Jasper County Democrat, Volume 6, Number 22, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 September 1903 — Last Cruise of the Mary Ann [ARTICLE]

Last Cruise of the Mary Ann

CAPT. ELISHA HOPEWELL, of th* brig Mary Ann, of Salem, had been repairing and repalnt’*npr and making his craft ready for a Mf*g* to London and return. The year was 1786, and boy and man he Aad been sailing for over thirty years, f Although he had owned and comth* Mary Ann for ten years, •ha was by no means a new craft (When he got her. Ln making repairs h* had found many signs of weakSMSS, and as be finished his day’s work sad started for home his knees were Stiff and bl* back ached. He reached his house to find his wife. Nancy, and supper waiting for pdm, and as he took his seat at the fable h* looked at her critically and th* first time noticed that there were gray hairs among the brown •n her head. “Elisha, have you lost your jackknife or heard that your brother was dead?" quietly asked Nancy after awhile. “No/’ he answered, and followed the word with a sigh. “Mebbe ye are comln’ down With measles. Your mother says ye never had ’em as a boy." “Mebbe I am," he gloomily replied. Nancy waited for three minutes to if be had an explanation, but as none came sh* briskly said: “Now look here, Elisha, I know all About It, and I’ve been sort o’ spectln’ this thing would happen any time. {You’ve been overhaulin’ the Mary Ann and you’ve found she’s growing old. {You’ve found out the same thing of yourself, and you’ve suddenly seen It In me. It has struck you all tn a beep. and you feel glum over it’’ ” ’“Then, by Josh, you’ve hit it!” exclaimed the captain, glad to have an opportunity to talk it over.’’ . “Wall, there ain’t no call to cry over it” she continued. “Ever since you got this charter, I’ve made up my «nind that Lt would be our last voyage."

“But how can It be, Nancy.” ' “It won’t be so hard. We are party iwell off fur common folks, Elisha. Chat la, we’ve got enough money to •tart you in ship chandlery, and we own our own house and lot No fear tut what we'll come out all right We must give up the sea to younger lolks." They talked it over for a couple of hours, and it was fully decided that When the Mary Ann returned to Salem her last voyage under Captain Hopojwell would be ended. Perhaps an astrologer might have warned them that there would be no homecoming for the brig which had borne them Wafely over so many leagues of ocean, but there was no reader of the future at band.

It got to be known over Salem that Oaptaln Hopewell was making his lest ,voyage, and when the Mary Ann cost •ff from the wharf there was a big crowd at hand to cheer her departure suid wish her a safe return. She headed out Into the Atlantic on a summer’s afternoon, and as the Massachusetts shores faded behind thorn, Ellkha said to Nancy: “By Josh, then, Nancy, but It seems u if a piece of that beef we bad fur breakfast bad got stuck In my throat” "It’s a sort o’ weakness of our feelJna’, Elisha,” she replied as she turned away to wipe her eyes, “but I guess Wflfve decided for the best” For a thousand miles, headed toward the rising sun, the Mary Ann was driven as she had never been driven before. There was a piping breeze, and it scarcely varied a point and a third of the run had been marked off when there fell a flat calm. It was noon when the wind died ♦ut, and the man sent aloft reported the ocean clear of salt As sundown came the sea was like glass, and It jwas the same state of affairs at midnight when the watch was changed. The mate went off and the captain came on and he had been only on dock bait an hour when Nancy appeared. She Heclared it to be too hot below to bleep.

In a calm midocean at night there •re strange and uncanny sounds from Ehold of a ship aa she lastly heaves on the ground swell. Boxes and rels down in the hold rub each •Char, bulkheads creak and timbers moan, and now and then there are •brill squeaks from the fighting rats. >fen who sleep during a clam breathe wtentorioualy and sigh and groan now then, and the wakeful ones move •bout uneasily and cast apprehensive Mances over the sea. NanCy walked aimlessly about for a prhlle and then rested her arms on the Fan and gazed off into the darkness •nd let her thoughts wander back home. She had been silent for a quarter of an hour when she gave a sudfaen start and bent her ear to listen, paptaln Elisha happened to note her •ttitude and he crossed over to her •ide and asked: "Wall, Nancy, d’ye think anybody prill steal the woodpile while we’re •SM on this trip?" l "I’m listenin’, JUisha,” she replied, •a she laid a hand on his arm. “Oan’t woe catch the sound of oar locks off Bara to the north F "It’s some noise In the hold,” he •Mwerod, after listening a minute. “•rtf tro not There—there—don’t ww catch »r “By Josh. I do! Yes, it sounds like

oars at work, but how on earth can a boat be out there?" “I dunno, nut there is one. Now you git the sound*'plainer. It’s a boat, I tell you, and she’s pulling at least four oar*. She must be from a wreck, and you’d better light a lantern and lash It In the riggin* to guide ’em.” A lantern was procured and placed as suggested, and it had scarcely thrown its light over the waters when there was a hall from half a dozen throats at once. Captain Hopewell answered it, and within five minutes every one of the crew of the Mary Ann was en deck and wide-awake with curiosity. The halls were repeated at intervals, the sound of the oars came nearer, and at the end of half an hour a big yawl with twelve men and their dunnage in it drew alongside the Mary Ann. “By Josh, then, but it’s a crew of Dutchmen!” exclaimed Captain Hopewell, as he peered down In the boat. He was right They were big and sturdy men who had sailed out of the Texel, and it was quickly discovered that not one of them could speak English. Each one brought his bag of clothing over the rail with him, but water and provisions were left behind. A man who was doubtless the mate of the crew advanced to Captain Hopewell and entered into a long explanation, not one word of which was understood. It was, however, guessed that his ship had sprung a leak and that he had been obliged to abandon her.

Ho was made to understand that they were welcome and would be landed In London, and by and by the twelve men withdrew In a body and stretched themselves on deck and went to sleep. Nancy had looked Into the faces of all in a critical way, and while the Dutch mate was telling his story her eyes never left his face. When the strangers had withdrawn she descended to the cabin and a few minutes later Captain Elisha followed her and said:

“Nancy, I’m Jiggered If this ain't a funny thing. I can’t say that things look exactly right to me.” “I tell you what, Elisha,” she replied in her quiet way. “If a ship had bln on Are or In a sinkin’ state them men would never have brought all their clothin’ and heaped In the water and provisions they did.” “No, by Josh, they wouldn’t, but how do they come to be afloat?” “Dunno, but there’s a mystery about It There's the hull crew except the captain. How did he come to be left behind? And didn’t you notice how the men looked the brig over and kept dodgin’ and whisperin’? I’m believin' we shall have trouble with ’em, Eysha.” “But they can’t be pirates.” “Probably not” “And there’s no war between us.” “No, but we can’t make out their story, and I do believe that mate was lyin’ all the time. I wish he hadn’t shown a light and brought them aboard.” The Dutchmen were tired with their pull at the oars and slept soundly till the morning watch of the Mary Ann was ready to wash down decks. Then they rose up, yawning and stretching, and the last was hardly on his feet before the breeze came. Sail was made at once, and as the Mary Ann laid her course Captain Hopewell called the cook aft to see about preparing breakfast for the extra men.

He had his eye on the strangers at the same time and noted that they had gathered In a bunch and were whispering together. Their yawl was a big and clumsy boat, provided with oars and sail, and as there was no room on the deck of the brig to stow It the captain went forward and tried to make the Dutch mate understand that the contents should be hoisted aboard and the yawl sent adrift Ho made himself clear enough, but as If his words and gestures had been a signal the twelve Dutchmen at once sprang upon the crew ot the Mary Ann, all of whom were on deck. They were stout determined men, and the move was so sudden that no resistance was made.

Nancy heard the scuffle and appeared on deck to find Captain Elisha and all his men prisoners. They were prisoners, and yet they were not bound. When they made no struggle, the Dutch mate took off his cap to Nancy and sought to make it clear to the others that they were to be sent adrift in the yawL “Wall, d’ye understand what he's drivin* at?” asked Captain Elisha, as he turned to Nancy. “I do, Elisha,” she replied, “and I’m not a bit surprised. They mean to turn us adrift, and go sailing away with the brig.” “But, by Josh, how can they do it! It’s the same as piracy! Men, let's make a fight fur it!” “Stop, Elisha!” called Nancy. “There’s no show fur us! They’ll beat ye to death before you can knock one of 'em down. Don’t drive them to murder when there’s no call fur it”

“And I am to let ’em have possession of brig and cargo?” “You’ll have to. If you are easy with 'am we’ll git away all right, and wo may sight a vessel to help us before noon." “Aya, captain, we’ve no show agin ’em,” called the mate, “but with that big yawl wo needn’t bo afraid U wo

tth at sea fur a month. W* ar* fur the boat” That settled it It Is due to the stranger* to say that they made not th* slightest objection when more water and provisions were lowered Into the boat, and when the men packed and lowered their bags and Nancy brought up a big bundle of things from the cabin. j They had no jeers or Insults to fling after those they had sent afloat, but at once made more sail on the brig and headed her on a new course. Nancy had smuggled the ch%rt and a spare compass into her bundle, and as the boat drew away she was forced by the wind to hold a true course for the English channel There were provisions in plenty, and scarcely a word was uttered before breakfast had been served out Then Nancy quietly asked: "Elisha, what ye goln* to do about it?”

"I’m goln’ to stan’ to the eastward for awhile,” he replied, after thinking It over. “I’ll jest keep track of the ‘Mary Ann’ as long as I can, and it’s jest possible that we may be picked up and have a show to git her back. If we don’t meet anything by to-mor-row, and the wind allows it, I’ll head for home, though I don’t see how I’m ever to hold up my head in Boston or Salem ag’ln. They’ll say I was a coward not to make a fight fur it.” "Then they’ll be fools! The Dutchmen would iuive killed every one of us but what they’d had the brig, and we ought to thank heaven we got off as well as we did. Don’t ye despair, Elisha. We’ve seen some tight squeaks, but we’ve alius come out all right. Don’t ye remember how a whale once saved us?” "And the same whale may eat us this time!”

All that day the boat ran her true course, but as the brig bore into the north and sailed the faster her topsails were only a speck on the sea when the sun went down. As the breeze did not fall with the sun, the men were divided Into watches, a lantern was run to the head of the mast head of the mast as a signal, and hour after hour the boat danced over the seas. There were two men on the lookout, but after midnight Nancy roused up and spoke to them and found that both of them were asleep. She sat down beside one of them In the bow, wide-awake with her thoughts of the sudden change in their fortunes, and a long hour passed when the sight of a ship suddenly danced before her.

It was a craft with all her sails set, and having been taken aback she was drifting away stern first, though this fact was not known till later. A cry from the woman roused everybody In an Instant, and pointing into the south she chokingly exclaimed: “There—there—a ship—a ship!” “By Josh, and there is!” answered Captain Elisha a second later. “New, men, all together and hall her.” A great shout went over the water, but it was not answered, and was a light displayed. Xhe shout was repeated again and again and again, and then after a long look Captain Elisha cried out:

“Why, I believe she’s an abandoned craft and tnkln’ care of herself! We’ll run right alongside in five minutes!” They reached the decks of the stranger to find her a ship of a good deal larger than the Mary Ann, and a search of ten minutes proved that not a living soul was aboard. There was a dead man, though. Lying In the main cabin, fully dressed, was the corpse of the captain, and a sailor’s sheath knife was still sticking in his back. Murder had been done before the ship was abandoned. Did you ever read an account of that ocean mystery? The ship Voorne, Captian Bergen, master, had set out from North Sea ports bound for New York with a valuable cargo. That was the craft Hopewell found adrift In midocean. Her crew, from the mate down, were the men who took forcible possession of the Mary Ann, after killing their captain and abandoning their vessel. What drove them to the deed of blood —why they didn’t stand by their ship afterward—where they headed for in the stolen brig—there are questions that have never been answered. Perhaps the mate and his chief quarreled and murder was done In passion. Then fear of the law made the whole crew clamorous to get out of the ship. They took nothing with them which was not their own.

They even left over a thousand dollars in gold and silver behind them. If any human eye ever sighted the Mary Ann after her crew lost sight of her, the fact has not been reported to this day. It is easy to guess her fate, however. She either went down in a gale at sea or was wrecked on some iron-bound coast to the north, and every soul perished. No sooner had the body of the late captain received burial and the ship’s papers been overhauled to find her port of destination than she was headed for the port of New York to be delivered up to the consignees. It was a short-handed crew to work such a big craft, but every man tried to do two men’s work, and it was recorded on the log that Nancy Hopewell steered her tricks at the wheel and kept lookouts with the men. While they had been despoiled of the Mary Ann, t W to find themselves largely the gainers by it After a run which was bare of event the derelict was safely moored in New York harbor, and Captain Elisha bade Nancy remove the tar from her hands and slick up to meet company. It ts of the long ago I have written. The tomb-stones of both Elisha and Nancy are mom-grown in the old conjo-

tery. but the salvage money receive# from the Voorne gave them years of comfort and happiness. 'People sometimes wondered that in their old ag* there was no abatement of their affections, and Elisha would always answer them with: "Then, by Josh, It’s because Nancy is the bravest and best woman on earth, and I don’t c*re who hears me say so!”—New York Bun.