St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1893-11-16
Selected Story
A SEA-EPISODE.

are called common sailors" and
Law in plain language before man
kind the noble narratives, the his
tory Of the deeds Of war would be
tame reading, and the records Of de-
struction would seem ignoble.
have been familiar with them all
nv life, and they excite my admira-
ton as much today as ever. Elo-
ouent pens have written Of the facts
and 6ctions Of the sea, but none
have ever colored their scenes too
deeply, nor has romance ever equal
ed reality.
will give you one picture, sadly
true, and unknown to any but the
actors in it.
In 1858, a small bark, whose
name might have been the Leopard
lit was not, but the name will dol,
sailed from Boston with an assorted
cargo, bound from Guantanamo and
Santiago de Cuba, to leave the out
ward freight at these ports and
load at the latter one for Triest, at
the head of the Adriatic sea.
The Leopard carried Captain Hall,
First Mate Brown, aged eighteen,
Second Mate Jones, twenty-four,
Simon Billings, cook and steward,
and six men before the mast,-ten in
all.
A speedy and uneventfuI run
brought the Leopard to Guantana-
mo, whence, after discharging part
Of the cargo, she ran down to San
tago and dropped the rest.
This port lies amid hills, in a nat
ural amphitheatre of great beauty.
The entrance is narrow and very
picturesque, but there is very little
tide and the water in the bay is
sluggish. The elements of that
scourge of the Antilles, yellow fever,
are here, and the inhabitants are
seldom free from the disease.
The first mate, ardent and ambi-
tious, worked his men early and late.
He was first out in the morning be-
fore sunrise, while the dew was still
falling. Once, before day, his light
shirt was saturated by the falling
moisture, and the sun dried it with
its burning heat. At nine o'clock he
was PROSTATE with raging fever
The captain was veteran in those
parts, and knew what to do as well
as any doctor. Heroic measures
were adopted, and the young mans
life was saved. Leaving his sick bed
too soon, relapse came on, and it
was several days before he could
again do duty.
A popularity of the West India
ports is that while in harbor all the
crew OF a ship may be well, but as
soon as she puts to sea the disease
may develop, and one after another
will be attacked.
Captain Hall knew this fact well,
and before sailing warned his officers
and crew of the symptoms of the
disease, and instructed them that if
any such were felt the patient would
report at once for treatment.
Early one fine morning light land
breeze waited the Leopard to sea,
and at a short distance from the
land the breeze fell, and the usual
morning calm ensued. The ship
rolled lazily upon the long swells,
and the sun beat freely upon the
unsheltered decks.
Sailing day is always a busy time
on ships. and so all were at work in
the heat, getting ready for sea life
and the expected incidents of the
voyage.
About nine O'Clock, young man
was observed to stagger on the deck,
like one intoxicated. He was quick
ly seized and taken to his berth in
the forward house. He was already
delrious. With difficulty the usual
remedies were administered, but the
lever had him in its grasp, and he
tossed about, raving wildly OF home
and friends. The other men were re-
moved from the narrow house, and
given quarters elsewhere. The first
mate and colored cook took charge
of the sick boy. Everything posi-
BILE was done for him. Fortwo days
and nights he moaned and talked,
his life burning out at fearful rate.
The third morning he was quiet.
Suddenly his eyes opened and he
said mildly, II would like to have
YOU leave me for a few minutes. p"
The officer said, why do you wish
this, William ?" II wish to say my
prayers" answered the poor boy.
With sad countenances they stepped
outside, returning in ten minutes
Alas! the delirium had returned, the
fatal hiccoughs denotihg the pres.
ence of the fatal "black vomit" had
seized the wasted form, and in hall
an hour the struggle was over. The
poor lad was dead.
At sunset the little group gathered
with saddened countenances and
dim eyes in the port gangway, where
slender form, with weights at the
feet, lay rigidly upon plank, with
the union jack spread over it. One
end of the plank was upon the sill
OF port, while the other was sup
ported by a rest inboard. Thu
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