Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1894-11-22
THE "SULTAN" MYSTERY.
BY W. CLARK RUSSELL.

4rN the year 1850 sailed In the ship
N Sultan. vessel of seven hundred
A and eighty tons burden, from
" the port Of Liverpool, bound
round the Horn of Valparaiso with a
valuable general cargo. The captain
was man named Jonas Jortin. !, who
went in her as chief mate, am named
VIM. Fletcher.
We carried no second officer. Often
1t happened in those days that even big
ships sailed with what is known as an
"only mate who was supposed to CON-
prise in himself all that was to be ex-
pected in the shape Of duty and knowl-
edge from first and second officer.
AS l, however, held no certificate as
"only mate I signed as chief, and the
boatswain, a man named Benjamin
Matthews, took the working part OF
second mate under me; that is, he reliev.
ed me when my watch was up, walked
the decks and trimmed sail at his dis
cretion. But he took no part in the
navigation of the ship; indeed, l doubt
if be knew what a sextant was, and l
am not sure that he could read or
write.-
Captain Jortin was a tall, lean, long
faced man, with 80 remarkable fall of
chin that bis mouth seemed to be placed
almost exactly in the middle Of his face.
His skin was yellow; he had followed
the sea for many years, but the flesh Of
hi. cheeks reflected nothing Of the glow
and bronze Of sun and weather.
His eyes were OF dead black, like
an East Indians, without animation in
their glance, and slow in their motions.
I had been struck by the figure he
made when first boarded the ship in
the docks. Nothing could less CORE
spond with the traditional notions of
the old salt, with purple nose and bow
legs, eyes deep sunk by peering to wind
ward, and a stormy voice broken by
years Of drink and bawlng, than this
master of the ship Sultan, buttoned up
as he was in coat of clerical cut his
black hair smeared smooth as though
his head was painted, limp stick-up
collars and long, square-toed yelling
ton boots.
All went we'll with us till we had
gone clear of the northeast trade wind
and struck the >Humbugging parallels,
as they are called, where you get sheet
calms with wide ocean white as level
ice field, then faint draughts crawling
up in the direct line Of the ships course,
painting the FURNISHED surface with the
darkling shadows like huge marine sp-
ders creeping down from the
edge of the horizon. I think our lati-
tude was between eight and ten degrees
north when, what am going to tell
you about happened.
1t was the second dog watch; the hour
about half past six tho ships yards
were braced we'll forward, and she was
ripping along to the pressure Of a
three.knot breathing Of air, coming hot
as steam from out Of the glowing pavil
ions Of the west.
1t was sickeningly close, with the
menace of an electric storm in delicate
winking Of violet dumb lightning away
down in the southeast, where the shadow
of the night was gathering, with large
star already trembling low down oyer
the sea right abeam.
A fiddle was going upon the fore cas-
tle-head. A sailor was chanting ditty
to the tune. Most of the ships compa-
ny were listening, lounging about the
cathead and against the rail, pipes in
mouth. Their open shirts disclosed their
mossy breasts, their legs were bare to
the knee for the comfort of the cool
ness, and their bedewed faces reflected
the angry red in the west as though
every man had oiled himself.
The captain was walking aft, alone,
measuring space Of the deck from a.
breast of the wheel and something for
ward of the mizzen rigging. His gait
was that OF man in funeral proc ession
stiff, solemn, self-conscious.
He had not been on deck above half
an hour, and in that time had not once
addressed me. Not, indeed, that there
was anything strange in this, mates and
captains seldom converse at sea.
r
But even had Captain Jorton been
sociably disposed he was not a sort of
man 1 could haye got on with. No one
with the weight of grieyous sin upon
his soul could be more melancholy and
austere, more abrupt and reserved.
I had charge Of the ship, this dog
watch and was standing at the head Of
the starpoard poop ladder listening to