The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1890-01-16
A FIGHT FOR LIFE.
My Thrilling Experience on Small
Italian Graft.

"nu 0ouAu never reSI very long In one
place, so that have visited most parts
of the habitable globe, leaving home
sometimes at days notice, intending
to be away for months, and then as sud.
denly changing my mind, and returning
homo again.
About twenty years ago I suddenly
left London in the height of the season,
on one of these unprecedented voyages.
-Four days afterwards ! found myself
seated at the table-d'hote of the Croce
de Malta Hotel at Genoa. After dinner
I lit my cigar and strolled down to the
port.
While lounging about came across q
lot of rough-looking Italian sailors
dressed in blue jerseys and jelly-bag
scarlet caps. They particularly attract
cd me, for, being a bit of an artist, I
have an eye for color, so 1 stood watch
ing them for a minute or two, while
::ey were talking eagerly together, and I
caught the words Garibaldi and Caprera.
] said before that am given to sudden
impulses. One of these now seized me.
Why not go and visit this hero in his
island homo? I had always heard that
he liked Englishmen, and received them
Hospitality. l was one of his most ardent
admirers, and here was an opportunity
OF making his acquaintance and of seeing
his strange home.
But how was it to be managed? I
walked up and down for minute or two
thinking, and then determined to speak
to this group of sailors. l am a good
Italian scholar, so had no difficulty
upon that score, although sailors patios
is rather different from the language
used in polite society.
approached the group and wished
them 'Buona serra:" then, addressing
myself to tall, broad-shouldered follow
with long shaggy black beard, asked
him If he knew of any ship sailing for
Caprera and willing to take passenger.
Italians are a very inquisitive race,
and the fact that l, stranger, had
spoken to one of them, brought all
the group, who had dispersed, close to-
gether. to hear what had to say.
The man l had addressed, aftor look.
ing at me and then at his companions,
said: "Ah, signore, it will be difficult
ma tier to find ship going to Caprera,
for there is but little trade with the
island, and it is rather out of the way
for coasting vessels. l am only com.
mon sailor but here is tho 'padrone
Bartolo; he is the owner of a felucca
which trades between Genoa and Leg
horn; he may perhaps be able to tell the
signore what he asks. Eth, Bartolo;
what do you say?''
Bartolo, thus addressed, came up to
me with his hands in his trousers
pockets and a pipe in his mouth. He
was short, wiry-looking man, with a
black mustache and dirty, unshaven
face. He. had most evil expression OF
countenance, with a squint in his right
eye, and when he intended to smile, he
seemed rather to frown. Altogether, he
was about as untaking-looking an indi.
vidual as ever met:
repeated my question to him.
WELL" he said, II don't often 20 tc
Caprera, for it isn't worth my while; but
tomorrow night am sailing for Leg
horn, and as times are bad, if the sig.
nore' likes to make some arrangement
with me and my cousin, who goes with
me, we might manage to leave our regu'
lar course and land the signore on the
island, but l must first consult with
him, as he is part owner of the craft
The plan seemed as if it might an
swer, so sent him off for his cousin, tt
{: neighboring wine shop, and they soor
returned together. lie was very diff
ferent looking man from Bartolo, and
rather liked his appearance. A tall
stout-looking sailor with bland smile
but noticed that he was entirely under
Bartolo's thumb, and agreed with him
in every thing he said.
"Wcll, here is Antonio" said the lat
ter. "He thinks that VIC might accom-
odare' with the signore; but the ship is
not fine vessel, so perhaps the signore
had better see her before he decides
True, it is but a short journey oftwelve
or fourteen hours, so that little dis
comfort will not much matter, especially
as, this chance lost, it may be some time
before another presents itself. OF course
the signore understands that we are
poor men, and shall require some goo6
Involvement to make US lose time BY
going out of our way, but if the signore
will pay us one hundred lire (4G) down
and give us a small 'buona mano' on ar
rival, wo will take him.
The price did not seem extravagant
but it is always necessary to bargain
with Italians, or they take you for al
''imbecile" who can be easily robbed
50, bearing this fact in mind, depressed
establishment at their asking so much
and told them it was quite out of tn.
question. At last, after deal of hag-
Cling, he agreed that if next day Liked
the look of the craft, would pay then
eighty lire down, and give them anothel
ten lire on their landing me safely a
Caprera. <.-F
ltwas now getting late, so we separ
ated, on the understanding that was t.
meet Bartolo at the same place in tn,
morning at eight. -.@
Twas there at the appointed hour, ant
found him waiting for me. His cousin
he said, had gone on board, and was get
ting things in order, as they we're to sal
at six that evening.
After walking mile among sea o
masts and sails of all colors and shapes
we at last got to Bartolo's ship. Sh,
was small coasting felucca with a larg
lateen sail, of the kind so common il
the Mediterranean. Antonio and tn
man had first spoken to the night be
fore were busy slowing away misce]
laneous cargo CT grain, fruit and baccals
or dried stockfish, which it is to b
hoped tastes better than it smells.
stepped on board and was shown M
cabin, il such it could be called. It wa
III the forepart Of the ship, and close t
the mast. I entsred it through anarrew
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