GLORY HARBOUR AND (BULLY) HAYES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13187, 21 January 1905, Page 2

GLORY HARBOUR AND (BULLY) HAYES.

I have jest returned from' Glory Harbour (Paterson Inlet). It is great in seaseapo scer.-ory and redolent in Old World reminiscence. liully Haps looms largo in tho latter. Despite the grand, moral precepts drilled into the framework of the "Ten Commandments," I must confess to a lurking regard for Bully llayes, and yet his moral calibre never came within nieasuieablo distnneo thereof. He was about tho best accomplished knave that threaded these southern was. In a galaxy of talent like that distinetic.ii spells perfection. -He demonstrated duplicity as a fine art, and proved conclusively it hud heretofore been unduly restricted in its applications. It. was in tho early sixties be sought sanctuary in Oiory Harbour, south side of I'titerson's Inlet. Thero, for a lime, he " laid low." Sleuth hounds of the law were on bis track. In an unlucky moment for thenKclv'S they pounced upon him. Bi:-lly was not to bo caught mipping. 'J'liey were as tho tequel proves, glad to let 'go their grip, and escape with a whole hide—i.e., the flesh-coloured skin, prerogative of the " pale face." Circumstances leading up thereto are briery these:— Captain Hayes voyaged to Shanghai. Ho induced a firm of Shanghai merchants to embark in a. trade speculation to tho Australia. Upwards of 100 Chinamen, !>ound for tho Victorian digging's, formed part of his freight. Arriving off the txsast oP New South Wales, Buliy~learncd for the first time the Victorian Legislature had imposed n tax of £10 per head on immigration from the Flowery Land, and that tho ship was held responsible for payment. That meant £1000 to £1200 for wh'ieli he rendered himself liable. That woa a liability liully had no fancy for.

Arriving 1 (iff Wilson's Promontory, tho coastguard espied liim flying signals of distress. A ?ift:imor v.as sent to liis assistance, to whom ho communicated tho alarming intelligence tiiat. he had sprung a leak, and wa3 in imminent* danger of sinking. "It is these hundred odd souls," Jitilly explained, with a.ll air of touching devotion to the cau-c of sutforing humanity, "for whose safntv I am mostly anxious. If I saw thom safe I daresay I mifcht be able to boat in. At all events, the disaster would ho 'ess appalling than if I went down, taking them along with me." The skipper cf. tho sieuiuer was touched with this artless simplicity. Thereupon he volunteered to c:;rry the "hundred odd souls" ashore pending Bully's arrival in port. The Chinamen in duo courso reached Melbourne, and woro penned up waiting tho arrival of Hayes. Hayes, however, did not arrive, and (ill* the information the rescno skipper cotdd get irr.s that he availed himself of tho earliest opportunity for clapping on Mil, end making off at lop spoedfon tt south-west wind. Ic. fact, ifc hccame plain this good Samaritan slnpper had been duped—left to face rhe noli tax collector with over ,t hundred Chinamen on hand. Thereupon, writs and warrants of execution issued, but tlic-y invnriahlv arrived nfter Bujly lirid sailed, 'and the latter took care, to leave no trace k'hind as to his probable destination. Twelve montlw of these Jiootless errands elapsed, and our hero's craft was getting "worso for the wear." Refit, became imperative. Thai; was just flip emergency in which it Moved him (Bully) to net discrotlv. So loiir ns lw was able to move n limit the chances v.ere nil in his favour. Laid up for repairs, unless in solitary confinement,, the risk became ferious, Stewart Island was selected, and. as noted above, ho rendezvoused in fllnry Harbour. '

His career \va« about completed, A few hours was all that was necessary for enabling him to take his departure. A cutter suddenly liovo in sight, and was run alonjreido the ship. It was manned with half-castos, besides whom thero wero Iwo white men. Tho latter at; once sprang on deck. Tliev wore, as Bully had surmised, emissaries of "the law. lie received them with a show of cordiality that disarmed suspicion. They on their part reciprocated with a generous confidence. In token thcrrof all hands adjourned below. So effcctuM'y did Bully play, the part of mine lnvt and the hospitalities that in a mcst incredible short space of time the two strangers got, very drunk. Tn that statr. Bully had them stowed nway for safe keening in the ship's locker. Meantime he and his crew busied themselves completing arrangements, and no time

wa3 lost getting under way. Getting out into the straits, the ship's motion became lively enough to waken up the two inobriates. By -that time their host had changed, front, and become their custodian. He was at no. pains to disguise the fact. Replying to anxious, inquiries as to what he meant doing, with them,, ho (Bully) announced his intention of black-leading them, and. having put on a good elionv polish, selling them as " black, birds" in the island labour trade. "You're a likoly lot, and, yes. should'fetoh a hundred dollars apiece." Such was the sago philosophy with which Bully now regaled " his" guests." Naturally lliey feltalarmed. To be. rubbed out of their-nativity —made niggers of, and sold into a species of slavery, was enough to appal the stoutest heart, let-alone-the h<sart of a sheriff's officer. It was, with feelings of no small relief, a.,couple of days Inter, they found themselves set atjihertv on the point of land running .out iilro Banks Peninsula.