A Sailor's Jargon.

Otago Witness, Issue 2761, 13 February 1907, Page 89

A Sailor's Jargon.

Among other peculiarities of seamen, it is well known that they have a-n inveterate tendency to describe everything in the lar.^uage of the sea. This peculiarity was strikingly exemplified in the case of an old boatswain who was called as a witness in connection with a trial which took place some years ago. On Jack entei ing the witness box and being sworn the following com creation took place: —

"Xow, Mr Truck," said the lawyer, "jou w ill be good enough to toll the court precisely what you know concerning the prisoner at the bar." "Well," said Jack, 'ye ser\ 'twas like thi=. I was dodging along in the lee of the town hall, just backiu' and fillin' =o's t' let a little cutter I was oxpectm' range up alongside, when all of a sudden that fellow opened out the harbour lights And came bowling along like the Flying Dutchman. When he caire under mv Ice he jammed his helm hard down md stood away on the port taok until he nearlyfouled the pier head. Then he put hi* wheel up, and boie away before a goo<J 10-knot."

"Mv dear sir," said the lawyer, "this iargon is utterly unintelligible to the ccuit Tou must be more explicit. Was not the night on which you saw the prisoner a particularly stormy one?'' "Oh, well," replied Jack, ''you couM have carried your topsails easily enough, and your courses, too, but it would hardly have been safe to set your topgallant without a double reef in each of 'em. You might have carried the spanker with one reef, but the would have steered better if you had put on a couple." "This is not answering my question," cried the lawyer. "About what time was it on the night you saw the prisoneri"-

"About two bells in the second clog watch."

"It is only waste of time dealing with =uch stupidity," said the juotge, in despair. "You can stand down." "I can what?" asked Jack.

''t^tand down, sir," cried the lawyer. "Been at sea 30 years and never heard such an older all the time. What do you mean':"

■;Ihink he means you to trip your anchor, Jack." cried a voice in court.

'•Well, ■why didn't he say so," muttered Jack, ,is he was leading the courtroom. "Blest if I ever saw such a lot of lubbers : they don't know so much as the cook's boy.''