The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1883-10-13

In earnest 10 take IN the klUeS. LII WAS al
most laughable, in spite of the gravity of
our surroundings, to see some of the men
handling the cabin china, and their look of
contempt upon the fancy stores-canned
vegetables, sardines, and the ike,-of
which the greater part of our repast con-
sisted; for the more costly supplies, having
been kept in lockers, formed the bulk of
what we had saved, and the steward in
formed me that the stock of salt beef was
so scanty that we would need to be exceed
ingly careful of it. After dinner tossed
up with the boatswain for the watch, and
as it fell to his lot left him to do what he
could toward rigging jury-masts, and went
below. On the captains desk found the
half-worked Summers sight of the morn
ing, which | finished, and, allowing for our
drift, found that we were in latitude 3 de-
grees 3 minutes north, longitude 163 de-
grees Al minutes east, or almost the center
of the Celebes Sea. Plotting down this
position on the chart, it appeared that Cape
Rivers, on the island of Celebes, was the
nearest land, bearing S. by E. 125 miles.
This was so nearly to windward that we
could hardly hope to reach it under jury
masts.
The nearest islands of the Sooloo Archi-
pelago bore about n w. by W., nearly 200
miles away. There was every reason for
trying to reach Celebes The Bughis were
semi civilized and friendly to Caucasians,
and their propensity for trading with the
neighboring islands and passing ships would
give us a good chance to reach some fire.
quented port.
On the other hand, if we merely sue
ceeded in keeping the wreck afoat without
thought of progress or direction, we would
eventually drift into the Sooloo Islands
Many of them were uninhabited, and in
fact incapable of sustaining life, while the
people of the fertile groups were cruel,
piratical, and, by common report, canni-
balls.
At eight bells, when the watches We're
changed, we buried poor Benny, who had,
in the meantime, been sewed up in his
blanket The loss of the captain, mate and
the missing members of the crew was taken
by the survivors almost as matter of
course-as part of seaman's lot. They
had been washed overheard or taken up by
the whirlwind, leaving nothing but vacant
places as reminder of their absence; but
the crushed form of the captains boy af-
fected the men visibly He was not prop
erly part of the ships company, and, as
such, could not be expected to bear any of
the hardships or dangers of the voyage.
He had been universal favorite among
the crew, having won them by his manli-
ness, kindness, and quickness In learning
all matters pertaining to his father pro-
fession When the little bundle lying
there on the wheel grating, covered by the
flag, was launched over the rail and fell
with dull splash into the leaden surface
of the sea, the rough men turned away
with sob, and, brushing away the gather
ing tears. endeavored to hide their emotion
by coiling down now useless ropes ends or
anything they laid hold of first, and hur-
ried below more to conceal my own weak
ness than to replace the prayer book in its
case.
[ then called council of the more in
telligent of the men, and put before them
nv ideas concerning the best course to
steer, etc. 1t was decided that working to
windward was not to be thought of, and as
the monsoon was late in changing we would
have to take our chances and run for the
Sooloo Islands 1t would take us three or
four days at least to rig any sort of sail
that would give the ship a speed of two
knots in a good breeze; so that we could
not hope to reach land in less than ten
DAYS at the quickest, and it was ques-
ton if we could endure the labor of pump
ing for that length of time on no more
stable food than cabin luxuries. My heart
sank when | thought of how the ship
might founder in heavy squall, or how
we might roll around for weeks in calms.
Smart and fully equipped vessels were often
a fortnight in crossing the Celebes Sea, and
[ had personal knowledge of one fine ship,
the Titan of Boston, that knocked about
in thess very waters for nearly forty days,
and then only esteFed the Straits of Ma
CAESAR to drift upon the pateTposters in a
calm. Our stores too were scanty, and
could not last us longer than three weeks
by the strictest above short allowance
During all our consultations and work the
steady clank of the pumps had continued,
broken only by the occasional "Spell, oh =
As soon as one gang became exhausted
and were relieved by the others, they rested
for while, and then went to work at the
rigging. In order to gain upon the leaks
we had to keep the pumps going three
hours out of four, and when the watch
were relieved they were not slow in turning
in. The lashings of one or two of our
spare bars had held against the water-spout,
and our light yards and booms, Of which
there was good supply, We kept run in
under the half deck through port in the
poop, so that they had not been washed
overheard. With these by dint of hard
labor and doing the heaviest work at eight
bells. when all hands were temporarily on
; deck, we had succeeded on the fourth day
in raising three jury-masts. On the fore
we spread main top-gallant sail, on the
main an old spanker, and on the mizzen
the try-sail we had set to keep the hulk
head to sea. Not very good or handy
RIG, we thought, but it was the best We
could do with our limited resources. A
breeze springiug up in the evening, | was
eyerioyed to find that the old hooker actu-
ally made two and half knots, and an
swered her helm tolerably well. The effect
upon the men was surprising. They
worked with twice the vim, joked, and even
sang their "chanties" when pulling and
hauling, sure sign of contented crew.
One Of these, which had been fayorite
with them before, now had attached to it
melancholy interest by association. re-
call few verses:
go Tom is gone, and we'll go too,-
Tom is gone for highlo!
0 Tom was always brave and true,-
Tom is gone for highlo!
O Tom has his long watch below
Tom is gone for highlo
He is not called out in calm or blow
O Tom is gone for highlo!'
and so ON until the work was doEc and the
word ''Bela-a-y" stopped their hauling and
| song together.
knew that there was large feet of
vessels bound down from Manila, lola
and Cebu, and momentarily expected to
sight some of them, but SO far had been
disappointed.
On the seventh day my observation
showed that we had made barely ninety