Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1897-11-28
THE RAINBOW'S LUCK
 IV Nn HWHu
 A Ne Aas A=At " Roe

halhDOW. Tier history rom beginning
 to end was curious one, and it would
 be hard to find an old whaleman who
 hadn' heard it half q dozen times over.
 The ship Wanderer wont whaling
 from tho port of Bristol. commanded by
 Captain Joseph Watkins. She was out
 IS months and never took whale.
 Four of her crew died of fever, three
 wore killed by accident, and the ship
 returned so wrecked that she was sold
 for collier. The owners lost heavily,
 of course, and Captain Watkins was
 called Jonah and could not get anoth-
 or craft One day whom he was digging
 in his garden he unearthed three jars
 which were filled to tho brim with gold
 pieces, and which had been buried for
 perhaps q century. His find footed up
 about 800, GOO, and with tho greater
 portion of tho money he built and fitted
 out tho bark Rainbow Instead of ship
 ping crew on shares he paid by the
 month, and thus set out on his first voy-
 ago with the best seamen of Bristol
 On tho second day after leaving port
 the bark eame across dead whale float
 ing about which yielded 80 barrels of
 oil. On the fifth day, just as the decks
 had boon cleared up she came upon the
 soone of fight between five whales
 and seven or eight of that species of
 fish known as tho killer, which is the
 mortal enemy of the leyiathan and Che
 only known one he has ill any sea. The,
 bark hovo to and let the fight go on,
 and when it was over sho had two dead
 whales to tow alongside and added l50
 barrels of oil to her cargo In four
 months from tho day she left Bristol
 she entered port again, having cargo
 of bone and oil which sold for more
 than $50, Tn addition to that she
 brought homo tho complete skeleton of q whale So feet long, for which the British museum paid 80, GOO in cash.
 Tho lucky voyage of the Rainbow oreated much talk, and when Captain Watkins was ready to set sail again he had to turn sailors away by the hun drod This time tho crew was shipped on shares, and no man had reason to re- gret it. In 150 days tho bark was back in Bristol with 2,870 barrels of common oil, 820 barrels of lease" or fine oil, and tho largest cargo of baleen. or whale bone, over brought to port by whaler She had not lost man, boat or 0 sail Everybody was astounded over the luck of a man who had been out year and half in another ship to meet with noth- ing but disaster, and the name of Cap tain Watkins was heard whenever two sailors met. Ho had money enough to enable him to live comfortably the rest of his days, but he was persuaded to mako ono moro voyage On this third cruise the loviathans of tho deep seemed to hunt for the ship. Tn 156 days she made tho port of Bristol with cargo worth $6,00o more than either of the preceding ones
 When tho Rainbow had completed her third voyage, Captain Watkins de. tormined to remain ashore There were so many mon who wanted to buy the lucky ship that she was put up at auc. tion. Mon eame from every seaport ill England and Scotland to bid on her, and the price was run up until she sold for $5, 900 more than she had cost tc build She was bid i'll by a Bristol firm, and the command of her given to Cap tain Travers. Her complement of men when ready for sea was 88. but so wide spread was her fame as alueky ship that there were over 700 applicants for the 3S places
 Threo months after she arrived home l on her third cruise the Rainbow went to sea again. Up to this time l had never seen the bark, but had heard all about her dozen times over from men aboard of our whaling ship, the Nancy l Lee of Marblehead One day as WIG were | cutting in a whale to the north of St | Helena the Rainbow came up from the east, and the two craft remained ill com pany for three or four hours The lucky | ship had then been out of port 40 days without capture and all were disgust sd. More than that, she had been through | severe gale ana had three men hurt md lost sails and topmasts. Her luch lad changed. Captain Trayers was . inc seaman, an old whaler. and had ,ever brought an empty ship into port, mi tiio fact remained that the Rainbow ,ad not yet oven lowered for whale.
 Inst as she was ready to leave us, however. two large whales spouted wa. CT within a half mile of the ships rhav were a quarter of mile apart, md while we lowered for one the bark oolx tho other. We had but little trou- ia in killing our, prey, which was o,,ala and good for 70 barrels of oil. rho other was . bull whale and eyi' ,ant,v in bad teinqer. He first led the ,,, ts . chast,of three miles to tho south nd then slowed around and waited foi hem to come up. When the mates boat was within 600 feet of him. ne ,ushed forward and ran it down, and ,s if Aoated astern of him he smashed