Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1870-12-22

CAPE MAY IN wINTER-THE PERII.s OF THE SURF
COD FIsHINa-sroRIEs OF THE PILOTS.

CAPE MAY IN wINTER-THE PERII.s OF THE SURF
-coD FIsHINa-sroRIEs OF THE PILOTS.
CAPE MAY, November =, 1870.
y y
Friday morning was calm and lovely as june
Early in the morning a large ocean steamer
appeared abreast of the hotels with signal flying
for pilot, which she needed badly,as they nearly
ran on the "Uncle Eph" shoal off the island.
She steamed along toward the bay, cautiously,
and Mr.James Mecray,a pilot, borrowed my skiff,
and, pushing off through the breakers, gave
chase as rapidly as two pairs Of oars could drive
him, l having volunteered to pull a pair Of them.
He stood up astern waving his coat, and every
surge ahead nearly tumbled him overheard back
wards. She had turned up the bay before we
were seen from on board, when they immediately
steamed toward us, but soon dropped anchor,
not knowing the channel. We reached her and
put our pilot on, when she up anchor and away,
proving to be the Margaret, from New York, for
Philadelphia, light. The pilotage fee will be
nearly fifty dollars, a good days work, for she
will be up by midnight, if lucky. We returned
leisurely home along shore, watching the huge
pillows roll in beyond us toward the land and
break with booming roar on the beach. The sea
was CLASSY smooth, and we rose and fell over the
bright waves gracefully, putting to flight numer-
GUS wild ducks with pretty plumage and portly
looking bodies, but which my companion, an old
salt named Joe Squirrel, pronounced to be
"Coots, tough eating, dark meat, and not con-
sidered worth shooting by sportsmen There
were lots of them, and they looked beautiful,
breasting the waves or flying in air.
boats off shore. They anchor on the fishing
banks, about fifteen miles out, bait with CLAIMS,
and catch great numbers. They are luscious
eating, fresh, wholly unlike the taste Of the
les. The .' Whilldins" crew were boldly sold
while fishing. The fish were biting splendidly,
when a ship appeared in the distance, bound in.
They saw no rival pilot-boat in sight so kept on
fishing, hating to give up catching, but one said,
" come boys this wont do, let us up anchor and
board her" SO, after long chase they came up
and hailed her, but found she was bound to
New York. not needing them-They being Della
ware Bay pilots. They sailed back gloomily and
went to fishing again. :.
for the vessels boarded, whether they are small
or large, but as they are paid by the foot in
depth, of course all are anxious for "deep ships
One old man feigned sickness to avoid going out
to little schooner they had sighted and went to
his berth complaining and had mustard plasters
e. drafts" he called them) put on his feet. The
next man had to go in his place on the schooner.
Presently big ship hove in sight, wanting q
pilot, and the old man heard the uproar on decl
and inquired what it meant. When told it was
big ship with jack flying" he kicked Off his
drafts" bounced into his clothing, tumbled or
deck and into the skiff and secured the vessel
doing the proper pilot out of it completely The
mimics on board rehearse the performance
sometimes when cruising grows dull and tims
| hangs heavy.
II lis an adventurous life, and they are hardy
| fearless men.
As we rowed home from the Margaret,
| Squirrel told me he was ship-keeper on tht
Whillden." One winter and on dark night
in thick snow sqalls they had put their last pilo
| on a ship, and now headed for harbor. HI
tried to make Cape May, and anchor i'll the bay
| inside the Cape. Once in while he could Sc,
Cape May light and steered for it. but-bang, h,
struck on Uncle Ephe shoals, amid huge break
| ers that deluged the little vessel, but he thump
| ed,clear and then headed for the Breakerwater
| and anchored in safety, but anchored at the en-
| trance in perilous position, blowing like hur
| ricane, aud vessels sinking each other and dri
/ wing ashore from their anchors. They rode |
| out until moroing, but rival boat, the " Mier
| ken," which had also put out her last pilot neal
by, and at the same time, as the "Whillden, IAN,
started for port in charge of her colored crew
was wrecked, and one OF them was drowned q
they tried to land. They had no regular boa
keeper, and quarrelling for the ascendecy, the
got bewildered and beached, and lost their yes
| sci.
Joe says he never ''upsot" skiff in til
breakers in his life when he had charge Of her
for he'd wait two hours for ''smooth" or lul
among the breakers, which sometimes occurs
enabling you to land in the most tempestou
seas. He has been ''upsot" many time whel
others had the command. He promised TO brini
me ashore as .'dry as bone" "We would no
ship spoonful Of water" il would do as b