The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1877-02-14

The Fortuna touched al Rio ipr
water, and for supplies Of food y hict
might prove useful in case Of csurv =
In due time the ship yeuDded Cape
Horn, in the 60 ~ weather ever
known in those lati,udes BY the old
est hand on board The mate. one
Mr. Duacalf-a boozing, wheeling,
self-cOnfident old sea-doa, with fam
ing face and vast yocabuiarv OF
oaths-swore that be didn't like it.
The foul weather coming, my lads, y
said Mr. Duncalt MARX my words,
there'li be wind enough to take the
curl out of the Captain's whi-kers
before we are many days older :"
During fortnight more the ship
cruised 10 search of the isiards TO
which the owners had sdirected her.
Al the end Of that time the wind
took the predicted liber,ies with the
Captains whiskers, and Mr. Buncalf
stood revealed TO an sdmiring crew
in the character OF true propbe5.
For three DAYS aud three nights
the Fortuna ran before1he storm, at
the mercy of wind and sea. On the
fonrth morning the gale blew itself
out. the sun appeared again toward
noon, and the Captain was able 10
take an observation. The result in
formed him that be was in q part of
the Pacific Ocean with which be was
entirely unacquainted Tbereupon
the officers were called into The cab
in. Mr. Duncalf, as became his rank
was consulted first His opinion pos
sessed the merit of brevity. NV
lads, the ships bewitched Take nv
word for it, we stsll wish ourselves
back in our old latituGes before we
are many days older.r Which, be
ing interpreted. meant, that Mr. Dun
calf was lost, Ike his superior officer,
in part Of the ocean Of which be
knew nothing
/ The Captain decided (tbe weather
being now quite fine again 10 stand
on, under an easy press of sail, for
four andtwenty hours more, and to
see If anything came OF it
Soon after night fall something did
come of il; The lookout forward
hailed the deck with the dreadful cry,
Breakers ahead ~ In less than q
minute more every body heard the
crash Of the broken water. The For
tGna was put about, and came round
slowly in the light wind. Thanks 70
timely alarm and me fine weather.
the safety Of the vessel was easily
provided for They sept her ao6er
short sail. and they walled for the
ID rniug
The dssu showed them 10 the dis
tance glorious green island, not
marked in the ships cbarts-an Is
land girt abou, by coral reef, aud
having in its midst a bigh-peakrd
mnunlain. which 10 ked, through The
telescope. like a mountai1 of .uicanic
ofigin. Mr Duucalf. taking bis mnru-
ing draught of ram aud water, shook
his grogyy old head, aud said, (aud
swore,) my lads, ! don't Ike the
LOOK of that Island = The Captain
was of a different opinion. He had
one of the ships boats put into the
water: be armed himself nnd stx Of
bis crew who accompanied him. and
away be went in the morning sunlight
10 visit the island.
Skir' ;ng round the coral reef, they
found ul.l7al beach, which proved
TO be H-cad enough and deep enough
not only for the passage Of the boat,
but Of the ship itself il n-edful.
Crossing the broad inner belL Of
smooth water, they approached the
golden sands of tie island, strewed
with magnificent shells, aud crowded
bv the dusty islsnders-men. women
and children, all waiting in breaJhless
astonishment TO see the strangers
land
The Captain kept the boat of, aud
examined the islanders carefully. The
innocent. simple people danced and
sang and ran into the water, lmp!oring
the wonderful white visitors by ges-
ture to come on shore. Not a Great
ure of them carried arms of any storJ;
hospitable curiosity animated the
entire population. The men cried
ont. 10 their smooth, musical lau-
guage, Come and eat :" and the
plump. black-eyed women. all laugh
ing together. added their OWL invita-
ton. Come and be kissed - Was
It in mortals to resist such tempta-
tions as these The Captain led the
way on shore, and the women sur
rounded him in an instant and
screamed for Joy al the glorious spec
tacle of his whiskers. his complexion.
and his gloves. So the mariners from
the far north were welcomed 70 the
newly-discovered island.