Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-12-25
CHRISTMAS At SEA.
fvo CdsbFattsls Il Ii Day " ~ n
Be.
One Christmas

do they keep Christmas. Fosrth Of
July. New Years. and 81. Pssrick's
Day In ths Morning. on ship bosrds -
l can only cay, I'VE used ter" and
Vim your permission will relate the partial
happenings Of Christmas and . half in the
Pacific Ocean;
Al daylight the tuf.ed tops Of the cosos-
nut trees could be seen bobbing up and down
on the horizon--and long before land vas In
sight from deck, the painted sails Of nfty
canoes could be counted shaping their course
TO intercept us ~, sith all sail Get, ve ran the
ship TO the leevard Of Ciarks lslsnd--one
OF the largest Of Giibert's afchipeligo-and
iainng to the Wind, lay our head sails shack
preparatory to . little traffic with the natives.
W NIFTY eight canoes that left the island,
forty i've Of them managed to deposit its
crew OF FROM three 70 seven men, women and
children on our decks. These rudsiy con-
structed boats With the mast in the middle
and sail OF neatly woven grass, proved csps-
Die Of outsailing Us on every tack, fitting
here and there with wonderful velocity
fozen OF them made fast to the ships sides,
while the others ran ahead of, all but one Of
the occupants lesping overheard and floating
or swimming until the ship forged ahead to
them and were pulled into a canoe by the
hair OF the head, then helped over the side
by the same iuIuriant growth and without
any seeming Inconvenience to either party.
The fashions seemed to have reached this
distant quarter Of the globe and somew hat
prominent display Of 'undr .ssed kids was
particularly noticeable-in fact whole fam
lilies followed the fashion.
Tobacco was the article sought after and
All o;d-fsshioned plug Of "nigger head
would buy out the stock in trade Of any well
regulated "KanakA." Grass mats, neatly
woven in checks or stripes, representing
months of labor, would be readily exchanged
for . piece of the weed scarcely large
enough for 3 sailors "quid," shark teeth
weapons Of all sizes and shapes, shells Of
many kinds and hues, fish hooks, curiously
constructed OF pearl and tortoise shell, fish
lines OF cocoanut, husk fibre, or human hair,
valuable to US only as ''curios" were obtained
In large quantities.
An oilskin suit. . pair of shoes and an
English sovereign, stolen from some ship,
were brought on board and exchanged for
'"tobac." One lusty looking heather brought
twenty-five or thirty large flying ish, none
less than foot in length, how caught can
not say, but grand adjunct to our Christ
mas dinner, know. The flavor was very
fine and ! would recommend that our lakes
be stocked with them and suitable roosts
arranged for them along the shore.
Here is fish story that we can vouch for.
A widow had 4 son, who hankeriug for 4
vew-of "fR rim lan's' went to sea. He came
back after SIX months to visit his mother,
like dutiful son should. and over their eve
ming meal the good woman listened with won
der to the tales he told.
Yes, mother, away down there WAS the
most beautiful island ever saw. There was
gold mixed with the sand on the shore. and
back little way was a mountain of sugar
and a river of rum flowed between the hills
out into the sea among the flying fish--and-"
Hold on, Johnny. now jest stop. Flying
fish did ye ssy?"
Yes, mother, flying FISH"
There, thst'll do John. I don't doubt
about the mountains of sugar and rivers of
rum, but, John, you mustn't think yer old
marin is SIGH a fool as to shallow the fish
with iefngs busiDess-not much"
suppose that this dsy was veritable
holiday to the people of Clark Island. which
sank into the water astern long before the
last canoe left US. pointing its sharp prov
toward home and gradually disappearing into
the misty. tropical gloom.