American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1875-09-25
MuTiNY ON BOARD.

I COMMENCED my medical career with
exceptional disadvantages. My parents
were dead, and had not a friend or rela-
tive willing or able to help me; -was
cast entirely upon my own resources
which were . diploma, respectable ward
robe and twenty pounds in cash-the bal
ance of the capital which had sufficed for
,fnye education. : Feeling desperately the
necessity of exertion applied to all sorts
of .pDnple, rushing into the presence OF
bigwigs who ought not to be approached
witlA0Et Rroper introductions, and outrag-
ing them with demands tor surgical en-
plQYpent should say l sometimes re-
ceived as many as i've snubs and rebuffs
b. in q morning. At last l fairly broke down
in the. presence of a. naughty young ad-
miral(y clerk, who was perturbed and
melted by my distress, when on my asking
ssliih 70 ten ME how could get into the
navy he replied:
suppose you apply on a pwoppel
form through the pwopper channel.
Look here, he said, calling me back,
: sslea7e your name and address. Surgeons
ara Hanted for things sometimes in a
hurry"
Two days afterward / received letter
informing me that a surgeon was required
for the A}ecfO, which was to sail for sgd.
neFpn DE following Sunday with a cargo
ofcoHt1cm, and that if Iapplied in person
at VILLAGE and hour named, and answered
certa5n questions satisfactorily, there was
little doubt but what I should get the, ap
pointment-
Thesev was no medical employment on
earth that would not have jumped al
blindfold just then, so 1 made my applica.
tion, was accepted without any difficulty,
with rather an ominous alacrity indeed
and AFTER such poor preparation in the
way Of outfit as my ignorance suggested
and my slender means could afford l went
on board the Aecto, which was lying of
Greenwich, and found myself in medical
charge of q Captain, two mates, a Lieuten
antof the Royal Navy, in some mysterious
capaeify tmr never rightly comprehend
and his men, and $50 convicts.
The naval Lieutenant was the only man
oh the quarter deck when went up the
side
"I am the surgeon" began, advanc.
ing toward him; but before 1 could say
another word he asked abruptly:
80 Can you play at ehess."
rYes-a lIttle,s' replied.
.e1'm thankful, vera thankful for that
Shake hands, sir The marine body, MIR.
Rhipps, no cares for the game; and how
should we srEveeve SIGH a protracted and
tedious voyage without chess? My name
is MacNab, and l hope we shall be
friends, sir"
Tsajd that hoped SO, too, and we en-
gagedin conversation which was the
reverse of inspiriting. l gathered from
Mr.. NacNab that the skipper had been
unfortunate in former voyages; that his
mates were ruffians; that the crew were
very poor types indeed of the British sail
or. that the ship herself was rotton old
hulk that ought to have been broken up
years before
1 went down To my cabin, which
seemed absurdly small and low and dark I;
got my portmanteau there and tried 10
Then studied the printed instructions
hadsreccived AN TO how often / was to in
speet the convicts, ETC., and wondered
what was TO be done if they were refrac-
tory, and who had authority over me to
prevent me Sinking my duties; for had
sole command, it seemed, in my particu-
lar department..
When j returned on deck / found the
Captain and Mr.. Phipps there. The
former had red nose and watery ewes.
which explained, perhaps why he had
been unfortunate with his ships the lat
ter was a gentlemanly fellow enough but
responding and taciturn, his silence being
OF tne less importance that when he did
talk he generally grumbled, which did
not add to the cheerfulness Of SO small a
party. His only solace was in making
pen-and- ink sketches, at which he was
very clever; landscapes, with chiaroscuro
effects, involving an immense amount OF
time and labor, being his principal forte.
Both he and MacNab were disappointed
Intn; but the Scotchman was the better
philosopher Of the two.