The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1895-02-15
SHIPS BUILT IN A CRATER.
Then Low cred II undrcds of Feet to Reach
the Sea-

Then Lowered II undrcds of Feet to Reach
the Sea-
1t is extremely difficult to tell lie.
Falsifying is as easy as to roll down a
creased plane. But sublime lie, in
whick one hand touches the stars and
the other dives down through the earth
and comes out the other side, that re-
quires genius. I remember in my youth
full days having an immense respect for
George because he could not tell a lie.
AS 1 advanced / found that to do SO he
would have required the brillianoy of
Hamilton, tho astuteness of Robert Nor
ris and the cloverness Of Franklin
which he did not have-but was simply
the we'll shaped marble Washington we
know today.
The difficulty consists in the fact that
truth no longer confines herself to her
proper reaIr, of probability. She takes
to herself such unlimitable bounds that
the most brazen eymbaled lie possible
to be conceived, dreamed or manufac-
tured has metaphorically, physically and
spiritually to take back seat.
/ am led to these reflections by some
remarks of my friend, Captain Ebenezer
Luffhard 1t seems truly said that the
world has changed SO much that a man
can no longer tell lie without its be-
ing detected as the truth.
Wewere speaking Of the launching Of
ships.
''Do you know" said the captain,
that down in the Caribbee islands peo-
pie build ships up on top of an old vol
cano? Yes, sir, thousan feet 'boye sea
level. Yes, sir, Dutchmen. An they
launch 'em too.
A smile went around the circle which
made the glasses jump on the table 1t
was an incredulous smile.
But, by the 'tarnal cells, I've seen
'em. A lot Of Dutchmen. Live ina era
ter. Thousan feet up. An SO steep you
have to go up steps cut in the rock to get
to it, An they build ships there in the
crater o. volcano An what's more,
not stick of timber grows on the
blasted place.
Now, cap" ventured one of his
hearers. EUR be it from me to say q
gentl man an old skipper like moseli
amt confirm hisself to the truth. Al
I've herd tell of folk long tho bay o.
Fnndy buildin ships way off in The
woods noways nigh the water. Bus than
tide rises 60 feet an launches them ships
as slick as though they was built in q
shipyard. But, dash my skin, if Lever
herd of tide risin thousan feet. How
do they launch them ere boats?"
Lower 'cm down the rocks clear into
| deep water I'm son of sea cook if
haven't seen them Dutchmen lower EN-
| down-thousan feet.
/ chuckled over one of the captains
best. What was my disgust to subse
quently find in Down the Islands," by
William Asnew Patton, page 30, that ths
name of this remarkable spot is Saba, /:
small Dutch island rising out of the sc;
in sheer walls of rock; that the inhab
itants really live 1000 feet up in Tho
air in the crater of a extinct volcano
Mr.. Patton says in his very interesting
book:
1.-THE people of Saba arc celebrated
throughout the Caribbean islands for th'
fishing boats they build in cratcr--tht
oldest places imaginable for a shipyard
When the boats are ready to be launched
they are lowered down the overhangine
precipices into the sea. There is no tim
Der growing on the island, no beacl
from which to launch boat when it il
built, 10 harbor to shelter one when
launched, and yet these Dutch West In