fishermen's MEMOrJiMi AXD RECOED BOOK. 127 



if he could do so he would be pretty well supplied for the winter. 

 Going up the wharf, he espied a provision store, and, stepping in, told 

 a plausible story, and bargained for the flour. The store-keeper, 

 supposing him the owner as well as skipper of the craft, concluded 

 to let him have it on a short credit. Bill was delighted, and while 

 rolling the second barrel down the wharf met one of the crew, and in 

 a self-satisfied tone exclaimed : " See here, Tom, I can get trusted in 

 Salem for two barrels of flour, while in Cape Ann no one would let 

 me have seven pounds ! " It so happened that the trader overheard 

 this, and, tapping Bill on the shoulder, ordered him to return ihem 

 forthwith. The old fellow felt extremely chopfallen at this turn 

 of aflairs ; but there was no help for it, and, amid the laughter of 

 the crowd, returned the flour, muttering to himself as he went 

 along, " What a fool I loas to let the cat oid of the bag before we got 

 under-way for Cape Ann! " 



A Remarkable Incident of Seafaking Life. — Many years 

 ago, two brothers, Capt. Nathaniel Smith, of Gloucester, and Capt. 

 Ammi R. Smith, of Ipswich, made many voyages in the European 

 trade. It so happened that while the one was at home the other 

 would be abroad, and they had not seen each other for several years. 

 One morning, on the broad Atlantic, two ships sighted each other, 

 the one steering east and the other west, with a strong breeze. The 

 usual preparations were made for " speaking ; " and upon ranging 

 within hailing distances, the sails were thrown back, and there, 

 trumpet in hand, stood the two brothers face to face, each on his own 

 quarter-deck. Afl"ectionate greetings, with the tidings from abroad, 

 and the thrice welcome news from home were exchanged, and after 

 cordial wishes for each other's prosperity, the vessels filled away on 

 their course. They did not meet again on shore or at sea for some 

 years afterwards. 



Didk't Pat. — Upon the return home of one of our vessels from 

 Georges, the master and owner were extremely loth to settle with the 

 crew immediately after selling the trip, and some of the men were 

 afraid they would not get their money very soon. Among them was 

 an Irishman, who seemed bent on securing money or its equivalent. 

 Finding his eflforts failed to bring the "cash" he fell back on the 

 " equivalent," and proposed to take a portion of the schooner's cable 

 in lieu of the greenbacks. 



