The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1901-09-19

cleared and moved down the harbor on
a lonesome, rainy morning, just as the
stormy April monSoons set into Boston
Bay, and for twenty-five days she laid
in the Roads all ready for sea. This
was brand new experience, but, as l
have sometimes mentioned, there is al
ways something new on every voyage.
Vessels are sometimes delayed two,
three or four days for a chance to move,
but when this hold-up reaches into
esting. Notwithstanding the one-time
incipient desire to be afoat, l found it
more agreeable to spend the days Of
delay within the quiet shades of peace
FIJI Quincy rather than in solitary con-
tinement down the harbor, and the
privilege of such choice made the de-
lay much less severe.
At last there came a day a little
brighter than other days had been and
we towed to sea with the wind still at
east. At night it drew little more to
the southwark and we slanted out Of
the bay, within sight of the cape, and
with a fresh breeze set the course to
pass north of Georges. At midnight
there was slamming of sails when the
wind struck hard aback from the north
east. For the whole middle watch
there was a battle of winds--the
south wind against the north-east-a
few minutes from one side and then
from the other in smart gusts. After
few hours the winds from each di-
rection held longer at q time, but until
after noontime the quarrel continued
and finally the northeasterly conquer
ed and settled into fresh breeze, as
might have been expected, Such a
long and desperate fight of opposing
winds is not very common along our
coast, and when it occurs there gener-
ally follows bad weather and strong
gales. Such winds are met with in the
River Plate more often than elsewhere
and the Spanish pilots call them ''Tor-
menta, tormenta" with accent on the
second syllable and in their peculiar
ejaculatory tone. The most threaten
ing spell of the kind that ever met on
our coast had continued for day or
two previous to the eighteenth of
August, 10, on which date occurred one
of the most noted storms that ever
swept the northern coast. On that oc-
casion we safely arrived in port few
hours before the "tormenta' had set
tied into the hurricane. On this late
session of battling winds no serious
weather followed, and we kept away
down channel and hauled out across
southern Georges, by the wind and
with good full 1t was simply the be-
ginning of the end of the monsoon"
and within day or two the wind veer-
ed around to the southwark and we
were soon making our required casting
on the starboard tack. We seem to
have live crew both forward and aft
all blondes but the cook.
In another day or SO the wind veered
to the westward and became continual
ly squally-frst on one quarter and
then on the other and all the time lit
tie more aft than was needed When
such conditions occur there come mo-
ments of reflection and regret-regret
that one had not been born earlier and
served out his time before the evolu-
ton of yards into booms and gaffs.
For number Of days hourly squalls
continued to vibrate around the taft
rail. Some of the time we were obliged
to have in single reefs for the safety of
the shifting gaffs, while square rugged
vessel would have easily carried to-
gan'sls throughout, and most of the
time royals, under twice our speed. 1t
has been said, and / have seen it quot
ed in vulgar print, that HE who goes
down to the sea in ships beholds the
wonders of the deep-and he who goes
down in schooners sees hell" The full
meaning of the last part is not entirely
clear.
Happily all unpleasant conditions
have an ending. With us there came
an afternoon of assorted rainbows and
before another day the wind veered
northward and became kind and steady.
By questions from lands people l
have noticed that many do not under
stand the angular routes that sailing
ships in some cases are obliged to fol
low. When bound from American
ports to southern seas they push
straight out towards midocean-nearly
half way to Europe-before going
southwark. This is in order to first
strike the trade-winds in position fal