AROUND THE WORLD.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 210, 5 September 1931, Page 4

AROUND THE WORLD.

GOSSIP OF THE PORTS.

THE MERMAID OF LONDON

(By LEE FORE BRACE.)

(Continued.) The Mermaid was a leisurely. old tub. Never once throughout the course of her voyaging was she ever driven; even when the winds were fair, her master was content to joe along under easy canvas. This waa only right and proper, becauseshe was traversing strange seas, and agam. m 1796, there were no charts of the South Pacific, no reliable chronometers, and little knowledge or variation and deviationt of the compass. The only assistance which the master of the Mermaid had at hand to help him on his way would be, perhaps, the sailing directions as laid down by Anson, and tabulated by the latter during his circumnavigation of the world in 1741-42, augmented by Captain Cook a discoveries in the Endeavour s and Discovery's voyages. As the latter voya„ were made only some twenty-seven jears before the Mermaid started out on her great adventure, it is reasonable to suppose that the Mermaid's master had Cook's wonderfully authentic ocea.nograp v and cartography to rely on. If this were so then the Mermaid s voyage would become more or less commonplace, from a seaman's point of view because in only a very few instanc-es has Cook been found in error when charting landfalls, reefs or other navigational dangers. Juan Fernandez. When 217 days out she made the island of Juan Fernandez. Let me again quote from the old log-book, as 'the entr> is interesting:— , . "Made the Fernandez Island this a.m. an>l came to anchorage in a sheltered roadstead on south side of the mam in fathoms, at about two cables from shore. Landed at noon and spent the remainder of day in wooding and watering, round no inhabitants nor signs of living people. Secured many goats, which are tame, and take no fear, and which make good messing when spitted and roasted. Landed crew who are scurvyfied, and rigged tents for .them in sheltered valley. Found good fruits and many diver kinds ot to ties, chief of which is the crawfish, which is a kind of lobster, but has no claws. . . . "May 17—At midnight this day heavy gale set in, placing ship on lee shore. During squall cable parted. Sheeted home topsails and clawed off land. At daylight made entrance to bay and stood to sea. Gale still holds at noon. Hands variously employed repairing damage. • • • "May 24. —Returned to bay this a.m. daylight. Cime to anchorage with best kedge. Sent away longboat to drag for lost bower. Secured it at nightfall and buoyed it. Brought shore party aboard. Logged Mr. Jenkins, mate, for having made orange beer, and supplied same to crew. Jones and Nightingale refused duty and requested that they be allowed to depart from ship and live ashore. Flogged both for insubordination. . . . All scurvyfied men now able for duty. . . Took 21 milch goats aboard and nine barrels fish, which shore party had salted 23.—Secured and catted best bower this a.m., and made departure from bay at 4 p.m. Nightingale still insubordinate'. Gave him 50 more, and placed him i;i irons. Mr. Jenkins expressed regret tor his conduct, and after warning cancelled log entry. At second dogwatch made all sail and set course for Easter Island. . . The foregoing are among the most interesting entries in the log. Only a seaman, and one of the old school at that, can appreciate what the crew of the Mermaid were up against, short handed and all as they were,. when their cable parted and they "clawed her off the land. Everyone, however, seamen and landsmen alike, will surely admire the tenacity and determination of the old master mariner when he returned to the anchorage and succeeded in recovering his "best bower. Those hardy mariners, Jones arid Nightingale (the former must have been a real "bard case") had, without doubt, been reading • Defoe's classic, Robinson Crusoe," when they expressed a longing for a shore life. On the other hand, perhaps they had acquited a salty thirst during their long voyage, which they found could be appeased by Mr. Jenkins "orange beer." The story of the sea tells us that they were not the last who have made a vain attempt to try and emulate the exploits and adventures of the one and only Alexander Selkirk. Disappointing Goats, From Juan Fernandez to Easter Island the Mermaid had steady trads»_ winds all the way, and covered the distance at never more than six knots per hour. Blow hard, blow low, we note in the log that she was always reduced to reefed topsails at nightfall. And her crew were never idle. Sailmaking, painting, boat building and refitting her ringing and running gear, kept her hands busily employed during the daylight hours. The goats proved a disappointment, for when only a week on the passage they gave no more milk. The entry giving the information gave me a chuckle of merriment, so I shall quote it in full. "June 2.—Steady and light south-east trade wind continues. This day ordered carpenter 'to construct pen for the nanny goats in fore part of ship. Never-ending baaing and bleating since they came aboard, making slumber and sleep impossible. All kids have been killed, and the goats make no attempt to eat the hay rations provided them. . Got only one pannikin of milk this day from whole_ herd. All of them skinny and empty-looking, so ordered cook to kill them off. . . • "June 4.—Steady and light winds as before. Distance for 24 hours 153 knots. (This is the best day's run recorded throughout the voyage.) Hands variously employed. caulking decks. All crew mustered aft this day at noon, and made complaint that they got no sleep by noise from nanny goats. Settled protest by ordering cook to kill all goats and salt them down for future use- Crew mustered again at 4 p.m. and refuse to eat rations of goat meat. Logged Jones and Treveyllan for insubordination. Settled matter by ordering cook to make soup of meat and issue usual rations of salted meat, with goat flesh as extra. . The "Dead Horse." Perhaps some of my readere might remember the chantey we used to sing in our youthful days. It went something like this: O aye, me bonnies! The poor old 'orse is dead and done; And I said so, and I hope so. He's got our beef and bread and bone. Heavß the old 'orse out! This old chantey, if my readers remember, was usually sung in a happy ship when we were a month at sea on the outward passage, and when we performed the ceremony of burying the "dead horse." If we substitute the Mermaid's goats for the old dead horse the similarity will be more apparent. _ It is not difficult to depict the scene in the Mermaid's forecastle when the mess kids containing the goat mutton planked on the table. This, probably, would be the conversation: — "Holv sailor," barks a gruff voice. "Wot the 'ell's the blinkin' sea comin' to? Roast goat agin! Now, wot did them beasts die o\ that we should get 'em for dinner?" "Blasted starvation, Bill," answers a shipmate as he suspiciously prods the rations with his sheath knife. "Aye, mates," echoes a third. "I knowed this would -happen when these 'ere critters were brought aboard. Things is sure gefctin' wtiss and wnsser. We're getting this leathery stuff because the 'old man' paid nothin' for 'em." "I ain't goin' to eat that muck," pipes the bo'stm's mate. "We signed for salt 'orse, not for n?nny goat; so let's all go aft and demand our w" ick." And the foregoing conversation again proves that yon could not kill an old-time sailorman with kindness. (To be "continued.) ,