Monmouth weekly herald. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1854-1860, 1860-02-09


could all see it waved momeat and then
withdrawn, and several thought they
could make out woman's arm. ~
u expected every Ihotieht the brig
would break DIP, but; as aftst#atd DIP
peared she was entirely fie# ind her hull
WIS Very strong. When / saw size would
hold together some time at least, /
knew there was nothing to be done unless
we could board her.
." There's tie signal again. said Jerry,
who was pulling the Bow oar, and it is
a woman's arm that's certain
:" After moment, finding they were
all looking at me, / said Boys I'll not
ask any one to GO stroke further. You
know what is to be done as we'll as l.
Il the boat lives through we shall save at
least one fellow creature from hard
death. II she goes to pieces-some Of US
may get ashore
= No one answered, but as let her fall
d f dill SHED bear they bent to their oars
with viii, and the next moment we
were tossing and tumbling in the surf
1t seemed to me hours though | don't
suppose twas many minutes, we we're
struggling literally for dear life, and,
eight Seeter oars were never pulled, we
several TIMES lost more than we had made
The old boat behaved nobIy though, and
in little luli, we finally crossed the
shoai, weathered the brig, and rounded
I'd just Under hef lee.
They saw US as We passed the cabin
windows, and man staggered out with
coil OF line in his hand, one end of
which be made fast ia the main rigging
and the other round his waist. A sea
cdmbliig over, the deck swept him of to
lee@Std. aid lie was aldiost drowned be
fore we could get him into the boat
lie had been fearfully knocked about in
the cabin. whe:esall hands had taken ref
uge, aHd at first couldn't speak word
He was Portugee, and couldn't talk
much English any way, but after while
contrived to tell US there were five
more aboard the brig, though he believed
they were all dead except the young wo
mat Who made the signals, aud she mus
be about gone too by that time. l gave.
tie helm to the oar stroke and stripped off
every thing but pants and guernsey, then
taking the line from the Portugee's waist,
jumped overheard and struck out for the
brig. That was mighty hard swimming.
but with the aid of the line contrived
to pull up into the rigging and cling there
till | could get breath again. The cabin
was on deck, ship fashion. and by watch
ing the seas | managed to reach the doors
and open them. The water rushed out
so could hardly stand, and had to
wait for back lurch before could 90
10. Every thing movable was adr,ft-
tables. chairs and lockers washing from
one side the cabin to the other, bruising
and mangling the lfeless bodies that
were tossing to and fro with them.
There was no one alive in the cabin.
so called loudly. and heard a faint an
swer from side state-room. The door
was broken in and the little room was
flooded with water at every side f6ll.-
Lashed fast in the top berth | found the
young lady she had ,gifgn Up all hope
when deserted by the Portugee, and laid
herself down here deeently 10 die. Cut.
ting the fasts, lifted her up in my arms
AID. without setf0ds miShap, carried her
out under lee of the caboose.
had not Been aboard the bri Q more
than ten minutes, but in that time the
boat had drifted away and was laying in
the surf on the shore side Of the bar
The men bent to the work and pulled
hard and hearty out the Portugee was
too much used up to row strong, and six
sweeps codldI't hold. They had to let
her drive into 9uietef water where thev
could bail out and take breath. Then
they dashed in again and did the best
men could do, working on, though often
losing in one minute all they had made
in ten, in constant danger Of being
swamped or stove in, and the chances
more against them every moment. saw
twas no use, and maoe signal to give it
up and 60 Ashore. They wouldn't do
that I; but going into smoother water
again, they worked well up to windward
and tried to cross as we had at first
Two or three times in the trough of sea
| thought the old boat had gone under,
and at last she did taKe wave that
filed her. aud all but two had to In
sweeps and SO to bailing with their hats.
RaR.
They drove by some ways in shore, and
beckoned me to jump aud swim. would
have tried it alone, but knew couldn' T.
reach with the young woman, so waved
my hand to them aud tnfned away, feel
nag sort of desperate and half choked.
There was no time for having the
bfues, though, for my companion requir.
ed immediate attention. had little
flask of spirits in the pocket Of my g1ern-
sey, and made her take enough to Bright.
en- her up bit. She was nearly exhaust
ed by fatigue and cold, but said she was
not much bruised. and whea spoke
about building raft, was anxious to
help, though she couldn't stand on her
feet. | soon found there was no raft to
be- bufft, as the whole deck was breaking
up, having been started when the fore
mast went over. | had hoped that, as
the hull proved strong, it might hold to-
gether till the storm abated but when
the deck began to go knew the bulk