The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-02-06

great No. 20 that Is painted on the mains1il OF
ly IN the glow OF the yawls dun lantern. The
steamer will not stop. and soon the course Of
the yawl is reversed, aud the men pull slowly
back.
SINGULAR VISITOR.
Ere they roach the ship a nn-back whale np-
proaches the pilot boat, aud, throwing his huge
black carcass half out Of the sta sends M
monotonOus W h-r =. w-h-r-r. Nearer and nearer
he comes until he II right under the vessels
stern, pouring forth his unchanging w-h-r r.
"1hey can't sec very WE'LL" said Capt. Jack
son. I" they have Oulv one eve. and In the
night or in FOG they arc II tple to run plump
into vessel Hut guess tnat fellow Will know
enough 70 keep ~ If he runs his nose into the
Ere the Captain has concluded. the whale.
with loud splash and parting w-h-r-r, dtsap-
pears In the sea. The yawl Is taken ON board,
and the wet. sppcry deck Il soon left to a lone
" paccr, who looks into the darkness through
Mo,eian jim. 2i.-The dav opens dark and
sleet, and the sea Ia rolled into huge
pillows. The sailors are muflled to their
chrns In oil skins aud comforters. On
the table In the cabin the radish Jar walizes
on with bottle Of canned fruit. Everything L.
In 4 tumble, but the men take 1t pleasantly, and
call It line weather OUTSIDE. Soon the SNOW
ceases to fall. the sky clears, the sun shines
steelv bright, aud a cold, biting northwester
hOwls for the rest OF the day.
II Is o'clock In the evening and the vessel IL
hove to. when suddenly sounds the electric cry,
clearing OF the cabin. Far away In the southeast
IL family visible the masthead light Of steamer,
and the cry passes from one to another It's a
steamer. n steamcrP' Then there IL running
hither aud thither. the sails Hap 1ercey, and the
big boom pounds the air and rattles its fasten-
inRs "a the boat Is brought round to cross the
track Of the approaching vessel. man runs to
s s Pow ana twrls again and again the blazing
rises from the deck Of tho steamtr r, and is in
stantly followed by a rocket.
That means that they want us" explained
one OF the pilots "she Is eight miles or more
away. but with this wind wen soon reach her"
The little boat under fun howing sails dashes
torch II nourished from her bow, and thu sigma
Ia answered by blue light or rocket from tho
steamer. II Is a fearful sea, aud 1t seems that
the boat, with her press Of sails, must be lifted
from the water.
BOARDING A SHIP AT NIGHT.
Still on she drives, and soon the black hull Of
a large steamship. aOlaze with streaming lights,
looms up directly ahead. She has come to n
dead halt. II Is the steamship Colon OF the
Pacific Mail line. The vawl is prepared, and MIR.
Gillespie, valise In hand, stands ready for the
launch. Nearer and nearer the pilot boat APP
proaches, the opportune moment Ia come, and
at the signal the yawl spashes into the sea, and
the sailors spring TO their places. The pilot fol
lows them like flash. aud drops upon the stern
seat. The frail craft shoots on over the waves
In total darkness. By an accident, AZ the men
sprang into their seats, the yawl-boat light was
extnguished. and SO the Captain Of the steamer,
not seeing the usual light Is unaware that the
boat Il approaching. Capt. Gillespie runs to the
middle of the deck, and, placing his hands TO
his mouth. shouts above the roar OF the storm,
Capt. Griffin, Can't Grnn.' Back comes the
faint answer, where's yer boatY" TITS right
alongside Of you" is the reply A few moments
and there Is n movement along the deck Of
the steamer. the passengers crowd to one side,
the big screw losses NJ flakes OF foam, aud hon
is known that the pilot Is safely aboard.
NOW, where's the yawlf' exclainis every one,
for II IL difficult In such gale, and with no hea-
con light, to look up the little craft that Is
somewhere buneting the sea. The vessel wears
around and sails IN the direction In which the
boat may be expected to be, and soon a little
nlach stffhh OF the STssit OF a 1iilow announces
and soon the yawl. pull ID bv the strong armed
scamen. l. AT the vessels side. Then the work
OF taking the men on board, and Of hosting in
the yawl. IL quickly accom- plished.
You see what this business Is now" said a
pilot; "it's all lottery; that steamer will
probably he challenged dozen times before
she gets TO New York. by other pilot boats. but,
as she has a pilot on board now, SHE Will signal
excitement, plotting, and GU see that the men
take their lives In their hands. The work Of a
day has to he crowded into few seconds. We
were unusually long Ia boarding this vessel, for
we don't often need more than three minutes
In which to put pilot on board after we have
nicsddB jan 90 o.day IL soft and genial.
and there Is almost dead calm on the sea. An
hands are busy clearing the deck and they
work IN their shut sleeves and sing they
shake out and coil the ropes. There l. u faint
breeze from the west. and the Ills bag and Gut-
ter as II parti lly Ills them, and then as It dies
away they bag ana play IDLY ~ m. A sailor.
high In the air. Is busy "slushiny" the mast
with tar and greese. There are only two sail n
sight; one Is fir away T. the southeast. a bark
that Is sailing northwest. and the other AZ far in
4, that Is heading to the southeast.
LIVELY RACE.
Then follows race between the two.pilot boats
for The preCedenD Ia reaching the bark. Tue
Washington has u shorter distance TO sail, but
the fish Is tue swiiter sailer, aud the wiud Is
fresher ON her course. Every san is spread, ant
tne staSsails and eau topsails are set on
crafts creep over the water, their track
couvefgus toward point IN the south
al which they hope TO meet the bark. At |
O'Clock IN the afternoon the race h become
exciting, men ara ca each boat scanning etcn
OF ser with gla--r-. and every manueuVre to gain
added speed Is taken advantage Of. Mr. Har-
cCuau, who has the next turn, dresses, and the
vawl il ur.l1rod In is soon evident IN [ tie
Fish will reach the bark before her rival, Hnd
decisive action must he taken Nv the latter. The
order H. gwen To- send out tue yaw and there l. a
int hope that la the calfn the little boat can he
pulled t. the bark ere the Fish Will re near
enough to send out her pilot. The men
row with vi /. and the boat Ia soon a mere
speck IN the distance. There Is intense excite
meut On bptn rtot boat-. and the course Of the
yawl is eaierly watched through telescop IS.
But the gallant erort 81 the oarsmen Is without
avail The bark catches "a HIGHT wind, and she
glldes by the yawl While 1t Is yet quarter Of a
mile distant aud "A few moments later the Fish
has sent ont her pil .. aud the race u over.
UctHcstdU jim. 2d.-lO-daV's success made
amends for the loss of the bark YESTERDAY Be
foTo noon TWO uarks had been overhaulcd In a
northwest gale. and both MIR. Ilargenan and
Capt: Giile.pe placed on board. The barks are
now lett on hoard but Mr. Dougherty, and he
cruises the rest Of the day In vain. ~ night tho
vessel cour-e IS snapped toWtrl new YORK.
The sailors looking 70 speedy end ~ the
cruise. gather in the forecastle In the evening
and sing lively ballads to the rocking Of the
boat.
1hWs'dh Jun. 27-In the middle Of the
afternoon there Is the nrst appearance Of the
Land that has been out Of SIGHT for nearly a
week-a faint rim 81 the diTker blue on the
ives erI 9is3 ~ the ocean. SoDuit uses ,iearrr,
and Rt O'Clock the dainty cottages Of Long
Branch are seen, anu the Highlands rise up m
the north. Further on a large schooner, ship
wrec ked, Is stranded high on the beach. Up
the bay aud through the Narrows the pilot bo 4
dfivr- before "A smdchlny hrceXe. Military
music floats out from tue officers quarters on
Governors Island, ana white the west Is all
atitme with crimson clouds, the sunset gun
peais from Castle " mi m. In twenty minutes
more tho boat Is tied up al Pier 10.
THE nam AND BAT.