The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1870-10-20
REMARKABLE PRESENTATIONS,
BY EMERSON BENNETT.

AnOIS Tue most remarkable series vt
escapes from shipwreck and famine, of
which there is any record, was that of a
part of the crew and passengers of the
Blendenhall, a free trader, bound from
England to Bombay, in the year 1921.
There are many cases that might be cited
of what would seem 10 be a direct inter
| position OF Providence in behalf OF the
sufferers, but we do not remember anv
other that presents so many singular facts
OF this nature as the one in question.
The BlendeEhail made a successful
voyage till somewhere off the Cape of
Good Hope, when adverse winds drove
her far out of her course, in southwest
erly direction, toward group of three
little islands, called respectively Tristan,
d Acunha, Nightingale and Inaccessible
the first named from its discoverer, a
Portuguese admiral, and the last from its
| rocky formation and the fearful breakers
which surrounded it, and which it was
then supposed would be destructive to any>
thing human attempting to reach it.
Finding himself at last so far out of
his regular course, the commander of the
Blendenhall resolved TO steer for Tristan
d Acunha and take fresh start; but in
attempting TO reach that island he unfor-
tunately ran in among the breakers OF the
inaccessible, and, before anything could
b7 done to save abe vessel, she struck a
sunken reef and parted amid -ships The
crew had hardly time 10 cut the ropes
and stays and rush forward among the
passengers, who were wildly clinging to
the head and bows, when the stern and
rter went down, and two of the sailors.
crushed among the ruins
This sad event occurred at an early
hour In The morning, and before the rising
sun had dIspelled the mists that lay like
cloud upon the waters, involving every
thing in mysterious gloom. A bright
spot towards the point where the sun was
rising in splendor, indicated that the damp,
enveloping cloud was being dissipated
and soon after the upper portion was
whlrled off with a gentle breeze, and
broad blaze of light filled the open space,
and showed the Inaccessible Island loom
ing up, stern, rugged and defiant, some
two miles away, lis awful base, around
which the angry waters were seething and
roaring, still concealed by the obscuring
mists.
Gland no !" was the universal cry
but the discovery brought little hope to
the imperiieG party.
The anchor, which had been dropped
just before the vessel struck, was now
weighed and secured to the cat head, the
deck was cleared of broken spars, tangled
rigging and rubbish, and the foresail was
spread to the breeze. The wreck now
began to move slowly forward, wholly at
The mercy of The winds and waves, with
out Steerage, drifting hither and thither,
and whirling about i'll the foaming waters,
as powerless as the anxious souls that
clung to it and watched its restless mo-
tions. For many hours it continued to
DRIFT and whirl, and occasionally thump
along over the sunken reefs, and then, to
the great joy of all-for any promise of
proIonging life carried joy to those despon-
ding hearts--it entered a narrow channel,
between two projecting lodges of rocks,
and approached the island at the only
point where it was possible to affect
landing. Encouraged by this, the crew
set to work with vigor, and, making due
use of such materials as they could find,
constructed raft, on which few went
ashore, with ropes, and, after great ex-
ertions, succeeded in getting the wreck TO
the beach, where it soon went to pieces,
though not before all had got safely to
land, and had secured many necessary
articles, including Quantity of wine and
provisions enough 10 last them several
days. This may be called their first pres
elvation.
A fierce storm of wind and rain set in
and the first night our shipwrecked voya-
gers spent on that desert island was a
dreary one indeed and when they reflec-
ted upon their lonely situation, thousands
of miles from home, with no means Of
getting away through the roaring surf,
and no prospect of human succor, they
almost regretted they were still alive, to
go through the pangs of mortal suffering.
Nor did their explorations of the fol-
lowing day afford them any cheer. The
island was small and proved to be a rocky
barren, without a tree or shrub, or any
thing possessing animal life upon it. A
few miserable plants, among them some
wild parsley and celery, and here and
there some stunted reeds and ferns, COM
prising everything of the vegetable kind
all The rest being rocks, sand, mud
and water. Nothing could be more drea-
ry, cherries and desolate; and as the
poor voyagers strained their aching eyes
over the roaring ocean, and thought of
their far away homes, which they could
not Eope to ever see again, feeling of
despair took possession of their hearts.
In few days their provisions were all
consumed, and the prospect of utter stary>
alton was added to their other horrors
A careful search was made throughout
the island; but, with the exception of the
vegetables mentioned, of which there was
only a limited quantity, nothing fit to be