Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1909-11-24
EVENTFUL VOYAGE
ROUND THE WORLD IN A SAIL.
ING SHIP.
WRECKED ON THE CHINESE COAST
CONTRACT MADE IN WATER
MELON SEEDS.
IBy R. G. F. candage, of Brookline, Mass. !


ship Hoogly, as first officer for the voyage
to San Francisco, China and return home.
The ship was OF 1900 tons, built at East
Boston, rugged, finished, loaded and sailed
in winter, with the thermometer below
zero the day Of her departure, and ice
making freely in the harbor.
She was not twenty miles from Boston
light when the wind veered from the
northwest to northeast, shut down thick
with snow and blew gale. A press OF
canvas was kept upon the ship to force
her clear of Cape Cod, which was passed
that night close at hand, and then we
headed out through South channel under
double-reefed topsails and foresail.
The next day the wind hauled back
to northwest and blew furious winters
gale with bad cross sea, before which
the ship scudded, rolling channels to the
water. In the middle temperature OF the
gulf stream her backstays became slack,
and before they could be set up anew, the
three topgallant masts went over the side,
taking of the head Of the main topmast
and springing the fore at the sheave- hole.
Inv SuiP "oo DACuSht w oAAo WAuA AhACA
close reefs, and the work Of clearing the
wreckage began, which in course of time
was accomplished and landed on deck.
In the midst OF the turmoil there was fear
and sorrow among the thirty-nine cabin
passengers, one Of whom, child, died
and was buried at sea.
The foretopmast was ished, new main
ny IN, lIa !, sic faA ,v,l
up, rigging put in place, yards were
crossed, sails bent and set and the ship
was again sail a-taunto' in a few days.
Captain Chadwick, however, decided to
put into Rio Janeiro for other spars, in
case Of other losses, and for the welfare
of the passengers, ship and cargo. She
had good passage to the equator and
reached Rio Janeiro forty-two days from
Boston. There spars were procured, also
fruits and vegetables, water replenished,
and after two days delay in port the ship
was again upon her voyage.
AT SEA AGAIN.
A new foretopmast was fitted and sent
aloft at sea. The ship had good run
southwark to the ATTITUDES Of albatross,
cape pigeons, penguins and seals, which
thereafter were daily seen until the
borders of the trades in the Pacific had
been reached. Nothing of Importance &C.
CURED until the passage OF the Straits of
LIE Moirs was attempted. In these the
ship was caught by tide rips, which broke
over her rails, and by failure of the wind,
she came near being forced ashore on the
Fuegan coast. She was in the straits all
on the coast at several places, sin readi
ness" as sailor said, ''to roast and eat
u.s." 1t was an anxious night for all on
board, but at morning slant Of wind
carried the ship through the strait. The
captain, who had been on deck through
the night, went below, giving me orders
not to call him until he had rested and
had his sleep.
Soon after the wind breezed from the
westward in hard gale with heavy
squalls and hail and snow, and sail was re-
dnced to close-reefed topsails and reefed
courses. The captain came on deck just
before dusk in lull between squalls and
remarked that the ship was under very
close sail. A heavy squall burst upon her
in few moments and he said no more
about close sail, but ordered the reefed
mainsail to be hauled up and furled.
While furling it in the dusk of evening,
Horace Smith, Boston boy, fell from the
yard into the sea and was drowned. He
was fine lad, and his loss was sorrow to
all hands.
For the next ten days it was make sail,
take in sail, shake out reefs, put in reefs
between squalls or when a change war
ranted in the endeavor to work round the
Horn to point westward where the ships
head could safely point northward to-
wards pleasanter weather. In that en-
deavor she was at last successful, and then
cific, where albatross and pigeons forsook
us and flying fishes, dolphin, skipjack,
frigate and tropic birds took their places.
The passengers enjoyed the pleasant
change which enabled them to be about
deck, and play games for their amuse-
ment, while the sailors were busy refitting
and tarring down rigging and cleaning
sup w PAOoohe pressing oPPouAoASO oh
arrival in port. The ship glided pleas
antly through the trades, reached the va
riable winds north of them, and safely en-
tered San Francisco harbor in May, 1852,
after 126 days from Boston.
AT SAN FRANCISCO.
At San Francisco all hands OF the
eighty persons making her crew and pas
senger list, left the ship except the cap
tain, a boy and myself. Wages were
high, being s. and % per day for I'M
skilled laborers, and all expected to make
fortune. The harbor was filled with
ships, whose crews had deserted. People
we're living in hulks, tents, shanties, and
some in more pretentious habitations.
The streets were in horrid condition,
some impossible, but every body hustled
for gold. Gambling houses were in full
swing day and night; they, too, hustled