Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1873-01-21
Wreck of the Golden Hind.
rHE F1Rsr oFF1oER's NApRAr,y,

Benjamin r. Robins, left New York on the
| 18th of February, on voyage to San Fran
cisco. Whenln latitude of st. GATHERINGS we
| experienced a series of heavy westerly gales,
which continued for nearly month with great
violence. On the 18th of June last when on
the west side of Patagonia, and at the Pacific
entrances to the straits of Magellan the pintals
aud gudgeons of the rudder gave way and it
foated off. Three days were consumed in
constructing temporary one of spare spars.
1 It lasted about week, but in another heavy
! gale this was also carried away. and we drifted
at the mercy of the winds. Ga the second
day of this last disaster, the Golden Hind
| struck between two rocks, one forward and
one aft on the western coast of Patagonia
Three boats were hurriedly prepared, the men
put on extra suits Of clothes, laid in small
| quantity of provisions, and at o'clock that
evening lowered away. In the hurry of de-
parture nearly oil of our nautical instruments
were left on board, and. in fact. many articles
absolutely necessary. There were three boats
lowered, the first under the command of Capt
Robbins, the second commanded by myself.
and the third in charge of Mr.. Webb, the
second mate. Each contained seven men,
Mr.. Webb, asserting that he knew the sitra-
ton better than we did, parted company
almost Immediately, and it being then quite
dark, we lay under the lee of the land until
| morning. The sea, at the time we left the
ship, was breaking over her fore yard. and
during the night she beat to pieces on the
rocks.
The next mo, ming the last vestige of the
Golden Hind had disappeared, and search,
which continued two days, was made for the
| other boat, but no trace of her could be seem
| We have long concluded that she was
swamped, and that her entire crew we're
| -
that we had a small box and bag of hard
bresd, the latter soaked with sea water, about
twenty cans of beef, little tea and coffee
| An allowance of one cracker to each man and
one can of beef to fourteen ut first issued
| but this speedily decreased to half cracker
and fiuallv did not taste meat more than
once week.
A few days after we left the wreck the caps
ta:ns boat swamped, and we lost our COM
pass, the only instrument we had and GUAM
tity of provisions. An attempt was made to
reach Sandy Point, CHILEAN convict set:le-
ment, and the coaling station of the Pacific
mail steamers, about two>thirds the way
through the Straits of Magellan, but our course
could only be determined by the sun and stars
1t was them md>wintcr the mountains along
the coast were covered with snow and ice, and
the murcury must have been several degrees
below zero. We pulled close to land, woI king
all night in fair weather, and during heavy
blow, landing and going into camp. There
were plenty of scrub trees alorg the coast, and
as were provided with two hatchets and
good supply of matches. fire was always to
be procured. During these visits, we secured
quite good supply of shell fish, resembling
the muscle, but VIC found that this diet brought
| on constipation, aud the entire party became
unwell.
For about twenty days the men held out ad
mirably, but in the bitter cold number were
frost bitten. and Our legs and feet were ter
.ribly swollen. On going ato camp we con-
stTucted tent of the boats sail and mizzcn-
royal sail with the oars. 4 fire was built in
| the centre and the fourteen men sat around
| the night through. We suffered terribly from
| loss Of sleep, dared to remain away
from the fire for fear Of freezing to death. and
the tent was too small to hold all in reclin-
ing position At the end of The twentieth
day the general debility from insufficient food
and the extreme pain in limbs rendered
| the progress slow, and very often we camped
for several days at the time. The allowance
of bread had been reduced to a quarter CT a
cracker day, and very often the men did
without for day or two together to help out
the supply. Their conduct throughout the
dreadful ordeal was most courageous. Every
man rendered implicit obedience. and all
though the ravages Of hunger rendered each
almost an ANNA, the general welfare was
never lost sight of.
Almost the entire month of July was spent
in pulling in what we believed to be the direc
ton to Sandy Point The only human be-
ings we met were an Indian and two squaws
in a canoe. They treated us cordially, and
willingly exchanged duck for small GUAM
tity of tobacco but they had no other provi-
sious. We had secured from the ship two
rifles, and one of the crew shot duck, but
the powder became wet. and our weapons were
useless. A dead duck found among the rocks,
was also secured and eaten. but with the ex-
ception of the she'll fish, this was the only
food We secured.
In the latter part of July the weather be-
came fearfuly tempestuous, and after several
days Of fruitess buffeting, we went into our
last encampment. 1t was terribly bleak and
| desolate spot, shut out from the sea by high
Gifts, and filled with low stunted trees. We
| found, however, a few roots, some berries, and
strange to say, a little celery; and not know
| ing whether the vegetables were poisonous or
not each man partook ravenously of whatever
he could find. The hi gh tides prevented our
securing any shell FISH, and the few seals we
saw were too timid to capture, but we secured
| water in abundance from the streams running
uo"h tue mountain Here the men became
seriously i'll. Their legs were swollen to
trishtiul proportions, but few could wear their
boots, and majority wandered about with
their feet tied up in old cloth and pieces of
canvas. Some, unable to walk at all, crawed
about on their hands and knees. At length
man named White, seaman. became de-
lirious, and shortly afterward died The
ground was so hardly frozen that it was i'm
possible to dig grave, so we carried the body
short distance from tho tent and laid it in
the bushes. The next one attacked was
young fellow we called Dan-sailors, you
| know, never give their full names except on