Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1860-02-03


obtain it, 60 before the mast. I have
health and strength left, and with the
blessing of God, can make a living
The next day, three persons, the owner
and charterers of the brig, were seated
in the private office of a counting-room,
discussing Capt. Cooks affairs. The
owner said
It's all right; one of his friends told
me he is very pious, and would rather
suffer wrong than go to law; so that
business is settled.
No it amt replied one of the char
terers; he has a splendid chronometer,
worth three hundred dollars, which the
owner of the ship whose crew he saved,
made him present of; seeing he's pious,
Pm bound to have that, too
And suiting the action to the word, he
repaired on board the brig, where he
found Capt. Cook taking his chest ashore.
Captain said the charterer, 6 I want
that chronometer of yours. We have
suffered heavy loss by your mismanage-
ment, and cau't afford to let you take
away that chronometer. A halt dozen
of them would not make us whole
I'm sorry, replied the captain, that
any one should suffer loss on my account;
but what would you have done had you
been in my position2 Would you have
left those poor men on the wreck to
perish p
%, dear, no, captain, but would have
continued on my voyage, according to my
charter, and landed them at ST. Domingor
you seem to forget, sir, that the brig
was numbered with a deck-load, and had
no accommodations for them below; to
have kept them exposed upon the top of
a deck-load, sick and worn down as they
were, with long pumping for their lives,
would have caused the death of many of
them. / could not be guilty of such in
humanity. I was anxious to preserve
the lives I had saved, and pursued the
only course open for me with such an OBJ
ject in view, by landing them at the near
est port. But to show you, sir, that I
am not a fool, l beg leave to inform you
that you have lost nothing by my con
duct. Your returns have paid you hand
somely for your shipments, and this
could show, too, in any court of justice.
o, you want to go to law do you p
That's a game that three can play at
And let me tell you, sir, if you don't low
er your tone, we will exert our influence
to prevent your ever obtaining another
vessel out of the port.
Your threats, said the captain, calm
ly, have no influence upon me. I am
a sailor, and there are more ports in the
world than this. But it is not my pur-
pose to exchange unkind words with you
or any one. You may take my chro-
nometer my chest, the clothes off my
person, and cast me into jail, but you
cannot deprive me of the appreciation Of
my own conscience.
I'm to have the c,ronometer, then ?
inquired the shark.
The captain nodded assent. The fell
low took the instrument, and joined the
! other knaves in the counting-room, and
) there divided the spoiIs. Capt. Cook
e 10 t, by his noble conduct, over fifteen
hundred dollars, the savings of all his
hard-earued wages since he started in
! life.
Before looking for another ship he
visited his sweetheart, and told her. in a
cheerful view, how happily he had tri-
umphed over himself, in his dealings with
F, those who had wronged him.
eOf course, dear Mary, I saw through
f their schemes, and at first, felt like an in.
: jured man, determined to expose them
: not so much for my own sake, but to pu
others on their guard. But after kneet
e ing to God in prayer, / remembered tha
5 this was the first time ! had been called
D upon to suffer all the rest of my expe
rience at sea having been unbroken sue
r cess. And the more / turned the subiec
j over in my mind, the more I felt my
e strength increase to endure without com
o planning. God sustains me through all
e and ! bless His holy nameP
Dear William, doubly dear to me by
e this last act of your life. You hav,
d shown me that you can be true to tht
b teachings of our Redeemer, and excus,
me while / say it, you have strengthene,
< my confidence in your love-
In week they parted, and few day
F.; later, William went before the mast in
0 ship bound to New Orleans. She wa
/, insured above her value--a bad sign 70
|, the underwriters-and by accident, o
.