Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1878-08-01
Written for the Transcript. +
Experience of stSinbad,, in The Navy

Experience O1s 'olnDad'' IN the Navy.
ks ~, Continued from last ,week.l III
Our ship remained in Philadelphia
about two months, when the, Gre =
we're ordered on board the steamer
y WllIapteree,, an an j iron double, ender, the
first iren ship built for Uncle Sam; =.
Her destination was the Pacific
coast. ~ As soon as We were all aboard
and off for sea, ':Sinbad" received the
appointment Of ships writer, at $40
per month. ~" or Hattera,!s We "a eex,peri il
encedz rough weather and heavy gales
again, but weathered it through and
in due season. arrived at Charlotte
Amelia, ION the island Of St. Thomas.
West Indies. Here the crew we're Civ
en- liberty On shore for. twenty -four
hours, and. Invent with the rest to see
the sights. tits picturesque little
town, built on the sides Of two hills,
and overlooks the sea, Climate 3aourns
The inhabitants are neither Shakers
nor Bapt;sts, but they are shaken up
by earthquakes and baptized by tidal
waves little too often to suit "Sio>
bad" though none occurred while We
were there. After coaling ship, which
was done by women, we sailed far the
next harbor, which proved to be Ba-
hia, in Brazil, where we only remained
long enough to replenish our coal.
We started again., and stopped this
time at Montcvideo, in Uruguay. On
the voyage from Bahia, "Sinbad' had
somehow or. other got on the ''black
list" which deprived him ofliberty on
shore. Now this did not agree with
my constitution and by laws, and de-
termined to have run on shore any,
how. With this object in view I watt
ed for dark night with the tide out
and the wind towards shore. The
night I selected combined all these
points. The sea was running rather
high, but I determined to make the
attempt. I got down into the paddle
wheel, addressed, tied my clothes in a
bundle with rope yarn on my head.
eased myself down into the water and
struck out for shore, which was about
half mile distant. I had not made
more than five or six strokes when a
wave from behind washed completely
over ME, clothes and all, which of
course wet the clothes and made them
heavy. I began to get tired of swim~
ming, and the waves continued to
wash over me, and finally washed the
clothes down on the back of my neck !;
and the rope yarn which I had passed
under my chm commenced to choke
me. I tried unsuccessfully to break it.
I Aoated on my back 10 rest, but the
weight of the clothes pulled my head
under the water. | thought, "Sin>
bad" old "Davy" has got you this
time, sure. With that idea impressed
on my mind I sung out but no help
came, 1 felt myself sinking, but rail-
lied my remaining strength and struck
for shore again. I had made but lit
tie progress when I felt that I could
hold out no longer, and let my feet
sink but what was my surprise and
joy to find that I could just touch bot
tom with the ends of my toes.
I scratched like a good fellow, and
finally succeeded in gaining foothold
and started to wade out. I had got
to where the water was about waist
deep when a huge breaker from be-
hind sent me up on the shore, which
was rocky. Not approving Of that
kind Of locomotion, I scrambled to get
out of the way of the next one, but
not ia time. It struck me and sent
me up high, but not dry, on the rocks.
There I lay bruised and bleeding,
and should probably have RENAME d
some time had it not been for some Of
the boys who were on the lookout 70,
me and carried me into the city, adj
ministered a soothing drink and pui
me in bed where [ remained all mex,
day. Towards evening I managed tc
get out and commenced 10 see the
sights, which I did for three days. On
the fourth day, as I was standing or
the wharf, boat from our ship land:
ed behind me: (IfI had seen it coming
should have got out Of the Way. Ar
officer tapped me on the shoulder and
kindly suggested that I was wanted or
board and had better get into the
boat and 60: I did not stop to argue
the matter with him but went. When
reached ''home" l was put iu double
irons;: court martialed for leaving thu
ship without permission, and lost three
months pay: Rather an expensive
experime Mt, which I determined not tt
[ro:bee ,oontinuea.1 f.. ! !. -. -