Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1857-10-01

could not see them. Within an hour from
this time saw vessel, which j Judged
to be about one mile from me-. Taking
fresh courage, / struck out for. the vessel,
and reached it when nearly exhausted, and
they drew me on board of it by ropes. 1t
proved to be Norwegian bark, from
Belize, Honduras, bound for Falmouth.
England. ] found on board of her some
three of my comrades, and at. half past
nine o'clock the next morning, we had
forty-nine noble fellows on board, and
these are all L know of having been saw
ed.
We cruised about the place until we
thought that all alive had been rescued,
and then set SAIL We found the bark
short of provisions and the crew living on
Cruel. We had some tea and coffee to re-
fresh ourselves, and at noon on Sunday we
spoke the American bark Saxony bound
for Savannah, which supplied us with pro
visions and took FIVE of us oil boaId. Our
names are:
S. H. Ridley of Maine. .4- ssf-
'Jabez Howes, of San Francisco.
Samuel ". Look of Maine.
Adolphe Fredrick, of San Francisco.
The Norwegian bark set sail for Charles
ton with the balance Of the forty nine pas
sengers, whose names unfortunately IL can
not give. ~
LIEUT.. WILLIAM LEWIS HERnDoN.
Lieut.. William l.. Herndon, commander
of the ill-fated ship. was extensively
known not only as an accomplished Off
Ger in the United States, Navy, but as the
commander of the famous Expedition to
the Valley of the Amazon River, underta-
ken by the United States Government in
the years 1851, '52.
He was Virginian by birth, and the loss
of the Central America has cut him of in
the prime of life. We believe he was in
the 40th year of his age His family, con-
sisting of his wife and one daughter, have
forsome years resided in New York, in the
upper part OF the city His daughter is
distinguished for the loveliness of her voice
in singing On leaving home for his last
outward voyage he parted from both in
high spirits, in anticipation of a successful
trip and speedy return. His daughter babe
him such farewell as she knew a sailor
would appreciate, by following him to the
door, and in a merry whim throwing after
him an old slipper-aceording to the ira
dition that an old shoe is COOL luck to a
parting friend! He turned and smiled at
her, and waving his hand pleasantly left
home-never to return again. sssa
Lieut.. Herndon was man of many fine
oranfIannan ~ oyfa OF
ments and qualifications as a scholar and
naval officer. -sf
He was for some time connected with
the National Observatory at Washington,
and was the brother in-law of Lieut.. Maury,
whose connection with that institution is
universally known. In 1850, while Lieut..
Herndon was on the Pacific Coast in the
! U. s. ship Vandalia, he received orders
from the Navy department to cross the
Andes and explore the Amazon River,
from its sources to its mouth. The histo-
ry of this expedition, as given in his report
Congress, is q very interesting and in
structive work, containing much valuable
scientific and geographical information
Lieut.. Hendon's narrative created great
deal of public journey over lands and water
of which but little was then known, was
thought to be not only service which a
gallant officer of the Navy might win honor
in performing but a feat of which the most
fearless traveller in search of adventure
might have reason to be proud. The res
suit of the exploration has been not mere
ly a more extended geographical, histor-
ical and scientific knowledge of the Valley
of the Amazon, but gradual opening
of commerce upon the waters which his
boats traversed, for steamers already go up
the Amazon from Para, to a distance of
1000 miles. -
Lieut. Herndon was man of a slight
frame on which the extraordinary exposure
encountered in such a journey as he made
would severely opearate; but he had brave
spirit which shrank from no difficulty ard
Stunned no duty. His wife, before the
telegraphic dispatchwas received yesterday
announcing the loss of all the officers but
Mr. Frazer, said that she had no hope ofhis
escape, "for he would stick to the "ship to
the last, and would save everybody 'else
before he would attempt to save himself" I"
His untimely death will occasion a serious
loss, not only to the Navy, but to the com
mercial interests of the country, with both
ofwhich he was equally Unidentified. g tpA
at-l .--s,. 1870 Ee4t
Epitaph on Stephen A. Douglass. ~
drind