The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1899-05-31
LIZARDS SEIZED A SHIP.
HUNDREDS OF REPTILES MAKE
LIFE MISERABLE FOR CREW.
Schooner Golden Sheaf Arrives in
Philadelphia Swarming With
Queer Occupants.


The schooner Golden Sheaf arrived
in port yesterday from Jamaica with a
cargo of logwood and tied up at her
wharf, so terminating a pleasant voy-
age of twenty days. In addition to the
logwood the Golden Sheaf has passen-
gers. something which might be re-
garded as rather unusual in vessel
hailing from the Black river district of
Jamaica. However, those which
swarmed in the hold of the schooner
are not human tourists. They are
lizards, and it safe to say that a more
remarkable collection has never before
been brought to any port.
lizards big and little and of me-
dium size greet the inquisitive visitor
to the diminutlve vessel from the
tropics. They have seized upon the
Golden Sheaf as their legitimate home
and there Will likely be trouble in
store for those who have anything 20
do with the schooner until she is rid Of
her queer occupants. Captain Cham
der has hauled in his staunCh craft
many a cargo of lOgwood before, so he
ls not complaining. He knows that
the presence of the animals is a SEEM
ingly necessary adjunct whenever this
valuable commodity is aboard and he
has become Injured by association to
their pecuIiarities. Not so with the
crew. as many of them have never be-
fore sailed craft similarly loaded and
are consequently unacquainted with
the playful habits of the lizard, and
they do not feel as much at home
among them as the Golden Sheafs
captain.
The lizards seCrete themselves in the
logWood before 1T Is loaded at Black
river. possibly even before it is RATED
down. They prefer that species of
timber to any product of the tropical
forest, which IS their home. They ar
rive on board unsupported and may re
main undetected until some mariner
happens to step on one with his bare
feet. After that nobody goes into the
hold unless forced to.
Captain Chandler says there are
thousand IN the hold of the Golden
Sheaf. At least there are present half
that number. They are OF beautiful
green color with ever-changing hues
like those ascribed to the dying dolph-
in. In size they are above the aver
age, with body eight inches long and
a tail giving an extra length of six
inches This tail. too, can be parted
with very easily by the animal. 1t
needs but touch, when the appendage
is in your hands and the owner is gone.
Their eyes are black and beady, and
when they are directed full at an un>
lucky tar it is no small wonder that he
quakes in his boots.
How to get rid of the pests is a
question readily answered by Captain
Chandler, aad that is simply to take
them back. They will leave the vessel
as sure as fate as soon as their home is
sighted again. This strange fact re-
ceived ample verIfication in the case
of the brig ATLANTA, formerly in the
logwood trade between Carthagena
and Philadelphia. She brought almost
a million lizards into a certain port and
all efforts to dislodge them failed. 1t
Is said that at loss the ATLANTA was
sent to Carthagena when after her ar
rival the last lizard crawled off and
disappeared. SO the Golden Sheaf's
only remedy is to return.-Philadel
phia Times.