t were handled with an ability
that saved both them and their crews many times from destruction. Every
autumn some of them became waterlogged, and not a few were never heard
of after leaving the port of loading. The owner of an old brig which I
knew very well was induced by the high rate of freights from Montreal
to fix her to load a cargo of heavy grain from that port. Some of the
owner's friends expostulated with him on the danger of sending so old
and small a vessel to the St Lawrence so late in the season. "Old?"
said the owner, "hasn't she had new decks? And you call her small! What
about Drake's ships that he sailed to the Pacific Ocean and all over
India with? Why, the largest wasn't half the size of mine! No,
gentlemen, ships were built to go to sea, not to lie and rot at the
quays." So to sea she went, and arrived at Montreal none too soon to
assure the completion of her loading and sailing before the winter set
in. She was, however, quickly loaded, and sailed on her homeward
voyage. A quick run was made to Cape Breton, and thence through scores
of "Codbangers" right away to the edge of the Banks of Newfoundland.
Anchors, boats, hatches and everything else were made secure in
anticipation of a wild passage. The studding-sail booms and other spars
or planks were lashed at each side of the hatchways in order to break
the weight or fire of the sea before it tumbled on to them. This was
the old-fashioned plan of protection, and I hope it is still practised.
I have often had recourse to it myself both in sailing vessels and
steamers. There was no Plimsoll mark in those days, and this
cockle-shell of a vessel was literally loaded down to the scuppers. A
westerly hurricane struck her just after crossing the Banks, and she
was run so long before it that to attempt to heave to meant certain
destruction.

The whole length of two hawsers were put out at each side of the
taffrail, and as the mountains came roaring along, towering far above
the stern of the little ship and threatening her with extinction, these
hawsers broke the wrath of the rollers, and made them spread into
masses of prancing foam. The captain and crew said they would never
have been able to scud before the hurricane but for their influence.
She arrived at Queenstown a complete wreck having been literally under
water or covered by it from leaving the Banks until they passed the
Fastnet; bulwarks were gone fore and aft; boats were smashed, but the
hatches