The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1893-12-27
A Sailors New Year.
BY n. QUAD.

Az o'clock on the morning Of Jan. !,
1855, the British brig Adventurer, from
the Cape de Verde islands to the river
Orinoco, passed small French bark at a
distance of about halfa mile. She had
been in sight for a couple Of hours, snd
her actions had created no little talk
aboard the brig. When first sighted, she
had altered her course by three or four
points. In the course Of 10 minutes she
vas heading as before. A bit later she
was offagain. It was as if her crew
was divided as 70 her port OF destination,
and as the crafts neared each other We
were puzzled by the lubberly looks OF
things aloft. She was under short sail
in fair breeze, her yards were not
properly braced, and our first idea was
that she had sickness aboard and was
short handed. We shortened sail, ex-
peeting she would fly a signal Of distress,
but she kept her course and did not even
return our salute. Our mate, Mr.. Hob
son, had the glass on her as We came op-
posite, and he hadn't held it to his face
over Is seconds when he turned to the
captain. who had Just come on deck, and
exclaimed:
why, sir, there are three or four men
on her decks wearing the uniforms Of
CAYENNE conyicts ~
The captain seized the glass for lock
and speedily satisfied himself thal such
was the fact, and five minutes later the
Adventurer had come about and was in
chase OF the bark. Let me explain to
you that cur brig was 6 government
craft engaged in hsrbor and coast sur
veys and was armed with two guns on a
side and q Long Tom mounted amid
ships. From the surveys made by this
craft between the years 1855 and 1850 all
the rivers and bays along the east coast
of Brazil were charted. She carried a
crew Of "A men, and while surveying up
the Para and the Amazon had been at
tackled onseyeral occasions by the vicious
minded natives.
We had no sooner came about than
there was great confusion on the decks
cfthe bark. More sail was made on her,
but in bungling fashion, and it was
plainly evident that she wanted to es-
cape Us. heard Captain Johnson say
ing to Mr.. Hobson that she was certain
ly French merchantman, and he be-
lieved she had been seized by the con-
victs at Cayenne. She was doubtless in
charge of sailor, bat there were not
enough sailors among them to do things
in shipshape fashion.
Numbers of men started to go aloft,
but stuck at the crosstrees, and such
sails as were cast loose we're not sheetsd
home to do their best. We walked up
to her hand over hand, and in baif an
hour were within biscuit toss, and our
captain was haiiing to know what was
wrong. The answer was plain enough
without words. When We passed her
only seven or eight men could be seen
on her decks. Now they fairly sYarmed
with men, all but five or six Of whom
were in convict's dress. As a matter Of
fact, there we're Just 80 of them. It was
useless for them to reply 10 the hail IN
der such circumstances, and for minute
they were silent as they gazed at US.
Then they suddenly found their voices,
and the yell they uttered in chorus vas
enough to make the hair curl. They
screamed and cursed and danced about,
shaking their fists in a defiant way, and
it must have become clear to our cap
tain that he had desperate SET Of men
to deal with.
Oar brig vas sheered in a bit closer
and demand made that the convicts
surrender. They could plainly see that
We were a strong crew and had mounted
guns, but the demand was received with
yells ofderision. The leader Of the gang,
whom we had not before identified, now
mounted the rail, and in broken English
warned us TO keep of or take the eonse-
quences. He boldly declared that they
we're escaped eonyicts from the penal
settlement referred to, and having got
safely to sea they would fight to the
death sooner than be retaken- He added
that an English ship had no business 20
meddle in the matter, and though we
carried guns he was not in the least
afraid Of us.
Every man of the 90, may tell yon,
had been transported for serious crime
and nowhere else could one have got To-
gether more villsinous crowd. The
worst Of the lot, however, looked honest
and mild tempered compared TO that
fellow they had elected SIS captain. lie
was!s giant in statrue, as dark as Span
lard, and his face was that Of a savage
wild beast. We were 80 near that We
could look into his eyes and catch hi
ferocious expression, and l think ever
man of Us realized that he would have
TO be killed before the brig could b.
taken. Toe defiant attitude of the con.
victs seemed to put our captain in an
embarrassing position, but after a mo
menfs thought be called out 10 the fel
low on the rail:
"You must have captured the brig Il
get away from Cayenne. What has be.
come of the crew ?"
"Dead-every one of them killed and
thrown overheard - shouted the fiend il
answer
"Do you mean to say you murdered
captain, male and all bands -
"Yes, all the crew, but we've got the
captains wife and her sister aboard
Now, you've got the news and you shee
off and go your own way Let a Frencl
ship pursue US and retake Us"
We we're compelled u widen the dis
tance between US to prevent acciden
from the lubberly manner in which th'
brig was steeTed, but We reduced sail 5,
as to keep abreast Of her, and the eaptsiI
and his officers descended FOR consulta
ton. l don't know whether they cues
toned their right to interfere or dis
cussed the best method of reeapturinl
the brig, but they were not absent owe
a quarter of an hour. When they cam