The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1915-04-01

fN~ -" i"PoSAhb array Vi COOh-
Ing vessels.
l boiled the water. but It was
Maud who made the coffee. And
how good 1t was! My contribu-
ton was canned beef fried with
crumbled sea-biscuit and water.
The breakfast was a success,
and we sat about the fire much
longer than enterprising explor-
ers should have done, slipping the
hot black coffee and talking over
our situation.
was confident that we
should find a station in some one
OF the coves, for knew that the
rookeries of Boring Sea were
thus guarded; but Maud ad-
-yanced the theory,-to prepare
me for disappointment, / do be-
lieve, IL disappointment were to
come,-that We had discovered
an unknown rookery. She was
In very good spirits, however,
and made quite merry in accept
ing our plight as a grave one.
IF you are right" | said,
then we must prepare to winter
here. Our food will not last, but
there are the seals. They go
away in the fall, so | must soon
begin to lay In a~supply of meat.
Then there will be huts to build
and driftwood to gather. Also,
we shall try out seal fat for light
ing purposes. Altogether, wen
have our hands full If we find
the island uninhabited. Which
we shall not, l know"
But she was right. We sailed
with a beam wind along the
shore, searching the coves with
our glasses and landing occa-
sionally, without finding a sign
of human life. Yet we learned
that We were not the first who
had landed on Endeavor Island
High up on the beach of the sec
ond cove from ours, we discov-
cred the splintered wreck of a
boat sealer's boat, for the
rowlocks were bound in sennit, a
gun-rack was on the starboard
side of the bow, and in white
letters was family visible Gazelle
No. 2. The boat had lain there
for a long time, for it was half
filled with sand, and the splin-
tered wood had that weather.
worn appearance due to long ex-
posture to the elements. In the
sternsheets l found a rusty ten
gauge shotgun and sailor
sheath-knife broken short across
and so rusted as to be almost
unacceptable.
They got away. said cheer
fully; but / felt sinking at the
heart and seemed to divine the
presence of bleached bones some
where on that beach.
l did not wish Maud's spirits
to be dampened by such a find,
so | turned seward again with
our boat and skirted the north
eastern point of the island. There
were no beaches on the southern
shore, and by early afternoon we
rounded the black promontory
and completed the circumnavi-
cation of the island. l estimated
its circumference at twenty-five
miles, its width as varying
from two to five miles; while my
most conservative calculation
placed on its beaches two hun
dred thousand seals. The is
landewas highest at its extreme
southwestern point, the head
lands and backbone diminishing
regularly until the northeast
ern portion was only few feet
above the sea. With the excep-
ton of our little cove, the other
beaches sloped gently back for a
distance of half a mile or SO,
into what / might call rocky
meadows, with here and there
patches of moss and tundra
grass. Here the seals hauled
out, and the old bulls guarded
their harems, while the young
bulls hauled out by themselves
This brief description Is all
that Endeavor Island merits
Damp and soggy where it was
not sharp and rocky, buffeted by
storm winds and dashed by the
sea, with the air continually
a-tremble with the believing oil
two hundred thousand amphib.
ians, 1t was a melancholy and
miserable sojourning place
Maud, who had prepared me for
disappointment, and who had
been sprightly and vivacious all
day, broke down as we landed IN
our own little cove. She strove
bravely to hide 1t from me. but
while ! was kindling another
fire l knew she was sitting hel
sobs In the blankets under the
sail-tent.
1t was my turn to be cheerful
and l played the part to the besi
of my ability. and with such sue
cess that brought the laughter
back into her dear eyes and SONG
on her lips; for she sang to ms
before she went to an early bed
II was the first time 1 had
heard her sing, and / lay by the
fire, listening and transported
for she was nothing II not al
artist In everything she did. and
her voice, though not strong, war
wonderfully sweet and express
I've.
i still slept In the boat. and