The Placer herald., 1855-11-17


eat our supper and the anchor watch was
set with orders to keep a sharp lookout to
the southeast for a typhoon. Nothing
turned up until about two o'clock in the
morning, when we were aroused by the cry
! Of
"All hands ahoy! douse the awnings!'
We tumbled up, and had just furled the
awnings when the storm struck us: it blew
as bad as hurricane off the Isle of France
Our starboard bower commenced dragging;
the arboard was let 90, but the old ship
walked away with both anchors out, as
though she had pair of stun-sail halyards
out ahead. Nothing could save us--the
wind was setting us right on shore; we
loosed our topsails but they were in coach
whips before we could start a sheet.
"Hang on, ALL" was the cry as the old
/ tub made a thump, and we needed the warn
ing for our main and mizzen masts went by
the board. Bang. she went again, and away
went the foremast, and we were in the surf
God help me, never wish to see the like
again The old tub was wallowing to it like
a hog in cabbage yard-one moment rails
ing up and in another dropping down as
though she would stave all up. The gale
commenced dying away, but the sea ran
masthead high at day break. The old ship
was strong but she could not stand the
pounding much longer, so, all hands were set
to rigging raft. We got one out Of our
spars and some casks and bid good day to
the old hulk, twentv-four of us On and hang
ing to the raft; we only had a quarter of
mile to 90, and we would, the 'old man said,
get ashore in hurry. Sure enough we did.
Talk about your fast trotting nags. they are
not a circumstance; and when the old spars
brought up on the land when the roller
broke, it sent us all flying ashore like SO
many grasshoppers, and when we picked
ourselves up each was grabbed and stripped
by Niger, who proceeded to put on our
clothes, while about five hundred of them
were dancing and yelling with joy to think
what glorious drunk they would have for
nothing when the old ship broke up, which
she commenced to do after WHILE and we
watched our opportunity to put for the
bushes.
l recollect eating wild yam, and after
that remember nothing till found myself
in a native hut lying down, too weak to
move. | opened my eyes where was |?
where had been? | could not tell, My
senses gradually came to me. Gradually the
wreck came to my mind;- Just then in walk
cd an old negro woman; judged she was
sixty years Of age; she had a calabash in her
hand, and she smiled when she saw noticed
her, and offered it to me. Seeing | was
weak, she held it to my parched lips; drank;
she said 'goot'-I told her yes
"Well, Bill was with that old lady one
month; got smattering Of her gibberish,
and found out that five of our men were
about ten miles from me up the coast, and
that was all she knew. She had found me
in the bushes, sick with the coast fever, and
took me to her hut and cured me. ] used to
go fishing for her, get cocoa nuts and
plaintans, and lend her hand till got strong
and hearty and began to think about bidding
her good bye. She used to squat down on
our launches and watch me while was fish
ing, and ask me, want goN would say yes.
BY by, ship come So lived along; could
not hear from the others, to find out who
was living beside myself, until one day, as |
was walking along the beach, | saw man
ahead OF me, | sang out, and was answered
by the Captain of our ship. He told me
there were four more Of our men where he
was, and that he had come down to see if
any of us were down by where the ship went
ashore. Six of us were all that were left. l
told the Captain what the old woman had
said in regard to ship coming in by and
by. He said the negroes had some slaves
up where he was to ship, and that the SLAYER
generally run in after night.
The negroes treated us all very well after
they had stripped us, and as there was plenty
of cloth from the ship they had shared all
around. was wearing a frock and trowsers,
and the Captain said the Others were doing
the same. agreed to let the old man know
if there was chance to get away
About two days after that we ran the ca
noe to the beach and was about to launch
her to try for Alcore, as there was plenty of
them about, the old lady looked up and i'm
mediatey exclaimed "ship!' She burst out
a crying. | looked, and sure enough there
was jackass brig coming round the point.
She appeared to be about one hundred tuns
burthen, very long spared, and plenty of
muslin on too She came round, backed her
topsail, lowered boat with five men in it,
who pulled directly for us at the beach. My
heart was in my mouth, and when man
landed | could not speak at first, but he soon
found out | could. / related to him our
story and he told me to be at the beach that
night, as he was going to take off some Mig
gers. The brig was named the Monkey it
was the captain of her that was talking to
me; he said he had lost two men by the
parting of his fore-topsail tie, while the men
were rigging out the stunsail-booms, and we
all could have chance with him and one
hundred dollars each if he run his cargo
clear. | started, found the other five men,
and we were on hand before sunset at the
beach had bid good bye to the old lady,
and if ever you saw any one in a hurry we