Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1909-11-24

islands and Formosa, and then ON to the
| Chinese coast.
| The Saddle islands were sighted and
passed, as was Gutzlaff, from which de-
parture was taken to sail to Wusung.
The weather was dark and rainy with an
easterty gale blowing before which the
ship was running under dorble-reefed
topsails. There were no lights or pilots
in those days, nor buoys to guide one; the
| coast was low, the water shallow and the
only guide was the lead.
ASHORE ON CHINESE COAST.
Captain Woodbury., a passenger and an
old Shanghai trader, undertook to pilot
the ship after passing Gutzlan. No land
was seen after that, but the lead was kept
going. As the water shosled the ships
head was kept in more northerly direc-
ton, and at last she struck bottom,
thumped along for q few lengths,
then stopped and rolled upon her port
side. The masts were cut away, anchors
dropped from the bows and she righted a
wreck, half full OF water, thirty-nine days
from San Francisco.
1t blew gale, the sea was rough,
rain fell in torrents, the hulk pounded up
on the reefand settled in the sand until
ebb tide made it more quiet. The next
morning brought no change in the
weather, water reached the tween decks,
the sea undated, no land or vessel in
sight, and prospect of reaching the shore
alive was not encouraging. The two boats
were removed to the poop fitted with oars,
sails and provisions in readiness for leav-
ing the wreck. When flood tide made,
| it flowed over the main deck and waves
dashed over the rails. All hands spent
the second night in the rain on the poop
catching maps as best they could.
The third day brought no favorable
change; the wreck had worried into the
sands until only the forecastle deck and
| poop were above water, and they were be-
ing washed by the waves. Darkness fell
on the scene, and the tide in rising made
it evident that the wreck must be aban-
doned or the crew would be washed from
| it. The boats were launched; into the
long boat went twenty-three persons with
me; into the quarter boat seven with Cap
tain Chadwick, and they, leaving the
wreck behind, started before wind and
sea to go we knew not whither.
| The only possible course was before the
wind and sea, with the men in the long
boat ranged along her gunwale for break
water and one bailing with bucket. She
struck, the men jumped overheard and
| pulled her into deeper water, she went
along piece and struck again, and as the
men were pulling her over the supposed
reef, the shore was seen through the dark
ness, aud we landed four or five hours
after leaving the wreck.
| Where the boat landed was salt marsh.
She was hauled out of water for safety, a
tent made of her sail, lantern lighted
| and suspended from an oar stuck into the
mud, a watch set and the rest OF the
weary crew lay down for an hour Of rest.
Thus arrangements had just been COM
pleted when the watch, sent to the left,
| hurried back in great excitement, and
said they had seen large body of armed
men coming toward them shouting and
attempting to capture them. ''They are
now marching upon the boat; so get ready
to defend yourselves"
| All Immediately sprang to their feet,
J put out the light, took down the tent,
made the boat a breastwork of defence
and waited the attack. Each man had
taken with MIN from the ships armory,
cutlass, musket, pistol, pike or bayonet,
with which they were armed. For the re-
mainder of the night all stood ready for
the enemy's Apr ZACH, but they did not
modest US. At daylight the only living
| thing seen was heard OF buffalo cattle
feeding on the marsh, which was the
enemy which had frightened the watch;
| their horns being the arms seems, and
| their snorting at the approach OF stran-
gers the shoutings heard.
A TRYING EXPERIENCE.
No human being or habitation was to
be seen. The tide had receded from the
marsh, leaving the boat two or three miles
| from the waters edge. An early breakfast
was eaten and the work Of launching the
boat began. 1t was still rainy and gale,
but we toiled on trying to pull the boat
afloat until noon when q rest was taken
for dinner; half the distance then having
]
boats crew had been seen.
After resuming work at launching the
the boat, two Cinnamon approached clad
in straw-thatch raincoats and conical
crowned straw hats, who spoke and GEES
ticulated, but could not be understood. l
said to them: s'Shanghai," and pointed in
the direction thought it lay. They said:
shanghai, YAH" and pointing in the
opposite direction, then to the ground,
said something not understood by us.
Thinking they intended to deceive we
paid no further attention to them and
they went away. The boat was dragged
to the waters edge just at dusk. We then
took supper, floated her and started as we
supposed for Shanghai.
The wind still blew gale, the sea was
rough, rain fell, the night was dark and the
boat shipping water, frightened the sailors