New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-12-23
CHAPTER Xxx.
NIGHT IN THE RIVER.


Going TO be cheated ont of it 4; and besides there
would be a freemasonry between rs which few
landsmen could fully understand. We had been
old shipmates had had many frolic together
ashore under Southern aud Eastern skies, were fast
friends while professionally associated, and conse-
quently he would act and speak before me privately
without any of the reserve he would think necessary
TO maintain for the preservation OF his dignity IN
the presence of others. What sort of captain he
made could not yet tell; but remembered hlm
as smart, exceedingly intelligent seamana as second
mate; man who had made his position by hard
work and close attention to his duties; who, II he
had not crept aboard through the hawse-plpes, had
not gained admittance by the cabin-window, but as
apprentice had worked his way up out OF the slush-
not into command of one Of the finest ships which
then traded to Australia.
Lunch was on the table, and wentinto the cuddy
10 take nv nrst meal aboard the STathmOTe. Only
two or three of the passengers to the table;
among these being Captain jackson, who talked IN
loud voice to Thompson. who sat at the head OF
fhe table; and remember the navy man lnqulrlng
IL tie ship was not uncommOnly deep III the water,
TO which Thompson replied that her height OF side
vns an inch more than she had last voyage.
"Well," says Captain jackson, Its my Ignorance
of merchant-vesSels that makes me ask the ques-
ton, was brought up in trlgates ana tet,
feet sir. and when required to judge our pace OF
sailing 10y looking over the side had 10 peer long
vav down before L came to water. .
you're going to alter all thatin thenayy hear
saws THOMPSON: "hulls are to be flush with the
water aren't they, and nothing, to show but 'he
"Oh. cried Captain Jackson, scornfully, Whats
going to be altered in the navy l am sure don't
know. I'm sorry, but can't help the changes, SIT
Iron and steam are the curse OF the country SIT
Fhey have robbed us of ships and OF our sailors
What's a an-of-war in these timesf An immense
floating kettle sir with fire nsdeit and steam blow
ing on of the spout. And how can they cal thSmen
who man those monstrous utensils san0Ts' " hat
could Nelson have done with parcel OF fellows
brought M in floating saucerans where there are no
wards to brace about, where bolt of canvas would
furnish all the sail needed, and where the helm is
worked by a steam-engineW
Thompson tipped me wink as the preiudiced old
fellow stopped his chatter by filling his mouth.
This specimen of the gallant captains opinions
made me glad to think that he was TO be one OF US,
as might reckon upon deal of amusement. Noihu-
morist equals the man who passes his closing years
i'm pOinting to the past with one hand and patting
the nose Of the present wit the Other and never
tire of hearing such people and encouraging theh
to talk. 80 ~ -
He began again about the Strathmore being over
loaded and his wife, large, stout lady with cast
in her port eye who sat next him. said she was sorry
TO hear he had misgivings that subject, for no.
body could imagine how deeply her husband was
veTsed in all nautical matters being the author 1ps
MANAGEMENT of boats at sea. Tn this the IRISH lauy
Mrs OBrien, who was seated near Thompson, SAID
to him, Captain. if the gentleman knows all about
it, and says the ship is too deep, then she must be
unsafe and hope you'll have her llghtened before
we get among the waves, which they tell me roll
mountains high in the Bay of Biscav"
How Daniel eased their minds do not know. for
having finished lunch. aud Suspecting that Graves
end would not be far of. left the table aud went
on deck to look about me, thinking, as mounted
the companion steps, leaving my friends biandiy
jabbering about free-board and tonnage sopl;slck-
euing su6jects) that the old navy man would give
him some trouble with his prejudices and notions if
he did not ;Hlnd his eye.
North Hope, as the stretch of water betwixt Grays
aud Tilburyness is called, and by squirting over
the port bow | could see where GraveSend lay by
the color of the sky there. The wind had freshened
aud the water trembling and running In stress
OF little waves under 1t; the smoke from the tugs
Funnel fled away Hat from the Orhce ana Dlew down
mon the water: couple of yachts, with the tacks
OF their nainsails tTiced up, were passing us In a
smother Of foan through which their greenish cop;
nor flashed like a sharks body in the boiling and
secthing white of a ships wake; an Old black COZ,
OIL a boom, was staggering along within plstol-Shot
OF q lovely slope of mud on the lllDury SIDE, ana
tug was dragging a tne Yankee bark up the river,
hands alOft unbending the sails, and the STRIPES
aud stars making brilliant spot OF Color against
The sky, under which flight of windy looking
tails, as if they had been torn out OF some soma
body of vapor that could not be long IN coming:
Now that Gravesend was almost within hail /
grew desperately nervous and agtated, ana seemed
10 realize with a deeper sense of it than had yet
come TO me- the resolution old Hawke was 1lustrat-
ing by his stratagem of sending Florence and More
combe away together on a long voyage. Evidently
my cousins perfectly right when they sald
that the young fellow was not to be got nd OF by
fivelIer by my anxiety 20 make sure that the man
vino was TO share my cabin was the fellow feared
Il
shore as we opened Grayesend Beach, and then
presently the old town which knew so well a.
point Of departure and arryal-for had always
Sailed out of the port of LOndon-hOve III view, ITS
bits of piers forking out into squadron OF wineries
that danced around them and saw the windows
of the Falcon Hotel sparkling IN the hight maybe
Florence was at that moment watching the ap
preaching ship from one OF them, ana II was her
ewes | mistOok for the sunshine in the window
panes1 and the lumber of houses that hudded close
TO the rivers edge; while far away down the Hope,
shining like marble Ill the htiul radiance OF ne
oIs, I'D VaFa
CrOwnng the visible confines OF a stretch OF wafer
that was full at that hour of shippng-at rest or u
der way-7and gay with the windy streaming oI
Ii was three o'clock by the time the ship was
mOorel to buoy very neaT y abreast OF Gravesend;
and armed with pipe and small but powerful
telescope of my ownl went forward on to the fore
castle. whence could watch the Passengers come
aboard without being noticed myself There was
sQually look in the sky and IL was blowing fresh
northeast wind, with all edge OF winter III II that
made the pilot-coth coat wore very acceptable
garment. The and children on the main
deck and the rather squdlld-lOOklng gentry VINO |
faced the fOrecaste or hung about the galley for
the warmth and shelter down there, gave, | am
bound to say, somewhat sum-llke look TO the snip
In that part of her which they were permitted to-
use; but when glanced at the clear quartcr-deCk
with the shining Windows IN the cnddy front, and
the bIasswOrk and painting there then az the long
sweep of poop, which rau with a very clear white
surface into the sky that pouring past IN clouds
and then turned my eyes alOft where tlc hOuSc-iag
dwarted by height, was rafting IKE peal OF
nusketry at the main-rOya l-maSthead, and looked
at the grand spread of yards, and noticed the frg
ate-like pose of masts stayed TO halr, every san
with bunt as smooth as a pillow the ratlnes rdk-
ing the srOuds as straight and square as the shear
poles all the traces hauled taut and the wlnd CIV
ing a winding curve TO every slack line IL mel, ana
PUSHING away out of the top,nast rigging win a |
kind Of angry hiss in its wild humnlng thought |
that II Florence was viewing the Stratlhore from !
yOnder hotel or any other land point. she would be
thinking her a noble-lOOking craft for her class and
Character, aud not the less ut 10 rae me stormy
seas of the Atlantic and southern Oceans because |
Captain Jackson X. N, found her deeper than he
thought good.
Well mates after had been keeping a lookout |
for about twenty minutes, spied boat shove on
nom the stops behind the per, and, bringing my
glass TO bear, noticed that the waterman hcaled