The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1912-01-27


attention prepared a small pill of the
opium mixture, and placed it over the
pinhole in the pipe, which takes the
place of the ordinary bowl When !
had managed to get the large stem
of the pipe into my mouth, he applied
red-hot iron to the opium, and the
smoking began.
81 inhaled three whiffs of the smoke,
which was all the small pill produced,
and then ! was sorry | had done it.
All the fine dreams and hallucinations
which | had been led to expect, and
did really expect to experience, we're
missing, and in their stead l was
genuinely seasick-nauseated until l
could neither eat sleep, nor stay
awake. The sensation lasted for sew
eral days, Notwithstanding the large
amount of strong tea and coffee l
drank, not to mention other liquids"
For a long time the Delaware lay
at anchor off Singapore.
Five of us hired a bungalow on
shore, and regularly set up our estab-
lishment. 1t was situated on the edge
of the jungle, near one of the best
hotels, from which We obtained our
meals. 1t was, of course, headquar-
ters for all officers who had to remain
ashore all night We had only five
beds, but they were very elastic, and
could be made on occasion to hold a
great many men.
"One morning, as five of us sat TAX
ing our morning fruit and coffee, the
Chinese attendant broke into the room,
almost paralyzed with fear, screaming
Cobra! Cobra!' In a moment we had
located a large, vicious-looking reptile
in the back yard, and the happy thought
came to some one to send for a snake
charmer and test his qualities on this
specimen, which had evidently just
crawled out of the jungle.
"In five minutes, or probably less,
the charmer appeared, and proceeded
to do the neatest trick | ever witness
ed. He was a Mohammedan, about 40
years of age, stripped to the waist,
and carrying a sealskin bag with the
! fur on the inside, in which he had a
large collection of cobras and other
snakes"
Evans tells how the Mohammedan
proceeded to charm the snake, and
finally deposit it in the bag with the
other snakes. They story then con
tinues:
The unfortunate thought came to
one of our men that it would be a good
idea to get the Mohammedan drunk
to see what he would do; so he pre-
pared a dose for him that was very
effective. He poured a good stiff
drink of brandy into beer glass, and
then filled it with gin instead o.
water.
The charmer took kindly to tn,
drink, and in short time rolled on
of his chair on to the floor very drunk
anu Was soon ldSJ asleep.
The bag of snakes had not beef
thought of up to this time, but it alst
fell, and the inhabitants quickly spreat
} over the floor. In the meantime fiv,
American officers took to the table
and, drawing their feet up carefully
remained up there until the snake
charmer slept off his dose. He snor
ed quietly wNii> the snakes crawleC
over and around him, but it was Ions
time before he finally came to him
self, secured his pets, and took then
away"
Just one more story, one which
shows an entirely different phase o
Evans. 1t tells of his audience will
the Empress Dowager of China, which
took place years later, when he wa
Admiral in command of the Asiati,
Station.
Everything was in readiness TO
our reception. AS soon as we coulC
change into special full-dress uniform
We were ushered into the royal pres
ence. l had selected the officers t
accompany metal, fine-looking mel
and when we stood in a row facinl
her | felt sure the Empress Dowage
had not often seen a more business
looking lot of officers.
"She was seated on her throne
beautifully dressed, calm and digni
fed On a chair to her left, but no
} on the throne, sat the young Emper
or, a young man who seemed to be de
ficient in mental makeup In this
opinion, however, was not supported
by some of those who were with me
"The Minister presented me in I
few words to her Majesty and, stand
ing at a distance of about twenty feet
l repeated the speech l had sent he
some days before-at least a portion
of it, She replied with the speed
she had sent me, and then an unusua
thing happened She said to the Min
; lister through her Interpreter: