Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1872-09-23
A Story Of Desertion.
(From Chambers Journal

John Browne and William M'Kinnon.
These two men were fast friends and in
! separable companions but while the /
Englishman was content to take things
as they come, and make the best of his
lot, the Scotchman was perpetually harp
ing upon the hardship of being cooped
up in dull place like St. Helena. At
last he ventured to propose that they
desert their colors. In vain his friend
pointed out to him the unlikelihood of
efecting their escape, and dwelt upon
the penalty awaiting failure. M'Kln-
mons home fever was too strong upon
4 him for arguments to avail, and the
discussion eventually ended in Brownies
adhesion.
Carefully sounding such of their COM
rades as they could trust, the two would
be dcserters succeeded in prevailing upon
Samuel M'Quin, Charles Bri ghouse, Ter
ence Conway and William Parr to take
part in the desperate adventure, and
hold themselves ready to seize the first
opportunity of getting away from the
island. The opportunity soon came.
The Columbia. an American vessel, ar
irving in the bay, and PARIS persuasive
tongue induced the captain to promise
whatever assistance he could render
Accordingly, when the six adventures
met at the West Rock on the evening of
the Sth of June, they found boat wait
ing there for them AS soon as they got
on board, uniforms were doffed in ex-
change for seamen's clothes. Then,
when night came-so that suspicion
might be diverted from the Columbia
they ventured into the harbor and cut
out whale boat, in which, after taking
j in quadrant and sextant, and some
bread and water from the American,
they stood out to sea, to lie off the island
at safe distance, until their friend
should pick them up. They were, how
ever, disappointed in their expectations ;
for some reason or another, the Column
bia never came near and by noon on
the second day it was apparent to all
that they must rely upon their own
strength of arm and stoutness of heart
to carry them to haven of safety,
Parr was the only man in the boat
with any pretensions of seamanship. He
. proposed to bear away for Ascension
Island, which, though uninhabited and
: barren, was often visited by the East
Indiamen for the sake of its turtle
Disguised as they were, the deserters
thought they might easily pass them
selves off as shipwrecked sailors, and
: have little difficulty in obtaining a pas.
sage in some homeward bound ship
They were but i'll prepared for siz
! hundred mile journey across the ocean
It the boat leaked, so as to- require con
d slant bailing, and their provisions, al
( told, consisted of twenty-five pounds o
= bread, and thirteen gallons of fresh wa
ter. No one, however, cared to sugges
n a return to ST. Helena SO, making
it sail of their handkerchiefs, they starte'
% on their perilous way, their frail Graf
sr speeding rapidly before a north-wes
y, gale.
L. On the morning of the 2Sth of Jun
p several flights of birds were seen, br
'k eyes were vainly strained to catch
70 sight of land. Parr announced his opir
ion that they had passed Ascensio
fo Island shirts were pressed into seryit
", to form sprit-sail, and the course W;
as altered in the hope of making Rio J;
ly neiro By this time their slender stol
'0 of provision had sadly diminished, al
= they resolved to limit themselves to 6
ba ounce of bread and two mouthfuls of W
ter per day for each man. Day by d;
en- their strength sank, and their spiri
nq with it /; McKinnon being the saddest
a that sad crew, reproaching himself wi
having been the first cause of the suffe
-of ing he shared. But worse was to com
an the last morsel of broad was eaten, t
1t last drop of water drank, no sail cou
les 4hs be seen, no signs of land appeared.
led impart little hope to the enfeeble
md wasted, despairing men, Some thoug
ter to relieve their infamed throats by sue
ute ing piece of bamboo Browne reea
~ ing some sea-story to mind, soaked
on piece of his shoe in salt water, but v
ons glad to throw it away after tasting
am He then cut up the inner sole, dividi
llm it with his comrades in misfortune,
ne no one received any benefit from his g
ont erosity. The weary days and wear
hen nights sped on, and yet they lived b
cog ing existed eight days upon an ounce
re- bread and few drops of water, and
: ., five days upon nothing at adj III
bite Parr contrived to catch dolphin,
and which they all thanked God devouf
a The fish lasted them for four days ;;
Ouiu when it was finished, Parr, Brow
,ret Brighouse and Conway were for scuttl
af- the boat, and thus ending their mis-
7ater The other two objected, arguing,
male ''God who had made them. always fo
e them something to eat y but their f
-eed failed them at last, and then
sud- One whispered his cOmrade who