Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-02-28

" HE Summer seas of the trades
were done with, and we could
look forward to a batterins
Il off the Cape of Good Hope
and a long run through the
great southern ocean. TO the accom-
paniment Of gales and heavy seas.
AS usual, our leaky old halfdeck,
the apprentices quarters, got its fair
share OF the water that came aboard.
The floor was awash and everything
we possessed was soaked. Wet
through it remained for three soli1
weeks. During that time there WASH t
dry patch in the place.
Fifteen inches deep, to the top of
the threshold. the water swirled and
eplashed with every roll Of the ship.
Clothes, seachests, bedding-all were
wringing wet We turned into our
hunks all standing, to wake four
hours later with garments moist,
warm and steaming.
The sensation of turning suddenly
out into the raw bitter air was hor-
rible and like the stabbing of innumer-
able SpearpOints. Yet no one ever
caught cold. Colds are unknown at
sea, the salt water and salt-impreg-
mated air preventing continual
drenchings from being more than
merely unpleasant.
Rounding the cape, we Steered
more and more TO the south ard. the
captain was a firm believer III the ia
nous Maury theories and shaped a
composite great circle course through
the roaring forties. A typical taste
of their quality they gave us. With
the 45th parallel to the nor ard. heavy
weather set in in earnest, and We ran
due east to q ceaSeleSS acCompa,nl'
ment of bowling winds and bursting
seas.
If the old man had come so far
south in the hope of getting plenty
of wind he had no cause to complain.
1t blew like ten fuiies. We got more
wind than we we'll knew what to do
with. and one night it came on to
blow In way that the packetrats
called a rip shorter.
The mercury dropped steadily TIL
It looked as If 1t would fall through
the bottom Of the barometer. The
wind felt like pins and needles and
rose in great gusts. The sleet that
fell in the driving squalls was not so
much snow or rain as little splinters
of ice; il filled up all the corners and
froze in a solid Ass that made going
aIoft a hazardous performance.
Everything was slippery and one had
to break the frozen mush on the
y
grip on the jackstay.
X X
THE sea was a magnificent sight-an
endless succession of swiftly NOV
ing hollows and ridges The mighty,
league-long graybeards, stretching out
to the horizon on either hand. swept
carelessly past the ship, shouldering
her a point or two off her course, first
on one side and then on the other, and
pouring over both rails in such cat.
aractS that from aloft the bark looked
like a half-tide rock.
All hands were kept aloft most of
the watch passing extra gaSkets round
the sails that were slowed and flashing
with rovings the heads Of those still
set 1t was fine TO be aloft above the
panorama of that windswept. regal
sea
At times one could have shouted at
the wild eXhilaration of 1t. but such
moments soon ended in shrieking
squat of hail that blotted everything
out and left one only able to hang on,
buffeted and gasping, with the feeling
that ones ears were being cut off by
red-hot knives.
The long southern night rolled down
on us, with threat of still worse
weather, and the bark s lurchings be-
came more and more violent. hand
had been sent to the lee wheel. but II
was obvious we We're carrying more
than we could stand and at four bells
the order was given 70 take In the
main upper topsl. The fore was al
ready fast.
An awful job the sail gave US. The
canvas was frozen and as hard as a
board II was as black as the pit aloft,
and we almost lost one another on the
yard. But il was done at last and the
watch sent below, the old man being
grlmly determined TO hang on to his
forest. Under that and the narrow
band of the lower topsls we drove
blindly all night to the eastward. the
watch on deck gathered on the poop
and two A. g at the wheel.
1t was just after daybreak next
morning, when the star-bowlines were
on deck, that we of the port watch
were aroused out of our hunks by a
sudden shout:
IAN hands on deck, Out, everybody
smartly! Main hatch has lifted"
We rushed out, heller SHELTER. in an
swer to the call. The main hatch Is
the most vulnerable part of the ship
and there was not a moment to lose.
One big sea would have finished US.
The ship was being run off before
INC WlIlN, Will IItC SdpbdhAA himself on
the helm. The second mate was lying
fiat on the deck to wind'ard with the
water swirling over him, hanging dog.
gedly on to the tarpaulln to keep the
loose matches in place.
Chips (the carpenter). naked except
for hts shirt, was sitting astride a cor
ner hatch shifting furiously at the
wedges with a hammer; while the
watch were hastily endeavoring t.
pass line from side to side. to prevent
the matches from being washed away
The danger was imminent. II once
the matches had got adrift the seas
would have poured down the hold and
sunk us in a few minutes. We didn',
need telling what to do; we flung our
selves on the matches. and. despite the
green water pouring in on us. helc
them down in place while two or three
of the men hastily knocked In a few
wedges.
Well battered and halfdrowned a:
we were, we dare not let go. Ole
Jameson the craGgy'featured Scot