Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1893-09-01
QUEIILING A MUTINY

However some shippers gifts anywher,
at ALL" said the old sailor, sis a mystery u
me, for many Of 'em don't know no mere
about navigation than does about preach
in, which amt much. Talk about sweet
little cherubs a-sittin up aloft,' lookin ont
for SIGH as these, | think they must haze
full grown angels to act as supercarSoes,
and nav lgatin ones at that.
Il know'd a skipper once rs we were
a-goin from New York to Californy, and q
chap what know d him says to him, Why,
you don't know how TO navigate Mo-
says he, 4 don't, but guess III larn nfOrl
gets there don't know now whether
he did or not, but he got there anyway,
He'd been captain of n coastin schooner run
min down to the capes Of Virginny, and put
him anywheres onto the coast Of America
with a lead line into his hand, and he'd tell
you where he were fast enough but as for
doin anythin with the sun, moon or st'trA,
his dedication in that respect had been nei;
lected.
HE took out one of these here jint stock
affairs what went out to Californy in ISL.
and 1919 in the first of the gold fever Ey
erybody were crazy to go, and lot of chap
a hundred or SO, would club together, eacA
vessel out and put their own traps abn1rj
Of her and start. They generally Civ tbs
skipper share of the corisarn for his srrv
ices, and maybe the mate got the same
Well, Of course skipper that were cool
for anythin in them days wouldn't go on NJ
SIGH lay as that, and in consequence they
had to pick up anythin they could git. Gen
orally, however, the shippers was smari
enough for to git possession of the vesstl
after arrival-leastwise this here one l'iI
tellin on you did anyway.
III he didn't know anythin about nav
gatin, he were good sailornian, and thai
these here greenhorns what had lived II
their lives on shore found ont. When tlcs
got down into the ighborhood Of Rio, the
holds n meetip and passes resolutions for tC
30 in there, and they appoints committee
for to present these resolutions TO the skip
per. lie tells 'em that he wcrn't sholi I'll
anythiu, and that he wern't a-goin IN. The
they tells hun as how he were only then
sarvant, that they were the owners, an
that he must go in. Then he tells 'em thai
they were only passengers, and that b.
were the captain Of that there ship, and
that If they were mutinous he'd put EN- Il.
irons.
Then they gifts out their shootin irons
they all carried revolvers in them days
and they tells him for to try it on. Thea
he turns and calls all hands, and takes the
stunsails off of her, clcws up and furs The
royals and to'gallan sails, close reefs top
sails, furls The courses, puts the helm 81
spoke or two down and sends all hands be
low, tellin EN- that the passengers bad
taken possession of the vessel by force, anl
that hayin p4ade her safe he had coneluG
ed, as they o'itnum bered the crew SO lhfgo
ly and were so well armed, for to surren
der rather t-,an to have bloodshed.
well, the sailors seen the joke right
away They know'd that they and the ctl
GERS could hive whaled every one Of thrss
chaps if tb,y had "a wanted To, but tLe
know'd that this here plan OF the old man
would bring 'em to, and they liked that
better. Well. the old man tells these chaps
that, havin mutinied onto the high ss,ps
and bein too strong for him with his forec
he had concluded for to surrender, and h:m
and his officers were prisoners, and tlleJ
could take tie ship into Rio or anywhere
else
AS the only charts or instruments os
board was il che possession Of the capita ~
and as there WASH I a soul Of EN- as know j
where they vas, they would have had a nice
time findin lilo or anywIeres else
We'll, they tried bIusterin at first, bat
the skipper and his mates had their reyols.
ers, and they just told these chaps that
while they would not begin the fight they
were agoip for to defend themselves, ard
as there happened to lie one or two law ers
among this lot they told the rest rs how
it wouldn't do; that notwithstanding tbeiI
bein owners they wasn't nothin else her,
than passengers, and that the law woalii
consider them as mutipeers and nothiol
else il they used any force.
80, arter "a hours, they holds anothe |
meetin and passes some more resolutions az
how they Lad Civ up the idea Of goin &c |
Rio and of Ierin the captain for to proceed |
on his Wy age, and they appointed anaGiui
committee for to let the old man know |
this. He tells the committee that be vii
take charge agin only on conditions that
they shall all sign paper acknowledged
their mutinoBs Conduct and sayin they ar.
sorry for It and protnisin for the rest Of tie |
wage for 20 obey all his lawful orders, AN, |
also that trey CIV up all their weapoBs.
"Well, first of, they said they'd set him
- first. aud 20 sine laid comfortable and
quiet for two days longer. They tried all
ways fer 20 git some Of the sailors for 10
take charge, but the men knowed bettei
than that. and 50 at last they held another
meetin and passed some more resoiiit io,is
az how the necessity Of the case admitted Il
no alternative. aud 50 thy agreed to ths
shippers terms. That weke the last rseeti1
the5 held, and they didn's pass NO more
resolutions. bat they signed the psp4f
which one u the lawyers drawei up. AID
they brung all their fcsoivers and pied 'esn
% On the poop aiore tAs caotain.