Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1885-03-28

whole voyage. didn't know whether it
would be best to ask for him or not when
we got into port, but concluded not to do
so, because | was afraid that il | did 1
would appear to acknowledge that | was
in some way responsible tor HIM. So
when went ashore | said nothing about
Jonah and heard nothing about him, al
though | was in constant dread of his
turning up somehow or other. | found
that business was very dull at Cape Hay
ten, and that many of the merchants had
met with losses since | had been there
last. and that the town had become unu-
sually unhealthy. This, of course, | laid
at .Jonah's door, and it made me fear that
the unluckv lad was still around
and would turn up before | could get
out of port. At last the return
cargo was all on board, and we
were ready to leave port. The
day before we sailed noticed that the
steward was acting a little strangely. He
seemed uneasy. and was always looking
at me kind of suspiciously. But paid no
particular attention to his behavior, as
had other things to attend to.
Next morning the pilot came on board
aud we set sail. After we had passed out
of the harbor and dropped the pilot, | felt
uneasy somehow. thought it strange, be-
cause | had got away without Jonah turn
ing up, and it seemed to me that ought
to feel light-hearted. Things passed off
about as usual during the day. except
that noticed that the steward was always
looking at me kind OF strangely. The
wind was fair but somewhat light, The
feeling of uneasiness grew on me early
in The evening ] went on deck and took
soundings. but they did't agree at all with
the depth of water marked on the chart
for the spot where | supposed | was.
Then it flashed over me that | must have
got into STANCE current. listened for
some minutes carefully, and could make
out the roar of breakers. There colud be
no doubt that we were being carried
toward the reefs of the Caycos. There was
no getting out of the current. Although
made every attempt to stem the current,
it carried me rapidly toward the reefs.
An hour later the bark struck on one ofthe
reefs. The sea was smooth and our lives
were IN no danger. but | saw plainly that
there was no getting off the reef The
bark was hopeless wreck Next morn
ing | saw several small coasting sloops
near by. told my men that we would
have to abandon the bark. We lowered
our largest boat and the men put their
chests in this and got in themselves.
decided to row to one of the coasters
which lay to near by. All my men were
in the boat except the steward. | called
out to him to hurry up. He pointed to a
small boat that was coming up from
another coaster. and said that he would
rather go off in her. NV boat then pushed
off. When we got about 100 fatho ms
from the wreck looked back. and then
understood why the steward had acted so
strangely tor two days past. and had final
ly preferred to abandon the bark in an
other boat There by the stewards side
stood my Jonah with a wicked grin on
his fat face. The steward had found the
youngster at Cape Haytien. and tearing
that | would refuse to take him home he
had slowed the fellow away in his state
room. And that was how it came about
that my bark got into the current that
stranded her among the Caycos reefs. "
N Y Times