The Republican journal., 1909-04-15

of which he speaks so fully. One wishes
that he might visit the Sailors Shug
Harbor on Staten Island, and discuss the
matter with some of the old-timers
"hauled up" at that notable retreat for
superannuated captains and mates.
In that exceedingly popular and GER
tainly delightful book, "Uncle William, :"
the yachtsman will falter at these pas
sages:
"The water descended in sheets, gray
black planes that shut them in-blinded
them, crushed them. Andrew crouching
to the blows, drew in the sheet, closer,
closer--hugging the wind with tense
grasp. About them, the water fattened
like plate beneath the flood. When the
wind shifted second they saw it, gray
white floor stretching as far as the eye
could reach. The
boat, towering on each wave, dropped
from its crest like ball
with his eyes
strained to the east, Uncle William held
the tiler
''We'll make it, Andy, he said quietly.
Wen make it yet if the Jennie holds
out Suddenly he stood upright, his
hand on the tiller, his eyes glued fast.
Luff her, he cried. She's gone-Luff
| tell you!' He sprang back, tanning
the tiller from him. Let her out, Andy,
every inchn :"
1t is inconceivable that so experienced
a skipper as Uncle William would shout
vehemently to Andy, ''Luff, - when he
had the means for executing the man.
oeuvre in his grasp. And the ordinary
reader would be pardoned for not being
able to understand how it happened that
with the water ''fiattened like plate,
''gray-white floor" the boat, "tower-
ing on each wave, dropped from its crest
like a ball.
Nevertheless, these passages pass for
gems of descriptive art, and doubtless in
cite the required thrills.
Few could fail to observe the false note
in recent story which began with the
hero i'll and forgotten in his stateroom
when the steamship upon which he was
passenger, became a wreck. Above the
indescribable tumult of the hurricane,
which was f1inging the furniture about in
the cabin, he heard the passengers and
crew leave the side in the ships life
boots
With all the wealth of detail concern
ing a critical situation, it is ,amentable
that the author withheld from waiting
world exact information as to how the
difficult task was performed. However,
we may at last congratulate the author
on the sort of hearing with which he en-
dowed his hero. Later, the hero went
Marconi several better by being able to
utilize the wireless apparatus, although
the fire room was flooded and the masts
were gone.
The most careful of writer's occasion
ally slip in an unaccountable manner.
In that brutally fascinating book, 1.-THE
Sea Wolf" the crosstrees of the after
most mast of a tWo-masted schooner are
referred to as the "mizzen crosstree."
And again, when Hump" is unwill-
ingly promoted to the position of mate,
Wolf Larsen closes the heated discussion
with Good night, Mr.. Van Weyden;"
to which the unhappy victim replies,
Good night, Mr.. Larsen"
Remembering the character of the Sea
Wolf, it is not to be accepted as among
the possibilities that he allowed such a
grave breach of nautical etiquette to
pass unnoticed He most certainly would
have done few original things to any,
one on his craft who dared to address
him as Mister rather than Captain; and
Van Weyden had already received in
struction regarding the proper use of the
vocative, Sir.
One of the most fragrant instances of
perverting facts to the exigences of a
plot was by writer who unquestionably
knew better. He tells us that the cap
tain Of loaded brig, at anchor in the
stream, ready for sea, discovers by ex-
ternal appearance, upon rowing along
side in his dingey, that the craft is un-
seaworthy. Once aboard, he Immediate
ly descends into the loaded hold, and,
with an axe, confirms his worst fears;
the bottom timbers are rotten, and the
craft will in all probability founder in the
first heavy blow