The Wasp, 1913 · page 314 of 364
The Wasp — 1913 — page 314: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This appears to be a prose narrative rather than a cartoon page. The text describes a mysterious passenger named James Fitzwalter boarding a ship from Jamaica to London, four months after someone named John Trimmer's death. The passage emphasizes Fitzwalter's suspicious appearance—eye patch, ill-fitting wig and clothes, hunched shoulders, heavy books—and his antisocial behavior (reading constantly, not conversing). These details suggest he's either hiding his identity or fleeing something. Without seeing an actual image or knowing the broader *Wasp* article context, the satire's specific target remains unclear. However, this setup typically signals either political commentary on a real figure in disguise or general mockery of suspicious characters. The Jamaica-to-London route and the emphasis on concealment suggest possible commentary on colonial affairs or criminal evasion, but I cannot definitively identify the intended subject without additional context.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
XVIII OUR months after the death of John Trim- K mer a gentleman who gave his name as James Fitzwalter engaged a passage from Kingston, Jamaica, to London, aboard the good ship Golden Crown. He wore a black patch over one eye, a scratch-wig, a decent blue coat, and white breeches something the worse for wear. The humpy roundness of his shoulders almost amounted to a deformity. His baggage consisted of a box of clothing, a smaller box full of books, and a weighty leather bag. The captain of the Golden Crown considered Mr. Fitzwalter a very pleasant passenger, though of a remarkably quiet and retiring nature. He was a great student, it seemed, and would walk the deck for hours at a time with his nose in a book, heavy- shouldered and sedate. He was a good listener, but never joined in the conversation of the ship’s officers and his fellow - passengers. His manner was detached, brooding, 307 Comichooks.com