Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-05-16
STRANGE LANDS.
Another Leaf From the Journal of Felix
Toffe

full in catching sperm whale, which at GER
tain seasons abound in this part of the In
dian ocean. The top of the mountain ranges
of the island, occasionally showing them
selves on the western horizon gave US a
longing for the green earth, after four
months with mary a foot on shore" and a
rather more than usual lucky strike decided
the ''old man" to wood and water in St.
Augustine Bay. The last barrel of oil was
slowed below matches, the ship was scrubbed
fore and aft until everything shown, the
starboard braces were checked in and the
old boat was kept away south south west for
Cape St. Mary, the most southern point
of this-almost continent. The next morning
when we came on deck at four bells
the rugged peaks and luxuriently
crowned SUBMITS of the lower hills
were casting long shadows across the green
waters of the Mozambique channel. With
first long log and then short one we beat
up the coast, and just as the sun disappeared
in direction of the African shore we dropped
our anchor about mile of the town, visible
IN the shape of scattered huts among the
cocoanut trees that fringed the bay as far as
the eye could see. Two seasons before the
ship VIM. Badger had had trouble with the
natives, resulting in general fight, in which
the mate and several men were severely
wounded and number of the natives killed.
The grudge was still ranking in the breast
of the semi-savage, and strict orders were
given to go slow" and do nothing that would
tend TO create disturbance. Our sails were
not furled before the deck was crowded with
men, women and children offering cocoa
nuts, green corn, sugar cane, bread fruit
and shells in exchange for 'clouty" as they
called the cheap printed calico and blue
denims which all ships carry for
trading purposes that cruise in these waters.
Many were of no particular value except a. an
ornament. Some of the women wore bracelets
made of dimes, in this being ahead of the
American girls who did not strike the ten
cent bangle craze until many years after.
An half dollar if better adapted To their pur-
pose was of more value than whole dollar,
and had more purchasing power. | bought
for silver quarter large stick of black |
ebony, a basket of beautiful olive shells and
"A dozen cocoa nuts. The woman had re-
fused Mexican Peso for the same not a
moment before Tamarinds were abundant
and ships hard tack" would buy bucket
full. For another biscuit the woman would
deity remove the she'll and barrel of this
delciously acid pulp could be obtained for the |
cost of few cents.
Bread fruit grows in profusion. Lizards
from four to six inches in length scurry |
away in all directions and hide in the sand |
Butterflies of every size, shape, shade |
and hue Literally fill the air when |
disturbed from resting among the beautifully |
colored flowers from which the butterflies
then selves seem to derive their royal beauty.
Land turtle or terrapin are abundant and are
tit eating for the gods. Thousands of them
are shipped annually to the Mauritlus and
Bourbon islands seven or eight hundred miles
to the Eastward and bring immense prices
We obtained wood and water without much |
outlay except the bone and muscle of our |
own crew Hard bread that had become |
wormy and unfit even for sailors use was ex-
changed readily for the noted Madagascar |
bean--a bucket full of one for an equal
amount of the other. These beans are as
large as what is known here as the caseknlfe
bean and as IA change from salt junk were
became somewhat monotonous
as first course side dish and desert, twenty |
one times week as long as they lasted. |
/ebu dressing, four or five hundred pounds |
in weight, was eagerly given for an old /
| nited States hintlock musket-minus the |
lock. Goats were used for small change
but as an article of food only partially sue
cessful.
Everything was put to rights and the watch |
gwen liberty to take a run on shore. How /
sam Archibald and put in our two hours | |
will tell YOU. Prince Billy, short, plump, /
sleek looking heir to the craftsmanship of /
this district had just returned from France /
where he had been fondled and pet
ted and wheeded into believing that
Johnny Crapeau, a broadcloth suit and
plug hat were all that were necessary to make
Prince Billy supremacy happy. His body |
guard, hundred able greasy, slippery, six /
foot two nchers, had deposited the broad /
clotn and plug III the branches of bread /
fruit tree and wrapped his royal highness in
a few fathomS of "clowty," and We're listen
ing with great gravity to a speech on free
trade and the tariff, | imagine, when sam
and took our places in the outer circle of
this rather picturesque group. Several
spears, very deliberately ornamented, attract
ed my attention and | offered six half dollars /
for two of them. By signs we were given to
understand that these were regal goods and
not for sale, but they had even some better
at the hut of one of the guard. We conclu- |
ded to go and see what he had, and, accom-
panied by this immense savage, fully SIX
feet and six inches in his bare feet,we struck |
out for the bush. Two other natives, equally
as Ill looking as our guide, started OH rather
too carelessly in another direction
after speaking word with him,
and as we entered the forest |
noticed Sam as well as myself was little /
nervous We decided that our best way was
to go to the beach and the plan we carried out
to the letter was this. Sam worked his way |
ahead until we had the native between us,
going single file along the narrow path that
led deeper into the thckening gloom. |
spoke quickly. Sam and the guide both
turned toward me, the savage TO receive
blow on the neck that feled him Ike an OK
and Sam to jump square in his upturned
face with his heavy sea boots, etfectually |
quoting him for a time at least
To get to the beach, into the boat and off
on board ship was the work of not many
minutes. The captain hearing our story
ordered the anchor up, and as the old barque
gathered headway under the cloud of can
vass, Sam and had reason TO thank our
stars that We were not just then among
dense crowd of excited natives that lined
the shores of St. Augustine Bay. We
never were sorry for what we did. We
knew we were in tight place and that
mischief was intended, and long as the
wiley savage recovered. as we learn that he
did we had only our own safe'y to be thank
full for.
FELIx ToFfE.