Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1861-07-20


yet day by day do they perform their
monotonous duties, and night by night
their beacon fire is lit, and little dreams
the mariner, whose courage raises as he
sees its friendly glow, of the comfort
less position of those who make his ap-
proach to land safe in the gloom of
night.
The soil on the island is very rich,
but owing to the tremendous force of
the winds that sweep over it, nothing
but vegetables can be raised. Potatoes
and other roots grow in perfection, but
not bush or tree is to be seen, except
Que miserable stunted spruce on the
summit of a rock on the east side of
the island.
The keepers are all eastern men, and,
as 1 before remarked, three of them
have been masters of vessels. They
are we'll adapted by experience and
their former profession for the charge
of so important q trust.
As a matter of course, these "ancient
mariners" are very prone to avail them
selves OF the sailors privilege of spin
ming yarns, but Capt. Harris, who de-
lights in being addressed as "Uncle
George" is far ahead of the whole par
ty in his romances and legends, which
for marvellous assertion can vie with
the most improbable ever told by
"Sindbad the Sailor" l asked him
one day why it was that he dealt out
such heary stories. "Why, you see"
he replied, "Captain Winsor and the
others tell such tough yarns that if l
didn't match them l should go to the
leew ard" Uncle George relates that
on one occasion he was coming down
the trail from Fort Alexander when he
met Gov. Douglas, Admiral Baines,
Mr.. Dallas, and the Colonial Secretary.
They were all on foot, and the Secreta-
ry led pack horse with their tent and
provisions. While stopping to water
the horse, Admiral Baincs walked
ahead, and turning an angle in the road
he saw Uncle George sitting on log.
Uncle George had only his blanket,
and iu that, about quart of beans,
which constituted his stores, The Ad-
miral asked him if he was not a sea-
faring man. II am," replied Uncle
George, "and who might you be Z"
" Oh, says the Admiral, / have followed
the sea some myself" "Well," replies
Uncle, Gin that case, and seeing as how
you haven't any grub with you, l will
divide mine and give you pint of dry
BEANS" The Admiral declined, and
shortly afterward Gov. Douglas and the
others came up, who were 80 much
pleased with Uncle Georges generosity
in offering a pint of beans to the Ad-
miral, that the Governor presented him
with a ham, some hard bread, a bottle
of gin, two bottles of porter, and one
of rum. They then shook hands all
round aud parted. Uncle George, said
l, when he had finished this story, rec
ollect you talking about the Governor
of British Columbia, the Admiral of the
Fleet, the Governor Of the Hudson Bay
Company. and the Colonial Secretary
now as these people do not generally
travel on foot, and unaccompanied, you
had better for the sake Of probability,
when you next spin this yarr, add that
their servants with horses came up
shortly afterward. EYES," said he,
"that is good idea" e4E
The rest of his yarns, about catching
q halibut ofnine hundred pounds weight.
Of shearing the ears of . couple Of
squaws with scythe for stealing At Kill
lamook, of his adventures with the
monks 1t Palermo, Of his going up in
balloon at Havre, Of his diamond 3D.
ventures on the Amazon river, and
hundreds Of other fables would, II writ
ten out, mako large volume, and the
lovers Of Gulliver's' Travels, Of Robin
son Crusos and Baron Munchauseu
would bs edited BY the perusal.
Tatoochs Island has always been tho
place Of sammsr rssidence for portion
Of the Aankahtrihs Of Indiana IT. In