Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1896-03-05
A DROP OF BLOOD.


A DROP OF BLOOD.
In 1775 the brigantine Governor Clin-
ton left Philadelphia loaded with -four
for Spanish Town, Jamaica. 1t was the
18th of December, and Captain Ira
Drake, her commander, expected to eat
his New Years dinner on the island.
Everything was auspicions, and with a
northwest wind he sailed down the river
He remarked long after that he felt IN
usually 6urried by his parting with Mrs
Drake and his daughter Emma, on the
wharf, but not being Of an imaginative
turn of mind the impressions passed,
and he saw the tall poplars and red
rooted farmhouses in the Neck fade
away under the winter sunset with pro-
fessional indifference.
The Governor Clinton was only 430
tons, and she left port in company with
26 others, foreign bound, most of them
sqnars rigged. At the present time there
are only two ships owned in Philadel-
phia, and neither sails from here.
Mrs. Drake and Emma walked up
Second street to their home, which was
in the house then two story, afterward
the tea store of the late eccentric John
Lanond, who died few months ago.
To be a captains S wife in those days
was to hold social position next below
the magnates of Society Hill, and Cap
tain Drake was reported a prosperous
man.
Mother" said the daughter, lido
you feel any pnnsnal anxiety in parting
with father this yoyage?"
"No, my dear. Don't let such things
get into your mind. "
"Yes, but the Aggy Slade has been
out over so days, and she's bound for
Jamaica too Poor Mrs. Folsom is just
wild about her husband. How do wish
father would give mp the sea and stay
ashorer'
Shipmasters' wives had to have stout
hearts in those days; there were perils
on the sea then that are unknown now.
A West India voyage meant poor
charts, dodging among the reefs and
keys of the Bahama banks, northers,
hurricanes and more deadly assaults
from the desperate ruffians that infested
the coast Of Cuba and were secretly up
held by the Spanish authorities, who
shared their plunder, and at this time
both Tardy and the La Fittes were
known to be cruising in the gulf.
Christmas passed, and as New Year s
came on a feeling of pneasiness and
dread entered into the Drake household.
Emma had an additional source of anx-
iety. Sam Spain, although only "a, was
first officer Of the Governor Clinton and
a splendid specimen of the American
sailor, and before this voyage he and
Emma had exchanged vows And so
poor Emma fretted and made her moth
eE anxious.
New Years day, 1896, was cold,
clustering and sleety, and after attend
ance at early mass at st. Joseph's
both women sat down to breakfast.
''For the Lords sake, Emma, don t
tell me anything about your dreams.
You make me nervous. Your father and
the brig are all right, and when the
Quickstep comes in we'll hear from
Spanish Town. She sails from there to-
day"
''But, mother, there is something in
dreams, and I never had such dreadful
ones before, and you know-good God,
what is thatf" And the girls voice
arose TO a scream. "Oh, motherl On
your hand, on your hand n
The mother looked and grew pale az
death. There Cd her plump, white hand
was drop Of ruddy blood She muir
INJURED, Maybe pricked myself with
the fork. " And with shudder she
wiped away the dread token. But
there was no wound, the skin being
unbroken. "There, there, it has come
again. Oh, mother, let's pray Ny dear
father and Sam are in peril. know it.
I feel it. Y
I And they knelt and with heads bowed
down prayed to him who rules the winds
and tempests to spare their loved ones
on the sea
The Governor Clinton was an old tub
! and did her best when she reeled off
eight knots ON bowline, but this time,
/ under fair northeast wind, she was
cutting feather through the waves of
1 the Bahama banks ON the 10Th of De
/ cember. Here her good luck ended A
norther set in, driving them 200 miles
! off their course, and then head winds
blew for week, so that it was the last
day in tho year before they came in
sight Of the Cuban coast, and not over
ten miles off Cape st. Antoine the wind
failed, and there came one Of those dead
calms peculiar to those latitudes. The
sails hung without shiver, and the
pepnant was as straight down as yard
of pump water. But this was not the
worst. Captain Drake knew that he was
| in the track of the pirates and was prac
tically helpless to keep away from them,
and at this moment he was doubtless
signaled off shore to some Of their yes
sells. Everything depended Oh keeping q
stont heart.
His six "a pound carronades were
loaded with grape and kentledge, the
arm chest was opened. cutlasses and pis-
tolls were served to the crew, muskets
were loaded, and the cook filed his cop
pers with hot water ready TO repel board.
ers. All hands kept watch that night,
and in the morning Mate Spain went
aloft with glass. He at once hailed
the deck. "There is topsail schooner
lying behind that point Of land off the