The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-07-12
WATER FOR GIN,
THEN BOUGHT IT
Hard Luck of a Traveller Aboard
the Steamer Nippon
Maru.s


Purser Lacy Goodrich of the Nippor
| Maru was in port just long enough the
other day to spin a yarn. Purser Good
rich is known far and wide over the
Pacific as that good looking young
fellow who always makes you feel right
pies business"
1t seems that Goodrich had a passen-
ger aboard who had been Something of
rolling stone. This rolling piece of
mother earth had once been in Singa-
pore, and having gathered no moss
there he made up his mind to go across
to Australia. On the story that his
relatives resided in Adelaide, South
Australia, and that they had lots of
money and would surely pay him for
his trouble in carting about this rover,
Norwegian skipper gave him pas
sage across. Living was rather mo-
notonous aboard as the food was poor
and only the captain and two mates
understood English. The skipper gem
erously allowed his passenger to use
the same cabin as himself and in
small cupboard in this room some 200
bottles of Holland gin were stored. The
skipper did not drink but thought his
two bottles of the stuff to use on a
voyage that was destined to last for
sixty eight days. Now the passenger
did not consider this very generous. 50
he watched the captain and whenever
he had the opportunity he exchanged
water for gin and carefully stacked the
bottles away in the cupboard again.
The ruse proved successful, and by the
time the bark reached Port Adelaide.
South Australia, the passenger had
used up some one hundred bottles of
the stuff.
This little game had been so success
full that the passenger had his weather
eye open for more fun. On Norwegian
ships it is customary TO hold religious
services at which the captain reads
prayers and the sailors sing hymns
each evening. The captain of the bark,
which was the Imacos, from Stockpool,
Norway. followed up this custom. One
night during a gale all the officers were
OF. deck and only sailmaker, the car |
penter and three sailors went below |
for the religious services. The sail |
maker read the prayers and the sailors |
sang hymns. The passenger seeing that |
there was no one in the little saloon |
who could understand English, Joined |
in the services. and when it came time |
the hymns SANG one OIL MS OWL. ne
first gave them %Thel'Il Be Hot Time |
in the Old Town" and followed this up /
with THE Georgia Camp Meeting" but |
the camp meeting was broken up rath
er quickly by the skipper. who had just
caught a line or two of the song.
But the best part of the story"
says Goodrich, lis that the passenger
referred to liked the gin so we'll that
about six months later he bought sew
eral bottles of gin at hotel in AIDE
aide to take on his trip to the Orient
from Australia and to America. He
had forgotten all about this stuff until
ne told me his yarn and then he rush
ed away like madman to see IL he
sould find some of ii in his cabin
trunks. He came back triumphantly
with a big square bottle and in the
smoke room called for glasses to trea
myself and others who were there. We
Ill poured out pretty stiff doses and
Here's luck" was shouted by all. Each
tipped off his glass. Then slowly a
sour look came into every face We
Ill looked at the story teller. His face
vas sour. He got up and walked down
o his cabin. We had been drinking
lot gin but water-probably some he
lad bottled aboard the Imacos some
we've months previously"