Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-05-08

and after roaming about Tor some Time
finally took passage for Chatham Islands
with partner, intending to engage in sheep
raising. Upon arriving at the latter place
his partner died. Hunt cast longing eyes
upon fertile island about ten miles from
Big Chatham and uninhabited. Twice a
wear the natives went to it in their canoes
for birds eggs, and at last he moved his
family to it, coolly took possession of the
land, built rude hut, and in spite of the
threats of the natives and the rigors of the
climate in winter, he lived there year after
year, until at length he came to be known
as the owner of the whole island, and it is
usually called Hunts Island by sailors to-
day.
As time passed on his family increased,
and two sons grew to manhood who knew
no other world than that bounded by the
rocky shores of the little isle. Two daugh-
ters also grew up and married the officers of
trading schooner which called semi-annu-
ally for wool, for his few sheep had in
creased until they were numbered by the
thousands. The sons-in-law forsook the
sea, built houses near by, and thus, with
his own immediate family around him, the
sturdy pioneer has livedto good old age,
while his sheep number over 10, 600 and
over 100 cows are grazing on the green hills.
d
whaling ships to call there. as beef can be
bought for triHe, and wild sheep may be
captured by the score without price.
The jovial old fellow gave us an OK, 80
sheep, the wool of which was inferior and
valueless to him, and turned us loose in his
dairy to drink milk to our hearts content.
we also purchased field of potatoes and
dug them ourselves, but as the supply Of
hoes and shovels was limited, I, among
others, was obliged to use my fingers. A
cracked old piano was in the house, and in
the evening was invited to favor the
company with few selections. I insisted
that my fingers were too sore from my agri-
cultural efforts, and after that I dug no
more "spuds."
The island comprises 16, 400 acres of land,
he informed me, and at that time he EN-
ployed four white men and two Portuguese.
He had large herd of horses which, how
ever are useful only for riding. A sound
young horse in some parts of New Zealand.
by the way, is worth only from 81 to G5
sterling.
The old man Hunt was passionately fond
of music and on this account 1 was always
one of the crew to pull the Captain ashore
in the evening, and my musical perform
museum, were simply marvellous to the un-
sophisticated settlers 1 had collected a
piccolo, harmonica, banjo and flute from
various sources, and, as one of the crew
PLAYED very nicely on large German ac-
cordon, we had several "star" pieces
which we performed in a most agoniz-
ing manner. Under the combined infiu-
ences of our music and repeated potations
the old gentleman finally dragged his better
half to the piano one night, and, together
they sang ''The Banks and Braes of Bonnie
Doom" in the fashion of half a century ago.
Words are too weak to describe the perform
ance, but they meant well, and ielt quite
encouraged in regard to the merits OF my
own efforts in that line. Two of our men
ran away here and hid in the hills, and we
went to sea for weeks cruise, knowing
that they would be glad to return by that
time. For several days we kept company
with the Alaska, and CANNED" at night.
One evening I was chatting with the Sec
ond mate of the Alaska, an old but stalwart
negro, when he informed me that his cap
tain and himself had been boat steerers to-
gether. As he evidently felt how much
more favored the Captain mad been by Dame
Fortune, he remarked sadly:
"Yaas, sir; we was bofe OBJ us boat steerers
and now he's marster OBJ dis ship,
an dis poor ole debbil KANT he'd no better'n
South!'
No one but a sailor can fully appreciate
he simile, but it expressed his meaning |
oetter than a more elaborate speech could |
probably have done.
At last we caught our two runaways and |
'esumed our cruise. We took several large
whales during the remainder of the season,
md on April IL we raised a strange sail, |
which proved to be the new ship Horatio, |
Captain Charles Grant, one of the oldest |
md most successful OF Nantucket Captains,