The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-07-31
THE MUTINEERS' ESCAPE.
A Tragic Memory Of The Great
Pacific.
The Terrible Discovery Which Was Made
upon Boarding an Abandoned
Bark
written fer THE MORNING CALL

In the year 18- had command OF clip
per Dark named the Albert. We were
bound from San Francisco to Honolulu
with general cargo. We had aceommoda-
tlons LOT Blk Passengers, but had only
shlpped Two. one being an old yellow-faced
sugar-pianter named Wilder, the biggest
grumbier that ever stepped on board yes
sci, surly, long-faced swab with gaunt
cheekoones standing up under his eyes. and
the eyes themselves sunk so deep that il
was wonderful he was able to see ANYTHING
with them except the offsets that stood
plump IN front Of him. He had found
cheap perth In our ship; cheap. that is, in
comparison with the cost of a passage to
Honolulu In one of the o. S. s. liners. Yet
he expected as much as if our bark had
been steamer. full OF cocks and bakers and
stewards aud aswarm with livestock. The
other passenger was young man named
Ehlersoh-a pleasant fellow, full of anus
ing stories, willing to lend a hand any,
where, ana 10 make the best of whatever
happened MI. Emerson had been at sea
sl"I' Tune ana then Knocked off and tried
bis mana at something ashore, which falling
nc succeeded IN obtaining some position
~ hohOIuIu-what il was | cannot remem-
per, nor docs 1t matter, An uncle of his
had commanded Gue clipper and had
been lost IN her. He also told me that his
father was captain of a vessel named the
annie Joanson; bark of 900 tons, he said
she was, hailing from some American port.
ana AT that time making the passage TO
HonOluil, she having left San Francisco
Two weeks or so before the Albert sailed.
LINUS, 10 an extent, his sympathies were
win the sea, and this helped me and my
oliiceIs, L nave no doubt. to find him the
jolly good fellow we thought him.
Ihsr6 was no fault to he found with my
little vessel. l had had charge of ships be-
lore, put this was my first experience of
the ALBERT She had more beam than many
sailor would dream of assoeating with
the WORD clipper, yet the stability that her
breadth between bulwarks gave her fur
nlshed her with heels that a simmer ship
could only have rLvaled under certain con-
dltons oil weather. l have been carrying
main royal when on bowline and passed
vessels half as big again, bowed down to
their covering boards by main topgallant-
san ana singie-reefed IOpsail. We had the
old-lashloned channels. but though she was
pretty deep, It was rare for the Albert to
dFag mem. he crew were fine body of
men, Ihey aid their work with the aver
age smartness you get out of merchant sea-
men VINO have never been taught to skip.
Ana 50 we sailed along until We had COW
cred two-thirds of the distance to Homo
lulu, aud arrived at that part of the ocean
where the extraordinary circums lance | am
about TO relate happened.
There had been a fresh breeze blowing
all night, Out 1t failed before daylight and
when the sun rose there was scarcely
enough OF 1t TO keep the light sails full 1t
was brilliant, splendid morning the sun
coming up into cloudless sky, and the sea
drew 10 the ship out from the southwark in
soft heaving, with nothing but flashing
glory over the stern, and the horizon run
ming out OF IL into the westward in a circle
that was like crystal against the blue there
watch IN hap I
on deck. There was a fellow going
aIoit forward on some job the mate
had set him TO. l took look around, but
saw nothing Presently the man who was
up in the ioret0pmast crOss-rees, or higher,
hailed the deck and reported a white object
IN sight. two or three points on the lee b W.
l crossed the deck to have look, and see
Ing nothing fetched the glass and leyeIed
it IN the direction the man had indicated.
Nothing appearing in the lens | handed the
telescope 10 the mate and asked him to
mount Few ratlines and see if he could
make out what the object was. / watched
him working his way. and pointing the
glass as he went, to half the height of the
lower shrouds. when he suddenly stopped,
that the object was q ships boat appar
emily, but whether with occupants or not
he could not tell. told the man at the
wheel 10 keep the ship away, and Mr. En-
erson then coming on deck joined him in
walk, aud this went on TIL breakfast
lItuc, ~ WHICH HOur TINS BOAT. II IL was
boat, was sheer on the horizon. inst
visible from the deck. The man who had
sighted her must have had wonderful
eyes, but no doubt it was the boats sail
shining in the sun that had caught his sight
yet when | looked at her through the glass
before going below In breakfast. the sail
had been lowered. whereupon | gathered
that there must be living beings In her. and
L presumed, OF course, by her dropping her
sail that she meant 10 wait for US TO pick her
up.
When | came on deck found that the
boat was almost right over the bows. I
looked at the compass and observed that
the bark had been brought very nearly to
her course again.
Il don't quite make out that boats man.
coverings, said the second mate to me
i've been watching her when you were be-
low, SIR, and the whole while the people in
her have been rowing with a steady stroke
dead to wind ard"
picked up the glass and found II to be az
the second mate had said The boat in the
lens was clear enough. and the regular
flashing and fading of sparks of light against
her side showed the movement of oars, /