Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1855-12-14
ny SNLvANUS COBB, JR.

ny SNLvANUS COBB, JR.
1t was Captain Simpsons turn to tell the
next story. lie was stout, bronzcd, hard
listed, but kind hearted son Of the ocean. iif-
ty years old, and full of thrilling adventure
Our pipes were re-tlled, and then Sampson
took his turn as follows -
Its now ten years come next November
that ] took charge of the - Yankee She
was noble ship, and | felt proud Of the
charge. We lay at the wharf down Peck
slip, 1--WE cleared at New York, you know, J
and got the last lot of duds ON board, when
felt something touch me on the leg ] turn
ed around and there stood a boy some four
teen years old, with a bundle on his shoul-
der lie kind o tremblcd when | looked at
him, but there wasn't any dishonesty in that
iacc-not IA bit, He had great gray ewes ;
almost dark enough for hazel, and his hair
curlcd over his head like IA girl Just rugged
for party. Then he looked SO earnestly
and steadily at me, that knew. whatever he
wanted, he'd be truthful about it.
What is it, boy - said |, speaking kind
ly.
want to go to sea with you says the
boy.
who says you may go -
g say so, he said-and | saw a tear in
his eve
" Are you alone, boy -
lie pointed up to a store at the head of the
slip. and told me if would only go up there
with him, could learn all about it,
But what use II you be to me 80 asked
him before we started.
Any use you put me to, that's honest,
and that can do, he said
liked that answer. for saw that he
meant it, and | went up to the store with
him. ] did want cabin boy, but | hadn t
made arrangements for any, because Just such
one as wanted about me all the time was
hard to find At the store | asked Mr. Van
Wart (hc was an old friend of mine) about
the boy lie told Inc that the bows father
used to be porter in his store, but that he
died two months before, and that the boy
was now an orphan, his mother having been
dead some years. Then he took me aside
and says he -
:, II you want the boy, Captain, you will
find him most faithful ona II.s hnen with
me, off and on, ever since he was so high
OF course took him. His name was Ed
ward Grover, though he said twas Ned. and
Ned we called him. Two days after that
tug towcd us out of the harbor. and we
stuck our nose clear of Sandy Hook before
dinner. First we went to Calcutta, and then
To Canton and many and many time did
! bless my stars that Ned Grover was with
me, Tor an own child couldn't have been more
faithful than he was And then he was
bold fellow, too and never was the blow
that could shake him. nor the storm that
could blanche him. On the royal yard lie
was like a squirrel on IA tree, and he was as
quick of wit as he was of body
W ell our business was all done up at Can
ton, and had only to touch at Singapore on
my way home, unless | chose to heave to at
Batavia. We had splendid run down the
Chinese Sea, making the passage to Nantu-
mas in just eight days. In three days from
that time we were among the Anambus
lSands-of Malacca you know Most of
these Islands we left on the starboard beam,
and along toward the middle of the afternoon
Lmrang was on the lee bow, and not more
than six miles distant ! always took the
Eastern run OF Lampang, because knew the
channel. Since morning the wind had been
light and variable, though not battling, and
now it had settled down in the West 'rd as
though to rest itseli-ior with stud n sails
allow and aloft, we didn't run off more than
three knots an hour al the outside
1t was lust four o clock when | came on
deck to see how the land lay, and found
Lampang then just about abeam, but as the
wind now came, the island was to the wind.
ward of us, and four miles distant | had
looked at the compass and at the sails, and
was then looking out for the land, when the
man at the maintop hailed the deck.
hat is it = / asked
a Malay proa = he answered, right in
shore by that rock. There, don t you see it
| looked, and did see her. ! sent Ned ioi
my glass and by the time he came with il
the rroa had come out in full sight from be
/ hind the rock. levellcd the glass, and
/ could make out the fellow plainly Twas on,
Of the largest proas ever saw, | should say
seventy five feet long, with bows like an ole
mans nose turned bottom upwards, and a
stern about the same. | counted the men il
/ her, and could do it pretty surely.
| W hat is she sir = asked Walter, my frs
mate.
a Malay proa, | told him
How many men .
Scventy-fvc at the least
/ A pirate = he uttered,
/ She isn't likely to be anything else, an
swcrcd, assuming as much composure as
could but you may he sure felt but little 0
it, for a Malay pirate j. Just about the wors
thing in the World-bluOd thirsty a. Benga
tiger, with all the wit of Il man to back It up
Their very religion makes piracy holy virtue
and "a man is honOred among them for tn,
many times his knife has found human heart
And they are powerful fellows, too, andtrain
ed from childhood to the use Of arms
She is coming ahead = cried the man a
the top. But then lac need not have told ut
/ of it, for had seen that FROM the beginning
The men looked auAiouslY towards me, AN,
! saw that they were stricken with fear. An,
our position was not one to inspire II poo
chap with very deep joy. The wind wa'
still to the westward, and three knots was til,
most the ship could be made to run. Ih
Malay was now within three miles, an,
shooting through the water like mad H.
had twenty broad paddles out-you know TIN
bloody hounds can send those long, narrow
sharp proas fast. We were now sure tha
there were over seventy men in the great boat
for We could even see their long knives AN,
clumsy firearms through my glass, My crew
all mustered, numbered twenty nine, and ON
Of them wa. only hoy OF swords or cut
lasscs, We had only sIS, but had thirty brtr
OF good hoidng pistols in the arn-chcst, au
IA dozen pixies by the mast. 1t was rather
dubious show, wasn't it,
However. resolved to do the best could
for know If those Malays captured Us, "
were simply dead mon SO, OF course, theI
was some ground Tor resistance. First,
made myself as calm ~ | could, and thcn
got out the pistols and had them all loaded
| gdve two To- cach man, reserying two cStr
ones for myself The sx cutasscs gave t
tlo,,, thought hrst qualified to handle them
and then distributed the twelve plk,s. liD
side, these found four boat hooks, and thcs
| also gave out, for they would bo seryicoahl
in repclling bpaldcr, when the pistols had II
Iira