FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK, 187 



Fearful Experience on Board Schooner ^'Howard." 



BY J. W. COLLINS. 



There are few, indeed, who have never experienced it, that can form any 

 adequate idea of what it is to ride out a gale — a regular "sneezer" — at an- 

 chor in mid-ocean, where even the staunchest ocean steamers are like play- 

 things of the mighty elements. As a rule, a fishing vessel rides like a sea- 

 gull, gallantly breasting the waves that go seething and swishing by, although 

 the violence of the wind often makes the little schooner tremble like an Au- 

 tumn leaf, as it rises on the top of a huge wave to plunge the next moment 

 down its opposite side. Nevertheless, an " unlucky sea " will occasionally 

 break on board, and, if the man on watch is not on the lookout for it, he is 

 likely to be injured if not washed overboard. But, whatever the danger to 

 individuals, a lookout must be kept, for in a gale many most serious perils 

 threaten, which can only be successfully met by utmost care and vigilance. 



It frequently happens that after a long day (often eighteen or nineteen 

 hours) of fatiguing work at fishing, the weary crew, with the exception of the 

 watch, turn in for the much needed sleep. It may be scarcely an hour later, 

 when the watch goes below and, giving the skipper a shake to waken him, 

 says : " Cap'n, it's blowing again like great guns, and I think she needs 

 the rest of her cable ; you'd better turn out and look at it." Of course there 

 is no shirking this duty, and the skipper, knowing he is not called without 

 good reason, tumbles out of his bunk, puts on boots and sou'-wester, and 

 goes up in the companion-way, greeted, the moment he thrusts his face out- 

 side, by the full force of a nor'west snow-squall. The roaring of the waves 

 as they go rushing by, the dismal howling of the wind through the rigging, 

 added to the darkness of the night, intensified by the blinding effect of snow 

 and hurling spray, leave no choice but to order the watch to " call 'em out, 

 for'ard," while at the same time the shout, " Come ! rouse out here 1 we've 

 got to give her the whole string," wakes the heavy slumberers in the cabin, 

 and the half-asleep and thoroughly disgusted men crawl on deck with many 

 objurgations and odd, but innocent remarks. 



" What kind 'er weather d'ye call this ! " one growls out ; while another 

 exclaims, " If I had the job, and couldn't make any better, I'd give up the 

 contract and hire out to a farmer." The air with which the closing sen- 

 tence is uttered plainly tells that, in the mariner's estimation, the lowest 

 degradation one could possibly reach would be to "hire out to a farmer." 



But this is only cheap talk, and, notwithstanding the danger from shipping 

 seas, the crew soon muster around the windlass, and sufficient cable is 



