The Press., 1891-04-30


 NEXWM lone island of Guada-
 WM E mpe. Guadalupe is
 f/M one of the twelve or
 f.S twenty names which for centuries the Spaniards have been applying to the various geographical divisions of the earth's surface.
 Whitney talked of the plentifulness of sea elephant on the Guadalupe beaches; I presume the sea elephant is identical with the sea lion. They resemble lion about as much as an elephant. So the prow of the Henry was turned toward Guadalupe. While on this trip, one morning before daylight 1 heard at in- tervals strange noise, something be- tween below and creak. thought it at first the creaHng of something aloft, but as it grew lighter I saw a strange looking head emerge moment arily from the water. It gave forth the same cry, dove and came up on the other side of the vessel. It was a seal pup, which the sailors said had lost its mother and followed the vessel, mistak- ing the hull for it's maternal parent.
 I presume that seals have no recog- nized fathers to look after them. The poor thing, uttering it's plaintive but dis cordant cry, must have followed us to sea forty or fifty miles. 1 know not whether the sailors explanation of it's conduct be correct. Anyway it makes the occurrence more pathetic, and were I utterly unprincipled I should make an entire chapter describing how this pup seal followed the Henry during the voy- age like a dog, being regularly fed, and as it grew up came on board and was taught number of accomplishments, among the rest that of supplying us with fish. 'Tis thus that a rigid adherence to veracity spells many an interesting and thrilling tale, and brings to him who practices it more poverty than pence.
 Guadalupe on the third day came in sight-a lone, wave washed, wind swept isle about forty miles in length. It seemed the very embodiment of loneli- ness. Some would also say of desola- ton. as man is ever disposed to call any place he does not inhabrt. But though Guadalupe contained not a single repre- sentative of the most intelligent animal on the planet, it sustained great herds of goats, sea birds and little black and white land bird, so tame and trustful as to perch and eat from Milfer's and Whit ney's tin plates during their former visit to the island.
 1t was our business to murder all the mother sea lions who had established their nurseries at Guadalupe. A boat full of nurderers was quickly sent on shore. We did not see boat or crew again for three days. Most of that pe- riod was spent by us in looking for the boat, and by the boats crew in looking at us. They landed on the first day, found no seal, put off at dusk, lost us in a fog, went ashore, swore at the Hen rvs people for not sighting them, hauled their boat well up on the beach at the mouth of deep canyon, supped on hard bread and water, and turning their craft bottom up, crawled under it for bed quilt and went to sleep on the sand.
 During the night semi-hurricane, called in those attitudes ''willa wah," came tearing and bowling. down the canyon. Striking the boat, it rolled it over and over among the rocks, smashed the frail sides and rendered it unsea- worthy. For two days the crew roamed up and down the island, living on she'll fish and the fresh water left standing in pools, and trying to signal us by fires built on the mountains. The captain was in state of great perplexity at this disappearance. But, having left a por- tion of the crew at St. Bartholomew's bay, he had not hands enough to send another boat ashore and work the ves- sel. Then he dare not come nearer the island than three miles, fearing sunken rocks and currents setting inshore.
 On the third night one of their fires was seen from the Henry. Standing in for it, by daylight the missing men were seen making for us in an old yawl. Be- hind, full of water, was lowed the shat tered whale boat. The yawl had been found on the beach, probably left there by former sealers. By stufing all the clothes they could spare in it's sun warped cracks and constant bailing they managed to keep afoat long enough to reach us.
 They crawled on board-a pale, hag- gard, famished lot-and was kept very busy for time ministering to their wants. They ate steadily for an hour. Even with this rescue greater catas- trophe than all came near happening. Becalmed and by means of treacherous current we were being rapidly carried toward an enormous rock which tow cred sentinellike alone mile or more from the north end of the island. It reached full 500 feet toward the clouds. It's perpendicular sides seemed built up in artificial layers. Toward this the Henry seemed helplessly drifting, and the ''O1d Man, under the influence of combined anger and despair, jumped up and down in his tracks and howled on the quarter deck as he saw the voyage approaching such an unfortunate ter1ni- nation. Fortunately providential or accidental breeze came off the land just in time to give us steerage way.
 We trifed no more with Guadalupe, but sailed straight away.
 PRENTICE MULFORD.