The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1894-08-11
THE WRECK.

OOAoiSoiA
coast, let me tell you terrible story Of
the sea, of which the fishermen of the
place often speak at eventide, and about
which chance has enabled me to learn
strange particulars.
It was three years ago. was sailing
the Sandman sea with seven or eight
sailors of the coast survey. 1t was
rough voyage for novice; we did not
have one good day through March. The
wind was furious, and the waves never
Gained. One evening as we were flying
before the tempest our vessel came for
refuge to the mouth Of the strait of
Bonifacio, among some little islands
Their aspect was not alluring. They
were great bald rocks, covered with
birds, some bushes of lentisk, few
tufts Of absinthe and here and there in
the slime decaying pieces Of wood. But,
my soull it was better to pass the night
among these sinister rocks than to be on
O frail old bark, half decked, where the
blast came in as though it were quite at
home So we contented ourselves.
No sooner had we disembarked than
the sailors lighted fire for the fish
soup, and the captain called me, point
ing to little Enclosure surrounded by
white wall almost lost in the mist at the
end of the island "Will you come to
\the cemetery?" said he.
; "a cemetery, captain! Where are
we?''
"On the Lavezzi islands, monsieur
The 600 men of the frigate Semillante
are buried here at the spot where she
was lost 10 years ago. Poor fellowsl AS
they don't receive many visits, the least
we can do is to go and say 'bonjour' to
them SO long as we are here"
"With all my heart, captain. "
How sad it was, the cemetery Of the
Semillante! I see it still, with its little,
low wall; it's iron door, rusty and hard
to open; its silent chapel, the hundreds
of black crosses hidden by the weeds.
Not one wreath Of ilnmortelles, not one
souvenir-nothing All, the poor, aban-
doned deadl How cold they must be in
their chance tombsl
We staid moment kneeling. The
captain prayed aloud. Enormous gulls,
the only guardians of the cemetery, Cir
cled over our heads, mingling their
hoarse cries with the wailing of the
sea. The prayer finished, we came sadly
back to the corner of the island where
the bark was anchored. No time had
been lost during our absence. We found
q great fire flaming in the shelter of a
rock and the soup smoking. Sitting
down in circle, with our feet to the
flames, soon each had on his knees a
bowl of red pottery. in which were two
slices of black bread covered plentifully
with the broth. The repast was silent
one. We were wet, we were hungry,
and then the nearness of the grave
yard!
However, when the bowls were emp
tied, we lighted our pipes and talked a
Internationally of the Semillante.
"Tell me, how did it happen?" /
asked the captain, who, with his head
on his hands, stared at the flames with
thoughtful air.
"How did it happen?" said the good
Lionetti, with heavy sigh. "Alas, nc
human being can tell! All we know is
that the Semillante, laden with troops,
left Toulon the evening before in bad
weather. During the night it grew
worse-wind, rain and terrible sea,
the like of which was never seen before.
In the morning the wind fell little,
but the sea was worse, if possible, and
with it the DEVILS own fog, so that one
could not have distinguished beacon
light four feet away. Those fogs, mon.
sieurl You have no idea how deceitful
they are. But also have an idea that
the Semillante must have lost her helm
in the morning, for the captain even IL
heavy fog could hardly have made
such mistake. He was well triec
mariner We all knew him. He had
commanded the Corsican station fol
three years and knew the coast as wei
as /, who know nothing else. -
cat what time do they think the
Semillante perished?'
cit must have been at noon-yes
monsieur, noon-but, forsooth, VIII
that fog that noon was worth no more
than night as black as the jaws OF {
wolf. A life saver of the coast told mt
that the same day toward half past l.
having gone out of his cabin to faster
his shutters, the wind whirled away hi
cap, and at the risk Of being carried OF
himself by the blast he commenced tt
crawl along the beach on all fours afte
it You see the douaniers aren't rich
and cap costs. Well, it seems that ou
man, lifting his head, saw right nea
him through the fog great ship scud
ding along under bare poles toward tn
Lavezzi islands. This ship went yer.
fast, so fast that he had hardly time TO
good look. Everything leads to tn
belief that it was the Semillante, be
cause half hour later the shepherd O
the island heard Why, here comes tn
shepherd himself. He will tell you
Bonjour, Palombo. Come, warm thy
self. Have no fear
A muf1ed man, whom I had seen TO
some minutes prowling around our fire
and whom had taken for one Of tn
crew, because did not know that Their
was a shepherd on the island, approach
ed us timidly. He was an old leper
thfee-quarters an idiot and prey to
know not what other scorbutic evil
which made his lips horrible to behold
30 swollen We're lucy Auey explalnet
to him at length what we were talkin,
about. Then, lifting his dreadful lip
with his finger, the old man said tina
on the day in question, about noon, b