The San Francisco call., 1896-11-22
Starving Guano Poachers
Picked Up by Friends
at Sea.
Had Escaped in a Small Beat
When Their Junk Was
Seized.
Sighted by the Notorious Hongkong' s
Crew When Almost Dead From
Exhaustion.

SAN DIEGO, CAL, Nov. 21.-The junk
Hongkong. which was chased by the
steamer Pacheco at Santa Rosalia Bay
early this month, arrived in port this
morning with cargo OF guano. 1t was to
stop the poaching of guano that the
Pacheco pursued the small schooners and
lunks from this port, and she captured
two-the schooner Ellen and the junk
Peking. Captain Jensen and two sailors
OF the Ellen are now in Jail at Ensenada.
Captain MoodIin, "Stuttering Fritz"
Grieber and Larry Nelson OF the Peking
got ashore and escaped from the Pacheco.
They were picked up by the Hongkong
at sea south of Cedros Island, after suffer
ing from starvation, and after returning
to Elida Island to load guano they re-
turned, reaching San Diego to-day.
at was a pretty exciting experience" +"
said Captain Moodlin. "Stuttering Fritz"
nodded his head. "The Pacheco bore
down upon us before we knew it" contin-
ued the skipper, "and we thought We were
goners, sure. We pitched few eatabies
into the small boat. grabbed cask OF
water partly filled, got the iunk's papers
and tumbled into the boat. Fritz and
might and got there just as the Pacheco
was getting her hooks onto the Peking.
We made the boat fast to the rock and
jumped ashore and hid in the brush, fear
ing pursuit by the guards on the Pacheco.
Pretty soon We saw the steamer leaving
with the Ellen and Peking in tow and
then we breatEed easier, but new situa-
tion was before US ana very dangerous
one. We came near to horrible death.
AS soon as we felt safe from the steamer
we figured up what we had, and found we
had secured only two gallons of water,
two or three cans of tomatoes and few
cans of corned beef. 1t was pretty slim
and there We were on desert island with
sure death within a we6k unless We got
away. Our first care was the boat. We
hurried down to the beach and our hearts
sank as We saw it adrift and going seaward.
We tramped over the barren waste for
twelve miles, following the boat. Finally
it got pretty close to the shore, and we
swan out and got it.
1--WE started out right away for Cedros
Island, sixty miles to the north. Before
the next morning we saw it was a hopeless
job and began to think OF starvation and
its horrors. Our cask of water was almost
empty ald We were thirsty from the con-
slant work. We did not dare eat much
corned beef. as the salt would make us
crave for water still more. The only thing
that would pull US through was the toma-
toes, and an excellent thirst-quencher it
was. We agreed TO lake one teaspoonfuI
an hour apiece, and SO, getting down to
starvation rations, we started in on the
second days pull toward Cedros, which
was out of sight under the horizon. We
pulled faithfully almost ali that day, not
daring 10 talk much about our condition.
Each man, l suppose, had his own scheme
OF salvation, to be used when the despera-
tion of hunger pushed him to throw aside
all restraint.
1T was then that we saw a sail-the
ugly webbed mainsail of the Hongkong.
II was the most beautiful picture ! ever
saw. bearing down toward us on a heavy
breeze. With our coats and the oars we
made signal which we waved and hui-
tered with desperate energy. The course
of the Hongkong took her quite close and
her skipper saw us and bore down upon
US. He took US on board, where we aim ost
fell upon the deck from exhaustion. The
Hongkong ran down to Elida Island, and
We helped the crew load and hurriedly
put off so as hot to be caught mapping by
the Pacheco. We got away on the 10th,
and THANKED our stars when we were again
on the high seas and free to run up to San
Diego"
'B-b-b-bu bu-bet your life dat's right.
too, !" said Suffering Fritz.