Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1892-12-22

often as he talked Of breaking the
mate, as he called Wilson, and sending
him forward, I do not think that he
ever attempted to do SO, though repeat
eddy and sarcastically invited to the at
tempt by Capt. Punch and Wilson him
self
It came at last to pass that on GER
tain day we were supposed to be on the
Cape of Good Hope. We were then ex-
actly two months and three weeks out
from Rangoon-that is to say, we had
occupied eleven weeks in measuring
the Indian and the Southern Oceans
down to that part of the sea where we
were supposed to be. I say supposed,
not as you may conclude because the
three captains, as 1 call them, had lost
all reckoning and knew no longer where
the ship was, but because the weather
had been so thick for no less a period
than ten days that never once was the
sun, the moon or star to be seen, and
the position, therefore, of the Biddy Nc
Dougal was wholly calculated by what
is termed dead reckoning.
Dead reckoning means briefly the
finding out Of the speed of a ship
through the water per hour by means of
a contrivance called the reel log. When
the speed Is ascertained it is entered in
the log book. Allowance is then made
for what is called leeway, if any leeway
exists, and the sum OF the speed, to-
gether with the courses which may
have been steered, enables the mariner
to mark down upon it's chart with more
or longitude at which his ship has ar
rived.
The three captains were agreed in
their dead reckoning. They could find
no cause for a quarrel in the indication
OF the reel log. The allowance for lee
way was assented to and the courses
steered were admitted, but unhappily
the three captains had been at logger
heads over the reckoning before the
thick weather came on. Capt. Punch
had made the ships situation a degree
or two more than Mr.. Wilson found it.
Wilson's longitude was several leagues
to the eastward of Capt. Parftt's.
Hence when the day arrived which, ac-
cording to Parfitt's reckoning, should
show the ship to the westward of Agul-
has, the arguments and quarrels were
incessant, because Wilson swore that
the ships longitude was at least sixty
miles east Of that cape, while Punch on
the other hand persisted in maintaining
that the latitude was not what Wilson
and Parf1tt represented and that the
vessel course, therefore. required more
northing.
So matters stood on a dull, heavy,
thick day, as well I remember. There
was light breeze off the port bow, and a
long ocean swell was sluggishly rolling
up from the southwark. do not recol-
lect that the lead was hove. Every man
of the three shippers was cocksure Of
the ships position on his own account,
but do not say that any one of them
ever once ordered cast of the lead to
be taken. There was nothing to be
seen. The sea lire was shrouded by
vapor to within two or three miles of
the vessel. Occasionally there was a
rumble Of thunder in the south, but no
lightning.
Thus it remained throughout the day,
and throughout the day the three cap
tains did nothing but alter one another's
directions to the man at the wheel All
day long Capt. Punch was in towering
passion. He said that he knew the ships
whereabouts as surely as though Table
Bay lay open before him; that Parf1tt
was out by leagues and Wilson utterly
wrong; that both men might thank God
that he was too much afflicted to occupy
his proper post on deck in such damp
and filthy weather, Grand here he
would shake his immense equity fist at
the skylight and bid his servant step on
deck and ascertain how the ships head
was, and then on learning that the
course which he had ordered Parfitt and
Wilson to steer had been changed by
out like a bull, using many strong and
terrible words, to take Captain Parfitt's
life if he interfered with his orders to the
helmsman.
When I went to bed that night was
unable to sleep for some time, owing to
the argument which the three captains
were holding in their cabin. I could
hear such expressions as My life's as
precious to me as yours is to you"
Northeast, dye say? Good angels!
Yet they granted ye certifcate?" IF
the chronometers are out that's not my
fault, but if my calculations wasn't
within a second of the right spot before
this blooming mist drawed up and hid
the sky, I'll give up, own that I'm no
sailor man, and I'll call ye both my
masters.
To such stuff as this I lay listening;
then heard some sailors come below to
cart old Capt. Punch away to bed.
There was an interval of agreeable ST.
lence, and 1 fell asleep.
I was awakened by an uproar on deck,
by the shouts Of men. the bawling Of
Capt. Punch in his cabin, by hurrying
of footsteps and a sullen Tapping Of
canvas. The ship lay over at sharp
angle; I believed at first that a heavy
squat had burst upon her and heeled
her down, but she lay perfectly motion
less, with a singular noise Of creaking
threading the above board clamOr, and
a frequent dull, thunderous thump as of
water striking her.
In moment realized that the ship
was ashorel
partially clothed myself in few
minutes, rushed out, and with great
difficulty, so acute was the angle OF the
ships deck, reached the companion
steps. All was in darkness. I reached
out my hands and touched figure, and