Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1870-03-24

OIL" '"Sc thc captain, Tatuei
unwisely, said to him: ''there is Ed.
wards-he could teach you your abe
in seamanship."
From that moment, the mate re.
doubled his prosecutions became the
object Of his especial antipathy. He
first attempted to bully and browbeat
but paid little attention to his insults.
knew my duty and my place, and per-
formed the one, and filed the other to
the captains entire satisfaction.
Notwithstanding the captains good
will, l had very unpleasant time.
was ordered to do all the dirtiest
OF the scrubbing, scraping, and other
menial labor; and many times, when
the wind was blowing so hard rs to
render it unsafe for man to be on the
rigging, the captain has called me from
aloft, where had been sent, by ,Jen-
kens, with slush or the tar bucket.
On one occasion. was reeving a
new wheel rope. The captain and mate
we're standing near, looking on.
You go to work little different
from the way l was taught but can
see that your method is the best" said
Capt. Bowline.
You d-nd numbskull.' - cried the
mate; none of your new tangled no.
tions here.
Unreeve that rope, quicker than
lightning, and put it on shlpshape.
kept on quietly with my work, as
If had not heard him, when, with a
horrid oath, ne seized the end Of the
rope to flog me. He did not strike,
however; for he found himself sprawl
ing at full length on the quarter.
An iron bar lay on deck catching
it up. he aimed a blow at my head
which would have cleft my skull. had
not the captain caught his arm as it
decended.
Stop" Numbered he; would YOU
murder the man outright
Twill not attempt to repeat the fear
full language Of the lnflrated brute !;
the drift Of it was to demand of the
captain, if deck hand was permitted
to Insult an officer
IL permit what is just and right,
answered Captain Bowline. Edwards
was right, and you were wrong. l only
wish he was in your place for he
understands his business. which is
more than can be said Of YOU
The batiled mate next attempted to
bring me into disfavor with the crew.
In this he partially succeeded. He
knew that | was really his superior /;
and he endeavored To make the men
believe that thought myself above
them, than which nothing is more
them that | felt myself too good to
associate with them; but he could as
sign no reason for his assertion, only
that did not drink with them. | found
l was daily gaining the esteem and
| friendship of the captain; this more
| than compensated me for the loss of
companionship among the men there
was not much to be lost in this way,
| it is true but | wished to be on good
terms with them. | found that Jenkens
had poisoned their minds against the
captain as well as myself
| When we were in latitude l0o, south,
one Of those .whirling tornadoes, called
| by sailors, the pampero' came upon us
before we were prepared for it. These
gyrating hurricanes are usually about
| one hundred miles across the base, and
whirl around with astonishing rapidity
from circumference to center, where
there is perfect calm. South of the
Equator, they always revolve from left
to right; the center moving along a
definite, known line, at the rate of
about thirty miles an hour These
facts, in connection with some others,
which have not time To explain at
present, often enable the skillful mari
ner To ascertain very nearly his posi-
ton in the hurricane, and to run out
of it by the most direct course. We
found ourselves in fearful situation:
spars carried away sails blown clear
from the bolt ropes, or shivered into
ribbons. The roaring, laundering
sound of the tornado was frightful
every thing was in indescribable con-
fusion.
The mate and some of the crew were
nearly drunk, and unfit for duty.
Destruction seemed inevitable, at
least to me, unless We could change our
course. "For Gods sake, captain
l yelled into his ear, order the brig on
the other tack"
"What good will that do?' he de-
manded.
explained, that twice before, l bad
been in a tempest like this and by
changing our course in certain di-
rectiOn, indicated by the wind, we had
saved ourselves.