The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1878-06-05
A Strange Career,

ID, it" =, -. .-. w A Strange Career
About the time of the accession OF
George III to the throne, few domestic
events made a greater sensation in the
papers and periodicals Of the day than
the adventures and fate of asea captain
named George Glass, especially in con-
nect;on with a mutiny on board the brig
Earl of Sandwich This remarkable
man, who was one Of fifteen. children
of John Glass, noted as the originator
of the Scottish sect known as the Glass
ties, was born in Dundee in 1725: After
graduating in the medical profession, he
make several voyages oas surgeon OF
merchant ship belonging to London) to
the Brazils and the coast of Guinea; and
in 1764 be published, by Dodeley, an in
teresting work in one volume, quarto,
entitled HThe History of the Discovery
and Conquest of the Canary Islands,
Translated from q Spanish Manuscript"
He obtained command Of q Guinea
trader, and made several successful yoy-
ages. till the war with Spain broke out
in January, 1852. Having saved a good
round sum, he equipped privateer, and
took command of her as captain, to
cruise against the French and Spaniards;
but he had not been three days at sea
when his crew mutinied, and sent him
that which is called in sea phraseology
a round robin "a corruption, of an old
French military term, the ru6an ro,ad,
or round ribbon) in which they wrote
their names in circle; hence none
could know who was the leader. ,. .,..:
Arming himself with his :cutlass and
pistols, Glass came on deck, and offered
to fight, hand to hand, any man who
conceived himself to be wronged in any
way. But the crew, knowing his per-
sonal strength, his skill and resolution,
declined the challenge. He succeeded
in pacifying them by fair words; and the
capture of a valuable French merchant
man few days after, put them all in e1-
cellent humor. This gleam of good for
tune was soon after clouded by an en-
counter with an enemy's frigate, which
though, twice the size Of; his privateer,
Glass resolved to engage; and tor two
hours they 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 and he had received o mus
ket shot in the shoulder. 49,, ...
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 it out, p"
as 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
without convoy; and according to
statement in the annual Register, he
was captured no less than seven times.
But after various fluctuations OF for
tune, 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 captains in the port OF Lon
don. .:..'a::,- .s..r .-... ...... 49,.
About that time company there re-
solved to make an attempt to form set
Element on the west coast OF Africa, by
founding q harbor and town midway be-
tween the Cape de Verd and. the River
Senegal, In the London and other pa
pers of the day we find many statements
urging the advantage Of opening up
Guinea trade; among. others, strange
letter from q merchant. who tells us
he was taken, prisoner in battle on that
coast, and that when escaping he "cross-
ed forest within view of the sea,
where there we're elephants teeth In
quantities suficien! to load one hundred
ships" a., - 49,. ...a g.. .
In the interests of this new company
Glass sailed in ship of his own to the
coast of Guinea, and selected and sur
veved harbor at a place which he was
certain might become the center OF
great trade in teak and cam woods,
spices, palm oil and ivory, wax Ind gold.
Elated with his success he returned to
ENGLAND, and laid his schemes before
the ministry, among whom were John
Earl, of Sandwich, Secretary OF State,
and the Earl of Hillsborough, Commits
sioner Of Trade and Plantations.
With truly national patience and per-
severence he underwent all the procras-
tination and delays of Office, but ulti-
mately obtained an exclusive right OF
trading to his own harbor for twenty
years. Assisted by two merchants-the
company would seem to hove failed-he
fitted his ship anew and sailed for the
intended harbor: and sent on shore @
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.
Undiscouraged by this event, Captain
Glass found means to open up commu-
nication with the king of the country, to
Law before him the wrong that had been
done, and the advantages that were
certain to accrue from mutual trade and
barter. The sable potentate affected to
be pleased with the proposal, but only
to the end that he might get Glass
completely 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 sent
on board impregnated by some deadly
drug. Glass, by his previous medical
knowledge, perhaps, discovered this in
time; but 30 scarce had food become In
his vessel, that he was compelled to go
with few hands in nm open boat to the
Canaries, where he. hoped to purchase
what he wanted from the Spaniards.
In his absence the savages we're en-
couraged to attack the ship in their war
canoes, but were repulsed by a sharp
musketry fire opened upon them by the
remainder of the crew, who, losing heart
by the protracted absence of the cap.
tain, quilted his fatal harbor, and sailed
for the Thames, which they reached in
safety. -,5e ~ .....s.,,. ...:, .
3. Meanwhile the unfortunate captain,
after landing on one Of the Canaries,
presented a petition to the Spanish Gov.
ernment to the effect. that he might be
permitted to purchase food; but that
officer, inhamed by national animosity,