San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-03-29

trouble, 1OT u was as naGu ana ury as RlahS,
Clipped off a bowlful and fell a-puffing with
all the satisfaction of a hardened lover of
tobacco who has long been denied his favorite
relish.
My pipe being emptied, threw some more
Goals into the furnace, and putting candle
in the lantern went aft to take another view
of the little cabins, in one of which re-
solved to sleep; for though the cook room
would have served me best while the fire
burned, reckoned upon it making a colder
habitation when the furnace was black than
those small compartments in the stern. The
cold on deck gushed down SO bitingly through
the open companion hatch that l was fain to
Close it. mounted the steps, and with much
ado shipped the cover and shut the door, by
which of course the great cabin, as / call the
room in which the two men were, was
plunged in darkness; but the cold was not
tolerable, and the parcels of candles in the
larder rendered Inc indifferent to the gloom
On entering the passage in which were the
doors of the berths, noticed an object that
had before escaped my observation-l mean
small trap hatch, no bigger than a man.
hole, with ring for lifting it, midway down
the lane | suspected this to be the entrance
to the lazarette, and putting both hands to
the ring pulled the hatch up. | shifted eau
tiously, fearing foul air, and then sinking
the lantern by the length of my arm peered
down, and observed the outlines of casks,
bales, cases of white wood chests, and so
forth. dropped through the hole on to a
cask, which left my head and shoulders
above the deck, and then with the utmost
caution stopped and threw the lantern light
around me. But the casks were not powder
barrels, which perhaps a little reflection
might have led me to suspect, since it was
not TO be supposed that any man would stow
his powder in the lazarette.
AS was in the way Of settling my mis-
givings touching the stock of food in the
schooner. | resolved to push through with
this business at once, and fetching the chop
per went to work upon these barrels and
chests; and very briefly will tell you what
found. First, | dealt with a tierce that
proved full of salt beef There was a whole
row of these tierces, and one sufficed to ex-
press the nature of the rest; there were up
ward of thirty barrels of pork: one canvas
bale ripped open was full of hams, and of
these bales / counted half u score. The white
Eases held biscuit. There were several sacks
of peas, number of barrels of flour, cases
of candles, cheeseS, a quantity of tobacco,
not to mention variety of jars of several
shapes, some of which | afterward found to
contain marmalade and succadoes of differ
ent kinds. On knocking the head off one
cask | found il held II frozen body that by
the light of the lantern looked as black as
Ink; l Clipped off Il bit, sucked it, and found
1t wine.
was so transported by the sight of this
wonderful plenty that fell upon my knees
in an outburst of gratitude, and gave hearty
thanks to God for his mercy. There was no
further need for me to dismally wonder
whether l was to starve or no; supposing the
provisions sweet, here was food enough to
last ME three or four years. l was 80 over
joyed and withal curious that | forgot all
about the time, and fourishing the chopper
made the round of the lazarette, Sampling its
freight by individual instances, so that by
the time l was tired l had enlarged the list
have given by discoveries of brandy, beer,
oatmeal, oil, lemons, tongues vinegar, rum
and eight or ten other matters all slowed
very bunglingly, and in so many different
kinds of casks, cases. jars and other vessels,
as disposed me to believe that several pratt
cal rummagings must have gone to the crea-
ton of this handsome and plentiful stock of
good things.
Well, thought l, even if there be no more
coal III the ship than what lies in the cook
house, enough fuel is here in the shape of
casks, boxes and the like to thaw me pro-
visions for six months, besides what may
come across in the hold, along with the ham
mocks, bedding, boxes, and so forth, in the
forecastle, all which would be good to feed
my fire with. This was a most comforting
reflection, and | recollect of springing out
through the lazarette hatch with as spirited
a caper as ever had cut at any time of my
life
Ireplaced the hatch cover, and having re-
solved upon the almost of the four cabins
as my bedroom, entered it to see what kind
of accommodation it would yield me. hung
up the lantern, and looked into the cot that
was slung athwartships, and spied couple
of rugs or blankets, which pulled out, hav-
ing no fancy to lie under them. The deck
was like an old clothes shop or the wardrobe
of travelling troop of actors. From the
confusion in this and the adjoining cabins
concluded that there had been a rush at the
last-a wild overhauling and flinging about
of clothes for articles of more value bidder
among them. But just as likely as not tie
disorder merely indicated the slovenly indif-
ference of plundererS to the fruits of pillage
that had overstocked them.
The first garment picked up was a cloak
of a sort Of silk material, richly furred and
lined; all the buttons but one had been cut
off, and that which remained was silver.
spread it in the cot, as it was a soft thing TO
lie upon. Then l picked up a coat of thu
fashion you will see in Hogarth's engravings
the coat collar broad fold, and the cuffs
to the elbow. This was as good as rug, and