Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1902-04-01
THE COOK HAD A BATH
CAPTAIN AMESBURY
RELATES AN INCIDENT
Popular Captain Of Ship s. D...Carle-
Arrived From Tacoma Last
Night--Spesklng Of
Fumigation,

After a pleasant and uneventrul trip
of twenty.one days from Tacoma. the
ship S. d. Carleton, Captain Ames.
bury. arrived in port about 8 o'clock,
last evening. About 10 o'clock yes.
terday afternoon, the Carelton was
having some difficulty in approaching
Honolulu. Captain Amesbury saw
some signs OF having to make port by
coming all around oahu His anxiety
was relieved, however, by the advent
of squall from the northwest, and
the Carleton came around Diamond
Head in good shape.
Captain Amesbury is one OF the most
popular captains visiting this port and.
when he entered the ship chambers
on Queen street this morning, he was
warmly welcomed by the little sather.
ing of shippers who were discussing
the news OF the waterfront.
The conversation turned to the
quarantining and fumigation of vessels
and especially in regard to the fumi'
cation of ships at this port.
1T Is all confounded nonsense, In
my opinion" said the captain of o
bark which recently arrived from San
Francisco. 81 fail to see what good is
done by fumigation Of ships here"
"You haven't had the experience
with quarantine that have" said Cap.
tain Amesbury. II went into New
York once from Hongkong. There had
been plague In Hongkong and Of course
we had to go into quarantine.
We'll. they anchored us out in the
bay and brought an iron tank along.
side of us. Then a quarantine officer
came aboard and stood all my crew in
line aft, with their clothes loosened
up, SO he could see II any Of them
were sick.
Are you going to examine tho
ladies that way, too?' says'I /. To be
sure, there We're no ladies aboard but
! felt like teasing, you know.
We'll, sir. that quarantine Officer
looked sheeplsh and was nightly 70
lieyed when told him there were no
ladies' aboard.
Then they put each member of the
crew into the vessel alongside and
gave them a steam bath. They put
each man in a kind of box and turned
the steam on. The sailors didn't like
II bit and made awful faces.
But ! never laughed so much in my
lac as | did when II came the cooks
turn. The cook was a Chinese and
hadn't taken bath during the entire
voyage from Hongkong to New York.
Whether he ever washed before he
shipped with us Is more than | can
tell you. You wouldn't think so to look
nt him.
The cook kicked like a steer when
they put him in the box and II took
two men to get him ready for the
steam. When they got him fast they
turned on all the steam he could
stand. Say. do believe that China
man lost seventeen pounds in weight
through that bath.
when they finished steaming the
crew, they started TO steam the
clothes. It was a sight. They chuck
cd red and blue shirts, black trousers
and everything together and then turn
ed on $50 pounds of steam. When the
clothes were again distributed they
were all OF one color.
Are you going to do my clothes
that way, too?' says ! to the officer In
charge OF the steam outfit
Certainly says he.
II handed him a cigar al d. while he
was lighting 1t, | slipped into my cabin
and dropped ten.dollar gold piece in
the top bureau drawer where 1t could
not escape observation. The next
moment the officer was in the cabin "a
get my clothes. ] was at his elbow
when he opened the drawer.
Gracious, there's ten dollars, says
l; you'd better put that in your pocket
and forget it,
Get me a bag OF oakum.' says the
officer. got him the oakum In a bag
and he steamed the oakum."
Captain Amesbury has had other ex
periences with quarantine. But that
Is another story.