Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1880-08-28
ssAgreeabIe" Passengers.

There is still considerable discussion among
eeafaring men about the abandonment of tue
Jeddab by the captain aud officers. 1t is stated
that the horde of Moslem pilgrims had become
unmanageable, aud that the lives of the captain
and of6oer we're endangered. The captain will
appeal sgsinst the suspension of bis certificate.
It is understood that the British government
will institute 40 irq1iry into the charges Of
overcrowGing aud other abuses practised % the
vessels carrying pilgrims. with view 10 the
adoption Of a stringent system of supervision.
The late Captain Garter, who has had large
experience Of pilgrim traffic, thus graphically
rected bis experiences: My batch consisted
of Turcomans ARABIC. Persians and Bedouios.
They all came on board armed to the teeth, but
of course, had all their weapons taken charge
Of by nv officers and locked up 10 safety. |
,ueau all the weapons We saw. They took up
their quarters 10 any part Of the ship. and from
the moment of embsrkatiou set the captain aud
officers at defiance. Ooe day | had OCCASION to
give orders for the removal OF some luggage.
which found placed op the steering gear, and
which, of course, iuterferod With the navigation
of my vessel, was Informed by my officers
that the owners of this luggage refused TO shift
it,aud 90 my insisting % obedieDcs to my orders.
/ fouud about me $50 cutthroat Arabs all armed
and prepared to resist my authority. Dlscre-
ton was tho better part ot valor for my three
officers aud myself we're the only Eoglishmen
on board, so the odds were too great, and
quietly gave way. thus found had uot cot
possession of all the swords, daggers and fire.
arms which grieved me much. We were often
alarm I'D by cries of "Fre!" but op only one
occasion was it at all serious. Ip this iostano,
sume Of these men mad lighted fire % ,he
bare deck, 10 order to prepare some tea. OF
curse a dry pine deck, with its osEum aud
pitch, was soop ablaz,. Luckily it was the
upper deck, so the fire was 5000 mastered. Had
it happened below the result would have been
terrible, for the tween decks w0uld have been
filled With smoke, the coniusiou and pauio
would have rendered the pumps uoworkable.
the five boats would have been taken possession
of and swamped. aud dense cloud Of smoke
would have been the quickly vanishing sign of
dreadful disaster. The ship aod har liviog
freight would have heeu among the missing.
A shocking scene courred Que vary dark oight
whiob couVioces me Of the utterly savage na-
ture ot tho meu had to doa with. 1t vas rs-
ported to me AZ ten p. %. that Que Of the pill
grims was dead. So | gave orders thar the
friends of the dec ,asad should take thu d i, to
the lee side and prap.re it for burial Tnls was
being done, but 10 carrying the corpse soros,
the deck the bearers happened to disturb some
Psrsiaus who we're asleep. Instantly there was
q terrible uproar Swords, daggers and bludg
cons were braodi4hed; the cornse was uearIy
torn to pieces. and oue Of my officers, who at
tempted to quell the disturbance, was throwo
dowo. Au implement, something b,tween
tomahawk and q pick axe, was aimed At bis
head but fripndly hand was GEAR, and bis life
was saved. have carefully preserved this
formidable weapon as msmeoto o. such happy
times IN Y Herald