The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1859-12-17
JACK TARS ASHORE.

The sailors Of British fleet of six line
OF battle ships, and many more smaller ves-
sells, have lately been ashore a: Malta. with
plenty Of money in their pockets, in search
Of fun. A writer from Malta thus describes
them:
''Ihey may be seen in all directions, in all
sorts of grotesque costumes, rs if it was
carnlya! tlme-miny III 'lODg togs,' Jim
Crow hats, others in Bell toppers, with
holes cut in them, or wreathes round them;
in short, anything different from other peo-
pie. Many have been driving about in tho
very best carriages that could be hired,
aping the ladies in driving to shop doors
and having goods sent out 10 their carriages
to choose from; driving to the garden of the
Cafe de la Reine, having ice creams and
waters sent to their carriage, making the
the waiter take one himself and pelting him
with the change, and then driving OF flaming
themselves In the most lackadaisieal way
AT the opera it was their acting that the au-
dience had to attend to. Most had some
extraordinary pets-youDg pigs with spec
tacles on, little dogs dressed up. rabbits,
monkeys. etc: these occasionally escaped,
and Jack very unceremoniousiy gave chase,
climbing IN the most extraordinary manner
in what appeared to be impossible places
Pigeons, fowls and cats, that escaped were
comparatively harmless; it was the concert
arising from the pigs and dogs-varicd oc-
cas,onaI!y with the growing of some of the
cocks that had escaped into the upper boxes
that prevented the possibility of attend
ing to the music. The sailors do not un-
dcrstand Italian, nor are they restrained BY
any false modesty in letting the fact be
known. The demand for an English song
was loud and voeiferous; and many slaves
from Dibdin's were volunteered by the sail.
ors themselves. 1t was possibly fortunate
! that the prlma donna did not understand
English. for some Of the remarks and crit.
| cisms were not very complimentary. An
old Italian gentleman in the pit took took
! some trouble to translate one of the songs
as it was sung. To show the sailors graf
itude, half dozen bottles of rum were pass
! ed to him to drink from. He thought to
escape by saying he could not drink out Of
a bottle. In an instant dozen shoes wers
off, and he had willy ni!ly to drink out Of
the heel raw spirits, which nearly took bis
breath away, and by way Of restoring him
the sailors gave him some hearty slaps with
their brawny bunds on his back which shook
him fearful!y. The old gentleman at last
mnde his escape from his friends, who, as
be left, pressed upon him a bottle of rum
for his cd woman at home. The scenes are
pleasingIy varied in the theatre with bat
ties between the sailors and their natural
foes, the police, who have long and bitter
hatred to each other. II Jack gets the up.
per hand the main guard is called in, the re.
suit of which generally that those who have
been fighting escape, and some dozen sailors
who cannot move, and are totally uncon.
scious from the effect Of drink, are pounced
upon by the police, wno carry them unre.
sistng to the p lice office. The next morn
ing the sailors, with empty pockets, are
brought before a Maltese magistrate, who
has about the same feeling for Jack as cat
has for a mouse. The ceremony before the
magistrate is very short; neither party under.
standing a word the other says. and it saves
much trouble to at once condemn the sailor,
, Jack accordingly gets a number Of days i'm.
prisonment, or is taken to ship by the police
who receive pound from Jacks for,hcom'
ing pay.