Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-04-18
MUTINY ON BOARD.

exceptional disadvantages. My parents
were dead, and l had not friend or rela
tive willing or able to help me; [ was cas-
entirely on my own resources, which were
a diploma, respectable wardrobe, anC
twenty pounds in cash-the balance o.
the capital which had sufficed for M
education. Feeling desperately the nee
essity of exertion, applied TO all sorts
of people rushing into the presence o.
bigwigs, who ought not to be approached
without proper introduction, and outrag-
| ing them with demands for surgical EN-
pIoyment. 1 should say / received as
many as five sDubs and rebluffS in {
| morning. At last [ fairly broke down il
the presence of naughty young admir-
atty clerk, who was preturbed and melted
by my distress, when on my asking hin
to tell me how l could get into the navy
he replied
Suppose you apply on pwopper form
through the pwopper channel.-Looi
here" he said calling me back: 'Ieavt
your name and address. Surgeons are wan
ted for things somtimes in hurry"
Two days afterwards I received letter
informing me that a surgeon was require
d for the AlecGo, which was to sail for sgd
ney on the following Sunday with a cargo
of convicts, and that if I applied an pes
on at place and time named, and ans
wered certain questions satisfactorily
there was little doubt but what I shoulo
get the appointment.
There was no medical employment or
earth that / would not have jumped at
blindfold, just then; so l made my ap-
plication, was accepted without any
difficulty-with Gather ominous alacrity
indeed; and after such poor preparations
in the way of outfit as my ignorance
suggested and my slender means could
afford, went on board the Alecto, which
was lying off Greenwich, and found my
self in medical charge of a captain, two
mates, lieutensnt of the royal navy, in
some mysterious capacity which 1 never
rightly comprehended, twenty sailors, an
officer of marines and his men and 25C
convicts.
The naval lieutenant was the only man
on the quarter deck when WELT up &c
the side.
81 am the surgeon" began, advancing
towards him bat before 1 could say an
other word he asked abruptly
"Can you play ehess?"
''Yes-a little" replied.
'I'm thankful, very thankful for that
Shake hands, sir. The marine body, Mr.
Phipps, no cares for the game; and how
should we surveeve such protracted and
tedious voyage without chess? My name
is McNab, and hope we shall be friends
sir.n
said that hoped so too, and we en-
gagged in conversation which
was the reverse of inspiring
gathered from Mr.. MacNab that the
skipper had been unfortunate on other
voyages-that his mates were rufians-
that the crew were very poor types indeed
of the British sailor-that the ship her
self was a rotten old hulk that ought to
have been broken up years ago.
went down to my cabin, which SCENE
lbsurdly small, and, low and dark; got
my portmanteau there, and tried to make
arrangements for further comfort
Then 1 studied the printed instructions
had received, as to how [ was to inspect
the convicts, &c., and wondered what was
TO be done if they were refractory, and
who had authority over me to prevent
me Sinking my duties; for 1 had sole
command, it seemed, in my particular
department.
When L returned on deck, found the
captain and Mr.. Phipps there. The for
mer had a red nose and watery eyes,
which explained, perhaps, why he had
been unfortunate with his ships; the lat
ter was a gentlemanly fellow enough, but
Responding and taciturn, his silence being
of the less importance thai when de did
talk he generally grumbled, which did
not add to the cheerfulness of the party.
His only solaoe was in making pen-and
ink sketches, at which he was very clever;
landscapes, with chiaroscuro effects, in
voleing an immense amount OF time and
labor. being his princip pal forte. Both he
and McNab were disappointed men; but
the Scotohman was the better philosopher
of the two.
We four supped together, and in due
time | went to my berth, and found out
how to get into it. I felt like toy put
away in a cupboard, for il was my first
experience of ship accomm odation.
when you have learnt to lie On your back
and not want to move all night-to take
enough oxygen into the lungs while on
deck to last for the time you are below,
and 10 be indifferent to cockroRches run
ming over you, you get on a great deal
better.
On reaching the deck the next morning,
I fourd that we we're under sail, and drop
ping down the river, which had grown
very wide.
1t was not long before we were fairly in
the channel, and TIE pilot got into his
boat and left Us.
There was nice breeze, but the sea
was perfectly smooth. and the ship glided
through the water with a delightful glib
ness; so that / felt that I ought to be
doing something towards learning my
duties while I was able, and confined to
MacNab that I should like to hold an in
spectiop of the couvicts, who were all
gathered on the main deck in charge OF
their warders and the marines, who
mounted sentry over them with loaded
mnskets and fixed bayokets.
I found that / had made an official
application in the right quarter by
accident, for MacNab Immediately said =
"At what timer at once?n
And when | replied in the affirmative,
gave certain sharp short orders, the re-
suit OF which was that In less than ten
minutes a warder came up TO me, touched
his cap, and reported
"All ready, sir"
And following him I found my convicts
drawn up in lines, bare footed. My in
: spection of them vas a mere form, for of
course, they we're sent on board sound
and clean, but made certain suggestions
with regard to the sanitary arrangements