Griggs courier. (Cooperstown, Griggs Co., Dak. [N.D.]) 1885-1902, 1901-03-21
THE NOTTINGHAM
GALLEY.
By JOHN ALBEE.


shipped in Ireland and England, sailed
for New England on a trading voyage
the 25th of September, 1910. She was a
vessel of 100 tons-a galley in name,
not in build--carrying, as was then
customary, an armament of ten guns
and crew of IA men beside the cap
tain, whose name was Jone Deane.
She was provisioned for three months.
Until the end of October she had good
weather and favoring winds, and the
captain reckoned that he had covered
more than half his distance. In the
first week of November the wind shift
ed to the west, and from that time on
the Galley struggled against head half
gales, bearing now and then for day
to northwest, which was not much bet
ter. By the last of the month they
sighted the coast of Newfoundland,
which they Rugged as closely as they
dared. The weather continued heavy,
with fogs and rain and frequent thun-
derstorms, unusual at that season in
these ATTITUDES. But the crew was
greatly cheered by the "corposants,"
OF st. Elmo's light, appearing at the
top of the masts during the storms of
thunder and lightning. These lights
sailors then, and indeed now, believed
to be lucky omen. The second mate,
Richard Endel, a daredevil, profane
sort of fellow, said there was nothing
to "them complasents''-th is the
way all common sailors pronounce the
word "corposants," a Spanish term
meaning body of the saints. Nothing
in 'em," says Mate Endel; ''n'more AN
candle wick outen taller"
The frst week in December they
were off what is now the Maine coast.
The fogs followed them, coming on to-
ward evening, and only lifting for
awhile at noon. It was necessary to
take soundings frequently. The cap
tain became uncertain where he was.
Being unfamiliar with the coast, when
ever he had a glimpse of it he knew
his position no better. But on the 10th
of December they were lucky enough
to run accidentally into what is now
Portland harbor. A small settlement
at that time had been begun there, and
two or three fishing smacks lay at an
Choir close into the shore. Capt. Deane
dropped his huge anchor and went
aboard one of the smacks. Then he
learned his whereabouts, his distance
and direction from Boston, how to
keep off Boon island and inside the Isles
of Shoals, and thus make Cape Ann by
the shortest course.
The same night, December 10, he
made sail, as he was overdue and pro-
visions running low, and bore away for
Cape Ann, which he hoped to reach by
sunrise. There were in those days no
lighthouses, buoys or foghorns and
bells to guide or warn navigators.
They trusted to the stars, the compass,
: the lead well creased and a sharp look
out. Before midnight the fog came on
again. There was no wind, only q
slight air from the eastward drifting
in the fog bank thicker and thicker.
The captain set a double watch that
night, and left his best officer, Endel,
in command, and his longest sighted
man, the Old Herring, as the lea bow
lookout.
The vessel tetered along, as sailors
say, carried by the set of the incoming
tide and the faint breeze. It was aw-
fully still, not sound could be heard
save the step of the nightwatch, the
lap-lapping of the sleepy waves on the
port bow and the occasional Tapping of
the sails as the helmsman lost the wind
and luffed up into it again.
81 swear, Old Herring" said Mate
Endel to his bow watch, "this is a jig
ger of night to be you don't know
where; not a lightning bug in sight.
Where be your complasents now, eh p"
down a-forard, SIR answered the
Old Herring, 81 seed 'em under the
bulge cen now
. Look your eye, sir; there's a-many
on 'em running along the trail, a-chas-
in anither like sparks agin the hob.
That ar the very bugs, We call 'em, We
seed aloft somewhile.'
Aloft an allow,
\ An let her blow;
There's light on the mast.
An it's down below
So let her blow
Ohio, Ohio.
The Old Herring sang this catch
rather softly for him, for he had a
voice like deck comber in gale. He
was firmly convinced that the phos-
phorescent sparks of the water as the
vessel plowed through it were the very
same things as the corposants seen at
the masthead, and both are infallible
good signs.
Pretty soon the Old Herring called
u Mate Endel, who was at the tiller:
Some for'ard, SIR he called, II hearn
so.methin'-I hearn somethin' sown-
'tisu't like these creepers 'longside;
more liken breakers somewheres.'
II hear nothing" said the mate.
Putting. his hand to his ear he thought
he die hear the low, sullen sound OF
breakers on the right. He ran back to
his tillc5 and put it hard a-port. But
he was 100 late. Ina few minutes the
Galley was in the midst of the breakers
Of Boon iDisnd, which, however calm
the sea elsewhere, forever lash its des.
olate edges. Iheset of the incoming
Al - .