The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1869-12-18

went cut chief mate Of my old ship, unde
| the command Of my first friend, Captai
: Fleetwood, who was n clever. active seama
} himself. and well qualified to make thOs
/ under him the same. We had crew 9
, twenty five young and able fellows. with, a
usual, a sprinkling Of black sheep anon
them. Our passengers were four in nun
ber-a gentleman and his wife, and tw
] young ladies, going out to Bombay unde
their protection all agreeable and weli-in
formed people, and the young ladies blesse'
with tolerable share Of beauty. Tim
passed very pleasantly with us, for We wer
uncommonly favoured in wind and weather
and our captain, who was as kind and be
nevolent as man as be was strict and IN
flinching as an officer, delighted in pro
noting to the utmost every plan for tn
comfort and amusement Of the crew.
"Och, isn't be a broth Of boy, now
that captain of ours p heard one of ou
men say to another, on one Of the quiet
tropical evenings. when the crew were en-
joying themselves in the waist" and th'
captain was whirling one Of the ladies rounc
in waltz on the quarterback. "He's a.
full of fur as a monkey"
"Take care you don't shave the monkey
too close, though. or perhaps the cat will
shave you"
" Is it the cat you name 7" replied Mike,
. then, by the powers, it's myself that's moi
afeerd for the cat, for she never wags her
tail here but VIXEN a mans either an ass OF
a skulk, and no man can say blacks the
white Of the eye Of Mike Delaney. But
say, Tom, hasn't this been an out-and out
passage? Why, we've had nothing to do
but to spin yarns and knot them; we might
have slowed away the reefpoints in the
bold, we've never had no 'casion for them,
and as for salt water, we haven't had q
breeze to wash our faces for US since we left
home. Blowed if we shan't get too ine for
our work by and by-reg'lar gentlemen
aAOat. | think I'll sport pair Of them
overalls that the long-sbore beggars call
gloves, to keep my dippers white" said
Mike-at the same time spreading out a
pair as dirty as the back of a chimney and
as broad as the back Of skate.
"Gloves and delicate fingers like that !"
answered bis companion; mo, no, Mike
that's a regular daredevil haDd-it cares
neither for soap nor water. But, Mike.
the voyage is not half over yet. We've had
a fair weather passage 50 far; but I'm
always aft erd of these unkimmon fine be-
ginnings, everything goes by cOntrarles 10
this b re world, and good beginning often
brings in its wake bad ending. It's not
in the coorse Of nature to see sich long
spell Of fine weather it's quite unnatural !;
it'll break out, by and BY, IN a fresh place
see if it don't. That ere butcher, the sea,
lies there a-smiling at US as if we were so
many hinnOcent lambs. but he'll maybe have
his hand on our throats yet.
Well, Tom, it's never no use smelling
mischief afore it comes-time enough
when it does show its ugly mug, to grin in
its face. I'm not the man to turn my back
on it-rOr you neither, for that matter, I'll
be bound"
We had run nearly fhirty-foHr degrees to
the south Of the equator, when the weather
became very variable. and the wind at last
settled into strong breeze from the north
ward. One evening, we were spanking
along with the wind in that quarter, With
heavy, confused sea, when a thick gloom
gradually overspread the sky, and the lner-
curry. falling in the barometer, gave warning
Of approaching bad weather. All our
small sails were taken in, and every neces-
sary precaution adopted to prepare for a
change. Our topsails were reefed, and the
mainsail was hauled up and handled. About
6 P. NJ, Captain Fleetwood came on deck
and asked what / thought Of the weather.
"Bad enough, sir-it does not seem to
have made up its mind what to do. How
ever, we are tolerably well prepared for
change, whatever it may be-"
You must keep sharp lookout, Mus
grave. If it should begin to rain. depend
upon it, the wind will chop suddenly round
to southwark. You must not let il take
you unawares.
"rll look for it in time, SIR"
He had scarcely left the deck when q
light, drizzling rain came on. q partial lull
succeeded, and the wind vcered suddenly
round to the south-westward. We were
prepared for it, however, and our yards
were soon trimmed to the wind, but our
troubles were scarcely beginning. The
breeze freshened up SO rapidly, that we bad
barely time to take up sail fast enough No
sooner was one reef in, than it became ne
cessary to take in another. The sea was
running, as landsmen say, noun aims high.
The winds howled through our rigging;
and the giant albstrosses lowered round US,
seen indistinctly through the gloom, and
then soaring away on the gale, as if they
were floating down stream-their enor-
nous wings extended but motionless.
The men were aloft, close reetng, and
preparing to furl the foretopsail, hen g
heavy sea struck the ship, and sudden
suuall laid her over on her beam-ends, al
most The sudden jerk carried away the
topmost backstays There was no rolling
tackle on the topsail yard, which jerked viO-
lentIy as the ship fell over, and the mast
snapped just above the parrell. Five OF
the poor fellows were thrown off the top
sailyard to leeward. we heard their cries
dying away on the breeze; We could not see
them, the weather was SO thick, and dark
ness was ming on; and as for saving them,
the attempt to do so would have been mad
ness. although several men sPruLe forward
to volunteer.
TO BE CONTINUED.
Computing Interest.