Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1873-08-20
The Second Mates Twister.
A STORY ron THE BoYs.

W ''"h "i"""H INV Noiuti1 " luH house
and thinking,
or the hearts chilled through with watching,
The eyes that wcarily blink
Through the binding gale and snow-drin
For the Lights ofths Noversnkn
when my three nephews, homo from school
for tho Christmas holidays, came chatterinQ
through the hall, aud bursting into my
room, broke out with Amt you glad you
are not at sea, tonight, uncle Just hear
it blow. It's a bully night for a story
tell US one, won't you ?"
You youngsters think I'm as full Of
yarns as an old loretopman. What eau |
tell you about2 I've spun you all my
yarns"
"Oh, no you haven't; tell us about any.
thing you think Of; fire, or wrecks, or
islands, or anything about ships"
I've knocked of going to sea lsiuce
left one Of my legs down in Mobile bay),
and haven't much to do but to think over
my voyages and spin yarns about them so
az the lads seated themselves on the rug
before the fire. lighted a cigar, and spun
them this "twister:'
" Some years ago was second mate Of a
handsome little clipper called the White
Swallow, then loading a general cargo 10
New York bound for San Francisco. II
was IN the days before the Pacific railroad,
when most of the freight for California went
around the Horn, and there we're always
several magnificent ships on the berth for
Frisco to be found along South street, New
\ ork, so IT was not an unusual thing that
when we sailed, We did so in company with
two ships Of rival lines. The White
Swallow was new ship, having made but
one voyage ito China and home), during
which she wasn't noted for any unusual
speed. The captain and chief mate had
been on her first voyage, and they said on
the passage out she was badly loaded, and
they couldn't carry sail on her as they
wished homeward bound there was no op.
portunity, as the passage, consuming one
hundred and twenty days. was succession
Of light winds and calms. For this pas.
sage, Captain Adams and the mate looked
out for the slowing of the cargo, and when
We sailed the ship was in fine trim, with
the exception of being a little too deep, per-
haps We made the run to San Francisco
in one hundred and one days, beating the
other ships ten and thirteen days. | was
quite young then not yet twenty, but had
been at sea since was twelve, and
taought l mad seen sall carried about as
long as canvas would stand but by the
big boot that hangs in Chatham street the
ulmity was swung TO that ship TIL her lee
ran would be stranger to US Tor days on
stretch ana we never thought OF coming
on deck without our oll-skin coats, for she
threw spray IN perfect showers the entire
iength'
W hen the watch on deck were not max
lpg or taxing III SAIL or oracing yards every
man VINO couid use palm ana needle was
mend'ng sales ior about every watch we
spit some oil our canvas. Notwithstanding
the way We carried sail we lost but two
spars during the passage,-a main royal
yard and top mast stun-sall boom
" Aiter our arrival at San francisco,
crowds oi people mostly merchants and
other Shippers came down on allego street
wharf to see the snip that made the fastest
passage oil the year and, before our cargo
was entirely discharged, the ship was char.
tered to load hides, tallow, old iron and
rags Tor Liverpool.
NOW on the perth Tor the same port
was an Aberdeen clipper. The Scotch ship
was about l,2oO tons burden, built OF IRON,
aud as handsome as a yacht. she was
called the sea Horse and had made some
hne passages from emma TO London. she
was loading wheat, and about halt her cargo
was on board when we commenced taking
on our old IRON hides tallow and rags.
One evening l was seated IN the reading
room OF the What-Cheer house, and near
me sat sailor.llke looking man OF forty or
more years, enjoying cigar, when gen
tleman came upto him. and said Good
evening, Captain DAILY how goes on the
loading =
So U, $3.50 well get OIL 10 fortnight
| hope
a. Well, we intend TO have the White
Swallow full in two weeks
Sc l hope you may l should ike to
beat that ship to Liverpool, and will, too,
if she don't have more than three days
start OF me-
l made up my mind to tell Captain
Adams what had accidentally heard, and
then, II he wanted race, here was chance.
Our captain was quiet, rather reserved
man, troubling his officers but little with
any conversation besides that which related
to the sailing of the ship. lie was young
not more than thirty, rather hne-looking'
and sailor-man every inch OF him. The
next morning after overhearIng what the
captain OF the Sea Horse had said, re-
marked to our skipper, while at the break
iast-table' The Sea Horse will be reacy
for sea about the time we are, SIR
90 Yes, | hope So.
That's what her captain hopes he
says If we don't get more than three days
start OF him, he will let our consignees in
Liverpool know we are coming
How did you learn that2'
"'l heard him tell gentleman SO last
night in the Watcher house
". Confound the fellows impudence.