The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1884-03-27
TIE LAST MAN.
BY A SEAFARER,

A small iron, full-rigged ship was in
latitude 10 degrees north of the equator,
outward bound for New Zealand port.
The sun would be setting in m hour;
already his disk was rayless and of a
dark and angry gold, and his reflection
the western swell. A pleasant draught
Of air, blowing softly over the port
quarter, had kept the Lighter canvas
sleeping all the afternoon, but the
lower sails hung up and down, and, as
the ship leaned upon the gentle undu-
lations, the tender swinging Of their
folds waited cool currents over the
fevered decks, as though somc gigantic
punkah-wallah, perched aloft, were
tanning the ship. The deep blue of the
sea, scarcely wrinkled bv the breeze,
stretched around, and the water-line
was like On azure cincture clasped,
where the glory of the sun hung, by q
plate of gold; but over the side the
water was of an exquisite transparent
green, in which you could see the metal
hull of the vessel wavering till bend
hid it, and it was enough to possess q
man, half-blindel with the heat that
came off the brassy glare under the
sun, with calenture to look into tho
glass-like emerald profound, and to
think of the GOODNESS and sweetness to
be got by lazy fiouting in tho serene
surface of that fathomless depth. All
the afternoon it had been blowing q
soft air, with now and again stronger
fold that came out OF thu northeast with
parching taste in it that might have
made it pass for the expiring breath Of
rush OF atmosphere. heat from sonc
blast furnace hidden behird the sea ];
but one felt that the draughts could
not long outlast the sinking of the sun,
whose ardency was slowly sucking
out all life from the air. Already in
the south the watcr-lme ruled
the deep violet Of the sky
with FURNISHED surface, betwixt which
and tho heavens there was trembling
of heat in which the blue swan TO a
height of four or five degrees. just
where that tremulous appearance was
you saw shining speck, the topmast
sails Of ship disconnected ly refrac-
tions from the rest of the fabric; they
looked through the glass like kites
lying in the air; and if there was any
thing in this world to emphasize the
vast eypanse of the ocean, it was those
tiny polnts of canvas, when one came to
think how small handful of miles was
needful to sink the big vessel out Of
sight, to render invisible hull full of
people, perhaps. and loaded with q
cargo of value sufficient to render q
thousand poor families happy and Jude
pendent for life ashore. Still the breeze
continued blowing softly rs the sun
sank. There were wrinkles round the
stem Of the little iron clipper, and the
surface of the green clearness over the
side was strewn with bubbles that
cleaned like emeralds and diamonds
and rubies between the shadow of the
ship and the light off the sea rs they
,eered slowly astern into the languid,
iridescent wake. 1t was pretty sight
t. peer from under the short awning to
up alofs, and mark the stunsails spread
ing further and further Us they de-
sgenied, till the reflection Of the great
Ntiso squares Of cloth stretched by the
;inging-boom shone like n sheet Of
silver under the black spars; and when
ever the ship lifted to the swell, there
would come from aloft q sound of pat
tering reef points, and the quiet beat
ing of buntlinas, and the low clatter OF
rope against rope, which, with the aid
Of the brook-like murmur of the rip
pling water Mt the bows, might have
passed for o stirring of fallen leaves
disturbed in their shady place by a
sudden passage of winds b.twiyt the
dark trunks of trees and over the cool
turf.
It was the second dog-watch. No
work was doing, and the heat was too
great for any kind of diversion. One
saw number Of orcn-breasted, mossy-
bosomed seamen overhanging the fore
castle rail, pipe in mouth, with drowsy
eyes sleepily looking away into the
blue distance, while u low, throaty muir
mur of voices foatcd aft from forward,
where tho black cook, standing i'll the
galley door, was arguing with Dutch
sailor. There was farm-yard noise,
too, Of muttering hens, mixed with the
roofing, grubbing grunt of pig or two,
and strange Eastern bird. secured by
the leg, was clawing with beak and tai.
ons up and down fathom or two OF
forestay, while in hoarse sea-note
he'd sing out now and again: "Sail ho
bless my eyes! bear hand! sail ho!"
Right aft on the quarter deck, visible
from the weather side of the forecastle
under tho lifted clew of the mainsail,
stood the helmsman gripping the wheel,
and gnawing upon quid in his cheek,
with many . roll of his cleaning eyes
aloft and then into the compass-bowl
and then upon the sea; the brightness
came off the water in scarlet tremble
upon his figure, and often he would tip
his Scotch cap on the back OF his head
to pass the length OF his arm from the
wrist to the elbow over his streaming
brow. The captain, red-faeed man
in straw hat. with Manila cheroot
in his mouth, paced the deck from the
mizzen-rigging to the taffrail; tho chie1
mate, who had charge of the watch
walked in the gangway, and the second
mate, seated on the main hatch, was
emptying his third and last sooty pipe
Slowly the sun sank, Frightening ou
the heavens to far beyond the zenitl
into an amazing glory Of scarlet ane
red and orange, melting into sulphur
GUS tinge that died out into a deli
cate green sky, which, in its turn
deepened into blue and violet and in.
digo where the ocean met it in the east
with q star or two glistening where tn
lovely hue was deepest. A tropiea
evening, indeed; and you saw the silye
speok Of the hidden ship's sails trem