Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1897-04-23

M h'SI 'SA AAAN fNNa =
1t was three o clock
in the afternoon of bright day, aud
the ship WAS not making above fou:
knots an hour. What sea there was
on would not have bothered quarter
boat, and the ship lifted to wave
only at long intervals. The second
mate and | were experimenting some
work forward, while the captain was
alone on the quarter deck. All of a
sudden, and without the slightest
warning, the sea began to boil and
heave under and around US in the
most violent manner, and for five
minutes every man had to hold on for
his life. In her pitching the craft
shipped three or four green seas,
which cleared the decks of everything
movable, but we were congratulsting
ourselves that all had escaped when
the captain was found to be missing.
The man at the wheel had had mar
row escape from being swept over
board, and for two or three minutes
had lost sight OF Captain Graham.
The last sea We shipped had no doubt
carried him away, and by the time we
had come to this conclusion it was too
late to make any move.
The sea had been disturbed by an
earthquake. Just where we were when
the agitation began the chart showed
the depth to be full mile. Three
months later, when soundings were
taken by French vessel, it was found
that a mountain, two miles in circum-
ference at the base, had been heayei
up until its crest WAS only forty feet
below the surface. The set of wind
ana wave before and after the agIta.
ton was to the westward, and ten
minutes after the ship had come back
to level keel the wind changed to
the east and blew half gale for the
next seven hours. As q matter OF
record, the ship pursued her voyage
and made the port OF Bombay without
further adventure, and the remainder
OF the story relates to the captain.
He was swept overheard by the last
wave, Just as we concluded, and pres
emily found himself far to leeward
among lot of spars and casks which
the same wave had taken from the
main deck. While the man seized q
spar and passed flashing around his
body, he had no hope of rescue.
Almost before he realized his posi-
, ton the ship was a mile away, and ht
, felt sure that no boat would be low
cred to make search for him. The
spar to which he was dashed driftec
away to the west and evening came
on. Between five o'clock and sunse
four ships passed the drifting man
i but all too far away to see or hear
and when night came down he fel
l that there was no longer tn
g slightest chance for him. He drifte,
to the westward, as | have told Won
but how far has never been known
Night passed and another day came
and toward the close of that day Cap
tain Graham lost consciousness. Il
may have drifted a day after that -
/ perhaps two days. When he came t
a his senses again he was lying on
9 sandy beach, with his feet in th
e. water. He had been cast ashore o
an island. 1t was surely an island
the north and west of Madagascar, BIT
for reasons which will be explaine
later on it cannot be more detinitel
10 located. For an hour after openin
/ his eyes the man could not unlash hin
I" self from the spar. When he ha
finally accomplished that object
: had to crawl on hands and knees
reach the shade of the bushes. 1t W,
high noon and the weather hot, ar
the Captain was so exhausted that
\ he had not found fresh water and wi
fruit at hand he must have perishe
He ate and drank his fill and the
slept, and the sun was just rising ne
morning when he awoke.
The island, when the castaway can
to survey it, was about two miles al
a half long by one mile in breadt
\ and its average height above the S
was not over fifteen feet. 1t was
n volcanic origin and was entirely &C
cred with verdure, and there were s
y or seven different sorts of wild frui
Along the beach we're oysters a
N shellfish in abundance, and the Ca
tain soon assured himself that starv
N ton would lot be one of the perils
his situation. What struck him Gu
N ously was the entire absence of life
= the island. There was neither amin
N nor bird, reptile nor insect. The
Z should have been q dozen varieties
IN birds and an abundance of insect !
= on SO fair spot with its tropical {
IN mate, but it was simply tenantle
= And yet there was life there, a
IN where the castaway least expect
Y He had been on the island week
IN SO, and had twice walked clear aror
y it, when one day as he was gather
fruit in an open spot he was sudde