Evening journal., 1899-06-28
TIE BUMBoAT INDUSTRY.
How Jack Tars Are Supplied with
Little Luxuries when
in Port.


While the warships lay at anchor Off
Tompldnsville q few days ago two bum
boat women and bumboat man came
10 blows in the couYse Of an argument
over their respective rights to trade
with the returned Jack tars. Although
not always fought for so valiantly, the
privilege of bumboating is always
greatly sought after, and the profits Of
the business are generally so large in
proportion to the outlay that it is an
occupation likely TO flourish as long as
there are ships and sailors.
The ordinary 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 a 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 WELL and they are only too glad to
relieve the sailor-for a consideration
of his laundry duties as long as the ship
remains in the neighborhood.
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 and
makes an examination of the stock, to
see that no liquor is being smuggled
into the sailors possession. To be alb
= solutely sure of this the officer must be
: well up in the tricks of the trade. All
sorts of ingenious expedients are de-
yised by the bumboat proprietors, in
? collusion with the ever ready seamen.
Whisky and other spirits are brought
aboard in the most unexpected ways,
and the success OF a scheme must de
J pend chiefly upon its novelty. The
4 large claws of Holsters carefully
p scooped out and filed up with liquor
= have served to convey many a drink
o aboard, and they hold more than
A., would be generally supposed. limo
cent-appearing strings of sausages
have also been discovered on investiga.
i tion to be not sausages at all, but the
e empty cases of them filed with whisky
= Even loaves Of bread have concealed in
r their centers little pouches of the
A greatly priced liquid, and there are q
number of other devices showing an ad-
mirable gift of invention on the part OF
the bumboat people.
Many of the tricksar discovered only
n after the sailors have given repeated
r. and unmistakable proofs of having
e been well supplied with liquor. TheI
% the officers cudgel their brains TO iint
out by what means the stuff could have
been obtained, and finally suspect som'
+ article of the bumboat stock.
Besides examining the goods the of
y ficer who boards the bumboat also looks
l. over the schedule of prices and decides
q whether or not they are exorbitant. Thil
% is TO protect the seamen, who are pro
verbally no match for the traders, at ;
10 bargain, from being swindled by ex
&c tortionate prices. Occasionally, o
l. course, the boats bring odd wares, fol
which no prices can well be scheduled
l. but the staple articles of their stock
+ such as fresh fruits, vegetables ant
sweetmeats, are all valued at certaii
rates. The officers themselves very sci
&c dom make any purchases, unless in al
e emergency they happen to be in nee'
t, of some article for their own table.
h There is probably not a port at whicl
10 ships ever touch where the business o
AOtH h0A NAiaAs IL NiAAhA
is especially active, as well as at tn
various ports of lndo-China and Brit
~ ish India. The bumboatmen of Alexan
u dria, Egypt, are said to be the LATEST o
TT their profession. Too indolent to max
er an effort 10 get alongside n ship, the
in sail aimlessly up and down among tn
is vessels in the harbor, crying monotc
nously; "Ebrytingl ebrytingl" Thi
is intended to describe the extensive
~ ness of their wares, but it is deceptive
y, for they usually have next TO nothing I
OF sell. Sometimes they rouse themselve
IS, just before a ship is about to depar
as and come alongside, offering pigeon
IL. and other birds and animals, which tn
lv sailors often buy for pets. In farawa
Madagascar the natives are enthusia:
tic bumboat traders, and frequentl
swarm about the ship in great nun
bers.-N. Y. Tribune.
- butter without Churning.
It is reported that q Swedish inventc