The national leader., 1889-05-18
A MAN FISH,
He Could Swim for Three Days In
The Roughest of Seas.

AT / O'CLOCK IN Gn6 afternoon OF June
21, 1859, I was in the crows nest or
lookout on board the New England
whaler Yankee Land, and we were
bearing up for Valparaiso from the
Juan Fernandez islands when caught
sight of floating human body on the
lee bow, and half mile away. We had
only light breeze and the sea was
scarcely disturbed, and from my perch
aloft / could see even the fish as they
played about us.
l had scarcely hailed the deck when
the floater raised his head, kicked his
feet under the surface, and, after way
ing his arm as signal. he began swim
ming down on US. The sight of man
out at sea, provided with nothing
whatever to float him, was queer
enough, but there was something much
more queer in store for u.s. have seen
the natives of almost every country in
the water, but l never saw anything
like the speed this foater made as he
came down on us. He just smoked
through the water like yawl with her
sail set to stiff breeze. All the men
mustered forward to get sight of him,
and as be came alongside he checked
his way, took q long survey of our
craft, and coolly called out:
"What ship is that?"
"The American whaler, Yankee
Land" answered the mate.
want any hands?"
"Yes. We'll ship you," replied the
captain.
Very well. slr-I'll come aboard"
They threw him a rope and he soon
stood on deck, the only unconcerned
person ON the ship. He asked for a
chew of tobacco. wrung the water out
of his clothes, and when the cook
brought him some grub he did not ap-
pear very hungry. He refused dry
clothes, saying that he felt better when
damp, and when he had finished eating
he explained:
''My name is Tom Finch. quit the
English brig Saxon two days ago. l
can steer a boat OF fasten to whale
with the best of you. Give me lay
aud let me turn tC."
You quit the Saxon two days ago?"
queried the captain.
''Yes, sir"
''Where was she?''
"a matter of fifty miles to the north
west, sir"
CAT sea?':
Eyes, sir.''
''How did you quit?"
''Said good-by to my watch and
jumped overheard, and have been
floating ever since"
There wasn't man in the ship who
believed his story. Indeed, what in
telligent man would believe it? And
yet it was gospel truth, as we discov-
cred when we reached valparaiso.
The Saxon was there, and half dozen
OF her crew had seen him 60 overheard,
as stated.
A man fish had come aboard of us.
| There never was mermaid, but he
certainly was norman. He was next
to amphibious. He was with US fol-
sixteen months, and during that time
was the wonder of our crew and of
every crew we met. He was stall
wart, good looking chap of 80, but his
interior may have been built on the fish
principle. He swan as swiftly as some
kinds of fish, and that without seeming
so tire him. He could not be drowned.
and no shark would bite him. l said
he was queer man. The reader prob
ably agrees with me. l give my word
and honor that every statement | shall
make is true, and can be proved true.
Our carpenter was laid up with
broken leg, and when Finch announced
/ that he could use tools he became car
penter temporarily. After we left Val
paraiso, no longer doubling the story of
his two days. float, he gave us mar
velous exhibition of his skill as swim
mer. In running back to the south we
struck the fag end of cyclone and got
a terrible sea. Our big ship was
pitched about like pea, and the waves
walled up on us now and then until
their crests seemed to tower fifty feet
above the rail. Everything was lashed
and double lashed, and the cook could
not make us even a cup of coffee for
twenty hours While we were lying
to and hanging on for life Finch
stripped to his shirt and pants and went
overheard for a lark. The best man
among us would have drowned in five
minutes. He was in the water two
hours, and when he came out he did not
puff as heavily as a man who had run
across the street. A hundred times in
these two hours we thought he was lost,
but he had no more lear for himself
than as if he was on dry land. In the
sixteen months | saw him go overheard
as many as fifty times, in all sorts of
weather, and by day and night, and yet
he never met with an accident.
1 stated that no shark would bite
him. lie proved this fact thousand
times over. Harbor sharks, for rea-
tons best known to themselves, will
sometimes pass swimmer by, but they
are small fry compared to the big ham,
! npr heads and white sharks of mid