The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1894-05-04
Nliscellancn1ts.
MUSIC HATH CHARMS.
IT 5OOTHES SAVAGES AND BAMBOO
zLEs INSPECTORS.

How Ships Captain Pulled the Wool Over
an African Customs Officers Eyes With
the Assistance of a Yankee Music Box.
Smuggling That Paid.
The duty on plug tobacco which cost 25
cents a pound in this country was at one
time rs cents pound In the Portuguese
possessions along the west coast of Africa.
The natives were fond of chewing, and the
high impost tax was therefore great in
ducement to smuggling. The American
ships which traded with the west coast al
most always carried several tons of plug
tobacco along with the general cargo, and
the shippers usually made an attempt to
get the tobacco ashore free of duty, so as to
make the 200 or 300 per cent profit assured
If they were successful. Smuggling be-
came so frequent, however, that the GUS
toms authorities finally placed an officer
on each ship as soon as it entered the har-
Dor, 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 officer could be bribed
An American sea captain tells the fol-
lowing 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 off small town In the
Gambia river for several days and had
landed good part of his cargo in the le
Ultimate way. He had about six tons of
plug tobacco, but he preferred to take it
back to America rather than pay the re-
quired duty Of rs cents q pound.
FTyI- ~ l..
a coasting schooner came into the river,
and shortly afterward the trader in charge
boarded the American and asked the skip
per if he had any plug tobacco
about six tons, answered the skipper.
"Irn sell 1t to you for 80 cents pound"
The trader reflected awhile and finally
offered rs cents q pound for the tobacco
delivered ON board his schooner.
The American said he would do his best
to circumvent the watchfulness of the Gus
toms 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 board 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. I am going to give them away
"SeI me one" said the captain who
owned the tobacco. 81 have particular
use for it. will give you $75.'
After little demurring the other agreed
to the trade, and q half hour later the
would be smuggler was sitting in his cabin
turning out "Home, Sweet Home" and
"Down Upon the Swanee 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 ut the box and heard the
familiar tunes.
"This is Il 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 ma
chine. His first question was:
How much?'
Give hundred dollars" answered the
skipper.
The negro rubbed his head and looked
disappointed, for he knew he could never
own n musical box at such price.
You can play on it for awhile if you
choose" said the skipper presently. Pm
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 a 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,
land load the tobacco into the longboat
as quietly as you can. Then put it aboard
the schooner. AS long as you hear the
music box playing we are safe. :"
The captain went below and lit his pipe.
The negro was still turning the crank.
That's a great thing, said the skipper.
"Finer' answered the customs officer.
"Well, it would not be much good over
here" continued the captain, because
your young ladies could not play on it
longer than 10 minutes. They would get
tired
Nonsense" said the negro. II could
grind this all day"
IN bet you the instrument against a
quarter" said the captain, THAT you can't
grind 1t an hour without stopping.
The negro jumped at the bait and put
quarter excitedly on the table and vowed
that the white man could not draw back
from the offer he had made.
The captain laughed and said he had no
intention to back out of the bet and then
took the time and told the officer to go
ahead.
The sailors above heard the notes in the
cabin, and they worked with will. In
three-quarters of an hour they had made
two trips to the schooner and had dis
charged the entire six tons of tobacco. The
mate then strolled into the cabin and nod
ded to the skipper that it was all right
"For heavens 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 the relief came
aboard the negro was rowed ashore hold
ing the musical box on his lap, and no sus-
picion came across his mind as he glanced
at the little coasting schooner filling away
a mile or so below with her nose pointed
seaward.-New York Sun.