Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-10-03
.FOUR-FOOTED SAILORS
Run the Gamut From Kit
tens to Tigers.
REIGN LIKE A BABY
HOW A PET PARROT UPSET A
SHIPS DISCIPLINE.
What Happened a Craft That Carried
More Monkeys Than Ship
mates.

a baby. There is something missing. Like
babies, they may disturb the peace, but
their absence leaves a sense of incom-
pleteness. l once sailed on a ship where a
monkey kept US in continuous trouble. He
stole our biscuits. upset our sugar jars.
dipped his paws in tar pots. then wiped
them on our drying wash; tied troublesome
knots that we couldn't undo. and deposited
all sorts OF foreign substances in the cooks
nour bag. But when that monkey was lost
overheard one day we never thoroughly got
over that sense Of something missing. We
should have been infinitely cheered by find
ing his hand prints on our clean white
shirts.
+ The character of a ships pets is usually
determined by the ports she sails FROM
American ships seldom allow their men to
have pets at all. but almost all of the
British ships that sail the seas have tame
animals aboard varying from cats to crocO-
dlles Some of these Britishers, toward the
END or a long voyage, become yeritable
floating menageries
Pet tigers are not unusual aboard East
lnd1amen. In Calcutta or Rangoon bum
boatmen solicit contracts to supply you
with tiger cubs at guinea a head. But
not all shippers will stand for domesticated
tigers. unless they very small. The
chances are that before the end of the voy-
age they will cause trouble.
In the streets of Calcutta you may be
wandering quietly along in a day dream
when suddenly you are startled by the eyes
and snout of a small crocodile being thrust
under your face.
Five rupee. sahib. Five rupee very
cheap, sahib," says the turbaned fakir hold
ing out the reptile
invariably Jack will buy, If he has his
months advance still in his pocket fine
present Tor the kids at home, he thinks; so
ne carries it aboard in a box of sand.
Parrot Tbof Goua nrdore
Parrots are proverbially known as sailors
pets. l was once shipmate with a most I'M
common parrot. He was of the South Afri-
car slate-colored variety. I have heard it
said that this species never learns to talk
well, but this particular one learned to ex-
press himself in nautical English almost too
well.
He was at first allowed the freedom of
the ship. and in fine weather he roasted
on top of the forecastle. But the great
trouble was that during the still nights,
when all hands We're peacefully slumbering
on the matches, this parrot would dream
that the command of the ship had been
turned over to him. We would have been
quite content to let him dream himself the
Emperor of India. but the trouble was that
he gave voice to his decisions of walking
the poop.
"An hands-weather fore brace" This
was the order that startled us one dark
night. AS soon we had rubbed the sleep
out of our eyes we could plainly see that
there was no need for squaring in yards,
so we growled we crawled up in line to
the weather fore brace.
Look sharp, there. fellers," continued
the voice sharply. Sleepy as we WERE we
still thought this an authoritative COM
Uand. But when the voice suddenly baWl-
ed out: Pump ship-reef the lower top
sails" We paused and felt surprised.
Just then the officer of the watch came
running ford.
"What'S all this row hare2'' ba demanded
irritably. WHO'S this giving orders?"
This thoroughly awakened us. Again the
mysterious voice spoke out of the dark
ness:
"Merrily we're rolling home-rolling home
rolling homer
Then light dawned upon us. It was that
cursed parrot navigating the ship as he
thought it should be navigated.
The Franks of an Alaskan Bear.
I was once shipmate with a sailor who
loved to tell of young bear pet that they
had aboard sealing schooner he was on.
The bear had been taken aboard in ko-
diak. Alaska. as small cub. but as months
passed by he grew big and developed
passionate love for all his shipma tes which
found expression in a wild desire to press
them to his bosom in his powerful arms.
Finally it was found necessary to chain
him up to the fife rail around the pumps.
One day the bear broke loose. He came
aft and met the captain coming out of the
companionway. He was so glad to see the
captain that he rose to throw his arms
about his neck, but the captain rudely
slammed the cabin door and retreated.
Johnny Bear sadly dropped to all fours
again and scrambled up on the poop. There
he caught sight of the helmsman. With a
| joyous wool! woof he rushed to embrace
his old friend. but again his advances were
no: well received. The helmsman deserted
his post and scrambled up the miZzen rig
sing with more speed and noise than
dignity.
Johnny rose sorrowfully on his rear and
gszed wistfully up the mizzen shrouds.
From out his small black eyes came a look
Of blighted love. He really would not will
fully have hurt flea. but he was uncon-
scious of the tremendous power of his
affectionate hugs.
Again Johnny rolled on. down to the
main deck All hands, including the COOK.
ScLrried aloft. With low. pathetic walls
Johnny paced up and down the deck, not
understanding the panic he had caused.
The helmsman still remained aloft, and the
captain and mates were barricaded in the
cabin. Then the ship came up into the
wind and the sails shook and soon the
booms were banging back and forth, as the
vessel rolled.
At this juncture cruising revenue cutter
came up within haling distance.
81 say roared the captain through Il
megaphone, whats the row aboard?'
No answer from the schooners crew, who
were busy aloft lodging swinging ropes
Only Johnny on deck answered. He reared
up over the rail and baa-ed like a sheep.
He wanted the revenue cutters captain to
come over and be loved
Schooner ahoy!" roared the revenue
cutter officer again. Il say, who's in COM
mand there?'
This time my shipmate, who was the
helmsman, who had sought refuge in the
mizzen rigging, found time to answer the
hail:
Captain Johnson was-Johnny is now"
Poor Johnny. Disappointed at the lack
of sympathy that he met on all sides, he
finally crawled down the BOBBY hatch. 1t
may be that the stores down there es-
pecially the molasses barrel. had some
thing to do with it, but. anyhow, with a
last reproachful look aloft he dropped
down to play with the molasses. Then the
captain rushed out, jerked the hatch cover
to and left Johnny a prisoner while the
ship was brought back to her course. The
revenue officer came aboard with some men
and helped bring Johnny back to his
shackles at the main mast, but he came
cheerfully, Offering to rub his sticky snout
in every ones face. The molaSseS barrel
had reciprocated his love.
A Ship That Was Manned by Pets.
A case where pets possessed themselves
of ship. although not quite SO forcibly as
Johnny did, came within my own expert
ence.