The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1876-09-02

a mounted squad OF police came Salloplng
down, and, securing the horses and carriages
drove off. 1t was expected that we would
meet the Catalpa about nightinli, she beng
about twenty miles to sea in the direction OF
Bunburg. But night came on without our
sighting her, and, as it Is very rocky coast
we had to put to sea. The police boat, which
had started out after us, passed US at dis
lance during the night, but did not see US
The next morning we saw the Catalpa stand
| ing out TO sea. and we made for her. The
Georgette had also started in pursuit, but she
made direct for the Catalpa, and did not take
the trouble to look for US, supposing we were
on board the Catalpa. Not finding us there
however, she went back to port for coal and
artillery ammunition. On her way back she
came so close that We could see the crew dis
tinctly on her deck, but they either did not
see US or else did not know who we were
When the police boat gave chase we realized
that we had got to work for our lives, and we
worked as we had never worked before. 1t
was a fearfully exciting race. The crew of
the police boat did their level best, too, and
as saw them gaining on us, as they did
pretty rapidly, began to despair. The hOr-
rble thought Of being recaptured and car
red back to life worse than my past prison
life made me almost crazy, and we were so
nearly saved tool would have pulled atmy
oar till / died At last saw we would reach
the Catalpa ahead of the police boat but
feared she might be in time to attack US be-
fore we could get aboard. The mate was too
quick for them, though, for he had the tack
les down one side. We hooked them into
the rings of the whaler and were hauled up
Just as our pursuers came alongside. We got
out and tumbled down on the deck. You see
we had been cramped up in that small boat
thirty hours, rowing almost constantly, ana
with no chance to stretch ourselves. The boat
was so heavily loaded that the edge was only
a couple of inches above the water, and we
shifted good deal and got thoroughly soak
ed The captain Of the police demanded the
mate of the Ca,alpa to give us up IN the name
of the Queen Of course he did not do so,
and as the police boat was not able to do any,
thing more she pulled away. All this hap
pened on the 18th of April the day after we
escaped from the prison at Freemantle. About
4 o'clock the next morning the Georgette re-
turned We were sailing southeast, and as
she came down toward US she fired shot un-
der the stern of our ship. Our captain took
no notice of 1t except 10 run up the Stars and
Stripes When she got nearer, the Georgette
fired another shot across her bow. The Ca
talpa then turned toward the Georgette until
she came within hundred yards of US. The
captain of the Georgette then, in the name OF
the Queen aud Governor of the province, ask
ed Captain Anthony to give us up, because
we were convlcts. Captain Anthony shouted
back that he had no convicts as prisoners on
board 1--WE are all Americans, and free
men," said he, land if you FIRE on us you fire
on that flag pointing up to the stars and
stripes, "and l am here to see you do 1t II
you dare" The captain OF the Georgette then
asked permission to board the ship and search
for us, but Captain Anthony would not agree
to it, He had all the crew march upon the
poop deck to show that there were no con-
vlcts among them. The captain OF the
Georgette said he would give fifteen minutes
for consideration before he fired upon us. AT
the end of that time we had separated little,
and when he came up Captain Anthony con,
vinced him that we were on the high seas,
and he could not legally attack us; SO he
sailed away and we sailed for America. We
had pretty iair voyage, in spite of some very
rough weather We kept clear OF al ports,
giving wide berth to all British coasts that
we passed. The nearest we came to land was
about three hundred miles beyond Cape
Town. The captain wanted to verify his
thermometer, &c, and the coast being very
rocky there we thought 1t safe to just sight
land for that purpose And now here we are
at last IN America, and that's the "amen OF
il