The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1895-11-14
In THE NORTH SEA, ON A SNACK.
by WM. CLARK Russell.


upon a sea that sparkles like molten
silver, her red sails faithfully mirror
ed under, with an horizon hazy and
underlined upon the hot blue sky along
which the smoke Of vanished steamers
hangs in broken lines, is an image
familiar to most sea side holiday
makers. 1t is summer picture, and
the deep has few prettier signs to Of
| fer. You note from the beach on
which you stand, that there Is not
stir enough in the lustroUs snrface to
send shiver through her canvas.
The tide sets her strainlng lightly
at her anchor. and the delicate ripple
from the bow flashes in quick pulsa-
tions of white light as it creeps away
from the shadow of the hull into the
broad sunshine. The voices Of the
men aboard of her come like soft
echoes over the polished bosom Of the
water, and mingle pleasantly with
the purring of the small breakers at
your feet. or sometimes it is the creak-
of a block shave on it's rusty pin. Or
the metallic rattle of the pawls OF
the winch, or the hollow thud OF the
coil of rope flung suddenly down: and
perhaps some life is presently I'M
parted to the picture by the weigh.
ing of the anchor and the launching OF
boat over the side. Then you hear
the harsh grinding of the boats keel
| upon the deck and the wash of water
as she strikes the sea and shIvers the
inverted image Of the sails and masts
| into fragments; you watch some men
tumble into her, and note how the line
by which they tow the smack straight
| ems and slackens under their vigorous
strokes. while you listen to the sound
of the grinding of the oars against the
thole-pins which is as ryhthmlcal as
the ticking of great clock.
This is a summer picture, and a
| familiar one. But that same smack, a
| few months later Will be offering a
very different study. You shall see
her strained and drenched by roaring
wintry waters, battling under the
greenish and cloud swept moon with
Violent gales and boiling surges, a
mere eggshell of craft compared
with the great phantom like ships
which glide, with sound of thunder
IN their rigging, past in the dark
nights, yet making as brave a fight
for it as the biggest Of them; and re
turning home after many days with
streaming decks and q hold stocked
with freight enough to fill van-load
of trunks" with noble fish.
On November day, embarked on
board a smack belonging to the port
| of Ramsgate, for short turn IN the
North Sea, being desirous of obtain
ing an experience which is almost
wholly limited to fishermen. The
name of the vessel was the Prince OF
Wales, her burden about twenty five
tons-a plump, stout little clinker- built
boat. almost like a tub for beam, with
the regular fisherman's sheer forward
| that hove the deck up into her bows
like the slope of a hill, cutter rugged,
and manned by a crew of three men,
commanded by one William Ratclltf.
We went out of the harbor with
| our mainboom over the quarter, and,
shaving the great granite head of the
West Pier. struck the strong easterly
tide, swept around 80 as to bring the
| cleaning heights of chalk cliff on our
port quarter. and sped. in a smother
| Of spray, and with short, bounding
| dance. over the tumbling seas, like a
cart horse at gallop. The wind was
in the north and west, steady and
keen; the water for leauges beyond
scintillant with the breaking of little
seas; the sky overhead deep, pure,
dark blue, but almost white upon the
horizon, where the sea circle ran in a
nard, clear line with here and there a
ribbed and windy cloud, and low
slate -colored bank pe7ping over the
ocean in the east. The shore was as
fair picture in the cold. white sun
shine as ever / looked on; for the
white chalk gave by contrast to the
green OF the slopes delicacy as OF
silk; and presently opening Broad
stairs, | saw the morning radiance
sparkling in diamond like tremors ii
the windows of the seaward-lOokins
houses, and found something exceed
ingly beautiful in the soft and various
coloring of the grouped editices anc
short length of black pier and the
curve of white cliff half circllng {
platform of pale yellow sand.
But we soon drew away so as to lose
sight of deta lis. TIE cliffs became {
long pallid line, rounding sharply al
the North Foreland, and running
toward the southwest in mere tilmy
shadow far astern. The open ocear
was before us, and the little smacE
was chopping her way into it angrily
the wind humming like the sound o.
a band ST music in her big mainsail
and her forecastle cleaning with the
spray that flew over the weatherboN
in showers of sparkling crystals.
There were two or three smacks IL
our wake, bound like ourselves for the
fishing grounds; and we had sunk the
land by ten miles & great iron ship
with her red bottom flashing like darl
gold against the green tumble ofwat
ers. overhauled and passed US a
hough we were at anchor. Her sail
were as white as cotton, her yard
bracel to hair; she was a wonderful
mountain OF canvass, and as l gazet
up at her from our low deck her roy
ais looked like clouds sweeping unde
the sky NY companions. howeve,
use d to such noble sights, barrel
, glanced at her Ratclitf. at the tillel
: steered like an automaton, just liftin
his eye now and again to the weathe
.. leech of the foresail, and screwing hi
head round to note how the smack
were doing astern.
1t was bitterly cold. and the shar
!, Jerking of the vessel and the slipper.
t wet decks made it impossible for N
, to keep myself warm by walking.
!, There's a bit of stow below, sir.
v said Ratcliff; SO l made for the con
i panion, and descending a perpendicu
5, lar flight of four or five steps, an
1 .lo ool-fS oab,n