St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1898-04-23
OUR NOBLE TARS.
story OF a Notable Trip with Party
Of Detroit sehoo!ma'ams.
MAN-o-WAR's crew is a good

N MAN-O-WAR'S crew is a gool
IA deal like a herd of wild horse:
when the men get ashore after beins
pent up aboard ship for any unusual
length of time" said naval officer
That is, unless something remarkable
turns up to put the curb on them.
saw this fact eNemplified few years
ago in singular and rather humorous
way.
was attached to a vessel stationed
at Honolulu when the cholera broke out
there in 1895. We were doubly quaran-
tined because boy died on our ship
As soon as the boys body was disposed
of we up anchor and pulled into the
outer harbor, where we tossed around
In the swell for few days in jolting
style that finally determined the skip
per to pull away from Honolulu and the
island of Oahu altogether and to make
a cruise of the islands. We made a
cruise that lasted nearly three months
and finally got into HiIo harbor. Next
to Honolulu Hilo is the most important
town in the group. 1t is on the main
island of Hawaii, and. towering nearly
$4,000 feet above the sea. 60 miles or so
from the town, is the great volcano of
Mauna Loa. The burning lake of Kila-
uea is midway between the town of Hilo
and the crater Loa.
During the cruise none Of the men for
ward was permitted to go ashore. When
we reached Hilo the skipper decided to
give all hands shore liberty. The boat
swain's mate passed the word on deck:
starboard watch was to go ashore the
next day, port watch three days later,
upon the return of the starboard watch
to the ship, for the length of the liberty
was to be three days. The yelp of JOY
that went up from the forward part of
the ship when this announcement was
made must have been heard ashore
The men waltzed around like dancing
dervishes and acted as if they were al
ready drunk. Aft in the wardroom we
commiserated in advance the towns
people of Hilo. for we knew there would
be the devil to pay directly those sea
Indians OF ours struck the beach.
The men of the starboard watch,
about $50 all told, got together and de-
cided to make the trip up to the burn
ing lake of Kilauea, and to start as soon
as they got ashore. All hands were paid
off and received their three months
money. and the men of the starboard
watch turned into their hammocks
early to be ready for the big iaunt the
next day. As soon as they got ashore
the men distributed themselves among
the gin mills to take preliminary
drink or two, and then all turned up at
the big livery stable in Hilo, where con-
.veyances and horses were to be hired
for the trip to the burning lake. which
is IL hours from Hilo. Most of the men
felt pretty good from the preliminary
drink, and most of them. too, had a i
good-sized jug to keep out the cold of
the higher altitude on the journey
They hit up these jugs with considera-
BILE frequency while the master at arms.
who was the spokesman of the crowd. |
made arrangements with the liveryman. |
He engaged lot of stages for such of |
the party as wanted to travel that way.
and horses for the men who preferred |
that means of reaching the burning |
lake.
Everything was ready for the start |
and the men We're becoming comfort
ably jagged, when a dozen young wom-
en-, most of them pretty, and all Amer
lean girls BY their looks, tripped up to
the stable and got into stage that was
awaiting them. The blueiaekets gazed
with good deal of respectful interest
at these nice-looking girls. who laughed!
and chatted together once they were
settled in the stage, and chatted in the
American language, too. which is pleas
ant music unto the ear of the sailorman
in foreign ports. The blueiackets all
perked up their ears and nudged one an
other.
Hey. there. mate called out the
master Mt arms to the liveryman. If it's
a fair question, where's that packful
of young women bound-the same port
rs my gangs making for2'
= Yes, replied the iveryman, they're
just starting for the burning lake of
Kilauea. and they'll reach it at the same
time your party does
ssThe master at arms. a rough man of
some self-acquired education. walked
up to the stage in which the Young
women sat. They watched his approach
with interest. The raster at arms re-
moved his peaked cap with the diff
dence of the salutation and spoke: l.
:" Young ladies' said he, you're from
The United States. amt yep
Were not only from the United
States,' spoke up one of the young
women, smilingly, but we teach the !,
coung idea of the United States how to
.hoot. We're all school-teachers from !.
Detroit
that bein' the case, said the mas
ter at arms, it's only right and proper !:
hat you should have a United States ,
ruarJ. when there's one at hand, while
rousre iii foreign parts. I've got a gang
Z 80 men here, all ablebodied, and so
Z en- luounted. bound for the same !
- 0u1s making for. Theya I'll wear /