The Yellowstone journal., 1893-06-08
HOBBS AND HIS FLAG.
AN EPISODE OF WAR DAYS IN THE
HAhBOR OF HONG-KONG.


During the greater part OF the war,
said the retired skipper. there were q
large number of American clippers stall
e,i III Hong-Mnng harbor. having order
10 remain !tre from their owners, VINO
feared the Alabama This arrangement
lid not al al please the captains and
officers. us many of us We're anxious to
90 home and ship in the navy. but orders
#ere orders We couid not leave the
ships. and the frequent visits of the Ala
bama herself to tie harbor. forcing her
self into our midst rs the saying goes,
7 We're very vivid reminders that neutral
waters We're pretty good sort of an in
ventioa
Although we passed tho long weeks
and months as pleasantly as we could.
with all kinds of arrangements for kill
ing time. both on shipboard and on
shore. there was of course a continual
and concerted growl going up from our
little band OF Yankee skiriers, and old
Hobbs was the star growler of us all.
His ship was the Hulnming Bird, a
brand new clipper hailing from Boston.
The trip out to Hong-kong had been her
maiden one. and it was chafing to Hobbs
not very smooth temper to have her lie
idle SO early in her career. Having great
faith in the ships speed and in his own
seamanship. he was more than anxious
to put to sea and let Semmes catch him
if he could: but. like the rest of us. his
orders to remain We're positive.
Occasionally ship would manage to
clear by sailing under some foreign flag,
but as it was complicated process in
volving fathoms of red tape and very Of
ten fell through just when everything
seemed favorable it was not resorted to
very often. When it was tried, however,
old Hobbs would go on his beam ends
with wrath He would fume and rant,
casting aspersions on the patriotism Of
the owners. the agents. the officials. and
even the Chinese crew. He was so in
tensely patriotic that to see good Yam
kee craft sail under false colors would
keep him boiling for week.
You can see what his feelings We're
when one day he was ordered to proceed
! 70 Sunatra under the British flag. He
/ famed. rantei and swore and then
| fumed. ranted and swore over again.
emas thrown in for Emphasis This nec-
essary operation over he sent ashore to
the native sailmaker's for a British flag
the smallest to be had. When it came
/ aboard-it was about . by feet in size
| Hobbs looked 1T it askance ani or
dered II to be pnt ont of sight until sail
ing day
Sailing day arrived, and the British
/ flag was seen futtering quietly from its
proper place on the Humining Bril-. 1t
attracted mighty little attention, how
ever. for the Alabama was entering tie
harbor. She tloated slowly along and
dropped anchor exceedingly close to the
HuIrming Bird About this time the
barber master was seen III his boat be-
ing rowed rapidly toward Hobbs ship.
and huge bundle OF bunting about the
size OF an old shelIback's S sea chest wa.
rapidly hauled TO the laaintop of tie
Humming Bird.
The harbor master pulled up along
side TIE Humming Bird and yelled for
the captain. 1t could be seen that he
was angry about something. Hobbs
came to the rail in his plug hat and long
tailed bottle green coat. the customary
uniform of a skipper IN those days.
and asked the harbor master what he
could do.
II want you to take down that flag
instantly. sir. said the harbor master
"'Guess not said Hobbs.
Its a disgrace. sir. and an insult to
hoist such a flag as that.
Whats the matter with the fag:'
said Hobbs. surprised.
Its all wrong. sir: the proportions
are all wrong. The field is too long for
its width, and the rest of it is too wide for
its length. The crosses are wrongly ar
ranged. sir. and it is vile caricature of
an honored flag. sir! Remove it imme-
diately.'
"Guess not. said Hobbs again. That
flag was bought in British port and
made by British subject. He was a
Chinaman, but that is neither here nor
there. don't care if it is the flag of
Patagonia, SO long as it was sold to me
for that of England. Good morning.
The harbor master had nothing to say
to this and started back. but he had no
sooner done SO than the main halliards
We're pulled, the lnlndle at the peak
broke out. and in 8. a.second the stars and
stripes We're waving before the aston
ished eyes of the harbor master, the Yam
kee shippers and Captain Semmes of the
Alabama. Indeed, SO large was Old
Glory in this particular case that it al
most brushed the Alabamas decks, the
vessels being SO near together. The huge
flag had been presented to the ship at
her launching and to the excited spec
tators on this occasion seemed larger
than the ship herself.
The harbor master put about. angrier
than before. and demanded explanations.
What does that flag mean. sir.' said
be-
That's my house fiag.' said Hobbs.
the trademark Of my owners do not
know whether that red rag up there is
humpbacked and clubfooted or not, but
-. Il