Year: 1867

/ of fire whose heat we could yet feel on our
scorched faces. From every part now the
flames were rushing, even from the cabin
windows beneath where l had SO lately
been standing, and | could hardly keep
from shudderng as | thought of the awful
danger.


1t was hard work forcing the raft through
the water on account of the breeze which
set towards the ship; but we got further
and further away, and were some distance
off when the mizen-mast went blazing over
the side; but still the captain said we
were not safe, and swan on till we could
not feel the breeze; and at length painting
and exhausted he hung on motionless, and
said we must risk it now.


Then we were both silent, and watched
the boats now further away from us, and
the blazing ship seeming to be the centre
of a glorious ring of light, on the outside
Of which like sparks We all lay waiting for
the end we knew was soon to come. Every
where else was dark as pitch, not even a
star to be seen, while the waves Just rose
and curled little over they washed
against our raft excepting the dull roar
and crackle of the flames everything was
as still as death


All at once | started, for the captain
spoke sadly as he looked at his vessel and
out of the silence his voice sounded wild
and strange:


:. If I'd had crew like you, my man, |
think we could have saved her; and then
he spoke no more, for Just then, from be-
ing quite still, the good ship seemed to roll
little towards us, and then to the other
side, slowly and as if just bending to the
breeze and then we could almost see the
water creeping up her burning sides Is
clouds of steam arose; and with one calm
steady dip forward she seemed to plunge
right down beneath the golden waters.
/ Then there was rising and falling of the
sea, and deep, dense darkness, out OF
which close by me came one of the bitter
est, heart-tearing sobs | ever heard from
the breast of man; and | did not speak
/ for | felt that it the captain sorrowin4
for the loss of his good ship.


For a good piece the silence was a deep
as the darkness, and then the captain was
the first to break it in quite a cheerful
voice:


= Can You lay your hand on the rope?
he says; and passed it to him, and then
| could hear him III the dark busily at
work tying and fastening and at last he
says: Now crawl on again; it viii bear
you better and faint and YEARLY man
aged to crawl on, and lay with my leg~ in
the water and my head on the bag of bis
cult; and directly after | felt him crawl
on too, and we took hold of hands and lay
there in the deep darkness while he said
that prayer out in such a soft, deep voice
that prayer as We first learnt kneellne
down years ago by our mothers knee
When he came to Deliver Us from evil,
he stopped short and soon, worn out there
in the great ocean, floating on few pieces
of wood, we both fell asleep, and slept till
the warm, bright sun shone upon u and
told US that another day was here.


The first thing the captain did was 10
stand up and look round, and then he said
he could see only one boat but he hoist
ed up one of the pieces of wood, and
wedged it in the coop with handk h'e
flying at the top, after which we made u
hearty meal of the biscuit. raw bacon, anc
water. After this the captain got one OF
the coopS on the other, and by binding and
lashing, he made a much higher and better
raft, so that We could keep our biscuit anc
bacon out of the water and sit dry our
selves


And so we lay all that day till toward,
evening, when we found that the boat wa,
coming towards US, and just at dusk it wa,
within hail and if ever I'd felt hopeful ol
joyful before in my life, it was then. They
had no room for Us, but they took Us in tow
and the weather keeping calm, we all row
ed and worked in turns, steering aecordin.
to the captains direction for the neares
land for when our turn came we two Wen
into the boat and two others came out OF
the raft. and 50 we toiled ON for days
when one morning there was a joyful cry


A sail sail :"


And it was too, within mile OF Us
palmer and palmer as that glorious SUI
rose and then some laughed, some cried
and one or two seemed half mad with JOY
as after while She ran down towards Us
picked us up, and proved to be a British
man-of-war, homeward bound.


In another week | was back in the port
; | left. without clothes, without money bu
with as good and true friend in Captain
Ellis as ever walked | had life, and Will
it came hope; and somehow, since then
things have prospered with me in the ole
country-the old home that | once left tC
90 far at sea.