The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-10-04
ALBERT SONNICHSEN, Able Seaman.
Copyright, 1908, by Albert Sonnichsen.

A ship on a long voyage without
home without a baby. There is
something missing, Like babies, they
may disturb the peace, but their abb
sence leaves a sense of incompleteness.
/ once sailed on ship where a mon
key 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 for
eign substances in the cooks flour bag.
But when that monkey was lost over
board one day we never thoroughly got
over that sense of something missing.
We should have been infinitely cheer
ed by finding his hand prints on our
can white shirts.
The character of a ships pets is US
ually determined by the ports she sails
from. American ships seldom allow
their r en- to have pets at ALL but al
most all of the British ships that sail
the seas have tame animals aboard,
varying from cats to crocodiles. Some
Of these Britishers, toward the end of
a long voyage, become veritable float
ing menageries.
Pet tigers are not unusual aboard
East Indiamen. In Calcutta, or Ran
COON, bumboatmen solicit contracts to
supply you with tiger cubs at a
guinea a head. But not all shippers
will stand for domesticated tigers, I'M
less they are very small. The chances
he nj IL gre
they will cause trouble.
In the streets of Calcutta you may
he wandering quietly along in day
dream when suddenly you are startled
by the eyes and snout of small
crocodile being thrust under your face.
Five rupee, sahib. Five rupee, very
cheap, sahib," says the turbaned fakir
holding out the reptile.
Invariably Jack will buy, if he has
his months advance still in his pocket.
A fine present for the kids at home,
he thinks; so he carries it aboard in a
box of sand.
A Parrot That Gave Orders.
Parrots are proverbially known as
sailors pets. I was once shipmate
with a most uncommon parrot. He
was of the South African slate-colored
variety. l have heard it said that this
this particular one learned to express
himself in nautical English almost too
we'll.
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 were peace
fully 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 con-
tent to let him dream himself the En-
peror of India, but the trouble was that
he gave voice to his delusions of walk
ing the poop.
"All hands-weather fore brace"
This was the order that startled US one
dark night. AS soon as we had rubbed
the sleep out of our eyes we could
plainly see that there was no need fer
squaring in yards, so we growled as
we crawled up in line to the weather
fore brace.
Look sharp. there fellers," con-
tinued the voice sharply. Sleepy as we
were, we still thought this an authori-
tative command. But when the voice
suddenly bawled out Pump ship
reef the lower topsails" we paused and
felt surprised.
Just then the officer of the watch
came running ford.
whats all this row h So he de-