The National tribune., 1902-06-26


out. but our troubles Iwere az We. by no
means over. for as the wind went down,
the sea increased, if that were possible,
| and for three or four succeeding days the
Shenandoah was buHetnl. tossed, and
knocked about, as an empty bottle might
be driven in the wake Of q steamship: but
we managed to hold on our course toward
| Australia. ~ -.
| CHRISTMAS AT SEA.
1t had been my fortune to spend four
Christmas days at sea. far removed from
all the festivities and metry-making that
characterizes its advent Upon shore. but
my Christmas in the Shenandoah, eff the
Cape of Good Hope. WIS The most miser-
| able travesty of the festival l ever cec
brated. We were boxing about, as nave
described, Mt the mercy IF DID Neptune's
irnte temper, drenche.l with water the
greater part of the Tine, and generally
and profoundly miserable. when the ami
vcrsary of the day that brough. peace on
earth. good will to men, ,lawncd upon US.
Ny thoughts would revert to home. to the
family gathering ut the Christmas dinner,
to the old church with its evergreen deco
rations. and to the evening spent in fun
and frolic.
Such was the home picture. and Il moro
complete reverse of it couI hardly be i'm
agincd than was presented ~ orr ship
and company. In the place of pendant
evergrcens my eyes rested upon the
smoky, swaying lamps, still dimiy kurnin,,
in the ward room. and instead Of receiving
the time honored salutations from family
friends, and bright-faced girls. who's" lips
give so sweet an intonation to the old
phrase. / heard it from rOugh-hcardcd
men. sunburned and swarthy. and in place
of preparing for n gay holiday. donned
m 'Lyn for and p,nniiIr yn,In
TO the deck to stand four hours watch.
Our cook. good. conscientious man that
he was put all his science in rcquisition.
and strained his resources to the utmost,
to achieve good dinner, but the old goose
upon which he tried his skill was. ! verify
believe. the identical fowl that C0mmo-
dore Noah took with him on his first and
last cruise. All that fire could do to rem
der digestihle that tough old specimen was
done. and i'll due time We Grimly deyoured
him, hut not before he had been several
times rescued from his native element be-
meath the table. where he had been tossed
by the hcaving of the ship.
My solemn advice to the world Mt large
is, never to 90 off the Cape of Good Hope
in cruiser to enjoy Christmas.
On the Doth our eyes were greeted once
more by the welcome sight of a shin As
it was astern. we shortened sail and wait
cd LOT ner 10 come mp WIN us.
BY 3 o'clock she was near enough to
"read bunting and by way of testing her
nationality we showed the English flag
Up went the Stars and Stripes to the peak
of the stranger. n welcome sight to us.
whereupon we lowered our borrowed en-
sign. and much to the CONSERVATION.
have no doubt. of our new acquaintance.
ran up the flag of the Confederacy. and
fired n blank cartridge across her bows.
She Immediately hove TO. md we sent
boat to bring off the Captain and his pa
pers. The Captain of the stranger soon
reached lis, and reported his craft to be
the bark Dclphine, of {, Bangor. Me-,
10 days ont from London. in ballast.
and bound for Akyabs Arabia. for car
90 Of rice. The Captain informed us that
his wife and child were on board. and also
that his Steward was remembered with n
helpmate. The Captains wife was i'll
and with such sea running he feared it
would be dangerous To attempt TO bring
her off. ,a..
Cant. Waddell expressed his regret at
the inconvenience to which he was com
pelled 10 subject the ladies. but assured
him that no danger should befall them. ms
our lifeloat. with six good oarsmen. should
he detailed for the service
To object was of coHrseIuseless. so with
as good n grace as possible orr prisoners
set ont in the lifeboat on their unpleasant
expedit;on.i SRI " $40 a.. ..e.u ~
In due time the lifeboat returned with
the two women and little boy. the Cap
tain of the prize and such articles of ner-
s0nal property as he desired to retain. The
Captains wife woman like. brought with
her canary bird in it's cage and if
bandboX containing her best bonnet had
bcen added TO her baggage it would have
been complete
Soon after two or three other boats put
off from the bark containing her crew.
who were Mt once confined in single irons.
and placed in the top-gallnnt forecastle
One of our officers with two or three
men had remained on beard the Delphine
to fire her as soon as her own company
had been safely removed. and we of the
Shenandoah were now anxiously pacing
the decks. watching for the first indica-
lions that this duty had been perfnrmed
Night closed around us before the first
fOrked tongue OF fire, issuing from the
companionwav of the fated bark, warn
ed us that the DESTROYING element had
commenced its work. Rapidly the flames
gathered Roadway. casting a fierce, lurid
glow over the heaving bosom of the ocean
from doors. windows and hatchways they
burst forth like the vengeful spirit of de-
struction. wound up the spars, stretched
ont upon the yards. swiftly envel0ping
shrouds. sails and halyards in one splen=
did. fiery ruin; and standing out strongly
revealed against the darkening sky, the
burning vessel surged and tossed, holo-
caust to the god of war;
But while all this was passing, the look
outs were closely scanning the watery ex-
panse that interviewed between us and the
burning ship; to discover our boat return
ing. The darkness of the night and the
heavy sea that was running rendered us
unpleasantly apprehensive that she might
have swamped on her passage back, and
as precautionary measure. lanterns were
run up in the rigging to advise them of our
whereabouts. At last we SAW them, lust
rising on the summit of mighty wave, |
less than 100 yards to windward. and
soon after we distinguished the rough
voice of the officer in command hailing us. |
Alloy, there" he said; throw us a
liner
The request was complied with--a coil
of rope sailed away from the deck of the |
Shenandoah through the cir, rendered half |
opaque by the spray of breaking waves;
1t was caught by our comradcs-in anOth- |
er moment they were alongside. and pres |
emily we had them safe on board. and |
were once more standing on our course.
The after-cabin on the starboard side
was appropriated to the Captain of orr
last prize and his wife. and in every re-
spect they were treated far more like pas |
scngers than prisoners.
For an hour or more the Captain of the |