The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1843-10-19


motlonless and seeming y overwhelme'
with distress, while from the sea in on
wake came that awful cry, still loud ant
piercing, though receding fast; and to ev
: cry scream the captain responded in tones
ofanguish--" Oh, poor boy poor boy
poor boyl With fearful guess of the
nature of the accident, called out
=" What is it ?" All the officers simulta.
necusly answered ME. 1.-THE boy is
overheard" This was indeed the horrid
fact. Two sailors, with the boy, were &C.
and ID invfHTlMg the jib,-he innermos'
of the bowsprit,-whle lhey, on the cap
yond him on the jib boom, when suddeena,
y without any particular cause, he slip
ped ON the place he was bestriding and
fell into the sea,-lhe first notice of his
fall being his cries as he rose in the wa.
tier. The mate was on the BOWS at the
time, experimenting The execution Of
the order, aud as soon as he could
speak, after learning what had happened,
cried out" The boys overboa =
Q1i'k as light, both in thought and ac-
tlon, the captain sprung to the larboard
rail where the main-brace, an immensely
long line which hung in huge coil on
beIaying-pin nearly abreast of the COM
panion-w way, Jour main-brace Delaying aft,
contrary 10 the usual custom with the in.
tention of throwing it over into the sea,
when it would have gone many fAtboms
behind us, almost sure to have been grasp
ed by the poor boy, who in his agonziEg
and almost supernatural efforts, was still
nearl Y keeping up with us, and had not
yet fallen as.ern. 1t would have been
his last chance of life but it failed him.
The deck was wet with the dashne
waves the captains foot slipped and he
fell INTO the lea scuppers with violence.
stunned for moment, and severely bruis-
ed. When he rose TO his feet, the wretch
ed sufferer was far astern, beyond the
reach OF any such aid
Stlll the lost boys unearlhIy scream,
-" The bubbling cry
Ot that strong swimmer in his agony
was ringing with dreadful diSinctness in
our ears, at intervals hal! obscured as he
descended into the hoIlows of the mo I'm.
famous sea, and then peaIing out again
with redoub!ed power as the next rolling
wave lifted him 10 lis loaming top for
moment. As fingered waiting for the
sounds to cease, suffered almost he hor.
foIs of death Itself, in thus counting each
hrarl-breaking degree of misery and ag.
despair which | knew were
coming over him every moment as he
found the vessel receding his strength and
heart failing, and his appreciation of Ger
tain death Increasing. He was native
# Turks Hand, in the Bahamas, where
he was brought up on the sea-shore liv-
ing half the time in The water throughout
the yea, and like almos! all his amphibi-
Gus tounIrymen, swimming Ike fish"
have no doubt that the wretched being
swan fol more than an hour after US, I'M
I'll at last The awful certainty of lkis terri
bic doom came over him; and there, alone
amid the piiIess waves, alone in
the wide waters of The cold ocean, aband
oned by man, with nc hope from heaven
or earth,
" He sunk into the deep with bubbng groun,
Without grave, uuknelled uncoflined and un.
known"
The night was perfectly dark so that
he was not once TO be seen alter he fell. -
We could not see so far as the breadth of
the vessel. A drenthing rain. coming on
at the same moment, added 10 the conlu-
sion of the furious gust that was already
bowling through our rigging, and laying
the vessel almost on her side,-the tops of
The waves being swept by the wind into
shee's of spray, and raising their voices
as if in triumph over their helpless vic
tim. But over all, yet sounded that des.
pairing death cry, shrill, though fainler,-
telling us that still he struggled against
prolonged though certain Instruction.
| could bear ii no longer, and rushed down
into the cabin 10 escape the sound. But
incredible as it may appear. still heard
him distinctly, EVEN THERE, though he
musl have been already nearly mile off
from US. l never can forget that sound.
1t was like nothing else that ever heard.
| shuGder now in recalling it. | have
since seen death in many shapes, but new
er in form so terrible.
That day, according to custom, the lost
boys chest was brought on deck, and his
clothes and other lltle property sold at
auction, the proceeds being deposited,
with the balance Of his wages, for the
benefit OF his friends. He was a rough,
neglected looking boy, about sixteen or
seventeen years old. He had been aband-
oned in New-York by the ship-mas
who first employed him and brought him
from home; and being totally friendless
stranger, he fell into great want and suff-
ering, begging his food and sleeping in
the markets. In this condition he was
found by some benevolent persons, and
came under the notice of Captain How.
land, who took him under his care, and
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