Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-08-22
AT SEA In A YAWL.t

About fifty miles above Sidney, Australia,
an English gentleman named Howe, a retired
civil officer, had fine place directly on the
sea. This was twenty-five years ago, and the
place may have passed through half a dozen
hands since. II was villa or country seat
and farm combined Howe was rich, but he
raised fruits, vegetables, hay and wool to sell
and he was part owner in a brig which called
in at intervals to carry our stuff away. On
my first voyage i'll with this brig the gentle
man took fancy to me and hired me to work
ashore, and had been with him three years
when the distressing incident am about TO
relate came about.
Howe owned a pleasure yacht, but as he
feared the sea she was seldom used When
she went out | had charge of her and could
run her very nicely with the help of a boy.
We also had several rowboats, and there was
scarcely a pleasant evening that l did not
row some of the family out There was a
fine bay in front Of the farm. and unless the
weather was very boisterous this water was
always safe.
On the evening of Dec 10, 1865, the brig
came into the bay to load with cargo, aud
she anchored almost opposite the house. She
had fine new yawl, in which the captain
came ashore, and it appeared that Howe and
the women folks were greatly taken with it.
Early next morning | was told TO get this
yawl ready for sail down the bay to a
small island, where picnic dinner was to be
eaten. The party, when ready to start, con-
sisted of Howe, his wife, and an 1s-year-old
daughter named Bessie, a miss of Il named
Ransome, who was on a visit, and little Ben
Howe, who was only years old. Two ladies
from the next farm above were to have gone
with us, but merciful Providence detained
them at home. 1t was touch and 90 whether
we should make the trip without them but
it was decided to go in order not to disap-
point the young folks. l had filed the water
key and taken big lunch basket aboard,
and when we moved away there was just
breeze enough to till the sail and jog us
along about three miles an hour. A more
perfect morning never saw, and the oldest
sailor could not have suspicioned a change.
We reached the island all right, remained
there until o'clock p. m, and then started
for home. AT about | o'clock the sky hazed
up and the wind died almost away, and as
the tide would begin TO run out at Q / became
somewhat anxious My sailor experience
warned me that there would be a change of
wind and weather, and l was impatient to
get away. One trifle and another detained
us until the hour named. The people enjoyed
themselves immensely, and it was not for me
to say when we should start, although l did
throw out hint or two that | suspected a
change of weather. All were in good spirits
when we finally got away, and as the yawl
was good sailer she crept along at a fair
speed until the wind suddenly fell as fiat as
you pleased. We We're then opposite the
ocean inlet, which was a mile broad, and we
began to drift out with the tide l had a
pair of oars in the boat, and Mr. Howe took
one and the other, and we pulled away to
cross the space. As he was not a strong man.
and had had no practice in rowing, we made
no gain, and, 10 make matters worse, he lost
hisoar overheard and it was swept away.
We were three miles from the brig, and
was getting ready to hoist signal when the
sky darkened up with a sort of fog, shutting
us in, and the wind breezed up directly off
shore. Had it not been for the strong tide
could have beat back into the bay, even in
the fog, but | was soon compelled to tell Mr..
Howe that we were being drifted and driven
out 10 sea. The news at once unnerved him,
and his words and demeanor all the others,
who began wailing and lamentiDg. Little
Ben was an exception. He was not only too
young to understand the danger, but he en-
jOyed the novelty of the situation He crept
back to the stern sheets, stood between nv
81 sha'n't cry, Jack Only wish my dog
was here.n
After we had driven over the bar, which
always forms at every inlet, the breeze fresh
ened still more, and / had to run off before
it, although double reefed the sail Had |
attempted TO beat back to the coast line l
should have got among the rocks and reefs
which lined it for miles and miles. There
was room in the inlet to beat up against the
tide, but IL was now so dark that [ could
hardly see the bow of the boat and had 10
compass and could have run only by danger
Gus gueSswork. In heading dead out to sea |
expected nothing worse than to have to pass
the night on the water. BY morning at
least, the brig would know that we had met
with piece of i'll luck, and would stand out
TO pick us up. And, too, the wind might 90
down with the sun or veer to a favorable |
quarter. Therefore, while Mr. Howe cursed
his foolishness in ever stepping foot into the |
yawl and while the women covered and |
wept, was encouraged to hope that every |
thing might turn out for the best
AT 5o'clock by my watch, the face of which |
/ could hardly see through the gloom, the |
wind was blowing topsail breeze and the |
sea getting nasty roll. Every one but nv |
self became seasick and fell to the bottom of |
the boat, and for the next three hours heard |
nothing but cries and groans of distress The |
real darkness had come now, and could not
see half the length of the boat. I held her
steady as she went, and was gratifled to find !
that she made good work of it and did not
have to be watched as closely as a larger
boat might. 1t was about o'clock when Mr..
Howe reused up and crawled aft to me. He
was in despair, but calmer than before.
made light OF the adventure, predicting that
we would be back at the farm before noon
next day, and calling his attention to the
splendid behavior of the boat, and after a
little he seemed to have hopes 1 suggested
that we have bite 20 eat and he rot the
hamper OF provisions 1t contained wine.
FAKE, CRACKERS cheese and meats. and also
TWO candles, which had been taken along To
EXPLORE cave said to be located on the ISL
md, but which we did not find We got a
light, reused up the others, and after we had
broken our fast all felt more cheerful.
Had the women been of the common sort
Mould have known what to say to brace them
Up, but they were aristocrats tender as
prlnS flowers, and bit of hardship was cal
uiated 10 upset EN-. i made an attempt To
'enttle the situation, and declared that It was
lothlng but an unpleasant adventure and
liter bit they all got some courage and be-
,an TO be more hopeful What worried me
he most was the fact that the wind kept get
ing up stronger and stronger, and by IL
'clock the yawl was humming through the
east like a man-of-war in a gale. knew
We were going out into the Indian ocean at
he rate of fifteen miles an hour, and that If I
he wind held as it was we'd be at least a hnn-
lred miles off the shore by sunrise. If it got
Up much stronger I'd have to bring the yawl [
bout head on, no matter what the risk. for ,
he was now rolling gunwale down and only
ust keeping ahead of the rollers | got the
women folks to lie down in the bottom of the
,oat, ana then had Mr.. Howe pass me the
ingle oar, piece of board which little Rem 1