Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1873-09-25

the French occupation of Mauritius tha
the terrible shipwreck took place whicl
furnished Bernardin de ST. Pierre Will
the motive for his beautiful and touching
love- story. Pad and Virginia., the scene
Of which is laid in this island. In I774
d:eaght and \ plague ofIecusts had oecas.
ioned terrible scarcity in Mauritius, ther
called the Isle Of France, and the follow.
lag year the 50. Ge,un was sent out from
the mother country. richly laden with
provisions, to the relief Of the starving
colonists. About four o'clock one fine
afternoon Round Island was sighted from
the ship. aud the captain, NJ. De Ia Marie,
wished to pro6s By fae moonlight night
to enter what is now known as Tombeau
Bay, or the Bay Of Tombs. but was per-
suaded to lie outside until morning
Ignorant of tho coast, the officer allowed
tue ship to drift during the night upon q
dangerous reef about q league from land.
The sea always runs high there, and the
81. Gera" was driven with great violence
among the breakers. e.-r
Every effort was made to lower the
boats, but some were crushed by the fal.
ling masts, and others were swept away
BY tha waves. In short time the keel
was broken in two. and the ship became
total wreck. At the captains re9ues,
the chaplain pronounced general Lere-
diotion and absolution. aud the "Ave
Maria Stella" was sung. Then ensued a
scene of indescribable confusion. Mum
bers of the crew flung themselves into the
sea, srasping planks. oars. yards; but the
heavy waves tore them from their frail
supports, and nearly all perished. A
brave sailor named Caret made great ef-
forts to save the captain, whom he implor-
ed to take of his clothing; but N. De Ia
Marie, who displayed in this catastrophe
much greater personal courage and pie.y
than seaBaasa'p. refused 10 do 50. ou the
ground that it did not become the dignity
on mis- p,--isivu i.---1 ts.s unifur m
Caret at length succeeded in placing his
captain en- a plank, and by swimming
alongside endeavored to get him safely t.
land. Encoun,ering rats on which some
Of the crew had sought refuge, the captain
thought he would be safer with them
He left the plank. and succeeded in reach.
ing the larger support. Caret plunged to
avoid collision. and on rising to the sur.
face again was horror r-s.ruck to fnd thai
the raft with all on board had been in.
quilted. - +". .s''
On board the 81. Gerun were two Low.
ers. Mile. Mallet and NJ. De Peramon,
who were to be united in marriage or
reaching the island. The young man. as
anxious and agitated as the girl was calu
aud resigned. when the others left, wa.
making a sort Of raj. on which to save he,
whu was dearer than his own life. Or
his knees he implored her to descend viii
him on 70 the frail but sole hope of safety
and to insure greater certainty, be beggeG
her to tske of the heayier part of her gar.
ments. 4fis sic steadily refused to do
When he found his most earnest solicita
tions vain. and all hope Of saving her los.
though she sDtreated him to leaTs her, h,
quietly ,ook from q pocket book Z tress Of
her hair, kissedlis and placed il on hi.
heart. With bis arm around her to shield
her as far as be could to the last. he csla.
iy awaited the terrible catastrophe at he,
side. Nor bad they long to wait, for the,
were soon washed from the deck. Their
bodies were picked up she following day
clasped in the, close embrace in which
they awaited death. Dali ,yhl.
This touching incident formed th,
groundwork Of che beautiful story owe,
which SO many tears have fallen. Mau
ritius was taen but little known, and 81
Pierre's pictures of its life and scener,
were all drawn from imagina.iou; but the
story has invested the tar-off island viii
an atmosphere Of romance. Two ssruc
lures at PamPlemousses. known "A ,h,
tombe Of Paul and Virginia ale ssill sAowu
to visisors-two dilapida.ed piles of brick
still betraying traces OF whitcwash q,
their crumb'ing sides. When visited b,
Mr.. Pike. ,whs had been ssksi sby a ro
mantle young lady to gather for her som,
flowers from the tombs, he fonnd the sur
rounding grounds consested into .au i'm
passable swamp BY recen. rains. Romanc,
IS evidently al a discount in Malri,;us-
s. s. Conans. in Ha,pers Aaca.iss 10,
n