The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1883-03-01

tlIll ieOSSlltl NdN d lIttiIStNl llNtl )Ilot
for the port and harbor" Of Waterford,
whose waters are what is termed 'com-
pusory pilotage water" and flow into
the Atlantic on the southern coast of
Ireland He was about siXty-ti years
Of age, and in stature lie was something
under the medium height He owned a
considerable breadth of ioWl and long
upper lip, and notwithstanding bis age,
his complexion was ruddier than the
cherry. He had a small forehead lite
rally scanned with wrinkles; a bushy un-
kempt head Of iron gray hair; pair OF
small blue eyes. and nose which re
minded you t0rcibly Of the letter l.. 1t
seemed as if nature had at first determin-
ed to supply jim with a nose of Grecian
mold. but had changed her mind too late
and then, in a hurried attempt to adorn
him with a Nce Tetr0uSSe, had shot out
the lower part of his nOstrils almost at Il
right angle. His face was shaven-yOu
could scarcely call it clean shaven, for
the worthy pilot was no lover of soap,
Winter or summer he had but two cos
tunes for outdoor use. When the weather
was fine he wore a battered silk hat, a
soled yellow neckerchiet, Il blue cloth
overcoat, pair of unmentlOnables which
were incased in a veneer of tar. dirt and
grease, and shoes which were slit with Il
knife in the region Of the toes, in order,
probably TO give his feet liberal supply
of ''sea room" and ventilation. When the
weather was nclement he came forth
clothed in a complete suit Of oiskins,
with sea-boOts and . sou -Wester" to
match.
Jim was, or rather had been, a ia rly
good pilot, as river pilots go. He had
been always, perhaps, a little too fond Of
his grog, especially when he could obtain
it at a friends expense; and in his latter
years he had developed want of nerve
and Judgment which untitled him for
most OF the duties Of his state in life
Under ordinary circumstances he seemed
sufficiently active and trustworthy, and
certainly he was boastful enough but
when danger or difficulty stared him in
the face he ''lost his head completely
and many gallant craft while in his
charge had sustained and caused DANA
yes which ordinary presence of mind and
seamanship might have averted.
Since the time he had reached the six
ties Jim's one fixed ana central idea was
that it was "high time the Pilot Boord
uperanniyated' him; and whenever he
was overwhelmed by a torrent of abuse
from an angry coasting skipper with re-
gard to some aggrayating bunder, Jin's
retOrt would be:
Don't say another word, me darlin'
man; feels mesclf | ought to be super
annivated"
"Superannuated BY heavens. I'd
lock you up in a jail or a mad-house !;
you cussed old fool, you gibbering-"
''Dont. Take it aisy, me darlin' man
Take 1t aisy. The world was built atore
you, Sure, if was only superannivated
the harm you tances in me would he all
tux out Of me-ard indeed, but it's only
fancy, for I'm the grandest pilot that ever
sailed up and down this river: an whin
I'm ashore on tile pinsion twill be too
late for you thin to be aXing for jim
Rossiter, and may be-"
ooh, hold your row, YOU old fool !,
Don't be making a noise. Up with the
main tack, mate, and give this fellow a
bow OF soup in The cabin, and don't have
hlm Jabberlng away there. OF all the
'Aisy now, skipper. Don't now, me
darln' man-yOu might be looking afther
your anchors while go below-aisy now.
You'll be prayin' some day for a good
pilot whin--" And the rest of the
prophesied wall would be lost as Jm's
head disappeared below the companion.
Rossiter firmly believed he was the
cleyerest pilot atloat or ashore, and when
he had consumed little too much grog,
he grew boasttul to an irritating degree.
Ills failing energies were in inverse pro
portion to his boasttulness. 1t was Ger
talnly wonder, considering the number
Of accidents which he might be fairly
held accountable for, that he had not
been "superannivated, but the ways of
pilot committees are often inscrutable.
Rossiter lived in village situated
about halfway down the river, on whose
"pilotage limits he was duly licensed to
ply for hire This village is the chief pilot
station in Waterford harbor, and it is
populated for the most part by pilots
and their relatives. Almost every one in
the village is (if not a pIloD the father.
mother, daughter, son, brother, sister,
cousin, aunt or uncle of a pilot Jim
Rosslter was married man, but he had
| no CUllultl. I1du ne DeCn OleSSeu with
a family he would probably have been
able to tender his resignation when it
occurred to him that he ought to be su-
perannuated; for, to their credit be it
said, seafaring people, or those, like pi-
lots, who are intimately connected with
seataring life, whatever may be their
faults, can generally lay claim to that
virtue Of which the pious Eneas was SO
conspicuous model. In fishing village
or in seaport you will find numberless
proofs Of this. When son goes to sea,
if he is not peculiarly reprobate, his saw :
ings-and how young sailor manages
to save anything is always mystery to
landsman-are sent as regularly as Cir
cumstances will permit to his father OF
mother; and when he grows up, and
perhaps gets the command of ship, be
will out Of his narrow income lay aside a
portion for the support of "the old peo-
| pie" 1t is unnecessary, of course, to say
that in other phases of life examples OF
| flllal plety are not uncommon, but the