Spunyarn and spindrift - a sailor boy's log of a voyage out and home in a china tea-clipper (1886) (14597469420)

Identifier: spunyarnspindrif00brow (find matches)
Title: Spunyarn and spindrift : a sailor boy's log of a voyage out and home in a china tea-clipper
Year: 1886 (1880s)
Authors: Brown, Robert, fl. 1886-1890 Pritchett, R. T. (Robert Taylor), 1828-1907
Subjects:
Publisher: London : Houlston
Contributing Library: University Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Digitizing Sponsor: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill



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respect for fineclothes ; and when Id arrayed myself to my liking, Iwent and loaded one of the carronades which I hadplaced right forard with its muzzle over the nose of theboat, for, thinks I, if so be as this land ahead is in-habited, Ill let them know its no common person as iscoming ashore. In about four or five hours I was well in with theland, and on the beach I could see a whole lot of nativesstanding about. I looked at them through the glass,and made out they hadnt got spears or weapons of anysort, which was satisfactory, and looked more home-like,as I might say. When I got within a couple of hundred yards or soof the beach, I stood up and waved my arms about overmy head, and the natives retreated back from the watersedge, and stood all grouped together a little way up thebeach. Soon as I was close enough in I lowered thesail, and as the boats stem touched the sandy bottom Ifired my bow-chaser—Bang! The little piece made adevil of a racket, and I jumped-ashore in the smoke.
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THE VILLAGE. 99 When I came to look round, the natives was alllying flaton their faces, frightened out of their wits, Isuppose ; so I marched towards them, and as I camenear they got up and looked like they didnt knowwhether to run away or no. So I went up to the one Ihad put down in my mind as the head serang, and madesigns of friendship, and though he and the others tooseemed terrible scared at first, it wasnt long before wegot the best of friends. Then the chief made a long speech, and when hehad finished I said : Im wery pleased to see you alllooking so well and hearty, and heres towards your goodhealths, ladies and gents, I says, taking a suck at thebottle of rum I had in my pocket. Take a drink yourself, I says, handing it to thechief, to show theres no ill-feeling. He smelt it, andhad a taste, and then he took a good pull at the bottle,giving it back to me afterwards, and looking like it kindof suited him bettern being struck by lightning. Its rare good stuff, aint it, old part