Cascade (AD 16) - Naval Cruise Book

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r ! ' Twas the Night Before the Night Before Christmas Author ' s Note: Any resemblance to any other poem, living or deceased, is purely intentional. ' Twas the night before Christmas and all through the ship Not a sailor was stirring, not even a drip. The socks were all hung in the space round about In the hope that the ventilator might dry them out. All Seamen First Class were snug in their beds Wliile visions of Market Street darned through their heads. And I in my nightgown, the O.D. in his cap. Had just settled down for a short mid- Salch nap. hen out on the boat deck there arose such a clatter Tlial I bounced out the hatchway to see what was the matter. On the doul)le up liie ladder 1 went like a rocket. Tlic knee on mv game leg ncarlv pulled out its socket. llic moonlight on the bosom of the sleepv lagoon Resembled a dessert you could eat with a spoon; There were the destroyers tied alongside in threes, A couple of barges, and about four D.E. ' s; Hut this. I assure you. was not the main reason 1 tore up the port ladder this holiday season. For out on the boat deck at frame fifty-eight. Was a sight that you can ' t see this side Coldcn Cfate; Evidently because of the area he covers Santa ( laus has turned over a few routes Iti others — There in a twin-engined auto-giro Was 1 .VV Sanlii Clan-, all laiin to go! ' « ; ■ I hirly-- ifiht

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The Cruise of the Nancy Lee J WE LEFT the ship in an F-boat at about six bells. We numbered some seventy souls in the Nancy Lee all told, with every man jack of us looking fit and ready for any kind of salt water adventuring. We were at least twice as rugged as we appeared to be, and what we appeared to be was plenty. There was a cutlass in every belt. We put off in a freshening breeze, foaming along with all the canvas we could crowd on — mizzen, foregallant, topgallant, main- sail, with just a tiny tuck in the jib. At the helm was Mr. Nord, salty as they come, his great mop of hair flying back like a mane from under his sou ' wester. For supercargo on the main deck we had a cream can full of drinking water, and the Ninth Division was in the bilges. Running before the wind we set our course northwest by west across the lagoon. Lookouts were posted c the top of the ramp to keep an eye peeled for the first land and to watch for privateers. For these last we had our smoothbore muzzle-loaders filled with rusty nails and a couple of buckets of gravel. In about an hour wl took a sunsight and I computed our location on the back of an old envelope. As nearly as I could puzzle it o ' we were spang in the middle of the lagoon. Distrusting these newfangled navigating contraptions I then figu it out again by dead reckoning. And just to make sure I double-checked by peering at the reef which coulr ' plainly seen all around. My computations appeared to be correct. I never have had a mite of trouble w ' .lavigating as long as I can see a few palm trees here and there. About 1430 we made a landfall off the port quarter, and the lusty cry of land ho! sounded through i.i rigging. It was our island. Immediately the lads fell to on the capstan, pulling in the scuppers and unfurling the spud locker. We quickly ran down the jib, and reefed in the foretopgallant. And then I directed the crew to lay aft on the fantail, just on general principles. We set the watch — mine had been wound regularly L.jv still kept losing time. Then the larboard helmsman heaved the lead for a sounding. We were in mighty near a fathom of water. So we dropped the hook, hove to. and put down the ramp. Our crew at once went ashore and scattered on their several bloodthirsty errands. For my part, I carefully unfolded the map the pirate had given me, and taking my collapsible self-spading spade I went off to find the black forked tree. Just as soon as I found it I walked fifty paces in a certain • xon, wet my left forefinger, held it up to the wind, and began to dig like one possessed. Meanwhile, and throughout the afternoon, the laws of nature were operating inexorably. The tides. I mean. I calculate as how it isn ' t fitting to argufy with running water. If the tide has got to go out ther ' t has got to go, and no backtalk. Well, it went. I should judge the Nancy Lee to weigh about 19 tons stripped. There came a time when aboui 18 of her 19 tons were up all comfy on the sand. What the coxswain was doing who stayed with her to see that such eventualities did not eventualize I don ' t rightly know. But I think he was busy hoisting the sjinnaker and belaying the last word. In any event, bust my binnacle and reef my mainsail, if when I arrived back the boat not bringing the box of solid gold guineas ( apparently it wasn ' t a map the pirate had given me ..ut an old oleomargarine wrapper) I didn ' t find the Nancy Lee high and dry on the beach sunning herself - a pink umbrella. After my blood pressure had gone down, I found by mv chronometer that it was time to go, -o we hallooed the lads and we went aboard, putting up all the sail we could manage. Tlie Nancy Lee did not move an inch. Then Skipper Nord and the Padre were seen to hold a very hurried conference. And immediately ai • word came loud and clear, All hands over the side, bear a hand and push. With that all hands ■• ■ i ■,. - ..le side, we waited for the precise moment until a small wave came along to help, and then we ; ' • The Nancy Lee did not budge. This so disheartened some of the heavers that they went up higher on the beach and sat do ' — a jumper tree. Upon the rest of us who were heaving ho darkness and weariness came to rest like twin doves. ' • until 2000 hours that the tide decided it had played squat tag with us long enough and came in i. eventually got back to the ship, and somebodv there had some victuals for us which we ate with reli-n peanut butter. Well, that was the cruise of the F-boat Nancy Lee. We made it there. We made it back. 1 calculate as now Captain Bligh himself couldn ' t have done any better. We used a special kind of reckoning both ways. We used dead reckoning to get there, and when we got back we were about dead, I reckon. I am very glad to say that the F-boat from another ship which had likewise chosen the same sandy beach to let down its ramp upon did not get off that night, nor for three days afterward. And all of us old salts know why: they just don ' t put the stuff in these young fellows nowadays like they used to. Now when was a lad, I mind the time when. . . .

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And I feel we must add this one word additional : She was strictly not wearing the costume traditional. She was not clad in furs, this gay captivator, (This year they don ' t wear furs below the Equator) She wore a lava-lava and a fetching sunshade, Which her many attractions conveniently displayed. She was prettier by twice than the pictures pinned up In the galley, the tool room, and the ship ' s barber shop. She ran straight up to me and gave me a hug That was like being wrapped in a soft bearskin rug. We had quite a chat, as we stood there together, About the crop outlook and the good flying weather. Though she had in her knapsack lots of trinkets and toys Brought along to make happy all good sailor boys, They can have all these presents to distribute about — Just give me the lady and I ' ll go without! If she ' ll be my Santa, then I say loud and clear It ' ll be a merry Christmas every day of the year! Then, though I rather wished she would stay a lot longer — • At least for the duration 1 1 can ' t put it stronger) — She confided she had other errands to run As part of her job on Santa ' s Route One. She flashed me a smile like a thousand-watt light And gave me a look as she kissed me Goodnight. Then she climbed on the wing of her flying-machine, And revved up the motors, turned on the si-rene; I watched her take off in the bright moonlit sky, She waved at me fondly, and I too waved Goodbye. But ' ere she departed, to disappear in the blue, I decoded this message which I pass on to you For she sent you this dispatch, this delectable maid : A MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL WHO ARE ON THE CASCADE ! December 23, 1943. ge Thirty-nine