Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1870-08-04
The Schooner OF the Kennebec.
THE ENGLISHMAN AT FAULT
BY sYLvANUs COBB, JR.

BY SYLVANUS COBB, JR.
ANY one who lived near the Kennebec
during the last war with Great Britain
cannot fail to remember the excitement
and anxiety of the inhabitants of Kenne
bee and Lincoln counties, when that river
was blockaded by the British. Ia many
of the towns on the banks of the river
towns which owed much of their means
of sustenance to their maritime trade
the people were for some time actually
Strengthened for want of food, as nothing
could be brought up the river from any
of the seaport towns on the coast. Al
one time dollars worth of flour was often
carried in q small handkerchief, while the
children of comparatively opulent fami-
lies were even forced to pick up heaps of
cast off vegetables, frozen potatoes, which
were placed upon the Goals and eaten
even before the frost was wholly over
come. Some forty or fifty trading vessels
were laying idle in the river, and at
length, the blockade became so serious,
that actual starvation peeped coldly in at
some of the poorer families.
Among the coasters which were thus
cut off from their trading was u clipper
schooner, owned and commanded by
Capt. John Wait, which was dropped
down from Hallowell and hauled up at
one of the wharves at Bath. Capt. Wait
WAS loaded for Ipswich, Mass, and his
family were suffering from his forced
state of Inactivity.
"Mr. Springer" said Wait to his mate,
QUO bright morning as he stood upon the
wharf at which the schooner was secured,
81 am going out"
"Sir ~
81 an going out !"
"But that English brig is out there yet,
darn her pictur," said Springer
Capt. Wait seldom swore, but on the
present occasion he could not help it, for
he distinctly uttered pretty round oath
in connection with said brig, and then
continued
1--WE got an idea, and it may get us out
in safety; but, nevertheless, out go at
all events"
"Well," returned Springer, 'if the old
Polly goes / shall go with her."
Four mon and the cook composed the
schooner's crew, exclusive of the two Of
ficers, and they readily agreed to stick by
the old "Polly" as long as her timbers held
together.
Capt. Wait went on shore and procured
an old anchor and cable, which he carried
on board the schooner, and deposited near
the starboard quarter, securing the end of
the cable to the large quarter elect, and
placing the anchor go that it could be |
easily tumbled overheard.
About an hour before sun down, Just as
the tide began to ebb, Capt Wait cut off
his shore tasts, and with a good, fresh
breeze from the southa and west'ard,
he spread his sales and started off, down
the river. Together with the assistance
of the tide and wind, the Polly was not
over an hour in making the mouth of the
river, and just to the eastward of gum
she espied the English brig star d ny in
The Englishman noticed the Yankee as
soon as she hove in sight, and, keeping
away to the westward, she evidently in
tended to cut her off. Crowding as close
upon the wind as possible, Capt. Wait
run his schooner for Cape Small Point,
the immediate vicinity of which, from the
number of large, black rocks that orna-
ment the water, bear anything but an
agreeable aspect to the stranger, but,
nevertheless, some of the coasters can very
safely wend their way among them.
AS the Island of Seguin happened to
be somewhat in the way of the brig, she
had been forced to tack twice, in order to
get on a direct chase, and consequently
the schooner had the weather gage. The
latter vessel had already reached the
rocks, and, just as the brig came sweeping
around the island, our Yankee captain
had prepared everything for his manoeu-
vre. Tho schooner was now heading
nearly south, and, of course, her larboard
side was towards the Englishman, while
the latter was heading directly for her, on
the larboard tack.
"Twont do to stand on much longer"
said Springer, as he worked hard to keep
the schooner just on shiver.
"a few minutes longer" returned Capt.
Wait. "The brig won't fire till she gets
little nearer. | must get into that
shoal water ahead, where we can have
plenty of lee room, for when l square
away | want clear sea-"
Five minutes more passed away, during
which time the schooner reached the
clear water already alluded to, while the
brig had been gradually opening her
starboard battery.
''Now stand by, boys" exclaimed Capt.
Wait, as he cast an anxious look towards
the Englishman's guns. "Let her come
up"
In an instant the Polly came into the
wind, and as her sails began to flap and
flutter, but before her Roadway was
wholly checked, the old anchor was drop
ped overheard from the starboard quarter,
and dozen heavy water casks were in
stantly rolled over on to the came side,
which gave her quite heel to starboard.
Schooner ahoy," shouted an officer
from the Euglishman. --...
"Blast the cussed rocks - roared Capt
Wait, springing to the helm just as the
short cable tautened and brought the
schooner up. Jump to those head sheets.
Haul over the starboard jib sheet, quick.
Catch hold of the larboard fore sheet, and
haul it taut"
The order was quickly obeyQd, and the
result answered two-fold purpose. Tt
not only served to keep the schooner,s
head to the wind, but it also appeared to
the Englishman as though the Yankees
were making great exertions to get off
from some hidden rock upon which they
had struck.
For few moments the Polly bravely
headed up against the wind by the aid of
the back-winged foresail and lib, but the
force of the anchor coming upon the GUAR
ter, it was evident that she must soon
swing around, unless some expedient
could be adopted by which to prevent it.
As fortune would have it, there were two
long logging-poles, with sharp iron pixies
at the end, ON board, and in a moment
they We're got out over the larboard bow,
in which direction the schooner inclined.
This, again, answered two purposes, for
rs the water was shosl, the poles easily
held tho schooner in her position, while to
the eyes of the astonished Englishman it
added another evidence of the supposed
calamity.