IX BACK TO THE KEN A I PENINSULA 165 



the slightest possible provocation, and as Alaska can produce 

 plenty of men who are reputed to be able " to give cards to 

 the best liar in Hades, and then snow under the other man at 

 his own game," the average Englishman feels himself rather 

 outclassed. 



On July 24 the Nezvport arrived safely in Sand Point 

 harbour, but it was blowing such a gale that she was com- 

 pelled to remain at anchor twenty-four hours before her skipper. 

 Captain Redfern, cared to risk the open sea passage. The 

 Newport was not blessed with the best reputation as a good 

 sea boat, and one man, who had travelled often on board her, 

 declared to me that she was the champion boat to roll, along 

 the whole of the Pacific coast ; in fact, as he described it, 

 " She rolls that bad, you can see right down her smoke-stack 

 and out of the bilge-hole." She afterwards gave an example 

 of her powers in this way, and I almost believed the statement 

 made by my informant. 



When finally we bade farewell to the inhabitants of Sand 

 Point, the Newport was fairly crowded with passengers, 

 and amongst the number were a lot of fishermen and 

 miners returning from the westward, many of them fairly 

 lively from the effect of the numerous parting drinks 

 with friends at Sand Point. Things looked like being 

 rather interesting on the lower deck before long. I soon 

 discovered that Captain Redfern was most efficient in the 

 use of his fists, and on finding that I also had a sneaking 

 affection for the noble art, he enticed me into a conversation 

 on the subject, and told some most amusing anecdotes of 

 how he had been compelled to uphold his position as a mate 

 or skipper by sheer force of arms, amongst various crews of 

 all nationalities, in different parts of the world. We were 

 standing on the bridge looking on to the lower deck, as we 



