VOL. Xlll. IsTEW BLOOMFIELD, PA., TUESDAY, APIllX, 29, 1879. NO. 18.
THE TIMES.
An Independent Family Newspaper,
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SONNETS.
Nature Sufficient.
When I go sauntering In the fresh, free air
To talk with Nature, books I leave behind.
For thus alone I recreate my m lnd
With her, and thus her sympathy I share.
She shows me things most marvelous everywhere ;
Borne new delight at every step I find.
Little with dead men to converse Inclined,
Charmed with melodious life, and pictures fair.
Enough do these my faculties engage;
These to my soul more pleasing thoughts supply
Than those of poet, scientist, or sage.
A silent warfare with myself I wage,
And the great queen seems angry, If mine eye,
Neglecting her, dwells on the lettered page.
TO I. 8.
3 In my sonnets take no eagle flight,
But, like the swallow, skim along the ground,
Or, slightly soaring, fly at ease around,
And give expression to my heart's delight
In all the lovely scenes that greet my sight.
I only seek to please and not astound,
And love mora what In the warm vale Is found
Than the eold splendor of the mountain height.
The emotion that In mine own bosom springs
I make my theme. I ask not history
To lend me matter, or ambitious wings.
J fain would keep my soul in harmony
With Nature, sing but as the wild-bird sings,
And hive as pure, clear honey as the bee.
W. L. Shoemaker.
ADVENTURES AT SEA.
CONCLUDED.
I HAD the first watch, and the mate
soon followed the skipper's example
(he having to turn out at mldnfght to
relieve me), and I was left alone, so far
as they were concerned, though two sea
men were walking in the waist, and the
interpreter was looking over the rail iu
the direction of the island. The night
was very still and the sea smooth,
the schooner forging ahead not more
than two knots ; but there was probably
a current there, as the vessel had got
past another point and shut in the tire
before the bell was struck for ten o'clock.
By eleven it was a dead calm, and the
.sails hung motionless, save for the oc
casional flapping caused by the slight
roll of the schooner. The helmsman
had made the wheel fast by twisting the
tiller-ropes together with a belaying-pln,
And was seated on a bucket which he
had turned bottom-up on the deck. We
didn't pretend to keep man-o'-war-dlsci-pline
in that craft. I was leaning
against the rail, talking to him, when
lie suddenly stopped in the middle of a
sentence, and asked, "Did you hear
anything ofl there, sirr" at the same
time pointing to the headland we had
passed shortly before.
"No," said I; "did you V"
" Yes sir ; I heard a crash like a tree
breaking off, and then I thought I
heard a yell," said the seaman.
"It's strange I didn't hear it," I
said ; " 'twas imagination, Tom."
" No imagination there, sir ; I heard
noises, dead sure," said Tom.
"Well," I answered, "the noises wont
hurt us, at any rate ; we'll keep a good
lookout till morning. I don't think
the schooner has been seen from the
land yet."
" Won't you rouse up the captain and
mate, Mr. Murray V" continued Tom.
" I would, sir. I don't pretend to tell
you your duty, sir, but I've seen
more of these islanders than you have,
and you can't be too careful how
you work round 'em. And this is one
of the worst islands anywhere round, so
they say."
I did not place implicit credence in all
41 they" said, but I knew that old Tom
was a cool, trusty seaman, and that he
had made a number of trading voyages
previous to this one ; so I replied, " Well,
Tom, I don't suppose It will do any
harm ; step below, and wake Mr. Mo ran;
I'll see what he has to say."
In a few moments the mate appeared,
and having heard my report, and ques
tioned Tom, he called the seaman from
the waist, and asked if they had heard
any sounds. They had not; but the
Tannaman had, and came aft to report
the noises, as the seamen were going
away forward.
The mate asked him what he suppos
ed the natives were doing on shore, but
he could not say, unless they were either
fighting among tbemselves,or were hav
ing a cannibal feast; but neither hy
pothesis would account for the noises.
Morgan did not go below again, and
when my watch wns up I rolled myself
in a blanket and had a nrtp on deck
boots, revolver and all. We were no
further disturbed, and Captain Graham
was not called till four o'clock, as he
had directed.
After listening to our story he coolly
observed that he didn't care how much
the natives fought with and ate each
other, and that I had done wrong in not
calling him at once on hearing the sea
man's report; but that we would find
out if there was anything up, as soon as
it was light.
As the schooner was becalmed, the
boat was got ready to start at once, two
shot-guns and three muskets being in,
and having snatched a cup of strong
coll'ee and a bite of bread and beef, we
pulled away for the point at about five
o'clock, daylight already enabling us to
see that besides our boat the schooner
was the only object on that part of the
Pacific. We pulled in near enough to
the shore to see the faint line of white
made by the ripple on the beach, and
coasted along to the extremity of the
point beyond which we had Been the
light, without discovering any signs of
the natives, But as we rounded the
point, Graham, who was standing in
the stern at the steering-oar suddenly
exclaimed :
"Avast pulling; what the devil is
that V Ay the Eternal 1 they have got a
wreck there. Here's the devil to pay,
men ; pull ahead, and let's get out of
this sight if they haven't seen us al
ready pull ahead."
The object which had caused the cap
tain's exclamation was a brig, apparent
ly close in shore, and half concealed
from our view by the trees on a low
projection of land ; and as we shot the
boat ahead in obedience to Graham's
orders, a few strokes sufficed to shut
her in behind the point nearest her, as
we were still following the shore line,
and, having rounded the tongue of land
which concealed the schooner from the
natives, were pulling down the other
side of it into a small bay, or rather a
large cove.
We kept about a pistol-shot from the
shore until we arrived at the - low point
on the opposite side of which we
supposed the brig was ashore, without
seeing any of the savages. Near the
extreme end was a wide white breach
which extended right up to the trees and
bushes, the latter not being very thick
at this point.
Graham gave up the steering-oar' to
the steward, loosened his knife in his
sheath, took one of the double-barrels
in his hand, and directing me to stand
by with the big shot-gun, as usual when
trading, ordered the steward to lay the
boat's nose on the beach. As soon as
she took the ground he stepped out in
to the shoal water, told us to lay on our
oars as close in as we could and not
touch the bottom, and moved cautious
ly towards the trees, with his gun ready
for instant use.
We waited anxiously for a few mo
ments after he disappeared among the
bushes, and I raised the gun to my
shoulder as I saw a sudden stir near
where he bad entered ; but my alarm
was groundless, for the movement was
made by Graham himself. Casting bis
eyes behind him, to see the position of
the boat, he laid down bis gun, advanc
ed on hand and knees to a bush, peered
through it for a moment, and then beck
oned to me to join him. Taking my
trusty weapon with me, I was soon at
his side.
"Look there," whispered Graham,
opening the bush a little ; " see what the
black devils are at." ..
Looking where he directed, I did see.
A large brig, whose wooden davits and
black sails would have told she was a
whaler, without the spare boats turned
up on her skids, was ashore on a reef
within two hundred yards of the shore,
evidently hard and fast. She was ca
reened from us, so that we could not
see her deck ; but the noise on board, an
occasionally seen head, a whale-boat full
of natives propelling themselves with
paddles towards the vessel, and the crowd
of savages, of both sexes and all ages,
on the beach, spoke plainly of one of
the terrible tragedies with which the
history of these seas abound. The re
mains of a large fire were still smoking
and smouldering near the water's edge ;
and doubtless it was the light of this we
had see the evening previous.
"What's to be done, Graham V" I ask
ed; "we couldn't do anything with the
brig if we had possession of her, for her
back's broken ; she hogged full three
feet amldshlp."
" O, the brig's done for; but what are
they trying to do V answered my com
panion. "There'6lwo fellows iu the
maintopmast crosstrees; you can see
'em once in a while pant the foretoptnost
(the brig was so nearly bow to us that
the mainmast was partially hidden by
the fore), and these black thieves don't
go aloft for nothing, aboard ship.
We're safe enough here, for all the na
tives are round the wreck; just step
down to the bout, and bring up the glass;
you'll find it in my jacket in the stern
sheets." I procured the glass (a small opera)
and handed it to the captain, who look
ed earnestly through it at the brig for a
few moments, and then turning to me
said, with more excitement in his tone
than I had ever heard before :
" By the Eternal I Murray, there are
white men there yet alive. Look into
her cross-trees ;" at the same time hand
me the glass.
The brig wns not a quarter of a mile
distant, and I soon satisfied myself that
one of the two men aloft was a white
man, and that he had some weapon ;
the second man appeared to be a native.
Returning the glass, 1 told Graham
what I had made out ; and again he sur
veyed the wreck. Soon he spoke again:
" My God 1 Murray, what can we do '
There's two or three of the natives go
ing up the rigging, and one of 'em has
got a cutting-in-spade ; those men will
be butchered right before our eyes. Ha!
hold on a bit ; that fellow in the cross
trees has got a hatchet ; well done 1 hur
rah 1 he's cut the topmost rigging and
let the whole lot of the black devils rip
down on deck together. By thunder !
Murray, we can't leave them chaps to
fight it out aione ; what say V"
" I am ready to go where you wish,
Captain Graham," said I.
" All right," he answered. " But I'm
going further in their way, so that I can
see her deck for a minute ; I won't be
gone long, nor go far ; get into the boat
you, and wait."
I did as he directed, and told the boat's
crew, who were anxiously eager for in
formation, what we had seen ; which
drew from old Tom the remark :
" That's the Imagination' I heard
last night, Mr. Murray."
In a few minutes Captain Graham re
turned, and Informed us that there were
fifty or sixty natives on board the brig,
and that they were trying to cut down
the mainmast, with axes probably be
longing to the vessel ; but that they did
not know enough to out the shrouds
away first. Even while he spoke there
was a great outcry, and then a crash and
a splash. "It's all over," said Graham,
quietly; but I'll take a look once more."
He went up to our former lookout place,
and almost immediately returned, seem
ingly much pleased.
"Those chaps have weathered 'em
again," said he; "they have got across
on the stays to the foremast, and are
safe for a spell yet. But we must help
'em soon, if at all, for the foremast will
be cut away now, certainly."
" Well, let's bring up the schooner
and practise on 'em with the gun,"
said I.
" That would do if we could manage
it, which we can't, in a dead calm," re
plied Graham ; " we must tackle 'em
with this boat aud boat's crew, or else
leave 'em alone. What is the word,
men, will you face it t There are lots
of natives, and they have got two white
men penned up aloft in the brig ; there
is only one boat in the water there, that
I saw, and that's a whale-boat, which
these fellows can't paddle so fast as we
can pull with two oars. There are some
canoes, but you know what kind of dug
outs these islanders have they can't
trouble us much. Will you try to save
those two men f yes or no ?"
" Yes," was the unanimous response;
and Graham at once made his arrange
ments for the attack.
I was to remain in the bow with the
two double-guns, my own revolver and
a cutlass for ray amusement. Graham
himself took the steering oar; and the
two seamen, the Tannaman and the
steward were to pull the oars. The
muskets were in the stern, where Gra
ham could put his hand on them at
once, in case of need.
" Now, Murray," said the 'skipper,
don't waste a shot. Make sure work
when you lire. You know how to use
arms, and now is the time to do it."
" Yes," said I ; "I know how to use
all these tools except the cheese-knife ; I
never used a cutlass in my life, and
don't know how."
" Well' if you get near enough to a
native to reach him with the cutlass, all
you have got to do is to take a good
swing, and with all your might hit him
with the edge of it that's all the cutlass-exercise
I know, either. Now,
men, settle to your oars, and pull gently
to the point ; and when I give you the
word, lay back all you know. I hope to
gain something by the surprise."
We rounded the point, and were in
full view of the savages on the shore ;
but so intent were they on Observing
the proceedings on board the brig, that
we arrived within two or three hundred
yards of the vessel before our approach
was noticed, and made known to those
on deck by yells and signals from the
land. .
" Now, men, give way lay back, lay
back," shouted Graham ; " Murray, for
God's sake keep cool and steady now,
and show the metal you're made of;
don't waste a shot, whatever happens."
A frlghful uproar instantly arose from
the brig, but in the midst of it all we
distinctly heard the cheers with which
we were greeted by the poor fellows who
had been so hard pushed for their
lives cheers which were taken up by
our boat's crew, and returned with a
will.
We crossed the brig's bow at about
fifty yards distance, and for the first
time I could tell with certainty what
kind of a job we had undertaken. Fifty
or more of the savages, armed with
lances, harpoons and spades, were on
the vessel's deck a decided hornets nest
to get into.
They would have Boon finished us,
had we been among them. A dozen of
them, at least, had swarmed into the
boat; and, as we came in sight of her,
she pushed off, and came straight for
us, some of her occupants paddling, and
the rest brandishing weapons similar to
those exhibited on the brig.
" Now for it, Murray," said Graham ;
"aim low don't hurry, don't hurry
make sure of your aim, and let 'em
have it. Avast pulling hold the boat ;"
and a moment later he continued, "stern
boys, stern ; we can stern no faster than
they can paddle ahead ; take your time,
Murray; but don't miss I"
I had raised the gun to my shoulder
once, but I trembled trembled at the
thought of shedding human blood,
though in a just cause a case of abso
lute necessity. But I remembered the
two men in the cross-trees, whose lives
depended on our success and the pro
bable fate of ths shipmates ; and when
I glanced along the barrels again, ray
hand was as steady as it is while I write
this narrative.
We about forty yards from the
other boat, when I took a cool deliberate
aim at the centre of the crowd of na
tives, and fired ; and hardly had the
first heavy charge of buckshot done its
work, before the second barrel was
emptied with as good an aim as the first.
I only waiting an Instant for the puff
of smoke to clear away, so as to "make
sure work," as Graham had urged.
The howls of rage and defiance from
the brig and the shore were insufficient
to drown the shrieks of terror and mor
tal anguish that arose from the crowded
whale-boat. One crimson object sprang
into the air and disappeared with a
splash, beneath the waters of the little
bay ; a tall native in the bow, armed
with a boat-spado, brandished his weap
on for a moment after I fired the second
barrel then dropped it, swung his
bauds out wildly as though seeking
some support, and fell backwards over
the gunwale of the boat ; and one and
then a second, dropped down in her
bottom, while several of the survivors
were vainly striving to stop the blood
that gushed freely from their wounds.
Sixteen buck-shot, "eighty to the
pound," in each barrel, at forty yards
Just far enough to scatter had told
heavily on their unprotected bodies.
Two or three of them were frantically
paddling for the brig, as I picked up the
second shot-gun and cocked it.
"Hold on, Murray; hold on don't
fire that one load up load up, and let
'em have it ; sung out the skipper; "we
must keep our arms ready, and work
coolly. Shove a dozen buckshot into
this musket (handing one of them to
the man next him, who passed it to me)
on top of the ball, and let fly into the
boat again before she reaches the brig.
Quick's your play, mate, quick's your
play I Never mind any wad, let her rip,
let her rip 1"
"Let her rip" I did, merely stopping
to drop a number, how many I have no
idea, of the buckshot into the gun. I
heard a roar and felt a jar, and then I
picked myself out of the boat's bottom,
having been kicked backwards over the
bow thwart by the recoil of the over
loaded musket.
Looking towards the other boat, I
saw that she was deserted, one wounded
wretch alone being visible, lying half
over her side. One or more of them had
fallen from the last fire, and the terri
fied survivors had taken to the water.
I commenced to reload the big shot
gun, and was ramming down the wads
on the powder, Graham at the same
time loading up the discharged musket
again ; having cartridges for his gun,
while I had but loose powder and shot,
he had finished loading, and was put
ting on the cap, when he suddenly stop
ped a moment, looking towards the
shore, and said:
" Look here, Murray ; I must kill
that fellow our only chance is to get
the natives gallled, frightened ; I hate to
do it, but I must."
Looking in the direction indicated I
saw a native swimming rapidly for the
shore, the rest having probably reached
the brig. Before I could look around
or speak, I heard a report, and slmul- .
taneously with the sound I saw the
fugitive's head drop beneath the sur- ,
face, and his hands thrash about for a
few moments, and then the water was
suddenly and violently agaitated, and
sharp backfins seen two or three times
above the waves, evidenced that the
ocean cannibals the sharks were busy
at their work. I looked at Graham.
" Don't blame me, Murray," said he;
and he was ghastly pale, though cool
and determined as ever ; " don't blame
me. It looks like murder, but it had to
be done. Our lives or theirs, there is
no other alternative."
,rI don't blame you, Graham," said
I ; " but this awful work. Those sharks
none of the savages can swim for us
now, that's certain ; and"
"Boat ahoy!" came from the brig's
cross-trees; "look ashore, look a
shore!" We looked ashore ; and saw what was
not all calculated to reassure us. The
natives were launching no less than
seven good-sized canoes, capable of
carrying from fifteen to thirty men
each.
" Aha ! here's hot work for us yet,"
said Graham ; " steward, load up that
musket, load it carefully, and make sure
the powder enters the tube ; a mis-fire
may cost our lives. Are you loaded,
Murray ?"
" All ready," said I.
" Then stand fast all, keep the boat
steady, and I'll try if a bullet will do
anything for us. Look sharp ashore,
Murray, and see if I hit."
And as he spoke, Graham levelled a
musket and fired. A native who was
some distance from the water's edge
sprang into the air, but did not fall to
the ground; he was evidently badly hurt,
however, and staggered into the bushes,
accompanied by the whole howling
crowd.
" That was a good shot," I remarked,
" and has done.us good ; see 'em hook
it I"
" It's done us good and no mistake,"
said the skipper ; " but I didn't aim at
that fellow I at all I I fired at the ones
around the canoes. But it's just as well.
Load this gun, steward handing it to