Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1894-10-04
THE WRECK.

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strange particulars.
1t was three years ago. l 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 soul! it was better to pass the night
among these sinister rocks than to be OH
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
white wall almost lost i'll the mist at the
end of the island. "Will you come to
the cemetery" said he.
"a cemetery, captain! Where are
WEI"
"On the Lavezzi islands, monsieur.
The 600 men of the frigate Selnillante
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.
with all my heart, captain. -"
How sad it was, the cemetery OF the
semillante! l see it still, with its little,
low wall; its iron door, rusty and hard
to open; its silent chapel, the hundreds
Of black crosses hidden by the weeds.
Not one wreath of immortelles, not one
nothing! All, the poor, aban-
doned deadl How cold they must be in
their chance tombs!
We staid a 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 O
bowl of red pottery, in which were two
slices of black bread covered plentlfully
with the broth. The repast was silent
one. We were wet, we were hungry,
and then the nearness of the grave
yardl
However, when the bowls were emp
tied, we lighted our pipes and talked
little-naturally 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 happen7" said the good
Lionetti, with heavy sigh. "Alas, no
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, il possible, and
with it the devils own fog, SO that one
could not have distinguished beacon
light four feet away. Those fogs, mon
sieur! 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 in
a heavy fog could hardly have made
such a mistake He was we'll tried
mariner. We all knew him. He had
commanded the Corsican station for
three years and knew the coast as well
as l, who know nothing else. -
CAT what time do they think the
Semillante perished?"
'It must have been at noon-yes,
monsieur, noon-but, forsooth, with
that fog that noon was worth no more
than a night as black as the jaws Of q
wolf. A life saver Of the coast told me
that the same day toward half past II,
having gone out of his cabin to fasten
his shutters, the wind whirled away his
cap, and at the risk Of being carried off
himself by the blast he commenced to
crawl along the beach ON all tours after
it, You see the douaniers aren't rich,
and cap costs. Well, it seems that our
man, lifting his head, saw right near
him through the fog great ship scud-
ding along under bare poles toward the
Lavezzi islands. This ship went very
fast, so fast that he had hardly time for
a good look Everything leads to the
belief that it was the Semillante, be-
cause half hour later the shepherd Of
the island heard Why, here comes the
shepherd himself He will tell you.
Bonjour, Palombo Come, warm thy
self Have no fear"
A muf1ed man, whom had seen for
some minutes prowling around our fire,
and whom had taken for one Of the
crew, becarse / 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 scorbutio evil,
which made his lips horrible to behold.