Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-08-19
Animals Become Tame With Great
Rapidity on Board Ship
TIE SEAL is an IDEAL PLAYMATE
The White Bear a Favorite Until
He Gets Too Large.
STORY OF TWO d O q :
From the London Spectator.

anenabIe to the tanning process is, per-
hans. not a question to be easily answered.
But one thing is certain: That nowhere do
animals become tame with greater rapidity
than they do on board ship. 1t does not
seem to make a great deal of difference
what the animal is. whether bird or beast,
carnivore or herbivore. Jack takes it in
hand with the most surprising results. evil
dent in so short a time that it Is often
difficult to believe that the subject is not
merely Stimulating tameness in order to
exercise his powers upon his master or
masters in an unguarded moment
OF course on board merchant ships the
range of variety among pets is somewhat
restricted Cats. dogs. monkeys. pigs
sheen, goats. musk deer and birds (of sorts)
almost exhaust the list: except among the
whale ships where the lack of ordinary
subjects for tanning leads men to try their
hand upon such queer pets as walruses,
white bears and even seal pups with the
usual success.
The Uncouth Walrus.
Few pets on board ship ever presented
a more ungainly appearance than the wal
rus. Accustomed to disport its massive bulk
In the helpful wave. and only for very
brief intervals hooking itself up on to
passing ice foe as if to convince itself that
It really is one of the amphibia. the change
in its environment to the smooth deck
planks of a ship is truly radical. And
yet it has often been known not only to
survive such a change, but to appear con-
tented and happy therein. Its uncouth
gambols with the sailors are not to be de-
scribed, but they so funny that no
one could witness them without laughter.
especially when the sage. hoary appear
ance OF even the most youthful walrus Is
remembered. and of course, only very
he oh
tanned alive. But. after all, the morse
has its limitations as a pet. Tanned as it
often has been. and affectionate as it I'M
dOubtedly becomes. it never survives for
great while its privation of bathing,
and to the grief of its friends generally
abandons the attempt to become perma-
nently domesticated before the end of the
season. The white bear, on the other
hand. when caught sufficiently young is a
great success as a pet, and develops a
fund Of quaint humor as we'll as intelli
gence that one would certainly never sus-
pect from the appearance of the animals
head Fears are notably the humorists of
the animal kingdom any ore may verify
for himself who chooses to watch them for
few days at the geological gardens, but
among them all for pure fun commend US
to Trsa polariS. Perhaps to appreciate the
play Of a pet white bear it is necessary to
be rough and tough whaleman. since witt
the very best intentions his bearship is apt
to be little heavy-pawed. And as when
his claws grow a very slight mistake on
his part is apt to result in the permanent
Disagreement of his playmate his days OF
psthood are always cut suddenly short as
- approaches full growth. Seal pups have
no such drawbacks. They are pretty, af-
fectonate and domestic, while an occa-
sional dnuche of salt water from the wash
deck tub will suffice to keep them in good
health and spirits for long time. Such
faVOrites do they become that it is hard
TO understand how the same men, who will
sTend much of their scanty leisure playing
with the gentle. amiable creatures, can at
moments notice resume the crude bar
barity Of sea}- Strengthening with all its at
teudant horrors of detail. Apart from his
curnbrous movements deck, the seal
seems specially adapted for ships pet.
He Is 81 Intelligent. fully in touch with
his human playmateS, that after short
acquaintance one ceases to be SURPRISED
a his teachability; it is taken as matter
of course.
Rivalry Between Two Dogs.
Ordinary merchant ships are. as before
noted. confined to a limited range of pets.
Chief among them is the harmless neces-
sary cat. But the cats quiet domesticity
never seems to take such firm hold upon
seamen's affections does the liveier
friendship of the dog. A dog on board ship
IS truly favored animal. So much so that
dogs viii give themselves almost as MANY
airs and sraCeS as the one unmarried young
lady usually does in the midst of a number
=,
same results. Once, indeed. the presence
Of two dogs on board of large ship on an
East Indian voyage nearly led to q mutinv
Ihey were both retrievers. the property Of
the master But almost from the com
mcncement of the voyage one of them a
Tine black dog, Sailor" deliberately cast in
his lot with the men "forrard" where he
was petted and spoiled. if a dog can he
spoiled by petting The other doe, a brou,
oiSnlfied animal. called Neptune" kept to
the "Hcers quarters. And presently the
TWO pets, by some sort of tacit understand
ing. divided the deck between them the
main hatch constituting a sort of neutral
ground. beyond which neither might pass
without fight. Now there were also some
pets on board of totally different kind to
VIII, three line pigs. who. contrary TO the
usual custom. We're allowed to roam nm
penned about the decks feIIow-feaIjng
perhaps led Sailor the forecastle dog 70
IiateFhLZe with the genial swine. and the
lHlicS oi these queerly assorted pharmacies
gave many an hours uproarous amuse-
ment. But the pigs loved to stray aft, far
beyond their assigned limits. Whenever
they did but short time would elapse
before Neptune would bound off the
poop. and. sezing the nearest offender by
the ear, gallop him ''forrard" in the midst
of a perfect tornado of SquealS and clatter of
sliding hcofs- This summary ejectment of
his friends was deeply resented by Sailor
VINO, with rigid back and cleaning eyes
looked on as If ready to interfere if Nep-
tune should overStep the boundaries of his
o. n.
In the fury of his gallop "forrard'' 'Nep-
tune" reached the galley door before he re-
leased the pig he had been dragging: then
suddenly rccollecting himself was trotting
back with dcprecatory demeanor. when he
met sailor coming round the after end of
the house The two heroes eyed each
other fer moment. but only moment.
sailor felt doubtless that this sort of
thing had gone far enough, and with a
snarl full of fury they Joined battle. The
skipper ''forrard'' promptly, armed
with Delaying pin. and Selling Sailor by
the neck began to belabor him heavily 1t
time had all gathered around. They rushed
to the rescue OF their favorite forgetting
discipline rights of ownership. everything
but the unfairness of the proceeding. The
Delaying pin was wreSted from the captains
grasp, the dogs torn apart. and. with scowl-
ing faces. the men stood confronting the
raging skipper. who for some moments was
hardly able to speak. When he was. he
said many things. amongst others that he
would shoot Sailor on sight: but 1t is
perfectly certain that had he carried out
his threat he would have had complete
mutiny on his hands. The matter blew
over, but it was a long time before things
had quite resumed their normal calm. A
keen watch was kept over Sailor by the
men for the rest of the voyage lest evil
should befall him.
MischievOus Monkeys.
Monkeys are, might be expected, pop