Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-02-01
STORIES OF The PRESENT DAY
The Varied Adventures of Man who
Went to Sea Against His WIN.

From the Ae5o York S4q.
Speaking about sharks, alligators, pi
rates, and such, may be I can interes
you in an adventure which occurred 81
recently that all the particulars are ye
fresh in my mind.
am sailor man, and l am as honest
as the general run OF them. ! have beer
brought up to hate pirates, wreckers
sharks, and lawyers, and | would 90 hum
grv before LAYING hands on what belonged
10 another man. However, being this sort
Of a man didn't prevent my getting into
a serape, which came near being the end
or me.
was in New Orleans, knocking around
for a berth, when one day on the leYee, at
the foot of Canal street, man with a
blink to his left eye seems to take great
shine to me. BE invites me to drink with
him and to join him at dinner, and, when
he believes the time to be ripe, ne says:
You looks like an honest chap, and l
don't deny that rve taken a liking TO you.
bow would you like to ship with my
Captainy'
And who may your Captain beP' l
asked.
sCapt. Mccall, Of the schooner Glance,
and Pm saying to you that bettor man
never gave orders from the quarterback,
and that better vessel than the Glance
was never put together"
"Aud what may be the voyagep
He looks hard at me long time before
replying, and then draws down his left
eye and whispers: "Come aboard and
see the Captain. He'll be glad TO shake
hands and tell you all about it,"
must own to my confusion that | am
adrinking man, as most sailors are, and
that this chap with a blink to his eye had
me half seas over before we left the sa-
loon, We had another drink or two be-
fore reaching the schooner, and when we
went aboard Cd her l was IN no condition
20 judge Of men or things. / remember Of
meeting three or four men, and Of drink
ing again, and then all memory was gone.
When ] came TO my senses the schooner
was 10 the Gulfof Mexico, heading almost
north, and the hour was 4 O'Clock in the
afternoon.
Stiff and sore, and thoroughly frightened
20 tind myself at sea, | crawled out OF the
close and iil-smelling fOrecastle and made
my way on deck. The crew were all
there. including the Captain. There were
five white men, two negroes, and made
the eighth man. There was light breeze
from tn southwest, and an island was in
sight OF to the northwest. a single look
satisfied me that we were headed for
Chandelier Bay. on the Mississippi coast.
! was greeted in a pleasant fashion by
the men, and the Captain beckOned me
into his cabin, poured out stiff glass OF
grOg, and said:
You'll feel better after drinking it.
It's good grOg that puts heart INTO sailor
man."
"Wnl you tell me what schooner this is.
ana bow l come to be aboard of her?' l
asked, never minding his soft ways and
the liquor he had placed under my nose.
why, man, have you gone clean daft"
frrr oN fu Won To,
on the Glance, and l, Capt. Mccall, signed
you tor trip TO santa Rosa island and re-
turn. You were sober enough when you
signed articles. Come. down with the
grOg, and wish US successful VOYAGE
''Capt. Mccall, l never signed with
youw l says, looking him straight in the
eye. land II you are bound TO the north
east, why are you holding to the north -
''Kut. tut, mani l am not used to such.
talk aboard this vessel. Go on deck and
do your duty, and If you dare talk mutny
I'll puS a bullet through your head"
With that l turned and left him, and to
say that l was IN rage would hardly de-
scribe my feelings. MY sailors instinct
had shown me that 1 was on a wrecker.
and such wreckers are no better than pi-
rates. / had been duped aboard to make
up the complement of men, and II thew
discovered that / was not hand and heart
vita them they'd have little hesitation in
taking my life.
/ went forward to the bow, and pres
emily the mate joined me. He was the
man with the blink in his eye, and I laid
All the trouble to him. He spoke very
softly. but / was so cold and bitter that
he soon few mad and abused me in the
f0ulest manner, and finally ordered me on
watch under pain OF being placed In irons.
II would have been foolish to resist. and
took my place among the men and turned
10 for duty.
The schooner held on passing between
the East and West Chandelier islands
about dark, and holding to the north.
Boon after night the wind fell. and finally
there was a dead calm. We were then
opposite the Middle Chandelier. and onlv
four or i've miles away, and as there was
8cuTrent setting us TO the east the anchor
was let 20, an anchor watch set. and the
rest OF the crew were privileged to turn
In. The Captain and mate retired to their
staterooms, and, as the night was pleas
ant, the rest OF us held the deck. As
slowed myself away forward for a smoke
and a think, one Of the white men came
over TO me in a rather cautious way.
bunked down beside me and whispered:
'COme, cOmrade, the better face YOU
put on the matter, the better it will be for
you. There's no question but thew made
you drunk to get you of upon this voyage,
and as for your signing articles, that's all
bosh."
"What sort OF a voyage is itYY
''FOr what we can pick up"
~And what made you shipp'
"Well, ] was obliged to dodge the law
for a scrape i got into at MObile.V
81 shall leave her at the first chance.D
That's your lay; but keep quiet. The
captain and mate are bad men, and won't
stop at murder to hush your talk. III
there is a chance for break depend upon
me 10 go with you"
F'How far to the north do we gog'
1--WE shall cruise among the islands
ard perhaps along the Alabama coast.
Take my advice and do duty and keen
your eyes open"
With that ne left me, and after dnishing
my pipe / slept until about O'Clock in
the morning. when we got a slant of wind
from the Gulf, and the mate called us TO
up anchor and make sail. We crept
along at q slow pace, and about sunrise
had the Big Chandelier island under our
beam. During the forenoon we ran
down TO the northern end and came TO
anchor within few fathoms OF a coast
ing schooner, which was then living a
wreck on the rocks within q stones
throw OF the beach. Her masts were
gone, bulWarks stove, and the beach Gov
cred with wreckage. II was plain that
she had come ashore in a gale, but in the
tail end OF 1t, and the sea had not broken
hor nm.