Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-05-01

4
was ordering all things for the best. That
night was repeated over and over again.
| On Wednesday the sea moderated
somewhat, and the sun came out. But
never once did she get on deck By stand
ing on a chest, each day she could get a
momentary glimpse out of the companion
way. Twice she saw land-low, precipitous
| hills, behind them mountains clad with
snow The vessel sailed hither and thither,
changing its course scores Of times
| daily. Sometimes it was swept
stern on by the gale, and again
rolled and pitched in the midst of noun
famous waves, so beaten by battling winds
that it made at times no progress. The
sails were whipped to rags, the rigging
torn from its fastenings, cracked in the
tempest like gunshots. The boats timbers
were strained, and the groaning of the YES
sci was such as to strike terror to even a
sailors soul. The woman might have
gone mad had she not on the third day
found the mates watch, with which, by
frequent winding and consulting, she kept
her mind occupied. Fortunately she found
also heavy pea jacket, and, putting it on,
saved herself from perishing with cold.
The cabin lamp she succeeded in lighting
on the third night, but the Oil was shall
low and she turned it up now and then to
look upon her sole companion, the watch !;
but on Thursday the oil was exhausted,
and thereafter she dwelt in the awful dark
ness of night at sea in q tempest. Her
torn and bleeding hands she rested by
| loop made of cord, which she attached TO
the hanging rope. In this she would put
her elbows, and thus maintain her posi-
ton, until the cords cutting to her flesh
compelled her to put up her poor bleeding
hands again. She had two half-penny
biscuits and a quart bottle of milk, pro-
vided for what was supposed would be
| two hours voyage. Not until SUNDAY
night did she eat, and then but half of
biscuit. BY Wednesday night her food
and drink were gone, and all the remain
ing days she suffered the pangs of gnawing,
ravenous hunger and burning thirst. She
would moisten her lips with salt water now
and then, and thus got some relief but had
courage to resist the temptation to drink
the brine. Thursday another storm set in
as terrible as the first 1t ragged to the end
of her wonderful voyage, and the cold was
| intense. How many strong men would
have survived such horrors? With how
many would desperation have taken the
place of calm trust, and madness have
usurped the seat Of reason. No tales of
fiction, Of solitude and desertion and suf-
fering and horror in mid-ocean, have ever
risen to the level of this recital of simple
truth. Saturday night, about midnight,
the boat struck granite reef The little
shell was dashed hither and thither, and
forced on between jagged rocks projecting
from the sea. The mast went by the board
with crash, the hurricane stripped the
decks and rolled the little boat from side to
side, and at last dashed it upon a shinglv
beach. -Four fathoms either side it would
have been broken into splinters upon Jag
ged rocks and in PERCEPTIONS nights upon
the southern shore of the island of I.epsoe.
mere rock rising 1900 feet out of
the sea upon the west coast of Norway
in latitude go So. At no other
spot on all this desolate rock is there a
place where the boat could have touched
the shore. All the coast else is sheer
rock, rising directly vertical out of IN
fashionable depths. Who shall dare to
question the simple, steadfast faith of
Elizabeth Mouat, that gracious God, in
answer to her prayers, guided the little
vessel to the only spot, and that but few
feet wide, where for miles it was possible
for the boat to land At dawn she
looked out and saw the island. The
shore was but few rods away the water
between not deep, but rough She saw
peorle on the shore, she waved her poor,
bleeding arms to them, and screamed with
what breath was left her for help She
was seen and heard. Stout Norway fisher
men came to the rescue, but it was peril
Gus one. They got a rope from the boat
TO the shore they wove cords about the
fainting, wounded woman, and sent the
ends ashore they lifted her over the side,
and told her she must cling to the hawser
and Chamber down it. And this aged
woman, after five days of fasting and
eight nights of sleeplessness, and nine days
of superhuman struggle with wave and
cold and tempest, went hand over hand
down the hempen cable, till Just near the
shore her marvellous power of endurance
and courage failed her, and she fell into
the surf, but brave men plunged in, and
she was dragged ashore. She was carried
to hamlet on the rock, and kind women
nursed her back to life, but through the
awful suferings that always supervine
upon such exposure and trial Her story
went abroad, and big-hearted people came
to see and aid her. Purses were opened
and supplies furnished, and February 18th
she was conveyed to Aalesund, and FIVE
days thereafter sent ON to Hull, and
thence to Edinburgh, arriving there Febru-
airy 9th. Her narrative has excited
wide interest, and brought to her
aid from hundreds of quarters
that assures her and hers ease and
comfort for the remainder of her life.
She was swept by the tempest in tortuous
course hundreds of miles. Directly across
the North Sea from Sumburgh Head, at
the extreme south of the shetlands, to
the spot where the Columbine was mirac-