The National tribune., 1902-07-31

rents of the ocean. fit representatives of
the Antarctic region from whence they
came.
One day we passed no less than IA Of
them. l obtained the altitude of the
mgest by means of the sextant, and
found that from its visible base to the
pinnacle. it measured no less than 800
feet When first discovered it bore n
striking resemblance. in form. to Il church
with n lofty pointed spirc, but as we
neared it and it gradually turned it as
sumcd the appearance Of Il mere shapeless
block of polar ice. in parts white and
sparkling in the suns rays like crystal,
and in others deep blue and seemingly as
imperishable as solid rock.
OF course. long before this time the
crew had discovered that whatever part
OF the world they might be steering for
they were certainly not heading for Aus
trala, and some dissatisfaction was felt,
not only by them, but by the officers. ut
Capt. Waddell's open violation of his
pledge.
Justice compcls me to say that the Cap
taIn's conduct was not free from censure.
| He had his own reasons, as i have inti-
mated. for preferring to reach Liverpool
| and there surrender his ship, but he
should have announced this fact in the
| first place instead of promising what he
| did not intend to perform, and thus lead
| ing many to apprehead that he was ac-
| tuated by some motive that woIld not
bear explanation.
| About this time petition was gotten
up among the officers, and signed by all
Of them with the exception of five, re-
questing the Captain to run for Cape
| Town, then to the eastward of us, and
there surrender the ship to the proper au-
thorities.
To this petition he vouchsafed 10 re-
spOnse, direct or otherwise. With the
| Quartermaster he held long. confidential
interviews, and to him confided his plans
which he studously concealed from on.
and all of his officers, and it was only
through his subaltern that we could oh
tain any information as to where we were
| bound, though of course our destination
was suspected by many.
Such conduct was as injudicious as il
was unjust, and gave rise TO grave sus-
picions touching our commanders intcg-
rity Of purpose. which, / am sorry to say
the event did not prove to be altogether
unfounded.
At length, after several days had
passed without any notice being taken OF
his officers petition, he called the five who
had not signed it. upon the quarterback
and for the first time informed them thai
he intended taking the ship to Liverpool
l was one of the FIVE. For myself
preferred to take the chances of reaching
that port, where there was a probability
Mt least that some provision had beer
made for us, to steering for Sydney ol
Cape Town, where we should have fOunt
ourselves destitute in foreign country
whose Government. however warmly il
professed to sympathiZe with the Confed
eracy in the times when she gallantly helt
at bay the mighty power Of the Unitet
states, would have few words of welcom,
for the last of her adherents in this day OF
adversely. AS in the olden time, when tn.
wayfarer from Jerusalem to Jericho fel
among thieves and was passed by th,
Priest and Levite, so might we expect t.
receive at the hands Of the world th,
treatment usually meted out to men VIII,
, have been engaged in an enterprise tha
proved failure; and if some good Sa
niaritan met us with wine and oil, it wa
more than we could with reason antici
pate.
But although differed from my brothe
officers as to the eXpediency of their pro
: posed measure. fully agreed With then
4 in regarding the conduct Of Capt. Wad
dell as unwarranted and ungentlemanly
0 and the letter he subsequently wrote de
( nouncing them as mutineers was one o
Y the most dastardly returns a commando
e ever made to officers who from first T.
t last had faithfully discharged every dut
: assigned to them.
When about 400 miles from the Azore
: We sighted suspicious-looking sail whie
S seemed to be lying-to as though waitin
Q for us. The wind was very light, an,
e feeling considerable apprehension as t
|, the strangers character, we wore shi
e and stood to the southwest, getting VI
: steam in the meantime as rapidly as pos
I sible; but that was an operation that re
: quired something like two hours, as W
( had been under sail ever since partin
G from the Barracuda.
q As soon as our engines were rendere,
t available, We furled all sail and steame,