The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-04-21
Shipwrecked.

Our coast-guard now, whose arm was snot
away
In the great tight in Navarino bay;
Pufing bis pipe, he slowly sips his grog,
And spins sea warns to many an old sea.dog
Sitting around him.
Yes, lads-hear him say
'Tis sixty years ago this very day
Since I first went to sea; on board, you know
II La Belle Hono-ine-lost long ago
An old three masted tub, rotten almost,
Just At to burn, bound for the Guinea coast.
We set all sail. The breeze WAS fair and stiff.
Ny boyhood had been passed meath yonder
cliff,
Where an old man-my uncle, go he said
Kept me at prawning tor my daily bread.
At night he came home drunk. Such kicks
and blows!
Oh, me! what children suffer no Ian knows!
But once at sea twas ten times worse, l
found.
learned to take, to bear, and make no sound.
First place, our ship was in the negro trade,
And once off land, no vain attempts were
made
At secrecy. Our captain after that
(Round as an egg was liberal OF the cat.
The rope's.end, cuffs, kicks, blows, all fell on
me;
was ships boy twas natural you see
And as went about the decks my arm
Was always raised to lend my face from
harm.
No man had pity. Blows and stripes always,
For sailors knew no better in those days
Than to thrash boys, till those who lived at
last
As able seamen shipped before the mast.
ceased TO cry. Tears brought me no relief,
think might have perished Of mute griei,
Had not God sent fiend-a triend-to me.
Sailors believe in God one must at sea.
On board that ship God of mercy then
Had placed dog among those cruel men.
like me, be Stunned their brutal kicks and
blows.
We soon grew friends, fast friends, true
friends. God knows.
He was Newfoundland. Black, they called
him there.
His eyes were golden brown, and black his
hair.
He was my shadow from that blessed night
When We made friends; and by the stars hall
light,
When ali the forecastle was last asleep,
And our men "caulked their watch, used
to creep
With Black among some boxes slowed on
deck,
And with my arms clasped tightly round his
neck,
used to cry and cry, and press my head
Close to the heart g1ieved by the tears shed.
Night after night mourned our piteous case,
While Blacks large tongue licked my poor
tear stained face.
Poor Black 1 think OF him so often still?
At t,rst we bad fair winds our sails to fill,
But one hot night, when all was calm and
mute,
Our skipper-a good sailor, though brute
Gave long look over the vessels side,
Then to the stcersmau whispered, half aside,
"See that ox-eye ont yonder? 1t looks queer" "
The man replied: "lhc storm will soon be
here"
"Hallo All hands on deck Wen be pre-
pared.
Stow royals; Rect the courses Pass the
Vain! The sqnaE broke ere we could shorten
sail;
We lowered tn. topsails, but the raging gale
Spnn our Old ship about. The captain roared
His orders-lost in the great noise OH board.
The devil was i'll that squall. But all men
could
10 save their ship we did. Do what we would,
The gale grew worse and worse. She sprang
leak;
Her hold filled last. We found we had to
seek
Some way 10 save our lives. "I.owera boatr'
The captain shouted. Before ono would float
Oar shin broached to. The strain had broke
her back.
Like a whole broadside doomed the awful
crack
She settled fast.
Landsmen can have no notion
OF how il ieels TO sink beneath the ocean.
AS the blue pillows closed about our deck,
And with slow motion swallowed down the
wreck,
] saw my past lite, by some flash, outspread,
Saw the Old port, its ships, its old pier-head
My own bare feet, the rocks, the sandy
shore
Saltwater filled my moutll-I saw no more
did not struggle much-I could not swim.
] sunk down deep, it seemed-drowned but iol
For Black, I mcan-who seized my JACKIE
tight,
And dragged me out OF darkness back to light
The ship WAS gone-the captains gig ationt
By one brave tug he brought me near tn
seized the gunwale, sprang on hoard, AM
drew
My friend in after me. OF all our crew,
The dog and alone survived the gale;
Afoat with neither rudder, oars, nor sail I!
Boy though was, my heart was brave an'
stout,
Isaw-wi;h who can tell what wild IN Otto,
That il we met no vessel in midocean,
There WAS no help tor us-all hope was gone
We were ationt-boy, dog afloat alone!
We had been saved from drowning but TO dit
Ofthirst and hunger my poor Black and |.
No biscuit in the well-swept locker lay;
No keg OF water had been slowed away,
Like those On the .Medusa raft. Thought
Bah! that's enough. story is best short
For i've long nights, and longer dreadfu
days,
We fioated onward in n tiopic haze.
Fierce hunger gnawed US with its cruel fangs
!. And mental anguish with its keener pauSs
Each morn | hoped; each night, when hop
was gone,
My poor dog licked me with his tender tongue
Under the blazing sun and starlit night
watched in vain. No sail appeared in sight
Round us the blue spread wider, bluer, higher
The fifth day my parched throat was all O.
fire,
When something suddenly my notice caught
Black, crouchiDg, shivering, underneath
thwart.
He looked-his dreadful look no tongue ca
tell
And his k;ud eyes glared like Goals OF hell!
"Her. Black, old fellow! here" l cried i
RI. looked me in the face and crouched agair
rose; he snarled, drew back. How piteousl
His eyes entreated help! He slnpped at me
"What can this mean ?" 1 cried, yet shoe
with fear,
With that great shudder 'ielt when death
near.
Black seized the gunwale with his teeth.
saw
Thick shiny ioam drip from his awful jaw;
Then knew all Five days OF tropic heat
Without one drop OF drink, one scrap OF mea
Had made him rabid. He whose courage hs
Preserved my life, my messmate, friend, wf
mad
You understand? Can you see him and m
The open boat tossed on q orassy sea,
A chilli and wild beast on board alone,
While overhead streams down the tropic sun
And the boy crouching, trembling tor his lite
/ searched my pockets and drew my knile
For every one instinctively yon know.
Defends his lite. Twas time that did so,
For at that moment, with furious bound,
The cog flew ut me. I sprang half around.
He misses me in blind haste. With all II
might
! seized his neck, and grasped, and hold HI
TIGHT