Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1894-10-19
RACE WITH CUSTOMS OFFICERS.
Experience of Yankee Skipper In Snug
CLING Cheroots In Spain.

Experience OF Yankee Skipper In SNUG
CLING Cheroots In Spain.
You want something to write about,
do you?" inquired Captain Braceblock,
an old skipper, in reply to reporters
query. "Well, do you see that fag?"
and he directed my attention to rev.
enue flag flying from the staff of boat.
"Well, that reminds me Of little cpl
sodo in which l figured great many
years ago.
I'm the summer Of 1885 was one Of
the crew Of the ship Curlew, at that
time waiting in the port Of Manila for
a cargo. Captain Darieus-'Old Barny,
we called him-was an energetic trad
er. then thought myself pretty smart
While we were in Hongkong 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 in 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 moored 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 & Stur-
gis, who were our consignees as well as
the representatives, minister and consul
of the United States in that port. Their
Office, which was palatial affair, was
situated some distance up the canish
(Anglice canaD, 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 a
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 shell
tering point dashed the guards and hail
ed US.
I'm my excitement l cried in Span
ish, No entende, and at once the boat
started for us Knowing the fate in
store for us if captured, l said to the
boys: You see that boat. If she over
takes us, it means a ball and chain for
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 out of the water. The guardboat
started after us, and occasionally ma
rine would step in 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, so
we were compelled to strike out to sea-
At the entrance Of the harbor, IS miles
from the city, is all island, and to that,
closely pursued by the revenue boat, we
pulled. After reaching the island it
was a game of hide and seek until dark
ness came on, and then we put back for
our ship. Our race had been witnessed
from our vessel, and when we arrived
the guardboat was not over aquarter OF
a mile astern. The davit tackles were
all ready to hitch on, and boat and all,
with 20, 900 cigars, we were run up.
The boat was taken on deck, painted
black and swung to her proper position
only few minutes before the vessel
was boarded by a crowd Of customs Off
GERS in search of a white boat that had
given their barge such race.
1.-The next day, when went ashore,
Barny gave me a doubloon to treat
the boats crew. Since that time have
never see a revenue flag Of any nation
but it recalls to my memory the incident
| have just related. and it makes me
laugh when l think of the laundering
marksman shooting at MS, the pompous
officer in charge of the boat demanding
onr surrender and the poor, tired,
sweating oarsmen in their heavy uni
forms chasing the robust Yankees Of my
boats crew, who, with but slight exer-
ton, could propel their light boat
through the water two feet to our pur-
suers' one. boston Herald.