The Wasp, 1918 · page 265 of 330
The Wasp — 1918 — page 265: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains dialogue from what appears to be a serialized nautical story rather than a political cartoon. Two ship captains—Smith and Mr. Winch—spot an approaching vessel and anticipate profitable trading. Winch recalls a previous encounter with a French trader where they obtained valuable cargo (brandy, fowls, cigars) for merely polite conversation rather than payment—a humorous reference to shrewd or perhaps dishonest maritime commerce. By noon, a shabby but fast sailing vessel (the *Virtue*) approaches, and a poorly-clothed sailor hails them seeking to trade salt fish for rum. The passage satirizes maritime opportunism and bartering culture—the joke being that seasoned sailors exploit naive traders, exchanging minimal courtesies for valuable goods. It reflects 19th-century attitudes toward maritime commerce and international trade practices.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
256-2 = THE WASP mainmast, half a dozen rum-casks lashed in her scuppers, and a peaceful, wind-snatched wisp - : of smoke trailing away from the pipe of her little galley. “There comes ne we be a locke for,”” he said to Mr. Winch. ‘“‘ Rum an’ fowls at a bargain, an’ maybe some tobacco. She’ll be up with us afore noon.” = An’ maybe a keg of French brandy,” said Winch, chuckling. “ D’ye call to mind the oy) brandy we got from the little French trader al last v’yage, not fifty miles from this same spot? — A keg of it, a dozen fowls, a suckin’ pig, an’ a thousand seegars from the Brazils.” : “ Aye,” replied Smith, with a reminiscent eye on the humble craft astern. ‘“ Aye, Mr. Mate; but I don’t rightly fecolecy what them same welcome provisions cost us.’ “Them cost us a polite good- day-to-ye,” returned Mr. Winch; and at this sally of wit the two mariners laughed heartily. The shabby but speedy fore-and-after was | within hailing distance of the brig by noon. A__| scantily clad fellow hailed the Virtue from the — | smaller craft’s bowsprit, inquiring in broken | English if the master of the brig would let him | have some good salt fish in exchange for rum, |