Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1899-03-23
CHApTDR XVI.-lContInued.) !

our shipmate Antonio was striking
specimen consists OF about thirty
thousand ollve-sklnned Spaniards and
double that number OF slaves and free
mulattoes, all loose, reckless, fiery and
apt to uee their knives on trivial oc-
casions.
There was not ship lying there
for England, or any other craft by
which Weston could have sent me
home. A Spanish packet was
on the eve of departing for Cadlz, but
boing wearled by the monotony OF my
long voyage, / was scarcely in mood
for the sea again. and wished to spend
u little more time on shore Instead Of
leaving with her,
However, | wrote to my family by
the Spanish mail, acquaintlng them OF
my safety, with the strange Incident
which had 80 suddenly torn me from
them, and adding that would return
BY the first ship bound for any part OF
England II possible, with the Eu-
genie, which would probably be
srelghted for London.
After the packet sailed with my let
ter In her capaclous bags, expert
enced an emotion of greater happiness
and contentment than | had ever done
since leaving home, for the sorrow
which l knew all there must have suf-
Panad ond ,,,nuld oIIlI ha oufgopInO
hung heavily on my heart.
As we were returning to the brig,
which had now been warped alongside
the mole, when passing through the
street which contains the great hospl-
tai, we heard the sound OF trumpets,
and saw the gllttering OF lances with
long streamers above the heads Of a
dense crowd Of people Of all shades OF
color-black, yellow and brown-and
we had to doff our hats with due re-
spect as they passed. for In the midst,
surrounded by stan OF officers, epau-
letted and alguletted, their breasts
sparkling with medals and crosses, and
each Of them riding with cooked hat
under his left arm, came the present
Captain General OF Cuba, marshal OF
the Spanish army, Don Francisco Ser
rano de Domlnguez, attended by an
escort Of mulatto lancers, all mounted
on Spanish horses.
He was a 1ne-looklng man, and al
though aged, had all the bearing OF
what he was, or, I should say, Is
grandee OF old CASTLE.
On returning to the Eugenle we
found Antonio the Cuban working
among the crew as Justify and as ac-
lively as any man on board. Weston
now offered him remuneration for tho
time that he had been with us, with
a hint that he might find berth else
where; but our castaway evinced the
greatest reluctance to leave tho brig,
and begged that he might be permit
ted to remain on board, rs three OF
our best hands had been sent ashore,
sick, to the hospital.
So short-sighted is man that Cap
tain Weston, despite the dislike of the
crew and the advice Of Marc Hlslop,
ordered that the name OF Antonio be
entered on the ships books as fore
mast man.
Three weeks after our arrival the
brig was careened to starboard, when
clear of all the cargo, and had her
copper scraped and cleaned. an OPP
Grafton which the constant rains OF the
season greatly retarded.
There was much In Cuba to feed
an imaginative mind, and mine was
full Of the voyages, the daring adven-
lures and the vast discoveries OF CO.
lumbus, with the exploits of the buc-
cancers, whose haunts were amid these
wild and, in those days, savage
shores,
thought Of the gaily plumed and
barbarously armed caclques whom Co
lumbus had met In their feet pirogues,
or had encountered In the dense for
ests which clothe the Cuban noun
tains-forests, old, perhaps, as the
days Of the deluge-of the yellow
skinned women with their long, flow-
ing black hair and with plates Of pol
ished gold hanging in their ears and
noses; OF the fierce warriors stroaked
with sable war paint and armed with
cane arrows shod with teeth or poi
soned fish bones, that fell harmless
from the Spanish coats OF mail; of the
wild Caribs, who devoured their pris-
oners--with whom a battle was but a
precursor OF FEAST and OF the ia
nous fighting women-the terrible
Amazons of Guadalupe.
thought Of the story OF Columbus
writing the narrative OF his wonderful
discoveries, his perils and adventures,
on roll Of parchment, which he
wrapped in ollcloth covered over with
wax, inclosed in little cask, and then
cast into the sea, with a prayer, and
the hope that II he and his crew per-
ished this record OF their achieve
ments might be cast by the ocean on
the shore of some Christian land.
AS sat by the sounding sea that
rolled into the bay Of Matanzas, what
would not have given to have seen
the waves cast that old cask, covered
with weeds and barnacles, at my
feet!
But now the plodding steam tug and
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