The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1884-04-09


all the time, and he threw himself down
with his hands over his face. Presently,
looking at the body he said: I'VE must
bury him; but first my lads, let us say
n prayer for him, end for ourselves.
We all knelt while the captain prayed,
and when he had done we lifted the body
and let it go overheard.
'The madness that thirst creates broke
ont strong in DAILY and Parsons when
the body was gone, and down they
dropped rs Burke had, and Tapped up
the saltwater in the bottom of the boat
as dogs would. The captain implored
them not to drink, but they never needed
him or me, who likewise entreated them.
However, no harm seemed to come OF 1t.
Well, sir, there's no need for me to de.
scribe that Wednesday nor our third
night in that open boat. Thursday
morning came, making the fourth day,
and TO our Joy the weather cleared, the
wind shifted and moderated, and the sea
went down. We got the oars III, rugged
mp one as mast, and two Of us having
oil.skin coats on, we joined them 50 as
to form SAIL made yard of the other
oar, and putting the boat before the
wind, which was blowing light breeze
from the southland, headed, as the cap
tain judged, for the Irish coast. All the
day long we kept wild lookout, as you
may reckon, for passing ship, but
never once, not in the farthest distance,
lid such an object heave in sight. We
might have been sailing in the middle of
the Pacific. Nature in us was almost
numbed. We had come to such pass
that We were too faint and exhausted to
feel the craving Of hunger and thirst.
At least / can speak for myself, and it's
in that way / account for my suffering
less Mt the end than / did at the begin.
ming of the dreadful time We went
through. II was still cold, but nothing
like the bitter cold Of the gale and tho
heavy seas and squalls. We reckoned
by the sun that the wind hung steady,
aud we let the boat slip before it; that
was all that could be done. II we were
to sail Mt all we were bound to keep the
breeze over our stern, seeing there was
nothing to draw but Il couple OF Oilskins
secured to the orr.
"But the coming on Of Thursday
night was like the bitterness Of death
itself, sir-indced it was. All day long
we had reckoned upon sighting some
thing before tho sun went. Every hour
we had hoped, and prayed, and believed
would hoaye up some sort OF vessel to
come to our rescue; and, therefore,
when il drew up black, only a few stars
( L.. oil .,ln
! brought face to face with another long
winters night, my heart failed me alto.
gcthcr; | felt that there was curse
upon us, and that We were doomed men,
singled out to die of famine, the most
cruel Of deaths, because the longest.
Think Of ninety.six hours in an open
boat, in January, in the Chopsa, north
east gale blowing most of the time, with
never morsel of food except the salt
butter, and no drink but the salt water
washing in the boat And yet when
the Friday morning came VIC were still
alive, the captain steering, doubled up
with iaintness and the cold his knees
against bis mouth, and his head lollinQ
for want of strength in his neck; DAILY
aud Parsons lying still as dead men
under the thwarts; and me in the bows,
too weak and broken. hearted even tC
cast my eyes around the sea to notice il
there was vessel in sight.
"The morning passed; the afternoon
passed. Were we to go through another
night2 The sun was within half N
hour Of his setting when Parsons, who
WINS leaning his breast on the gunwale
stood upright and pointed. His mouth
was full of froth, and rs he tried tC
speak the foam flew out of his lips, bu
no words he spoke; it was naught bu
II kind Of death.rattle in his throat. W,
all looked in the direction he pointed to
and saw large sailing vessel heading
right down for us. How We watched
her all Of us standing up, never speak
ing, and only moving with the roll an,
toss Of tho boat. 1t took her an hour t
approach us, and then she hove us ,
line; but her people had to sling II
aboard. None Of us could move. Moth
ing hut the excitement of seeing her hN
,, allowed MS to stand. Tho moment til
line was in the boat and we were along
r side, we all became as helpless rs babies
"The vessels name, sir? She was n
Austrian bark Grad Karlovak, CON
mandcd by so humane man that fec
: fit TO cry when | think of him and hi
kindness TO us poor, miserable, ship
, wrecked English sailors. That's tn
story, cir, or as much Of it az there i
any call to relate. Five days and iou
,, nights in the month Of January in al
l open boat, most of the time blowing
heavily The tales known at Ply
mouth-it's known Mt Runcorn-.it j
known TO Mr.. Hopkins, the agent of tn
Shipwreckcd Mariners Society Mt Ply
mouth. And I'll tell you somebody els
it's known to sir--some one MS II swea
TO every word of it. aud that's mo"