The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-06-17
THE LAST CRUISE.

one OF the natives particularly attracted
my attention. He was man past mid
die age, his woolly hair sprinkled with
gray. He was of commanding stature
and very erect. spokeexcehent Eng
lish, and his conversation showed that
he possessed some advantages of educa-
ton which placed HIM far above the plane
of observation-disclosures fellow islanders.
His history had been an eventful one.
When he was 16 years old the captain of
British vessel had taken him to Lon
don, where the ships owner gave him
employment as porter in his warehouse.
The boy, who was bright and active, re-
ceived the name Albert johnson; he be-
came favorite, and one of the clerks
taught him to read and write. He re-
manned FIVE years in London, and then
returned to his island home.
As looked through the open doorway
of his dwelling, before which we stood
while he told me the story of his early
life, | saw what 1 at first thought was an
idol, but second glance showed it to be
the figure head of vessel
1t had represented, in high relief, fe-
male clothed in a flowing robe, with one
arm folded across the breast and the other
pointed upward. The lower limbs were
broken, the hand of the uplifted arm was
missing, and a portion of the nose was
gone. There was little left of the gliding
that once embellished it, but the lines
were gracefully drawn, and it had evil
IDENTITY been executed by an artist in wood
of no mean pretensions.
"What ship did thatbelong to?" asked.
"That was the figurehead of a schooner
that was lost on the island many years
ago." johnson replied. "Its a long story
and sad one, too" he continued, as he
gazed wistfuIly toward the mutilated
fgurehead.
He hesitated moment, and then mo-
toned me to seat upon a palm log
which served the purpose Of bench in
front of his hut. He seated himself by
my side, lighted his pipe and told me
this story:
Gone morning, just after sunrise, in
October, 1S47, about a year after my re-
turn from England, sail was seen
standing in toward heisland from the
eastward. Soon afterward one Of our
people, who had climbed to the top of a
cocoanut tree to have a look, sung out
to us that it was topsaA schooner. The
wind was fair and she came along at a
lively rate until she was quite close,
when she clewed UP her topgaIlant and
gaff topsail, threw her topsal aback and
lay to not above four cable lengths-from
the beach.
"a beautiful craft she was; her long,
black hull lay low in the water; her
masts, tall and tapering till they looked
not bigger than this pipe stem, raked
way aft; they weren't stuck forward as
if they wanted to tumble over the bow,
as is the fashion nowadays. Her rigging
was as trim as any man-of-war's, and.
there was crowd of men on her deck.
"a SLAYER, said l.
"'Yes,' said my father, who stood at
my side, 'and she's got her cargo aboard,
too
''As he spoke, boat was lowered from
the schooner, and pulled for the shore.
A tall, longfaced man, whom took for
a Yankee, and who was evidently one of
the mates, sat in the stern sheets When
the boat touched the sand, the crew
Sprang out, while the mate rose to his
feet, and looking at our people, who
stood in great crowd on the beach, said
in Portuguese: who's king herep
"All looked toward my father, and
moved back little, leaving him standing
almost alone foot or SO in front of the
others.
1--we have no king in Annobon, said
my father; what do you want?'
"'Hav and he ripped out big oath.
I've heard of you Annobon niggers,' he
replied; what we want is water
"'How much water do you wantY
asked nay father.
Enough for our crew and passen-
gers
'Passengersr exclaimed my father,
making believe he was astonished,
though he knew all the time what the
mate meant.
"'Yes, passengers; we have a lot of
gentlemen and ladies aboard there, who
who have taken passage on board our |
schooner for the Brazils, and we hain't |
got enough water to last EN- the voyage
my father hesitated, and then said,
I'll go on board and see the captain. /
s'pose you amt him?
Ono was the reply, TIM second !
mate of the craft
MY father stepped into a canoe, beck !
1 \ l. IL.
we pushed off toward the schooner, nv |
'ather calling out 20 our people in their
OWN language not to leave the beach I'M !
il he came back. Passing under the /
,chooner's stern to get around on the |
;tarboard, read her name, Clelise, of |
Bordeaux.
AT the starboard gangway stood a
mall, slender built man whom we found !
o be the captain. He wasn't more than |
i've feet and a half high, and his face /
vas as smooth as a weman's; he had q |
arge nose and light gray eyes. Dressed |
n blue cloth jacket with white duck |
and a jaunty little cap on the /
ide of his head, he looked more like
smart young naval officer than the cap |
ain of a SLAYER.
LAS we drew alongside he sung out to
Is not to come on board, and asked in |
Portuguese, which he spoke with
French accent: Is the chief in that
,anoeT
"'You can speak TO me- replied my
ather; what do you want?
L want water for my schooner, and
want you natives to help my men get
t on board. Where is the best place To
Lnchor?
The decisive manner in which the