The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-07-11

joined her in the Caribbean. Beng
what he was, and knowing what he did
of things that can never be written,
he looked at the little quartermaster
hard that the boy WINGED in spite of
himself, and there was never any more
doubt about who was master.
Sizing Up a Crew.
Then the "old man" had the crew
mustered that he might look EN- over.
They came, a lot of little brown-skin-
ned gentlemen of Porto Rico, taken
aboard since the ship had reached
Southern waters. The great ham-fist-
ed, derrick shouldered man sized them
up while they trembled in their pointed
button boots. He made them a little
speech which they didn't understand,
but they saw he was a very great man
and one to be obeyed swiftly. After
his ancient custom he began to divide
the ships company into watches, and
boat crews.
What's your name?"
Jesus Antonio Maria y Silva de Tor
res, senor.'
What's yours?"
Jose Juan Fernandez Y Hondras,
EXcellency."
And yours ?''
"Alonzo Maria de la Conception Mar
celna Domirguez v Estrada"
Whats the good of you with names
like that?" roared the captain, his hard
little eyes kindling with wrath.
The fashion of naming children
among the Spanish was explained to
him.
500 They tack the names of their
grandmothers and their great uncle's
second cousins names onto their sons,
do they? Well, they won't have that
heather custom on any ship of mine"
lie turned to AlonZo Maria, de la
Conception etc. your names OCon-
nell. He was a king once, but never
mind that; it's too good name for the
likes of you, but it's your name now,
and you don't want to forget it, or
you'll hear from me-
Isl, senor," softly and in terror.
Your names Mccarthy, and yours
is O'Brien," turning to the Others and
while I'm about 1 might as we'll fix up
the lot of we. I'll write down the names
and give them to We. Here's Donovan,
and Mulcahey, and Rooney, an O'Toole,
and Ryan and O'Hara. Ye go to mass
like Christians and Christian names We
shall have"
AN dye know" said the captain,
ashore, the following day, when the
hands was called for boat drill this
mornin' every one of them bla guards
had lost his name? It's heart-break-
in"
He was a type of the old school of
sailors. big. hairy-chested men with
bull voices, masters of men in every
sense.
In the old palmy days of the packet
service, when American shipping was
carried in American bottoms, and our
flag was known in the faraway and al
most unknown ports of the world, the
ships bore names that testified to the
pride of high honor in which they were
held. Marine nomenclature was in the
charge of men who had been touched
by the mystery of the sea. Some OF the
famous old flyers were Star OF the
West. Rainbow, the Admiral, Victory,
Shenandoah, Constitution, and the
Montezuma Many of the high class
packets were built at the famous OLD
wards along the East river. Some OF
them came from New England. Thelr
captains were the pick of the seaIarlng
profession. 1t
The Homecoming of a Clipper
The homecoming of one of these IA
nous vessels, deep laden with the odor-
Gus spoils of the islands of the East
ern seas, was a matter of import TO
others than her consignees and owners
They reused local patriotism, and were
followed with solicitude through their
long voyages. When one of them came
creeping in with the tide and was
warped up to her dock, the men who
had built and rugged her were down
to see their handiwork.
Them topsails of mine certainly
amt blown away one would say
proudly.
81 knowed them shrouds wouldn't
stretch none" from an old man ey1ng
the heavy hempen cordage shrewdly.
The great fleet of magnificent clip
per ships which this country produced
in 1850 and the years. following has
never been surpassed for beauty and
speed. Not one of them is left on
the ocean to-day One or two are end
ing their careers miserably as coal
carrying hulks in the coastwise trade.
In the days when they raced around
Cape Horn to the newly discovered
California gold fields, they became
known throughout the world. The Sow
ereign of the Seas, commanded by the
celebrated Lauchlan Mckay, sailed
from New York for San Francisco in
August, 1851. In a great storm off
Valparaiso she carried away everything
on the fore and main above the lower
mastheads. Capt. Mckay put her I'M
ton in 1872 days from New York, said
to be the best passage for the season.
The return voyage from Honolulu to
Sandy Hook was made in the marvel
Gus time of 80 days. On this voyage
the great ship is said to have made
1901 nautical miles in twenty-five
days.
Another famous Mckay clipper, the
Flying Cloud, logged S74 miles in one
days run. In fair breeze these beau
tiful ships used to overhaul and pass
the cumbrous steamships of those ear
ly days.
To the masters of these famous craft,
cracking on" sail and carrying
hard" was a science. A Dutchman
or a sturdy Englishman with every
thing snugged down and barely hold
ing his own through the Indian Ocean
would see a white cloud overhauling
him and vanishing like witch to lee
ward-a peek through the glasses
would show a Yankee clipper defiant
ly carrying royals.
Extracts from the log of the clipper
Florence, 1000 tons, on a voyage from
New York to Java Head, show how
the Yankee shippers sailed their ships
She made 260 miles one day and pass
ed two banks under reefed courses and
close-reefed topsails, standing the same
wayne with royals and topgallant
studdingsails." The Florence averaged
251 miles a day for seven days in her
tenth week out, and passed a ship
under topsails, we having our royals
set"
On another voyage to Penang. made
in eighty-one days. "the topsail hall