The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1906-09-27
TO SAIL AROUND CAPE HORN.
Capt. Gfllen Planning a Perflous
Voyage to San Francisco.

Voyage to San Francisco.
In an open boat, built of oak, hick-
ory and cedar, with no cabin, Capt.
William H. Cillen of Guysborough
County, n. s., with one companion, pro-
;,oses to row and sail from New York
around Cape Horn to San Francisco.
about 1900 miles, Dy the deep-sea
route, says the New York World.
Before he starts ON his novel and dar-
ing venture Capt. Gillen, who is sea-
soned seal hunter, wishes to get sGffi-
tlent backing to make success OF his
enterprise, after which he feals safe
in the assurance of book and magazine
material which his adventures will pro-
vide.
The captain was the mate Of the Vic
toria, b. c., sealing schooner Enter
prise, which was recently burned in the
barbor OF the Rio Grande do Sui, Bra
iii. He is a native of Guysborough
County, where he was born in 1872.
He is 8 feet high, about 40 inches
around the chest and weigh 1S5 pounds.
lie has been fourteen years a seafarer.
Su armed, erect, blue eyed, with sandy
b and complexion, nervy, steady and
cool, a master at handling the sharp
ling boat, the young giant is enthus-
:astic over his plans.
Most OF his sealing has been done out
Q. Victoria, where he knew Wolf Lar
sen. hero Of Jack London's famous tale,
whose right name is Capt. Alec Mclean.
The last rumor Of the Sea Wolf" ac-
cording to Capt. Gillen, is that Mclean
sSiled out of Victoria, flying three flags
and equipped with three sets of ships
papers, Mexican, American and British.
Tic report is that the Carmencita, his
schooner, was capsized with all hands
while beating out of Clayoquot, B. c.
ION several occasions when 1 had
gone fourteen or fifteen miles from my
schooner, which l should not have
DONE" said Capt. Gillen, Il was i'm
pressed with the wonderful seaworthi-
Less of the sealing boat 1 should Sc
iect a mate after a test of his endur-
ance and prefer some one who has been
sbipmate with me. l should build my
Loaf 20 feet q inches in length, 4 feet
i( inches beam and feet 2 or inches
deep, with only little cuddy forward
for the storing Of papers. should
take one pair of S-foot oars and an
{ the. of 9-foot oars, feeling at liberty,
of course, to use q mainsail and jib In
fair breeze. l should start in Sep
tember and believe could make Fris
CO in seven months with no risk
MY provisions would be mostly can
ned stuff, packed in waterproof painted
canvas bags dashed in the bottom under
lie three thwarts, In the first Of which
would be stepped the detachable mast.
I should not use the ordinary lug SAIL
but have gaff.
Il should take a rifle and 500 rounds
Of ammunition for shooting game birds
and fishing tackle for catching fresh
meat from below. A watch and a SEX
tant would be my only instruments. The
deep-sea route would be far safer than
rigging the shore / should not touch
at any port, but should haul up on
Cape Island to repaint.
II have been lost for thirty-six hours
at time In the toughest seas the North
Piclfic could kick up of the Fair
Weather grounds of the Alaskan coast
The captain of the Sadie Turfel once
reported me lost and l was picked UP
i,y another schooner, transferred to still
another sealer and arrived back at Vic
ttria in time to read my own obitu.
ary"
Capt. Gillen became interested when
he heard Jack London proposed to build
. little schooner and cruise around the
world with his wife and mate, but
thought he could go London one bet
ter on the seamanship part of the
game.