Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1898-08-13

tlc&i JarBOH. Oo
far as I know, it may be correct
enough, though upon this point I con-
fess I have my doubts. OF course, we
are all aware that every Englishman
is born sailor-a circumstance which
is conclusively proved by the fact, SO
we'll established on the Channel boats,
that no Englishman is ever seasick.
But I question very much if even
Britons can thoroughly understand
nautical terms, unless they have en-
joyed the benefit of special educa-
tion, and I have, therefore, deter
mined to tell my little sea stories in
plain, homely English.
1 am quite aware that to some of
my readers this may come as disap-
pointment. Only last night told a
lady, great friend Of mine, that
was going to make the attempt. Her
face fell.
"Oh," she said, "won't there be
anything about a Delaying pin?"
"Certainly not" replied.
"I'm sorry for that" she said. 81
always attach so much importance to a
belaying-pin."
"What is belaying-pin?" asked.
"I'm not quite sure" she answered,
with little hesitation; "but rather
think that the captain uses it to stick
in his neecktie."
1 don't pretend to know whether
she was right in her conjecture or
not. But shall not make use of the
term. And I shall also avoid such
expressions as "Avast!" aud "Ahoy!
which always strike me as being par
ticularly offensive. I don't object to
| plain, commonsense words, such rs
as mast and deck; and this, I think,
should be accepted as a guarantee
that the method which 1 propose to
adopt is not the outcome of mere
wriggishness; but an honest endeavor
to make myself understood.
George Williams is captain in the
! merchant service. 1 know him well.
At the time of which am writing he
was young officer, full of courage
and resource, and, in spite Of this, a
great favorite with his employers,
Messrs. Evans and Harrison. He had
lately been given the command of a
ship called the Crocodile, and he
therefore went to see the owners, at
their Office in the city, in order that
he might receive his instructions.
"Morning, Williams" said Mr..
Harrison.
"Morning, SIR" said Williams.
"The Crocodile is to go to Naples
with a cargo Of" Well, it doesn't
really matter what the cargo was; it is
sufficient for my story that it was a
cargo of something. George Williams
was quite satisfied, so we need not
trouble about it any further. Why
should we be bothered about matters
that do not concern us? Mr.. Harri-
son continued: II don't think that
you will be able to find cargo for tn e
return journey at Naples; SO you will
have to come away from there in bal
last"
am obliged to use this term be-
cause I know of no other that exactly
conveys the meaning that wish to ex-
press. But it is most ridiculous and
misleading phrase. When ship is
without a cargo, it has to carry some
dead weight to prevent it from being
too high out of the water, and this
dead weight is called ballast. And
then the sailors tell you that the ship
is in ballast. OF course, what they
really mean is that the ballast is in the
ship, not the ship in the ballast. This
I believe to be the true explanation
though know it is dreadfully confus
ing.
Mr.. Harrison went on to say that
Williams would have to look into one
or two ports on his way home on the
chance of picking up acargo. And he
named the places at which he was tc
call.
Then it was that brilliant ides
struck George Williams. Coal would
be much more expensive out at the
foreign nations than it WAS i'll Lon
don. Why not take out sufficient TO,
the whole journey, and use it as bal
last before consuming it? 1 cannot
say that think very highly of the no
tion myself. 1t seems to me that the
ship would be continually rising i'm
perceptibly out of the water, squeezed
up like an orange pip between ones
finger and thumb. But, then, know
nothing whatever about such matters
SO possibly my opinion is not entitled
to much respect. Anyhow, the sug
gestion commended itself to Mr.. Har
rison, and, between them, they de
termined to adopt it.
'There is one thing" said Will
Jams. "We shall not be able to pu
all the coal into the coal cellars.
"Coal cellars" was not the expression
which George actually used. He sai'
"bunkers." But such word as tina
would convey nothing to people whit
had been carefully brought up, and
should not think of employing it my
self.
eve shall have to put some Of it in
to the hold" continued Williams.
am sorry to say you can only have lit
tie slices Of this conversation at time
1t requires so much comment and ex