New-York tribune., 1884-02-17
CHAPTER XXXNI.
COLLISION.

On Christmas Day il was calculated at noon. by
dead reckoning that our latitude wasabout thrty-slX
degrees tvonty-thrce minutes south, and our longI-
tutc about seventy SIX degrees twenty minutes east
Dead reckoning is finding out ships position Dy
counting up the number OF miles she has run III
given timo as shown by tho log, and by marking on
her course on q chart. and this had to be done on
that Christmas Day, for il came with thick lradon
sky aud raw sOuthery wind. 1t was the unpleaS-
ATTEST touch Of weather we had encountered Tor
weoks A sluggish swell rolled up against our lee
bow like tho heayings of an ocean OF green paint,
md this. combined with the run of tho surgcs with
the wind rendered the movement of the ship eK-
ceedingly confused and uncomfortable Thore was
no rain though all round the sea there stood haze
that might well have passed for the gray colOrng CT
a heavy downpour there. The Strathmoro leaned
hefo,o the fresh wind under whole tOpsas and fore
aud main topgallant sails, and tho yards being
braced in a title, she was sailing last though the
bow swell bothered her. and caused her at times to
fling out q furious play OF foam on either hand
There might have boen ice to windward-with such
an edge in 1t did the wind come; and we all ap-
pcared in warm clothes as though wo wcro making
tic passage of tho Horn.
Despite the gloomy sky, and tho bleak and suilcn
appearance of the sea. went to work to look
cheerful, liko true Brltons as wo were, TO seem
h ppy because 1t was Christmas Day. But what
pleascd US more than the arrival of the twenty-hfh
Of December was the perception that little more
than three weeks of such progress as we were now
making would be giving us a sight of sydney town.
Tho hope made mo rs glad ~ any OF tho rest
wanted the voyage to end. had achieved all that
was possible; had won my pets love, had made
Amt Damaris like me. and as thero was nothing
moro to bo done on the sea- wished to DO ashore
In IA, nIov;nO nv mart there as Jack Seymour. ulti
matey maybe. to escort Florence pack to hnBi"hu'
and forco hor fathers hand partly by his sisters
backing, aud partly by my long identification WIN
his daughter. Anyway. happon what mlght' hau
had enough of the ocean for the time bong ana re-
member the pleasure | telt whom reelected that L
had Quilted the life for good. and that, unlike my
frIrnd Daniel, | need ne yer approach salt wafer
again when this voyage was over , III, f,,,
What sort of merry making the tWtsh-uuoh I'm
had can't say IN the way OIL nh onoy, 'heond fnw
festival to them did not 90 very innoh uo5 Y ~ ~"
plums TO spot their brown dun with anu the toIc- @
castle as might be sure OF, wOuld iaic no oeIloI.
Arc thore land goers still hourshlng VINO tancy
that on Christmas Day, morcanlIo 1acH "V ~ 20 an o
iovs lief Wonderful it is where people get ther
motions of the nautical calling from. nave known
n writer TO ssnd % sailor on 10 tho JlDoOoW ~ luIl
Il but even that touch doesn't come near 70 tho cx-
travnpnnt fancies people have OF jacks hie "hoh
he's ahrat; how his ealing ~ iiu ~ Wy 1 W StnrdSS,
r,gLt he nledges his sweetheart5 ana wives lOI
whom he has "A scorel IN large cans OF rum punch
fragrant with lomon aud scroechlny not; now on
Christmas Day he doo0ratos hls hhnihyOn M'.n ".
The c,nisin for pea! rerro of c0gnac just to stave
of Indigestion after threO pateiuls oi iich paack
nlum. nnddipq. Well, there may bo ships aiioht
Where The sailor il so served but if they have OWL