Virginia advocate. [volume] (Charlottesville, Va.) 1827-1860, 1830-09-24

scngers on board the packet ship
George Canning, OH her late voyage
from New York to Liverpool, was
gentleman who had resided some years
at New Orleans, i'll the capacity of "a
gent for the great Leviathan, of the
London Stock Exchange. For some
action of this gentleman, his fellow pas
sengers conceived that he would be a
good subject on whom to play off
hoax. They determined, therefore, to
get up one the first favourable oppor-
tunIty. A suspicious looking schooner
having one evening passed close to the
packet, fear was feigned by some of
them that the schooner was pirate.
and that an attack might perhaps be
made by the crew, in the course o: the
night, on the George Gaming. Meas
ures were accordingly taken to give the
pirate warm reception, should the
ieigued attack actually be made.
Whilst the passengers generally were
to assist the crew of the packet, the
gentleman IN question was to remain
below TO guard the ladies'. five in nun.
Der, from the monsters OF pirates. The
conspirators having prepared the plot.
and several oil them having dressed
themselves in sailors clothes, the alarm
oi the ship being attacked by pirates
was raised, the parties flew to their
posts, and the first ac. of the hoax COM
menced. Upon the deck the deception
was carried on by the firing of pistols
and the clashlng OF cutlasses whilst
two gentlemen, disguised as sailors, and
rendered Notwithstanding by bushy
wh'Skers aid shaggy hair, rushed down
into the cabin. armed with pistols and
cutlasses. There they found the hero
OF the hoax, who, on seeing his assail-
ants, rushed into the ladies' cabin. the
fair ones keeping up the deception by
screaming most Justify. Here he was
seized by the supposed pirates. who,
after pulling him about, and frightening
the poor slmpleton nearly out of his
senses, ran off. A loud cheer was now
raised on the deck, to mark the defeat
OF the pirates, the leader Of whom, il
was affirmed, had been shot dead in at.
tempting 10 reach the schooner's boat.
The second act of the hoax was olayed
Oft the next day. Our hero, who had
been congratulated, by all his fellow
passengers, on the courage which he
had displayed in defending the fair,
was usherei into the presence of the
ladies', who, with the ceremonies usual
y attendant on the bestowal ofknight-
hood In the times of chivaIry, made
him kneel down before them; they
then bestowed the honour of knight
hood, placing on his head a crown of
their own manufacture, and giving hin
medal, made by impressing dollar
on piece o! leather, on the reverse of
which was an inscription, commemora-
live OF his heroic and knigbtIy conduct
on the occasion of the packet ship be.
ing attacked by pirates. He took the
captains place at the head of the table,
wearing the crown on his caput, and
proposed The opening Of a subscription
to reward the crew for their heroic
courage 10 defending the ship, handing
out his own ten sovereigns towards the
fund The farce was kepe I'D from
that day to the end Of the voyage. the
the poor simPleton believing, ali the
time, that the George Canning had
been actually attacked by pirates, and
that he, by his own personal courage.
had saved the ladies from being muir
dered
Pedtars. "A correspondent in the
New Haven Herald, complains bitterly
against pedlsrs He says his door has
been continually assaulted by essence
pedllars, book pedars, tape aud bobbin
pediars, rat-traP pedlars, &c. until his
patience has been almost exhausted.
tie was at lengbth astounded by the
appearance of graUestone PedLar |
his was enough for the poor man,
who had lost his son but four DAYS be-
lore, and he vowed vengeance against
all Pedlafs from that moment TO the last
nf -.