The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1884-05-15
THE THIEVES OF THE SEA.
SUPPLYING THE RoREcAsTlE.
"Broachins Cargo" Jussisabie In the Sail.
ors Eyes = The Appearance OF Liverpool,
Toms Ghost.
TNcw York Timos.l

h@'N" tNth tltuNtsl
"Rroaching cargo" Is technical goa
term, which means 10 steal something
nom the cargo. AS IL would be very dif.
icult for dishonest sailor TO land the pro-
cceds OF his burglaries on the high seas no
usually confines his depreda,iops Ia such
articles rs he can consume durinc Tho
voyage On vessel loaded with ma.
chinery. coal. gusno. or some other heavy
material the captain has little to fear
from the sailor. But when a portion
Of the cargo consists OF wines. ram
ned meats, or fruits. or other articles
In the fancy grocery line, il is different,
This kind OF freight is usually slowed in
such manner as 10 render II dificult of
access, and captains frequently Instruct
their officers 10 keep sharp watch on the
men and 20 report any unaccouniabe addi.
tons 10 the forecastle bin OF fare. Jack
however. considers himself entitled To
breach cargo when he can do SO without
beng found out. He reasons that II
is for the interests OF the shin and
consequently Of the consignees OF the cargo
10 have him well fed. The delicacies
which he abstracts from the cargo might
not nave been placed there for his benefit,
but he thinks that they should have been.
IL 1t Is discovered during the voyage that
the seamen have preached the cargo, they
are handed over 10 the authorities when
port is reached. Then, IL the offence is
proved against them, they are punished,
but it often happens that their broaching
is not discovered until after the seamen
have left the ship and have had time to get
out % the way.
1T is curious" said an old sailor re-
Gently. show suspicious some captains are
about broaching cargo. Ii they happen to
have I cargo worth broaching they'll watch
their men as a detectives would gang OF
thieves from the beginning to the end OF
the voyage. But | remember one voyage
that / took with captain who never seem.
ed to have heard Of any such thing as
broaching cargo. and his officers were all
lust like him. But | reckon that voyage
changed their ideas a little bit. Ii was
about twenty years ago, and the ship was
bound from New York to san Francisco.
one OF the sailors had watched them put
ting in the cargo. and he said there was
lots of canned meats and other good things
to eat. besides stock OF wine and bottled
beer. on board.
AN the regular matches were kept lock-
ed. but right in the middle OF the iOrecastle
was a little hatch that had been calked down,
so YOU could hardly tell il from the deck.
We went 10 work when we had been few
days out and raised this hatch. Some OF lis
GOT down into the hold, and found that the
stuff we wanted bad been left well up in
the cargo, so that we could easily get at it.
We passed up ensugh things to last for
several days, and then we put down the
hatch and made ii look about rs it did be-
fore. We had beer and wine and canned
lobster and canned oysters and raisins. and
lots Of other GOOD things. OF course we
al got Jolly tight. but somehow the captain
and the OH GERS didn't seem 20 have a suS-
picion OF what was going on, although we
yelled and sung and made tremendous
noise in the forecaStle.
The next day when it WAS dinner-time
none OF us wanted the stuff they sent us
from the galley. One man was going TO
take The dinner back to the cook. but
threw down can OF oysters that | was
emptying. and told him | wouldn't allow
ANYTHING of the sort. Says / II that
stuff goes back to the galley, they II suspect
that We have got hold OF something else 10
eat. We must stow il away until dark and
then chuck il overheard After that we
threw overheard everything from the gal
lev that we didn't want. Whenever the
good provisions and drink gave out, we'd
take up the little hatch and get up a
fresh lot. Some Of us would keep tight
for days at time, and yet, strangely
enough. none OF the officers suspected us.
Every night when / went on lookout
took a can OF oysters along TO keep me
company. One sunday evening | got
little tighter than usual, and o. 1t was my
turn at the wheel filed my pockets with
raisins before | went aft. The captain was
walking up and down before the wheel,
and every time he turned his head I'd put
a few raisns in my mouth. | was feel
ING mighty jolly and reckless, so l
saved a handful OF the loose raisins, and
once, when the captain was leaning over the
taffrail with his back to me, fired them
at him. | could see him start up when
they struck about his head. He looked at
NE. but ] was as solemn rs preacher.
Then he looked UP. and seemed to think
that whatever hit him came from the
clouds. That was the iOlliest voyage /
ever had. When we reached Frisco i
was paid off and managed to spend my
money and ship again before they discover
ed The cargo was preached. i heard after
ward that when they found it out there
was a great fuss made, but all the sailors
had shipped again, so they couldn't arrest
any one"
An amusing story is told Of the mystic |
riOus disappearance OF sailor who was
thought TO have been lost overheard, but
who turned out TO have been the most |
bold and deceitiul of cargo-broachers. This |
seaman, who was known as "Liverpool |
Tom" shipped on vessel bound from
London 10 Melbourne with q general cargo. |
Tom was very good-natured fellow, but
be was lazy. Notwithstanding bis fond
ness for Sinking his share OF the work he |
was very popular among his shlpmates,
and one morning when 1t was announced
that he had been lost overheard tears were
shed i'm the forecastle. The seamen spent
some days in discussing the virtues OF
the lost sailor. No one had seen nm
90 overheard, but il was inferred that he
had fallen from the forecastie-head SHORTY
after midnight, when his watch came on
deck and he went on lookout. Great in
dignation was aroused by the mate, who
had the heartlessness to say that it served
Tom rleht for going to sleep when on the
lookout. What il he had lain down on the
iorecastle-head and gone TO sleep! argued
the sailors. Hadn't he done this so as to dream
Of his mother. or his wife. or his sweet
heart, OF his sister? To be sure, he never
had mentioned any such loved female, but
be certainly must have been supplied Win
al least one OF them. The only wrong thing
which he had done, said his partial ship
mates. was to allow himself TO 60 10 sleep
in place where there was danger OF his
rolling overheard. The vessel was In the
South Atlantic when Tom disappeared,
and the greater portion OF the voyage was
still TO be made. The men were some
what superstitious, and before the Cape oil
Good Hope was passed several OF them 1n- |