Santa Rosa High School - Echo Yearbook (Santa Rosa, CA)

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1a THE PORCUPINE craft. The black. outline of. bridge and cabins, with here there was a gleam of light flashing from port or window, the darker outline of the funnels belching forth a cloud of smoke, the spars, the rigging, all made a striking silhouette against the blue black sky. The moon had not yet risen and it was one of those radiantly starry nights peculiar to the semi-tropics. One could not see where sky and water parted. No sound, save the swashing of the water on the vessel’s sides, broke the stillness and this lent a lulling finish to the scene, making one forget all but the harmony of a perfect night, forcing upon one an overwhelming sense of the might and vastness of the ocean, where man with his mightiest creations is, after all, but a mere speck upon the waters. It is at such a time as this, alone, with nature all in evidence, that the insignificance of man comes liome to one. The rush and hum of life is left behind. The soul of man stands alone before God and sees, as it never can be save when far from the greedy passions of life, the true spirit that moves the universe. It was some hours later.. I had gone to my. room and lay dosing in my bunk, when I was aroused by the sound of voices on deck overhead. Some one was speaking through a megaphone to the watchman forward, then there came a faint halloo and it dawned upon me, that we were speaking some ship. Curious to see what sort of stranger we had met, | hurriedly dressed and went on deck. I may say, that the sight I saw, was one that few people who do not follow the sea ever haye the privilege of viewing. ; The moon had risen, topping every wave and ripple with a flashing creat of silver, as if'a million fires were dancing on the water. Coming towards us and slightly off our starboard bow, was a full rigged bark, with every stitch of canvas set, to catch the light westerly winds. She was indeed a sight worth seeing. Almost from the

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us THE PORCUPINE 9 By a Lover of the Sea. The last ray of the setting sun had slowly receded into: the vanishing glow of evening. The vessel rolled quietly to and fro in the waning light, the power- ful engines driving her with a tremor, into the billows,. which ever rose at her bow. Looking over the rail, it seemed as if one were swinging silently above a vast yawning pit into which one was about to be hurled at each lurch of the vessel’s hull. Yet there was a soothing thrilling sensation as this great ship rocked in the night air, cool, refreshing, and free from the dust of cities. It seemed that, under the dome of the sky, with nothing but the dull deep blue of the sea on every hand and stretching into the infinite, the vessel must be lost, must toss about in a baffled attempt to find some guide. Even the forward lunging of the vessel seemed in itself to speak the hopelessness of the task. Yet she steadily plowed her way into the west, pursuing the sun, as it were, like one fearful to be left so alone in the night. With the change of watch, which had taken place shortly before nightfall, the red and green lights had been placed on the vessel’s sides and the clear peak light at the masthead, sent out a warning beam that stranger craft might know of our approach, though it seemed that it would be strange to meet so far out upon the ocean. As I stood, I heard the officer of the bridge grumble a few inaudible words of instruction to the chief at the wheel as he passed by the open window of the pilot house. From where I stood beside the forward companion way, I could dimly see the man at the wheel outlined in the glow of the binacle light. It was an impressive scene and one long to be remembered. The ship, being a freighter bound for Signapore, there was none of the- clamor and commotion customary aboard passenger

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THE PORCUPINE 1 waters edge rose the white clouds of her bellied sails, rising up, up, until it seemed that they must pierce the vaulted heavens, and full in their midst shown her white fore-light. From her low bows ran back a flood of spray glistening” in the moonlight, and above her decks were the dull red and green which the international agreement requires that all ships must carry at night. With a graceful sweep, she went around us, and on to the eastward. Then was a light in her cabin, but otherwise we could see no life aboard her, though she answered when we spoke her. She was a British East Indiaman from Bombay to San Francisco. We gave her our latitude, requesting that we be reported, and she slipped off astern of us, her towering canvas growing less and less distinct until she finally vanished into the night, leaving us once more toss- ing alone upon the deep.