Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1892-12-15


myself upon the half submerged raft
There was u bit of rope trailing in the
water with which | dashed myself fast
to the hatch to keep from being wash
ed off into the sea
I think | must have slept for time,
VI spite of the cold At any rate, [ re-
member that the sea- became suddenly
c;Ilner, the wind having died away to
single breeze. As night came on a
feeling of indescribabIe loneliness took
possession me which was intensified
WIlen saw that the albatrosses had
s'Shted me- 4 man who clings to a
spar Id the waters about Cape Horn
mas more fear from the giant birds Of
the air than from the monsters of the
ueep- The night was Il very Iono- ono
When l was not doing WAS LOOKING.
out over the waves in search of . ,-oS,
sells lights. None came into view and
the day broke cold and cbeerlaSs
When the sun came up I thought
deserted land off to the northwest, It
was only faint line. and | was nor
sure whether it was land or bank of
clouds | prayed that it might be land
and l felt more cheerful when I saw
that current was carrying me to the
nOrthward. [ was very hungry and /
knew that if l did not reach land. or
was not picked up, that I would be at
liberty to choose death from either
starvation or drowning. I didn't count
on another danger, which turned out to
be greater even than the others-the
birds. Soon after sunrise [ saw num-
Der of great albatrOSseS sailing through
the air far overhead. One by one they
came lower and I watched them with
intense admiration. Not once did / see
an albatroSs flap wing. They rose
high into the air and SwoOped down
low, turning their immense wings from
side to side to direct their course, but
never appearing to use the slightest ex-
ertiOn. They were like ships of the
air, using their wings as sails, and with
a perfect knowledge of lacking gybing
and the like. They went to windward
and before the wind with equal facility
In my admiration for the great Great
ures | lost sight of the fact. even if l
had realized ii, that they were a more
serious source of danger than the
waves.
Nearer and nearer they came, and l
could see their cold, staring eyes re-
garling ne with something in their
expression that made me shiver. Even
then | did not appreciate my danger.
One of them swirled past me so close
that l was famed by the air he had
disturbed. 1t was not until another
had made Il vicious jab at me with his
beGk rs he swOoped by that | began
to understand the horrors of my posi-
ton. | had no weapon but jack
knife, which | opened, and with which
/ prepared 10 defend myself I had
been lying down all this time, but I
now sat up, and made ready for the
attack that | felt sure would come 1t
was not long delayed. First one alba
trosS and then another flew at me,
picking at my eyes and face. | slash
ed right and left with my knife, scream
ing the while, in the hope Of soaring
the vicious things away. | must have
wounded several but they came ut me
again and again, each time more say
a%cly. Occasionally, in spite Of all that
| could do. one would fistpn his bcall
into my flesh and tear Il piece away
Ny face became fIightfully liberated,
and l was soon covered with the blood
that flowed from my wounds
Il was in the verge of fainting when
l heard Il shout near at hand Turn
ing. | SAW Il boat closely approaching,
manned by crew of rOugh-iOOl1ing
natives. | had been so absorbed in uly
fight with the birds that l had not OBJ
served how closely to the land | had
drifted, and that boat was coming
to my rescue. | was taken on board
and was glad to see that the birds had
given up the fight They made a few
wide circles around the boat and then
sailed away to the westward.
THE natives spoke a Spanish dialect,
which | could only slightly understand,
but from it I gathered that they were
Terre del FueganS, and that | was be-
ing taken ashore. / did not like their
looks, and was almost inclined to think
that it would have been better to have
let myself drown. | was now very
weak and i'll, and when we landed
they had to carry me ashore. | was
taken to a hut where my wounds were
dressed by an old woman, who was
not at all a bad surgeon, and, after
having eaten little I was lain upon
mattress, where I slept soundly for
several hours An attack of fever fol
lowed, and it was nearly a month be-
fore I was able to walk. l must have
been well nurSed, for there were no
medicines there. I had a little money
in my belt, all of which I gave to my
rescuers, making them understand,
however, that l wanted them to take
me to sea every day in a boat until I
week ] had caught a vessel bound
for Sydney. Whatever can be said Of
the Terra del Fuegans by other unfor-
tunate travellers, I must admit that
they treated me well.
"At Sydney I ran across Norris, who
acted as if he had seen a ghost. He
and shook with fear, and
taxed him with cutting the rope. He
admitted it and begged for mercy.
hadn't the heart TO add to his apparent
misery and frankly forgave him.
eve followed the sea many years to-
gether and experienced many dangers
both then and since, but / shall never
forget my terrible fight with the Alba
trosseS'