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The Wandering Freemason.
that if tho importation of the Kanakas cost only tho expense of bringing them , the concession would prove uncommonly remunerative to tho speculator as well as to tho p hilanthropist . I did not fail to call upon the Doctor ' s wife , whom I soon
began to regard as " touched in the head . ' She talked ot seeing visions in crystals and mirrors ( of which she had a supply in regular sets ) , of holding long conversations with her dear grandmother , and similar eccentricities . She told me , ono day , that feeling anxious about her husband , she had
sought a vision of him , and had seen him in a small boat , Towing off with Carter from » tropical island fringed with cocoa-nut trees . She had seen them go on board a vessel which Jay at anchor , and had wanted to see Blake , but " could not find him anywhere . "
In less than two months from the date of the " Ade
lante ' s " departure , she was telegraphed as asrain anchored off Callao . Marvelling greatly over her speedy return , and feeling intensely interested in tho expedition , I took the next train and repaired on board . A crowd of dark faces clustered about the bulwarks , hailing every new comer with
p laudits of unbounded delig ht . They wero both male and female , and eyed their new loose cotton clothes with evident pride aud bewilderment . As I passed over the side , I was overwhelmed by their well-meant but obtrusive caresses and handshakings . Carter appeared , and formall y
presented me to the chief— " King Bungay —an old savage , on the broad grin . Women and children were
littered over the decks . I quite forgot to make enquiry as to the cause of their unexpectedly quick passage , in dismay at the intelligence of Blake ' s death , which had occurred on the return trip .
At Carter ' s request , I took away with me to Lima the son and daughter of King Bungay , aged about 10 or 12 years . I narrowly watched the effect made upon them by the succession of novel sights through which they passed . The landing-place , the railway station , the start of the
train . Through all these strange scenes they went with absolute stolidity , not a muscle of thoir countenances moved . Only the sig ht of a smart Zamba wench , in wide crinoline and bright yellow parasol , evoked an exclamation from the girl . On the railway journey , they noted
in the distance ( near Bellavista ) a solitary palm-tree , and brightened up when I assured them , in the marine lingo which they had begun to pick up , that , " by ' m-bye , plenty moar . " 1 first exhibited them as curiosities at our Legation , and then left them at Carter ' s old quarters at the Hotel .
This was my last personal intercourse with this drama and its actors . Blake ' s papers and effects were deposited with the Consul at Callao , where it transpired that of late years he had borne an indifferent character , and had been
made a bankrupt in Australia . I could not but surmise that he had been only a show puppet in the hands of Carter , who pulled the wires for the promotion of schemes for which he found the capital .
The expedition of the " Adelantc must have paid 800 per cent , profit to tho benefit of those concerned . The immigrants were eagerly competed for at from 100 to 500 dollars a head , being drafted off to various plantations
where , if rumour may be credited , their treatment was not always humane . Whence they had been brought , I could not ascertain with ceitainty , as Carter and his companions maintained profound secrecy on that score . Blake ' s stories of his concessions at the New Hebrides and New Caledonia
must have been mere blinds to throw enquirers off the true scent . I believe , however , the fact was this . Carter , in his trips over the South Seas , had found a p lace , probably the Island of Penrhyn , one of the Marquesas group , where a failure of the cocoa-nut crop was apprehended and
famine imminent . He had conceived the scheme I have detailed , and after gaining the confidence of the natives , had put it into execution with the help of Blake , fetching
away the islanders out of the throes of want . Those he brought were probabl y but a small instalment of the numbers he had similarly in reserve , and the ground plan of the scheme , thas far , cannot be considered reprehensible .
But the tragedy was to come . The concession granted to Miles Blake became void b y his death . Carter ' s and Yriarte ' s exclusive privileges were consequently abrogated . The profit of the first venture was publicl y notorious , and
a score of speculators , associated with as many members of Congress , immediately procured permits to import immigrants likewise . These vied with each other in fitting out vessels with despatch . In their frantic haste , some left
The Wandering Freemason.
Callao only partially equipped or seaworthy ; the masters of all of thtm ( being ignorant of Carter ' s happy huntinggrounds ) without goal , or with only indefinite ideas of their destination . Their instructions were to procure immigrants , by fair means ( doubtless ) , but not to return
without a cargo . The profits of the several ventures being- thus entirely dependent upon the celerity with which that object could be accomplished , it is not surprising that the tenonr
of their instructions was construed by reckless adventurers in the loosest way , conscious that pecuniary success would , in the eyes of their patrons , condone everything . Thus was let loose over the South Pacific a flotilla of filibusters
eager for prey . The first and most successful commander adopted a simple expedient ; he anchored off a charming island , and attracted by means of barter , a considerable number of the natives on board . Whilst occupied and unsuspecting , they were seized and huddled below , when the
vessel setting sail brought them off to Callao in triumph . At another place , a captain , whose vessel apparently did not inspire sufficient confidence , feigned to set sail from a roadstead after planting an ambuscade on shore . When the
inhabitants had crowded to the beach to watch the stranger ' s white wings expand , up started the ambuscade throwing a cordon around them , from which those who tried to escape were mercilessly shot down , tho remainder being bound captive .
Such unprincipled and inhuman depredations did not pass unnoticed or unpunished . The French squadron , whose rendezvous is Tahiti , sped after the offenders ; some were taken as p irates , others driven ashore . I had left Peru before any of them returned to port , but 1 know
that some came disabled by misadventure and disastrous weather , and believe that those convicted of malpractice were despoiled and punished as they deserved . Their horrible outrages had roused the public feeling of humanit y ; the ingress of the immigrants was stopped , all who had
participated in equipping the expeditions being regarded as branded men ; nor will time clear their name of infamy . The enterprise of Carter was , so far as I know , the first instance of what may be termed the Coolie system in the South Seas , the barbarous abuses of which by wretches
whom we are forced to acknowledge to be our countrymen have been frequently instanced of late years , but which , I hope and believe has now been suppressed . * Well founded rumours of the white man ' s treachery , borne b y
stray canoes from isle to isle , are in great part answerable for numerous murders and atrocities , those of the late lamented Bishop Patterson and the noble Goodenough amongst the number .
I have veiled certain names in the foregoing narrative , but the particulars may be verified out of public newspapers and the archives of H . M . ' s Legation at Lima .
* Even whilst I write , tho following appears in the Echo : — " News reaches us from Australia that several vessels engaged in the ' Labour Trade' havo lately been taken possession of by natives of the South Seas , and their crews murdered . We aro much afraid that 'I 3 Iack Eircling' of an illegal kind still goes on , in spite of
cruisers and the Kidnapping Act , and that nnder other flags , espe . cially the American , it is carried out to an extent little dreamt of in this conntry . In fact the latest discoveries of science have been brought to bear by some of the smart Yankee captains , in the shape of the nsc of dynamite for this purpose . They got the native boats
well round the ship ; a boat ' s crew is stationed at tho falls of the long boat hoi ted up astern ; the captain is on the bridge . He takes out a cigar , calls to the steward to bring him a light , applies tho end of his cigar to a piece of dynamite , throws it into the water , a panio ensnes , the native boats aro upset , and in the confusion , the
long boat , which has iu tho meantime been lowered , picks up the natives struggling in the water . Considering the treatment the natives have experienced , and are experiencing at the hands of such men , it is not surprising that murders of unoffending Europeans occasionally take place , such as that of Bishop
Patterson unci Commodore Goodenough , for a native looks upon every white man ho comes across as a fair victim for reprisals for any murder committed on the tribes by any of his race . The South Sea will , consequently , for many years to come , remain a dangerous cruising ground , and it will be a long time before such
atrocities as thoso committed by the notorious Carl will fade out of the native mind . The rianm of one of the vessels , the crew of which have been lately massacred , the Dancing Wave , was identified with
the very worst period of the traffic , ami is frequently referred to by Consul March in his despatch . Whethor some of the returned natives recognised the vessel in which they had been kidnapped , and so exercised retributive justice will remain to be seen . "
Madame Louise attracted a large and fashionable audience on Saturday , at the Royal Aquarium , Brig hton , by her singing . She was loudly and deservedly applauded .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Wandering Freemason.
that if tho importation of the Kanakas cost only tho expense of bringing them , the concession would prove uncommonly remunerative to tho speculator as well as to tho p hilanthropist . I did not fail to call upon the Doctor ' s wife , whom I soon
began to regard as " touched in the head . ' She talked ot seeing visions in crystals and mirrors ( of which she had a supply in regular sets ) , of holding long conversations with her dear grandmother , and similar eccentricities . She told me , ono day , that feeling anxious about her husband , she had
sought a vision of him , and had seen him in a small boat , Towing off with Carter from » tropical island fringed with cocoa-nut trees . She had seen them go on board a vessel which Jay at anchor , and had wanted to see Blake , but " could not find him anywhere . "
In less than two months from the date of the " Ade
lante ' s " departure , she was telegraphed as asrain anchored off Callao . Marvelling greatly over her speedy return , and feeling intensely interested in tho expedition , I took the next train and repaired on board . A crowd of dark faces clustered about the bulwarks , hailing every new comer with
p laudits of unbounded delig ht . They wero both male and female , and eyed their new loose cotton clothes with evident pride aud bewilderment . As I passed over the side , I was overwhelmed by their well-meant but obtrusive caresses and handshakings . Carter appeared , and formall y
presented me to the chief— " King Bungay —an old savage , on the broad grin . Women and children were
littered over the decks . I quite forgot to make enquiry as to the cause of their unexpectedly quick passage , in dismay at the intelligence of Blake ' s death , which had occurred on the return trip .
At Carter ' s request , I took away with me to Lima the son and daughter of King Bungay , aged about 10 or 12 years . I narrowly watched the effect made upon them by the succession of novel sights through which they passed . The landing-place , the railway station , the start of the
train . Through all these strange scenes they went with absolute stolidity , not a muscle of thoir countenances moved . Only the sig ht of a smart Zamba wench , in wide crinoline and bright yellow parasol , evoked an exclamation from the girl . On the railway journey , they noted
in the distance ( near Bellavista ) a solitary palm-tree , and brightened up when I assured them , in the marine lingo which they had begun to pick up , that , " by ' m-bye , plenty moar . " 1 first exhibited them as curiosities at our Legation , and then left them at Carter ' s old quarters at the Hotel .
This was my last personal intercourse with this drama and its actors . Blake ' s papers and effects were deposited with the Consul at Callao , where it transpired that of late years he had borne an indifferent character , and had been
made a bankrupt in Australia . I could not but surmise that he had been only a show puppet in the hands of Carter , who pulled the wires for the promotion of schemes for which he found the capital .
The expedition of the " Adelantc must have paid 800 per cent , profit to tho benefit of those concerned . The immigrants were eagerly competed for at from 100 to 500 dollars a head , being drafted off to various plantations
where , if rumour may be credited , their treatment was not always humane . Whence they had been brought , I could not ascertain with ceitainty , as Carter and his companions maintained profound secrecy on that score . Blake ' s stories of his concessions at the New Hebrides and New Caledonia
must have been mere blinds to throw enquirers off the true scent . I believe , however , the fact was this . Carter , in his trips over the South Seas , had found a p lace , probably the Island of Penrhyn , one of the Marquesas group , where a failure of the cocoa-nut crop was apprehended and
famine imminent . He had conceived the scheme I have detailed , and after gaining the confidence of the natives , had put it into execution with the help of Blake , fetching
away the islanders out of the throes of want . Those he brought were probabl y but a small instalment of the numbers he had similarly in reserve , and the ground plan of the scheme , thas far , cannot be considered reprehensible .
But the tragedy was to come . The concession granted to Miles Blake became void b y his death . Carter ' s and Yriarte ' s exclusive privileges were consequently abrogated . The profit of the first venture was publicl y notorious , and
a score of speculators , associated with as many members of Congress , immediately procured permits to import immigrants likewise . These vied with each other in fitting out vessels with despatch . In their frantic haste , some left
The Wandering Freemason.
Callao only partially equipped or seaworthy ; the masters of all of thtm ( being ignorant of Carter ' s happy huntinggrounds ) without goal , or with only indefinite ideas of their destination . Their instructions were to procure immigrants , by fair means ( doubtless ) , but not to return
without a cargo . The profits of the several ventures being- thus entirely dependent upon the celerity with which that object could be accomplished , it is not surprising that the tenonr
of their instructions was construed by reckless adventurers in the loosest way , conscious that pecuniary success would , in the eyes of their patrons , condone everything . Thus was let loose over the South Pacific a flotilla of filibusters
eager for prey . The first and most successful commander adopted a simple expedient ; he anchored off a charming island , and attracted by means of barter , a considerable number of the natives on board . Whilst occupied and unsuspecting , they were seized and huddled below , when the
vessel setting sail brought them off to Callao in triumph . At another place , a captain , whose vessel apparently did not inspire sufficient confidence , feigned to set sail from a roadstead after planting an ambuscade on shore . When the
inhabitants had crowded to the beach to watch the stranger ' s white wings expand , up started the ambuscade throwing a cordon around them , from which those who tried to escape were mercilessly shot down , tho remainder being bound captive .
Such unprincipled and inhuman depredations did not pass unnoticed or unpunished . The French squadron , whose rendezvous is Tahiti , sped after the offenders ; some were taken as p irates , others driven ashore . I had left Peru before any of them returned to port , but 1 know
that some came disabled by misadventure and disastrous weather , and believe that those convicted of malpractice were despoiled and punished as they deserved . Their horrible outrages had roused the public feeling of humanit y ; the ingress of the immigrants was stopped , all who had
participated in equipping the expeditions being regarded as branded men ; nor will time clear their name of infamy . The enterprise of Carter was , so far as I know , the first instance of what may be termed the Coolie system in the South Seas , the barbarous abuses of which by wretches
whom we are forced to acknowledge to be our countrymen have been frequently instanced of late years , but which , I hope and believe has now been suppressed . * Well founded rumours of the white man ' s treachery , borne b y
stray canoes from isle to isle , are in great part answerable for numerous murders and atrocities , those of the late lamented Bishop Patterson and the noble Goodenough amongst the number .
I have veiled certain names in the foregoing narrative , but the particulars may be verified out of public newspapers and the archives of H . M . ' s Legation at Lima .
* Even whilst I write , tho following appears in the Echo : — " News reaches us from Australia that several vessels engaged in the ' Labour Trade' havo lately been taken possession of by natives of the South Seas , and their crews murdered . We aro much afraid that 'I 3 Iack Eircling' of an illegal kind still goes on , in spite of
cruisers and the Kidnapping Act , and that nnder other flags , espe . cially the American , it is carried out to an extent little dreamt of in this conntry . In fact the latest discoveries of science have been brought to bear by some of the smart Yankee captains , in the shape of the nsc of dynamite for this purpose . They got the native boats
well round the ship ; a boat ' s crew is stationed at tho falls of the long boat hoi ted up astern ; the captain is on the bridge . He takes out a cigar , calls to the steward to bring him a light , applies tho end of his cigar to a piece of dynamite , throws it into the water , a panio ensnes , the native boats aro upset , and in the confusion , the
long boat , which has iu tho meantime been lowered , picks up the natives struggling in the water . Considering the treatment the natives have experienced , and are experiencing at the hands of such men , it is not surprising that murders of unoffending Europeans occasionally take place , such as that of Bishop
Patterson unci Commodore Goodenough , for a native looks upon every white man ho comes across as a fair victim for reprisals for any murder committed on the tribes by any of his race . The South Sea will , consequently , for many years to come , remain a dangerous cruising ground , and it will be a long time before such
atrocities as thoso committed by the notorious Carl will fade out of the native mind . The rianm of one of the vessels , the crew of which have been lately massacred , the Dancing Wave , was identified with
the very worst period of the traffic , ami is frequently referred to by Consul March in his despatch . Whethor some of the returned natives recognised the vessel in which they had been kidnapped , and so exercised retributive justice will remain to be seen . "
Madame Louise attracted a large and fashionable audience on Saturday , at the Royal Aquarium , Brig hton , by her singing . She was loudly and deservedly applauded .