Year: 1866

They were greatly exhausted but the
fresh air revived them, and they eagerly
swept the horizon to see II any vessel was
in sight to give them hope of speedy
succor but they saw nothing save the
wide expanso of rolling waters. They
were disappointed, and for the time dis
heartened; but tho Captain, feeling that
| everything depended on some immediate
preparation for the approaching night,
encouraged the mon to aid him in erecting
support on the outside of tho wreck,
aud getting some scaniliug from tho hold,
as it hoated under the aperture through
which they came out they began the
work


The reader will recollect that the Enig-
ma" was described as q schooner built to
run in shallow waters but with center
board dropping below her keel, which
mado her tolerable sea.going craft.
| When she was capsized this center board,
made cf four-inch plank, fell back into it's
| place, in the hold of the schooner, so that
| there were left places at each end Of the
board, about four inches square, into which
| ioist or scaniling could be thrust down so
as TO stand firmly. This popularity in the
construction of tho Enigma" enabled the
Captain 10 erect two standards, aud with
his rope, taken out for the emergency, he
lashed a cross.piece from one to the other,
and then fastened their ropes overhead,
instead of, as at first, in the vessel


The reader may imagine that this was
| quickly and easily done but never was
| there greater error. 1t was their most
difficult work, as frequently the sea swept
over the wreck, and would have carried
them away but for the ropes, upon which
they held as they saw the heavy seas com
ing. They were 80 much exhausted when
thus much was done, they were obliged
to suspend further labor, and holding by
the rope attached to the cross-piece, which
rope was also fastened around them, they
leaned, against the uprights aud thus spent
the night. They could not lie down with
out being submerged by the waves that
were frequently dashing over the bottom
and as il was, sometimes browsing as they
stood there, their feet would be taken from
under them, and they were only saved by
the rope.


The next morning found those four men
in most terrible condition. Hunger was
making its fercest demands and their
thirst made them almost frantic. One
thing, not mentioned thus far in this story,
must here receive attention, and that is the
fact that the Captain had with him in this
voyage a favorite dog. He had passed
through with the struggle in the cabin and
in the hold of the schooner, and escaping
with many hard bruises and almost
drowned, he was there on the outside with
his master.
The men demanded his blood for drink,
and his flesh for food. The Captain was
willing that his dog should die, for thoir
good, but he feared to have the men drink
his blood least bad results should be
realized but his words, to which, up to
that time, they had listened as to an oracle
of wisdom, could not dssuade them from
their purpose, and they killed the dog,
caught his blood in small salt box, which
was 6shed up from the schooner, and they
drank it as if it had been milk. Anderson,
who drank more than the others was soon
taken insane; and they were obliged to


lash him to one of the uprights, and when
after few hours they were 30 recovered
as to understand what the blood had done
to them and to realize the condition in
which the dog was when killed, they agreed
that his body should not be eaten, and
they threw it overheard.


1t was an act of self.denal worthy Of
record, and speaks volumes in favor of the
men, who, having tasted no food for three
days, during which time they had passed
through scenes of unprecedented trial,
hardship and suffering, could cast away the
flesh which they longed TO tear from
the bones of that dog lest it might injure
them.


That day they managed to lash some
short pieces of scanting, at right angles
with the uprights, running lines from the
top of the uprights, down and out TO the
ends of those pieces, thus supporting them
firmly, and on these pieces they placed five
long scantings, lashing them also, and
formed platform two feet above the bot
tom of tho schooner, on which they could
lie or sit for the most of the time clear oil
the sea. Here they rested, and, lashing
themselves on, thus they got some sleep
!. All did not sleep at the same time for
they kept a constant watch for vessels
hoping each hour to be rescued from
their terrible condition. But their suf.
ferings had only begun, and they were
doomed to wait in ever increasing agony OF
hseSar, thirst aud disappointment for many
days. Sunday night it rained. They man.
aged to get some pieces of board, parts OF
small salt boxes, and washing them in the
ocean as clean from salt as possible, they
cnt grooves in them, which run together al
one end, and holding them up, placed one
ehd to the mouth and thus caught the rain
/ as 1t fell. 90" said the Captain as he told
the story, "never was anything so delicious
as that water. We would not have ex
changed q single drop Of it for the wealth
of the whole world


The shower did not last long, but the
men thought they must have caught about
pint each. This was every drop they
had except that almost fatal draught oi
blood, from the time of their disaster to the
hour of their rescue.


neglected to note an important event
which transpired on Saturday, and that was
the capture of small shark, alb ont two feet
long. There were many Of them swimming
around the wreck, and the Captain tried to
catch one for two hours, by throwing out q
piece of -ed flannel fastened around some
sharp nails that he had driven into small
+ piece of wood. A large shark would have
caught at a similar bait, but the small ones
did not fancy it. Young Morse tried in an.
other way and succeeded. He laid down
on the wreck. reached ont over the water.
aud as one of the fish came within his reach
he catched it with desperate effort and
secured it. At once the shark was dressed
and each man had a piece Of it about two
inches square.


The Captain thought that this YVES as


much as they should eat at once, and strange
to say no one demanded more. The next
morning they had each another piece. Be
fore night the remainder began to turn
green and Shiny and it was thrown away
This, with the exception Of a small flying
fish, about six inches long, was all the food