The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-11-19

A Cnstssvsy ships BOY Finds = Treasure
Thrown Up by the Sea.

What 10 an ocean p he might truthfullv an
swer. A large body OF salt water ever thirsty
for sailors life" Out OF every storm comes
disaster-every calm is a menace.
We were holding up for Acheen Head and the
Straits OF Malacca in the bark Briton. and the
Bay OF Bengal was without whitecap when.
at o'clock one afternoon In the year 1862. I
was ordered over the bows by the mate to clear
the flying lib downhaul. which had become
jammed. was u fairly grown boy In the sec
ond year OF my apprenticeship. ind an order
to call the Captain on deck would seemingly
have involved no more peril / scrambled out.
and was working away with both hands whom
the brig suddenly rose to q roller which came
racing at her from the north. with a crest as
smooth as II 1t had been oiled. and there was
an angry fiirt OF her head as she came down
which broke my hold and flung me far out on
her starboard bow. was under water only a
few seconds but yet when came to the sur
face the shin seemed half mile away. while q
sudden squat was giving the crew plenty to
do without looking after me. 1t had come out
OF the east and out OF a sky as clear as bell
but moment before, and it had come with the
swiftness OF q bullet. Twas seen to fall. and as
a shout was raised the man at tho wheel flung
n life proserver over tho starboard quarter
This article was simply block OF cork covered
with canvas and stout strap made fast at
either end. Two OF them always hung within
reach OF the man at the wheel
The life preserver must have fallen close
to me, for when got the water out OF my eyes
1t was close ut hand. l recognized the squall
as one OF those sudden putfs rightly named a
Bengal terror" They fly like an arrow dis
charged from q mighty bow. and as their alp
proach is unseen and unheralded many good
ship has been wrecked aloft while sailing
peacefully over placid sea- fully ex-
pected to be picked up after the squall
had passed. and WAS not bit worried. as
l got the life preserver under my chest
and made tho straps fast. The sQuall did
not last three min utes. but it had no
sooner passed than the wind. which had
hitherto been from the orth. whisked into the
west, and began blowing gale. The sun was
obscurod. the sea got VI wonderfully quick.
and tho last | saw OF the bark everything was
confusion aboard. and boh topgallant masts
were gone. Five minutes after she was out OF
sight l realized that was doomed Had she
suffered no damage by the squall. she would
never lower n boat in the face OF that piping
gale and frothinG sea to hunt for boy who
might reasonably be looked upon as drowned
within three minutes after striking the water.
l OF course had no idea OF the position Of the
bark when the accident happened l simply
know. as did all the other hands forward. that
we were pretty we'll up to the coast Of Sumatra.
and that two days Of fair sailing would SEQ US
around Acheen Head. Indeed. didn't bother
about the position. but as soon as the bark was
out OF sight gave up all hope OF being saved.
Why the sharks didn't get me during the next
thirty hours has always been u matter Of Won
der as the waters Of the Bay of Bengal were
swarming with them at the time had been
drifting an hour or more before l thought Of
the monsters. and as night came on dark and
stormy got SO frightened at the idea OF being
seized that l shouted for help until
hoarse. and then became partially un-
conscious | remember very little about
tho events OF that night or the succeeding
day. Looking back to it is like recalling u
dream. Hunger. thirst fright. and expo
sure kept me in u semiconscious state most OF
the time. and it was probably bettor SO. The
gale listed most OF the night and as it fined
down tho next day it still blew from the same
quarter. SO that l drove steadily to tho east
from tho hour OF falling overheard / was
not fully conscious OF my surroundings when
/ heard the roar Of breakers. and did not
realize that was being driited ashore until
l was carried in on a bi. roller. left on a sandy
beach for moment and then carried into
the foam again 10y the uadertow. The next
time l felt the sand under my feet
however. / made a struggle for it. and after
being nalf drowned found myself on sandy
beach beyond the reach Of the waves. was
sick and weak. and threw myself down on tho
ground. and when ! finally awoko from what
was like troubled sleep II full moon was
shining in my face and the night was half
gone l sat up and looked around. and dimly
realized that had drfted ashore. and then
crawling on hands and knees under tho trees
7 Slap nd n M ID
sun was an hour high.
| had made drift. as | afterward learned. Of
about sixty miles. and waves and tide had cast
me ashore on the west side Of one OF the Babil
islands. There are thirteen Islands in this
group. which lies of the coast OF Sumatra. dis
tant about eighty miles. The largest island is
about thirty miles long by ten broad. and mono
OF them is yet permanently inhabited. Most
OF the smaller islands are seward and west
ward Of the big one. ano when came to look
around me found had been cast ashore on
o bit of land comprising not over 200 acres.
1t did not take m over an hour to walk around
1t. and discovered that 1t was entirely COW
cred with trees. contained two or three fine
springs. and that was six or seven miles from
any other island. AS for eatables. there wero
oysters clingng to the rocks at low tide
mark. wild fruits and berries to be had for tho
edible roots in tho forest ii | cared to look for
them. Before night came again. had con-
structed shelter Of limbs and branches under
the trees. and | slept through tho night as
soundiy as II in my bunk aboard the bark l
nm not going to enter into particulars OF the
life led for several weeks, for YOU can easily
imagine there was very little TO interest an
outsider. / got upa signal stan on the west
shore. spent much OF my tino in looking Tor
sail. and was cast down and clatcd by turns
over the situation. had no means OF build
ing fire. and my food was consequently par
taken OF in u raw state Tho weather was
warm and pleasant. and after getting accus-
toned to tho loneliness Of the situation. l
rather enjoyed tho Crusoe life
had been on the island forty-three days
when got up one morning to find the sun
hidden by haze. which | know portended
storm. At about noon a typhoon came out OF
the southwest with such violence thAt wlthln
an hour was driven to seek shelter at the
centre OF the island, where the forest was
thlckest, and as the lido was coming in at tho
same time there was fear that the Island would