Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-08-01
THE STOLEN SHIP.

In INC year lSoV was one OF INC CROW
Of the British survey brig Advance.
which was surveying the islands TO the
south Of tho Sandwich group. Kingman
sliual. Palmyra island and other shoals
and islands hal not been closely sur
soytd. and we were spending the SUN.
nor In this work The brig was a craft
Of 30 tons, aud being government YES
oil was under strict discipline.
About the middle Of September we
were nj Tanning island. when heavy
gale came up from the west. and we had
10 run for the open sea 70 the east The
gale struck rs about o O'Clock In the AFT
crnoon and hung 20 Us until noon the
next day. During this time we were
running little east of north and having
oil we could do, and when the gale broke
we were NJ least 200 miles TO the north.
east Of our island. Il was midaftomoon
before we got tho brig about. and she
had scarcely been headed back when n
whalcboat came down upon rs from the
northwest, and when we got her crew
aboard we heard a very interesting story
There were eight Of them-a first
mate, two harpoonrvs and five hands
All belonged 10 the British whaling bark
Ponrosc, of Liverpool. Twenty days
previously she had run into Honolulu
and discharged half cargo Of oil aud
shippcd thrcc Portuguese sailors 10 re
place hands who had been lost At ga
On leaving lloiplulu she had cruisrd 10
the southward. taking n whale occasion.
ally. and on the day tho gale broke she
lowered for whales about 900 miles
north o. tho group we had been survey.
ing Three boats were down at once as
the bark ran into school A. tho breeze
was light only shipkccpcr was left
aboard. and ho was a sailor who was
Just recovering froIn hurt
Tho three Portuguese were In tho cap-
tain'a boat. which made fast 10 big
bull whale within quarter Of n mile u
the bark aud WIS Immediately struck
and disabled. and the limo had 20 be- cut
Meanwhile the other two b0uts had gone
10 the eastward after the school, aud
they had no sooner made fast than thoii
victim ran OF NJ full speed. Owing to
tae direction n the wind the shipkccpcr
could not work down to the captain. His
boat was wreck, but was acting ~
float 10 sustain tho crew. IN this einer.
Rency the three Portuguese offered 10
twim to the bark and return with asparr
boat, and they were told 10 70 They
reached tho craft IN safety. but had no
sooner got aboard than the yards were
trimmed, her head was brought TO the
south, aud she sailed within 800 feet Of
the captain As she made OF. Tho dark
skinned rns'alH made no bones Of tho
fact that they were running away with
the ship Indeed, they boosted Of u.
aud derided tho men hanging to the
stovon boat.
II was u hcartlcss, cold bloodci thing
10 do. The two other boats wero Ave
miles 10 tho eastward. and Il was an
hour after the bark made OIL before the
men cut loose from their dead whales TO
fathom the mystery. They found the
wreck 81 tho captains boat, 10 discover
that only ono single man remained with
u, the others having been pulled down
by tho sharks. by tho tiino they had
heard hls story tho bark was more than
hull down and just then tho gallo broke.
The boats wore laid head on 10 the yea
aud drified slowly TO the east, dividing
their men 20 a. 10 give each an equal
show TO live out tho gale. During the
night tho second mates boat was lost
sight Of and M u was mover heard IL
again II must have been swampcd. Had
We been running a course tho surviving
boat could not have fetched Us, but "a
We brought about sho got the chance 10
do so.
As soon M the story had been told our
captain decided n 10 In search Of the
stolen bark. II was question, how.
ever. whether she hisl outliycd the gale.
She must have received the full force Of
II, and being 20 short handed she was
liable 10 disaster. Tho main qucation
was whether sha would scud OF drift.
We had adopted the former courso, ~
the brig had habit Of nooding her
decks when lying head on. Tho ma,o
OF the stolen bark, whose name was
Cummings, felt certain that tha Portu-
euese would lot her drift. In that case
we would have 10 cover q hundred miles
Of ocean 20 the westward before begin.
ming 90 look for them. What did they
want Of tho craft What could thoy do
with herr There was only one reason.
able answer. They would run her down
among tho southern Islands. find some
safe spot 10 lay her away and then shave
Hgood time" This meant eating, drink.
ing, smoking and having no work 10 do.
They would not dare 10 try a long yoy.
ago nor TO put into any prominent port.
was Mate Cummings' belief that tho
Portuguese would head for Christmas
island, hundred miles To tho south OF
where We had been surveying, and the
brig's course was accordingly laid. On
the afternoon Of tho third day after pick.
ing up the boat we sighted the bark
dead ahead. We were then not over
twenty-five miles from tho island Tho
stolen craft had evidently been taking
things pretty easy. She was under short
SAL when we first espiod her. although
the weather waa hne and the breele fair.
The thieves had no fear OF pursuit. and
perhaps all were captains except the
hhipkoeper aud would not obey each
others orders. We had her almost hull
mp when the fellows became suspicious.
then they set everything below and
alott. and TO our intense chagrin we dis.
covered that the bark was a faster sallor
than the brig II was o'clock in the
afternoon when VIZ sighted her, and
M darkness fell she had gained a couple
OF miles ON Us Having got The nlartn ~