Vashon Island news-record. [volume] (Vashon, Wash.) 1919-1954, 1927-04-29

catch the eels more readily.
A little drive about the island to
while away the time viii be fine
and we eau have lunch at Grieye
de Lecq, Bonley Bay or Rozel as
may be convenient. This is the
Royal square, that monument, Oh
that IS supposed to be q statue of
Charles the second. He took re-
fuge on the island during the
Cromwell rebellion. The islands
stayed with the Crowns forces
throughout the rebellion. Some
say that the statue was the figure
head of some ship that was wreck
ed here, the Islanders are a thrifty
race, and what was the use of
spending money when they had a
ready made gift from Neptune, so
they mounted it on a white gran
lite pedestal, gave it coat of gold
leaf and | guess it fills the bill al
right. One night some Joker gave
it a coat of coal tar and placed the
empty pail on poor Charlie S head
for a helmet, Lese Majesty, but
Charles has been dead a long time
50 it could not hurt his feelings.
What are those spots on the wall
of that saloonl That is supposed
to be bullet marks, and notice the
words; Here Pierson fell. That
dates back about 1870 years, when
g force of French troops under
one Baron de Roullecourt effected
a landing one night and took the
Lieutenant Governor prisoner and
made him sign a capitulation or
dering Major Pierson to surrender.
The Major replied that as the Gov
enor was prisoner he was no
longer IN command so he summon,
ed the militia and with the few
regulars at his command gave
battle right here. The French
were beaten and taken PRISONS
and both Pierson and Rollecourt
were killed. A joke was perpe-
trated by a visitor who inserted
the following words between, here
Major Pierson fell, 'slain by
Bass s Ale and Dublin Stout. +"
This is Saint Heliers church
with the old square Norman tower
one of twelve for each Parish seat.
tered through the island. Saints
in plenty to safeguard the people.
These were of course all Catholic
churches till the reformation. Each
is presided over by a Rector and
the Dean is the head of the whole.
Lilly Langtry (the Jersey Lily
was the daughter of Dean LIE Bre-
ton.
Here we are at st. Brelade, this
church was built in the year a. ID.
I'LL. Pretty ancient. The roof
is solid masonry without any wood
work and good for a few thous-
and years.
Now for Gieve de Lecq, one of
many charming little bays with a
stretch of white sand. This place
brings to my mind a good joke our
pilots played on the hotel manager
here and the custom house officers
years ago. II happened like this.
Our folks were out in their Pilot
boat and it was a dirty rough day
with a southwest wind and rain
so they came ashore in their gum
boots slickers and souwesters for a
little something to warm aud cheer
their spirits. The Hotel man took
them for smugglcrs and asked Bill
Keeping what they had, so Bill
took a tumble aud said some kegs
of brandy and rum, the Hotel man
said alright ] will take the lot and
Bill said we will 60 aboard and
stand out to sea to alay suspicion
land colhe back about two in the
morning. So our folks got aboard
and made straight for town about
20 miles away. Mr.. Hotel man al
so got his rig aud made for town
about II miles by road TO inform
the custom house men who spent
a wet, cbcerlcss night in the rocks
at Gieve dc Lecq waiting for the
smugglers who were snug and com
Portable in their beds at home.
Tho whole island laughed them
selves sick over the episode.