The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1892-08-05
CATCHING A COOLIE.


exact date-that / was an able seaman
on board the ship John E. Redwood, O.
Philhpsburg, engaged in the East India
trade. This was my first deep water
voyage. Before this l had been in west
ern ocean vessels. During the doc
watches my mind was filed with the
wonders to be seen in deep waterman
heard many yarns about the marvellous
tricks in juggling of the natives of the
countries we visited, and of the fairly
desperate agility of the thieves that in.
tested the seaport towns of India and
China.
After an uneventful voyage we at.
rived at Bombay, and one of the crew
having been chosen for night watchman
the rest OF us were employed in working
cargo. The watchman's duty consisted
IN keeping a vigilant watch from in the
evening until 6 next morning. He was
responsible for everything that was
stolen. The rest of the time he was al.
lowed to do as he pleased.
My chum Bill Davis was chosen for
this duty, and we rather envied him.
To zee him sitting down in the shade
smoking his pipe, while we were work
ing our soul cases off under a broiling
sun and with scarcely breath of wind
to STIR the air, was enough to make any
one envious
One Saturday afternoon Bill came to
me as was taking quiet smoke and
asked me to stand his watch that night.
AS Bill had been a good shipmate /
could not refuse him, although / was
dead tired. All hands except the can
tain, the mate and myself, left for the
beach, bound on grand lark.
1t was still daylight, but even then
the ship seemed lonely and deserted.
The captain and mate were sitting ON
the poop abaft the after house, having
game and smoke. I fingered around
the BOBBY hatch and thought of the good
times ashore and felt lonelier every min
ute.
After sunset there was scarcely any
twilight, for the change between day
ana night was almost instantaneous.
What little breeze had been blowing
throughout the day had died out, and
the sea was like an immense mirror.
The sky was cloudless, and it was one
Oh those perfect nights that are only
seen in small ATTITUDES. The mel,-of
war started drilling with their search
lights, and the sight, as the light fen on
some stately ship, making her stand out
III bold relief while the rest of the fleet
was an indistinguishable mass of shad-
ows, was one never to be forgotten.
Watching the various doings in the har-
Dor served to pass the time, and / soon
forgot my surroundings, SO absorbed did
become Ia the different things that
were going ON. Nothing disturbed the
stiffness but new and then boatload
OF drunken firemen going off to their
vessel and dsspnting with their boat
man. Occasionally some one would
start a song, and as it drifted over the
water Its harshness was lost and only it's
beauty remained.
One by one these sounds died away,
and as there was nothing left to divert
my thoughts they came back to myself
and the ship. The silence was oppress-
i've. / felt insignificant in the midst of
it. How small I was. My mind was.
uneasy and FESTIVE. In fact, was nerv-
Gus, and could not account for it. In
order to calm myself as we'll as to kill
time began walking up and down the
poop; but having worked hard all day
| was soon tagged, and began hunting
around for something that would occu-
Ply me. In my wanderings found two
or three sheets of New York newspa.
per. This was prize. rugged the bin
nacle lampin the wheelhouse, and fixing
myself comfortably in the captains chair
| crowded on all sail for Intellectual en-
joyment
The only thing could find was stock
reports, advertisements and shipping
news. This was rather of disappoint-
inent, but ] started in to read those. /
found some of them quite interesting.
and presently l was taking solid com
fort In reading what felt to be a spe-
cles of news--dry as it was-from
home.
The door in front of me was omen.
and the moon had come up full. Every
thing In its direct rays was bathed in
the brightest light but the shadows
were horribly dark. / happened to
glance up as puzzled over, a queerly
worded notice, and my yecaught. for a
second only, the shadow of the head and
shoulders of coolie. AS saw it, there
flashed through my mind the yarns that
mad heard about the coolies stripping
themselves, then oiling their bodies and
swimming off to vessels with their
'dhu" or daggers; plundering the un-
guarded crews and disemboweling all
who tried TO seize them as they slipped
through their hands. jumped for the
aeckN sheathknife in hand
When got on deck there was no one
IN sight, and / listened for some sound.
Dot all was as quiet as deep under
ground cell. 1t was as though both of
US We're even holding eur breath so that
we should not betray our whereabouts.
There was not even the tapping of waves
against the ships sides. AS started to
sneak to the after part of the wheel
house could hear my heart beat. and
the sound of my footsteps as INV hare
teet lightly touched the deck. When
reached the corner of the wheelhouse I
brought my knife down around the cor
ner 70 the tut extent of my arm. Not ,
teeilng anything / ventured TO look :
tIouhu the corner. Not seeing any one :
turned the corner, and in this wsv 7 /,
around the house. carefnllv l
innng around each corner before fnrr.
ing it, '"ih- /
Alter having made the round of the {
doubled on my track and /
went back the other way: but co,,l5