Beaufort Republican. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1871-1873, 1873-10-09
At the Peruvian Islands.
How a coshiAahdante was Bothered by
some Ship Captains.

How q conhIhahdante was Bothered by
some Ship Captains.
There was funny thing happened
while I was at the Peruvian guano is
lands, says an old sailor, telling the story
in his way. You see itwas agin the law to
touch bird or an egg or to fire gun,
for fear of frightenin' the birds. Well,
some chaps pullin' along in boat one
day came pretty near a pelican and
couldn't resist the temptation OF knock
in it on the head with an oar. Well,
they was seen to do this from the old
commentaries hulk, and was arrested.
The captain of the ship what they be-
longed to was not very good friends
with the commandante, and 80 he got q
lot of American captains to 60 aboard
of the old commentaries hulk, and offer
to pay the fine and try and get the men
released, cause the captain needed
them, as his ship was goin' under the
manguesa' or shoot the next day.
Among the lot was our old man, and I
was one of his boats crew. Well, when
they got there the old fellow was not on
board, and learnin' where he was, they
sent one of theis gigs for him. The old
chap had been dinin' out, and felt pref
ty lushy, and he wasn't in very good
humor at being disturbed at his feed.
He couldn't speak any English, and
mighty few of the captains understood
any Spanish, 80 when be came on board
and gave soine order to his lieutenant
they couldn't understand what he said,
but waited patiently till he was ready
to receive them, when they was agoin'
to state their business through the in
terpreter,
"Well, the marines came Up and
formed on the opposite side of the deck.
The captains didn't think anythin' of it,
but supposed it was some of the regular
daily drill. Well. they loaded with
ball.cartridge and fixed bayonets, and
then at the word of command they
charged on the poor captains, who were
astanding on the other side of the deck.
The first thing we chaps iii the boat
know'd of ii was when we see big fat
skipper named Bearse take a fyin'
leap and land in the water, and our old
man came near plumpin' right into the
hole which old Bearse had made. Then
away come all the rest, some of the last
ones getting prod in the rear with the
baSonets to help them along.
"'Twas the most laughable sight !
ever seen In all my born days, and even
the shippers, mad as they was, couldn't
help laughing. Each bont's crew
singled out its Hounderin' skipper, ard
picked him UP and took him on board.
Most of 'em had their watches onto
'em, and these were all spoilt, of course.
Well, that night they held an indigna-
ton meeting, and a vote was taken
whether they should capture the old
hulk and hang the commandante, OF
whether they should appoint COM
mittee to go to Lima and complain to
the Minister; and by majority of only
one the committee was appointed. II
they had wanted to, they had plenty
of force to have took the old hulk twice
over, but then you see that wouldn't
have been the right thing.
"Well, the ship what these men that
killed the pelican belonged to she got
her load and went out to sea. As soon
as ever he got we'll clear from the ship
pin the captain of her fred one of his
big guns. Well, that was agin the law,
and the old commandante sent lieu
tenant aud armed boats crew to collect
the fine, which was S25. The wind was
very light and the boat soon caught the
ship, and the officer came on board.
The captain he received him at the
gangway with the fine in one hanl and
a cutlass in the other, and he says to
him in Spanish, which he could speak
frst-rate:
"'I know what you have come for
here's your money, and if you stay
around here you'll have chance to col.
lect another fine, cause I'm goin' to fire
another gun. Now will you get into
your boat OF (shakin' the cutlass at HIM
shall I make you?'
"Well, sir, you see these here man
of-war officers don't like to be talked to
in that way, and this lieutenant, he jist
draws his cheese-knife and orders up
his men and goes for the skipper, and
they soon had him down on deck with
an ugly cash in his head, and they tied
him neck and crop like a sheep and
chucked him down into the boat, and
he jist had sense enough left to tell the
mate to Haul down the American flag,
the ship has struck.
"Well, all the other shippers what
was aseein' the ship of-my old man
was one of 'em-they all got into theil
boats and left, and so the old comman.
dante had the ship, an 1,SOO ton ship,
with full cargo on his hands, and hel
captain wounded and prisoner. Well,
they took the ship back and anchored
her near the old hulk, some doctors Of
the feet went aboard to dress the skip
per's head. At first the old comman.
dante wouldn't let 'em aboard, but one
of 'em, who talked Spanish, insisted
and finally made the old man see that
he was likely to gethimself into trouble
if he didn't look out sharp. He had put
the captain in double irons, but this
doctor frightened him into takin' the
irons off right away, and he even offered
to let the captain 60 aboard of his shiI
and go to sea if he liked, but the old
skipper knew thing worth two of that
and he Just sent him word that his shiI
having been captured on the high sea.
he had nothin' more to do with her. L
was an affair now between his Govern
ment and that of Peru.
"Well, the old chap found that ht
had put his foot in it, for as soon al