We experienced considerable squally weather about the middle
of September, interspersed with head winds and calms. On the 15th there
were several vessels in sight, and a large iron bark came so near that
we concluded to send aboard for newspapers. The waist boat was cleared
away and the second mate started to intercept the stranger, but
scarcely had the boat been lowered into the water when a squall came up
and the sea became very rugged, so that in passing to the leeward of
the bark, though he shouted out that it was only papers that he wanted,
the captain did not hear him, and luffed up into the wind to deaden his
headway. But even then the bark drifted ahead so rapidly that it was
hard work for our boat to catch it by rowing in such a heavy sea. The
stranger then lowered his top-gallant sails and hauled his foreyards
aback, and in about twenty-five minutes Mr. Gilbert was alongside. He
sprang lightly up the side of the big vessel, and, standing before the
captain, with all the characteristic politeness of the French people,
presented Captain Baker's compliments and asked for some late papers.
The captain of the bark was a splendid old Scotchman who had grown gray
battling with stormy seas for many years. But when he found out that
all we wanted was newspapers, he was so completely overpowered with
surprise that all he could say was, "Well--I'll--be--blanked.
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