The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1898-01-28


fragments glittef6d in the air ard the
IL was darkness, for the waters Ia
.losed over He Earl Of ICldor."
&. Sad was the prospect now before rs!
! There were il the lc1o beat he captain
and % persons. including a infii.; four
months old; The size OF TIC beat % feet
long by -, broad: iseach Ct iho others
ten individuals, including u officer in
charge Cre Of the beats I'D SOM" b1os
IF biscuit, but the chiefrrosie:on was
he long bert. We were, i. rom ca 81
alton about 1000 z lis from >'rigue
and 80 from Diego Garcias, Z Ia gest
Of the ClraGo islands; but 10 there
we must pass through the squally iati-
tudes VIC had Just LETT, and be subject
10 variable Winds ard heavy weather o.
Gains, neither of which we were pre-
JARED to resist. Seci~~ 2. Chen, that CIR
stock cf food was sufficient. we deter
mined on irving for RodriDue, and nav
ing hurch!T committed ourselves to the
guidarcc Of that Prcyidcco2 IL whom
alone We had hope. yHe GO com r;;chCd rig
ring lie HGts. and CT nra.:' sail. On
Il th:rt3 '7:}.;- Of OF 'at r2rigatiou the
<-Catl,rr began to threaten q change,
out as We we're in the trade We did not
3pprchCnd foul or contrary winds. IN
he course Of the right it blew. fresh
with rain: we were totally without
shelter, AID the sea Gasti9e its spray
over rs drenched Us ard snciled some
IF our biscuit. The Weather GREW verse
ard one Of cur small boats, in which
yvere Mr.. Simpson, the second mate
18th r;re others, was split By the sen.
She care a.or gside. and We ?>ut The car
renter into licr, wLc,2nade what repairs
&c could, hut with little here that they
would answer. We then proceeded to
faste,2 q spTaycloth Of CanY:s siOnC CT.
weather gurwale, having la2hcd q banl-
hoo four feet up the mast and fixed it Or,
the intersection of two staEchcOns, at
the same E2iTht above the stern; the
spraycloth was firmly lashed along 50
is to form 4 kind Of penthouse roof
Toward evening it blew I,ard, ard, not
thinking the other dama;~~1 beat safe
we took in the crew and aba cdCnetl her.
We were now 36 persons. slowed as
thick as we could be- and obliged to
throw over all surerfu:ties, arI we
had not more than eight inches Cf clear
gunwale out Of the water. Wet. g. oomy
and miserable, the night passed away;
ct last the day broke, and though the
weather was still very bad, / again
felt hope, which had never entirely for
saken me, that we would still weather
the storm. During the last night the
sea had broken right over Us more than
once; one sea came roaring down, and
while / held my breath with horror il
broke right over our stern, wet the poor
ladies TO their threats and carried
away the steersman's hat. The captain
then cried out in a tone calculated to
inspire us with confidence: That's
nothing; it's all right; bale away, my
boys!" He never expected Us to live
out the night, but harassed as he was
both in mind and body he gallantlv
stood up, and never, by word or deed.
betrayed a feeling that might tend to
sink our hopes. He'stood CT the bench
that livelong night, nor did he ever at
tempt to sleep for nearly IS hours.
Later the weather began to moderate
and we enjoyed comparative degree of
comfort. We had three small meals Of
biscuit and some little jam, etc, and
three half pints of water per day, with
brandy if VIC liked it. The men had one
gill of spirits allowed them daily. Thus
we had enough for necessity. and l in
cline to attributeto cur having TO more
the good state of bodily health we en-
joyed. The ladies were most deserving
compassion and praise, and never ut
tered one single word like repining or
complaint.
On the eleventh evening we began to
look out for Rodrigue; the captain told
usnotto be too sanguine, as his compass
was not to be C"Dended on after the
rough treatment it had met with. The
night fell, and went forward TO sleep.
About dawn was awakened by the cry
that land was ahead. looked and saw
nothing through the mist. An instant
after Informed the captain hat could
see no land every person in that boat
was awake. Every eye was strained in
the direction the captain indicated.
Some thought they could see land;
others had their visions blurred bv
phantom ships, and finally the tears
from their overexerted eyes shut out
their vision to such an extent that their
imagination ceased to act
where is ito" "What is ?" 81 can't
see anything" and dozens of similar
questions were asked in as many Sec
onds.
Daylight was now asserting itself
little more, and the captain had the boat
brought to, and she drifted about for
an hour. Rodrigue appeared right
ahead, distant about six miles, and by
eight o'clock we were all safely landed.
A fisherman who came off to show us
the way through the reefs received us
in his house and proceeded to feed Us,
and. in the meantime, sent to tell the
people of the island Of our arrival. Two
of them came down Immediately. and.
having heard our story, said that we had
been most 1niraculously preserved.
Livery arrangement was made for our
comfort, and during the period of onr
stay at Rodrigue we were treated with
such invariable kindness and attention
as demands from us the fullest express
sion of our gratitude toward those, to
whom we are underA so many obliga-
tions, without forgetting our para
mount obligations to that Power by
whom we were preserved through all
the dangers that had surrounded u.s.
N. Y. Ledger.