The Press., 1890-03-06
plates and platters from slipping oil was hro,,ght into permanent use.

plates and platters from slipping of was brought into permanent use.
 Transit from galley to cabin was ace complished by crawling on two legs ana one arm, thus making of myself peri patetic human triangle, while the unoe- cupied hand with difficulty bore aioft the soup tureen. It was then l appreci- ated the great advantages afforded III certain circumstances by the prehensne caudal termination of our possible re- mote ancestors. With such properly equipped appendage, the steward might have taken a close hitch around an eye bolt, and let all the rest of himself and his dishes safely down into the little cabin. It 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 l have done some thousands of times, used to
  never went in the boats, never pulled an oar. I had other fish to fry in the galley, and now that commence to realize what 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. It 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. I didn't take the hint the first time they ate with us, deelning the entire absence of butter and sugar at the end of the repast to be owing to my placing a small amount on the table.
 The second time they came on board remedied this. But on inspection after they had finished I found left only an empty butter plate and sugar bowl. It was so at the third trial. Butter and sugar seem to be regarded as delicacies by the natives of Lower California. NoI do they seem to comprehend the real mission and import of butter and sugar on the table. They regarded both these articles as regular dishes, and scooped them in. On discovering this, after g consultation with the captain, put them on allowance. These two men would have eaten up all our butter and sugar in four weeks.
 However, it was comparatively a slight toll they levied on us for carrying of 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 ir Marguerite bay that season. It was prac tically an invasion, only the Mexicans didn't seem to know they wereinvaded or didn't care if they did know So long l as they had plenty of butter and sugar. on coming on board and the blubbel stripped carcasses which came on shore they seemed satisfied. These carcasse they cut open when stranded and ex tracted the fat about the heart, which on being fried out, would yield from on to four barrels of oil and about thre miles of solid stench. They borrowed from us the vessels wherewith to boi this fat. was ordered to loal them all the pots, pans and kettle which could be spared from my culi nary laboratory. They never returne them, and was very glad they di not. No amount of securing would ever have rid them of the odor of de composed leviathan. We left them
 dozen or so iron vessels the richer. Mexican, at least on that coast, with
 kettle is looked up to as man of wealth Beyond serapes, cigarette lighters, sac dles and brides, the gang of natives o shore had few other possessions. The seemed brilliant examples of contente poverty. The individual Mexican is
 more independent being than the citize
 of our own boasted Independent" n' tion. His wants are ten times less.
 Some mercantile hopes may hang o the senoras and senoritas. The few W saw wanted calicoes of gay and b,d+ diver e Sugar, but whether they will buy thes articles remains to be proved. PerhaE furniture sets of polished and painte horses skulls might tempt some of tn more asthetic in the matter of househol adornment to purchase, if put at reason able rate. Such are the conclusion drawn regarding the probabilities ( trade with Mexico, at least the fragmer of Mexico saw from my galley. If W wanted any service of them they talke dollars at very high figure. But the never abated. They showed no anxiet to tempt bargain or an engagement They went on just as ever, full to tn
 brim of genuine sangfroid, eternally rol ing, lighting, and smoking their cigal cites, and looking as if they felt then selves superior race, and knew it al and didn't want to know any more, unt we asked them to eat. Then they seeme in no hurry, but clambered lazily dow the cabin stairs and lazily set to work {
 find the bottom of every dish on th able, including the sugar dish and bu, ter plate. I learned on that voyage tn true signification of the term "g "greaser. Et PRENTICE MULFoRD. {