Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1893-07-08
CAPTURED By CONVICTS.

sTeOG +sELyaE f1A E44l-s a. c14Ar4 AA4E
Little Queen She vas a trim, neat
craft just ont from England. and vas
COMMANDED b. one d the oldest
mariners / ever say in active service
His name was R0thsaT. an English
man. and Re vas hale and hearty a.
IL years Of age Il may be recorded
a. a curious thing that he was the
only Englishraan On board an English
craft Both mates. cook and al
foremast hands we're Americans. and
three Of the men were Cape COiders-
The explanation was that we had
been wrecked IN q sugar vessel in the
Caribbean sea and picked up and
carried % Jamaica b. a British
steamer There we're nine Of Us al
told as the brig Left the island
Georgetown. a. you viii see by the
map. j. on the north coast Of Brazil,
in the state or province OF Guiana.
strip Of territory so miles long By
500 broad. Is divided up among the
British. Dutch and French, and the
two latter hare established penal col
onies there, We reached George
torn in due time and discharged a
part Of our cargo. and Just a. We
were ready 70 sail we were notified
that zen cOnyicts from the French
penal settlement 81 Cayenne had got
away to sca il the yawl Of z French
merchantmen. Little attention was
paid to this notice. as such escapes
were by no means rare. and when we
began our run down the coast the in
cident PASSED ont Of our minds
One Dag az noon. when we we're 70
the south 81 Cayenne and about forty
miles Of the coast. man aloft dis
covered a ship's boat about forty miles
Away and heading dogn across our
course As she was standing IL from
seward or first impression was that
she carried a zhipwrecked crew. A
soon a. ! levelsd the glass Al her !
detected the clothing Of French con
yicts and counted an even ten men
The craft was under sail but the
breeze was light and the sea smooth
She Nss On our port quarter ard If
we held On she would intercept Us
A. sOOa a. The captain was notified
Of the discovery he ordered the brig
Kept OF four Or five points. and then
called the crew at. and notified them
that II The conTicts got aboard they
would not hesitate a. murder. Hall
dozen m1sket5 would have given u
q powerful advantage, but there va.
not even . siDgls-bzrrel led pistol ia
the brig. II i came - a fight we
could only artl ourselves with cap
sta bars and osl2ying pins. We had
how however. Of getting Of with.
out coming y close quarters. Wh.Ie
tie wind vas light We had all sail Of
the brig. ana there was no question
but that ge could Outsail the yawl.
A. soon a. Ne shifted our helm thr
yawl raised signal Of distress anc
the cOngicts shouted again. We paiC
no attention. Of course, and sh,
swung into our wake about quarter
Of mile astern. They must have
realized that we had established theil
identity, for half a dozen Of then
sprang up and shook their fists at ii
and roarcd like wild beasts. | got +;
plain view Of the visages Of three D.
four Of the lot. and more villainou
countenances | never saw. We wer
rapidly leaving them behind and con
graduating ourselves on the fac
when the breeze began to pun an
die, and in the course ola quarter 0
an hour II fell fat When this oc
CURED we heard faint cheer from
the conylcts, and they shortly douse
their sail and put over two pairs o
oars.
"It seems that we have got 10 fgh
for it alter all, . observed the captain
after look through the glass M
Ileu0x, you will arm the crew an
hold them UP to their work. III
boat can only board Us at the bow.
see that the cook has supply OF no
water ready Give every man {
understand that he must fight for hi
life"
A quarter Of an hour later the yav
lay of our port quarter within speak
ing distance. Every man Of the te
looked the villain. Only desperat
men could have attacked and oyei
powered the guard and ESCAPED 3
theS did. There was neither youn
man nor an old face among them, BIZ
all were middle-aged men. Som
wore in full convict uniform, Will
others had thrown away their Jacket
Their leader was a short, stout mar
SO dark complexioned that he SCENE
to be a Spaniard, and as the boz
drew near he stood up in the ster
sheets and called out:
''Hello captain! Why you run ava
from poor shipwrecked sailormer
Our ship 90 down OFF here (to I'll
east) yesterday afternoon"
u know you!" shouted Captai
Rothsay, in reply. "You are escape
convicts from Cayenne. If you a
tempt to board us you will find /
well preparedr
They could not know how we'll {
how poorly armed we were, and y
were nine to their ten
Eyes captain, you speak truly
said the leader. after brief consu
tation with his men. 1--WE are COZ
Vets from Cayenne; but we are inn