HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times, 1892-10-20, Page 3-
Stapp Adventure of a South Sun.
awsdenssalseeees‘Wsd-ssthstegss.
one of them wes at the wecei. Thee
,
is an cell leak of weal -Sue aloft, or malt
.r let no closet Bic it ae w tnt of that sort
precision whioli a sailor's eye woald seek
ar ani instantly raise, even in the com
monest old seradonkey of a anllier. Nothieg
was rightly set foe the lack of healing mat.
" Rimming gear was slackly Iteleyed, ittal
avnu,g with the rolling of the little brie
'ike Irish penults. The Limit was clean
.st the bottom, but ancoppered. She was a
eound-bowed contrivance, with a spring aft
which gave a kind of mulish, kiek-up look
to the run of hor.
One of the two visible men, a broacbchest-
ed, thick -set fellow, in a black coat, and. a
wide, white straw hat, got upon the bul-
wark and stood holding on by a back -stay,
watching our approach, but he did not offer
to buil. I thought this queer; it struek
me then that he hesitated to bail us, as
though w&nting the language of the seain
this business of speaking.
"'Brig ahoy I' shouted the captain.
"'Hallo' answered the man.
" What is wreng with you?'
" We are short-handed, sir, and, in grea t
distress,' was the ouswer.
‘c: What is your ship, and where are you
from, and where are you bound to?'
"When these questions were put, the man
looked round to the fellow who stood at t oe
brig's lettlewheel. It was possible he sought
for counsel from the helmsman, who was
probably a forecastle hand. He torued his
tace again our way in a. minute, and shout-
ed out in a powerlal voice "'We are the brig Cyprus, of Sydney,
New South Wales, bound to the Cape of
Good Hope, and very much out of our reck-
oning, I dare say, through the distresa we're
in,'
"Tho captain and 'exchanged looks.
as you go,' ;he captain sang
out ; you're bound ou a true course tor the
Antarctic circle, and, anyway, it's a, long
stretch for Agitates by way of Cape Horn
out of these seas. How can we serve yen?'
Will you send one of your offisers in a
boat?' came back the reply, very protnptly,
that he may put us in the way of steering
a course for the Cape of Good Hope? He'll
then guess our plight, enti if ynidil lend us
a hand or two we shall be greatly obliged.
We cull send a beat ourselves—we're too
few.'
'4 He's no sailor then, that fellow,' said
the captain, and he lia'ut got, the colonial
brogue, either. I seem to smell Whiteohapel
in that chap's speech, Is he 5 passeuger
Why don't he say so? Looks like a play
actor, or priest? But take a boat Grain-
ger, and tow aver and see what you can
make of the mess they're in. There's some-
thing rather more than out-of.the-way in
that job, if I'm not mistaken."
"A beet was lowered, I entered her, and
was rowed across to the brig by three men,
No attetnpt was made to throw us the end
ole. line, or in any way to help us. The
bowmen got hold of a chain plate, and I
scrambled in to the main chains, and so got
over the mils, bidding the men shove off
and lie clear of the brig, whose rolling was
somewhat heavy owing to her floating like
an egg shell upon the long Nolan heave.
"1 glanced along the vessel's decks for-
ward and sew net a soul. I observed. a lit.
tle caboose, the chimney of which was srack-
ine as though coal had within the past few
minutes been thrown into the furnace. I
saw but one boat; she stood checked and
lashed abaft the caboose, a clumsy, broad -
beamed longboat. capable of stowing per-
haps fifteen or twenty men at a pinele I
also took notice of a pair of davits on the
starboard side, past the main rigging; they
were empty.
"1 stepped up to rhe heavily -built man
who had answered the captain's questions.
Be reeeived me with a grotesque bow,
pinching the brim of his wide straw hat as
he bobbed his head. I did not liko his
looks. He brides banging a hale as ever a
malefactor carried, His features were
heavy and coarse, his brow low and pro-
truding, his eyes small, black and restless,
and hie mouth o. the bull -dog case
" ' We're much obliged to you for this
visit,' said he. Might I ask your name,
sir 2'
"'My name is Grainger—Mr. Ames
Grainger,' / answered, scarcely wondering
at the irregularity of sock a question on
such an occasion, perceiving clearly now
that the fellow was no sailor.
"'What might be your position on that
ship, Mr. Grainger?' said the man.
" I'm mate of her,' said
" ' Then I suppose you're capable of car-
rying it ship from place to place by the art
of navigation ?' he exclaimed.
" Why, I hope so, cried I ; but what
is it you want, and here I looked at the
man vvho was standing at the helm, grasp-
ing the spokes in a manner that assured
me he was not used to that sort of work;
and I was somewhat struck to observe
that in some respects he was not unlike the
fellow who was addressing me—that is to
say, he had quite as hanging a face as his
companion, though he wanted the other's
breadth and squareness, and ruffian -like set
of figure, but his forehead was low, and his
eyes black and restless, and he was close -
cropped, with some days' growth of beard,
as was the case with the other. Ho was
dressed in a bottle -green spencer and trou-
sers of a military cut, and wore one of those
caps which in the days I am writing of were
the fashion amongst masters and mates.
" 'If you don't mind stepping into the
cabin,' said the young man with whom I
was conversing, I'll show you a chart,
and ask you to pencil out a course for us ;
and with your leave, sir, ril tell you over a
glass of wine exactly how it's come about
that we're too few to carry the brig to her
destination unless your captain will kindly
help us.'
'Are you two the only people aboard?'
said I.
" 'The only people,' he answered.
"Anywhere else, under any other condi-
tions I might have snspected it treacherous
intention in two men with such hanging
countenances as this lonely brace owned ;
but what could I imagine to be afraid of
aboard a brig bolding two persons only,
with the whaler's boat and three men with-
in a few strokes of the oar„ and the old
barque, Swan, full of livelies, many of them
deadly in the art of casting the harpoon,
within easy heel ? ,
• Go ,Noveiriber 4, 1830, a number- of con•
gets were indicted at the Admiralty See-
sioue Of the Old Bailey for haviug on taw
5 th of September in the previous Veal
piratically seized & brig called the Cyprus.
•A. South Seaman was ianocently and inoet
involuntarily, as shall be discovered pres-
ently, involved in this tragic business, to
• which he is able to add a narrative that ie
certainly not known to any of the chrouic-
lers of the crime. But first as to the pirat-
ical seizure.
The Cyprus, a colonial brig, had been
Chartered to convey a number of 'convicts
from Hobart Town to Macquarie Harbor.
on the northern coast of Tasmania, and
Norfolk Island, distant about a week's sail
from Sydney, In those days a penal settle.
meht. Tjtere were thirty-two felons in all.
Thest,Men had been guilty of certain grave
offenses at Hobart Town; they had render.
ed themselves in consequence liable to new
punishment; they were tried before the
Supreme Court of Judicature there, and
sentenced to be transported to the place
above mentioned.
Only the very worst of prisoners were
sent to .Norfolk Island and Macquari Hata
boa The discipline at those 'penal estab-
lishments was terriV,e ; the labor that was
exacted heart -breaking. The character of
the punishment was well known, and every
felon resenteuced to transportation from
the colonial convict settlements very well
understood the fate that was before him.
The Cyprus sailed from Hobart Town in
August, 1829. In additton to the thirty -
two convicts, she reweled it crew of eight raen
and it gnard of twelve soldiere, under the
command of Lieu:tenant Cetenv, who was
accompanied by his wife and children. The
prisoners, as was always customary in con
-
vice ships, were Ruder the care of a medical
man mimed Williams.
Nothing of innment happened until the
brig either brought up or was hove to in
Research Bay, where Dr. Williams*Lieu.
tenant Cerew, the mate of the vessel, it soh
dier, mid a convict named Popjoy went
ashore on it fishing excuraion. They had
not been gotta from the ship above half an
hour wheu they heard a noise of fire -arms.
Instantly guessing that the eonviets had
rieen they la ;de it rush for the boat and
plat(' for the brig. It was as they hail
feerei, the felone heel mastered the guard,
and seised the brig,. They suffered no inan
to mime on besed save Popley, the convict,
who, however, later on sprang overboard
and swain to the beech. They then sent
the crew, eol liers, and passengers ashore,
but without provisions or the means of sup*
penile; life. Then, emotive themeelves,
the premiers lifted the anultor and trimmed
sail, and the little brig slipped away oat of
Research Bay.
Tne chconielers stet° that the vetted was
newer afterward heard of, thengh some of
the cameras wore apprehended separately
in varions perks of Sties= and Essex. The
posthumous yarn of the mate of an English
weeder disproves this. Ho related his ex-
trttordinary experience thus :—
We bad been fishiug north of the &put -
.or, and had filled up with it little 'grease,'
te the Yankees term it round about the
Galapagoa Island, but business •grew too
ilack for even a whaleman's patience.
Eleven months out, from Whitby, and., if
my memory fails me not, less than a score
of fel barrels in our hold 1 So the captain
moset up his mind to try south, and work-
ing our way across the Equator we struck
in amongst the Polynesian groups, raieing
the Southern Cross nightly higher and
higher, till we were somewhere about lati-
tude 30 degrees and longitude 75 degrees
oast.
"I came on deck to the relief at4 ohdock
•one morning, the weather was quiet, a
pleasant breeze was blowing off the star.
board benm ; our ship was barque -rigged,
with ehort topgallant masts, Cape Horn
fashion • she was thrusting through it leis-
urely under topsails and her mam topgal-
lant sail, and the wide Pacific heave so
cradled her as she went that, she seemed to
sleep as she sailed.
"Day broke soon after 5, and as the light
brightened out I caught sight of it gleam on
the edge of the sea. It was as white with
the risen sun upon it as an iceberg. I level-
ed the glass and made out the topmast
canvas of a small vessel. There was noth-
ing to excite one in the spectacle of it dis-
tant sail. The barque's work went on : the
decks were washed down, the lookout aloft
hailed and nothing reported; and at seven
bells the crew went to breakfast, at which
hour eve had risen the distant sail with al
rapidity that somewhat puzzled the captain
and me. For, first of all, she was not so
far off now but that we could distinguish
the lay of her head—she looked to be going
our way; but clearly she was stationary,
for the Swan, which was tho name of our
barque, though as seaworthy an old tub as
ever went to leeward on & bowline, was
absolutely without legs; nothing more slug-
gish was ever afloat; for her then to have
, overhauled anything that was actually un-
sse der way would have been marvelous.
" Something wrong out there, Grainger,'
said the captain.
"'Looks to me to be all in the wind with
her,' I answered.
"'Make out any color?' said the cap-
tain.
" "Nothing as yet,saidl.
"'Shift your helm by a spoke or two,'
said he. Meanwhile I'll go to break-
fast.'
"He was not long below. By the titne
he had returned we had risen the distant
vessel to the line of her rail. I got some
breakfast in the eabin • on passing again
through the hatch I found the captain look-
. mg o,t the sail through the telescope.
'She is a small brig,' said he, and she
has just now sent the English colors aloft,
with the jack down. She is all in the wind,
as you said. Her people don't seem toknow
what to do with bets'
"She now lay plain enough to the noised
sight, a small, black brig of about it hun-
• dred and eighty tons apparently in ballast,
as she floated high on the water. She, like
ourselves, carried short top gallant -masts
but the canvas she showed consisted of no
more than topsails and courses. I took the
glass from the captain, and believed I could
make out the heads of two or three people
• showing above the bulwark rail abaft the
mainmast.
" What's their trouble going to prove?'
said the captain.
"'They're waiting for us,' said I. They
• Saw us, and ehit the helm down and got
their little ship in irons instead of backing
• their topsail yard. No sailor man there, I
doubt.'
A small colonial trader, you'll find,'
said the captain, with a crew of four or
five Ks,nakas. • The captain's sick and the
mate was accidentally left ashore at the last
island. '
"It blew a four knot breeze—four knots,
I mean, for the Swan. Wriekling the water
under her bows and smoothing into oil a
,abie'm length of w ake astern of her, the
aler gee ted dories to the little brig within.
distpxce, We saw but two men,
"The man who invited me below stepped
into the companion -way; I followed aud
descended tho short flight of steps. The
instant I had gained the bottom of the lad-
der I knew by the sudden shadow which
came into the light that the companion
hatch had been closed ; this must have been
done ly the fellow standing at the w heel.
It was wisely contrived I Assuredly, had
the way been open, I should have rushed
upon deck and sprung overboard ; because
after descending the steps I beheld five, or
six men standing in a sort of waiting and
listening posture under the skylight. In-
stantly my left arm was gripped by the morn
who had asked me to step below ; another
fellow, equally powerful and equally ruf-
fianly in appearance, grasped inc by the
right arm.
'Now,' said the first man, 'if you make
the least bit of noise or give us any trouble
we'll cut youthroat. We don't intend to
e.,
;0 eon any herrn, bat we went your services
eel you'll have to do what we require with -
else soy rues. If not, you're a deed man.'
"b eaying they threw open the door of a
'meth, ran ma in o it, shut the door, end
-diet the lock. I hacl been so completely
zelten by surprise that, I wls in a menace
stunned. I stood in the middle of the cabin
inst whore tho fellows had let go Of me,
daring around, breathing short and fierce,
my mind almost a blank. Bat I quickly
rallied my wits; I understood I had been
kidnappe 1; by what sort of people I could
Uot imagine but beyond, question because I
understood navigation tie I had told the
man. I listened, but heard no nolse of
voices, nor movements a people in the
cebin. Through the planks, overheaa, how -
00020 the sound of a rapid tread of
feet accompanied by the thud of coils of
rope flung hastily down. The cabin port-
hole was a middling -sized, circular window.
I saw the whaler in it as in it frame. I up.
screwed the port, but with no intention to
cry out, never. doehting tor a moment from
;let looks of the men that they would silence
me in some such bloody fashion as had been
threatened.
"Just as I pulled the port open a voitie
nverheset sang out. 'Get beck to your
ship, you three men; your inate has con -
dented to stop with ns, as we're in want of
a navigator,'
" Lee him tell ua that hinattelfdsaid one
of my men ; 'let him show up, What ha'
ye done with him l'
"'Ise off,' roared one of the people in rt
savage, hurrioane note.
''There was a little pause of astonishment
on the part of the boat's crew; I could not
see them—the boat lay toofar astern; but.
after it hit 1 beard the splash of owe, the
beet swept into the sphere of the porthole,
and I beheld her making for the barque.
"I was now sensible, however, not only
by observitee the whaler to recede, but by
hearing the streatning and rippling of
broken waters along the bends, that the
people of the brig had in some fashiou trim-
med sail and filled upon the ruse), We
were under way. The bark slid out or
the compass of the porthole. '' But now I
tweed her captain's voice coming across the
space oof mwyatie:a,tcel;er and strong
"'Brig ahoy 1 What do you Mean by
k
"To this no answer was returned. Agin
the captain hailed the brig, but owing to
the altlit in the postures of the two vessels,
and to my hoeing nothIng but it ciraular
bole to hear through 1 could only dimly
and imperfectly catch what was shouted,
Tile cries from the whaler grew raore and
more thread like. Indeed, 'I knew this brig
must be a very poor sailor if she did nor
speedily leave the Swan &eastern.
"And now as I conjectured from the noise
of the tread of feet, and the limn of voices,
the brig on a sudden seemed full of men,
not thts eight or ten whom I had beheld
with my oyes but it big ship' s company.
And the sight of the crowd I reckoned,
as I stood harkening at the open port hole
aintteed, confounded in the utmost dis-
tress of mind, was probably the reason why
the captain of the Swett had not thought
proper to se»d boats to rescue me. Be this
as it will, I was thunderstruck by the
covery—the discovery of my bearing, and
of my capacity as a sailor of interpreting
shipboard soands—that this little brig,
which I had supposed tenanted by two men
only, had hidden a whole freight of huinau
souls somewhere away in the execution of
this dittbolical stratagem. 'What was this
vessel? Who were the people on board her?
What use did they design to pat me to, and
when I had served them what was to be iny
Late?
"Quito three hours passed, during which
I was left unvisited. Sometina a I heard
men tallthig in the cabin, over my bead
there went a regular swing of heavy feet, a ,
pendulum tread as if half a score of burly
ruffians marching abreast, and. keeping a
lookout all together. The door of my berth
was opened at last, and the villain who had
seduced me into the brig stepped in.
"'1 was sorry,' mad he, to be obliged
to use threata. Threats aren't in our way, I
We mean no mischief. Quite the contrary;
we count upon you handsomely serving us:
Come into the cabin, sir, that I may make
you known to my mates.'
"His manner was as civil as it fellow 1
.with his looks could possibly contrive, and,
an ugly smile Intl upon his face while he
addremed me, and I observed that he held
his great straw hat in his hand, as though
to sbow respect.
"About twenty mon were assembled in
the cabin. I came to a dead stand on the
threshold of the door of the berth, so as-
tounded was I by the sight of all those fel-
lows. I ran my eye swiftly over them; they
were variously dressed, some in the attire of
seaman, some in such clothes as gentlemen
of that period wore, a few 111a puzzling
sort of military undress. They all had
cropped heads, and miner were grim with
few days' growth of beard and moustache.
They had the felon's look, and there was
somehow a suggestion of escaped prisoners
in their geueral bearing. A dark suspicion
rushed upon me with the velooity of thought,
as I stood on the threshold of the door of
the berth for tho space cf a few heart -beats,
gazing at the mob.
" Tbe cabin was a plain, old-fashioned in-
terior. A stout, wide table secured to i
stanchions amidships. Overhead was a
skylight. There was a few chairs on either f
hand the table, and down the cabin on both t
sides went a length of lockers. Some of
the men were smoking. A few sat upon the t
table with their arms folded; others loung-
ed upon the lockers and in chairs. They f
stared like one man at me whilst I stood
looking at them.
'Is he a navigator, Swallow 9' said one a'
of them, a wiry, dark -faced man who held t
his head hung and looked at you by lifting dark -
his eye. fi
"'Ay, mate of the whaler—James Grain- 1
ger by name,' answered tbe follow who had o
opened the door of my berth. Salute
lum, bullies. He's the charley -pitcher for c
to handle this butter -box.'
The voices of the men swelled iato it roar t
of welcomes of as many sorts as there were a
speakers. One of them came around the h
table and shook me by the hand.
"'My name's Alexander Stevenson,' a
said he, come and sit down here.'
"Alt very civilly he conducted me to a o
chair at the head of the table. And now, h
happening to glance upward, I spied seven s
or eight faces peering down at me through r
the skylight.
" ' Swallow, do the jawing, will 'eeV b
said the man who called himself Stevenson. 1
" Why, yes,'answered Swallow, posting t
himself at the top of the table, and address- u
ing me through the double ranks of men on in
either side, This is how it stands with .t
us, Mr. Grainger, clear as naud in a wine- t
glass, and we're all sorry it ehould have fe
come to it for your sake. But do your duty w
by es faithfully, and we'll take care you. 1shan't suffer. We're thirty-four conviots s
in all. We were thirty-two, but Milkliver ly
Pogjoy took a header, and wentfor the land
an the lickspittle if he lives he'll get his w
liberty for a reward. We were bound from of
Hobart to Norfolk Island. You'll have Is
heard of that setblement
"1 said 'Yes,' and an odd gettural Wig
• broke from some of the men.
'" Well, mister,' eontinued the man
Swallow, 'Norfolk Island was it destinatioa
that didn't aecord with our views. And
wlist more d'yo want me to say? Here w(
are, and We wa-nt our liberty, and we meeo
to gib it without any risk, and you're the
man to help us.'
." 'What do you want me to do said 1,
speaking boldly, and looking about in
steadily, for now I perceived exactly hoe
ib was with the brig, and the worst had
been explained and the whole mystery
solved when Swallow told me they were
convicts ; and likewise I had had plenty of
time to screw my nerves up.
"Several men spoke at once on my ask.
res- the above question, Stevenson roared
out. 'Let Swallow man the jaw -tackle,
boys. One a,t a time, or you'll addle the
gent.'
"'This is Viet we want to do d said
Swallow. There are scores of islands in the
seas, and we want yon to carry us to them;
heaving -to off thein one after another that
we may piok and choose, some going ashore
here and some there, for oar game is to oat -
ter. That's clear, I hope?
"1 underetemd you,' said I.
"Swallow seemed at, a loss. Stevenson
then said. 'But we shall want nothing that's
got a white settlement on it; nothingthat's
likely to have a pennant flying near.
We've got no fixed notions. We leave it to
you to raise the islands, and it'll be for ue
to select and take our chance.'
'There'll be charts aboard, I suppose 1'
Elaid
L
'Instantly one of them stepped futon
cabin and returued with it bag full of charts
I turned them out upon the table, and p rompt
lyceum soroeschares of the North and South
Pacific Oceans. These charts gav'e me front
the Phillipines to Cape St. Leaas, and from
the Eastern Australian Coast te away 218
far as 120 degrees W. longitude. The men
did not utter a word whilst I looked. I
could. hear their deep breathing mingled
with the noise of a hard sucking of pipes.
One of them who looked through the sky-
light called down. Swallow silenced him
with it gesture ot the fist.
"'Have you got what's wanted here, Mr.
Gra inger ?" seid Stevenson,
" 'All that 1 shall want is hero, ' I an-
swered.
"A lowgrowlof applanee ran through the
0200.0'.
" Will you be able to light upon the id -
ands that'll prove suitable for us men to
live in without risk until the opportunity
comes in the sluspe of vessels for us to get
away?' said Swallow,
"'1'!?do my best for you, 'said I.
see yam. wants, and you, may trust me,
providing 1 may trust you. What's to he -
come ol 100 when you're out of the brig?
That's it now.
You'll stay on board and do what
you like with the vessel, answered Swab
ylo otw 3' She'll be yearn to they lia.ve and hold.
away beyond tho value of what we've
been obliged to make you leave behind
Make what ey call a salvage job of it,
and your pickings, Mister, "ull be out end
" Ain't that fair?' said a man.
" Is my life safe?' said 1.
"'Ay,' cried Swallow, with a great oath,
strikine the table a heavy blow with his
()toughed fist. Underataud this and corn.
fort yourself, There's been no blood shed
in Ude job, and there'll be nano, so help me
God I you permitting mister.'
"When this was said a fellow, whom I
afterward heard called by the name of Jim
Davis asked if I was willing to take an oath
that I would be honest. I said Yes.'
He stood up and dieteted an oath full of
blaspherny,shocking with imprecations, and
grossly illiterate, The eyes of the -crowd
wore fastened upon me, and some of the
'trillium watched me in a scowling way with
faces dark with suspicion till 1 repeated the
horrid language of the man Davis and swore,
after which the greater bulk of them went
en.sw
deckaellow
put some beef and biscuit on
the table and a bottle of rum, and bade me
all to. He told me to understind that I
was captain of the ship; that I was at lib -
arty to appoint officers under me, and that,
though none of the convicts had been sme-
aring men, they had learnt how the ropes
ed and how to furl °eaves, and would obey
any orders for the common good which I
might deliver. I ate and drank, being
determined to put the best face I (Ionia on
this extraordinary business, and asked for
the captain's cabin that I might find out
what nautical instruments the brig carried.
'wallow, Stevenson, and a convict named
William Watts, conducted me to a berth
right aft on the starboard side. They
told me it had been occupied by the captain
and should be mine. Here I found all I
needed in the shape of navigating instru-
ments, and went on deck with Swallow and
h
t e. oI tchoad
etrs.
see nothing of the Swan; she
was out of sight from the elevation of the
brig's bulwarks. All the convicts were on
deck, and the brig looked full of men. Those
vho had been above whilst I was in the
cabin with the others approached and star-
ed at me, but not insolently, merely with
curiosity. They seemed a vile low -on, e and
all. With some of them every other word
vas an oath; their talk was almost gibber-
sh to my ears with thieves' slang. I won-
dered to find not one of them dressed in
elons' garb ; but on reflection 1 concluded
hat they had plundered the crew and the
people who had had charee of them and of
he Cyprus and had forced all those they
drove out of the brig to change clothes be -
ore quitting the vessel.
"However, it was my immediate policy
o prove my sincerity. I valued my life,
nd I had but to look at the men to reckon
hat it would not be worth a rush light if
hey suspected I was not doing my best to
nd them a safe asylum among the islands
O the Pacific. Accordingly, I fetched one
the charts, placed it upon the skylight,
where those who had gathered about me
ould see it, and laid off a course for the
onga Islands, telling the men as I pointed
o the group upon the chart that if no bils
nd thereabout satisfied them we could
ead for. the Fijis or cruise about the Friend -
y or Navigator groups, working our way
s far as the Low .Archipelago, betwixt
hich and the first island we sighted we
ught certainly to fall in with the sort of
iding place they wanted. My words raised
grin of satisfaction in every face within
each of my voice.
"1 stepped to the helm, and headed the,
rig on a northerly course, and.stood awhile
°eking at the compass to satisfy myself
hat the convict who grasped the spokes
nderstood what to do with the wheel. He
anaged fairly well. I then asked Swallow
o serve as my chief mate, and Stevenson
o aot as second, and calling the rest of the
ions together I divided them into two
etches. .My next step was to crowd the
ttle brig with all the canvass she could
pread, and to set every stitch of it proper-
- Thus passed the first day.
»I have no space to eater minutely into
hat happened till we made a small potnt
land in the neighborhood of the Friendly
lands. There was abundance of provisions
n board, plenty dingle water, and a stock
spirits intexided for the commandant an,'
',Idlers at Maecquarie Harbor and, Frorfo"1,
eland, but theugh the convicts freely titmd
vhatever they found nt the brig's hold.
lever once was there an mstance of drunk
:nness amongst them. I guessed thane al
be as desperate a set of miscreants as
4,ere ever traneported for crime upon crime
ram it convict establishment; yet they
seed me very woll. Saving their villainous
peech, their behavior was fairly decorous.
rhey sprang to my bidding, sled me as
.hough they had been seamen and I their
and indeed, by their behavior so
reassured me that my dread of being hutch -
wed vanithed, and I carried on the work of
she brig as assured of my personal safety—
providing I dealt by them honestly—as
though. I had been on board the old Swan,
"We sighted several vessels, but, as you
lore' 811130006, we had nothing to say to
them. Off the first island we came across I
hove the brig to ; the convicts got the long
boat out, and it dozen of them went ashore
to exagnineand report. Five returned; the
remainder bad chosen to etas,. We made
three of the islands; the natives of two
of them were threatening and fright-
ened the convicts back to the brig;
the thirdproved uninhebited—a very
gem of au island was Ude ; and here
fifteen contacts went, ashere, and thrice the
boat went between the island and the brig
with provisions and necessaries for their
maintenance,
"But it gave me it fortnight of anxious
hunting to diseover such another island as
the remaining convicts considered suitable.
T1113 6,0 lest we fell ie with midway betwixt
the Union group and the Marquesas ; and
here the rot of the felons went ashore,
after almost emptying the brig's hold ed
provisions and the like. They kept the
longboat and left me alone in the brig.
Some of them shook hands with me as they
went over the side, and thanked me for hav-
ing served them so honestly.
It, was in the evening when I was left
alone. The sun was setting behind the Isl.
and, off which a gentle breeze was blowing.
My first business was to run the ensign a-
loft, Jack down. I then trimmed sail as
best 1 could with it single pair of bands, and
putting the helm amidships, let the brig
blow :sway southwest, designing to make
for one ce the Navigator Islands where I
might hope to fall in with assisanee either
from the shore arfrom it vessel. But short-
ly after midnight the brig, sailing quietly,
grounded upon a coral ahead, fell over on to
her bilge, and lay quiet. I was without a.
boat, ttnd could do nothing bututaitior day -
Bela and pray for a sight of some petsing
vessel. All next day. passed, and nothing
showed the wide horzzon round, but about
9 ohileck that night, the moon shining clears
ly, I epied a sail dawn in the south. She
drew closer, and proved a little achooner. 3
hailed her with a desperate voice, and to
my joy was answered, and in less than ten
missates she sent it boat and took me
aboard."
The South Seaman's narrative ended here,
but it is known that he was coveyed to Hon-
olelu, at which place, strangely enough,
the Swam touched atter he hal beou ashore
a week. He at once went on board, related
his strange experience to his eaptain, end
proceeded on his whaling career with the
easydndifference of a sailor accustomed to
tragia surprises, The brig Cyprus went to
pieces on the shoal on what'll alto had ground-
ed. It is on record that of the convicts re-
taken on their return to England two wore
hanged, rawly. Watts and Davis; two
others. Beveridge and Stevenson, were
transported for life to Norfolk Island : and
Swallow was sent back to Macquarie Har-
bor.
STEM:MRS WITHDRAWN.
The Itombura-Amerlentt Itnera Leave the
St. Lawrence ror the Season.
As a result of the Board of Health regu-
lations enforced at Quebec and Montreal the
Hamburg -American. Steamship Company has
withdrawn its vessels from the Ste Law-
rence for the rest of the leaf.. The
late period of the season at which this step
has been taken will minimize the consequent
loss to Canadian merchants, but neverthe-
less, it will be considerable. The steam-
ship line to Hamburg has come ie a few years
to be an important feature in the trade of
this port, both importers and exporters
finding it a profitable connection with a
large European market. It has brought
and taken freights at a lower rate than can
be obtained by other routes, and its stop-
page will mean it considerable increase in
the transportation charges on is goceily
quantity of merchandise that has already
been contracted for. Thera were several
boats yet to arrive, but these Will now be
diverted to Boston. Canadian merchants
who have made contracts with the Ham-
burg -American Packet Company will now
be compelled to bring their goods in through
the United States or else via England.
This may result in an increase in the cost
of freight to the merchants.
Mr. W. C. Munderlob, general manager
of the Hamburg American Packet Company
in Montreal, was asked by it correspondent
regarding the reason for the withdrawal of
the boats. Mr. Munderlob said : "The arbi-
trary conduct of the health officials left no
other oourse open to us but to withdraw onr
steamers. If they had left matters in the
hand of the Dominion Government this
trouble would not have happened. They had
no reason to treat us as they did. There
was actually more freight offering than we
could carry, and this will now go by other
lines. Of course, our boats will bring some
of it to Boston, and I a,m arranging with
the railroads to transport it here. However,
when the trade once leaves a route it is the
hardest work in the world to get it back
again."
A Plant.
Anamusing scene was witneseed the other
day on one of the mail boats running from
Calais to Dover. The sea was rather rough.
A young woman, pretty and nicely dressed,
appeared to be suddenly token very ill with
sea -sickness. She groaned and screamed in
apparent agony for some little time. At
length a gentleman, who appeared to be a
stranger to her, and asked whether she
would like to take a lozenge which he guar-
anteed would ease the pain. He had often
tried it, he maid, on people, and always with
the most marvellous results. The young
lady demurred a little at first, but finally ac-
cepted the offer. Never was cure so in-
stantaneous. Hardly had she swallowed the
bizenge when the fair patient was sitting up
all smiles, and ordering ham sandwiches
and bottled ale of the steward. Some pas-
sengers were so struck with the incident
that they inquired what was the remedy
thee had had such a wonderful result, and
the gentleman who, as he said, was the agent
for the sale of the lozenges, disposed of a
considerable number of boxes of them at 10
francs a piece. What was the surprise of
the purchasers when they' saw the young
lady and her preserver go off arm -in -arm
when the vessel reached Dlover, The boxeti
were boxes of common jujubes.
• Isn't an attempt to prove an alibi self-
denial ?
aed
telimee
truzA17 STATISTICAL FIEND.
uTTihhweeurerspeed r are 5001,0a00:::edluesokini nuienleetnyhmilaute'ile
Tahrsoki.
ereare oak trees in existence 1,000
ye
The four great ocean roates employ 1,100
steamships.
There are over a million spoolee of ia
sects in the world.
The moon is on the average 233,815 miles
listent front the earth.
Three and a half millions of people are
ilways on the sea.
206 here are supposed to be about 420,000,-
tates in 1800 was 12,690,152.
DO Christians in the world.
Thinhabitants since the beginning of
tirt:l.e world has bad 06,627,S42,237,07fie
The total number of families in the 'Unit.
ed S
The armies of the civilized nat101111 Of the
world number 3,600,000 men. Besides the
loss of their time and labor, they cost at
'ea.s6t81,1rooteo.year, and that amounts to
3,00,00
The value ole. ton of pure gold is $602,
790.02, $1,00 0,000 in gold coin weighs 3,-
0911 0f pueil
5. 8pourndasavveoriirs$
d up.47004,34,1,0
.Thvaluee s000of0a
4)ci
in silver coins weighs 68,929.9 peunds avoir'
dupois.
An eminent physician believes that says
age races have better color perception than
civilized. Of 109 Indian boys he found
none color blind ; another group of 200 bad
but two, while none of the girls Were found
to be color blind,
The loss by fire in the United States dur-
ing the mouth of August, according to the
statistics of the New York Commorotal But.
Intin, reaches a total of $1.0,145,300, eh in-
crease of more than $1,000,000 over tile ag-
gregates of the flame month in 1890 and
1891;
Atatistician of the German Government,
has come to the rescue of those persoes who
do not share the wtdesprearl superstition
that Friday, is the most unlucky day of the
week. A short time ago he determined to
make a seieutitie investigation of this guess
don, The most fatal or unfortunate week
day, according to the investigator, is not
Friday, but lionday.
A Rolhester banker, svho is interested
in mathematics, discovered a way in which
the nine numerals could be arranged so as
to make 100, using each figure but once.
This is the way
15
30
47
98
2
^1_
100
The banker gave the problem to it boy
not long ago, who founil a solution which
was m ch better, the numerals being ar-
ranged in ropier order, like this: 9 timesfi
plus 7 141us 0 plus 5 plus 4plus 3 plus 2 plus
1 equal 100.
There is in China a secret society called
tho "Triad." It is it capital crime to be-
long to it, yet it has more thami thirty mil-
lions of u embers. Its object is the over*
throw of the present dynasty,
A San Francisco schooner recently en-,
countered thousands of dead. fish, extending
miles, not far from the California coast. A.
submitrine earthquake is tbe exple.natio
given of this phenomenon.
The Irish language is dying out.. Ten
years ago 64,000 people spoke Irish tonly.
In 1891 there were 38,000. In 1881 there
were 885,000 who could speak Irish and,
English, anti bat year there were only
642,000.
A kitten became lodged in the fly -wheel
of an engine hi Portland, Ore. The wheel
ran forms hours and a half, The eat wae
taken out nearly lifeless, but recovered.
The ily-wheel makes 230 revolutions per
minute, and every turn pussy traveled
seventeen feet. The engine was in motion
390 minutes, and during that time tire
kitten traveled a distance of 315 miles.
Every Roman had the use of the
baths on payment of about half a
These were not such structures a
public baths, but superb buildings,
with Egyptian granite and Nubian ma
Warm water was poured into the catacious,
basins through wide mouths of brit,ht and,
massive silver. The most magnificent baths
were those of Caraealla, which had seats of
marble for more than one thousandsix hun-
dred people, and those of Diocletian, which
had seats for 3,000 people.
EATEN BY CANNIBALS
The Second Espiorer in Equatorial Africa
to Fall a Vieth* to Men Eater.
A few months ago the French explorer,
De Ponmayrac, ascended the Mobaugi trib-
utary of the Congo to its big northern
bend, and then paddled up the newly dis-
covered affluent, the Rode River. He
made this journey for the purpose of confer-
ring with Chief Pakurn of the Sakhara tribe.
He was well received by this chief, whose
relations with all white men have been ex-
cellent in the little time they had known
him. Upon his return journey homewetset'
however, Mr. De Poomayrac came into
Bsion with the Bubus. This tribe haeS
at war with the Sakharas, who have been
bent upon sabjugating the Bubus, though
they have not yet succeeded. It huppened,
unfortunately, a number of Sakharas were
members of the explorer's party, and it is
supposed that this fact was the occasion for
the fierce attack which the Bubus made
upon the travellers.
The white expedition was suddenly as-
sailed by a large force of nativ?a„ arme
with lances and knives. All the stir
of the fieht declare that the Bubus
guns. Soon after the fight beget
l'oumayrac was wounded in the
by a lance thrust The Bubus
alive into their village, where t
him. Only a few members
escaped, an d made their way t
on tbe Mobangi.
The explorer and all his
were taken were eaten,
orgies of the Bubus este
of several days. This 1 t e se'consii
of a white traveller being killed and
by cannibals in Africa. Tho first ins
occurred about two years ago, not v,e'
from the place where the recenlik:
occurred. The commander of si'
station with his handful of men
ered and eaten.
°tads Out ,
"I don't think Me Blinker
a conversationalist," observed MIS41:1
" Well, he called on me last night,"
plied Miss Young, as she carelessly tw
a new ring on the third finger of her-
han d, "and I found his con versativn qn
engaging