Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1895-06-01
SHIPS BUILT IN A CRATER.
Then Lowered Hundreds of Feet To Reach
the Sea


1t is extremely difficult to tell lie
Falsifying is as easy as to roll down q
creased plane But sublime lie, i'll
which ono hand touches tho stars and
the other dives down through the earth
and comes ont tho other side, that re-
quires genius. | remember in my youth
full days having an immense respect for
George because haEould not tell lie
As / advanced found that to do so he
would have required the brilliancy of
Hamilton, the astutenoss of Robert Nor
ris and tho cleverness of Franklin
which he did not have-but was simply
the well shaped marble Washington wo
know today.
The difficulty consists in tho fact that
truth no longer confines herself to her
proper realm of probability. She takes
to herself such unlimitable bounds that
the most brazon cymbaled 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 Ebcnezer
Luffhard. 1t seems truly said that the
world has changed so much that man
can no longer tell n lie without its be-
ing detected as tho truth.
We cwere speaking of the launching of
ships
do you know" said the captain.
that down in the Caribbee islands peo-
ple build ships up on top of an old vol
cano? Yes, sir, thousan feet 'bove sea
level Yes, sir, Dutchmen. An they
launch 'em too.
A smile went around the circle which
made the glasses jump on tho table It
was an incredulous smile.
But. by tho 'tarnal eels, I've seen
EN-. A lot Of Dutchmen. Live in q era
ter. Thousan feet up. An so steep you
have to go up steps cut in the rock 10 get
to it. An they build ships there in tho
crater O. volcano. An what's more,
not n stick of timber grows OH the
blasted place.
Now. cap" ventured one of his
hearers Fur be it from me to say n
gentl'man an old skipper like meSelf
amt confnin hisself to the truth An
I've herd tell of folk long the bay Of
Fundy buildin ships way of in the
woods noways nigh the water. But thar
tide rises 60 feet an launches them ships
as slick rs though they was built in a
shipyard But, dash my skin, if ever
he rd of tide risin thousan feet How
do they launch them ere boats?"
Lower 'em down the rocks clear into
deep water. I'm son of a sea cook if !
haven't seen them Dutchmen lower 'em
down-thousan feet F."
chuckled over one of the captain S
best What was my disgust to subse-
quently find in Down the Islands. ~ by
William Agnew Patton. page 90. that tho
namo of this remarkable spot is Saba, a
small Dutch island rising ont of the sea
in sheer walls of rock; that the inhab-
itants really live 1000 feet mp in the
air in the crater of extinct volcano
Mr.. Patton says in his very interesting
book:
Tho people Of Saba arc celebrated
throughout the Caribbean islands for the
fishing boats they build in a crater-the
oldest places imaginable for shipyard
When the boats are ready TO be launched,
they are lowered down the overhanging
precipices into the sea There is no tim
Der growing on the island, no beach
from which TO launch boat when il il
built, no harbor to shelter one when
launched, and yet these Dutch West In
dians profit by their trade of shipbuild-
ing and cruise all about tho Caribbean
archipelago in the stanch, seaworthy
craft they construct in the hollow of a
crater on the top of their mountain col
ony ;"
Alas, the captain had but told us the
truth. Let us charitably conclude that
he thought the story so improbable that
it would answer as well as a lie. Phil
adelphia Times