The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-07-02

ceeded, all hands givin' us three cheers.
which we returned. Teen we turned to
and set the courses, jib and spanker, and
turned two reefs out of each topsail, set
tin the to'gallant sails over 'em, and
was soon a jumpin' along arter our old
ship and goin' as fast as she were.
Chilly spun us the yarn of his trip arter
We got all to rights, mas in kind o. free
with us on account Of knowin' some of
us before. He said: when we left New
Orleans there ~ere twenty of us afore the
mast, the skipper, two mates, carpen-
ter, cook and steward, and three passen-
gers, this Mr.. Hammond and his daugh-
ter, and cotton broker of the name of
Williams. The sickness broke out aft,
this passenger Williams bein' took fust
and dyln' the clay we left the bar. The
disease must have been IN the ship, as l
understands she had nearly everybody die
aboard of her the p evious year; for afore
the next night there were six new cases,
the old man and steward oeing among
EN-. The wind were extremely light
from southeast, and we were maxim
scarce any way, and in three DAYS so
many OF us was dead and sick that the
mate had to put the ship under short
sail tor fear as there wouldn't be enough
OF us left for to handle her canvass. He
thought some of tryin' to 90 back, but he
know'd if we could git down into the
trades we'd git better, while to 20 back
would be running into the disease.
"'On the fifth day out the wind shifted
to the north ard, and all of us that was
lett-and there was but four-managed
to lend the mate hand to square the
yards. That night the mate and this
poor girls father was taken down, and III
less than twenty-four hours arter that l
were left alone in charge, with only two
men left and they both sick. Next day
1 made the Tortus as, and the wind
comm out fresh from east 'theast. I
jist backed the head yard and let it drift,
expectin' that I should be the next one
took down. My two last shipmates
shipped their winds two days afterwards,
we bein' then in sight of the Double
Headed Shot Rays and me and the poor
young woman was left alone. We was
both we'll, however, and I cheered her
up by tellin' her that the danger of our
taken the disease were past since we
struck the trades and as we was right in
the track OF ships goin' both ways, there
wern't no doubt but that we'd soon git
assistance and I got her out to hold a
turn and by taken the braces to the cap
stain, I got the ship weared round and
headed to the north'ard, keepin' the head
yards aback so as she shouldn't go ahead
none, but Just drift with the current
L took my regular sleep, lashin' the
wheel and KEEP awake in the daytime a
lookin for vessels. I seen several, but
they was too far off to take any notice of
us, and in four days more we had drifted
north OF Maternilla rect, I wearin' her
around once in while for to keep her in
the middle of the passages Then took
breeze from the north ard and I thought
the best thing I could do were to stick
her to the BASTARD and let her 90, and
done so. I'd got kind OF used to bein'
alone aboard of her and found I could
take care her, even if I didn't git help,
and so I resolved for to do my best for to
save the ship and cargo and the life of
this young woman, who I must say has
behaved like a trump all the way
through
'Taint no use maxim long story Of
1t, sir; us SIX was able for to take care of
the ship. always reducin' sail in time
when it were comm on to blow, and in
due time we got in with the coast of Ire
land, passed Tuskar, went boomin' up the
Channel, past Hollyhead and the Skerries,
took a pilot off Lynas and tug off the
nol'west lightship, and towed safely into
the river.
'The affair got into the newspapers
there and made a big sensation, and Billy
Edwards was made quite lion of for the
way he had acted towards this young wo-
man. This here were very pleasin' to
him, but it weren't half so pleasin' as it
were to have the young woman herself
cause Billy were SO bashful he never
wouldn't have done it-insinuate as she
were so pleased with navigatin' as she
should like for to have him take charge
of her for life. With a little encouragin',
Billy We're quick to respond, havin' got
to be very fond of her, and they were
spliced in the St. George church at
Liverpool. Billy by that means come in
to possession Of a tremendous forth,
which of course would all have been mine
Lif hadn't a got onto that spree down at
Lake Ponchartrain, in consequence of
which Billy got shipped in my place,
and fell into all this luck as I've told
you about