Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-11-21
THE WRECK OF THE lisa.

Captivity of an English Steamers
Crew Among tine Arabs Of the Red
Sea coast.
a sad story has reached London, by let
ter from Alden, dated Sept. q, written py
CAPT. z. Garden, Of the iron screw steamer
lisa, (sbOuC 1000 tons,) owned by Messrs.
Wilkinson, Watts " Co, Of London, giving
an account Of the total loss OF the vessel off
the island of SOcOtra, in the Red Sea, on
jane 3. A week after the ship went
aslora the Sheik Of toe Island, with 100
armed men, arrived from Tsmarada, the
capital, and he wanted to take away the
cargo of rice, which the Captain refused to
slluS. He thereup0n stopped the supply of
fresh water and food, which hsd to be
brought four miles. On the 23d of July, the
cal u hci1g no longer ha5itable, they
were compelled to abandon the ship. The
crew lived in caves and holes in the rocks
for fftsea days, suffering intensely from
the heat. The Sheik now came down again
with 800 men EARNED with swords, dsggers
AM speArs) and $50 camels, and told the
Captsin be had come to take charge of the
ship and cargo. he then went on board
the ship and landed al the rice and plum
dsrsd her throughout, also demanding the
Captains money. Captain Garden gives
fuJthar details in these words:-"He com
PEELED me TO go TO TamaTads, saying he
wcu.d Cad me provisions, and when the
monsoon changed would find ship to take
me and he crew to Alden. We arrived at
Tamar,da on August ii, all our shoes worn
out and feet very sore and bli tered, as we
had 10 walk the greater pat Of the distance,
sbOus thirty-flve miles, over rocky ground,
with ten bays of rice for food. We
hal rough stone building given us to live
in, from whence the natives daily stole a
good deal of our clothes and ether things
At nigh. they threw stones into our sleep
lug place, 20 our great discomfort. We.
lived on ice, dates and an occlsi usl she sp
which Y e had to purchase with Sheets aud
linen. Ultimately, | and the first mate
were flowed TO 90 to the ship for a supply
of re, cut it was refused by the natives.
The Snrik gave orders TO stop the supplies,
ana went several times TO the house, hut
he said be could give us none. The rice
being arly exhausted, | sent the first mate
ara he six SIT INCEST hands of the ship for
o flesh supply, TO return 10 the life boat
with Il, so that wecOuld communicate with
the FIRST snip that hove in sight. On the
moruiDg Of the 10Th an Arab told us, in
very good Erglish, that an Eng
Ish II su-ofwar, called the Briton,
was a. anchor at Bander Delishi, and that
he was interpreter, and had been sent to
brins u on board, as be acciden ally heard
the night before that eli English ships crew
were a. Camarsda. The Sheik had tried
TO keep our presence a secret from the man
of-war, ard l believe he intended to make
away wiki us by starvation or by sending
US in bungalow to the coast Of Arabia.
Hearing Of the presence of the man-of war,
he ard bis men escaped to the mountains,
doubles III the fear of punishment for their
iniospi able treatment of us. We then
hired camels, aud at nine O'Clock the same
night were safely taken on board her
Msiesty s ship Briton, where we were re-
ceived with every hospitality and kindness
that could be shown TO us, both from Off
GERS and men. Her Msjesty's ship Briton
sailed next morning for the scene of the
wreck, and on arriving took on board the
first mate and men, VINO had been sent for
the Lsa's lfeboat."