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


7re Of a departed Ehipmate and the i'm.
--essive words of the burial service are
cnokinglv read by the Captain. Although
Afr. Blaine had been a verv reserved man
e had no intimate friends on board. / saw
many a brnnZad face wet with tears of SYM
ny IS the BODY shot from the planks into
,i.- blue waves and was lost to our sight fo--
ever.
The morning after the funeral We had a
e mpse of Australia, and [ recalled the
n0 Ks of adventure [ had read at school of
.5endigo mines and heeler, the bushranger
We did not have chance TO see much of
-.n famous island, as a strong gale pre-
relted our landing for water, as was in
ended. So we ran before the gale and on
aGy 6, after rounding the north island of
New Zealand. we met the ship California,
Captain Brightman. She left home the
December previous, and several OF our crew
o.ad letters and bundles of goodies"
t.m friends at home. The first mate
oought bona ide banjo from one OF the
crew, and was made the happy custodian
80 ne same.
have mentioned an old sailor we shipped
IN Fayal named Peter Lee, and also made
reference TO his love for spinning warns
flo had ar ugly scar on the top Of one foot,
aad often regaled us with thrilling tale of
EHw he served in the cavalry with the
Inion forces in the War Of the Rebellion,
7ld in 4 desperate charge upon the rebels
vas wounded in the foot by bayonet,
g lille at the same time he cut down the
rebel with his saber When we CANNED"
5ie California we found an old chip
late Of his who assured us that
i.a;n 81 10 '65 thev were both on a
a2ler in the Pacific Ocean. This opened our
ewes u little and in revenge for being SO
Inmercitullv humbugged L determined to
make it my business to get even with him.
Accordingly 1 iotted down every business
a- trade in which he said he had been en-
,aEcd, together with the number of years
a had devoted to the same, and one Sum-
~ when nothing else was available for
amusement, l confronted him with the list,
which proved him, by his own confession,
10 6e l25 years of age. He never forgave
l-e. hut in future We heard no more miracu-
-aas tales Of adventure from him.
Prem this time until June we cruised
UEsuocesstuily for whales, going as tar
zpun as French Rock. On the date above
.soationed We dropped anchor in the al
81 BIS. iand-lCckcd bay of Mongonui, on the
T.r. aeastern extremity of the north island
g New Zealand The ship California
f4.alcd us in and anchored near us. The
anrcr harbor is several miles in extent,
ruiic a narrow passage between the rocks,
barely wide enough FOR ship to enter, con-
rects it with circular bay or inner harbor,
here no swell ever is felt, and which is
.urrounded by high hills There is a
wooden pier, and small steamer arrives
once a week from Auckland with the mails
and shat little freight there NAV be. The
town proper consists of a dozen or so small
houses, occupied bv English settlers, two
stores, a ch Irch and q schoolhouse The
township il all includes over 40 square
miles.
The hal-caste NIaoris and full-blooded
natives bring down the famous "cowry''
cun TO the stores, where they exchange it
for the necessarIes of life. The gum is
.oDed BY steamer to Auckland
For lhc first lew davs after our arrival we
were busy carrying water casks ashore, fill
i...s them at a little spring, towing them
,.gngSide and hosting them on board. We
i.ai. 200 barrels in this manner during our
g-. and wet, cold work we found it. L
Lau!d mention that the Captain had sent
10 auckland for our letters, which were di-
ICrted there by his advice.
We now had plenty of fresh beef every
dav. and, what pleased ME the most, we
found an abundance of small quahoes,
which the natives call ''pippies." Every
svening after work was finished the crews
OF tine two ships visited freely, and the
sailor songs.
After We had been here week the steam
er Iona arrived with our letters, and all
work was suspended for that day. L had
several from relatives and friends, and an
abundance oi Boston papers, which read
ana rc-read until l almost knew them by
neaet. Alter l Lad read nv letters the first
time l mad an opportunity of watching the
rest little, and it was sight never to be
forgotten. Some had received pictures of
relatives and friends and soon we were all
Cling each other about our news, compar-
Ing pictures and boasting of the amount of
lail we had received. L neglected to state
j!.at when we were at Faval some of us had
l-,eIved letters, and l noticed that one fine
looking young man named Henry North, a
native OF Prince Edwards Island, received
10 mail whatever l asked him the cause,
aad be confessed his family were in ignor-
aGoe OF his whereabouts, as ne had left home
three years before and had never written to
Them. l was no saint, but told him in my
ldugn way that in common decency he
ought to at least let them know that their
son was alive, and finally persuaded him to