Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-04-06
AFFLICTED WITHAJ JONAH
THE SEA CAPvAIN's FEAR or
PAIRS IN5' SONS.
How VIC Proved that One Brought Mis-
fOrtnnc to him by a Chapter from
His CIV Experience.

fOrtnnC to u m bY ChspGer from
HIs CIV Ezperleoce.
From he Selo York Times.
"You may laugh at me AS hard as you
like. but l stin stick to it that there ar
such things as Jonahs even in these
DAYS" said p wtite-h8red old sea Cap
tain one afternoon recently 70 few
friends who were helping AIN TO surround
stove in the office OF a South-st eet
chandler5s shops. The Captains state
ment led TO sarirical remark. on the part
Of some ot the Others. But thc old mans
superstition was prcof against ridicuie,
ana be said quite earnestly; Now, If
you cha viii only listen TO me for a few
minutes, ! VIII gu rantee 20 convince
every oneofyou that, although The original
JONAH may be- dead as a herring, his spirit
still lives. and every now and then gets
into some un ucky IauGsman mo insists,
on coin. l1 sea and brings misfortune 10
every ship be- sets his foot On." The Cap
tafu's listeners admitted that they were
omen DO conviction, and were ready to
listen to any eVjd nee as 70 the existence
OF domains Which might be lalO before
them
'Al,hough was never really what you
could call superstuouS,' began the Cap
tam, II had the idea, even while ! was
mate. that if / got TO be a Captain should
ship a parsons sou in my crew it would
bring me bad luck. You know parsons
sons are fun of spirits and all that, and
sometimes yet in trouble, Then their
friends think q would do them a world OF
good 10 make a voyage or two before the
mast. Wen, after ! got 10 be CAPTAIN
refused several times To ship PARSONS
son lust on account Of that idea OF nine.
About 10 wears ago was put in command
OF a trim litlle bark just on the stocks
that was loading in TINS port for Cape
H8ytieu. in tie West Indies. just rs /
was about % SAL my steward came TO me
and asked me If | wouldn't take a boy.
He prOmi sed to look after the boy, ana
have him in has own staleroom. From
the way he talked, | thought the boy was
some relation Of his. ! liked the stew
ard, and he had sailed with me for sever
al years. So, to oblige him, / said would
take The boy. Ia the hurry OF getting %
/ thought no more Of The boy until we gOi
of Sandy Hook Then | asked the stew
ard il he had brought the boy. He says:
"'Oh, yes, sir, bat he's seasick, and l
think ID would be better for him to keep
his berth until he's all right again.
$50 1 left 10 to the steward to bring him
on deck when he saw ft. YOu see, al
though the boy had sizned articles, and
al that, / hadn't elapped eyes on him
once. The next morning, when | was on
deck. up came the 80 ward with the boy.
l started back when | saw the yOungster.
He was fat, clumsy lad of about Is.
shudderCd when | looked at him. IL
seemed to me as if | saw ill-luck in his
face. | wouldn't have been any more set
back If had seen the word Jonah writ
ten on his forehead. / looked reproachful-
" at the steward, and then ] called the
mate and told him 20 set the boy at work.
Then ! asked the steward If he thought it
was doing the fair thing by me TO 20 and
smuggle a Jonah on board my bark. The
steward got Kind of indignant.
"'Why,' said he, that boy Amt no
Jonah. He's good boy, only one Of his
chums went and got into a Grape and laid
the blame all on him. So his people had
10 send him to sea. His father is very
nice man. Ny sister is seamstress in mis-
family
"Then asked the steward who the
boys father was. 1t turned out tbat be
was a parson. That was all | cared TO
hear. / knew | was in Tor il now. There
was 10 doubt now but that / had got
genuine Jonah on board.
81 thou at at FIRST OF putting about and
landing my Jonah, but the wind WAS fair,
so | kept on. But on the IN rd day out
came a head wind. That was followed by
a hurricane, in which my new bark began
TO leak. Then came a calm with a fog.
We were going along easily WHEN all Of
sudden we telt terri bic shock. The bark
had run into Wateriogged wreck, but we
soon cleared her. Fortunately, We were
going very slowly or the accident would
nave made a hole III our bows. But the
bark made a good deal more water after
the collision, although she seemed all
right otherwise. A few DAYS atterward a
white squat struck us and carried awaY
two OF the upper yards and split q whole
set Of sails. / used to sit on deck and
watch my Jonch as he waddled cWmsily
about, aud began to wander II, after all,
7 wouldntbe justified in quietly pitching
HIM overheard, for | felt sure that he was
the cause Of all our lll-luck. When we
were within ab nut a days sail of Cape
haytien ] noticed that we had got into a
strange current, but | managed TO get out
just soOn enough 10 avoid running onto the
}, els OF the Cayc0s, which, you know. rs
the most dangerous neighborhOOd in that
part of the West Indies. Gou never saw
a more t-ankful Captain than was w hen
fiaally l drOpped anchor IN the harbor Of
Cape Haytien, although my bark was
leaking very badly for so new vessel.
While the bark was unloading and
taking on a fresh cargo / was trying 10
hit on some plan for getting rid Of my
Jonah. He had shipped for the round
trip, and | was afraid that the Consul
wOuld not consent to my discharging the
boy. But at last bit on a plan. hated
10 have to &c tricky, but l did not dare to
risk going back with Jonah on board, for
j felt sure that he would bring some ter
rible disaster on the bark II she left port
with him again, TIE boy had not gone
ashore once up 20 the time that the cargo
was on board, and the bark was ready 10
sail. ! sent the steward ashore for =, nv
fresh provisions, and about an hour after
ward l sent for Jonah. pointed out the
town and the country around IL and
asked HIM Il be didn't want to take run
ashore says /, Why, the bark won't sail
these three days because ! am going TO
take large consignment OF gold. and
that hasn't got here yet The boy seemed
pleased. and 1 gave him money enough TO
cover his wages for the time he mad been
with me and a couple Of months more.
'Now. said J, just you 90 ashore and
have good tlme' | called q shore boat
and Jonah got into 1t. ] can as ure YOU
that ! saw him going away with great
deal OF pleasure. soon aft rward the
steward came % with the fresh proyis.
ions. Every thing was ready for sailine.
and just then the pilot came on board /
ordered the crew TO hesve up the anchor
az once. The steward missed Jonah. OF
course, and was wild about him. Saws /,
III the young scapeRrace has gone and
run away Tow eau we help uY liDdidn't
seem satlsh %, but ID WAS 100 late for him
10 40 .uRf Ntur for bV hat ffuN ttn ii. ana.