Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1882-09-15
GaIts aIlO Skeifbes.
ADeARD snip AND AsneRE.
TIE YARNS YANKEE SAILOR TOLD A
REPoRrER-Hs ONLY SHrPwREcK-
LUXURY AT BOMBAY.

kEPORTER-hIS tNLf SHfPWRECk-
LUXURY AT BOMBAY.
A middle-aged man of wiry build, with
the peculiar bronzing of completion which
only years of seafaring life can impart,
was one of group standing on the porch
Of sailors boarding house in Hamilton
street . few evenings ago, and exchang-
ing "reminiscences with his fellows. As
Times reporter neared the scene he
heard the man repeat, in a dogmatic and
self-satisied way, "I'm what you call a
purs American sailor. Inever 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 sail
or" The speaker looked more iDtelli-
gent than the average sailor, and there
was that about his manner which betok-
ened good breeding. Thinking from
these circumstances that he might baye
story 10 tell, the reporter drew near and
began to question him. The sailor, as it
appeared, was in the mood for yarn,
and after he had started he needed no
prompting in the way OF inquiries. My
name IL Robert" said he, but am more
used TO answer TO Bob. My people are
nice folks and live in New Haven, where
my brother is clerk for rich firm. They
don't like to have me 60 to sea, but I've
been too long on the water to give IL up
now for any long spell. When | was
about fifteen | left school and made
up my mind to go to sea. My uncle
had been q sea captain. and he left a
lot Of instruments and sea books, and
when at last got birth on a vessel
they turned those things over to me.
Along at first studied the books. and got
so / could do days work very well.
But we went into some port and didn't
have the money wanted, so 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, l can manage
that well enough, but you see. like most
men I've got little failing. like to
drink on shore, so get little bit fuddled
when come TO ship and find myself more
often in the forecastle than in the cabin.
But it's all the same to me.
II never was shipwrecked but once, and
then had a narrow escape. 1t was down
in the West Indies. We were bound out
from New York and somehow the skipped
got out of his reckoning. was at the
wheel along in the first night watch, anr
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 off to
sleep but walked up less than two bells
There was big noise on deck. | heard
the skipper say to the man at the wheel.
Huff, or else we are gone 1t took me
about two seconds to get out of the fore
castle door. Just then we struck a rock
so hard that some of the upper spars came
down. Then the surf laid us over onto
our beam ends, and found myself in the
water. But couldn't help keeping an
eye on the forecastle door. Only two men
had come out of it besides me, and there
were four of my shipmates still there. land
the place was chock full of water. caught
onto a piece Of timber that floated me close
to the water-channels. There clung with
the others till morning. The captain says
the barque was too deep loaded for that
reef, and We could have cleared it with
less cargo. Thinks l. 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. In a
couple of hours out comes some natives
In boats 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 stayed on shore five
days with the natives, who used us well.
Then we rugged sail on boat, and went
along the coast, about 80 miles, to port
where We found an American consul. He
paid my passage to New York in brig
That time | went home, and my folks
tried to get me to give up the sea. At
first thought would. but then | got on
sort OF spree, and came down here to
New York and shipped again Before the
mast. 49,
But the hardest time ever had was |
once on shore. heard Of good job in |
some salt works down along the coast of
lower California. thought Id stay on
shore spell. so I went down there and |
hired out. We lived on ranch pretty |
well up on 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 rs a desert. except here |
and there were clumps of brush-wood |
A trail ran TO a settlement about 10 miles |
off, One Saturday we got some money
and got q lift to the settlement on some
mules going that way There were four
Of us. and we soon spent our money.
Monday morning we started back tor the
ranch. We had two bottles OF whiskey |
and some cheese. and one of us had |
. small pocket compass. We went
along the trail but few miles out from
the settlement we opened the whiskey.
Then we went over TO clump of brush
wood 10 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
AL 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 couple |
Of hours toward where we thought the
ranch lay. But we had lost the trail
that was sure-and the whiskey was be-
ginning 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
roee, we'd get in all right. So we all lay
down IN 4 clump of brush and finished the