The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1868-04-24
BEL AIR, MD: FRIDAY MORNING, APRIL o. 1868.

!
by pairing the dried skins close to tn
roots of the hair they could obtain a very
soft material And SO they managed to
live on. The history of one day was tho
history of all.
In September, after they had been on
the islands for over four months, they
were all attacked with an alarming sick
ness. Their stomachs began to swell,
then their limbs most of them thought
that their last hour was come. 1t some.
what resembled scurvy, as when they
pressed upon the swollen part The indenta-
tion remained for some time They learn
ed afterwards that it was disease known
to old Whalers as the "cobbler."
On the 6sh of October ship was seen.
They were on an island at the time, which
they cslled Rabbit Island, as they found
rabbits there. They instantly multiplied
their fire, and four of them gave chase in
the boat, without success. The ship
passed and was not seen again. This had
the effect of depressing their spirits con-
siderably. The sufferers are positive in
their declaration that the sat- ke from
their fires must have been seen on the
ship. So October and November passed.
They had an agreeable variety il their
food about this time in the finding Of
some sea fowls eggs, and they lighted on
a rusty axe in the stump of an old tree
directly in front of one of their huts.-
Then beginning to be worn out with hope
dc forrad thau Jataru,;pad "a n,olo "a, &c
fort for their own deliverance. They fit
J ted up one of their small boats, deoked
her over with seal skin, provisioned her
with seals meat, about thirty gallons of
water in seals outlets, the flesh of three
goats and about twenty dozen cooked
eggs.
On the 22d of January they started
without compass or nautical instrument
of any sort, They thought that BY steer.
Ing eastnorth-east they would make New
Zealand. This was au error, as the course
should have been north or little west of
north. At the time Of the start the wind
was southwest, but on the first night it
shifted to the northwest, with rain, and
blowing very hard. Those who were left
upon the land were very hopeful of
successful result to the venture of their
comrades; but FIVE weeks passed, and
then they knew that in all likelihood they
would never meet their comrades again in
this world. There is no hope still. The
boat may have made Campbel's Islands,
which are about one hundred miles east of
the AuckIands.
February passed aud March. In the
latter month they found stave on which
was written in charcoal, "Minerva four
men, one officer, Leith, May 10th, 1864 !;
March 25th, 1865" April and May
slipped by, and the men had almost given
up hope but they gathered great pile
of wood, ready to light as signal in case
a ship were seen. In the month of June
they caught small pig [; they kept her
for three months and then they killed her.
Then occurred an event which occasioned
much sadness. On the Sd of September
old David Mcclellan died. He had work.
ed with them and suffered with them. 1t
was like losing the chief part Of their dying
hope to lose him. He was buried in the
sandhill of Enderby Island.
About this time they were very well off
for food. They succeeded by means of
an ingenious hook made out of half-inch
bot in catching number of pigs, and
they found some wild potatoes. They set
adrift the inflated bladders of the pigs, at
tached to which were slips of wood, on
which was written an account of their sad
condition, in the hope of some ship pick.
ing one up. They made small boats of
about three feet in length they attached
to each heavy piece Of iron so as to turn
the little craft By the stern, to keep her
before the wind, and cast them out upon
the waters. On the deck Of each were
carved the particulars of the wreck
Nearly despairing and yet clinging to the
hope, growing fainter day by day, of being
rescued, the little band lived on, adopting
every means within its power of assisting
in its own deliverance.
THE DELIvERANcE.
On the 10Th of November, 1867, more
than eighteen months after the wreck of
the General Grant, the man on the look
out saw a sail. The signal fires were
lighted without delay, but the smoke did
not appear to attract notice, On the 21st
the brig Amherst was sighted, running
from the south along the east coast. The
boat was launched, was observed from the
brig, and the sufferers we're taken on
board. 1t is almost needless to say that
they were treated by Capt Giroy and
his officers and men with kindness and
consideration. The joy of the rescued
SUITE. ers was great. Words" says one,
"cannot express our feelings of joy for
such deliverance from hardship and pr-
walton during a period Of eighteen
mouths They we're taken on to South.
land, New Zealand, where they were hos
pitably received and provided for.
OTHER PARTICULARS.
At q marked tree at Port Ross, two
slate tablets have been left with the /
lowing inscriptions i:
"Sacred to the memory of eighty-six
persons who lost their lives by the wreck
of the General Grant, on the morning of
the 18th May, 1866, on the Auckland
Islands"
IS cred to the memory of Bartholomew
Brown, chief officer William Newton
Scott, A. A. b. Peter MeHeuip r Z.