The times., 1898-02-06
MY. FIRST sHIPWRECK.

Now. then. young feller, said one ei
the visitors TO me. you're setun thert
very comfortable, where's your 'elf1er
Less have a merchant ships yarn
CANT We? We've had enough whaling
this trip
Thus adjured. / took up my parable
not without miseivings as to the re-
ceptien- such a commonplace yarn as
mine would have among these seasoiieu
adVenfurers. -t'-s
On my first voyage ! sailed Wltn an
uncle who was master OF an ola paI-
rel-bellied hooker like this, called the
Mary Ann. We had discharged at De-
merara. and. being too leaky to ship
suear. were bundled of 10 that last
refuge OF the unfortunate, the Gull OIL
Mexico. for mahogany. ! don't KNOW
how il was worked, but We We're so
long getting our freight at the various
roadsteads we called at that before we
were loaded; the nerther season ar
rived. Those tremendous gales gener-
ally dispose of a goodly number OF ola
rattle-traDS sent there for that purpose,
as the Mary Ann undoubtedly was.
Now. my uncle was a just man,
Though a thought too handy with his
rope's-end for my liking, and he dldn l
want to have me on board when the
crash came So he asked an old friend
commanding a grand barque, called the
Discpyerer, to give me passage nome,
as he was lust about 20 "a l. There was
no difficulty about the transfer of such
a midget as | was, and the next day
saw me a member of the DiScoVerer 5
crew.
She was indeed a-noble vessel. built
for the purpose OF Arctic research, OF
the best materials. and strengthened
in every way that experience could
suggest, rugged and found regardless OF
expense. ] have often wondered since
however she came to be on the MeHl-
can coast where few vessels of her
stamp We're ever seen in these DAYS.
She was well manned, too, and only
half hel. crew were foreigners, which
was remarkable. The skipper, who
may be still a-fishing. | will only call
Capt. s. in case of accidents He was
q good man. good seaman. ana Won
derfully kind withal, but with grog at
hand he couldn't keep sober IL his HE
depended on it.
The morning after / joined, we got
under way at daybreak. so as to get
good offing before dark, but even at
thai early hour the old man had peeh
having his respects 10 the bottle SO ire
ouently that he was comfortably drums
If he'd only been unconafortaDly urullh
he might have kept out OF the way
but as il was, he WAS nuisance, nlduh-
dering about like an amiable ioony, gel
ting in everybody way, ana hinderihS
operations generally
We'd got the anchor up ana Gated
but as the mate wanted TO get the rags
on her. we Just left the anchor hanging
bv the cat-tackle without passing the
ring-stopper, the fan being stretched
across the deck and made fast. Wed
got the to -gallant-sls on her, and she
was making about four knots, when
there was the most Internal racket for
rard you ever heard-the old man had
been and let go the anchor My. You
should just see that cable fly over the
vindla SIS Every last link was on deck.
120 fathoms on each size, the eias
shackfed together round the foremast
We We're off the bank in twenty-five
fathom water. and. going at the rate
/ have mentioned. there was no chance
of stopping the flying chain. Jump on
il" yelis the mate. Jump on II your
self" SAWS the fellows; why, you're
as had as the old man himself. So 1t
ran laout to the last link. Every man
was praying that it would carry away,
but like the rest of her gear, IL was too
good for that, and it swung her round
into the wind. bringing her up all
standing. And there stood the skipper
with his finger in his mouth, looking
like q bat at noon, and trying to Inquire
out what was the matter
Swearing didn't mend matters. al
though there was enough done to sink
The shin If oaths. were pounds. Not an
orher hands turn would the men do
that day; they declared they'd want all
their. energies for next day to get her
1ln,fer way again. The mate couldn't
help himself. and the old fellow went TO
his bunk SO the chaps had it all their
own way. Even the sails were LETT
hanging over the gear, and pretty
mess there would have been II IL hao
come on to blow. Next morning we
made another start, the skipper drunk
as nsnal but sufficiently wise to keep
his own end of the ship. 1t was an aw-
ful lob and if the mate hadn't got a
of rum out of the old mans !
Aerth. which kept the chaps in good I
buuaor. there'd have been mutiny, sure. /
However. we got away again by noon 1
this time for good
Well. it's always been a mystery to |
me how some ships get out and home
again. for I've been in some queer
ones. but nothing short of miracle
could ever have got that ship home
safe. In the daytime. routine work
the shin was pretty well lefN to go
her Own way. The second mate was
aid up. being crippled by log of tim
per in SAINT Anna. and the skipper was
supposed to keep his watch. His idea
# watch keeping was a splendid one.
He used to turn out when the mate
allied him. and "freshen the nip with
wa or three stiff tots of grog: then
led lay down on the poop and die-at
east he might as well have been dead
or all the 'saVYy' you could get into
lini. This kind of thing suited his
ratch down to the ground. they didn
rant anything better But it couldn't 4.
asst. everybody knew that.
We'd been laundering on like this for /
bout a fortnight-lovely weather all |
he time-when one night was awak-
ned by tremendous kicking at the
oor of the little after-cabin where 1
lept with the steward. He was awake
nd told me to get out and see what
-as up. Upon opening the door, there
ras the helmsman looking scared out
f life. and shouting: The ships
shore, the ships ashore! Where's the
lkfpper?' laughed at him, but a sud
en- bump and jolt, unlike anything l
ad ever felt before. laid me fiat and |
nocl1ed all the laugh out of me in
nee. Joe said he had been leaning
YER the wheel thinking, i. e., fast |
sleep. when the wheel spun round and
early knocked his brains out. and the
ext thing he knew she was humping
Ike this. There wasn't a man awake
/ the ship There was no lookout no
atch on deck-in fact, they didn't
now whose watch it was. / found the
Ripper lying fiat on his back on the
Opp. and it took me fully ten minutes
} wake him. / only succeeded then
Y. pulling a handful of hair out of
is head. Then he lifted himself half !