Year: 1867

long when we found that our captain was an
overbearing, tyranical brute. How he could
swear! The seventeen -cornered, high Dutch |
oaths that you read about are nothing to the
torrent of curses that he let loose whenever
things didn't suit him-which was always |
The cat was his remedy for every thing that
was wrong, and he kept it going lively. There
was little Portuguese who fell overheard one
day, and as soon as we had rescued him the
captain had him strung up and gave him
round dozen.


So you see that we hadn't very cheerful
time Of it, and you don't wonder that we
watched for chances to run away. found no
opportunity to do this until one night while
we were lying in harbor about thirty miles
above Honolulu, into which we had been
driven by stress of weather. There were five
of us on watch-four old shell backs to
watch the ship and myself to watch them. As
was a mere boy the captain thought that |
wouldn't dare to run away and | had been
made to understand that if any Of the others
did, and | didn't give the alarm, | should, as
the captain expressed it, catch little star
spangled hill. But had determined to leave
with the rest, and prepared myself by stealing
about five pounds of tobacco, which put into
a handkerchief and tied around my neck
You ladies' may turn up your pretty noses at
this, but it was the most valuable necklace
that | ever wore.


"When all hands except the watch were
asleep we quietly lowered boat and pulled for
shore. The water was pretty rough, but we
got along finely until we were within about
half mile Of land, when a squall struck us
and upset the boat There was no use in try
ing to right her, so we had to swim for it, 1t
was ticklish business, tor the harbor was full
of sharks, and the thought Of furnishing one
of them with the material for midnight ban
Ill. Il l. 1
have given great deal just then to have been
at home in mothers kitchen. The tobacco
was rather a heavy weight, but | knew how
valuable it would be to me if got ashore. If
didn't, it might sicken the shark that COB
bled me-which reflection comfOrted me not a
little Don't be shocked, for | believe that
owe my life to this thought. The very ludi
crousneSs oft amused me and kept me from
becoming frightened and helpless. Think
what cOmmOtiOn five pound of Navy would
cause among shark 5 internal arrangements
don't know how long | was in the wa
ter but it seemed an age before | reached a
| little point of land that ran out into the bay
l found two of my cOmrads already there, and
another joined US a few minutes atterward
Poor Sparkling never reached the land, and we
! never found trace Of him. We were so eX-
| hausted after our swim that we lay down and
| slept till the sun, shining on our faces, woke
us and we saw the ship sailing away A fair
wind had risen in the night, and the captain
was doubtless afraid of losing the benefit Of it
it he waited long enough to send boats crew
in search of US.


" There was a little river that empticd into
the bay near where we were. We followed
this up till we came to a kanaka village con-
sisting of about forty hutS We sought the
chief, gave him pound of tobacco, and so ac


quired all the rights, privileges, and immuni-
ties of citizenship.


And now it was that my tobacco became
useful. | had four pounds of it left, and it
paid for my board and lodging during the
whole time that | was a citizen of the island.
For piece as large as four of my fingers two
of the natives went to work and put up very
comfortable hut made of bOughs and leaves
and grass. For similar piece Kanaka wo-
man carpcted it with mating and furnished it
with beds of dry moss. | gave a boy one
small chaw, and he brought us fish enough
for supper; and for another built an oven OF


fiat stones, fried the fish, and served them up


with desert of wild fruits


Soon after our arrival [ was taken sick,


and before | recovered my comrades wen down


to Honolulu to ship again. The chief took


quite fancy to me, gave me a hut adjoining


his own, and, when | got well in spite of his


viianOus prescriptions, offered me his daugh-


ter for wife. | declined with thanks. She


was short and squabby and too much a widow


She had already been the bonny bride of half u


dozen runaway sailors


" 1t was lazy, quietly jolly, sans sOuci sort
of life that | led. You have an idea what


d0lce far niente means? That was the perfec,


ton of it. And sometimes, when get both


cred over my pleas and demurrers, and my
head aches with studying some knotty question


of the law of real property, | look back to it


with not little regret-or did before | was


married. There was nothing to do but tC


sleep and eat and fish and swim; and if had
bad luck fishing, | only had to draw from my


bank piece of tobacco as big as a domino and


buy all wanted. There was no as-bills Oh


water-rates to pay, no butcher S bills to dispute


no enormous taxes to growl over, no notes tal
ling due, no distress for rent, no scrimping OF


scraping to make both ends meet. We had nc


servant-girs to smash our crOckery, abuse ouI


wives, and leave US just when they were mos
} needed. While | was there | never knew
} what it was to feel a sinking sensation-a
'goneness' in the neighborhood of the heart
caused by hearing the bowl clink against the
} bottom of the flour barrel about the time my
rent was due, and l didn't know how | wa!
} going to raise it.


r :" tell you, when | think of the way taxes
and rents are piling themselves up, of the cav
} tiles that the butcher and the miller and the
grocer make in the mans incOme-when


place my bank account before my mind s eye
; and think how nearly scooped | am, | al
most wish that was back among the Kama
kas with my five pounds of Navy


J But, John !" interrupted Mrs. Johns.
f "Don't be alarmed, my dear; I'm not going
Z back. Come to think oft, suspect | would
| lose more than | would gain. In the first place
t l would be deprived Of your society for


couldn't take you with me. Unless you coulC
3 swim like fish and ride hat.wild bull, bare
t backed and man-fashion, with ring through
e his nose for bit, you wouldn' shine in Kama
/, ka society. And then | couldn't have any
i Congressional debates to read or any plan O
:. Reconstruction to advocate, or any test Oatl
/; or other Plantation Bitters' to take.
e couldn' t'hear Anna Dickinson lecture or Pare


pa sing. | couldn't drop in aud smoke you
e cigars and drink your cider. Besides my
:. Kanaka friends have become so civilized by
e this time that they would steal my tobacco a


soon as appeared among them So thinI
| will stand our high prices for while yet
y And that's the end Of my story"


b But" said my wife, who is not satisfied