The mountain sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1844-1853, 1853-07-28

we notlceO on Monday the afflSal OF Lieut.
Pease, OF the U. 5. revenue service. with num-
Der of articles obtained from "a japanese ,wre eek
which he intends to exhibit at the Worlds Fir" !"
We find the following narrative relative thereto,
III the San Francisco Times and Transcript =
few days ago, made allusion to the res
cue Of person from a strange wreck, fallen IN
with by the Emma Packer, in latitude % deg.
| 80 min. North longitude 15S deg SO min. West
during the recent voyage Of that vessel from Ia
! hiti TO this lort. We were waited on yesterday
by First Llutenant Pease, commanding the U. s.
revenue cutter Argus. on his station, who has
kindly laid US under obligations for much inter
esting information, both in regard to the wreck
encountered, and the strange indiYiual rescued
from it
1t seems that the stranger turns out sus-
pected, to be Japanse. On the arrival of the
Emma Packer at this port, Collector Saunders
when informed by Lieut. Pease that thestranger
was Japanese, directed that the many may be
p aced Ia the care Of the fficers of the Argus,
until instructions should be received from Wash
ington relative TO his disposal. The Argus was
then lying at Benicia, but Lieutenant Pease be-
ing in this city, took charge of the stranger, and
conveyed him on board his vessel. Fortunately
the cook of the cutter happens to be a Japanese
-)ne of those rescued from shipwreck some time
sinee--and Liutenant 2. was thus afforded the
means of immediately solving the mystery
One of the seamen on board the cutter, whose
name is Thomas Tray, also understands some
parts of the Japanse language, and between the
two, the following history was made out -
The japanese junk Ya-tha marco, with a crew
Of thirteen persons, left Matsmay, port in the
Southern part Of the Island of Yesso, on the
lst day of (September 1862, bound for the city
of heeng au-tha, port Of the West coast of
the Island of Niphon, in the sea Of Japan, dis
tant from Matsmay hundred end fifty Ja-
pan, or little more than three hundred English
miles. The junk was loaded with one hundred
and twenty thousands she -wo-sha-kee, (salted
saly I had hpf aIl ;ty RIO
board, the commander expected to call at
port at no great distance, where rice could be
purchased ut a cheaper rate than at Matsmay.
They had three tanks Of water two of which
were slowed aft, on each side Of the helm,
and the other forward on deck.
They had three days OF fine weather after leav-
ing port, during which time they were carried
through the streets and into the sen of Japan
On the fourth day in the forenoon, the wind di-
cd away, and in the afternoon, about four o'clock
strong northwest gale came and drove them
back through the straits of Matsmay. The wind
and rain increased, and heavy sea running car
ried away the rudder, fractured the stern, and
washed away the two water tanks left. AT this
time they still in sight of land, and the
sailors insisted on taking the boat to attempt to
make it, but the owner, who board, Of
fered the men forty dollars each to stay by the
vessel and they agreed to do On the fifth
day land was OUT of sight, and the then
gave up to despair Observing some thick clouds
:
! they lowered boat and got what they could
into it-baskets of clothing chests, and ali the
rice they had, and some water. After pulling
about mile in the direction of the clouds, they
found the sea was too rough, and they
obliged TO return They reached the vessel and
got on board, but could not get the heavy arti-
cles up. The boat knocked against the vessel
and shortly went to pieces.
On the eighth day the vessel rolled so heavily
they were obliged to cut the mast away. On the
ninth day their rice vas exhausted, and it was
found that the remaining water tank, which had
been slowed year, contained but little water,
having become worm eaten. They were now
without provisions except the salt fish, and had
but small supply of water. The latter they
continued to serve out very sparingiy while it
lasted and they now began to have recourse to
their salted salmon.
On the 10Th day of the 10th moon, (October)
the first death occurred. They dressed the de-
ceased in his best clothes, attached his purse of
money around his neck, sewed him up in mat,
and launched him into the deep. On the
2Sth of 18th moon, the next death occurred,
and the corpse was disposed of IN like manner.
+, On the 18th of the 1st moon, (some time in jan
uary. 1863 the owner of the vessel and cargo
( died. He was the owner of three other vessels,
all trading at Matsmay. The fourth man died
on the End day of the End moon the fifth man
! on the 18th of the same moon the sixth on the
! I4th, and on the goth the captain died. On the
! Sth and 18th of the 3rd moon, two others died,
and on the Sth of the 4th moon the tenth man
died.
On the 10th of the moon April, the L tn
man died, and was followed the II tn by the
18th man, leaving only one survivor. The lat
| ter now gave over all hope, and spent his time
mainly in crying and praying, until he was
nearly exhausted His mouth and throat were
so much swollen, from the of salt fish, that
he had at last become unable to swallow. Mean
while the only water left him was rain water, or
such as himself and companions had been able
to obtain by distillaton, by means of cooking
utensils On the l4th day of the 4th moon, he
contrved to spear a dolphin and get it on board,
but when he had cooked portion, he found his
throat in such condition that he could not
swallow. On the 18th day of the 4th moon, he
lay down forward to sleep, in a most miserable
situation, and impressed with the opinion that
he could rot survive more than three days.
When aroused, he was surprised to see strange
people around him, who soon placed him IN o
boat, and conveyed him to strange vessel.
From the foregoing account 1t will be seen
that the disabled vessel must have been floating
about at the mercy of the wind and waves for
seven and half months During this long pc
riod those of the crew that survived had little
else sustenance than salt fish, aud the poor ex-
cuse for water afforded in the manner described.
The last man that died, was IN the hold OF the
vessel at the time of his death, and the sole sur
vivor was too much reduced in strength to get
him overheard.
The name of the rescued man is Dee-yee-no-
skcc. He was clerk to jim -tha-ro. the owner OF
the vessel and cargo. The rest OF the sufferers
we're named as follows Captain Koo-ma gre;
~s.mn