The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1888-10-30

day, and their names were written
on blackboard outside of the Of
fee. 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 sand
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 L went for
Fenchurch street station to catch
the train for NTill-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, toload 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,
young lad, being so kind and gentle
in his disposition, took 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
were 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 and
fell to the deck, striking head first
on the starboard bit in front of the
foremast. There he lay by the side
of the fore-hatch, dead There was
no mother there to weep over her
boy.
Two days afterwards the winds
ceased blowing so hard, the sea be-
came smooth once more. About 4
O'Clock that afternoon the ships
bell tolled and slowly over the deck
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 muttered
, thunder, broken waves heaved VI
their sharp white helmets over the
expanse of ocean, which, in brood.
t ing stiffness, lay like some vindic'
l tive King who meditates on hoardeC
wrongs or wakes to wrathful war
The ships bell tolled, and 10! 6
Z youthful form which oft had boldly
l dared the slippery shrouds at mid
nights watch, was as burden laie
r down at his comrades feet. Mourn
e fully they gazed upon him as he lay
stretched upon wide board, sewed
r up in canvas, with heavy weights at
t tached to his feet, to sink him dowl
e in the briny deep. He was wrapped
!, in the British flag. On each sid
y of him stood two sailors who liftet
It him up and rested one end of th
o board upon the rail, while the cap
: tain prayed and read few line
q from the Bible. Then all hand
o joined in and sang a hymn.
u 1t was holy hour. There la.
h the wreck of youthful beauty; her
n bent mourning manhood, while sup
I porting faith cast her strong ancho
L beneath the troubled wave. Their
a was plunge, the riven sea com
n planned; death from her brin
; bosom took her own. Our conrad
d went down, down to the floor of th
e ocean, amid the beds of brave an
;. beautiful ones.
a To my soul, in all the funers
q pomp. the guise of woe, the monr
st mental grandeur with which cart
d surrounds her dead sons, there
rs nought SO sad, sublime, or sorrow
t. full, as the mute sea opening he
l, mouth to engulph that sailor you'll
y HARRY BYNG.
y Honolulu, Oct. 10Th, 1888.