Daily Alta California, 18 February 1877
The yacht “Minnie” is on the beach at the foot of Mason street cleaning.
The bark “Tenby Castle” goes up to Vallejo City to-morrow, to load wheat for Cork.
The schooner “Jessie Nickerson” sailed from Eureka on the 11th instant, for Tahiti.
The bark “David Hoadley ” was towed direct to Oakland yesterday, where she discharges her lumber.
The ship ” S. Vaugban ” arrived yesterday in a passage of 112 days from Batavia*. She has several cases of scurvy on board.
Among the passengers per “Mary Witridge,” for Hongkong, was Captain N. B. Palmer, formerly one of the Captains in Low’s famous line of clippers. He is accompanying a consumptive relative to China, who hopes to remedy his disease.
Two fine American ships arrived yesterday, the “Grecian” and “Paul Revere.” The latter is under the command of Captain Mullin, formerly of the ship “Sumatra,” an old trader at this port. The “Grecian” docks at Vallejo street, and the ” Paul Revere” at Front street, to discharge.
The following is an example of quick despatch: The ship ” St. Stephen,” of New York, owned by Chapman & Flint, left Bath January 11th, arrived at New York on the 16th ; coppered, discharged ballast and loaded 2750 tons of general cargo in Sutton & Co.’s line for this port and sailed on the 9th inst., being 28 days from the time she left Bath till she sailed from New York for this port.
The United States revenue cutter “Richard Rush,” now at Humboldt, has visited nearly every one of the small harbors on the coast between San Francisco and Humboldt Bay. Her immediate mission is to look after the interests of the Government, in ascertaining, if possible, whether any illicit commerce is carried on at the unimportant ports, where goods might be easily smuggled in, as in the case of a cargo of brandy on the Mendocino coast some years ago. The commander of the “Rush ” is also instructed to look to the interests of vessels in the coasting trade, it being a season of the year when distress is liable to come to coasters and their crews. In this matter the instructions of the Department are imperative. The “Rush” will proceed as far up the coast as may be deemed advisable for the purposes stated by the officer in command.
The following incident, which is vouched for as an actual occurrence, illustrates forcibly the decay of our maritime interest :
” Mind your starboard helm !” said an apple woman, as an old salt reeled up against her stand. “(Hic; starboard is it, and steady, old Gal,” replied tbe tar ; ” but where the blazes (hic) did you learn to steer?” “Ten years a stewardess in the Liverpool trade, my hearty,” replied the old woman, “and down to every wrinkle ; but heave ahead, my lad, and save a tide, and let the gentleman in to buy some apples.” “Aye, aye, my lass,” said the old mariner ; and as he staggered away he muttered, “(Hic) ten years a stewardess, and (hic) come to this; our com(hic)merce is all gone to the dogs !”
* Jakarta