The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-05-30
THE SECOND MATES Tw1sTER
A Story For the Boys

A Story For the Boys.
One night during the winter we were
having gale of wind from the north
east with snow; I was seated before
the fire In my room, listening to the
wind as it went bowling around the cor.
ners of the house, and thinking
'of the hearts chilled through with watching
The eyes that wearily blink
Through the binding gale and snowdrift
For the Lights Of Neversink!"
when my three nephews, home from
from school for the Christmas HOLIDAYS,
came chattering through the hall, and
bursting into my room, broke out with
Amt you glad you're not at sea, to.
night, uncle2 Just hear it blow. It's
q bully night for story; tell us one,
won't you ?"
"You youngsters think I'm full OF
yarns as an old foretopnan. What can
1 tell you about &? I've spun you all
my yarns"
so, no, you haven't; tell us about
anything you think of fire or wrecks,
or islands, or anything about ships"
I've Knocked off, going to sea
(since I 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 as the lads seated
themselves on the rug before the fire,
lighted cigar, and spun them this
"twister."
"Some years ago I was second mate
of handsome little clipper ship, called
the white Swallow then loading a
general cargo in New York, bound for
San Francisco. Tt was in the days be-
fore the Pacific railroad, when most of
the freight for California went around
the Horn, and there were always sever
al magnificent ships on the berth for
Frisco to be found along South street,
New York, 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 O new
ship, having made but one voyage, to
China and home, during which she
wasn't noted for any unusual speed.
The captain and chief mate had been
in her 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 opportunity, as the pas
sage, consuming 120 days, was a sue
cession of light winds and calms. For
this passage, Captain Adams and mate
looked out for the stowirg of the cargo,
and, when we sailed, the ship was in
fine trim, with the exception of being
little too deep, perhaps. We made the
run to San Francisco in 101 days, beat
ing the other ships 10 and 13 days. /
was quite young then, not yet 90, but I
had been at sea since l was u, and /
thought had seen sail carried about as
long as canvass and spars would stand !;
but by the big boot that hangs in Chat
ham street the dimity was swung to
that ship till her lee-rail would be a
stranger to us for days on stretch !;
and we never thought of coming on
deck without our oil-skin coats, for she
threw spray IN perfect showers her en-
tire length.
"When the watch on deck were not
making or taking in sail, or bracing
yards, every man who could use a palm
and needle was mending sails, for about
every watch we split some of our can
vass. Notwithstanding the way we car
ried sail, we lost but two spars during
the passage.-a main-royal yard and a
topmast stun'-sail boom.
"After our arrival at San Francisco,
crowds of people, mostly merchants
and other shippers, came down on Val
lego street wharf to see the ship that
had made the fastest passage of the
year and, before our cargo was entire
ly discharged, the ship was chartered
to load hides, tallow, old iron, and rags
for Liverpool.
"NOw ON the berth for the same port
was an Aberdeen cljDOer-r
"What kind of a clipper is that,
unele?'
"Clippers built at Aberdeen in Scot
land; they are noted for fast sailing, as
ours built at Mystic in Connecticut, and
Newburyport IN Massachusetts,, are.
The Scotch ship was about 1900 tons
burden, built of iron, and as handsome
as a yacht. She was called the Sea
Horse, and had made some fine pas
sages from China to London. She was
loading wheat, and about half her cargo
was on board when we commenced talk
ing in our old iron, hides, tallow, and
rags. One evening was seated in the
reading-room of the What Cheer house,
and near me sat sailor-like looking
man of 40 or more years, enjoying
cigar, when q gentleman came up to
him, and said Good evening, Capt.
DAILY; how goes on the loading?"
go, $3.50; we'll get off in a fort
night, 1 hope
"'Well, we intend to have the white
Swallow full in two weeks
"' 1 hope you may. 1 should like to
beat that ship to Liverpool, and will,
too, if she don't have more than three
days start of me.
=" made up my mind to'tell Capt.
Adams what [ had accidently heaid,
and then, if he wanted a race, here was
his chance. Our captain was a quiet,
rather reserved man, troubling his Off
GERS but little with any conversation BE-
sides that which related to the sailing
of the ship. He was young, not more
than so, rather fne-looking, and a
sailor-man, every inch of him. The
morning after overhearing what the
captain of the Sea Horse had said, 1
remarked to our skipper, while at the
breakfast-table, The 4" Sea Horse" will
be ready for sea about the time we are,
SIR
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 con-
signees in Liverpool know we are COM
ing
''' How did you learn that?
"' heard him tell a gentleman so
last night in the White Cheer house
"' Confound the fellows impudencer
=" Two or three days after, a clerk in
our consignees' efice tSld me our cap
tain and the captain of the Sea Horse
had met, and, after chatting one another
in friendly manner, had finally each
$500 with our consignees. the
captain of the ship first in dock at
Liverpool to draw on them at sight for
the whole amount thousand dollars.
"The report of an intended race.
from San Francisco to Liverpool, be-
tween an American and Scotch clipper
soon got spread about the city, and the
amount of money staked on the result
must have been thousand added to it
I