The Wasp, 1913 · page 297 of 364
The Wasp — 1913 — page 297: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This appears to be a **narrative text passage** rather than a political cartoon. The page contains a literary excerpt describing an encounter between an American sea captain (Smith) and a French ship master (Pierre Hatté/David Jones) negotiating a trade of salt fish for rum and supplies. The passage contains **no obvious political satire or social commentary**. It reads as straightforward maritime fiction, likely from a serialized story in *The Wasp*—a 19th-century American humor and satire magazine. The only potentially satirical element is the reveal that "Pierre Hatté" (the Frenchman) is actually "David Jones"—a common nautical alias suggesting deception or a false identity. This may be humorous misdirection, but without seeing illustrations or additional context, the specific point of satire remains unclear. The passage simply establishes character and scene for what appears to be an ongoing narrative.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
292 THE WASP master of the brig would let him have some good salt fish in exchange for rum, molasses, tobacco, or brandy. Captain Smith winked at his mate and replied to the Frenchman that he had some very superior salt fish in his hold and would be glad to do business. The brig was laid to. The little fore-and-after came alongside very cleverly, letting her mainsail and foresail belly down to the deck at the very mo- ment that Mr. Winch heaved her a line. There was no sea running. The two-vessels lay side to side. The fellow who had hailed the brig mounted the schooner’s rail and scrambled up the brig’s side. He wore nothing but a soiled shirt, soiled canvas breeches, and a wide sash of red silk. His legs and feet were bare and weather-stained. He announced himself as Pierre Hatte, master of La Belle Marie. His hair was black and his eyes dark and quick. His real name was David Jones. The bargaining proceeded slowly, for M. Hatte possessed very little English and Captain Smith no French at all. : | Comichooks.com