Vietnam or Thailand ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Updated: July 18, 2025
Some believed him to be a thief, some thought it was a press-gang, and others conjectured they were bailiffs. It was not long, however, before a decent, well-looking, and indeed handsome young woman, with a fine child in her arms, came running up the court, made her way through the crowd with terror in her countenance, and with the most piercing cries demanded 'Where is he? Where is my dear Harry?
We did not allow our drivers to make any bodily punishment in the field, and I am happy to say they showed no desire to do so. As I have before stated, our first organization was the picking-gang. Then followed the gin-gang and the press-gang. Our gin-gang was organized on principles of total abstinence, and, therefore, differed materially from the gin-gangs of Northern cities.
One day, having wandered farther east than he had ever been before, he found himself in the presence of a press-gang, who were carrying off a party of men and boys to the river's edge.
As I had just made up my mind to act, there was a stamping of feet outside and a knock at the door. When it was opened, another portion of the press-gang, headed by another officer, entered. I counted heads, and found that they mustered thirty hands quite sufficient, as they were armed, to secure all my late companions. I therefore went up to the officer, and begged to speak with him aside.
He wrenched himself free, crying out loud: 'Avast, I'm a protected whaler. I claim my protection. I've my papers to show, I'm bonded specksioneer to the Urania whaler, Donkin captain, North Shields port. As a protected whaler, the press-gang had, by the 17th section of Act 26 Geo.
Then I recalled what had befallen me, and cried aloud to God in my anguish, for I well knew I had been carried aboard ship, and was at sea. I had oftentimes heard of the notorious press-gang which supplied the need of the King's navy, and my first thought was that I had fallen in their clutches. But I wondered that they had dared attack a person of my consequence. I had no pain.
The press-gang was all they had to avoid, and for that they trusted to their clear eyes and nimble feet. They were also well informed.
"May I ask you," said Captain Laurence, a tall, good-looking, blond officer, bowing to Patsy, "where the young men Garland are to be found? We had come with warrants for their taking. This is His Majesty's press." "Ah," said Patsy easily, "so you are the press-gang let me look at you. I have never seen a 'press' before. Where are your handcuffs? Which of you is the chief executioner?
The child looked enquiringly in her father's face, and he had to repeat his words twice before she quite realized the import of them. "Are ye jokin', daddy?" "No, Maggie; it's true. The press-gang got him and took him awa', an' I doot we'll never see him again." The little girl's expression changed while he spoke, then her lip trembled, and she burst into tears.
Yet whilst the latter great increase was being obtained for obtained it was the reporters are virtually silent as to the action of the press-gang. We must ask ourselves, if we could get 32,000 additional seamen with so little recourse to impressment that the operations called for no special notice, how was it that compulsion was necessary when only 7600 men were wanted?
Word Of The Day
Others Looking