The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-04
had The DEVIL IN The CABIN.
BRITISH SKIPPER CONFRONTED
WITH A CHINESE MUTINY.

He Had Picked Up a. n Curio a Fish with .
HIdeons Human Face Of Pspicr Mache,
and Rather Than Drown II He Let
his Entire Crew Go AZ HOnskong.
Because Capt. Robert Glegg OF the British
steamship Montrose would not cast to the
fishes a work Of japanese art which his
Chinese crew thought was an evil joss the
Montrose was compelled on her way here
from Yokohama to ship at H~ongkong an
entirely new Grew. even to the serang.
She got to Bush's Stores yesterday with
the joss still on board. but there will be a
feeling of relief when the thing ia brought
ashore, for the new Grew became aware
Of its presence and though they did not
mutiny they a many fruitlees appeals
to the captain to threw the joss overheard.
The evil one IL the stuffed body OF an
Eastern fish to which IN deity attached a
head shaped somewhat Like that of q man.
but the expression on the papisr machs
face is one thai would drive the most oon-
frmed bacchaual TO the water wagon
The fish in mounted on a teakwood base
and when the Montrose sailed from Yoko-
hama on August % occupied a conspicuous
place in the room where the officers messed.
| There tho Chinese cabin boy spied it and
il wasn't long before the news bad spread
TO the forecastle.
One by one the entire crew stole aft.
peeped through the cabin port holes and
ran forward.
The second day out Wsh Ling. the ssrang,
went TO the captain and told him that there
was much disturbance among the Grew.
They no like the Joss you got here; they
want him overheard, said Wah. But the
captain only smiled.
IL wasn't long after that that the chief
engineer found something wrong in the
freroom. The pressure in the boilers was
so low that the screw would scarcely re-
volvs.
The fremen we're 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 ser ang.
but they must work, said the captain.
How am | to get the ship TO port?'
You throw joss overheard they 20
back to work, said Wah. but the captain
stood his ground.
If it had not been for the rising Of a gale
there is no telling what might ave hap
pened. Under the fear of wreck the men
kept the fires going, but the captain saw
that there would be no Use in trying TO
get to America with the crew and the joss.
He wouldn't throw the joss away because
he didn't propose TO be dictated 10 by a lot
of yellow heather, as he described the
men. SO at Hongkong he paid the men Cd
and as soon as they could get over the side
they left the ship.
There was no trouble getting a new crew,
thnt0h tho no ntafn had m no "A little paTafOi
not TO let them know why the others had
left, and the JOSS was slowed in a vacant
cabin. Two days after arriving at Hong
kong the Montrose was again on her way
, to New York. She hit a typhoon six hours
after she got away. but managed 10 weather
il without damage. After that the days
passed uneventfully until three weeks ago,
when in some way the presence aboard
of the evil joss got noised about forward.
The new crew made representations. They
knew that some terrible 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 and that fish in New York at
all costs.
The crew did not mutiny, but they were
very much afraid, and when on November
10 the Montrose ran into a gale Of more
than usual violence they begged the captain
10 reconsider. Capt. Glegg does not fear
that any of the men will attempt to escape
from the vessel while she is in port, but he
will not carry the evil spirit away with him
when he sails again.
First Officer Markham of the British
steamship Maroa, which is disCharging a
| cargo from the Far East in South Brook
lyn, has two stuffed birds that he says he
will present 10 the Museum OF Natural
History, now that death has robbed him
of the opportunity OF giving them 10 Bronx
Park. The birds few aboard the vessel
soon after the Maroa left Calcutta, but
they got so knocked about in a gale on
November Q that they died. No one on
board knew what they were, so they were
called whang doodles, They have tiny
bodies covered with black plumage. Their
legs are long and slender and their long
bills curved.