The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1898-12-28
A SMUGGLING YARN.
NEW YEARS ADVENTURE ON THE ST
LAWRENCE RIVER.

With n Revenue Cutter In Midyvin-
ter-The Search For n Cargo of
French Drnndy-The Most Gallant
SmugElcr on the Gulf.
The Canadian revenue cutter Domin-
ion slouched ominously up and down
the south coast of Anticosti, poking an
ice covered nose into every bay and
cove along the coast as she went. 1t was
New Years day and bitterly cold in the
gulf. Officers and men (there were not
a dozen all told) cheerfully cursed the
Cape Gaspo lighthouse keeper, who had
sent crazy dispatch up to Quebec with
some nonsense about smuggled cargo
of French brandy.
But the inland revenue department
at Ottawa knew few hundred barrels
of French brandy had lately found its
way into the country, and it had
it's suspicious. So when the Gaspe in
formation came up to Quebec Captain
Armstrong was sent down with a three
pound gun to look into the matter. I
happened to be spending my Christmas
vacation witt; the captain, so he told
me to come along as there might be
some excitement. But New Years on
the lower st. Lawrence, 1 found, was
not thing to be longed for, and we
both called the inland revenue depart
meut some very bad names as we paced
the Dominon's icy little deck. The cap
tain, nevertheless, was keeping his
weather eye open for a black tug with
a red funnel, known as the Rosalie L.,
and supposed to be making up the gulf
for Ste Anne des Monies with 60 barrels
of French brandy On board.
l never felt such raw, benumbing,
paralyzing cold. For three days our
search for smugglers had been fruitless.
In fact, no kind Of craft cared to pass
either up or down the gulf in such
weather.
1t was on the afternoon of New
Years day that a fishing smack ran up
alongside and reported that black tug
with red funnel had been seen COM
ing up the gulf So we slipped away
from Anticosti and went churning west
ward for the south mainland. Revenue
cutters are not made for loafng, and
the Dominion Was making her ID knots
an hour until fog blew up the gulf
and caused Us to shut down to quarter
speed.
We were shivering OIL deck in that
great white gulf fog late in the after
noon, when from the southwest we
heard the sudden report of signal gun.
This was followed by three short blasts
of a siren The Dominion sped ahead
under full steam. and we forgot the
cold. Two men stood in the bow and
strained their eyes through the white
mist that hung over US like a blanket.
Ten minutes later the lookout cried.
"Open boat ahead" Under our bows
20 feet ahead small boat tossed up
and down on the waves.
"Port! Hard port'' cried the cap
tain. Before the whcelsman could swing
her round and stop the engines we had
swept past the tiny craft. The one man
in the boat dropped his oars and lightly
waved his hand to Us as we lurged past
and lost him in the fog. He certainly
was not trying to escape
We lay to, and in a couple of min
utes the boat pulled up alongside.
The crew of one climbed nimbly on
board. He was little dark skinned
Frenchman, with twinkling black eyes
and turned up nose. He dotted his
heavy coonsLin cap with great grace as
he stepped on deck and bowed.
"Ah, IL 'sieurs, it is the first Of the
good year Permit me to wish you all,
m'sicurs, the compliments Of the sea
SON. Again the little man bowed,
smiled and showed row Of good white
teeth He spoke English with astound-
ing fluency for habitaut.
Our captain returned his salutatlon.
"What is your name, sir, and your
ship he asked
"Ah, my name! Pardon me, m'sieurs.
1t is Pierre Baptiste Delorme of Ste.
Anne de Monies What do you call
him - pilot, fisherman, trappeur,