The Hawaiian gazette., 1908-12-25

L
round the Horn no one would publish |
it. 1t would be too tame; and yet an
account of my longest passage to the
westward, forty-three days, and only |
about one thousand miles of distance.
We speak of rounding the Horn from lat |
itude Of 80 in the Atlantic to the lati- |
tude of 80 in the Pacific. Why, L !
doubt that anyone will care to pub
lish this is, because / offered the best
shipwreck story know, and one that
will guarantee to hold any audience
in the telling, and the more sailors in
the audience the better, to the Youth g
Companion, but 1t was refused, not for
the want of space, for week or two
later they had room for the most rotten !,
sailor yarn 1 ever read-one that my
sailors in the forecastle, though hard up
for reading matter, would not read, it
was so absurd and silly. Here is my
story of rounding the Horn;
Rounding Cape Horn
In the year 1905, we sailed from New
York for Honolulu, in the bark Nuuanu.
From 80 in the Atlantic to 80 in the
Pacific we were just forty days, and
though not my longest time in thirty
passages to the westward, it was the
hardest. i will copy the old log kept
by the mate. You will notice it was in
the midst of winter:
Tuesday, May 9, 1905-Lat. 1910 s.,
Long. "a w. Moderate breezes from
WNW., and fine weather.
May 10-Same weather; made 126
miles.
May 1l-Southwest gale; hove to
under two lower topsails and foretop-
mast staysail; made % miles.
May 12-Strong gales from south
west; heavy cross-sea; ship laboring
hard.
May 13-Gales increasing, with snow
squalls; wore ship to WNW. and hove
to, under goose-winged maintopsail;
and now our trouble all began, because
the vessel was loaded too crank. She
lay down on her side till the water was
up to the main hatch; all the lee side
was completely under and the water
up to the fifth ratlin in the main rig
ging,
MAY IA = Gale continues; ship on
her side.
May Is, p. m.-Moderating. From
this date till the 2lst, fighting the
weather, sometimes all sail, and then
down to lower topsails. On the night
of the 21st made the light on New
Years Island This is small island
Just off the north side of Staten Island.
We went close to it, within two miles.
| believe there is company of seal
catchers here; anyhow it looked cheer
full to see a light and the signs of habi-
tation. If we had remained under two
lower topsails, under the lee of this
ha Ia
west gales lasted, we should have been
just as far along; but / was foolish
enough to pass out by Cape st. John
and down into the easterly current
which no sailing vessel can beat against
under short sail.
May %, p. might breeze from
southwest, which hauled to the west
ward and breezed up; reduced sail tc
lower topsails.
May 23-Wind northwest; blowing
hard; ship under reefed topsails ant
reefed coursers as we have n leading
wind we are carrying all the sail We
can drag, and the ship plunging into 0
head sea from the southwest, and we
know the wind will be out there soon
8 p. m.-Wind shifted to southwest
with heavy squall of hail, lightning
and thunder. Hove the ship to under
lower maintopsail, heading southeast
and, of course, drifting to the east
ward. a. .-Moderating; made sail
May 24-Still blowing hard from tn,
southwest. . a. m.-Caln. 8 a. m
Light breeze from the south; all sal
/ set.
May 25-Light breeze from tn
: west. @ p. m.-Fresh gales; reduce,
sail. 8 a. m.-Clearing; again mad
sail.
May 2e-Came on to blow hard from
south; hove to under lower maintop
r sail and foretopmast staysail; terrif
r sea; ship laboring heavily.
May 27-Wind hauled to ESE. an,
1 moderating, but such a heavy head SCI
we can do nothing but pitch our jib
l boom under; Staten Island in sight t,
I the northward; so you can see that 70
] all our work since we passed out b,
t Cape st. Johns we have made nothing
:, just six days.
May 2S-Wind back to the west
ward again; made sail; p. m, wind t.
! southwest, blowing a heavy gale.
n May 29-Heavy southwest gales; shi
!, under lower maintopsail; lee side com
t pletely under water.
o May 30-Continued terrific gale fror
4 the southwest. p. m.-Moderated
d made sail.
y May throughout the day modei
t ate northerly winds and fine clea
n weather We are getting back wha
|, we have lost the last two weeks At
n p. m. could just see Cape Horn froI
the mizzen rigging, and my two pa
@ sengers went up to see it, and got thei
o only look at Hermit Island, which
b Cape Horn.
e June Moderate breezes from yves
:, northwest, A p. m. calm. Then cam
Q out from the southwest, in full force
d Reduced sail to lower topsails. Q
t m, hove to under goose winged mai
t topsail, terrific gale, lee side under wa
? ter. z a. m, just as daylight bega
g to break large four.masted ship cam
y up astern. She was carrying a Who'll
y main topsail and foresail We hung
', light over the stern but they did nc
9, see it. Then we got out the fog horI
p but still they came directly for III
s straight for our stern. Called a