The morning times., 1896-10-11
The
Buttered
Ship.
By Frances Endcrs.

By RANGES EnucIs.
idyou ever hear how de Ruyter captured
the pirate ship and saved his own vessel
with a rub of butter? 1t is a story that
would do credit 10 the ingenuity Of one of
our own Yankee skippers, as well as the
trick by which he Won prize and made a
capture at sea yet never wasted Pound of
powder.
After an, now one comes To think of II,
Micuiei Adrinnzoon de kuyter, the greatest
of the Dutch naval heroes, very nearly
resembles some Of our best mcn-George
Washington, Andrew jackson and COmmo-
dorc Perry for instance. Like them hecauGc
OF poor- honest parents, made his way by
sheer grit, daring and truthful rcaTleSsuesS
and fought in defense OF n republic, hut
unlike them de Ruytcr. in his youth was
famous forthe heeNtraordiinary scrapcs he was
continually falling into.
Not that he was really bad boy, only
very laZy.so mischievous he was turned out
of every workshop where his father, poor
brewer, apprentlced him, and SO noisy and
fun loving he was continually in disgrace.
Just for lark he climbed the church stee-
pie in his native town Of Flushing, pre-
weather cock and came down by kicking
holes in the slate shingles To form a sort OF
ladder
This all happened in the year 1877, and
no doubt o good many otherwise kind
hearted folks III Flushing rather hoped
that hungry savages and fierce storms
might Indefinitely postpone Micfiel's re-
turn to his native land, so peaceful did
parture. They We're doomed 10 disap-
pdntmcnt, however, for Michel Adrian
Zoon did come back, no longer cabin
boy, but Il live young sailor, entirely salts
fled with his new life on the broad dan
gcrous high seas. At seventeen the cabin
boy became junior officer. and at twenty
enc there was no more trusted, skillful
young captain In the Dutch merchant
marine.
Once a big Spanish man-of war did over
haul his peaceful trading ship and after
putting up the best fight possible, De
Ruyter was obliged TO yield, and was
popped into a black Spanish prison. He
escaped. however, and as n barefoot beg
gar, walked all ihe way home To Flushing
never again diG he fan into SO sad u
plight and when On his way home from
Ireland. with a cargo of butter, he saved
his ship and won prize by the folio wing
device:
When halr way home pirate gave
chase, and not able 10 escape by aid of
the wind. our brave young captain WAS
at loss how to avoid capture.
He neither had the men nor guns with
which to offer effective resistance, but
a happy thought came. Ordering mp abarrel
OF butter he directed his sailors to take orr
shoes and stockings, grease down decks,
copIpanonway, ropes, etc, open wide all
porthules and then, their arms concealed
about them. wait for the worst. When
nearly every inch of the ship had been
literally buttered he obe1ienuy hove to-
In response to Il cannon shot across his
bows, ana nleckly pretended his readiness
10 deliver up lives and cargo as gracefully
as possible.
So enchanted were the pirates with
their easy victory, and so greedily eager
10 seize the victims and stores, that, coming
alongside De Ruyter's ship, they crowded
= noisily onto his deck. But CONSERVATION
overlook them. The first man whose foot
touched the Dutch ship slid. like one on a
toboSgan, headforemost down the COM
panion way. There, as be lay stunned. the
cabin boy bound and sat on him. Twomorc
flew over the deck anl shot ont through the
portfolios into the sea, willie the remainder
glided about, helplessly buttiug into the
bulwarks at every heave of the waves
or dropped TO their backs, unable 10 get
footliold aud rise again. Those who did
remain erect shook with horror, thinking
the ship bewitched, and in Il trice the
pirates were bound. their vessel taken in
tow, and, chuckling with delight, De
Ruytcr sailed home to report u complete
victory.