Smyrna times., 1890-01-01
BE LAST CRUISE.

BE LAST CRUISE.
On the day when landed at Annobon,
one of the natives particularly attracted
my attention. He was a man past mid
die age, his woolly hair sprinkled with
gray. He was of commanding stature
and very erect. He spoke excellent Eng
lish, and his conversation showed that
he possessed some advantages of educa-
ton which placed him far above the plane
Of his semi-barbarous fellow islanders.
His history had been an eventful one.
When he was 16 years old the captain Of
a British vessel had taken him to Lon
don, where the ships owner gave him
employment as porter in his warehouse.
The boy, who was bright and active, re-
ceived the name Albert Johnson; he be-
came favorite, and one of the clerks
taught him to read and write. He re-
mained five years in London, and then
returned to his island home.
AS looked through the open doorway
Of his dwelling, before which we stood
while he told me the story Of his early
life, saw what I at first thought was an
idol, but a second glance showed it to be
the figure head of a vessel
1t had represented, in high relief, fe-
male clothed in a flowing robe, with one
arm folded across the breast and the other
pointed upward. The lower limbs were
broken, the hand of the uplifted arm was
TFaiccir,cr 1raI a e
gone. There was little left of the gliding
that once embelished it, but the lines
were gracefully drawn, and it had evi-
IDENTIFY been executed by an artist in wood
Of no mean pretensions.
"What ship did that belong to-" asked.
"That was the figurehead of a schooner
that was lost on the island many years
ago." johnson replied. Its a long story
and sad one, too" he continued. as he
gazed wistfully toward the mutilated
6gurehead.
He hesitated a moment, and then mo.
toned me to a seat upon palm loa
which served the purpose Of a bench il
front of his hut. He seated himself by
my side, lighted his pipe and told ms
this story:
Zone morning, just after sunrise, il
October, 1s47, about year after my re
turn from England, a sail was seer
standing in toward the island from tn,
eastward. Soon afterward one of oul
people, who had climbed to the top of
cocoanut tree to have look, sung on
to us that it was topsai schooner. Tn,
wind was fair and she came along at
lively rate until she was quite close
when she clewed up her topgallant ant
gait topsail, threw her topsan aback an,
lay to not above four cable lengths from
| the beach.
"a beautiful craft she was; her long
black hull lay low in the water; he
masts, tall and tapering till they locke,
not bigger than this pipe stem, raket
way aft; they weren't stuck forward a
if they wanted to tumble over the bow
as is the fashion nowadays. Her rigging
was as trim as any man-of-war's, an
there was a crowd of men on her deck.
ga SLAYER said I.
YES said my father, who stood a
my side, and she's got her cargo aboard
too
"As he spoke, a boat was lowered fror
the schooner, and pulled for the shor,
A tall, lOngfaced man, whom I took fC
a Yankee, and who was evidently one
the mates, sat in the stern sheets. Whe
the boat touched the sand, the ere,
sprang out, while the mate rose to b
feet, and looking at our people, wh
stood in a great crowd on the beach, sal
in Portuguese: Who's king here:'
GAN looked toward my father, an
moved back little, leaving him standin
almost alone foot or so in front Of Ii
others.
awe have no king in Annobon, sal
my father; what do you wantY
"'HaP and he ripped out a big oatl
I've heard of you Annobon niggers,' /
replied; what we want is water
"'How much water do you want
asked my father.
Enough for our crew and passel
gers
&" 'PassengersP exclaimed my fathe
making believe he was astonishe
though he knew all the time what Il
mate meant.
"'Yes, passengers; we have a lot
gentlemen and ladies aboard there, wi
who have taken passage on board OF
schooner for the Brazils, and We hair
got enough water to last 'em the voyagt
"My father hesitated, and then sal
, I'll go on board and see the captain.
s'pose you amt himY
5 "'No,' was the reply, Tn secol
mate of the craft
Ny father stepped into a canoe, bee
oned to me and half dozen others, an
j we pushed of toward the schooner, n
father calling out to our people in ths
n own language not to leave the beach u
til he came back. Passing under t
s schoOner's stern to get around on {
g starboard, 1 read her name, CIelise,
/ Bordeaux.
eat the starboard gangway stood
1 small, slender built man whom we fou
to be the captain. he wasn't more tn
five feet and a half high, and his ia
7s was as smooth as a woman's; he had
large nose and light gray eyes. Dress
d in blue cloth jacket with white du
trousers, and a jaunty little cap on {
side Of his head, he looked more like
smart young naval officer than the c.
tain Of a SLAYER.
"As we drew alongside he sung out
as not to come on board, and asked
Portuguese, which he spoke with
. French accent: Is the chief in Il
cancer
"'You can speak to me- replied !
father; what do you wantY
"'I want water for my schooner, a
I want you natives to help my men
- it on board. Where is the best place
anchorf
sThe decisive manner in which
little captain spoke made it clear that
would have his way, and my fatl
agreed to help fll the water casks. I
he asked how it was that the vessel
her way across the Atlantic came
Annobon, 800 miles of the coast Of
rica, without supply Of water.
''The captain then told US that as
vessel had lain in 3 lagoon near
mouth Of the river I.age, with only P
- -, -..,t.- -, s-..rd an Tin0lish m.