Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-02-06

Oy 10 relatives anu lrlenus! learS,
tears, tears-how they flowed! The
world never before seemed so large
and untried and the dear ones never
so dear. But had faith both in my
husbands tender care for his little
helpless family and IN his nautical skill.
Leaving Savannah on the morning
OF the 9Th, we finally reached Jackson
vile, Fla. Here we hired an open
boat. and on this we sailed to Enter
prise, a distance of 175 miles. Ar
rived Sunday night and learned that
the Federals had taken possession of
all the ports along the coast, and that
the Fanny, the captains vessel, had
left for Nassau in charge of her first
officer. The captain at any risk, how
ever, twas bent on following. He point
ed out to me the difficulties of the
undertaking, the danger OF crossing to
The West India Islands in a small
boat, but | turned deaf ear to all
this. l was fond of adventure. We
went about $50 miles up the river to
Jupiter inlet, which brought US almost
in a direct line with some of the islands
on the Little Bahama bank. The
little craft in which we embarked was
not more than Is feet long, an ordi-
mary ships boat, heavy and slow. Our
trunks were packed midships, my
nurse took one child and l held baby,
while the captain managed rudder and
sails We sailed the first night until
no o'clock. The next morning it
iblew a gale, but we still pushed on
until the danger became so great that
the captain was obliged to take in sail
land get near shore Then getting into
1.-THE water he hauled the boat more
than twenty miles up the river, some
times with the water above his waist,
until late in the evening when we
Preached the shelter of house.
! The next morning !the wind having
ilulled little, we sailed all day. Night
icame, but with it not sign of life.
The dwellings along the coast were
from twenty to forty miles apart, and
ito us everything was new and strange.
AS a denier resort we decided TO camp
tout in the woods. Fire was built,
supper cooked, the blankets spread on
the ground, and we laid ourselves
down to rest. Awaking about mid
might, l saw the captain sitting by the
fire with his own gun on his knee.
"Mercy on me-" l cried, what's the
matter?"
''Oh, nothing much, only watching
for bears" l listened and could hear
them distinctly growing through the
forests, for we were in the widest of
the wilds of Florida We started
again at daylight, and when we
reached the end OF our journey
in the southern states we had
travelled 400 miles in an open boat.
But the end was not yet Before us
now, spreading out as far as the eye
could reach, was the never slumber-
ing sea. The wind blew a hurricane,
every hour seeming to increase its
force and fury. The huge waves tossed
our little bark about like cookie
shell, now breaking over us in great
sheets OF spray and now topping
above our heads as if to bury us from
sight forever The servant and myself,
both drenched to the skin, baled Ind US
triously with one hand. while we held
the children with the other, and for
fifteen hours we rode the storm.
We must have travelled fast for just
at nightfall, as we rose on the crest of
a tremendous wave, the captain sud-
voluntarily calculated, THANK God. :"
''Not SO fast, not so fast" was his re-
ply, ''for now it is matter OF life aud
death. The breakers are just ahead.
If we succeed in finding an opening oe-
tween the islands we are safe, If not
we shall be dashed TO pieces on the
rocks. Hold fast TO the children and
the boat"
A moment more and we were in the
breakers, which, racing after each
other, curled and broke with voice
of thunder, while the shivered waves
foamed and boiled in the vortex below.
''Now, hold for dear life," cried the
captain, as he braced himself to hold
the boats head to the inlet. The
veins in his neck and face stood out
like great cords from the efforts he
was making not only to manage the
boat, but to control his feelings in this
dreadful emergency.
Just at that moment a huge wave
dashed over the boat tearing my little
girl from the arms OF the nurse and
washing her overheard amid the wild
screams of the faithful Chloe and my
frantic efforts to save her. Out upon
the angry pillows she floated. her gold
en- hair cleaning In the moonlight and
we powerless to save her, for one
seconds relaxation of her fathers hold
on the helm would have been fatal to
all of us.
s.For Gods sake hold tight to the
baby and brace yourself against the
boat" he cried, and the big tears
streamed down his anguished face as
he watched the little body so dear TO
US both floating further and further
out to sea- While his boat was being
dashed by these breakers an attempt
TO swim would have been certain death.
Again he bent 10 the helm and turned
his eyes toward the land.
The little craft. rising TO the crest
of a waterv precipice, trembled for a
minute, then swept down the steep.
followed by wave on each quarter,
which, rs we rose again, broke and
poucsd its volume from stem to stern.
For moment | thought we we're lost,
ard clasping my half drowned baby
Co my bosom / uttered a heartfelt
prayer TO the Great Ruler OF the winds
aad waves. Again we were caught
and borne on. and again, until finally
-. ~..oa all bona ,rnnn he