Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1896-10-31

yet felt 1t my duty 70 make some at
tempt to thwart their plans. But / must
have time TO think, and to gain this it
was necessary for me to appear as pas
sive as possible, not to excite suspicion.
As soon as the robbery was discovered l
knew that the Jeanette would double
on her course and try to run down the
robbers, and there might be chance OF
my arresting them if managed matters
rightly, but any attempt to deceive my
captors would Le dangerous undertak-
ing, and, should I be discovered, would
in all probability cost me my life,
Knowing this, recognized the neces-
sity of using the greatest caution in
what I did.
"The night was still dark, with a
heavy mist hanging over the sea, afford
ing an excellent opportunity for the
boat to escape the vessel. 1t was fully
two hours before Peters would allow
even match to be lit to look at the
compass to ascertain our course Then
the boat was headed for the northwest.
"The night passed, and when morn-
ing dawned the sea was still covered
with a dense fog. On taking my bear
ing I found, as near as could calcu.
late, that we were 21 degrees 12 min
utes north latitude and l22 degrees "a
minutes east longitude. This would
make our position about l40 miles east
by some 80 miles south of the island OF
Formosa and nearly 800 miles east OF
Hongkong. By keeping on direct
western course ! could readily see that
we would miss Formosa full 80 miles
and follow in the wake Of the jean
nette. As I reflected on this fact it sud-
denly occurred to me that ! might mis-
lead the robbers as to our true position,
and, while pretending to pilot them to
Formosa, might induce them to con
tinue on toward Hongkong, thereby
providing a possibility Of encountering
the Jeannette. But scarcely had this
resolution taken place in my mind when
Peters approached and began to exam-
inc the chart, asking me to show him
our position.
"In response to his request I pointed
to a spot one degree north of our true
position, venturing the remark that we
would reach the island the quickest by
keeping on a due western course.
"He made no reply to my remark,
but after asking few questions as to
the probable distance to the island he
turned to his men and gave orders for
the boat to be headed for the north.
"My heart sank within me at this,
and for moment l believed that my
deception had been discovered. How
ever, the next moment he explained to
the men that it was his object to get
as far out of the track Of the Jeannette
as possible before making for the island.
"Being thus reassured, l ventured to
suggest that the Jeanette would most
likely search for us among the Bosher
islands, that lay close to US on the south,
but Peters cut me off with the pert re-
mark that I was not brought along to
give advice. This left me with no alter
native but to quietly submit to being
carried away beyond the possibility OF
encountering the Jeanette.
"My knowledge of the islands to
which we were bound was of the most
meager character, and all could recall
regarding them was that they lay some
80 leagues off the coast Of Fu-Kina, a
province in southeastern China, and were
:.ro.Iol 18th N triIa ~ couooo op6 yuor.
like natives.
"All that day we continued our course
to the north, then turned westward, and
two days later sighted the rock bound
coast of eastern Formosa Continuing
our course northward for several leagues,
we entered a narrow inlet, and, passing
up this for four or five miles, we landed
in q secluded spot, where we disem-
barked and concealed the boat under a
clump of trees that overhung narrow
neck in the little bay.
"In q level spot about 200 yards from
the shore a camp was made, and here
we remained for three days before
learned anything regarding the future
plans of my captors. Then, from what
I overheard from Peters in his conversa-
tion with the others, learned that we
were to remain in concealment there for
three or four weeks perhaps, when u
small vessel-a smuggler OH the Chinese
coast, I gathered-commanded by an old
friend and pal of Peters, would arrive
and carry us to Australia. In order to
carry out this plan one of the conspir"
tors had been left aboard the Jeanette.
and on his arrival at Hongkong he
was to see the smuggler, whose ship
would probably be at that port, and ac-
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