The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-03-26
The Ouartermaster's Story.


The Ouartermaster's Story.
Some years ago, having occasion to 60
to Nova Scotia, took passage in the
"Alan line steamer Nova Scotian, and
on a fine spring morning we left the noble
Mersey, and the "Good Old Town." for
Halifax, via Queenstown, where we called
next day, and then steamed rapidly
westward no." 1 am not going to de-
scribe the voyage, which, though rough
one, had its pleasures.
What l am about to relate was one of
many yarns / heard in the forecastle,
whittier used to stroll in the evening for
the purpose of enjoying the society (for
assure you l did enjoy it) of the sail
ors, and particularly that of an old quar-
termaster, whose story l give you, as
nearly as 1 can remember, in his own
words.
He was q grand old sea lion of some
sixty winters; for his long hair and beard
were so white, and his face and hands so
westher-besten, that it really seemed as if
he had seen few, if any summers.
He had been born at sea, at sea he had
been all his life, and he said he hoped to
die at sea, and be buried in the seas
mighty bosom, as many another true-bue
had been before him. He belonged to the
sea, and the sea to him, and better sea-
man it were hard indeed to find.
The men (and the officers too) had
great respect for this old fellow, and when
ever his duties permitted pipe and cup
of coffee-for he never touched stronger
liquor-it was the acme of bliss to the
swatch below to get him to spin yarn,
and shared this pleasure with them on
more than one occasion.
Eyes, sir, Pm teetotal and have been
for five-and-thirty years and I'll tell you
how it came about, sir and mates, if you've
mind" Of course we gladly agreed.
81 was nigh on my twenty fifth birth
day when shipped as second mate aboard
the Mary Jane of Pictou, three-masted
schooner; and may tell you mates-that
is, sir and mates-t had been carrying on a
fine game in Liverpool for fortnight or so,
and was obliged to take the first ship l
could get; for you see I'd been paid off
from the Eagle, after a two years voyage,
and being young and thoughtless, why, I'd
done what many another poor Jack ashore
has done, manys the time afore and since
and, well-never mind how it came about
i hadn't anything but the duds stood
in when l signed for the trip out and
home.
"The skipper, though Yankee, was the
best ever sailed under-aye, lads, the
very best-and I'll never forget him to
the day of my death, nor after it either, if
l can help it, though he is safely anchored
in the port of glory this twenty years.
"Well, we had pretty fair run, and
one day we found ourselves becalmed off
the banks, and as the skipper calculated
he was rum 'un to calculate too-about
days sail to the southland of Cape Race
was leaning over the side looking at an
immense iceberg-the largest of some hun
and wondering how the seals which were
playing about on it were enjoying them
selves, and thinking how very like long
street it was, for could make out quite
clearly the shapes of houses, with church
here and there. l was thoughtless slip
of youuker then, sir and mates, and dye
see i hadn't anything else to think about.
"Well, as l was a'saying, was wonder
ing all sorts of silly things, when the skip
per came forrard to where was, and he
says: BILL, calculate them seals is hav-
ing good time
81 says: Yes, sir. was just a-think-
ing 80
"Would you like sealskin cap, Bill?'
says he.
"Ayel that would, SIR says I but
don't see how I'm a-going to get one;
for dye see, Sir and mates, knowed he
was a-hankering after the skins the mo-
ment he spoke, for like good many more
of his nation, he made money out of no.
TONS And sealskins are pretty val
uable notions dye mind. And that's
what he was a.calculsting of now.
Well, he walked aft again, and pres
emily seed him talking TO the mate, and
after bit he has the dingy lowered-for
there wasn't breath of wind, and the
water was as smooth as a sheet of glass
and l am a-pulling him to the big berg as
hard as l can. Well, that didn't take
long, but the bother was how to get on to
her. So | pulled about bit, and at last
he managed to climb up on to a ledge, and
handed him his gun, and lay off bit
pulling stroke or two Just to keep the
circulation up. for although we felt the
cold pretty keenly on board the ship, il
was nothing TO what we felt when we 20,
right up to the ice. The skipper seemed
to be getting on pretty well, for he had &
pair Of stockings drawn over his boots
and suppose they made it easier for hin
to walk. And saw him moving along
to where we had seen the seals playing.
presently heard shot, and then he
waved his arms and signalled me to pull
in. And he hollered to me to bring hin
the other gun, for he had forgotten t.
take it with him al the start. /" So hur
ried along, slipping and tumbling abou
like fun.
"He hollered again to me to hurry up
and seemed to be struggling with some
enough, when l got up to him, he wa
lying atop of seal the like of which
never saw; he had shot it, but unfortu
nately not in q fatal place, and suppose
the animal had turned on him, maddenet
with pain and there they were rollins
and tossing about, and he was stabbinl