Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-10-02
A Wonderful Experience.

The barque Carrie Long, of New York,
was on her way from Buenos Ayres, by way
of MatanZas, in the month of February,
1873, and on the eleventh was two hundred
miles off the Brazilian coast, when an OBJ
ject was deserted, which, upon scrutiny, dis
closed itself to be a raft, containing a single
person.
A boat was Immediately lowered and sent
off to the assistance of the estray, who be-
yond all question was sorely in need of it.
When he was reached he was found to be
more dead than alive. In fact, he could
scarcely move, and for time it looked as if
he would succumb, in spite of the care and
attention shown him.
However, he was removed to the ship,
where the kindest attention was given him,
and being an unusually powerful and ath-
letic man, he speedily recovered his usual
health and strength.
He was negro, who could speak no Ian
guage besides the Brazilian pat0is, and it was
in this language he told his story.
His name was Manuel Francesca, and he
was native of Brazil though he refused
to tell from what portion of the empire he
came.
Two years, previous, he was convicted of
petty theft in Rio Janeiro, and was SEN
fenced to a penal servitude of five years on
the island of Fernando de Noronha.
His experience was terrible one. He
was exposed to the flaming rays of the sun,
and compelled to toll with the chain-gang
from early morning till late at night.
When the energies of the poor fellows
tagged, they were prodded into renewed ac-
ivity by the bayonets of the merciless sol
der guards.
Nevertheless, Manuel toiled and labored
In this purgatory for full year, by which
time his sufferings had driven him to the
point of desperation, and he resolved to es-
cape or die in the attempt
But it was much easier to form the reso-
luton than to carry it out. Like all penal
colonies, every possible precaution is taken
to prevent any of the convicts getting away,
and the case of the miserable wretch would
have been pronounced hopeless by any and
all who knew the safeguards by which he
was environed.
He had never heard of any one getting
away from the island, before serving out his
entire term; but, for all that he was goaded
TO such point that he was not to be
appalled, by the overwhelming chances
against him.
He was as obedient and tractabIe as he
knew how to be, in consequence of which
he gained the confidence of the authorities,
and was finally appointed servant in the
household of one of the officers of the set
Element
There he stayed another year, during
which he never wavered in his resolution,
and devoted all his spare time to completing
his preparations.
Fernando de Noronha is one hundred and
twenty-five miles from the eastern extremity
of Brazil, and is used expressly as place of
detention for all criminals tried and sen.
fenced in the province of Pernambuco.
The island itself is some six miles in cir.
conference, and very scant crops of corn
and beans are raised with the greatest diff.
Guilty. 1t is under the supervision of the
Brazilian War Department, and the prison
ers who are sentenced to the gaIeys are com.
PEELED to dogeneral housework, break stones
and repair the roads.
They are not obliged to carry the ball and
chain, but are, as rule, chained together in
twos, and forced to toll in that fashion.
francesca, having settled in his determi.
nation to leave, or at least to make the at
tempt, took two companions into his conf.
dence, and they wrought and planned to.
geher.
Little by little, they collected together q
small store of provisions, few bits of cord.
age and piece of an old sail
These were conveyed piecemeal, and by
night, to one of the many barren rocks
forming the Fernando de Noronha group.
They reached the secret place by swimming
and they succeeded in gathering from the
drift-wood on the beach quantity of bam-
boo joints, from which they constructed a
very primitive raft, about ten feet square
and two feet thick.
A short mast, fastened at one end, and a
broken oar, to answer for steering appar-
atus, completed the vessel upon which they
had resolved to risk their lives.
Everything being in readiness, the three
convicts waited for the darkest kind of a
night. It was not long in coming, and,
stealthi1y swimming out to their rendez.
vous, they noiselessly showed the craft into
the water, hoisted sail, and the rubicon was
crossed.
A light breeze carried them along at 6
pleasant rate, and the three were full of hope
of reaching Cape St. Rogue, two hundred
and ten miles distant.
When daylight dawned over the Atlantic,
the three fugitives cast anxious glsnces be.
hind them. With their naked eyes, they
were barely able to see Fernando de Moron
ha, lying like faint cloud in the horizon
1,,,+ fba broa1a which had waited them fhus