Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1878-05-30

The 1or 81 the bark Carrie Long shevls
that on February II, when goo miles
Of the Brazilian coast her crew diseov-
cred = RAFT upon which was man u
the last stages of exhaustion. The men
& tue Carrie Long fook him of asi6
brought him % this . This man.
tins Astn6 he Ahe mkses change ire.a
horrible death wa iaNna We
asleep in q bunk on boar ~ hark. He
is an athletic young negro, about .
years Of sge. and thanks - the klnd'
lrenkment received al the hands Of Capt.
Park and his men, be shows no traces
Of hrs terrible sufferings. He speaks
no language but the pafois of the Bra
lillian negro, and, in this tongue, tells
bis story.
His name is Manuel Francesca. and
he is a Brazilisn, though he refuses to
tell to what portion Of the Empire he
belongs. Two years ago be was con-
victed of a petty theft IN Rio Janeiro,
and was sentenced TO penal servitude
of FIVE years on the Island of Fernando
de Noronha. On this arid rock, be-
meath the burning rays of an equatorial
sun, he worked in the chain-gang, whose
tagging energies were constantly slim
uIated by prods from the .bayonets of
their soldier guards. After years ex-
perience of this horrible life francesca
determined to escape or die in the at
tempt.
By good conduct and strict obedience
he obtained the position of servant in
the house of one OF the officers of the
settlement. At the end Of two years
he had, with the assistance Of two COM
panions, collected small store Of pro-
visions, few bits of cordage and piece
of an old sail. These were conveyed
by night TO one Of the many barren
rocks forming The Fernando de Noronha
group. This rock they had reached by
swimming. and here they also collected
from the drift on the beach quantity
of bamboo JOINTS, from which they con-
structed a rude raft about 10 feet square
and feet thick. A short mast, stepped
at one end OF the float, supported their
bit of a sail, and broken oar formed
their steering apparatus.
The escape was effected on dark
night, and they were waited from the
hated island by light breeze, which
they fondly hoped would carry them to
Cape st. Rogue, 210 miles away.
At dayligH IEfifTpauaQ. liz -
voyagers lay becalmed, with the long,
heaving swell of the Atlantic threaten
ing the demolition of their frail raft.
From the first they suffered for want of
water, of which their supply was very
limited. Their provisions became thor
oughly saturated with salt water and
eating them increased their thirst.
On the third day one of the party was
prostrated BY fever, and on the fourth
his dead body Slid from the little rait,
and was seized BY the sharks that lurked
beneath il and waited for the prey that
an unerring instinct told them must
sooner or later be theirs. On the even
ing of the succeeding day terrible
storm hurled the little raft hither and
thither, at times completely submerged
beneath the huge waves. francesca
clung to a box that was lashed to the
raft admidships, and bis companion
cIung to the mast. In the darkness a
great rush of water swapping Of wood,
and a yell of anguish, told francesca
that his companion had gone, and that
the sharks had caught another victim.
For FIVE days more the raft foated at
the mercy OF wind and waves; but Of
these days Francesca knows little. He
was without food or water, and had Pc
riods of unconsciousness. On the morn
ing Of the tenth day as the Carrie Long
came bearing directly down upon him,
he was barely able to utter hoarse
cry, and 70 feebIy wave bit Of rag,
torn from his shirt. As boat from the
bark neared the raft two sharks left its
shadow and darted swiftly away. When
The rescued man was placed on the
deck Of the bark he was unable 10 stand,
but in a feeble pantomime begged for
water. A gill of water was poured
down his swollen throat, and, half an
hour allerward, as much more, mixed
with gin, revived him so that he was
able 70 swallow few mouthfuls Of
soup. He was a most pitIable object,
but bis recovery was rapid, and was
perfected long before his arrival here.
Captain Park is in a quandary as to
what disposition he shall make of bis
waif, and is in hopes that he viii run
away. When they arrived at Matan-
zas Francesca was much alarmed at the
presence and questions of che customs
officers. Upon hearing bis story, the
Brazilian consul demanded that be
should be delivered TO the local off icials,
and held in Jail until bis case could be
communicated 10 the Brazilian authori-
ties; but Captain Park said "No, sir;
he deserves his liberty after the efforts
he made to obtain it. Isaved him from
death, and I'm not going to cpnsign him
10 prison. You cant have him, and
you don't dare TO take him from under
that aag"-pointing 10 the stars and
stripes that few from the mizzen-peak.
So Francesca was brought to New York.
when rescued he had few pieces of
Brazilian money with him, and paper
containing the warrant for his trans
portation to Fernando de Noronha,
signed By Brazilian magistrate.