Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-06-13

INV lis WV $1,000 80
became undistinguishable, aud in thi
condition they brought him back
The captain had the boat moored, an,
ordered six muskets to be fired at tn
diving man. He only tainted. A phi
Of iron was fastened round his neck
and he was flung into the sea.
So ended this specimen of ven
geance and next came the turn o
Aaron Smith TO feel the captain
cruelty, Refusing to board a mer
chants brig, the rage of the corsail
was so great with his captive, that he
had him tied TO the mast, a circle 0.
powder strewn around him, a train
laid, and a match applied to it. The
blaze burst up, Tapped the unhappy
man in its embrace, and, his clothes
all on fire, he fell insensible. RecOy.
ering, he found himself unable d
move, both hands and legs laeerated
and, in fact, the bones lay bare aud
large blisters on various parts Of the
body.
Compassion was excited in the heart
of one of the crew, who showed kind
ness and attention to the unfortunate
prisoner. The latter, in the pain he
was, was made to make sails, to act
as surgeon, and even to mount the
rigging, by the captain, whose brief
fits of humanity ended in bursts OF
fcrocious threats. About this time a
collision occurred between some sur-
viyors Of the chief mates" gang
(who lurked in the woods near the
harbor in which the schooner made
her headquarters) and the crew. The
friendly magistrate, before referred to,
was wounded, and the mutilated
Smith was carried on a mattress two
miles inland to the house to dress the
officials wounds Here he saw the
charming daughter, Seraphina, again,
and hopes of escape were INDUCED in
by both. To lull suspicion, he affected
reluctance to go ashore, which pro-
duced compulsion. One day, on his
return, one of the gang was cap.
tured by the boats crew, exposed TO
the sand flies, half maddened, blind
folded, tied to a tree and shot, ere
their return to their approving cap
tain aud comrades.
Other unhappy traitors were made
targets OF, tied to trees, and bets in
dIlged in as to hitting or missing
them. All these things Smith was
compelled to witness silently on peril
of his life, while his own MANNED,
tortured limbs forcibly reminded him
of his captOr's state of mind. A
Dutch vessel was next captured and
her cargo taken, while Smith was
made 10 act as the surgeon. About
this time he met with Serephina, ON
one of bis visits 10 her father, and was
oyerioyed to learn hat. she had ar
ranged matters for their fight. Some
days elapsed, the feYerish hope in the
prisoner mind making him unable to
remain quiet. While thus on tenter.
hooks he witnessed another scene Of
murder. The French cook of the
Dutch vessel, leased by his captors,
seized a Ratchet and wounded one.
The rest simultaneously plunged their
knives into his body, and flung him.
still breathing, overheard. Again
Smith wa to become the injured
pirates surgeon. Two more prizes
were taken, and then the famous Rio
grew TOO hot to hold the pirates. Five
gunbOats were ordered down BY the
governor Of Havana, a fact of which
the friendly magistrate duly informed
the pirate captain. The corsair
elgded the fotilla (Which seems To
have shown little zeal to capture her).
aud remained for three weeks off the
Morilla, where a French vessel was
captured by her. The pirates plum,
dered her, cut away her missen- mast
and starbOard main rigging, and in
this condition magnauimOusly turned
her adrift to pursue her voyage.
Returned to the old anehorage-thc
storm having blown over-the schoon.
or lay inactive, The pirate captain
iwho, by the way, according to hi.
crews account, had murdered twenty
men with his own handy, fell ill
Smith, forced to prescribe, put an
0plate into some arrOw-root, and while
the captain slumbered and the crew
got drunk, stole into the canoe of som,
fishermen who we're aboard, cut hel
Loose and steered for Havana. Two
nights and a day in this frail cookie.
she'll he traversed the ocean, while. a.
he says, the wind blew from the
southwest, and, what appeared to m,
to be a special providence, continued
to do so the whole day-a thing yer,
unusual in that climate" He reached
Havana, and after boarding a shil
commanded by an old acquaintance
went ashore. Recognized by a Span
ish officer who had been a prisoner OF
board the schooner, the unfortunat,
man was seized and flung into a dun
geon swarming with vermin, and KEEP
prisoner for five weeks, though a fey
comfoFtsw we're got for him by a friendl
Spaniard. lie was then handed owe
to the British admiral, who, he bitterl
complains, had him put in doubl
irons. He seems to have been treate,
at first with great severity. Durin
the whole voyage he was. althoup'
freed from letters, kept with a sentr
over him to prevent HIS speaking
any one On arrival home he wa
taken to London, committed for tria
indicted, tried and acquitted, the stor
Of which we have given the outlin,
being so evidently true as to cOnyinc
all that Aaron Smiths career of suite
ing and hardship was involuntary, an
that his pirate adventures were as nj
ayoidable as remarkable IN the histol
Of the seas.
a Cure for Collie in Animals.
A correspondent of the Massachu
etts Ploughman gives the followir