Evening journal., 1891-11-16
THE ABANDONED VESSEL

Sail, hot Three points on the port bow,
shouted John Tregaskis from the fore
royal yard, where he was repairing the
service Of the footrope just where it hao
got chafed in the wake Of the mast.
We were homeward bound in the ship
Hur6aru from ports on the Madras coast
loaded with sugar 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 of
our nine knots an hour with all our stun
sails set to starboard The wind was just
n trihe on the starboard quarter, and we
had the weather clew of the mainsail
hauled up. All hands We're busy tarring
down the rigging preparatory to painting
ship, for the Hurkaru was smart East
Indiaman, and Captain Gulliver wanted
her to be spick and span when she hauled
into the London docks.
/ was what the owners called a mid
shipmau,n my father having paid fifty
pounds premium TO them for the privilege
OF my wearing a brass bound cap with
their house flag on IL, and a blue uniform
for the few weeks while was ashore. The
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 grindstonC
for Chips the carpenter Every Sunday
was allowed on the poop, and having al
old pig yoke was allowed TO "shoot tn
SUM- working out the latitude by the olI
50 As method and invariably getting i
wrong
used to 60 aft with fear and trembling
with my calculations worked on slate anC
hand il to the told man"
"No wonder / am getting gray an(
wrinkled, 2 he was accustomed TO exclaim
"with such blue nosed imp as you Il
work my soul bolt out Here the ship
/ in Is degs. 10 min south latitude. and con
found me il you haven't figured her to tn
northward OF the line Take that AM
that and that, you young swab. Why il
the name Of Tartarus Of Hades didn't yo
stop in your fathers Office singing ink
YOU'RE fit only TO eat and sleep, Get ou
Of thisn
On this particular occasion when Tr'
gaskis hailed the deck reporting the sa
in sight was up in the mizzentop settin
up the topmast rigging with a hand
billy" tackle, assisted by another "mi,
shipman." who also hailed from Londoi
We were not high enough up to make Il
strange craft out, but in about half a
hour she hove in sight and we could 81
her plainly. She was hull down and hI
canvas seemed to be in rags, tapping
the breeze
"On deck thereln shouted.
"HallooM sang out the captain, who w
walking the poop, putting huge clouds
black smoke out OF mouth that stretch,
from ear TO ear. "What ia satans nan
do you want now; Can't you set up tn
r rigging without any helpg Clap a stopp
I on your jaw tackle and 60 on with yo
) work.
9 "please. sir, there's queer looking err
7 in sight from here. All her sails seem
e have blown away"
) The old man gave a grunt and came ak
b to have look at her, carrying a pair
4 good marine glasses slung around his ne.
b He got on the mizentopsail yard and {
served her closely for five minutes tn
he hurried down on deck and told I
steward, who called the chief mate, WHIT
Z watch il was below Meanwhile he
! changed a few words with the second ma
|. who Immediately afterward roared out ii
n stentorian voice:
4 Lay down from aloft, every mothe
e son Of you, and bring Your tar buckets W
!. you.n
y All hands got down as smartly as IL
could feeling very much surprised.
Il wonder what ails the old hunks nov
growled an ancient sea dog, whose grizz
'e locks hung over his shoulders. II guess
!. is some Internal dodge TO get extra We
n out OF an honest crew If he had sal
le with some Of the boys used to go to
y with he'd have been h'isted overheard ID
j. before thisn
just at this time the port watch came
deck muttering and growing, for it '
only four bells in the afternoon watch, 9
,e they thought they were safe until 4 o'clo
! We took in all the stun sails, hauled
d mainssil up snug and kept away cOu
IA of points, heading direct for the stran
with the tapping sails, which was L
plainly visible from the deck.
The skipper aud the mates held cl
y confabulation on the poop and watc
y, the craft through their glasses.
81 In a little while we were close alongs
ue OF her, heaving to about a quarter Z
~ mile TO windward.
She was three masted topsail school
Not a soul was TO be seen on her decks
A., she had been abandoned il must have
in a hurry. for every sail had been left
This was evident to the nautical eye
though the canvas hung in tatters 4
~, yards and gals. She was long and
.,o and judging from her general appearl
w must have been very fast Originally
'nu had been painted black, but only
At AZ patches remained to tell the tale.
"a Nind and sea had left her grayish WI
ns and as she wallowed in the trough Of
ian ian sea she looked weird and CHASTITY
~ ghostly.
= Il tell You that there craft is the FL
lis Dutchman,n said he Of the grizzled loc
e.lc "Flying putchman be darned, repl
MS cockney sailor who hailed from LimehC
"You orter know better The Dutch
BOG Is full rugged ship aud that one is