The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1857-12-31
Cape Town was the nearest port, and the strong

DuC HOn our WaItf-IOggeU COhuItIOH, 0uf HtduWdJ
was slow, and each successive days reckoning
showed but little advance from the position we
had occupied the day previous. 10 make our
condition worse, it was discovered that the ship
stores were badly damaged by the salt water, and
we were at once put upon short allowance until,
as we vainly hoped, we might be discovered by
some well-stocked Indiaman, from which we might
receive an addition to our rapidly decreasing sup
ply.
foated, like an idle log, for many a weary week,
still appearing to be nearer land, and without
seeing a sail of any kind and by this time our
provisions had been entirely consumed, and the
crew were on the point Of starvation. having been
without food for several days. Day byday things
grew worse all discipline was at an end, and
every one appeared to think only of himself. To
make matters still worse, the men had unfortu-
nateIy discovered a quantity of spirits, and by
continued indulgence kept themselves, with one
or two exceptions, in a state of beastly intoxica-
ton. The captain did the best to stop such pro-
eeedings, and restore order and discipline, and
calling his mates he babe them arm themselves
and prepare to make the men obey But they
were too much intoxicated to understand him,
and answered that nothing but a bountiful sup
ply of provisions would restore peace and quiet
ness to the crew, and at the same time limited at
the idea then spoken of by the hands, of sacrificing
one of the men to satisfy the appetites of the
others.
"IM not listen to it." said the captain we
are in the track of the East India vessels, and it
surely cannot be long before one will pass us.
Let us hold out a while longer, if possible, before
r~esorting to such dreadful extremity, and if by
tomorrow noon We do not receive assistance, l
will not only give my consent, but willingly put
my name among the others to be drawn tor, and
trust to Providence for the result"
You will - exclaimed the first mate, I" you
are very accommodating, but your own willing
ness has only made unnecessary our determine
ton. We will, however, give you the time you
require; then, if no sail appears insight, the lots
will be drawn as we have agreed And saying
this they went forward and announced the result
of their interview, after which the crew resumed
their debaucheries, and with two or three excep-
tions they were all bent upon passing their time
in revelry.
The most thoughtful of the sober ones was my
friend Tom. Nothing could divest his mind of
the presentiment which haunted him, that his
days were numbered, and that his name was the
unlucky one destined to be Drawn from among all
the others when they stood the hazard of the did
on the following day. | tried to encourage ane
rid him Of such gloomy ideas, but all my efforts
were in vain. He was convinced he had but n
short time to live, and he endeavored omaket the
best use of the few moments yet left, and with
his Bible in hand he took a seat upon the wind
less and commenced reading. The whole night
was spent in this way, with the exception of the
time spent upon his kness in silent but earnest
prayer
L saw him in the morning, completely exhaust
ed from the effects of watching and anxiety of
mind. He took no notice of me. but gazed about
the horizon with a vacant stare, occasionally
Frightening up and stretching forth his hands as
if he saw a ship in the distance, and then shout
ing Sail no ~ would drop upon his knees,
where he would remain for hours in a state of
stupor but little removed from death itself. His
actions attracted the attention of his ~shipmates,
most of whom cursed him for a Z" white-livered
coward" who was afraid to take his chances with
the rest, but none of them used the least endeavor
to cheer him up. They were too much interested
in themselves.
The dread hour came at last, and in a very few
moments it would be decided which one of the
crew was to suffer death in order that his starry
ing shipmates might prolong their miserable
lives.
A quantity of buttons, corresponding with the
number of the ships company, were put into a
sack and hung up in the ships rigging just high
enough to be within the reach of all. The bag
contained thirty-one white buttons and one black
one, and it was well understood that whoever was
unfortunate enough to draw out the black one
would be the victim. \ list had been made out,
and the order of drawing was decided by lot, and
placed opposite the name, and when this task was
done, the more serious affair of drawing the but
tons commenced The first on the list was a tall
son of York, and though he braced himselfup and
approached the bag with a firm and stately step,
as if he was regardless of the consequences, the
tear which, he had s~tealthily wiped from his eye
when he saw that he had drawn a white button
betokened the gratitude of his heart at havinges -
capped a doom which he had but a moment before
thought possibly might befall him.
Five more haggard and famished specimens of
humanity followed, and betrayed their excessive
fear of the consequences by their colorless cheeks
and lettering steps. One after another they
turned away and resumed their usual appearance
and bearing upon the discovery that theirs was
not the 80 prize"
Number seven'' was next called out, and a
chill struck to my heart at the thought that my
name stood opposite to this number, and that my
chance for life or death was now to be tried.
There was no escaping the trial, and | could not
deny risking as much for my ~shipmates as they
had done for me, so, scarcely knowing what / was
doing, L advanced and drew my button, when |
stood, afraid to look upon it, and remained some
time in a state of unconsciousness, until | was
aroused by the rest of the crew who had passed
the rubicon in safety, and who with loud voices
exclaimed" Come, shipmate, show your hand
and let the business 90 on" Hooked and thank
ed the fates when l discovered that | had drawn
a white button and was safe.
Having no further interest in the horrible pro-
ceedings. L retired to d distant part of the vessel,
where i was soon lost in profound revery, and was
only awakened by a piercing shrek, and the cry
o-.sTom-'s the man -: and on reioinino
my companions L found alas, it was too true.
Poor Tom had been singled out rs the victim, and
upon this fact becoming apparent he had uttered
the shiek and fell to the deck in a swoon, where
he then laid, while the hungry crew were discus
sing the ~propriety of putting an end to his life
while he was yet in his present insensible condi-
ton. Kneeling down by his side, / found in him
no sign of life, but imagining he gave a gentle
pressure to my hand, and that he would soon
return TO consciousness. L left him, and calling
the crew together begged as a favor, that they
would allow him one hour, in hope he would be
restored to reason, and be able to spend the re-
naming moments of his life in fitting himself for
his apnearauce before his Major huf npon he
being restored to animation, it was evident that
reason had left her throne, and poor Tom was a
raving maniac.
The horrible preparations for the sacrifice were
made, but L will spare the reader the recital.
just as the last act of the tragedy was about to
be performed, one Of our messmates, who had in
voluntarily turned his ewes from the sickenine