The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1901-04-24

with you on this voyage. see you
have figured ON cook Strike him on
the list. l shall be cook myself. If |
can cook and work here, | can do the
same aboard of a brig, and we want no
idlers. l have fully made up my mind
to carry out my ideas, and you will go
ahead as fast rs possible"
l was pushing things along TO get
away Mt the earliest hour, when
heard that the captain of the late Good
Intent was secretly seeking a craft for
charter This satisfied mo as to the
value OF the wreck IL 1t was still intact
aud Also made me hustle the harder
When we finally got away. there was
no talk about 1t, and l was the only
man aboard who knew our real destina-
tlen. That we should be followed with
in week or ten days was certain, and
we We're no sooner clear of the heads"
than orders were given to crack on
and keep the little hooker travelling for
all she was worth. We We're in ballast
only, having cleared for Japan, and
had picked up good sailer In charter
ing the Duchess.
There is wide stretch of salt water
aud weeks of sailing between the Cali
fornia coast and the Necker islands,
which lie IN Il southwest direction and
number l., great and small. Only the
largest two are inhabited, but l knew
that residents of them roved among the
whole group and that shell gatherers
and traders would be frequently met
with. Among our outfit was pound
cannon and 10 muskets, bought of Il
junk dealer in San Francisco. If we
found the wreck, we might have to
hold 1t by force and do some sharp
fighting. From the first day of sailing
until the morning we sighted Niger
island one of the Neeker group and the
one where the Good Intent had left her
bones, she appeared to be certain that
our adventure would turn out all right.
The wreck lay there on the reef as
she had been abandoned, and a yell
came from every throat We had sim
ply to feel our way down to her as near
as possible and then take the yawl and
board her She looked IA sad wreck, but
we found her IN fairly good shape
when we got aboard, having the widow
with us. The reef was half n mile
from the beach. and the ship had drly-
en- on TO 1t stem first, run about half
her length and then made a cradle for
herself. At high tide there We're two
feet of water in her lower hold; at low
tide she was drained of every drop.
Now, see how queer are the ways of
fortune. We had not been on the wreck
M hour before two native eatamarans
each carrying II islanders, hove In
sight and came down To us. The fel-
lows at once demanded Il share of The
loot, and we had to resort TO the big
gun TO drive them away They return.
ed under white lag before night and
offered their services for pay. and ~
of them We're engaged to assist us.
1t would lave been IA great find with
out the opium, but the stuff was aboard
all right. The value of the tin cases
packed in one of the staterooms was
not far from $4,000, and of general
cargo we took In load which sank the
brig to her plimsoll mark. In week
We were through with the wreck and
ready to turn her ever 10 the Isiauders
for what they could get out of her. We
up anchor and headed FOR the Pacific
coast ut neon oae day, and within
three hours We rose n bark which was
heading straight for the spot we had
left. 1t was the captain of the lost
Good Intent, but he had come too late.
We made port after an uneventful
voyage. the cargo was landed and dis
posed of with only few days delay,
and one morning we were all paid off,
said goodby 10 the widow and | never
saw her again.