Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1870-12-23
NO. 3o3

refrain from calling upon him. The meet
ing was very cordial and pleasant until the
young Earl Informed the proud Governor
of his future plans, when his uncle at
once began most earnestly to plead with
him to abandon the sea and return to his
home. But the plucky youth was proof
against all argument and entreaty.
| On the 9th Of April of the same year,
the Earl arrived at Boston, registering his
proper title, Aberdeen" OH the register
at the Revere House. More than month
later he wrote to his uncle in New Bruns-
wick announcing his intention to sail in a
was ruse, or whether the young sailor
was disappointed at the last moment, is
matter Of conjecture, for it is quite GER
tain that he did not then make the South
American voyage. Or at all events it Is
satisfactorily ascertained that, on the 28th
of May, two days after his return from
New York and prior to the date of his
letter to his uncle he shipped as an Ordina-
ry seaman on the bark James M. Churchill
of st. Andrews, N B., Captain Hutchin-
son, bound from Boston to Cardenas. The
British Vice-Consul at Boston recognizes
in the description Of the Earl the genteei
appearing young man whose manners at
tracted his attention when seizing the
ships articles. The Consul forgets the
name the young man signed, but was so
struck with his appearance at the time that
he questioned him as to his knowledge Of
the nature of the agreement he had signed.
''Oh, yes, sir" replied the youth, ~
understood it perfectly" a
His reply was given in tone that i'm.
piled that there was no occasion for fur
ther questioning. As he made it he
stepped aside, as if to make room for other
singers and avoided further conversation.
This vessel did not sail for several days
after her crew was shipped, SO that the
Earl could have written to his uncle early
in June, and still have sailed on the
Churchill. The presumption is that he
made the trip, and that he returned in her
to Nova Scotia. This supposition was
strengthened by the fact that very soon
after this he was employed on the vessels
of Messrs. Wyllie q Crosecup, of Annapo-
lis, N. S., who are extensively engaged in
the trade along the North Atlantic coast.
He has been traced on several voyages
along the coast from Nova Scotia to the
Gulf of Mexico and to the West Indies, in
the employment of this house, and at
one time was employed for several months
as clerks in lumber establishment at
Pensacola. During this time he sailed as
Geo. Henry Osborne, and made his nomi-
nal home Boston. He was most exem-
plary young man, both on board and
ashore. While he shared the forecastle
with the men before the mast, and with
scrupulous exacting performed his allotted
duties, shrinking neither from fatigue nor
danger, he was careful to avoid the evil
influences which too often are associated
with such life. He wholly eschewed
grog, abstained from the use Of tobacco
in any form, and was never known to in
dulge in profanity. Pleasant and compan-
ionable with his shipmates at all times, he
rather sought to bring them mp to his level
of morality than TO descend himself to
their plane. Thus he was accustomed to
read the Bible aloud in the forecastle, and
talk with the crew as a missionary, though
assuming no superiority over them. In
all this career as a common sailor, it is not
known that he was ever embroiled in q
row or fight with his fellows, but was uni
versally popular with them. When his
voyages were up, he was waiting in port
for new employment. he avoided the lower
order of sailor boarding-hous but, hay-
ing saved his earnings, was able to secure
board in more reputable places. where
poor gin and shameless vice did not form
the staple of entertainment.
On the 9th of February, 1867, this deter
mined sailor applied to the American
Ship-master's Association in New York
for a mates certificate, and thus in less
than year from the time of leaving home
he was authorized to quit the forecastle
and take his place upon the quarterback.
On the 10Th of April, 1868, he is reported
as mate of the schooner July Fourth, of
| pan ~ Al. -xl
of following, he was master of the schoon-
er Walton, of Richmond, Maine. At the
same time he applied for captains cer-
tificate, which was granted upon his pass
sing the requisite examination. This ex-
animation embraced "A general knowledge
of rigging vessels; the management of
sails, including bending, reefing, furling.
unbending, &c. working anchors and
headlines; capacity for rigging and
fitting vessel for a voyage; working
ship and sails under difficult circumstance;
position of crew for all evolutions; the
management of spars, and expedients to
| be resorted to in case OF disaster; use, ad-
iustment, and correction of instruments,
| log line, compass, sextant, and chronome-
ter; use of thermometer and barometer;
deviation of compass from local causes,
and use of charts. 1t will thus be seen
that during the two years in which he had
followed the sea, the Earl had been dill
gent student.
At the time of his promotion to cap
taincy. Osborne changed his designated
residence on the books Of the Shipmas:ers'
Association from Boston to Richmond,
Maine, from which port he continued to
hail up to the termination of his career.
During the month of January last he was
induced to ship as mate of the three-masted
schooner Hera, Capt. Kent, bound from
Boston to Melbourne, Australia and China.
He shipped for this cruise at the earnest
solicitation of the master of the skip, who
had conceived a strong liking for him, and
offered him liberal terms. In reply to this
offer, he said that the wages were no con-
sideration 70 him, but that he would like
to take cruise in a vessel of that peculiar
rig, never having sailed in one. After
ward he expressed regrets at having
shipped, remarking that he had sailed
about enough, and thought it was time for