Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1888-04-05


Our nurim is: No Uitnesses
ophy. Who gives us quarter unless 1t be to
hang usi But to continue: we did hand
somely, but were long time about It, and
after careening and filling up with water
twixt San Carlos and Chloe we set sail for
the Antilles. Like your brig, we were blown
south. The weather was ferocious. Gale
after gale thundered down upon us, forcing
us to fly before it. We lost oil reckoning Of
our position; for days, for weeks, sea and
sky were enveloped in clouds of snow, in the
heart Of which drove our frozen schooner.
We were none Of us Of nationality fit to en-
counter these regions; we carried most of us
the curly hair Of the sun, the chocolate cheek
of the burning zone, and the ice chained the
crew, crouching like Lascars, below. We
swept past many vast icebergs, which would
leap on sudden out Of the white whirl of
thickness, often SO close aboard that the re-
coil OF the surge striking against the mass
would flood our decks. At all moments of
the day and night we were prepared to feel
the shock of the vessel crushing her bows
against one of those stupendous hills, The
cabin resounded with Salves and Aves, with
invocations to the saints, promises, curses,
and litanies. The cold does not make men
Of the Spaniards, who are but Indifferent sea-
men in temperate climes, and We were chiefly
Spaniards, with consciences as red as your
English flag" .t-',-s
He grinned, emptied the pannikin, and
stretched his hands to the fire to warm them.
Zone morning, the weather having cleared
somewhat, we found ourselves surrounded by
ice A great chain 1oated ahead of us. ex-
tending far into the south. The gale blew
dead on to this coast; we burst not haul the
schnOpar tn tho wind md <v,1xv o1o
lay in discovering some bay where we might
find shelter. Such bay it was my good
luck to spy, lying directly in line with the
ships head. 1t was formed Of q great steep
OF ice jutting long way slantingly into the
sea, the width between tho point and the
main being about O third of q milo. seized
the helm, and shouted to the men to hoist
the head Of the mainsail that she might round
to when l put the helm down. But the fell
lows were in panic terror, and stood gaping
at what they regarded as their doom, calling
upon the Virgin and all the saints for help
and mercy. Into this bay did we rush on
top of huge sea, Trentanove and the cap
tain and swinging, with set teeth, at the
tiller, that was hard alec. She came round,
but with such way upon her that she took
long shelving beach Of ice, and ran up it to
the distance of half her own length, and there
she lay, with her rudder within touch Of the
wash Of the water. The men, regarding the
schooner as lost, and concluding that il she
went to pieces her boats would be destroyed,
and with them their only chance to escape
from the ice, fell frantic, and lost their wits
altogether. They roared, TO tho boatsl to
the boatsr The captain endeavored to bring
them back to their senses; he and l and the
mate, and joan Barros, the boatswain-a
Portuguese-went among them pistols In
hand, entreating, cursing, threatening
Think Of the plunder in this holdi Win
you abandon It without an effort to save I'll
What think you are your chances for life in
open boats In this seal The schooner lies
protected here; the weather will moderate
presently, and we may then be able to slide
her off, But reason as we would, the cow
ardly dogs refused to listen. They had
broached a spirit cask aft, and passed the
liquor along the decks while they hoisted the
pinnace out of the hold and got the other
boats over. The drink maddened, yet left
them wild with fear too. They would not
wait to come at the treasure in the run-the
fools believed the ship would tumble to pieces
as she stood-but entered the forecastle and
the officers cabins, and routed about for what
ever money and trinkets they might stuff
into their pockets without loss of time; and
then provisioning the boats, they called to
us to join them, but we said, Moon which
they ran the boats down to the water, tum-
bled into them, and pulled away round the
point Of ice. We lost sight Of them then,
and have little doubt that they all per-
ished shortly afterward."
He ceased. ] was anxious to hear more.
"You had been six months on the ice when
the stupor fell upon youf
SAY, about six months. The ice gathered
about us and built us in. / recollect it was
three days after we stranded that, going on
deck, saw the bay las term it, filled with
ice. We drew up several plans to escape,
but none satisfied us. Besides, sir, we had a
treasure on board which we had risked our
necks to get, and We were prepared to go on
imperiling our lives to save it. Twas natu-
raj We had great store OF coal forward
and amidships, for we had faced the Horn in
coming, and knew what We had to expect in
returning. We were also richly stocked with
provisions and drink of all sorts. There were
but four of us, and we dealt with what we
had as If we designed it should last us fifty
years. But the cold was frightful; it was
not in flesh and blood to stand it, One day
We had been locked up about fivo months
Mendoza said he would get upon the rocks
ana Jake u view OF tne Sea. ne ulu not re-
turn. The others were too weak to seek him,
and they were half blind besides; / went, but
the ice was full Of caves and hollows and
the like, and could not find him, nor could
look for him long the cold being the hand
Of death itself up there. The time went by;
Trentanove went stone blind, and had to
put food and drink into his hands that he
might live A week before the stupor came
upon me went on deck and saw joan Bar
ros leaning at the rail. / called TO him, but
be made no reply. approached and looked
at him, and found him frozen. Then hap
pened what l have told you. We were in
the cabin, the mate seated at the table, wait
Ing for me to lead and support him to the
cook room, for he was SO weak he could
scarce carry his weight. A sudden faintness
seized me, and sank down upon the bench
opposite him, letting my head fall upon my
arms His cry startled mel looked up
saw him, as have said but the cabin then
turned black, my head sank again, and l re-
= member no moren
He paused, and then cried In French,
"That is ALI They are dead-Jules Tassard
livesl The devil is loyal to his ownr' and
with that he lay back and burst into laugh
ter.
t,"And this" said I, twas in 1883,