The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1870-08-25

| teITioc. Ane majority OF the men IA
we'd were I'm their berths when the
Mercurius struck, and swum to the
rock In their shirts; aud Il was noe ustiA
one Of their number made hat out Of
the fibre Of the solitary coca-tree, sew
ing 1t together with needle made out
a pcice OF brass found Oh the island that
any protection for the head was to be
seen among them. To add to the ir mis-
cry, the reef swarmed with venomous
ants, which bit tho strangers 4uniierci-
fully, and with an effect which, can only
be realized by those who have sufiAfcd
from the .nsect-life Of tropical climes.
Let the traveller who has been accus-
toned % mosquito curtains, TO the pow
der which Is guaranteed to stupefy the
enemy, to the ingenious form Of night
clothing "hich provides net helmet
for the head, to sleeping drawers and
jacket which are hermetically closed at
wrist and foot, and who has In spite of
every precaution, found himself bitten
through the live-long night fst such
traveller fancy the condition Of men
without clothes, over and upon whom
ants swarmed with forty mosquito pow
er. But they became indurated tn time
Their flesh became less tempting by
reason Of exposure, or they were hard
cned to the bites, and their pain was less
The commissariat question question
was settled In q way which will make
every school boys mouth water who
reads Of 1t. They went out In their
boat aud caught fish and turtle, they
had an abundance Of birds eggs and
shcll-fish. They manufactured bird
traps and caught young birds, cooking
them bya fire which was never sufI'
cred to go out by night or day. They
had, OF course no matches, and no means
ofprocuring light other than the time
honorcd one we have all read Of in Coo
per's novels--that Of rubbing two bits
Of wood together till they ignite. Three
was no fuel belonging to the island
broken debris of former wrecks supplied
the only material for the all-important
fire. Thsre TIMES during their sojourn
on the rock was this fire suffered by
some accident to go cut; aud three times
was the experiment in friction anxious
and successfully tried. So tho time
wore on until fifty one weary days had
been spent OH the reef, days in which
every man scanned the horizon, and In
which the strong cheered the faint
hearted and all spoke hope in turn.
1t is easy to picture tho existe.ice these
men led. The first gratitude Of escape
the anxious search for fellow survivors
and the mournful conclusion that tho
rest Of their shipma;cs were no more,
the stern necessity which babe them
work, Invent, contrive; the develop
rient day by day OF some fresh ingenu-
ity, some little suspected quality In each
and the gradual accumulation of reliefs
and even comforts-can all be traced,
They were prudent men-men taught
by calamity to prepare for rainy day;
for when rescued, they had two hun
drcd eggs In store, and ara described as
being in good condition. Their rescue
was not effected until the 18th Of May
when the commander of the iron clip
per barque Silver Craig, Captain Cohp,
was approaching Pernambnco, aud dis
cerned a lump OIL the well-known Ro-
cas- Reef, which he made out to be a hut
Drawing nearer he discerned signal OF
distress, composed Of seaman's striped
shirt, nuttcring half mast high, and he
then hove-t0 within two miles fromthe
and waited until six nearly naked men
put off In their rude boats and came Oh
board They were kindly aud hospita-
hly received, and had n passage given
to Liverpool; where they are now tell
ing their strange story, and exhibiting
to their friends the coco fibre hats, which
were until recently their only articles
of attire, and which they now keep as
memcntoes of the periIs they have es-
capped. In simple force, In romance,
in strangeness, in fertility Of resource,
and in adventure, the real experience Of
these six sailors on desolate island is
worthy Of Defoe, and makes most fic-
titious histories ofshipwreck seem tame
and feeble by comparison.-London
Daily News.