Kenosha tribune & telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1856-1859, 1858-03-04

sloop once a-year, as have already men
toned; from Jamaica it went, of course,
all over the world.
How | came to be aboard the armed
sloop, is easily told. Four and twenty
marines under command of lieutenant
that officers name was Underwood
had been told off at Belize, to proceed to
/ Sllver-Store, III aid Of boats and seamen
stationed there for the chase of the Pi-
rates. The island was considered a
good post of observation against the Pi-
rates, both by land and sea; neither the
Pirate ship nor yet her boats had been
seen by any of us, but they had been so
much heard of, that the reinforcement
was sent. OF that party, | was one
1t included corporal and a serieant.-
Charker was corporal, and the serjeant's
name was Drooce. He was the most
tyrannieal non-commissioned officer in
His Majesty's service.
The night came on, soon after / had
had the foregoing words with Charker.
All the wonderful bright colors went out
of the sea and sky, in few minutes, and
all the stars in the Heavens seemed to
shine out together, and to look down at
themselves in the sea, over one another's
shoulders, millions deep. Next morning,
we cast anchor off the Island. There
was snug harbor within little reef
there was a sandy beach; there were CO.
coa-nut trees with high, straight stems,
quite bare, and foliage at the top like
Iplumes of magnificent green feathers
there were all the objects that are usual
~ seen in those parts, and / am not go
ing to describe them, having something
else to tell about.
Great rejoicings, to be sure, were made
on our arrival. All the flags in the
place were hoiSted, all the guns in the
place were fired, and all the people in
the place came down to look at us. One
of those Sambo fellows-they call those
natives Sambos, when they are halfne-
gro and half-Indian-had come off out
side the reef, to pilot us in, and remain
ed on board after we had let 60 our an
Choir. He was called Christian George
King, and was fonder of all hands than
anybody else was. Now, | confess, for
myself, that OH the first day, if | had
| been captain of the Christopher Colum-
bus, instead of private in the ROYAL Ma
rines, should have kicked Christian
George King-who was no more a
Christian, then he was a King, or Geo.
over the side, without exactly know
ing why, except that it was the right
thing to do.
But, I must likewise confess, that !
was not in particularly pleasant humor
when | stood under arms that morning,
iaboard the Christopher Columbus in the
harbor Of the Island of Silver-Store. [
had had hard life, and the life of the
English on the Island seemed too easy
and too gay, to please me. Here you
are | thought to myself, good scholars
and good livers; able to read what you
like, able to write what you like, able to
eat and drink what you like, and spend
what you like, and do what you like; and
much goa care for poor ignorant Pri-
waite in the Royal Marines. Yet it's
hard, too | think, that you should have
all the half pence, and | all the kicks,
you all the smooth, and | all the rough;
YOU all the oil, and | all the vinegar
1t was as envious thing to think as
might be let alone its being nonsensical;
but thoughtit. | took it so much amiss
that, when very beautiful young Eng
fish lady came aboard, | grunted to my
self, 'Ah goa have got lover, I'll be
bound = As if there was any new offense
to me in that if she had
! She was sister to the captain of our
sloop, who had been in poor way for
some time, and who was so i'll then that
he was obliged to be carried ashore. She
was the child Of military officer, and
/ had come out there with her sister, who
was married to one of the owners of the
silyer-mine, and had three children with
her. 1t was easy to see that she was the
light and spirit of the Island. After
had got a good look at her, | grunted to
myself again, in an even worse state of
mind than before, 'I'll be damasd, if /
don't hate him, whoever he is y
My officer, Lieutenant Underwood.
was as i'll as the captain of the sloop, and
was carried ashore, too. They were
both young men Of about my age, who
had been delicate in the West India eli
mate. | even took that, in bad part. I
| thought ! was much filter for the work
than they We're, and that if all of as had
our deserts, | should be both of them
rolled into one. Ut may be imagined
4 what sort of an officer of marines | should
have made, without the power of read
ing a written order. And as to any
knowledge how TO command the sloop--
Lord. / should have sunk her in a quar-
ter Of an hour9
However, such were my reflections,
/ and when we men were ashore and dis
missed, / strolled about the place along
with Charker, making my observations
in a similar spirit.
1 1t was pretty place; in all its arrange
ments partly South American and partly
English, and very agreeable to look al
on that account being Ike a bit of home
that had got shipped off and had fioated
away to that spot, accommodating itself
TO circumstances as it drifted along
j The huts of the Sambos, to the number
!, of five-and-twenty, perhaps, were down
: by the beach to the left of the anchor
/ age. On the right was sort of barrack,
: with a South American Flag and Onion
Jack, lying from the same staff, where
the little English colony could all come
T together, if they saw occasion. 1t was
: q walled square of building, with sort
, of pleasure ground inside and inside that
, again sunken block ike powder mag
azine, with little square trench around
: it, and steps down to the door. CharkeT
: and | were looking in at the gate, which
, was not guarded, and had said 10 Char
! ker, in reference to the bit ike powder
magazine, that's where they keep the
: silver, You see;' and Charker had said to
me .tfnr thin kinrr II 49, ~ -:ir-nr