The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1907-04-17

listed away from him as though
raised by crane. Evidently pleased
with the damage he had wrought,
and considering himself amply
avenged, the whale sank and we saw
him no more Not that the concus-
sion had damaged his anatomy in the
slightest, for sperm-whale's head is
like an india rubber ball.
The hole torn in the side of the
| Kathleen was of enormous dimen-
sions, and we saw at once that the
poor old ship was doomed. A sperm
whales head is the largest part of
its body. and the rent practically
gaped fromithe keel to the main deck.
| When the whale withdrew its head
and sank the stricken barque rolled
over, and the water rushed into the
hole with the fury of a mountain tor
rent. Hurriedly we pulled up to the
Kathleen's side In order to take off
the skipper, his wife, the cook, and
cabin-boy. There was just time for
the captain to secure eighty pounds
Of biscuit and eighteen gallons of
water; then he leapt down into the
boat. Just as we were about to push
Off from the foundering vessel, the
captains wife cried, in great alarm:
Polly! You've forgotten my bird!
We must fetch her."
The crew cursed that bird vehe-
mently, and could not understand
woman botherlng about parrot at
such a moment. However, one of
the men hastily scrambled up the
Kathleen's side and rescued the bird.
Afterwards we somewhat appreciated
the lady's feelings for that parrot,
amusement by its idle chattering and
antics when we were adrift upon the
ocean, thirsty and hungry.
AS we pulled away the Kathleen
gave sudden lurch, and with
wierd, gurgling sound dived head
foremost beneath the waves. BY
dint of hard rowing, however, we
just managed to clear the whirlpool
produced by the suction of the sink
ing ship.
Presently we met the fourth mate,
Nichols, hanging on like grim death
to bull whale that he had har-
pooned. He and his crew had been
so intent on their work that they had
not seen the Kathleen rammed. AS
they approached us Captain Jenkins,
jocular still in spite of the over
whelming misfortune that had just
hnf m
fast, Nichols?"
AYE, aye, captain" replied the
mate, proudly.
"Then think you had better cut
him loose" continued the captain,
dryly, cor else you'll be taken after
the Kathleen"
The mate was amazed. lie did not
understand the shippers cryptic re-
mark.
"C1t her loose?" he asked, won
deringiy.
AYE! And lively, tool" retorted
the captain. 1.-THE old Kathleen's
sunk!"
| The men were utterly dumfounded,
but they soon realized the truth of
the statement when they looked
round in vain for a sight of the ia
miliar old barque. After we had
briefly recounted the story of the dis
aster, the various boats fell into line,
with the crew equally divided among
them, and the scanty store Of pro-
visions and water doled out. Our
stock gave twenty pounds of biscuit
and four and half gallons of water
to each boat, each carrying ten
souls, so that you may see that the
prospect before us was not very COM
forting. We arranged to keep all to-
gether at night and to spread out
during the day over a wide area on
the lookout for some passing vessel
which might pick us up.
We were in an uncomfortable pre-
dicament, far off the trade route.
The nearest land was Barbados, a
thousand odd miles distant, and the
captain decided that our best plan
was to steer in that direction. Our
rations worked out to two biscuits
and half a gill of water per day
not very substantial diet upon
which to do hard rowing. Forum
ately, however, on the third day the
captains boat fell in with the steam
ship Borderer, of Baltimore, bound
for Chile. Captain Dalton, Of the
Borderer, hove to and cruised round
in search of the other boats. l was
picked up second, and later the third
boat-load was rescued.
We searched for De Viera until
nightfall, but without success, and
then reluctantly gave him up. The
Borderer landed us at Pernambuco,
in Brazil, where we caught the steam
ship Pydna, which brought us back
to Philadelphia.
We subsequently learnt that De
Viera's boat had not been picked up,
and those on board had passed
through most trying experience.
: De Viera had made his way to Bar
bados, rowing thousand miles with
starving crew, the mate maintain
ing his course by the aid of a pocket
compass. When they reached land