The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1908-02-28


We saw very few. Sffoae or ashore.
Deviation from, those beaten paths was
hazardous. FOR in the course OF time
trees have fallen and an overxrowth
oS ferns and moss has furnished =
dinsy foundation for other trees which
in turn have been laid low and COW
cred with the deceptive carpet.
through which an frcautious step
leads 70 unpleasant plunges, Limpsts
SoounSsd. and SsS-urchirs. and an eii-
bic r,uSSel which WAS welcome S66i-
ton TO our somewhat limited ration.
OF land birds We saw few. but water
fowl were numerous among them. the
'Sfde-whssl ducks as they were gen.
orally called. probably Il species OF
penguin. which. unable 70 ny. make
good speed by beating the surface Of
the water with s rotary motion OF
their rudinsncary wings. The Rssaca
was fast for her day, Steaming from
nine 20 eleven knots under ordinary
circumstances. and on one occasion. in
the smooth water OF Smyth'S Channel
logging twelve and thres-QuartsrS:
and Yet I have seen & pair OF the
--side-wheels~ keep ahead OF her sew
sraI rlinuteS-perhaps four or five-bs-
fore diving 70 escape. Seals were seen
ar times, and an occasional whale.
Drift ice was rare, although in shell
tered cCNeS random foes or diminutivs
tcsbsrgs Were sighted But the chief
delight was the scenery. particularly
in the sounds or fioriS which cOmru-
nicate with the western part OF the
Strait SnOw-cappei ranges abound
with glaciers far and near. and nu-
uerouS cascades tunbIing down the
lofty mountain slopes Beautiful
wooded islands are grouped in some
OF the fnlecs. and one such. with trees
growing 70 the waters edge, inyadss
the channel near Gray's Earbor. and
50 complexities the navigation as 20
make IL hazardous for any but smart
handling vessels OF moderate dimen-
Siors 20 pass that way. IN places.
while the steep mountain slopes tow
cred above Us TO height OF two or
three thousand feet or more. no bot
tom could be found with our longest
lead line
In the course Of Mr. Beecher's ten
weeks experience on board the Resaca
there was considerable variety Small
pox boarded Us ar Nonrevideo. fortu-
narsly without fatal results But II
was an unpleasant shipuats while it
lasted An apprentice fell overheard
while the ship was Steaming with
speed in the Rio de Ia Plata He was
in good season with no dam
-
The same boy shortly before or short
y after that ufshap fell from the
main trysan gaE through an open
hatch into the after fre-ruom- No
bones were broken. and the youngster
20 fall overheard again in
the bay Of Panama. among q school
Of sharks. from which unpleasant pre-
iicament he was rescued by a plucky
clasSmate Of mine. who plunged over
after him The boy was not satisfied
with these ventures and so, when yell
low fever visited Us az Panama and
carried of nineteen OF our small crew. |
he was one OF the first 20 be attacked |
by the scourge and one Of the first 20 I
recover,
But Of all the happenings during Mr.. |
Beecher's cruise, doubtless the Tom /
Bay incident was the cause Of more !
anxiety than any other He could not /
we'll remain outside because Of the 4
wind and rain and so he passed the /
time alone in the cabin. with Occa- /
sional brief visits 20 the deck. where I
ae found everyone too much absorbed 4
to giye.him information even II there /
had been any TO give; but he saw and 4
heard enough TO know mat there was 4
Al emergency 10 be dealt with We
had anchored at Tom Bay from ne
,sssiry, because no other UhOrage
souId be reached before dark L was
blowing the characteristics squalls 10 4
which ssalers gave the name OF
xiIHwaEs, q century or so ago The
anchorage falls of so rapidly that II
vas necessary for Us 70 go close in.
TO find q moderate depth. and we
irOpped the TWO bowers in succession,
With the full scope Of the cable on one
md nearly as much On the other.
Steam was kept up. with Instructions
o steam to the anchi rs" During
he first watch, from clint O'Clock 10
the engine val handled with
xiii. started promptly the first puff
4 the squau and sto bed at the be
ginning Of the IuH. Snd speeded or
lowed as occasion required. She new
= oyerran the anchors, nor did she
Iacken the cables But within twenty
after the change Of watch at
midnight both cables snapped; one at
he sixty-fathom zhackie and the other
L the anchor The ship drifted into
he very deep water in the channels,
There both cables hung Up-and-jown-
With about fifty fathons on one, and
hundred and ten on the other. There
Ters 10 steam windIzsses or WinchsS
I those days The hand czpstzn un-
81 the f0recastIe was our main de-
endence, with such feeble assistance
: was rendered by q fore yard pur- :
hsse leading 70 Z strap around the
able at the waters edge The first !
eutenznt stationed on top Of the cap
tan cOmiczI little darby. one Of the !
-arfrOom boys, who played an secor- I
ion and sang. and kept the crew in 7
OOd humOr during the four hours &C.
1pfed in heaving in the remnants Of {
1e cables Meanwhile. with the help /
Z the nlffshfpmen who were stationed {
lund about 20 ~ 70 see q tree Or Z
5ck o. broken water or anything at
L through the intense darkness, the :
Alligator was doing what he could 70 :
sep the ship from getting into fur :