Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-06-25
A Mystery
Or THE
CARIBBEAN.
BY JULIAN HArHoRsE.

I =
Two hundred years to a day. almost,
since that DuCasse a affair occurred along
TINS very bit of coast we are looking
| att
| When the colonel begins piece of
information by the words you know"
l am always prepared to hear some
thing concerning which l was totally
ignorant; and fancy the colonel would
be surprised to find it otherwise.
Now, it SO happened that had heard
OF the French admiral, DuCassc, as hay
ing had some connection with Jamaica;
nevertheless, not to disappoint my
friend, murmured, in semi-inter-
rogative tone: 'Oh DuCasse?"
"You know what l mean" proceeded
he, with confidence. 1.-The French
were backing up the Old Pretender-
the son of James III. by Mary of Mo-
dena-and that scoundrel DuCasse was
sent out here with feet to see what
he could pick up. 1t was a couple of
years after the great earthquake that
sunk Port Royal; but there was plenty
OF booty to be had in the island yet,
and the Frenchmen knew it. He
fetched up one fine day off Morant bay,
yonder, and set ashore a part of his
force there, and part further down
the coast, at Cow bay-we drove along
by there this morning. Well, he caught
us mapping, that's the truth. He and
his rabble were no better than the
worst of pirates. They made bloody
work OF it, tell you; men, women and
children-slaughtered 'em all, sir. by
Jove! Well, it's good while since;
but I've always wished could have a
chance to get back at 'em; and maybe
the time may come yet-theres no tell
ing-eh?"
Ibid they get much plunder?" In
quired.
''Plunder!" cried the colonel, his war
like mustachios bristling LOADED
down with it-loaded to the gunl.
And slaves.-they carried off near fif-
teen hundred of 'em. We gave 'em
touch of our quality before they got off,
though" added the grizzled warrior.
"Col. Beeston was governor-Sir Will
liam he was then-who used to own the
land Kingston now stands on. He was
n stiff old chap, was Bceston; and when
that French scoundrel tried to repeat
his internal tactics at Carlisle bay,
Beeston was down on him with the
militia, and wiped him off the island,
by Jove, leaving seven hundred of his
cutthroats dead. behind him."
by the way, colonel" said I, after
pause, wasn't it that same DuCasse
who afterwards defeated your Admiral
Benbow in these same waters?'
The colonel was obviously taken by
surprise; he had no notion that knew
that. He hummed and hawed, frowned
and bristled; but there was no getting
round history. 'Oh, Benbow! Fine
old chap, Benbow; but rather duffer,
I fancy. Oh, well, it was long time
ago, that; long time ago. Charles!
bring us two more, do you hear! and
jump, now!'
"Yassah, Massa Cunl, sah!' respond
ed Charles, and vanished with the
glasses and an indulgent smile.
Col. Enderby had been an honored
resident of Jamaica for twenty years
or more; he came here with brilliant
reputation, won in the Indian mutiny.
He was the owner of several estates CD
the island and was on round of
visits to them, and had invited me to
take seat in his carriage. We were
at this moment sitting on the veranda
of one of them, little way up noun
tain side, enjoying the air of the late
afternoon and most delicious prospect
of sea and coast.
During the pause that followed the
order given to Charles my eyes were
caught by ship some miles distant in
the offing. She added the needed touch
of human interest to the view. and |
watched her proceedings with pleased
and idle attention.
What sort of craft do You call
that, colonel?" asked, at length. "She
looks to me more like Chinese junk
than anything"
Eth? Oh-that? Chinese junk, eh.
Well-hardly! She is queer-looking
affair, though. Where's the telescope?
Charles! Where the deuce has that
rascal oh, gone after the Il
Why doesn't he get back? Charles!"
"Yassah, massa," said Charles. re-
appearing with what he had been sent
for and the same charitable smile.
"Humph! Fetch me the telescope,
Charles"
Telescope? Yessah!"
"By Jove, she's an odd fish-a very
odd fish, muttered the colonel, after
a prolonged scrutiny through the in
strument. Il can't say that / quite
See what you make Of her"
took the glass and looked. | am
more familiar with ships than with the
early history of Jamaica; but this veg
sci came under no category l was ac-
quainted with. She was not large |
boat - under two hundred tons,
should say-and her lines were pccul-
lar and rather awkward; she was high |
in the bows and in the stern. after the |
fashion of the ships we see in old ma
rine paintings. and her spars and rig |
ging also, had very antique look. |
She resembled Chinese junk more than |
anything; but there were differences;
she was painted black, which no Chi
nese junk ever was, that heard Of; and |