THE ALUMNI JOURNAL 105 



hulk was docked, which was sunk off the coast of CaHfornia al)out 

 a year after the happening of this event with a loss of two hundred 

 lives. 



"Farewell, boys," said he, and walking briskly up the gang- 

 plank, boarded ship, deeply thinking where will it end. The deck 

 was crowded with weather-beaten miners returning to their homes 

 from the north countrv, and, as he was told, some with snug sums 

 of gold with them. The vessel sailed smoothly through the beauti- 

 fid harbor of Puget Sound, docking at Port Townsend for an hour, 

 after which the ship headed for the British port, Victoria, B. C, 

 vv^here she again docked for four hours, heeling tired and hungry, 

 for he knew not what the fare on board ship would be like, John- 

 son steered for a restaurant and partook of food. He noticed the 

 waiters gazing at him with smiles, and embarrassed to find the 

 cause of this attention to be, that he had seasoned his victuals with 

 powdered sugar instead of salt. "Darn the British, anyhow," 

 thought he, for thev seem to have everything alike and no wonder 

 I made such a mess. Taking in the sights which were few, as it 

 was a small town, Johnson trudged back to the shij) in the black 

 of night. 



Again they were off, the ship turning leeward, sailed around 

 Cape Flattery, encoimtering high seas, rocked and tossed like a tov, 

 timl)ers creaking as if they would break in two. and over all a still- 

 ness as of death, showed the danger before them. Being restless in 

 his berth, for it was his first night aboard ship in twenty years, 

 Johnson was wondering what his fortune would be in the land of 

 the golden sun for which he was bound. The rising sun told of a 

 beautiful September morning, and in calmness they were sailing 

 along, the weather superb, the coast of Oregon looming up to the 

 left, the Cascacfe mountains in the distance, the peace of the ship 

 undisturbed, except for the exciting stories of miners told of Yukon 

 Pass, the Chilkoot, or porpoise and whale cutting their way through 

 the sea, the porpoise in a mad race with the ship. Walking over 

 the deck Johnson came to a group of sailors of the L'nited States 

 Navy, one of which was barely restrained by his comrades from 

 throwing one of the passengers overboard, who came aboard ship 

 at Victoria, a British subject. "You are all tin soldiers and to — 

 with the country and its native sons wdiere you are going." Such 

 an insult directed at our jack-tars made him sore also, but seeing 

 that a drunkard uttered them, quiet soon reigned. Slowly nearing 

 the coast of California on the third day under deep blue skies and 

 dying sun, what a picture! As the sun shone a path of gold, ra- 

 diating upon a mighty sea. At Point Reyes the arrival of ship was 

 telegraphed to 'Frisco, and after passing Point Bonitas at the en- 

 trance of the rocky Golden Gate and opposite grim Fort Scott, 

 guarding the secrets within, the Walla Walla was quarantined. 



