Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1888-03-15
BUll-FlGET AT SEA.

2
forty miles west OF Prince Edward 8
Island and Marion's Island, during
the middle watch OH board OF as good
a sea boat as ever rounded the Cape
OF Good Hope, I turned out, after
vainly endeavoring to sleep. and stood
in the companion-way gazing at dark,
ominous clouds. which were piling up
in the west. We were running under
double-reefed tep-sails at the rate of
ten knots al hour. with preventer
backstays IN cur tore and main top
masts; and the captain was pacing
fore and aft on the starboard side Of
the quarterback, while the second
mate walked on the port side. This
officer, not liking the appearance Of
the horizon to windward, had Pru-
IDENTIFY called the old man, as the
captain, though scarcely forty, was
called, and the latter was now watch
ing the clouds, as he walked rapidly
to and fro, and waited impatiently for
the squall which he knew we would
certainly, in sea parlance, take. He
was running our vessel for ali she was
worth, and disliked to take in any
sail until the last moment. The ship
behaved handsomely, and, as she cut
her way through the water, rolled
easily, scuppers. sometimes rail, under.
Righting, she wou,l continue for a
moment or two with easy lurches, and
then roll more heavily again.
STEADY, now, my beauty" the
captain would say, half to himself,
halft our good old craft as ii she were
endowed with life and reason.
He scanned carefully the horizon
astern, and at length perceived that
it would not be prudent to wait any
longer, he accordingly ran forward
quickly, as far as the skylight, and
shouted:-
Call all hands
"All hands on deck = was shouted
down the forecastle and steerage gang
ways, and, in FIVE or six minutes, the
watch below had turned out, and
every man was on the g,U rtre for the
first command.
Stand by the topsail halyards" /"
man jumped to each, and, taking off
all the turns but one, stood ready to
lower the yard when ordered.
The wind now Stacked considerably,
and an inexperienced person would
have thought that unnecessary pre-
cautions were taken. But the lull
was of short duration. Astern of us
the phosphorescent CLEAN of the flying
spray family illumined the surface Of
the water, and we could hear the
rapidly approaching gust.
"Start away your halyards and clew
down, fore and aft-well all, belay.
Man the weather gear Of the foresall
haul away-belay all to wiudward!
Now, Jump round to leeward-haul
away en- your clew-garnet, leech-hne
and buntlines-well all, belay!"
These orders, given with GOODNESS
and not hurriedly, We're promptly
obeyeL. and we took the squall.
It's full force was upon us, and for
short time, perhaps half an hour, We
ran before it with our spars cracking
and the strength of portion of our
rigging fully tested. When it passed
over, we boarded our fore-tack, hauled
aft our fore-sheet, hoisted our topsai!s,
and sent the watch below.
had no inclination to sleep, and
consequently resumed my place in the
companionway. The captain stood
near me few moments before going
down.
Tell the second mate to call me in
time, if there's change.
"All right, sir" l replied. "But
where is he? l have not seen him
since We boarded the fore tack"
He must 6e forward, somewhere,
he answered. "Mr. Decker!'
No suswer was received. The men
Of the starboard watch all declared
they did not recoHect having seen
him after the foressil was set. The
ship was searched, but he Was not
found; he had evidently fallen ever
board, and never learned any fur
ther particulars Of his loss.
"Let the third mate succeed him,
and we will see at breakfast time
whom to put in your maindeck officer S
place" the captain said, in an appar-
entity careless tone, as he went below.
But knew that he felt keenly the
loss of our late second officer. for be
had taken iuterst in his welfare and
had spared no pains TO teach him how
TO fulfil his duties as a sailor and
whaleman.