Evening star., 1896-08-22

escaped death. My companion was sailor
named Wallace. and while in half-drowned
state we were swept along the coast of the
island by a current and finally thrown on
shore in bit of cove. A boat put off
from the brig as soon as the disaster was
noticed, but only two bodies were recovered
The three others were pulled down by the
sharks before the boat got to them Be-
lieving this to have been the sad fate of all
five, no search was made for the pair Of
us cast ashore, and before we had recov-
cred from our exhaustion and prepared a
signal the brig had departed for another
field. The island on which we were cast is
one of a group of nine and the eastern
most one Of all. It Is likely the same to-
day as then. having plenty of fresh water.
most of 1t covered with verdure, and wild
fruits, shrimps and shell fish SO plentiful
that a shipwrecked crew of twenty men
could get along there for months. Wallace
as lark. We erected a hut in the woods,
procured fire by rubbing two dry sticks to-
gether, and after thorough exploration
Of our domain, which was not over two
miles across in any direction, we slept, ate
and talked and had pretty easy time Of it.
We had been on the island about three
months, when we awoke one morning to
find the sea like a sheet Of glass and the
cast. and yet Of a coppery color. and the
birds Oh the island appeared to be in great
alarm. Great f1ocks OF them came in from
the sea, and all along shore the fish were
luted. After surveying things for a WHILE
Wallace gave it as his opinion that we were
IN for typhoon or an earthquake. The
sulphury smell in the air inclined him to
the latter, and as soon as we had eaten
we started for the center Of the island.
There was a high hill in the center, bare
Of everything but couple of.trees and
few bushes, and we sought 1t on account
of the tidal wave we knew would surely
follow an earthquake. AS to a disturbance
Of the earth. we were helpless, except to
keep clear of the forest. 1t was midday be-
fore anything occurred. The menacing
look of the sky and the sea Increased. and
fish by the thousands drove up on the
sandy beach to their death. Just about
noon, when We were wondering what was
to be. the whole island suddenly began to
heave and tremble. For what seemed a
full minute 1t was like riding over
choppy sea in a small boat, only the sensa-
tion was strangely bewildering and made
the head swim.
first was the most violent and lasted long
est The three or four which succeeded
were thrills rather than shocks. They ran
through the island from east to west and
out to sea. and we heard chorus Of what
may be called shrieks of distress from the
birds with each vibration. Two or three
minutes after the fourth or fifth shock
Wallace stood up and looked out upon the
sea to tha east and shouted to me:
Look! Look! The tidal wave is coming
in, and there's big ship on the crest Of it."
1 sprang up and followed his gaze. Ten
miles away there was a wall Of water.
which seemed to lift its white crest al
most to the sky, and to reach north and
south as far as could see. Riding on this
crest was a great ship, with her three
masts standing erect and some of the
yards across For the first ten seconds the
wall seemed to stand still. Then it came
rolling like railroad train, and almost
before I could have counted twenty 1t
struck the shore of our island and swept
across 1t. The island was a good thirty
feet above water in every part while on
the hill we were at least a hundred but
all portions save the hill were covered by
ship alone. It came straight for the hill,
but as the wave divided It was swept to
the left and struck the earth, and was
the waters passed on, and 10! at our feet
resting almost on a level keel, was as