| TK's staging site |
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By tk Civil War P 79. pig fat, used to keep warm at this altitude of about 7,000 feet. The chief enjoyed 7 wives, the Administrator of Papua/New Guinea, Colonel Murray, on a previous visit had been offered the Chief's youngest and fairest young wife. He told the Governor General, " I did not know who to offend, the Chief or Mrs Murray, if the Chief offers you a wife today Your Excellecy, YOU ARE ON YOUR OWN." Fortunately on that occasion the Chief's tribute amounted to the gift of a hundred weight sack ( 112 pounds ) of local nuts. At home, at the Appomattox Courthouse, in Virginia, Robert E. Lee had surrendered to Ulysses.S. Grant, the Civil War war was over, but Captain Waddell, his crew, and their ship Shenandoah were stateless, without a country, but they did not yet know that. On the 13th. of April, all prisoners had been landed, except for 7, who had joined the Raider, all the prized had been burned, and once more Shenandoah was off to seek her prey, any Union vessel that could be found. Over the next six weeks she worked her way slowly northwards, and after crossing the 45th. parralel of latitude, the weather became colder, with fog much in evidence. By the time the ship sailed into the Okhotsk Sea, ice was forming in patches, and unlike the sturdy construction of the whalers, Shenandoah was not constructed to act as an ice breaker. On the 27th. of May, a ship was found on the edge of an ice field, Waddell hoisted a Russian flag, at 500 yards from Abigail, a blank shot was fired, Thomas S. Manning, one of her mates, although from Baltimore, professed to Southern sympathies, signed on as acting master's mate, and 14, of the crew of 35 changed their allegiance, and became crew members of Shenandoah. Abigail carried a large amount of alcohol, which the Captain had intended to trade for furs, the prize crew soon found it, and promptly sampled this find, when they did not return, a second crew were sent over, only to follow the original prize crew's example. To root them out, Waddell took an armed party over to the alcohol laden ship, the armed party joined in the celebrations, now it was "Call in the Marines!" Arriving with every intention of doing their duty, the Marines also joined in on the party, another sail was in sight, Waddell sent officers over to Abigail to clean up this mess, they paused for a little refreshment, some becoming drunk. At last the drunken party was over, and everyone was back on board, but before the sodden crew could get under way, the whaler had vanished in a squall.
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