News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1882-04-27
WRECKED ON A DESOLATE ISLAND.
The Sufferings for Fifteen Months of
the Grew of Whaler on Heard's
Island

The Sufferings for Fifteen Months o
the Grew of Whaler on Heard
Island.
John Esmond, second officer of the
whaling bark Trinity, of New London
the crew of which were recently taker
off Heards Island, in the South Indian
Ocean, after sojourn of fifteen months
there, has arrived in Boston. The story
he tells vies with that of Robinson Cru.
soc. The bark Trinity, Captain John
| Williams, left New London in June,
I 1880, with a crew of sixteen hands. At
Cape de Verde Islands nineteen Portu-
guese negroes were shipped. "On
September A." said Esmond, "we ar
rived at the uninhabited island of Desc
lation and landed three months provi-
sions. On September %, we sailed
toward Heard's Island and arrived there
October 2. It is the custom of whaiers
to call at Heard's Island to kill sea ele-
plants. The island is $50 miles south
east of Kerguelen's Land. It 80 miles
long and to 10 miles wide, with vol
canic group of mountains in the centre
about six thousand feet high. II is
covered nearly all over with snow and
ice, the glaciers reaching down to the
water. We landed two white men and
two negroes with provisions enough for
three months and left them 10 kill sea
elephants, and the bark then proceeded
round toward the southeast end of the
island, where it was proposed to land
another party. The sen, however, was
too high and no boats could be landed.
She lay at anchor here till October 16,
when at midnight a heavy storm burst
upon her, and at 10:40 on the 18th the
ship grounded about fifty yards from
the beach. From this day, October II,
1880, until the rescue, on January %,
1882, the seamen lived on this unhab-
tied island without any communication
with the outer world.
"All of the crew got ashore safe and
sound except seven negroes, who were
frostbitten. We hauled ashore also
about two months provisions. ;"
On the first night of their sojourn the
ship foated away, taking with her six
months provisions, and they had
nothing to depend on but the resources
of the island and the few provisions
saved. There grew kind of wild
cabbage on the island in plenty, and
this, with the flesh of the sea elephants
and sea leopards, formed their chief
sustenance. There was plenty of fresh
water. The party lived in four shanties
made of wood, stones and sod. One
was built on the southeast side of the
island and used as lookout. The
weather was always cold. 1t was below
the freezing point when they landed
and summer brought no change of any
During the months of
June, July and August they only had
about three hours of daylight in the
twenty-four, though occasionally the
moon. shone very brightly The only
of the men besides sleep was
to patrol the beach in search of food.
They had accumulated about 500
barrels of oil when rescued, but they
left it all on the island. They had
blankets with them, and beds were |
made from the feathers of the sea hens
which they caught. Their own clothes
lad to last them all the time they were
here, but they made boots, gloves,
nittens, etc, out of the skins of the sea
They were entirely without
tobacco and this the seamen seemed
20 regard the worst i'll of all. Esmond
made sun-dial on the roof of his shanty
4 correct reckoning of the days and
months was kept by marks on board.
January IS, 1881, two men were
drowned. In November of the same
year the penguins began to lay eggs,
which they were enabled to obtain for
iood and enjoyed greatly. At times the
volcano frightened them by slight |
eruptions. They were unable to reach |
the four men on the other end of the |
island on account of impossible ice
fields until December last. 1t may be |
that it was welcome sight |
when, on the 18th of January, 1882, the |
United States steamer Marion hove in |
sight. The seamen stood on the rocks
and waved their blanket till at last they |
we're seen. On the 18th of last January |
the men were taken on board and the |
Marion steamed for Clinton Bay, |
eighteen miles distant, where the four
nen previously spoken of were en-
Those, too, were taken on
board, and the whole party were clothed
N navy costume. When the Marion
reached Cape Town the American
Consul took charge of the ship-wreeked
They sailed for Southampton,
England, and then for this country.