The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1902-03-06
OFF CAPE HORN
tcopyrisht, 1901. by G. b. Lewis.1

the whaling ship Bcacoon Light wle:.
one morning we sighted i hsis wh.c.i
was saii.ng such ali cccchtric course
that we knew there must be trouble
aboard. bhs was under pl;iiii sail only.
and we ran down to her TO discover
that she was abandoned and taking
care of herself. was one Of the four
men sent off In the mates boat to
| her to the wind our captain came
aboard for 4 personal inspection. Nhc
! brig WAS the I'ribcess Of London. out
ward bound. and new craft and
fine one. We could find nothing wrong
with her. She was as dry as bone;
all right Gloft. with water and provi-
sions in plenty. She had carried d
crew of twelve. and there had been
no sickness or mutiiy. The crew had
simply provsioIed the BEATS and
showed o.. leaving d stanc.i craft to
drive about until some gale sent her
to the bottom or a current carried her
ashore on rockbound coast. Her
log was written up to three days be-
fore we found her, and it had nothing
to say Of any trouble aboard.
Here was Il knotry problem to solve.
] That Il good ship loaded with 4 yalu-
abe cargo should be Abandoned by d
full crew in mitOceNn without seem
ing excuse was puzzle beyond our
ken. After u search lasting, For three
hours ands with nothing few coming
to the surface the mate and eight men
were put aboard as crew. and it was
decided TO sail her into Chilean port.
The. salvage would pay better than
looking after whales. When we got
sal OH her. she was found to be very
fast. ard those Of us who made up the
crew felicitateu ourselves on having
regular picnic in taking her up the
coast. All day long we kept n sharp
lookout for the boats which had left
her. but darkness fell without our liav-
Ing caught sight Of them. OF course
there had been talk and argument and
speculation all day long. but never a
! man had Limited at anything super
! na tural. Sailors will tell YOU Of haunt
ed ships. but they are always old
craft. With her paint hardly dry and
7 her rigging Tot yet fully stretched it
WIS Impossible TO connect the Princess
with anything uncanny. A landsman
would have as soon looked for ghost
! In Il new corner cottage. There was
surprise in store for us, however.
The watches had been chosen. supper
finished and the off watch sent below
when the alarm came. The four men of
the Off watch suddenly rushed on deck
from the fOrecastlc and cried out that
murder was being done in the hold of
the ship. Tie hatciies had been taken
off during the captains visit in the
morning ard men sent down to inspect
the storage of the cargo. and the idea
that anybody could be below had not
occurred to any one. The watch re-
ported cries Of distress and creams Of
agony, and all of Us except the steers.
man made our way into the forecastle
to Investigate. Almost ut once we
heard the cries and groans, and l can
| tell You that they were OK nature to
take the pluck out OF man. The cap
tail ut oacc ordered the fore hatch re-
moved. and | was ordered to t.lie n
lantern and 20 down among the cargo
with him. We spent half an hour down
there climbing about and calling out,
| and during this time not grOan or q
cry was heard from the unknown. No
sooner had we given up the search.
however. than they recommended. and
sail was shortened to allow the whalef
to come up. Her captain came aboard
and listened to the cries. and then we
spent two hours hosting out cargo un-
til the hold could be thoroughly rum
mayed. 1t was given such n close III.
spection that not Il dead rat would have
been overlooked. but no human being
WAS found. Then the cargo was replac-
ed and the hatch put OH, and the cap
tain gave US II piece Of his mind. He
was yet blasting our eyes for ii lot OF,
towards when man who had skplked
below reported the cries again. 1t was
Il knockout for the captain :nd an PIP
set for us. We stood right up aud re-
fused to stay another hour aboard the
brig. In this emergency we we're, sent
Off to the whalef, the secopd Mate and
eight new men were transferred. ind
the craft made sail. Two hours later
the brig lay to and signaled. and 1t was
the same thing over again.
l don't believe that sailors are more
supcrstitious than landsniep. Had this
been a haunted house IN 4 city tie re-
suit would have been the same. r.. The
cries and groans brought shivers to
every listener. apd tie, new crew not
| only refused duty, but not Apother