The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-11-20
A YANKEE VENTURE.
CAPTAIN CHASE WILL TAKE CAPE
COD FISHERMEN TO AFRICA.

~ A"'eh"s 10 Nhrfy improved Metnods
That the Natives Know Not of - Will
Catch and Cure Fish In True American
Fashion.
Lying az the Union Fish company dock
In Provincetown. Mass, Is an ordinary
looking fishing schooner that has been
through many adventures and unless her
owners good intentions go amiss is des
tined to participate in many more. She
will soon be fitted out for an entirely new
and untried venture in the fishery business.
Discouraged by the total failure of the
mackerel fishery on the American coast
this season, Captain 81 Chase will soon fit
the Alice for another voyage to the African
coast for fish, but to different part of the
country visited on his previous trip Cap
tain 81 is peculiarly adapted to successfully
carry through this new experiment. In
November, 1889, he started on a fishing
cruise to the African coast, in the vicinity
OF the cape of Good Hope, in quest of
mackerel, led on by the very interesting
tales of the Cape Cod whalemen. who had
often amused themselves as well as provid
ed supply of food by catching fish while
their ships were becalmed in those waters
Captain 81 found mackerel in plenty of
the species known on our cost as bulls
eyes" 1t is said his voyage proved a
financial success He caught and sold
fresh large quantities of various kinds Of
food fish and made numerous shipments
of the "bullseyes" home via the London
steamers. His advent at that point was also
Of much benefit to the local fishermen, as
he purchased for sailing large quantities
of the fish caught by them with their
crude gear. After stopping on that coast
a year he sailed homeward, going away
up the African coast as far as the Cape de
Verdes. He touched at many points along
his route before striking out across the
Atlantic Many interesting objects caught
the sharp eye Of the doughty Cape Cod
skipper during his voyage. Millions of
fish strange TO the Yankee sailor were
seen, and numerous chances to make
money were noted by the way. So many
points of interest attracted his attention
that he determined to have one more try
at fortunes favors across the wide seas.
The objective point of this second trip is
the French port of Goree, which is con-
nected by rail with the big city of St.
Louis 90 miles inland and capital of the
French domain in Africa. Goree is in
close communication with many African
cities and settlements down the coast to-
ward the equator. The entire coast for
hundreds of miles is of low, sandy for
nation, similar to our Cape Cod coast, and
Goree resembles Provincetown harbor very
much The weather is nearly always pleas
ant except during July, August and Sep
TENDER, when the rainy season is on. or
the markets accessible from Gorec are Bath
urst, on the Gambia river, with large
number of inhabitants, only go miles dis
tant Sierra Leone, 260 miles distant, and
the various Liberian coast settlements and
trading posts, about 400 miles away; Cape
Coast Castle, 600 miles away, with 5000
inhabitants; Lagos, 700 miles away, and
then the Kongo settlements. Big trading
posts are also scattered all along the coast,
manned with heavy garrisons of soldiers
and traders, who man the expeditions into
the interior for palm oil, ivory, nuts and
rubber. All these are counted on as afford
ing market for the enterprising Yankee
skipper and his Cape Cod sailors.
From Goree various steamers connect
with many of these points, seven or eight
of them sailing each week. also the Por-
tuguese Cape de Verdes, close at hand
There is a big artificial ice plant at Goree,
and plenty of ice can be had at about $40
per ton, while at the Portuguese isle of
May, $50 miles away an abundance of salt
can be secured for only cents per bushel.
The waters are alive with fish, while
down toward the equator the fish grow
very scarce, probably owing to the much
warmer water.
The crude methods of fishing and very
imperfect method of curing and handling
the fish are far inadequate to supplying the
demand. The Alice will be thoroughly re-
paired and refltted.
Fish will be salt cured for shipping and
also smoked. 1t is the intention to pickle
small fish and dry the big ones. The air
is so pure that fish can be split and
cleaned then dried in the sun without SALT
so they will keep long while. Provisions
| will be carried for six months stay Ii
the business can be made a success, the
stay will be prolonged indefinitely. II 1t
| is not success, it is Captain SIS inten-
| ton to load his vessel with cured fish and
run across to the Brazilian coast for O
market.
The schooner will be manned by six
| Provincetown fishermen, all of them ex-
| perts in catching and curing all kinds OF
| fish and In operating all kinds of gear.
| The balance of the crew will be shipped at
| the Cape de Verdes. Captain Chase starts
| out with every prospect of success, and he
| certainly deserves unbounded success for
| his pluck and grit.-Boston Herald.