The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-03-04

TAs Island was absolutely sterile
There was neither wood nor fresh water
There was no place to shelter, and ia,
nearest attainable land was LOCO mile
away. Midway being impracticable for I
saiIboat at that season on account Of tn
trade winds.
| But al this had to - seen in glimpse
by the men, and recognized BY the eff
GERS only as It came up in the course Q
official routine, for no sooner did da.
| dawn than the sealVDn were told OFF II
messes, water was distilled by means o
an old boiler, two boats crews were de
tailed to travel between the wreck ant
shore to save whatever they could, al
exploring party was sent out to do tn
island, and charts were eagerly examined
by the officers.
The wind was squahing in gustil.
from a flying sea, the rain added it
quota to the discomfort of all hands, ant
Just as Black Care was solidly mounted
On every mans shoulder, Talbot steppe<
! out on the beach, and with as Cheerful
| an air as if he were proposing larl
ashore volunteered to take one of tn,
ships boats, and attempt the trip to tn,
Hawaiian islands.
Think of it.
But l believe if you give a sailor sin
gle plank he will sec material for 8
fotilla, and 80, after pause of a few
minutes tribute to discipline-tht
young officer was almost lost in tht
wave of sailor men that surged around
him, asking, urging, pleading to go witt
him, although every man jack of then
knew it was almost certain death he
volunteered for. And then, when the
choice fell on the coxswain Halford and
three able seamen named Andrews
Muir and Francis, the others almos,
fought about 1t.
The crew picked, Talbot passed in re-
view of all the boats that had survived
the wreck, selecting the whale boat,
which was raised on rude stocks-made
from the Saginaw's drift-and work be-
gan ON her that very day.
The seals and otters, sole occupants of
the island for several peaceful years.
made off in dismay before the swarm of
two legged intruders, who brought such
active life and intolerable sounds to their
tranquil retreat; for not only did the
hammers and cauIker's malets play on
the whale boat, but Sicard, to hearten up
the men, set them to building schooner
of the Saginaw's planks and beams in
which to sail to safety if Talbot's efforts
failed.
Through days of dreary weather the
work was pushed, and On the 18th of
November the whale boat was ready for
her venture. She was well prepared as
far as the limited supplies of the ship
wrecked permitted, but, compared with
the elemental forces against which she
must battle, and considering the season
of the year, it seemed as though she could
not outlive the first day.
The gunwales were raised eight inches
and she was decked over; two masts
were shipped and a bowsprit mounted:
she had full set of new sails and oars
from the ships stores-and was stocked
with canned goods.
In the choice of these latter they had
to be guided by guesswork entirely, for
all the labels had washed off in the
wreck, and although the best looking
and the largest were selected, and the
supply was lavish, the contents of many
of them proved so unsuitable for such
journey that they not only jeopardized
its success, but actually precipitated the
disaster.
On the morning of the 18th of No
for the first time since the yes
sells loss, the sun shone on the cast
Always, lifting up their hearts and filing
both parting crew and those left behind
with an almost unreasonable JOY and
hope.
The first hours of the day were occu-
pied in giving the last touches to the
boat, and then Talbot stepped aside with
the captain to receive his final instruc-
tons. These were:
BEAT up against the Trades, through
the Belt Of Gains and the Variables. to
a given) latitude east of the Hawaiian
Islands, and thence run west with the
Trades"
This route was advised not only be-
cause it was in the track of ships, but
also because the islands cover an area of
about a hundred miles, which greatly in
,reased the chances of their being sight
ID, no matter how the calculations
,aulted, and that they would fault was
Inevitable, for in small boat the mo-
ion is so very lively that an accurate
is almost impossible. Then,
90, the mountain peaks are lofty, and
he smoke of the twin volcanoes can be
cen long before the islands themselves |
re raised.
A tracing of the chart and some navi- |
,ation instruments were given him, and |
hen, in the sparkling light of full noon,
he little craft put out through the open
ng of the reef and danced joyously of |
N her mission.
a deep throated cheer followed them.
nd as its echoes pealed over the lonely
waters an answer came drifting back,
eedy and thin with distance, but keyed |
0 the same exultant note of confidence.
That days sunshine was like the rose
brown to the martyr in the arena-the
sst token of friendship from the skies;
Or, beginning with the next morning.
he little boat battled with storms until
ne end came. The fifth day out the
raves, which had been swapping and
1arling at her heels since the second
ay, rolled into mountains under the
cree wind: the deck began to leak, the