Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1861-12-07
lFrom Our Por Townsend Correspondent.
A VOYAGE N THE ELIZAIE1H

4 VOYAGE II I06 kL1zA161A
! recently made trip IN the schoon-
er EIzaLeh from Port Townsend to
Neeah Bay, and as this lively old pack
ct will serve - q text from which to
elucidate discourse. 1 will briefly i'd
vert to her former history, and then
pass on to scenes Of more recent date.
The Eli,ateth was built in days Of
yore, and was originally designed and
intended for a launch of an English
line-of.battle ship. She was strongly
framed from East India teak wood, and
having proved herself a fast and able
craft. was finally transferred to the
ownership Of the King Of the Sand
wich Islands, where she was raised
upon and became the royal yacht of
Kammehameha the first. She served
her royal owner faithfully for many
wears, but new fashions in naval archi-
lecture coming up, the yacht like an
old worn out belle, was set aside and
her place supplied by new one. We
1 ext hear Of her in San Francisco, from
whence she was brought to Fuca
Straits by her present gentlemanly
commander, Capt. James A. Melvin,
who, for his daring intrepidity and
many narrow escapes, both from the
perils by sea and by land, from the
storms and shipwrecks of the one, and
the lawyers and sheriffs of the other,
has earned from his many friends the
well merited cognomen Of "the bold
and intrepid navi gator
In a former article entitled ga Cruise
in the Sarah NeWton," promised to
give some of the. incidents connected
with that voyage, and it was after my
return from Barclay Sound shat the
Elizabeth became connected with the
subject.
Both of the schooners were anchored
one foggy morning last August behind
cliff short distance below the Indian
village of Kiddecnbbut, halt way be-
tween Neeah Bay and Tatooche Island.
Between the rock and main land is q
passage about 90 feet wide. and it was
inside of this passage or channel that
we were anchored, the rock forming
breakwater for us. All at once We
heard steam blowing off, but the fog
was 40 thick we could scarcely see the
schooner's length. We at once sup
posed it to be the California steamer,
and Capts. Melvin ard Beynon, the
masters of the two schooners, at once
put off in the direction of the Sound to
see what was the matter, and to render
assistance. 1t proved to be the II. b.
NJ. Hecate, Capt. Richards, from Clyo-
quot, for Esquimalt. Due allowance
had not been made for the strong ebb
tide at the entrance to the Straits of
Fuca, and in consequence she was Ito
use nautical term) horsed over to the
American side, where she struck heav-
lily on the rock just outside Of where
we lay at anchor, and not two cables
length from US. An anchor was at
once run out and the ship hove of. but
tinding it dangerous to back the ship
out the way she came, she was actually
brought through the narrow passage l
have described and anchored near our
schooners. In fact they had to send
boats crew to move the Elizabeth to let
the steamer through.
Capt. Melvin had boarded the steam
er while Capt. Benyon remained in his
boat, pulling around and giving advice
and information to the Lieutenant and
midshipmen respecting the various
rocks aud reefs with which the place
abounds.
Some more grarhic pen than mine
can best describe the confusiom incident
to such a scene. ! can only state that
all hands appeared grstifed aud re-
assured when the fog lighted up little
and they saw the E.,abstk and the !Sa-
rak Newson lying at anchor 90 quietly,
and white men who could assist and ad-
wise them. Capt. Melvin now under
took to pilot the s!i;p out Of her peril
ous position. He fuf went With one
Of the officers and stationed boats on
the vsrioss reefA md then returned TO
the steamer. when 1t . preconcerted 4g-
nal of firing pistols, blowing fog horns,
answered b. the whistle Of .he steamer,
the course WAS indicated, the anchor
hove up, and the chip pilosed between
the rocks and rcefA when she proceed
ed on her way to Esquimzls in safety.
There are many men who would have
taken advantage Of The sxigso9es ofthe
moment to have made . good hargsin
with Captain Richards, bat to the csed-
it Of Capt Melvin, Be it said that be DE-
clined making any aFs,nesment- II
am, said he, " only TOO happy In beisg
OF any service in reecuinI from poril .
many lives and % much veIusfjs mo-