The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1883-05-31

application and results, should thus recant
in favor of that which is sneered at by old
practitioners, may startle Jou, but seeing is
believing" and when l recount the attack
made on my old hulk, how near l came to
lowering my colors, and the final volley
which. through the agency above mentioned,
gave me victory, you will at least credit me
with Just cause for sincerity in my thankful
ness and belief. I will also spin my yarn
anent my China cruise, and altogether, ex-
pect to entertain as we'll as be entertained
by you. With best wishes,
Sincerely yours,
Rear Admiral U. s. Navy.
Hon. GEORGE WENDELL,
Sinclair Place, Boston.
An autumnal afternoon in the year 1SS-
found the taut flagship Somad rounding
the treacherous and dangerous extremity of
South America. And thS&a certainly In.
tended to place itself on record with those of
its predecessors marked stormy, its nasti-
ness in wind and weather giving all hands
on board the flagship their fill in hard work
and discomforts. The record of the Nomad
on this cruise, which she was now complet-
ing on her homeward bound passage to Bos-
ton, had been most disagreeable, when con-
sidered in the light of heavy weather work.
From Suez to Alden, then on to Bombay,
Point de Gale, Singapore, Hong Kong,
Shanghai, Nagasaki and Yokohama, the
balance sheet stood largely in favor of old
Neptune's rough characteristics, but with
remarkable evenness the health and original
roster of the ships company stood this day
Us it did nearly three years ago-wlth one
exception. Throughout the diverse and
varied exposures incidental to cruising over
the Asiatic station, where cholera, fevers,
liver complaints, malaria,l and colds of all
degrees reign in full force,pone of the crew
had suffered more than temporary incon-
yenience, and thus it seemed very hard that
now, in the closing days OF the cruise, there
stood nine chances for, to one against, VIC
tory being at last scored for the destroying
angel Death. When the Nonlad reached
Shanghai in the early portipn Of her cruise
A grand specimen of malAood was he. Over
six feet in height, weighing two hundred
pounds, broad in chest and. strong in limb,
he rightly claimed for himself full share of
Natures blessings. Whlefeturning late one
night from a diploma@ reception at the
Consulate at Shanghai, through overhead
ing and insufficient protection from the dan
gerous effects of the peculiar damp and
searching night air, he caaght cold. only
a cold," remarked the admiral to the doctors
of his ship, "and easy to ctre." SO thought
the medical officers, but with quiet though
insidious progression, this icold clung to the
admiral in spite of their best efforts to Grad
icate it, and when the tims came for leaving
Yokohama, homeward bound, the admiral re-
allied that his lungs and throat were decld-
edly out of order. The doctors advised re-
turning home by mail steamer to San Fran
cisco, so that greater means for curing this
persistent cough might be found in the
Naval Hospital there; but the admiral pre-
ferred to stick to his ship, still imagining
that his trouble would eventually be over
come by the doctors treatment.
No one who looked at the admiral even in
those days imagined that he would fall
victim to lung trouble. But it was the old
story again typiied in this case. Only a
cold at first; and in spite of orthodox treat
ment the peculiar climatic effects of China
hursed il, and haStehotS tie sure result or
such a deep-seated trouble. Time passed after
leaving Yokohama for Boston, bringing
varying symptoms in the admirals case, and
the doctors imagined that they held the dis
ease in check at least. But with the forma-
ton of tubercles, night-sweats and the now
rapid consumption of lung tissues, which
had set in with alarming symptoms, the pa
tient realized that his cold had laid the seeds
of that fell agent of Death, consumption.
The hacking cough of the admiral had in
itself been sufficient food for serious consid
Grafton, and now, es in the warm autumn
days the flagship gallantly rode over the
blue waters of the Pacific, bound for Cape
Horn, the doctors hoped much for success.
But this boisterous afternoon found the good
ship struggling with gigantic seas set OH
from the Cape by a fierce northerly wind.
Leaden we're the heavens and sad the
hearts of all aboard, for that morning the
usual bulletin of the medical officers had set
Sc, ,rfa oil Qd G n
same condition as reported last night. A
burning fever has been. slightly reduced,
while other symptoms are as heretofore an
nounced." All understood these words
without questioning. The beloved admiral
had during the past two weeks sunk very low.
The symptoms of blood poisoning, torplc
liver, intense pains throughout the body,
eyesight and mental faculties affected, appe-
tite gone, through inaction of that great reg
ulator-the liver. These were the means
which had reduced the admiral from the
pinacle of health to the valley and shadow of
death. Consumption held full sway now,
and the wel!-known skill of naval doctors
was in this instance at least completely
foiled.
The admiral had issued orders for the flag
ship to touch at Montevideo for coal, and 1t
was the intention of the doctors to land the
admiral there for treatment. But one man
in the ship was wrapped in the gloom of de-
spair, as standing by the weather rigging on
the poop deck he gazed absently over the
seething waste of waters. This was the ad-
miral's son, lieutenant, and attached to
his fathers staff. He feared that the wear
and tear of ship life would sap his father
strength beyond endurance, and before the
| ship conld reach Montevideo. Among, q
group of sailors gathered around one of the
! great guns on the spar deck stood the captain
of the foretop, Brt IN, slight but healthy
| looking man. His companions were llsten-
| ing to recital of his suffering5 from con-
sumption, which had developed while he was
attached to the sloop-of-war Ranger, lying
in the harbor of Yokohama year ago, TINS
"yarn" having been startsf by discussion
| about the admiral's condihon. The men had
| lust returned from some work around the
| deck, an order for which had interrupted
Browns story few moments previously.
ga year ago this day was hove to in the
pill mans sick bay in the, Ranger, then OF
! Yokohama, an tell you, pards, twas no
use pipin' my number, cause was nigh on
passin' in my enlistment papers for long
cruise aloft," continued Brown. "Con-
sumption had me flat aback, and the doctor
SAYS it was no useto stow away his lush in
my hold seein' that my bellows was con-
; 1emned by By a a higher power than he could
| WfdSIlo Will.
Chow did you pucker out of it?" asked a
gunner's mate.
"Waall," replied Brown, "my Chinee
washman came to me one mornin' an ne
says to me, "me hab got alice same Mclean
man medikin, do you heap good" 1 says.
bring it off, Chang; I buy all the same
That afternoon Chang hove up with fourteen
bottles of lush, enough to kill or cure the
vlole ships crew, an that looked fresh in
their nice wrappers. Says Chang, China
man doctor hab got plentee more, he make
heap good we'll with my sick, this number
one mediken alice same through Yokohama.
I was poin' to try one as by the sailin' Or
ders on the bottle, and the docter he laughed
and said twas no good, but 1 done as the
| .ae,ln.;ons cow from the first. an here ]