Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1872-01-23
The Sailors S!1ry.

| hnt SatiDt SItENs
"Did you say you served your ar
premiership in the Arcthusa ~
eyes, | served my time in the Are
thusa."
"What age were you when you wen
to sea ?"
81 was sixteen"
"Put down sixteen, Bill" Whispered
one, and the number was put down.
The scene of the present Dialogue
was the forecastle of collier brig a
anchor in the Thames the speakers
an old seaman, and three others scarce
ly arrived at middle age one of whom
being the old mau, acted as clerk, will
a piece of chalk, using the lid of hi
own chest as desk.
"Put down sixteen, Bill" whispered
he.
"rhen how long was you in thC
Arethu}r ~
81 was in her eight years altogcth
err
Bill, who was all attention, pu
down an eight below the sixteen.
"But you would be young fellow
thcn-I should think you would not
be long out of a ship"
"I got a ship directly, and sailed 70,
North America Well, as it happened
We were " atcr-logccd on our passage
home, all hands took to the rigging
where we remained days without q
bite Of anything, or as much as drink.
On the third day | got hold of a dead
bird of some kind that was floating
past-ate it feathers and all. Well
have not yet told you, all hands died
but myself, and the orly way l kept
myself alive was by sucking the grease
out of the ropes. ] Knocked about
upon the rigging for full month
At last | was picked up by an Ameri-
can vessel, aud taken to America. The
Americans used me very well, so |
traded back and forward among the
American ports for long time
GLOW long do you suppose you were
in America altogether -
"I was ten years from leaving home :"
"Didn't you 90 into the Greenland
trade after that ?"
"No-it was not till sometime after.
was on board of man-of-war be
fore / was in the Greenland trade
Some bow or other the press gang got
wind of me; good run we had I
was nimblc on my feet then-if l had
not slipped and fallen souse into az
old ash-midden, | believe they never
would have taken me, but take me
they did. Well, L was seven years in
his majesty's service, and L liked the
service very well, but one day the
Captain and l had few words, and
said to myself, "the sooner we part
company the better, old fellow" So
I ran away-it was in the West In
dies. l 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 son board a man-of.war seven
years !"
"Then did you get home all right ?"
eyes, and then 1 went to Greenland
My eyes what sport we had there
we had the first ten years | was in the
trade was there that year
when there was not a whale to be
,een, and we loaded the ship with
seals. A weary job we had-the ice
vas short and hummocky, and the
seals as shy as foxes"
"How long were you in The Green
and trade"
"I was nineteen years altogether
Then fancied | would like to be in
warmer climate-so | got into an East
Indiaman 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
Lhrec Of us saved our lives by consen-
Ting TO be pirates With the rest. I
never liked pirates life ; SO one day
whom vo wore ashore on a larpe island