The Philipsburg mail. [volume] (Philipsburg, Mont.) 1887-current, 1894-11-29

/ q oesoh, says Dill MAI
: lin, lin. hnqoklin X =, tie ! brin, J,
amt complainin O. grub er gros
aboard this ERE raft, but if the old mar
had been so eminded as to take nv ad
wise and leave the cook s cat aboard std
der heavin her over the rail soon's
we left port the brig 'u'd a-been max.
IN into Boston in another week stidde1
hevin gone to Davy Jones', and him,
with the rest of the crew, clawin sea.
weed 'longside of her. I wouldn't ku1
ropes end fur this ERE turn in the
tide" continued Bill, takin an ex.
ira half hitch in his lashin's, eff hadn't
made date with shipmet O. mine.
Lijah Hawkins by name, hailin from
New Bedford, when he's afloat, but now
bein ashore in them 'ere parts. When
pass my word, Jack, it's same's if I
signed articles, and that's MORN I've
done aboard this crib''
The raft was made Of spars and empty
pork barrels, with cutdown lib rugged
on a jury mast forward, and our stores
and dunnage in lead oolored chest
lashed amidships alongside of the water
cask, and the whole drippin outfit roll
ing on the seas, climbin up hill and
sousin into the trough and clawin off
sideways like fiddler crab.
Accordin to our reckonin, this was
the 18th of November (year '45), and
three days before the brig Nancy Of
Portland, from Liverpool into Boston,
with cargo of tin plate, had been
struck by an easter, and the captain had
driven her before the winds for 48
hours under next to bare poles until her
fore and main sticks went overheard in
an extra gale, and her rotten old hull
sprang a-leak. When the old man gave
up the pumps, expectin her to 20 down
before mornin, we provisioned the two
quarter boats regular, and the captain,
hevln the compass, and Bill Marlin,
bein mate Of the Nancy, hevin only
the ship s barometer to sail by, the crew
was that crazy to go in the captain s boat
that they swarmed over the side and
swamped her before our eyes, leavin
Bill and me leanin on the rail and the
old man and all hands goin to the bot
tom like lead afore we could heave 'em
SO much as a ropes end.
Me and Bill eased away the other
boat, and when she struck the water
a cross sea stove her against the brig
and crushed her like ali eggslell.
"Shipmet,' - says Bill, ''it amt fittin
to go to sea jist yit, and what we've got
to do is pump 'er," and pump her we
did all that night, watch and watch,
the other one lashin the raft By morn
in the water had gained nine inches
on us, and the ship had settled that
much by the side. Bill's face was long,
but he allowed it warn't no use to put
off till the raft was shipshape and her
stores lashed proper, so we worked and
pumped till near noon and swung the
whole outfit overheard by the mizzin-
mast boom and got onto lin our oil
skin pajamers and clear Of the Nancy
In time to see her go down bow on.
When asked Bill what the nature
If his engagement with Hawkins Of
New Bedford might be, he said it was
social and religious and included wearin
alongside and heavin aboard Thanks
3ivin dinner, and he had the old mans
consent beforehand for the cruise ashore
II was two year shiplnet with Lige
abound Bedford whaler up north in
50 and 8, and then struck him agin in
f2 aboard West India lime juicer in
he coastin trade and comm into Boston
N time we had shore leave together
IN Thanksgivin day, and bein New Eng
and born Of honest fsherfolks we kept
he day proper, accordin to our lights.
The next l seen of o. Lige after we left
he lime julcer was when we saw break
n out the Nancy's cargo alongside the
liverpool docks him a-celebratin his
asst day ashore afore the schooner sailed
or New York and long with i'm Ka-
laka sallorman What I'd messed with
foretime on a guano ship from Gallo
Q Frisco, and after cruisin around with
hem two all day, bein sober, I made
he date with Lige and seen the two
board the Lightfoot, which was three
Master and a-heavin of her anchor then
nd there for to put to sea-"
Bill hevin said them words, a green
ca combed over his end of the raft, and
7hen he came up BLOWN he pulled,
be glass out of his pocket and holdin
up he says, eyin it careful: "She's
'one up five points, Jack, since we ship.
ed, and 7 low she's moderatin What
uarter's the wind imp
"How do know?" says I. "Hain't
be old man got the compass?'
tGn ho hoe ~ cox,o Dill Sf..,l |
eedin Of it either hevin made port.
We been 20 years afore the mast, con-
lnued Bill, lookin grieved, 'in nigh
8 many ships, and I've obsarved that
,hen sailorman ships in a hurry he
inerally carries some article in his
unnigs what he'd better left hahind y