A Glasgow Privateer's Man
Not long ago there lived on the Gorbal's side of the river, an old man, who occupied an apartment in a sunk flat, the grated wíndow of which was below the evel of the street. He followed the occupatiou of a rigger when he first attracted my attention, but his whole bearing gave ampie avidenoe that the greater part of his lite had been spent at sea. He was not by any means a big man, but he had a massive head and a very large face, while his nose (or cutwater, as he himself would have ca) led it,) was of prodigious dimensions. Altogether, his countenance, wriakled and grizzled by age and exposure to all kinds of weather though it was, was suffit.iently out of the way to attract even the cursory observer's attention, and seen as it was by me every day s he passed me on his way to work, it gradually caine to impress me with the idea that its owneï was no common seanian, and to awaken a desire in me to know something of the man's foriner life. But for awhile it appeared as if my desire was dootned to disappointment, for Sam (that was his name) fought shy of all my advanees, nnd I fonnd it a hard matter to get him to repose such confidence in me as would induce him to spin one of his yarns, the material for which I feit convinced was lying in abundance behind the rugged tace. One night, however, I came across him when he was in that condition which can be described as two sheets in the wind, and the third one shaking, and trom a word he used in the conversation, I at once knew that he had been at soine time of his life " among the niggers." " So you have been in the slave trade 't" I remarked interrogatively, " Well, yes ; I believe I have," he responded, speaking with an American accent, for he was a born Yankee. " You would get good pay in a ship of that kind," I ventured. He named a large sum as the wages he received, besides which heasserted he got " two prime slaves" per voyage. "That would pay," I said, " if you had a lease of it." " Pretty fair," he responded ; " but look'ee here, governor, I've done a sight better nor that in my time, that I have. I've made seventeen hundred dollars in íorty minutes. There for you, master ; what do you think of that now ?" Of course I expressed my astonishment, and to my delight I managed to get him persuaded to teil me all about it. " I was shipped on board a privateer at the time," he began, " aiid we lying in Buenos Ayres, getting in stores and setting up our standing rigging. - Dull work it was for us, for you see so long as we lay there we had our day's work to do all the same as if we were at sea, and there wasnt no chance to make anything in the way o' prize money. Well, all ot' a suddeu we gets orders to clear up decks, send up the yards, bend on any old sails we could lay our hands on, without waiting for the new canvas as we ordered.and make all ready to go to sea at once. We seed as there wae some jolly game afoot, though we knew we shouldn't hear what it was till we put to sea ; and the same night we got the orders we was ready to clear out o' port. You bet your pile, sir, there was some work done that day. The fellows in the rigging didn't take so long to turn their quid, or kuock off work every time they spat to see where it dropped, as they had done regular for a uight. They knew as there was ' thing to work for, and they turned to f with a will ; and about midnight we ' stood out at sea. Next inorning at eight bella the skipper calis us aft, aud sayg is how he heard a Spanish gulleon had left Lima - with her hold full u' dollars, and we was agoing to see it' we couldn't get a few o' the yellow boys. We gave the old man a cheer, spliced the mainbrace, and went forward again, like to jump out o' our skins wi' joy at the idea o' the pile o' shiners we was going to piek up. We made our southing freely, tor she was a good ship, and with a to'gallant sailing breeze there wasn't much afloat as could go to win'ard o' her ; but when we got to the latitude of the Falkland Islands, a sou'west gale sprang up, and, of course, therp wasn't much headway made while it lasted. It blew a reg'lar buster, sir, I teil you, and we had to unship the half o' our guns and send them down into the hold to keep the ship trom going over on her beain ends. The gale lasted nearly a week, and we kept beating about without making a degree o' southing the whole time, and every one on us inad to think that the galleon might get to the south' ard o' the Hora beí'ore us, and then it was ten chances to oue but we missed her altogether. The skipper was the maddest o' the lot, and by an, by, when the wind chops round to the east'ard, what does he do but sets a course for the Straits of Magellan. He was a bold fellow, that old man, for there wasn't raany as had worked through them Straits then, though I've heard as how one o' Her Majesty's frigates worked through under close-reefet topsails since. Anyhow, it wasn't no joke, I teil yon, groping our way withou a chart, sometinies with land within hal: a inile o' each sido o' us, with a man in the chaina - now and then singing out ' half lesB five.' No, sir, it was close work but we had luck and we managed it. - And sure enough if the old man hadn't come through that way we'd had our v'yage all for nothing, lor we weren't well clear o' the Straits when we joins company with the very craft we were in search Cf. The skippor he was in a quandary, tor you see the half o' our guns was unshipped and down in the hold, for we'd so m uch to do working through the Straits that we hadn't had no time to get thein up again. Then there was only seventoen on us. Americana, Bnglish, Irish, and Scotch, that could be depended on ; the rest were all Paraguayana, yellow men, we didn't know and couldn't trust, you see ; but, by gum, sir, once they were in it they fought well, and no inistake." Here I interrupted Bain 's narrativa to inquire bow inany Paraguayans they had. " There was one hundred and twenty on 'em," he resumed, " buttill we knowad thein we couldn't trust them, you see, cos they was yellow men. No inutter; the old man, he says, ' we'll have a shy at theiu,' so we ranges close up along side and commences firing with what guns we lad. But that game didn't last long, I ell you ; for she gave us two shots for our one, and it was rather hot for us, so we stood off again out of range. Once we was clear o' her lire we tried the range o' our long guu, as stond between the bits on the fo'c's'1-head, and, by gully, sir, it dropped its messengers clean aboard o' ïer, while she hadn't a gun that could hrow a shot our length. Then we knowed what our game was. We could sail hree feet to their two, so do as she would and they were true sailonuen as handled hat ship) they couldn't bring us within ange, while we peppered them as we ileased. For forty minutes, sir, we roug't hat gun till it was so hot it needed no iriming, and if we didn't make a wreek o' that galleon by that time, I never seed a wieck in all my cruising. lhen, ín ourse, she struck ; for what else, I axus 'ou, sir, could she do, with her fore and main yards shot away at tho slings, her mizzen-mHst gone by the board, and her lead rigging run down in a heap over the ibboom, and hanging into the sea?" Saín did not seem to notice that he had sked a question, for without the slightst pause for an answer, he proceeded : " Then it was out-sculls with us, and way on board the galleon as faet as oars ould drive us. When we reached her eek there warn't niany left alive, and ounding with the big gun had made minceinaat o' most o' her crew ; as how Ise could it be? No, there was few o' ïem as could teil the number o' their ne9S,"' repeated Sam, slowly and thoughtully. I did not ask him what became of that emaining few ; I didn't ask him what reut ment they received at the hands of limself and his ine3smates. Seeing that d, gray, weather-beaten face opposite ne, I did uot care to hear worse of it than chose to teil ; and as he gave a shake F his hfiad, and seerued to have done with lat part of the story, I tried to put it beïind mo, too, and listened as he went on. " It was a big treasure, sir. The yelow men never see so much gold all their ives before, and they went nearly mad ; rat the seventeen of us keptthem in their lace till the lot was fairly divided. Sevnteen hundred dollars in gold was my iare, and it was only forty minutes from ie time we fired the first shot till we )oarded her. Wasn't thatgood wages by ie hour 't Well, sir, it was 'bout ship ow and back to Buenos Ayres, and when we reached that there port, I thinks to nvself, why I'll ship cable and make a dit of it." At this point I venturad to interrupt am ; and ask why he wishad to leve he ship when he was making so much tnoney 'i Why, you see, I didn't just want to run my head into a noose for the sake of the ollars," he resumed, " and on the v'yage jack to Buenos Ayres we did something hat was precious near piracy." He did not say what it was they did, ut I wondered what horrid crime human nature was capable of when it turned the tomach of a man, who, without the lightest qualm of conscience, had taken part in the terrible carnage attending he capture of the galleon. " iáo, as I sítid, I deterinined to give hem the slip, and one night I cut and un," he resuraed. " But the skipper he ent a gang ashore and hunted me up, and clapped me in jail tor deserting my hip. It wasn't by any means a good jail; Lamp and stinking like an old harnessask ; so when the mate cauie to see me, after three or four dayei, I was pretty nigh ick of it." " 'Well, 8am,' he says, ' don't you think 'ou'd like to be out of this ï' " ' What's the use of asking a man a [uostion like that?" I says ; 'in course 'd be glad to get out.' " ' Then, you - fooi, why don't rou come out 't' he says. " ' Easy said,' I answers ; 'but how am I to get out r' " ' You just agree to go back to the ship, and 111 take you out" he sings out. " Well, sir, I was sick o' the jail, and I promised to go back if he would take me out ; so in the afternoon he canie back and took us out." Here I remarked that he was using the plural now, and asked if there was anyone but himself in the jail. " Why, yes," he resumnd, " there was Joe McD , of Greenock, who had cut the night after me, and he was trapped and run into limbo, too. So, as I was saying, the mate carne back in the afternoorn and took us both out. But it was blowing too hard for us to go oif to the ship which was lying in the ofling, and we was took to a slap-up hotel, and told o Citll lor what we hked, and have it put n the ship's account. When it got duik, oe and uie slipped out of the hotel and own to a Chinaman, called Jim, wlio I inowed. Jim, he was in bed, but we mocked hiiu up, and he sings out: - Who s there 'i' I gave hiia the pass-word and he opens the door; and then I says o him : What'll you take, Jim, to put me ou board that American bark as is lyng in the offing ?' ' It can't be done tonight.' he says decided-like. ' But it has t;ot to be done to-night, Jim,' I say, ' now, what'll you take V' ' Put you on board :'or an ounce,' he says. ' But there's two on us,' says I. ' Put you both on board ;'or an ounce and a half,' says he, and we struck the bargain and got put on board. When we got on the deck of the bark there waru't no one to be seen, but we kicks up a great noise, and the hatch of the fo'c's'l' was thrown back and some one sings out, ' Who's there?' 'Is the captain on board Y I asks. ' Guess youll find him in the cabin,' shouts the voice ; and down we goes and finds him. We asked him could we get working our passage on board his ship to New York, and after looking at us a minute or two, he said he supposed we could, but he wasn't going to sail for a couple of days or 80. We asked him could we get staying on board to help him to get ready for sea, and when he said ' Aye,' wethanked him for his kindnpss and went forward. W ell, eir, we'd a beautiful run to the nor'ard, for that ship could travel, I teil you - just a little too well, for she traveled faster tban the skipper reckoned, and we never lifted tack or sheet till she ran ashore on a rock inside Long Island, and there she lay hard and fast. Well, the skipper he calis me and Joe aft, and he says, " ' Now, my ladg, you agreed to work your passage frotn Buenos Ayres, and ] am bound to say that I have not had two better sailor-men in the ship. If you wil tand by her till we save as much of the cargo at we can, l'U pay your wagesfrom the day you carne on board ut Buenos Ayres.' " Me and Joo up and thanks the old muii, and we st.ood by the ship till every packngo was taken out of her. Then the skipper lic called us aft again, and tolls out ï'ull wages to us on the table. I put the dollars nto my pocket with one grasp of my hand, and then I up with my waistcoat and shows him my belt, and saya I : "'Oaptaiu, thero's $1,700 in gold in that belt.' " I think I soe the look he gave. He brought his fist down on the table with bang enough to split the uiahogany, and crien, " ' By , if I had kuowod that, instead of giving you wages, I'd have made you pay t'ull passage mouey fioni Buenos Ayros.' "But it was too late, warn't it, sir ?" At tho recollection of how he had done Lhe Yankee skipper, Sara chuckled till he arought on a fit of coughing, which I was afraid wouldendhim. Atanyrateit ended his yarn, and he went away ; and I could nevor manage to get him to spin me another. But the sequel to the story is much more curiouB than Sam's yaru itself. The following winter he suffered frora a gevere attack of bronchitis, and had to be removed to the Royal Infirmary, where he died. After his death, bis widow carne to me to see if I could do anything in the direction of putting her in a way to help herself. " Have you no relatives?" I asked. " None," she replied. ' And had your husband none ?" I said " I believe he had," she 8nid, " but they are in America." " Were they near akin to hitn 'i" I inquired. " One of them was a full brother," she said. " And is he in a good way ?" was my next question. " I understand he is," she said simply, " He was at arte time President of the United States of America." Tes, strange as it may appear, tuis old rlgger and ex-pirate, who lived during the latter years of his life in a cellar iu Trade8ton, and who breathed his last in the Eoyal Infirmary of Glasgow, was brother to one who had for four years filled a station as exalted and important as that of any sovereign in the world. I do not give iiames, as it is possible there may still be some relations surviving; and it will be readily uiiderstood that the publica tion of ñames might jar upon their feeliugs. But the Rtory is none the lesa true for all that.
Article
Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus