The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1898-07-16
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GRAVE.

brig that lay anchored in the lagoon about
a mile distant from the traders house
stood out as clearly and distinct as if she
were but so yards away from where they
sat.
Three OF the men present were visitors
Ned Packenham, the captain; Harvey
the mate, and Denson, the superoargo of
the Indiana. The fourth was the trader
himself, grizzled old wanderer of past 60
1t was long past midnight, apd the Old
traders numerous half cast faml, had
turned into sleep some hours before. It so
happened that the old man had Just been
talk.-- about a stnlwart son of his r,
i. had died fe& months previously, and
Packenhau aud Denisdn, to "hom the lad
had been we'll kno%h, asked his father
where the boy had been buried.
'In there" replied the Old man, point
ing to small white walled Enclosure about
stones throw from where we were sit
ting. There's a good many graves
there now. Let me see. There is Daw-
ney, the skipper of the Maid OF Samoa, and
three OF his crew; Peterson, the Du;chman
him that got a bullet into hin for fool
ing around to much with pistol in his
hand aud challenging natives to fight when
he was drunk; two or three of my wife 5
relatives, who wanted to be buried in my
boneyard because they thought to make
Fn tl,air 60,
after they were dead; my boy Tom and
the white woman
white womau?' said the mate OF the
brig. "Did white woman die here?'
'l'll tell you all do know, and queer
yarn it is too. In those days | was the
only white man here. | got on very we'll
with the natives and was doing a big bust
ness. There wtIe not many whaleships
here then, but every ten months or s.,
vessel came here from sydney, and was
making money hand over list.
The house in which then lived stood
farther away toward the point, in rather
clearer spot than this, You can zee the
place from here ana also see that house
standing in such position would be visi
BILE not only from all parts Of the inside
beaches of the lagoon, but from the sea as
we'll.
MY wife=tIdt the present one, you
know was Bonin island half bred Portu-
guese woman, and she generally talked to
me in L gish and had no native ways to
speak Of. We used to sit outside in the
evenings pretty oft, n and watch our kids
and the village people dancing and othet
wise amusing themselves on the beach.
''Rotau, the head chief of this lagoon,
one night had told US that canoe had
come from Mill, an island about three
days sail to the leeward OF Waller's place,
and reported that ship had passed quite
close to their island about week before
''After we had sat talking awhile my
wife called the children in and put them
to sleep, and Rotau and and his wives sat
outside bit longer smoking 1t was a
moonlight night, almost as bright as it is
mill pond-so smooth in fact, that there
was not even breaker upon the reef and,
the trade wind having died away, there
was not the sound of leaf stirring in the
palm grove.
eve had been sitting like this for about
half an hour, when Nora my wife, just as
she was coming out vi .ne door to Join us,
gave cry.
TIE Kailbuhe! Look at the ship
81 jumped up and lool; ed, aud there
sure enough, was big ship just showing
round the point and close in, not more
than mile away from the reef
"For moment was bit scared, Re,
Numbering that there was not breath OF
wind and yet seeing her moving. Then
remembered the current and knew that she
must run up to the land from the westward
before dark perhaps, and that as soon as
the breeze had died away the current,
which runs about four knots, had caught
took her to be either Yankee or British
North American.
''Just as had asked Rotau to get one oil
his women to hunt up boats crew he
sang OUT Listen, Ted. | hear boat.
tin another moment or two heard il
myself plain enough-click clack, click
clack-and at the same time saw that the
ship was heading away from the land
81 knew the ship was right enough and
could not get into any danger, as the cur
rent would take her clear Of the land in
another hour or so, so we all went to the
point to see where the boat was coming
AS soon as she was within 100 yards Of
the beach hailed them to keep bit tt
starboard, as there was big coral bowldel
right in front Of the spot they were steer
ing for.
Aye, ayen answered the man steering
and he did as | told him. In anothe
minute or two the boat shot up on tn,
beach, and we crowded round them.