Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1894-06-20
LOOK IN FIFTYw

cOmmauQer OF u SIeamSn1p IN winch
was making voyage for my health.
The captain, who had himself shared
in the experience he related, began his
tale thus:
ga good many years ago was in
Cape Town, having been forced by ill.
ness to quit my post as second mate Of
a large ship bound to Bombay. A fort
night after the ship sailed I recovered
my health and was fit for work.
II remember one Of those mornings
while I was hunting for berth. I was
watching Malay fishing boat sliding
through the water, with an occasional
burst Of spray off her weather bow,
which arched little rainbow for her
to rush through, when I was accosted.
I turned. It was the port captain or
harbor master. cannot remember the
term by which his office was distin-
guished. He had sailed with my father
some years earlier, and I had met him
ON two occasions in England. he had
done me some kindness while lay in
lodgings in Cape Town and had assured
me of his willingness to help me find a
ship when I should be well enough to
60 to sea- He was Scotchman, with
hard, weather colored face and of q
dry, arch expression Of eye.
2"D'ye see anything to fit YEP said he.
"'Aye, said I, "a plenty
Sc sWo11 novr sold ha ho
very mon was thinking of not half an
hour ago. was in Adderley street and
met a captain who was here last year.
His names Huddersiield He's in
charge of colonial trader from South
American port, with a small consign.
ment for this place, and is bound for
Sydney, New South Wales, where his
little ships owned, chiefly, believe,
by himself @a
'He pointed to large three masted
schooner that was lying within 100
strokes Of an oar, almost abreast Of US.
She looked an exceedingly fine craft. A
large Dutch Indiaman was rolling upon
the swell Of tho sea within few cables
length astern of her, and just ahead rode
a Russian auxiliary frigate very heavily
spared, with great cleaning windows
in her stern and network of gliding
on either quarter, SO that the blue brine
under her counter flashed as to the dart
Of sunbeam whenever she lightly sway
ed Yet the schooner held her own in
all points as a picture of beauty and
was not to be dwarfed. The gilded but
tons of her trucks shone high in the
azure of that afternoon. She was paint
ed white, and a CLEAN of dark red, like
some cold, wet fash of sunset, broke
from her metaled bends whenever she
was moved by the infowing heave of
the water. So
"When got on board, I found the lit
tie ship very noble, flush decked YES
sci, with clear sweep of sand bright,
yachtlike pink running from the taffrail
to the eyes. The brasswork was full
of the stars of the western sunshine.
The glass of her skylights,was dark and
shining. Her ropes were Flemish coiled,
as though indeed she had been man
of-war. Everything was clean and neat.
I guessed she was about 800 tons bur-
den. Her crew had knocked off for the
day and were lounging about the wind
lass, two or three of them stripped to
the waist, washing themselves. They
had colonial air. This might have
been owing to their dress of check shirt,
open at the breast, no braces, here and
there moleskins and here and there
cabbage tree hat.
"The second mate, a man whose name
/ afterward ascertained was Curzon,
was walking in the gangway, smoking
pipe. I inquired if Captain Hudders-
field was on board. He asked me what
my business was, as though suspicious
Of visit from stranger after working
hours. 1 was about to explain the reason
that had brought me to the schooner,
when Captain Huddersfeld himself
emerged through the little companion
way and stepped on deck, pausing mo-
ment, with the sharp of his hand to his
brow, to gaze in the direction of Cape
Town.
'He was tall, gentlemanly looking
person, thickly bearded, the hair of
rich auburn. The skin Of his face was
much burnt by the sun. His eyes were
of liquid blue, and when he approach
ed and directed them at me I seemed
to find something glowing and tender
In them, as though he were an enthusi-
asst, man Of strange, perhaps high,
but always honest, imaginings, dream
er. His age seemed about 40.
"'That's the captain, said the Sec
ond mate.
IT lifted my cap and walked up to
him. In few words told him my
business, adding that held not only a.
chief mates, but masters, certificate
Of competency. He eyed me critically,
but with kindness, and nodded, with
something Of gravity, ON my mention
ing the name of the port captain. After
we had exchanged few sentences he
took me into the cabin, bright, breezy
little interior, aromatic with guam
tity Of plants, which had evidently been
recently brought aboard, and cheerful
with mirrors and pictures, as though,
in short, this gentleman was in the
habit, when he went to sea, of carrying
his parlor with him, and bidding me
be seated he asked number Of ques-
tions, all of which I saw with much
pleasure, by the expression Of his face.
/ answered to his satisfaction.
1.-THE interview ended in his offer
ing me the post Of mate of the schooner
ON lump wage for the run to Sydney,
and early next morning went aboard
with my chest and took up quarters in
the cabin.
"It breezed up ahead after we had
been at sea few days. The Cambrian
looked well to windward, but she was
still points off her course, Then again
the great Agulhas stream set us to lee
ward, and our progress was slow. On
the 22d day Of the month, we then be-
ing four days out from Table bay, the
weather blaokened on a snddan in an