Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1872-03-02

it. it increased in beauty, n,acnifcencc and
rea'ity. Alas my floating prison was
soon carried past the projecting shore by
the impetuous current. The dsappoint-
mont was too much for my weakened sen.
ses. l fell into a swoon, and that biissfnl
shore, that Eden of the waters, was lost TO
ME forever. - 0"' ."f. '"i. '-IH
Iawote from my trance-I cast my ewes
back to the land IL lay like blue cloud
on the horizon, sinking and sinking in the
distance and the twilight, until ii vanished.
and was again drifting out into the wide
ocean. ~ fNIJ . .-..
Famine, fatigue, suffering and disap-
pointed hope, Ind done their work and
the afternoon of another day saw inc re-
clining on q fragment Of rock, watching
with a voraoious eye ilocks Of sea birds
skimming aud eddyng above me- They
flew around me, croaking and screaming /:
they Tapped their wings in my face, MS if
impatient of The hour which was TO give
them banquet upon human flesh.
waved my hand :; I1sffouted, and the hoarse
sound frightened them from me- One alone
remained it crept for food into hollow
of the ice, where | followed and secured it.
Refreshed, although but half satisfied, |
arose and looked again upon the ocean. A
white speck appeared upon the horizon it
grew, 1t increased, it approached. / saw
it--a sail--one, two, three, four oh heaven!
gallant fleet, rising white and glorious
from the blue waters. EDWARDS and on
wards they came, their sails set, and their
prows dashing up the dark elements in
clouds OF snowy foam. Hope gave me
supernatural strength. | climbed an icy
peak, and stretched forth my arms to them
shouted to them, till my voice. hollow
and broken. dwindled into feeble whis-
per- The foremost of them was now within
mile of me. ! could see them thronginC
the decks, and methought oven at that dis
tance, could distinguish them, all with
their eyes fixed on me, and some surveying
me through glasses. But they did not
dGvlate from their course-they seemed
passing me | tore the garments from my
back, and waved them in the air. They
passed on in their course. The second
came, and the Observation-Disclosures passed
me, and replied not 10 my frantic signals.
The seventh and last, the convoy of the
squadron. now appeared. The starry flag
Of my country iluttcred from her peak. Nv
gestures and cries were now like those of a
hladhan, huu- my nnrknl0ih hi,,h in +hn
air, and the wind swept it from me into the
sea. But they saw it--they fired q gun,
and looked for them to lay TO. l watch.
ed for the launcing of the boat deceived
myself, ii was q signal, for the squadron
and convoy soon vanished from my eyes.
This second dreadful disappointment to
my hopes may be more easily conceived
than described. The sun was setting. |
crawled to brink of the ice, fully resolved
TO throw myself into the sea. a dark OBJ
ject presented itself to my eyes, lying i'm
mediately under the island, and night had
so far advanced as to prevent me from reco-
gnlzlng in this singular apparition wreck
water-logged and without masts, rolling
heavily II the sea. Something moved upon
the stern. Oh, happiness was it a human
being-one like myself, spared to be mock
ed as had been / cndeavored to call
aloud, but ny previous eXertions had left
me voiceless. i presented myself on the
cliff, and this miserable creature now ap-
pearcd to me dog, which, seeing me, set
up loud howl. IL was not the plaintivc
cry we so often hear uttered by this ami
nal; not the animated yelp of recognitiOu;
no-hunger mine-it was the howl of
tamished tiend, the scream of beast of
prey. This also disappeared, night was
again upon the ocean.
The morning came cared not for il.
The sun was melting ms island under me-
and must soon mingle it with the waters
l cared not for that. ! was resigned to my
fate; the pangs of hunger were now unfelt.
| was happy, for knew was dying but
death came slowly my constitution Iesis-
ted him. lay in a hOrrid stupOr.
From this state was reused by hu.
man voice-yes. many voices shouting and
calling aloud. crawled from my cave-I
rose teebly to my feet a ship with her sails
backed lay Il few furlongs to windward of
me. They had deserted my handkerchief,
which had hung upon n branch of the
pine, stuck in one of the most elevated parts
of the island.
They saw nc, and shouted chcorrinGly
and triumphantly. They put cut boat,
which approached the ice (; but its sharp
and upright sides rendered it impossible for
them to land on it. / succeeded in crawl
ing tn part of the berg where it inclined
shelvinGly into the sea.
| was taken up and found myselffostered
among the rude but kinG-hearted tars of
my own country.