SHIPWRECKED ON YETORUP 
111 
had been at sea in various capacities ever since, 
finally drifting to Yokohama, where he shipped with 
me. He was a good-natured soul, full of talk, and 
had all the characteristics of the southern darkey. 
Our cook was a Chilian. 
On the occasion mentioned, the steward was re¬ 
lating to the cook how on one occasion, when he had 
shipped as a sailor on board a big sailing-ship, they got 
into a thick fog and nearly ran down another vessel, 
which they only missed by a few feet. “ And where 
do you think I was at the time, and I never see dat 
ship,” said the darkey. “ Oh, I guess you was on 
de look-out,” said the cook. This was too much for 
the darkey’s dignity, and they were soon at it hammer 
and tongs. They were preparing our dinner at the 
time, a matter of much more concern to us, so we 
stepped into the breach and restored peace. Our 
part of the house did not escape differences. The 
mate and second mate got into an argument one 
day about the temperature. The thermometer had 
fallen so that the quicksilver was all in the bulb ; 
but as the argument proceeded friction was set 
up, and the temperature increased to such a degree 
that they had to come to blows before they could 
cool off. The mate weighed 200 pounds, and the 
second only about 160 pounds. Weight told. 
Before leaving Yetorup I called on and thanked 
all our Japanese friends, who had certainly been most 
kind to us, notwithstanding the trying formalities 
which they, in accordance with official red tape, 
had to inflict upon us. The Governor in particular 
had been most considerate. We were excellent 
friends, and saw a great deal of each other. He 
was an old Tokugawa retainer. Most of the other 
