New-York tribune., 1885-01-26
SAILORS STR ANGE COSTUMES.
QUEER OUTFITS FASHIONABLE IN NEPTUNE's COURT
-FOIECASTLE YARNS

QUEER OUTFITS FASHIONABLE IN NEpTUNES COURT
-goIECAsTLE YARNS.
"Talk about strange costumes" said the mate Of a
steamship to q TRIBUNE reporter recently: the way
some of the of deep-water vessel Will get
themselves up occasionally is caution. remember
once in my.younger days, when was before the mast
an the ship Colby bound round the Horn, that there
was an old salt named Bill Rice, who considered
himself what would be called nautical duck in these
days He had been ship running from Liverpool
out to the African Coast before joining the Colby aud
an Englishman who had gone out as passenger IN her
had given him leaving the ship an old dress coat
striped wastcoat. a stoyeppe hat and pair OF loud
checked trousers Bill considered this outfit the acme
of fashionable attire and every Sunday when he took
his trick at the whee he would ng himself out in the
duds stovepipe hat included and stand up there as
proud a peacock and as solemn As an owl. 1t was
the most cOmcal sight ] ever saw. the effect beng
heightened by the fact that the clothes did not fit and
the hat a size too large.
!. Once when | was on Rio steamer we shipped a
man whose entire outfit consisted of par OF rubber
boots and a pair of dapidacd trousers, bright red
flannel shirt and white helmet hat. lie looked IKE
Disconnected rainbow as he moved about the decks,
and the passengers never tired OF watching the
white helmet and the red shirt You have, of course,
beard the story of the landsman who shipped be,ore
the mast and fearing ran took an umbrella with him
Never heard it We'd, don't vouch for IT. accuracy,
but the stor, goes that when the mate called all hands
to shorten sail rainy day, the andsman turned out
wearing a rubber coat and carrying his umbrella.
The captain saw it from the quarter deck, and run
ming forward with howl of rage. came DOWN with his
whole weight on the umbrella crushed it into
shapeess mass and threw overheard after which he
chased the terrified landsman up the rigging with
bcaying-pIn. ~
I" At another time when was on Rio steamer there
was q quartermaster who used 10 put on white SHIRT
and stand-up collar every lime he took his trick at
the wheel That man always making mistakes OF
some kind. and used to annoy the old man. rs the
sailors call the captain frghtully. The old man was
pretty patient but when he did break out he made
things hum. This was the quartz rmasters hrst trip
down the brazilian Coast asd he had heard some one
saw that between Bahia and Rio the Flyaway light
would be sighted. We left Bahia at night fall, and in
an hour he began to sight that light The old man
had lit his pipe and tipped himself back in his chair
for a smoke when tne quartermaser sang ont
Light ho' The captain dropped his pipe and went
into the pilot house like a shot.
"Where away = said he.
Three points on the starboard bow replied the
quartermaster.
al don't any light said the old man. peering
through his night glasses.
al don't now but did,. replied the quartermaster.
All his watch the anartcrmaser kept sighting that
light at intervals The old man would no sooner get
comfortably settled down for smoke than he would
be startled by q cry of Light no = lie startled
YOU see because he knew each time that If the ship was
on her course il not time TO sight any light.
Finally the captain turned in but the relentless
quarermaster kept bringing him out of his bunk by
sighting Flyaway light. Finally the old man could
stand IL no longer and rushing into the pilot
he seized the quarermaster by the throat aud shaking
him until his teeth ratified he shouted II you sight
Flyaway light many times tonight. I'll make you
food for fishes y believed he'd have done It, too, for
the old man riled'