Vietnam or Thailand ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Updated: May 21, 2025
The Maories have quite an original way of catching barracouta. Through one end of this they drive an inch nail bent upwards, and filed to a sharp point. The other end is fastened to about a fathom of stout fishing-line, which is in turn secured to the end of a five-foot pole. Seated in a boat with sail set, they slip along until a school of barracouta is happened upon.
It was your misfortune, not your fault, that we were too strong for you, and if Sir Timothy Tompion oh yes," in answer to my look of surprise, "I know Sir Timothy quite well, and he knows me, or thinks he does! if Sir Timothy had only known that he was sending you out to fight the Barracouta, he would have given you, if not a bigger ship, at least twice as heavy an armament, and twice as strong a crew.
SIR, I have the honor to inform you that the pilot of the enemy's steamer Iroquois habitually spends his time on shore in this port; and that last night he slept on board the enemy's topsail schooner moored near the beach, in the vicinity of the English barque Barracouta. I have ample evidence outside of my ship to establish these facts.
As Percy reached this point his eye was caught by a smoke-feather on the southern horizon. Steamers always interested him. Stopping, and shading his eyes with his hand, he gazed intently at the distant vessel. The Barracouta was now just entering the cove; the thudding of her exhaust echoed loudly against the barrier of earth beneath his feet.
This was not to be wondered at, however, for in addition to the beautiful, easy grace of her flowing lines, her scantling was extraordinarily light less than half that of the Barracouta and all her chief fastenings were screws!
Meanwhile, the dead and wounded had been conveyed from the prizes to the Barracouta, where the doctor immediately took the sufferers in hand, while the slain were stitched up in their hammocks ready for burial.
When I awoke, rather late, the next morning, after a somewhat troubled and restless night, traceable, no doubt, to my long conversation with Ricardo, the Barracouta had vanished, and nothing remained to mark her late anchorage save the buoy to which she had been moored.
In less than half-an-hour we had traversed the distance to the mouth of the creek, just before reaching which we were astonished to discover the Barracouta hard and fast upon a sand-bank that lay just off the entrance, with her topgallant-masts struck, and her remaining boats in the water, apparently engaged in the task of lightening her.
Hardly had the door been closed, with Lane, Stevens, and Percy on the alert just inside, when the other guard came hurrying anxiously back. He had been unable to fathom the meaning of the tumult on the Barracouta. "I don't like this at all, Herb," growled he as he drew near Jim. "Dolph and the skipper have gotten into some kind of a scrape, but what the trouble is I can't figure.
On board the Barracouta Lane and Stevens, standing side by side, faced Jim and brought their palms to their foreheads. "Attention!" ordered Lane. "Spurling & Company! Salute!" Jim returned the compliment with a sweep of his hand. He threw on the switch and rocked the wheel; the engine started click-click-click.... Gathering headway, the Barracouta nosed south, dory and pea-pod trailing behind her.
Word Of The Day
Others Looking