The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1911-09-23
JACOB BELL
rendered mo very umid aud strangely
stupened my faculties.
tContlnoed from iaoe ~


stupened my faculties.
In giving Master Charles dcscrip.
ton Of the pludering scene, have
spoken of the articles discarded and
thrown on the deck Of the Jacob Bell
by the marauders. Some few of these
articles were picked up by the boy,
and Captain Mamt being near, told
him that anything thus procured could
be presented TO me, and be accepted,
without iniuring my insurance on
returning to the Florida he repeated
the same thing to me; and just then
seeing a new tablecloth with dozen
napkins to matcn (which ! recognized
as belonging to my trunk of table and
bed linen) hanging over the rail, or
side of the companion way l said,
And are these, also, for me?" NO,
those belong to the ship" Captain
Mafiit quickly replied, and soon after
they were taken to his cabin. Cap
tain Maffit's table, where we were en-
tertained, was also found ornamented,
at every meal, with my very nice and
rare Oriental table mats There were
two sets, each of a different style; and
both kinds were Unfortunately used
at the same meal The silver taken
from the Jacob Bell was also used at
our table, while mine, as l shall show
presently, was kept in the ward-room.
Some who admire and sympathize
with the self-styled gentlemen and pol
ished officers commanding the rebel
piratical vessels, may perhaps regard
the placing so many familiar objects
before us as only an evidence of their
high breeding and kind desire to make
our surroundings as pleasant and
home-like as possible!
One day, when speaking of our
losses and remarking on the pillaging,
Captain Maffit, after saying that he
could not control his officers nor pre-
vent it, related how, at the time, one
officer came to him, after a package of
Oriental articles hao been broken
open, and told him that now was the
time for him to get a beautiful pres
ent for his daughter" and how he re-
piled to him: when l want to make
my daughter a present I'll pay for it,"
To appreciate these incidents one
should have seen the fine acting, and
the very proper emotion to suit the
sentiment, expressed in the captains
face, A few days after our arrival in
New York, an old Southern friend-a
native of Charleston, and a branch of
a family in high position in that city
informed us that Captain Maffit mar
ried widow, Mrs. Reed of Charles
ton, who was Laurens, and of one
of the most opulent families in that
city. Lieutenant Reed is her son, and
therefore Captain Maffit's stepson.
This young Lieutenant Reed superin-
tended the officers who broke open
and plundered our property. After
seeing a part of our silver carried
into the ward-room, and mentioning
the fact to Captain Mafit's steward
that some of the spoons were very val
liable to me from family associations,
and that l should like to get them, he
told some one of the officers our
wishes, but quickly returned, merely
remarking that Lieutenant Reed had
ordered our silver taken into the
ward-room, and from his manner we
readily understood that it was useless
to beg further for anything. Captain
Mafit was undoubtedly in collision
with Lieutenant Reed, and not only
ordered him how to proceed in the
plundering, but directed that all the
valuables should be taken into the
ward-room, where they remained until !
we left the steamer. There is no
question in my mind that the box, con-
tanning the valuable article from |
Peking..which Captain Maffit coolly |
told me could not be found-was at |
that time in Lieutenant Reeds pos |
session, and being safely kept for the
captain, who was thus enabled to pre-
sent his daughter not only with a !
beautiful but magnificent gift. The
fact, also, that my small hand-trunk
was well secured with two locks, and
that was careful to take it with me
into the boat which conveyed us from
the Jacob Bell to the pirate, probably
inclined Captain Madit and his Of
ficers to fancy that it might contain
costly articles of jewelry; and the
former, led by his cupidity, ordered it
not to be delivered on board the Dan
ish bark, -..
Had Captain MafIit, instead of mask
ing his designs Undar 4bie cowardlv