Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1882-09-16
Gales alro Skftrbes.
ABOARD SHIP AND ASHORE.
THE YARNS A YANKEE SAILOR TOLD A
REPoRTER-HIs ONLY SHrPwREcK-
LUXURY AT BOMBAY.
CONFINED from re.terIyl.

4
of water. My throat burned like lime
kiln. sometimes dream of that time
now, and wake with big start. That
night the moon rose after dark and out we
started again, but it was no use. for We
soon lost the way again. We tramped
around for hours without saving word.
Soon after sunrise Thursday morning |
and the man talking to me looked around
for the other two. but we couldn't see any
thing of them. But they were lost just
as bad as we, and we didn't think our
chances were worse for losing them The
moon rose still later that night, but we
hadn't the heart to keep up the hunt then.
Along about midnight we two started up,
but Friday morning came without any
signs of trail. The thirst was awful
that day and we lay in clump OF brush out
of the sun. I'd about as lief have taken
a quiet die then as anything else. At dark
we waited for the moon to rise. and then
started up and dragged along few miles.
Then my comrade gave out and told me
TO 30 on and leave him to die. didn't
see as could help the poor fellow, so |
Sh, ok his hand and made another hunt.
saturday morning / went into clump
tgain and lay down. l believe the tor
sure of the thirst was taking away my
senses. Two or three times | started up
and thought saw water. | thought OF
nothing but water all day, and if gallon
was put before me then, wouldn't have
left drop. didn't mind the hunger at
all. What | was dying for was few
drops of water. Night came, and had
given it up for bad job. thought
/ heard the vultures fighting at
which should have the first pick at
me. A couple of hours or so after dark
the moon came up. Blu; didn't care to
start up again, But just pushed through
the clump and sat down on the outer
edge. looked at the moon. Then |
Jumped up, for right under the moon was
a rise of ground with thing like a box
near the top. thought I'd gone crazy,
but sure enough. there it was rs plain us
dav, and it didn't 90 away as | expected
it would. That was our ranch, and not
two miles away at that How run. stag
oering over the ground. as | thought of
the spring at the bottom of the knoll. |
ran along till was in sight of that spring,
and in two minutes my head would have
been into it. But up rushed man and
seized hold of me- | struggled like a
and poured few drops Of water down
my throat. Then he poured down few
drops more, and then he gave me whole
swallow of it. | will never forget how
sweet it tasted. He gave me water by
degrees till had plenty. 1t seems the
two men we lost Thursday morning struck
the trail and made for the ranch. They
had been on the lookout for us, and the
man that had caught hold of me did it to
keep me from getting at the spring, for he
thought I'd drink myself to death. told
them the best could where | left my
comrade. A man who knew the country
well, started out with mule and some
water and found him. but it took the poor
fellow long spell to come round all
right.
..Once belonged to big ship that put
into Queenstown with cargo of wheat
from Frisco Our orders were for Ant
werp, and we got paid off there. l had
plenty of money and | paid my pas
sage on steamer bound for Lon
don. was the only passenger. and l
had the cabin all to myself. We sailed
in the evening, and came on board with
big demijohn of .schnaps,' as they called
it there, and my chest. 1t was had telling
which was the largest, the chest or the
demijohn. Next morning | called the
steward and got him to help me on with
nv boots. | said didn't want any break
fast, but in couple OF minutes / collars
the demijohn and drags it forward to the
forecastle, where the sailors and firemen
were eating breakfast. bore hand to
help them clear away the stuff and they
did their level best to tighten the demi-
John Then I went back to the cabin and
took few pulls at the 'schnaps' along
with the steward. drags out the demi-
john at the dinner table and goes into the
forecastle, and | stood along on the same
tack when supper time come. Then the
captain found it out aud raised a row be-
cause the men were all drunk. | told him
| was an American citizen and the Stars
and Stripes would keep me from having
any foreigner take away my rights from
me Just for little thing like that. He
said mustn't do it again. but | said
would if liked Next morning looked
at the demIjohn, and found there want
more than enough 'schnaps' to last me to
London, so l made up my mind not to
call on the American flag to protect me in
the enjoyment of my natural rights.
OuCt sutppcu ucic III ANcW L VI cii 81
vessel that turned out hard ship The
skipper was an old brute. He Knocked
down three men before we got of Sandy
Hook, and heard about his using men
like dogs till even l was frightened
This wouldn't do for me. The pilot had
got on the tug-boat' and that was about
to cast off. | got over in the mizzen
channels as if to stand ready to let go the
line. No one was looking, so | jumped
onto the tug. The cover was off the coal
hole, so Jumps down there. That after
noon heard them make fast to dock and
in few minutes l climbed on deck and
went on shore. l thought I'd try a month
or two on shore then. so got my boarding
master to find me place. He got me in
as night Waterman in tea warestore. l
served them honestly here in all but one
little thing. Iwould lay out a paper on
the floor and shake a few chests of tea over
it. Enough tea came through the cracks
to make up quite little bundle. They
didn't have to buy tea at my boarding
house, and the boarding-m was good
enough to lower my board for me.
IL was out at Australia in the gold times
but didn't 60 to the mines. Sailors
were scarce, and got double wages on 3
coaster for some time, and | got a big sum
tor the run to Bombay on ship that had
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