Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-11-10
A TALE OF TAHITI.

Being the Experiences of an Amateur
Savage.
1t is notnecessary to resort to novels for
chapters of romance and strange adventure.
Some passages in nearly every mans life read
more strangely than the most improbable
chapter Of the most ingenious and absorbing
romance, and men are generally far more in-
teresting reading than books. 1t is we'll
worth the travellers while to cultivate the
confidence Of every man with whom he comes
in contact though his features may be uu.
promising and his intelligence apparently
low, one may find underneath the rough ex.
terror a mind sharpened by wide experience
Of the world, and spirit developed by strange
happenings. The richly emblazoned cover
does not always enclose the most valuable
book. | have seldom met man whose per-
sonal history was not worth listening to. 1t
is often slow process getting at it, however,
for men generally are apt to underestimate
the interest Of their adventures, or, if they
see anything singular in them, they usually
lay particular emphasis upon some part
which, while it has especially impressed them
and seems the absorbing portion, is really n
small matter compared with other incidents
which they speak Of sightngIy. Thus, the
man who related to me the following facts
seemed to consider them quite commonplace
and not at all romantic, while he was in.
cined to particularly emphasize other cxper-
fences which, though they much interested
him, were of'only minor consequence to me,
as being events in which any man might
have been concerned. This man was quar-
termaster on board one Of the Pacific Mail
steamship company's vessels, who was known
to the officers and sailors as Mick, )" and had,
so far as | could discover, no other name.
Tie was CHILEAN by birth, as hort, thick.set
and muscular fellow, with swarthy skin and
black hair, aud was a man of quiet language
and manner. He was a little shy, withal,
and for some time evaded my attempts to
cultivate his cquaintance-which desired
to make from having heard that his history
was an unusual one. Finally, one calm,
star.lit night, when a number Of US we're.
sitting around the edge of the fore.hatch
enjoying the cool breeze, Nick, whose spirits
were tempered into complacaucy by the gift
of prime cigar, unIoldsd the roll Of his ex-
periences, and spun the following yarn -
He was born in Valparaiso, some 30 years
ago, of parents in humble life, who gained a
scanty subsistence by catching fish and gath.
ering fruit. which they hawked about the
city. As Nick grew up to boyhood, he was
impressed into the service of the family and
made to contribute to its support by selling
the fish which his father caught aud the
fruit which his mother gathered. This was
dull business, indeed, and, though an occas-
iona fishing trip in his fathers old boat was
allowed him, it was quite insufficient to sat
isfy his love of the sea, and he looked long
ingly at the huge ships which folded their
wings in the harbor after a long voyage or
spread them again for new flights. Often
did Nick watch them from tho shore as they
melted away in the distance aud wish that
taking thought could not only add one but
several cubits to his stature, that he might
at once become man and embark for
strange countries. But the prospects of
attaining this glorious estate looked remote
enough for Nick was only 10 years old,
and the 10 or ii years more which lay be.
tween him and the point where the thorny
ot-path Of youth broadens into the smooth
highway of maturity looked almost inter-
mlnable to him, as to all of us at his age,
though after we have passed them they look
brief enough. Such projects aud visions nat
urally incapacitated Nick for business, so
much so, indeed, that foggings were his daily
experiences.
One day, after particularly sound cas-.
tigation, Nick made n desperate resolve.
There was a French frigate in the harbor,
bound for Tahiti, and abroad Of her was a
man tatooed all over with beautiful blue and
red anchors and ships and flags and women
with fishes tails and numberless other de-
signs which were as a sealed mystery to Nick,
but which he supposed voyage would make
him quite familiar with This living pam
Drama of marine wonders had excited the
boys admiration from the first, and he had
done all in his power, by presents Of fruit,
etc, to win his friendship. So well did he
succeed that the sailor offered to smuggle
him aboard the vessel, secrete him till she
sailed, aud then, when it was to late to do
anything about it, introduce him to the cap
tain. This functionary, the sailor intimated
would be likely to give him iogging which
would quite eclipse any Of his previous ex-
periences in that line, but he was convinced
that all would thereafter be serene. Nick
accepted the sailors proposition, and was
soon lying in q particularly incOnVcnent
corner Of the hold, in utter darkness and in
the midst of an uncomfortable -smelling cargo.
Nobody discovered him. though the search
for him extended even to the vessel in which
be was hidden, and his friend, the polychro-
matte sailor, kept him well supplied with
food aud water. In day or two the frigate
sailed, and as soon as she was out Of sight
of land Nick was brought on deck by his
patron, who presented him to the captain
as stowaway. That worthy at once
knocked Nick down, then hauled him up by
the collar with an enthusiasm which segre-
gated it from the rest OF his coat, and beat
him till his arm ached Then he swore at
Nick for half an hour in blood.chilliAg
manner but as the oaths were in French
they didn't hurt. lie was then ordered into
the maintop to cool of, and as he sat there
above the pitching deck aud began to be sea-
sick, he wondered whether the cnarms Of
life on the ocean wave" had not been lit
tie exaggerated. After day or two, which
he passed as much out ofthe captains range
Of vision as possible, Nick was installed as
cabin-boy, aud gained his first nautical know
ledge in polishing the captains shoes, scour'
ing up his epaulets and sword aud carrying
his spittoon around, getting an occasional
hogging from his patron, had pleas
ant vein of humor, and logged Nick in aecOr.
dance with his stated idea that the rope
yo,,idnil 10 hin, anu hurl and that IL ha