Turring In Twillingate - Overboard!

Captain Wilbur Greenham

Captain Wilbur Greenham had many jobs in his life. This is one of many stories about his life as a cod fisherman, sealer, lumberman and captain of schooners and ferries.

TWILLINGATE IS A GREAT PLACE FOR TURRS. Me and poor old father, we have gone out, when I wasn't very big. I'm not very big now, certainly. We were in the row punt. We rowed down to what we call the Lower Head, about three or four miles. It was nothing then to come in with sixty or seventy turrs.

My brother Fred, he's still living, he was out with him, the fall that they turned the boat over. Fred was back at the engine.

Fred asked me if he could have the three-quarter gun. They had my gun and he had two breech loaders, and out they went. He was only a young fella.

Down came three or four turrs, and a big lop on, too. Fred pushed the tiller right across her. Over goes the boat! And the two breech loaders, gone. As for my gun, I wasn't troubled if he lost that one or not.

So alright, she's gone bottom up. Father's pipe came out of his mouth. Fred, a young fella, was a bit more active than father.

Fred got up on the bottom of the boat, and there was poor father in the water. He was near enough that Fred had him hooked by the fingertips. It so happened that a fella by the name of Eric Young was not too far away. And Eric came, got them in his boat, turned father's boat upright, and towed her in.

That's all right. They went over and went in the house. Mother was there.

She said, "What's the trouble?"