New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-04-09
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
SOME STEERING ADVENTURES.

Choyce, Master Marines. Now first published. With
mander v. Iovett Cameron Z. NJ; With Introduc-
ton and notes. Illustrated. evo' PIP o''' ""'
milan Co.
aThe Log of Jack Tar" is a narrative Of high IN
teres and contains incident and adventure enough 10
lit out score Of romances 1t is tho work OF "a pam
eeafaring man. as the author describes hmsen' anu
though IL was written aftcr he had retired rom tie
sea, and as Commander Cameron con1ectures WIN
little help from notes or records 1t bears suihcent
marks Of gcnulneness to convince the most sRepueai
that its worst defects mainly slips OF memory
Wherever it is possible to test 1t by comparison as
in description Of foreign countries, the chtor mas
satisfied himself of the fidelity OF the eio saior
recollectons, and 1t may be accep'ed wi""u'
hesitation as true account Of strangely al
yenturous and checkercd life. james Choyce
was illterate bat he not without uhcture
Of literary TASTE aud while his narrative Is smpe anu
direct It Is perfectly inteigiblc and graphic ne mas
ono very entertaining characteristic Like MT WIS.,
he is given to dropping into poetry" but unAkc mr.
wcgg the poetry he drops into Is his own At IN
teryals apparently when his feelings are more than
usually worked up, he describes the situauoh III
kind of ballad metre and after fashion stronsH
reminiscent Of the orthodox street chants which nave
been the vehicle commcmoraton for all interesting
events and news among the Enghsh io"er 0i~''S'
during several centuries
James Choyce was a farmers son, but he did not
take TO the agricultural iife and his father dying
when he was sixteen, he bound himseH apprehuce III
the Southern whale fishery, in the ship LONDON
Escaping from a French prvateer when rev oayS
out the coast of Chill reached and visit paiu
TO the Galapagos which Choyce describes accuFa'eH'
At Payta the London fell into a Spanish trap her
people being ignorant that war had been oeclareu
between England and Spain, and all were maoe PSo"
ers Here begins long and fascinating recital oi
repeated but vain endeavors to escape by the auor
and his mcssmates. The Spaniards appear 10 nave
treated them quite humanely upon the whole. IN
the liberty of the towns where they stopped to rest;
and Choyce freely admits that whenever TINS privileges
was withdrawn it because the Sailors OF some
of them, would get drunk and mis6ehave themselves
He instances one incorrg6le rufan who was sure 10
be intoxicated on the FIST opportunity, and when IN
that condition used to set the authorities at defiance,
until the spanards who did not want to kill the man.
had the happy thought of compelling his smph"tes u
CAPTURE him. OF course his comrades did not ENJOY
this duty, and sometimes they made things so uh-
pleasant for the mefactor that he induced to keep
some little guard over himself. Drunkenness was,
however very common among sailors at the tine ana
Choyces mates were in superior to their class
Several attempts to escape were partially successful
The fugitives got away from their prisons ana procured
boats OF one EDd and another, but they never couu
obtain provisions in sufficient quantity; ana bens
compelled TO hug the coast for food and wafer, they
were always eventually Overhauled and returned 10
their captivity. Once Choyce got into quite COM
Portable place, being given charge OF large garden
though he knew nothing about gardening lie had
courage and intelligence, however, and so contrived
that his garden a great success, and brought MN
much reputation. Here he had Indians under hin,
and account Of the wife OF one OF these that
his little paradise became untenable fer him. Per-
haps he is not quite CANDID In this episode, but he
makes ii clear that jealousy and that the pas
sionate and revengeful Indian character threatened
grave consequences Naturally he thought this favor
able reason for fresh attempt at escape, but like so
oX.1, NE ole nUa1
Choyce lived some time at Lima and Callao. Some
times the prisoners of paid daily allowance
md expected to "fndn themselves. Sometimes they
were allowed to make little money by brading straw
hats Sometimes they obliged to labor for
the Government. Nowhere did they suffer much hard
Ship and though abused account OF their religion
they found the spanards generally kind and humane
After many failures, Choyco and few Of his comrades
succeeded in getting away from Callao but the prlva
teer which rescued him was In few weeks herself
captured by Spanish war-shps and once more he
found himself prisoner, with the added affection that
If he fell the hands of those who knew his ante
cedents he would probably be hanged as pirate,
inasmuch as his party had stolen Spanish brig in
order to free themselves
To avoid being sent back to Lima hero Joined
n spanish man-of war, and after some time was en-
abed to desert and reach Porto Bello Thence he
was sent on board English frigate only to find the
form of his captivity changed, for he was now as
signed to regular duty under strict naval discipline.
Disguised with that state Of things, he seized the rst
opportunity to desert the Melampus, and afer further
adventures reached England His next was whaling
VOYAGE but his ship was captured by French privar
feer and he was sent TO Bayonnc. Here he began to
experience the brutality and inhumanty with which
Napoleon treated his prisoners of war. Choyce tried
to escape but caught again on the Spanish from
tier and marched, loaded with letters and chains, to
yerdun, where the English prisoners Of war were
kept His suferings here were great, and finding no
o;tb ~ or exchange himself
of as a Spanard and Joined the French service. lie
was sent to LOrient, and while there effected his
escape In mudbOat and was picked up by one OF the
English blockading squadron. He was just in time
TO take part the action in the Basque Roads, and
subsequently discovering that he would not be given
his liberty or even allowed to go Shore he deserted
If IL can be called deserton-at Cawsand Bay and
made his way to London. After this he made three
whaling voyages, rising in rank from second mate to
master, and with the profits Of these voyages he re-
tired from the On his last voyage he put into
Juan Fernandez where he found gang of pirates who.
but for Choyce's prudent precauton, would have
seized his ship. His troubles were now nearly over
and though he experienced much rough weather and
some anxiety from q partial mutiny in his crew, the
VOYAGE was prosperous. The ogbook Of this old salt
is well worth reading throughout and his narrative is
q valuable addition to the Adventure Series.
Commander Cameron thinks that the " Narrative of
Captain OBrien" very probably furnished Marryat the
groundwork OF those adventures of Lieutenant OBren
to be found in Peter Simple" and this will certainly
add interest to the recital for all who familiar
with that delightful story Captain O'Brien one
of the prisoners at Verdun, and he like Choyce
capped from durance only TO be captured the from
tier, and this not once, but twice. The second time
he got far Bavaria before he taken, and
Notwithstanding his rank he forced to march
through France chained to gang of the lowest
criminals, and every night thrown into the
"cachot" blscli-holc of the nearest Jail. Then he
was taken TO the fortress Of Bitche, where he was
thrust with other prisoners Of into subteranean
dungeon literally swimming in filth. The treatment
of the English at this prison worse than that
OF the galley glaves, and Napoleon actually sent
several such prisoners to the raeYs for darinn 10