Since writing the above, I have been furnished by my friend Willie
Bryant, Branch Pilot of the Bengal Pilot Service, with the following
particulars of incidents that occurred in the days that I am writing
of, for the correctness of which he can thoroughly vouch. I feel sure
they will be read with the greatest interest.
Many men were shanghied on board ships in the 80's and 90's, more
especially American ships; in fact there was in Calcutta a recognised
American boarding master, or otherwise known as a crimp.
In '87 they shanghied a padre on board an American vessel, and when he
awoke in the morning found the vessel on her way down the river. On
his expostulating with the captain, the reply was: "Well, I guess you
are down as J.B. Smith and Sonny, you are bound to Salem or h----"
[Illustration: _Photo. by Bourne & Shepherd_. Writers' Buildings and
Holwell Monument]
On 6th December, 1887, the _Alpheus Marshall_, an American vessel, had
a salemaker shanghied on board; he, poor fellow, had been only on
shore once from a ship called the _Terpsichore_ and was buying soap,
matches, etc.
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