Chapter XIV. The Druid.

I HAD hardly time to look round on my return home from the Liffey when I was offered the command of the Druid, an old-fashioned corvette mounting fourteen guns of an obsolete pattern. But though the ship was not much to brag of, the appointment was, nevertheless, a very good one-namely, senior officer on the coast of Newfoundland, for the protection of the fisheries. The post had heretofore been filled by one of the ships of the North American station, the selection of the officers being left to the discretion of the admiral on that station; but this arrangement not proving satisfactory, it was thought advisable to send an officer to carry out the duties for a term of three years instead of a different one every year. No doubt this was a better plan, for on the old system, by the time a captain had become familiar with his duties, which are mostly diplomatic, he was removed, and his place taken by another, who had in his turn to learn his work. The French Foreign Office also approved of the new arrangement, the result being that for the three years I was on the station I had for a colleague a charming fellow worker in Commodore Devarenne, whose broad pendant

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THE NEWFOUNDLAND FISHERIES.

was flying in the Clorinde. Since that time the senior officer is given the temporary rank of commodore whilst doing duty in Newfoundland; but I was simply "captain" and "senior officer," with three or four ships under my orders, from June till October, when we rejoined the Admiral at Halifax.

Twenty years ago Newfoundland was not so well known as it is now. The British public cared but little about it, and the questions at issue between the French and ourselves were familiar only to the diplomats, and such naval officers as had been employed on the fisheries. Of late Newfoundland has been much before the public, and though the situation remains much as it has been for the last hundred years, negotiations have been going on between the two Governments which will, it is to be hoped, lead to a satisfactory conclusion, - by which I mean the total expulsion of the French from the fishing-grounds. The French fishery has declined so much of late years as to be of very little value to them, and they are at last open to some arrangement, and would, I believe, accept compensation, either in money or in kind, in exchange for their undoubted rights, ceded to them by treaties which are not in accordance with present conditions. But in 1879 the French fishery was in full swing; a large fleet assembled at St Pierre as soon as the ice was off the coast, and distributed themselves along the shores, to the detriment of the native fishermen, between whom and the French constant conflicts arose.

The business of the French and English officers was, and is still, to endeavour to keep the peace

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between the contending parties, - not an easy task, as one naturally inclined towards one's own countrymen whilst endeavouring to do justice to the other side. The situation was a difficult, almost an impossible one, requiring tact, temper, and patience on both sides. It seemed hard that the natives of the soil should be debarred from prosecuting their sole industry in their own waters, and should have to give way to foreigners who had no interest in the country, and who returned home with their gains at the conclusion of the season; but there was no getting over the fact that by the terms of the treaties they were within their rights. Such was the position of affairs when the Druid arrived at St John's on the 24th May 1879.

Our first experience in navigating these coasts was not a pleasant one. Leaving Halifax in a dense fog and snowstorm, we shaped a course to the southward of St Pierre and Migelon, running a line of soundings with the patent lead. On approaching the islands (although by our reckoning well clear of them) one evening, the ship being under sail with a fresh breeze blowing, we were startled by hearing a gun, followed by another, and then a third. What could it mean but a warning that we were running into danger!

Visions of the ill-fated Niobe, which was lost on Migelon, flashed across my mind. We answered the signal, gun for gun, and hauled our wind with our head to the southward. Just then we caught a glimpse of a schooner standing across our wake, but we soon lost sight of her in the fog. We lay-to all night, and at daylight bore up on our course, the fog still as thick as ever, rounded Cape Race by the sound of the fog-horn in the lighthouse, and felt our way by the lead till we judged ourselves to be off the harbour

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A PHANTOM SHIP.

of St John's, when we furled sails and stood in for the land, keeping a sharp look-out with leadsmen in the chains. Still nothing could be seen, till the first lieutenant, George King-Hall, son of my old captain, went to the foretopmast cross-trees and piloted the ship into the harbour, no land having been seen since leaving Halifax. Curiously enough, we never heard more of the " phantom ship." From the fact of her firing guns we concluded she must be a man-of-war. The French had two armed schooners in their fishery squadron, and when I met the French commodore I asked him about it, but he assured me that none of his ships were in that locality at that time. So it has ever remained a mystery. What was she, and why did she fire signal-guns, seeing that we were not running into danger, as proved by our subsequently resuming our course and reaching our destination? What made it the more suspicious was the fact that if we had been twenty miles or so out of our course, the line of soundings exactly corresponded with those of our supposed position, in which case we should have been running into danger.

These fogs are very prevalent on the coast, always appearing when the wind blows towards the land, and adding much to the dangers of navigation. After the first season we got so used to them we did not mind, and found the safest course was to steer boldly in for the land, keeping a sharp look-out till we saw and heard the breakers, when we generally managed to feel our way into port. In this way I have frequently groped into a harbour without seeing anything, hearing dogs barking on shore, breakers on both sides, and people's voices, but seeing nothing, even after the anchor was let go. The worst of it

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was, the water is deep close-to, so we could not get soundings till actually inside the harbour. During the summer months icebergs are another fruitful source of danger, especially in a fog, when it is impossible to see them till close aboard. The thermometer gives no warning of their proximity until too late, the sea and air being of equal temperature. One of my little squadron, the Flamingo, ran into an iceberg a few hours after leaving St John's and smashed her bows in. We rigged a caisson under her bows, and repaired her in four days with the artificers of the squadron.

Our duties kept us constantly at sea, going from port to port; but we generally managed to get to an anchor before dark, when every one that could be spared landed with his fishing-rod in quest of salmon and sea-trout, which abound in all the rivers on the coast. By the end of September, when the French fishery fleet had departed, we were also able to indulge in sport with gun and rifle, and many a noble caribou was added to the bag. In my opinion Newfoundland is the finest sporting country it has ever been my lot to enjoy. I have fished in every river, crossed the island from east to west, and hunted in every part of it. At that time it was free to all, and no licence required; but since then a tax of 100 dollars (�20) has been placed on the gun, and sportsmen are restricted to a very limited number of caribou, although the settlers may massacre them as they please, which they do in such numbers that shiploads of frozen carcasses of deer are sent to the market at St John's by the local steamers plying around the coast. The result of this act is that English sportsmen are scared from visiting the island for sporting

Fight between Caribou Stags in Newfoundland

213

A FIGHT BETWEEN STAGS.

purposes, preferring the more adjacent shores of Scandinavia, to the great benefit of that country.

I was out after caribou with one of the officers of the Druid one bitter cold day, a gale blowing with occasional snow-squalls, when we came across a big stag and followed it into the forest, but lost it. Proceeding downwards, we presently sighted a herd of caribou in a valley, and managed to get quite close to them, when we made out one fine stag. I was just going to shoot it when we heard the roar of another stag, the one we had been following. The master of the herd instantly challenged back, and having gathered all his hinds together, started off at a gallop to meet his antagonist. Immediately afterwards we heard a crash as their heads met, and we also ran to see the fight. The curious part of it was that the hinds came too, taking no notice of us, and we all met where the two big stags were fighting, and watched them for several minutes at a distance of only a few yards. The stags paid no attention to us, so intent were they on the combat, until one was getting the worst of it and seemed inclined to bolt; so fearing to lose them, we fired simultaneously, and finished them off with another shot. It was a grand sight, and the heavy snowstorm added to the scene. A few minutes later the storm passed, the sun shone out, and the two gladiators lay peacefully with their faces upturned to a cloudless sky. It was a picture worthy of Landseer's pencil. The hinds remained for some time longer, but presently departed to look for another master.

The inhabitants of Newfoundland are almost entirely Irish or of Irish descent, with a sprinkling of Mecmac Indians, who are fast dying out.

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THE DRUID.

The latter are born hunters and trappers, and I always engaged two on my hunting expeditions. They are all Roman Catholics, and sincere ones, as I proved; for on one occasion we ran short of flour, tea, and sugar, and as it was their fast-time, they were in danger of starving, although we had meat in abundance. Under these circumstances I told them I was authorised to give them a dispensation, whereupon they gorged themselves with about 4 lb. of venison apiece ! I afterwards told the Roman Catholic archbishop, a personal friend of mine, what I had done, and he said I was perfectly justified.

Twenty years ago the coast was not so well surveyed as it probably is now, and we occasionally discovered unknown rocks by bumping on them. I noticed a fine harbour on our charts with an estuary leading up to it for forty miles. It had not been surveyed since the days of Captain Cook, but as the chart showed five fathoms all the way, I determined to visit it. All went well till we opened the mouth of the harbour, when we struck upon a rock in mid-channel not marked on the chart. The old ship took it like a hunter, rose up, heeled over, and slid down on the other side, leaving 20 feet of her keel and a bit of her forefoot behind her. Another time I was approaching Twillingate, a place on the east coast, when I found the passage barred by field-ice. There was no time to get round it, and darkness was coming on, so we "put her at it." The first shock brought all hands on deck, but by keeping the screw going we forced her through without damage.

These ice-fields are very deceptive, seven-eighths

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ICEBERGS.

of the floes being under water, as are the large icebergs. Sometimes as many as a hundred of the latter could be seen at once, some of gigantic dimensions. I have endeavoured to depict a scene of this description in Bonavista Bay.

Druid in Bonavista Bay

The Straits of Belleisle are always full of icebergs, generally enveloped in fog, and the harbour of St John's is occasionally blocked by a berg. The Druid's engines were constantly breaking down, and occasionally landed me in a tight place. I was standing into a harbour on the south coast in a dense fog, no land in sight, but we could hear the breakers on both bows: we had leadsmen in the chains, look-out men aloft and on the forecastle, and a boat ahead, when a man fell overboard. The engine-room telegraph was put to full speed astern, but the engineer said he couldn't move the engines ahead or astern! At this moment the look-out man sang out, "Breakers

Druid Amongst Icebergs in the Straits of Belleisle

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THE DRUID.

ahead!" The leadsmen could get no soundings, so we could not anchor - we were helpless ! Meantime a boat was lowered, the man saved, and the engines began slowly to move astern, the ship being then within 20 yards of the rocks. We then crept into harbour, arriving before our boat, which could not find the entrance till we had anchored and notified our position by fog-horn. We found it a good plan when coming along the coast to sound the siren constantly and judge our distance by the reverberation from the cliffs. One evening, when we were groping about in a dense fog off Cape Race, the officer on the forecastle reported a fishing-boat close under the bows: the helm was put hard-a-starboard to clear her, but still she was said to be close under the bow. The officer said he could not see anything, but he could hear her blocks creaking; so round we went in a circle, but still the mysterious sound followed us, until, having completed a circle about three times, I went forward and found that the sound came from our own iron cat-block, which creaked occasionally as the ship rolled in the swell, but could not be seen owing to the thick fog. That officer did not hear the last of it for some time.

Not the least in importance of the duties entailed upon the captains of H.M. ships in Newfoundland waters are the magisterial. All captains, commanders, and lieutenants commanding are sworn in as J.P.'s during their time of service on the coast, and many amusing stories, more or less founded on fact, are told of their judgments. Judge Prowse, the author of a valuable and exhaustive book on Newfoundland, and a most genial and popular sportsman, relates how the captain of one of H.M. ships, having a difficult case to

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THE SAILOR AS J.P.

investigate, ordered all the parties to repair on board his ship at 9 A.M., by which time the ship was steaming out of the harbour. It is possible that the legal knowledge of naval captains might have been wanting, but in place of it was usually to be found a good common-sense opinion; and as no fees were expected, the contending parties preferred to have their claims settled by us rather than by the more intricate and expensive process of the law courts. Moreover, they were always satisfied with our judgments, although they might not be approved of at headquarters; and I was accused of having on one occasion compounded a felony for having squared a case of arson, and was threatened with an action for contempt of court in a case of seduction

The doctors of H.M. ships also had a lively time of it, and as they gave their advice gratis, and dispensed medicine freely, they were consulted on every possible occasion. The consumption of bread-pills and distilled water was enormous. Men came aboard to see the doctor because they had been troubled with a cold last fall! or having nothing the matter with them, they thought they might be ill in the winter; women suffering from indigestion caused by wholesale drinking of strong tea, whereby their insides were tanned like leather, or because they had no family!

I have stated that in my opinion Newfoundland is the finest sporting country I ever had the good fortune to visit. It would be difficult to close this chapter without some allusion to the sport to be obtained there, in corroboration of the above statement. Not only is there deer-stalking, but very fair grouse-shooting, also salmon and sea-trout fishing,

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THE DRUID.

the latter first-rate. The salmon-fishing has much improved of late years, due principally to the fact of so many senior officers being keen sportsmen, who have endeavoured to suppress the pernicious custom of barring the rivers, as practised by the settlers. This abominable and short-sighted practice had well-nigh exterminated salmon in the best rivers of the island, and during my time it was very few that found their way into our bags. The sea-trout-fishing was always good, owing to the fact that these fish are mostly to be found at the mouths of rivers, coming in and going out with the tide. Moreover, being smaller fish, many of them escaped through the meshes and reached the spawning-grounds. The largest salmon I ever remember to have caught during three seasons was but 12 lb. ; since then I have heard of 20 and 30 pounders being creeled. Of grilse we always secured a fair amount, but our best bags were sea-trout. One day I got 98 lb. of sea-trout in four hours in a small river in Bonne Bay, and could have doubled the bag had I wished.

As regards grouse - or "partridge," as they are called by the natives - a good dog is necessary; and even then it would be difficult to make a big bag, as the birds are so scattered, but with straight powder ten to twenty brace may be secured on good ground by a couple of guns - enough to satisfy any old-fashioned sportsman. Judge Prowse and I made some very pretty bags in the neighbourhood of St Mary's, on the south coast, shooting over dogs. The best snipe-shooting is in the neighbourhood of St John's. On the high "barrens" they are scarce, much as they are on the fjelds of Norway and Sweden, though both places seem admirably suited

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THE HAND OF PROVIDENCE

for them. Woodcocks are unknown, though so plentiful in Nova Scotia. But the sport par excellence is with the rifle, hunting the caribou or woodland reindeer. This animal is a finer beast than the Norwegian reindeer, and carries more massive antlers. I generally found time for a week's hunting towards the end of the season, and I never had any difficulty in getting four or five good heads each trip, which was all I wanted. The sport I enjoyed on these occasions would fill a volume, but I have not space to relate it here. Besides deer, there are bears, wolves, beavers, otters, hares, and rabbits; but they cannot be said to afford sport, and are usually killed by trapping.

On the coast of Labrador the sport is equally good, especially fishing. Several fine rivers running into the Straits of Belleisle are famous for salmon and trout, notably the Forteau river, which is second to none in Newfoundland. This part of the country is sparsely populated, and the settlers are very poor, and often half starved. They depend a good deal on wrecks, which are frequent in the straits by reason of the fogs. One old settler told me that he and his family were on the point of starving in the winter, when, as he put it, "The Lord God Almighty, who never forgets those who put their trust in Him, in His merciful providence sent us relief! A fine steamer, sir, came ashore quite handy: she was loaded with flour, on which we have been living ever since. The Lord be praised for all His mercies!" The old man evidently considered the ship was sent for his especial benefit, and he related how they could see the ship's mast-heads over the fog as she came in.

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THE DRUID.

In justice to the French, I must say we had very little trouble with them during my three years on the coast. Indeed they were very kind to the poor settlers, and were liked by them. Occasionally they would try and bounce about their rights, but a little courtesy generally put things straight. Whilst cruising along the west coast I observed a French flag flying on Red Island, in contravention of the treaties, which do not permit any rights of sovereignty; so I landed and interviewed the Prud'homme or headman on the subject. After smoking a cigarette, I inquired the reason of the French flag being hoisted. He said he had flown it for six years, and that no one had ever objected. So I told him that as the island belonged to Great Britain and not to France, I should be obliged to him to haul it down, whilst fully appreciating his politeness in showing his colours to a man-of-war! After a little protest he did so, and I requested him not to hoist it again. If I had hauled it down, as I might certainly have done, it would have been described as an "outrage."

By the end of October, our work being over for the season, we joined the Admiral at Halifax, and from thence went on to Bermuda to refit preparatory to leaving for the West Indies, where we spent the winter. In this way we had the best of the station all the year round. There is not much to do at Bermuda except boat-sailing and sea-fishing. The sea swarms with fish of every size and colour, and the camber where we were lying was packed with them. One day we exploded a charge of fulminate of mercury in the camber. The shock was terrific, and fish came up in thousands. The bottom was paved with dead fish, and our men were employed for several days

221

MONARCH OF ALL HE SURVEYS.

taking boatloads of stinking fish out to sea. The senior officer in charge of the dockyard said we had shaken the foundations of the buildings, and would cause a plague with the fish. However, we sailed for the West Indies, and heard no more of the matter.

Leaving Bermuda for the southward, a ship, if under sail, generally steers for the Mona Passage, between the islands of Puerto Rico and Hayti, before reaching which the north-east trade-wind will be picked up. It is then that the sailor, if he has any sentiment in him, can realise the romance of the sea (much of which has departed in these days of purely steam-ships). As his ship flies through the blue and sparkling waters, her sails swelling to the breeze, flying-fish leap in shoals from the bows, pursued by albacore, bonito, and the many-hued dolphin; whilst overhead sea-birds are ever on the watch for the unlucky flying-fish, whose life must be one of constant excitement, and not all joy.

I always maintain that the pleasantest time in a naval officer's life is as a post-captain in command of a corvette or frigate, especially if on detached service ; for however kind and charming the admiral may be, we all like our independence, and a captain who loves his ship - and who does not? - with a nice set of officers and a slashing crew, is in an enviable position. At sea he is "monarch of all he surveys," and when he reaches port he is always welcome.

The old Druid, as I have already observed, was not much to brag of, with her saucy ram-bow, her wall sides, and goose stern. Her raking masts gave her a smartish look, which her ugly upright funnel belied. She would sail fairly well off the wind, and

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THE DRUID.

we made some good passages under sail; but she had no more weatherly qualities than a hay-stack, and her engines would have disgraced a tramp. Notwithstanding these defects, we loved the old boat, and took a pride in her. My zealous first lieutenant kept her as clean as a new pin. Her guns shone like mirrors, and she was in perfect order and discipline. I always painted the stern windows myself, and spent many an hour slung over the quarter, paint-brush in hand, pipe in mouth, attired in an old duck suit, daubing away. Not a very dignified position for the captain, I hear some one say; but our painter (Joshua Reynolds by name!) had no artistic qualifications, so I preferred to do the work myself - a practice I have always since adhered to.

An amusing thing happened apropos of this fancy of mine. Some years afterwards, when in command of the Ruby, a beautiful corvette, I was at Monte Video, senior officer on the station, when the President of the Republic of Uruguay came off to pay me an official visit en grande tenue. I had no notice of his intended visit, and at the time of his coming on board I was over the stern on a grating, painting the stern windows, and bespattered with paint. George Callaghan, the first lieutenant, explained that I was not on board, which was the truth, as I was out board!

Our first port of call in the West Indies was Port Royal, Jamaica, where we came under the orders of the Commodore, and remained on his part of the station till the time arrived again for our northern flight. In this way the time passed most pleasantly, the climate of the West Indies being delightful during the winter months, varied by an occasional cruise

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JAMAICA "N_____S" IN A REGATTA

to Belize, Cuba, Hayti, or the Spanish main, as the exigencies of the service demanded. Whilst we were at Jamaica a naval regatta was organised, and great was the competition for the Commodore's prize. At the last moment, just before the boats were assembled, and the Commodore's barge, which was the favourite, was having the finishing touches put to her, a boatload of Jamaica n_____s came down from Kingston and entered for the race; and, much to our astonishment, they won, the Commodore's boat being nowhere! On hauling her up to see what was the matter; the coxswain, to his intense disgust, found a basket full of stones hitched on to the rudder pintles. The boat had dragged this all round the course, which accounted for her being "kinder sluggish," as the coxswain had said she was. The n______s, having got the cup, disappeared very suddenly and were no more seen, though the Commodore's coxswain was inquiring after them.

The Skipper Painting the Ruby's Stern Windows.

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