News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1894-10-11
RACE WITH CUSTOMS OFFICERS.
sperience Of n Yankee skipper In Snug
Cling Cheroots In spain.

sPeriencc Of Yankee skipper In Snug
Cling Cheroots In spain.
You want something to write about,
10 your inquired Captain Bracoblock,
an old skipper, in reply to reporters
query. "Well, do you see that fiag?"
and he directed my attention to a rev.
enue flag flying from the stat of a boat
"Well, that reminds me of a. little cpl
sode in which l figured a great many
years ago.
"In the summer of 1885 l was one of
the crew of the ship Curlew, at that
time waiting in the port of Manila for
a cargo. Captain Darieus-'Old Barry,
we called him-was an energetic trad
en- then thought myself pretty smart.
While we were in Hopgkong the old
man had light cedar cutter made es-
pecially for the transportation of him.
self and wife and for quick communi-
cation with the shore i'll whatever port
the vessel might be. He took especial
pride in his racing gig, as he termed it,
and had a picked crew, with me as a
coxsWain.
Tho ship was moorcd nearly nine
miles from the town of Manila. Once,
sure, and sometimes twice a day, the
gig was manned and rowed over that
distance to the house Of Russell q Stur-
gis, who were our cOnsignees as well rs
the representatives minister and consul
of the United States in that port. Their
Office, which was a palatial affair, was
situated some distance up the 'canish'
(Anglice canal), and to get to it we had
to pass the fort at the entrance Of the
waterway leading up to the interior Of
the city. The old man had some two
dozen geese on board, and he made q
deal for them ashore taking cigars in
payment AS in all Spanish countries,
an import and export duty prevailed.
The task of taking the geese ashore and
bringing off the cigars without paying
duty fell, of course, upon me, and in
spite of the usual quacking characters.
tic of the bird got safely by the rev
enue officers, landed the fowl and load
ed the boat with cheroots. In the canal,
plying its length, was ten cared Gus
toms boat We had nearly gained an
exit to the harbor, when out from a shell
tering point dashed the guards and hail
ed us.
"In my excitement cried in Span.
ish, No entende, and at once the boat
started for u.s. Knowing the fate in
store for US if captured, said to tbs
boys: You see that boat. If she over.
takes us, it means a ball and chain fOl
at least two years in that fortress. Shall
we give them a chaser A loud Amer.
| lean cheer arose from the crew, and the
next dip Of the oars nearly lifted the
! boat cut Of the water. The guardbCat
started iItcr us, aid occasionally ma
rine would step i'll the bow and dis
| charge a musket at US. OF course we
did not dare to pull to the ship, as that
| would have established our identity, sc
we We're compelled to strike out to sea.
At the entrance of the harbor, Is mile!
from the city, is an island, and to that
closely pursued by the revenue boat, W.
pulled. After reaching the island i
was a game Ct hide and seek until dark
ness came Oh, and then we pat back TO.
our ship Our race had been witnesse
from our vessel, and when we arrived
the guardboat was not over quarter O
mile astern. The davit tackles wer;
all ready to hitch on, and boat and all
with %, 1000 cigars, we were run up
The boat was taken on deck, painted
black and swung to her proper position
only few minutes before the vesse
was boarded by a crowd Of customs off
GERS in search of white boat that ha,
given their barge such q race.
THE next day, whom | went ashore
Barry gave me a doubloon to trea
the boats crew Since that time l hav
never see a revenue flag CT any natiOl
but it recalls to my memory the inciden
have just related, and it makes m
laugh when | think of the laundering
marksman shooting at us, the pompou
officer in charge Of the boat demanding
orr surrender and the poor, tired
sweating oarsmen in their heavy uni
forms chasing the robust Yankees Of m
boats crew, who, with but slight exer
ton, could propel their light boa
through the water two feet to our puT
suers' one. Boston Herald