The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1892-10-22
ETIQUETTE OF THE SEA.
Ships Always salute Politely When Pass
ing Each other on tho Sea.

| Ships Always salute Politely when Pass.
ing Each other on tho Sea.
The Atlantic Ocean is strealsed from
one side to the other with the long,
black trailing smoke plumes of the big,
rushing record breakers" and ocean
| greyhounds." and few are left of the
gallant old whitewinged craft that
carried the flag and the fame of the
nation to every part of the world save
some scattering oil sheds, which the
sailors, or, to speak more correctly, the
deck hands on the liners, contemp-
tuously refer to rs wind TANNERS"
Here and there, however, will be seen
an occasional East Indian semi-clipper,
either bound out to China or Me East
Indies, loaded with case oil, or coming
home with cargo of hemp, jute, lin
seed, rattan or some other of the fra
grant and valuable products of the
| gorgeous east. But through all the
changes in the size and rig of vessels,
through all the vicissitudes OF life on
the ocean wave, the captain of ship
be it big or little, is as a rule, as pune
tilious in the matter of etiquette as
Spanish grandee.
And the etiquette of the sea is a
wonderful thing. A hail from little
7h-ton fore and after" will be answered
with as much regard for the proprietes
by an East India ship of 1000 tons as it
would be by one of it's own size, and,
lNwhen the big ship has been run through
storm and fog by dumb luck and dead
reckoning" the appearance of the little
doll ifr1,f L.
means of rectifying possible errors in
reckoning.
An instance of this kind occurred off
Cape Cod short time ago, says a writer
in the New York Tribune, when the
captain of a ship with valuable cargo
and crew of twenty-five men, as the
fog lifted about noon of the seventh
consecutive day without an observa-
tion, saw almost under his bows little
''cordwood coaster" creeping along
under mainsail and jib, with her skip.
per at the wheel and her crew Zone mani
vigorously hauling away at the jib sheet.
ship ahoy!"
Back from the deck way above him
came the answering call, "Ahoy there"
Where ye from?" was the next ques.
tion.
Calcutta, bound for Boston," was
the reply.
Whats yer cargo?"
"Linseed, spice and jute butts"
"How long ye been out?"
"One hundred and sixty days"
"Gosh? said the skipper, and then
came the chance of the big ships cap
tain.
Schooner ahoy!" came down from
the deck of the lime-juicer
"Ahoy there" went back the answer.
whats your longitude?"
The skipper knew where he was and
the master of the Calcutta ship was un-
certain.
So when the answer was given he
was much relieved, for it showed that
he was nearer home than he had reck-
oned. But he was going to have his talk
out anyway, and although the little fell
low had his jib to windward he roared
out:
where you from?"
Gloucester, bound for New Bedford" "
Whats yer cargo?'
"Rocks and bilge water mostly"
"How long have you been out?"
The skipper was stung by the sar-
casm of the last question, and with
look of scorn at the big ship beloved
out: Bin out all night, by thunder
and l wish l hadn't. Draw away your
jib," and the sheet block went over to
the lee rail with bang, the sail filed,
and the last the Indiaman heard of the |
schooner was the shippers shout from
the stern end of his boat, "Ye think
ye're darn smart, don't We, jest cause
ye're big. boston Herald.