. Recollections of a sea wanderer's life; an autobiography of an old-time seaman who has sailed in almost every capacity before and abaft the mast, in nearly every quarter of the globe, and under the flags of four of the principal maritime nations. , of which he felt some pro-fessional pride, resigned it to the. care of the cook to bake,but, to the mortification of the steward, he found it spoiledby being scorched. The steward accused the cook of havingdone so intentionally, and with malice aforethought. Thesteward naturally complained to the captain, who, orderinghim aft, administered a scath
. Recollections of a sea wanderer's life; an autobiography of an old-time seaman who has sailed in almost every capacity before and abaft the mast, in nearly every quarter of the globe, and under the flags of four of the principal maritime nations. , of which he felt some pro-fessional pride, resigned it to the. care of the cook to bake,but, to the mortification of the steward, he found it spoiledby being scorched. The steward accused the cook of havingdone so intentionally, and with malice aforethought. Thesteward naturally complained to the captain, who, orderinghim aft, administered a scathing rebuke, accompanied withthe threat of having him seized up in the main rigging andseverely flogged should he repeat the offence. Now thiscook was a sullen negro, a native of the island of Martinique,of very short stature, but immensely powerful, being whatis called double-jointed. Beside this cook I was the onlyone on board who could speak French, and he accordinglymade a confidant of me. He told me that the steward andhe had been shipmates years previously in a piratical vesselcommanded by the famous Gibbs, who, with Wansley, wasexecuted for piracy in New York harbor in 1831. Healso told me that on leaving New York he had sworn to kill. CHOPS. 167 that mulatto of a before the voyage was over. This threat was carried out to the letter some thirteenmonths later when off the Madagascar coast, on our passagehome. To resume. At last our outward cargo began to arrive inchops (lighters). These were accompanied by the Chi-nese weigher in his stately barge, who came on board withhis staff of teapot, cups, scale, and tea-table bearers, andwho continually sipped tea, as strong as brandy, withoutsugar or milk. We continued taking in cargo for aboutthree weeks at intervals until it was all stowed. The inter-vals of spare time were busily employed in racking off,purifying and refilling water-casks, repairing and setting uprigging, tarring down, mending sails, painting ship insideand out
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, booksubjectseafari, bookyear1887
