The San Francisco call., 1897-02-25
ALL is READY FOR
!. THE. UTHERN SEA
Reinhart and His Fortune.
ChaserS Clear for
the Fijis.
The Brig Has a Big Cargo OF
Hope, Trunks, Arms and
Other Sundries.
The !Ultimats Destination of the Gu er
Voyage Some Island Where
Life Is Easy.

90 that the brig Percy Edwards will carry
with 1t on the voyage the managers of the
South Sea colonization scheme contem-
plate starting out on to-day. OF course
there will be some $50 tons of live and dead
freight slowed away in various nooks and
Corners in the vessel, but this is very un-
important matter as compared with the
benign confidence those on board have in
the future.
1t is Z faith that knows no doubt or mis-
giving.
Somewhere down in the South Pacific
Alere is halcyon island where poverty
4 sni hard work are unknown, ;" is the creed
mat inspires it. Even the dogs and the
cats in the fo-ecastle have become i'm bued
with this spirit. The brig is scheduled to
sail some time this morning, according to a
programme decided upon late yesterday
afternoon.
The clearance papers yesterday issued
to Captain Petersen in the name of the
United Brotherhood of the South Sea I ST.
o ands designate Levuka, in the FIJI group
OF islands, as the destination of the voy-
age. From that point Captain Petersen
announces he will proceed to Bougain ISL
and in the Solomon group. Beyond this
all is haze and mist. The expedition then
loses itself anywhere in the coral dotted
ocean If the word of those who are manag-
In git is to be taken seriously.
There are provisions aboard the vessel
sufficient TO iced the voyugers for one
year. In all there are just 100 men in the
crowd. They hail from all points along
the coast and embrace almost every ira de
and profession. There is one notable va
cancy, and, considering the cooperative
eide OF OF the affair, II Is an important one.
1here Is 10 shoema6er In their number.
OF those who have decided to cast their
fortune with this chimerical expedition
the ma jority are young men from the in.
terror towns. They hail from the farms
OF the Willamette and the San JOAQUIN
valleys, from the orange groves of the
south, and men from the desolate prairies
OF States east of the Rocky Mountains
They comprise almost every creed and ma
tionality, although Germany has the pref
erence. As a class the men seem indus
triouS and am bilious, but it is their won-
derfnl hope in the future of the venture
in spite of ali logical deductions to the
contrary. that is their chief characteristic.
OF those who will sail but TWO men
aboard have any accurate knowledge of
tie topography and geography of the re-
glon they are going TO. The remainder
have crude notions OF life in the tropics.
The South Seas to them is a land OF ro-
nrance and pleasant living. True. once
and a while one OF them aWakes 10 a reali-
zatlon that the scene there may not be as
fair as it has been painted, but such
vagaries are speedily dlspelled by some
companion.
1t Is the strangest voyage that ever was
planned-as strange and as odd as the
motley and fantastic crew that go to make
up lts promoters. There is a disorder and
d Yagueness about it all that is inspiring
In these days of business and hard COM
nonsense. The men seem, for the most
part TO be boys that have cavorted about
with unsuccess, and prefer beautiful un-
certainty TO plain and prosaic reality.
General Manager Reinhart is the only
man aboard from present indications who
will get run for his money. Reinhart
has up to date received some $40, 900 in
contributions FROM the volunteers to the
venture. The brig cost him but $2500, and
even after repairs and supplies are paid
Tor, there IS still quite a snug sum lett in
o the treasury, which in this instance
means Remnants pocketbook. So it goes
without saying that the promoter of the
scheme is enthusiastic over its prospective
results.
For time yesterday there were indica-
tons OF mutiny in the poetical sur
Ioundings OF the expedition. A young
rancher from Stanislaus County was told
that beans was staple crop in the South
Seas, and this was not to his fancy. Wis
bean 1arm fitted through his mind, and
he demanded the return Of his money.
This feeling was contagious, and soon
half dozen of the colonists were on the
point of deserving the ship and taking
chances in California again.
A search was made for Reinhart, but for
reasons best known to himself, the pro-
moter of the expedition failed TO put in
an appearance during the day. First
Mate Riggs, however, managed to allay-
the discomfort by a dissertation on bread
fruit and bananas and last night the re-
calcitrant mem bers of the enterprise were
dreaming of a balmy and indolent exist
epce in the South Seas.
4 The provisions and general supplies
pave been paid for ont OF the funds COL
Aected by Reinhart. Each mem ber of the
<axDedition, however, has laid in some
extras on his own account. In the item
of firearms and ammunition, keRrny-
street store sold stock to-the amount OF
Sl400 TO the Percy Edwards passenger
last. These arms were purchased with
view of mixing up with cannlbals. The
baggage list comprises some queer articles.
An Italian, who halls from Stockton, took
with him as his possession fiddle and a
ten-gallon demijohn OF cheap claret.
AT D o'clock last night the vessel was
practically loaded. The day had been
consumed in slowing away baggage and
provisions. All day long a steady stream
OF eX press wagons drove on 70 the Little
Main street wharf loaded down with
household furniture, trunks, valises,
stoves, cooking utensils and such like.
Each man took personal interest in the
disposition OF his own baggage, but once it
was consigned to the hold it became COM
mon property. Trunks, stoves, mattresses,
wrebeds and rubber boots were piled
. nromiscuously on top of each other.
There was no system observed III this part
Of the preparation for the voyage. BY
night the mold was q confused mass of
baggage, lumber and agricultural imple-
ments jammed together without any pre-
tense a. lashing. The first heavy sea that
the brig encounters will make lively times
below decks at least. The agricultural
i'm mplements include several plows, harrows
anu cultivators. These are to be used, so
the colonists say, in tiIling the land of the
island they will cast their lot with. There
are dogs and cats without number scat
tered about decks.
The brig is 189 tons net and but 104 feet
lPng, consequently Reinhart and his fol-
lowers find their new quarters none too
spacious. In fact, the matter of sleeping
accom- modations has been a source of N uch
worry. The cabin has been provided with
hunks at the expense of the cubic air regu-
lations. In the stern an additional house
has been built, equipped with cooking
galley, where more bunks have been con-
structed. Below in the hold The remainder
OF the crowd will sleep as best they can.
The crew OF the vessel will consist OF six