Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1902-06-12
IConxuxIcATED.
APLEAsAET Trip.

Of your readers might be interested
IN an account 81 q little tripof about
thirty miles adown the Potomac and
Bay, from st. Georges Island. ]
shall proceed TO give il TO you and
them Capt. Samuel Trader, OF the
Island, had told me he was going
down 10 Great Yeacomico to pur-
chase some fish fertilizer, early in
this month Of May. and, as ! was in
want Of some also, rs well as Of a
trip on our great salt Bay, he kind
" offered 10 take me with him. On
May Sth, he informed me he would
start the following morning Ut sun
up, and ! promised to be on hand
without an accident.
Here / must mention little Incl
dent that occurred the night before
the trip was 10 be undertaken. Be-
fore going TO rest, / discovered in
one OF my pockets large nail i had
picked up in my garden, and was
about 10 remove II and place il ON
my desk, and would have done so,
except for some happy inspiration
which made me remark to myself
mentally: ''No, will not do that
Trader might want that tomorrow
for some purpose on the boat"
As the sun was peeping up above
the St. Inigo's pines, on the morn
ing of the 9th, i was boarding the
little decked-oyer "Flatty" that had
been borrowed Of Charley Poe TO
bear us down TO our point of desti-
nation. The crew consisted of Capt.
Samuel Trader, Ben Moore, mate,
and Tom, tall mahogany young
man OF some twenty-six summers,
and a genuine Emperor William
moustache, of which he seemed par
ticularly proud. The passengers
were, Mr.. w. T. B. Coad and the
writer of this narrative. II was a
little airish on the Bay, and the
wind was start-sheet one, but not
very strong. The trip was unevent-
full till we had gone some miles be-
low Point Lookout when young Coad
made the discovery that the rope
which held up the centerboard had
slipped down into the well and the
board was hanging loose below.
This fact being announced, Captain
Trader and Mate Moore manifested
considerable interest, but kept cool
and their wits about them. How
that board was to be pulled back in
it's proper position was much of a
puzzle to me as well as q matter OF
interest, for If the wind came on to
blow hard it would certainly be
broken OF, and would probably car
~ the well through which it played
along with il, and then we must in
evitably be wrecked. Captain Ira
der was composed and methodical
and after looking about the deck a
few moments, selecteda good, strong
rope, which he took toward, one end
OF which he gave to mate Moore,
while he held the other. They pass
ed the loop of this rope under the
bows OF the boat and when il was
drawn "taut" they pulled it back
till it struck against the pendant
centerboard, which it forced up in
the well again.
viii take the liberty of making
loop myself, in this narration to
observe that If Capt. Trader had
been in the service of the Govern
ment, he would likely have hesitat-
ed about making loop in the face
of danger. lest he might have in
CURED the displeasure of the Exec
utive Of the country and the Naval
Board and been amenable to the
charge, direct or implied, of arrant
cowardice.
After the centerboard was forced
up in its proper place, it was found
that the rope which kept it in DO
sition was dangling below, and the
question was, how could it be reach
ed for the aperture through which
by six inches - size. Trader, the
old salt, was equal to the emergency
and soon found small pole about
four feet long, but was lacking in
something 70 form a hook on the end
with which to get hold of the tru-
ant rope, and cried, now, If / had
a big nail, could work the thing
all right. !" At the cry for q big nail,
/ was instantly reminded of the noe
tuary inspiration of my good angel.
and presented atonce the longed for
article, very much elated to have
the power to beof service to others,
while not unmindful of self mean.
while. In ten or fifteen minutes af-
ter this incident, everything was
adjusted properly and, with good
lusty cheer our little craft was put
about and our journey over the
briny deep was resumed, after de-
lay Of nearly an hour.
The first subject that excited my
interest. was the almost countless
number Of fishtraps running out from
the Virginia shore into the Poto-
mac and the great Bay. They were
strung out from six feet of water 20
six fathoms, and were something