Port Royal standard and commercial. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1874-1876, 1876-10-12
THE YANKEE BRIG.
A Story of Two Quaker Brothers and theii
ShippinG Experience.

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Shippinx Experience.
heerd tell of q skipper once, says
an old sailor, who is telling the story, as
got charge of big jackass brig as be-
longed to a old Quaker firm of two
brothers, as KEEP place down to Quin-
chis slip, the name bein' Frost, the
brig bein' called the Harpe; which this
shippers name were Brown, of Kenne-
bunkport, she bein' one of these vessels
etarnally unlucky, stickin' on the ways
in launchin', and never doin' nothin' ar
terward; they havin' tried many cap
tains, in hopes of betterin' things,
were delighted for to fall In with this
Brown, who had jaw enough for two
sets of teeth, and wonderful salt in his
talk; 80 much 80 that he were able to
eat the freshest meat without seasonln' /;
maxim 'em b'leeve that he took this
jackass brig jist to accommodate 'em,
bnt that big three masted ship were
his just desarts if he got 'em; and two
or three other parties down to Maiden
lane a bitin' their very finger nails off
with jealousy, cause they hadn't Sc
cured this gem from Kennebunkpert;
wages bein' 10 object, but had taken
ikin' for the brig, which I'll say for her
were as handsome as she were unlucky.
These two honest Quakers considered
themselves very fortunate to get him;
she bein' loaded with -four and Yankee
notions bound to st. Thomas, with Or
ders to cruise among the islands, if so
be as how freights sarved good; this
hero Kennebunkport chap bein' CIV full
charge to do all her business arter she
left New York, and was even Civ a
power of turny for to sell, if SO be as
he got offer consistent.
Well, sir, with five men afore the
mast, two mates and cook and steward,
besides the chap from Kennebunkport
as skipper, off she goes to sea. Nova
days they wouldn't have Civ her more
than three afore the mast, and no sec.
ond mate, but they manned vessels bet
ter then, which were forty years ago if a
day; I bein' but young chap which
shipped aboard of her to larn my first
splicin', and much of what I didn't see
on the v'yage I were told afterward by
clap as we're in the Office in Quinchis
slip, which made blackguard of him
self, and took to the sea afterward, him
and me bein' shipmates in the little SUIT
ton Charleston packet, full rigged, and
carrying three r'ya}s, and she only 2SO
tons.
OF course, them times there weren't
no telegraphs, neither no steamers, and
the little Quakers had to wait while
afore they got to hear any tidin's of the
brig. When they did hear they got a
letter sixteen pages long from the skip
per, givin' 'em full description of the
wage out and how splendidly the jack
ass brig had behaved. 1t were reglar
yarn and fit for to be printed into the
newspapers. How she had been hove to
in a gale of wind off Hatteras, and only
but for her bein' the finest bit of wood
as ever foated, and only for the great
skill of the chap that commanded her
he didn't say this right out, but it stuck
out in fifteen and half of the sixteen
pages of the letter->he'd been a
goner sure. He gave couple OF lines
out of the sixteen pages to the fact that
ned had to throw over some cargo to
J ease her. There were talk too of hur-
ricane which he'd had down amongst
the islands, ard barely weatherin' a pint,
her keel having touched bit, he said,
as she went by.
Well, soon arter this come the skip
per's wife with order for good bit of
money, which right glad was these here
honest Quakers for to see that their cap
tain were sich a good provider for his
family, and paid at once. Arter that
some time went on, and they heard
nothin' of him or the iackass brig. Then
come letter tellin' of splendid
freight he'd got for the vessel to another
island, and more than ever delighted
was they to find him doin' 80 well. Arter
that there was some news of his sailin',
with sight draft onto 'em for small
sum, as he'd found hisself short IN in
settlin' up, and then they found on git
tin the accounts that what with payin'
for the cargo he'd hove overheard, and
what with expense of takin' the iackass
brig out of water to repair her shoe,
which had been knocked off when she
jist touched in weatherin' the island as
he'd writ about, and what with expense
of loadin' and unloadin', all the outward
freight were used up, and he'd found
hisself a trifle short, for which he'd
draw'd onto them.
Well, they comforted themselves that
things was no verse, and hoped with
the splendid freight he'd writ about
that at the next port when things was
settled up the balance would be on the
right side, and they'd git remittance
instead of a draft. By-and-bye came
more letters, and everything were love-
ly. Nothin' could be better than the
performance of the jackass brig; she'd
made lovely passage, and though there
was some hints of port charges higher
than had been expected, they waited in
hope, and was still inclined to think
that they'd got treasure in the chap
from Kennel 1nkport.
The captains wife agin put in an ap-
pearance, with rather big order, which
they paid, admirin' the provident care
of the man as would Civ all OF his money
to his family, keepin' nothin' for his
own spendin'. At last come the accounts
and they seed that one side pretty nigh
balanced the other. The port charges
was high; rascally," the captain said
in his letter, and the small balance left
in favor of the jackass brig, he thought,
J he'd better keep for e1igencies at the
next port, for it was really too small to
draw agin. He congratulated 'em on
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