Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1872-10-02
Wrecked in Port .

Wrecked in Port.
a SAILOR YARN, WITH SOME PRELIMINARY
OBSERVATIONS.
| never set out here to the mouth of the
harbor, anchored or becalmed your line 5
taut sir p or similarly or otherswise at my
leisure to take a fair squint inward at the
town, but | wonder what it may be like to
90 stark, staring mad Ifyou hand in a
mite faster now, it'll be better for you, and
| Just as well for the fish That's about
lit.
I've noticed it about our cod they
know when 1 take gentlemen out, as well
as | know myself They'll take advantage
Of you if they can, most any day. Maybe
it's professional preference, or a political.
I'm sure | couldn't say. Ia be willing to
grant Gloucester cod his choice Of either,
and then admit that he might have a
mixed motive to the bottom of it. It's natu-
raj enough, brought up as they are from in
fancy on the fishery question, with views
more or less decided and distinct.
\ little blue you are about the mouth,
Sir. Ia lay down if l was you. It's
better for you, and quite as well for the
fish, as [ said before, and I'm quite used
to 1t, bless you When It Is too rough for
gentleman outside, and it very often is,
| always say. just lay down and take
it easy, and leave the cod to me-" He
takes as many pound home to his wife
come night. 1 reckon, and nobody the wiser
for it, and who'll ask questions? Not me-
nor yet the cod. How does that 20 B.?
There When there's mite less embarrass-
ment between Yourself sir, and your
stomach, I'LL explain to you the feeling
had occasion to mention about the harbor
mouth, and looking inwards to the town
Weil-and yet it amt so easy to explain.
Most things amt. I've told it times
enough, and yet not the whole oft either
There are folks, you know, you can talk to,
and again there are folks you can't. There
are boarders in the little hall chamber,
not to mention names, | wouldn't tell Jib
Hancko's story to, not for a weeks board
outright; but a pleasant way, sir, and an
honest as between man and man, and no
complaining of the coffee, and not stavin
the dories in regardless, because they ant
your own, and a kind OF forethought for
the cabbages if the garden lays between
you ard the bathing-h house, why, that's a
different thing.
You'll remember OF hearing Of the great
gale Of 1892 No You don't say It's
a surprising thing to me bow ignorant
folks are in the country. There are some
smart men come from the country, too.
We were booked for Boston when the
great gale OF - came up. 1t was the
last voyage | took to Boston. Fact is,
may as well own it was the last voyage
[ took anywhere | wasn't born with a
reef-knot between my fingers never board
cd a fshing-smack that l didn't feel I'd as
lief's be boarding my coffin, and that gale
made q landubber Of me once for all.
We cleared from Wiscassett, along about
the first week, if [ recollect. the first week
of December in the schooner Pansie, with
a cargo Of lath and piles. We had about
fifty thousand feet Of lath aboard. Griggs
wa our cap'n. lie belonged in Wiscassett.
He had his mother aboard. She was an
old lady, over seventy years old. He was
taking her to Boston to spend the winter
with her daughter.
;. The old lady enjoys it, having these
fair blows says he one day to Hancko,
standing aft. ' She isn't much Of
sailor"
oDid you ever see a woman that was ~
asked Hancko. Jib Hancko was mate.
81 Well, | don't know" says the cap'n.
Il have" says L. And so L had. But
she wasn't aboard the Pansie that trip,
thank heaven and it wasn't necessary to
specify where she was, as L remarked to
Jib when he made the inquiry. She went
to the Banks with me once along with her
father, who was skipper of the smack.
You won't believe, to see her turning over
a qriddle-cake or cruller now, what
sailor she was. She hauled catch as big
as mine right along any day; the only
thing she failed up on was taking out the
vitaIs. 1t was while L was to work on the
vitals of her Inackerel to spare her tender
ewes that | first began to think OF her.
She was down to Calais, visiting a cousin
of hers. when | took that trip to Boston.
The shippers mother was kind of cute
old lady to see round. She sat on deck
most every day, mending up Grfggs's
shirts. She set the world by Griggs. She
used to stop me most every time hap
pened round, and say: " My sons taking
me to Boston to spend the winter with my
daughter. He said it shouldn't cost me
nothing. My daughters children have
got the whooping-cough, and she thought
she'd like to have me come
Then the next time [ came along she
had it over-"My sons taking me to BOs-
ton. He said it shouldn't cost me nothing.
My daughters children have got the
whooping cough just the same some
of the boys laughed at the old lady but L
couldn't some way she looked 50 cute
sitting up there on deck, mending Grlgg IS
shirts.
,Jib Hancko used to play baekgammo