The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1883-08-02

And gave his days and nights to find
What lay beyond the western wind.
| The Century.
''Shanghaed."
The word which puzzles you in the
title of this paper will not be found in
johnson, Webster, or other literature
1t is of such modern origin that the
J time -honored, Old, Anglo-SaXon parts of
| speech contained in their tolios would
repudiate its society. But it has such a
definite meaning for that part of the
English speaking family who are Of the
sea taring persuasion, that | am con
vinced it will not easily die out of the
language. Its natal place is California,
the great factory of words and phrases
more remarkable for novelty and energy
than for elegance; and it came into
existence about forty years ago.
Many people living shared in the first
| great Sacramento gold-rush, and can
remember the number OF vessels of all
sizes, from the great lndiaman to the
tiny schooner, that were left torsaken in
! the harbor of San FrancscO-captains
mates, seamen and cabin boys, throwing
all scruples to the winds, having ''made
tracks for the diggings' to share in the
golden harvest. Some commanders and
officers, however, to their honor be it told,
resisted the 'tever," remained staUnch to
| their ships. and made every effort to OBJ
! tain men to replace their faithess crews.
| They offered fabulous Wages-tWenty
times the usual amount. They were
willing to put into any port the crew
might name, 50 it was some place where
| there was a reasonable chance of obtain
! ing other men. But it was all of no use
| they could not induce sufficient hands to
| Join to make up the limited ships com
! pany they were prepared to put to sea
with. 1t was after they had exhausted
every means OF persuasion, that recourse
was had TO that most Objectionable
process known as Strengthening.
Strengthening simply meant dragging
! scamen, and conveying them on board
| ship which puts to sea before they recover.
| and WAS at the time above mentioned.
and is still, to a greater or less extent,
| practised in every foreign port where
men have been scarce, and the rate of
wages high enough to make it worth the
while of boarding house masters and
runners to take the risk. Sailors usually
| get 4 months pay in advance before
sailing; and in event of a mans shang-
| head, those who bring him on board get
paid that amount. SO Jack has to pay
his own kidnappers, who seldom get
| punished =; for he rarely returns to the
same port; and if he did, would usually
be more intent on having a spree, than
! in putting the law in force against his
/ haf,,1Vars NInranNn,, 1Tni11I h.
hard for him to prove anything against
them for it is not such an unusual thing
for sailor to ship on board vessel
while he is intoxicated, as they would
assert he was: and he would not be
able to produce witnesses to gainsay
| them.
How shanghaeing got its name, do
not know. Perhaps from some ingenious
native of the Flowery Land to whom
Shanghae had given birth, and who was
one OF the first to discover that keeping
a grog-shop and supplying crews to
deserted merchantmen, was Just as
lucrative and more reliable specula-
ton than gold-grubbing in the diggings;
besides being an easy, gentleman like
business, requiring only genius, not
muscle.
In the year 1870, was second mate
of the Kingtisher of Liverpool. We were
lying off Callao, having discharged our
cargo, waiting for charter. At that
time there Was Il great demand for
| guano, and we were expecting to sail in
Il day or two for Chincha Islands, to load
with that fragrant commodity. But the
skipper knew that ships were scarce,
and he stood out for higher freight
than the merchants were willing to
| give.
1t was Saturday afternoon, and eight
| bells Gour o'clock) had Just struck. We
! had Just finished washing down and put
ting things snug for Sunday, when the
| captain -"old man." we called him
came on deck.
"That rascal Achoy hasn't brought our
clean clothes of yet, has he p asked the
captain,
"No, sir" replied "Ive seen moth
ing Of him."
"Well, just take one of the boats, the
/ gig, and give him 4 hint from me, that
suppose no catchee clothes tonight he
no catchee dollar; and at the same time
leave this letter at the agents.
"Ay, ay, sir" | replied; and was
diving below to put on a jacket, when he
stopped me saying: "Iold on bit You
had better take a couple of apprentices
to pull you ashore; for don't want any
of those men to leave the ship. Wages
are high here, and there have been
good many desertions from the crafts
lying closer in"
"Very good, sir" And in a few min
utes the two boys and myself were on
our way ashore. We passed close to a
large, full-rigged ship called the John Z.
Chew, flying the stars and stripes. She
had come laden from the Chincha Islands
more than a week before, and | was
surprised to find that she had not sailed
yet; for making every allowance for the
dilatoriness Of the Peruvian dons, she
had had ample time to get her papers
and clear the custom house. | remark
ed as much to the lad pulling the stroke
oar
"Old Pietro, the bumboat man, told
me-" said he, 'that she is short handed !;
some of her crew havi! skedaddled for
the Manto diggings. Pietro says they
are paying five dollars day down there
to strong hands"
"Pietro," ! replied, chad better keep
his gathering tongue from spreading idle
yarns aboard the kngtisher or his visits
will be pretty soon put stop to. In
bow; stand by to fend her off," and We
drew up to the landing place.
At the same time the gig of the John
Z. Chew, which had seen putting off
from her as we passed, brought up along
side Of us. The man in the stern sheets,
whom supposed to be the captain, was
tall, wiry, lean and crafty y-looking
specimen of muscular humanity as ever
hailed from Boston. The men who pull
lied did not look like foremast hands, and