Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1876-02-23
THE CAPTAINS STORY.

i THE CAPTAINS STORY.
:. [ am q sailor. or rather was, for
is a good many years since gave n
blowing the deep, and took to turn
t ing burrows upon the land. Just for
: ty years ago / was in command Of
little full-rigged brig, called the Mo
resco, belonging to Baltimore. w
were bound for LIVERPOOL, and iron
: there to the Cape de Verbs, for car
go Of salt, and thence home. NJ,
crew consisted of three men and .
boy--rather short handed you ma,
r think for long voyage; but sailor
were in demand and my vessel was .
little bit ofa thing, and required bn
i. few to manage her; besides, l wa
: Young then. and felt myself abou
equal TO the watch Of a small frigatt
alone; and in addition there was tht
mate, w no had come on board with mi
with the reputation of being as active
IN officer as ever stepped across (
ships gangway. Mr.. Clark--Jame!
G.. Clark, think, was his namc-was
about thirty, but he had been TO sea
pretty much all Of his life. Report
said, for didn't know much Of him
personally. that he was good sailor
but n regular marine Tartar: a thor.
ough- going disciple of the Hell.
afloat system
This Mr.. Clark. as | was mentions
ing. had the reputation of being a
good sailor and an active officer; but
il was said that he never could get a
crew TO sail with him the second
time, and that more than once he had
to secrete himself while his ship was
in port, and join her only at the last
moment, in order 10 avoid arrest at
tho complaint Of some of his miSuscd
men. But so far from this being
against him. there were not a few old
sea dogs who really thought it was in
! his favor; and even /, at that time,
| had no very clear idea OF the dis
| tinction between good officer and n
hard one. Glad, At any rate, was ]
when Mr. Clark Joined the brig. and
I commenced helping to stow the car.
/ go. / soon found that report had not
belied his character. and that he was
4 thorough driving fellow,w knew
! what work meant, and how 20 have II
done. He was evidently disposed to
severity with carmen, stevedores, and
others hui I could perceive no evi-
dences Of caprieionsness or DOWN
right bad temper.
In few days. owing mainly 10 his
activity and energy. the cargo was
aboard and slowed. and the brig
ready for sea. Our crew, consisting
as / have said. OF three men and a
boy, came on board: and the wind
shifting immediately 10 ..frcc,' we
"shcetcd-homc" everything.and stood
ont to sea.
We had been out but Il very few
DAYS when became convinced that
Mr.. Clark's manner was, TO the full.as
rough as had heard il represented.
Hardly an order came from his lips
unaccompanied by an oath. or some
opprohrious cpithct. And but little
less liberal was he in the use of
blows. Upon several occa>ion, | re-
mnnsirated with him. bnt he pleaded
so strongly in Justification the ncccs-
sity of the ease. thai l wa, compelled
Ia lei him have his way. II i always
a delicate thing for a captain 10 med
die with Il mates authority; diSci-
plino is the main point. and upon any
disagreement in The cabin il i sure 10
suffer.
For small crew. hardly n worse
one could not have been selected. One
Of the three men was willing enough.
but he was slow and stupid. The
others We're smart. active fellows. but
real grnmbling, growing rascals.
who had made up their minds from
the first. never 10 lifi a hand or stir n
foot when they could help il. They
had both been in the English service.
aud although Americans. they had aC-
quilcd all the vices Of the English
sailor. In fact. | rccollcct that one of
them told me that he had made three
voyages in a Canadian timber shin,
where every time they rectcd top
chase the men up the rigging with
handSpikcs.
TO these two men. whose names
were the usual sailor -hailing handles,
Jack and Bill. the mate had taken n
supreme dislike, and they to him. AT
last things eot 10 be 50 bad. that not
an order OF his did they pretend to
obey, unless il was accompanied with
curse. and q blow: and not unire-
qucntly in the night. during the
mates watch, when only three per-
sons were on deck. have ! been
aroused from sleep By The sound OF
aropc's end ON Bits back. ami his
yclls of rage and paia.
Nnn "a. M ..f1,uit,f, apH
grnmhling, and logging. rs thou
sands of vessels have done since, we
made our course across the Atlantic.
In three weeks we reached Mayo.
the island 10 which We were bound.
and anchored in the roadstcaa.
/ While getting i'll our cargo of salt,
which look us about Two weeks,
Z things went on rather more quietly ;
hui il was only luli before the
( storm. Two days ont from Mayo,
our third man fell sick. and
was compelled 10 keep his berth.
This reduced the mates watch 10
himself and Bill, while my watch was
composed OF Jack and The hoy.
Itwas III The mates middle watch.
on the fourth night after We had start
cd for home, that was aroused by
the usual sounds Of Mr. Clark's voice,
in tones Of high passion. | heard
him eNclaim with an oath. "Ill have
your life. YOU william, I'll murder
YOU r. and then followed with q tor
rent Of impfcraiionS. 70 this some
muttered rcply was made. which a.
was almost halfasleep at the moment
u could nor understand; and then
came a quick heavy tread OF feet on
deck Oh YOU" exclaimed the
mate, "l'll eat Your heart ont J. And
then / heard a noise OF scufiling-a
choking sound-a crashing blow. and
the fall Of body on deck.
y. At this moment / was sensible
from The motion OF the brig, that She
! was rapidly falling off from the wind
and fearing that she would come
round bv the lee and be taken aback
| jumped from nv berth. and whilt
slipping ON my clothes. shouted to
Mr.. Clark To mind his helm: bu, he
made no answer.
| stopped only for my trousers and
peaiacket. and hurried up. a.
emerged from the companion-way.
heard a heavy splash in the water
over tho s,arboard-quartcr, and | saw
, Mr.. Clark leaning over the bnlwark
: and with one hand holding OF by thu
| maintopmast breast backstay.
A stepped towards him he turn
: cd. and flash from the binnacl'
: lamp lighted mp his countcnancc: it
; expression was awful--a look of hor.
! ror and fear was rapidly ehasin:
/ from his features tho grin of rage ant
: the flush Of physical exertion.
81 Lower away the boatD he sud
[ denly shouted, in accents of the wild
: est agony lower away the boat
/. quick, quick--lsill has jumped over
| board; save him, for Gods sake!'
u "IIoldf" | exclaimed, "belay that,
I las Mr.. Clark jumped to tho taflrai
land began TO cast Off the boat-falls.
81 aInto the boat! quick, into tn