New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1858-12-18

until four days afterwards, when we came to anchor
among the feet of hundred sail OF vessels on the
, loadngsground of Rio Janeiro
We were lust one day too late for the Estrella with
+ Senior Manuel Arzara and his daughter on board,
had been gone twenty-four hours, and the hneIook
inr ship under the Portuguese flag which we had
passed off Cape Frio as we were bound in, must have
been her.
Frank was half distracted by the disappointment,
but patience was his only remedy, as there was no
vessel in port about to sail for the United States and
ravng like mailman for one wholeday, he got calm,
and made up bis mind to act sensible, go home with
me in the Wid-Waye, and hope for the good fortune
of arriving at New ork in advance OF the Estrea.
don't believe cargo of coffee was ever taken in
and slowed quicker than ours and at sunrise
on the fifth morning after entered the harbor of
| Rio, we were standing out between the Sugar Loaf
| and Fort Santa Cruz, under every inch of canvas,
homeward bound
Franks love and impotence hurried him my
friendship, ambition to make quick passage, and the
bait which Brewer still held out in the shape OF i've
hundred dollars, hurried me and both together we
hurried thelite brgantine through the towards
New York at rate she had never been driven before
know; and my opinion is, that il the board Of IN
deEFriters could have witnessed the reckless manner
in which we sometimes carried sail IN those squalls
while running down the A. b trades, they never
would have afterwards taken risks on any craft com
manded and differed by Mr. Frank Brewer and my
self.
But very little did we care for the underwriters not
| We Frank was after a little beauty that he loved
dearly and whom he was fearful Of losing, while
was after the $500 and the reputation Of having made
the shortest passage record, and So between us,
we kept the brgnatiue travelling, till the morning of
the thirty.rst day after leaving Cape Frio, when we
made the lightboat on FiYefathom Bank, of, Cape
I May.
The wind, which had been fresh at s. w. for seve-
raj days with fine clear weather. beganto veer round
to the eastward and die away after made the
land on the Jersey shore, it being then hour after
sunrise in the latter part Of December 80 that with
the breeze, light as it was getting to be, hun
bred miles yet to run, and the shortest days in the
year, it was scarcely possible to get up TO Sandy
Hook before dark; besides which, it began to rain in
fine mistike drizzle with every appearance to the
eastward of gale coming on before midnight.
Before three O'Clock p NJ. we had passed perhaps
thirty sail of ships, barks briggs and sChooners all
toby the wind under short canvas, and head oshoTe
their commanders deeming it mprudent to run for
the Hook in such weather
But kept the Wild-Waye, going under all sail, de-
termned, ii | could once get hold Of the Highland
Lights before it shut in thick to try her Orthe Sandy
Channel, pilot or no pilot.
One hour more of daylight and I should have sue
ceeded in getting into the Fair Way, so could have
run her in by the lights however dark it might have
been, but by the time we were upsWth Shrewsbury
only eleven miles from Sandy Hook light, it shut in
SO thick that nothing could be seen at quarter OF
miles distance, and, after all I was compeedto haul
her by the wind and abandon all hope OF gaining New
York harbor that night.
The wind began to breeze up strong, too, as the
darkness came on, and as fast as we could we took
sail off the brig until by the time that daylight
| entirely mad her under q dOuDle'reeeQ lore
t0psa baanGereeted mainsalI, tOretOpmast stay sail
and the fore spencer, and even this last were soon
obliged to take in and there she lay at the coming on
Of that gloomy winter night that gallant little brig
antine stripped to her battle st0rm.gear, chOck down
in the blight OF the bay OF New York with the dan
gerous coast Of Long Island only eleven miles to lee
ward, the gale increasing every moment blowing
right square on shore, and My friends, there
was not one chance in ten thousand, if it should come
on to blow so that we could not carry our already
seanty sail, for US to escape destruction ontha dread
ful coast.
knew and so did every soul in the brig that a
violent gale at hand for such tremendous ground
sea as was heaying in from about E. S. E. had never
seen on the coast Of America before giving most in
disputable evidence that not many miles away sea
ward terrific storm was already raging.
bitterly cursed my head.long folly in thus running
down, as it were, into the very jaws of death, and
could have placed twenty-five miles more Of blue
water between US and the dangerous coast by the
sacrifice Of five years from my lease Of life, should
not have hesitated single moment.
But could not, and there we were-Eght where
my own rash imprudeuce had placed US, and we
must fight successfully with the coming gale or
perish.
BY nine o'clock the gale had grown ntoa sbrieking
tempest at due S. S. E.. and it seemed each moment
as il the stout sails must go in lint from the bolt
/ ropes. But everything was new and good and the
brave craft continued heading up eastward, punging
! madly bows under as she met those giant waves,
= making but little Roadway under her short canvas,
and all the time saggng gradually in towards the
shore.
Hour after hour wore slowly away, and still the
wild storm ragged in all its yelling fury. and all the
time the doomed brigantine was drifting slowly to
leeWard. knew it, for stood there on the weather
side Of the quarterback with the deep seaine in my
hand for four hours until the water had shoaled from
fourteen to eleven fathoms, and then in despair [
flung the lead inupon the deck and called myself a
murderer
1t was past Q o'clock, and the screaming tempest
was as fierce as ever, when suddenly vivid flash lit
up the Gimmerian gloom to WindwarQ, not quarter
OF mile distant, and then there came down on the
blast the loud report Of cannon. Another and
another followed in quick succession, each flash light
ing for single instant portion OF noble craft, and
each conclusion telling in thunder tones OF the de-
spairing agony felt by stout hearts in deadly peril
They were the last, loud death walls of laundering
ship.
Twenty minutes passed. and the flashes had ceased
the believing roar was hnshed and the silence itself
was eloquent Of the fate OF the doomed ship
Il might have been twenty minutes longer-nOt
more than that-atter the signal guns were hushed,
as Frank and myself stood there in moody silence on
the quarterback that faint, ong.drawnout cry,
as it far distant haoo was borne to our ears from
a direction about two points forward OF the beam,
and moment afterwards the dim shadOWy outlines
of a boat doomed up close on board, and dritted
slowly astern as the brig forged ahead.
"Helpl help For the blessed Virgins sake, help
save US! came in frantic tones, in Portuguese, and
the echo of the last words died away to leeward,
Frank Brewer had flung off his heavy peajaeket, and
catching up the end OF stout Manila rope that lay
cooled in a tier on the quarter, be shouted to me to
pay out the line, and plunged headlong overheard.
The crew rushing aft at the cry from the boat
to Wndward, and as Brewer went overheard a stimuli
taneous exclamation of horror burst forth from all as
they stood grouped around me and looked upon the
mad, reckless act.
"Pay out-pay out the line! for Gods sake, pay
out! +" screamed the noble fellow as he struggled
flercely away towards the helpless boat which was
every moment drifting away, and all the time the line
was creeping slowly out through my hands as held
it slack over the side and so intense was the agony
Of suspense that it every instant grew into eter
/ nifty Of torture.
Suddenly the line became stationary, and held
my breath for few moments, and then there rang
out clear and loud above the roar Of wind and waves,
the voice Of Brewer, as he shouted
aHanl-haui in aboard haul handsomely
"Hurrah II screamed the crew, in concert bending
on the line which Brewer had made fast to the DRIFT
ing boat and in less than three minutes she was
hauled up under the stern Of the brig,
One after another we drew on board, by means of
ropes and running bOwiines, nineteen persons and
the very first one Of those nineteen rescued human
beings was the beautiful Portuguese Maiden Arlina
Arzara. Next came Senior Manuel and then the
captain officers and crew Of the magnificent ship Es
trella foundered, they informed u.s. half an hour
before.
Without oars, and their fra boat nearly half full
of water they must have all soon persisted but for the
i noble daring of the brave man who had thus unhes.
itatingly rsked his life Ia save them,
tt was scene of the most intense interest-that
! which followed the daring act Of Frank Brewer.
Kneelng there on the quarterback, and holding in
his arms the glorious creature whom his had Just
. frnrn dpUth hero a he