The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-01-12

However, made up my mind that If
curios would make Mrs. Crowninshield
happy l would do my best to afford her
pleasure. So when we were bowling
along through the northeast trades and
the flying fish came aboard l used to
pick out the finest and largest and pre-
serve them for keeping, after the recipe
of an old sailor who was something of
q taxidermist. These fish would mount
on panels of wood given to me by the
carpenter, and with their wings extended
with ingenious skill Though say it who
shouldn't) they looked quite ornamental.
The captain did his best to make a
smart passage. The Coromandel was in
her best trim and was kept moving all
the time. When we got down to about
80 dogs. south latitude, and were in hopes
Of getting piping westerly breeze with
which TO run down. we were hampered
by a dead calm. 1t was quite lucky for
ME, but the skipper fretted and fumed
like newly caught bear In a pit. He
wanted to make the smartest passage on
record. The ship was surrounded by
fiocks of Cape pigeons, Cape hens and an
occasional albatross. The pigeons, which
are birds of beautiful plumage, were
caught easily with hook and line. All
you had to do was to throw over your
| line baited with morsel of salt pork
and haul them in hand over fist. l
caught several hundred and grew quite
expert in skinning them and curing the
skins. They were all intended for Mrs
Crowninshield.
1t was triumphant hour for me when
! l captured an albatross. | am an old,
broken down man now, having been q
sailor boy and nan for more than fifty
years, and chiefly IN the southern trade.
For voyage after voyage | have tried to
catch an albatross with bait, but failed
always Cape hens-the vultures of the
sea-you can c. pture at viii. They will
bite at any garbage. But the albatross
is a clearly bird and never knew one
| to be taken with hook and line.
This morninc, however, L was on the
forecastle head, hanging ont shirt to
dry, when the albatross Numbered on
board. He was magnificent bird, one
Of the finest | ever saw. He settled down
on the deck and looked like sailor that
had lost his bearings. In moment en-
sued battle that beat hollow the tilt of
the Knight of the SoIrowful Figure in
his duel with the windmills | grabbed
him by the neck and he thrashed at me
with bill and wing. The watch below,
hearing the noise, came running on deck
and rescued me. all covered with blood.
For the next two days | was engaged on
his skin. 1t used up all my arsenical
soap, and had TO get bottle of red
pepper from the steward to complete the
task It was all for Mrs. Crowninshield.
Did any misfortune happen the ship
after the killing of the albstross? Not
misfortune.
The ancient mariner was an adept In
romantic fiction. You can kill alba
trosses without any weather breeding
results. have no superstition, bat
will tell you something CLEANED from
ripe experience Fish. flesh and fowl
may be sacrificed at sea without any SUI
pernatural results. But | have never
known pig to be stuck aboard a ship
but that either gale of wind followed
or something disastrous happened. THIS
! viii swear TO.
We got to Colombo on the hundredth
day out from Salem-a capital passage
IN those days. Every lupee could scrape
up was spent III gathering together curics
for Mrs. Crowninehield. Ny father,
well to do Salem merchant. had thought
fully placed II the captains hands a
couple of hundred dollars to be doled
out to me during orr stay on the indian
coast. bought 2 biS cedar wood trunk
with quaint silver handles. and in this
moth proof receptacle | slowed away all
my precious bird skins and mounted flv-
ing fish. Ny love grew nader than ever. /
| had 4 letter OF introduction TO a
charming English family living near ka- /
duweila. > Ssag a2.ese village on the /
southern bank Of the Kalaay river, about /
a days Ioargey II bu.loC,i wagon from 1
Colombo. easily Obtained leave of sb- {
sence while ae snip was discharging her /
cargo. and spent week there thoroughly .
enjoying fBvself, by host made things /
very pleasant Tor me. and we took many I
excursions in the neighbo-hood that /
pleased me much.
One OF the famous resorts theresbout /
was a Buddhist temple, irreverently /
called a Joss house BY heathens and bar
barians Cut out of the natural rock. it /
was shaded by banysn trees, whose big
leaves, shaped like heart, ouivered con-
tinually in aspen fashion
inside the temple. which was guarded
by fat, good natured priest clad m a
yellow robe, rechned the image OF Bud
dha. leaning on his left arm The priest
showed us around the temple, and | e1-
plored every nook ana corner. Carefully
concealed behind q curtain was little
niche IN which we've arranged a number
Of lit;lc idols. evidently rhe priests own
particular Lares and Penates. One was
TIE ausintes. snd most picturesque thing
Of Ire KIND yoa ever saw. twas carved
or Of blocl. OF leak ana w2S four feet
high. Ii mad three heads, e4oa of which
WAS stumbled with three eyes CT Ceenish