Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1892-12-09

ut the dog, and l observed that they
Kept Well clear of him. l took all this
III In flash, and l also saw that moth
ing short of some stampede would save
the brig and the lives of all her crew,
and that something had to be done
quickly.
Just to show those on deck that 1
was not raid backed the headyards,
for l haG the brig under full control.
and told them all that | merely wanted
to keep the briggs head off shore HAY
ing done this, ordered up some eases
, of rum, and no sooner were the heads
Knocked in than l saw that pandc-
/ monlum was about the reign supreme
Immediately they went ut the rum,
pouring it down their throats like
| water and, i'll one instance, one man
pouring the entire contents of demi-
/ john down the throat of one of his fell
lows. Once they got hold of rum they
refused to talk trade of any kind, and
: their game became apparent, if it had
not been before
''At this stage one of my crew came
aft with the word that the boats COM
that it looked us if the spears were
about To be passed on board. Without
further ado l myself took the wheel,
telling the steward, who was close by,
to stand by to relieve me, and gave
the word to my men to fill away tie
head yards. Tho crowd on deck was
by this time too much cngroSSCd i'll
tn MI
In Il twinkla | had the head sails
drawing. In another moment the brig
was keeling over under her canvas to
the tune of an cight-knot breeze, and
the boats alongside We're ut the same
time cut adrift. l let the brig go off
some three or four points and ordered
every man in the crew to be prepared
to jump in with his pistol and cutlaSs.
for by this time the ycllS of the Iii
mates of the canoes we were leaving
; behind had attracted the attention of
those on deck, and the latter were just
! beginning to realize their situation.
| Il now turned the wheel over to the
steward in order to have my hands
free. for, rs they felt and SAW the brig
fairly Swimming over the water, fear
and anger was at once depicted on their
! faces. Some drew knives, others vague
! ly looked about for the arms they cx-
| pected, all of which latter had been
I capsizcd by the brig rs she bore down
! on the canoe containing them.
| 81 saw that the time to act had como
and, giving the word one of the men
! forward turned Inncn tr,N I,,IIIn,, WIZ,
, one leap Bull seized the nearest black,
who, as he felt the dogs teeth. gave
/ ono of the most uncarthly piercing
! yCls I ever heard. Go in, menr |
shouted to the crew, and my bravo
| fellows, mere handful. flung them
! selves, cutlass and pistol in hand, into
/ the black mass. The yclls of the man
, first seized by the dog started the en-
! tire crowd. and, as black after black
! went down before the cutlaSs strokes
: of my men, the yclls, the slashing, thu
terrible blood-curdling scene was somt.
thing horrible.
| AT almost the first assault Of the
| crow the blacks made Il rush for mo
as | stood aft. AS they came along I
myself for Il free use of the blade
| AS [ did 50 the frenzy of the hrutCS
seemed to reach its height, for man
after man of them who WAS unhurt
sprang upon the rail and lcapcd into
the sea. In the distance far behind
could be seen the outlines of the canoes
still pulling toward the brig, and to
| ward these canoes those who Sprang
, overheard struck out. With the bull
/ dog in the lead, we never stopped tho
work of the blade until the last brute
| had leapcd over the side, and then we
| cleaned UP the decks by helping what
remained of the affair with a seatOss
! over the side.
! GAS the last remnants of our visitors
! were cleared off the decks l let the
! brig come UP into the wind, just to see
what they proposed doing low that
! we had shown fight, but ...ere had
evidently been too much scare-too
much drowning and too many missing
to give them an appetite for further
fight, for as the big canoes approached
the scene, with the evident intention
VI plbhLSo up huOIl IhNy tOuu,
canOemcn gave q great shout, and then,
holding up for Il moment their paddles
and crossing them in airs in letter
X shape, they let fall and slanted in
for the beach.
con the briggs deck everybody, in
Guiding the dog, was ready for q furth-
; er tussle, the latter in particular, be-
ing by no means satisfied by the pun
ishment he had inflicted. L think,
though, that as we began to cool down
all hands were glad of the end. We
doubtless failed to afford those Daho-
meyans the feast they had fully ex-
pected having off us that day, for, as
was afterward told by an English
captain at Widdah, when relating to
him our experience, we had most
lucky escape. AS it was, good dog,
a fine crew, and a stiff breeze alono
saved a smart American brig on that
occasion from being lost.
"That the Frenchmen have ut last
taken the brutes in hand / am glad to
see, and I wish them success. There
Is nothing would wish better than to
be with them"