Year: 1871

Ltai ifvm sailors Log


The yarn ] am about To spin il con-
nccted with the time when | Was n
common sailor am merchant-cap-
tain now but that has nothing 10 do
with the present story. Nv proper
/ name i Shorthand; but when before
the mast. l was always called shorty
Many year ago. being in Australia,
shipped at Sidney in brig called the
Sea-Shell. She was bound on kind
of pickup voyage, after saudalwood.
shells, and other things We ran
down TO the Marshalls island. among
the Ralick Chain, and anchored in the
coral lagoon at Ebon II is common
~ known as Clovcll's island. The ma
tIves came off 10 US with lots of Eng
ll,h soyerelgns. which they we're ready
10 barter for bits of tobacco. In an
swer TO the questions as TO where they
got tue gold. we could eNtort nothing
but evaslse grunts from them. But of
course we bought all we could get.


We didn't dare to 90 ashore among
them, but carried on all our trade on
board the brig. We had but sixteen
men all told. which was not a very
large force. But we had plenty of
firearms for what men We had. and.
while trading, We always kept guard
on the alert. Now and then We fired
off the nine-pounder with blank car
fridge, just TO show them our power !;
for they were terribly frightened OF
guns then. At such times they would
all push for the shore, jumping over
boar,l without waiting for canoes. and
/ hide themselves for awhile. Then
some OF the boldest would venture
out 10 look nj Us, and the rest would
/ gradually get over their terror. We
had no doubt that they had found the
| gold on board some vessel which they
| had cut oil. Most likely they had
murdered all hands not for the sake
| of the gold which was of no value in
their eyes, but for the cloth, tobacco
and trinkets. They would not be slow
TO serve us out in the same manner if
We gave them the opportunity; SO we
were obliged to be continually on our
guard. The guns were always loaded
at night, and We stood regular half
watches. starboard and larboard. the
same we would have done at sea.


You may well suppose that, after
we found they had gold TO sell, it was
of more consequence 10 us than the
sandal-wood or shells. We lay at an
chor as long as any sovereigns were
brought on board by the savages, and
used every persuasion TO make then
part with the last one they had. The
Captain naturally got the lions share
of them for, as soon as the savages
found that he was able to bid the high
est price for them the rest of US were
all in the back ground.


I suppose that the captain mus
have had in hand more than thre,
thousand pounds in gold when the,
stopped bringing it off to US. TheE'
couldn't have been more than foul
hundred among all the res. of us.


had about forty myself, and the cap
tain gave Inc ten more; indeed, h,
gave the same sum to every man


Fifty pounds was a large sum for ;
foremast man TO have all at one time


But we had some hard cases among
our crew-some who would stab MAJ


for single sovereign, or throw hin


overheard for his tobacco or clothes


/ didn't feel safe a minute among thes
fellows so | tied up my fifty soveI
/ eigns in bag and took them aft, an
asked the captain to keep them for Inc
He readily agreed to do so, and CAV
! me receipt.


e But this act Of mine was seen b
, Billy Boltwood, tho master spirit {
g these fellows-Dark Bill, as he dt


lighted to be called-and he was dow


on me from that hour. This Bill ha


been a convict in the colony and ha


served out his time. l don't kno


what his crime was, but he was cap;


BILE of anything. l can't think Of al


villainy that would be too bad for hil
y to turn his hand to, and he took s
Al much delight in the sight Of blood !
u the tiger is said to. I've seen him AL
. an Irishman, who was called Ugly Ba
Z ney go into the back yard of a ''pu


lie" in Sidney, and batter each other


faces all to pieces for a pot of bee


They seemed to do it in sheer enjo.


ment of the thing itself.


WELL Dark Bill says to me. with
r look that was meant to Bully Inc, :
d YOU thought you couldn't trust yo'
=, ! shipmates, eh, Shorty? Or did "


think you'd curry favor with the ca


tain, BY trusting him with your gold


Its true,' said 1, looking him squa
$, in the eve there's some of my shi
ct mates that don't like to trust


DO you mean that for meF said
;" clustering.


Never mind. didn't mention Al
: names but, if the jacket fits, you c.


put it on -
e I'd smash your head for five boo