Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1894-08-31
A WOOD SONG.
THE WRECK.

night has thrown us on the Corsican
coast, let me tell you a terrible story OF
the sea, Of which the fishermen Of the
place often speak at eventide, and about
which chance has enabled Inc to learn
strange particulars.
1t was three years ago. was sailing
the Sandman sea with seven or eight
sailors of the coast survey. It was a
rough voyage for a 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 fol
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, a few
tufts of absinthe and here and there in
the slime decaying pieces OF wood. But,
my SOUL it was better to pass the night
among these sinister rocks than to be on
a 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 a
white wall almost lost in the mist at the
end of the island. "Will you come to
the cemetery?" said he.
ga cemetery, captain! Where are
we?''
"On the Lavezzi islands, monsieur.
The 900 men of the frigate Semillante
are buried here at the spot where she
was lost 10 years ago. Poor fellows! 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. -
'fWith all my heart, captain. -
How sad it was, the cemetery OF the
Semillante! l see it still, with its little,
low wall; it's iron door, rusty and hard
to open; it's silent chapel, the hundreds
of black crosses hidden by the weeds.
Not one wreath of immortelles, not one
souvenir-nothingl All, the poor, aban-
doned dead! How cold they must be in
their chance tombs!
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
a great fire flaming in the shelter OF
rock and the soup smoking. Sitting
down in a circle, with our feet to the
flames, soon each had on his knees
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
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.
Chow did it happen?" said the good
Lionetti, with heavy sigh. "Alas, NO
human UG1IS Cdu USll! all NO hLO1 IL
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 a little,
but the sea was worse, if possible, ano
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 thai
the Semillante must have lost her helm
in the morning, for the captain even il
heavy fog could hardly lave made
such mistake. He was well tried
mariner. We all knew him. He had
commanded the Corsican station fo1
three years and knew the coast as wei
as ], who know nothing else "
eat what time do they think the
Semillante perished?''
SIT must have been at Doon-yes
monsieur, noon-but, forsooth, with
that fog that noon was worth no more
than night as black as the jaws of {
wolf. A life saver Of the coast told me
that the same day toward half past IL,
having gone out of his cabin to faster
his shutters, the wind whirled away his
cap, and at the risk Of being carried oil
himself by the blast he commenced te
crawl along the beach on all tours aftel
it You see the douaniers aren't rich,
and cap costs. Well, it seems that oul
man, lifting his head, saw right neal
him through the fog great ship scud
ding along under bare poles toward thu
Layezzi islands. This ship went very
fast, so fast that he had hardly time fol
good look. Everything leads to thu
belief that it was the Semillante, be
cause half hour later the shepherd o
the island beard Why, here comes thu
shepherd himself. He will tell you
Bonjour, Falombo. Come, warm thy
self Have no fear"
A muff1ed man, whom I had seen fol
some minutes prowling around our fire:
and whom had taken for one Of the
crew, because I did not know that there
was shepherd on the island, approach
ed us timidly. He was an old leper,
three-quarters an idiot and prey to
know not what other scorbutic evil,
which made his lips horrible to behold.
so swollen were they. They explained
to him at length what we were talking
about Then. lifting his dreadful lips
with his finger, the old man said that
on the day in question, about noon, he
heard from his hut frightful crash on
the rocks, but as the island was covered
with water he could not get out to see.
1t was not until the next morning thai
on opening his door he had seen the
beach covered with driftwood an6
corpses, left there by the waves Insane
with fear, he had fled to his boat to e
to Bonifacio for help.
Tired with having said SO much, the
shepherd sat down, and the captain
went on with his story.
"Yes, monsieur, it was this poor ole
fellow who came to warn us. He wa.
crazy with fright, and ever since hi
brain has been off the track. To tell the
truth, there was cause enough for it
Imagine 600 hundred eorpses in heap
on the sand, mixed with great timberl
and strips of sail. Poor Semillante
The sea had crushed her into crumbs
with one blow Palombo with difficult.