The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1861-10-19
THE
SAILORS W0oINe
a SEA tor ",

the water, with hail In some foreign tongue
OF other, and hurried on deck In body where
We. found the ship tiding it slowly up,
under jibs and f0retopssil, and beginning
10 ePen a longer reach where tho river
seemed 10 narrow in. A black. eyed, black
bearded follow, with tallowy, yellOH, sweaty
sort Of complexion, IN dirty J,cket, drawers,
and short boots, and en- immense gras, hat,
shouting Portuguese louder and louier into
the first mates ear, till he actually
Put both hands together and roarod through
them,-pointing TO himself nov and then,
a. surprised that he wasn't known.
As one Of the cadets and I knew a little Peru.
guese we managed together TO get some hing
out Of the fellow or deck though at noticing
me for the first time that mornns. saw Finch
turn rcd with surprise. We understood the
man 20 aek n wo wanted nothing particular in
the river the meaning N which ] saw better
on bethinking me Of the fire along the BASH in
side the headland, that had let me 500 the marks
ofit--no doubt a signal TO some shaving crdft
they had taken us for. However. 80 soon a. he
heard We needed no morp than water and spArs,
after musing minute, and speaking again 10
Rodriguez, a. he called the mulatto, he said he
would piltt US to convenient berth himself,
for two or three dollars Notwithstanding his
title was as ne said Don jose Jeronimo santa
somebody, com mandapt Of tho Portuguese fort
or something else.
As soon as she got pretty near this shore,
about quarter Of mile from the mouth Of
tween q high fringe e cane and bamb clumps,
he had the sails clued up, single anchor let
20 in four or five fathoms and our Portuguese
friend 20, his money and bundled over the side
pulling quietly ashore.
The tide by this timo was quite sill, and the
breeze sank almost az once, as we were shut in
from the sea; when We were surprised To see
the striped Por uguess flag rise OFF tall BAN.
boo stick among The bushes on the open shore,
nearly abreast Of US; where n low, muddy like
well was 10 be made out, with some.
thing Of matched roof o. tao, and
a sort of rude wooden jotty running before
it into the water. Shortly after, Don jose came
padding out again. aud sot on board this time
with an old cooked hat on, ekcusing himself
for not having fired gun--Which was TO save
us expense, he remarked, being particular
friends--seeing that he'd got TO demand twelve
dollars Of barbsr dues and duties, wherea', il he
salutcd, he must have charged fourteen. TIE
cool impotence Of this brought the chief
officer from the capstab; but the steady face Of
the fellow, and the glance he took round
the deck when the cadet told him he'd
better he of at once, made mo think he
had something or other 20 back him
Mr.. Finch, As usual, fumed up into a pu-
sion, and told the men to hiug him over into
his canoe, which they accordingly did, with
out tho least nicely about Il the Portuguese
next minute picking himself up, and standing
straight, with the look Of perfect devil, AZ he
slid OF 10 tho shore.
kBudgo even so much as a single faith o.
Om, at present, We could not. How
ever, all hand, from the cabin wore iaa
already 70 get ashore somewhere, anil tho ca
diets briSiling with fow ling pieces and riA, g.
each singing out that he was really to sup ly
the whole snip with fresh meat. Before the
two large quart r-boas could lie got ready f. r
the ladies and tho rest OF US, in fact, we hear d
the gig full oil writers and cadets beginning %
Poperay AT everything they saw alive, GU, e
sight from the ship till at last We w,rs aaou.
toe, pulling slowly into the middle Of the stream
and the men cycling US laGily as the
turDed-to about the rigging to gen
up new spars in place OF those lost
For my own part, ] should have had rather 1
suspicion how absurd it was to 20 pleasurnp
in an African river we knew nothing about
especially when saw that day or two 40 Ions
after the rains might suck 1t up during Obj
intoa pretty narrow mid-channel all though
OF was, however, that was steering tho boa
with Violet Hyde in H. the kitrnagir holdin,
his gaudy punkah over her before me, Will,
the Judge, with his gun in his hand, was look
ing out as eagerly, for tho time, as tho Epu
griihns were pulling furiously, in spite Of "a,
heat that made the sweat run intO their eyes.
Tse other party were so,n OH ahead Of US up
the main river, un Ter care Of the Scotch sur
geon, laughing, talking and no LONG in chase
Of the cadets who had first left. However, Sir
Charles thought there was more likelihood of
game along the creek AMI the ladies fancied il
something new, 20 steerei right into IL; the
lat midshipman Simm, watching me critically
as handled the yOkeliness which he had giys,,
up TO me in patronising way, apA Sno sailor in
the bow regarding 'ha eScrtions Of the griins
with knowingly serious expression, whils he
dabbled his hipper at ease in the water.
We pulled up the small river, passing the
mouth u deep marsby inlet, where | notice!
few long canoes; the close, heavy heat Of the
wOoia eating if nnasibla Nyorsa "a tho ranL
green growth topping up round Us as far as b,.
fore; when the sound Of loud ruth Of water up
stream broke upon US through the bush TO
northward, the surface ripping, and slight
cool brea h seeming to hutter acroys it now and
then, the very no 30 putting fresh soul into you.
Suddenly we opened out on broad bend where
II was hard work 20 force her round, aud next
moment low fall was cleaning before us,
whore hill-stream came washing and plashin <
over one wide rocky step above another In the
turn, then sweeping out Of a deep pool on both
hands, and running away ahead, in between the
spread II trees, soemingly to a sort Of lagoon
where you saw the light in the middle glancng
bright down upon Its face.
In FIVE minutes more We were through into
the lagoon, which very possibly took round int
the main river again. only the opposite end, t.
our surprise, was all aloat with logs of big tim
her choking II up, so that there We must stick
or 20 back upon our wake.
However, the lAgo n itself being broad enoug
and round enough in all conscience, with a deer
hollow opening up out of II on the high ground
the Judge and the cadets thought better place
couldn't have been chosen for landing after a lit
tie sport, while we left the fair lad es to rest in
the cool, and look at the lotus.lilies spread all
over one cove Of it, floating white On their large
leaves
AZ er all, the thought Of sl.p at some will,
game was tempting enough the j udge appear
ing TO consider any one but sportsman noboh,
at all; so up We went behinl him out Of tn
gully, till we were all bowirg like so man,
porpoises on the head OF il. Perhaps it mig h
have been quarter Of an hour more, and W,
were all looking out sharp for birds Of an,
Kind TO pop at, happening to turn my head,
saw tie long reeds moving about the banks
below, and the trees twisting about furiousy
and no sooner hGd ! made a few PAGES than
good heavens right in the break OF the trees
at the landing plAce-hve was u huge brute
OF some sort coming slowly up out Of the wa
ter; then another, aud another gis,ening wet
in the bright light as the shadow IF the branch !
slipped behind them A blindness came over nv
ewes, and had scarce time 10 make out the BIZ,
blo.k.like heads and moving trunks of five OF
six black African ele phants ere the whole cai q
flashed upon ne, and away dashed full speed
down the slope. passed fire Of sticks blaz
ing under slab Of rock, with a gunsa-foyI
plucked and roasting before il iron string, III.
bowman's tArpiulin and his pipe lying near b,
"a sight that doubled the horror in me TO know
that to had left the boat at all.
Such a moment | hope never TO krOw again
not the least sign Of the boat could see in tn
frrean black blink of the plAce after tie plan