Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-06-09

taken any of the emigrants into NV conf
dence would have precipitated the mutiny.
AT the first move OF officers or emigrants the
sailors would have thrown Off all disguise,
seized the ship, and probably sent the people
away in the boats After turning the matter
over and over in my mind decided that my
| wisest policy was to remain silent, and seem
to be hand and glove with the conspirators.
After a tedious voyage we finally made the
| Amazon. At any time after leaving Havre
a storm would have doubtless destroyed us,
but we encountered no peril Of that sort. No
| voyage could have been attended by more
favorable winds or better weather During
| the last week of the voyage the emigrants
became more reconciled TO each other and
| the captain and his coterie also perfected
| their plans, II was resolved to steal the ship
and her stores from the syndicate, settle out
side the companys tract, and found a young
| republic The idea that the government Of
Brazil, or the government of any other South
American state, would have voice in such
"A project never entered their heads. The
colony or republic was TO be increased in
numbers by emigrants from America, who
would come by the thousands the captain
said, the laws and ordinances were to be Of
the most liberal character. Slaves were to
be brought from Africa, and every white
man should have two or three TO work for
him, All property was TO be held in com
mon, and all colOnists should pay homage TO
the captain as president
"There were, therefore, two bands of con-
spirators at work. each unknown 10 the other
had II week to think it over, and made up
my mind TO go with the mutineers. To be
left on wild coast, exposed to sickness and
want, and to be mixed up with such state
of affairs as would soon prevail in the colony,
was as bad as helping 10 run Off with the
vessel. As TO piracy, that was a matter which
might never come up at all. We ran to the
south OF the Amazon, about $50 miles, and
brought up in a bay which was well sheltered
ON all sides. A stream of fresh water here
descended to the sea, and the land was rich
and the locality evidently free from malaria.
The captain and several people went Off to
survey the locality, and before the day was
over it was decided that the colony should be
located here. The people were wild to get on
shore, seeming to believe that they had found
paradise The ship had brought out lum-
Der to construct houses, but the emigrants
would not wait for plank to be unloaded.
On the second day every soul of them went
ashore, and before night most of them had
erected some sort of temporary cover. A
night ashore among the insects and wild ami
mails took away much of the enthusiasm and
the next day many returned TO the shelter of
the ship. While the lumber, seeds, TOOLS and
household goods were being unloaded sur
vey of the land was made and in about five
days each individual was in possession of his
ground, and the first of the rude shanties were
erected and inhabited.
The captain paid little or no attention to
the ship. Everything favored the plans of the
mutineers and it was determined by them to
carry off the second mate and force him to
i,,t, tbat, lii -
any hour after her arrival, but La Fount |
wanted her clear of her useless cargo, and
perhaps felt some compassion for the colo |
nists. 1t was on the morning of the tenth day, |
and everything had been landed, the captain |
and mate were ashore, when La Fount took |
command. The second rate, when informed |
of what was on foot made no objections to |
joining and under his directions the anchor |
was weighed and the Albatross stssd out of |
the harbor. When at sea La Fount took |
the mate was made first and was
installed second officer The plot had been
so often that there was little ex-
citement or enthusiasm La Fount gave all
to understand that he should exact discipline
and obedience, and he was as good as his
word Never was there speedier or more
radical change in the conduct of crew.
~ do not know what La Fount's plans
were, but we had held due east two DAYS when
TWO six pound cannon in the hold were
ordered hoisted on deck, and he went down
nto the after hold with lantern to make an
Inspection. He had not been absent ten min
ties when the ship suddenly lifted out of the
water, split into thousand fragments, and
hen followed a burst of flame and terrific
explosion. She had blown up. | remem-
lered of being lifted high in air and then
ost my senses. When | came to was cling
90, ion, ,,F tl..
drifted for an hour or more, as no
,ther person or wreckage was in sight. III
vas burned in two places and had received
everal wounds from missiles, and how |
cached the spar and chung to it is a mystery
% me- That night at o'clock the ship Will
am Rogers, bound from Rio Janeiro to New
York with coffee, picked me up, and for more
han two weeks | was unable to leave my
,erth. The ship had run through the wreck
Ige of the Albatross without discovering any
# her crew, and, without doubt was the
'nly one who escaped. As to the colonists
eft behind us, the savage natives killed off
many, a war upon each other further reduced
heir number, and finally, when the survivors
ct out to reach Para accident, sickness,
tarvation and wounds put an end to the
lst ones. When government vessel was
emit to bring the colonists home none could
e found, and the natives gave the details of
heir extinction. | am, therefore, as | have
very reason to believe, the sole survivor of a
olony and n ships crew.'-New York Sun.