The New York herald., 1871-11-11
WAITING FOR TIE MUSCOVITE.
LIFE IN THE RECEPTION SQUADRON.
The General Muster-'virtue Honor, Patriotism
and subordination"-Taie of . Nor wester-
Arrival Of the Prince-Curious if True

UNITED STATES SHIP CONGRESS, NOV. o, 1871.
lovely day on the water was yesterday. The
surface OF the great bay, from the Hook to the
Narrows, lay calm ana unrippled as glass mirror
OF the vaulted heavens as 1t was. Out OF the great
water gate OF Gotham. over which the frownIng
forts hang Ike sleeping terrors, the white-wingcd
ships come lazily, scarcely moving before the i'm.
perceptible breeze. day OF sweet serenity and
dreams as the sun, long past his midday glorv,
sinks downward TO the land. l don't Think sailors
dream much when they are awake-I don't think
they dream much when they are aslecp-but l. i'm
pris0ned landsman, cannot nelp but build fairy
realm beyond the Narrows-an Arcadia In the
great space beyond-wltn all the virtues
gliding It's innumerable domes and spires,
and lighting up the public and the private
places OF city such AZ the world has never seen In
splendor, intellect and happiness. 1t IL hard to
think that my dreaming covered the site OF New
York. and did not care to think 80 until, with the
rising OF q cloud or two fresh breeze from the
n0rwest ruftled up the waters with Its chilly wings
and scattered my Arcadia like shower OF rain
on country dance. Then l chuckled. New
York girdiDg up Its loins for struggle with the
powers OF evil in its midst the evidoers ninging
their banners OF dog headed defiance 10 the breeze
and Right and Wrong calling each OF her hard names
came down to me in every pun Of the nor 'wester.
! pace the deck and whistle Hail. C0um-
bia," till dinner time. 1t might be thought
dun on board o man-of war ct anchor
twenty miles from port, with the hope OF relief
centred In the lookout at the masthead. But the
duties and exercises which keep up discipline and
make the perfect seadog are varied that ne must
have no soul for the picturesque and useful who
can fall to find a iund OF interest therein.
Yesterday being the first Sunday OF the month
the general muster was the exercise OF the day.
At
piped aft and gathered on the port sie to hear the
"Artlcles OF War" read and walk around the cap
stan. The officers were ranged on the starbOard
side, and when Captain Davenport came up from
his cabin there was general sautng performed.
The Executive Oncer, Lieutenant Commander Sam
son, then advanced to the capstan and read
the stern rule OF duty which Is the safety ana the
guide OF our navy. 1t Is salntary exercise, and 1t
Is gratifying, among these hardy sons OF Neptune,
to mark with what expressions Of respect on their
wind Drowned faces they listen, cap In hand to the
eXhortation which names the cardinal points upon
the compass OF their lives-"vrtue, honor, patriot
Ism and subordinatiOn.n When the last line
reached the Captain advances and addresses q few
pithy words OF praise to his men on general exce-
lence and Just as plainly tells them where they may
amend something Next the roll is called-hrst
the officers Of the line and next the warrant officers
These are drawn up In line on the star
board side, forward OF the manmast and as
their names are Called answer by their
rank. Next come the men 1t Is really
worth while the look of conscious pride which
mantles the rough, honest faces OF the first batch, s
they advance past the capstan, "taking IN sand at
botn ears" and say, as their paronymlcs are called
"Seaman, sir" The next batch, the ordinary sea-
men, do not exhibit quite so much pride OF bearingi
LOOK as ii they hoped be full iedged seamen
time. The boys follow, and there Is the same prin.
clpie OF pride in the first Class BOY, Sr, as ne
nUa
is gentleman Of tender years, Mr. Patrick
all the phases OF his important existence
would require whole volume. He is a
perfect magazine Of Juvenile Ingenuity and
and bears ali the blushing honors which an educa.
ton III the Filth ward Brooklyn) has stuffed inside
his precious skin, with look OF nard.eyed lnno-
cence, which has 50 much OF the mere child anu 30
mucn OF the accomplished ldrce'lr IN 1t that won.
himself, '.Thrd class boy, SIR" what fearful and
wonderful manner OF naval hero is blooming under
which means bremen, aud the exercise is over
when the landsmen extra, or third class fremen,
called namely-patrck Sheehan. "On duty" was
the response, and an oifcer pointed 10 muhled
fleet This was the INK binding us to the cause OF
our sojourn In these waters.
AS evening drew ON the breeze ireshened and the
sea commenced rolling out Its whltecaps, ana the
temperature on deck grew too cool to be comfort
able. Between six and seven starboard guns the
group Of officers talked OF gales and fog banks, or
lying In the blOckadin9 squadron for months, and
al last Weber, the pilot. kept rs sort Of local
Triton on hoard, sent everybody shIvering to the
wardroom with u terrific recital Of the pers
through which pilOtDOat NO. ~ had passed. He
remembered TINS truthful pilot how some winters
gone % mad encountered nor wester OF unusual SIZE
1t blew until there was scarcely an ounce OF any
thing portable on board not swept away. AS to 22
ITSELF rolled and pitched and several times turned
complete s0mersets. Then the lce-"L0r bless
you went for'ard with an axe and chopped it Off
In big chunks OF her JlbbO0m. The blocks were all
filled with Ice, ana we kept billn water all the time
and pourin' 1t through them blocks The WIND
came log for three days, thick as burgoo p
"llow did you get out OF ity"
"Ran under Fire Island and melted ont a bit.u
No wonder that turned in early. IL must have
been about five bells OF the midnight watch when
heard tine drums beating to quarters. Up Jumped,
midshlpman's uniform, and rushed on deck. A
thick fog hung round, and Master McGinness, Ike q
il with Wild delight. The anchor had been weighed
and we were steaming out at lively rate. The
oceTs co"idnt a nd admira cnpta
not even midshipman. Everybody looked to me
.Sow, by ST. Vladimir send up the pilot.u
"On the horse block,n was The response.
gazed upward, and there was the pilot gazing
out the fog; his starboard eye was green and his
port eye was red.
'Nor'- '-noreast sou' '-sou'westl hard a star
board =, ne muttered, and les lest II the men at the
movable face towards them ana closed his port eye.
marvellous and SIMPLE" muttered, as gazed
.'Snp ahead, sir ~
"Where awayT'
"Three points on the weather bow.''
grasped the fog horn. rushed to the iorecastle
and spoke him. IL was tue mudscow Polly. stand
ing for New York under a reefed jiggersail, ID.
O'Brien commander. He had sighted the Russians
and was clad In the costume or an ancient Irish
king, such as we see In the Patrlcks Day process
sion.
"Put up q man with his back to me-" he shouted.
ordered q six.foot fifteenth amendment into po-
sItion OBrien seized an Old time arquebus and
showed pellet OF paper into the muZze. lie took
deliberate aim at the African and fired. The pellet
struck him ON the occiput and lodged IN the wool,
without other damage tnan dlslodgng qud In the
check OF the Niger, which Knocked 2 messenger
about my waist and had myself run up TO the light
at the foretop, and there read as folOws:-
Boun' along, begor we goin fast that We med a
cane hole behind In the fog, cane the Jews,
cess thim med In the Red Say You Sec the English
man wouldn't sailln the coose claim
the money challenged him for The ghtship was at the
other of the hole In the fog, whn all OF suddnt med
out three min owar runnin into the hole. spoke thin