Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1871-05-13
Going Ashore in an Iron Pot.

Some seventy or eighty years since,
during I beutime the British East India
Compan! Sas extending its conquest
amid the fertile islands of the Indian
Ocean, from diseases peculiar to the eli.
mate and other causes, the invaders were
obliged to resort to the iniquitous system
Of kidnapping practiced in England at
that time to a great extent for recruiting
both the army aud navy by press. gangs
On board a small brig, belonging to the
East India Company, among a number Of
impressed men, were brace of as wild
untamed sons of the "Imerald Isle" as
liver ye saw, from the same town, and,
cay coorsc," sworn friends. They were
the butt of the whole crew, from the pc
culiar obtuseness Of their intellects, and
because they either could not or would
not learn anything, and literally we're
"not worth their salt"
The brig was short Of hands; and on
her return passage put into a small bay
on the coast of Africa Being anchored
off some distance from land, the officers
and most of the crew went on shore to
collect wood aud water, leaving our town
heroes to watch on the upper deck, with
orders to fire one Of the guns in case
they had any attack by the natives.
The captain had no sooner landed, than
Pat sang out to his comradc, Ararh,
Tim. acushla, and did ye iver see them
big cannon balls below p
"Och sure an did. But what would
ye be after doing wild them same cannon.
balls ?"
"Be jabbers, but wouldn't it be fine
foon if we could only fire oof one o'them
What divil of rackit it would be afther
making"
"Be dad, but so it would. But, Pat,
wouldn't the captain be missing it ?"
| This was a regular clin cher to poor Pat;
aud he stood scratching the wiry furze
that covered his bullct.shaped head for
some time. All of sudden q thought
seemed to strike him, Of way to sur.
mount the difficulty.
On board Of all vessels, as almost every
one is aware, is a large iron pot or kettle
for melting tar, etc.
A plan was very shortly adopted by our
two worthless, which should obviate the
suggested difficulty viz, the loss Of the
ball while they would enjoy little
'.foon of the racket so much coveted.
1t was determined that the iron pot could
be the instrument Of their protection from
the captains vigilance in respect to the
number of balls on beard. The plan was
certainly ingenious, and worthy the active
and enlightened intellects Of these two
specimens of the finest pisautry." 1t
was this One of them was to place him
self astraddle of the gun, holding the
pot over the muzzle by the handle, and
catch the ball as it issued from the gun /;
and, as our hero Tim was the stoutest man
of the two, the duty Of holding the pot
was assigned to him.
After some trouble they managed to get
she gun loaded. Tim mounted, holding
the pot. just as Pat was about to touch
off the csunon, Tim turned round to him
and sang out, "Arrah Pat, darlint, be
afther firing very aisey will YEP"
Pat applied the match, aud Oft went
Tim pot and all, /" into the middle Of next
week."
The captain, hearing the report, aud
thinking it announced some attack, came
on board in great haste. The first thing
that greeted bis eyes upon stepping upon
deck was Pat, his face all begriwmed with
smoke and dirt. Well, Pat" said lie
what's the matter with you? Where's
Tim ?"
"Tim, sir And didn't ye see him on
shore ?"
"No. How the devil could he get
there? The boats are all here"
"Och! by my sowl, sir, he went ashore
in the Iron Pot"