The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1897-04-27
A Little French Hero.

told by W. S. Quigley, is worth reprintiL j
One OF the saddest wrecks with
which a boy was identified was that Of
the convict chip Amphitriee, on Satur
day, August 3Oth, 1888 This ship left
Woolwich five days before, bound tt
New South Wales with 1O3 ~convicts,
all women, and IL unfortunate chill
dren. a skipper of the old school had
command OF the craft, and in addition
he was part owner Seventeen hands"
who we're better qualified to navigate
q sand Car rel steel rails, were the
members Of the crew. One of those
tempests which veteran mariners say
are no longer to be found on the deep,
but which statement is unhappily III:
true, struck the ship while she was off
Dungeness. The craft was fetched
down to short duck, but it was plain
that no sailing could be done in that
sort of weather, and finally her nose
pole was laid up into the eye of the
wind. About 3 o'clock the following
morning the call of Light or echoed
down the lee from the foretopsail- yard.
Three points on the lee bow lay the
sparkling lantern Of B }ulogue France.
Call all hands," Came The demand
through the captains trumpet.
All hands" whistled the boatswein,
aud Ali hands" reared the boatswain's
mates.
Lay aloft there lively and set that
main lower topsail and shake a reef out
of that fore course" bawled the skip
per. Lay out, you lazy hounds"
The men few up the rigging that
was cre6king and swaying like a flying
trapeZe. Toe sea scowled around the
staggering hull, black and dark as the
wlGahes' cave, except where 1t snarled
and Kissed, under the bows, as it burst
into an acre Of creamy foam and tum-
bled astern. Of stars there were few
visible, if any at all, and the moon lay
hidden under one of q fotilla of heavily
laden clouds that were travelling
athwart the skies
How bears the Light" asked the
skipper.
"A0eam, cir" beloved the foretop.
'SeC that m~ainsail," commanded
Captain Hunter, ~hoarsely, but he
arched his eyebrows as he said it.
Pm afraid she will not stand it,
sir" meekly said the mate, his face as
changed as the fangs Of white water
that sputtered and roared over the
forefoot.
set that maiasail," howled the
master, Rs he smote the air with his
arm. ''She will have to stand it. Do
you hear met She will have to stand
1t. I'll take the lest stick out of the
old tub before l will humor her. How
bears the light nowY"
Still aoeam, SIR, returned the mate,
with'a suOdued but dissatisfied shake
of his head. I'VE make no citing. We
are sagging TO lee ward all the time.
Haul aft b main sheet there. Another
try, boys. GoOdI Keep her full and
bye, quartermasUer. Here you lay
forward to the cathead. Watch for
white water. Mind you keep a bright
lookout"
But one might just as we'll have
tried to blow a feather into the eye Of
that WrRthful wind as TO have cIaWed
of shore that night. The ship
struck, and the grinding surf reaped
the fruit Of It's harvest.
The ship took the sands an hour be-
fore dawn. The I'll came up, and it's
crimson bars kissed the riotous brine;
but, sbashed at it's perfdy, withdrew
lCa wealth Of splendor and took refuge
behind a panorama of wandering
clouds. Captain Hunter swore some
royal yard Oaths, when the vessel
struck, but he had a peculiar idea as
to his duty to his ship, his country,
and his flag. He ordered all the con
vIcts to be batteDed down, and he
called MS officers about him and said:
1t may be possible to land these un-
fortunate devils on that beach, but l
have no Instructions to do so. / was
told TO take them to New South Wales.
l am afraid that will be impossible.
We are all in the same pickle. We
may sound a thousand fathOms before
an hour goes by. 1 want to say just
this: In the absence OF further orders
and sooner than permit our passengers
TO go ashore here, I'm going to stand
by them Il sink with Them If neces
sary. In the name of the King, / call
upon all hands K assist me. DR.. For
roster, l 8 you to Kill h first man
who may attempt to lIberate these