The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1890-01-04

five. SO that while the guests OH the
upper side had great difficulty in pre-
venting themselves from slipping oil
their seats on and over that table, those
on the lower side had equal difficulty
in keeping themselves up to convenient
feeding distance.
Capt. Reynolds, at the head of the
board, had hard lot in the endcavor TO
maintain his dignity and sitting pcrpen-
dculary at the same time on the then
permanent and not popular angle OF
forty-live. But |, steward, butler, cook
and cabin boy, bore the hardest tribula-
ton of all in carrying my dishes across
the deck, down the cabin stairs, and ar.
ranging them on table at an angle Of
fortv-ive. OF course, at this time the
rack used in rough weather To prevent
plates and platters from slipping OIL was
brought into permanent use
Transit from galley to cabin was ac-
compishcd by crawling on two legs and
one arm, thus making of myself a peri
patctic human triangle, while the unoc-
cupied hand with difficulty bore aIott
the soup turecn. 1t was then | appreci-
ated the great advantages afforded in
certain circumstances by the prehensile
caudal termination of our possible re-
mote ancestors. With such properly
equipped appendagc, the steward might
have taken close hitch around an eye
bolt, and let all the rest of himself and
his dishes safely down into the little
cabin. 1t is questionable whether mans
condition has been physically improved
by the process of evolution. He may
have lost more than he has gained. a
monkey can well afford to scorn the rel
atively clumsy evolutions of the most
skillful human brother acrobat.
In former days while narrating the
events of this voyage, which | have
done some thousands of times, | used to
say "we whaled." But | never whaleG,
never went in the boats, never pulled
an oar. | had other fish to fry in the
galley, and now that | commence to
realize what a conscience is, | mention
this for truths sake as well as to give
variety to the story. We were boarded
occasionally by few Mexicans. There
was one melancholy looking Don Some
body who seemed always in a chronic
state of corn husk cigarette. When not
smoking he was rolling them; when not
rolling or smoking he was Lighting them.
He and his companions were persons of
some importance, for which reason Capt.
REYNOLDS rendered them the Inequalities
of the Henry, and would ask them to
whatever meal was nearest ready.
These two MeXicans had enormous
stowage for grub. They resembled the
gulls. They also seemed unfathomable.
There was no filling them. What they
did at table they did with all their might,
and when they finished, especially when
eating by themselves, as they frequently
did, there was literally nothing left.
Nothing in this case meant something.
1t meant in addition to bread, meat and
potatoes, every scrap of butter on the
butter plate and every grain of sugar in
the sugar bowl. | didn't take the hint
the first time they ate with us, deeming
the entire absence of butter and sugar
at the end of the repast to he owing to
my placing small amount ON the table.
The second time they came on board |
remedicd this. But on inspection after
they had finished | found left only an
empty butter plate and sugar bowl, 1t
was so at the third trial. Butter and
sugar seem to be regarded as delicacies
by the natives of Lower California. Nor
do they seem to comprehend the real
mission and import of butter and sugar
on the table They regarded both these
articles rs regular dishes, and sCooped
them in. On discovering this, after
consultation with the captain, put them
on allowance. These two men would
have eaten up all our butter and sugar
in four Nceks.
However, it was comparatively slight
toll they levied on us for carrying off
their whale oil, seal and abalOne. We
were miles within their legal boundaries
taking away the wealth of their waters.
Twelve other American whalers lay in
Marguerite bay that season. 1t was prac-
tically an invasion, only the McXicans
didn't seem to know they were invaded,
or didn't care if they did know. So long
as they had plenty of butter and sugar
ON coming ON board and the blubber
stripped carcasses which came ON shore
they seemed satisfied. These carcasscs
they cut open when stranded and eX
traCtcd the fat about the heart. which,
on being fried out, would yield from one
to four barrels of oil and about three
miles of solid stencil. They borrowed
from us the vessels wherewith to boil
this fat. | was ordered to loan
them all the pots, pans and kettles
which could be spared from my Gull
nary laboratory. They never returned
them, and | was very glad they did
not. No amount of securing would
ever have rid them of the odor of de-
composed leviathan. We left them a
dozen or so iron vessels the richer. A
Mexican, at least ON that coast, with IA
kettle is looked up to as man of wealth.
Beyond serapcs, cigarette lighters, sad
dies and brides, the gang of natives ON
shore had few other possessions. They
seemed brilliant examples of Contented
poverty. The individual Mexican is n
more Independent being than the citizen
of our own boosted "indopcudent' ma
ton. His wants are ten times less.
Some mercantile hopes may hang on
Il