Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-06-28
in cotton goods risked a schooner load to
some more southern port.
Cnnldn,t Find a Comnanion.

in cotton goods risked schooner load to
some more southern port.
Couldn't Find Companion.
In all the difficulties that encountered me
from the first moment of my landing al
Port Louis there was none that concerned
me more than securing the help of some
able-bodied companion; one to whom ]
could talk and who could converse with me
and the Malagasy as well-some one who
knew something of Madagascar; of the
Country, the people, and how best to avoid
all those dangers with which my ears had
been filled since first made known my de-
sign. had freely advertised in the little
French weekly paper published in Port
Louis. My host in the country, too, had
let it be widely known about the island.
The natural consequence followed. l had
for the first few days host of applicants.
And such applicants! Adventures, broken
down speculators, castaways from ships and
the rif-raff of a floating, half-creole, half
English population.
None suited me. I did not see single
face that 1 felt l could trust in so long and
dangerous an adventure. Finally 1 gave it
up and decided to proceed alone. Mean
while had arranged by half-charter, with
a French gentleman on the island to go
over to Madagascar and help land a cargo
of cotton goods with which a little vessel
he owned had long been loaded. The day
came at last for her sailing and having all
my goods aboard, bid farewell to my kind
friends in Mauritius and set sail for the
coast of
The Great African Island.
I was practically alone. I knew no one
in the motley crowd that peopled the deck
of the schooner. The captain was a French
creole of yillainous counteIance. He spoke
a little broken English, but surly, oyerbear-
ing and cruel The crew consisted of four
men, ali creoles, who spoke only bad
French. The dozen passengers were all
French people of the lowest caste, taking
their chance again in country from which
they had been driven by the Malagasy.
In the weeks passage to the coast 1 would
sit for hours on the roof of the little low
house on deck, buried in nay own reflections;
talking for days to 10 one, and finding no
solace in the certainty now of the desperate
adventure had undertaken. One morning
I heard a shout from forward and saw some
Of the crew leaning over the schooner's rail
and pointed eagerly down at the sea- 1
walked forward and looked over A large
school Of dolphins were sporting in the foam
that the bluff bows of the vessel made Two
or three of the men got lines and COM
mcnced to fish with hooks baited with
pieces of rag. Presently one of them
crawled out on the short bowsprit to get a
better chance. The jib had been hauled
down, as the schooner was sailing Ewing in
wing before the wind. The sail lay in
tumbled heap upon the spar. The sailor
reached it and sat down. He commenced
to unwind his line when
Suddenly He Gave Shrek
dropped his tackle in the sea and sprang up
the stay. He pointed frantically at the jib
and screamed for the captain. My friend
with the villainous face first let loose a vol
ley of horrible profanity at the frightened
sailor, then he got over the bows himself
and climbed out on the bowsprit. The sailor
Joined him, and they both began TO loose the