Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1892-07-24
AMONG TIE ARABS.

4
/ was stout, active boy of 16 when
I shipped on small brig called the In
dian Prince for voyage from the port
of Gogho, in the Gulf of Cambria, 10
the port Of Alden, in the gulf OF that
name. While these waters are part
of the Indian ocean, they are par
ticularized as the Arabian sea. The
brig was owned in Gogho, and her
captain was well known TO my father,
who was an English merchant and
factor there. Ny eyes had become
weakened from hard study, and
it was decided that should make a
sea voyage III hopes to benefit them.
could have gone anywhere in those
waters as passenger, and by the very
finest craft, but preferred to go as q
regular hand on the tight little brig |
and have a full taste OF sailors life.
There were two boys Of us. captain,
mate, cook and two men. The other
boy was the captains nephew, and
was named Henry Williams. All but
the cook were English. Williams was
year older than myself, and had
made several voyages.
We had fair run about half way
down the Arabian sea, when the
weather suddenly changed and we got
a heavy gale from the north. As we
had to lie 10 this drifted us a long
ways To- the south. or out upon the In.
dian ocean; and it was while we were
seeking to recover our lost ground, and
in the darkness of night, that q ship
crashed into us and nearly lifted the
brig out of water. The ship struck us
on the port bow, crushed III u dozen
planks, aud then raked US along the
whole side aud disappeared iii the
darkness astern almost before any one
had raised his voice To give the alarm.
Ii wasn't over twenty minutes from
the time VIC were struck until the brig
was at the bottom of the sea, and we
were afloat in a yawl We had a
breaker OF water and bag OF biscuits,
but nothing was saved from the brig.
The watch below did not even save oil
the clothing they had thrown off on
turning in, and the captain was with
out hat and the mate without coat
as we counted noses aud compared
notes.
An observation taken by the captain
at noon had given our position about
thirty miles to the east of the island
of Socotra. This island Is 200 miles
off the African coast peninsula which
pushes out TO make the gulf, and we
were intending To run between the
coast and this island To mako our
port. Being without compass,
our course had now to be laid
by guess work. The yawl was pro
vldel with mast and sail, and after
we had seen the last of the brig we
sailed away to the west Ii was the be
ginning of voyage of suffering and
death. When morning came and the
sun rose out of the waters 1t was seer
that we had been steering wide of the
course for several hours. A change
was at once made, but tho weather
thiekened up until one could not hays
seen a ship mile away, the wino
hauled 10 the west, and the islant
which We expected to see by 8 O'Clock
in the morning never greeted oul
vision. We passed it TO the north
by how many miles no one eve
knew. and ut the end of two days
sailing the captain announced that ou
only hope was in being picked up b,
some of the craft voyaging up AMI
down the gulf.
This gulf, between the island of So
cotra and the Arabian eoast, which
its widest part, is not more than 25
miles wiile. Craft were numerou
even at that day, and the chance
seemed ten To one in our favor Oh
the morning of the fourth day, whei
we must have been fairly in the gull
we sighted two sailing vessels, bu
they were afar off. On this morning
the captain was found dead, thoug
up to 10 o'clock ut night he had SCENE
TO be all right and in good spirits. III
had laid himself down in the bottom c
the boat to sleep. and he must hav
died without word or a struggle. w
were ON short rations of biscuit an
water, but there was no suffering, an
on this morning, too, half an hour a
Ter we had placed the captains bod
in the bows and covered II with sal
the cook began TO rave and curse an
drink his fill. We realized that b
mind had given way under the mel
tai strain alone. He was looked upo
as a harmless fellow, and even whe
we found him crazy We took no pr
cautions in his case. This was Grin
inal oversight on our part, as, abo'
half an hour before noon, the su
beating down very hot, he rose u
drew his knife and declared that /
would kill any one who interiors
with his eating and drinking. He q
tempted TO get possession OF the wat
key, which was in the stern sheets
the feet of the mate, and when I
pulsed he hurled himself upon the c
ficer and stabbed him to death befo
a hand could be raised 10 preven
Then new horror came npon ns :