The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1880-11-23

| uOlSttTOuS, anu nlBu WlHuS dTe the iults
These forty-four men were about an
average of seamen as they run, and on
the whole the different gangs fraternized
very well, although there was now and
then a conflict of interest The two
American chiefs, or beach headers, Pres
ton and Comstock, had been shipmates
on former voyage, and were sworn
friends, although working in different
employs. The crew included men of
various nationalities and varieties of
character, and of course il was not easy
to preserve the same exact discipline as
on ship board, yet both the young lead
ers carried matters with a very steady
hand, and were generally obeyed and
respected by their subordinates.
But matters did not run SO smoothly
at the English headquarters. Warwick,
party, was hardly suitable man to be
placed in position to command, as he
had little control either of his crew or
indeed of himself. There was too much
liquor among the Englishman's winter
stores, and at times il was used too
Unfortunately. Atkins, the lieuten-
ant or second in command, was drunk
no small portion of the time, and War
wick himself was not always sober. We
need not have troubled ourselves about
all this, as such state of things would
only operate against their own interest,
and make them less formidable compel
itors in the fishery. But it soon became
evident that Warwick was quite devoid
of moral principal, and was not to be
controlled by the laws of honor as estab-
lished and understood among seamen.
to make up for the lack of industry and
efficiency in his own party he would
not hesitate to resort to what we consid-
cred piracy.
The invariable custom among the
hunters was for the man who had killed
sea-elephant to cut the mark of his
party in the animals hide with the
sharp knife which every one who stirs
abroad Away carries in sheath at his
waist. Having thus marked his prize,
the hunter passes on, feeling sure that
no one will touch it until the skinning
party from his own vessel comes along,
though it may be for some days after
ward. The mark may be a simple cross
or star, or an initial letter, or otherwise
but the mark of each party is soon
known and recognized by all on the
beach, and so sacred is it held that, as
rule, an elephant would be suffered to
rot where he lies if his proper owner
does not appropriate him. To steal
another's property in disregard of his
knifemark is justly regarded as the
most detestable meanness, and is held as
a fragrant crime, according to the hunt
er's code of honor. David Preston, our
leader, was in the highest sense of the
word an honest man, square and up
right in all his dealings, though with no
pretensions about 1t. A man so imbued
with the sense of honor and right
that he would as soon have cut off his
own hand as steal the prize which
another had earned. His indignation
may hardly be imagined when the evil
dence of dishonesty practiced by the
Englishman was brought home to him
so that he could no longer doubt it. We
had marked each elephant that we
killed with the letter p" as the initial
of his own name, and we were satisfied
that in several instances this had been
altered by an additional cut, so as to
represent a "B." which was the distinc-
tive mark of the BeUona. Nothing can
be easier than to make such an altera-
ton. Yet Preston at first was slow to
believe it, having never known such an
instance in all his former experience.
But the proofs accumulated until he
could no longer doubt, and he rose up
in his righteous ire to seek an interview
with Warwick, which might have been
a stormy one, especially had he found
the Englishman half intoxicated, as was
likely to be the case at that time on
Saturday evening.
Perhaps" / suggested, Warwick
himself may not be responsible for this
piracy. We know that the marks have
been altered in several instances, but we
don't know who has done it,"
"That's true" he replied. "You
know that some of Warwick's men may
have acted as pirates on their own
account, without the knowledge of the
skipper. That is not very likely, but II
is possible, and is worth considering.
Ofcourse, If that was the case, shall