Bowdoin Boys in Labrador | Page 2

Grampus was
here with the present assistant commissioner, Capt. Collins, in
command, the plans were purchased by our government on the
condition that no copies were to be made without Mr. Embree's consent.
A little later yet, a commissioner from Holland and Sweden came over,
bought the plans and built a perfect copy of the original, the seaworthy
qualities of which has caused its type to entirely displace the old style
of small fishing boats in those countries. The boat's abilities in heavy
waters have been tested many times, and have never failed to equal her
reputation.
But, meanwhile, the Julia lies quietly at anchor, as if it were mutely
reproaching your correspondent with singing another's praises when
she has brought us safely and easily thus far, in spite of gales, fog, and
headwind, calm, and treacherous tide, and even now is eagerly waiting
for the opportunity to carry us straight and swiftly to Battle Harbor in
the straits of Belle Isle, where letters and papers from home await us,
and then up through the ice fields to Cape Chudleigh.
[The Real Start] Our real start was made from Southwest Harbor, Mt.
Desert, the Monday after leaving Rockland. Saturday night, after a
short sail in the dark and a few tacks up the Thoroughfare to North

Haven village, we anchored and rested from the confusion and worry of
getting started and trying to forget nothing that would be needed in our
two and one-half months' trip. Sunday morning was nearly spent before
things were well enough stowed to allow us to get under weigh in
safety, and then our bow was turned eastward and, as we thought,
pointed for Cape Sable. Going by the hospital on Widow's Island and
the new light on Goose Rock nearly opposite it, out into Isle au Haut
bay, we found a fresh northeaster, which warned us not to go across the
Bay of Fundy if we had no desire for an awful shaking up. In view of
all the facts, such as green men, half-stowed supplies and threatening
weather, we decided that we must not put our little vessel through her
paces that night, and chose the more ignominious, but also more
comfortable course of putting into a harbor. Consequently after
plunging through the rips off Bass Head, and cutting inside the big bell
buoy off its entrance, we ran into Southwest Harbor and came to anchor.
In the evening many of the party thought it wise to improve the last
opportunity for several months, as we then supposed, to attend church,
and to one who knew the chapel-cutting proclivities of many of our
party while at Bowdoin, it would have been amusing to see them
solemnly tramp into church, rubber boots and all. It is a fact, however,
that every member of our party, with a possible exception, went to
church in this place yesterday largely for the same reason.
Our little Julia rewarded our action of the night previous by taking us
out by Mt Desert Rock at a rattling pace Monday morning, bowing
very sharply and very often to the spindle-like tower on the rock, as she
met the Bay of Fundy chop, and at the same time administered a very
effective emetic to all but five or six of the Bowdoin boys aboard. She
is wise as well as bold and strong, and so after nightfall waited under
easy canvas for light to reveal Seal Island to our watchful eyes. Shortly
after daylight the low coast was made out, the dangerous rocks passed,
and Cape Sable well on our quarter. But there it stayed. We made but
little progress for two days, and employed the time in laying in a supply
of cod, haddock and pollock, till our bait was exhausted. Then we shot
at birds, seals and porpoises whenever they were in sight, and from the
success, apparently, at many when they were not in sight; put the
finishing touches on our stowage, and kept three of the party constantly
employed with our long bamboo-handled dip-net, in fishing up

specimens for the professor and his assistants. As the result of this we
have a large number of fish eggs which we are watching in the process
of hatching, many specimens of crustacea and of seaweed. The
photographers, in the meanwhile, got themselves into readiness for real
work by practicing incessantly upon us.
Thursday, we made Sambro light; soon pilot boat number one hailed us
and put a man aboard, whom we neither needed nor wanted, and we
were anchored off the market steps at Halifax. The run up the harbor
was very pleasant. Bright skies, a fresh breeze off the land, and vessels
all about us made many lively marine pictures. The rather unformidable
appearing fortification, on account of which Halifax