The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1883-08-01
A Cruise,

! -'s' "eAo O"uou LOT Iu2ct
sound, Washington Territory; the
brig vas laying of the whsrves Of
"Frisco," looking as rakish as 70.
yer of the sea.
"Frisco" rose above us in pyrami.
DIAL steps, and far to the north and
south extended the blue waters OF
the bay.
Being morning 1t wasn't time for
the usual sea wind; tie water laid az
still and motionless as a mirror and
reflected as far as eye could see the
thousand and one buildings Of the
city; every rope about the shipping
could be distinctly traced in their in
verified image, and as the ripple lazi
" dashed against the d ferent bulls
the reflected pictures below waved to
aud fro in unison with the CLASSY
surface above.
We were waiting for the skipper.
the pilot and some passengers; all
hands, however, were ahoar, and tho
mates had them busy laying every.
thing ready and in order for depar
ture. l noticed that we carried an
unusual large crew for the size of the
vessel, and that the briggs load was
light, hardly bringing her down
deeper than in ballast. But as she
was chartered for the round trip Will,
a return cargo of lumber, supposed
it was saving to the owners to have
a crew strong enough to load her.-I
After awhile the briggs yawl came
alongside with the parties expected,
and saw I would have for fellow.
passengers a fine old gentleman &C.
companied by two ladies, one elderly
and the other young, whom judged
to be bis wife and daughter. Every
one being aboard. the pilot took his
place at the wheel aad the anchor
was beaved. A light breeze was just
springiug from ever the bay and
with all our sails set we soon skim.
med around the point making for the
golden gates; as We passed between
the towering rocks of the gates Of
the Ell Dorado, frowned down bv the
guns OF the Presidio, the long swell
Of the Pacific struck US forward and
our jannty brig raising her head
clean out of the water, bowed herself
out Of the bay. We were soon far
away from the frowning coast, and
with the Farralones to the larboard,
we headed due North.
Ali hands soon scraped An acquain-
lance, and found out that the old I
gent eman was a we'll TODD farmer of
Washington Territory returning to
''Frisco;;" his wife, like all! well-de
veloped matrons, was full Of eyes,
ears and tongue, and the maiden, a
coy jewel of faultless mould and fea.
lures, was as artless as the untutored
nature which had seen her grow to
budding womanhood; the skipper
Tas a broad. faced joviaf Yank with a
'ountenaoce as rosy and rubicund as
! full-fedged Britisher; the mates
we're of the usual stamp and the crew
he best picked set Of looking cut
broats as ever set sail or scuttled
hip.
We kept bounding on toward onr
destination, the little craft appearing
8 anxious to get there as We did, &
after a couple of days I began to ,
ook around and betweenafew glass |
8 Of grog In an after-dinner talk the Il
kipper informed me confidently that {
g intended stopping at some point i
u Vancouver's Island, where be was Z
expected to take aboard a cargo OF :
quors, which he would smuggle on :
he continent. We we're, therefore, /
II smuggler, aud no chance to get ii
ut of it either. There was sport in e
ne thing and no risk, provided Mr..
'ncle Same meddlesome lugger at 9
ort Townsend didn't put in au ap- a
earance and whisper something in IL