Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1894-03-21
CHAPTER VI.


cocoanuts, drugs, glass beads and other
articles of merchandise likely to suit the
cultured Mohammedan taste, was so close
" engaged with my own concerns and the
urgent hospitality of Sir Thomas friend
that paid but scant heed to the men with
whom I was to sail had 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
once new and interesting. But at sea and
within the narrow confines OF a 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 l 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 vas She be
rant that had so gayly cherished illusion;
perhaps it was the fine name of the brig
that had given me exalted and gorgeous
ideas, but had anticipated a holiday sail
on sunlit seas ina sort Of Cleopatra barge
with companions fit!y representing, if not
the pomp and magnificence, at least the
poetry and romance OF the orient. My pun
ishment for indulging such fantastic rever-
les was speedy and condign. The Bird OF
Paradise bore as much resemblance to the
hip of my imagination rs a hedgehog bears
90 a leopard In plain truth, she was an III
smelling, leaky 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, whate Per romance there could be
in sailing with the dregs of Asiatic pirate
crews of men, who for reasons to be com
pretended by the simplest had found it eX-
pedient to lay aside for 4 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.
had forgotten that the Scotch are frugal
and did not know how Asia pours her scum
upon the sea.
Ny security, such as it was, lay in the
fact that among themselves there was not
the least evidence of good will. They were
suilen, suspicious and incommunicative,
and in all their lives had probably never
known what it is 10 smile out Of pure good
nature or innocent hilality, for their Tea
lures were fixed in a 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 a sense of imprison-
ment. OF duty or on they INDUCED in no
freedom Or jol.ity OF intercourse. No sto-
ries were told; no songs We're sung. The
spirit was that Of 4 chain gang working at
the point of the bayonet or the muZzle OF
the rifle Misfortune failure in hazardous
and bloody enterprises, had brought them
together, and as yet they were not able to
fraternize.
The officers matched the crew. Though
Captain Holden was an Englishman and
Mr.. Malcolm, the mate, Scotch, there was
nothing gracious or prepossessing in either
of them. The captain was short and broad,
square rigged, with tremendous breadth
of beam, as sailor would say, and his
squat, brrly frame had in it the muscular
strength and energy Of the tiger. His face,
hairy as skye terriers, showed no feature
in particular save the hugenose, which, ow-
ing to long course Of grog, had assumed
the appearance of n purple knob, and bulg.
ing eyebrows that hung over small, deep
set eyes as cliff overhangs cavern. His
yisage was truculent, and his temper and
, voice were in harmony. Ills most caress-
ing tones were the growl Of the thunder;
his anger was the fury OF lcnd. His nat
ural qualities, too, Lad been we'll cult.
yated The broaGsidc OF oaths he poured
upon his men when anything went amiss
was an achievement in profanity to be re.
membered with creepy shudder for q life
time, and the CLEAN OF his eyes and thcway
in which he fingered his pistols under The
stress of passion showed that he was not OF
those who value human life.
AS might be expected, his career had been
eventful, his experiences startling and va
ried. He boastcd-and am sure truthful.
1y-that he could show more sword cuts
and bullet scars than any other man of his
size then living. ~ man with q greater
extent of hide might beat me- he would
sometimes say, "but to the square inch
show me him who equals me- BY Jupiter,
if was to preach on that kind of tattoong,
week would be too short formy sermonr
And you Immediately assented.
The mate could not be described as being
of milder natural disposition, but onlyas
being less fearfully developed. His name
for cruelty was less eminent than his
chiefs, but he was training eycellently
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 sailor down with marlin
spike under the very eyes Of the captain,
who was too Indifferent even to curse ap-
provingly. \ 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, in brjei, were my shipmates, and it
will be easily understood how quickly and
completely my dreams Of q holiday voyage
vanished.
1t enhanced the discomforts of the situs-
tion that l fancied myself regarded by the
captain and mate rs an interloper-a spy
whose proper place was with the sharks
outside. But on that point l was unwit-
tingly fattering myself. Neither of them
troubled his head in the least about me,
nor ever came near me except it 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 fo~convcrsation
and never once evinced q 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 me OF
Scotland, but as Ills talk was of nothing
but tavern debaucheries, their accompani-
ments ard results, did not encourage him.
He left me with feeling of profound con-
tempt, never again making any attempt to
draw me into conversation. " hen we met,
his looks declared as plainly rs looks could
that was priggish, puritanicai iandsman,
who was no fit company for Jolly, bias
phemous sailor like himself.
Mr.. Watson, the supercargo was the only
soul on board who took the smallest inter.
est in me or with whom l cared to speak
He understood my position, and l think
had compassion for me. ~ any rate, he
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