The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1873-06-13


reach, if possible, the old lodge at POtter's
Cove. The snow was up to our waists, and
1t required almost superhuman love of hte
to prevent us from lying down. Charles
Gardner, of North Stonington, Conn,
walked about three hundred yards and be
came sleepy. 1t was impossible to rouse
him, and, unable to carry him, we were
forced, much against our inclinationS, to
leave him TO die. Pedro Montaro, the
Portuguese, walked almost to Penguin
Point, within about eight miles of the hut
when lie gave up from fatigue, and laid
down, becoming stiff almost Instantly.
THUS TWO OF OUR PARTY DIED.
The remaining four of us, Townsend,
Hess, Pierce and myself pcrsevered. and,
by encouraging each other succeeded in
reaching the hut, almost dead with fa-
tlgue, cold and hunger. less and Pierce's
feet were frlghtfuly frozen-sO badly, in
decd, that modification set in-Town-
/ sends were swollen very large. Being the
/ only one who was able to walk any dis
tance, the labor of providing for the
/ tire party devolved upon me. l went out
every day in search of penguin eggs.
/ Townsend was able to hobbIe about the
. hut and did everything he could, poor fel-
low, but Hess and Pierce were in terrible
agony, and the smell from their feet was
slckenlng. | WAS taken sick one day from
walking ten miles through the snow, after
eggs, and the horror Of that night, when
the prospect of starvation stared as in the
face, Is beyond the power Of description.
I My illness was, however, only temporary,
and l was on my feet the next day.
WAS GETTING so WEAK AND EmAcIATED
that I could not chase a penguin. One
day Townsend saw sea leopard lying on
the ice. We took two pieces of board, and,
after lighting the animal for an hour sue
IaH Ill Il e
animal rccuperated us great deal, as
had been living solely on penguin flesh,
which contains very little nutrition. The
weather was now getting pleasanter and
the snow was melting somewhat. 1t was
in the beginning of October that Pierce
and Hess began to lose their minds. The
terrible dependency which had filed oUT
hearts for more than five months had pro-
duced utter mental prostratiou. | have
| wondered hundred times that | did not
become insane. The thermometer lad
during the winter registered forty-three
? degrees below zero Gur faces had en-
tirely been onveiopcd in ftIrs, yet one of
our number had had his nose frozen.
THE LAST SEPARATION.
The snow having begun to melt, an old
boat WAS discovered. Thinking that some
provisions had been left by Captain Glider
dale at South Beach, Pierce and Hess.
who had only partially recovered, and
Townsend, determined to take this boat
and 90 there. They launched the boat,
without sails. oars, or anything except
three pieces Of boards made into paddles
! demonstrated with Townsend about go
ing, and he said that he might rs well die
! at South Beach, or on the way, as TO stay
there and lie the cause of starving ne.
They hoped TO fad provisions, for they al
gued that Captain GidcGdale would not
have deserted them without leaving some
loo. II l..
2 Gether. The distance across to South
Beach WAS more than sixty miles, and the
water was filled with floating ice.
STILL HAD HOPE
that some vessels would arrive in E0vem-
bcr. and was resolved to stay where / vas.
| demonstrated, therefore, against the sep
, aration, and tried to encourage them all to
stay but they were determined to go.
They started among the ice and were soon
E lost to sight. | never saw them. After
their departure / remained III the hut all
alone for about forty days. 1t was now
the light season again. l was awakened
from sound sleep ON the 2>d Of Sovem-
Der, 1872, by the voices of men. | was
very weak, and had subsisted for several
days upon the stock of my provisions.
7 was 50 weak that | did not realize the situ-
= alton until | heard a man cry out TO some
2 one behind him
5 1t was like help to drowning man. I
was on my feet in an instant. | forgot my
, weakness. The man who found me was
, named Smith, and belonged to the bark
! Nile, of New York John Glass, second
/ maze OF the vessel, then entered the hut,
2 and recognizing me, exclaimed. .'Nhy.
2 King, are you all that is left?'' l replied
= that | was, and related all the particulars
e which have given above. At this mo-
S mcnt Captain John Williams entered, and,
e instead of asking after me or my poor,
= dead comrades, addressed NE in these
a words Where i'll hell did you come from :
W here is that thermometer and all the
! skins? Go aboard the ship with Mr..
, Church. | went on beard the Nile until
she reached Pcrnambuco, where | found
Joseph y. Striker the United States Con
sui. He treated me very kindly, furnished
= me with money, and took my statement
which he forwarded to Washington.
} left there in schooner Lizzie =. Simmons.
: and arrived at New \ York the latter part OF
+ last April. That is all my story.
CAPTAIN JACK-WHo RAISED HIM. WHO
7, NAMED HIM, AND WHOM rrs Ts \ ,N,r-r