CONJURING UP A BREEZE.

Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 61, 20 October 1864, Page 5

CONJURING UP A BREEZE.

" What are you at there, young gentleman ?" cried the chief mate, a venerable old seaman, and a firm believer in all nautical superstitions, as 0 opened a large clasp knife, and drove it with alibis strength into the mizenmast, leaving it sticking in the wood. '' Only conjuriug up a breeze, old boy," replied C- , laughing. "I am sure you want one." "Maybe, maybe, replied the mate, resuming his walk with rather adoggedair ; but mind that you do not get more than you bargain for, young gentleman. I have seen that trick played before now, and no good came of it, I can tell you." At this moment the dressingbugla sounded, and the youngsters rushed to their cabins to prepare for dinner, laughing immoderately at the solemn visage of the worthy mate. " I wish I had the keel-hauling of some of these d — d skylarkingyoung scamps," muttered the old quarter master, who, standing at the, wheel, had been a very unwilling spectator of young C -'s incantation, although in the presence of hii officer he did not venture to interfere. "Mr. M , m ay well- say that no good ever comes of such tricks. "We have good reason to remember the last time one of these boiled lobsters brought us a breeze, when the ship was on her beam ends, and poor Tom Bunt washed over-board. And all along of the monkey tricks of them d— d soldier officers. Ay, by the Lord Harry! we had the devil to pay that night, and no pitch hot j and so we'll have it again before long, else my name is not Jack.. But what signifies argufying ? It's always the same with any of those cattle on board. I'm blowed if a man mightn't as well look for the Lord's prayer in a Guineaman's logbook as expect to find common sense in the head of a codger. And so there's an end on%". I had the middlewatchthatnightr-forwe' ' sodger ofEcers Jwere obliged to keepwatchasregularly asthe officers ofthe ship—and accordingly Tetired early to my berth ; ' but before doing so I- went on deck to see how the weather looked. It was fctill as calm as ever but the night was very dark ; a swell was getting up, and I could see from the anxious looks of the men who stood clustered in groups in the waist and at the gangways, that they expected a dirty night*. I could also gather from the few words that reached my ears, that my friend C — — and his incantation formed the subject of their conversation. At twelve o'clock I was roused from a comfortable nap by the shrill pipe of the boatswain, and' a hoarse voice bawling down the hatchway, " Larboard watch, ahoy ! All hands reef topsails ! " which, together with the uneasy motion of the ship, proved that a change had taken place in the weather : next moment the unwelcome apparition of a dripping, shivering wddy, tfogi w &a doorway of my c&bioyea* j$

hand. " Eight bells,' if you pleasey bit, " " Very good!, Master Peter. " What' sort Tof a nigHt isTtT " "Tery dirty eir,~breeze &?*)>>• enirig— sea'-' getting up^beayy' j^-^yery: a^. pearance of a' squally high^ sir, "— and- ■witfi this Job's 'comfort middy ■ made" ;liisl)6w. and exits ,*• PRetti&f kttbty'plea'sant'/ "^thought I; .as 'I "jumped' out of my comfortable cot, and 'huddled -on athick pea-jacket... and 4 pair of Flushing ''trou.sewj When Igot ■ bif deokV I fbuiid $heT nigHt &fr^ than ever. : ;There7vras a thiok; drizzlnig^rain'-~ the* sea had got vp 7 in 'an : extraordinary^'^nanner-^---fmd the ship, under doubled reofed. topsails yith top-gallant sails' over them; 'was ; rolling tilong at the rate; ; .6if eleven knots, wi&'a ffesh\ breeze on hflr ; quarter ; the royal yards were- on- deck,- and all ; appeared to be made snug for"ilKe.n^hjt:';-VHavi4]|j mustered toy watch, :. I ascended the poop Qadderi ( and found the^second mate, r/whb had ;.b*een relieved from ; his ' watch; taking a parting glance, '-to ace thatall was' fight,'' before; lea^gftheaeoE r The. wind groaned : arid''whißtled through the 'straining : { cordage,* and the rain beat in my face, bo ■■aa i almost 'to blind me| as! looked : 6.ut to; windward 'arid : attempted to 'pierce the deep gloom whioh; brooded' j i 'over : Bea"and'sky. : " ;i -'"v '." : '-' -•■'■)---'-''->. -■■*■■ ' ■•' j '- ) - V^'' 1 "What sort of a night are M& likely to have?"; said ;l, • addressing the > 'second- mate/ "Not yory settied ;Bir, from s the'appeari^be pf&e>ky;"^ ; re-' 'plied in 'an'abstraoted manner. !* "Eather ■squally' or bo— eh ?-A small; pull of that,'' weather' main 1 ' top-sail brace ! So I Belay every inch of that-; 'now' that's spmething shipshape-^eh ?, " Poter" ;— addressing .the little ; dripping middy; befbre : .mentioned/ who/ buttened up in a huge'pea-ja : cke| large enough to hold tliree of him{ looked 1 very: "much like' ayoung boar, " just run down :to^ the cabin and see now the barometer stands." ' "A'; little down sine'e it was last set, sir, repoirfed Master ' Peteify' returning' 'on deck and touching his hat; " The devil ifis— eh ! Smart fellow, you Master: Peter. . Are all 'the ropes clear, and^ ready for : running ?" " Yes, sir,— saw' them all : clear myself." " Eh; you did, did 1 you ?— that's right !— .smart follow, Master Pater. Never trusfc : to--1 another; "'"'" Always '' see . thinga done ; ; yourself. * ' That's ship-Bhape— eh ! Well, ; gtf below now/ and turn in. But stay, go to.my cabin first and get a glass of grbg, for you are wot to the skin, ;you poor little imp, and must want to , warm you." ' Peter rj made , a grateful ; : duck ' of acknowledgment, for. the maae'B ■'.' | kind' ; offer, ' and disappeared down the ' liatcnway. .-•? And now, gentlemen," continued the "second mate, ''I shall wish you good night arid- a pleasV ant Watch. .Your orders," addressing. tb!e. third mato, who had relieved him, 11 are io carry Jon aa long aßyou can, to keep a good look out^ arid tooall the captain and first mate, if any particular, change takes place in the weather. You need not. trouble yourself about me, unless you want' 1 to; reef/ Q-pbd night, gentlemen." ,So saying/ arid humming a tune, No. 2 dived below! During tli!e first hour ''of 'my watch no change took place in the weather ; but abbui two' bells, (or one Jo'clock in. the morning) the dark gloomy haze which had hung; bo long to windward gradually rose till it attained, a certain 1 height/ where it hung like a huge black curtain^ a" lurid mysterious light extending from ' its lower edge to the horizon, and showing the' foaming crests of the waveß, as they, rushed along tumultuously in our wake, roaring and hissing in their vain attempts to overtake the bounding ship^ the rain suddenly ceased, and the breeze freshened, rapidlyi coming in strong fitful puffs.;: ; '. I 'don't much like the look of the night, sir,' said the gun-; ncr approaching the officer of the watch, and touching hia hat respectfully* ' .Neither 'do 1/ rev plied the mate. ' Ther's a fresh' hand at the bellows, and we'll catch it before long I , suspect. 1 . ' I beg your pardon/ sir, for offering an opinion,' said the gunner modestly, after taking a turn -or two across the deck, ' but that main .tb'-gallant mast is complaining a good deal, sir ; shall we •ettle down the top-gallant halyards a bit to eaae it ?' ' Ay,' replied the mate, looking aloft and emiling, ' it's grinning a little,but it's a good stick, and my orders are to carry on till all's blue— so we'll let it grin a little longer 1 ; there are plenty of spare spar 3on board.' But the breeze freshened now so rapidly thatthe dashing mate was obliged to furl his top-gallant sails, and in another hour, in spite of his inclination to 'carry on,'.- he- began to think seriously of taking another reef in the topsails. He was about to issue orders to. this effect, when the wind suddenly lulled as if by magic. The black cloud again descended to the horizon, rendering the darkness more intense than ever. It fell stark calm, and the ship having no longer steerage way, reeled and staggered like a drunkard, threatening at every lurch to roll the masts over the side, and making the wet sails flap and thrash about with a noise like thunder. Ifound it impossible to keep my feet, and was obliged to hold on by the mizzen rigging. ' This is strange weather, ' Baid I, addressing the mate. , You may say that sir, I have been expecting Mr. Q ' a breeze all night, and we are to have it now with a vengeance. Here, youngster," addressing a midshipman " call the captain and first mate, and desire the boatswain to pipe all hands, reef topsails. " The first mate, who, like a good seaman, always slept in his clothers in •uch unsettled weather, was on deck, in an instant and his experienced eye at once detected that mischief was brewing. -" Shall I reef the main topsail, sir, " asked the officer of the watch. " Yes, sir, yes," replied the first mate hurriedly. " Away aloft there, men, main topsail yard. " The gunner was already in the top, and a few hands besides the topmen. But just as the words left the mouth of the chief mate, a flash of forked lightning, far exceeding in intensity anything I have witnessed before or since, burst from the black cloud overhead, lighting up the wild scene with a ghastly blue light, and glaring fearfully on the anxious faces and dripping forms of the crew. Another and another followed in rapid succession, and the thunder bellowed as if the whole firmament was being rent to pieces. " Lie down there in the tops !— Off the yards men !— Stop where you are, you on deck ! " roared the chief mate, as the men were swarming up the rigging like bees. At this moment I looked out over the gangway. The rain had suddenly ceased, the dark cloud lifted a little, arid a line of bright phosphoric light appeared to fringe the ■ horizon ; at the same moment a low moaning sound, gradually increasing to a fearful ■• hissing j noise, was heard. "Port I" roared the captain, who j at this momentrushed on deckhalf dressed, and who, bewildered by the darkness and confusion, did not know exactly what he was about. 'Starboard your helm ! hard a starboard !" ; shouted the first mate, in a clear, manly voice that was heard above everything. This was no time for etiquette. The man at the wheel hesitated for a single moment and then obeyed the latter order. ' It Was -well for us that he did bo. The low hissing sound increased to a terrific roar, and a thick mist drove full in our faces. It was not rain, but salt spray. Before I had time to remark anything further, the tempest had burst upon the ship in > all its fury. The wind had flown rounds in- an instant from N.W. to S.S.E., and struck us with a voilence that baffles description. Had it not been for the quick eye and presence of mind of the first mate, the ship must have been thrown on her beam-ends, and would probably have been dismasted. As it was, she careened for an instant, and then, being right before it, flew through the boiling sea with a velocity that was fearful to behold. A terrific crash, followed by wild shrieks from the after cabins, was now heard. The crosa-jack yard had snapped in the slings, and the unfortunate lady passengers", thinking, no doubt, from the tremendous noise overhead,' that the ship had struck, rushed wildly irom their cabins in their night dresses, and were speedily joined by the gentlemen from below, in a similar state of dishabille. It was a scene which at any other time would make one laugh, but other thoughts were uppermost at that moment/ -The work of destruction once begun went on rapidly j -sail after sail was split and tore to ribbons, and- in a few minutes the unfortunate ship was flying along under bare poles — a dismantled wreck. " The noise of the splittin? canvas, the splintering of wood, the furious clanging of the chain sheets as they banged about and thrashed- against the masts, tb.B dismal howling of the wind, the shouts of the men and the screams of the women, formed,the most terrific concert I ever heard ; whilst the fireballs which, played about thflmast-heoda and yardUgfctta the wildisea« vitiift |H*ftl;^t«

that rendered it io^oj'aiir^^^T^ ordjmm "in ! tlie lEST;^^ in the midst of tjhenittbbub' wai the second mate, ;He was quite in his element, -and bustled about^ laughing and , ••..,■#'. if^nthe vfiwhole/Jihing > ; haa : been got , up for -bi ; opeoi^' ; ! «a?iiW" r •nwnV w .^hy, ? r i;6nidv he,' ;! Jawgbing,, m^Jj^.^ picked ; iff slftrgq ieplinter of, ■ v^ood v ; c wluclv'-7; had;bee,n Xtt?i^f r PW^°rl?l o ppJ n ;;^g^^^V )^F?»i I'L'f1 'L'f " pn*e i niight as well Se iii action at, once; ;_,- here ar» ;.i ; H Bplinters and .chain shot," alluding to ,the j chain ; ; •heets which/ were banging -about unpleaiiantly^ ; : near our heads ; and all the d,elight§ of • v nayal , engagement. And •ojne work for th» ; J dpctor^top, '*. he -continued,; as an apparently' life v. , less body,was carried-past him between .two of th». ;> men. - But his flevity . gayeway to better ieeh^gi, di ; when he dißOpyered the sufferer, to, be hjisi fayoritd , ,■■■ •niiddy'Xittie Peter. The poor follow had been struck by a splinter, and his head was ao fearfully mangled that> we- supposed 'him; dead. But tha kindliearted reader; will be glad. toknoyr that ho I eventually recovered '"'.Tliosqiiall, although «o ■furious during the time ifc.laated, blew. over iuless than a quarter of an hour, when it again follstark cabn. But the sea, .which! had hithertq'been kept 'down by the extreme, fury Pf,l;he' blast,- now got up so suddenly, and. in" so ■ frightfullly,:agitated a •manner, ".that nothing;; could .be dpne towards repairing damages,; and for theremaindor os that night we eohtiiiued ; in s ;a,bout i'as "ur comfortable a -plight as can well be imagined; '. The whole odium pf the affair, of course,' fell upon j?oor 9f~ ~> who from that time forth was looked upon as a perfect -Jonah, by the ship's, crew in general, -'Aigid tho old 'quarter-master 'in' ' particular. .; So 'much for catching the .tail of a ; hurricane.: ;. During the •height of the gdle, our Colbn^l'B, wife gave birth to a fine boy, and, notwithstanding;^"theUunfavorabld oircumstancoa under' which the ;eyerit feok place, 1 all went well. The lady : madeja rapid Recovery : and the young gentleman, oavwhpm. we have, in the meantime, bestowed .the ; ?iame of "Grampus," iii thriving. — My Indian JownialjVy (Col. Waltw Campbell. ""':,;', y':.,,!-;:'}"..:.:--"^