Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1867-07-18
ROMANCE OF THE SEA.
Discovery Of the Wreck OF a Vessel Cast
Away More than Fifty Years Ago--More
About the New Island I'm the Pacific.


Discovery OF the Wreck OF Vessel Cast
Away More than Fifty Years Ago--Morc
About the New Island In the Pacihc.
From Messrs. Colemen's Circular, May 2sth.
On Sunday afternoon the schooner
Caroline Mills returned to this port from
an expedition undertaken last January,
i'm the hope of recovering a portion of the
lading of the bark Libelle, which was
wrecked on Wakes Island, i'm the North
Pacific, in March, 1856, and in which
Madame Anna Bishop was at the time u
passenger. On arriving at the scene of
the wreck, they found the Libelle still
holding together, but in such a position
that it was impossible to approach her.
She lay to the windward of the island,
and the reef was so heavy in her vicinity
as to render the task of recovering any
portion of her cargo almost hopeless
She had struck on coral reef and the
successive tides and storms had forced
of the waves had Knocked her bottom
out, and as the reef ran plumb down us
sheer ns a wall, and no soundings could
be got at fifty or eighty fathoms, ofcourse
1t was useless to expect that any con-
siderable portion ofthe quicksilver, which
formed the most valuable part of her lad
ing, could bercscued. A few TASKS were
found, and some chain cable and other
iron, but tho expedition was not q pecu-
mary success. The weather was very
rough when the Mills arrived at the
island, and after laying off and on for
several days, and finding no abatement
or prospect of abatement, of the sea, the
masterS captain Nickols, decldedto aban-
don the wreck, more especially as 1t be-
came evidentth would speedily break
up under the action of the rollers. Top
ping his boom, therefore, he made sail,
and stood out to sea. Not having made
fortune by the Libclle, and being 10th
to return to port empty handed the skip
per now cast about for something to do,
and somewhere to 20. He remembered
that an island called CORVALLIS Island
was laid down OH the chart, and thought
he would hunt 1t up. He did so, finding
it with some difficulty, and making the
discovery, at the same time, that 1t was
some forty miles from the spot laid down
for 1t on thechart. In so large an ocean,
this error may seem slight to landsman,
who may possibly think that it matters
little where these insignificant dots are
located, so that the full complement is
given by the marine surveyors. 1t does
not require an error of forty miles In the
position of n rock, however, to wreck O
passenger ship and send thousand or so,
souls into eternity ut five minutes notice,
and 1t Is difficult to account for the mis-
take In this instance. Leaving this
point to he settled between Captain Nick
OILS and the craftsman of the chart, we
will follow him further. Finding moth
ing on CORVALLIS Island, he made sail
for another of these coral rocks, known
as Sybilla, or Casper Rica Island situated
In longitude 1850 degrees minutes east,
and latitude IA degrees 40 minutes north.
On landing upon this island, which is
formed entirely of coral, and Is only
about eight feet above the level of the
sea, Capt. Nichols was surprised to find
the beach strewn over with the wreck of
a vessel of considerable size, and clOser
investigation in no degree diminished
his astOnishment, for it became evident
that the wreck had been cast away at
least generation ago. The fragments
scattered here and there were of teak,
and the copper rudder bands, and some
sheets from the hull were picked up
Judging from the size of the timbers, the
pieces of which lying around were all In
excellent preservation, Capt Nickols
supposes that the vessel was one of he
tween four and five hundred tums. On
proceeding further up the beach a place
was found where the shipwrecked crew
had evidently camped, and some faded
and rotten sail-cloth showed that they
had made tent for themselves out of
the sails. Here the first clue to the iden-
tity OF the lost vessel was found, in the
shape OF quarter board bearing the
name Canton" deeply carved on it,
Near to this was the armorial shield
which had surmounted the stern, and
this has been recognized by an old sailor
Mt Honolulu, as being identical with
those used by the ships Of the old East
India Company. IL is surmounted by n
crown, Is oval In form, and the quarter
ings contain an inner shield, also quarter
cd. The. heraldic emblems embiazoned
upon IL unite the leopards of England,
the elephant of the Company, with vari-
GUS other clphers and devices, which the
learned In heraldry may recognize and
decipher. 1t Is carved out of Norway
pine, and was evidently gilded and gaily
painted, but the suns and rains OF half
n century have despoiled II of its garish
finery, and left IL u cracked, blenched,
rotten and decayed memento of gem
Grafton no life of which exists to-day
In the vicinity OF the camping place
where this relic was discovered, were
found also several spoons and platters OF
wood. IL has been suggested that these
are exactly similar TO such as were COM
monty used by the Lascar sailors In the
Companyis employ, and 10 Is possible
that the Canton was so manned, but
when the frigidity Of the climate In
which she traded Is considered, II may
be regarded as unfaYorable to this view,
II being well knowIfkhat Lascara, though
making excellent seamen In the tropics,
become almost useless In cold weather.
The experience of every sea Captain who
has doubled Cape Horn with IIascaI
crew will verify this assertion. Several
old sea chests were strewn around, but
they were empty, "a were also the com.
pass boxes Of the lost vessel. No trace
Of writing or inscription Of any kind
could be found by the people of the Mills
though the Captain searched narrowl,
over every part Of the beach where thu
wreck was lying. In the course Of hel
investigationsthe party came upon yer,
hatchway OF the Canton had been cas-
up whole, and through the opening
, tree had sprung up aud attained q fll