Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1854-07-27
A LEAP FOR LIFE.
BIZ wM. HURTON.

After my discharge from the hospital
at Havana, ! shipped in the American
barque independence, Captain Robert
L., bound to ValI araiso, and thence
round the Horn to the Western coast a
North America. She was large vessel.
Of some seven hundred tons register, with
q handsome poop. top-gallant forecastlo
and all other points of a fash ship. The
captain was native of Jersey. and the
crew were mixture of Americans, Brit
ish and Spaniards, with q sprinkling oil
woolly heads or oc-balls, as we calle d
the negroes. -s-. ...5. .ass,5 -. /
We had not been q week out ere very
great dissatisfaction prevailed among the
crew, for the captain, with unaccoanta-
BILE perversity, did not allow US half
enough junk Il. e., salted beef,) to oul
meals; and even what we did get was
what sailors call 'told horse, viz
hard, tough, lean, stringy stuff, devoid
of nourishment. The usual allowance oi
junk on ship-board, is one pound and q
half for each man per diem; bat am
sure did not get more than half that
quantity. The captain used to come on
deck every morning, and stand by tile
steward as he weighed out the junk from
the, 'sharness cask," to see that we did
did not get an ounce over what he had
ordered. On the other hand this captain
allowed us twice as much grog as is
usual. But sailors, although very fond
of rum, can't I've upon it; and three
quarters of a pound Of cold horse, /" anil
"a few rotten biscuits, quite alive with
weevils, was a poor days allowance fdr
q hearty fellow p ---,.9- -. t,t'.-'
Our first mate often demonstrated vii
the captain GA his conlact, and plainly
told him that the men would not submit
to it; but the only reply the captain made
was, to tell him to- mind. what he was
about, or he would "break him and ha ye
him up" meaning that he would send the
mate forward as q common sailor, and
work him to death. At length, after a
long and fierce discussionin the forcastle,
we all went aft one morning in body
and complained through The carpenter, Is
spokesman, that we had not enouyh to
eat. Captain l. listened without in.
teruption, and then coolly turned round
and said ..-f4.-z...- ,,xuy ,,7
Steward, 80 down in the { cabin in and
bring my pistols. =" -.......,,.,....
We looked at one another in silence.
In a couple Of minutes the steward re-
turned with the pistols, and, with face
pale as death, handed them to the captain
The latter coolly placed them both on fdll
cock, and laying them side by side on the
top of the binnacle, crossed his arms ahd
glared round at every soul of us ere he
spoke. stsa-.I o. ,ts-.a g.. ,'~-.
'tNow, men, I" cried he, at. length, be-
tween his teeth, 'sall I've got to say is
that you are mistaken if you think, you
are going to get the upper hand of me
/ am your, captain, and law gives. nt
power to deswhat l like. - You did 'nt shiI
to bully me. Go for'ard to your duty,
and the first man that hesitates, or gives
me any jaw, III shoot him as ! would q
pigeon" " .;...1. 10, ;.a..-.J, -. > -
We tumbled to the forecastle in a body
and for hours after the captain walked the
deck big with his achievement. &c
We had light, battling winds for many
days, and the temper Of the captain grew
perfectly savage. By and by came q
calm. and he was complete lrnadman,
He storrmed and swore from morning to
night, ), and Hhazed' us all, from the cabin
boy up to the mate. Our allowance was
worse than ever, and he stopped oW grog
altogether, and put US on half allowance
Of water, under pretepce that be feared to
run short if the calm lasted But when
p breeze sprung up q, the expiration OF
four days, our allowance remained the
same-half meat, half water, no, grog !
The sailors grew half desperate, and
curses both loud and deep were banded
from mouth to mouth, and indistinct
rienaces fntittered. odv ,uuohisJ - !,
f By and by 1t became Whispered IN the
ship that thel captain had coup de soleil,
or sun stroke, before leaving Havana, and
that he had drank freely Of brandy ever
since, and was, consequently really insane
to q certain extent. This would explain
bis copdnct, and We were lll inclined q
accept it as, q proper solution but the
captain had certainly never committed
any sct which would legally be held
proof Of insanity for all that he did, al.
though highly Cruel and tyfsnnicai, was
oaT,~:ll1l SlA. 80 L. fSe AhoS Il