Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-02-13
Inc Horrors OF ShipWreck---Suh-
slstlng on Human Flesh,

Golden Hind, which was wrecked in the
Pacific Ocean, on the Patagonia coast. in
| July last. We extract portion of the
narrative as giving an account of one of
| the most extraordinary instances of
| human privation on record:
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 seven
O'Clock that evening lowered away. In
the hurry OF departure nearly all our
nautical instruments were left on board.
ana IN TACT many articles absolutely ne
cessary. There We're three boats lowered.
the first under the command of Can't
Robbins, the second commanded by nv
self, and the third in charge of Mr.. Webb.
the second mate. Each contained seven
men. Mr.. Webb, asserting that he knew
the situation 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 morning the last vestige of
the Golden Hind had disappeared. and a
search, which continued two DAYS. was
made for the other boat, but no trace of
her could be seen. We have long ere this
concluded that she was swamped, and
that her entire crew were drowned Upon
examination it was found that we had a
small box and bag of hard bread, the
latter soaked with sea water, about twenty
cans OF beef, little tea and coffee. An
allowance OF one cracker of each man.
and one can of beef to fourteen was at
first issued, but this speedily decreased to
half a cracker, and finally we did not
taste beef more than once q week.
A few days after we left the wreck the
captains boat was swamped. and we lost
our compass, the only instrument we had.
and a quantity Of the provisions. An at
tempt was made to reach Sandy Point, a
CHILEAN convict settlement, and the coal
ing 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 then midwinter, the mountains
along the coast were covered with snow
and ice, and the mercury must have been
several degrees below zero. We pulled
close to the land, working all night in fair
weather, and during heavy blow land
ing and going into camp
There were plenty of scrub trees along
the coast, and as we were provided with
two hatchets and a good supply of
matches, fire was always to be pro-
cured. During these visits we secured
quite good supply of shell-fsh resem
bling the muscle, but we found that this
diet brought on constipation, and the
entire party became unwel
For about twenty days the men held
out admirably, but in the bitter cold a
number were frost bitten, and our legs
and feet were terribly swollen
On going into camp we constructed a
tent of the boats sail and mizzen royal
sail with the oars. A fire was built in
the center, and the fourteen men sat
around it the night through We suf-
fered terribly from loss of sleep. as no
one dared to remain away from the fire
for fear Of freezing to death, and the tent
was too small to hold all in a reclining
position.
At the end of the twentieth dav the
general debility from insufficient food,
and the extreme pain in our limbs, rem
dered the progress slow, and very often
we camped for several DAYS at a time.
The allowance Of bread had been reduced
to quarter of cracker a day, and very
often we camped for several DAYS at a
time. The allowance of bread had been
rednced to quarter of 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 although the ravages of hunger rem
dered each almost All animal, the general
welfare was never lost sight of
Almost the entire month of July was
spent il pulling in what we believed to
be the direction to Sandy Point. The
only human beings we met were an Indi-
an and two squaws in a canoe. They
treated us cordially, and willingly eX-
changed duck for a small quantity of
tobacco, but they had no other provisions.
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 exception of the shell-fsh, this
was the only food we secured
In the latter part Of July the weather
became fearfully tempestuOus, and, after
several days of fruitless bufeting, we
went into our last encampment. 1t was
terribly bleak and desolate spot, shut
out from the sea by high cliffs, and filled
with low, stunted trees. We found, how
ever, a few roots, some berries, and,
strange to say, little celery, and, not
knowing whether the vegetables were
poisonous or not, each man partook raw
enously Of whatever he could find The
high 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 run
ming down the mountain.
Here the men became seriously i'll.
Their legs were swollen to frigntful pro-
portions, but few could wear their boots.
and a majority wandered about with their
feet tied up in old cloth and pieces of
canvas. Some, unable to walk at all.
crawled about on their hands and knees
At length man named White, a sea-
man, became delirious, and shortly after
ward died. The ground was so hardly
frozen that it was impossible to dig q
grave, SO we carried the body short dis
lance from the tent and laid it in the
bushes.
The next one attacked was Young fell
low we called Dan-sailors, you know,
never give their full names, except on
the articles-and he died within three
hours after he became delirious. The
carpenter, a man from Liverpool, was the
next victim; then we lost Charley Ger
man seaman, and finally another sailor
called Frank. All of them died within ten
days Of each other, and all were laid side
by side out in the bushes AS each one
left US, we took his clothes to keep the