The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1848-09-02

were allowanCCd TO n certain quantity daily ; !
and he becoming very thirsty, went on Sat
urduy evening 10 the beer cask and drew
off about two quarts of spruce beer into
bucket, drinking about three-lourths ofths !
quantity and leaving the reminder. This !
was his crime. The verdict ofthe court was !
Unanimous in condcmning the caTtain, aud |
he was Immediately dismissed from service. |
| Whoever will turn to The ''rimcs' newspa- !
per for February 10, 1910, will find under
the head court martial n few particulars of !
this singular case and il will be seen that
the public excitement on the subject was eX-
IRENE. The verdict against captain l.
receiGvd the entire appreciation Of the coun- |
try. So far an act of Justice was sgnally |
rendered; but where was tho victim in the |
meanwhile? Was he dead or alive? Had
nc been killed, OF killed HIMSELF or been dc. |
voured, or starved or drowned or rescued ?
Upon n motion by popular leader in the
House ofCommons. tulher inquiries about his
fate were Immediately set on foot. Ofiicinl
instructions were forwarded 20 our plcnipo-
tcntnry IN the United States for the report
went that an American slip had rescued
him. The proper steps were taken, and
the result was ms follows At n town of the
name Of Marhlehead, near Boston, IN Mas !
suchusetts, the lost Robert Jeffrey was said
! to have been discovered. lie was inmcd- |
atCly taken before magistrate, and being
Intercepted, gave the facts correctly MS sta
ted above, and That he was rescued by an
| American vessel, and landed ut port in
Massachusetts. This declaration WIS signed
with cross. 1t was transmitted TO Eng
land and appeared ut once in all the news
papers.
This, il may be thought, was the end Of
The matter. But far Otherwise. Robert JEFF
| fiery had II mother yet alive She had per-
used with the utmost anxiety the declaration
thus ohiculyse set FORTH ard she Immediately
addressed letter to the public journals, which
rckindlcd all the previous uncertainty
| Therein she somnly declared her conviction
| that the declaration thus made was, if not
wholly fabrication, mt any rate not made hy
her own sou, hut 10y some one who bad been
suhorncd to pcrsunate her unfortunate child.
/ The most remarkable circumstances in cuu-
! irmaIon Of this opinion was the fact that tie
papers sicLch Robert Jcii;ry were marked
with cross rs is usual with persons who
cannot write their names whereas il was
avcrrcd that .ICilcry was n good scholar, and
| it was unlikely that he should pretend ig-
uurnuce OF HE art of writing.
! The public low appeared determined to
bring 10y any means the whole subject to un
! ISSUE and Ia obmin information AS To whctiI-
( cr the lad was really dead, or was yet living.
Those in authority found that 1t was high
! time to take some decisive step to decide the
question and IN n short time II ship, under
the command of captain ofthe navy, was or
her way to Boston with the necessary dOcrI-
nients, TO find on; the young man and if liv-
! ing 10 bring him home. Al length the ves-
sci returned TO put final end to suspense
as to the manS destiny. The notice OF her
arrival was accompanied by the following an
nounccment in the Morning Post newspn-
| per =
'JcGtry, The seaman, ,caS this tag discharged
from the nary, by orGcy oCMe iordS commission
ers Of The .4dmrdhy. lie ,Cas in,meaiaiely
brought on shore, and set OF, for London
Thus was the loug-peudng aud much ag-
itated question finally settled by the appear
ance of tho young man himself A thousand
inquiries were now ofcourse put 10 lin n
bout lis adventures to most of when tie
following narrative was the answer
At first he was altogether unable to believe !
thai.it was intended to abandon him in that
destitute condition, upon an island which tie
men who brought him there knew to be I'M |
inhabited aud unproductivo. Vain hope! lie |
saw her white sails uufnrlmg aud filling out
with wind, aud perceived tho distance he
tween her and the island was rapidly ncreOs-
ing; and then, as she became n srCCk on the |
mighty wUtcrs,lh then only did he give himself |
up to overwhelming despair the awful re-
ALLY oi+s fate came home 10 his mind. She |
vanished in The horizon, AID he saw her no
dre0dhIlly from thirst, and deeply, though |
less dislreSsingIy, from the cravings Of hun
ger. To nllay tie fever which consumed |
him, he drank considerable quantity of |
snlt water, which, However only rendered |
his suherings mere intense. Death was now
before Linn, when most provdentially IL re-
rcshing shower otruiu fell, and thc quantity
which remained in the CrevcUs otthe rocks
supplied linn so long as he remained on The
island. But he was AT sonG difficulty in
drinking it; for il lay in such shallow POOLS
or in such narrow assures, that il was at first
perpleXing how to avail himself Of the pre-
cious gift. The idea at length entered bis
mind ofsuC>ing it out with n quill; and us
the island abounded with birds he was al 10
loss TO find one suitable for his purpose. In
sorting one end of this into the crevces, he
was able to suck sufficient to quench his
thirst, feeling ineXpressibly grateful for this
most Opportune blessing. But nature now
renewed her other calls upon him. and was
Imperative in her demands for food. How to
supply this want he knew NOT, nor cp;lld he
think of any means of doing so. He saw
great number ofbirds oilhe gull KIND rath-
er larger than goose,l attempted to catch
some. but in vain. lie then hunted for their
eggs. but could find only one, WHICH had
probably lain there for months. for it was in
such an Extensively putrid. state, that iainting
as he was from hamilton, he could not touch
it. The only food he had, if it could be call
ed food, was some bark, which he was so
fortunate as To find cast upon the sea shore. |
At length, greatly to his JOY, he saw IL YES I
sci i'll the distance. With an exhulling heart !
lie watched her emerge, sail after SAIL from
the blue horizon, When her hull rose above
the line, he was half wild with delight; and c
n E,r ;nc :,I 4.