Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-04-26
ON DEsOLATION ISLAND.
Yankee Whalers Forced to Spend Two
Years Out of the World.

fhftddeLphfd Record.
I On the evening of October >. 1881. the
B trim whaling schooner Pilots Bride was
/ wrecked off DesOlatiOn Island. or
/ Kerguelen's Island, in the South Sea.
The Pilots Bride was owned by C. \.
! Villains 4 Co., of New London, Conn.,.
and sailed out of that port on two years
/ cruise on April p. 1880. On Friday last,
/ one week less than three years from the
time of sailing, John Thompson, cook,
/ aud Edward Carroll and John Edwards.
Seamen. arrived III New York on the
Italian bark Nero F., having passed the
intervening time on desOlate rock of the
/ ocean waiting for a chance vessel which
might release them from their prison.
I thompson gave interesting particulars of
! the enforced sojOurn OF the crew to New
/ York San reporter. The schooner was in
! search of whale and other oils, and of seal
/ skins. Joseph j. Fuller was captain
Elisha Shipman, first mate; Moses Fuller,
second mate; the third mate was Mr..
/ Grey, and there was a steward, a cook,
: two boat steerers and nine men before the
mast. At Flores seven Portuguese sea-
men were shipped. From Flores the
/ schooner sailed to Bravo, where five more
/ Portuguese were shipped. She killed a
1 sperm whale, lost three boats anil stove
the other in storm, and reached Fuller's
| Harbor, on DesOlation Island, about the
/ 18th of August.
The island is in longitude III degrees
east and latitude 4j degrees south. 1t is
bleak, uninhabited pile of rock and
earth, without tree or a shrub upon il.
1t is frequented by large number of sea
fowl, and at certain times of the year by
| drOves Of sea elephants, sea leopards and
seals. Some whales are found in the wa
tiers around it. From Fuller's Harbor the
schooner sailed to NOrton's HarbOr of the
same island. NOrton's Harbor is the
| headquarters of the fisheries there. The
anchorage is good and the weather is
usually better there than on any other
part Of the island. Here the surplus pro-
visions carried out were discharged and
piled up on the beach, three boats left
there on previous voyage to provide for
an emergency, We're taken on board, and
the schooner sailed for the eastern or
weather shore Of the island. Except in
the summer months of January and Feb
ruary this coast is dashed by an almost
amending storm.
The catch of sea elephants and seals was
very large, and large shipment was
made from Cape Town, the return trip to
the island being accomplished two wears
ago. The next four months were marked
by tair success. In September Mr.. GRAY,
Seaman f. b. Cole and two Portuguese
We're drowned by the upsetting of the boat,
and on the afternoon of October /, 1881,
=
was caught in a snow squall, and about
dark was driven hard aground. Both an
chOrS were let go. 1t was hoped
that shift of wind and high tide would
float the schooner. She fOundered during
the night; and in the morning it was
found that the rudder was gone and that
she was hard on Il reef, known as the
Rocks of Despair. a temporary ruddcr
was rugged out of the main boom, but it
was never put in place. After dinner
there came on such heavy blow that the
Captain ordered all hands into the boats.
The men managed to secure some of their
clothing. They then pulled away for Pot
HarbOr, six or seven miles distant, and in
three or four hours were all safe ashore.
At Pot HarbOr quantity of canvas was
found. When the weather cleared two
days later the Pilots Bride had disap-
peared.
The bark Trinity, afterward wrecked on
Hurd's Island, had some time before tUis
deposited lot of provisions at Port Har-
Dor, and Captain Fuller determined to re-
main there during the warm weather.
The men were kept at work improving the
shanty, searching for game, and, inciden-
tally, at keeping their scant supply of
clothing in repair. For food they had an
unlimited supply Of flesh and birds eggs.
The flesh of the sea elephant when young
tastes much like beef, but it is coarser
q
rabbits on the island, and ducks and
sea fowl in abundance. With a suf-
ticient supply of hard tack and flour there
was no suffering whatever for food. For
cooking utensils they had a Single fryidg
pan, and this was supplemented by pieces
of broken pots. Later pot was brought
from Norton's harbOr. Every boat was
provided with a shovel, and this was the
most useful implement on hand. The
shanty was made with il, sOds beng cut
and piled up in shape and the whole
rooted over with boards from the wreck
and with canvas.
The first part of the mems clothing to
give out was their boots. These were diff /
ticult to repair, and the men substituted
mOccasins made from the hide of the sea
elephant. This hide is about three-quar- |
tiers Of an inch thick, ana is covered with
short hair The men dried the skin, and |
then shaved it down thin for use. Later |
they invented a clog, which consisted of /
wooden sole, fashioned from pieces Of
deck plank, over which they nailed pieces |
of the thinned elephant hide with the hair |
out. This made very comfortable shoe, |
protecting the feet from sharp rocks and
from the wet also.
1t got to be March, 1882, and they moved |
to NOrtOn's HarbOr, and there established
themselves permanently. Three shanties
were made, one for the officers. one for the
men, and one for galley.
There was no hope of seeing a passing
sail in that part of the world, and the men
settled down to wait until the owners of
the Pilots Bride should send out another
vessel on a similar mission. Such a
vessel was eventually sent. 1t was the
schooner Frances Allen. She arrived at
Desolation Island September 6, 1882. Such
of the crew of the Pilots Bride as wished
to do SO turned to with her crew, and she
soon had cargo of oil and skins. On
January 81 she sailed for Cape Town,
reaching there February 80. Part of the
wrecked crew remained at Cape Town.
Captain Fuller and the mates came on to
America by the way of London. ThOmp-
son and his two companions were placed
on the VerO F., reaching New York safely.
They have gone on to New London to
settle with the owners. of the Pilots Bride
for their share in the cargo forwarded