Evening journal., 1899-08-17
THE BUMBoAT INDUSTRY.
now Jack Tars Are Supplied with
Little Luxurfcs when
in Port.

While the warships lay at anchor off
Tompzinsville few days ago two bum
boat women and bumboat man came
TO blows in the course of an argument
over their respective rights to trade
with the returned Jack tars. Although
not always fought for so valiaHtly, the
privilege of bumboating is always
greatly sought after, and the profits of
the business are geSerally SO large in
proportion to the outlay that it is an
occupation likely to flourish as long AS
there are ships and sailors.
The ordiFary landlubber does not
have occasion TO knowmuch about BUM
boats or their proprietors, and it is ten
chances to one that his acquaintance
with them is limited to the one classic
bumboat woman of song, Little Butter
cup in 'Pinafore." But to the sailor the
bumboat men and women are highly
important members of society, and if
they should cease to ply their trade he
should find himself deprived of many
luxury that he now enjoys. The cap
tains of all vessels recognize the value
of the bumboats as a means of keeping
Jack contented when he is in sight of
either a home or foreign port. With
out their visits he would be far more
persistent in his demands for shore
leave, since he would be able to repre-
sent, reasonably enough, that he was
enjoying no benefit from the ships
nearness to land. But the bumboats
bring him all the tempting articles in
the way of food that he could possibly
find ashore, and, though these things
make up the greater part of their
stock, they frequently have besides
various little curios, pieces of jewelry
and other articles characteristic of the
country to which they belong. Bum
boat women are often washerwomen
as we'll, and they are only too glad to
/ relieve the sailor-for a consideration
of his laundry duties as long asthe shir
remains in the neghborhoed.
Every bumboat proprietor must have
written permission from the captain
OF the vessel he desires to trade with
and he must exhibit this as soon as he
comes alongside. Then an officer of the
ship goes aboard the bumboat anc
makes an examination of the stock, t.
see that no liquor is being smugglet
into the sailors possession. To be alb
solutely sure of this the officer must b,
we'll up in the tricks of the trade. Al
sorts of ingenious expedients are de
vised by the bHmboat proprietors, il
collusion with the ever ready seamen
Whisky and other spirits are brough
aboard in the most unexpected ways
and the success of a scheme must de
pend chiefly upon it's novelty. Tn
large claws of Holsters carsfpll
scooped out and flied up with liquo
have served to convey many a driRl
aboard, and they hold more that
would be generally supposed limo
cent-appearing strings of sausage
have also been discovered on investiga
ton to be not sausages at all, but tn
empty cases OF them filled with whisky
Even loaves of bread have concealed i
their centers little pouches of III
greatly prized liquid, and there are
number of other devices showing an at
mirable gift Of invention on the part G
the bumboat people.
Many of the tricks are discovered onl
after the sailors have given repeate
and unmistakable proofs of havin
been well supplied with liquor. The
the officers cudgel their brains TO fin
out by what means the stuff could hay
been obtained, and finally suspect SON
article Of the bumboat stock.
: Besides examining the goods the O
icer who boards the bumboat also lool
/, over the schedule of prices and decide
= whether or not they are exorbitant. Th
Is to protect tho seamen, who are pr
verbally no match for the traders, at
" bargain, from being swindled by c
tortionate prices. Occasionally,
a course, the boats bring odd wares, Fl
" which no prices can well be schedule
but the staple articles of their stoc
= such as fresh fruits, vegetables al
rweetmeats, are all valued at eerta
~ rates. The officers themselves very S,
y dom make any purchases, unless in I
. emergency they happen to be in nel
y OF some article for their own table.
.n AntAc - DibbdbiN uoN poi at WIN
~ ships ever touch where tho business
bumboating does not exist. In China
= Is especially active, as well as at I
various ports of Indo-China and Br
ish India. The bumboatmen Of Alexa
= dria, Egypt, are said to be the LATEST
'e their profession. Too indolent 70 ma
an effort to get alongside ship, tn
sail aimlessly up and down among
~ !, vessels in the harbor, crying mono'
% nously: "Ebrytingl ebryting!' II
~ IS intended TO describe the extensi'
ness Of their wares, but il is decept'
o. sor they usually have next to nothing
. uen. Sometimes they rouse themsel'
Just beSore a ship is about to depa
To- and come alongside, offering pigec
an and other birds and animals, which
- sailors often buy for pets. In faraw
81 Madagascar the natives are enthusi
re tic bumboat traders, and frequen
N; swarm about the ship in great nu
rn bers-N. Y. Tribune.
TX Butter without Churning.