Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-01-13
CHAPTER VI.
PAssEN, ERS AND GUARDS.

PASsEN, ERS AND GUARDS.
As the pas: engers and guards were
all brought int, the great trouble which
ultimately fell upon the Hindu, the
reader should a. least be introduced to
them. The ont single man was named
Haskell. he as about 20 years Of age,
and farmer b. occupation. I at first
took him for stupid lout, and all 9TH
ers were incline d to make him butt Of
ridicule, but you will see that his looks
belied him. II ere were four married
couples-Will:ams, Roberts, Saunders
and Smith. v Williams, as you know,
was Mary's fat lei. The others knew
nothing about, except they were fair to
do people who were going out to the
Colony in hopes to better themselves.
The two single women had been serv-
ants in Engla I'd and were Miss Foster
and Miss White. There were thus IL
adults, while Roberts had two children,
Smith three aud Saunders one, making
up 6 more, or IL passengers in all.
The names Of the seven guards were
Hooper, Larkins, Green, Tobias, Rich
mond, Tannehill and Martin. All were
English or American, and all claimed
to be men out of work and at least semi
respectable. Hooper was the ex-sergeant
and in charge of the gang. He was bet
ter dressed than the others and was
likewise keen, sharp looking man. I
can't say that / mistrusted the man
from the outset, but after reading the
anonymous note handed aboard by
strange hands 7 looked over the seven
and made up my mind that Hooper was
the man to keep an eye on. He had a
great gift Of CAB, as I soon discovered.
and his position would likewise give
him certain influence.
Very little occurs on board a ship, no
matter how large she is or how many
passengers she carries, which does not
become common talk within few
hours. The doctors incompetency leak
ed ont after two or three days, as also
did the fact of Captain Clark taking
charge of the convicts. The punishment
of the two prisoners was public affair
and witnessed by all except the women
and children. These things, as you may
suspect, created no little anxiety among
the passengers, and we had only been
five days out when they drew up and
signed paper requesting the captain
to return to port, declaring their belief
that their lives would be imperiled by
an outbreak before the bark had been q
fortnight at sea.
"What we shall do, replied Captain
CLARK, "will be to continue the voyage.
II we meet an inward bound ship and
any of you want to return, Twill refund
your passage money. While acknowl-
edge that the doctor is lor the right
man in the right place, he is doing bet
ter every day and will soon work into
the harness. By the time we reach the
Cape we shall have no fault to find with
him. AS for the convicts, they have got
taste of what am made Of, and few
days hence will see them as mild as
lambs. Aside from the perils of the sea,
Iguarantee to land every soul of you
on Australian soil. "
There was some muttering and COM
planning, but the people soon came to
think better of it, and thus the affair
ended. From his being in charge of the
guard, Hooper had privileges not ac-
corded to the others. The fact that he
was strongly against the protest was
brought to my attention. He had q
dozen arguments at his tongues end to
the captains one. Indeed others be-
sides myself remarked ON his oyerzeal-
BUSINESS. One might argue from this
that he had no fear of the situation and
was anxious that the voyage should not
be interrupted, but l could not help
ask myself if he had not some other OBJ
ject III view If he was the traitor re-
ferred to in the note, then to turn back
would upset all his plans. The affair
was soon over, however, and for three
or four days everything ran smoothly.
On the afternoon of the third day we
sighted an inward bound craft, and
Captain Clark went among the passen,
gers to ask if any desired to be trans
shipped No one wanted to 60, and we
dipped our flag in salute, asked to be
reported and drove on.
Up to this time only two of the gangs
had got to work. The 10 men of the
second gang had claimed to be painters,
blacksmiths and the like, and we could
give them no work Oh deck until fairly
at sea and everything was shipshape for
the long voyage. Ben Johnson was in this
gang, and have no doubt that the men
acted under his instructions in giving
in their occupations. 1t was plan to
bring them all OH deck, you see, and so
make it the worse for US. Work they
must. however. and in due time they