Deming headlight., 1890-06-07
ON THE BRIG COUNTESS.

The other day l saw notice In a
Liverpool paper 10 the effect that the
courts had decided to rehcar the case
" Airs. Allan White, daughter ~
Capt Thomas Of the brig Countess. 10
Size general reader those lines iueant
nothing. ! do not suppose there ARE
atty people In all England today who
enn recall the ease oi the Countess, al.
though the particulars wern published
far and wide. aud ilnally appeared in
book form. Il y thirty years since the
circumstances occurred, and as ] was
tue sole survivor Of the crew, and the
one who gave uli tlic particulars TO
the English press. perhaps ! can tell
the adventure la way tOintercst YOU.
The Countess was Bristol brig,
owned Ia pnrt and commanded by
Capt. Thomas. who was not only n
thorough seaman but a man OF excel.
lent heart We were bound out 10
Georgetown. la British Guinea. with
orders 10 call at Jamaica This was
my third voyage with Capt. Thomas,
the other Two extending only 10 ports
IA Spain aud rvturn was nn nppren-
iicc. or ship'a boy. having nothing 20
do with the cabin but living with tho
crew Ia the fo'castle and learning 10
hc "a sailor On the day we left Bristol
/ was "A years Of age. aud stout and
robust Tor boy 81 my size We car.
rird two mates, o cook. aud seven men
before the must This was very full
handci zoe brig 81 her size but Il
was oiif oi tho lrcuiinfilies ~ ilie cap.
ain never tO put b. soa short handed,
Rliiicr ihnn do SO lic would carry one
hand rSirn lie was often lnuglied NJ
for liis. bat be- commended That u paid
IN tlc long ruf AID 80 II did
After we lrit port fr.d got things
ship nii1pe ! had opportunity b. look
over the Cinw and see Whnt they were
nude Of and was not long IN max.
inr rp my niind, boy as ! was that
$50 lad shipped % hard LOT. There "
always a leader in the locastle and In
those days II was the best ilghler.
Ecamanslllp and education had 20 bow
10 brute strength. We worc not out
thrcs days before buriy big fellow
Who went hy the name ol Bristol
Bob. hui whose real name WIS Hn-
vcus, had established himself as
"boas. II DO had had The good OF the
brig in view this would \ wa becn for
her boncit. but u soon irtnspircd that
be had plans of bis own. At sen the
fni molo stands liis own watch, while
tho second nialo stands Tor The cap.
tain. Our second mate was n0mrd
Mizncr. and WIS In hia watch. na
wah also Bristol Bob and a couple oi
lis chuma The first mate was numed
Parker aud Il aOon lransplrcd tlint be
was a good soalnan bat a mnn Of little
tact Ur Judgment While the captain
was too lonioni lio was too harsh, aud
We bad uot been "a sea u week boiore
the second did not Seem % be clear ns
10 whether 40 should side with tho
inen on llie officers
Before rcncling Jamaica The CREW
had been ou The point Uf mutlng ball
4 dofen times There had heon blows
and kicks and cuffs. iho ilr1lnntc had
been knockod downl iho captain had
called llc cruw nft and ..iato ihem q
fnfech iho 6fcund mate bad given
tlo man - understand that DO sided
with lhcm on reaching Jamaica ovcry
one ol ibe crow would have deserted
bii fQr ilie plans Of the rlnqloadcr.
il0 ind already aoWn seeds Which
utlo HfInH root The captain dld
tNnccl lhe men 20 cut sticks aud Waa
surprised That NOME leIi heard bin
cas- ~ much % Nr Falfof Wlou
~ allsf Ioapd lhal TIE nlen were 70