Page 67 - Adventures of Capt. David A. MacLeod

ISSUE : Issue 39

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1985/6/1

for a day or two till the ship was ready for sea, so I went home and stayed two days; then came back. During that time, the mate and the Newfoundlander had a set-to and the mate was paid off. Kelly and Sullivan were very insolent to the Captain, and would tell the second mate right up: "Go and do it yourself." We had no mate now. We delivered all the salt to the fishermen and hove up anchor for Miramichi. The wind was Easterly and we were coming up the Lennox passage under topsails and foresail oppo? site the ferry crossing. Our pilot was in the cab? in and he and our Captain fell out about something. I saw the pilot coming out of the cabin and saying, "You and your old ship can go to H..."--and over the side he went into his boat and rowed away. The Captain came to me and said, "This place is near your home. Do you know anything about the sound? ing?" "No, Sir, not one thing." We were near the Burn Islands now, and there were two schooners. We were coming past them, so we took the same course up the Lennox passage, and passed all right. Com? ing up to the big passage, we kept in the middle of it, but we struck a shoal abreast of Madame Is? land, and this brought us up with all sail set a- bout 2 o'clock in the afternoon. We furled and stowed the sails; then launched a boat. The Captain gave me a hand lead and told me to take sounding. I did so, and soon reported to him that the water was worse ahead. So we got a kedge anchor over the stern, took the warp to the windlass and hove her off about 11 o'clock and came to anchor. While coming up the passage, we no? ticed a schooner keeping in close to the shore, where there was a vessel on the stocks. Just then the wind shifted and we were caught aback and came in stern first to a water fence. Near the shipyard, it was bold water and we carried away the water fence. "Look," said Kelly, "we are in the woods all right. We are frightening the cows. Hear the bells ringing, and see the cattle running." It was near midnight when we came to anchor off Bare Is? land and furled the sails, then kept anchor watch. We cast lots for it. I have the first watch. About half past five in the morning, the little Dutch 2nd mate called out, "All hands to wash down decks." Kelly, Fitzgerald, and Sullivan spoke up and said they would turn to after breakfast, that they worked nearly all night getting the ship to safe anchorage. I thought the pleas were only fair, but the Captain came along and said, "You fellows have run the ship ever since you came on board. Now I have you where I want you." The Captain went up to Port Hawkesbury and brought down a crowd of men that had been working around the Marine Slip (or Railway). They got the anchor up and the top? sails on her. She would not lay up the Strait, so they tacked ship. One man with a grey homespun suit and a straw hat got caught with the head sheets and came near having his head split with the chain pennants. Kelly yells out, "Lie down, straw hat, lie down, and stay down for awhile." Those men were not sailors and our men made all kinds of fun of them. We came to anchor down the harbour and all hands were arrested for refusing duty. The man that handed me the writ was Wm. Duff. I knew him, but he did not know me. I said to him, "What will you do with us, Mr. Duff; you have no jail here. Will you put us in Bill Grant's old stone house and tie us with gades?" There was a trial, and we were all fined $20.00, but no one suffered but me, for I took no advance. The wages out of Liverpool were 3 pounds 10 shil? lings, advance, or 4 pounds and no advance, so I lost all. I could appeal the case and get my pay, but I had an offer to go in the barque Cupid. She was lying in the strait, a man short, bound to Ham? burg; so I went on board. I was watchman on her in Hamburg. Our Captain came on board after midnight, drunk. He missed the gangplank and fell overboard. I was alone on board. I hove him a line. When he was aft of the main rigging, I had to get a tackle rigged to hoist him out and lower myself down. He was in the water quite awhile. I did not know it was the Captain till I got him hoisted on deck. He cursed me in heaps for not having a lantern lit for him, and how long I took taking him out of the water. I told him to go and get a man that would act as a watchman and a life saver, that I was Mairy Birowrfs FHed Chicken. 1079 Kings Road, Sydney River Mary Brown has the best legs in town. Length =12' Breadth =52" Depth =6" Weight =190 lbs. THE BRAS DOR TENDER Molded from a 12 ft. wooden lapstraked rowing boat built nearly 60 years ago at Alexander Graham Bell's boat shop at Beinn Breagh on the Bras d'Or Lakes, Baddeck, N. S. In producing this boat in fibreglass, care has been taken to duplicate the orig? inal. The seats and gunwhales have been fashioned from oak or mahogany, finished with 3 coats of marine varnish. The boat can be rowed by 1 or 2 persons, powered by outboard, or sailed. For more information, or to order, contact: HENRY t-ULLhK ?? (yUii) Zyt>-Zbb4 caoe. breton ?? boatyard ?? limited ''''''''' BOX 247 BADDECK/NOVA SCOTIA/CANADA BOEIBO

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