Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1874-07-31
AN INTERESTING NARRATIVE.
PeriIs OF the Brave Fellows who Go
Down to the Sen In Ships-The Ad-
ventures OF Shipwrecked Crew in
the Indian Ocean.

PertIs OF the Brave Fellows who Go
Down to the Sen In Ships-The Ad-
ventures OF a Shipwrecked Crew i'm
the Indian Ocean.
How many and various are the perils of the
brave fellows who go down to the sea in
ships. Romance cannot add a suggestion to
the reality of their adventures fact is not less
marvellous than fiction. In February last the
bark Arracan, of fGreenock, was on a voyage
from Shields to Bombay, coal laden, when she
took fire from spontaneous combustion. The
crew took to their boats, heading for the NAL
dive Islands. The boats kept company for
three days, when a separation was agreed
upon because the currents offered such OBJ
stacles to their holding together. The master
in the long boat headed for Cochin; the
mate took the gig; the second mate, and
hero of this narrative, with four Of
the crew, had the pinnace. Both mates
continued their course to the NAL
dives, but after time Websters boat
was injured by heavy sea, and unable to
keep up with the gig soon lost sight Of her.
Up to the 9th of March the pinnace was kept
working to windward. Then the water and
provisions gave out, and far from land the
crew were threatened with the horrors of
thirst and hunger which must end, II no
Proyidential aid came, in the awful death
which comes of starvation. In their eX-
trcmity the crew cast lots to determine who
should die that the others might live. The
ships boy was fated but Webster, who had
been sleeping during this awful lottery, was
aroused and saved the lads life. Then when
Webster slept again the crew determined to
kill him, but the grateful lad whom he had
saved thwarted the plan by waking and
warning the intended victim. On the next
day, with his gun folded in his arms, Webster
dropped OFF to sleep, but was speedily
aroused by the struggling for the possession
of the irearm which was to be used for the
taking of his life. Three days were they
without tasting nourishment, when one of the
men, half craZed, attempted to sink the boat.
Webster prevented. Two days passed YEARLY
on without incident, when the same man re-
peated his threat to sink the pinnace, or, fail
ing, to kill the lad Webster pointed the shot
gun full at the mutiueer's breast, and, If the
cap had not snapped, would have taken his
life. Putting another cap upon the gun Web
ster found better game in a bird flying over
the boat. He dropped it, and the greedy crew
made short work Of it, bones, feathers and all.
For five days more the crew just kept alive
by eating the barnacles which attached them
selves to the bottom of the boat. On the
sixth day some Of them became delirlous.
One fell into the bottom of the boat exhausted,
another struck him with an iron pin; the
blood gushing from the wounds was caught
by the other men in tin vessel and eagerly
a,.l,N i,
which the men bit one another, Webster and
the boy doing what they could to prevent
serious violence, and keeping the watches,
which the Others had entirely abandoned
Finally on the thirty-irst day out they were
picked up 600 miles from land and carried
into Calcutta. The other crews were never
heard from. Safe in England Webster wears
an Alfred medal, the gift of the Queen.