The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1864-11-17

shrub, or anything possessing animal
life upon it. A few miserable plants,
among them some wild parsley and c'l
cry, and here and there some stunted
reeds and ferns, comprised everything
Of the vegetable kind-all the rest be-
ing rocks, sand. mud and water. Moth.
ing could be more dreary, cheerless and
desolate; and as the poor voyngers
strained their aching eyes over the roar
ing ocean, and thought Of their far away
homes, which they could not hope to
ever again bcholl, feeling Of despair
took possession Of their hearts,
Ia few days their provisions we're
all consumed, and the prospect Of utter
starvation was added to their other hor
rors. A careful search was made
throughout the island; but with the ex.
ception Of the vegetables mentioned, Of
which there was only limited quantity,
nothing it to be eaten, nothing that
might prolong life, could be found
There was neither animal nor bird, not
even lzzard or snail, and close ex
animation of the rocks along the sea dis
covered not so much as a single shell
fish clinging to them. What then was
before them but starvationP What hope
of being suddenly provided with food on
those barren rocks2
In this awful extremity, they we're
one night sitting around their gloomy
carnp-fres, glaring at each other and
thinking who might be the irst victim,
when, as if Heaven had specially dcs-
tined to try them SO far and save them
at the last moment, flock of sea fowls
came dashing into the flames, like moths
into lighted candle, and large num-
bers of them were easily Knocked down
and secured. This happened on sever
al successive nights, and may be classed
as their second wonderful preservation
AT last the birds ceased coming, and
soon after their last morsel of food was
eaten. What now remained, except
death by famine still? How could they
hope to be again supplied in a miracu-
lous manner? Two days now passed
without food, and they we're suffering
the paugs of bodily hunger and mental
despair, when suddenly there appeared
over the island dense cloud of PEN
gums, which had come hither, as if di
rected by the hand of Providence, to
lay their eggs in the sand. They re-
main ed on the island for several days,
and then took fight, leaving tho usands
and thousands of eggs behind them, on
which our unfortunate voyagers subsist-
ed for several weeks. This was their
third wonderful preservation.
A last the eggs we're exhausted, and
for the third time gaunt famine stared
them in the face. What hope of anoth-
er miracle2 And yet it came. While
again suffering the pangs Of hunger, and
in the last stages Of despair, one of the
crew, who had gone to the summit Of
the highest rock, to take one more sur
vey of the ocean, and perhaps precipitate
himself into the boiling gulf, rather
than wait for death in a slower and N ore
painful form, suddenly came running
into camp, perfectly wild with excite
ment, shouting:
awe are saved again! we are saved
ag4iDl God has saved US againl"
"What is it?' cried chorus of vol
ces, though many thought the man was
mad.
Sea COWS! sea cows" screamed the
poor fellow, fairly dancing with delight.
THE food has brought ashore millions
of sea-cowsI Come and seel''
Away, over the rocks, rushed the
whole crew, with wild cries, like SO many
madmeU; and when they came in sight
of the water, and found their compan-
ion had told the truth, several of them
dropped down on their knees and gave
thanks to God. The sea COWS, or mon,
Atees, had been washed ashore in i'm
mense numbers, and the retreating wa
ters had left thousands, if not indeed
millions Of them, among the rocks and
sands of the little cove where our unhap-
py vOyagers had effected their landing.
This rew supply of food lasted them
several weeks longer, and may truly
be called their fourth preservation.
About this time an attempt was made
to open communication with the island
Of Tristan d'Acunha. The carpenter
and his men had constructed boat ofI
the materials of the wreck, and four
sailors now ventured to put off in her
through the roaring surf. Days ofaux-
iOus expectations passed, the crew each
morning going to the highest points of