The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1894-01-11

While the Bird OF Paradise-such was the
alluring name Of our gallant brig-was be-
Ing loaded with n cargo of cashmere shawls.
cocoanuts, drugs, glass beads and other
articles Of merchandise likely to suit the
cultured Mohammedan taste, was SO close
ly engaged with my own concerns and the
urgent hospitality OF Sir Thomas friend
that ! paid but scant heed to the men with
whom was to sail l had a vague notion
of picturesque medley Of dusky children
OF the sun who would be likely in the
course of the voyage to discourse OF many
marvellous things and discover traits at
orce new and interesting. But at sea and
within the narrow confines of two master
one is impelled to take an active individual
interest in his companions, and so it came
that as soon as the towers and spires of
Bombay had sunk out of sight on our
weather beam was eagerly and curiously
studying my surroundings and the charac-
ters OF officers and crew.
Never have been more swiftly or com
pletely disenchanted. Perhaps it was be-
cause was young and foolish and igno-
rant that had SO gayly cherished illusion;
perhaps 1t was the fine name OF the brig
that hnd given me exalted and gorgeous
ideas, but had anticipated holiday sail
on sunlit seas In "a sort OF Cleopatra barge
with companions fitly representing, II not
the pomp and magrifcence, at least the
poetry and romance Of the orient. My pun
ishment for indulging such fantastic rever-
les was speedy and condlgn. The Bird of
Paradise bore as much resemblance to the
ship Of my imagination as a hedgehog bears
TO leopard. In plain truth, she was an ill
smelling, lesky old coal bunker, with
crew OF the most desperate looking Williams
that ever swung from a yardarm. What
their past had been it required little shrewd-
ness to guess.
A glance made It clear that whatever
pleasure, whatever romance there could be
in sailing with the dregs of Asiatlc pirate
crews of men. who for reasons to be com.
pretended by the simplest had found it ex-
pedient to lay aside for little their natural
vocation OF cutting throats, such pleasure
and romance were mine Naturally was
amazed to find such men on Mr.. Matheson's
ship, but the explanation came later. i
had forgotten that the Scotch are frugal
and did not know how Asia pours her scum
upon the sea.
My security, such as It was, lay In the
fact that among themselves there was not
the least evidence of good will. They were
sullen, suspicious and incommunicatiye,
and In all their lives had probably never
known what 1t is to smile out of pure good
nature or innocent hilarity, for their fea
lures were fixed in perpetual scowl which
nothing could soften. Toward each other
as toward their officers, they had the sulky
defiant demeanor OF Gagged beasts Of prey
and no doubt they had sense Of imprison
ment OF duty or on, they indulged In nc
freedom or jollity Of intercourse No sto
ries were told; no songs were sung. The
spirit was that OF a chain gang working al
the point OF the bayoret or the muzzle OF
the rifle. Misfortune, failure In hazardous
and blDody enterprises, had brought then
together, and as yet they were not able b.
The officers matched the crew. Thougi
Captain Holden was an EnglishmRn and
Mr.. Malcolm, the mate, Scotch, there wa
nothing gracious OF prepossessing in eithe
Of them. The captain was short and broad
square rugged, with tremendous breadtt
Of beam, as u sailor would say, aud hi
squat, buriy frame had in 1t the muscular
strength and energy Of the tiger His face
hairy as a skye terriers, showed no fcatur
in partieulareaye the hugenose. which, ow
ing 10 long course Of grog had assumee
Abe appearance OF a purple knob, and bulg
ing eyebrows that hung over small, deer
set eyes as cliif overhangs a cavern. Hi
visage was truculent, and his temper ant
voice were in harmony. His most caress
ing tones were the growl of the thunder
his anger was the fury Of fiend. His nat
ural qualities, too, had been we'll cult
waited The broadside OF oaths he poured
upon his men when anything went amisi
WINS an Achievements In profanity to be no
membered with creepy shudder for life
time, and the CLEAN Of his eyes and the wa,
in which he fingered his pistols under shs
stress of passion showed that he was not o
those who value human life.
As might be expected, his career had been
eventful, his experiences startling and va
ried, He boasted-and l am sure truthful
ly-that he could show more sword cut,
and bullet scars than any other man Of hi
size then living. "a man with create.
extent of hide might beat me-" he would
sometimes say, but to the square inch
show me him who equals me- BY Jupiter,
II was to preach on that kind of tattooing,
a week would bo too short for my sermonlH
And you Immediately assented.
The mate could not be described as being
of milder natural disposition, but only as
being less fearfully developed His name
for cruelty was less eminent than his
chiefs, but he WIS training excellently
and gave high promise of brutality. Mean
while he swore, took his grog and practiced
assiduously on the crew. The first day out
he knocked a sailor down with a marlin
spike under the very eyes Of the captain,
who was too indifferent even to curse ap-
provingly. A little later he sent another
head foremost into the hold without SO
much as casting downward glance to see
whether the man were dead or alive, and
not day passed that he did not distinguish
himself by some deed OF cruelty or violence
Such, ln brief, were my shipmates, and it
will be easily understood how quickly and
completely mJ dreams of a holiday voyage
vanished.
1t enhanced the discomforts of the stua.
tion that | fancied myself regarded by the
captain and mate as an interloper-a spy
whose proper place was with the sharks
outside. But on that point was unwit-
tingly flattering myself Neither of them
troubled his head in the least about me,
nor ever came near me except 1t were by
chance and in the way OF duty. To be
sure, the captain usually rolled some hoarse
greeting when we met in the morning, but
he never delayed his ship for conversation
and never once eyinced a desire to know
how was enjoying myself. Only at meal
times did We come into close contact, and
then was glad to get back to the deck and
the disinfecting air Of heaven.
Nor was the mate much more sociable.
One evening, indeed, he spoke TO mo of
Scotland, but as his talk was OF nothing
but tavern debaucheries, their accompani-
ments and results, ] did not encourage him.
He left me with feeling of profound con-
tempt, never again making any attempt to
draw me into conversation. When we met,
his looks declared as plainly as looks could
that was priggish, puritanical landsman,
who was no fit company for jolly, bias
phemous sailor like himself,
Mr.. Watson, the supercargo, was tho only
soul on board who took the smallest inter.
est in me or with whom ! cared to speak.
He understood my position, and ! think
had compassion for me. At any rate, he
tolerated my amstsurish views OF seafar-
ing men and things and sought oppor-
tunity to discover topics we could discuss