The banner-enterprise., 1883-05-10

winch, through buc hStIlCy uboNV hANH'io
gave me victory, you will at least credit me
with Just cause for sincerity in my thankful
ness and belief l will also spin my yarn
anent my China cruise, and altogether, ex-
pect to entertain as well 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 Nomad rounding
the treacherous and dangerous extremity OF
South America. And this day certainly IN
tended to place itself on record with those OF
its predecessors marked stormy, Its naStl-
ness in wind and weather giving all hands
on board the flagship their fill in hard work
and discomforts. The record of the Nomd !
on this cruise, which she was now complet-
ing on her homeward bound passage to Bos-
ton. had been most disayreeabie, 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, Nagasak and Yokohama, the
balance sheet stood largely in favor of Old
Neptun y rough characteristics, but with
remarkable evenness the health and original
roster of the ships company stood this day
as it did nearly three years ago-with one
exception. Throughout the diverse and
varied exposures incidental TO cruising over
the Asiatic station, where cholera, levers,
liver complaints, malaria, and colds ot all
degrees reign in full force. none of the crew
had suffered more than temporary lncon-
yenience, and thus 1t seemed very hard that
now, in the closing days of the cruise, there
4 ,.al,n EN IN M
tory being at last scored for the destroying
angel Death. When the NomGd reached
Shanghai in the early portion of her cruise
ner admiral was the healthest man aboard.
A grand specimen of manhood was he. Over
six feet in height, Weighing two hundred
pounds, broad i'll chest and strong IN limb,
he rightly claimed for himself a full share of
Natures blessings. While returning late one
night from a diplomatic reception at the
Consulate at Shanghai, through overheat-
ing and insufficient protection from the dan
rerous effects of the peculiar damp and
searching night air, he caught cold only
a cold" remarked the admiral TO the doctors
of his ship, "and easy to cure" SO thought
the medical officers, but with a quiet though
insidious progression, this cold clung to the
admiral in spite of their best eifortsto Grad
icate it, and when the time came for orleaving
Yokohama, homeward bound, the admiral re-
allied that his lungs and throat were decid-
edly out of order. The doctors advised re-
turning home by mail steamer to San Fran
cisco, 40 that greater means for T.Hng tins
persistent cough might be found Ill 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.
l al, tro1 ntTnY, ~
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
nursed it, and fastened the sure result of
such deep-seated trouble. Time passed after
leaving Yokohama for Boston, bringing
varying symptoms in the admiraIs 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 IT the admiral had in
itself been sufficient food for serious consid-
Grafton, and now, rs i'll 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 th1good
ship struggling with gigantic seas set off
from the Cape by fierce northerly wind.
Leaden were the heavens and sad the
hearts of all aboard, for that morning the
usual bulletin Of the medical officers had set
forth this intelligence: "The admiral is in
same condition as reported last night.
hoo eli
while other symptoms are as heretofore an
All understood these words
without questioning. The beloved admiral
had during the past two weeks sunk very low.
The symptoms of blood poisoning, a torpid
liver, intense pains throughout the body,
eyesight and mental faculties affected, appe-
tite gone, through inaction of that great reg
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 well-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 it
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-
mirals son, a lieutenant, and ATTACHED ID
his fathers staff, He feared that the wear
aud tear of ship life would sap his fathers
strength beyond endurance, and before the
ship could reach Montevideo. Among
group of sailors gathered around one of the
great guns on the spar deck stoo1the captain
Of the foretop, Brown, slight but healthy
looking man. His companions were listen
ing TO recital of his sufferings from con-
which had developed while he was
attached TO the sloop-of-war Ranger, lying
in the harbor of Yokohama year ago, this
yarn" having been started by a discussion
about the admiral's s condition. The men had
just returned from some work around the
deck, an order for which La interrupted
Browns story a few moments previously.
A year ago this day was hove TO in the
'pill mans sick bay in the Ranger, then oil
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-
had me flat abnck, and the doctor
says il was no use 10 stow away his lush in
my hold seein' that my bellows was con-
deinned by. a higher power than he could
wrastle with"
"How did you pucker out Of it3" asked
gunner's mate.
"Wa'all," replied Brown, "my Chinee
came to me one mornin' an he
says TO me, ''me hab got alice same Mclean
man medikin, do you heap goodn l says,
bring it off, Chang; | buy all the same
That afternoon Chang hove up with fourteen
bottles of a lush, enough to kill or cure the
whole ships crew, an that looked fresh in
their nice wrappers. Says Chang, China
man doctor hab got plentee more, he make
heap good well with my sick, this number
one mediken alice same through Yokohama