the world from Salem, Mass., Captain Driver was
presented by the citizens with a large bunting flag in commendation of
his services upon the sea and his well-known love for his country's
emblem. This flag, when presented, was rolled in the form of a triangle,
and the halyards bent. A young sailor, stepping forward, said: "In
ancient times, when an ocean voyage was looked upon with superstitious
dread, it was the custom on the eve of departure to roll the banner in
form of a triangle. When ready and bent like this, a priest stepped
forward and, taking the banner in his hand, sprinkled it with
consecrated water and dedicated it to 'God the Father, God the Son, and
God the Holy Ghost,' turning the point of the triangle upward at the
name of each, thus calling on that sacred unity of Creator, Redeemer,
and Sanctifier to bless the national emblem and prosper the voyagers and
their friends. The flag thus consecrated was then hoisted to the
masthead."

With glistening eyes the captain watched the hoisting of the flag; and
as it fell into position at the masthead of his ship and the colors
unfurled to the breeze, he shouted: "I'll call her Old Glory, boys, Old
Glory!"

Cheer after cheer rent the air. The signals of departure were sounded,
the cables were cast off, and the good ship set sail for foreign ports.

This was the ninth and most memorable voyage made by Captain Driver.
From the island of Tahiti he rescued the suffering descendants of the
mutineers of the English ship _Bounty_, and at risk of grave
considerations turned his vessel from her outlined course and returned
them to their beautiful and longed-for home, Pitcairn, in the waters of
the South Pacific, the settlement of an island, which marks one of the
memorable events of English naval history.

Captain Driver made his last voyage around the globe in command of the
_Black Warrior_. At the masthead flew his Salem flag, Old Glory, to
which he never referred but by that loving pseudonym.

He left the sea in 1837 to become a resident of Nashville, Tenn. He
carried Old Glory with him as a sacred relic, carefully deposited in a
heavy, brass-bound, camphorwood sea chest that had accompanied him on
all his voyages. On legal holidays, on St. Patrick's day (which was his
own birthday), and on days of especial celebration in the Southern city
Old Glory was released from confinement and thrown to the light from
some window of the Driver residence or hung on a rope acros