The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-06-15
TIE CAPTAINS AMBERGRIs.
How the @. o. of the Thetis Lost a
Valuable Prize by Way of Salvage.

Valuable Prize by Way of Salvage.
From the New York Sun.
The Thetis had been cruising about Ber-
lnss sea and passed the straits into the
Arctic on its way 10 Point Barrow. when
u met the revenue cutter Bear Ships
are rare in these ATTITUDES, and visits
were exchanged The Bear had a number
OF shipwrecked whaling captains and their
crews aboard; and one Of the captains.
an Old fellow 20 years old, told how he had
peeh opllged TO abandon his schooner tshe
was called the Susan Jane). though except
LVt a mole ne was obliged TO cut in her
slQe 10 get out provisions. she was ALSO
lulely unlnJured. She had capsized in
Lne gale that had wrecked so many other
Whalers, and he had been forced 10 leave
neF "nere she was She was the only
property he had in the world. and was
me result, ne said, with tears i'm his eyes
OF many years Of saving and self-deniaI.
The captain Of the Thetis asked where
the schooner had been abandoned. and
sot suIhclently definite data to decide him
20 promise the old fellow that he would
Keep an eye open for her and il il was
possible, would right her and send her
down TO him.
In the course of time the Susan Jane
was sighted one day lying on her starboard
field ice
The captain of the Susan Jane had told
ne captain or the Theus that a good deal
OF ms personal property was in the cabin.
ana, while there was nothing very vaua-
DIe, there was much that he treasured
rom ASSOCIATION. The captain, therefore,
% avoid all possible theft on the part Of
tLe men, ana also any question that might
ARISE IN the future, determined to inspect
me CABIN OF the Susan Jane himself be-
lore any one else was allowed TO enter.
accordingly, he went down and ret3rn-
ca with gold watch, a family Bible
some som photographs. and a chronometer
ana seXtant, a dOuble-barrelled shotgun
ana small sum in money. He turned
lhese things over 10 his steward to be
taken care OF, and told his executive Off
ser 70 give him four men to return with
MN TO the schooner. This time he came
back with a number of knick-knacks of
various descriptions, such as books,
SHdrts, etc, and the four men followed
MN, bearing with the greatest care a bar
rel mat weighed perhaps 200 or $50 pounds
rake care, you men, - he exclaimed as
one Of them stumbled; handle that bar
rel as If 1t was full of blasting caps" The
omcers and ships company stood about
the decks wondering what in thunder the
Darrel could contain that the odd man"
was so touchy about 1t. He made no re-
mark, however, until the four men had
disappeared into the cabin hatch, when,
turning TO the executive officer, he said
ton:
That barrel is worth more than its
weight in gold; it is chock full of amber
The officers looked at one another and
whispered below their breath. That
man
decided to keep it for salvage, even if he
Jane.
Come down, gentlemen" he said. with
smile, to the officers, and have look
at it." All who were not on duty follow
ed him down into the cabin to see for
themselves what ambergris looked like.
There was a barrel with no head on it
fun, almost to the brim, as the captain
had said 1t was, of some greenish gray,
greasy looking substance. The officers all
looked at 1t and wondered that such ugly
STUN could be OF such fabulous value.
The paymaster was very near-sighted,
and, as all near-sighted people must do
to see, stuck his nose down into the bar
rel by which means he got a Whit that
none Of the others did, which somehow or
other stuck him as familiar Straighten-
ing himself up, he was about to thrust
his finger into the contents of the barrel,
when the captain, with a face that one
could almost call horror-stricken, caught
hold of his arm and dragged him back.
DO not touch it," he cried. why,
even the atom you could take on your fin
ger would be a serious loss to some peo-
pie"
The paymaster, who was a very young
fellow, forgot that captain in actual
command Of his ship, should never be
1T is not ambergris," he cried. TITS
butter, and damn bad butter at that"
The officers seemed inclined to smile,
and the captain grew as red as a turkey
cock and darted look of contempt at
the paymaster.
'Gentlemen," the captain said. turning
TO the officers and assuming all the digni-
ty he could, you have seen ambergris;
should you ever come across 1t in your flu
ture cruises you will know what it looks
like. Good afternoon"
The officers filed out of the cabin with
out a word and with doubtful expressions
on their faces, and ambergris was a ia
boOed word when the captain was within
ear shot. Somehow or other, that barrel
was never heard OF again.