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

at length what he would and would
not do.
| 1--WE got YOU on blue water, damn
| you, and that's just where 1 want you,
he said. If you obey orders I'll treat
you well but II you don't and he
glared at US for6ciouslv, you'll wish
you were all sizzling in hell before
you came on beard this bark
1--WE were to be allowed one week,
] he told us, 20 learn The name and use
of every rope on the ship. If we
hadn't learned them by that time we
were to be kept ON deck day and night
| until We had. After the captain had
| finished the watches were chosen, l
being in that Of S.las Fisk, the first
mate, and we were at once sent below
for supper which consisted of hard
bread and tea.
The change which had come over
| CAN'T. Middleton SINCE leaving New
Lon6n,, was so-7otl7inc which as
to%r II everybody and none of us
could account for il. some thought
that he must have ben -a'1ing too
many parting gla~=as with his friends
and that the linu0r he'd cone to his
head Others commended fN9t he was
temporarily insane and that he would
soon probably recover. But we all ac-
knowledged that therc wHs no going
back and that we must make the best
of things, no matter what happened.
THE second night out the wind blew
half a gale and a pretty lively sea
was running. Nearly all Of the men
were seasick and We're having about
the deck with the water washing over
them, apparently not caring whether
they went overheard or not The old
man tried to get some of them aloft
to help shorten sail but blows from
the ropes end failed IN make the
slightest impression and ultimately
the three mates and the boat steerers
had to furl the canvas themselves
without help from the crew.
THE next morning Mr. Newberry
ordered me alift with him. He would
show me how to send down the main
royal yard, he said. 1 got as far as
the cross trees where the ratlnes
ended. Above that one had to shin
and l gave up in despair. The height
was sickening and the swaying of the
mast caused me to clutch frantically
at the rigging to keep from falling.
Come on said Mr.. Newberry,
What are you standing there for?
Try it. It's easy enough.s Don't be
afraid or you'll never make sailor
"'Oh yes he WILL because I'll help
him. said q voice from below. +
looked down and saw Mr.. Fisk, the
first mate, coming up on the run with
a piece of rope in his hand | don't
know just how it happened but a few
seconds later | found myself on the
main royal When | reached the deck
again ] was trembling like leaf and
WAS So weak that | could barely stands
! But the next time it was much easier
and | soon was as much at home aloft
as on deck
| That same afternoon Silas Curtis
one of the hands failed to jump quick
~ enough to obey some order from
Mr.. F'risk and the mate. without the
slightest hesitation or warming drew
back and struck him savagelv in the
face. TO prevent his doing it again
Curtis seized the mates hands. Mr.
| 'S'N S'''S q y SiI anu TIC captain came
up from his cabin in three bounds
Middleton knocked Curtis to the deck
with blow which caused the blood tn
rush from the sailors nose and mouth.
The sight of the blood seemed TO
transform the two officers into raging
demons. Curtis was dragged aft his
shirt ripped off and his hands dashed
high above his head, to the mizzen
rigging
Capt. Middleton seized piece Of
ratline STUFF! and commenced to dog tbe
already nearly insensible sailor. l,v-
cry blow made q long black strine
across his back and presently the blood
| commenced to squirt at each lash
trickling down until it formed a pool
on the deck behind him. Curtis
screams Were terrible but Middleton
had no mercy. The men on deck looked
on sullenly and with angry mutterings
nut rNace nc effort 10 interfere. AT
| length completely exhausted, the cap
tam ordered Curtis to be cut down
Al'er Sousing him with water we car
r'ed MN to his berth in the fo'castle
Where he moanod and writhed in agony
All that night and the next day.
me hrst port we made after Ieav-
lns New LONDON was Faval where we
shipped TWO more hands both Portli-
geSe' But no one was Given shore lib
erty ana we soon left for the Cane
Verde Islands. One nieht Mr.. Fisk
saw George Seeley. who had been lying
in his berth in the fo'castle for several
days declaring that he was too i'll f.
cat, wolfing down a biscuit A search,
was Immediately instituted and a lot OF
bread and meat was found concealed
under his mattress. The matter was
at once reported to the captain who
ordered Seeley brought on deck. strip
ped and his hands dashed to the
.shrouds high above his head, so that
L his feet barely touched the planlssns