Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1893-01-04
SALT WATER ETIQUETTE,
unctiliousness as Seen Between Ships,
Big and Little. at Sea.

Big and Little, at Sea.
The Atlantic ocean is streaked from one
fide to the other with the long, black.
trailing smoke plu mes OF the big, rushing
record breakers and ocean grey
hounds" and few are left of the gallant
old white winged craft that carried the
flag and the fame of the nation to every
part of the world, save some scattering
'oil sleds" which the sailors, or to speak
more correctly, the deckhands on the liners
contemptuously refer to as wind jam
mers." Here and there, however, will be
eeen an occasional East Indian gamiclip-
per, either bound ont to China or the East
Indies, loaded with case oil, or coming
home with cargo of hemp, jute linseed,
rattan or some other of the fragrant and
valuable products of the gorgeous east.
But through all the changes in the size
and rig of vessels, through all the vicissi-
tudes of life on the ocean wave, the cap
tain of a ship, be Il big or little, is, as
rule, as punctilious in the matter of ETH
quette as a Spanish grandce.
And the etiquette of the sea is a wonder
full thing. A hail from little 75-ton "fore
and after" will be answered with as much
regard for the proplieties BY the East India
ship of 1900 tons as it would be by one OF
Its own size, and when the big ship has
been run through orm and fog by dumb
luck and dead reckoning" the appearance
of the little one is hailed with delight, as
affording a means Of rectifying possible
errors in reckoning. An instance of this
Kind occurred OF Cape Cod a short time
ago, when the captain of "a ship with a
valuable cargo and cres of twenty five
men, as the fog lifted about noon of the
seventh consecutive day without an OBJ
servation, saw almost under his bows a
little ''cordwOod COASTER creeping along
under mainsail and jib, with her skipper
at the wheel and her crew Zone mani vigor-
ously hauling away at the jib sheet.
Ship ahoy" roaIed the skipper.
Back from the deck way above him came
the answering call, "Ahoy there"
Where ye from p was the next question.
Calcutta, bound for Boston," was the
reply
Whats yer cargo?n
'Linseed, spice ard jute butts"
"How long We bin out?"
zone hundred and sixty days"
Gossip said the skipper, and then came
the chance Of the big ships captain.
Schooner ahoyl' came down from the
deck of the Lime juicer"
"Ahoy there" went back the answer.
What's your Ion yitude?"
The skipper knew where he was and tie
master of the Calcutta ship was uncertain.
So when the answer was given he was
much relieved, for t showed that he was
nearer home than ne had reckoned. But
he was going to have his talk out any way,
and although the little fellow had his lib
to windward he roared out:
Where you from"
Gloucester bound for New Bedford
What's your caryo?"
Rocks and bilge water mostly"
How long you been out?"
The skipper was sung by the sarcasm o.
the question, and with a look of scorn at
the big ship beloved out: Bin out all
night, by thunder, and l wish l hadn't.
Draw away your jibr' and the sheet block
went over to the lee rail with a bang. the
sail filled, and the last the Indiaman heard
of the schooner was the shippers shout
from the stern of his boat, Eye think we're
darn smart, don't ye, jest cause ye're bigr'
New York Tribune.