The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1858-04-10
BY WILLIAM BURTON.

=
to Valparaiso, and thence round the Horn &c
the western coast OF North America. Sh,
was large vessel, of some seven hundred
tons register, with handsome poop, top
gallant ;orcca>te, and all other points of Il
flash ship. Ih- Captain was a native oi
Jersey, and the crew were a mixture OF a
mericans, British and Spaniards, with a
sDrinhinS of wooiiy heads, or - Sa0ao datls, >
as We called the negroes.
We had not been week ont, ere very
great dissatisfaction prevailed among the
! crew, for the captain, with unaCcouutable
peryerrity, did not allow u, half enough
Junk Il e. sated beef to our meals; and
even WHIT We did get, was what sailors call
"0M horse, viz, hard, tough, Ian, stringy
stuff, devoid Of nonri>hm"gt. Tie usual al
lowance OF junk on si,ip-Doard is one pound
and half ior each man per diem bu |
sure We did not get more than half that
quantity. The captain used to come on
&. X every morning, and stand by the stew
a:d IS he weighed oct ''in Junk =
..it--- .,,' he i..s..r ~
-.4 ., v,.. what ne had osccIod. "a
the other hand, this captain allowed Us
trice as much erog as j. usual. But sailors,
/ although very fond of rum, can't live upon
/ il and three quarters of pouod OF " old
horse and lev rotten biscuits, quite alive
with weevIl-, was poor days allow
fora heart, fellow.
Oar first mate often renJHstTa;CI with
the captain on h:s conduct, aHe plainly told
him that the men woU.i not long submit to
1t, bat the only reply that the captain made
was - tc l!ia - mlue = hat he was about,
or he would break him ani hTe> him mp.
meaning that he would send the mate ior-
ward common sai.o-, and work hun to
death. A. length, after i long and fierce
Dis u-7'on IN tue iprect~'!e, We al! went ait
one morning III b'iy, ana 'ohp.a'"yH
through the carpenter, - spokesman, taat
we had not enough 10 eat. Capt. -
listened without interruption, and then cyO,-
3 turned roIuI an! sad
Steward, 20 down Ia tic c-o.A anu
br.u. nay pistols.
We looked AZ oGc another in silence.
In \ couple OF minutes the Sycwag! return
ed with tn- pistols, aud Il tace a. pale a.
death, handed them 10 the captain. Ih-
Latter coo y paced both on iI- cock, and
laying tnon -t:e ~ zoe on the biHna'ir,
crossed Ia, arrn,, and giaFeI round a. every
soul VI Il, ere hc spoke.
NJ", men, CT'c4 Ee a. length, beta-vn
hi> teeth, "a. I've cot To ssy 5, tnat you
are msiahen II YOU tli". : 2f are gong TO
:
tsrn, sua the law gives Ine pose. 10 do Aat
J. ac. You didn't ship 10 bUiy me. 60
fot'a ard 10 your d"ty, and the Inst man that
hesl.a;es or gives ule any Jaw, Il. shoot him
T. would q f'Scon
We tnnJled 10 the i5recaNte ~ goIT,
sHb 'Jr hours aittf the captain "@.nsC lue
decH H.s WITH H.s achievement
We had hCht baih y: "'H-> lor many
days, ani the temper oi ine oap'a'" gre"
perfectly savage. By aud ".e came la''l'
al4 he was a compete mailman. IL s'oIH-
81 and s""Fe ifon morning 20 h'1A'' ana
" h@ztd Us o., from the ea'!h 'oy 10 t-e
mate our allowance oi H!=a' vas "o'sc
than e'er, ana ne >t"iPra sr z ai'ose'ief'
aud pat u on haII allowance u' water IN
der preience that he .eSre- to run snort II
ihe caiin ia-icl- III Ti!eH L ''ee>ts Ing
up 8; the expiration Otioar day, our aiio~-
ance remained the sime-hai meat han
water. no greg Inc sailors grew ha-i d-s-
p,Tatr and curses both 'oui AMI deep were
b4aIled from mouth y mouth, aa4 instinct
neuaccS muitcreG.
By and bye it was whispered in the shin
that the captain had had a 4 c5gy-ds s,lsI,
or sun stroke, bsjDre leaving Havana, and
that he hll dIauk freely of b-aa4y .y.r
since. and was cca, .qgeuilv really insane 70
,ouIuct. and We all were inclined t. a,cep.
it a. the yroi er solution; but the captain
had cert,j..y n,v-ryet committed any act
which would legally he held proof OF iaSaI-
i:y; for al that lie I'd, although hi-l'E
cruel AMI lyrauE'ca', was within tue bounds
OF that fearful amount oia,n.osi r-,pousiOie
power that the law allows - sea csptaJn,. .
We had been three NecnS out when 1t was
my morning watch on deck. SIX bells .
(Seven ociotk) had Just struck, ana Was
engaged co.u- away the line of tue log.
which had been hove iy order Q; tie mate, .
then in charge OF the deck, when captain ,
l. unexpectedly came out of the cabin. .
| noticed that he had a wild nervous look, .
for he glanced around and alott, just as a .
man III gAt do when suddenly aroused lgOm .
a dream.
What's the corrSe:' lie abruptly de-
manied OF the man at the wheel.
'South east 10y east, SIR
The Captain then stepped up 10 the ON
nacle ana looked at the compass: Turning
rouni with al od'", nc - '-'"l'
blow IN the mouth that knocked E'in away
from the wheel anu '''u" u'. w.
fou take Tue sPoAcS ~ "anc
know no more ABOUT S'e''l"5 '..""
IN othtr' Nouo" %t'e tus e>'1' "O'N'
.re'''O't ,,r thu hos.
me po'' 'e',o"i ,'o "I' ~ .n,Ieos
h'hShrh II, '''S sup ';on J',I Lis chir
again. ''le "'''N '''-A'''o
ana ,hu''c' b,...r,,,
waa ste%flhs 10 ia. o'e""''
"aI 1n"1 uu ou a,r man
s'y n, o,,,a,,r
comd' and you re 'ii"".' fi'ni.' ,,.;,p, n.ss.
l"e cap'"'te 49, a So, III I;,,
'o", anu '"e ~ '0'''
as nc Sc,e :; ;o,s.
- ar. 'acNs'', zap 'n'f a,'.e,Lc Lc,,ys Of
No. se'Le nun up HF' ~"
hlm III learn nun TO zoe l'n' o',antaa ~ +,