Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1890-04-12
ON THE BRIG COUNTESS.
Story. of an Adventure on the Car
& ribbean Sea.
Tho Ships Apprentice Graphically De-
scribcs the Scenes That Were En-
acted During Mutiny of
Which He Was the Sole
Survivor.

Tho other day saw a notice in Liver
pool paper to the effect that the courts
had decided TO rehear the case of Mrs.
Allan White, daughter of Captain
Thomas of the brig Countess. To the
general reader those lines meant moth
ing. do not suppose there are fifty
people in all England to-day who can re-
call the case of the Countess, although
the particulars were published far and
wide, and finally appeared in book form.
1t is thirty years since the circumstances
occurred, and as was the sole survivor
of the crew, and the one who gave all
the particulars to the English press, per-
haps | can tell the adventure in a way
to interest you.
The Countess was a Bristol brig,
owned in part and commanded by Cap
tain Thomas, who was not only thor
ough seaman, but man of excellent
heart. We were bound out to George
town, in British Guinea, with orders to
call at Jamaica. This was my third
voyage with Captain Thomas, the other
two extending only to ports in Spain
and return. l was an apprentice, or
ships boy, having nothing to do with
the cabin but living with the crew in
the fo'castle and learning to be sailor.
On the day we left Bristol I was four
teen years of age, and stout and robust
for a hoy of my size. We carried two
mates, a cook, and seven men before the
mast. This was very full-handed for a
brig of her size, but it was one of the
peculiarities of the Captain, never to put
tn oh rt-b, nd cd poth hop do
he would carry one hand extra. He was
often laughed at for this, but he con-
tended that it paid in the long run, and
80 it did
After we left port and got things ship
shape | had opportunity to look over
the crew and see what they were made
of, and | was not long in making up my
mind, boy that was, that we had ship
ped hard lot. There is always leader
in the fo'ca jtle, and in those days it was
the best fighter. Seamansnip and edu-
cation had to bow to brute strength. 1t
wasn't three days before burly big fell
low, who went by the name of "Bristol
Bob" but whose real name was Ravens,
had established himself as "boss." If
he had had the good of tho brig in view
this would have been for her benefit,
but it soon transpired that he had plans
of his own. At sea the first mate stands
his own watch, while the second mate
stands for the Captain. Our second
mate was named Miner, and l was in
his watch, as was also Bristol Bob and a
couple of his chums. The first mate
was named Parker, and it soon trans
pired that he was good seaman but a
man of little tact or Judgment. While
the captain was too lenient he was too
harsh, and we had not been at sea a
week before the second mate did not
seem to bo clear as to whether he should
Sido with the men or the officers.
Before reaching Jamaica the crew had
been on the point of mutiny half dozen
times. There had been blows and kicks
and cuffs; the FIST mate had been knock
ed down; the captain had called the
crew aft and made them speech; the
second mate had given the men to un-
stand that he sided with them; on reac n
ing Jamaica every one of the crew would
have deaorted but for the plans of the
ring loader. He had already sown seeds
which were taking root. The captain
did oypect the men to cut sticks, and
was surprised that none lsft. heard
him say as much to Mr.. Tarlker. When
tho latter found that the men were to
stay by he threatened to go ashore him
self, claiming that such men could only
be handled by enforcing the severest
discipline, but the captain somehow
snoothed it over with him, and when
VIC left the island we still had every
man aboard who had shipped at Bristol
On sc yeral occasions had seen Bristol
Bob and his cbums in close converse
tiop, and on several other occasions the
cook had slipped into the focastle
where he had no business to be, to hold
confabs. could see plain enough that
something suspicious was in the wind
and think Mr.. Parker also suspected
the plotting, as we had no sooner lef
Kingston than / saw him closely watch