Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1913-07-23
4 VOYAGE TO SMYRNA,
nv cart. NJ. v. Babbidge, Colts Island

,a..sd 10 find George +. Harper, with
fso,, had been shipmstes on voyage
uscana SOME years before. Capt. W.
Remick, OF Ellsworth, was also in the
$50. The bark was an A clipper, OF
20 tons. and was employed nearly all the
,t,.a in the fruit trade. She was bound
,,om Boston to smyrna, Asia Minor. be-
Zen which ports she had made many
suecessful voyages.
onthe afternoon OF July 10. the pilot came
hoard, and we set sail from the wharf, but
..d not got fairly clear from ii when
s,,o came in across our bow, carrying
.pay our fore p-Raliantmast. at the
.,r,e time breaking our fore royal yard.
we proceeded into the stream, however,
and came TO anchor near East Btston.
Tbs captain went ashore to procure new
spars.
The next morning we got under weigh,
and with a light wind from the north
wsst. our bark glided steadily down the
barbor. There were many vessels and
boats Of every description in the barbor;
one with q party OF ladies and gentlemen
aboard. As we sailed along, side by side,
they commenced to slug Rally Round
the Flag. The song brought to mind
the thought OF the home l was leaving,
and admit that felt almost homesick.
After the anchor was on the bow, the
mate measured the head OF the new top
sslisntmast and found II so large tina, ii
would not 20 up between the top-galiant
cross-trees. He asked II there was q car
penter In the crowd. No one seemed in
elined to reply, and then said: ~ am sort
Of a jaekkniie- carpenter, SIR" "Do you
think you could &c the head Of that sparf"
ayes SIR" replied. .if ] had suitable
toos." He gave me the key to the tool
chest, in W hich / found fine tools OF almost
every description. With these soon had
The new spar fitted.
There were ouiriggers from the end Of the
sowspri, to spread the iibboom guys; old
sailors called them "whiskers''. One OF
these was broken, and the mate asked II 1
could make whisker from piece of the
old spar. told him could. saw that 4
was getting some pretty good jobs.
After the new whisker was made and
was being put in place, we found that,
by the breaking of the foreroyal yard
when the sail was furled, that the sail was
strained so as 10 need repairs. "Have any
Of you fellows got.saii needles and palmsf"
asked the mate. | told the mate that had ;
then VIII Conway, OF New buryport, and
jim Sullivan, who had been In the navy,
also produced needles and palms, and we
sent TO work on the royal.
The next day the wind changed west
srly, and we ran twsnty-six days without
touching brace except TO take in the
slack where they would stretch by the
constant strain on them. Meanwhile our
weasel was painted outside from her rails
to her copper, and 1t was done as easily
as II she had been at anchor in hsrbor.
When in about II west longitude, We
sighted large ship, lying with her main
topsail to the mast and signal at her
spanker peak which we could not make
cut, as ii was calm and the flag hung in
IN these waters at that time, all eyes were
TUNED toward the strange sail, trying to
ascertain her nationality.
Soon large boat filed with men was
sssn coming toward our vessel, which
had the ar-spangled banner at the mig
zen topmast truck. On came the boat, and
oar captain kept his glass at his eye try
ing 10 make out the object of their visit.
Soon be saw that the men in the boat
we're holding buckets as high in the air as
taey could reach. Then our captain knew
Rwss water they wanted, aud ordered four
hfge casks unlashed and rolled to the port
side.
Ihey came along side, speaking a for
egn language. Our steward recognized
'hsn a. Italians, and understood them
perfectly. Ii was an Italian ship bound
ffom Montevideo Tor Naples. having been
cut ninety days, with sixty-three pas
SINGERS beside the ships crew. Having sup
pied them with water they returned to
saeir ship, and the next morning she was
noShere to be seen.
THE SMELL OF LAND.
one evening, shortly after we had sup
pied the ship with water, was on the
'oOSont ON the topaaliant forecastle, when
MI. searles, our mate, came on the fore
s''ie. Mart" be said, "do you smell
and'' was to lee~ard OF the foresaii.
MIG, mo SIR" He said ssLook out by
.ae foresaii;" and putting my head out by
me sail, smelled the land so plainly it
seemed that 1t must be very near. asked
'as mate what land 1t was, and he said 1t
cape st. Vincent, and that ii was
",en'y-five miles away.
win fair wind We soon made our way
= through the straits, and entered the
~ ,'psai'errean, the largest sea in the world.
.Ae's Is one thing remarkable about this
the current always runs in, aud
,''sels bound out must have a fair wind.
we went in we passed within a few
- 1s' OF Gibraltar, the strongest, fortifica-
oH III the world. As we sailed by Spain,
'eoaid see the tops of the Sierra Nevada
fountains far in the distance having the
'pp1arance OF white, fieecy clouds.