The Monticellonian., 1918-02-15
Personal Narratives of Sailors Are Particularly in Demand
 at This Time.
OLD TALES ARE READ AGAIN
interest in Merchant Marine Responsi- bie for Demand for Stories of SaiIors-Escape of Mariners
 From Arabian Sands Told.

Washington.-0fiie of the Con gressional library, which is in way clearing house for all the libraries of the country, state that at present there is a lively demand from read CTS for all kinds of literature relating to sea lore, and especially to the ad- ventures of sailors in the American merchant marine.
 Personal narratives are in greatest demand, and are the hardest for the ordinary reader to find. There are however, a good many of them, both here and in public libraries and spe- cial collections in Eastern cities.
 Many of these books, now being re read with public interest after many years, have particular point at this time for their value in indicating the grit with which American sailors face peril and hardship, such as the pres ent era of German ''frightfulness' at sea Is apt to impose at any time on American crews.
 visitor to the capital the other day had In his grip one of these old volumes of adventure that may be cited as an example of the kind Of literature the American sailors of long ago produced for the benefit of pos terity.
 It was written and published in 1T94 by one Daniel Saunders. an American sailor. and described his sutferings, and those of his shipmates, in escap- ing from the Arabian desert, after be- ing cast upon its burning shore by shipwreek.
 Daniel Saunders was il seaman on the ship Commerce of Boston, which while eoasting Tn the Eastern seas for cargo, and on voyage from Mad ras to Bombay Ion the coast of Mala- bar. stranded in the night on beach on the Arabian coast, the captain hay- ing lost his bearings.
 On attempting to land on the beach the crew of 34 souls were menaeed by savage natives. They therefore manned their boats and coasted along shore. On the second day out they were caught in gale on lee shore, and obliged to make landing on the beach through high surf.
 In making the landing one boat was upset and three of its occupants lost their lives, among them heinz "Na- thaniel Seaver Jun. the merchants son." In those days, merchants made hn fot of "stood an unhappy spectator of this melancholy catastrophe" His grief, says the author. may be more easily imagined than described"
 Attacked by Arabs.
 Wet and weary. the sailors lay down te sleep. They were reused by the approach of band of IS Arabs, mounted on eamels, land armed with spears, cutlasses and knives," who at- tackled them, stole all the stores that had been in the boats, and robbed them of all their clothing, "even to the shirts off our backs"
 As the camels could not carry all the plupder, the brigands finally left 'ssome old clothes to cover us, to pre- vent the sun from burning our skins. One got a pair of trousers. another q coat, another q shirt, but one got only n strip of canvas, which he wrapped around him.
 Thus arrayed, the shipwrecked ma riners on being left by their plunder- CTS, set out for Museat, which they were told was five-days' journey dis tant.
 Their way lay through fields of burning sands and over mountains of rocks and precipices, affording neither food nor water"
 In this seorehing desert, famished sore, the sailors found themselves ex- posed to a sun of incredible fiereeness by day, and to cold dews at night.
 For two days they stumbled on along the seashore, with neither food nor water. On the third day the party broke up into several smaller groups. Some sought shorter route by fol, lowing paths that led inland Saun- ders and three companions tried the inland route, and came upon some vines that bore kind of melon, re. sembling watermelon.
 Feverishly tasting some of the fruit they found it bitter and unfit for food.
 Turning back to the beach. the wan derers met three Arab fishermen, who robbed them of some books and pa. pers, and took from the man with the canvas his sole protection from the sun. Later that day Saunders and his party met an Arab who directed them to well. Here they were joined by Captain Johnson of the Commerce and a few of their mates.
 The next day they found food. In the form of crabs and cookies taken at a rocky point on the beach.
 Natives Were Kind.
 The wanderers now began to meet more natives. both men and women The latter were kind to them. givine them water from goatskin containers but robbing them eventually of theil shoes. Captain Johnson was relieved of his trousers.
 Earring on the next day, the captain fell, because his "sinews and nerves had been so contracted by the sun ant dews that he found himself unable tt travel"