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4.2
4.2 Story of an Emigrant.
I made up my mind that no tramp should ever leave my door
without such aid as my resources would allow. It is better
to give to a thousand undeserving, than to let one
unfortunate but deserving suffer.
My good host, like his Buffalo namesake, finally contrived
to get rid of me by representing me as a sailor, and hiring
me to the captain of the bark " Catherine," a coasting vessel
bound for Charleston, S. C., telling me that I was to serve
as cabin bov. My wages were to be five dollars a month,
of which he received seven dollars and a-half in advance, so
that I could pay my debts and buy a sailor’s suit of clothes.
On the second day of our voyage we encountered a storm.
I was on deck with the sailors and the captain stood on the
quarter-deck. We were coursing against the wind and were
just goingtoturn when the captain called 011 me to untie some
ropes. Understanding very little English, and being 110 sailor,
1 naturally knew nothing about the names of the different
ropes, and I grabbed one after another, but invariably
missed the right one. The captain was swearing with
might and main in English. Seeing that I did not
understand him he suddenly roared out angrily the name of the
rope in good Swedish and added: 44 Do you understand me
now, you confounded blockhead!" Turning to him, cap in
hand, I answered:’ 44No, captain, I do not know the name
of a single rope." ’"And still," he continued "you have
followed the sea three years, what a dunce you are." I
answered: 44 Indeed Mr. Captain, I have never been a sailor,
and will neTer be worth anything at sea. But I am willing
C3 O
and anxious to do all you ask if within my power." The
captain, whose name was Wilson, was a swedish American
and, although somewhat gruff, he was in fact one of the
noblest men who ever commanded a ship, lie immediately
saw how the matter stood; the boarding house man had
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