Grand River times. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1851-18??, 1853-09-14
A STORY SUFFERING AT SEA.

Sic days upon the Ocean wiihOut food
or scater.--On the 25lh of Feb. last, tho
schooner s. X. Soper, Capt. Samuel So
per, sailed from provincetown, for a
cruise in the Atlantic Ocean, for whales.
Nothing unusual happened until about
the last ct July, when one morning
school OF whales was discovered. Three
boats were Immediately lowered, each
containing FIVE men, and commanded oy
the captain, first and second mates. The
second mate killed the first whale and
flowed him to the ship. The other
whales then started oil, pursued by the
boats of the captain and mate. This
was i'm longitude about TIN latitude
"a. They continued the pursuit, and Il.
naIly the captain fastened to and killed
n forty barrel sperm whale. BY this
time, night began TO set in, and no YES
sci was to be seen from the boats in any
direction. This was rather startling, as
they had no provisions or water on board
but upon consultation they concluded 10
stick by the whale until morning, in the
hope that with returning daylight they
should be able to find their vessel
When morning broke the horizon was
.auxiously scanned, but no vessel was TO
be seen.
All that day was spent in cruising
round after her, and ut night another
consultation was held. They had com
passes, but no time, and The captain or
dered that during the night they should
each 60 in Il certain direction and meet
in The morning. The mate, MIR. Samuel
Gem, of Provincetown, states that he
followed these directions carefully, but
when morning dawned, ihe captains boat
was not to be found. lie spent por-
ton Of the next day in searching for the
captain, but finding his efforts vain, and
that his crew was beginning to suffer
-dreadtully for food aud water, they be-
ing in an open whaleboat, without pro-
lection from the fierce heat of the sun,
he concluded that it was best for him to
shape his course for the nearest land,
which he did by steering q N. N. w.
course. They had sail, but it was not
of much use. Their sullcrings from
this time cannot be described. But once
they saw vessel. She was at some
distance, and the sea was very rough, SO
that the mate deemed it impossible with
safety to steer for her and us those on
board did not sec the boat, they witness
cd her disappearance with the feeling
that their last hope was leaving them.
1t now began TO blow severely, and
tho mate was obliged to rig Il drug"
with his oars and whaling lines, with
which he was enabled to lie to without
danger. When the gale ceased he again
put sail Oh the boat, but The crew were
almost at The last Of suffering; their lips
were black, and death seemed TO stare
them in the face. For The last twenty
four hours, so great were the pangs OF
thirst that they began to drink salt wa.
ter, which usually brings on deIirium and
death, i'll short time. At The end OF
the 9th day they made Cape Fear, and
went ashore, reaching Beaufort, N. c.
Mr.. Gem and one of the crew, Cornell
us Prince, of Boston, worked their pas
sage in vessel to New York, and reach
cd this city Oh Sunday last, and arc now
ut Provlncetown.
What has been the fate of the captain
and the five men in his boat is unknown,
They may have discovered The vessel, OF
They may have reached the shore. II
they did not, they have probably all per-
ished. There was Il short rain one day
while they were on board The boat, but
they had no means TO catch it, The
second mate aud five men are OH board
the vessel, and she is, therefore, proba.
bly, safe, and will, probably, arrive a,
some Atlantic port in Il few days.
The face. of the mate still bears The
impress of the terrible suffering he has
undergone, in parched and blackened
bps, and sunken and dcathike features
boston Traveller.