The Wasp, 1913 · page 36 of 364
The Wasp — 1913 — page 36: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page from *The Wasp* appears to be **prose fiction rather than a cartoon**, consisting of a satirical narrative excerpt. The text describes a scheme in which Peter Queery, a planter from Nevis in the Caribbean, persuades James Burnham to travel with him under the guise of a generous business partnership. The satire targets **financial opportunism and deception**: Queery flatters Burnham with brotherly affection and promises of partnership, while Burnham cynically accepts, viewing Queery as a "fool" who will finance his travels. Burnham brings a "box of guineas" (money), suggesting he's not the naïve party Queery assumes. The joke appears to concern **Caribbean plantation schemes of the colonial era**—ventures that attracted investors and adventurers. The shabby vessel and late-night wine-drinking suggest dubious dealings. Without seeing illustrations or knowing the publication date, the specific satirical target (whether a real scheme, a type of person, or political figures) remains unclear, though the setup suggests mutual deception between con artist and opportunist.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THE WASP 35 At the end of the month Peter Queery suggested to James that they were both wasting their time in Kingston. “Come home with me,” he said; and he told Burnham, at considerable length, all about his fine place in the island of Nevis. . He had a command of language, and painted the joys of a planter’s life to a wish. He admitted frankly that he liked James—that he felt a warmth of the heart toward him as toward a younger brother. This being the case, he was willing to take James into partnership with him. He was unmar- ried and had no near relatives. Burnham entertained no intention of devoting his future to the cultivation of cane, but he was anxious to see something of the other islands be- fore investing his modest capital. If Queery was. fool enough to pay his expenses, so much the better. They left Kingston in a shabby, stubby brigantine —Burnham and Queery and Burnham’s box of guineas. They sailed at an early hour of the morn- ing, and they sat late at their wine that night at Comichooks.com