Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1871-07-13

the mouth Of the hold, for I felt that
Mr.. Valance and the poor fellow must
have been drowned.
| shouted-ouce. twice, and then
there was a groan when, Selling hold
of the tackle that we had used to hoist
the pillars, was lowered down and be-
gan to swim in the rushing water that
was surging from side to side, when
felt myself clutched by a drowning
man, and, holding. ON to him We were
dragged up together.
But did not want the desparing look
Mrs. Valance gave me to make me go
down again, and this time / was washed
up against something, which l sliced
but there seemed no life in it when we
were hauled up, for the poor fellow did
not move, and it was pitiful to see the
way in which his poor wife chung to
him.
Another sea coming on board, it was
all we could do to keep from being
swept off; and as the water seemed to
leap and plunge down the hatch with a
hollow roar, chill came over me again,
colder than that brought on by the bit
ter weather. / was SO worn out that
could hardly STIR but it seemed that
if | did not move no one else would
SO, shouting to one or two to help me, |
crawled forward, and got the matches
on again, Just as another wave washed
over us; but before the next came,
with my marlinspike / had contrived to
nail down the tarpaulin once more, in
the hope that, though waterlogged,
we might float a little longer.
1t seemed strange. but after little
provision had been served round, | be-
gan to be hopeful once more, telling
myself that, after all, water was not
worse than iron, and that If we lived to
the next day, we might get clear of our
new enemy without taking off the
matches.
We were terribly full of water; and
as the ship rolled the night before, it
was something awful to hear it rush
from side to side of the hold, threaten
ing every minute to force up the decks;
but now keeping on n regular drain,
the scuppers ran well, and hour by
hour we rose higher, and the ship, from
sailing like tub, began to answer her
helm easily, and to move through the
water.
1t was toward afternoon that, for the
first time, | remembered the Captain,
just, too, as he made his appearance on
deck, white looking and i'll, but now
very angry and important.
| had Just some of the men aloft, and
we were making more sail, when IN a
way that there was no need for, he or
dered them down, ut the same time
saying something very unpleasant to
me. just then | saw Mr. Valance
step forward to where the other passen-
gers were collected many of them be-
ing his own men and then, after few
words, they all came aft together to
where the Captain stood, and Mr.. Val
lance acted as spokesman.
" Captain Johnson" he said, Il am
speaking the wishes of the passengers
of this ship when / request you to go
below to yonr cabin, and to stay there
until we reach port,
''Are you mad, sir, :" exclaimed the
Captain.
"Not moro so than the rest of the
passengers, said Mr.. Valance, "who,
one and all, agree with me that they have
no confidence In you as Captain and
that, moreover, they consider that b,
your conduct you have virtually resign
ed the command of the ship into Mr..
! Robinson's hands.
+" Are You aware, Mr., Passenger, that
Mister Robinson is one Of the apprenti-
/ ces ~
:" | am aware, sir, that he has carried
this vessel through a fearful storm,
when her appointed commander left
| those men and women In his charge
to their ate, while he, like coward
went below to drown out all knowledge
/ of the present with drink
He raved and stormed, and then call
ed upon the crew TO help him; but Mr..
4 Valance told them that he would be
( answerable TO the owners for their con-
duct and not a man stirred. | spoke
/ to him till he turned angry, and insist
/ ed upon my keeping to the command,
and backed up ut last by both passen-
gers and crew, who laughed and seemed
to enjoy it; but I must say that, until
we east anchor in Yarmouth, Roads,
they oboyed me to a man.
So they mnde the Captain keep for
all the world like prisoner to his cabin
till we entered the Tyne, after being
detained few days only in the Roads,
where it had been necessary to retit,
both of the topmasts being snapped,
and the iib-boom being sprung, besides
our being leaky, though not so bad but
/ that a couple Of hours a day after the
I first clearance kept the water under
Before we had passed Harwich very
far we had the beach yawls out. Que at-
teranother, full Of men wanting to board
us, and take us into harbor so rs 90 clam
salvage. One and all had the same tale
10 tell ns-that we never cOnld Get into