The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1886-02-17
HLLsBoRO, HIGHLAND COUNTY, ONO, WEDNESDAY,, FEBF

through q forest Of evergreen growing in
swampy ground, and lined with wild
shrubs and dwarf palmettos. When we
reached the beach we walked out upon
ever so long a pier-it must have ex-
tended nearly half amileinto the shallow
waters of the bay. The bay was just
beautiful, a softly heaving expanse Of
blueish-green, and far out against the
light horizon we saw the sails of passing
barks, the sailless rigging of vessels at
anchor, taking or dischargiBg cargoes by
means of "schooner-lighters," and the
dim outlines of putting steamers, their
smoke extending and sinking in dull
clouds far behind them. And we both
had a sudden attack of ocean fever"
I sat on the end of the pier and looked
across toward some island q had in
tended to remember the name; it was
so romantic) and warbled the half-for-
gotten airs of GA Life on the Ocean
Wave, "My Willie's on the Dark Blue
Sea" =" "Rocked in the Cradle of the
Deep" and all the nautical ballads 1
could remember while Fred hummed
"a Hundred Fathoms Deep" and Com
mitted to the Deep" and recited "The
Wreck of the Hesperus" and "He Never
Smiled Again" 1t was jolly, tell you.
A little yawl was tied to the pier 1
wanted to unbitch il and take a ride,
but Fred was rather afraid the owner
might object. But we climbed down
the rustic ladder to the water and climb
ed into the boat, and sat long and pen
sive in the little craft, as it rocked gem
tly upon the cute little wavelets, real
salt wavelets. I said that I kinder
wished the old thing would break loose
and float Off somewhere and leave us
on a desert island like Robinson Crusoe,
and when he asked why told him that
it wonld give me such an excellent OPP
portunity to gather material for a nauti-
cal novel that 1 contemplated writing
for the HIGHLAND NEws-largest circu-
lation in the county S1.5O a year inva-
riably in advance now is the time to
get up clubs come early and avoid the
rush. I think he said eyes ?" with an
upward infection and tried to pick up
a handful of salt water. We were hay
ing such picnic that we didn't notice
a little sail boat and yawl coming to,
ward us until they were within half q
mile to our leeward. 1 have forgotten
whether the sail boat was a yawl or {
yacht. It was something or other anC
had a main-sail and a jib-bOOm. 1 an
certain about that The row-boat haC
four colored men in it and the sail boat
contained three others and an elderly
white man, with pleasant looking face
and gray whiskers. interviewed the
united crews while the white man walk
ed up to the shore to get some mail anC
found that they had just left lumbe,
schooner-we could see her quite plain
| ly out a little way, and we were yer!
much surprised to learn that she wa
fifteen miles away The white gentle
man, so the oarsmen told us, was tn
schooner's captain, and they were al
going to sail up to Scranton ythe river
That was Just the trip that we wanted
and-still remembering what had al
ways heard of sea-captains-I asked hin
very gently if he would like the homo
OF our company on the proposed voyage
I shall hereafter have a different idea O
sea-captains. He seemed overjoyed a
the prospect. At least he readily as
sented and said that if the wind was ia
vorable he'd show us "some sailing
So we clambered into his pretty littl
boat, the "crew" unfastened her line, tn
iib-boom was run up, and though ther
, was scarcely a breeze stirring the pie
J began to slowly slide away from us, as
were, and we were on the ocean blu
, with only q frail boat and ten or twelv
feet of water between us and the 'be
, of the deep" The captain was extreme
, ly affable and talkative, telling us storic
and giving us pointers" about nautics
j terms, and he said he was sorry W
t hadn't a better breeze. But poor as wa
. the wind we soon circled around a poin
{ left the white sails out of sight benin
t the trees, and glided up the calm bosoI
5 Of the Escatawha. Isteered part of TIA
way. As the man for the rudder 1 al
. a gratifying success. I think can ste,
as good as the man who invented stee
/ ing. 1 just sat there and operated th'
e tiller like a thoroughbred and undt
r my skiliul guidance the fragile ban
e passed through the open draw, cut
symmetrical circle in the ripples an
t sped like a thing OF life up to a post c
). the shore between two fragrant oyste
+ packing houses, and we made fast an
3, spraug shore, after a charming voyage
4 / three miles. Then we Oade our pleasal
e friend and his dusky crew good-day an
e proceeded to the Hotel Blalacz, whe
" we Il did, at least) put ourselves on ii
:. outside of several dozen oysters i'm van
s GUS forms of culinary perfection. Oy
Il ter fishing and opening is a great indu
e try there, and Is, indeed, the princip
,- occupation OF the residents
g. The next morning we gathered ou
selves together and journeyed to Bilol