, 1897-11-30
THE RAINBOW'S LUCK
BY c. Il LEWIS.

AAS ",,t At oAAAihS u vi AL pOlt
was referred to as often as the bark
Rainbow. Her history from beginning
to end was a curious one, and it would
be hard to find an old whaleman who
hadn't heard it half Il dozen times over.
The ship Wandcrer went whaling
from the port of Bristol, commanded by
Captain Joseph Watkins. She was out
IS months and never took q whale.
-Four of her crew died of fever, three
were killed by accident, and the ship
returned so wrecked that she was sold
for a collier. The owners lost heavily,
of course, and Captain Watkins was
called n Jonah and could not get anoth-
er craft. One day when he was digging
in his garden he unearthcd three jars
which were filled to the brim with gold
pieces. and which had been buried for
perhaps Il century. His find footed up
about 800, 600. ind with the greater
portion of the money he built and fitted
out the bark Rainbow. Instead of ship.
ping a crew on shares he paid by the
month, and thus set out on his first voy-
age with the best seamen of Bristol.
On the second day after leaving port
the bark came across a dead whale float
ing about which yielded so barrels of
oil. On the fifth day, just as the decks
had been cleared up. she came upon the
scene of u fight between five whales
and seven or eight of that species of
fish known as the killer, which is the
r,,prfo1 anpppy, of thn layt,th,n aud tha
only known Ii he has in II SEA. The
bark hove to and let the fight go on,
and when it was over she had two dead
whales TO tow alongside and added 100
barrels of oil to her cargo. In four
months from the day she left Bristol
she entered port again, having Il cargo
of bone and oil which sold for more
than $50, 900. In addition to that che
brought home the complete skeleton of
a whale So feet long. for which the
British museum paid s., 900 in cash.
The lucky voyage Of tho Rainbow
created much talk, and when Captain
Watkins was ready to set sail again he
had to turn sailors away by the hun
dred. This time the crew was shipped
on shares. and no man had reason to re-
greet it. In $50 days the bark war back
in Bristol with ESQ barrels of common
oil. $50 barrels ofs..ease" or fine oil.
and the largest cargo Of balcen. or whale
bone, ever brought TO port by n whaler
She had not lost a nlnn. boat or II sail.
Everybody was astoundeI over the luck
of a man who had been ont Il year and a
half in another ship to meet with moth
ing but disaster, and the name of Cap
tain Watkins was heard whenever two
sailors met. He had money enough to
enable him TO live comfortably the rest
Of his days, but he was persuaded to
make Il more voyage. On this third
cruise the ieviathans Of the deep seemed
to hunt for the ship In l5i days she
1n,:de the port of Bristol with a cargo
worth 90. OU0 more than either of the
preceding ones.
When the Rainbow had completed
her third voyage. Captain Watkins de-
fermipcd to remain ashore. There were
so many men who wanted to buy the
lucky ship that she was put up at auc-
ton Men came from every seaport in
England and Scotland to bid on her,
and the price was run up until she sold
for s.. 900 more than she had cost to
build. Bhe vas bid in by u Bristol firm.
and the command of her given to Cap
tain Travers. Her complement of men
when ready for sea was 3s. but SO wide
spread was her fame as u lucky ship that
there were over zoo applicants for the
80 places,
Three months after she arrived home
on her third cruise the Rainbow went
to sea again Up to this time | had
never seen the bark. but had heard all
about her Al dozen times over from men
aboard OF our whaling ship. the Nancy
Lee of MArblelend One day us we were
cutting i'll IL whale to the north Of st
Helena the Rainbow came up from the
east, and the wv craft remained i'll COM
pany for three or -four hours The lucky
ship had then been out of port 40 days
without q capture and all were disgust
ed. More than that. she had been through
a severe gale and had three men hurt
and lost sails and toprIasts Her luck
had changed Captain 1ravers was n
fine seaman. all old whaler. and had
never brought ali empty ship INTO port.
but the fact remained that the Rainbow
had not yet even lowered for Il whale.
Just az she was ready to leave us,
however. two large whales sppnted wa
Ter within a half mile of the ships.
They wers q quarter of II mile apart,
and while We lowered for une the bark
took the other. We had but little trou.
BILE ia killing our prey. which was a
female aud good for 30 barrels Of oil.