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AN INDEPENDENT FAMILY NEWSPAPER. "SZ'L&tZ
"Vol. V. - Now I31ooiiiiielcl, Tucndny, 3Iiimli 38, 1871. TVo. 13.
Js Published Weekly,
At New Bloomfleld, Penn'a.
FRANK MORTIMER.
SUBSCRIPTION TERMS.
ONE DOLL Alt VEll YEAR I
GO Cents for 6 Months; 40 Cents
for 3 Months,
I IV ADVANCK.
MR. SEYMOUR'S STORY.
Showing how he Lost his Property
and Recovered it.
L'0N('1.UDKU.
"VT"E started on our journey early the
T T next day in a largo ennoo with
about fifty natives, and late in tlio after
noon we arrived at a small island, and send
ing a courier ashore by having him swim a
couplo of miles, wo were conducted in great
state to the council chamber of thojehief,
which was a largo hut similar to the one I
had first been carried to on Rava. Hero, a
feast of pome, breadfruit and overproduc
tions of pomona awaited us, giving to our
arrival the same kind of reception that
awaits an executive body in civilization,
when on a friendly visit to a neighbor.
"At night wo were conducted to a hut
much larger than any I had yet seen, on en
tering which I found to be a very excellent
imitation of a theatre. Thero was a stage
with regular footlights, and the hall and all
around was illuminated with lamps evident
ly trimmed with lard oil ; the curtain of
canvas was down so I could not see its ar
rangements, but I almost expected when I
heard a small bell ring, to see a well-organized
troupe appear and play BhakRpcaro's
'Midsummer's Night Dream.'
" As the curtain arose, a very beautiful
young lady of, as I judged, about seven
teen, appeared to my view, with a Zoroas
ter's robe on, while near her were the vari
ous implements of art that one generally
boos in a well-regulated necromancer's ap
paratus. " Had the sky fallen, or I been carried
by some magio carpet to the Museum on
Tromont Street, I would not have been
mora astonished than I was at the sight bo
fore me, and my bewilderment was in no
degree lessened to hoar this beautiful maid
en address her audience in pure Kanaka,
and perform the usual trick of eating the
established quantity of cotton, blowing firo
from her mouth, and winding up with
drawing from its place the parti-colored
ribbon. Then followed the ring trick,
oranges put under cups and disappearing,
taking a small pig from the noso of a na
tive, drinking several calabashes of water
and drawing it again from her dusky as
sistant's elbow, in short all the usual sloight-of-hand-tricks
that conjurors usually dis
play. " When hor performance was all over,
she "sowed to her audience, thanked them
for their kind attention, and retired from
the stage with duo gravity.
"As she left at its conclusion, I involun
tarily cried out 'encore' 'and drew many a
dark look on mo for doing so.
" Scarcely had I said this when she re
turned, and saying to them in their
own language, 'I havo one more thing to
do J the 0110 who cried "encore"' will
please eomo here.'
" Utterly bewildered, I stepped on tho
stage from the corner I had been ensconced
in, and as I did so, I was surprised to hear
her say ventriloquially, 'keep your head,
sir, or I'm lost.' And then producing a
small percussion pistol, a great novelty in
those parts whoro everything is Hint-lock,
she requested a chief to coino up and load
it, and for him to mark the ball, which ho
did by biting it and immediately dropping
it in the muzzle, and ramming it home.
After ho had done this, he passed it to her,
and while she was capping it, a voice said
in my ear, ' I havo the ball in my hand j
put it in your teeth unnoticed, nud when
lie fires the pistol produce it.' As she said
this, she passed the pistol back again to
the chief, and as sho led me to the rear, I
put a ball she bunded me in my teeth.
" When I was posed, she ordered tho
chief to fire at me, which he immediately
did, and I, in accordance with her direc
tion, took the bullet from iny teeth and re
tained it to him, ami he with a howl of fl ight
as ho porccived it was the ono ho had load
ed with, jumped into tho crowd at onco ;
probably a more frightened audience was
never beheld, as, in accordance with her
command, they left tho building.
" ' Your presence of mind saved me, sir,'
she said, as tho last man went out. 'Are
you Tovai, of whom I have heard so much?'
"Tovai was tho name Whippey was call
ed, and as I assured her I was not, and that
I was a captivo mado so by treachery, she
begged of mo to rescue her if possible I
had barely timo to toll her how I came there,
and what little prospects I had for an cscapo;
but that if I ever did escape I would come
for her if it was ten years later, and had just
asked her how sho came there, when my
mastor appeared and comandod me to follow
him. I answered her look of appeal, by
saying as I went, I will come sometime for
you, keep your courage;' and then followed
the king out.
" That night, for tho only timo after my
capture, I was regularly kept under guard,
and long before daybreak the king had me
in the canoo headed back again, novor
seeming to breatho freely until Rava was
plain in sight.
"Again I commenced my old routine,
only feeling greater uneasiness than before,
as I thought of the beautiful prisoner so
near and yet so far from me, and I vorily
believe I should have lost my senses from
brooding over my misfortunes, had I not
made my escape from captivity.
" Watch over my movements had been
gradually reducing until now I was left en
tirely to Kaloo, who frequently said ho was
guard over me, and I knew if thero was any
chance to escape, I could readily disposo of
him.
" Ono morning I wended my way to my
mountain lookout, as was my wont, when
off in tho horizon I saw something which at
first I thought was the wing of a gull, but
on steady examination I decided was the
top hamper of a vessel, and soon her top
sails were plainly in view.
" I think I never mado better timo than
I did that morning in coming down hill ;
but as I nearcd tho palisades, my better
judgment prevailed, and I walked into town
with my usual listless step. Arriving at
my hut, I leisurely directed Kaloo to put
tho sail and a calabash of water in tho ca
noo, and prepare her for a day's shooting
on the reef. I put some ammunition in my
bag, and taking my musket, followed him
leisurely.
"As I was doing nothing unusual, I at
tracted no attention when wo pushed out
from tho landing, and hoisted our sail and
kept off for the point of tho island whore
the ducks were numerous. As we rounded
tho point, I saw the vessel was just in sight,
and as we were only two miles from shore,
I ventured to keep her going. We were
now getting beyond tho fowl who kept near
er land, and I saw my companion began to
grow restless ; so pointing to quite a bunch
of fowl that were outside of us, I steered
for them. As wo drew within easy shot I
fired. Hardly had I done so than Kaloo
was over like a dog, and swimming for tho
game, whilo I, easing off tho sheet, was
soon going like un arrow for tho vessel
whose hull was plainly in sight. In a mo
ment I heard my comrade titter a cry of
rage, and then turn for tho land with a
stroke that I feared would only too soon
take him there.
" I shouted and prayed, cried and laugh
ed, and even raved, iu tho exci tcment of
my thoughts with booii being free, which
was not allayed much by looking astern,
and seeing over tho point the sail of the
largest war canoo.
" As I drew within hail, I shouted that I
was an escaped prisoner, and iu tho name
of humanity begged them to receivo me,
which they did, I getting on board as tho
pursuing canoe came within flvo hundred
yards of retaking mo.
" Giving a hasty look, and seeing she was
a trader, and all prepared for au attack, I
sank on the deck in a swoon, and remem
bered nothing mora until I found myself in
a hospital in Sydney, when I learned that
we had been attacked by tho natives und
that I hud fought like a tiger ; that after
the battlo I was seized witii a brain fever,
which lasted all the time the captain was
trading at other islands, and had then laid
for months in a comatose state, barely
taking enough sustenance to keop mo alive,
und that when I had spoken, it was to
rave of a femiilo Juggler on a cannibal
island.
" I' pou my recovery I went to the Amer
ican consul and stated my case ; but
while he sympathized deeply with my
loss and cruel treatment, lie treated iny
story of a captive femalo juggler in tho
Fcjees as au hallucination of a disordered
mind, and finally told mo so in plain lan
guage, telling mo tho most ho could do for
mo was to provide mo a passago home.
"As I could pcrsuado no ono to credit my
story, I finally shipped as a green hand on
a whaler, and landed eventually in Paita,
whore, hearing of the California gold mines,
I worked my way up the coast, and after
six years' vicissitudo, hero you find mo
what I am, and how I havo fared."
As my friend told mo his wonderful sto
ry, he walked the floor forward and back,
and became so excited that I almost feared
at times that his ill-luck and want of nour
ishment had unsettled his reason, but trust
ed that a few weeks of regular life would
restore the balance of his mind, and as it
was late, I prepared a bed on an old lounge
that was in my room for him.
In tho morning, with his consent, I went
off to the bankers on the corner, and telling
thorn that Seymour was thero and hod all
broken down, they readily offered me ono
hundred dollars as a loan to set him on his
feet, which I thankfully accepted for him,
and in an hour afterwards you would never
havo recognized tho fine looking man in tho
new suit of clothes, as tho distressed look
ing wretch of tho day before.
As soon as he was decently attired ho
started forth to look for employment, com
ing homo that night to say he had secured
a bookecper's place at liboral wages in a
grocery store, to commonco next week.
Congratulating hira on his success, we
strolled around tho streets for a short timo,
and then went back to bed.
The next afternoon Seymour went out
for a stroll.
Ho had not been gono an hour, when ho
rushed back in terrible excitement, and
dropping into a chair, exclaimed, " I havo
seen him !"
" Seen him 1 Seen who ?" I asked.
"Seen Darnsford, the villain that left me
with tho cannibals," was the excited an
swer. Sure that his wits wore astray, I asked
him to koep cool and tell his story.
"I left hero," he said, "without any
definite intention as to. how or where I
would go, and strayed into a place on the
Plaza called tho 'Bella Union,' to see if
there were any miners thero I was acquain
ted with ; and as I stood in the entrance,
who should come in but Captain Darnsford,
dressed finely and as he did not notice mo,
I thought I would listen to their conversa
tion. After chatting a few moments on
minor topics, he said, " Well, gontlomen,
I shall expect you to lunch on tho Belle
Blondo at five this afternoon, and till then
adieu, as I must go to tho ship. I was about
to follow, when ono of his friends said,
" What a pleasant man, and how rich ho
must bo, to own tho vessel and cargo."
" ' Splendid fellow."
" ' Yes, and splendid vessel ; clipper A 1,
and now."
" ' I waited to hear no more, but rushed
here for your advice."
" Seymour," I said, as conviction of his
sanity came ovor me, and his excitement
transmitted itself to me and made mo for
get fovers and everything else, " come along
with me." And grasping my hat, wo
pushed across tho square to tho court houso,
whore we met Sheriff Jack Hays leisurely
coming down the steps, picking his teeth.
" Come ulong, colonel, hero's work for
you."
And with the salutation I mado for
Judge Brodorick's chamber, where being
acquainted, I introduced Seymour, and bade
him make his complaint, which he readily
did, and the judge, sending for the United
States marshal, ho soon camo, and receiving
a warrant to arrest Cuptain Darnsford of
the clipper ship Belle Blonde, swore in the
redoubtable sheriff and myself as his
special deputies to servo tho warrant.
As it was now nearly five o'clock, th e
time he received his friends ou his ship, we
took a boat at tho wharf, and wero soon
going up tho accommodation ladder at the
sido ; and landing on tho deck were met by
a grinning darkey, who, supposing we wero
some of the guests, invited us below. But
on Hays telling him ho must see tho cap
tain at once, as ho had boiiio important
business with him, ho dived below, saying,
" Mussa Cap'cn don't like to bo 'sturbed
'fore dinner." . '
In a few moments a tall goutlemanly
looking man appeared, and suid, " what
can I do for you, gentlemen'"
"I am Sheriff Hays," my comrade said,
" United States deputy marshal, and I havo
a wariaut for your arrest for some little
infraction of tho laws, revenue or something.
But as I understood from your nigger thnt
you had company to dino with you, there is
no great hurry, after dinner will do as well ;
and as you may want bail, which, of courso
is a matter of form, perhaps we had better
wait." ,
As tho officer began his arrest, tho captain
turned paloas a sheet, and then as dark as
a thunder cloud ; but as ho finished, treating
tho affair so lightly, tho captain's brow
cleared and he said frankly, " I am sorry
I havo broken, unintentionally of course,
any law, and it would inconvenience mo
greatly to leavo my friends before dinner ;
if you and your friend"" Mr. Brevet, my
assistant," interposed the polito sheriff
"would bo pleased to dine with us; wo
should bo pleased to have a glass of wine
together over my mistake," and so saying,
he preceded us to tho cabin, where Hays,
who appeared to bo well known to all
assembled there, was greeted with surprise
After explanations wore mado by tho
captain, wo sat down to as Pino a dinner as
I ever saw, and I must say no ono enjoyed
it bettor than the captain did, on whom the
cares of this world seemed to hang lightly
enough.
After our champagne was ovor, wo all
took the ship's boat, and being landed,
mado our way to tho Judgo's private office.
We found him deeply interested in a book,
and Seymour half asleep in a chair in a
corner.
"Well, Judge, what is all this arrest
about?" said tho captain, with some bluster.
" Not much," was the answer ; "hero is
a coitain William Seymour, who charges
you with soiling him into captivity at tho
Fejeo Islands, and stealing tho vessel and
cargo of which you wore master, and he
was supercargo, and ownor."
As the judge said this, Seymour raised
himself from his seat, and coming forward
confronted his runaway captain, who turned
so white, I really thought he would
swoon ; but with a mighty effort ho recovered
himself, and said with a curse, " I hoped
you would have made a meal long ago, and
thought you had been eaten by cannibals,
as you hadn't crossed my wake since "
In h is excitemont ho spoke too much
and now cut himself short when it was too
late, and a sardonic grin from the sheriff at
his committing himself so easily had
brought him suddenly to his senses.
"Then thore is something in all this,"
said tho judge. "I must commit you
without bail, as Mr. Seymour wants me to
wait for him to produco his evidence. But
for your unlucky admission and appearance
of fear when you were confronted by your
accuser, I should havo accepted small surety
for your appearanco ; but now I shall
accept nothing."
As the judge said this, I had no idea
that he was doing it as a trap to commit
the accused into a confession, and produce
a settlement; but so it was, and tho
villainous captain fell into it.
" Is there no way this can bo arranged ?"
ho pitifully said.
" You confess it is so, as I have swprn ?"
demanded Seymour, sternly.
" I didn't mean to leavo you at tho
islands, but was forced to by tho crew,"
was the whining answer.
" I think you will return ovory penny of
it," Seymour gravely said. Thou calling
mo to one side and conversing for a few
momonts with mo, I agreeing entirely with
all he said, he turned again to tho miserable
wretch before us, and said, " If you make
mo a legal transfer of the ship Belle Blondo
with all her appurtenances as sho now lies
and a clear bill of sale of hor cargo, I would
agree nover to prosecuto you, and I will
give you ten minutes to decide in ; and if
you refuso I shall leave you with the
officer; for I found you with nothing,
consequently every cent you have is mado
from what you stole from me, and I nm
going to have it for indemnity."
For seven or eight minutes the villain
twisted and turned but us his time expired,
tho sheriff produced a pair of handcuffs,
and ostentatiously begau to unlock thorn.
You ought to have seen what an assistance
to his mind tho bracelets wore, for ho mood
ily said, " Tako tho property; I suppose
you would get it in the long run, and I
might as well bo freo as behind grates."
No sooner had ho uttered this, than tho
judge, producing the vessel's case of pa
pers, which it apjieared ho had obtained
from the custom house during our absence,
began to fill a blank bill of salo of tha ves
sel, and having done so, proceeded , with a
bill of buIo of the cargo, according to tho
entry that hail boon made.
Iu twenty minutes from tho time the ac
ceptance was made, the transfer was effect
ed, and the "custom houso doputy collector,
who had been induced to remain long after
business hours, had taken the documents
to his office for record. While he was gono
Seymour requested the lato captain to writo
a letter of introduction to tho now officers
of the vessel, which ho begged pitcously to
be let off, finally agreeing to introduce us,
in person. And as tho papers, dulv record
ed, were handed us from the custom house,
we bade good day to tho polito judge, toll
ing him wo would call in tho morning and
make settlement with him, and that with
his permission, which ho readily granted,
tho charge against Captain Darnsford was
withdrawn.
During all these proceedings, the friends
of tho captain had been perfectly silent,
but now they broke forth.
" You mean, contemptible skunk, what
do you mean by cavooting round as you
havol"
"Kick him !" shouted another.
"Steamboat hira out of town," the next
said. And there seemed for a moment that
there would bo serious troublo.
But tho sheriff who had accompanied us
said, " Steady, gentlemen ; this man must
go aboard tho vessel and complete this bu
siness, otherwise you interfere with the in
jured man, and I must protect both."
For Jack Hays to speak protection, was
sufficient safeguard for any one ; for ho cer
tainly had a noat trick of enforcing tho law
with a dexterous pistol shot that genorally
carried full conviction of tho earnestness
of his remarks. So the principal merchant
said, " All right, Hays, we only feel mad at
the skunk in taking us in so ; finish up
tho work, and we will wait on the gen
tleman on the vosscl to-morrow at two, to
purchase the cargo ; that being what called
us there to-day." And bidding us good
evening, they left us to go our way.
We soon found the ship's boat, and were
quickly off in tho stream ; and going on
deck were mot by tho second officer, who
was directed by the captain to call tho
chief mate and others as quickly as possi
ble. And they having come on dock, he
gravely introduced Mr. Seymour as owner
of tho wholo. Somewhat surprised they
looked around to find tho moaning of it,
and were still moro pcrplexd to hear Sey
mour say, "Order tho boat again, mate,
and laud the captain."
" You do not mean to let me land as I
am?" said the unfortunate man. "I must
get my clothes and private things from my
cabin."
"You have no private things on mi
ship," said Seymour with savage emphasis
on tho word my. " And you had better
start at onco."
" I haven't a flvo dollar piece in the world
with mo ; my mouey is all below," shrieked
the miserable man.
" Just so ; I hadn't a cent when you land
ed me, and so we are even. But captain,
you aro making yourself ridiculous with
your crew."
" Curse your soul !" he inutterod, as ho
passed over tho side into tho boat. " If I
catch you ashore, we'll have it out man for
man."
"Start along, or I'll kick you," said Sey
mour. And rather helping the unfortunate
man ovor, as the boat disappeared, he told
tho officers and crew who were now all as
sembled, and to whom tho affair seemed
strange, that the vessel and cargo had been
Btolen from him by the rascally captain
who had left h im with cannibals to perish,
but from whom he had escaped and now
reclaimed his own.
Three hearty cheers followed the expla
nation, and wo then went below. There
for an hour wo examined the captain's
state-room, finding, among other things,
over flvo thousand dollars in gold. The
vessel was fitted gorgooiiBly, and Seymour
was now rich enough.
It would be needless to say that he gave
me command of her at extra wages, and
that after selling the cargo, which brought
him over two hundred thousand dollars, the
owner, in whose sanity I began to believe,
fitted her for a second trip to the Fojees,
to redeem his promise and deliver tho fair
juggler to freedom.
The wock before we sailed I took up the
"Daily Ingot," and read iu its columns :
"MUKDKIt AT TUB BkIL.I UNION. A
man was shot in a fracas at the Bella
Union last night, who lately came here in
command of a splendid clipper ship, of
which ho was the owner. Ho was arrested
on a grave cliargo what we cauuot learn
and transferred tho vessel and cargo at
at once to new owners. The transfer must
have been a bona fide one, as he bos
been loafing around doad broke ever since ;
and last night, intimating to a man in the
notorious saloon on tho Plaza, that his
mother was of oanine origin, received :t
pistol shot iu tho head, killing him instant,
ly. The murderer escaped." '
"Ami so ends Darnsford," I said,