The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1884-08-06
LOST On An ISLAND.
THE REMARKABLE ADVENTURES or THR
GREW or THE SNIP RAlSlER 4
BRIDAL TRIP TO uJAR BLAND.

Among the passengers who landed at
San Francisco from the Pacific Mail
steamer Rio de Jauciro were the captain,
captains daughter, mate and part Of the
crew Of the American ship I,ninicr,
which WIS wrecked in January lust on
ono of tho islands Of tho Marshall
gronp. Captain Morrison is native
aud resident Of Bath, Maine, is typi-
cal New Euglaudcr, and has been mas.
ter IN the American merchant marine
for the past twouly-night years. Seat
ing himself opposite the reporter the
skipper spun hrs yarn ~ follows:
The ship Rainier was rs tidy craft
M u seaman could wish to handle, and II
il enough 10 make any man sad TO think
Of her being lost on her first voyage and
without even being insured for quite
Onc-third Of her cost. was part owner
in her, supcriutcudcd her building and
took her around from Bath TO PhiIadcl-
phia, from which port she had charter
for cargo Of coal oil 10 IIiogu, Japan.
My first mate, Mr.. Humphreys, was en-
gagged 10 my daughter and they were
married in Bath on the day before the
Rainier was to sail, aud reached Phila.
dclphia just in time the next morning,
for | had promised my daughter she
should make her bridal trip on the new
ship.
Everything went well, and our voy-
age promised 10 bo u short aud pleasant
one, for We had got around the Cape Of
Good Hope all right and were bawing
before the trades nj fine rate. On the
"a Of January last we were of the Ra-
lick group Of the Marshall Islands, in
about longitude lGi degrees east aud
latitude Q degrees north. Our course
lay ten miles clear Of the nearest island,
over water that was gwen on the charter
M free Of reefs, and We had not the
rlightest idea Of danger when at $50
p. m. We suddenly struck aud stuck fast
on n hidden reef. There was only n
slight breeze ut the time aud the sea was
smooth, sO there were no breakers to tell
IN Of the unknown rocks ahead. As il
was very dark aud as there was no i'm
mediate danger Of the ships breaking
up, | determined to wait until daylight
aud sec II | could not get my craft
ailOat once more. In the meantime We
prOvisloncd the boats and gu' everything
in shape for hasty leave liking il il
should prove necessary. T,wnrd morn.
ing II came on to blow and the sea rose
rapidly, showing the ship further mp on
tho reef and at times breaking clear over
us. Az soon M il was brond daylight
made out that we had struck on reef
that incloscd large lagoon; that it was
still wator within II couple Of hundred
yards from where We lay, and that there
waa low island some ten miles TO the
0nst OF us. Not knowing anything about
the natives In those waters. we made up
our minds to stick TO the ship as long m
possible and then TO trust to our boats
aud passing ship, rather than venture
on land. just before noon high sea
broke over her stern, lifted the Rainier
up and dropped her on the rocks so hard
that she stove IN her bottom and listed
off shore.
We had already noticed some canoes
''iiillIa A'Nh' hNl'NN lllN BUM NultIh
OF the lagoon, and by the time tho ship
stove in they were close aboard and max
ing friendly signals TO IN. As there
woro only n few Of the natives and we
numbered twenty eight, all told, We de
tcrmincd to get into our boats aud pull
into the lagoon through an inlet they
pointed ont. This was accomplished
without any worse mishap than wet
ting, although our boats were loaded rs
deep M we dared have them. Once in
side the reef We held n consultation and
M the natives seemed to DO 10 kindly
disposed, decided 10 make for the island
Quite number OF canoes had gathered
about us by this tlmo aud tho natives
voluntarily took M in tow and pulled IN
to their island home. On landing we
wero hospitality received by the King
md given two large huts to live in--one
for my daughter and tho officers and
tho other for the men. From that time
till the end OF our Btny we were always
treated kindly, and have nothing but
good words to say OF those savages and
their tiny island. II proved 10 DO the
Island OF Ujae, and you can scarce,
Imagine qucercr little patch in tn,
ocean than that. UJae, which lies n
tho Southeast end of lagoon som,
thirty miles long and which in NOR,
than thirty miles distant from tn,
island, III amilo and II half long, at most,
and certunly not moro than quarter of
miio wide. The inhabitants, copper
colored Kanakas, number about seventy
five, Of whom some fifteen aro Young
sters and tho remainder pretty equally
divided between males and females. Be-
fore describing the people however, |
might say that the island has no clcva-
ton to speak of and rises very little, if
anything, more than three feet above
high tide.
II not protected by the reef on which
we struck everything on the island
would DO washed away in n heavy gale,
but as 1t IL it is M safe M though II was
locked in an island harbor. The soil il
pretty thin, but for NIL that the island il
covered with vegetation of ono kind and
another, such as cocoon and breadfruit
trees and wild arrowroot, although the
salt air and poor soil prevent the growth
oil the tender plants that we depend
upon for food. The natives have no
gardens, nor plant anything of
any kind, and couldn't be made to I'M
derstand what We were doing when wo
made m attempt with beans and pota-
toes. These vegetables took root, but
Tor all the care wo gave them they
before the tops wero a foot
nigh.
AS you wish TO know about the M
ives, will say that they seem to be
,ood-naturcd and contented lot, al
hough they are certainly the most ig-
lorant people ever saw. The children
yaar Nh n1ntl On al all a,J Al. ,.o,, n.,J