Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1901-07-31
u by these two relics of
Tarships were all sailing


good sized gunboats, named respective
= " the Acadia and La Canadienne.
: These ships are seaworthy boats, and
make good time when in pursuit Of
the enemy The Constance, the Cur
lew and the Petrol are also effective
little gunboats, which chase up and
down the coast, keeping unlawful
crafts from plying their nefarious busi-
ness with the colony.
y A good deal Of the work Of Canada's
navy is devoted to the prevention of
piracy and smuggling. Smuggling is
more common along the Canadian bor-
der than elsewhere on this continent,
and there are plenty Of queer looking
crafts engaged in smuggling goods
into Canada without taking the trou-
BILE to pay duties. These smugglers
are shrewd and desperate men, and
they resort to tricks and evasions that
deceive the ordinary officers. Their
methods are all conducted in the dark,
and along lonely parts Of the coast.
On dark nights they smuggle kegs Of
lHIuor from the French island of st.
Pierre to the Canadian coast, and one
good ship load landed will pay for all
the danger and anxiety run. Fortunes
have been made in few years In this
way, and the temptation is so great
that many engage in it, and great are
the resources Of the smugglers.
I. Against these desperate men, who do
not hesitate at murder if necessary for
the maturing of their plans, the little
navy directs good deal of its atten-
tion. Some of the smugglers carry
arms with them, and several times
they have boldly resisted arrest. But
not once in these encounters has the
navy been defeated. There is good
deal Of smuggling on the sea, as we'll
as on the land, between Canada and
the United States, and Canada's blue
jackets have their hands full both on
the sea and the lake coasts in keeping
down this unlawful trade.
( Another important duty Of the navy
is to look after the fishing interests Of
the country. Regulations have been
made by the Canadias5 Government to
preserve the greatgfshing interests
along her coast and to enforce these
laws both for native and American
fishermen the little navy its ha' Is full.
Foreign vessels persist in approaching
nearer than the regulation three-mile
limit, and the Canadian gunboats and
cruisers have to. warn and signal to
them repeatedly. The same gunboats
have to look out for the buoys, bea-
cons, nghtships and lighthouses along
the coast. This lighthouse work is
generally monotonous, but sometimes
1t is full Of danger and picturesque
ness. The stanch little gunboats have
to weather the fiereest weather and
seas imaginable, to reach some Of the
outer beacon lights. So rough, barren
and deserted are theimmense stretches
of coast along the Canadian sea-border
that the Dominion Government has es-
. tablished at various points places of
refuge for shipwrecked mariners. If
q ship should go ashore anywhere
along the coast there would be ref
uge station somewhere in the vicinity.
The gunboats visit these stations regu-
larly to provide more provisions, and
to take away any mariners that may
have been wrecked. Hundreds Of ship
wrecked are rescued in this way every
year either from starvation OF drown
ing.
The bluejackers Of this fleet are as
thoroughly drilled and disciplined as
those of any other navy. but they gain
nnsre experience In their Wild life than
che English bluejacket tn h!s conYea.