Burlington hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1845-185?, 1850-03-28

The gifts thy hand is shedding!
o live, sweet liberty,
The course Of time pervading,
Here may thy glory be
Still pure and never fadingl
Anccdote o: the late Capt. Bursley.
We heard day or two since an anec.
dote Of the late Capt. Bursley Of the ship
Holtinguer, Illustrative of the jokes which
ship masters occasionally amuse them.
selves with playing upon each other
The iamented Captain at the time alla:.ed
TO, was in command of the ship Noun,
Vernon, and sailed from this port in com
pany with another ship, commanded by an
intimate friend, for Charleston, S. c., tc
load cotton for Liverpool. As most o
our readers are aware, all colored seamer
found in American vessels, upon their ar
rival at Charleston are etaken from the YES
sci by the municipal authorities, and kept
in confinement until the ship is ready for
sea, when they are again placed on board
providing the ship pays the expenses in
Cured by their imprisonment.
1t 50 happened that Capt. Bursley' S
friend had two co!ored men among his
crew, who upon their arrival were arrest
ed and placed in the lookup. Somewha,
annoyed at this reduction of bis numbers
on ship-board, and moreover not having
forgotten Joke which Capt. Bursley had
played upon him previously, the idea OF
reialiating upon his friend came into his
mind. lie thought that a favorable op-
portunity had arrived, and resolved TO
embrace it. Their ships laid at the same
wharf, thereby enabling him the better to
carry out his plans. Capt. Bursley, who
was very dark conpleNioned man, with
hair quite curly, was active and indus
trious in his habits, and for exercise was
accustomed TO rise at an early hour and
go upon the wharf in his shirt sleeves,
and split some wood for the Doctor 5 use
during the day. TakipHaavasaage Of this
custom, his friend Sc, himselfa at work to
carry out the joke.
On going through the streets Of the city
he came across the officer who had re-
moved his two men, and accos.ed him as
follows:
'Holloa, you, sir, here! arc you the
officer who removed two men from my
ship?' (giving her namc.)
Yes, sir, | am. responded the officer.
Well, why don't YOU serve all alike +?
Why do yoa take one ships men ana let
another go !see?'
The officer declared tha, he had not
knowingly done So.
Have you taken the steward out Of the
Mount Vernon p inquired the Captain.
No. replied the ulicer, i didn't know
that she had darkey steward; but ifsucls
is the fact I'll look after hi...'
well, you 60 down on TO the wharf to-
morrow morning, at 5 o'clock, and see
what You will fin THAT'S all l have to
say And the Captain passed along,
mu,tering something about treating all
alike IN tone just loui enough To reach
the officers ear.
The officer had got upon the track, aud
the Captain knew he would follow it up.
The next morning al the appointed hour
he was on the whaif, according to the
Captains direction, and very soon Capt.
Bu.sley appeared, axe in hand, TO take his
accustomed exercise. He had Just got
fairly at work, when the officer started
from his hiding place anl laid hands upon
him. OF course the Captain was taken
'all aback,' and protested against such
treatment, declaring thai he was master
Of the ship!
You can't come that nonsense said The
policeman "a pretty looking fellow yor
for The master Of such ship. Cone
along with lne "a fine ship-maser trIly!'
Again the Captain protested, and reiter-
a'ed his statement, but the policeman
couldn't be come over that way and
taking his prisoner by the vest collar, Tor
he was in his shirt sleeves as usual--pro-
ceeded TO hurry him of TO The lock-up.--
The Captain finding all his protesta.ions
sina,ailing, marched along in no very
pleasant humor, and bad passed through
several streets. bare-headed and coa,less,
when fortunately he came across a friend,
naiiue, who knew him. .,....
How, NOV Captain what ncansth ?
exc'aiined !'i> friend in surpise. What
scrape have you been getting into thus
early in the morning ?
'Scrapc?' Numbered the Captain
'scrape no scrape a, all, sir; | stepped
from the deck of my vessel TO split a
stick or two OF wood, and this fellow
pounced upon Inc for negro, and is lug
gns me oil TO The lookup. Perhaps you
can convince him who am =
The Policeman by this time began 10
understand how matters stood, and imme-
diately released his prisoner with most
humble apology, and an explanation Of the
causes which led to the arrest. Capt.
Bursley acknowledged the joke, wended
his way back to the ship, and ever after
cried qnits at Joking with his friend, who
now is resident Of this city, Boston
Journal.