Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1901-06-26

with you on this voyage. l see yor
have figured on a cook. Strike him OF
the list | shall be cook myself. II
can cook and work here can do the
same aboard of brig, and we want nc
idlers. | have fully made up my mind
to carry out my IDEAS and you will 60
ahead as fast as possible"
l was pushing things along to get
away at the earliest hour, when I
heard that the captain of the late Good
Intent was secretly seeking a craft for
charter. This satisfied me as to the
value of the wreck If it was still intact
and also made me hustle the harder.
When we finally got away, there was
no talk about it, and was the only
man aboard who knew our real destina-
ton. That we should be followed with
In week or ten days was certain, and
| we were 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 were in ballast
only, having cleared for Japan, and
had picked up good sailer In charter
ing the Duchess.
There Is a wide stretch of salt water
and weeks of sailing between the Cali
fornia coast and the Necker islands,
which lie in a southwest direction and
number II, great and small Only the
largest two are inhabited, but I 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 6 pound
cannon and 10 muskets, bought Of
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 Necker 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 a sad wreck, but |
we found her in fairly good shape |
when we got aboard. having the widow
with us. The reef was half a mile
from the beach, and the ship had driy-
en- on to it stem first, run about half
her length and then made a cradle for
herself. AT high tide there were 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
an hour before two patiye catamarans,
each carrying Is islanders, hove In
sight and came down to us. The fel.
lows at once demanded a share of the
loot and we had to resort to the big
gun to drive them away. They return
ed under white flag before night and
offered their services for pay. and 20
of them were engaged to assist us.
1t would have been a great find with
'ut the opium, but the stuff was aboard
Ill right. The value Of the tin cases
packed In one Of the staterooms was
lot far from $4,000, and of general
cargo we took in load which sank the
'rig to her plimson mark. In a week
We were through with the wreck and
eady to turn her over to the islanders
or what they could get out of her. We
Up anchor and headed for the Pacific
cast at noon one day, and within
hree hours we rose bark which was
eading straight for the spot we had
EFT. 1t was the captain Of the lost
iood Intent. but he had come too late.
We made port after an uneventfu
oyage, the cargo was landed and dis.
osed of with only a few days delay.
nd one morning we were all paid off.
aid goodby to the widow, and never p
aw her again. c