The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-03-12
NOT CUT OUT FOR A PARsoN.

"Of course 1 had no serious notion of
becoming a parson. There had been
several sea captains in my family, and
a rowing disposition came to me by IN
heritance. Then there were many
things that encouraged in me long
ing for the sea. l happened to be born
in Canada, where my father was do
! ing his first work as a missionary.
When / was years old my par
ents took me back to England and that
first voyage made a great im3ression
on me. l still have a vague recollec-
| ton of it.
Il was a troublesome lad from the
very first, and the fact that L was the
only son and the eldest of the family
did not help matters. After L had
reached my teens I took matters into
my own hands, and told my father
that L was going to sea. As he saw
that I was determined to go. one way
or another, he put me on board the
training ship Conway at Liverpool. On
| the Conway we divided out time be-
J tween navigation and practical sea-
manship. We learned the use of the
seXtant and the theory of solar and
! lunar observations, and also We're eX-
ercised in manning the boats and yards
and doing the actual work of sailors"
MADE LOVE TO THE DAUGHTER.
1t was significant that Mr.. Whit
marsh could recall with great distinct
ness the ships 2unishments. He also
recalled NOV. as petty officer he took
his turn making love to the captains
daughter He would lower himself
over the side during prayers and clasp
! hands with her through the window of
her stateroon. But, in spite of his
nonsense, he proved an apt pupil, and
won prizes for special work in naviga-
ton. After his two years on the train
ing ship, he had no difficulty in shipping
as an apprentice on a southwark bound
merchantmen.
There were three other apprentices on
the ship and, although they did the
work of ordinary seamen, they had
their own mess and a part of the deck
house to themselves. The ships first
destination was Australia, and after
putting in at Adelaide, she sailed across
to the west coast of South America and
came around the Horn to England, so
that the lads first voyage took him
around the world.
FELL THROUGH THE SKYLIGHT.
"On the first voyage" said Mr.. Whit
marsh, I'VE got plenty to eat, but often
longed for delicacies that we had no
means of getting. ! agreed with the
other apprentices who were on the same
voyage that there should be no such
lack on the second trip. We filled our
quarters with such a stock of timed
goods, marmalades, hams and other
luxuries, that there was barely room
to get in ourselves. AS the ship stood
out the harbor with lively hreeZe. [
was sent aloft to clear the Ore affsail
in the tack. [ was standing upon the
masthead and with my foot tried TO
push the sail clear of the stay. While
I had my weight upon it, the sail sud-
denly came clear and. losing my bal
ance, l felt myself falling through the
air and wondered where [ would strike.
When my senses returned I found my
self lying in the cabin. Much to my
surprise, the captain was having his
head fixed up with strips of courtplas-
ter and the cabin was Uttered with bits
of glass. They told me that I had fall
en- upon the skylight, breaking the
heavy glass and bringing it down upon
the head of the captain. who was work.
ing on some papers at the table under
meath. His scalp had been cut open
from his crown to his forehead, while
had a lot of bones broken.
"a small steamer was hailed and 7
was sent ashore to spend months in
hospital, but l was not so troubled by
my injuries as 1 was by the thought of
leaving all the good things to eat that
we had laid in for the apprentices
mess.
TERRIFIC FIGHT WITH A HAWK.
1T was nine months before 1 was