The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1876-04-26
A Uotlllion on Ship Board With Sailing
Dirooiions.
Aunt Fanny writus to Annlato,

Aunt Fanny writes to Appleton
Journal Many years ago I wa
sailing over the broad Ocean on tn,
Fourth of July. TO please hi.
American passengers, tho captain--
II warm-heurted Scotohman-dresset
the ship with flags from stem tt
stern. 1t was magnificent day
there was not IL breath of wind t.
lift the semi transparent, golden
stained haze in the atmosphcre---anC
so the boatswain ''pipod I'LL hands
for II holiday frolic.
+ The passengers pipad themselves
"hd rushed i'll IL body to see the sail
ors act nn original play, in which,
disguisaa rs elephants, donkeys and
other animals. they did inconceiva
bly, funny things. Then they gave
concert u la negro minstrcls, with
II world of natural and charac-
tpristir humor. And in what festive,
Jolly spirits we got, to be sure One
of us, Il bright, charming young fell
low, invited the whole ship-passcn.
gers, officers, crew, cook and powder
monkey-to II ball in the evening,
ending III IL supper at his expense,
on condition That we would d,nco to
the figures rs he called them out
We were ready nt that monont to
promise to dance on our heads to
anything, md looked on ut dis
tanco with delightful anticipation,
While he garo some mysterious in
structions toan old salt, which includ-
ed some writing on his part and much
giggling on the part of the tar, who
walked Oft presently, looking us
tickIcd as u little boy with HOW
Kite.
After tea the deck was cleared for
action. The full moon rode through
the heavens without saddle or bri-
do" as II "horsy" passenger re
marked. The captains "linely chis.
eled eye winlScd screnely at the su
pcrvision of law and ordcr," rs nn
amateur sculptor observed. The
little, strmpy. old sailor, who owned
a dilapidatod fiddle and was to do
tho music, brought out his Cremona,
which whined and squealcd to per
fection as he tried his hand at the
good old time Of "Monic Musk"
Life Let Us Cherish" and 1.-The
Dashing white Sergeant" and soon
after dancing began.
But the figures! Instead of
''right and left, etc, which figure
commences cotillion, our host,
taught'by the old tar, yelled out this
nautical paraphrase:
n. "HsH}t ist TIL HpGn 1ty2 E2rr cfftper fftperbqQd tHIkh
bear up and get your head upon the
other tack regain your berth on
the port tack back and fill with
your partner box haul, and wear
around twice against the sun in com
pany with the opposite craft, then
your OVID, afterw;rd box haul and
bring her round to place"
AS We danced with the sailors.
they kept us "to our bearings" and
we waited, mid shouts Of laughter,
for the next figure, which everybody
knows in the vcrnacular us forward
two"
Shoot ahead about two fnthOms
until you nearly come stem on with
the other craft under way, then
make stern board to your borth {;
side out fora bend, first to starboard,
then to port make sail and pass
the opposite craft, and get your
head round on the other ok; an
other side ont to starboard and port !;
then make Ill sail to regain your
berth wear round, back and fill,
and box-haul your parthcr!"
! After this camo "riSht arm across,
which the old tar translated into
"heavc ahead and pass the adversary
yard arm to yard-mm," giving tho
whole figure such droll directions
that we were aching with llughtor
ending with, ''Reg'ln your berth by
the best means possible, and let go
| the anchor"
|. The rest Of the cotillioM, givon
with sailing orders, was so riotous-
ly funny that tho jig which ended it
was danced according to every ono's
whim, although the paraphrasc was
rs good rs it could be--colnmcncing
with "Wear round to starboard,
passing under your partners bows,
and sight the cathctds of all the
crafts !" and ending with "box hauI
tho whole squadron in tho circular
order of sailing
If to laugh is to grow fat, our indi,
vidual tonnage, that jolly Fourth
of July in tho middle of the ocean,
ought to have bccn prodigiously
increased. The sailors greeted every
figure with uproario,,s cheers and Il
"Yo-hcave oh J. while wo laughed
till wo could only gasp.
, -------.-ssse-----.-------
VANDERBILT's SCRAP BooKs.---Tht
latest estimate of Vanderbilts $ wealtl
places it ut 500, 100000, and it is
increasing every day. The old mar
has large library, which consists o
scrap books pasted full of govern
mont md other bonds. He could
buy out half of the crowned heads
of Europe. Nobody, not oven him