Marshall County independent. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1897-1902, 1899-04-07

Il remember" said 1; land that the
seamen Of Columbus thought they
were sent by heaven to stay their
course"
You are right" replied the mate.
with an approving smile. 1t is pleas
ant to meet one like you, Rodney, who
has read that which is worth reading.
and remembers it,
The Gulf Stream said Weston.
Joining in the conversation lis great
current about sixty miles broad.
caused by the trade winds. which al
ways blow from east to west 1t is
sues from the Gulf between Cape Flor
ida and Cuba. and runs at the rate OF
three knots an hour along the shores
OF South and North America. till the
Newfoundland bank turns it 10 the
southeast: so everywhere its track is
known by that sulf-weed which YOU
EOw see floating past
1t is by this mysterious current
this mighty river that traverses the
Ocean-that the timber logs of the St
argOsieS. and the carved idols OF older
Mexico and the Caribbean Isles. all
covered with the weeds and barnacles
OF long immersion. have been cast
upon the western shores of Scotland
and the Hebrides.
Every morning the weather became
Warmer-the sea ard sky more clear
the atmosphere more rarefied. The
wind was SO steady that scarcely a
sheet or tack was altered. Thus for
several days we bore on with both
sheets aft, as the phrase is, when run
ming right before the wind.
Shoals of porpoises plunged across
the bows of the brig in the sapphire
colored sea, and when it was smooth
whole fleet Of the little nautili
passed us with purple sails up; nor
were the dark and gliding sharks and
the silvery fying-fish wanting at times
TO keep my attention excited; and the
tiny petrels. as they came tripping
along, half in the water and half in
the air, kept pace with the Eugene.
as she cracked on under a press OF
sail. dashing the waves around her,
pioughinS so freely and so fearlessly
the deep waters that hide finnv world
and wash the dark and unknown base
ments of the earth.
One glorious morning when we were
within a few days sail of Hispaniola.
there occurred circumstance which
was afterward source of the deepest
regret to MS all; how and why, will lie
shown during the progress of my story.
The day was fine, even for that re-
gion OF fine days. The Eugene was
running smoothly before the wind. and
Hislop, with considerable animation.
was detailing to the captain and me
the appearance of that rare phenome-
non. lunar rainbow. which. by sin
gular good fortune, he had once seen
in these ATTITUDES, and which Aristotle
declares is never seen but at the time
Of the full mOOn-a declaration which
our learned Scotch mate treated with
contempt; for he was Il strange fell
low, this Mare HislOp. and could with
equal facility diiate on the Apology of
Plato and the method of ub-hauling
a square-rigged vessel, or steering her
to her anchor in gale of wind; on
the Prometheus of Eschylus, or the
proper mode of lying too in a hurri
cane, with everything struck aloft, and
tOpsail yards on the cap; and now, on
the subject of the lunar rainbow, he
was proceeding to quote from the
Portuguese Pilot OF Ramusio. when
Weston interrupted him by hailing
aloft:
''FOre-tOp-there"
Aye, aye, sir was the usual re-
Spouse from Ned Carlton, a seaman
who was perched in the top.
ITO he continued