Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1892-11-12
AN OLD SAILORS YARN
A STORY OF HARDSHIP AND DEATH
IN THE ANTARCTIC OCEAN.


A Boat Crew of seven Men Left ON an
IsIsnd and Not Called For-Six of the
Unfortonatos Finally LOS. Their Lives.
some Idsa of the Place.
Captain Eldridge, of the steamer Gath
arine Whiting. is one of those breezy.
old time tars who used to start off from
some New England port in sailing YES
sci which would return only after vow
age of two or three years. During those
lengthy and tempestuous buffetings with
the sea Captain Eldridge saw much that
was of interest Some of this he has told
with a quaint marine candor worthy Of
being exactly reproduced. He says
saw in The World where three men
We're left on an island in the Arctic. This
reminds me ola boat crew that was left on
an island in the Antarctic ocean in 1871 by
the schooner Franklin. of New London,
Captain james Holmes, master. They
were landed on Cape Sheriff to kill what
seals they could while the schooner wen.
on "a prospecting voyage-that is to say.
looking for rookeries or places where
seals travel up on the beach to rear their
young.
Well, they We're to stay there until
the schooner returned. which would be
in ten days at most. So ten days pro-
visions were given them, and when ten
days had expired the men did not know
but the vessel was lost. So they took IN
their boat the carcasses of seals and
started for Potter's cove, $50 miles away,
where they expected to find the bark
Nile, for it was expected she would sail
ON the 18th day of March for New Lon
don. They arrived there on the 18th, and
she had sailed ON the 18th, as it appeareds
Now what We're they to do without
clothes or fuel, no provisions or shelter
and u very, cold winter of nine long.
dark months! As it is so far south the
summer is short-say three months, ami
winter nine months-and summer is as
cold as our winter here, but has the ad-
vantage of being all day, while the win
ter is all night They were in 63 degs.
latitude, south.
Well, the season was so far gone that
the few seals, or elephants, or other ami
mails that inhabit this part of the globe
had gone into the sea for winter. But,
however, they did manage to get few
seals and elephants and secured their
oil, and ON this they lived until spring.
For a shelter they got an old try works
which had been left there by some ship
and covered this with snow to keep out
what cold possible, and with snow for
blankets they lived the winter through.
In the spring they concluded to go
back 10 Cape Sheriff and kill all the
seals they could before the vessels be-
gan to arrive. Then they would make
some bargain to take home the skins.
So, without any provisions, they started
back, but on going out the straits they
got iammed in the ice and had to go
back over the ice to Porter's cove. They
would haul their boat from one cake or
block OF ice to another, and launch
when necessary. Well, they got back
at last where they started from nearly
dead from cold and exposure.
But, however, another trial. Four re-
fused to go, but three of them took an
other boat which had been left by some
other ship and started again without
any food, for there was none to be got
at so early in the spring. Nevertheless
they arrived then at Cape Sheriff. After
ward they killed 200 seals and spread
their skins ON the snow to keep them
from heating, Int what became Of them
viii never be known. 1t was suppose
that they undertook to cross the straits.
but could not manage the boat. How
ever, they were lost. Now about those
fcuf that stayed at the Cove-I remem-
Der two of their names, but have for
gotten the others One was an Indian
from Long Island, some place near Mon
tauk-his last name was Garby-and
one by the Iaine of James King, who
was eveutuall the only survivor of the
seven. and p, lie of suffering was ter
rible. He H. - kill and eat the other
three men Iney We're nothing but
skin ana bones anyway. and he could
not have survived more than one day
more bad sve nos found him as we did.
We buried the remains of the others
in the snow. King then went on board
of the bark Nile, and from her he went
on board Of the schooner z. p. Sinons
and came to New London, where he
sailed from. He sued the company, but
finally he gave it up aud cleared out-no
one knows where.
Now, win give you all the inforna-
ton can as to why they were left there
1t was late in the season and the winds
would not permit of the schooner getting
back to them So she sailed for home
What are seven mems lives to some men2
Now. win give you some idea of the
place. 1t Is IN from 81 to 6S degs- south
latitude ard the land is of volcanic
origin. slsz mig up out OF blue water and
hiding il the clouds with thousands of
feet Of snow on top. The rocks are of