Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1899-06-15

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upon the kings marines and also on III
mlnuteman drinking with them"
say knowed ye ever the time when sucl
good fortune lasted? My lads all, W.
was, as well as we could make it, i,
latitude 10 and 10 minutes, or abou
10 miles east of Cape Cambodia, wher,
all that good fortune with that breez,
left US. By shutdown the southwes
wind was gone, and in its place Their,
fell upon us northern wind sweepins
down from Hainau and past the Para
bells and making us to bout ship an6
run before 1t for any part of Borneo we
could reach. And yet it was not thus
/ that our course was to be determined
for before the morning broke once more
the wind had changed again and was
ALLOWING southeast by east of the Ma.
layan coast. And shipmates, this here
We're such storm as cut our sails to
rlbbons-nay, in one event sending our
malnsall down the wind as easy as this
silken neckercher l wear would 90
down our English March wind, and we
could not even hope that our ship could
hold together much longer, but feared
that she must break to pieces. Like
wise, too, we was in much distress, for
our longboat was gone, and our other
beats must be dashed to bits against
the ships sides ere we could get them
off.
Will it avail us, Bunce, SAYS our
captain to me, 'to fire the carronade
think you7 Or are we out of the line Of
commerce now?'
81 think not, your honor, says 1,
but there are in these seas but few
larger ships than ours Even though
there should be others near to us, it
must be that they are in the same plight
as us and but little able to give assist
ance. Yet. in the hopes that there
might be some Christian vessel near
unto US, the captain babe the gunner
to tire signals of distress.
If indeed there had been other vessels
near unto us, which we knowed AFTER
wards there was not, and they had been
In as bad case as was the Loving
Friend, 1t would have been but little
help they could have given u.s. for,
mateys. ours Were sorry plight. Our
malnsail was as l have related, gone.
So was our spritsail yard, and, what
was the worst evil of ALL we had sprung
leak. though as yet no one among the
sailors could find out where it was.
"But as the morning Wore on the
wind did somewhat abate of its fierce
ness and the clouds began to clear, and
at last the captain tried to take an OBJ
servation, which, however, he failed in,
for still was the sun ohscured. Yet ever
was 1t noticeable to US that the storm
was past or passing, that indeed it's
fury was spent, and that the waves
were becoming calmer and the ship not
rolling so in the sea.
And now the captain, who was a Civ
ing orders to the sailors to bring IN
some spare sails and loose canvas from
the hold, with which, if God was good,
we might yet make the mainland
provided that the leak could be found
calls to me and says, 'Bos'n, come here.
And, going up to him, see that he
was a-looking careful through his per-
spective glass;
1T is still hazy morn,' says he.
What do you make that out to be,
about, he goes on. two points off on
our quarter?'
81 takes myself long look, ship
mates, and sees something about two
miles off, but what with the haze and
the pecoclar to them seas after a
storm-and the still rolling of the ship
l could not at first make anything of
1t. But at last the captain is able to
see more clear, and then he says to me
" BY Gods grace. it is an island,
though small one and bare. There
is nothing on it that I can see except
one tree. The rest is sand.
Yet good enough, captain says I,
TO lie by in and to reft If we can
make it, we can find the leak and stop
it and SO make for the mainland.
doubt not that we shall make
1T, replies the captain, but fortunate
indeed it is that we are well found with
both water and provisions, for, so far
as l can see, on that island there is
nothing but that one tree, and to me it |
looks not like fruit bearing one And
then he gives orders from the poop
where we was a-standing to give way a
bit and to bear up gently for that is
land.
Friends all, we made that island.
and being, as it We're, half tide, we
gently beached our ship. Thus we
should at low tide be able to discover
where was the leak she had sprung,
and to calk and repair it and at high
tide to float her off again.
''But at first, SO faint and weary was
we ALL as all hands had been at work
the long night battling with the storm
that the captain-always a good man
and tender-says that here we would |
rest and take our ease for at least some
days and until the storm was quite past
and gone.
" SO now, my lads, says he, when
the ship had been gently beached and
was a-lying peaceful on her port side,
there amt naught but small watch
required; SO tumble in and take your
rest, but let first a party go the rounds
of this island to see as their amt no