New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-05-07

.fronn thesHa2e in the Wall crook round -
tha Tortugases, and any skipper what TOOK
his breaches off in oil that distance weren't
fit for to command snip.
..oa 90 waa a.steerin' down sOu'-son'west
for the Hole in the WALL and We got q
hrae "a from about southeast, which brung
ma down to double reefs. We MADE the
I;oht ahout two o'clock in the morninI,
Karin about two pints on the lee bow, and
ve carried into her - hard as We ever
conld. hopin' to weatheSit, the wind scant-
ed. but still We held on, the shore beln bold,
and We hoped to squeeze by. Just a. We
COT the Nrht about two pints for'srd OF the
Saam. and about mile of, we sockin' 1t to
her with lib and spanker set, and carryln'
her lee pIank shear to the water, there came
a most tremendous puff, and away went the
fore ward right in the slings, ana at the
same time the jib pennant parted. anu
away went the jib, slattin' itself to ribbons
This spiied all chance we had OF weatnerln',
and we tried to git her rOurd head TO tho
BASTARD if possible. There were scant room
II wear. and we tried to stay her, putting
The helm down; but all this trash for'ard
s,slattin' deadened her way, and arter
comm head to the wind she fell of again,
and there were no way but to try TO wear
her clear Of the rocks. She fell OH I'LL she
got the wind abeam, we gittin' the spankef
Oft her, and haulin' up the mainsail as 4u,cA a
"A ever we could and putin the beam hard
mn. She were a-headin' now right fo7 the
rocks and a-driften' onto 'em fast; but with
her headsail all gone she hung and
wouldn't 90 off a bit more. We check
ed in the main and chockick yards
as much as we dared, but we had 20
ill the top-sails enough to give ner
away, or there were no chance OF nel
answerin' her helm. / suppose 1t Dem
dark and rainy that we seemed for to be
higher to the rocks than we really wac, but
the breakers sounded awfully nigh, and ait
to the main brace, where l were, 1t looked
as if the end of the jibboom would knock
the top of the lighthouse. There wss 20
help for it, however, if she gathered way
enough for to steer she might go round
clear, and if not she must go ashore. 1t
was about as anxious five minutes as any
chaps ever had to see the rocks right ahead,
to hear the breakers aroarin' and to look
over the eide and to see her agoin' through
the rocks, and yet not fast enought to an
swer her helm. At last, jist as We were ex--
pectin' for to feel her strike, the light begin
to show onto the port bow. Then it growed
broader, and at last we stood by the spank
er, outhaul and port main sheet ready the
mint we got the wind onto the starboard
quarter to help her como to with these
sails. There was mint or more OF DOUBT,
ard then the old man sings out, "All right,
my lads, haul out the spanker, brace mp
the atueryards, mainsheet and lee main
brace!' and she come rapidly to, with her
head east northeast, and we was saved.
."All this time this ERE queer chap what
I'm telling you about stood on the tor'ard
part of the poop, hanging onto the rail
and when the danger were all over the old
man he sees him, and l heerd him say,
What the devil are you dom up here IN
the rain ! Amt it bad enough for them as
L =
and thank God you amt dashed to pieces
upon them rocks yonder,' and as he walked
away heerd the old man say aein. It's 20
wonder if We do 60 ashore, with sich q
Jonah as that aboard
'.Well, twas fine weather mex. day
gales don't last long down there-and We
got another yard rugged and sent it aloft,
went on. The night we made the South
Pass light were fine and moonlit, and i
we're about seven bells In the first watch
that we raised it. This here chap mad been
up on the poop a-walkin' all the watch, and
the second mate left him there and wen: 20
report to the old man that he'd made the
light. When he come up agin this hero
chap were gone, and the second mate, OF
course, thought he'd gone below. He had,
too, but it we're farther down than Mr..
White thought for. for we none of Us never
sc On him sgin. The wheel were in a little
cubby house chock aft, and Jimmy Jones,
whose trick it were, said a. how he reool-
lected afterwards to have heerd kind OF
splash, but thought it were porpus.
.'Of course this chap wern'i missed at all
till next mornin'; when the steward wen.
for TO call him to his breakfast, ne were
missin, and tracin' back, the last man az
had seen him were the second mate. In lis
black bag we're lot of dunnage, bat 10
cash. However as nv chum, the steward
were uncommon flush that time in New
Orleans, had my own ideas about that,
but not bein' a suspicious man, never said
Iotnin to nobody.
Some time arter we arrived tie steward
told me a. how the day we left New York
there were chap in the TOmbs who was 10
be hung, and in the AFTERNOON when they
went Tor him he were found dead IN his
cell; but there were some sus picions tina.
the dead man weren't him at all. and that
ne had got clean of. And wouldn'. won
der, now I come to think of it, saws the
If that chap what come homo
a-missin' aboard of Us the nj ght atore We
got in, wern't he; and that's always been
my opinion too, sir"