Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1878-06-26
ON A RAFT IN TIE TR oPIcs

THRILLING ADVENTURE OF AN ESCAPED
BRAZILIAN ooNvIcT-Two OF HIS COM
PANIoNs DIE MIsERABLY AT SEA-
THE SURVIVOR RESCUED by THE CREW
OF AN AMERICAN BARK.
The log Of the bark Carrie Long
that arrived in New York recently
from Buenos Ayers, by way of Matan
zas, shows that on February 1lth
when 200 miles of the Brazilian coas
her crew discovered raft, upon which
was man in the last stages O
} exhaustion. The men Of tho Car
} ric Long at once took him off ant
brought him to New York. This man
thus saved by the merost chance from
horrible death, is an athletic young
colored man, about twenty-five years
of age. His name is Manuel Francesca
and no is a Brazilian, though he re
fused to tell TO what portion Of the
Empire be belongs. Two years age
be was convicted OF petty theft in
Rio Janeiro, and was sentenced to q
penal servitude of five years on the
Island of Fernando dc Noronha. On
this arid rock, beneath the burning
rays of an equatorial sun, be worked
in the chain-gang, whose tagging en-
ergies were constantly stimulated by
prods from the bayonets Of their sol
dier guards. After years expert
ence of this horrible life Francesca de-
termined to escape or die in the at
tempt.
BY good conduct and strict obedi-
ence he obtained the position of SER
want in the house OF one Of the officers
of the settlement. AT the end of two
years he had, with the assistance OF
two companions, collected a small
store of provisions, few bits of cord
age, and a piece of an old sail. These
were conveyed, by night, to one Of the
many barren rocks forming the Fer
nando dc Noronha group. This rock
they had reached by swimming, and
here they also collected, from the drift
on the oeach, a quantity oil bamboo
joints, from which they constructed a
rude raft about ten feet square and
two feet thick. A short mast, stepped
at one end of the float, supported their
olt OF san, ana broken oar formed
Their steering apparatus.
Ihe escape was effected on dark
nght' ana they were waited from the
hated island by q llgft breeze, which
they iondly hoped would carry them
10 cape OF rogue, zio miles away
AT daylight Fernando oe Noronha
was out a cloud IN the horizon, tne
breeze had dled out ana the intrepid
voyagers lay eecalmed, win inc long
heavlng SVEN OF the Atlantic threat
enlng the demolition oi their irali rait.
IRON the nrst tney suffered ior want
oi water, oil which their supply was
very limited. Their provisions be-
came thoroughly saturated with SAT-
water, ana eating them increased Their
thirst' on the thlrd day one OF the
party was Frustrated by lever, ana
on inc iourtn MS deaa oooy sild from
tne iittle rait ana was selzed Dy the
sharks that inrked beneath 1t and
waited Tor the prey that an unerrlng
instinct told them must sooner or later
DC theirs. on the evening OF the sue.
ceeding day a terrible storm hurled
the little rait hither and thither, at
times completely submerged beneath
the huge waves francesca clung TO
a pox that was lashed to the raft
amidships, and his companion clung
to the mast. In the darkness great
rush oi water, a swapping oil wood, and
a yell OF anguish told francesca that
his companion had gone, and that the
sharks had caught another victim.
For five more days the raft floated
at the mercy Of wind and waves; but
OF these days francesca knows little.
lie was without food or water, and
had periods OF Inconsistencies. On
the morning of the tenth day as the
Carrie Long came bearing directly
down upon him, he was barely able to
utter a hoarse cry, and to fcebly wavc
bit of rag, torn from his shirt. AS
boat IRON 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 to stand, but in a feeble
ii