BACK REFLECTION

groundless, and they enjoyed the camping and bush life. Captain Halley, however, always preferred the dangers of the seas to those of the land.

We all slept soundly the night the Captain stayed up in the tent and he never told us about the wild night he spent. We had to learn about it indirectly. It appeared that he took up a book after we had all turned in and read until past midnight. As he became sleepy, he heard strange noises outside the tent. He looked out; but it was dark and cloudy, and not even a star could be seen. He took up the book again and the noises returned. They appeared to be quite close to the tent and captain thought that Indians, or some terrible wild animals of the bush, had been attracted by the light in the tent and were preparing to raid it. The captain was barely able to breathe, as he expected to lose his life each moment. At the same time, he did not like his fear to be known to the men. The result was that he sat up in the tent all night with the lights burning suffering from all kinds of terrors. That was probably the most fearful night he spent in all his adventurous life.

He called us all much earlier than usual in the morning, and we knew there was something troubling him; because he looked wild and was in a worse mood than usual.

He hurried the cook with breakfast using stronger language than was customary for him and that is as much as saying it was extra—strong language. He said to me:

“You young beggar, you had like to get eat last night and I couldn’t wake you!”

I looked at him with astonishment, and he returned my looks with an inquisitive stare.

“Why Captain?” I asked.

“Come outside and I will show you,” he said.

We went outside and he showed me some markings where a pig or other animal had been rooting. I followed up the tracks until I came to a patch of open earth and saw the traces of bears.

“It must have been a bear.” I said.

“Of course, it was.” said the captain. He came to make a meal of you, well knowing how fat you are; but I saved you. Be careful, however, not to sleep so soundly in a tent after this; because you never know what beasts prowl around these parts at night.”

That day a bullock team came for provisions for a camp some distance further inland where there were a number of men. The captain told us he thought he would shift his depot and we all started away with the bullocks and camped the next night with a numerous company. Captain Halley never told us why he moved the camp; but we knew that he always trembled with fear when we talked around the campfires about bears and other wild animals. And he spent many sleepless nights whenever the men reported having seen bear tracks while walking to and from their work.

NOTES:

• Two more ships, The Philadelphia and the SS Arctic will also ground at this same location in 1854 and the New York, Newfoundland, & London Telegraph Company’s Steamer Victoria will be involved.

• The Ellen Gisborne departed Harbour Grace on August 5th bound for Boston and repairs. The rescue occured on July 27th,

The camp site today? Hmmmm I wonder.... just checked with Janet and she is up for the 2 mile hike up that river to find the old camp the next time we visit Newfoundland....just as long as we have bear spray! I’ll see if I can get a cousin to explore it in the meantime.

Samuel Ruby was born in May of 1840 in Abbotskerswell, Devon, England. He passed on May 16th, 1925, in St. John’s, Newfoundland. Samuel farmed his 50 acres in Goulds, Newfoundland. A road called “Ruby Line” commemorates his family name to this day. STF