, 1870-07-19
From the london Spectator.


The chip serica, Of tive hundred and sixty
tons burden, sailed from Liverpool on the 9Th
OF December, 1867, having Oh board the Cap
tain, Thoma. Cubbin-to whom We are indebt-
cd for this story-his wife, and two children
lone Of them II year, Of age, and :: ocean
Of fourteen. By March in the following year,
being near the 50th meridian Of east longi-
tude, and not far from the southern tropics,
they fell in with very variable and ominous-
looking weather. The Captain, eeeing that
the barometer stood steady at 29.s0 hoped
he supposed to bs then passing over the Nau-
ntius.
On the 18th ofstho month this hope was at
AL end. A ttorm more violent than the old
reaman had ever seel,--wl,o. for the first time
in his life Ind himself lashed to tue poop
broke over the ship.
''Whst is the weather like = asked his wife.
whom he had told to go below and pray. '''1t
looks like tho mouth of hell said, and told
her to attend to her prayers" !" The sea looked
like great ayalanches Of water coming out Of
the clouds" The iron iiller Of the rldles was
first bent, then broken short OIL by the wayes.
The fore and mizzen masts we're cut AWAY:
the main-1nast fell, smashing the best boat TO
pieces The next best boat had her stern
knocked cut By the sea; tho smallest had
been split open st both ends.
b. this time the barometer had fallen $3.50.
! nc E4CA 44ck Utah. A1EN IL RG1 ~ tQ& lGfll&
determined, at ali events, to leave the ship.
The Captain, on the other hand, was resolved
to stick to it to the last. For daye. bv :he
force Of superior will, he had his own WAY.
Everything available, cargo. anchors, .tc., Eere
thrown overheard to tighten the ship. The
pumps, and not allowed even to sound the
depth Of water. But meanwh lie tho terror Of
being carried down by the sudden laundering
Of the ship vAs increasing on board. and had
infected every one, the Captain only excepted.
His courage eren held out when, either By
hole in the chamber Of the largest pump, but
be could no longer control his cIew. The
boats and the raft were got ready and stored
with such provisions a. could be got together
the crew, alwayn under the tetrur Of an imme-
diate foundering Of The ship. being most un-
willing to 50 down into the bold. N one boat,
twenty feet long, ave feet broad aanoldshps.
/ and twenty inches deep, we're the Capta!n; his
wife and two children, and Ave Of the bands.
The other boat, somewhat larger in size. held
the Eest. The smaller Wis strengthened, OF,
at al events, rnade to look more comfortable
inehee Of canvass stretched round the gunwa1e.
This was made while they we're still under the
lee of the Ahip, now Hater-logged wreck OF
this they were SOON to see the last.
ATS p. H., or therealouts ION March ~.
The eheep and pigs uade great noise, the dog
plunge, and went down, head foremost. 4
very painful deed had now to be Done The
dog. the Captaiu knew. would eoon be after
them. The men pulled hard for Al hour to
get free OF him, but in vain II SAW some
thing" he says. !, coming up aateln- thought
nearer approach I found it Was the dog" It
w2s an old friend, great fAvorite Of the chi}-
d1en; the wife begged hard that il might BE-
taken On boar1, but this vas impossible. An
the water we hsd would have been none too
much for him Alone, he being l1Fge
] Of ths men killed him. I could
not myself look on. but shut my eyes until it
was over. and heard them say, he has sunk. -
/ Had 11iss Burdett Coutts been there" says
the honest Captain, who evidently considers
that 1ady to be the incarnation Of general be-
| nerolence, ~ think she would haFe also
agreed. seeing the necessity"
| Their poeltion now vas, on the whole, not
| unfAyor1ble. Tho eeA WAS calm, they vera
| not more than $50 miles dstant from the r.
| Of PROVISIONS on boatd-biscnits. cheese. wine-
| and come water. The wife and the smaller
boy we're much blistered by the SUI. othet,
| wise al were Ia tolerzble comfort md good
spirits. Both the boys slept soundly. 20
did the crew; but both the C,ptAin
| At ruoset On The 18th Of March the Captain
thought that they could not be more @ tnao
thirty miles from Bourbon. Dut here bitter
btsa Became t1 unsettled md the sea rose. At day
h1esI Il became eyident that tAey could not
msie he lsnd. Nothing remained but to run
for M.dlgasear. T. Eas resy h.5d, forall about
esne. dc, and plenty Of land birds we're in
sight The crsx uaurmurod, but the Captain.
ue,ng pious fraud about the distance, had
his way
The aea Was DON very high, 80 high that the
steer car peaked with its butt under the Attar
th~Nt-that Il, Il ve interpret the v1xaa right
fastened 1t An elevation OF about fort5-6ye de-
g1tes, put iss blade under" Again tho weathe
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