160 FISHERMEN'S MEMORIAL AND RECORD BOOK. 



This was an entirely new voyage, and skipper Pattillo, just the man to 

 undertake it. He took with him five men and a black boy, and think- 

 ing there would be some nice game in those regions, carried five 

 muskets and two kegs of powder. They started on the 28th of 

 November, and after arriving were frozen up. Nothing daunted at 

 this, they cut holes in the ice and succeeded in getting a load of her- 

 ring, but they could not get out. There they were, hard and fast, 

 with miles of ice between them and the clear water. 



According to the old treaty, American vessels had no right to 

 catch herring, or any other fish, within an imaginary three-mile line 

 from the shore ; and some one informed a Custom House officer 

 named Gayden, that a Yankee vessel was getting herring, and he 

 determined to seize and make a prize of her. Now it so happened 

 that the Tiger was out of provisions, and the Captain sent some of 

 the crew a long distance ashore, where they purchased some flour and 

 molasses. Some good friend of the Captain wrote him a letter and 

 despatched it by one of the crew, in which he stated that Gayden 

 intended to take the vessel, and was soon coming with a large force. 



The Captain read the letter and then informed his crew. " Now, 

 boys, we'll see about this. The thing can't be done ! What, take 

 the Tiger? Not by a long shot. We'll put her in such good fighting 

 trim that all Newfoundland couldn't take her ! " 



Then they went to work and built four barricades of double logs, 

 in such a manner that they swung at an angle of forty-five, command- 

 ing a complete sweep of the vessel, bullet-proof, and affording perfect 

 shelter. When these were completed he swore his men on the Bible, 

 that they would stick to him until the end, and so long as life lasted, 

 they would obey his orders and fight for the old Tiger. 



On the morning of March llth, five boats were seen coming out- 

 side the ice, between Young's Point and Folly Cove Head. A clear 

 place in the ice had been cut around the Tiger, in order to keep the 

 foe at a respectful distance and give those on board a better oppor- 

 tunity to fire. 



The Captain was right on his muscle that morning, and gave orders 

 to load the muskets. They had been busy the day previously in 

 running balls in a pistol-ball mould, and fifteen of these balls were 

 placed in each cartridge. One keg of powder was placed in the hold, 

 with a train attached, and the black boy had instructions that, at a 

 given signal, he was to set fire to it and blow the vessel and all on 

 board into atoms. The Tiger was not to be given up under any cir- 

 cumstances. They were all to share tho mine fate, and they knew 



