The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1896-07-02
GOLD BUT NO FOOD.
Experience OF an Amateur Firatc on the
Chinese Coast.


Experience OF an Amateur firatc on the
Chinese Coast.
1t has surely fallen to the lot OF few
men 10 come near starving 10 death in
a land of plenty, with over $500 in gold
in their pOcket-nay. by reason OF that
Very fact. l had shipped at Rangoon
/ on board q steamer bound fer Shang
hal says a writer in the London Stand
ard. When i signed she was flying Jar
dimes flag at the main but believe she
carried the ensign of every nation and
half of the house flags OF the world in
her signal locker. An opium smuggler
| was prepared to find her but that her
chief business on the waters was piracy
OF the yilest sort and unredeemed by
CLINT of romance came upon me Ger
tainly as a revelation. We attacked no
ships as far as l know, but, handled
with marvellous skill and knowledge OF
the intricate coast navigation, she
would run in after nightfall among the
rocks and banks where one would eX-
pect sanlpaii to take the bottom,
while shrieks, fames, the report of fire
the descent OF my delectable shipmates
upon one o. another Of the numerous
fishing Villages which fringe the
shores of the China seas. After four
months GuTa=s | struck a blow for
liberty. My lI,ie hoard of mOrphia-
jealousy guarded toward this eventual
lty-deepened the narcOtism in which
lp r..
CHASTITY de.i@.ucil as we rode at anchor
and, foTsa.iaS all my goods and chat
tells and SsIl:ig in lieu such moneys as
] could find, l dropped into the dingey
and pulled oil, shoeless, hatiess, ar
rayed only in q Slirt, trousers and belt,
containing the above named sum (close
on t2OO), hoping TO reach a German
gunboat which had been sighted in the
offing earlier in the day. But the night
was thick and in less than an hour l
found myself clOse in shore The ques-
tion of what to do was speedily settled
by the boat capsizing among the break
erS, leaving me no alternative but TO
land. Day was breaking and | lay till
next morning Ii a tomb cut above the
road in the hill side and for the next
three weeks | nearly perished for lack
OF nourlshment, not daring to exhibit
gold piece, fer / had no weapon and
!. would certainly have been robbed and
murdered. | would gladly have thrown
away all but one piece, but there was
no single small coin in the sum total,
and the result would have been the
same. Though good walker at that
age Il had made a record of twenty
miles not long before and could cover
300 week without a blister) I accom-
pllshed no more than 200 miles in
twenty-five days-traveling only by
night and hiding in tombs OF bitches
all day, often rushing back to my last
deserted lair in terror of the advancing
sun when no suitable place of conceal
ment hove in siSht. With paddy and
plantalns snatched here and there |
managed to exist during those awful
weeks. Chan-Chan is not regarded as
a terrestrial paradise by those Euro
peans whom fate malign has compelled
to SoJourn there: but WalhaHa was
| never hailed with greater ecstasy by
the world-wOrn pilgrim than was that
celestial sink by myself Toward the
twentieth day the smell of meat cook
Ing absolutely oyercame me sne morn
ing and at the peril of my life l
emerged into the light of day and laid
felOnious hands and teeth on what I
belleVed was part of baked cat, in the
temporary absence of the legitimate
| landlord thereof