A CHIP FROM A SAILORS LOG.

Maori Messenger : Te Karere Maori, Volume 4, Issue 63, 22 May 1851, Page 4

A CHIP FROM A SAILORS LOG.

(From Chamber's Edinburgh Journal.) "It was a dead calm—not a breath of air —the sails flapped idly against th masts; the helm had lost its power, and the ship turntd lur head how and where she lilted. The heat was intense, «o much «o, that the < liirf mate had told the boatswain to keep the natch PMt of the suu ; but the walcb below

found it too warm lo sleep, and wetd tormented with thirst, which they could not grntif\ till the water was served out. They had drunk all the previous day's allowance ; and now thai their scuttle butt was dry, there wna nothing left for them but endurance. Some Of the seamen had congregated on the tnp-g.illant forecastle, where they gazed on the clear blue water with longing eyes. 'How cool and clear it looks/ said d la'l powerful young seaimn ; I don't think there are tnanv sharks about: what do you say lor a bath, Nds ?' 'That for the sharks !' burst almost simultaneously from the parched lips of the uroup : * we'll have a jolly good bath when the seend male goes lo dinner, 1 In about h.ilf an liourihe dinner-hell rang. The boatswain took charge of the deck ; some twenty sailo's were now stript, except a pair of light duck trou-ers ; among the rest was a tall, powerful, coast-of-Al'riea nigger of the name ol hei»h : they used to joke him, and call him Sambo. ' You no swim to-day, Ned ?' said he, addressing me. 4 Feared of shark* ht-h ? Shark nebher bite me. Suppose I meet shark in water, I swim after him —him iun like i.ehbel.* I was tempted and, tike the rest, was soon ready. In quick succession "e jumped nIV the spriteail yard, the hlack lead-* i imr. We had scarcely been in the water five • minutes, when some v«»ice in board filed #ut •A shark! a shurk'.' In an instant every one of the swimmer* came turiih'in/ up the ship's sides, half mad with fright* the gallant black among the rest. It was a false al-irui. We felt angry with ourselves for being 'rightenc I, angry with those uho had frightened us, and furious with those who had laugh<d at us« In anuther moment we were all in the water, the black and myself swimming some dis'ance from the ship. I*or. two successive voyages there had been a sort of rivalry between us; each fancied thai he was the best swimmer, and we were now (eating our speed, ' W« I] done, Ned V cried some of the sailors from the forecastle. 'Go it, Simbo!' cried some others. We were b'lth straining our utmost, excited by the cheers of our re#pec•ive partisans Suddenly the voice of the boat.'* wain whs heard shouting, ' A shark ! a shark ! Come back for God's s.ike !' * Lay aft, and lower the cutter down,' then came faintly lo our ear. The rare instantly cea?*ed. Asyt, we only half believed what we heard, our recent fright being s'.ill fiesh in our memories. ' Swim for God's sake !* cried the captain, who was mow on deck : 1 he has not yet seen you. The boat, if possible, will get between you and him. Strike out, lads, lor God's sake! 1 My,heart stood still: I felt weaker thiui a child as I gazed with horror at the dorsal fin of a largo shark on the starboard quarter. Though in the water, the perspiration dropped from me like rain s 'he bl«»ck was striking out like mad lor the ehip. •Swim, Ned—swim *' cried several voices ; Mhe.y never take black when they can gei white.' I did swim, and that desperately: the water foamed past me. I soon breasted the black, but could n«»t head him. We boih strained every nerve to be first, for we each fancied the last man should be taken. Yi-t we scatcely seemed to move: the ship appeared a« far a* ever from us. Wc w* re both powerful swimmers, an * both of us swum in the French w;ty called la brasse, or hand over hand in Huffish. There was something the m-tter with the boat's falls, and they could nut losver her. ' He ne** you now i' was shouted; 1 he is after you!' "Oh the agony of that moment I I (bought of every thing at the same instant, at least so it seetned to me then. Scenes ioug forgotten rushed through my braiu with the rapidity of lightning, yet in the mMsl of this 1 was striking out madly lor Ihe ship Kiel) moment 1 fancied I could reel the pilot fish touching me, and I almost soreamed with apony. We were now not ten yurds ,rom the ship: filly ropes wt-re thrown to us ; hut, BR if by mutual instinct, we swam for il.e SUNK'. 'Hurrah I they are saved I—they are alongside !' was shouted by the eager crew. We both grasped the rope at the same time : a slight stru;ule ensued: 1 had the highest hold. Regardless of everything but my own safety, I placed my feet on the black's shouldeis, scrambled up the side, and fell exhausted on the deck. The negro followed roaring with pain, for the shark had taken away part ot his heel. Since then, I have never bathed ..t sen nor, I believe, has Sambo been ever heard again to assert that he would swim after a shark if he met one in the water.