Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Mass.) 1828-1830, 1828-12-23

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about two hundred were thus butchered
SKELETON OF THE WRECK
While Sir Michael Moore was in the
command of the Amethyst frigate and
was cruIzing in the Bay of Biscay the
wreck OF merchant ship drove past. Her
ueck was jnst above water; her lower
masts alone standing. Not soul could
De seen on board, but there was cam.
oouse on deck (; which had the appearance
Oh having been recently patched with old
canvass and tarpauling, as if to afford
sheiter to some of the crew. 1t blew at
!, TINS time strong gale but Sir Michael
listening only to the dictates of humanity
ordered the ship to be put sbuxv sud sent
on boat with instructions to board the
wreck, and ascertain whether there was
any being still surviving whom the heIp
OF MS fellow men might save from the
grasp OF death. The boat fowed towards
the drifting mast, and while struggling
with the difficulty of getting through a
high running sea close aIdSd side, the
crew shouting all the time asssoud as thew
could, an object, like in snpearance to a
bundle of clothes, was observed to roll
out Of the cambouse, apparently against
the lee shrouds of the mast. With the
end of the boat hook they managed to get
mold OF 1t, and hauled it into the boat.
when it proved to be the trunk of man
bent head and knees together, and SO
wasted as scarce to be felt within the
ample clothes which had once fitted it in
state of life and strength. The boats
crew fastened back to the Amethyst with
this miserable remnant of mortality; and
so small was it in bulk, that a lad of four
teen years OF age was able with his own
hands to lift it into the ship. When plac-
ed on deck, it showed for the first time to
the astonlshment of all, signs of returning
life; it tried to move the next moment
muttered in hollow sepulchral tone
" there is another man."
The instant these words were heard.
Sir Michael ordered the boat TO shove off
again for the wreck; and looking into
the clubhouse, they found two other hui
man bodies, wasted like the one they saw
ed, to the very bones but without the least
spark of life remaining. They were sit
ting in shrunk up posture, land of one
resting on TIN pot, HIS. .ssorc was
gill of water, and hand of the other
reaching to the deck, as if to regain bit
of salt beef, of the size of walnut, which
had dropped from its neryeless grasp.
Unfortunate men they had lived ON their
scanty store, till they had not strength re-
naming to lift the last morsel to their
mouths The boats crew having COM
pleted their last melancholy survey, re-
turned on board where they found the
attention ofthe ships company engrossed
by their efforts to preserve the generous
skeleton, who seemed to have just life
enough to breathe the remembrance, that
there was still "another man." his COM
panon in suffering to be saved.
Captain S. committed him to the special
charge of the surgeon who spared no
means which humanity or skill could sug-
gest to achieve the noble object of Great
ing anew, as it were fellow creature,
whom the unparalleled famine aad stripped
Of almost every living energy. For three
weeks he scarcely ever left his patient,
giving him nourishment with his own
hand every five or ten minutes and at
the end of three weeks more, the " Skel-
eton of the wreck" was seen Walking on
the deck of the Amethyst'-snd to the
surprise of all who recollected that he
had been lifted into the ship by cabin
boy, presented the stately figure of man
nearly six feet high.-Bah. Emerald.