Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-03-03


what was coming.
"'What were you sogering for?
roared the captain.
Il wasn't sogerng, said Sceley sui
lenly, 1 was sick
"'There's ohe' for being Sick, Mid
dletor yelled and ne brought the rope
down on the mans naked back with
an oath. What did you come to sea
for in my ship
Ct came for my health Seeley an
swered, still defiant.
We'll, here's one for your health.
and the captain commenced raining
blows on the mans unprotected body
with all the fury of a maniac. At
length, scarcely able to raise his arm.
he ordered Seeley cut down and we
carried him below. We dressed his
wounds to the best of our ability but
it was some time before he regained
consciousness and nearly week before
ne was fit for duty.
During the long run around the
cape and into the Indian ocean we
drilled frequently with the beats when
the weather was calm, going through
all the maneuvers of capturing a
in our boat failed to understand an
order and Middleton seized a boat
bucket and brought it down on his
head with terrific force. The blow made
a nasty wound and the sailor dropped
his oar and fell to the bottom of the
boat like log. When we got back on
board he and his countrymen went in
to the fo'castle and cried like children.
after touching at St Paul and Am
sterdam islands in the Indian ocean,
we squared away for our long run to
New Zealand. 1t was on this passage
that AL Leach, the steward, whom the
captain had rendered frantic by his
continual abuse, jumped overheard We
lowered boat and by quick work on
the part of the men, managed to get to
him as he was about to sink for the
third time. We got him back on board
more dead than alive and, when he
came to, he cursed us heartily for not
letting him drown.
1--WE ran into heavy weather as we
approached the New Zealand coast
One particularly heavy sea smashed in
our starhoard gangway, ripped one of
our boats from its davits and crippled
otlI lUtucI Stt tIlsll We WCIC OUllSeu "
put into Otaso for repairs. Leach,
who was so terrified by the captain as
to be useless as a steward was put
ashore and Curtis, Seeley, the two
Portuguese and two other hands desert
ed. In their places we shipped Black
Jack ana Ned Nat, two Englishmen;
Tanglaboo and Tommie. Eanakas;
Old King Cole, a Mort and Jack, an
Italian. y big Englishman, named
Milne, was also shipped as steward
and in him Middleton caught Tartar.
THE first meal that Milne served on
board was breakfast and among the
other dishes, was some potato hash.
The captain shifted at it suSpicioGsly.
What th'ell do you call this he
growled.
Its ash sir said the steward re-
specially.
49, ash is it? yelled Middleton. Eng
lish ash. l 'spose" and he picked up
dish and all and hurled it at the stew
ards head.
eyer bloody brute Til jolly well
make ash of YOU shrieked Milne and,
Selling a carving knife from the table,
he started for the skipper with murder
in his eye. cursing horribly. The old
man was too quick for him though, and
they made several laps ar und the ia
bic, Middleton bawling for help at the
top Of his lungs. Mr. Fish and the
second mate hurried down and threw
themselves on the Infatuated steward
who. after a struggle. they managed to
disarm and bundle into a boat along
side. His baggage was tossed in after
him and he was rowed ashore.
Let me at i'm. Let me at the
bloody body snatcher- III show i'm
how to make English ash" we heard
Milne yell as the boat disappeared
around Tiro's head
For once in his life Middleton had
been thoroughly frightened and every
one on board knew it, Over and over
again he declared that Milne was
murderer and that it was lucky that
his true CHARACTER had been disclosed
before We had gotten to sea.
after putting in at Mangcar we
made for the Alautian islands, meeting
another bit of TASTY weather in which
We carried away our fore top aid main
top gallant masts. IN route We passed
through betiIHlS solrllC lntO the
Arctic ocean about the first of July,
which is unusually early as the ice
generally blocks the passage until
somewhat after that date. For cNeral
weeks we cruised about or the whaling
grounds but without success. once,
we picked up Il whale that had been
killed by boats from some other ship.
We managed to get about - barrels of
oil But this WAS our only prize. At
tercruising as far as the Icy Barrier at
II north latitude, we turned and head
cd southwark.
"A few days later, when oft a parti-
cular,v wild and desolate looking por-
ton of the Alaskan coast Il party of
us in command Of Mr.. Fisk went
ashore to see if We couldn't kill some
game. Everyone felt that fresh meat
would be n most welcome addition to
the salt horse on which we had been
living for so long. Another youngster.
Holster Peck by name, and myself
We're taken along as boat tenders. Peck
was perhaps the most formidable look
ing person L have ever seen. lie was
blind in one eye and had a manner of
drawing up one corner of his mouth to
meet the eyeless socket, at the same
time giving his nose a peclIliar twist