Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-04-10
WRECKED ON A DESOLATE
ISLAND.
The SunerIngs for Fifteen Months of
the Crew of a Whaler on Heard's
Island.
Boston Special to the Ne,o York. World

Boston Special to the Neso York World.
John Esmond, second officer of the
whaling bark Trinity, of New London,
the crew of which were recently taken
off Heard's 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,
1880, with crew Of sixteen hands. At
Cape de Verde Islands nineteen Portu-
guese negroes were shipped. ''On Sep
TENDER 4, " said Esmond, eve arrived at
the uninhabited Island of Desolation
and landed three months provisions.
On September % we sailed towards
Heard's Island and arrived there October
ID. 1t is the custom of whalers to call
at Heard's Island to kill sea elephants.
The island is 2S0 miles southeast of Ker-
guelen's Land. 1t is thirty miles long
and from three to ten miles wide, with a
volcanic group of mountains in the CEN
ire about six thousand feet high. 1t 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 to kill sea
elephants, and the bark then proceeded
round towards the southeast end of the
island, where it was proposed to land
another party. The sea, however, was
too high, and no boats could be landed.
She lay at anchor here till October 10th,
when at midnight heavy storm burst
upon her, and at 1910 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 uninhabited
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 soiourn the
ship floated away, taking with her six
months provisions, and they had moth
ing 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 leo
pards, formed their chief sustenance.
There YVES 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 consequence.
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 occupation of the
men besides sleep was to patrol the
beach in search of food.
They had accumulated about five
hundred 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 had to
last them all the time they were there.
but they made boots, gloves, mittens,
ETC., out of the skins of the sea animals
They were entirely without tobacco, and
this the seamen seemed to regard the
worst i'll of all. Esmond made a sun dial
on the roof of his shanty. A correct
reckoning of the days and months was
kept by marks on board. January IS,
1881. two men were drowned. In No
vember of the same year the penguins
began to lay eggs, which they were en-
abled to obtain for food 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-felds until December
last. 1t may be supposed 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 blankets
till at last they were seen. On the 18th
of last January the men were taken on
board and the Marion steamed for Gin
ton Bay, eighteen miles distant, where
the four men previously spoken of were
enoamped Those, too, were taken on
board, and the whole party clothed in
navy costume. When the Marion
reached Cape Town the American Con-
sui took charge of the shipwFecked sea-
men. They sailed for Southampton,
England and then for this country.