Year: 1874

FATE OF THE SCHOONER PEARL. Frightful Scene I'm the Indian Oeean---A

 One of the Crew.

 The following strange story has been communicated to the India Mail by James Floyd, late master of the schoon- CT Pearl:

 We had left Colombo in the steamer Strathowen, had rounded Galle, and were we'll in the Bay, with cur course laid for Madras, steaming over 8 calm and tranquil sea. About an hour be- fore sunset on May 10, we saw on our starboard beam and about two miles off small schooner lying becalmed there was nothing in her appearance or posi- tion to excite remark, but as we came up with her, lazily examined her with my binocular, and then noticed be- tween us, but nearer her, 8 long, low swelling, lying on the sea, which from it's color and shape I took to be bank of seaweed.

 As I watched, the mass hitherto at rest on the quiet sea was set in motion. It struck the schooner, which visibly reeled and then lighted immediately afterward the masts swayed sideways, and with my glass could clearly dis cern the enormous masts and the hull of a schooner coalescing-I can think of no other term. Judging from their exclamations, the other gazers must have witnessed the same appearance. Almost immediately after the collision and coalescence the schooner's masts swayed toward us, lower and lower i; the vessel was on her beam end, lay there few seconds, and disappeared, the masts fighting as she sank, and the main exhibiting reversed ensign struggling toward it's peak. A cry of horror arose from the lockers on and, as if by instinct, our ships head was at once turned toward the scene, which was now marked by the forms of those battling for life-the sole survivors of the pretty little schooner which only twenty minutes before foated brayely on the smooth sea.

 As soon as the poor fellows were able to tell their story they astounded us with the assertion that their vessel had been submerged by gigantic cutie fish or calamary, the animal which, in 8 smaller form, attracts so much atten- tion in Brighton Aquarium as the Octo- pus. Each narrator had his version of the story, but in the main all the narra- tives tallied so remarkably as to leave no doubt of the fact.

 AS soon as he was at leisure, pre- vailed on the skipper to give me his written account of the disaster, and l have now much pleasure in sending you copy of his narrative: "I was lately the skipper of the Pearl schooner, 150 tons, as tight little craft as ever sailed the seas, with crew of six men. We were bound from the Mauritius to Rangoon in ballast to return with paddy, and had put in at Galle for water. Three days out we fell becalmed in the Bay Qatitude 8 degrees 50 min utes N., longitude 84 degrees 5 min utes E.); on May 10, about 5 P. M. (eight bells know had gone), we sighted two-masted screw on our port quarter, about five or six miles off /; very soon after, as we lay motionless, a great mass rose slowly out of the sea, about half mile off on our larboard side, and remained spread out as it were and stationary it looked like the back of huge whale, but it sloped less, and was of a brownish color even at that distance it seemed much longer than our craft, and it seemed to be basking in the sun.

 "What's that ?" I sung out to the mate. sBlest if I knows barring it's size, color, and shape, it might be 8 whale,' replied Tom Scott. And it ain't the sea sarpent, said one of the crew, for he's too round for that ere crittur.' I went into the cabin for my rife, and as I was preparing to fire, Bill Darling, Newfoundlander, came on deck, and looking at the monster, exclaimed, putting up his hand, Have care, master that ere is squid, and will capsize us if you hurt him. Smil- ing at the idea, I let fly and hit him, and with that he shook, there was a great ripple all round him, and he be- gan to move. Out with all your axes and knives, shouted Bill, and cut at any part of him that comes aboard look alive, and Lord help us ? Not aware of the danger, and never having seen or heard of such monster, gave no orders, and it was no use touching the helm or ropes to get out of the way. By this time three of the crew, Bill in. cluded, had found axes, and one rus. ty cutlass, and all were looking over the ships side at the advancing mon ster.

 "We could now see huge oblong mass moving by jerks just under the surface of the water, and an enormous train following the oblong body was at least half the size of our vessel in length and just as thick the wake ol train might have been 100 feet long. In the time that have taken to write this the brute struck us, and the shir quivered under the thud in another moment, monstrous arms like trees seized the vessel, and she heeled over in another second the monster was aboard, squeezed in between the two masts, Bill screaming, "Slash for you lives;" but all our slashing was of nc avail, for the brute, holding on by his arms, slipped his vast body overheard, and pulled the vessel down with him or her beam ends. We were thrown into the water at once and just as I went over, caught sight of one of the crew either Bill or Tom Fielding, squasheG up between the mast and one of those awful arms. For few seconds oul ship lay on her beam ends, then filled and went down. Anothep of the crey must have been sucked down, for yo1 only picked up five. The rest you know can't tell who ran up the ensign"