Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-05-13
THE BUTTERED SHIP.

tured the pirate ship and saved his owl
vessel with tub of butter IL is stor
that would do credit to tho ingenuity o
one of our own Yankee skippcrg, as well n
Tho trick by which he won prizo ant
mndo capture ut sea yet never wasted
pound of powder.
After all, now one comes to think of 1t
Michel Adrianzoon dc Ruytcr, tho great
est of the Dutch naval heroes, very nearl!
resembles somo of our best men-Georg,
Washington, Andrew jackson and Com
modore Perry, for instance. Like them, b,
came of poor parents and made his wa,
by shocr grit; but, unlike them, De Ruytcr
In his youth, was famous for the extraor
binary screpes he was continually falling
into.
Not that he was really bad boy, only
very lazy, SO mischievous he was turned
out Of every workshop whore his father, q
poor brewer, apprenticed him and so noisy
and fun loving he was continually in dis.
grace.
Just for lark no climbed tho church
stceple in his native town of Flushing,
pretended to dance hornpipo around the
~eathorcock and came down by knocking
holes In the slate shingles to form sor;
of ladder
folks looked upon the stceplo prank with
very much less admiration. You may be
sure sound birohing was administered
by way OF reward, and then poor Mrs dc
Ruyter had to consent to 11.year old
Michiei's being bundled OF as a cabin
boy on n merchant vessel bound for the
African coast
This all happened in the year 1877, and
no doubt good many otherwise kind
hearted folk In Flushing rather hoped
that hungry savages and fierce storms
might indefinitely postpone Michiel's re-
turn to his native land, so peaceful did the
docks and streets seem after his departure.
They were doomed to disappointment,
however, for Michel Adrianzoon did
come back, no longer n cabin boy. but q
live young sailor, entirely satisfied with
his new life on the broad, dangerous high
seas.
AT ~ tho cabin boy became a Junior
officer, and OF 81 there was no more trust.
cd, skillful young captain In tho Dutch
merchant marine.
Oddly enough. Captain do Ruyter didn't
cnre very much for fighting though in
that day all tho European nations were in
tested with pirates, pompous English mer-
chnntmon, Spanish friRates. ready to
pounce on Dutch vessels, and French men.
of-wnr, looking out for fat prizes, Dc
Ruyter was busy making money, perfect
Ing himself In mathematics, drawing
maps, and he always preferred slipping
neatly through his enemies clutches to
provoking o quarrel.
Once big Spanish man-of-war did
overhaul his peaceful trading ship, and
inter putting up the best fight possible Dc
Ruyter was obliged to yield and was pop
ped Into black Spanish prison. He es-
capped, however, and as barefoot beggar,
walked all tho way home to Flushing
Never again did he fall into SO sad n
plight, and when on his way home from
Ireland with a cargo Of butter no savod
his ship md won prize by tho following
device:
When half way home, pirate gave
chase, and not able to escape by aid of tho
wind, our bravo young captain was at q
loss how to avoid capture Ho neither
hal tho men nor guns with which to offer
elective resistance, but "a happy thought
came
Ordering up n barrel Of butter he d.
rected his sailors to tako of shoes and
stockings, grease down docks, companion
way, ropes, etc, open wide all portfolios,
and then, thoir arms concealed about
them, wnit for tho worst.
When nearly every inch Of tho ship had
been liborally buttered, no obodiently
hove to In response to n cannon shot
across his bows and meekly pretended his
readiness to deliver up lives and cargo az
gracefully as possible
So enchanted wero tho pirates with
their easy victory and so greedily eager
N fra Nhn sTtn 4 -. ~
ing alongside Dc Ruytcr's ship, they crowd
ed noisily on to his deck.
But CONSERVATION overlook them. Tho
first man whose foot touched tho Dutch
ship, slid, like ono on tobogsan, head
FOREMOST down the companionway. There,
AZ he lay stunned, the cabin boy bound
and sat on him.
Two more few over the deck and shot
out through the portfolios into tho sea,
while the remainder glided about, help
lessly Quitting into tho bulwarks ut every
heayo of the waves or dropped to their
backs, unable to got foothold and rise
again.
Those who did remain erect, shook with
horror, thinking the ship bewitohed, and
In trico the pirates were bound, their
vessel taken in tow, and, chuokling with
delight, Do Ruyter sailed homo to report q
complete victory.
Once again the young captain over
whelmed pirate In tho English channel
at less outlay even than tub OF butter.
This time, when big now ship was I'M
der his command, no came up with pi.
rate towing q handsome trading vessel
just captured.
Though not anxious to fight, Do Ruytor
could not resist tho temptation to make
another fine haul With the same audacity
that had led him to dance hornpipo on
tho steeple he olappcd on all sail, mustered
his men and hoisted the colors of Dutch
admiral.
Thinking that nothing less than great
man-of-war was bearing down upon them
the pirates made hot haste for the French
coast, forsaking their prize TO vessel their
guns could hayo blown into the air,
Not many years after this Do Ruyter bo.
came an admiral IN tho Dutch navy, and
fearful even TO read about were the battles
he fought against French, Swedos, Span
ish and the British In one engagement
six vessels In turn were sunk under him,
and once he filled all England with fear
by sailing straight up the Thames river,
scizing ships and even threatening Lon
don.
At last, In great battle against tho
French, he received three terrible wounds
and died, crying out cheerfully through
tho roar of cannonading, keep courage
boys, keep courage; that is tho way to win
the victory Globe.
Erroneous Dinzzosis.