The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-03-26
LOST IN THE SWAMP.
A Detachment Of the Herald
Party Missing.
A DAY AND NIGHT OF SUSPENSE.
Signals Of Guns and Rock
cts Fired.
A SEARCH ORGANIZED.
A DAY AND NIGHT OF SUSPENSE
A SEARCH ORGANIZED.
Joyful Return Of the Wanderers
Unframed.

Having described the efforts made by the HERALD
plorlng party TO line directly to the smoke which
descred from the observatory, and having broken
of the narration at their failure to discover either
volcano or gcyser at its terminus It remains Tor
relate what further labors were performed In the
great morass during the first expedition.
The discovery of the stone monument which no
white had ever before seeu melted US TO fresh
courage the pursuit Of the original mystery which
had already led US SO wearisome chase Little time,
however. remained for tho search without renewal
OF our provisions Tho negro whom had despatched
to Linn Hill 10 report the relative bearings of the
smoke seen from our camp and that produced by the
mystery came back without adding anything impor-
tant 10 our knowledge. The mystery during his abs
sence had made no sign his crrand was truitlcss.
Powerful rockets had been fred at camp night
but he had not seen thom. Probably the distance
too great Tor them TO outshine the starlight
ANOTHER EFFORT.
On the day following the completion o! our line of
seventeen degrees south OF east the majority Of the
party set forth 10 beat up some intermediate country
lying near former routes but which had not boen
thoroughly examined. This was the forlorn hope be-
fore beng Obliged from the wilderness to
seek food. On several hunting excursions our mon
had gone about duo southeast and they had reported
finding III that direction the continuation OF the great
cham OF flint crags which have before alluded TO in
dcru that 1t deemed desirable visit Thorn in tho
hope OF their strange formation and characteristics
casting some light upon the mystery. A theory had
assumed form in my mind since the failure Of our line
to the effect that somewhere in this ledge was the or-
1cc crater from which rises tho venerable
svc column OF smoke Portions 1t are we'll
known; other portions have never been visited On
the old road to Newport the rock fragments piled
up many feet high. The Judge' was intrtisted with
this final excursion, taking all the negroes from the
camp, where remained to prepare for our exit from
The wilderness.
MEAGRE RArIoNs
They started when they sun was well up carrying
two biscuits apiece and small quantity of meat Tor
rations The ladies' OF the camp and myself bid
them God speed. The day away and We were each
busy with occupations-reading, writing taxi
denny. The twilight, came almost unpcrceved, and
then there was sudden CONSCIOUSNESS expressed invo
unfairly Of unusual delay in the return OF the
plorcrs Black shadows thckened under the vast CO.
lonnades ana 'Aun Hannah heaved logs on the Are as
II brighter glow could disspatc moral GLOOM We
discussed the absence and over again, and the
dreadful thought, ost In the swamp at night" soon
shaped itself into words Excuses were easily framed
for their late detention, but somehow had any
faith in their being the right ones Perhaps they had
purposcly remained away from camp until sunset for
the purpose OF rc-hunting their return. Perhaps
they had at last upon object ther search
and were bivouacking near 1t themselves
IN the morning OF accurate knowledge of Its locality
SIGNALLING LOST.
Nine O'Clock came, and still the wilderness had not
given up the lost The black shadows that shut US in
within small of light glum and funcrea
As seemingly to forbid hope whenever wo sought
peer into the ''varmnp haunted distance The
failure OF the party to return recalled to our n nxous
thoughts all the dreadful and cxravagant which
had been told OF the horrors OF the swamps At
one time we would suppose that they had dropped
through INTO the lower depths with a sudden "land-
sink, then that they had sunk through floating
bog like that which covers Featherbcd Bay, and
were miseraby suGocated; anon, the treacherous
tread OF panther would remind US of other tragic
terrors equally rcpusve and the possibility Of OF
them being killed and the rest being unwilling leave
him prey TO the buzzards was still horrible
and loathsome idea. Yet, in that case, ought to
have received messenger Tho shudderng surmiscs
many. AT nine O'Clock began firing Signals for
the lost We had magnificent rife, whose report
could have been heard for moro than mile. Sounds
sometimes reached US as If in response,
REPLIES.
For several days the woods southwark OF the camp
had been burning Old trunks and stumps OF seasoned
pitch pine had caught Ore from the saw pamettos and
order TO prevent the intrusion OF snakes We had
grown accustomed to the frequent detonations caused
by the falling of great trees whose bases had been
weakened by the devouring flames. There had been
less OF these sounds lately, but this evening we
frequently heard distant reports which barely reached
tho tagging breeze. Could they be the guns OF
our party2 The joyful thought filed us with excite.
mcnI Several rockets were Immediately fired, with
the hope that they might either hear or see them.
They shot into tho glowing SKY with tremendous
hiss and brilliance. Another misfortune now hap.
pcpcd TO us. Tho only dog remainng in camp, ''old
CnT" took fright and scampcred away into the night
with a dreadful howl Between the signals the inter.
walls of painful listening seemed 10 strain every nerve
Imagined windngs OF hunters horn waited to
family that we were scarcely sure wo heard them.
Then there seemed the stray notes OF a hound
but they too aggravated our anxious suspense by
their indstinctncss.
PATH.
! took a fire pan, filled 1t with flmlng fagots and
shoulicring he rfo went down the lonely path tow
ard the sink that, away from the cracking OF the
fire, could hear clearly. While waited tho
edge OF tho dark pool tho sounds seemed to approach
and at length there borne the ind the mclan-
choly hooting pair OF owls. The detonations had
ceased So, supposing the owls to have produced the
Illusion OF horn, VIC attributed the former to the
burning trees Guns and rockets were repeatedly
fired until long past midnight, when, with heavy
thoughts we won't TO bed seeking needed reposc
10 be ready for a more active relief movement in tho
morning. Occasionally during the night heard the
distant booming which we supposed was caused by
falling trees. The faithful heart Of "Aunt' Hannah
was greatly exercised with the untoward turn Of
events, and she sat all the night by the FIRE rcplcnsh
ing the logs uptl the gray dawn. Tho haoong OF the
night spirIts-'tu-whit, tn. WHO'D. o'-sccmcd more
than ever an uncar,hly message. 'Aunt" Hannah
often muttcrcd to herself Lord n massa ics' spose
desc pore folks got in do njun den md done git took
b'licvcs dcysc some dcro yit, does"
GREATER srsrESsE
The pale morning light looked in upon US as ir to in.
qurc If We still clupg to hope OF again seeing our
companions alive, and seemed to say that all the