The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1872-04-18
THE ACCEPTED OFFERING.

nc evening was ptet.y "a"' y"
in my cabin with my window aud door
open. | was reading by the light OF a wax
caudle, put in suiyel.staud; but although
| was interested in the subject, | could moi
help being aware, in a sort Of dream.
way, Of the sounds which reached my ea'
! from time to time. There was the harsh
grinding and rafting Of the steam which
at work dischargiug the cargo; tho cries
aud curses Of the coarse men at work; the
striking Of the bells on board; the lapplnlg
Of tho water at the wharf, the sounds Of the
great ferry boats which crossed from East
Boston to Boston proper. | was begin.
ming to feel tired. and was thinking Of
turning in for the night, when the lamp
that hung in the passage revealed the hg'
ure Of the second mate.' great rough,
sulky looking fellow, with as warns heart
as ever beat in human breast. "Oh,'
said | "come in; sit down and spin me
that long promised yarn Of yours. Take
o cigarette It's the only thing smoke;
I'll keep you company" So saying, |
produced two Of the little weeds, aud we
commenced slowly to exhale.
"Well, Sawbones," he began. q was
The doctor), Il bate palayar; 50 here goes
| was ouce mate Of q coolic.ship. | am
not going to speak Of coolic trade at this
time; but its about coolies that the story is
I'm not going to enter into time or place;
but suffice it that our ship was good one,
aud that We were on voyage with right
heavy load Of coolies. !. We were very
tightly packed, | can tell you, aud no
mistake. Well. we had the blackies on
deck pretty much, and wc did all We could
to ven,ila;e aud purify them; and yet we
had 10 disorder among thcm-all vas
going pretty well
The skipper was much engaged below
-hc was one of the kink that believe in
keeping the steam up-high PRESSURE you
know. In fact had command, the 'old
mau never interfered Doctor, boys are
the greatest nuisance and torment that you
can have, aaoat or ashore-no mistake.
We had two boys. They were little dwar.
fish clits, but as cunning und tricky as
young apes. 1t took US oil our time
to look after those boys. Sometimes they
fought-sometimes they leaguel in mischief,
but il they were out of sight, you might
be sure they were doing no good. George
was the name Of one aud Harry the other
The whole ship was against them, and
they against the whole ship. It was u
game, aud the little wretchcs played well.
OF conrse they we're thrashcd from time to
time, but that seemed to act only as q stlm-
ulaut ..s--
'Well, one Gay the coolies got up .
great aTar-at least, it was great affair
to them, pocr creatures They wanted to
give sort Of Offering to their god-or at
least one of them They wanted to be in
his good books, you see, and so they made
him this gift. | don't know all that was
in The lundIe but think there was rice,
and | know that there was money. The
offering was Fixed in the truck Of the main
mast--the truck, you know, is the button
affair at the very point ofthe mast. We'll,
it was fastened up during the day, and the
sign was. that if the god came in tho night
and took the bundle, he was well pleased,
and meant to bless their voyage. IL was
lrsteued all right. and they set watch Of
their own to keep tight eye to the bundle
so th at they might see tho god swoop
down and carry it away. There was also
q group of coolies at the shrouds to see
that there was no unhallowed interference
by the ships people.
"Well, evening shaded into night. and
deuced dark night it was too-heavy
masses of cloud scuddiog across sombre
sky; not bad weather but rather threaten.
ing, you know. WAS on watch, feeling
rather anxious as to how the night would
turn out. Our doctora native came to my
side. He was q very intelligent fellow, |
can tell you, and we'll educated. lie
didn't believe in the god coming down and
taking away the bundle; but he wasn't 9
fool to express his mind before the coolies
They are rather dangerous cattle at times.
You read now and again Of their rising in
mutiuity, killing the officers and crew. aye
even setting fre to the ship, and playing
the deuce generally. Coolies are not to be
triaed with, especially when there is q
great crowd of them. Ofcoqrse, they are
ignorant and supersti,ious, and such are
always dangerous, Life With such people
is at.a d;scasrt, ard ~ mistoke. Vel
the doctor and | we're devising plans for
ventila,ing The ship BY kiudling fires, etc,
and 50 the watch passed. When the eight
bells struck at midnight, turned in as soon
as was relieved It seemed scarcely q
minute before I heard eight bells strike
again, and | was forced to know that It was
four o'clock in the morning, and time for
me to be on deck to take my watch. The
second said that the wind had not risen
L;,hor ,bon wbon went helow hnk that