The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1877-05-17

u said, Here Is a box Of Zinc Get in my little |
Well shut you upl Wen nail you down ?
We will my little master
We think we've heard quite enough Of this
your sad disaster"
-EiSard Lear in the N Y Sun.
AN ARCTIC EXPEDITION THREE HUN
DRED YEARS AGo.-"So you want me
to tell you an Arctic story, little pee
ple," says Captain Hardi4tay, looking up
from his seat by the fire. Hadn't you
better wait till Cousin Jack comes, and
tells you what he's been seeing for the
last eighteen months with Captain
Mares? That'll be story worth hear
ingp
"No, no, uncle" cry three voices in
shrill protest; "we want story nowW
"Well, then, / suppose you must have
it," says the captain, with a chuckle,
taking Alice on his knee, while Tom and
Hetty take their places at his feet; "but
/ can tell you it is pleasanter to talk
about these things beside warm fire,
with a good supper on the table, than
when spars and stays are all sheeted with
ice, and the huge dim giants of icebergs
are looming up all around you through
the darkness, and you have to keep the
deck four hours together, with your eyes
dropping out Of your head for want of
sleep, and the bitter wind and sleet tear
ing the very skin of your face"
Alice shudders, and nestles closer to
her uncle's broad breast.
$50, before you run away to sea, Tom,
my boy, just make sure that you'll like
IL when you get there. And now Pm
going to tell you a story which will show
hot nfH al
ways such good fun as you seem to think.
"On the 11th June, 1888, a small
squadron sailed out of Cawsand Bay
five ships, carrying 260 men-the
largest only 200 tons burden, the smallest
not more then ten C)-such craft as our
big steamers nowadays would hang over
their sides for quarter-boats. But it was
Just such cockboats as these which dis
covered America, and shattered the
pride of theinvincible Armada"
Many a man stood watching them
from the beach, as they melted into the
blue haze that covered the meeting OF
sea and sky for, in those days it was nc
light thing to plunge into unknown
seas which are now mapped out and
iathomed, and traversed by telegraph
cables, and crossed by scores of steamers
every month. For in those days mer
believed in sea-serpents, dog-headeC
men, and headless monsters with eyes il
their breasts, and other horrid things
which have never existed, and hope
never will. And besides these imaginary
perils, there were real ones in abundance
cruel Spaniards in the West Indies
and fierce savages in North America
hurricanes and Gains, icebergs. anC
deadly fevers, and many more danger
besides.
"Among the men who looked wistfull,
after the disappearing ships was a tall
handsome man, whose dark, lustrou
eyes were clouded with bitter disappoint
ment; for he had hoped to sail with tn
adventurous fleet, and only the Queen
express order withheld him. But he, be
fore his life ended, was to do deeds tha
should never be forgotten, and to perisl
at last by yet sadder and darker doom
for his name was Walter Raleigh.
"And beside him, perhaps, may hav
stood (for they were men who alway
liked to be present when great deed
were doing) sturdy Francis Drake. wit
his brown hair curling crisply round hi
granite-hewn face; and grim old Hav
kins, twisting the ends of bis bush
beard; and stout Martin Frobisher, wit
the healthy brown of the sea upon hi
bold, bluff visage; and brave John Davi
whose name still lives in the solitudes
the Arctic Ocean, and many brave ma
more.
And so the little feet went gallantl
forth into the painless sea, taking wit
them, in addition to the actual nece
saeies of their voyage, music in goo
variety, together with morrice-dancer
hobby-horses, and May-like conceits, {
delight the savage people, whom we il
tended to win by all fair means DOS:
ble.'"
"What fun" cried Tom; Clancy
Jack-in-the-green among the Indian
1t would astonish the natives bit,
fancyp
But" resumed the Captain, solemnl
there was doom upon the noble e
terprise, as there is upon all great unde
takiDgs too lightly and hastily ventur,
upon. There's nothing upon earth nee
more care and Judgment (as I kno
wel) than the picking of men for lor
voyage; and here it had been done
carele:sly that mischief was not slow
follow. The sailors were a rough, m
tinous, piratical set, got together at ha
hazard, just as they offered. The m
chauics were every bit as bad. The &c
tlemen (what few there were) thoug
more of making their fortunes than
doing their work, so that altogeth
you see, it was bad lookout for the co
mander."
And who was the commander
asked Tom, eagerly.
You shall hear presently, my b,
Well, before they had been two days
sea, their troubles began. The crew
the Raleigh, their largest vesesl, eitl
found, or pretended to find, sympto
of contagious sickness on board, a
back they went to Plymouth, leav
the other four ships to shift for the
selves"
"The towards p' shouted Tom; "tl
deserved good ropes ending ali roun,
"ADd should have had it il had b
aboard of them" said Captain HARDEST
grimly. "Well, those that were left
long spell of bad weather which las
for days and days. and then all the
metal of the crew came out. The SKI
ers shirked their work, and the quar-
some ones got to fighting among tn
selves, ard the poor commander,
brave and pure-minde1 himself to
what a pack of ruffians he had got al
him, kept a Stacker hand over Il
than he should have done, till the
chief got beyond bounds altoget