The west shore., June 07, 1890, Page 709, Image 5

WEST SHORE.
THE MODERN PIRATE.
AN IXACT RELATION OF THB LAST RAID OF THI FLYINO DUTCHMAN.
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pAPTAIN II , I think?"
I "Yes; that's mo."
N " You're off to Behring sea in the Adda, thoy
say. I want to go with you."
"Who are you?"
" I'm a writer, and I want to go and study sealing."
"Come along, then, and I'll show you tho stuff for
tho lent novel ever written."
It was late in September, 18M; and as I walked
about the streets of Victoria, and tho time for sailing
drew near, rumors, hints, whispers of something un
usual about tho voyage reached mo from time to time.
And then I learned that tho enterprise was criminal
and dangerous; that In his sober senses the captain
was trying to get rid of his bargain; and that by all
who were in tho secret I was regarded as a detective,
and tho skipper as a fool for taking mo. Many were
tho warnings of friends. What did a fifty-ton schooner
want during tho winter in Behring sea, with its awful
ground swell, its uncharted, unlightod coasts, and
almost arctic climate? What did I want in tho fore
castle of her, with a rough crowd for company, bad
food, long watches, and a dirty bunk? Tho skipper
now assured mo that ho had given up the project, as
there was too much talk and tho newspapers had hold
of tho matter. What good could it bo for mo, he said,
to merely cross to Yokohama and back? Then ho
could only take mo as a stowaway, as my appearance
at tho custom, house would be more than suspicious.
Yet my insanity was such that on seeing an attempt
was being mado to prevent my joining tho schooner, I
threw myself on tho little skipper's generosity by
sending my baggage and camera on board, and giving
him my little bundle of testimonials to take care of.
Now that thoro was opjxisltlon to fuco I would havo
gono had it cost mo a leg. I watched night and day
lest tho Adda should sail without mo. Huoh is tho
nature of tho animal.
And so wo weighed, all hands drunk, and put to
sea on tho night of tho 21th of Heptemlier, Ixmnd on
the last raid of tho "Yokohama Pirates," tho which I
now have tho honor to bring to tho light of day.
At midnight tho captain pretended to discover mo;
and, after a very pretty demonstration after the man
ncr laid down for uso on the discovery of a stowaway,
shipped mo as an ordinary seaman at $10 a month,
and gave mo a bunk in tho forecastle. To my surprise
the berth was comfortable, dry ami clean, tho crowd as
fine a lot of fellows as I havo ever messed with, tho
food served in tho cabin cual to that of any second
rate hotel, discipline slack, fuel and light without
restriction, and coffee always to bo had during the
night watches. Tho schooner could have been worked
by three men, and with our complement of eleven was
very easy to handle. When I consider mine own lmh
cility at work, and tho fact that everyone on Umrd
firmly believed I was a spy, I wonder why it was that
they wero all so putient and tolerant of mo and that I
was never thrown overboard as a nuisance.
We called at a mission station on the west coast of
Vancouver island and cut a numlr of heavy clubs.
At tho Hhumaglm islands we put in for water, and also
two dories, or flat-bottomed boots, were purchased of
white traders and paid for with gin and otatocs.
There is no time to relate our jolly hunting trips or
how we shot salmon with revolvers among tho big
iurfs of the swamps, which is a most exciting pastime.
Nor can we celebrate over again the skipper's birthday