The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1873-01-18
WRECK OF THE GOLDEN HIND.
A Famished Crew subsisting on Human
Flesh,-4e Days in Open Boats, -
Narrative of the First Officer,

NiiNA Nii tlt ltHflul aDl
we give the frightlul story in his own words
The American ship Golden Hind Captain
Benz. T. Robbins, lelt New York on the 12th
Of February, on voyage to San francisco.
When in the latitude Of NJ Catharines We ex.
perlenced series Of severe gales which con.
hnued for nearly month with great violence.
On the 18th Of June last, when on the west
side OF Patagonia, and at the Pacific entrance
to the straits OF Magellan, the pintals and gud.
geons of the rudder gave way and it noated
on. Three days were consumed in construct.
ing temporary one of spare spars. It lasted
about week, but in another heavy gale this
was also carried away, and we drifted at the
mercy OF the wind On the second day after
this last disaster, the Golden Hind struck be.
tween two rocks. one forward and one aft, on
the western coast Of Patagonia. Three boats
were hurriedly prepared, the men put on ex-
ira suits Of clothes, laid in small quantity of
provisions, and at o'clock that evening low.
cred away. In the hurry of departure nearly
81 OF our nautical instruments were left on
board, and in fact, many articles absolutely
necessary. There were three boats lowered,
the first under command of Captain Robbins.
the second commanded by myself and the
third in charge Of Mr.. Webb, the second mate.
Each contained seven men. Mr.. Webb as.
sertlng that he knew the situation better than
we did, parted company almost Immediately,
and il 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
ioreyard, and during the night she beat to
pieces on the rocks.
The next morning the last yestige of the
Golden Hind had disappeared, and a search.
which continued two DAYS, was made for the
other boat, but no truce of her could be seen.
We have long ere this concluded that she was
swamped, and that her entire crew were
drowned. Upon examination il was found
that We had n small box and bag of hard
bread, the latter soaked with sea.water, about
twenty cans of beef, and little tea and coffee.
An allowance of one cracker to each man and
one can Of beeft to fourteen was at first issued.
but this speedily decreased to half cracker,
and finally we did not taste meat more than
once a week
A few days after we left the wreck the can.
tain's boat was swamped, and We lost our
compass, the only instrument we had, and n
quantity ofprovsions. An attempt was made
to reach Sandy Point, CHILEAN convict settle.
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.
II was then m;d.,v;,,er tho ,,,o,r,o;,,,o,,,..
the coast were covered win s,o,r anJ ;oa a,,
tho merc,ry mus, La, H., snI 1 '''Iu
holow zero W. rmIIod ciosa 80 Ianl u' ,as,.
inc Mi n;ab, in ca;r ,yoatl,a. ond 80"
basvy Nov la,J;,a arJ s,,;l', ~, ~ uu.'"s
There were rlen,,, 81 sor,'i, ,raos up Up H.
coast. and ne We vera ,rov;Jsd viii ,,.o hs,oh
ets and n GOOD snnnlv of ma,cbes g. ,ras al
,yoys "a he ,roc,,.aJ n,,.,a, H." t. ~
sacnred on;ia a aooJ s,n,,l,, ~ ny, esL w
somhl;ng he mnsnla L,,t 20 c,,nJ ,i,,' -;
diet hronght an consi;not;o', anu 'n"' IN
Marty became nnweII '"s ''''''
Far about t,yelve dovs tho man bo,J 90, al
m;rah,v Ln, IL ,bo b;,,ar Ia u'l oua ~.
frostb;,tan a,J onr Iags and ca 49, ,a..;ti'
swollen WV '''''''
On go;n,, into co,,,,, ,,o constructed =, ,o,,.
or the boo,s mil md y ,n;z,a,,.ro,aI al; Lei
he oars Gre ,Yas Ln;I, r. ,Le oaa 80 Wv, nJ
,be sonr,eon non az, a,.',,,,,d !, H. III; lIu
,bron.h W. sneareJ ,ar.;hi, e. '"I In "is, u,
slesn os No ono daroJ 10 ron,a;r a,,,,' e.,
,be Ere f,r Sear of s-as1;r 90 Jaa,h s"y 'Hu I
ION, yas 700 snail ,n NH al l., ~ '"I;,,;.
nos;,;on '''-''''''s
A, he and If tho ,,sen,;a,,, Jov ,lo ,.o,.,..,
deh;l;,v frnn ;nsne;c;en, food and ,hn aS,raa.
a, ~ ,, G,,,hs ra,daraS ~" Wv
ri ,a.,. s,s,ar No., oa,,,,,ad g.. soti
a fine The aIIovance ~ hr.ad Iad No., ~ !"
dnced IN a onar,ar ~ a cracIer :" a. ~
yerv often ,5e mon d;d ,,;,hon, Ca a., ~" ~,
two toge,ber IN bair ont The snrnlr TX ~
condnc, tbroughon, The draadSl nsiooi n,n'
most conraseons Everv man rondared ~,
nl;c;t obedience. and oltRonab Tho ravages .,
hunger Rendered cacb al,nos, an ,n;n,a1 ~
General rellf.re xas meyer los, s;oh, 81
Almos, he en,;ra month az Inv nos s,o,
:, nnlI;ns in what ,re bel;eyed 10 Ia ,ba a.
,;op N SANDY Point The oniv bnman ha;no,
,,o mo, weyc nm India, and two sn,o,,s 4, .,
canoe Thev ,rea,od ne cora;al,y and vii
;nglv excbnnged a dpck for a small anan,;,,
~ tohacco Int tbev had NO other nror;s;on:
W. Ind secnred eror the chin two rr;gos nn,
one of The crew shot n duck bnt H. nordo,
bacome wet and our weanons were nseless
A dead dnct Gonnd amono he rocks ,sas az,
sacpred and eaten. hut with Tho excant;on q
,be sbsll,Ssb his was The only food we 90 y
cnred
In Tho l,,,er nar, Of J,l,, tho vao,hor ho
cam. gca,fnllv tamnes,nons and of,or seyoro
doys az fru;tiess hnfFet;ng We went into an,
los, ancamnment II was n terrible bleaL nm,
dasoja,a ~, shn, an, cror, ,he $40 hv H.,
c,;ga and t;Ilsa with low s,nnted troos IL,
sannd bowever q Cew roots some herr;as
III s,ranaa ~ sov q I,,io ce,erY "a Nc
,a,", o,Lar ~, ,a,,a,allos ,,a. o;,a, ~
H., ba conld 6nd Tbe b;sb t;des ,rever, a,
"' .no,,.;r,, ans sh.Il. 6sh and ~ eau saaI
ou' .,',e ~, a' ,;,n;d 10 a,n,nro h., Nc w.
VIC -" -. :, ah...,Janos fsor, y1' go
49," Jo,vn 10 r,onn,a;r
running INV" WV 'iou"'h a., ~, .