The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, July 24, 1898, Page 21

THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, SUNDAY, JULY 24, ™ SurfeRnG DES- WRECKED on _ToD0S SanTos lsLamn: 1203 Mexico on their way to Parils. 1898. 21 Remarkable HAdventures OF Gwo French Sailors Who Were Wrecked on Oodos Santos Jsland and Spent Five Yoars Crassz}zy Falf the World to Paris must have passed through the worst of their travels toward Pa Certain, they said, there could be nothing worse beyond. But walit until they strike the unconquered Yaquis, and then we shall see! “Making their way along the railroad through Hermosillo and Torres, the men arrived at Ures. They bore marks of their geeat privation, but were of the same astonishing humor. “Through pure admiration of their wonderful pluck, and with a strain of envy stirring up the wanderer that sleeps in the breast of every man, thgse Frenchmen were furnished with wild roving, they are shrewd, these Frenchmen. Without hes- lantique. Well, it is possible they will succeed. At any rate, no man can help feeling a thrill of admiration for their aston- ishing spirit and love of adven-- ture. Buen viaje.” From this point Malartre takes up the story of his wanderings with Bassot and by a simple recital weaves a tale of absorbing interest. Gifted with a happy facility of expression, and hav- ing some education, Malartre describes well the manifold adventures they en- countered. He ribes the unex- plored fastnesses of the Slerra Madres, separating the States of Sonora and Chihuahua, where evidences of gold tempted the wanderers to stay their feet. % can be discerned the spirit of the Three Musketeers—a devil-may-care, maraud- s food and clothing gratis. They They were selzed by the Yaquis, and ‘ e T accepted such articles as were but for thelr utter frankness and fear- THRST Vit h ! B useful, but declined daintles and lessness would have been put to death. [ THE il sl Ml oy heavy apparel. With all their Between the llnes of Malartre's letter / Crossma THE Guir of They crossed the Gulf of Cali- fornia with the ease of sailors. Nobody knows how they got across. Certainly no steam or sail vessel contains their names as passengers or crew. Perhaps they paddled across in a cata- maran of the Seris, or impro- vised a sail. At any rate, un- daunted as Gilliatt in his fierce CaLirormia it=tion they resumed their jour- ney. They said their route would lead them through the Yaqui strongholds, but they feared no Indians, because they carried no weapons and convinced the na- tives they were on no mischiev- ous errand. “From the Yaqui, if they ever get through, the men, will cross the Sierra Madres, going through places where white men have never been. Making their way into the Stzte of Chihua- hua, they will then go south- ward, through the interior to the City of Mexico and thence to Vera Cruz. There they will embark on a steamer of the Compagnie Generale Transat- E TAQUIEDS, ing and not too conscientious spirit. Tied hand and foot in a Yaqui camp, the men laughed and joked with their captors and by their recklessness soft- ened the Indians into giving them food and drink, and through the latter ele- ment the men made their escape. They induced the Yaquis to fill themselves with mescal, pretending all the time to keep pace with them. When the In- dians were so drunk they could not walk the two guileless Frenchmen took a canteen each of the fiery stuff and leisurely made their way down the mountain slopes toward Paris. Once out of sight of the Yaquis they made haste till dawn the next day, going into a densely choked canyon and hid- ing in a cave. The next day they placed eight leagues between them- selves and the Indians. And so on all the way down the line. They fell from a precipice in the Du- rango Mountains and Bassot was laid up for six weeks with a broken shoul- der. Malartre meantime hunted, trap- ped and cooked the food, besides nurs- ing his companicn and looking out for FTER five years of hardship, privation and suffering, Louis Malartre and Eugene Bassot just completed the jour- from San Diego, Califor- to Paris, France. As walked every step of the d land, and trav- wildest and most in- ions' of Mexico, each g through some adventure, p must be looked upon as one »{ the most thrilling recently under- the fact that they narmed and without ¥ to start with and their performance becomes wonderful. Both Malartre and Bassot are well known along the coast as they are sea- a cent of mor n and made coastw trips for ye: bout five years ago they were shipwrecked with the schooner Queen of the B: on the coast of vdos Santos Island, some 50 miles be- w San Diego. r lying around town a few days departed, telling their friends they were going to Paris, via Vera Cruz. Since then nothing was heard of the two Frenchmen until a few days ago when letters came to Martin Lavi- gne in San Di , telling of their safe arrival in Paris and incidentally recit- ing a few of the adventures through on the way and als a number of clippings from newspapers in the Mexican towns in which they met with extraordinary adventures. The California friends of the two ad- venturous Frenchmen had long since given them up as dead and are conse- quently greatly rejoiced to hear of their safe arrival in their native land. But when their adventures are consid- ered it would seem as if they must have borne charmed lives. It is hard to believe that two men could pass through such hardships without suc- cumbing. According to the letters from Malar- tre, after they left San Diego he and Bassott traveled along the coast to Santo Domingo, where they helped to unload a lot of mining machinery, af- ter which they went to Calmalli min- ing camp, sixty miles in the interior of (OXOROROROROROROJOROROROZOXOXO) [OJOJOXO) Lower Cali- fornia, and about 400 miles south of San Diego. Among the news- paper clippings forward ed by them is one from El Eco del Valle of Ures, Sonora, which gives count of the sufferings of Mal tre and Bassot from the time they left Calmalli until they arrived at Ures. Malarte states that the account is too mild, if anything, but that it saves writing the detz s0 he indorses it. “Two sailors named Malartre and Bassot passed through Ures the first of the week,” says this paper. “They were on their way from Calmalli, Baja California, to the port of Vera Cruz, where they intend to embark for France. They left Calmalll without preparation for the aw- ful trip across the desolate wastes of Loreto. Thelr food gave out, and at times they were delirious in their sufferings from thirst. How they escaped from the peninsula inferno is an inscrutable mystery. They did, however, and appeared on the gulf coast naked and with bleeding feet, lean and with shot eyes. Their wild ex- on and long beards gave them the aspect of maniacs. The authorities were about to place them under restraint, but the men gave proof of their san- ity and were permitted to pro- ceed. “What courage is possessed by these sallors! Not content with their experience, they [oXoX0) AS battle with the elements on the Douvres, these men made their Way across the narrow but tem- Pestuous gulf. They mentioned, Without boasting, that they passed by the Isle of Tiburon, and would have set foot thereon had not the Serl cannibals turned the prow of their boat toward the open sea. What hardihood! “When the sailors arrived in the port of Guaymas, there was Incredulity that a frail craft like that could cross the stormy gulf. No man believed they had made the passage. Malartre and Bassot were out of food, and had but the dregs of a cask of water. But with singu- lar light-heartedness they spoke of their voyage and sald they @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@®® NATIONS DISPUTING OVER WHAT THEY CALL “THE SAN JOSE SCALE.” N February 5, 1898, the Emperor of Germany issued a decree prohibiting the admission of American fruits and living plants into Germany. A day or 80 later a shipment of California pears arrfved at the port of Ham- burg, and was refused admittance. The telegraphed to American newspapers; and there was much ex- citerent both in horticuitural and in ofticial circles, The newspapers were short of “r " at the time; and the il interest was intensified by the 1sational articles pub- lifornians were particularly indig- nant; and interviews with the Con- onal representatives of that State, published in Washington, re- ported that California especially prided herself on the cleanness of her fruit, and upon the vigorous measures which, for a number of years, she had taken to prevent the introduction of injurious insects within her boundaries. It was reported in the newspapers that vigor- ons diplomatic correspondence between the two Governments ensued, and that Embassador White was instructed to protest energetically agalinst the edlet, and to endeavor to secure a modifica- tion of its terms, says the Forum for July. It was not long, however, before the text of the {mperfal decree became known; and it was then found that the particular insect aimed at was the San Jose scale (Aspidiotus perniciosus). It was further learned that the German Government was fully informed as to the habits of this injurious insect, its startling spread in the Eastern States during the past few years, and the leg- islation which several States had en- acted in the effort to exterminate it, or at least to limit its spread. These facts having been learned it became at once apparent that, even if the decree had some ulterior retalia- tory motive, it was certainly the mis- fortune of the United States that Ger- many had so good an excuse, ‘With all this disturbance in our own country, with all this widespread pub- licity, necessitated by the threatened danger to one of our greatest indus- tries, is it any wonder that foreign + Governments should have taken alarm? And, viewing the matter dispassionate- ly, is the German Government to be blamed for an effort to prote.t its hor- ticultural interests? As was to be expected, the action of Germany immediately called the atten- tion of other nations to the danger which similarly threatened them. Can- ada had already had under considera- tion the subject of the prohibition of living plants imported from the United States; and on March 18, 1898, an act, known as the San Jose scale act, passed the Canadian Legislature. By the terms of this act the importation of living plants—commonly called nur- sery . stock—from any countrles or places designated by the Governor General in council was prohibited. An order in council immediately followed, placing the United States, Australia, Japan and the Hawaiian Islands under the ban. A month later the Government of Austria-Hungary issued a decree sim- ultaneously at Vienna and Budapest prohibiting the importation into that country from America of living plants, grafts and layers, as well as the pack- Ings and coverings of such plants. In this decree, however, the importation of fresh fruit was not prohibited; but an Inspection at the Austro-Hungar- ARRESTEP MANIACS. (@ ) % 7 [ SN 1 = S8 .:— fan cus- i tom house % was provid- ed for, coupled " with the an- nhouncement that such fruit would be excluded if the presence of San Jose scale were proved. Following this decree of Austria- Hungary the Government of the Neth- erlands sent to the United States one of the most eminent scientific men in Holland, Dr. J. Ritzema Bos, for the purpose of investigating the status of the San Jose scale. Upon his report will probably depend the passage of a bill, now before the second chamber of the States General, prohibiting the entrance of fruits and living plants from America into the Netherlands. About the same time an employe of the Agricultural Department of Swe- den, Dr. Yngve Sjostedt, was also sent to the United States, partly for the purpose of investigating this much- talked-about insect. The same matter has been discussed in official circles in other FEuropean countries, including England; but no «definite action has been taken. All this foreign legisla- tion is having and will continue to have a distressing effect iinon American ex. ports of fruits and living plants; but, if our Government is as apt as usual, we shall learn from this experience a lesson of value. Tt was necessary, of course, in order to protect our internal interests, that a hue and cry should be issued from the National Department of Asricul- ture and from the experiment stations of the different States as soon as the extreme danger of the spread of the insect In_the Eastern States was real- ized; and it was necessary, also. that fruit-growers should be constantly in- formed of the progress of the pest, as well as of the results of the experimen- tal remedial work which was heineerar. ried on by our State and National Gov- ernments. Therefore, with all this publicity, it was only a question of time when foreign Governments shonld take alarm, and at least begin to in- marauding Indians. The men worked in the Zacatecas ke AT one "~ ARIS_ AFTER FIVE YEARS OFLHARDSHIPS. « « « = »5.189 84 silver mines for a time. Everywhere they stuck together. Their humor was encugh to see them through every vestigate the possi- bilities of dan- ger to their own fruit-growing in- dustries. i That Germany was the first Government to gain exact information on the subject, and the first to take action, was due to the fact that for some years she had had a sclentific man of ability and standing attached to her embassy at Washington. This attache, sta- tioned there for the sole purpose of studying everything relating to Ameri~ can agriculture, was all along as well posted in regard to the spread of the San Jose scale as were our own Gov- ernment officials; and through his ef- forts Germany was able to issue the decree at what seemed to be the proper moment. This would obviousiy suggest to our Government a similar policy; and it is interesting to note that as early as 1892 the Secretary of Agriculture strongly urged in his annual report to the Pres- ident that representatives of the De- partment of Agriculture should be at- tached to our legations in the principal countries with which we have agricul- tural relations. The present Secretary, Mr. Wilson, has repeatedly advocated such a course since the beginning of the existing administration. How long the present embargo FAituna OVERA PRECIPICE Cn—_y,'os,/rf\EXl,CC. R agaiust American plants and fruits will con- tinue in effect it is impossible to fore- tell; but, apart from all thought of retaliation, it is plain that foreign nations are just beginning to do what werourselves might long ago have done with adyantage. The majority of the principal insect pests are of foreign origin; ang many of them might have been prevented from entering our ports with advantage. The majority of our principal insect pests are of foreign or- igin; and many of them might have been prevented from entering our ports S rarving it THE, WILDERN #ESS: ‘ C prryInGY ORE ¢ /3 i in A SILVER® e 4 ~unE R scrape. They drank furiously some- times and got into ja Generally, even in jail, they were together. They 3 “‘par in the the word old s unde forr fought for each othe: d each other and quar- and swore at each as the best friends would take a large , and a strong-backed writes M te all our member them all very . The worst hardships were in the Lower Califor- nia desert. “Five years we spent on the journey, taking plenty of time. The world was like a pasture to us, and we were like colts. If a bunch of grass ahead looked more tempting, as it always did, we moved on. “All the time we kept our heads toward La Belle Pari: What a happy day when we walked its streets again! Grizzled, browned, surf- beaten, forest-torn and sun- bitten; older in gray hairs, forsaken by friends who knew us fifteen years ago, we felt like pieces of sea- weed thrown up on the beach by some great swell that we knew nothing of. But our hearts are light as air, my friend. We drink the same good old wine. We see the same beloved sights of Paris. We live again in the little by-street running from the Rue de I'Enfer, and spend our time on the bright boule- vards that are in such con- trast to the terrible places we have been through with- in the last five years.” The Mormons are becom= ing very active in New Zea- land, and it is stated that eight more missionaries are on their way from Salt Lake City to this colony. They in- tend to work principally among the Maoris, of whom there are already 4000 mem- bers of the Mormon Church. had there been at least a national sys- tem of guarantine and inspection such as i1s now carried on successfully by the State of California at the port of San Fracisco. L. O. HOWARD, In July Forura.