Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1889-01-25
A MAN-FISH.

At l o'clock in the afternoon of JUNE
21, 1859, | was in the crows nest O
lookout on board the New England
whalcr Yankee Land, and we were bear
ing up for Valparaiso from the Juan Fer
nandcz Islands when | caught sight of ;
floating human body on the lee bow, an(
half a mile away. We had only lighf
breeze and the sea was scarcely dis
turbed, and from my perch aloft coulC
see even the fish as they played about us
had scarcely hailed the deck wher
the foatcr raised lis head, kicked his
feet under the surface, and, after waving
his arm as a signal, he began swimming
down to US. The sight of a man out al
sea, provided with nothing whatever tC
float him, was queer enough, but there
was something much more queer in store
for us. | have seen the natives of al
most every country in the water, but ]
never saw anything like the speed this
foater made as he came down to us. Ht
just smoked through water like yawl
with her sail set to a stiff breeze. AL
the men mustered forward to get sight Of
him, and as he came alongside he checked
bis way, took a long survey Of our craft,
and coolly called out:
"What ship is that2"
"The American whalcr, Yankee Land, y
answered the mate.
''Want any handsl"
ssYes, We viii ship you,s replied ,4s.s
captain.
Every well, sir-I'll come aboard"
They threw him a rope and he soon
stood on deck, the only unconccrncd
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 appear over
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.
can steer boat or fasten to a whale with
the best of you. Give me a Law and let
me turn to.
'You quit the Saxon two davs aoo?''
gueried the captain.
Eyes, sir"
''Where was shc?"
"a matter of fifty miles TO the north
west, sir"
"At sea2"
eyes, sir"
GLOW did you quit2n
"Said good-by to my watch and
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 it? And vet
it 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 mermaid. but he GER
tainly was a norman. He was next to
He was with lis for sixteen
months, and during that time was the
wonder of our crew and of every other
crew we met. He was a stalwart. GOOD
looking chan of 35. but his interior NAV
have been built on the fish nrincinle He
swan as swiftly as some kinds of feb
and that without seemino TO tire him
He could not he drowned and M shark
would bite him .aid he was . oueer
man. The reader orobahlv aoroes with
me. rive nv word and honor that
every statement 7 SHALL make &c true and
can he nroved true
Our carpenter ,yas laid mn with a
broken leo. and when Finch announcad
that he could use tools he became oor
penter temporarily. After we left Val
paraiso. no loncer douhting the s+orv of
his two days float, he gaze us n marvel