A fierce quarrel then arose between Thatcher (who was a reckless, desperate fellow), and Howell and Captain Butler. Between these parties bad blood existed. Butler and Howell accused Thatcher of exciting the Indians, on the way up, to mutiny. They declared boldly that he had endeavor ed to get up a conspiracy; to obtain command of the vessel, and then turn pirate; and, if they resisted, to cut their throats and throw them overboard. In retaliation, Thatcher accused the two men of abandoning him and his party in the hope that they would drift off and perish. So bitter was the quarrel that, it appeared, a further cruise was abandoned. Hatred and mutual distrust seemed to divide the men, and to proceed on the voyage of danger was considered useless. Up to this time only a few seals had been killed. The revenue cutter was known to be steaming about those waters, looking out for trespassers, and fear of capture kept the crew in a constant state of anxiety. Once or twice the cutter had sighted the suspicious looking little craft, and had given a warm chase. But the Ocean Spray was a very rapid sailer, and, by taking advantage of the many narrow, tortuous channels and heavy fogs managed to elude pursuit. On the 30th of June the piratical schooner had reached Makouchinskoy Bay, on the northwest side of Ounalaska, and about 250 miles southeast of Sea Otter. At this point the crew became fearful of falling into the clutches of the revenue cutter or the agent of the government, and the master concluded it would be a wise precaution to remain quiet for a time in one of the numerous little inlets about the islands. Captain Le Roy Woods, a young officer who, during the war of the Rebellion, had rendered very meritorious services in one of he Indiana Regiments, had, some time prior o the date of the cruise of the Ocean Spray, een appointed government inspector, or, n reality, deputy United States collector of ustoms for Alaska, and was stationed at St. 'aul Island. News of the appearance of he suspicious looking stranger had reached Captain Woods, and he was on the alert, determined, if possible, to overhaul her and bring the crew to account. No time was lost by the inspector. As the vessel had been sighted several times, her size, class and general appearance had been described to him. He soon learned from some friendly Indians that a large schooner was lying weather-bound in the Bay of Makouchinskoy, some forty miles from where he was stationed. Captain Woods resolved at once on capturing the vessel. On the 29th of June he took with him four native Aleuts in two light skin boats and went to the foot of Captain's Harbor, about eight miles from Ounalaska. Between Captain's Harbor and Makouchinskoy Bay is a lofty range of mountains, the highest peak being the Volcano of Makouchins koy. Woods and his four followers reached the foot of these rugged and precipitous mountains about seven o'clock, P. M., and began a slow and toilsome ascent, working upward until about ten, P. M. Here the party made a detour across the snow and near the icy precipices which mark the outline of the everlasting glacier. Crossing the lofty ridge, Captain Woods could easily see both the Pacific Ocean and Behring Sea. From this high point a wearisome and dangerous descent began, over snow, ice, boulders, lava and scoriæ. Working their way painfully and with extreme caution below the cloud line, the party halted to rest, for they were well nigh exhausted. A strong wind was blowing, the fog setting in, and Captain Woods was fearful the fugitive schooner might work out from the narrow bay into the open sea; so he pressed eagerly forward. Fortified by a strong cup of fragrant tea, the weary party moved rapidly down the precipitous declivities, and, after several hours' labor, reached the base of the range. About seven o'clock, A. M., Captain Woods discovered a bidarka (or skin boat) which had been hastily cached. With two Indians only, Woods embarked in the frail and unsteady craft and put boldly to sea. There was an ugly chop sea, a stiff gale, and a heavy fog. They worked manfully at the paddles, and at ten, A. M., had made the vessel out dimly through the mist. She was lying in a bight about three miles south of the harbor. Working silently and swiftly up to the schooner, Woods boarded her before any of the crew was aware of his presence. No resistance was offered at the time. He found it was the Ocean Spray, bound on a seal fishing cruise, and fully equipped with arms, ammunition and liquor. There were on board twenty-six Indians-Hindahs, Bella Bellas and Bella Coolas-from Vancouver and Queen Charlotte's Islands. After a careful inspection of the vessel and examination of the papers, Captain Woods deemed it his duty to make a formal seizure, and to run the schooner and crew to Ounalaska, and thence to Sitka. Captain Butler was found to be an old slaver, and his first mate had followed whaling for many years. The third officer was a half-breed. These officers, reckless and desperate men, backed by a crew of Indians no less blood-thirsty, combined to form as lawless and piratical a company as could be met with anywhere. Captain Woods was all alone when the capture was made, having sent his two Indians back for assist ance. Finding the vessel seized, the officers and crew organized a conspiracy to murder Woods and throw his body overboard. By his coolness and personal courage, that of ficer frustrated their mutinous and murderous designs, and enforced obedience among those desperate men. When the vessel was off Kodiac, the officers incited the Indians to mutiny, and Woods, as he expressed it, thought for a time "that the game was up," expecting them to cut his throat. For two days and nights he stood at the wheel with his revolver, never daring to sleep, directing in person the course of the vessel, and watching every movement of those on board. At length the Indians came to the conclusion that the officers had got them into very serious trouble (supposing they would all be hanged when they reached Sitka), and became greatly incensed against them. So bitter was this feeling that they would not have hesitated to murder the officers had Woods only told them to do so. Fearing the vengeance of the Indians, the officers stood by Woods for protection, and thus he found himself complete master of the situation. However, great nerve and no small degree of tact were required to exercise authority and bring such desperate elements under control. The Ocean Spray was captured about 1,400 miles west of Sitka, and brought by Woods in person to that port. Thence she was brought to Portland by order of the United States Court, before which tribunal the vessel and crew were to be tried. The seizure was made on July 1st. Sitka was reached August 11th, and Portland August 26th. Captain Butler was turned over to the custody of the military at Sitka on the arrival of the vessel there, where he was subsequently tried. Against the schooner a libel was issued, charging her with violation of the United States laws in relation to killing fur-bearing animals in Alaska Territory; also for clearing domestic and going foreign. After considerable delay, the case came on for trial before Judge Deady, of the United States Court. The testimony was conclusive that the Ocean Spray had been chartered and equipped for the specific purpose of engaging unlawfully in capturing seals in Alaska; but it could not be proved that the vessel had been actually engaged in the killing of seals. A few had been killed-so one of the officers admitted-but the skins were thrown overboard when the schooner was chased by the cutter. Want of sufficient evidence to clearly establish the charge resulted in the dismissalof the cases. Suit, however, was brought by the Indians who had been hired to accompany the expedition, for the recovery of wages due them. These Indians claimed to belong to the vessel, having been employed as seamen, and were consequently justly entitled to receive pay from the date of shipping. Judge Deady sustained these claims, and the piratical craft was ordered to be sold by the United States Marshal, in satisfaction of these demands. The Ocean Spray, after her brief but very eventful cruise in northern waters, was sold at auction, and purchased by parties in Portland, the total amount paid scarcely liquidating the claims held by the Indian crew. Subsequently the purchasers refitted the schooner and she made voyages between Portland, Shoalwater and Yaquina Bays. A few years later the sprightly little sailer was sold again to parties who sent her with a cargo of lumber to some South American port. Whatever became of her, or her subsequent career, is unknown. Captain Butler was examined by the authorities at Sitka, but discharged. Gallagher, the first mate, Howell, and Thatcher were all brought to Portland in charge of Woods; but, as the vessel escaped forfeiture, these men all escaped punishment. They soon drifted away, and were heard of no more. After some detention, the Indians were all allowed to return to Victoria. This brief and imperfect recital of the deeds of duty and daring performed by Captain Woods would scarcely seem complete without recording the sad and mysterious death of that brave young officer. Shortly after the case of the Ocean Spray was decided, Woods obtained a leave of absence, and returned to his old home in Indiana. Making a brief visit there, he went to Washington, where his services in connection with the capture of the schooner were properly recognized by the department. He was re-commissioned Deputy Collector, with instructions to report at once at Sitka. On his way to his post of duty he revisited his old home, and was married to a very amiable and accomplished young lady. After a very brief honeymoon, Captain Woods and his bride bade a hasty adieu to old friends and cherished associations, and started for the wilds of Alaska. Reaching San Francisco early in 1877, they soon embarked on the new schooner General Miller, bound for Ounalaska. Buoyant with hope, and anticipating a safe, speedy, and pleasant voyage, the anchor was weighed, the canvas spread, and, favored by propitious winds, the handsome little vessel passed through the Golden Gate and faded from human sight. Five days later a steamer bound down the coast sighted the upturned keel of some vessel, drifting far off over the green waste of waters. The capsized craft proved to be the General Miller. With much difficulty the schooner was towed into San Francisco harbor and righted. A careful examination of the vessel failed to throw any light on the cause or circumstan ces of the disaster, or the fate of the ill-starred passengers and crew. Not a single body was found on board. The only solution of the mysterious casualty was the theory that the schooner had been caught in a storm, suddenly struck by a heavy squall, and capsized. All had gone down to a watery death, and not one survivor was left to recount the quick and awful catastrophe. To this day the number and names of all who perished are unknown; and their sudden and miserable fate will remain forever one of the thou sands of unlocked mysteries of the remorseless sea. I. M. Baltimore. FEBRUARY DAY ON THE COLUMBIA IN THE MOUNTAINS. THE east wind blows, and the west wind blows, There come the rains, and there come the snows, Oh, when we inhale the sun-tempered gales, Trembles the air with summer-warm rays; Flecked are the waves with silvery foam; From distant green hills a thin purple haze Curls up and around a gray, barren dome. The river comes swelling from old icy shores, From sculptured black rocks and sand lightly blown; The cañons are dark in yon jagged hills; And high black firs in the dim light loom; There open ravines toward the dim morning star, It glides in a fall as white as sea-foam, It falls in a spray as fine as blown rain; In slow-changing nodules that dreamily come, It hangs and it glistens like white breakers' mane. Deep in a cleft in the gelid dark walls, A black, sunless water obstructedly lies. No puff of light wind on its surface crawls; But an eagle above it wheels slowly and flies. And out of a gully of dark mossy stones Slow pennons of vapor revolvingly rise. Loose snow-heaps are seen that look like white bones, But away to the sunlight the bright river goes; But here we are drifting where sweet sunlight showers, Though the peak above us icily towers, No winds from its turrets now wintrily pour. Warm is the sun, and the air with rich balms Oh, happiest day, oh, short brilliant hour, While we float and we drift with ephemeral sails, Soon, soon will the frost shade of dim evening lower, Soon roughly will blow the nocturnal gales. H. S. Lyman. NEW JAPAN. JAPAN is yet an imitative nation in the character of her civilization, though we must not forget her peculiar advancement in the line of certain arts and industries. But even as an imitator, she has made fair progress during the last fifteen years. The modern development of Japan is to be regarded as one of the greatest achievements of any nation in the present century. Fifteen years is only a short period in the annals of a nation, but Japan has accomplished many things within this time which might have required twice as much time in any older nation. In order to have a clear understanding of the features of New Japan, it is necessary to state at the outset some of the prominent contrasting features of Old Japan. New Japan had its birth in the recent revolution of 1868. Old Japan before this memorable event in its history had been known as a hermit nation for many centuries. In the sixteenth century, the Vatican sent Jesuit priests to promulgate the gospel of Christ in Japan. Historians make a claim that over one hundred thousand souls were then converted to the faith by the zeal of Francis Xavier and his fellow apostles. Whether these conversions were genuine or nominal is a matter of dispute among the present Christians of Japan. Contemporary with the introduction of Christianity, commercial intercourse on a large scale was held with the Portuguese and Dutch. Japan, like Great Britain, is an insular country, and the people had naturally the taste and ambition for navigation. The arts of shipbuilding and navigation were not advanced so far as among the Portuguese, Dutch, and Spaniards of those days, but still the Japanese plowed the sea with ships of their own construction, surveyed the coasts of Asia, and attacked and plundered their kindred Asiatic neighbors without pity, in much the same way as the Norsemen of Europe. It has been a dreadful memory to the Coreans that their kingdom was once wholly devastated by the warlike and hostile Japanese; thousands of persons were slain at their hands; their princes were taken prisoners, and they were for a time entirely at the mercy of the Japanese but were fortunately relieved from subjugation by the sudden death of Hideyoshi, the Taigo (commander-inchief), the author of this mischief to his Corean kinsmen, and the greatest general and statesman Japan has ever produced. Had it not been for his sudden death, there would probably have been no independent kingdom of Corea to-day. It was about this time that a northern prince, Masamuni Date, sent his aidde-camp, Hashikura, to Rome, nominally to pay his respects to that powerful pontiff who claimed both spiritual and temporal jurisdictions; but really he was sent with the secret mission of investigating the state of affairs in western Christendom so as to determine whether it could be conquered by the forces of this ambitious Japanese prince. during a planned-for Western expedition. The documents and presents which this secret embassy received from the Pope are still preserved by the Government in Tokio, and the secret orders of this northern prince are among the family records of his descendants. The then recent introduction of Christianity and fragmentary intercourse with a few nations must have awakened in the Japanese public mind a new desire of extending their knowledge of other nations in the West; but the country was involved in a state of military despotism, of barbarous bloodshed and struggles among ambitious princes, and could not spare much thought for the affairs of distant nations. When, soon after, the founder of the late Tokugawa Shogunate came into power and became the chief magistrate of the State through the sanction of the Emperor, he held a strictly anti-foreign view; and no sooner were the internal dissensions |