Evening journal., 1896-08-04
MILLIONS OF SEALS.
OR SOTHE SAILORS THOUGHT WHEN
THEY SAW THE SCHOOL.
A Story About Josiah Dowse's Good For
tune Which Reads Like an "Arabian
Nights" Tale-A Fortune In the Chart tho
old Navigator Left His Benefaotor.


Nights" Tale-A Fortune In the Chart tho
Old Navigator Left His Benefaotor.
Josiah Dowse was a Rhode Islander and |
had a farm mt Point Judith in 1919 a |
bleak, sterile region, where the people have |
to anchor their wood piles and the girls are
baldheaded ut 30 because the wind blows |
all their hair off. He had been u sailor in |
his youth.
He was in Providence one day and pass
ing the dock saw a man, evidently an old
sailor sitting ON his chest. Dowse spoke
to him and learned that he had just come
of West Indian voyage and had been
sick and was very feeble and wanted TO
get into the country and recruit his
strength. He added that nc could mako
itworth a mans while to help him a bit"
His name WAS Redman, and he became
a useful servant but his health declined
daily, and one day he called Dowse TO him
and said: "Cap'n, my time is nigh up,
and for your kindness to mo l will give
you a chance to get rich Nine years ago l
was on a sealer from st. Johns called the
Seaweed. Captain Tibbs was master, and
We was bound for the South Shetlands,
and on tho 10th of May was pitchin oil
Cape Horn. Captain Tibbs was afraid OF
nawthin, and whom he found the way
clear he Jess kept crackin on south, and
when he took his reck min we was far
ther south than any sealer had ever been
before. BY night he was TO the lee of an is
Land, cause we heard the surf beat on tho
beach, and next mornin when the sun
rose saw sight that made all hands jump
Making for the gravelly beach was not less
than 10. 600 fur seal some as big as wal
rus. Wen, iherewas 10 Of us, and we went
quietly to work TO drive the seals. They
had never been near white man before
and were tame ~ chickens. We killed In
daytime and skinned ALI night 1T was
KILN work. and by the time we had
16, 600 skins n the hold of our 90 ton
hooker all hands were used up, but we
were on the road to fortune Sure, them
skins was wuth 900 apiece in China, SO
we left the island Aug. 10, 1910.
1--WE took the longest route sailin east,
so as TO strike the cape OF Good Hope, for
our provisions would last no longer, and In
1873 days were In Canton river. Our cargo
must have brought $780, 600, and as we
was on the lay / got $4,000 Well, of
course, / made a fool of myself was drunk
for a month, and finally some OF the crew
took me aboard in that condition, and l
awoke to find myself Off soundin's. Sec
ond day out we was caught in n typhoon.
| l was in my bunk, and when i got on
deck the mast was gone and all but fivo of
my lnessInates had been washed over
/ board The Seaweed was wallopin about
/ like a mad bull All at once she struck,
and when / got my breath was layin
ashore among lot OF wreckage. and all
bruised up, and there / was when day
broke. / never saw a splinter of the sloor
/ 8 IA ir
| black was washed up ON the beach that
knew was the captains chart case, and
| this I picked up / was In luck, for three
hours afterward Chinese junk cam,
along and took me aboard, and l got tC
Shanghai Now, cap'n, thar's tho char
case IN my chest, and the island Is marked
plain as a hole in a grummet, and yoI
can try your luck. ["
Dowse examined the chart 1t was cor
roborative Of the old mans story. He grow
excited His wife had $4,000, and he
brother was well to do and would be a part
ner. "HuIrah. for the south seas"
A week after Redman passed away, an
| inside Of month the North Star, 10
| ton schooner, with Do,sse and a hard
crew Of IS men, was beating out of Nara
gnnsctt On tho 9th OF April. 1929, the
sighted Cape Horn, and 50 far had met bu
little ice. Everything depended on this i
some seasons 200 miles OF ice might lie be
tween them and their promised land Tn
chart was consulted hourly, and a mai
lashed on the forotopmast day and night
About middle watch ono OF the crew calle'
down the cabin hatch: Captain Dowse
thar's seal about / can hear them We'r
near land. Sure enough, the hoarse grow
of a bull was distinctly heard Sail wa
l r,.l,.,
until daylight, when the cry went M
Good Lord Thar they are, 900, 900 o.
'om."
This was Redman's g island--a wide boac
with an upland OF rocks. But the seals
For mile they lay ten deep The golde
sands OF India were no comparison IN
men were all experienced in the businci
and went to work so as to bring out Oh
best results, and by the middle Of Jul
$4,000 seal skins were barrclcd on deck {
in the hold, leaving scarce room for wats
aud provisions The Pacific route wa
taken, and In 105 days thoy reached tf
coast of China and HOngkong. Their ca
go brought over S400, 900, rs the mark
was bare OF skins OF this over $780, OC
went to the captain and schooner.
1t was too late 10 make another tri
back 80 the North Star sailed for Sydne.
and in the spring tried her luck again.
proved another open season They mac
full cargo sailed for HonRkong an
disposed of their furs on satisfactory term
got English exchange 10 per cent prem
um, for their money, and, finding pu
chaser for the North star, took passage O
! an English ship for London, thence hom
, having been gone two years and six month
Josiah WIS now worth 100000, apd
, went TO Canada TO engage IA the timb
/ trade was very successful and left a larl
fortune to his son Hugh. In 1924 not le
than eight boats left Newport for q
southern El Dorado, but for years aft
/ the ice pack was solid for 25O miles nor
a OF Dowse's island. Some Of tho boats nc
q er came back and all lost their time IN
. money Not from that day TO this has m
|. one ever reached the new seal ground
Philadelphia Times.