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

] up by passing vessel. Yet there could
be no worse month in the year than Jan.
uary for that likelihood. How long
were the gales and the frost going TO let
us last? We were far to the Ror'ard Of
the fairway, in part Of the sea that
every vessel was bound to give wide
berth to. The weather, as / have seid,
was so thick that You couldn't see half a
mile off and though Of course II was
sure to clear in time and open out the
horizon, 30 that vessels could have
view around them, the question was,
Where would We be when ii came on
fine?
"Unlike n good many others who have
gono through such dreadful messes as
this, orr suncrings began the moment
We tumbled into the boat. In the lowest
latitudes that ever | was in ! never felt
such cold. Had the water been fresh
our clothes would have froze into coy.
crings Of ice. The air was full Of spray,
and squalls Of slcet came rolling up. We
sat IN the bottom Of the boat in a lump,
10 keep her steady, and for the shelter
Of one anOther's bodies, and those who
were TO windwarl--that is, in the fore
pOrt-would shift from time TO time,
and others take tlrir place. We had no
mast nor sail, nothing but the two oars
We rode TO. 1t was Monday, and all
through the daylight We sat lifting our
eyes above the gunwalcs, and trying to
/ pierce the haze for vessel. II was
! blowing about half u gale OF wind, aud
il kept steady. Now and then we'd ship
n dose Of water, and bale II out with our
caps; but it kept our feet soaking, and
reckon il was worse than being without
boots Mt all. The boat did well, and the
oars were kind Of brcakwater, and
helped her. After four in the afternoon
the night drew on. We never could get
used To the darkness. The daytime was
bad enough, but the night made our snf-
fcrings mudlcning. The wind, when
the sea was black, would take the feel Of
solid ice. We couldn't see one another,
aud that made talking kind Of foOlish-
ness; and 80 we never spOke-which
caused every one 10 feel himself II lonely
man upon the sea. Likewise the noise
] vi wv NNlNI NbillN HbNlNl hlIplg'I' III
the daytime ! took no notice, but Mt
night Id find myself listening TO the
crying Of the wind mp in the dark, and
the kissing that rose all over the ocean
from the breaking of the waves.
81 don't know what my mates did;
but that first night ! never closed my
eyes, never tried to Shut them, never
thought Of sleep saw the dawn come,
Int the hazo WAS too thick to let the
light show on the horizon; it was over
head ~ well as around when the morn
ing broke; there was no darkness thH
you'll find hanging in the west at day
break. Indeed, believe the sun wa
up above the sea before any light came
No thick it was. All the men were awake
and dreadful they looacd, as Of cours
| did. One Of them was named Burke
! noticed him Mt once. and Thought h
was dying. He lay a,hwartships, witt
his back against the stmboard eide q
the boat, and there was strange work
ing IN his fingers, like the movement q
n woman's hands opening skcin G
thread.
"Thc captain said, For Gods SAX
look around, lads, and zee if there sany
thing in SIGHT.
"lhc sea ran high, and made it dan
gcrous for any Of rs to stand up, for ica
of capsizing the boat so we hung owe
, the gunwale, with our chins on n lev,
with it, and stared into the drivin
r smother with all orr might; but thcr
, WAS nothing to bcsccn but the brcakln
3 seas when we were hove up, and til
water standing like walls on either han
| when We dropped into the troughs. A
ut once Burke sat up, AMI began to sin
out for drink Of water. He talked /
if he believed we had it and wouldn
give it, which was the first sign Of h
insanity. The captain tried TO pacii
him, speaking very kindly, and seekin
to cheer him.
"Wo have ouilivcd day md
night, said he. Keep up your hear
mate; we may have thousand.ton shi
under us before ii comes dark again.
"But Burke kept on crying for waite
saying that he was dying for it, m
pointing to his throat; and then, iallil
on all fours, lie puts his face to the sal
water washing about in the bottom
, the boat aud sucked up several mout
; fuls. Well ii seemed to do him no hun
, and he lay quiet. Soon after this spit
. something knocking about in the sea
Y few fathoms asten, and called the ski
pcrs attcrtion TO it. He said it was OF
$ of somo kegs of butter that had be,
l aboard the schooner, so we pulled IL
oars in and dropped down to it NJ
picked ii up. We broke 1t open and n
the butter in Gstruls being mad wit
hunger; but it was as salt ny brine, M
the effect of it was to make our thiri
raging. The knife We had used to ope
the kcg lay in the bottom of the boat
and Burke, on Il sudden turning ovC
seized hold Of it, jumped up, and fe
upon the captain. He hit him once, bu
, the knife didn't pierce through tn
thick jacket the skipper had ON, and be
fore he could raise his hand again W
dragged him down and kncelcd upo
him.
"Hhcrc wns no worse part in all thI
dreadful time than this. Tho mailman
' face was terrible sight; almost blac
y it was. He snapped about him with h
=, teeth, and his cries and curses we
II, things it brings the sweat upon my iN,
" 20 talk about. Think of our situation
- mad with thirst ourselves and strugglir
y with mailman, killing north.cnst
: blowing like knives through our froz,
, bodies. the sea leaping and roarr
tt around rs, and nothing between MS N
p the bottom but tho little old boat
Is were in. We were too weak, and in +
u much suffering ourselves, to rema
e holding the mailman down, and .hndil
him quiet We let 60, and squatted o
> close TO another for warmth; but scarcc
had we hauled off from the poor wrct,
when he jumps up and throws himst
overheard. Mind 7 shouted the ski
pcr--'one's enouphp fearing that if v
all got to the side Burke had leapt
from we should upset the boat. / W,
the nearest, and as he came up close
leaned over and got him by the hair, ar
dragged him into the boat. He WI