New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-09-03
AN ANCIENT MARINER.
Two Hundred and Six Years ON the High
seas.

| Il Ut uOWQ S1XI6eD, Dill.
The scene of the present dialogue was tue
forecastle of collier brig at anchor in the
| Thames, the speakers, an old seamen and
| three others scarcely arrived at middle age,
| one of whom, behind the old man, acted as
| clerk, with piece Of chalk, using the lid of
| his chest as desk.
| "Put down sixteen, Bill,n whispered one,
| and the number was put down.
"Then, how long were you in the Are
| thusas
| Ell served five years." said the old man;
| then | stopped by her another three; was
! eight years in her altogether. i liked the
| ship very WELL but / did not like the
| owner"
Bill, who was all attention, put down an
eight below the sixteen.
''But you would be young fellow then;
/ should think you would not be long out of
| a ship"
II got ship directly, and sailed for North
| America. Well, as it happened, we were
water-lOgged as we were on our passage
home; all hands took to the rigging, where
we remained days without bite OF any
| thing, or as much as drink. On the fourth
day we got hold Of a dead bird of some
kind that was floating past-ate it, feathers
| and all. Well, have not yet told you, ali
| hands died but myself, and the only way
could keep myself alive was by sucking the
grease out of the ropes. | knocked about
| upon the rigging for month. AT last was
| picked up by an American vessel, and taken
| TO America. The Americans used me very
WELL so l traded back and forward among
| the American ports for long time"
| "How long do you suppose you were in
America altogether"
II was away ten years from leaving
| home"
Didn't you go into the Greenland trade
after that!'
| mo; it was not till some time time after
| / was on board of man-of-war before /
was in the Greenland trade. Somehow or
other the press gang got scent of me; a
COED run we had l was nimble on my feet
then; if had not slipped and fallen souse
| into an ash-midden, l believe they never
would have taken me; but take me they did.
| Well, | was seven years in his majesty's
service, and liked the service very well;
but one day the captain and had few
words, and said to myself, The sooner we
part company the better, old fellow. So /
ran away-it was in the West Indies.
| knew they would all be after me, so got
myself slowed into hogshead of sugar, and
sent aboard of merchantmen, and got clear
OFF that way"
Bill, who was listening in silence, put
| down, "On board man-of-war seven years"
Then did you get home all right y
eyes; and then l went 10 Greenland. My
eyesi what sport we had there the first ten
years l was in the trade! l was there that
year when Here wasn't whale TO be seen,
and we loaded the ship with seals. A weary
Job we had the ice was short and hum
mocky, and the seals as shy as foxes.
| Somehow we always found one or two
fellows, who'd been fuddled the night be-
fore, that forgot the way into the water.
When the brutes make dive, they are .out
Of sight in a minute!"
How long were. you in the Greenland
trader
II was nineteen years altogether Then !
fancied | would like TO be in a warmer
climate; so l got into an East lndiaman.
and traded TO the East Indies for long
time"
"HOw long do yOu suppose"
About thirteen years. AT last the ship
was taken by pirates, and most of the crew
had TO walk the plank; only three OF US
saved our lives by consenting to be pirates
with the rest. / never liked a pirates life;
so one day, when wewere ashore on large
island, watching l took leg-bail and ran
away I'd been with them three years,
which was quite enough. Well, l got among
the natives of the place, who were mighty
kind in their way; and, as l was brisk
young fellow, | wasn't long in finding a
wife among them; so l lived there just like
a savage for sixteen years, for there was no
chance of getting away, and it was just as
well to make myself happy. But at last an
English ship put in for water, and the long
ing came over me to get back to my native
land; so | Struggled myself on board just as
she was ready for sea, and glad was that
my wife didn't follow me-"
did you get home all right and tightF'
"All right and tight, boy!"
Then suppose you would not lie up any
time at homer
~ didn't lie up at all. When / got home
| I m haH tn AmppIPa.
nothing would serve me but | would &C
seek him, as / had not seen him for long
time. So got ship, and off | went; but
never saw him from that day to this
although l wandered through America fol-
five years, seeking him. l turned, tired Of
wandering, and got into little vessel trad
ing between Prince Edwards island and the
mainland and l traded in her for tel
years-ten long years, | can assure you"
Haven't you been long time in the Goa
trade p
Il was thirty years in the coal trade, be
fore / went to China"
How did you like the China trade :"
Il liked it very well, but was only in i
| about five years. After that got into the
Baltic trade. was seven years In it, but
got tired of it, so l got ship and went off tC
the West Indies. where l was put ashore
sick, and lay in the hospital for three years
When l did get better, l was a better maj
than ever, so l started as negro driver on
plantation, where / whipped the poor fel
lows on tor nine years, till at last the old ii
came on me, and I would be off to sea
| again"
''Was that before you were captain of the
| old Clinker!"
Eyes, that was just before / got to b
captain of the Clinker"
Weren't you long time captain of thu
| CIinker"
II was captain of the Clinker for nineteer
years. / was captain of her till she wa
lost in the Gun-feet. Sound, it was a,
much We could do to save our lives thai
time"
"What ship was it you lost in the Swim
ver|
THAT was Peggy. l was long time il
her both mate and master. l was four years
mate and eight years master"
"How long is it since the Peggy was
lostl"
'Let me see, it will be fourteen years this
next month, just fourteen exactly"
"Then you must be a good old fellow
now :"
"Aye, In good age now, you may de-
pend"
'See what age he is there, Bill, will you =
Bill, who had been listening in the back
ground, and taking notes on the lid of his
chest, proceeded to read the following
Years.
Went to sea in the Arethusa, when..........-... 16
In the Arethusa
In America ~
On board man-of-war. Observation-Disclosures.
In Greenland trade. ~
In East India trade. 10
| Among the pirates )
Among the savages. 10
| Travelled in America. :,......:............... .
In the coal trade 80
In the China