The Wasp, 1913 · page 178 of 364
The Wasp — 1913 — page 178: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains **no visible cartoon or illustration**—it's purely text from a serialized story about a ship and its crew. The narrative describes a vessel with a deteriorating command structure. Key details suggest this is a **pirate or outlaw ship**: references to "violent deaths," crew members who are "ex-pickpockets," "ripe for the gallows," and sailors from "Newgate" (London's notorious prison) indicate a crew of criminals and desperate men. The satire appears to critique **leadership and social hierarchy**. Despite their criminal backgrounds, some crew members (Wells, the boatswain, chief gunner) are described as "sailors, not jailbirds"—yet they're equally suspect. The irony is that appearances and official roles mask the ship's true criminal nature. Without seeing the magazine's date or broader context, the specific political target remains unclear, though the piece likely satirizes either actual piracy, naval corruption, or the social disorder of its era.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THE WASP 173 company ; and, though Trimmer offered him a berth aft, he chose to sleep in the forecastle and rate him- self as an able seaman. Discipline was slack. The afterguard, as well as the crew, had changed considerably since the first election of leaders. Men had died violent — deaths and new men had been recruited. Dodd, one-time first mate, had died of a cutlas wound and gone to the fishes. Slim Sam, the ex-pick- pocket, was now second in command. Wells, who had been third mate of the Good C heer, still acted as Sailing master. This Wells was a quiet man with a high brow and a weak chin. No amount of pistols thrust in his belt could make him look like a pirate. The boatswain and the chief gunner were sailors, not jailbirds—and yet, by their faces and the stories they told, one knew them to be ripe for the gal- lows. The quartermaster was also a sailor; but about fifty per cent. of the hands represented Newgate Comichooks.com