The Republican journal., 1881-10-06

lay aback, drifting to leeward. The
breeze was light and tie stars were bril-
liant; indeed, all this time the weather
was beautifully fine; the only sounds
were the occasional Tapping of canvas
aloft and the jar Of the rudder as the
swell raised and sank the brig. The
condition Of the vessel was matter of
indifference to me; after seeing all my
shipmates but one stricken down had
no hope of being spared. Every moment
| expected to find myself growing hot
with the fever, and-as | never doubted,
after what had seen, that, if the fever
seized me, should die resolved, if |
sickened, to throw myself overheard, as
the thought of drifting about dead on the
deck Of the brig were uncomfortable. The
conviction that | should die disinclined
ME to bury the captains and the other
mems bodies. Besides, | was without
nerve, and every instinct in me seemed
to shrivel up at the ideao of handling those
corpses. The starlight filled the air with
dim illumination, and | lay watching
the dark figure of Philip Sfogren, with
his back against the galley. Much dew
fell and the star beams sparkled in the
dust were streWn over the planks, | Law
near the skylight, with my head leaning
upon my elbow and, not having closed
my eyes for many weary hours, nature at
last mastered me, and fell into sleep,
from which, at the beginning, started
again and again, until at last lay quiet
| was aroused by Sfogren shaking me
furiously, and when | sat up he bawled
out that there was a great steamer head
ing directly for us. The sky was pale IN
the east with the dawn. The night still
lay dark in the west, and in that quarter
were the lights of a steamship, the large
outline OF which was visible on my di-
recting my glance to the right Or left Of
the lights. | knew by the appearance of
the lights that she was steering dead for
us, and without another word Sfogrcn
and ran to the flag locker and got out
an ensign and half-masted it at the main.
The steamer approached us fast; but the
dawn came fast too, and the morning had
fairly broken, and the top of the sun was
flashing upon the sea line, when the yes
sci was still half mile distant, She was
4 LARGE OCEAN STEAMSHIP,
bark-rigged, and when the rising sun en-
abled her to distinguish our flag, she
hoisted her colors, which, to my mex
pressible delight. | found were Dutch.
She swan magnitcently abreast of us,
within easy hailing distance, for the sea
was very smooth, and there she stopped,
and her captain hailed Us in Dutch from
the bridge. | told him what had befallen
Us, and that of our company Of ten men
only two were left alive. On this a boat
was lowered, and the brig was boarded
by IN officer, to whom we fully related
our story. He ordered us to collect our
clothes, and get into the boat. But
neither Philip Sfogren nor | would enter
the torecastle. We shrunk back when he
pointed; and perceiving the horror in
our faces-indeed, be afterward said, he
thought we were mad--he bade us Jump
into the boat and not mind our clothes.
kept up very well until had got over
the ships side and stood on her deck, and
then my eyes, wandering from the crowd
OF sailors who stood at the gangWay to
see us arrive, to the brig that lay with
her sails aback q terrible sickness seized
me. The brig and the steamers deck,
and the men upon it, spun round. put
out my hands to steady myself, and fell
headlong down in dead swoon. | re
manned nsensible for three days, and, on
my recovery, was informed that the
steamship had the brig in tow, and was
carrying her to Batavia. Stogren was 50
i'll that on our arrival he was sent to the
hospital but how long he remained there,
and whether he ever left it alive, | can
not say, For my part u week ashore put
me to rights, and then shipped on board
steamer bound to Antwerp. That's the
story, sir, and it explains my meaning
when call green coffee, deadly cargo