Hey Blog! Sorry it’s been so long since the last instalment, but here it is – the next chapter of the story of the box!
The seaman’s treasure box
The seaman who had bought the box was an able-seaman on the ship Fortunus in the Royal Navy. He had bought the box for his sea-chest, as he was borrowing his grandfather’s, who had been a great friend of one of Nelson’s best commander’s relatives. When he got to the ship, he exchanged all the belongings from his grandfather’s chest into his new one, gave back the borrowed chest and made it so that he could sit on the new one if he wanted to. This was a thing most of the sailors did, as it saved stool space. He played checkers on it when the sea was calm enough, and once or twice singed it when dropping a match. His scrimshaw knife slipped a few times, and marked it. The box rounded the Horn a fair few times, and the sailor, who was soon promoted to 4th lieutenant, transferred ship many times. Then, one day, a ship flying a flag not usually seen in those waters seemed to follow them. When it had got within hailing distance, it suddenly opened gun-ports and laid bullets in the planking. Some of the men on board were terrified, and let the pirates come on board, despite the other’s efforts to stop them.
The only money found on the ship was collectively 86 silver pieces. So these were taken, and the ship was also taken, along with some of the crew, for deck hands. The 4th lieutenant was one. He was kept on deck, and had to man the ship and while he did this, he had a plan. Two other members of the crew were kept on deck with him, and together they agreed to turn the ship’s course towards somewhere they wanted her to go, namely, South Africa. But next day, the pirate captain turned the ship south, which was actually their original heading. The next night they couldn’t do it, and it was three days before the captain was not on deck, so they decide to head for Australia. But when they did it was a success. The ship ran aground just south of Perth, and the prisoners could easily break free. The lieutenant’s life was saved, in fact, by the box, for he floated to shore on it. They were welcomed in the manner shipwrecked sailors usually are, and most chose to go home. However, the box’s owner chose to stay, deciding to settle in Australia and live near the coast. Over the course of a few years, he married and found himself with a family, and decided he would give his children the box for their toys. This family were one of the last that this box would know, as they passed things down through the generations.