Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1890-10-09
aim, s. on her beam ends, and then we got

| Smiths bay, each gang having Doab'
which was dragged and lifted over the ice
The order 20 abandon ship has the same
effect on ihe sailor that the order to re-
treat does on the soldier. 1t creates
panicky feeling and he loses his Judg-
ment. We had not gone five miles before
| some of the men began to curse the cap
tain's stupidity in leaving the nelghbor-
| hood of the bark, and others expressed
their doubts of the carpenters reports
| However all pressed forward, and after
making ten miles we went into camp.
Fortunately for US there was no wind,
while the thermometer was only about 10
dogs. below. After a rest of six hours we
pushed on again, and now our marches
and rests were marked by hours 1t was
terrible hard work crossing those ice fields,
and five hours of pulling, hauling, climb
ing and sliding were enough to wear out
the best man in the crew.
We had made forty miles or more, and
were strung out on the pack for mile or
more, when man named Tinkerson and
myself, who were ahead to pick the route,
turned a large hummock or hill Of ice to
find ourselves humping up against three
masted ship. There she lay, broadside to
us and not over fifty feet away, looming
up in the darkness like a mountain. We
rubbed our eyes and looked again, but it
was not deception. We sent the news
back and waited till all had come up, and
then Capt. Tree went forward with his
mates and hailed her There was no re-
Spouse, and after hailing again the first
mate climbed in over the bows. In three
or four minutes he reported her aban-
doned, and we all went on board. We soon
L -. = H..
a whaler Of course, aud two-thirds full of
blubber and oil. She had a slight list to
port, and after looking her over the officers
said that she had hove out the same as our
bark, but had settled back again. She
had also been abandoned in hurry, as
there were many evidences; but an inspec-
ton showed plenty of provisions aboard
and proved her perfectly sound. We had
our bedding and clothing, and when it was
decided to take possession Of her the crew
were pleased. In three hours after first
sighting her we were as much at home
aboard as if we had formed the original
crew. She was larger craft than ours
and also better found, and we proiited by
the change
We had been aboard of the Endurance
about month when the carpenter fell
sick. In his case it was pure homesickness
and nothing else. He was moody and tact |
turn. refused to make any effort to throw |
off the feeling, and at length took to his |
bed. There was really no medicine to /
touch his case He was slowly dying be- |
cause of his desire to get home to wife and /.
BARNS. All of us had touch Of his NAL /
ady, but we shook it of by hunting, trap.
ping, iudulging in games, and keeping our /
thoughts with the ship. Lord man, but /
have often wondered why half the crew
did not go dead crazy. 1t was endless
night. II was ice-ice-ice. 1t was like /
being shut up in dungeon, with the addi- /
ton that when night came and all was
still the ship was full of groans and signs
from stem to stern-noises caused by the |
ice heaving and settling. was appointed
to nurse the carpenter, and when he had
been brought very low and knew that he
must go he told me a secret. He said he
had made a false report 20 the captain
about the damage TO the bark's bottom on
purpose, to induce him TO abandon her and
start for land. lie hoped in this way TO
get home the sooner.
This confession was made 10 me with the
promise on my part not TO betray the man
while living, and he lived on for two weeks
after making thestatement. When he had
been buried in an icy grave told the cap
tain, and be at once fitted ont an expedi-
tion TO go back and look up the bark. The
first mate and five men composed this
party and after being gone a week, during
which time the weather was full of tenn.
pest, snow aud sleet, they returned from
the west and Numbered right up against
Us before they saw the ship. Their com
pass had been broken, and they had been
lost for six days on that fearful waste Of
ice. One man died of exposure that night,
and two others were used up for month
Two weeks later the second mate headed
party, but they only went about fifteen
miles to the north. They reported travel
ing so difficult that they had To return
Nothing further was done until the sun
and daylight came again. Then the first
mate set out again, but after making
about half the distance he found open
water and signs of a break up, and re
turned
No further efforts were made Day by
day the sun lasted little longer, giving us
more of the blessed daylight, and at last a
gale came TO break up the great field and
show US streaks of open water. When we
were finally clear Of the icy bed which had
held the ship we headed for Point Barron.
gaining and sometimes losing
ground. One day, | remember, we made
twenty miles to the south, but on the very
next change Of wind packed the ice and
irifted Us that Gar back to the north. We
we're slowly working down toward the
straits, however, when, one day at noon,
after snow squat lasting about two
hours, we got into channel running south
vest. We had scarcely entered it before
We caught sight of bark coming down
'hannel from the north, and not over
nile TO the west of us. Twenty voices at
nee cried out that the stranger was our
I'D craft, the Emma Davis, and as we
reared each other, running on the long
ines Of a triangle, everybody felt sure Of
t. We also noticed much excitement
hoard the bark, but it was only when the
wo crafts got out their ice anchors within
stones throw of each other that matters
we're fully explained
Who do You suppose the strange men
vere' None Others than the crew Of the
Endurance. They had our bark and we
lad their ship. A swap had been made Of
m