Kenosha tribune & telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1856-1859, 1858-07-08
A PACKET.sHIP'S COMPANY.
From Household Words.

We had been fortnight on board
the mail packet on our way home from
the West Coast of Africa, and had eX-
hausted nearly every possible amuse-
ment it provided under those clrcum-
stances and within those limits We
had on board the usual complement OF
strange looking captains and traders
from the river Of Bonny, and after pas
sing Accra, had watched the canoes
come off through the surf at Cape
Coast Castle, and landed and walked up
to the Governors house at Sierra Leone.
We had played at whist and the game
of the race at all unoccupied times, and
had displayed our various vocal powers
and musical requirements, which, |
must confess, were not Of nature to
have enliyened any circle,-and as we
were homeward bound we had no news
papers and very few books.
The passengers consisted mainly OF
officers going home on sick leave; one
Of whom--whose father held civil APP
pointment of importance on the Gold
Coast-was accompanied by his sister.
Then there were five or six bronzed
captains and copper-colored merchants
OF gold dust and ivory, so that altogeth-
cr our number amounted to fourtecn.-
We were by no means q lively Company,
and rs | have said before, at the eXpi-
ration OF fortnight we seemed to have
exhausted all our amusements and con
sequently to have annihilated every pos
sible subject of mutual interest.
Under the circumstances we had for
two or three evenings running, sat on
the quarterback beneath an awning,
looking hstlessly from one to the other,
watching young Wilson Of the Gold
Coast Corps, who was going home on
sick leave; envying him his power of I'M
limited sleep; or lazily following with
our eyes the one armed captain who
paced the deck in an uneasy, restless
manner from morning to night. He
had not been home for fourteen years,
and had now left his ship, a stationary
merchant vessel, up the river Benny, to
"haye a look at the old country"
A more uncomfortable, unsatisfactory
companion it would be impossible to i'm
agine; and young Wilson, who shared
a double cabin with him, was loud in
his complaints, and pathetic in his ap-
peals for sympathy.
"Sleep," said Wilson, II can't sleep
that fellow won't let me sleep-aud
it's all very well to talk, but you can't
get any sleep worth having, in the day
time. You know his berth is fixed Just
over mine, and no sooner have / turned
In, and fallen into doze than-rat-tat
tat-tat-goes the iron hook fastened to
the stump of his arm.
"The first night thought he wanted
something, so called out, whats the
matter, skipper but he only growled
at me in reply. And | declare that
every hour of every night since then,
or whenever he thinks l am asleep, rat
tat-tat-tat comes that hook on the frame
Of the berth just above my head. I
don't bear it meekly, | assure you, and
have used more bad language to that
man than ever used before in my life.
But, upon my honor, l believe he would
rather hear me swear at him than say
nothing at all; for he'll often give kind
of signing groan after it, as though
some one had lifted heavy weight tr ON
his chest"
'You may depend upon it he has got
a bad conscience" said our lady. BY
the bye she was treated with as much
Difference as if,shehad been Queen of En-
gland; and she was queen in her own
small way, and not bad queen either,
Queen of Beauty-Wilson said, and
one or two more who inclined to be
spooney.
So Of course when she suggested
"consciencc" we all echoed the ''depend
upon it, and every one offered laugh
ingly possible explanation ofthe cause
And thus we fell into talk about this
same conscience and it's torments, and
began to tell stories illustrative of it
Most of them were, | must confess,
neither very amusing nor very instruc-
tive; and pretty Miss Graham began to
yawn, and her brother Captain Graham
had followed the example of young
| Wilson and was fast asleep.
Then, after two old sea-captains had
spun long yarn, there was pause,
which Miss Graham broke by exclaim-
ing:
ooh, Mr.. Barkum, you have been to
all kinds of places, seen such queer
things, do tell us true story"
The Mr.. Barkum thus addressed
a jolly old trader-replied with a grin:
"What shall | tell you, Miss"
81 don't know. AS we are on the sea,
tell us story Of shipwreck-but not a
melancholy one.
''Never told one in my life, 1Iiss!''
''But you have been shipwrecked,
have you not?"
ooh yes" said Mr.. Barkum, ''sure-ly
yes, miss, surely. Why l was ship
wrecked here" with broad wave OF
the arm which included the whole At
lantic.
"You don't say so, Mr.. Barkum.-
DO tell us all about it. What did you
do?''
"Well,'' said that gentleman, eve
was tossed here and we was tossed there
for three days and three nights, and
then we took to the boats. And after
we took to the boats we was tossed here
and we was tossed there for three DAYS
and three nights more; and very cold
and very wet we were. Then the Wit
uals fell short; and for three night we
had nothin' to eat nor nothin' to drink,
and very hungry and very thirsty we
WERE"
Here Mr.. Barkum made long pause.
Miss Graham said:-
"And was there no vessel to pick you
up, Mr.. Barkum? How did you man
age?'
"Well miss, we burt printing and