The San Francisco call., 1896-09-23
PEKIN RETURNS
To SAN DIEGO
The Filibustering Vessel
Manned by FamiShed
Sailors.
FOUR DAYS OF HUNGER
Deserted and Robbed of Their
Provisions by the Junk's
Master.
LEFT TO PERISH AT SEA.
Sequel of the Expe dition to Recover
the Famous Ensenada
Gold Bar.
LEFT TO PERISH AT SEA.

SAN DIEGO, CAL, Sept. 22.-The Junk
Pekln, which left San Diego some months
ago to carry CARAT and an elderly man
named Coleman into Lower California to
recover the gold brick stolen in Ensenada,
and which returned off shore later with
Coleman, arrived in port again this morn
ing and brought most sensational story
OF her trip and experiences. The boat to-
day was in charge of Harry Lowry and
two men, and their appearance as they
landed on Jorres wharf was that of wild
men, and starved wild men at that. For
tour days they have been without pro-
visions, and previous to that they had
been compelled to subsist on dry beans
all that was left to them by Captain Frank
Colbert and a Mexican named Pancho,
who robbed the boat of its provisions and
deserted it and the three men at Hipolito
Bay, 500 miles south of here. When they
arrived here Lowry alone was able to do
work as sailor, the others being COM
pleteIy exhausted. In telling his story
Lowry said:
Islands for guano. The Pekln, with
Captain Colbert, arrived there. That was
a ter Colbert had landed Garrat at Ensen-
San Diego. He was running from the
authorities with his boat, the Pekin, and
had Pancho, Grueben and Brown with him
as crew. Colbert told me The whole story
OF his Tip with Garrat and Coleman. He
said that when he and Garrat arrived off
Ensenada they were becalmed, and about
that time the Carlos Pacheco was sighted.
CARAT became excited. Land me quick,
wet or dry he said, and ne was put ashore
through the surf in small boat. Cole
man STAYED on board the Pekin. They
remained to watch for signal lights, but
saw none and left after twenty -four hours
waiting. Then the Pekin pulled out for
San Diego. but remained outside, and
there learned of the capture OF CARAT from
a fisherman. Colbert then managed to
land Coleman in a small boat al La Playa,
inside San Diego bay, and got big pay for
IL. Coleman sneaked through the brush
and left for Los Angeles.
The Pekin then sailed south with
Colbert and the crew and joined the hong
kong at Eide. Colbert wanted me to ship
with him on the Pekin for the South Sea
islands. He had a big scheme for making
money. l accepted the offer and forfeited
$25 wages on the Hongkong and have been
sorry for it ever since.
I'VE started for the South Seas all right
and made our first stop at Cedros. There
we were short OF provisions and water.
We traded tobacco Tor five wild pigs and
some provisions. We killed the pigs and
then found they were fshfed and the
meat made US all sick, so we had to throw
that stuff overheard and were short of
provisions again. But we set sail south
ward and next reached Turtle Bay. The
situation began to look serious for us. We
had not much to eat and the South Sea
islands were still long way off. The
crew began to kick, and we also bean
to suspect from the actions of Captain
Colbert that he was trying to get away
from the boat and take with him the few
provisions we had left. He had money
and If he reached land anywhere would
be all right while we would be left.
"At Turtle Bay Colbert first showed his
intentions. But finally we sailed for Hip
olito Bay, which is 500 miles south of
here. Here we saw that Colbert was be-
coming desperate. His plan, it appeared.
was to take the small boat we carried with
us and go ashore, leaving us in the big
boat. At A. NJ. of September 4 l was
awakened by the noise of the bumpinv of
the small boat. l knew something was
up. looked out OF the forward hatch and
saw Colbert parading the deck with big
dirk in his hand. Pancho was standing
by with a cooked rife. Get back there
said Colbert, as looked out. got back.
i H6n GehIO OOlOerG ana rancho QrOD
over the side and get into the small boat
Tney rowed ashore. l got ont aud found
the cabin door fastened and Brown
and Grueben were prisoners l released
them. Then we looked over the boat
Colbert and Pancho had taken everything
compass, clocks, guns even our shoes
aud ali provisions, except a few beans.
We were in bad fix. Nothing to eat and
500 miles away from home, no instru-
ments TO sail by and no small boat to land
with. But we started on the fifth day and
l am mighty glad we are here. One man
fell sick from hunger and the other was a
boy. so l nad to do most of the sailing.
The weather was good and God saved u.s."