Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1878-07-18
! A Strange Career.

Ill.,, In atlantic
A Strange Career.
About the time of the accession zot
George III t. the throne, few domestic
events made greater sensation IN the
papers and periodicals of the day than
the adventures of sea captain named
George Glass, especially in connection
with'a mutiny On board the. brig earl OF
Sanwich. This remarkable man, who
was one of fifteen children Of John Glass,
noted as the originator Of the Scottish sect
known as the Classics was born in Dundee
in 1925: After graduating in TIE medi-
cal profession, be made several voyages
as surgeon of a merchant ship (belong
ing to London) to the Braz,ls and the
coast of Guinea; and in 1894 he published,
by Dodeley, an interesting work in one VOL
ume, quarto, entitled 1.-THE History VI the
Discovery andConquesto the Canary ISL
ands. : Translated from Spanish Man
uscript."
He obtained command of the Guinea
trader, and made several successful voy-
ages, ill the war with Spain broke out in
January, 1862. Having saved good
round sum, be equipped a privateer, and
ook command of her as captain, to
cruise against the French and Spaniar DIS;
but be had not been three days at sea
when his crew mutinied, and sent him
that which is called in sea phraseologv a
round robin "a corruption of all old
French military term, the ruban rond,
or round :ribbonl, in which they wrote
their names in a circle; hence none could
know who was.the leader.
Aiming himsel with his cutlass and
pistols, Glass came ON deck, and offered
to fight, hand to hand, any many who
conceived himself to be wronged in any
way. But the crew. knowing his person
a. strength, his skill and resolutl on, de-
cliDed the challenge. Ee succeeded in
pacifying them by fair words; and the
pture of a valuable French merchant
man few days after, put them all in ex-
cellent humor. This CLEAN of good for
tune was soon after clouded by an en-
'unter with an enemy's friga'e, which
though twice the siz5 of his privateer,
Glass # solved to engage; and for two
hours thy fought broadside to broad
side, till another French vessel bore
down on him, and he was compelled to
strike his colors, after half his crew had
been killed aud he had rece ived a mus
ket shot in the shoulder.
He remained for some time French
prisoner Of war in the Antilles, where he
was treated with excessive severity, but
upon being exchanged, he resolved to
embark the remainder Of his fortune in
another privateer, and "have 1t out" rs
he said, with the French and Dons. But
he was again taken in action, and lost
everything he had in the world.
On being released second time, he
was employed by London merchants in
several voyages to the West Indies, in
command Of ships that fought their way
ment in the annual Register, he was cap
tured no less than seven times. But af.
ter various fluctuations Of fortune, when
the general peace took place in 1893, he
found himself possessed of two thousand
guineas prize money, with the reputation
of being one Of the best merchant cap
tains in the port Of London.
About that time company there re-
solved to make an attempt to form set
Element on the west coast of Africa, by
foundi0g harbor and town midway be-
tweenthe C.pe de Verd and the River
of the day we find many statements urg-
Senegal. In the London and other papers
ing the advantage Of opening up Guinea
trade; among others, a strange letter from
merchant, who tells US he was taken
prisoner in a battle on that coast, and
that when escaping he "crossed forest
II, f fho 11,Io <hor horo
elephants teeth in ualtities sufficient to
load one hundred ships"
In the interests Of this new company
Glass sailed in ship Of his own to the
coast of Guinea, and selected and survey
ed herb"r at place which he was Ger.
tain might become the center of a great
trade in teak and cam woods, spices. oil
and ivory, wax and gold. Elated with
his success he returned to England, and
laid his schemes before the ministry
ar ong whom we're John, Earl of Sand.
witch. Secretary Of State, and the Earl OF
HiIlsborough, Commissioner of Trade and
Plantations
With truly national patience and per-
severance he underwent all the procras-
tination and delays of Office, but ulti-
mately obtained an exclusive right OF
trading to his own har Dor for twenty
years. Assisted by two merchants the
company would seem to have faiIed-he
fitted his shin anew aud sailed for the
intended harbor; and sent on shore q
man who knew the country we'll, to make
propositions Of trade with the natives,
who put him to death the moment they
saw him.
Und'scoiraged by this event, Captain
Glass found means to open up COMMIT
nication with the king of the country, to
lay befor, him the wrong that had been
done, and the advantages that were Ger
tain to accrue from mutual trade and
barter. Tho sable potenta.e affected to
he plea ed with the proposal, but only to
the end that he might get Glass com
pletely in his power but the Scotsman
was on his guard and foiled him. ~
The king then attempted to poison the
whole crew by provisions which he seat
on board lmpregnated by some deadly
drug. Giass, by his previous medical
knowledge, perhaps, discovered this in
time; but>so scarce had foot become in
his vessel, that he was com pc He'd to 90
with few hands in On open boat to the
Canaries, where he hoped to purchase
what he wanted from the SpaHiards.
In his absence the savages were en-
couraged to attack the ship in their war
canoes, but We're repulsed~, by sharp
musketry fresopened upon them by the
remaiDdersof the crew, who. losing heart
by the protracted absence OF the captain,
Quilted his fatal harbor, and sailed for
the Thames, which they reached in safety
Meanwhile the unfortunate captain,
after landing on one of the Canaries, prs.
sented a petition to the. Spanish Govern
meut to tho eject that lie mi might BE Der-
mitted to purchase ltood; but that officer,
inaamed BY national animosity, cruelty
threw him into p dark and damp dun
geo' and kept him there witLolt pen,
ink or paper. on the accusation that lie
n q! ~ 3. 4.