The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-03-26
Copyright ty The Aaihor.l

tava, the very heart of that favored region.
Our family. the Martovitch. were well-to-
do merchants of old standing. But q cou-
pie of years after my fathers death our
house wound up it's affairs. 1t proved too
hard a task for my mother, old as she was,
20 superintend matters. so she resolved to
close the shop and retire from business. OF
course. 1t devolved upon me to assist her
and step into my fathers shoes.
But something very different was in store
for me. From childhood / showed such q
great dislike TO a tradesman's life that my
father sent me oyer TO Kberson to the naval
school. Here / became an ardent reader of
Dumont Durvil. Cooper. Sir Walter Scott
Gustave Aimard. This gave me q passion
for adventures-for travels, for unknown
lands-for Highlanders, redskins, Indians
Americans.
My studies com pleted. got my diploma of
shipmaster. and began my career in the
usual way in the coasting trade.
First went down the Dnieper to Nicopo-
lis. then to Nicolaev and Otchskov. and
finally embarked in 8 genuine coaster upon
the Black sea 10 Odessa. Sebastopoi and
Rostof.
TOOK u FANCY lOI Tue sea. MY lbtuoA was
still living at that time. l got from him
two thousand roubles and set myself to
build vessel OF my Own. wanted so
much to try my luck in my own ship. But
my money was not sufficient to complete
the task. had to abandon 1t. and sold the
bull of the boat for four hundred roubles.
and took engagements as captain of various
merchantmen.
Three years passed thus Then my father
died-and my mother requested me to come
back TO Pultava. spent about six months
with her. but the longer l remained the
more wanted to go from my native land.
] tried to be useful to her in the shop; but
trade was dIstasteful TO me, as have said
and began TO beg her to give me my
ehare of inheritance. The whole OF my
Share, after the selling of our bit of land
md the liquidation of the business,
amouted to 1900 roubles-
10 me this sum appeared an lnexhaustl-
Bile treasure! i began to beg my mother to
Jet me go abroad-'to see the people and to
show myself to them." as it is sung in the
popular ballads. She refused for a long
time, but finally yielded to my entreaties
and gave me her permission TO 60. l took
part of my money and lett her-we
thought for three months, but il was two
years before | returned.
My first trip was TO Vienna. The city
did not satisfy me at all. / went to Italy
and then TO Paris. The latter seemed in
teresting and attractive. but not striking
IT all. i resolved to see England, and l
pane to London accordingly. The city I'M
pressed me very much at first. but after
three months got accustomed to 1T. The
desire TO see America then took possession
of me. so / wrote to my mother, VINO sent
ME another three thousand of my money.
and got an engagement on the famous
Great Eastern, which was on the point OF
sailing TO the now world TO lay the first ca
BILE across the Atlantic. The work was hard.
the pay was small, but was delighted to
have the honor of taking u part however
modest, In such q glorious enterprise. L
keep. up to the present. silver commem-
grafton medal as n record of my engage
ment, which was all the more extraOrdina-
~ as could not speak one word OF En-
glish. i lad TO make the best of my poor
French and German, and the Dutch mill
tary Technology that l had learned at
BchoOl. On the whole acquitted myself
tolerably we'll. Later on. in America. i
met with much greater difficulties on &C.
rount OF my ignorance OF English. Upon
The giant steamer all went on smoothly
enough. because the crew and the staff OF
officers were composed of men of different
nationallties.
On Arriving in America l spent four
months in New York doing nothing. At
last l got tired OF New York. too. ana re-
polved to see the interior OF the country. /
went to philadelphia. Washington and
Chicago. From Cincinnati TO New Orleans
j Travelled on steamers, In company with q
young German sailor. Bruno Wilhelmson.
pf RostOc. with whom / had struck up q
friendship on the Great Eastern. Together
we went down the Mississippi now as
passengers, now as working sailors,
again ss simple stokers. / had money
enough to pay for both, but was careful
pot TO spend more than l could help IN a
Foreign country. THIS time it was hard for
me. indeed, to so on without English, as
hardly any one understood French or Ger
man. lcould get no engagement except for
rough work.
From New Orleans / made q trip to
Texas, hoping to see the famous heroic
redskins OF Fenimore Cooper. But the in
teresting heroes of that novelist have
either disappeared from the face of the
earth, or have been converted into modest
walters, grooms, and even cooks, In Gal
weston, Washington. BOmont and other
towns. Not quite modest though, / mist
add; for | suspect 10 was these very red
skins who robbed be at Galveston. where.
whilst was sound asleep IN my room at
the inn, my trunk. clothes and linen were
dexterously spirited away through the win
dow. Fortunately for myself the money
was not lost. for kept IL tied to my body.
This incident diminished so much my en-
thuslasm Tor the redskins that did not 60
further into their country returning at once
TO New Orleans
IL
Not satisfied with my experiences in the
land of the redskins, / resolved to see
Mexico. q country little visited by
Europesns-the land of the celebrated
Aztecs, the home of the unfortunate
lturbites and of the valiant Juarezer.
Mexico was q very interesting country at
that time; the war for independence had
Just been finished. and the execution of
Of
The country rejOiced at the deliverenoe
from its unasked-for 'benefactors."
embarked for Vera Cruz, visited Puebla
me very much. l spent about five mouths
there. and even fell slightly in love with q
signorita learning for her sake fifty or q
hundred Spanish words.
but always felt "A certain WEAKNESS on
terra tirms. / was born a sailor. and the
sea drew me to itself again. | began to
talk 10 Bruno about trying the sea once
more. Bruno W as my trav cling companion
all the time, and willingly paid all bis ex-
penses in the free fashion of q Russian
Boyard. He dear me for his easy
unruiiled, yet res0iuto temper, aud very
useful for his knowledge of the English
language. so indispensable outside Europe.
Ny friend at once acceded 10 my prop0s-
al. for he also lad IN him something OF the
spirit of the adventurer. We resolved to
look at once for employment In some shin.
BrunO set himself TO seek for some coup-
trymen of his in Vera Cruz. lie was of
opinion that no town on the face of the
earth can 20 on without q German. and was
very proud of the fact. After a time no