FUR TRADERS 
93 
Cleaning otter tails, which can be saved, all but two or three 
of them. 
Captain Emil Dollanz, schooner ‘Gamboa’, 8 tons, which 
left Rio Douglas the morning after we arrived, Sat. May 11, 
came in from the Cape Horn Islands late in the afternoon: 
Captain, Cristophersen, Portugese, and Chilean. Had been 
out two months and twenty days from Magallanes and only 
secured 60 otters, no foxes. All Cape Horn Otters. Chilean 
ill. Sent him Epsom salts and aspirin; took whole lot 
together, no harm. Captain Dollanz was the man who shot 
‘Charlie Ford’ 1 years ago when the latter ran amok. He 
was very interesting. Had once been captain of a Brown 
Blanchard steamer, but involved other captain in some 
transactions with fur, and left service; nothing serious. He 
had been 33 years at sea and knew all there is to know about 
these parts. Asked him about sailing vessels and the Straits. 
Told me that any small cutter for example that could sail 
within four points of the wind had room enough in which 
to tack, and could get through, but larger ones, such as 
1 From B. Charlie Ford the Pirate, a celebrated ‘seaman’ and Captain, used to 
tie his men to mast and beat them if they offended him, but he had such a reputation 
for good luck that he could always get a crew. Had a gun on his cutter, and when 
other schooners were sealing against regulations, he used to appear suddenly while 
they had their skins out on shore, hoist the British flag, and fire his gun. Off they 
ran, leaving him master of the situation and of the seal skins. Once, when Grandi 
of Bertrand Island, father of man who was drowned, was detained by authorities 
in Port Stanley, Falkland Islands, for poaching 18 seal skins, Charlie Ford came 
along quickly and secured 4,000 skins in two weeks, and sailed away safely. Some 
shepherds had seen Grandi poaching, so when he came into Port Stanley, the 
authorities allowed him to unload his cargo, and then searched and found the seals 
and took charge of them, and fined him ioo( ?) dollars, which he could not or would 
not pay for more than a year. IVIeanwhile Charlie secured his 4,000. Charlie finally 
ran amok on one of his voyages. Ordered whole crew into hold, and was about 
to shoot them all, when he himself was shot by the ‘mate’ who happened to have 
a rifle and was in his cabin on deck. Threw body overboard, and reported himself 
in Magallanes, and that -was the end of Charlie Ford. The mate now on board the 
schooner. Charlie -was known in Ushuaia as Charlie the dandy. [Charlie s death 
occurred] outside the Cape Horn Islands. 
