The New York herald., 1875-11-12
A CAST A w A Y. /.
A Manila Sailors Terrible
Experience.
ALL HIS SHIPMATEs LOST.
Twenty-Five Days in an
Open Boat.

Nicaragua. which had just arrived, picked up man In
the Gulf sixteen days ago. He was in open boat
and said he cast away twenty-sx days before from
the bark Toronto, OF Glasgow Immediately It de-
termned to inquire into the case and the result
confirmation OF the report The brig Centaur
found at Martins dock, Fulton ferry, Brooklyn
The castaway on board He is swarthy Manila
sailor, who, gives the name OF Antonio Maxine, and is
about twenty four years old. Hc is unable speak
Spanish, his native tongue, with any degree or cor
reciness, and he knows but a few words
OF English. But he had told his ptful story to the
Of the Centaur through the cook who is himself
Spaniard, in his own way, having about fortnight
to convey all the particulars Of the disaster which
almost proved fatal to him did the rest OF his
shipmates-thirtcen in all
The second OF the Centaur first told the story OF
the discovery OF Antonio sAbout fourteen days after
leaving Greytown," he said the lockout the Cen
taur saw what he and his shipmates supposed to be
abandoned boat The time six A NJ Of Wednesday,
October 20 and the Centaur latitude IS deg 20
min and longitude IS deg, % min. Az the boat was ap
preached there noticed rolled in the wha
appeared to DO bundle. Then IL was decided to ap
proach closer. AS the Centaur nearcd the boat tho
'bundle" showed feeble
SIGNS OF ANIMATION
and at last assumed the outlines Of human being.
The brig put directly toward tho boat passing it at
first very close. All HANDS then saw with horror a
haggard, wild looking and skeleton-like man. con
trving by the greatest exertion possible to him. to
stand erect Then the ship tackled, bringing up
beside the boat, which at once boarded
by William Reading, the first mate OF the centaur
The in the boat unable to speak. A rope was
tied about his body ana he lifted board of the
Centaur Captain L. G. Stanley, the OF the
brig picked up the wasted form in his and
veyed 1t to the cabin. There bed was made on
benches and condensed milk and other light articles OF
food were administered until the unfortunate mans
strength was partially restored When picked up An
tonic presented shocking picture HIS thighs, 1t
said stouter than mans wrist His
body wasted and his head was swollen q remark
able degree The flesh his face was raised
so as to leave but mere suggestion OF nose
and II nearly hid altogether his sunken eyes
Scarcely any then thought he could survive, but
these traces OF suffering have totally disappeared
and the rescued sailor looks like o man, sturdy
onc again. The boat IN which he found also
| secured, and is now on board the Centaur 1t is
ordinary British '1ong boat, - about twenty-five
feet in length On It's most OF the letters
tanned in the name OF tho vessel TO which II belonged
| and the port to which she belonged-the Toronto,
| OF Glasgow. day or more after the rescue
Antonio made some feeble efforts to converse
almost to choke him and to die in his throat When
he did find power TO speak inteigby the first request
he made was for pipe and some tobacco. The un-
mistakabe evidence Of his recovery caused general
laughter 81 have heard, = said the mate OF the Cen
taur that an old sailor when he recoyers his voice
after escaping any danger that may threaten him, Is
sure to ask for tobacco, but did not think
| THAT LIVING SKELETON
| would much for It when he came round.n
AS soon poor Antonio could move he discove cred a
desire to make himself useful in the brig, and he told
the whole story OF his wreck and suferngs though ap
pearng greatly panied the bare recollection OF
them. The story he told reganng speech and con-
seriousness first on board the ship and reiterated
HERALD representative last evening Is substantially the
| following
ANroSIo's STORY.
The bark Toronto, which had left Greenock about
four months previously, was lying at Navassa or
Navaza, a small guano island oil the coast of Hayti,
about the end of September. She had taken nearly
half cargo OF guano on board when bad weather,
threatened and at eight O'Clock on Sunday morning,
probably the Sd of October considering unsafe
main longer near land the Captain ordered tho bark TO
sea Four hours afterward, Antonio says, hurricane
set In, during the watch OF Smith, the second mate
After nghtfall the hurricane still increasing IN vio
| lence, the manmast Of the vessel gave way
and toppled over. An hour later the forcmast
Then smith seeing the fearful condition into which the
ship put, and also observing that she close
the preciptous shore OF another island rushed below
and aroused the Captain Antonio says this skipper
| was addicted to his cups) When tho Captain reached
the deck he ordered all hands into the long boat The
bark then evidently breaking up There two
/ other boats board, but all the into the
boat They numbered fourteen persons or
these ten English, including the Captain the first
and secohd mate and the carpenter There
Italians, African ana Antonio MaxImo the Manila
! man, whose lite only saved Tho Captain hurried
them all SO rapidly into the boat that no effort per-
/ mitted to save anything
i PROVIDE THEMSELVES ANY PROVISIONS
Nor would Dtho possession Of these things have been
any advantage TO the rest Of the mariners The sea
was so violent when they abandoned their vessel that
they entertained but a slight hope Of ever reach,ng
land. They had little time for reflection. Scarcely
they in the boat than IL swamped and tossed
about on the crest Of the waves like straw. The
in fierce agitation boiled around them tossing them
of the boat and against each other until by
they dropped into the Deep leaving Antonio alone per-
| ilousy clinging TO the side OF the boat He finally
drew himself into the frail vessel BY morning the sea
was comparatively calm the storm had passed away
and the & lonely sailor found himself without oars or
| to With the instinct OF man
bred to expedents, an instinct sharpened and inten-
sed by the pangs OF hunger and the prvatons OF his
terrible situation. Antonio at to work to
modify the severity OF his fate. He with an old
broken knife the only implement left to him. strips OF
canvas from the boats lining part OF this canvas
he made into sort Of dpper with which ho bailed out
the water from his boat Another portion heused as
/ for the only clothing he had was pair OF
drawers and undershrt and tho rainy season
| boat he estimates that II rained about half tho
time This rain godsend 10 him, for without II
he should have died OF thirst With square piece OF
driftwood he constructed q four-pronged spear for
catching 1sh In each OF this piece OF wood he
made hole in which pointed slip Of bamboo was In
serted, long and sharpponted On the reverse side,
in the centre, through another hole cut with his old
knife was fastened handle, aud with this implement
Antonio speared fish enough
TO SUSTAIN LIFE
for some tme Az night little birds would alight on
his boat in the water near it and sometimes he
| cecded in catching These birds very tamo
| and easily caught Once he reduced TO the OK
tremty OF having to live for throo days tho body OF
Of those little birds dried n the BUTT not
be supposed that these his only privatonR There
when he had neither fish flesh sustain
him, and then IN order to keep his ebbing life from
sinking away, he driven 70 expedents that
be calmly contemplated Part OF The time he subslsed
on the drifting 'tsea grass, as he called H. All tho
! implements Of his ingenuity, saved with himself and
the boat In possession OF Captain Stanley, OF
the Centaur The only member OF the Toronto's COM
pany whose Antonio knew that of Smith, tho
second mate He also knows that tho carpenters
John, but does not know his surname.
This is accounted for by Antono's inability
20 speak English He barely understands in
;arSon. Ever Spanish, his only lOncusSe he sneaps
| very mperfecty. The people on board the Centaur
have been trying to determine the length time
Antonio was exposed Ho is himself litto confused
about the matter He is positive, however, that he
in the long boat "three Sundays and no future
experience through which he may pass though he IN
stl but twenty four years old, can wipe out bitter