The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1888-10-26
4 TsUg sF0hY,

streets. The suns rays were weak,
for passing clouds would hide it
from view now and again, whilst
boys and girls. wandered through
the cold streets peddling matches
and trinkets, and others begged for
pennies to buy bread. l watched
the different characters as they pass
ed me, until l got to Tower Hill
Shipping Office, where l was going
to sign articles as cook of the ship
Sovereign. There were several sew
eral ships signing their crews that
day, and their names were written
on a blackboard outside of the Of
flee. The name of each ship was
called in turn. The large crowd Of
sailors of different nationalities that
stood outside of the office did not
seem to be centented; some of them
were growing because two pounds
ten shillings per month was too
small some wanted advances and
could not get them; others were
going to leave their wives and chill
dren, etc. Various other causes
that seemed to worry them very
much. Some got to fighting with
their boarding masters. The Sow
ereign's name was called and her
crew signed, and away went for
Fenchurch. street station to catch
the train for Mill-wall, for in the
Mill-wall docks was where the ship
was lying.
The next day she was towed out
into the river Thames, where she
took in ballast, and from there into
the English Channel where she set
sail for Newport, Wales, to load with
coal for San Francisco.
After remaining in the Alexandra
dock for Is days and we were ready
for sea two Of the sailors ran away,
and the captain had to ship two
more in their places; then we put
out to sea. One of the sailors, a
young lad, being so kind and gentle
in his disposition, took a liking to
him. His name was John Griffiths,
and he belonged to Woolwich, Kent.
All went very well until we passed
the Falkland Islands, when the
winds blew harder, the sea became
rougher, and the light sails had to
be furled, for an approaching storm
was nigh at hand. We were tack
ing ship and beating about, until we
we're blown down to sixty South.
You may talk about it being cold on
the banks of Newfoundland in win
ter, but 1t is nothing to be compared
with Cape Horn.
The storm increased, the winds
whistled through the rigging, the
ship pitched and rolled in the huge
waves, as though she were doomed
to destruction. The mate came for.
ward and lowered away the fore up.
per .topsail yard, and ordered the
men to lay aloft and furl the sail
While they were taking in the sail
the wind blew it up over the yard
and John Griffiths lost his hold an(
fell to the deck, striking head frs
on the starboard bit in front of tn,
foremost. There he lay by the sid,
of the fore-hatch, dead. There, wa
no mother there to weep over he
boy.
Two days afterwards the wind
ceased blowing so hard, the sea be
came smooth once more. About
o'clock that afternoon the ship
bell tolled and slowly over the decl
came forth the summoned crew
bold hardy men, far from their ma
tive lands. They stood silent there
with melancholy brow. From Low
cloud that over the horizon lowered
came the threat of distant muttere,
!" thunder, broken waves heaved NJ
their sharp white helmets over til
expanse of>ocean, which, in brood
ing stiffness, lay like some vindic
tive King who meditates on hoarde'
wrongs or wakes to wrathful war
The ships bell tolled, and 10!
youthful form which oft had boldl
dared the slippery shrouds at mid
nights watch, Was as burden lai
down at his comrades feet. Mourn
fully they gazed upon him as he la
7 stretched upon wide board, sewe'
: up in canvas, with heavy weights al
tachcd to his feet, to sink him dow
in the briny deep. He was wrappe
: in the British flag. On each sid
of him stood two sailors who LITE
him up and rested one end of th
{. board upon the rail, while the car
Z, tain prayed and read a few line
g from the Bible. Then all hand
G joined in and sang hymn.
e 1t was holy hour. There la
e the wreck of youthful beauty; heI
: bent mourning manhood, while SUI
$ porting faith cast her strong anchC
beneath the troubled wave. Thel
G was plunge, the riven sea con
s planned; death from her briI
bosom took her own. Our conrad
e went down, down to the floor of I'll
b ocean, amid the beds of brave al
d beautiful ones.
To my soul, in all the funer
/, pomp, the guise of woe, the nom
: mental grandeur with which ear
!. surrounds her dead sons, there
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