The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-07-24
THE WRECK.

nlBnt mas thrown us on tho OOrSlCan
coast, let mo toll you q terrible story Of
tho sea, Of which tho fishermen Of the
place often speak at eventide, and about
which chance has enabled me to learn
strange particulars
1t was threo years ago l was sailing
tho Sandman sea with seven or eight
sailors Of tho coast survey. It was O
rough voyage for q novice; we did not
have ono good day through March. The
wind was furious, and tho waves never
calmod. Ono evening as we wero flying
before tho tempest our vessel came for
refuge to the mouth of tho strait of
Bonifacio, among some little islanda
Their aspect was not alluring They
were great bald rocks, covered with
birds, somo bushes Of lentisk, few
tufts of absinthe and here and there in
the slime decaying pieces Of wood. But,
my soull 1t was better to pass the night
among these sinister rocks than to be on
a frail old bark, half deoked, whore tho
blast camo IN as though it wero quito at
homo SO wo oOntentod ourselves
No sooner had we disembarked than
tho sailors lighted fro for tho fish
soup, and tho captain called NC, point
ing to Il little Enclosure surrounded by
white wall almost lost in the mist at tho
end Of tho island Twill you como to
tho cemotery?'' said he.
ga oemetory, captainl Whore arc
WEI"
''On the Lavezzi islands, monsieur
Tho GOO men of the frigato Senlillanto
arc buried hero at tho spot where she
was lost 10 years ago Poor fellowsl AS
they don't receive many visits, the least
wo can do is to go and say 'bonjour' to
them, so long rs we aro here.
''With all my heart, captain
How sad it was, the cemetery of the
Semillantol I 500 it still, with its little,
low wall; its iron door, rusty and hurd
to open; its silent chapel, the hundreds
Of black crosses hidden by tho weeds
Not ono wreath of immortelloe, not ono
sOuvenir-nothingl All, tho poor, aban-
doned dead! How cold they must bo In
their chance tombs!
We staid a moment knocling Tho
captain prayed aloud Enormous gulls,
tho only guardians Of tho cemetery, cir
cled over our heads, mingling their
hoorbo cries with the waiting of tho
SOC Tho prayer finished. wo camo sadly
baOk to tho corner Of tho island where
tho bark was anchored. No timo had
been Lost during our absence We found
great fro flaming In the shelter of q
rock and tho soup smoking. Sitting
down In circle, with our feet to tho
flames, soon each had on his knees a
bowl of red pottery. In which wero two
sHoes of black bread covered beautifully
with tho broth. The ropast was silent
one We were wet, we wero hungry,
and then the nearness of tho grave
yardl
However, when the bowls wero emp
tied, wo lighted our pipes and talked q
Extraordinarily of the Semillante
"Tell me- how did it happenr" /
oslled tho captain, who, with his head
ON his hands, stared at tho flames with
thoughtful air.
"How did it happen2" said tho good
Lionetti with heavy sigh ALIAS, no
human being can toll All we know Is
that tho Semillantc, laden with troops,
Left Toulon tho evening before in bad
weather. During the night it grow
worse-wind, rain and terrible sea,
tho 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 dovil's own fog, so that ono
could not have distinguished beacon
Light four foet away. Those fogs, mon
sieurl You have no idea how deceitful
they arc But also have an idea that
the Semlllante must have lost her helm
III the morning, for the captain oven i'll
heavy fog could hardly have made
snch mistake He was we'll tried
mariner. We all know him He had
commanded the Corsican station for
three years and knew tho coast as we'll
as l, who know nothing else. "
eat what time do they think tho
Semillanto perished?"
cit must havo been at noon-yes,
monsieur, noon-but, forsooth, with
that fog that noon was worth no more
than q night as black as tho jaws of a
wolf. A life saver Of tho 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 tho beach on all tours after
it You sec the douaniers aron't rich,
and cap costs. Well, it seems that our
man, lifting his head. saw right near
him through the fog a great ship soud-
ding along under bare poles toward the
Lavezzi islands. This ship went very
fast, SO fast that he had hardly time for
good look. Everything leads to tho
belief that 1t was tho Senillante, be-
cause half hour later the shepherd of
tho island heard Why, here comes the