The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1880-01-15

"All right; where'i her. L asked.
20, as usual, in his cabin cleaning
shells"
'Let us go and interview him, then;
for if he comes we are sure to have some
fun" -.a.---- --- -.-.-..->
But to understand why we were so
anxious TO enlist Boko you must know
something about him.
Boko was the life of the mess. Not
young man, by any means; on the con-
trary. He had been dubbed Roko years
before by South Sea chief, and the sob
riquet had stuck to. him. Boko, by his
own showing, had been everywhere and
seen everything 1t was little he couldn't
do, and nothing he would not attempt.
Full of the most wonderful anecdotes, at
which he himself laughed loudest. His
laugh was contagious; for although one
had heard the yarn perhaps dozen times
before, twas impossible to avoid laugh
ing at his thorough appreciation OF his
own Jokes. He was as well known as a
town pump. From this it will be seen
that Boko was character, He was in
deedl Good-natured to a fault, and
usually ready to join in any mad freak /.
In effect he was more like boy Of TWEEN
ty than a man considerably on the wrong
side Of forty; but this was Boko's weak
ness. He hated being thought an cold
bulster," to use his own:: expression. His
real age wasamystery; his hair was quite
white, having become so, he ayerred,
in one night. The cause thereof he
was always somewhat misty about; so his
statement was accepted "cum grano
Sails" The Doctor had once taken it
into his head to find out how long Boko
had been in the service; and by questions
now and again as to the time he had
served in different ships, all of which he
noted down, discovering that, allowing
him to have entered when he was thirteen
years old, he had reached the very re-
spectacle age Of ninety-eight.
Well, whatever his age, Boko was a
right good fellow, as any of my readers
who may recognize the description will
own; and we all agreed that, although
his tales were certainly marvellous, he
himself believed them implicitly.
We found Boko sitting cross-legged on
the deck of his cabin, with wooden tub
before him, cleaning shells-not savory
ones, by any means. We did our best
induce him, but he was deaf to our en-
treaties. .-. t.''. 90,
'No, no, my boys, not much" he said.
"You won't catch Boke stirring tack or
sheet" (Boko was intensely nautical)
'out of the ship, if we stop here twelve
month; it's the most cut-throat dugho[e
OF place | was ever in, except" and
here came some wonderful place no one
had ever heard of.
He wanted to button-hole us for
yarn; but having neither time nor in
clination to listen, we left him scrubbing
away at his shellsand roaring with laugh
ter-at what, we knew not.
Outside Boko's cabin we were stopped
by two of the youngsters, who wished to
be of the expedition. They were capital
specimens of the genus "middy," both as
handsome boys as one would meet.
Dauntmore, or Jack, as he was always
called. reioiced in being six feet one in
his stocking feet, although only seven
teen, whilst Handel was of medium
height, and about the same age. We
gladly consented, our perniisson,. of
course, being dependent upon the Cap
tain's.
We had some difficulty in obtaining
the Captains leave. He didn't like the
idea, and told us so plainly; but Mark
hams Importantly eventually .overcame
his scruples. But he gave US to under
stand that he would hold us responsible
for the youngsters His anxiety was, ,en-
tirely for cur personal safety, the natives
of this district (Somauli Arabs) being
treacherous in the extreme. Their char
acter was very neatly summed up by a
chief of Socotra: '~. zee
"Never let Somauli man walk behind
you; he speat you sure, if can do, and no
get catch"
| may mention that within six months
Of the incidents here narrated a boats
crew of H. NJ. S: Penguin. numbering
eighteen men, was surprised at this very
place, and every soul murdered in cold
blood. ,, ,.-
All being ready for starting. we found
that both Interpreters wished to accom-
pany U.S. and, as their services were not
likel ly in our absence to be required on
board, they received permission. We
did not burden ourselves unnecessarily.
Dauntmore (Jack), Handel, and l car
ried walking-stick and flask of water;
Markham a fash and his breech-loader;
and the interpreters each 6sh-basket,
in which was slowed comforts"
We did not get clear Of the ship with
out slndry sarcasms from the Doctor,
for which Markham gave "quid pro
quo" Whilst the boat is making her
way on shore. I will try and describe
the locality. The description must be
born in mind, as the realization of my
story entirely hinges on it. ,
A reference to any atlas will show
Cape Guardafui the northeast point of
Africa. The bay in which II. M. S. Bee:
was anchored is Immediately within or
on the western side of the cape, whilst
the beach that we purposed visiting is
without, or on its eastern side. The two
bays, Or rather indentations, are separa-
ted by narrow sandy valley about four