Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1889-12-20
A MAN-FISH.

ny UP lOi Ndilltl'tISO from inc Juan fef-
nandcz Islands when caught sight Of n
iioating human body on the lee bow, and
half IL mile away. We had only light
breeze aud the sea was scarcely dis
turbcd, and from my perch aloft could
see even the fish us they played about us
had scarcely hailed the deck when
the iloaier raised his head, kicked his
feet under the surface, and, after waving
his arm as Il signal, nc began swimming
| down to us. The sight Of man out III
sea, provided with nothing whatever to
| lloat him, was queer enough, but there
was something much more queer in store
Tor ms. | have seen the natives of al
most every country i'll the water, but /
never saw anything like the speed this
lloater made us he came down to us. He
just smoked through water like a yawl
with her sail set to stiff breeze. All
the men mustered forward to get sight Of
him, and us he came alongside he checked
his way, took long survey of our craft,
and coolly called out:
"What ship is tl,at?"
''The American whalcr, Yankee Land"
answered the mate.
''Want any hands?'
eyes, we will ship you," replied the
captain.
every well, sir-I'll come aboard"
They threw him II rope and he soon
stood on deck, the only umconccrncd
person on the ship. lie asked for a
chew of tobacco, wr,nS the water out of
his clothes, and when the cook brought
him some grub he did not appear over
hungry. He refused dry clothes saying
that he felt better when damp, and when
he had finished eating he explained:
'Aly name is Tom Finch. quit the
English brig Saxon two days ago. l
can steer n boat or fastcn to Il whale with
the best of YOU. Give me Il lay and let
me turn to"
"lou quit the Saxon two days ago2"
qucried the captain.
eyes, sir.'
"Whcre was shc?"
ga matter Of fifty miles 10 the north
west SIR"
"At sea-"
t'Yes, sir"
"IIow did you quit?"
"Said good-by 10 my watch anil
jumped overheard, and have been float
ing ever since"
There wasn't man in the ship who
believed his story. Indeed, what intel
ligent man would believe it9 And vet
1t was Gospel truth, as we discovered
when we reached Valparaiso. The Saxon
was there, and half dozen of her crew
had seen him go overheard as stated.
A man fish had come aboard of us.
There never was n mermaid, but he GER
tainly was 4 norman. lie was next to
amphibious. He was with lis for sixteen
months, and during that time was the
wonder OF our crew and of every other
crew we met. lie was stalwart, good
looking chap Of So, but his interior NAV
have been built on tho fish principle. He
swan as swiftly rs some kinds of fish,
and that without seeming to tire him.
He could not be drowned, and no shark
would bite him. said he was a queer
man. The reader probably agrees with
me. give my word and honor that
every statement shall make is true, and
can be proved true.
Our carpenter was laid up with a
broken leg, and when Finch announced
that he could use tools he became car.
penter temporarily. After we left Val
pnraiso, no longer doubling the story of
his two days float, he gave us II marvel
lous exhibition of his skill as II swimmer.
In running back 10 the south we struck
the flag end Of cyclone, and got ter.
rlbic sea. Our big ship was tossed about
like pea, and the waves walled up or
lis now and then until their crest.
seemed to tower fifty feet above the rail
Everything was dashed and double dashed
and the cook couldn't make even cup o.
coffee for twenty hours. While we wer,
lying to and hanging on for life Fincl
stripped to his shirt and pants and wen
overheard for lark. The best MAJ
among us would have been drowned il
five minutes. He was in the water tw,
hours, and when he came out he did no
puff us heavily rs man who had rul
across the street. A hundred times i,
those two hours we thought he was lost
but he had no more fear for himself thu,
as if he was on dry land. In the sixteei
months saw him go overheard as man
i, as fifty times, in all sorts of weather an,