The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-10-24


Hon. Augustus Pollack has received
a very interesting letter from Lieut..
William Braunersreuther, U. S. N, late
military attache at tho Linsly Institute,
this city, now detailed on sea duty on
the United States steamer Ihetis, at
Poquina Bay, Lower California, which
will be Of interest to the lieutenant's
many Wheeling friends. The ISrELLt.
oEycER belcT reproducos extracts from
the letter:
U. S. s. THETIs,
PEQUISA BAY, l.. CAL,
Oct. /, 1893. }
Ny DEAR Mn. PoLLACE:-Since my
last letter to you many things have
taken place. l suppose, with your in
auiring mind, you have begun to won
der where the name Of our vessel came
from, and 10 crafty that curiosity, III
try and give you the idea. The vessel
was built in Dundee, Scotland, to follow
the calling Of a whaler in February, 'S4;
she was purchased by our government
as one Of the Greedy relief vessels for
cps 900; she sailed in May for the Arc.
tic waters, and returned, think, in
July, with the Greedy survivors. The
expedition was in command Of Captain
". S. SChlsy, Of later Baltimore fame in
Chile, Che lieutenant then proceeds
to explain the NEUROLOGICAL extraction
Of the name OF his vessel.
| suppose the next point OF interest
is something relating to my work here.
Since our arrival last Monday | have
tramped seventy-seven miles with
boats crew Of seven men-quite good
weeks work. Lower California is al
most a rainless region, lakes are dry
and natural springs are few and far be-
tween; the water OF the latte. is unfit
for drinking, the very springs being in
tested with leechea. There is scarcely
any vegetation aside from a thorny
cactus, used as stuffing for mattresses.
The soil is all candy and is powerful
radiant Of the hot sun. All our faces
are more or less burnt and sore, some
OF tho officers presenting broiled APP
pearance. The suffering from sun burn
is intense; | have FORTUNATELY Il rather
tough skin and am perhaps less sore
than any OF the others. Our party is
equipped about rs ioitows: The writer
wears q straw hat with wide rim,
white and black satin shirt, shooting
coat, a pair Of hard ribbed trousers, n
pair of leggings and heavy boots, carry
ing pair OF powerful field glasses, a
hayersack and CHnieen of fresh water,
n donble barrel ten gauge shot gun.
My recorder carries canteen, theo-
dolite. books and barometer. The
crew have long poles for signals,
flags, a set OF night signals,
Ratchet and nails. Our surf boats are
Of the very best, and It's well, as We
have to land in fearful surf at times.
Only seamen are allowed in this boat,
and their number is confined to men
who are known to be expert swimmers.
We take provisions fora week, and work
along the coast, tho ship gradually
working up the photographic part on
the signals we establish, so it keeps
moving right along to lay ont work for
the ship. When strike lagoon, as l
did Tuesday last, If the water happens
to be too shallow for the steam launch
to work, l have to sound 1t with my
surf boat and sketch in the sides as VIC
20 along. In this found two-hut set
Element Of four fishermen Sengaged in
preparing green turtle meat Tor the Ma
zatlan market, on the east coast OF the
peninsula. wondered at seeing this,
but in a country like this strange
things may be seen. Tho waters are
fairly alive with good edible fish and
plenty OF sharks.
On Tuesday We shot deer, and all
the sea birds one can eat can easily
be shot. Coyotes and iack-rabbits are
seen in goodiy numbers. The latter are
good to eat, but, like their brothers in
Minnesota, they travel like the wind
when once under way. Mathematics,
TOO, are frequently met with; lizards
are MS thick as feas on dogs back.
don't want to tell you n fish story, but
I'll state as an actual fact that in fifteen
minutes, il you can work your arms
inst enough, yon can get a whole bar
rel OF them, all sizes. from the perch
which is about eightinches long to the
the sheephead rock bass, founders and
and snappers, in short, all kinds to the
shark eight and ten feet long. We
catch shark only for bait and fun. When
a large one is hooked we get up our
boat anchor and then let him tow Us all
around until tired out, when We haul
him in and cut him up.
Sunday is day of rest, and much
needed one, too. / can assure you that
We devote 1t to our friends at home,
writing letters. Our mail is brought
down to us by Pacific mail steamers
from San Diego once month. We
meet this steamer at SEQ and get our
mail from her, agreeing to meet her at
d certain latitude and longitude at a
fixed time We also send our mail
thus; this letter goes on board the
steamer next Saturday; is carried by
her to Mazatlan, Mexico, and given to
the agent there; he in turn then trans.
iers it to the north-bound steamer, so
that it reaches San Diego about the 18th,
and Wheeling about the 2lst, if on
time.
have just been informed that l am
to land forty miles north OF hero with
fourteen men at o'clock in the morn
ing, with provisions for four days, to
work up thirty-hye miles OF coast line,
hence will have to cut my letter short
and get to bed early.
WtItTAM RpArSrpsp RITTTtER