Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1889-02-28
STORY OF A MUTINY.
How It Was Put Down by the
Captains Fair Daughter.

For two years / had been mate of
the schooner Jessie, Captain Martin,
plying regularly between Sydney, New
South Wales. and Hobartstown, Van
Dieman's Land. We had trim craft,
easily handled, and our crew never
exceeded six men, There was no
second mate, and the captain stood his
own watch. A year before engaged
with her she had been captured by
convicts from the penal settlement,
and when recovered, after two Or three
days she had been supplied with an
arsenal
The trip which gave rise to the in
cidents am about to relate, brought
the captains daughter on board for
the first time, she having been away
to school for couple of years. The
schooner was named after her, and if
vessel could feel proud of any thing
then the Jessie would have been
puffed up over the good looks of the
girl whose name she bore. Miss
Martin was a typical English girl, and
just as handsome as the best of them.
She was then nineteen years old, in
the best of health and spirits, and it
was as good as medicine for a sick
person to hear her sing and laugh.
As our voyages were short and safe
we had been able to keep the same
crew for long time, but on this trip
we were all broken up. Two of the
old men had been taken ill while we
were loading. a third had mysterious
~ absented himself. and on the day we
We're to sail the cook walked ashore in.
q huff. There was no trouble, how.
over, in filling the four vacancies.
Indeed they were applied for as soon
as vacated. The cook was another
colored man with good recommended
don. while the three sailors we're
English-speaking and of English
nativity.
When crew is sent from q ship
ping Office. the master must not find
fault with their personal appearance.
If they are what they claim to be that
must satisfy him, no matter if the
whole lot are bow-legged, cross-eved,
bald-headed and hump-backed. 1t is
the same when the mate engages men
at the wharf If they satisfy him
that they are sailors, he does not find |
fault with their looks. The three
sailor men l engaged for the trip
were ard-looking fellows. and l would
not have trusted them not to rob me. |
but l took them just the same At
sea they would have their stations and |
their orders, and the discipline of a
vessel discourages all exhibitions of
toward officers. Our crew
was now composed of six sailors, cap
tain. mate and cook, and the girl
jess brought the number on board up
TO ten.
1t is a run of over five hundred miles
almost due south from Sydney to Ho-
bartstown. but until passing Cape
Howe we had the coast in view. and
knew where shelter could be had in
case OF storm. Our crew went cheer
fully to work, the weather favored us,
and for three days every thing went
as smoothly as you please. 1 had two
Of the old men and one of the new in
my watch. and on the fourth night, as
We just held steerage-way during my
watch, the man at the wheel, whose
name was Needham, and who had been
with us several voyages, fused around
for time, and finally said:
Mr.. Loring, I'd like to speak with
you about a matter"
Very well; what is it?''
81 don't like them new men, SIR"
"For what reascne'
They've got their heads together
too often. sir. and they've talked to
Bill and Tom. my old mates, until
they've quite upset them.
.sAbont wkat?''
y Well. sir. about pirates and islands |