The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1905-11-01

that landing was absolutely lnlprdclR-
cable eycept for the light Indian canoes
and catamarans. The Indians were
appealed to, and Immediately offered
to raft off a full supply of water for
the sum Of $1,000.
When this news spread (and spread
it did like wildfre) never a doubt hau
we but that our thirsty souls would
drink and live. But well as we knew
u Captain, there was 4 little yet to be
learned about him. why" he said
at once, "the Admiralty might make
me pay the money. rs too much! l
won't give it"
Still we did not entirely relinQulsh
hope; a smaller offer was made to the
natives, and this they absolutely de-
clined. Things having reached this
point, the senior officers, with the doc
tor, took the extreme course of urging
the Captain 10 reconsider his decision.
pointing out how much the men had
suffered and the gravity of the re-
sponsibility which he incurred. But
all was of no avail; u chief was OBJ
durate, and the sole result Of their
Intervention was an order to get under
way. The men, therefore, who would
gladly have risked their lives to oo-
tain water from the beach, had now,
without an extra drop to moisten their
parched threats, to heave up the
anchor and turn their backs Oh the
land of promise as we. made for the
open ocean. Sore and suilen were all
CUR hearts, and serious consequences
might have ensued among the men had
it not been that a breeze sprang up and
their hopes with it. The great noun
tains faded in the blue distance and
night fell on the sails swcetly asleep
as the stately frigate swept through
the sea. Alas, next day the sun rose
on a breathless calm! We had not out
sailed u ill luck and it was with US
again.
One day the clouds began to gather.
until a huge dark mass hung pendant
in the heavens. Under this the sea be-
gan to boil and foam, then a long black
arm descended; a rapidly moving spiral
column of smoking water leaped to
meet it, and thus a waterspout was
formed; soon that cloud was full to
bursting. Oh! what a joy as it climbed
over Jul mastheads! We knew it must
burst on us! Then out Of the gloom
and darkness came The blessed rain. as
if the waterspout itself had fallen.
Awnings were spread and Topped up.
Hoses were laid from them to the
tanks. The scupper holes were
plugged, every receptacle was filled.
The decks became a surglng lake, in
which all hands rolled and drank.
Past privations were forgotten, and al
though the allowance of water was
still kept at a pint a day, yet every
bucket and mess can was full, n
Jack once more cut a shuttle OH the
forecastle and sang of the lass that
loves a sailor.
The seventy-seventh day from Callao
found us still some 600 miles from our
destination, with only a few tons OF
water left. The sun, which had a
declination south Of Callao when we
left, had overtaken us and was sending
slanting rays from the north, but still
the heat was intense, baking our black
hull as if it were an oven.
The allowance of water was reduced
to half a pint a day, and our sufferings
were greater than ever. Not Captain
Lordling's, though! BE strobe up and
down the quarterback, BEAUTIFULLY per-
spring at every pore, while on the fore
castle grim death claimed it's victims
from the poor creatures who had
sought relief from their thirst in salt
water and vinegar.
Every precaution had been adopted
to prevent the men drinking this ap-
palling mixture, but it could not be en-
tirely stopped. Case after case was
brought into the sick bay and treated
by the doctors with every care, but in
vain.
All through this trying time the Cap
tain's live stock, sheep and poultry.
were supplied with no inconsiderable
amount Of water, while British seamen
were thus dying for want of it. Tor
mented as the men were by thirst, it is
not surprising that many attempts
were made to steal water from the
deck water tank. One nan would de-
coy the sentry away, while another
rushed in and turned the tap. The
sentries were doubled, and some Of the
men, caught in the attempt, were
fogged, receiving after the cruel GUS
tom Of the tim. three dozen lashes of
the cat.
At last, on May 20. we sighted the
anchorage Of San Bias, and the order
was Immediately given to serve out
a gallon of water to each man. Disci-
pline was forgotten in the widest, most
Joyful confusion as it was issued. And
so, ninety-three days after leaving CAL
lao, our priyations came to an end.
For the last seventy-seven days of our
voyage we had averaged a speed of
just one mile an hour, a record for
slowness which I scarcely think the
annals of sea life could beat.-Macuil-
lan's Magazine.
The Chinaman in London.