The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1869-06-16
The Pirate who kept lis Troth.

''Many years ago, the first voyage 1
ever made-by the way, l shipped as
cabin boy in the old brig Hope COM
manded by Captain Roberts-we sail
ed from Liverpool, bound for the port
[of Rio Janeiro. There was nothing
to mark the outward bound passage,
and nothing of interest transpired
while we were in Rio, save that inter-
est which everything had to me,
youngster in a strange land. vii
not attempt to describe my astonish
mcnt at the sights l saw-of the quaint
houses, the throngs from all nations,
the dress and the dialect of the people
Captain Roberts was very kind to me,
and often took me ashore with him,
and took pleasure in answering my
many questions. 1 noticed that very
often as we walked along the streets.
he would salute people, sometimes
even stopped to shake hands Will
them they were from all nations, and
| wondered at his extensive acquain-
lance. and boy Ike, asked him about
it. He said, II do not know one OF
them I never saw them before, and
probably never shall see them again;
they are Masons" 1 started back
with something Of horror, L suppose
as l asked him, "Why, you are not
Mason ~ And never shall l forget
the feeling that came over me as he
answered in the affirmative. Had he
acknowledged that he belonged to
band of pirates and assassiDs, l could
not have been more terribly shocked
fer, from my earliest youth, 1 had
been trained up to the idea that Ma
sonry was an evil principle the fatal
temper of fallen mankind-that be-
meath the mantle of mystery that sur
rouned it, was practised Pagan rites
Of idolatry; that it afJurcd the Chris
tian religion, and that its. members
were joined together in unholy alliance
with the most fri ghtful oaths and Ger
emonies, to defend one another against
all assaults, and to wage an internal
war upol virtue. Do you wonder
that / was shocked
eve were not long in getting in
our load, and then, with many n fond
farewell in our hearts we bade adieu to
Rio, and turned again towards homo.
There was nothing worthy of note
transpired until we arrived uear the
Equator, when a dead calm fell, and
for days we lay idle, with not breeze
enough to fill the sails that hung Hap
ping against the mast. About the
fourth day slight breeze sprung up,
the sails filled, and once more We
heard The ripple of the water under the
bows Of the Hope.F i. ~ ...
Breakfast was Just over, when the
cry of ''Sail hol" from the masthead
attracted the attention of all. Some
ran up the rigging to catch glimpse
of the stranger, and in an hour she
was plainly TO. be. seen from the deck.
And then a hot controversy sprang
up as to what she was-so- hot. thai
but for the interference OF the Captain,
there would have been n fight among
the parties. Still the. Hope held on
and as the hours went by the stranger
steadily gained upon us. The Hope
was but slight sailer at the best, and
by the middle of the afternoon the
stranger craft was within a few miles
of us. Nearer she came, and still
steadily gaming. And now we could
see that her decks were crowded with
men, and suddenly there foated up
from the deck to the masthead the
black flag, and from her portfolios
grinned the muzzles of cannon.
''Never shall ] forget, to the longest
day OF my life, the CONSERVATION the |
sight Of that flag produced among the
crew. Some cried, some swore, 9TH !
ers prayed, while some-I among the |
number-stood as if transfxed with |
horror at the sight of that emblem of
death. Captain Roberts was the only
man who was calm. calling the men
together, he told US, as we all knew,
that our hour had come that fight or
resistance We're alike impossible, and
that all there was to do was to die like
brave men, and thus deprive the hell
hounds of seeing US lterror-strieken.
81 heard all he said, and vet [ did I