New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-05-14


stately and beautiful old craft whose graceful
curves and perfect ease seemed to be OF the sea
sui generis. moulded and caressed by the noble
element into something of its own mobility and
tenacious power.
1t appeared almost loss OF dignity when the
company TOOK her of the India route and held
her on the Australian berth But very soon she
had taken the place that always appeared to be
hers OF right and she was the ship Of ali others
wherein to sail for the new world beneath us.
And In due course the sturdy empire builders
scattered all over the vast country
speaking Of her the Ango-Indians had done
generation ago. and the new chum" who had
come out In the Lion" found himself welcome
In far away bush homes. from Adelaide to Bris-
bane, as one OF the same family a prottge OF
the benevolent old ship. She held her own well,
too, In point OF speed with the new steel and
iron clippers. in spite Of what foolish youngsters
sneeringly said about her extended quarter-gal-
leries, her far-reaching head and immense
many-windowed stern. But gradually the fierce
/ stress Of modern competition told upon her and
II needed no great stretch Of the imagination TO
suppose that the magnificent old craft felt her
dignity outraged as voyage after voyage
her crew lists dwindle until instead Of the eighty
able seamen OF her young days she carried but
twenty-five. The goodly company OF officers,
midshipmen and artificers were cut down also
TO a third OF their old array and as a necessary
consequence much Of her ancient smartness OF
appearance went with them. Then she should
have closed her splendid career in some great
battle with the elements, and found fitting
glory of defeat without disgrace before the all
conquering. enduring That solace not
to be hers. hut final effort she made the
round voyage from Melbourne TO London and
back, including the handling OF two cargOes. in
five months and twenty days beating anything
of the kind ever recorded Of a sailing vessel
Then. oh. wofu fall; she sold to the Nor
wegians, those thrifty mariners who are ever on
the lookout for bargains in the way of ships
who have seen their best days and manage to
succeed. in ways undreamed OF by more lavish
nations. in making fortunes out OF such poor
old hot tor han toms Of hNy 4aTlfV
Tenacious as the seamans memory is for the
appearance Of any ship in which he has once
sailed. il would have been no easy task for any
OF her former Shipmates to recognize the spen-
did old Lion under her Scandinavian name OF
the CANCER Rolf, metamorphOsed as she was.
too, by the shortening Of her tapering spars,
the stripping Of the yards from the mizzen-
mast, and the rigging up Of what British sailors
call the Norwegian house flag" a windmill
pump between the main and mizZen nasts
Thus transformed she began her degraded ex-
istence under new masters crawling to and fro
across the Atlantic to Quebec in summer, PEN
I sacola CT Doboy in winter. uneasily and spirit
less some gallant hunter dragging a timber
wagon in his old age. Implanted. weather.
bleached and with sails so patched and clouted
that they looked like sum washing hung out 10
dry, she became. like the rest Of the wood
scUws." thing for the elements 10 scoff al,
and seen creeping eastward with deckload OF
deals piled six feet high fore and aft above her
topgallant rail, pathetic pauper fu-
neral Eight seamen now were all that the thrift
OF her owners allowed to navigate her who with
the captain. two mates. carpenter and cook,
made UP the whole OF her crew, exactly the
number Of the officers she used TO carry in her
palmy days
One day when she was discharging In London
there came alongside an old seaman, weather
worn and hungry looking. Something in the
build OF the old ship caught his eye, and with
quiverinG lips and twitching hands he climbed
on board. Round about the deck he quested UNI
til. half hidden by a huge pile Of lumber. he found
the bell and read on it. Lion, London. ISL
Then he sat down and covered his face with his
hands Presently he arose and sought the griny
mate purposefully. Al an incredibly low wage
he obtained the berth of cook-it was either that
or starve. although now he had found his old
ship ne felt that he would go for nothing rather
! than miss another voyage in her. Soon after
! they sailed for the fall voyage to Quebec,
| making a successful run over much to the de-
! light OF the ancient cook who was never weary
OF telling any one who would listen OF the feats
| OF sailing performed by the Lion when he was
| ouartermaster Of her way back in the ffties."
/ Urged by greed for he was part owner. and
/ under no fear Of the law the skipper piled upon
| her such "A deckload OF deals that she no longer
| rcsemhled a ship: she was only comparable TO
| a vast timber stack with three masts She was
| hardly clear Of Newfoundland on her homeward
/ massage when one of the most terrible gales
Of all that terrible winter set in. Snow and seet
and frost-fog a binding white whrl Of wtherA
/ ing cold assailed her paralyZng the hapess
handful of men who vainly strove on their lofty
! platform to do their duty. exposed fully 10 all
the wrath of that icy tempest. one after on5
the wornout sails. like autumn leaves. were
stripped from yard and stay; day after day saw
/ the perishing mariners die. The sea froZe upon
her where il fell. so that now she resembled an
/ iceberg: and though the remnant Of the crew
tried many times to get at the fastenings OF the
chains that secured the deckload so as TO send
IL adrift they could not. At last only one man
was left alive and he strangely enough, was
/ the old cook And while still the gale was at It's
height he suddenly seemed TO renew all his lost
/ strength Buckng tight his belt with firm I'M
gers. a new light cleaning in his eyes. he STROBE
| q. a Nd caizad he disuscd Mhael. Standing