The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1858-04-22
9Flfft 9torp,
For the New York Mercury
jack WEA7T THERW AK
The WreCkCr of C9Sar'S Creek.
TALE OF
The Florida Reef in the Olden Time.
BY NED BUNTLrNE.


| mn the Southern coast Of Florida, anG
| u near the worst shoal on the Florida
Reef, Carrysfort-sor there have beer
laid "the bones" of many a score of gal
liant ships, from onesQf which-a British
frigate--it takes its ame--is deep ba'
you, or entrance, between the inner Man,
grove Islands, known to this day as
Black Caesars Greek, because it was for
merly the hiding pI5u I'D rendezvous
of noted pirate, Ns. Dmmas Black Caesar,
who was destroyed, and his gang broken
up, by Commodore Porter's expedition,
in 1892 or 3-perhaps by the same gal.
liant "Old Plug" of whom l spoke in a
sketch In the Mercury not lopg Since. 1t
is dark and crooked lane of water, lead
ing to the inner bay, shaded and shelter.
ed on either side by high mangroves, and
afforded an excellent hiding place for the
pirates, who could suddenly dart out up
on the merchant vessels passing up or
down the Gulf Stream. All, were but
all the records of the deeds done by those
who once lurked there written, what a
thrilling book Of horrors it would make
One S soul sbudders TO think Of the mur.
derous acts performed by the black heart
ed pirates, whose motto was--"Dead
men tell no tales" and who only spared
young and beautiful maidens, who fell
into their hands, for suferiOgs worse a
thousand times than dea,hl And not
imaginary are these horrors! They are
on the records of history; and in very
consequence of such fearful enormities,
was the gallant Porter sent out by Presi.
dent Monroe in 1929, with orders utterly
to exterminate them from the face of the
sea and land.
Thus prefacing, will open my story;
its date is only short time after the ex-
/ pulsion of the pirates, when wreckers,
lquite as reckless when a wreck was on
shore, or could be decoyed there, and al,
most as daring, infested the upper portion
of the Reef-a far different class from
ilhosc who still make tia avorite harbor
and a point of lookout from which they
can Ay to the succor Of distressed ves-
sells
- II was between thirty and forty years
ago. Within the creek, and near the
center of il, small sloop of the Staten
Island bnild--one of about fifty tons
" moored close by the southern shore
@ilhin few yards of her, was rude
80 hut, built of logs; but yet 50
Z!e ooned with vines and flowers, that its
eness could scarcely be seen. And
T09lore and around 1t, flowers were plant
ed, and trained with a taste which plainly
ibetokened that woman--hersef type of
the beautiful as we'll as almost forever
Ian admirer oft (etcept when a rival is
in the case )--must be near, and have a
hand in The arrangement.
Lounging on the deck, busted only in
brushing off the mosquitoes, which there
are the principal larHry-as the writer
can vouch from experience--were some
dozen roughly dressed men, evidently
the crew Of the sloop, which was COM
manded by him whose name heads this
sketch, and was named after about the
only thing he loved on earth beside mon
ey--his daughter IOte.
Jack Weatherwax came from, no one
knew where; not even yet the nation to
which he belonged, for he spoke several
languages, each as we'll as ifthey were his
native tongue. He was rough and i'm
perious in his manners tall, bearded
dark browed man, of fifty years or more,
with his thick, crispy hair, slightly
sprinkled with grey, rather more particu
lar in his dress than his men, yet still
rough and careless. He was scarce ever
known to speak kind word to any one
but Iole, And yet his men liked him,
for he was brave and daring, and whoev-
er sailed with him was sure to make mon
ey--and all seamen. love to make the lat
ter article, although they only make It to
spend agaiiias as soon as il is made.
AT the time when we open this scene,
Captain Jack was away; but the sweet
yet sad voice Of Iole could be heard from
within the cottage on the shore, and It
was accompanied by herself on the quit
ar. II was in the Spanish language that
she sung, and the burden Of her lay was
that Of a maiden lbewailing distant lover,
whom she yearned again to see. but be-
lieved 10 be lost to her forever. ls,
{ 4 1 I \