Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-11-09
THE ABANDONED VESSEL.

Ddli, HO4 pOiIlS On lnc pOTl DOW,
shouted John Tregaskis from the fore
royal yard, where he was repairing the
service of the footrope just where it had
got chafed in the wake of the mast
We were honeward bound in the ship
Hurkaru from ports on the Madras coast,
loaded with ST. gar in the lower hold and
our tween decks full of bales of cotton.
We had been favored with splendid south
erly winds ever since rounding the Cape of
Good Hope, and we had touched at St. Hell
ena to put a sailor ashore who was dying
of dysentery
The strong southeast trades were blow
ing with vigor, and we were bowling off
our nine knots an hour with all our stun
sails set to starboard. The wind was just
a trifle on the starboard quarter, and we
had the weatler clew of the mainsail
hauled up. All hands were busy tarring
down the rigging preparatory to painting
ship, for the Hurkaru was smart East
lndiaman, and Captain CULVER wanted
her TO be spick and span when she hauled
into the London docks.
/ was what The owners called a mid
shipman," my father having paid fifty
pounds premiu to them for the privilege
of my wearing brass bound cap, with
their house flag on it, and a blue uniform
i
rest of the year cleaned out hencoops, fed
the fowls, washed the captains clothes.
kept the stewards books, assisted Sambo,
the negro cook and turned the grindstone
for Chips" the carpenter. Every Sunday
was allowed OH the poop, and having an
old pig yoke was allowed to shoot the
sum-" working out the latitude by the old
S9.4S method and invariably getting it
wrong.
i used to so aft with fear and trembling
with my calculations worked on slate and
hand it to the ''oId man.
No wonder l am getting gray and
wrinkled," he was accustomed to exclaim,
with such blue nosed imp as you to
work my soul bolt out. Here the ship is
in Is degs. 10 min. south latitude and con-
found me if you haven't figured her to the
northward of the line. Take that, and
that. and that, you young swab. Why in
the name of Tartarus of Hades didn't you
stop in your fathers Office singing ink
You're fit only to eat and sleep. Get out
of this."
On this particular occasion when Ire
casks hailed the deck reporting the sail
in sight l WAS up in the mizzentop setting
up the topmast rigging with handy
billy" tackle, assisted by another mid
shipman," who also hailed from London
We were not high enough up to make the
strange craft out, but in about half an
hour she hove in sight and we could see
her plainly. She was hull down and her
canvas seemed to be in rags, Tapping in
the breeze.
''On deck therew 1 shouted.
"HallooW sang out the captain, who was
walking the poop, putting huge clouds of
black smoke out OF a mouth that stretched
from ear TO ear. What in satan's name
do you want nowf Can't you set up that
rigging without any help, Clap a stopper
on your jaw tackle and go on with your
work"
Please, sir. there s queer looking craft
have blown away"
The old man gave grunt and came aloft
to have look at her, carrying a pair of
good marine glasses slung around his neck.
He got on the miZe1topsail yard and OBJ
served her closely for five minutes. Then
he hurried down on deck and told the
steward, who called the chief mate, whose
watch it was below. Meanwhile he ex-
changed few words with the second mate,
who Immediately afterward roared out in a
stentorian voice:
Lay down from aloft, every mothers
son of you, and bring your tar buckets with
you"
All hands got down as smartly as they
could, feeling very n uch surprised.
II wonder what ails the old hunks now"
growied an ancient sea dog, whose grizzled
locks hung over his shoulders. Il guess it
is some internal dodge to get extra work
out of an honest crew. If he had sailed
with some of the boys used to go to sea
with he'd have been listed overheard long
before this
Just at this time the port watch came on
deck muttering and growing, for it was
only four bells in the afternoon watch, and
they thought they were safe until O'Clock.
We took in all the stun sails, hauled the
mainsail up snug and kept away couple
of points, heading direct for the stranger
with the Tapping sails, which was now
plainly visible from the deck.
The skipper and the mates held a Gloss
confabulation on the poop and watched
the craft through their glasses.
In little while we we're close alongside
of her, heaving to about quarter of a
mile to windward.
She was a three masted topsail schooner.
Not "A soul was to be seen on her decks. If
she had been abandoned it must have been
in hurry, for every sail had been left set.
This was evident to the nautical eye. al
though the canvas hung in tatters from
yards and gaffs. She was long and low,
and judging from her general appearance
must have been very fast. Originally she
had been painted black. but only a few
patches remained to tell the tale. Sun,
wind and sea had left her grayish white.
and as she waliowed in the trough of the
sea she looked weird and CHASTITY and
ghostly.
81 tell you that there craft is the Flying
Dutchman,' said he of the grizzled locks.
"Flying Dutchman be darned," replied
cockney sailor who hsiled from Lmehouss.
"You orter know better The Dutchman
Is q full rugged ship and that one is top