New-York tribune., 1884-11-17
WRECKED ON A TROPIC ISLE
HOW THE REINDEERs CREW ESCAPED.

THE KINDNESS or KING 'LIJAH BALoCK-ARRIvAL
HERE OF TWO MATES.
Inc American ship Pactolus which arrived at
tins port yesterday from Yokohama, brought as
her second and third mates, ii. W. Drohan and H.
L. fcrcy, who formerly filed the same bcrths on
the snip Reindeer, wrecked on one of the Marshall
Islands. TIE story of the wreck and the
subsequent adventures of the officers and crew as
told by the mates to TRIBUNE reporter is as fol-
lows:
The ship Reindeer an American vessel of 1000
tons. sailed from Philadelphia on August /, 1883.
bound for Japan with cargo of oil. She was
commanded by Captain Morrison. There were
three mates and steward in the cabin
and twenty before tho mast.
She had fair winds around the
Horn and entering the South Pacific laid her course
for Japan. The night of January .. 1884, was
dark and stormy one, and the ship being out of her
course, struck on a reef near one of the Marshall
Islands. Taking to their boats, the officers and
crew escaped to the land. The island upon which
they landed was cal ed Ejal, and lies in latitude
70 30 north. longitude 1889 80 west. When the
morning broke the shipwrecked men found them
selves on an island covered with palms and other
luxuriant vegetation of the tropics. party of
natives whose skin was of the color of new saddle
aud whose only clothing was a pcce of mating
tied around the waist came out of the palm groves
and down to the white coral beach to welcome the
sailors. stalwart native of middle age and
commanding presence the leader. He was the
king OF that and all the adjacent islands and called
himself 'Lljah Balock. This name he had evidently
derived from the American traders whose vessels,
he said came at rare intervals to his island king
dom.
WELL TREATED by THE NATIVES.
King 'Lijah treated the shipwreckcd men
of the Reindeer with great courtesy, even giving
up hIs own palace for their accommodation.
The royal abode was 30x20 feet and possessed
many comforts that were wanting in the humber
huts of King Lijah's subjects. Every day fresh
yams and cocoanuts were brought to the palace by
the kings orders for the use of the Americans. On
the island of Ejal lived fifty natives and OH the
thirteen small islands surrounding 1t
200 more. From all the surrounding
islands the natives came in their
canoes to visit the guests of the king.
For over a month the shIpwrecllcd sailors waited
for ship to visit the islands but no ship came.
King 'Lah told thelu OF an island far to the North
west called Ulan. where ships stopped frequently.
IL was, he thought about 2>0mIles away. Finally
the second mate, Drohan started with four men
in the long boat of the Reindeer, which had been
saved from the wreck to iiud the island of Ulan
The diet of fruit on which the sailors had subsisted
since the wreck had decreased their strength and
the men were in a bad sanitary condition. Before
the second mate left he island Of Ejtl the cook
Frank smith. died of dropsy. Nj. Drohan took
with him IN the boat a supply OF water and frult
and sailed away.
Day after day the sailors toi!ed at the oars,
for only an occasional wind blew over the froplc
sea to prOpe the boat or temper the heat OF the
burning sum- Day after day the men strained their
eyes to see palni-clothed island rise from the
sea or to catch sight of sail. The "shipwIeckcd
sailors watching for a sail sail from dav to
ay"-f,it then strength gradually falling.
One OF the men, Peter Dawson, died OF exhaustion.
RESCUED AT LAST.
After beinp IN the boat for eleven days, and nav
ING goUe 900 miles in search of the Island Of Ulau,
n vessel was sighted. She proved to be the bark
Catalina, of London, Captain Williams. from New
Castle New-SOuth Wales bound for Scgin. Cochin
China. The wanderers of the sea, with their boat,
we're taken on board. and well cared
for until their arrival ut Segln. There
the French consul discharglng the duties
of American Consul. the United States having no
representative III that port. lie French Consul
was afraid 10 send the men to Hong Kong whittier
they wished 10 90 to get ship To tins county
Mr. Trunlctf. the British Consul, however bellcv-
ing that "bood ~ thicker than water tooh the
men m charge and forwarded them to Hong Kong
alrt;er to Colonel Mosby Mosby. the mates both
declare refused to assist them. They went then on
board of the American mano;-"ar Essex, whIch
in the Larhor, aud lad their case before zap,
tain Mccormick. lie communicated with Admiral
Davis commanding the Aslatic squadron, who or
deIed the Essex to 10 immediately 10 The Marshaii
Islands and rescue the rest ol the Renders
The Essex took the two mates aud the three men
along and arrived at the island of jal three months
and ten days after the wreck 1T was fnuud ina,
Captain Morrison and ten men had left the island
one month before for Jeluit III schooner, which
they had built. The rest of the men were taken
on board, and the Essex went to lokohama.
There the second and third mates secured berths on
the Pactolus and the sailors shipped on other YES
sciS.