Rensselaer Republican, Volume 25, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 December 1892 — EATS LEAVE THE SHIP. [ARTICLE]

EATS LEAVE THE SHIP.

The Sailor’s SnpemiMoa Strangely , Veritted. Some years ago I formed one of the crew of a ship called the Wooljammer, says a writer in the London Globe, fftie was- fcn iron clipper, owued by a well known London firm. We were lying in Port Lyttelton, New alongside the breakwater, having just completed taking in a cargo of wool, and were goiug to sail ou the following morning for home. I was on anchor watch from 10 to 11. It was a beautiful, bright, moonlight night, and I was sitting ou the hencoop at the break of the poop, buried in thought, when I was rous ed ’from my reverie by hearing the clocks in the town striking the hour. I went forward to call the man who was to relieve me, but before I reached the forecastle I determined to do his watch for him, as I was not a bit sleepy and felt loath to turn into a stuffy berth. So I made uprriy mind to do him a good turn and enjoy another hour of quiet contemplation. The harbor looked charming in the moonlight, and the long range of hills that divides Lyttelton from Christ Church stood out in somber magnificence against the starlit sky. Across the bay I could hear the faint clankiugof the windlass pants of some little coasting craft that was getting -under way*—l returned to my seat on the heucoop and began once more to build airy castles. As I gazed along the deck of our magnificent ship, now lying so peacefully at her moorings,l thought how, probably, in a month’s time this huge monster would be tossed about as a mere plaything in the mighty sea off Cape Horn. One of tlio stevedores to!d us that she was carrying eTeven more bales of wool this passage than on her first voyage live years before; he also said that he believed that, if they had tried to screw another bale in, it would have burst her sides out. It was not altogether pleasant to think that a ship which was loaded to such an extent would have to battle with a Cape Horn sea ras any heavy gale might cause her to strain and start a bolt. THEY JlAffiK FOR THE SIIORE. Just then I heard the short, sharp squeak of a rat, and looking down I saw several running along the main deck. They were coming out of the boid by the after hatch, which was off. To ray surprise I saw that they were going ashore, using the breast hawser as a gangway between the ship and the quay, and in a few moments I found they were not coming in twos and threes, but by cozens; They crowded in a thick line from the hatchway, and all followed the original leaders to the shore till it seemed evident that not one would be left beliiud. I was not particularly superstitious, but I bad the dread that all sailors have of the ship the rats leave, and I felt it to be a bad omen. 1 called a couple of hands to come and see the sight. For a good half hour we watched these creatures diseinbarkiug, then one of the men remarked as he looked at the swarming jetty: “Pickle mo pink if I’m going to sail in this hooker now, an' them rats have gone ashore.” We weut forward and woke the rest of the men up in order that they , might see for themselves. “Now,” saidaseaman namcdJDick... •“-who-s- goi aAhoee-aau...»wil'o' , ”ai n't,? Otis, here’s off,” at the same time has til}' making up a bund’.o of his clothes. “Here’s another,” said I, at the sare time packing a few necessaries. The rest of the men did not seem lo like the idea of having to leave their clothes behind and determined to remain by her and chance their luck. “Well, so lon’, chaps; if you will be drowned, why you must,” and Dick and I departed for the shore. On getting in town we had to take great care to avoid the police, as our bundles would have attracted attention at that time of night, and had we been run in we would have been sent aboard the first thing in the morning. By avoiding the principal streets we were enabled to get ip to the range of hills, where wo found a cozv little hollow, in which we secreted ourselves. When daylight came we found we had a good view of the harbor, and at an early hour wc saw a tug come alongside our ship, and by 10 o’clock she was towing down toward the heads. As soon as she was well out to sea we returned to Lyttelton, and as there was a dearth of seamen we had no diflieulty in getting another ship. Two days alter we were towed jut, homeward bound. A SHIP IN DISTRESS. We made a very good passage until we approached the latitude of the Horn, when the breezes began to get stronger and heavy swells showed that gales were about. It was very cold, and we spent most of our time in making sword mats for ehafing gear. This is tho usual work given to sailors when rounding the Horn, ns it helps to keep up the circulation. We expected if the breeze held good to be off tho Horn on the following night, but during the afternoon the glass began to fall and it came on to blow from the southwest. It blew strong all that night and by daylight we were running before a heavy gale under close reefed top sails. I was thankful that I was not aboard my old ship in this gale, as I felt convinced that with all the extra bales of wool which had been jammed into her she could not stand much of a dressing. About 2 o’clock on that afternoon a sail was reported on our weather bow. We overhauled her band ever list. We could sec her rise on the top ot a huge billow apd diva into the hollow, writhing li|o> a live

t ' ~ ■ creature in agony, the water pouring from her scuppers and ports gach time a sea. I The captain aud mate were looking lo,” said the° skipper, “she’s in disAress. She’s got her ensign upside down. I aon’t see how we can help her With this sea running. There, she’s going to signal. Up goes her number.” With some difficulty we made it out, and I was horrified to find that it was my old vessel-the Wool jammer. She signalled to us: “Am leaking; can you stand by?” We made an attempt to bring our vessal up into the wind, but in so doing nearly got swamped. We made several attempts to get near, but it was utterly impossible to launch a boat, and at last we reluctantly' had to abandon her to her fate. As the gathering gloom of night came on she faded from our view, aud with a sick feeling at my heart I knew that all my old ship - rfiates were doomed before morniug to a watery grave. We arrived home in due time and reported having passed the Wooljammer flying signals of distress. It is now more than fifteen 3 r ears ago and no tidings of her uavo ever come to hand. So she has, no doubt, gone to join that vast fleet of vessels which founder every ' year owing to the greed and avarice of their owners. My shipmate, Dick, and I, have ever since been thankful that we were not above taking the unspoken advice of the rats who gave us notice to quit. THE HABITS OF BIRDS. Parasites Sometimes Have Neighbor* □ ing Farms on the Same Bird. The onithological section met iu the city of Indianapolis at the NewDenison. The meeting was rather informal, no papers-having been prepared, and consisted in telling stories, and discussing their truth and veracity. Prof. Herbert Gsborneof Ames, la . gave an interesting talk on “Bird Parasites.” The ma,oriety of them do not feed on the blood of the bird, but on feathers and loose scales. They seem to be very close friends, and love and Fie among the feathers of the bird. Sometimes three or four species are found, each species inhabiting a different place having farmed out the bird, as it were. Prof. J. B. Steere of Ann Arbor, Mich., then gave an interest description of the uregapodius and hornbill, two birds inhabiting tho Philipine islands. The uregapodius or “big-foot” makes a nest by scraping together a pile of sticks, leaves and sand, until it has made a heap oi material three feet high and -twelve to fourteen feet in diameter. It then burrows into the bean from the side, lays a single egg and fills up the hole. The bird then returns to the interior of the forest. The egg hatches by the heat of the decaying vegetation and the young bird wiggles itself to the surface. It is an orphan for it never knows a mother, aud ha,s to ‘hump’for itself, to get a living. Nature has provided for the loss of the parent by giving it a strong pair of wings. It can Hy before it is a day old and in a week is fully able to care for itself. —The ran tore bird is about the size and shapo of a guiuea, but has exceptionally large feet; Jlenee the name. Tho natives go to the nests for eggs, which they prize very highly. The birds lay one egg every two weeks tho year round, and sev-„Gual--bi.vd&—often— nests. The nests exist for years, and hence the first native to stake the claim has a valuable find. The hornbill is another interesting bird. It is about three feet in length and weighs about ten pounds. There are two smaller species than the one described. The tail feathers are buff colored and tho rest of the body is brown. Their peculiarity is their enormous bill, which is six to eight inches in length. The natives say the bird has no brains, they having dug into the horny part of tho head and missed the occipital region, which is further back. They nest in the hollow of a tree and lav very few eggs. When the period of incubation begins the male bird carries mud and fills up the opening in the tree except a place large enough for the prisoner to protrude her bill and receive the food which her mate carries to her. While in confinement the feathers all come out and are renewed about the time the young begin to hatch. When the young are ready to fly the male bird removes the mud from the opening and liberates the prisoners. Knew It Was a Big Tooth. Leutsto.i Evening Journal. A man prominent in these two cities has a bisto; y. Some years ago he suffered with the toothache, lie suffered so much that at last he determined to havo the tooth pulled, and he did. But the pain of it was so great that it caused him to resolve that never again would he have a tooth pulled. He kept this resolve for four years. Tho ither day he had the toothache, and suffered so much that some of his friends got him to have the tooth pulled. He went to a dentist whom he well knew, who had joked him some about his resolvo to stay dear of dentists. He took gas and woke up with tooth gone. lie hod paid tho deutist and got on his wraps, and was going through tho door, when he happened to think of the tooth. “Say, I’d like to look at that tooth," he said. “Well, now, I’d been thinking of that, and I washed tho blood off it. Hero it is.” Tho dentist had preserved for years'an ancient horse’s tboth as a curiosity, and it was this <that he took from a drawer and showed the Lewiston mail. “1 knqw that it was at large as that” said the sufferer with a satisfied look. The tooth was an inch across ou top and very long.