Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1903-05-20
2 N the dim and stuffy recesses OF
the fo'c's'le Of the Beluga a silent,
e,,,,o,, oomn,pv of mon of all shades


the fo'c's'le Of the Beluga silent,
sullen company of men of all shades
of color sat ut their 4.3O a. m.
breakfast. Some munched stolidly at
blocks Of fat pork and flinty biscuit,
others just drank alleged coffee and
smoked. And they were the majority,
for few there are who, after night Of
sleep, especially in such an atmosphere,
can rise and begin the morning meal
(and such q mcaD in five minutes. But
those who did not cat concealed their
portions about their persons, usually
in the breasts Of Jumpers, for there
was never: more than enough to go
round.
Suddenl., with voice like that of q
frantic bull, came the expected COM
mand. "Now, way boats. there" 1t
was Immediately followed by 4 stam-
pede, each man struggling to be first
up the narrow ladder. each man dread
ing the sure and painful position OF the
last. Reaching the deck, the rushing
band divided itself in four, oneIEart to
each boat, where fr1lhg cleaning
spectrally against the violet sky. None
cast a=geHhFftiipse upward or around, for
-..,.oine had time or thought to spare Yet
the scene was entirely worthy of mans
best notice. The daily miracle Of dawn
always is-but here! The ship lay mo-
tionless, anchored apparently upon n
lake Of transparent ink. in whose Still
depths strange gleamings occasionally
heightened its mystery Of utter dark
ness. Around rose the solemn trcc-clad
hills of Hapai, now in deepest shadow.
Away to the south, southeast and cast
the way out to the broad bosom Of the
Pacific Ia. clearly open between the
several islands. and although from the
two former quarters there was as yet
no tightening Of the deep velvety pur-
pie of the night, there was something
remotely like the opening Of n door
leading from q dark hall into the Gear
air; little draught Of freshness seemed
stealing in from thence. But from the
cast there came through that gap a
quivcrlng throb Of opal-tinted light,
just ripping along the horizon and
touching the still waters that lay be-
tween 1t and us with the suggestion Of
glory to come, the first heart beat of
that sweet day before which the mod
est stars paled and vanished. And
overhead the returning legion of flying
foxes, fresh from their long nights
raid among the fruit trees, passed like
squadrons of dark spirits Fastening
back to their native gloom at the ad-
vent of light, and occasionally from
their midst came a wall wringing the
heart like sudden terror.
To most Of us all this was but sug-
gested, hardly realized; yet we moved
with utmost quiet, unconsciously fall
Ing in with our environment. And
when the rattle Of 4 block. the sharp
click Of an oar On gunwale, or q
hoarse oath broke the sacred peace of
the moment, an involuntary "Hush.
rose to the lips. Ten minutes after our
appearance on deck we were nil In our
places and, with the steady, splashless
stroke of trained whaling oarsmen,
were silently gliding toward the por-
tails Of the day. AS the oars rose and
fell they lifted overfowlng challces of
emeralds, and as the sweet dark crept
away great lakes of. ever changing
color, Of infinite and indescribable va
rety, stole over the placid surface OF
the quiet sea. A cool breath crept from
the dawn point to meet us; 1t kissed
our heated necks, put fresh vigor into
our strokes, freshened, strengthened
until Mt n ringing shout e command
We flung our oars with one accord and
prepared to make sail. Is it Of any
use, I wonder, trying to describe the
scene that greeted us as We did SO?
fear not, where so many master hands
have failed, so let me say simply that
the pass. ahead, leading seaward, was
afood with molten ruby, amethyst and
opal, with n background Of flaming
gold, before which the shrinking eyes
closed. "And the glory Of the Lord
was revealed" Ha, ha! how raptur
ously the blood, so sluggish before
courses through our veins as the boats
birdlike, skim over the sparkling waves
on the lightsome way to windward
But the business Of til lay needs re-
of II-h n
and unto him who can first report the
presence of one, aftcrward caught
shall be given $40. SO keen lookout
is kept for while, until the wonderful
beauty of the scene obtains the sway
over our minds again, and the boats
glide swiftly along the steep shores oil
the outermost island.
"Ah-blow-w-w-w-ww almost in
whisper and several hands are pointed
to where, against the darl, green Of tho
cliffs, yet in shadow, three vapory spir
ais Of varying heights show clearly
But what can three mean? Two OF
them we can account for-the broad
bushy one and the tiny jet only foul
or five feet high The third, however
closely associated with the other two
and Of great height, puzzles us-does
not delay us, though. for with paddles
unshipped We urge the progress of OIL
craft toward those vast unconscious
mammals so pleasantly sojourning II
the shade. We are abreast Of them
helms ere put up, and all four boats
bear down upon them with the swooI