Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1898-08-13
IN BALLAST
Outwitting a Spanish Man-o'-War.


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The hold is that part of the ship in
which the cargo is put 1t did not
seem to me to have been quite the
proper place for Goals. I only hope
that George was careful to have the
hold washed before the next cargo
went in. 1t may have been fruit, you
know, or ladies' hats. However, I
have no wish to find fault No doubt
George Williams knew his own busi-
ness.
The Crocodile made successful
journey to Naples, and the cargo was
landed there. AS Mr.. Harrison had
foreseen, the Ncapolitans had nothing
which they wanted to send back, and
SO George Williams began the return
journey with his ship in ballast Ac-
cording to his instructions he called
at Cartagena, a Spanish port, in the
hope of finding stray cargo there.
As soon as he arrived he went to the
custom house and explained that, as
he had not brought any merchandise
with him, there could not be any duty
for him to pay. [ think that this
showed great politeness and good
feeling on Georges part, but 1 am
sorry TO say, the custom house Off
cials did not meet him in anything
like friendly spirit. They were not
content to accept his word, but asked
him to produce his papers. For
tunately, George haE pened TO have
these with him, and SO he very kindly
allowed the chief custom house Off
Ger to look at them. A ships papers
give number of statistics as to cargo,
destination and so forth, calculated
to satisfy even the most inquisitive
mind. In the case of the Crocodile
the papers contained nothing that
George Williams did not know by
heart. So, after all, they might have
taken his word. AS it was, however,
the chief custom house officer ex-
amined the papers with an eye keen
to detect the slightest irregularity.
Among the first things to attract his
attention were those unlucky Goals.
The quantity carried was evidently
far more than the cleverest captain
could have squeezed in the ships coal
cellars.
"Oho!" he exclaimed, in excellent
Spanish.
Many writer's in recounting con-
vcrsation of this sort, would endeavor
to heighten the description by putting
in number of Spanish words, and
assuming that their unfortunate reed
ers understood the mes ming of them.
In my opinion this is bad art. l never
assume that my readers understand
anything. 1t is safer not to do SO.
Therefore, although the custom house
officer spoke in Spanish because he
knew no other language, and George
Williams got rs near to it as he could,
+ shall not give the conversation as it
was spoken, but carefully translate
every word.
"Oho!" said the custom house
officer. "What is this?"
"Coals," said George.
"You have large cellars"
eyes," said George.
"But not large enough for all this
coal"
"No," said George.
"Where, then, have you put it?"
"In the hold" said George.
"In the hold Aha! Then il is
merchandise. You are going to sell
it. 1t is smuggled! Your must pay
fine"
ga fine!" shouted George. "What
for?"
"You have endeavored to deceive
the custom house. You are snug
gler! You will have to pay three
times the value OF the coal!'
81 shall do nothing of the kind"
said George.
"Then 1 shall put your ship under
arrest" said the custom house officer.
And, sure enough, when George went
back to luncheon ho found two Span
ish officials in Charge of the vessel.
The Crocodile was prisoner until
the fine should be paid.
George Williams was annoyed. IT
was bad enough to be fined when you
were guilty, but to be fined when You
were innocent was simply disgusting.
Besides, the fine was a heavy one, and
if the owners had to pay it, their feel
ings toward him might undergo n
change. This would bc unpleasant.
To pay the fine himself would he more
unpleasant still. What was to be
done? There was Spanish man n-of.
war lying in the harbor, and George
knew that any appeal for help on the
part of the custom house officials
would receive immediate attention il
| that quarter. so he determined tC
proceed with the utmost caution. lie
sent for the engineer, and asked him
how soon -he could get up steam
The engineer replied that he could bt
ready in about an hours time. You
see this was really most important
matter. IF ships boilers nre once
allowed to become cold, it takes, us 4
rule, n good four and twenty hours tt
get up ste,im again. But the CrocO
dies fires had been banked up, sc
the engines could be made ready Il
start again at comparatively shor
notice. Having given his instruc
tons to the engineer and mate
George turned to the custom hous,
officials aud commenced Il fluent con
versation with them in his best Span
ish. He began by observing that h'
thought be had been foolish; and thn
it was useless to struggle agains
properly constituted authority, and 81
he had made up his mind to pay thu
fine. He then remarked that the en-
gineer had discovered q leak in on,
Of the boilers and had been busy re
pairing it. He now wished to Civ
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