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Shipboard farce of a smallpox scare and a cook
A captain tests a new crewman after exposure to smallpox aboard the John Henry. The cook protests workloads, whistling in the night, and feigns madness to avoid duty. A plotting veteran uses a newspaper to scare him into a confession, but the cook’s act escalates into a fake lion pose and royal pretensions before being confined. After two days, the captain reopens the hold and the cook recovers, joking that the sight of the captain makes him sick as provisions.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
John Henry
Joe
Plymouth
Joé
Johnny
A. H
Plymouth Harbor
Joe Martin
the King
London
Daniel
Cap’n
Cook
George