The Van Buren press., 1894-08-18
SEM1LLANTE'S WRECK.
a Thrilling Story Of the sard,n,.n
Sea-

coast, let me tell you a terrible story
OF the sea, Of which the fisherman a,
the place often speak at eventide, ANA
ABOUT which chance has enabled me
to learn strange particulars.
IL was three years ago. l was sail
ing the safdihian sea with seven or
eight sailors Of the coast survey. II
was rough voyage for a novice; we
a,o not have one good day through
march. The wind was futions and the
waves never calme1. One evening. as
we were aythg before the tempest, our
vessel came for refuge to the mouth
OF the Straits OF Bonifacio, among some
little islands.
Their aspect was not allnring. They
were great, bald rocks, covered with
birds, some bushes of lentisk, a few
TUFTS OF absinthe, aid 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 frail old bark half decked,
where the blast came III 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 inclosure surrounded by
a white wall almost lost In the mist at
the end of the island. "Will you come
to the cemetery" said he.
IA cemetery, captain! where are
we?"
'On the Lavezzi islands, monsieur.
The six hundred men OF the frigate
Semillante are buried here at the spot
where she was lost ten 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
arr here
with oil my heart, captain"
How sad 1t was, the cemetery OF the
Semillantel see it still, with It's lit
tie, low wall; its open door, rusty and
hard to open; its silent chapel; the hun.
dreds of black crosses hidden by the
weeds. Not one wreath of immor-
tellcs, not one souvenir-nothing! All,
the poor, abandoned dead! How cold
they must be in their chance tombs!
We stayed n moment kneeling. The
captain prayed alond. Enormous
gulls, the only guardians OF the Gem
etery, circled 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 great fire flaming in the
shelter Of rock, and the soup smok-
ing. Sitting down in 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 a silent one. We were
wet, we were hungry, and then, the
nearness OF the graveyard!
| However, when the bowls we're emp
tied we lighted our pipes and talked
little-naturally Of the Semillante.
"Tell me, how did it happenP' !
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. ALIAS, no
human being can tell. All we know is
that the Semillantc, laden with troops,
left Toulon the evening before in bad
weather. During the night 1t grew
worse-wind, rain and terrible sea,
the like Of which was never seen be-
fore. In the morning the wind fell
little, but the sea was worse, II pos
sible, and with 1t the DEVILS own fog,
so that one could not have distin-
guished beacon light four feet away.
Those fogs, monsieurl You have no
Idea how deceitful they are! But
also have an idea that the Semillante
must have lost her helm In the morn
ing, for the captain, even In heavy
fog, could hardly have made such
mistake. He wasa well-tried mariner.
We all knew him. He had commanded
the Corsican station for three years,
and knew the coast as we'll as /, who
know nothing else"
"At what time do they think that
the Semillante perishedP
"It must have been at noon-yes'
monsieur, fully noon, but, forsooth'
with that fog, that noon was worth no
more than night as black as the jaws
of n wolf. A life-saver of the coast
told me that the same day toward hait-
past eleven, having gone out OF ms
cabin to fasten his shutters, the wind
whirled away his cnp, and at the FISK
OF being carried Oft himself by the
blast he commenced to crawl along
the beach on all fours after it. You
see the douaniers aren't rich, and
cap costs. Well, 1t seems that our
man. lifting his head, saw right near
him, through the fog great ship
scudding along under bare poles TO-
ward the Lavezzi islands.
"This ship went very fast so fast
that he had hardly time for a gooa
look. Everything points to the oelie1
that a. was the Semillante, because
half hour later the shepherds OF the
Islands heard-why, here comes the
shepherd himself, he will tell you.
Boniour, Palombo. Come, warm thy
self Have no fear
A muffled man, whom had seen ior
some minutes prowlng around our hre'
and whom had taken for one OF ,he
crew. because l did not know tha'
there was a shepherd on the island'
annroached US timidly. He was an
old leper, three-quarters OF an idloe
and a prey to know not what otner
-,.,,.;o OWL. which made his lips