The Portland daily press., 1889-01-19
SATURDAY MORNING, JAN. 10.
A WoMAN's BRAVERY.
BY JAMES J. WATT.


without their knowledge or consent, just be-
fare sailing. Seamen were scarce in New
York at that time, so the shipping agent had
resorted to that method to furnish the vessel
her full complement of men,
While she was being towed through the
Nauows the officers went forward and
reused up the drunken, half stupefied mer
In the forecastle. The latter were a villain.
ous-looking set Of men, and to the surprise
OF the mates, only few were found To be
seamen, the rest being toughs or 'longshore
men. They lurched about the deck quarrel
ing and threatening violence if the ship wa,
not put back.
Capt. White had been deceived BIZ the
shipping ageit, and going forward he ascer
talned that none of the crew had families OF
any responsible occupation. He told then
that they would have to make the best Of
the situation, as he must proceed on his voy
age. 1t was the result of their own FOLLY
that they were on board.
At first they refused point blank to work
the ship. However. none of them dared lool
into the muzzle of the captains revolver, Sc
the boatswain and second mate, with many
sail, three or four sailors going aloft to loose
the canvas. while the new hands on deck did
the hauling
The first day at sea is always a trying one
Tor both officers and men. ship lust leay-
ing port is in about the condition Of newly
rented house on the first day. The mates do
not know what to expect from the crew. nor
DO the men know whether their officers in
tend TO treat them with respect or to bully
mem: Consequently each class watches the
the other with distrust.
VI course, with the Sunderland's crew the
day was continuous wrangle. A part of
tne men not being practical sailors were al
most useless.
Toward night the wind increased to gale.
ana tne frightened landsmen were driven
t ~ tne rigging to reef topsails. They had
70 DC followed aloft and shown what to do
Win the reef points. The position of man
upon the topsailyard, trying to reef a heavy
SAIL whipping in the wind, Is not secure, even
II ne Is an old sailor. The longshoremen
found iO',n they wanted both hands to hang on
WIN The mates managed to make them
gather In the sail during a steady spell, but
when the ship gave lee lurch, and the yard
canted up at right angle, their feet slipped
along the loot rope, aud letting go the sail,
they all grabbed for the jack stay
After great deal of exertion the officers
reeied the fore and main topsails with but
little help from the seasck men. The mizzen
toRSall blew away before 1t could be secured
Inc snip was heavily loaded, and labored
padly IN the brisk sea, which soon followed
Lne coming OF the gale. The captain pre-.
terred to drive her with single reefed top
san. Tor he knew If he parted his halliards
the sails would Stat to pieces before his clum.
sy crew could re-gather them. Each heavy
gust pressed the lee rail down into the water,
ttnuous shower.
The discomfort among the men grew more
Flolent as darkness increased. and they be-
gan to feel the agonies Of seasickness aug
mented by wet clothes and the raw autumnal
They quickly made up their minds to mu.
glny, and while crouched in the lee OF the
ueck house to escape the spray, arranged for
concerted action at the first opportunity.
before long voice was heard calling
Stand by the weather main bracesp'
They went aft to the braces, and when the
second mate noticed all hands were there he
advanced TO ask why the watch below were on
oeck. For answer he was knocked down by
Dlow from capstan bar and quickly bound,
hand and foot, with ropes ends =
Then they rushed upon the captain, who
snot the foremost through the shoulder, but
tne revolver was knocked away and his
throat clutched by the fingers of burly
steyedore. whose other hand was raised to
stab him.
At this crisis there was hearda shrek so
loud and Unexpected that the astonished
rufl1ans remained motionless for an instant.
white form, with long blonde hair stream
ing In the wind, bounded through the cabin
uoor, and, rushing upon the captains as
scend.
Terror-stricked, the superstitious men fell
oeck. Before the surprise was over the other
oncers ran up from below, and the mutineers
were soon cowed and driven off the quarter
deck.
The woman was the captains wife. The
men did not know that she was on board SO
ner sudden appearance and brave defence of
her husband had made them waver at the
time when success depended upon immediate
action. -
After this there were no more open acts of
mutlny but the crew worked with a sullen-
ness which showed that the fire of discomfort
s Was Rot quenched but snIonldering. One
Irlning cause served to foment the bitter feel
ing between men and officers, which, under
inherent circumstances, would have been
considered joke.
The mate had parrot which was given the
freedom OF the decks when the ship had run
down into warm weather. During the
previous homeward voyage this bird had
learned TO repeat some of the most common
orders. Until the new crew learned to dis
anguish the officers voices from the imitation
they were freque ntly sent aloft to loose sail
or called aft to the braces by the mischievous
Dlrd, much TO the annoyance of the mates and
the anger of the men. Finally, just as the
master had made up his mind to have the
parrot kept below decks, itdisappeared. The
mate never discovered how; but, of course.
he be lieved the men had killed and thrown it
overheard
The man whom the captain wounded re-
covered slowly from the wound, having for
some time high fever. He was taken aft
and cared for with great kindness by the
captain and his wife, despite the fact that
he had been in the mutiny. When he re-
turned to his bunk in the forecastle, he had
Deen completely won by the treatment he
had received from the man he had sought TO
XII. lie therefore exerted his influence in
the Interest of peace, but the breach be-
tween the men and officers had been constant
~ widening during his illness, and was now
too great TO be closed by ordinary measures.
The master was well aware of the insub-
ordination among the crew, and began to
consider the wisdom of abandoning his gentle !
measures and putting the ringleaders in irons.
de enIoined upon his officers extra watchfu-
ness and firmness, but distinctly forbade any
bullying or haZing,
:. This was just before the ship crossed the
line.
:. One evening the ship was struck by a
white squalP'-one of those marine lorna
does which cause the loss of many fine ships
me night had that surprising beauty
Wnich makes the tropics so delightful Sky
ana sea were nearly the same shade of clear.
solt due. separated by white, filmy haze
hiding the horizon. The stars of the south
ern hemisphere shone overhead with brill
idut9 oSiuOHl occii III ldIltu0eS, The
crests OF the waves cleaned like phosphores-
cent light against the dark background of the
sea. Rising in quick succession, they made
running leaps up the smooth side of the ship,
falling back again with musical murmur,
down over the copper sheathing.
The breeze was only fresh enough to gent
ly incline the deck Of the ship, and the of
fleer of the watch leaned against the taffraiI,
looking at the swelling canvass towering
above him in three snowy pyramids crossed
at intervals by the black yards which stuck
out from taut weather leeches of the sail, like
spires in the dorsal fin of fish ;Or, dropping
his eyes, he watched the jellyiish floating by,
glowing with phosphorescent lIght-red, blue
green and yellow-in such numbers that he
amused himself by fancying the mermaids
were having dance by the light of Chinese
lanterns
Presently little rattle of the canvass re-
called him from his thoughts, and raising
ms head with warning, mo higher" TO the
helmsman, lie noticed the white haze on the
ward.
The low stars grew gradually paler, then
vanished; and the bottom of the haze, instead
OF OF merging gradually into the deep blue CT
the sea, had changed to distinct white line,
Whlch needed but little watching to show it
was rapidly coming nearer.
Inc practlced eye of the officer took in the
SITUATION at glance, and running to the
break OF the quarter deck, he shouted, "Clew
up tne royals" Haul down the staysails
and 1lbtopsails," "Call the watch below"
Inc men sprung to the clew lines and down
hauls: The tops of the three pyramids of
sails FADED away, giving few indignant