The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1869-12-11
BURIED ALIVE.

| | had gone to Australia with all old
! schoolfcllow-a quick, strong, energetic
fellow, Injured to hard labor from his child
hood.
We arrived safe at Melbourne in the
summer of 1862, and Taylor started off i'm
mediately for the diggngs. | had a friend
at Melbourne, 4 doctor and as | knew how
to make up prescriptions, and he offered to
employ me, l staid with him. Taylor and
| agreed to correspond with each other
every available opportunity. l soon heard
of him, as there was then constant stream
of diggers and emigrants coming and going
between Melbourne and the gold-tields. l
heard, moreover, of his unvarying success,
and twice he came up to town with the
armed escort to deposit his large earnings
in the bank.
The last time he called to see me, so sue
cessful had he been that he told me he was
going to try his luck but once more, and
then to give it up and return home with
more than competency for the remainder
of his life. His success more than answered
his expectations, for not only did he find
several very large and valuable nuggets,
but somehow or other had got collection
of pearls, which he told me he had pllr-
chased from q sailor who had obtained them
from the natives of the islands in the Pacific
during long whaling cruise. Among
these pearls were some of the largest and
handsemest ever saw, even in Il ,jewelry
store.
lie resolved to keep two or three of the
largest nuggets, to carry home, and depos-
tied the rest at the bank. After stayin.
two weeks in Melbourne he came to me one
day and said he had determined to charter
or purchase large schooner then for sale,
its hands having all deserted. and take her
to England himself, first cruising among
the islands, and going round the Horn,
touching at New York and spending few
weeks there.
When he offered me free passage
jumped at the offer. The next month was
spent in furnishing and equipping the YES
sci for a twelve months voyage. The OBJ
tanning hands to work it was his greatest
difficulty, and very motley crew was the
consequence, as he could not be very par
ticular with regard to character. We both
provided ourselves with plenty of arms and
abundance of ammunition, and the vessel
was well found in all necessary stores.
His gold, except the few nuggets he re-
tained he had got an order for on the Eng
lish bank in London-the Oriental Bank
in New York, to meet any contingencies
there. All his wealth, amounting to some
thousands, was deposited in strong cash
box, along with the pearls and papers,
This box was placed in wooden case,
strongly clamped with iron.
Our crew consisted of twelve men, two
mates, steward, cook and commander
seventeen men in all, besides our two selves
Some of them were Scotch, three Irish, two
Portuguese, one Spaniard, two Americans,
and the remainder English.
On the 10th of February, 1854, we were
ready for sea. The 18th saw us all on board
we heaved up anchor and set all sail We
! had 4 short and pleasant run to New Zea-
| land. There we took in fresh supply of
vegetables and fruit, and once more started
on our voyage.
We had been fortnight away from New
Zealand, having had light battling winds
hitherto.
And now we lay almost motionlcss on
| the water, which heaved beneath us with a
long, steady roll, no ripple on the top, but
CLASSY, smooth and unwrinkled We al
ready had trouble on board, from the hete-
rogeneous nature of our crew. | did not
by any means like the looks of the Portu-
euesc and Spaniard. often noticed them
hiding in out-ofthe-way corners of the YES
sci, holding secret combinations, the which
being spoken in a foreign tongue, l could
not understand their actions, however, |
think did, for whenever they saw me they
would break up and retire with guilty,
conscious look. The captain or comman-
der, murmured at Taylor's interference in
the management of the vessel, and the two
mates seemed to sympathize with him, and
the only quiet-looking part of the crew
were the four Scotchmen.
On going below l mentioned to Taylor
my fears of the crew becoming mutinous,
not on account of Entertainment as much as
the temtation to do so with a vessel well
equipped for long voyage, in an out-of-
the-way part of the sea, and with the crew
more than suspicious of Il vast amount of
treasure on board. l suggested the pro
priety of seeing to our weapons and load
ing them. Taylor pooh-poohed it. and
thought they dared not do it, notwithstand-
ing the lawless nature of the crew, and
felt sure, moreover, of the trustworthincss
and fidelity of the officers and Englishmen,
as well as the Scotch.
Night after night I retired to my berth,
with an uneasy dread about me ; and was
right-the temptation was too great. |
woke up one night from horrid dream to
find my worst fears true. Two men stood