LIFE ON THE OCEAN WAVE.

Dunstan Times, Issue 765, 15 December 1876, Page 3

LIFE ON THE OCEAN WAVE.

At the Nelson E.M. Court recently tho Case Bacholder v. Nelson was heard. The plaintiff who is proprietor of Baohelder’s Pantascope, sued to recover damages from defendant, who is master of tho barque Annie S. Hall, for broach of contract to carry tho plaintiff and live others, known as tho Bachelder Troupe, from tho Mauritius to Lyttelton, and to supply them while on the voyage with proper and sufficient provisions. The plaintiff further claimed, ns special damage, the sum of L 24, the cost of passage of himself find the others to Lyttelton. J. M. Lord, business manager of tho Pan- ’ tasoope Company, said, WO Were at tlio Mauritius last September. Captain Nelson, of tho Annie S. Hall, mot us at our hotel, 1 anf l after some talk wo agreed to pay him Ll4O for a saloon passage to Lyttelton. He was to get a few sheep and pigs, and said ho would find plenty of fresh provisions and 1 make ns perfectly comfortable. We went on hoard on the last day of August, and sailed on the 7fch of September. Nothing except what wiis wanted for daily use came on board until the last day, when twelve fowls, three geese, and three turkeys were sent on board. There were Ho sheep or pigs. The fact was that he was in such a beastly state of intoxication that he could not attend to his business. There were twelve tins of milk, three four-pound tins of oatmeal, and a few red herrings as luxuries. The flour was so sourthat we could scarcely eat ft. By using some soft of baking powder we could just make it palatable. When, seven days out the captain stopped our allowance of fresh water for washing putposes. He had a had leg himself, and used three buckets a day for bathing it. No water was placed in tho filter after that. We started with one leg of mutton, which was so bad when 'cooked ’tlm’t wo could not ■eat it. That was all the fresh moat we had onboard. The fowls began to sicken when we got into cold weather, and then he ordered some to be killed. They were full of matter and sores when killed, hut he hail them fnade into a pie, which we and all on board refused to eat. The oatmeal was gbod what there was of it. The maize flour was as sour as the Wheaton. There was some molasses on board, hut it was spoilt a tar barrel having leaked into it. The Way the coffee and tea were made was by keeping the grounds and leaves in the kettles, and stewing them np day after day. We were 49 days on the voyage. The dried fish was the stuff used hy the niggers at Cape Town. It is never eaten liy white men. The captain called it American salmon. The red herrings wCre in a cask. It was opened 6n deck and the herrings taken out. They were most of them rotten and crawling with maggots. AVe offered him a sum of money to put in to Hohartown and leave us there, as we were all suffering from want of good jirovisions, and my wife was absolutely ill, and could scarcely eat a thing for three weeks. Before starting my wife said she was a bad sailor, and asked if she would have every comfort on board. He said— Yes, everything, even to marmalade and jam. There was plenty of fresh water in the tanks when wo arrived here, and yet he would not let us use it. The first mate when we arrived was covered with boils, tho seamen also, andjthe second mate had to be sent to the hospital. The cook’s hands and arms wore in stick r a 'frightful state from boils that we refused to allow him to prepare our food, and my wife and Mr Chase did the cooking. Other evidence of a similar nature was given. Mr Bacheldor’s description of an “American hash,” as served up on hoard the Annie, being remarkably racy. The captain, it appears, found fault with the hash on the ground that it was not rich enough, and wanted more grease. The cook Was at his frits’ ends to know where to get more crease, until at last a happy thought struck him. He went to the slush tub, obtained therefrom tho floating particles of fat and grease, gave them a rinse or two in cold water, and so enabled him to make the American hash more respectable. Thus did mind triumph over matter, or rather the absence of it, and the captain got his favorite hash as lie liked It. The case was adjourned in order to allow the captain's evidence for tho defence to be taken at Lyttelton.