The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1874-08-04
Horrible Suffering OF Six Men in an
Open Boat.

Her Majesty" the Gazette Of Friday
last officially announces, "has been gra.
ciously pleased to confer on Mr.. David
Webster, late second mate Of the barque
Arracap, the Albert medal Of the second
class" Never yet was distinction more
6ttingy or worthily bestowed The Ar.
racau on board which Mr.. Webster was
third officer, was bound from Shields TO
Bombay with a cargo of Goals. She ap.
pears to have rounded the Cape and to
have passed the Mozambique in safety,
but as she approached the line the great
mass of coal in her hold broke out in
fierce sheet of flame, which burst up
through the matches, swept the decks, and
licked up everything before it, On the
18th Of February the vessel was finally
abandoned and the crew took to their
boats in the hope of reaching the Maldive
islands, large coral.reef archipelago
some four hundred miles to the southwest
of Cape Cormorin, in tho direct line oe-
tween Madagascar and Ceylop. For
three days the boats kept company then
the current was found too strong, and it
was agreed to separate, first dividing the
provisions and water. The long boat, I'M
der command of the captain, made for the
coast of Cochin China. The mate, in
charge of the gig, and the second mate,
Webster, in charge of the pinnacc, with
a crew of four men and boy, made for
the Maldives. On the fifth day heavy
sea struck the little craft, and so disabled
her that she dropped astern of the gig
and from that time she kept working to
wndward until the 9th Of March On
that day the last piece of biscuit was
served out, and the last drop of water
handed round and the men began TO ask
themselves, What next ?" They had
now been tossing about at sea in an open
boat for three weeks, in the full glare of
pitiloss tropical sun. Their reckoning
they had driftod to the west and north
west, far away into the barren square Of
open sea which lies north of the equator
and between the ffticth and sixtieth de-
grees of longitude and across which sail
rarely fits, save it be a stray traficker
between the Red sea and the Seychelles,
or some Arab dhow with its cargo Of
human cattle, plying botwixt Alden and
Zanzibar. Day followed night, and night
day, and they were still drifting TO wind.
ward beneath a vertical sun, without
either food or water. Then came the
long, fierce silence Of absolute despair,
and at last they began to gaze on each
other with wol6sh eyes. and to cast lots
who should die. This was done while
Webster was asleep, aud the lot fell upon
the ships boy, IIorncr.
In the struggle which followed, Web
ster woke, and from that moment he and
the boy kept watch each over the other
turn by turn. Fortunately, Webster had
with him loaded gun, with which he
sworc that he would take the life of the
first man who laid finger either on him.
self or the lad. 1t must have been a
fearful time. The boat itself was stead.
ly drifting to windward. At the one end
of it were the three hands. at the other
Webster and the boy, each taking his
turn to mount guard with loaded gun
while the other snatchcd a few minutes
sleep. So passed another day, and yet
another, the cruel sun beating mercilessly
down. Then bird flew over the boat,
and Webster, weak as he was, managed
to bring it down. II was seized at once,
torn to pieces, and devoured even to its
bones and feathers Next day, they
scrapod some barnaces from the boats
bottom, and divcd for the great Portu.
guese men.ol.war which foated slowly by
in all their glory of white and purple
Mex; day found them delirious. One Of
them, wild with rage to see Webster still
keeping charge over the boy, took out
his knife and did his best to scuttle the
frail little craft in which they foated
Then one fell asleep, and another, snatch
ing up ap iron delaying pin struck him {
fearful blow on the head. The fresh
blood which flowed from the wound was
caught in a panuikin and drunk eagerly
the wounded man fighting for his share
with his two comrades. At length de-
lirium set Inland the wretched men fought
and bit one another like wild beasts
rolling over and over in their agony OF
the boats floor ill sheer exhaustion lef'
them powerless FOR further mischief.
Such was the little hell afoat ovei
which Webster and he boy lIorner KEEP
watch by turns. Morning after morning
the sun rose, until at midday it stooC
vertically over their head. Day by day
the little craft dritcd further and furthe
out of her course, and not sail showed
itself. At last the thirty-irst day broke
and in the afternoon, a ship was sighted
With such strength as they had they sig
nailed her. ltproved to be large vessel
the City Of Manchester, under the com
maud of Capt. Hardle, bound for Calcutt;
with large cargo of cotton stufis, In I
few hours the sufferers were safely OF
board. During the five terrible days il
which they had been without food OF wa
ter, they had driftcd first to the west ant
then again to the southwest, until the,
had fallen into the straight route between
the Mozambique and the mouth Of tn
Gauges. Kind care aud tender treat
ment brought them round, but nnothe
dag at sea would, in all human prcbaSili
ty, have been their last. 1t is bad enougl
to'driit about for three clear weeks in al
open boat, exposed to the cruel rays 0
the lquatorirl sun by day, and by nigh
to the yet more merciless beams Of tn
full moon. But when three weeks 0
hardship such as this are followed by fiv
full clear days without either food or wa
ter, the agony which these men have en-
dured becomes something too terrible t
contemplate. The barnacles which the.
scraped from the boats bottom and tn
f sea blubber which Aoated by them i
, huge masses must have only intensife'
; their agonies. With stray BOBBY, or
, turtle of the hawesbill kind, they might
perhaps, have held out. But forum
, threw no such small mercies in their way
| and when the goodship City of Manches
L a II 81 IL