The Washington herald., 1906-12-04

New York, Dec. 2-Because Capt. Rob
ert Giegg, Of the British steamship Mont
rose, would not cast TO the fishes a work
Of Japantse art, which his Chinese
thought was evil joss. the Montrose was
compelled on her way here from Yoko-
hama 10 snip at Hongkong an entirely
new crew.
She got TO Brushes Stores to-day with
the joss still on board but there will be
feeling OF relief when the thing Is
brought ashore, for the new crew became
aware Of its presence. and though they
did not mutiny. they made many fruit
less appeals to the captain to throw the
joss overheard.
The EVIL one" is the stuffed body of an
Eastern fish, to which IS deftly attached
a head shaped somewhat ike that of
man. but the expression on the papler
maehe face is one that would drive the
most confirzaed bacchanaI to the water
wagon.
The fish, when the Monrose sailed from
Yokohama on August 3, occupied a CON.
spicuous place in the room where the off,
GERS messed. There the Chinese cabin
boy spied il. and ii wasn't long before the
news had spread TO the forecasue.
Take Peep at Joss and Flee.
One by one the entire crew stole aft
peeped through the cabin port holes. and
ran forward
Ihe second day out Wah Ling, the Sc
rang, went to the captain and told him
that there was much disturbance among
the crew.
They no Ike the joss you got here;
they want him overheard" said Wah.
But the captain only smiled.
1t wasn't long after that the chief en-
gineer found things wrong in the fire
room The pressure IN the boilers was 50
low that the screw would scarcely re-
volve.
The firemen were deaf to commands
and threats They would not work They
were not defiant. They hUddled together
trembling with fear whenever one of the
officers went near them.
They no can work-it is the bad joss
that keeps them from duty. said the
/ serang
But they must work" said the captain.
I How am I to get the ship to port?''
you throw joss overheard, they 90
/ back to work, said Wah. But the cap
( tain stood his ground
Fear of Wreck Drives Men to Work.
/ If il had not been for the rising Of a
gale there IS no telling what might have
/ happened. Under the fear Of wreck the
men kept the fires going. but the captain
/ saw that there would be no use in try
1 ing 10 get TO America with the crew and
/ the joss So al HOngEong he paid the
men. and as soon as they could get over
| the side, they left the ship.
! There was no trouble getting a new
/ crew, though the captain had 10 be a
little careful not to let them know why
the Others had left, and the joss was
slowed IN "A vacant cabin.
| Things went on peacefully until three
weeks ago when in some way the pres
| ence aboard Of the evil joss got noised
about forward. The new crew made rep
/ reservations. They knew that some ter
/ rible thing would happen 10 the ship.
Again the captain refused 10 be guided by
! Oriental superstition He had only a few
thousand miles to go, and he would land
/ that FISH in New York at all costs.
The crew did not mutiny. but they were
very much afraid when, on November IS.
the Montrose ran into a gale OF more
than usual violence, and they begged the
captain to reconsider. Capt. Glegg does
not fear that any Of the men will at
| tempt 10 escape from the vessel while
she is in port. but he will not carry the
evil spirit away with him when he sails
again.