On the "Norhern Light."

Hastings Standard, Issue 151, 21 October 1896, Page 4

On the "Norhern Light."

AN FXTP Ati 'i NA V STORY OF r i'l!i:: Si:A. Our cable message of it day or two r.go conveyed the int« 'hgence from Sydney i ha. t Captain Slocum, the adventurous skipper who i-' making a voyage of the world alo.it* on the littic ketch, the Spray, of Bo- ton, had succeeded in having one Slafer bound over to keep tho peace towards him, Slater having threatened to " make an angel of him!" The following details of the cause of the quarrel from the columns of the Sydney Daily Telegraph will therefore he read with interest: — Henry A. Slater is an ex-constable. He has already been prominently before tho public of this colony. That was in-Tune, !*■<<), when he figured conspicuously in an aflray with burglars at Paddington. Slater was at that time connected with the Darlinghurst police, and was on duty near Mr Justice Stephen's residence, at (.ilenmoro road. A burglar panic was on at the time. Constable Sutherland having been shot dead by a burglar a few days previously. Constable Slater at about 2 o'clock in the morning saw a man climbing tho wall into .Judge Stephen's garden. He followed him and endeavored to secure him. Unfortunately the man had two mates with him, and in the .struggle which ensued Sl.iter was knocked down with a jemmv and afterwards received two bullet wounds, one in the shoulder and the other in the leg. For some time it was considered that his injuries would pro.ve fatal, but after being in the hospital for some weeks he recovered, and was afterwards appointed door-keeper at the Work- Department, which position he has held since. Si.atkk's STOIiY. Slater's story of his treatment 011 board the Northern Light is given in his own words : In the year I signed Articles as .second "mate of the ship Northern Light, then under the command of Captain Joshua Slocum, ;it Port Klizabeth, South Africa. In the course of conversation the captain told mo that he luui a very mutinous crew, and he gave me to understand that I was to be a regular " Buceo," or lmlly, on board. Shortly after I had come on board next morning I heard Mrs Slocum, the captain's wife, scream, and running to tin* gangway found that one of her children had fallen ov..iboard. 1 jumped over after the child, as also did a man in my watch named Hansen, and .succeeded in saving the child and bringing it safely on board. The harbour, I may state, is infested by sharks. All went smoothly until the day before we started on the voyage to New York. The captain and first mate being ashore, I was in charge of the ship. I told the third mate, McQuaker, to do a job with some* of the crew forward. Shortly afterwards I heard a row, and going forward, saw McQuaker unmercifully beating one of the crew. I remonstrated with him, whereupon he answered me in a very insulting manner, and said that my time would come when we got to sea. I ordered him to his cabin, when he began to use mo-t disgusting language, and on bis way aft kicked a boy whom he passed, saying at the time that he was one of my favorites. I was so incensed that I gave him a thorough thrashing. Some days after we had sailed from Port Elizabeth, Captain Slocum came to me and asked me when I " <vas going to start on the crew." I warned him that if he illtreated any of the crew I would be a witness again.-t him. He went away muttering to himself. About a fortnight after leaving port the captain came up while I was directing a job on the miz/.eii mast, and found fault with the work. I point (1 out that I was competent to do the work. He had a sheath knife in his hand, and he rushed over and struck at me.

I caught bis hand, twisted the knife out of his grasp, and throw it overboard. Ho then went below. That evening I slipped and fell, fracturing my right ribs, and the next day called the captain and told him I would have to lay up. He replied that he would have"no loafing on his ship, that he would disrate me, and ordered me forward to the foreCitestlo. I told him that he dared not disrate me, when he rushed at me knocked me down, and kicked me about the face and head. I was carried forward by the other officers, and placed in a berth by the forecastle. The next morning the captain, first and third mates, carpenter and boatswain dragged me on deck, and the captain spat at me and struck me in the face with a belaying pin. I managed to crawl back to the forecastle, and then fainted. When I woke up in the evening the men held a consultation, and agreed that they would not stand by and see me illtreated in the manner I had been. The men began arming themselves and sharpening their knives, but I b<~.?ged of them not to interfere, as the officers were armed, and I feared that there would be bloodshed. I entreated thom not to interfere with the captain and officers, pointing out that they would severlv punished as mutineers if they did. and I would bo charged as the ringleader. At first they would not listen, "but eventually I got them to promise not to interfere, whatever happened, but to take |noto of everything, taking day and date, s<? that when we reached port we could have justice meted out to tis. The next | morning the captain and officers and I carpenter and boatswain came for- ' ward, handcuffed my hands behind my ! back, threw me down the half-deck, and kept me their all day without food j or water. About midnight I wrested | my hands free, and crawled on deck, : and into the mate's cabin, where I | secured a revolver. After delibera- ; tion for some time, I threw the re- | volver overboard and went forward : and lay down. About 8 o'clock the 1 following morning the carpenter came i to the forecastle and nailed up one of

the doors and the shutter. Then tha c:i]/Lnii and Lis officers find petty oncers c;i: : ' forward and nr.! oivd all ihc men on dec!;. Tii« ohtcers then Logan to ilm their revolvers into the forecastle. Fortunately I was not dr.iek by any of the LullcU. After a time the mute, Mitchell, caliod upon me to surrender. Vditn I got out on deck I wad seized from behind, knocked down, and two pairs of handcuffs were put on my wrists. I was then dragged aft to the poop, where shackles were put on my ankles. A chain was then placed round my throat, crossed behind my neck, wound around my body under rny arms, down through the handcuffs, down through my legs, then up to the back of my neck, and made fast. Then a length of chain was made fast to the shackles on my ankles, and the whole lot of chain riveted together. I Lad then over 80lb of chain on my body. The captain then told the carpenter to partition off portion of the lazaret for my reception. I was then in a space 4ft by -Ift and f>ft long. I am r»ft lOin 111 height, so I had not too much room in whicn to lie down. I could not reach my mouth with my hands on account of the chains. At first my daily fare was one ship's biscuit and half a pint of water. That did not kill me so the same amount of biscuit and about three or four tablespoonful of water was tried. Still I did not die. For the lirst three weeks in this " box." I suflered tiso tortures of the damned ; my hunger and thirst wen; intolerable. I begged Captain Siocum to give me water and food; but in vain. After I had been for about oO days in the box I heard Mrs Siocum playing a hymn organ. She played, " Nearer, my God, to Thee," and I joined in, and began to sing. Suddenly, while 1 was singing, the chain attached to my ankles was hauled up to the hole, bringing my feet up about 3ft. from the deck. I was kept in this position for over three days without food or water. I begged of him to give me some water. He laughed, and said " Are you very thirsty, old man '? Very well, I will give you a good drink if you promise to behave yourself." I promised I would not sing again, and ho went and got me a big dipper of water. I said, " (iod bless you, Captain Slecmn, for your kindness in bringing me this water." I then began to drink, and found that lie Lad given me a dipper of sea water.

After 1 Lad been about 40 days in the box, a large rat was running over me, and I succeeded in catching him in my Lands. 1 was in such a desperate st:ite of hunger that I squeezed the life out of the rat, and then ate it. On arriving at New York I was arrested and tried for mutiny, and honorably acquitted. Captain Siocum and his two mates were then arrested, and were each severely punished for their cruelty to me. The captain was lined SSOO and the mates &100 each.