Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1889-01-25

kept him all his days had he been 5
landsman.
He quit our ship with more fuss than
he had entered it. For sixteen months
he seemed perfectly content, and was
well up to his work Then the owners
at home got into trouble and had to sell
out, and we hauled into Rio Janeiro one
day to find a new deal on hand. We
were paid off and new Captain put in
charge, and such Of the men as wished
to 60 were shipped for a new cruise in a
clean ship. Must of lis signed articles
though none of us liked the new Captain.
1t was curious that he and Tom Finch
took a strong dislike 10 each other at
first sight, but the sailor had signed and
would not desert. We had only got
well outside when the new Captain made
us a speech. We had made on average
cruise up to this date, and the ship was
in good condition all the way around,
but he would not have come up to the
mark had he not insulted and abused us.
We had a call aft, and remember how
ugly he looked as he surveyed us for 4
moment, as an overseer looks over Lis
slaves, and then said:
"You internal lot of sojers and lob
scouses, there's a new deal aboard this
ship and l want you to understand it on
the go Off There's to be no more soier-
ing and picnicking. There's to be no
more canning between cabin and fo'cas-
tie. If we have a man aboard whom the
sharks won't bite he'd better look ont for
mel l will bite him if he doesn't walk
chalk! There's got to be discipline
aboard and the quicker you come to it
the better for your lazy carcasses! Go
forward and go to work OF I'll be among
you!"
Almost every Captain gives a crew
that sort Of talk. The average master
looks upon his men as below the brute
creation. He thinks it necessary to brag
and bluster and threaten to let them
know the wide difference between them.
He had made break for Tom, who had
entered as a boat steerer, and every man
of us foresaw trouble.
We had been five days out when the
row came. Several of the men had been
brutally knocked about without excuse,
and one day as we were on whaling ground,
and Tom was placing his boat in order,
Capt. Locke took occasion to find deal
of fault. 1t was plain to all of us that
he was seeking a fuss, and that he was
bent on stirring Tom up. He
kept at it until he reused him
self to fury and struck the
sailor. We knew Tom would never
stand that, nor did he. He squared off
and felled the Captain like an OK, and
during the confusion he took refuge in
the cabin and barricadcd the door and
armed himself. Wasn't the old man
howling mad when he came to- He
issued all sorts Of orders, but took
precious good care not to expose him
Golf 70 Toms fro
The sailor held the cabin for three
days, allowing the crew to move about
as they pleased, but watching to fire
upon the Captain if he exposed himself.
On the third night, when we were a good
hundred miles off Cape Frio, he dropped
out of one of the stern ports into the
open sea, and the first we knew of it we
heard him laughing as he swan away
Six months later we had 'gam" with
the Scotch whaler Janet, and the men
told us that they picked Tom up when
he had been afoat three days, and landed
him three weeks later at Bahia New
York Sun.