for
supply OF wood and water. Take look
a. the chart -
/ did so, and found we we're only forty
mics from the land referred TO. Coincid-
ing with the captains view, received his
Instructions, and returned or deck 10 alter
the ships course and steer for the islands.
That day we made bat little progress.
Towards noon the light and ftful breeze
fed altogether, nor could our most an
cieut mariners WOO back its coy presence
with their iniefaligabie and supersiiiious
Whaling.
Slowly and regularly the trim Lone
Star rose and fell upon he steady heavings
of the CLASSY sea Strange, Ioaden colored
fish, of dolphin shape. bat otherwise un~
like any funny denizen I ever saw before.
swan lszily around our mn,ionIess black
hull; odd looking jelly fish, shiny and
shiny. with huge and hairy feeers stretch
ing far out to clutch their prey, fioated
amongst them unwielay, most shape
les, and altogether useless sun fish, scuil-
ed slowly past US with their two great
side fins. Now and then, with sudden
pIash of the smooth waters, a shoaI of
silyery flying fish would dart into the air,
and skim swiftly along on oulstretched
wing, just dip upon the surface of the
water again to damp their dying pinions,
and then double off In another direction
TO elude their relentless and untiging ene-
mes-the fierce aibicore and the nimbe
bonita-eyer on their track, dartIng along
foot or so beneath the surface. Raven
Gus, unfaltering, and determined, these
iish-eating fish wodld follow The frighten~
ed little tugiIives till some poor winged
thing fell tired and desparing into the
fangAglisiening jaws just thrust an inch or
two out Of the water TO catch IT. Here
the swift and glittering dolphin, swiftest
of all fish, would chase the silvery prey
with unconceiva6le rapidly, now and then
revealing its course 10y Immense bounds
through the air, oflenof twenty yards and
more there, an ominous looking, tall,
black object, standing still and upright
from the water, told where lay the qmes-
cent shark for that ugly angular thing
was his straight dorsal fin while the
gaudily-striped black and golden pilot fish
might be seen shooting about beneath the
vessels quarter, every now and then DART
ing off TO its savage lord and master
Birds of gorgeous plumage, unknown
name and curious cry, came over and
anon, to gaze for a moment at our long
black ship and her taper spars and then,
off they flew among the brilliant little
insects and splenpidly painted butterflies
which were wingiug their frail flights
across the bosom Of the sleeping Mozam-
biqne channel.
However, during the early hours of the
night, a light breeze sprang up, 50 that we
made the land soon after midnight, when
we stood off and on till daylight, aud then
sailed slowly iuto the sheltered anchorage
formed by the Comorin Islands and the
neigEboring mainland of Africa.