Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1904-03-31
OVER BOARD
II 4 I'D "A

part that launched me into the indian
bcean one night 1000 miles from the
nearest land. There was a squall rag
ing at the time. and, though got hold
of float flung at me, the brig could
do nothing toward rescue For the
first three hours my hopes and fears
made me alert, but after that | felt
dull languor and was only half con-
scious of what was going on
An hour after midnight I was arous-
ed from what seemed to be troubled
dream. l was humping against some
thing hard, and my first idea was that
had been cast ashore. 1t took me sew
eral minutes to shake myself together
and make out that | was alongside the
hull of a vessel. had scarcely more to
do than lift up my hands and seize
the low rail and draw myself aboard.
/ had found a derelict bark Her masts
We're gone close to the deck much of
her bulwarks swept away, and l knew
by the feel of her that she was water
logged. l took one glance over her
and then dumped myself down on deck
and was ASLEEP in five seconds. When
l again opened my eyes the sun was
| three hours high.
l was surely aboard of derelict and
1t did not take me long to master the
details of the wreck In the first place,
she was loaded with Australian red
wood and could not sink beyond a GER
tain point. Next, she had been floating
about for months and months. There
was some wreckage on her decks, but
masts and yards and boonls had gone
clear of her as they fell. She had set
tied down until her scupper holes were
only few inches above water
l was sorely in need Of food and
| drink, and after 4 few minutes work
broke open the cabin doors. which had
become sweilcti and jainued, and got
into TIE pantry. There was wine in
| plenty, as might have been expected
and found meat and biscuit.
When my meal had been finished
| began cvc:l.auiins tie main cabin. All
the charts and nautical instruments
were there, Eoa had any of the spare
clothing OF the officers been taken
| away. found the log book, and, though
1 could not read French, I made out
the latitude and longitude last recorded.
was SO tired and exhausted that
slept the greater portion of the first
| day, but on the second l made more
thorough overhaul. In the rear of the
captains stateroom / CHANGED upon
closet which had escaped me the day
| before, and here l made great find.
There was money amounting to over
$4,000, together with jewelry worth
$1,000 more. The plumber was in two
tin boxes, but whether it belonged to
the captain, the ship or to other people
found nothing to signify. 1t was a
grand fortune to q poor sailor, and
remember that / acted very foolishly
over the find. l counted it over and
over again, and when at last realized
that was rich l rushed on deck with
wild hope of seeing sail close at
hand. But for the money l believe that
| the long days and dreary nights which
| followed would have driven me insane.
There was plenty to eat and drink, no
danger of the wreck going down, and
the weather was fine for five days out
IL.
keenly than l can describe. l was out
of the track of ships, moving with
wind, wave or current, and the same
empty horizon greeted my view day
after day and week after week.
While l became listless and discour-
aged and almost lost hope, still kept a
record of the days as they passed. Ac-
cording to my record, had been on the
wreck forty-nine days when I sighted
my first sail Very likely ships had
passed and repassed without my see
ing them, as could set no signal by
day and always slept straight through
the night. This sail was discovered
early one morning coming from the
south, and her course was such that
she must pass close by. When l noted
this put the plumber into bags and the
bags into clothing and after that had
nothing to do but eat haSty break
fast and wait.
The breeze was very scant, and it
was above three hours after being
sighted that the strange sail drew near.
She proved to be an English merchant
man bound for India, but having been
blown far off her course by a gale
which l had not felt at ALL
She was within half mile of me
and had set signal to gladden. my
heart when a big whale suddenly broke
water close to the wreck. Half min
ute later he was followed by a second,
which attacked him with great fury.
The monsters put up terrific battle
flashing and biting each other and kick
ing up sea like gale of wind. They
at first drew away from ne, but after
few minutes made a circle which
, brought them back again.
What l had feared from the first
/ came to pass after quarter of an
hour. Half blinded by pain and fury
or feeling himself overmatched and de-
> sirous of getting away, one of the
: whales suddenly whirled about and
came for the wreck head on. He was
, fully eighty feet long, and he came like
a moving mountain. 1 made sure of
: my hold when l saw him coming, but