Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1878-09-12
Written for the Transcript. Is
Experience Of tSinbad' pin the Navy,
Continued from last week.

Written for the Transcript. U.s.
Experience Of ssSiDbad'''in the Navy
Continued from last week. KS
During our cruise Ia these waters
w ''e' visited q great many places Up and
down the coast, among which were the.
Chincha Islands, the place where near>
ly all the gnano Of commerce is pro-
cured. These islands are three sin
number, and one has been. entirely
cleared of guano, and presents a bar
ten appearance. This guano deposit
rs from seventy five to one hundred
feet thick, and is worked by Chinese
who are called coolies. 1t is impossi.
Bile for white man to work in this
substance for any considerable length
Of time, owing to the strong odor Of
ammonia. Solid Jumps Of ammonia
are found here as large as hens eggs.
These coolies lead a miserable exists
ence, receiving only three cups Of rice
day, and sleeping in novels. Their
clothing consists of a gunny sack, the
corners Of which are cut off for arm
holes, and hole is cut through for
the head; "on|y this and nothing
MORE" They agree to work certain.
number of years for their passag e to
America, and | have no doubt thar
when they find out the kind of work
they are wanted for they wish them
selves back where they came from.
! About one>third live to work GU,
their time. 81"
The terms OF enlistment of a good
many of the men began to- expire, and
at last the long looked for day arrived
when Sinbad went aft and reported
his time ont. After quarters the first
Lieut.. called me aft and asked me if l
wished to 60 home. I said it would
please me to do so. "Now."' said he,
did you not agree when I made you
yeoman to re>ship for three years
when your time expired?" I meekly
replied that I proposed to get home ii
possible, had been slave three years
and preferred my freedom to any posi-
ton he could give me. He told me
to get out of there and he would attend
to my case. A few days afterward |
received an order from the captain
disrating me from yeoman to lands
man, on the recommendation of the
first Lieut., whose nick name, by the
way, was Tommy Roundhead. This.
Of course, required change of uni
form at an expense of about forty dol
lars, and. the presence Of Sinbad on
deck to work but T stood it like a
major for seven months, and at last
the happy day arrived. We were put
on board tug with our clothing and
hammocks in Panama. When the tug
had got fairly clear of the ship
jumped on the rail and taking of my
hat proposed three cheers for the cap>
tain and crew, which was responded IT,
Justify. I then proposed three groaos
for Tommy Roundhead, and you nev>
er heard one hundred and fifty Amer
lean sailors groan With better grace.
I hope it was appreciated.
We crossed the Isthmus on the rail-
road. and took passage on the steamer
for New York When off Hatteras
again the steamer was caught in a
storm, ami sea- struck her and car
ried away one of the paddle boxes.
This was in the night, and all the
boys were turned in. One of the off
GERS called down the hatch, "Tura out
there, all you fellows; come, turn ou'
there and lend us helping hand on
deck" He was replied to in the fol-
lowing strain "Bas YOUR head f.! ~
ito the Dbl give us a rest % &c., &C.
Finding chat this style would not win
he came below and politely asked US
to help him, and every man turned
out. We at length reached New York
and were discharged. I have not
given nearly all the incidents of thi:
cruise, but hope that as far as 1 have
gone 1 have succeeded in entertaining
my readers,
[Concluded,]