Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-11-11
''She rubbed the stone on the keel
edge of the blade"
Daniel Sweet1and.
Continued from Sixth Page.)

wool off something cruel. and cussed In Ave
languages. and axed us who the blue, blaz-
ing h We thought We were, to come
teaching him. He said he English to
the marrow in his bones, and we proved he
couldn't be- in good sailor language. Then
he said that such trash as us wasn't going
to be heard afore him; and then we got
bit short like Though not in liquor, that l
promise YOU and told the man he was no
better than something or other mongrel-
like everybody else in foreign parts. After
that glasses got flying about and we siung
our hook back to the ship. But 1t shows
what fools men are, l reckon.
The coolies put all their money on their
wives And I'd do the same, as well you
know. But they don't do 1t in manner
Of speaking. but really and truly. for they
hammer all their silver money into nose
rings, and bracelets and armlets and leg
let's and their females go thinking about
with the family fortune hanging to EN-.
like fruit to tree. 1 seed lot at sugar
factory nigh Saint Joseph-a little place out
from Port o Spain. One estate there done
very well, but others was all falling to
pieces and the machinery all rusting and
no business doing at all. The air in a busy
factory smells of sugar, and the canes be
smashed between steel rollers. and the juice
comes out in a stream, like moor brook.
Then they set to work and after lot of
things have been done to this here juice,
including boiling. 1t turns into brown sugar.
And the remains be treacle, and the
crushed cane is used for firing. They also
make rum out of sugar-cane, and very
cheerful drinking tbs. The coolte girls be
awful purty-so brown my Minnie, with
dark eyes that fash. But they keep them
selves TO themselves. They wouldn't keep
company or go out walking with sailor
man for the world. And their men folks be
very short and sharp with them One gal
was singing and scrubbing a floor when /
catched sight OF her. All In red she was
with silver bangles on her arms, and Won
derful glimmering eyes. and not a day more
than thirteen years old That's q purity
child I said to Jim Bradley. Child be
d he said in his short way. She's
growed woman and very like got family.
The truth Is that they be grandmothers at
thirty. But I've only seed one purifier gal
in al! my born days. and that's my gal.
''All the machinery in Trinidad be work
ed with cocoanut OIL IT'S a very funny
smell. but you soon get used to 1t.
Our next port was Tobago. and here we
shall bide for good while and let our
fires out and have a go at the boilers. This
j do hope and trust as II will find you as II
leaves me at present, my dear wife. Ban't
much good for me to AZ you to write the
news, because you wouldn't know where
to send 1t. But 1 hope afore next year
be out that well come together again and
your poor chap will be proved an innocent
man.
I'll send you three pound from here
presently and another letter along with 1t.
II there's any good news and the charges
don't run too high, you might send q
Bates. Steamship Peabody. Bridgetown.
Barbados We go back there in three
weeks and shall be there afore you get
this. l be Bob Bates now. and shall re-
main so for the present till i can be Dan
Sweetland again without running my neck
In the rope
Lord save us. but how I do long to
be squeezing my own true wife! Awful
rough luck we've had. but there's a better
time coming. Tel, mother and father all
about me, but make EN- swear on father 8
old Bible fust that they'll name 1t to none
else. They can hear bits of this letter, but
not Ill. I'm sending you twenty thousand
kisses. / wish to God / was bringing EN-.
Last thing / done at Trinidad was to cut
your name and mine on Q great aloe leaf