The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1898-09-01

voss rspost q IL tl6swaitsf vas tAas
n IVES mighty good stun. The pso-
pie from the schooner rarely came
ashore. They bought little or moth
ing from the butcher and the baker.
There was no apparent reason why
they should prolong still further that
voyage from Valparaiso to Tahiti,
which had already been extended 900
miles beyond Tahiti. Still their an
chor bit coral until the days measured
weeks. The tidewaiter reported that
they did nothing but talk all day. and
oil at once. At last, when they bad
been in Apia nearly q month. 1t be-
came known that they had no money
to get away with, and that they hope
lessly disagreed a. to raising money
by bottomry or by sale of a portion
of the cargo which was consigned to
order.
Therefore the municipality Of Apia
levied upon vessel and cargo as securi-
ty for port charges. This brought the
case into the supreme court, and shed
upon q remarkable transaction as
much light as it Is ever likely to re-
ceive. The court and Apia in general
were never quite clear as to several
points, but that is only to be expected
when one has to depend upon Portu-
gee Joe as one Of what proved to be
chain Of interpreters.
When the voyage of the Adriatic
opened in Valparaiso there were on
board, MS shown by the papers. six per-
sons, bound for Papeete. in Tahiti.
They were the captain. the cook. two
sailors and two passengers. 1tchanced
that these six persons were Of six dif-
ferent nationalities. It further
chanced that each one knew only his
own speech and one other, SO that
when they all talked together, as from
choice they did, only two people at
a time understood one another. One
of the sailors understood the captain
when he gave IN order; to get that
order to the other sailor, who was,
Of course. In the other watch, 1t was
necessary for the starboard watch to
translate 1t to one of the passengers,
who translated It again TO the other,
and he in turn translated 1t to the port
watch. Thus are the difficulties Of
navigation added to. 1t will easily be
seen from this how they got into the
habit of all talking together. trust
ing that in the babel some one would
understand. 1t suited their peculiar
conditions. even though it was apt TO
lead strangers to think riot was In
progress.
Then something happened to mar
the placidity of q voyage which should
have been an idyl. The precise details
are lost in the inability Of Portuges
Joe to interpret. His account was:
"Mr. Cap'n he call Mr.. Cook the bad
name. Then they become both angry"
This must have been sad time on
the Pacific. One can imagine Yankee
skipper Safeguarding his cook over
the hounds of the foremast. But this
vituperation on the Adriatico must
overpass the power Of any ordinary
Imagination. But the result 10 known,
The cook swore to carve the captain
the captain swore to shoot the cook
Each was unarmed. but the captain
leaped into the cabin companion as
the cook jumped into the galley. In a
trice both were armed. The captain
called on the watch below TO arrest
the cook, but he did not make himself
understood until the watch on deck
had started the order trickling
through the two passengers. The
cook retaliated by calling on the
watch on deck to arrest the captain
The two orders balanced. Then al
hands and the cook talked In wild
bunch until the two watches and the
two passengers had let off their steam
Then they were prepared to discuss
what should be done. The captain re-
fused to apologize TO the cook, the
cook refused TO be placated with ar
apology. The captain next would not
be content until the cook should b,
put In irons. The cook deposed the
captain from his high place. That .
sea cook should do such things as those
was a trife too much for even the re
markable two passengers and two
watches Of this very remarkable voy
age Of the Adriatico.
Here first appears the baking pow
der tin. The document which II con
tained was bill Of sale duly executed
and conveying to the cook the owner
ship OF the vessel and rather more thar
half of the cargo. In general way
it is a prerogative Of the captain tt
damn the cook; In fact, q cook un
damned would feel that something
was wrong; but circumstance which
clearly alters the case is when YOU
cook turns out to be your sole owner
and principal shipper. 1t becomes I
trifls awkward TO learn these factI
Just when you have been taking tur,
at damning that cook. However, 4
peace was contrived, and the cook
owner agreed to lay aside his knife
the captain his revolver. The cool
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