The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-12-13

sea, in bay of the same name The vessel
Hannah Rice was owned by a firm of traders,
| o. w. Linholm & Co., OF Wadenstock, and
was on her way from that port with sup
plies for the station at Mungur, on Shan tar
bay. While a party OF us were
| duck hunting on the island, as
we were anchored waiting for a flood tide to
go up the bay, we discovered a vessel ca
ble's length from the beech. She had been
hauled out on high tide. She was what is
called in Chinese waters dandy built" of
about twenty tons burden, rugged with a
square bamboo sail forward and small jigger
sail aft A short distance from her, in
very exposed position, was log cabin,
banked high on three sides with earth. On
approaching it we were startled to see lying
few yards from the door the detached bones
of a man. Pushing open the door an over
whel ming stencil greeted US. We fell back
preci pitatelv, but finally mastering courage
again advanced, and what horrible sight
met our gaze. Almost at the threshold lay
a decomposed body. In a corner opposite
the door lay another and in bunk built on
the side was still another, making four in all.
They were entirely unacceptable, being
nothing but masses of putrid flesh. We
found quite store of salt beef, hard bread,
tea, molasses tobacco, etc; also, two rifles,
three old rusty sabers, and some ammuni-
ton.
I'm the bunk with the body was the log.
Parts had been torn out evidently to pre-
serve some secret 1t showed her to be the
Nellie, cleared at Calcutta for Nicolaefsl,
from thence to any port or places on the
Chinese or japanese seas. James Thompson,
master; Philip Brown, mate, and two China
men, formed the crew."
Extracts copied from the log of the vessel
are given by the writer of the above commu-
nication dating various from Sept II, 1876,
to April 16, 1S77-at which date the cap
tain, Thomas Thompson, appears to have died
the details of which show great suffering
from cold weather, sickness and starvation.
The anonymous writer of the communica-
ton, detailing the discovery of the dead sea-
men, continues:
The last entry could hardly be deciphered
and was scrawled all over the page, and
undoubtedly death soon ended the Cap
tain's sufferings. And there they lay, as
the had died, until we found them We dug
a grave inside the hut buried them as
best we could, fastened the door to keep
bears from disturbing their last resting place,
and left them. Two years later l visited the
same spot. The cabin still stood above their
common grave and l could not look upon it
without shudder passing over me, to think
of the terrible tragical months these men
passed in their tomb, dying one by one by
that slow, certain disease, far from help and
civilization.
1.-THE shores of this wild, desolate country
are the custodians of many a tragedy the
counterpart of this, and lonely graves and
CHASTITY skeletons bear evidence to the hun
dreds who have lost their lives in search of
gain or adventure in this frozen land of the
north. The Russian al thorities at Nico-
laefsk were notified and the papers found
sent to them. No clew to the friends
of the captain or mate were found, so far as
| know. They were men evidently without
ex perience in cold attitudes, for they took
no means to ward of sickness. At the time
they landed in few hours they could have
gathered bushels of berries which resemble
our cranberries, and have the same acid
taste. and are an excellent anti-scrobutic
These made into wine or preserved whole,
and taken in small quantities during the
winter, combined with plenty of exercise,
would have saved their lives. Exercise out
side might have been rather difficult at times,
as trees were cut down fifteen feet from the
ground, showing that the snow must have
been very deep"