A Yarn of the Sea.

Manawatu Herald, 3 January 1903, Page 2

A Yarn of the Sea.

When Admiral Sir W. Kennedy was captain of H.M.S. Dr aid, on the North American and West Indian Station, he had his corvette under plain sail one Sunday evening after sapper, and, to break the monotony of sea life, turned the hands up and told them he should be interested to know how long it would take the “Druids” to pick up a man who had fallen overboard. Then he “ piped down.” Presently, however, he handed his watch to a lieutenant, told him to note the time and coolly leaped overboard from the poop, with his sporting dog “ Paddy ” close to his heels. The first luff’s dog “Moses” followed the pair into the water, and the cry of “ Man overboard! Away lifeboat’s crew! Up mainsail and square mainyard! ” was shrieked fore and aft by the boatswain’s mates. In just over three minutes the lifeboat had rescued the skipper and the two dogs—a smart evolution even in those days, as the “ old toff” remarked when he returned from the cutter to the cabin, all gripping wet as he was Next day jny caught a shark 17ft long, and Hrged him in over thataffrail, many the ship’s company wondering ■here the brute was when the cappain and the dogs were overboard pn the previous evening, as sharks sometimes follow ships at sea for days together.