Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1888-10-18
AN CID OCEAN TRAMP.
The story as Told by the Sailor to
the Marines.
Drifting in the China Sea- Commanded Il
by u Dog and Parrot
A CHASTITY sight.

- NAA'N'AN N'ehN'
"Nou see, messmate,' says the old
quarlermaster, as he seats himself com
fortably again, 'in seafaring life we
meet with many rough jobs that is out ut
all ordinary calkillation, and what them
as haven't been to sea wouldn't hardly /
believe. There was that ship we fell in
with in the China sea-.hat was an odd .
thing, that was.
at was only just after daylight in the /
morning watch as some one sung out,
sail ahead 1t wasn't much OF a sail, for
/ there was only one mast-the foremast--
standing, but big ship going steady be-
fore the wind, with her foretopsail set,
but not hauled taut, but all Tapping Ike,
| Well, we see as there was no one aboard,
or, it so he there was, thev didn't kno"
/ how to manage her. So when we'd run
down lllle ahead OF her we lowered
boat and was one Of the boats crew as
went aboard; aud Us we pulled up to her
we could see nobody on deck, but only
heard a dog barking; and when we went
up The side sure enough there was halt
starved dog sittin' upon the body OF a
man; and when he seen US he set up a
dreadful bowling, but still he didn't seem
disp.eased to see us, but threw back his
ears, though he looked down IN tho mouth
But the curious thing was to see the num-
her of rats that was running about the
decks, for the ship was water.logsod, and
the rats was driv up from below AMI
Obliged to shift Tor themselves.
"Weu, there were three more dead
bodies lying about; and wnen we come to
look at them the rats had eat most OF
their faces and necks, and ripped open
, their jackets to get at their flesh, but the
corpse as tho dog was sitting Oh they
hadn't been able ct touch; for. You see,
the rats, they lived upon the dead bodies
!. and the dog he lived upon the rats And
, such rats as they were never see--a' most
as big as half.gown rabbits, and 70 tame
that they didn't make no account ot US
> You Bee, they had been 30 familiar witt
tie bodies aboard that they looked upot
y us as so many sheep or cattle, or wha
u not, as was como aboard for their hV
stock.
j "Wen, we tried to get to the cabin
) but that was full of water, and so wa
/ everything below decks; and there was II
y name upon the stern, or we couldn't max
q it out where the ship was from, or wher
bound; and we searched the captain
lie pockets, but couldn't find no memoraa
e dun nor name, only love letter sewed u
ar in a piece of oil-skn inside his jacket an
" signed Sarah. And when we was think
~ ing what was best to be done, whether
ne throw the bodies overheard or what,
re voice, as seemed close to us, sung out IN
o, curious low tone, more like female
IN than mans, Ship ahoy there! wh'
lg ship is that2"
ne "Well, that startled us Almost out
i'm our senses; for we couldn't see nothin
te and the bodies on deck was dead We kno
by reason their faces was eat; and sa
,a one of the men, 1T must be the dog s."
-, he, 'he'ey been a thinking over to hlss'
-, all he'ev heered, and he'ev been al
- taught hisself to speak; and says he to Il
-. dn,, answering his hail like, The Zenodl
- 600 tons, John Shum master' OF and lro
~ London, bound for Singapore with a &c
- eral cargo. But the dog made no ans"
- to that; and while we vas a wonden
what il could be the same kind oil vol
sunp out again, Steward, glass OF grol
" Well. we know as this couldn't be the do
because they don't take no Rrog. In
~ says another, Tm much deceived II II
NC ere yoice don't come out OF the mAinmas
s' so we goes to the mainmasi-that IS
stump OF it-and out Of the middle oil
ropes and halyArds that was hang
about thelpins the voice comes out aga
=" aud saws: 90, sweet polly, no higher ke
-. - her rap fuli."'
w "Well, we soon cast off the ropes.
in yha, should we see but fine gray par
nd a setting in a kind Of nest she'd MAJ
,ba and locking as II there wasn't nothing
matter with her
ma .'Wel, We hove over the dead bod
I'm and left the rats to feed upon themsely
ich but We brought off the parrot and d
-, though he wouldn't leave the body
on' . we'd taken the Jacket of and laid 1t do
MS 10 the boat for him. and then he ca
ed. villa enough; and Captain Shum L
nov Ibe dog and bird and brought them no
OF his old woman, and perhaps theJ
'ei both alive now"
any -,