Year: 1869

December, drenched anew every now aud then
by the seas that rolled over the deck In con-
slant SUCCESSION, and with scarcely anything TO
quench the THIRST that the salt meat only sggra-
waited, these men suffered such misery as e " NOR.
tails have ever endured; and yet IT Is positive
and shameful fact that during the weary days
In which The wreck of the Ch ma pitched an1
tossed upon the wintry Atlantic waves, three
ships passed within baiIing distance, and never
even tried TO save the wretcbed remnant OF her
crew. An officer on the deck OF one of these
vessels was seen to wave his hand, Dlt passed
on with heartless indifference.


About IL o'clock on the morning of the 9th
OF December last the second mate of the ship
w. II. Jenkins Captain Thomas Lewand),
whose watch it was on deck, reported a vessel
about seven miles to the wind ward. In the
course OF halt an hour Captain Lewand made
out that 1t was wreck, apparently abandoned.
signal flag was Immediately hoisted to ascer.
tain If any one was on board, but the sharpest
watch did not reveal any Signs of life, and the
flag was hauled down after dYi0g two hours.
The wind would not permit closer approach
during this time, but about one o'clock it
veered little to the southwest, and Captain
Lewand, unwilling to leave until absolutely
sure that the vessel was really abandoned, wore
ship aud sa led to ards the China. When the
miserable men on the wreck saw the signal flag
fly from the masthead OF the fourth vessel that
had passed them since the fatal 18th of Decem-
Der, they fell on their knees and thanked God.


The anguish OF the bitter moment when they
saw it hauled down was the keenest stroke OF
all, and no pen can paint their Joy when tue
barque finally turned with the changing wind,
and sailed towards them, aud Captain Lewand
spying the poor fellows crawling feebly from
under the torecastle deck, hailed the with.
IAN right, b0ysi I'll take you off iftUS posi-
ble!" But how? The seas were washing everv
moment over the ill-fated China. Tue timber
cargo projected some eight or ten feet from her
crumbliDg stern. Everything but the fly wheel
of the pump, the two forward masts, and few
stanchions % % were .sv swept away. ailo ani the
So high did the sea run that boat lowered
from davits would have been shivered like an
eggsheil, and it was only possible to launch the
yawl by Carrying it amidships. Even then 1t
looked like tempting Providence to undertake
the rescue, but four brave men volunteered for
the service, and the yawl put Off only to fnd
that it was absolutely impossible to board the
spurred on by hope and desperation, mustered
at last strength and courage enough
to climb upon the toreeastle deck,
slip down a cord into the water, from which
they were speedily lifted into the boat. The
second mate was inseDsible, but even he was
finally let down with ropes into the yawl, and
in two perilous trips two of the seven were
have the most strength of any of them, but
even he had to be hauled up the barque's side,
and could only exclaim 10 piteous tones. as he
Lewand fourteen days and nothing to eat !N
And the mate died of utter debility within two
hours after his rescue, Notwithstanding the
strenuous egertons that were made to restore
him to consciousness and life.


All the men were not only as thin as skeletons
but were covered with boils, caused by exposure
to the salt water, and which added greatly to
the other miseries of their bard lot. Every
care was taken of them, and by the time the
barque reached Fayal, on the goth of January,
they were strong enough to walk on shore, after
showeriug thanks upon the captain, and, with
streaming eyes, blessing him for his humanity
in rescumg them. 1t is probable that ere this
some British bound craft has touched at Fayal,
and carried them all to Cardiff, to tell as sad a
story as ever was told since men began to go
down to sea In ships.