Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1896-06-12
The STORY Telter.
TILE MUTINY.
Exciting Yachting Adventure.

Exciting Yachting Adventure.
I had been sojourning in Paris for
sometime, and became anxious for
new sights and scenes, 80 took pas.
sage on small vessel at Havre bound
for pleasure excursion in the Medi-
terranean. This vessel was English
built, being in fact one of the largest
class of pleasure yachts. Her late
owner was wealthy but dessolute
young noble, who had built and luxu-
riously fitted up the Belle, as he called
her, for his own use. Coming over to
Havre, he left her in charge of
the captain, and repaired to Paris,
where he plunged into every species of
dissipation. Before many weeks had
elapsed he fell into the hands of sew
eral of his countrymen who were pro.
fessional gamblers and blacklegs,
although their real character was dis.
guised by the most fastidious dress and
the most scrupulous department.
From this point the story Of poor Lord
G. is that of hundreds of others. The
conspiracy that these sharks formed
to plunder him was perfectly success
full, and he lost more at the gaming
table than his estates would yield for q
whole lifetime.
Mad with his i'll fortune, as he un-
suspectingly thought it, he offered to
put the Belle against $4,000. 1t was
done, and he lost-it would have been
impossible for him to win. Tossing off
a tumbler of raw brandy, he rushed
from the place and was not seen any
more for two days, when his body was
found among the drowned at the
morgue.
The scoundrels who now owned the
yacht were glad to get rid of her be-
fore the affair became toc public, and
therefore offered her for sale for e.
900. I had seen the vessel at Havre,
and taken a great fancy to her, and
knowing that she was worth five times
the sum demanded, I conceived plan
for forming little stock company of a
few of the wealthy Americana then
sojourning in Paris, and purchasing
her, particularly with the view of maxi
ing pleasure excursion in the Medi-
terranean. The project worked to a
charm the shares were quickly taken
and the new owners of the Belle set
about making preparations for six
months cruise along the shores of the
great sea, which with me was long
cherished plan.
But we experienced some trouble
before our voyage began. The cap
tain of the yacht made his appearance
in Paris with the unwelcome news
that his crew had deserted to man,
being dissatisfied with the proposed
voyage, and that he feared that he
should not be able to ship another.
The difficulty was at length reme-
died by the kind assistance of the
American consul, and a dozen men
were procured for the voyage. The
business of attending to this important
affair was by unanimous consent in
trusted to me, and as my fellow-voy-
ayers were in ignorance of the cha-ar-
ter of the crew, they were not trou-
bled with the anxieties that beset me
about them. As is generally the case,
able seamen were not to be picked up
in q foreign port, nor could we obtain
either English or Americans. Of the
twelve that we shipped at Havre seven
were French, two Portuguese, two
Spanish, and one a mulatto from the
West Indies. They were all an ILL
favored, rascally-looking set; but the
mulatto was certainly the most bru-
tai, ferocious-appearing human being
that my eyes ever beheld. He was
quite seven feet high, long-limbed,
broad -chested, and strong as horse.
His coarse features were usually as
heavy and sullen as those of an idiot,
but occasionally a CLEAN of intelli-
gence shot across them that made him
look almost fendish.
After completing their shipment,
the consul took me aside, and said,
very seriously:
"Now sir, after helping you get this
crew, am free to give you a piece OF
sail with them unless
you have captain who knows how to
enforce discipline and compel obedi-
ence."
"I'll answer for him." was my reply.
Gross Cryder is as brave as lion, and
not afraid ofanything in the shape of
q man. Iknew him in command of a
Liverpool liner long before he met
Lord G. He'll do, 1 know"
"Well, I'm glad of that" said the
consul, drawing long breath. "Tell
him from me that the only mem bers of
his crew that really know anything
against are the two Portuguese and the
darkest Spaniard. They have been in
the galleys. I suspect that little
Frenchman of being spy for a secret
order of assassins at Rome, but I'm
not certain. The captain will see for
himself that the mulatto wants watch
ing his face is continual warning"
All our preparations were at last
made, and we left Havre with a favor
able wind that quickly sped us across