The San Francisco call., 1895-11-14
Robert Hampton Ran Away From
Home for a Life on the
Deep.
NEW ZEALAND CLAIMS HIM.
The Lad Shipped on an American
Whaler and Learned Navi-
cation.

He is only 15 years old, and like ninety
nine out OF a hundred boys in the United
States he had an overweening desire to
see the world. While a whaler was at
anchor in the Bay of Islands, New Zea-
land. the lad came to the conclusion that
a cruise to the Arctic was just what he
wanted. Accordingly, he left his home
and with what money he had purchased a
ticket on one of the coasting steamers.
On his arrival at the Bay of Islands the
captain of the whaler was struck by the
intelligent look IN the boys face and at
once engaged him as cabin-boy. From
that time until the 10th inst. the lad has
been faithful attendant, and the master
and officers were sorry to lose him.
The yo ung mans name is Robert Ham
llton and his parents are well-to-do set
tiers near Wellington, New Zealand. He
wearied of the routine of farm life and
made his escape. From Wellington he
went to Auckland, and thence to the Bay
of Islands. There he met Captain Earle of
the whaling bark Charles w. Morgan, and
the latter at once engaged him as cabin
boy.
Young Hamilton soon learned what it
was to be cabin-bo on board whaler.
He had to answer all calls and do every
thing that capricious officer might order
him to do. His good nature and desire to
do his best never deserted him, however,
and finally the skipper took an interest in
the lad. He questioned him on various
topics and found that his education had
not been neglected. Problems in arith-
metiC were given him and he solved them
without difficulty. In explanation the
boy said he had been well drilled i'll Auck-
land, but instead of going into business, as
his parents desired, had run away to sea
in order to see the world.
Captain Earle became interested in
young Hamilton and taught him all he
knew about navigation. Night after night
the skipper and the cabin-boy would pore
over problems in navigation, and toward
the end the cabin-boy surpassed the skip
per. Captain Earle willingly admits the
proficiency OF his cabin-boy and pupil, and
is willing to wager that he will years
hence be one of the most successful skip
pers that ever commanded a ship.
Young Hamilton left to-day on the
steamer Mariposa for his home IN New
Zealand. As the cruise of the Morgan was
a financial success he has a few hundred
dollars i'll his pocket, and will be able to
await another chance for a start III life.
The young lad was constantly around the
Oceanic Steamship Company's wharf, and
TO him, no doubt, it seemed as though the
Mariposa would never sail:
When the whaler Morgan arrived fro m
the Okhotsk Sea it was currently reported
that young Hamilton had navigated the
bark all the way. From the day the
whaler left New Zealand until she reached
this port Captain Earle had been engaged
In teaching his cabin-boy. 1t was not a
question of reading, writing and arith-
metic, but everything else that tended to
make man perfect in navigation. As an
experiment he was installed as navigating
officer, and very rarely was it that his OBJ
servations differed from those of the mas
ter of the whaling bark.
A few DAYS ago young Hamilton was
brought before john D. Spreckels and
Captain Howard of the Oceanic Steamship
Company. Captain Howard was lenient
with the lad at first, but when it was sug-
gested that the questions were too simple
he put problem to the runaway that
would puzzle nineteen out of every twenty
shippers IN port. 1t took Hamilton some
time to work it out, but after going over
the figures Captain Howard said the propo-
sition had been worked out correctly in
every detail.
Hamilton is small and looks more like a.
boy Just out of short clothes than lad
who has made twelve months whaling
cruise.
II just wanted to see whale caught,
don't you know" said he yesterday.
There was not much fun in it after all
and there was a deueed lot of work.
didn't mind the work, but then L got none
OF the fun. Now I'm homesick and the
boys can guy me as much as they like, but
l want to get back to New Zealand The
Mariposa sails to-day and we will be only
three weeks making the run, but don't
you know that three weeks seem longer
than three months?
''Ofcourse I'm going to be sailor. But
want to go through the regular course and
come out as a full-hedged master 1t will
be all matter of form, however, as l DON t
think there is an instructor on earth who
can teach me half as much as Captain Earle
has"