New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1891-04-01


merchantmen, and told him SO.
His reply was that his limited re
sources had prevented his gratifying
IN any other way his passion for tray
cling and seeing the world. The ex-
PLANTATION was not satisfactory, but
look into the handsome, manly face
convinced me that whatever his reas-
ons were for being on the Norseman
in his present capacity, they did not
concern me, and asked him no fur
ther questions on the matter.
In due time we doubled the Cape of
Good Hope, ran the castings down,
and crossing the Bay of Bengal, sight
ed one morning the low sandhills and,
later, the flat, sandy coast at the mouth
of the Hooghly. We took aboard
a. native pilot, and were soon lying at
anchor at Garden Reach, about eleven
miles below Calcutta. I went ashore
accompanied by my wife and Miss
Burlingame. 2A old
During the voyage the young lady
had regained her health and spirits,
and had become we'll acquainted with
the carpenters mate. While he took
no liberties, I began to feel anxious
about the matter, and regretted that
the handsome youth was a member
OF my crew. I pitied the poor clerk
left in Old England and meditated on
the fickleness of woman.
At Calcutta we loaded cargo Of
iute for Melbourne and put out to sea.
On the morning of the sixth day out
the baromenter began to fall rapidly,
and as the typhoon season was at
hand I telt q little anxious, although
there was no Indication of danger in
the clear sky and thelight breeze which
famed the surface of the Indian
Ocean.
About two o'clock in the afternoon
the sky to wlndward showed signs of
a gathering storm. Professional pride
told me to crowd on all sail so long as
the wind continued fair, but experience
whispered that the lives of the ships
crew, my wife and Miss Burlingame de-
pended to a great extent upon my sea-
manship and good Judgment. | con-
sidered the matter a few minutes, and
then, summoning the chief mate,
said
''Mr. Everson, call all hands, take
in the light sail, send down the stud
dingsail yards and booms, skysail,
royal and topgallant yards fore and
aft, and close reef the topsails and
courses.
The mate, whose hair and beard
were whitened by the ocean blast of
forty years, regarded me in surprise
for a moment, then touched his cap
and returned to the waist. [ could
see that the old salt doubted the ad-
visibility OF the course l was pursu-
ing.
The orders for shortening sail were
rapidly executed, and in less than
twenty minutes the Norseman was all
snug fore and aft. In the meantime
the horizon became overcast with a
heavy bank of copper-colored clouds;
IN the thirty years [ have followed the
rayed in a more terrific line of battle
than they were at $50 of the after
noon OF September Is, 1870.
The matches we're carefully battened
down and the watch sent below to Sc
cure what rest they might, while I
paced the quarterback. restless and
uneasy. The breeze gradually died
out and a dead calm ensued
The ladies came on deck and chafed
me for shortening sail.
The barometer continued falling,
and [ again ordered all hands called.
A line OF foam was approaching on the
starboard beam.
Hard a port!''
Hard port, sir!'' responded the
| helmsman.
seized my trumpet and gave my
orders.
Haul up your courses"
Ihe command was promptly exc
cuted, and the men started aloft to
furl They were too late.
Down for your lives! Down."
The tidal wave struck us on our
port quarter, breaking over the poop
deck, accompanied by q fearful gust OF
wind. Away went our courses, and
the topsails were literally blown from
the bolt ropes.
[ Hooked r,the ladies who had been
standing on the quarterback. Merci-
clful heavens! they had been washed
overheard, and l saw their agonized
faces half a ships length to leeward.
With a yell to lower away the star
board boat plunged into the sea.
as l rose to the surface heard a
cool voice beside me-
Cheer up, Cap'n We'll save them
sure" ....s ..
1 glanced over my shoulder and saw
the carpenters mate
1t seemed as though Providence had
interviewed in our behalf, for after the
first terrible gust the wind subsidized.
We reached the ladies and looked
around for the boat. It was coming,
the crew pulling like demons, while in
the sheets sat Everson, urging them
to greater exertion.
| BY the time we returned to the ship
the cyclone had broken upon us in all
its fury, and for three days we drifted
at the mercy of the storm.
On the morning OF the fourth day
the wind and sea went down, the
damage to the Norseman was quickly
repaired, and we stood away for Mel