The Irish republic., 1867-06-15

A Tale Of the Sea.

A Iale OF the Sea.
On the 9th of May 1866 the steam-whaer Diana, of Hull
left Lerwic with of fifty all told thirty of whom
Sheanders and the rest English In June they in
Melville Bay but the fishing very successful In the
beginning of September the ship beset with ce but
clear and for the south coast when she again bese
to the south of Cous Inlet The mustered by the
captain and half allowance ordered in One of the crew
says This Sunday the 23rd of September and next
morning began that lbs of bread
and 81 lbs of meat with flour day. per week used to
put my self ON smaller daily allowance in the first of each
week that i'll the end of it should have little
enable to start better the week Like Monday
morning. when each got his weeks allowance served
him, would break biscuit in four pieces and tie each
quarter of handkerchief and take piece
each of the four meal times thus had little about
Thursday Friday and could then have Many others
did the same but some wouldn't husband theirs and would eat
long lasted that Saturday Sunday they bad
none The Queen of Peterhead the Intrepid of Dundee and
far away to be knownwere the last ships
All October and November the ship kept drifting in the
ice the south the of sometimes miles
day the farthes and about miles of daily average.
Strong noery winds pressed the ice to the southwark
of the time When off Exeter Sound Settlement in October
they made signal by burning oakum pitch and Oil sung at
the main yardarm but it heavy weather the me and
blowing hard, didn't fare up we and there
spone On the 23rd of December they in Frobhers
Straits and drifting between islands they got heavy
cenp and the ship sprang leak that they had to put all
hands to the pumps to keep her aoat but being doubtful
whether she could stand longer thought best to leave
her and tent the cewhch they did, and got all their
clothing bedding and provisions out of the ship In one way
better than the ship because owing the pres
of the ice the Ship she constantly cracked and ceaked
with such dreadful noise that they couldn't get wink Sleep
Captain Gravel the first night the tent but suffered
much from cold that he back to the ship in the
ing but several Shetandmen three days
nights in the The captain died the 26h December
minutes past in the morning and they dressed the
body and wrapped and laid him close to the
port side of the bridge that the ship crushed in the
ice they might easily drop him into hole alongside They
made coffin, too for him. and had it ready in they
should clear Before his death he called the together
and gave them Instructions The of fuel came
be hard them the scarcity of food They had spent all
their coal great quantity spare wood trying steam
a
they burned all and all the whale boats but
ing and they that fire for the day dinner time The
beef got done in January coffee and sugar about that time aso
and the last served out in the beginning of February.
Tobacco likewise all gone and of them tried smoke
leaves and coffee grounds The tea-eaves burned the
badly but the coffee grounds so dsagreeable
All night their breath oze the top of their berths till the
ice be three four inches thick and they had day
every week break it off and scrape down ships
scapers The men began get downheared and of
them weak that they dropped at the pumps The DOCTOR
Mr. Charles Edward Smith, did everything he could for them
and all should beaking his watch regularly and
working hard any but he couldn't save them.
Scurvy began with them and then they couldn't eat
food they had owing to their being bad and of
them them had dysenery The first two who diedcForbes
and laid up beside the captain on the BRIDGE but
they hadn't wood for any The very quiet
and resigned though of course there difference among
then ana some were more contened than others AT st on
the 18th March, with clear moonlight they between
Resolution Islands into the broken ice There great
deal young Ice broken up by the heavy c which protected
the ship much although she struck heavily at times and
damaged her rudder William Loey of the harpooners
acted navigator When they into the open sea- ana the
ship began rolling and pitching the leak got worse, and they
had enough to do to keep her ao there were not many
able work. On Sunday 31st March, exchanged long
with shp that very afternoon they sighted land
just weeks from leaving the ice. But unucK they took
the they saw to be Orkney and wanting go She
land they stood the nohwad along he west SIDE of
Shetland, all the time suppong be Orkney They beat
about them till the 2nd inst when the mate SAID he would
take the first harbor nd and they ran her into Rona
Voc that day noon finding their surprise THAT they had
been off Shetland the The night before three of the