The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1877-09-13
Singular Escape.

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Singular Escape.
In the winter Of 1878 very unsea-
worthy merchant sailing-vessel "a Siam
ese), the Z'ye Wat. set out from the north
of China to Siam, with cargo Of bean
cake, SC. The weather became excess
sively stormy, and at last the old vessel
actually went to pieces many miles from
land in the Gulf Of Pe-che-le. The crew
consisted of eight Malays, who worked
the ship; the captain, an Englishman;
and in addition was one Chinese woman.
They had no boats on board, no time to
make raft, or means of doing so; and as
the vessel was rapidly sinking, the wretch
ed people looked round in despair, when
hope Of escape struck one Of them as
his eye lighted on very large wooden
water-tank which was on deck. This
tank was strongly made, about six feet
long, five feet across, and five feet high,
with large hole at the top into which
man could squeeze, and tight-fitting
cover. There was not a moment to lose;
hole was bored in the bottom, to let out
what water it contained, then quickly
plugged; and all ten squeezed themselves
in hurriedly, put on the lid, and awaited
their fate. In quarter of an hour after
they were thus packed, the ship sunk un-
der them. They first whirled round, and
then foated off freely, and felt themselves
rolling and tossing about frightfully on
stormy sea. The weather was intensely
cold, so much so that icicles had hung
from the rigging Of the sunken ship the
day before; and being 80 tightly packed,
perhaps it was fortunate the weather was
so cold. In their haste to save life, they
had brought only part of ham which
the captain had snatched up, and bottle
of brandy; and thus these poor creatures
were tossed about from day to day, hun
cry and thirsty, jostled like potatoes
shaken in barrel; now and then, when
they dared, letting in little air by rails
ing the lid. Their situation strongly re-
minds one of CULVER in his box when
the eagle carried him out to sea from the
land Of the Brobdignags.
On the fifth day the Malays said they
must kill and eat the English captain;
but the poor Chinese woman Ito the cred
it of her SEX vehemently opposed them,
and succeeded in saving him for that day.
On the sixth day the Malays said they
must eat her; but the captain in turn
saved her for that day. 1t is difficult to
imagine a more horrible situation than
that of this poor Englishman surrounded
by eight starving men determined to eat
him, which they certainly would have
done had not an English vessel rescued
them on the seventh day. 1t happened
thus the captain of that vessel sighted
large box tossing on the waters, and at
first never thought Of minding it, only
supposing it part of some wreck, as the
weather was so bad but as he looked, to
his utter surprise head popped up
through hole in the centre, and then
vanished, to be followed by another fig
ure, making frantic gesticulations. With
much difficulty this strange box was got
alongside, hauled up, and its poor inmates
dragged out to light, barely alive, and
emaciated fearfully, finding the man hole
easier to pass out Of than to get into;
which was reversing the fable of the wea-
sci who got into the barn. The captain
of the rescuing vessel was kind English
man, and did all in his power to restore
his guests. They were still in the Gulf
of Pe-che-le, and did not reach the port
of Swatow sooner than six days, where
doctor was called in to visit these liber-
ated "Jacks-in "a box" He said they were
a singular proof of how much human be-
ings can endure. All lived and recovered
perfectly. Certainly they were all young
people. The Malays went home. The
English captain went to Singapore, and
showed himself reallyigrateful to the poor
Chinese woman who had saved him from
the jaws of the Malsys.-Cham6ers' Jour
nal.