The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1894-06-04
SCHOONER KUSSlL0FF.
QUEER CRAFT BoUND TO GUAM
on SOMEWHERE.
Brief History of the VesscI-Her Crew
and Cargo-What the Authorities
of san Francisco say.

The American schooner KussilofT.
Captain Vehling, arrived off port Satnr.
afternoon and dropped anchor near the
one rife with interest IL for no more
than the boats diminutiveness, the pas.
sengers aboard of her and its mysterious
mission to this part of the world. Cap
home on the waves than elsewhere, and
this is not the first time he has sounded
in Hawaiian waters Indeed, from San
Francisco he started straight for the
new Republic, reaching here in twenty
nine days and lowered his sails and
came to anchor without instruction
from anybody.
The Kussiloff is Il fifteen ton schooner,
and looks not unlike the picture sug
gested of a rugged out whaleboat The
vessel was formerly small steamer,
and was used as a tender among the
fishing craft in Alaskan waters. When
one day in little gale, and Vehling
bought the wreck for mere pittance,
as it was deemed valueless. Vehling
however trimmed her up, threw out the
old machinery and made a schooner of
her. Shortly after he departed from
Alaska, and in few months turned up
at San Francisco in his prize.
To San Francisians he stated that he
had hired man in Alaska to sail South
with him, but in the night the boat,
with the Captain, was blown out to sea
and he, thenceforward, made the long
journey alone. He was without nauti-
cal appliances, save the face of an old
clock. which he used as compass and
sextant but finally reached the Golden
Gate. The start from the dock at San
Francisco was made on May 9th, with
Guam in the Ladrones as the osten-
sible destination.
The Kusiloff s company consists Of
Captain Vehling, his wife, four children,
aud one sailor. The hold of the craft
quantity of supplies, which, from their
appearance, smell of a trading cruise
more than a voyage to set destination.
A couple of spars and several tins of
paint aboard would also seem to indie
ate something out of the ordinary in
this voyage of the Kusiloff.
Guam? Captain Vehling left San
Francisco with his family in a small
fishing smack to make voyage of
more than 5000 miles to Guam, an in
significant and unfateresting little Island
on the Asiatic side of the Pacific ocean!
The proposition is a peculiar one not to
say amusing, and altogether preposter-
Gus.
Guam is no longer the supply station
of the active whaling era. From the
days when Guam appeared upon every
old whaler's log book, the name has
sunk into desuetude, and is now alone
associated with mythical yarns and ira
ditional legends of the sailors store
Nowadays when II vessel clears fol
Guam, the boys along the wharf warn
the crew to keep an eye on the author
tiles at Bataritari and Jaluit. for
nothing visits old Guam anymore. II
would be little short of miracle il
Captain Vehling ever reached his pur-
ported destination, were his intentions
that way, in his slender craft. The bot
tom of the briny is too near fabrics
of that ilk for even the brave heart OF
Captain Vehling to risk; and when the
Kussiloff leaves this port, its bow will
not point toward the Ladrones, but
rather, the little vessel will plough
the wake of the Tolna, hard after Count
Festetics.
A late issue of San Francisco paper
has this to say of the Kussiloff: Count
Festitics de Tolna is to have a rival il
the trade of the South seas, if the story
of the object of the cruise of the Kussi
loft, as told by her captain F. Vehling
is true. The schooner sailed to-day. Be
fore sailing Captain Vehling said thai
he was bound on cruise among tn,
islands of the Pacific, and when he sale
it seafaring men laughed as they looked
at his vessel. The Customs Officials
look upon the cruise of the Kussilof
with suspicion. They think that thu
queer vessel may be after that half tor
or SO of opium which is expected t.
drop somewhere on the coast from
British Columbia"