The Republican journal., 1897-03-11

GcNA - tNAAAhA-' y -t+S - 49, '''' ~ 1850
the harbor between sunset and sunrise, (
and no stranger allowed on the streets
during those hours. There is not much F.
credit due one now for good behavior
while i'll Cuban ports--le is obliged to
keep good hours, at Least. In some
years back a winter voyage to Cuba was
rather social round of pleasure. The
cargo outward was shocks, provisions
and hoop poles, and the return cargo was
sugar IN hogsheads. That was all clean
| work and the vessel was light loaded
and easy both ways. Then every
| master with any pretence of good
standing in society had his wife,
his sister and a church organ on board
Such complete outfit of musical instru-
ments, while in port, led up to a great
deal of sociability; prayer meetings,
whisperngs, limitations and many other
equally harmless pleasures. Now the
outward cargoes are coal or granite and
the homeward cargo is sugar in 300
pound, fibre bags all ''hard' and heavy
cargoes, loading an imaginary 'plimp
/ sol'' fathom under. OF course no
right minded man brings woman kind to
/ Cuba in these uncertain times of wal;
hence the wives are at home, shoveiing
their own snow and cutting their own
| wood while the sisters are in Normal
/ School, or beyond, and wondering how
they ever inherited so much talent from
such plebeian piogeDitoIs. Times have
| changed, and Cuba is now indeed lone
/ some place for Americans. My old friend
| Captain VIII Uichbom was one Of the
/ late arrivals, and | was glad to see Linn in
his new, four tined, sterling schooner.
the Il. W. Hopkins. He secured the
! best tennis for prospective homewWd
cargo Of any vessel i'll the port, We pro
/ cured our homcwald LOAD promptly. with
/ out trouble or Worry. and 'cleared with
the first cargo OF new sugar shipped this
season from tie whole south Side, and,
! think, from the whole island Sailed on
I the 18th Of February for Delaware Break
/ water for orders. The first day ont we
/ lay becalmed close off the mouth OF the
| san Juan river where, month before,
the Three Friends was tying to land
/ an expedition when she is said to have
( exchanged shots with spanish cruiser.
/ About ten o'clock at night there came
off moderately strong land breeze;
/ Just as we got headed away and started
| toward the open sea, two flashes and
| the report of guns We're seen and heard
came Nhistling close by and plunged into
the water just beyond our vessel. This
| looked badly | thought it might be that
| insurgent brigands, turned pirates, and,
out in boats, We're chasing US for plumber.
A very ''bad quarter of an hour" passed
within two or three minutes Then we
| heard two blasts of a steam whistle and
very soon saw steamer coming in our
wake, without the glimmer of a light
about her. She came up rapidly within a
few hundred feet, stopped for a while on
the weather quarter, as though looking us
over, then steamed away inshore and was
soon lost in the darkness. It was NO doubt
Spanish war vessel looking for tilibust-
ers. We never changed our course through
the whole one-sided engagement; perhaps
from the fact that being chased blindfold
and fired after in the darkness, did not
seem to demand common courtesy. We
were within the three mile-linit" of
| the shore, and if the craft had shown
lights would willingly have come to and
offered the conntersigns and proof of our
| legitimate trade.
All sailing vessels making trips from
our northern ports to the south side of
! Cuba (beyond st. Jago) and return, make
a complete circuit of the island, which
covers more than $50 miles of longitude.
| by that course they make best use of the
trade winds and have the assistance of
t he Gulf Stream on the homeward pas
sage.
After parting with that masked, bark
ing pointer and setter, we ran down the
south side and rounded Cape Antoine,
/ then with a slant of fair wind (Which is
there unusuaD skinned close up by
Havana without any more nightmare or
seeing anything either suspicious or at
| tractive.
In passing Florida we saw one of the
White Squadron speeding rapidly, and
wasting our coal, searching for expedi-
tions with no intention of finding any.
"Theres none so blind as he who will
not see.''
| We had a fine moderate chance of
eleven days from port to Hatteras. |
| have noticed that in winter time rough
| chance while south of Hatteras is gener-
ally followed by a good run into port;
while nine time out of ten a mild chance
up to that ''trocha'' seems to guarantee
some sort of punishment at the north.
This time, instead of ice, sleet and snow,