Wichita eagle., 1888-12-30
a STRANGE SHIPWRECK.

In the year 1850 left the island of Trini-
dad on the English brig Duchess, bound for
Parnahyba, coast Of Brazil An English
syndicate had been boring for coal oil near
that port, and with such indications Of sue
cess that we were taking up large cargo Of
tight barrels to hold the stuff. These barrels
had come to Trinidad as salvage from a
wreck, and had been bought in by the syndi
cate. Each barrel had hard wood bung, and
each bung was driven in place as the barrels
came aboard l state TINS because these sim
pie details had great bearing on Ghe length
Of our voyage. Having several thousand
barrels aboard, any one of which would
have foated two men in the water, there was
no danger Of the brig going TO the bottom, no
matter if she started half dozen planks. It
was doubtless for this reason that the captain,
whose name was Kimball, left port short two
men Indeed, we had creW which would
have passed for shabby on any sort of q craft
There were only three Of us who dared rate
as able seamen, and TIE captain was almost
too drunk TO walk when we left port.
| wanted to get down the coast TO join
Scotch wnaIer, or | should never have be-
come one of the crew Of the Duchess. She
had an unseaworthy look from mastheads to
the water line, and things aboard were very
slovenly. However, we got away after a
deal Of fuss and feathers, and, hauling well
OUT from the coast, set our COURSE We had
Just four hours of fair weather, and this gave
us time to ret the decks cleared of the rattle
Then the wind suddenly veered about and
struck us head On, and we were obliged TO
box the yards about. While we seemed to
be going ahead all the time, we no doubt
made drift enough TO offset it, as the brig
was little batter than square box at most,
aad il she had any best sailing point, no one
had ever discovered it. Every time she made
q tack t took ell hands to swing the yards,
and after one night Of it there wcs q good
deal OF growing. The captain shut himself
up for quiet drunk, and the poorest man
before the mast soon sized the chief mate up
correctly. Ills name was Hastings, and
while he made great show of commanding
the brig, il was easy TO see that he was very
much worried over the responsibility. The
second mate, whose name was Waters, made
no bones about ccnfessing his unftnesS, hav-
ing never been anything higher than mate of
coal schooner on the English coast.
On the evening Of the second day we had
trouble. A big negro who had shipped be-
fore the mast refused TO do duty. Some
mates would have knocked him down of
hand and half killed him, but Hastings was
afraid Of him, and went down to consult the
captain. That Official was in a drunken
stnpor, and could not be aroused. The mate
returned TO the deck and made threats, and
the result was murder before our eyes, and
before one Of US could lift hand to prevent.
The negro was the only mutineer, and all
the rest of US We're for the mate. Had he Or
dered us 70 seize and bind the negro not a
man would have hesitated. While he was
threatening what hs would do, instead of
taking the bolder cause and doing some
jhing, the negro rushed in on him and in
ficted a stab which proved fatal within half
an hour. After thus using his knife be took
up his quarters in the fo'castle, and swors
that he would kill any man who dared de-
scend after him. We pulled the cover over
and made him prisoner, but in a short time
we realized that We were in the FIX of the
man who dare not let go of the bear None
of Us had a change Of clothes or could
turn in.
In this emergency Mr.. Waters took the re-
sponsibility of hauling the captain out of his
berth and trying to make him understand
the situation. The beast got back enough
sense to realize that his sacred person was
being pulled and hauled about, and be got
hold Of pistol and threatened to shoot the
next man who disturbed him. In this eIner-
geucy wo held fo'castle council. Some were
for putting back, others for running into
Georgetown, and others for holding on Until
next day and seeing how the captain would
come out IL was while We were engaged in
this discussion, and no cne had an eve on the
weather, that an ''ox eye" struck the brig,
md brought both nasts down together as il
they had been chopped Off. The instincts of
a sailor set every man at work without
orders, but The old hull got pretty badly
banged about before we had the wreckage cut
clear and the danger averted. The negro
murderer came on deck during the confusion.
but, instead of aiding US TO save the brig, he
got the yawl into the water, put IL water and
provisions, and when we were finally at
liberty 20 look about us be was ready TO shove
off. he was too quick for Us, and away he
drsfted into the darkness 70 leeward. the
yawl bouncing like cork, and seemingly
gbout to upset, but the fellow was as cool as
ice, and got her of before the seas. AS the
3sainIn:st came down a block or strap fell
upon the head OF a sailor named Chester. We
could not give him any attention for half an
hour, and when we got around TO it he was
dead. We were disnasted, had two coruses
aboard, our only boat was gone, and the
captain WAS stu drunk. Sailor Jack has
some curious adventures, and is surrounded
by strange circumstances, but none could
well have been IL a worse tx than we were
aboard Of the Duchess.
Tie question OF what we could or should
do had been narrowed down very materially.
The huli was not much damaged, and we
knew that it could never sink with those
barrels aboard. We hauled the corpses ou.
of the way, covered them with a spare sail.
and then every man was at liberty TO do as
he pleased All discipline was gone, and as
the hull sat high out Of water no one felt snv
immediate danger. The wind ard sea both
fell after the blSst that dismas.ed Us, end be-
fore 10 o'clock | believe that every ysc,,
aboard was sound asleep. / remember that
1t was after sunrise when 1 want on deck and
rEszs she first one Up. In about three minutes
the captain made his appearances. He was
not yet over his spree, and had doubtless
cone on deck TO have row. One look
around him wEs sufficient 60 change his
mind on that point He was completely
Knocked out at what be saw, and bis
rounteuance betrayed all the emotions in the
calendar as be approached me and asked:
''W-what is il, Reeferf'
"Se were struck by a squaQ last evening