The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1890-09-10

Late in the autumn Of II / sailed from
Boston in the ship had commanded for
four wears and more-the Clark Whit
ney." She was heavy ship for her day
and generation, and heavily spared and
rigged and I believed in having a good
crew. had four-and-twenty hands be-
sides myself and officers but they were
not such hands as l would have selected
had l been at liberty 10 select.
The truth was, while the ship was be-
ing loaded and the crew shipped, l was
on my back, sick with the measles. 1t
was the second time I'd had them, for !
am very sure that took them in course
with the family in my childhood. How
eyer, my wife explained it. She said only
very handsome people had the measles
twice. And | was very glad she thought
so.
Jack Bracket, my first mate, had tax
en- the new men-sixteen of them-and
tough, hard set they were. Never a
better man, nor a better sailor trod a
ships deck than was Jack Bracket but
he was an easy going body, very apt to
be imposed upon and altogether too ready
to belive what others told him without
bothering himself to think and consider
He hated wrangle and yet, for all that
let him be fully aroused-let somebody
trample on him, and reach the.magazine
of his temper-and ] think he could be
the most savage, the most terrible man
in his wrath, that ever saw.
But never mind that. The men had
signed the ships books, and were part
! of the crew and when l saw that they
really wished to sail with me, | tried tC
be reconciled. They had come from two
of the very worst clearinghouse in Bos
ton. and Brackett had taken them on ths
recommendation Of q certain shipping
agent on Commercial street, who, for hi
own and family's sake shall be nameles'
here
We made the run from Boston TO Can
ton. China, direct, stopping only at con
yenient ports-Cape-Town, Batavia, and
so on-for supplies. So far as | was con
cerned, had but little trouble; bu
Bracket had great deal. He was easy
and good-natured, and the rascals pu
upon him. They didn't know what the,
were doing. By-and-by-it was after VI
had left Cape-Town-they aroused th'
tiger in him, and he turned on then
with a vengeance. His first essay in th'
new character was during the mid-watcs
on the second night after passing Good
Hope. lie knocked down four Of th'
men off hand, and two Of them he knock
ed down second time.
Still, his berth wasn't an easy one. III
was obliged to go armed continually, an'
it fretted him, and made him morose ant
unjust. But it isn't my purpose to tel
of poor Jacks trials, further than this
By the time we had let 90 our anchors il
the Canton river, the majority Of tn
crew were in state Of rank insuboidins
ton. They never refused TO obey me
but they would obey nobody else. Tn
result was, the sixteen men who haI
shipped while was sick, deserted-eve
nv man of them-and Bracket begge'
me not to try to find them.
From Hong Kong l was to proceed I
the Philippines-the port of Manila, bu
couldn't sail without crew. At Length
however, with the assistance Of a friend
ly agent on shore-an English gentle
man whom | had known many years
succeeded in engaging fourteen Coolie:
They were the best l could get, and
was really glad to take them. ] made th
run to Manila in two weeks, and ther
NV Coolies ran away-every mother
son of them and l afterwards learne'
that they had shipped for the sol pun
pose of reaching the Island Of LuzCn-
Thus my ship was left with n1ysel
three mates, a supercargo, and eight mer
who had beeiI with me several years an
upon whom could depend but ! coul
not go to sea with that crew. In th
event of battling, chsngefui weather, tn
work would wear them down quickly.
made my want known to our consul, an
he promised to do what he could to al
me.
One day Malay, giving his name
Palana, came on board. and informed m
that he had sailed in three different En-
lish ships, and that he had twelve con
panions, who were good sailors, and ths
they would like to 90 to America. l iii
ed Palana's looks He was tall, mu
culsr fellow, somewhere about 30 yea
of age, and spoke Eng lish so as 10
readily understood. Like all his kind
had look in his eye and about Il
heavy lids tLst plainly said {:
Don't tread on me-
But didn't think him dangerous.
told him to bring his comrades aboai
| II L.. mo heua a 1ool at them