Year: 1875

Somewhere about the boatswain's
locker" the three survivors of the burn
ing Of the COspatrick fancied the fire
waa OF course, they would have put
it out II they could have discovered the
exact locality in time. II burnt at the
very least for twelve hours in all, the
smoke having been discovered between
one and two a. m, and the last seen OF
the burning ship was about two p. m, a.
she broke up, fzzled and sank, leaving
charred beams and the thick fiotage OF
the wreck to mark the fatal spot on the
then placid sea. Long before she went
down, the two boats having been ordered
of, lay about half mile away, and from
that distance it was that the escaped
passengers saw with feelings that may
be imagined father throwing his thir-
teen children from the blazing ship into
the sea, and following them to their
grave; a husband throwing his wife and
then himself into the water; women
and men still clinging in their agony to
the sides of the ship, or floating on
spars around. Oakum, tar, and pitch
were on board. Emigrantss smoked occa-
sionally, and generally went to bed be-
tween nine and ten. But no one could
say what was the cause of the fire they
could only conjecture that part of the
material lust named had become spon-
taneously ignited. When all was over,
and the two boats were left alone on the
wide ocean without sextant or compass,
with imperfect sets of oars, with shawl
fora sail in one boat, and petticoat in
another, without food or drink of any
kind, and at the mercy of the northerly
current sweeping up far round the Cape,
they could but commit themselves to
Providence in the faint hope of reaching
the eastern coast of Africa. They were
southwest of the cape at a distance of
about 218 miles, but were fully 1000
miles away from the Tristan d. dAcunha
Islands. Their only hope was that the
southerly wind and northerly current
might carry them either in the way OF
ships, or land them eventually on the
African coast. Lewis having been
fisherman, was we'll acquainted with the
management of small boats at sea. He
knew we'll enough the danger they were
in while running along with full load,
bearing her down to within hands
breadth of the water. The passengers
were, however, rather lighthearted and
cheerful rather than otherwise. They
would soon be at the cape and have
glass of winep But their hearts began
to sink within them when, after two days,
they were separated from the other boat,
whose passengers and themselves had
frequently given each other cheering
words. Delirium and death began to
show their presence. "I can see," said
one man, who averred he had alway
been remarkable for the keenness of his
eyesight "a pleasure-walk on the beach;
/ can see white house on the beach
the sign of a public house-the Lamb"
and he tried to induce them to steer the
boat in that direction. He, it was said,
could always read a public house sign
half mile of. "aRd really thought,
said young Cotter. who must have been
wandering little bit too, "that he was
right, and might see it." His vacant
visions were signs of approaching death.
"We soon got to know who was to be
the next to die, didn't we, sir 2" said
Cotter, addressing Macdonald, who, with
a nod, ,signified assent. They became deliri-
GUS or torpid, but mostly died in their
leep.-LOndon Neus..