The San Francisco call., 1907-03-24

obliging, most kind. he Is. too Sports
men will always meet with q hearty
welcome there. and whatever they need
from the conpany's store is at their
disposal.
This Is as Tar north as we had tfns
to go, viz, "a degrees north. The re-
turn trip was as fine. And on II We had
the company OF hundreds OF Usher
ships. all bound fol home. Some were
squat. some were lean. others were big
and dingy, while many Of their ~brud-
dern" were so deeply laden that the
seas flooded the main deck. even on =
soft" day. All crowding on sail for
the lower Labrador and Newfoundland.
They sang and laughed and chatted.
these great gaunt men. Sorry for
those who had had no luck. yes. but
after all ourselves, themselveA. wa the
drst consideration
The entire 400 miles wo were ac-
companied By the throngs each day
light finding u bound to the south'ard
with everything drawing. When Belle
Isle hove IN sight. a dim gray dash
in the distance. we hugged the Labra-
dor shore. while nearly al tho rest
took the outside course that leads down
fAe east coast OF Newfoundland into the
hundreds OF little harbors there
Take Il alI-in-sIL then. 70 -do- Sns
Labrador On q schooner Of ones own
chartered, II you prefer), In quest oe
sport. curious and interesting people
glorious scenery. most healthfuI cH-
mate ana IN comparative safety, IL y
delightful way Of spending three
months. OF course I have not men,
toned other streams that were quoted
TO me By the natives az containing me
fishing. and to have explored them all
to this end would havs needed twice
three months Let q man who seeks
l. - knN~
discomforts IN the way OF bad weather
and high winds, charter q schooner
such as had: let him engage a crew
that work we'll together, and. most I'm
portant OF oil, clever" skipper, ana
can assure him OF royal deeds with rod
and gun.
The question OF pilots II not dif-
are urgently needed at times. Ona
that we had for q week comes espe-
ciaIIy to my memory as being the In
est type Of great age still young in
that land OF solitude. The Patriarch"
sometimes called "Old Captain VIII
liams." was his name. His photo
graph appears with this article. but
that gives no suggestion OF the keen
ness OF Ms eyes. which have been open
eighty years. During those multitude
OF days he has never been more than
nfty miles from home. And still he
was clipper and happy-Quits content
with some tobacco and 81 per diem for
his work. He could scent ice miles
on. and his prophecies as to when =
thick fog would shut in on Us were
astonishing. Poor old fellow We fit
ted him out with oil clothes. sea boots,
q sou'wester, some heavy underwear,
mitts. pipe and pouch; even my crew
were moved by the pathetic sadness
Of the man, with his worn frame and
his gentle. quiet ways AS he dropped
over the side for the last time we all
felt very lonely. / doubt II he Will
pull through another OF the deadly
winters, although promised to see him
next season One makes many friends
up there and they will stand by one
many years intervene between ones
visits. they never forget those who
have been kind. and a rough but sin
cere welcome is waiting.
To add briefly, would suggest that
a sportsman might begin his cruise
northward from Port-aux- -Basques, N.
T., and fish the west coast rivers up
ward rapidly. We did this and found
some fine streams. where the fishing
IS undisturbed by the flock commonly
called sports" from the States and
England. In Newfoundland a success
full booklet has toiled numbers OF fish,
ermen to Its native Paradise. True.
the rivers are good. but one does not
like to rub elbows with Jew florists.
withered school teachers from Boston,
and others of that ilk. to say nothing
Of lords and ladies that hold pools
indiscriminately. with utter disregard
Of plain American citizensl
Therefore my trip In f906i To get
away from the hordes. TO have good.
clean sport and to live the strenuous
life." for the life Is trat sometimes on
the Labrador.
Under deep. far-off skies. and a sun
that giimmered from between the
feece-lired, dark-shadowed clouds we
left our "shippie" on September 1. well
pleased and having learned much
On the old trail. our own trail tAs out
trail.