The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-10-20
A FIsHERMAN's HARDsHIPS.
Twice Adrift on the Ocean Without
Food in Two Months.

J. 5. Brew, the fisherman who was lost
from the schooner Annie Nixon with
James West. and who arrived here Thurs
day morning from Victoria has had two
remarkable fights with death since Aug
ust 81 He gave the following account of
his experiences to a Post-Intelligencer re-
porter last evening:
AT $50 a. m, August 81. West and I,
without our breakfast, left the Nixon in
dory to set the trawl The fog was dense
and on our way back we probably missed
our calculations through the strong tide
setting into the northwest, which eVentu-
ally drifted us 10 the west point of Dundas
island. which was reached after three
DAYS. We had nothing to eat except strip
OF halibut four inches long, which had
dropped into the dory from one of the
hooks OF the trawl / never tasted any
thing so sweet in my life. We devoured
1T as voraciously as a hungry coyote would
have done All the water We had was A
quart bottle about half filled. I knew the
island by half tide rock which l had
seen when on the way in while at the
wheel of the Nixon. There were no people
there and We could find nothing TO eat but
mussels. which we scraped from the rocks
and we found very little water. We soon
started on toward Fort Simpson, and pass
al a small island which We identified ~
a surveyors mark. Arriving at simpson
on the evening OF the fourth day. We were
unable % walk from the beach TO the hotel
and had to he helped
We were given a few plums for the first
two hours 10 prepare US for more solid
food. which II was feared might hurt US.
The people treated rs kindly and especial
ly Mr. Clifford. superintendent OF the Hud-
son BAY Company's trading post, and Dan
iel Robinson. the hotel keeper our dory
was rugged out with a mast and sail and
money was subscribed to equip us with
provisions 20 proceed to Poacher Island,
where Mr.. Cunningham oil factory IS
located. We expected there 10 overtake
the Nixon. but she had sailed for Seattle
two days previously.
since arriving here ! have learned that
the crew and the captain disagreed about
our share OF the catch under which, &C
cordlnE to the Gloucester custom, lost
men. or rather their heirs, should share
equally with the others. This the men
objected 70. though Capt Jacobs. who IS
a finished fisherman and q first-ctaSs nav
igator. wanted US 70 get our shares, and
he also wanted 20 search more for us The
vessel. however was headed south ana
came n here without knowing anything
OF our whe-ea bouts and supposins Is
drowned
We lived ar the oil factory By fishing
until the Elsie came along and Capt bray
was anxious 10 take Us and our doFy with
him. We could do 10 better and went
along, but soon Capt. Bray and had
misunderstanding and left him He made
the complaint that he hadn't provisions
for Is, and this ! knew 10 be true. but
thought no should have considered this II
the start. 7 told him that sooner than take
his insults I would 20 ashore and die n
the woods I got OF on Stevens island
with nothing 20 eat and stayed there IT.
the rain. without any kind OF shelter. for
two days. i then launched two logs from
the beach ana tied them together with
the pieces OF an old salmon seine which
] found. and / dashed some pieces o.
boards on either side for oar!ocks and
made two paddIes with great difficulty
fTom some drift pieces Of ks flooring. cur
OUT with a sheath knife With this craft
] struck out for the oil factory and before
arriving my raft broke down snd left ne
aAeat Wita ore log 7 was afterwards
picked up ~ Frank Dandy and Snar!ss