The Republican journal., 1882-06-08
Aboard Snip ana Ashore.

the peculiar bTOnZlng OF complexion which
only years of sea- taring life can impart,
was one of a group standing on the porch
of a sailors boarding house in Hamilton
street a few evenings ago, and eychang-
ING "reminiscences with his fellows. AS
Times reporter neared the scene he heard
/ the man repeat, in a dogmatic and self
satisfied way: I'm what YOU call pure
American sailor. never yet shipped on
a vessel that wasn't American, and I've
been going to sea for thirty years or more.
| I've had some hard times on land as well
as at sea, but don't think ! cared much
to be anything better than an American
sailor" The speaker looked more intelli-
gent than the average sailor, and there
was that about his manner which bet0k-
ened good breeding. Thinking from these
circumstances that he might have a story
to tell, the reporter drew nearer and be
gan to question him. The sailor, as it APP
peared, was in the mood for Il yarn, and
after he had fairly started he needed no
prompting in the way of inquiries. "My
first name is Robert" said he, "but am
more used to answer to Bob. My people
are nice folks and live in New Haven,
where nay brother is clell. for 4 rich firm.
They don't like to have me 90 to sea, but
I've been too long on the water to give it
up now for any long spell. When | was
about fifteen left school and made up
my mind to 90 to sea. My uncle had been
Il sea captain. and he left a lot Of instru-
ments and sea books, and when at last
GOT 4 berth on a vessel, they turned those
things over to me. Along at first stud
led the books, and got SO | could do a
days work very well. But We went in
to some port and didn't have the mon
ey | wanted, 50 | just went ashore and
| sold my navigating tools, and that ended
my studying. generally ship before the
mast, but | have been as second mate for
several voyages. | can manage that well
1 enough. but you see, like most men. I've
got a little failing. | like to drink on
| shore, so | get little bit tuddled when
come to ship and find myself more often
| in the forecastle than in the cabin. But
| its all the same to me.
Il never was shipwrecked but once,
and then had mighty narrow escape.
1 ii was down in the West Indies We
were bound out from New York and some
how the skipper got out of his reckoning.
| was at the wheel along in the first night
watch, and there was no sign Of danger
/ then. our watch turned in at eight bells.
\ lit my pipe and talked with a man in
/ the next bunk to me about getting into
! port by the end OF the week. Then
| dropped of 10 sleep but walked up in less
than two bells There was a big noise on
deck. heard the skipper say to the
man ut the wheel fluff, or else we are
gone 1t took me about two seconds to
get out Of the torecastle door. just then
we struck rock so hard that some Of the
upper spars came down. Then the surf
laid us over onto cur beam ends, and
found myself in the water. But could
MT help keeping an eye on the torecastle
door. only two men had come out Of it
besides me. and there We're four Of my
shipmates still there, and the place was
| chOck full of water. | caught onto q
piece of timber that tioated me close to
the weather. channels. There | clung
with the others till morning The cap
tain says the barque was TOO deep loaded
for that reef, and we could have cleared
it with less cargo. Thinks |, old man,
You ought to have thought Of that on the
other side of the reef At daylight We
could see the shore two miles to leeward
III Il Noul ljlt vi LOul0 tul IolICo SollC
tives in DO is and takes US off the wreck
Next day the wreckers found the four
men in the forecastle They had been
drowned in their hunks. We staid on
shore five days with the natives, who used
US well. Then we rugged a sail on boat
and went along the coast about fifty
miles, to Il port where we found an Amer
lean consul That time Iwent home, and
my folks tried to get me to give up the
sea. Al first thought would but then
got on Il sort OF a spree, and came down
here to New York and shipped again be-
fore the mast.
''But the hardest time ever had was
once on shore. heard of a good Job in
some salt works down along the coast of
lower California. | thought I'd stay on
shore a spell, so | went down there and
hired out. We lived on a ranch pretty
well up on a knoll near the salt works,
and there was nice spring at the bottom
of the knoll. This was the only water
in that part of the country. The land
was almost as barren as a desert, except
here and there were clumps of brush
wood, A trail ran to a settlement about
forty miles OFF. One Saturday we got
some money and got lift to the settle
ment on some mules going that way.
There were four Of us, and we soon spent
our money. Monday morning we started
back for the ranch. We had two bottles
Of whskey and some cheese, and one of
us had small pocket compass. We
went along the trail, but few miles out
we opened the whiskey. Then we went
over to a clump of brushwoOd to rest in
the shade for spell. The one with the
compass began to fool with that, and
broke it SO it was of no use to US, but we
expected to get along the trail all right.
We had some more whiskey and then
started back in the direction where we
thought the trail lay. We walked an
hour, but there was no trail to be seen.
We then walked about a couple of hours
toward where we thought the ranch lay.
But we had lost the trail that was sure
and the whiskey was beginning to work
out of our heads. one said that the last
time he came back from the settlement he
could see the moon rise right over the
ranch, and if we waited till night, and
started toward where the moon rose, we'd
get in all right. SO we all lay down in a
clump of brush and finished the whiskey.
A little before dark we saw the moon
rise, and started in that direction all
right; but when the moon got up a piece
we couldn't make out exactly where she
had risen, so we got out Of our reckoning
again. And We couldn't guide ourselves
by the stars, because none of us knew
the lay of them well enough. We felt
like giving the thing up, but we were
frghttul thirsty, and the whskey made
US want water still worse. We lay down
to sleep, but none of US could forget the
fix we were in. Tuesday morning we
walked around for a few hours, hoping to
strike the trail but it got so hot we had
to lay down in a clump of brush and wait
for night. When the moon was up, we got