The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-05-06
MUSIC HATH CHARMS.
How Ships Captain Soothed an
African Customs Officers Ear to
Some Purpose.
From the New York Sun.

.
African Customs Officers Ear to
Some Purpose.
From the New York sun.
The duty on plug tobacco which costs IS
cents pound in this country was at one
time IS cents a pound in the Portuguese
/ possessions along the west coast of
Africa. The natives were fond of
chewing, and the high impost tax was
therefore a great inducement to snug
| CLING, The American ships which traded
| with the west coast almost always car
| rled several tons of plug tobacco along
| with the general cargo, and the shippers
! usually made an attempt to get the to-
bacco ashore free of duty, so as to make
/ the 200 or 200 per cent. profit, assured if
/ they were successful. Snug Cling became
| so frequent, however, that the customs
! authorities finally placed an officer on
/ each ship as soon as it entered the harbor,
( and no goods could be landed by the
skipper without the permission of this
/ Portuguese negro customs inspector.
| This vigilance interfered somewhat
! with The smuggling, as it was not always
/ that the oficer could be bribed.
| An American sea captain tells the follow
| ing story OF how he struggled several tons
+ OF tobacco into the country in spite
/ OF the presence OF an officer on his ship.
He had been lying of a small town in the
/ Gambia river for several days and had
/ landed good part of his caayo in the
! legitimate way. He had about six tons of
| plug tobacco, but he preferred to take it
back TO America rather than to pay the
| required duty of 10 cents a pound.
| The afternoon before he intended to
| sail coaSting schooner came into the
| river, and shortly afterward the trader
! in charge boarded the American and
| asked the skipper if he had any plug to-
! bacco.
About six tons" answered the skip
per. m sell it to you for 50 cents a
! pound"
The trader reflected while, and finally
! offered IS cents a pound for the tobacco
| delivered on board his schooner.
! The American said he would do his
| best to circumvent the watchfulness of
| the customs officer on board during the
! evening.
! There was another American trading
/ vessel in the river, and the skipper rowed
! over to his countryman to see if the latter
could help him out, On hoard this last
| vessel were several musical boxes, and the
| captain was bringing them to Africa as
! presents to the daughters of some of the
many Portuguese dignitaries to whom he
was under obligations.
| How much do those musical boxes
! cost'' asked the visiting skipper.
About $40 at home, - replied the other.
| but have not brought them over here
| to sell. l am going to give them away"
Sell me one" said the captain who
! owned the tobacco. Il have particular
use for it ; will give you S75."
After little demurring the other
! agreed to the trade, and half hour later
! the would-be smuggler was sitting in his
| cabin turning out Home, Sweet Home, :"
and Down Upon the Suwanee river"
| The Portuguese inspector heard the
sounds from below, and left the deck to
| see what the cause of the melody was
"Hello!" said the captain as the officer
| came into the cabin.
| What is that" asked the negro, as he
| gazed in wonder at the box and heard the
| familiar tunes.
This is musical box" answered the
| skipper, and he told the negro to turn the
| crank and make the music himself. The
| latter had never seen anything like it be-
| fore, and was amazed at the wonderful
| machine. His first question was:
How muchl"
$780," answered the skipper
| The negro rubbed his head and looked
disappointed, for he knew he could never
! own musical box at such price.
| You can play on it for a while if you
! choose" said the skipper presently. "Iim
going on deck to give my orders for the
night"
AS soon as the captain was out of the
| cabin he called the mate and asked him if
the tobacco was in convenient place.
The mate said it was in the main hatch
| and near the top.
! Tell the boys to stand by with their
shoes off, said the captain and load
the tobacco into the long boat as quietly
| as you can. Then put it aboard the
| schooner. As long as you hear the music
| box playing we are safe.n
The captain went below and lit his
/ NrroG sti f,,er = l.
| crank.
That's great thing" said the
skipper.
"Fine!" answered the customs officer.
| We'll, it would not be much good over
| here" continued the captain, because
| your young ladies could not play on it
longer than fifteen minutes. They would
| get tired"
Nonsense" said the negro. Il could
| grind this all day" O
III bet you the instrument against a
! quarter" said the captain, that you
! can't grind it an hour without sto piping"
| The negro jumped at the bait, and put
quarter excitedly on the table and
! vowed that the white man could not draw
| from the offer he had made.
The captain laughed and said he had
no intention to back out of the bet, and
| then told the officer to 90 ahead.
! The sailors above heard the notes in the
cabin, and they worked with will In
| three quarters ofan hour they had made
| two trips to the schooner and discharged
the entire six tons of tobacco. The mate
! then strolled into the cabin and nodded to
the skipper that it was all right.
For heaven sake, stop that grinding !"
shouted the captain to the negro You
are driving me crazy. I'll give you the
machine if you'll stop grinding!"
The officer laughed and ceased his turn
ing Why, could do that all night" he
| said.
The next morning when his relief came
| aboard, the negro was rowed ashore hold
| ing the musical box on his lap, and no
| suspicion came across his mind as he
| glanced at the little coasting schooner
| filling away mile or so below with her
nose pointed seaward.
| Cavalry and Cold Steel