The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-01-10
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Copyright, 1897, S. S. Mcclure Coz
Thrice is he armed that hath his
quarrel just" Bard of Avon.
@"But four times he who gifts hiz bio
in fust" Josh Billings.
Captain William Belchior was more
than a martinez. He was known as
"Bucko' Belchior in every port where
the British language is spoken, having
earned this prefix by the earnest read
mess with which, in his days as sec
ond and chief mate, he would whirl
Delaying pins, beavers and hand-spikes
about the decks; and by his success in
knocking down, tricing UP, and work
ing up sailors who displeased him.
With blow of his fist he had broken
the jaw Of q man helplessly ironed in
the 'tween-deck, and on the same voy-
age, armed with a simple beaying-pin.
had sprung alone into a circle of
branGishing sheath-kniveS and quelled
a mutiny. He was short. broad. beetle
browed and gray-eyed, of undoubted
courage but with The quality of SYM
pathy left out of his nature.
During the ten years in which he had
! been in command, he was relieved of
much of the executive work that had
made him famous when he stood watch,
: hut was always ready TO ratify his
reputation as a "Bucko" should fric-
ton with the crew occur past the
power of his officers to cope with. His
ship, the Wilmington, a sky-sail-yard
clipper, Was rated by sailor men as the
hottest craft under the American
flag, and Captain Beichior himself was
spoken of by consuls and commission
ers, far and near, as a man peculiarly
unfortunate in his selection of men,
for. never a passage ended but that he
was up as complainant against one or
more heaVily-irOned and badly-used-
up members of his crew.
His officers We're, in the language of
one of these defendants, % the same
breed o dorg." None others could or
invariably put on board in the stream,
or at anchorage; never at the dock.
Drunk when coerced by the boarding.
masters into signing the ships articles,
kept drunk until delivery (for no sober
men able TO run would join herr, they
were driven or hoisted up the side like
animals-some in a stupOr from drink
or drugs, some tied hand and foot,
struggling and cursing with returning
memory and reason.
Equipped thus the Wilmington, bound
for Melbourne, discharged her tug and
pilot off Sandy Hook one summer
morning, and with a fresh quarterng
wind and raising sea. headed for the
southeast. The day was spent in get
ting her sail on, ana in the licking
into shape" Of the men as fast as they
recovered their senses. Oaths and mis-
siles flew about the deck, knock-downs
were frequent, and by eight bells in the
evening, when the two mates chose
the watches-much as boys choose sides
in bali game-the sailors were well
convinced that their masters lived aft.
Three men, long-haired fellows,
sprawled on the main hatch, helpless
from sea-SicknesS. were left to the last
the light from the nearby galley door
10 be examined. They had been
dragged from the forecastle at the
mates call for ''All hands"
Call yourselves able seamen, I sup
pose" he said with an oath, as he
glared into their woe begOne faces.
No, pard, said the tallest and old (
es' of the three. in a weak voice:
wv are not scamen; we don't know how
we got here, neither"
The mates answer was fist-blow /
under the ear that sent the man head /
long into the scuppers, where he lay,
quiet.
Say sir when you speak to me. you
bandy-legged farmers he snarled /
glowering hard at the other two as
they clung to and leaned against the |
water tank. I'm pard to none of We" |
IHtN Indue MIN no answer anu he /
turned away in contempt. Mr.. Tomm." /
he called, want these Ethiopians in /
your watch?" +
No. sir said the second mate; I I
don't want EN-. THEY'RE no more use /
than a spare pump"
TN make 'em useful, fore I'm done /
with 'em. Go forrard-yOu three Get /
the bile out o. yer gizzards fore morn
in f We value yer good looks" He
delivered a vicious kick at each of the /
two standing men and bawled out:
Relieve the wheel an lookout-thatH-l
do the watch" and went aft while the
crew assisted the seasick men to the
forecastle and into three bedless hunks
.bedless, because sailors must furnish
their own and these men had been
'Shan~haied.'
The wind dieo away during the night,
and they awakened in the morning
with their seasickness gone, and appe-
tites, ravenous. SOmbTe and ominOus
was their bearing as they silently ate
of the breakfast in the fOrecastle and
stepped out on deck with the rest in /
answer to the mates roar: "All hands
spread dunnage." Having no dunnage
but what they wore, they drew off TO-
ward the windiass and conferred to-
gether while chests and bags We're