Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1858-11-25
A Scene in Jamaica.

Aho loiCh WAS iytiip dt hIicioi ia Dl"o
fields Bay. 1t was between eight and nine in
the morning. The land wind had died away.
and the sea breeze had not yet set in--there
was not a breath stirring. The peuant from
the mast head fell sluggishly down, and clang
among the rigging like dead snake. whilst
the folds of the st. Georges ensign that hung
from the mizen peak, were as motionless as il
they had been carved in marble
The anchorage was one unbroken mirror, OK
cept where its glass-like. surface was shlvered
into sparkling ripples by the gambols Of the
skiRjack, or the flashing stoop of his enemy the
pelican and the reflection of the vessel was 80
clear and steady, that at the distance of the ca
ble'slength you could not distinguish the water
line, nor tell where the substance ended and
the shadow began, until the casual dashing of
a bucket overheard for few moments broke up
the phantom ship; but the wavering fragments
soon reunited, and she again aoated double
like the swan Of the poet. The heat was 80 in
tense, that the iron staunchons of the awning
could not be grasped with the hand, and whert
the decks were not screened by it, the pitch
boiled out from the seams. The swell rolled
in from the ofing in long shining undulations.
like sea of quicksilver, whilst every now and
then II flying fish would spark out from the un-
ruAled bosom of the heavng water, and away
like silver arrow, until it dropped with u
flush into the Sea again.
The crew were listlessly spinning oakum, and
mending sails, under the shade of the awning !;
the only exceptions to the general langor were
John-crow the black, and Jacko the monkey
The former, who was an irlprovisatoire, of a
rough stamp, sat on the bowsprit, through
choice, beyond the shade of the canvass, with
out hat or shirt, like bronze bust, busy
with his task, whatever that might be, singing
at the top of hispipe, and between whites con-
fabulating with his hairy ally, as if he had
been messmate. The monkey was hanging
by the tail from the dolphin striker, admiring
what John-crow called @ his own ugly face
in the water i" Tail like yours would be IA
good ting for sailor, Jocko-it would leave
ment, too I'm sure, den, de piece of greasy
Junk dat hangs from the captains taffril. Now
shall sing to you how that Corromantec ras-
cal me fadel, was sell me on the Gold Coast.
." Two red nghtcap one long knife,
All him get for Quacko,
For gun next day him sell him wife
You tink dat good song Jacko''
Chocko, chocko," chartered the monkey, as
if in answer.
,a-Ah, you,.ink 50 sensible honimal What
is dat Shark jack, come up, sir don you
see dat big shoveed-nosed fish looking at you
Putt your hand out of the water, tell you -
The negro threw himself on the gammonine
of the bowsprit to take hold of the poor ape
who mistaking his kind Intention and ignorant
Of his danger, shrunk from him. lost his hold
and fell into the sea. The shark instantly sanl
to have run, then dashed at his prey, raising
his snout over him, and shooting his head ant
shoulders three or four feet out of the water
seized poor Jacko, shrieking in his jaws
whilst his small bones cracked and crunche,
under the monsters triple row of teeth.
While this small tragedy was acting-an
painful enough it was to the kind-hearted ne
gro-I was looking out toward the horizon
watching the first dark blue ripple of the Sc
breeze, when rushing noise passed over m
head
looked up and saw a +" gallinaso," the larg
carson-crow of the tropics, sailing contrary
the habits of this kind, seawari over the brig
l followed it with my eye, until it vanishe
in the distance, when my attention was al
tracted by dark speck far out in the oling
with little tiny, white SAIL With my glass
made it out to be ships boat, hut saw n
one on board, and the sail was idly flappin
about the mast.
On making report was desired to pull t.
ward it in gig and as we approached
one of the crew said he thought he sa
some one peering over the bow We DIRE
nearer and saw him distinctly "Why don
You haul to the sheet aft, and come down to u
sir p
He neither moved nor answered but as Il
boat rose and fell on the short sea raised by Il
first of the breeze, the face kept moping an
| moping at us over the gun-wale.
, " will soon teach you manners, my fine fe
. low give way men, and | fired, my musk
, when the crow tina had seen rose from ii
, boat into the air, but Immediately allighte
again, to our astonishment, vulture-like, wit
, outstretched wings upon the head.
, Under the shadow of his horrible plume, Il
, face seemed on the instant to alter like hit
. eous cl'ange in dream. 1t appeared to becom
of death-likc paleness, streaked with bloot
Another stroke of the oar--the chin had falle
down and the tongue was falling out. Anotl
, or pull, the eyes were gone and from their socl
t cts, brains and block were fermenting an
flowing down the cheeks.s 1t was the face
' a putrofying corpse. In this floating coffin "
found the body of another sailor doubled aero
one of the thwarts, with long Spanish kni
s sticking between his ribs, as il he had died
some mortal struggle ; or, what was equal
: probable, put an end to himself in his phronzy
whilst along the bottom Of tho boat, arrang'
with some show of care, and covered by
4 riece of canvass stretched across an o.
"a above it, Law the remains of beautiful bo
about fourteen years of age, apparently but
few hours dead. Some biscuit, roll of jerk
!, beef, and an earthern water jar lay beside hlr
;. showing, at least, that hunger could have hi
q no share in his destruction ; but the pipkin W
dry and tho small water cask in the bow W
STAYED and empty.